Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-22

the confession of faith that '.the souls of the
wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in
torments and utter darkness, reserved to the
judgment Of the great day."
CHARGE WILL
Teaching that sanctification is not complete
at death, which is contrary to the essential doc
trine OF the Holy Scripture and of the stand
ards of the said church that the souls of be-
levers are at their death at once made perfect
in holiness"
Another fault Of Protestant theology is in
its limitation Of the process Of redemption to
this world and its neglect OF those vast periods
Of time which have elapsed for most men in
the middle state between death and the resur-
rection. The Roman Catholic Church is frmer
here, though 1t smears the biblical doctrine
with not a few hurtful errors. The reaction
against this limitation. as seen in the theory of
second probation, is not surprising. do not
find this doctrine in the Bible, but do find in
the Bible the doctrine of a middle state Of con-
scious higher life IN the communion with
Christ and the multitude of the departed of all
ages; and OF the necessity of entire sanctifica-
ton, in order that the work of redemption may
be completed. There is no authority in the
Scriptures or in the creeds of Christeudom for
the doctrine OF immediate sanctification at
death. The only sanctifcation known to ex-
perence. to Christian orthodoxy and to the
Bible Is progressive sanctifcation. Progressive
sanctifcation after death is the doctrine of the
Bible and the church; and it is of vast import
ance in our times that we should understand
1t and live in accordance with il. The bugbear
of judgment Immediately after death and
the illusion Of a magical transformation in the
dying hour, should be banshed from the
world. They are conceits derived from the
Ethnic religions. and without basis in the Bible
or Christian experience as expressed in the
symbols of the church. The former makes
death terror to the best of men, the latter
makes human life and experience of no effect:
and both cut the nerves of Christian activity
and striving after sanctificatiou. Renouncing
them as hurtful. unchristian errors, we look
with hope and joy for the continuation of the
processes of grace and the wonders of redemp-
ton in the company of the blessed. to which
the faithful are all fastening.
Appendix, I'd ed, pages lO7. 108 "Sanctifica-
ton has two sides-a negative and positive
MAYNARD. the latter is Godward Believers
who enter the middle state enter guiltIess:
they pardoned and justified; they are man
tied in the blood and Righteousness of Christ;
and nothing will be able to separate them from
His love. They also delivered from all
temptations such as spring from without, from
the world and the devil. They are encircled
with influences for good such as they have
never enjoyed before. But they are still the
same persons, with all the gifts and graces, and
also the same habits of mind, disposition aud
temper they had when they left the world
Death destroys the body. II does not change
the moral and religious nature of man. 1t is
unpsychological and unethical to suppose that
the character of the disembodied spirit will be
changed in the moment Of death. 1t is the
MaEichean heresy to hold that sin belongs to
the physical organization and is laid aside with