The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-07-10

come as little child" says Jesus.
Here, it seems to me he teaches the
need of our restoration. If it be
true, as Wordsworth says, that
Heaven lies about us in our infancy,
"Shades of the prison-house begin to
close about the growing boy"
may it not have been true of the race
as of the individuals May not our
race in its childhood have been in
such moral, spiritual and psychical
condition, that it enjoyed COM
m union with the Unseen, and a
blessedness compared with which its
after state was death7 Who will
disprove this view, and howl
Who knows that the fall of man
was fall upward" as some flip
PANTY ASSERT Who will say that
any fall into sin is better than the
maintenance of integrity ?-that is
of Wilderness, of holiness?
If we have made such progress in
spite of sin, what heights might we
not have reached had we remained
upright?
Yes, the great need of us each, as
individuals, is restoration to harmony
with the divine life, restoration of
our own perverted instincts-that is
to holiness; from that we may go on
to win more than Adam ever had,
but being holy, such further gains
are the natural results of the nature
which God has given us, and which
only our wandering from him has
delayed,
The first thing is to get right with
God, then all good things will follow
as matter of course in their due time
and season.
l think this is what the Bible means
by holiness. Else how could Jesus
have said of the child, "Of such is
the Kingdom of Heaven" which moth
ing unholy can enter? How could he
have urged his disciples to "be con-
verted and become as little child, il
holiness does not mean this7 | think
this is what the founders of the Uni
versalist Church meant.
And if some are still troubled over
the word restore" l beg you to lay
the trouble to one side and let us
agree that this is what "holiness'
shall mean here, and let us seek res
toration for ourselves and for all the
world, through him who came to give
us peace, who died that we might
live. Let us not rend and tear our
church; let US not destroy our creed
to adopt none, or to adopt weaker
one, but go onward, and be more
efficient agency in Gods hand fol-
the restoration of our race. The best
Universalist is he who does most to
make universal salvation true, not he
who talks best about the theory of it
| V. Objection has been made to
the utilitarianism in the statement
believers should be careful to main
tain order and practice good works;
for these things are good, and profit
able unto men,"
If any one prefers to practice thes e
things because they are good only,
without reference to their utility to
mankind, I have no objection; but
also have also no objection to assur-
ing the world that it is not only "good
to be good" but also that it pays to
be good as we'll. | am in favor of
urging the highest motives, but l do
not think it we'll to despise lower
ones, nor necessary to keep them out
of sight. Our "high motive" friends
l fear, are not always consistent with
their theoretic demands. Utilitar.
ian motives will not hurt the high
minded, and to those who have not
yet reached such sublime ethical
heights, they may be helpful until
greater attainments are acquired. !
vote to retain so much of utilitarian-
ism; of practically in our creed.
| VI. Another objection has been
made to the Trinitarianism, supposed
to be concealed in the second Arti-
Gle: "We believe that there's one God,
whose nature is love, revealed
through one Lord Jesus Christ, by
one Holy Spirit of grace" etc.
1t must be pretty we'll concealed, l
think, to have passed muster with all
the Unitarian Universalists, or those
who thought themselves so, from Ho
sea Ballou down to the time this ques-
ton of revision began to be discuss
ed. The doctrine of the Trinity in
deed! But which of the doctrines OF
the Trinity (for they are many lies
concealed here, or do all of them!
The Scriptures seem to teach the
existence and special offices of the
Father and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit, and between these three
| there appears to be some special con