yet future, and will take place when Christ has subdued all things to himself, and has swallowed up death in victory, by causing those who have borne the image of the earthy, to bear also the image of the heavenly Adam.

Again, the apostle Paul, treating of the rejection of the Jewish church because of their unbelief, says, Rom. xi. 7-10. "The election hath obtained it (grace and salvation) and the rest were blinded. According as it is written, (Isai. vi. 9—10. Ezek. xii. 2.) God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this day. And David saith, (Ps. Ixix. 23.) Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling-block, and a recompence unto them. Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back always." Now notwithstanding this sad and awful case, which the psalmist further describes by saying, "Add iniquity to their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous." Ps. lxix. 27, 28: and though this their state is described by the apostle as continuing always, yet he goes on to shew they shall be received again, and graffed into their own olive tree again by faith, Rom. xi. 23, 14. and that God will take away their sins by his covenant, ver. 27. Here is a rejection of the Jewish nation, in such language as would lead us to suppose that they should never find mercy again; and still, we find, mercy is held in reserve for them in the latter day. The apostle even goes further than this, and says, all Israel shall be saved, ver. 26. And he further adds, "For God hath concluded them all (or shut them up together) in unbelief (that damping sin) that he might have mercy upon all," ver. 32. I conceive that he here applies his argument not only to the Jews as a nation, but also to every individual of them, dying in unbelief, because it is the same all who are concluded in unbelief, for whom mercy is finally reserved.

It is a common thing in the Scriptures thus to unite judgment and mercy to the same individuals, each in their proper season. The prophecy of Hosea, in particular, is full of it. There we find God saying, "Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone." Chap. iv. 17. What can be worse than to be given up to sin, and all its awful consequences? Yet in the same book it is said, " Ephraim shall say, What have 1 to do any more with idols?" Chap. xiv. 8. It is in reference to this wonderful dealing of God with sinners, in making them eat of the fruit of their doings, and filling them with their own devices, that finally every knee may bow before him, and every tongue confess to his glory, that the prophet concludes thus, "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are upright, and the just shall walk in them; but the transgressors shall fall therein." Hos. xiv. 9. In reference to the same great work the apostle Paul, after he had treated of the rejection and unbelief of the Jews, and of the mercy yet reserved for them all, exclaims, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgmes, and his way past finding

●ut !————of him, and through him, and to him are all things." Rom. xi. 33-36.

Thus, Sir, though there will come a time in which it will be said, “he that is filthy let him be filthy still," and though there will be a period in which the wicked will go into everlasting fire, yet it does not follow that they shall be endlessly filthy, or that they shall endlessly dwell in burnings. "God hath made every thing beautiful in its season. Judgment and mercy are both his, and he has his appointed ages for both. And while the Scriptures teach that all the ages, aions, are included in the mediatorial reign of Christ, I must continue to think that judgment is not itself the end, but the means to an end, namely, the subjection of all things to Jesus. "For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ : for it is written, As I live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Rom. xiv. 10, 11.

I am so much persuaded of the truth of this, that I look forward with the utmost pleasure to that day when the secrets of all hearts shall be judged and I have the fullest confidence that I shall then see with boldness the faces of those whom I have THUS taught; and also shall meet Him with joy, who hath charged me to be free from the blood of all men.

You still insist," that the Universal Doctrine affords encouragement to a sinner going on still in his trespasses, and furnishes ground for hope and joy, even supposing him to persevere in them till death." -And you ask, "what doctrine besides this do I find in the Bible which does the same?" I think I have sufficiently shewn that the Universal Doctrine does not give any encouragement to a sinner going on his sins, because it teaches that every transgression shall receive a righteous recompence of reward: that it shall be always ill with the wicked while he continues so, &c. This, you say, "is trifling: for if the sinner be taught to believe that, at some future period beyond this life, he shall be delivered both from sin and punishment-whether the former branch of this deliverance afford him joy or not, the latter must." Surely, Sir, you talk lightly of that evil which awaits every sinner, even though his punishment be not endless.

I never meant to deny that the Universal Doctrine held out a hope, finally, to all men; certainly in its very nature it does this; but as you had represented it as naturally giving encouragement to sin, this I strenuously denyed, and still deny, for the reasons before given, viz, that it necessarily includes in it the holiness of the sinner; and teaches him that it shall be always ill with the wicked while he remains sq.

In my second letter I had, I think, fully expressed this, when I said, (U. M. No. II. p. 45.)" If the Universal Doctrine be ever abused to the purposes of sin, I can but think it must arise from

* See Universalist's Miscellany, No. II. p. 43.

ignorance of its principal features. 1 am happy in being able to say that I have never yet been witness to any practical ill effects that have followed the preaching and belief of it: not that I deny the possibility of such effects; for it is a maxim which cannot be disputed, that the greatest display of mercy in the doctrines of grace may be abused; but you would not, on that account, hide the richest views of divine love which you are acquainted with, under pretence of preventing sin; so neither would I."

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Nor am I afraid, Sir, of any advantage which you, or any other opponent of the doctrine, may make of this. It has long appeared to me that your doctrine of endless misery has done incredible mischief in the world not only by making many thinking persons give up revelation intirely, by the distorted view which it gives of the character of God; but also by increasing immorality, even among many who believe it, by consigning all sinners, of every character, to endless wrath: for I have often met with those who think they may as well be damned for a great deal of sin as for a little, seeing that endless punishment is the penalty of all sin. You indeed try to point out a difference in degrees of punishment, where all is endless, in your second letter: (U. M. No. XXXIII. p. 264.) But the idea seems not full and clear; for whatever reflections any sinner in hell may have of his own conduct, more poignant than another, this does not seem to express the meaning of our Lord when he represented punishment by few stripes, and many stripes. The leading idea appears to me to be that of duration as in the nature of things it cannot require so long a period to inflict four stripes, as forty; or one hundred, as one thousand, &c. If there be any force in your objection against the Universal Doctrine because it finally holds out a hope to EVERY man, I think the same objection applies with all its force against all the threatenings which God gave by Moses to the Israelites; because all those dreadful denunciations of wrath were always succeeded by promises of mercy finally to that nation, Let any man read Lev, xxvi. which contains the most awful list of national evils which can be conceived of; there God is represented as contending with that stubborn people because they would not accept of the punishment of their iniquity at his hand and yet the whole concludes by saying, "and they SHALL accept of the punishment of their iniquity; 'because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhored my statutes. And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the Lord their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, &c." In Deuteronomy, iv. 25. there are similar threatenings, and yet, ver. 30, it is said, "When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, ik thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient to his voice, (for the Lord thy God is a merciful God) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them," Deut. xxviii. xxix. is full to the same purpose of threatening, and yet Moses goes on to close the whole again with promises and

blessings, in Chap. xxx; 1—6, which conclude thus, “And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and all thy soul, that thou mayest live." I think it evident that the end of all these threatenings, and the execution of them also, is to make this nation holy and happy. I think it also evident, that in their state of rebellion, in their state of rejection, and in the midst of their awful punishments, there are promises "which afford them ground of hope and joy;" but yet there is no encouragement to sin fom hence, for it shall always be ill with them, while they are an unbelieving and wicked nation. And I also think that what applies to them, in general, as a nation, equally applies to them as individuals. For the apostle Paul, when he treats of their rejection of Christ-the greatest of all their sins, and for which they have endured the longest, and most severe punishment-so applies it. He not only represents that, as a nation, they shall be again a believing and obedient people; but says, "God hath included them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all." Rom. xi. 32. Here is a depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, which the short sighted doctrine of endless misery cannot reach ; but which the doctrine of the "Restitution of all things" fully comprehends and embraces..

You have stated the Universal Doctrine as teaching sinners that they shall be " eternally saved." (U. M. No. XXXVII. p. 62.)..Where, Sir, did I ever seate it so? I have always stated that they will be condemned, and will meet with a just punishment according to their character. Because I have affirmed that their punishment will not be endless, but limited and corrective, you seem totally to overlook it, and talk of their eternal salvation. As well might you make light of all the threatenings pronounced against the Jewish nation for their sin; or against the individuals of them dying in unbelief; because that nation will again partake of divine favour, and because mercy is reserved for all of them who are shut up in unbelief. Have the goodness, Sir, to state the views of your opponent fairly.

Thus the Universal Doctrine gives no more encouragement to sin than the doctrine of election does; nor is it of so solitary a nature, in affording hope finally to every sinner, as to be without support and example from Scripture.

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The Calvinistic election is stated as being God's eternal, sovereign, personal, unconditional, and infrustrable choice of his people in Christ. If it be unconditional, it has no regard to moral character; and if it be infrustrable, then it cannot fail of effect, let the inan live how he will: and if a man be not thus elected, he cannot be saved do what he can. This is the true statement of the doctrine. Shall the man who holds it, charge the Universalists with encouraging sinners in their trespasses?

Thus, Sir, I have chosen to expose the falsehood of your charge that the Universal Doctrine encourages sin. And I say again, let the world judge whether your charge does not go on an unfounded assumption, that applies, not only as much, but much more, to the doctrine of election, than to that of the Restoration.

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And why that sneer at the word world, which I had used? Calvinist might have indulged me with saying the world, when I did not mean one in a million of mankind: it is the language of your system; but perhaps you begin to see its impropriety: I therefore stand corrected for though the Universalist's Miscellany goes to Scotland, America, the East Indies, and Holland; yet certainly, but a very small part of the world will examine our productions.

You refer again to the question in your letter in the Evangelical Magazine, which is, "whether my ministry, upon the principle of the Universal Doctrine, does not savour of his who taught our first parents, ye shall not surely die?" I have answered, that if I thought there would not be any future punishment, your insinuation would not be without reason. And that the question is founded upon the idea that my views invalidate the threatenings of God towards sinners. You say, "you never supposed me to dený all future punishment," but that your question proceeds upon this ground, the near resemblance between my labours and those of the deceiver of mankind. “He persuaded his auditors," say you, "that though they should transgress, yet the evil they had dreaded would not come upon them and they were not afraid to transgress. You persuade your auditors that though they should die in their sins, yet the evil will not be so great as they had been used to apprehend— God hath not said Ye shall die eternally, and he means that you shall all come where Jesus is-If they believe, must they not be less afraid of transgression than before So then, the deceiver of mankind taught his auditors they should incur no penalty by their transgresssion: I teach auditors that they shall receive a righteous recompence of reward for every transgression unrepented of; that it shall be always ill with the wicked, while they continue wicked: ergo," there is a near resemblance? between my ministry and his! His auditors were not afraid to trangress, because they believed his doctrine of no punishment at all: mine must be less afraid, then they were before, if they believe my doctrine, because, the punishment is not so great, as they have been used to apprehend.

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This latter part of your argument, if I ́undestand you, goes on the ground, that the threatening of eternal death (I suppose you mean endless misery) is the greatest possible restraint of transgression which God has or could lay upon it. If you mean so, I own I differ from you. For not to mention that the word dine, eternal, or everlasting, is no where in Scripture connected with death, yet, if it was so, and the sense of it could be proved to be endless duration, it appears to me that there is a method of restraining sin much more effectual than this awful threatening could be. It is that suggested in Eccles. viii. 11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily; therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." It seems from hence that if every sin was to meet an adequate and sheedy punishment from the hand of God, it would more effectually restrain transgression, than any threatening of future evil, however great it might be.

But wherein does it appear that my auditors are less afraid of sin, than they were while they believed the sentiment of endles misery, or