Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-02
RELIGIOUS VIEWS
OF ". {. CHI MING
Led Henry Drummond to Become
Believer on a Supreme
Being.
PRONOUNCED DEPARTURES.
Left Frequented Paths in Quest of
Something Else Than
Hypocrisy.

Rev. William Thurstou Brown
preached az the Unitarian church yes
terday morning, his discourse being
devoted to "a recital Of the teachings
OF William Enery Claiming. ln the
course OF his remarks Ar Bro-a said:
About 40 years ago "a young Scotch.
man. whose name and influence were
destined 20 be widely known for good
on two continents. was beginning his
studies IA one Of the universities OF
his native country. He was born and
reared in the religious atmosphere OF
the Presbyterian church-all that that
faith could do for any young man It
had done for him He tells us that the
time came when he could no longer be-
lievc in the God of MS church
IN that state OF mind, this young
man discovered the writings OF an
American preacher whose faith did not
rest upon the worthless foundations of
am untenable theory Of the universe.
The result was the inspiration ot this
young man with n new ana satisfying
belief in God. The young Scotchman
was Henry Drummond. the author OF
The Greatest Thing I'm the World and
other addresses which have been pub
lishcd in the language OF every civilized
nation on the earth. and tho author
was william Ellery Claiming, one Of
the pioneers Of liberal faith In this
country.
Says Mr.. Drummond: Before I read
Claiming / doubted whether there was
a God: AZ least / would rather have
| believed that there was no God. After
becoming acquainted with Claiming,
hatU4tH..H HaffN hnlinrn that fhoTn
was O. God. and ! was glad 90 believe
in Him. for ] felt drawn 20 the good
and gracious Sovereign Of all things.
No finer tribute can bc paid by one
man TO another than This. especially 10
a man whose calling Is that Of min
lister Of religion.
AWAY FROM ORTHODOXY.
william Ellery Claiming was one
Of the pioneers IN the search for an
adequate religious faith. Claiming
when young saw that men wena pW.ach-
ing what they did not themselves be-
licvc--a custom which does not seem Go
have died out yet The result was
widespread hypocrisy. From an early
moment his own career became an hon
est search for an adequate religious
faith The movement away from ortho-
doNy was inevitably a movement away
from a system of belief which makes
world. Inevitably. the essence OF re-
ligion for Claiming grew TO be the
immediate concerns Of life IN TINS
world. Tho older theology had cN-
plaii the life Of Jesus purely on the
ground that He was the only begotten
son OF God of one substance with the
Father. and so sharing the moral task
of God. When Claiming affirmed the
equal sonship OF God Of every human
sOul-not the equal moral virtue, but
the same rUation 90 God-he was
bound 70 affirm the same moral task for
every man as for Jesus.
a SOCIAL REFORMER.
ct was the logic Of his religious
faith that he should become a social re-
former. As such he IS quite as widely
known in New England, as In the char
acter OF a preacher Religion for him
included all that can touch or affect
the lives OF men. 1t is no eXaggcration
TO say that he was the foremost poll
teal reformer In the church Of America
I'm his time When the war Of 1872
broke out he denounced IL as uncalled
for and unnecessary. He resented the
idea that any citizen should not be free
20 criticize the political policy Of his
nation at any time. Ana while never
sympathizing with the violent language
OF the aholitionists, he never lost an
opportunity OF defending them against
the attacks Of those who would have
limited freedom Of speech or OF the
press
There was complaint I'm his congra-
cation, which was composed Of the
wealthy and aristocratic families OF
Boston. that he did not preach personal
religion enough. but preached the need
Of social reformation.
"The cry Is. he wrote en- 1885. chat
property Is insecure. law q rope Of sand.
- d.. Don
present evll--the evil OF that worship
Of property which stiles an noble senti-
ments, and makes men propcrty-tnis.
nobody sees. the appearances OF ap-
preaching commissions Of property
these shake the nerves Of men who
are willing that moral evils should be
perpetuated 10 the end az tino, prOyid-
ed their treasures be untouched"
The social-industrial status was FOR
him frankly impossible. important
changes must take place IN the labor
ing classes" said he they must share
more largely In the fruits Of their toll
and in means Of Improvement. ] ~ a
leveler, but I would accomplish my OBJ
Ject by elevating the low, by raising
from "a degrading Indulgence and brutal
Ignorance tn laboring multitude"
The meaning ~ Channing's life and
development is as clear as sunlight. and
10 is this-that liberal faith Is "a mis-
homer end has no excuse FOR being, n
% does not unfold into the broadest
and most inclusive social faith. II Is
faith which demands new social
order. which f0rbids men over 20 think
or believe that any social order o. tOl-
cradle which docs not grow out OF tho
moral necessities OF the human soul.
and not out OF the immoral necessity
Of exploitation OF man by his follow
man. The religion 81 liberalism A. the
religion or those who arc nndlng
the fulnlment ~ their deepest moral me-
cessity in the cearaless struggle f1r the
highest ana noblest form OF human as-