The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

X. Himes—In Later Life Espouses Conditionalism

It is not commonly known that JOSHUA V. HIMES, ¹⁶ in the Advent Christian Quarterly for July, 1869, tells how, about 1860, he began to restudy the “Life and Death question,” particularly the doom of the wicked. As a result, he came to accept the position of Conditionalism, and states at the close of his article: “Every frank examination of any branch of this great question of life and death eternal strengthens my convictions that eternal life is ‘the gift of God,’ while ‘the wages of sin is death.”’ And J. V.’s son, William Himes, editor of the journal, adds in an illuminating editorial: CFF2 662.3

“But he has left cavilers without an excuse by his frank and interesting exposition on the Life and Death question. While many of his coadjutors have become conservative he [J.V.] has been growing more radical [Conditionalist] with age.” ¹⁷ CFF2 663.1

Strangely enough, the Conditionalist teaching was adopted by still other groups not classed among evangelical Christians. The story of that adoption is a matter of historical record and will be given as a part of the over-all historical picture. CFF2 663.2