The Portland daily press., 1901-02-18
WHAT is UNIvERsALIsMs


The musical eeloctiOns Tor organ anu Il
choir at Congress Square church, yester-
day morning, were all taken from the
words OF Mr George W. Marston. 10 |
this extent, therefore, and In the prayer,
the services were In memory OF that nobls |
man. He was organist Of the churon
from 1856 to 1868, again from 1871 TO 1870 |
and again from 1887 TO 1883 Inc music
for the choir hymn was probably tire iase
nuslo written by him. It was oomposeu
last autumn.
AZ ureviousiy announced from the pull
MS. Dir blanchard preached on what
Is IJniversalism.' The texts were taken |
from Komans XI-s6-I Timothy, IL, Bird
ana 9TH and John XII-S3. "For OF him
and through him and to h.m are all |
things--to whom be glory forever. Amen.
God, our Saviour who Will have an men
TO he saved and to coma unto the knowl-
edge of the truth. And l, II be lifted
IN rr3m the earth, will draw all men
unto me. = DR.. blanchard began by say
ing--In venerable ana stately Westmin-
ster Abbey, In 1879, Canon Wilberforcs.
one of the most distinguished ministers
| of the Church OF England, declared In
bis sermon on MANS Free VIII and
GODS Predesfined PURPOSE" that every
man is predestined TO be conformed to
the image OF Christ" Canon Farrar,
| from that same pulpit, had announced
his "Etsrnal Hone.'' From ct ernal hope,
Canon WiIberforce has passed to eternal
conviction. HIS words are-"While the
whole time the vast irresistible will In
frat causes, like the wheeling planet. is
sweep,ng on in its ma1ectic course
which can never fail, inasmuch as every
man Is predestined to he oonformed 10
the image of Christ
1t Ia refreshing to hear this Universal
ism from Westminster Abbey. Evidently
the preacher did not think his doctrine
dangerous or daminaDie. New ooca-
sion teach new duties, said james
Russell Lowell. DR. Blanchard SAID he
did not like controversy. But recen
ooc cssion compelled him to speak. lie
had supposed that Univeraalism was
understood. lie had, however, been
greatly surprise to learn tnat some per-
sons believe Universalism meant thst
IL did not matter what a man would DO !;
all would come out right there was no
he'll. These uetnsrs of UniveTealism assert
s.outly that this dangerous and
damnapIe doctrine is not confined to the
Universalist denomination. 1t is In all
denominations 1t is to condemned
wherever found. He was amazed at this
ignorance OF what Univsrsalism is. lie
would give definition. Universalism is
the belief that, under the influence OF the
means adjusted TO reach the end which
have been ordained by God, all men will
finally become holy and happy. Univer-
saIists believe that God Is the Infinite
Love, the Infinite Wisdom, the Infinite
Pover--the Sovereign Of tho Universe
What he wills Will be accomplished. The
means ara punis hments, rewards, the In :
fiuenoe OF great souls, land, above all,
the influence of Jesus Christ. Dr.
Bla nchard fully illustrated these points.
He then showed the emphasis whinn
Universalism puts unon mans account
ability for the use of privileges and power
the inevitahility OF punishment--its
long continuance here or hereafter Till Its
object, reformation, is accomplished.
Men are not absolutely tree, but they are
free elough to be accountable God alone
can Judge how they have ussd privileges
t and powers. Unlversaiism insists that
there can be no escape from punishment
AS a man sowE, SO shall he reap The
various forms OF the Atonement which
j teach that the punishment Is removed
from the sinner because some one else
has suffered Is immoral--is dangerous
! is damnable which only means TO De con-
demned He had told dying man that,
as n Universalist minister, ne could only
warn him that he would suffer punish
ment in the other world. 81 wish TO be
punished, - was the manly answer. "But
; your punishment Will be to make yor
I BETTER he was told. That assurance
made the sinner glad and ready to &C
hence and receive all the punishment be
deserved.
Or. Blanchard then exures sed his viii
ingnsss and desire that the lives OF Uni
, versalists should be compared with th'
lives OF those who professed another faith
"By their fruits shall ye know them. =
There were indeed persons who called
themselves Universalists, but were not.
!. The lives of real UnivsrsaIists VIII beai
Il compartso n with those OF other sects. III
pleaded, also, for study OF Universalism
:. Its history can be known. The faith o
. the early ohurch--the faith of origen
greatest OF the early scholarship fait
= OF Erskine and Browning and Emersol
= and Whittier and Lowell-the faith q
the most educated and most spiritual II
!, all the chu rches today, IL deserves stud
and it will win respect and reverence.
- In conclusion. Dr. blanchard said
let us hear Paul and Jesus. Som
,f scho lars believe Paul taught that mai
y has no natural immortality-that he be
' comes immortal only as he become
alive in Christ. There are many passage
that substantial to that opinion. Blu
Dean Farrar thinks Paul was a Univei
saIlst. And surely one who says: "A