them, is to cause the greateft poffible happiness among his children. Which way would good fenfe and parental affection chufe, either to feed five to the full, or ftarve the reft to death, that their dying groans might give the others a better appetite, and their food a good relish, or to let them all be hungry enough to relish their food well, and all alike partake of it?

I will take notice of a certain paffage of fcripture, in this place, which fome have endeavored to accommodate to the argument which I am difputing; fee Rev. xiv. 10, 11, "The fame fhall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indig nation; and he fhall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the prefence of the holy angels, and in the prefence of the Lamb and the fmoke of their torment afcendeth up forever and ever and they have no reft day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whofoever receiveth the mark of his name." It is not because I am afraid of wounding this beaft, or of affronting its rider, that I do not enter into a particular explanation of the paffage now recited; but because it deferves the labor of more time than I have to spare. However, the idea of my opponent is easily refuted; and this is as much as the reader ought to expect, in this

work.

The common idea is, that the punishment here fpoken of is altogether in eternity, and not in this world of mortality; that it being in the prefence of the holy angels, and in the prefence of the Lamb, it indicates that it affords pleasure in those heavenly manfions where they dwell.

First, I request the reader to obferve, that the verbs, ascendeth, have, worship, and receiveth, are all in the fame tenfe, which at least favors the idea, that the fulphureous fmoke of this torment afcendeth up, at the fame time that the tormented worship the beaft. If the apocalypical beaft be worshipped to an endless eternity, it follows that his worthipers will be tormented as long. Until it is proved, that fome will worship this beaft, in another world, or endlessly, it cannot be proved, from this paffage, that any `will be tormented, in another world, or endlessly. It is faid, in the text, that, the worshippers of the beast have no reft day nor night. If it can be proved, that day and night are reckoned in another world, or in eternity, my opponent has better ground for his argument than I think he has.

This beaft, undoubtedly, is Antichrift; the worshipers of the beaft are apoftatized chriflians of all denominations, fince the

chriftian apoftacy: They have always been in wars and commotions, and have had no reft; and as for their being tormented, in all their public worship, with fire and brimstone, no argument is neceffary, to make it obvious.

Another objection, which has often been ftated againft the falvation of all men,ftands in a pretended axiom, viz. A God all mercy is a God unjust.' The force of this pretended axiom, as ufed against the falvation of all men, is, if God thould do july, by all men, he would be an unmerciful being; or, if he thould fhew mercy to all men, he would be an unjust being. There is nothing felf evident, in this axiom, that I can fee but its own want of propriety; it reprefents justice and mercy at an eternal variance.

Accor

ding to this axiom, and the argument deducible from it, juftice may be compared to a monstrous wolf in purfuit of a number of lambs, and mercy to a shepherd who is obiged to give up a large number of them, to gorge his omniverous appetite, while he makes off with the reit.

I have, already, fufficiently refuted the idea of justice requiring the endless mifery of the creature; and, until that notion can be fupported by fcripture, or reason, an ob jection against the falvation of all men,cau

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not be stated, from the nature of justice. I have, also, fhewed, that, in order for juftice to require the endless misery of any moral being, it must, of neceffity, require the endless continuance of sin; than which nothing is more abfurd. Again, it is objected, as many are going out of this world daily, in a ftate of finfulness and unreconciliation to God, and there being no alteration in the foul, for the better, after. it leaves this natural life, millions muft be miferable, as long as God exifts. The force of this objection ftands on the declaration, that there is no alteration for the better, after death. Could this declaration be proved, I grant it would fubftantiate a formidable, and (I think) unanfwerable objection against the final holiness and happiness of all men. I have often heard the objection made, but never heard an evidence brought from fcripture, or reason, to fupport the declaration. Divines being fenfible of the want of fcripture, to fupport this (their) declaration, have, very liberally, been at the expense of making fome; and the notable paffage which they have coined, and brought into very frequent ufe, is not to be found in the fcriptures of the Old, or New Teftament; but is frequently to be heard from the pulpit, read in many of their writings, and recited by many of their adherents.

It is as follows: "As the tree falls, so it lies; as death leaves us, so judgment will find us," I fhall not contend about a different explanation, of this addition to the fcriptures, from the ufual one; but will only fay, if the thing, which my opponent would prove by it, be true, viz that fouls cannot be altered for the better, after death, all our chriftian people muft remain eternally as unfantified, as they are in this world of infirmities.

Again, many contend, that God deals with mankind as moral agents; that he fets life and death before us,and leaves us to make our own choice, and to fare accordingly That, as our eternal ftate depends on what use we make of our agency, millions will prove rebellious, and, therefore, mifs of falvation. But I query, if one foul can obtain falvation, on the principle of moral agency, why another cannot, as well? If it be granted he can, I afk, again, why all men cannot, as well as any? If it be ftill granted, I fay, as I have before said, that which can be done, may 'be done; therefore, the objection fails. But the objector will fay, it renders univerfal falvation uncertain; I anfwer, no. more than it renders univerfal damnation certain All may be loft forever, as well -as one; therefore, my opponent's hopes are fubject to the fame fhipwreck, to which