The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-08-10
81 SERMON. }sz
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANITY.
BY REV. F. F. BUcKNER.


And the angels said unto them. Fear not
for behold bring you goo1 tidings of great joy
which shall be unto all people," Luke IL. 10,
Rev. H. X. Carroll, D. D., who is
employed by our Government to col
lect religious statistics, when deliver
ing an address before the Parliament
of Religions made use of the follow
ing language: 81 call your attention
to the fact that of the 153, 122 Protest
ant organizations all but 747 are
evangelical, and of the IA OBJ All Pro-
testant members, all but 12S,56S are
evangelical. That is, counting the
Universalists with the evangelical
class, where | think they really be-
long. Ninety-fve per cent of the Pro-
testant organizations are evangelical,
and over ninetynine per cent OF Pro-
testant communicates belong to evan
gelical denominations.
DIR Carroll has not made us aware
of what, in his opiniCn n, constitutes
evangelical Christianity, nor has he
named those sects which he thinks
are not entitled to be so called. 1t
would be interesting to know what
he considers the principles of evan
gelical religion. But DIR. Carroll GER
tainly knows what we teach as re-
ligious body. He knows, at all
events, the one distinguished doctrine
of our church, and in his mind that
does not exclude us from proper
classification with 1922 organiza-
tions of evangelical Christians. But
DR.. Carroll has many friends who
would say that he has carried his lib
erality too far, and that Universalists
are not to be fellowshiped by those
who appropriate the name evangeli-
cal as peculiarly suited to themselves.
We have been looked down upon for
a century by other churches, and we
naturally take some pleasure when an
eminent authority will regard us in a
favorable light. I shall attempt to
give an answer as to my own opinion
of the question. "Is the Universalist
Church Evangelical|
We have always claimed to be
Christian denomination and have
taught our people to live obedient
unto the law of Christ, and this fact
alone ought to constitute reasonable
basis to our right to be called evan
gelical. We are all well aware that
our teaching that all men shall be
saved has made us subject to much
bitter criticism. But other theologi-
cal tenets have had the same expert
ence. l wish to call your attention
to the definition of the word "eyan-
gelical." Webster defines the word
as meaning that Contained in or re-
lating to the four Gospels, as the
evangelical history; belonging to,
agreeable or consonant to, or con-
tanned in the Gospel, or the truth
taught in the New Testament, as
truth or obedience" Earnest for
truth taught in the Gospel" This
definition is very plain, and we are
not prone to find fault with it; we ac-
cept it as proper and comprehensive
statement. Now do we desire to be
looked upon as body of worshipers
who believe in the New Testament
and who are earnest for the propaga-
ton of biblical truth? What does our
confession of faith say upon this
point? The first article says: eve
believe that the Holy Scriptures of
the Old and New Testament contain
a revelation of the character of God,
and of the duty, the interest and final
destination of mankind" 1t is seen,
therefore, that we accept not only the
New, but also the Old Testament.
We keep the books which comprise
these volumes upon our pulpits; we
read some portion of Scripture at
every religious service; our ministers
base their sermons upon some truth
contained in the Bible, and in our
Sunday-schools we teach the same les
sons that are taught in the thousands
of schools of other churches. There
are two things which ought to inter-
est every man-his duty and his des-
tiny. We believe the Bible contains
a revelation of mans entire duty to-
ward God and his fellow creatures;
as well, those duties which chiefly
concern himself We believe the
Bible clearly reveals mans destiny.
His destiny is surely revealed no.
where else. His own reason APP
proves of various truths, but his
own reason cannot reveal unto him
the nature of his future condition.
The race has been in the dark
upon the subject of both duty
and destiny, only in those re-
gions where the Scriptures are prop
erly taught. If as church we have