Pettingell, J. H. The Theological Tri-Lemma: The Threefold Mystery of Endless Misery, Universal Salvation, or Conditional Immortality; i. e. (The Survival of the Fittest,) considered in the Light of Reason, Nature and Revelation. New York: Sherwood & Co., 1878. First Edition. [10629]
Terra cotta publisher's cloth, blind designs to boards, gilt to wpine, top of spine frayed, old paper library label, 7 1/4 x 5 inches. Two old library bookplates, one with date 1879, remnant of lender's slip on ffep. Oval library stamp on tp. 285 clean pp., a few leaves with short tears, tight. Good. Hardcover.
An examination of doctrines respecting eternal life and endless misery, with the author concluding that the only believers in Christ have immortality.
John Hancock Pettingell (1815-1887), Congregational minister. He was a Yale graduate (1840); taught in NY in the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb (1838-43), studied at Union Theological Seminary (1839-41). He was the pastor of several churches in New England, and a district secretary for the A. B. C. F. M. at Albany (1853-60) ,during which period he visited the missions of the American Board in Serbia, Turkey, and Greece. From 1866 to 1873 he was the chaplain of the Seamen's Friend Society at Antwerp, Belgium, and his efforts on behalf of those sick with cholera in 1866 were recognized by the Belgian government. His later years were devoted chiefly to literary work.
"He wrote principally on the science of religion, and was the first American teacher to propound the doctrine that eternal life was dependent upon knowledge and faith in Christ as held by the primitive Church up to the time of Plato. He was subjected to great losses by the reasons of his teachings, and his books were not received with favor even after he had succeeded in having them published. Finally they grew in favor and were reprinted in several continental languages, and at his death he had a large number of disciples." - The Biographical Dictionary of America online.
