Storrs, Six Sermons on the Inquiry
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Six Sermons on the Inquiry Is There Immortality in Sin and Suffering? ALSO, A SERMON ON CHRIST THE LIFE-GIVER: OR, THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL. BY GEORGE STORRS OFFICE OF THE BIBLE EXAMINER 1855 III TABLE OF CONTENTS A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH; ................................5 or, Brief Notice of the author of the Six Sermons: his birth - parentage - religious teaching, p.5; exercises of mind when young - religious experience, 7; first marriage, 8; impression to preach, 8; joined the Methodist Episcopal Church and commenced preaching, 8; withdrew from that church, 9; first awakening of his mind to doubt man's natural immortality, 9; his previous standing, 10; his Three Letters to a Methodist Preacher, 11; origin of the original Six Sermons, 11; unexpectedly led to preach to multitudes which gave a rapid spread to his views, 13; fifteen thousand of the Six Sermons scattered in the winter of 1842-3; more laborers come into the work, 15. SERMON I .............................................19 Introductory Remarks, 19. - The Question at Issue, 21. - Examination of the arguments in proof of man's immortality, 21. - The belief of all nations, 22. - Archbishop Whately's remarks on this point, 23-27. The heathen Philosopher's belief amounts to Annihilation, 26. - The desire all men feel for immortality, 28. - The soul immaterial, &c., 29. - What is immateriality? 29 - The soul indestructible, 31. - The Philosophy of the question, 33. - Is it the will of God men shall be immortal if wicked? 32. - What man lost by the Fall, 32-35. - The Tree of Life, 35. - Watson's remarks thereon, 36. - Facts from God's word, 38. - Eternal, Eternity, Eternal Life, 38,39. Principles of interpretation, 40. - Meaning of the term death, 41. - The term immortal occurs but once in the Bible, 41. - Contradiction in poetry, 42. - Immortality, the phrase found but five times in the Bible, 43. - Beauty of Scripture on the theory advocated, 44. SERMON II ............................................45 The old Serpent's discourse, and its destroying nature, 45. - The terms employed to denote the punishment of the wicked, 47. - Objections answered, "Worm dieth not," 51. - "Hell fire" Gehenna, 54. - "These shall go away into everlasting punishment, 56. - Pain and punishment not necessarily identical, 58. - "Kolasin" of this text, 59. - Paul's commentary on the text, 59. - Sodom and Gomorrah, 62. - Concluding remarks, 63. SERMON III ...........................................65 Searching the Scriptures, 65. - Examination of Rev. 14:9-11. Is this language spoken of all wicked men? 68. - Does it relate to any beyond this life? 70. - It is fulfilled "on the earth?" 71. Rev.20:10, considered, 72. - The devil to be destroyed, 73. Summing up of the argument of the advocates of man's immortality, 74. - Watson on immortality, 74. Other objections considered, 74. - The benevolence of God obliges Him to inflict the greatest possible punishment, 75. - Such a punishment uncalled for and useless, 77. - "Sin an infinite evil," 79. - "Destruction no punishment at all," 79. - Folly of such an objection, 79. - Henry's notion of "damnation," 80. - Benson outstrips Henry, and finds it impossible to obtain satisfaction to Divine justice, 80-82. - Concluding remarks, 82. - Faith defined, 83. SERMON IV ............................................85 Prove all things, 85. - Province of reason, 85-87. - Further objections. - "The fathers believed in the endless torments of the wicked, 87. - Corruption of Christianity by its defenders, Mosheim, 88. - Attempt to unite heathen philosophy with Christianity, Enfield, 88. - Jews believed in endless torments, 89. - Is.33,14, considered, 89. - Jews belief not proof, 90. - Testimony of New Testament, 91. - John the Baptist, 91. - Jesus Christ, 91-94. - Peter's testimony, 94. - James', 95. - John's, 96. - Jude's, 96. - Paul's, 97-104. - Concluding remarks, 105. SERMON V ............................................107 Further objections considered, 108. - Destruction not so terrible as endless misery, 108. - "Puts an end to the sinner's misery," 109. "Spiritual death is the penalty," 110-115. The preposition "in," Gen.2:17, examined, 114. - Destruction of sins or happiness, 115. - Dan.12:2, considered, 115. - John 5:28,29 noticed, 116. - The Doctrine held by the Arians, &c., 117. - "Gone half way to Universalism," 118. - "If this doctrine is true why not found out before? 120. - Benson on the misery of the wicked in hell, 123. SERMON VI ...........................................129 Is.57:16 considered, 129. - Evil of common theory of immortality, 131. - Beauty of texts destroyed, 132-137. - Extravagant notions of Adam's perfection considered, 138-150. - God's works always progressive, 138. - The creation of man, 140. - Adam's intellectual nature, 141. - Adam's ignorance, 141. - Adam's holiness, 142. - His temptation, 146. - Character cannot be known without trial, 147. - Adam's failure, with remarks on inherent depravity 149-152. - Assembly's Catechism, 150. - Conclusion, 152. CHRIST THE LIFE-GIVER: OR THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL. ..153 The Syriac version of the New Testament, 153 - Its translation by Prof. Murdock, 154. - The true meaning of the terms Saviour, save, and salvation, 154. - An examination of various texts where these terms occur, 155-164. ADDENDA .............................................165 "THE BIBLE EXAMINER" ................................168 SERMON I Introductory Remarks, 19. - The Question at Issue, 21. - Examination of the arguments in proof of man's immortality, 21. - The belief of all nations, 22. - Archbishop Whately's remarks on this point, 23-27. The heathen Philosopher's belief amounts to Annihilation, 26. - The desire all men feel for immortality, 28. - The soul immaterial, etc., 29. - What is immateriality? 29 - The soul indestructible, 31. - The Philosophy of the question, 33. - Is it the will of God men shall be immortal if wicked? 32. - What man lost by the Fall, 32-35. - The Tree of Life, 35. - Watson's remarks thereon, 36. - Facts from God's word, 38. - Eternal, Eternity, Eternal Life, 38,39. Principles of interpretation, 40. - Meaning of the term death, 41. - The term immortal occurs but once in the Bible, 41. - Contradiction in poetry, 42. - Immortality, the phrase found but five times in the Bible, 43. - Beauty of Scripture on the theory advocated, 44. SERMON II The old Serpent's discourse, and its destroying nature, 45. - The terms employed to denote the punishment of the wicked, 47. - Objections answered, "Worm dieth not," 51. - "Hell fire" Gehenna, 54. - "These shall go away into everlasting punishment, 56. - Pain and punishment not necessarily identical, 58. - "Kolasin" of this text, 59. - Paul's commentary on the text, 59. - Sodom and Gomorrah, 62. - Concluding remarks, 63. SERMON III Searching the Scriptures, 65. - Examination of Rev.14:9-11. Is this language spoken of all wicked men? 68. - Does it relate to any beyond this life? 70. - It is fulfilled "on the earth ?" 71. Rev.20:10, considered, 72. - The devil to be destroyed, 73. Summing up of the argument of the advocates of man's immortality, 74. - Watson on immortality, 74. Other objections considered, 74. - The benevolence of God obliges Him to inflict the greatest possible punishment, 75. - Such a punishment uncalled for and useless, 77. - "Sin an infinite evil," 79. - "Destruction no punishment at all," 79. - Folly of such an objection, 79. - Henry's notion of "damnation," 80. - Benson outstrips Henry, and finds it impossible to obtain satisfaction to Divine justice, 80-82. - Concluding remarks, 82. - Faith defined, 83. SERMON IV Prove all things, 85. - Province of reason , 85-87. - Further objections. - "The fathers believed in the endless torments of the wicked, 87. - Corruption of Christianity by its defenders, Mosheim, 88. - Attempt to unite heathen philosophy with Christianity, Enfield, 88. - Jews believed in endless torments, 89. - Is.33,14, considered, 89. - Jews belief not proof, 90. - Testimony of New Testament, 91. - John the Baptist, 91. - Jesus Christ, 91-94. - Peter's testimony, 94. - James', 95. - John's, 96. - Jude's, 96. - Paul's, 97-104. - Concluding remarks, 105. SERMON V Further objections considered, 108. - Destruction not so terrible as endless misery, 108. - "Puts an end to the sinner's misery," 109. "Spiritual death is the penalty," 110-115. The preposition "in ," Gen.2:17, examined, 114. - Destruction of sins or happiness, 115. - Dan.12:2, considered, 115. - John 5:28,29 noticed, 116. - The Doctrine held by the Arians, etc., 117. - "Gone half way to Universalism," 118. - "If this doctrine is true why not found out before? 120. - Benson on the misery of the wicked in hell, 123. SERMON VI Is.57:16 considered, 129. - Evil of common theory of immortality, 131. - Beauty of texts destroyed, 132-137. - Extravagant notions of Adam's perfection considered, 138-150. - God's works always progressive, 138. - The creation of man, 140. - Adam's intellectual nature, 141. - Adam's ignorance, 141. - Adam's holiness, 142. - His temptation, 146. - Character cannot be known without trial, 147. - Adam's failure, with remarks on inherent depravity 149-152. - Assembly's Catechism, 150. - Conclusion, 152. CHRIST THE LIFE-GIVER: OR THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL. The Syriac version of the New Testament, 153 - Its translation by Prof. Murdock, 154. - The true meaning of the terms Saviour, save, and salvation, 154. - An examination of various texts where these terms occur, 155-164. A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH; OR, BRIEF NOTICE OF THE AUTHOR OF THE SIX SERMONS. GEORGE STORRS, the subject of the following remarks, was born in Lebanon, N. H., December 13th, 1796. He was the youngest of eight children. His father, Col. Constant Storrs, was originally from Mansfield, Conn.; and was an industrious mechanic, serving, for a time, in the American Revolution as a wheelright. After the war of the Revolution he was married to Lucinda Howe, who was half-sister to the late Richard Salter Storrs, for many years minister of Longmeadow, Mass. After their marriage they removed to New Hampshire - the country being then a wilderness - and located in Lebanon, on Connecticut River; and by industry and economy became, what, in those days, was called a wealthy farmer.