rection and the life to men. Consequently, the resurrection and future punishment spring from the system of mediation: but, they ask, is the justification to life, which all men in Christ Jesus, nothing more than a resurrection to endless death to millions?

came upon

"Whether the word destruction will warrant such a conclusion? It is evident that destruction is often used in scripture to signify a cessation of present existence only, without any contradiction of the promises that relate to a future universal resurrection. They think, therefore that they ought to admit an universal restoration of men, notwithstanding the future destruction which is threatened to sinners :* because, say they, the scripture teaches both."

They also think the doctrine of destruction, in the above acceptation of it, includes two considerable difficulties. The scriptures uniformly teach degrees of punishment, according to transgression; but does extinction of being admit of this? Can the greatest of sinners be more effectually destroyed than the least? Again, we are taught that, however dark any part of the divine conduct may appear in the present state, yet justice will be clear and decisive in its operations hereafter; but the doctrine of destruction, in their judgment, does not admit of this-for what is the supprising difference betwixt the moral character of the worst good man, and the best bad man, that the portion of the one should be endless life, and that of the other endless death?

"They suppose the universal doctrine to be most consonant to the perfections of the Deity-most worthy of the character of Christ, as the mediator; and that the scriptures cannot be made consistent with themselves upon any other plan. They teach that ardent love to God, peace, meekness, candour, and universal love to men, are the natural result of their views."

This doctrine is not new. Origen, a christian father, who lived in the third century, wrote in favour of it. St. Augustine, of Hippo, mentions some divines in his day,

* See Vilder's "Notes on Winchester's Dialogues on the Restoration," 4th edition, p. 176.

whom he calls the merciful doctors, who held it. The German Baptists, many of them even before the Reformation, propogated it. The people called Tunkers, in America, descended from the German Baptists, mostly hold it. The Mennonites, in Holland, have long held it. In England, about the latter end of the seventeenth century, Dr. Rust, Bishop of Dromore, in Ireland, published "A Letter of Resolutions concerning Origen, and the chief of his opinion," in which it has been thought he favoured the universal doctirne, which Origen held; and Mr. Jeremiah White wrote his book in favour of the same sentiments soon afterwards. The Chevalier Ramsay, in his elaborate work of the "Philosophical Principles of Natural and Revealed Religion," espouses it. Archbishop Tillotson, in one of his sermons, supposes future punishment to be of limited duration, as does Dr. Burnet, Master of the Charter-house, in his book on the state of the dead.

But the writers of late years, who have defended the subject most fully, are Dr. Newton, Bishop of Bristol, in his "Dissertations;" Mr. Stonehouse, Rector of Islangton; Dr. Chauncy, of Boston, in America; Dr. Hartley, in his profound work on man; Mr. Purves, of Edinburgh; Mr. Elhanan Winchester, in his "Dialogues on Universal Restoration," a new edition of which, with explanatory notes, has been published by the late Mr. William Vilder. See the "Universalits's Miscellany," now entitled the "Monthly Repository of Theology and General Literature," containing many valuable papers for and against Universal Restoration, where the controversy on the subject between Mr. Vilder and Mr. Fuller will be found.

For further information, the reader is referred to a critical work, entitled, " An Essay on the Duration of a Future State of Punishment and Rewards," by the late John Simpson, who wrote several practical pieces for the illustration of Christianity. The late Dr. Estin, of Bristol, published some "Discourses on Universal Restoration," founded on the Apostle's declaration, God is love. In Dr. Williams's Notes to Dr. Doddridge's Lectures,

particularly in that on Future Punishment, it is remarkable that, although he is an advocate for the doctrine of eternal punishment, he gives up all the texts, which have usually been brought in support of it, having the terms eternal, everlasting, for ever, &c., because, on account of their various meaning, they are not to be considered as proving the doctrine! And Dr. Watts, with his usual candour and excellent spirit, thus expresses himself on the subject," If the blessed God should at any time, in consistence with his glorious and incomprehensible perfections, release those wretched creatures suffering future punishment, from their acute pains and long imprisonment, I think I ought cheerfully to accept this appointment of God for the good of millions of my fellow-creatures, and add my joys and praises to all the songs and triumph of the heavenly world, in the day of such a divine and glorious release of these prisoners. This will indeed be such a new, such an astonishing and universal jubilee, both for evil spirits and wicked men, as must fill heaven, earth, and even hell, with joy and hallelujahs !''

But the last and best work on Universal Restoration is entitled, "Illustrations of the Divine Government, tending to show that every thing is under the direction of Infinite Wisdom and Goodness, and will terminate in the production of Universal Purity and happiness." By T. Southwood Smith, M. D. A cheap edition has been lately published, with improvements.

More need not be advanced on the subject. It has engaged the pens of the heterodox and the orthodox; both have written on the doctrine of Universal Restoration. Every benevolent heart must wish the doctrine to be true, for the consumation of Chrstian benevolence, is, that happiness shall embrace the creation of God.

DESTRUCTIONIST.

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 punish

ment 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 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 judgment 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, alleging 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.* See a refutation of the doctrine of Destruction, in Dr. Smith's "Illustrations of the Divine Government," a work already mentioned.

SABBATARIANS.

The Sabbatarians are a body of Christians who keep the seventh day as the Sabbath, and are to be found principally, if not wholly, amongst the Baptists. The common reason 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

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

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 2ndly, That this command of God is perpetually binding on man till time shall be no more; 3rdly, 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 General Baptists' meeting in Mill-yard, Goodman's-Fields, now supplied by the Rev. Thomas Russel, a respectable minister of the Independent persuasion; the other, Particular Baptists' meeting in Eldon-street, Finsbury, under the care of the Rev. Mr. Shenstone, who succeeded the Rev. Robert Burnside, author of a "Defence of Sabbatarianism," and of "Essays on the Religion of Mankind."

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 there are three congregations of the Seventh Day Baptists; and at Ephrata, in Pennsylvania, there is one congregation of them called Tunkers. There are likewise