The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-07-31
For TIE Herald Of Freedom
The Other Side.
LAwRENcE, Kansas, July, 1858.

Ed. HERALD OF FREEDoM:-Al late issue
of the Republican contains an editorial
upon which l would like to make few
remarks, wishing no one to be resposible
for my views but myself. The editor of
that journal denounces the lectures of Mr..
Denton, in the streets of Lawrence, a few
days ago. He accuses Mr.. Denton of
rejecting the God of the Bible, Christ,
and the doctrines of the Bible generally.
After a general denunciation of these
views of the lecturer, he goes on especially
against future punishment-meaning pun
ishment in a futare life for evil deeds in
this. The editors reason for thus attack
ing the privilege of free speech, is his
assumption that disbelief in that dogma
and preaching against it, tend to corrupt
the morals of society, and to lead to a
life of wickedness. Now this assumption
is made without shadow of proof. JUS
tice requires that before he denounces any
one for speaking against future punish
ment, the editor should show, by the un-
impeachable testimony of history, that
the belief and preaching of this doctrine
tightens the bonds of morality, and leads
to life of virtue, and that the ais6elist
of il Ioosens the bonds of morality, and
leads to vice and crime.
But, as soe read history, no such. thing
is established. We could almost say that
the contrary is true. For example, the
ancient Hebrews, Gods chosen people, the
patriarehs and prophets, knew nothing OF
this doctrine, as all theologians allow
(Read DR.. Campbell Stuart, Whitby, Arch
bishop Whately, and Others Will any
one assert that they lived less moral,
Cody and pious than their heathen CO.
temporaries who did believe it? The
laws of Moses, the divinely commissioned
law-giver, contain nothing of the kind
as they themselves show and as orthodox
critics confess. Their rewards and penal
ties are wholly of temporal character
Oeut. XVIII) Is sny modern statesman
better legislator than Moses Again
the Sect of the Sadducees among the
Jews of our Savior's time, denied this
doctrine, yet they were eminently just
upright and moral, according to the testi.
mony of their worst enemies. (See Jose.
phus and Milman.) The Pharisees be.
Heved this doctrine, yet were "mora
vipers," "whited sepulchres," vile and
wicked to the last degree. Our Savior, il
his denunciations of the wickedness Of
his age and nation. never includes the
Sadducees. 1t is always Scribes, Phari.
sees, hypocrites;;" never Scribes, Saddu'
Gees, hypoerites.
The Catholics, under the sanetifyins
influence % of their belief in future tor.
ments, have rendered Christendom ont
vast slaughter house, and surpassed thu
most horrid cruelties of the Pagans.
According to DR.. Judson, the hell o.
the Pagans of the Burmans is as horrid al
Imagination can make it, yet they are no
tGriously corrupt, licentious and blood
thirsty, the greatest liars and cheats in th'
world. But according TO DIR. Robertson
the Peruvians, who didnot believe in futur.
misery, possessed national characte
more kind and gentle than any other say
age nation. (See Wayland's Life of Jud
son, Vol. l, pages IA and 153. Robert
sons History of America, B. VII, p. 36.
Again, in our own age and nation, pris
ons and other places of confinement TO
blood stained criminals, have been repeat
edly searched, almost in vain, to find
disbeliever in endless punishment. How
can these notorious facts of history be ex
planned according to the editors assump
ton ? How can he establish, by history
the holy and sanctifying influence of fu
ture punishment, and the demoraiizini
/ influence of the doctrine of temporea
punishment After he has done this
let him show why we, here in Lawrence
are not an eminently moral, justand hol.
/ people. For all the denominations VIII
maintain regular worship, believe in an
teach future punishment of some sort, ant
all but one support a system of futur
punishment Of the most terrible and re
lentless kind. And after he has explain
ed all this, and proved that this doetrin'
is the great moral force of the world, tina
it constitutes what is chiefly good and glo
/ rious in religion, let him show what jus
tice there is in giving to Christianity th'
credit and honor for containing that whicl
the heather invented, ages before Chris
appeared in the world. For my part, Mr.
Editor, think that those who fasten upol
Christianity the absurd, cruel and unrea
sonable notions of the heather, do it inf,
nitely more injury than open and avowet
infdels. One sermon, that of DR. Benson
on the Future Misery Of the Wicked, i
more fatal to true Christianity than .
dozen books like Paine,s Age of Reason
The editor of the Rpubsicaa also say.
that there is no reason, if the doctrine o.
future rewards and punishments does so.
ciety no harm, for depriving its believers
of the consultations they derive from be.
.ieying and preaching it Granted. Bui
on the same conditions, if some are allow.
ed thsconsolation which even the hsather
enjoyl of believing in the endless tor.
ments of their fellow men, Why, in the
name of justice. deprive Others of che con-
enf.t;av IF ksfiaviuo and T,raafhi.sev xf !.