The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-06-30

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may be said that this is world of pro-
baton, for we shall be rewarded or pun
ished in the next for what we do in this.
If we do good here we shall be rewarded
hereafter if we do i'll we shall suffer
less, and so this life is probation or
state Of trial, for what we are here
influences what we shall be hereafter.
But probation in theology means far
more than this. This may be all true,
and yet this life not be a probation in
the theological sense of this term. This
life may influence the next. What we
are to-day may influence what we shall
be tomorrow, so what we are in this
world may influence what we shall be
in the next, and yet life not be a prOba-
tion in the accepted theological sense
of that term. For theologically proba-
tiOn means more than this; far more
than that this life is state of trial, that
shall have its influence upon another
state of trial, as one day has its infu-
ence upon another. 1t means that
mans destiny is placed in his own
hands. 1t means that man must fix
his own destiny either for veal or woe
that this state of trial must issue in
endless good or i'll for each and every
soul. 1t excludes from the destiny of
man the divine element. It does not
allow that in human destiny there is
any divine will or purpose. It denies
that God has fixed the destiny of man
as man, but says that every man is left
to fix his own destiny. This is what
the word means i'll any system of the
ology it may be found. 1t means this
in the new theology just as much as in
the old.
The difference between the old and
the new theology on this point is wholly
one of time. The old theology limits
the time to this world. Here and now
we must fix our everlasting destiny.
Between the cradle and the grave we
must make our ''calling and election
sure" Probation ends at death. The
new theology says no; probation does
not end at death, but extends long
way into the future, even to the very
day of judgment, at least for a multi
tude of souls. For all those who have
not made decisive choice of good or
evil in this world, probation extends
into the next and lasts until this choice
is made in each and every case. Every
soul really ends it's probation by deci-
sively choosing Christ or rejecting him,
but the probationary period lasts until
the day of judgment and the end of the
mediatorial reign of Christ
In both of these forms of orthodoxy
therefore, the probationary idea is essen
TALLY the same. 1t is that mans des-
tiny is absolutely in his own hands, and
that, soon or late, every soul must
decide that destiny for himself. This
is what the word means in theology,
and when this idea is excluded there is
no sense in using it when speaking of
the relation of this life to the next, or
of Gods dealings anywhere with his
children.
This being the meaning of the word
in theological science, it is very clear
that it cannot be admitted into any sys-
TEN of theology that holds to a Divine
purpose in life, that holds that God has
absolutely willed destiny for man.
Whoever holds that God himself has
chosen what man shall ultimately be
cannot believe that life here or here
after, or anywhere, is state of prOba-
tion.
In pure Calvinism, for instance,
there is no doctrine of probation;
neither indeed can be, unless the state
of Adam before the fall may be called
probation. Calvinism fixes every
thing by divine decree. The saved are
chosen to salvation from the founda-
tion of the world, and the lost are
chosen to be lost from the foundation of
the world. The destiny of each class is
fixed in the beginning. God absolutely
wills that the righteous shall be right
eous, and so saved, and the wicked
shall be wicked, and so lost from all
eternity. Hence there can be no proba-
ton in such scheme of thought. Man
cannot be on trial for his everlasting
destiny, for that destiny is fixed from
the beginning.
The same is true of Universalism.
There can be no doctrine of probation
in our scheme of thought We cannot
hold that life here or hereafter is a pro
baton, for we do not believe that mans
destiny is ever absolutely in his own
hands. 1t is fundamental to our faith
that God has fixed human destiny.
We hold and teach that God absolutely
wills the salvation Of all souls. Hence
we cannot hold that life is a probation,
for that would necessitate our holding
also that the will Of God might be
thwarted. In the case of those who
abuse their probation to their own
destruction the will of God would be
set aside, and, of course, universal sal
vatiov booomn innuossibIa