The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-14
MORAL. ESrltAINl

~ communication which appeared
in Tho "Hrra' d and News" tho 14th,
headed "Whnts tho Muttcr?" and
signed II. B. j. has created Il r.ill, in
tho wave OF Christianity: He scores
tho preacbers very heavily, and
thinks tho doctrine Of future punish
ment is responsible for many of thc
ills Of this .tld world OF ours; and
yet he must know that tho doctrine
of retribution lays restraint on men
without which the world would sure.
~ go to tho bad. Even our civil
government finds it necessary TO
eaact and promugate laws and penal
tics as deterrent from wickcdncss
and crime; nor is this less important
in divine government. No thinking
man will deny that tho doctrine of a
future state Of rewards and punish
ment is necessary to tho well being
of society.
The most lea. med men, both in
heather aud Christian un,iuuity
have freely concurred in this view,
and for the reason that fear lays a
wholesome check on OWL docrs. We
think it won'd be very difficult, if
not impossible. to find any philoso.
pher Of note in all hoathen annals
that did not admit or teach that the
gods would punish tho wicked; and
this feeling is implanted in our bo
ing. No man can deny that the fear
Of death arises from this source. and
we fancy that the gentleman who
ponrs out SO fierce Il TRADE against
this doctrine aud tho preachers
would feel Il little shaky were the
angel Of death to come into his home
and say, 81 have called for thee"
We cannot got on without fear in
the conservation Of the public peace,
norcould Gods moral i've
without this restraining influence. 1t
must follow, then, that God himself
has implanted this fear Of holy
wrath III man: and cert ain it is that
the Holy Book teaches the doctrine
OF future rewards and punishment.
What elso can we understand by un
pardonale Sin. and "there rcmameth
no more sacrifice for sins" for those
who sin wilfully after receiving the
knowledge OF God? 30 learned a
jew as Jos"phus says: "Thcre IS
lake Of nnquenchabln fro which is
prepared for day afore determined
Of God, when the unjust, and those
who have been disobcdicnt to God,
shall lie adindged TO everlasting
punishment" The Jews being taught
OF God, this man surely knew that
inspiration had put the doctrine of
eternal misery in the Bible.
M, the growing evils of the times
are duo to the fact that mlny arc ton,
ing down this wholesome, restraining
doctrine, are thus opening the very
gates of moral pollution and death
upon us. Remove this restraint
from human nature, base enough al
ready, and every wi"kedness will
flourish IN the land. Fix the notion
IN man that no day Of final account
ing awaits him, AMI you will convert
him into dangerous element held
in check only by fear Of tho civil
law.
What is said derogatory to the
preache to say the least, must re-.
snlt from prejudice or narowncss Of
vision, for Gol himself instituted,
and has perpotnateh this Office, and
men nave been conServu.orS Of peace
and good morals down through all
the ages. Elninnte their work and
influence from society and life and
every social i'll would triumph: Ahab
styled Elijah ''he that tronbleth
Israel" because the prophet of God
exposed his idolatry and sin; and SO
now preachers are hateful in the
eyes of many people because they
perform n similar service. They
would be far moro pleasing to men
were they to teach that man could
crafty every base passion and then
soar away to infinite bliss, because
"thcrc is no othor place to sond
him." but in that case they would
be murd"rcrs Of souls and thegene
mics Of Gods truth Hence, if
preachnls have bpon rrniee in tho