aam's ass was only the twirling of his
long ears and loud braying; and the walls of Jericho fell merely by the
natural force of loud, fearless, and honest speaking,--just as West
India Slavery tumbled down by the agency of the noble voices that
thundered, trumpet-like, in righteous indignation against it.

While speaking of Mr. Frothingham's juvenile work, we do not forget that
he has lately sounded the alarm of "Liberal Christianity" for those who
have passed the age of childhood. Many of his Unitarian brethren will
hardly agree with his radical Rationalism. Belonging to the extreme Left
Wing, he holds that it is the province of liberal Christians to slough
off the absurd doctrines now prevalent,--"not to remould the age,--to
recast it, to regenerate it, to cross it or struggle with it, but to
penetrate its meaning, enter into its temper, sympathize with its hopes,
blend with its endeavors. The life of the time appoints the creed of the
time, and modifies the establishment of the time. The great mark of our
generation is a deep faith in the soul's power to take care of itself,
and a desire that it may exercise that power to the utmost. Away with
fears! Away with despairs! Away with devils! Away with perdition! Away
with doom! Protestantism has the poison in its heart. From our own
liberal theology, the elements of unnaturalism, preternaturalism,
supernaturalism, have disappeared almost as completely as they have from
the systems of science. The grand achievement of Christianity was the
emancipation of human nature from its terrible Jewish thraldom. Its
revelation seems to have been, that men could judge for themselves what
is right,--could please God by being true to themselves,--could find the
blessed life by returning to the simplicity of little children,--and
could bring in the kingdom of heaven by yielding to the solicitations of
kindness. Man greater than the Sabbath; man greater than the temple; man
greater than the priesthood or the law. The religion was a consecration
of Nature; the abolishment of the old oppressive hierarchies, and a
cordial invitation to the heart to make a religion for itself. Just so
far as it was in the deepest and purest sense 'natural' religion,--just
so far as it emancipated the moral forces of humanity,--was it quick and
quickening.... Human nature, under liberty, will vindicate itself as a
divine creation. The freer it is, the more harmonious, orderly,
balanced, and beautiful it is....