Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-11-15

that God would do what he pleased
because he pleased. Now we ar
taught that God will DO what low
teaches-iust what a father would d
for his erring children. IL was one
thought that men had no right out
side Of the throne, and through thi
feeling came this false construction
Of the Bible. But the democrats
element has so grown that every in
dlvidual man in himself has rights
the very act Of creation endows hin
with them, and the old mode Of rep
resentlng man "a absolutely nothing
viii never have the same force agar
as it had before Christianity inspired
such "a nigh state Of democracy. Al
eternity Of punishment when it seizes
the mind, seems to paralyzc it with
horror, and it is this subject that has
puzzled theologians more than any
other. All these reasons have con.
spired to work the change that i.
taking place on this subject, and We
must not think thai efforts 10 escape
from these views are wrong: they
are the esult Of the highest sonsi.
bility, and they spring up in most
educated minds. 1t is, therefore, a
matter that demands still further
looking into. What are the theories
which prevail to-day There is first
the Sadducean, that there is no res
direction next, there are those that
get over the unques tionable Scrip
ture truth Of a future punishment OF
the wicked, by denying the inspira-
ton Of the Bible, and tho authority
OF its teachings. Among these are
what are called The most liberal in
terpretors Of the Scriptures, who
admit that q belief in what they were
taught in the Scriptures must result
in q belief in a future punishment.
Theodore Parker said that the first
three gospels taught there was IA
future punishment, but then Christ
was but fallible man, so be got rid
of it by denying the inspiration OF
the Bible. A third class have taken
the ground Of what | may call old
Universalism, by which / understand
they taught that men suffer in this
life for their sins and are rewarded
for their virtues Then there is
another class who think that all who
believe in Jesus Christ will be saved,
but that all others will be annihilat-
ed, that annibilation simply vii! be
the portion of the wicked and there
are others who teach that th ere are
. series OF spheres, or planes, and
that ren go first to that particular
sphere or plano to which their
temperament fits them, and that
all ia time reach perfection.
This may be called cross between
Swedenborgianism and modern spir-
itualism. Then there are few who
have fallen into this same doctrine
Of spheres and planes, but they have
sought TO TO escape through the doc
trine OF previous experience, that
mon are living q second time, that
they have already lived and fallen,
and that God has given them one
more chance. The time is coming
when men will demand the right to
think and open again these questions
OF destiny. | do not say that they
are righ or wrong but there is no
point where we should be more toll
Grant aud charitable towards those
who hold contrary opinions to our
own than on this subject. But con
trast all these dogmas with the sim
plicity of Christs teaching, and you
will understand the difference be-
tween an inspired and a philosophical
teacher. If we had only the Old
Testament, we could not tell if there
was any future punishment; it il
only in the New Testament that it is
taught, and the foundation aud main
ground of confidence is that our
Master, the gentle, loving Savior,
who so loved men that he came to
die for them-taught US that there
was a future state Of punishment
There was no attempt at philosoph-
ical demonstrations; he taught that
men as sinners were in profound dan
ger, and be went about saying, "Re-
pcnt, repentm The univeral sinful
ness Of man never had so much
sympathy, nor 50 much fidelity as in
the teachings Of Christ. He taught
that the danger was not in this life /;
he did not say that there was literal
~ fire in hell, nor that men were
tOrmented in monarchial dungeons !;
but he taught that their sins would
bring upon them the penalty, both
here and hereafter and that the
danger was serious. it was real. |
have had my doubts as much as any
man; | have suffered and should
have given up but for the simple
teachings of Jesus Christ. This is
enough for me. There are things
which | do not understand a child
can ask me questions | cannot an
swer, but | do believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ, and | do not believe
that he would deceive you or deceive
you. teach the love Of Christ, and
| know that | am right; and while
we must treat with all tolerance all
differences of opinion, we must not
admit any theory which takes away
the burden of fear that Christ
taught and while modification OF
views hitherto held is permissible,
they must not lessen the response
bility we owe Christ; and the sub.
jet of his teachings was, "it i:
damnable to sim"
There is common, but false, no
ton that frequent cutting of the hail
is favorable to its growth. Motheri
thus often bespoil their infants o
their first silken locks, with the ide;
that the second hair will be mucl
more rich and abundant. This is al
error The most beautiful and aboun
ding heads of hair we ever saw wer,
those which the scissors had neve
toncbed. Mothers, not satisfied Will
trimming the hair OF their children
often have it shaved or cut it close t