The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-26
The Universalists Now Relatively Con-
sentative.

The Universaists opened their biennial
once proceeded to adopt an amended con-
fession OF faith, or platform Of principles"
Necessarily, they need not differ from the
strictest school of orthodoxy, save in their
speciality OF universal salvation, or in the
words OF their old confession, adopted in
1903, in the final restoration OF 1.-THE whole
family Of mankind to holiness and happi-
ness" or as the declaration adopted on Mon
day expresses it, in 1.-The final harmony of
all souls with GoD;" but practically Of later
years they have been classed among the
religious liberals.
Universalsm was taught by some OF the
very earliest Christian sects and directly
or indirectly accepted and advocated by
certain OF the Christian Fathers. 1t also
appeared prominently in Professionalism
from the very beginning OF the Reforma-
ton. The doctrine has been sustained
also by prominent teachers Of the An
glican Church and by certain Baptists,
Methodsts and Presbyterians, though the
Purtans loathed the idea, 80 that In 1884
JOSEPH GATCHELL was sentenced "to the
pillory and to have his tongue drawn forth
and pierced with hot iron" for having
"discoursed that all men should be saved"
In our American Episcopal Church, however.
universalsm was preached about century
later by a Charleston rector and also by
clergyman Of Norwich. Among the Con-
gregationalsts, too, it found able advocates
at about the same time. The great Univer-
salist preacher, HOSEA BALLoU was orig
;no DO hold 30
ranism until after course OF years he
accepted the Unitarian view, yielding to
tendency which has been general among
Universalists during large part Of the
present century.
Their doctrine Is now re-stated thus in the
declaration adopted at Boston on Monday {:
THE universal fatherhood Of COP.
THE spiritual authority and leadership OF His Son.
JESUS CHRIST,
THE trustworthiness OF the Bible as containing
revelation from GOD.
"a certainty of retribution for sin.
"The anal harmony OF all souls with GoD."
Consistently, therefore, n delegation rep
resentative Of the Unitarlans, headed by
the Rev. DR.. EDWARD EVERETT HALE, was
admitted to the Boston Convention and It
was addressed also by the Rev. DIR. LYMAN
ABBOTT a Congregationalst minister. Both
the doctrine Of everlasting punishment and
other doctrines once deemed essential hav-
ing been abandoned practically by 30 many
nominally orthodox pulpts, there really
seems no reason why the delegations from
orthodoxy should not have been numerous
The declaration that tho Bible contains a
revelation from Con, rather than is such
n revelation, is the teaching Of the Briggs
school, now adopted by the Episcopal Church
through his ordination to its ministry; and
not even in the strictest orthodox denom-
nations is any preachers tongue actually
or metaphorically pierced with red hot iron
for teaching that all men will be saved.
The distinction between the other doctrines
OF the Universalist confession and those
now taught widely in orthodox theological
seminaries is subtle only.
The Universalists as distinct body are
| relatively few in number. or only about