Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-03-05
Aaneaster fnteIIigencer.
Thoughts on q Certain Heresy OF the
Orthodox.

by the Author of - Mira. Hopkius.''
There arc few things more shocking to
rcverent mind than the practice, so COM
mon among religious people, of jesting
about certain awful possibilities which
their faith implies. As commonly applied
the term "reverent mind" is supposed to
belong only to those persons holding what
is called "evangelical belief" but am
inclined to believe that the non.orthOdox
are often more reverent than those whose
faith is of the straitest sort. Most OF
us can recall the names of clergymen
whose doctrinal soundness was unques-
toned, but whose occasional handling of
sacred things was light and trihing to say
the least. But to descend from the clergy
to the evangelical laity, here we too fire.
quently are met by a levity Of expression
that seems greatly at variance with their
professed belief.
To many people the dogma Of everlast-
ing punishment seems an abherrent one,
dishonOring to the FatherhoOd Of God and
defeating the enes for which punishment
is designed. To the great majority Of
evangelical believers, however, this doc
trine would appear, from the tenacity to
which they cling to it, to be the keystone
of their faith. Some of them hold the
doctrine in modified form, but the
theory of actual endless bodily torment is
still widely popular. Suppose, for the
sake Of argument, the truth of this dogma
be admitted, how should the holders of it
conduct themselves? Strictly speaking,
few persons believe themselves in much
danger of undergoing this awful penalty.
It is for those about them for whom they
predict the destiny of eternal torment if
the life or belief Of these others is not
what it should be.
If any one possessed of human sympathy
beheld another person in mortal danger
the impulse would be to endeavor to save
him from it. II we Lehcld persons starting
on a journey, the end Of which we could
foresce to bc disaster and death, We should
labor to dissuade them from it by all
means in our power. There would he no
jests, no light words on Oar tongues at
such a moment. How is it in our rclig
danger, as We believe, of endless punish
ment? Are religious people as serious in
such matters as the occasion demands? ?
think not. According to their professions
of faith many of those whom they meet in
their daily walks are doomed in this way,
but the knowledge Of this awful fact dis
turbs tho digestion Of no evangelical be-
lever. More than this, tie subject is often
made the topic Of mirth an, ''-t. Not long
since. while in 4 compaaY 81: orthodox
people belongin. to the Lutheran and Re-
formed churches, l heard one "f the num-
ber say jjestingly to another that he would
get "scnt to a warm place when he died
j. he didn't take care A theological,
student present took up the jest and con-
tinued it in the same awful way, for such
trifling is indeed awful if those who in
dulge in it believed in the possibility re.
ferred to. In any case such jesting is GER
enough. Current conversation is full OF
illusions to \ future place Of punishment
cOuched, as it seems to me, IT, most ir
reverent way. ''TIiat hot place." tn
region where they don't cover Zip the fires
nights" etc, such are some of the terms
in which religious people allow themselves
to speak in regard to region III the exist
ence of which they suppose themselves
most firmly To bpiieye
In regard to doctrine like this no half
way attitude is possible. Either We do
believe it or VIC do not. If we believe in
endless punishment, either physical or
mental, then jesting upon such matter
cannot he harmless but Sinful. If we do
not believe in it, such trihing is, at all
events, misplaced. My own conclusion is
that few of the professsl aihercnts of this
dogma sincerely believe it. If they do their
jests upon the possibilities i: involves
show an incomprehensbic lcvity and Il
shameful indifference to eternal fate of SO
SO many about them. Let us be honest and
no longer dull our moral perceptions by
intellectually assenting to dogma at
which our heart rcvolts, no longer say "I
believe" when We do not believe. Or, if
wedo hold this doctrine, let US hold in all
seriousness and never for one moment per-
init ourselves to make its terrible possibil-
tiles theme for levity and for jesting
which is something worse than foolish.