The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-11-24
OUR UNCONVENTIONAL LITERATURE
BY REV. JACOB STRAUB, DID,.

proper lnSITuCtioH' Ito
main reliance, because therein are re-
corded and read it's standard teachings,
its aims and it's methods. Not to the
individual, nor the group OF individuals,
90 much as to the standard press does
the thoughtful inquirer go to learn what
a denomination is. BY no other means at
its disposal can the church so well effect
its purpose with the community or the
world. Its schools are primarily essen
tial as first qualifying the literature
giving it it's substance and character.
A church has certain principle VI
thought which it teaches and commands
called "its school," This school, with its
outgrowing discipline and practices, is
Of course mainly conferred in the de-
nom;national schools and colleges. But
tbe literature is the principal channel
that connects the mind OF the church
within the church itself, and also with
the outside world.
The church is then bound to always
regard it's literature with great interest,
and watch it with Jealous care. uphold
ing it with all the sacrifice it is able to
make. And no topic is ever more in
order in a Universalist body than that
assigned me at this hour, briefly as L
shall treat it.
Our literature began with men to
large extent illiterate. Of this fact'
however. we need not be ashamed. Inc
greatest of all beginnings ever made IN
this world was the beginning of the Chris
tian religion, and this was, for the most
part. with men Of few or no letters. Inc
babes in learning, the unsophlstlcated
in schools, deemed the best recepta-
cles-the most virgin minds-for the new
learning that was wiser and better tnan
the old. and destined to overtop 1T, and
to finally supplant it. 1t was, however
not barren soil to which the rarest
seed of heaven was committed with MIN
utest care by our Master. On the con-
trary the disciples were men OF large
capacity. Especially we'll we're they
equipped by nature to contain ana oe-
liver the divine message. 1t Is the
method of nature, we are told, that new
genera are derived under conditions
where the proper nature is less harden
ed by type. Jesus chosen men were
not men whose minds had still TO De
created, and whose moral and spiritual
parts had still to be grown; they were
perhaps the most ready in these regards
of all the men at hand.
Hence, though the founders OF our llt-
erature were not men of letters, they
were not ignorant men. That 10, they
were not men lacking in mind or ideas.
On the contrary their works show them
To have been men of keen and accurate
discernment, often masters in the most
abstruse questions of theology and phil
osophy. Men capable OF detecting the
fallacies of an opponents argument equal
with the best trained school mel OF that
day, they left to the church legacy OF
nolemical literature surpassed by no de-
nomination. The grammar and rhetoric
were at times somewhat defective, but
the thought was never or seldom 90
scured. If one saw at times an I'M
pleasant absence of literary style, he was
rarely unrewarded by thought. And
the peculiar directness OF the rough
Anglo-saxon is often pleasure,when re-
turning from the stilted pages where one
finds a surfeit of charming rhetoric and
a famine of ideas. In short they were
men who had pride of ideas rather
than a pride of literary finish. 1t was
clear tc them that they had not only the
right in the argument, but at the same
time a most distinguished mission to
perform to the world They we're, for
the most part, of that hardy intellectual
stock of New England. in which was
mainly the learning of New England
the learning in which the Western world
has accomplished its largest intellectual
feats. Not usually themselves educated,
they we're of educated communities. and
hereditarily had educated blood in
their veins. And it was as natural for
them to 60 to logic as for young ducks to
go to water.
Another quality contributed no less to
their greatness, and their fitness to be
the initial bearers of great system of
truth, and which lent certain value to
their writings. They were descended
from a most conscientious ancestry,
made SO by being dominated for many
centuries by the vision of living,
watching, Almighty God over them, to
whom they felt responsible, and whom
they must obey or must severely and
sensibly suffer for disobedience.
A strong logic and strong conscience.
combined, need not so much OF fine rhe-
torical pauses to make the most enjoyable
reading for thoughtful people. 1t seems
also that their efforts were appreciated,
from the large sales of their works in
New England and the Middle States.
The "Tompkins" and Usher" publish
ing houses we're presumably successful
as financial enterprises, though combining
their business largely to the publication
of denominational books and periodicals.
An extensive enumeration of our pub
locations from a century to half-cen