St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-05
HE'LL OR NO HE'LL?
This Question Stirs the Orthodox
Ministers.

Ministers.
The Ministerial Union of Minneapolis
is awake again. Rev. F. o. Holman
threw into the orthodox camp yesterday
morning a brand that will burn for
weeks and even months. The conster-
nation caused by the fall of this brand
was all the more marked because it was
cast by an orthodox, for Mr.. Holman is
Methodist minister. Mr.. Holman read
paper on The Popular Revolt
Against the Traditional Doctrines of
Retrbutiou.' The opinions expressed
were radical in the extreme. AT the
outset he said:
There undoubtedly exists n widespread
and growing popular revolt against the tradi-
tional doctrine of retribution, and finding ex-
preston III newspaper editorials, magazine
articles and the popular novel 1t Is lnGl-
Gated by the reStlessneSs OF many or tne most
thoughtful and devout of the clergy. and by
the silent but none the less emphatic dissent
of growing portion of faithful evangelical
Christians. The popular revolt against Cal
whistle doctrines of election and IN
FAINT damnation, but also and almost
equally against the traditional Armenian
conception of retribution. Let us with suffl-
Gent exactness for cur present purpose de-
fine the traditional doctrine as follows:
Whoever i'll Christian lands and after
arriving at years of discretion dies without
having surrendered to the will and 0elleved
in the sacrifice of the historic Christ, shall
have his lot and part in hell. And he shall
there suffer tornents which. whether they
be material or spiritual are OF such nature
and intensity as TO be APPLY represented by
the torment of unquenchable ire. Ana
from this torment he shall never have sur
cease nor respite, but shall be maintained IN
a conscious existence of unceasinS anguish
for ever and ever.
Let it be said at the start that the doctrine
itself, when clearly grasped and especially
when specifically applied an appalling doc
trine. be sure. this is no conclusive argu-
ment against its truth. for life and death are
appalling facts and full of sombre tragedy on
any theory of eschotOlogy. But The popular
mind is not severely logical, and there is an
obstinate optimism, which in the long run,
overrides all mere formal logic and 1louts
any theory which blasphemes its irrational
hoDefulness. The doctrine i'll question,
while it may be calmly held as part of a
great speculative system, becomes a. mental
horror and nightmare the moment II Is speei-
fcally applied. 1t is a doctrine difficult IN
deed in the meditations of the study, but
almost impossible in the presence OF the
tears of the mourner and above the face Of
the silent dead.
Here he drew picture of TIE death
of young man of non-religious habits,
though not a bad young man-Just one
who purSueS q careless, jolly life. Ac-
cording TO the traditional theory of re-
trlbution, that young mans soul must
go to perdition at his death. Men will
not accept that belief. They will urge
that no one but savage would burn a
man for having committed even the
most heinouS crime. Mr.. Holman said
that the protest against the doctrine of
retribution does not attain the dignity
of an argument. It's merely revolt
of the sentiments. He said that four
reasons for this popular revolt might be
found. The first lies in the prominence
of individualiSm in modern thinking.
and that individualism is directsre-
suit of the Reformation. In the second
place, Calvin taught an memorable fate
from which theologlans have been try
ing to eXtricate man. Opposed 10 tiiem
the scientists arise and weave a Siiken
web, showing that man is not response
BILE for his environment and his hered-
ity. He is what he is made. The third
reason is found in the modern novel,
with its keen insight into character
moulding forces and its subtle psychic
logical analysis. OF the third reason he
said: =
The discussions of biblical critics and the
modern theories of cschdtology have all had
their effects. Modern scholarship, says
yohr newspaper theologian. lis showing that
the scriptures do not teach such horrible
doctrines And since the only reason for
accepting the doctrine is the belief that it is
;ht in the Bible. the last prop is now taken
away and the awful notion must go. IL is no
use 10 meet this statement with flat denial.
for SO long as there be even one eminent
scholar standing for the mllder view the
people will dub that one man "moderu
scholarship"
In conclusion Mr. Holman pointed out
the Importance of this revolt, and the
fact that the preacher must meet it.
Something must be done with it. 1t
must be accepted or it must he cast out.
The trend of his remarks indicated tnat
he favored casting it out.
When Mr.. Holman had finished every
minister in the room wanted to speak.
Most of them did before the subject was
dismissed. Rev. j. b. Donaldson de-
Tended CalvlniSm, and said that some OF
the doctrines taught by Calvin had been
all the children of Christian parents
shall be saved. DR.. Black injected a
little humor into his remarks. He
thought MIR. Holman took too jaundiced
view of the subject. For his levity he
was promptly criticised by Dr.. Wayland
HOyt. All of the others strongly crltl-
ciSed Mr.. HOlman's paper. If Christ
taught an eternal he'll they would preach
it, Many of them did not believe that
the revolt was of the proportions stated
bv Mr.. Holman. The essayist came
back at everybody, and harder than he
did in his paper. He. too, would preach
he'll if Christ taught 1t. But did lie
teach it? There was no use in saying
that the revolt was confined to Il few
persons. 1t was wide spread and must
be recognized.