(1) Especially the great sayings in which the '' note of the universality of grace rings so clear (Jn S'"- "), and the persistent search of the lost (Lk 15''-8) and tlie all-embracing work of Jesus are so abso- lutely declared (Jn 1-* 12^'- '-), have been dwelt upon as justifying ' the larger hope.' The e.xact award of penalty, the few and many stripes according to the nieasure of disobedience (Lk Vi"- ^"j, the com- pleted siMiti'iirr iiji]ili<-d ill 'till tliou have i.aid the last fMiiliin,-- (Ml .-.-"', <-f. is^^'--), tlic startliii--
ifying part' (see Intr ' ), the 1
perform
Com. 'Mark' in loco), the use of kUKi •suggestive of corrective rather than ot vni.lntnr punishment' (Expos. Gr. Test, on Mt 2r>*). ami tlic nse of aliiyios as suggesting 'age-long,' have all been singled out as leaving room for the hope of final salvation through the fires of judgment.
The exact balance of the awards 'eternal life' and 'eternal punishment' (Mt 25*) has often been insisted upon as teach- ing finality. As the life is certainly endless, so, it is urged, must the punishment be. But even this is not conclusive. The terms 'life' and 'punishment' point to an essential differ- ence. Life is of God, essentially Divine ; punishment is from God, a Divine act. It is well also to bear in mind that ' if good" ever should come to an end, that would come to an end which Christ died to bring in ; but if evil comes to an end, that comes to an end which He died to destroy ' (Clemance, Future Punish- vient, p. 65). .)
But more than upon single texts, reliance is jilaced upon the revealed character and purpose of God in Jesus Clirist.
(2) On the other haml, tin' str.ni- terms, dcstrur': tion, perdition,tinqtie>ir/ifi/,/r ji, i . ;mmI ilieanalogies of consumption of tiuc- :iii'l rli.iir ;uid withered branches by fire, are iiistiinccd .is imlicating anni- hilation. "Two sayings of Jesus are indeed terrible- in their severity, and ought not to be minimized : ' Be not afraid of them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell ' (Mt 10=8). Whether the reference be to God as the object of fear (so Wendt, Teaching of Jesus, i. 201, and most commentators) or ' the tempter ' and ' the devil whose agent he is' (so Bruce, Expoa. Gr. Test, in loco), the statement as to the destruction of the soul itself remains. The same thouglit is sug^ gested by the figure used in the saying. ' He that falleth on this stone shall lie hrolcen'to pieces ; but on whomsoever it .shall fall, if will matter him as du.st' (Mt 21"). Were utter extiiieliuii of being to be taught, it could hardly be in iilainer terms.
(3) In close association, and leniling supjiort to the theory of annihilation, is the doctrine of ' con- ditional immortality ' or 'life in Christ.' Accord- ing to this theory the object of revelation is ' to change man's nature, not only from sin to holiness, but from mortality to immortality.' Many sayings in the Fourth Gospel are pressed to support this theoiy, especially those where the gift of life is declared to be only through the Son, and to those only who abide in Him by faith (Jn 3'*- "*
035. 50-58).
It is this evident and apparently ' insoluble antinomy ' which has led many to conclude ' that we have not the elements of a complete solution, and we ought not to attempt it. What visions beyond there may be, what larger hopes, what ultimate harmonies, if such there are in store, will come in God's good time ; it is not ours to antici- pate them, or lift the veil where God has left it drawn' (Orr, The Christian View of God and the World, 397). This conclusion, so far at least as the Gospels are concerned, may be accejited. In the teaching of Jesus the emphasis is always upon present op])ortunity, duty, responsibility. ' One said unto him, Lord, are they few that be saved ? And he said unto them. Strive to enter in by the arrow door ' (Lk 13=^). ' Walk whOe ye have the light, that darkness overtake you not. While ye have the light, believe on the light, that ye may become sons of light ' ( Jn 12'^- **). God's eternal grace and man's 'boundless power of resistance' stand over against each other. Jesus honours both, but nowhere in His reported sayings does He dis- close the final issue.
The teaching of the Epistles does not come within the scope of this article, but this brief reference is necessary. To the present writer, at least, it does appear that St. Paul's faith reaches a linal issue. By him an endless dualism isdecisively reje.ted. ' That God may be all in all ' (1 Co IS^"-^") IS the linal goal; but what that includes, or how :ir(c.iiiplislied, is not declared ; only of Christ it is said, and we may hold this faith confidently, 'He must reig-n till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. '
Literature. — This is very voluminous, and no attempt is made to include even all modern works. The following may be consulted : — (A ) In favour of endlessness of punishment ; Pusey, What is of Faith as to Ererlastimj Punishment l ; S. Davidson, The Doctrine of Last Things; Salmond, The Christian Doctrine Q^/»/imor(aZi7y.— (Z?) Treating the answer as unrevealed: Barrett, The Intermediate State ; Beet, The Last Things ; Clemance, Future Punishment ; Orr, The Christian View of God and the World, Lect. ix. — (C) In support of annihilation : Row, Future Retribution; Stokes, Conditional Immortality ; E. White, Z.i/e in Christ.— (D) Maintaining the 'larger hope': Cox, Salvator Mundi ; Farrar, Eternal Hope, and Mercy and J^tdgment ; Plumptre, Spirits in Prison, includes art. ' Eschatology ' from .Smith's Diet, of Christian Biog. ; Jukes, The Restitutioti of all Things. — (£) On the general question : see Hastings' DB, art. 'Eschatology' ; Alger, Doctrine of a Future Life; also Greg's Enigmas of Life, ch. vii., for a striking presentation of retribu- tion as determined by the nature of sin; Stephen, Essays in Ecclesiastical Biography, the Epilogue.