A

corrective punishment, than to extirpation, or total destruction. Its root, xoλaw, signifies to restrain, repress, to moderate, and to chastise, for the purpose of reformation, but never to destroy. If, therefore, the term everlasting be in its own nature indefinite, and the proper signification of xoλaois, be chastisement, by what authority shall they be construed either into everlasting torment, or absolute annihilation? They do not of themselves pronounce so severe a sentence of condemnation; and we know not of any other expressions more explicit, to justify these interpretations.

As the expectation of a final reconciliation of all the intelligent children of God, to their universal father, is not opposed by the language of Scripture, consistently explained, thus is a belief in the doctrine necessary, in order to render the Scriptures consistent with themselves. The obscurer passages, which have any reference to the extent, or the final issue of the Gospel dispensation, by being considered as pointing to this very object, become more intelligible; and, notwithstanding the contrarieties in varied phraseology, each representation has its distinct and appointed place, illustrative of an uniformity in the divine plan of universal and unbounded benevolence.

We cannot be without apprehensions that this attempt to explain, what we have acknowledged above to have been intentionally expressed in an obscure manner, will be deemed bold and presumptuous. We have in some measure anticipated an answer by observing, that, although an early display of his gracious purposes might have been premature, yet it could not be the intention of the Deity that these obscurities should be perpetual. The expressions uttered must have a signification; and this can alone be discovered by the united efforts of our reasoning faculties. The only question is, whether the exercise of our faculties upon these subjects be premature? Whether the important changes which have taken place in the state of man, will not enable, authorize, and require us, to make a deeper scrutiny into these most interesting subjects, than could possibly have been done in the earlier periods of Christianity? The intellectual and moral character of the human species, both as individuals and in a collective state, may be considered as progressively forming; and human improvement consists in a regular advancement from one stage to another. The first state of uncultivated communities, is a state

of gross ignorance and inexperience. This is succeeded by various exertions, more or less feeble, more or less fortunate; necessarily accompanied by numberless errors, from the too precipitate and incautious use of the small stock of knowledge and experience which has been acquired, and which presumptuous ignorance considers as large and ample. At a period when the mental powers are recently awakened to exercise, and man is no longer an animal of mere sensation, the imagination becomes a swift precursor of the judgment. Its hasty and crude conjectures and conclusions are mistaken for realities. Erroneous and pernicious inferences are drawn from partial documents. Yet, in the wanton exercise of its powers of ratiocination, is the mind strongly disposed to think itself infallible. The cautious and more accurate exercise of the rational powers, must be in the later stages of human improvement; for it demands a large collection of well-attested facts; a clear perception of former errors, in the application of these facts to certain principles, or of deductions from them, and the exercise of a just discrimination, in order to escape similar errors. Christianity hath gone through these various stages, and hath submitted to the inconveniences of each. A number of important facts were

scarcely revealed, to remove the darkest ignorance, but this ignorance perverted the grand object of Christianity. The light shone in darkness, but the darkness of those who thought themselves illuminated, comprehended it not. As in the more ancient world, "the invisible things of God were clearly seen, from the creation of the world, until men became vain in their imagination, and their foolish hearts were darkened, by their professing themselves to be wise;" thus, in the new world, in the new moral creation, busy imagination perverted the truth, as it is in Jesus, as soon as it was revealed. It combined ancient prejudices and prepossessions with primitive principles; devised theological tenets, of which, at that period, the absurdity could not be detected, and these were finally rendered so sacred in human opinion, that reason, that choicest gift of heaven, that sole guide to direct us through the dark labyrinths of error, was forbidden to follow the clue which would lead us back into the light of day. Where the free exercise of our rational powers is deemed an offence, ignorance, error, imposture, and extravagance, must become triumphant. In a word, the pervertion of primitive Christianity constitutes the history of the Christian church; and the numerous volumes composing that history,

CC

bear witness to the number and magnitude of these perversions.*

In this happy age, and in these thrice happy lands, we are arrived to the knowledge of our right to search the Scriptures for ourselves; and to exercise those powers of discrimination, which enable us daily to detect the numerous errors which were latent in the most venerated systems. We are better enabled to form just conceptions of the divine attributes, and of the principles most worthy of them in the present day, and we rejoice at the discovery, that those sentiments which our reason most approves, are the revelations from heaven. Although we may not, as yet, boast that we are arrived to the age of reason, we are certainly arrived to the age of ratiocination, 'which will lead to it. Nor can any principles of religion now make rapid and extensive advances, which reason cannot sanction. The absurd and irrational views which have been given of Christianity, have generated infidelity. Its most powerful objections to this divine revelation, are always directed against tenets which genuine Christianity knows not, and which are most repugnant to its nature. No thinking man, in the present age, can be expected to

*See Note M.