The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-11
ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.
Conflicting Views Of Clergy
men on the Subject.
UNIvERSALISTS AROUSED.
DR.. John Hall and Colonel Inger-
soil Particularly Arraigned.


Rev. Thomas 8. Preston delivered a discourse In
st. AIMS Church yesterday morning on ''Hell" Hc
took for his text Matthew, kill, 2430-'The Kingdom
OF God Is like n that sowed good seed In pts
field But when he was asleep his enemy came amer
and sowed cookies among tho wheat and went ms
way; and when IL grown up then also was the
cookie Then Servants of the master came and said
| to him, Dicst thou not SOW good seed2 whence,
then, hath 1t cocklef he said to them, An enemy
| hath done this and the servants said TO him, Wilt
| thou then let us go and gather 1t upy Ho sad,
NO, lest while you gather up the cookie you
| ro0 up also the whoat with II. Let both grow
until tho harvest and in the time ofthe harvest will
say the reapers gahor up first tho cookie and pnd
itin bundles burn, but gather the wheat into my
barn." This gospel my dear brethren, said the Chan
-ccllor teaches us many Lessons and among them is
certain be found onc--that tho distribution oil tho
rewards aud punshmcnts by God in this life Is un-
equal. and that, therefore, there IS life beyond
the grave whore Gods justice shall be magnaed 1t
also teaches that the wicked are to DC punished DO
yond this life. They the cookie, the chaf which
is to be burned ana, tho language OF the Holy
Scriptures in another place, they arc to be burned
! with unqucnchablo fire. II take tho opportunity,
therefore, to-day speak you in regard to mys
tory Of our religion which happens this moment
| to DO commonly contradicted.
PRorEsrAXrsM AND THE DOCTRINE OF HELL
have two remarks TO make before enter upon the
direct discussion of my subject which shall DO as
brief as possibly mako 1t. The first remark Is
that the denial Of this doctrine Of our faith-the de-
NAL OF any docrine-s the necessary consequence Of
because tho essential principle of Prot
es,antism Is to protest. to deny the existence Of
iuiable authority in faith and In matters OF faith.
MY second remark IS that the Catholic has nothing
whatever to do in matters OF faith but to boIievo
has only say. my God. believe in Thee and in all
Thou hast revealed.' He has simply to say. ~ know
that God Is true, and believe; l know that reason
aud religion contradict each other, and there
torc though may not DO able to answer all objec
tons yet know they DO answered, and, In fact,
that they faacous In themselves"
RELIEF IN HE'LL NECESSARY SALVATION.
Will state TO you that must believe this doc
trine of hell In order to our salvation. The dogmas
OF faith delivered by the Catholic Church in regard TO
eternal punishment for the wlckedncss Of man are
simple. Tho Athanasian creed-whch according TO
the Church confess and believe order be
saved--decarcs TO US that at the second coming OF
Christ they who shall have done good works shall 20
into eternal lic and they who shall have done evil
shall go into eternal 1re Tho Fifth General Council
in $50 brought to tho consideration OF ths sub
Ject by the OF Oregon and others with regard to
the temporary nature OF me punishment OF the
gen himself had fallen into this error; no
was PROBABLY misunderstood or misropresentod.
asserted that the punishment Of the wicked was
eternal ana uncndng. There were other councils,
like tho Council of Lyons, which. having been
crred in tho Papai constitution sanctioned by the
intaiiibe authority OF tho Vicar OF Christ are our
Church's dogmas and the statements oil all her doc
tors these Doctors in plain Words In almost the
language OF the Holy scriptarcs say that while tho
good snail ascend eternal life 10 remain with God
forever wicked shall be condemned into everlasi.
Ing fire. there to be forever tormented with eternal
pans The doctrine revealed to tho Church, taught
by her DOCTORS her fathers and thoOoRiaus, and
braces these points:-First there Is u he'll; II is
place II Is prison which tho souls Of the damned
regard to tho locality Of hell. There isa very
strong opinion OF the fathers that hell is in
the very centre OF the earth Itself In
gard TO the locality there Is such
consent that the Catholic obliged to believe that
hell is in the contre OF earth any axod place
but he is Obliged to believe that II is place some.
the damned can ind no esress Thus our Lord Him.
self says in tho parable OF tho rich man 'Between
us anu you thore Is great gulf liked They that would
Nepart from You cannot; they that would como
IRON US 10 you cannot" This He said TO tho rich
man in hell who only begged that Lazarus might
come with ono drop OF water 70 cool MS parcned
tongue.
The second point taught by the Church Is that tho
punish OF he'll Is etcrna-wthout end-that thero
never come time when IL shall cease; that
OF tho wicked shall DO everlasting. Again, tho
Church teaches that all the reproDutc souls
into the prison Of hell to punishment equal
in proportion to their desserts. He that knew tho
Lords VIII and did not shall bo punished with many
stripes. Every single crime shall find ts appropriate
punish before God; aud the years shall roll on,
but there shall be sense OF mitigation Tho Are that
prepared or overy one snail burn ahu consume him
Lastly the Church teaches US that In hol there is
tho pain OF loss and the OF scnse, that the pun
ishment making up the suffering OF tho damned, ana
that these arc III consequence OF the twofold nature OF
In the pain Of loss is comprised the departure OF
cvery good ana every grace oil every ray OF light OF
every possible source OF happiness, and all IS
prIscd IN loss oil God HimsclL II is the doctrine
Of the theoogans that the fro oil he'll Is material
scRIpruRAL WARRANT FOR THE DOCTRINE.
need not detain you very long by presenting be-
|
shall only quote lew passages aud here
enc. tor S'n ,hs Sacred Scripture or with rood
reason interpret these passages In any other
way than in their literal slgnncaiion. II We arc to
sport with the scriptures select hero there aud
msintorprot It Is much better TO give up The Sacred
Word al.oe ether. Our Lord In describing the day OF
wrath presents before US the wicked and tho just
the just on His right hand aud the wicked on His lett
and He uses teese words:-"rhen shall tho Judge say
to those Hts lcit depart from me ye accurscd
into everlasting fire prepared for the devil aud
his angels" In this sentence Is contained tho
from ye accurscd," and the pam OF sense
into everlasting hro when was prepared for tho
devil and his angels Now would our Lord, who knew
the OF language anu Is the Divine Word OF Him
sell, would He have used the words everlasting nre'
without mcaninsY Again, the apostle st. Paul tells
that when our Lord should be revealed lie should
como with everlasting fire to take vengeance them
that know not God and observe not HIS law ST Jude
tells us OF the punishment OF the devils TO which the
wicked arc 10 be exposed on the day Of Judgment
that they to be bound IN chains awaiting the Judg
mcnt OF tho last day. The apostle ST John had u
VISION OF the ABYSS he Dehcid the souls that descend
there, ana ho says that the reprobate shall drink OF
the wrath OF God, OF birthstone and oil ire and tho
smoke OF his torment shall ascend up beforoa tho
throne.
TEACHING OF THE FATHERS.
do not propose 10 detain you many minutes !
will reau 10 you only two or three words from OF
tho earlier fathers OF the Church, simply show you
that there IS universal consent oil all Catholic thoo
logians, from the ago OF Christ Himself down 10 tho
presont day, as TO this doctrine, and In COM
mauion with tho Church has ever vcntured to dony IL
Thus, ST. Clement, Of Romc who Immediately sue
ceedcd ST. Pctcr says:-''rho souls OF the wicked arc
1
not lmmitcrIa, Tor in everlasting inextnquish-
able hre they 10 DO punished, nor shall there DO
cnd to their grief" ST. Justin (martyr) says
Christ had always sign fed that the devil ID TO be
with all his force into everlasting fire, and that The
men who follow him are TO DO eternaIy punished with
him.
shall then, only bring forward IN conclusion few
arguments from reason ITSELF You are well aware
that IN this day not only this my stery of our faith
Ii lnci all Id hv iuusa