The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-09-26
CAN WE BE PROPHETS2

Rev. F. W. FARRAR, Dean of Can
terbury, author of the famous books
on Eternal Hope" and "Mercy and
Judgment" writes in answer to the
above question in the Outlook. The
article is fine example of the Deans
gorgeous rhetoric and facility of his
torical illustration. He says
IF God sends us prophets, it is that
they may raise US up, that their words
and deeds may breathe like fresh wind
through the perfumed and polluted at
mosphere of society; that they may be-
come electric to flash through all the
world the wholesome lightnings of truth
and faith, startling the strongholds of
immoral selfishness and shattering the
refugees of accepted lies. And yet all
this the prophet has to do. often alone;
often in deep obscurity and isolation;
often in the midst of poverty and perse-
cution; and he must do it with deep
and crushing sense of his own feebleness
and imperfections. but making a loyal
sacrifice of his earthly life and his earth
ly hopes. How, then, can we be proph-
ets-we, the worldly; we. the sensual;
we, the idle and sluggish; we. the vulgar
and conventional; we, who worship
Mammop, and love pleasure. and delight
so much in scandal and hatred and lies?
hot L,,,f
are the wings of six winged seraphim-
the twain with which they did fly
folded forever? Is there no temple more?
Is heaven closed forever? Burns there
no fire on the altar? Has the chariot of
heaven ceased to descend to earth? Are
there no hot Goals of fire to touch and
purify the unclean lips? Does the Lord
say no longer from his throne above the
cherubim. Whom shall send, and who
will go for us?' He who made the
stammerer Moses his lawgiver, when he
was in the wilderness but shepherd Of
alien sheep; he who made the peasant
Amos prophet, as he earned his few
daily pence by gathering the coarse fruit
of the sycamore; he who made prophet
of Jeremiah when he was yet but timid
child; he who slung sword round the
neck of the least of the children of Man.
asseh. and sent him forth to smite the
innumerable foe-cannot he make sons
of God and heroes of us. even of us?"
The prophet must expect to en-
dure hardness:
"God never deceives US. His prophets
must be made of stern stuff. men of
nerve and insight He does not promise
US any primrose path of dalliance. He
says. 1t ye would be my soldiers, ye
must endure hardness. Ifye would run
in my race, ye must train. If ye would
be my athletes, ye must deny yourselves.
II ye are to be my prophets. then, like
all my best and greatest prophets. in the
world ye shall have tribulation.' Why
must this be SO? 1t is. in one word, be-
cause the prophet must escape the
average. The mass of mankind live the
average life. They are easy going. con-
ventional, traditional, common place.
They do what others do; say what
others say; they do not either think or
act for themselves; any shibboleth does
for them, so that it is current; any soph-
ism suffices them. so that it be accepted;
they are but echoes; they pair off. as one
has said, in insane parties, and because
they ignore the deep realities of morals
and religion, they dislike to have their
sand-built houses shaken, or their
sluggish ease disturbed. 1t is almost
incredible how hostile mankind has
been to its greatest men. Scarcely ever
has there been great soul uttering
truth. but there has been the shadow of
Calvary. 1t is because the majority do
not like trouble. and to face new truth
is trouble"
DIR. Farrar illustrates by the work
and fate of Origen, Roger Bacon, of
the Monk Telemachus, Bishop Ed
ward Fowler and others. Origen was
by the confession of his enemies, the
greatest man who had risen in the
church since the apostles. "After
years of incredible labor and self
denial, in which he rendered such
services to the church as no man has