The Universalist., 1895-08-17

r6ITdln IrOm Juo dttompO w impiosO on
their work. He is better fitted to shine
in this role than many of his predeces-
sors, for he is even less restrained than
they by considerations of historical fact.
He tells us that the "synoptic Gospels
in their present form are the fruit OF
long evolution, of an indefinite series OF
additions and omissions; they are the
product of the imagination of millions
of different men and not at all the pro-
duct of the Holy Spirit" We like that.
1t is explicit and Ineligible. 1t is
thorough going. We know now just
what the synoptic Gospels are the pro-
duct Of When the Count gets to it we
shall know about the Fourth Gospel and
so much of the remainder OF the New
Testament as he deems worth his atten-
ton. And other millions will know all
about it because they read it in Tolstoi.
1t has been reported and has not
been denied, that Prof. Bemis has
been squeezed out Of the faculty OF the
Chicago University because his teaching
in regard to franchises granted to mo-
nopolies, and in regard to trades, and in
regard to the sale Of political influence,
reflects on the Standard Oil Company.
Here is new form OF the danger to pop
ular rights which great corporations
may become. II a great monopoly, hav-
ing made fortunes for men by methods
which neither science nor religion can
approve, enables them to found schools
Of the higher learning, shall it be under
stood that it is to control their teaching
on moral and economic questionsf Ii so
it were better that the money of the
millionaire perished with him. The
value of school to the world depends
not on it's teaching being the absolute
truth, but on it's being what it's profess
sors believe to be the truth.
In his paper in To-Day the Rev.
Howard MacQueary easily convicts the
Rev. M. J. Savage of inconsistency in
asserting 80 positively that Jesus taught
the doctrine of eternal punishment. On
Mr.. Savage's own principles in interpre-
tation he should find Jesus teaching the
higher and purer doctrines and his less
spiritual reporters responsible for the
cruder and crueler dogmas attributed to
him. At the same time, as one reads
what these acute reasoners have to Of
fer as to the teaching of Jesus. he can
not resist the conclusion, that if their
criteria for determining what Jesus
taught are sound. it is almost altogether
a matter of conjecture after all. The
two disputants agree in making the in
terpreter's conception of what Jesus
should have taught the test by which to
determine what he did teach. The in
terpreters being MacQueary and Savage
we should expect agreement in the opin
ion that Jesus was a Universalist.
The interpreters being Bishop Seymour
and President Patton we should expect
agreement in the opinion that Jesus
taught everlasting punishment. But it
seems that our reasonable expectation
in these cases is not supported by the
event.
When minister announces. as DIR.
Joseph Parker is said to have done re-
Gently, that he will not any longer ex
pect stipulated salary but will accept
as compensation the free will offerings
of his people, he exhibits confidence in
their sense of obligation or in their gen.
erosity, which is, We fear, misplaced.
Under such conditions some rare souls
will give more literally; but the greater
number may be depended upon to show
their human nature by their works. II
there are instances where people, thus
left to the promptings OF their own gen.
erosity, have contributed an adequate
sum, they have not been recorded on
earth. And if there are congregations
in which, under these circumstances,
none of the hearers yielded to the temp
tation to pay less in the expectation that
it would not be known or that somebody
else would pay more, the cases deserve
to be recorded in heaven.
Our esteemed contemporary the
Boston Herald remarks that the glee
with which the New York papers report
the success of the saloon keepers in
evading the Sunday law is not credita-
BILE to them. 1t betrays a rather open
sympathy with the vicious and ungodly.
The Herald Processes itself at loss to
understand the motive of respectable
papers in making so much of violations
of law and abuses of Sunday. The sur
prise of our esteemed contemporary is
natural. and the sensation with which
its moral cylinders are agitated in view
o. the gratuitous wickedness of those
respectable New York papers. may help
it to understand our wholly similar
amazement 1.-THE compositor please not
set this up amusement when we read
in our Herald. and Evening Post, and Re
publican. and other excellent papers
gleeful accounts Of the evasion of the
liquor law in Maine an editorial para
graphs recounting eagerly from time to
time "the failure of prohibition" This
world ia full of surprises.