The New York herald., 1878-03-03
ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.

To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
win you kindly indulge mo with small space In
your columns for q lew words on q subject which
ought not to bo IN controversy the nineteenth
tury OF tho Christian eraa That It Is SO is sign
neither OF Enlightenment nor progress
My present object Is not to establish tho reason
ableness OF the Christian dogma that everlasting
punishment awaits tho sinner who dies Drawing God
by impcnitencc, still hess 10 attempt proof OF the
nature Of that punishment. My thoughts take quite
q different direction, and I address the thoughtful
and dspassionate few who are able to give due weight
to what urge rather than that motley multitude to
whom II would bo too great boon TO be relieved
from all dread Of punishment hereafter to mako
thom either impartial or competent judges in the
matter.
admit q. the outset that the doctrine OF the eter.
nal punishment Of the finally impenitent oilers tho
greatest difficulties TO human reason Of any Of tho
Christian dogmas All Of these arc above reason. yet
all are reconcleable with it. This alone think am
not rash in owning-reason must absolutely give up
TO tath Let me not, however, be misunderstood. /
do not concsde that can be given for IT,;
on tho contrary, there many OF which will
name the two strongest. Ono Of these 10 tho
tact OF suffering Of which We arc sensible
and conscious every instant OF our existence.
Tho second is . stronger reason STILL When we
ascribo certain attributes to God such His justice
or His mercy, It is clear that ascribe to Him
ceptions of which alone We finite and imperfect beings
arc capable, ana IL is an OBVIOUS absurdity TO bind
down omnpotent, eternal, omn!scent Being to the
limited conceptions OF mortal and fra creature He
has made II obvious to any thoughtful mind that
VIC have idoas OF the Justice or tho mercy Of
God except in far Ho has intimated them to
Who arc VIC 10 measure the infnitep supreme abb
surdityi To summon God-puny creatures OF a few
hours' life that We are before tho bar OF ntclli-
gsncc and require Him to conform His attributes
our standard. When He tells that those OF VINO
die revolt against Him shall be punished in bell
forever He tells something that IL consistent
with HIS justice and not Inconsistent with His
love-that Is TO say, that Is not inconsistent
with Himself. 1t is right to ascrbe all we
know OF perfection to God; but Is tho extremity Of
folly boneve and act from the principle that wO
comprehend what that perfection is. Whom He
tells that tho repr0bate will be cast into "a lake OF
nre aud briinsonc" into everlasting burnngs," and
SO on, He speaks TO in language which under
stand. We should not know what Ho meant other
wise We understand by 1t that body and soul will
experience pains corresponding in their new state Of
being those caused Oy material hrc In this. Tho
origin OF evil Is an insolubc problem II Is infinitely
further beyond the reacn OF human discovery than
tho most distant star of tho vastest OF all the uni
verses OF worlds, II such hyperboe be pormis-
sibc. No so-ca,led enlightenment, no amount
OF sciontinc discovery has ever
ever shed tho faintest light upon tho SUBJ
joct. We know only that IL exists, unless We are
our consciousness. There IL nothing OF when VIZ are
80 intensely conscious as suffering. AS to our con-
sciousncss oi pleasure We might DO mistaken CT that
OF pain impossible 'Pleasurc In the grasp like snow
dissovelh." Pain abdcs and docs not lose any o It's
intensity by experiences 10 explain It's exstsnco hu-
reason Is driven 10 an alternative-cither the
Creator OF this beautiful universe is Being oil ioro
malsnity, cxutng In tho tormcnts OF His croa-
lures, or pain is a punishment The universal CON
sent Of mankind ADOPTS tho latter. Punishment of
course involves tho idea OF crime or evil But why
ala an omnpotent, omnlscicnt God permit the exist
nj Harm mari F0uSn
Is and must ever be at iaulL
The divno teacher oi tho race GLAZING to have
revelation Of God ON this subject do not assert
that this revelation places the subject out Of the
reach Of cavil IN such way as docs mathematical
demonstration It's neither possible nor ~ harmony
with Gods dealings with that u should DO 50; u
not possible, because our present limited inteili
gonce is utterly incapable OF comprenendlng the dccp
things OF God; II ls Inconsistent with His dealings
with u.s. because II the explanation was made AS clear
as the conclusion OF a mathematical
demonstralon there would be place Tor faith aud
faith Is tho very virtue by which are merit do
liverance from sin and It's punishment IL Is thus,
thiuk as clear as is possible from tho nature of tho
subject, that We Know nothing, aud eau know notn-
Ing. OF tho eternal punishment of sin except 6y
divine revelation.
my letcr-namely to invite the attention OF thought
iul people to the extraordinary folly OF INDIVIDUALS
making II SUBJECT OF their private specuations.
Upon such subject no image l can employ can
adequately express the absolute worthessnoss OF the
private opinions Of the Rev. Mr. this Mr.. that or
DR.. The otner
Throughout tho present era Of time, now nearly at
the end OF q second millennium, tho teaching OF tho
Catholic Church has never varied little, nor
Will vary ever SO !Itue up 10 the day when the udge
o quick and dead shall separate tho saved aud
condemned. Those who die imperfect, but III the
Church, Will be punished i0r n time by IA means of
punishment TO winch the Holy spirit gives the Damo
oi fire. by hrc also, but forever, VIII they be
punished who DIE impenitcnt and wiliuy rejecting
Gou's mercy. We may iniriy suppose that ms nio
will not bc the material clement known TO u.s. tor our
bodies Will not be morla and a. does not uct upon
the soul But tue spirit does not speak to us IN the
language Of Messrs Huxley. Tyndal Herbert, &c.
II tcils us niailiDc truth III language we can un-
derstand. According to His revelation the unIor-
tunatc mutItudes VINO have gone along tho way that
leads 10 DEATH aud never turned IRON IT, Will be tor
inented forever. ~ what precise way II would DO