The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-23

3:
Every pew was filled at the Church
of the Redeemer at both the morning
and evening services of the general
convention Of Universalists yesterday.
Beautiful special music was given at
each service.c,9rs. - 55~s... --
The feature of the day was the Soc
casional sermon" preached by Rev. F.
w. Belts, DID,, of Syracuse, n. Y: He
based his sermon on JOB, XIX 1870,
and Romans j., II. If ':the Universal
list church should die tomorrow, he as
serted, it's influence would abide for
ever in the consciousness of Christen-
dom. The fathers of the church We're
prophetic; they saw the invisible. upon
the mountaintop of human history they
published peace, brought good tldllngs
Of great joy and proclaimed the saliva
ton Of the world. Their message can
| not die if progress does not fail.
There are certain truths upon which
! all may rest in confidence: One Of these
| u.s. that if Christian faith abides, if
moral and spiritual progress go on in.
an orderly way, the moral conscious
ness Of humanity will see to1it athat mo
new and nob1er Thought is lost: If faith
| can fix in human consciousness a deep
sense of the moral law, of God, of i'm
mortality, the growing sense OF man
Will clear GueSo SIedL CuOuSuIS VI VnoAi
| last remnants of brutality or barbarity.
Questions Which Lie Deeper.
But while planning the future of
| church doctrine and faith, questions
neglected. While the church is debat-
ing the question of heaven and hell,
millions are wondering if there is any
heaven or hell While we are insisting
on the salvation Of all human souls,
millions are wondering if there are any
souls. While we draw fine arguments
Fabout human responsibility to, God, mil
outside Of the average Of human ex-
|perience: While theology debates
whether God is the Father Of all men
or only those who believe, humanity
outside of the sects, is troubled tc
know. if there is any God, the Father
of anybody.
! The church was never doing it's work
better than at present. With all its
mistakes, the Christian church is thu
one worldwide institution whose funda
mental purpose is to do good, help mel
and teach righteousness. Yet there is
great danger, in that the church may b,
lulled into a sense of false security, &C
e. cept philanthropy and culture as sub
g stitute for vital faith, and dream tina
IL Gan SlodI us snip IoreVer WlCHOu
e anchorage in73God. s,@*~.* s--.e. -: .
n Looking forward, therefore, /. towar,
that future where lies the unwritte
d history Of religion, we may anticipat
3 certain qualities of that form. of fait
n which will flourish. It must be il
II elusive in it's phil osophy, Of history. l
l. must be universal in it's interpretatio
of Gods dealings with humanity. !
7, must be. prophetic. 1t must open tn
of rocc,hi1i41y l.
n ward the forever. It must build on tn
It unfolding ethical ideals of mankind
Is must square itself with the moral col
% victions and anticipations of the rae
It must rest in great automatic inte
,e leetual certainties Of the divine RICH
lie eousness and love. ~
r THIS Is Not Enough.
ze i But this is not enough. It is Il
- skeleton of the man Of God which y
III: must clothe with flesh and blood. B
o, hind all this splendid program of re-
e. gion must be the vitality and energy
those in whom it is living thin
= This seed of truth must be sown in Il
deep soil of great souls We mu
have an experience of religion. v
: must have. as acute, real, masterful
consciousness of it as the crude folio
III ers of Wycliffe and John Wesley ha
,s we must, we nuSC harmonic som
Us where in our souls those magnifce
W truths which our theology contain
3 . with as simple, humble, holy sense
u God as that servant girl had when S
ne said she knew God would care for h,
- For one plain soul with that breath
on the divine spirit in her has master
I'll the philosophy Of religions as compar
n nS with a learned priest or philosoph
~ ~. who has not learned of the SOULS abs
- lutte trust in God. $780,, 49,,
III! Here then, lies our path. and he
~ lies also our supreme problem as
~ church. "Back to Christi theolo
~. cries. "Back to -realitv'' is a fartl
cry and profounder need. :. -
ha At the evening service, Rev. Will:
ne ne Perkins Of Chicago spoke on @EOur. II
u! Ie illogical Progress,' historical disc,
- !; sion Of the Universalist church and
u summary of ITniversa1ist he1iefs