The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-07-17

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to be happy in the next world; but
the vicious into such as were to be
miserable, and sometimes into those
of serpents. In that state of punish
ment they we're to remain certain
number of years till they had been
purified from their guilt, and they
were to inhabit more exalted beings
The Modes and Persians who held
heteachings of Zoroaster, worshiped
two Gods, Arimanius, the God of evil
and darkness, and Oromasdes the
God of goodness and light. They
all agree that these Gods would con-
tinue to the end of time and that the
good God would overcome the evil
one. The Brahmins and Buddhists
believed that all would finally reach
the state of Nirvana, a state of total
Inconsistencies and humiliation.
This shows how false the state
ment is that men have always had an
intuition pointing to the doctrine of
endless punishment. Those who had
such an intuition had likewise an in
tuition that it was for their enemies
or somebody besides themselves.
This is how the doctrine arose, it
came from Roman paganism. After
the death of the apostles six great
schools arose in Egypt and Asia Mi
nor. OF these, four taught the doc
trine of universal salvation, one an
Inhalation and one endless punish
ment. From that time, through the
efforts of Augustine, those believing
in endless punishment increased in
number. 1t was a doctrine we'll
adapted to thrive in the darkness of
the middle ages. What l said is on
the authority of DR.. Edward Beecher,
who wrote history of the doctrine
OF retribution, and from his investi
cations became believer in univer-
sal salvation.
1t was said that all who bslieve in
the Bible believe in endless punish
ment. We believe in the Bible and
do not believe in endless punishment.
What now? If any one thinks that
he can prove endless punishment by
the scriptures he is welcome to make
the trial. 1t has been tried time and
again and failed. We believe in the
scriptures and we believe that they
should be subjected to rational in
depreciation. 1t has been often
charged against US that W place rea-
son above revelation, but not 80, rea-
son and revelation go hand in hand.
The scriptures contain but one phase
of Gods great revelation. When
men come to consider things in this
light, all things will be seen to har-
monte, and the apparent conflict
between science and revelation will
cease for they are but two sides of
the same thing. l affirm, moreover,
that revelation rests on the authority
| of reason, because to this faculty it
submits the evidences of its truth,
and nothing but the approving voice
of reason binds us to receive and
obey it,
take the New Testament in
hand, and on what grounds do | re-
ceive it's truths as divine? I see
nothing on its pages but the letters
in which other books are written. No
miraculous voice from heaven as.
sures me that it is Gods word, and
to what shall listen to but the voice
in my own soul answering to the liv-
ing thoughts before me? AS with
the same bodily eye l now look on
the earth, and now on the heavens,
so with the same power of reason I
examine now nature, now revelation.
Reason must compare this system
with those great moral convictions
which are written by the finger of
God on the human heart, and which
make man law unto himself. Let
us apply to the Scriptures the pro-
foundest study of which we are capa-
BILE. Let us listen to voices from the
past. Sir Isaas Newton, that mag
nifcent genius who bound natures
great forces with the inhexible chain
of universal law, turned his mind to
the study of religion and became
believer in universal salvation.
John Lock, who delved among the
inmost recesses of the human mind,
and whose worx stands monument
of knowledge, was believer in uni
versal salvation. So was Franklin,
jefferson, Greeley, and host of
others, whose names stand bright
stars in the armament of American
life and thought. A great revolution
has been wrought in Europe. Those
believing in universal salvation form
the most aoOra7siva school of thao