The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-06-22
2@ SERMON. }z
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HAS THE UNIVERSALIST OHUROHS
ACCOMPLISHED IT'S W0RK7
BY REV. HOWARD MAC oUEARY.


Rather which is in heaven" Matt. v, 16.
We often hear it said that the or
thodox churches have become so lib
eral that there is no longer any need
of the Universalist and other liberal
churches. 1t may be well, therefore,
to examine this claim and see if it is
true or false. ASH haverecently come
out of one of the most liberal OF the
orthodox denominations (the Episco-
pal Church,, am in "a somewhat
better position to judge of their lib
erality than one who has never be-
longed to an orthodox church. Nor
have 1 any desire to minimize the
liberality of orthodoxy. On the con-
trary, 1 have still very warm feeling
for the Episcopal Church and fully
recognize its merits. But am quite
sure that some of our people are dis
posed to over-rate the liberality OF
orthodox churches. Thus, / have
read in our denominational papers
statements to the effect that there is
more true liberalism in the Evangeli-
cal churches than there is among
professed liberals, such as the Uni
tarians, for instance. But if the au-
thors of such statements had ever
belonged to an orthodox church they
would never have made such an asser-
ton. Undoubtedly there are many
illiberal people belonging to so-called
liberal denominations and there is
considerable liberalism in the ortho-
dox churches. But it must be re-
membered that the liberals in every
orthodox denomination are looked
upon by their brethren as heretics
and are in no sense representative
members of their respective churches.
Take the Presbyterian Church, for
example. DR.. Briggs and his follow
ers are condemned as heretics by
their church and they do not control
its machinery or manage its affairs.
The Presbyterian Church has shown
itself. in this case, more intolerant
than the Roman church. Sometime
ago prominent Roman Catholic
priest said to me that DIR. Briggs
views would not only be tolerated by
the Roman church, but they were
actually held and preached by many
of the Catholic clergy. And | am
quite certain that if DIR. Briggs had
been professor in an Episcopal
theological school he would never
have been heard of as hereto. You
have only to compare his writings
with those of professors Driver and
Cheyne and other prominent Episco-
pal divines, to prove the truth of this
statement. Undoubtedly there is
liberal party in nearly every so-called
orthodox church. The Broad Church
party in the Episcopal church and
Andover party in the Congregational
church the Briggs party in the
Presbyterian church-all stand for
progressive thought, and they are ex-
erting considerable influence.
The Broad Church party sprang up
in the Episcopal church early in this
century and has had, and still has,
many noble leaders. The two Ar
nolds, Archbishop Whately, Freder-
lex D. Maurice, Chas. Kingsley, Fred
erick Robertson, Bishop Colenso,
Rowland Williams, and Dean Stanley
were the early leaders of the Broad
Church forces and they have been
succeeded by men like Archdeacon
Farrar, Canon Fremantle, professors
Driver and Cheyne, DIR. Momerie and
others, and these men have exerted
tremendous influence in and out of
the Church of England. In this
country Phillips Brooks was the most
noted of the Broad churchmen, but
there are many Others even more
radical than he in the church today.
Yet it must be remembered that all
of these great and good men have
been accused of heresy, and several
of them were formally tried and de-
prived of their positions in the church.
The only way that Broad church
man can retain his position in the
Episcopal or any other orthodox
church is to suppress all of his opin-
ions that conflict with the standards
of the church. A certain well-known
New York clergyman, who has at
times spoken somewhat plainly his
radical opinions, has been forced to
explain them away more than once
to prevent his arraignment before an
ecclesiastical court.
1t is difficult for one who has never
belonged to an orthodox church to
understand the feeling that exists in
it toward Universities, Unitarians
and other liberals. remember very
distinctly my own feelings in my