'miserable failures going out into the darkness.' What did he mean? It
seemed to me an unworthy evasion of the question.

And now it is proposed to put in the creed of the proposed union of the
churches that the doom of the finally impenitent will be 'eternal
death,' What does that mean? It may mean either External Extinction or
Eternal Torment. Is the union to be built on such ambiguity? Would not
such ambiguity pave the way for future dissension? Herein we see the
folly of putting too much in a creed, forgetting that 'more light is yet
to break out of God's holy Word,' and that any human creed may yet have
to be revised. And we are slow to make revisions, for revisions seem to
reflect on views that we may have strenuously defended.

Julia Ward Howe, the gifted authoress of the "Battle Hymn of the
Republic," had recently a "vision" of a regenerated world. She exulted
in the prospect of a day of grace. But not once does she seem to cast a
backward glance on the myriads of our race who are supposed to be in
endless torment. Surely, that would have dimmed the glorious forecast.
It may be that she does not believe in torment, or that she believes in
final Restoration. In either case she would be consistent, and nothing
would seriously mar the joy of her anticipation.

But such a mantle of charity is not available for certain orthodox
ministers. They, too, forecast a final day of grace, and paint it in the
most glorious colors. There appears to be nothing to mitigate their joy.
But all the while they profess to believe in eternal torment. Their
creed says that uncounted myriads of our fellow creatures are writhing
in eternal fire, and that their torment will go on forever and ever,
without any hope of mitigation. Surely, the very thought of such
suffering would cast a pall of unspeakable gloom over the most glorious