It will thus be seen that the church is in a very unsettled position on
this question. Good men are trying to believe what in their hearts they
repudiate. They think it a sign of soundness in the faith to believe in
the doctrine of eternal torment. If they really believed it they could
not rest in their beds at night, nor follow their usual avocations by
day. But happily they do not really believe it.
Thus the theory of eternal torment has this everlasting drawback that
men will not believe it. It may be, and has been, accounted the orthodox
view; and men may try to believe it, but as a matter of fact they do
not. To think that a person will suffer forever, and ever, is beyond
actual belief. Just think for a while of torment without end. Lengthen
out the time in your imagination, and when you have reached the utmost
stretch of imagination, then think that eternity is only beginning, and
that through eternal cycles of aeons it will go on forever and ever,
and ever.
It used to be a favorite method of illustrating the eternity of torment
to suppose that after a million of years one grain of soil were taken
from the earth; then after another million of years, another grain; then
after another million of years, another grain; and so on until the
whole of the earth had disappeared; then repeat the proceeding ten
thousand millions of times; and then eternity would be only beginning!
Imagine, if you can, a soul in torment all these uncounted ages; and
then think of the process being repeated over and over again, without
end, without end, without end! No man can believe it.
But if you tell him he is to suffer until he is reclaimed, he can
believe that; it comes easily within the scope of his imagination--yes,
and of his reason too. Hence it will have more effect on a man's
conviction, and will produce a greater influence on his life, to be told
that if he dies impenitent he will suffer until he repents, and
is reformed.
Now when we consider the natural affinity which the mind has for truth,
and when we recognize the impossibility of believing in endless torment,
we have a strong presumption that the theory is not true. At all events,
in the present unsettled state of the question would it not be a
wholesome thing to take the more limited view of suffering, and have men
believe it in their inmost souls, rather than the view of eternal
torment, with a hesitating, half hearted presentation of it, and
consequently without producing genuine conviction? This is a serious
question; let all serious minds ponder it.
The want of candor in expressing definite conviction on this subject
seems to me to be a formidable barrier to church union. The following
article of mine on this point lately appeared in _The Homiletic Review_:
The contemplated organic union of the Presbyterian, Methodist, and
Congregational Churches in Canada has not yet been consummated. One
thing that involved some delay has been the discovery of a basis of
doctrine that would suit the three churches. At length such a basis has
been formulated. It contains one statement, however, which I am rather
surprised to see. It says that the doom of the finally impenitent will
be "eternal death." Now what does that mean? Might it not be honestly
taken to mean two very different things? Might it not be taken to mean
"eternal torment" or "eternal extinction?" The manifest ambiguity of
such a statement would seem to me highly objectionable. I quoted the
phrase to two thoughtful friends, and asked them what it meant. They
made a long pause, and said they did not know.
If the phrase has been adopted on purpose to make it the expression of
the two views referred to, such a course is surely wanting in candor and
honesty. To be sure it is a Scripture phrase; but inasmuch as it is
taken to express two very different views, it ought not to be adopted.
By all means let us be clear and simple and straightforward.
There has been too much vagueness on the part of preachers on this
most solemn theme. Lately I heard a preacher speaking of unsaved men as
"miserable failures, going out into the darkness." Now what did he mean?
Either he has no definite idea himself, or he judged it unwise to
express it; or he was afraid to express it. Does not such a statement as
I have quoted pander directly to infidelity?
Surely the time has come when we ought candidly to recognize that on
this question there may be a legitimate difference of opinion. There are
men whose godliness and ability are beyond all question, who hold
diverse views on this matter. Whether it be the theory of eternal
torment or extinction or Restoration that is held, let us concede all
honor and confidence to the men who hold it. The more of that spirit we
really possess, the sooner will the divine light break upon our souls.
With regard to a basis on which conscientious men can really unite, is
it well to go so much into detail? Mere creeds will never conserve the
truth. Men will think, whether we will or no; and men will have diverse
views. Do we not put a premium on dishonesty by constructing a creed for
all details, and expecting men to subscribe to that creed? Have we not
had too much of that in the past? A noted official in the Methodist body
told me lately that he does not believe in eternal torment, but that if
it were known, he would lose his position. But eternal torment is in
the Methodist creed, and he had profest his adherence to it. It is so
with many Presbyterians. I have spoken privately with several, and not
one profest to believe in that doctrine. But we say, "Truth is mighty
and will prevail." Yes, I believe it will; but it would surely prevail
faster if we were always loyal to it. Besides, is there anything that
makes more directly for the degeneracy of character than such evasion?
To avoid all peril of this kind, how would it do to take for a basis of
doctrine this simple statement, "I believe the Scriptures of the Old and
New Testaments to be the Word of God?" Or, "I believe the Scriptures of
the Old and New Testaments to contain the Word of God?" Then, with
further "light breaking from God's holy word," we would not need to
expunge anything from our creed, or add anything to it.
Lately I heard a most fervid appeal on behalf of missions. But the
speaker really gave no worthy, definite incentive, by which the appeal
would be made effective. He gave no hint whatever as to the fate of the
heathen if we failed to Christianize them. He did not say they would
have to pass through pains in the next life necessary to their
reformation. Nor did he say they would be extinguished at death, or some
time after. Nor did he say they would drop into eternal fire. Any of
these three possibilities if duly presented, would be more or less an
incentive to action. But he simply referred to the heathen being saved
in some vague way, which almost meant nothing. The nerve of enthusiasm
for missions is cut if the appeal cannot be enforced by some definite
incentive to action; but usually there is no such incentive advanced.
There is no doubt or hesitation as to the positive part of salvation;
but as to the negative part of it there is no clear-cut deliverance.
The presumption is that there is usually no definite conviction. In the
evangelical churches there is some faint survival of the doctrine of
endless torment; but the preacher rarely or never presents it; it may be
because he does not really believe it; or because he knows that the
people will not believe it. I say, would it not be better to present the
idea of Restoration, and present the view strongly, with a pronounced
accent of conviction? Not only is such a course in my view required by
the claims of honesty, but the effect would be better beyond all
computation.
I have just referred to the incentive that we have to impel us to a
world-wide Evangelization. We have seen that the command of Christ was
practically unheeded for many hundreds of years. We can imagine that the
church will never again lapse to that low level of insensibility.
But, along with the command, we have a worthy incentive in the doctrine
of Restoration. If we can only realize that by faithful missionary
effort the heathen will require a pruning and development when they pass
out of this life, will not that be an effective and worthy incentive to
the best efforts of which we are capable?
It may be thought by some that the old doctrine of endless torment would
be more effective as an incentive. At the first glance it may appear so.
What could be more effective than the warning that men will drop into an
endless hell if they do not receive the offers of grace before they die?
That was relied upon formerly. It was thought that no other warning
would have such force. But as a matter of fact it failed, except that in
some cases it produced a temporary panic. And why did it fail? Simply
because it was not heartily believed. Men might think they believed it;
they might try to believe it; they might think it orthodox to believe
it; but as a matter of fact they did not believe it. If they had, they
would have moved heaven and earth to avoid such a doom, both for
themselves and others.
The doctrine of Restoration has no such disadvantage to contend with. It
is credible in the highest degree. It is an urgent incentive, and a
reasonable one. If a sinner goes out into the next life unreconciled to
God, there must be a terrible looking for of judgment. He will be
reclaimed; but the age-long pruning he may have to undergo is a fearful
thing to contemplate. If he knew his Lord's will, and did it not, he
will be beaten with many stripes.
There is nothing incredible to him in that. He sees the reasonableness
of it. An appeal of that kind will move him, when any picture of hell
fire will have but a small effect. I believe this is the standpoint to
which the churches will have to come.
In corroboration of the idea that even Christian people do not believe
in eternal torment, I would say that lately I met a lady, and I inquired
the latest news of her friend who had slipped and broken his leg. She
said that she had just come from the hospital, and that he was dying.
She added that it would be a relief when he was gone, for he would then
be out of pain.
Now this lady is a member of a church that professes to believe in
eternal torment, but she had no idea of her friend going into
everlasting suffering when he died. He made no profession of religion;
but that circumstance seemed to give her no concern. Is not such the
general feeling? And thus it is that many practically repudiate their
own creed. They hang on in theory to the doctrine of endless suffering,
because it is in the creed of the church; but practically they deny it.
Would it not be far better to believe steadfastly in a state of
discipline and purification? Would not that be a much better incentive
to prepare for the end of life, than the half heathenish idea that there
is nothing whatever to fear? As a gentleman said to me lately, when
speaking of the Roman Catholic fear of Purgatory, "The Methodists and
Presbyterians would need some kind of purgatory too."
It may be objected that no details are revealed of such a preparatory
state; and some may be so foolish as to think that this is an argument
against its existence. I have surely only to remind you that neither
have we details of the blessedness of heaven. In fact we could not have
such details. That would probably involve a great deal of the history
and condition of other worlds, which would be utterly confusing to us at
present, and would serve no good end. We have enough to stimulate hope,
but not enough to pander to curiosity.
That the advocates of eternal torment have no really deep conviction of
its truth, let me also give a quotation that I have just met with:
"That its advocates themselves have little or no faith in it is very
manifest from the fact that it has no power over their course of action.
While all the denominations of Christendom profess to believe the
doctrine that eternal torment and endless, hopeless despair will
constitute the punishment of the wicked, they are all quite at ease in
allowing the wicked to take their own course, while they themselves
pursue the even tenor of their way.
"Chiming bells and pealing organs, artistic choirs, and costly edifices,
and upholstered pews, and polished oratory which more and more avoids
any reference to this alarming theme, afford rest and entertainment to
the fashionable congregations that gather on the Lord's day, and are
known to the world as the churches of Christ and the representatives of
his doctrines. But they seem little concerned about the eternal welfare
of the multitudes, or even of themselves and their own families, though
one would naturally presume that with such awful possibilities in view
they would be almost frantic in their efforts to rescue the perishing.
The plain inference is that they do not believe it."
Then follows a reference to the "Mental Bias" of the early translators,
as accounting for their erroneous translations, because they were just
breaking away from the old papal system. Then the later translators are
scathed for what the author calls "duplicity and cowardice" in
continuing such errors.
Consider, too, that we are God's own children. This is no mere figure of
speech. We are as truly God's children as our children are our own. If
our children are evil, it is our glory to reclaim them. No matter how
bad they are, we could not bear the thought of even one of them being in
torment. But according to some, God can bear the thought, can even
exult in it--that myriads of His children are in torment of the most
horrible kind, and that for ever and ever. And it is conceived that this
is so, notwithstanding the story of the Prodigal Son!
More than that, we hear the Father sighing out of His heart the broken
words, "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they
would consider their latter end!" Yes, and we see Christ weeping over
the doomed city, and we hear His pathetic words. "If thou hadst known--O
if thou hadst only known the things that belong to thy peace!" And yet
God is conceived of as contemplating with equanimity the everlasting
torment of His own children.
Happily, however, men do not really believe in eternal torment. They may
try to do so; it may seem orthodox; they may profess their faith in it;
but their heart is often better than their head, and they do not really
believe it. On this point, I will transcribe a paragraph from Rev.
Arthur Chambers. It is so true, and so well expressed, that it will
commend itself to every candid mind. He says:
"Thank God for the happiness of humanity! Man's intuitive instincts are
better than his formulated creeds. The hope is secretly cherished that
the grace of God, because it is the grace of an infinite Being, must and
will operate beyond the limits defined by a narrow theology. No
Christian, however staunch to the pitiless teaching of the school to
which he belongs, ever brings himself really to think that any one
beloved by him in the World Beyond is irretrievably lost. His creed,
perhaps gives him no hope in regard to that one who dies without
religion; but his own heart refuses to surrender its hope; and so he
keeps his reason, and his faith in God."
I know there are those who accept the doctrine of Restoration, who yet
think it an unsafe position to take in the case of some. They cite the
case of parties who having accepted the larger view, drift into
infidelity. The reason given is, that the doctrine of endless torment
has been so long identified with orthodoxy that when that doctrine is
surrendered, the vital doctrines of Christianity are in danger of going
along with it.
But I do not think we need have any grave fears of that kind. For one
thing, we ought not to be afraid of truth having an evil influence. On
the contrary, it is a sanctifying power. Hence our Lord's prayer.
"Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy Word is truth." So if a man drifts
into infidelity it is not the truth that leads him there. I imagine it
is half truth that leads him astray; and a half truth is often really a
falsehood. So if a man takes up the idea of Restoration in a careless or
flippant spirit, thinking chiefly of it as a happy escape from
punishment, it is a half truth; to him it is really a falsehood. But let
him consider also the facts by which the idea of Restoration is
sustained; let him be imbued thoroughly with these; and I think there
will be little chance of him drifting into infidelity. I think on the
contrary he will be far more devout. He will be let into such views of
the wisdom, love and power of God as will more than offset any tendency
to rationalism.
Besides, we know not what punishment, either in duration or intensity
may await sinful men in the next life. We do not claim that suffering is
abolished. Very far from that. We only claim that it is not of endless
duration, and that it is of a reformatory character. If a man is
thoroughly imbued with such ideas, he will be very far from being a
sceptic. He will realize that the truth is a sanctifying power.
On this basis you give him something that he can really believe. You can
tell him that he must suffer until he surrenders. He can believe that
thoroughly. It appeals to his reason. But if you tell him that whether
he surrenders or not, he must suffer forever and ever and ever, without
any hope of release through all eternity, he does not really believe
that; it is entirely beyond him; and it makes but a slight impression.
The truth is the main thing; and the truth is divine; yes, divine; both
in its nature and effects.
We have to remember, too, that there is such a thing as turning the
grace of God into lasciviousness. The German proverb that the best
things may become the worst, is along the same line; but it is
commonplace compared with the trenchant words of Jude. According to him,
even "grace" may become "lasciviousness." We have there a solemn
warning. It does seem to me that really worthy thoughts of God are not
compatible with the idea of endless torment.
In favor of the doctrine of eternal torment, it may be claimed that God
has signally honored many men who hold, or have held, this view, and
that therefore that view is the correct one. In the matter of revivals,
especially, were not such men signally owned and honored? Witness the
earlier Methodists, and later the Salvation Army. Especially think of
Mr. Finney, under whose ministry there was a mighty revival.