Year: 1875

no such appeal to mankind it is all the stronger for
being unable TO make


THE sEcrARIAS SPIRIT


also accounts for this state fittings seems as though
1t is the sectarian spirit that will build two churches
where there only one that will found newspapers
and missions and colleges. Is 1t desire for
the truth that mpels these doingsS No,
it is the desire to advance the prosperity
and glory Of your Sect This sectaran spirit is made
up OF some Of the ugest qualities Of which human
nature is composed Liberalism offers nothing to peo-
pie that would establish their own platform. If the
liberal has any passion for good will for kndli-
ness for charity 1t unreasonable TO suppose that
these people will have the strength OF enthusiasm
those whose fanaticism Of their secaranism
Men will always fight harder and spend money to
put people down than to lift them up.


''THE OTHER woRLDLNEss."


The current religion appeals strongly to wordliness
and to 'other worldlinessn - This Is a happy phrase
which has been invonted designate the desire for
power, fame and happiness in the other world
Consider that the Church has made this dis
tinction between the great and the low, the
angels and the devils in the next world for hundreds
OF years. Is II wonder that millions crowd to the
church to procure this supreme glory of heavenS There
men and women who believe that if they only make
certain professions they will obtain eternal felicity
and who would not give everything to get seat
among the immortal saints Ii must be considered
moreover, that these people also urged to bring
others into the same happy circle, TO teach the gno
rant to revive the dead in fact in order TO secure him
salvation.


But liberalism has no ground in the hereafter; it
does not prey upon fear it has nothing TO do with
retributon The fate Of tomorrow it leaves to the
controller OF that tomorrow IL can only say:-"Wel
If the future should come let II bring its fate with it,
As TO the power Of any sect TO determine the fate of
any human being after the hour of death has struck
the liberal repes such an assumption The present in
teress the present relations all for which he
The soul consists to him OF goodness OF sweetness of





whoesomeness


THE GOSPEL OF CHARACTER


II is precisely here that liberal religion makes its
strongest appeal 10 mankind for support To make 1t
manifest that this life is really worthy beauteous,
profound thing is an imperative task and this is the
task TO which liberalism sets itself-to teach men to
It, to love its beauty that they for the mere
love OF it, will practice the nobest virtues 1t requires
the devotion of any people to make this manifest to
reveal the duty of practical holiness in mans daily re-
lations Liberalism speaks to its own-'lf you feel
deeply the Importance of character put your shoulders
to the wheel this gospel Of character until it
is fairly established IN the hearts of men"


A PANTHEON OF GODS.


To cover the whole earth with sorrow the policy
OF the old Church No people Will rally it is true
around man who says, This is not truel" but they
Take the doctrine of deity of the Christ of the de-
pravity Of man, of future perdtion-there was once
"a significance in them which made them appropriate
to the times IN which they proclaimed Why, If
could storm and destroy these old citadels OF dog
matism and superstition, we certainly should have
claim upon the allegiance of earnest and truthful men,
Liberalism frowns upon the destruction of the ancient
gods for instance and says:'Take all the deities of
the creation, place them all pantheon do not con-
fine yourself to the deites of especial Sect but let
us have all the gods OF mankind; let US see how
one suggested the other how the ideas of the divine
and the beautiful grew with advancing civilization"


IMMORTALITY


Think that the word 'God" has stood for all that is
awful and miserable, and yet lose this word and you
lose all Liberalism would fain re-read it, would cast
the demons all out of It, would fill with such
materialist would breathe it with reverence The
word Immortality that glorious word; how 1t has
been crbbed, confined, clipped, perverted to
the of particular sects till il has come to be in
terprcted the very of real and original
meaning The Sprtualist, the pantheist the theist,
the Catholic and the Protestant all attach to IT different
meanings Liberalism does not appear with horoscope
of the future 1t leaves all questions OF private pain
pleasure out of all regard 1t says:'Thnk of your
power to leave something to mankind that will be i'm
mortal that will be deathlessl"


One word more. In order that may emphasize
again the advantages of the liberal spirit would say
that keeps open all the doors and windows Of the
Every other church claims to have monopoly of GER
tain beliefs, and that there certain ques-
tons which never be asked, certain doctrines
which must never be disturbed Liberals alone take
the ground that the whole domain of thought and faith
is free. At the same time liberalism tries its hand
again and again at the solution of the infinite problem
OF life in the universe of matter and mind 1t is
great thing to live believing that nothing is unknowabe
that we know everything Simply to stand in that
attitude Is already to stand with the head in the light
Granted there problems which shall never solve;
but should not do what TO contribute toward
the allegiance of all who hope that light may
where there is darkness; that sweetness tran
quy and hope shall reign in the place of fear super
stition and dogmatism.