The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-02-06

Thus the continent was plunged
into it's period of darkness, strug-
gle and blood. Into this struggle
and carnage, the Romans took the
Christian church. From this con-
flict the church emerged in the six
teenth century, blackened, bruised
and bleeding, torn in twain; one part
in the hands of the descendants of
the old Romans, and the other part
in the possession of the children of
the old German warriors. Pope Leo
x. held one part Luther the other.
We could hardly expect to find the
pure, simple, loving faith of the mer
ciful Christ emerge in its original
beauty and purity from this mael-
strom of twelve centuries of carnage.
So we mus go back of all this strug
gle, back of the pomp of Constan-
tine and the other Roman emperors,
back to the gentle Jewish Greek
fathers who sat at the feet of the
apostles, for true and sympathetic
Interpretation of the words and spirit
of Jesus. So it means much when
DR.. Thomas says: eve accept the
early Greek Interpretation of the
Gospel rather than any of the later
interpretations. The difference is
vital"
Dr. Thomas told us that the early
Christians believed in the love and
Fatherhood of God; the worth and
divinity of man. That Jesus was to
them an elder brother, one nearer
the Father because fuller of the Fa-
theirs spirit; yet near to them, not
ashamed to call them brethren, suf-
fering as they suffered. toiling as
they toiled, dying as they would die
loyal and true to his brethren and
humanity. That his mission was to
reveal the Fathers love and pity by
loving and plying; and thus win the
hearts of the thoughtless and rebel
lious to the Father. This was his
work of reconciliation-not God to
man, but man to God.
These points constituted the full
ness of early Christianity, the Doctor
told us, and he was correct. He also
told us that the ideas of Gods
harshness and unbending power and
supremacy, where Justice and mercy
were in constant conflict, mans
natural worthlessness. Christ's atone
ment whereby the Saviour's right
eousness could be set over against
mans worthlessness, and the eternal
banishment of all who did not have
their worthlessness thus covered-he
told us that these were additions to
the early faith. wrought in to adapt
the system to the later state of socie-
ty All of which is absolutely true.
Of course the Doctor could not stop
| to give historical proof for all he as
serted, and it would seem useless to
demand it of man whose learning
would enable him to tell the truth
and whose honesty would prevent
him telling an untruth. Yet there
are number of superficial people in
Marshalltown, as elsewhere, who pass
the whole matter off lightly and with
sniff of the nose and toss of the head
say, 20 yes. DIR. Thomas is an ad-
vanced thinker: quite too much so
for us who do not agree with him."
as though it were matter of person
al opinion and not fact of history.
(The above words occurred in very
meager report in one of the local
papers.) 1t is question of personal
opinion, for instance, whether blonde
or brunette beauty is most attractive,
and if l formulate an argument in fa-
vor of the brunette you can justly say
that my ideas are too advanced or too
absurd for you to accept, if you dis
agree with me; but if l say that the
brunette style of beauty was the one
prevailing in Palestine and the East
in the time of Christ, that it was the
Jewish type, you have to accept the
statement as fact of history whether
you can accept the brunette or not.
Now what are the historical facts in
the matter in hand?
take you to DIR. Edward Beecher's
remarkable book, and more remarka-
BILE because he was Congregational
ist ga History of the Doctrine of
Scriptural Retribution." l would
recommend to any one wishing a
thorough discussion of this whole
subject, to get that book and read it.
This book was first published in
1878, about the time DR.. Thomas had
his difficulty with the Methodist
church. You remember that he made
special mention of Origen as leader in
the early Christian church. In con-
I