The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-07-16
FOR SUNDAY READING.
sHEATHED BIBLES.


but striking phrase, that instead of be-
ing sword, "the Bible that is used only
for comfortable ornament is no more
than a jackknife with all the blades
shut" No sword can be effective in
warfare that is not drawn from its scab-
bard. There are not too many copies
of the Word of God in America, but
there are too many sheathed Bibles
resting unused in the parlors OF the Am
erican people. Never let the dust set
tie on the Scriptures, which are able to
make those who read them wise unto
salvation.-Zion's Herald.
THE VALUE OF GOOD MANNERS.
| The thirteenth chapter of First Corr
nthians has been called the Good Man
ners' chapter in the Bible. Why not
memorize this chapter, and repeat it
every day with an earnest prayer that
you may fulfil it's requirements? If you
think that you already do this, put
yourself to the test, and don't he too
merciful in offering excuses for your
failure to meet this or that obligation;
and don't think of other people who
violate this code of courtesy even more
shamefully than you do. Yourself and
your conscience and your Bible, for a
quiet half-hour, with no one by except
God, from whose presence none may es-
cape, will perhaps be revelation; it is
sure to be command with the best of
authority. The grace of courtesy will
not become lost art if you insist upon
| its preservation and practice on your
own life among all the people with
whom you have to do. A good example
is contagious and makes for rightness
of life, and for the coming of the king
dom of heaven in every heart.-Univer-
salist Leader.
| KEEPING ALIGHT.
The regular activities of the Church
may slacken during the summer but
the witness of the personal Christian
life continues. Indeed, Christianity it
too large and blessed an affair tn be con
fined to the sanctuary and stated sea
sons of public worship. Who knows
but what this summer may bring to us
peculiar opportunities to witness to the
faith that is in US. Various was pre-
sent themselves. We fell in with {
man the other day who said that he
never let a week go by without trying
to induce someone to become Christ
, ian. On the other hand, there are those
. equally devoted to the kingdom OF God
who shrink from mechanical methods
, as did the late Alice Freeman Paine
when she promptly declined Mr.. Dur
ants request to speak to certain Well
esley College girl on the subject of he
souls salvation. 1t is not for an edito
, sitting in his sanctum to define precls
methods for his readers. These mus
, suit themselves i'll individual tempera
ments. But if we love Christ and be
lieve in his way of life, people about u
-, Of ,Jc re am
at home, will be likely to discover TIN
fact. Whether we tread familiar O
:. unfamiliar paths this summer like ever,
summer, is one more chance to bear un
forced and effective witness to ou
Master-The Congregatlonalist.
WHAT IS UNITARIANIsM'
The briefest answer is, that it is tina
form of Christianity which holds to the
: primitive faith in the simple unity O.
God-that God is one, not trinity;anc
: which looks upon Jesus Christ as the
greatest and hottest of teachers, bu
not God. Around this great centra
position have commonly grouped them
selves some other beliefs of hardly less
Importance The Unitarians regard
man as the child of God-not 'fallen'
and totally depraved, but only slowly
TlSlIlR, SdlNdGlOll, do uCllNCIdHCO IloLl
sin, including everything that heals and
helps man towards goodness and God;
heaven and hell-not separate worlds,
but what men make of their own lives,
both in this world and the world to
come, while in no world can man ever
go beyond the love of goodness OF God.
Unitarians, also, while reverencing the
Bible as the textbook of religion, have
always regarded it (and in this they no
longer stand alone, for the more
thoughtful scholars in all churches are
now taking much the same groundD as
the records of Gods gradual revelation
of this truth and will-but human re-
cords, to be studied with perfect free
dom in order to distinguish the divine
from the merely human.
This is the common position of Uni.
tarians. This is their general way of
looking at the subject of religion. But
while there is quite as much agreement
among them as among the members of
any other group of churches. Unitari-
ans have no formal creed. They do not
shape these beliefs into any set author.
itative form which must be accepted
either by churches or individuals, but
urge upon all to think for themselves,
and leave their churches entirely open
to the reception of new truths.-Christ-
ian Life.