//6vj/' man's Will? That Hb would have
all men to be saved w the vindication of His heart ; there Is
no declamtion of a purpose to save all j>e/;/brcf^, no deieat
of His purpose if it is not done. "^
. But— - ,. ,' . ■ /j;.-;; '. ''•-■
(2.) It is objected to us the shortness of probation if
limited to the present life, and that manj have in fact none
at all. Canon Farrar has many a vivid illustration of the
injustice, as ho consirlrMN it, of this; but I prefer to quote
the calmer statements of others, not less forcible :—
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mout or clmngo boyoigil- tlio liuiits of tliiH prf.scnt life. TiiKo tlu'
ci»e of unbiiptizud cUiidn-u.t SlmU wv. t-loso tlu' giitos of Punulisf
iigaiu.st them, apd satisfy ourselves with the tHrixsimti tinmnatiti,
whieh gained U}V. Augustine the repute of tht) (liinis jtdtfr infitii-
tuni ? And iKwe are forced in such a case to admit the law of
progress, is it not legitimate to infer that it extends beyond
them to those whose state Is more or leas analogous ? " Ho adds
further on, " The theory I am now defending givt>b a significanoe
to the final judgment of which the popular belief, in gri'at menj«-
ure, ^prives it. Prdtestants and Catholics alik(>, for the most
' part, think of that judgment as passed, irrevocably jmssed, at tlu^
moment of death. The soul knows fts et<.'rnal doom then, i)ass(>s
to heaven or hell or ptirgatory, has no real scrutiny to expect
wherf the Judge shall sit upon the throne ; while, on this view,
the righteous award will then be bestowed on each according to
the tenor of his life during the whul'tt period of his existence, and
not only during tke short years or mouths or days of his earthly
being. This gives, I venture to think, not a less, but a more,
worthy conception of that to ^hich we look forward as the great
completion of God's dealings with our race."
Dr. Bellows, on behalf of Unitarianism, goes yet further ; J
he says:-
" What we have hitherto objected to in theTireed of orthodoxy,
on the subject of eternal punishment, was the alleged finality of
human fate, as determined by the state of the soul at the
moment of death. ♦. . This life has been considered to be mainly
a state of probation, and the only state. Unitarians reject both
ideas. With them life is not, here or anywhere, mainly a state
of probation, but a state of educatipn and discipline ; and still
more, a state of heAngfor its own sake. /-We can conceive no state
of human existence, that is, of finiti^spiritual existence, which
shall b^ diflferent in these respects from the present. . . ^e can-
not, with our reverence for the freedom of the will and the free
* Cantemporary Mevicic. f
f It should in fairness be stated that Dr. P. is arguing with a Roman
Catholic.
. \ N. Amcr. Review. .
■#
.'.■„■ 'flJi: KTHlCAh (illKHTlOK. .405
piny .)f .s|urihMl laws, bo iiiin.nfr ii.o.^, wh„\hiuk moml ovil, with
Its MU.T, nn-s aiKl its lUMmltirs, will 1m, fon-ihly torminatod by a
Imt of divMH. b..,.:'vr.!, :...,, ut :y.y fntniv iluf... Wo objoct t.. tho
oM ortho.l..x vi. XV of tho finality of hunmu probation at death, as
. Liekmg i,r..i>Julity, as .lisro{ranliupf our prosout oxperienco of
Ooa sprov.-.nnont un«l lli(. «-oustitution of man'sspirit. Moreover
whiloit soonis awfully threatoning to those who are inclined to
oviI and uro lil Ay to bo lost, it sc^oms relaxing of moral' and
spiritual obligations toward tlioso who expect to bo saved. It is
. tt dootrino too eruol for tho w.,rst, too flattering for the best."
With ^Yhicl^Dr. LittlcHlalo fully agrees. He objects* to
the popular view <.f "this life being a state of probation,
a solitary chance, failure in which involves destruction,
just as with us gun-burrel!* which cannot pass the test in
the proof-house arc invariably condemned, broken up, and
cast into the fire,— but only to be forged anew."
"Thoro is no warrant in Soripturo (ho sjiys) for this current
opiniop. which in tnith nbcossitatos a d*.'nial of God's foreknow-
ledg. .,. not boing ablo to trust His own work, nor to predict how
It wiU turn out till Ho has t< stod it. Ho does indeed try and
prove, but It IS in tho way of .v/«cr//i^^ and purgation, not of
inquiry. ' Whon Ho hath (rin/ moj|^iiall, coihc. forth as gold '
(Job xxiii. 10). ♦ Behold, I will mm them and tr^ them' (Jer
IX. -7). Onoo grasp tho notion tlyit we have only one Ufa given
us to bvo, and that dtmth isun more episode in it, so that this
world IS but a lower class in God's school, and another stage of
education an our uubrokon personality and life beyond the grave
awaits us in the intormodiato state, whethor'tlmt stage be down-
ward or upwards, according as we have used our opportunities
hero, and tho whole schomo of redemption shows clearer."
4.nd even President Porter suggestst that—
••Then, when the future life begins, every man will see Christ
as He IS, and tho sight of Him may of itself bring ajinalitj/ to his
character and destiny, as it discovers each man fully to liimself.
They thAt pierced Hini shall mourn, but not if when thef see
Him, they mourn that they piirced Him. The next life may
be another probation, in that, by it« first revelations, it shaU
ni^cverything_cloar which w;is darjc, and bring out in vivid
* In the, (hnteinp. Her. ^f Igihe K Amer. liev.
)■
t
■/•■\
M
, ti
«■ f
M
i^!
'i
■
m
SttU'i
460 FACTS ASU 'rniiOUlES AS TJ A FUTURE 8TATR.
" Uneltlmt moral and npiritual tniib which the soul shaU accept
with synamthiziug joy. or vejoct with Hiuful V^'^^'^'^'^\l^'^
asitaLptsor r.-j-vts, nh^dl ku.m itBpwa character and ite just
award. . . . The opeiiing Hceut.s o( th^slicxt Ufe m..y be at once
the soul's w^cmid prol^ation, and its liual ^dgment."
All this is anti-scriptural merely, and If unsound, then of
necessity dan-erous to the last degree. To teach men that
they may put otT into the future that xvhich Wist be decide"''S«'1 l-or deed,
■ he! V . •';;'■; ""' ^■•"•'■■"■""' fi"»"y for a nature which
.'heyh. e w„l,„,,t any act of their own will. Of this the
Ijord g,ve«„.fldl .assurance: "i„ heaven their indcs do
And ,t ,s^„ ,t the will of your Father which is in heaven
lh.at.«nc of il,..„, little ones,«h„uId perish "• °'
prot->,io„*'r '•''"'■■'»''■'« o'-joctions to the whole theory of
probation, I .„pp„«. „„ „„„,,„„,,, J'
xenso he a.»:<„„,,s,„, if i,, were Gods proving what wal a
maucrof, ..certainty to Uintsclf .apart frL theV^of W^
t hould be „,canm«tcnt for ^tim to allow m.an after all to go
^rough the ,r,.l, because H^Xorcees the issue, is nollt
hetm? "" ^''»[<"='y '»'i«ve in the Edenic trial for
the ^me reason ; nor that Moses' account of the wilderness
can be ihe true one, that " the Lord thy God led Thee tTel
forty yeWm the wilderness to humble thee and to prov^
thee, Iq hhin w/uu ./,«.. ,-.. ,/.!... ........ , ,. ""''O prove
.k. . A '" "umuic tnec and to nrr
keen hi, ..A / • «"'«"«'• »o« wou
n!?l , '•°"X"""''««'» <"• """t This he.wiirnatari«
m only God reusing to act, upon His foreknowledge or "
^In the rame way thV^law has been the probation of man'-
B^tlh'^ T"T'° P™\y-" «« -J^ Moses' wo"dT;
dven^ tK " "^^'^Xtl-ove'dict has been longTnt:
fhT. I ' 'f "■""■ "ShtWw, no, not one; there fs no^
that doeth good, no, not onc.\ And •■ we kno^ ttA T!
th^gs^oevertb^ Uwsaith, ^ »„ Z^Z t'ZZ
xvjii. io, n, 14.
t Deut, vlii.
Ih
II
1
^Exod.
XX. 20.
^.
468 rACTSANDTHKORIESASTOAFUTUilKSTATE.
the la^v^ that every mouth rmiy be stoppca. and alUhe wori^^
hpf omc cruilty before God.' * ,
dcmnation i» not merely a IMcce of past history; it .8 of
^rscnt and universal force V,y n-^s„n of our .ompl.te 3sscn.
UaUdentity: "as in water tace answerclh to face so the
he r ofVfan to n,an." But in another respeet also. .n,l
sU more solemnly, is probation pa.»«l, inasmuch as when
.-Jle was in the world, and tke world wa. made by Im
the world knew Him t.ot. He came unto H,s own, and m
own received Him not ; " so that those who* rece.vcn.n,,
3 who do) a«, manifested by the very fact to be "^m
.iTt of blood, nor of trie will of .he flesh, „or oj the ».« «/
man, but ofGod."t I _. ,,.„ u.^e Judgment 9f the
Thus the' cross of Christ was inc juu nre^ v
world " ;i and man is convicted, not only of having faded
To Ittain hgal righteousness, L'-.'^'^fJ-ing refused tl. One
who came to save him from the law's penalty a so. Thi^ .8
why I.cannot contend for the term " probation," as applying
to God's present dealings with men ; whi e j-et .t .s true
that God will not finally feat men as ;n the lump con-
demned, but each man for his own personal rejec ion oi
Himself: his reprobation of Go.l will be necessarily /.« o.™
""'xhe «me'r*v.ire4for this.«nd the circumstances I have
not calculated, noPaol presume to have wisdom for tK
calculation. If others have, they should P-l"-;."- -««_.
ments. They v^ho believe that God has given Hi hon fo.
men can rest in the conclusion that not only will He be
"dear when He is judged," but that His long-suffering
mercy, and His will that none shonl J pensh will be abund-
antly revealed in the fast-hastening day of manifestation.
This they will not venture to anticipate; nor can they be^
Ueve that the world would be one whit ''«"«' /"/T^^f jf
the secrets of that government were made fully known.
• Rom.iii.10,12,19. tJ"''" '• "^1'-
♦ John xii; 81.
PACTS AND TtEOniES AS TO A FUTURE STATE. 400
Tho existence of evil is the one real and only aiffic.ilty ; but
It exists : and (Jod has answered the qnostion as to Himself
/aised hy it, not by a logical explanation of- tho difficulty,
^ which It may perhaps be doubted if we Rhoul(\ have ability
to understand, but by unveiling Himself in Christ. I sec in
the cross His holiness, I see Ills goodness, I see His love;
and, if the darkness be only passing and not passey " but " in part '• ; still we himo.
The imperfection wilf pass, but the truth now known will
abide forever. •
(3.) For the continuance of evil God cannot be held re-
sponsible, save by an argument which throws upon Him
equally tho responsibility of its present exiiitence. It is easy
to assume that God could aviU it out of existence at any
moment if He i^leased, but then we must needs assume that
lUjoilled it into existence. Mr. Birks has wcirfi^own how •
much of the darkness which involves the rsubj^M proceeds
from crude thoughts of omnipotence in this way. That He
could annihilate, on the principle men are now zealously ad-
vocating, the sinful being is, of course, as a matter of power
over His creatures, to be allowed. But the necessary limit
of even Almighty power is determined by the circle of the
divine perfections. That infinite Wisdom could do so we
may not assume, except by assuming our own to be infinite.
Nay, even reason may argue some things apparently against
it. For His gifts and calling w^ild scarcely be without
repentance, did Ho destroy a being naturally deachless which
Himself had given ; dnd such is at least man's spirit. Mr.
Constable has abtmdant cause to argue that the only true
basis for annihilation is materialism. But such a mechan-
ical destruction of evil might well seem to be its triumph in
another form,— a coifession of his being defeated by it in
the creature thus destroyed. If men turn round and ask
why at least create the being that He knew would fall, the
'if'!
■If.
"iV
■iX.
I m
I
J!
470 FACTS AND THEORIES AS TO A FUTUIIE STATE.
practical answer is, He has created. " Who art thou, O
• ^ man, who repliest against God ? "
This line of argument Scripture itself suggests to bo the
true one. The conflict with evil is ever represented in it as ,.
a real thing, and a necessary, not to be dispensed with by
the mere fiat even of Omnipotence : and that because Om-
nipotence in God means necessarily Omnipotent Wisdom,*
as it does Omnipotent Lqvc. TKUs He " willeth not the
V */t death of a sinner," yet they die. Who will sajTcilo wills
. (' their sins ? and yet they sin. And when we arc told of some
that " it is IMPOSSIBLE to renew them again imto repent-
; ^ ance,"t if we are to take such words in their full and appar-
ent sense, must we not believe that Omnipotence had in their
case found its limit? or can we say God would not still
have renewed them, if He could ? In the face of His own
repeated protestations, can we believe ihat through His
pleasure sinners, however much sinners, could not be re-
newed? ^ffl^'
If we touch mysteries on all sides here (and so we do), all
the more must we keep to the simple, plain assurances which
are the silver thread guiding us through the apparently, and
to us really, inextricable labyrinth. God is God, because
God is good : and to this His word holds us fast.
On the other hand it does not represent Him as baffled by
' r the evil, and having to undo His own handiwork, as if man's
will were thus triumphant above His. The reality of the
conflict with evil gives the only basis for the reality of vic-
tory over it ; and that victory is assured. "The Lord hath
' made all things for Himself; yea, even the wicked for the
day of evil ; "J not their wickedness surely, but tlftmselves.
Praise -Him therefore they shall, as "all His works "^0-.
The "vessels of wrath " and "to dishonor,"|| are still ''ves-
* It seems to me that herein Mr. Birks' argument as to the limitation
of Omnipotence in measure fails, that he does not insist eriough that the
limit is onjfy that imposed by the Divine Perfections.
t Hel>. vi. 4-6. :t P^ov. xvi. 4, ^ Psa. cxlv. 10.
i Rom. ix. 2i i ;i Tim. ii. 20. ;.,
«
TUB KTHR'AT, QrFSTION. 471
BcVaiHlhavo their use. Who nhall nay that "to show
(.0,1 M wrath, au.l make His power known," is not nucha
necessity in divine government us in any other ''
The eternity of sin is the real basis oftho eternity of.mn-
iBhment. If n. this life God ha« with any spent all available
resources in vain for their deliverance, so that He should
Himself have to say - it is impossible to renew them," what
less than "eternal fire " can be the award of those of whom
He has had to say, " he that is unjust, let him be unjust still ■
and he that is filthy, let him-bo filthy still " ? Mr. Gre.r tells-
uh:* - No subtlety of logics, no weight of authority, will in-
duco rightly e-.nsntule,l minds, which allow themselves to
reason at all, to admit that the sins or failings of time can
ment the retribution of eternity,-ihat finite natures m;.
by any gudt of which they are capable, draw upon thera-
solves torments infinite either in e^se^^or duration." But
a though we must allow that that il^fe way the doctrine
ot eternal punishment has been often sought to be justified,
it IS not the scriptural ground of it. Nay, it is one which
has obscured the subject it was meant to clear /for it repre-
sents God in judgment as merely at the best exacting the
lull extent of penalty, even supposing it proved that that
were the extent. ■
Mr. Constable represents the view I am advocating as one
JpV?" ''' 'i^' f "g««tinia„ theorists " are taking new ground.
Ihat IS of httle moment, that it should be new to them, if
only It be a return to Scripture. At the same time I cannot
accept 1 rof. Mansel as the exponent of it, if Mr. Constable
gives justly his exposition.! Scripture gives no hint of
^ sins throughout eternity increasing in number, in magni-
tude, and m guilt I Condemnation and punishment throuffh-
out eternity gathering force and falling more terribly upon
Mr "7*^^f «"«*--«''! We may agree perfectly with
Mr C. that "Scripture, from first to last, says not one word
of the sms of hell." And with Mr. Girdlestone, as he quotes
him, that "as_the_saved will be raised above the possibility
* Enigmas of Lifo, p. 271. f Nat. and Dur. orFxn:Vnr^T^
,* 't\
w
I
I
I
>.'•
rt
472 FACTS ASI) TIIEOUlKrt AS TO A PUTUKE STATE.
of siiiiiinj,'; h<» tlu> loHt will Iw «unk below it." But while
sin ill act will hr than roHtruincMl by puniHhment, Fie that is
mijuHt will not bo U-hm ut»ju«t,mt>r lie that iti filthy less filthy.
Ucstruiiit is not rt't'onnutloti. Tlio cturnal sUte \h one fixed
absolutely and bounded on all sidcB, as Mr. Birke BOggests
with prol)ablo truth a " lake of fire ** may intimate.
Wo do not accept then the teaching that the punishment
of hell is inrticted for the sins of hell. On the other hand
wo cannot concede feliat the measure of eternal judgment
being the measure of the sins of this life, as it Burely is, mili-
tates in the least against the doctrine that the eternity ot
pmiishment is bajiod upon this eternity of a sinful state.
Mr. Constable seems never to have considered indeed this
view of it. IIo must distinguisli between sin and a sinlul
i^taLe. The everlasting fire is correlative to the undymg
worm. And hero, if we consider a little, there is no oppo-
sition between the eternity of the punishment being linked
with the abiding of the sinful condition, and the measure
of the sufi'ering being apportioned to the actually committjd^
sms.
For the works and the words according to which men
will be judged are of course the manifestation of the sinner
himself. And such is the actual phrase used m Scripture.
" We shall all appear before the judgment seat of Christ "*
is more literally " we shall all be manifested:' Our ATorks
will bring out our characters,— will exhibit us. If it were
not so, such a judgment would be necessarily partial. Inas-
muchnhen as men's works exhibit their character, and, tha*. ^
a character which abides forever, they are judged accordin«;
to their works, and yet with " eternal judgment."
' (4.) Thus the punishment is not indiscriminate, becausd
in each case eternal. " Few stripes," as compared with
i' many," may have (and will have) their counterpart in the
wrath inflicted, and yet that wrath "abide" on each who
has chosen it for his future portion. Mr. Gregt urges
* 2 Cor. V, 10. t K'>ia«"a» «»f J^'f"-- I'- -^'*-
\
while
lat is
ilthy.
axod
;ge8t8
kmcnt
hand
pnent
, mili-
ity ot
state.
1 thiH
sintul
dying
oppo-
finked
easure
nitted
1 men
sinner
ipture.
irist "♦
Works
t wero
Inas-
d. tha*."^
ordin«;
ecausci
I with
in the
h who
urges
TUK KTIIIC'AL QUBHTlON.
•17a
strongly the ohjection indeed of any such " hroad, bold lino
of demarcation, "as this infers,
"BoponUing, through nil futuro ngeH, and hy houn.lIosH (UHtancoH,
th<»H« whoso rocoHuro of niu or virtiui whilo on furth wiw wnircely
diMtinguiHlmhlo by the finest and most drlioato monil clfctromett>r.
On one side is oudloss happin.'HM, tUo sight of Oo M
"tt>.
471 FAtTS .VNU TUfc^UlIW AS TO A FUTUKE aTATK.
It in the oU\ luathon mythology, often, in«h»ct would ^mj do-
cidcti according jim hm bad deeds «»r hiH j(ood Hliuuld ovor-
balaiue the «»lher. Stjripturo dots not allow thai iji thin
way a single dinner oouhl be naved. Instead of any going
to heaven in this way, all would bo alike lost and con,
deinned. Tlie law as tlu* rule of judgment pronounces,
'• there is none ri;4hteous, no, not one," whieh Ohristianity
doeM not set u^ide, but natVirms. Hill is the award, not of
a certain overplus of sin, but of the rejection of Ilim in whom
alone is help. Heaven is the fruit, not of a little more than
semi-righteousness, but of Another's atoning work availing
for the eonlessPiliy unrighteous. .Mr. (Jreg's picturo.ia not
oven the earrcature of ('hristianity : it is its fundamental
opposite. • . L
(5.) Mi^. Greg again objeots to a doctrine which reprcRents
the sufferings of a future world — \
•* lut pt'nul.^not purKiUoriiil,- -retributive, not n'formatory. It i^
not cjwy (ho think«) to eonci'ivu any olijfct to bo tmswcred, iiny
part in the great plan of rroviib'uco to bo fulfilled, by the inflic-
tion of torm«;nt8, whethar temporary or pcriKitual, which uro
neither tostno for the purifit He(5 them, and the trauslutrd denizens
of heaven d(» not require them. . TUry are simply aimle8.s and
retrospective. // /«< *rto; that, in ff/f^fh/nrftfion nf thj' jthiln.^npher,
thetf are. iXEvrr.vHLE ; tlmt future sutTeriii}.? is the natnnU offttpring
alftd neces.sury oonsecpience of present siu : but this is u<>t the view
of thb doctrine wo aro con.siJeriug, nor is the character of the
sufferings it depicts such as would logically flow out of the sins
for which they are supposed to bo a chastisemi^nt. "
Again Mr. Greg praises the comparative wisdom of the
" Catholic " invention of purgatory, and adds :— •
•• Cut to believe, as Pr«testailt« are required to do, that all those
fiercer torments will bo inflicted Avhiai no conceivable purpose
is to 1m» answered by their infliction, when the suffering, so far as
human imagination can fathom the case, is simply gratuitous, is
aSJjuretUy a for harder strain upon our faith,— a strain, tqp, which
ifHk
\
THE EXniCAL QUE8TI0W.
476
in liarclo«t on t\tcm> whow, feelings nro the niont J.umun. nnd wh«w
..oiio,,« of tl.o |>ritjr Hro w.,rtl.ioHt ; o.i tl.oH<.. llmt i«, who havo^
uhmi hilhy imMnd C'lirinfH wnitttninitH ,iml vi.mH. "•
Tfu^so thou at IcjiMt nro they v/ho«c " notictiH of the Deity
•re worthiest ; " and yet it has often hoeii remarked, and it-
l« true that Home of the most Holemn denunoi#«m* of eter-
nal jiid^nnept to he founds in the whole IJihle are in the ,
.liHcourneH of our Lord HimRelf. Mr. Ore- will perhai»8
hehevc. this incou8i«t4.noy ; for ho h himself ineonHiHtent
cnoujrh to suppose that the' worthiest notions of the Deity
have eonie down to us from One, who on his showinir must
Jmve hcen after all an in.postor. B.ltj beside thisrin the
omiception of tlie philosopher eve„,~a wisdon, l>y which all
(Jther wisdom may j,q fairly judged,-future wiflerinir is in-
ov.fable as the natural offspring and nerx^ssary consequence
of present sin. This we may believe, therefore, the action
of those natural laws to philosophers so dear. But natural
aws are blind ai«J aimless things. We must not believe in
there bemg wisdom in them it seems, or purpose ;• for wis-
dom implies one who has it, an« tone of scepticism is „n-
m.8takable. We are told that no Vindioation of eternal
punishment can be made. "voraii
w,. "i'w 'i' "P "l^ P^P"""' °P™™' <" disguise and conceal it as
we may, ,t must ever appear to all nlional creatures the ver^
e^nce of oily injustice, and cruelty. Can we beul that he
dc«=t..ue .s taught m the " precious Bible, book divine • 9 And i!
t so ? Must our sense of justice and goodness in Him, in wto^
hand,, ,ve .u-e, float on a tempestuous and shoreless oceai f^rTv^^
J.O he effort to lock up reason and common sense muchkllr
icelmgs, both of samts and IhoufflH/ul sinners must burst the
bolto, and emerge into light and reUef."*
If this were a solitary statement, or of one writer, I should
not quote ,t, but similar language is used by man;. Quito
m accordance with it, Mr. Hudson gives ns a volume of &„
hundred and sixty-eight pages upon the subject, the " Serin-
tural Argument" occupying si^ty-seven. This single chapter
he naerwards enlarges into a smaller volumo,t "designed "
he says "to meet the convenience of those who rely for their
r/cir-"""'"'""'^ '-^^-' interpreUnlf
Mr. Edw. White is still more frank in telling ns his esti-
ma e of the word of God. In his "Life in drL " (p 39^
amid much similar language, he uses this :_ '*^' ''
"I cannot conceal my conviction that the path of dutrvandof
wisdom m dealing with such documents as the K<^pds dr^,^,
thlspn^ticalconclusion ^-lmeyog^rto J^^^L^Z^
* Blaiiis Reviow of lieecher, p.
p. 33.
[\
t " Christ -
Even so Jesus suffered, the Holv One in th. ! , f
of wrath and distance from a hoj^od ""^ ™" » /"^"^
we have tin Kl„„,l r . ' V ^« «'« MO^
we have no blood of atonement, no eiBcacious sacrifice at all
Thus anmh,Iat.on strikes at the vitals of Christi^t' ^
wh le mstead of resolving the problem of the exi^^f
* Heb. xiU - ^ .
i.'il
gfc*
^
fM
.'^
488 FACTS AND mRORIKR AS TO A nTTlTRR^TATB..
nity, given of God but rosumod by Him, a* if dofeiited in tho MT^St
object for which life was given. By that very /act if. is thife'^. AA
triumph of evil rather than its defeat. ^ >!i^ ^^
'• <
rv
CHAPTER XLTV.
LAST WORDS WITH RE8T0RATI0NI8T8.
Much of what h||n&ecn Haid as to the doctrine of condi-
tional immortality is trwe of the other forrh of tho denial of
eternal punishment. Especially tho qnarrel with Scripture
is even more plain, and its authority as a consequence more
directly attacked. There are those, as in the former case,
who must be admitted as exceptions, whose arguments, how-
ever illogical, seek at least to preserve its authority. Yet
even Mr. Jukes maintains, as we have seen, that " taken in
the letter, text clashes with text npo aJ l fo kiisujaject." Ai^d
Mr. Cox quotes with<%probation, fro jdniBi|Bedal ^^^Wfjp^
already referred' to, his averment " tJBHHP^^"»icient siress
has been laid on the cardinal fact * that the Scriptures of the
!N"ew Testament contain two parallel and often seemingly
T(piita^dictory BtatementsAs to the last things, one of which,
being jealously sifted by hostile criticisms^ DOES
theigppular theology, and another which more than
l^es a ful^fwltbration, and the final victory of good over
evflf.'" Still others speak thus of " irreconcilable antino-
mies " in Scripture. Canon Farrar more openly and boldly
alleges that the " isolated texts " which seem adverse to his
view may be "a concession to ignorancg " or "reflect the
ignorance of a dark age.^' Prof. Jellett urges, "Even. if it
be conceded- that according to the most probable interpreta-
tion of the texts which are supposed to contain the doctrine
of endless punishment, they do contain this dDctrine, it may
still be-fisked— i>o^s this (Ueide the qnfiMimi f There is no
''^Km
•#■
Ifc-
S
LAST WQ|tl)S WITH UKSTOIlATIONIbTB. ^gQ
infallibility attached to the proccwi of interpretation 771-
rcasomyhy ,.hich the hu,phatim of .Scripfnre itself u
<^certameri is not inf^Mihle. Probability i4 all wo cart attai|
The«o tcstimonioH might bo indefinitely multipliod. They^
demonstrate not more the tcndcncicH of ^iversali«m to a
denial of tho authority of the word, than they do the fact
of that word .bemg almoHt confessedly tv^Xunt it. Thev
would not ne^d to depreciate a testimony which was in their-
, own favor. The counsel for a case does not brow-beat his
own witnesses.
(2.) The doctrjne of-universalism, m whatever form, tends
- of necessity, though in another way from ann'ihtlationism, to
make light of sm. It represents it as a thinj? capable of
being reached and done away by a ccurse of salutary, disci-
pimo, and that in cases where all the riches of God's love
and grace have been expended in vain. Sin is thi«made the
creature of circumstances, by a Wise or.lering of which it
^ may be extinguished, and God as the Governor o^His crea-
tures becomes responsible for its continuance. It w^ His
dishonor if evil coVitinrfe, and He must at least «|iare the
blame of^it with man. He is responsible to save. Man is
perhaps as much sinned against as sinning. His life here is*
no proper probation. " What could have been done to my '
vineyard, that I Have not done in it?" admits of a plain
aniwer.- -Man's igrforance, his feebleness, hismanifold temp-
tations, welknigh balance his account with his Maker; and
sm, as a matter of human responsibility or of divine judg
ment, become* evidently diminished to an indefinite extend
That full-blown universalism should be associated with
loose morals is not, therefore,'to be wondered at. Dr Rlgg '
affirms: "The same universalists who ^peak great words
about the universal fatherhood of God not seldom also hold '
the doctrines of free love. It has been my lot to meet with
some of these . . . who, in extraordinary rhapsodies, mixed •
up all these things, and whose practice corresponded to their
prmciples." But the practical result of the belief is not to
f
'A
1
%.
i
N
T
' ^ :■' , .r
;l( ■■?!
/ ,1
1 ','■•'
(-/
:.■-.■:.:,„.,
:$}'
XI.
490 FACTS AND THEORIES AS TO A FUTURE STATE.
' be measured by the mere open adherents. There are masses
"^ who readily take the license without caring to adhere at all.
The theory, if true, renders adherence to it or to anything
else of very little importance in the eyes of many who would
accept the consequences very gladly. And it need not be
doubted that the circle of influence which such views exert
reaches very far beyond the number of its professed advo-
cates. Just here, ind^d, its ripest fruits will be found ;
nlan'swill set free from . the restraint of divine authority,
openly lawless, and completely reprobate.
But those who cannot go the whole length of uni versalism,
as, for instance, Canon Farrar, but who either attach no limit
to probation, or at' least prolong it beyond the present life,
cannot be acquitted" of ministering to the same unhappy end.
The meaning of a ** day of salvation " now, proclaimed is
lost, or at least-the point of it. If it be said that only now .
. is preached complete escape from the need of purifying fire,
that to the mass of men is a very different thing, of almost
mfinitely less, urgency; while souls praying, striving, ago-
nizing to draw nearer to the light, may be quite unable at any
rate (as they teach) to escape that. How many will think
it worth while to pray arid strive and agonize to so little
purpose ? Hqw many will :rather wait with closed ears to
every warning for the fire that is at anylrate to do its work,
and which is but the aepnian fire of God's love ! For such
souls, Canon Farrar, and such as he, spite of his protest,
must be content to be responsible; and if the "eternal
hope " they would fain persuade themselves of, be (as it
surely is) a mere delusion, then are they responsible for the
damnation of those ^o listen to and approve their teach-
ings.
(3.) And^ where is atonement ? where the value of Christ's
"blood-shedding ? It is weH known that universalism in its
complete development denies atonement altogether ; and to
this denial all forms of it, however modified, necessarily tend.
Mr. Jukes has no gospel ; Dr. Farrar none. The " poor in
spirit," the strivers after the light go down helpless to
■K'
■^^,-,
I^SI WORDS WITH BESIOBATIONISIS.
401
»onian fire, because, if there be an eye to pity, tliere is no
for the worm and fire of Gehenna speak of that. They are
; »ved by their own suffering, not by Christ's ; and there w 1
would Jl^L'TilT'''^ '^*' *" Setnearer to the lighf
would no doubt gladly have washed their robes, but either
^nSy-rlTdJ'f "-' -''■ ^"^ '-' --^'"r^^Z
blJLVof^Z*"™"^f'^" ''"''''■"''''''''''''<> """"t the
Is - 1°^ ! 1 «'"«/e™»i>>eth no more sacrifice for
sf / V ^^t'o" " the fruit of this sacrifice and
tnZt "^tholT""™ "' "'^^"°-' «"" H» opposT;. ts
oontra»t,-those who go into it must find ( f salvation at
» -I T^ .,!"""" '•^'"""*'''»<"™ sm-oflering; and
although under the law a spotless and unblemished offering
was needed,^.e has discovered that in the antitype GoT^lf
not reqmre that. Nor is vicarionsness to beTsis^^dTn
A smner sufiering for his own sins is purified sufliclX by
s thT-X S "' r M- ''"^'^'- "«'■•' -" ^ -such Sing
is .Ir^mtntdl''*"''"''' "^ "^' "P"t ^'~f
th.?"'' ^ f°^ I' J"'*'*"* '" ^"'"S' »»3 «e'tai„ to do all
judgment .s thus the denUl of the very " word of theT
g.nnmg of Christ,"J and is essentially anulrfstial ThM
some may be mvolved in it who are very far from meanW
this ,s no doubt quite true, but the doctrine is SatanTtk^o
destroy the truth of Christ; and wherever it is fX d tel
oped neffectuany does so. Witness the constat J^ttion
> I
;^",
'^;-
/
^92 FACTS AND THEORIES AS TO A FtlTURE STATE.
wUh unitarianism in the body that has adopted the name
" UniversalistJ as its distinctive title.
Here let us close : it is useless to proceed further.
Beloved reader, vicarious sacrifice is God's only means of
blessing as surely as Scripture is true and " cannot be
broken." The faith of a siived man is a faith ^thich can
say with the apostle: " Himself bare our sins in His own
body on the tree." " The Lord hath laid upon Him^^e
iniquity of us all." Jesus is now risen from the d[e^dtv^^
:i»
xs. •.•(>
xx\!i. .-I.'
xxxiii. ;)J
xvxiv (I. r...,
, , . ^
Li-v.ii n
liv..
xxiv. 17,18....
Niiiii. xvi. ■,>„>...
30, 3a...
„ / xxvii. KJ
I>
viii. :»....,,.,
vxv. :>. 3 :...,
xxvtii. (;i-G.3.
/ XXX 1 ;{
. xx.\«. ^i. ....
•lo^li. ii. 11
••ii(l;,'oy viii. :i ....
I !^am. xxviii... .
y hum xii. ij
' xxir. 1(1
I Iviiii,"^ viii l\i...
X.Ty
xviL ^>i.... ..
~ KiiiiT!* vi. 17
1 «'lin)n. xii; 'Ai .'.
'■i t'liroii. i. St. 10..
•'"•> ,
i. t>
iii l:i-17
X. lit
xi. at
xii 10
xiv 7
10
. V
\ix 'M.......
xxiii Kt......
x.xiv. 1-3.4...
.40, 47,
. 1!)4,
ii
•••••«
%.•••••
PAOE
54, .r,
5;J, 57
...4>'sJ
...1.37
...4m
.. 51
51. ra
..431
... +1
.. m)
...3»8
.. 44
.. 75
..140
.. 4a
..:m
.4()7
aas
'■Hit
— 4aa
aa8
... .itii
317-317
74
...51, H5
• ■ 147
>••••• rv)
......233
> • •• . .4(17
.....4;i-)
1K'.J
.....IH't
14tj
07
...*■>:, 70
. lah. lay
14«
— rA
iSH)
4.'>
7.5
lait
m
r;0
.i3i-i:j.-.
. .. ;itH»
.i:k, i:;o
41
IMI
lil
. .. i:;s
.. ... ai
.., . 4
•
cx,'iv.
c.Vlvi.
I'rov
/
U. aa . .
ix. 12...
18...
^i.3i...
PAOK
... 40,47
• ■ > • • a . Ino
• ••••• l>7
• • 4t
ti:i:>
< • ■ • • • ■ oC
1.37
....41, 47
a35
aas
a+»
;«io-
..iaa, 134
..... 14a
.....ai3
>•••••■ iJ4« J
..304
. . 188, 189
4a;i
41
a;w
-188
..188
m
140
...188, I'.tO
a+j
4a:i
...188, ai3
> > - a • • • . Xi44
14(i
-m
a44
• 4a3
114
> a • •• a , •>!
41,51
'.>i.
aia
14a
■ • • ■ • a ..O I
41
. . . Mti, 4J3
14«
t.iii
141
470
...137,141
141
.......134
an
...... 4t;a
• ••.... ]4ti
a;]8
• M.T.' lists „f ,,as>r;|.,'.-- not otiurwi... nf.ri^-a to .m- not
,'ivcii ill this index.
^:.
494
IKDEX O* TEllS.
PAUE
Prov.xiv. 29 70
xvi.4 470
kx. 27. 63
XXX. 8 64
Kccles ],S4
I 13- ■-. m
ii. 1. » •. 49
iii. 18 ..^.. 49
19-31
, 10 188
xl. 5 50,139
xii.7 47,75,140
13,14 140
I$aiahi.28 188
li...... ....„ 244
Xi. 1, 3...'. ................. .245, 281
xxiv. 21-23. 111.296,304
. — . . ZXvl« !!■••••■••••«••••*•••*«••••• .«41
15-19..... i...3ft3
xxvii. tf ....238
13 .....390
M ■ XXX. 33 J. ..310
P xxxiv. 9, 10 ....335
xxxviii. 10 ....145
> 18, 19 : 130, 142
xlil. 5 47
xllx.9 424
liii. 10, U 82
13 422
Ivii. 1, 2 .148,188
16 47,53,278,424
Ixv. 17 242
Ixvi. 16 188
22 242
.23, 24.. ;...... 2.51, 310, 313, 479
Jer. Ix. 7.. 465
xii 3 188
xvii 27..... 312
xlviii. 47 391
xlix 391
Ezek.iii. 18 ....'. 187
xiii. 22 ; 187
xvi. 55, 61 391
xviii. 4 130,187
27 80. 230
30. .360
IX. 49 160
xxxiL 27 147
•xxxiii. 8 a ........187
xxxvil. 1-14 .....;J91, .392
• xlvii. 1-12 250
Diiniel iv 86
10 64
14 213
viL8 331
11 3;J1,832
, ix 26 189
xii. 2 392,436
/'lIoHvaviy ...;.. 424
T2 ...893
Xiii. 9-14 891
xiv. 4 , 424
-. ' " Arnosix.2... 146 i
.Micahiv. 1-4 235 I
V H 383-383 I
vii. 18-20 .,423
Nah. i. 15 211
PAGK
I Hab. 1. .5 i..200
' Zeph. i. 2, 3 , 212
Zccli. xii 1 48, 52
I 10-xiii. 1 ,.-&'.»
' Mai iv. 1-3... .....:.. 245
Matt. Iii. 10.... 213
12 277
vii 19 ,. 218
I ix. 6 406
X. 15 292,
28 56, 61, 62, 97, 209-211, .307
29 194
39 307, 308
Xi. 21-24* 371
22.... .292
xil* 3«* •••••••••*«• •••.•.•• • 376-370.
41 371
49,60 .3H4
xiii. 10, 11 102
• 24-30 ......Ill
33 101
xvi. 18 ......145
Md~i«4 • ■••••••••■•■•••••••■ ixiy I i
xviii. 10, 11,14 .467
xix.29 177
^ A»*** 1*J» • • •■■•••••••••••••••«••• B 1^1 ti
^i ¥• tX/ • • aim ••••■•■•jaa**aaaa> ••■■ iCi if
»i 1 ~nv • ••»mm0*mtta*mm»mm 0«>i>~~0Ut7
Markii 32 197
iii. 29 .378
iv. 13 161
vi. 11 ...292
\iii. 12 69
ix. 10 285
4:J^ 310,478
30.
.11
XV. 46 26
Lukei. as... ..;.... ...263
46,47 68
70 , • 262
vii. 81 , 447
ix. 25 77
28-36....... .......122, 123
56 425
60.. .....205
JLII* lU^Av aaaaaaaaaaaftaaaaaaaaaaaa i iS
2:1 201
47,48 i.425
xiii. 28 «.479
XV. 4 161
xvi 101-111
9 ..294,466
26 ...380
xix. 27 279
XX. 18, 279
27-38 ...217-220
34-36 ..285,365
37.38 106,137
xxiii. 43 115,148,294
xxiv. 36-39 .'.,'.'.".*.'.'.'.*.'.'.'.'.*.'ll2
39 22
Jolini. 4 176
10-13 ...../.. ..468
29 » 404
li. 19-22 ....28
8 ..,, 85
mbEX OF TEXiS.'
495
John lli. 13 .... **'*°«
14,
35.
1-M
•476, 491
Iv. 24.
V. 11, 12 ,
!iJ4. ...
^-29.
27.....
Vi. 37-39.
53,54.
Vli. 17 ,
......403
..'...KG
..... 37
• ; ... 170
.176,200
Com. xiv; 17,
FAUI
28.
xvi. 25.
1 Cor. 11. 6.
. 43
.28.3
!•••■■•■
.222
439 .
405 1
.176, 179 I
.159 ,'
10.
11.
12.
14
.269, 874
202
261
39
HI. 18-15.
JlWi^'** ' -»4,301
17.
32
X. 18...
xil. 25
31
262
27
vl. 2.
13.
46, 62, 66 66
>...... 4># • 40
' . . .• •* . 81
318
•••• 201
•62,466
SI tii'"" 301,468
vHi. 13.
X. 11
299
.202
.864
xi.29;" 248, J;61
^iy.l-ii. ^-^^
394, 4a5
29
SO.
277
xlii. 12...
283
.30.
xvi. 11.
xvii. 3
xi.v 42
.Actsii. 27..
42, 230
XV.
.... 217
■ 160, 4^8
..301
.301
30-23,
287
^28:v.v.*:.v "••'^''tki
34.
iii.21.
"•■-■■,7-
. i2r
23.
24
24-28.
26
401
.128
.242
.266
62, 3i
Titiis 1. 2 ..:..177, 269, 274
il. Il,a2...
\ iii.5.......
^hiluInon 15...
Ilcb. i. 8
U. 5-8
8,9
10...
Iv. 7','ii.".*.
vi. 1 ,
4-6'....
viii. 4
1x8
21-24....
26-28...
X. 1..
27-29
xi. 13-16...
xit 9......
23 ...»••
xiH».3....
.429
269
........ 243
...-. 429
.........476
..,..202,899
381
491
.; 470
!•■• ••••■■41 X
126
399
221,225
250
>•••■••■• •4«'l
.128
W
.46,75, 116
21
»•••••••••
« .....262,268.348
11 . ^... ........................ 4rTj
Jamed i. 9, l^............u.^. 125
ii. 26....... 64
. iii. 15 74
iv. 14 12.5,200
1 Pet. iii. 18-20. .45, 75, IH, 295, 373-5, 466
iv. 6 -t^, .i .375,376
17, 18- ...•........-....*. .*o4, ol8
SPeterL 14.... , 21,24, ft3
15 23, 95
•^9. •.*">8
12. •—aOi
FAQB
2Peter II, 17 , -264
iii. 18 242
18 204
IJohnl. 7 280
ii.2 404
8 461
lu.l..... ,179
2 120, 121
8«*->a«*«****'**>*'-^******** •'■v4
14, 15..: ...176
lv.6 > i...l5r
18. V 858
V.12 205^
13 , Ill
16 217
JudeT 385
18. 204
19 42, 74
25.... 262
Kcv.iS 123
6*9..... 75
T 240
I, ■■•■■•• •■••■•••••••••■•■••• *rM^J
18.; 2»i.-.
|i. 25-27 241
ill. Q.'^ajv*** •-••••■•• >•• •>••»■•«• •■'fcIO
21. .:j... . ..*...... •.- 242
Iv. 9, Wy 2U.i
V. 18... 4044 430
14 : 26;^
VllI* •»• ••••■••• •••••••••••••••••'" •^''l
IX • if * ••*■••••••••••••••••""••• 41 *
» 11 303,447
X. 6. •••••••••••• •■■••••••••••••••**■"
XI* !•. ••••••••••"*••• •••••••••• •'•H^l
15. .•••••■••••*>>>*«*B* «>•••••«• t^t)!
Xili* 11 «••••••■••••••."••••••■•• • «J*5''
Id* ••••■•«■•••*'************ ^'^
xlv. 6, 7 ••••• 30'^
9^11.....:.. 850-355
XV. 1 ...'..• •^•''3
X vi . J#.»-....--^. •••••••••••••••* :€M
xviii 8 •••••• ••■••••••••.•• •••••• ■H"
11 3.;u
12. •............♦•..■••■•■' ' .•"'•J*
xviii. 8 3;i9
xix., XX.... ....... ?»1, 282, 319-3-1!)
xix.3 r. ;^40
19-XX.3 ■' Ill, VOS
20.. 3;il, 340, a-ll
XX •..•.•• ra
1,8 448
■ , 2 ;;oi.
4-6..... 286. 299
9, 10 303,320.478
11-15 285. :^24
13 145,298
14... 192
Xxi.1-5 242
4,5 ,..401,480
£i .■■••••••••••••••••■••••"• ■ ^i*^
XXil. I* ^•••••••••••^•••••* • •^•Jv? OiH*
5 ais
19 ..-. 347
FAOS
....'264
....-M2
....264
....280
....404
....461
120, 121
!!!!lT«
i . . . 157
....85«
....205^
....111
....217
....38.'>
....204
.42, 74
....2('>2
123
75
.,..240
,....2»i.".
241
21.S
....242
2(5:1
404*, 43()
263
2
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