Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-06-10
Religious Services.

1--WE 'O"b y N '''IOh'i' VI VIC .NCN
land Unitarian Missionary Association,
preached in Good Tcmplars Hall last Sun.
day afternoon and evening, his discourscs
embracing review of the distinctive tenets
of the denomination he represents. Mr..
kimball is ready speaker, and his servi.
vices were conducted with impressive fer.
vor. lie has succeeded in awakenin: con.
siderable interest in the commun ity, and a
desire TO hear more of the doctrines of his
church. Tomorrow his subjects will be
Going Forward" and "Tbc Unitarian
Idea of Christ" for his afternoon and even.
ing discourses, respectively. 1t is the de-
sign, we understand, each Sabbath to take
up SONG one of the special Unitarian doc.
trincs and present it positively and dis
tinctly as matter of truth, but in that
spirit of charity which all scc,s are learning
to CHERISH As appropos to the subject
in the evening, and to invite candid in
quiry in the matter, the following quota.
ton is made from work entitled {" Rea-
sons in Religion by Rev. Frederic Henry
Hedge:
The question of the nature Of Christ
was the first opened, and will probably be
the last closed in Christian dogmatcs.
Scarcely can two individuals be found who
think precisely alike in this matter and
yet all who rightly claim the name of
; Christian are agreed in this, that there is
n divine and also human element in the
gospel and life of Christ. In what man
ner and proportion these elements unite,
who can ascertain with perfect assurance
for hmsclf?-who will undertake to de-
termine for others? Councils and crceds
may decide the question for ecclesiastical
use; but no council can determine and no
creed can state it with such authority and
such precision as to satisfy all the demands
of the understanding and the heart 1t
is question of philosophy. not Of religion,
and one whose theoretical solution is not
essential to spiritual growth. The heart
that seeks will find practical solution of
it snited to its own need; but all will not
find the same. Some are born to one way
of thinking, some to another. Some pre-
fer to contemplate the divine in Christian
i.y; some, the human. Some require
human God for their Saviour, and some
require mortal example for their stand
ard and guide in action an! suffering.
To me it seems, that the truest form of
Christian faith unitcs both elements, the
divine and the human; and that none can
know the full power of the gospel, and
experience all its height and depth and
breadth, where either is wanting.
! I. We want the divine; we want to see
in Christianity The power of God and the
wisdom of God made manifest for the
moral welfare of man; We want to see the
Spirit of God entering into human nature
to revive and redeem it. We want
teacher conscious Of Gods impresencc.
claiming attention as a voice out OF the
heavens. We want doctrine which shall
announce itself with divine authority; not
a system Of moral philosophy. but the
word and KINGDOM Of God. Without this
stamp Of divine legitimacy. without the
witness and signature of the Eternal,
Christianity would want that which alone
gives it weight with the mass of mankind,
and the place it now holds in human
things. This it is which constitutes the
specific difference between philosophy and
religion; between the distractions Of the
intellect addressed to the intellect. and
truth incarnate, addressing heart and will.
II. We need in Christianity the hu-
man also. We need the Son of Man we
need the human example az model and
motive We need, for our Saviour, na-
ture to Which no human experience is
strange,-a nature. that images but com
plctcs our own. IF I saw in Jesus only
God assuming human nature. enacting
human part for the incubation of moral
truth, I should see an illustration Of the
fair and good. but without flesh and bones;
hollow apparition | need no gospel to
show me that God is without sin, that
God can act wisely that God can bless.
What want to know is, that man can re-
sist t; that man can endure that man can
be holy, and live sin!css life on the earth.
This is the lesson of the life Of Jesus, and
this its chief value for US. The gospel is
given as a revelation of God, but is given
also as a revelation of man; as a type Of
human nature, a pledge of human destiny
as encouragement to human frailty, as in
centive to action; a call from the Son Of
Man to the sons of mcn,-a call to glory
and immortality; pledge of divine com.
munications according to the measure Of
faith a witness to all generations that the
communications of Godhead, and the
wonder. working power of the Spirit, are
always equal to Mans receptivity, and
that the measure of mans rcceptivity is
his obedience.
@- The Kalama Beacon gives an ex-
tended account of trial ofspeed" be.