Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-19


gambling on outs ard calls. The COM
pany was cahitalized at $5,000,000. Its
liabilities are declared TO be $1,000, 900.
UNITARIAN BELIEF.
Miss Stafford, Of Des Moines, Tells Why
Unitarians Should Build Churches.
Miss Mary A. Stafford, of Des Moines,
pastor of Unity church, made an earn
est appeal for assistance Sunday, to
further the erecting Of the new Unita-
rian church wl1icl. it is proposed to
build in that city.
"We are about to erect new church
building" said Miss Stafford. I'VE ask
the moral support, the practical sym
pathy, the financial help of all who be-
lieve that character is the supreme
thing in religion. For this reason we
should clearly set forth our principles
and aim as religious organization.
What do we mean by the church? For
what does it exist? In our thought the
church is society for the promotion
of goodness. This is another way of
saying that it exists to promote relig-
ion and morality. These two cannot
be separated in human life. Neither is
enlightened and fervent, without the
other. For religion finds its highest
expression in pure and upright living,
while morality draws it's inspiration
from love of truth and goodness-real
love of God.
All Things Work Together.
"Said Jesus: 4 am come that they
might have life and that they might
have 1t more abundantly.' Prof. Fiske
declares that from the first dawning
of life we see all things working to-
gether for the evolution of the most
exalted spiritual qualities which char
acterize humanity Life, larger, freer,
richer life-this has been the goal jof
evolution through countless centuries,
this should be the aim of the chufch
we are striving to build.
Need Of Organization.
"Is there any intelligent, thoughtful
person who questions the need of such
an organization? Life is SO petty, so
poor, so mean when it might be rich
and full and free. Is it not, at once,
our privilege and our duty as children
of God to strive to make things better?
And in this age of organization can we
Justly hope to accomplish the best re-
suits without united effort? We are
striving to build church that will
help men and women to obey the di-
vine will inherent in the music of the
higher life. For forms, and creeds,
and rituals, we care only as they may
serve to quicken reverent thought and
feeling, but to the eternal power of
truth, and love and righteousness, we
would consecrate our lives.
"By and through united effort, we
would incarnate more and more of the
divine in the human.
"Innumerable are the organizations
that contribute to this end, but the
church alone makes it supreme.
Because the we'll being, the safety
of the individual and of society depend
on the cultivation and the growth of
the higher life of the soul, by our wor-
ship, our teaching and our work, we
would make it easier to do the right
and harder to do the wrong. In a
word, the aim of the church we are
striving to build is to make human
beings realize their divinity.
THAT they may do this, they must
be free to think and to follow where
truth leads the way; they must not
refuse to fellowship with those who
honestly differ with them in Belief
they must realize that noble character
is the crown of being and must strive
to be of service to one another.
Stand for Principles.
Therefore, we stand for the great
principles of freedom, fellowship, char
acter and service in religion.
SIN the church we are striving to
build, no doctrine is made test Of
fellowship, but we welcome all who
are drawn to us through sympathy
with our principles and purpose.
Holding, In accordance with the
teaching of Jesus, that practical reli-
gion is summed up in love to God and
love to man, we erect no credal bar
riers between ourselves and other chill
dren of the Father. Yet, while max
ing no doctrine test of fellowship,
we recognize the great Importance Of
enlightened views in ethics and reli-
gion and would have men and women
use God-given reason in an earnest,
reverent search for truth, testing all
things, holding fast that which is good,
The members of the church we ara
| oIllRIn5 W uuiiu Will uoI ulNoASO ASAA-
gion from business, faith from works,
but by their daily living will commend
the gospel they. profess to all with
whom they come in contact.
"They will have that courage, hope
and trust which make human souls
more sure that life is worth the living
and death is worth the dying, because
in life, in death, Eternal Love enfolds
us and leads the way to ever increas.
ing blessedness,"
c. r. 1. &. p, Low Rate Excursions
on February 16 and March 1 and Is.
the "Rock Island" will have on sale
one way tickets to the southwest al
the lowest rates ever offered. Rate
from Ottumwa $1,000 to all points il
! Oklahoma and Indian Territories and
$11.50 to Galveston. Houston, Dallas
San Antonio, etc. Also low round trii
rates on the same days. For few pak
ticulars call on or address.
w. L. Parker, Ticket Agt.
Union Depot.