The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-01-18
GmqntdIiqemen.
An interesting Theological Chit.
thnt by u Number OF Preachers.

AAA
ChIe,go Tribune Of Tuesday.
The Methodist ministers held their
regular weekly meeting yesterday morn.
inS, Presiding Elder Willing in the chair.
Alter the usual devotional exercises, the
order Of the day was taken up, the dis.
custom Of the question Of ChristS Second
Coming. :,
The Rev. Mr.. Youker said he would
like 10 believe that Christ would come
any neutrality-suspicious. soon-and take
Mi. people with Him, but he did not see,
In that case, how the masses on the earth
would be revived and converted. In other
words, who would be left TO do the work
Of reyiying the world2 49,,
The Rev. $. II. Adams did not think
the Bible would help out on the question
OF neutrality-suspicious. the Second coming
wa, 10 be before or after the millennium.
The general scope OF the Scriptures, how.
aver, seemed to Indicate 10 him beyond q
doubt that il was to be after the millen-
mum.
that The last coming OF Christ was His ap,
psaranee TO the individual heart, and His
acceplauce MS u Savior. In his opinion,
the Church was drifting too much into
these speculative questions. The best
controversy that could be had was = con.
troversy with sin.
The Rev. Mr.. McChesney judged, from
the signs OF the times, that the Church
wa, now on the eve OF a thorough venti.
lation Of ia doctrines. He was glad Of
il, and believed that much good wonld
come Of It. The doctrine OF the Second
Coming was one OF the strong tenets oil
the Methodist Church, but it was not
preached in the precise way adopted by
the specialists. In fact, for specialists,
either in theology or medicine, he had
not the greatest appreciation.
The Rev. N. NJ. Parkhurst observed
that, while the ideas Of the pre.millenni-
alists might be their inspiration, yet such
was not necessarily a proof Of their being
of God. Feeling might mislead people,
iust rs il had done in thousands OF instan.
ces.
The Rev. Mr.. Spencer thought, mas
much as all Methodists believed In the
second coming, the doctrine should be
more generally preached in the pulpit.
The Rev. Mr.. Stoughton believed that
Christ would come in the glory OF His
Kingdom after the world had been made
perfect. When that time would be, no
one could say, but in his opinion it would
be thousands OF yeArs-ages on ages, per.
haps. God, who had made this beautiful
world, stored the earth with enough rich
minerals to last for sgeS, and with fuel
enough to keep things warm Tor thou
sands and Thousands OF years, was moi
going 10 break up housekeeping now or in
the Immediate future.
The Rev. Mr.. Cauldwell remarked that,
il Christ had really taught His disciples
that He was coming Immediately, lie had
deceived them, for clearly the prospect oil
His coming was no more immediate now
than i. was when He left the earth. il
his opinion, Christ had not actually
taught this, but had left HiS people to
expect His coming at any time. 1t might
be deferred for thousands and thousands
OF years, and probably would be, for the
speaker could not believe that God was
going to dsttoy the world before it had
fulfilled It's destiny.
Mai. Cole said he looked for Christ,
cominga II the time, and found great com
fort in the doctrine. Brother Blackstone
said he had quoted texts in favor OF the
speedy coming Of Christ, which the other
brethren could not answer. and 10 which
" t.sl a. W. I.nlta1n
The Rev. Mr.. Hatfield showed how ir'
rational Il was TO interpreted all the texts on
this subject literally and exactly. Ac-
cordiug 10 his belief, Christ was ever pre-.
sent, Ia spirit, with Ills people, and II this
should be more generally taught aud be-
lieved in, there would be more true Joy
among Christians. -,
The Rev. DIR. Thomas did not think
people were justified in calling Christie
mission a failure, in case He did not come
this year, next year, or the year after,
lie had not had time to examine this
question fully. In his opinion, 1t wa'
not a question which called for immediate
settlement and final judgment. The evan.
gelisI themselves, Mr.. Moody, Msj
Cole, and others, did not in their preach
ing insist on this, but they "let their
lights shine "in the revival work In the
Church. To study this question fully
would rquire at least twelve months, and
the Ministers Association could not settle
it in another twelve months. II was one
Of Those questions, in fact, that did moi
affect the vital interests Of piety. While
he liked the idea OF these discussions, and
thought they we're productive oil much
good, yet he did not believe that the AS
ISOLATION was called upon TO settle, or
could, by any possibility, settle this ques;;
ton. He was in favor OF Think, and
let Think In all these matters.
Two or three brethren had something
to say about the Millerites, and the dis.
appointment which they experienced
when Christ did not appear "a they had
expected He would. From this they
seemed to deduoe an argument against The
stand taken by the pre.Millennialists
asserting that wherever Millertsm hae
been proiessed TO any great extent thu
people were now nearly all inidels.
The meeting did not attempt TO settle
the question, and other business cut 1t Of
short.
The Rev. Mr.. PArkhurst moved that
Presiding Elder Willing be requested tc
give next Monday morning q briet state
ment Of the position Of the Methods
Church on the question Of future punish
ment. Various opinions had gone on.
from the pulpits, and he thought it ful
time to have an authoritative Statement
on this important question.
The Rev. Mr.. Patten was opposed X
the motion. The discussion in the paper
was good, and from II people would form
their own opinions. The motion woul,
apparently put the meeting In doubt OF
thisquestion and at the will Of the Chair
man.
The Rev. DR.. Edwards said that, in hi
opinion, nothing better stated the rea
position Of the Methodist Church on th,
subject than the Rev. DR.. Thomas sermoI
Of last Sunday night. Every Methods
minister no doubt believed In an eterna
He'll, but aa TO Its nature there wW doubl
The Rev. Mr.. Youker insisted tina
there was n doubt on the question Of tn
duration OF future punishment.
Presiding.E Elder Willing cauHed a with
draWAl Of The motion by declining In I'D
vance 10 prepare such q paper.
The Rev, DR., Quincy, Of the BrIlnes