, 1877-12-02
The Doctrine Of Infinite Sin
and Eternal Punish
ment Critically
Examined.
More Honesty and Less Dogma
Needed Oh the Question
Of Moral Reform.
How the Pope Sat Down Oh the
Weakening U|tramontane,
Father Cenci.
General Notes at Home and Abroad
sonals-Dnbious Piety---
Services To-Day.
A DIVE AFTER TRUTH.

A DIV Ii AEIIIk Tx UIIl.
aTEuTu LIES AT THE BOTTOM or A WELL -
The doctrine OF eternal punishment is tod
meeting with verg many opponents even asno
people who havc usually been considered strict
orthodox, and / propose to show (aside fro
any argument dcduciblc from the Bible again
! it, that the doctrine is necessarily Illogical ar
admits OF easy rctutatlon.
Its advocates and believers claim that sfnnel
deserve eytrlas sting punishment, and that Their
fore God justice requires its intiiction, but
sinners do deserve it, then this conclusion TO
lows, viz: Ii is Impossible that they shoul
ever get their deserts
"Why impossiblcs' AM asked.
Impossible, in the very nature of things, TO
when the lost soul shall have suffered through
more centuries than there are atoms Of matter i
the whole material universe, Including all SUI
and systems and nebu!:e, a11 when, having
finished this immeasurable term, it begin
again. amt goes through: it again and the ttir.
tinrc, SO Oh to the hunircdth, and tloasanlth
and oiilionth time, mia. then: 'sTEc Lord
tic Lord God, just and true, merciful AMI
gTa.ous." is not yet satisfied or appcase1, AMI
tie sinner has not yet received his deserts.
And however long the period may be, it is ut
terly i'm mpossible that it should ever be so pro
tractcd as IT, constitute mil1ionth part o1
eternity. Consequently if man deserves eternal
punishment he never can, by arv possibility, re-
ccve milliouth part OF his deserts. Examine
this proposition critically and seq if it is aot
strictly true. Deity has allowed on this theory
many thousands OF millions OF human beings,
creatures OF his hand, to run up s2o1r Of
iniquity so great, a debt so vast, that niiouth
part OF it never can be punished.
Never can BE- punished. For whatever point
M n f,.,
never cai, bV any possibility get q rnilliont1
part oI the way through THUS the absurd
theory Of the in:initc guilt ol man. would leave
Deity tolcd and His Justice forever unappeaScu.
What horrible creatures mo:ta!s must te ii
they are so fou! and black with sin. so degraded
and corrupt that all the penal fine; OF the pit
can never purge away milliou1h part of their
rnilt! Why has the Almighty suffered such
rlce ot diabolical monsters to continue on the
carthl Why has He given them tie sunshine
and the rain and made their habitations glori-
GUS, and surrounded them with all the bounti-
full belongings OF His ]aad2
Nay. why is He continuing to create them to-
dav aud sending them into this lower world
the pictures Of innocence aud infantiIe lowell
ness, and more resembling. the ser3phs that sur
surround His throne than the ficuds which the
most ol them must hereafter become, ii this
teaching Is true?
The general belief which this doctrine has so
long obtained is not Heigatr argument il, its
favor. for we know that the now abhorred doc
trlne of infant danuation was also once e1ten-
siye1y believed. Old-fashioned Ca1vinists held
out no hope for children, even an hour old, ex-
cept elect infants, and agonizcd parents were
taught that these dear iunoceu1s, without (:
taste Of life, we're hurried into he'll, there
anidst raging flames forever to expate the sin
Of Adamt
! nave not doubt that there will be readers
Of these lines who do not know md will no.
easily credit the story that such doctrine was
once widely taught and widely accepted by
sensible aud good men and women. Mothers,
tool
Well, this horrible phantasmeroria has passed
away: the belief in material fire, fo- adults,
has been practically re1udiated; but its adyo-
Gates Still make 4 stand on some kind Vi endless
nlcata, agony which, as once heard an Episro-
pal clergyman {proh pudor!} say, will be still
worse than real fire, be"ause the tyre is always
Worse than tie ta,ng ty}ideu! He has gone to
h's account :.ow, poor man. l hope he has at
tanned to jus:cr views Q. his Creator.
DO YOU believe that utaues guilt is infinitpl
Look at yondcr sportive lad who has attained
The acc of moral responsibility, and yet who Is
many years short of manhood. Hc Is atfection-
arc Kind, generous humane. tue idol, per
1mpulsive aud passionate at times, lacks
sea1-denlal and scsf-control, and yields,
again and again, to some Of those many
Temptations to sin which peculiarly besct tile
young lie is cutoff suddenly without time for
repentance, and train Of wec;,ip.r hrart-hro(.cn
mourners follow him to the grave.
1hen iooE at that Young, beautiful bv friyo-
lous gri, who at sinl|arage, iii the fun pursuit
ol the allurinE joys OF this world, is suddcnlv
taken out of it. She has been 2 loving but not
quite obetaient daughter; kind but wayward |
iatna Ia: no open sin can be laid to her charge.
t bus sne nas s3ppea whers sine could at L;fe's
honeycd founts aud has Thought OF little BE-
yond-
Now. do You tell INC that these butterflies Of
~, Aana afe SO 1oui anu black with guilt that
4i,os' 1s Iee9iIen ~ punish the'nt That
eoluS sAofa u etelua. lue Hay he true, anu
a. .e.tnie e,'oa.n ~ lsar tnat thcy 1:ar not
+,'at t.o .le re-. =, tus people ol Cod and
s ~, H., 80. .ensn et.' 70 sorevef from
1rcspo ,ha,ne..iras ,,;.vnrthr s 81. lau says.
stn1 ~, +.-nf'Ire HcI:nr.. ~. ~ 49,, sae'naa ne"
Fnfhcr T;li Eecn them in cSists,co ny ai1nisnt1
he sote nnrnoss Of nmn;s1,inH tna,u f"no 1of
l3,,t LET me- AK. is there arr sr;, ;,eE.
real practical bcicf in This frer;,,r n.tiS as
Of everlasting Dunslmenti Tn G,.;stt' lug
even the most caruesL oi them act - - +l,a,
believed its DO rlcrry1nen. eCrn ,hasd ~ 1ss ~
wcrrcst school. acr =: # 1hcv ho,': ul Inc
would not saT q, hint wn,d aG,;nst ~ H.. ~:
They arc usually eonI ami cnlt;rsta1, ~4 'ra,,
they constitute the hipI y. ornaments ~ ti
ty; aud, bad this wicked world is. # ,,on11 he
2,nmcosurably worse but for them mn Il nc
awful teacling is true, if mort, than hair ,hs,
human race is destined to endless woe. # +hnr
u1e even now goin. down into tho ouif of |
pesG'tlon at TIC rate Of more than fifty 1i,oT-
sand souls a day. surely there IS moi hinq |
i else IN Tue world worth 4 1noulcnt's cons;irra7
.. non Of any n'orta!, clerical Or Law, cxrentinv