The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-04-02
THE PHRENOLOGICAL JOUENAL
by Fowler q Wells, New
York CITY, .-..

Published by Fowler q Wells, New
rr York City.
The April number of this valuable
periodical is before us, containing as
usual, large amount of interesting
and instructive miscellaneous matter,
editorials, communications and selec-
tions, in regard TO health and the laws
of life. A feature in the number for
April is the collection of portraits OF
various distinguished divines given in
it. together with brief biographical out
lines. We have also an exposition OF
the theological views held by two of
the religious denominations of the
country, concerning which compare
lively little is known in this section of
the Onion. In the East, the Unitarians
and Universalists are pretty well known
and understood, but in the West and
Southwest, their tenets do not prevail
to any considerable extent. As mat
ter of interest, therefore, to our readers,
we copy from the JouTndLt the following
extracts from its expose of their views /:
The Unitarian body was growth, a
! gradual formation in the ecclesiastical
system of the country, and consequent
| ly its lines are not distinctly drawn.
Its somewhat, as yet, indefinite theol-
Ogy was not formed by council, nor
! elaborated by one master mind. 1t has
| grown up, and is still in a formative
state. The cardinal principle of the
| body is individual liberty in matters
of belief. Consequently there are the
greatest differences of opinion among
them, ranging all the way from Evan
| gelicism to Rationalism, and embracing
the entire theological district between
Charming and Parker.
/ Unitarians all agree in holding that
Christ was the Son of God, and not
| "God the Som" that Is, inferior to the
and goodness. They differ among
themselves as to his pre-existence, au-
! thority, and rank, but all regarding
him as the head OF our humanity, the
most wonderfully gifted soul that has
yet appeared on earth, the Providen-
tial teacher, leader, inspirer of men,
| the head of a new order of civilization.
Rejecting the doctrine of total deprav-
ity, they also reject the current doctrine
that Ghrist's death pays the penalty of
| mans transgression, or makes il pos
sible for God to forgive those whom
he could not forgive before; they
hold that God loves every soul with a
I perfect love, and will forgive all who
are truly penitent, and do all that in
| finite wisdom can devise and infinite
power can effect TO bring every child to
Himselfin holiness; but that in love He
has ordained that every man must suf-
fer the penalty of his own sins. They
| agree in rejecting the notion that the
Bible is infallibly inspired, but rather
| regard it as the record of the sayings
and doings of remarkable and Inspired
men, the history and remaining litera-
ture ola peculiar people, and above all,
| ofinestimable value as containing our
only authentic account of the life and
| teachings OF Jesus Christ and his first
! apostles-a human book, with human
errors and imperfections in it, to be
read in the light of reason, with all the
aids of history, science, criticism and
experience book unspeakably pre-
cious as a help to the soul, but not the
master of the soul. They also agree in
rejecting the prevalent doctrine of the
\ endless punishment of all who die i'm
! penitent, and almost all of them believe
| that under the improved circumstances
1 and holier Influences of another world,
all souls will recover from the sins and
/ faults OF this earthly life, and realize a
| glorious destiny They also agree in
laying the greatest stress upon practi-
cal matters, and regard doing as of
more account than believing, life of
Christian usefulness as the consummate
flower, the blessed fruit, in comparison
with which forms of worship and sec
tartan dogmas are trivial, if not imper-
tinent.
The UniyersaIist theology is, in many
respects, similar to the views held by
the Unitarians. Taking their rise
in the early ages of the Christian dis
pensation, both these classes of liberal
Christians have fiourished side by side,
if,they have not been identified in in
terest. The leading features of Uni
versalism are bodied in their "Pro-
fession of Belief" which was adopted
at the General Convention of UNIVERSAL
lists in the United States, held in 1903,
and which is still regarded with satis-
faction by this denomination. The
"Profession" runs thus:
"ART. 1. We believe that the Holy
Scriptures of the Old and New Testa-
ments contain a revelation of the
character of God, and of the duty, in
terest, and final destination OF man
kind.
.ART. 2. We believe that there is one
God, whose nature is love; revealed in
one Lord Jesus Christ, by one Holy
Spirit of grace, who will finally restore
the whole family OF mankind to holi-
ness and happiness. ft l...a.s ~ .-.-
'tART. 3. We believe that holiness and
true happiness are inseparably con-
nected, and that believers ought to be
careful to maintain order and practice
good works, for these things are good
and profitable unto men,"
Universalists reject 1.-THE doctrine of
human depravity, as degrading to the
Deity, and, SO TO speak, impossible to
Him. All men, they say, are formed
in the image OF God, which, though it
may be diSfigured by sin, can never be
utterly depraved; that man is liable to
sin, but it is sthrough ignorance and un-
belief, and not at all on account of any
nFiUinal pOrrnDGiOn nf hRaFt transmit
ted from Adam. The Almighty is so
just that He will assuredly deal out
impartial justice to all. But the pun
iShment viii not be of infinite duration.
HGod is infinite in mercy, and il is the
office of mercy to forgive ofenses, and
this forgiveness Is accorded in His
appointed way, through the mediator
ship OF Jesus Christ, who was sent of
God to be the Saviour OF the world. It
is Christ's final work to resurreet the
soul into the glorified life of the angels;
for human salvation, according to them,
does not cease at death, but is passed
over by death to Christ, who consum-
mates it in the eternal world. All
mankind is to be saved, and not a soul
{ lost, or Christ died in vain, and did not
redeem aworld, but only q fragment of
: it. Like the Unitarians, the Uni
versalists reject the orthodox doctrine
OF the Trinity, but they go further
I than the former in attributing to Christ
qualities Of a divine nature. He, say
\ they,is subordinate to the Father but
| possessed of power and spirit beyond
all other intelifgence.l BE is God made
manifest in the flesh, and was sent of
/ God to save the world They believe
| also in the eternal lcpEogressfon Of the
soul, that will retain forever its identi-
I ty, clothed with supernal body, and
attain to heights OF heavenly wisdom
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