The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-09-20
uNTHERSArTsT LEAKEN.

UNIVERSALTST LEATEN.
 The Universalists of the State have just closed their seventy-hfth annual convention. While not large religious body it cannot be said that they have not had an exceedingly helpful influ- ence in the world. Among several early preachers and founders of this denom- ination, Rev. Hosea Ballou stands forth conspicuously. Ills work, "A Treatise on Atonement" gave a sub stantial basis to the faith of the Uni- versalist body. As a convert from the Calvinistic BaptIsts 1t was quite natur- al that he should think more hopefully of the human race and it's capacity to become something than he had been taught under his previous church en- vironment. Universallsm, as is also the fact with Unitarianism, is protest against the excessive doctrinal thought preached hundred and fifty years ago
 The distinguishing belief of Univer- salism is that God will complete the work which He set out to do In saving the race. It Is lnconceivable that He will deliberately permit the greater portion of the race to be wrested from Him and consigned to everlasting tor ment. This thought does not seem to the Universallst to be cheerful one to contemplate, nor can he see how It is a message of glad tidings of great joy as the gospel. For a small part of the race to be selected as special re- cipients of Gods goodness does not ap- pear to be Q complete triumph of right eousness. As long as Gods mercy and love endure, and the Scriptures de- clare that His mercy endureth for ever," there win be opportunity al- ways to accept that mercy. It is tho teaching of the Larger hope" which has been enlarged upon in recent years by writers of other religious bodies, notably Canon Farrar of the Church of England.
 If the Universallst is regarded by others as gone astray for taking a cheerful and hopeful view of the des- tiny of the race and believing that God is able to conquer all evil and will surely do so, he is to be pardoned for his optimism, for there is nothing the world stands more in need of than cheerfulness, noble hopes and a strong faith in God to complete Ills work.
 If it is pointed out that statistics show that the membership of the Uni versalist body is small and almost insignificant beside the great figures of the large denominations the Univer- salist very likely will say that statis- tics can never save anybody. The Uni versalist denomination would be larger if it were to include in its figuring the Universalists in other denominations. While holding formally to their histor- ically wrought creeds many in the membership, and not few clergymen hold liberal ideas that have been set in motion by Universalists and Unitar- ians It would seem evident then that this small denomination has a mission and has been accomplishing consider able not shown in statistics. The min- ister who now breaches the terrorizing and hopeless doctrine of a hundred and fifty years ago is a rare person who has not kept pace with growing ideas and has never heard of Yale University. aial.
 How far the liberalizing influence of these small denominations has gone will doubtless be shown at the fourth international council of liberal re- ligious thinkers and workers which begins it's sessions next Sunday in Bos- ton and lasts for the week, Distin- guished visitors from other countries will be present and be given a recep- ton in the State capitol It is signifi- cant that in the long list of honorary vice-presidents many names o1