Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-05-06


changes of ideas and customs,
many are shocked by new de-
partures from old ways. Gre
nation among some tribes and
nations is as old as the world.
tits practiced in the larger cities
of every country. But to many
it seems wrong, because we take |
the divine command of earth to
earth and dust to dust in a liter
al and restricted sense. If a
thousand years are as day in
the sight of the Lord, so the pro-
cess of decay of mortal man is
immaterial to Him. The Egyp-
tian mummy lasting ten thou
sand years as surely returns to
dust as the body Wondering in
the grave for ten years. Open
the graves of a century and you
find a handful of dust. Cremate |
body and you have the same
1.-THE one a natural pro-
ess,--the other mechanical, >
the result the same. In the
course of centuries the necessity
of the times and circumstances
may make cremation a sanitary
compulsion. We are now so
used to custom that we think it
contrary to divine teaching. 1t
is doubtful though whether in
any church the manner of sepul-
tine is defined as an article of
faith or even by authority in
discipline. In olden times here
tics were burned as a means of
salvation. In Apostolic times
men were martyred by fire.
Bodies are destroyed by water,
by fire, by wrecks and machine
ry obliterated surely if burial
in the ground is religiously nee
cessary for salvation, God would
have to save many souls by mir
acles now as he had to in the
past ages on account of mans in
humanity to man. We approve
of the old way, but we do not
condemn the new until it is con-
demned by higher authority
than mere custom. Faith is a
divine virtue, far above human
laws, customs and environments.
No man is justified of himself,
SO we should respect old customs
but not judge the new beyond
the few days of our allotted
time here below. Who has not |
from earliest infancy had the
terrors of hell drilled into him,
its never-ending torrents, burn
ing up, tormented, doomed, de-
spairing, cursing God, &c, &c,
without end. What terrors for
children. Surely that doctrine
must have been an article of |
faith for all creeds and sects,
surely it is divine authority and
teaching itself or it would not
have taken up half of all church
doctrine for centuries. Lately |
st. George Mivart, learned |
scholar, has given the world the
benefit of his researches on the |
question of the material fire of
hell and its never-changing tor
ments, and challenged church
men to produce any evidence of
the idea of such hell being an
article of faith, defined by any
church or council and his crit
les, learned men of Europe and
America, have failed to do so,
leaving it a matter of customary
opinion, with as much individual
proof against that idea as for it.
The preponderance of authority
including Cardinal Newman, is
on the side of divine mystery,
grace and mercy-a state of
suffering, not debasing but ell
evating,no cursing God but see
ing, admiring and lovingHis JUS
tice; not the literal fire but the
burning flames of conscience,
not the "forever and ever"
doom but of mortal man lost in
endless wisdom and mercy of
divine Providence. Not all the |
declarations of all the ministers
of the world can make one arti-
Gle of divine faith. 1t comes
from God through the Holy |
Ghost and His church. So char |
ity should rule our judgment |
and treatment of those who diff
fer with us in faith or customs.
In centuries to come christianity
will make a mighty stride to-
gether on this line, dropping the
non-essentials here and there,