New-York tribune., 1891-04-30
DIR BRIDGMAN RESIGNS.
A QUESTION OF DOCTRINE THE CAUSE.
THE MADISON AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH LOSES
ITS POPULAR PASTOR.

zion of their pastor, heN. Dr - "" Ding
man. At the close of his Wednesday evening
lecture. which was delivered with his wonted
eloouenee and earnestness, DR.. Bridgman left the
church for his home in East SiXty-third-st l@-
tore the congregation was dismissed, however,
Fdward Elliott clerk of the church, read the fol-
Loving convincing and touching letter from the
pastor: - .. bave
served as your mniser-years cannot review Nn Mi'I IN
out profound thankfalnesS 50 ce See of Your
ioye When l to you II was at the St, cos e Ul
long, wasting controversy the & Issues small nj Company
D,9Sice and hostility stood in our way any progress
Was dcuit bat through the faith and ,nod in II,
a few years and the way opened for large ana & gDoa
work for the Kingdom OF our Lord Inc tonS O ITSe we
rnarS made our unity the more perfect hs W.
iabored we loved: and the love mas cVhtlduiEu, cVh,i
Welding Inspiration to our mutual WolH' au der sn5
more mo constant Joy in the fellowship Of their people
than have had in Your company We nave kHO%m HTsII
nSetbep NOV in nnity we have had both temporal and
spiritual prosperity. Through the blessing OF God you
nay wond not for moment stand in the way Of your
further advance. Your unity Is more 70 me Inc o ormo1
recently preached has disturbed few minds, ana mas
led them TO question the soundness OF my docIrihe, e.
an iV end do not forget that since the sermon was
preached you have assured me by uaanoHe & >,e tbe
Snirtna help received from my ministry and Of loving
s1d hearty cooperation whilst remain as your pastori
that ab our feilowship will not be broken.
still am forced TO believe that few were n hoH IN ~
accord with that vote: and am so cOnstitueu tnaV
sDv Withholding of confidence must impair the hearth
ness Of my ministry, herewith tender my reslgnS dt,nSt
with the close of next sunday The separation IN,
wolves the most profound sorrow. Many OF you nave
Cburch your sorrows and joys have been mine. II
is painful sever the ties which have been Woven woven
between in the various experiences we nave pasen
through together but cannot 40 e dav AND and
nights Of painful solicitude and earnest prayer IL
must be accepted as final. .s ,,oooo will
abide with you and give you abundant prosperity
am your afectiOnate pastor c. DIV. Brdgman'
The sermon 10 which Or. Brdgman refers as
rausinp the disturbance in his church was preached
IN the morning of February 10. The text was
taken from Mark iX, AZ and "A: " If thy hand
offend thee cut it off it Is better for thee TO
enter into life MANNED, than having two hands, TO
20 into hell. into the fire that never shall De
ouencbed. where their worm dicth not, and the
fire is not quenched."
"Now we know said the Doctor, in the course
of his sermon, without my staying to describe
it, what the popular opinion is, or has been
concerning the hell of which it speaks in the
text; and 1 must need begin by rejecting it, from
the constraint the irresistible cOnstraint of the
conviction that ills directly opposed TO all that
Christ has shown and told us of God; that IL IS
contrary to the revelation he has made TO us
of the Father. do not acknowledge that II has
that support in the text which has been claimed
for ii. | believe, the contrary, that careiul
and unprejudiced examination of the passage IN
the light of the context and Of the Scriptures
generally would have led to far other views,
would have discovered far truer presentation OF
God-one that is, indeed stern and severe yet
IN perfect accord with the Divine fatherhood
which it has declared.
"To my mind the ungodlike and terrloe men
which casts its lurd glare upon our DOCKS OIL
tbeolorv. would scarcely have been found here at
All bnt that the searchers, in their approach.
brought it within them and having unw1ttlngY
;rserted what they brought, it soon appeared to
belonr there. The difficulty is now TO dlslodge
and cast it out and descry the reality 1t Is
diefcnIt because of our traditions: because the
fearful thing has for so long been associated Wlh
this teaching of it.
alt is obvious that the Lord had no reference
N q state of eternal torment by that use Of the
word. In speaking of Gehenna' lie thought OF IL
as Mace of corruption, as representing the gaIh-
ering together of the worthless and the OutcaSt'
That is the sense in the passage OF the text
The hell against which the Lord had warned the
neople is lust the inward depravty which SelshhesS
and unbeef and unfathlulness are certain 10 Dfeeu
Such. as | understand it. is the doctrine WIN
reference to hell fire If we neglect or Teluse 10 10
Judge ourselves for our purihcauon, the Aofu Will
iudge us. and nothing will cause Him to reirain'
He will be unquenchable toward us, burning
AGAINST our evil with an ever increasing intensity,
resolutely. perseverngly, even until there Is no
more any sim
This is nv message this morning, message
long meditated, and Which have spoken to you
with profound sense Of its solemnity ana Oh
what is due to the Gospel of God.
In Speaking of his resignation last evening
with Tribune reporter DIR. Bridgman SAID
For many years have felt tnat the doctrine OF END
less torment was Inconsistent with the spirit ana even
the letter of the New Testament. and CONTRADICTION
Of those instincts OF the moral sense whlch tI.9 !s %
mt in our natule IL cannot be squared with the
doctrine of Divine Faherh0Od which seems 70 me cen
tal in the teaching of Christ. The fact tldl ~ - ~
largely dscredited in the most ORTHODOX chuTVes
led me 10 conclude that the time had come loI pam, @
honest utterance TO the malter, 50 Iildt my
church. at least might be free from the imputauon
that we stood for doctrine we had ceased - DeIieN
With this conviction The sermon was PeaCi6" it6 +bi,
pleasing 10 some, because III accOrH WIN y,
views a larger number found IL helpiul IN DIlheIs
shmenf into definite fom but few from their train
ing the lifelong habit of thought their conservatism,
were palned by H. ard showed themselves e'i4ui 90 ~
They constitute g very small part OF my cohsIcEa y ga
ton small part Of the en.e, but ss s"G M R
resignation. have the defect Il scnsluNg I 70
ment and the feeling that thcte were any disposed 10
listen 10 nv preaching with a purpose 10 EIIu IN III
cause of offence would be uncomfortable 10 me. me
Baptist denomination. according u its constitution ana
theory ought to be the freeSt in the World AM 80
long as one IS true 10 its ecclesiastical ponly anu 70 70
The vital truths of the Christian faith he Onght n9t 10
fear that he will not frd in it pulpit Tor inc utter
ance of those truths From all quarters / nave nat
assurances that very many of my Bapust oretniem
sympsthize with my view; and although It Is Sna, an
question compared with that of the salvation OF men
from sn through the grace of God in Jesus christ 40
not regret having given utterance TO my convictoh
with fegard to it.
when asked WHY he left the Church when
other Ba-->sr churches expressed their sympathy
with his views. the Doctor said that he believed
that expression should be given to'these questions
involved i'm his sermon. Another church. WMch
saw nothing in their expression TO disqualiiy
minister and which received him on that oasis, ISIS
would place no hindrance In the way Vi H''
usefulness. = ,,.,u
An effnrt will be made 70 induce Dr. Brldgmah