The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-09-25
THE PRINCIPLE DEMANDED.
BY REV. G. H. ROGERS,
Seneca, Kan.)

BY Rev. c. H. ROGERS,
Seneca, Kan.)
If the gentle Christ we're here would
he not deal with many Of our palatial
churches very much as he did once with
the den of thieves on Mount Moriah
Do you think the temple at Jerusalem
was any more deserving of censure and
scourging than are the selfish imitators
of pagan rites and forms to day, who
are as total strangers to the heart of
Jesus as was Nicodemus of old If
Christ were here how many of these
formal pretenders would he recognize
as teachers of his tender, hope-inspir-
ing, life-giving message :? 1t is true
these teachers have been educated ac-
cording to law. So were the scribes
and Pharisees. But Christ threw his
heart into all forms of human suffering,
and his arms about the polluted form
of human degradation.
The church with its dainty commun-
ion gathers yonder in the temple. The
rabble outcast, begrimed with crime
wanders out here among the cold dead
tombs of outraged hopes. Among
them are publicans and sinners, thieves
and harlots. One among this "rabble"
of Judea and Jerusalem, was the pity
ing and sympathizing Jesus. True, he
did attend the dainty service on the
hill yonder, once, but while he found
it outwardly polished, he found it full
of corruption and dead mems bones.
He did not essay the herculean task of
cleansing this Augean stable, but he
rent its system from top to bottom,
saa La lis clsaRsiRg e The pitilsss
Roman.
Christ's doctrine was for the unsaved.
His examples were given to the un-
saved. His presence was blessed to
the unsaved. His mighty works were
done to and for the unsaved. He came
for the express purpose of saving this
groaning rabble, tossed with sore dis
tress on life's dusty highway.
What travesty ON the life and teach
ings of Christ, is the popular faith of
to-day, where that which he most alb
horred is exalted, and that which he
most loved is trodden under foot? Is
it any wonder that China slumbers
in the dusky shadows of the pagan
past when such libel on Christianity
is given to them al the gospel of
Christ ? 1t has been a matter of sur
prise that with so little opposition,
China is SO slow to accept the gospel.
This is the explanation of the manda-
rims.
"We have examined your religion.
We find that its object is not to save
mems lives in this world, but to save
them in an imaginary world which may
not exist. Therefore we relegate it to
that realm of simples where we find
food for laughter"
Is it true that the religion of Christ
shall become by-word to the heather?
Is it true that the misconstruction of
the ages shall be forced upon the hearts
of the people as the true gospel of God2
Is it true that the bogus coin of pagan
creed-mongers must be accepted as the
pure golds No the wretched deform-
ity has already been rejected by many
of the purest and the best. The true
ceeds of the race have been neglected.
Our God has been portrayed as regal
sovereign whose august majesty has
burned to utterly consume in the an
CRY zeal of his outraged justice. These
creed mongers have, with the sledge-
hammer of cruelty, forged an iron
bound creed and fenced it about with
chains red hot with the cringing ter.
rors of an endless hell. They have To-
Gated a far away heaven, and have
tried to breathe into the hearts of
earth's sorrowing children a faith in
that which is inconceivable. And in
the effort to cover up the miserable
caricature, they have not left soil
enough for the latent seeds of truth to
take root.
0 children of the living God o
mourners in your chambers over the
gates o weary cleaners in life's bar
rem harvest fields 0 brethren and Sis
ters don'tlet these cold and cruel dogmas
drive you from your Fathers great heart
of love Believe that God, our God,
loves like a mother. Think of the
mother heart, the mother love of God
Be no longer orphaned, hungry, sin
laden, homeless, hopelessl
There are thirteen new applications