II. Revulsion Against Calvinist Extremism Led to Universalism

Both Edwards and Hopkins taught that sin, once introduced, can never be dislodged, expelled, or exterminated. It may, like a raging fire, be localized and circumscribed, but it can never be exhausted and put out—not even by God Himself, for man was held to be indestructibly immortal—and both sin and punishing rage on forever. But this was not to devour and consume but to torment eternally the victims upon whom it preys. These exponents held that as long as God lives and reigns, “holiness and sin, happiness and misery, praises and curses, life and death” will run parallel, throughout the ceaseless cycles of a never-ending future. This was unabashed Dualism.CFF2 271.4

Hell would thus resound with the groans and curses of the damned throughout eternal ages. The sufferings of the lost were alleged to be absolutely endless-dying forever and ever, without any possibility of final cessation or relief. Death and Hell were never to be destroyed. And this exhibition of divine wrath, rolling up like the smoke of a furnace that never goes out, is to be, they alleged, before the eyes of the redeemed saints forever! That was the terrifying emphasis.CFF2 272.1

But when men came to realize that according to this awful teaching the vast majority of the race were thus doomed—including many of their own kith and kin, even children and bosom companions, and all infants—they became appalled at the unbelievably cruel conclusions to which such a contention led them. It was more than faith in the love and justice of God could stand. Something had to give way. Many then set themselves to find enough evidence to satisfy themselves of the ultimate salvation of all men—thus to escape from the vindictive dogma of Eternal Torment for the wicked. For such, the pendulum had swung to the opposite end of the arc. That explains the tremendous resurgence of Universalism.CFF2 272.2