, 1881-10-11


to the slnner will al,1ilu faruycr." tint he
"hns M l'osslhlu ,lonht Ut tho separation III
Roml nn1 ha1t. Ut lass arltt suffering IL lhoso
w!lU .lu III sill" l3ut "wllAs futurp pt,ntslt-
nlrnt wifi br, ur how ling, or with Whit rc~
stttt." ho DECLARES TINT ~ llu knows not." In
dcptl, hc allits TINT l.c aa felt at.l expressed
n hope t1lat "1osI souls nay con,e Into bot
ter life In tho future"
It will be observed t!,at the distinction be-
tween wl,at DR.. rhon,as aetuatly believes
md What ills prosres!tnra drclarc tin tloc-
trlMn Ut tho C!lurcl, 10 he III the sub
|rGt 0f tno inspiration ut thu Scriptures
and the ntll,ensent II very nfcc-fnr too
nIco to mnko any deep Impression OIL tho
c41l,nnn ,ntl,tl; tit, Indeed. only to exercise
tho thought atld tau tho Ingenuity Of tectl-
nicnl lntcilects. but lu llGlthUr casc is It
distinction Without n difference. Tint tho
Scriptures nre, III s,lbslnnce, inspired, us Dr.
Thomas luaintalns, IS more easy uf heller TO
tho COMMON intnh than tint they arc "yef-
ba1fy " inspired. So Of tic ntonenlcnt. Il Ii
easter 10 comprehend TINT tinl ,nay f.avo snf-
ferC,l for mankind tllan TINT Christ, Dcing
purt OF God, could have slnliett. III both
cascs thu theory pf DR.. Thonias Is nIoru ra-
ttoi,nl, md therefore more comprehensive.
tlan tt,nt Of the Church prosecutors It fof-
lows, II these differences nro lloi,-cssellstals
rs It seenss tu tho laymnn they lnust bc, that
III cnnyicttns Dr. Thomas of heresy OIL ttieso
points tho Church will take llpon itself MI,
unnecessary burttcn-the burden of nil nj
fnnst impossible clear exposition OF Its creed.
Tic difference tctwecn DR.. ThotnRs al1d
his prosecutors which approaches mostncnr-
ly to tho lnsurnountablo Is that oil tho SUBJ
ject Of future punishment. Clearly Dr.
Thomas canl,ot enforco tAo Church theory
Of thu everlasting punishment of tho wicked
III this life. liz does not know TINT tllo
wicked will not auirGr forever, but llu hopes
they will lnvc Hi opportunity to repent after
dentEt, antI t,npes they will repent. ilo tiaes
not bclieye III litarnl ltell, I, hike Of ilro In
which tho bMlirs and souls Of ne1l
will buru. Liz believes that Heaven
or Hell nro conditions or htntes Of
mintt md spirit tint VIC cnrry over
from this world. Uocs tho Methodist Chnrcl
crect teach tho doctrine of literal Hell at,d
tho everlasting punishment tlcrcln of tllosu
who lilo II, sin9 Plainly, IN the opinion of
DR.. Thomas, 1t docs mot: for he elnQs to tic
Church. tetlncfousiy astd Insists that TIC be-
lieycs md breaches Its creed. Oh this p0iNt
the case or Dr. Thomas must inevitably hc-
! come n leatlIng one. Tho decision If It
must dc!fnn what. III the opinion Of tho high.
est authority fl tho Met[,adtst Church. Ifeft
Is, aird wllcthor or not 1t is proper for n cei-
Ey,nnn Of tint denomination to entertain and
express "a llopm that lost souls may como
Into better iifo IN tho future"
'rlla prosecutors Of Dr. T!lumas are gather
ff,
hfghest tribunal cnn mako theso materials
I'D into tho indestructiblo web Of actual
church history. l,r, 'rhonlns' nalurcss llas
| relieved the case Of MI pettiiiess. iii ulo
face Of lllat address, s,ernly Logical, a',i yot
| humble, almost pattotc, In its expressions Of
devotion to tic Church, no man will venture
| 10 doubt It's nuthor's sincere, earnest desire
| to perpotunte Ills relations with lt,.0t OH
personal grounds, hut III tho ground OF Ae-
yotion to tlo Church alld tho causo which 1t
represents.