The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-06-20
EX-MINISTER DRYDEN
Explains Why He Left the M, e.
Ministry Changed Views
ON NEARLY EVERY ACCEPTED IDEA
or orthodox Unitarian.
ism and uuiyersalIsm Seem to Share
Equally in His New BelIeC.-A Largo
Audience Listens Attcntivcly to His
Address in the j. O. o. F. Hall.

Rev. NJ. F. Dryden, formerly prom
inent minister OF this NJ. E. conference
and so far as anybody could judge from
his preaching the most orthodox among
the orthodox, told yesterday afternoon
in the ]. o. o. F. hall, "Why I Left the
Ministry OF the NJ. L. Church"
Announcement in the newspapers Of
his intention to speak drew together an
audience Of men and women which
packed the hall, many having to stand
a few in the hallway outside the door
The address consumed over an hourand
a hall. yet very few Of the auditors left
ahd the most attentive interest, was
shown in all he said.
An opening hymn was sung and
prayer offered. Then Mr.. Dryden
launched into his subject with charac
teristic vim.
He proceeded to take up seriatim the
main tenets Of evangelical Christianity,
and especially Of the Methodist church,
and rejected nearly all. He finally
stated his new belief briefly, and it
seemed to be pretty nearly the doctrine
OF the universaIists, tinctured little
with unitarian ideas also.
The doctrine Of the Trinity, he said,
was the growth of centuries. There
was nothing in the Apostles creed that
could be construed as sustaining tho
doctrine, and it was no. until the year
1926, when the Nicene council met, that
this idea was embodied in a creed. II
was devised by the Catholic church,
Just as the dogma Of papal infallibility
was, and other doctrines which are not
in the scriptures and were not a part OF
tho faith OF the apostles. Christ's good.
ness before he was tempted blythe devil
was not absolute, but relative. II he
were absolutely good, incapable OF sin.
there could have been no contest. The
Holy Spirit hqs no personality Its
an influence, an attribute, power, OF
the Ono God.
He rejected the doctrinel Of the
atonement as taught by the orthodox
Christian, church. 1t was not sacriti.
cial, he held. 1t was not God, but the
enemies OF God, who put His Son to
death. It was not q Yicarious atone
ment. There is not and cannot be such
a thing as n vicarious atonement. Each
must suffer for himself. 1t was not
propitiatory. The idea OF propitiating
the angry gods by sacrifice runs all
through the old heather mythology.
The Itonement was not, ms the Dicipiine
Of the NJ. E. Church says, to reconcile
God 10 man, for God never changed.
He was always father to humanity.
Man left Him, and it was to bring him
back to God that the atonement was
offered.
He rejected the resurrection OF the
body as unscriptural and not necessary
to the divine plan OF salvatioA, and he
remarked that in his views on this sub
iect he had the companionship OF no
less distinguished a Methodist authority
than Bishop Foster, to whose learning
aud intelligence he paid warm trib-
ute.
He was not sure that life was mans
full probation period. To say man to
whom salvation had never been offered
must go to hen because he had never
had the opportunity to accept it was to
reflect on the character Of God. The
idea ola second probation after death
was scriptural and in harmony with
Gods Justice and His love. Some souls
might pass at death to their reward
perhaps, but certainly not all.
Finally he could not agree with ortho,
doxy as to future retribution. The or.
thodox hell, hesaid, was mere tigment
OF the imagination, no more part o.
Bible truth than was Dante's Inferno
AS to the Scriptures, the speaker nc
cepted them, and believed them, an6
believed what they contained to be the
truth, but they must be construed il
the light Of God's.character and Of othel
known truth. Tho Bible is full OF fig
ures Of speech from Genesis to Revola
tions. Ii is therefore fair to presume
that references to He'll as the place
whore "the worm dieth not and the irt
is not quenched," are fguratiye expires
sions. Inthis way he disposed OF mos
of the passages which support thu
orthodox view Of future punishment.
The work OF Jesus Christ would notb
done until that blessed day when ever.
soul should be redeemed.
After the formal statement Of his doc
trines Mr.. Dryden announced that hi
would preach at tho same place next
Sunday afternoon at 8 o'clock, anC
would enlarge upon some OF the features
OF his changed faith on which, owing t
the yastness OF his subject, he coult
barely touch in the time ut his dispose
yesterday. He said he allowed no mar
to tic him down to what no preached o.
what he believed two years ago or yes
to-day, If in tho meantime no had soel
things in n different light. Some people
hold that man cannot change his faith
but the old adage says, "a wise mar
changes his opinion sometimes, foo
never"
II there was man in Wheeling VIII
\ had earned the reputation OF standing
up boldly for tho right and truth a
God gave him to see it, he thought h
was tho man, and he proposed to speai
the truth as he believed It so long as h,
had the strength.
After another hymn blythe choir tn
audience was dismissed with tho bene
tliction. In the hall were not foy
prominent men, several Of them wei
. 1 al.