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 BX 9931 .P683 1843 
 Power, John H. 1798-1873 
 An exposition of 
 Universalism 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2009 with funding from 
 
 Princeton Theological Seminary Library 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/expositionofunivOOpowe 
 
AN 
 
 EXPOSITION OF UNIVETISALISM 
 
 AN INVESTIGATION 
 
 SYSTEM OP DOCTRINE 
 
 PROMISES FINAL HOLINESS AND HAPPINESS IN HEAVEN TO ALL 
 
 MANKIND, IRRESPECTIVE OF MORAL CHARACTER 
 
 OR CONDUCT IX THIS LIFE. 
 
 / 
 132 ^^tJ- JoI)n ^, poujer. 
 
 "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what 1 say," 1 Cor. x, 15. 
 
 Cincinnati: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY L. SWORMSTEDT & J. T. MITCHELL, 
 
 FOR THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, AT THE WESTERN BOOK CONCERN 
 
 CORNER OF MAIN AND EIGHTH-STREETS. 
 
 P.. P. THOMPSON, PRINIKR, 
 
 1847. ^ l">^i 
 
Entered according to an Act of Congress, in the year 1843, by John H. 
 Power, in the Clerk's Office for the District Court of Ohio 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In adding one more to the numerous publications of 
 the day, some, as is frequently the case, may expect an 
 apology from the writer. He has no apology, however, 
 to make ; for if this work should entirely fail to reclaim 
 any one from, or prevent any falling into, the pernicious 
 error against which it is directed, no apology would jus- 
 tify its publication. On the contrary, if it should be the 
 means, by Divine Providence, of rescuing one from that 
 error, or preventing one from falling into it, and of leading 
 them to embrace the truth and be saved, no apology will 
 be necessary. 
 
 It may be proper, however, to give a few words of 
 explanation. Having long been impressed with the belief 
 that Universalism is radically erroneous, we were led, oc- 
 casionally, to make it the subject of some remarks; from 
 this, or other considerations, its friends and advocates re- 
 peatedly invited us publicly to discuss the subject. This, 
 for a time, we declined, till the course we pursued was 
 abused, to the injury of truth; by insinuating or asserting, 
 that the reasons for declining were the convictions of the 
 erroneousness of our own, and the incontrovertibleness of 
 their system. This was not without its effect on many, 
 who loved a system that would accommodate itself to their 
 depravity, more than they did one which condemns all sin, 
 and requires holiness of heart and life here, in order to 
 final salvation hereafter. 
 
 Convinced of these facts we changed our course, and 
 at once accepted a written challenge to investigate the sub- 
 
4 PREFACE. 
 
 ject before the public. This was succeeded by others; 
 and after repeated public investigations of this kind, with 
 those who were reputed, at least before these discussions 
 occurred, as among the ablest defenders of the system, not 
 only were our former convictions confirmed, but we were 
 compelled to believe that Universalism contains all the 
 elements of general skepticism and stubborn, practical in- 
 fidelity. 
 
 With these facts before us, a conviction of duty, a de- 
 sire to do good, and with the advice of friends, whose 
 judgments we respected, we have, in the midst of the ordi- 
 nary domestic cares, and the numerous and pressing du- 
 ties of a large and laborious district, prepared this work, 
 and now commit it to the direction of that Divine Being 
 whose glory has been our steady aim in its entire prepa- 
 ration. 
 
 Great plainness has been observed throughout this work . 
 first, that all into whose hands it may fall may fully un- 
 derstand our views of the subject; second, from a belief 
 that nothing short of the utmost plainness will meet the 
 present imperious and dogmatical spirit and practice of 
 Universalism. 
 
 It will be seen by the attentive observer, that, in a few 
 instances, we have used the same arguments, and traveled 
 over the same ground, in part, under different heads ; from 
 the fact that Universalism, to make a show of strength and 
 defense, frequently modifies the same arguments and po- 
 sitions, and brings them up at different times as new and 
 additional proofs, which must be met in their different 
 forms, otherwise they are claimed as unanswerable. 
 
 To avoid personality, and as far as possible all just oc- 
 casion of offense to any, we have used the terms " Uni- 
 versalism" and "system," when, according to the rules 
 of strict propriety, we might have used the term ♦' Uni- 
 versalist;" but as the latter would have been more per- 
 
PREFACE. 5 
 
 sonal, we chose the former. This will be understood and 
 appreciated by all the candid. 
 
 For the manner in which this investigation has been 
 conducted, we refer all concerned to the work itself; with 
 the simple request that they prayerfully read with care, 
 and decide with candor for themselves ; always remember- 
 ing, that the subject here discussed involves their highest 
 interests in time and eternity. 
 
 John H. Power. 
 
 Mt. Vernon^ O., December, 1842. 
 1* 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 UNIVERSALIS M DEFINED. 
 
 Universalism defined — different statements of the system — Magazine 
 and Advocate, p. 12; Mr. A. C. Thomas, p. 14; Mr. Hosea Ballou, 
 and Mr. Thomas Whittemore, p. 15; Mr. J. Kidwell's view of the 
 Bible, p. 18; Mr. Ballou's concession, p. 19; what the system believes 
 and maintains affirmatively, p. 22 ; the negative positions of Univer- 
 salism, p. 25 ; Condensed view of the whole system ; p. 37 ; Univer- 
 salism bears all the characteristic marks of error, p. 39 11-40. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 PROMISE OF GENERAL BLESSINGS. 
 
 Promise of general blessings — manner of refuting error, p. 40 ; Mr. 
 Thomas' letter to Dr. Ely — system and proofs stated, p. 41 ; Univer- 
 salists generally travel over the same ground — Mr. T. indorses most 
 of the positions stated above, p. 47 ; arguments logically and theologi- 
 cally false, p. 48 ; its supposed strength lies in assumptions, p. 49 ; all 
 mankind blessed in Christ, without being unconditionally saved in 
 heaven, p. 54 ; provision made for the universal spread of the Gospel, 
 and the establishment of the Christian Church, p. 57 ; facts establish- 
 ed — dilemma — the system must sink under them, or avow infidelity, 
 p. 70 - 40-71. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. 
 
 Absolute and conditional promises — promise in the abstract not au 
 object of faith, p. 72 ; some of the Divine promises absolute and some 
 of them conditional, p. 73; the absolute Divine promises do not imply 
 the unconditional salvation of all mankind in heaven, p. 82; absolute 
 promises fulfilled in Christ, and salvation rendered possible for all 
 through Christ, p. 84; salvation unconditional for all who die infants 
 and idiots, p. 85 ; Christ the Savior of all men in this world, without 
 saving them unconditionally in the future world, p. 86; this salvation 
 implies justification, the light of the Spirit, and hope, p. 92; recapitu- 
 lation, p. 94 -72-97. 
 
8 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 SALVATION IN HEAVEN C O N D I T I O W A I. . 
 
 Salvation in heaven conditional — the system has to apply all the 
 threatenings of the word of God against sinners, and the salvation 
 promised to believers, to man in this life, p. 98 ; the salvation promised 
 in the Gospel cannot be fully enjoyed in this life, p. 103 ; God either 
 forbids faith and obedience — or is indifferent to faith and obedience — 
 or requires faith and obedience as a condition of final salvation in 
 heaven, p. 109; points established in this chapter, p. 120 98-121. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 DIVINE -Will. AND P U B P O S E . 
 
 Divine will and purpose — God does not desire in the sense that man 
 does, p. 122; the will and purpose of God the rule of his own ac- 
 tions — in this sense, sovereign and absolute — his will the rule of hu- 
 man actions — in this sense it may be and is resisted, p. 123 ; the Di- 
 vine will, as a rule of human conduct, extends to all the actions of 
 man, p. 124; the Divine Being contradicts himself — the Bible is not 
 his word, or Universalism is wholly false, p. 133 121-139. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 FOREKNOWLEDGE. 
 
 Foreknowledge — must refer to and include the infinite wisdom and 
 knowledge of God, p. 140 ; must imply his infinite wisdom and 
 knowledge, or it must imply more or less than this — if human actions 
 are necessary because they are foreknown, either God or man must be 
 the cause of that necessity, p. 142 ; consequences, p. 143 139-144. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 PATERNAL LOVE OF GOD. 
 
 Paternal love of God — arguments drawn from the conduct of earthly 
 parents toward their children false when applied to God, p. 144 ; 
 wherein the falseness of such arguments consist, p. 150; Universalism 
 cannot escape the consequences that must follow, p. 152 144-154. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 THE GENERAL RESURRECTION. 
 
 The general resurrection — Universalist views of the subject, p. 154; 
 testimony of the Scriptures on the moral character of the soul, spirit, 
 mind, and heart of man, p. 160 ; Universalist speculations on the re- 
 surrection exposed, p. 165 ; assumes that the qualities of the resurrec- 
 tion body are moral qualities — the contrary shown, p. 177 ; Scripture 
 proofs on the subject, p. 181 ; on UniversaUst principles, the resurrection 
 of the body and the salvation of the soul impossible, p. 190- - - 154-193. 
 
CONTENTS. 9 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 SECON"D C O JVI T :N^ G OF CHBIST. 
 
 Second coming of Christ — his having come in the flesh not the 
 question in dispute, p. 194; Scriptures relied on by Universalism for 
 proof — derives its plausibility from assumptions, p. 195; facts and 
 proofs to the contrary, p. 196; dilemma, p. 200; his coming in the 
 life-time of some of those who heard him speak — invisible and spirit- 
 ual, p. 201 ; he now reigns, not in final judgment, but in the kingdom 
 of grace and providence, p. 103; the present cannot be the state of 
 final judgment and retribution with man, p. 206; if men are judged 
 and punished in this world, their sufferings must be either of the body, 
 the mind, or both, p. 208; proofs to the contrary, p. 209; allow all the 
 system claims on the point, and it makes the Almighty mock, and cru- 
 elly deceive his creatures, p. 213; the Scriptures must prove to be 
 untrue, or Universalism is false, p. 215-. 194-216. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 
 
 Future general judgment and retribution — is believed — and must 
 have originated with God, or man, p. 217; the general judgment must 
 be either past, progressive, or future, p. 219; cannot be past, p. 220; 
 cannot be progressive, p. 221; objections anticipated, p. 224; princi- 
 ples to be observed in investigating this subject, p. 232 ; proofs of a 
 future judgment — Christ will come literally and visibly, p. 234; with 
 the voice of the archangel and the trump of God — the dead will be 
 raised, and the living changed — every intelligent being in the universe 
 will be personally present in the final judgment — the visible world will 
 be the subject of universal conflagration — all will be judged according 
 to the evidence of their works — the good rewarded with endless life — 
 the wicked punished with endless misery — the principles previously 
 established applied, p. 248; the great, unchangeable, and final results, 
 p. 250 - -216-254. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 
 
 Endle" ,unishment — the doctrine believed by the Jews — testimony 
 of Joseph s, p. 255; not contradicted or corrected by the Savior, 
 p. 256 ; hell represents a state and place of suffering — this suffering 
 confined to this, the future world, or may be experienced in both — can- 
 not be confined to this world without making Christ the author of false- 
 hood, deception, and self-contradiction, p. 257; Restorationist view of 
 limited punishment after death — punishment of the wicked after death 
 endless, p. 261 ; Universalist criticism on the terms, for ever, everlast- 
 
10 CO.NTENTS. 
 
 ing, and eternal, p. 270; God either has, or he has not, used the best 
 terms in revealing his will to man, p. 274; if he has, the question is 
 settled, p. 278 254-281. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 UNIVERSALIS3MC BUT A MODIFICATION OF INFIDEXITT. 
 
 Universalism but a modification of infidelity — rejects Jesus Christ — 
 his character and work as a Savior, p. 282; sin cannot be pardoned 
 and punished at the same time, p. 287; rejects the Holy Spirit as the 
 agent of man's sanctification, p. 292 ; virtually rejects the Holy Scrip- 
 tures as the rule of faith and practice, p. 293; J. Kidwell's testimony, 
 p. 294; relieves man from all the restraints drawn from the retributions 
 of eternity, p. 297; argument and conclusion, p. 300 282-308. 
 
AN 
 
 EXPOSITION OF UNIVERSALISM 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. 
 
 Universalism Defined — Different Statements of the System — Maga- 
 zine and Advocate — Mr. A. C. Thomas — Mr. Hosea Ballou — Mr. 
 Thomas Whittemore — Mr. J. Kidwell's View of the Bible — Mr. Bal- 
 lou's Concession — What the System maintains affirmatively — The 
 Negative Positions of Universalism — Condensed View of the whole 
 System — Universalism bears all the characteristic marks of Error. 
 
 Universalism, or, in other words, the doctrine that all 
 mankind will finally be holy and happy in heaven, is either 
 true, or it is false. If true, it can sustain no loss by the 
 most rigid investigation that can be instituted ; but on the 
 contrary, investigation will only develop its beauty, and 
 command respect and belief. And if it is false, it is not 
 merely a heresy of common magnitude, but the greatest 
 imposture that ever deceived human society. The truth of 
 this we presume no one will doubt. 
 
 Again : if it be the doctrine of the Bible, it is reasonable 
 to suppose that it is susceptible of proof from the sacred 
 record as clear as the interests involved are important. In 
 the absence of such proof, all will be justifiable in rejecting 
 the doctrine if it were but a harmless error ; much more, 
 when it is seen to be an error of the most fearful character. 
 
 To view Universalism in the light of the Holy Scriptures 
 and sound reason, is the design of this investigation. To 
 do this intelligibly, it is necessary to understand as clearly 
 as possible what Universalism is, in its parts, and as a 
 
12 UMVERSALISM DEFINED. [ciIAP. I. 
 
 whole. We are aware, however, tliat this is extremely dif- 
 ticuh; for notwithstanding the "numerous Universalian pro- 
 ductions in the form of newspapers, pamphlets, sermons, 
 lectures, and books, it will be almost impossible, if not really 
 so, to collect from the whole mass any thing like a harmo- 
 nious system, even of theological speculation, not to say, 
 sound Bible divinity. That it may be seen clearly that such 
 is the fact, we have made some extracts from approved Uni- 
 versalist authors, in order, as far as possible, to collect there- 
 from the XJniversalist system ; for it is our desire to pre- 
 sent Universalism in as clear a light as possible, that in 
 pursuing our inquiries we may do no injustice either to the 
 system or its advocates. The first extract we give, is from 
 the Magazine and Advocate for April 26, and May 3, 1824. 
 This is a XJniversalist periodical published at Utica, N. Y. 
 The following is quoted from the editorial department ; the 
 articles from which we quote are headed, *' Peace Maker," 
 the object of which is to dissuade Universalists from dis- 
 cussing points of difference which exist among themselves, 
 as the language will show. The writer says, " I wish to 
 be distinctly understood, that I am not opposed to the dis- 
 cussion of any of these subjects in the abstract, at any time, 
 and in any manner which may not endanger our peace and 
 unity. But I do not consider the present juncture the time 
 for such a discussion, if public, and least of all, in our 
 periodicals. Though warmly attached to my own peculiar 
 opinions, I am more attached to Universalism at large. 
 Many Universalists, it is well known, who believe in post 
 mortem punishment, (punishment after death,) do not be- 
 lieve the Bible teaches it expressly and directly, but only 
 by inference — others believe it merely on reason and anal- 
 ogy, independent of the Scriptures — some make it merely 
 a deprivation of present holiness and happiness — some con- 
 fine it to a very short period of time — others to an indefi- 
 nite period — others to the intermediate state between death 
 
CHAP. I.]] UNIVERSALISM DP:FINED. 13 
 
 and the general resurrection. If we were inclined to divide, 
 where would we draw the line — at what doctrinal point 
 shall we begin, and at what doctrinal point end the separa- 
 tion ? In a denomination like our own, where there is such 
 an extent of Christian freedom, and such a consequent 
 diversity of opinion, the only bonds of union must be some 
 great and leading principle of theology, which can be uni- 
 versally applied and practiced. To prove this, let a brief 
 examination be made : supposing ante and post mortem 
 punishment to be the line of separation. 
 
 "1. To which party shall A. belong, (a respectable class 
 of valued brethren,) who has not yet made up his mind on 
 the subject— is yet undecided which side has the truth ? 
 
 <*2. B. deems ante mortem punishment (punishment be- 
 fore death) merely probable ; C. thinks post mortem, pun- 
 ishment (punishment after death) merely probable. Neither 
 believes his opinion in any wise revealed, but infers it from 
 reason and analogy alone. Where will you place these ? 
 
 "3. D. not only deems ^jos^ m,ortem, punishment j9ro6a- 
 ble\, but finds inferential testimony for it in the Bible. E. 
 believes exactly the reverse, on inferential testimony to the 
 contrary, or for want of any testimony on the subject. 
 
 *' 4. F. believes in post mortem, punishment, believing it 
 expressly taught in the Bible ; while G. believes it expressly 
 denied by the same authority. 
 
 "5. H. believes in the sleep of the soul and yost mortem 
 punishment ; I. believes in an immediate consciousness of 
 future existence, and denies punishment after death. 
 
 "6. J. believes with I., as it respects the soul, but with 
 H. as it respects punishment ; while K. is diametrically op- 
 posed to J. 
 
 "7. L. believes that the sleep of the soul is prolonged in 
 proportion to the viciousness of its character, and is thus 
 punished negatively, by a deprivation of holiness and bliss. 
 M. believes that the sleep of death will be instantaneously 
 
 2 
 
14 UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. [cHAP. I. 
 
 broken at the general resurrection, and perfect holiness and 
 happiness succeed it. 
 
 " 8. N. believes that immediately after death, or after the 
 resurrection, if he believes in the sleep of the soul, the soul 
 has the same moral character which it had at death, from 
 which state it advances gradually to perfection. O., on the 
 contrary, believes that immediately after death, or the resur- 
 rection, if he believes in the sleep of the soul, the soul is 
 freed from all immorality, and filled with the fullness of 
 knowledge, holiness and bliss. 
 
 " 9. P. believes in a gradual and progressive improve- 
 ment, in the intermediate state, of all the moral and intel- 
 lectual powers at death, until holiness becomes the charac- 
 teristic, when all are thenceforward equal in bliss accord- 
 ing to capacity. Q. believes that immediately after death, 
 or the resurrection, all are alike divested of the immoral 
 character, but left different in mental powers, and thus pro- 
 gress through eternity." See Universalism Examined, by 
 Luther Lee, pp. 288, 289, 290. 
 
 We quote next from Mr. Abel C. Thomas, a distin- 
 guished Universalist preacher. Mr. Thomas says, " There 
 are but three systems of Universalism. 1st. Calvinism 
 Improved — chiefly differing from Calvinism in supposing 
 a universal vicarious atonement, and in the consequent 
 salvation of all men. * * * * 
 
 "2d. Arminianism Extended — the system advocated by 
 Winchester, Chauncy, and others. It extended probation 
 into the future state, and allowed of future limited punish- 
 ment, resulting in the final holiness and happiness of all 
 mankind. This system is held by many Universalists — 
 and prominently by the ' Massachusetts Restorationist 
 Association.' 
 
 " 3d. In noticing the third system, I shall give you my 
 own views^premising that they are the views of a large 
 majority of American Universalists. 1st. T believe that 
 
CHAP. I.] UNIVERSALISM DEFIxNED. 15 
 
 God ' will render to every man according lo his deeds,' 
 that is, according to his own deeds, Rom. ii, 6 ; conse- 
 quendy, I reject the doctrine of vicarious atonement. 2d. 
 I believe that ' the righteous shall be recompensed in the 
 EARTH, much more the wicked and the sinner,' Prov. xi, 
 31 ; consequently, I believe the Bible furnishes no evidence 
 of a punishment beyond the present life. 3d. I believe 
 that God ' will reconcile all things to himself,' that ' God 
 may be all in all,' Col. i, 20 ; 1 Cor. xv, 28. And this sal- 
 vation I believe to be ' the gift of God, and not of works, 
 lest any man should boast,' Ephes. ii, 8, 9." Theological 
 Discussion by Dr. E. S. Ely and A. C. Thomas, p. 25. 
 
 The following statement of the system is given by Mr. 
 Ballon: *< 1st. God created man, in Christ the Mediator; 
 in which creation, the law of the spirit of life in Christ 
 Jesus, of which St. Paul speaks to the Romans, was the 
 whole governing principle of his nature. 2d. After the 
 creation of man in this divine constitution, it pleased the 
 Almighty to reduce him to a state of formation in flesh and 
 blood ; in which constitution, the law of sin, which St. 
 Paul said he found in his members, became the governing 
 principle of the whole man. 3d. God has revealed his 
 divine and glorious purpose of bringing man back from 
 his formed state, and from under the law of the earthly 
 Adam, to his original created state, for ever to be under the 
 governing power of the law of the heavenly constitution." 
 Ballou on the Atonement, p. 141. 
 
 The following is the " Profession of Belief" adopted by 
 the General Convention of Universalists in the United 
 States, at the session holden in 1803. It has never been 
 altered, and it is perfectly satisfactory to the denomination. 
 
 " Art. I. We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the 
 Old and New Testaments contain a revelation of the char- 
 acter of God, and of the duty, interest, and final destina- 
 tion of mankind. 
 
16 UXIVERSALlsr.I DEFINED. [cHAP. I. 
 
 "Art. II. We believe that there is one God, whose 
 nature is love ; revealed in one Lord Jesus Christ, by one 
 Holy Spirit of grace ; who will finally restore the whole 
 family of mankind to holiness and happiness. 
 
 " Art. III. AVe believe that holiness and true happiness 
 are inseparably connected; and that believers ought to 
 maintain order and practice good works ; for these things 
 are good and profitable unto men." 
 
 *' The above was prepared for the Encyclopedia of Re- 
 ligious Knowledge, by Mr. Lucius R. Paige, of Cam- 
 bridgeport, a distinguished minister of the denomination." 
 See Article Universalist. 
 
 In "The Plain Guide to Universalism," a recent work 
 by Thomas Whittemore, a Universalist preacher, these ar- 
 ticles are recognized as comprising the faith of Univer- 
 salists ; and in a "Constitution of a Universalist Society," 
 the author gives the following qualifications for mem- 
 bership : 
 
 " Any person sustaining a good moral character, and 
 assenting to the aforesaid profession of faith, may be ad- 
 mitted a member of this society, on application to that 
 effect, by a majority of votes, at any regular meeting." 
 P. 302. 
 
 The same author quotes from the "Universalist Expos- 
 itor," as being his own sentiments on the holy sacrament: 
 " With respect to the communion of the Lord's Supper, 
 we may be told, that it is questionable whether this insti- 
 tution was intended as an absolute ordinance, that is, as 
 perpetually and universally obligatory, by force of positive 
 command. We think so too. We have doubts of the ex- 
 istence of ordinances in Christianity ; we mean in the usual 
 technical sense of the term." P. 326. 
 
 And after making the sacrament of the Lord's Supper 
 a mere matter of expediency, on the qualification of com- 
 municants Mr. Whittemore proceeds: "But it may be in- 
 quired, 'Do you have no other test? Is it not necessary 
 
CHAP. I.] UXIVERSALISM DEFINED. It 
 
 that persons should previouslv have been converted? It 
 is necessary people should have been previously converted, 
 if they are not believers in the religion of Christ. We 
 suppose them to have been made acquainted with the re- 
 ligion of Jesus, and his character as their master, when we 
 say they believe in Christ as the appointed Savior of the 
 world. If this has been made a matter of gradual educa- 
 tion, (the best means of being brought to know Christ,) it 
 supersedes, of course, the necessity of a less gradual con- 
 version. There is much which passes in the world under 
 the name of conversion to God, which we think is very 
 far from being so. As to a radical change of nature, it is 
 impossible in itself, and cannot, therefore, be regarded as 
 a qualification. We do not think it necessary that a man 
 should believe in the dogmas of any sects ; such as total 
 depravity, endless hell torments, the trinity, vicarious 
 atonement, &c., to qualify him; and for the very best of 
 all reasons, viz : because these doctrines are not taught in 
 the Scriptures." Pp. 331, 332. 
 
 We might multiply these quotations to great length ; but 
 it will be seen from those already given, that instead of 
 imparting light on the subject, they only serve to render 
 confusion doubly confused. Who can doubt this? When 
 men, who are writing on a subject confessedly of the 
 greatest possible interest to man, involving his happiness 
 in time and eternity, instead of presenting a clear and ra- 
 tional view of the subject, pointing out the manner in 
 which man is lost and needs a Savior ; the means by, and 
 the manner in which this salvation is to be effected ; and 
 showing that this work is in harmony vdth the character 
 and government of God, the constitution and moral char- 
 acter of man, sustaining the whole by the authority of the 
 divine record; either deal in mere affirmation, or lose 
 themselves and their readers in speculations unauthorized 
 alike by chastened reason or the word of God. 
 
 2'^ 
 
18 UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. [cHAP. I* 
 
 There are but few impartial readers, who, after exam- 
 ining the above quotations, with all the Universalist wri- 
 ters they may choose to consult, and marking the contra- 
 dictory statements, and conflicting speculations, together 
 with the general obscurity that shrouds the whole system, 
 will not arrive at one of the following conclusions ; that is, 
 
 1. Universalism is incapable of being clearly defined 
 and intelligibly stated ; or, 
 
 2. Those who are its most able and zealous advocates, 
 are unwilling to make the development. 
 
 If the first be true, it is strong presumptive evidence 
 against the whole system, that it is not of God, but an 
 earth-born scheme, full of deadly moral poison. If the 
 second be true, to say the least, it reflects no honor on its 
 advocates ; and with many, must subject them to the 
 charge of being false to their system. 
 
 It may be said truly of the great mass of Universalist 
 speculations on the important subject of man's salvation, 
 what Mr. J. Kidwell, a Universalist preacher of some 
 note, has very irreverently, not to say, very wickedly said 
 of the Bible : " I then discovered, for the first time, that 
 by far the greatest part of the Bible is a perfect neutrality 
 on the question (of salvation ;) the body of the book being 
 simply historical, while a considerable portion was writ- 
 ten either enigmatically, allegorically, poetically, precep- 
 tively, or epistolatory — the book itself not being a system 
 of any doctrine. Hence I discovered, that to collect the 
 system of salvation out of the Bible, was like collecting 
 jewels from a heap of rubbish." Debate between E. 
 Ray and J. Kidwell, p. 11. 
 
 This is perfect blasphemy against the Bible, but it is 
 strictly true of the quotations we have given above, as, 
 also, of Universalist writings in general. Mr. Hosea Bal- 
 lou, the apostle of modern Universalism, furnishes, how- 
 ever, some light on this otherwise inexplicable subject, 
 
CHAP. I.] UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. 19 
 
 (the obscure manner in which Universalist writers pre- 
 sent their system;) he remarks, "I have been often so- 
 licited to write and publish my general ideas on the Gos- 
 pel, but have commonly observed to my friends, that it 
 might be attended with disagreeable consequences, as it is 
 impossible to determine whether the ideas we entertain at 
 the present time, are agreeable to those which we shall 
 be under the necessity of adopting, after we have had more 
 experience ; and knowing, to my satisfaction, that authors 
 are very liable to feel such an attachment to sentiments 
 which they have openly avowed to the world, that their 
 prejudice frequently obstructs their further acquisitions in 
 the knowledge of the truth ; and even in cases of convic- 
 tion, their own self-importance will keep them from ac- 
 knowledging their mistakes ; and having some knowledge 
 of my own infirmities, I felt the necessity of precaution, 
 which I have no reason to believe is, or has been, injuri- 
 ous." Ballou on the Atonement, p. 12. 
 
 Here indeed is a solution, to some extent, of the diffi- 
 culty — a key to the mystery. Mr. B. found it " impos- 
 sible to determine" whether the "ideas" he entertained, 
 were agreeable to those he would be under the ^^ neces- 
 sity^' of adopting, after he should have more experience 
 in the matter. And his brethren have found it very con- 
 venient to adopt the same principle, doubtless for the same 
 reason ; knowing that it is much easier to evade an argu- 
 ment, or change a position, on a point obscurely stated, 
 than it is to defend an absurdity, or renounce an error that 
 has been clearly and unequivocally expressed. 
 
 But, after all, Mr. B. deserves the thanks of all the can- 
 did for so much of a concession ; and we freely award it 
 to him. 
 
 But let us look at his concession a little further. Mr. B., 
 and all who act on the same principle, either did, or did 
 not, suppose that his "ideas" of the "Gospel," were 
 
20 UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. [cHAP. 1. 
 
 founded on the word of God. If he did not, then the 
 acknowledgment implies that it was possible, if not indeed 
 probable, that all his speculations might be false, and he be 
 driven from them by the force of argument and the Bible, 
 and be under the " necessity " of changing his ground, or 
 giving up his speculations. If he supposed that his " ideas " 
 were founded on the Scriptures, then it would appear that 
 it was doubtful whether he understood the Bible on the 
 great subject of salvation; though the book says, with 
 reference, doubtless, to the fundamental truths and doctrines 
 of our salvation, " The wayfaring men, though fools, shall 
 not err therein," Isa. xxxv, 8. But most probably Mr. B. 
 designed nothing more than that Universalists must be very 
 cautious how they commit themselves with regard to the 
 system — never to take a position on which they cannot 
 change their ground of attack, or defense, as often as they 
 are foiled by argument, or opposed by the word of God. 
 We are inclined to the opinion that this was what Mr. B. 
 meant, from the fact that he is quoted by his brethren as an 
 oracle ; and as far as has come under our notice, Universal- 
 ists act fully upon this principle. From the above view it 
 will be hard to resist the conviction, that the friends and 
 advocates of the system have either not understood the sub- 
 ject, or that it cannot be clearly and intelligibly stated, or 
 they have taken pains to conceal many of its features from 
 the public. That the latter is the fact, few will doubt, who 
 are well acquainted with all the subtilties and legitimate 
 consequences of the system. And as error always shuns 
 the light, nothing is more dreaded by Universalism than 
 stripping it of its sophistical coat, (if not of many colors, 
 yet,) of many shapes and forms, wresting from its hands 
 the perverted word of God, from its head the assumed 
 crown of Gospel piety, and presenting it to the world in 
 its own proper character, with its logical and moral conse- 
 quences. To prevent this, its most talented friends and 
 
CHAP. I.] UMVERSALISM DEFINED. 21 
 
 advocates have rallied around it with a studied eflbrt, and 
 have applied themselves with a zeal worthy the cause of 
 truth itself; well knowing, that fully to develop the sys- 
 tem, is to do much to refute it. 
 
 And while we admire their industry, and, on some occa- 
 sions, have felt sympathy for them in their difficult, and 
 worse than useless labor, we have nevertheless sat down to 
 do our part in bringing the system from its obscurity, and 
 presenting it in its true character. We are not unadvised 
 of the fact, however, that Universalism often assumes a 
 sanctity which seems to challenge the highest deference 
 and respect ; and if we dare to inquire into its character 
 and claims as a system of Bible Christianity, it must be 
 done with the utmost delicacy and tenderness; and when 
 we have conceded its claims to sanctity, and have met it on 
 this ground, and refuted it with the clearest reasoning, and 
 the plain testimony of the word of God, it turns away with 
 almost haughty triumph, and charges our mildness with 
 imbecility, our arguments with bare assertion or sophistry, 
 and our Scripture testimony with perversion. On the other 
 hand, if we meet it with all the promptness and plainness 
 that the interests involved, and the importance of the sub- 
 ject require, and from which truth never shrinks, then 
 indeed we are charged, if not with rudeness and vul- 
 garity, at least with a great want of courtesy and refine- 
 ment. 
 
 In the present case we will cheerfully submit to the cen- 
 sure, and proceed to treat with plainness and candor the 
 most weighty and important subject that can occupy the 
 mind of man. Without detaining the reader with an ac- 
 count of the less important features of Universalism, we 
 will endeavor to collect and present the principles which 
 are vital to the system, and which, if proved to be erro- 
 neous and false, will, like the head and heart, draw all the 
 inferior members with them. 
 
22 UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. [cHAP. I. 
 
 First. Universalism maintains that the whole human 
 family^ including each individual member thereof, will 
 be brought unconditionally, and without the possibility 
 of a failure, into a state of eternal salvation and glory 
 in heaven. 
 
 This is the great theological centre of gravitation to the 
 Universalist world ; and whatever may be their conflicting 
 speculations on other matters, they all rally to this point. 
 And although some attempt to climb up one way, and 
 others another way, and but few of them agree in the de- 
 tails, as it regards the manner of compassing the object, 
 they, as by common consent, agree to make this the centre — 
 the great bond of union. 
 
 Secondly. Uinversalism holds, that the general judg- 
 tnent, or all the judgment taught in the Scriptures, takes 
 place in this world. 
 
 It is nevertheless true, that Universalists are not agreed 
 among themselves as to the time of the judgment, even in 
 this world ; for some believe that the general judgment, 
 spoken of in the Bible, has special reference to the Jews — 
 the destruction of their temple and city, their civil and 
 religious polity, and their dispersion among the nations of 
 the earth ; and as this fearful catastrophe has transpired, 
 of course the judgment is past, and the language of the 
 Bible on the subject of a general judgment is to be inter- 
 preted with special reference to that event. 
 
 Others believe that the judgment is progressive— that 
 God judged the world in person from the beginning, till 
 the time Christ came, when all judgment was delivered 
 over to him ; and that he has judged, is now judging, and 
 will continue to judge the world, and reward the good and 
 punish the bad in this life, to the close of time, when all 
 having been punished according to their sins, and rewarded 
 according to their virtues and piety, will be saved together 
 in heaven. It will be seen that, notwithstanding the dif- 
 
CHAP. I.] UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. 23 
 
 ference of opinion on the solemn subject of the judgment, 
 all agree in confining it to this world. Universalists, how- 
 ever, on this as well as other features of their theory, are 
 far from being always plain, whether they treat on it from 
 the pulpit or the press ; for, although some of them are 
 pathetic while dwelling on the judgment, they rarely ever 
 inform their hearers that these transactions have no possible 
 reference whatever to the future world, and that they are 
 either all passed, or are now taking place among us in this 
 life. This want of plainness has left the matter in such 
 obscurity, that some may question whether the above is a 
 correct view of the subject. To remove every doubt from 
 the mind, we remark, let any one carry the scenes of the 
 general judgment, as described in the Bible, into the future 
 world, and there witness the final separation of the righteous 
 and the wicked, with their endless destiny, and see whether 
 Universalism could stand for a moment. No. An admis- 
 sion that these scenes belong to the future world, would 
 scatter the system to the winds of heaven in the twinkling 
 of an eye. 
 
 Thirdly. Universalism maintains that every sinner 
 will be punished in this world in exact proportion to the 
 number and magnitude of his sins, according to the de- 
 cisions of the justice of God, and that the righteous, 
 also, shall be rewarded in this world for all their suf- 
 ferings and piety. 
 
 As this is an important point in Universalist theology, 
 and is called by some of its distinguished teachers the 
 "moral power" of the system; and yet, as its language 
 is so foreign from that of the Bible, which everywhere 
 promises pardon to the penitent, it may be matter of doubt 
 with some whether this is one of the fundamental doc- 
 trines of the system. To make this clear, let it be re- 
 marked, 1. The theory denies all punishment for sin in the 
 future world. This will not be questioned by any ex- 
 
24 UMVERSALISM DEFINED. [ciIAP. I. 
 
 cept Restorationists, whose case sliall not be overlooked. 
 2. As will be seen liereafter, because the system denies all 
 pardon for sin, it follows, therefore, that if the sinner is 
 punished at all, it must be in this world, otherwise men 
 may live and die in the most abandoned wickedness, as is 
 the fact in multiplied mstances, and yet be endlessly happy 
 in heaven, without being either reformed, pardoned, or 
 punished. 3. This would license every sinner to live and 
 die in sin, and yet assure him of heaven — would destroy 
 all distinction of vice and virtue, sin and holiness. 
 
 Fourthly. Universalism maintains that there will he 
 a general resurrection of the dead ; at which time every 
 human being will be raised in immortality, purity, and 
 glory, and every knee shall how, every tongue confess, 
 all tears be iviped away, and all mankind be endlessly 
 happy in heaven. 
 
 In contemplating this imaginary scene, many Universal- 
 ists profess great exultation. But we apprehend, that in 
 investigating this theory in the light of the Holy Scrip- 
 tures, we will discover reasons to believe, that the day of 
 judgment will exhibit a widely different scene, and to fear 
 that then not a few who have paid greater deference to 
 their own, or the speculations of others, than to the word of 
 God, will see in the light of eternity the sacrifice they have 
 made, when it will be too late to escape the fearful con- 
 sequences. 
 
 Aware of the fact, that Universalists generally, in teach- 
 ing and defending their system, refuse to be governed by 
 the published opinions and statements of their brethren, 
 each reserving to himself the privilege of giving his own 
 version in his own way, as may best suit the exigency of 
 the times, we have given specimens, in the quotations al- 
 ready made, of their manner of treating the subject; and 
 have collected from the whole mass the above cardinal doc- 
 trines of the scheme, in preference to using the precise 
 
CHAP. I.] UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. 25 
 
 language, or followiuii- the statements of any one writer on 
 the subject. 
 
 Of this there can be no reasonable complaint, if the vital 
 doctrines of tiie system have been fairly presented. And 
 that such is the fact, will appear to the satisfaction of ev- 
 ery candid mind on a moment's reflection. For example, 
 let it be conceded, that in the general resurrection some of 
 our race will rise to condemnation, eternal shame, and con- 
 tempt ; or, instead of sinners being punished for their sins 
 in this world, they must be reformed and made holy in 
 this, without which they never can see God or be happy 
 in heaven; or that the general judgment will take place in 
 the future world ; either of which suppositions must irre- 
 coverably ruin Universalism. It is, therefore, indisputa- 
 bly clear, that whatever modifications and shades individ- 
 uals may give those doctrines, they must maintain them, 
 in substance, as vital to the system, and without which it 
 cannot possibly exist. 
 
 We have, therefore, before us the affirmative doctrines 
 of Universalism ; no one of which has ever been recog- 
 nized by the Church of Christ as an article of Christian 
 faith, and all of which have been, direcdy or indirectly, 
 condemned by the Church, as heretical and false. 
 
 But even this view of the system, repugnant as it is to 
 the faith of the Church, the doctrines of our holy Chris- 
 tianity, and of which the boldest skepticism and infidelity 
 can find but very little to complain, would be incomparably 
 less objectionable with the pious, if it stopped here; but 
 in order infallibly to secure the final results contemplated, 
 it has necessarily to discard and totally reject many, if not 
 all, the cardinal doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 
 This renders it necessary for us to present the negative po- 
 sitions of Universalism; and, 
 
 First. Universalism rejects the doctrine of a future 
 general judgment ; in tvhich all angelic and human be- 
 
 3 
 
26 UNIVERSAJLISM DEFINED. [^CHAP. I. 
 
 ings^ including the morally good and bad, will be judged 
 according to their moral characters and works ; and the 
 morally good and holy will be rewarded with everlasting 
 happiness in heaven, and the morally bad and unholy be 
 endlessly punished in hell. 
 
 If the doctrine of a future general judgment and retri- 
 bution be taught in the Holy Scriptures, such is its impor- 
 tance, so vast and incalculable the interests involved, that 
 any system of religion that rejects and denies the doc- 
 trine, must, in the judgment of all intelligent Christian 
 communities, forfeit at once all claim even to the name of 
 Bible Christianity. 
 
 The friends of Universalism, aware of the consequen- 
 ces, have evinced no little skill in keeping this feature of 
 the system, in part, or in whole, out of view; conse- 
 quently, many who profess to believe, and many who do 
 not believe in the system, when they hear it announced, 
 that Universalism rejects the doctrine of a future general 
 judgment, contend that it is either misunderstood or will- 
 fully misrepresented. 
 
 That the point may be settled beyond a reasonable 
 doubt, we remark, 1. Universalism either does, or does 
 not, reject the doctrine of a future general judgment. This 
 proposition is stated so clearly as to render evasion impos- 
 sible. 2. If the system does not deny this doctrine, then, 
 indeed, the charge against it is incorrect. 
 
 But this is not all ; for if it proves the charge to be un- 
 true, by admitting a future general judgment, in which 
 some men and angels will be condemned to endless pun- 
 ishment, the same admission proves Universalism to be 
 wholly false ; therefore, the system must admit the charge 
 of wholly rejecting the doctrine as stated albove, or cease 
 to contend for an existence. 
 
 Secoyidly. Universalism denies that the most deep-set- 
 tled and confirmed depravity of the human heart, the 
 
CHAP. I.J UMVERSALISM DEFINED. 2T 
 
 most abandoned wickedness of life, together with the most 
 stubborn unbelief in death, can, by any possibility^ pre- 
 ve?if, or in any wise endanger, the idtimate holiness and 
 happiness of man in heaven. 
 
 At this feature many may be surprised, while the sys- 
 tem itself may instinctively shrink from the light of this 
 development, and doubtless its friends will make an effort 
 to save it from the consequences, by endeavoring to con- 
 trovert the statement; and as we are not now examining, 
 but only stating the system, we will endeavor to settle each 
 point as we pass, so that there will be little probability of 
 mistake by the candid, or oossibility of escape or evasion 
 by the system. 
 
 That all concerned may see this point clearly, and fully 
 feel its force, we refer to the melancholy matters of fact, 
 that many sinners of the most depraved, corrupt, and aban- 
 doned character, do die in stubborn unbelief, even profa- 
 ning the name of God with their expiring breath. Now, 
 we ask, and have a right to demand a direct answer, Does 
 their wickedness through life, and profanity in death, de- 
 prive them of endless happiness in heaven after death ? 
 If the system answers in the affirmative, it thereby con- 
 victs itself of being utterly false, and gives up its very ex- 
 istence. If in the negative, with its own hand it indorses 
 the correctness of the charge as stated above. 
 
 Thirdly. Uiiiversalism denies that reformation, faith, 
 and love, or holiness of heart and life in this world, are 
 at all essential as a condition, or means, to secure endless 
 happiness in the future world. 
 
 But its supporters are, on this as well as other points, far 
 from making it a matter of frequent and public explanation ; 
 so that all may fully understand the system, with all its 
 characteristic peculiarities ; and, to say the least, they are 
 willing that those features should sleep in comparative ob- 
 scurity. 
 
28 UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. [cHAP. I. 
 
 Fully to settle this question, we have only again to recur 
 to matters of fact; namely, tliat men do live and die unre- 
 formed, in unbelief, destitute of holiness of heart and life. 
 Universalism is compelled either to maintain, or deny, their 
 salvation in heaven. If it maintains their salvation in the 
 future world, though they were wholly destitute of proper 
 moral qualifications in this life, it fully admits the charge 
 of rejecting such moral qualification in this world, as not 
 at all necessary as a condition of final salvation. If it de- 
 nies their salvation in heaven, such denial must wholly 
 destroy the system. 
 
 Fourthly. Universalism denies that God ever has par- 
 doned, or ever will pardon ^ one sin committed by man in 
 this world, in the sense of remitting the punishment ^ or 
 any part thereof. 
 
 As the teachers of the system have been more explicit 
 on this than on many other points, it is only necessary here 
 to refer any who may have doubts on the subject, to our 
 quotation from Mr. A. C. Thomas, who is always good 
 authority on Universalism, and to give the testimony of 
 Mr. T. Whittemore. Mr. W., in opposing the doctrine of 
 punishment for sin in the future, says : " We are compelled 
 to declare, that the whole evidence of Scripture is on the 
 contrary side. * * * Now, to say that man shall 
 sin on the earth, and suffer the recompense in some other 
 state of being, is alike reasonable with saying, that a man 
 who sows a field of grain in Massachusetts, shall reap the 
 harvest in some other state." Plain Guide to Universal- 
 ism, p. 265. 
 
 It is true, however, that the system maintains that God will 
 pardon the sinner, but will punish him to the full extent 
 for all his sins. This will be examined in its proper place. 
 
 Fifthly. Universalism denies the unoriginatcd and in- 
 finite divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy 
 Ghost. 
 
CHAP. I.'j liMVERSALlSM DEFINED. '3§ 
 
 On this point we are aware its friends would like gener- 
 ally to be silent, or at least, not definite, in the expression 
 of opinion. And when pressed on the subject, they gen- 
 erally take that ground which presents fewest difficulties, 
 and promises the greatest probability of success. This 
 was fully illustrated in two interviews we had with Mr. D. 
 R. Biddlecom, a distinguished Universalist preacher, [n 
 the first, after evading the point for a time, when urged to 
 it, he took his position, and denied entirely the absolute 
 divinity of Jesus Christ, and also positively denied that he 
 was an object of religious worship. The same gentleman, 
 about a year subsequently, when circumstances brought us 
 together again in the public discussion of Universalism, 
 remembering, doubtless, the difficulties attending his former 
 position, took the opposite ground on the divinity, and 
 affirmed the infinite nature, perfections, and divinity of 
 Christ. And when reminded that he had either changed 
 his position to avoid difficulties, or had really changed his 
 sentiments on the subject, he chose to pass it without reply 
 or explanation. 
 
 And in ord.n- to show that the admission of the divmity 
 of Christ by Universalists, does not at all relieve their sys- 
 tem, we will here notice the disposition Mr. Biddlecom 
 made of it. He used it as though he had really made a 
 new discovery in favor of Universalism, by affirming the 
 perfect equality in infinity, nature, perfections, power, and 
 glory of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. To secure all 
 this in favor of the system, he stated that Christ must 
 redeem just as many human beings as the Father created, 
 otherwise the glory of Christ would not be equal to that of 
 the Father; and the Holy Ghost must sanctify just as 
 many as the Father created and Christ redeemed, otherwise 
 his glory would not be equal with that of the Father and 
 the Son. But as the Father created all human beings and 
 the Son redeemed all, therefore the Holv Ghost must sane- 
 st 
 
30 UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. [cHAP. I. 
 
 tify all, and as a matter of course, Universalism must be 
 true ! But this view, instead of diminishing the difficul- 
 ties, only multiplies them. For, not recognizing the Father, 
 Son, and Holy Ghost, as three persons existing in the one 
 eternal, infinite, immutable, and undivided Godhead, and 
 the works and glory of either of the persons, whether of 
 creation, providence, redemption or sanctification, as the 
 works and glory of all the three persons in the one undi- 
 vided Deity ; it considers the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 
 as three separate and distinct beings, each infinite in nature 
 and perfections, holding a kind of rivalship for equality of 
 glory. On this view let it be remarked, 
 
 1. It is in itself an absurdity, to suppose the existence 
 of three separate and distinct infinite beings. 2. If the 
 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost be three separate and distinct 
 infinite beings, each has an equal right to demand of us 
 divine religious worship ; and were we to render such wor- 
 ship, we must do it in open violation of the Holy Scrip- 
 tures, which say, " Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, 
 and him only shalt thou serve," Matt, iv, 10. 3. To obey 
 the Holy Scriptures, and worship only one God, while there 
 are two others, equal in nature and perfections, would utterly 
 destroy the whole speculation ; that is, their equality of 
 glory — for one would have all the glory of the worship of 
 all mankind, while the other two would be denied that 
 glory, and that too, after one had redeemed the whole 
 human race, and the other sanctified them. 
 
 But this is not tlie only difficulty. The above position 
 assumes that the Holy Ghost must sanctify the whole 
 human family. If so, it must be done either in this or the 
 future world. That the Holy Ghost does not sanctify every 
 man in this world, awful demonstration is furnished in the 
 death of every finally impenitent sinner. And we may 
 challenge the entire strength of Universalism, to produce 
 one plain testimony from the word of God, that the Holy 
 
CHAP. I.] UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. 31 
 
 Ghost ever has sanctified, or ever will sanctify one single 
 sinner who has lived, or shall have lived and died, in volun- 
 tary unholiness and sin. We repeat it, we will yield the 
 whole controversy, if Universalism will produce one plain 
 text in proof of the point. There is, therefore, no alter- 
 native for Universalism, but either, 1. To own the above 
 consequences and absurdities, which will be, in effect, to 
 abjure the authority of the word of God ; or embrace the 
 doctrine of the Trinity, which would be to give up its great 
 distinctive feature, that it is anti-trinitarian ; or, 3. Admit 
 the charge that we make against the system, that it denies 
 the absolute, unoriginated divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 and of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 Sixthly. Universalism, having rejected the absolute 
 divinity of Jesus Christy as a matter of course, denies 
 the vicarious sufferings and atonement of the Savior. 
 
 This is a point of much importance, and with all ortho- 
 dox Christians, it is a pillar in the Christian superstructure, 
 and to deny which, is virtually to renounce the Bible, as 
 the only " sufficient rule both of our faith and practice." 
 And that the reader may see that this is not a misrepresen- 
 tation of Universalism, we refer him again to the creed of 
 Mr. Thomas, as previously quoted. There he will find 
 that Mr. T. says, " I reject the doctrine of vicarious atone- 
 ment." And indeed, however inconsistent and contradic- 
 tory the system may be, in other respects, it is consistent 
 in rejecting the vicarious atonement of Christ, having de- 
 nied his absolute divinity. Because every being, however 
 dignified his nature and character, if he possess but a 
 created or " derived" existence, is necessarily a dependent 
 being, and owes perfect and perpetual obedience to his 
 superior — his Creator. In this relation, were it even pos- 
 sible for him to do the work of others, or suffer in their 
 stead, (as no dependent creature can obey for himself and 
 others at the same time,) in the very act of benefiting them. 
 
32 UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. [cHAP. I. 
 
 he must violate his own obligations of obedience, sacrifice 
 his own innocence, and become a delinquent to his Maker. 
 Therefore, if Christ is not absolutely divine, he must be 
 absolutely dependent ; and if this be his character, it is per- 
 fectly absurd to attribute to him the work of a vicarious 
 atonement. Universalism having rejected the divinity, if 
 it were disposed to retain the vicarious suffering and atone- 
 ment of Jesus Christ, would do it at the expense of all 
 consistency and reason, both of nature and theology. 
 
 Again : having taken the ground clearly and distinctly, 
 that God will inevitably punish every sinner in this world 
 according to his crimes, for Universalism to retain the vica- 
 rious suffering and atonement by Christ, would be to attri- 
 bute the highest injustice to the Almighty ; for if God 
 will punish the sinner in this life, without the possibility 
 of escape, for all his sins, it would have been perfectly 
 unjust for him to have laid the punishment for the same 
 sins on Christ. On the other hand, if Christ has borne the 
 punishment due to sin in his own body on the tree, it would 
 surely be unjust to punish man also, for the same sins, if 
 he repents, believes, and obeys God. 
 
 Seventhly. Universalism denies and rejects all condi- 
 tionality^ as it regards raan's future and final salvation ; 
 that is, that there is any conditio?!, act, or work, which 
 man can perforin, or the utter neglect of which by him, 
 can endanger his ultimate salvation in heaven. 
 
 Universalists, however, are extremely reluctant to admit 
 this negative feature of their system ; and some of them dis- 
 play no little ingenuity in obscuring the subject. They fre- 
 quently proclaim a conditional salvation, and denounce the 
 heaviest threatenings on the guilty delinquent for not per- 
 forming those conditions on whch this salvation depends. 
 All this, however, is well calculated, if not designed, to mis- 
 lead the credulous and unsuspecting ; for they understand 
 them to use theological language in the same sense that 
 
CHAP. 1.3 UMVERSAL1S3I DEFINED. 33 
 
 Christian teachers generally use it, while just the contrary 
 is true. For example, does the conditional salvation, as 
 taught by Universalism, refer to this or the future world? 
 If it is answered, to this world, the point is conceded, that 
 man's final salvation in heaven is unconditional. If it re- 
 fers to the future world, then every one who lives and dies 
 without faith and repentance, or without performing the 
 conditions, cannot be saved ; and as many thus live and 
 die, every such case is unanswerable proof against the sys- 
 tem. Again, do the fearful punishments that Universalism 
 denounces against the delinquent for the non-performance 
 of the conditions of his salvation, refer to this or the fu- 
 ture world ? Whatever may be the answer, the same con- 
 clusions follow as stated above. Another attempt is made 
 to evade the point, by admitting that our final salvation is 
 conditional. This, at first sight, appears to reach the case. 
 But the evasion is easily detected, by a single inquiry and 
 a direct answer; namely, Does the performance of the 
 conditions on which this salvation depends, belong to man 
 or to God ? If the answer is, to man, the delinquency of 
 the impenitent sinner in life and death, is demonstration 
 alike against his own salvation and the truth of Univer- 
 salism. If to God, this brings us again to the same con- 
 clusion, that man's final salvation in heaven is secured un- 
 conditionally by the Almighty, irrespective of any thing 
 that he can do to secure, or omit and neglect to endanger 
 or prevent it. On this subject Mr. Biddlecom, in the dis- 
 cussions already allude! to, repeatedly affirmed, that though 
 our salvation in heaven is conditional, God performs the 
 conditions. Other distinguished Universalist preachers have 
 taken the same position, while investigating the subject 
 with the writer. 
 
 Eighthly. As a part of the above feature of the sys- 
 tem, and as a tiecessary consequence, Universalism de- 
 nies the free moral agency and accotmtahilHy of man 
 
34 UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. [cHAP. I. 
 
 to his Maker, so far, at least, as that free agency can by 
 any means afftct his final holiness and happiness in 
 heaven. 
 
 But as Universalists, at this period of increased and 
 spreading moral and religious light and knowledge, evince 
 on some occasions great reluctance to own the true po- 
 sition of their system on the point; and that it may be 
 seen, nevertheless, that such is the fact, let it be remarked, 
 1. To admit that man is a free agent with regard to his 
 salvation in heaven, is to admit that salvation to be condi- 
 tional. 2. That which is conditional may take place, or it 
 may not, otherwise it is an abuse of language and com- 
 mon sense to call it conditional. 3. It follows that men 
 may, or may not, be saved, just as they comply with or 
 neglect the conditions of their final salvation. This would 
 be ruinous to Universalism. But further, distinguished 
 Universalist preachers have more than intimated a denial 
 of man's free moral agency altogether, as will be seen in 
 the following quotation from Mr. Hosea Ballon. 
 
 *' Now, to reason justly, we must conclude, that if 
 God possess infinite wisdom, he could never intend any 
 thing to take place, or be, that will not take place, or be ; 
 nor that which is, or will be, not to be, at the time when it 
 is. And it must be considered erroneous to suppose that 
 the All-wise ever desired any thing to take place, which, by 
 his wisdom, he knew would not; as such a supposition 
 must, in effect, suppose a degree of misery in the eternal 
 mind, equal to the strength of his fruitless desire." Bal- 
 lou on the Atonement, p. 17. There is more than an 
 intimation that " whatever is, is right." The language 
 speaks for itself; but we reserve our remarks for another 
 place. 
 
 Ninthly. Universalism denies the doctrines of the fall 
 of man, and the consequent hereditary universal deprav- 
 ity of the human heart, and considers the account of 
 
CHAP. I.] UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. 35 
 
 man's apostasy, as recorded in the Bible^ to he merely 
 allegorical, or figurative. 
 
 On this point we will only give some quotations on the 
 creation and fall of man, from Mr. Ballou. His remarks 
 are, " We are informed, that God created man in his own 
 image ; that he blessed him, and set him over the works of 
 his hands. * * * g^t what was this image of 
 
 God, in which man was created? Answer, it was Christ, 
 who, in Scripture, is called 'the beginning of the crea- 
 tion of God.' * * * If Christ be the image of 
 God, and man was created in God's image, it is plain, that 
 man was created in Christ, was blessed in Christ, and in 
 Christ set over the works of God's hands. After God had 
 finished his work of creation, consecrated the seventh day 
 and rested from his labor, we are informed that there was 
 not a man to till the ground. This information is rea- 
 sonable, and authorizes me to say, that as man stood in his 
 created character, which is Christ, the heavenly man, he 
 was not at that time formed of the dust of the ground, was 
 not of the earth, earthly, and, therefore, was not a tiller of 
 the ground. We are then informed, by the sacred text, 
 that God formed (not created) man of the dust of the 
 ground, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, where- 
 by man became a living soul, or creature. 
 
 "Man is now a partaker of flesh and blood; is, as the 
 apostle says, ' 7nade subject to vanity, not willingly, but 
 by reason of him who subjected the same in hope.' He 
 has now not an immortal, but a mortal constitution ; is pos- 
 sessed of natural appetites and passions ; and being unac- 
 quainted with the ways of his own imperfect self, knew 
 neither the good or evil of a mortal state. * * * * 
 As man stood in his formed state, clothed with mortal 
 flesh and blood, before his mind became obsequious to the 
 elementary passions, a law was shadowed to his mind from 
 the heavenly and spiritual man. The full spirit, power, 
 
36 UMVERSALISM DEFINED. [cHAP. I. 
 
 and beauty of the law, were not perfectly understood, only 
 a shadow of the heavenly nature passed on his mind; and 
 the nature of that spirit being eternal, and immortally pure, 
 was opposed to the passions which would immediately 
 rise from the fleshly nature, and said in the understanding 
 of the creature, already made subject to vanity, yield not 
 to the passions and powers of the Jlesh, for they are 
 death. But immediately the powerful vibrations of the 
 flesldy nature absorbed his mind, he sought to the carnal 
 man for food, ate and died. These things are figuratively 
 represented in the Scriptures. There the man is repre- 
 sented as being placed in a garden of delights, to keep it 
 and to dress it. The tree of life was in it, Slc. * * * 
 The garden, undoubtedly, meant the moral state in which 
 man was placed, which, like a garden, would become foul, 
 if it were not dressed and kept. The tree of life was 
 then, what it is now, the law of the spirit of life in Christ 
 Jesus ; and the little of that spirit which was then mani- 
 fested, was all the moral life which man possessed at that 
 time ; and, therefore, all which he was able to sin against. 
 The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was, what it 
 is now, the fleshly nature, which I have before described. 
 * * * The serpent signifies the carnal mind, which 
 is enmity against God, is not subject to the law of the 
 heavenly man, neither indeed can be. The carnal mind 
 getting the victory over the law of life, in the understand- 
 ing of the creature, is meant by the woman's being de- 
 ceived." Ballon on the Atonement, pp. 31, 32, 33, 34. 
 We have not detained the reader with this long quota- 
 tion, either for its logical or theological strength or beauty, 
 but to show that Universalism denies the plain, correct, 
 Scriptural account of the fall and depravity of man. The 
 quotation is important, however, on another account, as 
 Mr. B. maintains that the ''spirit^' of man is ''immo7'- 
 tally piircy This furnishes a key, ns will appear hereaf- 
 
CHAP. I.] UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. 37 
 
 ter, to another subtle evasion of Universalists. The same 
 principle was extorted from Mr. Biddlecom in our discus- 
 sion in Lexington. This " immortal purity of the spirit," 
 as distinguished from the soul of man, together with the 
 view taken of the resurrection, are of incalculable impor- 
 tance to Universalism, as will be seen in its proper place. 
 Having endeavored to remove some of the rubbish in which 
 Universalism is so much obscured, we will bring the sys- 
 tem to view in a condensed form, that it may be seen, at 
 once, in its true character, and that it may be understood 
 alike in what it denies and rejects, and what it believes and 
 retains of Bible theology. 
 
 And, first, the affirmative fundamental doctrines of Uni- 
 versalism. 
 
 I. " Universalism maintains that the whole human family, 
 including each individual member thereof, will be brought 
 unconditionally, and without the possibility of a failure, 
 into a state of eternal salvation and glory in heaven." 
 
 II. "Universalism holds that the general judgment, or 
 all the judgment taught in the Scriptures, takes place in 
 this world, and cannot possibly extend into the future 
 world." 
 
 III. "Universalism maintains that every sinner will be 
 punished in this world in exact proportion to the number 
 and magnitude of his sins, according to the decisions of the 
 justice of God : and that the righteous shall be rewarded 
 also in this world, for all their suff'erings and piety." 
 
 IV. " Universalism maintains that there will be a general 
 resurrection of the dead, at which time every human being 
 will be raised in immortality, purity, and glory ; and every 
 knee shall bow, every tongue confess, all tears be wiped 
 away, and all mankind be endlessly happy in heaven." 
 
 We present, secondly, the negative positions of Univer- 
 salism. 
 
 I. " Universalism rejects the doctrine of a future general 
 
38 UNIVERSALISM DEFINED. [cHAP. I. 
 
 judgment, in which all angelic and human beings, includ- 
 ing the morally good and bad, will be judged according to 
 their moral character and works ; and the morally good and 
 holy be rewarded with everlasting happiness in heaven, and 
 the morally bad and unholy be endlessly punished in hell." 
 
 II. " Universalism denies that the most deep-settled and 
 confirmed depravity of the human heart — the most aban- 
 doned wickedness of life, together with the most stubborn 
 unbelief in death, can by any possibility prevent, or in any 
 wise endanger, the ultimate holiness and happiness of man 
 in heaven." 
 
 III. " The system denies that reformation, faith, and 
 love, or holiness of heart and life in this world, are at all 
 essential as a condition, or means, to secure endless happi- 
 ness in the future world." 
 
 IV. " It denies that God ever has pardoned, or ever will 
 pardon, one sin committed by man in this world ; that is, 
 in the sense of remitting the punishment, or any part 
 thereof." 
 
 V. " Universalism denies the unoriginated and infinite 
 divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Ghost." 
 
 VI. " The system having rejected the absolute divinity 
 of Jesus Christ, as a matter of course, and a necessary 
 consequence, denies the vicarious sufferings and atonement 
 of the Savior." 
 
 VII. " Universalism denies and rejects all conditionality, 
 as it regards man's future and final salvation ; that is, that 
 there is any condition, act, or work which man can per- 
 form, or the utter neglect of which by him, can at all en- 
 danger his ultimate salvation in heaven." 
 
 VIII. "As a part of the above feature of the system, and 
 as a necessary consequence, Universalism denies the free 
 moral agency and accountability of man to his Maker; so 
 far, at least, as that free agency can by any means affect his 
 final holiness and happiness in the future world." 
 
 J 
 
CHAP. I.] UNIVERSALIS^ DEFINED. 39 
 
 IX. " Universalism denies the doctrines of the fall of 
 man, and the consequent hereditary, universal depravity of 
 the human heart, and considers the account of man's apos- 
 tasy, as recorded in the Bible, to be merely allegorical or 
 figurative." 
 
 In the foregoing view of Universalism, it cannot escape 
 the observation of the attentive, that the scheme is as re- 
 markable for what it disbelieves and rejects, as it is for 
 what it retains, as matters of faith. And should any sup- 
 pose this a novel view of the system, we have only to say, 
 if it were not, it would by no means reach the case, and 
 fully develop the true character of the system ; for it is a 
 novel scheme throughout, not only of modern date, as 
 respects its origin, but differing in its fundamental doctrines 
 from every other system of religion under the sun. 
 
 That Universalists will complain of the development of 
 some of the features of their system, is what may be ex- 
 pected ; but whatever may be their complaints, that they 
 can escape the above positions, either negative or affirma- 
 tive, without utterly destroying the system, is what we 
 cannot believe. 
 
 Before this part of the subject is dismissed, we remark, 
 that truth and error have their characteristic distinctions. 
 Truth never shrinks from the clearest scrutiny — never with- 
 holds explanation, or seeks concealment. On the contrary, 
 error, however bold and boisterous, when it thinks itself 
 out of danger, when called to an account, evades explana- 
 tion, retreats into obscurity, and shuns close investigation. 
 
 Universalism bears all those marks of error, and carries 
 them out in practice. For notwithstanding its almost con- 
 stant noisy daring, and challenging to discussion and con- 
 troversy, who ever saw it, when met by the force of truth, 
 clearly and fully developed by its friends in all its parts, as 
 a system, and presented to the public ? And who has not 
 seen, that on such occasions its very atmosphere was eva- 
 
40 GENERAL BLESSINGS [cilAP. II. 
 
 sion, and obscurity its fast retreat? A conviction of these 
 facts has induced us to take the pains we have, to bring the 
 system to light in all its most important features, in order 
 that all concerned may the better understand it, and to aid 
 us in our farther investigation of the subject. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 PROMISE OF GENERAL BLESSINGS. 
 
 Promise of General Blessings — Manner of refuting Error — Mr. 
 Thomas' Letter to Dr. Ely — System and Proofs stated — Universalists 
 generally Travel over the same ground — Mr. T. Indorses most of the 
 Positions stated above — Arguments Logically and Theologically false — 
 Its supposed Strength lies in Assumptions — All Mankind blessed in 
 Christ without being unconditionally saved in Heaven — Provision 
 made for the Universal Spread of the Gospel, and the Establishment of 
 the Christian Church — Facts Established — Dilemma — The System 
 must sink under those Facts, or avow Infidelity. 
 
 In refuting error, it is not always necessary to follow 
 every feature of it into all its retreats and foldings, but only 
 to fix on the essential and leading principles of the scheme, 
 on which the minor points depend ; and by proving the er- 
 roneousness of the former, the latter must fall with them. 
 This is strictly true of Universalism, though it is the last 
 to make the acknowledgment. 
 
 Notwithstanding Universalists do not agree, either in the 
 method of stating or sustaining their doctrines, they all 
 profess to rely with great confidence for its support, on the 
 promises, prophecies, and invitations of the Scriptures, 
 expressing or implying general blessings. And that the 
 system may be placed on its strongest possible ground of 
 defense, that all may see the claims it has on the word of 
 God for support, we call to our aid one of the most able 
 and popular Universalist preachers in their connection, Mr. 
 Abel C. Thomas. 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. 41 
 
 The circumstances under which this gentleman wrote, 
 warrant the belief that he has done ample justice to the 
 subject; and that he felt himself competent for the work, 
 will appear from his own language : "I am perfectly satis- 
 fied," says Mr. T., " that the arguments to be thus addu- 
 ced, will be of an incontrovertible character." 
 
 The above, and the following letter addressed to Rev. 
 Dr. E. S. Ely, which we quote at length, are found in Ely 
 and Thomas' Theological Discussion, pp. 252 — 258. 
 
 " Dear Sir, — Inasmuch as any doctrine which cannot be 
 fairly established by a few pertinent citations from the sa- 
 cred oracles, is, in my judgment, unworthy to be consid- 
 ered a part of the Christian credenda, the Scriptural pas- 
 sages which I shall adduce in proof of the final holiness 
 and happiness of all mankind, will not be numerous, though 
 I am entirely satisfied they will be found to stand, as does 
 the faith of the Universalists, ' not in the wisdom of men, 
 but in the power of God.' In Gen. xxii, 18, we find it 
 recorded, as the language of the Lord to Abraham, ' In 
 thy seed shall all the nations of the earth he blessed,'"' In 
 the same promise confirmed to Jacob, it is written. Gen. 
 xxviii, 14 : 'In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of 
 the earth be blessed.' And when cited by Peter, in Acts 
 iii, 25, it is on this wise, ' In thy seed shall all the kin- 
 dreds of the earth he hlessed.' Paul, in Gal. iii, terms 
 this promise the Gospel: 'And the Scriptures, foreseeing 
 that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached 
 before the Gospel to Abraham, saying, In thee shall all na- 
 tions be blessed.' And he adds, 'Now to Abraham and 
 his seed were the promise made. He saith not, and to 
 seeds, as of many ; but as of one, and to thy seed, which 
 is Christ.'' In the light of these concurrent testimonies 
 we discover, that the eventual blessedness in Christ of all 
 nations, families, and kindreds of the earth, is guarantied 
 by the promise of the Almighty, who ' is not a man that 
 
42 GENERAL BLESSINGS. [cHAP. IL 
 
 he should lie, neither the son of man, that he should re- 
 pent. Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or, hath he 
 spoken, and shall he not make it good?' Numbers xxiii, 
 19. Moreover, 'When God made promise to Abraham, 
 because he could swear by no greater, he sware by him- 
 self. * * * For men verily swear by the greater ; and 
 an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 
 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the 
 heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed 
 it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it 
 was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong 
 consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the 
 hope set before us,' Heb. vi, 13 — 18. 
 
 " That the language of the promise conveys the idea of 
 universality, you will not be inclined to dispute, inasmuch 
 as no individual can be found, who belongs not to some 
 nation, family or kindred. In the angelic annunciation of 
 the advent of the Messiah, the truth of such tidings as era- 
 brace the final blessedness of all our race is implied: 
 'Fear not; for behold I bring you good tidings of great 
 joy, which shall be to all people,' Luke ii, 10. Indeed, 
 good news, or glad tidings, is the literal import of the term 
 Gospel; and, as before shown, Paul thus denominates the 
 preaching of the Lord to 'faithful Abraham.' 
 
 " In what way will you attempt to evade the force of this 
 testimony, in proof of the final holiness and happiness of 
 all mankind ? Should you alledge that the blessedness indi- 
 cated in the promise was to be enjoyed through faith, and 
 that as faith is not exercised by all nations, families, and 
 kindreds of the earth, so the prospect of universal blessed- 
 ness in Christ is an illusion — this is my reply: 1st. The 
 promise is the thing to be believed, and as such, is either 
 true or false. If it be false, no one can justly be required 
 to believe it; and if true, its verity cannot be affected 
 either by the faith or disbelief of man. 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. 43 
 
 " Your argument virtually involves the absurdity, that faith 
 creates the object of faith; in other words, that the promise 
 which we are required to believe is not true until we believe 
 it ! The promise in question is either absolute or condi- 
 tionaL If absolute, the doctrine of universal salvation is 
 clearly established thereby ; if it be conditional, consis- 
 tency requires an acknowledgment of the aforesaid absurd- 
 ity. If you deny that the promise is the thing to be be- 
 lieved, I remark, (1.) That with equal propriety you might 
 deny that the Gospel is the thing to be believed ; for when 
 God made promise to Abraham, he preached the Gospel, 
 saying, ' In thee shall all nations be blessed,' Gal. iii, 8. 
 (2.) The Gospel was thus preached, that the heathen might 
 he justified through faith. Faith in what? Certainly in 
 the doctrine preached. And will you contend that any man 
 can be justified by faith in that which is not true before it 
 is believed ? 
 
 '* 2d. It is written, ' They that be of faith are blessed 
 with faithful Abraham,' Gal. iii, 9. How was Abraham 
 blessed ? Plainly in believing that in his seed, all the na- 
 tions, families, and kindreds of the earth should be blessed. 
 His blessedness was consequent of faith in universal bles- 
 sedness ; and the pre-supposition is, that the fulfillment of 
 the promise was not, in any sense, dependent on the exer- 
 cise of faith by him. And as they who believe in the same 
 Gospel are blessed in like manner, it follows that the 
 alledged conditionality of the promise is based in error. 
 Jesus said, ' Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw 
 it, and was glad,' John viii, 56. He saAv it by faith ; and 
 the righteousness of his faith was predicated of the abso" 
 lute character of the promise which announced the coming 
 of the Savior. In 1 John v, 9-11, we read as follows: 
 * If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is 
 greater : for this is the witness of God, which he hath tes- 
 tified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God, 
 
44 GENERAL BLESSINGS. [CHAP. II. 
 
 hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God, 
 hath made him a har ; because he believeth not the record 
 that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that 
 God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in his 
 Son.' It is the province of a witness to make that known 
 which is already true ; and by disbelieving his testimony, 
 we impeach his veracity. Now, the record of God is, sim- 
 ply, that he has given us eternal life in his Son ; and the 
 fact that the unbeliever, by not accrediting the record, 
 makes God a liar, (that is, impeaches the divine veracity,) 
 proves that God has given eternal life to the unbeliever. 
 The gift is absolute: 'For what if some did not believe? 
 Shall their unbelief make the faith (rather, faithfulness) of 
 God without effect ? God forbid : yea, let God be true, 
 but every man a liar,' Rom. iii, 3, 4. It is written, ' For 
 God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he might have 
 mercy upon all,' Rom. xi, 32. And in view of this glo- 
 rious object, most heartily can the true disciple exclaim, 
 ' O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowl- 
 edge of God ! * * For of him, and through him, and 
 to him, are all things : to whom be glory for ever. Amen.' 
 " I feel no disposition to deny that conditions are appen- 
 ded to many divine testimonies ; such, for example, as the 
 following: 'If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the 
 good of the land ; but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be 
 devoured with the sword : for the mouth of the Lord hath 
 spoken it,' Isaiah i, 19, 20. And I also hold, that while 
 the promise of universal blessedness in Christ is absolute^ 
 our present happiness is, in a great measure, dependent on 
 our hearty acknowledgment of the truth. Nevertheless, 
 should every soul of our race live and die in total ignorance 
 of the promise in question, the ultimate purpose of the 
 Almighty would not be defeated thereby. And I am satis- 
 fied that this statement is fully sustained by the argument 
 already presented. 
 
CHAP. 11.3 GENERAL BLESSINGS. 45 
 
 " In 2 Cor. i, 18-20, Paul writes as follows: ' But as 
 God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. 
 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached 
 among you by us, even by me and Sylvanus and Timo- 
 theus, was not yea, and nay, but in him was yea. For all 
 the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, 
 unto the glory of God by us.' Now, sir, it appears to me, 
 that your doctrine of conditions to be performed by the 
 creature, contradicts the spirit of this sacred Scripture. 
 You affirm, in effect, that if the promises be believed,they 
 will be yea; but if disbelieved, they will be nay. So, 
 instead of averring with the apostle, that all the promises 
 of God in Christ are yea and amen, you virtually contend 
 that they are either yea or nay, according to the faith or 
 disbelief of man ! 
 
 '* Your doctrine of conditions goes farther than this : it 
 involves the atheistical ground, that the divine promises are 
 neither yea )ior nay, until they are either acknowledged or 
 denied ! Jesus said, ' And I, if I be lifted up from the 
 earth, will draw all men unto me,' John xii, 32. In this 
 language our Lord does not intimate that he would draw 
 those only to himself who in after times should believe in 
 his name ; but he states, positively, that he would draw all 
 men unto him, if he should be lifted up from the earth. So 
 soon as the condition was performed, the declaration was 
 numbered with the promises of the Lord, which are yea 
 and amen. 
 
 " The language of the Almighty to Abraham, is absolute 
 and unequivocal. No conditions are expressed — no condi- 
 tions are implied. ' In thee and in thy seed shall all the 
 nations, families, and kindreds of the earth be blessed.' 
 The thing promised is clearly expressed; and unquestiona- 
 bly the Lord has at his disposal all the means which are 
 essential to the fulfillment of his purpose. I am ' fully per- 
 suaded, that what he has promised he is able also to per- 
 
46 GENERAL BLESSINGS. fCHAP. II. 
 
 form :' and consequently, I ' stagger not at the promise of 
 God through unbelief,' but am ' strong in faith, giving glory 
 to God.' Sin indeed abounds; but grace abounds much 
 more than sin, Rom. v, 20. Unbelief prevails; neverthe- 
 less, ' he is faithful who promised,' Heb. x, 23. Men are 
 in bondage ; ' but the creation itself also shall be delivered 
 from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of 
 the children of God,' Rom. viii, 21. 
 
 "In the Scriptures which treat of the immortal condition 
 of man, the thing to be accomplished is as clearly stated as 
 heart can desire it to be ; and that the Supreme Being, 
 either mediately or immediately, will accomplish the work 
 in his own time and way, is a prominent doctrine of Divine 
 revelation. The serpent's head will be bruised ; yea, the 
 devil and all his works will be destroyed ; but not by man. 
 The enterprise will be accomplished by the seed of the 
 woman, the son of God, Gen. iii, 15; Heb. ii,^14; 1 
 John iii, 8. ' The dead shall be raised incorruptible ;' but 
 7iot by the power of man. The energies of the quicken- 
 ing Spirit of the Most High, will clothe us upon with im- 
 mortality, that mortality may be swallowed up of life. 
 Death will be swallowed up in victory, and tears will be 
 wiped from off all faces ; but not by man. ' The Lord 
 OF Hosts * * * will swallow up death in victory ; 
 and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces,' 
 Isaiah xxv, 8. 
 
 '* In these passages, and in others of correspondent ten- 
 or, every thing essential to the final blessedness of all our 
 race, is clearly pointed out ; and the eye of faith is directed 
 to the Almighty, as the being by whose power the glori- 
 ous consummation will be effected. So, when the Lord 
 preached the Gospel to Abraham, he promised no more 
 than he was abundandy able and definitely determined to 
 perform. 
 
 " He clearly perceived what difficulties, if any, would 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. 47 
 
 arise, and wisely adapted his means to the production of 
 the end he designed. The work is being prosecuted in 
 the manner which seemeth good in his sight; and the issue 
 will prove the righteousness of the faith of the ' friend 
 of God.' 
 
 "Yours, respectfully, Abel C. Thomas." 
 
 For the reasons already named, we have given this letter 
 entire, and will add, our conviction is, that no man can 
 present the claims of Universalism for proof or support 
 from the Holy Scriptures, in a clearer or stronger light 
 than Mr. Thomas has done. And it will be hard to find 
 one who has done the subject more justice than he has; 
 but it will be no difficult matter to find many who have 
 fallen far below his skill in the case. 
 
 Furthermore, in all our acquaintance with the defenders 
 of the system, we have not found one who has not trav- 
 eled over the same ground in argument, and adduced, in 
 proof of the system, the same Scriptures with Mr. Thomas. 
 So much so, indeed, that it might be supposed, either they 
 had copied him, or he had copied them. Be that as it 
 may, it strengthens the belief that Universalists consider 
 that those Scriptures, and others of a similar character, are 
 the strongest proofs in favor of the system that the Holy 
 Scriptures afford. That this is Mr. T.'s opinion, we think 
 none will doubt. 
 
 It will, also, be seen, that Mr. T. has either directly, 
 or indirectly, indorsed many of the principles heretofore 
 presented as fundamental doctrines of the system. But he 
 has particularly exemplified the truth of former remarks, 
 in regard to the obscurity thrown around it by its ablest 
 friends and advocates. He has, indeed, told us that the 
 nations, families, and kindreds of the earth, shall be blessed 
 in Christ, that is, according to the system, shall all be 
 saved in heaven ; but he has given us no intimation wheth- 
 er all these nations, families, and kindreds of the earth are 
 
48 GEXER.M. BLESSINGS. (]cHAP. 11. 
 
 now in Christ, in that sense wliich implies their final, un- 
 conditional salvation: and if they are, how lie accounts for 
 all the wickedness that is in the world; or if they are not 
 noiv in Christ, whether they have any obedience to render, 
 or duties to perform, in order to secure this relation to 
 Christ. Not one word is said about reformation, repen- 
 tance, faith, or holiness in this world, in the whole scheme, 
 as presented by him. 
 
 But all this is only indicative of the latent infidelity of the 
 system; and if it can be shown, that those Scriptures 
 afford it no support, whatever may be its true character, it 
 lias no claim to the name of Bible Christianity. 
 
 The whole strength of the argument may be thrown 
 into the following positions: 1. The promise of God to 
 Abraham confirmed by an oath, " in which two immuta- 
 ble things, it was impossible for God to lie;" that in Abra- 
 ham's seed all the nations, families, and kindreds of the 
 earth should be blessed. 2. That by the seed of Abra- 
 ham, as set forth in the Divine promise, Christ is specifi- 
 cally meant. 3. That the blessing implied in the promise, 
 means the absolute and vnconditional holiness, happiness, 
 and salvation in heaven, of all the nations, families, and 
 kindreds of the earth. In stating this Scriptural argument, 
 which is of such vital importance to the theory, we have 
 given substantially Mr. T.'s positions, which are indeed 
 the strongest the system can occupy. And if the argu- 
 ments are sound, it must be acknowledged that Universal- 
 ism has some appearance of support from the Scriptures; 
 but that they are both logically and theologically unsound, 
 and utterly fail to sustain the system, we proceed to show. 
 
 Logically the case stands thus: All that God has abso- 
 lutely promised to man he will absolutely perform. But 
 God has absolutely promised that all the nations, families, 
 and kindreds of the earth should be blessed in Abraham's 
 seed, that is, in Christ; therefore, all the nations, families, 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. 49 
 
 and kindreds of the earth sliall be absolutely and uncondi- 
 tionally saved in heaven. The argument is entirely false; 
 for it assumes that the blessing promised in the second 
 proposition, means the absolute and unconditional salvation 
 in heaven of all our race, and thereby brings more into the 
 conclusion than is in the premises. And there is no way 
 to relieve the case, but by demonstrating (not assuming) 
 that God has absolutely promised that all the nations, fam- 
 ilies, and kindreds of the earth, shall be not only blessed, 
 but unconditionally saved in heaven. And as this is im- 
 possible, an absolute impossibility must be performed to 
 save the argument. 
 
 Theologically, the system will find no less difficulties to 
 contend with ; for the entire support claimed for it in those 
 Scriptures quoted, and all of a similar character, lies in the 
 naked assumption, that the blessings promised is the final, 
 unconditional salvation of all mankind in heaven. The 
 proof of this, in all justice, devolves on Universalism ; but 
 as it has ever failed in this, and yet contends, we proceed 
 to show the contrary. And as the Bible is the best inter- 
 preter of itself, we shall examine this important subject by 
 that rule, and let the sacred record bear its own testimony. 
 
 It must not be forgotten, that Universalism has to as- 
 sume, that the blessings promised in the quotations above, 
 are equivalent, in the fullest sense, to a promise on the part 
 of God, unconditionally, to save all mankind in heaven. 
 If this be doubted, let it be admitted for a moment that the 
 blessing there promised implies any thing less, and the sys- 
 tem loses at once the entire support of all that class of 
 Scriptures ; and all the promises, and the oath of God 
 may be fulfilled, and yet Universalism be as false as he 
 who was a liar from the beginning. With these facts fully 
 before us, it will be doing no injustice to the system, nor 
 violence to the Scriptures, to insert in the texts quoted 
 
 what Universalists claim to be their proper meaning. 
 
 5 
 
50 GENERAL BLESSINGS. [CHAP. II. 
 
 Now, let us try this rul.^ on Mr. Thomas' proof texts: 
 Gen. xxii, 18, "And in thy seed shall all the nations of 
 the earth be" (absolutely and unconditionally saved in 
 heaven.) Gen. xxviii, 14, " And in thee and thy seed 
 shall all the families of the earth be" (absolutely and un- 
 conditionally saved in heaven.) Acts iii, 25, " And in thy 
 seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be" (absolutely and 
 unconditionally saved in heaven.) 
 
 It cannot escape the observation of any, that this assump- 
 tion is a perfect perversion of the Scriptures before us, and 
 makes them speak a language, and teach a doctrine, that 
 their holy Author never intended, and that cannot be found 
 in all the sacred volume. In support of this, we may fur- 
 ther remark, God either did, or did not, design, in the texts 
 under consideration, and others of a similar character, to 
 teach Universalism. If he did, he must have seen, in his 
 infinite wisdom, that he would be wholly misunderstood 
 by the most wise, useful, and holy men of the earth, with 
 scarcely one exception, in a century in the history of the 
 Church. And thus misunderstood, its benefits on human 
 society must be entirely lost; for, as the doctrine, if per- 
 fectly understood, could not possibly afl'ect the condition of 
 man in the future world, the whole Divine procedure was 
 worse than useless. This would be a bold impeachment 
 of all the perfections of the Divine character ; and the re- 
 volting consequences cannot be avoided, only by admitting 
 that God did not intend to teach the doctrine, and such ad- 
 mission must be fatal to the system. 
 
 But we will now proceed to show, in the light of the 
 Divine record, that the blessing of God upon nations, fam- 
 ilies, and kindreds of the earth, does not, and cannot, ne- 
 cessarily, imply their unconditional salvation in heaven. 
 We will only adduce a few passages, from among many, 
 that might be brought forward in support of this position. 
 " And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them : 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. 51 
 
 thou shalt not curse the people ; for they are blessed," 
 Num. xxii, 12. This declaration ol" the Lord, and the 
 blessing named, had special reference to the Jews, on their 
 journey from Egypt to Canaan, in their aggregate or na- 
 tional character, and the blessing was one they then enjoyed. 
 But, according to Universalism, for a nation to be blessed 
 of God, implies their salvation in heaven; therefore, the 
 text must mean, "Thou shalt not curse the people; for 
 they are blessed :" that is, absolutely and unconditionally 
 saved in heaven. Again: "Thou shalt be blessed above 
 all people ; there shall not be male or female barren among 
 you, or among your cattle," Deut. vii, 14. Here, again, is 
 the promise of God to bless a nation, and according to Uni- 
 versalism, it must imply their final salvation in heaven; 
 and of course, it would be just so to read the text. But 
 that the blessing was to be enjoyed in this world, and not 
 in heaven, cannot be questioned ; for the text specifies, as 
 a part of the blessing, " There shall not be male or female 
 barren among you, or among your cattle.''^ 
 
 " Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord," Psalm 
 xxxiii, 12. The Psalmist doubtless means, that nation, 
 who, to the exclusion of idolatry, or the recognition of the 
 worship of idols, acknowledges, by legislation and other- 
 wise, the true God and his holy worship. Li this sense, 
 to some extent, Great Britain and the United States come 
 under the character of the nation contemplated. And as, 
 according to the system, God's blessing upon a nation 
 means their salvation in heaven, the conclusion is unavoida- 
 ble, that Great Britain, the United States, and all other 
 Christian states and nations, are now infallibly saved in the 
 heavenly world. But incontrovertible facts demonstrate 
 the contrary. 
 
 Now let us look at the blessing of God upon families. 
 " And it came to pass, from the time that he made him 
 overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the 
 
52 GENERAL BLESSINGS. [CHAP. II. 
 
 Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake ; and 
 the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had, in the 
 house, and in the field," Gen. xxxix, 5. " And the ark of 
 the Lord continued in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, 
 three months : and the Lord blessed Obed-edom, and all 
 his household," 2 Sam. vi, IL If, according to the inter- 
 pretation of Universalism, the blessing of God upon na- 
 tions, and families, means their final salvation ; it follows, 
 of course, that from the time the Egyptian made Joseph 
 overseer in his house, and that the ark of the Lord rested 
 in the house of Obed-edom, that not only they, and their 
 families, but all that were in their houses and fields, were 
 actually at the time, (for the blessing was a present one,) 
 carried safely to heaven. But here also, matters of fact 
 destroy the delusive speculation. 
 
 And how is it in the case of individuals ? " And God 
 blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them. Be fruitful, 
 and multiply, and replenish the earth," Gen. ix, I. "And 
 as for Ishmael, I have heard thee : behold, I have blessed 
 him," Gen. xvii, 20. "And the woman bare a son, and 
 called his name Samson : and the child grew, and the Lord 
 blessed him," Judges xiii, 24. 
 
 Here also, the same conclusions follow in the case of in- 
 dividuals, as of families and nations. If the blessing of 
 God implies linal salvation, Noah and his sons, Ishmael and 
 Samson, at the time they were the subjects of the Divine 
 blessing, were unconditionally saved in heaven. But as 
 the contrary is sustained by all the force of facts, it is im- 
 possible to save Universalism from the charge of ignorance 
 in misunderstanding, or willfulness in perverting, the prom- 
 ises and word of God. 
 
 As Universalis ts generally attach so much importance to 
 the fact, that the promised blessing of God included nations, 
 families, and kindreds, or individuals, and maintain, that 
 the blessing implies their absolute and unconditional salva- 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. , 53 
 
 tion in heaven, we have been thus particular in giving a 
 case, and they might be greatly increased, of nations, fam- 
 ilies, and kindreds, or individuals, who have been, or now 
 are, the subjects, and objects of the blessings of God; and 
 that, too, without the possibility of supposing those bles- 
 sings implied their final salvation in the future world. 
 
 That God blessed the Jews as a nation, the families of 
 the Egyptian and Obed-edom, Noah and his sons, Ish- 
 mael and Samson, Universalism cannot deny. And that 
 this nation, and those families and individuals, while in the 
 personal enjoyment of these blessings, were actually and 
 literally saved in heaven, Universalism dare not affirm. To 
 deny the former, would contradict the declaration of God ; 
 to affirm the latter, would contradict facts and utter false- 
 hood. And to allow those facts, is to admit that God can 
 fulfill his promise and oath to Abraham, that in *' thy seed, 
 shall all the nations, families, and kindreds of the earth be 
 blessed," without that blessing, by any means, including 
 their absolute salvation beyond the grave. For, as has 
 been shown, if God can bless one individual, one family, 
 one nation, without that blessing implying their final salva- 
 tion, on the same principle he can bless *' all the nations, 
 families, and kindreds of the earth," without saving them 
 absolutely, and unconditionally in heaven. 
 
 From these facts, there is but one point at which the sys- 
 tem can attempt an escape ; that is, by asserting that the 
 blessings we have been noticing, were not promised, or 
 bestowed in Christ; while those promised in the texts 
 claimed in support of the system, were emphatically prom- 
 ised in him. This is mere evasion; and we hesitate not 
 to join issue, and say, that since man's apostasy from his 
 Maker, every blessing conferred on him, spiritual and tem- 
 poral, including natural life itself, is in Christ — through and 
 by Christ; for he is " the Lamb slain (as a sacrifice, in the 
 Divine mind) from the foundation of the world," Rev. xiii, 8, 
 5^- 
 
54 GENERAL BLESSINGS. [cHAP. II. 
 
 that man should be a perpetual pensioner on Divine mercy 
 and grace in all things. 
 
 And we will now, on the authority of Divine testimony, 
 show that God has blessed, is now blessing, and will con- 
 tinue to bless, in Christ, all the nations, families, and kin- 
 dreds of the earth ; and that this universal blessing does 
 not, and cannot imply their necessary, absolute, and uncon- 
 ditional salvation in the future world. If we succeed in 
 this, we shall wrest from the hands of Universalism those 
 cardinal Scriptures on which the main superstructure pro- 
 fesses to rest, and without which, the system should blush 
 to claim a mere existence under the authority of t?ie word 
 of God. 
 
 It cannot be denied, that it would be a blessing to that 
 man who had forfeited his life to law, and was exposed to 
 death, to be, through the benevolence of a friend, delivered 
 from the claims of that law, and restored to citizenship, on 
 condition of subsequent good conduct. But man had for- 
 feited his life to the law of God : " Wherefore, as by one 
 man sin entered into the world, and death by sin ; and so 
 death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. * * 
 Therefore, as by the offense of one, judgment came upon 
 all men unto condemnation," Kom. v, 12-18. Man thus 
 exposed to death, and when there was no other " eye to 
 pity," or " arm to save," " God so loved the world, that 
 he gave his only begotten Son," John iii, 16, to die for 
 man. " For the love of Christ constraineth us ; because 
 we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead : 
 and that he died for all, that they which live should not 
 henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died 
 for them, and rose again," 2 Cor. v, 14, 15. *' But we see 
 Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the 
 suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor ; that he, 
 by the grace of God, should taste death for every man," 
 Heb. ii, 9. 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. 55 
 
 On the above, which are only a few of the numerous 
 class of Scriptures that might be adduced on the same point, 
 we remark, 1. They prove, to a demonstration, that in the 
 judgment of God, man was under the sentence of condem- 
 nation and death. 2. That through the infinite grace and 
 love of God, Jesus Christ "died for all," "tasted death 
 for every man." 3. That this love of God in the gift of his 
 Son, and the voluntary death of Christ, are now a blessing 
 of God in Christ, to every one for whom he tasted death ; 
 but "he, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man," 
 therefore, "every man," which includes "all the nations, 
 families, and kindreds of the earth," have been, or are 
 now, and will be, the subjects of God's blessing in Christ, 
 by and through Christ. 4. Men may be, and actually are, 
 the objects and subjects of this blessing of God in Christ, 
 without being saved in heaven. For example, there are 
 jnore than seventeen millions of human beings in these 
 United States, for every one of whom Jesus Christ tasted 
 death, as no Universalist can deny, and they are now, even 
 this moment, while you read, the objects of that blessing, 
 and yet not one of them is saved in heaven. But, as this 
 is an important point, and when fully settled, will not only 
 sustain our present position, but assist in establishing other 
 features of this investigation, we will further show, that 
 God has not only blessed the world in Christ, " who his, 
 own self bare our sins (the punishment of them) in his own 
 body on the tree, * * « by whose stripes ye were 
 healed," 1 Peter ii, 24; who "hath borne our griefs, and 
 carried our sorrows : yet we did esteem him stricken, smit- 
 ten of God, and afflicted," Isaiah liii, 4; who "is the pro- 
 pitiation for our sins : and not for ours only, but, also, for 
 the sins of the whole world," 1 John ii, 2; which work 
 and suffering of Christ for us, the whole world of mankind, 
 are actually accomplished, and the world is the beneficiary 
 thereof; but Christ, through the influence of Divine grace. 
 
56 GENERAL BLESSINGS. [cHAP. II. 
 
 and the Holy Spirit is, emphatically, the light of the 
 world ; as the natural sun is the light of the material world, 
 so Christ is styled by the prophet, " the Sun of Righteous- 
 ness," Mai. iv, 2, to enlighten the spiritual and moral 
 world. " He (John) was not that Light, but was sent to 
 bear witness of that Light (Christ.) That was the true 
 Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the 
 world," John i, 8, 9. " Then spake Jesus again unto 
 them, saying, I am the light of the world," chap, viii, 12. 
 
 This testimony, which might be greatly increased, is too 
 plain to need comment, in proof of the fact, that Jesus 
 Christ is the light of the world, in the sense of including 
 all nations, families, and kindreds of the earth. And as a 
 blessed consequence of his vicarious suffering and death, 
 there is a sacred, divine influence abroad in the world, re- 
 straining the corruptions of the heart of man, moving his 
 judgment and conscience to duty and love to God, accord- 
 ing to the dispensation in which he may live ; and which 
 influence, if humbly received and faithfully improved, will 
 lead man from darkness to light, and from the power of sin 
 and Satan unto the service of the living God. 
 
 Universalism may attempt to diminish the force of this 
 doctrine, by asserting, that Christians are, also, called " the 
 light of the world," Matt, v, 14. This effort at evasion 
 is too feeble to require a formal answer; for while it is 
 true that Christians, by their example of obedient and holy 
 livino", are required to let their light shine, it is no less true 
 that they derive all their light and grace from Christ, and 
 are the light of the world only instrumentally, and in a 
 qualified sense ; while he is the infinite origin of all grace 
 and light, and from the mediatorial throne, as. the meridian 
 sun of the moral world, diffuses his light throughout the 
 habitable world. 
 
 If it be asked how Jesus Christ is the light of the world? 
 the answer is, He is the light of the world through the 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. 6*? 
 
 agency and operations of the Holy Spirit. Of this the 
 Scriptures afford ample proof, and proclaim him to man as 
 *' the Eternal Spirit," Heb. ix, 14. And that this "Spirit 
 searcheth (or knoweth) all things, yea, the deep things of 
 God," 1 Cor. ii, 10. This Spirit Christ has sent into the 
 world, to "reprove (or convince) the world of sin, of right- 
 eousness, and of judgment," John xvi, 8; and "the mani- 
 festation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit 
 withal," 1 Cor. xii, 7; "for the grace of God that bring- 
 eth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that 
 denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live 
 soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world," 
 Titus ii, 11, 12. 
 
 The above Scriptures clearly prove, 1. The eternity and 
 omniscience of the Divine Spirit, and, consequently, his 
 competency for this great work. 2. That he is sent by the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, to reprove, convince, and enlighten the 
 world. 3. The declarations, "every man," "all men," 
 and " the world," include all nations, families, and kin- 
 dreds of the earth. 4. That these Divine blessings of God 
 in Christ, through the Holy Ghost, are designed for, and 
 confined to, man in this life, according to the language of 
 the testimony itself, that " we should live soberly, right- 
 eously, and godly in this present world." From this con- 
 clusion Universalism has no escape. If it denies the first, 
 it must contradict the Holy Ghost; if it denies the second, 
 it will contradict Jesus Christ; if it denies the third, it must 
 contradict itself; if it denies the fourth, it will contradict 
 Paul; and, finally, in denying either, it must set the testi- 
 mony of the word of God at open defiance, and thereby 
 proclaim its own infidelity. 
 
 There is, also, another interesting feature of this impor- 
 tant subject; namely, the abundant provision God has 
 made, through the atonement and mediation of Jesus 
 Christ, for the instruction of all the nations, families, and 
 
58 GENERAL BLESSINGS. [CHAP. II. 
 
 kindreds of the earth, in the knowledge of God and his 
 great salvation by the Gospel ; together with the organiza- 
 tion and establishment of the true Church, with her sacra- 
 ments, Sabbath, and all the restraining and hallowing influ- 
 ences of the Zion of God among men in this world This, 
 we think, is susceptible of abundant proof from the word 
 of God. We will only quote a few passages on the point; 
 " Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in 
 the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost ; * * * and, lo, I am with you, always, even 
 unto the end of the world. Amen," Matt, xxviii, 19, 20. 
 " And he said unto them. Go ye into all the world, and 
 preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth 
 and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not 
 shall be damned," Mark xvi, 15, 16. And it must not be 
 forgotten that this commission to the Gospel ministry, to 
 bear the message of the mercy of God to " all nations," to 
 " every creature," was not the commencement of the bles- 
 sings of the Gospel of the grace of God to man ; but it was 
 the consummation of that great system of human redemp- 
 tion, instruction, and salvation, commenced by the Almighty, 
 when he announced to the first offender in the garden, " The 
 seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head," Gen. 
 iii, 15. And in the development of the Divine Providence, 
 the lustre of this scheme of mercy increased, cheering on 
 its way the hearts of the patriarchs, inspiring the prophets, 
 and consoling the pious, till in the Divine purpose the world 
 was matured for its full exhibition, when it was proclaimed 
 by the Son of God, " Go ye into all the world, and preach 
 the Gospel to every creature." That the apostles so un- 
 derstood the subject, will appear plainly, from the manner 
 in which they dwell on the theme, in the discharge of the 
 duties of their high commission. For instead of announ- 
 cing the Gospel as the commencement of the operations of 
 God's grace, light, and truth to man, they proclaimed it as 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. 59 
 
 his gracious system of mercy towards mankind, which he 
 liad purposed in Christ Jesus from the foundation of the 
 world, 2 Tim. i, 9 ; 1 Peter i, 20. And although the 
 benefits had been but partially enjoyed, they were now 
 authorized to proclaim it, in all its richness, fullness, and 
 freeness, alike to Jew and Gentile. 
 
 In support of this we give the following testimony : 
 "But they have not all obeyed the Gospel; for Esaias saith, 
 Lord, who hath believed our report? So, then, faith com- 
 eth by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I 
 say, Have they not heard? yes, verily, their sound went 
 into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the 
 world," Romans X, 16-18. "If ye continue in the faith 
 grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the 
 hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard, and which was 
 preached to every creature which is under heaven ; whereof 
 I Paul am made a minister," Col. i, 23. It is also sta- 
 ted, that "the Gospel was preached unto Abraham," Gal. 
 iii, 8. From these declarations, and numerous others might 
 be adduced, it is perfectly clear that the apostles believed 
 and taught, that " every creature," the whole human fam- 
 ily, according to the purpose of God in Christ Jesus, as 
 the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the 
 world, through the influence of the Divine Spirit, had been 
 the subject, to a greater or less extent, of the grace of that 
 Gospel which they then offered to the world in its greatest 
 profusion of blessings. 
 
 On no other principle, we believe, can the following de- 
 claration of Paul be intelligible : " For there is no respect 
 of persons with God. For as many as have sinned with- 
 out law, shall also perish without law : and as many as 
 have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law ; (for 
 not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the 
 doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, 
 which have not the law, do by nature the things contained 
 
60 GENERAL BLESSINGS. [cHAP. II. 
 
 in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto them- 
 selves : which show the work of the law written in their 
 hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their 
 thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or else excusing one an- 
 other;) in the day when God shall judge the secrets of 
 men by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospel," Rom. ii, 
 11-16. No reasonable doubt can be entertained of the fact 
 by any unprejudiced mind, that by those who had the law, 
 the Jews are intended, and those who had not the law, the 
 Gentiles, the apostle designed to embrace the whole human 
 family. And while the Jews had the written law of God, 
 as the rule of their faith and practice, in obeying which by 
 faith, they had the promise of salvation, and by which they 
 must finally be judged; the Gentiles "do by nature," or 
 in their natural state, in the absence of those external means, 
 "the things contained in the law." "For," as " there is 
 no respect of persons with God," in regard to the provision 
 made for their final salvation ; and having, in divine wis- 
 dom, withheld the written law from the Gentiles, he never- 
 theless "left them without excuse," in communicating 
 light and grace to them by other instrumentalities ; for they 
 "show the work of the law written on their hearts." 
 Therefore, while the heart of the Jew is impressed with 
 the conviction of truth and duty, by the written law of 
 God, the Gentile has written en his heart, with more or 
 less clearness, the same conviction, by the divine agency 
 and influence of the Holy Spirit, the gift of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, who is the light of the world. In this view of the 
 subject, we can readily see how God is no respecter of per- 
 sons, having given his Son to taste death for every man ; 
 and how the grace of God hath appeared to all men, teach- 
 ing them to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this 
 present world; so that the Gentiles, if they improve the 
 light and grace peculiar to their dispensation, though denied 
 the written law, may nevertheless be saved, through the 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. 61 
 
 vicarious atonement and mediation of Jesus Christ. This 
 system of divine mercy and grace, though but partially en- 
 joyed by mankind heretofore, is designed by its glorious 
 Author, in its final consummation, to fill the whole earth 
 with its glory. That the Savior's commission to his min- 
 isters implies this, none who believe the Bible to be the 
 record of God, will entertain a doubt. And that the inspir- 
 ed prophets so understood the subject, and anticipated the 
 universal spread of the Gospel, and the establishment of 
 the ordinances of the house of God, among all the nations, 
 families, and kindreds of the earth, will appear equally 
 clear from the following testimonies. 
 
 " Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. 
 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, 
 Thou art my Son ; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of 
 me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, 
 and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession," 
 Psalm ii, 6-S. That the King, whose triumphant reign 
 is here contemplated, has special reference to the Messiah, 
 is too plain to require proof; and that his reign implies 
 universal dominion, Universalism will not doubt. The only 
 question, therefore, to be settled, is. Does his reign over 
 the heathen, as his inheritance, and his claiming the utter- 
 most parts of the earth for a possession, imply their abso- 
 lute and final salvation ? or, the universal spread of the 
 Gospel, under his mediatorial reign? Universalism, to 
 support the former, has to assume, that the terms " inheri- 
 tance" and "possession" in the text, are equivalent to un- 
 conditional salvation in heaven. A few quotations, how- 
 ever, will destroy this assumption. " Blessed be Abram 
 of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth," 
 Gen. xiv, 19. "The earth also, with all that therein is, 
 are the Lord's," Deut. x, 14. " Who said. Let us take to 
 ourselves the houses of God in possession," Psalm Ixxxiii, 
 12. In the first two quotations it is seen, that God is said 
 
 6 
 
62 GENERAL BLESSINGS. [ciIAP. II. 
 
 to be in possession of heaven and earth, and all that therein 
 is ; and yet, neither the earth, nor an individual then living 
 on it, was actually saved in heaven; from which it is clear, 
 that an individual, or the whole of our race, may be the 
 po«session of the Lord, and not one of them on that account 
 alone, be finally saved in the future world. And on the 
 last quotation, it should be recollected, that the object they 
 had in view in taking possession of the houses of God, 
 was not salvation, but to pollute and destroy them : and 
 that the possession of the heathen, and the uttermost parts 
 of the earth by Christ, as set forth in the passage under 
 consideration, does not necessarily imply absolute salvation ; 
 and that it is not incompatible even with destruction, is 
 plain from the ninth verse, which says : " Thou shalt break 
 them with a rod of iron ; thou shalt dash them in pieces 
 like a potter's vessel." But to serve the purpose of Uni- 
 versalism, it should read, " Thou shalt absolutely, and 
 unconditionally, save them in heaven." When we hear 
 Jesus announce that, " All power is given unto me in 
 heaven and in earth," Matt, xxviii, 18, it is not difficult to 
 see how the uttermost parts of the earth are his possession, 
 as the subjects of his government, in his mediatorial reign, 
 and the objects of his final judgment at the close of time; 
 without that possession implying their absolute salvation, 
 any more than the absolute salvation in heaven, of the 
 earth and all that is therein, is implied because they belong 
 to God. 
 
 The result will be equally unfavorable to Universalism, 
 on the examination of the term " inheritance." " Yet they 
 are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest 
 out by thy mighty power, and by thy stretched-out arm," 
 Deut. ix, 29. " For they be thy people, and thine inher- 
 itance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the 
 midst of the furnace of iron," 1 Kings viii, 51. Here it 
 is seen, 1. Tliat the people referred to were virtually living 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. 63 
 
 upon the earth ; and, 2. That wliile living on the earth, 
 they are declared to be the inheritance of God ; therefore, 
 man may be the divine inheritance in this, without being 
 necessarily saved in the future world. 3. If the Jews 
 could be the inheritance of God, without, at the same time, 
 being saved in heaven ; on the same principle, the heathen 
 can be given to Jesus Christ for his inheritance, and the 
 uttermost parts of the earth for his possession, without im- 
 plying the absolute salvation of all mankind in heaven. 
 
 With those supposed difficulties removed, which Univer- 
 salism has thrown around the text, it stands forth in great 
 beauty and force, in support of the doctrine of the univer- 
 sal spread of the Gospel, under the mediatorial reign of 
 Jesus Christ, in the kingdom of grace. 
 
 Again : " My praise shall be of thee in the great congre- 
 gation ; I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 
 The meek shall eat and be satisfied ; they shall praise the 
 Lord that seek him : your heart shall live for ever. All 
 the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the 
 Lord : and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship 
 before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's : and he is 
 the Governor among the nations," Psalm xxii, 25-28. 
 
 Such was the prophetic light with which the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, in his divine character, indulged the Psalmist; for 
 it was "the Spirit of Christ which was in" him, when 
 he " testified before hand the sufi^erings of Christ, and the 
 glory which should follow," 1 Peter i, 11. And this inspi- 
 ration by Christ was eflfected through the immediate agency 
 of the Holy Ghost; for "holy men of old spake as they 
 were moved by the Holy Ghost," 2 Peter i, 21 ; that he 
 beheld the future, and described the rising and spreading 
 glories of Messiah's reign, Avith a clearness which, but for 
 facts to the contrary, might be supposed to be a history of 
 the past, rather than predictions of the future. Till Uni- 
 versalism recently made the discovery, that this Scripture 
 
64 GENERAL BLESSINGS. [cHAP. H. 
 
 proves the absolute salvation of all men in heaven, the 
 Church, embracing many of the wisest and best men in the 
 world, supposed this psalm to be, in general, a sublime 
 prediction of the character and reign of Jesus Christ, his 
 triumph over all his enemies, and the universal spread of 
 his Gospel among mankind in this world. And that such 
 is the fact, will appear, we think, from the following con- 
 siderations. 
 
 The scenes contemplated must take place either in this 
 or the future world — in earth or in heaven. Universalism 
 cannot admit that they belong to this world without wholly 
 relinquishing the claimed support of this, and all other 
 Scriptures of similar import. And that they cannot refer 
 to the future world, we offer the following reasons: 1. 
 Those referred to in the passage are, to " remember and re- 
 turn unto the Lord;" which, without doubt, supposes, that 
 they have been forgetful of, and morally far from him; 
 and if the heavenly world is the scene of action, it follows, 
 that some, at least, will be wicked when they enter heaven, 
 and must be reformed there. But this is not only without 
 authority from, but wholly opposed to the doctrines of the 
 Bible. 2. At the time alluded to, the Lord will be the 
 governor among the "nations," therefore there must be 
 nations, with their distinctions as such, in heaven ; which 
 is too absurd to be allowed for a moment, consequently 
 these things cannot belong to the future and heavenly world. 
 3. In the context it is said, "All they that be fat upon 
 earth, shall eat and worship ; all they that go down to the 
 dust, shall bow before him ; and none can keep alive his own 
 soul. * * * They shall come, and shall declare his 
 righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath 
 done this," Psalm xxii, 29-31. From which it follows, 
 that procreation, the earth, dust, and death, must be in 
 heaven, if this subject must be referred to that state. But 
 the whole subject is harmonious, when referred to the ulti- 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. 65 
 
 mate prosperity of the Church in this world, and presents 
 another grand prophetic testimony in support of the great 
 provision God has made, through Christ, for the universal 
 diffusion of the Gospel among all the nations of the earth. 
 " And it shall come to pass in the last day, that the moun- 
 tain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of 
 the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills ; and all 
 nations shall flow unto it ; and many people shall go and 
 say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the 
 Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob ; and he will teach 
 us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths ; for out of 
 Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from 
 Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and 
 shall rebuke many people ; and they shall beat their swords 
 into ploughshears, and their spears into pruning-hooks ; na- 
 tion shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall 
 they learn war any more," Isaiah ii, 2-4. 
 
 The application of this prophecy to the Church, and to 
 the spread of the Gospel in this world, is clearly settled by 
 the Savior: "Then opened he their understanding, that 
 they might understand the Scriptures ; and said unto them, 
 Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, 
 and to rise from the dead the third day ; and that repen- 
 tance and remission of sins should be preached in his name 
 among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are 
 witnesses of these things," Luke xxiv, 45-48. Com- 
 ment is unnecessary to show, that this prophecy cannot 
 apply to the future world, and, consequently, can afford 
 Universalism no possible support. " And in this mountain 
 shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat 
 things, a feast of wines on the lees ; of fat things full of 
 marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will 
 destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over 
 all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He 
 will swallow up death in victory ; and the Lord God will 
 
 6* 
 
66 GENERAL BLESSINGS. [cHAP. II. 
 
 wipe away tears from off all faces ; and the rebuke of his 
 people shall be taken away from off all the earth ; for the 
 Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, 
 this is our God ; we have waited for him, we will be glad 
 and rejoice in his salvation. For in this mountain shall 
 the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down 
 under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dung- 
 hill," Isaiah xxv, 6-10. 
 
 That all the nations of the earth, as contemplated by the 
 prophet, are the objects of the Divine interest and care, 
 will not be questioned ; and the only inquiry is, are those 
 nations considered with reference to the blessings of the 
 Gospel in this world ; or with reference, exclusively, to 
 their absolute and final salvation in heaven ? Universalism 
 has, from unavoidable necessity, to maintain the latter; and 
 if it be correct, the prophet must be understood, substan- 
 tially, as follows : "And in this mountain," that is, in 
 heaven, "shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a 
 feast of fat things :" * * * " wines on the lees," * 
 * * "fat things full of marrow," * * * "wines 
 well refined ;" all this must really take place in heaven. 
 "And he will destroy in this mountain (heaven) the face of 
 the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread 
 over all nations;" therefore, "all people" and "all na- 
 tions" must, in the first place, be taken to heaven under 
 the covering and vail of darkness, ignorance and sin ; and 
 this work of destruction and reformation, must be accom- 
 plished in heaven. Again: "He will swallow up death in 
 victory;" * * * " wipe away tears from off all faces ;" 
 " the rebuke of his people shall be taken away from off all 
 the earth." And as all this must be effected " in this 
 mountain," (heaven,) it follows, that "death," "tears," 
 "the rebuke of God's people," and "earth" itself, will all 
 be in heaven. But this is not all: "For in this mountain 
 (heaven) Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. 67 
 
 Straw is trodden down for the dung-hill." What splendid 
 scenes does this system attribute to heaven ! And these 
 absurdities, and the palpable contradiction of the prophet 
 cannot be avoided, but by allowing that these grand scenes 
 take place in this world, in the earth, where they are loca- 
 ted by the man of God. In this view, the subject is intelli- 
 gible and edifying; and under the figure of a great feast, 
 tlie prophet presents us with another sublime description of 
 the boundless provisions of the grace of God, and the dif- 
 fusion of his blessings by the propagation of the Gospel of 
 Jesus Christ. "And in this mountain," the Zion, or 
 Church of God, the spiritual Jerusalem, "shall the Lord 
 of hosts make unto all people a feast ;" and he will destroy 
 and take away by the instructions of the Gospel, the light 
 of his grace, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, which 
 shall be thus universally diffused, the covering and vail of 
 ignorance, darkness, superstition, idolatry and vice, cast 
 over all people, spread over all nations ; and they shall be 
 abundantly refreshed by the doctrines, sacraments, and 
 institutions of the Gospel, with all the immunities of the 
 Church of Jesus Christ, and shall greatly rejoice in hope 
 of a blessed immortality in heaven; "he shall swallow up 
 death in victory ;" * * * " wipe away tears from 
 off all faces." As sin is the cause of tears and death, 
 to save us from sin, is to wipe away our tears, and deliver 
 us from the fear of death here, and the power of death 
 hereafter. "The sting of death is sin, and the strength of 
 sin is the law; but thanks be to God, which giveth us 
 the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. xv, 
 56, 57. " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the 
 law, being made a curse for us," Gal. iii, 13. And in this 
 Gospel feast, is offered to all people, all nations, a present 
 and personal salvation from sin, by grace, through faith ; 
 this salvation takes away the sting of death, for "the sting 
 of death is sin." So far, therefore, in this world, shall he 
 
68 GENERAL BLESSINGS. [cHAP. II. 
 
 swallow up death in victory ; and in the general resurrec- 
 tion, literal, temporal death shall be no more. 
 
 " God will wipe away tears from off all faces ;" that is, 
 Christianity shall so universally and powerfully prevail, as 
 to bring all communities, states, and nations of the whole 
 earth, to acknowledge its heavenly and divine origin, and 
 as having a universal claim upon the obedience of all men. 
 All wicked despotisms shall be destroyed; tyranny, human 
 oppression, and cruelty shall cease ; moral ignorance shall 
 be dispelled ; persecution of God's people be turned away ; 
 and such will be the convictions of the nations of the earth, 
 that, legislatively and otherwise, the divinity and claims of 
 Christianity will be recognized in every department of 
 human society. And thus, with the obstructions to the en- 
 joyment of Christianity, and sin, the cause of weeping, 
 removed, God will, comparatively, wipe away tears from 
 off all faces in this world. 
 
 That this sublime prediction has relation to the prosperity 
 of the Church in this world, is rendered indisputable by 
 what is said of "Moab;" for, on the very scene of action, 
 where the victory over death is to be achieved, and tears 
 wiped away, Moab, who, doubtless, is put for all who may 
 oppose the triumphs of the cross at the time, shall be trod- 
 den down as straw is trodden down for the dung-hill. This 
 cannot take place in heaven ; and yet it is a part of, and 
 inseparable from, the scene contemplated in the prophecy, 
 and fixes the application of the whole to human society in 
 this state of being. 
 
 *' Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the 
 earth : for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn 
 by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteous- 
 ness, and shall not return. That unto me every knee shall 
 bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say. In 
 the Lord have I righteousness and strength : even to him 
 shall men come ; and all that are incensed against him shall 
 
CHAP. II.] GENERAL BLESSINGS. 69 
 
 be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be 
 justified, and shall glory," Isaiah xlv, 22-25. 
 
 As this prophecy contemplates the triumphant reign of 
 the Savior, and the offer of salvation, by the Gospel, to the 
 ends of the earth, it is claimed, with apparent confidence, 
 in support of Universalism ; particularly the declarations, 
 " Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear:" 
 for, as this language implies universality, it must include 
 all of our race; and as it is claimed to be equivalent to 
 absolute salvation in heaven, the doctrine is thence inferred. 
 But let us read it according to this view : " I have sworn 
 by myself," * * * "that unto me every knee shall 
 bow, every tongue shall swear;" that is, I have sworn, 
 that every human being in the universe shall be uncondi- 
 tionally saved in heaven ; therefore, " all that are incensed 
 against" me, instead of being "ashamed," shall be of the 
 happy number of the glorified. This would have set the 
 question for ever at rest. But God has not said it ; and for 
 Universalism to attribute such doctrines to him, is to per- 
 vert his word, dictate to the Deity, and ruin the souls of men. 
 
 It has been shown that the Scriptures adduced, and it is 
 equally true of all those of similar import, cannot be applied 
 to the final, unconditional salvation of all mankind in heaven, 
 without involving the greatest contradictions and absurdi- 
 ties ; while they prove, most conclusively, the final pros- 
 perity of the Church of God in this world. This fact at 
 once deprives Universalism of its entire support. These 
 triumphs of the cross, through the Divine Spirit, have long 
 since commenced ; and although, at some periods and in 
 some places, the progress has been slow, it will doubtless 
 continue, with increased light and glory, until the habita- 
 tions of cruelty shall be visited by his saving truth, moral 
 darkness be dispelled from the earth, the nations learn war 
 no more, the instruments of death be converted into imple- 
 ments of husbandry, the watchmen on Zion's walls see eye 
 
70 GENERAL BLESSINGS [cHAP. II. 
 
 to eye, and the earth be filled with the knowledge of the 
 Lord, as the waters cover tlie face of the great deep. 
 
 In closing this part of our work, let it be distinctly kept 
 in mind, that from the fact that God promised to Abraham, 
 that in his seed, (namely, in Christ,) all the nations, fami- 
 lies, and kindreds of the earth should be blessed, Univer- 
 salism assumes that the promised blessing is the uncondi- 
 tional salvation of all our race in heaven. And the assump- 
 tion proceeds on the ground, that God cannot grant a 
 universal blessing in Christ, without universal salvation in 
 the future world. On this position, the system relies with 
 more confidence for support from the Holy Scriptures, than 
 any other. 
 
 The Divine promise to Abraham, confirmed by an oath, 
 included three particulars : 1. That Abraham should have 
 a numerous posterity. 2. That they should possess and 
 enjoy the land of Canaan. 3. That in his seed, Christ, 
 (who, according to the flesh should descend from him,) all 
 the nations, families, and kindreds of the earth should be 
 blessed. 
 
 That the first and second features of this promise have 
 been fulfilled, without implying the salvation in heaven of 
 those who were the subjects, and objects of the promise, 
 cannot be matter of dispute ; and that the last feature of 
 the promise has been fulfilled, will appear from the follow- 
 ing facts, which have been established by the authority of 
 Divine testimony, in the foregoing investigation. 
 
 I. God has blessed individuals, families, and nations, and 
 is still blessing others, without that blessing absolutely sav- 
 ing them in heaven. 
 
 II. Those universal blessings have been, and still are, 
 bestowed in Christ, through and by Christ. 1. He, by the 
 grace of God, tasted death for every man. 2. He, through 
 the Divine agency and influence of the Holy Spirit, is the 
 true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the 
 
CHAP. II.] C£NERAL BLESSINGS. 7t 
 
 world. 3. Through tlie merit of his vicarious sufferings 
 and death, and his mediatorial reiffii in the kingdom of 
 grace, abundant provision is made for the universal spread 
 of the Gospel, and the establishment of the Church, with 
 all her distinguished privileges, among the nations of the 
 whole earth. And this universal blessing in Christ does 
 not, and cannot, imply their necessary and absolute salva- 
 tion in heaven ; for the nations of the earth are now the 
 subjects and objects of this universal redemption by Christ, 
 and its accompanying and consequent blessings, and are 
 not now saved in the future world of endless bliss. So 
 that God has fulfilled his promise and oath to Abraham to 
 the letter, and that too without the unconditional salvation 
 of one adult member of our whole race. 
 
 In the light of the above facts, and the indisputable au- 
 thority of the word of God, Universalism must meet the 
 following dilemma : Either admit that God has, in the re- 
 demption of the world by Christ, and the consequent bene- 
 fits ; according to his promise and oath to Abraham, blessed 
 all the nations, famihes, and kindreds of the earth ; or deny 
 absolutely, that the death of Jesus Christ — Christ, as the 
 light of the world — Christ, under whose mediatorial reign 
 the Gospel is to be universally published, the Church obtain 
 universal dominion, and the world be filled with the knowl- 
 edge of God — is at all, in any shape or form, a blessing to 
 mankind in this world. If Universalism makes the ad- 
 mission, its foundation, as far as the promises, prophecies, 
 and invitations of the Holy Scriptures, expressing or imply- 
 ing universal blessings, are concerned, is swept away by a 
 stroke. With the admission, the system must expire ; and 
 if, to save an existence, it denies that the death of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, his light, grace, and mediation, are blessings 
 to mankind in this world, it will thereby take the ground 
 of undisguised infidelity ; and should be viewed and treated 
 as such by the Ciiristian world. 
 
72 ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. [ciIAP. III. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. 
 
 Absolute and Conditional Promises — Promise in the Abstract not 
 an object of Faith — 8ome of the Divine Promises absolute, and some 
 of them conditional — The absolute Divine Promises do not imply the 
 unconditional salvation of all Mankind in Heaven — Absolute Prom- 
 ises fulfilled in Christ — Salvation rendered possible for all through 
 Christ — Salvation unconditional to all who die Infants and Idiots — 
 Christ the Savior of all Men in this, without saving them uncondition- 
 ally in the future World — This Salvation implies Justification in In- 
 fancy — The light of the Spirit, and Hope — Recapitulation. 
 
 By referring to Mr. A. C. Thomas' letter to Dr. Ely, it 
 will be seen what inferences are drawn from the promises 
 of God, and what arguments are raised thereon in support 
 of Universalism. In full confidence of their soundness and 
 strength, Mr. Thomas inquires, with evident indications of 
 triumph, "In what way will you attempt to evade the 
 force of this testimony in proof of the final holiness and 
 happiness of all mankind?" After supposing an objection, 
 that faith is necessary to the enjoyment of the blessings 
 promised, he proceeds to "reply:" "The promise is the 
 thing to be believed, as such is either true or false. If 
 false^ no one can justly be required to believe it; and if 
 true, its verity cannot be afi'ected either by the faith or dis- 
 belief of man. Your argument virtually involves the ab- 
 surdity, that faitJi creates the object of faith ; in other words, 
 that the promise which we are required to believe is not 
 true until we believe it!" 
 
 Before entering farther upon this subject, we wish to 
 remove the obscurity thrown around the object of faith by 
 Messrs. Thomas, Biddlecom, and all other Universalists 
 with whose views we are acquainted. They, in efl^ect, 
 make the promises of the Bible in the abstract^ the ob- 
 ject o{ faith; and ns these promises are true, irrespective 
 
/ 
 
 CHAP. Ill,] ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. 73 
 
 of our faith, our disbelief of thein cannot possibly prevent 
 our final salvation in heaven. This is, doubtless, a most 
 pernicious error ; and changes, to all intents and purposes, 
 the object of faith as everywhere set forth in the Bible. 
 
 Let any one attempt to separate, in his mind, the promise 
 of future benefits from tlie agent or being who makes them, 
 and see if he can form an idea what kind of an object of 
 his faith that abstract promise would be, if he who made it 
 is wholly excluded from being any part of that object, and 
 the attempt will demonstrate the absurdity of this refine- 
 ment of Universalism. And it will be seen, furthermore, 
 that so far is a promise in the abstract from being properly 
 an object of faith, that all the expectation we entertain of 
 the fulfillment of any promise, is the result of our confi- 
 dence in the character, competency, willingness, and vera- 
 city of him who makes the promise, as the proper object 
 of our faith. In the Scriptures the case stands indisputa- 
 bly thus : In the Old Testament, God ; in the New Testa- 
 ment, the Lord Jesus Christ, (who is God manifest in the 
 flesh,) is appropriately the object of faith; and his promises 
 are but a revelation of the blessings which we are author- 
 ized to believe he will bestow upon us, on the terms which 
 HE has prescribed. These facts should be carefully kept 
 in view in the further examination of this subject. 
 
 There are but few points on which Universalism has 
 been more successful in flattering the prejudiced, and mis- 
 leading the superficial and unsuspecting minds, than that of 
 the Divine promises. A striking instance of the manner in 
 which Universalists treat this subject, is now before us in 
 the case of Mr. Thomas. He says, the promise *' is either 
 absolute or conditional.^^ If " absolute,'" then Universal- 
 ism " is clearly established; ii conditional, the absurdity 
 follows of faith creating the object of faith !" This has 
 some appearance of fair reasoning. But, fully to test its 
 fairness, and try its strength, we will place the whole sub- 
 
74 ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. [cHAP. III. 
 
 ject on its proper ground, and deprecate not the strictest 
 scrutiny into the fairness of the positions. Either, 1. 
 None of the Divine promises concerning man's salvation 
 are absolute ; or, 2. All the Divine promises are absolute; 
 or, 3. Some of the Divine promises are absolute, and some 
 of them are not absolute, but conditional. If, in the light 
 of the Divine record, the last member of this statement 
 contains the facts in the case, all we have to do, in order 
 to a right understanding of this important subject, is, 1. 
 Correctly to distinguish between those promises that are ab- 
 solute, and those that are conditional ; and, 2. To distin- 
 guish between the blessings promised, which are to be en- 
 joyed by faith and obedience ; and those which we may 
 be the subjects of, without obedience and faith. 
 
 Before these points are taken up in order, we will sub- 
 mit a few remarks on the absolute and conditional promises 
 of God. By the absolute promises must be understood, 
 that the thing promised will be performed by the Almighty 
 himself, independent of any necessary agency of man, or 
 any other being ; for example, the promise of the gift of 
 his Son for the redemption of the world. The fulfillment 
 of this promise depended alone on the veracity and will of 
 God, and was therefore absolute. By a conditional promise 
 it is to be understood, that the thing promised is suspended 
 on some act, or duty to be performed by man, to whom 
 the promise is made, as a condition on which the fulfillment 
 depends, and without which God cannot bestow the benefit 
 promised. For instance, "If ye be willing and obedient, 
 ye shall eat the good of the land;" and, "he that behev- 
 eth, shall be saved." In all cases of conditional promises, 
 the negation implied, viz., that he will not bestow the thing 
 promised, if the condition be refused, is as strong and abso- 
 lute on the part of God, as the promise is that the blessing 
 will be conferred, if man performs the condition. And in 
 the above cases, it would be as incompatible with the Divine 
 
CHAP, ill.] ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIO xNAL PROMISES. 75 
 
 administration to bestow the good of the land, as contem- 
 plated in the former case, on the disobedient and rebellious ; 
 or salvation, whether that salvation refers to this, or the 
 future world, on the unbelieving in the latter case, as it 
 would be to withhold the good of the land from the obedient, 
 or salvation from the believing, they having fully performed 
 the conditions on which the fulfillment of the promise was 
 suspended. In either case, it would be equally a perfect 
 violation of the Divine veracity, and an impeachment of 
 the whole character of the Deity. 
 
 That 710716 of the promises of God are absolute, we pre- 
 sume no one will contend ; and particularly Universalism, 
 for its very existence depends on the supposed absoluteness 
 of the Divine promises. That all the promises of God are 
 absolute, Universalism will be reluctant to afRrm ; and if it 
 should, we hope clearly to prove the contrary. 
 
 That some of the promises of the Almighty are absolute, 
 we readily admit; and that others of them are conditional, 
 we prove by the infallible testimony of the word of God. 
 *'At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and 
 concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and 
 to destroy it: if that nation against whom I have pro- 
 nounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that 
 I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall 
 speak (or promise) concerning a nation, and concerning a 
 kingdom, to build and to plant it: if it do evil in my sight, 
 that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good 
 wherewith I said I would benefit them," Jer. xviii, 7-10. 
 Here is much more than an intimation of the conditionality 
 of the Divine promises to nations and kingdoms, whether 
 they have reference to good or evil. But see this fact stri- 
 kingly illustrated, in the Divine administration in the case 
 of the city of Nineveh. " So Jonah arose, and went unto 
 Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. * * * 
 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and 
 
76 ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. [ciIAP. 111. 
 
 he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be 
 overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and 
 proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest 
 of them even to the least of them. For word came unto 
 the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he 
 laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, 
 and sat in ashes. * * * And God saw their works, 
 that they turned from their evil Avay ; and God repented of 
 the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them ; and 
 he did it not,*' Jonah iii, 6-10. 
 
 Let us try on those facts, the Universalist mode of rea- 
 soning. Mr. Thomas says, "The promise is the thing to 
 be believed." In the case before us, the promise is that 
 iw forty days Nineveh should be destroyed; "and it is 
 either true or false. If it be false, no one can justly be re- 
 quired to believe it ; and if true, its verity cannot be affected 
 either by the faith or disbelief of man." Now, according to 
 this logic, if the declaration of God against Nineveh was 
 true, their faith or disbelief could not affect its verity; and 
 of course, Nineveh was actually and literally overthrown, 
 by this masterly argument of Mr. T., within t-he precise 
 forty days specified in the Divine word ! And if it were 
 not true, then God unjustly required the Ninevites to be- 
 lieve an utter falsehood ! The first concludes against mat- 
 ter of fact ; for Nineveh was spared for near two hundred 
 years after, the argument of Universalism to the contrary 
 notwithstanding. The second concludes against the wis- 
 dom, goodness, holiness, justice, and veracity of God. 
 And as Nineveh was spared, and as it is impossible for 
 God to lie, let him be true, though Universalist logic and 
 theology, both be alike false. 
 
 Mr. T. proceeds : " The promise in question (in the case 
 before us, that Nineveh should be overthrown) is either ab- 
 solute or conditional. If absolute, the thing promised is 
 clearly established." That is, the destruction of Nineveh 
 
CHAP. 111. J ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIUNAL PROMISES. 77 
 
 within forty days was inevitable. <'If it is conditional, the 
 absurdity follows, that faith creates the object of faith.'* 
 In this case, the faith of the Ninevites created the word of 
 God which they believed ; or, as has been shown, that he 
 who makes the promise is the object of faith ; then indeed, 
 according to this argument, their faith created the Divine 
 Being, whose word they believed. But Nineveh was not 
 destroyed within the time, and their faith did not create 
 the object thereof, therefore the declaration of God was 
 conditional; and if so, Universalism is wholly without 
 foundation in the word of God. 
 
 But as this is a point of much importance in this investi- 
 gation, and to a right understanding of the Holy Scriptures 
 in general, we give further proof of the conditionality of 
 some of the Divine promises. " Then said David, O, 
 Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that 
 Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my 
 sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his 
 hands? Will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? 
 O, Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. 
 And the Lord said. He will come down. Then said David, 
 will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the 
 hands of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee 
 up. Then David and his men, which were about six hun- 
 dred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whither- 
 soever they could go. And it was told Saul that David 
 was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth,'* 
 I Samuel xxiii, 10-13. Here David makes two direct in- 
 quiries of the Lord, " Will Saul come down to Keilah ? 
 Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the 
 hand of Saul ? " To both of which, the Lord answers 
 directly in the affirmative ; and according to the argument of 
 Universalism, the word of the Lord was " either true or 
 false, absolute or conditional." If false, then the Lord un- 
 justly required David to beHeve a falsehood. If true, its* 
 7^ 
 
7^ ABSOLUTE AND COxNDlTIONAL PROMISES. [ciIAP. III. 
 
 **verity " could not be affected by the faith or disbelief of 
 man. But as the Almighty could not utter a falsehood, nor 
 require a man to believe what was not true, it then follows, 
 according to the argument, that Saul came down to Keilah, 
 and that the men of Keilah delivered David and his men 
 into the hand of Saul, and that they were all slain. But 
 the same narrative informs us directly to the contrary ; for 
 David left Keilah, and when Saul heard of it he " forbare 
 to go forth ;" and David lived and reigned king of Israel, 
 long after Saul was dead. And it will not at all change the 
 case to say, tliat the Divine declarations were not specifi- 
 cally in the form of promises ; for the veracity of the Lord 
 is as much involved, as if they had been precisely such ; 
 and there is no other principle on which those, and numer- 
 ous other declarations of the Deity, can be intelligibly un- 
 derstood, than that of their conditionality, either expressed 
 or implied. In this case the condition was implied, and so 
 David understood it, and acted accordingly. If he remained 
 in Keilah, Saul would come down, the men of the city 
 would deliver him and his men up, and they would be de- 
 stroyed ; if he left, the whole result would be reversed. 
 
 Again : " Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said 
 indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should 
 walk before me for ever; but now the Lord saith. Be it far 
 from me; for them that honor me 1 will honor, and they 
 that despise me shall be lightly esteemed," 1 Samuel ii, 30, 
 Here the promise was, that the house of Eli, and the 
 house of his father, should walk before the Lord, that is, 
 minister at his altar, in the character of priests for ever, or 
 during the continuance of the Mosaical law and dispensation ; 
 but in consequence of the indolence, and want of promptness 
 in Eli, to command his household, and restrain his sons, 
 and their consequent wickedness, and the insults offered by 
 them to God and his worship, the Lord saith, " Be it far 
 from me" to confer these honorable distinctions on thee 
 
CHAP. III.] ABSOLUTE AND COXDlTIOiNAL PROMISES. 79 
 
 and thy house, as promised; but on tlie contrary, "Behold, 
 the days come that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of 
 thy father's house, that tliere shall not be an old man in thy 
 house * * * for ever," verses 31, 32. In this case, 
 also, the same revolting absurdities, on the Universalist 
 mode of reasoning, follow ; and can only be avoided, on the 
 principle of the implied conditionality of the Divine prom- 
 ises. Furthermore, "Thou shalt therefore keep this ordi- 
 nance in his season, from year to year. And it shall be 
 when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Ca- 
 naanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and 
 shall give it thee." This is a renewal to the Hebrews, 
 after their departure from Egypt, of the promise and oath 
 of God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, concerning the prom- 
 ised land, and stands in intimate connection with the prom- 
 ise, that " in thy seed shall all the nations be blessed," 
 Gen. xxviii, 13, 14. On the Universalist mode of reason- 
 ing on the promise and oath of God, the promise is the 
 thing to be believed, and is either true or false. If false, 
 God was unjust in requiring them to believe it; if true, 
 then their actual enjoyment of the promised possession was 
 infallibly secured. But what are the facts in this case? 
 "Doubdess you shall not come into the land, concerning 
 which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the 
 son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your 
 little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I 
 bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have de- 
 spised. But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in 
 the wilderness ; and your children shall wander in the wil- 
 derness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your 
 carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. After the number of 
 the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, 
 each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty 
 yecrs, and ye shall know my breach of promise," Num- 
 bers xiv, 30-34. 
 
80 ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. [cilAP. III. 
 
 From these testimonies, there is no aUernative for Uni- 
 versalism, but to charge the Almighty with falsehood, or 
 admit the conditionality of the promise and oath of God. 
 The former would be blasphemy in a high degree ; the lat- 
 ter would be totally ruinous to the system. 
 
 From the examples brought forward on this point, and 
 they might be greatly extended, the conclusion is inevita- 
 ble, that some of the promises of God are conditional; and 
 that the final result to man is suspended on his own actions 
 as an intelligent, accountable, moral agent; and that the 
 withholding the blessing promised, when man refuses to 
 comply with the conditions, is as perfectly consistent with 
 the Divine character, as the bestowment of it is, when man 
 complies with the conditions, by the faithful performance 
 of all his duties. Any other conclusion must contradict 
 matter of fact and the word of God. 
 
 But as Universalism depends more for success on equiv- 
 ocation and evasion, than fair investigation, it may attempt 
 to escape the force of these conclusions, by asserting, that 
 in the above examples the promises did not contemplate 
 universal blessings, and that they did not refer directly to 
 the salvation of the soul. To admit the position, does not 
 at all affect the question ; for the point under consideration 
 is not the salvation of the soul directly, but the condition- 
 ality of some of the promises of God. But that they did 
 not refer to the salvation of the soul is not the fact ; for it 
 will be seen, on Universalist principles, that in the case of 
 the Ninevites, the declaration, that in forty days Nineveh 
 should be destroyed, and their faith therein, and consequent 
 repentance, kept them out of heaven for many years ; for 
 if they had not believed and reformed, they would all have 
 been perfectly safe and happy in heaven, within the precise 
 forty days specified in the declaration. 
 
 It is true, however, that in the case of the Israelites, 
 whose *' carcasses were wasted in the wilderness," the 
 
CHAP. III.] ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. 81 
 
 result was widely difTereiit. For, unlike the Ninevites, 
 whose obedience kept them out of heaven for many years, 
 the Israelites, by their murmuring-, rebellious, stubborn un- 
 belief of God's promises, provoked the Divine judgments 
 upon themselves, and were taken directly to heaven ; ex- 
 cept the minors, who could not disbelieve or rebel, and 
 Caleb and Joshua, who believed the promises and were 
 faithful and obedient, and were kept out of heaven thereby 
 for many years! Such are the absurdities of the system. 
 
 Having admitted that some of the promises of God are 
 absolute, and having proved, as we hope, to a demonstra- 
 tion, that others are conditional, the way is prepared by a 
 fair and legitimate process, fully to test the strength of the 
 position, that the Divine promise implies the unconditional 
 salvation of all mankind in heaven. 
 
 It must not be forgotten, that Universalism is compelled 
 to take the ground that God's promise of universal blessings 
 in Christ, includes the absolute holiness and happiness in 
 the future world of each individual of our race, irrespec- 
 tive of their faith or unbelief in this world ; and that the 
 conditional promises (if there are such) include temporal 
 blessings, and a partial salvation of some portion of the 
 human family in this life. To establish this distinctly, we 
 again quote Mr. Thomas, knowing that he is always good 
 authority on the side of Universalism. In commenting on 
 this text, " For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, 
 because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of 
 all men, especially of those who believe. These things 
 command and teach," 1 Tim. iv, 10. He says, in refer- 
 ence to the universal feature of the text, " But all men are 
 NOW in the purpose of heaven, what they all shall be in 
 fact; '^ * the popular estimate of faith, and of the 
 benefits accruing therefrom, is radically erroneous. * * 
 And, sir, a faithful examination of this subject, in the light 
 I have presented it, will saiisfy you, that the happiness of 
 
82 ABSOLUTE AxND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. [CHAP. III. 
 
 the future state is not dependent on the exercise of faith in 
 any doctrine whatever. The reception of immortal bles- 
 sedness, by any of our race, depends solely and alone on 
 the accomplishment of the gracious purposes of the living 
 God." On the special feature of the text, Mr. T. says, 
 *' Should you desire to know in what the special salvation 
 of believers consists, this is my reply : In believing the 
 glorious truth that God is the Savior of all men, they enter 
 into rest — they rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of 
 glory. * * * And {?2 believing that the living God 
 is the Savior of all men, (in the Universalist sense,) they 
 enjoy the special salvation mentioned in the text." Theo- 
 logical Discussion, by Ely and Thomas, pp. 282, 283, 284. 
 On Universalist principles, as " the happiness of the future 
 state is not dependent on the exercise of faith in any doc- 
 trine whatever," men may reject, and utterly disbelieve all 
 Bible doctrine, even the existence of God ; openly avow, 
 live, and die in all the profanity of atheism, and yet be un- 
 conditionally saved in heaven ! And in relation to the spe- 
 cial salvation in this world, as " the popular estimate of 
 faith * ^ is radically erroneous," the true faith 
 must be Universalism ; and the effect is, joy and rejoicing 
 in the belief that all men will be finally, regardless of their 
 faith or practice, saved in heaven, and of course, himself 
 among them. 
 
 To all such triflers with sacred truth, we would recom- 
 mend the caution of God by his apostle: *' And for this 
 cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should 
 believe a lie ; that they all mightbe damned who believed not 
 the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness," 2 Thess. 
 ii, 11, 12. 
 
 The question now at issue is, Do the absolute promises 
 of God embrace the unconditional salvation of each indi- 
 vidual of the human family in heaven ; and do the condi- 
 tional promises of God emhnirc only temporal blessings, 
 
CHAP. III. J ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. 83 
 
 and a partial salvation for a part of mankind in this world ? 
 Universalism affirms, and we deny it. In all justice, and 
 according to all fair rules of theological investigation, Uni- 
 versalism is bound to prove the affirmative of this question, 
 by the word of God, with a clearness equal to the impor- 
 tance of the subject. We have frequently announced, in 
 public and in private, and we here repeat it, that if Univer- 
 salism will produce one plain declaration from the word of 
 God in support of the system, either affirmatively, that all 
 men shall be unconditionally saved in heaven, irrespective 
 of faith and practice ; or negatively, that no one of our race 
 shall be miserable in the future world, we would publicly 
 renounce orthodoxy, and proclaim in favor of Universal- 
 ism. Will the system dare make the attempt? Leaving 
 it to reflect, we proceed to show, 1. That the absolute Di- 
 vine promises procure a possible salvation for all mankind. 
 2. That they procure an absolute salvation in heaven for 
 all infants, and idiots dying in the state of infancy or idio- 
 cy; and, 3. A conditional salvation from sin here, and in 
 heaven hereafter, for all adult persons of our whole race. 
 
 That the promises, "The seed of the woman shall 
 bruise the serpent's head;" " that in Christ, as the seed of 
 Abraham, all the nations, families, and kindreds of the 
 earth should be blessed," and others of similar import, 
 were absolute, and a universal blessing was contemplated, 
 we readily concede; and that these promises were, and 
 will be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, Universalism cannot deny, 
 without renouncing Christ altogether as a Savior. This, 
 as has been shown, must stamp infidelity upon the whole 
 system. 
 
 The question now arises. Did the fulfillment of these ab- 
 solute promises of God, in the gift of his Son, to taste 
 death for every man, procure a possible salvation for all 
 mankind? Universalism is compelled to concede this, or 
 involve itself in the absurdity of affirminor, that God has 
 
84 ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. [_CliAP. III. 
 
 provided in Christ an absolu'.e salvation for all men, and at 
 the same time denying that he has made salvation possible 
 for all; or of affirming, that what is absolutely sure, is, 
 nevertheless, not possible ! It is, therefore, indisputably 
 established, that God, in the fultillment of his absolute 
 promises, in the gift of Jesus Christ, has rendered salvation 
 possible for all our race. 
 
 Universalism, aware of tlie consequences, endeavors to 
 escape them, by denying that the absolute promises were 
 fidfiUed in the gift of Jesus Christ, and asserting that the 
 absolute Divine promise is, the unconditional salvation of 
 all mankind in heaven ; and God's gift of Christ, was a 
 mere incident in the great scheme of benevolence towards 
 man. 
 
 In this it is seen at once, that the system, 1. Abandons 
 all atiempt to prove, and unblushingly assumes the point in 
 dispute. 2. This assumption is made in perfect disregard 
 of the Bible, which nowhere contains a single promise, 
 that God will unconditionally save all men in heaven ; but, 
 3. The assumption is made, not only without the authority 
 of the Bible, but in direct contradiction of that Divine 
 word. " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only 
 begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not 
 perish, but have everlasting life," John iii, 16. 
 
 On this we remark, 1. God had absolutely promised to 
 give his Son to redeem the world. 2. Christ has come 
 into the world, bore our sins in his own body on the tree, 
 tasted death for every man. 3. In this, the absolute Di- 
 vine promises have been fulfilled, or they have not. If 
 they have not, then Christ must have died for the sins of 
 the world, either without one absolute Divine promise to 
 that effect, or he has died contrary to the promises of God ; 
 either of which would not only be absurd, but a presump- 
 tuous contradiction of all the promises of God on that sub- 
 ject. It follows, therefore, cnnchisivelv, that God, in so 
 
CHAP. III.] ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. 85 
 
 loving the world as to give his Son to die for man, has gra- 
 ciously fulfilled the absolute promises to Abraham ; and so 
 far is that fulfillment from unconditionally saving all men in 
 heaven, that while it procures a possible salvation for all, and 
 offers eternal life to him that believeth, it proclaims that the 
 unbeliever shall perish; which is, most unquestionably 
 the opposite of everlasting life. Again : " Now I say that 
 Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the 
 truth of God, to confirm (fulfill the absolute) promises made 
 unto the fathers," Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: Of what? 
 That all men should be unconditionally saved in the future 
 world? By no means. Let the apostle answer: "And 
 that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy ; as it 
 is written. For this cause I will confess to thee among the 
 Gentiles, and sing unto thy name," Romans xv, 8, 9. If 
 there be any doubt that the absolute promises were fulfilled 
 in the gift of Jesus Christ, the following must for ever set- 
 tle the point: " But God raised him from the dead; and he 
 was seen many days of them which came up with him 
 from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto 
 the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how 
 that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God 
 hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he 
 hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the 
 second psalm. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten 
 thee," Acts xiii, 30-33. In the light of ttiis testimony, 
 also, which is too plain to require comment, we are brought 
 directly to the conclusion, that the fulfillment of the abso- 
 lute promises of the Divine Being, in the gift of Jesus 
 Christ, his death, resurrection, and intercession, has pro- 
 vided a possible salvation for all our fallen race ; and in the 
 same light may be seen, the revolting consequences that 
 must follow a denial of these facts by Universalism, or any 
 assumption it can make to the contrary. 
 
 We pass now to the second point; namely, that the ful- 
 
86 ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. [cHAP. III. 
 
 fillment of the Divine promises in Christ, has procured an 
 unconditional salvation for all that die in idiocy and infancy. 
 As it is presumable that Universalism will not controvert 
 this, but few remarks will be necessary. 
 
 As " by the righteousness of one (Christ) the free gift 
 came upon all men unto justification of life," Romans v, 
 18; and the Savior says, "Suffer little children, and for- 
 bid them not, to come unto me : for of such is the king- 
 dom of heaven," Matt, xix, 14. They being thus justi- 
 fied through Christ, belonging to the kingdom of heaven, 
 and being incapable of violating any moral law or obliga- 
 tion, and dying in that state, few, if any, will deny, and 
 especially Universalism, that they are unconditionally saved 
 in heaven. 
 
 To rescue the Holy Scriptures from the perversions of 
 Universalism, and fully to prepare the way for their har- 
 monious testimony on the great question of man's salvation, 
 it is necessary to establish one other point in this place; 
 that is, whether the Lord Jesus Christ, as the gift of God, 
 in whom was fulfilled "all things which were written in 
 the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, 
 concerning him," Luke xxiv, 44, is, in any intelligible and 
 Scriptural sense, the Savior of all men in this world, with- 
 out saving them, irrespective of faith or morals, uncondi- 
 tionally in the future world. 
 
 If it were the policy of Universalism to discuss subjects 
 fairly, and treat the word of God with that deference 
 that its sacredness demands, it would require but litde time 
 to settle the point. But as the system denies the literal 
 account of man's fall and depravity, and turns the whole 
 into an allegory or figure, and takes the same liberty with 
 all other doctrinal points in the Bible, we will not ask of it 
 the favor to come over to our ground for its defense, but 
 will follow, and meet it on its own ground ; and remark, 
 whatever mav have bnen the constitution and nature of man, 
 
CHAP. III.] ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. 87 
 
 as he was created by, and came from the hand of his Ma- 
 ker — vvliich God pronounced to be very good, but Univer- 
 salism says, was subject to death if man had never sinned — 
 whatever might have been the nature of the Divine prohibi- 
 tion in regard to the interdicted tree and its fruit — what- 
 ever might have been the moral character of the violation 
 of that prohibition by man — whatever may have been the 
 nature and extent of that death threatened against man, in 
 its real and relative consequence, with regard to man, to 
 God and the Divine government one of two things must 
 inevitably follow: God, in perfect harmony and consis- 
 tency with every perfection and attribute of his character, 
 and every feature and perfection of the Divine administra- 
 tion, in the entire and eternal absence of Jesus Christ, 
 his incarnation, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension, 
 and mediation on high, could absolutely have saved man 
 in heaven, or he could not. 
 
 With the indulgence we have extended to Universalism, 
 in meeting it on its own ground, it cannot complain if we 
 bring it to one or the other of the positions above named. 
 If the system admits that God could not, consistently with 
 his character and government, save man without the death 
 of Christ, the point is conceded, that Jesus Christ, having 
 tasted death for every man, is now the Savior of all men in 
 this world. If Universalism will not make the admission, 
 and thereby yield the question, it has no alternative but to 
 take the ground that God could, consistently with his char- 
 acter and government, save man without the death of Christ. 
 This must impeach the whole Divine character in the entire 
 economy of human redemption and salvation ; for, as appo- 
 sits, when the same circumstances and moral principles are 
 involved, can never be reconciled, it follows, that if one 
 course of procedure, when the salvation of man is the 
 object, was perfecdy right and consistent with the Divine 
 character and administration, a different or contrary course. 
 
88 ALSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. [cHAP. III. 
 
 when the object is the same, must be wrong. For example : 
 1. If it was perfectly consistent with infinite wisdom for 
 God to save man from sin and its consequences, whatever 
 those consequences may be, without the death of Christ; 
 for him to be delivered up to die for the very same object, 
 must be a violation of infinite wisdom. 2. If it was per- 
 fectly consistent with the infinite goodness of God for him 
 to save man without the death of Christ, then, to save man 
 through, or by his death, must be a violation of infinite 
 goodness. 3. If it was right, and in perfect accordance 
 with Divine justice, to save man without Christ's death, it 
 is impossible to avoid the conclusion, that to save man by 
 the death of Jesus Christ was unjust. Universalism is, 
 therefore, compelled either to give up the point, or impeach 
 the Divine character generally, and the infinite wisdom, 
 goodness, and justice of God in particular. 
 
 The system may attempt to escape, by asserting that the 
 Divine Being may accomplish the same object in difi'erent 
 ways, either of which would be alike consistent with his 
 character and government. This is evading the point, by 
 assuming general ground in relation to a particular question. 
 The inquiry is not, what God may do in general; but, 
 what can he do, consistently with his immutable character, 
 laws, and government in this particular case— the salvation 
 of fallen, sinful man? 
 
 But to admit the position, for the sake of argument, is 
 the system relieved from difficulties thereby ? Surely not. 
 For if God may, with equal consistency of character and 
 government, save man either with, or without the passion 
 and death of Jesus Christ, what force have all such declara- 
 tions as the following? " Behold what manner of love the 
 Father hath bestowed upon us," 1 John iii, 2. " God so 
 loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son" to 
 die for us, John iii, 16. And yet, according to the assump- 
 tion, God could as consistently save man without this jrift 
 
CHAP. III. J ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. 89 
 
 of his Son, as with it. This charges the Deity with dis- 
 simulation ! 
 
 But this is not all ; it makes the Father not merely indif- 
 ferent with regard to the sufferings of his Son — his sighs, 
 his tearsy his bloody sweat in the garden, his dying groans 
 on the cross ; but, " It pleased the Lord to bruise him : he 
 hath put him to grief," to " make his soul an offering for 
 sin," Isaiah liii, 10. And all this, too, when there was no 
 necessity for it: God could, according to the objection, 
 have secured his own glory, and the honor of his govern- 
 ment in the salvation of man just as well in some other 
 way, as by the gift and death of Jesus Christ. Such are 
 the revolting imputations cast upon the Divine character by 
 the unwarrantable assumptions of Universalism ! 
 
 The system may attempt, at one other point, to avoid 
 the force of these conclusions, by denying that man was 
 ever lost; and by affirming that the whole Divine system, 
 as revealed in the Bible, is only perfecting towards man the 
 work commenced in his creation. This is more than inti- 
 mated by Mr. Ballou, in the quotations we have already 
 given. This, however, so far from relieving, only aggra- 
 vates the case ; for it cannot be denied, that throughout the 
 Bible man is represented as a sinner: " All we, like sheep, 
 have gone astray," Isaiah liii, 6. He is pronounced to be 
 guilty : God has concluded "all under sin," " all in unbe- 
 lief," Romans xi, 32; Gal. iii, 22. He is called a rebel: 
 " I have nourished and brought up children, and they have 
 rebelled against me," Isaiah i, 2. And yet in all this, accord- 
 ing to the objection, man is only acting out the inevitable 
 results of the constitution and nature received in his crea- 
 tion. And though he is charged with being a delinquent, 
 really, if there be any fault, it is not his, but his Maker's ; 
 and instead of saving man, God is only completing his na- 
 ture and character, which were wholly incomplete when 
 first created. In all truth and justice, if this be the fact, 
 
 8* 
 
00 ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. [cHAP. III. 
 
 man ought not to be charged as a sinner, nor God sustain 
 the character of Benefactor or Savior. 
 
 From all these facts and consequences, it cannot be doubt- 
 ed that, unless Universalism is prepared to charge Jehovah 
 with folly, dissimulation, injustice, cruelty, and every evil 
 work, it is absolutely compelled to admit that God could 
 not, consistently with his character and government, save 
 man without the sacrifice and death of Jesus Christ. Should 
 the system prefer meeting those consequences, and sinking 
 under their weight, to making the admission, we will, for 
 the benefit of such as wish to know the truth, present the 
 following testimony : " Being justified freely by his grace, 
 through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus : whom 
 God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his 
 blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins 
 that are past, through the forbearance of God. To declare, 
 
 1 say, at this time, his righteousness : that he (God) might 
 be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus," 
 Romans iii, 24-26. The inference is resistless, that God 
 could not have been just, in view of his own infinite per- 
 fections, the perfections and claims of his law, the charac- 
 ter and relations of man to both, in justifying or saving 
 him without the propitiatory sacrifice and atonement of 
 Jesus Christ. To suppose the contrary, is to involve all 
 the absurdities seen above, and make the death of Christ 
 not only unnecessary, but unjust and cruel. " For it 
 pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell ; 
 and having made peace through the blood of his cross, by 
 him to reconcile all things unto himself: by him, I say, 
 whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven," Col. 
 i, 19, 20. We are aware that this Scripture is quoted with 
 confidence in support of the absolute reconciliation, or sal- 
 vation of all men in heaven. But if it is shown, by the 
 general testimony of the Bible, that the doctrine is false, 
 no one will suppose that this text will prove it to be true. 
 
CHAP. III.] ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. 91 
 
 And if it cannot be tortured into ll.e support of the pecu- 
 liarities of Universalism, it is in direct proof, that God was 
 justly unreconciled to man for his apostasy and rebellion 
 as an intelligent moral subject of the Divine government; 
 and that man, in his apostasy and consequent depravity, was 
 unjustly unreconciled to God ; and that God could not be 
 reconciled to man, and that man never could be reconciled 
 to God only through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ; 
 but that Christ having made peace through the blood of his 
 cross, has reconciled God to man by so changing the moral 
 relation of man (now a redeemed sinner) to God and the 
 divine law and government, that he can be just and the jus- 
 tifier of him which believeth on Jesus : and has procured 
 such divine influence in his behalf, that man thereby may 
 become personally reconciled to God, or be justified by 
 grace, through faith, saved from sin here, and in heaven 
 hereafter. And as the Divine government embraces heaven 
 and earth, (for the angels desired to look into these sublime 
 scenes,) the death of Christ reconciled all things in this 
 sense, in earth and heaven, by rendering the whole govern- 
 ment of God, in heaven and earth, alike harmonious, and 
 consistent with the Divine character, in extending justify- 
 ing and saving grace to every one that believeth. 
 
 " And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Tes- 
 tament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the 
 transgressors that were under the first testament, they which 
 are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 
 * * * And almost all things are by the law purged with 
 blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission," 
 Heb. ix, 15-22. The force of this testimony cannot be 
 evaded; for should it be said, the necessity of shedding 
 blood for the remission of sins, had reference to the sacri- 
 fices under tlie law, it will not alter the case; for all the 
 sacrifices under the law were but the shadows, pointing to 
 Christ, the glorious substance, in the shedding of whose 
 
92 ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. [cHAP. III. 
 
 blood on the cross, all those shadows had their fulfillment. 
 Now if the shedding of the blood of the animals offered in 
 sacrifice under the law, was indispensable to ceremonial re- 
 mission of sins, how much more the shedding of the blood 
 of the real victim, the Lamb of God, in order to real re- 
 mission, or pardon of sin. And there was no other being 
 in the universe who could accomplish this work for man, 
 except He in whom it pleased the Father all fullness should 
 dwell — who in the beginning was with God, and in unorig- 
 inated nature and perfections was God, even the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 And let it be strictly observed, that what Christ has done 
 in the work of man's redemption, has wrought no change 
 in the Divine mind, or the moral principles of his govern- 
 ment; but it is an additional proof of the unchangeableness 
 of both. And as, in the entire absence of the redemption 
 of Christ, man was unholy in the sight of the immutable and 
 holy Deity, and stood related to his unchanging moral law 
 and government, as an unholy rebel, justly condemned to 
 die ; and without a change, eitlier in God, his law, or the re- 
 lation of man to both, God could not be just to save or par- 
 don him. But as neither God nor his law could change, 
 man's case was hopeless, and pardon and salvation impos- 
 sible without a sacrifice ; but thanks be to God, who giveth 
 us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ hath 
 died, and his death has effected that change in our relation; 
 so that man now stands related to God as a redeemed sin- 
 ner, fully within the reach of salvation, on terms alike hon- 
 orable to God and his moral government, and merciful and 
 gracious to man. 
 
 The evidence, therefore, that Jesus Christ is the Savior 
 of all men in this world, is precisely as clear as the differ- 
 ence is between an absolute moral impossibility and a per- 
 fect moral possibility. And it may be further remarked, 
 that this universal salvation in this world, procured by 
 
CHAP. III.] ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. 93 
 
 Jesus Clirist, includes llie following' particulars: First; 
 the personal salvation or justification of all mankind from 
 the condemnatory sentence of the violated law of God, un- 
 der which all our race fell in the transgression of Adam. 
 " Therefore, as by the offense (or transgression) of one 
 (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation (to 
 death ;) even so by the righteousness (merits) of one (Jesus 
 Christ) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of 
 life," Romans v, 18. 
 
 It is, therefore, indisputably clear, that every child of 
 Adam is born into the world in a state of justification and 
 favor with God, as has been shown; but as God could not 
 save or justify man only through the death of Christ, it is 
 plain to a demonstration, that Jesus Christ is, in this sense, 
 the Savior of all men in this world. " For, therefore, we 
 both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the 
 living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those 
 that believe," 1 Tim. iv, 10. We might extend the proof, 
 if it were necessary, that every member of Adam's vast fam- 
 ily, commence their being in this world in a justified state, 
 through the merits of Christ, and dying minors, are saved 
 in heaven; but living to commit willful and personal sin, 
 they must be the subjects of a personal and "special" sal- 
 vation from sin in this world by faith, as the only terms 
 on which they can be saved in heaven, as will be shown 
 hereafter. Second; this universal salvation in this world, 
 through Christ, includes deliverance, to a greater or less 
 extent, from moral darkness ; as it has already been shown, 
 that the Lord Jesus Christ is, through the influence of the 
 Holy Spirit, the true light, that lighteth every man that 
 Cometh into the world. Third ; as a consequence of this 
 universal justification and deliverance from moral darkness 
 in a degree, Christ has saved the world from a hopeless 
 state, and inspired it with hope ; " for the earnest expecta- 
 tion of the creature waitelh for the manifestation of the sons 
 
94 ABSOLUTE A\b CONDITIONAL PROMISES. [cHAP. III. 
 
 of God ; for the creature was made subject to vanity, not 
 willingly, but by reason ot" him who subjected the same in 
 hope ; because the creature itself, also, sliall be delivered 
 from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty 
 of the children of God," Romans viii, 19-21. 
 
 Again: "And 1 will shake all nations, and the Desire of 
 all nations shall come," Hag. ii, 7. We are not unapprised 
 of the fact, that Universalism resorts to the above language 
 of Paul for support; but we again remark, if the Bible con- 
 victs the system of ia. posture, this text cannot prove it to 
 be true Christianity. That by the creature, in the first 
 text, the Gentile world is meant, Universalism will not 
 deny ; and that by the Desire of all nations, in the second, 
 Christ is meant, is equally clear. The doctrine then is, 
 that Jesus Christ, by the merits of his death for man's re- 
 demption, and through the agency of the Holy Spirit, has 
 made an impression on the moral world, under which man 
 is convicted of the insufficiency of his idols, and all his 
 superstitions, to deliver him from the bondage of corrup- 
 tion with which the world groans; and hence the "desire 
 of all nations " for something more than they now possess — 
 the "earnest expectation" of deliverance. And as Christ 
 has wrought the redemption, diffused the light, made the 
 impression, and prompted the hope, he is now bringing 
 many into this liberty by the spread of the Gospel, which 
 proclaims the only terms on which man may enjoy the dis- 
 tinguished liberty of the sons or children of God. " He 
 came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as 
 many as received him, to them gave he power (the right 
 or privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that 
 believed on his name," John i, 11, 12. Faith, therefore, 
 is the condition, to every adult member of our race of ma- 
 ture years and sound mind, of personal deliverance from 
 sin in this world, and final salvation in the future world. 
 
 The following points have been established, it is believed, 
 
CHAP. III.] ABSOLUTE AXD CONDITIOXAL PROl^IISES. 95 
 
 by the authority, and in the light of the lioly Scriptures, 
 matters of fact, sound reason, and common sense; and that 
 the contrary of those positions involves consequences suffi- 
 cient of themselves to destroy any scheme whatever, claim- 
 ing the name of Bible Christianity ; namely, 
 
 I. That some of the Divine promises are absolute ; and 
 some of them are not absolute, but conditional. 
 
 II. The absolute Divine promises are fulfilled in the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, his incarnation, death, resurrection, as- 
 cension to heaven, and mediation before the throne of God. 
 
 III. The fulfillment of the absolute promises in Christ, 
 has provided, 1. A possible salvation for the whole human 
 family, including a partial salvation in this world, and the 
 privilege of final salvation in heaven, on the terms pre- 
 scribed in the word of God. 2. An unconditional salvation 
 in heaven for all who die in the state of minority, and of 
 course without personal sin and transgression. 3. A con- 
 ditional salvation from sin here, and a final salvation in 
 heaven hereafter, for all personal transgressors of the law 
 of God ; and tenders it to all such, on the conditions of faith 
 and holiness in this life ; hence, 
 
 IV. The Lord Jesus Christ is, unconditionally, the Sa- 
 vior of all men in this world. This universal, unconditional 
 salvation in this world includes, 1. Justification from the 
 condemnation of the law of God, in which the whole family 
 of man were involved by the transgression of Adam. 2. 
 The illuminations and influence of the Holy Spirit, who 
 reproves (or convinces) the world of sin, of righteousness, 
 and of judgment. 3. Hope of deliverance from the bon- 
 dage of corruption, into the liberty, or Gospel privileges, 
 of the children of God. 4. Together with all the grace, 
 providences, and combination of agencies, instrumentalities, 
 and influences brought into requisition by the Almighty, 
 for the restraint, instruction, reformation, and salvation of 
 mankind in this world. 
 
96 ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PRO.MISLS. [ciIAP. III. 
 
 The importance of disiinguisluiig between the blessings 
 and salvation which man may be the subject of uncondi- 
 tionally, or without the exercise of faith and obedience on 
 his part, and the blessings and salvation, which are wholly- 
 suspended on such conditions, has already been named. 
 And with the view of the subject as it is now before us, 
 the application of the principle is perfectly easy; and we 
 can see the harmony, and feel the force of all that class of 
 Scriptures, which speak of Christ as the Savior of the 
 world. Such as, " Christ, the Savior of the world," John 
 iv, 42 ; " I came not to judge the world, (now,) but to save 
 the world," John xii, 47 ; " The Father sent the Son to be 
 the Savior of the world," 1 John iv, 14; *' The living 
 God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that 
 believe," 1 Tim. iv, 10. In all of which declarations, a 
 universal salvation is contemplated ; and as has been abun- 
 dandy proved, Christ is now, in man's present state of 
 being, the Savior of all men — the Savior of the world. 
 And on the other hand, the whole human family are, uncon- 
 ditionally, the objects and subjects of this universal salva- 
 tion in this world. Christ having redeemed us with his 
 own blood, or bought us off from the claims of that law 
 which made no provision for pardon or salvation ; and hav- 
 ing placed man under an administration of infinite grace 
 and mercy, which has made ample provision for both, every 
 member of the human family receives his first existence in 
 this life, "saved by grace," or in a justified state, through 
 the infinite merits of the death of Christ. Consequently, 
 the whole human family are, unconditionally, or without 
 faith and obedience on their part, the subjects of this salva- 
 tion in this M'orld, including justification in infancy, the 
 illuminations of the Spirit, and all the Divine influences 
 named above, which are designed for man's salvation and 
 happiness in this world, and if improved by him, will lead 
 him to salvation in heaven. But in all this universal salva- 
 
CHAP. III.] ABSOLUTE AND CONDITIONAL PROMISES. 97 
 
 tion by Christ, (with the exception of minors dying in that 
 state,) not a single member of the human family is uncon- 
 ditionally saved in heaven. 
 
 It has been clearly seen that the promises, prophecies, 
 and invitations in the Scriptures, implying or expressing 
 universal blessings, afford no possible support to Univer- 
 salism ; and the way is now prepared to rescue from its 
 abuses also, all the absolute Divine promises, together with 
 all that class of Scriptures which recognize the Lord Jesus 
 Christ as a universal Savior — the Savior of all men— of the 
 world ; the absolute promises being fulfilled in him, and 
 mankind being the beneficiaries of this universal salvation 
 in this world exclusively. There is, therefore, no escape 
 for the system : for should it deny that the absolute prom- 
 ises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ, it must contradict Christ 
 himself, who says, that in him " is fulfilled all things which 
 were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and 
 in the psalms concerning him," and involve itself in all the 
 absurdities connected with such denial, as already shown. 
 
 Should it deny that the death of Christ has procured 
 justification, and the light of the Spirit for man in this 
 world, it must contradict the Holy Ghost. Should it deny 
 that this justification, and all these Divine influences, do in 
 any degree save man in this life, it must contradict the word 
 of God in general on these points, and totally reject Jesus 
 Christ, with all his benefits to man in this world. The ad- 
 mission of the positions thus established, must seal the 
 destiny of the system for death. The denial will demon- 
 strate its infidelity. 
 
 9 
 
98 CONDITIONAL SALVATION. [CHAP. IV. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 SALVATION IN HEAVEN CONDITIONAL. 
 
 Salvation in Heaven Conditional — The System has to Apply all the 
 Threatenings of the Word of God against Sinners, and the Salvation 
 promised to Believers, to Man in this Life — The Salvation promised 
 in the Gospel cannot be fully Enjoyed in this Life — God either forbids 
 Faith and Obedience, or is indifferent to Faith and Obedience, or 
 requires Faith and Obedience, as a Condition of Final Salvation in 
 Heaven — Points Estabhshed in this Chapter. 
 
 With the fact established, that the merits and mediation 
 of Jesus Christ have procured a possible salvation for all 
 men, and an absolute salvation for all who die without per- 
 sonal transgression and sin, the way is fully prepared for 
 an examination of the third particular; namely, the condi- 
 tional salvation provided for, and offered to, all men (always 
 excepting infants or minors) through faith ; and that a com- 
 pliance with the conditions, and the acceptance of salvation 
 from sin in this life, is the only possible means of his final 
 salvation in heaven. This position alone, if fully estab- 
 lished, must be a standing refutation of Universalism. 
 
 That the subject may be fully understood, it must not be 
 forgotten, that Universalism applies the following, and all 
 similar language of the Bible to man in this life exclusively. 
 " He that believeth * * * shall be saved; but he that 
 believeth not shall be damned," Mark xvi, 16. " He that 
 believeth on the Son hath everlasting life : and he that be- 
 lieveth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God 
 abideth on him," John iii, 36. " He that believeth on the 
 Son of God hath the witness in himself; he that believeth 
 not God, hath made him a liar : because he believeth not 
 the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the re- 
 cord, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is 
 in his Son. He that hath the Son, hath life ; and he that 
 hath not the Son of God, hnth not life." 1 John v. 10-12 
 
CHAP. IV.] CONDITIONAL SALVATION. 99 
 
 *' For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from 
 faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith. 
 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all 
 ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the 
 truth in unrighteousness," Romans i, 17, 18. " But after 
 thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself 
 wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the right- 
 eous judgment of God; who will render to every man ac- 
 cording to his deeds : to them who, by patient continuance 
 in well doing, seek for glory, and honor, and immortality : 
 eternal life ; but unto them that are contentious, and do not 
 obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness : indignation and 
 wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that 
 doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile," Ro- 
 mans ii, 5-9. "For the wages of sin is death; but the 
 gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord," 
 Romans vi, 23. "But every man is tempted, when he is 
 drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust 
 hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin ; and sin, when it is 
 finished bringeth forth death," James i, 14, 15. " But 
 there were false prophets also among the people, even as 
 there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall 
 bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that 
 bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 
 And many shall follow their pernicious ways ; by reason 
 of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And 
 through covetousness shall they with feigned words make 
 mercliandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time 
 lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. * * * 
 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of tempta- 
 tion, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to 
 be punished," 2 Peter ii, 1-9. 
 
 According to the system, this, and the entire language 
 of the Bible, bearing on the moral character and condition 
 of man — his faith and unbelief, his obedience and rebellion, 
 
100 COXDITIONAL SALVATION. [cHAP. IV. 
 
 his depravity and holiness, his happiness and misery, his 
 life and death, his salvation and damnation, have no relation 
 to, or connection with, his final salvation in heaven. And 
 the whole scene of punishment, suffering, and salvation, is 
 confined to this world, during the life-time of those who 
 are the subjects thereof. 
 
 That this extraordinary feature of Universalism will sur- 
 prise many, and even some of its own votaries, who are 
 but partially acquainted with its peculiarities, is highly pro- 
 bable ; but that it is a fair and impartial statement of the 
 case, is susceptible of the clearest demonstration. For ex- 
 ample: " He that believeth not shall be damned" — " shall 
 not see life" — "hath not life" — "but the wrath of God 
 abideth on him" — "the wrath of God is revealed against 
 him" — "he treasureth up unto himself wrath against the 
 day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of 
 God " — " indignation "— " wrath"-—" tribulation and an- 
 guish' — " sin when it is finished bringeth forth death" — 
 "for the wages of sin is death" — "bring upon themselves 
 swift destruction" — "whose judgment * * * lingereth 
 not, and their damnation slumbereth not," — " and to re- 
 serve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." 
 
 This solemn language of the Lord must necessarily ap- 
 ply to man in this world, the future world, or both. Should 
 Universalism admit that it applies to man in the future 
 world, the very admission would be an entire refutation of 
 the whole system ; for if men must meet their God in judg- 
 ment in the future world — be condemned, the wrath and 
 indignation of God fall upon them there — be denied the 
 blessing of eternal life, the life of holiness and glory— this 
 cannot be salvation, and consequently Universalism must 
 be utterly false. 
 
 And to allow that this language applies to men, both in 
 this, and the future world, does not alter the case, change 
 the conclusion, or relieve the system ; for if the above Ian- 
 
CHAP. IV.] CONDITIONAL SALVATION. lOt 
 
 guage is a description of men's case in relation to the fu- 
 ture, either in whole or in part, it must for ever demonstrate 
 the contrary of Universalism ; so that there is no alterna- 
 tive but for the system to confine this, and all correspondent 
 language of the Bible, to men in this life. The system, to 
 save itself, having to confine all the consequences of unbe- 
 lief and sin, the judgments, condemnation, wrath, and pun- 
 ishments of God upon the sinner, to this world, is compel- 
 led to confine all the consequences of faith, repentance, 
 salvation, and holiness of the pious, to this world also ; as 
 having no more reference to, or connection with, their final 
 salvation in heaven, than the unbelief and unholiness of 
 sinners have to their endless punishment in hell — a state 
 and place, according to Universalism, that never had a being. 
 The following declarations, therefore, all have direct refer- 
 ence to a salvation in this world : " He that believeth * * 
 shall be saved " — " hath everlasting life " — " hath the wit- 
 ness in himself" — "hath life" — "glory, and honor, and 
 immortality " — " eternal life." These, it will be recollected 
 by all who are acquainted with the Holy Scriptures, are but 
 a very small portion thereof, to the same eff'ect, and bearing 
 on the same point. That Universalism has to confine all 
 this salvation to this world, will appear from the following: 
 1. The salvation contemplated in this language of the Bible 
 must be sought for by man, and is the result of his reforma- 
 tion, faith, and obedience to God. This cannot be denied 
 without contradicting, as the quotations given hereafter will 
 show, the whole testimony of the Scriptures bearing on 
 this point ; as also, the experience and common sense of 
 every man living on earth. For, who has been saved, jus- 
 tified from the guilt of sin, had peace with God, the wit- 
 ness in himself, the love of God shed abroad in his heart 
 by the Holy Spirit given unto him, without seeking God — 
 without obedience and faith ? Not one. And who that has 
 thus sought the Lord by obedient faith, that has not obtain- 
 9^ 
 
102 CONDITIONAL SALVATION. [ciIAP. IV. 
 
 ed these blessings ? None. And who that has refused 
 thus to seek the Lord by faith and humble obedience, has 
 obtained this salvation. No one of our race. 
 
 2. This salvation by grace, through faith, is absolutely 
 necessary, in this life, to final salvation in heaven, or it is 
 not. If Universalism admits that it is, it thereby concedes 
 the whole question, and the concession must be the inevita- 
 ble ruin of the whole system ; for all who are not thus 
 saved by faith here, cannot possibly be saved hereafter in 
 heaven. And if, to avoid these consequences, it denies that 
 this salvation by faith is necessar)^ it must maintain that 
 neither repentance, faith, holiness, love to God, or any other 
 virtue or grace whatever, is necessary, in this life, in order 
 to final holiness and happiness after death; and that men' 
 are no more sure of heaven with all the faith they can ex- 
 ercise, and all the obedience they can render to God, than 
 they are if wholly destitute of all these moral qualities ; 
 and that God never designed the salvation of the Gospel to 
 have any bearing on, or connection with, man's final salva- 
 tion in heaven ; and of course, the whole is confined exclu- 
 sively to this world. 
 
 To make this still more clear, if it be possible that any 
 can yet doubt : If the system allows of any kind of neces- 
 sity for faith, obedience, and holiness in man here, in order 
 to salvation hereafter, it must involve the following contra- 
 dictions and absurdities. That is, unbelief cannot possibly 
 prevent man's final salvation in heaven, yet faith is neces- 
 sary to secure that salvation. Disobedience to, and rebel- 
 lion against God, cannot in any way endanger, or prevent 
 his salvation in the future world ; yet faithfulness, and obe- 
 dience to him in this world, are necessary to secure salva- 
 tion and happiness in the future world. As these contra- 
 dictions are perfectly irreconcilable, Universalism has no 
 way of escape from them, other than to confine the con- 
 demnation and salvation of the Gospel both to this world. 
 
CHAP. IV.] CONDITIO.NAL SALVATION. 103 
 
 and iliereby assume the responsibility of pronouncing the 
 whole Divine revelation utterly useless, as it regards man's 
 final salvation in heaven, and that man is as absolutely sure 
 of that blessing without, as he is with the Bible ; or if he 
 have it, in totally disbelieving and disobeying it, as he is in 
 believing its doctrines with the strongest faith, and obeying 
 its precepts with the most ardent zeal. But this is not all. 
 Universalism is found sustaining this remarkable attitude to 
 the Holy Scriptures : It goes, with professed confidence, 
 to them to prove the final salvation of men in heaven, after 
 having rejected the strongest and clearest language in the Bi- 
 ble as having no reference to, or connection with such salva- 
 tion ; such as, saved with everlasting life — saved with glory, 
 honor, immortality — eternal life ; and quotes such as these : 
 God's promise to bless all nations — Christ is the Savior of 
 all men, <fcc.; without one word in the text, or context, of 
 salvation in heaven : being saved with everlasting life — im- 
 mortal life — eternal life. And this is the more fatal to the 
 system, as it has been clearly proved, that God has blessed 
 all m an kind in Chnst, without that blessing alone saving 
 any one, and that Christ is the Savior of all men in this (j 
 \vorld. All these consequences, absurd, unscriptural, and 
 revolting to sober reason as they may be, are the result of 
 denying a conditional salvation by faith and holiness in this 
 life, as the only means of obtaining final salvation and glory 
 in the future world of endless bliss. The fact that the con- 
 trary of this doctrine involves such consequences, is strong 
 presumptive proof of the truth of the doctrine itself. 
 
 But let us now see whether the salvation of the Gospel, 
 which is offered to man alone on conditions of faith and 
 obedience, and which is withheld from the unbelieving and 
 disobedient, does not imply, and include blessings, which 
 are not, and cannot be fully enjoyed in this life, and of ne- 
 cessity belong to the future and heavenly world. 
 
 It is only necessary for our present purpose, to adduce a 
 
 li 
 
 If 
 
104 CONDITIONAL SALVATION. [cHAP. IV. 
 
 few Scriptures, and refer to some of the leading features of 
 this great salvation promised in the Gospel, in order to have 
 this part of the subject before us in its proper light. " Bles- 
 sed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, 
 and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my 
 sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your 
 reward in heaven : for so persecuted they the prophets 
 which were before you," Matt, v, 11, 12. " Lay not up 
 for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust 
 doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal : 
 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither 
 moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break 
 through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will 
 your heart be also," Matt, vi, 19, 20. "Labor not for the 
 meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth 
 unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto 
 you: for him hath God the Father sealed," John vi, 27. 
 " My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they 
 follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they 
 shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my 
 hand," John X, 27, 28. "To them who, by patient con- 
 tinuance in well doing, seek for glory, and honor, and im- 
 mortality ; eternal life," Romans ii, 7. " Reward in heav- 
 en" — " treasures in heaven" — "meat (or blessings) which 
 endureth unto everlasting life " — " I give unto them eternal 
 life" — "glory, and honor, and immortality; eternal life." 
 This is some of the language in which the blessing is ex- 
 pressed, and those are a few of the features of that blessing 
 of salvation as promised in the Scriptures. And as the Sa- 
 vior, in all his divine teaching on the subject, connects ever- 
 lasting life, eternal life, with, or indeed makes it the con- 
 summation of, the Gospel blessing, a correct view of that 
 life will gready assist in understanding the case under con- 
 sideration. 
 
 Life, in its lowest and common signification, means na- 
 
CHAP. IV.] CONDITIONAL SALVATION. 105 
 
 tural and temporal life, in opposition to natural and tempo- 
 ral death. This is too plain to require, or even to admit of 
 proof. In a second, and higher sense, it signifies morally, 
 spiritual life, in opposition to moral, spiritual death. " For 
 to be carnally minded is death ; but to be spiritually minded 
 is life and peace. * * * For if ye live after the flesh, 
 ye shall die : but if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the 
 deeds of the body, ye shall live," Romans viii, 6-13. 
 This spiritual life implies communion and fellowship with 
 God. " And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and 
 with his Son Jesus Christ," 1 John i, 3. The witness of 
 our acceptance with God. " The Spirit itself beareth wit- 
 ness with our spirit, that we are the children of God," Ro- 
 mans viii, 16. The love of God in the heart. " The love 
 of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost 
 which is given unto us," Romans v, 5. Holiness of heart 
 and life. " For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, 
 but unto holiness," 1 Thess. iv, 7. " But as he which hath 
 called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conver- 
 sation ; because it is written, Be ye holy ; for I am holy," 
 1 Peter i, 15, 16. And, "Follow peace with all men, and 
 holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord," Heb. 
 xii, 14. Everlasting, or eternal life, which is life in the 
 highest sense, must signify the perpetuation, or endless 
 continuance in heaven, of that spiritual life of love and ho- 
 liness, which is commenced in this world. 
 
 That the above is the only intelligible and Scriptural 
 view that the subject admits of, will appear beyond a doubt, 
 to any who will just suppose the contrary, and mark the 
 consequences which must inevitably follow. For exam- 
 ple : if natural life is not the opposite of natural death, men 
 may be naturally and literally dead and alive at the same 
 time ! Again, if moral spiritual life is not the opposite of 
 moral spiritual death, the same consequences follow— men 
 may be the subjects of spiritual life, through the renewing 
 
106 CONDITIONAL SALVATION. LCHAP. IV. 
 
 and sanctifying influences of the Holy Ghost, and at the 
 same time dead in trespasses and sin, under the influence 
 of the carnal mind. Absolute impossibilities ! But, fur- 
 thermore, if everlasting life, or eternal life, does not imply 
 the endless continuance in heaven of that spiritual life of 
 holiness and love, men may be the subjects of eternal life, 
 and yet be wholly destitute of such endless spiritual life, 
 and of course the subjects of spiritual moral death. 
 
 These contradictions and impossibilities cannot be avoid- 
 ed, only by admitting the correctness of the above view, 
 that everlasting life — the great blessing promised to man in 
 the word of God, and which is commenced in the heart in 
 this world by the renewing of the Holy Ghost — extends 
 to, and is only consummated in heaven. 
 
 If Universalism admits this, it concedes the point, that 
 the salvation of the Gospel includes blessings, which are 
 not, and cannot, be fully enjoyed in this world, and that 
 necessarily belong to the future world. If it denies this, 
 which it must do, and which is its true position on the sub- 
 ject, and sustains itself on that ground, it will not only not 
 prove universal salvation thereby, but will prove either uni- 
 versal condemnation, or universal annihilation. For if spir- 
 itual life implies the renewing of the Holy Spirit, (as we 
 have seen that it does,) holiness of heart and life, commu- 
 nion and fellowship with the Father and the Son ; and eter- 
 nal life implies the endless continuance in heaven of this 
 communion with God ; and yet as eternal, or everlasting life, 
 is confined exclusively to this world, and cannot extend into 
 the future, it is impossible to avoid the conclusion, that 
 man in the future world must be destitute of everlasting 
 life; that is, spiritual life and communion with God. And 
 as life is always the opposite of death, whether temporal or 
 spiritual, if man reaches heaven at all, it must be without 
 everlasting life; and if so, he must be spiritually the sub- 
 ject of everlasting death, danmation, or annihilation ! Uni- 
 
CHAP. IV.] CONDITIONAL SALVATION. 107 
 
 versalism, however, is not alarmed at the consequences of 
 annihilation; for it will be seen in another place, that it 
 really denies the immortality of the soul. 
 
 Leaving the candid, for the present, to reflect on the re- 
 volting consequences of confining the Gospel salvation of 
 everlasting life to this world alone, we will examine more 
 particularly the testimony of the Holy Scriptures on the 
 point. In his memorable sermon on the mount, as we have 
 seen, the Savior encourages his disciples patiently to en- 
 dure persecutions, which might continue through life, and 
 in many instances terminate in their death, and that they 
 should "rejoice and be exceeding glad." Wherefore? 
 Because they were in the full possession and enjoyment of 
 everlasting life ? Surely not; but because "great is your 
 reward in heaven." The same principle is established 
 when he instructs us to lay up for ourselves treasures in 
 heaven. "But now, being made free from sin, and become 
 servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the 
 end everlasting life," Romans vi, 22. Language cannot be 
 plainer than this is, in support of the doctrine, that the bles- 
 sing of everlasting life extends into the future and endless 
 world. 1. Those contemplated by the apostle are made free 
 from sin ; the highest degree of salvation in this life. 2. 
 Have become servants to God ; which implies, in this case, 
 all practical godliness. 3. As a blessed consequence, they 
 have their fruit unto holiness ; that is, all their tempers of 
 mind, and actions of life, are consistent with Gospel holi- 
 ness ; but, 4. So far is all this from being full salvation, 
 that they wait in joyful hope for the end — everlasting hfe. 
 It is, therefore, clear beyond all successful contradiction, 
 that the apostle believed and taught, that the full enjoyment 
 of the promised blessing of everlasting life, belongs alone 
 to the future world ; and there the saints will enjoy it in 
 endless perfection. "For 1 am now ready to be offered, 
 and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a 
 
108 CONDITIONAL SALVATION. [ciIAP. IV. 
 
 good fight, I have finished iny course, I liave kept the faith: 
 henceforth there is laid up forme a crown of righteousness, 
 which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that 
 day : and not to me only, but unto all them also that love 
 his appearing," 2 Tim. iv, 6-8. As well might you 
 attempt to illuminate the noon-day sun with a taper, as to 
 render this almost dying declaration of the apostle more 
 clear in proof of the doctrine under consideration. " Bles- 
 sed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us 
 again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ 
 from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, 
 and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who 
 are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, 
 ready to be revealed in the last time," 1 Peter i, 3-5. No 
 testimony can more fully refute the error of Universalism, 
 that the pious have their reward in this life, and that, in 
 reference to their final salvation, there is no difference be- 
 tween the pious and profane, than this of the apostle Peter. 
 Again : *' Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for 
 when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which 
 the Lord hath promised to tliem that love him," James i, 
 12. And that this reward, the crown of life, refers to the 
 future and heavenly world, is placed beyond a doubt by the 
 Savior. " Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee 
 a crown of life," Rev. ii, 10. 
 
 It would be easy to extend the proof to great length, that 
 the promised blessing of everlasting life, in its full and final 
 enjoyment belongs, necessarily, to the future world. And 
 just so far as this doctrine stands clearly proved by this 
 high, this Divine anthority, precisely in the same propor- 
 tion does the authority demonstrate the erroneousness of 
 Universalism. 
 
 The only remaining question to be settled under this 
 head is, has the TiOrd Jesus Cjirist prom i sod these hie."- 
 
CHAP. IV.] CONDITIONAL SALVATION. 109 
 
 sings — the incorruptible inheritance — the crown of right- 
 eousness — the crown of life — of glory — everlasting — eter- 
 nal life; all of which, as we have seen, necessarily belong 
 to the heavenly state, on the conditions of faith and holi- 
 ness alone ; or to the whole human family indiscriminately, 
 and irrespective of any moral quality or character in man 
 whatever in this world. The latter is the position that Uni- 
 versalism takes on this question, as has been already 
 shown ; and indeed there is no other ground it can possibly 
 occupy for a moment. For let Universalism grant that 
 eternal life in heaven, the rewards of grace, the honors and 
 distinctions of glory, which cannot be received and enjoyed 
 in this world, and which constitute man's final salvation and 
 happiness in heaven, are promised to man a/one on condition 
 of faith — faith that works by love and purifies the heart — 
 faith that overcomes the world — faith which implies all 
 Gospel obedience and holiness; that faith, obedience, and 
 holiness practically continued in till death, and without 
 which conditions being complied with by man, God can no 
 more bestow the final blessing on the disobedient and unbe- 
 lieving, than he can withhold it from the obedient and holy; 
 then the evidence, even demonstrations against Universal- 
 ism, thicken and multiply around it, just in proportion as 
 men reject those conditions on which God offers them final 
 salvation, and die impenitent, unreformed, and unholy. 
 And how vast the cloud ! melancholy cloud of witnesses 
 against the system ! And it is much to be feared that many 
 of its own votaries will swell the number. 
 
 To settle this point with a clearness bearing some pro- 
 portion to the great interest of man involved therein, we re- 
 mark, 1. In relation to our personal and final salvation, God 
 has absolutely forbidden our faith and obedience as a condi- 
 tion thereof; or, 2. He is absolutely indifi*erent with regard 
 to our faith and obedience, as a condition of our final salva- 
 tion in heaven ; or, 3. He does absolutely require our faith 
 10 
 
110 CONDITIONAL SALVATION. [cHAP. IV. 
 
 and obedience, as a condition of our final salvation in 
 heaven ; and without which it is impossible for him, con- 
 sistendy with his moral government and veracity, to save 
 man in endless glory. 
 
 This is, most unquestionably, a full and fair statement of 
 the case now under investigation, and to which none can 
 reasonably object. And we are surely safe in presuming, 
 that none who profess Christianity, and revere either the 
 Divine Being, or his holy word, will affirm that he has for- 
 bidden our faith and obedience as a condition of our salva- 
 tion, either in this or the future world. Such an affirmation 
 would not only be without the authority of the Scriptures, 
 but in open opposition thereto ; and in effect, would be a 
 renunciation of the Bible and Christianity together. And 
 if God has not forbidden faith and obedience, the subject is 
 brought down to two points : he is either indifferent to, or 
 absolutely requires them, in order to our final salvation. 
 
 If Universalism cannot affirm that God has forbidden 
 our faith, as a condition of final salvation, without renoun- 
 cing the Bible and Christianity, it cannot possibly admit 
 that he requires faith as a condition of final salvation, with- 
 out utterly renouncing itself; consequently, there is but 
 one point it can occupy, namely, the absolute indifference 
 of the Deity on the subject. We are fully aware, that it 
 is treating Universalism with a respect it does not deserve, 
 to attempt gravely to refute this position that it is compelled 
 to take ; but knowing that even its absurdities, if not met 
 on its own ground and exposed, are claimed as incontrovert- 
 ible proofs of the truth of the system, we follow and meet 
 it even here, on the ground that God is absolutely indiffer- 
 ent with regard to our faith and obedience, in order to final 
 salvation. 
 
 As indifference implies an equipoise, or neutrality of 
 mind, between different persons or things, a state in which 
 the mind is not inclined to one side more than the other, it 
 
CHAP. IV.] CONDITIONAL SALVATION. Ill 
 
 follows, according to the position under examination, that 
 God is perfectly neutral in regard to our faith or unbelief, 
 on the subject of our final salvation in heaven. And as the 
 Scriptures are the only infallible rule of decision in the 
 case, it may in all reason be expected, that they will be 
 either perfectly silent on the subject, indicating thereby the 
 absolute indifference of the Deity, or if the matter is men- 
 tioned at all, there will be as much said in favor of unbelief 
 as of faith ; or on the other hand, as much said in opposi- 
 tion to faith as there is to unbelief. That the indifference 
 of the Almighty on the subject is found in his silence, is 
 contradicted by almost every page of the sacred record. 
 And the following quotations will show, that so far from 
 faith and unbelief being placed on the same ground, the 
 former is always approved, and the latter condemned ; 
 which fact proves, to a demonstration, that God is not indif- 
 ferent on the point. " And as Moses lifted up the serpent 
 in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted 
 up : that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but 
 have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave 
 his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
 should not perish, but have everlasting life. * * * He 
 that believeth on him is not condemned ; but he that believ- 
 eth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed 
 in the name of the only begotten Son of God. * * * 
 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life : and he 
 that believeth not the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath 
 of God abideth on him," John iii, 14-16, 18-36. "Ver- 
 ily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my words, and 
 believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and 
 shall not come into condemnation : but is passed from death 
 unto life," John v, 24. " Then said they unto him. What 
 shall we do, that we may work the works of God ? Jesus 
 answered and said unto them. This is the work of God, 
 that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. * * * And 
 
112 CONDlTlOxNAL SALVATION. [cHAP. IV. 
 
 this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which 
 seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting 
 life ; and I will raise him up at the last day," John vi, 
 28-40. " Therefore, being justified by faith, we have 
 peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom 
 also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we 
 stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God," Romans 
 V, 1, 2. "I am crucified with Christ : nevertheless, I live ; 
 yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ; and the life which I now 
 live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who 
 loved me, and gave himself for me," Gal. ii, 20. "But 
 without faith, it is impossible to please God," Heb. xi, 6. 
 This definite language, with which the word of God 
 abounds, and which gives such prominence to faith, that 
 " whosoever believeth is not condemned" — "shall not per- 
 ish " — " is passed from death unto life " — " has peace with 
 God" — " access into his grace" — " rejoices in hope of the 
 glory of God" — "is crucified to the world" — "Christ 
 lives in him "■ — " Christ will raise him up at the last day " — 
 "and he shall have everlasting, eternal life;" and which 
 in the most unqualified terms utterly condemns unbelief, so 
 that the unbeliever displeases God — "is condemned alrea- 
 dy" — "shall perish" — "the wrath of God abideth on 
 him" — and he "shall not see life," must for ever be an un- 
 answerable refutation of the supposition that God has either 
 forbidden, or is indifi'erent to, our faith as a condition of 
 our salvation. And precisely with the same force and clear- 
 ness that this fact is proved, is the conclusion sustained, 
 that God absolutely requires our faith and obedience, as the 
 only conditions of salvation, not only from sin in this life, 
 but in its highest sense in heaven, as promised in the Holy 
 Scriptures. And this, as will appear from the few other 
 cases we will examine, forms the great cardinal doctrine of 
 the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is to be preached 
 throughout all time, and to the ends of the earth. " And 
 
CHAP. IV.] CONDITIONAL SALVATION. 113 
 
 he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach 
 the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth, and is 
 baptized, shall be saved ; but he that believeth not, shall be 
 damned," Mark xvi, 15, 16. 
 
 That this Divine commission is universal, will not be 
 denied by any, and especially by Universalism ; and that 
 the salvation and damnation contemplated are consequent 
 on faith and unbelief, is so clear that no proof can make it 
 plainer. And it is no less clear that the condemnation 
 threatened against the unbeliever, is the opposite of the 
 salvation promised on conditions of faith to the believer; 
 and the veracity of God would be no more violated to deny 
 salvation to the latter, than it would be to grant salvation to 
 the former while he continues in unbelief. It is therefore 
 clear, that as it is impossible for God to lie, he is as much 
 bound by his truth to inflict the punishment implied in the 
 damnation of the unbeliever, whatever it may be, as he is 
 to save the believer, whatever that salvation may imply. 
 To deny this would be a contradiction of Divine truth, as 
 it falls from the lips of the Son of God. 
 
 To feel the force of these facts, it is only necessary to 
 inquire, whether the salvation of the Gospel, as promised 
 to believers only, and the condemnation threatened to the 
 unbelieving, belong exclusively to this world, or whether 
 they extend into the future world? UniversaHsm, as we 
 have already shown, as the only alternative, aflirms the 
 former. And if this is, in fact, the doctrine the Redeemer 
 designed to teach in the universal commission to the Gos- 
 pel ministry, it will be perfectly right, and do no injustice 
 either to Jesus, or Universalism, to read this Divine charter 
 according to its true import. Thus, Go ye into all the 
 world, and preach the Gospel to all mankind : he that be- 
 lieveth and is baptized — obeys all its precepts as well as 
 believes all its doctrines — shall be saved ; that is, shall be 
 
 saved, not in heaven on condition of his faith and obedience, 
 10 '^ 
 
114 CONDITIONAL SALVATION. [cHAP. IV. 
 
 not from the punishment due to the sins he has already 
 committed, for God pardons none, but punishes for every 
 sin ; not from the commission of all sin hereafter, for no 
 man, according to the system, is saved from all sin in this 
 life ; not from the guilt of sin, it being a part of the pun- 
 ishment ; shall be saved, from what ? Why, nothing under 
 the heavens, only the practice of some (not all) sins in after 
 life. But further, the facts in the case are, and should in 
 truth and justice be so understood, that this faith required 
 by the Gospel has no more to do with man's final salvation 
 in heaven, than it has with the creation of the world ! 
 
 He that believeth not shall be damned. Where? Of 
 course in this world. When? Every sin he commits. 
 How? Why, either in his conscience, person, property, or 
 in all of them. But, furthermore, the Savior means, ac- 
 cording to Universalism, that the sinner may be the subject 
 of much of this damnation, and even glory in it ; and much 
 more of it may pass upon him, and he know nothing about 
 it. Not only so; but after all this, the sinner is as sure of 
 heaven, with all his unbelief and damnation on earth, as if 
 he was actually there, in the enjoyment of an eternal weight 
 of glory. 
 
 Universalism cannot deny the correctness of this view, 
 without wholly conceding the question; and to maintain 
 the position, stamps the whole system with the highest de- 
 gree of presumption, not to say blasphemy. 
 
 Now, Jesus Christ either did, or he did not, intend to 
 teach the revolting absurdities, which the system, by una- 
 voidable consequences, has to attribute to him. If he did, 
 it is impossible to defend his character, either for wisdom, 
 justice, holiness, or truth. If he did not, even open infi- 
 delity could not more grossly pervert his doctrines, or east 
 a darker cloud over the Divine Redeemer, than is attempted 
 by Universalism. And these consequences cannot be es- 
 caped, but by admitting that the salvation off'ered to man by 
 
CHAP. IV.] CONDITIONAL SALVATION. 115 
 
 the Savior, and through the ministry to the whole world, 
 includes not only deliverance from sin in this life, but 
 final salvation in heaven. And as the Lord Jesus Christ 
 himself proclaims, he that believeth and obeys, shall be 
 saved from sin — the guilt, practice, love and power of sin 
 in this world — and if he continues faithful to the end, he 
 shall be saved from all its effects and consequences, with 
 an everlasting life of glory in heaven ; while, on the con- 
 trary, he that believeth not shall be damned; the con- 
 demnation of God's violated law rests upon him here — he is 
 unholy, guilty, and rebellious ; and continuing in unbelief till 
 death, as a consequence, his damnation is consummated in 
 the eternal world. 
 
 Let us now see whether the apostles so understood their 
 Divine Master, so taught the world, and so lived and died. 
 Hear Paul, as already quoted: while in full view of speedily 
 approaching death, he reiterates the doctrines he had taught 
 during his whole ministerial life; and that too, that the 
 same might be proclaimed after his death, and be perpetua- 
 ted to the latest period of the world. " For I am now 
 ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at 
 hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my 
 course, I have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up 
 for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the 
 righteous judge, shall give me at that day : and not to me 
 only, but unto all them also that love his appearing," 2 
 Tim. iv, 6-8. 
 
 The crown of righteousness which he expected at the 
 hand of the righteous judge, could not be, as some have 
 supposed, merely the crown or glory of martyrdom ; for it 
 was not prepared for, and to be given to him, or the mar- 
 tyrs alone, but also to all them that love his appearing. 
 Now it cannot be denied, that millions of the pious, who 
 love the appearing of Jesus Christ, never receive a crown 
 of martyrdom; but this crown is for all who love him, and 
 
116 CONDITIONAL SALVATION. [cHAP. IV. 
 
 cannot be for the martyrs only ; and could be nothing less 
 than the blessing of everlasting life and glory. He ex- 
 pected this glorious crown and reward in heaven, as the 
 gracious gift of the righteous judge: and not on the ground 
 of merit, by any thing he had done, or could do, or suffer. 
 And, further, that this great reward would be conferred on 
 him and all others who may receive it, alone upon the con- 
 ditions of faith, obedience, and holiness. His own lan- 
 guage is in point: "I have kept the faith." This implies, 
 most unquestionably, that he believed the truth of God as 
 revealed in the Gospel, with a heart unto righteousness, 
 with faith that works by love and purifies the heart. *'I 
 have fought a good fight." I have firmly met, and pa- 
 tiently endured all opposition, persecution, and suffering. 
 "I have finished my course," of practical and personal ho- 
 liness, have perseveringly discharged all ministerial and 
 other duties. "I am now ready to be offered:" with all 
 the confidence of experimental faith and holy obedience, I 
 wait the will of God, to exchange earth for heaven. But 
 without this faith and holiness, he could not, by Divine au- 
 thority, have any such prospect or hope of endless happi- 
 ness and glory. 
 
 But for Universalism to admit that faith and holy obedi- 
 ence were absolutely necessary to his final salvation, would 
 totally ruin the whole scheme. Well, hear the apostle, 
 on the supposition that he was a Universalist : I am now 
 ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at 
 hand ; but I am no better prepared for, and am no more sure 
 of heaven and glory than I was when a bold persecutor of 
 Jesus Christ and his holy and harmless followers — than 
 when I was dragging men, women, and children to martyr- 
 dom and death. I have fought a good fight, I have finished 
 my course ; but in all this I have not promoted my own, 
 nor the salvation in heaven of an individual of our whole 
 race; and my own and (heir final salvation would have 
 
CHAP. IV.^ CONDITIONAL SALVATION. 117 
 
 been just as sure, if I had continued to oppose Christ and 
 his children till the present hour. I have kept the faith ; 
 but had I denied the faith, and lived in consummate infi- 
 delity ; and had I exterminated not only the faith of Jesus 
 Christ, but of the existence of God from the whole earth, 
 and established the universal reign of atheism, myself and 
 all mankind would have been, and would now be, as un- 
 conditionally sure of final holiness and happiness in heav- 
 en, as if now literally and eternally saved. Again : a 
 crown of righteousness, which the judge will give me, and 
 all them that love his appearing ; and not them only, but to 
 all that hate his appearing — to every class of sinners, 
 though they live and die in the deepest depravity and crime. 
 And they are as infallibly sure of this crown of righteous- 
 ness, as if it now adorned their heads before the throne of 
 God. 
 
 It is perfectly undeniable that, on Universalist principles, 
 the apostle at the time, and under the circumstances refer- 
 red to, might have, in all truth and justice, taught the above 
 doctrines. But if such were really his sentiments, and if 
 such be the truth as it is in Jesus Christ, Paul must have 
 been a traitor to both Christ and his Gospel ; for the world 
 may be challenged to point to a solitary instance, where the 
 apostle, in his entire ministry, ever promised heaven and 
 happiness to the man who lives and dies in unbelief and 
 unholiness, or on any other principles than faith in Jesus 
 Christ. Mark his emphatic answer to the inquiry, " What 
 must I do to be saved?" "Believe in the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and thou shalt be saved," Acts xvi, 30, 31. If, 
 then, Paul was not false to Christ and his truth, and yet 
 never promised salvation to man, either in earth or heaven, 
 only on conditions of faith and obedience, his testimony is 
 in perfect harmony with that of the Redeemer, in support 
 of the doctrine of conditional, personal, final salvation by 
 faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
118 CONDITIONAL SALVATION. [CHAP. IV. 
 
 But we will refer ag-aiu lo the testimony of Peter. He 
 points tlie hope of the Chrisiian directly, "to an inheri- 
 tance incorruptible, and undehled, and that fadeth not away, 
 reserved in heaven for those, who are kept by the power 
 of God, through faith, unto salvation, ready to be revealed 
 in the last time." That the inheritance and final salvation 
 are referred specially to heaven, cannot be denied without a 
 palpable contradiction of the apostle ; and this is not more 
 clear than the fact, that they must be sought and obtained 
 through faith in Jesus Christ. And according to God's 
 plan of saving sinners, it is not more impossible for faith to 
 save a sinner, independent of the gracious power of God, 
 than it is for the mere power of God to save sinners with- 
 out faith. But if there be yet any doubt on this point, let 
 us suppose Peter to have been a thorough and honest Uni- 
 versalist. Then the following language would have been 
 perfectly appropriate, and literally true, on the principles 
 of Universalism : " Blessed be the God and Father of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to his abundant mercy, 
 hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrec- 
 tion of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance," &c. 
 But all mankind are as sure of this inheritance without 
 hope as with it, and just as sure of it without the death 
 and resurrection of Christ as with them ; for man never 
 was exposed to any punishment or danger in the future 
 world, and, of course, Christ never saved him therefrom. 
 It is reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power 
 of God, through faith, &c. But not for the faithful only, 
 but for the unfaithful and unholy also ; and the principal 
 difference is, that unbelief and crime frequently bring the 
 cruel murderer sooner into the possession of it, than faith. 
 For example: My faith, claiming the interposition of Di- 
 vine Providence, delivered me from prison and the hands 
 of Herod, and I am not yet in possession of the heavenly 
 inheritance ; but Herod's unbelief and blasphemy hath 
 
CHAP. IV.] CONDITIONAL SALVATION. 119 
 
 brought him into all its fullness. The same conclusions 
 follow in the case of Peter as that of Paul ; only that Peter 
 not only denied Christ at his crucifixion, but was false to, 
 and concealed the provisions of his word and grace to the 
 day of his death, and even died without developing the 
 sublimities of Universal ism ; that God, with regard to sal- 
 vation in lieaven, makes no difference whatever between 
 the chaste and licentious, the honest and dishonest, the 
 faithful and unfaithful, the obedient and rebellious, the godly 
 and profane, the holy Christian and the presumptuous athe- 
 ist, but receives them all into heaven and glory as soon as 
 they close their patient piety, or daring crimes on earth ! 
 
 The declaration of the apostle James, as given above, is 
 also in point: " Blessed is the man that endureth tempta- 
 tion : for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of 
 life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." 
 A crown is supposed to be the highest worldly distinction 
 that can be conferred on man in this life, and the apostle 
 uses this in illustration of the final blessings of the faithful 
 in heaven ; that they shall receive the highest honors that 
 God can confer upon them, even a crown of life — endless 
 glory. That the blessing here referred to is to be enjoyed 
 in heaven, is too plain to require proof; and the only ques- 
 tion is, whether it is promised to all men after death, with- 
 out regard to faith or practice in this life, or only to those 
 who believe and obey the word of God. If the latter, his 
 testimony is directly in point. If the former, then, accord- 
 ing to Universalism, his real meaning is, the man that en- 
 dureth temptation shall be blessed, has the promise of the 
 crown of life ; but he is equally sure of it should he resist 
 no temptation, yield to all, and live and die in all possible 
 reveling and crime. 
 
 We will, before dismissing this point, adduce the testi- 
 mony of the apostle John, in support of a conditional, per- 
 sonal salvation in heaven, by faith, obedience, and holiness 
 
120 CONDITIONAL SALVATION. [cHAP. IV. 
 
 in this life. "Beloved, now we are the sons of God; and 
 it doth not yet appear what we shall be : but we know that, 
 w^hen he shall appear, we shall be like him ; for we shall 
 see him as he is," 1 John iii, 2. And Jesus says, "To 
 him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my 
 throne, even as I also overcome, and am set down with my 
 Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear 
 what the Spirit saith unto the Churches," Rev. v, 21, 22. 
 Here also, is direct reference to the heavenly glory prom- 
 ised to them that overcome ; and that this promise is not 
 made to the finally impenitent, and how those to whom it 
 is made are to overcome and obtain the blessing, is settled 
 by authority equally unexceptionable. " For whatsoever 
 is born of God overcometh the world ; and this is the vic- 
 tory that overcometh the world, even our faith," 1 John v, 4. 
 While the Holy Scriptures are treated with proper defer- 
 ence and respect — while Jesus Christ and his apostles are 
 allowed to be competent as witnesses, to establish any truth 
 in theology, the following points must be conceded: 1. 
 That the blessing of everlasting life, as promised to man in 
 the Gospel, cannot possibly be fully enjoyed in this life in 
 the flesh, and is necessarily reserved for the future and end- 
 less life of glory. 2. That this everlasting life of glory in 
 heaven, is promised to man alone on the conditions of failh 
 and holy obedience ; and as it is impossible for God to lie, 
 he cannot bestow this blessing on the unholy and finally 
 impenitent. It is, therefore, clear, that there is no alterna- 
 tive for Universalism, between rejecting the Bible as incom- 
 petent testimony in the case, and charging Christ and his 
 apostles with dissembling, and admitting the fact that God 
 does absolutely require of man faith — that faith which im- 
 plies repentance, reformation, and holiness — faith which 
 works by love and purifies the heart, in order to, and as a 
 condition of personal, final salvation in heaven. If the sys- 
 tem chooses the former, its infidelity will be disclosed; if 
 
CHAP, v.] DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSK. 121 
 
 the latter, the life and death of every impenitent sinner, are 
 a standing refutation of the whole theory. 
 
 In the lio^ht of a conditional salvation, by grace through 
 faith, we can contemplate the Almighty with the deepest 
 reverence, and most exalted love ; while we see every per- 
 fection of his nature distinguished, and every feature of a 
 consistent and efficient moral government maintained and 
 honored ; and that too in perfect harmony with the richest 
 and most sublime provisions of mercy and grace toward 
 man; and the whole Divine administration graciously adapt- 
 ed to the constitution and chaiacter of man, as an intelli- 
 gent, free moral subject of the Divine government. And 
 in this light the Holy Scripture is in harmony with itself, 
 with the character and government of God, and presents 
 the true character of man, his relation to God and his law, 
 his responsibility to both, the consequences of obedience 
 and rebellion in time and eternity. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE. 
 Divine Will and Purpose — God does not desire in the sense that 
 Man does — The Will and Purpose of God the rule of his own Ac- 
 tions — In this sense, Sovereign and Absolute — This Will the rule of 
 Human Actions — Ln this sense it may be, and is Resisted — The Divine 
 Will as a rule of Human Conduct, extends to all the actions of Man — 
 The Divine Being contradicts Himself — The Bible is not his Word, 
 or Universalism is wholly False. 
 
 Universalism, as if convinced of the untenableness of 
 its position in relation to the promises, prophecies, and invi- 
 tations of the Scriptures, virtually abandons the ground, 
 and seeks protection under, and claims support from the 
 sovereign, absolute will and purpose of God. Here it has 
 thrown around itself a plausibility which has, doubtless, 
 II 
 
123 DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE. [cHAP. V. 
 
 deceived, if not ruined many ; and unless it is exposed in 
 its true character, may deceive and ruin others. 
 
 The greatest errors have been passed off on the credulity 
 of man, and rendered more or less current, by connecting 
 them with some cardinal and important truths. Universal- 
 ism has fully availed itself of this principle in the present 
 case. And starting with the great truth that God had a 
 will, or definite purpose in the creation of man, it imper- 
 ceptibly to the unsuspecting, assumes that this will, or sov- 
 ereign purpose, embraces the unconditional salvation of all 
 mankind in heaven ; and to cover this assumption, it asserts 
 that the Divine will must imply this sovereign purpose, or 
 a mere desire with regard to the final salvation of man. 
 And having really, or supposedly refuted the latter, it claims 
 with great confidence to be supported by the former. One 
 fruitful source of error in matters of religion is, in attribu- 
 ting to the Divine Being more or less of those properties 
 and operations of mind that we see belonging to man, 
 among which is that of desire. That God may possess 
 desire in some peculiar and qualified sense, may be admit- 
 ted ; but that he desires in the same sense that man does, 
 is wholly inadmissible. For desire in man always implies 
 a future object, with more or less uncertainty, with regard 
 to its attainment and enjoyment. And if the object desired 
 be, when obtained, what he expected, its possession in- 
 creases his happiness ; if otherwise, his happiness is dimin- 
 ished or prevented, by the disappointment and mortification. 
 All this is the result of his limited knowledge and wisdom 
 to choose, and limited power to execute. But as God is 
 infinite in his perfections, and immutably happy in himself, 
 he cannot be the subject of desire in the same sense that 
 man is. No new acquisition can increase his immutable 
 happiness ; and he cannot be the subject of disappointment, 
 by which it could be diminished : from which it is clear, 
 that anv argiimentfs drawn from the rlrsirr?; of man. must 
 
CHAP. V.J DIVINE WILL AND I'UHPOSE. 183 
 
 be radically erroneous when applied to God. These facts 
 should be kept in view in the inquiry on the will of God; 
 and how far, and in what respect that will is sovereign and 
 absolute, in relation to the salvation of man. 
 
 The will of God may be considered, first, as the rule or 
 principle of Divine action ; in this sense it is absolute and 
 resistless. "Yea, before the day was, I am he; and there 
 is none that can deliver out of my hand : I will work, and 
 who shalllet (or hinder) it?" Isaiah xliii, 13. " And all 
 the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing : and he 
 doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and 
 among the inhabitants of the earth : and none can stay his 
 hand, or say unto him, what doest thou ?" Daniel iv, 35. 
 " Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault ? 
 For who hath resisted his will ?" Romans ix, 19. "In 
 whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predes- 
 tinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all 
 things after the counsel of his own will," Eph, i, 11. The 
 Divine will in this absolute sense, governed the entire econ- 
 omy of human redemption, and reigns in the administration 
 of God in the kingdom of his providence. 
 
 Secondly; the will of God is the rule of human actions 
 in this life, including both faith and practice. Christ saith, 
 *' For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my 
 brother, and my sister, and mother," Mark iii, 35. " For 
 ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord 
 Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctifica- 
 tion, that ye should abstain from fornication; that every 
 one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanc- 
 tification and honor," 1 Thess. iv, 2-4. " For ye have 
 need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, 
 ye might receive the promise," Heb. x, 36. "And the 
 world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth 
 the will of God abideth for ever," 1 John ii, 17. 
 
 These are but a few of (he numerous declarations of the 
 
Vi4 DIVINE ^VILJL AND PURPOSE. [CHAP. V. 
 
 Holy Scriptures, in direct proof that the will of God is the 
 rule of human actions ; but knowing that it is the policy of 
 Universalism to obscure this as well as other points in dis- 
 pute, we will endeavor to place this subject on indisputable 
 ground. 1. God has forbidden all sin of every kind and 
 degree, at all times, and under every circumstance in life. 
 2. He has enjoined on man all moral and religious duties, 
 in such a broad sense as to include all experimental and 
 practical, internal and external piety. These facts are as 
 plain as the fact that we have a Bible ; and to deny them, 
 is to deny that the Bible is the word of God. 
 
 Now the prohibitions of God against sin, and his require- 
 ments of faith and obedience, are made, either, 1. Without 
 any Divine will in the case; or, 2. In opposition to the Di- 
 vine will; or, 3. They are the declaration of the Divine 
 will in the case ; and that will, as thus revealed in the Bi- 
 ble, is emphatically the rule of faith and practice to man in 
 this life. 
 
 To attribute action or decision to God, either without a 
 will, or in opposition to his own will, is too absurd to re- 
 quire serious refutation; and Universalism must sustain 
 this absurdity, or admit that the will of God, as the consti- 
 tution of his moral government, is not only the rule of his 
 own sovereign actions, but is also the rule of action to all 
 mankind. There is one other point we wish to establish, 
 before we proceed to examine some of the Scriptures and 
 arguments by which Universalism attempts to sustain itself 
 under this head ; namely, does the will of God, as a rule 
 of faith and practice, extend to all, or only a part of man's 
 actions in this life ? 
 
 Universalism is always in difficulties when brought up to 
 this point; for having to make the will of God absolute in 
 relation to man's salvation, it has to choose bet\veen the 
 alternatives of an utter defeat, and exculpating man from 
 moral obligation, by limiting the Divine will to but a part 
 
CHAP, v.] DIVINE WILL AM) PLRPOSL. IS^ 
 
 of his actions in this world. Mr. Davis, a distinguished 
 defender of the system, in a public discussion in which 
 the writer took a part, gave the following illustration 
 of the will of God in man's salvation : " You," said the 
 gentleman, " have a son ; it is your will to give him a good 
 education. In order to this, it is your will to send him to 
 school ; but your will in the case, does not take into the 
 account how many fences he may cross in going to school, 
 nor whether he will leave the road to gather flowers, run 
 after butterflies, or even stop to dabble in the mud-puddle." 
 So, of course, according to the system, it is the will of 
 God unconditionally to save men in heaven ; but that will 
 does not take into the account, whether man, in going to 
 heaven, shall cross the path of truth and virtue, leave the 
 road of duty and holiness, to run after the flowers and but- 
 terflies of worldly pleasure, or even dabble in the mud-pud- 
 dles of licentiousness and crime ! What an apology for 
 sin, and what encouragement to sinners ! The Divine 
 will, as the rule of human conduct, must either, 1. In- 
 clude none of the moral dispositions of the heart, and 
 moral actions of the life; or, 2. It must include only a part 
 of them ; or, 3. It must extend its claims to all the moral 
 dispositions of the heart, and all the moral actions of the 
 life of man. 
 
 To admit that the will of God is the rule of faith and 
 practice, as has been shown to be the fact, and then assert 
 that it does not require either, is a contradiction, and absur- 
 dity ; the bare mention of which, is a suflicient refutation 
 thereof. And to affirm that the Divine will, as a rule of 
 human conduct, is limited to but a part of our actions, is 
 not less revolting; for, 1. It renders man perfectly inde- 
 pendent of his Maker, so far as his conduct is concerned* 
 by just so far as the will of God does not extend its claims 
 to all his actions. 2. And to whatever extent this release 
 from obliffJition to the will of God mav he, to the same ex- 
 11* 
 
126 DIVINE WILI. AND PURPOSE, [CHAP. V, 
 
 tent man may employ his lime and powers in sin, every 
 imaginable crime, withai?t violating the Divine will ; and a» 
 a matter of course, if man does not act contrary to the will 
 of his Maker, he acts in conformity thereto. 
 
 Whatever may be the true character of a system involv- 
 ing such consequences, it is certain, beyond a doubt, that 
 God cannot be its author, nor his word support it; and 
 Universalism has either to forfeit all claim to Scriptural 
 origin and support, or allow that the will of God is not 
 only a rule of faith and practice, but that it extends its 
 claims to the whole man, and requires humble faith and 
 universal obedience 
 
 We will now notice some of the Scriptures and argu- 
 ments claimed by the system under this head; "Who 
 will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowl- 
 edge of the truth," 1 Tim. ii, 4. " Having made known 
 unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good 
 pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the 
 dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather 
 together in one all things in Christ, both which are in 
 heaven, and which are on earth ; even in him : in whom 
 also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated 
 according to the purpose of him who worketh all things 
 after the counsel of his own will," Eph. i, 9-11. There 
 are other Scriptures quoted on the same point ; but these 
 are sufficient to show the manner in which Universalism 
 misapplies, not to say, perverts the word of God. 
 
 On the first text, Mr. Tliomas says, "I hold that the 
 declaration, God tvUl have all men to be saved, expresses 
 the determinate purpose of the Almighty. He will have 
 all men to be saved.''' On the second, he says, " In this 
 passage you will perceive, 1st. That the will, good pleas- 
 ure, and purpose of God are associated ; which fact de- 
 stroys the supposition that his will, in reference to the final 
 destiny of man, is only jnatter of desire. 2d. That the 
 
CHAP. V.j DlViNK WILL AND PURPOSE. 127 
 
 will, good pleasure, and purpose of God embrace the final 
 gathering of all things into Christ. 3d. That God pur- 
 posed this, not in man, (for if dependent on the creature it 
 might fail,) but in himself, in the immutability of his 
 own nature ; and, 4th. That he who revealed this glorious 
 and ineffably sublime mystery, ' ivorketh all things (not 
 according to the imaginings, faith, or works of man, but) 
 after the counsel of his own will.' The inference is, that 
 he HAS a will, yea, that his tvill is primary and indepen^ 
 dentr Theol. Dis., pp. 261, 262. 
 
 Mr. Peck, another prominent defender of the system, 
 says, on the first text, "The will of God is a fixed deter- 
 mination or purpose, which amounts to a decree ; and on 
 the second, " Then God has a will. That will is not sim- 
 ply a willingness, but a purpose ; and that embraces as its 
 object the salvation of all men." Sermon on 1 Tim. ii, 4, 
 printed at Montrose, Pa., 1833. We might multiply quo- 
 tations from Universalist authors, to show that the system 
 liolds the will of God in relation to the salvation of man, 
 to be his "purpose amounting to a decree," as "immuta- 
 ble as his Divine nature ;" but those given are sufficient. 
 
 Mr. Thomas, in opposing what he calls the " Arminian 
 cavil," says, "But the Arminian denial of the Divine effi- 
 ciency, is so completely inwoven with popular theology, 
 as to justify a farther exposure of its fallacy and infidelity. 
 To alledge that God has commenced an enterprise which 
 he will not effect, is an impeachment of his wisdom and 
 immutability; for it implies, that circumstances will arise 
 which will induce him wholly to relinquish his purpose, or 
 essentially to modify his plans; and the assertion that he 
 has purposed what he cannot effect, (no matter what the 
 obstacles may be,) is so palpable a denial of his infinite 
 power, that I marvel exceedingly when any one advances 
 the infidel hypothesis. It places the Supreme God in the 
 
128 DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE. [^CHAP. V. 
 
 pitiable condition of a man who begins to build, and is not 
 able to finish." Theol. Dis., p. 268. 
 
 Passing, for the present, the misrepresentation of Ar- 
 minian views, as given by Mr. T., we will attend to the 
 point in hand, the declaration, " Who will have all men to 
 be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth." 
 That the will of God in the text, includes the case of all 
 men, is readily admitted ; but that it is absolute, in ths 
 sense of being resistless by man, is denied; and for the 
 following reasons: First; men do actually resist the will 
 of God in reference to their salvation: "O, Jerusalem, Je- 
 rusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them 
 which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered 
 thy children together, * * * and ye would not!" 
 Matt, xxiii, 37. " He came unto his own, and his own re- 
 ceived him not," John i, 11. "And ye will not come to 
 me, that ye might have life," John v, 40. 
 
 In these and numerous other cases that might be addu- 
 ced, one of two things is inevitably true: 1. The Almighty 
 mocks and deceives man by charging him wath disobe- 
 dience and rebellion, when he only acts according to the 
 Divine will ; or, 2. Man may violate, or act in opposition 
 to the will of his Maker. To assert the former, is wicked- 
 ly to traduce the Divine character, and place it upon a level 
 with the basest of mankind. And Universalism has no 
 alternative but to make the charge, or admit the latter, that 
 man may resist the Divine will on the subject of his salva- 
 tion ; and such admission will be a total relinquishment of 
 the claimed support of all this class of Scriptures ; for one 
 truth is as strong as another, and while it is an immutable 
 truth of God that he has made provision for the salvation 
 of all men, and is his will that all men should be saved 
 on the terms he proposes, *' He that believeth shall be 
 saved," it is no less an eternal truth of God, that the unbe- 
 
CIlAl'. v.] DIVINE WILL AND PrRPOSK. 129 
 
 liever, who will not come to God that he might have life 
 and be saved, "shall be damned." 
 
 But, secondly, it is the will of God that man should be 
 saved from sin, and come to the knowledge of the truth in 
 this life, or it is not his will. That Universalism must 
 meet one or the other of these points, is reduced to an abso- 
 lute certainty ; and it is matter of no concern to us which 
 it chooses, for the choice of either makes its case hopeless. 
 If it affirms that it is not his will that man should be saved, 
 and come to a knowledge of the truth in this world, it must 
 of necessity be his will that man should continue in sin, 
 error, and ignorance, all the days of his life on earth. 1. 
 This would be a direct contradiction of the Divine word, 
 which declares, " This is the will of God, even your sanc- 
 tification," 1 Thess. iv, 3. And that this refers to man in 
 this life, is placed beyond a possible doubt ; for a part of 
 this salvation is, that ye abstain from " fornication." When ? 
 Surely, not after death. Where i Certainly, not in heaven ; 
 and, of course, in this world. But, 2. It would Divinely 
 authorize man to live in sin and unholiness all the days of 
 his life, and place the seal of God's approbation on every 
 crime committed by him. Universalism must bear all those 
 unholy consequences, so repugnant to the word of God and 
 every feeling of piety, or admit that it is the Divine will 
 that man should be saved in this world ; and if it does, it 
 must yield the question, and turn the very arguments used 
 to refute the " Arminian cavil," against itself. 
 
 To demonstrate this : God either has, or has not, made 
 provision for man's salvation from sin in this life. To 
 assert that he has not, while he says, *' Look unto me and 
 be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth;" and, "Behold, 
 now is the accepted time ; behold, now is the day of salva- 
 tion," is presumptuously to impeach the Divine veracity, 
 and contradict the Almighty. And if he has made this pro- 
 vision for, and oflers it to man, it is the Divine will, or it is 
 
IHO DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE. j^CIIAP. V. 
 
 not, that man shonld now be saved from sin. To say that 
 God has made tliis provision, and offers salvation to man, 
 but is not willing that he should now be saved, is to charge 
 infinite wisdom, truth, and goodness, with folly, falsehood, 
 and cruelty. The conclusion is, therefore, inevitable, that 
 it is the will of God that man should be saved from sin in 
 this world. But are all men thus saved ? Matters of fact 
 are standing proof to the contrary. 
 
 Then, according to Mr. Thomas' mode of reasoning, 
 " God has commenced an enterprise w^hich he will not 
 effect;" and his logic, "places the Supreme God in the 
 pitiable condition of a man who begins to build, and is not 
 able to finish." And there is no escape for Mr. T. and 
 Universalism, but to affirm, that God never "commenced" 
 the "enterprise" of saving, in this world, those who live 
 and die in sin ; and tliat they thus die impenitent, because 
 it is not the will of God that they should be saved. That 
 this is the real character of Universalism, much as the pub- 
 lic may be surprised at it, we proceed farther to show. 
 
 If man can oppose the will of God in rejecting the sal- 
 vation provided for, and offered to him in this world, and 
 live and die in sin, unless the immutable Jehovah can 
 change, man may be sinful and miserable eternally. Uni- 
 versalism, aware of this, takes the ground that man in no 
 case whatever can act contrary to the Divine will. Mr. 
 Davis, in the discussion already alluded to, stated that 
 " man is a free agent — he is free to behold, with admiration 
 and delight, all the beauties of nature and art; but to talk 
 about man's freedom in opposition to the will of God, is 
 like plucking God from his throne !" 
 
 Mr. A. Peck, who participated in the discussion, indorsed 
 the position, and added, " God knows all the effects of ex- 
 ternal circumstances on man; therefore, they are all in his 
 design." We have quoted from our notes, as taken down 
 at the time. Mr. AVhittnnore savs, that it is the will of 
 
CHAP, v.] DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE. 131 
 
 God that " not only those who lived on the earth while he 
 (Christ) was here, but all who lived before, and all who 
 have since lived, and all who shall live," shall be saved in 
 heaven ; and that " the will of God cannot be resisted." 
 Universalist Guide, p. 26. That the will of God is abso- 
 lute, and that man always does his will in every thing, ac- 
 cording to these gentlemen, is sufHciently plain, without 
 any comment of ours. 
 
 Again: Mr. Thomas says, on the agency and accounta- 
 bility of man: "In the judgment of Universalists, man is a 
 moral agent ; and all the agency he possesses is the gift of 
 God; and that to said agency no violence will ever be 
 offered by the giver. Nevertheless, we hold, that he who 
 is the author of, has the power to give to, the agency of 
 man such impulse, and to his will such a direction, as infi- 
 nite benevolence may prompt; and to do this in such a 
 way as not to contravene the liberty of the human mind, 
 * * * The Gospel, the Divine plan of salvation, views 
 man as he is, a sinner; and the removal of whatever per- 
 versity there be in the human will, and of all difHculties 
 which exist, of whatever kind, is provided for in the econ- 
 omy of heaven. Infinite wisdom devised the plan in con- 
 formity with the dictates of infinite love ; and infinite power 
 will effect the purpose of unbounded grace." Theol. Dis., 
 pp. 263, 269. 
 
 "With all the studied caution observed by Mr. T., in the 
 above statement, it contains all the elements of this revolt- 
 ing feature of Universalism. For man, with the agency 
 and will thus ascribed to him, either does, or he does not, 
 act contrary to the will of God on the subject of his salva- 
 tion. If he does, and is not saved because he will not come 
 to Christ that he might have life, then the point is given up, 
 that the Divine will that all men should be saved, does not 
 imply that they should be saved contrary to their own will, 
 mid without faith and obedience to lh«^ will of God. 
 
132 DIVINE MILL AND PLRPOSK. [cHAP. V. 
 
 Again: as "the author of, has tlie power to give to, the 
 agency of man such impulse, and to his will such direction, 
 as infinite benevolence may prompt;" and as "infinite 
 power will effect" the work; it follows, that in all the 
 crime of which man has been guilty, he has always been 
 under these "infinite" promptings, and directed by "infi- 
 nite power," which he could no more resist than he could 
 "pluck God from his throne." But, once more; God de- 
 signed to give to " the agency of man such impulse, and to 
 his will such a direction," and the " infinite power" to 
 effect it, as to save man from sin in this life, or he did not. 
 If he thus designed, as multitudes live and die in the gross- 
 est sins, and greatest rebellion, according to Mr. T.'s argu- 
 ment, " God has undertaken an enterprise which he will 
 not effect;" and this " places the Supreme God in the pit- 
 iable condition of a man who begins to build, and is not 
 able to finish." And there is no escape for Mr. Thomas 
 and Universalism, from the deadly force of his own artil- 
 lery, but to assert, that God did not design or will to save 
 all men from sin in this life. Then tlie conclusion must 
 follow, with all the force of demonstration, that his design 
 and will is, that men should absolutely live and die in sin 
 and unholiness. On this point, Mr. Ballon says, "Kit 
 should be granted," and he tries to prove it, " that sin will 
 finally terminate for good, in the moral system, it will then 
 be necessary to admit that God is its first cause, or we can- 
 not say that God is the author of all good. * * * If, 
 by real evil, (sin,) be meant something that ought not to be, 
 in respect to all the consequences which attend it, I cannot 
 admit of its existence. * * * Now, to reason justly, 
 we must conclude, that if God possess injinite wisdom, he 
 could never intend any thing to take place, or be, that will 
 not take place, or be ; nor that which is, or will be, not to 
 be, at the time when it is." Ballon on the Atonement, pp 
 17, 23, 36. 
 
CHAP, v.] DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE. 133 
 
 Proof can scarcely be clearer, that Universalism holds 
 that all men, at all times, and in all things, are doing the 
 Divine will. God never intended, or willed, which is the 
 same, in reference to the conduct of man, " any thing," or 
 action, " to take place, or be, that will not take place or be ;" 
 but it has not taken place that all men have been saved from 
 sin in this life, therefore, God never intended that they 
 should be saved. Again : " God never intended, or willed, 
 that which is, or will be, not to be, at the time when it is ;" 
 but it has taken place that men are infidels, atheists, rob- 
 bers, adulterers, seducers, and murderers, and all these too 
 under the most aggravated circumstances ; therefore, God 
 intended that they should all be at the time when they took 
 place, and they could no more be avoided, than " infinite 
 power" can be resisted, or *'God plucked from his throne." 
 
 According to this scheme, God is the absolute and effi- 
 cient cause, and man only the unresisting and obedient in- 
 strument of all the conduct of mankind. Then look abroad 
 upon this blood-polluted globe, and behold the scenes rising 
 in awful gradation, from the deliberate murder of an unof- 
 fending brother, till crime increasing in magnitude, martials 
 nation against nation, in the attitude of vengeance, and till 
 the bosom of the vast deep is stained, and the thirsty earth 
 bathed with human blood; and then reflect, that this is but 
 a single specimen of what has been transpiring for ages ; 
 and unless God should change, and become willing that 
 man should be saved from his sin in this " present Avorld," 
 they must be continued while the world stands. AVhat a 
 horrid imputation this on the character of the Almighty 1 
 
 In the light of these facts, and the testimony of Univer- 
 salism, as furnished in the quotations above from its distin- 
 guished authors, we proceed to establish one of three posi- 
 tions : 1. The Divine Being contradicts and denies him- 
 self, and is infinitely insincere in his administration toward 
 man ; or, 2. The Bible is not the word and will of God to 
 
 12 
 
134 DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE. [cHAP. V. 
 
 man, as a rule of faith and practice ; or, 3. Universalism 
 is utterly false, and a presumptuous traducer of both God 
 and his holy word. 
 
 It has been fully shown, that the existence of Universal- 
 ism depends on maintaining that God does not will the sal- 
 vation of all men in this world ; and that man cannot act 
 contrary to, and of necessity act in accordance with the 
 Divine will. It has also been clearly shown, that the Al- 
 mighty has authorized the publication of the Gospel to the 
 whole world, and given invitations, and made offers of sal- 
 vation to all mankind. Now, if he has not only not willed 
 their salvation, but has willed that many of them should live 
 and die unsaved, live and die in sin, he most unquestiona- 
 bly contradicts himself. God has proclaimed to man, 
 "Be ye holy, for I am holy," Lev. xi, 44 ; 1 Peter i, 16. 
 But if he has willed that men should not be holy, but live 
 and die in sin and unholiness, he denies himself, and gives 
 the clearest proof that he delights more in the corruption 
 and unholiness of man in this world than in his holiness, 
 his own Divine declarations to the contrary notwithstand- 
 ing. And if this is not infinte insincerity, actions and lan- 
 guage have no meaning. But if it is impossible for the Al- 
 mighty thus to dissemble, contradict, and deny himself, if 
 Universalism be true, the Bible cannot be his word and will 
 to man; for it represents God as saying, "Look unto me, 
 and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth ; for I am God, 
 and there is none else," Isaiah xlv, 22. And that this sal- 
 vation offered to, may be enjoyed by man in this world, is 
 rendered indisputable : " for the grace of God that bringeth 
 salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, deny- 
 ing ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, 
 righteously, and godly, in this present world," Titus ii, 11, 
 12. But, according to Universalism, it is not the will of 
 God that all men should be saved, and " live godly, in this 
 present world ;" therefore, the Bible is not the will of God, 
 
CHAP. V.J DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE. lS5 
 
 but wholly misrepresents him, and of course should be 
 rejected. 
 
 Again: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. * 
 
 * * Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve 
 them. * * * Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord 
 thy God in vain. * * * Remember the Sabbath day, 
 to keep it holy. * * * Honor thy father and mother. 
 
 * * * Thou shalt not kill. * * * Thou shalt not 
 commit adultery. * * * Thou shalt not steal. * * * 
 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. * 
 
 * * Thou shalt not covet," Exod. xx, 3-17. But men 
 do have other god's beside the great Jehovah, and actually 
 do bow down to, and serve them ; men do profane and bias* 
 pheme the Divine name ; men do profane and desecrate the 
 holy Sabbath ; men do actually dishonor their father and 
 mother, kill, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, and 
 covet. But, according to Universalism, nothing takes place 
 but what God intended, or willed should take place, or be, 
 at the time it occurs, and man has no power to act contrary 
 to the will of God ; therefore, all the idolatry, profanity, 
 dishonesty, perjury, theft, murder, with all other supposed 
 crimes against God and man, were intended by Jehovah, 
 and, of course, are in harmony with his will and purpose ; 
 and the Bible, which so sternly forbids, and unsparingly 
 condemns them, opposes the intention and will of God, and 
 thereby imposes upon, and cruelly deceives man. 
 
 In the development of this feature of Universalism, we 
 are conducted to an important point, where the candid reader 
 is called upon to decide in a matter involving the highest 
 interests of his immortal spirit, in time and eternity ; that 
 is, whether God, the Bible, or Universalism, is the great 
 deceiver of mankind. For that they can all be true, is as 
 impossible, as that truth and falsehood are the same ; or 
 that the deepest moral corruption should blend in eternal 
 
136 DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE. [ciIAP. V. 
 
 harmony with perfect holiness ; or the immutable Jehovah 
 change into perfect mutability. 
 
 At this point, while the candid inquirer after truth rejects 
 Universalism, and heartily believes the Bible, and rever- 
 ently obeys God, the atheist will profanely reject Jehovah, 
 and the infidel the Bible; and Universalism, professing to 
 believe the one, and worship the other, will embrace both 
 the infidel and the atheist in one common brotherhood, and 
 assure them that they are unconditionally sure of heaven, 
 though the former should live and die blaspheming the 
 Bible, and all that it teaches, and the latter live and die blas- 
 pheming the God of the Bible. What a traitor and tradu- 
 cer it must be, both of God and the sacred Bible ; and how 
 fully deserving the bold, apostolic rebuke, " O, full of all 
 subtilty and mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy 
 of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right 
 ways of the Lord?" Acts xiii, 10. 
 
 Such are the unavoidable consequences of denying, either 
 directly or indirectly, the moral agency of man, and his 
 accountability to his Maker, in that sober and rational light 
 in which it is recognized in the Scriptures, and corroborated 
 by the convictions and experience of mankind ; and resolv- 
 ing all the actions of men, and operations of human society, 
 into the absolute and sovereign will, purpose, or decree of 
 God. Contenting ourself, therefore, for the present, with 
 exposing the absurdities of the theology, without stopping 
 to correct either the logic, or metaphysics of the gentlemen 
 quoted above, or Universalism in general, we remark, fur- 
 ther, in conclusion, that the will of God, as has been shown, 
 is the rule or principle of Divine action, and as such, may 
 be considered positive and negative. The former, imply- 
 ing all that he does ; among which is included the ample 
 provision he has made for the salvation of all men, and a 
 revelation of his will to man as the rule of his faith and 
 practice. The latter implies all that he permits to be done 
 
CHAP, v.] DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE. 137 
 
 by man. But in this latter case, let it be distinctly recol- 
 lected, that what he permits to be done must be understood 
 in a two-fold sense. 1. In the absence of a direct expres- 
 sion of the Divine will, he may permit, in the sense of ap- 
 proving or approbating, what is done. For example, Paul 
 says, " But I speak this by permission, and not of com- 
 mandment," 1 Cor. vii, 6. In this case, God, doubtless, 
 perfectly approved what the apostle was thus permitted to 
 speak, without a direct command. 2. But the will of God, 
 by which he permits other actions of men, must be under- 
 stood in a widely different sense ; for though he expressly 
 forbids, and utterly disapproves of the actions, he never- 
 theless permits them to take place. That is, he does not 
 interpose a superior power, and thereby prevent their per- 
 formance ; but in this sense permits the agent, on his own 
 responsibility, to do those things, though emphatically for- 
 bidden, and holds him answerable for them in the day of 
 final judgment and retribution. This is perfectly clear from 
 the following Divine testimony : " Ye shall make you no 
 idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing im- 
 age, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your 
 land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God," 
 Lev. XXV i, 1. 
 
 This language of prohibition and disapprobation is une- 
 quivocal ; and yet the Almighty, in the sense above ex- 
 plained, permitted all those prohibitions to be violated, and 
 all those crimes to be committed. "And they set them up 
 images and groves in every high hill, and under every green 
 tree : and there they burnt incense in all the high places, as 
 did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them ; 
 and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger : 
 for they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, 
 Ye shall not do this thing," 2 Kings xvii, 10-12. 
 
 From these testimonies and facts, it follows, that just so 
 clear as is the proof that the immutable Deity cannot change, 
 12*^ 
 
138 DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE. [cHAP. V. 
 
 infinite justice and goodness act cruelly, infinite wisdom 
 commit error, infinite holiness love sin, or the veracity of 
 God prove utterly false, and the Bible an impostor, by just 
 so clear is the proof, that Universalism is wholly erroneous, 
 and that man is a moral agent, in that sense which implies 
 liberty of choice, either in accordance with, or in opposi- 
 tion to, the will of God ; and that, too, in those things which 
 concern his present and eternal salvation. And in the abuse 
 of that liberty and agency, he may slight and neglect the 
 grace of God, that bringeth salvation unto all men — that 
 true Light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the 
 world ; may quench or resist that Spirit, a manifestation of 
 which is given to every man to profit withal ; and refuse to 
 come to God that he might have life, continue in unbelief, 
 condemnation, and moral death here ; and because he prac- 
 tically counts himself unworthy of eternal life, die unholy, 
 and go away to everlasting punishment hereafter, in the 
 future and endless world. 
 
 On the other hand, as a redeemed sinner under the pro- 
 visions of Divine giace, in the proper use of this liberty, 
 he may choose life by faith in Jesus Christ, render obedi- 
 ence to the will of God, be saved from sin here, and from 
 all its consequences hereafter. And the fact that God 
 may restrain, or enlarge the liberty of man, either physical 
 or intellectual, for a particular purpose, so far from affecting 
 the above view of the subject, only confirms it; for those 
 cases, if they occur, are confessedly exceptions to the 
 general principles of action, and there can be no such ex- 
 ceptions without a general rule. 
 
 Any other view of this subject must impeach every per- 
 fection of the Divine character, or convict the Bible as the 
 grossest deception ever passed off" upon mankind. Univer- 
 salism, fully conscious that the community is not ripe for 
 open infidelity, by attempting to convict the Bible ; nor for 
 atheism, by rejecting the author of the Bible; and appre- 
 
CHAP. VI.] FOREKNOWLEDGE. 139 
 
 hensive, when pressed on this point, that itself must be 
 convicted, flies, as to a city of refuge, to the foreknowledge 
 of God, and attempts to seek protection there, from the 
 gathering storm. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 FOREKNOWLEDGE. 
 
 Foreknowledge — Must refer to and include th€ Infinite Wisdom and 
 Knowledge of God — Must imply his Infinite Wisdom and Knowl- 
 edge — Or it implies more, or less, than this — If Human Actions 
 are necessary because they are Foreknown, either God or Man must 
 be the cause of that necessity — Consequences. 
 
 On this confessedly sublime and incomprehensible sub- 
 ject, we do not intend to indulge in mere speculation, but to 
 submit some practical reflections, sufficient to show that 
 Universalism can derive no possible support from this 
 source. 
 
 To avoid the revolting consequences which follow the 
 position the system takes with regard to the will and pur- 
 pose of God, and the agency and accountability of man, it 
 resorts to the foreknowledge of God, and maintains that, 
 as an Infinite Being, he foresaw from all eternity, with ab- 
 solute certainty, every action of man, with all their circum- 
 stances and consequences, in time and in eternity ; and to 
 affirm that any of those actions or events will not take place 
 just as they were foreknown, would conclude against the 
 infinity of God; and to allow that they will occur just 
 as they were foreknown, renders their occurrence abso- 
 lutely necessary ; and as the Divine plan includes the un- 
 conditional holiness and happiness of all mankind in heav- 
 en, this will cover all consequences, whatever they may be. 
 
 This position derives all its apparent strength from, 1. 
 Asserting that the Divine plan of saving sinners, includes 
 the absolute salvation of all men in heaven ; and, 2. Assu- 
 
140 FOREKNOWLEDGE. [cHAP. VI. 
 
 ming that certainty on the part of Divine foreknowledge, is 
 precisely equivalent to absolute necessity on the part of 
 man, as it regards human actions, and their results for time 
 and eternity. The former has already been shown to be 
 wholly false and unscriptural ; and on examination, it will 
 be seen, that the latter is not less so. 
 
 That the subject of the Divine foreknowledge may be un- 
 derstood, so far as man's practice is concerned, it may be 
 remarked, that the foreknowledge, as revealed in the Holy 
 Scriptures, must refer to, and include, the infinite wisdom 
 and knowledge of God, or it does not. To say that it does 
 not, is to exclude the infinite wisdom and knowledge of 
 God from his foreknowledge, or to maintain that the Divine 
 foreknowledge exists without either wisdom or knowledge. 
 This is a contradiction — an absurdity. And if the fore- 
 knowledge of God refers to, and includes, his infinite wis- 
 dom and knowledge, it must imply either, 1. His infinite 
 wisdom and knowledge alone; or, 2. It must imply more 
 than his infinite wisdom and knowledge; or, 3. It must 
 imply less than his infinite wisdom and knowledge. To 
 allow that foreknowledge is a perfection of the Divine na- 
 ture and character, and assert that it is less than his infinite 
 wisdom and knowledge, is to maintain that God has, at 
 least, one perfection of his nature that is not infinite ; and 
 of consequence, he is not absolutely infinite in his nature, 
 character, and perfections. Such a conclusion would be a 
 near approach to atheism. 
 
 And the conclusion will be no less erroneous, on the 
 ground that foreknowledge refers to, and includes, the infi- 
 nite wisdom and knowledge of God, to assert that it is more 
 than infinite ; for that is an absolute impossibility. It there- 
 fore follows clearly, that in contemplating the foreknowl- 
 edge of God, we are contemplating nothing more nor less 
 than his infinite wisdom and knowledge, operating in per- 
 fect harmony with every other perfection and attribute of 
 
CHAP. VI.] FOREKNOWLEDGE. 141 
 
 his nature and character. And in the operations of this 
 infinite mind, according to his foreknowledge, or infinite 
 wisdom and knowledge, God has given man his will or law, 
 (not his foreknowledge,) as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, 
 as the rule both of our faith and practice ; which, as has 
 been shown already, recognizes man as an intelligent, free 
 moral subject of the Divine government; and which, also, 
 reveals God to us as the infinitely wise, just, good, and holy 
 moral governor, and final judge of the universe. That this 
 is the light in which this subject is recognized in the Holy 
 Scriptures, the following instance will show : 
 
 " Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, 
 through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and 
 sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ," 1 Peter i, 2. In 
 this Divine declaration, in which his foreknowledge is so 
 intimately connected with man's present and eternal inter- 
 ests, the following particulars are most prominent; namely, 
 1. The great end proposed, the "election," or the present 
 and final salvation of man. 2. The means by which this 
 end is to be obtained — " through sanctification of the Spirit, 
 unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. 
 3. The origin and author of this great scheme of grace and 
 mercy toward man, " God the Father;" and this whole plan 
 has been devised, and the provision made, "according to 
 his foreknowledge," or the infinite wisdom and knowledge 
 of God. And that infinite wisdom has included among the 
 means, and as an indispensable condition of our "election," 
 or salvation, the influence of the Divine Spirit upon our 
 hearts, enabling us penitently to believe, and humbly to 
 obey the law and will of God; and an application of the 
 blood of Jesus Christ to our soul, in our justification, re- 
 generation, and sanctification. 
 
 From which it must be clear to every candid mind, that 
 as the whole system of human redemption and salvation, 
 was arranged and executed according to the foreknowledge 
 
142 FOREKNOWLEDGE. [CHAP. VI. 
 
 of God the Father — that is, according to his infinite wisdom 
 and knowledge — unless the immutable Jehovah can change, 
 contradict and deny his own Divine plans, impose on, de- 
 ceive, and unjustly and cruelly treat his creatures, his fore- 
 knowledge can have no possible influence on the hearts and 
 lives of mankind contrary to that plan of government and 
 salvation, devised according to that foreknowledge, as re- 
 vealed in the Bible. With this view of the subject alone, 
 Universalism has either to give up the claimed support de- 
 rived from the foreknowledge of God, or wholly reject the 
 Scriptures as a rule of faith and practice to man. 
 
 But, with the above explanation and statement of the 
 case, we come next to inquire more particularly, whether 
 human actions certainly foreknown on the part of God, are, 
 thereby, rendered absolutely necessary on the part of man. 
 The whole strength of this assumption by Universalism, 
 lies in the supposed absolute necessity laid on all human 
 conduct, because it is foreknown with certainty by the Al- 
 mighty. For the sake of argument, we will allow the sys- 
 tem to make that necessity laid on human actions just as 
 strong, and to extend it just as far, as it may choose; and 
 then it must follow, 1. That this necessity, whatever may 
 be its character, strength, and extent, must have an agent, 
 or author, in whom it originates, and by whom it is exerted 
 and rendered effective. 2. This agent, or author, in whom 
 it originates and that makes it effective, must necessarily be 
 God, or it must be man himself. 
 
 If Universalism admits that man, according to his own 
 constitution and character, in his own proper sphere of 
 moral action, as an intelligent subject of God's moral gov- 
 ernment, is the proper and responsible origin and author of 
 his own volitions, and consequent moral conduct, it thereby 
 relinquishes the whole argument, and all support drawn 
 from the foreknowledge of God. On the other hand, if it 
 will not make the admission, it must attribute the supposed 
 
CHAP. VI.] FOREKNOWLEDGE. 143 
 
 necessity, that governs human conduct, to God ; and thereby 
 make him the sole, necessitating cause, or author, of all 
 the actions and works of mankind in all ages of the world. 
 And as it is a fact which cannot be denied, that every per- 
 fection and attribute of the Divine character has been op- 
 posed, every doctrine of the Bible disbelieved, and every 
 precept therein revealed, violated and disobeyed by man ; 
 and as God has declared, as the Bible everywhere testifies, 
 that he will punish the impenitent sinner for these offenses, 
 if God's foreknowledge rendered all these things absolutely 
 and unavoidably necessary, one of two conclusions must 
 inevitably follow : either that God will not punish the 
 wicked for their sins, which would rob the Divine character 
 of all veracity, and make him utter falsehood on almost 
 every page of the Bible ; or that he punishes men for doing 
 the very things which his foreknowledge necessitated them 
 to do, and which they could not possibly avoid, and for not 
 doing that which it was utterly impossible for them to do. 
 Atheism itself could not offer a greater indignity to the Di- 
 vine character, than either of those conclusions would be. 
 From this brief view of this subject, we are forced to 
 the conclusion, unless we reject the Divine character as 
 revealed in the Bible, or the Bible containing that revela- 
 tion, that whatever mystery may belong to the subject of 
 Divine foreknowledge, and the free moral agency of man, 
 there is no contradiction or inconsistency in believing that 
 the infinite Jehovah so constituted, and so governs man, 
 that in his appropriate and limited sphere of action, he is 
 as much the author of, and free in his own moral conduct, 
 as God is certain in his own foreknowledge ; and that the 
 creation and government of such a being as man, on such 
 just and equitable principles, is worthy the character of 
 God. Universalism has to choose between the alternative 
 of yielding the argument, or meeting all the consequences 
 that follow the contrary view of the subject already shown. 
 
144 PATERNAL LOVE OF GOD. [cHAP. VII. 
 
 If it chooses the former, it o-ives up all support from this 
 source, and is again dislodg-ed from its retreat, and must 
 seek shelter elsewhere. If it chooses the latter, it becomes 
 the advocate of all the crimes of every character and degree 
 committed by man upon earth, and the traducer of both 
 God and the Bible. The latter, for prohibiting all sin, 
 while God's foreknowledge has rendered it unavoidable, 
 and for requiring obedience and holiness, when God, by his 
 foreknowledge, has rendered them impossible ; the former, 
 for first necessitating all the sin in the world, and then pun- 
 ishing the sinner for doing what was unavoidable, and for 
 not doing that which was as impossible for him to do, as it 
 was to raise the dead, command the sun from his throne in 
 the heavens, or create a world. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PATERNAL LOVE OF GOD. 
 
 Paternal Love of God — Arguments drawn from the conduct of 
 Earthly Parents towards their Children, false when applied to God — 
 Wherein the falseness of such Arguments consists — Universalism 
 cannot escape the Consequences that must follow. 
 
 Universalism has long been in the habit of exhausting 
 its stores of subtilty and sophistry, in so magnifying some 
 of the perfections of God, and some of his relations to 
 man, as thereby to obscure, and virtually destroy others, 
 and practically annihilate the harmony of the Divine char- 
 acter and administration. 
 
 Doubtless this course has been, and still is, so tenaciously 
 adhered to, with a design to divert public attention from the 
 real character of the system, and thereby escape exposure. 
 As God is called a Father in the Scriptures, the system 
 argues that all good earthly fathers will consult the best 
 possible good of their offspring ; and the only reason their 
 children are not completely happy, is, the want of wisdom 
 
CHAP. VII.] PATERNAL LOVE OF GOD, 145 
 
 in their parents to devise, and power to effect their benevo- 
 lent designs for their children. But God, as a father, is 
 not only infinite in goodness, moving him to consult the 
 best possible good of his children ; but he is infinite in 
 wisdom to devise, and power to execute his benevolent 
 plans for the greatest happiness of man ; and as the uncon- 
 ditional salvation of all mankind in heaven is the greatest 
 possible good to man, if God has not designed this, he is 
 less good to his children than an earthly father. This sup- 
 position would impeach the Divine goodness and love. 
 But infinite goodness has designed this for man, and infinite 
 wisdom has devised the scheme, and infinite power is pledg- 
 ed for the accomplishment of the whole work ; and to sup- 
 pose that any part thereof will fail, is to deny his infinite 
 power, and consequently destroy the Divine character. In 
 this argument, the paternal relation and love of God are so 
 exalted, as to render all his perfections, and all other rela- 
 tions to man, merely subservient to these, in order to reach 
 the conclusion that all men must absolutely be saved in 
 heaven. By the same process of reasoning, a directly op- 
 posite conclusion may be arrived at. For example : the 
 infinite holiness of God must prompt him to inflict the 
 greatest possible punishment on all who oppose his holi- 
 ness ; but the greatest punishment is their unconditional 
 and endless perdition in the future world, and if he does 
 not inflict this on the sinner, he is disregardless of his holi- 
 ness. But as the infinite holiness of God cannot be im- 
 peached, he has designed this punishment, and infinite wis- 
 dom, in accordance with the dictates of infinite justice, has 
 devised the scheme ; and to prevent the possibility of a 
 failure, the infinite power is pledged to execute what infinite 
 holiness, wisdom, and justice have designed. But who 
 have sinned and opposed the holiness and justice of God ? 
 " We all, like sheep, have gone astray," Isaiah liii, 6. 
 *' All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," 
 
146 PATERNAL LOVE OF GOD. [cHAP. VII. 
 
 Romans iii, 23. Therefore, all men must be endlessly 
 punished. 
 
 This argument on the infinite holiness and justice of 
 God, for the final, endless perdition of all men, is precisely 
 as sound and strong as that of Universalism on the infinite 
 goodness and paternal relation of God, for the absolute, 
 final salvation of all men. It is, therefore, indisputably 
 clear, that a mode of reasoning that will support conclu- 
 sions so diametrically opposite, must be absolutely sophis- 
 tical, and utterly false. 
 
 But take another view of this argument. A good earthly 
 father will not only make the best provision for the future 
 well-being of his children, but will also consult and provide 
 for their happiness at the present. Would he see his chil- 
 dren growing up in ignorance, if he could instruct? Would 
 he see them suflfering cold, hunger, thirst, oppression, injus- 
 tice, sickness and death, without relieving them, if it was 
 in his power ? Surely not. An earthly father, who would 
 see his children suffering all, or any of these calamities, 
 without relieving them if he could, would be counted a 
 monster of cruelty. Universalism, after presenting the 
 benevolence of earthly parents, frequently quotes, exult- 
 ingly, " But if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts 
 unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly 
 Father give good things to them that ask him?" Matt. 
 vii, 11. As the Divine Being is infinitely better than 
 earthly parents, and possesses infinite wisdom and power 
 to accomplish the plans of his benevolence to man, it will 
 therefore follow, from this mode of Universalist reasoning, 
 that God, as a father, will save his children (all mankind) 
 from, at least, all the sufferings and woes that a good earthly 
 father would save his children from. But what are the 
 facts in the case ? Are men thus saved ? Unquestionably 
 not. To affirm which, would contradict almost every 
 page of the entire history of tlie Imman family. Is there a 
 
CHAP. VII.] PATERNAL LOVE OF GOD. 147 
 
 member of the family of Adam, or will there be one, who 
 has not suflered, or will not sujETer more or less, from which 
 a good earthly father would not deliver his children ; or 
 rather, if he possessed the power, would not prevent? 
 None, in their right mind, can question this ; and yet, God 
 has suffered these untold calamities, in succession, to befall 
 man for nearly six thousand years. From all those facts, 
 it follows, without a doubt, either, 1. That the reasoning of 
 Universalism on this point is wholly false; and that in view 
 of all the perfections of God, and his relations to man, it is 
 perfectly consistent with his character and government to 
 allow men to suffer in this world, (and unless the Immutable 
 can change, in the endless world also, in consequence of 
 their depravity and sins,) what good earthly fathers would 
 deliver their children from, if they had the means and the 
 power; or, 2. That God is deficient in goodness, wisdom, 
 and power; or, 3. That his goodness requires, and his wis- 
 dom and power procure, all the human sufferings in the 
 universe, as necessarily connected with, and leading to, 
 man's greatest good and final salvation. 
 
 To admit the first, w^ould be alike totally ruinous on this 
 point to the logic and theology of Universalism. To affirm 
 the second, would be consummately wicked ; and the sys- 
 tem has no ground to occupy but the third — that God re- 
 quires all that man does and sufl^ers in this world, as essen- 
 tial parts of, and means, in his absolute holiness and happi- 
 ness in heaven. We will give unquestionable authority, to 
 show that this is the true position of Universalism. 
 
 Mr. A. C. Thomas says, " Nevertheless, we hold that 
 he who is the author of, has the power to give to, the 
 agency of man such impulse, and to his will such a direc- 
 tion, as infinite benevolence may prompt. * * * Infi- 
 nite wisdom devised the plan in conformity with the dic- 
 tates of infinite lo\ e, and infinite power will effect the pur- 
 pose of unbounded grace." 
 
148 PATERNAL LOVE OF GOD. [cHAP. VII. 
 
 Mr. J. Kidwell, in giving an account of a sermon preach- 
 ed by himself, and which converted him from orthodoxy, 
 referring to his own remarks on the infinite wisdom of 
 God, says, " After taking this sudden flight of imagination 
 through infinite space, and an unbounded eternity, I ob- 
 served, secondly, as God was almighty in power, his 
 almighty power stood ready to execute any plan which 
 infinite wisdom could devise." Referring to the present 
 state of things, he continues, "and had we the eye of om- 
 niscience, to take a general view of all its parts, and scan 
 its future operations, and the new forms it may assume, till 
 the purposes of infinite wisdom are consummated, we 
 would, no doubt, see the whole scene resulting in the su- 
 preme good of the universe." Discussion between Kid- 
 well and Ray, epistle to the reader, pp. 5, 6. 
 
 " The supreme good of the universe," according to Uni- 
 versalism, is the unconditional salvation of all mankind in 
 heaven ; and the present state of things, including all hu- 
 man sins and sufi'erings, are devised by infinite wisdom, 
 and executed by infinite power. 
 
 Mr. H. Ballou says, " By the infinite wisdom and good- 
 ness of the Almighty, sin may be of advantage even to the 
 sinner himself. * * * If the infinitely wise and good, 
 intended any one thing for good, which we rightly call sin, 
 that event, in respect to the Divine intention, is not sin. * 
 * 1 will now state two particulars: * * * 1st. Man 
 is dependent, in all his volitions, and moves by necessity. 
 2d. The Almighty has a good intention, in every volition 
 of man. * * * It was in the system of Divine wis- 
 dom, that man should experience a consciousness of sin 
 and guilt. * * * If sin and guilt had never been intro- 
 duced into our system, the plan of grace, by atonement, 
 could never have been exhibited. Sin and guilt could never 
 have existed, providing there had been no prohibition com- 
 municated to the intelligent mind; and, on the other hand. 
 
CHAP. VII. J PATERNAL L iVE OF GOO. 149 
 
 if the mind possessed as much liberty to go contrary to in- 
 ducements, as it does inclination to follow them, induce- 
 ments would have no possible effect. * * * If God 
 purposed that man should come to the knowledge of his 
 own infirmities in the way that he does, he must have 
 intended all the means whereby the purpose might be ac- 
 complished." Ballou on the Atonement, pp. 60, 64, 65. 
 
 This testimony, which is of the highest authority, 
 shows, to the exclusion of all doubt, that Universalism 
 maintains that God has devised the plan and means, and 
 influences the agency and will of man, so as infallibly to 
 lead to all the results, both of the sins and sufferings of 
 mankind. 
 
 With this fact developed and established, let us again 
 look at the argument raised on the paternal relation and love 
 of God in regard to man's sin and suffering in this world. 
 The love of God, as a father, moved him to consult the 
 greatest good of his children, (the whole human family ;) 
 namely, their unconditional salvation in heaven. " Infinite 
 wisdom devised the plan ;" but, says Universalism, " it 
 was in the system of Divine wisdom, that man should ex- 
 perience a consciousness of sin and guilt. * * * God 
 purposed that man should come to the knowledge of his 
 own infirmities, (sins and miseries,) in the way that he 
 does, he intended all the means whereby the purpose might 
 be accomplished," for "the supreme good of the universe; 
 * * * and infinite power will effect the purpose of un- 
 bounded grace." Here God, as a father, out of love to his 
 children, is represented as procuring, by infinite wisdom 
 and power, all the sins of mankind in all their aggravations, 
 with all the consequent sufferings and anguish of the hu- 
 man family ; and all this too, that he may be very gracious 
 at last in saving them, after having purposed and procured 
 all their sins, and inflicted upon them all the miseries that 
 men have endured for more than five thousand years. What 
 13' 
 
150 PATERNAL LOVE OF GOD. [CHAF. VII. 
 
 but Universalism could thus traduce tlie Divine character ! 
 This argument of the system, vv^hile it represents God as 
 the father of the human family, and his children "moved 
 by necessity,'* in all their '* volitions" and "actions," 
 makes, by unavoidable consequences, the Lord of infinite 
 holiness and justice, as well as wisdom and power, the ac- 
 tual author of all the crimes committed on earth, by " mov- 
 ing" his children to quarrel, fig^ht, oppress, and murder 
 each other ; and then punishes them for submitting to his 
 purpose with regard to them. 
 
 An argument involving such consequences, must be pre- 
 sumptuously false — and such we have shown to be the 
 character of this boasted argument of Universalism — and 
 now we proceed to point out more particularly wherein its 
 erroneousness consists: 1. In exalting one of the Divine 
 perfections to the disparagement of others ; and, 2. In mag- 
 nifying the paternal relation of God, to the obscuring other 
 relations of perfectly equal importance in the Divine admin- 
 istration ; and, 3. In assuming what God must do in the pa- 
 ternal relation to man, in order to be consistent with him- 
 self, instead of reverently receiving the information from 
 him, as revealed in his holy word, of what he has done, is 
 doing, and will do, in regard to the creation, redemption, 
 government, and salvation of man. 
 
 The first feature of this error opposes the unity of the 
 Divine nature, by obscuring the perfect and immutable 
 equality, infinite and eternal harmony of those perfections 
 that belong to and constitute that Divine nature ; for it is no 
 less true, that God is infinite and immutable in holiness, 
 justice, and truth, than it is that he is infinite in goodness, 
 wisdom, and power. Any argument that would destroy 
 the immutable equality, infinite and eternal harmony of all 
 the perfections of the Divine character, is absurd and dan- 
 gerously false. 
 
 The second feature of this error of Universalism, de- 
 
t}IAI'. VII.] PATERNAL LOVK OF GOD. 151 
 
 stroys the Divine character, as the sovereign ruler and 
 judge of the universe, in its great anxiety to magnify 
 and exalt the paternal character of the Divine Being. All 
 the Divine declarations are alike immutably true; and it is 
 as clearly revealed, that " the Lord (Jehovah) is our judge, 
 the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king," Isaiah 
 xxxiii, 22, as it is, " Have we not all one father? hath 
 not one God created us ? " Mai. ii, 10. It must, therefore, 
 be undeniably clear, that he sustains the latter relation, in 
 such a sense as to be infinitely impartial and just in the for- 
 mer relation, in governing, judging, and saving men, ac- 
 cording to his law as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. 
 These Divine truths, while they at once destroy the vain 
 speculations of Universalism on the point, call us, in the 
 light of the law of the Lord, and incontrovertible facts, to 
 contemplate the Divine character and administration with 
 the deepest awe, reverence, and gratitude. 
 
 The third feature of this error, in assuming what God 
 must do to be consistent wdlh himself, is full of arrogance 
 and presumption, and contradicts the whole history of facts 
 that belong to the Divine administration. There could not 
 be a grosser indignity offered to Jehovah, than to assert 
 that he, as the Divine lawgiver, either placed man under a 
 law which it was absolutely impossible for him to obey ; 
 or, being able to obey, that God purposed and procured the 
 violation of his law, and then punished the supposed delin- 
 quent for what he could not avoid ; and as God has given 
 laws to man, as revealed in the Bible, he punishes the vio- 
 lators thereof with his heavy judgments. For example : 
 Korah and his company. Numbers xvi, 33 ; the Sodomites, 
 Gen. xix, 24 ; and others that might be named. It must, 
 therefore, be clear, 1. That though God, in reference to 
 creation and providence, is the common father of all men, 
 he is also the sovereign ruler and final judge of all men ; 
 and, 2. That the moral actions of men in obedience to, or 
 
152 PATERNAL LOVE OF GOD. [cHAP. VII. 
 
 rebellion against the Divine government, are free and unre- 
 strained. 3. It is perfectly consistent with his paternal 
 relation, for God, in the solemn character of sovereign 
 judge, to inflict the punishment threatened in the Holy 
 Scriptures on every finally impenitent sinner, even endless 
 perdition ; and that it is also perfectly consistent with this 
 sovereign relation for him, in the gracious character of 
 father and savior, to extend pardon and salvation to every 
 penitent believer. 
 
 These principles and facts are strikingly exemplified in 
 the reformed and useful lives, tranquil and happy deaths, 
 of those who, through grace, believe and obey the Divine 
 word; and in the wicked and corrupt lives, desponding and 
 miserable deaths, of those who, in the abuse of grace and 
 mercy, disobey and rebel against God. 
 
 The only plausible attempt that Universalism can make 
 to escape, is, by maintaining that all the supposed judg- 
 ments of God, and all human suflferings, are only the disci- 
 plinary chastisements of a kind father, and are all confined 
 to this world. We will endeavor to intercept this retreat 
 at once, by selecting one example, from among many that 
 might be adduced. " And he smote the men of Beth-she- 
 mesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord ; 
 even he smote of the people, fifty thousand and three-score 
 and ten men : and the people lamented, because the Lord 
 had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter," 
 1 Samuel vi, 19. 
 
 In this case God acted either, 1. Simply in the character 
 of an indulgent father ; or, 2. In the character of a sover- 
 eign executive or judge. Should Universalism assert the 
 former, the facts in the case are utterly irreconcilable with 
 his character merely as a father; and the absurdity of the 
 assertion, would be all the refutation it would require. We 
 are therefore compelled to admit the latter; his absolute 
 majesty as a judge, as well as his mercy as a father; and 
 
CHAP. VII.] r.'.TEKNAL LOVE OF GOD. 153 
 
 that the Divine will, revealed in Uie Bible, is llie absolute 
 rule by which he dispenses both mercy and judgment to 
 man. But are these chastisements or punishments for sin 
 confined to this world? As this will be noticed in another 
 place, we will submit but a few remarks here. 
 
 Here are more than fifty thousand human beings smitten 
 by the judgments of God, and hurried instantly into the 
 eternal world; and they must necessarily have died, under 
 these Divine judgments, either holy and obedient servants 
 of God, or depraved and rebellious sinners. If the former, 
 it is utterly impossible to defend the Divine character, even 
 as an impartial administrator and just judge, nmch less as 
 a merciful and kind father. But if the latter be true, then 
 it follows, with all the force of demonstration, either, 1. 
 That they were taken to heaven depraved and unholy ; or, 
 2. They were morally changed, sanctified, and rendered fit 
 for heaven after death ; or, 3. Thus dying, and remaining 
 unchanged morally after death, they were not, and cannot 
 possibly be saved in heaven. 
 
 To affirm the first, would flatly contradict the word of 
 God, which says, " Without holiness, no man shall see the 
 Lord," Heb. xii, 14. To assert the second, is to assume 
 the very point to be proved, and the point which is denied; 
 and the whole strength of Universalism may be challenged 
 to adduce one particle of proof from the word of God, in 
 support of the assumption that man is the subject of a 
 moral change, after death, from depravity and sin to holi- 
 ness and love, thereby fitting him for heaven. 
 
 It therefore follows inevitably, that men dying unholy, 
 and remaining morally unchanged, can never enter heaven, 
 and be the subjects of final holiness and happiness ; and the 
 above is but an awful illustration of the case of every one 
 who, presuming on the paternal love and indulgence of God, 
 as a father, to the neglect or contempt of his character as 
 sovereign lawgiver, king, and judge, lives in the abuse of 
 
154 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [cHAP. VIII. 
 
 Divine grace and mercy, and dies in impenitency and un- 
 belief, and goes into eternity unforgiven and unholy. And 
 till Universalism produces the proof of a moral change of 
 the soul or intellectual nature of men after death, who die 
 in sin, as clear as that which God has proclaimed, " With- 
 out holiness no man shall see the Lord," it must be consid- 
 ered as a most dangerous modification of infidelity. 
 
 But to meet the portentous consequences which threaten 
 the system, in the facts above glanced at, and in a virtual 
 abandonment of the claimed support from the paternal love 
 of God, Universalism flies to the doctrine of the general 
 resurrection, fancying that it sees the very change provided 
 for, which the facts and arguments render absolutely neces- 
 sary, in order to save the system from hopeless disgrace 
 and ruin. To that point we follow it. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE GENERAL RESURRECTION. 
 
 The General Eesurrection — Universalist Views of the Subject — 
 Testimony of the Scriptures on the Moral Character of the Soul, 
 Spirit, Mind, and Heart of Man — Universalist Speculations on the 
 Resurrection Exposed — Assumes that the Qualities of the Resurrection 
 Body are Moral Qualities — The Contrary Shown — Scripture Proofs 
 on the Subject — On Universalist Principles, the Resurrection of the 
 Body and the Salvation of the Soul impossible. 
 
 On the subject of the general resurrection of the body, 
 Universalism has shrouded itself in the deepest mysticism ; 
 which it will be necessary, as far as possible, to remove, in 
 order to clearly settle the question. To do this, we will 
 state its leading peculiarities, and adduce the proof from 
 some of its ablest advocates and defenders. 
 
 The system having rejected the plain, literal account of 
 the creation, fall, and consequent sinfulness of man, as re- 
 corded in the BiMe, inaiiitains that man, in his spiritual or 
 
CHAP. VIII.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 155 
 
 intellectual nature, was created in Christ; and that this 
 spirit of man in Christ, is an emanation from, and a part of 
 God, and is, consequently, pure, holy, and immortal as 
 God. That man thus created, was subsequently formed 
 out of the dust of the earth, in the person of Adam ; and 
 in this formed character, soul and body, he was corruptible 
 or mortal, constitutionally, and not so as the consequence 
 of sin ; and at death the soul is extinct, and the immortally 
 pure spirit, which is in Christ, returns to God ; and in the 
 general resurrection, all human bodies will be made alive in 
 Christ, in whom is this pure spirit; then man will return 
 back unto God, as the streams return unto the ocean, and 
 be endlessly happy in God, not as individuals, but in the 
 aggregate, as a body with Christ their glorious head. We 
 quote first, Ballou on the Atonement: "Do we not live, 
 move, and have our being in God ? Were we not created 
 of his fullness? Had Deity any thing of which to create 
 beings, but his own eternal nature ? I know it has been 
 said, that God created all things out of nothing, &e.; but 
 such an idea never will be imbibed by me, until I can form, 
 in imagination at least, a notion of how much nothing it 
 takes to make the least imaginable something. If all things 
 were created of the infinite Jehovah, as great a part of his 
 creation as we take from him, so great a proportion we take 
 from his fullness," p. 90. " Now, if it be agreed, that 
 God acts for the good of himself, considering his creatures 
 to belong to his fullness, I am perfectly agreed," p. 91. 
 '* Now there is no need of saying much, where the truth is 
 so easy to come at. If Christ be the image of God, and 
 man was created in God's image, it is plain that man was 
 created in Christ, was blessed in Christ, and in Christ set 
 over the works of God's hands," p. 31. "The nature of 
 that spirit (of man as created in Christ) being eternal, and 
 immortally pure, was opposed to the passions which would 
 immediately rise from the fleshlv nature. * * * As 
 
156 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [ciIAr. VIII. 
 
 man stood in his created character, which is Christ, the 
 heavenly man, he was not, at that time, formed of the 
 dust of the ground, was not of the earth earthly, and 
 therefore was not a tiller of the ground. We are then 
 informed, by the sacred text, that God formed (not cre- 
 ated) man of the dust of the ground, breathed into his 
 nostrils the breath of life, whereby man became a living 
 soul, or creature. Man is now a partaker of flesh and 
 blood : is, as the apostle says, ' made subject to vanity^ 
 not willingly, but by reason of him who subjected the 
 same in hope.' He has now, not an immortal, but a 
 mortal constitution ; is possessed of natural appetites and 
 passions ; and being unacquainted with the ways of his 
 own imperfect self, knew neither the good or evil of a 
 mortal state," p. 33. "It seems reas nable to conclude, 
 that man, in a spiritttal sense, was created in Christ, the 
 heavenly nature, as his body was formed in Adam, tlie 
 earthly. And as all our bodies come from that one for- 
 mation, so all our spirits come from that one creation. 
 As it is by the nature of this one formed creature, that we 
 are all brought into a state of morcd death, so it must be by 
 the spirit of this one created man that all will be brought, 
 fmally, to the enjoyment of spiritual life and peace,'^ p. 
 193. " I would argue again * * * that mankind, in 
 their moral existence, originated in God. Why then do 
 we deny his final assimilation with the fountain whence 
 he sprang? The streams and rivulets which w^ater the hill 
 country, run in every direction, as the make of land occa- 
 sions. They are stained with various mines and soils, 
 through which they pass; but at last they find their en- 
 trance into the ocean, where their diff^erent courses are at 
 an end, and they are tempered like the fountain which re- 
 ceives them. Though man, at present, forms an aspect 
 similar to the waters in their various courses, yet, in the 
 end of his rare, T liope he will enjov an union with his 
 
CHAP. VIII.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 157 
 
 God, and with his fellows," p. 193. "It will then be 
 manifest, that we are nothing only as we exist in God; 
 therefore, God will be all. And as the eternal spirit of 
 love, which is the governing principle of the heavenly man, 
 will be the governing principle of each soul thus reconciled 
 to the law of love, it may justly be said that God is in alW^ 
 p. 212. We give these extracts, not with a view to recon- 
 cile them, or to point out their absurdities, but simply to 
 show what Universalism is on this point. 
 
 Mr. A. C. Thomas, on the subject of man's immortality, 
 says, "I hold to no future 'life and immortality,' save that 
 which will be consequent of a resurrection from the dead. 
 God only hath immortality in himself. * * * By Adam, 
 in the passage before us, I understand the mortal constitu- 
 tion of the lirst man, who was of the earth, earthy. All 
 the children of humanity bear his image, as a mortal being; 
 and in that image they must return to the dust whence they 
 were taken. By Christ, I understand the quickening Spirit, 
 the Lord from heaven, the heavenly. By being made alive 
 in Christ, is signified the resurrection into a state of incor- 
 ruption, power, glory ; in a spiritual body ; in the image 
 of the heavenly, who is declared to have been ' the image 
 of the invisible God.' * * * The fact that some men 
 are not in Christ in the present life, is not to the purpose ; 
 for, however they may live or die, they will all be made 
 alive in Christ, in incorruption, power, glory; in a spiritual 
 body; in the image of the heavenly. * * * The 
 Scripture doctrine of the resurrection, exposes the folly of 
 the inquiries which are so frequently made as to the condi- 
 tion in which a man has died. * * * The questions 
 should not be, How do mankind die ? in what condition do 
 they depart ? but, How are the dead raised rp ? and with 
 what body do they come ? Allow the sacred Scriptures to 
 furnish the reply, and the believer of the record will rejoice 
 in the assurance, that in the reswrreciion universal humani- 
 
 14 
 
158 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [ciIAP. VIII. 
 
 ty shall walk forth in the beauty of holiness, redeemed and 
 regenerated 'oy the quickening Spirit of the living God. * 
 * * 1st. The testimony of Jesus, that ' in the resurrec- 
 tion they are the children of God, being the children of 
 the resurrection,' destroys the popular notion, that the con- 
 dition of man in the future state will be determined by his 
 character or conduct in this. Our Savior does not say, *In 
 the resurrection they are the children of God, having been 
 my disciples in the present world.' No. The assurance 
 that they shall be the children of God, is predicated of the 
 simple fact, that they shall be the children of the resurrec- 
 tion. 2d. The Holy Spirit does not speak of the future 
 blessedness of individuals, as such. All the members of 
 the human family constitute the body of which Jesus is the 
 head. * * * The Holy Spirit has revealed the future 
 condition of mankind as a whole, and not as individuals.''^ 
 Theological Discussion, pp. 220, 275, 276, 280, 281. 
 
 These vain and presumptuous speculations could easily 
 be extended, by quotations from Universalist authors ; but 
 we will only give the statement of Mr. D. R. Biddlecom, 
 in the discussion at Lexington, already alluded to. When 
 we charged Universalism with denying the immortality of 
 the soul, Mr. B. gave the following explanation : " We do 
 hold that the soul dies with the body, but the spirit is im- 
 mortal." And when asked what the spirit of man is, as 
 distinguished from the soul, he replied, " It is an emanation 
 from God, a part of God, immortally pure, and incapable 
 of being corrupted, or by any possibility defiled by sin." 
 He also used much of the same language as quoted above, 
 and endeavored to sustain, substantially, the same doctrines 
 relative to the resurrection, and its consequences in the 
 future world. It will be extremely difficult for the candid 
 mind to decide, whether Universalism, on this point, as 
 presented by its distinguished advocates, is most remarka- 
 ble for its preposterous assumptions, unscriptural absurd i- 
 
CHAP. VIII.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 159 
 
 ties, or its revolting licentiousness. What! has it come to 
 this,. that men are to be charged with "folly," or called 
 fools, if they inquire whether a man is in Christ or not? 
 If they inquire how a man lives and dies ? But this is but 
 a specimen of ihe bold temerity of Universalism. 
 
 If, however, there is any extenuation for taking such un- 
 warrantable liberties with the most solemn subjects, involv- 
 ing the highest interests of man in time and eternity, Uni- 
 versalism may possibly claim it ; for the system finds itself 
 in such a position, and so grievously pressed by incontro- 
 vertible facts, that it must sink under them, unless it can 
 escape by some subtilty or subterfuge. In proof of this, 
 we advert, here, to only two facts. The first is, that men, 
 in the most stubborn unbelief of the revelation of God, in 
 utter disregard of all moral obligation, with hands stained 
 in innocent blood, and hearts full of revenge and murder, 
 are instantly hurried into eternity, without a moment to re- 
 flect, reform, believe, or obey. And, second, in the entire 
 revelation of God to man, there is not the first particle of 
 proof that any moral change, from sin to holiness, fitting 
 him for heaven, is efi'ected on the soul, spirit, or intellec- 
 tual and rational nature of man after death, and in the future 
 and endless world. These facts are so clear and indispu- 
 table, that he who would deny the former, or affirm the lat- 
 ter, would, by all the intelligent and candid, be considered 
 a proper subject for a lunatic asylum, but no longer a fit 
 subject to reason with on this, or any other matter. Uni- 
 versalism, aware of the consequences, denies, as we have 
 seen, the immortality of the soul of man defiled by sin, 
 and has invented for him an " immortally pure spirit — a 
 part of God," that needs no moral change in this, or the 
 future world ; and then sets itself to prove that the bodies 
 of all mankind will be raised in purity and glory, and be 
 united to this " immortally pure spirit — this part of God;" 
 
160 GENERAL RESURRECTION [cHAP. VIII. 
 
 and then, to be sure, Universalism will be sustained — prov- 
 ed, even to a demonstration ! 
 
 Without stopping here to prove the immortality of the 
 soul, we commence with the examination of the assump- 
 tion, that man possesses an immortally pure spirit, as dis- 
 tinguished from his mortal and corrupt soul. 
 
 In the language of the Holy Spirit, the terms, heart, 
 mind, soul and spirit, are convertible, and used indifferently 
 to represent that principle in man which perceives, reasons, 
 judges, remembers, and wills, and which distinguishes him 
 from all other beings; and which principle, in common 
 theological language, is called the immaterial and immortal 
 soul, or spirit of man. The question now is, whether this 
 principle in man, when represented by any of those terms, 
 and especially, by that of spirit, is considered to be natu- 
 rally pure, and morally holy; needing no moral change to 
 prepare man for the enjoyment of God and heaven. The 
 word of God shall setde this important point. " Create in 
 me a clean heart, O God ; and renew a right spirit within 
 me," Psalm li, 10. "A generation that set not their heart 
 aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God," Psalm 
 Ixxviii, 8. " He that is slow to wrath, is of great under- 
 standing: but he that is hasty of spirit, exalteth folly," 
 Prov. xiv, 29. " But by sorrow of the heart, the spirit is 
 broken," Prov. xv, 18. "Pride goeth before destruction, 
 and a haughty spirit before a fall," Prov. xvi, 18. " He 
 that hath no rule over his own spirit, is like a city that is 
 broken down, and without walls," Prov. xxv, 28. "And 
 when his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, 
 Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from 
 heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did ? But he 
 turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what 
 manner of spirit ye are of," Luke ix, 54, 55. "Do ye 
 think that the Scriptures saith in vain, the spirit that dwel- 
 leth in us lusteth to envy." James iv, 5. " And the very 
 
CHAP. VIII.J GENERAL RESURRECTION. 161 
 
 God of peace sanctify you wholly ; and 1 pray God your 
 whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless 
 unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thess. v, 23. 
 *' Having, therefore, these promises, dearly peloved, let us 
 cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, 
 perfecting holiness in the fear of God," 2 Cor. vii, 1. 
 
 According to this testimony, so far is man from possess- 
 ing an " immortally pure spirit," that he has a '* wrong 
 spirit" — "not steadfast with God" — "hasty" — "fool- 
 ish " — ** haughty " — " unruly " — "resentful " — " one that 
 lusteth to envy" — "filthy and unholy" — needing the 
 " sanctifying and preserving " power and grace of God, to 
 change and prepare it for heaven and happiness. It follows, 
 therefore, beyond the power of successful contradiction, 
 either, 1. That the Bible wholly misrepresents the moral 
 condition of the human spirit, and, therefore, its testimony 
 should be entirely rejected; or, 2. That Universalism, in 
 its arrogant assumptions and speculations, alike disregards 
 the majesty of God, and the sacredness of his word. And 
 that it may be seen at once the language the Scriptures 
 hold on the moral character and nature of man, we adduce 
 some farther proof, from the abundance that might be brought 
 forward. 
 
 " A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth : but 
 
 the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence," Prov. xiii, 
 
 2. " The soul of the wicked desireth evil : his neighbor 
 
 findeth no favor in his eyes," Prov. xxi, 10. "Behold, 
 
 all souls are mine ; as the soul of the father, so also the 
 
 soul of the son is mine : the soul that sinneth, it shall die," 
 
 Ezek. xviii, 4. " AVill the Lord be pleased with thousands 
 
 of rams, oi with ten thousands of rivers of oil ? Shall I 
 
 give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my 
 
 body for the sin of my soul," Micah vi, 7. Here, also, as 
 
 in the case of the spirit of man, instead of holiness, 
 
 "evil " — " sin " — " transgression " — " wickedness " — " vi- 
 [4. 
 
162 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [CHAP. VIII. 
 
 olence and death," moral death, are features of the moral 
 character of the human soul. 
 
 But let us see if there is any ray of hope for Universal- 
 ism, on the subject of the moral purity of man in relation 
 to his mind. "The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: 
 how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked 
 mind?" Prov. xxi, 27. "But when his heart was lifted 
 up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from 
 his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him," Dan- 
 iel V, 20. " And even as they did not like to retain God 
 in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate 
 mind, to do those things which are not convenient : being 
 filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, cov- 
 etousness, maliciousness ; full of envy, murder, debates, 
 deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, 
 despiteful, proud, boasters, inventers of evil things, diso- 
 bedient to parents, without understanding, covenant break- 
 ers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful," Ro- 
 mans i, 28-31. " This I say, therefore, and testify in the 
 Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, 
 in the vanity of their minds," Eph. iv, 17. " And you 
 that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by 
 wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled," Col. i, 21. 
 "Vainly pufTed up by his fleshly mind," Col. ii, 18. 
 "But even their minds and conscience is defiled," Titus i, 
 15. Instead of moral purity, we have in the light of this 
 Divine testimony, a most humiliating picture of the deep 
 depravity of the human mind: a "wicked" mind — "har- 
 dened in pride" — filled with "vanity" and "enmity"— 
 "vainly puffed up" — "fleshly" — "defiled" — "repro- 
 bate" — "being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, 
 wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, de- 
 ceit, malignity." 
 
 And let us see if the moral picture is changed, when we 
 look at the heart of man. " And God saw that the wicked- 
 
CHAP. Mil.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 163 
 
 ness of man was great in ihe earth, and that every imagin- 
 ation of the thoughts of his heart was only evil contin- 
 ually," Gen. vi, 5. "Every one that is proud in heart is 
 an abomination to the Lord," Prov. xvi, 5. "Before de- 
 struction the heart of man is haughty," Prov. xviii, 12. 
 " Burning lips and a wicked heart, are like a potsherd cov- 
 ered with silver dross," Prov. xxvi, 23. " Because sen- 
 tence against an evil work is not executed speedily, there- 
 fore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do 
 evil," Eccles. viii, 11. " But this people hath a revolting 
 and a rebellious heart," Jer. v, 23. " The heart is deceitful 
 above all things, and desperately wicked," Jer. xvii, 9. 
 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adul- 
 teries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies," 
 Matt. XV, 19. " But after thy hardness and impenitent 
 heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of 
 wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God," 
 Romans ii, 5. Here again we search in vain for native 
 moral purity in the heart of man ; and instead thereof, find 
 the "imagination of the thoughts of his heart" — "fully 
 set to do evil" — "revolting" — "rebellious" — "deceit- 
 ful" — "impenitent" and "desperately wicked." 
 
 From the foregoing, none can fail to see the great impor- 
 tance the Holy Spirit, in inspiring the Scriptures, attached 
 to this doctrine of the depravity of man, by connecting 
 it with all those terms by which the immaterial and rational 
 principle in man is represented ; such as, the heart, mind, 
 soul, and spirit, in all of which views he is considered a 
 guilty apostate from his Maker, while morally, " the whole 
 head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of 
 the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but 
 wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores," Isaiah i, 5, 6. 
 And notwithstanding every crime here enumerated does not 
 appear in each individual, it is not because man is not mor- 
 ally depraved, but because of the absence of a suitable oc- 
 
164 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [cHAP. VIII. 
 
 casion, or a sufficiently strong temptation to stir that de- 
 praved fountain, and in consequence of the restraining prov- 
 idence and grace of God ; consequently, man in all things 
 is a debtor to grace ; and if he possesses moral excellence, 
 it is the work of grace wrought in him by the Holy Spirit, 
 changing his heart, and renewing him in the spirit of his 
 mind through faith and obedience, as the following Scrip- 
 tures clearly show : " That ye put off concerning the for- 
 mer conversation the old man, which is corrupt according 
 to the deceitful lusts ; and be renewed in the spirit of your 
 mind ; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is 
 created in righteousness and true holiness," Eph. iv, 22-24. 
 " He restoreth my soul, he leadeth me in the paths of right- 
 eousness for his name's sake," Psalm xxiii, 3. "And 1 
 will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within 
 you ; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, 
 and will give them a heart of flesh : that they may walk in 
 my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them : and 
 they shall be my people, and I will be their God," Eze- 
 kiel xi, 19, 20. 
 
 While ever the Bible is revered as the word of God, the 
 following points are incontrovertibly established: 1. That 
 without holiness no man can see the Lord, or be finally 
 saved in heaven. 2. That man by nature, and unchanged 
 by the grace of God, is v/holly destitute of that holiness ne- 
 cessary to his final salvation. 3. This moral change from 
 depravity and sin to holiness and obedience, must be 
 wrought upon the moral, spiritual, and intellectual nature 
 of man by the power of the Holy Spirit. 4. This moral 
 change must absolutely take place in man either in this or 
 the future world, if at all. 5. All who die in infidelity, im- 
 penitency and crime, are not thus morally changed and 
 made holy in this world, and of absolute consequence, go 
 into the future world unholy, and unfit for heaven, happi-* 
 ness, and God. Universalism, therefore, has no alternative, 
 
CHAP. VIII.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 165 
 
 but either, 1. To reject the enlire testimony of the word of 
 God, and deny all the solemn facls bearing on tliose points ; 
 or, 2. Find a remedy in the resurrection of the body, for 
 the deep depravity and guilt of the souls of all those who 
 die unchanged by grace, and many of them in the commis- 
 sion of the grossest crimes of which mankind are capable. 
 
 Having clearly shown on Divine authority, the absurdity 
 of the assumption of Universalism with regard to the "im- 
 mortal purity" of man's spirit, or intellectual nature, we 
 next inquire whether there is any thing in the doctrine of 
 the resurrection of the body, that will relieve the moral con- 
 dition of the souls that have gone, and may yet go, into 
 the endless world unholy and unprepared to meet their 
 God. "And Jesus, answering, said unto them, The chil- 
 dren of this world marry, and are given in marriage : but 
 they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, 
 and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are 
 given in marriage : neither can they die any more : for they 
 are equal unto the angels ; and are the children of God, be- 
 ing the children of the resurrection," Luke xx, 34-36. 
 This language of the Savior, and which, in substance, is 
 also recorded by Mark xii, 24, 25, and Matthew xxii, 29, 
 30, (all the evangelists referring to the same discourse,) is 
 supposed by many to afford the strongest proof in favor of 
 Universalism found in the Scriptures. The supposed force 
 of this language of Christ in support of the system, lies, 
 first, in assuming the very point which it should have 
 proved ; namely, that Christ is here treating of the general 
 resurrection of all mankind. But of this there is no proof; 
 and on the other hand, there is strong reason for believing 
 the contrary. 
 
 " They which sliall be accounted worthy to obtain that 
 world, and the resurrection from the dead," most clearly 
 indicate a particular resurrection, peculiar to those who 
 should be accounted worthy to obtain that world in the 
 
166 GENERAL IlESURRECTION. [CHAP. VIII. 
 
 sense here implied. And, furthermore, the inference is 
 perfectly reasonable, that some men will not be accounted 
 worthy to obtain tliat world, and be the subjects of that re- 
 surrection in the peculiar sense in which they are here 
 spoken of. Universalism, fully conscious of the force of 
 this view of the subject, makes many efforts to evade it. 
 As Mark and Matthew have not mentioned the term " wor- 
 thy to obtam," Mr. Whittemore asserts, that the weight of 
 evidence against the importance of this qualifying term is 
 as two to one. But the most common effort to avoid the 
 difficulty, is to assume, that if Christ speaks of a particular 
 resurrection, which refers alone to the righteous, then the 
 wicked will not be raised at all, and of course they cannot 
 be punished in the future world. There is just as much 
 force and reason in this, as there would be to affirm, that 
 as the righteous have to die and pass out of this world, in 
 order to gain and enjoy heaven, therefore, if the wicked are 
 not received into heaven, when they leave this world, they 
 will not die at all, but always remain in this world. This 
 is another instance of the presumption of the system, in 
 dictating how and what Jesus Christ must teach. 
 
 Having taken the ground that Christ is speaking of the 
 general resurrection, the system assumes, in the second 
 place, that the declaration, "are as the angels of God in 
 heaven * * * equal unto the angels," refers to man's 
 moral condition, and proves, that in the resurrection the 
 whole human family will be holy and happy in heaven. 
 
 To deprive Universalism of all possible support from 
 this source, it is only necessary to show that Christ was 
 not treating of the moral condition of man, but of his relative 
 condition. The Sadducees, who were the occasion of this 
 discourse, denied the future existence of both the soul and 
 body of man, and of consequence, disbelieved in any moral 
 condition whatever after death ; this, therefore, could form 
 no part of their inquiry. And the case they adduced, they 
 
CHAP. VIII.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 107 
 
 supposed, would entirely refute the doctrine of the immor- 
 tality of man, and confound the Savior, as it presented an 
 insuperable obstacle, according to the relative condition of 
 human society in this world. The Divine Savior charges 
 them with ignorance and error. First, ignorance of the 
 Scriptures, which teach the immortality of the soul, and 
 demonstrates it in the most concise and unanswerable man- 
 ner. 1. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 
 2. But he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 3. 
 Therefore, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob live; their souls 
 are immortal, notwithstanding the death of their bodies. 
 
 But, second, ignorance of the power of God, which is 
 as competent to raise the body from the dead, as it was to 
 create the body of man at the first ; in view of which, the 
 future existence of man, soul and body, is perfectlv reason- 
 able. 
 
 And, third, ignorance of the relative condition of man ; 
 for, instead of conjugal relations existing in the resurrection 
 state, they are as, or equal to, the angels in heaven — the 
 angels of God relatively. 1. In this, that they neither 
 marry, nor are given in marriage. 2. For there is no ne- 
 cessity in the economy of God for such relation in the future 
 world, as there is in this, in order to perpetuate the human 
 race on earth. 3. Because they can die no more, and there- 
 fore, are equal to the angels of God in heaven. That it 
 was the relative, and not the moral condition of man in the 
 future world the Redeemer was establishing, will appear 
 beyond a doubt, w^hen it is recollected that the clearest ac- 
 count of the future moral condition of man would not have 
 met the case under consideration. 
 
 For example : Suppose the Savior, in reply to the inquiry 
 of the Sadducees, " AVhose wife shall she be ?" had said, 
 "In the resurrection they are all morally holy;" they might 
 have answered, " These seven brethren, and the woman 
 of whom we inquire, were all morally holy," ffor none 
 
168 CEXF.RAL KESURRFXTION. [cHAP. VIII. 
 
 can say that they were not.) But if this were not the fact, 
 there were others who sustained tliis conjugal relation; for 
 instance, Job, Noah, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, David, and 
 numerous others, to whose piety and holiness God has 
 borne the most unquestionable testimony ; therefore, this 
 relation is not incompatible with the most exalted piety and 
 moral holiness ; and if so, the question would still recur, 
 "Whose wife will she be in the resurrection?" and the 
 Sadducees would have been left in the proud possession of 
 their pernicious heresy, to the great confusion of truth and 
 its holy Author. 
 
 From the above, and the additional fact, that in this whole 
 case, as here treated, Christ has not mentioned the moral 
 condition of man in the resurrection, (which is truly sur- 
 prising, if that was the point he intended to establish,) the 
 conclusion cannot be avoided, that he was not treating of 
 man's future moral condition; because, 1. He never men- 
 tions it in this entire part of the discourse ; and, 2. If he 
 had presented this in the clearest light possible, it would 
 not have met the error of the Sadducees, and corrected public 
 opinion on this point, so far as they had influence ; but that 
 he was treating of the relative state of man after the resurrec- 
 tion ; for, 1. This precisely met the error against which 
 this discourse of the Savior was directed ; and, 2. It was 
 so understood and felt by all present, and especially the 
 Sadducees themselves, whose error was so unanswerably 
 refuted, and they silenced and confounded before the audi- 
 ence. So far, then, this testimony renders no shadow of 
 support whatever to Universalism. 
 
 But there is one other declaration of our Lord in this 
 discourse, on which the system depends with equal, if not 
 more confidence for support, than any other; namely, " And 
 are the children of God, being the children of the resurrec- 
 tion." In this, as in the former case, the supposed support 
 derived from this lanjrnasfe consists in the assumption of 
 
CHAP. VIII.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 169 
 
 the system. Il assumes, that to be the children of God in 
 any sense, is necessarily to constitute such children holy 
 and happy. For, let it be admitted, that men may be the 
 children of God in some sense, and yet that relation not 
 necessarily constitute them holy and happy; and, with this 
 admission, Universalism must demonstrate, before it can 
 derive any support from this source, that to be the children 
 of God in the sense contemplated in the text, is not to be 
 his children in that very sense which the relation itself does 
 not necessarily imply, i. e., holiness and happiness. But 
 such demonstration can never be made out. 
 
 However, let us look at this a little further in the light of 
 the Divine word, and see if to be the children of God, in 
 every sense in which that relative term is used, is necessa- 
 rily to possess moral holiness, and thereby to be constituted 
 happy. The following will afford light on this subject: 
 *'Adam, which was the son of God," Luke iii, 38. "Ye 
 are the children of the Lord your God: ye shall not cut 
 yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for 
 the dead," Deut. xiv, 1. Here the whole people of Israel 
 are the children of God ; but will any one say that the rela- 
 tion constituted them individually holy and happy ? Surely 
 not. "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the 
 Lord hath spoken : I have nourished and brought up chil- 
 dren, and they have rebelled against me. * * * Chil- 
 dren that are corrupters ! they have forsaken the Lord : 
 they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger ; 
 they are gone away backward," Isaiah i, 2-4. " Do ye 
 thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is 
 not he thy Father that hath bought thee ? Hath he not 
 made thee, and established thee?" Deut. xxxii, 6. " Have 
 we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us? 
 Why do we deal treacherously every man against his 
 brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers ?" Mai. 
 ii, 10. From these, and other passages that might be quo- 
 1.^ 
 
170 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [cHAP. VIII. 
 
 led, it is seen that mankind sustain the relation of children 
 of God, in view of the fact that they are the subjects and 
 objects of his creation, providence, and redemption ; and in 
 no instance, since the fall of man, does this fraternal rela- 
 tion necessarily imply moral holiness and happiness. And, 
 indeed, so far from it, that those very people who are thus 
 related to God, are charged with folly, treachery, ingrati- 
 tude, rebellion, and crime. 
 
 It is, therefore, undeniably clear, that men may be the 
 children of God in such a sense, as for that relation itself 
 not necessarily to constitute them either holy or happy. 
 It only remains to be shown, that this fact applies to the 
 resurrection state, as treated by our Lord in the case before 
 us. And, 1. Throughout the entire testimony of Divine 
 revelation, where men are recognized as possessing moral 
 holiness, and are thereby constituted morally and spiritually 
 the children of God, this relation, and this moral change, 
 are attributed wholly to the grace and Spirit of God. " For 
 by grace are ye saved, through faith," Eph. ii, 8. " For 
 ye are all the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus," 
 Gal. iii, 26. " The Spirit itself beareth witness with our 
 spirit, that we are the children of God," Romans viii, 16. 
 But, 2. The resurrection of the body is ascribed wholly to 
 omnipotent power : "Ye do err, not knowing the power 
 of God," by which the resurrection will be effected. And 
 to guard this point, Christ says, " They are the children 
 of God, being the children of the resurrection ;" that is, 
 being the subjects of his omnipotent power in their resur- 
 rection, they will be, on that account, his children, in a 
 sense similar to that in which ail men are his children by 
 his omnipotent power in their creation and preservation. 
 
 By this view of the subject, the Savior cut off all licen- 
 tious abuse of the doctrine of the general resurrection ; for, 
 as men are the children of God by his power in creating 
 and preserving them, without necessarilv beinff holv or 
 
CHAP. VIII. J GENERAL RESURRECTION, 171 
 
 happy on that account alone; so, also, they may be his 
 children by his power in their resurrection, without being 
 either holy or happy. And as it is an immutable truth, 
 that without holiness no man shall see the Lord; therefore, 
 men must look to the fullness of God's grace in the sancti- 
 fication of their souls, instead of relying exclusively on the 
 omnipotence of his power, in the resurrection of their 
 bodies, as the ground and hope of their holiness and happi- 
 ness, either in this, or the future world. 
 
 And, again, the Lord Jesus Christ could not intend, in 
 the declarations before us, to contradict what he had pre- 
 viously said in the same discourse ; and as it has been 
 already shown, that he was establishing a point of relative, 
 and not moral condition, in the future world, this language 
 must necessarily be understood in the same light ; and when 
 so understood, the whole is a lucid and unanswerable refu- 
 tation of the licentious and dangerous dogma of the Saddu- 
 cees, which is only exceeded by that of Universalism. 
 Understood in the Universalist sense, Christ not only fails 
 to refute the Sadducean error; but gives license, indi- 
 rectly, at least, to every error and crime that men may em- 
 brace, or commit. 
 
 That this charge against the system may not appear 
 more severe than true, we remark, that Jesus Christ, ia 
 this discourse, either did, or he did not, intend to teach and 
 support Universalism. If he did not, the system is guilty 
 of an unpardonable and wicked perversion of the language 
 and teaching of the Lord. If he did, then his true mean- 
 ing would be as follows: "Although the Sadducees may 
 deny the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of 
 the body — the Scribes and Pharisees may reject the grace 
 of God, and claim heaven on the merit of their own works— 
 the Jews, as a nation, may reject Christ — infidels may re- 
 ject the Bible — atheists may reject the existence of God — 
 and all men, to the latest generation, may follow their ex- 
 
172 GENERAL RESUKKECTION. [CHAP. Vlll. 
 
 ample, and live and die in all this error, infidelity, atheism, 
 and crime, and yet be as absolutely sure of holiness and 
 happiness in heaven in the resurrection, as if they were now 
 actually in the enjoyment thereof! 
 
 Till men can believe that the Divine Savior was the 
 teacher and promoter of all possible error and corruption, 
 they can never believe that he intended to teach any such 
 doctrine; and till they believe this, they can never honestly 
 believe that he intended to teach Universalism in the doc- 
 trine of the resurrection. And if we are not prepared to 
 attribute such a character to the blessed Savior, we are com- 
 pelled to the belief, that so far was he from teaching the pe- 
 culiarities of the system, that it, with all other pernicious 
 errors, are, by his holy example and Divine teaching, 
 stamped indellibly with his condemnation, and held answer- 
 able, with all their consequences, to the bar of " eternal 
 judgment." 
 
 Here, then, is one of the main positions of Universalism 
 removed, as it regards the general resurrection. Its next, 
 and only retreat, is to the fifteenth chapter of Paul's first 
 epistle to the Corinthians. Let us try its strength here. 
 Many of the most learned, pious, and able commentators 
 and divines, understand the apostle here, in his description 
 of the resurrection body, to refer particularly to the right- 
 eous ; and this opinion is not without its reasons. But as 
 Universalism denies this, and applies the apostle's descrip- 
 tion to the whole human family indiscriminately, we will 
 waive any other view, and meet the system on the favorite 
 ground of its own selection. The declarations of the apos- 
 tle mostly relied on for support, are the following: '* For as 
 in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 
 * * * So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is 
 sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption : it is 
 sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory : it is sown in weak- 
 ness ; it is raised in power : it is sown a natural body ; it is 
 
CHAP. VIII. J VIKNKUVL RESURRECTION. l^ 
 
 raised a spiritual body. * * * So when this corrupti- 
 ble shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall 
 have put on immortality, th n shall be brought to pass the 
 saying that is written. Death is swallowed up in victory. 
 O, death, where is thy sting? O, grave, where is thy vic- 
 tory?" verses 22, 42, 43, 44, 54, 55. 
 
 The declaration, that " in Christ shall all be made alive," 
 is collated with, *' If any man be in Christ, he is a new 
 creature," 2 Cor. v, 17, on which the following argument 
 is raised, as the main support of the system on this ques- 
 tion ; namely, all who are in Christ are new creatures, and 
 continuing in him must be endlessly holy and happy. But 
 in the resurrection all will be made alive in Christ, and will 
 for ever abide in him ; therefore in the resurrection all man- 
 kind will be endlessly holy and happy in heaven. 
 
 We have given this supposed argument all the force it 
 can possibly claim, that its fallacy may be the more clearly 
 exposed, and the word of God rescued from its perversions. 
 Its supposed strength lies in assuming, that man's relation 
 to Christ, as referred to in both these texts, is precisely the 
 same as it regards his soul and body in this and the future 
 world. If the contrary of this can be fully shown, the 
 conclusion must utterly fail. 
 
 It would be little less than mere trifling, to spend time m 
 proving that the declaration, "In Christ shall all be made 
 alive," refers exclusively to the body; and the life spoken 
 of, to the future state after the resurrection ; and that this 
 work of raising the body from death, will be accomplished 
 unconditionally on all our race. It only remains, therefore, 
 to be shown, that the language, "If any man be in Christ, 
 he is a new creature," refers to the soul, and takes place in 
 this life, on conditions of faith and obedience. Of this the 
 candid cannot entertain a doubt, when they hear the apostle 
 say, " Now, he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing 
 is God, who also hath sfiven us the earnest of the Spirit. 
 15* 
 
174 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [cHAP. VIII. 
 
 Therefore we are always contident, knowing that, while 
 we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord : 
 for we walk by faith, not by sight. * * * Therefore, 
 if any man be in Christ (by faith) he is a new creature," 
 2 Cor. V, 5, 6, 17. "For in Jesus Christ neither circum- 
 cision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision ; but faith 
 which worketh by love," Gal. v, 6. " For we are his 
 workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, 
 which God hath before ordained (or prepared) that we 
 should walk in them," Eph. ii, 10. And " if a man abide 
 not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered ; 
 and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they 
 are burned," John xv, 6. From this testimony, which is 
 but a fraction of what might be adduced, it is seen, that 
 those of whom it is said, " if any man be in Christ he is a 
 new creature," are such as are " at home in the body," 
 " walking by (that) faith which worketh by love," being 
 "created in Christ Jesus unto good works," God requiring 
 that they should walk therein ; and if tliey do not, so far 
 from being new creatures in Christ, they are cast forth as 
 branches, withered, dead, and will be gathered and cast into 
 the fire. 
 
 The application of those texts, which are quoted as par- 
 allels, to sustain Universalism, can now be seen with clear- 
 ness. "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature," 
 refers, 1. Exclusively to the moral state of the soul, and 
 has no special reference to the body whatever; for the 
 body of the most pious is as much subjected to pain, infir- 
 mities, and death, as the body of the most profane ; while 
 the assertion, " in Christ shall all be made alive," has ex- 
 clusive reference to the body. 2. The former refers to men 
 in this world; for it is inseparably connected with the ex- 
 ercise of faith that works by love ; but in the future world 
 we will not walk by faith, for " Ave shall see him (Christ) 
 as he is, "1 John iii. 2. But the latter refers to the body ex- 
 
CHAP. Vlll.] GExNERAL RESURRECTION. 176 
 
 cliisively in the world to come, at and subsequently to the 
 resurrection. 3. In the former case, this relation to, and 
 connection with, Christ, are received alone on conditions of 
 faith and obedience; for "neither circumcision nor iincir- 
 cumcision availeth, but faith that worketh by love." This 
 connection with Christ must be continued through life, and 
 consummated in heaven on the same conditions, and is a 
 work of sovereign Divine grace, delivering the soul from 
 the power of sin in this world. "Be thou faithful unto 
 death, and I will give thee a crown of life," Rev. ii, 10. 
 But if a man does not continue faithful he is cast forth to 
 be burned ; while in the latter case, it is effected uncondi- 
 tionally, in the case of every member of the human family, 
 without any regard to moral character whatever; and is the 
 w^ork of sovereign Divine power, delivering the body from 
 the power of temporal death in the future world. It would 
 not. therefore, be a more presumptuous perversion of the 
 word of God, to adduce the apostolic declaration, that "all 
 shall be made alive in Christ," to prove that all men are 
 now " new creatures in Christ," by living faith, perseve- 
 ring obedience, and entire devotedness to God in all possi- 
 ble holiness of heart and life, (while facts all over the world 
 would contradict it.) than it is to adduce, " if any man be 
 in Christ he is a new creature," to prove that all men will 
 be finally and unconditionally holy and happy in the resur- 
 rection. Probably no one circumstance has contributed 
 more to make proselytes to, and keep this covert infidelity 
 in countenance, than its ingenious perversion and misapplica- 
 tion of the word of God. In this lies its strength with those 
 who are not accustomed to close thinking and investigation. 
 With the false arguments detected, and the unwarranta- 
 ble liberty the system takes with the word of God exposed, 
 we are prepared to see the proper meaning of those Scrip- 
 tures which teach the doctrine of the general resurrection. 
 Tliis doctrine having been denied by some; and having re- 
 
176 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [cHAP. VIII. 
 
 futed the error, by proving the fact of the resurrection of 
 the body of Christ, the apostle proceeds to establish the 
 general resurrection, by presenting Adam and Christ in 
 their public and representative characters. " As in Adam 
 all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." That 
 is, as by the act of Adam, as the moral representative of 
 man, in violating the law of God, all mankind were made 
 subject to death — temporal death, of which he is now speak- 
 ing ; the proof of which is seen in the universal mortality 
 of man — so, also, by the act, or omnipotent power of Je- 
 sus Christ in the general resurrection, shall all human bo- 
 dies be made alive ; the unquestionable assurance of which 
 we have in his own resurrection. 
 
 The correctness of this view will be seen from the fol- 
 lowing: 1. That in referring to this universal death of the 
 body, by the act of Adam, no reference is made to, or dis- 
 tinction between the bodies of the righteous and the wicked, 
 but all are alike subjects of this death; from which it 
 must be clear, that it was the fact of the universal death of 
 the body, and not the holiness or happiness of the soul that 
 was the subject of investigation, 2. It is affirmed that 
 Christ will counteract this universal death of the body, by 
 a universal resurrection thereof; from which it is equally 
 clear, that the moral condition of man after the resurrection, 
 was no more the subject of investigation in this place, than 
 it was before death ; but only the fact that, without regard 
 to moral character in this life, the resurrection by Jesus 
 Christ shall be as universal as death was by Adam. This 
 is clearly the apostle's meaning. 
 
 The incorruption, glory, power, and spirituality of the 
 resurrection body, as described by the apostle, are consid- 
 ered by Universalism to be wholly incompatible with the 
 above view, and are claimed in proof, little less than de- 
 monstration, of the unconditional happiness and glory of all 
 mankind in heaven. We have heard Universalists say, 
 
rHAP. VIII. J GENERAL KEyURKECTlUN. 177 
 
 " they had very little concern about the soul, while they 
 had such a complete salvation for the body." 
 
 Waiving the fact, that there is reason to believe this to be 
 a description of the state of the righteous in the resurrec- 
 tion, we meet the supposed fm-midable position on the 
 ground of the system's own choice. It will not be denied, 
 we presume, that the apostle strikingly contrasts the natural 
 weakness, dishonor, and corruption of this present, dying 
 body, with the opposite qualities in the resurrection body. 
 Now, the whole strength of this Scripture, in its supposed 
 support of Universalism, lies in assuming that those quali- 
 ties of the resurrection body are moral qualities ; and con- 
 stitute the body, in the abstract, morally holy, and conse- 
 quently, a fit subject for happiness in heaven. But of this 
 assumption, so vital to the system, there is not only no 
 proof, but, as we conceive, abundant evidence to the con- 
 trary. The system may be safely challenged, to adduce a 
 single text in the Divine record, where moral holiness, in 
 the proper use of the term, is ever applied to the body sim- 
 ply, when separated from the soul ; and, in the absence of 
 all evidence on the one hand, we have, on the other, the 
 most indisputable matters of fact. 
 
 Moral powers and qualities, strictly speaking, are insep- 
 arably connected with intelligence, intellect, or mind. If 
 this were not the fact, there can be no reason assigned, why 
 we should not see moral holiness, or unholiness, in all the un- 
 intellectual beings and objects in the world. It is with strict 
 reference to this fact, that the whole Divine government, 
 and all just and wise human governments, are formed and 
 administered. And as the human body, separate and apart 
 from the soul, or mind, is utterly destitute of intelligence, 
 and consequendy, of moral powers and qualities, it is 
 neither worthy of praise or blame in this separate state, 
 and is so considered by both human and divine laws and 
 government. 
 
178 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [ciIAP. VIII. 
 
 This is strictly true of the very features of frailty by 
 which our natural bodies are characterized in the text before 
 us ; for, though corruptible, weak, and dishonored, by 
 reason of decay and death, they are not charged with being 
 morally guilty or unholy. The only sense, therefore, in 
 wliich the body can be morally holy or unholy, is instru- 
 mentally; when connected with a regenerated and pious 
 soul, it will be the instrument in works of holy obedience 
 and usefulness ; when connected with a soul that is im- 
 pious, it will be the instrument of w^orks of impiety and 
 rebellion against God. It only remains to be seen, whether 
 this principle, so demonstrable in relation to the body in 
 this world, will be totally annihilated in reference to the 
 resurrection body ; and if it is not, it will then be perfectly 
 clear that the qualities described, and belonging to that body, 
 so far from being moral qualities, are only the constitution 
 of that body by which it is fitted for an eternal union with 
 the immortal soul, and from which it will receive its moral 
 character, relative and instrumental. Now, if it be a fact, 
 as has been shown, that moral holiness cannot exist with- 
 out intelligence, or mind, before Universalism can derive 
 any support from this source, it must clearly demonstrate, 
 that the resurrection body, previously to its re-union with 
 the immortal spirit, will possess intelligence, or mind. But 
 this is so derogatory to every view of the subject derived 
 from the Holy Scriptures, that nothing but the desperation 
 of a sinking system, and the most presumptuous disregard 
 of the authority of the word of God, could lead to such a 
 conclusion. And, indeed, the assumption, if the system 
 should be bold enough to make it, so far from relieving the 
 case, would only establish the principle ; for it would be 
 conceding at once, that the unintelligent body did not, in 
 and of itself, possess moral qualities ; and whatever of 
 moral character or holiness it can be the subject of, is in 
 consequence of its intelligence. This would not onlv be 
 
CHAP. VIII.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 179 
 
 to yield the question in dispute, but would make man in 
 the resurrection state to possess a two-fold intelligence, each 
 separate and distinct from, and independent of the other; 
 therefore, unknown, and unheard of in the Bible. This, 
 if it could be fully demonstrated, so far from proving Uni- 
 versalism from the Bible, would prove, by Universalism, 
 that the Bible wholly misrepresents the case, is utterly un- 
 true, and is not to be depended upon at all, in this, or any 
 other matter of interest to man. 
 
 These consequences can only be avoided, by admitting 
 that the peculiarities of the resurrection body simply, will 
 consist in that constitution which will form the perfect con- 
 trast with its present character. Its great dishonor consists 
 in its weakness and corruption as a natural body ; but these 
 are not moral, but merely natural qualities in man's fallen 
 state, which produce its mortality. Its glory will consist 
 in its power and incorruption as a spiritual body, which 
 will constitute its immortality ; but these, as we have seen, 
 are no more moral properties in the resurrection body, than 
 their opposites are in our present bodies ; the subject of the 
 apostle's investigation being, not moral holiness or unholi- 
 ness, but the mortality of our present, and the immortality 
 of our resurrection bodies. And as those features of char- 
 acter in our present natural bodies necessarily lead to, and 
 result in death, without regard to the moral character of the 
 soul ; so, on the other hand, the features of character in 
 the resurrection bodies constitute them immortal, irrespec- 
 tive of the moral character of the soul from which they 
 were separated by death, and with which they will be finally 
 re-united. So far, therefore, is the resurrection of the body 
 from meeting the absolute necessities of Universalism, that 
 it leaves it exposed to all the force of the solemn declara- 
 tion of the Lord Jesus Christ, " Those that have done good, 
 shall come forth to the resurrection of life ; and those that 
 have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation ;" the moral 
 
180 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [ciIAP. VIII, 
 
 character of the soul, and not the immortal constilntion of 
 the resurrection body, determininir the destiny of man for 
 eternity. 
 
 "Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is writ- 
 ten, Death is swallowed up in victory." What death? 
 Most unquestionably, temporal death — the death of the 
 body ; for no other death than that of the body in this 
 world, and no other immortality than that of the resurrec- 
 tion body in the future world, are the subjects of the apos- 
 tle's inquiry in this place — leaving the moral condition of 
 the soul, as clearly declared, and fully settled, in other por- 
 tions of Divine revelation ; such as, " Who shall ascend 
 into the hill of the Lord ? and who shall stand in his holy- 
 place ? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart," Psalm 
 xxiv, 3, 4. " Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall 
 see God," Matt, v, 8. " Without which, (purity of heart, 
 or holiness,) no man shall see the Lord," Heb. xii, 14. 
 
 Here we might leave this subject; but we are not done 
 with Universalism on this point. For the sake of argu- 
 ment, let all be granted that may be claimed for the human 
 body in the resurrection ; and the question still recurs, 
 Does this meet the moral condition of the souls that have 
 gone, and may yet go into eternity, unholy and unfit for 
 the holiness of God and heaven ? To this, enlightened 
 honesty can but answer in the negative ; for, whatever 
 may be the constitution or character of the body in the 
 resurrection, it is the result and work of omnipotent power, 
 changing it from a natural to a spiritual, from a mortal to 
 an immortal body ; and this work of Divine power must 
 take place after death, and necessarily, in the future world. 
 This is clearly the doctrine of the Bible in the case. The 
 change necessary in the soul, to prepare it to enjoy God, is 
 wrought by Divine grace changing it from darkness to light, 
 the power of Satan to God, from sin to holiness ; and this 
 work of the eraco of God is performed on the soul alone 
 
CHAP. VIII.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 181 
 
 upon the condition of faith in Jesus Christ, and therefore 
 must of necessity be effected, if at all, in this world; and 
 no change that the body can be the subject of, can possibly 
 meet the moral necessities of the immortal soul. 
 
 With these solemn facts so clearly before us, and in the 
 entire absence of all promise or provision for the soul's moral 
 change after death, as far as the Bible is concerned, for any 
 man to anticipate such change under such circumstances, 
 merely because God has promised to change the body in 
 the resurrection, from mortality to immortality, is so far 
 from being the dictate of enlightened reason, and humble, 
 authorized faith, that it is emphatically the work of a des- 
 perately darkened understanding, or a presumptuous infi- 
 delity, that sets at defiance God's word in the premises, and 
 dares to constitute itself the arbiter of man's destiny in the 
 awful future. Universalism is chargeable with all this dis- 
 regard of the Divine word, and all these bold assumptions 
 with regard to the future condition of mankind. The view 
 already taken is, doubtless, sufficient to settle the question 
 with the candid, if the evidence was closed here; but that 
 none may doubt, who believe the Bible, we will adduce a few 
 direct proofs therefrom, to show, in direct opposition to 
 Universalism, that so far from all mankind being holy and 
 happy in the resurrection, some will rise to "shame," 
 "contempt," and damnation; and being "unjust" and un- 
 holy, will be the subjects of endless perdition and moral 
 death. " And many of them that sleep in the dust of the 
 earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to 
 shame and everlasting contempt," Daniel xii, 2. Univer- 
 salism tries to escape the force of this testimony, by con- 
 fining the entire prophecy of Daniel, in its accomplishment, 
 to the days of the Redeemer on earth — his judgments in 
 the destruction of Jerusalem — and the establishment of his 
 Gospel kingdom during the life-time of the apostles ; and, 
 as a necessary consequence, tlie resurrection spoken of 
 
 10 
 
182 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [cHAP. VIII 
 
 was figurative, and not real, or literal. That this prophecy 
 includes those events, will not be denied ; but that it is con- 
 fined to them alone, can only be contended to save a sink- 
 ing system, which it is resolved to defend, even at the sac- 
 rifice of the truth of God. And this is the difficulty into 
 which Universalism is thrown. But let us see whether 
 this sublime prediction was confined in its fulfillment to the 
 days of Christ and his apostles on earth. " And in the 
 days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a king- 
 dom, which shall never be destroyed: and ihe kingdom 
 shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces 
 and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for 
 ever," Daniel ii, 44. "And there was given him domin- 
 ion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and 
 languages, should serve him : his dominion is an everlast- 
 ing dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom 
 that which shall not be destroyed," Daniel vii, 14. 
 
 From these, which are only a few of the numerous de- 
 clarations of the prophet to the same effect, it is seen, with 
 a clearness that may defy skepticism, that those predictions, 
 so far from terminating in the days of Christ and his 
 apostles on earth, only commence a sublime scene of provi- 
 dence and grace, which has been spreading, and will con- 
 tinue and increase, till in its majestic triumphs it encompass 
 the habitable earth ; and will only have its final consum- 
 mation in the future and endless world. And even in the 
 chapter before us, after all that Daniel has said that could 
 apply to those events to which Universalism attempts to 
 confine the whole prophecy, he says, "And I heard, but I 
 understood not: then said I, O, my Lord, what shall 
 be the end of these things ? and he said, Go thy way 
 Daniel : for the words are closed up and sealed till the time 
 of the end," Daniel xii, 8, 9. And the whole vision closes 
 with these remarkable words, " But go thou thy way till 
 the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thv lot at the 
 
CHAP. VIII.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 183 
 
 end of the days," verse 13. Here are features of this pro- 
 phetic vision, which were sealed up till the time of the 
 end. Daniel was to rest, his body sleep in death, and 
 his soul rest in the paradise of God, "till the end be;" 
 at which time he is to stand in his lot, according to his 
 moral character. But as he had been long dead before 
 Christ came in the flesh ; and as he was not raised up to 
 stand in his lot, or to be present at any of the transactions 
 of Christ and his apostles, and as he is to be raised up in 
 the final accomplishment of this prophecy, it follows, be- 
 yond all doubt, that the event is yet future, and yet to be 
 consummated. We have only now to inquire whether the 
 prophet was speaking of a figurative, or real and literal re- 
 surrection. If the former, the attending circumstances must 
 necessarily be figurative also ; then the following will be 
 his true meaning: "And many of them that sleep, figura- 
 tively, in the figurative dust of the figurative earth, shall 
 figuratively awake, some to everlasting figurative (not real) 
 life, and some to figurative shame, and everlasting figurative 
 contempt." But this is not all ; for preparatory to this 
 splendid figurative scene, the prophet, to be consistent, must 
 be understood to say, " And they that be wise, (not really, 
 but) figuratively, shall figuratively shine as the brightness 
 of the firmament; and they that figuratively (not really) 
 turn many to figurative (not real) righteousness as the stars 
 for ever and ever." If the prophet is speaking of figura- 
 tive, and not real, transaction, the above is a perfectly fair 
 exposition of his true meaning ; but such interpretation 
 would destroy, not only all real life, obedience, usefulness, 
 reformation, and holiness, but all reason and common sense. 
 And before Universalism can escape the force of this testi- 
 mony, it must not only contradict matters of fact, with re- 
 gard to the time of the fulfillment of Daniel's predictions, 
 and the prophet himself; but it must pollute the lips of this 
 holy man of God, by attributing to him this language of 
 
184 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [cHAP. VIII. 
 
 oonsummate folly — exquisite nonsense ! Universalism ad- 
 duces the prophecy of Ezekiel xxxvii, 12, 13, to support 
 a figurative resurrection ; but, unfortunately for the system, 
 the case lacks every analogous point: for there, 1. The 
 case is clearly stated to be a metaphorical coming out of the 
 grave ; in Daniel no such intimation is given. 2. In this 
 case the people who are to be the subjects of tliis work are 
 specially named : "the whole house of Israel," the Jews 
 nationally, and them only. In Daniel no such distinction 
 and restriction are made ; but the resurrection is personal, 
 and is spoken of individuals, and not of a nation. 3. In 
 Ezekiel, the end of the work contemplated is, " I will * 
 * * bring you into the land of Israel ;" the whole trans- 
 action, in its consummation, confined to time, and termina- 
 ting in " the land of Israel." In Daniel, the end of the 
 resurrection contemplated with regard to individuals, is ev- 
 erlasting life, and everlasting shame and contempt, and of 
 necessity terminating in changeless eternity. These facts, 
 without naming others, prove to a demonstration, that the 
 cases referred to by the prophets are perfectly dissimilar; 
 and as the work in Ezekiel's vision was confessedly meta- 
 phorical, that in Daniel must be real and literal. 
 
 Allowing that a literal resurrection is intended by Daniel, 
 Universalism attempts to maintain that the term "many" 
 restricts it to a limited, and of course it cannot mean a gen- 
 eral resurrection. On this cavil, coming with such an ill 
 grace from Universalism, but a few remarks will serve our 
 purpose. And, first, Paul uses the same term where there 
 can be no doubt he included all mankind. " For as by one 
 man's disobedience many were made sinners," Romans v, 
 19. But, secondly, the many that sleep in the dust of the 
 earth, as contemplated by Daniel, including the good and 
 bad, with those who will be alive on the earth at the end of 
 time, will include the whole of our race ; for " we shall not 
 all sleep, (or die,) but we shall all be changed," 1 Cor. xv, 
 
CHAP. VIII.J GENERAL RESURRECTION. t^ 
 
 51. " Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught 
 up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in 
 the air," 1 Thess. iv, 17. 
 
 With those objections removed, the declaration of Daniel, 
 speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, is an eter- 
 nal monument of truth, in opposition to the licentious 
 assumptions of Universalism, on the great doctrine of the 
 general resurrection by Jesus Christ. AVe have spent more 
 time on this case than we otherwise would, from the fact 
 that Universalism, having made this a figurative resurrec- 
 tion, and confined the whole transaction to time, asserts, 
 that whenever Christ or his apostles allude to, or mention 
 the resurrection, in connection with condemnation or sufTer- 
 ing, they either refer to, or quote Daniel's prophecy, and, 
 of course, mean the same kind of resurrection. This, in- 
 deed, is a very easy method of disposing of difficulties ; 
 but with its absurdity exposed, we are prepared to hear 
 with reverence the testimony of the Son of God on this 
 important subject. 
 
 *' Marvel not at this : for the hour is coming, in the which 
 all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come 
 forth ; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of 
 life ; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of 
 damnation," John v, 28, 29. Universalism, aware of the 
 fact, that this testimony alone is sufficient to seal its fate, if 
 its force cannot be evaded by some subtilty or other, has 
 brought all its skill into requisition on this declaration of 
 Jesus Christ; and, after numerous attempts to apply it to 
 the destruction of Jerusalem, the maniacs among the tombs, 
 and various other events, that may well excite the pity and 
 contempt of the intelligent and pious, it is forced to deny a 
 real, and to attempt to maintain a moral, spiritual, or figura- 
 tive resurrection, as that intended by the Savior. On this 
 ground we meet the objection. 
 
 First, this charges the Savior with useless and unmean- 
 16^ 
 
186 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [cHAP. VIII. 
 
 ing repetition ; for he had just said, " Verily, verily, I say 
 unlo you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead 
 (morally and spiritually dead) shall hear the voice of the 
 Son of God: and they that hear shall live;" shall be 
 raised from a state of moral death, to live a spiritual life by 
 faith ; for, *' He that heareth and believeth, is passed from 
 (moral) death unto (spiritual) life." And, in the text before 
 us, Universalism makes him say, " Marvel not at this." 
 At what ? This, that I have said, I would raise him that 
 believeth from a state of moral death to the enjoyment of 
 spiritual life by faith. Why ? Because the hour is com- 
 ing, in the which all that are in the graves, of moral death, 
 as those just referred to, shall hear his voice, and believe 
 as those above ; therefore, I am repeating the same case 
 precisely which I have already described ! 
 
 And again, second, Universalism attributes sentiments 
 of consummate confusion and folly to the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 by making him teach the doctrine of a figurative resurrec- 
 tion in this place. The following must be a fail exposition 
 of his honest meaning, on Universalist principles. " The 
 hour is coming, in the which all that are in the (figurative) 
 graves (of moral, figurative death) shall hear his voice, and 
 shall come forth ; (from their figurative graves of figurative 
 death ;) they that have done (figurative) good, (in their figu- 
 rative graves of figurative death,) unto the (figurative) 
 resurrection of (figurative) life ; and they that have done 
 (figurative) evil, (in their figurative graves of figurative 
 death,) unto the (figurative) resurrection of (figurative) dam- 
 nation." 
 
 But still further. If this is a figurative, moral, or spirit- 
 ual resurrection of the soul, notwithstanding this splendid 
 display of figures, the whole must prove to be a perfect 
 failure ; for, 1. As " without faith it is impossible to please 
 God," Heb. xi, 6, tliose who "have done good," must 
 have had this failli, and believing, have passed from moral 
 
CHAP. VIII.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 187 
 
 and spiritual death unto spiritual life, and cannot need this 
 resurrection, having experienced it already. And those who 
 '* have done evil," must have been destitute of this faith, 
 and, of course, in a state of moral and spiritual condemna- 
 tion ; and as they are to be raised to a state of condemna- 
 tion, or damnation, their condition, morally, must be pre- 
 cisely the same after, that it was before, this splendid Uni- 
 versalist resurrection — the whole prove an utter failure, and 
 Jesus Christ leave man in the same deplorable condition in 
 which he found him, after all his unsuccessful attempts at a 
 resurrection! It is seen, therefore, that whether this is 
 considered a figurative, moral, or spiritual resurrection, the 
 conclusion and consequences are resistlessly the same. 
 
 Neither can the force of this testimony be diminished by 
 any attempt to explain it by the prophet Ezekiel ; for, as 
 we have seen, that was a restoration to national, political, 
 and religious privileges ; and as the subjects of which, there 
 is not even an intimation that some of them would be the 
 objects of shame, contempt, and damnation, but all would 
 alike enjoy the blessings ; while, in the cas.e before us, the 
 resurrection is personal, and the destiny of those who are 
 the subjects of it as different, according to their moral char- 
 acter, as is the difference between "everlasting life," and 
 " everlasting contempt," " shame," and " damnation." If, 
 therefore, Universalism is not prepared, with profane hands, 
 to rob Jesus Christ of all consistency and dignity of char- 
 acter, and insult him by attributing to him sentiments and 
 doctrines that common sense would blush to own, it is com- 
 pelled to admit, that he has here, with a clearness equal to 
 his own dignity, and the importance of his message to man, 
 announced to the world the sublime doctrine of the literal 
 resurrection of the body, and the final destiny of mankind 
 in the future world. The Savior, thus understood, appears 
 in a character worthy of himself. 
 
 Having announced his authority as the Savior and Judge 
 
1B8 GENERAL RESURRECTION. fcHAP. Vlll. 
 
 of mankind, and the power of his grace in raising the peni- 
 tent believer to a spiritual life of faith, love, and obedience, 
 he continues the instruction, by referring to his power in 
 raising the body from the grave. And as he promises spir- 
 itual life by the power of his grace to none but such as be- 
 lieve, so, also, in the exertion of his omnipotent power in 
 the resurrection of the body, the same principle will be ob- 
 served ; they that have done good, have believed and obey- 
 ed, shall come forth to the resurrection of life — endless 
 happiness in heaven. But they that have done evil, lived 
 and died in unbelief and sin, shall come forth to the resur- 
 rection of damnation — shall go away into everlasting pun- 
 ishment. 
 
 It will now be seen, that as Universalism could not press 
 the Savior into its service, as a witness in its favor, neither 
 can it possibly evade, or diminish the force of his testimo- 
 ny, when he appears against it; for, if the Lord Jesus 
 Christ has given an account of the literal resurrection of 
 the body, and the destiny of man subsequendy thereto, in- 
 cluding eternal life and damnation, the condemnation of 
 Universalism is thereby sealed, by authority as high as the 
 throne of God. 
 
 We will adduce only one other statement on this point 
 *' And have hope towards God, which they themselves also 
 allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both 
 of the just and unjust: and herein do I exercise myself, to 
 have always a conscience void of offense towards God, and 
 towards men," Acts xxiv, 15, 16. 
 
 The principal attempt to evade this testimony by Univer- 
 salism, as far as has come under our notice, is the assertion, 
 that it would be little less than blasphemy to "hope" for 
 the resurrection of the " unjust," unless it should render 
 them endlessly holy and happy in heaven. The force of 
 this futile objection we have never been able either to see or 
 feel. What, blasphemy! or, at least, highly criminal, to 
 
CHAP. VIII.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 189 
 
 hope that the "Judge of all the earth will do right." Any 
 hope or feeling of heart to the contrary, would be rebel- 
 lious and criminal in the siglit of God. The objection 
 itself is proof that the system trembles at the thought of 
 fairly meeting this inspired declaration ; and yet to pass it 
 without a word, would be to allow it all its force, which 
 alone would ruin the system. 
 
 But to allow the objection for a moment — then Paul must 
 be understood to mean, " I have hope toward God, that 
 there will be, not only a resurrection of the just and unjust ; 
 but the unjust, those who have lived and died in the prac- 
 tice of all injustice, cruelty, falsehood, infidelity, atheism, 
 blasphemy and murder, will be as sure of an eternal weight 
 of glory in the resurrection, as those who have lived and 
 died in all holy obedience; and, therefore, herein do I ex- 
 ercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense 
 toward God and men, that I may be raised with the just; 
 nevertheless, if I should always exercise myself to offend 
 against God and men, I am unconditionally sure of a resur- 
 rection to eternal glory, as are, also, all other men, how- 
 ever unjust and unholy they may live and die." Now, an 
 objection that involves such consequences — that will traduce 
 the character of the inspired apostle, by imputing to him 
 sentiments so perfectly revolting, that to have published 
 them to the world, would have rendered him an object of 
 universal scorn and contempt with all the virtuous and 
 wise — must be the legitimate offspring of the grossest dark- 
 ness, or the deep disciplined corruption of infidelity. And 
 Universalism has no alternative but to yield the objection, 
 or sustain the charge. 
 
 We are now prepared to see, in the light of Divine reve- 
 lation, that Universalism has not one testimony in the whole 
 range of holy writ, to support its bold assumptions, that the 
 resurrection will secure eternal holiness and happiness for 
 all mankind in heaven, irrespective of faith, obedience, or 
 
190 GENERAL RESURRECTION. [ciIAP. VIII. 
 
 any other feature of moral character in this world. And on 
 the contrary, the Lord Jesus Christ and his divinely inspired 
 servants, concur in establishing the solemn fact, that what- 
 ever change may be wrought on the body in the resurrec- 
 tion, it cannot affect the moral condition of the soul ; but 
 the eternal destiny of man will be fixed by the moral char- 
 acter in which he closed his probation in time and entered 
 the future world. 
 
 Again : Universalism not only utterly fails to sustain its 
 assumptions with regard to the salvation of all men in the 
 resurrection ; but by plain and unavoidable consequences, 
 it renders both the resurrection of the body and the salva- 
 tion of the soul impossible. 
 
 That the resurrection of the body is a work to be effected 
 by the Lord Jesus Christ, is a fact everywhere declared in 
 the word of God ; and that this is the work of Almighty 
 power, is equally clear; and the fact that prophets and 
 apostles have raised the dead, forms no valid objection; for 
 they did not perform the work in their own name or by 
 their own power, but only instrumentally ; and they pro- 
 duced no new organization, as will be the fact in the resur- 
 rection, but only resuscitated the body, which was again 
 subjected to death. From these facts it is clear, that the 
 resurrection which must change our natural to a spiritual, our 
 mortal to an immortal body, must be the work of infinite 
 power. But Universalism denies all absolute divinity to 
 Jesus Christ, and maintains that he is a created, and of ne- 
 cessity an absolutely dependent being. And whatever some 
 Universalists, in order to avoid difficulty in debate, or to 
 sustain some point for the time being, may say about the 
 infinity and divine character of Christ, it is perfectly easy 
 to demonstrate that the system utterly rejects the absolute 
 divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. One specimen of its 
 language on the point will serve our purpose here: *'I 
 have, 1 think, sufl[iciently proved in this work, that Jesus 
 
CHAP. VIII.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 191 
 
 Christ is a created, depeiideiu being." Ballou on the 
 Atonement, p. 186. 
 
 Now, as it requires infinite power to effect the resurrec- 
 tion, and Jesus Christ possesses only finite power, the re- 
 surrection with him will be utterly impossible; and as to 
 the assertion, that he does, or will, possess delegated power 
 for this work, that is impossible, for omnipotent power is 
 incommunicable. And if this were not the fact, the conse- 
 quences would be still more fatal; for if God could com- 
 municate his infinite power to Christ, or any other being, it 
 would follow absolutely, 1. That having delegated this 
 power to another, he could not possibly possess it at the 
 same time himself. 2. Previous to this delegation he was 
 omnipotent, but subsequently he would not be, and of 
 course must be destitute of this infinite perfection of his 
 nature. 3. He, therefore, must be the subject of a change 
 from infinite power to finite weakness, and could not possi- 
 bly be the immutable God of the universe. This doctrine 
 of delegation to prepare Christ for the work of the resur- 
 rection, must inevitably destroy Jehovah. But he cannot 
 be destroyed, this delegation cannot take place ; and on the 
 ground of Universalism, Jesus Christ can never effect the 
 resurrection of the dead, and the hope of the pious is a de- 
 lusion ! 
 
 Again : Universalism maintains that God will not par- 
 don any sin whatever, in the sense of remitting the punish- 
 ment or the penalty of the law. It also holds that the pun- 
 ishment of sin is the consequences that follow, whether that 
 be a guilty conscience, loss of property, or whatever else 
 may follow as a consequence of sinning. And the Bible 
 declares, " Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the 
 world, and death by sin ; and so death passed upon all men, 
 for that all have sinned," Romans v, 12. 
 
 Language cannot make it plainer, that death is the conse- 
 quence of sin; and if, according to Universalism, the pun- 
 
192 GExNF.RAL RESURRECTION. [cHAP. VIII. 
 
 ishment of sin is its consequences, dealli must be the pun- 
 ishment; and if God never will pardon, or remit the 
 punishment, it follows, with all the force of demonstration, 
 that there can be no resurrection, and death must eternally 
 reign ! For, the moment the body is raised immortal, the 
 consequence, (accordmg to the system,) the punishment 
 of sin, will be remitted ; but God never will remit the pun- 
 ishment, therefore, the resurrection of the human body is 
 absolutely impossible, according to the logic of Universal- 
 ism. And it cannot possibly escape this revolting, atheisti- 
 cal conclusion, but by admitting that God pardons sin, in 
 the sober, Scriptural sense of the term, by the non-inflic- 
 tion of the punishment, and the renewing of our nature on 
 the conditions of repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ. 
 But this admission would totally ruin the system at another 
 point ; for then the finally impenitent and unbelieving could 
 not be saved. 
 
 The same facts and arguments apply, and the same con- 
 clusions follow, with regard to the salvation of the soul, 
 that do in relation to the resurrection of the body. " For 
 to be carnally minded is death ;" (not temporal death, for 
 the most pious die this death as well as the most wicked ;) 
 "because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is 
 not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be," Ro- 
 mans viii, 6, 7. The carnal mind in man is either the con- 
 sequence of sin, or it is the constitution and moral charac- 
 ter which God has given to the human mind. To deny the 
 former, would be to contradict, and reject the Bible ; to 
 afRrm the latter, would be a profane impeachment of the 
 Divine character ; and, unless Universalism commits this 
 two-fold offense, it is compelled to acknowledge that the 
 carnal mind is the consequence of sin, and if so, according 
 to its own showing, it is the punishment of sin. And if 
 God ever destroys the carnal mind, he will avert the pun- 
 ishment ; but lie never will avert the punishment, that is. 
 
CHAP. VIII.] GENERAL RESURRECTION. 193 
 
 destroy the carnal mind ; and as it is enmity against God, 
 and consequently unholy, and as, without holiness, none 
 shall see the Lord, therefore, on Universalist ground, the 
 salvation of the soul is absolutely impossible, and all our 
 hopes are vain ! 
 
 Alas, for Universalism ! Compelled to admit that the 
 world '* lieth in wickedness," that men in all possible cor- 
 ruption of heart and life, are daily passing into eternity; 
 and instead of opposing sin of every character, and in all 
 places, and laboring with the Christian Church for the re- 
 formation and salvation of man in this world, by its licen- 
 tious doctrines, it not only licenses sin, but virtually offers 
 a reward to wickedness ; wages a relentless war against the 
 whole Christian system, and promises the rebellious world 
 a perfect antidote in the general resurrection, for all its woes 
 brought on by wickedness, without reformation, faith, obe- 
 dience, or love to God or man in this world. And when 
 we have examined its bold pretensions in the light of God's 
 holy word, it stands condemned by evidence as clear as the 
 Bible, and authority as absolute as Jehovah; and instead of 
 saving all mankind in heaven in the resurrection, by legiti- 
 mate and unavoidable conclusions from its own premises, it 
 absolutely consigns the body in hopeless death, and con- 
 firms the soul in eternal enmity against God, and leaves both 
 soul and body under the tyranny of eternal death. So far, 
 therefore, is it from being a system of universal salvation, 
 that it is really a system of universal hopeless death and 
 endless damnation. 
 
 Reader, thy soul has an eternal interest involved in this 
 weighty subject; peril it not for the love of theory, the 
 pride of opinion, the prejudice of education, or the love of 
 sin ; but sacrifice all for the love of truth, and the knowl- 
 edge of salvation by the remission of sins, and the witness 
 of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 17 
 
104 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. [cHAP. IX. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 
 
 Second Coming of Jesus Christ — His having come in the Flesh not 
 the Question in dispute — Scriptures relied on by Universalism for 
 Proof — Derives its Plausibility from Assumptions — Facts and Proofs 
 to the contrary — Dilemma — His coming in the Life-time of some of 
 those who heard him speak — Invisible and Spiritual — He now Reigns, 
 not in Final Judgment, but in the Kingdom of Grace and Providence — 
 The Present cannot be the state of Final Judgment and Retribution 
 with Man — If Men are Judged and Punished in this World, their suf- 
 ferings must be either of the Body, the Mind, or both — Proofs to the 
 Contrary — Allow all the System claims on the point, and it makes the 
 Almighty mock and cruelly deceive his Creatures — The Scriptures 
 must prove to be Untrue, or Universalism is False. 
 
 Universalism, when met and driven from its positive po- 
 sitions of attack and defense, throws itself upon its nega- 
 tive resources, by denying a future general judgment and 
 its consequences ; on the assumption, that Christ has long 
 since come in judgment, and that he has been, and is now 
 judging, punishing, and rewarding the good and bad, and 
 will continue this work till the end of time, and all man- 
 kind being thereby prepared for, are received into heaven 
 at death. 
 
 The coming of Jesus Cluist into the world, according to 
 the purpose of God, for the benefit of man, was long the 
 subject of promise, and the theme of prophecy ; even from 
 the period when the glories of Eden were blighted by the 
 apostasy of man, to the sublime scenes of the city of Da- 
 vid, when the wise men worshiped the infant Messiah in 
 the manger, and the heavenly hosts shouted, " Glory to 
 God in the highest ; and on earth, peace, and good will to- 
 ward men." And whatever may be the difference of opin- 
 ion with regard to the real character of Christ, and the 
 design and effect of his mission to earth, the fact of his 
 having come in the flesh is not matter of dispute, but is 
 
CHAP. IX. J SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 19S 
 
 conceded by all who believe tlie Bible to be a record of 
 facts, and a revelation from God. The real question is, 
 the second coming of Jesus Christ to judge the world in 
 righteousness, and fix the destiny of man for eternity. 
 
 To maintain that he has thus c ane, Universalism quotes 
 the following Scriptures : "Verily, I say unto you. There 
 be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till 
 they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom," Matt. 
 xvi, 28. " Verily, I say unto you, This generation shall 
 not pass, till all these things be fulfilled," Matt, xxiv, 34; 
 and the parallel texts in Mark ix, 1-13, 30, and Luke xxi, 
 32. The declarations relied on are, " There be some stand- 
 ing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the 
 Son of man coming in his kingdom "— " till they have seen 
 the kingdom of God come with power;" "this generation 
 shall not pass, till all these things be done" — " till all be 
 fulfilled." The position of Universalism on this point, 
 derives all its plausibility from assuming, 1. That " gener- 
 ation," as used here by the Savior, means exclusively the 
 natural life-time of an individual ; and, 2. That Christ is 
 here speaking alone of one single occurrence, or event that 
 was to take place, and be completed within the period of a 
 man's natural life. Yield these assumptions, and allow that 
 " generation," as here used, refers to the moral character 
 and relations of a nation, or class of people, as well as to 
 the natural life of an individual, and that the Lord was 
 speaking of more than one event concerning himself, his 
 kingdom, the Church, and the world — events that should 
 commence in the life-time of those who heard him, and con- 
 tinue to the end of time ; and these Scriptures are rescued 
 at once from the perversions of Universalism, and are easy 
 of explanation, in perfect harmony with the whole Divine 
 volume, and incontrovertible matters of fact. But let us 
 look at those points in the light of the Holy Scriptures : 
 "For God is in the generation of the righteous," Psalm 
 
196 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. [cHAP. IX. 
 
 xiv, 5. " But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priest- 
 hood, a holy nation, a peculiar people ; that ye should 
 show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of 
 darkness into his marvelous light," 1 Peter ii, 9. Here, 
 all who are called, and obey the call, from darkness to light, 
 and thereby show forth the praises of God, are a peculiar, 
 holy, and chosen generation, extending throughout all time. 
 Proofs to the same point might be greatly extended. 
 
 Again : " O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, 
 speak good things ? for out of the abundance of the heart 
 the mouth speaketh. * * * Even so shall it be also 
 onto this wicked generation," Matt, xii, 34-45. " Whoso- 
 ever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me and of my words 
 in this adulterous and sinful generation ; of him also shall 
 the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory 
 of his Father, with the holy angels," Mark viii, 38. Here, 
 also, those who are " ashamed of Christ and his words " — 
 " being evil " — " adulterous and sinful "—all such, through- 
 out all time, constitute the " generation of the wicked." 
 
 From this language of the Scriptures, it is seen that 
 *' generation" not only means the natural life of a man, but 
 also a whole race of men ; such as the descendants of Abra- 
 ham, or the Jews, including their entire history ; and a 
 whole class of men, having reference to their moral charac- 
 ter — such as the wicked, all sinful men belong to, and con- 
 stitute the generation of the wicked; the righteous, all 
 pious persons belong to, and constitute the generation of 
 the righteous. These facts destroy the assumption of Uni- 
 versalism on this point ; and it only remains to be seen, 
 whether Christ, in the case before us, refers to those facts. 
 Of this, to say the least, there is strong presumptive evi- 
 dence; for it is a remarkable fact, which should not be 
 overlooked, that when he spoke of what individuals should 
 see before death, he confined this sight, exclusively, to 
 *' the Son of man coming in his kingdom " — " the kingdom 
 
CHAP. IX.] SECOND LOMINO OF CHRIST. 197 
 
 oF God coming with power;" and when he spoke of "all 
 these things being fulfilled" — "till all these things be 
 done," he did not say that some then present should not 
 die till all these things should be consummated ; but this 
 '''generation''^ shall not pass, till all these things be fulfil- 
 led — till all be done. This generation, either as it refers to 
 the Jews as a people, or to moral character, or both, shall 
 not pass away till all of which he had spoken, directly and 
 indirectly, come to pass, though it extend from this till the 
 end of time ; while, indeed, one fact, with its accompany- 
 ing circumstances and consequences, in this grand train of 
 events, shall take place during the life-time of some who 
 now hear, they shall live to see it, namely, my coming in 
 my kingdom — the kingdom of the Father. This will soon 
 be accomplished by the direct power of the Holy Spirit, 
 and Christ thereby should come to reign in the kingdom of 
 his grace and providence. 
 
 This view is natural and easy, and as we proceed, will 
 be seen to harmonize with all other Scriptures bearing on 
 this subject. The next inquiry is, whether Christ, in con- 
 nection with the Scriptures before us, was speaking exclu- 
 sively of but one event, of but one coming into the world, 
 and that too finally to judge the world. And if it can be 
 clearly shown, that the final second coming of Jesus Christ 
 will be attended with circumstances that did not transpire in 
 the days of the apostles, it will be shown with the same 
 clearness, that he was speaking of more than one event, and 
 that his second coming to judge the world is yet future. 
 Christ shall settle this vital question; and as we intend fully 
 to examine those Scriptures in another place, we will only 
 adduce one plain declaration of Christ here. " And then shall 
 appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven : and then 
 shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see 
 tlie Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power 
 and ffreat glorv. And he shall send his angels with a great 
 17* 
 
198 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. [CIIAP. IX, 
 
 sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect 
 from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other," 
 Matt, xxiv, 30, 31. Now, let it be distinctly borne in 
 mind, that the manner of his coming, in the sense in which 
 it was to take place in the life-time of some of those who 
 heard him speak of it, confined it exclusively to his king- 
 dom — the kingdom of the Father — without even an intima- 
 tion that this coming in his kingdom should be attended 
 with the sublimity and grandeur of that named above. No 
 intimation that when he should come in his kingdom, which 
 some of them should live to see, it would be announced by 
 the great sound of a trumpet, and be attended with the 
 other circumstances here named ; while in the case before 
 us, or in the parallel texts, there is not one word said, or an 
 intimation given, that he would come in his kingdom ; but 
 on the contrary, he is to come " in the clouds of heaven 
 with power and great glory ;" the " great sound of a trum- 
 pet," shall apprise the world of his approach, accompanied 
 by *'his angels," who "shall gather his elect" — all the 
 pious and holy from under the broad canopy of heaven — 
 while all the *' tribes," the wicked " tribes of the earth shall 
 mourn." It has already been shown, that any inference, 
 argument, or interpretation, that contradicts plainly revealed 
 truths, or plain matters of fact, is absolutely erroneous, and 
 must be rejected unhesitatingly ; and with these fully be- 
 fore us, the world might be challenged to adduce a particle 
 of proof that these sublime scenes have ever occurred, and 
 been witnessed by mankind. When did the world hear the 
 great sound of the trumpet? When did it see the Lord 
 come in the clouds of heaven ? When did the wicked tribes 
 of the earth wail and mourn at his coming? When were 
 God's elect, the pious of the earth, gathered from under the 
 whole heaven and taken to Christ? Never. And the man 
 that should afTirm it, must be considered as wholly destitute 
 of knowledge, or of truth and honesty ; and the system 
 
CHAP. IX.] SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 1^ 
 
 that teaches it can but excite the disgust, not to say con- 
 tempt, of all the intelligent, honest believers in the revela- 
 tion of God. It follows, therefore, beyond a doubt, that as 
 those solemn events have not taken place, the promise of 
 the Lord is a perfect failure, or they are yet future. In 
 either case, it is equally fatal, absolutely fatal, to Univer- 
 salis m. 
 
 That Paul understood the second coming of the Lord in 
 this light, will appear perfectly clear from the following de- 
 clarations : " For this we say unto you by the word of the 
 Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming 
 of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For 
 the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, 
 with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of 
 God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first," 1 Thess. iv, 
 15, 16. The apostle affirms, that he is authorized " by the 
 word of the Lord," to make this solemn announcement of 
 the second coming of the Lord Jesus. But where do we 
 find, in the word of the Lord, the fact and attending cir- 
 cumstances so clearly set forth as the Savior has done in the 
 case before us? But in this grand description by Paul, 
 there is not a word said about the kingdom ; which is fur- 
 ther proof that his coming in his kingdom, which was to 
 take place in the life-time of his apostles, was widely dif- 
 ferent from his final coming to judge the world in righteous- 
 ness. 
 
 From the foregoing, it follows, beyond the possibility of 
 successful contradiction or evasion, either, 1. That Christ, 
 in the language had under examination, and other parallel 
 cases, taught his disciples and the world, that his coming in 
 his kingdom, which was to occur during the life-time of 
 some then present, was to judge the world ; and that this 
 was his second, final, and only coming that should ever take 
 place; or, 2. In addition to his coming in his kingdom 
 within the natural life of some of them who heard him, he 
 
200 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. [cHAP. IX. 
 
 taught them that his second final coming to judge the world 
 was yet future, and should take place at the end of time, 
 when he should come with the sound of a trumpet, attended 
 by the angels, when all mankind should literally appear be- 
 fore him in judgment. This is surely a full and fair state- 
 ment of this deeply interesting case, to which we cannot 
 see how any candid inquirer after truth can possibly object. 
 
 Now we make this dilemma for Universalism, and may 
 with the utmost confidence defy its escape. It must take 
 either the first or second position with regard to the coming 
 of Jesus Christ finally to judge the world. If it takes the 
 first, the following consequences cannot be avoided: 1. Uni- 
 versalism depends on the resurrection for the final holiness 
 and happiness of all mankind in heaven. 2. And accord- 
 ing to St. Paul, the resurrection depends on the second 
 coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, for he shall descend from 
 heaven, and the dead shall be raised. 3. But Universalism 
 aflirms, that the second coming of Christ has long since 
 passed; and fact proclaims that the dead are not raised, and 
 consequently they never can be raised nor the living 
 changed, and therefore Universalism is a perfect farce, and 
 all its boast of universal holiness and happiness in the re- 
 surrection is disgusting nonsense. And if to avoid those 
 consequences, which are not surpassed by the darkest fea- 
 ture of atheism, it admits that the second coming of Jesus 
 Christ to judge the world, and reward the good and punish 
 the wicked, is yet future, and will be consummated at the 
 end of time and the present constitution of this world, it 
 yields its last hope at once, and should prepare for a fearful 
 reckoning and awful retribution at the bar of God, when it 
 must meet the souls it has ruined, the Judge whose word it 
 has perverted, whose government it has misrepresented, and 
 whose character it has traduced. 
 
 Having thus shown, that the assumptions of the system 
 against the future coming of Christ, and to sustain that 
 
CHAP. IX.] SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 201 
 
 event as long since passed, are utterly unsupported by the 
 word of God, and the facts in the case, we are prepared to 
 see that Christ, in tliese discourses, instead of speaking ex- 
 clusively of but one subject, that of his coming in his king- 
 dom while those who heard him should still be living, 
 speaks of a plurality of subjects, and of each with all the dis- 
 tinctness that the circumstances of the case required ; among 
 which were, and of which he spake distinctly, his judgments 
 upon, and the destruction of Jerusalem, and the dispersion 
 of the Jews; his coming in his kingdom, which was soon 
 to take place, and the persecution and martyrdom of many 
 of his disciples. He also spake less distinctly (but suffi- 
 ciently plain for all the purposes of his providence and 
 grace) of the universal spread of the Gospel, his presence 
 by the power of the Spirit everywhere in the Church, his 
 protection of the ministry, his reign in the kingdom of 
 providence, and his final second coming to judge the world. 
 The only point that remains to be settled here, is, what 
 did the Savior mean by his coming in his kingdom, which 
 was soon to occur, even in the natural life-time of some of 
 those who heard his discourses ? And as all must confess, 
 from the facts already adverted to, that this coming was not 
 personal, visible, and literal, and as he himself declares that 
 his kingdom is not of this world, there is no other conclu- 
 sion that the facts, and the word of God will warrant, than 
 that his coming was spiritual, to reign by the prevalence of 
 his grace, and the power of the Holy Spirit, in his spiritual 
 kingdom, the Church, the Zion of God. And as this spir- 
 itual kingdom and reign could not be fully established, till 
 all the predictions^ of the prophets were accomplished in 
 his character and works; till "he, by the grace of God, 
 should taste death for every man;" till he had triumphed 
 over death and the grave in his resurrection ; and till it 
 should be proclaimed in heaven, "Lift up your heads, O 
 ye gates ; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors ; and 
 
202 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. [cHAP. IX. 
 
 the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of 
 glory ? The Lord, strong and mighty ; the Lord, mighty 
 in battle. * * * He is the King of glory," Psalm xxiv, 
 7-10. Then was accomplished the purpose of God in the 
 inauguration of the Lord Jesus in ihe mediatorial kingdom, 
 and it is announced, " Yet have I set my King upon my 
 holy hill of Zion," P^alm ii, 6; to receive the heathen for 
 an inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for a 
 possession ; to save and glorify the obedient, and rule, and 
 if need be, to break the rebellious with a rod of iron, and 
 dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. And when it 
 was proclaimed, " Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast 
 led captivity captive : thou hast received gifts for men ; 
 yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell 
 among them," Psalm Ixviii, 18 ; and when the purposes of 
 God, which had been in progress for ages, were consum- 
 mated, in the ascension of Jesus Christ to the throne and 
 reign of mediation ; and when his disciples, who had heard 
 his teaching, and expected his coming according to his 
 promise, were all assembled, with one accord, in one place, 
 " Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing 
 mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were 
 sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, 
 like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them : and they were 
 all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with 
 other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And 
 there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out 
 of every nation under heaven," Acts ii, 2-5. This descent 
 of Jesus Christ, in his spiritual kingdom, by the power of 
 the Holy Spirit, surprised the multitude ; and when they 
 came together, they were confounded at the marvelous 
 event, and supposed confusion — the pious exulting in the 
 acconiplishnKMit of the Divine promise, the infidel and pro- 
 fane niockinir at tlieir supposed drunkenness, "Peter, stand- 
 ing up willi the eleven, lifled up his voice, and" announced 
 
CHAP. IX.] SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 203 
 
 to them, that this was not the effect of drunkenness, but 
 the power of Christ through the influence of his Spirit. 
 He also proceeded to show, that this descent of the spirit- 
 ual kingdom and reign of Christ was in perfect harmony 
 with both prophecy and promise ; for, " This Jesus hath 
 God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore, 
 being by the right hand of God exalted, and having receiv- 
 ed of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath 
 shed forth this, which ye now see and hear," Acts ii, 32, 33. 
 In the light of these facts and circumstances, it is per- 
 fectly clear that the coming of Jesus Christ in his kingdom, 
 that was soon to succeed his resurrection and ascension to 
 heaven, was spiritual, and not visible and literal. Christ 
 himself said, "The kingdom of God cometh not with ob- 
 servation," or outward show, Luke xvii, 20. And Paul 
 says, " For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink ; 
 but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost," 
 Romans xiv, 17. And while the kingdom is not with out- 
 ward show of this world, but purely spiritual, established 
 in the heart of every true believer, his coming therein was 
 of the same character, not visible and literal, as it will be 
 when he shall come to judge the world ; and his reign 
 therein, by the all-pervading power of the Holy Spirit, is 
 the mediatorial reign of grace, and not of final judgment. 
 To this, the inspired writers bear ample testimony. " And 
 if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus 
 Christ the righteous," 1 John ii, 1. "For there is one 
 God, and one mediator between God and men, the man 
 Christ Jesus," 1 Tim. ii, 5. " Wherefore, he is able also 
 to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, 
 seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them," Heb. 
 vii, 25. " But now hath he obtained a more excellent min- 
 istry, by how much also he is the Mediator of a better 
 covenant, which was established upon better promises," 
 Heb. viii, 6. - 
 
204 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. [cHAP. IX. 
 
 Now, it cannot be denied, that if Jesus Christ is our 
 *' advocate," "mediator," and "intercessor" before the 
 throne of God, it is absolutely impossible that he can be 
 sitting in final judgment on tlie world at the same time; 
 and if he is really and literally judging the world, then he 
 cannot be our mediator in heaven, and those Scriptures we 
 have quoted, and all of a similar character, are only calcu- 
 lated to mislead, and totally deceive the world. 
 
 We are, therefore, absolutely compelled utterly to reject 
 the preposterous dogma of Universalism, that Christ has 
 long since come, and is now actually sitting in linal judg- 
 ment on the world; or reject the testimony of the word of 
 God, contradict the apostles, give up the mediatorial inter- 
 cession of Jesus Christ, and, with it, the hope of salvation ; 
 for, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is 
 none other name under heaven given among men, whereby 
 we must be saved," Acts iv, 12. But allow the authority 
 of the Scriptures, and the question is settled ; Jesus Christ 
 is our glorious mediator in heaven ; his spiritual kingdom 
 came, and his spiritual reign commenced by the influence 
 of his grace and Spirit, in the life-time of many of those 
 who heard him make the promise of his coming in his 
 kingdom. 
 
 It should be recollected, however, that the triumphs of 
 his spiritual kingdom are inseparable from his reign in the 
 kingdom of his providence ; for, though his kingdom is not 
 of this world, its conquests are to be achieved in this world, 
 and, of course, it has to be established among his enemies, 
 who, but for his special providence and grace in protecting 
 and sustaining the pious, and the judgments of his provi- 
 dence, in rebuking and restraining the wicked, would drive 
 spiritual piety from the earth. This reign of Jesus Christ 
 in the kingdom of providence, so far as was, and is neces- 
 sary for the triumphs of his grace, has been, is now, and, 
 
CHAP. IX.] SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 205 
 
 doubtless, ever will be, strikingly illustrated in the case 
 both of individuals and nations. 
 
 For example : Herod and Saul of Tarsus, both, had 
 knowledge of the power and reign of Christ. And while 
 the latter, penitendy inquiring, " Lord, what wilt thou have 
 me to do?" Acts ix, 6, was, under the administration of 
 Divine grace, converted to God, and made eminently useful 
 to the world as a minister of Jesus Christ ; the former, in 
 the pride of his heart, " because he gave not God the glory," 
 was, under the administration of Christ in the kingdom of 
 his providence, "smitten of the angel of the Lord, eaten 
 of worms, and gave up the ghost," Acts xii, 23. Under 
 the same administration, Jerusalem, long honored as the 
 place of the record of the name of God, and the Jews, long 
 his peculiar people, were destroyed ; while Rome, the seat 
 of idolatry, superstition and crime, was visited by the light 
 of truth, and the power of Divine grace, till their influence 
 was felt even in the palace of the Coesars. 
 
 This Scriptural view of the kingdom, coming, and reign 
 of Christ in this world, is strongly corroborated by facts, 
 and furnishes Scriptural ground of hope to the penitent, the 
 Christian, and the Church; Christ reigns as their glorious 
 mediator in the kingdom of grace, to enlighten, instruct, 
 and pardon the penitent, sanctify the believer, and finally 
 save the faithful and holy in heaven. On the other hand, 
 sinners should fear ; for Christ reigns also in the kingdom 
 of a universal providence, to restrain, defeat, and confound 
 the malevolent designs, both of individuals and nations, 
 against his children, his Church. As individuals, to alarm 
 their conscience, as in the case of Felix ; and if they are 
 incorrigible, to destroy them, as in the case of Herod: as 
 nations, to confuse their purposes, and humble their arro- 
 gance and pride, as in the case of France ; and, if necessa- 
 ry, to destroy them, as were the Jews and other nations. 
 
 It only remains for us to inquire, whether these judg- 
 18 
 
206 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. [CHAP. IX. 
 
 ments and punishments, inflicted on individuals and nations 
 in this world, by our Lord, in the administration of his 
 providence, are those of the final judgment; that is, wheth- 
 er under this reign of Christ, sinners are punished in this 
 world, in exact proportion to the number, magnitude, and 
 aggravation of all their sins ; and that there is no possible 
 punishment awaiting them in the future world, however 
 impious, profane, and unholy they may be, both in life and 
 death. 
 
 It is the common language of the system, that the cer- 
 tainty of punishment for all sin in this world, is the " moral 
 power of Universalism ;" the sinner knowing that he can- 
 not, by repentance, reformation, faith, pardon, or any other 
 means whatever, escape the entire amount of punishment 
 his sins deserve, will be induced thereby to avoid sin and 
 live holy. It is to secure this doctrine, and avoid the con- 
 sequences of a future judgment and retribution, that Univer- 
 salism is so ardent in maintaining that the second advent of 
 Christ is long since passed ; but if the contrary of this doc- 
 trine can be clearly proved, whatever the system may try to 
 make out of the language, " this generation shall not pass 
 away, and some of you shall not taste of death, till these 
 things be done," it will be perfectly unavailing, and the sys- 
 tem and its votaries must stand immutably amenable to the 
 bar of " eternal judgment." 
 
 To this point then we direct the inquiry. The idea of 
 man's present state in this life being the period of his final 
 judgment and retribution, is preposterous in the extreme, 
 and is an insult to the whole character, government, and ad- 
 ministration of God. The absolute truth of this is suscep- 
 tible of the clearest proof. For example : take the case of 
 the thousands who live and die in unbelief and wickedness ; 
 ask them on the bed of death, if they do not know assu- 
 redly, that they have been finally judged, and fully pun- 
 ished for all their sins in this life, and have no kind of dan- 
 
CHAP. IX.] SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 207 
 
 ger to apprehend hereafter. They have answered, and 
 they will answer, and that too under circumstances of all 
 others most calculated to prompt to truth and honesty — 
 they will answer. No ; if I have been judged and punished 
 for all my sins in this life, I do not know the time when, 
 and the place where, it occurred. I do not, I cannot possi- 
 bly believe it. Now, from these solemn, dying testimonies, 
 which are but too fearfully multiplied, it follows most con- 
 clusively, either, 1. That they have not been finally judged 
 and fully punished for all their sins in this world; or, 2. 
 That they have been, and they knew it, but utter a deliber- 
 ate falsehood in the moment of their death ; or, 3. That 
 they have been thus judged and punished ; but they did not 
 know it when they died. Universalism, beyond the possi- 
 bility of escape, must meet one or the other of these posi- 
 tions. If it choose the first, then it unconditionally yields 
 the whole question, and stands condemned out of its own 
 mouth. If the second, it stands condemned for the worse 
 than atheistical licentiousness, of promising the dying, im- 
 penitent opposer of God and his law, who employs his last 
 moments in deliberately uttering a bold, blasphemous false- 
 hood in the face of Deity himself, an eternal weight of 
 glory in heaven, the moment he consummates the crime, 
 and expires in the act ! If to save existence, and avoid the 
 blasp?iemy, the system choose the third position, then it ad- 
 mits the charge, that Universalism, to save the doctrine of 
 punishment for sin in this life, traduces and insults the char- 
 acter, government, and administration of God, with all the 
 provisions of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God is repre- 
 sented in the Bible as moved in stupendous mercy to make 
 provision for the salvation of man ; for this Jesus Christ 
 appears on earth, bathed in his own tears and blood — the 
 sun is vailed in sackcloth, the earth trembles, and heaven is 
 moved with pity to save man. From what? Why, to be 
 sure, according to Universalism, from that which is most 
 
208 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. [ciIAP. IX. 
 
 alarming and dreadful — from sin, and its punishment; the 
 consequences of which are so awful, that the sinner may- 
 live and die in the final judgment, and punishment therefor, 
 and pass out of the world, and enter heaven, and neither 
 know or believe that he has been the subject of any such 
 operation! What a perfect insult to Jehovah, and what 
 encouragement to sinners to live and die in rebellion against 
 him ! What would be thought of a human government 
 that would allow the thief, robber, murderer, and every 
 other class of offenders against the peace and safety of so- 
 ciety, to commit all the depredations that their lusts, ava- 
 rice, malice, and every other unholy passion of the heart 
 might prompt them to ; and in its administration of justice, 
 would inflict all its penalty upon the bold offenders, to se- 
 cure their reformation and the good of community; and 
 yet do all this in such a way, that the transgressor would 
 be arrested, arraigned, tried, judged, condemned, and pun- 
 ished, and at the same time neither know, or believe, that 
 any such operation of justice had taken place in his case ? 
 Every enlightened and candid mind would say, such a gov- 
 ernment would be the greatest mockery and insult possible 
 of all law, administration and justice, and should be stamped 
 indellibly with endless infamy. But Universalism, by un- 
 avoidable consequences, attributes an infinitely worse gov- 
 ernment and administration to the God of heaven ; and how 
 inconceivably corrupt must be that system which is bold 
 enough to offer such indignities to the Deity. But further 
 on this subject : the sufferings to which mankind are sub- 
 ject in this world, however different in duration and de- 
 gree, may be reduced to one or all of the following points : 
 1. The sufferings of the body; or, 2. Of the mind; or, 3. 
 The sufferings of body and mind together. This is too 
 plain to admit of proof; and it follows, therefore, undenia- 
 bly, that if men are finally judged and fully punished for 
 sin in this life, it must necessarily consist in the sufferings 
 
CHAP. IX.] SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 209 
 
 of their body, or mind, or both. That it consists in the 
 bodily sufferings of the wicked, no one can assert only at 
 the peril of his reputation ; for it is a fact spread out before 
 the world, known and read of all men, that the irreligious 
 generally are as free from pain of body merely as the pious. 
 And, doubtless, a minister could not more effectually dis- 
 grace himself and his mission, and render both contempti- 
 ble with the intelligent, than by urging as a reason for re- 
 formation and obedience to God, that the wicked were 
 suffermg great bodily pain, above what the pious suffer; 
 while their own consciousness would contradict the mes- 
 sage, and brand the messenger as either a fool or a knave. 
 As those facts can neither be denied or resisted, it is un- 
 questionable, that if man is the object of final judgment, 
 and suffers all the punishment for his sins in this world, his 
 sufferings must be mental ; and if so, it must arise from one 
 or both of the following sources: 1. External circumstan- 
 ces — disappointments and deprivations beyond all that the 
 pious are subjected to, with regard to the business, means 
 of comfort and happiness of this world ; or, 2. Internal 
 convictions — a consciousness of violated moral obligations, 
 either in the neglect of duties, or the willful commission of 
 sin, resulting in personal guilt of mind. 
 
 This statement of the case fully covers the question in 
 dispute ; and let us now inquire whether the mental suffer- 
 ings of the wicked in this final judgment in this world, are 
 caused by the external temporal circumstances. On this we 
 need only look at facts and the inspired word, to be fully sat- 
 isfied that it is not more clear, that the wicked generally do 
 not suffer more bodily pain in this world than the righteous, 
 than it is that they do not suffer more mentally than the 
 pious do, on account of their temporal worldly business and 
 circumstances. And, really, these facts are so plain to the 
 common sense of every man, that but for the fact that Uni- 
 versalism, with a subtilty characteristic of itself, blends the 
 18* 
 
210 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. [cHAP. IX. 
 
 sufferings of man in this world with other matters, and 
 clothes the whole with sufficient plausibility to mislead and 
 ruin the unsuspecting and credulous, it would look like mere 
 trifling, gravely to refute the absurdity. But we have to 
 follow the serpent some times into its own retreats and lurk- 
 ing places, before we can fully bruise its head. 
 
 The following testimony is decisive: "Wherefore do 
 the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? 
 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their 
 offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from 
 fear, neither is the rod of God upon them," Job xxi, 7-9. 
 '* For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosper- 
 ity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death : 
 but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other 
 men ; neither are they plagued like other men. * * * 
 Their eyes stand out with fatness : they have more than 
 heart could wish," Psalm Ixxiii, 3-7. "Ye have lived in 
 pleasure on the earth, and been wanton : ye have nourished 
 your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned 
 and killed the just ; and he doth not resist you," James v, 
 5, 6. The above, which might be greatly extended, is 
 directly in point, that if the wicked are finally judged and 
 fully punished in this life, their sufferings cannot possibly 
 arise from worldly privations. And it is nothing to the 
 purpose to refer to those Scriptures where it is said, the 
 wicked shall suddenly be destroyed, slain, and cut off; for, 
 the question is not, whether God will finally cut off and 
 destroy the ungodly in death, but whether, during life, he, 
 through mental suffering, produced by external circumstan- 
 ces, punishes him fully for all his wickedness. Neither 
 will it meet, or relieve the case, to say that, though God 
 does not punish the sinner during life, he does in death, by 
 thus suddenly cutting off and destroying him from the earth ; 
 for tliis, so far from being really a punishment for sin, is 
 but a sudden transition from earth to heaven. And Univer- 
 
CHAP. IX.1 SFXOND COMING OF CHRIST. 211 
 
 salism, if it should attempt to escape at this point, cannot 
 avoid appearing in its own true character, by affirming, in 
 substance, " Beware, sinner ; you are in awful danger, be 
 greatly alarmed ; for, though God does not punish you fully 
 as you pass through the world in wickedness, yet there is 
 an awful period approaching, when God will cut off and 
 destroy you in a moment, and you will be the object of the 
 overwhelming calamity of being cut ofT instantly, and taken 
 from all the gloom of earth, to the joys and glory of 
 heaven." 
 
 The system must, therefore, either render itself thus pei 
 fectly odious to all the intelligent, or confess that men are 
 not fully punished for their sins in this life, either in body 
 or mind, by any external or worldly circumstances. We 
 have now only to see, whether the wicked are fully punish- 
 ed in this world by personal conviction and mental agony, 
 for the violation of moral obligation. It is not the design 
 to speculate on the subject of conscience, or the " moral 
 sense," as some are pleased to call it, but to notice some 
 facts which concern this point. 
 
 We will allow Universalism, in order to make the best 
 of its case, to claim any character or capacity for suffering 
 in the conscience or mind of man, that it may choose ; and 
 whatever may be its position on the point, it must neces- 
 sarily include the following principle, namely : Before man 
 can feel guilt of conscience, or mental pain of any kind, 
 for neglect of duty towards, or for violating the laws of any 
 being or character, he must be conscious that he is under 
 moral obligation to cherish and exercise faith, hope, trust, 
 love, fear, or obedience, towards such character or being. 
 The exercise of these powers and affections of the soul 
 towards, and in the service of God, is everywhere recog- 
 nized in the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 With these undeniable facts before us, it is easy to show, 
 that the last resort of Universalism, under this head, the 
 
212 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. [cHAP. IX. 
 
 final punishment for sin in this world by mental sufferings, 
 or guilt of conscience, is, in the case of, at least, all infidels 
 and atheists, absolutely impossible. And it will not be ne- 
 cessary to adduce proof from the Bible, to those who be- 
 lieve it to be the word of God, to show that the Lord Jesus 
 Christ is presented to man as the object of his faith, hope, 
 love, trust, holy fear and obedience ; to deny this, would be 
 to deny the plainest doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures : 
 and to those who recognize the authority of Christ, the 
 violation of those obligations, the neglect of those duties 
 enjoined by the laws of the Lord Jesus Christ, are to them 
 the cause of guilt, and more or less mental pain and suffer- 
 ing. But how is it with the infidel ? He believes that Christ 
 is an impostor, the Bible an imposition on the ignorance and 
 credulity of man, and, so far from feeling that he is under 
 moral obligations to believe in, reverence, and obey Christ 
 as a Savior, he has no hope or trust in, love, or fear for him 
 whatever; but, on the contrary, would feel himself debased 
 and degraded for either ; therefore, it is absolutely impossi- 
 ble that the infidel can be mentally punished in this world, 
 on Universal ist principles, for the sin of utterly rejecting 
 the only Savior of men, the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 And the same consequences must follow in the case of 
 the atheist ; for, totally disbelieving the existence of God, 
 he cannot be an object of faith, hope, trust, fear, or love; 
 and, for withholding these from a being whose very exist- 
 ence he disbelieves and denies, to be to him a source of 
 mental guilt and suffering, is an absurdity that can only be 
 equaled by other features of Universalism. And to escape 
 this conclusion, the system must either affirm that man can 
 be the subject of a guilty conscience, suffer all the punish- 
 ment due to sin in mental anguish and pain, without feeling 
 any obligations to faith, hope, trust, fear, love or obedience, 
 or deny that there ever was, is now, or ever will be, an infi- 
 del or an atheist in the world. To assert the former, is to 
 
CHAP. IX.] SECOND CO^IING OF CHRIST. 213 
 
 contradict the consciousness and common sense of every 
 rational man in the world ; and to deny the latter, is to 
 charge all professed infidels and atheists with falsehood and 
 hypocrisy, and at the same moment, to assure them that 
 they are as absolutely sure of heaven, though they should 
 live and die consummate hypocrites and liars, as if they 
 were already enjoying endless glory in heaven. 
 
 And the force of these consequences can neither be de- 
 stroyed or diminished, by asserting that we hold that all 
 men, whether infidels, atheists, or whatever else may be 
 their moral character, are visited with more or less of Di- 
 vine influence, and convicted of sin, and guilt, and the ne- 
 cessity of salvation. We do maintain this, and that, too, 
 on the authority of the word of God ; but, so far from this 
 conviction of the Holy Spirit being the full amount of pun- 
 ishment for their sins, and that punishment, too, the result 
 of the final judgment in their case, it is only the operation 
 of Divine grace, to enlighten their minds, correct their infi- 
 delity and atheism, humble them into penitency, that they 
 may not be punished in the final judgment, but be pardon- 
 ed here, sanctified by grace through faith, and saved finally 
 in heaven. 
 
 But should we allow all the system contends for on this 
 point, that men, from a consciousness of violated moral ob- 
 ligation, extreme guilt, exquisite mental anguish, are fully 
 punished in this world for all their sins ; so far from such 
 admission relieving the system, it would only aggravate and 
 increase its difficulties. It cannot be denied, that self- 
 reproach, shame, conviction of sin, a guilty conscience, 
 and all mental suffering consequent thereof, are necessarily 
 connected with, and inseparable from, a belief that all those 
 actions for which he is the subject of guilt, were perfectly 
 free and unconstrained, and that he was just as free to have 
 done what he neglected, as he was to do what was forbid- 
 den. Nothing can be more absurd than the idea, that a man 
 
214 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. [cHAP. IX. 
 
 can, self-condemned, feel guilty of crime, and suffer under 
 a guilty conscience for doing, or not doing, that which he 
 believed was impossible ; for not controlling that which he 
 believed to be perfectly beyond his control. As well might 
 he be convicted of sin and guilt, for the state of his health, 
 without any indiscretion on his part, or suffer guilt for the 
 color of his hair, or eyes, or for breathing the vital air, as 
 for any act of his life, unless he at least believed that he 
 acted freely. 
 
 These facts appeal to the experience and consciousness 
 of every man, and can no more be denied than the fact of 
 our own conviction of, and belief in, our personal conscious- 
 ness. We have now only to call to mind the sentiments of 
 the system on the freedom of human actions ; and it must 
 be recollected that it has been clearly shown, that its real 
 position is, that man has no power, freedom, will, or 
 agency, to act contrary to the will of God, or otherwise 
 than he does, at all times and under all circumstances ; and, 
 indeed, any other view of man's agency is absolutely irre- 
 concilable with Universalism. Keeping these facts before 
 us, we remark, that men, in all their moral conduct, either 
 do, or they do not, believe that they act free ; and that in 
 all cases of duty, they were as free to neglect, as they were 
 to do them ; and in all sin, they were as free to avoid as 
 they were to commit them. Universalism must, of neces- 
 sity, take either the negative or the affirmative. If the 
 former, then it must maintain that in all moral actions men 
 do not believe that they act free; and of necessity they 
 must believe that their conduct is the result of God's immu- 
 table purpose, or some other power over which they have 
 no possible control. If so, it is impossible that they can 
 suffer under a guilty conscience, or be the subjects of men- 
 tal anguish and guilt, for the crime of not performing an ab- 
 solute impossibility. Universalism, therefore, cannot take 
 the negative without yielding the question, and admitting at 
 
CHAP. IX.] SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 215 
 
 once, that man, under such circumstances and with such be- 
 lief, cannot possibly suffer mentally from a consciousness 
 of guilt, and consequently cannot be punished for sin in 
 this world, if indeed he could sin at all under such circum- 
 stances. There is, therefore, no alternative for the system, 
 but to maintain that men in all their moral actions do believe 
 that they act freely. And as Universalism does really main- 
 tain that man has no power or agency to act contrary to the 
 will of God, it follows most conclusively, that God acts 
 with consummate duplicity, in forcing upon man the convic- 
 tion and belief that he acts perfectly free in all his moral 
 conduct, while the contrary is absolutely the fact in the 
 case ; and thereby man is most cruelly mocked and deceived 
 by his Maker. Universalism, by legitimate and inevitable 
 consequences, attributes all this to the Almighty, in order 
 to create a Universalist hell, in which fully to punish the 
 wicked in this world — this day of final judgment, which 
 has been in progress for nearly six thousand years, and yet 
 the world has known nothing of it, till very recently Uni- 
 versalism made the discovery, and revealed to man the aw- 
 ful secret ! 
 
 Once more : to bring the actions of man under the rules 
 of absolute necessity, then deceive him with regard to the 
 facts and circumstances under which he acts, charge him as 
 a guilty rebel for not violating the immutable purpose of 
 God, condemn him in the final judgment, and punish him 
 for not performing absolute impossibilities, amounts to a de- 
 gree of injustice and consummate cruelty, of which the 
 mind cannot conceive, and of which none but the spirit of 
 unmingled malevolence is capable ; and yet, by conclusions 
 which cannot be avoided, Universalism, to maintain the 
 dogma that sin is fully punished in this world, and to avoid 
 the consequences of a future judgment at the end of time, 
 attributes all this to Jehovah. 
 
 The alternative, therefore, is inevitable, either to reject 
 
216 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [CHAP. X. 
 
 Uiiiversalism as utterly false and ruinous, or totally reject 
 the Bible as a record of the will of God to man. With ev- 
 ery honest heart the decision is easily made. 
 
 In conclusion, we have seen that the coming of Christ in 
 liis kingdom, which was to commence in the life-time of 
 his apostles, was not for the final judgment, and fully to 
 punish the wicked in this world ; and, also, that the wicked 
 are not, and absolutely cannot be fully punished in this 
 world, for their infidelity, atheism, and rebellion against 
 God; and as these are subjects of both promise and pro- 
 phecy, and have not taken place, and cannot take place, in 
 this state of being they must be future, or never occur. If 
 the latter, the word of God must fail ; if the former, then 
 Universalism is an imposture. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 
 
 Future General Judgment and Retribution — Is believed — And must 
 have Originated with God or man — The General Judgment must be 
 either Past, Progressive, or Future — Cannot be Past — Cannot be Pro- 
 gressive — Objections Anticipated — Principles to be observed in Inves- 
 tigating this Subject — Proofs of a Future Judgment — Christ will 
 come Literally and Visibly — With the Voice of the Archangel and 
 the Trump of God — The Dead will be Raised and the Living Chang- 
 ed — Every Intelligent Being in the Universe will be Personally Pres- 
 ent in the Final Judgment — The Visible World will be the Subject 
 of Universal Conflagration — AH will be Judged according to the Ev- 
 idence of their Works — The Good Rewarded with Endless Life — The 
 Wicked Punished with Endless Misery — Those Principles previously 
 Established Applied — The Great, Unchangeable, and Final Results. 
 
 No doctrine taught in the Bible has been more abhorred 
 and violently opposed by the irreligious, or more firmly be- 
 lieved and defended by the pious, than tlie doctrine of a 
 future period of final judgment and retribution; and it is a 
 matter of no small suspicion, that Universalism, claiming as 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GENEUAL JUDGMENT. 217 
 
 it does to believe the Bible, should be the foremost in the 
 ranks of opposition to this doctrine ; while infidelity, athe- 
 ism, and the most impious of our race, follow in its wake, 
 and are ever ready to exult in its apparent success. Ad- 
 monished by this of the importance of the subject, we will 
 examine it with care and candor ; and as Universalism and 
 infidelity are alike interested, for the benefit of both, we 
 will go a step farther back, and commence with a few facts 
 which are incontrovertible. 
 
 First; in every period of the world, and especially where 
 the Bible has been read and believed, the doctrine of a future 
 final judgment and retribution, is known and believed with 
 more or less clearness, and to a greater or less extent. This 
 fact of the existence of the doctrine, as a hypothesis or 
 theory, is too plain to require, or admit of proof. 
 
 Second ; as this doctrine exists as a theory, and is be- 
 lieved by so many millions of mankind, it must of neces- 
 sity have had an origin and author. To deny this, is to 
 suppose an eff*ect without a cause, or that it existed from 
 eternity ; the former would be perfectly absurd, the latter 
 would be to admit the divinity of the doctrine. The ques- 
 tion then arises, Who was the author of this hated doctrine ? 
 The common skepticism of the day, and Universalism the 
 foremost, answers, " Man was its author. It originated in 
 the darkness of heathenism, and was borrowed from thence, 
 and grafted into, and is one of the corruptions of, modern 
 Christianity," is the answer of skepticism in all its modifi- 
 cations. If this doctrine originated with man, whether one 
 or many, he, or they, must have been either morally good, 
 or morally bad. On this, skepticism is not decided, and 
 takes the position that may best suit the exigencies of the 
 case for the time being. 
 
 We will examine both those points. And, first, if wick- 
 ed men originated the doctrine, they must have acted either 
 with, or without inducement or motive. To aflUrm that they 
 
 19 
 
218 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [cHAP. X. 
 
 acted wholly without motive, is what no man will do who 
 desires either his judgment or honesty to be respected 
 among the intelligent. And if they acted under induce- 
 ments, they must have had reference to this, the future 
 world, or both. But who is credulous enough to believe 
 that any one, who believes in God, and a future state, was 
 presumptuous enough to traduce the Divine character by- 
 originating a known falsehood, which would mislead almost 
 the whole of our race ; and that, too, under motives drawn 
 from the future world? The idea is too preposterous to be 
 indulged for a moment. 
 
 It is, therefore, entirely clear, that if wicked men con- 
 ceived this doctrine, they must have been wholly influenced 
 by motives drawn from this world. But what is the rela- 
 tion wicked men in this world sustain to the solemn doc- 
 trine of a final judgment? That doctrine extends its im- 
 perious claims to the whole man, including minutely all the 
 moral feelings and purposes of his heart, all the language 
 of his lips, and all the actions of his life ; marking every 
 departure from moral right, as an item in the great account 
 of final retribution ; so that this doctrine is now, a publica- 
 tion to the world of the fearful delinquency of the sinner 
 here, and his final infamy hereafter. And, to suppose that 
 wicked men would thus take pains to publish their own de- 
 gradation to the world before-hand, while the whole history 
 of man furnishes proof to the contrary, is an absurdity which 
 can only find a parallel in other features of Universalist 
 skepticism. And if wicked men, for those, and other 
 reasons which might be named, would not originate this doc- 
 trine, good men absolutely could not be its autliors ; for, 
 according to the objector, the doctrine is basely false, a per- 
 nicious imposture ; and, to suppose that good men were its 
 authors, is to assume that men can be base and willful liars, 
 wicked impostors, and at the same time, pious, good men. 
 This is an absolute, moral impossibility. 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 219 
 
 And should undisguised infidelity claim that angels, or 
 some other beings, might have invented this doctrine, it 
 will not meet the difficulty ; for, where does infidelity ob- 
 tain its information that there are such beings in the universe 
 as it here refers to? Surely, nowhere but in the Bible. 
 And should it allow the truth of the Bible, in order to prove 
 this point, we have only to appeal to the same source clearly 
 to prove the doctrine of a general judgment. But, waiving 
 this, and admitting the existence of such beings, indepen- 
 dent of the Bible, the same facts and arguments apply to 
 them that do to the case of men, and the conclusions must 
 be the same. As wicked men never would, and good men 
 never could, invent this doctrine; so neither would wicked, 
 nor could good angels, be the authors of such an imposition. 
 These facts and conclusions leave no alternative, but to 
 admit that God is the author of this sublime doctrine of a 
 general judgment and final retribution. Of this, the Bible 
 furnishes ample proof. 
 
 And if it is a part of the immutable plan of God, that 
 the world will be judged in righteousness, there must be a 
 time in which this great work will be effected. And though 
 this, in part, has been anticipated, we will here be more 
 particular, and endeavor to place it beyond a reasonable 
 doubt. With the fact before us that the Bible clearly teaches 
 this doctrine, and that God is its author, it must follow, 
 1. The judgment must be past, and fully consummated; 
 or, 2. It must be progressive, having commenced with the 
 first man, and will continue in progress till the end of time, 
 and the present constitution of this world ; or, 3. It is yet 
 future, and will take place at the close of time in this world, 
 and be the point at which every man's destiny will be fixed 
 for eternity. Universalism unequivocally denies the last 
 member of this statement, and is designedly indifinite and 
 obscure on the two former ; and generally vacillates between 
 a past and progressive judgment, as may best suit its con- 
 
220 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [ciIAP. X. 
 
 venience for proselyting or debate. Of this we might ad- 
 duce many proofs and examples, if it were necessary. 
 
 That the general judgment is past, and finally concluded, 
 is an absurdity so gross, that Universalism resorts to it now 
 with much more reluctance than formerly ; and, indeed, it 
 is matter of astonishment, that any one who expects either 
 his good sense, or his honesty, to be respected by commu- 
 nity, should ever take the position ; and it is hard to resist 
 the conviction that they know better, but resort to it on the 
 assumed credulity, or gross ignorance of the people. When 
 this position is taken, Universalism relies principally for its 
 support on the judgments of the Lord upon the Jews, in 
 the destruction of Jerusalem, their temple, and national 
 polity. But we have shown in another place, that this, so 
 far from being the final judgment, even in their case, was 
 only a feature of the administration of Christ in his media- 
 torial reign in the kingdom of grace and providence, hum- 
 bling the pride, and defeating the infidelity of a people — a 
 nation ; taking them out of the way for the time being, the 
 cup of their iniquity being full, for the more successful 
 reign of grace, that the fullness of the Gentiles might be 
 brought into his Gospel kingdom. Besides, if we were to 
 admit that this was the final judgment of the Jews, would 
 that constitute the final judgment of the whole of our race ? 
 Most assuredly not ; no more than a drop of water consti- 
 tutes the ocean, a grain of sand the globe, or a ray of light 
 the luminary of day. 
 
 The position involves an absolute impossibility; for as 
 this doctrine includes the whole of our race, there is no pe- 
 riod in the past at which the whole human family could pos- 
 sibly have been finally judged and rewarded; and wherever 
 that period may be fixed, if it were even at the present time, 
 it is utterly impossible that the millions that have gone into 
 eternity previously thereto, and the millions yet unborn, 
 could have been, or ran be, the subjects of such judgment; 
 
CHAP. X.J FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 221 
 
 and Universalism is compelled either lo reject the Bible on 
 the subject of a general judgment, and take the ground of 
 undisguised infidelity, or give up the absurdity of a general 
 judgment passed. It is, therefore, perfectly clear, if the 
 Bible is to be reverenced, and its testim.ony regarded, the 
 inquiry is narrowed down to two points ; namely, a pro- 
 gressive and future judgment. A progressive judgment is 
 the last possible ground of hope for Universalism. And 
 while we refer to the preceding chapter for some of the dif- 
 ficulties attending this position, we will adduce further 
 proofs against this dogma of the scheme. 
 
 First; it is a perversion throughout of the word of God 
 on this subject, and converts the dignified language of the 
 Lord into nonsense ; for it will not be questioned, that in 
 speaking of the general judgment, God has given it a defi- 
 nite locality— a point that distinguishes it from all other 
 time, and all other acts of the Divine administration. For 
 instance : '* He hath appointed a day in which he will 
 judge the world." " We must all appear before the judg- 
 ment-seat of Christ." " Every one of us shall give ac- 
 count of himself to God." Indeed language more une- 
 quivocal could not have been used to make the final gen- 
 eral judgment special and particular, in opposition to time 
 and events generally, than that which has been employed. 
 But when God says, " I have appointed a day in which the 
 world shall be judged," Universalism makes him mean, in 
 absolute opposition to any particular time or period, I have 
 appointed all time, from the creation of man till the end of 
 time; this in opposition to all days, is the day of final judg- 
 ment! And when it is said, "we must appear before the 
 judgment-seat of Christ," " to give account to God," he 
 means, the judgment-seat of Christ is really spread over 
 the whole habitable earth ; that every one shall not give ac- 
 count of himself to God, or if he does, he shall not know 
 when or where; and tliat he shall not receive in the judg- 
 19' 
 
222 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [cHAP. X. 
 
 ment according to the deeds done in the body ; or if he 
 does, he shall not know, feel, or believe it, as has already- 
 been clearly shown. 
 
 Now, if the doctrine of a progressive judgment be true, 
 it follows with all the force of demonstration, that the Bible 
 cannot be a faithful record of the will of God to man; or if 
 the Bible teaches the will of God, then Universalism, to 
 sustain the doctrine of a progressive judgment, is chargea- 
 ble with a bold perversion of the holy record. 
 
 Second; the Bible teaches, in unequivocal terms, that 
 the Lord Jesus Christ is the judge of the world. To deny 
 this would be to deny the Bible, and to adduce proof would, 
 in this place, be a mere waste of time ; consequently, what- 
 ever that judgment may be, and whenever it may take 
 place, Christ must be the judge, and every human being 
 must be the subject of that final judgment. And let it 
 still be recollected, that Universalism maintains that Je- 
 sus Christ, in the utmost dignity of his nature and charac- 
 ter, is a created and dependent being ; and it has not had 
 the temerity to affirm, that he exercised the power of 
 judge till he came into the world, and even not then till 
 after his resurrection and ascension to heaven ; but it allows 
 that the time of his assuming the powers of judgment, was 
 when he came in his kingdom during the life-time of some 
 who heard him in his ministrations on earth. Now, waiv- 
 ing the perfectly revolting thought, that a created and de- 
 pendent being, who, of necessity, must be finite and limited 
 in wisdom, and all the powers of his nature and character, 
 is finally to judge and fix man's destiny for eternity ; and 
 the fact that it is impossible for such a being, who is not 
 omnipresent or infinite, to be everywhere present over the 
 face of the whole world, at the same time carrying on the 
 work of a progressive judgment — waiving all this, we see 
 from the system's own showing, that tlie facts, so far from 
 sustaining if, prove most conclusively the contrary. For if 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 223 
 
 the world and the human family were in existence and pro- 
 gress for four thousand years before Christ had an exist- 
 ence — or if he existed, at least before he was invested with 
 the prerogatives and powers of judgment, nothing can be 
 plainer than the fact, that the world, or mankind living in 
 the world, previous to the time he received authority to 
 judge, was not, and absolutely could not be judged by 
 Christ. And it will be wholly unavailing for the system to 
 assert, that men were judged previously to that time by the 
 Father. This will only confirm the difficulty; for if the 
 world for four thousand years was finally judged and fully 
 rewarded and punished by the Father, it is utterly impossi- 
 ble for Jesus Christ to be the judge of the world ; and the 
 most that can be said of him in truth is, if he should judge 
 all the rest of mankind, that he is judge of but a part of the 
 world. We see here, also, that the system must reject the 
 testimony of the Scriptures, which proclaim the Lord Jesus 
 Christ as the final judge of the whole human race, or yield 
 the absurdity of a progressive judgment. 
 
 Third ; the doctrine of a progressive judgment involves 
 an absolute impossibility. It has already been shown, that 
 Christ reigns in the kingdom of grace as the one and only 
 mediator between God and men ; that he ever liveth to 
 make intercession for us ; and if so, he cannot possibly be sit- 
 ting upon the throne, administering justice in the final judg- 
 ment and retribution ; for it is not only unsupported by tlie 
 Bible, and wholly incompatible with every idea we can 
 form of law and government, but is both morally and natu- 
 rally impossible, for the same identical person, at the veiy 
 same time, with reference to any one man, to be his advo- 
 cate and mediator at the bar, inviting his return to God, 
 ofll*ering him all the fullness of Divine grace and mercy, for 
 his reformation and salvation ; and precisely at the same 
 point of time be his final and inflexible judge upon the 
 throne, sternly administering the justice of the final judg- 
 
224 FUTURE GENER.VL JUDGMENT. [cHAP. X. 
 
 ment, and fixing his destiny for the vast future — the eternal 
 world. And notwithstanding the impossibility of this in 
 any one man's case, (and the mind cannot conceive of an 
 absurdity of equal magnitude,) Universalism must place the 
 Lord Jesus Christ in this most ridiculous attitude to every 
 member of the human family, in order to sustain a progres- 
 sive judgment. It follows, therefore, with a conclusiveness 
 and force that the enlightened mind will feel, that Univer- 
 salism must either, 1. Boldly deny the mediation of Jesus 
 Christ, destroy the reign of grace, and thereby put an end 
 to salvation, and take its stand in common brotherhood with 
 infidelity ; or, 2. Yield the point, and admit the impossi- 
 bility of a progressive judgment ; or, 3. Sustain all the con- 
 sequences and impossibilities as shown above, and thereby 
 insult the common sense of mankind ; either of which 
 positions must prove alike fatal to the system, and destroy, 
 or strip it of the last vestige of the name of Christianity as 
 taught in the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 Now, with the Bible before us, in which a general judg- 
 ment, when and wheresoever it may take place, is so fully 
 taught that Universalism itself has to admit it ; and in view 
 of the facts and proofs, acquiring the strength of demon- 
 stration, that this event in the administration of God can 
 neither be passed nor progressive in the world, there is no 
 alternative between admitting it to be future, and totally re- 
 jecting the doctrine, and with it the Bible in which it is 
 taught. And if, in the absence of the direct proofs of the 
 doctrine, all who revere the Scriptures as higher authority 
 than the speculations of men, admit the divinity of the 
 doctrine, when they shall see it in the light of the direct 
 testimony which may be brought to its support, it will stand 
 with the clearness of tlie noonday's sun. 
 
 But before we adduce tliis proof, we will anticipate an 
 objection to tlie doctrinn, and then establish some principles 
 that must be regarded in all investigations on this subject. 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 225 
 
 The objection referred to is well expressed by Mr. J. Kid- 
 well. He says, " Now we ask, where is the necessity of 
 this supposed judgment day ? Does not this same system 
 of faith teach us, that the final doom of all is fixed at death ? 
 If so, will this day of judgment alter the fate of one indi- 
 vidual ? Has any been sent to heaven who ought to be in 
 hell ? or any to hell who ought to have been in heaven ? If 
 not, would such a day of judgment be any thing more than 
 a mock trial at best? Why judge men after their doom is 
 sealed? Absurd mortal! Will you impute folly to 'the 
 Judjje of all the earth,' which would disgrace the most cor- 
 rupt court on earth ? " Original Essay on the Coming of 
 the Son of Man, pp. 42, 43. 
 
 The above contains the strength and plausibility of all 
 the objections of the system against the doctrine now under 
 consideration ; and derives its apparent reasonableness from 
 a misrepresentation of the doctrine it opposes ; namely, that 
 the "final doom" of each one of our race is, officially, 
 " fixed at death." Now, the reverse in the case is true ; 
 the final doom of no one is fixed at death, nor will it be till 
 the resurrection of the dead, and the final judgment and 
 retribution at the last day. At dea.h, they take their place 
 in the world of spirits according to their moral character, 
 whether it be in the paradise of God, or the abodes of mis- 
 ery ; and, although the day of judgment will neither change 
 their moral character, or condition, yet, till then, their " final 
 doom " will no more be "fixed," than would be the " final 
 doom " of the willful murderer, when first arrested and 
 committed to prison, though he had committed the most 
 aggravated murder in the presence of every member of the 
 court, and of his guilt there could not be the least possible 
 doubt. But in this case, if there is no doubt of his guilt, 
 and a subsequent judgment will not change his moral char- 
 acter or condition, will not any such judgment be a mere 
 "mock trial, at the best?" Surelv not; from the fact 
 
226 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [cHAP. X. 
 
 that the conslitntion under which he lives, has made pro- 
 vision, that before the "final doom" of any of its subjects 
 "is fixed," their case shall be officially examined and deter- 
 mined by the proper officers of the law ; and this sentence 
 of the law, and this alone, fixes their "final doom" offi- 
 cially, whatever may be the lapse of time from the commis- 
 sion of the crime, and commitment to prison, till the judg- 
 ment of the law. And, under the government of God, the 
 sinner, from the time of his death to the judgment, is pro- 
 perly a criminal in the custody of the law, awaiting the 
 day of future judgment and retribution, to fix his "final 
 doom," in the presence of an assembled universe, and in 
 the light of eternity, for the vast, the changeless future. 
 And for this feature of the Divine administration, the fol- 
 lowing considerations will have their weight with the candid. 
 
 The character and relations of the Lord Jesus Christ, as 
 judge of the world, require that the act of final judgment 
 be the last in his administration; and if so, it must be future, 
 and at the end of time. 
 
 Having taken upon himself, not the nature of angels, but 
 the seed of Abraham, that he, by the grace of God, should 
 taste death for every man, and thereby redeem us with his 
 own precious blood ; and having efiected this, and ascended 
 on high, he has received officially all power in heaven and 
 on earth, to consummate the work of Redeemer, Mediator, 
 and Judge. Not that his constitution, or nature, was the 
 subject of any change in the reception of this power; for, 
 in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit, as the immu- 
 table Deity, he, from all eternity, possessed naturally and 
 literally, all power in heaven and earth, or Almighty power. 
 
 But, as in the infinite economy of God, for the benefit 
 of man, all power, officially, to reign in the kingdom of 
 grace and providence, and finally to judge the world in 
 righteousness, belonged to the character of the Redeemer, 
 the Lord Jesus Chriet, by his incarnation, death, and resur- 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 227 
 
 rection, became that character; and, as a consequence, 
 received in that character officially all power to reign, and 
 judge the world according to the purposes and government 
 of God. And as, in the purpose of God, Christ was a 
 Lamb slain from the foundation of the world ; so, also, the 
 world has had the offers, and, to a greater or less extent, 
 has been the partaker of the benefits of his redemption and 
 mediation; and, as the benefits of his mediation, as our 
 only advocate with the Father, are the only medium of sal- 
 vation, and are intended for man in this life, they must con- 
 tinue to the latest period of the world ; and, if so, Christ 
 must, of absolute necessity, continue his merciful reign in 
 the kingdom of grace as our great High Priest and Inter- 
 cessor before the throne of God, till the end of time. 
 
 This is the exercise of but a part of that official power 
 that he, as Redeemer of mankind, has received for their 
 present and future benefit, if they avail themselves of it; 
 but as the exercise of this power, and that of the work of 
 final judgment, at precisely the same time, are not only 
 contrary to every idea of law and government that the mind 
 can conceive of, and also to the experience and observation 
 of mankind ; but is absolutely impossible, and, of conse- 
 quence, is utterly inconsistent with the character and present 
 relations of Christ to mankind, as their only mediator and 
 advocate on high. But as the power to judge the world in 
 righteousness is included in that official power received from 
 the Father, its exercise is suspended now, by his mediato- 
 rial reign, which must extend to the end of time, when it 
 will for ever cease, and be succeeded by the exercise of 
 that power peculiar to the final judgment. From this view 
 it is seen, that so far is a future day of judgment from being 
 useless, a mere " mock trial," it is the solemn, closing 
 scene of the most perfect government and administration in 
 the universe ; and the last solemn act of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, in the exercise of that official power peculiar to his 
 
228 FUTURE GENERAL ,7UDOMEx\T. [ciIAP. X. 
 
 character as Redeemer, Mediator, and final Judge, before 
 he delivers up the kingdom, that official power, to the 
 Father, and enters peculiarly upon the glory he had with 
 the Father before the world was. 
 
 But, in removing this objection, there is another consid- 
 eration to be taken into the account: the case of man is not 
 matured for final judgment in life or at death, nor will it be 
 till the close of time, and the end of this world. The doc- 
 trine of final judgment and retribution, whether it take 
 place in this, or the future world, is inseparable from man's 
 moral accountability to his Maker ; for, if man is not mor- 
 ally accountable to God for his moral conduct, the act of 
 judging him in any way, or at any time, would be usurpa- 
 tion, injustice, and cruelty. This is too plain either to 
 need, or admit of proof. And if, upon examination, it shall 
 appear that this moral accountability of man extends to all 
 the moral good and evil which he may have designed, and 
 which, according to his design, were accomplished indi- 
 rectly by him, as well as directly, the fact that men's works 
 are not matured for final judgment till the close of time, 
 will appear with indisputable clearness. That men are 
 capable of designing and effecting moral good and evil indi- 
 rectly as well as directly, is the indelible conviction of the 
 human mind ; and it is on this principle, that counsel and 
 advice are given for the promotion of vice or virtue, good 
 or evil; and on the same principle, human laws and gov- 
 ernment recognize accessories to crime, both before and 
 after the offense ; and in many cases the accessory is equally- 
 guilty, and liable to punishment with the principal in the 
 crime. When he lays the plans or approves of them, 
 furnishes facilities for and advises to their execution, though 
 he should not be present, or even know when the crime 
 was committed, human laws hold him equally guilty, and 
 punishable with the immediate perpetrator. 
 
 And, indeed, every department of human society fui- 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTLTRE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 229 
 
 nishes more or less examples and illustrations of this prin- 
 ciple. To instance a case : Take the bold and virulent 
 opposers, and the pious and able defenders of the Bible and 
 Christianity. It was the design of the former to destroy 
 the reputation of the Bible, as the record of the will of 
 God, and to extirpate Christianity from the earth. For this 
 they brought all their powers and means into requisition, 
 and, directly, by their example, sophistry, subtilty, and 
 influence, poisoned the minds and unsettled the faith of 
 many ; also, indirectly, by the publication of books of va- 
 rious kinds, together M'ith other agencies and instrumentali- 
 ties put in motion by them. Thus, while they lived, they 
 put in operation schemes that are still doing the work of 
 moral death, and that, too, with the design that they should 
 produce the very effects that have followed ; consequently, 
 they are accessories before the crime, and if the government 
 of God recognizes this principle, and holds men responsible 
 in any degree for what they design and effect indirectly, their 
 works of wickedness are not yet matured for the final judg- 
 ment, and never will be till the close of the present constitu- 
 tion of this world — the end of time. And, on the other hand, 
 the pious defenders of the Bible and Christianity, with a 
 desire and design to glorify God in the defense of the truth 
 and the salvation of souls, have brought into requisition 
 means and instrumentalities, that, according to their origi- 
 nal design, have been, and still are in successful operation ; 
 and those holy men, though long since called from earth, 
 are nevertheless indirectly reforming the world, and bring- 
 ing many wanderers back to God ; and their indirect work 
 of usefulness on earth will not be completed, and they fully 
 prepared for judgment and its rewards, till the mediatorial 
 reign of Jesus Christ shall close, and the universe be sum- 
 moned to his bar of final judgment. 
 
 That this principle is sustained by the word of God, 
 
 the following testimony will show: "And he ('David) 
 
 20 
 
230 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [CHAP. X. 
 
 wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of 
 the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be 
 smitten and die," 2 Samuel xi, 15. This order was strictly 
 obeyed by Joab, and Uriah was thereby " smitten," and 
 died. And the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David 
 with this alarming message, "And Nathan said unto David, 
 Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, * 
 * * Thou hast killed Uriah the Hitite with the sword," 
 2 Samuel xii, 7-9. It is here seen, that notwithstanding 
 David in person never lifted a sword against Uriah, and 
 was far from the scene of this most shameful murder of an 
 unoffending and faithful subject, God charges him with the 
 murder ; and on no other principle was it possible that this 
 charge could be made, than that God holds men morally re- 
 sponsible for what they design and effect indirectly, as well 
 as what they do directly. And on the same principle it is 
 said, " By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sac- 
 rifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was 
 righteous, God testifying of his gift: and by it he being 
 dead yet speaketh," Heb. xi, 4. 
 
 If then, by their example, and by the agencies and in- 
 strumentalities brought into requisition and put into opera- 
 tion by them, men speak, or indirectly exert an influence 
 either for good or evil, long after they are dead, even as long 
 as human society maintains its present organization and ex- 
 istence in this world, it must be entirely clear, that their 
 works are not matured for the final judgment, till the moral 
 effects shall have terminated, and this cannot be till the close 
 of time; and the final judgment previously to that period, 
 must necessarily be immature and partial. In any other 
 view of the subject, both the character and administration 
 of God are involved in inexplicable diflSculties and confu- 
 sion. For who that has cast an eye upon the operations 
 of human society in this world, has not seen the most wor- 
 thy and hard earned reputations blasted by the tongue of 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 231 
 
 slander, the best motives of the pious impugned, the purest 
 faith charged with superstition, enlightened zeal with fanat- 
 icism, dignified devotion to God with consummate hypoc- 
 risy, and the most useful, harmless, and worthy of our race 
 covered with reproach and driven out of the world, barely 
 permitted to find a retreat from such cruelty through the 
 flames of martyrdom ! While the oppressors of the poor, 
 while the licentious, profligate and profane, who contemn 
 the word and authority and blaspheme the name of God, 
 persecute and murder his children, live in affluence and 
 ease, are spared long, and pass out of this world with im- 
 punity. And while we behold from a point more or less 
 of these scenes, the history of the world is but a melan- 
 choly record of the fact that they are fair specimens of the 
 woes inflicted by the wicked and suffered by the poor and 
 pious. And every reflecting mind is compelled to feel, that 
 if the future does not recompense the wrongs of the pres- 
 ent and the past, then indeed the Bible is the worst of de- 
 ceptions, and infidelity, atheism and crime are for ever 
 licensed, by the facts in the case, to reject both the Bible and 
 its author, as alike indiff*erent to grace, mercy, truth and holi- 
 ness. But the doctrine of a future judgment lifts the vail, 
 and sheds light on the most obscure features of the Divine 
 administration, and prompts the hope and inspires the faith 
 and patience of the most oppressed of the children of God: 
 that though persecuted, and even cut oflf from earth before 
 the meridian of life — though dead they may yet speak for 
 the comfort of others while the world stands ; and that the 
 day of final retribution will vindicate their character, and 
 reward their patient piety. By this doctrine the sinner, 
 also, is admonished, in language which cannot be disre- 
 garded with impunity, to stop and prepare for the solemni- 
 ties of its final decisions ; and if he does not, however brief 
 may be his stay on earth, he is kindling a fire that will burn 
 through all time, and finally consign him to the "lowest 
 
232 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [CHAF. X. 
 
 hell." And while this doctrine is the only clear vindication 
 of the Divine administration, it is adapted to every possible 
 condition of man, and addresses itself to the whole world, 
 and brings the highest interests of eternity to bear on the 
 purposes, conduct, and motives of the whole human family. 
 A sublime and solemn arrangement, fully worthy its Di- 
 vine author. 
 
 Having given all the attention to this objection that it 
 merits, and having shown the propriety and necessity of a 
 future judgment, we now proceed to establish some princi- 
 ples that belong essentially to the investigation of this sub- 
 ject. And, first, wherever and whenever the final judg- 
 ment may take place, and whatever its effects and results on 
 man may be, the approbation and disapprobation of God, 
 the rewards of grace and the punishment for sin, must, of 
 absolute necessity, either be or not be, the subject of indi- 
 vidual experience, consciousness and knowledge. Of the 
 truth of this it is impossible to doubt; and every candid 
 man in the world will require Universalism to take the 
 negative or affirmative of this question. 
 
 Should the system take the negative, and assert that the 
 final judgment and its results will not be matters of personal 
 experience and knowledge, it must then inevitably follow : 
 
 1 . The approbation of God can be no possible inducement 
 to obedience, nor his disapprobation any restraint on rebel- 
 lion, as they are not matter of experience or knowledge. 
 
 2. The consolations of moral purity in the final judgment, 
 cannot be an object of desire with the pious, nor the con- 
 sequences of unholiness be matter of fear with the profane, 
 as neither can be experienced or known. 3. All the re- 
 wards of grace, the happiness, honor, and glory of heaven 
 cannot be objects of hope, but is a perfect blank, a solemn 
 deception ; and the punishment for sin, the degradation and 
 perdition of hell, cannot be matter of dread. From which it 
 is clear, that to deny the personal consciousness and knowl- 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. %^ 
 
 edge of the operations and final results of the general judg- 
 ment, is not only to " extinguish hell," and remove all re- 
 straint from vice, and license crime in the world ; but, also, 
 to destroy all motive to piety, annihilate heaven, and charge 
 the Lord with performing the greatest farce that heaven or 
 earth ever witnessed. Universalism must, therefore, ad- 
 mit that the operations and final decisions of the last judg- 
 ment will be matter of absolute personal knowledge, or 
 meet all those consequences just named. 
 
 Second; the final judgment must include the case of each 
 member of the entire human family. To deny this is 
 totally to reject Jesus Christ as the judge of all men — as 
 the judge of the world — and to charge the Bible with false- 
 hood, and the Almighty with partiality and injustice : false- 
 hood, in declaring that " all must appear before the judg- 
 ment-seat," "the world will be judged in righteousness," 
 when not all, not the world, but only a part thereof will be 
 judged ; partiality and injustice, in releasing a part of man- 
 kind from, and holding the rest responsible to the investi- 
 gations and final results of the last judgment. Till Uni- 
 versalism is prepared openly to reject Christ as the judge 
 of " all men," " of the world," charge the Bible with false- 
 hood, and the Lord with partiality and injustice, it must 
 allow the final judgment to embrace the case of each mem- 
 ber of the whole human family. 
 
 Third ; if, as we have seen, the general judgment, in its 
 operations and final results, is matter of individual con- 
 sciousness and knowledge ; and if it includes the case of 
 each member of the whole human family, the conclusion is 
 as resistless as our own experience and knowledge, that in 
 its operations and results, when and wherever it takes 
 place, it will be a subject of personal, and, consequently, 
 universal experience, consciousness, and knowledge ; and 
 the whole of our race in the aggregate, and each individ- 
 ual in particular, will know it, when and where it occurs, 
 20^ 
 
234 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [cHAP. X. 
 
 with precisely the same clearness that thev know their own 
 experience and consciousness. 
 
 And unless Universalism abjures all reason and common 
 sense, and affirms that men may experience and not ex- 
 perience, may be conscious and not conscious, may know 
 and not know, precisely at the same time, it must con- 
 cede the correctness of the above position. 
 
 It will now be seen, that those principles are most clearly 
 recognized by those Scriptures which we will now adduce, 
 in direct proof of the doctrine of a future judgment and 
 retribution. It will also be seen, that the facts and circum- 
 stances which the word of God everywhere connects with 
 the final coming of Jesus Christ to judge the world, are of 
 such a character, that the event can never occur without 
 being matter of universal observation and interest to man, 
 and, consequently, of universal knowledge. 
 
 I. The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the final 
 judgment, will be literal, visible, and personal, in the glory 
 of the Father, attended by the holy angels. " When the 
 Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels 
 with him, then shall he set upon the throne of his glory," 
 Matt. XXV, 31. "Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed 
 of me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful gen- 
 eration ; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, 
 when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy 
 angels," Mark viii, 38. "And to you who are troubled, 
 rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from 
 heaven with his mighty angels," 2 Thess. i, 7. " And 
 when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he 
 was taken up ; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 
 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he 
 went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel ; 
 which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing 
 up into heaven ? This same Jesus, which is taken up from 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 235 
 
 you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have 
 seen him go into heaven," Acts i, 9-11. 
 
 The personal, visible, and literal coming of Jesus Christ, 
 cannot admit of clearer proof than this which is before us ; 
 for no one can for a moment doubt, that the ascension of 
 Christ into heaven, after his resurrection, as here circum- 
 stantially described, was personal, visible, and literal. And 
 it is affirmed, by Divine authority, in language which no 
 comment or illustration can make plainer, that " this same 
 Jesus," not another, as a representative or substitute, 
 " which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in 
 like manner," personally and visibly, and ye shall see him 
 descend from heaven literally and visibly, "as ye have seen 
 him go into heaven." And as his personal, literal coming, 
 is so circumstantially and clearly described, it would be 
 doing the utmost violence to all description and language, 
 not to allow that the attending circumstances of the glory 
 of the Father and all the holy angels, are also literal and 
 visible. 
 
 We leave it for another place, to show that these facts 
 and circumstances belong necessarily to a future general 
 judgment; and proceed to show, that his coming to judge 
 the world will be announced, 
 
 II. By the great sound of a trumpet, the voice of the 
 archangel, and the trump of God. " For the Lord himself 
 shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of 
 the archangel, and with the trump of God : and the dead 
 in Christ shall rise first," 1 Thess. iv, 16. " In a moment, 
 in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trum- 
 pet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, 
 and we shall be changed," 1 Cor. xv, 52. "And he shall 
 send his angels, with a great sound of a trumpet, and they 
 shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from 
 one end of heaven to the other," Matt, xxiv, 31. 
 
 As these Scriptures have such distinct reference to the 
 
236 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [cilAP. X. 
 
 resurrection of the dead, literally and visibly, the coming 
 of Jesus Christ in judgment, and the sound of the trumpet, 
 or the solemn and awful announcement to the world of the 
 fact, which will be as distinct to the world as the sound of 
 a trumpet to an individual, must be of the same character- 
 must be visible and literal. But, 
 
 III. At his coming to sit in final judgment upon the world, 
 the dead, both the righteous and the unrighteous, the just 
 and the unjust, shall be raised, and the living will be chang- 
 ed, and appear at the throne of judgment. " But I would 
 not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them 
 which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which 
 have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose 
 again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God 
 bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of 
 the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the com- 
 ing of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep* 
 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a 
 shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump 
 of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we 
 which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with 
 them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so 
 shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one 
 another with these words," 1 Thess. iv, 13-18. " Behold, 
 I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall 
 be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the 
 last trump : for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall 
 be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed," 1 Cor. 
 XV, 51, 52. " So worship I the God of my fathers, believ- 
 ing all things which are written in the law and in the pro- 
 phets : and have hope toward God, which they themselves 
 also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, 
 both of the just and unjust," Acts xxiv, 14, 15. "And at 
 that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall 
 be found written in the book. And many of them that 
 
CHAP. X.3 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 237 
 
 sleep in the dust of llie eartli shall awake, some to everlast- 
 ing life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt," 
 Daniel xii, 1,2. " Marvel not at this : for the hour is com- 
 ing, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his 
 voice, and shall come forth ; they that have done good, unto 
 the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil, unto 
 the resurrection of damnation," John v, 28, 29. "And I 
 saw the dead, (in inspired vision, and will see them liter- 
 ally and in fact,) small and great, stand before God; and 
 the books were opened : and another book was opened, 
 which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out 
 of the things which were written in the books, according 
 to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were 
 in it ; and death and hell (the grave) delivered up the dead 
 which were in them : and they were judged every man ac- 
 cording to their works," Rev. xx, 12, 13. 
 
 We are aware that Universalism generally objects to tes- 
 timony being brought against it from the book of Revela- 
 tiou, as it is said to be so figurative in its descriptions and 
 language, that it is unsafe to depend on it in support of im- 
 portant doctrines. Nevertheless, when it suits the conve- 
 nience of the system to quote it in proof of the most im- 
 portant positions, those objections are all forgotten or waived 
 without difficulty. However, without admitting the sound- 
 ness of the objection, we have not adduced it as the first, or 
 main proof, but only as corroborative evidence ; and, fur- 
 ther, that those Scriptures refer to literal facts and occur- 
 rences, has already been shown. And when the Bible is 
 permitted to bear its own testimony on this point, no posi- 
 tion or doctrine in the Sacred Scriptures is more clearly 
 taught and fully supported than this, that the general resur- 
 rection of the dead, and the changing of those who may be 
 alive upon the earth at the time, is not only inseparably 
 connected with, but absolutely dependent upon the second 
 final, visible personal coming of the Lord Jesus in the last 
 
238 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [CHAP. X. 
 
 judgment. To hesitate on the point, is to doubt the gen- 
 eral resurrection ; to deny it, is totally to extinguish the 
 hope of the general resurrection, and establish the endless 
 reign of death. 
 
 IV. When Christ shall come in final judgment, the whole 
 of our race, both good and bad, with the holy and fallen 
 angels, shall personally appear at his judgment bar. "And 
 before him shall be gathered all nations ; and he shall sep- 
 arate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his 
 sheep from the goats," Matt, xxv, 32. " But why dost 
 thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy 
 brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of 
 Christ," Romans xiv, 10. "Because he hath appointed a 
 day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, 
 by that man whom he hath ordained ; whereof he hath 
 given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him 
 from the dead," Acts xvii, 31. "For if God spared not 
 the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and de- 
 livered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto 
 judgment," 2 Peter ii, 4. " And the angels which kept 
 not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath 
 reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judg- 
 ment of the great day," Jude 6. Here, also, in the plain 
 language of the word of God, it is seen that "all na- 
 tions "—" the world" — "all shall stand before Christ in 
 judgment" — "the angels that sinned" — "which kept not 
 their first estate" — are all connected with "the judgment 
 of the great day," when the world shall be finally judged 
 by the Lord Jesus Clirist; and unless Universalism openly 
 avows its utter disbelief of the plainest language used by 
 the Holy Spirit in inspiring the Scriptures, it must admit 
 that those solemn events in the Divine administration, are 
 inseparably connected, and that all God's intelligent crea- 
 tures will be present in the final judgment, let that judg- 
 ment take place when and where it may. Again, 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 239 
 
 V. At tlie coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the gen- 
 eral judgment, the heavens — the atmosphere and visible 
 heavens — shall pass away with a great noise, (doubtless 
 with the sound of the trump of God, which shall awake 
 the dead,) and the visible earth shall be burned up. " And 
 I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from 
 whose face the earth and the heaven fled away ; and there 
 was found no place for them," Rev. xx, 11. "But the 
 heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word 
 are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judg- 
 ment and perdition of ungodly men. * * * But the 
 day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night , in the 
 which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and 
 the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and 
 the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then 
 that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of per- 
 sons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness. 
 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, 
 wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and 
 the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Wherefore, be- 
 loved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that 
 ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blame- 
 less," 2 Peter iii, 7, 10-12, 14. 
 
 Universalism, aware of the formidableness of this doc- 
 trine of the dissolution of the visible heavens and earth, in 
 connection with, and as characteristic of the final judgment 
 and perdition of ungodly men and unholy angels, has made 
 every eff'ort possible to diminish or evade its deadly force 
 against the system ; but there are some facts and circum- 
 stances which must settle this matter, so long as the word 
 of God is allowed to be competent and credible testimony 
 in the case. First, then, the scenes here described must be 
 understood either literally or figuratively ; and as it would 
 be yielding the whole question at once to admit the former, 
 Universalism has no alternative but to contend for the lat- 
 
240 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [cHAP. X. 
 
 ter. And even with this view of the subject, there are only 
 two circumstances in the past to which, with the least 
 show of reason, it can possibly apply ; that is, either to the 
 coming of Christ in his spiritual kingdom, to establish the 
 reign of liis grace and Spirit, or the operations of his prov- 
 idence in the destruction of Jerusalem, and the dispersion 
 of the Jews among the nations of the earth. As though it 
 were conscious of the unpardonable inconsistency of ap- 
 plying this language to the coming of Christ by the Spirit, 
 and the reign of his grace, the system generally locates the 
 whole scene in the calamities of the Jews, and the destruc- 
 tion of their city and temple ; but the facts in the case ut- 
 terly refute the application ; for the coming of Christ in 
 the scene now before us, is emphatically called " the day 
 of the Lord," " the day of God," designating a special pe- 
 riod, a particular point; and that the coming of the Lord, 
 the passing away of the heavens and the burning of the 
 earth, that shall take place at that particular period, shall 
 be sudden, wholly unexpected, even " as a thief in the 
 night;" whereas, the coming of Christ in the reign of 
 his grace, was long the subject of prophecy and promise, 
 long looked for, anxiously expected, and ardently desired 
 by the pious. And his coming in the destruction of Jeru- 
 salem, and the Jewish polity and nation, was foretold by 
 himself, reiterated by his apostles, indicated by various 
 phenomena and signs in the heavens, by the tumults 
 among themselves, the hostile altitude of their enemies, 
 the invasion of their country, the overthrow and subjuga- 
 tion of many of their towns, cities, and much of their terri- 
 tory, and by the threatening aspect of every circumstance 
 with which they were surrounded, all pointing to, and ad- 
 monishing them of their final overthrow and total ruin. 
 And so far was this display of God's displeasure against 
 that rebellious people and that devoted city, from being sud- 
 den and unexpected as the tliief in the night, that heaven 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 241 
 
 and earth appeared to combine to apprise and warn them of 
 their condition, and prepare them for the result; and when 
 they were finally overtaken by the calamity, so far was it 
 from doing its work speedily, as the thief in the night, that 
 it protracted its works for years, till by famine, war, and 
 death in a thousand forms, it wasted their energies, wore 
 out their strength, consumed their means, and consigned 
 them to their merited destiny. 
 
 There is, therefore, no alternative between contradicting 
 the clearest matters of fact, and the plainest language of the 
 word of God, and unequivocally rejecting the dogma of 
 Universalism, in applying this sublime description of the 
 final judgment to the destruction of Jerusalem. But, 
 
 Secondly ; the apostle places this question beyond all 
 reasonable doubt, by fully anticipating the error against 
 which we are contending. He says, " Know this firstj 
 that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after 
 their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his 
 coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue 
 as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this 
 they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the 
 heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water 
 and in the water : whereby the world that then was, being 
 overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the 
 earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, 
 reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition 
 of ungodly men," 2 Peter iii, 3-7. 
 
 1. From the above it is perfectly clear, that the doctrine 
 of the conflagration of the visible and material heavens and 
 earth, in connection with, and as a circumstance attending 
 the second coming of Jesus Christ in the final judgment, 
 would, with skepticism and infidelity, be a subject of scof- 
 fing and ridicule ; contemptuously inquiring. Where are the 
 promises of his coming ? What has become of those prom- 
 ises ? They remain unfulfilled; thev have proved an utter 
 
 21 
 
242 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [cHAP. X. 
 
 failure ; and those who look for any such coming of the 
 Lord, and revolution in the material world, are objects of 
 contempt, and the doctrine the subject of merriment and 
 scoffing. And who that is acquainted with Universalism, 
 does not see this prediction fulfilled to the letter ? Its op- 
 position to the doctrine is studied, malevolent, relentless. 
 The consistency and harmony of the word of God, and 
 even the reputation and honesty of the inspired writers, are 
 all sacrificed to oppose this doctrine, and those who believe 
 and teach it. 
 
 2. But Peter knew perfectly, that the pious, the Church, 
 looked for "all these things to be dissolved" by fire, and 
 that this would be an objection to the Bible, religion, and 
 the Church — a matter of scorn and scofiing with infidelity ; 
 and if it was the revolting error that Universalism affirms 
 it to be, the apostle was bound in all moral honesty to cor- 
 rect it at once. But does he do it? Surely not; but on 
 the contrary, takes the most direct course to strengthen and 
 confirm the Church therein. First; by charging the scof- 
 fers (and the charge lies with all the force of inspired author- 
 ity against Universalism) with being " willingly ignorant" 
 of God, his works, and administration ; and by encouraging 
 the faith and hope of the Church in the promises of God, 
 in opposition to the scoffings of infidelity, whether in the 
 mask of Universalism, or any other form, by urging them 
 *' not to be ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with 
 the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one 
 day," 2 Peter iii, 8. And thougli the Divine word, in its 
 final accomplishment, may be delayed for thousands of 
 years, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as 
 some men (those scoffers, or Universalism) count slackness ; 
 but is long-sufll'ering, not willing that any should perish, but 
 that all should come to repentance," 2 Peter iii, 9. The 
 delay of his coming, so far from indicating a failure of 
 his promise, is in perfect harmonv with his whole nd- 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GENERAL .11 UUMENT. 243 
 
 ministration, and is a demonstration of his mercy, and tliat 
 he now reigns in the kingdom of grace, and not in the work 
 of final judgment. 
 
 Secondly; he illustrates the final conflagration of this 
 world at the coming of the Lord in judgment, by its de- 
 struction by the deluge. He says, '* By the word of God 
 the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the 
 water and in the water : whereby the world that then was, 
 being overflowed with water, perished." That the apostle 
 here alludes to the material and visible heavens and earth, 
 is too plain to allow of proof; and that the literal overflow- 
 ing of this world by water at the deluge, and the dissolu- 
 tion and perishing thereby, so far as that element could 
 effect its destruction, are here referred to and stated, is also 
 useless to prove, and absolute folly to deny. No language, 
 in all the Divine record, is plainer. And now mark the ap- 
 plication : " But the heavens and the earth, which are now,'* 
 the visible and material world, the same that has been the 
 subject of remark throughout this discourse, shall not per- 
 ish again by water, but " by the same word " by which 
 they were created and sustained, " are kept in store, reserv- 
 ed unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of 
 ungodly men." How is it possible for language to be 
 plainer on any subject, than this is on the final conflagration 
 of this world ? 
 
 We are, therefore, brought irresistibly to this conclusion, 
 that Peter either did, or he did not, intend to teach this doc- 
 trine, and illustrate it by the destruction of the old world 
 by water. If he did, then the controversy is ended, the 
 point is conceded, and it stands enrolled by Divine author- 
 ity among the awfully sublime scenes that will attend the 
 final judgment and retribution at the last day. But if he 
 did not, it is utterly impossible to defend his character from 
 the charge of ignorance or dishonesty ; for, knowing that 
 this doctrine was believed bv the Church, and that it would 
 
244 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [cHAP. X. 
 
 be scoffed at by infidelity if it was an error, he either did 
 attempt to correct it, or he did not. If he did, the attempt 
 was a perfect faihire, as the belief of the Church on this 
 point in all ages fully demonstrates ; and the very language 
 employed, and illustrations used by him, so far from cor- 
 recting this doctrine, this reputed eiror, have been appealed 
 to, and relied on by the Church in all her history, in sup- 
 port of it. And there is no alternative but to suppose the 
 apostle was ignorant of the means by, and the manner in 
 which to oppose and correct this deadly error, that the 
 Church might be sound in the faith, and a great cause of 
 stumbling be taken out of the way of unbelief; when, nev- 
 ertheless, one minute would have set the Church and the 
 world right on this momentous subject, if he had said, 
 " Brethren, all these things refer to the destruction of Jeru- 
 salem, are to be understood figuratively, and have no possi- 
 ble reference to the literal conflagration of this material, 
 visible world." 
 
 But if, to avoid this open attack on the divinely inspired 
 apostle, it be said, that though he knew the facts aifecting 
 the Church and infidelity with regard to this error, he did 
 not attempt to correct it, the charge of dishonesty is inevita- 
 ble ; for, how can a minister of Jesus Christ see his breth- 
 ren, see the Church, in fatal error, and that error provoking 
 the scorn and scoffs of infidelity, and confirming its hostil- 
 ity and opposition to God, the Bible, the Church, and re- 
 ligion, and be honest to his calling, his brethren, the Church, 
 the world, and his God, and not labor to correct such errors, 
 and lead the Church of Christ into truth and righteousness ? 
 It is utterly impossible for him to be honest under such cir- 
 cumstances, in the neglect of such important duties. Uni- 
 versalism is therefore compelled either to make this charge 
 against the holy apostle, or allow that he taught the solemn 
 truth of the final conflagration of this visible, materia! 
 
OHAl'. X.] FUTURE GKNKRAL JUDGMKNT. tH 
 
 world, as a circumsta)ice attending the second coming of 
 the Lord Jesus Clirist in the tinal judgment. 
 
 VI. At the coming of Christ in the last judgment, all 
 mankind shall be judged in righteousness, according to the 
 evidence of their works. "For God shall bring every 
 work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be 
 good, or whether it be evil," Eccles. xii, 14. " But I say 
 unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they 
 shall give account thereof in the day of judgment: for by 
 thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou 
 shalt be condemned," Matt, xii, 36, 37. "For we must 
 all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every 
 one may receive the things done in his body, according to 
 that he hath done, whether it be good or bad," 2 Cor. v, 10. 
 
 We might multiply proofs on this point, but the above 
 are sufficient fully to sustain the fact, that in the day of judg- 
 ment, when all must appear before Christ, when and where- 
 soever it may occur, every thought, word, and action of 
 man, both public and private, will be matter of investigation, 
 and will be developed in the judgment, as evidence in fix- 
 ing his destiny for eternity. This is too plain to be denied, 
 without a total rejection of the record of God in the case. 
 
 VII. Finally, in the last judgment, at the coming of the 
 Lord, the righteous will be rewarded with eternal life in 
 heaven, and the wicked will be eternally punished. "Then 
 shall the King (the Lord Jesus Christ) say unto them on his 
 right hand. Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the 
 kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 
 * * * Then shall he say also unto them on his left hand, 
 Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared 
 for the devil and his angels. * * * And these shall go 
 away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into 
 life eternal," Matt, xxv, 34,41, 46. "And to you who 
 are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be re- 
 vealed from heaven with his miffhtv angels, in flaming fire 
 
 21* 
 
246 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [CHAP. X. 
 
 taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that 
 obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall 
 be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence 
 of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he 
 shall come to be glorilied in his saints, and to be admired 
 in all them that believe (because our testimony among you 
 was believed) in that day," 2 Thess. i, 7-10. " And they 
 were judged every man according to their works. And death 
 and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second 
 death. And whosoever was not found written in the book 
 of life was cast into the lake of fire," Rev. xx, 13-15. 
 *' But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and 
 murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, 
 and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which bumeth 
 with fire and .brimstone : which is the second death," Rev. 
 xxi, 8. " Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities 
 about them in like manner, giving themselves over to forni- 
 cation, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an ex- 
 ample, suflfering the vengeance of eternal fire," Jude 7. 
 
 Universalism itself is forced to admit that the state of the 
 righteous, and the wicked, as described in those Divine de- 
 clarations, and numerous others that might be adduced on 
 the point, is the result of that judgment of mankind by the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, as taught in the Holy Scriptures, when- 
 ever and wherever it may take place ; and now, the main 
 point at issue, and the only one to be settled, in order to 
 vindicate "the ways of God with man," maintain the truth 
 and dignity of his word, and fix the destiny of Universal- 
 ism, is that the final judgment, the second coming of the 
 Lord, the rewards of the righteous, and the punishment of 
 the wicked, as brought to view in the above descriptions, 
 are neither past, nor now in progress, but yet future. 
 
 And that this subject, involving the liighest interests of 
 our whole race, in time and eternity, may be seen with the 
 greatest clearness, and felt in its utmost force, we will pre- 
 
CHAP. X. 1 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 247 
 
 sent its main features in a condensed form, and then apply 
 those principles already established, to settle this solemn, 
 sublime, and momentous question. 
 
 The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the final g^en- 
 eral judgment, as clearly established by the abundant proofs 
 from the word of God as already adduced, is emphatically 
 characterized by the following facts and circumstances. He 
 ♦* shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into 
 heaven," which was personal, literal, and visible. " In the 
 glory of the Father with all the holy angels with him" — 
 '* with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God ;" 
 and at his coming, all the dead shall be raised , " both the 
 just and unjust" — "some to everlasting life, and some to 
 shame, and everlasting contempt;" they shall come forth, 
 "they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; 
 and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of dam- 
 nation ;" the dead, " small and great, shall stand before 
 God" — "every one" — "the angels that sinned" — "all 
 nations" — "the whole world" — "must stand before the 
 judgment-seat of Christ." " The heavens shall pass away 
 with a great noise" — "the elements melt with fervent 
 heat" — " the earth," literally, " and the works therein shall 
 be burned up;" "every work" — "every secret thing, 
 whether it be good or evil" — " every idle word," with all 
 man's works of every kind — " they shall give account 
 thereof in the day of judgment." And finally, the world 
 of mankind shall be separated as is the flock by the shep- 
 herd ; and Christ the judge "shall say unto the righteous, 
 Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
 from the foundation of the world," and they shall enter 
 " into life eternal," "and so shall ever be with the Lord." 
 But the Lord the righteous judge shall say to the wicked, 
 " Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire," for the judge will 
 come "in flaming fire," "taking vengeance on them thai 
 know not God and that obey not the Gospel of the Lord 
 
248 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [cHAP. X. 
 
 Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting de- 
 struction from his presence and the glory of his power;" 
 and " they shall go into everlasting punishment," " into the 
 lake of fire," "the second death," "suffering the ven- 
 geance of eternal fire." That those grand demonstrations 
 of the majesty and glory of the Lord Jesus, are to be ex- 
 hibited within the range of the Divine administration toward 
 man, either during time and the present constitution of this 
 world, or at the close thereof, cannot admit of a single 
 doubt, unless the Holy Scriptures prove a perfect failure, 
 and wholly mislead and deceive the Church and the world 
 on this, which is a subject of the greatest possible interest 
 to mankind. And should Universalism, to avoid the fear- 
 ful consequences of a coming judgment, choose to im- 
 peach the veracity and divinity of the Scriptures, its true 
 character will then be known, and all may know where 
 and how to meet it — not in the character of a Christian 
 system, but that of open mfidelity. 
 
 And if those sublime scenes belong to the Divine admin- 
 istration, they, as already shown, are either, 1. Past, and 
 wholly accomplished; or, 2. They have commenced, and 
 are now in progress, and will continue through all time ; 
 or, 3. They are yet future, and will transpire at the close 
 of time, when the destiny of all our race will be fixed for 
 eternity. 
 
 And to ascertain the fact in this case, with a clearness 
 bearing some proportion to the great interests involved, we 
 call up those principles already established, and which bear 
 with the force of demonstration on the subject at this point; 
 and they are of sufficient importance, in settling this ques- 
 tion, to be introduced as rules — self-evident matters of fact. 
 
 Rule 1. " The operations and result of the final general 
 judgment, including the approbation and disapprobation of 
 God, the rewards of grace, and the punishment for sin, 
 must of absolute necessity be tlie subject of individual ex- 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GK.NERAL JUDGMENT. 249 
 
 perience, consciousness and knowledge, to all wlio are the 
 objects thereof." 
 
 Rule 2. " The operations and final results of the gen- 
 eral judgment must necessarily include the case of each 
 individual of the whole human family." 
 
 Rule 3. "Therefore the conclusion is resistless, that the 
 operations, progress, and final results of the general judg- 
 ment, whenever and wherever it takes place, must of abso- 
 lute necessity be matter of knowledge to the whole world 
 of mankind in the aggregate ; and, consequently, each indi- 
 vidual of our whole race, without a solitary exception, must 
 know it with precisely the same distinctness that they are 
 the subjects of their own personal experience, conscious- 
 ness, and knowledge." 
 
 The soundness and truth of those principles have already 
 been established in another place, and to which reference 
 may be had, to see the perfectly revolting consequences 
 which must follow a denial of them. 
 
 And now, in the light of those incontrovertible facts and 
 principles, in the light of the cloud of witnesses adduced 
 from the Holy Scriptures, we appeal to the sober judgment 
 of mankind, and ask, in the name of common sense and 
 candor, in the name of sober reason, in the name of moral 
 honesty, in the name of God; and we urge the inquiry by 
 the incalculable worth of the immortal soul, by the defer- 
 ence due to the authority of the word of God, by the solem- 
 nities of the final judgment, by the hope of heaven, and 
 the dread of hell, by all the obedience and reverence we 
 owe to God, we ask, if the whole human family at any pe- 
 riod in the past liave seen, or if the whole human race now 
 see, with all the distinctness of individual consciousness 
 and knowledge, the Lord Jesus Christ coming with infinite 
 grandeur and glory, with the company of all the holy an- 
 gels of heaven ; have heard, or now hear the voice of the 
 archangel, witli the awful trump of God; have seen, or 
 
250 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [cHAP. X. 
 
 now see the dead, small and great, raised or rising; the liv- 
 ing changed, or changing; have seen, or now see the separ- 
 ation of the righteous and the wicked ; the latter suffering 
 the vengeance of eternal fire, the former enjoying an eter- 
 nal weight of glory, in the kingdom prepared for them be- 
 fore the foundation of the world ? He who would answer 
 these solemn inquiries in the affirmative, must contradict, 
 absolutely, his own consciousness and knowledge ; must 
 contradict, unequivocally, the consciousness and knowledge 
 of every member of the human family ; must sacrifice com- 
 mon sense and all moral honesty ; and, with demonstrations 
 of depravity, and with a boldness of presumption that would 
 shock the moral feelings of all the virtuous and pious of 
 our race, utterly contemn the authority of the Bible, set at 
 defiance the terrors of "eternal judgment," and even Jeho- 
 vah himself. And, even then, the world would be a wit- 
 ness against him; for, should we inquire of each individual, 
 if he knew the number of all the sins he ever committed 
 against God, and the time when, and the place where he 
 was judged and punished accordingly, he must answer. No. 
 And if men do not know it individually, they cannot know 
 it collectively ; and, of course, if the world has been judg- 
 ed, or is now being judged, it does not know it. This, as 
 has been shown, is more revolting than even atheism 
 itself. 
 
 And now, Universalism has no alternative but either to 
 attack the common sense, the experience, consciousness, 
 and knowledge — the reason and moral honesty of each indi- 
 vidual of mankind, of the whole world, and also the Bible, 
 and even the Almighty, or admit that these awfully grand 
 scenes are yet future. And then indeed, while tlie inspired 
 Paul, by the authority of God, "reasons of righteousness, 
 temperance, and juilgment to come," the unrighteous, licen- 
 tious, and deeply corrupt " Felix " of Universalism may 
 well "tremble," in ^ipw, with all other jruiltv oflenders, of 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 251 
 
 meeting a righteous Judge in a future and coming retribu- 
 tion, Acts xxiv, 25. 
 
 It must now be seen, from the foregoing, that if the Holy 
 Scriptures sustain a position, prove a point, or demonstrate 
 a doctrine within the whole range of their Divine testimony, 
 with perfect clearness, it is that of a future, final, general 
 judgment, and retribution at the close of this world, when 
 every man's condition will be settled for eternity. 
 
 The great interest involved in this subject, will justify a 
 few further remarks thereon before we close. 
 
 It has been seen, in the course of this investigation, that 
 the Savior, as a consequence of the work of redemption, 
 his resurrection and ascension to heaven, has received the 
 power and prerogative as the only Mediator to reign, offi- 
 cially, in the kingdom of grace, and rule in the kingdom of 
 providence, and finally, to judge the world in righteousness ; 
 honor and reward the holy in heaven, and punish the finally 
 impenitent and wicked in hell. We have also seen the utter 
 impossibility of the reign of mediation and grace, and of 
 the final judgment at the same time; consequently, this 
 life is a state of trial, a period of probation, and not of final 
 judgment. 
 
 Man sustaining this gracious relation to God, and the 
 abundant provision made for his recovery from sin, is com- 
 manded to repent; " God commands all men everywhere to 
 repent," Acts xvii, 30. Man is surrounded with the means 
 of reformation and salvation ; the providence of God pro- 
 tects, his grace restrains and enlightens ; the Gospel admon- 
 ishes, invites, and instructs; the Church weeps and prays; 
 the Holy Spirit moves upon the moral mass, melts and sanc- 
 tifies ; and Jesus Christ presents the merit of his death to 
 move man to faith, obedience, and salvation. But in all 
 this man is treated according to the constitution and charac- 
 ter his Maker assigned him at the first — that of an intelli- 
 gent, free, moral agent. 
 
252 FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. [cHAP. X. 
 
 Man's works and character are daily ripening for the final 
 judgment: the pious by perseverance in doing, and patience 
 in suffering the iioly will of God ; the wicked by proudly 
 opposing, and presumptuously arraigning and censuring the 
 will and providence of God. And also the Divine purposes 
 are fast maturing for the last, the general judgment. His 
 providences, his word, his ministers, his grace and Spirit, are 
 waking up a stupid and slumbering world ; infidelity, openly 
 and under cover, is organized or organizing, to oppose ; the 
 battle is already joined ; the conflict may be severe, but its 
 termination will be comparatively soon ; and the voice of 
 the archangel with the trump of God, and with the sudden- 
 ness of the electric flash will consummate the scene, and 
 summon the world to the bar of final judgment; when 
 the long line of Adam's posterity, without a member mis- 
 sing, will appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, to- 
 gether with the fallen angels, who kept not their first estate, 
 and are reserved under chains of darkness to the judgment 
 of the great day. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ personally 
 and visibly appears, and every eye shall see him, and those 
 who pierced and nailed him to the cross shall behold him. 
 He appears, but not as the destitute babe of Bethlehem, not 
 as the slaughtered lamb, or man of sorrows in the garden, 
 or on the cross; but as the "Lion of Judah," the Lord of 
 hosts. Not as a mediator to plead for sinners ; not to offer 
 them his grace, his Spirit, the merit of his death and eter- 
 nal salvation ; these, all of these, have been slighted, con- 
 temned, abused, and insulted by the wicked ; but to sit in 
 judgment, solemn and final judgment, upon his enemies — 
 upon the world. 
 
 Man appears personally and visibly at his bar, not in the 
 obscurities of poverty ; not with the distinctions of opulence, 
 or the honors of office ; but in his true moral character, 
 with all his works, immediate and remote ; whether pur- 
 posed and performed directly by himself in life, or whether 
 
CHAP. X.] FUTURE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 253 
 
 purposed, and means and circumstances organized while 
 living, and accomplished indirectly atler death ; all his 
 works, direct and indirect, that have a bearing on his moral 
 character, will meet him in the last judgment. And now 
 the awful developments that must take place ; the charac- 
 ter, every perfection, the laws, the government, and admin- 
 istration of God, have all been impugned and impeached ; 
 man has injured, oppressed, enslaved and murdered his 
 brother; virtue and piety have been martyred, and sin has 
 reigned in triumph ; justice and mercy have been driven 
 from their temples^ and despotism and cruelty have reigned 
 therein. The light of the final judgment must disclose the 
 whole, and vindicate the Eternal throne against all the im- 
 putations of rebellious and unholy men. The midnight 
 gloom, that concealed the blood of injured innocence, and 
 covered from human eye and human justice, the darkest 
 deeds of wickedness, will be dispelled by the light of eter- 
 nity, and all will be seen, with all their connections, depen- 
 dencies and aggravations. The sighs extorted from the 
 innocent and humble, by the arm of cruelty and oppression, 
 will now become vocal ; tlie tears of the poor and pious, 
 which either fell unheeded, or were matter of amusement 
 for the profane, will now become eloquent ; and the rising, 
 spreading cloud, of all the works of all men, will appear at 
 the judgment, in evidence as resistless as the consciousness 
 of each individual ; and in the light of the Divine omnis- 
 cience, and the evidence (not merit) of their works, the des- 
 tiny of each one of our race will be settled for eternity. 
 Not, indeed, that the omniscient and omnipresent Judge 
 needs these or any other external circumstance to guide to 
 a correct decision in the case ; but their works will be the 
 evidence to the universe of their faith and obedience, or dis- 
 belief and rebellion, and shall operate upon the judged ; and 
 in the light of this evidence, every one shall see, that in his 
 own, and in the sentence of everv other one, the decision is 
 22 
 
254 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. [cHAP. XI. 
 
 the only one the Judge can possibly render, without denying 
 his own authority, and abandoning his own government and 
 throne. And when the Judge shall say, Come, ye blessed ; 
 and depart ye cursed, and these shall go away into everlast- 
 ing punishment, but the righteous into life eternal ; every 
 knee shall bow, and the tongue of every intelligent being in 
 God's universe shall confess, that the decisions of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ in judgment, are as just as the reign of his 
 grace was merciful and glorious. 
 
 Reader, prepare to meet thy God in the final judgment at 
 the last day ; this done, all is gained ; this neglected, all is 
 irrecoverably lost. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 
 
 Endless Punishment — This Doctrine believed by the Jews — Testi- 
 mony of Josephus — Not Contradicted or Corrected by the Savior — 
 Hell represents a State and Place of Suffering — This Suffering confin- 
 ed to this, the future World, or may be Experienced in both — Can- 
 not be confined to this World without making Christ the Author of 
 Falsehood, Deception, and Self-contradiction — Restorationist View of 
 limited Punishment after Death — Punishment of the Wicked after 
 Death endless — Universalist Criticism on the terms For Ever, Ever- 
 lastings and Eternal — God either has, or he has not, used the best 
 terms in revealing His Will to Man — If He has, the Question is Set- 
 tled. 
 
 Unable to sustain itself on other ground, Universalism 
 hopes to escape by the non-existence of hell, or a place and 
 state of punishment in the future world. 
 
 We shall not stop here to notice its numerous, and not 
 unfrequently, vain and absurd speculations on the original 
 terms, Tartarus, Hades, and Gehenna, which are rendered 
 hell in our translation of the Scriptures ; but will proceed 
 at once to the real question at issue. The question is not, 
 whether the term hell refers to more than one thing, or to 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 255 
 
 things and places in time ; but whether it was used by our 
 Lord to designate a place and state of punishment for the 
 wicked in the future world, and whether he was so under- 
 stood by those who heard him. 
 
 That the Jews, to whom these discourses were addressed, 
 believed in the future and endless punishment of the wicked 
 after death, Universalism has to admit ; and if it were dis- 
 posed to deny this, it is susceptible of abundant proof. 
 One example here will answer our purpose for the present: 
 Josephus, the acknowledged historian of the Jews, and who 
 was not himself a believer in Jesus Christ, in stating the 
 belief of the Jews on the subject of Hades, or hell, as a 
 place of punishment after death, says: "In this region, 
 (Hades, or hell,) there is a certain place set apart, as a lake 
 of unquenchable fire ; whereinto we suppose no one hath 
 hitherto been cast, but it is prepared for a day afore deter- 
 mined by God, in which one righteous sentence shall de- 
 servedly be passed upon all men ; when the unjust, and 
 those that have been disobedient to God, and have given 
 honor to such idols as have been the vain operations of the 
 hands of men as to God himself, shall be adjudged to this 
 everlasting punishment, as having been causes of defile- 
 ment; while the just shall obtain an incorruptible and 
 never-fading kingdom^ Discourse to the Greeks concern- 
 ing Hades. 
 
 We have nothing to do now with the assumption of Uni- 
 versalism, that the Jews borrowed their notions of future 
 punishment, with various other superstitions, from the 
 heathens, during their captivities and other intercourse with 
 them ; but simply with the fact, that the Jews, whatever 
 source they derived it from, did unquestionably believe, at 
 the time the Savior was on earth, in the future, endless 
 punishment of the wicked in another world. Now, we 
 have only to look into the New Testament, to see that 
 Christ, in numerous instances, charges the Jews with errors 
 
256 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. [ciIAP. XI. 
 
 in doctrine, and ignorance with regard to their own Scrip- 
 tures — the law and the prophets — their traditions, ceremo- 
 nies, his own character and mission ; and yet, in no single 
 instance is it on record, that he charged them with, or at- 
 tempted to correct their belief in future endless punishment. 
 It is true, Universalism asserts, that though he did not 
 directly, he did indirectly make this charge, and attempt to 
 correct their error, by referring them to the resurrection of 
 the body ; but we have fully shown that this assumption is 
 perfectly groundless, and that what the Savior there said 
 cannot be even tortured so as to answer the purpose of the 
 system on the point. He not only did not attempt to cor- 
 rect their faith on this point, but pursued such a course, and 
 used such language, as could not fail, in the circumstances 
 of the case, to confirm them therein ; and such was the 
 fact. For it must be conceded by all, that Gehenna, or hell,- 
 as recognized in the Scriptures, is considered as a place or 
 state of punishment, and was so understood by the Jews, 
 and so used by the Savior. To deny this, is to deny the 
 plainest language of the New Testament; for the strongest 
 terms of suffering and torment are used in connection with, 
 and having direct reference to the term, hell ; such as " ev- 
 erlasting fire"'—" the fire that is not quenched" — " where 
 their worm dieth not"— -"destruction," and " eternal dam- 
 nation." No language could more clearly express suffer- 
 ing, and a place and state of punishment of some kind or 
 other, than this does ; from which it follows conclusively, 
 that the punishment which is implied in, expressed by, or 
 connected with the term hell, must mean either, 1. Tem- 
 poral, literal punishment, and is confined exclusively and 
 absolutely to this world ; or, 2. It must mean spiritual and 
 mental punishment, and is confined absolutely to the future 
 world ; or, 3. It must necessarily mean both temporal, lit- 
 eral suffering in this world, and spiritual, mental suffering 
 in the world to come. 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 1257 
 
 None can doubt the correctness of this, without denying, 
 in the face of proof as clear as demonstration itself, that 
 hell was used at all to represent a place and state of punish- 
 ment ; and the man or the system that would do this, might 
 be an object of pity or disgust for ignorance or dishonesty, 
 but surely could neither be believed or respected. This 
 subject, therefore, which has been matter of preposterous 
 trifling and presumptuous speculation, is brought into so 
 small a compass, that Universalism, by stern necessity, 
 must take one or more of those positions. This it cannot 
 possibly avoid, without openly rejecting the Scriptures as 
 testimony in the case. And should it take either of the 
 last two, and allow that hell is used to represent spiritual 
 punishment in the future world exclusively; or that it repre- 
 sents this, and also literal, temporal suffering in this world, 
 the question is conceded, that the Lord, in his teachings to 
 the Church and the world, established the doctrine of pun- 
 ishment after death, and in the future world. And there is 
 no alternative between this, and taking the first position 
 above named; that hell, as used by our Lord, means tem- 
 poral punishment, and that it is confined exclusively to this 
 world, and cannot, by any possibility, extend beyond this 
 life. 
 
 This, indeed, is the true ground of Universalism, and, 
 consequently, it refers the term hell, generally, to the Val- 
 ley of the Son of Hinnom, where the Canaanites anciently 
 sacrificed their children to their great idol, Moloch ; and into 
 which, subsequently, was thrown the rubbish and off'al of 
 Jerusalem ; and asserts that the punishment of hell, as de- 
 nounced against impenitent sinners by our Lord, has exclu- 
 sive reference to those facts and circumstances. It is only 
 necessary to cite a few passages from the teaching of Jesus 
 Christ, to show the utter absurdity of this view of the sub- 
 ject. " But whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in 
 danger of hell (Gehenna) fire," Matt, v, 22. "And if thv 
 22 ' 
 
258 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. [cHAP. XI. 
 
 hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into 
 life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the 
 fire that never shall be quenched : where their worm dieth 
 not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend 
 thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, 
 than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that 
 never shall be quenched : where their worm dieth not, and 
 the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, 
 pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter the kingdom of 
 God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell 
 fire: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not 
 quenched," Mark ix, 43-48. " And fear not them which 
 kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul : but rather 
 fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in 
 hell," Matt, x, 28. " Wherefore, ye be witnesses unto 
 yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed 
 the prophets. Fill ye up the measure of your fathers. Ye 
 serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the 
 damnation of hell," Matt, xxiii, 33. Others might be giv- 
 en, but here are four distinct cases ; that of excessive anger, 
 and calling a " brother a fool " — being led into error by an 
 offending member, an "eye, hand, or foot" — want of pro- 
 per filial fear of God, " I say unto you fear him "—general 
 impiety of character, Pharisaical bigotry and pride ; all of 
 which are threatened with the danger and punishment of 
 hell. 
 
 Now, Jesus Christ either did, or he did not, mean by this, 
 literal punishment in this world, in the literal fire of Ge- 
 henna, or the Valley of Hinnom. If he did not, then the 
 point is yielded ; and he must have meant spiritual and 
 mental punishment in the future world, and must have been 
 so understood by the Jews, and they thereby confirmed in 
 their doctrine of future punishment. 
 
 But Universalism has to maintain that the punishment 
 was literal, and in this world. If so, those thus threatened 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 259 
 
 were either really in danger of it, or they were not. If 
 they were, who was to inflict this punishment? Surely not 
 Christ, and those who believed in him as the Savior. The 
 boldest infidelity would not assert this in the face of all the 
 facts to the contrary. It then follows, if they were really 
 in danger at all, it must have been from among themselves; 
 that the unbelieving Jews would take up those offenders 
 mentioned by the Savior, and burn them in the fires of Ge- 
 henna. But were such the facts in the case ? Most assu- 
 redly not. And it is utterly impossible that Christ could 
 threaten offenders with punishment from any such source ; 
 and to suppose he did, is to make a desperate and reckless 
 effort to save a sinking system, at the sacrifice of the entire 
 character of Jesus Christ for truth and honesty. And the 
 consequences cannot be changed by asserting, that they 
 were not really in danger ; for this will make Christ utter 
 deliberate falsehood, in attempting to alarm their fears, by 
 threatening them with punishment to which he knew they 
 were not at all exposed. For it is too plain to require 
 proof, that the Jews had no law to punish men any where, 
 or in any way, for the moral offenses that the Savior here 
 enumerates. This was known to Jesus himself, and per- 
 fectly understood by all who heard him ; and yet Univer- 
 salism makes him say, in substance and meaning, " Who- 
 soever shall call his brother a fool, and whosoever shall be 
 led into sin by an eye, hand, or foot, shall be in danger of 
 being literally burned up in the fire of Gehenna, or in the 
 Valley of the Son of Hinnom. And ye serpents, (the 
 Pharisees, who possessed the power chiefly, and controlled 
 the affairs, both civil and ecclesiastical, among the Jews at 
 the time,) how can ye escape the damnation of hell ? that 
 is, ye shall surely be literally burned in the Valley of Hin- 
 nom, for your pride and Pharisaism I " All of which 
 would have been consummate folly, and utterly false ; for 
 they knew perfectly that they were no more in danger of 
 
260 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. [cHAP. XI. 
 
 any such literal punishment and fire, than they were of be- 
 ing drowned in the sun, or destroyed in an earthquake in 
 the moon. 
 
 Further, the Savior says, " Fear not them which shall 
 kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul : but rather 
 fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in 
 hell." Here, also, Universalism makes Christ not only utter 
 nonsense, but contradict himself in the same sentence. He 
 had just told his disciples that they would be hated of men, 
 brought before magistrates, persecuted and delivered up to 
 death, and now tells them in all this to rejoice, and not to 
 fear them that could kill the body ; then, in the same 
 breath, solemnly warns them to fear him (some one of the 
 multitude we suppose) that could destroy them in the fire of 
 Gehenna; that is, utterly disregard death, and rejoice in the 
 prospect of it in any and every form ; and at the same time 
 entertain fear of it in one form — fear and not fear on the 
 same subject, at precisely the same moment! 
 
 That Jesus Christ could be the author of such unhal- 
 lowed trifling, is what none but a reckless infidel can be- 
 lieve ; and yet Universalism, by inevitable consequences, 
 attributes all this to the blessed Savior; for there is no alter- 
 native between charging Jesus Christ with falsehood, de- 
 ception, and self-contradiction, and totally rejecting the dog- 
 ma, that sinners were in danger of the literal fire of Ge- 
 henna. Falsehood, in threatening off'enders with a punish- 
 ment to which they never were exposed — for we hazard 
 nothing in saying, that no man living was ever punished 
 with the literal fire of Gehenna for the oflfenses designated 
 by the Savior; deception, in alarming their fears, when 
 they were in no possible danger of the threatened punish- 
 ment ; self-contradiction, in teaching his disciples to fear, 
 and not to fear deatli, at the same time. And Universalism 
 must either make this charge, and thereby openly reject 
 Christ, as it does now by its consequences, or admit that 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 261 
 
 he threatened offenders with a punishment that they never 
 did, and never could, experience in this world, and, conse- 
 quently, that it belongs to the future world ; and that this 
 punishment is represented by being "cast into hell" — 
 '* the fire of hell" — "the fire that never shall be quench- 
 ed." Then the doctrine stands a sublime and solemn truth, 
 declared by the Son of God, and an awful warning to sin- 
 ners ; while its opposite, as maintained by Universalism, is 
 alike opposed to the teaching of Jesus Christ, the faith of 
 his Church, and the interests of man ; perfectly useless to 
 the pious, and only calculated to minister a false comfort to 
 the ungodly and profane. 
 
 The preposterous assumption, by the less informed, and 
 more reckless advocates and votaries of Universalism, that 
 conscience, in this world, is the only punishment, or hell, 
 to which sinners are liable, has been fully exposed in an- 
 other place, and need not be farther noticed at this time. 
 
 Aware of the portentous alternative of rejecting Christ 
 and avowing open infidelity, and allowing the doctrine of 
 the judgment and punishment of the wicked after death, a 
 portion of the advocates of Universalism, calling themselves 
 Restorationists, have endeavored to evade the consequences, 
 by admitting a future judgment, and that the term hell, as 
 used so frequendy by the Savior, implies a state, and place 
 of punishment for the wicked after death ; but maintain, at 
 the same time, that this punishment is limited as to its du- 
 ration, and that the punished shall thereby be prepared for, 
 and finally saved in heaven. To that refuge, therefore, we 
 follow this fragment of the broken system of Universalism. 
 
 And, first, the ground and necessity of that supposed 
 limited punishment after death, and in the future world, 
 must be absolutely and without doubt, the claims of God 
 and his law upon the sinner, on account of his moral de- 
 pravity and delinquency, or it is not. Now, if it be said 
 that it is not, and that neither God nor his law requires any 
 
262 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. LcHAP. XI. 
 
 such suffering, tlien it is clear even to a demonstration, that 
 such suffering is not only useless, but unjust and cruel; 
 from which it is just as clear, that the claims of God's 
 law are the ground and necessity of the sinner's punish- 
 ment in the future state, as it is perfectly clear that God 
 cannot be unjust and cruel. Those claims must extend to 
 the obligation of present obedience alone, wholly irrespec- 
 tive of the past ; or they must extend to present obligation 
 to obey, and also, to past delinquencies. If Restorationism 
 takes the position, that the claims extend alone to present 
 obligation of obedience, to the exclusion of past delinquen- 
 cies, it follows without the possibility of evasion, that the 
 Bible is not the word of God, or that he will deny and con- 
 tradict his own word ; for it has been seen, that the Bible 
 unequivocally declares, that " every secret thing" shall be 
 brought into judgment; "that every idle word that men 
 shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of 
 judgment ;" and that this refers to past delinquencies and 
 sins committed previously to the day of judgment, the Scrip- 
 tures place beyond all doubt: " For we must all appear be- 
 fore the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may 
 receive the things done in his body, according to that he 
 hath done, whether it be good or bad." Now, as the Bible 
 connects men's past sins and evil works with the day of 
 judgment, and the punishment of the wicked, if God ex- 
 cludes those past delinquencies from that judgment and its 
 results, the above consequences follow with resistless force, 
 that the Bible is not the word of God, and wholly misre- 
 presents the case ; or if it be his word, he will wholly deny 
 and contradict it, and proceed in the judgment and punish- 
 ment of sinners on an entirely different plan. This view, 
 therefore, as it must necessarily impeach either the charac- 
 ter of God, or his holy word, must be rejected as utterly 
 false and pernicious. It follows then, conclusively, that the 
 Divine claims, which form the ground and necessity of the 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 263 
 
 punishment of the wicked after the judgment, extend, not 
 only to the obligations of present obedience, but also to the 
 past, with all its crimes and moral delinquencies ; and to 
 meet and relieve the case at all, it is perfectly undeniable 
 that the sinner, thus condemned to punishment, must render 
 perfect obedience for the present, and at the same time suf- 
 fer, in exact proportion, according to the decisions of eter- 
 nal justice, to the strength and extent of obligations violated 
 in the past. 
 
 But what is the extent of the moral obligations of obedi- 
 ence which sinners violate while living ? It must be, either, 
 
 1. Greater than man's powers and capacities to obey ; or, 
 
 2. Less than his capacities of obedience ; or, 3. Precisely 
 equal to his capacities of obedience. 
 
 To suppose the first, is to suppose that God can be un- 
 reasonable, unjust, and cruel, in requiring more of man than 
 he has given him capacity, means, and opportunities to per- 
 form ; and then punishing him for not performing impossi- 
 bilities. To suppose the second, is, as has been shown in 
 another place, to render man wholly independent of his 
 Maker, by just so far as God has given him powers and 
 means of obeying, but does not require them to be employ- 
 ed in his service. If this is a correct position, then man 
 may obey and serve God acceptably, while those powers of 
 his nature to which the Divine claims of obedience do not 
 extend, are employed in the commission of all manner of 
 crime ; than which a greater absurdity cannot be imagined, 
 or a greater indignity be offered to God and his government. 
 
 If, then, the claims of God upon man cannot be either 
 more or less than, they must be precisely equal to, his en- 
 tire capacities, means, and opportunities to obey, and, con- 
 sequently, the punishment for the violation of those obliga- 
 tions must be as extensive as the claims violated ; and, if 
 so, it must of necessity be precisely equal to his capacity 
 of obedience. From which it is unquestionable, that the 
 
264 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. [cHAP. XI. 
 
 sufferings of the wicked, condemned in the last judgment 
 to this supposed limited punishment, must be, either, 1. 
 Precisely equal to the Divine claims for present obedience, 
 to the entire exclusion of the past; or, 1. This punishment 
 must be precisely equal to his violations and delinquencies 
 for the past, to the entire exclusion of the obligations of 
 obedience at the present; or, 3. He must render perfect 
 obedience for the present, and, at the same time, suffer in 
 exact proportion to the Divine claims of obedience, and his 
 own sins and delinquencies in all the past. 
 
 If the first position be taken, then it follows that the 
 claims of God, and the delinquencies of man for the past, 
 are not taken into the account ; and if so, as has been 
 shown, the Bible is not the word of God, or he will con- 
 tradict and deny his own word. But, as the Bible is the 
 word of God, and he will not contradict or deny it ; and as, 
 according to this position, the punishment of the wicked in 
 the future world does not include past delinquencies ; and, 
 as the system utterly rejects the pardon or remission of the 
 punishment for sin, those delinquencies unpardoned must 
 remain an eternal charge against him, stamp him with eter- 
 nal delinquency unpardoned, and make him the object of 
 endless punishment. 
 
 And if the second member of the case be assumed, that 
 his punishment is just in proportion to past obligations, to 
 the exclusion of the present, the consequences are no less 
 fatal. For, as we have clearly seen, the extent of the claims 
 in the past were equal to his entire capacity of obedience, 
 should he, by suffering, instead of doing or obeying, suc- 
 ceed in repairing the delinquencies of the past, it must of 
 necessity be at the expense of present obedience, in viola- 
 ting present obligations, and, consequently, contracting a 
 new debt just as great as the old one discharged; or, by 
 involving himself in delinquencies for the neglect of present 
 obedience, just as fearful as those which he liad met. 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 265 
 
 Therefore, in this view also, he must remain an eternal de- 
 linquent, and, consequently, the subject of endless punish- 
 ment. 
 
 And the last position, that his punishment is equal to 
 present obligations of obedience and past violations, is more 
 hopeless, if possible, than the others ; for it involves an ab- 
 (Surdity — a contradiction — an utter impossibility. If the 
 claims of God extend to the entire capacity of man to obey, 
 it is perfectly undeniable that this claim, in the case before 
 us, for present obedience, requires the exercise of his whole 
 powers and capacity in rendering present perfect obedience; 
 and then to suppose that he, at the same time, can effect a 
 work, whether by suffering or otherwise, of equal magni- 
 tude to cover past delinquencies, is as impossible as to raise 
 the dead, or create a world. 
 
 From which it follows, with a conclusiveness which can- 
 not be resisted, 1. That God must relinquish his claim upon 
 the condemned sinner, either for present or past obedience, 
 and thereby deny and contradict both himself and his word ; 
 or, 2. That the sinner thus condemned to punishment, must 
 accomplish an impossibility equal to that of raising the 
 dead or creating a world ; or, 3. The punishment of the 
 wicked so condemned must be eternal. But God will not 
 deny and contradict himself and his word, and man cannot, 
 either in this or the future world, perform impossibilities ; 
 therefore, the unreformed, impenitent, and unpardoned sin- 
 ner, who meets his crimes in the final judgment at the bar 
 of God, and is therefore condemned to punishment in the 
 future world, must suffer "the vengeance of eternal fire;'* 
 and, consequently, from whatever point you may view the 
 subject, limited punishment in the future world, as it regards 
 time, is not only wholly unauthorized and unsupported by 
 the word of God, but is, in the very nature of the case, 
 utterly impossible. 
 
 But, secondly, should we, for the sake of argument, 
 23 
 
266 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. [cHAP. XI. 
 
 allow the doctrine of future punishment for a limited time, 
 so far would it be from supporting Bible Christianity and 
 honoring Jesus Christ, that it would flatly contradict the 
 plain doctrines of the former, and, to all intents and pur- 
 poses, exclude the latter from being the Savior of all such 
 as should be thus punished. The proof of this, which we 
 will here adduce, is short, but plain and conclusive. * 
 
 This supposed limited punishment in the future world, is 
 strictly and absolutely necessary to prepare the sufferer for, 
 and without which, according to God's purposes and gov- 
 ernment, they could not possibly be saved in heaven, or it 
 is not. If it should be said that it is not absolutely neces- 
 sary, and yet God inflicts this punishment, it must be either 
 unnecessary, or a matter of entire indifl*erence ; and to 
 charge the Almighty with either, would be an impeachment 
 alike of his goodness and justice, and indeed of his whole 
 character ; and it is impossible, without making this charge 
 against Deity, to avoid the conclusion, that this punishment 
 is absolutely necessary, and without which their salvation in 
 heaven is impossible. 
 
 With these facts before us, it follows, beyond the power 
 of successful contradiction, that notwithstanding all Jesus 
 Christ has done, is doing, or can possibly do for them, he 
 has failed, and must for ever fail, to save them without this 
 punishment. To deny this, is to render the punishment 
 unnecessary, and involve the consequences shown above. 
 It then follows, with the utmost clearness, that sufl*ering 
 does for them what Christ must fail to do ; and, of course, 
 they are not saved by Christ, but by sufl'ering ; not saved 
 by grace through faith in Christ, but wholly independent of 
 grace and without faith ; not saved by the blood of the 
 cross, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of 
 the Holy Ghost, but by the purifying of punishment, and 
 the virtue of personal sufl'ering. Then they will not enter 
 heaven as a g^racious reward, but demand it as their abso- 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 267 
 
 lute right, having met in their own person and removed ev- 
 ery obstacle out of the way. And while those saved on 
 the principles of the Gospel, by Jesus Christ, sing, " Unto 
 him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own 
 blood, and made us kings and priests unto God and his 
 Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever," 
 Rev. i, 5, 6; these must sing. Unto the punishment we en- 
 dured in our own persons, and that fitted us for heaven ; 
 unto this be glory and dominion for ever and ever! 
 
 It cannot, therefore, be denied, that as the Scriptures ev- 
 erywhere teach salvation by Christ, through grace, and the 
 system of limited future punishment teaches, by its una- 
 voidable consequences, salvation without either grace or 
 Christ, it clearly contradicts the word of God, and totally 
 rejects Jesus Christ as the Savior of all such as thus pro- 
 cure a qualification for heaven by their own personal suf- 
 ferings. 
 
 We are not, however, unapprised of the fact, that this 
 modification of Universalism endeavors to escape those con- 
 sequences, and keep up appearances, by assuming that this 
 limited future punishment does not itself prepare the pun- 
 ished for heaven ; but only humbles them into penitency, 
 and thereby brings them to Christ, that he may save them. 
 This is wholly begging the question, and is little, if any 
 thing, less than dishonorable evasion. The assumption is 
 most positively denied; and the world might be challenged 
 to adduce the proof, that God has made provision for the 
 repentance, reformation, moral change, and salvation in the 
 future world, of those who live and die unholy and unpar- 
 doned in this, world. And deep and dark must be the cor- 
 ruption, and bold the infidelity of that system, that will set 
 the revealed will of God at defiance, and challenge man to 
 peril his eternal interests on its own presumptuous dogmas; 
 such, however, is the character of this branch of Universal- 
 ism. But knowing that the assumptions of the system, 
 
268 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. [cHAP. XI. 
 
 however unscriptural and absurd, if unnoticed, are claimed 
 to be unanswerable, before leaving this point, we will en- 
 deavor to remove this last resort of the Restorationist fea- 
 ture of Universalism. 
 
 What is recognized in the Holy Scriptures as sin, unho- 
 liness, rebellion and crime, by this modification of the sys- 
 tem, is called by the mild name of a " moral disease," with 
 which mankind are afflicted ; and all suffering or punish- 
 ment, whether administered in this or the future world, is 
 the merciful remedy which God applies to cure man of this 
 moral malady. And if it is not effectual, which is often the 
 case, in this life, it must be continued, and in all proba- 
 bility greatly increased, in the next world, till it finally 
 effects a cure, and the sufferer is thereby humbled, brought 
 to Christ, prepared for, and saved in heaven. 
 
 Now, this moral disease, which renders this future lim- 
 ited punishment necessary, and by which it is supposed the 
 sinner will be brought to Christ and saved after he leaves 
 this world, must necessarily have its origin in, or be the re- 
 sult of, either, first, the constitution man received from his 
 Maker, and over which he has no possible control ; or, 
 second, man's own voluntary moral conduct. Any other 
 supposition will take the case out of the hands of both God 
 and man, and involve the absurdity of representing God 
 as inflicting and man enduring punishment, in a case where 
 man is not a delinquent, and where God has no claims. 
 
 This cannot be avoided, only by allowing one or the other 
 of the above positions. If it is said that this moral disease 
 has its origin in, or is the result of, man's moral actions, 
 such moral actions must have reference to God's moral law 
 and government, and be recognized by the Divine law as 
 delinquencies, otherwise we must suppose the revolting sen- 
 timent, that God punishes men for obedience to his holy 
 law and government. This brings us directly and necessa- 
 rily to the same ground already examined — that man, in 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 269 
 
 consequence of his moral conduct, is a guilty delinquent lo 
 God ; and the Divine government, if he lives and dies in 
 sin, requires his punishment. Here, also, precisely the 
 same conclusions and consequences follow as in the above 
 case, as already shown. 
 
 From those consequences, so ruinous to their specula- 
 tions, Restorationists, or the advocates of limited future 
 punishment, have no escape, other than to take the second 
 position allowed them, and make this moral disease, to cure 
 which the wicked must be punished for a time in the next 
 world, the unavoidable result of the nature and constitution 
 man received from his Maker. 
 
 But even this assumption can afford no relief, but, if 
 possible, must aggravate the difficulties of the system ; for 
 it, by unavoidable consequences, charges the Almighty with 
 the whole mass of man's moral pollution and delinquency, 
 by giving him a constitution and nature which must inevita- 
 bly, and to an absolute certainty, result in all the depravity 
 and crime of which man is guilty, and over which he has 
 no more control than he has over the color of his hair, the 
 complexion of his skin, or the revolution of the planets. 
 And, to aggravate the case, God has sternly forbidden all 
 this depravity and crime, the existence of which he has 
 rendered inevitable by the constitution which he has given 
 to man ; and to consummate this cruelty and injustice, he 
 punishes man in this, and the future world, for the invinci- 
 ble consequences of that defective constitution which he 
 gave to him ; while, as we have seen in examining this 
 subject, otl^ier positions, to maintain future limited punish- 
 ment, cannot be sustained without impeaching the Bible, 
 and rejecting Jesus Christ as a Savior. This view must 
 attribute a character to the Almighty, to own which, the 
 most CTuel tyrant on earth might well blush. This modifi- 
 cation of the system must therefore either reject the holy 
 character of God, together with his best gifts to man — 
 2'S* 
 
270 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. [CHAP. XI. 
 
 Christ and the Bible ; or yield the doctrine of limited future 
 punishment after death, as a mischievous subtilty of a de- 
 signing infidelity, M^hich has not magnanimity enough open- 
 ly to discard the Bible and Christianity, but seeks their 
 overthrow by fraud and deep deception. 
 
 With the facts so clearly before us, that men immersed 
 in crimes of the most aggravated character, in utter impeni- 
 tency and unbelief, die and leave this world ; and that they 
 must meet God in the final judgment ; that there is a hell, 
 or state and place of punishment for the wicked after death 
 and judgment ; and that this punishment is not, nay more, 
 cannot be limited as to duration, without impeaching either 
 the character of the Bible, or the character of God, (the 
 former would establish infidelity, the latter atheism,) the 
 conclusion, even in the absence of all direct proof, defies 
 all evasion, that the punishment of the finally impenitent in 
 the future state is endless. 
 
 But, before closing this part of our work, we will adduce 
 some direct proof on this point. " Then shall he say also 
 unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, 
 into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. 
 * * * And these shall go away into everlasting punish- 
 ment : but the righteous into life eternal," Matt, xxv, 41, 46. 
 ♦' "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from 
 the presence of the liord, and from the glory of his power," 
 2 Thess. i, 9. " Where their worm dieth not, and the fire 
 is not quenched," Mark ix, 44. That this solemn language 
 has reference to the future and endless condition of men, 
 has already been shown in this investigation, and need not 
 be farther noticed in this place. 
 
 The only point, therefore, to be settled, is. Do the terms, 
 everlasting, for ever, and eternal, when applied to man in 
 his future state, express his unchangeable and endless con- 
 dition? Universalism, alarmed at the accumulating difficul- 
 ties, and the impossibility of averting the application of this 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 271 
 
 language of the word of God from the condition of man in 
 the future world, makes a desperate effort to destroy, or at 
 least diminish its force, by concentrating a mass of pseudo- 
 criticism to show that those terms are necessarily limited 
 in their signification, and are of no force in settling the end- 
 less destiny of man in the future state. As we do not wish 
 to treat those master critics with neglect, neither do we in- 
 tend to be diverted from the main question at issue, we 
 will, therefore, give a quotation or two, which may be con 
 sidered as a fair specimen of the whole. 
 
 We quote first Mr. A. C. Thomas, to whom reference 
 has been made before. "In reviewing your criticism on 
 the Greek noun, aio7i, and its derivative adjective. * * * 
 No adjective can express any more than is expressed by 
 the noun to which it is relative. * * * From hence it 
 will follow, that if the aion does not strictly signify eter- 
 nity, the adjective cannot, in itself, express an endless du- 
 ration. * * * From the foregoing considerations, the 
 conclusion is obvious, that of whatever words the noun, 
 aion, may be formed, it does not signify eternity ; and, con- 
 sequently, its derivative adjective cannot, in itself, signify 
 an endless duration. In perfect agreement with those facts, 
 we find, that the word everlasting is applied, in the Septua- 
 gint, to the priesthood of Aaron, which was abolished to 
 make room for the priesthood of Christ; to the everlasting 
 covenant of the law, which was superseded by the Gospel 
 covenant; to the everlasting possession of the land of Ca- 
 naan, which the Jews do not now possess ; and to other 
 everlastings, which not only had no reference to a future 
 existence, but were temporary in their character, and lim- 
 ited in their duration." Theol. Dis., pp. 113-115. 
 
 We give next Mr. J. Kidwell's views: "This is the 
 sense in which the Hebrews used the term olem, and the 
 Greeks aion. When they spake of the servitude of a man 
 for life, they called it olem-aion ; or, for ever. When they 
 
272 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. [ciIAP. XI. 
 
 spake of the time Jonah was in the fish's belly, although it 
 was but three days, they expressed the length of time by 
 the very same term. By a careful examination of the sub- 
 ject, it will be found that the terms for ever, everlasting, 
 and eternal, are always to be understood in this sense, as 
 Scripture terms; this rule of construction is invariable. 
 According to the present use of terms, the English word, 
 age, would come much nearer expressing the sense of the 
 original terms, than the words everlasting or eternaV An 
 Original Essay on the coming of the Son of Man, pp. 66, 67. 
 
 We might inflict upon the reader much more of the same 
 kind of criticism ; but as this is a fair specimen, and as we 
 do not design to bestow but a few passing remarks on it, 
 more would be unnecessary, and but a waste of time. 
 
 It is seen, that notwithstanding Mr. Thomas is much 
 more cautious and ingenious in covering the absurdity of 
 his criticism than Mr. Kid well, they both arrive at the same 
 conclusion ; and in this they agree with all Universalist 
 criticism on the point, in excluding the idea of endless du- 
 ration from the terms under consideration, and restricting 
 their proper meaning to an " age," or an indefinitely " long, 
 but certainly limited period." And, indeed, if this cannot 
 be done, the case of Universalism is hopeless. 
 
 Instead of following the system in a pretended tour of 
 the world, in the character of criticism, in which itself, with 
 all who attempt to follow it, are lost in darkness dense as 
 that which shrouded Egypt when under the curse of God, 
 we will endeavor to bring it to points and facts which may 
 safely defy all this display of criticism. 
 
 The terms for ever, everlasting, and eternal, in their Scrip- 
 tural import and meaning, must be either, 1. Absolutely un- 
 limited in their nature and signification, and applied properly 
 to objects and things of endless duration, but used in an ac- 
 commodated sense, to represent things limited in their ex- 
 istence and duration ; or, 2. They are absolutely limited in 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 27." 
 
 their nature and signification, and restricted in their proper 
 application to objects and things which are necessarily lim- 
 ited in duration, and applied improperly, or in an accom- 
 modated sense, to represent objects and things of endless 
 being or duration. In this view, the whole range of specu- 
 lation indulged in by the system is reduced to two points, 
 one of which must necessarily be the truth. 
 
 Universalism cannot possibly take the first position with- 
 out yielding the entire que«tion, and wholly relinquishing 
 the contest. And the system has no choice, but must risk 
 all on the second position — that the appropriate signification 
 of the terms is limited, and that they are applied to objects 
 and things of endless duration only in an improper sense. 
 
 This is the true position of the system, as is seen by the 
 quotations given above ; and this assumption is made in de- 
 fiance of the most learned authorities in Christendom. For 
 that the aion in the original, which is rendered in the New 
 Testament everlasting and eternal, is compounded of aei 
 (always,) and on own (being,) means literally and properly 
 always being, or being without end, endless, is what no one 
 can deny, but at the peril of his reputation for knowledge 
 or honesty, or both. And we have not yet found even a 
 Universalist author, competent to judge, whatever may 
 have been his evasions and equivocations on the subject in 
 general, that has ventured openly to deny the fact. Even 
 Mr. Thomas, as quoted on the subject, has tacitly admitted 
 it, in not saying a w^ord on the point, when a denial that the 
 literal meaning of the compound word is, being without 
 end, endless, if true, would have been of incalculable ad- 
 vantage to him, by fully sustaining his point. And as far 
 as we have been able to discover, this is the general policy, 
 to pass in silence, or cover in obscurit\% the first and pri- 
 mary meaning of the original word, and pour in the greatest 
 profusion their criticisms on other and minor features of the 
 CP'se, till, in their hands, the chaste and sublime languatre 
 
274 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. [CHAP. XL 
 
 of inspiration is rendered little less than a chaos of the 
 greatest nonsense. 
 
 But we have a " more sure word of prophecy," or means 
 of instruction on this weighty subject, so full of interest to 
 our whole race ; and instead of depending on men's mere 
 wisdom and skill in criticism, we refer the subject for a final 
 decision, to infinite and unerring wisdom. 
 
 Now, God either has used the best terms, and in their 
 proper and most appropriate sense, to represent his own 
 eternity, power, and Godhead, the reward, glory, happiness 
 and life of the saints in heaven, or he has not. To deny 
 that he has, is directly to impeach his infinite wisdom with 
 regard to his method of revealing himself, the glories of 
 heaven, and the life and happiness of the holy in their fu- 
 ture state — his goodness, justice, and truth, in thereby mis- 
 leading and deceiving the pious and the Church in all ages 
 on these points. 
 
 To avoid this charge against the character of God, even 
 the insinuation of which for a moment would be consum- 
 mate blasphemy, we are compelled to admit that he has 
 used the best terms, in their most appropriate sense, in 
 those sublime communications to man. 
 
 But what are the terms used by the infinite wisdom of 
 God on these points? The following will answer: "And 
 Abraham planted a grave in Beer-sheba, and called on tlie 
 name of the Lord, the everlasting God," Gen. xxi, 33. 
 *' The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the 
 everlasting arms," Deut. xxxiii, 27. " Hast thou not 
 known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the 
 Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, 
 neither is weary ? there is no searching of his understand- 
 ing," Isaiah xl, 28. " Even his eternal power and 
 Godhead," Romans i, 20. "But now is made mani- 
 ifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to 
 the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 275 
 
 all nations for the obedience of faith: to God only wise, be 
 glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen," Romans xvi, 
 26, 27. " Now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, 
 the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. 
 Amen," 1 Tim. i, 17. " Neither by the blood of goats 
 and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into 
 the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 
 « * * How much more shall the blood of Christ, who 
 through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to 
 God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the 
 living God? " Heb. ix, 12-14. " That when ye fail, they 
 may receive you into everlasting habitations," Luke xvi, 9. 
 " For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle 
 were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not 
 made with hands, eternal in the heavens," 2 Cor. v, 1. 
 " They which are called might receive the promise of eter- 
 nal inheritance," Heb. ix, 15. "For our light affliction, 
 which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more ex- 
 ceeding and eternal weight of glory. For the things 
 which are seen are temporal ; but the things which are not 
 seen are eternal," 2 Cor. iv, 17, 18. " But the God of all 
 grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ 
 Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you per- 
 fect, establish, strengthen, settle you," 1 Peter v, 10. 
 " Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that 
 they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus 
 with eternal glory," 2 Tim. ii, 10. " Who shall not re- 
 ceive manifold more in this present time, and in the world 
 to come life everlasting,''^ Luke xviii, 30. " But now, be- 
 ing made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye 
 have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 
 For the wages of sin is death ; but the gift of God is eter- 
 nal life through Jesus Christ our Lord," Romans vi, 22, 
 23. "But the righteous (shall go) into life eternal,^^ Matt. 
 xxv, 46. These are but a few of the manv declarations of 
 
276 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. [cHAP. XI. 
 
 the word of God that might be adduced, bearing directly 
 on the vitally important point under consideration ; but 
 those amply show the language the unerring wisdom of 
 God holds on the subj ct. 
 
 Here, eternal, everlasting, and for ever, are used to desig- 
 nate the eternity or endless being of the '* Godhead," with 
 all his " power" and " glory " — the eternity of the " Holy 
 Ghost" — the " redemption " of Jesus Christ — the " habi- 
 tation," *' inheritance," " glory," happiness, and endless 
 " life " of the righteous in heaven. 
 
 It has already been shown, that the infinite wisdom of 
 God, in the selection and application of terms to the con- 
 dition of man in the future world is above all human criti- 
 cism, and that there is no alternative between blasphemy 
 and submission to the Divine authority in the case; and it 
 only remains to be seen whether the same wisdom applies 
 the same terms to the finally impenitent in the future world, 
 as descriptive of their endless condition, as are applied to 
 the righteous. " But he that shall blaspheme against the 
 Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eter- 
 nal damnation," Mark iii, 29. " To be cast into everlast- 
 ing fire," Matt, xviii, 8. " Who shall be punished with 
 everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and 
 from the glory of his power," 2 Thess. i, 9. " Depart 
 from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the 
 devil and his angels. * * * And these shall go away 
 into everlasting punishment," Matt, xxv, 41, 46. The 
 devil and his angels " He hath reserved in everlasting 
 chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day ;" 
 with the inhabitants of Sodom are " suffering the vengeance 
 of eternal fire," Jude 6, 7. 
 
 Numerous others might be given, but these declarations 
 sufficiently show, that the very same language is used to 
 designate and describe the "chains," "darkness," and 
 " fire," (emblems of anguish and misery,) the " sufferings." 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 277 
 
 "punishment," "destruction," and "damnation" of the 
 finally impenitent, after the resurrection of the body and 
 the general judgment, that is applied to the holy and happy 
 in heaven ; for, that this language applies to man in the 
 future state, has been fully shown in treating on a condi- 
 tional salvation in heaven, the general judgment, and a state 
 ind place of future punishment. And we have now reach- 
 ed a point from which we can clearly see whether "age, 
 or an indefinitely long, but certainly limited period," is, ac- 
 cording to the criticism of Universalism, the proper and lit- 
 eral signification of the terms for ever, eternal, and everlast- 
 ing ; or whether the contrary is true, according to the anal- 
 ogy of faith, and the wisdom of God. 
 
 " Abraham * * called on the name of the Lord, the 
 everlasting (age, or an indefinitely long, but certainly limit- 
 ed) God." "The eternal (age, or an indefinitely long, but 
 certainly limited) God, is thy refuge, and underneath are 
 the everlasting (age, or an indefinitely long, but certainly 
 limited) arms." " Even his eternal (age, or an indefinitely 
 long, but certainly limited) power and Godhead." " Now 
 unto the King eternal, * * (age, or an indefinitely long, 
 but certainly limited,) wise God." " Having obtained eter- 
 nal (age, or an indefinitely long, but certainly limited) re- 
 demption for us." " Who, through the eternal (age, or an 
 indefinitely long, but certainly limited) Spirit, offered him- 
 self without spot to God." "For we know, that if our 
 earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a 
 building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal (age, 
 or an indefinitely long, but certainly limited) in the heav- 
 ens." " For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, 
 worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal (age, or an 
 indefinitely long, but certainly limited) weight of glory." 
 "But now, being made free from sin, and become'servants 
 to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end ever- 
 
 24 
 
278 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. [cHAP. XI. 
 
 lasting (age, or an indefinitely long, but certainly limited) 
 life." 
 
 From the above, which might be abundantly extended, it 
 is seen with a clearness that defies resistance, that the Uni- 
 versalist interpretation of those terms, would not only dis- 
 prove the endless punishment of the wicked, but attribute 
 the language of consummate confusion and contradiction to 
 God, and also, disprove the endless life and glory of the 
 righteous, and even the eternity of God. But, allowing 
 that this language is used in its proper sense when applied 
 to God, and to man in relation to his future and endless 
 state, it is perfectly easy to see how it is applied in an ac- 
 commodated sense to things of limited duration; such as the 
 priesthood of Aaron, the land of Canaan, a dispensation, 
 and to this world. 
 
 But Universalism, aware of the accumulating consequen- 
 ces, makes a last desperate effort to escape, by affirming 
 that there are other words in the original more expressive 
 of proper eternity, or endless duration, than those under 
 consideration ; such as are rendered indissoluble, or incor- 
 ruptible ; and, as they are not used to represent the endless 
 punishment of the wicked after death, therefore no such 
 punishment is taught in the Holy Scriptures. This method 
 of disposing of the case, is considered by some of its vota- 
 ries as equivalent to a perfect triumph; but, however plau- 
 sible this may appear at first sight, when viewed in its true 
 light, it is a fearful aggravation of an already desperate case. 
 For it will be seen upon examination, that in no place in 
 the Bible has God spoken of "indissoluble and incorrupti- 
 ble " life and happiness, of " indissoluble and incorruptible " 
 death and punishment; while, on the contrary, the common 
 language of the Bible on the subject is, eternal and ever- 
 lasting life and glory, eternal and everlasting death, punish- 
 ment, destruction, and damnation. 
 
 The fruitless nttempt at evasion, then, amounts to this: 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 379 
 
 Universalism, drawn from its concealment, pressed from 
 every point by the force of Divine truth, and exposed in its 
 true character to the light of the Holy Scriptures, rises in 
 the malevolence and infidelity of its spirit, sets the word of 
 God at defiance, joins issue with the throne, and charges 
 God, in eff'ect, with having given the world an improper 
 revelation, and presumes to dictate to, and select the lan- 
 guage, the Deity should have used in communicating his 
 will to man. 
 
 To avoid this undisguised and revolting infidelity, the 
 system has no choice but to submit to the sovereign author- 
 ity of the word of God, which applies the same language, 
 (always being — being without end — endless,) that is used 
 to represent the eternity of God, of heaven, of the life, 
 happiness, and glory of the holy in heaven, to the punish- 
 ment, perdition, and damnation of the finally impenitent in 
 an endless hell. 
 
 And now, as " the day of judgment, and the perdition of 
 ungodly men," 2 Peter iii, 7, are, according to the purpose 
 of God, inseparably connected, we solicit all concerned to 
 revert to the proofs given in their proper places in this in- 
 vestigation : 1. The utter impossibility of a past general 
 judgment and retribution. 2. Of a progressive general 
 judgment and retribution. 3. The evidence — the demon- 
 stration, if the Bible be revered as the word of God, that 
 the final general judgment and retribution is yet future, and 
 subsequent to the general resurrection of the dead. 4. The 
 evidence of a state and place of future punishment for the 
 wicked after death. 5. The impossibility that the punish- 
 ment of the finally impenitent in the future world can be 
 limited as to its duration. 6. That after the unerring inves- 
 tigation of the final judgment, and the separation of the 
 righteous and the wicked at the last day, the very same lan- 
 guage that is employed, in the infinite wisdom of God, to 
 represent the endless life, happiness, and glory of the saints 
 
280 ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. [cHAP. XI. 
 
 in light, is used to represent the endless misery and perdi- 
 tion of the unholy in their hopeless darkness. 7. The con- 
 sequences which must inevitably follow a denial of this 
 doctrine. 
 
 1. To escape a future general judgment, Jesus Christ is 
 removed from the throne of mediation, and placed on the 
 throne of final judgment; thereby, the reign of grace and 
 salvation eternally terminated. 2. To escape a place and 
 state of future punishment, Jesus Christ is made to indorse 
 the errors of the Jews, and to lead the Christian Church 
 into the same errors ; is made to dissemble, utter falsehood, 
 and contradict himself. 3. To limit the punishment of the 
 finally impenitent after death, Christ is wholly excluded as 
 their Savior ; and they, after all that Christ can do, are to 
 secure heaven by their own personal sufTerings. 4. To 
 escape the eternal punishment that awaits the wicked, the 
 wisdom and character of God must be impeached for using 
 improper terms and language in revealing his will to man ; 
 his " eternal power, wisdom, glory, and Godhead," must 
 last but for an " age that is certainly limited ;" the *' Holy 
 Ghost" and the "redemption" of Jesus Christ must last 
 but for a "certainly limited age;" the happiness, glory, 
 and life of the saints of God, and even heaven itself, can 
 last only for an " age that is certainly limited." And what 
 an eternal blank God's universe will be, when this certainly 
 limited " age " of Universalism terminates ! 
 
 If Universalism attempts to meet and sustain these con- 
 sequences, it must sink under them as the feeble moth be- 
 neath the ponderous wheel ; if it shrinks from this, it must 
 bow to the plain literal meaning of the word of God, which 
 warns the world that the wicked shall go away into endless 
 punishment, where their worm dieth not, and tlie fire is not 
 quenched ; they shall be punished with endless destruction 
 from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his 
 power. And now, leaving it to fall at once under the accu- 
 
CHAP. XI.] ENDLESS PUNISHMENT. 881 
 
 mulated force of eternal truth, or to struggle for a brief ex- 
 istence in the character of open infidelity, we close with a 
 word of admonition to all into whose hands this may fall. 
 With all who believe in the immortality of man, time, 
 with him, is but a brief space which holds him out of eter- 
 nity ; and it is a fact, whether men will seriously consider 
 it or not, that the greatest interests of earth are but transient 
 trifles compared with the changeless concerns of eternity ; 
 for, should all the happiness of this world be lost, should 
 he gain the bliss of the future, his greatest welfare and 
 highest interests would be eternally consummated. But on 
 the contrary, all beside could not compensate for the loss 
 of heaven and its holy delights. If, then, the future end- 
 less punishment of the wicked is only within the compass 
 of bare possibility, (and the boldest atheist cannot deny but 
 that it is,) and if there is safe ground in all the provisions 
 of God, sober reason would admonish us to occupy that 
 ground. And if such punishment is probable, the induce- 
 ments for safety are proportionably increased. But when, 
 in the absence of all proof to the contrary, the word of God 
 places its certainty on the same ground with the endless ex- 
 istence of God, of the Holy Spirit, of heaven, and the end- 
 less life and glory of the pious in heaven, common sense, 
 enlightened reason, an honest conscience, and every motive 
 that should prompt human actions, conspire to warn man 
 of his danger, and call upon him to make a speedy and 
 willing sacrifice at the cross of Christ, of every prejudice 
 and speculation, and seek, by humble faitii and holy obedi- 
 ence, that sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit, which will 
 secure hira against all possible danger in time and eternity ; 
 but which can be neglected by none, only at the peril of 
 their eternal interests. 
 
 24* 
 
283 UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. fcHAP. XII. 
 
 CHAPTER Xn. 
 
 UNIVERSALISM BUT A MODIFICATIUN OF INFIDELITY. 
 
 Universalism but a Modification of Infidelity — Rejects Jesus Christ — 
 His Cliaracter and Work as a Savior — Sin cannot be Pardoned and 
 Punished at the same time — Rejects the Holy Spirit as the Agent of 
 Man's Sanctification — Virtually Rejects the Holy Scriptures as the Rule 
 of Faith and Practice — J. Kidwell's Testimony — Relieves Man from 
 all the Restraints drawn from the Retributions of Eternity — Argument 
 and Conclusion. 
 
 From the foregoing investigation, some may suppose fur- 
 ther animadversions on the system of Universalism unne- 
 cessary ; but as its infidelity has been more than intimated, 
 before closing we design to show, that this charge has not 
 been made without foundation and reason. 
 
 In this we do not mean to be understood as charging Uni- 
 versalism with an open and frank disavowal of the Bible 
 and the Christian system ; but we do mean to say, that the 
 legitimate consequences following its cardinal doctrines and 
 positions, contain all the elements, and are but a dangerous 
 modification of infidelity; and whenever its friends and 
 votaries shall claim and act on the privileges and liberties 
 which it gives them, it will result in, not only a rejection 
 of the Bible and Christianity, but, also, the government and 
 being of God. 
 
 That this is a serious view of the subject, we readily ad- 
 mit, and only ask an honest and unprejudiced hearing of 
 the evidence and arguments by which it is sustained. 
 
 I. Universalism, by inevitable consequences, rejects Je- 
 sus Christ as the Savior of mankind. 1. By denying to 
 him the means and power of a Savior ; and, 2. By with- 
 holding from him the work of salvation in the case of man. 
 If Jesus Christ possesses the character, power and means 
 of a Savior, he must necessarily effect the work of salva- 
 tion ; either, 1. By mere omnipotent power; or, 2. By 
 
CHAP. XII.] UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. 283 
 
 grace through the merit of his vicarious sufferings and death ; 
 or, 3. By the influence of his instruction and doctrine; or, 
 4. Through the force and influence of his example. 
 
 Now, if he does not save by any or all these means, 
 it is utterly impossible to conceive how he possesses the 
 least particle of the character or power of a Savior; and 
 we now inquire for the character of Christ as a Savior at 
 all these points. And, first, does he save sinners by the 
 mere omnipotence of his power, to the exclusion of all 
 other means and instrumentalities ? This, according to 
 Universalism, is wholly impossible; for it will be recol- 
 lected, that it has already been established in the course of 
 this investigation, from the highest Universalist authorities, 
 that the Lord Jesus Christ, in his most exalted character, is 
 a created and absolutely dependent being, and, consequently, 
 wholly destitute of almighty or omnipotent power ; and it 
 has also been shown, that the delegation of such power to 
 a created being is literally impossible ; therefore, according 
 to a fundamental position of the system, it is impossible for 
 Christ to be a Savior by the mere omnipotence of his 
 power. 
 
 But could Universalism even demonstrate the contrary to 
 be true, such demonstration would convict the Bible of false- 
 hood and misrepresentation, for it throughout ascribes the 
 salvation of man to moral influence and Divine grace, and 
 not to mere omnipotent power. Universalism is, therefore, 
 compelled either to abandon the Bible, and wholly change 
 its position with regard to the character of Christ, or admit 
 that he is not a Savior by mere sovereign power. The for- 
 mer will fully confirm the charge of infidelity ; the latter 
 must prepare the way for it. 
 
 But, secondly, does Jesus Christ save by grace, through 
 the merits of his vicarious sufferings and death ? This is 
 absolutely impossible on the principles of Universalism. 
 For having boldly and unequivocally rejected the unorigi- 
 
284 UX.VERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. [cHAP. XII. 
 
 iialed divinity of I'le Lord Jesus Christ, he could not pos- 
 sibly by his sufferings and death nnerit grace and salvation 
 for the world. But we are not left to reach this conclusion 
 by inference or consequences ; for as has been clearly prov- 
 ed, by unquestionable Universalist authority, the total re- 
 jection of "the doctrine of vicarious atonement" by Je- 
 sus Christ is made a cardinal doctrine of the system. And, 
 furthermore, by referring to the place where this point has 
 been examined, it will be seen that should Universalism 
 attempt to maintain the doctrine of the atonement, or the 
 merits of the death of Christ, in view of other positions it 
 has taken, it must do it at the peril of its very existence. 
 From which it follows, with a clearness that cannot escape 
 the notice of the most common observer, that Christ can- 
 not save, according to Universalism, by the merits of his 
 death, as there is no possible merit belonging thereto. 
 
 Third ; is Jesus Christ a universal Savior, through the 
 influence of his instruction and doctrine? On this point 
 Universalism greatly delights to dwell ; but in the midst of 
 its flourishes, matters of fact, which defy resistance or con- 
 troversy, give a verdict against it. The fact is too plain to 
 require proof, that to be saved from error, or sin of the 
 head, heart, or life, simply by doctrine and instruction, it is 
 absolutely necessary that such doctrine and instruction 
 should be heard, believed, and obeyed ; and without, salva- 
 tion by such means is utterly impossible. But it is a fact 
 no less plain, that millions of mankind never heard the doc- 
 trine and teaching of Jesus Christ, and of course could not 
 believe and obey them ; consequently, by this means alone, 
 they were not and could not be saved ; from which it is 
 just as undeniable, that Jesus Christ is not the Savior of all 
 men by his doctrine and instruction, as it is that all men 
 have not heard, believed and obeyed them. 
 
 Fourthly, and the only remaining point. Is Jesus Christ 
 the Savior of all mankind by the force and influence of his 
 
f(! 
 
 CHAP. XII.] UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. 285 
 
 example ? Here the same conclusion must necessarily fol- 
 low as in the case above ; for there can be no salvation by 
 mere example, where such example has never been known 
 or followed; but all the millions of the earth that lived and 
 died previously to the incarnation, and subsequently to the 
 crucifixion and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, never 
 knew, and consequently could not be, and were not saved 
 by the means simply of example ; and the conclusion is 
 perfectly resistless, that Christ is not and cannot be the Sa- 
 vior of the world by the influence of his example. 
 
 No combination of those points that it can make, will re- 
 lieve the difiiculties, or diminish the force of the charge 
 against the system. Universalism is fully aware of this ; 
 and the fact has many alarming illustrations, in the move- 
 ments of those who promulgate and attempt to defend the 
 system. They can make every thing, or nothing, of the 
 character of Jesus Christ as a Savior, just as circumstances 
 and occasion may require ; and we have not yet met with 
 one, who, when pressed hard on the subject, and required 
 to give a specific character and work to Christ as a Savior, 
 has not been thrown into great embarrassment and confusion. 
 The reason is obvious ; the system either directly, or by 
 unavoidable consequences, profanely robs the adorable Re- 
 deemer of every vestige of divinity, merit, and dignity of 
 character that essentially belong to, and absolutely consti- 
 tute the character of a Savior. 
 
 Undisguised infidelity is fully satisfied of this, and con- 
 sequently cherishes a warm fraternal regard for, and evinces 
 a deep interest in, the operations and movements of Univer- 
 salism ; patronizing its periodicals, and rejoicing in its real 
 or supposed success. 
 
 But the system rejects Jesus Christ, by denying to 
 him all the work of a Savior, and leaving him nothing to do 
 in the salvation of man. Salvation necessarily implies loss, 
 suffering, or danger; and the mind can scarcely conceive of 
 
286 UxMVERSALlSM IS INFIDKLITY. [cHAP. XII. 
 
 a greater absurdity than to talk of salvation, where there is 
 neither loss, suffering, or danger. As sin is the sole cause 
 of man needing a Savior, if he is saved by Jesus Christ, 
 that salvation must be either, 1. From the commission or 
 practice of sin; or, 2. From the punishment and conse- 
 quence of sin in this world ; or, 3. From the danger of 
 future and endless punishment in the world to come. 
 
 First; according to the showing of the system, does 
 Christ save men from the danger of future endless punish- 
 ment? Most assuredly not; for to allow that he does, 
 would be an admission that such danger really exists, which 
 Universalism boldly denies — constantly proclaiming that 
 man never was, is not now, and never will be, in any such 
 danger. And, furthermore, this is a theme for constant op- 
 position to " orthodoxy," because the latter warns sinners 
 to " flee the wrath to come," and urges the danger of end- 
 less perdition, as a motive to reformation, faith, obedience, 
 and holiness ; therefore, demonstration itself cannot make 
 it plainer, that Jesus Christ does not, according to Univer- 
 salism, save man from the danger of future endless punish- 
 ment ; consequently, Christ has nothing in the universe to 
 do as a Savior at this point. 
 
 But, secondly, does Jesus Christ save man from the 
 punishment of sin in this world ? This, Universalism ex- 
 ultingly denies ; and charges " orthodoxy " with the horri- 
 ble offense of informing man, if he will repent and believe 
 in the Lord Jesus Christ, he shall be saved — pardoned, and 
 the punishment due to his sins be averted, and he be justi- 
 fied freely, and saved from all the punishment that sins 
 unrepented of exposed him to. Universalism also main- 
 tains, "as the moral power" of the system, that every man 
 shall, infallibly, and beyond all power of escape, be pun- 
 ished in this world in exact proportion to the number, char- 
 acter, and aggravation of all his sins ; consequently, it fol- 
 lows with an absolute certainty that excludes all doubt, that 
 
CHAP. XII.] UNI VERBALISM IS INFIDELITY. 287 
 
 Christ cannot possibly save man from the punishment of 
 sin in this world, as the punishment for, and pardon of sin 
 at the same time, is preposterous — a flat contradiction. 
 Bold as the paradox is, however, Universalism attempts to 
 keep up appearances by maintaining it. The anxiety of 
 some may be excited to know how this is done. Well, 
 while it maintains the position above, that God punishes all 
 SIN in this world, it contends that he at the same time par- 
 dons the SINNER. As its friends attach great importance to 
 this subtilty of the system, we will expose it a little more 
 at large. 
 
 The system here slily assumes that sin, in the abstract, 
 is the subject o^ punishment ; while the fact is, it has but 
 a relative existence, and can only be punished in the per- 
 son, and by the pains or sufferings of the perpetrator. 
 
 Again ; it contradicts the language of the Holy Scriptures 
 on the subject, which, throughout, speak of the pardon of 
 sin by remitting the punishment; a few examples of which 
 we will here give. " Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity 
 of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, 
 and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even 
 until now. And the Lord said, I have pardoned according 
 to thy word," Num. xiv, 19, 20. "I acknowledge my sin 
 unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will 
 confess my transgressions unto the Lord ; and thou forgavest 
 the iniquity of my sin,'- Psalm xxxii, 5. " But he, being 
 full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed 
 them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and 
 did not stir up all his Avrath,'" Psalm Ixxviii, 38. "For 
 thou. Lord, art good, and ready to forgive ; and plenteous 
 in mercy unto all them that call upon thee," Psalm Ixxxvi, 
 5. " And Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of 
 the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven 
 thee," Matt, ix, 2. " Then said Jesus, Father, forgive 
 them ; for they know not what thev do," TiUke xxiii, 34. 
 
288 UNIVERSALIS^ IS INFIDELITY. [cHAP. XII. 
 
 " And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving 
 one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven 
 you," Eph. iv, 32. "Even as Christ forgave you, so also 
 do ye," Col. iii, 18. "And the Lord shall raise him up; 
 and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him," 
 James v, 15. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and 
 just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all un- 
 righteousness," 1 John i, 9. 
 
 To present all the proof at command on this point, would 
 be to transcribe much of the Holy Scriptures ; but what 
 we have given must satisfy any candid mind, that the par- 
 don and forgiveness of sins is not merely nominal, but real, 
 and consists in the " turning away the anger," and " not 
 stirring up all the wrath" of God against the sinners in 
 "destroying," that is, punishing them for their iniquities, 
 if they "acknowledge," "call upon," and "confess their 
 transgressions and sins" to him, with true penitence, faith, 
 and reformation. 
 
 Till these Scriptures, and all of a similar character, can 
 be converted into exquisite nonsense, and God be made 
 the author of consummate confusion and contradiction, 
 the idea of pardoning the sinner, and at the same time, 
 punishing him to the full extent for all his sins, must be 
 preposterous in the extreme ; and the system that maintains 
 it an object of contempt, with all the candid and intelligent 
 part of community. But let us look at this subject in the 
 light of illustration. Sin is hinted at in the Scriptures in 
 the character of debt. Then let us suppose a case, and 
 many such there are, of the man who, by his folly, misfor- 
 tune, or both, has become deeply involved, and owes his 
 neighbor ten thousand dollars. The claim is urged under 
 the sanction, and by the authority of ]aw ; the unfortunate 
 delinquent, in deep humility and distress, implores for in- 
 dulgence — but all in vain. The rigors and vigilance of the 
 law are not mitigated a single fraction; the first particle of 
 
CHAP. XII.] UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. 289 
 
 grace or mercy is not found in the whole process, till the 
 law has wrung- from the sufferer the last cent. And now, 
 when the relentless claimant has received the entire amount, 
 he turns, in great clemency, to the suffering victim of the 
 law, and gravely announces to him that he graciously for- 
 gives the whole debt! Is the sufferer astonished? He 
 surely is ; but not at the clemency or grace of the creditor, 
 but at his aggravated cruelty and consummate hypocrisy, 
 in claiming a gracious character, and announcing a pardon, 
 when he has exacted the very last cent. 
 
 Again ; suppose the guilty offender arraigned in the tem- 
 ple of justice, on his trial for the violation of the civil sys- 
 tem ; and as a punishment for his offense, is adjudged to 
 ten years' confinement at hard labor in the State Prison. 
 He reflects, feels, and is humbled, and gives every proof 
 of true penitency and thorough reformation ; and that if 
 pardoned, the punishment for past offenses remitted, he 
 \vould not be a troublesome and dangerous, but peaceable 
 and useful member of society. He, together with benevo= 
 lent friends, implores executive clemency ; but the execu- 
 tive sternly closes his ears against, and turns away from all 
 entreaties in his behalf. But when the law has spent its 
 entire force upon, and exacted the last particle of claim 
 against the unfortunate sufferer ; and when he has a right, 
 on the principles of immutable justice, to demand his en- 
 largement and restoration to liberty, and to detain him an 
 hour would be a gross violation of justice, the heretofore 
 relentless executive now, in a matchless exhibition of mercy, 
 graciously informs the sufferer that he grants him a free 
 pardon ! would not even the broken spirit of a convict 
 receive it as a most aggravated and unpardonable insult ? 
 And would not an intelligent community inscribe infamy 
 upon such an executive, and pronounce such an administra- 
 tion as destitute of grace and mercy as if such virtues had 
 no existence in the universe 1 
 25 
 
290 UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. [cHAP. XII. 
 
 But by just so far as the administration of God is more 
 sacred than that of man, and offenses against him of more 
 magnitude than against human institutions, by just so much 
 does Universalism, by resistless consequences, attribute 
 this character and administration to the Almighty. And we 
 now leave the reader, either to renounce the Bible to become 
 a Universalist, or to renounce Universalism to revere and 
 obey the Bible ; and we take the system at its own word, 
 that God never will pardon the sinner in the sense of avert- 
 ing the punishment, in part or in whole, but will absolutely 
 punish, to the full extent, for all the sins committed. And 
 then, the shining of the noon-day sun is not more clear, 
 than the fact that Christ does not, yea more, cannot, save 
 man from the punishment of sin in this world. 
 
 The next and only inquiry on this feature of the case, is, 
 thirdly, does Jesus Christ save all men from the commis- 
 sion and practice of sin ? Our only embarrassment here 
 is, the weight of evidence to the contrary ; for we have 
 only to appeal to facts for proof that is overwhelming, even 
 the world spread out before us, " lying in the wicked one ;" 
 including every grade and character of sin and sinners, from 
 among which are hourly going into eternity in utter impen- 
 itence, those who have lived in the deepest depravity, and 
 die in the utmost degradation and infamy of sin. Univer- 
 salism may well turn pale at the picture, while it is com- 
 pelled to confess that Jesus Christ does not save all men 
 from the practice and love of sin in this world. But the 
 system is always anxious to waive particulars with re- 
 gard to the character and work of the Lord Jesus Christ 
 as a Savior, and seeks to satisfy itself and the public with 
 general views. Well, we will indulge it in this its great 
 extremity, and inquire. Is not Jesus Christ after all, some 
 how or other, the Savior of all men by his death? This, 
 on Universalist principles, and in the light of facts, is utterly 
 impossible ; for, according to the showing of the system 
 
CHAP. XII.] UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. 291 
 
 itself, the death of Christ could not save man from the dan- 
 ger of future endless punishment, for no such danger ever 
 existed. He could not possibly save them by his death 
 from the punishment of sin in this world without totally de- 
 stroying the system ; for this is the vital principle, the 
 *' glorious moral power" of Universalism ; and to save man 
 by any means, either in this or the next world, from the 
 punishment of sin, would utterly destroy its " moral pow- 
 er," and leave it, morally, a lifeless corpse ; not only not a 
 Christian system, but wholly destitute of " moral" princi- 
 ple and " moral power! " And incontrovertible facts show, 
 that Christ, by his death, does not save all men from the 
 love and practice of sin in this world. It follows, there- 
 fore, beyond all successful contradiction, that the death of 
 Christ, on the principles of the system, not only does not 
 save man, but is, to all intents and purposes, perfectly use- 
 less to the whole world. But is not Jesus Christ, some- 
 how or other, a Universalist Savior by his resurrection? 
 The entire impossibility of this has been fully shown in 
 another place, to which reference may be had. It will there 
 be seen, among other facts in the case, that Jesus Christ, as 
 a mere resurrectionist Savior, the only real use, after alU 
 that Universalism can attempt to make of him, is really 
 ruinous to the whole scheme ; for if he raises the dead, he 
 will for ever destroy the system, by remitting the penalty 
 of the law, and saving man from the consequence, that is, 
 the punishment of sin, and thereby annihilate this precious 
 *' moral power" of the system, and with it the system 
 itself. And if this is saved, Christ can never raise the 
 dead, and of course his resurrection is useless to the world. 
 But, finally, does not Jesus Christ save the world by his 
 mediation on hi^^h ? This is more hopeless, if possible, 
 than any other feature of the case; for Universalism has 
 long since displaced the Lord Jesus Christ from his media- 
 torial throne and reign, and forced him into a premature 
 
292 UNIVERSALIS.!! IS INFIDELITY. [cHAP. XII. 
 
 judgment of the world, to avoid the fatal consequences of a 
 future general judgment and retribution after death. But if 
 the system were to indulge him with a place on the throne 
 of mediation, it would be wholly unavailing ; for he would 
 have nothing to do to prevent future punishment from fall- 
 ing upon man ; and it would be perfectly vain and useless 
 for him to intercede for the remission of the punishment of 
 those who have sinned, for God will inflict that to the full 
 amount. It is, therefore, clear to a demonstration, that tlie 
 mediation of Jesus Christ, according to the principles of 
 the system, if it would even allow him a place on the throne, 
 would be a perfect farce as preposterous as Universalism 
 malies it vain and useless. 
 
 AVe now see, in the light of facts as incontrovertible as 
 that men live in sin and die unreformed, that the system of 
 Universalism effectually rejects the Lord Jesus Christ as 
 the Savior of mankind. With his character as a Savior — 
 with his doctrine and example — with his life, death, and 
 resurrection — with his merits and mediation- — and with his 
 works — it has nothing to do. Christ does not save from the 
 love and practice of sin, and he cannot save from its guilt 
 and punishment in this world ; and man is in no danger of 
 punishment after death. So that, after all its pretended 
 boast of Jesus Christ as a universal Savior, Universalism, 
 like the Inn of Bethlehem in Judea, has no place for Je- 
 sus, either on earth or in heaven ; no, not even so much as 
 a manger of straw for the glorious Redeemer — God mani- 
 fest in the flesh. 
 
 II. In furtlier proof of the infidelity of the system, it, by 
 inevitable consequences, rejects the Holy Ghost as the only 
 Divine agent of man's sanctification and thorough prepara- 
 tion for heaven and glory. 
 
 The proofs of this is found in the fact that it has no dis- 
 tinct views of liis character, and makes the Holy Spirit 
 real or ideal, intelligent or unintelligent — in a word, any 
 
CHAP. XII. 1 UXIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. 293 
 
 thing or nothing, as may best suit its convenience for the 
 time being. But in all its speculations on the subject, it is 
 uniform in either directly or indirectly rejecting the abso- 
 lute divinity of the Holy Spirit, and thereby denying him 
 that character of wisdom and power, so essentially neces- 
 sary to effect the great work implied in the entire sanctifica- 
 tion of our nature — the regeneration of the heart, the total 
 eradication of that deep, hereditary depravity of our nature, 
 and the assimulation of our intellectual and moral character 
 to the likeness and image of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 And, furthermore, it makes this real work of the Divine 
 Spirit on the human heart a subject of contemptuous trifling 
 and merriment, as the grossest fanaticism, superstition, and 
 ignorance. But should the system even allow the infinite 
 divinity of the Holy Spirit, as taught and maintained in the 
 Holy Scriptures, it could not thereby escape the force of 
 this charge ; for, as has been shown, it maintains that 
 man must meet and sustain all the claims of the law of 
 God, and all the consequences of his own sins, by personal 
 suflering, punishment, or obedience in this life. From 
 which the conclusion is inevitable, that when man, by his 
 own personal punishment as the consequence of his sins, 
 has met the whole Divine claim upon him, he must stand 
 acquitted before the throne ; and there can be no obstacle in 
 the way when he leaves this world, to prevent him entering 
 heaven perfectly independent of the sanctification of the 
 Holy Ghost. And there is no way by which to escape 
 this charge of rejecting the Holy Spirit, but by giving up 
 the "moral power" of the system, and allowing that man 
 does not meet all the consequences of sin in his own per- 
 sonal punishment, but that they are removed by the Divine 
 operation and agency of the Holy Spirit. This is certain 
 death to the system. 
 
 in. The infidelity of the system is further proved, by 
 its virtually rejecting the Holy Scriptures as a rule of faith 
 25^ 
 
294 UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. [cHAP. XII. 
 
 and practice ; so far, at least, as man's final salvation in 
 heaven is concerned. 
 
 It has been clearly seen, that the system, in order to 
 maintain positions and principles, without which it would 
 have no existence, has inevitably to reject Christ as a Sa- 
 vior, the Holy Spirit as the agent and author of our sancti- 
 fication, and the pardoning mercy and grace of God in avert- 
 ing and turning away from the penitent believer the punish- 
 ment and perdition to which his past sins had exposed him. 
 
 In this it places Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the 
 grace of God, entirely beyond the reach of sinful man, and 
 throws him on his own resources for salvation — to suffer in 
 his own person to the full extent of the Divine claims for 
 all his past sins, and to render obedience in the future, to 
 prevent further punishment in this life ; thereby totally de- 
 nying him any salvation, and in effect denying all salvation 
 by grace through faith in the merits and mediation of Jesus 
 Christ. But as these are fundamental doctrines of the 
 Holy Scriptures, including and implying the whole scheme 
 of God's mercy to man, and man's obligations and duty to 
 God ; to reject them, is virtually a rejection of the sacred 
 Scriptures as man's only sure guide to duty and heaven. 
 And it must not be forgotten, that in this virtual rejection 
 of the Holy Scriptures, it thereby rejects the whole system 
 of Christianity, with its ordinances and institutions. 
 
 This charge does not rest alone upon fair and legitimate 
 inferences and conclusions, but we introduce one of its dis- 
 tinguished teachers, Mr. J. Kid well, as a witness, (and if 
 we had room, more of the same character might be brought 
 up,) who has embodied the very spirit of Universalism on 
 the subject into living language, and proclaimed it to the 
 world. After referring to "orthodoxy," which he says, 
 " may justly be called the leaven of falsehood, malice, and 
 hypocrisy," supported hy ^' ignorance and supers f if ion, ^^ 
 and that it " dishonors tlie Father of mercies," is " destruc- 
 
CHAP. XII. J UNIVEKSALISM IS INFIDELITY. 296 
 
 live" to "society, in producing infidelity, and a general 
 disregard for the practice of true piety and devotion ;" he 
 proceeds, addressing his brethren, " Do you not see that 
 mighty mammoth of superstition, error, and delusion, which 
 is now growing up in the fertile soil of liberty ! a soil en- 
 riched by the precious blood of our forefathers ? Reflect 
 for a moment that this monster of iniquity, (we mean ortho- 
 dox influence,) is destined (unless speedily checked) to 
 swallow up our unborn posterity in the vortex of gloomy 
 and horrid delusion — reduce our happy, enlightened land 
 of liberty and science, to a dejected population of enthu- 
 siastic fanatics, governed by a miserable banditti of aspiring, 
 ambitious, and avaricious priests!" In exhorting Univer- 
 salists to the work of exterminating "orthodoxy" from the 
 earth, he says, " Once more we call upon the friends of 
 religious and civil freedom, to come forth. Shall we sit 
 still while these enemies of equal rights are preparing to 
 blow the castle of liberty? No, no ! let us attack them in 
 their intrenchments, and batter down the walls of supersti- 
 tion before their recruits are marched into the field. Yes, 
 yes ! once more we say, burst your pitchers — let your light 
 shine— ^{d.ni\ forth in the cause of truth, and cry, ' The 
 sword of the Lord and of Gideon.^ " Philomath Ency- 
 clopedia, No. 4, December, 1840. 
 
 In a notice on the cover of this number, Mr. Kidwell 
 says, " In this volume, we shall show by an analytical 
 review of the Pentateuch, (the five books of Moses,) its 
 chronological inaccuracies, and its utter repugnancy to the 
 well known history of other nations, in regard to many im- 
 portant facts : for instance, we shall show from the acknowl- 
 edged history of the Egyptians, that the children of Israel, 
 instead of being delivered from their Egyptian bondage by 
 supernatural agency, obtained their freedom by the force of 
 arms." 
 
 Surely, then, Moses must have been a grand impostor, 
 
296 UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. [cHAP. XII. 
 
 far exceeding Mohammed, and all others that have ever 
 cursed the world ; and how exquisitely must infidelity feel 
 the strength of its obligations to Universalism, and to Mr. 
 Kidwell in particular, for making the discovery ! Fairly 
 represented by this bold abettor of the system, its " speech," 
 like fallen Peter's, " betrayeth " it; for who that is acquaint- 
 ed with the facts, cannot trace its paternity to the infidelity 
 and atheism of France ? which, under the name of reason, 
 the love of liberty, and hatred of superstition, abolished 
 the Sabbath, banished the Bible and religion from the realm, 
 and aimed to exterminate them from the earth ; broke down 
 the altars of God, polluted his temples, and finally, drench- 
 ed the thirsty earth with the blood of its own deluded vic- 
 tims ! But we have not given this quotation with the inten- 
 tion of commenting thereon, but only as corroborative proof 
 that Universalism does, either directly or indirectly, reject 
 the Holy Scriptures, as too "inaccurate" to be relied on in 
 " many important facts." And we have only to look into 
 Universalist periodicals, to see that a universal war of ex- 
 termination is declared against " orthodoxy." 
 
 But what is this so much hated "orthodoxy" in these 
 United States, the portion of the world for whose special 
 benefit Mr. Kidwell has written, and for which Universal- 
 ism is laboring with so much interest and zeal ? It is noth- 
 ing more nor less than our beloved Protestant Christianity, 
 which, to the exclusion of superstitious and blind tradition, 
 proud and vain philosophy, and ambitious, bigoted reason, 
 takes the Holy Scriptures as the only rule of faith and prac- 
 tice ; and maintains the infinite character and unity of God, 
 the Father, Word, or Son, and Holy Ghost, as existing in 
 the one infinite and eternal Godhead, the Creator, Governor, 
 and Preserver of all things ; the universal, hereditary de- 
 pravity of man ; the unoriginated, infinite divinity of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ; his incarnation; the redemption of man 
 by the real merits of thn snfirrings and death of his human 
 
CHAP. XII.] UNIVEUSALI&M IS INFIDELITY. 297 
 
 nature, sustained therein by liis infinite divinity ; salvation 
 by grace, through faith in the merits and mediation of Jesus 
 Christ; the divinity of the Holy Spirit; the regeneration 
 and entire sanctification of the penitent believer by his spe- 
 cial, Divine power and agency ; holiness of heart and life ; 
 supreme love to God and man here, in order to enjoy hap- 
 piness in heaven hereafter ; the resurrection of the dead ; a 
 future general judgment and retribution ; as fundamental 
 doctrines of the Holy Scriptures. And, as divinely author- 
 ized institutions, for the accomplishment of the great end 
 of "orthodoxy," are, the holy Sabbath, a Gospel ministry, 
 baptism, and the holy sacrament; individual private devo- 
 tion and prayer ; domestic or family, and public worship ; 
 the universal circulation of the Scriptures, and the establish- 
 ment of Gospel and Christian institutions among all men 
 on earth. This is "orthodoxy," and which is denounced 
 by Universalism, and which must be "speedily checked," 
 and, indeed, driven from the world. If this is not a virtual 
 rejection of the Holy Scriptures, then, verily, language has 
 no meaning, and premises afford no possible ground for 
 conclusions and consequences. 
 
 IV. Its infidelity is further evinced, by removing all the 
 motives and restraints from the conscience, heart, and ac- 
 tions of man, drawn from eternity, and with which the 
 Bible abounds. 
 
 It has been clearly shown that Universalism has to con- 
 fine all suffering, condemnation and death, to this world, 
 and blots out, at a stroke, all apprehensions of danger in 
 the future, and, consequently, leaves corrupt man undeter- 
 red, unrestrained, and perfectly free to choose between the 
 entire gratification of all his lusts, pride, ambition, revenge, 
 and every other unholy propensity and passion of his fallen 
 nature ; and to compass his objects by falsehood, perjury, 
 slander, oppression, and every species of Jesuitical hypo- 
 crisy, and even murder itself; and the punishments of con* 
 
298 UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. [CHAP XII. 
 
 science, which may soon become seared as with a hot iron, 
 and cease to accuse the offender at all, or the punishments 
 of human institutions ; always assuring the guilty offender, 
 that if he should even lose his life in the commission of 
 crime, he will only thereby gain heaven so much the sooner. 
 This cannot fail to strip a civil oath or obligation, which 
 derives its force and authority, principally, from the respon- 
 sibilities of eternity, of all its solemnity and sanctity, par- 
 alyze the whole moral sense in man, and circumscribe all 
 motives of action to the narrow sphere of this world, and 
 the brief space of human life ; as nothing he can believe or 
 reject, do or omit, can possibly affect his final holiness and 
 happiness in eternity. 
 
 Let these atheistical principles and dogmas become uni- 
 versally prevalent, and who will care for the sanctity of the 
 Sabbath ? for the Bible, religion, or religious institutions ; 
 for civil obligations or institutions; for man or his Maker? 
 Universal anarchy would be turned loose in all its horror, 
 to rid the world of such a race. And we have seen that 
 Universalism is rallying to the contest for the extermination 
 of the former, under the name of " orthodoxy ;" and as 
 the stability of the latter depends on the moral principles 
 of community in general, and those who administer them 
 in particular ; and as these moral principles cannot exist, if 
 the motives drawn from eternity are annihilated, they must 
 be endangered with the spread of Universalism, which de- 
 stroys those motives, and expire with its triumph ; and the 
 revolutionary infidelity of France, (a disgrace to our spe- 
 cies,) consign to one common sepulchre the Christianity 
 and liberties of Christian America. 
 
 V. To remove all doubt from the mind that these are 
 legitimate and inevitable consequences, we will demonstrate 
 the infidelity of the system with a clearness that may defy all 
 evasion. 
 
 That system wliich promises man an eternal exemp- 
 
CHAP. XII.] UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. 299 
 
 lion from all danger of suffering or punishment in the future 
 world, and assures him of an unconditional and infallible ad- 
 mission into eternal happiness in heaven, although he should 
 live and die in the total rejection and blasphemy of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind; the utter re- 
 jection of the divinity and sanctifying influences of the 
 Holy Ghost ; the absolute rejection of the Holy Scrip- 
 tures as a rule of faith and practice ; the profane rejection 
 of all religion and religious institutions, all moral purity and 
 virtue, all authority both human and Divine ; is necessarily 
 and absolutely, in its logical and moral consequences, as 
 directly opposed to the whole scheme of Christianity as re- 
 vealed in the Bible, as open and undisguised infidelity itself. 
 
 But Universalism promises man an eternal exemption 
 from all danger of suffering or punishment in the future 
 world, and assures him an unconditional and infallible ad- 
 mission into heaven and eternal happiness after death, 
 although he should live and die in the most bold and blas- 
 phemous rejection of the entire nature and character of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of men ; the utter rejection 
 of the divinity and sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit ; 
 the absolute rejection of the Holy Scriptures as a rule of faith 
 and practice; the profane rejection of all religion and re- 
 ligious institutions, all moral purity and virtue, all authority 
 both human and divine ; therefore, Universalism, in its log- 
 ical and moral consequences, is as directly and absolutely 
 opposed to the whole scheme of Christianity as it is re- 
 vealed in the Bible, as open and undisguised infidelity itself. 
 
 If the correctness of these propositions can be clearly 
 sustained, the conclusion must be resistless, and all the or- 
 ganized subtilty of the system cannot save it from the con- 
 sequences. 
 
 Of the truth of the first position we apprehend there 
 cannot be a doubt in the mind of any who have given the 
 least attention to the subject. And, indeed, is it not too 
 
300 UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. [ciIAP. XII. 
 
 plain either to require or admit of proof? If, therefore, 
 there is any question, it must be raised on the second mem- 
 ber of the statement with regard to the real character of 
 Universalism ; and if this be sustained, the consequences, 
 however revolting to all true piety, and utterly ruinous to 
 the system, must follow with all their deadly force against 
 the whole scheme of Universalism. 
 
 To arrive at this by the most easy and short method, and 
 to render it clear, and, doubtless, unanswerable, we put a few 
 plain and direct inquiries, and require of the system direct 
 answers ; which it is bound in all moral honesty and justice 
 to give, without equivocation or evasion. 
 
 1. Does the most bold and wicked rejection of the entire 
 character of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of men 
 persisted in through life, and blasphemously reiterated and 
 adhered to in death, expose the infidel offender to future 
 and endless punishment, or at all endanger his eternal holi- 
 ness and happiness in heaven after death ? Surely no hon- 
 est man, or honest system, would seek for a moment to 
 evade this question. And yet some Universalists, and Uni- 
 versalism, writhe under it almost as in the agonies of death ; 
 several instances of which we have witnessed, but forbear 
 to name them here. Nevertheless, to this point they must 
 come, however reluctant. 
 
 Should the system answer in the affirmative, it gives up 
 the whole struggle for existence, and admits that the willful 
 and wicked rejection of Jesus Christ as the Savior of man- 
 kind persevered in till and in death, will close heaven 
 against, and expose the offender to endless and hopeless 
 perdition. Such an answer — such an admission — must 
 prove the endless ruin of Universalism, without the possi- 
 bility of its salvation, or the power of its escape. 
 
 And to answer this interrogatory in the negative, is a full 
 admission of the practical infidelity of the system ; and it 
 thereby says to all the infidels in the land — in the world — 
 
CHAP. XII.] UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. 301 
 
 it would be well for you to become Universalists ; you would 
 thereby be made exceedingly happy in believing in the final, 
 unconditional salvation of all men after death; you would 
 also escape the punishment of sin hereafter in this world, if 
 your faith should happen to reform you ; which, however, 
 rarely ever occurs, and there is scarcely a shade of proba- 
 bility that it would in your case. But, after all, should you 
 prefer living and dying an unholy rejecter of Jesus Christ 
 as the Savior, heaven is to you just as unconditionally sure 
 as if you now wore its honors, were crowned with its glo- 
 ries, and sweetly overwhelmed with its holy and happy 
 delights ! 
 
 What better company, or more delightful brotherhood, 
 could the boldest infidelity, with all its malignity of spirit, 
 and deadly hostility to the whole system of Christianity, 
 desire, than it finds in Universalism ? Surely none. 
 
 2. Does the rejection of the divinity and sanctifying in- 
 fluences of the Holy Spirit — yea, more, the most aggrava- 
 ted blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, in life and in death, 
 expose the daring perpetrator of the ofll'ense to punishment 
 in the future world, or prevent his eternal happiness in 
 heaven after death ? 
 
 Here, also, an affirmative answer must for ever ruin the 
 whole system ; and to protract its life if possible, there is 
 no alternative but to reply in the negative ; and in this the 
 system fully indorses the charge of its own infidelity ; and 
 says to such oflfenders, in direct contradiction of Jesus 
 Christ, all your rejection of and blasphemy against the Holy 
 Ghost, though you live in the practice and die in the con- 
 summation of the crime, can neither expose you to suff'er- 
 ing and punishment, or keep you out of heaven after you 
 leave this world. 
 
 Could the opposer of the Holy Spirit desire stronger en- 
 couragement, or better company in his work of rebellion 
 against the Spirit of all grace, than he finds in Universalism ? 
 26 
 
302 UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. [cHAP. XII. 
 
 3. Does the absolute rejection, and practical disregard in 
 life and death, of the Holy Scriptures, as the rule of faith 
 and practice, subject the offender to punishment in the future 
 life, or endanger his eternal happiness in heaven after death ? 
 To this inquiry the system can give but one answer, in 
 which it must say to all who utterly reject, and openly pro- 
 fane and contemn the word of God, that whatever advanta- 
 ges they might derive from a reverent belief in, and humble 
 obedience to the sacred Scriptures, they are, nevertheless, 
 as unconditionally exempt from punishment after death, and 
 as absolutely sure of the endless happiness of heaven, in 
 the total rejection of the Bible, as if they now rejoiced with 
 the sanctified millions on high. What greater encourage- 
 ment do the most impious want, who disbelieve the word 
 of God, and make it matter of profane trifling, than they 
 find in Universalism ? Again, 
 
 4. Does the utter rejection of the Christian religion, and 
 all religious institutions, ordinances, and sacraments, all 
 moral purity, all authority human and divine, proudly per- 
 sisted in through life, and presumptuously adhered to in 
 death, endanger the bold offender's happiness in heaven, or 
 subject him to punishment and perdition in the coming 
 world after death ? Here, too, the system cannot give an 
 affirmative answer only at the peril of its own existence. 
 To say that it does, to the inquiry, would be, emphatically, 
 to perpetrate suicide in an instant! And to avoid this ca- 
 lamity it has no choice, and must announce to the world, 
 that though men reject the Christian religion entirely, with 
 all morality and virtue, all the institutions of God and man, 
 and from the malevolence of their heart maintain the most 
 relentless opposition to the peace of man, and the will of 
 God, which hostility only ceases in this world when they 
 expire in death ; they are, nevertheless, not only exempt 
 from all possibility of punishment after death, but are un- 
 conditionally sure of "an eternal weight of glory" in 
 
CHAP. XII.] UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. 303 
 
 heaven. Is it any marvel, then, that deep sympathies and 
 warm fraternal regards should so steadily exist between infi- 
 delity and Universalism ? But, finally, 
 
 5. Is it possible for men, in the full exercise of all their 
 powers and means, employed through life and till death 
 closes the scene, to commit crime sufficient, by rejecting 
 the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Scrip- 
 tures, the Christian religion, all religious institutions, all 
 morality and virtue, and in all the profanity and presump- 
 tion of atheism, rejecting even the existence of God, to 
 subject them to misery and punishment in the future world, 
 or for a moment to peril their endless glory in heaven after 
 death ? In this view also it is perfectly clear, the system 
 has no alternative ; for should it concede that any, or all 
 these sins against God and man, would exclude the offen- 
 ders from heaven and consign them to the prison of the 
 second death, the concession must inevitably be the endless 
 perdition of Universalism. And, painful as it may be to 
 the friends of the system to see its revolting moral deprav- 
 ity and deformity thus brought to light and exposed, we 
 have a right, the world has a right, to ask and expect — yea, 
 still more, to demand a direct answer to these solemn inter- 
 rogatories. 
 
 But to the point it must come, and when brought to the 
 bar, it must convict itself out of its own mouth of practical 
 infidelity, if not atheism also, by proclaiming to the world 
 that no crimes that men can commit, can expose them to 
 punishment, or prevent their endless happiness and glory 
 in heaven after death. Is it, then, a matter of so great aston- 
 ishment, that there should be found men so bold in blasphe- 
 my as to set God at defiance in the face of his own altars, 
 while Universalism assures them that such a course will as 
 infallibly result in their eternal glory in heaven, as the most 
 zealous and devoted pietv ? 
 
 In closing this investigation, we will give a case which 
 
304 UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. [ciIAP. XII. 
 
 will clearly illustrate this point, and the reply of Uriiver- 
 salism will fully settle the question. 
 
 When depraved and proud reason, prompted by a vain 
 and false philosophy, had usurped all authority, and com- 
 menced the merciless and deadly war of extermination 
 against the whole Christian system in France, and in the 
 world — '« and when, by death and banishment of the cler- 
 gy, but few traces of Christianity could be found in the 
 reprobate metropolis of the atheistical republic — one of the 
 Churches was converted into a heathen temple, and the rest 
 were used as places of public festivity and amusement. 
 To these places the abandoned citizens of Paris thronged 
 in multitudes ; but not, as formerly, professionally to wor- 
 ship their Maker, but to hear his holy name blasphemed, 
 his existence denied, and his eternal Son derided and ridi- 
 culed as an impostor." In connection with this outrage 
 against God and religion, "an oath was taken by all the 
 members of the National Assembly, that every exertion 
 should be used to purge the earth of royalty ; and it was 
 decreed, that the convention should be, what they were 
 pleased to term, A committee of Insurrection as^ainst all 
 the kings in the universe. Claiming a diabolical pre-emi- 
 nence above mere private assassins, they openly and syste- 
 matically proposed to institute a band of patriots, who, 
 either by sword, pistol, or poison, should attempt to murder 
 the sovereigns of all nations. * * * During the pro- 
 gress of this Revolution, a comedian, dressed as a priest of 
 the Illuminati, publicly appeared, personally attacking Al- 
 mighty God, in these memorable words : No ! thou dost 
 not exist. If thou hast power over the thunder-bolts, 
 grasp them,, aim them, at the man who dares set thee at 
 defiance in the face of thine altars. But no ; I blaspheme 
 thee, and I still live ; no, thou dost not exist. ^^ Appen- 
 dix to Coke's Comm. on the Revelation, p. 36. 
 
 Of the infidelity and atheism of these times, and the tens 
 
CHAP. XII.] UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. 
 
 of thousands that were, either with their own, or the hands 
 of others, hurried instantly into eternity, covered and pol- 
 luted with all their bold, bloody, and blasphemous atheism 
 against God, and his holy religion, there can be no doubt. 
 Now, suppose Universalism an auditor when the above 
 blasphemous, atheistical "attack" is made upon "Almigh- 
 ty God," and the following interview occurs: 
 
 Universalism. " What are your hopes and prospects, 
 and those of your associates in the atheistical work of 
 slaughter and death, after you leave this world — this state 
 of being?" 
 
 Atheist. *' Our hopes and prospects ! Why, look at the 
 inscriptions at our burying places, and on the walls of our 
 theatres, and places of amusement, ' Death is an eternal 
 sleep /' this terminates all our hopes and prospects of the 
 future, and wraps all our race in eternal shades, silence, 
 and unconsciousness !" 
 
 Universalism. " No, sir, you are infinitely mistaken ; 
 but your error is perfectly harmless as it regards your future 
 and eternal destiny. You may, indeed, meditate, and as 
 far as it is possible, consummate the merciless slaughter of 
 all the kings of the earth, with all other civil rulers ; you 
 may tear up human society and government from their foun- 
 dations, and turn anarchy loose, to drive in lawless cruelty 
 over a prostrate world ; you may, indeed, martyr the min- 
 isters of religion, and cruelly murder the saints of the Most 
 High ; you may break down the altars of Christianity, and 
 turn the sanctuaries of God into ' heathen temples ' and 
 theatres, and pollute them with all possible licentiousness 
 and crime ; you may ' deride and ridicule ' the Son of God 
 as a base ' impostor ;' you may then even attack the throne 
 of God, blaspheme and deny his existence, and set Jehovah 
 at defiance in the face of his own altars ; and thus, weary 
 of the work of blasphemy and death, you may turn your 
 diabolical phrenzy upon your own person, and consummate 
 26* 
 
306 UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. [CHAP. XII. 
 
 your career of atheism in aggravated suicide. And then, 
 instead of * death being an eternal sleep,' you will live, not 
 in suffering or punishment — for there is no punishment in 
 the future, it is all confined to this world — you will live 
 instantly in heaven with the singing millions in God's eter- 
 nal sanctuary on high. And now, although no one man has 
 meditated or committed all those crimes against God and 
 man, yet they have all been meditated, and, as far as men 
 had the power, the attempt has been made to accomplish 
 the dreadful work ; and men have died in the attempt, 
 with hearts filled with malignity and revenge against both 
 God and man, and witli hands bathed in innocent blood." 
 
 Now, with reference to all such, and all others of lower 
 grades of offenders living and dying in crime, we ask Uni- 
 versalism, and demand a direct answer. Are they received 
 to heaven and eternal happiness, or are they lost in an end- 
 less and hopeless hell ? 
 
 If it answers the latter, then it convicts itself of unmin- 
 gled falsehood and corruption — gives up the agonizing strug- 
 gle for life, and, without the power or possibility of es- 
 cape, dies a death of infamy. 
 
 But if the former should be its answer, then the argu- 
 ment in proof of its deep and corrupt infidelity is com- 
 plete — is conceded by the system itself: that Universalism 
 promises man an eternal exemption from all danger of suf- 
 fering or punishment in the future world, and assures him 
 an unconditional and infallible admission into heaven and 
 eternal happiness after death, although he should live and 
 die in the most bold and blasphemous rejection of the en- 
 tire nature and character of the Lord Jesus Christ as the 
 Savior of men ; the utter rejection of the divinity and sanc- 
 tifying influences of the Holy Spirit; the absolute rejection 
 of the Holy Scriptures as a rule of faith and practice ; the 
 profane rejection of all religion and religious institutions, 
 all moral purity and virtue, all authority both human and 
 
CHAP. XII.] UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. 307 
 
 Divine, and even the being and existence of God ; there- 
 fore, Universalism, in its logical and moral consequences, 
 is as directly and absolutely opposed to the whole scheme 
 of Christianity as revealed in the Bible, as open and undis- 
 guised infidelity itself. 
 
 And if society is infested with such a species of infidel- 
 ity, which has neither magnanimity nor honesty enough to 
 appear in its own proper character, but throws around itself 
 the sanctity of the name and profession of religion and 
 Christianity, to avoid suspicion, and the better to conceal its 
 real character and designs, and is thereby sowing the seeds 
 of infidelity thick and fast in community, and endangering 
 the highest interests of men in this and the eternal world, 
 how can the ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ meet their 
 divine Master in the final judgment, and give an account of 
 their stewardship, if they do not arouse themselves to the 
 work, and arrest the ravages of this deadly moral poison, 
 by exposing at once to public view its deep and malevolent 
 infidelity, concealed under the specious and imposing name 
 of liberal Christianity? 
 
 This is not so difficult a task to perform as some might 
 suppose. The better informed friends of the system know 
 its indefensibleness here ; they see and feel it sensibly ; and 
 there is no point on which they dread an attack more than 
 on that of the development of its infidelity; and when 
 attacked here, its most zealous votaries and able defenders 
 cannot keep its utter deformity and depravity concealed, or 
 prevent its exposure. To this point every lover of truth 
 and honesty should bring it without delay ; and there is a 
 short method by which this may be accomplished ; that is, 
 by urging upon the system, wherever it is found, and de- 
 manding a direct answer to those inquiries proposed. Let 
 every minister of eternal truth demand an answer; let every 
 pious, let every honest man — let the Church, let the world 
 demand a direct answer. Universalism is bound, in all jus- 
 
808 UNIVERSALISM IS INFIDELITY. [cHAP. XII. 
 
 tice and moral honesty, to give a direct answer; and 
 to hesitate, must excite suspicion even in the minds of the 
 incredulous, that the charge of inlidelity against it is sus- 
 tained. To refuse an answer, is to confirm this suspicion ; 
 and to answer, is to open its own sepulchre, as a warn- 
 ing to the world, and inscribe thereon, with its own hand, 
 trembling as in death, the following epitaph : " Univer- 
 
 SALISM, HAVING NO HOPE, AND WITHOUT GOD IN THE 
 
 THE END. 
 
TEXTS 
 
 REFERRED TO, QUOTED, OR EXPLAINED IN THIS WORK. 
 
 GEJfESIS. 
 
 Ch. Ver. Page. 
 
 3 15 46, 58 
 
 6 5 163 
 
 9 1 52 
 
 17 20 — 
 
 39 5 — 
 
 14 19 61 
 
 19 24 151 
 
 21 33 274 
 
 22 18 41, 50 
 28 14 — 
 28 13, 14 79 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 20 3-17 135 
 
 LEVITICUS. 
 
 1144 134 
 
 26 1 137 
 
 NUMBERS. 
 
 14 19, 20 287 
 
 14 30-34 78 
 
 16 33 151 
 
 22 12 51 
 
 23 19 42 
 
 DEUTEKONOMT. 
 
 7 14 
 
 9 29 
 10 14 
 14 1 
 
 32 6 
 
 33 27 
 
 13 24 
 
 51 
 
 62 
 
 61 
 
 169 
 
 274 
 
 52 
 
 II KINGS. 
 
 Ch. Ver. 
 17 10-12 
 
 JOB. 
 
 21 7-9 
 
 PSALMS. 
 
 2 6-8 
 83 12 
 16 5 
 
 22 25-28 
 
 22 28-31 
 
 23 3 
 
 24 3,4 
 24 7-10 
 
 2 6 
 48 18 
 33 12 
 33 5 
 78 38 
 86 5 
 51 10 
 78 8 
 73 3-7 
 
 Pase. 
 137 
 
 210 
 
 61 
 
 195 
 63 
 64 
 164 
 180 
 202 
 
 51 
 
 287 
 
 160 
 160 
 210 
 
 I SAMUEL. 
 
 2 30-32 78, 79 
 
 6 19 
 23 10-13 
 
 II SAMUEL. 
 6 11 
 
 11 15 
 
 12 7-9 
 
 I KINGS. 
 
 8 51 
 
 152 
 
 77 
 
 52 
 230 
 
 62 
 
 PROTERBS. 
 
 1131 15 
 
 13 2 161 
 21 10 — 
 
 14 29 160 
 
 15 13 — 
 
 16 18 _ 
 
 25 28 — 
 16 5 163 
 18 12 _ 
 
 26 23 — 
 21 27 162 
 
 ECCLESIASTES. 
 
 8 11 163 
 
 12 14 245 
 
 ISAIAH. 
 
 1 2-4 169 
 
 1 5, 6 163 
 
 1 19. 20 44 
 
 2 2-4 65 
 
 ISAIAH. 
 
 Ch. Ver. Pa^e. 
 
 25 6-10 66 
 
 25 8 46 
 
 33 22 151 
 
 35 8 20 
 
 40 28 274 
 
 43 13 123 
 45 22-25 69, 134 
 
 53 4 55 
 53 6, 10 89, 145 
 
 12 — 
 
 JEREMIAH. 
 
 5 23 163 
 
 17 9 — 
 
 18 7-10 75 
 
 EZEKIEL. 
 
 1119,20 164 
 
 18 4 161 
 
 37 12, 13 184 
 
 DANIEL. 
 
 2 44 182 
 7 14 _ 
 
 12 8, 9 — 
 
 4 35 123 
 
 5 20 162 
 12 2 181,236 
 
 JONAH. 
 
 3 6-10 75 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 7 7 161 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 2 10 151, 169 
 
 4 2 56 
 
 MATTHEW. 
 
 4 10 30 
 
 5 8 180 
 
 5 11,12 104 
 
 6 19, 20 — 
 5 14 56 
 5 22 257 
 
 7 1 1 146 
 9 2 287 
 
310 
 
 TABLE OF TEXTS. 
 
 MATTHEW. 
 Ch. Ver. Pa^e. 
 10 28 258 
 
 23 33 — 
 12 34-45 196 
 12 36, 37 245 
 
 15 19 163 
 
 16 28 195 
 
 24 34 — 
 
 18 8 276 
 
 19 14 86 
 
 22 29, 30 165 
 
 23 37 128 
 
 24 30, 31 198, 235 
 
 25 31 234 
 25 32 238 
 25 34-41-46 246 
 
 270, 275, 276 
 28 18-20 58, 62 
 
 MARK. 
 
 3 29 276 
 3 35 123 
 
 8 38 196, 234 
 
 9 1-13-30 195 
 9 43, 44-48 258 
 
 270 
 12 24, 25 165 
 
 16 15, 16 58, 113 
 
 XTJKE. 
 
 2 10 42 
 
 3 38 169 
 9 54, 55 160 
 
 17 20 203 
 
 18 30 275 
 
 20 34-36 165 
 
 21 32 195 
 
 23 34 287 
 
 24 44, 45, 48 65, 86 
 
 JO HIT. 
 
 1 8,9 56 
 
 8 12 — 
 
 1 11 128 
 
 5 40 — 
 
 3 16 54, 84, 88 
 3 14-16-18-36 111 
 
 5 24 — 
 
 6 28, 29 185, 237 
 6 27 1U4 
 
 10 27, 28 — 
 
 6 28-40 112 
 
 8 56 43 
 
 12 32 45 
 
 JOUX. 
 
 Ch. Ver Paee. 
 
 15 6 174 
 
 16 8 57 
 
 ACTS. 
 
 1 9-1 1 234 
 
 2 2-5 202 
 
 2 32, 33 203 
 
 3 25 41, 50 
 
 4 12 204 
 9 6^ 205 
 
 12 23 — 
 
 13 10 136 
 
 13 30-33 85 
 
 16 30,31 117 
 
 17 30 251 
 24 25 — 
 17 31 238 
 24 14-16 188, 236 
 
 HOMAIfS. 
 
 1 17, 18 99 
 
 2 5-9 — 
 6 23 — 
 1 20 274 
 
 1 28-31 162 
 
 2 5 163 
 2 6 15 
 2 7 104 
 
 2 11-16 60 
 
 3 3, 4 44 
 1 1 32 — 
 
 3 23 146 
 
 5 1,2 112 
 5 20 46 
 8 21 — 
 5 12-18 54, 86, 191 
 
 5 19 184 
 
 6 22 107 
 
 8 6-13-16 105, 170 
 
 192 
 
 5 5 — 
 
 9 19 123 
 
 10 16-18 59 
 
 11 32 89 
 
 14 10 238 
 
 14 17 203 
 
 15 8, 9 85 
 
 16 26,27 275 
 
 6 22,23 275 
 
 I CORINTHIANS. 
 
 2 10 57 
 
 12 7 57 
 
 I CORINTHIANS. 
 
 Ch. Ver. Page. 
 
 7 6 137 
 
 15 22,42-44,55 173 
 15 51,52 184,235 
 236 
 15 56, 57 67 
 
 15 28 15 
 
 II CORINTHIANS. 
 
 1 18, 20 45 
 
 4 17, 18 275 
 
 5 1 275 
 5 14, 15 54 
 5 5, 6, 17 173, 174 
 5 10 245 
 7 1 161 
 
 GALATIANS. 
 220 112 
 
 3 8, 9 43, 59 
 
 3 13 67 
 
 3 22 89 
 
 3 26 170 
 5 6 174 
 
 EPHESIANS. 
 
 1 11 123, 126 
 
 2 8, 9 15, 170 
 2 10 174 
 
 4 17 162 
 4 22-24 164 
 4 32 288 
 
 COLOSSIANS. 
 
 1 20 15 
 
 1 21 162 
 
 2 18 — 
 1 23 59 
 
 3 13 288 
 
 I THESSALONIANS. 
 
 4 2-4 123, 129 
 4 7 105 
 4 15, 16 199 
 4 17 185 
 
 4 13-18 236 
 
 5 23 161 
 
 II THESSALONIANS. 
 
 1 7 234, 235, 246 
 
 1 9 270 
 
 2 11, 12 82 
 
 I TIMOTHX. 
 
 1 17 275 
 
 2 4 12« 
 2 5 203 
 
 4 10 81 
 
TABLE OF TEXTS. 
 
 311 
 
 II TIMOTHT. 
 
 Ch. Ver. Page. 
 
 1 9 69 
 
 2 10 275 
 4 6-8 108, 115 
 
 TITUS, 
 
 1 15 162 
 
 2 11, 12 57, 134 
 
 HEBREWS. 
 
 2 9 54 
 
 2 14 46 
 
 10 23 — 
 
 6 13-18 42 
 
 7 25 203 
 
 8 6 — 
 
 9 14 57 
 9 12, 14, 15 275 
 
 10 36 123 
 
 11 4 230 
 
 11 6 112, 186 
 
 12 14 105, 163, 180 
 
 JAMES. 
 
 1 12 108 
 
 1 14, 16 99 
 
 JAMES. 
 
 
 Ch. Ver. 
 
 Page 
 
 4 5 
 
 160 
 
 5 6. 6 
 
 210 
 
 5 16 
 
 288 
 
 I PETER. 
 
 
 1 2 
 
 141 
 
 1 3-5 
 
 108 
 
 1 16, 16 105 
 
 , 134 
 
 1 11 
 
 63 
 
 1 20 
 
 59 
 
 2 9 
 
 169 
 
 2 24 
 
 55 
 
 6 10 
 
 275 
 
 II PETER. 
 
 1 21 63 
 
 2 1-9 99 
 
 2 4 238 
 
 3 7-10-12-14 239 
 
 241, 242, 279 
 
 I JOHIf. 
 
 1 3 105 
 
 1 9 288 
 
 I JOHN. 
 
 Ch. Ver. Page. 
 
 2 1 203 
 
 2 2 55 
 
 2 17 123 
 
 3 2 120 
 5 4 — 
 3 2 88, 174 
 3 8 46 
 5 9, 10 43 
 
 JUDE. 
 
 6 238 
 
 7 246 
 6, 7 276 
 
 REVELATION. 
 
 1 5, 6 267 
 
 2 10 108, 175 
 5 21, 22 120 
 
 13 8 53 
 
 20 11 239 
 
 20 12, 13 237 
 
 20 13-15 246 
 
 21 8 — 
 
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