The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-03-07

teous into life eeternat.'--a1nth, XIV zl--l6
While am not expected to discuss al
the Issues Of the subject cs Future Pun
ishment iu one sermon, yet We may tax,
tho main features, and give a pretty ren
ual outline nc this tins. 4,
Just here, ] Will say: This question. II
generally discussed now, 50 20 nesy oI,es 4
ton. It lCls been.in al ages of christi
anity squeaiiot upon Bhichinen differed
Nor 10 the preaeaf phdas Of the auestior
new. Origen, in the frat part of th.
third century after Christ, maintained
about the aame views that Canon Farm
and Rev. Washington GLADDEN., ct al,
have recently pronulged.
From the days of the Fathers, some
calling themselves Christians, have stood
without the pale OF orthodoxy upon thi,
subject of tho future punishment OF the
wicked.
The Univefsalism of fo-day doe,
not teach the same doctrine that 4
taught ono hundred years ago. Then
Uniyersalists taught that there wa1 nd
punishment beyond the grave; for all
the sins committed here they would suf.
fer here; hence, all-good and bad alike
would go to Heaven together ut death,
such is not the question at issue with
them nov. They haye abandoned that
line of attack upon orthodoxy, and now
assail US from another quarter. Now. in
common with all others who believe tho
Bible, Univefsalists believe in che future
puniehment of those who die in their
sins; but they make that punishment In
DO yeforntdtoSy and limited, rather thar
everlasting, shd that at some future time
these sufierings will cease :. that from
hell men will emerge and enter Heaven !:
that "Fiual Restoration" means the ulti-
mate salvation of all men, or if come.
after ages of punishment remain incor.
rigible, they viii be annihilated, and that
God will have no schism in the universe
] wish to make q fair statement of this
doctrine. Rev. Mr.. Merriam, wher re-
citing his creed recently before the Coun-
Gil at Indian Orchard, said: 'I cannot
bring myself to believe that the punish.
ment inflicted by God on MEN In their
future existence will be an everlasting
conscious, sensible punishment He
thinks the punishment will cease with
some, when they have reformed and are
purified and taken to Heaven; of Others.
if they will not amend their ways. thew
will cease to suffer after while, through
unconsciousness, sinking lower and lower
in sin until SO embruted they will be in.
sensible to spain, and conscience will
cease 10 sting. @
I. Twill notice some of the arguments
that they advance.
(d) The doctrine of a limited duration
to future punishment accords with the
feelings of men.
Men aoish this were so; men would be
glad to know that it. were so: men be.
lieve itjs 30. '.The soish is father to the
thought" You who read hfr. Farrar's
sermon will agree with me, that it was
little more than an appeal to feeling.
He could not feel that God would damn
the sinner forever, &c. Left to our sym.
pathies for our fellow-meu, we would
prefer to believe that, our friends Tho die
in their sins could have another proba.
tion, and that in the ages to come they
would emerge through theiifpurgatioh to
a, world of,light and glosZ. But what
have our feelings to do Will the doctrine?
Impressions and feelings arc unsafe guides
IN affairs of daily concern. How much
more unsafe in amatter utterly beycad
our spherei
! (O Men argue from the character. of
They cannot conceive that q being of
infinite mercy, love and compassion can
infiict everlasting, torment on the cres-
lures of his, hand. What right ask,
have We to claim infallihility for our con-
ceptlons? lB not the subjecs entirely be-.
yondcur cnmprehensi6ng 1t 10 God that
decides this whole question. Have NO
Hcales with which to weigh God? We
cannot reach to His thoughts and mo-
tiTes, aad we are impious when we at
tempt to give metes and bounds ~ tiat
which the Almighty and All-wise has re-
served for His own decision.
1t is said that Augustine ,was once
greatly perplexed trying to fathom the
doctrine of the Trinity. Walking upon
the sea-shore he was asking himself the
question, "How can one God be three
Gods, and how can three Gods be one?"
He was attracted by q. little girl who,
with little she'll, was scraping hole in
the sand, and pouring into it water from
the sea. my daughter" said he, "what
are you doing 4"T am pouring the sea
into this hole,n she replied. "Ah ~ said
the great man, 'just what I am trying to
do: ! ain trying to pour the sea of Gods
lnfinitude into my poor, shallow, finite
mind; and | can succeed about as we'll
as the little girl."..
The doctrines of mans fall and proba-
ton, and rejection of the Saviour, and
ultimate doom are not submitted to us for
The only question for us
is this: Do the Scriptures teach the doc
trine of the endless punishment of TIE
wicked p? !fso, ne may, We must, accept
it; otherwise, we must reject it.
ii. The Bible can be our only guide
here. NJ AL R
In our discussion we as9ume TINT the BIZ
bic is true. ali agree in this. BeeciIer,
GLADDEN., Merriam, Farrar, all accept the
of the Scriptures of the Old
and New Teataments, Reasop, logic,
eli fail here. No man can
decide ,hotg loisy or b5lt muck the wicked
ought to suffer in future world for sins
committed here. To mans reason the
question is insoluble! We must listen to 1
Gods word and believe its declarations.
1t Is not as ne choose to believe, Who
knows how hein6ns sin is? When ST.
parent has lost self-controi he is not fit l
to punish his child for having fallen into
n passion. Physicians tel! US that owing
to the artery ID the thumb we cannot
safely calculate the -pulsations of the
wrist with that thumb. Who would sub
nit exquisite paintings to man pur-
blind? So none but God can properly
estimate sin. He has. not sihned; He
has not been infected By evil: His vision
alone is perfect. He is above ain, out
side of hin, and can decide impartially.
Who knows how far reaching sin is in its
To-day the sin is COM
mittcdj sRnd> centuries to come it is atill
bearing fruit. To-day you plant an
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