The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-06-15
and would not learn what it really

Universalism is the pure white rose
of the Gospel, but the world does not
stop to test its fragrance and its
beauty. The world does not want to
test it because it has been told that
it is blossom without fragrance or
beauty and nothing but thorns and
prickers for the unwary.
have lately been attending SER
les OF meetings, where certain we'll
known minister of certain we'll
known orthodox denomination,
preached the Gospel pure and sim
pie. Eternal torment, everlasting
death, and hell, were not mentioned.
The love of God for all his creatures,
was dwelt the Universal Father
hood was pictured forth, the germ of
good in humanity that was capable of
growing and expanding into puri-
fed soul touched upon, and non pro
fessors, and the several different de-
nominations of the Christian church,
accepted it unanimously, when these
same people would sit in stoical in
difference, under the thunders of
eternal punishment for the wicked,
homily of that kind to which we list
ened, few evenings later, and to
whichwe, as congregation, had often
been treated before.
So you see there is much in name.
Had Universalist brought Univer-
salist minister to that pulpit his doc
trine would not have been tolerated;
his preaching would have been for
hidden by orthodox authorities. But
this preacher was an orthodox minis
ter, pastor of an orthodox church,
and the people were anxious to hear
him, because they felt that he was
preaching the Gospel and the truth;
but he preached Universalism.
The day for bigotry and Pharisa-
ism has passed, and those who ally
themselves with these powers of
| ignorance, are liable to take step
backwards and fall into the evils of
the dark ages.
Bigotry, Pharisaism and intoler-
ance are the natural offspring of ig-
norance and prejudice. AS education
broadens and deepens heart and soul,
bigotry and intolerance are pushed
into the background, and will in time
be relegated to the outside or entirely
disappear. The old narrow theolog-
ical lines fade into nothingness, under
the searching light of the Gospel of
Christ and people realize that they
have been struggling to become con-
verted to the law, which so many
thousands of ministers spend their
time upon, when little of the pure
unadulterated Gospel would open the
blindest eyes and shed ray of light
into the darkest soul.
All the Universalist, Restitutionist
and Larger Hope people, need then.
to study the doctrine of each little
more, unite their forces under one
common banner and preach and teach
the Word of God to the anxiously
waiting people. Partialist churches
are coming over the lines and taking
up our doctrines, and bye and bye
they will think it originated with
them. But no matter. We care not by
whom Christ is preached, SO that he
is preached and we rejoice to hear it
from any pulpit; but we do love our
church and our work and we do long
to see the day when prejudice will
not shut the doors against the Gospel
because it's name is not pleasing to
the world and we pray God to hasten
the day when light shall shine into
the darkest heart, and ignorance of
Gods truth shall be no more. 1t is
lamentable to hear a minister of the
Gospel tell about Gods inability to
do what he longs to do, and say
that if Christ had succeeded in saving
only one soul it would still have been
a glorious work. / heard it last even
ing. 1t is lamentable that ignorance
and superstition should set up as
teachers to the unconverted. l do
not wonder that reason and common
sense rebel against it. | do not won
der that there are infidels and unbe-
levers all over the world. / do not
wonder that sensible people sit out
these sermons without expressing a
desire to be saved. The contrast be-
tween this and the sermons / first
mentioned was very marked. Also
the contrast between the effects of
the first and the second. 1t has
shown me that there is much in a
name; also that there are thousands
of Universalist Christians in orthodox
churches whom have faith that God
will in time and in his own good way,
enlist under one common Universal
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