Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-03-21
Readiuq fur the Sabbath,
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM -
IS THERE A HE'LL?

REV. ROBERT LATHAM 80
rorigInal.]
IS THERE HE'LL
Recently, certain class of preachers have
been promulgating the old and exploded er.
ror, that there is no such thing as endless pun
ishment. This is no new theory. 1t is as
old as Origen, who Aourished in the third CEN
tury. That man who breaches that there is
no hell, may startle some persons but he will
not he entitled to any praise, as the origina'
tor of new doctrine Others have gone be-
fore him and blazed the way. Men of bril-
liant, but erratic, minds have said everything
on the subject that can be said, and still no
one, except a few, in every age, have been in
duced to adopt their theories. The mass OF
the most enlightened of the human family,
have been firmly persuaded, in their minds,
that there is hell-a place Of endless tor
ment. 1t admits of doubt whether there is
single human being on this globe, who is not
an idiot or unciviized savage, that thinks there
is no such thing as endless punishment. There
are thousands, who, no doubt, say there is no
hell, and who would be willing to preach a
sermon to prove that the idea of hell is ab'
surd but some men have the ability to say
one thing, whilst, at heart, they think very
differently.
There is a class of philosophers in the
world, who are bold enough to say, and reck'
less enough to undertake to prove, that there
is no such thing as matter. What sensible
people call gate post, these philosophers call
creation of the Imagination. 1t is certain
ly very difficult to believe that any sane man
really believes that there is no such thing as
matter in the world. If any one deliberate
ly makes the declaration that the walls of bis
own house are only the creatures of his imag'
nation, we are forced to conclude that the
man is either insane or consummate cheat.
He falsi6es his own convictions. He says he
does not see what he does see, and knows he
sees; he says he does not hear what be does
hear, and knows he hears. In one word, he
says that his five senses are FIVE notorious
liars. The same is true respecting the man
who says there is no hell. We are unable to
understand how he can think that such is the
case, and hence we are forced to conclude that
he says one thing and thinks another.
The doctrine of future reward and punish
ment are closely connected 1t may be said
that they form two perpendiculars to the
same plane. If the one is true, so is the 9TH
er; if there is no hell, there is no heaven.
They are closely connected with the doctrine
of the Immortality of the soul. 1t is readily y
admitted that for the clear notions which we
have of the Immortality of the soul, and the
future and endless blessedness of the right
eous, and future and endless misery of the
wicked, we are indebted to the Bible. What
of this? We are indebted to the Bible for
all the knowledge which we have that is real.
ly worth anything, either for time or eterni-
ty. If all the knowledge which men have
obtained, either directly or indirectly. was
stricken from their minds, very little would
be left, and that little not worth much.
We are Informed, on trustworthy authori-
ty, that there has existed, from time imme'
mortal, among all nations Of even the small
est advancement in civilization, society,
one of the primary articles of which is the
belief in the Immortality Of the soul. This
is made second only to the belief in the ex.
istence of Supreme being whom we call
God. Learned men, and men of unquestion-
able pety, tell US that many of the ancient
Egyptians we're members of this society. Its
origin dates back, we are told by learned
men, to the days of Moses Evidences of the
existence of this society have been discovered
among the North American Indians; among
some of the African tribes, and, in every Sec
ton and quarter of the globe, wherever there
are men elevated in the scale of civilization
above brutes. The bond of union among the
members of this society, is the belief in the
existence of God, and in the Immortality OF
the SOUL This society does not claim to be
a religious society, yet its articles of confed-
Grafton are opposed to the theories of those
preachers who proclaim to their hearers that
there is no hell.
The obvious teachings of the Bible are that
there is heaven, the joys Of which are end.
less, and there is hell whose torments will
never end. Those who are disposed to fall
in with the theory that all this is concocted
theory, hatched by theologians to incite some
to live lives of faith on the Son of God and
to frighten others to serve God, would do we'll
to consult the following passages of Scrip
lures: Matt XIV: Al. depart from me,
ye cursed, into everlasting fire." In the same
connection they may read the 46th verse !:
"These shall 60 away into everlasting pun
shment." Mark tx 4S, "A; xiv: 81. Luke
iii IT. John iii :S6 2Thess. 7-9. Jude
vi:13 Rev. xiv :9-ll; xx:l0. Many 9th.
er passages of similar import might bs re-
ferred to. These, however, are sufficient.
If the doctrine of endless punishment is
not taught in these, it will be hard to say
what they do teach. Whatever men may
say or even think, the Bible does, most plain
ly and most positively, teach that there is a
hell and that the torments of hell are ever
lasting-forever and ever Those who say
that the Bible is not the word of God, and
yet are civilized men, should be able to give
some reasons for their strange conduct. They
tremble when God shakes his rod over them |;
they dread the wrath of God, and yet say
that there is no such thing as Gods wrath.
Notwithstanding the fact that some men of
giant intellect are the promulgators of the
! IL Ill &C and