to it, and mortals yet left quite ignorant wherefore; left in darkness not only by reason, but even by revelation itself. But strange as it may seem, this is undeniably the fact. For although the advocates of endless punishment have put in exercise all their inventive faculties to bring forth something that would pass for a sufficient reason of the doctrine, a careful examination will show how unsuccessful all their efforts have hitherto been.

But still their efforts have not been altogether in vain. They have demonstrated the fact that, whether they acknowledge it or not, whether they know it or not, our orthodox neighhors deeply feel the burden that lies upon them and are anxious to shake it off. They are sensible that the doctrine of endless punishment is abominable, and needs support which they can not give it. They are conscious that reliance upon the Scriptures alone for the defence of such a doctrine is extremely hazardous, and hence their perpetual endeavors to find some substantial grounds on which to rest. They pay a tacit respect to reason while they affect to despise it.

To men resolved on finding a reason for a doctrine which they had before pledged themselves to maintain, there could of course be no obstacles which human ingenuity, stimulated by party spirit and selfishness, would not surmount.

The

consequence has been that the grounds on which the advocates of endless punishment have predicated their beloved dogma have been numerous, if not valid. It has been a series of experiments, alike unsatisfactory and futile. But there has been only here and there one at very wide intervals, who has dared boldly to set reason at defiance, and say, "The Bible teaches this doctrine, and I believe it. I know no reason for it: the Scriptures reveal none, nor can I imagine what it may be. Nay, perhaps there is none, but the Bible says these shall go away into everlasting punishment, and this decides the point." This would be honest. It would exhibit the power of faith-implicit faith. And as I shall show in the sequel, the doctrine may claim a few such believers and advocates.

We have now seen something of the popular views of hell, and of the number of the damned; we have also seen how difficult it is to believe this doctrine, and how earnestly men have labored to obtain some rational ground, some principle of moral government, on which they might rest this tremendous doctrine, and in accordance with which they might interpret certain passages of Scripture in its favor. It only remains now to examine the fruits of all the anxious inquiry of the orthodox world on this momentous subject.

CHAPTER V.

OF THE GROUNDS OF ENDLESS PUNISHMENT.

SEC. 1. Sin, it is suid, is infinite, and deserves an infinite punishment.

a

As I have before intimated, the staunchest advocates of endless punishment are sensible of its abhorrent character, and its utter inconsistency with all our better views of the Divine Being, which as christians, we are forced to entertain. Drexelius confesses that it "might seem astonishing that a God of infinite mercy and goodness should pass so dreadful sentence against so many thousand miserable creatures," were it not for certain considerations which tend to reconcile him to it. So does Dr. Edwards concede that it naturally "seems to us not suitable, that any poor creature should be the subject of such misery, because we have no sense of any thing abominable and provoking in any creature answerable to it. If we had, then this infinite calamity would not seem unsuitable."

What, then, are the considerations which show that endless punishment is only proportionable to the crime, so that the mind can "rest in it," as Dr. Edwards says, 66 as fit and suitable, and no more than what is proper to be ordered by the just, holy and good Governor of the world?" I need not say that one of the most popular grounds on

which it has been attempted to predicate and justify the doctrine in question, is the alledged INFINITY OF SIN. Sin, it is said, is an infinite evil, and consequently deserves an infinite punish

ment.

This argument, if so by courtesy it be called, appears in different forms, and rests on different data. Sometimes sin is said to be infinite in its own nature; sometimes because it is an offence against an infinite God, or God's infinite majesty; sometimes, again, because it is a violation of infinite obligation; sometimes because it is infinitely opposed to God, and would hurt him from his throne if it could; and finally, it is sometimes represented as deriving its infinite character from the sinner's knowledge of the good of being, which is infinite. As might be expected, this mode of trifling is very ancient. It may be traced back to Augustine, the father of Calvinism, so called. It flourished in the days of the Schoolmen, and was employed particularly by Thomas Aquinas, one of the most distinguished among them. It has been maintained, also, by great numbers of modern divines, Protestant as well as Catholic, such as Drexelius, Mosheim, Schubert, Edwards, and a host of inferior names. To exhibit one phase of the argument, I shall here quote a passage from Dr. Edwards' famous sermon on the eternity of hell torments. His object is to show

that punishment "absolutely without end," is not contrary to the justice of God.

"To evince this," says he, "I shall use only one argument, viz. that sin is heinous enough to deserve such a punishment, and such a punishment is no more than proportionable to the evil or demerit of sin. If the evil of sin be infinite, as the punishment is, then it is manifest that the punishment is no more than proportionable to the sin punished, and is no more than sin deserves. And if the obligation to love,honor and obey God be infinite, then sin, which is a violation of this obligation, is a violation of infinite obligation, and so is an infinite evil. Again, if God be infinitely worthy of love, honor and obedience, then our obligation to love, honor and obey him is infinitely great. So that God being infinitely glorious, or infinitely worthy of our love, honor and obedience; our obligation to love, honor and obey him, and so avoid all sin, is infinitely great. Again, our obligation to love, honor and obey God, being infinitely great, sin is a violation of infinite obligation, and so is an infinite evil. Once more-sin, being an infinite evil, deserves an infinite punishment; an infinite punishment is no more than it deserves. Therefore such punishment is just; which was the thing to be proved."

This wears the aspect of demonstration; and the venerable divine who thus reasoned seems to have thought his argument sound and conclu