Elder Lee Hanks

Bible Doctrine Defended

Advocate & Messenger-February 1939

(Editorial Note: It is painful to learn that universalism, non-resurrectionism, no-hellism, etc., is being advocated by a few Baptist ministers. Brethren, if you no longer believe the Articles of Faith of your church, be honest and sincere,-just quietly leave without disturbing the peace of the Baptist. Read Brother Hanks article.)

THE BODIES OF men after death return to dust and see corrup­tion (Gen. 3: 19; Acts 13: 26); but their souls which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them (Eccl. 12: 7); the souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness, are received into paradise, where they are with Christ and behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies (Luke 23: 43; II Cor. 5: 1, 6. 8; Phil. 1: 23; Heb. 12: 23); and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torment and utter darkness, re­served to the judgment (Jude. 6. 7; 1. Pet. 3:19; Luke 16: 22: ), of the great day,-besides these far souls separated from their bodies the scriptures acknowledgeth none. At the last day such of the saints as are found alive shall not sleep, but be changed. (I. Cor. 15: 51, 52; I. Thes. 4: 17); and all the dead shall be raised up with the selfsame bodies and none other (Job 19: 26), although with different qualities, which shall be united with their souls forever. The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonor; the bodies of the just by the spirit, unto honor, and be made conformable to His own body (Acts 24: 15; John 5: 28, 29; Phil. 3: 21). The wicked shall be cast into eternal torments and punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power".-London Confession of Faith, 1689, and endorsed by all orthodox Primitive Baptists. See flanks History, page 24, and The Philadelphia Confession of Faith, Art. 23, adopted by them, 1742.

Primitive Baptists have always contended for these truths because they are clearly set forth in the scriptures. Eld. John R. Daily said, "We must either admit the endless misery in hell, or give up endless happiness for the righteous".

Elder John Gill (1748), the ablest Baptist preacher since the apostles, said: "Judgment having passed, the execution (Matt. 25: 46) immediate­ly follows: those goats, formal professors, shall be obliged (the sentence irrevocable), whether they will or not, to depart from the presence of Christ; the angels will be ordered to cast them into everlasting burnings; they will be driven by them into hell, the place appointed for them; where they shall endure everlasting punishment in soul and body as the just deserts of sin, which being committed against an infinite God, cannot be satisfied for by a finite; who must ever bear punishment of it, because its pollution and guilt will al­ways remain, The wicked will forever endure the torments of hell- eternal fire or everlasting burnings for the devil and his angels".- Hanks History, page 174.

Elder Gilbert Beebe (1840), one of our ablest min­isters, said: "The destiny of all worlds hang on His sovereign decision. Every ransomed soul is effectually brought to occupy His place at the right hand of Jesus, and the goats are placed with the accused on the left hand. After the resurrection of the saints the wicked shall also be raised to a resurrection of damnation. If washed in the blood of Christ, arrayed in His righteousness, we are saved; if otherwise, we are lost,-irretrievably lost! We believe the happiness of the saints and the punishment of the wicked will be alike interminable, endless. Hank's History, page 174.

Elder Hassell, our most learned of all church historians said: The resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, the everlasting salvation of the children of God in heaven and the everlasting dam­nation of His enemies in hell, are clearly set forth in the scriptures."



Elders Lemuel Potter, J. B. Stephens, J. F. Oliphant, J. G. Webb, L. H. Hardy, S. F. Cayce, J. R. Respess, T. S.Dalton, W. M. Mitchell P. D. Gold, R. W. Thompson and all true Primitive Baptists believed in the doctrine of election, special atonement, resurrection of the just and unjust and punishment of the wicked will be eternal. All Old Primitive Baptist papers advocate the same and their editors believe and preach it. When I joined the Primitive Baptists (1877), all in our country (W. Va.) believed in election, special atonement and the resurrection of the just and unjust, and that the joys of the righteous and punishment of the wicked will be eternal. No non-resurrectionists, or any who denied there being an endless hell then. I then believed what Primitive Baptists preached,-I believe it yet. When I was compiling my Church History, I got minutes from coast to coast, and everyone, without exception, contended that the joys of the righteous and punishment of the wicked will be eternal. See what Daniel said: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to ever­lasting life, and some to everlasting shame and con­tempt". Daniel 12: 2. You see here the punishment of the wicked is as endless as the joys of the righteous. Eternal and everlasting •derived from the same word showing it will be interminable.

Jesus speaking of the wicked goats says: "These shall go away into everlasting (aiovion) punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (aiovion). Everlasting and eternal from the same Greek word "aiovion", both hav­ing the same meaning-endless in deviation. Matt. 25:46. Jesus also said, "Depart ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, Matt.25: 41.

To deny that there is an endless punishment for the wicked denies the endless consequence of sin, denies Bible predestination, election, special atonement or re­demption, grace, salvation and the resurrection of the just and unjust. It denies the experience of the child of God who saw the justice of God in his eternal condem­nation. It would make the eternally lost, viz: Cain, the Sodomites (suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude), Ishmael, Esau, Pharaoh, Orpah, Judas (a devil and son of perdition) and wicked Herod, all children of God. Jesus taught the resurrection of the just and unjust,- one to the resurrection of life, the unjust to the resurrec­tion of damnation". John 5: 28,29. Paul taught the res­urrection of the just and unjust. (Acts 24: 15). "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life (Psalms 139: 14, 16;6 Luke 10: 20; Rev. 13: 8; 17: 8) was cast into the lake of fire". Rev. 20: 10-15; 21: 10.

"They shall be tormented day and night forever and ever". Rev. 21: 10. All this establishes the doctrine of election of a definite number saved. The modern doc­trine of no endless hell or eternal punishment, is a licentious doctrine which the natural man gladly accepts. If it were a spiritual doctrine the natural man and carnal mind would reject it. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit". I. Cor. 1: 14. If Universalism and Russellism were true, all the race would be children of God and no children of the devil. Jesus says: "The tares are the children of the wicked one". He again said to some: "Ye are of your father, the devil, the lust of your father ye will do". John 8: 43. "The children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the end". Rom. 9: 8.

It is to be deplored that Russellites and Universalists will scatter their spurious literature all through the country and praise the minds of many little children of God by their false teachings of no hell, no resurrection, no election, and that every one makes his own atonement. They try to spiritualize the truth out of the Bible to de­coy as many children of God off as possible. Beware and reject all the cunning devices of Satan. Remember that if one among us advocates it he has left our faith. And it confuses and divides the Lords people where allowed. I cannot see how any one could be ordained to preach among us who believes such heresy, for it is not the doc­trine taught in our Articles of Faith. I would be afraid to advocate such carnal teaching to confuse the Lords people. I trust none of our preachers will be caught in the Russellism snare. The truth, never confuses nor di­vides Gods children. Let us ever fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matt. 10:28. May God bless the New Year to our mutual good and to His glory.  

Pray for me. Lee Hanks.