The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-10-05

name Of Jesus of Nazareth and the
gentler, sweeter, diviner forces Of life
for which it stands, is the 'True At
Effectiveness of the Church." do not
underestimate the value of other
helps. Other things being equal,
cultured and widely informed clergy
men and laymen make the best
churchmen, and the best citizens.
Giving full credit for critical sermons
and scientific essays, and destructive
talks, it yet remains truth, over
towering all other claims,-that those
who are doing the most for freedom
and progress, for charity, sympathy
and fraternal love, for God and his
humanity, for the betterment of the
condition of man, ARE those who never
cease calling men to closer fellow
| ship, higher appreciation of duty
and a more perfect union with the
Man of Nazareth, who blazed the way
for the fullness of all that could bless
mankind.
| The true value of the school does
not consist in the learned professor,
the building and the course of study,
but in the contact of a receptive and
needy mind, with a mature mind; SO
the true value of the church does not
consist 80 much in the brilliant min
lister, the splendid building and PEG.
pie with their loads of prayer books,
or essays, their hymn books or criti-
cal sermons, their reform or scientific
or moral maxims, as it consists in the
contact of needy and receptive minds
and hearts with the mature and we'll
poised mind and life of the Man of
Nazareth.
There is attractiveness in science
and it's helpfulness must not be I'M
derestimated. In measuring the dis
tance to the stars, weighing the earth,
finding the order, harmony and
beauty and in looking for the secrets
of nature, we come to feel the great
ness OF mind. We move in magic
fields, and are transported by mighty
themes. If popularized, science helps
wonderfully to illustrate the themes
of life, but if presented as lectures
for instruction, it is too cold and
| formal to move men to action.
Science is more formal and more ex-
acting in its ritual and laboratory
service than either Rome or the
Church of England.
Philosophy has its attractiveness;
but philosophy is only for the few.
But very few people can drink the
cup of bitterness and sorrow, and re-
main unmoved, because they have
philosophy to make them stoical.
There is much to ad nire in the old
PHILOSOPHERS, rich with age, older than
the pyramids, woven out of human
experience, replete with earthly wis
dom, limiting all nature to the sway
of the mind in man; yet, | repeat
these PHILOSOPHERS are only for the
few. Like the moral maxims of his
tory, they find now and then a mind
that they satisfy; but the masses of
us are reaching for a hand in the
darkness. Your philosophers are
tedious old Polonius to the Hamlets
who are needing a life that can
steady them and help to gather up
and utilize the shattered forces of
their lives. Philosophy does not
quicken in the soul a holy zeal for
the good of mankind and the unfold
ment of truths kingdom.
There is attractiveness in reforms
of social and political character;
but when brought into the pulpit
these leave many open wounds to be
healed, unless the preacher handles
them as Jesus did from the stand
point of education and social evolu-
ton.
There is attractiveness in vast
Numbers. Yet we must not forget
that progress comes from ideas and
not from numbers. Jesus went up
to Calvary alone. Vast numbers are
like huge floating ships, the little
tugs must tow them up stream. So
the small bodies are the tugs that
tow civilization up the stream of pro-
gress. If you want vast numbers,
leave the Universalist Church. If you
want small thought moulding body
picket post on the watchtowers of
life, stay Universalist in the Church.
There is attractiveness in all these
things,-in numbers, in external re-
forms, in philosophy, in literature
and in science. We should visit all
these fountains of culture and of
power, and drink from them deeply
and judiciously, and use them wisely
in weaving the garment of life for