you to enjoy the comforts of our doctrine in this life. But who was ever satisfied with that as the real reason? Who can be satisfied till he sees that Universalists in fact have some palpable advantage of the real christian,-in respect to happiness in this life, and till he sees these men equally zealous to promote the happiness of their fellow-men in this life, by all other appropriate means? For it is not to be supposed that this class of men will fight, and rage, and issue their slanders and scurrility against us, purely to bring us the comforts of their doctrine in this life, when this is the only comfort they are zealous to impart to the needy.. Nay, in nine cases out of ten, the real reason of that zeal for disputation for which Universalists, above all other religionists, are distinguished, is a want of a satisfactory conviction of the truth of their own system. "They have not the tranquillity of innocence, the confidence of truth, and they feel themselves strongly fortified, secure and fearless, in proportion as they have swelled their confederacy, extinguished the conviction, and put out the light of faith in others; which is a condemning light to them, and holds out to them a fearful misgiving in the prospect of eternity. They fear that the foundations they are resting on may prove insecure, they wish therefore to be strengthened by the co-operation of others, and feel a guilty satisfaction, in proportion as they multiply disciples among their associates, and are thus enabled to hear an echo in every voice, and see the reflection of Universalism in every breast. They feel their fears allayed, their perturbation subside, in proportion as they swell their numbers by extensive confederation; they are deceiving and being deceived." Here is the moving principle of no small part of that machinery, which is at work to proselyte men to Universalism. Were it not for the fears and misgivings of Universalists themselves, there would be little motive for exertion in such a cause. Were it not for these fears, the men who pretend to know that there is no danger to any, do what they will, and believe what they will, would for consistency's sake be silent, and let all men choose among different creedswhich, according to their principles must all be equally safe.

If there were no opposition to Universalism, no preaching of future judgment, no christian examples to alarm the conscience of the ungodly, no books nor conversation calculated to disturb the quiet of the Universalist, that is if the whole world was content to make no resistance to their doctrine, all Universalist preaching would cease. For then there would be little to disturb the mind, and awake their doubts, and create occasion for proselyting.

The facilities which the apostles of Universalisin now have, for access to the minds of the young, the ignorant, and those susceptible of being influenced by them, are unlimited. The facilities for the circulation of thought, through the press, have within a few years greatly increased. The tract system, though it is employed for purposes of amazing good, as well as evil, was invented by infidels, as a machine for the wide subversion of the immortal hopes of men, and is now used effectually to propagate Infidelity and Universalism. A man of little reading and less thought, can be induced to give his attention to a Universalist tract, when he would be inaccessible to any other influence. In this way the doses of the poison are accommodated to the weakest capacity, and the wonderful sublimation of reason, and nobleness of thought, which consists in being freed from the shackles of a belief in a judgment to come,is attainable by the merest simpleton. The newspaper too is,if possible, a more convenient and efficient vehicle of error, as well as truth, to minds of limited capacities and opportunities. And there are not wanting Universalist Journalists to pander to the appetite for flesh-pleasing doctrines, and to descend to the grossest expedients for captivating gross and degraded minds. Both in the newspapers and the tracts to which I allude, there is a studied adaptation to a class of men, that have a relish for blackguardism, an industrious catering to prejudices and passions of ignorant and stagnant minds-a ringing of changes upon such words as "priestcraft," "church and state," and the like, a dealing in gross personalities, and attacks upon private character, in distorted narrations of real facts, and in downright falsehoods. Now all this, while it tends to disgust well

informed and impartial minds, takes a powerful hold of those that are low and vitiated enough to be influenced by it. And then this kind of publications, like a certain quadruped, whose defence lies in his power of casting about him an offensive smell, is below responsibility. Decent men are unwilling to come in contact with such filtrations from the dregs of degraded minds; and in most cases it is advisable to suffer, and see the truth suffer all that can be inflicted through such organs, rather than defile it with the touch of such scurrility. As Michael is said not to have brought a railing accusation against the devil, because the devil was more used to railing than he, and because the devil was sure to have the last word, so a discreet man will usually refrain from making answer to such products of defiled tempers; on the ground that truth is sure to be injured while defending itself on a level with such baseThis circumstance gives the Universalists the advantage of operating undisturbed in a certain sphere, and of plying to much effect a favorite weapon of theirs.

ness.

Then there are Universalist publications of a more elevated character, less liable to these objections-such for instance as those of Mr. B. which come in such a form as not to be very attractive to the controversialist: and that for other reasons than any difficulty of replying to the arguments. The labor of exposing sophistry after sophistry, and going through volumes of arguments too frivolous to need an answer, were it not that they would have an effect on ignorant minds if left unnoticed, is not very inviting. A man must, to say the least, be led to the undertaking by other motives than an ambition to make a display of his reasoning talents, or the ambition of having the last word, to induce him to encounter such opponents. He must make up his mind to employ himself patiently in following out, and exposing multiplied perversions of the truth, and when he has done it to have his own work perverted, and subjected to the same kind of sophistical treatment, which he has labored to expose. For those who are capable of putting such crooked interpretations upon the word of God, are equally capable of perverting the reasonings of men,

If they call the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his househould. This fact operates as a kind of protection to Universalist writers, while diffusing their poison through the community. By reason of this fact, together with the impression that many have, that errors so gross need no refutation, it comes to pass that while there are ten writers found to oppose errors of less magnitude, there is scarcely one who is willing to contend with this. Some indeed have the impression that it is all of no avail—that Universalists really do not believe in the inspiration of the Scriptures, and therefore cannot be influenced by any arguments drawn from them. How far this impression is founded in fact, I pretend not to say. That it extensively exists among orthodox ministers, I know. Others are kept back from discussions with those men, on the ground that every argument with them, whether successful or not, tends to increase the circulation of their books, which from the adaptation of their doctrines to depraved minds, have only to be read by minds of a certain stamp, in order to secure belief. And then in most cases, the authors of these Universalist books, are also proprietors, and derive a pecuniary profit from anything that helps their circulation, and can even afford to have their arguments refuted, since the refutation puts money in their pockets. Now though all these reasons are not sufficient to justify silence in all cases, they have had their influence, to shield these writers from many a flagellation, which otherwise they would have received.

Universalist publications, having this adaptation of character, have in these days great facilites for wide diffusion. More influence and interest are now brought to bear, to convey religious impression to the minds of the young, and the old, than in former times. And the good seed is not scattered with a more diligent hand, than the enemy employs in sowing the tares. The religious world has become the theatre of great bustle and conflict. Michael and his angels fight, and the dragon and his angels. Vast resources of learning and talent are in requisition both for and against the truth. Such facilities are had for the rapid transmission of thought, for circu

lating both the poison and its remedies, that every train of thought which a man can put in motion, of sufficient power to gain a hearing, goes on the wings of the wind from Dan to Beersheba. A man of powerful intellect, be his purpose good or bad, has only to speak and he has a nation before him to hear. And such is the interest to get a hearing both for the truth and against it, that every adaptation of mode is resorted to, and every thing that has intellect is called upon to hear, to read, and to take a stand in relation to the grave matters of religion. Ministers, the religious and irreligious, christians and infidels, are busy in their appropriate work. The fire-side, the work-shop, the farm and the counting-room, are made the scenes of religious reading and debate. In this state of things, universalist tracts and newspapers find their way into every nook and corner, where there is intellect enough to entertain them. And many minds are so balanced, as greedily to devour the poison, and reject the antidote. And the result is, that while the number of the real friends of truth are increased, the number of its decided enemies are multiplied.

There are many minds so loosely balanced, and ill-informed, that one of the most trival objections to the truth is enough to upset all its belief. Suppose a man of some little cunning, come in contact with a young man, who has never doubted of a judgment to come, and has never examined and known on what a broad and solid basis it rests, and suppose he start one of the favorite objections of the Universalists. He knows not how to meet it, since he is ignorant of the whole field of positive proof, and he knows not but that this one idea covers the whole ground. He dwells upon it-thinks there is mighty reason in it-his little mind begins to bloat with the imagined compass of it, and to count himself happy for having hit upon it, and to wonder why the world has overlooked it so long, and why so many overlook it now. Thus a suggestion that would not have the weight of a feather, with a mind acquainted with the whole subject, gives a fatal turn to his conclusions. Advantage has been taken of his ignorance, and his prepossessions secured in favor of Universalism. One little