Page images
PDF
EPUB

proved that Pharaoh and his host are actually in such a state. And then let them all agree to believe nothing on this subject more than the divine testimony proves.

When this method is agreed to, the whole question is settled; for the fact is, there is no intimation in the scripture account that Pharaoh or any of his host were sufferers after they were drowned in the red sea.

It is a most humiliating thought, that our learned doctors of the church should so long maintain this phantom of their imagination, to the dishonor of God, and to the discomfort of every tender sensibility of the human heart.

But the day of trial and retribution is come; and this folly must be recompensed. It is true, they may turn away their faces, they may wish to avoid meeting these glaring absurdities; but the spirit of investigation, which is now manifesting itself, will never suffer this matter to rest, until such barbarity of sentiment is totally rescinded.

The hearer is cautioned against the supposition that the preacher takes the least satisfaction in giving those, who maintain the errors which he is endeavouring to expose, the smallest sensation that may disturb their comfort, and against harbouring such a reprehensible disposition. But he may be assured, that no respect due to fellow mortals, can justly prevent us from bringing their false notions to the light.

The next subject, which we propose to notice is that of Korah, Ďathan, and Abiram. We have an account in the 16th of Numbers of the destruction of these persons, their families, and of all that appertained to them, by being swallowed up in the earth. This is another instance of divine providence, which, those who believe and preach the doctrine of endless, unmerciful punishment advert to as a certain proof of its reality. But how can the account which we have of the destruction of those

people prove what it says nothing of nor even implies? If one should say, that Korah, Dathan, and Abiram with their families went immediately, after they were swallowed up in the earth, to some one of the planets, where they have all lived ever since in a state of affluence, who could prove to the contrary? There is nothing in the account which we have of those people that intimates what became of them after they were swallowed up in the earth.

If we could be satisfied with the account which we have of this matter, there is no difficulty in understanding why these people were swallowed up, and the benefit thereby intended to the congregation.

As these men rose up to oppose Moses and Aaron, and to excite the people to rebellion, Moses told the congregation; "Hereby shall ye know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me ; but if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertaineth unto them, and they go down quickly into the pit, then ye shall understand that those men have provoked the Lord." According to these words the event took place, and the rebellion was ended.

The question is now put to the candor of this christian audience, what is there in this account that authorises the belief that Korah, Dathan, and Abiram are now in a state of endless torment? Moses did not intimate to the congregation that these people would be tormented after death; and in fact if he had told them so, they could not have been witnesses of the truth of his testimony; nor could any other people since have known whether Moses spoke the truth or not. We have no account either sacred or prophane, that gives any information of the situation of this company after the earth swallowed them up. If they have been in a state of torment ever since, that torment has been no terror to the

1

living, because the living have known nothing of it. And it is certain, that those who advert to the case of Korah and his company, as an instance proving the doctrine of a future state of misery, do this thing on no higher authority than human tradition.

The destruction of the old world by the flood, is another event, on which, our preachers of punishment in a future state, depend for proof of their terrific doctrine. And such is the habit of thinking, with pious and religious people, on this subject, that whenever they think of the drowning of the inhabitants of the old world, their minds are carried directly to the idea of the awful state of suffering which those people have been in ever since. They never presume to call the matter in question. They never think of asking whether there be any proof of this horrible notion. They take it altogether on tradition, without taking the trouble ever to read the account to see what is said respecting it. Yet it is worthy of notice, that these very people, thus led away with superstition, will wonder, and even laugh at the absurd superstitions of other people, in matters of no consequence in comparison with this which we have now called in question. For instance, what a world of contention there has been between Roman catholics and Protestants, on the question respecting transubstantiation and what is termed, the real presence. Protestants will even ridicule the superstition of their opponents on this subject; but after all, have they a thousandth part of the evidence to prove that the inhabitants of the old world are in a state of endless inisery, as the catholics have to prove the real presence? No, surely they have not. When Jesus took bread and brake it, he said; "this is my body." Protestants say, that Jesus spake figuratively; but the catholics deny this, and say, he meant as he said. Now what we ask is this, is there in all the account which we have of the destruction of the old world, any thing so much in favour of the misery of the people after

death, as the words of Christ are in favour of the catholic sentiment? The fact is, there is nothing said on the subject. There is no intimation that the inhabitants who were drowned by the flood were made miserable at all in a future state. Thus Protestants as well as the old pharisees “strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel."

In the last place, we will notice the case of Judas, who betrayed Jesus. Because Jesus said; "It had been good for that man if he had not been born," it is now contended that Judas is in a state of misery from which there is no deliverance. But did the

divine teacher say any thing on the subject of the state of existence that Judas would be in after this life? No he surely did not. How then can his words prove what they say nothing of?

Let us ask the following question; Is it possible to prove that Judas now has any existence, from the words of Jesus, which we have quoted? "It had been good for that man if he had not been born." Do those words prove that Judas is now in existence? Surely no one will even pretend this. But it is beyond all scruple, that a sentence which does not prove that a man exists at a given time, cannot prove that he is miserable or happy at the same given time.

But it is said, if Judas exists, and if he should be inade happy in the eternal world, the words of Jesus are not true, because the existence of Judas will be a blessing. This we pronounce loose and fallacious reasoning, such as is never used to prove any thing, except the doctrine of a future or endless misery. In all matters appertaining to men's interest, in this life, better proof is required than what is here relied on to prove a state of endless torment. We even venture to say, that there could not be found a jury of twelve men who would award property to the amount of ten dollars to a man, who could not prove his claim to it by evidence more to his case. We may suppose that Jesus meant, that it would

have been good for Judas, if his lot had been appointed with those who never saw the light; or we may suppose, that he meant, it would have been good for Judas if he had not been born until after that period of time; or we may suppose that Jesus ineant, it would have been good for Judas if he had not at that time been born of the spirit of truth; for Peter says of those that fall away; "It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandments delivered unto them." Either of these suppositions is within the possible meaning of the words of Jesus, but the supposition that Jesus meant, that it would have been good for Judas not to have had an existence is not within the possible meaning of his words; for if he had not existed he could have received no good in any way. Whoever will carefully read what Job says concerning his being born, in his 3d chapter, and likewise what Jeremiah says of his own birth in his 20th chapter will surely find as much proof of the misery of these men in an other world, as they can find in the words of Jesus respecting the misery of Judas in the future state.

According to the words of Jesus in the 19th of Matthew, Judas had followed him in the regeneration. And we learn by the account we have in the 10th chapter, that Judas, as well as the rest of the twelve Apostles was endowed with power to heal the sick, to cleanse lepers, to raise the dead, and to cast out devils; he was also commissioned to preach the gospel. In the labours of this miraculous ministry we have no account that Judas was not as faithful and as successful, as the rest of the twelve. But he was a fallible man like the rest; satan entered into him, and be committed one act that was base in the extreme; he betrayed his master. Peter also denied him, and confirmed his denial with oaths. Judas was called a devil and Peter was called satan. Our tradition has placed Judas in hell, in the eternal world, and Peter in heaven.

« PreviousContinue »