A Hideous Doctrine" Defended.

Otago Witness, Issue 2507, 9 April 1902, Page 56

A Hideous Doctrine" Defended.

TO TITE EDITOR. Sir,— A. Stuart, of Auckland, whose letter appears m your issue of the 2Cth ult., docs not believe in what he calls the ' hideous doctrine" of eternal punishment. This dpctnne being repeatedly taught m the Holy Bible, it is?omewhat blasphemous to call it a "hideous" one. It is a righteous and just doctrine. 1 do not know whether he believes in a. God or in the Bible or not. If he does, he cannot consistently reject this doctrine. In Matthew it is xxv, "Depart from me, ye cm sod, into everlasting fie prepared for the dcvi! and his mentioned several times, twice in Chapter angels"; " The^e shall go away into everlasting punishment," -etc. Jude, toe, speaks of " suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." A. Stuart seems to have little conception of the malignity of moral evil, winch is evident from its Opposition to the character and will of Him who is essential holiness and truth. It involves in its essence the violation of obligations inconceivably strong; rebellion against the very highest authority, and ingiatitude for the greatest goodness, contempt for infinite condescension, and defiance to infinite power. Its malignity is written in legible characteis on all the ills of life— sickness, disease, and pain, pestilence, famine, and war; in the agonies ofdeath, and in the torments o" hell, but to see sin in. all the hatefuLness of its natuie and the horror of its deserts we must turn the eye of the mind! to Cahary, and behold ihe eternal Son of God hanging on a cross, deserted of His Father, and suffering the dreadful effects of his indignation, and then say if it is a light thing to violate the obligations of the Divine law, md contemn the authority of God Almighty. "When God created Ad»m he made him the representative of his posterity. "When He gave him. the law in Paradise He legislated for the human race, and being our common parent our interests were entirely involved in his. His obedience or disobedience entailed happiness or misery upon us. God in his infinite wisdom decreed this for reasons beyond our comprehension. The general doctrine of religion — that our present life is a state of piobation for % future one, and that our future interests are depending upon ourselves, and that wo have scope and opportunities here for that good and bad behaviour — is evident. As the moral government of God which religion teaches us implies that we arc m a state of trial with regard to a, future world, so also His natural government over us implies that, we are m a state of trial in 'lie hke^eense with regard to the present world. Natural

much implies natural trial as moral government does moral trial. The man who leads a temperate, honest, and virtuous life may enjoy a happy and comfortable life, and is honoured and respected. On the contrary, the man that leads an intemperate, dishonest, and vicious life destroys his health, ruins his character and reputation, is despised and becomes a burden to himself, to his friends, and to society. The same thing obtains with regard to our future interests. If we love God', believe on His Son as our Redeemer, and live ai virtuous and religious life, and generally comply with the conditions laid down in His Word, we shall attain eternal haopiness. On - the contrary, if we disobey God and reject tho Saviour, and refuse His great salvation, our portion will inevitably be with those who go away into " everlasting punishment," who suffer the "vengeance of eternal file." The analogy between God's natural government of the world and his moral government is very clear. Every sin deserves God's wxath and curse. SiH3 give the divine justice imperative and resistless claims on their perpetrators. -* Sin and wretchedness are inseparable, beings in ths nature of things connected -together by" a law as steady and invariable as that which, regulates the planets. The misery consequent upon sin does not- arise from the arbitrary frewn of heaven. When the divine law announces the infliction cf punishment it declares what v/ill in the veiy nature of things bo the effect of sin to the transgressor. God; is the creator, governor, and supreme ruler of this world. His government is an absolute monarchy, His will is the rule of action" for all creatures. God's riglft to give law is founded on his original and undivided supremacy ; the supremacy of his wisdom, power, and goodness, so infiniiejy above those of all. creatures, make Him the monarch. God is merciful. God is willing to pardon, from the infinite benevolence of His nature. Who can doubt this? God is love, yet it must not h offirmed that in this mere benevolence we have any assurance of His paidoning mercy, anc l His justice, His unchanging rectitude may uoc be satisfied until tLe transgressor receives the full reward of his deeds, or takes refuge in some accepted atonement. A good h-w punishes. A good judge punishes, and tiia more certainly because he is a good jud^e. However inclined to forgive the divins Li'.wgiver^oay be, justice has claims as well as clemency and compassion, and what can ccin:tervail these rightful deman*d3? It is i_ot sovereignty that punishes, but justice, a justice that, whila it never inflicts more tha.i ia deserved, never inflicts lesn. It is not leveiige that punishes, but principle. It is not n:R'.;;.e, but pure, unchanging lectitude. It is o^-Kii-tial to the character of God u<s lia^-giv-rr tV.ai, whenever the claims of His !a»v are violated. His authority be enforced by the infliction of its penalty. The inquiry comes, then: Is it possible to indemnify justice and yet pardon the transgressor? The problem is dark arid difficult, but God in His infinite love has solved it. The act'orab!e Ood in His unsearchable wisdom discovered that the infliction of the punishment upon a competent substitute is equivalent to the course due to the tiansgressor; as sucn it as accepted by Justice in full satisfaction of all her demands. The substitute is provided — the gates of paradise are thrown open. The eternal Son of God be.ixs the accursed load, drinks the bitter cup of His Father's wrath, and p free and lull t.iivation is offered to the chief of «inners. "\vhr-e, then, is tho rca&on foi- complaint, though inexorpb.'e justice demands tiu eternal pti:-u>!-ment of those who refuse salvation ? The conditions imposed are of very easy performance, and complying with them only secures pleasure, joy, and comfort, "and everlasting happiness hsreafter. A. Stuait bewails the mental misery caused to tender-hearted and lovabh women and children by the doctrine of " eternal punishment." It must be an erroneous or inisdiiectcd religion that causes such misery. The religion, of Jesus Christ, who is infinitely tendarheaited and compassionate, is well calculated to make men, -women, and children unspeakably happy, even in this life. It offers eternal salvation and everlasting happiness to tenderhearted women and children, and men too, oa condition that they believe on Him arid lovo and serve Him. The eternal Son of God, the maker of heaven and earth, of men and angels^ and all that exists, offers to receive them into His kingdom, to be for ever with Him in the regions of eternal day, where the sun of righteousness shall for evei shine. Is this the thing to make women and children miserable? My experience is that wr-von aiid children who attend church and Sunday schools on Sabbath, who Jove find fear God and serve Him, ard joyfully look forward to a home in heaven with their Lord and Master, aio pie-emip.ev.tly the buglitest, the happie-t, mid most lovable women and children in the woikb A. Stuart mixes up witchcraft, sorcery, and eternal punishment into a stupendous medley. He has not shown what religion and eternal punishment have to do with witchcraft and sorcery; he cannot dc it, for there is none. He aays the belief in eternal punishment is dying out, and. hopes that the progress of education, will do away with it. I can only say that the eiluealior that will caiise people to disregard the Bible and doubt its veracity will be of. very doubtful utility— will be, in fact, a most dangerous education. — I au;, etc., A. Mathesox. "Wvndhpm. April 1. [This correspondence is now closed. — Ed.] The whole of the material foi thp Auofc^ land electric tramways i-, on boaid &hip for the northern city.