The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-06-01

as the conclusion of all the experts. 1t
is not matter Of much moment how or
where or when the race began; but it is
better to know what the facts are and
what they warrant, than to indulge in
wild fancies supposing them to be facts.
The usefulness of book cannot be
measured always by its literary quality.
Denominational books may be OF great
utility and yet not reach high rank as
literature. So we'll settled is this prin
ciple that people have learned to be sat
isfied with very moderate excellence of
form and style in books that do effective
service for "the cause" Those not we'll
informed in such matters sometimes
sneer at works of the greatest value
judging their Importance wholly by lit
erary standards. No literature ever did
greater execution than the early Univer-
salist books, sermons, periodicals. Yet
among them all there is not classic.
They were like the prolific dispeDsation
Of Campaign of education" They had
their day and ceased to be. But they
fulfilled their mission with admirable
effect.
There has been, it must be admit
ted, something of falling off in the
point blank effectiveness of our books
and articles. No modern Universalist
work awakens any such interest or
reaches anything like SO many readers
as the Treatise on the Atonement. Abel
G. Thomas'sfamous tracts went over the
continent and beyond the sea. White
more's Plain Guide and Paige's Selec-
tions did not circulate so widely; but
they went into nearly every Universalist
home. We have improved the quality
of our literature but have not increased
it's practical power. Reading recently
three late issues from our denomination
al press-"The Leisure of God, 1.-THE
Purpose Of God," and 1.-THE Saviour Of
the World" we have been particularly
struck with the high literary average of
the works. Familiarity with religious
books of many types and from all sources
qualities us to speak with confidence.
And we say these books rank with the
best UNCONVENTIONAL literature of their
period. The note of culture is most
characteristic of the first; of literary
power of the last; of sweet reasonable
ness, of the second; but all are mani
festly the product of the ripest Christian
purture.
The criticism by the Catholic Father
of the Christian Endeavor Conventions
and other similar gatherings OF Protes-
tant young people was coarse and un-
kind. 1t may do them no harm, how
ever. Something of the motive and
manner of the junket creeps into these
great crusades. The young people who
are going to Boston in July need re-
minder to the effect. that it is not crowds
and noise and enthusiasm" that help
us to the difficult attainments of the
Christian life. The ability to talk and
to sing and to rush around the land may
be in inverse ratio to capacity for work
and appetite for prosy daily duties. 1t
will subtract nothing from the glory of
the great gathering if those who are
there remember that they earned the
right to lift up their note of triumph by
fidelity at home.
The Independent rises into prophecy
thus: "It is coming. This Protestant
Episcopal Church is going to have arch
bishops of provinces, and then American
Primus." A subtitle and really rapid
process of assimilation to Rome. in ex-
ternals and in the assertion of ecclesias-
tical prerogative. is going on both in
"this Protestant Episcopal Church" and
in the parent establishment in England.
The retrogression, as we should call it,
is marked by distinct, not to say extinct,
tumuh. In the meantime the attitude
of Rome toward the suppliants is un-
bending. The effect is TO make them
cultivate with ardor their own churchly
independence. In doing this.-such is
the infirmity of human nature!-they
duOpt lilo worry dii . VI thO PoPoSy uuA
play off on "the denominations" the ex-
elusive assumptions practiced against
them by Rome.
The tendency of wealth to accumu-
late in few hands is often remarked,
and some startling figures have been
presented by Shearman, Strong and
other students OF the growth of the
country. But it has been conclusively
shown that there is also powerful ten
dency to the distribution of wealth
among the. people. The deposits in saw
ings banks and in building and loan as
sociations, and the investments in the
lower priced forms of life insurance,
come almost altogether from mechanics.
laborers and clerks. There were in 1891
over four and a half millions of depos-
itors in the 1,011 savings banks of the
country;and the amount of deposits was
81 ,623, ,00O,000 In 1894 over two hundred
and fifty millions were invested in build.
ing and loan associations. These are
large esums-exceeding the whole "circu-
lating medium" of the country; and they
are almost wholly the savings of people