MR. GEORGE A. BROWN'S LECTURES.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1591, 14 September 1882, Page 2

MR. GEORGE A. BROWN'S LECTURES.

Mr George A. Browx, Editor of the Bible Standard, Auckland, delivered the first of a series of theological lectures in Le Quesne's Hamilton Hall, on Tuesday night. The chair was occupied very efficiently by Mr G. A. Aklridge, and the attendance was very fair. The subject of Tuesday evening's lecture was "Do the Scriptures teach the immortality of the soul." The demands on our limited space prevent one giving anything like a full report of the lecture, bnt the main features of the "cloctrine adopted by Mr Brown, may be briefly enumerated. The lecturer commenced by denouncing the popular orthodox belief in eternal punishment, a dogma which he contended had driven thousands of meu to seek refuge in atheism Such a belief was incompatible with that in a God of Love, and Mercy and Justice. He then proceeded to &ay that the Scriptures nowhere prove the immortality of the soul. Man was not destined to have immortal lifeexcept through Jesus Christ. In Genesis, chap. 2. v. 7, it is shown that man was created out of the dust of the ground, and that God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and subsequently God pronounced upon Adam the sentence, that as he had been created of the dust, to dust he should return. The word " immortal" occurred twice and the word "immortality" five times in the Bible, but not once in relation to man's soul. The orthodox, with their pictures of eternal torment, frightened, men into Christianity, but the lecturer contended that it was never a part of God's plan to inflict on any of his creatures an immortality of suffering. He discarded the oithodox belief that Chiisfc had paid the penalty of sinners, because in that case he must necessarily be undergoing the penalty for sin, and no one would admit that Christ was in everlasting torment. Christ died that through him men might live. Without this passport to immortality man was no better than the beasts of the field, and would as surely peiish. The wicked would be annihilated. In answer to a question, Mr Brown said he regarded the puni&hinent referred to in the concluding verses of Matthew chap. 25, as everlasting death. The sinner might not be conscious of his punishment, but the Lawgiver was conscious of it, just as the law and not the murderer Avas conscious of the punishment inflicted by the hangman. The law in both cases was vindicated.

Last night Mr Biown delivered the second of his course oi lectures, the subject being " Immortality brought to light m the Gospel by Jesus Christ." The lecture was a continuation of the one delivered on the previous evening, particular stress being, however, laid on the mission of Christ in bringing light into the world. There Avas a good attendance, and the lecturer Avas listened to with the utmost attention. To-night the subject will be "The Future of the Wicked," and the series Avill conclude to-morroAV evening, when the lecturer Avill deal Avith the questions "Is evil eternal ? Is there a hell ?"