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p485 [Mons. Eynard] [From the French.] BELOVED BROTHER, - I have not seen the writings which are circulating in Switzerland, but here the immortality of the soul, that is to say, of the soul that has not received Christ, is denied by all who have adopted these ideas. Among them are found two classes: those who make the soul perish finally with the body, and those who say that, although death be the end of the soul as of the body, man will be raised again to be judged and then burned by degrees like a branch. The natural immortality of the soul, by the will of God in creation, is denied by both classes. They cite the passage, "God only has immortality," forgetting that the angels do not die, and that the one who wrote it himself had immortality, according to their system. That God can destroy, I allow, as He could create. The question is to know what He says.

In their system, man is a "living soul," and so is a beast. Now, it is very plain that if a beast were to receive eternal life, it could not be held guilty, in respect to what it had done as a beast; that is to say, that this system overturns the nature of man. We are the offspring ( γένος ) of God; Adam was, in this sense, son of God. Made to enjoy Him, we are perfectly miserable without Him. How true this is! Now, I say that in this system expiation is null, since it took place for things done by the flesh, which differs nothing from that of a beast.

I doubt whether one could find a single passage to shew that "destroy, destruction," signify the absolute cessation of existence. They admit, it is true, that nothing is annihilated, but they say that the soul by means of the fire loses its personality and its individuality, and is dissolved into its elements. Just like a bit of charcoal - I have answered them.

In detail, the consequences of their doctrine are infinite. Judgment is after death . . . but, how judge what has ceased to exist? or else (when it is a question of the second class), how raise what has ceased to exist?

Their tricks and dishonesty, besides, soon gave proof of the source of their doctrine. The soul of the child brought back to life by Elisha returned, and re-entered its body. As for their fine theories about the goodness of God - men who insist upon absolute destruction or restoration - we must understand that not only man, but Satan and his angels are in question; otherwise, these theories would be but man's love for his own race, and it would be a fraud to speak of God, as though it were a question of His glory. I say this, not to reason about it, but to shew that it concerns the spirit and pretensions of those who maintain these doctrines. We always find, in them, the spirit of lying.

New York.

[51289F]

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