The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-06-29
MR.. ]. D. GAYLORD's ADDRESS.


an address given by me at San Diego,
May 7tb, 1895, has just come to my no.
tice. Since any partial report must con-
vey wrong impression I desire that all
OF my address referring to the point
criticised be placed before your readers
so that they may judge for themselves
as to its truth. My statements were not
CRITICS ed as being erroneous, but as dis
agreeing with all former Universaist
theories This may or may not be true,-I
know not. / am only concerned that
they express what conceive to be the
truth. My thought was that the actual
Christ was disfigured by the crude idea
Of Christ. held by those who wrote the
Bible account. and that thus the histo-
rio Christ hid the great and simple
beauty Of the actual. which was and al
ways would be the center around which
clustered all the worlds idea of perfec-
ton, becoming higher and nobler as we
attained to higher and nobler thoughts.
| enclose extract from address covering
all points criticised. J. d. GAYLORD.
Now some one will ask.-What shall we teach
about him who is called the Saviour of the
world? believe there is no other way for
human being to grow, but to have an ideal to-
ward which all growth may and will tend That
ideal in thepast we have called Jesus the Christ
and we have found that ideal. that Christ, SUI
ficent Saviour, in that every human soul by that
ideal formed within his own breast, has slowly
but surely evolved out of lower into higher life
and as he advanced so did advance his concep-
ton of perfect being, SO tuat the Babs at Naza-
reth has been drop of divine love placed by
the loving Creator within every heart, and
around which have crystaliZed all the choicest
elements of nature to form the worlds rarest
jewel EMBEDDING within its liquid depth that
wonderous light that shone from the throne of
God to illumine the highway of holiness over
which man is marching toward the infinite.
Call it Christ or Buddha or what you will, 1t is
ours. our hope, our guiding star, shining ever
before us to brighten with hope and beauty the
toilsome way. Let us then with reverent disgust
strip from our ideal Christ the myths and mira
cles and other Impossible and unsc1entifc no.
tons which veil and hide the true beauty of that
wonderful homemade. heart-made model, which
pdtcH anu ulSHSuf6 tne glow OF MS SHINING gar
msnts. Let us add TO the grand 'nceptions
possible 1000 years ago all the God given know
ledge of these later centuries; such principles
and virtues as were then unknown; clothe our
ideal with all the garments of light which the
constant and unimpeded growth of the human
race toward the throne on high has revealed.
To me this is a broader. deeper. truer idea of
the Christ mission to man than any other and
this would teach. since we must give up the
historic Christ. Build. my friends, each day for
yourselves nobler, holer Christ, a nobler,
holier IDEAL a surer Saviour. so can you always
be reaching up toward better manhood. and
yet your ideal of that manhood be Just beyond
your reach. You have passed long years since
the Christ of your childhood; you have not yet
reached the Christ of your ripper manhood Not
only must we show forth In daily practice the
results of our past ideals. but must show our
children our new ideals of possible growth and
teach them how to reach out toward this con-
stantly perfecting human life.