The Wicked Dead by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 15, 1868

“The Wicked Dead.”

By Editor

A NEW edition of this excellent tract, revised by the author, has just been issued at this Office. It is addressed to the question, Are the wicked dead now being punished? and contains a full exposition of that, to many, perplexing parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. The importance of the subject, and the manner in which it should be treated, is well set forth in the opening paragraph of the tract which we herewith transcribe:

“This is a question of awful solemnity, and should not be treated as a matter of speculation and idle curiosity. By far the larger part of mankind live in neglect of the great duties of religion, if not in open contempt of its most solemn commands. Such has ever been the fact with our fallen race. This vast throng of sinful men, for long ages have been pouring through the gates of death, and its dark portals hide them from our further view. What is the condition of this innumerable multitude of impenitent dead? Where are they, and what now is their real state?”

These important questions are fully and scripturally answered in the tract under notice. It is shown that there are but two instances in all the Bible which can be adduced to prove the present conscious suffering of the wicked; a fact of which but few persons may be aware. These instances are the Sodomites, Jude 7, and the Rich Man and Lazarus, Luke xvi, 19–31; and these cases are fully explained, showing that they give no countenance whatever to such a doctrine. In a concise and pointed manner, one of the greatest errors of the day is attacked and overthrown. Here is the difference between truth and error. Learned D. D’s find it necessary to write dollar and two dollar volumes, to sustain a doctrine which is here completely refuted in a penny tract; because in the latter case the Bible is allowed to speak for itself, and settle the question; while in the former, a laborious effort has to be made to explain it away. There ought to be no limit to the circulation of this tract. 16 pp ; price, $1.00 per hundred.