The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-10
BELIEF AND SKEPTICISM.
WHIT SOME or THE DOUBTERs HAVE
TO SAY FOR THEMSELVES.
why the Church Shouldn't Gail Names Doc-
triues Over which Inquiry stumbies-Job
| and Nieode mus Everlasting Punishment.

why the Church shouIdn't Gail Names-Doc- |
triues Over which Inquiry stumbies Job |
and Nicodemus-E Everlasting Punishment. |
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-ISir: Tho |
recent correspondence in THE Sun upon inf
deity. immortality. eternal punishment &c. |
together with your editorial upon Religious
Newspapers" must be my excuse for rushing
into the discussion Of n subject which has
always been "A cause Of much disduictudo. heart
burning, and persecution. from time i'm
memorial.
You very pertinently ask. IL the evangelical
church in earnest? Does IL really believe the
doctrines il profcsses2" ii the church an
swcrs in the affirmative. she must do some
thing better than-to quote your article again
keep hammerng away at the old themes"
She must put herself into sympathy with ex-
listing society so eager for Information and 40
trained by the so-called secular papers " ap-
preciate good and honest writing" and. will
add. preaching.
would at the outset and in all modesty. take
objection to the harsh-I may say vindictive-
manner in which the orthodox church treat
that large body OF intelligent thinking men
who. believing much and earnestly striving and
longing to believe more. vet. through no fault
OF theirs fall short Of the full stature OF an or
thodox Christian manhood. Must man nee
cssnrily be- sigmntized With the opprobrious
epithet Of infdel y because he cannot force
himself To sin against his intellect and reason,
for cannot designate il by any filter termr
When man conpels himself to accept doc
trincs most Of which. ut best. ARE to him equivo-
cn. and many absolutely rcpugnant. that is
what he dot
/ think. moreover. II IL inimical 10 the
churchs own interest to trcatns enemies we'll
disposed cass OF ind vduals-to treat them with
cold, naughty. pharsii cont 'mpt, and look
ing, II not really saying IN 80 many words
stand back am holier than thou"-just be
cause. forsooth. these earnest seekers ait'rtruth
Wholesome truti-,Hnnot inwardly digest the
theological diet which seems to suit 50 wei the
less fastidious brethren.
Let the church, before she brands good and
wrll-meaning men with heresy and iniidelity
consider for n moment how many great and
good mon have battled with doubt and unh"-
lief and how her most fundamental doctrines
hesitation and reserve. II not REJECTED alto
gether. Take the doctrines of the resurrection
Of the body and immortality ol the sOul-sel-
dom orev"r hntrd mt 10y Old Testament writer's.
keJOh the perfect and upright, the man who.
II he Received evil at the Lords hands. was
also the recipient 81 more than an epulyalent -
good. His reason WIS much tried, and his iati
strongly put 10 proof between the time he asked
his comf"rters' those two mom"ntous ques-
tons Man giveth up the ghost. and where Is
H. p md /" II man die. shall he n.y. again =
know that my Rrdermer liveth. and that he
shnll stand at the latter day upon the earth.
And though after my skin worms DESTROY this
body. vet in my Il 'sh shul see Cod We s"c
the good man struggling with doubt and mental
anxiety. more painful 'han the physical disease
itself has ever been excerd for its sublime
poetry and sprcul 1t vr philosophy, either by
sacred or pruiitnr writer's no one VIII Tor mo-
mrnt affirm. B"1lus" job was an earnest seeker
after truth his spi-ri ghteous friends mcrcilCss-
~ upbraidcd and condemned him.
Again. take the doctrine OF regeneration.
| doctrine never heard of during the first 1000
years OF the worlds history. No wonder the
great Hebrew tea her. Nicodcmus. was BOWL,
| drred ana asked: How can these things be- p
| The doctrine OF the divine incarnation can
| not in this cursory arti 'lc begin 10 inquire
| into hut hasten "A subject when lihS re-
| celved more attention from TINS than any pre-,
| punishment Nowhere throughout the Old
| 4. stanent writings do | find this doctrine OF
| he'll or everlasting punishment laid down with
even the iaintest dcgre. OF certainty; u mas
| been reserved for the followers of the Prince
Of Peace " u inaueurnte and enforce Il.
| Under the old dspensi.tion We see God trown
| in righteous anger upon his chosen but way
| ward people. We see i'm Ms the God OF justice.
| We hear him threaten his people with punish
nent for their disobediencc and idolatry: We
| see his condemnations and punishmcnts in the
marx branded upon the brow 81 Cain: IN we ,
| plain. in the Egyptian plaques and the dlseon-
nture OF Pharaoh. in the untlmely end OF Koran.
DAthHn and Apiram, m his treatment OF saul.
| in the captivity Of his chosen people. and IN
| hundreds Of other instances: hut nowhere dc
We lind him booming any of his creatures to
Gi ns oI t,6 weeping ana waiting ana Sn"S"
30. this terrible doctrine must he proclaimed
10y the servants. nni in the name OF Him who
"spake ~ n'vcr man spake. and who taught
u 10 say Our Father 1t is the doctrine OF
lu' lhn'NfrN VI NhN NhN, 'hNN ~
widow her only SON. who wept at the gri,veside
in tn" quiet town OF Bethany. and who, when
the people would have stoned out OF the city the
woman taken IN adultery stopped down. and
with his finger wrote upon the ground. Us
though he mard them not
And We. becnus. il seems to us unlikely that
Our Father. winch art in heaven. should Us
sien To rs su IA "A terrible doom. must We III
thrust out OF the temple and bcaten down with
th"oiogical paving stones
That an all wise and mcrciful God has insti'
tutrd and will met" out some measure oil r..
wards and punishmcnis. am willing. and
hope grateful. 10 admit; but from the nell O.
orthodox Christianity. good Lord deliver us!
SkLPToMAI.