The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-12-18
editorial 8riets.
BY REV. 1. NJ. ATWOOD, D. D.
Canton, N. Y.

dOX dogma OF eternal separation between
members Of the same family. The diff
ferent choices and different characters. he
remarks, involve as a natural ontcorne
the feparate desiipies. The measure Of
truth in this statement does not prevent
it from becoming in the writer's applica-
ton of it, wholly false. God has ordain-
ed that man shall reap The natural
fruit of his sowing. 1t is right he should.
Who disputes or objects to it? Not ye,
certainly.
But it is not the natural fruit Of
sinful sowing that the writer had ia
mind. Is endless separation of the diff
ferent members of a household a natural
consequence of their different choices? To
affirm it is sheer assumption. There is
not shred Of fact to rest that conclu-
sion or. The alleged consequence is
purely arbitrary and wholly extraneous.
Indeed, the gist of the objection to it is,
that 1t is not a fruit at all, but an out
ward and arbitrary edict. 1t is not ethi-
cal nor philosophical nor evangelical. It
Ia thNO Uhht uiACIC Ii all 4ilLISliSb moral
distance, deep moral gulf between good
and bad character. Jesus came not to
make that distance less, but TO guide the
| sinner back across it to righteousness
and peace and JOY.
The secular press has seized with
avidity on paragraph in President Rob
inson's COT Brown University article in
/ the Forum on Glow [ was Educated" in
which he describes "a class Of men not
yet wholly extinct who il lis youth
were sent to college to prepare for the
minietry. selected and aided by benefi-
ciary funds, as candidates for the minis
try, they seemed to regard themselves
absolved from the duty of high aims as
scholars" President Robinson touches
here on real source of weakness in the
ministry. There are enough men of this
class - men who are content to rub
through with the least that will do, to
compromise the general reputation of the
ministry for scholarship and high aims.
But the inference attempted to be
drawn from what President Robinson
says, to the effect that this lack of high
aim in scholarship is characteristic of
"men sent to college to fit for the minis
try or that these constitute the rnajori-
ty of men deficient in scholarly ambition
Is unwarranted. President Robinson will,
we make no doubt, testify that he has
found, both as a student in college, and
as a teacher, plenty of men whose aim as
scholars was low, but who could not
plead preoceupation with thoughts of the
\ ministry as their excuse. The slack and
unambiiious as well as the time serving
comprise much too large share of the
men sent to college with whatever profess
sion in view.
There we're gentle hermits" also in
the days Of st. Augustine, and they were
Unigeraalists. In Book XXI, of his work
concerning the City of God, the great
apostle Of orthodoxy remarks "And now
see must hold peaceful disputation
with certain tender hearts of our own re-
lgion who are unwilling to believe that
everlasting punishment will be inflicted
but who think that after GER
tain periods of time, longer or shorter
according to the measure of their sins.
they shall be delivered out Of that state"
1t Is noteworthy how very little like his
modern disciples the old saint was. He
recognized the Upiversaliats Of his day as
brethren; ne does not propose to cast
them out; he only proclaims a peaceful
(pacifc) disputation against them; and he
compliments them by calling them ten
der hearts," Augustine had much to
learn, both as to spirit and speech. to
qualify him 10 be an ornament Of latter
day Christianity.
It does not seem Improbable that
many Of the church fathers. Ike not q
few of the fathers and brethren Of the
orthodox churches to day, held Universal
ism as private belief while they taughs
annihilation or eternal punishment in
public. ChrysostOm certainly assumed
the eternity Of punishment in his sermons.
while IN some Of hls epistles he seems to
teach the restitution of all Jerome in
his Commentary on Isaiah, refers 10
some who earnestly assert that after
certain sufferings and torments there viii
be rcstoration;" but who nevertheless adj
init that this doctrine "should not b..
taught openly to those with whom fear
yet acts as a motive" The Greek fathers
perhaps fell naturally into the practice Of
esoteric belief and exoteric teaching.
The Rsv o. P. Clifford discovers in
the Gospel of Nicodemus,' a book of the
apocryphal New Testament the original
of the New Theology" The New The.
ology in Mr.. Gifford's apprehensi m.
is contained in this declaration: "UDtil
the gospel does fill the whole eartt.
knowledge Of it must be given after
death to those who are deprived of lie
blessings before death" Mr.. GifFn-l
should not be surprised to find in fit.
Christian literature of the third century Fl
sentiment as merciful as this II he
should look closely he would find in this
Gospel of Nicodemus," and in earlier
and more authentic gospels, a still more
mereiful view of the intention Of the work
of Jesus Christ.