The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-06-01
A BASIS OF UNCONVENTIONAL
RECOGNITION.
BY REV. JACOB sTRAUB, D. D.


by DIR. Lunn, as between his Grinden-
wald scheme of Christian Union and
Universalists and Unitarians, is moth
ing new. The Y. M. G. A. and the
W. G. T. U. until recently placed it
the same, and SO far as I know, still
retain it there. While as thing of
itself it matters little where these
good people draw the line, few re-
fections might profitably be indulged,
especially by Universalists. The
deity of Christ is professedly this
limit. 1t is seen however, that this is
not the real test, since at least one
dissemination is included in this fed
Grafton which holds substantially
with Universalists as to the nature
and office of Christ. That is, while
holding to the final authority and
Lordship of Christ, both denomina-
tions are in the main not Trinitarians
Then it is something else that con-
stitutes the. bar. Perhaps Univer-
salism as opposed to endless punish
ment exerts an influence that way.
But it alone would be hardly SO con-
sidered, since Universalism as doc
trine is well approved by Trinitarian
churches across the water, and by
Canon Farrar himself who it appears
is DR.. Lunn's special friend and pat
ron.
1t cannot be in respect to our views
of the atonement, for there again
many in the old school churches are
in substantial accord with us. Neither
can it be from any other of our
authorized tenets of faith, for the
same reasons. There are some inn
portant differences between ourselves
and our orthodox friends in matters of
doctrine, but the leaven of true Uni
versalism is so extended among them
that discrimination against it is no
longer polite, though it might be de-
sired.
But is it not that the church is too
much judged from representations in
some quarter, thrust on community,
necessarily giving the impression that
not alone the deity of Christ is re-
jected, but Christ himself, in that
his claims respecting himself are set
aside, his history discredited, and
philosophy urged which would render
even the Deity himself, non exist
ence, and Christ's own system, if
ANYTHING were known of it, at best
but a clever, humane, and baseless
scheme,-a pretention to supernat
ural relations in order to induce peo-
pie to accept him as authority and
be benefited by his reform.
1t is not necessary to carry out in
words as plain as these to thoughtful
people, the significance of these post
ulates of practically unhistorical Cos
pels and monistic philosophy
theory of self-devising and self exc
cutting system of nature, the only
alternative of the supernatural.
These men we call orthodox, though
not generally as ready as some to
take the floor on these questions, are
not fools more commonly than are
others. Their best representatives
are not second in mind and learning
to any in the world, and comprehend
as quickly as any that monism is
Atheism and that an unhistorical
Christ is not Christ of any value
They also recognize that the belief in
a personal, supernatural God, and in
the personal, historic Christ, has been
essential in the work of redemption so
far, and that the need of a popular
consciousness of these existences is
not yet diminished. And who then
shall criticise them if in the presence
of such sentiments they draw line?
When seeing and hearing utterances
of this character from clergymen in
our fellowship, however small the per
cent, it is but reasonable that our
church should be Disseminated
against in this way. Besides. are not
thoughtful laymen in those same
churches likely to be similarly i'm
pressed from the same facts2 And
is it not possible that from the many
that are dissatisfied with the old theol-
ogy, but cling to their churches be-
cause of an attachment to the divil
person of Christ, there would be much
larger accessions to our ranks were it
not for the unfavorable impressions
thus madei And desirable as it is
to attract and hold all classes, it is
not to be overlooked that recruits
from the believing and those Injured
to church life, are usually better
equipped for church work, and more
helpful in its enterprises. But the
church is not school of philosophy
or of science or of political or moral