The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-08-04
EDITORIAL BRIEFS.
BY REV. 1. M. ATWOOD, D, D,
Canton, N. Y.

moderate amount OF faith, after all, in the
quality of any mans honesty who prac-
tices it from the considera ion Of policy.
Really honest men are honest from princi-
pie, not from policy. They believe in it, not
as eurer means of personal benefit, but
as law of righteousness from which they
must OF swerve. Men who practice hon
esty from business or other considers-
tions are on par with men who are reiig
ious from motives Of self-interest. In
emergen cies the latter cease to be reig-
ious, the former to be honest; and the
emergency occurs whenever irreligion or
dishonesty promises to pay better.
The word equally with the life OF
James Freeman Clarke speaks to his
brethrea in the Unitarian body solemn,
deliberate, weighty sdmonition, and to
certain in our own church the conviction
of this man, who was both brave and wise
should have the force of authority: II am
more and more persuaded, that to put
oneself apd ones church outside of the
great current of Christian life is to decay
and die. The unchristian and aati-chris-
tian churches are sapless trees, doomed
to disintegration."
- DR.. Talmage is OF opinion that the
kings and lords and mighty men, whose
sepulchers have been despoiled of their
dust for the purposes OF commerce, would
have felt an inexpressible chagrin if they
had forseen that they we're to be hRwked
about the earth as Egyptian guano."
The moral is cremation. If great Caesar
was properly cremsted there never could
| be any danger that his dust should be
used to stop bung hole. There would
not be enough of it. Here is an argu-
ment for incineration that must have
weight with Rishop Coxe-to remove the
contingency Of those base uses to which
we might otherwise come at last.
Both the necessity and value of q
creed are illustrated in the party plat
forms which are neither more nor less
than political creeds. Without platform
q party could not gather its forces, con-
duct a canvass or make proselytes. The
dangers of creeds are also displayed by
these platforms. They are human contriv-
ances, but the party papers and orators
treat them as if they were divinely
inspired. They are the results of a COM
promise between factions and conflicting
interests; but it is held to be party trea-
son for ons whose opinions or business
| fhn Mat Form b IA
word of criticism. The platform must
be swallowed entire, without question or
facial distortion.
Here is where cree1s are an offense
and oppression. The same sentiment Of
party loyalty and the same seusitiveness
to the suspicion of inconsistency, which
whips in all the members of political
party, when once the platform is promul-
gated, and coerces men into ingenious
and even absurd expositions of its Ian
guage, constrains the members of a
church or denomination to acquiesce in
what they do not heartily believe and
even to defend, sometimes with unneces-
sary self. abasement, what their judg
ment condemns. Creeds cannot be dis
pensed with; they are natural and neces-
ssry expedients of associated action and
of intellectual and theological progress.
But they should not be SO held as to
stultify the reason or bind the con-
| science.
1t would be interesting to know the
exact difference in the totals OF votes for
each side produced by the expen iiture
Of money in the campaign. We are OF
opinion that if each party should cove
nant and agree with the other in the
interest of public morality, not to spend
a dollar, nor allow dollar to be spent,
in the election, except for the ex-
penses incident to the diffu sion of infor-
nation, the total vote of either side would
stand just as it will after fifteen millions,
more or less, has been worse than wasted
in efforts to influence" votes But here
as elsewhere, the response to wickedness
| is weakness.
1t is devoutly to be wished that the
commanding position from which Presi-
dent Eliot speaks the convictions of great
numbers, both of educators and OF intel
ligent observers as to our time wasting
methods in preparatory and collegiate in
structlon, may draw such attention to the
subject as to initiate salutRry reforms.
II it be true that in Paris two years Of
young mans life is saved in the course
of his preparation for cit 5her of the learned
professions, and corresponding time in
fitting him to enter on any business for
which rudimentary education is essen
tisl, it should require OF us an immediate
answer to the question, VIII at equivalent
do we give here in America for the con-
sumption of that large portion Of the
most precious season of life?
Mr.. E. P. Roe, who died suddenly at
Newburg, n Y, last week, was at once a
contemporary and the successor OF Dr.
j. G. Holland Both had great popular
ity, both were popular with the great
middle class Of readers, both had the pat
ronage of the churches, both had moral
aim in their writings, and neither of
them produced anything likely to endure
as literature. Well, it does not become
those OF his country men comprising all