The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-12-19
PREACHING UNIvERsALIsM.

am the apostle of the renaissance
of Universalism. l have organized a
society, the rs. U. M. F. P. U" which
being interpreted means, the Society
of Universalist Ministers For Preach
ing Universalism, and there is need
of it today as truly as there was
seventy-five years ago. The condi-
tions have changed but the need still
exists. l have little patience with the
constant reiteration of the secular
press and the assertion of some of our
own people that our work is done.
We find in the world today a vast
an cunt of indifference to religion, of
rationalism and often infidelity. and
l hold that this is the legitimate fruit
of orthodoxy; the natural revolt of
the human mind against the unbe-
levable, and the human heart against
the cruel.
Orthodoxy itself recognizes this
and has shifted its position and no
longer breaches theology but has
substituted for it practical Chris
tianity-w which can never be in har-
mony with orthodoxy. 1t is impossi-
BILE to love men if they are totally de-
PRAYED. impossible to love God who
is unlovaole. And so while recogniz-
ing the goodness of the modern
preaching and practice, l feel that it
is all in spite of the theology not be
cause of it-and furthermore, while
churches preach the prime Piles of
Universalism and still retain in official
statement all the vile doctrines of the
past they lay themselves open to the
charge of lack Of integrity. Those
old doctrines are either true or false;
if true they should be preached; if
false they should be suppressed.
They are still officially held and prac-
tically denied, and men seeing that
the church has fallen into dishonesty,
have initiated, and the lack of integ-
rity in the commercial world is the
natural fruit.
All things good come naturally
from the principles of Uniysrsalism;
that is the legitimate source, and l
appeal for doctrinal loyalty as vital
to the welfare of the world, for Uni
versalsm is fundamental to all tia
is good. The best way to preach So
cial reform is to preach Universalism;
the best way to preach temperance,
righteousness, spirituality, is to
preach Universalism.
There has come an ebb tide in our
history, and the reason is we have
lost our distinctive character. we have
branched off on one side towards or
thodoxy and on the other toward ra-
tionalism until we have no distinctive
life, until people go into our church
es and say, II do not see any differ
ence," until our children go to other
Sunday-schools and are satisfied, un-
til our people remove to other States
and go into other churches. You can
not hold people unless you have
something to hold them to. Let us
teach and preach Universalism as vi
tai to the salvation of the world from
sin as true, and being truth alone
can save the world. By re-adjust-
ment of our statements to the exist
ing conditions, the use of our splen.
did organizations, we can repeat the
vict ories of the past; we can put our
great victories in the future rather
than in the past, and l therefore APP
peal for the doctrinal and denomina-
tional distinctiveness and loyalty in
that spirit of self-sacrificing devotion
that marked the heroes of our past
history.-ReU. r. A. Bisbee.