The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-01-05
their own efforts in giving the world a
reasonable faith.

Ineir own eHorts IN giving the world
reasonable faith.
For myself, claiming full and loyal in
terest in Universalism, as l interpret it.
l hail this new liberal movement with
the fraternal word. So far as l can, 1
shall aid it in planting the liberal faith
in the many places where there are at
present no liberal churches. If we are
afraid the new movement may pre-empt
many fine opportunities before us, let US
cease to cry baby, and putting our hands
to the pillow break ground ourselves. Or
failing to do this say God speed to any
movement that will do what we cannot
do or refuse to do.
! One word more in relation to the ed.
ltorlal in question. Personally l refused
to pledge my church to the financial in
terests OF the Congress because we have
at present no money to pledge for any
thing except our own obligations to our
home work. Beside, it is not for me to
pledge other peoples money. What
business has a minister to bind his
people to pay any sum without their con-
sent? L should take it badly if my trus-
tees pledged me to financially support
something without my previous consent.
Why should pledge them? l have no
doubt that many people in my parish
will contribute to this movement. |
hope they will. That is their business,
not mine. This was my reason then for
not pledging my church for any sum
whatsoever. Why other Universalist
churches do not contribute is none of nv
affair.
What the future of the Liberal Con-
gress may be do not presume to say.
1t may fail altogether to do what it hopes
to do. Well and good. Ceasing to be,
1T will not be failure. 1t will pass into
the history of liberalism as one of the
many steps by which at last the larger
unity of the liberal forces in America
shall have been attained. For the pres
emit believe there is a place for such a
movement. | believe the men most in
terested in it are honest men interested
in spreading reasonable faith and
bringing about larger fraternity. AS
to my own relations to this new move
ment l say this final word, final SO far as
L am concerned, as a Universalist my
first loyalty is to the denomination in
whose fellowship serve. But l do not
consider it incompatible with that 10y
atty to aid in every possible way the
purpose and spirit of the Liberal Con-
gress.
Whether it ever becomes. what it GER
tainly is not now, new denomination,
does not worry me i the least If a
new denomination is needed to cover
this great West with the liberal inter-
probation of religion, for one shall well
come the new denomination. l do not
see that Universalism or Unitarianism
has monopoly of this liberal religion
business. Why any one should have any
interest in convicting the new move
ment at this stage of its proceedings of
being new denomination, | do not
know. 1t is not yet new denomina-
ton; none of its controlling minds so
consider it. 1t seems to me a bit of unwar-
ranted assumption on the part of certain
people to assume to know more about
the present meaning of the movement
than the men who made it. 1t has been
again and again declared by those who
know most about it, that it is not a new
denomination. Yet in the face of these
repeated assertions we are as persistent
ly assured that those who are running
the matter do not know anything about
it and that it is new denomination.
If the Liberal Congress develops into
a full-hedged denomination in time TO
come, it will be due in no small measure
to the persistent antagonism of its op-
ponents. But of course having oracu-
larly announced that the Congress sis a
new denomination" the reputation for
the prophetic gift must be preserved;
ergo all will be done, probably, that can
be done to force it to become new de-
nomination.
So long as the new movement. whether
as fraternity of churches or as new
denomination, follows it's present pur-
pose of supplementing and not antagon-
izing existing liberal bodies, reaching
out into fields at present unoccupied by
the liberal faith and doing what we are
not doing, give it my fellowship and
will do what can to help it in it's en-
deavors. r. A. WHITE, pastor,
SteWdrt Avenue Universalist Church.
CHICAGO, Dec. 20, 1894.
The above communication was in type
for last weeks issue, but could not be
arranged in the form. Mr.. White now
essays to correct misleading implica-
TONS" No one will be led very far astray
if they follow the statements of the edi-
torial in question. What we said of Mr..
White, and all we said, was this:
Mr.. White is the chairman of the mis-
sionary committee of the Universalist
State Convention of Illinois. 1t was
proposed to make him one of the mis-.
sionary committee of the new organiza-
ton. While Sympathizing Nth the gen.
eraI aims of the Congress, to his credit
be it said, Mr.. White declined any offic-
al relation with the new organization.