Page:The Collected Works of Theodore Parker volume 3.djvu/258

Rh no such men; and those they do pray for, they ask only that they may believe the creed, and "come to Christ." To Jesus of Nazareth ? It does not mean to come to him who said religion was love to God and love to man! It means only, come to the catechism and the meeting-house! I do not know how many men, and women too, have laboured with me to convert me. Not one ever asked me to increase in religion, in either part of it—in piety or morality; to be more temperate, industrious, truth-telling—quite the opposite of that—more generous, just, charitable, philanthropic, forgiving to my enemies. Not one ever asked me to be a better minister, scholar, neighbour, friend, cousin, uncle, brother, husband. None ever prayed me to love God better, or to keep his commandments more, only to "come to Christ;" and their Christ, it was the catechism, which tormented me in my infancy, which I sobbed over many a night and wept myself to sleep, and at last made way with the abominable thing, trod it under my feet for ever, before I had seen my seventh birth-day.

I do not know how many letter- writers, clergymen, laymen, and lay-women visitors, have threatened me with eternal damnation. This one is sure I am to have it at last; these others declare it is coming "summarily." No one ever charged me with any vice, with any lack of virtue or manly excellence; only with disbelief in the catechism. That is, the second thing.

These two things show that the church asks belief in the theology of unreason, not a life of natural piety and morality; and because the ministers work for this, and with tools suited to this end, is it that so many of them pass their lives

These things being so, ecclesiastical revivals do no considerable good. They make superstitious church members, not religious men and women. "They heal the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly"—I mean, they do not heal it at all.