He was in England when Wesley died, which was in 1791, six years before Winchester's decease. Some years before Wesley's death, according to Winchester's account and Wesley's own writings, he became a believer in the salvation of all men.

After Winchester's return to America, he published a poem, composed by Wesley, which is fully and clearly expressive of the infinite and immutable love of God, and of his free grace to every soul of man, and showing that, finally, every soul of Adam's posterity, would become swallowed up in the great ocean of divine love. In connection with this poem, Winchester states, that Wesley informed him that he was fully convinced of the truth of the restitution, or restoration, of all things, though he had not yet opened his mind on that subject to the world, because he believed that the public mind was not yet ripe for it, &c. but that he had written a sermon on that subject, and left it with a printer, with orders to publish several thousand copies, (and had paid the printer therefor,) with strict orders to have none of them sold, but to have them handed out gratis to the world.

A writer, speaking of Wesley's learning, says, "he was a Greek scholar, and well knew how to apply the words forever, everlasting, &c. according to the true meaning of the original, and agreeably to the true, limited sense of the original speaker, when applied to limited subjects and finite things. When he said forever, everlasting, &c. he did not always mean endless.

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Why have we never seen some of Wesley's publications, or public testimony against Univer

salism, if he had considered it an error? As a faithful witness of truth would he have neglected this important part of duty? The answer is easy. He was himself a firm believer in universal salvation: at any rate, the latter part of his life; and extended the doctrine further than any author I ever read." The writer means, because he even believed in the immortality, and restoration of brutes.* But all this, and whatever more testimony that might be produced, short of his own confession that he believed in the salvation of all men, would, it is probable, be disputed. I shall therefore refer to his own writings, and the reader may judge for himself.

In his 5th vol. of Sermons, p. 189, after speaking of the state of the world, occasioned by sin, he says, "It will not be always thus; these things are only permitted for a season by the governor of the world, that he may draw immense, eternal good out of this temporary evil. This is the very key which the aposple himself gives us in the words above recited, God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. In this view of this glorious event, how well may we cry out, O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! Although for a season his judgments were unsearchable and his ways past finding out. It is enough, we are assured of this one point, that all these tran

On this I would just remark, that he could not, nor neither did he, Believe that brutes were liable to eternal punishment, or any punishment hereafter. Therefore, he could not believe that mankind are liable to such punishment; if so, they are in a far worse and more dangerous condition than brutes, and mankind had better all have been brutes, or without reason, than that one out of the human family should forever be miserable.

sient evils will issue well-will have a HAPPY CONCLUSION, and that MERCY FIRST AND LAST WILL REIGN.' He will never intermit the blessed work of his Spirit until he has fulfilled ALL HIS PROMISES, until he hath put a period to sin, and misery. and death, and re-established universal holiness and happiness, and caused all the inhabitants of the earth to sing together, Hallelujah! the Lord God omnipotent reigneth," &c.

In page 202, after speaking of the wretched and unhappy state of millions, occasioned by sin, he says, "Miserable lot of such innumerable multitudes, who, insignificant as they seem, are the offspring of one common Father, the creatures of the same God of Love! Then certainly, like a merciful Father, he will not suffer them eternally to perish." And again, in page 203, he adds,

So there will be no more sorrow or crying. Nay, there will be a greater deliverance than all this; for there will be no more sin." And in page 177, after speaking of the present awful and wretched state of man, he says, "Such is the present state of mankind, in all parts of the world! But how astonishing is this, if there is a God in heaven, and if his eyes are over all the earth? Can he despise the work of his own hand? Surely this is one of the greatest mysteries under heaven? How is it possible to reconcile this either with the wisdom or goodness of God?"[Ah, truly, this is just what we say—that it is impossible.] "And what can give ease to a thoughtful mind, under so melancholy a prospect?" [Yes, to think that only one fellowcreature will be eternally miserable.] "What but the consideration, that things will not always

be so; that another scene will be opened. God will be jealous of his honour, he will maintain his own cause. He will judge the prince of this world, and spoil him of his usurped dominion.He will give the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession.**** It is decided that the world of mankind shall belong to Christ, and that Satan shall be cast out, and have no power within the bounds of Christ's kingdom."

And page 171, is on the same subject of the deliverance of all men from sin and suffering“And death, the last enemy of man, shall be destroyed at the resurrection."

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In page 156, he says, Allowing the whole creation now groaneth together, under the sin of man, cur comfort is that it will not always groan. The whole creation shall then be delivered both from moral and natural corruption. And the WHOLE RACE OF MANKIND shall know, and love, and serve God, and reign with him forever.”— If the whole race of mankind shall love and serve God, then surely all will be saved. More full and complete universal salvation I never heard preached, or saw written, by any Universalist, than this of Wesley. It is his own language, verbatim, and widely different from modern Methodism. It is observed by a late writer, that "Wesley was far from believing that the term HELL, (so much used among modern Methodists,) ever once signified, or meant endless misery. Nay, more, he was so far from believing that the term HELL signified or meant, a state of endless misery for any soul, that he did not even believe, that by the mere term hell, was meant or signified a

state of misery at all after death; no, not even temporary misery of the duration of a single moment; but clearly shows, in a discourse on that subject, in his 9th vol. that the term hell, is a translation of the Greek word hades-that the word hell, in English, signifies precisely the same thing as hades, in the Greek; not a place of misery, any more than a place of happiness, but simply the grave, or state of the dead, and as truly the place of the righteous as of the wicked, until the resurrection. Then he says, all its captives shall be delivered, and death and hades, or hell, shall be utterly abolished forever. And in page 171, 5th vol. after telling us, that all error, pain, and all bodily infirmities, will cease and be destroyed by death, he adds, “And death itself, the last enemy of man, shall be destroyed at the resurrection. The moment that we hear the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God, then shall be fulfilled the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory; this corruptible body shall put on incorruption; and the son of God shall destroy the last work of the devil.'"

I know it can be shewn in many parts of Wesley's writings, that he believed in everlasting misery; but it was in the latter part of his life, (like most others I have mentioned,) that he believed in universal salvation; though he had doubts about everlasting punishment long before.*

But to conclude, if any of the Metho

* I think I am as well acquainted with Wesley as any man can be by reading, having read most of what he published, (and I now think my time might have been better employed,) his Journals, 40 vols. duodecimo, his Christian Library, 40 vols. duodecimo, which contain many of his sermons, Natural Philosophy, 3 vois. octavo, Ecclesiastical History, 2 vols. duodecimo, Brooks' Fool of Quality, a novel improved, 3