The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-09-11
THE VERIFIOATION OF TRUTH.
BY REV. f. F. BUCKNER.

Now the vain and faithless teach
ers have long supposed that the end
| less falsehoods constituted religion.
Aud many real Christians, endowed
with good qualities have nearly wor-
ried their souls out of their bodies
fearing the whole kingdom of God
might collapse beneath the increas-
ing weight of truth. He'll and tar
tarus and hades and trinities do not
constitute religion at all. Way back
in a distant age these things got
mixed up with religion pure and
simple in a most natural and honest
way. Men became tangled because
they had not sufficient truth to guide
them, and had we lived then we
would have been as bad off as they.
They had truth also in those distant
times, and what truth fell to their
lot has not been lost. There has
been creed in all ages which has
changed little. 1t consisted of these
necessary and universal facts which
are revealed to man through his in
buttons. The words of Christ live
because they suggest themselves as
true of us in all the circumstances of
life.
The creed of the future must be
the creed of experience. Not what |
believe, but what can | experience,
that shall be the test. No man can
contradict that which is enacted upon
the stage of his own soul. Herein
the Bible became the famous book
of the world. 1t is a record of human
experience. The beauty of a psalm
is that it has been conceived; and
sung by someone like ourselves,
whose soul was touched by deep
emotions, and whose words were ami
mated by glowing thoughts. The
value of Christianity arises from the
fact that Christ lived, was tempted,
| that he resisted and was victorious,
that his life was full of sympathy
and tender love for God. His words
grew out of the rich life be had lived,
and the world knows that he is true
Savior and mighty prophet, not be-
cause his soul was the ocean Of divin-
ity, but be cause he was the perfect
type of glorified and resplendent hui
manity.
The message that fills our hearts is
formed of the words which tell us
that Christ lived and thought, we may
live and think. We are told that we
shall be like him. That's the reward,
that is the vision of hope which does
not vanish from the Christian mind.
Some desire to be assured of their
personal salvation; they desire assur-
ance that they will not be banished
to the gloom Of eternal hell Christ
to them is one who stands between
them and their superstitious fears.
Nothing could less deserve the name
of Christianity, nothing could be
more impractical, nothing could keep
us farther from the kingdom of
Christian experience. | hold it true
that there is not a single word or doc
trine uttered by Christ, and necessary
for our salvation, but may be abso-
lutely verified in our experience to-
day. That which cannot be verified
in human experience is speculative,
and no church, priest or pope has any
right to impose as a burden upon the
conscience. So every misfortune and
pain which can load the life with
agony and remorse may be likewise
verified, and that which can not be
verified by experience, | can not be
justified in asking my brother to &C
cept. Life consists not in believing,
but in actual being. II you are good
| must accept it as your belief in
goodness. If you are doing those
things which Christ did, you believe
in Christ, for your life is the declara
ton of your principles.
In reading the New Testament it
occurs to us that Jesus was always
giving himself to people, not in ser
vice only, but in something deeper.
He let them fell his heart throbs
know his thoughts, see his soul. So
he touched men with his hands and
they felt his rich presence. He kept
from them nothing of himself but
gave them all. They saw that he did
not pretend to love them, but that he
did love them with all his soul; they
saw that his reverence for God was
not formal, but an administering rev.
erence which took the form of the
very deepest love and tenderness.
He assured them as he lived all men
might live. 1t is more of this that we
need in the world today to give relig-
ion real power for good. We need
more in our churches who love God
with the deep and devout energy of