The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-18

customs. What actuates the one class
does not necessarily govern the other.
The religious expression of one is en-
tirely foreign to that of another. To
a certain extent the Sc expressions be-
come a hereditary instinct. So the
scientist views the subject philosoph-
ically, and turns to seek out the cause
aud the ultimate result.
Into this seething, boiling sea of
disparity Christ pours the balm of
divine misunderstanding the Fa-
therhood of God and the brotherhood
of man; that man is to worship the
Father, not in idls forms, or vain re-
petitions, but in the sweet incense of
the soul.
The work has not yet been accom-
plished, but the day continues to
brighten. 1t will require centuries to
overcome the race distinctions, even
in matters of religion.
The Christian church is made up of
many Tribes and types OF mankind.
The training, habits of thought will
and must have much to do with their
Interpretation of Scripture. From
purely ethnic standpoint we see that
logically there would be various
branches of the Christian church.
Each branch represents a certain
phase of intellect, morals, conscience,
and socialism; and withal every one
stands for something, all of which
must grow less under the refining
fire of the teachings of Christ and his
apostles. Hence it has been truth
fully said that to a greater or less ex-
tent a mans conceptions of God de-
pend on his own nature. A merciful
man worships a merciful God; a Iowa
BILE man has God of love; stern
man has rigorous God, and so on to
the end of the catalogue. We are
not surprised at harsh creeds. How
ever better day is dawning. Broad
er views of God and humanity must
continue. We know of one divine
who is now willing that the love of
God may be added as foot-note to
his creed, although the form of the
profession hetacitly assents toi is utter
" devoid of Gods nature as taught
by the beloved disciple. Il Jno. ".
s.. Yet we are not to jump to the
conclusion that the spiritual millen
mum is at hand. Straws may indi-
cate the direction of the wind, yet
great religious bodies take time for
their deliberations and reactionary
spirits retard the wheels of progress.
While, to my mind, the evidence
proves that man is growing wiser and
morally and spiritually better, yet in
some respects there is a bending,
yielding ia a direction which to
great degree tends toward bunting
the moral sense. We are prone to
make light of the stern manners and
doctrines of the Puritans. They pos
sessed certain characteristics which
must ever rebound to their honor,
chief among which was their sterling
integrity. Whatsoever they believed
to be right there was no hesitancy in
it's PRONUNCIATION. But they had no
petience with views not in consonance
with their own. They were intoler-
ant and bigoted. We must admire,
however, their faithfulness to their
belief. They were not driven about
by every wind of doctrine. They
stamped their characters on that age,
and their love of liberty made this
Republic certainty. They did not
profess one thing and act another.
In what they believed to be truth they
lived, and brought up their children
in their own footsteps. The egis of
liberty which they had inaugurated
proved too much for all their views.
Under it the day dawned when it was
not treason to God to indulge the
ideas of hereto
Let it be repeated that the various
branches of the church stand for
something. Each promulgates those
views that differ from the other. In
many instances their differences are
radical in doctrines. Now it would
appear that any church which invites
one into it's fold who differs in essen
tials but asks him to stultify himself;
and he who listens to the tempter ad
mits want of moral acuteness. There
is, however, milder view. As each
branch represents certain grade of
intellect, morally and spiritually, it
is possible that the individual, al
though occupying an anomalous posi-
ton, but trains according to his ca
pacity. However such are not the
characters that made Christianity or
the Christian church; nor Of such
was made the blood of martyrs. A
man who is essentially a Christian is