The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-11-06
nrst expsanatsou. Aifths parties mon
TONED are well known in our midst.
and were among the best Of our citi.
zens few years ago. Dov. 0n,rt,e
UNIvzRsALrsr.E :
Rev. ]. Milton Akers Explaina II
through the Northwestern
Christian Advocate"

4
time to write out some Of the beauties
OF universalism, for the delectation OF
the readers OF the Northwestern. We
are the moro inclined to do this from
the fact, that they are SO numerous In
our locality, 60 bold In the pressnt.-
tion OF their views, and that some OF
our members are becoming more or
less infected with the seductive heresy.
They are especially severe on oil
orthodox and evangelical churches,
lampooning them without any mix
ture Of mercy, for their narrowness
and bigotry. Some OF our people are
almost afraid 20 say they believe any.
thing, for fear of being assaulted by
these theological bullies. Their state
agent has passed through our town
several times recently, and generally
stops to give Us . sermon. We sus-
pect he contemplates starting . mis-
sion among Us. During his last visit,
while he was showing of his daring
feats Of mental and moral equestrian
ship, or in other words, "riding his
hobby" he told us that most OF the
so-called Christianity of the world
was billiousness. He says he knows
whereof he affirms. When we see .
fat saioon-keeper. or his palatial resi-
dence, . reeling drunkard, or see men
coming home Sabbath evening from
their sporting. or hunting, and realize
that they are Universalists, Catholics,
or Spiritualists, we are sorry (slthough
billiousness is supposed to be rather
an undesirable condition) that there
Is not u little more Of it. n bilious
ness will give us quiet Sabbaths, close
up our saloons. shut the mouths OF
profane swearers, and make men hap
pier and better, we say. "give us more
bile"
They have but one article of faith,
and that is, that all mankind will be
saved.
They seem to agree, however, in q
negative faith, a few points of which
We proceed to mention.
l. They do not believe In the cor
rectness or inspiration Of the Old
Testament, and say that 1t has no
more authority than any other book.
They complain bitterly that other de-
nominations are continually saying
"thou shalt not do this, or that" thus
hedging up the way to mans enjoy
ment. We infer that their remarks
are intended TO apply to the "ten
commandments" also. II their lives
are any indication of their belief, they
reject the New Testament % well, for
they are notorious violaters Of every
command given by Christ.
2. They do not believe in the "fall
of man." Our reverend instructor
reached the climax Of his wonderful
eioquence, when he told US that the
"fall of man" was not once men,
toned in the Bible. They claim that
the human race to-day Is just ~ pure
as God made the first pair, and tina:
all the desires Of the heart are holy.
He who follows the bent of his own
inclinations Is, in their estimation,
walking in the way 8f Gods COM
mandments.
3. They do not believe in personal
devil. Our learned teacher told US
that there was no devil but mans
wicked heart, entirely forgetting that
he had told US only a half-hour be-
fore, that all the desires Of the heart
were holy. As he claims to have
found the truth, he will Of course be
able to reconcile these apparently con.
fiicting articles OF belief.
4. They 40 not believe there is any
hell but mans conscience. They be-
lieve that Jesus Christ came into the
world to save all men. Thus far they
do we'll. He came to save men, not
from hell, because there is none not
from sin, because men following the
bent Of their inclinations do not sin.
and because their consciences punish
them for sin, and men cannot be saved
from that for which they suffer. SO
Christ came TO save men from moth
ing. The death OF Christ was con-
summate folly. Man ie not lost and
does not need q Saviour. The points
we have given, were all taken down
at the time Of their delivery, and we
can vouch for their correctness. We
presume we have given enough to en-
able your readers to form IN intslli-
gent idea of that clear and wonderful
ly consistent system Of theology
known as "Universalism."
1t has done, and is still doing, in
calculable harm in our midst, by
keeping men and women away from
repentance and salvation. Man can
believe anything, and practice any
thing, and still be good Universalist !;
other denominations. and especially
the Methodists. require some change
Of heart and life 1t ia q fact beyond
all question that Universalism never
makes man any better. It says to
him, "you are not the deprsyed crea-
ture some would have you believe:
your desires are legitimate and God
given go forth, pluck and eat, for
thou shalt not surely die" Men like
| Universe lism because it apologies for
their sins, and promises them homo
| In heaven, at the end ofa wicked life.
Its doctrines are unscriptural, illogi-
cal. demoralizlng, and ruinous to the
last degree and II the devil has any
more powerful opiate for the souls Of
men, we do not know what It Is.
| The sand.club IL weapon used by
rowdies and criminals in San Fran
cisco, resembling in principle the sand
bag used by the same sort Of scoun-
drels in New York. The sand-club ID
formed by filling an eel skin with
sand. When this instrument was
first brought into use, the authorities
were greatly puzzled by deaths, ap-
parently from violence, yet NO marks
could be found on the outside Of the
BODY, A burglar was finally captured