Sunday, July 11, 2010

protest and complain...

By the time Samuel Longfellow finished at Harvard Divinity School he had already (with his dear friend, Samuel Johnson) published a Book of Hymns.  He was a transcendentalist and a part of the "radical" party.  While supplying pulpits in preparation for a settlement, however, he wrote this in a letter to Johnson, about "reform" sermons.  I found it interesting, especially in such a young man...

"I preached my old sermon of the reformer's aims. And now, Sam, farewell to reform sermons ! I am not yet calm, and high, and pure enough myself, I feel, for this. I can but protest and complain ; and this, I feel, is out of place in the church."

Blessings

3 comments:

Robin Edgar said...

I seem to recall that Jesus quite vigorously protested and complained, to say nothing of physically assaulting some people, on the grounds of the Temple in Jerusalem. . .

slt said...

Hi Robin,
True enough-but presumably Jesus was "calm, high, and pure enough" to do that. Samuel Longfellow (and the rest of us) have a way to go yet. Many blessings, BU

Robin Edgar said...

I do not see how *anyone * can take a whip to cattle and people, and overturn carts etc. etc., in a "calm, high and pure" manner Boston Unitarian. ;-)