The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-14


We will not ask what Beecher's enlightened
Christian feeling Is We know that animals are
guided by feelings but enlightened Christians
should be guided by reason enlightened by divine
faith, no matter what be their feelings
wish to address few remarks to
your correspondent himself. Although he
seems to display Q great deal OF erudiuon
In quoting not only scripture, but Latin Greek
and Hebrew. must consider him q very poor To-
gcian and still poorer theocglaa. For, granting
the correctness OF all the pathological researches
which he quotes concerning the original meaning
OF the words 'shcol," "hades." "gehenna,n ~tar-
tsrus," "infernus" he does not prove that neither
the Jews nor the early Christians ever used them
to designate place OF eternal punishments; but
rom the fact that those WORDS oan be taken IN
q dinere9t sense, also, he concludes Ia posse ad
esse) that they must be taken in that sense. The
word ''cornu" Is often taken In Scripture for
strength but originally 1t meant horn. Hence
II we read, Gamma prayed and SAID: My heart
hath rejoiced in the Lord, and my horn Is exalted
In my God" let eruUo77Iul est cor7su naetsn IN Dec
naeo), according to your correspondents logic
we must believe that Anna had HORNS because
cornu originally means a horn
Judith, in the Old Testament knew well the
religion OF her fathers. She believed as firmly in
the truth OF endless punishments as any Christian
who never changed the faith handed down to the
saints. "For." txvL, 20. 2l) she exclams in pres
ence OF oil her people, "woe DC to the nation that
rtseth up against my people, for the LORD Al
mighty Will take revenge on them In the day OF
Judgment he will visit them. For he Will give fire
and worms into their nesh. that they may burn
an may leei for ever" 1t was not the valley OF
Gee. ainnom which bounded Jerusalem on the
south where this fire and these worms, as the
author alleges, were to be found, but after the day
OF Judgment, not dead bodies and ofral, but living
nesh, capable OF burning and feeling for ever,
should endure the punishment which the Lord
Almighty Is to innict upon the enemies OF ODDS
people, whom Judith had so gloriousy conquered.
The authors Interpretation of the words OF Jesus
Christ, where the worm dieth not and the fire is
not extingulshed," must excite pity, If not laugh
ter. AS the Gospel Is written not for the Jews
alone, but for all nations OF the word Tor (Rom
XIV, A. "What things soever were written were
written Tor our learning" our Saviour would
to SIN their bodies alter their death should be
cast into tnat valley OF Gee-Hinnom, near Jerusa-
lem, where the IRE has been extnguished many
that Is to be cast into this gehenna igni but soul
and body. "fear ye not them that xiii the body
sou anu Dods
he'll" Matt. K, 2S.)
quote the celebrated parable OF the rich man and
Lazarus luke XVII to deny eternal punishment
IN
only Places" says your correspondent "where
We can be called upon to admit the horrid denni-
ton given by DR.. stanton as the place Of final
torment must be those derived from gehenna-"
II hsdes (helD Is nothing else but Gee Hnnom, the
valley OF aDOminatiOn near Jerusalem, we do not
see why the body OF Dives should have been cast
there. We do not read that he mad committed
cent burial. He lived q lie of self Indulgence and
intemperance, as many rich men do nowadays,
ton Of respectaDty in the world. t. does ,e not
appear why his body should nave been thrown into
Oh vas Se DEAD pody Of o. Dives rae S
buried In Gee-HnnOm, how did he see Lazarus
how dld he speak 1.-The was buried IN that valley
for ~ am tormented in this aame," he
fixed between Abraham with Lazarus and DivesP
"Beslde all this between US and you there is fixed
hence to you cannot. nor from thence come
r.. LUKE Ty Tns Whole n de-
death, Without ray Of hope is il not 'S wicked .s
thing Tor one who calls himself Christian TO
sns esr Il n q Of the to
psalm cx.). and TO make MIN say quite the con-
trary OF what he wanted to sayP
The truly enlightened Christian Is enlightened
by God with the superior light Of divine faith, not
he eels more lor bis God than for himself as ne
loves GOD more than himsel. Hence an onence to
@ his
dnitely good and Just 70 Himself arst and cannot
himself to be insulted with IMMUNITY. Even II holy
Scripture did not mention anything about ever
would teach US that the law OF God, like every other
law must nave IT'S sanction OF re wards and punish
ments; that u the reward IS eternal the Punish-
ment. as the other scale OF the BALANCE OF Justice
must be eternal also. As an infni0y Just an
matter after what length OF time. should receive
the same reward as virtue. AS an Infinitely holy
"a
OFFER an infinite atonement. But no amount OF
suffering OF the sinner is, or ever VIII be, an
atOnement OF Christ Is innate. and tnts the sinner
rejected either by un0eef or neglect Of the means
therefore his suffering must be tnimlted infinite IN
extension OF time, In eternity.
and greater the dignity Of the person offended the
greater IL the OFFENCE. II, therefore, the cOndi-
ne sinks down to less tnan nothing; but the dig.
nifty OF Gods majesty is infinite; the offence also
amounts 60 nnnite, ana an innnite onence ae.
God Is too good to condemn bis children to such
crue! punishment tr Cod Is good the worse Is
goodness OF God the greater is the malice OF HIM
VINO oiends God, the blacker his ingratitude, the
children. Gods children are those who do the
will OF God, whether they have preserved their
denled by ain, In the blood OF the Lamb poured out
over them in the worthy reception or the sacra-
main and die in tho state OF sin Jesus Christ calls
them, not children OF God. but children OF the
devil (Jonn, Will, ~.
Finally, we might say strictly speaking. 1t Ii not
God who sends the wicked *o.tne place OF eternal
sinner. but that he be converted ana live :" but 1t
Is the result OF mans own choice. when ne CON-
mits SIN he separates himself from God, and as
God IL all good the sinner deprives himself OF ell
good deprfving himself OF all good what left to
him but all evil; and II he dies In this state OF sin
he carries with himself nothing out the result OF
his choice-all evil. temporal abseuce OF all
good Is net yet all evil, put en- eternal absence OF
all good. eau this hell and you have the eternity
Of bell beyond controversy.
Let those who are inclined to abandon the belief
In endless punishment mediate first on the enor-
nifty VI the injury and injustice which Is done to
the majesty and goodness and holiness OF God, and
they, enlightened BY true Christian feeling, viii
ask with apszement not whether the p anishpent
hell is eternal, but why there not thousands
or hells prepared Tor him who dares to offend 80
Infinitely great, good, holy majesty. Up.