The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-11-02

CiNillzhtlOus Wltne6S greater LnaQ
miracles" to the truth and the value of
Christianity. So let us preach the Cos
pei. accepting all the light furnished by
modern scholarship 10 the spirit of can
dor and teacha blenees, for "If God has
no use for our knowledge, he surely has
none for our ignorance While others
are giving themselves to the details of
ceremonious worship. or seeking to en-
force subscriptions to creed offensive
to the great majority of those who are
enrolled in the church which processes
it, ours is the opportunity to use, with
increased intelligence, the words of
sound reason and truth. Now, as when
Jesus taught by the wayside or upon the
mountain, men will be won by gracious
words proceeding from reverent and sin
cere followers of the Master, who speak
the language of intelligent experience as
they are moved by the spirit of God. and
who love their fellow men. Jesus mingl-
ed deeds OF mercy with words of power,
not only speaking as man never spake
before, but going about doing good; in
other words, success involves now, as
ever, not only the teaching church, but
the working church as well.
The peculiar conditions of society have
led many to put Especial emphasis upon
this necessity, and there are not few
today who seem to think that the su-
preme duty of the church is to be found,
not in the teaching Of theology or in any
form of worship, but in practical efforts
to solve the social questions of our time,
to reach the vicious and ignorant by ex-
ternal methods, and to alleviate the sor-
rows of the poor. 1t may be mistake
to place undue emphasis upon such eff
forts. and they surely possess no novelty
in the Christian Church which has
belted the globe with charities. The in
scription on Wesley's tomb in West
minter Abbey, MY parish is the
world" has ever been the spirit of the
Church of him who healed the sick and
instructed the ignorant; yet the aliena-
which 1 have alluded, leads us to place
special stress. today, upon the fact
that the conditions of peace and pros
perity include more comprehensive eff
fort than preaching the Gospel to those
who will hear. fundamental as that may
be.
first v,Ion l~a
most vigorous and intelligent dealing
with what are called social questions in
our pulpits on every suitable occasion.
1t is matter of cor graduation that the
imagined dignity of the pulpit no longer
closes the lips of men upon themes vital
to the present welfare of humanity. We
may also be grateful that in our theologi
cal schools special chairs have been es-
tablished and able and devoted men are
giving their entire thought to the study
of social conditions and the solution of
present day problems. The younger men
of our ministry are going forth to their
tasks better furnished to deal with these
living questions than were those who
studied political economy when it was
indeed the dismal science and seemed to
have very remote relation to the work
of the Christian ministry or the welfare
of men.
The humane spirit of our age which
has led men to go down into the slums
and to say, with Elizabeth Stuart Phelps,
"a Christianity that cannot rescue those
who are seeking to rise from the bottom
of society needs another Christ to die
for it, has also moved brave ministers
in our own communion, to undertake
special work among the vicious and de-
PRAYED and to establish institutional
churches which, though imperfect. are
the indications of divine sympathy and
are worthy of our encouragement. our
cooperation, and our prayers Now,
perhaps as never before, do we realize
the meaning of these words. 1.-The poor
ye have with you alwaye." The "At
philosopher exclaims: 20 beloved and
gentle poverty, pardon me for having
for moment wished to fly from thee as
l would from want; continue to sustain
me, o Thou whom Christ has called
Blessed" Such sentiment, though it
finds expression in chaste language and
intimates the fact that noble virtues
have been developed in the school of
poverty, awakens no response in the
minds of those who know anything of
the condition of the submerged half,
even in our prosperous land. If Jesus
were with us today, it lie probable he
would say not only how hardly shall
rich man enter into the kingdom of hea-
ven, but how difficult is it for the king
dom of heaven to dwell in the minds of
those who are oppressed by the sad bur-
dens of deprivation and want, for how
can they hear with the understanding
when hunger gnaws and nakedness
chills and half paid labor debilitates the
body? Poverty dwarfs the body; power
ty degrades the mind and binders its de.
velopment; poverty hardens the consc-
ence; poverty is the enemy of spiritual
ity. Oppressed with toll, weary, half
fed, debarred from uplifting influences
even in this day of plenty and opportu-
nifty, the poor cannot have the Gospel