The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-02-17
Right Raw. Bishop Elder Catholic Teaching ~ to
Eternal Punishment.
lNatoh.r psmocrnt. Fob. lo.l

matches Democrat FED. W.
Editors Matches DemOcrdt-My attention has
sbeen drawn TO q letter from Canon Fsrrar, OF
England, which appeared in the Democrat OF
Saturday, Febrssry I'd. I am not disposed to
3disouss in your columns the tremendous mys-
teriss of Gods infinite Justice. The familiarity
and frivolity with which men have bseu re-
Gently writing and speaking of this terrible
su bject are of themselves not light argu-
& ment to show that any punishment that 10 not
endless fails to bring some men to treat even
with common deoency the great God, mighty
and terrible who has solemnly warned Us not
TO talk foolishly, for He will not be Knocked.
{But my desire is simply to correct false i'm
4 preston that might be received from the letter
! 10 question concerning he teaching of the
NCatholio Church.
n l suppose by the word "Romish" " Canon
zFarrsr means Roman. It is an interesting
Z point in the study of human nature, to observe
Hhow bigotry against the Church often leads
gentlemen and ladies of high degree to forget
Ntheir manners and their grammar. He ex-
presses the opinion that the Roman Catholic
gChurch has not given any dogmatic decision as
j TO the endlessness of punishment in the future
alife. This is mistake. The Catholic Church
lis the trumpet of God, giving no uncertain
Important.
She spoke dogmaticaly and formally fifteen
hundred years ago In the Fifth General Coun-
1cil, held in Constantinople A. D. 553 There
she condemned various errors attributed to
5Origeu, and among them the doctrine that
the pains of the devil and of reprobste men
are temporary and destined to have an end"
i But besides this formal definition, her teach
ing sounds clear through all ages, in the writ
1ings Of the Fathers and of the theologisns
.and in the belief of her children in ell places
land times.
No sooner were the notions of Origen's dis
|ciples made public, than the whole Christian
world denounced them as new doctrine, con-
|trary to what had been handed down from the
Apostles, as the faith delivered to them by the
Holy Ghost at Pentecost.
\; 10 sa <hn oivr, NIL ak4 81 0f 1trrt1 1na
truth in the Catholic Church, what the Holy
Ghost taught to the Apostlee; When He, the
'spirit of truth. is come, He will teach you all
truth" st. John, xxi. Ii
We do not presume to measure Gods infiuite
1 justioe by our finite notions. We know that
even fathers justice in bis family is often
widely different from what His children think
lit ought to be. And as for the Justice of God |
even the Apostle, who had been rspt to the
third heaven, did not pretend to uuderstaudl
ut. How inoomprehensible are His judg-I
ments. and how unsearchable His waysp Ep.!
TO Romans, XII, 33.
Hence we do not dare to Judge what GodI
on ght to do I; we only ask Him to tell us what
He will do, snd we get this answer from HisI
Church, the living teacher, with whom Hell
dwells, aud through whom He speaks, as dis
tinctly now as eighteen hundred yeaIs ago:I
|" Go ye and teach all nations, behold l ami
with you all days to the end. He that hear
eth You, besreth me- Sc. Mark, xviii, V. 9 y
ST. Luke, K, ". 10.
sNot to leave this incomplete. will only add
that the text which Canon Farrar says sx
pressly states possible redemption beyondI
the grave II Peter, iv, " g. it is understood by!
the Fathers to refer to Our Lords going among
the sous of those who died before His coming, g,I
and announcing to them the evsngely or good
news of their redemption. 1t was not for theE
of those who had died enemies of
God, but for the liberation of those who hsds
died repentant; who had been incredulous inI
the days of Noe, but bad repented when theyI
saw the waters rising around them. Accord-I
ing to man they were judged to be lost because,
they had been swallowed up in the deluge.I
But according to God they found life, because,
with the grace of His Spirit. they had repentedI
before they died. To these departed souls, |
aud others like them, our Lord appeared after
His death, and announced the Gospel or goodI
news of their liberation through His Blood.
Pardon the length of this communication. II
tbonght it my duty to remove the impressiouI
that might be msdo Oh the minds of your read
ere If the erroneous opinion expressed about
the Catholic Church were not corrected.
Your fAithfnl servant in Christ.
WILLIAM HENRY ELDER,
Bishop of Naychez