The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-09-15
A PLEA FOR ENTERPRISE.
BY REV. E. W. WHITNEY,
(Cincinnati.l

in reading the Life of Rev. E. M. Pin
gree, whose brief but active career was
so fruitful of good to our faith. After
a season of sickness he writes thus to
The Star IN the West:
"Since 1 have been unoccupied with
books, preparing sermons, preaching,
ETC., my mind has been much more
painfully exercised with thoughts of
the large extent to which Universalists
fail of accomplishing their duty and
mission, than it ever was before. 1t is
a matter of wonder that q people to
whom $50 much is given" should di-
rectly do so little. And how it pains
the soul Of him whose highest love
under heaven is the love of his religious
faith, to reflect for successive hours,
and even weeks, on the extent to which
the mass of professed believers fail to
come up to the plain requirements of
that faith"
Let us hope that the years have
brought improvement, but whoever has
attentiveIy considered the present sta
tus and needs of our church, will be
ready to re echo these words written
forty. .vo"re ovo- In many of the States,
especially in the rapi6fJ s,IOU UisIe Yr0ss
and South, there are large cities, not
few, in which there is no organized
Universalism. 1t is the same in smaller
cities and towns where there should
be an ample cid for our faith. In near
ly all Of these Universalist people dwell;
but instead of organizing church
which represents their belief, they at
tend some conservative church, or stay
away from religious services altogether.
Such state of things ought not to ex-
ist. Our people should be loyal to their
convictions, and establish new societies
wherever there is any promise of sue
cess. Were this course generally taken,
the list of Universalist churches would
be constantly growing larger, ind all
would be forced to admit that our
cause is gaining ground, not only as
sentiment, but as an organized religious
force. To accomplish this most desira-
bic result, ministers and church extern
sion funds are needed; but back of these
the great requisite is mighty increase
of the missionary spirit. Would that
many of our rich men initiate the gen
erous benefactions Of DIR. W. H. Ryder,
for then there would be the dawn of a
new and better era for our church.
In parishes already established more
enterprise is often needed. There is
too frequently tendency to get into
ruts, and to stay in them most per
sistently. When the population has
drifted far from the vicinity of the
church there is disposition to ignore
this vital fact, and attribute increasing
weakness to the inef1iciency of minis
ters, imperfections in the music, or al
most any cause except the real one,
and in some cases the signs Of the times
are so long undiscerned that inevitable
death is the result. Sometimes also
other denominations are allowed to pre-
empt the field in rapidly growing COM
munities, where, with proper foresight
and energy, AOurishing Universalist
church could be established. Much as
we have erred in the past in this direc-
tion, and great as have been the losses
so occasioned, it is cheering to believe
that the spirit of enterprise is increas-
ing in our midst, and that in future it
will grow still more. The cheering re-
suits of a vigorous aggressive policy in
Minneapolis and Chicago will inspire
others to do likewise. God grant that the
day may soon come when the Unigers-
alist church cannot be justly charged
with lacking in enterprise and fore
sight.