The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-06-21

"'rhe Passing Of an Old Type Of Re
Hgion and the Advent of a New was the
subject chosen by the Rev. William
ThurstOn Brown yesterday forenoon at
Unity church. A large congregation was
in attendance. He spoke in part as FOL
lows:
The old type of religion makes God the
Intelligent purpOslng author ana origin
of man and all else. That makes man a
dependent a subject. and exactly in the
sense in which those words were under
stood in the social life of LOCO years ago
What can q dependent dOy And what IS
the highest duty of a subject? a depend
ent could do nothing except what his mas
ter permitted him to do The one highest
duty of the subject is obedience. That Is
as true now as ever. so We nave TINS
whole scheme of salvation, of lnterces-
sion, of prayers of things done for US
and independent Of our choice, and not a
suggestion in the whole realm OF Chrls-
tan theology that man 5 destiny IS IN MS
own hands. But since this system was
given to the world something tremendous
has happened. What is il. why, mon
archy has been abolished and democracy
has been accepted as the only tOieIaDle
form of government. The SO-Called mon
archs Of Europe are all figureheads, ana
hold even the shadow of sovereignty by
the sUfferance Of the people. Mahk 81 d
has decided that kings have no place IN
Just government and that decision does
away with the notion OF God as su-
preme ruler
racy. No wonder we have made such
DOOR Roadway in our sO-called religion,
when in prayer and teaching we use the
obsolete language of monarchy All Jlle
experience and all the science OF the
world point to the fact that unless some
place can be found for God in democracy
no place will be found at all for such
being 1t is with democracy that religion
i'm all its theory and all its expression
must reckon. Religion has got TO be
democratized. and that is what is taking
place. Religion has left the monarchical
church. the ccclesiastiCism which cllngs
to forms and symbols and words WhicI,
belong TO an outgrOwn social order, ana
has taken up its abode in the democracy.
Where democracy is finding its truest ana
fullest embodiment today, there rehsloh Is
finding its completest expression.
I'VE have i'm England and on the con-
tinent today an illustration of what IS
happening i'm religion. Edward VII IS
called king of Great BRITAIN Dut every
body knows he is mere lgureheau. No
body cares to know what Edward THINKS
Edward doesn't think, or If ne does no
one knows what he thinks lie mas no
more influence in the government on the
British empire than l have. III the + oI .15
are in power. Edward is Tory IT the
[ Liberals are in power. Edward must be q
Z Liberal. whether he wants to or not II
the Socialists should capture the govern
I ment Edward would Tor the HIsl tlils ~
| his life become more than uSuIeheau.
/ for me would be listed in the directory as
/ MIR. Somebody. with a voice and vote III
/ affairs.
What Democracy Means,
what does the democratizing of re-
ieion mean2 Does it mean the destruc-
/ tf0n of religion and the elimination 81
/ God? Not at all. 1t means the fulfill
ment of religion and the realization OF
! God. The God of our Theology can NJ
more do the things which sd must 90
/ to be- God, than king can 40 the INNS lliss.
I which alone make "a king wore having
If the king could have done VII a SOY
/ ereigu ought to do, we should nOi nave
changed to democracy WIN an poMe
I - 7cor,rneusI1rate responsibility, com
/ 17ensurate duty. too. Kings could no
/ fItIfiU fine. responsibility and duty which
/ belong TO their power So the people hd'
/ to take that power into ther own ;i ta
7 and with il the duty and responslplillS
In like manner, the theological God ma!