Litchfield enquirer., 1881-03-03

AN EPIscoPALIAN ON ETERNAL PUNISH MxNT.-Ths New York Eve. Post, having published interviews with the Rev. Mir. New ton and Dr. Dix, of the Episcopal Church in- dieating that they do not consider everlasting punishment dogma of that church, another minister takes issue with them as follows.
 Having seen in late number of your jour- nal report of an interview between a reporter of yours and certain individualrectors of Psot- estant Episcopal churches in New York city, also an editorial comment upon the same which speaks of this as testimony to drift in the Episcopal Church away from belief in eternal punishment. would ask permission to place this important question ln 6 more just light
 It is evident that you labor under the im- pression that the Episcopal Church, like many of the denominations around her, IS based upon the views and opinions of the clergy forming her association, and therefore the notions and theories of those holding prominent positions show the tsne of the body. This is funda- mental error. The Episcopal Church is an historic body. She possesses crseds, liturgies, formulas and standards of religious teaching. These tell her doctrine, these show her views lt is matter of DO moment what few indi- viduals may doubt or deny so long as you find the contrary contained in her doctrines One Of the individuals referred to, when asked by your reporter that most pertinent (albeit im- pertinenD question, ''how he reconciled his position in the Episcopal Church with such teaching" endeavored to show the entire freedom by which he found himself able to teach what he pleased because Che declared) the Episcopal Church had no ''dogma" con- corning it.
 Three times week he is directed by the ru- brio to pray ''from Thy wrath and everlasting damnation Good Lord deliver uS!" Whenever he is called upon to visit person in sudden danger of death, he is bidden to pray 'that it may be to Thy unspeakable glory that Thou hast redeemed the soul of this thy servant from eternal death and hast made him partaker of everlasting life" Whenever he stands beside an open grave, and commits body to the ground, he mast say these solemn words 'Yet O Lord God most holy, O Lerd most mighty, 0 holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death" If he fulfill his duty, and diligently teaches his parish children what they must know and believe for their souls health," in the catechism, he must have them learn that they ''desire their Lord God to keep them from sin and wickedness-their spiritual enemy and everlasting death." And that we may know just what is meant by everlasting death ana eternal damnatlon, this church teaches the minister, if he have the sad need to visit condemned criminal waiting for death, he must warn such that, if he be impeniteut, ''after you have finished the course of sinful and miserable life the Judge shall say with terrible voice of most just judgment to the wicked, Co ye accursed into the fire everlast- ing, prepared for the devil and his angels I" Nor is this sll for in the American prayer book every master and mistress of family IS bidden to pray with their dependents daily. "Above all keep in our minds a lively remeln- hrance of that great day in which we must give strict account of all our thoughts, words and actions, and according to the deeds done in the body be eternally rewarded or punished by Him, whom" ISc.
 If we are not mistaken there is no acknowl- edgment of the dogma of eternal punishment required of the lay members of the Episcopal Church. r..