The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-12-25
editorial 8riets.
BY REV. 1. M. ATWOOD, D. D.
Canton, N. Y.

IF the President reads the papers now
a-days, we fear he gets no more comfort
from them than formerly. The organs
OF the party, are not, as a rule, admin
istration organs. They profess a unan-
imous desire for the success of the
Democratic party, but are not able to
identify that success with the ideas and
policies OF Mr.. Cleveland. They still call
on him to make clean sweep, abandon
the "humbug" of civil service reform and
cease to take his cue from the abhorred
mugwumps. Then they say all will be
well with the party and in 1888 the Dem
ocrats will celebrate another national vic
tory. If Mr.. Cleveland has no conscience,
as these papers imply, it is to be hoped
he has some Judgment, and that must
inform him, that to follow their advice
would be to destroy Cleveland whatever
it might do for his party.
The Friends Intelligencer is prompt
to assert for the Quakers claim kindred
to that set up by the New Church papers
for Swedenborgianism, viz: that the doc
trine OF the inward light solves the solemn
problem of the fate of the heather, With
which orthodoxy is ever and anon convuls-
ed. The Creator has given to every one who
comes into the world this inner light, by
which he is judged, whether he has heard
OF the historical Jesus or not. But the
trouble with myriads of the heather, as
with multitudes of nominal Christians. is
that the light within them has become
darkness. They need the services of a mis-
sionary to relight the extinguished taper.
"A writer who subscribes himself "Hy-
per- Orthodox" tells the public, through
the columns Of the Boston Herald, what
the matter is with Andover. He frankly
brushes away the pretext on which the
charges against the Professors are based.
They are formally charged with violating
their contract, under the seminary creed.
But this, says "Hyper- Orthodox" is not
the real meaning of the prosecution.
This Is merely convenient incident to
make the issue on; but the issue is broad
or. A subtle form of liberalism, destruc-
tive OF the cardinal tenets of ancient oy-
thodoxy, is at work in the Andover Sem
mary; and the intention of the prosecu
ton Is to expose it, get it condemned by
/ the Congregational body, and at lenrtts
\ Cast out. Tie use of fund is not what
the contention is about.
Having said so much "Hyper Ortho-
dox proceeds to give the genesis of the
disease wherewith Andover is afflicted.
He traces it to the philosophy of eyolu-
ton. The Andover Professors are. he
says all committed to the theory of evo-
luton. Hence the poison that distils in
their teaching. 1t seems an inopportune
moment to bring forward this CHARGE
against the seminary teaching, when the
December number of the Andover Re-
0aeao presents in it's leading editorial.
some of the most forcible reasons which
have ever been stated why the modern
doctrine of the moral evolution of society
is untenable.
Persons well loaded with caution are
apt to remark the danger of religious ex-
citement. Under the powerful stimulus
OF a revival people are carried quite out
of themselves and make professions
which, in a cooler mood, they would
never commit themselves to. On the
same principle, it is said, we should avoid
the contagion of appeals addressed to a
congregation for subscriptions to any OBJ
Ject-as to pay church debt, or to en-
dow college. Under such circumstances
we are led, by the coercive power of asso-
citation, to promise more than our private
prudence would dictate. The unpleasant
consequences hence arising are dwelt
upon by these wary moralists with cold
severity.
But another view of the matter NAV
be taken. We are not at our best in our
ordinary moods. We grovel here below.
Great and generous purposes are foreign
to our thought. Absorbed in our busi-
ness, our personal plans, our private in
terests, we do not rise to high levels.
The truth is our average life is unworthy
of us, and when we really come to our
better selves, we are ashamed of it. Bless
ed are the moments when we are lifted
into perception of better things, when
we feel holier impulses, when we plan to
do liberal deedsl Do you lament that day
when noble enthusiasm took possession
of you and led you to do a generous
thing? That one day and deed redeems
your whole life from paltryness.
The Neac Theology Herald is one of
the very latest adventures in religious
journalism. 1t issues under the auspices
of the Independent Christian Church, of
jamestown, N. Y, and is edited by its
minister, j. q. Townsend, d. D., with the
assistance of the Rev. Solon Lauer The
numbers of the Herald already published
indicate that it is to be a wide awake pa
per, dealing in crisp and critical way
with living topics, while devoted espe-
cially to the diffusion of what DIR. Town
send calls The New Theology" Sus-
tanning a publication of any kind is no
small task; but to edit and find readers
for new religious paper, in competition
with the vast array of such journals