Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-03-09
Natchez Democrat Feb, TO-
Eternal Punishment

NatCheE Democrat EtV' ~
Eternal Punishment.
Editors Ndtchs. Dsmocrt Ny al
tention has been drawn 10 a letter
c from Canon Farrar, of England.
which appeared in the Democrat OF
i, Saturday, February "a. | am not
/. disposed 10 discuss in your columns
the tremendous mysteries OF Gods
infinite Justice. The familiarity \
e tr,volitv with which men have been
recently writing and speaking OF
+ this terrible subject are OF them
selves not . light argument TO show
that any punishment that is not
4 endless, fails 10 bring some mon to
treat even with common deeeney
the great God, mighty and terrible,
no has solcmuly warned US not to
talk ioalisbrr, Ter He will not be
m ricd. But my desire is simply
to correct Il false impression that
might be received from the letter
lin question concerning the teaching
OF the Catholic Church.
| suppose BY The word Romish'
Damon Earrar means Roman. 1t is
an interesting point in the study OF
human nature, TO observe how big
otrv against the Church often leads
gentlemen and ladies' of high degree
10 forget their manners and their
grammar. He expresses the opin.
ion that the Roman Catholic Church
has not given any dogmatie decls-
len is 10 the eHdleSSRe>s OF punish.
nlent in the future life. This is a
mistake. The Catholic Church is
the trumpe: Of GOD, giving 10 un.
certain Rund in her declaration Of
$ truth - terribly important,
She spoke dogmaucaiIy and for.
maily fifteen hundred years aso in
the FIHa Genera. Council. held in
Consisntinop!e A. D. 553, There
she condemned various errors attri.
buted to Origen, snI among them
the doetUne that the pains OF I c
devil and OF Feprobate men are
temporary and destined to Lave an
end
But besides this formal definition,
her teaching sounds clear through
sill ages, in the writings OF the Fa-
theirs and OF the theoIogisns snd
in the belief of her children in all
places and times.
No sooner were the notions OF
ORIGINS disciples made public than
the whole Christian world denOun-
Ced them as q new doctrine, contra.
ry to what had been handed down
from the Apostles, as the faith dc.
Ilvered to them by the Holy Ghost
at P~entccost.
This is the simple standard Of re-
ligious truth in the Catholic church
what the Holy Ghost taught TO the
Apostles When He, the spirit OF
truth is come, He will teach you all
truth" st. John xxi. ID.
We do not presume TO measure
Gods infinite justice By our finite
notions. We know that even IA ia
theirs justice in his family Is often
widely different from what his chill
dren think it ought to be. And rs
tor the justice of God, even the
Apostle, who had been rapt to the
third Heaven, did not pretend to
understand it. H9U incomprehen.
slble are HIS judgments, and hop IN
sedrchdble His wdys.!' Ep. to Ro-
mans, Xi. 50.
Hence, we do not dare to Judge
what God ought to do; we only
ask Him to tell lis what lie will do,
and VIC get this answer from His
Church, the living teacher with
whom lie dweII', and thro' whom
He speaks, as distinctly now as
eighteen hundred years ago; "Go
yo and teach all nations, behold |
am with yon all days to the end.
He that heareth you, hearetn me-"
St. Mark, xviii, V. 8; St, Luke X.
v. Is.
Not to leave this incomplete, |
will only add, that the text which
Canon Farrar says expressly states
a possible redemption beyond the
grave Il Peter, iv, v. g. it is under
stood by the Fathers to refer to
Our Lords going among the souls
OF those who died before His com
ing, and announcing to them the
evangcly, or good news of their re.
demption. 1t was not for the con-
version OF these who had died enc
mics Of God, but for the liberation
of those who had died pentant, who
had been incredulous in the DAYS o:
Noe, but had rcpentcd whom thoy
saw the waters rising around them.
According TO man, they were iulg
cd to be lost, because they had been
swallowed up in tho dclugo. But,
according to God they found life,
because, with the grace of His
Spirit, they had rcpentcd before
they died. To these departed souls,
and others like them, our Lord ap-
peared after His death, and an.
nounccd the Gospel, or good news
Of their Liberation through His
Blood.
Pardon the length of this com.
m%unication. thought it my duty
to remove tho impression that
might be made on the minds OF
your readers, il the erroneous cpin-
ion expressed about the Catholic
Church were not corrected.
Your faithful servant in Christ,
WILLIAM HENRY ELDER,
Bishop of Natchez.