EVANGELIST'S MANUAL. 37 their folly, and recovered to a virtuous frame of mind; and this will be the effect of the future torments upon many, the consequence whereof will be their salvation, after being thus fitted for it." "And there may be yet other states, before the scheme of God may be perfected, and mankind universally cured of their moral disorders; and in this way qualified for, and finally instated in eternal happiness. But, however many states, some individuals of the human species may pass through, and of however long continuance they may be, the whole is intended to subserve the grand design of Universal happiness, and will finally terminate in it, insomuch, that the Son of God, and Saviour of men, will not deliver up his trust into the hands of the Father, who committed it to him, till he has discharged his obligations in virtue of it; having finally fixed all men in Heaven, when God will be all in all." (1 Cor. xv. 28.) A few of the arguments made use of in defence of this system, are as follow:-I, Christ died not for a select number of men only, but for mankind universally, and without exception or limitation. For the sacred writers are singularly emphatical in expressing this truth. They speak not only of Christ's "dying for us," "for our sins;" "for sinners," "for the ungodly," "for the unjust," but affirm in yet more extensive terms, that " He died for the world," for "the whole world"-that "he gave his life a ransom for all"-"his flesh for the life of the world," "that he is the propitiation for our sins, and not ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world,” and a variety of other passages. If Christ died for all, it is far more reasonable to believe, that the whole human kind, in consequence of his death, will finally be saved, than that the greatest part of them should perish. More honor is hereby reflected on God; greater virtue is attributed to the blood of Christ shed on the cross; and instead of dying in vain, as to any real good, which will finally be the event, with_respect to the greatest part of mankind, he will be made to die for the best and noblest purposes, even the eternal happiness of a whole world of intelligent and moral beings. As our present limits, preclude the possibility of continuing the important remarks contained on this subject, we shall only notice the general propositions of Dr. CHAUNCEY, respectfully referring the interested reader to the work itself, or to the select passages of Miss ADAMS' interesting Dictionary. II. It is the purpose of God, according to his good pleasure, that mankind universally, in consequence of the death of his son Jesus Christ shall certainly and finally be saved, see Rom. v. 12 to the end, viii. from 19 to 24th verses. Coloss. i. 19, 20, Ephes. i. 9, 10, 1 Tim. 2, 4, &c. III. As a mean in order to men's being made meet for salvation, God will, sooner or later, in this state, or another, reduce them all under a willing and obedient subjection to his moral government, see 1 John, iii. 8. John, i. 29, Matth. i. 21, Psalms viii. 5, 6, as explained and argued from, Heb. ii. 6, 9, Philip. ii. 9, 11, 1 Corinth. xv. 24, 28, &c. IV. The Scripture language concerning the reduced, or restored, in consequence of the mediatory interposition of Jesus Christ, is such as leads us to conclude, that it is comprehensive of all mankind universally. See Rev. v. 13, Acts iii. 19, 21, also the quotations contained in the first section of this Manual, entire. Appended to this article, Miss ADAMS had introduced a few "of the arguments alledged to support the eternity of future punishment. The sacred Scriptures expressly declare, that the punishment of the finally impenitent, shall be eternal."* The texts which follow are quoted to prove this position:-Matth. xxv. 46, xviii. 8, 9. Mark ix. 45, 46. 2 Thess. i. 9. 2 Peter i. 17. Jude 13. Rev. xiv. 11, xix. 3, xx. 10. Again, concerning the sin against the Holy Spirit: Matth. xii. 31, 32. Mark iii. 28, *We inquire can any remain "finally impenitent" after having been taught of God and brought into subjection to Christ, according to the solemn promises in the Gospel?-Reason replies in the negative. EVANGELIST'S MANUAL. 39 29. Luke xii. 10. 1 John xv. 16. These texts are commented upon at large in the work of EDWARDS against. CHAUNCEY, and JOHNSON on Everlasting Punishment. As we shall in the following section, say something of the improper rendering and application of the Greek word, which has occasioned more controversy in the Christian world, than any other word in the whole Bible; and which in truth, according to the manner in which it is received, seems to act, somewhat like the nitrous oxide, revealing to the world, the latent dispositions of each of the contending parties, we shall pass on to the completion of the present section without further comment. "The Universalists teach the doctrine of Election, but not in the exclusive Calvinistic sense of it; they suppose, that God! has chosen some for the good of all; and that his final purpose towards all is intimated by his calling his elect the first born, and the first fruits of his creatures, which say they, implies other branches of his family, and a future in-gathering of the harvest of mankind." "They teach also that the righteous shall have part in the first resurrection, shall be blessed and happy and be made Priests and Kings to God and to Christ in the millenial kingdom, and that over them the second death shall have no power; that the wicked will receive a punishment apportioned to their crimes; that punishment itself is a mediatorial work and founded upon mercy, consequently, that it is a means of humbling, subduing and finally reconciling the sinner to God." They add, "That the words rendered everlasting, eternal, for ever, and for ever and ever in the Scriptures, are frequently used to express the duration of things that have ended or must end: and if it is contended, that these words are sometimes used to express proper eternity; they answer, that the subject with which the words are connected must determine the sense of them; and as there is nothing in the nature of punishment which can be considered as a reason why it should be endless, they infer, that the above words ought always to be taken in a limited sense when connected with the infliction of misery." "They suppose the Universal doctrine to be most consonant to the perfections of 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 ardent love to God, peace, meekness, candour and Universal love to men, are the natural result of their views."* As among other Christian sects, so among Universalists there are various shades of difference, as hinted in our Preliminary Observations. The Universalists properly so called, are those who adhere to the Primitive, Apostolic Faith and make the Holy Bible the rule of all their actions; adhering rigidly to those Scripture doctrines that are considered by all classes of consistent Christians essential to salvation. In truth, the real Universalist differs from other Christians on no one point of Scripture doctrine, except it be in their manner of receiving and explaining those doctrines. And this is a privilege which they conceive to be the right of every man who is accountable to God alone for his religious faith and opinions. Beside the number of classes called Universalists, as distinguished in our Preliminary Observations, Dr. Mosheim gives an account of a class which arose in the beginning of the seventeenth century, and that are distinguished as "the hypothetical Universalists," and more commonly, "French Reformers.” "The doctors of Saumar revived a controversy that had for some time been suspended, by their attempts to reconcile the doctrine of predestination as it had been taught at Geneva and confirmed at Dort, with the sentiments of those," (the Primitive Universalists, see page 20,) "who represent the Deity as offering the displays of his goodness and mercy to all mankind." This reformed Church accepted the following propositions, as prepared by the learned and sagacious Amyraut, the author of the system of reconciliation. "That God desires the happiness of all men, and that * Evans' Sketch, pp. 172, 177. no mortal is excluded by any divine decree, from the benefits that are procured by the death, sufferings and Gospel of Christ." دو "That however, none can be made a partaker of the blessings of the Gospel and of eternal Salvation; unless he believe in Jesus Christ." (John viii. 24. Mark xvi. 16.) 66 "That such indeed is the immense and universal goodness of the Supreme Being, that he refuses to none the power of believing; though he does not grant to all his assistance and succour that they may wisely improve this power to the attainment of everlasting Salvation; "And that, in consequence of this, multitudes perish through their own fault and not from any want of goodness in God !" "Those who embraced this doctrine were called Universalists because they represented God as willing to show mercy to all mankind; and hypothetical Universalists because the condition of faith in Christ was necessary to render them the objects of his mercy."* Reader-would you know the great cause of offence against other Christian denominations with which the Universal doctrine is charged? It is chiefly this, that Universalists have dared to believe God, and to represent him "as willing to show mercy to all mankind;" Dr. Mosheim says, "the more I examine this reconciling system, the more I am persuaded that it is no more than Arminianism or Pelagianism artfully dressed up and ingeniously covered with a half transparent veil of specious but ambiguous expressions; and this judgment is confirmed by the language that is used in treating this subject by the modern followers of Amyraut, who express their sentiments with more courage, plainness and perspicuity, than the spirit of the times permitted their master to do."+ These sentiments of Universal benevolence "were not only received in all the Universities of the Hugonots in *Mosh. Eccl. Hist. vol. iv. pp. 83, 84. + Ib. id. p. 84, with reference to "Aymon Actes des Synodes Nationaux des E'lises Reformees en France, tom. ii. pp. 571, 604, |