, 1875-02-22

OF nv Father, which IL in f1e1yen."
There Is, howover, . large snd increasing num-
sion and notwithstanding, coma ~ simplo
seekers after the truth, and inquire Of us like
tho !ors, at Rome, Of Paul. .'We desro to hels
Of thoo what thou thinkest7"
Such 1uca.ion no are alwnra ready to m
swer In The name spirit In which It Ia aahed.
For, although Na mako righteousnosB Of lifo
and tho upbnildlng OF pereonal character our
Ideal aims, yet thcro ia nothing In tfs tl,at pro-
cludcs belief, or negatives the holding Of well-
defined opinions on religious subjects. On Tho
contrary, NO bollevo that faith ,nuAt undcrlie all
genuine effort: that = fafthiess lilo ia weak
and worthless one. so too t1octrlnes arc ncccs-
sary. fot doctrines arc iii religion what rrsnciplea
aro In morality, fxod pointa around which the
spiritual life Of man rovoves.
And vet We cannot ansvof tho question. "WhAt
thInkcst thou ?" BY pointing to an authoritative
and all-Huilciept cfeod Fur IL Ia the distinctive
feature Of CuitBrianiAn that has no such crecl
We can Hco no posalbla good but 1ntsch positive
eyil resulting from such etorcotypcd and infa1'l-
biz :orEnnlas Of belief. Wo believe that creed
hsndern tho development and efficiency of reli-
Eioua truth, that i leadh to nslncority, mental
alugyiHhstoFs and Aypocrnr on tho pnst OF those
uho profess 1t, that 1t fosters occlcsinsticpl
rridc and power, and IN tl!e faithful
mother Of unehssity. seatarisnsstn, tnsol;
that We can booTo AZ mich and ~ intensely,
| pray as dGyoutiy, end live ~ nubly, a. our
btothora WHO hare hworn allegiance to creed.
For faith IL one thing. crced in another. FAITH
| In a stato Of tho mind. creed ia a statement
Of tho mind. Tho former ia the spirit which
giroth life. the latter Ia too oflen tic letter
which killeth. Tho first condition Ut all genuine
faith Is absoluto Freedom to inquirn and to o1tr
tllis tho Upi.s.i.na aro tle rrotcslants Of tho
| l'rotcstanta. 6aid Channing: III I hnvo
found Ilfo an increasing good, IL havo in snr
measure succeeded In cnlargng my nwn nlind.
| II I have risen to auy gclietona views OF tho
fhTf0EinU rAtfnun hHMhf natnrn I fhiN
hnprincss rlnuer God. chiefly to the intellectual
! freedom which hare eujoyed. This las becn
to me- tho breath Of lifo and must vintiicate 1t
| for ollers hs we'll ~ for mTaslf."
| This noble passage vol c1pressca the working
! principle Of the Unitarian Church. Each one Of
! liz examines, And thiuks uni sfrais ~ he will
IN religious mallcrr. For LIN belief and his ut.
terance he ia Responsible only to bin own soul
aud to God. For Unitarlsnsm Is '.not b tho
ology; 1t il q collection Of theoliyos With moro
| or less afalnty-Hufiicient to permit of intel
1ectunl ay1upHthv aud moral ,inion fur practical
work. Binco great uncertainty must alwa;s at
tend tho .hiokfng Of tluiso, falIibu minds NO bo
lioye that God hUldA QUO Responsible for tho
actual attainnont Of Diyinc knowledge. but on;y
for tho serious search after it, Or, Is CLant,nS
expressed It., NO arc responsible not for tho
| opnionp.
In tho second place, We do not believe that d
creed is oyen necessary for deuou1iAational fei-
1uwship Or united effort. It may DO a CONVEX
I lGuS9 III pul!1tut up 4 lN3Go bGEs III ea'psl1AAE
the technical operations OF conversion. III
hood. Hut no. have 10 such objects.
We put our faith in ideas aud Ideals. No work
for tho development Of Christian truth, and Its
application to tue life Of inan. The Church, the
priesthood, tho etated Worslip. aso onl5 aux,li,
aricB and iustrumoptali!iea. Therefore no tnd
it sufficient to pnlte Oh co7lain distinctive work.
lnE 1,,ethods iuatead Of creed, and to demand
nu. intellectual Aysocsnout, but common moral
purpose ~ ctr has.s IT '1uion. rs James Matli-
,eau haya, tho first condition OF our fellowship Ia
"to have fehrlcHH respect toe intellectual fsee-
dom, and to trust the bonds Of pioty, righteous
rcxH and love atnidtt lu1eo,varioiics OF thought"
But il VIC hive no ,nfa!!iblo mud binding creed,
VIC nevertheless rojocc To find that there is SUB.
Btantinl agreement among rs Oh the cart@inal
pon,ts OF our religious belief, md thus We ara
enabled to unto from timo to titno In nlauy
glorious an}rmatlons concerning u1nnd nature,
duty, destiny. and his relations With
the Divine. Such 3 statement dcairc 10 make
this morning, simply promlslnG that. from want
doctrine, and that, whatever I may say, alone
nm responsible for. ! shall try to do iubtice to
the VARIOUS shades Of opinion In onr body; It is,
however. possible that my own advanced viens
may iuBensibly colos my ssatsmont Of the Uni
ta,iau faith.
First-In tho drst p!ace, then, we believe in
1olIgson,-in the existence, pormanepce. and
Importance OF the Religious sentitucnt Wo hold
tAat man 10. by natural constitution, q religious
l
hia wonder ave, veaeratton, and loyc. in tho
forms and oficc6 OF worship. Tue researches OF
tho BccntiBt may coincide will, tho testimony Of
Christian missionaries iu informing til that
Of religious idcaa and PRACTICES, yot this
no moro diarrorcs tho existence and
univernniity Of religion than tho ipstiuct-goy-
erued intant or tho occasional idiot dispspyes
ths distribution Of intellectual gifts among meu.
Such exceptional instances ,nureIy show that
tie religious sentiment II not always ncsise
lha! It requires cortaln Rnsoccdenta 10 manifest
itBe!f. It 10 always found III civilized society.
"Where humanity Ia ut its hlGhoat, thcre rcligiun
Ia ut its highest also." Cousider tho nations md
tho names, tho events anl the IDEAS, most note-
worthy IN human society, anu you will lind thenl
intimately. inRorarably connected with The lis
Tho ono roal undorly thona in this HISTORY OF
tho world, to which al other questions sro sub.
ordinate. ia tho conflict bo.woeu faith nntl TN
faith" Therefore we SEQ in tho Religious seutl.
mans weakness, no porlshable superstition. bsss
lie motiyo powor OF humanity, tho radical force
of sos'e:y, tue omanclpator aud inspiser OF
tho individual soul. Keliglon has pro:
Inspired tho nobiczt deeds OF l,oroIsm and
eolf-sncriAee tic raco has over known. And
oven Wien misditcctcd and d!ssorted by tho tu-
enlightened rcason, the sollls I'assious Of maa-
inpsosslyo witncns to tho mighty iorcos that are
lodged in the spiritual constitution Of u,au. 10
though its outward forms aro changing from
day. TO day, though past sanctions uo topgcr
hold their powor, and crccds and churches
c1uolble into ruin, tho religious sentiment ro-
maius tho primary interest Of hn1nau life,-a
regeucratiyo, rersnptLyo ferca tl.at lifts man
out Of apnottts ind eeuBe aud passion lutu like
moss with tho Divine.
Secondhand. IN tho second p!sce wo behave
In Christianity Al tho purest mud best fo:ul Of
religion. Not IN tAiA or that existing Btatelnont
ol It. Not III tho Christianity Of tic Apostolic
Church. with ita aumlxturc Of jewish narrowncss
and rngnu superstition. Not III the scholastic
Christianity OF tho Middle Ages, which sacrificed
truth to metaphysics. and love 10 logic. Not in
tho Christianity Of Luther, or Calvin, or Jofina-
than Edwards, pr OF Chanting oven. Dut wo
beliovo In tho Christianity Of Christ. reuetrat-
Ing bsnoa.1 tlIo assertions with which eightec,.
centuries Of speculative fancy and cccleoizstca!
Development hRye oveIlaid Ills Gospel. no dis
cover lit the teachings aud Gospel u Jesua Of