"The earliest appearance of a genuinely annihilationist theory in extant Christian literature is to be found apparently in the African apologist Arnobius, at the opening of the fourth century (cf. Salmond, "The Christian Doctrine of Immortality," Edinburgh, 1901, pp. 473--474; Falke, "Die Lehre von der ewigen Verdammnis," Eisenach, 1892, pp. 27-28). It seemed to him impossible that beings such as men could either owe their being directly to God or persist in being without a special gift of God; the unrighteous must therefore be gradually consumed in the fires of Gehenna. A somewhat similar idea was announced by the Socinians in the sixteenth century (O. Fock, "Der Socinianismus," Kiel, 1847, pp. 714 ff.). On the positive side, Faustus Socinus himself thought that man is mortal by nature and attains immortality only by grace. On the negative side, his followers (Crell, Schwaltz, and especially Ernst Sohner) taught explicitly that the second death consists in annihilation, which takes place, however, only after the general resurrection, at the final judgment. From the Socinians this general view passed over to England where it was adopted, not merely, as might have been anticipated, by men like Locke ("Reasonableness of Christianity," § 1), Hobbes ("Leviathan"), and Whiston, but also by Churchmen like Hammond and Warburton, and was at least played with by non-conformist leaders like Isaac Watts. The most remarkable example of its utilization in this age, however, is supplied by the non-juror Henry Dodwell (1706). Insisting that the "soul is a principle naturally mortal," Dodwell refused to allow the benefit of this mortality to any but those who lived and died without the limits of the proclamation of the gospel; no "adult person whatever," he insisted, "living where Christianity is professed, and the motives of its credibility are sufficiently proposed, can hope for the benefit of actual mortality." Those living in Christian lands are therefore all immortalized, but in two classes: some "by the pleasure of God to punishment," some "to reward by their union with the divine baptismal Spirit." It was part of his contention that "none have the power of giving this divine immortalizing Spirit since the apostles but the bishops only," so that his book was rather a blast against the antiprelatists than a plea for annihilationism; and it was replied to as such by Samuel Clarke (1706), Richard Baxter (1707), and Daniel Whitby (1707). During the eighteenth century the theory was advocated also on the continent of Europe (e.g. E. J. K. Walter, "Prüfung wichtiger Lehren theologischen und philosophischen Inhalts," Berlin, 1782), and almost found a martyr in the Neuchâtel pastor,
Ferdinand Olivier Petitpierre, commonly spoken of by the nickname of "No Eternity" (cf. C.
Berthoud, "Les quatre Petitpierres," Neuchâtel, 1875). In the first half of the nineteenth
century also it found sporadic adherents, as e.g. C. H. Weisse in Germany (Theoloqische
Studien und Kritiken, ix. 1836, pp. 271-340) and H. H. Dobney in England ("Notes of Lectures
on Future Punishment," London, 1844; new edition, "On the Scripture Doctrine of Future
Punishment," 1846).
VII. NINETEENTH CENTURY THEORIES
The real extension of the theory belongs, however, only to the second half of the
nineteenth century. During this period it attained, chiefly through the able advocacy of it by C.
F. Hudson and E. White, something like a popular vogue in English-speaking lands. In
French-speaking countries, while never becoming really popular, it has commanded the
attention of an influential circle of theologians and philosophers (as J. Rognon,
"L'Immortalité native et l'enseignement biblique," Montauban, 1894, p. 7; but cf. A. Gretillat,
"Exposé de théologie systématique," Paris, iv. 1890, p. 602). In Germany, on the other hand, it
has met with less acceptance, although it is precisely there that it has been most scientifically
developed, and has received the adherence of the most outstanding names. Before the opening
of this half century, in fact, it had gained the great support of Richard Rothe's advocacy
("Theologische Ethik," 3 vols., Wittenberg, 1845-1848; ed. 2, 5 vols., 1867-1871, §§ 470-472;
"Dogmatik," Heidelberg, II. ii. 1870, §§ 47-48, especially p. 158), and never since has it ceased
to find adherents of mark, who base their acceptance of it sometimes on general grounds, but
increasingly on the view that the Scriptures teach, not a doctrine of the immortality of the
soul, but a reanimation by resurrection of God's people. The chief names in this series are C.
H. Weisse ("Philosophische Dogmatik," Leipzig, 1855-1862, § 970); Hermann Schultz
("Voraussetzungen der christlichen Lehre von der Unsterblichkeit," Göttingen, 1861, p. 155; cf.
"Grundriss der evangelischen Dogmatik," 1892, p. 154: "This condemnation of the second
death may in itself, according to the Bible, be thought of as existence in torment, or as painful
cessation of existence. Dogmatics without venturing to decide, will find the second conception
the more probable, biblically and dogmatically"); H. Plitt ("Evangelische Glaubenslehre,"
Gotha, 1863); F. Brandes (Theologische Studien und Kritiken, 1872, pp. 545, 550); A. Schäffer
("Auf der Neige des Lebens," Gotha, 1884; "Was ist Glück?" 1891, pp. 290-294); G. Runze
("Unsterblichkeit und Auferstehung," Berlin, i. 1894, pp. 167, 204: "Christian Eschatology
teaches not a natural immortality for the soul, but a reanimation by God's almighty power. . . .
The Christian hope of reanimation makes the actualization of a future blessed existence
depend entirely on faith in God"); L. Lemme ("Endlosigkeit der Verdammnis," Berlin, 1899,
pp. 31-32,60-61); cf. R. Kabisch ("Die Eschatologie des Paulus," Göttingen, 1893).
The same general standpoint has been occupied in Holland, for example, by Jonker
..."
https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/pdf/warfield_annihilationism.pdf
"3 Whether or not Socinus was truly a Polish Spiritualist,64 his mortalism deserves to be noted for at least two reasons. It was decisively thnetopsychist in character, and it laid a foundation for the later Unitarian mortalists in Poland and Transylvania. "
https://research.avondale.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1125&context=theo_chapters
Ferdinand Olivier Petitpierre, commonly spoken of by the nickname of "No Eternity" (cf. C.
Berthoud, "Les quatre Petitpierres," Neuchâtel, 1875). In the first half of the nineteenth
century also it found sporadic adherents, as e.g. C. H. Weisse in Germany (Theoloqische
Studien und Kritiken, ix. 1836, pp. 271-340) and H. H. Dobney in England ("Notes of Lectures
on Future Punishment," London, 1844; new edition, "On the Scripture Doctrine of Future
Punishment," 1846).
VII. NINETEENTH CENTURY THEORIES
The real extension of the theory belongs, however, only to the second half of the
nineteenth century. During this period it attained, chiefly through the able advocacy of it by C.
F. Hudson and E. White, something like a popular vogue in English-speaking lands. In
French-speaking countries, while never becoming really popular, it has commanded the
attention of an influential circle of theologians and philosophers (as J. Rognon,
"L'Immortalité native et l'enseignement biblique," Montauban, 1894, p. 7; but cf. A. Gretillat,
"Exposé de théologie systématique," Paris, iv. 1890, p. 602). In Germany, on the other hand, it
has met with less acceptance, although it is precisely there that it has been most scientifically
developed, and has received the adherence of the most outstanding names. Before the opening
of this half century, in fact, it had gained the great support of Richard Rothe's advocacy
("Theologische Ethik," 3 vols., Wittenberg, 1845-1848; ed. 2, 5 vols., 1867-1871, §§ 470-472;
"Dogmatik," Heidelberg, II. ii. 1870, §§ 47-48, especially p. 158), and never since has it ceased
to find adherents of mark, who base their acceptance of it sometimes on general grounds, but
increasingly on the view that the Scriptures teach, not a doctrine of the immortality of the
soul, but a reanimation by resurrection of God's people. The chief names in this series are C.
H. Weisse ("Philosophische Dogmatik," Leipzig, 1855-1862, § 970); Hermann Schultz
("Voraussetzungen der christlichen Lehre von der Unsterblichkeit," Göttingen, 1861, p. 155; cf.
"Grundriss der evangelischen Dogmatik," 1892, p. 154: "This condemnation of the second
death may in itself, according to the Bible, be thought of as existence in torment, or as painful
cessation of existence. Dogmatics without venturing to decide, will find the second conception
the more probable, biblically and dogmatically"); H. Plitt ("Evangelische Glaubenslehre,"
Gotha, 1863); F. Brandes (Theologische Studien und Kritiken, 1872, pp. 545, 550); A. Schäffer
("Auf der Neige des Lebens," Gotha, 1884; "Was ist Glück?" 1891, pp. 290-294); G. Runze
("Unsterblichkeit und Auferstehung," Berlin, i. 1894, pp. 167, 204: "Christian Eschatology
teaches not a natural immortality for the soul, but a reanimation by God's almighty power. . . .
The Christian hope of reanimation makes the actualization of a future blessed existence
depend entirely on faith in God"); L. Lemme ("Endlosigkeit der Verdammnis," Berlin, 1899,
pp. 31-32,60-61); cf. R. Kabisch ("Die Eschatologie des Paulus," Göttingen, 1893).
The same general standpoint has been occupied in Holland, for example, by Jonker
..."
https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/pdf/warfield_annihilationism.pdf
"3 Whether or not Socinus was truly a Polish Spiritualist,64 his mortalism deserves to be noted for at least two reasons. It was decisively thnetopsychist in character, and it laid a foundation for the later Unitarian mortalists in Poland and Transylvania. "
https://research.avondale.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1125&context=theo_chapters
