The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-17
A SPIRITUAL PHOTOGRAPH.
Rev. Campbell Coyle Dis
courses on Divine Heal
ing to Ministers.
THEIR THEME.
AgnoSticism Discussed by DR..
BakeWelf and Other Members
of the Glorious.

Deacon E. G. Williams read paper on
Conditional Immortality" which was in
harmony with that on Eternal Torment
or Eternal Destruction read by Rev. F.
A. Armstrong last week at the Congrega-
tional Monday Club.
Deacon Williams, who is the author of a
work on "The World to Come" does not
believe that God contemplates eternal tor
ment in his plan of salvation, and he
quoted scriptural passages at some length
in support of his view.
Captain Cook said he believed in immor-
tality. He did not believe in annihilation
and thought the Bible did not teach it.
Deacon Dexter quoted Phillips Brooks
saying that the Bible does not teach the
doctrine of humiliation. He thought the
discussion of the question proftless.
Rev. Samuel Weyler found that the
Bible did teach the humiliation OF evil
He thought, however, that it was a prom
Using sign that the Boston clergymen are
taking up work along the line of Christian
citizenship, and San Francisco ministers
incline to avoid the discussion of abstract
themes.
DR.. Pond thought there was nothing
scriptural to justify the doctrine of eternal
torment, but that the inspired book did
teach that there would be punishment and
that extended punishment. 1t taught
also that sin is poison to the soul.
Professor Foster believed that the doc
trine of humiliation has no place in the
Bible.
DR.. Mooar said he would be glad to be-
lieve that the sin and sorrow of the world
were only temporary if he could.
DIR. Williams was glad to know that no
Had halt
of endless punishment. He could not get
away from it himself.
Mrs. Cooper said she felt intensely on
the subject. She rejoiced that the minis
tiers were not teaching the doctrine of
everlasting punishment. 1t was doctrine
the cruel could bear, but not the tender
and sympathetic.
Rev. Joseph Rowell said his feelings and
judgment did not accord with Gods as to
the disposition of the wicked. yet he could
not let that bias his conclus ions after a
study of the Word.
Rev. A. NJ. Crawford said eve cannot
cross on the slender thread of analogy
from material things to moral agents.
Man is moral agent, and is accountable
for his acts. If God could annihilate he
might eytinguish every holy being with
out rejection on his moral character; but
the humiliation OF a criminal would be a
moral outrage. A culprit must be pun
ished.'
"We have inherited the belief in immor-
tality," said Rev. J. w. Cruzan. 81 will
thank the brothers if they will point to
any passage in the New Testament that
teaches it except as a reward of faith.
shrink from the thought OF humiliation,
yet so | do from that of everlasting tor
ment. And do not you? No one has said
he believed ii"
1--WE do We dol" answered Professor
Foster, Rev. w. II. Tubb and others.
''Then you did not make it clear before, -
said Mr. CruZan.
Rev. II. H. Cole said that if he could
wipe out suffering he would, and would do
it quickly. Yet they existed and must be
faced as existences. The Bible taught
eternal punishment, but he was not pre-
pared to say that meant eternal torment.
Deacon Williams, in closing the debate,
said that he had been instructed in the
doctrine of eternal torment, but he could
not reconcile it with MS later Scriptural
researches.
Next week Rev. J. W. Cruzan will ad-
dress the club on the subject of The
Trend of Religious Thought"
Mrs. Sarah b. Cooper will be the speaker
on the goth inst.