Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-06-15
ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.


Nas f.aa llne ilAr beecher pre-
as,ied als sernan aas uorualg 1s aa tgpeal
- al.ila-- a.en 81 grant rleir amp.ose e.
aalf aaldss ,alaai.s4s 34ung tls samuer.
10 a.sl 10o lrms .n Aas fYrs asa 8r0oalgu
have .ained ia tas nefcnl movements
heechels .srs..a sl- devoted io "a recuucill-
8tiau 1l Iae fift of esulatlou. Fish the ftct
al saalal sIafllna-t IT, reiect- tne tneuf}
tnat ia A.Iaal. ti ueu -lnned hat admits
ti.s. universal -IutIlIu-st. san. he SAID. u
tria. .lrr.-.0a ~ taa law bsf AL tfsn-gres-
slol % iss ls lai sIa, in 4taey sore- -in ior
shish nea ar- re-lousisla ooi5 and soul
I- deliberate tlt parEsaed ti1ltllu of
Enoel l4fg. hut mp-t ~ men SINS nave
tlEaJ- -UF4u4 tf4u ianrfull5 when tsr}
sIll lot b. held accountable t4f. lulfnitf
or Fdut 20 E4i sua'sieose an4
of mHy tefe.oasd moral anl physical tacal
tas u a necessary accom- lAa.uent of ass
f1llluI lIr method. which tlod nl- chosen
o. empio5 Iu Laa world Nn5 dd God
choose method 8hich involves 4t each
stage lIl Perfection. mnfultF and -icAlca7
hhf lld uat tio0. being supreme. exclude
Nut heechrer c.tt-ed tlsse among unstn
ssertuIs questions. and -al1 one might -
sell 14a shI friction exists. N e. Jull knoW
llatlrf. he cannot explain reii-ou for lt-
A. % punishment tur sin, jeecher
eIoQueuuy denounced che OLD doe
trinr ul enternM punishment a. re-
Igi-lee. lnreatoutLle aud tenoraltNng.
"a bate e. said beechef. "A hate it because
/ love truta. recsiu-e love God. because
love mg felIoWmcu- The idea that GOd
creited a rics tnd lhat tneu without expert
suce. tds put if under the temptation 0f ara
arch lrud. 1r thar whatever tne creature
va. Dc lel m disobetiIeuce % what it dld
NOT understand, tuathat tie not ouly kicked
that 0ut of tle Garden of Eden ~ no par
eut would even treat child in
his oNn house. hut then transmitted
corruption thtt Tas tho result of dl-ohedlencc
through committees ages, spreading out and
out ul tho system ot uature manufacture
dsmuatlou ghf and ieft. before aud behind
Z hate it becan-e love lfod, / abhor % be
cause / love Justice. That system can Dee
used oniy where ignorance prevails Men
are t0ld 'Nou have got to believe it or De-
damned and they -ay, "N el. rather than
be- damned. "a Will believe &C. But | say
Jon are damned if you DO believe 10. Il n
hldrou-. horrible. lt turns creation INTO sham
blers and God into slsughtrrer. and the
humau race t0 a condition worse thousand
fold than shat uf animals FOR the lion r. not
blamed for being hon, nor the bear for be
ing a bear Nor the swallow and eagle for
not increasing the stature ot their being
But man Is made to start and not to stop, 70
~ ou and ou tui up and upward by steadily
emerging from the controlling power OF
physical and animal conditions, into which
he vas born. touching higher elements OF
possibility arab ending in the glorious liberty
~ the Son 0f God. In another
part 30 bis Discourse, Beecher, re-
CURING to this subject, declared that
the Introduction of san into the world by
Cod. with the accompaniment pf horrible
punishment for sn. coGid not be justified by
.udaufut reason or moral SENSE lie CON
uuued iu the following remarkable language,
-But n you take the ground chat is cOusis
tent with Divine justice and humanity, if
you ohhterate not Che question ot retriou
tou. or the carr ing ou OF cause and elect
out of this afe and into tine eternal. but II
sou sweep ont with the broom Of ind Euatlou
that hideous ptt that theology has
dug under toe world you
malignant and Internal images thar set polu-
late the i.norant brains of men. u yop con
slider that iu fhs future, God i- Just ~
rieu1rtf g. Justice and Nudue-- and gentle
ness ~ ne wl+ .n the beginning then you
have taken away al the difficulties that
inhera in the doctrine These are the con
.ideranous that have revois stioniled my
educational beliefs cannot separate
myself from my felowmen. / cannot
content mss self with settling down in well
regulated parish and clpheung ont the doc
t-ine of the sinfginezs - man and the rea--
onablene-s of eternal punishment / can
not 20 that when I think about the condition
of men after DEATH { think og an Africa
and fhat. foo. lor thousands 0f years. I thIus
of ASIA and that for myriads ot years
thluk ~ every island 90 the sea. ! think OF
fhe population that i- more of q multitude
than thr drof- Uf water in the 0ce ln
forty nmC- multiplied think Of
the vast sweep ot creation. ii.imit.
ably uncouutah'e. uumeasurtoie--sil -sil.
human beings t.af have been created on con
dIugr- Htat imply. rImo@t ot necessity fm
uerfacflons lnd trans .ressions. aud then 7ay
What has God done with them aii. wner'
are they Ara tney waiting iu 1nmitlgahls
torment lf fnaf he -o let me never mention
tfe name of God again. Iet ue never vlolats
ms ogn nat1re hy calling hin Father u
derfdes iesr-es. treat- under foot ths
eary foundation ideas that we have
of ftthsrhocd brt tt you take
thaf sn awsy and then having clear
foundfrion. say suppose men 20 ont % x
lsfsnet Hna fnsf Is tne end of ft. SuppOsf
fhat reu ara.n eternal Hfe through faith r
Ie-us Christ. so flr 7- taey have unfolde,
away from animal conditions aud are aus
~trttie ~ further development in che lf.
to come. Plans them s-Hn and if pl3nfeC
ana having every uourizhment fhey still
have nof developed enough morality 20 p,
worth fhe seed ~ the former trih. What
harreus WHer fnair tarrr goes aut tarff
don shake. sam DON stop. uohody heed
ir simply goes ort and Fhen msr
has SPENT -he force of his Ilfe here aud ha.
not reached chose conditions which uaV,
ulade another staEe possible to him b.
simply goes ouf N h8f fn humanity there
what ahors ie t1af walid .iva gain wu-
live weII now. aud T. se ioes nee 1--we ax1Hf
1t rrr highest roiut conceivable he may .iv'