Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-10-22
THE DOCTRINE OF HELL.
Sermon at St. Anne's Chapel Last
Night-"Hell a Place Of Destruct-
ion, Not Everlasting Punish
ment.

gave marked attention to the sermon
preached by the assistant rector
Rev. James L. Smiley, on 1.-The Doc
trine of He'll" Mr. Smiley said il
part:
The subject of punishment in a flu
ture state has occupied the minds oil
many thinkers, both ancient anC
modern, heather and Christian. Ir
the popular mind the subject is more
or less confused. Two extreme views
have developed, quite naturally. The
one extreme holds that there is nc
hell; the other, that there is hell OF
unending torment.
1T is, therefore, great relief and
comfort to turn to the one Book which
holds the solution of all human prob.
lens. Gods Bible, when faithfully
studied, gives US a clear view of this
universally interesting subject.
There is a Hell-This fact is
plainly taught by the Son of God
Himself. On several occasions He
used such language as this: We
serpents, We offsprings of vipers. how
shall We escape the judgment of hell ;
Fear Him who is able to destroy
both soul and body in hell These
are merciful warnings to men who
persist in sin.
"Hell Place of Destruction-Th
last quoted text speaks of the de-
struction of soul and body in hell.
Many other Passages use similar lam
guage, which is clearly incompatible
with the opinion of everlasting exist.
ence in torment. A few more should
suffice: st. John the Baptist says
(St. Matt. 3-12) The 'chaff He will
burn up; st. Paul says Oil Thess.
1;9) Who shall suffer punishment,
even eternal destruction.
"A good deal of light il thrown
upon the subject when we trace the
origin of the Hebrew word for hell.
1t is Gehinnom or The Valley of
Hinnom. The name is derived from
the valley south and west of the city
of Jerusalem. Here cruel idolatry
had sacrificed children to the fire-god
Molech. To put an end to these
denominations. the retormer King Jo-
siah polluted the valley and rendered
it ceremonially unclean by spreading
over ii human bones and other cor
ruptions. 1t later became the dump
ing ground for the city's garbage and
filth. Fire was used to destroy this
refuse, and naturally worms devoured
what escaped the fire. Hence the
prophets expression applied by
Christ: Where their worm dieth not.
and the fire is not quenched.
1.-THE destroying agents here con-
tinued necessarily, while the refuse
itself persisted. He'll shall thus de-
stroy all vile impenitent rebels
AgainsC God.
Mercy ia Destruction-As God is
the Sepreme Ruler, perfect in good
ness, love, wisdom and power. He
cannot and will not tolerate everlast-
ing sin. Hence He destroys it, for
the good of the universe. 1t was this
same merciful purpose manifested in
the flood, the destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah, and the slaughter of
the Cannites. The destruction of
EVIL is preventative measure in the
building up of righteousness. And
when the Kingdom of Heaven is COM
plete, all the wicked will have been
utterly destroyed. For the opinion
that they are to continue forever in
torment necessitates the existence, of
a horrid place in Gods universe,
where the memorial of sin is forever
perpetuated by the writhing agonies
of human reprobates.
"fHow much more reasonable to be-
lieve in the eventual humiliation of
ths wicked! Gods love is inseperable
from His justice and wisdom. He is
too pure to tolerate evil. Therefore,
He means to annihilate it and all its
agents.
Everlasting punishment--This ex-
preston is often sadly misunderstood.
1t does not mean everlasting pain.
1t does mean everlasting disgrace.
To be banisaed forever from God and
heaven, from the everlasting society
of the heroes of righteousness, will
be, in the words of Daniel, 1872,
shame and everlasting contempt. ,
The word for punishment in St. Matt.
25 :46, means the same as the prun-
ing of trees. 1t implies an everlast-
ing cutting off from life.
Conditional Immortality The texts
quoted and many similar passages in
the Bible lead US to believe that all
men are immortal only when attached
to Christ. He is the vine and we
are the branches. Apart from Him
all souls are mortal St. John de
clares in his first general Epistle
(5:l2) He that hath the Son hath
life; he that hath not the Son of Goo
hath not life
Summary--We conclude, then, that
sin will bring its own natural tor.
ment and destruction in hell. II
is d fearful thing to fall into the
hands of the Living God as an
offender. How long the pains OF
sin will last in hell we mortals can.
not say, but the Word of God justi.
fies the belief that all evil will be
eventually consumed AMI the whole
universe brought into harmony with