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Nemesis done for the Independent Pulpit in America, inaugurated by Parker? It is but fifteen years, and on the platform where he stood alone twenty-five ministers stand. Where is a stronger or healthier babe for its years than the Free-thought of the Unitarian Church? Joseph is a fruitful branch." These independent ministers are nearly all settled over large and worthy congregations. But what is more, the posture of this freer element has necessarily placed it in a leading relation to the powerful institutions which represent the Spirit of the Age. It edits the Atlantic Monthly; it animates the literary club; it is a central figure on the arenas of Reform; it wields the Lyceum in every city of the Union. It was asked formerly, in England, "Who reads an American book?" The many European editions and translations of the works of Emerson, Parker, Margaret Fuller, and Curtis, have given the only sufficient reply. Transcendentalism in New England was the first Catholic Power of American Intellect.

The Unitarian movement in New England was essentially a negative movement. It was an Intellectual Revival in the Church whereby the dogmas of Trinity, Incarnation, Atonement, and the Future Life were shown to be out of relation with the culture and Science which had been reached. It was a protest against something; not much, if at all, a protest for anything. The leaders of the movement did indeed inculcate a high and pure morality; but the orthodox had always inculcated a morality just as high indeed, it is evident that Morality is a constant thing in the world, like the atmosphere by which men live, and is stated in almost the same words in the Codes of Moses, Menu, and Christ. The Unitarians, therefore, could add but little, though they may have stated it more clearly and applied it more practically.

It is plain, therefore, that the value of the movement was the incorporation into a Christian Body of the negations which had been maintained outside of any such organization by Paul, of Samosata, Arius, Pelagius, Socinus, Servetus, and others. But the progress of every pilgrim must be from the land of the Eternal Nay to that of the Eternal Yea. Manna from Heaven will indeed fall down to those who are necessarily in the wilderness; but the manna will not keep for all time, in whatsoever jars secured; it must be left for the permanent support the land flowing with milk and honey. The free portion of the Church, therefore, is that which is leading

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it on to the Positive and Affirmative. Every denial implied an authority which could deny; every judgment implied a standard somewhere uplifted. For a long time, the special denial or judgment was discussed; it was not recognized that these were but signs of a new principle which had come into action, or changes wrought by another authority claiming superiority to text and tradition. That Affirmation now reveals itself, as, after the American Revolution, it came out that the war was not against a tax on tea, but for entire Independence. And what is this Affirmation? Simply, the entire sufficiency of the Human Spirit to attain the highest truth, and, by a fulfilment of spiritual laws, enjoy the highest communion. Thus the reigns of reptilian ceremonies, of Saurian Sabbaths and miracles, pass away before the reign of the Spiritual Man. This explains why the Christian freethinkers can not be floored by a text, nor put down by logic; they are interested only in Man. You shall miss them at the Theological Conclave, and find them at the Anti-Slavery Society; they leave a Greek accent falling the wrong way, to lift up a falling man.' Indeed, when one hears the phrase "right and left," it suggests the line of the German poet: "Keep near the left- - there beats the heart." A word to this "left wing" ere we close this article. Very much has Nemesis,- the Law of Conservatism, done for us. The growth of the free ministry and its audience has surpassed the growth of its parent in the same length of time. It is in the closest union with the great human thoughts and tendencies which constitute the vitality of the age it has access to the fountains of inspiration and eloquence; for none can be eloquent for slavery, for fetters,-only for the large and free. Nevertheless, we must not forget that we stand amidst thirty millions of men with only one free voice to the million. The warning comes to us, "Enlarge the place of thy tent." For this, we must have more communion and coöperation. Individuality is never to be lost, even to a hairsbreadth; but there is a sphere as well as an atom. "The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the tents of Jacob." He was with each in his own tent, but when hearts and hands were knit, then came victory. Spread out the thunder," exclaims Schiller's Fiesco," into its single tones, and it becomes a lullaby for children; pour it forth together in one peal, and the royal sound shall move the heavens." We must bear witness to one another; we must

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not allow any free brother to be so isolated and unheeded that those who hear him shall say of a truth dear to us all, "It is but one man's view; he is very odd and eccentric."

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We must take greater care of our young men. Those who are familiar with theological Schools know to what painful ordeals the young Parkerites," as they are termed, are subjected. We do not mean to charge professors with having a spirit of persecutionwe believe that they have this more rarely than is supposed; but, whilst their more orthodox fellows are called out, from Sunday to Sunday, to fill the vacant pulpits, during their senior term, and welcomed to large congregations when graduated, they are kept in the background, their talents have no play, and when they come, at length, to stand before a congregation, it is without that selfpossession and tact which the others have gained by experience. They come forth from the School to linger about the Associationrooms, with no means of getting face to face with the thousands of hearts which are yearning for just such free and earnest words as these youths could give them. If the new heretic reaches a settlement, it is over hot ploughshares of opposition; since there are so many ministers nowadays who know so much better what this or that Church needs than the Church itself knows. And some, wearied out with this tedious process, are sorely tempted either to deny the holy Lord within them, and go to warm themselves by the fire with the Servants of the High Priest, or to satisfy the stirring life within them by rushing off on swerving orbits. Of how many noble and eloquent teachers have Politics, Speculation, and Office-seeking robbed us? Can we not help give these aspirants welcome, incentive, work?

Much less complex is the duty of the Christian freethinkers toward the Truth which is organizing itself in them, as into hands, feet, and tongues. We have but to work steadily, by the light of God's lamp within us. We have but to pull steadily at the cord which is placed in our hand: the world is at its other end. In Charles Reade's last story, "A Good Fight," it is related that a tower, to the window of which not even many ladders joined toyouth was to be taken, if possible, out of an exceeding high gether could reach. What was to be done? Why, this simple thing an old huntsman shoots an arrow up through the window; instead of a ferrule, the arrow has a long skein of silk bound around its end. The hero is told, by a pencilling attached, to tie

his knife to it, let it down, and, when he feels a change in the weight, to draw it up again. He lets down the slender silk; he draws up with it a twine, such as the silk could bear, with that a whipcord, such as the twine could bear, until at length in a great rope-ladder he holds Liberty in his hand. The principle is perfect for any extent that silk thread could have drawn up, by going through the gradations, stairways of iron and granite. It is perfect, too, for any department. We must take our little thing and draw away until the larger and stronger thing comes. Please God, if we can send into a single window of Superstition's Dark Tower where a Human Soul is imprisoned, an arrow which bears a tie to freedom, it will be worth all our labor.

DR. EINBOHRER AND HIS PUPILS.

CHAPTER IV.-PARENTHESIS.

INSTEAD of a lecture from Dr. Einbohrer, the Editor proposes to report a communication from the Devil. He trusts that no one will be incredulous as to the possibility of conversation with the inferior orders of creation or even the infernal,—as he has one yet to report from an ape.

He will only premise that he has been several times in his life in a state of trance. He does not claim for these states the dignity of the raptures of the Sybils and Pythonæ, or of Platinus, Paul, Behmen or Swedenborg; neither are they the results of opium or hasheesh. At moments when he least expects such visitations there comes upon him something like a cool breath on the forehead, which then forms into a current along the spine; a flush then flows over the face, and every sense seems refined intensely; then usual objects seem to become framework or vista for a new set of beautiful visions.

The following is from his Diary:

"On the present occasion I had gone out in the afternoon to a favorite shade to meditate on the subject of the morning's lecturethe Human Hand. I lay down on the grass, leaning my head on one hand as a pillow, the other stretched out before me. The

summer was just intimating its approach in the fresh feathering of the wood willow, whereon a thousand little honey-bee Gabriels sounded their trumpets in token of its advance. A small stream could just be overheard scolding, like a child interrupted at play, at a stick which had fallen across it, over which it must fall in turn. Now all these sounds seemed to retreat to an infinite distance. I felt the cool breath on my forehead. The steps of some extraordinary thing approaching echoed along my brain like the statue visiting Don Giovanni. Lo! uprose before me a huge Hand. It was at some distance, and was approaching as if pushed along by some one concealed behind it. As it came closer, I saw with dismay that what I supposed a hand was a living monster wearing the shape of a hand: the thumb was one arm, the little finger another; the first and third fingers were legs and feet, the second was a long tail with the finger-nail cut into the shape of a dreadful spear-head. A whiff of brimstone swept over me. This strange being bore a musical instrument shaped like a hand with middle finger stretched out to hold the strings. He began to sing, whilst this instrument yielded a truly diabolical accompaniment. At the end of each stanza came a chorus yelled from the depths of the earth. The song was a celebration of the hand as admirably adapted to all villainous works the chorus being thus:

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The hand, it is the handsomest

Of Nature's handiwork –

Universal pocket-picker,

Made to steal and dirk.

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Perhaps,' he said at last, you'd prefer that I should proceed

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much,' said I, 'I hate poetry, and yours makes me especially nervous. But who-" Really, now, you don't mean to say you

don't know who I am? I am the Devil.'

"Strangely enough, I did not feel any great emotion at this announcement. The dent and inkblot are still shown the tourist where Luther threw his inkstand at the Devil. I fear I did not hate this Devil so much; I certainly did not find him so black as he had been painted, nor feel disposed to give him so ungracious a reception. I remembered rather the pathetic appeal of Burns to Auld Nickie Ben:

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the Bohemian blessing: He that is spoken against befriend

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