Renunciation of Mr. Hayden.
By Editor
REV. CHARLES A. HAYDEN, of Mount Auburn church of Cincinnati, Ohio, has resigned his pastorate on account of a change of views. We think that, on the subject of baptism and of the constitution of the church, he has not improved on the Baptist faith. He claims that the Baptists are inconsistent, in which he is probably correct. On two points his remarks in his farewell sermon possess special interest at the present time. They are as follows:— "Another truth to which I hold, and which I trust I may be enabled to present in all its purity, is that which the Scriptures designate as 'the blessed hope' of the church—the personal, pre-millennial coming of our Lord. Here again is a doctrine which, because of unbelief, and because that in time past it has been abused, has almost entirely dropped from sight. And not only is it neglected, but also there is a strong feeling of prejudice against it. So strongly has the popular idea that the world is rapidly growing better, and that the dawning of the day of its greatest glory is near at hand, taken hold even upon the professing church, that a view which regards this as all a lie of the devil, and recognizes as a teaching of the word, the fact that the time of world-wide apostasy, from the truth, and the prevalence of unparalleled iniquity is rapidly hastening, is looked upon as almost a dream of lunacy. But my study of the Scriptures has led me to the conviction that only by our Lord's personal appearing and glorious reign will his foes be made his footstool, and the millennium of peace and righteousness be inaugurated. I believe that the church's attitude should be that of waiting and watching for the coming of her Lord, who will take her unto himself ere, the day of trial that shall come, upon all the earth shall be ushered in. That there is no prophecy remaining to be fulfilled, and no single event to be regarded as, yet to transpire ere the coming of the Lord to take his church out from the world, and that therefore the duty of him who holds the position of a teacher in the church is to point God's children to this hope, and counsel and urge them to be waiting in readiness for the bridegroom's call. Nor do I believe that the church's position will be that which it should, so long as, this truth is left unproclaimed. Men may cry fanaticism, and professing Christians may say: 'Ah, this is all visionary,' but the word of God, which is our guide, declares this, and I believe a sin will rest upon one who, believing this, and standing as a teacher of the truth, yet neglects to declare it." ANNIHILATION OF THE WICKED.
"Once more—in my study of the word, during the past eight months, I have been convinced that the teaching of the whole Scripture is contrary to the generally accepted view of man's inherent immortality; and consequently is contrary to the dogma of eternal torment. I believe the teaching of inspiration to be, that eternal life is the gift of God, through Christ Jesus, to all who believe in him. Taking the Scripture as it reads, in its plain, simple language, and laying aside all human interpretations, by which life is made something other than life, and death something other than death, I cannot resist the conclusion that immortality is conditional upon the acceptance of him who says 'I am the life,' and declares that he came that we 'might not perish,' but also, like himself, 'have everlasting life.' Convinced that the Bible denies that men have any life in themselves, and that it teaches that life and immortality are alone through faith in Christ, I therefore accept the plain statements of Scripture, that the end of the wicked is to be destroyed, to utterly perish; that 'the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.' This I believe to be the second death. This is the sinner's punishment, and it is eternal, and these words shall have been fulfilled when sin and misery shall have been put out of the universe, when the serpent's head shall have been crushed by the seed of the woman. Then shall the Son deliver up the kingdom to the Father, and God shall be All in all. And here let me say that since I have been led to see this teaching of God's word, old difficulties have vanished that have always haunted me, and a new light is shed upon the page of Holy Writ, and this whole word glows with a fresh meaning, and has become a new delight."