The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-07-28
MIRACLES.

The discussion concerning ratlonallsm,
which is now Rgitating the Universalist
body. is no longer a subject Of contention
among Unitarians 1t has been settled, not
by Quenching discussion or by narrowing
fellowship, but simply by according fullest
liberty TO all. The Unitarian church has
not taken measures to procure on the sub
iect Of miracles, or any other article of its
faith, absolute uniformity of opinion. Some
of its most honored and beloved represeQ-
tatives accept the miraculous records OF the
New Testament as YeritGble history.
Others regard them as poetical and legen-
dairy grOwths. Still others, who look fav
orably upon the claims of modern spiritual
ism, find it easy to classify some of the
biblical miracles under that head. No cen
sus has been taken, no test has been APP
piled. to find where individual Unitarians
stand. But, though the Unitarian church
has never formulated a statement on this
subject, it is pretty generally agreed that
= the claims of Christianity, however they
may be modified by our view of the mir
acles, do not rest finally upon such evil
dence. The result of this mutual conces-
sion is refreshing absence of dogmatism
on both sides, and breadth of fellowship
which covers all differences.-Chr
Register (Unitarianl
CALAMITIEs As CALLS TO REPENTANCE.
a
learn from dreadful catastrophes than TO
reflect upon their sins and arise from their
fluctuations with the sense upon them Of
the Christening of a divine hand and the
determination to make the service Of God
the first aim Of all associated life! What
better lesson can sickness or sorrow bring
to any individual than that he should regard
il as no more than his sins have deserved,
and be impclled to make new resolutions to
live nearer TO God! OF course there Is a
counter truth to this. 1t does not follow
because of the relation of physical evil to
moral discipline that we are war
ranted in pronOuncing that those
who suffer are "sinners above all
Others" The very contrary may be the
case. To pronounce such judgments is
distinctly unchristian. The true lesson for
those who witness distress i'll which they
are not directly paItakers, is to accept it as
a warning of what they themselves deserve.
Our Lord rebuked this tendency to judge
the moral condition of others by the mis-
fortunes that befell them when it showed
itself among his disciples Nevertheless,
he did rot allow them to 90 without their
own moral lesson. Doubtless, the Cali
leans whom PLATE slew, were sinners:
doubtless the same was true Of those upon
whom the tower of Sloan fell but not
sinners above all others: u tel you, nay.
but except We repent We shall all likewise
perish" That temporal calamities have a
moral side, and that practically they are a
call TO repentance cannot be safely denied.
The Living Church !EpjscopaD.
THE CHRISTIAN ENDEAyOR SOCIETY.
The Philadelphia convention which met
on Tuesday is composed Of delegates from
thousands of small societies throughout the
United States, Canada, and even foreign
countries. The societies have FOR their OBJ
ject the practice of the principles Of Chris
tianity in quiet and effective way. They
= are usually organized Independent of
7 churches, and find activity in various chart
ties, assistance to those in trouble, and any
deeds that appeal to the common heart Of
humanity. Their organization and efforts
are directed to what might be appropriately
STYLED everyday, common sense religion"
stripped of hypocrisy and cant. The Society
for Christian Endeavor is only eight years
old. and its founder was elected president
of the convention. He was then
only an obscure clergyman of Port
land. Me-, but since that time the
society has grown to 5000, 600 members and
the name of Rev. F. E. Clark has become
almost as famous as that of Robert Railzes
or Loyola. Indeed, the spread OF this move
ment among young men and women in the
United States and elsewhere is one of the
rnarvels of the age. Nothing entirely like
it has ever been seen. The popularity and
utility of the organization seems to be due
. TO the simplicity of its object and the IN
assuming way in which it is carried out.
Members are asked to subscrlbe TO no creed
and to bind themselves 10 no rigid follow