The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-01-30


whose walls wer of ignorance and pref
udice.
Right we'll did they vindicate their
right to the gratitude of Universalists
everywhere. when they laid the founda-
tions of broader faith and a religion
which teac hes the "Fatherhood of God"
and the brotherhood of man and which
has made possible the more rapid pro-
gress of later years. Clara r.. Hallam.
Universalist View of the Bible.
What have we left to believe, if we do
not believe in the Bible as whole? The
Winchester Profession of Faith says,
I'VE believe that the Bible contains
revelation of the character of God, of
the duty and destiny of man." Through
this great ocean Of Hebrew literature,
histor and poetry there sweeps a great
warm gulf stream of the truth that has
been inspired by the Almighty. and that
we are to gather out of this the truth that
is to save the world. This Bible must
then be interpreted. Between Univer-
salist and orthodox it is not Bible on
one side and no Bible on the other. but,
both reading the same, differ in inter-
probation; the orthodox gets a revela-
tion of God of infinite cruelty. the
Universalist God of infinite love.
We respect this great book that con-
tains the richest product of the spiritual
experience of man. We find at it's cen.
ter "God," at it's circumference "God is
love-" We recognize with sympathy the
common doubts of every word being
Gods word. but find there. as nowhere
else, the wealth of moral philosophy, the
sublime voices of faith and the trans
ports of spiritual and eternal hope, the
rule and guide to faith and lite.-Rev.
F. A. Bisbee.
Building Heaven Along the Way.
1t is on record that the Massachusetts,
"Court" or Legislature some two GEN.
turies ago, appointed a commission and
voted an appropriation of money to build
road ten miles west from Boston. The
commission exhausted more time and
money in completing the enterprise than
any one anticipated, but in making
their report they congratulated the peo-
pie that the work was all that would
ever be needed. How little did they
dream of the scope of this country. This
road extended out to the Newtons! The
commissioners had not thought of pos
sible Worcester and Pittsfeld and AL
bany and Syracuse and Buffalo and
Chicago and Omaha and San Fran
cisco. But, after all, is not this
early estimate of the scope of the coun-
try very similar to the early thought of
religion and its industries? The early
formula was believe, repent. and go to
heaven when you die." The religious
uses of this world were unrecognized.
The,religious scope of human nature was
as nothing. 1t was totally depraved,"
and religion was a work of divine grace
resulting in "going to heaven" It is
found now that the entire human nature
is vast religious field, and this earth is
full of resources for religion. Instead of
going to heaven the modern religious
task set before us is to build one-to
the city of God, instead of going on q
journey to find it. 1t is possible that
this thought of going-to- heaven when.
we-die, fingers still in many minds and is
the governing idea of many religious
efforts.-Rev. E. L. Rerford. d. D.
Results of Universalism.
The serious disappointment of the
Universalists who have grown old in the
faith is in the lack of numbers,-the rel
atively few who profess the faith and
accept the name. If every year adds to
the number of parishes and ministers,
the addition is relativelyfew Such we're
the zeal and the hope of Universalists
half a century ago that the expectation
was the equivalent of foregone fact that,
before the century ended. the Universe
list denomination would rank conspicu.
ously for numbers. No such result has
followed. The great surprise and the
special Joy of Universalists is in the fact
that Universalism as principle. indeed
under another name, is in all the
churches. Calvinism has been Univer-
salized in one direction. and Arminian-
ism in the opposite direction. The doc.
trine of endless punishment is seldom
preached unless it is done by ministers
who lack the prestige to call attention
to the words they speak, 1t is openly,
formally averred that fear is a selfish in
stinct, and that exclusive or emphatic
appeals to il debase the character of the
converts thereby made. Love, il is al
most generally averred, is the only real
Iy saving power; and most Of the sermons
which reach reading public are based
on the attractiveness of virtue, and not
on the penalty, great or small. supposed
to be annexed to disobedience. The
creeds which get preached and which
get into periodicals and books. are essen
TALLY, if not formally and verbally, Uni
versalist. The success in this regard is
SO great as to surpass belief One who
has been Universalist half century
can in this matter hardly believe the
evidence of his own eyes and ears
Christian Leader.