The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-09-14
Selected Articles.
HOW HORACE GREELEY BECAME A
UNIVERSALIST.

American JOuIndllSJS WAS OOt, onO
of the first subjects which he serious
ly considered, and perhaps the first
upon which he arrived at decided
opinion, was religion. And this was
the more remarkable from the fact
that his education at home was not OF
nature todirect his attention strong
ly to the subject. Both of his parents
assented to the orthodox creed OF
New England. The father was very
strict in observances. He would not
allow novels and plays to be read in
the house on Sundays, nor heretical
book at any time. The family, when
they lived near a church, attended it
with considerable regularity
among the rest. There was no peri
odical of heterodox character taken
in the neighborhood; nor did any
heretical works fall in the boys way
till years after his religious opinions
were settled. Yet at the age of
twelve he began to doubt; and at
fourteen-"he was little better than
a Universalist."
The unsophisticated rural mind
NEEDLES not with the metaphysics of
divinity; it takes little interest in Fore
knowledge and Freewill, in Election
and the manifold subtleties connected
Herewith. 1t grapples with simp-
Ter question: San. in danger of be-
ing damned?" us it likely that l
shall go to hell, and be tormented
with burning sulphur, and the prox-
unity of a serpent, for ever, and ever,
and ever?" To minds of an ampler
and more generous nature, the same
question presents itself, but in an
other form:-"Is it fact that nearly
every individual of the human fam
lily will forever fail of attaining the
welfare of which he was created cap
able, and be lost beyond the hope,
beyond the possibility of recovery?
Upon the latter form of the inquiry,
Horace meditated much, and talked
often during his thirteenth and four
teenth years. When his companions
urged the orthodox side, he would
rather object, and say with puzzled
look, eft does not seem consistent"
While he was in the habit of re-
volving such thoughts in his mind, a
circumstance occurred which acceler-
ated his progress toward heresy. 1t
was his chance reading in school
book of the history of Demetrius Pol
iorcetes. The part of the story which
bore upon the subject of his thoughts
may be outlined thus
Demetrius (B. G. 301), surnamed
Poliorcetes, besieger of cities, was the
son of Ambiguous, one of those gen.
erals whom the death of Alexander
the Great left masters of the world.
Demetrius and his father ruled over
Asia Minor and Syria. Greece was
under the sway of Cassander and
Ptolemy, who held the Athenians in
servitude. Demetrius, who aspired
to the glory of succoring the dis
tressed, sailed to Athens with feet
of two hundred and fifty ships, ex-
PEELED the garrison, and obtained
possession of the city. Antigonus had
been advised to retain possession of
Athens, the key of Greece; but he
replied 1.-THE best and securest of
all keys to land is the friendship of
the people" Animated by such SEN
timents, his son Demetrius, on reach
ing the city, proclaimed that his ia
ther had sent him to Athens to re-
store their laws and liberties. He
performed all that he promised, and
more. He gave the people hundred
and fifty thousand measures of meal,
and timber enough to build hun
dred galleys. The gratitude of the
Athenians was boundless. They be-
slowed upon Demetrius the title of
king. They erected an altar upon the
spot where he had first alighted from
his chariot. They created priest in
his honor, and decreed that he should
be received in all his future visits as
god. A second time the Athenians
were threatened with the yoke of
Cassander: again Demetrius with a
fleet of three hundred and thirty
ships, came to their deliverance, and
again the citizens taxed their ingenu-
ity to their utmost in devising for
their deliverer new honors and more
piquant pleasures. AT length Deme-
trius, after a career of victory. fell
into misfortune. His domains were
invaded, his father was slain, and
Demetrius was obliged to fly. His
dependence was upon the Athenians,
with whom he had left his wife, his
ships and his money as secure asy-
lum. But the tickle Athenians failed