The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-02-06
Universalist Thought.
OUR OWN WRITER'S.
tort Pastorates Detrimental.
the arts of war.
WORCESTER, MASS.

Short Pastorates Detrimental.
Short pastorates prevail. which are
quite as liable to be detrimental to the
minister as to the church. AS rule, it
is not good thing for minister to be
disturbed in his first pastorate inside of
five years. Yet, if | remember correctly,
the figures furnished by the special
committee reporting on this subject to
the Hudson Convention, in $780, showed
that over half Of the pastorates in our
whole ch urch average less than two
years in length. OF course these are not
all of young men, but many of them are;
and if young man makes several
ch anges in the first few years of his min
istry. he is liable to develop restless
disposition that will follow him through
life, or to have his reputation blighted
by the suspicion of fickleness and ineffi
ciency.-Rev. w. @. Sellech.
Our Distinctive Belief.
Universalism is belief in the final uni.
versal triumph of Righteousness. Other
churches profess to believe in the Faith
erhood of God. and so do we; other
churches profess to believe in the BROTH
erhood of man. and so do we; others &C.
cept the spiritual leadership of Jesus,
and so do we; others claim to find sup
port for their faith in Scripture, and so
do we. But while others believe that evil
will persist forever in Gods universe,
that hell will always contain it's rebell-
ious. cursing victims. we trust that the
omnipotence and righteousness and love
that created all souls will not permit any
to wallow forever in the mire of wicked
ness, but will in Gods own good time
and way clean up even the darkest and
remotest corners of perdition, and ee-
tablish perfect reign of holiness and
peace in the heavens and on the earth.
Req. Carl F. Henry.
Mr.. Moody on 1.-THE Blood"
Mr.. Moody in one of his published SER
mons tells us that conductor in the rail-
way train does not ask passenger what
his character is. but he wants the ticket
and il the passenger has it. that takes
him to his destination; and so he says if
man has the blood of Christ upon him
it secures his journey to heaven. But
what superfciality of view is this! If
the man have hell in his heart he may
travel through the universe and not find
heaven. A man with an evil thought is
universal prison. Gowhere he will he
takes his prison with him. II he should
go to "heaven" he would take his hell
with him. The Universalist Church is
set to the task of disclosing and building
up this divine condition within the life
of the people. And SO verifying the
words of Jesus: Neither shall they say
10 here nor 10 there, for behold the
kingdom of God is within you."-E. L.
Reeford, ID.
The Difficult Industrial Problem. :
The industrial problem, with which
per force every church in an industrial
city is brought into contact, is the great
est. most difficult problem of the age. 1t
must be evident to every candid obser-
yer that present industrial conditions,
even in prosperous times, are very bad,
and require some radical re-adiustment
to make them conform to Christian COM
mon sense. Denunciation of any class
of society, whether employers or en-
ployed, is neither just nor useful. The
seat of the trouble is neither in the op-
preston of employers, nor in the un-
reasonableness of the employed. nor in
the common human selfishn6 80 which is
the root of both. 1t is rather in the lack
Of proper adjustment in the industrial
fabric. Industrial changes have been
SO rapid and so profound during the
present century-from the stage-coaeh
to the Empire State Express is a fair
type-that we have not had time to
think out and apply the necessary re.
adjustments. The problem is very com.
plex. and no one has yet been wise
enough to point out the full solution of
it. Indeed, the full solution will not
come from any one source, but will be
the final result of the combined thought
and effort of many thinkers and work
ers.-Rev. f. L. HoNghtOn.