The Portland daily press., 1880-02-09
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.


ton of the Unitarian body yesterday, by rel
erence to that trust in the results OF free
thought, which makes the denomination re-
fuse to adopt creed or to establish any condi-
lions of fellowship. Their loyalty to liberty is
as intense as their loyalty to truth; their con-
yiction that no man on earth is master is as
strong as their conviction that Christ is mas
ter They have no creed, and will not have
one; yet they have opinions, and the great ma
ioritv of them believe in the paternal charac-
ter of God the spiritual authority Of Jesus,
and the reality of the influences of the Holy
Spirit. Lest some nearer should be dissatisfied
with the presentation of only three points, the
preacher would endeavor, however, to gener-
alize little further. With reference to total
depravity, the Unitarian rejects the idea of
inherited or imputed guilt, but believes in the
actual moral weakness of man, and his need of
help from the Gospel OF Christ and from the
spirit of God. The fall, according to their
views, vas not once for all in Adam, but is
constantly repeated in ever recurring human
experience; as is also, thanks be to God, the
redemption through Christ. The redemption
is SO universally through Christ, that it may
be said to be through Christ only; yet the Uni
tarians believe that the Spirit of God still
daily moves in all hearts, and leads even
heather men occasionally into state OF purity
and aspiration which fit themselves for eternal
life.
That redemption through Christ was effect
ed largely through his death and resurrection,
but the Unitarian view is that the New Iesta-
ment language concerning the atonement by
Christ refers to the patent facts III the MINIS
try of Jesus and its effects upon the world, and
not to any secrets of the divine counsels. The
word atonement in the Apostles language sig
mites, as Unitarians believe, the reconciliation
of rebellious men to their ALLOWING Father;
not the reconciliation of an offended God to
his suppliant child Jesus. Nor can the Uni
tarians ever dissociate the death OF Christ
from the resurrection to which 1t was a pre-
lude; nor forget that it was the preaching OF
Jews and the resurrection which lifted Europe
out of 'Epicurus' style" into the liberty OF the
sons of God. The Unitarians have often mis-
understood Calvinism as being necessarily An
tinomianiSm, counting purity OF heart charity
to men, and love to God as filthy rags in COM
parisou with faith in a human creed; ON the
other hand Calvinists often misunderstood
Unitarians as thinking that imperfect human
Righteousness can demand eternal happiness
as we'll ear 9 wages. The Unitarian's only hope
Is. like the Calvinsts, in the free, unmerited,
u Iur .hased mercy and goodness of God But
he places that hope not in Christ's bearing
punishment for u.s. but in the truthfulness of
Christ's promise, who has assured US that the
DGnltenU DoDGVef VIII DC lOrSlVGu, accepted
and cleansed. Not supposing that Christ bore
the punishment for human gilt, the Unitarian
is not necesstated to believe in Christ'S infin-
tie power to bear an infinite amount of suffering
He therefore does not speculate much concern
ing the nature of Christ, wherein and how He
differed from His brethren. 1t is enough for
the Unitarian that Jesus stands UNNECESSARILY
above all others, with name above every
NAME with authority to teach righteousness,
to pronounce forgiveness Of sins, and to bestOw
eternal life of blessedneSs upon those who keep
His words. One of the most poetical and eo
quent OF their young clergymen had recently
published a small volume of sermons, which
he entities the Faith of Reason. In this vol
ume Mr.. Chadwick endeavors to show what
was the minimum to which Reason can per-
nit men to reduce their faith; to show that af-
ter making every possible concession to the
split Of materalism, of agnostciSm, or of
pantheism there remains, ineradicable from
the reasonable soul, certain amount OF faith
in the fatherly character of God, in the moral
and religious authority of Jesus, and in the
sweet influences that flow back upon the soul
from adoring aspirations. DR.. Hill would
not at all deny the usefulness of such endeav-
ors; but he thought the majority of the denom-
nation had followed more excellent way; in
stead of trying to determine the minimum of
Faith to which reason could possibly reduce
the soul, they had rather sought to determine
and,embrace the maximum of Faith which
Reason could clearly and Enthusiastically justify;
. freer, richer, happier estate. He felt what
he hoped was iustifable pride when he re-
called the many noble works which their COM
paratively small denomination had produced,
maintaining and illustrating the truth of the
earliest Christian histories, the doctrines OF
Apostolic Christianity, and the postulates of
natural religion. The early Unitarians thought
that their presentation of what they called
''pure Christianity would do away with Eng
lsh Deism and French Atheism. And to the
present day the Unitarian is fearless and free
in examining candidly all views that initiate
against his own; returning, from such excur
sions into strange grounds, with only the more
love, to his own, whitherFreason and faith join
hands to lead him; and where he stands happy
in the conscious liberty of child of God, re-
joieing as participant in the grace of Christ,
opening his heart IN gladness to the influence
of the Holy Ghost
FIRST FREE BAPTIST.
AT the First Free Baptist church Rev. Jason
Mariner of Auburn discoursed from 1 John.
V: 14,15. He very pleasingly and profitably
entertained the large audience on the condi-
lions of answers to prayers, very beautifully
illustrating his subject with incidents from
life.
i,d