The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1907-05-23

spoken OF as not amounting to much,
and that 1t soon passed u OF sight.
Does DR.. Hall not know that at one
time Arianism held sway over the
greater part OF the Christian world?
Can he be ignorant Of the fact that in
the fourth century, when the Arian
heresy was being settled" by
ellis OF the church, thirteen of these
councils decided against the Arians
and fifteen in favor OF them, while
seventeen decisions were given in
favor ofthe semi-Arians. All students
OF history know this, and n still more
important historical fact that the
final decision against the Ariaus at
the council Of Nicaea was due to the
political influence of 1.-THE pious Prince
Constantine" crafty politician and
murderer, who issued an edict practi-
cally condemning to death all Arian
heretics. This should be taken into
aCcount when considering the sta
bility OF the form Of Christianity based
on the decision of the council OF
NiCaea.
Now, as regards the Failure Of the
| nltarlanS 70 make good in the nine
teenth century, and their numerical
strength as compared with the orthO-
dox CongregatiOnalists, MethOdists,
Baptlsts and other seCts, il Is we'll to
remember that Nnitarianism has
always welcomed free thought. 1t
has held no terror Of hell to brighten
the superstitious. 1t has welded no
authority over its adherents so that it
could whip them in line with accusa-
tons OF heresy and threat OF exCom-
muniCatlOn. Ii has, in short, not
attempted TO build up an organization
based on sectarian lines, but rather to
serve as a leaven for the development
OF profounder religious thought,
higher ideals Of life, and a broader,
nobler view OF the world. In these
respects, nobly aided BY its ally
tnlversalism, now practically the
same in thought, C~nitarianism has
made good i'll q tremendous manner.
Always in advance in thought, it has
seen its ideas gradually picked up by
the brighter men in the orthodox
churches, so that today in the Metho-
dist church alone, among the better
educated members. there are more
[ nitarians, in thought, than there are
in the Unitarian church itself. The
same is true OF the Congregational
church and the other progressive
churches. In BroOkings the number
OF people holding substantially Uni
tartan views is by no means small.
DR.. Hall quoted a number Of hymns
to sustain his argument g. to the
deity OF Jesus. On looking over q
Methodist hymnal find q number of
| nitarian hymns which must be free
from faint, and whose authors, while
OF course, are ''small," according to
DR.. Hall, are among the best hymn
writers OF the world. For example,:
Nearer my God to Thee" ''While
Thee ! seek, Protecting Power MY
Country, It's Of Thee" "Holy Spirit,
tarisns.
failed to remember that Daniel
being an attendant and pew owner at
Brattle Street Cnitarian Church in
Boston for some thirty years.
Space does not permit the enumera-
ton Of eminent Unitarians, these
"smalP' people, such as Benjamin
Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Charles
Summer, Whittier, Longfellow,
Holmes, Bryant, Lowell, Emerson,
AL w "a iACNNJ ANDoAi - -NLltAOhS :
Charles W. Eliot, Robt. W. Latollette
and a host OF others, 1t has been
estimated that in proportion to its
numbers Unitarianism has produced
more than two hundred times as
many OF the worlds great men as any
other faith.
Il stands for Deeds, not Dogmas;
Character, not Creeds. In substance
the faith held by US is: The Father
hood OF God, the Brotherhood OF
Man, the Leadership of Jesus, Saliva
ton by Character, the Progress of
Mankind, onward and upward forever.
We welcome all who find an inspira-
ton in these principles, without ask
ing assent to any creed, and we feel
that such an institution must needs
appeal to thoughtful people who have
advanced" in their religious think
ing to the point where they have out
grown the older ideas, even at the risk
OF being considered "small' by the
Doctor OF Divinity.
j. q. PARSONS, NJ. ID.