The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-12-31
Of tn. wicked to tho favor Of God and to eternal hap

OF the wicked to the favor OF God and 10 eternal hap.
pincss. This is the theory Of The modern Univer.
salists. IL not krown till the beginning OF the
third century, when II was invented by Orgen. one
ofthe fathers OF the Church. Tho second theory is
that the punishment OF the wicked will consist In
eternal tormcnts In hell This the commonly received
and orr hodos doctrine, was formulated by Athcnagoras
about the middle OF the second century, supported
later on by Tertullan and found It's most powerful
advocate IN 81. Augustine The third theory Is that
future punishment consists In eternal death, the
utter extlncion OF tho existence Of tho wicked, pre-
coded By such degrees OF suffering as just God shalt
appoint as reward for the sins OF each one. This
was taught by Barnabas. the companion of ST. Paul,
and by Clemens Rsmanus, contemporary OF the
apostles Hcrmes aud IgnAtius, Poycarp Justin and
lrenmus martyrs who shed their blood for the faith
ThcophiIus OF Antioch and Clemens OF Alexandria
all held in the FIRST ana second centuries that final
destruction would visit tho incorrgbly wicked at the
judgment day. claim that the theory OF final death
is declared In the Bible and Is tho only ScrptuiM
doctrine OF future punishment. The epistes OF tho
apostolic fathers taught tho Immortality OF the just
alone. In the second century tho doctrine began 10
be corrupted by The introduction oil Grcctan pnoso
ply INTO the tenets OF Christianity Pato's theory OF
the soui's Immortality seemed 10 many consistent
wnn the scacn,ngs Q. christianity, ana ,hey accord
holding to Plao's theory, that tho souls mperIsha.
biity was the same tina. belonged 10 the Dcty, org
mated the belief that The wicked lived forever IN tor
mont. Then came Tertullan, who supported tho
theory SO strongly that It was generally
received TO him hell was an eternity OF
ture, aud such vivid pictures OF the agony
of tho damned did no draw that Dantes
Imagination almost failed TO create any SO horrible
Augustine followed him, ana elaborated Inc theory
rcconcng tho Scriptures TO II by making phrases sg
niiyng the death or destruction Of tho wicked mean
their eternal punishment Origcn came forward as a
professor against tho theory. He claimed that hell
woula las, forever but mat after period oil suffer
ting man would be sent IRON II purified Nowhere in
the Bbc is there anything said OF the soul being
scntialiy everlasting or course somo claim that if
the existence OF the soul ceased thcro would DO
no eternal punishment. as punishment, they consider,
as IL Is not telt But, lot II DO reinem
bered The loss oil eternal lie is deprivation never 10
be- retrieved. II is punishment tnat Will last Tor
ever.
The speaker then proceeded with his scrlptural
proofs that on y the Just attain life everlasting and
that tho wicked sufIcr eternity oi torment but
alter period Of agony arc utterly annihilated
THE UNIvEspsALIsT's lDEA-REv. MIR. swEETsER.
Tho Rev. Mr. Sweetscr preached In the Third Uni
versast Church, in Blcecker street, last night. on
tho subject OF "HclLn When Lord Macauay was a
child, the speaker said Just old enough to talk dis
tincty, he was standing one day AT the nursery win
dow and, seeing a column OF dense black smoke
ccnang from lofty chimney. he asked his father II
that was hell. II was childish question, but no
more childish, seems 10 mo, than the ideas which
many older people have advanced in regard the
great problem. Heli-what ana where is IL? That vs.
question to which the Church IN past ages has
which tho wiser thought OF this generation
Is beginning to doubt very seriously The old mate
rastic notions in regard 10 this matter arc passing
away; and, evcnwithn the partialst churches there
are many whorcjcct the traditional doctrine that hell
is a place OF physical orments. Therefore propose
to state just what tho UnversaIst doctrine Is with
regard to tho matter. We draw doctrine from tho
''sheo is used only the Old Testament, whore II
| occurs sixty-lour times, and is translated .hell
ihirty-one limos. ''grave" thirty aud "pit'' three.
| II transiators bad adhered, as tncy should havc
DONE TO ono rendering, great obscuriy would have
been avoided. Grave" Is really the meaning Of the
word. The word shades" occurs eleven times In tho
Bible, ana is translated tcu times ''hcl' and once
| grave" IL Is the exact Greek equivalent Of the
HooroW WORK Ysheo. Genonna Is acompound worl
sgniiying tho Valley OF Gcchinnon-at first heathen
place OF child sacrifice and aftcrward place Of oxecu
uon and receptacle Tor all the refuse matter OF Jcru
salem. The DIAL was filled with worms and perpct-
ua hre necessary 10 consume 1t ana prevent no
| generation OF pes.encc. TO this fact reference Is
| made in the expression swhcre tho worm dleth not
aud tho FIRE is not quenchcdn The word .Tartaros''
used but once IN the Bible. To the Greeks IT sgni
he'd that compar Of Hadcs where evil spirits wcrc
| confined. The words sienifying "ctcrna," ever
lasting" "forever," &c, not connected with the
tour words supposed 70 signify hclthat Il, 'sheol
| shades" 'siehennn' ana "fartaros" on tho con-
trary are told that hell shall pass away. The last
| thing read in the Bible concerning hell is in the
Book OF Reveation where II is sad that death and
he'll were cast into tho lake OF fire. He'll IN both its
| literal and hgurativc scnsc, shall pass away.
CONFLICTING OPINIONS FROM WILLIAMSBURG
DIvIxEs.
| Rev. Almon Gunnison preached In the An souls
Universal,st Church. South Ninth street, Williams
| burg last evening, from tho tcxt:-"Ths
| wicked shall bo turned into hell aud all
nations that forget God" He gave tho many
ways In which tho term hell or 'Sheol," variously
translated, used to show That eternal punish
mont was moant that all punishment temporal and
hell tho grave he recited tho history OF
nations 10 snow that when nation forgcts God and
violates national honor IL commences the digging OF It's
own grave, as docs an individual whom de6auchcry
aud personal impuni.y transforms into premature
old man, rcmorsciu and despairng before his fires
hall burned out There is escape from the punish
mont Tor sins and redemption goes on beyond the
grave. God is not SO weak that, despairing to
redeem single soul, He must blot II out;
Ho needs no rubbish pit OF he'll in which
TO sweep the refuse that tho divine chemistry
cannot utilize.
MA. REsroSsBLk
Tho Rev. A. H. Robinson preached IN the Union
Tabernacle, corncr OF south Second and Fourth
streets, from tho tcxtAnd these shall 90 away into
everlasting punishment but tho righteous into life
etcrnal." Tho speaker argued that man n moral
agent and responsible for his conduct; II he lives
| purely hero he expects a reward hereafter. ana
| II all the punishmcnts ana rewards arc hore
then Religion has only got TO 40 with lns world II
TINS IL 50, then what Is tho use OF Gods mercy or
punishment connected with the sin, is remedial and
endured here and interpret tho Scriptures to suit
their doctrine by total subvcrsion OF tue meaning Of
words God does not destroy sous they eternal and
only Furnishes himself The future is hold up 10 all
object to attain, ana Gods love is UNIVERSAL
Christs mission ID such success, that every who
wants to be saved viii be saved. God deals with
every man individually and II you make sure that
your heart liic aud purpose are pure and holy then
you Will enjoy eternal life, but il assurcdy othcrws
yon will hear tho judgment, depart from me- ye
accursed, INTO everlasting tormcnt.h
coyrRiTioS
Row. w. G. Steele preached In South Third Street
Methodist Church from tho text. "What wilt thou say
when he shall punish thee ?" The speaker opened on
the certainty Of punishment Tor the sinner man
who dies unrcconciIed with God, and then directed
attention TO the various views concerning future
punishment First, that Of the Restorationists who
believe IN limited punishment ana ultimate
return to Gods favor; second OF the
who believe that the wicked s.burncd up whiio
tho righteous 1.-Two forever ana evcr third. OF ortho-
dox belief, that the soul is immortal tho sinful en-
during an eternity OF pain, Tor pain IS tho pres
ent shadow OF Tho rst is disciplinary,
tradlcting inc laws OF tod. Death only ends pro :
baton, and final judgment IL certain Cod give s
every time To repent, and purgatory poss bio
M men cannot bc purified IN another ME Repentance
In hell would lack the main element oil true coptrl-
tion--rcgrot for having offended a Being of infinite
love and sorrow because sin evil The contrtfon OF
selfish regret born oil necessity, and Is sorry only
because n suffers tho consequences OF SIN. Henry
Ward Bcccncr said In sermon preached In
1870 that the thought OF ho was enough
to mako earthquake of terror In every
mans soul, and though no would Ike TO