New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-29
DIR. SAVAGE ON DOCTRINES.
WHAT UNITARIANIsM HAS TAKEN AWAY
AND WHAT 1T HAS GIVEN.
THE PREACHER DECLARES HIS BELIEF THAT ALL
SOULS WILL ULTIMATELY BE sAvED-oLD


SOULS WILL ULTIMATELY BE sAyED-OI.D
BELIEFS WHICH HE DIscARps
The Rev. DR.. Minot J. Savage yesterday morning
in the Church OF the Messiah. preached a sermon
on What Do You Give in Place OF What You Take
Away lie said in part,
what do you give in place Of that which you take
Unitarian ral sa is question which is PROPOSED TO
looked upon as an unanswerabe criticism. We are
supposed to be people who tear down. but do not
traditional faiths of the past and leave the world
d.hlssconsolate without God without hope. i propose
ply as frankly; as can; to treat 1t with all
Wbnt WIN h al seriousness and try to make clear
lne advance of modern knowledge. and what, II
increasing knowdg II ceare pS tSa
takes away old beliefs. But If these old beliefs are
what is F' hans s' We Clearer s "yf ew ans
ba M. OF Gods ways and methods of governing
Inc late Henry Ward Beecher In a review article
phu , not long before his death. said frankly
me so aqs wfc hta saS
VIII no belief at all is infinitely unspeak
dominated and darkened the world. / would rather
S SeleVe IN no Grd than in bad God such He has
what would II be? | have trust. inst over there
father' mother TWO brothers. Dumberless dear ones
ana rope 70 see them with hope dearer than
any other which cherish: but II ! were standing
on the threshold OF Heaven Itself and these loved
DTS were eckonng me to come in. and had the
choice between an eternity OF felicity in their pres
than take this endless 10Y at the cost o the
ing and unreeved torment of the neanest soul that
ever lived $500
WHAT HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY
Now. let me raise the question az to what has
been taken away. have taken nothing away. Uni
tarianism has taken nothing away. but the advance
or modern knowledge the larger clearer revelation
OF God has taken away TO end OF things. What
are they? In the first place. the old universe is
taken away. That IL. that little tiny playhouse
affair. not so large solar system. which. in
the irst chapter OF Genesis God is reported have
made-as carpenter working from outside makes a
house-inside OF six DAYS. That little universe that
is, the story OF creation told In the early chap
tiers Of Genesis. is absolutely gone shall tell you
pretty soon what has taken the place OF IT,
God of most Of the creeds has been taken away.
That God who was jealous. who was partial. who
good. and then inside OF f9w days saw slip out
OF his control into the hands Of The devil either be-
watched this world develop for "A little while, and
then because 1t did not as He wanted It TO. had
the Old Testament told the people that slavery was
right provided they did not ensave the members Of
God who Endorsed poygamy. telling a man that he
Was al n SGry G 70 nayG G as many wives as he
dispose OF them by simply giving them little notice
hypocrisy and lying on the part Of His people the
God who sent ittle light on one li;le people along
OF the world in darkness; the God who is 10 damn
all OF these people who were left in darkness be-
had any chance to hear the God who is to cast all
His enemies into the pit. trampng them down. a.
Jonathan Edwards describes so horribly to US. in
His hate for ever and ever. This God has been
taken away.
THE STORY OF EDEN.
In the third place, the story OF Eden, the ton
OF man and then Immediately the fall OF man, and
the resulting doctrine Of total depravity. This has
been taken away. Then the old story OF the Bible
has been taken away. That theory which makes II
a book without error or flaw and makes under
the highest obligation to receive all It's teachings as
the veritabe word of God though they seem to us
hideou-. blasphemous, immoral. degrading not.
Then. In the next place the Blood of Atonement
Is gone What does that mean TO the world? II
means that the Eternal Father either will not 81, or
own errng mistaken Wan n.hG children unless
we as the Old awful hymn has IT, are plunged
beneath this ocean Of blood! Revolving. terrible.
eg soP Go "K t rSF one Unless e
agony. out Of somebody, equal to that from which
bodied still in All the creeds. has been taken away;
Is gone IKE i9ng hid locus dream OF darkTess
does that mean? II means that Christendom has
held it and taught 1t for nearly two thousand years
that God is not really King OF the universe: that
He holds only divided power. and that here thou;
sonros i the S destiny Of this world *? and ruins rsh
and left millions and millions of human souls, ana
6 God Of n thu ha s' Or not
And then. lastly. that which have touched on
by implication already. the belief in endless pun
lshment, is taken away. Are you sorry? Does
anybody wish something put in The place OF this,
The belief that all those. except the elect. church
members-those who have been through a special
process called conversion. these including all the
millions on millions outside Of Chrlsendom. and
from the beginning until to-day-have gone down
10 the flame that Is never Iuenched the worm
that never dies linRer on In useless torture
for ever and ever? Simply monument Of what
is monstrously called the judgment OF God. This
Is gone.
AN INFINITE UNIVERSE.
Is there anything OF value taken away? In the
place OF the little petty universe OF Hebrew
dreams what have now? This magnificent
revelation of the Copernican students. n universe
Infinite I'm it's reach and In It's grandeur n uni
verse fit at last TO be the home OF an infinite God
a universe grand enough 10 clothe Him and ex-
press Him. TO manifest and reveal Him. a universe
boundess: universe that has grown through the
ages and is growing still and Is to unfold more
and more OF the divine beauty and glory for ever
more. Is there any loss in this exchange?
Now as 70 God. What IS our God to-day? The
heart. the life, the soul OF this Infinite universe,
justice that means Justice: power that means
power love that surpasses all our imagination OF
love. cd who Is eternal goodness; God not