, 1877-12-23
eeecher's Rejection Of the Doc
trine of Eternal Pun
ishnent.
Papal Conclaves as They Were and
Are--Manner OF Election,
DEECHER'S NEW DEPART
-UItE.

To the Editor Of 1Ht Tribune.
EVANSTON, III, Dee. 1S--Therc arc many
readers Of TIE TRIBUNE to whom your edito
rial IN today. paper on Mr.. Beccher's new de-
parturc must have seemed very unjust.
Doubtless it was not intended to be either
misleading or offensive, but 1t is both. In
the large headlines in which In yesterday Is
paper the new departure was announced and in
to-day's editorial it is asserted that it is only
Calvinism Which Mr.. Bcecher, sswith fearful OBJ
jurgations," cast out OF Plymouth Church,
The obvious inference from this language is
that Calvin was the inventor Of the dogma
OF future punishment, and it was nev-
er heard Of until it was proclaimed
By him, and that il is not now, an0
never has been: believed BY any except By those
who believe in the system OF theology which
Calvin framed. II this is not what was intend
ed by calling the doctrine Of future retribution
Ca]yinistir, why call it By that name at all!
Why not rail- it Roman Catholic, or Lutheran,
Or Anglican, or Arminians All these cutnnlun-
ions have always held the doctrine. aud they
still hold it, Every branch Of the Church III
every age, with i1lconsidcrablc exceptions, has
held to this doctrine. Ale:l have held it, be-
taue they find it taught in the Bible. Even
Theodore Parker found it taught there, and for
That reason hc rejected the Biblc-rejccted it
cTen while, III i passage OF rare elolucncc and
beautv, he Acknowledged its unriyalrd iuiu
cnee as apowcr for rooI III the world.
When, therefore. in view ol all these facts.
THE TRIBUNE ascribcs lnis doctrine. nut ut MI
to the Bible, out oA'r To Calyinisn,, it is very
certain to lnisleal its less thoughtful readers;
Tor it sends them TO Calvin as Ut least tho first
and highest, II not the sole authority. u sup
port Of the dogma 1t does great injustice also
to all who III III; sense or degree are Ca!yiuists,
for it represents thc1u IS holding to doctrine
which, Us all must a-rce, is 'of tremendous I'LL !
port, on no Other authority than tfat Of man, |
aud u man whose teachings ALL except the be- !
levers in his infallibllly. reject. |
may be said: |
]. That If frcnzied passion were argument, it |
would be quite overwhelming.
= That when inan speaks in q passion, and |
deals only in assertions supported by curses, he
is entitled to no consideration.
g. That he is. Inconsistent with himself, for
while IN his vic" y Gud who sweeps n>en Into
1iell is monster, SO also is Gud who
"Ewceps mud ~ into heaven; and while he be-
licres In the Trinity, not because he under.
Bible teaches it, yet he ''swears by the blood
Of Christ that he will not believe men urt
punished in hell, even though the Bible does
declare that they are
4. That he grossly cazicaturcs tue doctrine. as |
Il is stated and held BY evangelical Churches
lie makes man of straw, and then tears it to
pieces with awful fury. He represents the |
orthodox doctrine to be that Goo creates men
'ol aHe sole purpose OF sending them to he'll, |
which Is not the orthodox doctrue, nor any
thing like It, As we'll say that God creates
men for the purpose Of peopling this world |
with drunkar1ls, li1crttnes. thieves, robbers,
aud 1nurderers. Al; these classes are here, aud
they arc doing what they can to make Il hell OF |
his very world, which is presumed to be under
Lie government OF God. Their prcscuce here |
'nd their doings from day to day, are just as
much al Impeachment of the goodness Of God
as is the doctrine of & future aud endless puu-
lsilmcnt- Ii God is s'moustcr" for suffering
lteu ia meet tflc due reward Of their sins here |
after,--.for God does not punish lrcu, any more |
ti1ah He burns them when they jump ito the
ire-He is just as much 4 a*monstcr tor suffer,
ng bad men in this life TO persceute a,,ti injure
-ood men, like Mr.. Beecher. WITNESS