The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-08-29


which only learned theologians can
grasp, but which the mass of Chris
tians find to be only confusion and
science falsely so-called." All this
has grown out of the plain truth of
Christianity, that sin is known vio-
lation of law, and that rewards and
punishments always follow trans
gressions, not arbitrarily, as legal
penalties, but philosophically, as
necessary consequences. That now
is the day of judgment, and that
heaven or hell is created by ourselves
at any moment, so far as we are con-
cerned, by our own spiritual condi-
ton. Indeed, that our voluntary
condition is our heaven or hell, here
or hereafter, to be prolonged or pro-
rogued at our will and pleasure. 1t
is not place but condition. "The
mind is its own place, and can make
a heaven of hell, hell of heaven"
Millions Satan truly says: (which
way l turn is hell, myself am hell"
So any pure being may say, (which
way l turn is heaven, myself am
heaven" This will always be true,
here and hereafter, of all beings,
good or bad. (which way I turn
is heaven or hell, myself is heaven or
hell" But God has SO constituted
the human soul that it will always be
able to turn away from error and sin
to that obedience and holiness for
which it was created and pre- des-
tined.
The nature and character of God
are illustrations of the same truth.
Nearly all the religious feuds and
sectarian separations that have disfig
ured the annals of Christianity have
come from overlooking what Paul
here teaches, attempting to substi-
tute some ingenious and complicated
theory of God in place of the plain
and comprehensive presentation
which our Lord teaches. Not salts
fed with that the inventors of hui
man theories have elaborated what
few besides themselves can compre-
bend. How often are we told that
God exists in three persons. who are
but one person. How often are all
the perplexities of the tri-personalitv,
of the bargaining and compromising,
and conflict, and mysteries between
the several persons of tri-personal
God, presented to us, as the Chris
tan view. When we try to reconcile
and harmonic the conflicting ideas
that disfgure the creeds of men, we
are involved in doubt and difficulty.
But in the midst of the hard think
ing we have given to this subject,
suppose we should ask ourselves the
question: "Is this the simplicity that
is in Christi" Would not this ques-
ton explode the errors, and be key
to the solution of our difficulties?
What is the so called trinity or
Godhead as Christ teaches? God is
one being, the Father, with tribune
manifestation. The sun is a trinity
as truly as God is. There is the
material body of the orb of day,
and there is its light, and there
is its heat. And these three make
up the sun. The body of the sun,
it's light, and its heat are all diff
ferent, but all together make up the
luminary of day. So God is creator
and Father of men, he has manifested
himself in Christ, and acts on the
spiritual world by his holy spirit.
There is but one God, and he is
Father, who has these and other
modes of manifestation.
So of the atonement. The great
doctrine that lies at the center and
basis of Christianity is that Christ is
the expression of the Fathers love,
which will ultimately so commend
Gods goodness to men as to subdue
their rebellion, and win their hearts.
The Interchangeable God was not
wrought upon by the intercession of
Christ to change in his feelings to-
ward man. Christ did not create love
towards man in the heart of God, but
came, and lived, and died to show
men how God had alwaysfe toward
them. God so loved the world that
he sent Christ" 1t is not Christ but
"God in Christ" that is reconciling
the world to himself. The atonement
means that Christ is winning the
hearts of men to God, by holding be-
fore them the eternal love of God.
This is simplicity's self.
Now, error may lack this trait, but
simplicity is essential to all truth,
and Christianity, the highest form of
truth, is throughout pervaded by it.
While error is usually complicated
| and involved, truth is simple. It NAV