Channing Street
From Worcester Activist wiki
“Never in Boston were such sermons,” said Rev. Theodore Parker, “never such prayers. His word sank into men as the sun into the ground in Summer to send up grass and flowers.”
Parker Spoke of Rev. William Ellery Channing, orator; champion of human dignity: one of the greatest men of God that ever charged a pulpit in Boston. There is a statue of Channing in bronze in the Boston Public Gardens. On the pedestal is written: “He breathed into theology a humane spirit.” Channing was born in Newport, R. I., April 7, 1780. A brilliant student at Harvard, he was somewhat of a political firebrand. He was given a leading role at commencement- a talk on “The Present Age.”
Authorities insisted that any reference to contemporary politics be struck out. Channing obeyed, but in the midst of his speech paused, then burst out: “But that I am forbid, I could a tale unfold that would harrow up your souls!”
He was ordained June 1, 1803; at 23 was installed as pastor of Federal Street, now Arlington Street, Church of Boston. His congregation saw a frail, pale, spiritual young man with a trembling voice and devout manner. Before long, the entire civilized world new his name and for what he stood. He brought to a focus all the unrest and dissatisfaction that had smoldered under the surface of Congregationalism; became the leader of “Channing Unitarianisum.”
It stood for a religious liberalism which asserted the right of human reason as part of the essential dignity of human nature. He had great influence on American literature, urging development of an American art. Emerson, Bryant, Longfellow, Lowell, Holmes and others acknowledged their debt to Channing.
“Let us become more cheerful and we shall become a more temperate people.”he preached.
He fought for temperance, for abolition of imprisonment for debt, for improvement of prisons, for the welfare of the laborer, for peace and for freedom throughout the world.
In a sermon at Baltimore, which had repercussions throughout the world, He said: “We object to the systems of religion which prevail among us… that they take from us the Father in Heaven, and substitute for Him a being whom we cannot love if we would and whom we ought not to love if we could.”
Baron Bunsen called Channing “an antique hero with a Christian heart, a man like a Greek, a citizen like a Roman, a Christian like an apostle.” Worcester, in 1857, honored him with the name of a street. It extends from Kendall street north to Green Hill parkway.
Channing died Oct. 2, 1842, in Bennington, Vt.
The core of this article comes from A History of Your City Streets.
