SPIRITUALISM.

Evening Star, Issue 3125, 24 February 1873, Page 2

SPIRITUALISM.

To the Editor.

Sir, —On the 18rh inst., I put a question to Mr Peebles, the SpbiUialist, regarding two statements of his which appeared in your report of' his lecture in the Queers Theatre. The first statement is his reply to the question, “Does the Bible teach that punishment is endless ?” His artswer was, “There was no such, Word in the New Testanlent as applied {o punishment, but the word ‘ endless ’ was used with happiness.” 'My question embraced two points: What wai the word ? and where was it employed ? Anxious to obtain the information, 1 press my question. What Mr Peebles is reported to have said is cither true cr it is not. If true, it is easy to name tho word, and to [joint out the place or places whers it occurs ; if it is not true, then, as an honest mao, Mr Peebles should issue an erratum or say peccari — possibly both. I might further add his answer docs not cover the whole question. The question was’, “ Does the Bible teacbj Ac. ?” His answer is confined to the Nsw T«vtasc»(, I mppote b« Would admit that

the Bible includes both the Old and New Testaments. Further, it cannot be learned from his answer what he means by the New Testament. If he meant simply the authorised version, he is very far astray. The term “endless” occurs only twice in the New Testament, and never in the Old. The Sassages in which the terra appears arc [eb. vii 16, and Ist Tim. i. 4, and in neither of these passages is “endless” applied either to punishment or happiness ; and, moreover, it is not the same original term in both : and, further, neither of the terms rendered “endless” appear in any other place in the N'cw Testament. His other statement is, “ Hereafter there would be remorse and sorrow for misdeeds in this state, but there would be an escape from these.” Now, if he cannot prove the first, that should cast cou idorable doubt on the second. lam afraid the reply of a culprit to the statement of a presiding magistrate is the only one that will be found The magistrate says to the culprit, “ Ihe facts are against you.” “Oh,” says the culprit, “so much the worse for the facts. Let me urge that the facts be tried before credence is given to the statements.—l am, * C ’’ Querist. Dunedin, February 24.