The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-12-01

Puni5nuleHC. One OF Lnom however
is applied to life" -"endless life
dkatolutos-Heb. vii: I6.
The writer of the tract says eternal
means endless something without
an end" That may be true of the
English word, but the assumption is
entirely irrelevant. The Greek word
which it stands for-dionios = cer-
tainly does not. He says it is applied
to God, in which case it means end
less; and therefore it must mean
endless when applied to damnation.
Such reasoning sets our teeth on
edgel Great is applied to God, in
which case it means infinite greatness;
therefore when applied to man it
means the same-that man is as great
as God! He is declared to be wise,
in which case it means infinite wis
dom. Solomon was said to be wise;
therefore infinitely wise-as wise as
God. What would Aristotle say to
such sylogisms?
If the tract was intended only to
catch gudgeons, very we'll; but you
ought never to let an intelligent man
see it. will. remark, however, that
oionios, and its Hebrew equivalent,
olom- everlasting, eternal-are ap-
piled to things that end, as the old
covenant, the possession of Canaan,
the hills, the priesthood of Aaron,
etc. See Genesis tx. 16; xvii s; xiii.
10; Xviii. 4; xix. 26. Exodus xl. Is.
Leviticus xvi. 81; Numbers XIV. 13;
Psalms xiv. Z, 9; Isaiah xiv. 5, and
hundred other places. Therefore
when applied to punishment it means
it will end. See The sword cuts
both ways. If the argument is good
in one case, it is in the other. But
it is worthless anywhere. The writer,
if he was honest, must have been an
ignoramus.
l have heard all these, so called, ar
guments, and an hundred others like
them, thousand times; but could
easily drive coach and six through
them all. No, Christ did not re-
affirm the leading dogma of all pagan
religions. His Gospel isnet one of
despair. 1t does not hang the hea-
vens in black, or dress the throne of
God in mourning. 1t is Gospel of
love, and hope, and cheer! God is
not monster, like Moloch. He is
love. He is infinite in wisdom, good
ness and power-moral as we'll as
physical power. He can save all,
and will in his own good time, and in
his own wise way. By his moral
power he does save esome-leads them
to repentance without destroying
their agency. AS he is infinite, he
can do so to all. To say that he
never will, but torture millions
through eternity, sounds to me like
horrible blasphemy.
For more than thousand years
the Christian world has groaned under
this terrible nightmare, like the hea-
then world; but the light is breaking.
The morning comes. God is an i'm
partial father, and Christ will save
the entire world of humanity. Not
in their sins, but from their sins.
God will bring the issue of human
existence to glorious termination in
the case of every soul he has created.
That is why he spoke them into ex-
istence. He permitted evil only be-
cause he had determined to over-rule
it for good. The glorious old Bible
is the only book that ever taught this
doctrine worthy of an infinite God
and father, and alone worthy of him.
By this token we know it was inspir-
ed. No caviling can deprive us of
this knowledge. We know that Christ
was a teacher come from God, for
"never man spake like this man."
The Gospel is the pearl of price, and
the worlds only hope. Its glorious
prophecy is the great gift of God.
You need mourn no longer for your
lost sister. That was only an insane
dream. And we need not fear to love
our neighbors, as Christ commands
even Levi Ballou-lest we find
ourselves suffering the pains of an
endless hell, in sympathy with the
damnedl Christianity offers no pre-
MUM on selfishness and hard hearted
ness. Love is the great law of the
universe, and universal happiness, as
the result of universal holiness, the
great end toward which our Heavenly
Father is aiming. Will he be dis
appointed?
Yours in the bonds of the Gospel.
j. B. SAKE.
Bishop Keane of Baltimore has pur-
choead for tho Catholic TTa;vo.o;k., tho