The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-10

tastefully decorated with palms and ferns,
tendance of guests.
1.-THE influence Of Unitarianism in this
country and In civilized lands is not to be
measured by our numbers it cannot be es-
timated in mathematical terms" ontiDued
Mr.. Irish. ''Unitarianism has made it pos
sible to deny that the theological horse is
eighteen feet high, just because some one
has said that The horse was that high.
"Uuitarianism has made IL possible to
search ont truth. l will now call on the
Rev. l.. w. Sprague to open the talk OF the
evening by speaking upon the Unitarian
outlook"
The outlook" said the Rev. Mr. Sprague.
in humorous preface to his address,
must be very dubious one, / would say,
when am called TO make this lll-advised
exhibit of myself with so many older men
here; but the young men dream dreams
now and the daughters prophesy. When
the old men cease TO talk you can call on
the youth of the conference.
ITO speak Of the outlook, should say
that if we were to get in tunnel and take a
glimpse of the great outside world, that
would be the correct term from mathe-
NAUTICAL point of view," continued Mr..
Snrague, who. however, declared that
numbers were not the all in all of faith.
The glory of the clear, pure faith Of Uni
tarisnism. he asserted, lay IN the fact tha
it was in accord with the movements of
the nineteenth century.
Science and philosophy were allied to
UnitsrianIsm. The faith was not one
part of life, rot one little sect. not one
little movement. but great world force.
The outlook from this standpoint could
not but be glorious. The great world of
science had been aroused. The great
world of ethics had not yet been fully
aroused, and here it was that Unitarian.
ism would make its home in the great
world movement.
IF the world continues to grow and We
are free enough to appreciate It's best
things" continued the speaker. there can
be no outlook but bright one. 1t is the
young men, perhaps, who dream, but we
dream the dream of world fellowship, of
practical union, as ChanDiDg, Parker,
Emerson, Martineau dreamed, but We
dream with hope where they dreamed al
most with fear, and thus to me the out
look seems glorious"
The Rev. f. L. HOsmer was announced
as a gentleman from the active center of
the world, Chicago. This called for bit
of pleasantly on DR.. Hosmer's part. who
then took up the theme of the evening,
and with a reference TO his Unitarian
parentage declared:
81 stand, as Paul said, as one free
born, but it is not the accident of birth
which makes one free. Freedom is some
thing which, whatever his fellowship man
must achieve himself. l owe the Unitarian
fellowship much. Being born in it was
the reason that [ was first in it. but that
was not a reason to remain In the fellow
snip. | have staid because il is founded
on free c0ngregationaliSm. the freedom of
each individual church.
Il do not say much of Unitarianism, but
of the Unitarian movement / have said
much" the speaker continued, ''for it i'm
plies growth in the past and growth to-
day, not for it's opposition to Trinitarian-
ism and for its belief in one God, not for
its Humanitarian ism, not for its views
upon the Bible, but for its entire freedom
of individual faith, making the life lived.
the character, the supreme test. and back
OF that recognizing the divinity of the
soul''
outlook been fairer than to-day. The same
influences were working In other fields
for larger. freer. better thought. The SUBJ
ject OF change OF name, which had been
discussed in the Unitarian body, was
brought up. DR.. Hosmer declared that he
was In no haste TO change the name, and
illustrated his argument by q cOmical
anecdote.
$50 far as an attempt is made to make
the name a reproach. l stand by the
NAME" he concluded; "but l suppose we
attach too much Importance to the name.
II we breathe into the name Unitarianism
the spirit which actuates the movement no
name will suffice"
Horace Davis. the first president OF the
club. made a short address. 81 was Uni
tartan born, like DR.. Hosmer," said he.
81 feel II was privilege. | notice that
my horses, which have worked all the
week. when turned out for Sunday are
very risky, and / suspect that when con-
verts come out of orthodoxy into the free
horses and are more disposed to proclaim
their faith than we old standbys in
Unitarianism."
The speaker pronounced Unitarianism