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The Radical Club—Boston.
for us only to look into one another’s
faces for the last time as members
of an anti-slavery society, to clasp
hands once more in mutual congra
tulation and benediction, and to ren
der up to God the trust received
from him, and go our ways to other
work.”
Its mission fulfilled, the society
has passed into history. Those who
were its members are admonished
that the work is not yet complete.
Among the letters read at the meet
ing was one from Charles Sumner,
85
in which these words occur: “ But
all is not yet done. The country
must be lifted in deed and life to
the level of the great truth it has
now adopted as the supreme law of
the land. In this cause it is an
honor and a delight to labor, and I
assure you that I shall persevere to
the end.”
Emulating this noble example,
and inspired by a kindred purpose,
let each aid in what remains to be
accomplished.
THE RADICAL CLUB, BOSTON.
The April meeting of the Club
was held at Dr. Bartol’s, and a pour
ing rain seemed not to diminish the
customary good attendance.
The essay, by Mrs. Ednah D.
Cheney, was on the development
and- organization of religious ideas.
Referring to the beginnings of
things in the material world, she
spoke of the germ and the cell, the
foundation of all vegetable growth
and the commencement of all animal
life. Whence, she asked, comes this
germ power—this life, enabling the
new structure to appropriate to it
self whatever around is fitted to its
inward nature ? The materialist can
not answer this question. He has
to stop short in the chain of cause
and effect, and refer this power to a
source which he may name but can
not understand. The spiritual think
er answers that it is the power of
the divinity within us. It is the
consciousness of this inheritance of
divinity which gives us our innate
faith in immortality. The idea of a
divine heritage is expressed in all
the mythologies, and, however false
in fact, is true as a symbol. Thus
the typical man is the direct child of
God. In all genuine organizations/
whether of church, state, or commu
nity, there must be a central root
running down to the divine source,
and there must also be a circum
ference, limited by circumstances,
and absolutely requiring from time
to time to be broken up to give place
to new life. And it is not in the
centre but in the circumference that
creeds and nations differ so widely.
In the deepest spiritual communion,
Jew and Greek, Christian and Mo
hammedan, alike draw near to the
divine centre, and meet there.
Every human soul has access to
God, and affinity with him. It is
individual peculiarities which make
sects differ so widely.
�86
The Radical Club—Boston.
Nevertheless, sects are necessary.
The difference between the Greek
and Latin churches is but the dif
ference between the Grecian and
Roman characters. Churches, like
nations, are necessary formations
round a central idea. Yet, with the
essence of the divine in all for a
meeting-point, there is still the in
tense individuality of every germ
which makes each nature and each
religion itself and not another. The
obstinate hold with which the Jews
have clung to their old religious
ideas and their peculiar forms of
faith has often been quoted as a
miraculous proof of the truth of pro
phecy, yet it is only a singularly
striking instance of the power of in
dividuality, the tenacity with which
the germ retains its character un
changed through many differing cir
cumstances. This same tenacity of
faith is seen in various eastern na
tions. The Abyssinian church is
nearest to Judaism of all the Chris
tian churches, and its members are
the only genuine Sabbatarians in the
Christian world. Variety of sects is
not an unmixed evil. Genuine de
votion to* any truth helps progress.
The evil begins when a sect, or a
church, or a party tries to put down
the others. And we smile, or weep,
at the inconsistency of human nature
when the religious body which claim
ed for itself the largest liberty be
comes in its turn the consolidated
church, and hates and persecutes
others with the same bitterness and
rigor from which itself has suffered.
Thus, the Lutheran persecuted the
Anabaptist, the Independent drove
out the . Presbyterian, the ' Puritan
hung the Quaker, the Unitarian is
now shutting the gate against the
Radical, and doubtless the moment
the Radicals of to-day feel them
selves impelled to precise statement
and positive work, they will think,
like Dickens’s barber, that they must
draw the line somewhere. Indeed,
no church having vital and progres
sive power was ever wholly free
from the persecuting spirit.
The finest result of culture is to
secure not merely tolerance of others,
but a broad, clear-eyed justice. There
is perpetual need of the rational
organization of religious ideas, and
all sects help to mould the primary
elements of the spiritual life into
forms fit for practical use. Some
individual souls are strong enough
and free enough to draw directly
from the great Fountain. Thus So
crates received at first hand from the
divinity.
But most of us need to
have our spiritual as well as our ma
terial food gradually prepared and
assimilated for us. Not every one
can live on potatoes and Plato in
the woods, like Thoreau. We feel
the need of a home ; and the reli
gious home into which we were born
has been called Christianity. It is
linked with every sacred tie. No
wonder men hesitate to lay it aside.
We are Christian as we are Ameri
can. The Christian system is the
grandest and completest yet organiz
ed, and it has not yet done its full
work in the world. But a true home
will be open and hospitable ; and
when in the name of Christianity it
is said that we must know nothing
but Jesus Christ and him crucified,
it is time to rebel. To be a ChrisJ
tian is not to be more than a man,
but to be only a particular and limit
ed kind of man. But the sects, like
the knights-errant of old, insist that
�The Radical Club—Boston.
all shall acknowledge their lady the
most beautiful.
The central peculiarity of Chris
tianity is its assertion of high ideal
principles, and its tender regard for
the poor and lowly. Its chief short
coming perhaps is in failing to adapt
the truth to actual conditions, and
to recognize scientific law. Let us
credit the system fairly with the evil
and the good that have come through
it. As*to slavery, for instance ; why
should we not freely confess that
Jesus made no express provision
against it ? Social science exerts
itself to provide for general welfare
here and now. Christianity took
little thought for this world, being
concerned mainly to provide for the
next. Coleridge tells us, He that
loves Christianity better than the
truth will soon love his own sect or
party better than Christianity, and
will end by loving himself better
than all.
THE DISCUSSION.
Mr. Abraham Folsom said he
thought it time to drop the old sym
bols, including the name Christian.
Rev. William H. Channing
praised the essays of Mrs. Cheney
and Mrs. Howe for eminent com
prehensiveness, clearness, purity,
judicial calmness. This, he said, is
a foreboding of what is coining.
Women seem intended to excel us.
May not their superiority be yet
seen in mathematics, on the stock
exchange, at the ballot-box, and in
solving the problems of legislation?
He agreed with the essay almost
entirely. He would ask, however,
whether Christianity does not con
tain living principles ? Its limita
tions are not inherent, but have been
87
superadded ; while its truths teach
still more clearly'the truths contain
ed in other religions. There are
abundant applications of these truths
to be made in Christendom to-day.
The law of love working freely is
needed everywhere on earth to make
Christian nations really Christian,
and also to convert the rest of the
world.
A voice asked, Where does Chris
tianity teach that the divine is in
carnate in every human being ?
Mr. Channing answered, In the
17th chapter of John, and in all the
teachings of Paul.
Rev. Jesse Jones said the Old
Testament taught us that God made
man in his own image, and Jesus,
assuming the truth of that scriptural
doctrine, adopted it and taught it.
Mr. Longfellow remarked that
Paul declares of all men that which
Jesus says of himself as to indivi
dual union with God.
Again the voice asked whether a
heathen, before Paul, had not said
that we all are God’s offspring ?
Mr. Channing said the problem
is how to make man as he is best
show forth his union with the divine.
The Persians taught that every one
has his divine idea. God has a dis
tinct plan for every single soul. But
men keep limiting and circumscrib
ing us, so that each one’s individu
ality is lost unless he has strength
to break bounds. The thing we
need is to allow and assist indivi
dual development according to God’s
idea.
Rev. James Freeman Clarke said
that, though there were details in
which he disagreed with the essay,
he felt in it the spirit of move
ment and progress. Christianity,
�88
The Radical Club—Boston.
he thought, was going on to solve
the problem of inspiring men with
love for God and their brethren. It
has infused a leaven into the com
munity which, in proportion to its
operation, makes bread out of dough.
Christianity spoke of a “ kingdom
of heaven” on earth. We have not
yet reached this ; and we may well
ask ourselves whether we, as radicals
and as liberal Christians, get more
and more of the spirit of progress.
Christianity spoke also of God in
man, and this by mediation through
one man. We have a mediation in
Christ expressly for the purpose of
taking in all mankind. Its doctrine
is, “ I in them, and thou in me, that
we may be made perfect in one;”
the doctrine of God coming into
humanity through his best beloved.
For his pwn part, Mr. Clarke said,
since he saw that there was a great
deal to be done before the ideas of
Christianity were carried out, he
proposed to remain a Christian.
He thought it a good thing, how
ever, for those unable to stand in
Christianity to stand outside, and
see what they can find there. He
looked with great interest on this
experiment, and would encourage
every one who desired to try it,
Why should not every one try it who
wished to ?
Dr. Spurzheim had introduced a
new phraseology, which impressed
•some people more strongly than the
equivalent terms of the old one. He
called religion “ veneration.” Well,
if men who had cared nothing for
religion, began to cultivate venera
tion, here was progress. Philopro
genitiveness was a much highersounding term than love of children,
and the phrenological catechism led
some men to be better fathers.
Mr. Folsom saw no need of re
ferring back to the old phraseology
and the old ideas. Why need we
refer to that young Jew ? We should
take a step forward—believe in our*
selves—believe that God dwells in
us also. The idea of atoning blood
is a bloody thought ; untrue, and
demoralizing in its influence. The
instruction given to that old half
civilized people will not suffice for
us. The laws of life are better un
derstood now, and we must live in
accordance with them.
The gentleman who next spoke
said that he, like Mr. Abbot, wish
ed to stand outside of Christianity;
and as to the doctrine of messiahship, Jesus spoke of himself as a
Messiah, not the Messiah.
Mrs. Howe said she had come
there to learn. She found much
truth and beauty in the essay, but
wished it were possible to discuss it
without falling into the ruts of con.
troversy. She knew nothing more
catholic and inclusive than Chris
tianity, and did not believe there
was any antagonism between it and
science. That promise of the Holy
Ghost which began to be fulfilled at
the Pentecost was that each one
should be inspired by God just as
Jesus was. Belief in Christianity
did not imply disbelief in any other
religion. Her hope was, that that
faith would take in all other faiths,
meeting all on the plane of frater
nity, of universal spiritual hospi-,
tality.
Mrs. Cheney explained that the
essay had spoken of opposition to
science by the organized Christian
�The Radical Club—Boston.
Biurch, not by Christianity itself.
This is a historical fact, manifest
from the time of Galileo to the op
posers of geology in our own day.
The emphasis of Christianity has
by its teachers, been thrown in
favor of science. On the other hand,
some teachers of science have exalt
ed it at the expense of Christianity.
Mr. Balcom, an English gentle
man, understood to be a minister of
the orthodox persuasion, said he had
been glad to hear the calm spirit of
the essay, and its bearing rather for
Christianity than against it. He
thought Christianity was the infinite
coming down to the finite.
Mrs. Cheney here interposed to
say that that was precisely the point
of the essay. The limitations that
had been spoken of in Christianity
were referable to its organization,
and were such as necessarily came
with organization.
Mr. Balcom went on to express
his interest in the discussion as well
as the essay. If he lived near Bos
ton, he would come to the Radical
Club rather than to the conferences
of his ecclesiastical brethren, since
he learned here more of what he
wished to know. He had particu
89
larly enjoyed the remarks of Mr.
Channing and of Mr. Clarke, and
he wished no better Christianity than
the latter had expressed that morn
ing. He thought Christianity did
not limit us, nor prevent us from
going to glean where we could.
Paul wants us to be filled with all
the fullness of God ; what more can
we desire ?
The last speaker was Mr. Morse,
editor of The Radical. He said we
must accept the idea of mediation,
since all helpful souls aided each
other. The trouble is, that Jesus,
by the popular representation of
him, is made a hinderance rather
than a help. We gladly concur with
the good things he has said, but the
attempt to make all his utterances
compulsory upon us naturally pro
vokes resistance. The right course
is gladly to receive from all sources.
Mrs. Cheney’s excellent essay would
not of itself have aroused contro
versy. Why should we attack and
defend ? Why refer either to Jesus
or Socrates as authority? Let us
praise whatever we find to be good.
And then the Club adjourned.
C. K. W.
�
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Victorian Blogging
Description
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A collection of digitised nineteenth-century pamphlets from Conway Hall Library & Archives. This includes the Conway Tracts, Moncure Conway's personal pamphlet library; the Morris Tracts, donated to the library by Miss Morris in 1904; the National Secular Society's pamphlet library and others. The Conway Tracts were bound with additional ephemera, such as lecture programmes and handwritten notes.<br /><br />Please note that these digitised pamphlets have been edited to maximise the accuracy of the OCR, ensuring they are text searchable. If you would like to view un-edited, full-colour versions of any of our pamphlets, please email librarian@conwayhall.org.uk.<br /><br /><span><img src="http://www.heritagefund.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/attachments/TNLHLF_Colour_Logo_English_RGB_0_0.jpg" width="238" height="91" alt="TNLHLF_Colour_Logo_English_RGB_0_0.jpg" /></span>
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Conway Hall Library & Archives
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2018
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Conway Hall Ethical Society
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Dublin Core
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Title
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The Radical Club, Boston
Creator
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Whipple, Charles K. (Charles King)
Description
An account of the resource
Place of publication: [Chicago]
Collation: 85-89 p. ; 25 cm.
Notes: The article is signed C.K.W. and believed to be Charles K. Whipple. From the library of Dr Moncure Conway. The meeting, of which the article is a report, was held in April 1870 at 'Dr Bartol's'. Other people attending included Ednah D. Cheney, Abraham Folsom, William H. Channing, Rev. Jesse Jones, Mr Longfellow, Rev. James Freeman Clarke. Dr Spurzheim. Mr Morse, Mr Balcom, Mrs Howe. Printed in double columns.
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[s.n.]
Date
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[1870]
Identifier
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G5444
Subject
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Christianity
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<a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/"><img src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /></a><span> </span><br /><span>This work (The Radical Club, Boston), identified by </span><a href="https://conwayhallcollections.omeka.net/items/show/www.conwayhall.org.uk"><span>Humanist Library and Archives</span></a><span>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</span>
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application/pdf
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Text
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English
Boston
Christianity
Conway Tracts
Radical Club