The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-28
THEY DIFFER WITH MR.STRoNG
MINISTER'S DISAGREE WITH HIM
IN HIS IDEAS OF HE'LL.

in a New Garb, Say Revs. Anthony
Conclusions That There Is PrOba-
tiOn for sinners in He'll or His As
sertfOn That Christ Descended Into
He'll for the Purpose of Preaching
Salvation There-Strange That n
Priest of a Church So Strongly
Calvinistic Should Preach Such
Doctrines, Says DIR. Fair.
The views of Rev Charles H. Strong,
rector of ST. Johns Episcopal Church, up
on the subject of hell and future punish
ment in general as expressed in his SER
mon Sunday night, do not meet with the
approval of some of his brother ministers
of the city. While there may be number
of the laily who agree with Mr. Strong's
| views it is safe to say that there is no
other minister in the city who fully endor-
ses them and that the majority entertain
views Numerically opposite. While the
/ majority Of the ministers agree that he'll
| should not be considered literally as
place of physical torment they disagree
with Mr.. Strong in his position that the
state is not an everlasting one and that
| there is any possibility of escaping from
it after death
REV. Bascom Anthony, pastor of Trni-
ty Church, said that the report of Mr.
Strong's sermon had brought a number of
things TO his mind and that he would GER
tainly prepare a sermon upon the oppo-
site line We're it not for the fact thai he
viii have to leave for the annual confer
ence on Monday and that there are other
important duties which will require his
attention Sunday. However, ne will pro-
badly prepare a sermon in answer 10 Mr.
| Strong at later date.
Mr.. Strong's position is largely based
on the old universalist doctrine said Mr.
Anthony. 1T is the Old universalist doc
| tTine in somewhat of a new garb. l only
| wish it were true. l wish there was some
| process by which all men could be made
fit to dwell together on this earth as well
as in the hereafter but until I see a re-
vival break out in a penitentiary I viii
not believe in reformation in hell. If the
meaning Of the word eternal as applied 10
hell, is ruined, then it is ruined
as applied to everlasting happiness.
Mr.. Strongs position is simply old
fashioned universalsm in a partially new
dress. The conception of eternity is the
same, and. a continued probation must
mean to its advocates universal salvation
at the last. AS between the two l prefer
the old universalism, for if probation be
continued to the wicked it must be con-
tinued 10 the righteous, and hence an eter-
nal struggle, thing / would like to avoid.
II man comes out on the right side in
eternity he won't care to resume his fight
with evil; If on the wrong side there is
small prospect of hell and its associates
tending to produce character that will fit
him for heaven. When I see a revival
of religion break out in a penitentiary l
may have some little hope of reformations
in hell Personally I wish all men would
become fit for heaven; but they are not,
and l fear never will be- They could, but
they won't, and if they won't prepare now
with all the good influences that are about
them 1 see no chance whatever when these
are removed.
IF second probation be fact then there
was no gulf fixed between the rich man
and Lazarus. He could have crossed it,
and hence instead of spending his time
calling for drop of water and for a mes
senger 10 warn his brethren, he had ev-
cry inducement that hell could offer ia
bend all his energies toward an escape
that he might give these matters his per-
sonal attention. But when we turn from
our sDeculations to the Word of God ID
gives absolutely no hope for a future pro-
baton. It's whole teaching is that the
states of the dead are eternal The Mas
future of the lost. He offers no hope be-
youd the present"
MIR. Anthony said that he was not in
clined TO believe literally in a burning
hell II believe the terms applied TO both
heaven and hell in the Bible are IareaIy
fgurative,' he said. 1.-THE terms used are
symbolical because it is only bv the use
OF symbols that any idea of either heaven
or hell can be conveyed to the human
mind. The Bible speaks of the streets al
heaven as paved with gold. The idea OF
gold' one OF the most precious things
known to human beings being of such
light esteem in heaven as to be trampled
under foot is simply used to give us an
idea OF the greatness and glory of heaven
1t is the same with fire, which can caus4
the most excruciating pain. This is used
TO give an idea of the sufferings of the
damned. l do not believe il possible for
the human mind to conceive an adeoua Re-
idea of either heaven or hell"
Rev. John d. Jordan, pastor of the Firs,
Baptist Church differs as strongly with
Mr. Strong as does Mr.. Anthony mir
Strong Is very much at fault, both as 10
his logic and his scripture" said DR.
Jordan There are two words in the an.
eient scriptures which are interpreted As
hell in the modern version. One is bades
the abode of the dead; the other is &c.
heana, the place of punishment The quo.
tatioh used by Mr. Strong in support oi
AAAS HH9Nl liOi tlletl AuTlSL descended into
: hell and offered salvation to Inc con.
demned spirits there does not warrant any.
thing of the kind 1t does not mean that
Christ descended into hell as we under.
stand the meaning of the term but thai
he descended into hades, or the abode OF
the dead, and remained there three DAYS.
Judging by his remarks as quoted u
said DR.. Jordan, Il should say that Mr.
Strong is clearly a Universalist His idea
OF probation in hell is simply the Catholic
idea of purgatory under new name. His
argument TO show that hell is not ever.
lasting, based upon the righteousness and
omnipresence of God. is equally faulty
He argues that because God is eyerywbere
in hell as well as everywhere else. and
that because God is righteousness. thai
sin will finally be abolished and the sinner
will not remain always in hell. on the
same ground that God Is everywhere he
might just as well base the assumption
that because God is righteousness no sin
can exist where He is, and that therefore
| lie haI md