The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-08-14

VOWS by attempting to disseminate them.
They seemed to think might prove to
be ga seditious fellow" and finding my
day of usefulness as Methodist preacher
had passed, in October, 1882, withdrew,
there being nothing against my moral
character. Since then L have been
preaching on my own responsibility until
recently, have asked to be placed in fell
lowship with the Universalist church.
When Br. Billings first visited Hico
and preached there, March, 1885, he had
but few people who were willing to hear
him and indeed I was told by good au-
thority that some of the citizens of the place
seriously talked of mobbing him. But he
has subsequently settled there, and to-day
he is as highly respected as any minister in
all that section of country.
His labors there have not been without its
fruits. The church lately organized, num-
bers some of the staunchest and best citizens
of the town. A liberal Christian sentiment
pervades the entire community. Many per-
sons, members of other churches, openly
ayow their disbelief in the dogma of endless
misery, the trinity, vicarious atonement and
other absurdities which they have been
taught to believe. The friends there have
secured lot and part of the lumber with
which to erect church building.
Heretofore the truth as taught by Univers-
alism, has had but little chance in Texas.
We have had no one to herald it. How shall
the people hear without a preacher? They
have been taught to believe that Universal
ism is but another name for Infidelity. They
have been told that its distinctive doctrine
was that all men will be saved-that all go
straight to heaven at death regardless of how
they have lived. Thus, in the absence of any
one to refute the statements, the people have
been taught to believe that Universalism
denies all distinction between virtue and
vice No wonder then that they look upon
us with distrust and adherence. But when
they hear US and find our doctrine SO differ
ent from what they have been taught to believe
it was they are invariably anxious to hear
more of the truth.
Truly the field in Texas is ''ripe unto the
harvest" We need more laborers. My bust
ness is such as to take me into all sections of
the State, and I have been panied to find
multitude of people-thinking people-both
in and out of the churches, who are as sheep
without shepherd; people who are literally
starving on the dry husks Of Orthodoxy"
What wonder, then, that such people are be-
ing led into skepticism and to adopt Agnos-
ticism in its modern phases. The o-called
'Orthodox" are utterly powerless to meet
and refute this greatest and most influential
of errors. In my travels am striving to
meet it on grounds of its own choosing, by
preaching on the subject, and in my weak
ness feel most keenly the need, in this vast
Empire State, of more ministers of our de-
nomination. "Pray ye the Lord of the har-
vest that he would send more laborers into
his vineyard" Our denomination has but
one missionary in the entire field, Rev. Br.
James Billings, but his labors are ably sup
plemented by his wife, Sister M. @. Billings,
and they are doing noble work.
We have call, issued by Br. Billings, for
mass meeting to be held at Meridian,
Texas. Sept "a, 25 and 26, for the purpose of
organizing a State Convention. There are
many people in the State who are in sympa-
thy with our doctrine, including in that num-
Der several able ministers of other churches;
efforts are being made to get them to attend
this meeting. We hope to be able to organ
ize our scattered forces, and in the near flu
ture be in position to do effective work in
spreading Scriptural holiness in these
lands" We expect to organize Universal
list church here in Waco in a short time.
j. X. STREET.