brimstone, not to be quenched night nor day, the smoke whereof was to go up for ever and ever, the vengeance of eternal fire, and all kinds of punishments, by whatever language described, were all of a limited and temporary nature, then we have a way to reconcile scripture with scripture, God with his attributes; and, which is not the least difficulty, to reconcile the Calvinist with the Arminian, and make all to harmonize together in the grand scheme of universal redemption.

Now, when we have seen that there is but one, and only one way of reconciling those apparent difficulties that stand opposed to general redemption; and when we have seen, that this one and only way is obtained, by a strict adherence to the sense and meaning of the language of scripture, as illustrated and explained by the re sults; and if the result or accomplishment of a thing, be at all calculated to explain the meaning of the language that spoke of it beforehand (and who will dare to doubt this) then, I beseech you, candidly to yield. Thus you will have Scripture, Truth, Reason, Justice, Benevolence, Mercy, and all that is lovely and amiable upon your side,-see 1 John, chap. 4.

Ponder on these things, all ye whose prejudiced minds have hitherto been bound up in the narrow scheme of partial redemption, and allow that the Lord, the Redeemer, may yet be faithful to his word and promises ;-allow that he may be that God of unbounded love and redemption, that he proclaims himself to be, to the human race ;—allow that he may really be "the Saviour of the world," even "the whole world,"-"that he gave himself a ransom for all," that he "tasted death for every man,”-In short, admit, and believe the plain truth, that "for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."Allow all this, (no matter whether you call it universalism, or by any other name) and give the Saviour his due, nor grudge him the victory over his and our enemies, namely, sin, and death, and hell.

I cannot,—I dare not misbelieve those gracious declarations of scripture. For such a belief as this, and for the consequent sentiments of filial love towards God, and of benevolence and mercy towards our brethren, (on which are said to hang all the law and the prophets,)-we may be reproached with the term Universalist, or what people chuse. This is a matter of small moment with him that "believeth on the Son of God, and hath the witness in himself,"

H

(1 John v. 10.). It was by way of reproach, that the disciples were first called Christians. And to this day, the terms Methodist, Seceder, Quaker, Anabaptist, &c. are all given by way of reproach. It is not to names, but to things we should look." What is there in names? A Rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet.” Laying aside, therefore, all party names and distinctions, let TRUTH alone be the object of our search. On this basis only, I wish to rest the whole argument for, or against universal reconciliation. To the scriptures of truth I have amply appealed, and on this basis, I dread not all the thundering artillery of the most rigid of those termed Calvinists.

I beseech you, then, brethren, by the mercies of God-by the meekness and gentleness of Christ-that you abandon all your hard thoughts of the Almighty Father of our Spirits, and allow that he may really be that God of unbounded love and redemption that the Scriptures and the Universalists represent him to be.

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But before concluding this subject, let me notice what is considered a weighty objection to this doctrine, by the advocates of never-ending damnation. Because," say they, "the same word for everlasting, and eternal, is applied to the happiness of the righteous, as to the punishment of the wicked; therefore, the felicity of the one may come to an end as well as the misery of the other." But, besides that the language employed, in reference to felicity, is very different from that employed in regard to misery, we find, that the life of those who are redeemed is always connected with the life of the Redeemer himself. Therefore, if the Redeemer, who is "God over all, and blessed for ever," shall live in glory,—so long as he shall endure, they shall endure also. He says (John xiv. 19.) "Because I live ye shall live also." And St. Paul says (Rom. vi, 8.) "We believe that we shall also live with him; knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more: death hath no more dominion over him." "We shall live with him by the power of God," (2 Cor. xiii. 4.). Again,-"It is a faithful saying: For, if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him,” (2 Tim. ii. 11.) And the redeemed people are represented as "heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ,”—heirs of "his kingdom which cannot be moved." Such passages as these, are sufficient to set the matter at rest; but, independently of all these, and although the terms everlasting, and eternal, were not even applied to the duration of bless at all, we have enough to prove that it shall be without end.

We are told (1 Cor. xv. 54.) that "When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass that which is written, death is swallowed up in victory." And, again;-"It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption," &c. And St. Peter calls it "an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away." Now, if the life of Christ, as a pledge of theirs,--and if the terms incorruptible, incorruption, immortality, &c. are not sufficient to establish the never-ending felicity of the redeemed, you will not find words in all our vocabulary that will be sufficient for that purpose.

Many other passages might be adduced which are paramount to all the everlastings, eternals, and for evers,—such as the words of Jesus (John x. 28.), "they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of "Neither can they die any more; hand." my for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God," (Luke xx. 36).

ADDENDA.

Since writing the above, I have seen a late Theological Discussion, in Philadelphia, from which I make the following quotation, from the speech of Mr. Kneeland :

:

My opponent tells you that he can prove the eternal punishment of the wicked, by the same expressions that we prove the eternal life of the saints. Neither is this true.-The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, speaks of the great High Priest, "who was made not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life," vii. 16. Where we have a Greek term akaraλuros connected with life, and the life of the great High Priest of our profession, when he is contrasted with the everlasting avrov priesthood, under the law-(for theirs was called an everlasting priesthood, Exod. xl. 15.). And, when the apostle contrasts their continuation with the life which is in our High Priest, even Christ, and through him given to us, he makes use of this word, which signifies, literally, indissoluble, indestructible.-Now I tell you, my hearers, and call upon my opponent to disprove the statement, if he can, that the Greek term here made use of, is no where connected with misery, death, or punishment, in all the Bible.

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Now, if Christ, his disciples and apostles intended to preach the doctrine of endless misery to their hearers, why did they not make use

of this term, about the meaning of which there could be no dispute? But my opponent cannot show, in one single instance, this word in connexion with punishment or misery. Judge, then, for yourselves, how well he has succeeded in proving that the punishment of the wicked will have no end."

CORRESPONDENCE

BETWEEN THE AUTHOR AND A BAPTIST MINISTER,

ON THE EXTENT OF THE ATONEMENT.

Letter First.

From the Author to the Baptist Minister.

DEAR SIR,

WHEN I glance over the first fifty pages of your publication on the universality of the atonement,-when I think of the many delightful and edifying discourses I have heard from your lips on the way of salvation, and the love of God to perishing sinners, I am filled with grief and astonishment at the awful fulminations which have, of late, occupied so much of your discourses, and on which you really appear to dwell with peculiar delight. I freely admit, that you should " not shun to declare the whole counsel of God." And that he will punish the wicked, it is your duty to declare, on all proper occasions. But it is the Gospel, chiefly, that you are called on to proclaim to your audience. Now, in your sermons, these two last Sabbath evenings, we have not heard one word of gospel, (last night especially), excepting a sentence or two, at the end. I think I never saw a man more in his element than you appeared to be, these two evenings, when you were dealing out eternal torments, with such an unsparing hand as never did the most rigid calvinist, in my hearing! Not satisfied with an ordinary view of the torment expressed in your text, under the figure of "the worm which dieth not, and the fire that never shall be quenched," you went on to say-that, "as figures generally fell short of the reality, so it is likely that the torment will far exceed that of material fire," which fire you depicted in the most awful colours your fertile imagination was capable of. This was certainly as far as you possibly could go, and much farther than you were warranted to go, in order to heighten the torment; and, in order to lengthen it, you declared that the expression in your text, every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt," was used

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