The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-04
NEWS OF CHURCHES.
Rector CARROTS Lecture on
Eternal Punishment.
LOVE IN FATHERHooD OF GOD.
First Service ut St. Clement's-Mr Nut
ting on Chow to Make
Living"-Notes.

Mr.. Garrett dealt with the doctrine of efer.
nal punishment in the following manner.
] am asked to discuss tonight the question of
seternai punishment" The subject Is pronosaS
In the following letter. signed "a Commandment
OF S. Marks" 1t is significant that one who
considers himself communicate of the church
should indicate by this letter that he cannot ac.
cept the so-called orthodox conception OF future
retribution. am glad that whoever wrote tn in
letter has not, on account of his opinions on
this subject left the church, feeling he has no
right to belong there, and am glad he has ex-
pressed his doubt in such q way al to enable me
70 answer publicly his queries. will read the
letter:
What 10 the attitude OF the Episcopal church
on the doctrine OF eternal punishment? Can a
God OF infinite goodness aud mercy iniiict end
steds ' nus '''
An earthly parent, had he the power TO do 30.
would hnd himself incapable of entailing never
ending suffering on the child for faults com
mtted. VIII God do what man will shrink from
doing In horror?
II the doctrine of eternal punishment is true,
why was not the revelation OF Gods word made
% clear and plain that there could be no room
for the many creeds and religions of the world?
II such were the case, then to violate Gods
law would be to incur known penalty As IL
IL, may not person honestly believe other re-
ligions and creeds? II, therefore, God has kent
the way open for such doubts, will He infiict
eternal punishment on man for exercising his
honest beliefs7
The first question hero related to the attitude
81 the Episcopal church on the doctrine of
eternal punishment
Ny answer 10 that this church has no theory
Of future punishment 1t is q mark of the
comprehensiveness of the church that 1t does
not dogmatize on questions beyond the
essential and fundamental truths OF hris-
tianity. Nothing is said concerning this doc
trine In the thirty-four articles, nothing In the
two creeds-Apostie and Nicene When one
seeks membership in that church by baptism,
or ratification of membership in confirma-
ton, the only doctrinal test is belief in the
Apostles creed. AS there is no clause here on
the question proposed tonight, 1t il certain
that the writer of this letter, or any one else,
may have his own opinion of this subject, and
still find place in the church. II it is said that
the term eternal damnation" is found in the
liturgy, and a use OF the prayer book implies an
acceptance of the doctrine, reply that this
phrase is the language of the English Bible and
Whatever Interpretation is given to the
Bible text must apply equally to the
liturgy. We shall soon consider the meaning
OF the Bible doctrine. As the Episcopal church
has no theory OF future punishment, various
views on this subject are held by both clergy
men and lsymen. Many undoubtedly believe
In the unending punishment of the wicked and
fits another sign OF the church's cathoicity that
these well as those who have q brighter hope
for Gods children, are included In this COM
munion. The theory OF the humiliation OF the
unsaved has strong following. The doctrine
OF conditional Immortality was held by the late
DR.. Washburn, of Calvary church, New York,
and Dean Gray, of Cambridge, and has been
supported in book by DR.. Huntington, the dis
tnGuished rector of Grace church, New York.
Still another large element, larger still, be-
neve. than Ii commonly supposed. hold to the
"eternal hope" They have faith that in the end
goodness viii triumph over evil, and that hell
itself shall be conquered by love.
The second question in this letter refers to the
moral aspect OF the doctrine OF endless punish
ment 1t is asked, "Will God do what man will
shrink from doing in horror" My personal
answer 10 mo" As long as We believe in the
fstherhood of God think we have the right to
reason that this fstherhood will contain as much
love as the fatherhood OF man. l can under
stand the meaning OF sin and the necessity OF
penalty for sin. can conceive how the evolu-
ton OF man In his moral a. well as physical life
necessitstes conflict, pain, penalty. can accept
on the theory or the freedom of the will the
righteousness of retribution, and believe as long
a. one continues in sin 30 long viii he suffer the
penalty, but to see end of this process save in
irretrievable anguish, and this, too, for the ma
!ority of mankind popular theology teaches,
Father. Even in an earthly sense the only
kind OF punishment that seems rea.
sonable or righteous is reformatory.
The only worthy purpose In any
chastisement Is correction. If any man believes
otherwise. believes that God puts creatures on
this earth, knowing that majority are 10 be-
swept off into a place Of everlasting torment,
how he marry or be light hearted or look
upon his children with a soul full OF sunshine +?
II the doctrine of amending punishment is true,
We ought all to be ON our knees tonight weeping
over the horrible destiny into which a poorly
planned creation has plunged the most of man
kind
The New York Sun recently gave a specula-
lstive census of the population OF hell. Figur-
ing on the basis of q certain theology, the gem
srations condemned for the sin OF Adam from
Adams time to Christ, and adding to these
the hosts OF unsaved during the Christian dis
pensation, one hundred and seventy Ave thou
sand millions are now suffering the torments of
hell against eighteen hundred millions at the
highest estimate in heaven. III this is not a
failure on the part of creation, failure too, OF
Christ's power to save, what shall we call itS
Believing however, that life il not a probation,
but an edueation-"a moment only in the eter-
nal process of becoming" the figures OF the
newspaper census do not terrify.
Some one right here might say: "Wfu not
teaching of this kind induce men to postpone
repentance7 VIII il not encourage sin9 have
heard men say that they had hope of final sal
Walton for all, but deemed ii dangerous thing
to preach. Such an objection betrays q wan; of
eandor, Let us have the truth ut all hazards.
eshould not try TO club men into heaven. 1t
Ia q poor sort of righteousness that is impslled
through fear. Teach the awfulness of sin and
the inevitable penalty OF sin; but. above all else
let us teach men to hate sin because IL 10 sin,
and 10 love righteousness for righteousness
sake-spart from all fear of penalty or hope Of
reward
The third part OF this letter touched on the
testimony Of the Bible 10 the doctrine in ques-
Hon. 1t is 10 the Bible, and especially the New
Testament, that the believers in endless pun
ishment so for their authority. In studying tbs
Bible on the question let us remember the in
suficiency OF isolated texts TO prove any
doctrine venture 10 say / can quote more
texts expressive of the love OF God, and even the
actual restitution of all men, than can be found
In support of the theory OF unending punish
nent
Whist did Christ mean in the parable by the
declaration "Thou shalt by no means come out
thence till thou hast paid the uttermost far
fhing?' Where is the limitation in Pauls COM
parison, "For as in Adam all die, even so in
Christ shall ali be- made alive9' AS to the
question of probation after death only one
writer in the New Testament gives any answer
ths; is definite aud distinct 1t is Peter who
tells Us clearly enough for all save those who
cistort the text 10 suit their own preconceived
theories, that in the interval between His death
AMI resurrection Christ Jesus went and preached
10 the disrobed OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES that
ihey might hear the gospel and repent al
rrm also thsi most Of the passages quoted In Ia
vot OF the theory of amending torment point
mere conclgsiyely 10 the annihilstion OF the
Condemned
The strongest evidence for the endless punish
nent doctrine is the use of the word aionios,
especially where IL is used in the last verse OF
TIE 2a,h chapter of St Matthew: And these