know not when; some how or other, they know not how, they shall be prepared for heaven, and then, without fail, shall get there. Precisely so do all think who are living in their sins, and yet are calculating that they shall be saved. So that the reason why all men who hear the doctrine of endless punishment preached, and give their assent to it, as a true doctrine, do not repent, is clearly and evidently this :-such men are, with respect to their own particular cases, building, to all intents and purposes, on the foundation of the Universalists. From this

foundation, on which such a man builds his hopes of his own individual happiness, it is the business of the faithful preacher to shake him, by pointing out to him the inconsistency of his individual hopes, even according to his own general system; and by urging upon him that danger which his better understanding acknowledges, with respect to men in general who live in sin. But it is the business of Universalism to build him up in these hopes, by making him believe that the foundation on which they rest is sufficient, not only for himself, but for all mankind; and that he may make his individual hopes and general principles consistent with each other, and so remove all occasion of uneasiness. If then it was difficult to reform him, when his own general system was against him, how much more now, that his general theory in all respects coincides with his individual hopes and inclinations ?*

* On this principle we account, in part, for the spread

OBJECTION VII.

UNIVERSALISM has never been received nor supported by the orthodox Church, Jewish or Christian.

of Universalism of late through the northern states.— Men had a vague idea of a final retribution, as a general principle, but each had hope, by some means or other, in his own case. And as long as he was allowed to indulge that hope undisturbed, he rested quite easy. But when a faithful ministry urged, upon his own principles, the necessity of repentance, and the danger of delay, he was made uneasy; he saw the inconsistency of his general faith with his practice; and he was driven to a kind of necessity, either to get a new doctrine, or a new heart. Many, to their great joy, chose the latter. But many others saw in the Universalist doctrine a system that would permit them to live as they had done, while it relieved them from a scourge that was knotted with their own doctrine, and therefore cut to the quick at every stroke. So that the present apparent prevalence of Universalism is only reducing to a system, and giving a regular form, and establishing upon general principles, feelings and views which already existed in the hearts of many, and which were the foundation on which they built their hopes of escaping misery, each for himself. In proportion as the Gospel is faithfully preached, in the same proportion will such errors show themselves. Hence, as true religion has increased among us, so has this. Existing none the less before, because it was not seen, though now becoming visible, more systematic, and more formidable. As the champions of truth become more active, and engage unitedly and vigorously in the cause, so the advocates of error more systematically arrange their forces, and more warily engage in their opposition. But we are not alarmed about the result of the contest; we only fear for those that may fall in the ranks of the opposition. If we are wrong,our very fall will be our heaven,-and upon

This objection certainly ought to have weight, and will have weight, in all candid, reflecting minds. Such cannot but think, if God intended to make a revelation of truth, he would not have made it so obscure, that almost all receive and understand it in a sense infinitely removed from its real meaning. They cannot but believe that the great body of the Jews, the fathers, and in a manner the whole Christian Church, down to the present day, must have had the truth on this point. Universalists are aware of this, and therefore use every means in their power to do away its force. In the very language of the infidels of the last century, they talk much of tradition and superstition, with which they say the world has long been shackled. In the true spirit of their prototype of the last century, I mean the spirit of downright infidelity, they rank the doctrine that they wish to decry, on a level with the most absurd doctrines and ridiculous ceremonies that have, for any period, disgraced any part of the professed Christian Church.

We should suppose that men, professing to be believers in revelation, and even assuming the title of Christian ministers, would not run

our opponents' own ground, that evil is necessary to make us prize the good,-darkness, that we may value the light, how much brighter and sweeter will be our heaven! But if they fail, alas for them! their disappointment and misery will be the greater, for having built strong hopes upon a sandy foundation. And what will the end be of them that have acted the chief part in these delusions?

so readily into the footsteps of infidel philosophers. But they have no other way to get rid of our objection but by taking this course,and the main point must stand at all hazards. Hence you hear Universalists talking so much about the superstitions of former ages; representing some of our important ideas and feelings on the subject of religion, to be impressions received in the nursery from our old superstitious grandmothers. Indeed if we were to believe the Universalists, a new dispensation of light and truth is just now dawning upon the world. Read their periodical publications, and you will find that, wherever a new Universal society is formed, there light and truth are beginning to shine in all their heavenly lustre ! The true

light (the Messiah) we should be led to conclude, from these statements, has just made its appearance. At any rate, the latter day glory, it would seem is now commencing, through the instrumentality of Universalism. 'Tis true, we do not learn by these communications that the debauchee is made chaste, or the drunkard sober, or the blasphemer devotional; but we learn that tradition is falling, and that the darkness of superstition is fleeing, before the light of this new luminary in the Church,-the doctrine of universal salvation!

On their own concessions then we might rest the truth of the proposition that constitutes our present objection. But, as we have seen, this system is not very uniform in its course of reasoning, or in its proofs; it may be that what has

been conceded in one part of the argument, may, when the consequences come out, be denied in another. It may be proper therefore to bring forward some proof of the proposition that constitutes the ground of this objection.

1. The Jews held the endless punishment of the wicked. This may be abundantly proved from the rabbinical writings and from the targums. And if this was an error of that people, which, from the corruptions of the Church, they had run into, why did not our Lord and his apostles plainly point out their error, as they did the other errors which had been introduced ?why did they use the very terms which the Jews used, to express the eternal torments of the wicked, and that too when speaking of that very subject, and yet not explain their meaning? No man in his senses, I think, can deny, that by this course they either designedly left them in the dark upon this subject, yea, designedly confirmed them in their error, or else they meant to give their authority to this doctrine. The former I suppose no Universalist at the present day will support. It is true, Origen held that "the apostles would have this a mystery ;"—and on this principle I suppose he would account for the singular conduct of our Lord and his apostles. But modern Universalists, I conclude, do not suppose that the apostles meant to have it kept a secret. If they did, they certainly have been very injudicious in their choice of confidants, when they suffered it to be known by those who now profess to have a knowledge of it; for they