The record-union., 1893-02-15
UnitarIanIsm Again.

probably result in little good to anyone,
but since exception has been taken to
some things have said in my own pulpit
lafterward published by the RECORD
UNION, wish to supplement the criti-
clsm by first thanking the critic for his
interest in this movement in thought
called Unitarianism-a movement toward
belief that unity God, not deviD is
back OF all that's.
In science, in philosophy, in theology,
the trend is steadily toward the position
already accepted by that religious body
which calls itself Unitarian.
In view of this drift or trend, DR.. Nc
Gosh said in his pamphlet, in reply to
DR.. Briggs "W hither," WHITTIER; oh,
tell me where"
The assertion that Unitarianism was
dead was pitiful in the opening pages of
pamphlet that acknowledged the drift
from beginning to end.
Either McCosh or some one of equal
authority made the statement Just before
mat pamphlet was printed that the
Presbyterian Church was honeycombed
with L nitarianism.
1t is gratifying to know that my critic
is reading up" the subject, because we
may need him after while, but 1 fear he
has not found the best authorities. on
The 18th OF this month l am sked to 90
to San Francisco to the opening of the
Woodbridge Presbyterian Church as the
Second Unitarian Church of that city.
''Straws indicate which way the wind
blows" Witness the late decision in
the Briggs case; also the manly with
drawal of the Rev. DIR. Clark from the
Church of the Puritan in New York be-
cause he could not subscribe to the
standards of belief set up by the General
Assembly. DIR. Clark's course has been
warmly approved by DIR. Henry Van
Dyke of the "Brick Church." who in his
sermon of few Sundays since declared
that split could not be avoided if the APP
peal of the Briggs case to the General As
sembly is maintained. In that sermon
he declared that he would leave the
church rather than affirm the inerrancy
of the Scripture.
True criticism requires that one be in
sympathy with the subject or person
criticised. He is my friend who tells me
OF my errors IN kindly spirit. Keeping
this thought in mind / would venture to
say that my critic has not seen the two
last books published from the pen of ..
b. rockingham: Boston Unitarianism''
and "Recollections." In these he will be
found much more optimistic than in any
thing previously published. l have had
the pleasure of talking with Mr.. Froth-
1ngham, and knowing him as 1 do must
say that he must not be classed as rep
resentative Unitarian minister He be-
longed to that school represented by
Strauss and Baur, an extreme school
whose work was not all accepted by Uni
tarians by any means.
Parker's complete works are published
in England only, in very expensive
edition, but individual volumes have
been published again and again both at
home and abroad. Y GU can buy them on
any train leading out from Chicago to-
day. His thought is only beginning to
take hold OF the people, but living and
writing and speaking in slavery times, it
cannot be expected that all he said would
be useful now. "Transcendentalism''
can only be viewed as phase of the gen.
eral movement. A switch from the
main track which came into it again. Yet
1t helped TO produce such men as Emer-
son and George William Curtis, and
such women as Margaret Fuller and
Louise Alcot. Many Unitarians were
transcendentalists, but transcendentalism
cannot be said to be all of [ nitarianism
The difference between Unitarianism
and Presbyterlanlsm, as viewed from the
denominational standpoint. might be
likened to the difference between a mod
ern city. like Philadelphia or Boston and
walled city like Jerusalem or Rome
he who lives within the walled city and
fears to go beyond the walls fails to real
ize how large the outside world really is.
nor does he know how free and full of
JOY it is, nor how good it really is But
and Philadelphia are not walled cities re-
quiring q passport for entrance that
therefore he who lives therein has no
home and that his efforts TO widen the
view of those in the walled cities by in
sisting on the walls being removed
means nothing but negation and destruc-
ton.
Now, the truth is, we are not so anx-
ious to originate anything. We be-
ieve that when once the distractions
reared by ignorance and fear have been
destroyed
The things DER which we gr1eved with lashes
Win flash before us out of lifes dark night.
As stars shine most in deeper tints of blue,
And we shall see how all Gods plans are
And now what seemed reproof was love most
true.
Our negations always imply positive
atfirmations grander than was ever
dreamed of in the old theology.
We find no room in the universe for a
personal devil or hell, save in the mind
of man from which they will disappear
when knowledge, reason and love make
their abode with him.
To us God fills up the universe from
center TO circumference; is the cause of
every phase of its diversified life, its evils
Ito us) as well as its good. We trust the
good, believing that it will overcome the
seeming evil, and so we do not condemn
humanity as deserving damnation simply
because we do not believe it.
The Unitarian Year Book for 1893 is
Just at hand, showing that we have 455
churches, instead of so, as Mr.. Steven
son has stated, twenty of which have
grown up during the past year. These
churches, through their association, spent
over $4,000 for missionary purposes in
the United States last year, besides send
ing over Sll,000 to Japan, where our mis-
years ago we had but a half dozen
churches on the Pacific Coast; to-day we
have thirty. 1t seems to me these facts
are worthy of notice. The denomination
is small as yet IN comparison with some
others, so is the number OF cabin passen-
gers in any Atlantic liner in comparison
10 the number in its steerage, but many
in the cabin are people of distinction,
and hence worthy of mention.
Among our ministers, fully 100 came to
us from other older churches, nor are such !
the least among the apostles of the new
theology. Hardly a month passes that
does not bring us new recruits, vet we
have not enough for the work that is !
opening out ahead of us. Perhaps in |
time our critic, like st. Paul. will come
10 love that which he now criticises, and |
when he does the heavens will seem
deeper and bluer to him than they ever
did before. l was brought up by an !
Elder in a Presbyterian church, and !
know something of the outlook from both |
positions.
Let this be your valentine, my dear
critic. L. j. HoRNER.
Sacramento, February II, 1892.
ADJUSTMENTS
The Clunie Opera-house was crowded
again last night. 1.-THE Shadows of