The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-06-24
He'll.

ct refuse to allow that Scripture binds me
to believe in the absolute eternity of sin and
hell and the devils and the lost In hell"
Is this tho language Of loose-tongued
ranter. or defiant hereto, or an outcast
from the Church, or an uninstructcd layman,
or Universalist, Unitarian, Hicksite
Quaker, or anything Of the sort?
Nay, not at all. 1t Is the language OF IN
eminent Clergyman and doctor Of divinity OF
the Episcopal Church of New York, who, but
few weeks ago, came within hairs breadth
OF being raised to the dignity Of tho Episco-
pate, as Assistant Bishop Of Virginia. It Is
from the pen Of the Rev. DR.. McKIM. rector
OF the Church OF the Holy Trinity OF Harlem
in the Fifth avenue.
This Episcopalian clergyman makes no
conccalment Of his views about hell. He is de-
sirous that they shall be known to the Church
and the world; and 1t is evident that, in
making them public, he does not quail before
his Bishop or any of the other ecclesiastical
authorities under whose jurisdiction he holds
the rectorial Office. He has set them forth fully
In a letter to the Rev. Mr. MCBRYDE, rector
OF Grace Memorial Church OF Lexington,
Virginia; and 1t is by his own consent that
the letter, which we copy elsewhere from tho
New York Times, has been given to the press.
1t will be seen that the Rev. DR.. McKIM re-
sorts to no subterfuge in this letter. II do
not think" he says. 1.-THE Scriptures clearly
teach that the wicked shall suffer torment
for all eternity, on, on, absolutely forever;
that Is, do not see 1t clearly taught land
am thankful do not that Gin and Satan and
hell and tho tOrments OF the damned are as
eternal as COP Himsclf!' And, In returning
to this point, 80 that there may be no doubt
about his position, again says: II refuse
to allow that Scripture binds me to believe
In the absolute eternity Of sin and hell and
the devils and the lost in hell. An absolute
eternity Of conscious woe In hell is not clear
ly revealed In Scripture, and will not teach
1t; nor will commend myself to any mans
good opinion by denying that sound excgesis
seems to allow us to hope at evil will not
be rs eternal rs the throne of GOD"
Those avowals Of the Row. DR.. McKIM are
explicit and direct, unqualified and unmis-
taxable They are in no way affected by his
somewhat curious notion OF the future pun
ishment Of tho wicked. He holds that sim
ners, after being temporarily damned will
perish. I" II this be the true Interpretation"
he says, "then it will follow not that GoD
ultimately annihilates the wicked man, but
that he, having suffered that indefinitely long
punishment pronounced at the great day.
dies, perishcs at last from conscious being"
And again, In returning to this notion ut the
close Of his letter, the Rev. DR.. MCKIM uses
these words: 1.-THE wicked may in far-off
eternity, having received tho due measure
Of their deeds and having refused eternal
life, perish out of conscious being" We be-
love there Is small heterodOX sect who en-
tertain tho peculiar notion here set forth by
the Rev. DR.. McKIM, but 1t Is regarded by all
the orthodox Protestant denominations as a
vagary OF Satanic invention intended to lull
| the sinner into q false sense Of security
against eternal damnation. - ~ .E
The fundamental avowal OF the Rev. Dr.
McKIM's letter is that OF his disbelief in the
doctrine that has for ages been proclaimed
by orthodox thcologians as the foundation
for the sacrificial and rcdemptive scheme of
Christianity, to wit, tho eternal torment OF
the damned in the bottomlcss pit of hell.
lie utterly repudiatcs this doctrine; he will
not proclaim 1t from his pulpit, and he will
not IN any way inculcatc 1t; we should infer,
In fact, since he considers 1t false and un-
scriptural, that he must feel himself bound
to expose and dcnouncc 1t until it is cast out
from tho faith of the Church.
But Is 1t necessary part OF tho faith of the
Episcopal Church? That is the question.
The Rev. DR.. MCKIM's Bishop Is aware that
ne has repudiatcd 1t, and yet has taken no
step toward his unfrocking. Tho Bishop of
TINS diocese Is not unaware OF the Rcy.
DR.. HEBER MENTIONS attitude toward It.
and yet he has refused to authorize
any proceeding against that eloquent rec
tor. We presume tho Bishop Possesses tho
knowledge that other ministers OF his diocese
arc In accord with Messrs. McKIM and NEW
TON ON this subject; yet he utters no word of
warning against the heresy. 1t is not Mt all
improbable that tho views Just proclaimed
by the Rev. DR.. MCKIM are gaining ground
among the laity OF tho Church; and it is GER
tainly strange II this Is considered a thing of
no Importance by tho Episcopal authorities.
Wo have repeatedly spoken In The sun OF
the faet that tho old-fashioned orthodox way
OF preaching about he'll has fallen into nbey-
ancc In the churches Of all Protestant de-
nominations. The tcrrors of damnation used
to be constantly recurring theme of tho
old-tine ministers, and very many OF them
believed 1t their duty to depict them with all
the force OF the English language in every
Sundays sermon How very little of that
sort OF thing there Is in these times.
II the body OF clergy OF the Protestant de-
nominations still retain their faith in the aw
full doctrine, why'do SO many OF thom either
ignore 1t altogether or handle it only In tho
most gingcrly way? II they believe It, they
must regard 1t as the most terrific thing
within human knowledge. and as thing to
be forever kept before tho mind OF every man.
II they believe 1t, 1t Is high time for them to
take different course about 1t. II they be-
lieve 1t, let them warn their hearers In such
language "a JONATHAN EnwA ma ,sod Az.