The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-31
ANNIHILATIoN.

humiliation of the wicked, which he
represents as having some believers in
the place where he resides. While not
familiar with the arguments by which
the doctrine is defended, our friend rec
ognizes that the idea is repugnant to
Christian sensibility, and says that he
cannot reconcile it with the attributes
OF God. In this we agree with him.
The theory of humiliation cannot be
successfully defended on either rational
or Scriptural grounds, although it is
held by many excellent Christians as in
harmony with both reason and revela-
ton.
This opinion as to the fate of the
wicked is an ancient doctrine, and has
had its advocates in nearly all ages of
the church. Of the early Christian
writers, Justin Martyr and Irenaus I'M
doubtedly held the opinion. DR.. Ed
ward Beecher, in his History of Opin-
ions on Retribution," discusses at
length the opinions of these fathers,
but clearly shows that while they dis
tinctly teach the doctrine in question
they were Every unlike many modern
advocates of the humiliation of the
wicked" Iren@us has expressed the
belief in this way: The Father of
ALL" he says, ''imparts continuance for
ever and ever to those who are saved !;
for life does not arise from us, nor
from our own nature, but is bestowed
according to the grace of God. He,
therefore, who shall keep the life given
to him, and render thanks to him who
impaired it, shall receive also length of
days forever and ever. But he who
shall reject it, and show himself I'M
grateful to his maker, deprives himself
of continuance for ever and ever"
This opinion of Iren@us reappears
prominently at the present time in the
form of the doctrine which is known as
conditional Immortality, and is wide
ly accepted both in England and Amer
lea, and even entertained by some who
are popularity esteemed orthodox. They
teach that Immortality is not gift to
all. Man is not naturally immortal. He
finds Immortality only in Christ, and
attains it only in union with the Lord.
The wicked do not establish this spir-
itual union with Christ, and hence they
pass out of a state of conscious, per-
sonal existence they die out by the
limitation imposed in the very struct-
ure of the spiritual nature. For unless
this is developed and man comes to
recognize and appropriate Christ as the
life, he fails to realize the end of spirit
ual being, and drops into non-existence
as of no further use in the univers of
God. The sinner forfeits his own life
by not submitting to the rule of life as
revealed i'll Jesus Christ.
This, in brief, is the modern doctrine
of conditional Immortality" 1t is
also popularity termed humiliation or
destructionism. 1t is held both as
philosophy and Scriptural revelation.
1t is invariably accepted as a refuge
from the common orthodox theory of
unending punishment. AS James Free
man Clarke observes: sit is the refuge
of that class of minds which are unable
to accept universal restoration on the
one side, or everlasting punishment on
the other. To them large number of
human beings are too good for banning
and too bad for blessing, and in their
opinion will be suffered to quietly drop
out of existence"
The Scriptural basis for the doctrine
is literal Interpretation of those pas
sages, which speak of obstruction"
as an accomplished fact in the case of
the sinner, or possibility of the future.
Thus we are told our Lord describes the
way of sinners as "the way that lead
eth to destruction" Matt. vii, 10. st.
Paul speaks of certain enemies of the
cross, "whose end is Instruction." in
II Peter 2, we read of the false teach
ers who "bring upon themselves swift
destruction. The numerous texts in
which the word "perish !" occurs, are
also regarded as explicitly teaching the
cessation of conscious and personal life;
while in many passages death is believed
to represent not alone the death of the
body, bat the final extinguishment of
the life of the soul. While this is the
general line of Interpretation of biblical
passages, the chief emphasis is now
placed on the fact that the sinner has
failed to establish spiritual union with
Christ, and fails of Immortality for that
reason. 1t may be briefly urged in reply
to the advocates of this method of in
that it involves the larg-
est possible slavery to the letter of the
Scripture. The death, obstruction"
"perishing," of the wicked, cannot leg
Ultimately be given literal interpreta-
ton. The various senses in which
these words are used in the Scriptures,
absolutely forbid any such acceptance;
they cannot signify non-existence or
Andrew Jukes in 1.-The
Restitution of all Things" brings to-
gether large number of these passages
to show the error of the view of ami