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faith. No, we conscientiously avow, that we believe there are genuine Christians in all the churches of Christ, without respect to their sectarian distinctions: we have one only, one sole desire in view. Would to God, that these Christians could but see the beauty and harmony of the attributes of God and his holy Scriptures, as uniting in one grand and glorious design, that of the final subjection and complete salvation of all men. We think their love to God and Christ would increase a thousand fold; their love to their fellow creatures, an hundred fold. And would to God, that all such as have rejected the Scriptures, because of their apparent inconsistency, and contemn its doctrines, because of an erroneous construction and exhibition of them, would reconsider the true principles of Christ's Gospel of reconciliation, we think that the religion of the Redeemer would appear, in all its benevolence and loveliness; that they would discover their individual interests therein, and joyfully accept salvation upon Gospel terms; and if we have one wish, greater than the rest, it is, that such souls may be convinced, and become the joyful members of Christ's visible church on earth, to the comfort of their own souls, and the happiness of all, who desire the welfare of Zion. But

We are Universalists, both of necessity and of choice, not by man's persuasion, for we received not this doctrine of man, neither were we taught it by man, but by the Word and Spirit of God, while " searching the Scriptures." It is now forty years since one of us was convicted of the truth of this glorious doctrine, by searching the Scriptures; but was for many years deterred from a public profession of this faith, through the influence of individuals of whose piety he was well assured. The doctrine was deemed a dangerous one, calculated to lead men into careless indifference, into all manner of evil; that it was, in short, a doctrine of devils, &c.

Youth, awed by the experince of age, and the sanctity of the clerical character, originated doubts, which occasioned many and painful struggles to disbelieve and

invalidate, the testimony in favour of this Evangelical Faith. But the truth at length prevailed; it was more and more developed, by a continued reference to the Scriptures, by a serious contemplation of the character and attributes of God's manifested properties, essential and natural, until it became at length identified with our nature and reason, and we are hence, Universalists of choice as well as of necessity.

With the exception of a Tract of eight pages, containing a selection of texts in support of this doctrine, we have never seen, until within a few years, any work in favour of it, nor have we to this date, ever heard a sermon preached in its defence, by any man. The Bible, the Bible alone, has been the holy instrument in awakening, convicting, convincing and confirming us in this Faith; and hence it is, that we prefer the name of Bible Universalists. This sublime doctrine arrested our attention first, in the year 1789, and though resisted as already noticed, for many years, has been at last, despite of all opposition to the contrary, triumphant.

Need

In the course of conversation, we have discovered many, of different churches, whose religious faith was precisely the same as ours. But as they, as well as ourselves, were ignorant of each other's sentiments, as there were no ministers, no building appropriated to the service of God in this way in Charleston, we continued attendance in those churches whose doctrines and tenets approached more nearly than others to our own. we say, this approach to our faith is most perspicuous in the Moravian and among Arminian Christians.* In 1824, a few individuals agreed to associate as members by Faith, of that church, which they conscientiously believed to be the primitive apostolic church of Christ, and attending to the command, "thus said the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest to your souls, (Jer. vi. 16.) They esteem this

* See our Article VI. for the similarity.

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the old path, the good way, and by the grace of God they will walk in it, assured they shall find rest to their souls.

As far as we know our own hearts, we are both desirous and determined, "to have no doctrine but the doctrine taught by God the Saviour. We reject every doctrine which the mouth of the Lord hath not spoken. We believe that the apostolic churches were formed by professors of the doctrine of universal redemption; that Jesus Christ and his Apostles preached and defended this doctrine, and that all the writers of revelation were strong in the faithful belief of the doctrine of Universal Salvation." And thus convicted, thus convinced by a critical examination of the Scriptures of Truth; having proved, according to our limited judgments, that the Revelations of God, when properly understood, are in no one sense of the word contrary to reason; we have yielded to that firm conviction, and are, therefore, Bible Universalists.

Let it be clearly understood, that we mean not to reproach any man for thinking differently from us on this point; that we seek not controversy, though we fear it not. We desire to absorb in our Christian charity, as illustrative of the true character of our universal faith, all sectarian differences; nay more, we have known, and still know, many pious men of different Christian denominations, who have been adverse to our faith; some of whom have changed their mortal for an immortal existence, and we can say with the meek and pious Dr. Watts, "May my soul be where theirs is, in the other world."

Some of us have learned from the experience of half a century, that men's minds are variously influenced by a kind of regular order of peculiarities, and which are as natural to them, as bitter is to the aloe, or sweet to the sugar cane, that intellect differs as materially, as the light of a fire-fly from that of the sun. And, And," From senseless idiotism, up to the piercing sagacity of a Newton, how numerous are the gradations of intellect !

Minds are of various sizes: their capacities, habits and views, are never in strict conformity with each other. In some degree therefore, diversity of opinion flows from the very structure of our understanding. To fall out with this branch of the dispensations of God, is to arraign his Wisdom." And to condemn those who think differently from us in matters of Religious Faith, would be assuming for ourselves infallibility, which is altogethe contrary to our Article XIV.

The universality of our faith, however, warrants us, consistently with its profession so to say; that the doctrine of the final restoration of all men to holiness and happiness, will eventually, if not in this life, be accepted of all men. And with respect to all that have gone before us, we can again with Dr. Watts, exclaim, "Happy are the souls above, who see God face to face, who behold the Sacred Three, in that divine light, where objections and darkness are banished forever, and the shadows are fled away! The voice of controversy and wrangling is never heard in these regions; but if it were possible for the happy inhabitants to differ in sentiment, and controversy could ascend thither, I am persuaded, that it would be managed without wrangling or noise. The gentleness and benevolence, the sweet serenity and candour, that adorn every spirit there, would reign through all their sacred reasonings, and wheresoever a mistake was found and rectified among the holy disputants, the voice of joy and triumph would be heard on all sides at the bright and lovely appearance of truth. O that the disputes of Christians on earth might be carried on with the same heavenly candour, and might end in the same harmony and joy !"*

ART. XVIII. Of the Civil Authority.-As Citizens, we profess our allegiance to the government of the United States, and our obedience to the civil authorities, in all things lawful and right. And inasmuch as the Constitution of these United States guarantees to all Christian

* Preface to Dissertations, Part 2.

denominations, liberty of conscience, and secures to each the free and lawful exercise of their civil and religious liberties, we believe that it is lawful and right for Christians, when required by the said authorities, to take up arms in defence of their country, and for the mutual protection of their own liberties, and the liberty of these United States.

Lastly, we do most unhesitatingly advocate and adopt all the scriptural doctrines and precepts of our Lord, as pre-eminently calculated to make us better men, better citizens, better Christians; and as directly conducing to our happiness, by inciting us to the appreciation and cultivation of those nobler affections of the heart, that bring us more immediately to those objects that are alone worthy of us, that is to say, an ardent and sincere love to God, as the Universal Parent of all men; and in Christ, as the Saviour of all men, from whence flows the sentiment of universal charity or love for all men, as illustrated in the foregoing pages.

We have thus endeavoured to the best of our ability, to conduct the subject matters of this work, in that spirit which meaneth well to all men, however widely they differ from us on some points of religious controversy. And to the divine direction of God our Saviour, whose glorious truths we have thus essayed to publish and to defend, do we most humbly submit our souls with our faith, imploring his divine blessings on our labours, assured of their acceptance with him, now, and when all clashing doctrines shall be absorbed and lost in one universal faith and agreement forevermore. AMEN.

And if there be one rational being in the world, who cannot unite with us in the hope and desire for the final recovery and salvation of all his fellow creatures, he is unworthy of the name of man.