The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-07-11

ligious subjects. Now, of course, no
one should be expected to support
man whose teachings he considers
false and dangerous. But unless So
called 'liberals" are liberal enough
to tolerate very great variety of
opinions, they are not worthy of the
name of liberals"
If a minister is simply an echo of
your own thoughts he certainly can
not teach you very much. Then
suppose the views which seem so new
and startling to you should turn out
to be both true and beneficial7 You
would feel very much ashamed of
yourself when you discovered that
you had been fighting against the
truth. Still, let it be admitted that
man cannot reasonably be asked to
pay preacher to preach doctrines
which he considers false and danger
GUS. What should he do2 Should
he desert his church altogether
This, unfortunately, is what most
liberals do. But if they really be-
lieved in their church, they would
say: 81 cannot conscientiously sup
port Rev. Mr.. Smith, whose teach
ings seem to me false and dangerous;
hence l withdraw my subscription
and remain away from church for
the time being. But when you-the
majority,who, like Mr.. Smith-change
pastors, will resume work in the
church" In short such people should
distinguish between the church as an
institution and the ministers who are
agents and servants of the church
nay, more -they should stand by
their church-should work in it's
Sunday school, its societies, ETC., even
if they could not listen to the preach
ing, and should patiently wait until
they could get a minister after their
own heart. But instead of doing this
they make the whole thing person
al matter. AS long as the minister
suits them, as long as the leading
members of the church do just as
they think they should, all is serene
and they are enthusiastic. But the
moment either the pastor or some of
the people do or say something which
they don't approve, then these good
people desert their church altogether
and perhaps become bitter against
| it.
Now, as long as this state of things
exists, so long will our churches con-
tinue weak. Our people must cult
vate loyalty to the church as an in
stitution. They must learn to believe
in its mission so enthusiastically that
they will not allow anything or any
one to ALLEVIATE them from their
church. Coming as l did from a
church where loyalty to the institu-
ton is SO strong, l naturally feel this
defect in our churches mole keenly
than many others may. But l also
feel its Importance more keenly than
many others do, and I do not exag-
gerate it. l have suffered from &C.
clesiastical organizations, and l know
their dangers as we'll as their merit.
But organization is the watchword of
this generation. Labor organizes,
capital organizes, politicians, scien-
lists, educators, everybody and all
sorts of people organize. Without or
ganization it is impossible to serve
God or man, or accomplish very
much good in the world.
Liberalism is individualism run
mad. If we could only get such an
organization as that of the Episcopal
church, with our lofty and rational
faith we could sweep the country,
and when we get loyalty to the
church as an institution we shall ac-
complish this result. Henry Ward
Beecher once said the Episcopalian
clergy as body were the poorest lot
of preachers in the country; yet they
had greater hold on their people
than almost any other body of minis
tiers; theirinferior preaching often &C
complished more for their church
than the more brilliant preaching in
other churches. Why' Why, be-
cause Episcopalians care much less
for the sermon than they do for their
service, and they put the church
above the preacher. They stand by
their church because of the educa-
tional, social, moral and religious
benefits it confers upon them, and
even if their teacher (the preacher) is
a man of ordinary ability, they make
good and effective use of him. There
are many brilliant men and able
preachers in the Episcopal ministry,
but do not hesitate to say that the
Universalist clergy as a body are
superior preachers to their Episcopa-
liam brethren. and if they only had
snch an organization hack IF than az