cruelty, and that to punish the sin of this unhappily constituted child with endless ruin would be a wrong unparalleled by the most merciless despotism. . .

. . With regard to the great object which Jesus came to accomplish, there seems to be no possibility of mistake. We believe that he was sent by the Father to effect a moral or spiritual deliverance of mankind; that is, to rescue men from sin and its consequences, and to bring them to a state of everlasting purity and happiness. We believe, too, that he accomplishes this sublime purpose by a variety of methods; by his instructions respecting God's unity, parental character, and moral government, which are admirably fitted to reclaim the world from idolatry and impiety to the knowledge, love, and obedience of the Creator, by his promises of pardon to the penitent, and of Divine assistance to those who labor for progress in moral excellence, by the light which he has thrown on the path of duty; by his own spotless example, in which the loveliness and sublimity of virtue shine forth to warm and quicken, as well as guide us to perfection; by his threatenings against incorrigible guilt; by his glorious discoveries of immortality; by his sufferings and death; by that signal event, the resurrection, which powerfully bore witness to his Divine mission, and brought down to men's senses a future life; by his continual intercession, which obtains for us spiritual aid and blessings; and by the power with which he is invested, of raising the dead, judging the world, and conferring the everlasting rewards promised to the faithful. . .

We regard him as a Saviour, chiefly as he is the light, physician, and guide of the dark, diseased, and wandering mind. No influence in the universe seems to us so glorious as that over the character; and no redemption so worthy of thankfulness, as the restoration of the soul to purity. Without this, pardon, were it possible, would be of little value. Why pluck the sinner from hell, if a hell be left to burn in his own breast? Why raise him to heaven, if he remain a stranger to its sanctity and love? With these impressions, we are accustomed to value the Gospel chiefly as it abounds in effectual aids, motives, excitements, to a generous and divine virtue. . . . We believe that no dispositions infused into us without our own moral activity are of the nature of virtue, and therefore we reject the doctrine of irresistible Divine influence on the human mind, moulding it into goodness, as marble is hewn into a statue...

Among the virtues, we give the first place to the love of God. We believe, that this principle is the true end and happiness of our being, that we were made for union with our Creator, that his infinite perfection is the only sufficient object and true resting-place for the insatiable desires and unlimited capacities of the human mind, and that without him our noblest sentiments-admiration, veneration, hope, and lovewould wither and decay. We believe, too, that the love of God is not only essential to happiness, but to the strength and perfection of all the virtues; . . . We lay no stress on strong excitements. We esteem him, and him only, a pious man, who practically conforms to God's moral perfections and government; who shows his delight in God's benevolence, by loving and serving his neighbour; his delight in God's justice, by being resolutely upright; his sense of God's purity, by regulating his thoughts, imagination. and desires; and whose conversation, business, and domestic life are swayed by a regard to God's presence and authority. In all things else, men may deceive themselves. Disordered nerves may give them strange sights, and sounds, and impressions. Texts of Scripture may come to them as from heaven. Their whole souls may be moved, and their confidence in God's favor be undoubting. But in all this there is no religion. Another important branch of virtue we believe to be love to Christ. The greatness of the work of Jesus, the spirit with which he executed it, and the sufferings which he

bore for our salvation, we feel to be strong claims on our gratitude and veneration. We see in nature no beauty to be compared with the loveliness of his character, nor do we find on earth a benefactor to whom we owe an equal debt...

We can hardly conceive of a plainer obligation on beings of our frail and fallible nature, who are instructed in the duty of candid judgment, than to abstain from condemning men of apparent conscientiousness and sincerity, who are chargeable with no crime but that of differing from us in the interpretation of the Scriptures, and differing. too, on topics of great and acknowledged obscurity. We are astonished at the hardihood of those, who, with Christ's warnings sounding in their ears, take on them the responsibility of making creeds for his Church, and cast out professors of virtuous lives for imagined errors, for the guilt of thinking for themselves. . .

We find, that on no subject have men, and even good men, ingrafted so many strange conceits, wild theories, and fictions of fancy, as on religion; and remembering, as we do, that we ourselves are sharers of the common frailty, we dare not assume infallibility in the treatment of our fellow-Christians, or encourage in common Christians, who have little time for investigation, the habit of denouncing and condemning other denominations, perhaps more enlightened and virtuous than their own. Charity, forbearance, a delight in the virtues of different sects, a backwardness to censure and condemn these are virtues which, however poorly practised by us, we admire and recommend, and we would rather join ourselves to the church in which they abound. than to any other communion, however elated with the belief of its own orthodoxy, however strict in guarding its creed, however burning with zeal against imagined error. Text-Memorable Sermons, No. 6, American Unitarian Association Series.

VII. A PRESENT-DAY STATEMENT OF UNIVERSALIST BELIEF

The following was adopted almost unanimously in Boston, 1878:

We, the Universalist ministers of Boston and vicinity, observing the widespread agitation in the religious world with respect to the final destiny of our race, and more especially of those who die in impenitence and sin, and desirous that our views on this important subject should not be misunderstood, after much earnest thought and prayerful consideration present the following, not by any means as a full statement of our faith, but as indicating its general character:

1. We reverently and devoutly accept the Holy Scriptures as containing a revelation of the character of God and of the eternal principles of his moral government.

2. As holiness and happiness are inseparably connected, so we believe that all sin is accompanied and followed by misery, it being a fixed principle in the divine government that God renders to every man according to his works, so that 'though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished.'

3. Guided by the express teachings of revelation, we recognize God not only as our King and Judge, but also as our gracious Father, who doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men; but though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

4. We believe that divine justice, 'born of love and limited by love,' primarily requires 'love to God with all the soul,' and to one's neighbor as one's self. Till these

requisitions are obeyed, justice administers such discipline, including both chastisement and instruction, and for as long a period, as may be necessary to secure that obedience which it ever demands. Hence it never accepts hatred for love, nor suffer. ing for loyalty, but uniformly and forever preserves its aim.

5. We believe that the salvation Christ came to effect is salvation from sin rather than from the punishment of sin, and that he must continue his work till he has put all enemies under his feet, that is, brought them in complete subjection to his law. 6. We believe that repentance and salvation are not limited to this life. Whenever and wherever the sinner truly turns to God, salvation will be found. God is 'the same yesterday, today, and forever,' and the obedience of his children is ever welcome to him.

7. To limit the saving power of Christ to this present life seems to us like limiting the Holy One of Israel; and when we consider how many millions lived and died be fore Christ came, and how many since, who not only never heard his name, but were ignorant of the one living God, we shudder at the thought that his infinite love should have made no provision for their welfare, and left them to annihilation, or, what is worse, endless misery. And it is but little better with myriads born in Christian lands, whose opportunities have been so meagre that their endless damnation would be an act of such manitest injustice as to be in the highest degree inconsistent with the benevolent character of God.

8. In respect to death we believe that, however important it may be in removing manifold temptations and opening the way to a better life, and however, like other great events, it may profoundly influence man, it has no saving power. Salvation, secured in the willing mind by the agencies of divine truth, light, and love, essentially represented in Christ-whether effected here or in the future life--is salvation by Christ, and gives no warrant to the imputation to us of the 'death-and-glory' theory, alike repudiated by all.

9. Whatever differences in regard to the future may exist among us, none of us believe that the horizon of eternity will be relatively either largely or for a long time overcast by the clouds of sin and punishment, and in coming into the enjoyment of salvation, whensoever that may be, all the elements of penitence, forgiveness, and regeneration are involved. Justice and mercy will then be seen to be entirely at one, and

God be all in all.

Text-Eddy: A History of the Universalists in the United States, (Amer. Ch. Hist. Ser. Vol. X), pp. 458-460.

CHAPTER XXI

THE EXTENSION OF THE CHURCH INTO THE MIDDLE AND FARTHER WEST

Bibliography

The "Life of David Bacon" (1876) written by his son, serves as a good introduction to the study of the awakening interest of the church in the spiritual and moral welfare of the Middle West. Three articles on "David Bacon" ("Congregational Quarterly," January, April, and July, 1876) further illumine the career of this home missionary pioneer. The pioneering work of Joseph Badger is portrayed in a "Memoir of Rev. Joseph Badger . . ." (1851) by E. G. Holland, and "Rev. Joseph Badger: The Pioneer Missionary of the Western Reserve" ("Papers, Ohio. Ch. Hist. Soc." Vol. XI, p. 522 f). Several of his letters are reprinted in the "Connecticut Magazine" (1801-1803). For the tours of Mills and Schermerhorn, valuable in indicating the religious conditions of the frontier, see page 365. The work of the American Bible Society (organized 1816) is set forth in detail in its annual reports appearing in periodicals such as the "Baptist Magazine," "Missionary Herald,” "Home Missionary," "Methodist Magazine," and "Christian Review." These journals render a like service in reporting the activities of the American Tract Society, the American Education Society, and the American Sunday School Union, all of which operated effectively throughout the frontier districts.

The American Home Missionary Society, undoubtedly the most powerful christian agency in grappling with frontier problems, may be thoroughly studied in its organ, "The Home Missionary and Pastor's Journal." This is a mine of incalculable value for the investigator of frontier conditions. If one will patiently work one's way through its files, one will find almost everything sought after-statistical annual reports very carefully compiled, the distribution of ministers, their activities in Sunday school, temperance, educational and evangelistic work, the ebbs and flows of revivals, the sources of ministerial supply, the records of heroic service in lonely missionary outposts, and outstanding sermons and addresses bearing upon the claims, problems, and triumphs ' of home missionary work.

Another source of information almost as rich are the annual reports of the American Baptist Home Mission Society (organized 1832). These reports, with those of local associations, show the gradual extension and consolidation of Baptist interests. For the Episcopalians, the reports of The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (organized 1821) will be found highly satisfactory; also the "Annual Reports on the State of the Church" appended to the "Journal of Proceedings of the Bishops. Clergy, and Laity of the Protestant Episcopal Church assembled in General Convention." For the Methodists, one should consult the reports of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church (organized 1819), and the Minutes of the Annual and General Conferences. These, with the "Minutes of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church," and "The Journals of the Lutheran Synods." form the main sources from which the history of the Protestant church of the West is to be written.

Passing from this important type of source material, another body of literature is the biographic and autobiographic. For this the student is under special indebtedness to the Methodists, who have taken pains to record the work of their pioneer itinerants and bishops. The following. while in no sense claiming to be exhaustive, gives a fair survey of the field: "Memoir of Rev. Bela Jacobs, A.M., compiled chiefly from his Letters and Journals by his Daughter. (1837) by B. Sears: "Sketches of the Life and Travels of Rev. Thomas Ware . . wri ten by Himself," revised (1839) by the editor; "The Life of the Rev. John Emory, D.D. One of the Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church by his eldest son" (1841); "The Life of Rev. Robert E. Roberts, One of the Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church" (1844) by Rev. Charles Elliott; "The Superannuate, or Anecdotes, Incidents, and Sketches of the Life and Experience of William Ryder, 'A Wornout' Preacher of the Troy Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church" (1845); "Sketches from the Study of a Superannuated Itinerant" (1851) by Rev. E. Gavitt; "Sketches of the Life and Labors of James Quinn" (1851) by John F. Wright; "The Life of Bishop McKendree" (1852) by Benjamin Fry and the better work entitled "William McKendree, A Bicgraphical Study" (1914) by Bishop H. M. Du Bose; "The Life of Henry D. Basccm, D.D." (1854) by Rev. M. M. Hinkle, D.D.; "Sketches of Western Methodism

Illustrations of Pioneer Life" by Rev. James B. Finley, edited (1854) by W. F. Strickland; "Autobiography of a Pioneer, . . . Rev. Jacob Young (1857); "Footprints of an Itinerant" (1855) by Rev. Maxwell P. Gaddis; "Sketches and Incidents of Rev. John Clark by