Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-29
CHURCH NEEDS NEW
SPIRIT, SAYS PASTOR
POPULAR MINISTER breaches
FAREWELL SERMON
Rev. Burt Estes Howard VIII Soon
Leave to Take Up New Work as
Professor at Stanford
University

the First Unitarian church, preacneo
his farewell sermon at that church
yesterday previous to going sosa 70
sorship.
DR.. Howard has been one of the
popular pastors Of this city and large
congregation attended his farewell
service yesterday morning. He said IN
part:
"Three years ago, on taking UP the
work of q minister to this congrega-
ton, | spoke on the demands OF mod
ern life upon Unitarianism. Past ex-
perience has deepened the convictions
then expressed and has intensified the
feelings then held, that the Unitarian
church Is called today to the most i'm
portant task laid upon any religious
denomination. Whether the church
shall be equal to its opportunity;
whether 1t shall evidence that loyalty
to larger ideals: that devotion to prin-
ciples rather than to persons; that ad-
herence to the truth more than to ira
ditions: that fearless championship of
freedom of research which is the sole
guarantee of reasonableness in religion,
and that esprit du corps which gives
power to it's utterances and its acts,
Is the grave question that now faces us.
.It is commonplace to say that the
present age is characterized by a
steady movement away from old faiths
and forms in all departments OF
thought and in all spheres Of life.
whether for good or for evil.
Thoughts of Men Widened
1.-THE thoughts of men are widened
with the process of the suns. There is
no stopping the onward march OF
things. 1t may be guided. 1t cannot
be arrested. But this very unfolding
of the human mind, this freeing of the
hftys ri OF a
goes to the roots of Unitarianism. For
Unitarianism itself cannot expect to
escape the rigid application of those
criteria which 1t has demanded as tests
and forms in it's religious thinking.
with all other institutions that
struggle for q place in the world must
Unitarianism also appear at the bar of
public opinion to justify its right to be.
For Unitarianism, as well as for all
other isms' this is day of judgment.
There is no escape, no nolle prosequi,
and there should be none. Unitarian
ism has no more right to cuEiber the
earth than any other ISM 1t must
answer to the very spirit of searching
criticism which 1t has itself conjured
up from earth and heaven. Unitarian-
ism must make good or get off the
earth.
"Unitarianism has opposed stead
fastly and consistently the impossible
metaphysic and mathematics of the
trinitarian schhool. 1t has stood reso-
lutely against a multitude of things in
the so-called orthodox creeds which no
logical mind could believe, because In
credible and against the large number
of things which. though credible. per-
haps no sane man ought to believe. In
this it has rendered the world good
service.
Not Its Goal
"But this is not the goal of Unitar-
ianism. Not to this end was 1t born,
nor for this cause did 1t come into the
world. Unitarianism Ia not exhausted
in remonstrance. Its work is not ac-
complished by dogmatic protest and
denial. If Unitarianism is a mere de-
batting society, If 1t can set forth no
claim for place In tho sun except a
string Of syllogisims and volume or two
of argument, 1t can scarcely justify its
existencesto a world of practical men.
AS the liberal spirit spreads 1t becomes
a fighter of theological windmills. 1t
ote, a. fighter of theological windmills.
It Is not worth while.
"Unitaranism has right to live, not
as the negation of an outworn meta
physic, but as the exemplihcation of a
positive and practical ethfc. To combat
old creedS Is the least of its tasks If
indeed 1t be its task at all. To criticise
by creation, to demonstrate in its own
pure, high living the celestial possible
ity of the human soul, to lead men to
divine heights of thought and action
this is It's sacred mission. If there be
not in Unitarianism positive residuum
of spiritual truth at the heart Of 1t,
after eliminating the unessential and
incredible. If there be not a great tap
root of moral affirmation which beds
itself in the eternal verities, then 1t de-
generates into a species Of hypocrisy
and moral impotence worse than that
against which 1t has revolted.
Needs New Spirit
1.-THE world has no need of a new
church, but 1t does need a new spirit,
quickening spirit in the heart of the
old. 1t is prophets the age cries for.
We have too many preachers. Our
times are affected with the creeping
palsy of ecclesiasticalism of organized
cant, hypocrisy and greed. The call of
today is for dynamic religion, re-
ligion that Is not content with the
mere conventionalities of dilettante
worship or with the puttering puerilities
of ecclesiastical propriety.
with these words my ministry
among you draws to a close, though I
shall still remain with you for several
weeks. have no words of farewell to
offer, for though we go our several
ways the cords of friendship, true and
strong, will only lengthen in our hands
and shall not break. AS I look back
over the three years of my ministry
there are no dark lines crossing it to
mar its delightful memory. We have
lived together in peace and unity. We
have had no quarrels among us and no
factions. The church has more than
doubled its membership and has gained
many fold In spirit and power. While
I can see much in my own work among
you that might have been done far bet
ter, yet as recall these three years I
have no serious fault to find with you.
You have been kind and brave and
loyal
IT shall not say good by rather let
me use that old German phrase, 'Auf
weidersehen'-'until we see each other
again."
DR.. Howard closed with an eloquent
plea for the congregation to be loyal
to DIR. Record, his successor, and to
work for the upbuilding of the First
church.
HOSPITAL PORTER vANIsHEs
AND TWO WATCHES DISAPPEAR