The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-30
NOT FOR THE MASSES
ONE UNIVERSALIST MINISTER'S
CLAIMS FOR UNIVERSALISM.
Second Day of the State Conventions
Rev. MIR. Paper on
Higher Criticism.

The coy audience room of the new Uni
versalist Church was filled yesterday for
the second day of the State Convention
and Ministerial Circle meeting. Rev. Mr..
Forshner, of Pendleton, was moderator for
the meeting. The devotional exercises for
the morning were led by Rev. T. 8. Guthrie.
Of Logansport. There were several short
talks and Rev. Steier made a brief address.
TIL standing committee announced its de-
cisions. Rev. James Haughton, who has
been on the Collamer circuit, was changed
to Brownston. Rev. C. T. Bushnell was
given the circuit formerly held by Mr..
Haughton. and will have Collan-er, Crom-
well, Claypool and HuDtertoxn. Rev.
Henry Groves was continued on the Milan,
Rising Sun, Manchester and Burlington,
KY, circuit.
The paper of the morning was read by
Rev. Mr.. Bushnell, of Roam. The SUBJ
ject was 1.-THE Higher Criticism" He con-
sidered the Bible as merely human litera-
ture and to be judged by the
standard applied to all other literature.
The results show, he said, that no
part of the Old Testament was written by
Moses; that the Pentateuch was a collec-
ton or compilation of three narratives by
unknown authors and of different dates
pieced together at a comparatively late
period by unknown writer's. The Song Of
Deborah, in Judges V, he thought, is the
oldest of all complete portions of the Old
Testament. written about 1850 b. c. He
said that there Is very little else to be
found of an earlier date than % b. c. Most
legislation and so-called Mosaic law, he
claimed, is of later date than the beginning
of the fifth century, while some of the
Psalms. Proverbs and Job and Daniel were
written from 100 to 300 years before Christ
f-AI III -;aA IL -
a neutral position and not accepting or
rejecting conclusions without more evidence
than we have at the present. The paper
was discussed and complimented for it's
character. The auditors were divided in
their conclusions. Some agreed with the
writer and some did not. Rev. T. T.. Bal
| lard, of Charlottesville. Rev. Messrs. Guth-
RE, Somers, Brown and Lewellen discussed
the paper.
elected were: President. Rev. ii. n. Brown,
OF Dublin; secretary and treasurer, G. Z.
Bushnell, of Roam. The next meeting will
Mr.. Forshner,. the time to be decided by
the executive board.
Schools was the subject. The president of
this branch of the work is G. T. Swain. of
Dublin. Eight schools were represented by
delegates. out of eighteen schools in the
State fifteen reported. There is a total of
l5 officers. Sc teachers and 500 scholars.
with an average attendance of $40. The
treasurer, Rev. j. II. Hewitt, reported a
balance of $3.50. The Sunday schools want
to get $1,000 for a permanent fund to in
vest. The money IS collected by a Sunday
"The Successful Sunday school' was the
subject of "A paper by III. r. Milhouse. of
this city. The general idea of the paper
was that the Sunday school must get out
of its present rut. He condemned the in
from Evangelical standards. as they were
not correct for the Universaiist. This pa
per was discussed by Rev. Messrs. Ballard.
Sommers. Guthrie and Lewellen. Rev. j..
w. McCordS topic was "Universalism-
Why Is 1t Not More Popular with the
Masses?' He took the ground that most
people are ignorant and superstitious, and
that they followed the religion which best
represented their ignorance and supersti-
ton. Even in America the best classes and
best educated do not have the followers,
he claimed. that the less educated do. In
illustrating this he referred to Sam Jones
going TO a town and drawing large crowds
with his bar-room slang. and the president
an audience of fifty or one hundred. Uni
versalism will not come down TO the level
0 06t the sd Wsssg psre nf s1 TO se Tse fRPeinke cb W9nld
TO the orthodox churches. but rather have
them taught at home by literature Of the
Sunday school in the place where they
lived. Mrs. Rose y. Stewart. OF Muncie.
talked of the value of the lessons of tenn
perance in the Sunday schools.
The Sunday school election resulted as
follows: President, G. 4. Swain. of Dublin:
vice president, Row Huddleston. OF Dub
lin: corresponding secretary. Cora NJ. Forsh-
er. and treasurer. j. III. Hewitt, of New
Castle. Tn Sunday schools Will meet next
wear at "A place to he decided. The 4
o'clock session was for the Young Peo-
pies Union. There were reports from the
different unions in the State and from all
OF the officers on the progress OF the unions.
The evening sermon was given by Rev. j.
f. Carney, OF Muncie, on the subject OF
Duty The convention Will be in session
to-day and this evening there viii be dedi-
I catOry services at the church.
Mr. Dunhnm VIII Not Accent.