CHAPTER IX.

ANNIHILATION.

Ir is held by persons connected with various Christian sects, that the final destiny of a considerable number of the human race is to be utter annihilation. The doctrine is held in a variety of forms, seemingly according to the constitutional or the educational bias of the person holding it. Thus,

Most annihilationists, if I mistake not,reject the doctrine of endless torments with horror; but at least a few profess to think that to be struck out of existence would be a greater evil than to suffer endlessly. Some evidently suppose an exercise of special power requisite to reduce the sinner to a state of nothingness; while perhaps the greater number totally reject the popular dogma of the immortality of the soul, and so contend that the sinful have but to be let alone in order to drop at once into absolute non-existence.

Some seem to anticipate for the wicked merely a sudden extinction of being; while others appear to expect for them a lingering death in intense torments. Some have held that the existence of the wicked will continue until they are sentenced to death, judicially; others that such persons cease to exist, on the death of the body. According to

some, the wicked will be raised, and then adjudged to utter death; while others contend that, for this class, there is no resurrection at all.

And so forth, &c.

I propose to present two principal arguments bearing directly against this doctrine, in all and each of its various forms and modifications; also, to offer some remarks upon certain texts and classes of texts which are, or may be, adduced in its support.

1. A firm belief in the reality of the catastrophe. contemplated by the doctrine of the utter annihilation of the wicked, is not calculated to give comfort to a bereaved mourner, who is exercised by parental affection, and views the victim of said catastrophe to be a beloved child.

The point of this is, that "the gospel" is directly calculated to administer comfort to "all who mourn," and, of course to all bereaved parents. This we may soon see, by comparing and considering a passage from "the evangelical prophet," and an account given in the New Testament:

Isa. lxi. 1--3. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,... to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness," &c.

Luke iv. 17--21. "And there was delivered to him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted,. . . . . . to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.' And he closed the book,. .... and sat down... ... And he began to say to them, "This day is this Scripture fulfilled."

...

Observe, here, that for "good tidings" in the prophet, we have "gospel" in the evangelist; that Jesus applied the passage to himself, as being THE Gospel Preacher; and that though Luke does not proceed with his quotation far enough to speak of "the day of vengeance" or retribution, which doubtless Jesus read, he also, by the same means, does not transcribe that significant expression, which also doubtless Jesus read, as being a part of his commission,-"to comfort all who mourn."

The term Christianity primarily imports the religion of a person called "Christ." But Jesus Christ did not himself give that appellation to the system of truths by him presented. He called it by a name which we translate "gospel," and which all agree signifies good news. This is a name of great significance, and is evidently indicative of the quality of Christian truths, since it was by means of those truths, announced either personally or by proxy, that the great Preacher was to officiate as a universal Comforter. I argue, then, that

Any system of doctrine which presents, as a final result, that which will not comfort at least all "those who mourn in Zion," alias Christian mourners, must needs differ essentially from the pure gospel of Christ.

And I also freely confess that

If the doctrine of the annihilation of the wicked has any gospel in it for the affectionate father or mother mourning the death of a wayward, impenitent, skeptical child, I have altogether misread the parental heart.

To say that annihilation is better than endless suffering, is saying nothing to the purpose, any more than to say, as some have said, that endless

suffering is better than annihilation. The one may be less bad than the other; yet, strictly speaking, neither of them is better. To a good man, there is really no good news in the one nor in the other; and the fact that this may be preferred to that, or that to this, in a choice of evils, is by no means to be taken as proof that either belongs to the simple good-news system presented by Jesus, the Christ.

Note. Whatever of applicancy and force there may be in the foregoing argument as an objection to the doctrine of annihilation, it is obvious that were it directed against the doctrine of endless punishment, so very generally received among Christians, it would apply every way as well, and certainly with no less cogency.

2. The Apostle Paul teaches expressly that death itself, that is to say, human death,- shall, at the last, "be destroyed." This, to my mind, negatives the doctrine in hand; since, according to this doctrine, human death is to have an endless reign, so to speak, so to speak, and millions of victims, are to be endlessly subject to its power.

The passage containing the text alluded to, reads thus:

"Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that He is excepted who did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued to him, then shall the Son also himself be subject to Him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all." 1 Cor. xv. 24-28.

Observe, here, that the apostle is treating of the reign of Christ in his kingdom; and that, according to the apostle, this reign of Christ is to con

tinue until all enemies and all things are put under His feet.

"The expression, "put under his feet," is manifestly not to be taken in a literal sense; and it is an exceedingly valuable fact that, both when applied to "all enemies," and, to "all things," the phrase in mention is followed by its appropriate synonym. Thus "put all enemies under his feet,' is followed by "the last enemy that shall be destroyed;" and "put all things under his feet," is followed by" and when all things shall be subdued" or subjected.

We perceive, then, that to put the enemies under his feet is to destroy them. And it must be confessed that the meaning which annihilationists are wont to affix to the term destroy, is undeniably its meaning in this text. For though to destroy, may mean, in many instances, to punish by depriving the culprit of mere bodily life; and though "death" is here personified, and thus spoken of as though a living being; the figure manifestly recognizes this common-sense idea, that when the thing personified is deprived of its life, it is also deprived of existence in every proper sense of the word. We have it, then, that Christ is to annihilate all enemies, and that death is destined to be the last.

But who or what are the rest of the enemies? Are they those individuals of mankind who are inimical to Christ, their lawful Sovereign? It would seem not; for "the last enemy " is not of the human race, nor indeed of any race, but is simply the condition, or the process, denominated "death;" and, by parity of reasoning, the other enemies are not human beings, but are those conditions, practices, principles, &c., which are inimical to the prosperity of Christ's kingdom. One of these enemies (, over and above death, and which,