Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-10-14

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~ Sqs1ii1 Ms tsteleue tHnn.
f1nn6 ~ A(bsbsd ~ 4due fosSess
sc,ests e essasi6 vital changes alleged to
ave taksa pla1s n ~ ihsaloPic,l opinions
81 Rev. 6s6sS Ward 3ss6As. J, Ao6ustom
ID 70 the fFeqosRk 81 ~ The main harm
lssa. vsgasiss Iof this scvsutris eisrgyRsn.
"a iris1ds stiirse paid iitds aesshlids 70
thsee runen but Aere seeindS the cub.
sect he's been 10 opsnly mootsd "a the city
Of churches that sDms inlqisy wse ssnape
= The resuit has aNxk6ned De greatest
cstoaishusnt end SORROW asnong ~ many
f[iends. Who are ssid TO have found that bis
Seported conversion 70 The doctrines Of
stnivsrsslism" was based upon somsehinR
moro than mecv0urmiae. o. The hae&y ex-
preston ofsoua 0sneaey Gsslina. Trust
ing, howsvs, tbaA III chanse In his relie-
ious bsliels was se9lH - vAGasy Of mind
which has frequently before given svidances
Of want Of balance. they have said little
shout the matter. eharitsbly hoping that the
evil would work It's own reform. Mr.. Beech
Or. however, ia not q mat % allow his light
to remain hidden under bushel, and, like
ell proselytesis, prompt to proclaim his
newly found opini0ns. Our readers can
imAgSne the astsnlshment u 8 large poetion
Of his congregation. which. with the kindest
but most mistaken intentions, had been
kept in ignorance Of the circumstances Of
which We have spoken, on reading HE bold
announcement Of his lsliefs il . thrse>col-
umn article in the iadtpsSAsnt Of this week,
under the title Of Remarks on He'll"
Mr.. BeeeheRo ihIimate relasidns with
that journal. nd tie frequency With which
he has contributed, to ito oOlumns have
probably relarsd the ususl severity o. edi
torial scrutiny. 4 fact which will perhaps
account for thu publication of shas strange
article In the paSss Of . strictly orthodox
religious organ. Our space forbids the re
printing Of tho entire paper, which weulsl
otherwise be interesting - . curious pa
sage in the history Of the religioyss hsiisfs
Of this country. We give, hetetsf, hs
most prominent points. E4g
Tho occasion Tor the article ID question
WAS the following note, addressed to Mr.
Bsecher, probably by one Of those who had
heard the vague reports Of his change Of
opinions:
Will you please tell me, in your lsct,we.
room tdiAs published in the Indsp6sslsat,
what you mean BY he'll and futurs ssiaish-
ments My mind is yearning for something
higher and moro spiritual; but, before |
can advance any further, | must have these
terms explained BY . liberal christian man
DEFINITION OF uELL-wBAT 10 PuRGAfoRY
Mr.. Beechc' commences his reply by Civ
ing definition Of hell, announcing 1t tn,
very outset. It win be seen, by his opinion
that it is not final. but an intermediat.
state-a purgatoSy, where the wicked Or,
punished for the sixs 81 this life, and fittec
for future existence. The boldness will
which he sign'ies hts conclusion, that pun
ishment will not be everlasting, will aston
ish even those who know the fearlcssness
which he has always thrown himself into
any movement with which he has becom,
connected. lie says:
~ the term hell, ~ il is popularity used
We nnean-or msan--tbat state in which
aftsr this mortal LIE, the incorrigibly wick
cd ore left to their own suffering and pun
tshmeut. II you ask me the meaning o
the original word. HATES. reply That
means that state Of the dead Which in,me
diateiy swccseas this life, and ,rhich i inter
mediate betUeen kais lie and the one that is
10 come Or, ifyou ask me what hell means
in the ordinary usige. and in my usuage,
reply that il means the state in which the
incorrigibly wicked are herded together,
and suffer the legitimate result Of their
wickedncss. I need not, therefore, answer
the second question, As Of the meaning Of
future .,unishMent.
m OBJECTS TO BEING BADGEREp AND BEAT
EN-" THROUGH ETERNITY.
Starting to give the reasons for his pres
cnt opinion he paints the following picture
Of the. orthodox belief, and presents tn,
doct Inc which has hitherto been taught in
his own, and the larger number Of churches
in the city, in this extraordinary light
The unfairness Of his picture, and his
strangely exaggerated statement, will, how
ever. ALLEVIATE FROM him tho sympathy o
many who would otherwise be disposed t.
look lenicntly upon what they might think
the honest doubts Of an honest seeker after
truth:
There has been mode Of presenting the
doctrine Of future punishment, and there
has sometimes been spirit employed il
the use Of it a. motive. ,rhich haze been re
puisire, not to cay shocking Not only have
We received this doctrine ~ it has come
down 70 us. clothed with material figures
and illustration, but these figures and illus.
trations have been magnified and worked
up. until the doctrine, as it Is presented BY
human interpretations and expositions, *
sim,ly horrible. 1t has been supposed that
death was one vast slaughter rouse of tor
mcnt, where wre;ched, aud hopeless, and
helpless, creatures, for the sins Of life, were
by every conceivable method Of exquisite
physical pain, badger,d and beaten about
in an endless gyraton Of suffering. Look
at the "lnfcrno,' Of Dante as an exposition
Of the prevalent opinions Of HE day. Look
at the Last Judgement" Of Michael An
geIo, IS an exposition Of the physical ideas
OF torment Of his day, where devils are
gnawing the skulls Of the damned; where
men are pitched about on forks, where
oil possible modes of bodily distscss are
grossly, savagely, hideously complicated
~~'s~s's~' s'se"o 10 PyoSfNtutJOUU o. q StI(P
Of government under which Christ IL tn. man.
sfeseatioA Of 0odi
Tnu REASONS ron MS GRANGE or RELIEF
This mAterialism," in the ordinarily
received doctrine Of orthodox churches. h,
gives - a main reason for bis present be
lief. adding thereto the insuficiency Of ar
gument by which the more commonly re
ceived opinion il sustained
This extreme materialism, this utte
barbarity Of the ideas which have 30 wide
y prevailed respecting future punishment
has besn one chief reason Of the moderr
reaction that has taken place OIL the subject
Then We have t, perhaps. made the mat
ter mech bette, BY the argument, derive,
from the world Of moral government
which We have advanced to justify futur
and eternal punishment, and mhich zee,
not to at all sound"
WHAT 10 INSPIRATION?
Az . curious example Of Nr. Bescher'
opinion - to the inspiration of the Scrip
tares, We quote, in passing the followinl
sentence, in which re says of ths Apostles
Though I consider that they were iusp;r
ed, yet cannot but feel that emanatin,