TRUTH PROGRESSING

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 21, 1878

TRUTH PROGRESSING.

The readers of the REVIEW are probably aware of the fact that during the last few months many eminent ministers of the gospel throughout the country have been discussing before their congregations the subject of the final destiny of the wicked. Many of them have wholly repudiated the commonly accepted idea of the everlasting, present, literal hell-fire torments of the wicked.

Mr. Beecher, who first began to agitate the matter, says of the subject: “The doctrine is too horrible. I cannot believe it. And by the blood of Christ I denounce it; by the wounds in his hands and his side, I abhor it; by his groans and agony I abhor and denounce it as the most hideous nightmare of theology.”

Though many boldly denounce this erroneous doctrine, yet we have failed as yet to discover their true position in regard to the punishment or final destiny of the wicked. We can but rejoice when false doctrines are ably combated, exploded, and wholly repudiated; for all nations have been made drunk with them.

We have anxiously waited, hoping some one of them would present the Bible facts in regard to the subject. Thus waiting and hoping we could but exclaim, Eureka, when we read the following in the Cincinnati daily Commercial, of Feb. 18, 1878, which is a brief sketch of a sermon delivered by N. Summerbell, at Bible Chapel, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sunday, Feb. 17:—

“Ye shall not touch it lest ye die.”—God. “Thou shalt not surely die.”—The Serpent. Gen. 3:3, 4.

“And whosoever name was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.” Rev. 20:15.

I have thus used as a text the beginning and the ending of the Bible concerning sin—the first warning of God and the last judgment. And as is the beginning and also the end, so is the whole Bible.

There is not one solitary text in its sixty-six books which teaches that anything that is wicked is immortal; or that impenitent sinners shall live forever; or that Satan is immortal; or that sin is eternal; or that rebellion against God will be tolerated forever; or that hell will not end; or that Satan will not be destroyed.