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flCj/1. l/bu llcyt^U^V jLucJ^^ 
 
 PLAIN WORDS FOR PLAIN PEOPLE. 
 
 The Future Destiny of the Unsaved, 
 
 Being an inquiry or brief reply (in five letters^ o 
 two lectures delivered in " David Morrice Hall," 
 Canada Presbyterian College, by Rev. Professor 
 Shaw, M.A., of the Wesleyan College, ^nd Rev. 
 Professor McLaren, t). D., of Knox College, 
 Toronto. 
 
 (Principal MacVicar, L.L.D., in the Chair.) 
 
 By ENQUIRER. 
 
 My silence is not for the want of appreciation of the 
 ability and courtesy with which the letters are written. 
 
 Rev. Professor Shaw. 
 
 It is of the utmost consequence what a man believes, and 
 what creed a church holds, yet truth has much more to fear 
 from creeds, which Christians do not believe, than from the 
 utmost freedom of discussion. 
 
 Montreal Witness. January 5th, 1885. 
 
 (Reprinted //Y?/« the Montreal Herald^ 
 
 Tv/rnMT'DlT' A T ><QQP; 
 
Nothing but God and that which pleases him can 
 pennanently exist. 
 
 Archbishop Thompson. 
 
 II 
 
 If Christianity has any human basis, it is its entire 
 reasonableness. 
 
 Rev. Theo. T. Munger, D. D. 
 
 c 
 
 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and 
 plentous in mercy. 
 
 He will not contend for ever, neither will He retain his 
 anger to eternity. 
 
 Psalm 103. 8-9. 
 
PLAIN WORDS FOR PLAIN PEOPLE. 
 
 an 
 
 )N. 
 
 ire 
 
 D. 
 
 id 
 
 us 
 
 XiETTEK, IsTO. I. 
 
 Within a few months we have had two lectures on the future 
 destiny of the wicked, at the David Morrice Hall — one by the 
 Rev. J. Edgar Hill, M.A., of St. Andrew's Church, and the 
 other by Professor Shaw, of the Wesleyan Theological 
 College. The former believes that all punishment is remedial, 
 and the latter that it is penal, and endless in its duration. 
 The lecture on Sunday was able and eloquent, but it seemed 
 to me that the conclusions reached were neither exgetically nor 
 logically correct. The Professor has evidently read and 
 thought much upon the subject, but I was a little surprised 
 and disappointed to hear him dismiss with a few words only 
 what I (and most others who have given any attention to the 
 subject) regard as the strongest argument against the endless- 
 ness of the future punishment of the lost — I refer to what is 
 now generally designated "Conditional Immortality," the 
 chief promoters and defenders of which are the Revs. Edward 
 White and Samuel Minton, M. A., of London, and the Rev. 
 W. R. Dale, LLD., of Birmingham, England, successor to the 
 late excellent John Angell James. Tlie position taken with 
 regard to this doctrine is that, according to the Genesis' 
 accounr of the creation and fall of man, he is not naturally 
 immortal, or that he lost his claim or right to immortality by 
 the fall, therefore his punishment cannot extend beyond the 
 limit of his existence or conscious being. Sometimes this 
 doctrine is called annihilation, and its promoters annihilation- 
 ists, but these terms are. incorrect and misleading, for they 
 believe that all will be punished according lo the demerit 
 of their sins, and then go away into "everlasting destruc- 
 tion." Be " punished with everlasting destruction from 
 the presence of the Lord " Those who hold this view, 
 believe firmly that it is supported by abundant Scripture 
 proof, which I could easily give if your space would 
 allow it. I think the worthy Professor is mistaken 
 when he says that if the orthodox view be given up, the 
 
other doctrines and even the authority of Holy Scripture will 
 soon follow. So far as I know, this has not been the case, for 
 where will you find more godly men, more sincere, earnest and 
 useful ministers of the Gospel, or more able defenders and ex- 
 pounders of the Bible than the three clergymen already named ? 
 (I might also add Dr. Joseph Parker, of the City Temple 
 London, Rev. Arthur Mursell, and many others.) Rev. Edward 
 VVhite was lately elected Chairman of the London Association 
 )t Longregati- nal Ministers, and churches, a very honorable 
 position which but few attain to. He was also lately chosen 
 to deliver the "Merchants' Lectures" at Weigh-house 
 Chapel,— the late Rev. Thomas Binney's. His lectures were 
 in substance a defence of the New Testament Scriptures and 
 of Orthodox doctnnes, and yet he does not believe in 
 he endless torments of the lost, and his brethern knew 
 this well, when they placed him in these honorable 
 positions I wonder whether Prof. Shaw ever read his 
 book, Life m Christ," containing upwards of 500 pages? 
 It seems passing strange to me that ho should have spent so 
 much time with Canon Farrar, who no where, either in his 
 Eternal Hope,' or " Mercy and Judgment," affirms that he 
 does not believe in eternal punishment, while Mr. White has 
 written his book to prove the doctrine untrue and unscriptural, 
 besides preaching against it for thirty years in the same church. 
 And It IS well known that his view is rapidly spreading among 
 thoughtful christians of all denominations in England, and 
 not a few able Ministers believe it and preach it to their con- 
 gregations without let or hindrance, hence my surprise that 
 Prof. Shaw should have passed it by with only a single 
 remark or two. Those who hold this view reject both Uiii- 
 versahsm and Restorationism as being untenable on Scriptural 
 grounds, but they hold firmly that they have ample grounds 
 nL^'\ ' 'o ^^.^ declarations of Jesus and Paul, while the 
 Uld Testament Scriptures are utterly silent on the subject of 
 " Eternal Punishment. ' ■" 
 
 Although the Professor failed to remove my doubts, I greatly 
 admired his calm reasoning and Christian spirit, and would 
 much like to hear him devote a whole lecture or more to 
 
 ?"r^"??u^''- ^^^'?'' ^^°^- ^^"e D«™er, perhaps, is the 
 father of this part of the - New Theology," he is less definite 
 and less clear in his reasoning on the subject than White and 
 must not be regarded as the rhamnmr, or^^n^ *i,^.„ ...i,. 
 advocate this view. ^ 
 
There are many like the great essayist, John Foster, who 
 are unable to reconcile the doctrine of the endless torment of 
 the lost, with the infinite beneficence, justice and fatherhood 
 ot eiod, and consequently they either reject or doubt it: such 
 persons would be thankful for more light. It did appear to 
 me that the Professor also passed over this very important 
 point somewhat too briefly a:.d too lightly, and consequently 
 unsatisfactoriUy to his doubting hearers. However, the sub- 
 ject was too great for one lecture, and but few men could 
 have done better m the short time allotted to him. It was 
 somewhat strange that St. Paul was almost entirely ignored in 
 the lecture In his writings he alludes to the future destiny 
 of the wicked upwards of twenty different times; but in none 
 of them does he either affirm or imply that they will suffer 
 endless conscious punishment. A careful examination of his 
 statements on this awful subject will show any unprejudiced 
 reader that he and Prof. Shaw are not agreed. The tern.s 
 the great apostle and other New Testament writers use when 
 alluding to the punishment of the lost, are " perish," " des- 
 troy, and •' destruction." Is it not an abuse of language to 
 force these terms to mean endless, conscious misery ? Let 
 "uiU ™^™ ' ^°'''^'''-''' ^^^^ " ^°^ ^vi" by no means clear the 
 
 The Professor's statements (for arguments we cannot 
 call them) with reference to the endless torment of near rela- 
 tives and friends, while we ourselves, that is if we die Christians, 
 are enjoying ourselves in Heaven, must be passed by as 
 utterly unworthy of notice; it is too horrible to think of for 
 a moment I Then, how with his views of conversion, and of 
 the malignant nature and far-reaching consequences of sin, 
 and considering the present condition • .ur raco-heathen 
 and Christian nations— he can be assured that the great 
 majority of men will be saved, is more than I can understand. 
 
 As a public teacher and preacher I think this statement 
 calls for some explanation. I am afraid he is conscience- 
 driven to such an opinion as a comforting antidote and offset 
 to his belief in eternal torment. I think, however, he is cor- 
 rect, but how he can believe it, holding the views he does, 
 puzzles me Notwithstanding, it is a delightful thought and 
 one which I believe will be fully realized. 
 
 One who urac tv>n«ir vo"-" -— '■I- - - • • ' • 
 
 r.r.rr^^.I'"' '""' ".'"'v >^»" "^ ihc ministry, ana who is now 
 no more, once said if he thought the doctrine of eternal tor- 
 
6 
 
 How is this? ''""^ '^"■'^"''^ '''^'^ •" Heaven. 
 
good 
 t any- 
 saved 
 iven ; 
 ve it, 
 
 I veil. 
 
 _ Having sent The Herald containing letter No. i to 
 Professor Shaw, I have waited some days hoping he might 
 favor us with a few words by way of explanation, or reply, .-is 
 we need more light on this very solemn and important sub- 
 ject. Not having heard from h'm, I proceed with a second 
 letter, which I hope may not be without some detrree of 
 mterest. ° 
 
 A TERRIFIC •DOCTRINE. 
 
 The future destiny of the unsaved is now one of the most 
 absorbing questions of the day, and but few pastors of 
 churches would proclaim as in past times the doctrine that 
 the glory of God wil) be, or is now being promoted, by keeping 
 millions of souls in heli)less and hopeless misery for ever! 
 1 his is very rarely preached from our pulpits now, and may 
 we not hope that it is not taught to the students in our 
 colleges ? An aged and godly Methodist woman of the old 
 school remarked to me some days ago that " these dreadful 
 things were not so often preached about in Methodist pulpits 
 and churches now-a-days, and she was glad of it " The remark 
 would also apply to the churches of other denomina ,ons. 
 Ihe pews may listen to an occasional and passin>^ remark on 
 the eternal damnation of the lost, but clergymen well know 
 that there would soon be a quick thinning out process going 
 on in their pews and churches were they to preach these doc- 
 trines now with the same positiveness and vehemence as 
 formerly I was glad to hear that Professor Shaw is some- 
 what milder and broader in his views than some other Profes- 
 sors, notwithstanding his belief in the eternal duration of the 
 punishment of the unsaved. 
 
 AN INTERMEDIATE STATE. 
 
 He affirms that there is an intermediate state, by which I 
 suppose, we are to understand that the souls of the lost do 
 not go directly to hell at death, but after the resurrection and 
 
 iudement dav. F.vf>n fV..c ic Koff_. 
 
 A 
 
 aiiu 
 
 tural, for if this be the correct view millions of souls have 
 
 I hopc, more Scrip- 
 
8 
 
 vpJrc ^^^^ '" ^^'' intermediate state for several thousand 
 years, and may remam there for some thousands more, instead 
 
 ProW^ '" \^\ ^l ^' ^^^" ^^^" ^^^'ght. Although the 
 
 Professor rejects the idea of mitigation after the judgment day 
 
 his views with regard to an intermediate state gite some relief 
 
 and they are more easily reconciled with our sense of justice! 
 
 It there is no such state, then some of the unsaved would 
 
 have to suffer thousands of years longer than others. There 
 
 would be a vast difference in duration between those who 
 
 were lost at the time of the '• flood " and those lost now or ?n 
 
 future ages. But what saith the Scriptures on this point? 
 
 Would like to have heard the Professor's reasons for said be- 
 
 lef with proof from. the Holy Scriptures. I presume that he 
 
 is not quite orthodox on this point according to the Wesleyan 
 
 or Westminster standards. Principal Mac\ .car, however, did 
 
 l^} P"U"„^">' objection, as he did to the views of Rev. T. 
 
 Mgar Hill on the occasion of his lectures. The Professor's 
 
 t^rold'coumr^""^ "'' ' '^'^^^' "P^'^^ S^'"-S g--d - 
 
 ONLY ONE §HORT LIFE. 
 
 ^n^'^fttV'"''''''''''' r^^'^^l^ for ihe sins Of one short life, 
 and that life surrounded with temptations and with a nature 
 tending to evil from childhood, does not strike one as being 
 according to righteousness, and most assuredly, with the ex- 
 
 o^th^" f TVu^ ^^'"-t P^l'^S^^' it seems coatrary to the trend 
 of the whole Bible, when fairly and correctly interpreted ac- 
 cording to he common laws of language and of interpretation. 
 
 o.^LTvS^' ' /^f'^til^ '^^y ^^'"^P*"'"^ <™s, when theologi- 
 cally explained, should have a different meaning from that 
 given by Webster and Walker. The terms life, diath, perish 
 
 to mZ' fhlf ''''"n ''°"' '' f'"^' ^^ ™^' ^h°"l<^ be unde^rstiod 
 to mean theologically just what they mean anywhere else, and 
 
 not somethtng quite different. Should we not accept the facts 
 
 and stafements of Scripture in their first and mos Ivious 
 
 mher'book ? '' ''^'''" '^^ ^'^^' "^ ^^ ^°"1^ ^"y 
 
 LIFE AND DEATH. 
 
 He that liath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the 
 Son of God hath nof life.-\. John, 5, 12. The wages of sb 
 i^s death, but the free gift of God is eternal /y^.._Rom. 6. A. 
 ^x. L.IC3C, U5 ill many otner passages, life and death stand in 
 
direct contrast with each other- life means life, and death 
 means death. The death of a sinner means the destruction 
 of hfe after resurrection and judgment— after due punishment 
 has been received, for God will by no means clear the guilty. 
 But as God's mercy is infinite and " endureth for ever, " he 
 may have many potent agencies at work here and hereafter, 
 in the intermediate state of which we have no certain know- 
 ledge, and by which he is working out the salvation of those 
 who have neglected themselves and who have not used the 
 means of grace given to them, and therefore this eternal life 
 may be bestowed on. innumerable multitudes of those who 
 were while m this world inaccessible to human instru- 
 mentalities and human agencies. 1 Peter, 3. 19. 
 
 A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE ONLY, 
 
 Professor Shaw made a passing allusion he very slight 
 moral difference there is between thedes^ sinner and the worsf 
 saint. We all know well enough, that the difference as far as 
 we are are able to judge, is often greatly in favor of the 
 former. Would the Professor then send him to an endless 
 hell of suffering, and the other to endless bliss in heaven 1 
 Would that be fair or just ? And yet this is the doctrine 
 held by the worthy Professor. If none are saved but those 
 who are " converted " in an evangelical sense, what becomes 
 of the thousands we meet daily in our streets, and many of 
 those who work in our factories, dig our sewers, and scrape 
 our streets, whose life strength is spent in earning the bare 
 necessaries of life ? Do they go down to the pit of endless 
 misery? 
 
 ETERNITY OF EVIL. 
 
 I know that your valuable space is very limited to discus- 
 sions of this kind, so that I can only glance at this point 
 which, however, is a very important one. If the suffering of 
 the lost IS eternal, then evil is eternal. I use the word eter- 
 nal m the .sense of endlessness, although it does not always 
 carry that meaning when used in the Holy Scriptures. Does 
 Professor Shaw believe in the eternity of evil, and does he 
 teach his students that doctrine ? Has evil any natural place 
 m the universe? Would he dignify it with one of the essen- 
 tial attributes of the divine Creator? Is it at all probable, 
 jiiagmg irom what we know of His benign character, that 
 the Almighty will allow any of his creatures to remain in 
 
10 
 
 eternal rebellion and misery ? I know that we are assured m 
 Hjs holy word that - His thoughts are not our thouZslnS 
 His ways are not our ways," but then are we to suppoL th^^^ 
 He IS less loving and less merciful than we are ? God forbid 
 We must also suppose, and indeed believe, that God's Sni 
 and purposes relatmg to man are never vindictive or r^erelv 
 ^.Zf' ^"Sff io"«. ^nd merciful. Punishn ent wh^h t 
 e^^/ess would be against His nature, and law of worSnl and 
 therefore could answer no good end. We are It a Tos's^o 
 conceive of any motive for the eternal perpetuation of evil of 
 any kmd, but what motive could actuate ffiei g who Ts in 
 finite in power and mercy to permit the evil of e ernll sin and 
 sorrow and woe to millions of our race ? His modves fike 
 His purposes, are all pure, just and good, but we Sn dTscover 
 no good or useful motiv, in keeping millions of huLn souls 
 in endless misery or of perpetuating%vil of any kind for ever! 
 
 THE FINAL TRIUMPH OF GOOD. 
 
 all^^'" TLff ^r'-^ *""""P^ ' °^ ^"^ ^^" "God be all in 
 all ? Eternal suffering means the triumph of evil over eood 
 
 ^:^1^ rari^sc'r pe™o?irf £ «-R"? 
 
 As I and many others are seekine- Hohf «« ^u 
 indicated in these letters, may we not hone th.t P ?°'"'' 
 Shaw will kindly find time to a/swer them ^^His fecfuTe^^ 
 have .said, was able and eloquent, and was hstened to'^-^u 
 great interest, to the last word^ The folbw ng?^^^^^^^ ^^^ 
 on hymn papers are being sung at the LoTd f eHI Td i 
 meetings in the Albert hIiI an§ in other pTa'ce^ofthldty?!' 
 " The foolish doomed to hell beneath 
 Shall weep and wail, and gnash their teeth, 
 " IVAere torments never die." 
 
 i; Hell is darkne-'s, deep and awful, 
 
 Hell IS fire forever burning 
 " Hell is deep, without a bottom I" 
 
XiETTEI^ 3Sro. III. 
 
 ProftL2LterLctur:'i; ^f Sf^^ «^ '^-'"^ 
 
 " Conditional Jmmor altv " 'or Vh., ^^ '- '' "^"' °" 
 
 prefer to call Life in ChHs; M ^ '''''^ °" *^^ ^^her side 
 
 or two ago th^'p^fe^so^lhaw^^^^^^^^ ^^ S"^" %^^^ 
 
 to my letters in The Herat n j k°>^' 'C^^efly. replied 
 
 complin^ent, in acknowledging that h s^'' s° lenc" ' '™ '°^ *^^ 
 to a want of appreciation of the .hiUt!?"^^' "°^ ^'^''"S 
 which they were written" nic • ^ """^ courtesy with 
 
 the P-fesLdSLl^rofour^S'i^sus C\r sh^u^^^^^^^^ '^ 
 be conducted in a Phrict 1,•^^ • •. f '^'^''^t should always 
 
 of wisdom " In r?ftr nt to'C'l'n^ '''V^' "meekness 
 worthy Professors Tr^^c? ^ ^^^^^^ ^"^ lecture of the 
 
 of the'te':m ^l^hLS^^"^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^f^^^ the use 
 
 IS misleadnig and not bel eved in k M ^ already said it 
 doctrine of life in Chris nni, ^ ^^'''^ ^^° '^^'d to the 
 Professors theLekes It wrV"^r"'°''''^^"^t ^^ by the 
 in them touseTtTn such coders. ?'" i'""^"^^^ ^"^ ""^^ir 
 
 known that whLVnfw'^^^e TcirJ^cf'Tr'^.""^^ '^^^. 
 the doctrine of lifp in PKrict correct. The advocates of 
 
 dont forget this poim- ''' "°' annihilationists; please 
 
 att^tr?o%feTocTrLT:f^?FoU>^^ ^^?t'^^ "«^ ^^^ --^ 
 
 lecture, because he d?d no th^S^?/' ^"'"^^''""^^^ " ^" ^^« 
 authorities of the colle J and PWn • ^^ ^P^^tant, but the 
 
 otherwise, and douE fetthath^^^^^ McVicar too thought 
 able and important that ttlr ^^^^^^ff ^'on was so remark- 
 Toronto to s^°pply\Le ,ck^^^ ^°' ^'°^- u^^Laren from 
 the subject. Probablv thev sem f^T^ u ^^°^" ^^^^ure to 
 that he would be wen Dosfpd nn !?' ^"" b^^"«« they knew 
 a somewhat prominent^part fn tL p''' n'ft?' ^^^^^^ taken 
 several years a^o when ^n / ^7' ^' J" Macdonnell affair 
 gladly accepted.^ T^v'Sdh^^^^^^ compromise was 
 a thing again in these dajs"^ '^^"^ '''''' ^^^^^^ trying such 
 
 Then, as to construing Dr. McVirMr'.; c'l^^^^ • . 
 concerning the in.emeSia.e sTa'^ ? h%'t !; "'-° '""'"" 
 »uch an anpression, b„, as he was'so p^onTpi atd decMedl 
 
12 
 
 expressing his dissent on the occasion of Rev. Mr. Hill's lec- 
 
 b™T/^^^^f T'^'u '•" '"PP°'^ ^h^*' ^' ^^ said nothing 
 by way of dissent, that he was not ojiposed to it. The doc- 
 trine of an intermediate state seems to me to have a direct 
 
 wZ^K°" ^ ^i ?^ ^"'^'^.'' *°™^"^- ''^"d' therefore, should 
 colIplL '■'^u''^'^^ especially by Professors in Theological 
 colleges, as a " very secondary" matter, that is, as to whether 
 
 iwtrr" '.'k V"°'- • ^'' ^"^'^^^ ^»' his' denomination 
 It seems ^o not believe in it. Prof. Shaw says that he and his 
 denomination do believe in it, so then here, there is a very 
 serious difference. But they are united in the belief that the 
 
 ev.Tr.1ff T^r' ^'^^^^y. '^"^ "^^y ^'^^' i" character, or how- 
 ever different their privileges and circumscances in life, must 
 and will suffer equally as far as the duration of thei pu™sh 
 ment is concerned. Does such a doctrine seem just or equal > 
 f.Jnf '""' «nustice_//;.„/a« courts-the W//, of the 
 the crim'™^"'""""""' '' ^^^^^^ proportioned to the nature of 
 But as the Principal and the Professor differ in opinion 
 with regard to the intermediate state of the lost, the one be 
 
 fi^"! nS^th^^lf' ' ir f "^'^'"S " *^^^ ^^"g^°^^ «f eternal 
 hre, and the other that they will not do so until after the 
 
 resurrection and the judgment. Now, I ask, when ome of 
 the unsaved have been dead several thousand years and some 
 only several days how can they both be consistently correct? 
 The disagreement between the two, far from being a matter of 
 minor consequence," is almost as great and important as 
 Chlt'^T",, V^'^'T '^^^^ ^"d '^^ advocate7of Ti?e fn 
 
 Snce^Tlhi7b'es'c^^^^ ''" "^'"^ ^^ ''''^ ^^^ 
 
 The ProR sor, like many other ffood men. believes that 
 
 tt wrTf" «^^.f e-Pel "ceasf towarnmentH £ 
 
 teLTna e 'Hhinl^ Jh' "^°''^ P"""'' "' ^!^^ P"^P" " ^"^ ^^en 
 v!^l^ "^ ^^^""^ ^^e t^o mistakes here which are 
 
 very common among orthodox Christians. The first is this 
 
 sufferirr^h/^" ^V"i ^'^^'^ ''"^ '''' -^'^^^^ -«"«-ious 
 tfte wrath to come." This s a very serious mistjike 
 
 letsThrisf l'".h^^ °^^" '^"^ '^ go^rminisTrs-'o'f 
 iSachiL Th^^ thus misrepresenting them and their 
 rS^ f A J ^^ f ^'^'''" '" " the wrath to come." 
 ihey do believe that the punishment of the wicked 
 

 13 
 
 . will be severe, because they believe the Bible to be 
 the word of Goa, and they there find it stated that He will 
 by no means clear the guilty," and that " God is not mocked, 
 that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Thev 
 truly believe this doctrine, and preach it as faithfullv and as 
 earnestly as those who preach " everlasting punishment." Do 
 not then misrepresent those who are "laborers together with 
 Christ by stating or insinuating that they do not warn men 
 to flee from " the wrath to come." 
 
 The second mistake is this-That "the moral power of the 
 pulpit will termmate" when ministers cease to preach the 
 doctrine of endless torment. Does the power of the pulpit 
 depend upon this ? Surely not ! The only difference between 
 the orthodox and the unorthodox, on the point in discussion 
 IS not as to the nature of the punishment, for both believe the 
 wicked will be punished, but simply as to the length or dura- 
 
 Inl '^'' ■ ^""^^ ^?^'^^ ^'"^^y ^'^^' ^'^^y ^'•e "ght according 
 !lfM S^"Pi"^e^' the." ^s »t likely that ih^ power, that is thi 
 usefulness, the effectiveness of the pulpit ai a means of con- 
 version, and of saving men from a life of sin will be all on one 
 
 w.^ c ^^ E°^^' ^^ ^^^ P"^^*' ^ ''^°"1<1 think rests with the 
 Holy Spirit, being m the man who preaches, energizing him 
 and purifying h,s heart, taking of the things of Christ," Tnd in 
 thij^ helping him to preach. Take as a few exam .les Rev. D. 
 J. Macdonnell, of Toronto, Dr. Joseph Parker, of the City 
 Temple, London Rev J W. Dale Ll. D. of Birmingham, 
 (names mentioned before) where will you find more "pulpit 
 power than in these pulpits, and Where will you find more 
 just or useful ministers of the Gospel than these ? They are 
 not only a power m che pulpit, but they are a power out of it. 
 and all around, as every true minister of Christ should be! 
 Ihe power of animal fear cannot be the power of the pulpit 
 1 write with all seriousness when I say that the vehement and 
 persistent preaching of hell torments has done more to weaken 
 the pulpit, to alienate the people, and to prejudice thoughtful 
 men (especially young men) against the Churches and against 
 Christianity than anything else. The sooner these things are 
 pondered by ministers and the Professors in our colleges the 
 better. If they are not, they will find their students greatly 
 m advance of them some day, if some of them are not already. 
 
 men, as tonotdiscussinsfthespmatf*.r'= 'p «>oa^.,i„-» i^ 
 
 Where, then, are we to discuss them ? There is not a religious 
 
14 
 
 paper in ail this broad land that would admit a single letter 
 on the subject we are writing about ! And there is scarcely a 
 bookseller who will sell a book or pamphlet on the sul^'e^ct! 
 ftll!«t i K '' ^^'* approachmg when it will be otherwise; 
 at least I hope so. Does not the great love of God, our 
 
 s^m Z/ ^''^?' ^"^*^' ^""^y gospel plan of salvation pre- 
 rpnLTTi'' '"^'^'^°^^y ?trong and good to influence men to 
 repent and come to Christ for salvation, without giving the 
 motive of fear so large and unnatural a place as \o hfve it 
 
 ?hf.f ""1 *1^°"i. ^^"y ^""^^y' ^' P^«f- Shaw says it is, at 
 the church where he worships ? 
 
 .ni'J! "^^.^^^"g ^" unauthorized limit to the glorious Gospel 
 and degradmg to the mtellect and good sense of the hearers, 
 thus to make so promment a doctrine that can only be of 
 secondary importance, aq^ upon which there is such a wide 
 
 Z^f'lw f °P^^^°" ^"\o"g equally good and learned men ? 
 
 But this letter is already too long ; I must leave the paragraph 
 
 tt'?o'r my iiext. '"' " '^^^' " ^"' ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^--^ ^^ 
 
 pl 
 
'f 
 
 My last letter did not find its way lo your office; I suppose 
 like some others, it was lost or mislaid at the Post Office 
 With reference to the lectures of the two Professors on the 
 foregoing subject, I suppose we may fairly presume that they 
 brought forth their strongest arguments in favor of the 
 traditional or orthodox side of the question ? 
 
 As I intimated in my last letter that both lecturers fell into 
 the mistake, in taking it for granted that the advocates of life 
 m Christ were out and out annihilationists, therefore while 
 they aimed at demolishing the latter, they left the former un- 
 touched. So their " life " and '' death " arguments count for 
 nothing. Prof. McLaren was opposed to the views held by 
 those on the other side, because, as he said, they "did not 
 agree with the record of Genesis." Well, let us see whether 
 they do or not, because on this point hangs the whole 
 question. Is man naturally immortal ? 
 
 Was man created immortal or with " a never dying soul?'' 
 There is only one safe rule in interpreting holy Scripture, 
 and that IS that it should be so interpreted as to be in har- 
 mony with itself; or that one part" should not contradict 
 another. In Genesis (a book which we believe to be authentic 
 history and not an allegory) chapter ii. v. 7, we read, " And 
 the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, a^d 
 breathed in his nostrils the breath of life, and man became 
 a living soul." Now I ask your readers and the Professors 
 also, whether they can fairly extract the idea of natural im- 
 mortality from this passage ? It is quite evident, I think, that 
 the idea sought to be conveyed is simply that a/^er man was 
 formed of the dust of the ground," he became animated 
 with life by the breath of his Creator— that is all. V. 9— 
 There was " the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good 
 and evil in the midst of the garden." V. 16, 17—" And the 
 Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree in the 
 garden thou mayest freely eatj but of the tree of knowledge 
 of good and evil, thou shaltnot eat of it; for in the day that 
 
 thotl eptf«<" the^rt^rtf thrill cViolf- .^.,-.^1.. J;_ » t_ --^ ii . <v- 
 
 - -. — !. .,., .1.^,!, oiinii aditiv uic. 15 iiui uiai Suffi- 
 ciently plain ? He did eat cf it and he died also. Then in 
 
16 
 
 chap iii. 5. 19, as the penalty of his disobedience, we read, 
 In he sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return 
 unto the ground ; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou 
 art and unto dust shalt thou return." " So he drove out the 
 man lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of 
 life and eat and live forever." Do not these and other pas- 
 sages from Genesis plainly show that Adam's living for ever 
 or in other words his immortality, depended entirely upon his' 
 obedience? And that the penaltv of his disobedience was 
 death— death in the common and ordinary sense of the term 
 of the whole man, and not eternal life in hell? Is there the 
 slightest modicum of proof that Adam understood the sen- 
 tence m the latter sense? Or was it possible that for any 
 reason the Divme and beneficent Creator would conceal 
 irom Adam the orthodox and most terrible part of the 
 
 nfS^f c • J""^ ^^^"^ ''^^ ^^' J"^g'"g from the words 
 01 Holy bcripture, come to any oi.ier conclusion than that 
 Jiis immortality was entirely copditional upon his obedience? 
 He was disobedient and fell, consequently the doctrine of 
 eternal punishment has no foundation in the word of God 
 for the sufiFenngs of the lost could not extend beyond the limit 
 of existence, or conscious being. - The utmost said of him, is 
 that he became a "living crenture," a phrase frequently Ap- 
 plied to the animal creation."* If additional proof of th^s 
 
 ^n nfi 'n"?r^ ^^l7 P^^'^S^' "^'^^ ' b^ ^'ted from various 
 parts of the Od and New Testament Scriptures showing that 
 
 whok Bible ' '" """^^ '' ^""'^^ ^" ^^'"'^"y ^^"^ ^^^ 
 
 But it is said that man was '• created in the image of God," 
 w-.i, K .u .u' '''^^*'''" indicated the duality of his nature." 
 With both these statements we agree, but there is nothing in 
 theni proving or mdicating that either part of man was im- 
 mortal, by nature or creation. By the -image of God" is 
 doubtless meant His mora/ image, as we are informed t'lat *' in 
 righteousness and holiness created He him." The terms have 
 clearly no reference whatever to the eternity of the Divine na- 
 ture, and therefore that which is regarded as the chief 
 argument for the immortality of the soul, like all others in that 
 ■direction, falls to the ground. 
 
 Professor McLaren remarked that the execution of the 
 penalty appeared to have fallen directly upon the sou/. This 
 
 • fir.., I?,! ^^rjjjjg^ 
 
IS 
 
 17 
 
 r?veTfrlHtkH^'"?.'''°'''.^"'5"°^' ^'^^" ^^e argument de- 
 s ILs thn 'V .l'''"^''^ fS^'"«^ ^™' ^o'- as the Word plainly 
 must be fhe 1^1 TJ^' ^f^'^'^'y °^ disobedience, then it 
 Sve th^ Jolln • ^ °^ ^''^ '°"^' ^' corroborative evidence, we 
 Sl/tl /■ "^'u^ Pf '^S^' ^""«<^ ^'•om many others :-" The 
 
 pet tv feTchtV' '''" ^'•" ?"' "^ ^° '^^^ believe that ie 
 £ S ^^^ "P""" ^•'^ '°"^' ^of suffering and death to 
 
 we al tnowVvr^'f '"^ ™P°^*^"^ P^^^ of the penalty, Is 
 form heTln^ painful experience. Body and soul combined 
 cordint t^h; % - ^.""'^ ^"ffi,-: death as the penalty of sin, ac- 
 iZar^L? i ^^■'P^'"^^- That is, after the resurrection and 
 
 Thts view is7n'n'"f f "^"^^"*° ^^^^'^^^'"g destruction?' 
 1 ms view IS m perfect accord with the whole of the Old 
 
 reSrTr' .^""P^"^^«' b"^ while their complete silence with 
 regard to the immortality of the soul is very significanT I 
 
 Zo?frth7on"'\'^'"^ °" •^'i^^P°'"^' fo^- there fsaSan 
 proot for the opposite view without it, but if the doctrine of 
 unending torment had been true, surely Moses and the pro- 
 phe s would have said something abouf it. Then again,^st 
 Paul, and I suppose we all regard him as a high authorit; on 
 
 The unorthod'of ^' '"^ '■''^^•""'. P^^'"'^ ^^^^l'« -^ defends 
 r^n^c^ u ^'^'''^' ^' S'^®" ^" the record of the book of 
 Vr IT u Th "T •■ " ^}' ^^g^« °^ «'" i« death." Rom! 
 1!^Ua a a^.' ^^ through one man sin entered into the 
 world and death through sin, and so death passed upon alt 
 Adll t • M '' ''""'^•" Nevertheless death reigned from 
 t^tT^.T ^?f ' 7^" ^^''^ ^^^"^ that had not sinned after 
 the likeness of Adam's transgression (Rom. xii. 12-14). Plainly 
 meaning infants and children of tender years, and pe ham 
 those who are not responsible for their actions. Although 
 they had not sinned, for they were not under the law, tS 
 ^h.'rr '"S^-'S^'° ^'f^^ '^'■^"g'^ Adam's transgression and 
 S,r. v! ^'^ fe-,?^"^^"'' '^^ ""''y «^"^^ death as those of 
 mature years Wil anyone say that they are suffering eternal 
 punishment ! Yet if we consistently and logically pursue the 
 
 TuTif ht S'p^l' '' '''^' "\*« *h^^ horrible'c^onclusion! 
 nn^hi iu -A l"^' ""^ ^^^^.P* *h^ ^^«^s advocated by those 
 death W ^ht'"^'' *^' r"'' ^' Plai"-"fe is life and death is 
 death, and there can be no reasonable doubt but that both 
 Adam and Paul understood the penalty of sin as recorded in 
 ^r^^rnf'in^ Ku'" ^""^' '■^" ";™"gh nis li^pislles St. Paul 
 ?£!^c . r ^u- ^atne way, and often repeating the same 
 terms to enforce his meaning. 
 
18 
 
 I thmk It will be plainly seen that the Hoi/ Scrintures do 
 not teach the doctrine of man's natural immo (amy ^and ha^ 
 the phrases ' immortal soul." " immortal spirit,- tL undyin. 
 soul, 'everlasting misery." &c., so frequently used in serS 
 and religious exhortations, are not to be found in the word 
 of God. and are consequently misleading to common heaTers 
 0? sSrT r: J'' r <. ^° '^ -.^^^Plo/ed. 'irhuman oul 
 iiic noiy scriptures, and never once is t called immnrfni 
 
 n.ive Deen possible, if the soul bad been naturallv immortal 
 as our friends say it is ? Is not the orthodox hcory rTsZ^sf 
 the doZf of*' '"'""'''' '^'""' ">' "Spiri.ualS,''rd by 
 pofeYtLCffierffllet:^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 foundation and destroy the trade of those who deal Tn such 
 perversions of the divine word ^" 
 
 the Word of gS VlTlL 'LToS 't'hrin" ot"? 
 
 s'S,:^e^rd'r?heiv^rrs'^ S*'^^^^^^^^ 
 
 attention to this poin and ffSf College give special 
 Ke/ S. Mmton, M. A. 
 
19 
 
 IT in:c^/pt.ar?h'e^1;^;,L ^^^^ ^^nd how flimsy 
 eternal misery of the^m.^' ^°' ^^^ ^°^trine of the 
 untenable, thTtl accorS nTl ^^r' o ^ • ^^""^ ''' ""^^^X 
 compelled in cons'cie'nce to"|v ^t^u^ 'TZT\'^^ T 
 nothing else, I hope thev will hi A ^' ^ . ^^ '^'^^^''s ^o 
 
 attention to the sub ect and of ^'^"' °^ "^"'"^ «°"^e 
 
 things are so or no" ' ''"'^"''^ ^' *° "^'^^^^er these 
 
 ; • 
 
I think I have in prt vious letters, produced decisive evid- 
 
 a?e noMuslifi' d '''"'' i" '^'"^'^'^ " ''''' °"^ orthoZ friends 
 Hi^ livi w f '^ '" '^'"^''•"S " "^"" '"^-^ ^" "Immortal being." 
 H s liv.ns, far ever, or, m other words, his immortah'ty was 
 eru.rely dependent upon h.s obedience, and that hfs dis 
 obedience was followed by the infliction of the threa ened 
 penalty death-the death of the whole man, body and sSu 
 I also showed that this view of the penalty of Adam" trans- 
 gression harmonies with all that is said on the subject both 
 m the Old and Now Testament Scriptures. ' 
 
 I will now glance at oi e or two other points, the first of 
 which H, perhaps the one most commonly used o prove hat 
 the punishment of the lost is everlasting misery. ItTs this 
 I ha s,n being committed against an infinite%e L is an 
 infini offence, and therefore requires infinite or eternal 
 
 gooci ogic, and those who use it must be hard pressed for i 
 good argument. I would not be quite so wickedTa cer^aiii 
 
 theS!"' T^ ?'^ '' ^"^ ^""1^^^ " '"fi"*^^ nonsense/' Ind 
 therefore called for no remarks or reply. Indeed we need 
 
 not wonder at their resorting to such methods outsTde the 
 covers of the Bible, when they find so little within t To sus- 
 tain their position. Do those who so earnestly and persS- 
 emly advocate and defend the tenet of everlS misery 
 ever seriously think of its terrific and fearful import ? Do 
 h7 '?'-^'"? f ^ ''y to comprehend, in ever so fahi a way 
 
 wayTn whfch ttv' ''T ' 'Y ""^^^''"S '^"d half flfp^ 
 way in ^yhlch they are frequently used in the pulpit would 
 
 eem to indicate that a negative answer would be^the most 
 
 suitable one to this question. You may try to think of thm, 
 
 sands of millions of years, and millions y^ilHonsmoi^^^ 
 
 then the end of the r sufferings would be no nearer rit'mml 
 
 continue without mitigation or alleviation, coupled with utter 
 
 yo f pX/Jhat^h r' '"P"^""^ ''''' ^"^ ^- everl Wan 
 sta dEf? R u '^«,^^aggeration from the orthodox 
 
 S^sa h '^tZ'^"- "^ '^' .Westminster Confession of 
 ^air/i saith,— The puov. •j./s c. sm in ihe worlH fn oo«,l 
 
 1 
 r 
 
 I 
 i 
 
 t 
 
 V 
 
 1< 
 
 tl 
 a 
 
 g 
 
21 
 
 I 
 
 are most grevious torments, in soul and 7/1/. rvithou* int^r 
 nuss^onm hell fire for ever. * * * Shall he c^s^fnTo he To 
 witSThe IwM '^. '-/-^a^/. tonnents. .otk of bod lufoul, 
 with the devil and his angels forever." " Thev who hivinJ 
 never heard the Gospel, know'not Jesus Christ! Ind iX vc 
 not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame 
 heir lives accor<hnK to .he light of nature." V^at'becomTs 
 
 hundrli nf^?!^'"""^ 'J'^ f '"^^ '" '^'-^"^^ heathen, and of the 
 undred. ot t.bou.a.ids of godless Christians ? who pass out 
 of time about every thirty years (and whose numbers a e 
 constantly mcreasing) and whose places are being fiUed ui! 
 bv o!hers al marching on to a common future and a coming 
 PoTr " bt:?'^''"'] ''better gospel" and "more morTl 
 o be 'sa^ed ? ZT^"'^' ''"r '"" ^" ^"J^^^^ "^'-^"y of them 
 miserv 7Th;« ^^r .'^ ^" ?'*^" ^« ^^e doom of endless 
 work? n iu^l ' >of ^'■'^s'on of Faith " is one of the standard 
 Thl V J ' I^'-esbytenan colleges in this country !) All 
 this dreadful torment is inflicted as a penalty for the 
 
 bvThTetr' °' °"' '''''' '^"'"''^" ''f- A"^ fitted 
 andwifhl>H ^•:f,^^^': ^"'•'•ounded with temptations to evil 
 and with bttle within them naturally favorable to obedience 
 or a virtuous life, so that comparatively few have moral nerve 
 enough to master the temptations to which they ^re subject 
 
 over the h^adsT^^ not frequently nreached a^d shook 
 over the heads of the people who attend our churches I I 
 incerely hope that our orthodox friends will g U up his 
 Hor^n-^^'P'"^ "'^^^ "P°" Christ and the p^ower of the 
 ^XeTfn rV-TVu '""'"^ "^^" ^^^"^ «'» -"d in bring! 
 vh o 1 K ^ "?'. ^^^ ^"""'h is, the prominence given to 
 what has been called " hell fire preaching," in past days has 
 been one of the chief reasons why so many intelligent' and 
 thoughtful people absent themselves from our^cEes The 
 
 Z7^ VuT^?''''^'' "^^ of agnosticism may also in 
 pai b. attributable to this ; indeed, there can be no doubt of 
 
 bdievin.TL /,7 ^''" ^r" ^"^° *he other extreme of 
 S ProfP«nr {u i P""'^hment at all. Notwithstanding 
 Innll . u^^^"^ has said on this point, we are glad to 
 
 tt uuofttrnf''''^''"™??"^^'^ S^^^" ^« this docfrine n 
 the pulpit than formerly. This is doubtless giving preachers 
 
 ^."Jr:!r_°_^ "'"^^^l power," and the hi^er Ic^trines of 
 
 jrace and uieicy greater piouii'ncnce 
 
22 
 
 Endless punishment strikes men as being so much out of all 
 reasonable proportion to the offence that they cannot believe 
 the doctrine to be true. But punishment that bears some just 
 arid fair proportion to the offence, and which is announced 
 with definite clearness in the word of God and from the pul- 
 pit, they can understand and accept, hence the rapid spread 
 of the doctrine of "Conditional Immortality " among Clergy- 
 men and the churches in England within the last few years. 
 " The human understanding recoils from the accepted, (ortho- 
 dox) view as incredible and unjust."* 
 
 WHY ACCEPTED, 
 
 In the past, men have accepted the doctrine of endless tor- 
 ment because they were religiously educated in it, and taught 
 to believe that it was an essential part of the Christian religion. 
 It has been taught by authority and accepted as true without 
 enquiry, because of the learned source from whence it came. 
 But now men enquire whether these things are so or not. 
 They say, " We can see no good end to be served by punishing 
 a sinner for ever ; it looks vindictive." As the infinitely kind 
 and wise Creator is always actuated by benevolent motives, 
 we can discover no such motive in His committing any of his 
 creatures to endless and hopeless sorrow. It shocks our 
 senseof justice and right, and is very discordant with what 
 we know of his character. If the punishment had been in 
 any sense remedial, so that even after a very long period there 
 would be some hope that the end would come, then it would 
 be more like Him 'whose mercy eiidureth forever." But 
 what possible good can come of keeping a lost sinner in a 
 dungeon for ever and ever? Conditional Immortality com- 
 pletely removes this well founded objection, and announces a 
 penalty commensurate with the offence and which is more 
 compatible with our sense of justice, and also of what we 
 know of the nature and character of God our Creator. 
 
 But it is said that this view does not come up to the idea of 
 the holy Scriptures with regard to the severity of the threat- 
 ened punishment. To this I answer by asking: what do 
 men regard as the greatest punishment for crime here? Is it 
 not loss of life ? Recently a sufferer in London readily and 
 cheerfully submitted to a very painful operation for just one 
 
 harp rhnnrp nf cavinfr Viio ]\fo U^ V..,^ 1-,^.^ r.1,,,11 „. 1 „„.i 
 
 _. ...^ li.vi ii\. iict,\i ilia oKUti v/pciicui aiivt 
 
 a tumour cut from the surface of the brain* 
 * Rev. Arthur Mursell, B. A. 
 
 What could be 
 
 1 
 
23 
 
 more critical or painful than that ? Yet he endured it with 
 cheerful courage when there was only one poor chance of sav- 
 ing his life. 
 
 A culprit in one of our Penitentaries, who was condemned 
 to be executed on a certain day, said he would cheerfully live 
 m his lonely cell on bread and water, if they would only spare 
 his life, especially if he could see his wife and children occa- 
 sionally. " Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give 
 for his life." ^ 
 
 Well the punishment meted out to the finally impenitent 
 will be the loss of life, and this implies the loss of the blessed 
 life m heaven. With regard to the time and manner of the 
 punishment, we leave that with the " Judge of all the earth 
 who will do right." '< Help is laid upon one who is mighty to 
 save. ' He can save '• to the uttermost " all them that come 
 to him, and such " he will in no wise cast out " And here we 
 rest, and hope to end. 
 
 THE CENTRAL FACT. 
 
 The great leading fact of God's redemptive plan, was that 
 through the Incarnation and Atonement of his Son Jesus 
 Christ he might give life to the world,—" life and immortality" 
 to the individual man. Note here the following sayings of 
 Jesus and others on this point :— 
 
 I am come that they may have///?, John x. lo. 
 If any eat of this bread he shall live for ever, John vi 5 r 
 Ye will not come to me that ye might have life, John v 40 
 If ye hve after the flesh ye shall die, Rom. viii, 13 
 The end of these things is death, Rom. vi, 21 " He that 
 beheveth on me hath everlasting life; but he that obeyeth not 
 the Son shall not see life, John iii, 36. 
 
 Narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and broad is the 
 way that leadeth to destruction, Matt, vii, 13. 
 ^ The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal 
 life, Rom. VI, 23. 
 
 He that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, John ii 27 
 This is the record that God hath given unto us, eternal life, 
 and this life is in His Son, John v, n. 
 
 Whosoever liveth and believeth on me, shall never die, John 
 X, 26. •' 
 
 SI 
 
 If anian keep my word, he shall never see death, John viii, 
 
24 
 
 Several of these sayings of Jesus, John and Paul have been 
 given before, but they are so vital to the question at issue that 
 they need to be repeated here. Take them, then, as they 
 stand, in their plain common sense meaning, and what do we 
 learn from them? Why, plainly that Christ came to give, 
 " everlasting life," or immortality, only to those who believe 
 in him and obey him. The unbelieving and disobedient, die^ 
 perish, and are utterly destroyed, Acts iii, 23. " My mind fails 
 to conceive a ii;rosser misrepresentation o^ language than when 
 the five or six strongest words, which the Greek tongue pos- 
 sesses, signifying destroy or destruction, are explained to- 
 mean an everlasting but wretched existence. To translate 
 black as white is nothing to this." * 
 
 IMMORTALITY. 
 
 The terms immortal and immortality are only used some 
 four or five times in the Bible, and they are never applied to- 
 man as indicating in any sense that he is naturally or neces- 
 sarily immortal. On the contrary, it is distinctly stated that 
 God only hath immortality, Tim. i, 17. Men are exhorted 
 to seek for glory, honor, immortality and eternal life^ 
 Rom. ii, 7, But why seek for that which they have 
 already in possession ? It is then plain that " life and 
 immortality " can only be obtained from Christ, when 
 sought for. He is "the Way, the Truth and the Life." 
 These facts agree entirely with the records in Genesis, 
 so that Moses, Jesus, John and Paul are in perfect accord on 
 this essential point. 
 
 REWARDS. 
 
 We fully believe that all men will be punished or " rewarded 
 according to their works," as I have already affirmed, and we 
 do not wish either to be misunderstood or misrepresented on 
 this very solemn and important point. Christ died for all, 
 and He invites all to come 10 Him and " live forever." There 
 may be hope for millions more than we dream of in the infini- 
 tude of God's mercy, and in the universal efficacy of the atone- 
 ment of Christ. Who knows but that He has a thousand 
 instrumentalities and agencies at work to snatch men as 
 "brands from the burning," that we are ignorant of. He will 
 not fail in accomplishing His e;reat and beneficent purposes of 
 grace, and He is not in any sense dependent upon human 
 * Dr. Weymouth, head master, Mill Hill School, England. 
 
25 
 
 means in carrying out His designs of mercy and compassion 
 to the children of men. For my own part, I would a thousand 
 times sooner credit " the Larger Hope," with 
 
 TENNYSON 
 and 
 FARRAR, 
 than I would believe and accept the doctrine of endless misery. 
 It is more humane and Christ-like, and more in consonance 
 with what we see of God in nature and providence, all around 
 us and everywhere. ^■ 
 
 WHICH i 
 With regard to the grand doctrine of " Life in Christ only," 
 and an everlasting life of misery in hell, let any unbiased read- 
 er take up the Bible and carefully note all that is said about 
 the two different views. If he be really anxious to find the 
 truth .'."d nothing but the truth, he will be surprised as I have 
 been, to find how very much is said in favor of the former 
 view, and how very little is said in favor of the latter. It 
 hangs simply on a few isolated passages, while the former is 
 found everywhere on the sacred page. The Bible is a new 
 book to him who reads it in this new light, and much that was 
 mysterious before will be plain and full of comfort. With me 
 this subject has been a matter of careful study for many years, 
 so that the conclusion I have come to has not been the result 
 of excited haste, or in order to follow any popular feeling. I 
 have read much and thought much on the subject, and have 
 prayed to God for light that I might be saved from error and 
 from misunderstanding and misinterpreting His holy word, 
 which I revere and love, and prize more than all earthly trea- 
 sures. 
 
 In closing this series of letters, I beg to say that they have 
 not been written in an acrimonious, unkind or unchristian 
 spirit, nor for the sake of controversy, but, I hope, in the inter- 
 ests of Christian truth and righteousness. I ask for a mor; 
 tolerant and charitable spirit on the part of those who advocate 
 the orthodox view, be they Professors, ministers, or private 
 christians, for surely a man can hold the opposite view and 
 still be a Christian. Let us have more brotherly toleration in 
 in our churches and "not judge one another any more," but 
 in " meekness of wisdom " commend ourselves to others in 
 the fear of God. 
 
 1885. ENQUIRER. 
 
min/' Irl"' Tu^ '''^""''"'' '^^' ^'''''' irresistibly on my 
 mmd-that which comes in the stupendous idea of eternity ! 
 
 Rev. John Foster. 
 
 imJrt7iTZ<-' • • • ^hat the soul is naturally 
 immortal y (this) is contradicted by Scripture, which 
 makes our immortality dependent on the will of the Giver. 
 
 Rev. Richard Watson, (Wesleyan) 
 
 Institutes Vol. 7, page 82-83. 
 
 Our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who abolished death and 
 brought life and incorruption to light, through the Golpd 
 
 2nd Tim. I. 10. 
 
1 * 
 
 The doctrine of the immortahty of the 
 soul, and the name, aire alike unknoM/'n to 
 the entire Bible. 
 
 OLSHAUSEN. 
 
 No such doctrine as the immortality of 
 the soul is revealed to us. 
 
 ARCHBISHOP WHATELY. 
 
 A