The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-07-27
but one returned to give thanks, the
Master did not make much ado about
the nine who did not return,

the nine who did not return.
Conceding the fact that there are
often cases where members leave
church because they do not like the
minister" or some other equally friv-
olous reason, thereby doing injury to
the local organization, and that per-
sons often "join the church" without
proper understanding of the faith,
"just to please the minister" or "stop
his importunity;" that others do not
join "because the minister was not
persistent enough in presenting the
matter as a duty" and consequently
are not as warmly attached to the
faith as they might have been; and
that some "work so hard with the
home church that they are glad to
have rest in new place." and
therefore stay away from the strug-
CLING church; and that some stay
away"because they can't afford to pay
anything, and that some others stay
away because of some of the other
ninety nine thousand silly reasons
which will be given if you enquire.
It is still true that considering our
numbers, we have no more backslid-
ers, or Indifferent Christians than any
other denomination; while we have
ninety percent more causes for de-
fection, causes which appeal strongly
to human nature, and against which
the appeal of faith is not very strong,
in view of the unbelief of the world,
which is called toleration. and the
wonderful liberality (?) of the other
churches of which we hear So much.
If we want our church to grow and
prosper let us stop asking "where are
the nine," as if they had left us. But
remember that on a fair count less
than one percent will be found unin-
formed or unfaithful, and while for
their own sakes we wish they were
faithful also, yet it is their own loss,
not ours, unless we make it 80. Still it
is true that there are many who
ought logically to be with us who are
not and never were.
I have met scores of people who
say, 81 was brought up Universal
ist," or, "my father was Universal
ist." Inquiry, however, reveals the
fact that they were never under any
religious instruction; that they never
had the opportunity of hearing Uni
versalist preaching; that no denomi-
national literature was taken into the
family, and they perished from lack
of knowledge of the way. Who is to
blame? The answer seems simple
and one might "score" the fathers for
the neglect of duty, but it is not SO
simple as it seems, if one reflects that
the early policy was to rear the chill
dren without religious bias so that
they could choose for themselves
when at a proper age. We have no
right to find fault with the outcome
of a bad policy.
There are still others who might
have been with us but for the notion
that people should not be taxed for
the support of ministers Because
the orthodox do it," and ministers
not being able to live on air, could
not preach steadily to one people.
Too much of this spirit is still being
cultivated for the good of our Zion.
In the frequent call for the 'minis-
ters willing to make sacrifices for the
faith" which finds its chief indorse-
ment among those who cannot afford
to pay for the preaching" although
they seem to have money for every
thing else that comes along. Hav-
ing thrown off these two incubuses
in large measure, "Let us look not
mournfully back into the past" The
results of its errors were logical; we
cannot recover anything lost. Then
let us proclaim the bit of the truth
we can perceive with all the enthusi-
asm it inspires, confident that the
world needs the truth which we
preach, not simply THAT God will
have all men to be saved and come
to a knowledge of the TRUTH" but
that we "must work out our own sal
vation;" that we "are workers to-
gether with God," and must "bear
one another's burdens and SO fulfill
the law of Christ" Remember that
church work is not simply listening to
the minister on Sunday, and devising
ways of raising money by socials,
dances, card parties, ETC., through the
week to pay the expenses of the
church, but that the sociological
problems of today demand the earn
est thought and work of the church
for their solution. So that it is the
duty of each member to lay by in
store on the first day of the week a