to the stage of civilization to which they arrived. The Christian
affirms that God is the Parent of humanity, the Father of every human
being.* It would be in direct contradiction to his faith to deny
this. But Jesus Christ came to introduce a new life, whose light and
love should so surpass all that had been before Him as to make it
appear as darkness by contrast. This life makes no war against the
good and true that already existed in men, but it embraces, includes,
and fulfils it all, and then adds more than men had dared to dream
before His coming. That Christianity is of this high character, not
only did its Author show by the example of His life and death, but it
has shown itself to be so wherever it has come in contact with any of
the older forms of religious faith and doctrine. It has exhibited a
power that is superior to, and which overcomes, all that arrays
itself against it. We do not deny that Zoroaster, Pythagoras, Plato,
Socrates, Zeno, Cato, etc., were good, great, and religious men,
above the age in which they lived, and inspired be a life not only
superior to that of their time but above that of a great part of
Christendom, so-called. But we say that Christ gave to the world a
life infinitely above theirs, and that, had they been His
contemporaries, or ours, they would have been as far superior to
their actual selves as the inspiration of Christianity is superior to
that under which they lived."

[* "As some also of your own poets said: For we are also His
offspring. Being, therefore, the offspring of God, we must not
suppose the Divinity to be like unto gold or silver or stone, the
graving of art and the device of man." (Acts 17:28, 29)]

Although there is authority for saying that the business partnership
between Isaac Hecker and his brothers was not formally dissolved
until he went away to Belgium in 1849, he seems never to have resumed
any active share in it after his return from Concord. Now and again
the old scruples about this apparent inactivity returned upon him,
and we find him contracting his personal needs within a compass so
narrow that his support shall be felt as the least possible burden.
Thus he writes, on July 13, that his present state of suspension from
all outward engagements cannot and should not be of long continuance.
He adds:

"It is a clear and bounden duty that every one should in some way or
other compensate the world for that which he consumes from its store.
But I do n