The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-02-27
CONCERNING UNIvERsALIsM.
Rev. Henry BIanchard's Open Letter
to Rev. c. Munger.

My Dear Brother Il have read your letter
addressed to me in this mornings PRESS
with care and surprise. Your words do not
seem to me fraternal. Your quotations do
not appear to me Apostle.
Your concluding words are: "a noted lib
eral said that he wrote history as his imag-
ination approved Whether that is your
style, it is certain that there is History of
Universa.ism' which you never mention"
These words are ungracious. That they
were unanimously approved by your breth-
rem occasions me great surprise. Evidently
you do not know me.
You seem to think that there is no occa-
sion to notice my Scriptural illusions. Let
me quote from Rev; Abram $. Isaacs, D. d.,
editor of the Jewish Messenger He says,
page $50 of THAT Unknown Country:
"But the doctrine of everlasting punishment
was never part and parcel of JUDAISM
He says page 542)
"Thelr 1.-THE Jewsl steady preservation of the
old time unversalism which gives beauty and po-
tency TO the message Of their seers and spans the
Bible with the rainbow Of hope"
Let me ask you to read Rev. Mr.. Newman
Smyth's"T The Orthodox Theology of Today"
On page 121 he says:
He lJesus left them 1.-THE Greek adjectivesl
mg-words Of great suggestion, but not to be
measured by us in any terms of duration"
did not rely on Ballou's History of Uni
versalism" excellent as that is. l use chiefly
later books by the foremost scholars Of today,
notably Archdeacon Farrar's "Mercy and
Judgment" THE Continuity of Christian
Thought" by Prof. A. V. G. Allen of the
Episcopal Theological School In Cambridge,
Mass, and Rev. W. r. Alger's great work
The History OF the Doctrine of a Future
10 I(xx hon
Unlyersallsm is to be found in Persia's great
teacher. Zoroaster; in the words of Plato-I
90 not quote Plato as representative of pagan
religion, put as one of earth's greatest think
ers; IN Old Testament, as witnessed by Dr.
lsaacs, and in New; in the teachings of the
early church's greatest scholars, Clement,
Alexandrinus, Origen, Diodorus and Theo-
d0re. Ample information concerning these
men is to be found in Farrar's "Mercy and
l showed also that Universalism was con-
demned by the fifth general council in 553 !;
that 1t had only few defenders for over
thousand years; that 1t became power in
America BY Ballou's preaching. 1 am quite
at loss, therefore, to understand what YOU
mean by the ''other side to that story" and
hat there is "history of Universalism"
which l never MENTION" hare recited
the fdcts OF history as qiren chiefly by Farrdr
ana Auen. l might have quoted from Rev.
DR.. Edward Beecher and from others. l
am still a student. ! am eager to know the
truth. 1t is my constant aim to examine
carefully and to judge fairly. assume that
you have the same purpose. propose to
| you, therefore, that you prepare an address
for your next meeting of Methodist minis.
tiers, invite me to be present and to reply.
Brethren may discuss in patience and love.
Discussion will elicit truth, and ought to
bring closely together those who wish to
work for God and Christ and truth and
church. Meanwhile LET me- ramind Won NJ
the words Of the great German scholar, o.
hansen: "Universalism is, without doubt,
deeply rooted In noble minds it is an ex-
preston of the longing for perfected harmv-
| ny in the universe" l believe that history
teaches that the doctrine of endless punish
ment Is of pagan origin, and that the doc
trlne Of final, universal salvaton-"the per-
fected harmony of the universe"--is the doc
trine OF Christ, and Paul, and reason.
Fraternally yours,
HENRY BLANCHARD.
234 State street.
February Goth. 1890.