ntials, not their wisdom, were their
only power. But although he felt himself to be a _persona non
grata_,--another unpopular person to suffer for his beliefs,--he girded
himself for earnest uncompromising warfare. He planted against every
church his strongest batteries of criticism, satire, and sarcasm. He
poured forth his thoughts in words that made men's ears tingle, till the
protestations of his adversaries fell from their lips with something of
a hollow sound. Half preacher, half assassin, as he was thought to be,
repudiating as offensive the doctrines of the Cross, and hating with
every drop of his blood the general traditions and faith of the Church,
he worked and awaited the day of his triumph. It came.

Boston is slow to recognize new prophets; yet religious belief of every
kind is treated with gentleness and indulgence. The preachers of the
city might regard Mr. Savage as a teacher of "positive error," but they
could not object to the hospitality of Boston, a citizen and preacher of
which Mr. Savage became on the footing of democratic fraternity. By the
free development of reason and the spread of intelligence Boston has
become temperate and tolerant. She will not enslave the understanding or
deny anyone one vestige of religious freedom. With her, religion is a
practical and spiritual thing rather than a theoretic and ceremonial.
The latter helps to stimulate the former to the fullest discharge of
duty, but does not in itself constitute religion. The one comes by
internal necessity, the other belongs to the sphere of outward
operation, of inventive and enterprising minds. Religion is a living
mode of thought sustained by personal character, and needs not ambitious
terminology or supervision. Boston trusts her instincts, as Emerson has
taught her, and asks only ample scope for the imperative working of her
religious sentiment and the life of the heart.

Under these favoring conditions, by which Boston, like a mother, works
out her own character in the spirit and life of her gifted men, the Rev.
Mr. Savage was impelled onward in his daring enterprise. With stern
fidelity Boston exercised a definite and pervasive influence on Mr.
Savage's mind. Although his religious thinking came upon the public like
a new birth, he was only reiterating its progressive thought and the
stout emphasis it placed on thinking out religion in intelligible terms
and in all the breadth of its activities. Instrumental rather than
absolu