The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-10-13

Ii. OUR FIELD. After all, what
should | say after the magnificent
address this afternoon on the subject
of "Our Field7" l will just give you
my thought on it in brief, and it is
partly by way of criticism. I never
heard Br. Brigham talk as we'll as he
did this afternoon. did not think
it was in him to do it. was thrilled
with it, but the next fifteen minutes
was an awful commentary on it l tell
you. A man says he will take posses
sion of a place and Immediately after
we proceed to execute the mortgage
clause. That is a comedy on how we
are proposing to take the field and
convert the world. How much better
it would have been to have said in
respect to the church that has been
spoken of this afternoon (Springfeld)
and all similar cases, if the people of
that city are human beings, and if
our faith is what we have had it so
elegantly depicted, why is it that this
faith is dying out in Springfield after
one generat;on?. Why is it that we
are exhorted to go to our rich people
and beg them to give us money to
plant churches that in few years are
to be sold out and the money collect
ed and put into permanent fund
| think it would have been an inspir-
ing thing to have at least resolved
that we canvas the denomination and
find man who can go into that
church that is confessedly SO we'll
located. and build up a Universalist
Church there. | think that would
bring more interest than our present
investment several per cent.
And SO if we do not cultivate the
fields we have already occupied; if we
do net cling to them as a sacred trust
committed to us, what hope is there
that we can get into new fields and
do any better?
Our field, where is it? "The field"
Christ said, "is the world" I think
it is too large for us to attempt to oc-
cupy at once. | should say, our
field is the soul. Wherever there is
soul hungry for Gods truth, there
is our field. Our field is not techni-
cally identical with that usually Sc
lected. l mean, it seems as if Chris
tianity had almost been understood
as the religion for the slums, in it's
missionary enterprise for the poor
and wretched and destitute. Now l
think intelligent people need to be
preached to. / think it is something
to say that we do not reach the very
lowest classes at first, that we require
some preparation of intelligence, and
certainly that has been our field, but
should like to see it tried on the
other hand. All, brethren, those who
go about in the great cities see the
Indebtedness there is, what degrade
ton and superstition Creatures
hardly more human than the dogs
with whom they crawl! Talk to them
of God and they stare at you; of
Christ and they think you speak of a
neighbor; of their souls and they put
their hands in their pockets. Per
haps those OF you who have been in
Chicago have seen objects more cruel
and despairing of man than anything
we read of in ancient pagan days!
In our Christian land peculation
and corruption and crime have run
riot through the streets, and ought,
to call upon people who believe in
the love of God to feel as if their
great mission was to liberate good
ness; to bring it to that true liberty
which men have right to enjoy I'M
der God. Oh, how Strengthened are
we for words with which to express
i'll
If child is drowning, if the cry
should go to you tonight that your
house was on fire and that your chill
dren are in bedroom that is locked
and the key is lost, how speedily
would you rush there and if weight
lie against the door, a weight that or
dinarily you could not move an inch,
with what force will you fling it aside.
When love is startled it has the
strength of giant. And SO if the
human soul, which is better than
dog even in the poorest creature,
better than an animal that is caught
in the fence, or a child that is drown
ing or burning, could be seen and
our mission could be felt to liher-
ate it, to bring it up out of its dun
geon of superstition, irreligion, inhu
manity, what a work we should at
once discover at our own doors, in
our own heartsl The field is where
ever the soul is, wherever enlighten-
ao,a IL