20–26 June 1831

I I suppose it is not wise, not being natural, to belong to any religious party In the Bible you are not directed to be a Unitarian, or a Calvin- ist or an Episcopalian. Now if a man is wise, he will not only not profess himself to be a Uni- tarian, but he will say to himself, I am not a mem- ber of that or of any party. I am God's child, a disciple of Christ, or, in the eye of God, a fellow disciple with Christ.| Now let a man get into a stage-coach with this distinct understanding of himself, divorcing himself in his heart from every party, and let him meet with religious men of every different sect, and he will find scarce any proposition uttered by them to which he does not assent, and none to the sentiment of which he does not assent, though he may insist on varying the language. As fast as any man be- comes great, that is, thinks, he becomes a new party. Socrates, Aristotle, Calvin, Luther, Abe- lard, what are these but names of parties? Which is to say, As fast as we use our own eyes, we quit these parties or Unthinking Corporations, and join ourselves to God in an unpartaken relation.