The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-04-19
EVERLASTING HELL.
AtEpiscopalian Writes on Question Of
Local Discussion.

! On on the above subject was recently
hblished by the Rev. Mr.. Poole and q
j tply BY the Rev. Mr.. Macarthur is nov
before me. The discussion is Of great
! importance, for the reason that our
\ conceptions Of God largely affect our
attitude towards our fellowmen-as il
abundartly proved BY the harsh intoler-
ance Of religious men like Calvin and
Torquenada, and by the flames Of Smith.
slaeld Moreover, a particular view Of
4 the matter has been fruitful in the max.
ing Of atheists. Compared with this"
wrote John Stuart MIL, referring to the
teaching Of an everlasting hell, "all OBJ
iectiou TO Christianity sink into insig-
nifcafce" Apparently Mr.. Poole's mind
ia no. made up; and the most he will
say Y, IN effect, Il hope" He will not
afira universal salvation, nor will he
DEM II. Mr.. Macarthur, on the other
had, has no doubts at all; and he quotes
cefain passages Of Scripture in support
a his belief in place Of unending
.nglish and tormenti Depart from me
w cursed into everlasting FIRE prepared
for the devil and his angels" How
shall we escape il we neglect SO great
salvationP 1T is q fearful thing 70
fall into the hands Of a living Cod
lie tells us that "the ordinary unbiased,
careful reader" he does not consider Mr..
Poole to be such) "will conclude that
for those who reject the gospel there Is
"a fiery indignation: 'the smoke OF
their torment shall arise forever and
ever"
Mr.. Macarthur might have quoted fur
Their; "And he shall be tormented with
FIRE and birthstone In the presence Of
the holy angels and in the presence or
the Lamb" Many are called, but few
are chosen" Marrow is the way that
leadeth to life, and few there be THAI
find IT," According to Mr.. Mcarthur's
method Of literal Interpretation, the
damned are to be forever tormented, and
the way of escape Is 20 narrow that only
flew" viii "hnd IT," The majority Of
the human race are to shrek and BIAS
pheme in unquenchable FIRE.
But not only so--this awful doom Of
darkness and fire and warns has been
ordained by God Himself. God has a
plan" says Mr.. Macarthur, and whom
He viii he hardeneth.p There Is a
remnant who shall be saved" A REM
nanti a piece fraction All the
rest Of this garment Of humanity is
to be tossed ike filthy rag into the
fires Of hell This, on Mr.. Maearthnrs
method Of interpreting Scripture Is per-
fectly consistent. God. knowing that
vast numbers will 90 into an undying
hell, creates thaAe hapless creatures. He
offers them a chance Of escape, knowing
that they win not accept t. He even
"hardenss them against accepting il.
Not only 50; ii is said that He creates
evil" Isaiah XIV, ~. God even puts
a lying spirit" in the mouth OF the
prophets II Kings xxi, 2sl. These
statements are clears God creates evil;
God hardens souls in sin; God creates
men knowing they win be damned to
everlasting torrents. According to Mr..
Macarthur we are 20 accept the follow
ing plain statements at their face value:
God creates aYii and Is then powerless
to altogether overcome the evil lie has
created God wishes TO save ali men,
but He hardens some so that their saliva
tion Is impossible, God knows the enc
from the beginning, yet He calls into
being untold millions, the Smoke Of
whose torment shall arise forever and
ever Ard this is supposed to be the
good tidiags Of great Joy" contained
in the gospel
Further, we are told that God and
Christ "grieye" over sin Now hell
means sin. and endless sin means the
endless grief Of God. This necessarily
follows; for whem we speak Of q soul as
"eternallv lost, we must not forget
what those words really mean. They
mean that It Is God who has lost the
soJi; that it IS the Father who has lost
His child Thus, on Mr.. Maearthur's
teaching, there Is everlasting grief and
pain Ia the heart Of God.
But the redeemed in heaven are, Mr..
Macarthur tells Us, 50 occupied with
their own joy that they have no grief
or pain concerning the souls lost in hell /
We are then supplied with an iIlustra-
ton. Il am deeply grieyed," says Mr.. |
"at the loss Of SO many lives
in railway accident, but my 10y is
when find myself safe" So /
win it be In heaven, though millions |
suffer in bell 1t is not clear how one
is to be deeply erieved" and yet at the
same time be full OF 'fboundless joy"
But, however this may be, we are as
sured that the blessed ones In heaven
win not be gievously affected by the
hapIess condition Of the shrielSing multi
tudes Ia hell And this in the name Of
Him who babe US "love thy neighbor as
thyself.1 Is it too much to say that /
III this teaching, becomes in
initely horrible. appalling and mon
strousf The mother in heaven is to be
llled with joy knowing that her son
Is writhing in the torrents of the
damned All sense of pity is gone; all
for ones kindred is lost Who
wants TO live in heaven like this2
Further. Mr.. Macarthur asks, Where
lid any minister represent God and the
-adeemed al receiving infinite delight +
from the fortunes of the lost? II ever
such happened | would like to see it
pointed out. But it cannot be done"
Unfortunately, it can be done. Others
beside Mr. Macarthur, other good and
sall meaning Christians, have held APP
oallnig views Of God, and have tried to
support saeh views by appeals to the
efter Of Holy Scripture listen to the
words of Peter Iembard, THE elect
hall 20 forth to see the torments Of the
mpious. seeing which they win not be
yrieved, but win be satiated with Joy,
It the sight of the unutterable calamity
Il the impious.1 Hear the words Of the
Rev. J. Edwards: "rhe view of the
Misery Of the damned viii double the .
Irdour Of the love and gratitude Of the
aints in heaven" Listen to the words