OR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WICKED (COMMONLY CALLED ANNIHILATION,) ESTABLISHED, AND ENDLESS MISERY DISPROVED, BY A COLLECTION AND EXPLANATION OF ALL PASSAGES TO WHICH IS ADDED A REVIEW OF DR. E. BEECHER'S CONFLICT OF AGES, AND JOHN FOSTER'S LETTER. BY JACOB BLAIN, BAPTIST MINISTER OF BUFFALO, N. Y. For all the wicked will God destroy."--Ps. 145: 20. SEVENTH EDITION. BUFFALO: PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, NO. 19 NORTH DIVISION ST. 1857. C 1118.31.30 INDEX. INTRODUCTION, page 3-8. Importance of the subject, p. 4. Brief history of the doctrine of destruction, 6. Objections to investigate removed, 7. CHAP. I.—The doctrine of destruction proved, 9. 'Immortal soul, not in the Bible, 10. Twenty terms, as die, perish, destroy, burn up," &c., used 200 times to prove destruction, 10. Their Bible meaning, 20. Ten texts for restoration, as proving destruction, 21. Life and death not figurative, 24. What was lost by the fall, 26. Wholesale perversion, 28. All the Bible proof of immortality, 28 Error in our translation, 30. Meaning of soul and spirit, 30. CHAP. II.-Metaphysical proof of immortality exploded, 33. Immortality assumed, 40. CHAP. III.-HELL NOT A LOCAL PLACE TO CONTINUE ETERNALLY, 43 Meaning of the English word hell, 43. Prof. Stuart on the four terms Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, Tartarus, translated Hell, 44. Gehenna (hell) explained, 46. Corruption in translating Gehenna by hell, 48. Paul told of no hell, 49. Hell is to be ended, 50. Meaning of the English word hell has been corruptly changed, 51. Catholics the most honest in translating hell, 52. Errors in translation, 53. CHAP. IV.-Texts supposed to teach endless woe explained, 57. Six classes of texts amounting to 284 to be left out, 57. The rich man in hell explained, 59. Unquenchable fire no proof of endless woe but of destruction, 62. CHAP. V.-P. 66. All the remaining texts, being 15, explainedbut 15 claimed by Prof. Stuart. All of them quoted, 66. General remarks on them, 67. All figurative, 67. Aion (for ever) explained, 68. All given up by different divines, 69. Dan. 12: 2, "everlasting contempt" explained, 71. "Everlasting fire," 73. Everlasting punishment," 77. CHAP. VI.-Smoke of torment, 85. For ever and ever explained, 88. The devil tormented, 93. Literal devil not meant, 94. Lake of fire, 96. CHAP. VII. Review and Results, texts perverted, 98. The Bible does not seem to teach endless woe, as the texts relied on prove destruction, 103. Universalism and orthodoxy contrasted, 104. They have the most texts, 106. Endless woe slanders all God's attributes, 111. Ministers oppose reform, 111. Reasons for endless woe, 115. CONFLICT OF AGES.-Commendation of, p. 2. Great principles, 2. The Conflict stated, 5. Pre-existence, 8. Its proof, 10. Extracts, 10. Dr. Beecher's failure, 14. The origin of sin, 16. Reasons for eternal woe, 20. Woe to increase joy, 24. Destruction only can end the "Conflict," 26. Evils of the Conflict, 29. Are we punished for Adam's sin? 31. A horrible doctrine, 33. HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY GIFT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOV 0 1938 INTRODUCTION. DOES the doctrine of endless misery "commend itself to every man's conscience?" Like Paul, we wish, by a "manifestation of the truth," to thus commend the doctrine of destruction.-2 Cor. 4: 2. An argument often used to prevent research and reform of the reexamination of our creeds is, that new and delusive errors are constantly springing up in our day. Many patented inventions on trial are found to be useless, and when the patents for steamboats, the telegraph, &c., came out, if all had refused to try them, because most patents proved useless, much more good sense would have been manifested than is shown in this argument; for they could affect us but a few years, while Christ has said, to "break the least of his commands," will "make us the least in the kingdom of heaven." "Be not carried about with every wind of doctrine," is now perverted, (as was the one quoted on the pinnacle of the temple,) and made to mean, "alter not the creeds,"-" bring no new things out of the treasure-house" of God's Word,-" our creeds are two and three hundred years old, and were made when we half emerged from Popery, and "all new and old things" are in them!!! The motto of churches as to doctrines, seems to be: "What has been always customary, Legal becomes, and necessary. Ergo, it is legal and necessary to teach immortality, and an endless hell. Prof. Finney has been censured for teaching perfectionism in practice, but a far worse perfectionism is being manifested by all sects as to doctrine. ' I will here only suggest the importance of the subject examined in . these pages. (1.) The teaching of endless woe, is casting gloom over ne church of God. (2.) Driving our land into Universalism and nfidelity. (3.) If it is not in the Bible, awfully slanders our Maker. And (4.) The doctrine of destruction, if in the Bible, and understood, will remove these evils; or, at least would immensely lessen two of them, and entirely end the slander of the Almight As well-bal anced minds would see that the "Judge of all the earth" would be just in such a penalty for rebellion and impenitence; while no one can see endless misery to be so. When I have finished an argument, and to my own mind exposed error, I have often been severe in reproof; but I have hoped the reader would feel like David, "Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil which shall not break my head."-Ps. 141: 5. My reproofs are mostly designed for two classes: the learned in the original languages; and those who have had this subject brought to their minds, and for some cause refuse to investigate, or only partially do so, and then denounce and ridicule it. The persecutors of Galileo refused to look through his telescope, lest they should be convinced his theory of astronomy was right, and peradventure themselves would be persecuted. The reason I lay the blame on ministers is, they have ever been and still are the leading enemies to reform, and persecutors of reformers: the laity must lead in reform in doctrines. They have also the most time to learn the truth in this matter. and as yet have generally neglected it, and cried the loudest against it. The history of the church proves my charge, that ministers oppose reform. In the sequel 1 will show it. Those who live in glass-houses should not throw stones, lest they provoke to a like practice. Dobney and others have written on this subject in a kind spirit, but have received little else but missiles of abuse. Argument has been thought too gentle a weapon to battle them with, or else they have had none to use, and still concluded they must fight in some way. Take heed, lest ye be found fighting against God." What is to be the destiny of ourselves or of our race, beyond the brief period of this life, all must admit is a question of vast import, ance; and especially so, from the sad fact that we are conscious of being sinners, and knowing that sin merits and receives punish.nent |