The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-10-09
Of sermons; and none of them ever pays
anything for Talmage's. We had not
expected ever to be tempted to class
Ian Maclaren with T. Dewitt Talmage.
But here is hint of kinship.

Ian Maclaren WIFI L. D6Wltb IHImdge.
But here is hint of kinship.
THE massive e.sidedness of his
nature" is the phrase by which
Neander describes the most striking in.
tellectual pecularity of Tertullian. The
strong, perverse, unamiable trait OF the
great Latin father impresses every mod
ern student. Yet to be fair we must
admit that Tertullian was very human
in his one-sidednese. For one -sidedness
generally without the massivenese, is
more universal than many -sidedness.
Human beings. in all ages and in all
climes, are prone to prejudice. The
persons who make up their judgment
without passion and without bias on
any subject are not numerous even in
this so-called enlightened age. And
the number who do 80 on burning
questions is much smaller. Take out
the heat, the perversity. the lone sided
ness" from our controversies and what
pitiful residuum remains!
We are pleased to read the sturdy
| protest which comes from the always
gracious New York correspondent Of the
Leader against the habit of the city
churches Of dragging the vacation out
into the autumn, thus putting the years
work behind. Such churches, he justly
observes. never catch up" The very
trait which makes them willing to start
| late keeps them in the rear throughout
| the race. We infer from this that the
habit of the city churches in this par
ticular is general and generally bad. If
| SO, the habit OF the country churches,
which is different in this respect lie, il
not good, a great ways better. 1t seems
to follow that it would be wise policy
and good form to plan our general de-
| nominational work after the model of
the churches whose habit is best rather
than after those whose habit is worst.
Yet we seem to to remember an argu
ment, in which the city pastors were in
chorus, for making our convention work
conform to this particular city usage.
Senator Hoar said again at the Sara
toga conference. that the fourteen Con.
gregational churches of his own city of
Worcester contributed more for their
missionary objects than all the Unitar-
ian churches. Some of the Unitarian
churches are very wealthy and the aver
age of wealth in them is above that in
most denominations. II what the Sena-
tor has now twice publicly asserted is
true, it is fact that tells as strongly
| against the Unitarian churches as it
does for the Congregationalist churches.
| 1t may be said that Unitarians are more
| generous to other objects, the Congre
gationalists to church objects. But it is
not probable. The rule is, that those who
are most in the habit of giving in the
church are also most liberal outside.
Such fact calls for investigation and
explanation. 1t is more damaging to
liberal" Christianity than tons Of or
thodox detraction.
We have several times criticised
"The Liberal Congress of Religion" of
which DR.. FL. W. Thomas is President
and the Rev. Jenkin Lloyd Jones. Sec-
retary, for making the terms OF the case
80 narrow as to exclude nearly the whole
of Christendom. The prospectus and
program of the next annual meeting in
Nashville shows that this defect has
been in some measure remedied. Invi-
tations to the Congress were ssnt out to
great many persons Of a great many
sects and parties, and the replies of a
number of them are printed. The pro-
gram as arranged is much more compre-
hensive than its predecessors. though it
is still very much of one religious hue.
We note the progress Of the managers in
the direction of real liberality with pleas
ure and hope they may at length be-
come as inclusive in practice as in pro-
fession.
The thick -and-thin party men are
saying of the New York effort to put an
unpledged man into the Office of mayor
and have the affairs OF the city admins.
tration on business principles, "Oh
that's been tried. They tried it in
Albany with Mayor Wilson and it was
failure" The only failure in the AL
bany instance was the failure to coD-
tinue. The administration of Mayor
Wilson was entirely and admirably SUI
cessful as an experiment in non parti-
san municipal government. General
John F. Rathbone, one of the fret citi-
zens of Albany, in letter declining to
be the candidate of the Vigilance League
and the Republican organization for
mayor this fall, refers to the Honest
Election Party campaign OF few years
ago and says, "On that platform [of nom
partisan city government was elected as
mayor, Owen E. Wilson. and his admin
istration proved in every way the best
Albany has known in many yeare."
Gen. Rathbone advises electing Mr..
Wilson again. That is the sort of fail
ure" these gentlemen are so anxious to
avert.
CANTON THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL.
KAISER WILHELM wants to oust the