The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-07-18

nus AuiO oONA VIC tuColo tudS thOAO
are three supreme authorities for
religious doctrine,-the Bible, the
church and individual reason. If we
analyze this statement we can, | think,
reduce this threefold supreme au-
thority to unity. For is not the Bible
the product of the enlightened reason
of the ancient prophets, priests and
sages through whom the eternal Wis
dom spoke to men? And by reason
here l mean, not merely the deduc-
tive reason which is concerned with
the classification of facts and the
drawing Of differences; l mean also
the intuitive reason which grasps
first principles and seeks to penetrate
into the sphere of eternal truth.
This higher enlightened reason has
always been at work amongst men !;
and to it, enlightened as it has been
from the hidden depths where dwells
eternal Wisdom, we are indebted for
all that is perennially precious in
Revelation.
The Bible Appeals to Reason.
The Bible is, therefore, in true
sense, the product of the higher, en-
lightened reason of it's authors and
editors, but the same reason which
gave birth to the biblical revela-
ton of truth and goodness is at
work today in the living church.
l do not believe that there was any
kind of revelation given to the hui
man mind in ancient times which is
not possible and actual today. |
do not believe that any General
Assembly or Synod, Conference or
Convention of Christians divine and
men and women assembled in this
nineteenth century is less worthy
of confidence in their decisions re-
garding faith and duty than was the
first council of apostles and primitive
Christians alleged to have been held
in Jerusalem, or the first General
Council of Christendom held at
Mecca in A. D. 1926. If God spoke to
and by Jewish Sanhedrims or print
tive Christian councils, equally does
he speak to and by modern Christian
assemblies or conventions. And the
living church of today is but the
organized expression of the enlight-
ened reason of our time. And, finally,
the individual reason, which Prof.
Briggs puts down as the third SUI
preme authority, is that by which
every individual Christian must take
in and assimilate the products of the
enlightened reason of the historical
past and of the living present as ex-
pressed in the dicta of the organized
church. No man can assimilate what
is repugnant to his own individual
reason. And no body of men or
church has the right to enforce upon
any mind doctrine or creed which
that mind cannot approve. Hence
we come to the conclusion that the
logical outcome of the thesis of Prof.
Briggs regarding authority is, that
the individual human reason is the
supreme authority for every man and
woman in all matters pertaining to
religious faith and moral duty. This
reason is that which is universally
admitted to be the image of the Crea-
tor stamped upon our nature; and
this reason is therefore, very proper
ly, the interpreter to each one Of us
of the highest truth which we can
know and the noblest duty which we
can perform.
Half Century Ago.
Half century ago the Calvinistic
doctrine of mans fall and utter moral
depravity was universal in Calvinis-
tic churches. All mankind had
sinned in Adam and deserved to be
punished by eternal suffering. Not
one of the race is naturally able to do
anything which can merit the favor
of God, since all are held responsible
for Adams sin. But God, for the
sake of clarifying his infinite mercy
resolved to save limited number of
this fallen race. For this limited
number, called the Select" he pro-
vided an atonement in the person of
his Son. The rest he passed by, fore
ordaining them to eternal misery for
the glory of his infinite justice.
This "decretum horrible" is so
terribly cruel and Unjust that it seems