The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-11
SCRAP BOOK FOR TO-DAY


 It has been said of certain Texas warrior that he would charge hell with a bucket of water It remained for another warrior, a veteran of many fierce conflicts with the Indians, and a nnajor-genera1 in the United States army, to do this almost literal 1y. Agnostics and higher critics have long eneered at the doctrine of eternal punishment Now it is being attack ed from within the ranks of the ortl1o- dox.
 Major Gen. WiI1iam P. Hall, who started the anti-he1l movement at the convention Of the International Bible Students Association, held in Wash ington last year, was born in Missouri sixty-hve years ago today, June II, IS 48,S Sand retired from active service year ago. HIS military career com n1enoed shortly after his graduation from West Point in 1888, when he was ordered West to fight Indians. He fought the sApacl1es in Arizona. took part in the Big Horn and Yellowstone expeditions in 1876, and took a. prom inent part in the battles at Indian Creek, ,Wyo., and Slim Buttes. Dakota. In 187a, while in command of a re- connoiteFing party encaInped at White River, Colo, the Indians made an at tack, and LAsdt. Hall performed a feat of valor that won for him Congres- stonaI medal of honor. Going to the 
 surrounded by some thirty-fve war rtors, but escaped after a desperate conflict.
 All his life a Christian. Gen. Hall yet could not bring himself to be- Heye in the doctrine of a literal hell, and set himself the task of extinguish- ing it's fires. Last year his crusade resulted in the adoption of a formal reputation of hell by 4,000 delegates representing some half million mem bers of, the International Bible Stu dents Association. Following the con sideration of Gen. Halls resolution, the Bible students from all over the world joined in the following conclu- sion:
 ssHeu fire and birthstone has never been made the receiving place of any mortal who has ever lived and Wai not be for any one in the future no matter how wicked and sinful he rnay have been or may be. This method of punishment was not adopted by God Almighty"
 Although it gained little publicity at the time, the resolution offered by the old Indian fighter has since been circulated all over the world, and has made profound impression on Btbla students. In part 1t was as follows:
 we do not find the Bible to teach the doctrine of a literal hell fire or place of fire and birthstone for the punishment of the wicked, but secular history of the formation of creeds of the Middle Ages reveals the fact that for various reasons, either wisely or unWisely, the doctrine of torment in hell fire was added to the Gospel as taught by Jesuseand the twelve apos- ties, neceesitatiug many ridiculous 1n- terpretations of the Lords parables.
 I've now unreservedly repudiate as thoroughly unscriptural the teaching of a place, state or condition of literal lake of fire and birthstone for the torment of the wicked, and fur ther we believe from many personal testimonials that the vast majority of ministers of all Protestant denomina- tions have practically repudiated the hell fire theory, but have, for sup posedly good reasons. hesitated fully to inform their congregations. and further we believe on this account thousands and perhaps tens of thous- ands are being driven into scepticism or infidelity.
 s'eWe appeal to every minister to publish in his local newspaper over his own signa4AEe & statement declar- ing whether or not he believes the Bible to teach the doctrine of e. literal lake of fire and birthstone as a place or state of condition for the eternal punishment of the wicked and ask every newspaper editor to invite the