The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

I. Baptist Professor Whiston—Holds to Complete Destruction of the Wicked

In the succession of illustrious eighteenth-century men who championed the cause of Conditional Immortality, we now come to WILLIAM WHISTON (1667-1752), Baptist theologian and outstanding mathematician. In 1703 he became the successor to the renowned Sir Isaac Newton as professor of mathematics at Cambridge. He received an excellent training at Clare College, Cambridge. Also, as a lad he had been an amanuensis to his father, an Anglican rector, and this experience gave spiritual shape to William’s entire life. CFF2 224.2

After his ordination in 1693 he became chaplain to the Bishop of Norwich, then was vicar of Lowestoft. At one time, because of his Arianizing tendency, he was accused of heresy before the Dean’s Court, at St. Paul’s. But after an extended trial he was acquitted. He remained for years in the Church of England, but in 1737, convinced of immersion, he joined the General (or Arminian) Baptists. Whiston was a tireless worker as a minister, conducting an early service daily in the chapel, preaching twice a day in his church, and giving catechetical lectures frequently. But when he was invited to succeed Newton as professor of mathematics at Cambridge he gave up his vicarage for the classroom for a time, and was one of the first to lecture with experiments. He was finally ejected from Cambridge because of his independent religious views. CFF2 224.3

Whiston was author of some fifty works, one of which confirmed the Genesis record of Creation—on Newtonian grounds. He was also a master of Greek, and made a standard translation of the works of Josephus. Whiston, moreover, was a close student of prophecy, holding to the Historical School of interpretation and the year-day principle for the time prophecies—believing that the 1260 year-days of Daniel and the Apocalypse refer to the period of papal dominance throughout the Middle Ages, as predicted in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. ¹ Furthermore, like various men of prominence of the time—such as London barrister Sir William Tempest, court physician Dr. Peter Chamberlen, and Commonwealth speaker of the House of Commons Thomas Bampfield—Whiston became a Sabbatarian. ² CFF2 225.1

In 1715 he started the still-operative “S.P.C.K.,” or Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge. Later, in 1740, he published his view on The Eternity of Hell-Torments. In this treatise he vigorously opposed the dogma of Eternal Torment and presented the case for Conditionalism. For example, his comments on Luke 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:8, 9; and 1 Timothy 6:9, 19, set forth his position on the ultimate, utter destruction of the wicked. Here are his notes expounding these three texts: CFF2 226.1

1. CHAFF IS “BURNT UP” IN UTTER DESTRUCTION

“Luke 3:17, The chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. CFF2 226.2

“N.B.—These words are very much of a piece with those already cited from Isaiah the Prophet and others. Only they compare the wicked to chaff, which is not laid up in garners, as wheat is for its preservation, but intirely burnt up for its destruction. Which is strong against those that suppose the wicked to have their lives preserv’d on purpose that they may be subject to never ending pains, and plainly implies that their punishment [in the sense of torment] shall end much sooner, by an utter destruction, or what we should call annihilation also.” ³ CFF2 226.3

2. FLAMING FIRE TO “UTTERLY CONSUME” WICKED

“2 Thessalonians 1:8, 9. In flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God; and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall have for punishment olethron aionion, a lasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of His power. CFF2 226.4

“N.B.—This text is so far from affirming, as is commonly supposed, that the wicked shall, at the last day, be preserved in being, in order to the enduring everlasting torments that it rather implies the contrary; that the flaming fire into which they are to be cast at that day, will, in some time, utterly consume them.” ⁴ CFF2 226.5

3. ETERNAL LIFE FOR RIGHTEOUS ONLY

“1 Timothy 6:9 and 19. Hurtful lusts which drawn men eis olethron kai apoleian, in destruction and perdition.—That the good may lay hold aionion zoes, of the lasting life. CFF2 226.6

“N.B.—Since we still find the opposition between the final state of the wicked, and the righteous to be this. To the former utter destruction, and to the latter a lasting life; ‘tis very hard that our paraphrases still suppose both to be equally a lasting life, or duration.” ⁵ CFF2 226.7

There can be no mistake as to Whiston’s mature views on the fate of the wicked—their utter destruction—thus clearly expressed. So Conditionalism’s permeations were deep in high circles as we come toward the middle of the eighteenth century, and both the predecessor and the successor of Sir Isaac Newton are listed as Conditionalists. CFF2 227.1