The record-union., 1892-10-03
THE TRUE LIBERAL.
A Unitarian CIergyman's Views on the
Subject.
Interesting Sermon Preached Yester.
day by Rev. 7. j. Horner-''The
Freest Man on Earth.e

At the Unitarian Church yesterday
Rev. T. J. Horner delivered sermon on
1.-THE True Liberal" taking for his text
the following: "The liberal deviseth
liberal things, and by liberal things shall
he stand"-Isaiah xxxii., 8.
After speaking Of the etymology Of the
word 'liberaP' Mr.. Horner said it was
much-abused term and often designates
the very opposite Of true freedom. In its
impulse of human nature. In its worst
meaning it becomes a stigma for all that
is depraved, unmanly and narrow.
In religion the term liberal has come
to be applied to all those bodies of Chris
tians who refuse to be bound by the de-
crees of the church in past centuries, and
who further refuse now to be bound by
any statement of their own that draws
hard and fast lines in regard to the in
tellectual statement of religious truth.
Mr.. Horner said the term Christian
embraces all that the most liberal Chris
tian means by the term liberal, }" but
because the term Christian in its most
general significance has come to mean
not 'way" of life as st. Paul called it, a
way which follows in the footsteps of the
Master, but a way of thinking about
him, it, therefore, becomes necessary for
the thoughtful Christian who places lie
above creed to call himself a liberal.
Instead of being slave to a system OF
thought as to what constitutes Chris
tian, the true liberal demands liberty for
himself and for the world in all matters
wherein truth can only be approximated
by thought. His mind being open, he is
free to ask and ascertain the reasons for
things as they are, hence he traces effects
back to their causes, penetrates the veil OF
mystery which hides the past from pres
ent view and gaining knowledge of the
primitive origins of things, walks freely
where others fear to tread ''lest they see
Gods face and die.o
Mr.. Horner spoke OF the struggle
through Christian history for some infal-
Ible authority upon which to base
thought, of PrOtestaniSm arrayed against
Romanism, OF authority of church versus
the authority of the book, out OF which
was born at last the idea Of the authority
of the human soul in its reflection Of the
divine character as revealed in the life of
Jesus, and here, at last, he placed the
only intallible rule of life to be found in
the universe. The reflection of the life of
God in the soul of the man Jesus reveal
ing to all men the divinity inherent in
human nature. The freer the soul is the
less subject to limitations in the exercise
of any of its powers of mind and heart
the more accurately does it reflect the di-
vine thought and the divine life.
Seeing in Jesus this kind of a soul, and
trusting the integrity of his own nature
as thus revealed, the true liberal of to-
day believes rightly that he too is a son
of God, and as some have said in jest
''too good to be damned"
He believed that man is truly the child
of the living God, child as yet with all
of childhood s imperfections, but, in COM
mon with Jesus, possessing the attributes
of divinity-attributes that have slowly
been unfoldingthrough the ages, ever be-
manifestations of their possibilities.
The true liberal, enlightened by free
entrance TO every field OF thought and
knowledgeE now boldly proclaim, these
results and champions the rights of man
in the lace of a disappearing world.
Liberated from all fear, either in this
world or the next, he denies the right of
either church or State to fetter the mind
or imprison the soul of a single human
being.
The first element of true liberty comes
from God consciousness. That con-
sciousness in the mind of the relation
ship which we all sustain to God which
compeels us to say, Our Father" A
phAhSo 10 GIL tOSOOliS1 as OA0 RItdt
family, imposing duties no less than
liberties.
He, then, who claims to be a liberal.
but finds no motive in such claim that
compels him to give himself or his
means in service to the cause of a devel-
oping humanity is his own worst enemy.
and the worst enemy of the cause of true
liberty. The true liberal is the treest
man on earth, because conscious of the
power to surrender himself for the good
of his cause, and at the same time the
most controlled because self-controlled
The truly liberal man is always the en-
Hghtened man, and the most enlightened
are always the most charitable of the
opinions of others, SO long as anything is
yet matter of opinion. But that point
settled in reality and he becomes its
champion, firm to the end.
The true liberal is most anxious lest he
in some way goes wrong. DISCRIMINATE
ing, he sees goodness beneath the cloak
that often covers it, and, not being bound
by any system, is free to acknowledge
virtue wherever found. The true liberal
is truly religious, godliness is his aspira-
ton, and he fears no hell save that of a
dishonored nature. ''By liberal things
shall he stand"
At the close Of the sermon Mr. Horner
said he had come across the continent to
embody these ideals in an institution in
this city, and hoped that all who were in
sympathy with such ideals would ioin
hands to help on the cause.