The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-01-12

his worship. No age was ever more
religious than this-Protestant and
Romanist each go their way and frag-
ments of opinion may fall in the path
of each for a moment. Ritual and
crucifix, confession and prayer-meet-
ing are tolerated without thought
of molestation. But the outside ma
ture does not rest in ritual-it is not
absolved and satisfied by confession.
The soul of the race is cast down and
disquieted within. Some months ago
a howl went up from some good peo-
pie because a certain Moha@medan
enthusiast had dared to offer a prayer
to Allah, in New York; but we have
not heard of any bloodshed from that
quarter. Then few good Christians
have been alarmed at the prospect of
a religion named as Theosophy, com
ing to plant it's foot here.
The dear good world has yet to
learn that the Buddhist, too, has a
soul as we'll as religion. We have
yet to fully learn that all religions
have one principle,-and that where
man is there must be worship.
Buddhism has never become popular
because it has looked for God in the
soul without looking for Him in the
external world. A religion like this
makes beautiful dreamers but it does
little toward civilizing the race
which must live mostly an outdoor
life.
The best lessons for humanity are
those drawn from daily life. An
iconoclast like Ingersoll is made toll
cradle by the ideal home life he
would give to the race. Our pulpits
might, once in a while at least, speak
of our human relations. We cannot
live in the clouds all the time. Soci-
ETY. reflects the disquiet of the indi-
vidual soul. A man cannot be good
Christian and bad father or unkind
husband. Our age is not one of re-
pose. Questions of wages, tariff,
trade, wealth, are on the lips of every
thinking man; their solution demands
the wisest and best men of our nation
and God grant to us honest states
men in these perilous times. But
apart from national questions, is the
individual man at rest. A higher civ
ilization has furnished us with more
than enough to meet the necessities
of actual life.
1t has put within the reach of the
majority all of the finest music, the
choicest art and literature, yet the
soul is not at rest. Man Graves for
what he cannot put into words.
Every intelligent man has the right
to enjoy all the material world can
afford.
The age does not demand that we
go in old garments and cruelty the
flesh to satisfy God. Science has
brought the material world to better
perfection by taking the elements
and utilizing them for our comfort
and pleasure, and why are we not
happy7 The ceaseless discomfort of
humanity is the best indication that
the soul is advancing on to newer and
better ideals. If our creeds and theol-
ogies were big enough to satisfy each
longing heart, what peace and love
and enthusiasm we should meet in
every daily walk. We may measure
the stars and discover new continents.
We may span the ocean and converse
with other planets, but we cannot love
any of these. We must love that
which is nearest to us. The most adj
vanced culture of the age is carrying
us at an express rate to a better con-
dition of manhood and womanhood,
but the highest ideal life requires a
mediator.
The ages which have rolled into
time worshiped through symbols and
sacrifices, but they did not fill in the
gulf which lay between the soul and
God.
The ideas of the race were fettered
by a God who was the reflection of
their crude minds; ideas of retributive
justice were in proportion to their
sense of justice. They made an aw-
full hell which was as deep as their
own cruelty. They made heaven a
place of credit, drawing abstract and
title in proportion to their dreams;
they imposed conditions of salvation
which havebeen changing as the race
has changed.
But Jesus came. He uttered a
word which had been dumb at the
affairs, unspoken by priests, unuttered
by prophets. ga new commandment
give l unto you that ye love one an
other" He took the plants and the
birds the Elv and the snarrOw and