66 close in the steps of their master, Dorner, who has taught that the supreme fact in the contents of faith is the Christian idea of God, and from it, as the highest unity and truth, are all statements of faith and all Christian truth immediately or mediately derived." It is the same dogma which has recently asserted itself under the already cant phrase of the "Christian consciousness," with its power to adjudicate the Scriptures. These unscriptural teachings have already begun to bear bitter fruits upon young men subjected to them. Probably they will make further progress in the same direction. As a scheme of naturalism this movement has developed its inherent tendencies more in a few years than Murray's Universalism or Channing's Unitarianism in a generation: The Christian Leader (Universalist) calls it "incipient Universalism." We may well stand prepared for any result. For the vital issue, we repeat it, is the inspiration and final authority of the Scriptures. The great danger to our churches lies in the excess or abuse of charity, in extending aid and comfort to a system that contains growing germs of entire antagonism to the evangelical system. And, most unfortunately and singularly, men who openly repudiate the system are gaining for it a welcome by demanding that it shall have the free range of the churches and the missions. It does not relieve the case that good men have broached the error. Bad men cannot propagate a heresy in the Church. Future probation, be it remembered, is but an incident to a deeper conflict. And that conflict apparently is at hand, and upon us. For it would seem clear from the lessons of ecclesiastical history and theological drift, that this movement, unless arrested, will issue in a grave defection, into which the ministry may be drawn more extensively than the Christian laymen—a defection in many of its circumstances not unlike that of three-quarters of a century ago, and probably with similar results. For there will continue to be, as heretofore, an evangelical Church ready to accept God's Word and strong to do Christ's work. S. C. Barttite CHAPTER VIII. THOSE WHO LOVE DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT CANNOT ITS AUTHORITY. The Ground of Doubt with Some.-Human Freedom, the One Mystery of the Universe. This World the Scene of its Action, and the Consequences Never-ending.— Explicit Utterances that the Punishment of Some Will Not Cease.-Unwarranted Methods of Interpretation Resorted to.-Exclusion and Misery on the One Hand, and Acceptance and Bliss on the Other Hand, Unequivocally and Concurrently Taught as Eternal.-Two Classes Distinctively Described by All Sacred Writers.— Review of Various Passages Claimed to Teach Salvation for All at Last.—Opportunity for Repentance After Death a Strained Hypothesis.—A Reverent Estimate of the Gospels Essential to their Correct Understanding.-The Fruits of Faith, and How Brought Forth.-Effect of the Suggested Possibility of Continued Choice Beyond the Grave.-No Reason for Assuming that the Majority of the Human Race Will be Lost.-His Righteousness, Truth, and Love, Toward All, Made Manifest. By Rev. JAMES M. BUCKLEY, D.D., Editor of the Christian Advocate, I UNDERSTAND the purpose of this volume to be to present the views of its contributors upon the most solemn question propounded by man to his own soul, his fellow man, or to the religion which claims his reverence and faith: "What fate awaits us when we die?" and that the inquiry is limited to the condition of those who reject the gospel. Further: that it is the desire of the editor that the belief of the respective writers should be clearly stated, with an outline of the grounds of their convictions; but that a full discussion of them is not expected or desired; for even in the absence of express intimations, the limitations of space would compel this view of the work. In this instance, what is believed is no new doctrine, but simply that human life to all rational beings is a probation which may practically end before death, but by a decree of God ends at death. That salvation depends upon the soul's being in a state of submission to God, accepting what it believes to be the truth, and obeying what it believes to be the will of God. Where the gospel is preached, it implies accepting and obeying the gospel; where it is erroneously set forth, or where it is not known, the condition of salvation is living in obedience to the light which has been given. Further, that persons who have lived a sinful life, and have like the prodigal "come to themselves," and like the publican cried, "God be merciful to me a sinner," are subjects of salvation through the mercy of God, who pardons their iniquities and graciously receives them. This implies that the writer's view does not confine the number of the saved to any sect of Christians, nor to the whole Christian Church; but speaks of Protestants, Christians, Romanists, Mohammedans, Pagans, and those who make no outward profession of religion: all who answer the description above given, who are trying to "work out their salvation with fear and trembling," and are in such a state of mind that all truth, seen to be truth, will be gladly accepted, and the life faithfully conformed thereunto, belong-whether ignorant or learned, in doubt upon some points or clear upon most-to the fold of Christ. It is further believed by the writer that all children and irresponsible persons, though they have had no probation, as a part of the plan of God are admitted as personally innocent beings, are purified and numbered among the saved. A more condensed statement is that all persons who love darkness rather than light, and who die in such a state, will not be saved; and that all who love light rather than darkness will be saved. The grounds of this belief at the last analysis depend upon the interpretation of the New Testament. Believing those writings to contain the only final revelations from God to man, the province of reason is to ascertain what they mean. To profess to believe the New Testament to be of God, and to reason away its obvious teach |