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Dr. E. W. Bullinger and Universal Reconciliation.
Fact or assumption?
pp. 1 - 5
In Volume XXIII, pages 205 and 206, we gave an example of fallacious reasoning on
the part of one, Mr. W. Hoste, B.A., who inferred--apparently without knowledge of his
writings--that the late Dr. E. W. Bullinger was a Universalist.
A reader in New Zealand has just sent us the following extract from the July, 1934,
issue of "Unsearchable Riches", from which it would appear that Mr. A. E. Knoch has,
to say the least, made the same unwarranted inference:--
"DR. BULLINGER AND RECONCILIATION.--We have often been asked to
publish Dr. Bullinger's opinion of universal reconciliation. The temptation to do this was
strong, for it would tend to break down the prejudice which he himself had created
against it. But we were determined that God's truth should not be based on any man's
opinion. Besides, he evidently did not wish to take a public stand for universal
reconciliation until he had fully mastered the doctrine of the eons."
"The matter came up in this way: I sent an advertisement of Unsearchable Riches to
Things to Come, but he wrote back that he could not insert it. As it appeared in the next
issue, I wrote him a note of thanks. He replied that he deserved no thanks, as it had been
inserted by mistake. He said he had heard that I had something on the `aiones', and that
he would be glad to see what it was. In response I prepared the chart in which every
passage containing the word is arranged in chronological order. In his last letter to me,
he made the following statement: `It may help to a better understanding between us if
you would kindly explain exactly what you mean by `universal reconciliation'.' To an
English ear here it savours of what is called `Universalism', in which every one who ever
lived will have a second chance. If it refers only to the future and not to the past I have
no quarrel with it. But I should like it made clear. And I am sure you can and will do it
for me."
"I remember distinctly the satisfaction that this letter gave me. There could be no
doubt whatever that he would accept the truth once he had investigated it, according to
his own written statement. But this was not to be, for, soon after, he died. The chart was
returned to me long afterward, when the Companion Bible was finished. It is easy to
prove, from his published works, that Dr. Bullinger denied `Universalism'. But it is also
true that, at the very last, only his illness and death prevented him from accepting the
doctrine of the eons and the universal reconciliation" (A.E.K.).
In also transmitting the following extracts from "Things to Come", the Journal edited
by Dr. Bullinger, our reader, writes: "I have no intention of defending Dr. Bullinger.
The very best thing to do is to let the lion out, and he will defend himself":--
"100: H. 100:--It is news indeed to hear that we believe in the `Universal Fatherhood of
God', `Universal restoration, and the purgatorial process'. Such charges must come, not
from ignorance, but from malice; and is a clear and open breach of the ninth
Commandment."
"To such, I give no answer. To you, you have an emphatic and flat denial of the false
charge. No reader of `Things to Come' would entertain it for a moment. May we ask
them to `nail it to the counter' at every opportunity; though we fear the lie has got too