Part 20 (1/2)

As ever your sincere

BROTHER CHARLIE.

_Religious Views._

BROOK FARM, Ma.s.s., June 9, 1845.

MY DEAR FRIEND:--In reply to your question as to what the religious views of the Brook Farmers are, I might, if I wished to be curt, say that they are such as you see by their lives. I am aware, however, that such a reply will not exactly suit you, and that you really mean what are their creeds, as, are they all Baptists, Trinitarians, Unitarians, or what not? And I answer you that I find here those who were brought up in every kind of belief; some who are from the Roman Catholic Church; some from the Jewish; some Trinitarians; some Unitarians; some from the Swedenborgian Church; some who are Liberals; some who are called ”Come-Outers,” and Mr. P., who professes to be, and is more like an infidel than any other man I ever saw.

They call some of the residents here ”Transcendentalists.” You may judge from the name that they must be either very good or very bad people, but they represent people of education who are a little ”high stilted” in their religious views, and do not take in all the wonderful Mosaic traditions. At least, this is as near as I can explain it to you. It is the fas.h.i.+on to call every one who has any independent notions a Transcendentalist, but I do not know who invented the name or first applied it.

The people here do not dispute on religious creeds; they are too busy.

They work together, dine and sup together year in and year out in intimate social relation, and do not either have angry disputes, or quarrels about creeds or anything else. On the contrary, I am much surprised at the earnest inquiry that is often made into the beliefs of others, or rather into the groundwork or foundation from which the churches sprung which have different tenets from their own.

But the majority are Unitarian in their belief. Mr. Ripley, Mr. Dwight, Mr. Dana and Mr. Cabot, with a majority of the ladies, lean that way.

Dr. Lazarus and his handsome sister are of or from the Jewish faith, whilst Mr. Hastings leans towards Romanism and Jean Pallisse is Catholic; and by the way, I never until I came here had any sympathy with the symbols of that church, but the intelligent persons by whom I have been surrounded have explained the great beauty of them to me--persons who are not and never can be Romanists any more than myself. Dr. Lazarus has posted me on the Jewish symbols, and f.a.n.n.y M.

and her mother have brought forward the great beauty of the Swedenborgian doctrines.

All Mr. Ripleys's writings on social subjects breathe a religious air.

It is true they are not creedal, but his idea is that every act of life should be from a true and earnest spirit, and that this is the substance of all creeds; and strange to say to you, who believe that a.s.sociations like ours have a levelling effect, those who have their faiths fixed, say, ”I think more of the symbols of my church than ever, since I came here.”

”I am a Jew, but a liberal, understanding Jew,” says one.

”I am a Catholic, but I am a liberalized Catholic,” says another.

”I am a Swedenborgian, but my belief liberates me from the crudities of Swedenborg,” say others.

”I look from the centre outward as never before. We all see how the forms of our churches were intended for good, and we all see how many of them have been prost.i.tuted. When I go from here I shall respect your forms and ceremonies because you have taught me the meanings of them.”

Is this definite enough for a hasty answer? The lesson I have most taken to heart is that by examining with respect the many different faiths, we gain a higher idea of a Being who has an exhaustless variety in his attributes.

As ever yours,

C. J. THOMAS.

APPENDIX.

PART II.

APPLICANTS' LETTERS AND MR. RIPLEY'S REPLIES.

[Copies of some of these letters and other doc.u.ments from the originals were used by permission, in preparing the ”Life of George Ripley.”]

_From a Theological Student._.