The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-14

FROM an address by Rev. Robert
Spears, of the Christian Life, delivered
in London, since his return from this
country, we make the following inter-
esting extracts:
The Universalists.
The denomination in America near
est to us on all matters of religious faith
is the Universalists. l had while in
Boston, at melting of upward of
forty Universalist ministers, most
hearty welcome accorded to me. Most
fraternal words were rendered; and our
identity of thought and feeling clearly
expressed. Principal Capen, of Tufts
College, invited me to the college to
spend a day. I never enjoyed in my
life day more than this with ministers
and professors. In numerical strength
the Universalists are the sixth denom-
nation in America. 1 have before me
a few figures from their reports of a
meeting held about six weeks ago, in
which it is stated their convention
funds amount to $3.50, 900; church
funds held by State Conventions for
benevolent work and church missions,
5000, 900; assets of publishing house,
$75, 600; value of property invested in
schools and colleges, $1,000, 900; value Of
church property, 81 $3.50, 900; Sunday
school membership, $4,000 number of
parishes, 900; number of ministers, 100;
estimated number in regular attend
ance upon the Universalist ministry in
the United States, 397 900. There are
three theological schools, with about
eighty students in preparation for the
ministry. There never was period of
such real prosperity enjoyed by the
Universalist church as during the year
just closed.
l recollect very we'll the late Rev.
John James Tayler saying with what
marvellous rapidity the Universalist
views were spreading in Germany and
continental places. This is most au-
spicious sign, as fear of endless hell has
been till now the sentinel, or watch
dog, that has kept millions from free
inquiry into religious doctrines. Uni
versalism is the initial step, as the Rev.
Stopford Brooke can tell you, to free
dom from the old sch olastic creeds.
Alarm at Home and Abroad.
With few words more 1 shall have
done. turn to our land, and find, as
you well know from Mr.. Surgeons
recent withdrawal from the Baptist
Union, and the sermons, and speeches,
and reviews of late, that much alarm is
excited in orthodox quarters at what
they call ''modern thought and the
new theology" or, in palmer words,
the progress of Unitarian thought
among the churches. OF this alarm, if
they would listen to me, 1 would say:
"Ye fearful souls. fresh courage take;
The clouds We so much dread
Are big with mercies, and shall break
In blessings on your head"
1t is simply the Christianity of Christ,
the New Testament religion, the think
ers of to-day are moving toward.
Mist or Mountain.
There is one phrase Mr.. Sturgeon
and others are using L would mention.
They call the new views that are being
entertained, "a mist that is now OBJ
securing the mountain" l accept the
terms the mist and the mountain. But
which is the mist and which is the
mountain ? Surely the Sermon ON the
Mount is no mist /; the new views are
not obscuring this. There is no one
assailing Christ's commands of love to
God and man. and that the true wor-
shippers shall worship the Father.
Surely these may be called the noun
tain of the Lord, bill of the true Zion.
And so with other doctrines clearly
taught by Christ, by prophet, and by
apostles. We call all this teaching of
the Bible the mountain; and the spec
ulations, the theories of the middle and
dark ages, the scholastic terms and doc
trines Mr.. Sturgeon and others seek to
retain, the mist that has obscured the
simplicity of Christ hidden, in fact,
the mountain of the Lord.
We are, my friends, as yet just in the
grey of the morning Of this new and
better reformation of religion-the res
toration of Christianity. The winds of
God are blowing away some of the
things of superstition. Gods noun
tain is immovable and eternal. 1 am
not less sure of my presence on this
platform tonight than l am that hui
man inventions, the creeds of men, and
the corruptions of Christianity will pass
away before the search for truth will
perish and be forgotten. While l say
with equal assurance of our Unitarian
faith, this is simple Christianity, it will
emerge from the mists of the scholastic
jargOn that has so long surrounded it,
like some tall cliff that lifts its awful form,
swells from the vale, and midway leaves the
storm;
Though round its breast the rolling clouds are
spread.
Eternal sunshine settles on its head"
The story is told in the Independ-