, 1876-12-09

bad to WolSc--frOm Cnricaturing the
God and Father OF men to persccutny
torturnG and killing men themselves
am obliged to recall how when movs
mcntS in favor OF more liberal inrrrprn.
tations OF the Gospel AROSE in this
country, they fought them rersi,ltn,v
desperately, bitterly, Nor can 1 forur,
that when these movements had cstob.
I liShcl themselves among the rigbtm,
claimants to the confidence and respect
of the Christian community they still
unanimously Withheld from them ali
Christian recognition. Still further, nv
obligations to the truth will not sutEr
me to conceal the fact, that every con.
ccssion within these churches has been
cXtorcd from them ly the bravery of
branded hcrctics, while they have con.
tested inch by inch the progress OF that
, liberaity which is at the same time
their present boast and the right arm of
their power
recur therefore to my assertion, that
the great and gratifying growth of the
churches whose history | am consider.
ing, and especially their ability to win
to themselves and retain, the better
classes Of American society, are to he
referred directly to the assistance they
have received from the Universaist and
Unitarian churches. II has come about
in tins way These latter churches were
not mere negations, nor expressions of
critical dissent. They were in their ori.
gin, and so tar as our own church is con.
cerned at least, have remained so, dis.
tinct and aggressive religious organla-
tions, having the avowed purpose of dc.
vcloping a rational and satisfying Chris.
tian theology, and building up on this
! free domain a true Church of Christ,
large enough in its thought and catholic
enough in its spirit to make room for the
! growing intelligence Of the world inside
the pale of Christian fellowship. The
first effect Of this cndeavor was on the
general public mind. 1t commended
itself to the reason and the sense of right
Of fair men in every unscctNrian walk,
Through the powerful hold it took on
| the secular mind, it made itself felt ard
respected rs an influence which the
churches could not afford to dcspsc
There began to be hospitality for Eetter
kindlicr spirit awokc, courageous and
able men took mp the trumpet of Tho
new eyangel and blew blasts both inspir-
ing and alarming. The old theology
began to undergo revision and recon-
struction; venerable thcologians rubbed
their spcctaccs and on looking more
closely, saw that the true sense was
quite diff rent from what it had been
represented; and ere long IN the place
of the Mathers and WiggeswoIths We /,
had the Knots and Springs and Alex
andcrs and Waylnnds; anon we bad the
Parks, Porters, WOolscys lIacketlS ana
Adamses and at length the BeecICFs'
Murrays and Swings. This is progress
undeniably. But it is apparent to every
one sufficiently intelligent to trace con
sequence to the adequate cause, that the
churches thus liberalizcd owe their er
pansion and progress directly to the I'D
eral influence imported into them from
the only established reservoirs OF free
Christian thought. All if the Churchs
OF this country that boast--or arc
ashamed of, as the case may be--a Ca'
whistle lineage, only knew what histoTl
will assurcdly set down on this subject
they would hasten to confess that mol
we only, but much mere they, are undi
lasting obligations to the liberal churches
for their present capacity to commen'
themselves to the judgement and aztec
tion of the most intelligent and uselu 4
classes in our society. Thanks to Us
that in spite of themselves they have
taken on the captivating graces of re
ligion at once rational and devout. Fol
had they not done this--and they never
would if the Lord had not sent the UNI
versalist revolt and the Unitarian seces'
sion to bless them with enlarged vision
they must certainly have dwindled +"
a meaGre handful of iorlorn and furious
zealots.