ii8 Forgiveness for Sins of Ignorance. CHAP. 



ment of the Church and of the Ministry. 1 Roman 

 soldiers and other sinners of the outside world, who 

 have known God and Christ only afar off if at all, 

 have had no opportunity of sinning against the 

 Holy Spirit of Light; but Christ gave warning 

 against that sin among Israelites, and the writer to 

 the Hebrews gives warning against the same among 

 Christians. 



But what are we to believe of the destiny of 

 those who have committed that sin 1 The words of 

 the writer to the Hebrews, taken alone, appear to 

 leave no hope except of annihilation : " No more a 

 sacrifice for sins, but a fierceness of fire which shall 

 devour the adversaries." 2 But we have the words 

 of Christ : "I, if I be lifted up (on the cross), 

 shall draw all men unto myself (for salvation) " ; 

 and of Saint Paul, that God, through Christ, will 

 reconcile all things to Himself. 



When I wrote my Scientific Bases of Faith twenty 

 years ago, I leaned to the opinion that for those 

 who sin against the Holy Spirit there is no resur- 

 rection from the death of sin, and no hope except 

 the hope of annihilation. I now " faintly trust the 

 larger hope " 3 for all, without any exception ; for it 

 does not appear impossible that those who cannot 

 be forgiven in either this life or the next may be 

 forgiven in some far-off age. Of this, however, we 

 may be certain, that if any sins are beyond forgive- 



1 Matt. xxv. 2 See, however, Note B at end of chapter. 



3 In Memoriam. 



