Mr.

at Boston, Philadelphia, and other parts. RELLY published several works, the principal of which were, "Union"--" The Trial of Spirits"Christian Liberty '—" One Baptism"--" The Salt of Sacrifice"-" Anti-christ Resisted"-Letters on UniversalSalvation"-"The Cherubimical Mystery""Hymns," &c. &c. Messrs. Rait, Kooks, Jeffery, &c. speak from time to time. The late Mr. Coward published two little treatises, entitled "Deism traced to its Source," and "The Comparison; or, the Gospel preached of God to the Patriarchs," compared with the gospel preached in the present day. There are also some of those of the same sentiments in other parts of the kingdom, and particularly at and in the vicinity of Plymouth-Dock, and Plymouth, in Devonshire.*

The writers who have particularly animadverted upon the doctrine of Universal Restoration, are, in America, President Edwards, and his son, Dr. Edwards; and in England, Mr. Dan, Taylor, Mr. Fisher, and Mr. Andrew Fuller.

Mr. Broughton, at the close of his Dissertations Futurity (shocked at the idea of eternal punishment in every case) proposes the following hypothesis:

* Such is the account of the followers of Mr. Relly, sent me by a respectable member amongst them. I have taken the liberty of applying to them the title of Philadelphian Universalists, merely by way ay of dish distinction. The term Antinomian has been bestowed upon them; but as it conveys a degree of reproach, it

is here avoided, fo

That the spirit of God had made choice of an ambiguous term, aiovios, acknowledged on both sides, sometimes to be an eternal, and sometimes only a temporary duration, with the wise view, that men might live in fear of everlasting punishment; because, it is possible, it may be everlasting; and at the same time God be at liberty, (if I may so speak) without impeachment of his faithfulness and truth, to inflict either finite or infinite punishment, as his divine wisdom, power, and goodness shall direct." He, however, only suggests this scheme with a becoming modesty.

DESTRUCTIONISTS.

BETWEEN the system of restoration and the system of endless misery, a middle hypothesis of the FINAL DESTRUCTION of the wicked (after having suffered the punishment due to their crimes) has been adopted more particularly by the Rev. Mr. Bourne, of Norwich; and by Mr. John Marsom, in two small volumes, of which there has been a second edition with additions. They say that the Scripture positively asserts this doctrine of destruction; that the nature of future punishment (which the Scripture. terms death) determines the meaning of the words everlasting, eternal, for ever, &c. as denoting endless

duration; because no law ever did or can inflict the punishment of death for a limited period; that the punishment cannot be corrective, because no man was ever put to death, either to convince his judg ment or to reform his conduct; that if the wicked receive a punishment apportioned to their crimes, their deliverance is neither to be attributed to the mercy of God, nor the mediation of Jesus Christ, but is an act of absolute justice; and finally, that the mediatorial kingdom of Jesus Christ will never be delivered up, since the Scripture asserts, that of his kingdom there shall be no end. Those who maintain these sentiments respecting the destruction of the wicked, are accused of espousing the doctrine of annihilation; but this accusation they repel, alledging, that philosophically speaking, there can be no annihilation, and that destruction is the express phrase used in the New Testament. Of this sentiment there have been many advocates distinguished for their erudition and piety.*

Mr. Marsom has in the Monthly Repository offered some fresh remarks on Destruction by way of animadversion on Dr. Estlin's Defence of Restoration.

*This account of the Destructionists was sent the author the Sketch for insertion.

Of i

THE Sabbatarians are a body of Christians whe keep the seventh day as the Sabbath, and are to be found principally, if not wholly, among the Baptists, The common reasons why Christians observe the first day of the week as the Sabbath, are, that on this day Christ rose from the dead; that the apostles assembled, preached, and administered the Lord's Supper; and that it has been kept by the church for several ages, if not from the time when Christianity was originally promulgated. The Sabbatarians, however, think these reasons unsatisfactory, and assert that the change of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week, was effected by Constantine, upon his conversion to the Christian religion. The three following propositions contain a summary of their principles as to this article of the Sabbath, by which they stand distinguished: · 1st, That God hath required the observation of the seventh, or last day in every week, to be observed by mankind universally for the weekly sabbath; 2dly,. That this command of God is perpetually binding on man till time shall be no more; 3dly, That this sacred rest of the seventh-day sabbath is not (by divine authority) changed from the seventh and last. to the first day of the week, or that the Scripture

doth no where require the observation of any other day of the week for the weekly sabbath, but the seventh day only. There are two congregations of the Sabbatarians in London, one among the General Baptists meeting in Mill-yard, Goodman's Fields, the other among the Particular Baptists meeting in Devonshire-square. There are also a few to be

found in different parts of the kingdom.

Mr. Morse informs us that there are many Sabbatarians in America. "Some (says he) in Rhode Island observe the Jewish or Saturday sabbath, from a persuasion that it was one of the ten commandments, which they plead are all in their nature moral, and were never abrogated in the New Testament. Though, on the contrary, others of them believe it originated at the time of the creation, in the command given to Adam by the Creator himself." See Genesis, chap. ii. 3. "At New Jersey also there are three congregations of the Seventh Day Baptists; and at Ephrata, in Pennsylvania, there is one con gregation of them called Tunkers. There are like, wise a few Baptists who keep the seventh day as holy time, who are the remains of the Keithean or Quaker Baptists."

C 1.

216.

This tenet has given rise to various controversies and writers of ability have appeared on both sides of the question. Mr. Cornthwaite, a respectable mih nister among them, about the year 17

128

In the year 1740, nublished several tracts in support of it, which ought to bei