The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-08-31


our iails and penitentiaries should be
Universalists. This they tell US is not
the case-from prison statistics we learn
that very few Universalists are found
there,-they are almost without excep.
ton, those who have been brought up to
believe the doctrine of endless punish.
ment.
We believe in God the Father, God
OF love, who is just but also merciful;
for he is good and bis mercy endureth
forever. Gods severity is the severity
of love. He Furnishes us only that we
may be benefited thereby. In Proverbs
we read, Whom the Lord loveth he cor
recteth, even as Father the son in
whom he delighteth." We also read,
"Now no Christening for the present
seemeth Joyous, but grievous. neverthe-
less it yieldeth the peaceable fruit Of
righteousness unto them who are exer.
cised thereby" And there are 80 many
verses in the Bible whose import is the
same that whatever of Christening or
punishment we are called upon to en-
dure it is all administered in the spirit
OF love. and that we may be benefited
thereby. God Furnishes sin but saves
the sinner.
We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son Of
God and Saviour of the world, who was
crucified and raised from the dead. and
that his rising signifies the rising Of all
men to the immortal life. "Now is
Christ risen from the dead and become
the first fruits OF them that slept. For
as b5 man came death, by man came
also the resurrection from the dead. AS
in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall
all be made alive" We believe. then, in
Christ, the Saviour of all men.
We believe in the Bible. Our faith is
founded on Bible doctrine. You will
say that our Interpretation is different
from that of the other churches, and
that is true, but our Interpretation is in
strict harmony with what we have
right to expect of Just and all-wise
creator. kind and loving Father. God
is perfect being and we have no right
to look for those qualities in him that
we could not admire in ourselves. AS
| Whittier has it, Nothing can be good
in God that evil is in me- DR.. Miner
one of the oldest of our Universalist
ministers, has lately died. A character
istic saying OF his was: II cannot de-
grade God," and that is the way feel.
cannot degrade God by ascribing
to him those qualities not in keeping
with the character OF perfect being.
We believe, then, in God the Father,
Christ the Saviour; we believe in the
Bible; we also believe that no one can
be saved except he accept the conditions
of salvation as given in the Gospel of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that
there is no name under heaven whereby
men can be saved, except that of Jesus.
Still we believe all men will be saved.
because we believe that all will. sooner
or later, accept the conditions Of saliva
tion. Here then comes the principal
point Of difference between our doctrine
and that of the other churches. Most
Christians believe that unless men &C
cept Christ on this side of the grave they
will have no further opportunity to do
so. Universalists believe that all who do
not accept him here will do SO in the fu-
ture life, that it is practically impossible
for soul to forever remain unrepentant,
or to be forever cast out from God 8 mercy
In other words. they deny the doctrine of
endless punishment, and they claim that
the Bible does not teach it-that it is
only because of wrong Interpretation
that it may appear to do so in some
places.
1t would be out of place for me to at
tempt to explain any of the passages
under dispute at the present time. but
this will say, that there are just as
learned men in the Universalist ministry
as in that of any other church. scholars
who understand the language in which
the Bible was originally written, and
they claim that in no place does the
Bible if rightfully interpreted teach the
doctrine of endless punishment, and l
can show you dozens of passages that to
me are conclusive evidence that the
time will come when the last wanderer
shall come home to the Fathers house.
People have said to me, why if any
one believes as you do. l don't see any
use in trying to be good. You will get
to heaven anyway" Let me give you an
| illustration. Let us suppose we are
| going on a journey. There are two
paths that we can follow. both leading to
| the same place. III we take the shorter
one, we are sure of safe and pleasant
journey. while if we take the longer and
more circuitous path. it will lead us
through swamps and into pitfalls and we
shall reach the end only through great
difficulties. This it seems me. illustra-
tes that of which we were speaking. We
cannot do wrong and escape punish
ment. 1t is one part OF our creed that
holiness and happiness are inseparable.
If then. in the morning of life, we take
Christ as our guide, he will lead US in
ways of pleasantness and paths of peace,
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