The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-01-14

To the Editor of the Standard:
1 have carefully examined the article in your
last ISSUE headed "Nuts for Annihilationists."
am not able TO discover from the article, what
the author is driving at. l can find no nuts in
the article worth cracking. The conclusion,
that orthodoxy, with all the inconsistent theO-
ries taught, can be content to abide the issue
and retire from the contest, is no argument to
an intelligent mind that the doctrines taught
by anniAilationists, restorationists, and uni
versalists .are not correct. And because the
Bible doe not teach that there is any place now
in existence where the wicked dead are in tor
ments, is not very conclusive evidence that
there will be a future state of existence where
the wicked will be punished.
The absurd doctrines taught by orthodoxy,
that the soll after the death of the body will be
punished, Is inconsistent with the Divine
Attributes that 1t is mighty mystery to me
how an intelligent mind can for moment be-
| ieVe (knoving what the soul is) that it can
| in any waysufer punishment. As well might
! we believe that God can suffer punishment as
| to believe that part of the Deity can be pun
| ished.
That the soul is part of God, no one will de-
ny. And if fell by the transgressions of Ad-
\ am, it was redeemed by the death of Chris, and
/ placed in the same relation as it existed prior
to the fall, and now remains, and hereafter *
| lists and holdsthe same relation to God in the
future as it did when first placed in the animal
body. do not wish to be understood that the
soul fell as usually understood. 1 believe the
soul to be nothing more nor less than part of
the attributes Of good, to-wit, knowledge, wis
| dom, and love These heavenly attributes con-
Stitute the SOU of man. That the fall of the
soul means the dragging down of these attri-
butes to a worldly level SO that they may be
used by man for selfish and sensual purposes.
That the redemption of the soul means to
store these attributes to their former relation
with Jehovah. If these premises be correct,
how absurd to teach, as all orthodox do, that
God will punish in the future throughout all
| eternity, the very essence of His nature
| This may he an Intricate and gloomy theory
to the mind clouded with prejudice ~Igl..,..y -,
and fanaticism. But to the liberal thinker who
looks far beyond church dogmas, and creeds, it
at once unvails the mysteries of creation. and
gives a true idea of the designs and objects
of Almighty God in creating the human fam
| lily. This theory points out to us that God
created the human family for some great, good
and wise purpose that He placed within the
| animal body thus created knowledge, wisdom,
| and love, part and parcel of his own attributes.
That the animal part fell by attempting to use
these attributes for selfish purposes. That God
redeemed these attributes and will in His own
! time restore them to their former relation with
Deity.
This theory is consistent with the attributes
| of God. And reason lends her aid in argu-
ments drawn from the nature of the soul itself
Its aspirations and desires, its powers and ca
pacities, cannot be explained upon any other
hypothesis. And when we contrast this theory
with the orthodox theory that the souls of a
large portion of the human family will be con-
signed, with the bodies they now inhabit to
eternal punishment in a lake of unceasing
burning of fire made of birthstone, the gloom
disappears from our side of the question. and
we are left in midnight darkI ess, without one
single ray of light to explain why God of
wisdom, power and love, should create the hu-
man family, and permit a large portion of his
creation to be eternally damned The orthodox
theory may be bolstered up and fed by priestly
fanaticism, but no thinking, liberal, intelligent
mind for a moment can tolerate the idea that
God is the tyrant that the orthodox theory
would make Him.
The admission in the article referred to, that
all evangelical churches agree that the soul
possesses immortal substance after death,
and that they (the souls) Immediately return
to God who gave them, is very strong
| evidence that the soul substance consists OF
power, wisdom and love. If not, will some
, learned divine tell me what that soul substance
is composed of? II, then, that soul substance
is part of the Divine Nature, how inconsistent
the doctrine taught by the confession of faith
quoted as standard of faith for all the church.
es, that the knowledge, wisdom and power
given to men who die wicked are cast into hell
where they remain in torments and utter dark.
ness.
Such inconsistent doctrines, as taught by the
confession of faith referred to, not only limit:
and destroys the attributes of God, but makes
Him the author and finisher of divinity. Away
with such doctrines and theories. The intelli-
gent mind can only class them with the storie.
of hobgoblins and ghosts, gotten up to frighten
children and the ignorant portion of mankind
] The true light is dawning upon the world. Tht
! time is not far distant when superstition, dog
mas and creeds will be numbered with the past
1t is then that the designs of Almighty Goo
) in creating the human family will be explain
! ed harmoniously with all his attributes. TIL,
. heavenly dews are moistenng the minds o
/ the great body of mankind upon this subject
I and thought, the magic wand by which tn
the world Is moved has for number of year
past been directing investigation in regart
to the unexplained mysteries of divinity an'
: ! humanity. And from evidence seen, heard anI
4 felt, believe that at distant day these mys
teries will be explained, and glorious ligh
| upon this subject, as bright as the noonda,
4 sun, be visible to all creation.