The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-14

punishment of the wicked" There is
no parleying about dead pagans' in
that Murmuring over the fact that
for 5000 years the Bible said nothing
about the awful doctrine of eternal tor
ment No questioning whether God
could have helped it if he would, or
would have helped it if he could. 1t
is just "eternal torment" and if all
want to be reckoned christians" ~
in this world we must believe it On,
[ should think that new theology peo-
pie would admire their situation now
Trinity-resurrection of the body
eternal punishment But the platform
could not close without making one
mora demand upon our establishment.
8. The divine institution of the
Christian ministry" Apostolic success
sion without the robes and candles
Now, good friends, let us not be deceiv-
ed. This claim of the divinity Of the
ministers is SLAB from very
old platform that used to say 1.-The
divinity of the King and the Priest"
If it only meant that the public teach
ings of the truth is diyinely chosen.
means for spreading the knowledge Of
the truth we could all say "amen,"
But the "diyine institution of the
Christian ministry" means that an or
dained minister stands above his fellow
men because he is an ordained minister.
1t means that the truth is not quite,
the truth unless it comes from the lips
of some one in the Apostolcal line. II
means that there is divinity that
doth hedge about" a preacher that doth
not hedge about" layman. 1t means
that man from the pews might not
preach to his fellowmen the message
from God, because he is a layman.
What comfort it must be to believe
that ministers have been divinely
selected to furnish the theology and
agree upon the platforms" for the
children of light Accordingly, since
the ministry has been divinely selected,
it must be that the sermons are divine
ly preached, and all the creeds and
catechisms are divinely written Yet
l venture to believe that if some laymen
should rash'y undertake to make a
platform" they could not do much
worse than this divinely instituted
''Pastors' Union" has done. At least
they might go back and bring out from
the musty past some old dogmas quite
as ressSSctable and quite as Irrational as
this platform" that has Just now
had an untimely resurrection. In fact
the religious world will not be worse of
if hereafter some ministry not "divine-
ly'' instituted should bringo out a "plat-
FORM
This discussion touches only the
credibility of set of published opin-
ions. 1t does not touch the sacredness
of religious feeling, however manifest
ed or wherever cherished. Let US learn
the lesson that opinions and feelings
dwell close together in the human soul.
And so long as man loves truth it will
never be quite safe to surrender the
right to revise 1.-The platforms. Let
us believe also that we shall awaken
the purest feeling, and the sweetest
trust around the clearest and broadest
truths. AS for ourselves, let us look at
the substance of this belated and
amazing platform, ''and ask ourselves
must our Interpretation of life come
to this and never go beyond it? y 'In
heavens name is there nothing better
for us and for our children than to for
ever believe this?" Look at it. It's
presumptuousness is sublime. AS a
cluster of private opinions it would be
entitled to the shield of silence, but as
a published statement of the level at
which Dubuque theology has arrived, it
owes an apology to the intelligence of
the time. In comparison look at the
intellectual Inheritance that comes to
ub anu Oul CuliuE6us uh1k Heaven,
Christianity is not monopolized in these
antiquated definitions. Its message of
love comes to the world in an accent
unrestrained, and enwraps us in a fell
lowship so hopeful and so hOspitable
that progress is welcomed here. We
may, however, understand once for all
that our love for new truths and for
the brOadest interpretations of old
truths will be respected in the churches
around us. There is nothing for us to
do but to look into the face of God,
where no soul need fear to lock; and
in the light Of his grace build fellow
ship upon platform broad as human
ity, AMI hospitable as the providence
of God. This is the object for which
labor. Let us stand together then, for ,
we hold vast trust for ourselves and
for mankind.
WHILE you try to live. do not bs afraid