REFORM MOVEMENTS AND UNIVERSALISM.
"Universalism is the ultimate of every expansive thought, of every
comprehensive sympathy, of all action that embraces man as man, and
works in faith for the world's redemption."--REV. E. G. BROOKS, D. D.
The increasing interest awakened by the discussion of such topics of
reform as peace, temperance, human freedom, the treatment of
criminals, and others involving the moral uplifting and advancement of
mankind, very naturally had its effect upon the Universalist Church.
There were not a few in it who saw very clearly that the great Gospel
in which they believed was in the world to do a regenerative work with
the human family; that its first word to every one to whom it came was
the call to reformation of character and life; that it was a direct
and perpetual opposition to all that hinders this work, and that
therefore they who profess to be its friends and advocates should
embrace every opportunity of applying its heavenly forces to the
diminishing of human wrong and the establishing of the reign of
righteousness in the earth. As other churches were awakened and
agitated on these reform questions, so was this one, and in due time
it took its stand and made its manifestations in a way creditable to
its profession, and in accordance with its hopeful and catholic faith.
One of the organizations for the furtherance of this work of Christian
reform instituted by this church was that of the Universalist Reform
Association. The first direct action taken in reference to the subject
was at the session of the Massachusetts Universalist Convention in
Hingham, June, 1846, when the following resolution offered by Rev.
C. H. Fay, of Roxbury, was unanimously adopted:--
"_Resolved_, That this Convention recommend to the
Universalists of New England to form an Association to be known as
the New England Universalist Reform Association, which shall meet
annually in Boston during 'Anniversary Week,' having for its object
the collection of such statistical information relative to the
various reform movements of the age as illustrates not only the
progress of Christianity as we understand it, but the best means of
promoting and applying it."
A committee was chosen to carry the resolution into effect. An
appointed sub-committee issued a circular, urging upon all interested,
attention to the main objects of the Association, which were:--
"1. To consider the influence of Universalist sentiments in the
various reform movements of the age. It must be evident that these
sentiments are not _essentially_ confined to the sect which
openly professes them. We hold that they lie at the foundation of
every true effort for the prevalence of Temperance, Love, Peace,
Freedom, and all movements which recognize the Paternity of God and
the Brotherhood of Man. To establish the truth of the ultimate
connection of these doctrines with all the philanthropic action of
our age, to collect statistics and facts which demonstrate it, and
to exchange sentiments upon the subject, constitute one great object
of the Association.
"2. To assume our appropriate position in relation to these reforms;
to exert our legitimate influence in them; and to show in our
actions the practical conclusion of Universalist premises,--that he
who believes in God's universal Paternity and the Brotherhood of the
race cannot in any way countenance War, Intemperance, Slavery, or
Capital Punishment, but consistently opposes and strives to abolish
them all.
"The time of holding the meeting, too, deserves consideration. It is
on Anniversary Week, a week when almost every moral question now
agitating the civilized world is represented and discussed in
Boston. Hitherto we have sent out no such influence on this occasion
as we believe we may exert if our power shall be concentrated and
put in operation. We see not why our Reform meetings may not be
among the most interesting of all now held during this well-known
season."[28]
And they were. They began successfully, and were steadily and
profitably held, up to 1859, during years when these vital moral
questions were more intensely considered and debated in New England
and throughout our land than at any previous period. Very carefully
prepared and able reports were year by year presented to the
Association, and resolutions involving the merits of these reformatory
topics freely and amicably discussed. Often in other meetings,
conventions, associations, conferences, where ecclesiastical matters
claimed the chief attention, the introduction of these reformatory
subjects would cause uneasiness and elicit much fault-finding on the
part of those opposed to the introduction of such agitative themes
into these meetings of the church. But at the yearly assemblings of
the Reform Association the largest liberty was taken by all who
desired to express their opinions on these great questions of the day.
The first meeting was a success. It was held in the Second
Universalist Church, School Street, on Thursday, May 27, 1847. Four
addresses were given on these subjects, Peace, Criminal Reform,
Temperance, and Human Freedom, and appropriate resolutions discussed
and adopted. In connection with this session a social festival was
held on Friday morning, and was an occasion of unusual enjoyment to
all who took part in it. The historian, Richard Frothingham, Esq.,
presided, and made an admirable opening address. He was followed by
others, among them Chapin, then of rising fame. Pretending to have in
hand only "skirts and fragments of ideas," he magically forms them
into completeness, and endues them with power. He speaks of
Christianity and Reform:--
"Christianity has not changed or added anything to itself. But we
find in it latent truths; we discern new meaning in old truths. His
eye had rested that very morning upon the passage which Jesus read
in the synagogue at Nazareth: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he
hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to
the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at
liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the
Lord.' What a profound meaning does this passage receive now, in the
light of these stirring reforms! How does the truth open before us,
vast and deep as the blue heaven over our heads! Christianity
authorizes and animates these social movements. Its social spirit
and its labors of love make us live more in a year than elsewhere in
a lifetime. The early fathers of our faith began their labor in the
early morning, when the light of the truth they announced just
tinged the mountain-tops; and now, as they are about vanishing from
our horizon, the full effulgence shines upon their gray hairs, and
makes them a crown of glory!"
The venerable Ballou made the concluding speech. His words were
modest, sweet, and patriarchal. From that ancient saying of Jesus,
"The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid
in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened," he brought
out fresh and comprehensive words inspired by the scenes of yesterday
and to-day, and eloquently urged home the admonition to his
denominational children around him, that they should seek to
accomplish all their reformatory work in the spirit of Christian love.
He concluded, and at the word of the president "The Brave Old Oak" was
sung, and responded to by the applause of the audience.
From year to year, as these meetings occurred, there was a strong
interest in them. They were meetings where freedom of speech was
welcomed and enjoyed. The most searching inquiry was invited, and the
_pro et contra_ of every resolution offered was presented in all the
earnestness in which the debaters deemed it their privilege to
indulge. The resolutions at the first meetings of the Association
indicate its Christian basis. They are expressive of "gratitude to God
in view of the development of our faith in all the great reform
movements of the time; that we recognize the Word of God, especially
the New Testament scripture, as the basis of all genuine reform; that
an age as prolific as is the present in schemes for the improvement of
the race, including such variety, from the most reasonable to the most
Utopian, demands of every Christian the most candid and prayerful
discrimination, that all his endeavors may be wisely directed; that in
these movements we discern the promise of a better time coming, and of
the kingdom of God upon the earth; that as religious sentiment is the
controlling element of man's life, therefore the only true reform is
that which seeks to influence men through the medium of religious
faith."
In discussing topics involving the morals of politics and the great
interests of the American Republic, the members of all political
parties were regarded as on equal ground. The minister in these
meetings had no hesitancy in preaching the morals of politics as he
understood them, whatever the opinions of his parishioners at home
might be. The religion of Christianity was "mixed" with politics as
the larger quantity, and wrong, as wrong, arraigned wherever it might
be found in church or state, in social or individual habit or life.
Our public servants in their high places were deemed subjects of note
and animadversion, if their conduct seemed to call for it, in the
spirit of the prayer offered by the elder Dr. Beecher in Faneuil Hall:
"O Lord, preserve us from speaking evil of our public servants, and
especially save them from such wrong conduct as may call for such
speaking on our part!" A resolution passed at the first meeting of the
Association states "that, while the early Christians were only
_subjects_, American citizens are the _constituents_ of civil
government; and in all ages Christians are bound to act the Christian
principles in all their relations."
During the anti-slavery excitement, when the hunters for fugitive
slaves were desecrating the ground of New England, and members of
Congress in their interests were repealing the Missouri Compromise,
and many of the ministers of New England were bold enough to
remonstrate with them for such action, these most emphatic resolutions
were freely debated and unanimously adopted by the Association.
"_Resolved_, That the clergymen of New England, in their
Protest against the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, have pledged
themselves anew to freedom and the laws of God; that this
Association cordially approve the course of those who signed the
Protest, or otherwise labored to prevent the desecration of that
vast territory which had been consecrated by solemn compact to
liberty forever; and we request those Christian ministers who
refused to sign that Protest to review their position in regard to
this subject.
"_Resolved_, That the men from the North, and especially from
New England, who have voted for the iniquitous Nebraska Bill, have
proved themselves traitors to the cause of freedom and to the most
hallowed traditions of our fathers, and that their conduct deserves
the united, unqualified, perpetual reprobation of all friends to
human rights, which reprobation should be emphatically expressed at
the ballot-box."
The annual festivals held in those days in Boston by the Universalists
were essentially pervaded by the spirit of this Association. The
sentiments, songs, and speeches on these occasions were alive with the
reformatory inspiration of the Christian Gospel. The signs of the
times were clearly recognized by the speakers, and whatever the
especial excitement of the day might be, it was sure to find a
sympathetic tongue and ear at the festival table. The festival in 1854
occurring about the time of the rendition of Anthony Burns, the
anti-slavery feeling was at white heat. When the company entered
Faneuil Hall and were taking their seats, some sensitively
conservative brethren could not suppress the expression of their
wishes that no allusion might be made to that event in the addresses
about to follow. But the current was so irresistibly in one direction
that these fearful pleadings were as the smallest eddies therein. The
notes of freedom made the old hall ring.
[28] This circular was signed by the sub-committee, Rev. J. G. Adams
and Rev. E. H. Chapin.