Future Retribution. By Rev. George S. Mott [pp. 532-554]

Fu.ture Retribution.
Bible as a self-consistent whole, it will begin to die. Texts of
Scripture, says Donne, are like the hairs in a horse's tail. Unite
them, and they concur in one root of strength and beauty; but
take them separately, and they can be used only as snares and
springs to catch woodcocks."
And now we summon infidelity to render its interpretation
on what God's Word teaches as to future retribution. In 1858
Theodore Parker, in a letter to Rev. Dr. Adams, of Boston,
wrote these lines: "To me it is quite clear that Jesus taught
the doctrine of eternal damnation, if the Evangelists-the first
three, I mean-are to be treated as inspired. I can understand
his language in no other way. But as the Protestant sects
start with the notion-which to me is a monstrous one-that
the words of the New Testament are all miraculously inspired
by God, and so infallibly true; and as this doctrine of eternal
damnation is so revolting to all the humane and moral feelings
of our nature, men said,'the words must be interpreted in
another way.' So as the Unitarians have misinterpreted the
New Testament to prove that the Christos of the fourth Gospel had no pre-existence, the UTniversalists misinterpreted other
passages of the Gospels to show that Jesus of Nazareth never
taught eternal damnation." Says another distinguished advocate of final restoration: "And yet I freely say that I do not
find the doctrine of the ultimate salvation of all souls clearly
stated in any text, or in any discourse that has ever been reported from the lips of Christ. I do not think that we can
fairly maintain that the final restoration of all men is a prominent and explicit'doctrine of the four Gospels.* Renan admits
that "Paradise and Gehenna shall have no end." Thomas
Paine and other infidels have made similar concessions, admit ting that the New Testament does teach the doctrine of eter nal future punishment.
In contemplating this theme pious men have shrunk frorn
this terrible conclusion, and some have hoped there mighlt be a
reprieve; but have confessed they could discover no warrant
for it from the Bible. The sentiments of many find expression
in the words of Mr. Beecher, in the sermon on "Future Pun
* T. S. King's Two Discour8es, p. 5. Quoted in Great Concern, by Dr. Adams.
1871.]
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