A Letter to the Boston . . .

A LETTER TO THE BOSTON ASSOCIATION OF CONGREGATIONAL MINISTERS, touching certain Matters of their Theocracy. By THEODORE PARKER, Minister of the Second Church in Roxbury. Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1845.
THE EXCLUSIVE PRINCIPLE CONSIDERED. Two Sermons on Christian Union and the Truth of the Gospels. By W.H. FURNESS, Pastor of the First Unitarian Congregational Church in Philadelphia. Boston: B.H. Greene, 1845.

  In the first of these documents Mr. Parker, in a simple, explicit and intelligible manner, states the question at issue between him and his associates, and makes an appeal to their honor and sincerity which can hardly fail of eliciting a manly and explicit reply.

  The tone of the letter is generally dignified, but we could wish that one or two slight touches of satire had been forborne, which, though not surprising from the ‘natural man’ under the circumstances, are yet unworthy an occasion which ought to be met in the highest spirit, with a meekness such as Moses had—the meekness of the strong.

  This pamphlet should be read by all who have taken any interest in the affair.

  Mr. Furness takes up this subject with wisdom and a vision unclouded by fear. He sees that the truly liberal must be liberal to all who sincerely act upon their convictions, not only when they believe in more particulars of theology than ourselves, but when they believe in fewer. He takes the occasion to express his dissent from whatever is peculiar in Mr. Parker’s views, but with genuine candor, and in a fraternal temper.*

“A Letter to the Boston . . .” New-York Daily Tribune, 29 March 1845, p. 1.

Donation

$