Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-09-25

on the hearts deep pages, shines to-
dav forever new"
Some churches may wish to teach
that Revelation ended when John, the
seer OF strange visions, laid down his
pen nineteen hundred years ago. But
this church does not mean to repre-
sent God rs spcrriilcsS or man as deaf
and blind. As this church stands for
progressive intelligence it necessarily
stands for progressive revelation.
Just as the telescope and the micro
scope bring the revelations of new
heavens and new earth, so the wild
ening realm of thought brings new
revelations OF truth and beauty. Here
at least will be an open door for the
newborn truth of science, manger-
Graded though it be.
All, how the apostles OF newer and
better thought have ever wanted hos
pitality! How like beggar or a
tramp, how like robber or n thief
have the pilgrims of new revealed
truth been spurned from door to door.
TO day, as in the time of Jesus, the
dead prophets are honored, the living
are stoned. Surely it is time that
there should be one church in our
midst where the prophet of to-day may
he honOred. He may not speak the
language of an ancient book, he may
not Use the phraseology of distant
age and another race. His language
may be that OF our neighbors, it may
he the simple utterance OF his own
deep conviction, but if his words are
helpful Of the best within us, by this
sign are we sure he is a prophet of to-
day ii not of yesterday. The prophets
Of yesterday are already well-cared for
by the established churches. 1t is the
special mission of the Unitarian
church to recognize the prophets of to-
day and give them needed hospitality.
The prophets OF all ages are the saints
on our calender, but we do not wait
till a person has been dead hundred
years before we recognize their saintli-
ness. a Unitarian church will teach
that the sanity elements in the char
actcr of our friends and neighbors are
to be recognized and trusted, and that
the living saint in the cottage or the
mansion is to be honOred. have
been in places where the names of
many dead saints were honored, but
where failed to hear of any live ones
My preference is to live where the
saints are not all dead. | think the
climate would suit my health better.
y Unitarian church means a
healthier place for everybody, and in
more ways than one.
First it means healthier place
physically. Did you ever hear "A SER
mon on physiology and hygiene or the
laws OF health, in any of the evangel-
ical churches ? If cleanliness is next
to Godliness an occasional sermon on
clean streets, clean alleys and clean
back-doOr yards, is a godly gospel.
There ought to be one church to
preach occasionally the gospel of bath
ing as well as the gospel of baptism.
There ought to be one church to
preach an occasional sermon on daily
diet as well as to tell how to partake
of the Lords supper, There is certain
ly room in this town for one church
that has place i'll its teaching for an
occasional sermon on the gospel of
health. If a sound mind is in any de-
gree the outgrowth of sound body,
this too is godly gospel.
A Unitarian church in any neighbor-
hood makes life more secure. lisa
protection against outrage and vio-
lence. All churches are helpful in
this way, bnt the Unitarian church, it
seems to me, offers special guarantees
inasmuch as it breaches without quail
ifcation salvation through righteous
ness, and does not teach that the
wrong-doer may by an act Of faith es-
cape the results of his wickedncss. A
Unitarian church means that the gos-
pei of right conduct between man and
neighbor will be preached as an abso-
lutely reliable means of grace. 1t is
morality rather than theology that
makes Il neighborhOod a safe and de-
sirablc place to live in. 1t is no sort
OF interest to the general community
how many prayer-meetings a church
may have, how many sociables or re-
vivals in year, il these do not make
men and women more honest and
kind. Whether a church has three
articles or thirty, whether it burns
candles or kerosene on its altar,
whether it celebrates the communion
once week or once year or not at
all, these are OF little public concern.
But whether its men may be trusted
to pay their debts and to take no mean
advantage of others, whether its wo-
men "speak no slander, no, nor listen
to it," being ever abundant in good
works, is of much public concern. Be.
lief in the Trinity or the infallibility of
the bible, or whether the one mode of
baptism is by immersion or sprinkling,
is matter of supreme indifference as
regards the question whether man
or woman is good neighbor or a
good citizen. The Unitarian church
means one that is interested in public
concerns. In truth, il has little in
terest save that which is of public con-
cern.
1t has been said by way of reproach
that the Unitarian church makes too
much of the teaching and practice Of
morality. But from the daily news
paper accounts the world does not
seem to be in danger from an excess
OF morality. 1t is lack of morality
not lack of creed, theology or Bible