The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-01-26
VICTORY OR DEFEAT2
BY REV. ELMER J. FELT.

This is the real question in the dis
cussion of Universalism VS. Ortho-
doxy. 1t is not question of Divine
Justice or Divine Love. God is in
finitely just. He cannot be other
wise. Whatever may be the plan or
scope of salvation he must remain
absolutely just. Else is he not God?
His love also is not called into ques-
ton in these latter times. Universal
list and Partialist alike worship a
God of Love. They each share in the
faith that God loves every soul and
wishes all to be saved. 1t is wholly
a question whether God can accom-
plish that which he wishes, or wheth-
er he must stand helplessly by and
see the glory of his creation perish
by the loss and eternal misery of the
great major portion of his human
family. Nor is this the whole of his
discontinue. He appears as doing
all in his power to save his children,
but failing. He sends his son into
the world only to return vanquished,
defeated. He declares himself to be
eternally opposed to sin, and yet new
er succeeds in destroying tan ever
lasting warfare maintained without
purpose, with no victory to give it
point. And so at last the light of
hope goes out in the Universe and
God gathers about him the few saints
saved from the ruin to join in hea
venly chorus of psalms and praises.
Praises for what? A ruined world? A
lost humanity? A victorious Devil?
Oh what spectacle! What a trav-
esty upon the omnipotence of God
How different the Universalist
faith, which sees in all things Gods
omnipotent love working out by slow
degrees, but more certain than slow,
publication and redemption of the
world. God always triumphant. Evil
a myth, negative condition that
lacks point and potency before the
everlasting power of righteousness.
A Christ sent into the world to gather
into one all created beings. and re-
turning to the Father triumphant,
bearing with him the marks of VIC
torious campaign against the enemies
of God And finally redeemed hui
manity, made one in Christ with the
Father, uniting in praises and thanks
giving to God who has revealed
himself worthy the highest worship
by his omnipotent wisdom and love
and his victory over every enemy
which defies his law of righteousness.
These are the two pictures being
drawn by the two schools of theologi-
cal thought-the Partialist or Ortho-
dox, the Universalist OF Liberal. Which
is the most in harmony with Gods
naturei Which best accords with
the beauty and power of his creation ?
Nor does the argument end here.
God has set his seal upon promises
that cannot be fulfilled by any mar
rover salvation. Holy Scripture
would contain a record of broken
promises which could not but forever
stand as an impeachment of either
Gods power or his honesty. And
reason, too, is replete with testimony
that the old orthodox scheme of sal
walton does infinite injustice to God.
For what are these attempts in the
household of orthodox faith to modi-
fly the creeds and increase the num-
Der of the saved-these assertions of
humiliation in the place of the old
theory of everlasting torment, but at
tempts to rescue God from the dis
grace heaped upon him by restrict
ing the scope of his influence and
making him sit, discounted King,
in the midst of the ruin of his realm :
TACOMA, WASH.