The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-07-21
EDITORIAL BRIEFS.
BY REV. 1. M. ATWOOD, D, D,
Canton, N. Y.

| SOME or the more cautlC us RmC nR us
have been led to inquire whether the or
ganization Of Christian EDdeavor socie-
ties in our parishes may not have the
effect to prepare our young people for
reader passage into orthodox churches.
This should be an instance of lule that
works both ways; and under ordinary
conditions of interchange Of religious
opinion and courtesies, it probably would
be 80. But the drift given to discussitn
in the late convention of the societies at
Chicago by the remarks of Mr.. Edv ard
s. Nilee, of Boston, will be likely to axe
the spprehended contingency more re-
mote.
Mr.. Niles said: " What was the use
of discussing foreign missions, when
there were 10000 foreign infidels and
idol worshipers landed on our shores
every month. There was ample room fer
foreign missionary labor right in the
United States. Boston, with 100000
people, had no more than 25,000 members
of Protestant churches; New York, with
100000 people, had less than 10000
Protestants, and Chicago with 100000
people had fewer than 100000 Protestants
There were 2,860,000 people in these
three cities who do rot attend our
churches. Why then should they go to
India or Chine, or Germany, or Italy to
preach the Gospel? II the Bible is true
those who do not believe on the Lord Je-
sus Christ have nsught before them but
eternal punishment. Those 2860000
people were on the road to eternal de-.
st1uctiop. The speaker here induIged in
some calculations, arriving at the conclu-
sion that about $4,000 OF these people die
and go to perdition every year, one-twelfth
that number every month, etc He
thought these startling facts ought to in
duce all Christians to put forth their
greatest Christian endesvors to save the
people.
The first point that engages stte ntio1E
in Mr.. Niles suggestions, is, that in the
plan of Providence the heather are COM
ing to our shores to shorten and cheaper
: the labor of saving them. And it is a
practical question, certainly, whether, if
the energies now directed abroad were
concentrated on the heathen brought to
our shores, a much larger number of con-
versions could not be reported. The
probability, however, is, that this energy
, could not be SO utilized. 1t is en- energy
, evoked distinctly by the foreign call
Stop the call and you cut off the tide of
missionary interest that responds to it.
But no evasion of Mr.. Niles other
point is posi- BILE. 1t is probably within
the truth that, on orthodox principles,
there are 2,S60000 people in the three
cities of Boston, New York. Chicago
who are ION the road to eternal destruc-
tiOD;' and who, in the event of dying in
their present condition, have ''raught be
fore them but eternal punishment The
case is not made eny more urgent, only
more vivid, by following out the caIcula
tion to find that 222 fall into the pit every
day and 9 every hour. But the facts are,
as Mr.. Niles observes, startling.
It does not admit Of reasonable
doubt that if the remnant Of saved people
in the three cities should make such a
truly Christian endesvor as the awful
emergency calls on them to make, come
portion OF this vast and ceaseless process
sion marching to their inconceivably ter
rible doom, might be rescued. If any
human situation should move to united
and prompt and unremitting effort, this
surely is the one. Yet there is to draw
it mildly, not tithe Of the interest, even
among devout Christian people, in this
tremendous fate Of neighbors and bosom
friends and those OF their own blood,
that there is in the election of Cleveland
or Harrison.
Why should Mr.. Niles be SO blind as
not to see that the fulcrum ever which
he seeks to pry-belief in the reality of
his facts-has no existence? His start
ling figures and feryid appeals produce
no effect For a moment they create a
dramatic sensation ON the assembly, as
the actors agony does in the theater.
But they are less lasting than a campaign
bugaboo. They will not influence votes.
Is it rot time that attempts should be
made to influence human action in the
supreme concern of religion, by direct,
manly appeals to the things that men do
not question are true?
For pure msgnanimity commend us
to the Cav Ink and Pen Company, New
York. This company will send It's a
"Dashsway Pen to every voter in the
United States who will send the company
50 with the name Of his choice fer Presi-
dent. The company wishes it under
stood that the pen is an absolute gift"
The = are applied toward the expense
of diffusing the useful information which
the company expects to obtain. Republics
may be ungTateful; republicans are not.
The st. James Gdzette must have been
taking lessons iu the rhetoric OF abuse
from some OF our American party papers.
Referring to a very explicit letter Of Mr..
ParnelTs, the Gazette gracefully remarks;
The statement is a tabby mix IRE OF I'M
suDnOrted denial. ingccurgcy. incor-is-