New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-16
United Brethren in Christ the Rev. d. Berger,

John p. CULVER in The Golden RuIe of April
10, briefly summarizes the statement of the
AndOvcr faculty concerning the case Of DR..
Newman Smyth in the following manner:
The statement Of the Andover professor consists
OF three parts the first contains history OF tho
case and of the obstruction raised byIM CoHgrega-
t,,o"qsst to the final continuation OF III sinyth as
the Professor of Systematic Theology; the second.
an answer to the attack of The COHGrcJetio"di,st
upon the Creed as the basis Of the Institution the
third, defence OF the opinions OF DR.. SmYtn
against the charge that they cannot be rec0nclled
with the reqnre:rents OF the Creed on the subject
of future TetrIbutiOn.
On the third point the statement justGes the action
OF the Faculty in nominating of tie Trustees IN
elecing. and of the visitors IN indorsing Dr. Smyth.
The discussion at this point Is necessarily EXPOSE
tory. and defensive OF Or. Smyths opinions. as they
are given III popular eXtempOre sermons, taken
down by n shorthand reporter, and designed merely
TO defend truth against certain misconceptions OF
nquircTs and sceptIcs. IL Is evident that the at
tempt To draw out an exhaustive statement Of DIR.
Smyth's views from such data only, would be haz-
ardous, though only such a statement would prov,
entirely satisfactory. Hence appeal Is made to tho
verdict Of the Visitors and trustees rs to the mean
ing of those sermons interpreted by the full ex-
plantations given by Dr. Smyth to them The paper
then proceeds to point ont, from the sermons them
selves, the mistakes made by The CongTegai'onahst
i'm its Interpretation. The criticism OF that Paper
was confined to the treatment of future probation
and future retribution. These mistakes are taken
IN in order, and set IN contrast win what Dr.
Smyth actually says, showing that he teaches that
all human beings Will have one probation under tbo
provisions of redemption; that no second proba-
ton Is offered here or hereafter that infants luoiS
and possibly some grossly Ignorant persons. may
not have had their one probation on earth, alid IL
we have reason to believe they viii have here
after that disciplinary state for the righteous
after death would seem TO be necessity, ana adj
hitting that we may perhaps find reason Tor tho
practice of the ancient Church in offering such
prayers for the dead found IN the epitaphs OF
the CatacOmbs,the reqoscdt IN pdce OF our modern
usage; that while eternal means endlessness, that
is, the exclusion % the finite quality of into
events we term duratiOn-t has much more than
that merely negative meaning. and that our Lord
chose terms which express greater meaning thaii
endlessness when speaking OF the state follow
ing the Judgment; that the attempt often made tn
construct the concept eternity by pilng up periods
of merely finite duration is essentially false and
n iseading; that the power of the truth has been
lost in consequence of this reduction Of II To ar;h-
metical terms; and that its restoration to the uses
OF the pulpit requires higher and truer treatment;
and finally, that eternity is the for the right
eOus and for the lcked in Heaven and in Hell.
To this The Congregationaiist replies in its
last number i'll part rs follows;
We have based orr objection to DR.. Smyths
firnation solely upon his position rs to eschatoogy
not because no fault might fairly be found with his
general fitness, or mis- views of the atonenent but
mainly because, to that. his case seems largely
paralleed by hat OF the gentleman whom the In
dian Orchard Council Of November ;. 1877. declined
to install because they specially objected to has
views Oh future punishment as unsound and unsat-
isfactory." 1t will be recalled that Mr.. Merriam
had thus formulated his faith on that subject
IN regard tho matter Of eternal punishment o. those
go believe it teaches the contrary 1t leaves
the question an open one
Few can have forgotten the excitement which fol-
lowed tins action of the Council, and some viii re-
member that then addressed to one hundred
representative ciergymen all over the land Two
questions, the second of which was:
How far shOuld belief IN the doctrine of future cter
nal punishment be- insisted on prerequisite 10 the
ministry in orr Congregational churches I
Ont of eighty-eight replies which received,
three would have ordained Mr.. Merriam: fourteen
IN conceivable eases might vote TO Ordaln man not
holding the doctrine; and seycnty-one would insist
that in all cases, belief IN the doctrine be do
manded as a prerequisite to entrance upon our
One Of the replies which then came to us tho
following:
While in receiving members 10 the church might, in
exceptional cases hesitate to exclude candidates solely
the ground Of doubts in regard 10 this doctrine do
how of disciplined mind WHO has carefully
studied the subject and yet avows his disbelief OF tho
doctrine can be suitable person To De the religious
teacher OF Congregational church or to be enrolled
among the accredited ministers Of our denominaiion
eharcnes. have q anityGfofm a compact and sclfcon
ssent the part OF %cG are Gi bs va
tenn is modified aud weakened stone has fallen from
the arch The early Unyersasts IN tins country wero
thorough Calvniss except the matter OF eternal
ishm Describing that doctrine they went TO their
ming where they began, viii, if equally logical ard
sistent, end where they ended d9crlnal departure
whose issue can be- plainly fOreod ought not 10 re-
ceye the Endorsement of the churches which remain
upon the old foundations.
We end with this rs expressing. much better than
could phrase them, our views on the general sub
iect. 1t was written by an hOnored brother who
was then. and still remains a Trustee OF the An
dover Seminary. Can it be " oracular" for us TO
ask OF HIM if it be wise to make man teacher OF
teachers whose position so resembles thai OF one
whom i've years ago he did not think ought 10 DO
made pastor; and TO express the hope that ~
Trustee he will not now forget his former wisdom.
The vicar of Richmond Surrey, England,
objects to the erection of a granite obellsk In
the local cemetery. As the inscription con-
tanned nothing more than the name OF the de-
ceased and the dates OF his birth and death, IL
hot no
iected thereto; it was the Obelisk form OF the
monument which he denounced as ~nOrrld
Scotch and heather Presbyterian" lie SUBJ
sequenty offered to make a concession he was
wiling to allow a monument provided the
oOeiisk was cut down three feet and cross
placed upon the top. Certainly this would be q
curious specimen of monumental art No
man over whose remains IL was proposed TO
have placed the monument being Scotchnan,
his friends and relatives doubtless appreciated
the Christian courtesy of the reverend gentle
mans expressions.
The West Indies rs a mission field, according
to me Gospel IN AU Lands, is for the most part
passing out OF this relation. II Is occupied
chiefly by British societies aside IRON the
Norayians, to whom 1T is their oldest mission
field Here ale million of people, OF whom the
Moravians claim over $4,000 converts. The
Wesleyans exceed this number by five or SIX
thousand and the whole number of conmunl,
cants is about $4,000, with about 2oO,OoO
regular attendants at worship.
The year 1884 will be the 500th anniversary
of Nyclifs death As already mentioned IN
these columns a Wyclif Society Is being formed
in England which has for its Object the publ
cation for the first time of the complete works
of that great reformcr. 1t is proposed to secure
mt least go members at guinea year and IL
is hoped that in ten years all of WycliFs genu-
inc writings will have been given to the world.
The Rev. Dr. Philips Brooks, of Trinity
Church, Boston, will spend the next year
abroad. His parish has just granted him leave
of absence, and it is understood made the pro-
position to him in order to give him thorough
rest, he consenting on condition that his pay