, 1877-12-09
HE'LL AND TIE CoNGREGAT10NAL1sTs

II
The Calvinistic canon Of everlasting per
tlition is seriously agitating the Congregation
al 1aity and clergy in Western Massachu-
sets. It arose ont Of the refusal of tho
First Church in Springfield to install the
Rev. Mr.. MERRIAM because he is not sound
on the question of He'll The refusal was
considered in the recent Council at Indian
Orchard. md, in order to ascertain the status
of the clergy: circulars were sent to nlnety-sH
Congregational pastors in the four. western
counties, very much in the style that the Com
missioner Of Agriculture occasionally sends
his circulars to the farmers asking their
opinions of potato-buss and grasshoppers.
Tho circular from the Council asked the
question plumply: "Do you teach that
endless, conscious suffering nwaits the i'm
penitent?" Ont Of the ninety-six pastors
addressed only forty-seven replied, aud OF
these but forty-onc made G. categorical an-
swer accepting Hell without quibble or
evasion. The poll, III fact, stood us follows:
For He'll
Against Hcll.... .....-..-''i'
Total: ''''''''111
AntiIlc n1ajority.....-. ..-...-..... ...-I9
| Eleven of those who answered did not
| wish to hnye their names appended to their
| views, for fear it might bring pein to their
families, or because they do not make hob
bies Of their beliefs. Some Of those who
preach the doctrine, however, do so with
some reservations. Ono teaches it 'snot
dogmntically, but as thing probable" An
other q does not try to paint what the end
less misery mey be, but leaves it whero the
Bible docs.' Another says: Means of n-
deviation may bo in the life to come greater
or less tnnn they are here" Another says:
II judge thet suffering awaits the impeni-
tent SO long as they remain impenitent. "
/ Another charitable brother says: "I do not
t believe thGt al1 those who differ from me will
certainly 20 to HELL" Another ventures upon
tito verge Of the doctrine of nunihilation:
81 think the Bible is against any hope Of
recovery, and that it teaches that the III
pen;teut man enters into future Of COZ
scious suffering, which hope may some time
terminate BY suspension Of consciousness,
if not by utter destruction, and lam inclined
to think that without violence the Scriptures
may be explained consistently with that
hope" Another expresses the sud conviction
"Some men know just who will DO saved
and who will be damned, but it troubles me
to tell" Still another answers, to hit If it IS
deer, md miss If it is calf: IT believe
in the everlasting punishment of the wicked j;
do not understand by this the endless in
Fiction Of penal suffering" and again ho
says: ' I hold that every mans future is
the proper, inevitable sequence Of his pres
ent, and should hesitate to ordain as a Con-
gregational minister, though I might give
him fullest recognition rs Christian broth
cr,-a man who wasn't sure but he might
teach the nnnihilntion Of the wicked
The action Of the Congregationalists Of
Western Massachusetts, and the discussions
which have arisen upon the case Of Alr. MEE-
E1AN, have already had the result to show
tha. in the whole State over ono-half the
Congregational ministers do not believe in
He'll or preach it, at leastso far as it involves
the dogma OF endless perdition. It is not
unlikely that the same proportion will hold
good throughout the whole country. showing
!; that there is still left in Congregationalism q
great deal of that charity of belief and creed
l. Nu4Cu t4aIHELeI1Aeu AS CEI1IGI Qu}S, Auu
that it hns made decided advance since the
time when its more liberal members bolted
off into Unitarinnism because they could
not remain within the Congregational or
: even evangelical pale with their difference
, of belief And now comes up the great
Calyinistic dogma, which hns been roared
and Numbered so n.any long years, and one
, half the clergy are silent when they ere
:, put upon the witness-stand to testify
whether they believe or disbeieve it. How
long is it since Mr. BEEcHER raised a breeze
! and sstounded the other denominations by
; publicly preaching against the 'Calvinistic
/ doctrine of the'f future state of the wicked
And yet, at the very same time, half the
Congregational ministers Of Massachusetts
held the same view, only they kept it te
themselves, as matter Of policy perhaps, OF
| perhaps because they were not asked to e1