The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-07-17

down: This internal doctrine of Uni
versalism is doing more to damn this
community than all the dives togeth-
err" To my mind this shows much
better acquaintance with the dives
than with Universalism. Let us ex-
anime the facts and then ascertain
which doctrine has tendency to i'm
morality.
More than three-fourths of the in.
habitapts of the state of Maine are
Universalists and yet not one is to be
found in the penitentiary or State
prison. More than half the inhabi-
tants of all New England are beliey-
ers in Universal salvation, yet not one
is found in the penitentiaries or State
prisons. | do not say that all Uni
versalists are good men but that the
tendency is toward an orderly moral
life. Let US examine the doctrines
themselves to see which has an i'm
moral tendency. According to the
prevalent system of so called ortho.
doxy, and l thank God very few PEG.
pie sincerely hold it, every man is
fallen and equal to devil before he
has kind of regeneration. Mother.
that little infant you hold to your
bosom and which smiles to you with
trustful innocence is living scorpion
fitted only for the fires of hell. AL
most every man you meet. almost
every woman you meet can only
think the thoughts of a devil You
persuade man that he is a devil and
not to be trusted, and you know that
ne will soon come to act like one.
How is this for moral tendency? And
even after he is converted it does not
matter what he does, for an innocent
Christ has paid the debt.
And if man likes sin very we'll he
can wait till just before death to ac-
cept Christ; it will be all right and
ne can go right in. What sort of
morality does this teach? Moreover.
man is not threatened with hell be-
cause he sins, but because he does
not accept Christ.
On the other hand, Uniyersalists
affirm that every sin will be punished,
and that the worst thing man can
do is to commit moral evil. But far
greater than this is the inducement
to do right and worship God when
we look upon him as our spiritual
parent, as the father of our spirits.
whose great purpose is our spiritual
perfection, our participation in a
divine nature. l hold this view of
God to be the true, deep foundation
OF Christian worship. 1t is not
enough to think of him as operating
around and without us, as creating
materials worlds, as the former of our
bodies, ordaining the revolutions of
seasons.
While we see him in these mighty
masses OF matter, in the stern order
of natures Interchangeable laws, vet
we see him loving and merciful
father interested in the welfare of
his individual children. How deep,
strong, tender, enduring, the attach
ment OF human parent. This shad-
ows forth but feebly the divine par
ent. He loves us with an energy like
that with which he upholds the uni
verse. We feel that he is a God
working in the heart of each one of
us. When man is thoroughly per-
meated with this spirit, it is almost
impossible for him to do wrong. Now
can system that insists that mans
own actions determine his veal or
woe, while it brings his mind into
contemplation of the highest and di-
vinest things in the universe, be an
abettor of bad morals? No, you know
it can not.
My dear friends, l bring to you
gospel of love. You who are true
Christians, care not of what persua-
ton, know what that means. The
time is coming, amid the mists and
shadows of the future, l see it ap-
preaching, when men shall be judged
according to the law of love. Be not
deceived. The words of that glad
day speak not of theology and doc
trine and churches and creeds, but of
life, of feeding the hungry, of cloth
ing the naked, of giving cups of cold
water in the name of Christ. Thank
God, the Christianity of today APP
proaches more and more nearly to the
needs of the world. Men understand
better the fathers attitude toward
US, who and where Christ is. "Who
is Christ? He who fed the hungry,
clothed the naked, visited the sick.
Where is Christ? Who SO shall re-
ceive little child in my name. re-
ceiveth me- And who are Ghrist,se