The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-12-27

lett Street Methodist Episcopal Church,
New York, presented a somewhat novel
view Of future punishment. We grade
our crimes here on earth, he said, and
accord degrees Of punishment proper
tionate 10 the crime committed. One man
goes 10 the penitentiary for ten or thirty
days; another goes to the State Prison for
two or Eve years; another for life, and the
fourth, for murder, is swept out Of human
existance. This last we call capital pun.
ishmeit-the highest grade known to the
Law, inasmuCh as the taking Of human
life IL the highest crime known among
men. Now, said Mr.. Searles, those
different classes Of criminals come up
before the bar oil God to be judged.
One Is an incorrigible sinner, with whom
God can do nothing except to inllict
@capilAl punishment" on him-thatiN, lie
blOls him out Of existence. The others
undergo different terms Of imprisonment,
hut where Mr.. SearleS was not prepared
10 say. His mind ia in doubt on that
point. Sill he could not believe In q
material hell Of IRE and birthstone, hut
neither could he admit in the present atate
Of his knowledge u probation after this
life. Eternal lie, the Scriptures teach, Ia
10 Jesus Christ, and In him alone. A
sinner who lives In eternal torments must
have this eternal life which Is found only
In the union Of The soul with Christ,
Hence Mr.. searleS could not fully accept
the doctrine Of sternal punishment, but
he was not prepared to say how God would
modify the punishment Of the sinner in
the future life.
HELL NOT MATERIAL NOR ETERNAL.
The Rev. Nathan Hubbell, pastor Of
one Of the Oldest Methodist churches in
the city, Forsyth street, considered some
Of Mr.. Beecher's statements extraordina-
~ and untenAble. For himself, Mr..
Hubbell could not believe in a literal fire
as a mode Of punishment, for the reason
that no human "body' could stand a ma
terial FIRE beyond very limited period.
He could not believe In 1t again nor in
the eternal duration Of punishment for
this second reason, that God has taught
us in the Bible that men will be judged
according TO the deeds done in the body
and punished accordingly. But II God
Ia 10 push all sinners Unfortunately IN.
10 he'll FIRE and leave them there eternally,
there can be no true judgment on the bG.
ais Of deeds done in the body. That would
be judging all alike. There are figures Of
speech 10 the Bible which cannot be in.
terpreted literally oil one aide more than
on the other. Mr.. Hubbell believes in a
state and place Of punishment for the
wicked in the future life; but where it is
or how 1t Is to be imposed he could not
say. Gods resources are infinite, and he
was willing TO leave the consequences Of
the sinners acts, as well as his own, in
the hands Of an Advise and MerCifuhRe'
deemer and Judge. Mr.. Hubbell believed
that those views were shared by a large
number Of his brethren in the Methodist
ministry.
Other ministers-Protestant and Cath.
olic-were sought; but some had not read
Mr.. Beecher's sermon; others we're too
busy to give their own views, and still
others held to thecreeds Of their churches
without troubling their own minds with
such speculations.