The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-06-01

from our church on the plea that we
want something broader. There is
nothing broader. So long as you keep
on the platform of conservative
thought, you are at home under our
name. But if you make dogma of
doubt, hobby of destructive preach
ing,and a creed of negations, you cease
to be builder and so cease to be a
Universalist.
The day for negative preaching has
gone by, and the Universalist Church
has done its full share of such de-
structive work. It has forced the re-
ligious world to re-examine the foun-
dations of dogmatic theology, and to
restate most of its beliefs. The death
blow has been dealt to the old par
tialism, and there is nothing more to
say against the old creeds. The
truth has been stated and in time it
will work its way into all churches.
Our work now must be construc-
tive. Our people must attach them
selves to the church and not to the
preacher. Then whether the preach
ers come or go, the power of the
church will be maintained in unity.
Now | know I am on very sensitive
ground, especially among Universal
lists. They will not listen to man
unless they like him. l do not blame
them. But even then they should be
SO loyal to the church that they can
not be driven or coaxed to leave it.
If one man does not satisfy, abide
your time till you can find another.
If one fills your thought, do not fol-
low him when he leaves. There are
just as good, and perhaps better
preachers awaiting to take the place
of your favorite.
If our people will stand by the
church instead Of the man, they will
comply with the first obligation that
leads to permanent prosperity. To
worship man is the beginning of
the death of any church. To hold
| to the church as basis from which
truth is to be uttered and to let men
come and go without being torn from
our church home, is to insure pros
perity. Loyalty to the church first,
last and all the time, therefore, is
the first obligation that should COM
mand our serious attention.
2. Again, the educational and
missionary work of our church can
not be ignored if we would prosper.
This part of my theme however, 1
must pass for want of time to do it
justice. l will remark in passing
that the missionary work of a church
is the greatest source of strength and
prosperity. A missionary church is
always prosperous. So we must give
of our time and means to advance
the educational and missionary in
terests of our church as freewill
Offering to humanity. This matter
cannot be overlooked nor passed care
lessly if we desire prosperity. The
laws of religious growth are inexora-
BILE. Work for others is the only road
to religious prosperity.
3. This brings me to a very inn
portant part of my theme.
We must reach the people before
we can do them much good. To do
this we must study the condition and
needs of men and keep very close to
them. To do our work from an in
tellectual and critical standpoint too
far in advance of men, is to outrun
them and SO fail to command their
support. "Give me thought that |
may be nourished by it, is the motto
of the few. "Give me sympathy that
may warm my life by its divine
flame" is the appeal of the masses.
And SO it is the sympathetic preach
ing that meets the n, eds of humanity.
The intellectual sermon will draw
the intellectual hearers. They will
be brilliant but few in numbers. But
even the intellectual man is most de-
lighted when his sympathies are
moved. In the realm of intellect we
meet men on the plane of their differ
ences, and so even the most brilliant
intellect cannot hold large audience
for any length Of time. His audience
will soon thin out to the few whose
tastes are similar to the speakers.
But in the realm of sympathy, we
meet men on the plane of their har-
monies and so we stand on the only
plane where large congregations can
be held together permanently.
4. Butsympathetic preaching does
not discharge our whole duty to hui
mainly. The chief source of sympa-
thetic power rests with the people
who make up the church. They
uouct oonsider tho ohurch 90 rol;o