The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-06-22

of sociology, "What is done in society
and what men think ought to be done
in society,"" and devoted himself to
the practical problems of the day,
which he said must be taken up by
the church if it would hold its own.
He made the startling declaration
that $4,000 children were deserted by
their parents in this country alone
every year, and then eloquently des-
cribed the sufferings of children. He
called upon the people to go out in
the hedges and byways, to look for
these little ones, as every noble act
performed makes men think of the
other world. This he defined as
practical Christianity, and declared
that theology based on theory of
doing nothing is fast being done
away with.
Rev. W. r. Lord of the Unitarian
society in St. Paul, was the next
speaker. He complimented the
church on its doctrine of Universal
ism, and said that biblical criticism
was 'honest, reverent inquiry" The
great opposition to biblical criticism
in the minds of the people was false
notion that criticism meant finding
fault, and therefore biblical criticism
was tearing down of the truths of
the Bible. This is wrong. There
has never been great biblical critic
who has not loved the Bible as much
as the most reverent Christian. Bib
lical criticism, in the first place, gives
higher quality of love for the truths
of the Bible. Criticism of the Bible
wins love and reverence from man
and does not destroy or seek to de-
stroy the respect felt by all Christians
for the Bible. Biblical criticism has
shown just what the Bible is and
what it can do for man. The result
of this criticism has been to make
the people think and the tendency of
the times is toward rational view of
the Scriptures.
Rev. DIR. Shutter said that science
in the first place quickened the sense
of truth everywhere and caused theol
ogy to recog ize the facts of truth.
1t teaches religion to apply reason
to all things. Man cannot and should
not accept by faith what does not
satisfy his reason. Nothing should
be accepted without evidence. He
destroys his moral integrity who ac-
cepts blindly what he cannot believe
by reason. He who believes what facts
disprove, simply because it is relig-
ious dogma, blunts his moral sense
and commits crime. The sole OBJ
iect of science is to find truth. Its
only principle is truth for truths
sake only. Religion must follow this
example or it cannot retain its power.
The church must accept this as its
own watchward or the people will
doubt its sincerity. The church has
erred in preaching what its best judg-
ment would not uphold simply be-
cause it produced the desired effect
upon the masses. It is wrong to
preach creed that the Utmost heart
does not approve. Science has also
enlarged mans conception of the uni
verse and the processes of nature.
1t has also proved these not antagon-
istic to God. Science does not an
tagonize God. The idea of God does
not conflict with any theory of science.
AS one enlarges his idea of nature his
idea of God expands also. Science
is antagonistic to ignorance. Science
teaches religion how to value evil
dence and fact and how to apply it.
At late hour the benediction was
pronounced by Rev. Mr.. Richardson,
and the congregation dispersed, well
pleased with the services of the even
ing.