The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-31
editorial Brtefs.
BY REV. LIN. ATWOOD, DID.
Canton, N. Y.

/
to the Divine solicitation. If We hear
but do not heed; if we feel the impulse
but do not obey it; if we behold the way
bright, clear, inviting-but never rise I'D
and walk therein, there will be no growth
for rs. This is just where the greater
part, even of those who are Christian in
faith and reputable in deed, fail They
have learned to take all appeals as mat
ter OF fcourse, or as meant for some other,
and so remain unmoved, unaffected, un-
blessed, by the abundant showers Of grace
that pour out of open heavens orbaheir
| sealed souls.
We read with interest but with re-
served confidence the "reminiscences SO
freely INDUCED by survivors of the illus
trious. Many motives influence an ordi-
nary mortal in these circumstances: and
the families of famous people are gener-
ally very ordinary. They have to enjoy
the sensation of being Boswells; they
cannot be content with the simple fact,
they must embellish and enlarge; they
are blinded by nearness to the shining
idol or confounded by the discovery of
his human weakness; or, they mistake
their own inferences for the facts and
deluge the world with statements Of which
the best that can be said is that they are
not absolute fabrications. The great
figures of our late war have suffered
much distortion from this source fortu-
| nafnIv 60 MANY Lpar, kboxr, kLoA kI1oro -
abundant chance for revision and correc-
ton.
DR.. John Hall tells his congregation
that Universalism is rejected by nature,
by man, "by pagan as much as by Chris
tian;" that "no such fancy" is in the BIZ
BILE; and that only "a few venturesome
sentimentalists" trust themselves to it.
We are glad to get SO exact an account
of Universalism from SO authentic a
source. Men like DR.. Shedd and DR..
Hall, who have made long and profound
and sympathetic study of Universalism,
and who find at last that it is, as it we're,
the baseless fabric of vision, have only
J to speak out and let the world know, to
put an end to what little further power
, OF mischief the decrepit heresy retains.
| The sentimentalists would be venture
some indeed who should still stick to it
after DR.. Halls complete exposure of its
ridiculous impotence.
Nothing is ever SO bad as not 10 aa-
NIT OF some relief; and We hasten to ap-
propriate the solace that may be derived
from DIR. Halls account of Universalism.
A thing so contemplate that man and
nature and the Bible are against it-that
succeeds as poorly with the pagan as
with the Christian; thing that only
few sentimentalists," and venturesome
ones at that, yet toy with, cannot be re-
sponsible for much of the mischief Of the
world The devil seems to have aban-
doned it as means of perdition. 1t is
simply fiat and useless. But there is a
vast amount of mischief doing, as DR..
Hall will not deny. What we would like
to know, and what we are deeply con-
cerned about is, whether Orthodoxy. and
Orthodoxy of the good, straight, solid
sort of which DR.. Hall is the exponent.
has the contract to do the evil which was
formerly wrought by Universalism. Jo-
seph Cook and DR.. Alden might be SUBJ
penaed on the case.
Among the worthily bestowed honors
of the recent commencement season we
are happy to make note of the degree of
NJ. A, given by the ST. Lawrence Uni
versity to Geo. E. Baker, Esq, of New
York. Mr.. Baker has pursued a quiet
path In life; but his studies, extended
through many years, have resulted in
some of the most valuable literary mate
rial We have. The noble volumes of
VIM. Fl. Stewards works, carefully edited
and annotated, are examples Of Mr.. Ba-
ker's industry, information, sound iuds-
ment and literary skill. He has shown
himself master of at least one high and
difficult art.
/ 1t was just and penetrating remark
of Louis Agassiz, that scientific results
do not grow out of facts until they have
been fertilized by thought. 1t Is the
comparison OF facts and their transforma-
| oAOA III " lucas 0ndt lettlt ~ ueSpef IN
sight into the significance Of Nature
Two errors of an opposite kind, are made
in the study of the "facts" of the external
world; the first consists in fastening on
to the principles and processes of Nature
preconceived theories - purely mental
ex-cogitations. The other consists in al
lowing the natural world TO give the law
to the mental. We are to take care not
to read our speeulations into the facts:
on the other hand, We are not to allow
chemistry to override consciousness.
The logic of what is sometimes called
the Unitarian position" is, like all
logic, remurseless. That position, as de-
fined by eminent Unitarians, is that
there is no doetrinal test of qualification
for membership in Unitarian churches.
The logic Of this position would, of
course, compel any Unitarian church TO
open its doors to a Roman Catholic. a
Buddhist, Calvinist or an atheist. Do
the Unitarian churches have these varie-
ties in their membership? Probably not.
Why not? Because, practically, there is
test; which, whether styled doctrinal or
not, serves the same purpose that the
dOctriual test does in other oburcba,