Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-09-25
SERMON BY REV. HoAeLAND.
What Unitarian Church Means ; 4 a
Community.

I
electric light it has other work than
the care of candlcsticks and the wash
ing Of surplus bibs for the altar's min
lister. 1t is not Il sarcophagus OF life
less thought or Of dead faith. 1t is not
the hiding-place of heartleSs supersti
ton or cruel creed.
1t does not mean the reverence of
fable at the cost of contempt for fact.
1t does not, will not, stand for the
teaching that man is child of Satan
and is entirely Enthusiastically and is
totally depraved. 1t does not stand rs
an impediment, or a menace to the
growing thought Of our age. 1t does
not stand and has never stood for slav-
cry in any form, whether OF body or
mind 1t does not stand for service of
God at the cost OF the slavery Of man.
4 Unitarian church stands for the di-
vinity OF man and the humanity OF
God.
Its thought of God is voiced by the
Quaker poet when he sings: Moth
ing can be good in him which evil is in
me"
And the old Hebrew poet had IA sim
liar thought when he wrote Like as a
Father piticth his children, SO Jehovah
pitieth them that fear him
And this thought OF the master-sing-
er of Israel is rc-eniorced by the master
teacher OF Christcndom when he said,
"If yc then being evil know how to
give good gifts to your children, how
much more shall your Father in
heaven give good things to those that
ask him"
Other churches may busy themselves
about the revelations of God. 1t has
place for the revelations of man as
they are heard in the voice of knowl-
edge or are seen by the ever-growing
light OF science. The words of the
Lord which came to the ancient
prophets, if they square with known
tru,h and recognized morality, are not
despised, but the words which come to
the later day prophets, poets, seers,
statesmen, thinkers if they inspire life
with goodness they also are honored us
words of God. 1t stands for no mean
monopoly of the Holy Spirit. On its
floor Jew and Gentle, Buddhist and
Brahman, Pagan and Christian, Ag-
nostic and Intidel ii alike honest and
upright, have equal respect and equal
privileges. The sanity spirit, the up
right character, it is glad to recognize
and fellowship. 1t stands then as a
rebuke to petty prejudice and narrow
bigotry. 1t accepts frankly and with
out qualification the inspiring truth
that God is our Father and all men are
our brothers. A church that daringly
teaches the goodness of God and the
divine capacity of man is II mighty
force working for righteousness and
truer life in any community. 1t does
not mean one more defender and ad-
vocate of old-time dogmaS of predesti
nation. trinity, hell-fire and vicarious
atonement. Definitions OF God that
were framed before people knew
enough to define or name the constitu
ent elements, or name such common
and nnar-at-hand things as afr and
water this church will give little time
to advocate or defend.
What then will this church mean ?
In the first place it will mean that
freedom of thought will be tolerated,
trusted and respected. 1t will not
stand SO much for phase of thought
as for method of thought, not so
much for a position with regard to the
truth as for an attitude towards it,
By virtue Of its history and achieve
ment the Unitarian church is a
thought church. Hence it will en-
courage thinking, instead of putting it
under ban. 1t will encourage intel
lectual development. "No fetters here
to clog the soul, no arbitrary creed
controls the free heart and progressive
mind" Free thought which may be
the dread of many churches, will be
recognized as friend, not as foe.
The only thought it will fear is
thought not free, thought bound,
strangled, smothered All real
thought is by its nature frec-is not
slave. 1t is not thought that hurts
and debases, but the lack of it. The
victories Of civilization over barbarism
are thought victories. Man the
thoughtless, is abject, man the thinker
is king, and winds and waters serve
him. Forces animate and inanimate
are yoked to his chariot or his mill.
A church that means the encourage
ment and development of thought
stands nightly for the upbulding OF
man. Since it is by the power OF
thought that man himself becomes a
creator and learns to cooperate with
God, thought development is process
OF becoming Godlike. The Godlike
mind, as we use the phrase in COM
mon speech, does not mean the mar
row, ignorant, unintelligent mind, it
means the broad, clear-seeing mind
the mind of wisdom and of power.
This church, therefore, will stand for
revelation in its broaIcst sense.