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down there in the bottom of the sea is in a condition of "final permanence." The penalty of these physical laws, therefore, is not irremediable, but the exact opposite: hence, so far as this fact proves anything, it proves that the penalty of the moral law is not irremediable, but the exact opposite; that it is remediable, that it sets forth a condition in which great forces are at work to produce a change for the better. All this argument, therefore, in support of the position that there may be a punishment of sin that does not tend to reform the sinner, is seen to be groundless.

3. Scriptural Testimony. Under this head all that Mr. Cook has is the assumption that the Scriptures teach the possibility of eternal sin. He says, "It is not my duty here to expound the Scriptures, but you will allow me to say, gentlemen, that eternal sin' is a Scriptural phrase. As all scholars know, we must read in the twenty-ninth verse of the third chapter of Mark, hamartematos, and not kriseos: 'He who sinneth against the Holy Ghost is in danger of eternal sin.'” 7

The meaning of this is that the word rendered damnation in this passage ought to be changed for one that means sin, and instead of reading "eternal damnation," as it does in the old version, it ought to read "eternal sin," as it does in the new. This would make the passage teach that he who sins against the Holy Ghost is in danger of eternal sin is in danger of continuing in sin for ever. His contumacy is 30. great that he has passed the line beyond which repentance and forgiveness are impossible.

It is a sufficient answer to this to say, that according to all the best criticism of the present day, Christ neither said nor taught anything of the kind. In the first place, he did not teach that the sin against the Holy Ghost is absolutely unpardonable. All the weight his language will bear is that this sin was one exceedingly difficult to pardon, since it indicated a very great degree of wilful blindness. Thus Grotius says, "The meaning is, not that this sin shall remain unforgiven so

7 Ibid. p. 163.

long as God exists, but that all other sins and blasphemies may more readily be forgiven than the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost." Bishop Pearce says, "This is a strong way of expressing how difficult a thing it was for such a sinner to obtain pardon." 8 The Master did not say, then, that this was an "eternal sin," or one that cannot be repented of, for any sin that can be forgiven can and must be repented of.

Again, the phrase "eternal sin" is not a Scripture phrase, if you use that phrase in the sense of "endless sin." The word translated eternal does not mean endless. It simply means age-lasting, an indefinite period of time. "All the best scholarship" of the present time is surely acknowledging this. It is too late in the day to hoid the word translated eternal to the exact meaning of eternity, or endless. Such "scholarship" is behind the age. Christ, therefore, did not say that "he who sinneth against the Holy Ghost is in danger of eternal sin," meaning thereby endless sin, but only that he is in danger of "age-lasting" sin, or of continuing long in sin. Hence this Scripture testimony may be dismissed without further comment.

We have now passed in review all the arguments in favor of this doctrine of the final permanence of sin of which we have any knowledge, and we can but feel that they are very inconclusive. In our next we shall try to show that this doctrine is without foundation in either philosophy or religion. Rev. Stephen Crane.

8 Page's Selections. p. 80.

ARTICLE IV.

Preaching the Gospel to the Dead.

Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the spirit; in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which aforetime were disobedient, when the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water." Peter iii. 18-20. Rev. Ver.)

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"Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." (1 Peter iv. 5, 6. Rev. Ver.)

THE Common Version of these passages being familiar to all Bible students, we give here the Revised Version, as representing the emended Greek Text as now adopted by the generality of critics. The interpretation of these passages has been regarded usually as extremely difficult. But although some false readings of the Greek text have contributed to erroneous views heretofore, as now corrected and translated according to the opinions of nearly all scholars, the statements of the Apostle are sufficiently clear and precise to exclude all doubt as to his meaning, if only we are content to abide by the literal sense of his language. But these Scriptures, literally understood, are plainly opposed to certain dogmas long cherished; and thus, as Lange observes: "Various expositions, arising from dogmatical prejudice, have been set up with regard to these passages" (Notes, 1 Pet. iv. 6). The literal sense of these texts is opposed, e. g. 1. To the doctrine of no repentance nor salvation after death; and 2. The directly opposite doctrine of no sin nor punishment after death. If we insist on either of these dogmas, it is necessary to attach some symbolical or figurative meaning to St. Peter's language. But such eminent exegetes as Lange, Alford and others, powerfully sustain, for the most part, the strict, literal sense of these Scriptures; and it will be our aim in the present article to confirm this view. As preparatory to a correct exposition of the two texts, it will be necessary to submit,

I. Some Critical and Philological Notes upon them.

It will be noticed that the Revised Version of the first passage (1 Peter iii. 18-20) presents some remarkable deviations from the Common Version, and especially in the clauses uniting the eighteenth and nineteenth verses; thus, while the Common Version reads, "but quickened by the Spirit; by which also he went and preached;" the new version has: "but quickened in the spirit, in which also he went and preached." These variations arise trom the emendation of

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the Greek text. The so-called textus receptus has the article τ before лvεúμarı (vs, 18), thus; "the Spirit," meaning the Holy Spirit by which Christ was quickened, or made alive, and "by which (the Holy Spirit) also he went and preached." But it is now held by the generality of critics that this article before лvεúμati," spirit," is spurious; so that the new version of these clauses is alone correct, that is, "quickened (or made alive) in the spirit, in which also he went and preached." In other words, it was in his own spirit and personality, that Christ was made alive, and it was in his own spirit, that he went and preached, whereas, according to the old text and version, he was made alive by the Holy Spirit, and by the Holy Spirit he went and preached. These variations, as we shall see, have a very important bearing upon this entire passage, essentially changing its meaning. There can be no doubt as to the correction of the Greek text, for the article is omitted by a host of MSS., such as A. B. C. K. L., the Codex Sinaiticus, etc.; while none of the Uncials supply it (Alford, in loc.).

As will be understood, the term "quickened," which is retained by the Revisers, really means made alive; and such is the sense of the Greek verb woronis, used in the original. Christ, then, was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison

Turning now to the other passage (1 Peter iv. 5, 6.), in the phrase," is ready to judge the quick and the dead," the term quick means simply the living; thus, " to judge the living and the dead." The original, Cortas, is present participle

of Law, "to live," etc. In the sixth verse we have the expressions," according to men in the flesh," and "according to God in the spirit." The Greek xarà, here" according to," has the sense of "in the manner of," importing likeness, or conformity to some standard; so Winer, citing this verse, remarks: In 1 Peter iv. 6, xaτà árbóлovs means after the manner of men,' and is more closely defined by the annexed σαρκί; just as κατὰ θεὸν means after the manner of God, which is more closely defined by πνεύματι, for God is πνεύμα.” 1 Jelf also, citing this phrase, observes: "So more definitely, after the fashion of, like, as xará avoшлог.2 We may thus render this entire passage as follows: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead. For to this end was the gospel preached also to the dead; in order that (ira denoting purpose) they may be judged, indeed, after the manner of men in the flesh, but live after the manner (or likeness) of God in the spirit. With these remarks we are now prepared to take up the two passages in regular order, with the view to their correct exposition.

II. The Text I Peter iii. 18-20 or the spirits in prison. Perhaps the exegesis most frequently held by those advocating a non-literal interpretation of this passage, assumes that Christ preached to the living men of Noah's times, not in his immediate person, but by the aid of the Holy Spirit through Noah's ministrations. This view received some support from the textus receptus, which supplies the article before revμati, "spirit," and which is represented by our Common Version. But the Greek text as now corrected, omitting this article, and represented by the Revised Version, renders this exegesis impossible. 1st. Christ went and preached, not by the aid of the Holy Spirit, but in his own spirit and proper personality; 2d. The preaching took place, not in Noah's times, but only after Christ had been put to death in the flesh, and made alive in the spirit, in which, namely, his own spirit, the preaching was done; 3d. Christ, as a spirit, went and preached to spirits (Avεvμui); and not to living men in the flesh; that is 1 Gr. Gram. New Test. 7th Edit, p. 402, note 1. 2 Gr. Gram. 5th Edit. sec. 629, 3 g.

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