The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-08-07

only be had by those who become
like little children; that is, that they
must be renewed, restored to where
they where when new, it must be con-
fessed that restoration to quasi holi-
ess, the innocence of childhood. is a
Christian doctrine. Though not the
best word-save would be better
and though l have in our conventions
earnestly contended for its elimina-
ton, yet, rather than make its relin-
quishment an open door of continual
agitation, | would retain it in Art.
II. The family at the beginning was
no doubt holy and happy, though
small. 1t is not inaccurate to say
that the family could be restored to
its original conditions, not, of course,
to that anthropoid apehood which
the nightmare of evolution supposes,
but to that happy innocence and obe-
dience which revelation declares to
have been the original status of man.
kind.
Art. III. has been unfavorably
criticized because of what is described
as the utilitarianism of the conclud-
ing sentence. obedience is good and
profitable unto men," The truthful.
ness of the statement is not denied,
but it is said that the motive appealed
to is not sufficiently elevated. Con-
fessedly it had been we'll to say "well
pleasing to God and profitable to
men," And yet when it is remembered
that nothing commanded by God is
not profitable to men, when it is con-
sidered that either statement includes
the other, the objection has very little
weight. Besides, our Lord himself
appeals to this motive: "Love thy
neighbor as thyself." We cannot love
another as ourself until we have that
self-love that gauges our love for him.
The clause objected to is not an
appeal to selfishness but to that self
love which will forbid wrongdoing
and prompt to duty. And the appeal
is one that will be more potent with the
great mass of mankind than the
higher one of pleasing God, and will
naturally develop into the higher. Its
equal truthfulness and potency
should retain the clause.
If l were to reconstruct the Profess
sion would read thus (changes in
dicated by italics):
"We believe that the Holy Scrip
lures of the Old and New Testaments
contain revelation of the character
of God, and of the duty, interest and
final condition of mankind.
"We believe that there is one God
the UniUersol Father. whose nature is
love, revealed in one Lord Jesus
Christ by one holy spirit of grace
who will saUe from san and sorroaU
the whole family of mankind.
1--WE believe that holiness and true
happiness are inseperably connected
and that believers ought to be care
full to maintain order and practise
good works, for these things are
pleasing to God and coed and profit
able unto men.
But the changes here suggested
and all those proposed are compare
lively trivial, and the symbol of our
faith is far better expression of our
church position without so much
change as the dotting of an or the
crossing of t, than the Meriden
substitute. Look at this substitute
a moment.
Article [. states: "The universal
Fatherhood of God and the uniyer-
sal brotherhood of man." Now,
l. There is nothing distinctive in
these words. They are held by most
other Christian sects. Acredal state
ment should give the characteristic
principles of a sect. There is moth
ing in this language that justifes the
existence of denomination.
2. 1t is redundant and superfuous.
If God is the universal father it goes
without saying that mankind is a
universal brotherhood.
3. This creed does not state
whether these doctrines of father
hood and brotherhood are attained
by induction or deduction, from
science, reason, or where. That the
Bible as their source and origin is
ignored. A Christian sect should
trace its principles to the Christian
Scriptures.
Article ii. gives no pre-eminence
to the Bible or to the teachings of
our Lord. ANY theist or deist could
subscribe to its statement. The
words of Jesus are not pronounced
to be authoritative.
Article III: Spiritual oneness with
God" is salvation we, are told. But
what is spiritual oneness with God?
Absorption into Deity as the rain
drop is absorbed in the sea, some
would say. Extinction of individu-