The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-11

as to make these the basis OF author
ity why have we not seen our Ameri-
can Indians blossom out in full grown
men and women in Christ Jesus?
And why should Hottentots and other
wild tribes need to be dependent
upon Christian missionaries to lift
them up? Suppose that man does
Involve" all the principles of the
Christian religion, does that imply
that he needs no external authority
to rivet his attention upon his capa
bilties and move him to action2 Be-
cause a grain OF mustard involves
such wonderful capacities for growth
and development does that imply
that it needs no external influences
to bring it into full fruition? Does it
not need suitable soil, atmosphere,
the early and the later rains, the sun
shine and cultivation, to make it all
God intended it should be? The
Bible, and especially the life and
teaching of Jesus, is soil and light
and heat and sunshine and rain,
needed to germinate, expand and de-
velop the spiritual potency of man.
1t comes with the seal of heaven and
with the authority of the greatest
Master in spiritual things the world
has ever known or is likely to know,
for we do not look for another. Man
has in him mine of wealth, rich de-
posits of spiritual resource, but the
Bible points out and reflects these
powers. 1t is a mirror in which man
can see himself as he is. 1t enables
man to find himself and helps him
in the search after God. 1t searches
mans heart and helps him to know
himself. And the example of Jesus
inspires him to have faith in God, in
Jesus, and in himself and moves him
to noble action. 1t points him up
ward, heavenward, Godward.
Crude nature or reason does not
arouse nor quicken into newness of
life. The natural man does not
clearly perceive spiritual realities.
He needs an external authority in
spiritual truth to lead the way as the
student of science or art needs an
authority to lead him toward the goal
of bis ambition. Man needs the au
thority of the Christ whose feet have
climbed the heights we know not OF,
and who has come back and told us
of Gods infinite love and mans in
nate powers. Man is cropping blind
ly; he sees but dimly religious truths
and he needs an authority in whose
word he may confde. Jesus is such
an authority. The Bible, to be sure,
is not the only source of religious
truth, but it is the source of authority
for the Christian religion. And since
the Universalist Church is a body of
| Christians, for us to ignore this basis
of authority would be to attempt the
play of Hamlet with Hamlet left out.
It would be to attempt the impossible
and to bring disaster upon our cause.
A hundred years of religious and the
illogical cruising should have enabled
us to place some confidence in our
chart and compass and to find some
safe harbor where we can cast anchor
free from the winds of hypercriticism
which blow in from certain quarters
of our Zion. The day when we ig-
, more the Scriptures as the basis of
authority for our religion, that day
our church is doomed to moral and
spiritual decay.
We do not say that all Scripture is
of like value, nor do we say that all
the Bible contains is true. But it
does contain" such historical facts
and the record of such revelation"
as to make it the basis of authority
in the religion which the Universalist
Church has taught from thebeginniog
and which we should tremble to
think was in danger of being dis
carded as such authority.
Now / believe in progress, but /
do not wish to take up my feet from
off what seems pretty solid ground to
plant them in the dark, perchance in
the mud. l desire to keep my pres
ent footing till l am pretty sure that
when | do move it will be step for.
ward and not backward, move to-
ward the light and not away from it,
An old truth is better than an un-
proven theory, or mere guess at
something new.
The fact is, there are fads in every
calling, and the ministry is not with
out its share of faddists. And this
disposition to discount all that the
past has taught us and to declare
something new and novel and strik-
ing, is one of the fads that will run
its course and die as other fads die
by reason of their own inanity. The