Newspaper Page Text
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Atlanta Universalist.
SEPTEMBER 8,1881.
lERMS: One Dalian Per Annum.
* B. B. Clayton,
Editor.
Specimen Copies.
We shall from time to time send out
specimen copies to our friends invarious
parte of the country, in the hope that
they will subscribe themselves, and
hand them around among their ac
quaintances, in order to induce them
also to subscribe.
TERMS OB’ SUBSCRIPTION,
One copy one year, $ 1,00
“ “ six months, 50
“ ■“ three months, 25
Skipped It.
In a sermon delivered at Mechan-
jcsville a short time ago, we took oc
casion to reply to the assertion made
by some good limitarian people that
Christ did nofr pray for the world, for
proof of wbidh they rely on the ex
pression of Christ in his prayer for
the twelve Apostles in John 17th, in
which he says: “I pray for them; I
pray not for the world, but for them
which thou hast given me; for they
are thine.”
Calling attention to the fact that
Christ was here making special prayer
for the twelve Apostles, we referred to
the 20th and 21st verses to show that he
extended his petition in behalf of all
who should who should believe on him
through the word of the Apostles, that
all such should be one as the Father
and Son were one : “That the world
may believe that thou hast sent me,”
said Jesus. Thus we showed that he
did pray for the world.
After preaching a Baptist brother
said to a Universalist: “Mr. Clayton
was careful enough to skip the por
tion of the prayer in which Jesus re
ferred to the case of Judas, and said
he was lost.” “Tell Mr. C.,” said the
brother,” that I defy him to prove
that Judas was not lost.” We have
no desire to prove that Judas was not
lost; a^Uuisl came “to seek and to
save ti^p which was lost;” and hence
we are encouraged to believe in the
final salvation of even so great a sin
ner as was Judas. We are disposed,
the lost condition of Judas to which
Jesus referred in that prayer. We
ask then : was Judas an Apostle ? See
Matthew 10.- 2-4, where it is said:
“Now the names of the twelve Apos
tles are these,” etc., the names being
given in full, the last on the list oc
curring thus: “And Judas Iscariot,
who also betrayed him.” He was an
Apostle then, commissioned as plenar-
ily as any of them: “To heal all
manner of sickness and all manner of
disease.”
Was he one of those that had been
given to Christ by the Father? An
swer, in the words of Christ, John
17: 12: “Those that thou gavest
me I have kept, and none of them is
lost, but the son of perdition ; that the
Scriptures might be fulfilled.”
Let us now turn to John 6 : 37 and
see what Jesus there says : “All that
the Father giveth me shall come to
me ; and him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. For I came down
from heaven, not to do mine own will,
but the will of him that sent me.
And this is the father’s will which
hath sent me, that of all which he
hath given me, I should (lose noth
ing, but should raise it up again at the
last day.” This is the statament of
Jesus himself as to the final disposi
tion he is to make of all that the Fath
er had given him. It is his declara
tion as to what he is to do, at the last
day, with all that has been given him
by the Father. Let us see where we
stand now.
1st. Christ came to do the Father’s
will.
2d. The Father’s will is that he
should, at the lent day, lose nothing of
all that has been given him, but raise
it all up.
This much is clearly established by
John 6; 37-39. Then Christ explicit-
y teaches, John 17: 12,
1st. That the son of perdition had
been given him by the Father ; and,
2d, that in some sense the son of
perdition was lost.
The final inquiry is: Was Judas
lost beyond recovery ? If he was, then
clearly Christ’s mission, so far as it re
lates to Judas, is to be a failure.
This question necessitates the in
quiry : In what sense was Judas lost?
Acts 1: 25, informs what it was to
which Judas was last. Praying to
God for direction in the choice of a
successor to Judas, the Apostle, declare
the object to be: “That he may take
part of this ministry and Apostleship,
from which Judas by transgression
fell, that he might go to his own place,”
Judas then was simply lost to the
Apostleship ; and not lost in the end
less hell to which partial systems of
salvation consign him. Such being the
case, Jesus referred not to his final
condition, but to his relation to the
Apostleship. Thus, and thus only,
can we harmonize the teachings of
Christ in John 7: 37-39, and John
If: 12; and thereby Javoid the mon
strous and blasphemous conclusion
that Christ’s mission, so far as it re
lates to Judas, is destined to be a dis
astrous foilure.
But who was it that was to go to his
own placet Critics are divided in
opinion on this point. Reputable
orthodox Critics contend that the ref
erence irn that sentence is to the new
Apostl^. 'then about to be chosen.
But, allowing the reference to be to
Judas, we demand, as we have gone to
the labor of establishing the negative
proposition that Judas was not lost in
an endless hell, that he who avers that
the place of Judas is in such a hell,
produce the proof that his averment
is true.
We have written this, not to satisfy
captious quibblers, which is an impos
sible task ; but for the benefit of hon
est’inquirers as to .“what is truth,”
to whom the case of Judas is a stum
bling block, of whom there is a large
number.
.Newton Factory.
This place is the home of our be
loved brother in the faith, Hugh
White. For a long time he ha3 been
wanting us to visit him and proclaim
the “good tidings” to his neighbors ;
but has been afraid we would fail to
get a hearing, if we should go, so
deeply seated seemed to be the prej udice
there against the Universalist faith.
On Friday, the l^th inst., we went
down there, having previously notified
him that we were going.
Appointments had been arranged
for Friday night; Saturday, forenoon
and night; Sunday, forenoon and
night. Friday night we had a good
we had the house full. A hard rain
just at night prevented the people from
coming together. Sunday forenoon
the house would not hold the people.
Sunday night there was such a jam
that we just had to abandon the house,
and go out into the grove in order to
give the people a chance to hear.
Had we had a few more nights to
preach there we believe we could have
produced) a revival; or at least have
gained several converts to our views.
The signs were all favorable, and a
deep impression made on the minds of
a good many ; an impression that will
not be easily eradicated. So great was
the contrast between Universalism as
preached by one of its advocates, and
the chricatures of it that had been
given by its opponents, that the peo
ple could not fail to see that Univer
salism was a very different thing from
what they had been taught to regard
it. We shall visit that people again
ere long.
On Monday we went several miles
below the factory, to Mechanicsville,
near which place lives Brother W. D.
Cornwell, and delivered one sermon
that evening to a very good audience,
who were very attentive to the word
spoken. A good impression was made
there,on several who had never before
heard one of our ministers preach.
We made quite number of pleasant
acquaintances during our visit, and
regard the signs as quite auspicious
for the spreading of our faith in that
community,
UNIVERSALISM IS SO LICENTIOUS
in its tendency that in Monticello, the
county site of Jasper county, this
State, the guardians of public morals
have determined that one of our min
isters) shall not preach in the court
house even; and yet that county scores
an average of about six murders a
year since the war; and f urnishes an
abundance of business for the revenue
officials in the effort to suppress the
illicit traffiic in alcoholic poisons.
It is a further fact that, notwith
standing the good people of that coun
ty have such an aversion to going to
heaven with (murderers, they do not
refuse to take them into their churches
there, two of the redestdmnded mur
derers of the county having been re
ceived into the church there within
the last few years. Verily Univer
salism must be very licentious to
contaminate the morals of so stauncL
ly orthodox a county as Jasper. Ver-j
ily some people in this day and time]
can strain at a gate and swallow a sa
mill.
Bro. Neeli. Withdraws.
Bro. Neeld has withdrawn from hty
connection with the Atlanta Universal,,
id. No cause disturbing the friendlj
relations existing between him anq
the senior editor, has contributed L
the least to this result. The reasons
that brought it about are his own prj.
vate and personal property ; and it^ 8
neither our duty nor desire to say aijy
thing about them in these column^.
Suffice it to say, that he desired to
sever his connection with this paper
and we had no desire to continue hijm
in a position that had grown dis
ful or irksome to him. This actio
his part necessitates a
CHANGE OF PROGRAMME -*
-on our' part. We cannot do the
indispensible to the publication ol a
weekly paper, and contin ue to traie 1
and preach as extensively as we desire
to do, and ss the brethren desire uat t°
do. The desire for a weekly paper is
not strong enough on the part of the
brethren of the South to prompt them
to sup port the Herald; and also give
to a weekly paper sufficient encour
agement to inspire the publisher of
such paper to the personal sacrifice
necessary to the prosecution
of the enterprise. Under these Cir
cumstances we have determined to
change the Universalist to a
SEMI-MONTHLY
and continue it permanently in that
order. We can manage a publication
of that kind, and spend a large portion
of our time in the missionary labors
for which we have contracted a liking
from long service in that line ; and to
which we have, by virtue of that serv
ice, become better adapted than to a
more settled course of ministerial
service, In doing this we shall re
duce the price of the paper to
ONE DOLLAR A YEAR
when paid within three months of d»te
of subscription, or one dollar and a
quarter if payment be delayed beyend
three months. In order to give thyse
Herald also, the advantages of a w|ek.
ly paper, we shall issue the Univ
1st on the 8th and 23d of each mon
the Herald being issued on the 1st ajj.fi
15th of each month. Thus, those who\
lake both will get four numbers, two
from Brother Burruss and two from
To the few who have paid
TWO DOLLARS
on the present volume of this paper,
we will send it in semi-monthly issue
till they get the value of their money
at four cents per number. Under the
new arrangement we shall, for the
present, arrange no club rates nor of
fer any premiums ; but treat all exact
ly alike, giving to every subscriber
the same amount of reading for the
same price.
We shall feel truly thankful to any
friend of the cause in which we are
engaged for any subscribers he or she
may send us, but at the low rate at
which we propose to furnish the paper
we can not afford to pay commissions,
and hence can ask no aid from any
one who is not willing to do something
“for the good of the cause.”
The Georgia State Convention
Of Universalists will meet at the Uni
versalist churchy Mulberry,, Jackson
county, on Friday before the 5th Sun
day in October, and continue in ses
sion three days. It is desirable that
every church in the State shall have a
representation present. Ministering
brethren of this and adjoining States
are requested to attend.
The place of meeting is about
twenty miles from Flowery Branch,
which is on the Air-Line railroad
about 42 miles from Atlanta. The
friends will have conveyance at the
point above designated, on Thursday
and Friday, for the accommodation of
those who may prefer to go by rail
road to that point. Gome one, cojne
all, and let us have “a soul reviving
feast.”
L, Y. Bradbury, James Park,
Secretary. President,
In order to get on our regular
schedule time, which we propose 'to
run in the future, we date this issue
for September 8th. Hereafter we dx-
ppet to bring out the paper regular Iy
pn the 8th and 23d of every month.
Signs of Growth. I
He who counts the growth of Uni-
versalist views only by the increasing
number of its churches and ministers,
will come far short of the facts, and
get a very imperfect knowledge of its
actual progress and strength. There
is to-day more Universalism outside o i
our organized church than inside of it.
We can seldom take up a number of
any so-called evangelical journal or
mahazine which does not furnish evi
dence of the spread of our sentiments
among the churches; or give some
proof of the continued modifications of
the old creeds, by which they are
shaped more and more into harmony
with the doctrines which Universalists
have taught for more than half a cen
tury. We notice a pleasing illustra
tion of this in the teachings of Rev.
R. R. Meredith, who has charge of the
Saturday afternoon Bible class, which
was established last November at Tre-
mont Temple, and which has an at
tendance varying from 1,500 to 2,200.
Mr. Meredith is evidently a man of
independent thought, a diligent stu
dent of the Scriptures, and well suited
to the work he has in band. On
the question proposed by one of the
class—“Does the parable of the Rich
Man and Lazarus teach that the de
parted can see and hold converse with
one another, though separated by an
impassable gulf ?” his answer was as
follows—copied from a report in the
Congregatioiwlid:
“No, I think not. I insist, in the
teaching of that parable, that any at
tempt to make it literal would make
it nonsense. You cannot make any
thing out of it. You have simply got
to say, there were certain ideas about
last things resting in the minds of the
Jews, and our lord seized on just those
ideas. He does not take pains to rec
tify them where they are wrong, or to
indorse them where they are right; he
simply takes what lies in their minds
about the departed to bring out cer
tain truths.”
This i3 a notable departure from the
literal interpretation of fifty years ago
and an exact reproduction of what
Universalists have taught all that
while. Mr. Meredith thinks it is de
signed to symbolize future rewards and
punishments, but insists that it is a
the same ground here that we have
taken in other cases, viz: that Christ
does not always in a special and for,
mal manner correct the Jewish errors
with which he came in contact, but
leaves it to time and truth; as in the
of demoniacs, metempsychosis,
The following exposition of original
sin and total (?) or natural depravity,
is one to which few students of human
nature would take special exception.
It gives the child a chance, at least;
with a balance of forces in his favor*
as the last citation from Romans is in
tended, we suppose, to demonstrate.
The dialogue Shows the freedom of in
quiry with which the class pursues its
studies:
“Has a new-born child of to-day
no more sin upon its soul than had
Adam before the fall ?”
Mr. M. “What do you say to that?
How can a child have sin on his soul?”
Ans. “He has a tendency to sin.”
Mr. M. “Yes, that is so; but has he
any tendency to holiness ?”
Ans. “That which is born of the
flesh is flesh.”
Mr. M. “Yes; taking sin in the
sense of transgression the child has no
sin—that goes without saying. But
now this tendency to sin ; we agree
that like must produce like, and a sin
ful Adam must produce a fallen pos
terity, and there must be these down
ward tendencies, and as a matter of
tact they are in the new-born babe.
But are these the only tendencies ?”
Ans. “No”; “Christ said, ‘Suffer
little children to come unto me, for of
such is the kingdom of heaven.’ ”
Mr. M. “And I say Amen 1 I say
the child has tendencies to sin because
it comes down from the first Adam ; I
say the child has tendencies to good
because it comes from the second
Adam, and the tendencies to good are
as strong as the tendencies to evil, so
that every child has a fair chance.
And I will go a little further, if you
demur to that, and tell you tha
‘where sin abounded grace did much
mere abound.’ ’’
Sometimes Mr. Meredith’s answers
to questions are amusing, and also sug
gestive of more than is expressed in
the words. To this question—“ Will
you give your views on this 'millenni
um ?” he replied, “Well, I won’t. I
haven’t got time, and I haven’t got
many ‘views,’either. You can be at
sincere Christian if you get right with
God through Jesus Christ, and walk
in obedient faith—no matter what you
think about future punishment or fu
ture reward; no matter what you think
;™it. the second advent or
case
and endless punishment when and
where it was believed.
To the question, “Were the words
of Christ, ’My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me,” uttered as the
feeling of a lost soul ?” he replied:
“The idea that Jesus Christ actually
entered into the experience of a lost
soul, with all those dreadful feelings
of remorse and misery that must
shroud the soul of a lost man, I put
away ; it is not Scriptural. The peo
ple who believe that Jesus suffered all
the penalty that was due to sin, do
not have the slightest difficulty with
that question. But I do not believe
that Jesus Christ suffered the legal
penalty for sin. If Jesus Christ suf
fered the penalty for my sin, I must
be saved anyway, if God is just; for
justice cannot demand a penalty twice
over. Penalty is penalty; and if the
penalty for my sin has been paid, then
I am free, no matter what I do. For
the honor of God, never talk about
the Almighty pouring out His wrath
on Jesus Christ when He was doing
the grandest thing that Jesus Christ
ever did. There was no sham on the
cross at all.”
This sounds very much like an ex
tract from Ballou’s “Treatise on the
Atonement”; but how immensely dif
ferent from the orthodox preaching
and teaching which prevailed at the
time that book made its appe arance
more than ninety years ago I And
how great the forward movement to
ward the thealogy of Universalism in
dicated by l^r. Meredith’s exposilion
of the subject! One after another
our interpretations of Scripture, and
our doctrinal expositions, are accepted
by our evangelical brethren; and they
are fast coming up to the higher
ground Which we haye oecupled for
nearly a eentury. A few more strides
and they will stand on the s»mmit.
Welcome, good friends, for the sum
mit is not a sharp pointed peak, but a
broad, far-reaching table land where
there is ample room for us all, -
It Hues not make the slightest differ
ence-”
We believe Mr. Meredith is doing
work for truth among the two thous
and members of his Bible class. He
is sowing seed which will by and by
spring up into a rich harvest. In the
meantime we give him our hearty
God-speed. t. b. t.
True to its Name.
The editor of this paper is not stere
otyped in any opinion, so that evi
dence cannot alter that opinion. But
he is an old. fashioned Universalist, and
is proud of the name. He has been
for forty years, lacking four months
only, doing battle as a preacher of
Universalism, and expects to die in
the harness. Moreover, he intends to
keep this paper true to its name; and
hence those who read the paper may
expact to see its columns devoted to
the advocacy of Universalism ; Bible
Universalism at that. He has found
ample room for a much greater growth
than he has been able to make, with
out any departure from Universalism.
He has no sympathy with any form of
liberalism that discards the Bible as
the great fountain of religious truth,
and refuses to call Jesus of Nazareth
Master in spiritual matters; aqd hence
he will, if necessary, Combat any sys
tem or sentiment that tends to loosen
the hold of Jesus and the Bible upon
the affections of the world. If others
have a degree of light on spiritual
matters to which he cannot attain, let
them enjoy it; hut he must not be ex
pected to follow that light till he can
see it for himself, simply because they
assure him that they see it.
Sad Affliction.
Thos. Jones, of Twiggs county, in
this State, had three dead daughters
in his house at once, on Friday, 5th
inst., aged respectively about 16, 18
and 20 years. Two of them died on
Wednesday, and the other on Thurs
day, all of measles. c.
Ihe Editor of this Paper
will preach on Sunday next at the new
school house, two miles from Flowery
Branch.
On the second Sunday in Septem
ber, and day before, in Walker coun
ty, as the friends there may arrange,
Cost of Crime.
Some few years ago an estimate was
made of what three criminal brothers
had cost an English community in
twenty years. The account stood
thus:
Twenty-four prosecutions £ 1.91
llantenance in prison 1.50
Seven years transportation for one 1.00
Value of depredations 3,120
Total, £3,561
Nearly $18,000 were spent on this
one family, and at the time the com
putation was made the eldest brother
was only twenty-four years of age.
But a still more startling exhibit
has been made by the American Pris
on Association in the statistics they
have collected in reference to the de-
scendents of one outcast girl covering
the period of four generations of this
criminal stock. In seventy-five years
the progeny of that single outcast girl
have cost the State of New York over
one million of dollars for support and
for the charges incidental to convic
tions for crime.
In the case of this poor girl whose
great misfortune it was probably to
have been born of ignorant, degraded
and vicious parents, how much better,
in simply an economic point of view.,
would it have been for the State to
have expended one or two thousand
dollars, had so much been necessary,
(but a few hundred would have been
sufficient,) in educating her, and plac
ing her in a condition to be an hon
ored and useful member of society.
But when we add to the economic con
sideration the more important one of
moral results to the community in
which this fearful criminal record was,
made, what comparison can be institu
ted between the pecuniary and the
moral results to that community tor
lack of the expenditure, at the right
time, and in the right manner, of a
few hundred dollars on the human pa
rent of this criminal progeny.
But, as the State of New York is
full of believers in unceasing agony,
what a terrible picture might be pve-
sen ted to the imagination should we
pursue the question of results into the
eternal world. Hundreds of criminals
gone into eternity because the Chris
tian people of that community suffered
^ ^ d - ,rirl fn tr w t u, ~
for. If endless torment be true wha
a fearful responsibility those people
incurred by their indifference in thii
matter. Aye, and what a fearful re.
sponsibility rests upon the Christkw
portion of every community for theii
indifference to the condition of the
criminal classes around them. Bu
we leave the reader to pursue his owi
reflections in this matter.
A Trip to Walton County.
Saturday morning 13th inst we board
ed the train on the Georgia railroac
for Covington, on our way to Waltoi
county, for the purpose of assisting
Park in a two days meeting near Wal
nut, Grove, in that county. We couli
not reach the church in tirao for th<
fort noon services on Saturday; but a
night we were on hand; and instear
of playing assistant to Brother Park
we were put, by him, in the lead, and
he assumed the role of assistant. Four
services were held, in all; two on Sat
urday and two on Sunday. Notwith-
standing the fact that wo were, on
Sunday, surrounded by meetings ol
other denominations we had a fine »>, u
dience, forenoon and night, who g av <
excellent attention to the word s’poken
showing by their manner that thei
were present for the purpose, of receiv
ing instruotion. The outlook in thai
vicinity is quite favorable for the
propogation of the views held by Uni
versalists. p) jj (j
York town Centennial.
The general passenger agents of tl
various railroad routes have had
meeting and made arrangements fi
the transportation of passengers to tl
celebration of the Yorktown centei
nial, by which eleven thousand pe:
sons can be transported daily.
The rates ’agreed on are two cen
per mile each way. Tickets will l
good for fifteen days—say from Octi
her 10th to 25th inclusive.
In a report with which Calomel A
Pope, chairman of the committee, hi
furnished us, it is said that in dii
season a lodging accommodation lit
the various cities contiguous to York
town, including that city also, will b
prepared and published, in connectio
with an exact schedule of local trail
and steamer service.
