Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-07-31
WHAT is UNITARIANISN
REV. GEORGE l. CLANCY EXPLAINS THE DOC
TRINRS OF that CHURCH
To a Small Gathering Of People in Odd Fellows
Hall-Ihs Hell and Heaven Of the Unfair
ians-Ths CUES ion Of the Inspiration
Of the Old Testament

ABOUT IOIby poOplO "OtS
the Republican club room, Odd Fellows
Hall building, yesterday afternoon to
hear Rev. George L. CLANCY expound
the doctrines Of UDitarianism. Among
the audience were members OF the
Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian,
Episcopal and other denominations, at
tracted perhaps more by curiosity
than desire TO be con-
WINGED. Rev. CLANCY was formerly
pastor of the Hollis street church
Boston, having been succeeded oy the
celebrated Starr King, one OF tue
brightest advocates OF UnitarianiSm'
bur Is now engaged 10 the South In es-
tablishing churches, and is also eoltor
of the Southern Unitarian, or AtIanta'
Georgia. Rev. Clancy spoke Tor over
an hour He is an entertaining speaker,
having a good delivery and wonderful
flow OF language, and impresses one oY
his earnestness. Whatever may
have been the opinions OF
his hearers, he was listened
to with the deepest attention. After
the reading Of the Scriptnres,the sing
ing OF hymn and prayer he took as the
basis of his talk the eighteenth verse OF
the first chapter OF Isaiah, as follows:
Come now, let US reason together
saith the Lord: though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they be red like crimson they
shall be as wool"
The Unitarian Church, said Mr..
CLANCY, accepts nothing contrary 10
reason-a reason that was something
more than logical understanding, name
ly the moral judgment OF man. splr-
itual intelligence. The most eminent
scholars OF to-day did not believe that
the entire Bible was the Word OF God,
but that there was found In 1t WORD OF
God. The prophets spoke through the
mind OF God to the mind OF men. The
assertion that all the books Of the old
testament were inspired was no longer
tenable to-day. That man was not
dealing fairly by his congregation who
preached the absolute acceptance OF
the inspiration Of the Scriptures. God
has put truths in the Bible, just as he
has put truths every place. The In
junction 10 search tie scriptures had a
deep meaning. T3'get at the truths OF
God one must mine for them just as he
does the hills for the ores and minerals
God has placed there
RSSF. CLANCY said that as a child he
delighted in reading the Scriptures, out
he read them without presuming TO I'M
derstand them, but now he read them
by reason; with a perfectly free and un-
trammeled mind, aud his enjoyment was
greater The speaker related an anec-
dote Of a personal nature which was In
tended to illustrate the ignorance OF
educated people With regard to the doc
trlnes and teachings Of the Unitarian
Church. He said that while travelling
some years ago he met two intelligent
and highly educated English ladies, and
as their tastes were similar they passed
the time very pleasantly. The CONVEX
sation finally turned TO the sermons OF
a prominent Church Of England minis
ter, and Mr.. Clancy said that he
admired him very much. But,
said one Of the ladies, 1.-The
doctrines he is advocating have a
leaning towards Unitarianism, and be-
ing questioned further, Mr.. Clancy ac-
kuowledged that that was his own be-
lief, whereupon the woman was horri-
fed and wanted to know II he read the
same Bible they did, 10 which he re-
piled In the Affirmative. But" said
she, show can you accept the book Of
Daniel?" He said that he did not ac-
cept the entire book; that he read the
Scriptures with discrimination, and ac-
cepted only such portions as his reason
approved. The speaker said that no
intelligent man to-day could accept the
doctrine of the inspiration Of the Old
Testament books, but that the Bible
itself was record Of rapidly develop
ing religion.
Rev. CLANCY then spoke at length on
the doctrines of Unitarianism, and of
the views the church held on salvation,
hell and immortality. The difference
between the Unitarian Church and
other denominations was that man
did not have to believe the creed Of his
church to become a member OF 1t, but
I'm other denominations he did. In the
Unitarian Church he was free to think
for himself, and no man could be honest
unless he did. The Unitarian Church
insisted on upright character and
righteous living. In believed in the iD-
divldual unity of God; in other words,
IL was anti-trinitarian. 1t believed
in retribution, that whatsoever a man
soweth that shsll,he reap" ,.butit did not
believe in eternal punishment. 1t did
not believe Ia Judaism, a religion Of
vicarious offerings. Such thing was
an insult to high heaven ana poor com
fort to low earth. Did the Unitarian
church believe in hell? 1t did, but not
in the orthodox hell. The hell it be-
lieved in was sin overtaken by its
consequences on earth, and held as
repulsive to the teachings OF God the
doctrine that any soul could be doomed
as an eternally suffering creature.
Heaven was the stisiaction Of the craV-
ing OF the heart for a nearness to God.
1t believed in 4 faith that all would be
saved.
He had heard it said Of Unitarlanism
that it was a good religion to live by
but a poor one to die by. He resented
that assertion because he had witnessed
the death OF many Unitsrlans who
passed away as peacefully and as full OF
hope and comfort as Christians of other
denominations He told of the touch
ing death bed scene Of a
Young soldier, who was ter
iAt- 5anrassad ovar the salvation