CONDITIONAL IMMORTALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 4115, 15 September 1883, Page 2

CONDITIONAL IMMORTALITY.

Conclusion of tho Dobato,

Cosuros on tho Choss Tournament.

Tiik six-nights' debate between Mr G. A. Brown and Mr B. Hutson on the question whether or not tho Bible teaches the doctrine of conditional immortality was concluded last evening, in the Theatre Royal. Cr. Thompson presided, and the audienco was numerous, while tho studied and respectful attention paid tho debaters on previous occasions was maintained on this ono also.

Mr Hutson, after a few preliminary observations, went on to give a synopsis of his arguments. The proposition that he had undertaken to affirm and prove was : "Some part of all men is immortal," and ho had adduced in support of it the following arguments :—l. The consensus gentium, or common conviction of mankind. 2. The assertions of the wisest and best men. 3. The majesty of conscience in appealing from tho tribunal of nion to that of God. 4. Tho impossibility of having a religion without a fundamental belief in tho possession by man of a fundamental belief in the possession by man of a higher ami nobler part than his material nature ."). The creation of man and the whole tenor of Scripture.linking him on to God and a higher life, showing a being something more than tho beasts. G. The recognition in both tho Old and New Testaments of men as compoued of a doiulo nature 7. Tho emphasizing of tho value of tho soul or lifo principle over tho body. S. Tho impossibility of a resurrection if man's porsonal idontity is to bo destroyed by annihilation. 0. Tho benefits of Christ's redemption begin in this life, ho that they cannet be immortality. Soveral passages of Scripture wore also cited. Mr Brown began by dealing with Mr Hutson's assertion that if man became extinct at death thero would ho no resurrection. Ho answered it by asking how it was that if the righteous wont to hoaven when they died and tho wicked to hell, as orthodoxy taught, that a judgment was deemed necessary at all, seeing that tho good and bad had simply to be summoned from their respective places of abodo in ordor to be sent back again? God would not perpetrate auch an absurdity. It was quite illogical. As for the ren-arka on tho soul, Mr Hutson should not venture to predicate anything of it, seeing that he had already admitted that ho nor any ono else had boon able to define it. How was it, then, that rthodoxy was everlastingly defining it and telling us that it was tho real man? Did it not seem Htrango, too, that God should give us a revelation about things that wo can find out for ourselves, and nono whatever about matters beyond our kon. Again, if tho soul was to be reserved either for bliss or torment, how was it that God was so strangoly silent throughout the Old Testament upon tho tremendous risk that men were running in this lifo ? How was it that he did not even hint to Adam the awful jienalty that disobedienco would bring upon himself and his posterity? All this negatived tho orthodox dogma of immortality. Mr Brown then assailed tho orthodox churches for their supineness in regard to man's wolfare, wliero they held that liis eternal destiny was so momentous in its weight either for weal or woo. Ho wns tho more impressed by this inconsistency when ho recollected that that vory night the Church which above all others heTd tho creed ho had indicted—the Church which Mr Hutson represented—was stopping out into tho world to produce somo amusement, somo merriment. It had followed tho varieties of the world so fur as to take to tho _ stage in order to raiso money. Ho felt impelled to advert to this matter, for when ho saw such abject worldlincss on tho part of the professed Church of Christ, he could not help thinking of tho indifforenco it was thus showing to the thousands of our race whom it believed to bo dropping every day into tho infernal regions. (Loud applause.) Mr Hutson, in reference to this last matter said, Mr Brown taunted us (tho Church) with the goings-on in tho Opera House. Ah, friends, it is true and it is to the shame of tho church that it is so.—(Prolonged applause-) But remember this, friends, that says nothing against tho truth which the Church holds. The man after God's own heart had sinned. The Church may hold the truth, and may always havo boon ready to dofend it, and yet sometimes she has allowed herself to bo accused of affording the onomy opportunity to blaspheme. Mr Hutson then went on with his argument about tho soul's immortality, and afterwards ho summed up his objection to conditional immortality, maintaining that it was both absurd and contradictory.

Tho remaining speeches had reference to this issue.

Mr Dixon, on behalf of tho Committee of Management, proposed a vote of thanks to tho Chairman, which was passed by acclamation. Mr Thompson suitably acknowledged the compliment. On the motion of Mr Hutson, seconded by Mr Aldridge, a vote of thanks was passed to tho Committee. Mr McNaught proposed a vote of thanks to the debaters, which was cordially given ; and Messrs Brown and Hutson having briefly replied, the proceedings ended.