Seeing, then, that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech."

Brethren, my subject is, our need of more simple, outspoken religious life. I think this is the special need of liberal Christianity to-day. In all the larger and outward aspects of religion, as we stand facing the great needs and questions of the time, our liberal churches hold a strong position, their thought is fearless and clear, and their word is firm, direct, and listened to. But we must be conscious that we have no similar fulness and heartiness of utterance on the smaller, inner, more personal side of religion. This is about our weakest side to-day. The high thoughts of our faith want “reducing to lower terms"; they want bringing to bear not only on the lofty problems of science and philosophy, but on the daily needs and cares of struggling, sorrowing, tempted men and women; they want shaping not only into the great utterances of pulpit and press, but into something of an altogether plainer speech; into the language of common life; into the happy

tones of household piety; into the frank utterance of friend with friend.

In the larger, external aspects of religion, our liberal work is already strong and clear. The great thought-currents of the time are setting our way. Society is restless with perplexities and doubts which only our free faith, or some other as free, can meet and satisfy. We have a good hearing for every best word we have in us on these larger topics. The great truths and principles for which we have stood, and long stood alone, are now being adopted by the foremost thinkers in many churches. So much is this the case that, whereas a while ago the doubt among our timid ones was whether we could ever succeed in making a way for our truth, their doubt to-day is whether it would not make way just as well without us! How little place that doubt has among us, however, this convention shows. We are thankful for every testimony to broad and liberal Christianity, no matter whether given in our name or not; but we assuredly have no doubt that our witness is needed. Certainly the success which has attended our revived and more affirmative work during the past quarter of a century has been exactly of the kind, not to show us that our work is superfluous, but to encourage us to greater earnestness and activity in it; for our success has been that of an ever-widening and more attentive hearing. Note the quality of that hearing! On every great public religious topic that comes up people have learned to expect about the clearest, strongest, most frank and thoughtful word from the leaders of Unitarianism. Does some great question of theology come to the front, they know that in the Unitarian pulpit they will hear it discussed in its broadest aspects, with no slavish textualism, and with fearless common sense. Is there some

great crisis of national duty or honor, it is to the Unitarian minister the reporters go for the word that will handle it without gloves and most heartily recognize its relation to Christianity. Is the public feeling outraged by the narrow and intolerant interpretation of Providence which some men are always finding for great calamities, it is to liberal Christianity that the community turns for the ringing common sense which shall expose the mischievous fanaticism, and put the matter in a wholesome, manly light. Are the scientists "fluttering the dovecotes" of theology by some fresh and brilliant raid into the mysterious regions beyond the proper realm of science, it is to some of our broad scholars that society looks for the calm, strong, thoughtful word which shall restore the equilibrium of faith. Nor is it only for these occasional utterances that our churches are listened to: men know that there, year in, year out, they will hear free and thoughtful words, on some topic of large, general interest,—on the great truths of theology, the lives of public men, the interest of new books, the discoveries of science, the history of the past, the controversies of the present, the outlook to the future. Accordingly our churches are the resort of many a restless intellect, of many a lover of mental freedom, and of many an otherwise unchurched doubter.

Well, this is a work to be thankful for, and I think we are thankful for it. And yet when all this is said I suppose we are not satisfied. For this is preponderatingly a ministry of intellect to intellect, and the world wants something more than this, and our faith is good for something more.

The function of religion is not accomplished when it has uttered even the most wise and helpful truth on these great questions. It is not accomplished when it has explained for