The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-04-20

ing on earth have never had the Cos
pei preached to them. They know
nothing of Christ. And of the count
less millions who havelived and died
since the race was created, probably
not one in ten thousand ever heard of
the Saviour before leaving this world.
Is it conceivable that God of justice
should require men to accept Christ
before leaving this world, on penalty
of being consigned to everlasting per
dition, and then should keep the vast
majority in ignorance of it, allowing
them to go blindly on without any
warning of their peril?
Suppose that the Government of
this country should make law for
bidding any one to enter its borders
without having a passport duly
drawn up beforehand, on penalty of
being executed or imprisoned for life,
and then should keep that law Sc
cret from the greater part of the hu-
man race, but nevertheless should en-
force it against any and all foreign
ers who in ignorance of it should
land on these shores. What would
be thought of such government
Would any one think it was acting
justly? Would not its action be con-
demned as the height of injustice?
And yet some who blame the Rus
sian government for its severity in
sending certain people to Siberia
without giving them fair trial and a
chance to defend themselves, would
have us believe that the Ruler of the
universe, who is the Father of all
men, has made law of inconceivably
greater severity, and that when one
enters the other world, having igno-
rantly failed to conform to that law,
He will give him no chance to re-
trieve his mistake, no chance to re-
pent of it, no chance to reform, but
will send him off to be tormented for
ever in hell. Against such theory
we plead Gods own justice. "Shall
not the Judge of all the earth do
right?" 1t would not be right and
it cannot be true. Since God is just,
there must be opportunity in the
other world, for those who have not
had it here, to become acquainted
with the truth as it is in Christ Jesus,
and to be saved by obeying it.
And not only SO, but there must be
further opportunity for those who,
having had opportunity here, have ne
elected to take advantage of it. That
they should be punished is just; but
that they should be punished ever
lastingly and prevented from forsak-
ing their iniquitous ways, would not
be just but horribly unjust. Justice
requires that they shall cease to do
evil and learn to do we'll, and there
fore that opportunity for so doing
shall not be taken away from them.
1t must always leave an open door
for repentance, faith and reforma-
ton.
Furthermore, consider Gods in
finite love, not only to those who love
him in return, but also to those who
do not love him, not only to the
righteous, but also to sinners. He SO
loved the world that, while men were
yet sinners, he sent Christ to die for
them. Because of his great love for
them he desired to save them, and
still desires to save such of them as
are in need of salvation, and will
never cease to desire it till all have
been saved. For his love never
changes. 1t never wavers nor falters.
How, then, can he put an obstacle in
the way of his own purpose, by de-
creeing that men shall not be saved
unless they repent and accept Christ
on this side of the grave? How can
he love all men and desire their sal
walton, and at the same time show no
mercy to those who die unrepentant?
1t cannot be. Since God is God, he
will never do anything to prevent
mems salvation, but, on the contrary,
will do all that he can to encourage
those who are sinful to turn away
form their sins and walk humbly with
him.
In answer to this, it is sometimes
said that though God will do nothing
to hinder men from repenting after
they enter the other world, they will,
nevertheless, not be able to do SO, be
cause every ones character is fixed
when he dies, and can undergo no
change thereafter They who offer
that assertion would have us believe
that there is a natural law by which
every person who lives in this world
attains to such a moral and spiritual
condition-in other words, to such a
character that he becomes rioid