The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-11-20

DAs uiuSb Aoouss DelOEe CLOSE. nave
something to cay of Theology-of mans
thought of God, and of his relations to
him and to mankind: concerning the ma
ture and extent of salvation, especially.
PROGRESSIVE FAITH.
In my youth the dominant faith of
the Protes tsnt churches was Calvinis.
tic: not merely in relation to the sover.
eighty of God, to which / have already
affirmed my adherence, but also in par.
ticular5 abhorrent to reason and broth.
erly kindness. And although the
Methodist churches vigorously arraigned
the Calvinistic philosophy, they alike
held to the divided destination OF man.
kind. the one part to endless heaven,
the other to endless doom. The univer-
sal Fatherhood was ignored alike by
nearly or quite all so-calIed evangelical
churches. Instead of the Father the
people beheld the awful Judge, and the
executioner of 9oom. The churches
often pictured the Internal horrors in
such tones and colors as to frighten nerv-
GUS hearers into madness. Should any
of the members have denied the WORTH.
ness Of such views of Gods providence,
they we're denounced and incontinently
accommodated; and no one who could
not accept the current baleful creeds
was admitted to the fellowship of their
adherents. The relatively very few Uni
versalist preachers of the time nightly
combated the Calvinistic view, and the
Arminian; as we'll as the Arminio- Cal
vinism into which some congregations
were led under the leadership of DR.. Ly-
man Beecher. The result was contro.
versy, waged most earnestly, with re-
suits. A liberation of Universalists
in so called evangelical churches
in time eneued, the preaching of the
awful judgment and sentence was
toned down, and gradually the churches
became very pleasant resting places for
such Universalists as were con tent to
dwell therein, with an uneatisfyirg
but not offensive Gospel. A further re-
suit is that old Uuiversalist interpreta.
tions have often been foun satisfactory
by orthodox students of the record, and
the Universalist philosophy has been
warmly accepted by many in the popular
churches. The new interpreters are not
far from the kingdom but are not there.
| am tempted, as an illustration of pro-
gress. to quote DR.. Lyman Abbott, the
a.
mon which has fallen under my eye
while preparing this discourse. He
was especially addressing fifteen per-
cons who were present for admission TO
church fellowship.
CONGREGATIONAL UNIvERsALIsM.
"lf ever :. it seems TO you that
sin is victorious, and that ambition and
pride and Rvarice and hate are trium-
plant, if it seems to you that evil ia surg
ing over the world and conquering the
world; it it seems to you that sin and
death are getting the mastery, then come
back to this declaration, of the text, God
is Love-, and that other declaration,
Where sin doth abound there grace shall
much more abound God is not to be
conquered; He is coming.
and TO conquer. Aud If in this little life
of ours he sometimes seems TO be van
pushed, we need not despair, for he has
all eternity to work in. The mercy of
God ,ntlureth forever. So as you look
ort uprn this life. with its enigma. it's
sorrow, its sin. and it's strife, look out
also upon another where the mercy of
God goes on forever and ever. When at
last that mercy has accomplished it's
purpose. this is the congregation that
will sing the song: And every creature
which is in heaven. ard on the
EARTH and under the earth, and
such ae are in the sea, and all that are
in them, heard | saying, Blessing and
honor and glory and power be unto him
that stitch upon the throne, and unto
the lamb forever and ever.
THE FLY IN THE AMBER.
Most heartily | say. Amen! 1t recalls
the glowing strains of Murray, and
Ballou. and Chaplin, and Miner, and
Sawyer. And reading only thus far who
shall say that Doctor Abbott is not
Universalist, though he says nay We
go little further on: "Thet at the laet
some lips may be sealed IN eternal
silence is possible; that any will DE vocal
in blasphemy and hate impossible DR..
Abbott is too amiable not to recoil in
horror at the thought of endless doom
even for any OF Gods most rebellious
children. And he falls back upon the
theory of the endless unconeciousness of
such. Here is the worm. immured in
the precious amber. The Doctors faith
in Gods conquering power covers-only
those He succeeds in conqusring! There
will. after all. Eat the last" be some
souls He cannot vanquish. Some souls
will be silent because the love Of God is
not wise enough or not influential enough
to win them to love and praise--to sing
the song of universal glory and Joy!
And yet he goes on to cay: "If Goa is
Love and God is going to co quer. Love
is going to conquer; and when Love con-
quers the universe will be tropical, and
the kingdoms, not of this world only.
but Of all worlds, will be the Kingdoms
of our Lord and OF His Christ" And
DR.. Abbott welco ed Hi new Disciples
ito the Love that knows no ending, to
the patience that cannot be worn out,
to the fidelity that cannot be destroyed
by any intidelity on their part, to the
Love that is resolved that all Ills chill.
dren shall love Him, Love that cannot
L. Il.