The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-04-07

heaven.
Jesus says; "These shall go away
into everlasting punishment" Mark,
nothing is said about humiliation, but
punishment 1t does not say that they
shall go away into everlasting nothing
ness, but punishment.
Jesus says, cit is better to enter
into life halt or MANNED, than having
two hands to be cast into everlasting
fire." Now, whatever fire" may mean
/ here, it certainly means positive SUIT
fcring. and it does violence 70 the
structure of language TO say that
Jesus, by the phrase EVERLASTING fire
meant everlasting nothingness, or anni-
hilation. Depart We cursed into ever
lasting fire, and many other places.
The prophet Daniel says: And
many Of them that sleep in the dust
of the earth shall awake, some to ever
lasting life and some to everlasting
shame and contempt" ! submit that
everlasting shame and contempt are
not provided for in annihilation. How
could their shame and contempt be
everlasting if the wicked is annihiia-
ted? And would Christ use the term
fire to teach positive punishment,
when he meant nothingness or amir
hilation? Impious the thought.
It is said in Genesis that "God formed
man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life" Afterwards God declared to
him, Chou shalt not eat Of the tree or
the knowledge of good and evil In
the day that thou eatest thereof, thou
shalt surely die" Now, did he die in
that day? If the body and soul are
identical, he did not die in the day
that he ate What sort of death then
was inflicted i'm that.very day. Be
cause Gods word must be true. How
did he die? Plainly, he died in that
very hour to Gods favor and smile OF
appreciation. He died to communion
with God He died to holiness. He
died to innocence, and died to perfect
happiness, and he lived on by the
sweat of his brow, and in sorrow and
trouble all his days. And here and be-
yond the grave the same facts make
up his everlasting death. He is with
out God, and that is hell to the
wicked.
But time and space would fail to take
up all the passages. Jesus gives the
case of the finally lost soul thus; "And
the rich man died and was buried, and
in hell he lifted up his eyes being in
torment, etc. His body was buried in
the ground and was undergoing de-
composition. What part of Dives then
was in torment and asking Abraham
to alleviate his condition? Was it not
the soul? And if it was the soul, did it
not have existence separate and dis
tinct from the body? The very thought
that Jesus would state the case so plain
In. when he knew otherwise, is impious.
Dives was receiving the wages Of sin,
which is death death to God and
heaven and happiness. But ii the soul
has not a separate existence from the
body, it must 90 out into nOthingness
when the body dies. But i'm that case
how came Dives to be taking to Abra
ham in the spirit world2 But then the
Annihilationists provide for Dives to
be dragged out at the Judgment day,
receive a few stripes, and then be anni-
Inflated! Wonderful!
God declares that He created man
in His own image" and gave him do
minion over all the earth. Now, the
dignity and possible eXaltation of the
being created in the image Of God must
be very great. But let us attend to the
inquiry: What part of man was created
in the image of God? Was it his body?
Has the Infinite God body, like man.
and of which mans body is the image?
Has an Infinite Spirit forTn2 is mans
form an image Of the Almighty? If
all this is answered in the negative, as
it necessarily must be, then / ask
again, what part of man was created
in Gods image? There is only one an
swer possible. Tt was the soul of man;
and the soul can trace the lineaments
/ Of the likeness in itself to the God who
| created it. The dignity Of Office and
| position is designated amongst men by
| the highest name of such position or
| Office. and not a lesser name, as presi-
| dent sheriff, etc So in the Bible, the
/ name soul is mentioned mostly, such
as became a living soul" eight souls
| were saved in the ark, the soul that
| sinneth it shall die"-die to Gods
/ favor and heayen-die in the sense of
not having eternal life" which is only
| in Christ. Now, to say that this soul,
| created in Gods image, does not pos
| sess separate and distinct immortality,
| Is to belittle language and impugn the
| wisdom of the Almighty; and to say
| that God viii annihiIate that soul is to
charge him with an effort to mend His
own weak and disabled plan and pur-
pose. and from an impulse Of goodness
| to save by simple power the wicked
soul, to deliberately disrupt His own
| created universe!
The Apostle says, "God only hath
Immortality" Col Waddell makes
much Of this He rings the changes
on 1t. But submit that if my friend
is correct in his Interpretation, then