and develop the main line, you would make a stronger thing of it. But I had Tom, and other young ministers whom I know, in my mind. I think they are very apt to start without any clear idea of what they are going in to do. They don't seem to under. 'stand that they are going into a busi tion service" I ever had. Not as long as Tom's, but quite as practical and easier to remember, and I think it was this, quite as much as your influence, father, which last year caused me to be taken into the firm, as the ANISM? 601 AN ANSWER FROM DR. BELLOWS. Co." The peculiar mission of the body of Christians to which we belong is to maintain the reasonableness of the Christian faith. Our efforts in the past have had always this distinctive quality: they have been rationalistic. But our loyalty to truth frequently compels us to modify our views, and sometimes to reject opinions earnestly entertained by other Christians. ness, and one to which they've got to give WHAT IS THE MISSION OF UNITARItheir best thought and work if they're going to make it win. They know that they will have to preach so many times, and they want to do that preaching well; and then there is the Sundayschool, but Tom said he didn't feel very hearty about Sunday-schools; and as for parish visiting I know that quite a number of these younger men talk about it as if it was just waste of time, and unreasonable to expect much of it from them. So that there is very little definitely to be done, and if they do that little fairly well, they seem to feel that that is about all, that they are doing all that can be fairly expected of them, and that no one has a right to find fault or be dissatisfied. Funny idea! "Doing all that can be fairly expected of them!" I don't think Uncle Jenks would have set that "North Polar Railroad" on its feet if he had thought of it that way! I remember when I was first taken into this house as a clerk, our old manager took me into his room, and he said something of this kind: "Now, young man, you've been to college, and you think you know a heap, and you've got a great many high notions into your head, and I noticed you were asking particularly what time we close. But if you want to be a success here, you have got to put all your high notions away; never say what you will do or won't do, but just take hold and do whatever comes along, and work like a beaver; and when there is extra work to do, do it without grumbling; and when we have to stay late, stay like the rest of us; and, above all, never object to do this or that, as not your work, or not what you were engaged for, but feel as if everything is part of your work that can help this old concern go-and then, in time, you'll make a man of business." That was all the "ordina That the world is under the curse of its maker; that men are born enemies and accursed in God's sight; that Jesus Christ died to appease God's wrath and make his mercy safe and possible; that by any verbal confession or acceptance of any condition, other than that of hearty moral obedience, we can be restored to God's approval, all this (our loyalty to God and truth declares) is mere heathenism. But let us not for a moment think that our chief business is to pull down or destroy, that our main message is to tell what we do not believe. The mission of Unitarianism is rather to make awful and imperative the spiritual sense of a present holiness, whose mercy is justice, whose justice is mercy, who is love itself, but love clothed in truth and wisdom the God of the conscience, the awful but blessed Source of duty, and its eternal and incorruptible Friend and Exactor. sent this God of heaven and earth as here and now present, and as inspiring, sustaining and comforting all hearts that humbly seek and love his wisdom and grace. It is to pre The mission of Unitarianism is to affirm the beauty and the moral and spiritual authority of Jesus Christ, all the holier, sublimer and more efficient a savior for having no means of saving us THE POWER OF A GRACE. Looking over a file of old papers of the war time, we came upon this the other day, which struck us as worth rescuing from oblivion. It is a story told by one of the Seventh Massachusetts. except God's pure and eternal truth exemplified in a truly human, but all the more for that a divine, life. It is to affirm the glory of the Scriptures when laid broadly open and without preternatural inspiration, considered as written by men moved by that same Holy Spirit which moves us when we Said he: "While encamped in Maryare simplest, sincerest, most humble, land, I wandered off one day and came yet most exalted, and as owing their to a farm-house, where I saw a party of eternal charm to their inherent truth the Rhode Island boys talking with a and the natural exaltation of their auWoman who was greatly frightened. thors, and not to any magical or unin- They tried in vain to quiet her appreteligible sources of spiritual knowledge. hensions. They asked for food, and The mission of Unitarianism is to she cried, 'Oh! take all I have, take affirm the brotherhood of men, of races, everything, but spare my sick husband!' of humanity; to acknowledge the sister- 'Oh, darn it,' said one of the men, ‘we hood of religions, and to be glad to rec- ain't going to hurt you; but we want ognize every jot and tittle of truth we something to eat! She persisted in find in any or all of them; it is to call being frightened, however, in spite of men to repentance and newness of life all efforts to reassure her, and hurried by a grander unfolding of the divine some food on to the table. But when gift of life, the wonders and glories that she saw this company stand about the surround us in the natural world; to table with bared heads, and a tall, gaunt display the gracious opportunities of man raise his hand and ask a blessing, glorifying God in the love and service the poor woman broke down with a fit of our day and generation; to fasten of sobbing and crying. She had no upon the corroding sins that are eating the heart out of homes and towns and cities and nations, and insist upon instant, heroic, yet humble efforts to cauterize and cure these cancerous diseases; it is to speak for the poor, the wronged, the ignorant and unfortunate, and to call men to something more than a theoretic sense of God's love for them, namely to ourselves being the providential messengers and servants of that love. longer any fear, but bade them wait, and in a few moments had made them hot coffee in abundance. She then emptied their canteens of the muddy water which was all they contained, and filled them with coffee. But her astonishment came to its height when they insisted upon paying her." EDITORIAL NOTES. THE Western Christian Advocate is with credited this wise sentence: "Those who tell us that the age of doctrinal preaching is past seem to forget that truth is a thing every generation must learn." It is the mission of Unitarianism to arouse the human soul-asleep, drunken, drugged, dwarfed to a sense of its latent capacity, to haunt it with thoughts of God; to flood it with streams of new light and life; to make its immortality Is Unitarianism Christian? Dr. Wm. a thing felt and known by the thrill G. Eliot answers this question in Our and bound of its aspirations toward the Best Words as follows: "If one claims eternal spirit and the eternal life. To to be a believer in God, but not in Jesus lead to light by light; to God by godly Christ, he is a Theist. If he rejects ways; to be with Christ in Christ's both beliefs, he may be a religious man spirit; to stand for righteousness, real, according to some interpretations of renot imputed, not bought or borrowed, ligion (too refined for my understandbut earned by genuine service of God ing), but he is not a Theist nor a Uniin the interests of humanity - this is tarian, according to any proper interour mission. pretation of the words. You might as cross of Christ is stricken out." well call him a Methodist or a Congre- DID the life and death of Jesus do gationalist, under some new explanation anything to reconcile God to man, or to of the words taken out of their proper turn aside or appease God's wrath, or religious significance. For one, I am to purchase his favor? Or was their not willing to change the historical effect quite of a different kind—upon meaning of the Unitarian Church. If man, not upon God? These are quesnot Christian let it disband and reor- tions which trouble thousands of perganize itself with an unequivocal name sons reared in orthodox churches who and with a new flag from which the get to the point where they dare ask questions which go down deep. The We begin in this number of the UNI- Unitarian answer to these questions is TARIAN a series of answers by leading "We conceive that Jesus of Nazareth well given by Dr. James Martineau: Unitarian preachers and writers of lived and died, not to persuade the past and present to the question, What is Unitarianism? Our Father, not to appease the Father, not first answer is from Dr. Bellows, to make a sanguinary purchase from and is made up of characteristic the Father, but simply to show us the ages selected mainly from the recently Father (John xiv., 8, xvi., 25); to leave published volume of his sermons. Our upon the human heart a new, deep, next answer will be from Theodore Par- vivid impression of what God is in himker, taken from the Parker volume just self, and of what he designs for his sent out by the American Unitarian As- creature, Man; he becomes, in short, the sociation. We give these statements of accepted interpreter of heaven and life.” Unitarian belief mainly for the purpose of making our monthly more useful in a missionary way; we wish to give our readers a periodical of such a character that one knowing nothing of our faith taking up and reading carefully any number would be able to get from it a general idea of what Unitarianism means and is trying to do. pass Is GOD personal? When this question is asked, many misunderstand its import. It is the commonest thing for one to be understood, if he says he believes God is personal, to mean that he believes him to be localized, and to have a form and dimensions-to be, in short, a sort of "magnified and nonnatural man". But no thought could be further from that of personality than this. Person does not imply form or physical dimensions. Person is a term which applies to spirit, not to body. To say that God is personal, is not to say that he has a shape like a man, but that he has, or rather is, intelligence, character, will. If God is simply blind force, as some say, then he is not personal. If he knows and purposes, then he is personal. If he is personal, we may rationally pray to him-call him our Father; if not, not. WE call the attention of new societies and societies in small places, wishing to build themselves houses of worship lent plans of cheap churches that are at moderate expense, to several excelavailable for use. One is that of the new church in Topeka, Kas., published in the last number of Word and Work. This building costs less than $4,000, is plain and simple but in good taste, has a seating capacity in its audience room of about 200, accommodates about 80 persons in its parlor, which is so planned as to be used to enlarge the auditorium when desired, so that the whole seating capacity of the church is little short of 300. Another plan, of something very small and very simple, yet attractive in its appearance, is that of a little church which is now being erected at Helena, Wis. A cut of it was printed in Unity a few weeks ago. This will hold in its audience room about 100, and in its parlor, which is an extension of the auditorium and only separated from it by curtains or sliding doors, about 40 more. It is thought a church can be built after this plan for from $1,500 to $2,000. Of course in not many places would it do to build anything so small; but, where it would, this say plan is worth considering. Perhaps the few would object to in itself, then let plan which will be found most widely the necessary conditions of it be frankly available, where taste and economy are and fairly faced, and don't let it be desired and where an audience of abolished by such mere coup d'epigram 200 is to be provided for, is one which as this attempt to discredit it by the has just been prepared by Peabody & stigma of "compulsory". Stearns, of Boston, for the American THE Congress of Churches held in Unitarian Association, and purchased Hartford last autumn seems to have set by that body, so that any society desir- many minds considering the questions: ing to make use of it can have the plan, Ought there not to be a closer unity with all specifications, detail drawings, between the various Christian denomietc., without charge. It will cost to nations of this country in worship and build according to this plan probably work? Cannot something be done to from $2,000 to $2,500. Of course the allay the sectarian spirit, to cause building will be small and simple, yet Christian people of all sects and names it will contain an audience room, a par- to emphasize less the differences that lor (the two connected with folding separate them, and to bring into clearer doors or curtains), a kitchen and a ves- recognition the central things of religtibule, and the structure when com- ion and life which they hold in completed will be in the best of taste in mon? With a view to pressing these every part and feature-really handsomer than many a church costing two or four times as much. inquiries upon the Christian people of the country generally, the editors of the Century magazine have made arrangements to give their readers during WE see that the annual movement the next few months a series of articles, against morning prayers at Harvard is from able and catholic-minded writers of again being pushed. But why this talk various denominations, upon the general about "compulsory" prayers? Are not subject, with suggestions as to what our friends there deluding themselves concessions each denomination may well by a phrase? We do not observe that make, and what contributions furnish they apply that obnoxious word "com- toward the end desired. The series has pulsory" to any other items of their col- already begun and in a way that lege attendance, which yet have to be promises well. Regarding the evils of equally the subject of the same syste- excessive sectarianism, and the desirmatic arrangement and requirement. ableness of trying to bring all churches We do not hear of a cry against "com- and Christians nearer together, the pulsory lectures" or "compulsory Century says editorially: "That the themes". We have not even heard of peculiarities by which the several sects any organized movement against the are distinguished one from another are regulation requiring resident students matters of considerable interest to many -except, we believe, in case of distinct- minds may be freely admitted; that ly stated conscientious scruple to they are of trifling importance when choose some place for Sunday worship, compared with the great truths in which and attend it. No! Let the question be argued fairly simply of "prayers"; whether it is a wise custom which, in these great seats of learning, has laid out as part of each day's college duty, a quarter of an hour for attendance onin Harvard, certainly a very simple and catholic religious service. If this is not a wise custom, if the whole thing is antiquated nonsense, by all means let it be done away. But if, as we believe, it is a wise, right custom, which very all Christians agree and the great ends SOME THINGS THAT ARE SETTLED. fought out the battle of free thought A SERMON BY CHARLES G. AMES. "A kingdom that cannot be moved."-Heb. xii.: 28. We live amid mysteries, and are pressed by problems, being obliged to ask many questions for which we find no answer. This is not our fault, nor is it a misfortune. It is merely an incident of our development and of our condition as finite yet intelligent moral beings. Let us also construe it as a sign of our capacity for endless growth. Why were we made aware that our little being fronts infinity, if infinity is no relation of ours? and shaken off the usurpations of dogma and tradition, only to find themselves in a state of spiritual anarchy and désolation! In California I observed that during an earthquake there was a general suspension of business. I have also observed that church life, family life, and the aspirations of the private soul, all suffer a partial check when there is a prevailing feeling of uncertainty about the matters of morality and religion. Unless there is firm ground, how can we stand or walk, or work or rest, or plant or build? But amid the questionings and conBut our modern life proceeds under fusions of the time, is there nothing to a peculiar difficulty. We have been trust? Has humanity made no permavictimized by premature answers; by nent gains, after all its struggles and the foreclosure of questions which ought sorrows? Have all the ages failed to to have been left open. A premature acquire anything worth our keeping? answer is but another name for super- May not the uncrazed average manstition. Errors confined within the hu- saint or sinner-be reasonably sure that man mind generate noxious gases; and there is something genuine and reliable when even a lighted candle of truth is about his own being, and that he bebrought in, there is an explosion and a longs to a genuine and reliable sort of terrific shaking. Such explosions, such world-to a kingdom that cannot be shakings, are taking place just now in moved? Perhaps, if we can satisfy the minds of thousands, and in all the ourselves that there is such a kingdom churches. With many it is a time of for us-that some central principles are serious alarm, as if the foundations well settled, and that the constitution were giving way. But, as Theodore Parker says, "the stars keep their places, even if men's heads run round". To the individual, and to society also, the death of faith is a woful calamity. We are rich only in what we can have and hold; in our positive and restful convictions. Doubts and disbeliefs cannot be rated among our valuable assets, though they may be necessary to an honest adjustment, clearing our books of false or mistaken entries and miscalculations. But they always imply unsettlement, disturbance. of things under which we live is really adequate to the universal and the individual welfare-we also can settle to a reposeful frame of mind, and so manage to keep our poise amid all commotions and pending all needful inquiries. Perhaps also we shall do well to look among those things that are so common that they are little valued and scarcely noticed. We are told that even the wise man needs to be reminded now and then of his actual possessions and advantages. 1. It is well settled that we are living After the War of Independence, the under a system of order. Man has seen exhausted colonies passed through some enough to be sure of this: There is a years of dire distress and suspense. real world and he is a real discoverer The land had no sense of peace, and no of it. The world is not chaos, but coschance of prosperity, until the public mos; not a confused and unrelated conditions of order and stability were mass of facts and forces, or a medley of secured by the acceptance of national events, but a realm of regulated and and local constitutions, which defined orderly activity. Everything goes by the main lines of liberty and authority. law; nothing by luck or blind chance. How many souls in our own time have Either the forces that are at work in |