The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-06-22

protect society is to reform its Grim
inals. Punishment, therefore, should
be reformatory, not vindictive; and
that is precisely the Universalist doc
trine. At Elmira, N. Y, at Hunting
don, Pa, in Illinois, in Ohio and in
other states, Reformatories have been
built or are being built where those
who have committed crimes may be
confined and cured of their criminal
tendencies. Under the old system
of punishment the offender is worse
criminal-more disposed to commit
crime-when he is let out of prison
than he was when he entered it. But
under the new system he comes out
if not perfect man, at least better
man than he was when he went in, and
this is proof of the truth of our
views of punishment Science is con-
firming Universalism. Everywhere
we hear it said that drunkenness,
vice, lying, stealing and all other sins
are products of heredity and environ
ment. They are moral diseases and
as we cure physical disease by vari-
GUS remedies, SO we may cure moral
disease by changing a mans sur
roundings and developing the good
that is within him. So, l repeat that
here in the field of sociology of
practical life-is our grandest oppor-
tunity, and as long as there are as
many social reforms needed as there
are today, SO long will the Universal
ist Church have work to do. Really
it seems little less than ridiculous to
talk about the Universalist Church
having accomplished it's work just
think! There are only some $4,000
Universalists in the United States,
according to the Universalist Regis
ter, and most of these are in New
England, New York, Ohio and
Illinois. All the great Western and
Southern States are practically ron
Universalist.
Now we don't want the earth and
the fullness thereof, but out of
population of sixty-five millions of
people, only about half of whom are
even nominal Christians, church
such as ours certainly ought to have
a few more adherents than it has.
know that certain valid causes may
be assigned for our numerical weak
ness, but this does not alter the fact
that we are unnaturally and unneces-
sarily weak, nor does it alter another
fact, namely, that numbers tell"
Hence it seems to me that so far from
admitting that the work of the Uni
versalist Church has been accomp-
lished, so far from surrendering to
our orthodox neighbors, we should
insist that our work has just begun
and we should redouble our efforts
to make our light shine abroad
throughout the land, SO that men
seeing our good works may glorify
our Father in heaven. The fields
are white unto the harvest and all
that we need is the men and the
means to gather in the sheaves-but
alas! the laborers-the real laborers-
are few! | have no disposition to un
justly or harshly criticise, but it does
seem to me that one of the great de-
fects in our church today is lack of
the missionary spirit. And, for this
reason, the work that the General
Convention has started through the
agency of Rev. Dr. Rugg, is the most
important move which the church
has made during recent years, and it
should meet with the hearty response
and support of every member of our
church, more especially the larger
parishes. In nearly every town of
10000 inhabitants or more there may
be found few liberal people who
would like to hear more rational
preaching than they can hear in the
Evangelical churches. They can raise
only SO much money, say $1,000 for
a church building and $500 a year
for a minister. But the other
churches of the town have good
buildings, good choirs and ministers
above the average. People generally
prefer to go to large and we'll
equipped church to going to a small
and unpopular church. 1t "pays'
better, socially, industrially and
otherwise. 1T is a condition, not
theory that confronts u.s." Suppose,
now, the General and State Conven-
tons had funds enough to give, or
even to lend without interest, $1,000
or $1,000, to every parish that could
raise $1,000, and suppose the Con-
vention could also contribute some
$500 or $500 year toward the cur
rent expenses of the parish-why, in