The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-05-15
THE JUDGMENT DAY: A STUDY
OF RESULTS.
BY REV. LEE 8. NC coLLEsYER.

MAN, whether considered in the ag-
gregate, or as the individual, is
swayed by two sets OF influences. So
at variance are these agencies that at
times the individual seems to be two
persons-to live two lives. That un-
canny novel, "Dr. Jekyl and Mr..
Hyde" is only an exaggerated por-
traiture of the experiences of each
one at certain times. The influences
which cause this trouble are those
from within and those from without;
those of fashion, custom, early edu-
cation, and those of native endow-
ment and an innate instinct. The
man who makes careful examination
of his actions is often at loss to know
whether he is governed by the infu-
ences of society, tradition, early
habit, or whether he is following
out his own personal desires and hon.
est convictions. Man means to be
honest with himself, but as he is a
part of society he is likely to be in
fuenced by conditions. Nothing bet
ter illustrates how men are overridden
by a tradition which, founded in a
reasonable instinct, grows to be de-
basing and oppressive force, than the
doctrine of the judgment day. The
idea started in, and is based on, nat
ural law of life, but the view held by
many churches is horrid distortion
of reasonable principle.
Phrases of "The judgment day."
"The last judgment, " "The great day
of judgment" have attained the
power of facts over many minds, and
it seems to such to be sacrilege to
suggest that the idea is debatable, or
more, that it is only wild fancy and
is unchristian. The terms of "last
judgment" or "the great Judgment
day" do not come from the sayings
Of Jesus. There is no hint of them
in the sermon on the mount. They
have grown from some parabolic say
ings, and chiefly from the vision of
John on Patmos, when he tried to
tell his ideal of the New Jerusalem.
Humanity has always had a more or
less distinct idea of results. It is a
consciousness of mind that nothing
is, unless it leads to something.
Arbitrary Ideas.
Into the Christian church have
come very arbitrary ideas of judg-
ment. There are pictures held be-
fore Christians of the great white
throne which any man of sense will,
when true to himself, say he does not
believe. There is cant language used
in describing the future life which
disgusts the man of the real world
and drives many from the church and
causes them to refuse to listen to
other sayings from the pulpit. At
present there are arbitrary concep-
tions of judgment and real facts
about it. When we come to analyze
the history of the stories about the
day of Indignant, it is easily seen that
much of the imagery comes from
sources outside of Scripture. The
NEUROLOGICAL notions about the fu-
ture as they crept into Homer, Virgil,
and later into Dante, and as they
came before the eyes of the people in
the painting of Angelo in the Sistine
chapel in his 1.-THE last Judgment" +"
and then later in the romantic period
of England into the dramatic forms
of Milton's paradise Lost" and "Par-
adise Regained," had much to do in
strengthening the minds of people in
the current stories about the judg-
ment day of the future. Doubtless
many, when they read Dante, or
looked on Michael Angeles painting,
thought that these men had told
what they had seen or heard. Mi
chael Angeles painting is a horrible
description of the judgment. 1t pre-
sents what no sensible man should
tolerate as an ideal of God, Christ
of heaven and hell. 1t was probably
true to the times. 1t set forth what
was we'll in the minds of the people.
But today we are passing from the
traditional to the real. We are try
ing to get at what is sensible and in
harmony with mans newer light.
The whole race believes in judg-
ment. Man always has had more
or less distinct idea of consequences,
but often this gets SO overlaid with
traditions that it is hard to tell what
man does really think. To deny the
reasonableness of old doctrines of
judgment is not to deny retribution.
If man rebels against old phrases