The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-03-06
The Greed Question.
BY REV. JAMES GoRToN.

boston ana New Ork, III manner
full frank and fraternal. This, it
seems to us, is we'll and timely. 1t
seems to us also that, for the fuller
information of all concerned, the min
isterial and other brethren should be
largely heard through our denomi-
national press.
As we understand the matter, the
question of acceptance or rejection
of the new creed proposed is to be
finally settled at the session of the
General Convention in Chicago next
| October.
All our people are familiar with
what is called "The Winchester Pro-
fession." The new creed proposed
reads as follows:
l. I'VE believe in the Universal Faith
erhood of God and 10 the Universal
Brotherhood of man.
2. We believe that God, who hath
spoken through all his holy prophets
since the world began, hath spoken unto
us by his son, Jesus Christ. our exam
pie and Saviour.
g. We believe that salvation consists
in spiritual oneness with God. who,
through Christ, will finally gather in
one the whole family of mankind"
DR.. E. G. Bolles, at the New York
ministers meeting, proposes the fol-
lowing creed:
1. 1--WE believe in the Fatherhood of
God, the Brotherhood of man, the splr-
itual leadership of Jesus Christ. and the
Immortality of the soul.
g We believe that goodness is the
eternal law of God. and will finally over
come all evil; and that only as we &C.
cept and practice this law can we find
peace in this world or in the world to
come"
We believe substantially and
heartily in what is intended to be
affirmed by each of these creeds; not
that either of them is absolutely
faultless, or above criticism. But,
for present day purposes in our
churches, we believe the creed sug
gested by DR.. Bolles is much bet
ter than either of the others. We
will not stop here to give our reasons
for so believing.
But there is another factor in the
case which every individual church,
and the church at large in its organ
lied capacity, will be compelled to
consider and act upon sooner or
later: namely, shall membership and
fellowship in the church be condi-
toned on belief, or on desire and
purpose as to life and character?
The latter, we think, will BE- the
larger liberty and the final outcome
to which the Universalist Church will
arrive.
Certainly if candidate for church
membership publicly and solemnly
expresses his desire and purpose,
with divine assistance, to live pure
life, and to help all others to do the
same, that ought to be the freest,
broadcast, and best possible basis for
church membership. Or, to put it in
a somewhat different form, if the can
didate declares it to be his desire and
purpose, by divine assistance, to live
according to the teaching and exam
pie of Jesus Christ, and to help all
others so to live, he might we'll be
admitted into any Christian church
on this simple declaration.
1t will be seen that such a condi-
ton Of membership and fellowship
in the church is not question of be-
lief or dogma at all, but question of
life and character.
1t is not that l would have any of
our people-laymen or ministers,
have less faith, or less definite faith,
that | would prefer an ethical state
ment, statement involving conduct
and character, rather than a dogma
tic statement, involving questions of
belief, as condition of membership
and fellowship in the church.
would rather haYe faith more
definite, broader and profounder than
ever before. But it seems to us an
ethical statement is the right thing
for membership in the local church;
and statements of belief and dogma
should be made by the local church
for purposes of information to all of
the people as to what the consen-
sus of opinion among us is on i'm
portant or fundamental doctrinal
questions.
Every local church should be per-
mitted to make its own statements on
these questions.
There would not be the slightest
danger that faith in the great funda-
mental doctrines of Universalism