The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-06-30

may have been mistaken. There is
too much clinging to standards, cate
chisms, disciplines and creeds. These
are not the Bible, not God S word, only
human opinions Let us have the
Bible, pure and simple. This insane
devotion, at all hazards, to the stand
ards and creeds is the greatest obstacle
to the advance Of churches into the
''more light which God has to break
forth out of his holy word" 1t was
shown sadly in the votes of this AS
sembly when commissioners said:
eve most stand by the standards and
interpretations, and we must not serd
joy to every infdel in the land"
The words that have repeated as
my text show that the Bible does not
profess to be a scientific work, but
religious book-goOd for purely relig-
ious purpOses-in instruction in righteous
ness, ETC., etc. Moses was not writing
a scientific account of creation-he was
nati0r. making, laying the foundation
of the Hebrew nation. The one great
thought above all others was to con-
meet God with the work of creation
God created all things. 1t was not
question of now, or how long, but the
great fact that he did create all things.
1t does not make against the Mosaic
truth to suppose the six days Of
creation were millions of ages-great
periods of time. It does not make
God less the creator of Adam to ac-
cept the scien tiic hypothesis of evolu-
tion, and to say ages were required for
this work. God, on this hypothesis, is
just as truly Adams maker as if he
had created him instantly. We may
say, in fact, that God has been at least
six thousand years in creating us of
to-day, but he is no less our maker
for this lapse of time. After Moses
had taught this great fundamental
truth, he proceeds to give an account
of sin, and its certain and immediate
punishment in the very day of trans
gression. He then speaks Of marriage,
and reveals the absolute sacredness of
this relation, which is acknowledged
by the civilization Of to-day. Divine
wisdom guided this man in the revela-
tion of these great truths of Cod sin,
punishment and the sacredness of mar
riSge.
Let scientists pursue their investiga-
tions with the blessings of the church
rather than its hindrances. Science is
of inestimable value to religion. 1t
has proven itself so to be. But for
science we should be cropping our way
in darkness, and the church would be
bound in chains of ecclesiastical
tyranny, or lost in the fogs of supeTsti-
tion. The evolution theory is as yet
but theory. Let the investigation
proceed. The church will lose nothing
by the investigation, neither will civil
izatiOn. Some of the most profound
l may say the most profound scientific
thinkers are devout and reverent be-
levers in God and Christianity. All
truth is one-science, religion, music,
art. The schoolhouse and the church
supplement each others work in the
world.
1t was just thought expressed by
one of the voters in the assembly, tired
of the discussions: II believe it is of
more Importance to know where we
are going to, than whence we came
from" To which we respond, "amen,"
and beg to suggest that at the next
session of this great assembly they take
up this question and give the world
more light and more hope than are
found in the doctrines of election and
repTObatiOn.