St. Paul daily globe., 1891-05-10
THE DENIAL OF HE'LL.
The Whole System of Theology
Must Be Reconstructed.

New York sun.
Rev. DR.. Bridgman, for many years
the pastor of one of the most important
Baptist churches in town. has resigned
his charge because of objections made
to views expressed by him against the
doctrine of everlasting punishment.
He rejects the orthodox view of hell
fatty and decidedly. calling it "nngod-
like and terrible" To his mind the
true hell is not place of fire and brim-
stone, of eternal torture and agony in
expreSsible, but 'the inward depravity
which seltishness and unfaithfulness
are certain to breed;" the evil in the
hearts of men against which God burns
with an ever-increasing intensity,
resolutely, perseveringly, even until
there is no more Sln." Practically,
therefore. the Baptist declares himself
a UniverSalist.
1t seems, too, that the great majority
of his flock agree with him, or at least
are not troubled by his heresy. Since
the preaching of the sermon in which
he rejected hell they have passed vote
of confidence in him. He also saws that
he has received assurances from many
other Baptists that they are in sympathy
with his views, and there is no doubt
that those opinions prevail now through
out all the branches of Professionalism.
But the few who still cling to the belief
in hell look on the doctrine as of prime
and essential Importance, and accept
ance OF it as a test OF orthodoxy which
should be applied with severity to all
preachers. They are strong in their
aggressive power because they have
decided conviction, while those who re-
coil from the doctrine of everlasting
ful,r
state of mind under the influence of
their human sympathies and aversion
to every kind of suffering.
The believers in hell believe because
they believe in the Bible. The others
reject hell simply because it seems to
them cruel and unjust that ANYBODY
should be tortured eternally because Of
his failure to accept Christianity IN this
short earthly life, even if, as in the case
of the heatien, he knows nothing about
it. 1t is only another example of the
prevalent disposition in these DAYS to
oppose reason to faith. The believers
in hell unquestionably have all the
standards of orthodox faith on their
side; and therefore DR.. Bridgman steps
out from the pulpit of the Madison
Avenue Baptist church, though he is in
sympathy with the majority of his flock,
and, probably, with great majority of
Protestants who ale nominally orthodox.
The Presbyterian demand for the re-
vision of the Westminster confession
started in feeling that it would be un-
just to torture the heathen in hell ever
laStingly simply because of their igno-
rance of the gospel. The same revulSion
of sentiment against the old hell doc
trine is sapping Congregational enthu-
siasm for foreign missions. If the
heather are not to be damned, the mo-
tive OF sacrifice to send the gospel to
them is destroyed. Pious people who
agree with DR.. Bridgman will not deny
themselves for the conversion of the
heather. They will be disposed to leave
them in the hands of God. sssss - c.
Yet, if the doctrine of hell is thrown
overheard, the whole system of Protest
aut theology must be rebuilded on a new
foundation. If everybody is to be saved
and there is to be mo more SIM" the
doctrine of rewards and punishment
must be eXpunged from all creeds. If
the obliteration is to be done at the die
tat;on of human reason ana human con-
ceptions of justice, all other doctrines
OF the Bible must be cast aside at the
same demand, and Prof. Briggs is the
true exponent of the new theology.
The appearance Of the new leayen of
skepticIsm among the Baptists is very
significant, for as a denomination they
have been hitherto the strongest of Cal
vinists, the most devout of believers in
the authority and absolute and literal
inspiration of the scriptures. The theo-
logical revolution is confined to no one
of the Protestant families, but extends
to them all