The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-24
PROGRESSIVE THEOLOGY.

gresSlve spirit which requires inc pro-
fessors of the Lane Theological Sem
mary to undergo a periodical
ton to see that they have not departed
from the faith of their fathers is the
spirit exhibited i'm the current number
of the Methodist Review. The first pa
per is from the pen of Bishop Newman,
on HELL The trend of the paper can
be judged somewhat from the following
quotations, though a careful reading of
the whole is necessary to a full appre-
citation of the Bishops departure from
the faith as once preached by Metho-
dists in common with all
churches. The Bishop quotes the fol-
lowing from q sermon of Jonathan Ed
wards as substantially the thought of
what hell is as entertained a hundred
years or so ago, and as presumably still
the standard by which the professors in
the Lane Theological Seminary are to
be measured:
Tue world will probably be converted
into t. great lake or liquid globe of fire In
which the wicked shall be overwhelmed;
which shall always be in a tempest IN
which they shall be tossed to and fro. hay-
ing no rest, dav or nighf; vast waves OF
pillows of fire continually rolling over their
heads. of which they shall be full of q quick
sense, within and without: their heads.
their eyes. their tongues. their hands, their
feet. their IONS and their vitals shall for
ever be full of glowing. melting fire. enough
to melt the very rocks and elements. not
for ten millions of ages, Int forever and
ever. without any end at all.
Contrasting the present with the past,
the Bishop says:
So rapid has been the return of all Chris
tendon to original Christianity. so inrense
has been the light of biblical philology
upon the sacred texts. and so enlarged and
of God, and of his Son, Jesus Christ, that
such sermons would find no tolerance now
in the house of the Lord.
1t is not necessary for our purpose to
follow the Bishop through his paper,
which is, perhaps. the most sweeping
ject of future punishment eve uttered
by any minister who is ranked with the
orthodox. He in no sense abandOns the
notion of future rewards and punish
ments, but states his views thus:
The consequences of sin are eternal.
What these results may be. in kind and de-
gree. the sacred writer's do not state. We
are justified in the thought that they will
be twofOld-the absence OF JOY and the
presence of sorrow. =
Speaking of many of the absurd, not
to say repellent, views often promul-
gated as scriptural, he says:
Could we push our way backward
through the accumulated accretiOns OF dog
ma, forced interpretations. mIsapplIed
faYta nYnSftfnfad wnYHa ahnaa6 nYafnnhnrQ
and the wild fancles of poets and melan-
chOly dreamers to the thoughts of Jesus. to
what He meant and said. to the religious
opinions OF His day, and TO the significance
OF the tigurative language of His times. we
would get clearer and truer views of a doc
trine the most solemn and important with
In the thought of man. d,
Speaking of the theology of to-day.
he says: FL,
Opinions are changing. Biblical philolo-
gy is a progressive science. Marvellous
changes have taken place. Nearly all
rendering Of q physical hell. "a lake of
fire and birthstone" There was a time
when the opinion commonly prevailed that
the six days of creation were periods of
twenty-four hours each; that prior to the
fall there was neither animal nor vegetable
death, and that the world was to be de-
strOyed In the sense of a~nnihilation. Other
and even greater changes are possible. but
the accepted exegesis of to-day is for life.
and not for death. .0a
Such sentiments as these stand in
sharp contrast with resolutions to take
the theological status of q class of
teachers. every few months, to deter
mine whether or no they stand to-day
where they stood yesterday. But who
shall examine the examiners to See how
they stand? 1t is this progressive spirit
that cOmmends the Scriptures to think
ing men. while the spirit which would
bind modern thought to such sentiments
as above quoted from Edwards. drives
men to abhor them and detest every
doctrine, even the most wholesome
which is founded upon them. This is
what we call progressive theology.
AprOpos to this progressive theology.
we may notice that the same number of
the Methodist Review contains a plea
for striking from the Discipline the.
chapter which forbids certain amuse-
ments to the members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. The writer holds
that the attempt to specifically taboo
certain a%musements partakes of Roman
ism, and is without authority in the BIZ
BILE. The mere fact that such a paper is
admitted to the Review indicates pro-
gressiOn in ecclesiastics as we'll as in
theology.