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

REV. R. A. WHITE OF ENGLEwoOD.
Mr.. White announced his subject,
"Modern knowledge and the Liberal
Faith" and his text single sentence
from Rev. xxi. 5-"Behold I make all
things new" We are living in
century significant for intellectual
changes and revolutions, and theology
never escapes these epochs. Emerson
has truly said, Beware when God let's
| loose a thinker in this world; then all
things are at hazard There are really
but three great epochs in the intellec
tual life of the world. The first that of
| the first and second centuries; second
| the Italian Renaissance, eliminating in
the Reformation in Germany, and the
last we are now passing through. The
| epoch of the first centuries is not to be
| compared to that through which we are
passing. though that resulted in the
overthrow of Paganism and the estab-
lishment of Christianity. The modern
scholar has laid under contribution
every thinking nation in the world. The
Italian Renaissance, which is but re-
vival of Latin and Greek learning, did
little in Italy but revive art, but in Ger
many the Reformation was the outcome
of it. Yet significant as that change
was. the historian of the future will find
the change Of the nineteenth century
more significant still.
The first characteristic Of the new
knowledge is the idea of creation. The
old held that the world was made in six
days out of nothing; the new holds that
creation did not happen all at once but
is continuous and eternal act of God.
The creation of man as racial being was
never more real than today. The true
and final American has not yet come.
The second characteristic is the extern
sion of the universe in time.
The third characteristic is the extern
sion Of the universe in space. 1t cannot
be otherwise than that such radical
change in thought should work a change
in religion. which must readjust itself to
the new condition. Any theology which
does not readjust itself is weakened
force. The traditional theology-not re-
ligion itself, which is always the same
has been battered down. An infallible
Bible and creation of six days are fast
passing into the limbo of the past. Is
liberal theology SO harmonized with the
new thought as to continue? Liberal
thought is thought that is sensitive and
always open to truth. The conservative
is he who says the books Of God were
sealed 1900 year ago and there is no
more to be said. Points of relationship
and harmony between the liberal theol.
ogy and modern thought First, the
method of modern knowledge is the
method of observation and verifcation.
What is higher criticism only applying
to the text of the Old and New Testa-
ments this same method of observation?
| Are we afraid to have the Bible searched
by modern scholarship? Modern thought
has been pioneering the universe. Sci
euce has found that back of all this visi-
BILE universe, which is all with which it
has to do. lies that invisible and inscru-
table something with which science has
nothing to do. Emerson calls this some
thing the "Oversoul." Arnold calls it
"that which makes for righteousness"
There is hardly leading mind in the
scientific world today which is material
istic in the sense which we have always
assigned to materialism. Even as sci
ence has found this immanent something
which we call God, the universe is but
the unfolding Of this something. In
liberal theology God has come to mean
to men something more than one who
came down to Moses on Sinai. Tradi-
tional theology held that man was but
wreck, lost so far as God is concerned;
the liberal holds that man is 10 reality
now child of God. Science alone will
not redeem the earth; religion alone will
not redeem the earth. but these two
religion and science-walking across the
ldCo VI bAO CdA III tudb 10 W 10, Will lOiQ
the new earth. When science shall be
come religious and religion scientific.
then will come the noon day of the
world.
At the close of Mr.. Whites sermon
the ladies announced that the collec-
ton amounted to S92 80. Two life
memberships had been taken, one by
Prof. Grubb for Mrs. Mary A. Gordon
and one from Prof. l. A. Parker, as
follows:
Mindful Of the interest which was
taken in the Women's Association by
my wife and daughter, both deceased,
l wish to give $25 to make Mrs. Prof.
Grubb life member, who will be an
efficient worker in the Association"
Rev. F. w. Miilar, of Chicago, pro-
posed to make the collection an even
500, which was done, to The great
happiness of the friends of the A5so-
citation.
After announcements the meeting
olOsad with the hanodictiOn