The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-11-16

little disposition anywhere among us
to bride brain activity and muzzle
conviction. Scholarship is a prof
fered aid that no church can afford
to refuse, especially church which
has no fear of investigation, and
every reason to welcome truth. The
very fact that this is our animus, will
encourage all our students to toll and
attract liberty-loving scholars toward
us.
We also work for future if we wise
ly use personal power. The import
ant factor behind every great under
taking must ever be man under God.
Our church has been weak in this
that it has overworked the office and
the desk and has been over cautious
about keeping the man in the field.
l pretend to no overwisdom, but L
seem to see distinctly this, that our
church would be immeasurably
helped by putting in the saddle our
largest Drained and largest-hearted
man, sending him forth with the COM
mission to breathe the breath of life
upon our people. would have him
ignore gold in all his journeyings,
looking entirely for support to our
central treasury. If i have any weak
point on funds it is here, and would
say, take funds even, if necessary,
which it is not, but send the evangel-
list over the land. Place your hand
upon the biggest man we have and
bid him go forth to quicken all our
people. He dare not refuse. Who
can say what such one might not
do9 1t might surprise our people a
good deal to have man at last
among them without an intended as
sault upon their purse-strings, but he
would do them mighty good in
spite of their disappointment. Mis-
sionary Shinn is doing remarkable
work, but he is after new fields and
no one can excel him in his speciality.
| contend now for a Waterman to
pace the walls of our established
Zion. Do you say am after bishop?
Well, there are worse things. We
need spiritual bishop over church
and ministry and people. Brethren,
put this man in the field; our church
calls for him; our future demands
him.
We must also hold our confidence.
In every cause there are the weak
kneed. Crackers are ever heard for
their much and doleful speaking. In
the days of the fathers there were
many prophets of disaster. We also
know them. Better believing oppo-
nent than hating, vacillating friend.
The Universalist Church is not dead
nor dying. 1t is just beginning to
nicely breathe the breath of life. Its
wings have just started to grow.
There may be indications of retro
erosion now and then, but every bird
of progress must have its moulting
season. God has given us existence
and power; shall we use them for
mans good and his glory9 l am
confident we shall do SO, for our peo-
pie are nurturing faith more and
more. Let this be the admonition:
Take counsel not of doubts and mis-
givings; be ye filled with faith. Heed
these and all will be we'll.
Back of every thought and every
effort must be the conviction that the
world is made better by the mission
and work of our church; that man is
uplifted and benefited by it. We
must not be controlled by the desire
for numbers or added power. The
good of the world and man must be
our inspiration. If we lose this we
are doomed, our books are closed, our
doors shut. Given this we can move
the world. Has our church this in
SEPARATION? Who can doubt its A
reasonable faith, loving Father, the
great Leader, the brotherhood OF
souls, immortal life, unbroken famil-
les in the eternal home; let these fill
us with the conviction that our cause
is a world wide benefaction and SO
squirting us on to loyalty, devotion,
our work in the present and future is
assured.
We are not to be afraid of religion;
we are to court it before the world.
The humble and contrite heart we
know little of, more's the pity. The
altar of God must be our supreme
attraction. The spirit of Pentecost is
abroad; may it surge through all our
sanctuaries. Speed the day when we
shall return to the fervent experiences
and expressions of the religious life.
The next five years will carry us to
the threshold of the twentieth CEN