EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS.

MAY 3, 1887.

DEAR BROTHER-I am greatly pleased with the April and May number of the magazine. The remarks on the case of Rev. Rollo Ogden were admirable. I notice, by the religious papers, that the action, erasing his name from the roll, was taken without debate by the Presbytery of Cleveland. I should like, very much, to have seen the letter he presented to the Presbytery, so as to know more accurately what statement was sufficient to make this entire Presbytery content to take this action without debate. Through lack of information, not being able to judge this particular case, I am more and more inclining to the conviction that your position, opposing withdrawal from the church because of divergence from a currently accepted orthodoxy, is the only true position to maintain. In the interests of the ultimate unity of Chris tendom, the withdrawal into other sects or new sects should be stopped. God seems to be raising up in each of the denominations men who are testifying to their own communion its errors. Their services, in the place where Providence has cast their lot, are inval. uable in furthering the subordination of denominational peculiarities to the essential requirements of Christianity. We regard with shame and regret the controversies which separated the denomination fifty years ago; with equal shame shall we regard the discuscussions now arising between orthodoxy and heterdoxy, socalled. These are not a whit more justifiable as occasions for disfellowship, neither are they of greater significance in any way, than the controversies, now to a large extent obsolete, concerning baptism, Calvinism vs. Arminianism, or prelacy and ritualism.

I am not surprised at the editorial which has appeared in the Occident. Articles of that animus we must expect as long as the old spirit of theological hatred survives. The very impotence of such an attack, the feebleness of response which it will awaken, and the evident disinclination throughout our church toward the judicial action which it invokes,—all this is illustrative not only of the changed temper of the age, but of growth toward a purer Christianity.

Your reply is dignified, temperate and straightforward; and it will be on the whole an advantage that you have been forced thus at length to explain your position. That position is now splendidly entrenched and invincible. It is certainly proper that the responsibility for your separation from the church-if such an event should take place-should rest upon the church itself. Meanwhile you are agitating questions, the adjustment of which is awaited with the keenest interest even by those who shrink from identifying themselves personally with the discussion.

I hope God may greatly bless you in carrying forward the important work which has thus Providentially been laid upon you. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." You will have opposition, censure, and denunciation to a certain extent now, but hereafter your work will be held in grateful appreciation. Accept my

assurances of fullest sympathy.

From a Christian lady of this city :

I greatly enjoy the truth in your magazine, and wish that I could more fully study out many of the subjects you write of. Some day I hope to do so.

The first article in your Feb. number I was greatly pleased with. (The Evangelistic Movement in Philadelphia). It expresses so exactly what I feel about union effort and the receiving of the Holy Spirit, the necessity of it for accomplishing the ends proposed.

From a Ministerial brother.

I should be glad, if I were able to furnish the means to send WORDS OF RECONCILIATION. as to every minister of our church. If it were read by all of them, I believe its influence would be most salutary, in nothing injurious, and that the Revision of the Standards would soon come by common consent. The acceptance of the fundamental truth of these Standards regarding the Scriptures as the only God-given rule requires that anything in their statements that may ever be shown to be contrary to, or not conformed to, the Word of God should be abandoned.

From a Baptist Minister :

I hasten to say a few words suggested by the attack of the Oc

cident upon yourself. I thank the Lord for the wisdom and forbearance with which He enabled you to pen your excellent reply. Many a reform has been damaged by the pugnaciousness of its advocates. You certainly show to your opponents that you want to have the "mind that was in Christ Jesus," the heart that casts out fear because it loves.

Some weeks ago I wrote, but did not send, a note expressing the pleasure I received from the statement of your views on forgiveness. I have long felt that our theology was arbitrary and unphilosophical in its statement, though its underlying principles were eternal truth. And I am sure the time has now come for a more rational and philosophical statement.

A word as to those who, like myself, conceal their names. I do not preach my speculations to the common people. But I have repeatedly avowed them among ministers. Yet I do shrink from severing my connection with my denomination. I more nearly agree with it than with any other. And I am hoping the time is not far distant when the leading denominations will see that the change proposed is from God, and will hasten to adopt it.

PRAYER.

O God, who hast knit together all who have been baptized in the name of Thy Son Jesus Christ into one mystical body, bless, we beseech thee, the one body of the one Lord, Carry each member of it safely through his appointed trial and discipline. Replenish it with all Heavenly gifts and graces. Heal its dissensions and divisions. Let the power of Thy Spirit be manifest in all its holy offices and ministries; that so taught and guided and governed by Thee, we may all come, in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. So shall we evermore offer unto Thy Holy Name the incense of true praise, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

VOL. III.]

JULY, 1887.

[No. 7.

DR. A. A. HODGE ON FUTURE PUNISHMENT

We have looked carefully over the volume which embraces the lectures recently delivered by Dr. Hodge. They are worthy of the praise we accorded them in the review published in the February number, Vol. II., of this magazine. But we see no reason to recall any of the criticisms we made upon his exposition of Scripture under the head of "Final Punishments." We are told, in the preface, that the lecture on this topic was revised after its delivery. We, therefore, have the author's matured thought upon this subject.

Dr. Hodge used to confess, as did also his distinguished father, that of all the departments of Theology, that of eschatology is the most obscure and unsatisfactory, and that much remained yet for the church to find out about it. Dr. Schaff has repeatedly told us that the Reformed Theologians left many problems yet to be solved. And yet Dr. Hodge, in this Lecture XIX, speaks as if the old conclusions on this tremendous topic were beyond dispute. And he regards them as settled by proof-texts, which do not bear the meaning he puts upon them.

We wish now simply to direct attention to his inaccurate use of Scripture under this head. He uses it indeed as do the Reformed theologians generally before him.

But it is time that the attention of the church should be aroused to the fact that its current doctrine of the end. less torment of the wicked has been all along based upon a serious misapprehension of the proof-texts it quotes in its support.

1. Dr. Hodge assumes that the words of "the tender and compassionate Saviour of mankind" upon this subject were addressed to “the common people in common language," and that He repeatedly and impressively warned them of this awful danger. On the other hand, we assert that there is no evidence that our Lord ever spoke to the multitudes that thronged about Him of their liability to endless torment in hell. The words constantly quoted to prove this were spoken to his disciples, in some instances after care was taken to withdraw them from the multitude, and were designed to teach them the law of discipleship, and what they must be willing to surrender if they would enter into life. Let us examine Dr. Hodge's array of texts from this point of view.

1. Matt. v. 21, 29, 30 are from the sermon on the mount. They speak of a "danger of hell-fire," and warn us that it is far better to cut off a right hand, or to pluck out an evil eye, than that the whole body should be cast into hell. To this discourse is prefixed this statement: "And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain; and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him."

These words, therefore, were not warnings addressed to the common people. It was a private instruction to disciples concerning that law of self-crucifixion by which