The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1893-04-15

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into the foggy darkness. His parish
was not, either in point Of situation or
in point of emolument, desirable one,
and it looked more than usually cheer
less on that chill November night; but
Rev. Clement was in pretty good
spirits, because he felt that he had
done his duty. Dreading and disliking
the subject of eternal punishment, he
had more than once shirked preaching
upon 1t, in defiance of the behests OF
his conscience: but this evening, with
all the impassioned eloquence that had
drawn crowded congregations to listen
to him, he had laid down the orthodox
doctrine-the doctrine which who
soever will be saved" must needs ac-
cept.
''That was fine sermon of yours, !"
remarked a tall and very seedy-looking
old man in battered, greasy hat, who
had apparently BEEN waiting for him to
emerge from the vestry and who now
joined him without ceremony.
II am glad you liked it" answered
the preacher.
''Oh, didn't like 1t; no human being
could like sermon Of that kind. But
it was scholarly and we'll put, and you
spoke as If you were IN earnest. 1 was
wondering whether you had really edu-
Gated yourself to believe in endless tor
ment-that was ALL"
"We are bound to believe in ii. We
are bound to believe in much that we
cannot understand"
eyes, to be sure-the Trinity in
unity, baptismal regeneration-eterni
ty itself, if you come to that. Still,
there are cases which bring the alb
surdity OF this particular dogma home
to man; my own case, for example.
''Once upon time had an only son
who went to the devil as straight as he
could go. Personally, I have always
been bad lot-drunken, unprincipled,
absolutely without belief in any form
of revealed religion, so that / didn't de-
serve to have good son. l am not 60
ing into the details of the story, but l
may mention that was fond of the fell
low, that he was ungrateful, and that
he practically ruined me.
NOW, supposing that. after the lapse
OF some years, 1 had met with that son
of mine under circumstances which
placed him at my mercy. have, or
had, great muscular strength; and sup.
posing that had fallen in with him in
some lonely spot; that he had crawled,
exhausted with fatigue and hunger, to
my camp fire; supposing that had said
to him; Now you shall be made to suf-
fer little Of what you made me suf.
fer;' supposing that I had bound him
hand and foot and thrown him upon
the top of that fire to roast slowly to
death, with nobody to rescue him from
what he had we'll earned. What then,
Mr.. Wright?"
II cannot believe that any mortal
man would be such a monster!''
We'll, you needn't believe it, because
nothing of the sort ever took place. ]
was merely making use of parable. y
my dear SIR" interrupted the cler.
gyman, eagerly, ''you are falling into
the common error of applying human
experience to what is superhuman. ]
should like to talk this matter over
more fully with you, and if you will
come and eat supper with me-"
'Do look like the kind of person
who could be taken home to supper in
respectable house? No, no, Mr..
Wright; you. are welcome to your
creed, since it makes you happy. ]
didn't wait outside the church in order
to discuss theology with you. l began
as did partly because it wasn't bad
way at opening conversation, and
partly because my little allegory has
foundation in fact which may interest
you. daresay you haven't forgotten
that you once had an uncommonly ras.
cally uncle, Alfred Warren by name,
whom your people were compelled to
disown."
II had supposed that my uncle was
dead" Mr.. Wright answered, with q
somewhat uneasy glance at his
questioner. II sent him q little money
once, in response to an appeal which
reached me from America; but that
was good many years back, and ]
have heard nothing of him since"
Don't be alarmed; I am not about
to reveal myself as your long lost rel
ative. What l wanted to say to you
was this. / knew Alfred Warren out
in Nebraska, and assure you that he
had his good points. Perhaps you
never heard that he married widow
in Nebraska shortly after circsm.
stances had rendered it advisable fol-
him to quit his native shoresp Well,
he did; and the result of his marriage
was an only son, who grew up to rob
him and ruin him. Now, Mr.. Wright,
l will frankly confess that, if were
poor old ALI, I couldn't bring myself to
forgive that young prodigal. But
take it that your religion commands
You to exercise a good deal more
mercy than you ascribe to its founder,
and If you knew that your nephew was