The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-09-26


to his victim-all these "shall be for
given" but the sin against the Holy
Ghost shall never be forgiven. The
procuress and the libertine, who visit
our homes and curry away our jew
els, who rob their victims of their hon.
or. their virtue, who in turn despoil
the youth of the land, these shall
be forgiven, but the sin against the
Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven
neither in this world, neither in the
world to come. Friends doesn't it
begin to appear that we have not yet
gotten the true meaning of the pass
age7 Let us go one step farther:
What do we mean here by "shall be
| forgiven" There are, indeed, very
| many ideas of its meaning and it fills
great space in the theological thought
of the age. The current idea is that
forgiveness carries with it the remis-
sion of the punishment, the abate-
ment of the consequences; and hence
an objectionable sin-a sin which
shall not be forgiven, is sin which
must certainly be punished. Are we
| to CLEAN from this that all manner of
sin and blasphemies shall not be pun
| ished, thieves, cheats, liars, murder
ers, deflers OF youth and innocence,
but that he who blasphemes against
the Holy Ghost shall never escape
punishment? Does it mean that the
wicked shall sin and sin on and still
90 UNPUBLISHED unless they happen
to sin against the Holy Ghost9 If
this "shall not be forgiven" means
shall not escape punishment, surely
"shall be forgiven" also means shall
escape punishment. Is this the
meaning of the passage? Your loath-
ing and mine of God who could and
would ordain such plan proclaims
against it. Our minds and our hearts
rebel The Bible itself has spoken
in no uncertain sound in opposi-
ton to this very conception. 1t affirms
that all sin must be punished; that
God will in no wise clear the guilty"
for though hand joined in hand the
wicked shall not be UNPUBLISHED. +"
Surely herein the popular conception
! OF pardon is not tenable; we are even
yet far from any satisfactory explain
alton of the passage. We have not
yet found meaning which harmon
ICES with the teachings of our Bible,
and which is in harmony with our
reason.
What is the Come ction of the Text?
If we would find the nature of the
sin in question, if we would derive
an Ineligible explanation, we must
go beyond the passage under consid-
Grafton, weare to examine the conuec-
ton and the nature of the Hebrew
language for light. We are to cease
the old method Of exegesis, the
method of using a distinct passage
aud make it apply to things within
the mind of the exegete when it should
be made to modify that only which
the Scriptures has made it modify.
This method was once the favorite
one, aud used by all theologians, ire
spective of creed or belief. Most are
now turning to a more rational plan.
What is the connection, and what does
survey of the context reveal? We
shall needs examine Matt. xii. 22-37.
We know from the lips of Christ, that
there was a certain exorcism, means
of the casting out of devils (whatever
it may have been) which was generally
practiced at the time of Christ, and
with more or less success. But there
are farther evidences that such was
only attempted in the milder cases.
| we mere nave OuTlSG uuO6IbdhluS
the breaking up of the power of a
hideous spell which had bound him,
and to liberate from the dominion
of the evil power, one SO possessed.
The undertaking was so vast, so won
derful- success so complete, that
it provoked unlimited comment.
They had never seen the dissolution
of so terrible a spell as that which
had bound this man; they had never
seen a vacant eye lighted, cloven-
tongue freed, and a bewildered soul
restored. Could this be other than
the power of the Redeemer, the son
of David?
Addressed to Unbelieving Pharisees.
But there were skeptics among the
multitude, Pharisees, his natural enc
mics. They did not deny the miracle
which had been done, but affirmed
that "this fellow doth not cast out
devils but by Beelzebub, the Prince
of devils" They used this device
to divert the mind of the common
people over whom they had a natural
/ a I.