The People's vindicator., 1878-01-26

created DV II, ana lnuecu, tllal any StH-
cral Importance shonl,| he attached to his
utteranccs. As theoloyian he was of
bad rrputr, and his opinions were OF no
wei ~ht whatever, DR.. Palmer attention
was then called to the interview with Dr
Arthur Crosby, Of the New York Prcsby-
trrian Church, AZ reported in tile Hrvhd
in which he avowrA Il belief IN place
and condition of Punishment for inrorr-
gable sinners in future life, but could
not conceive of ctrrnnl punishment. cN-
crpt on the basis of eternal sinnlng.-
Said DR.. Crosby, eff u sonl does not sin
ctcrnally, it should not, and would not,
be punished ctrrnally. There are oppor-
tunitirS for SHINING and rricntiny in the
futur,. life as there are in this. Other
wise he could not see the necessity for
continuous or eternal punishment.
Commenting upon this, DIR. Pamtf said
that DR.. Crosby had always been known
to entertain very singular views. There
was much that was sub iect to criticism in
his "Life of Christ" Indeed, this very
laxitv, a great deal of which prevailed in
| the Presbyterian Church North, was the
sole cause of the failure to rc-uuitc the
Northern and Southern Churches. Such
doctrine would not bc tolerated a'nonS
Southern PrtShytcrians.
But continued he, this denial of future
eternal punishment is no new hcrcsy.-
With reference to the statement of DR..
Fayrar, canon of Westminster, that the
words "damnation,' SHELL" and sever
lasting,' were mistranslationS. and with
these words erased from the English B-
ble there would be no basis for til" popu-
lar teachings about hell. Dr. Palmer said,
producing his Greek Testament and turn
ing to Matthew, xxv. chapter, 4Cth verse,
that he could not agree with the Canon.
If the Greek word there did not signify
everlasting, eternal, there was no word
to express that idea in the languagr.-
Reading the above verse, which is fol-.
lows: And these shall go away into cv-
rrlastiny punishment. but the righteous
into life eternal" the reverend doctor
said this verse, following after the two
parallels in the ten virgins and the tall
eats, and the splendid dcScripti ton of the
last Judgment, can have hut Que mcanluy.
Those who deny everlasting punishment
must necessarily deny the life eternal,
brought. as they are here, in jr'Ntaposi'
tion. The conclusion is inevitable. and
it is absolute annihiiation. lie, himself,
was pure Calviui,t, and held to the
creed OF the fathers.
REV. LINUS PARKER,
Of the Methodist Episcopal Church Soutl
was the next callo,l upon. Mr., Parker
who is Il man of fine fl CURE and handsome
open face, was seated at his editorial
desk in the rooms of the New Orleans
Christian .idrocdtc. He greeted the repre-
sentative of the NewoHjOt kindly and in
vitrd him to a seat.
Rrp.-Nlr. Parker, I've called upon YOU
to talk about hell. You doubtless hav,
read of the recent sermons on the subject
by Canon Farar. at Westminster. I.ondoll
and Btrchcr. in New York and the object
of my visit is to learn your opinions Oh
the subject.
Mr.. Palkcr-YeS, have seen something
of the sermons you refer to, hut do not
accrc,lit to them the Importance that
seems to be given them by the press. II
the Methodist Episcopal Church South
there have been some differences OF opin
ion relative to the continued duration ant
as to the physical character Of the pun
ishmrnt of sin. According to the tenet.
of faith, on the resurrection day the body
reunitrS with the soul. an,l both will snt
fer for deeds committed in the flesh. l
is true that there has been much motlrr
alton in the views hitherto held. Mr.
Wesley had the idea that at the rcssur
rcction the body and soul would be in
vested with flames and sullcr bodily
pnn%s. Now, there is a difference %S t.
the duration Of this punishment. Th,
Methodist Church holds to eternal dam
nation still; I believe that emphasis i
laid on the mental punishment, and no
the physical.
Rep If this idea of a non-cxistcnce o
a hell spreads, do you not think that i
will be the cause Of schism in the church
MIR. Pho, not that know of. | Ilav
never heard of any difference Of opinion
in our church regarding the subject. !
is true there were three candidates to TIL
ministry refused admission by the Brtisl
Conference last summer for not believin!
in the doctrine of eternal punishment
but beyond these do not know ofa cast
They arc the only examples l know 0
my departure in belief
The Univcrsalists now believe in tn
restoration doctrine, l think. In M
thought and study on this subject, and
have given mnch time to it, have bee
forced to the conviction from the Scriptu
raj and philosophical coincidence that tn
punishment was eternal | do not be
lieve, however, that the hcatbel, as wa
formerly believed, are condemned to etel
nal punishment beca"se OF their not hav
: ing become members ofthe faith thin
, that if they acted up to their faith tn
divine mercy of Cod would not pvrmi
!, them to be condemned.
. REV. HUGH MILLER THOMPSON,
y was then called upon at his residence, o
Chestnut street. When usbcrcd into th
capacions dining-room of the rector {
Trinity Church. that gentleman was al
> sent at the Sunday school celebration {
3 his flock. After short delay he arrived
, however. and somewhat flushed with hi
labors he came into the rooms exten,1iu
a welcome hand to the reporter. Whe
questioned about the sub hject of Cano
, Farrars discourse and Beecher's pronunc
, antento, he said:
, II can only say this, that I had onl
: heard of these by reading some excerp,
D from them. The English papers read d
s not credit Canon FarTr with az stron
, enunciation of these views as see cred
: ted to him. II mistake not, the Cano
c came out in Il caltl after the publication
) of the report of his sermon, in which i
V explained that hc had not gone as far ;
t the press alleged he had
b "The Cane in his card stated that Ii
t gave the true translations from the Gree
Z of Everlasting, hell and damnation."
Q this | perfectly agree with him, as ever
l scholar must. The guashing of teeth
q ETC., referred to in the Bible, of cour,
could not refer to a physical gnashing
: teeth, for there can be no teeth in spi
4 itual life"
Pnn-Thcn Won do not differ with C.