To Correspondents by Editor

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 12, 1856

To Correspondents.

By Editor

H. Chapin:—The tenor of your communication leads us to the conclusion that you do not fully understand our position on 2 Tim. vi, 16. We do not argue from it that no man will ever have immortality, or that the angels do not now possess it; but we do contend that it cuts off the claim so often put forth that all men, good or bad, are of necessity, from their very creation, in possession of inherent immortality. We cannot in any way conscientiously admit that any man from his birth has an immortal principle within him and must of necessity live forever. Immortality is held out to men, as an object to be sought after, by patient continuance in well-doing. Rom. ii, 6, 7. It is to be obtained only through Christ. Chap. vi, 23. Those therefore who will come to him that they may have life, [John v, 40.] will be crowned with immortality when He who is our Life-giver shall appear. Col. iii, 4; 1 Cor. xv, 51-54.

You quote John xi, 26: "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die," and then remark, "But cut off the believer from this fountain of life, and he would most surely die." This is precisely the light in which we view the matter. No one has any claim on life, so far as we understand the Scriptures, except he has it through Christ, as he is the only source of life to fallen man, and the giver of it to only such as come unto him. Where then is the unbeliever's ground of hope? Theologians need not tell us that when the Bible says life, it only means life in happiness, and when it says death, it means life in misery; we cannot consent to any such distortion of language. We believe that life means life: a state of consciousness with the power of volition and motion; and that death is its opposite: a state of unconsciousness and inactivity.

With you we agree that "no true believer shall perish;" for says the Saviour, "This is the Father's will, which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day;" but we see only the horrors of the second death before all those who have no hope and are without God in the world.