there is none occason of stumbling in him." 1 John ii. 10. That is, he cannot receive, hold, maintain, or do, any thing essentially or materially wrong; and, therefore, can give no Just occasion of offence. "For, all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. For he that loveth another, hath fulfilled the law. For this, thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not covet: and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law." Gal. v. 14; Rom. xiii. 8-10.

But it is not only from reasoning, but from facts, that I am able to prove that the belief of the doctrine of the Universal Restoration, does not lead men to sin. The Tunkers, or German Baptists, in Pennsylvania, and the states adjacent, who take the Scriptures as their only guide, in matters both of faith and practice, have always (as far as I know) received, and universally, at present, hold these sentiments: but such Christians, I have never seen as they are; so averse are they to all sin, and to many things that other Christians esteem lawful, that they not only refuse to swear, to go to war, &c., but are so afraid of doing any thing contrary to the commands of Christ, that no temptation would prevail upon them even to sue any person at law, for either name, character, estate, or any debt, be it ever so just. They are industrious, sober, temperate, kind, charitable people; envying not the great, nor despising the mean: They read much, they sing and pray much, they are constant attendants upon the worship of God; their dwelling houses are all houses of prayer; they walk in the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless,both in public and private. They bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. No noise of rudeness, shameless mirth, loud, vain laughter, is heard within their doors. The law of kindness is in their mouths; no sourness or moroseness, disgraces their religion; and whatsoever they believe their Saviour commands, they practice, without inquiring or regarding what others do.

As to that part of the objection,
poses this doctrine to be the s
serpent preached to Eve, sayi
not surely die;" it seems almo
notice. But as it has been
some writers, as unanswerable,
cause it was passed over unnoticed, o
being nothing to the purpose; I shall make a
few remarks upon it.

.

1. I say, that Satan was a liar, and GoD was true. For man and woman did die, in a moral sense, on the very day that they sinned; they became dead in trespasses and sins; they lost the divine life, and became earthly, sensual, devilish; darkness in their understandings, stubbornness in their wills, and disorder in their affections, rendered them unfit, unable and unworthy to have fellowship with their GOD. But do they contradict JEHOVAH, and join with the serpent who asserts, that Jesus, the second Adam, hath quickened, and is able to quicken, those who are dead in trespasses and sins? If so, St. Paul joined with the serpent, in Ephes. ii. 1.

2. The sentence of death was pronounced upon man, even the death of the body, in these words: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return." Gen. iii. 19. But, would it be just and right for any one to say, that those who believed the resurrection of the body, contradicted God, and joining with the serpent, declared that men should not die; merely, because they asserted according to the promises, that they should rise again? Would not those who preach Jesus and the resurrection, have a right to look upon it as a vile and wilful slander, if any one should so misrepresent the matter? What! must I be accused of saying that no man ever died, because I believe and teach that some have risen, and that all shall be raised at last; when the very idea of a resurrection pre-supposes a state of death?

3. I confess, that God has threatened sinners with the second death; but do I say that they shall never taste of the second death, because I declare, that the time will come when it shall exist no more? this is curious reasoning, indeed. As well may I say that no man ever lived on earth, because so many have died; that no one sleeps in the night who wakes in the morning; or that no fish was ever in the water, that was caught and taken out.

I remember the Rev. Morgan Edwards, formerly minister of the Baptist church in Philadelphia, once said to me, "GoD always will have a visible people on earth; and these are his people at present, above any other in the Did St. Paul join with the serpent, when World." And in his history of the Baptists he said, "For as in Adam all die, even so in in Pennsylvania, speaking of these people, CHRIST shall all be made alive?" 1 Cor. xv. he says: "General redemption they certainly 22. Will any suppose that we affirm, that held, and, withal, general salvation; which the dreadful threatenings denounced by God, tenets (though wrong) are consistent. In a never were, nor ever will be executed, because word, they are meek and pious Christians; and have justly acquired the character of the harmless Tunkers."

Thus have I proved that this doctrine is not licentions; both from the first principles on which it is founded, from the nature of experimental and practical religion, and from facts.

we declare, that his promises shall also be
fulfilled? Can any reasonable man suppose,
because Christ is the Saviour of men, that,
therefore they were not in a lost condition?
How absurd! when he declares, that he came
to seek and save the lost!

Thus, though mankind died a moral death,
D

GOD abideth on him, while he remaineth in unbelief; but that God can take away the cause, in his own time, and then the effect shall cease.

But I now pass to consider the latter part of this objection, upon which I have dwelt so long; viz. that it is the nature of God to lay the highest possible restraint upon sin, and therefore he has threatened it with everlasting damnation, which must intend endless misery; and as this restraint is found too weak, wholly to prevent evil, what amazing increase would there be, if this restraint should be taken off, in any degree; as it must be, if it should come to be known that punishments were only for certain ages or periods, and designed for the amendment of the sufferers?

I once asked a reverend divine what was his strongest argument in favour of endless punishment? and he told me, that which is mentioned above; and therefore, as it is of considerable importance I shall give it a brief consideration.

cothe day wherein they sinned; yet, CHRIST able to quicken and raise them up from the same; and though their bodies die in consequence of the fall, yet shall he cause all that are in the graves to hear his voice, and come Minister. Certainly, this must be the forth; and, by the same rule of arguing, meaning; for St. John only meant to describe though many shall fall under the power of the difference between believers and unbethe second death, which is threatened to sin-lievers, as such but could not mean to intimate ners; yet as he has promised to destroy all that those who were not unbelievers in his that bears the name of death, their Restoration time, should always continue so. may be fairly concluded, without either contradicting God, or joining with the serpent. Had the Scriptures, indeed, contained nothing but threatenings of death, without any promises of salvation, resurrection, or restoration; it would have been presumptuous for us to have entertained any hopes for the human race, or their deliverance, either from sin, death, or hell; but since promises are found, as well as threatenings, we must not under pretence or colour of believing the latter, reject the former, lest we are found contradictors and opposers of God: for it is as possible that we may make him a liar, in refusing to believe the record he has given of his Son, and his intentions of grace and mercy towards mankind, as in disregarding his threatenings, denounced against them because of their sins. As for this doctrine making the hearts of the righteous sad whom GOD would not have made sad, nothing can be more contrary to fact; for if it be the will of God to reward and punish, and finally to restore mankind, none of the righteons will be sorry, but on the contrary, will greatly rejoice. It is not God's truth, but men's lies, of which the prophet speaks; which made the hearts of the righteous sad, and strengthened the hands of the wicked," Moreover the law entered"-not merely to that he should not return from his wicked restrain sin, but "that the offence might way, by promising him life; but we are abound; but where sin abounded, grace did so far from strengthening the hands of the much more abound; that as sin hath reigned wicked, and saying, that no evil shall come unto death, even so might grace reign through upon them; that we declare from the Scrip-righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus ture, that "the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteous-iii. 19. St. Paul says; "Sin, taking occasion ness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil; of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.' Rom. i. 18, ii. 8, 9. And that "there is no peace for the wicked." Isaiah. xlviii. 22, lvii. 20, 21. Therefore they are called to repent, and turn to God; for in sin they never can be happy; no unholy or unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of Heaven. And so far are we from promising them life in their wicked ways that we testify, from the Scripture, that "he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life," while he continues in that state; "but the wrath of God abideth on him." St. John iii. 36.

Friend. I had intended to propose that text as an objection to your system; it is indeed one that Dr. WHITBY insists much upon: but I see how you will answer it-that the unbeliever, as such, and while he so inues, cannot see life; but the wrath of

1. It is not quite clear to me that it is the nature of God to lay the highest possible restraint upon sin; and that he always doth so in all his dispensations. He sometimes has higher designs in view, than barely to restrain sin; he sometimes, perhaps, suffers it to prevail for a time, that his power might be more manifest in destroying it; hence we read,

Christ our Lord. Wherefore, then, serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come, to whom the promise was made." Rom. v. 20, 21, Gal.

by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence; for, without the law sin was dead. Was, then that which was good, made death unto me? God forbid: but sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me, by that which is good; that sin, by the commandment, might become exceeding sinful." Rom. vii. 8, 13. Perhaps if the punishment of sins immediately followed the commission of them, it would be a stronger and more effectual restraint than any threatenings of future misery; yet God does not think it necessary to restrain sin by that means, though it is expressly asserted, that, "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore is the heart of the sons of men fully set in them to do evil." Eccl. viii. 11. There is no doubt but if the awful punishments of the future state were made visible to our senses, by any means, they would prove a powerful restraint to sin;

ed iniquity, in the measure that might have been expected, on the supposition of its being the truth of GOD.

4. The great number of Heathens, that die without ever being favoured with the light of the gospel, and certainly without ever hearing of endless misery: the many that die in a state of infancy and childhood: together with the instances of idiots, and persons born deaf; all convince me more than any logical arguments that God has many ways of instructing and reclaiming his creatures, in another state that we are at present unacquainted with.

5. It is not so much the intention of God, merely to restrain sin as to shew it in all its dreadful deformity, punish it according to its deserts, and finally, to shew the superabounding of his grace, in overcoming and totally destroying it out of his creation; which shall be accomplished when he that sitteth upon the throne shall make all things new; "And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away." Rev. xxi. 4.

6. As the doctrine of the final Restoration

2. But it may be questioned, whether there is not something in the idea of limited, yet certain punishment, so just, equitable, reasonable and evident, that it is much more calculated to produce belief, and consequently more effectual to destroy false hopes of escaping it, and also to check that daring presumption, which rises out of the idea of endless misery, than can be found in the contrary doctrine. Endless punishment seems to shock tender minds at least. I heard of a little boy, to whom his mother constantly kept preaching damnation without end, for every sin; one day after she had been discoursing with him in that manner, he went to work, but soon returned back, suddenly opened the door, and with an air of surprise, cried out; "why, mother, the law says, An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a has been shewn in itself not to have the least foot; but you say, ten thousand for one, and tendency to licentiousness, but directly the rethat punishment shall never end." I have verse; and as far as I can learn, by history, heard of numbers that had no better excuse or my own observation, those who have befor sinning greedily, than this, viz. that there lieved it, in the manner here laid down, as was no hopes of their being saved; that, perfectly consistent with a future state of retherefore, they were determined to sin as much wards and punishments, have been particularly as possible, since it could make no difference. careful to depart from iniquity of every kind; I have reason to say, from what I know of yet if any should be so lost to all that is good, mankind, that more persons refuse to believe as to pervert this truth (revealed for contrary in Divine Revelation because it is commonly purposes) to their own destruction, they alone thought to contain the doctrine of endless must bear the blame, the loss and the punishmisery, than from any other cause: And ment. The Scriptures of truth have been numbers have embraced it immediately upon perverted; yet that is no argument against being fairly convinced that it was not neces- Divine Revelation. The Gospel of the sary to understand it in that light. And a Grace of GoD, has been abused; but should very sensible Deist once said to an acquaint- it never be preached on that account? Some ance of mine, who believed and preached the in the apostles' days, turned the Grace of "Had I been acquainted GoD itself into wantonness and lasciviousness, with your system, thirty years ago, I should (See Jude, 4,) and others pretended that those have been a zealous Christian; and as great holy men encouraged sin, by proclaiming sala friend to Revelation, as I have been an ene-vation to sinners, through grace, or faith in my." "And pray why not now, Doctor?" Christ; of which St. Paul complains, Rom. "Because I am ashamed, having been so iii. 8. "We be slanderously reported, and long fighting against, to receive it now." some affirm that we say, let us do evil that 3. Though damnation has been commonly good may come whose damnation is just." inderstood to be endless, for many ages; yet The holy apostle abhorred, and constantly it has not (as far as we can judge) prevented denied this horrid consequence, which some evil at all, or very little; but I have mention- perverse minds pretended to draw from his doced before, how very strict those people live, trine; he declared that the damnation of such punishments; whether it is that endless dam- abound, or who affirmed that the doctrine led nation is too unnatural to be believed, and thereto, or that the apostles taught or practised that limited punishments, being more reason- any such things; nevertheless (not as fools, able, seem more certain; or whether it be that but as wise) they did not think fit to lay by considering they shall be punished, either the gospel aside and refuse to preach salvawithout end or not at all; and every one think- tion through CHRIST any more on that acing that endless punishment is more than count. The selfsame reasoning applies to they deserve, but is only reserved for some the present case.

universal doctrine,

Friend. I must confess that you have so

greater sinners, and therefore they have notermine; but certain it is, that where the idea for certainly the belief of the Restoration thing to fear from it, I shall not pretend to de- far prevailed as to silence this great objection; of endless misery prevails, it has not prevent- seems, by your account of it, consistent with

a state of grace, and the knowledge and prac-1 tice of religion. But though you have obviated several objections, there is one you have not yet touched, which is very considerable, and I am doubtful that it will be difficult, if not impossible for you to answer fairly; it may be thus expressed, God has abounded towards us in all wisdom; one instance is his hanging out the threatenings of the severest punishments to prevent his creatures from sinning while in this world; but to tell them at the same time, that if they should sin, he means to save them, is not prudent; because that lessens, if not destroys the force of his threatening. He told Adam that if he did eat he should surely die; but did not tell him (at the same time) that if he should eat his case would not be remediless; this were to take down with one hand what he had set up with the other. After the threatening failed of the effect, he told him so, and not before, this was prudently done; so after his threatenings fail of effect in this state, is the time to reveal his design of saving daring sinners. We may therefore be sure that he hath not done it yet, and that we misconstrue those texts which seem to contain such a revelation. The next state is the only state to preach the doctrine, and reveal the doctrine. If you preach it here, it will be unnecessary to preach it in hell; for obstinate sinners will carry it in their heads thither.

The belief of the Restoration is of great use in supporting good people under their sorrows and trials here; the idea that evil shall be destroyed, and all things restored to their primitive glory is the most consolatory of all other ideas. As this doctrine tends to remove the greatest difficulties from the plan of Providence, and also from divine Revelation, it is evident that the knowledge of it must be of the greatest use to all that love their great Creator. And, therefore, if the revelation of it answered no other purpose in this life, but for the happiness, joy, and satisfaction of such as love God, we might be sure that he hath made it known, and that we rightly understand those passages that hold it forth; for since "the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant," Psal. xxv. 14, and "The Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants, the prophets," Amos iii. 7, there is all the reason to conclude, that if God ever intended to restore mankind hereafter, he would not fail to reveal it to his chosen and faithful servants. And this he hath done, if I can understand the meaning of words.

It is true that God did not inform our first parents before they sinned that he had provided a remedy; but not long did he delay after the fall to reveal to them, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head; Gen. iii. 15, and this one text contains in miniature all that I believe respecting the Restoration of mankind; for if the serpent's head is finally to be bruised, his power and influence over mankind, must be entirely destroyed; and then what shall prevent their return to God.

Besides, it is impossible to read the Scriptures attentively, and not perceive that God very frequently mixes promises of mercies among his severest threatenings of judgment; and yet he doth not throw down with one hand, what he builds up with the other.

Minister. As specious and plausible as this objection seems, I doubt not of being able to answer it fairly, without evading the natural force of it in the least. The first thing that I shall notice in this objection, is the very different and contrary manner in which you apply those words of the apostle from his first evident intention. He hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence, 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 fulness of times he might gather together in Your objection seems to suppose that the one all things in Christ, both which are in Hea- doctrine of the Restoration supercedes and sets ven, and which are on earth, even in him. aside those punishments which God has threatEphes. i. 8-10. God hath judged it to be the ened to inflict upon the impenitent; or else height of heavenly wisdom and prudence to how does the preaching of this doctrine make known to his saints, his glorious pur-weaken the force of the threatenings? But this pose, finally to re-head all things in Christ; is a very false idea; for we acknowledge that and we ought not to presume to be more wise and prudent than he. There is no doubt but God hath revealed this great truth more immediately to his saints and faithful ones for their consolation, than for the benefit of the finally impenitent.

It is of amazing, I had almost said of infinite use to the people of God, to have this divine counsel declared to them in the present time. The knowledge of this truth entirely removes all hard thoughts of God from the minds of those who received it, as I can testify by experience; for since I have believed in the doctrine of the Universal Restoration, I have never had one hard thought of God abiding for one minute in my mind that I rember, and never expect to have any more e I continue to believe it firmly.

the threatenings shall be fulfilled, and not that the disobedient shall escape unpunished. There is a great deal of difference between these two ideas, though you would intimate them to be the same, and that we contradict God by assuring the wicked that they shall escape the just judgment of God. But we only declare that an end shall finally come to their punishment, and that when they shall be sufficiently humbled a dispensation of mercy shall succeed that of judgment. Let me ask you, has not God threatened mankind with death on the account of sin? "Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return." Gen. iii. 19. Well, tell me, is this threatening either weakened or destroyed by the knowledge of the great doctrine of the resurrection of the dead? Did not God threaten the children of

Isreal with dreadful judgments to prevent yet we know that the apostles of our Saviour their sinning, and that they should be disper- did not understand one of these prophecies. sed among all nations? But will you say Nay, when Jesus told them openly and exthat he either weakened or destroyed the force pressly that he must be delivered into the of his threatenings, because he promised them hands of men, and that they should mock, at the time that at least he would return their scourge, and crucify him, and that the third captivity, and restore them as at the first, and | day he should rise again, they did not compre

do better unto them than at the beginning. hend his meaning; although he spoke to The laws of this country condemn criminals them frequently and very plainly upon the to death; would it be thought that I should subject, and said, "Let these sayings sink weaken or destroy the force of the penal sta- down into your ears; for the Son of man shall tutes, by saying, that the execution of their be delivered into the hands of men. But they law could only be felt for a certain time, be- understood not this saying, and it was hid yond which it could not endure? Is not every from them, that they perceived it not; and malefactor under the sentence of death sup- they feared to ask him of that saying." St. posed to know this? And yet will any pre- Luke ix. 44, 45. And in another place we same to say, that these laws are entirely read, "For he taught his disciples, and said weakened, and their force destroyed because unto them, the Son of man is delivered into they do not condemn transgressors to endless the hands of men, and they shall kill him; punishments? But, if it be allowed that tor- and after that he is killed, he shall rise the ments, which are but momentary have a con- third day." It is impossible that words could siderable influence in restraining many vices, be more express, or less liable to be misunthere cannot be the smallest reason to fear derstood. But (as the evangelist immedithat the doctrine of just retribution according ately informs us) they understood not that to the deeds done in the body, will open the saying, and were afraid to ask him." St. door to vice and immorality, but on the con- Mark ix. 31, 32. And in the same chapter we tary. But this objection is so near akin to find, that after our Lord Jesus was transfiguthe last which you proposed, that it hardly red upon the mount in the presence of Peter, deserves a distinct consideration; for if the James, and John, "As they came down from doctrine of the Restoration does not lead men the mountain he charged them that they to commit sin (as I am sure it has no should tell no man what things they had seen, such tendency) then no harm can be appre- till the Son of man were risen from the dead. bended from its being known in this state. And they kept that saying with themselves, And whereas you argue, that as it would not questioning one with another what the rising be proper for the present state, we may be from the dead should mean." Ver. 9, 10. Sure that God hath not revealed it; and there- This was what Christ taught them not only fare is highly proper for men to know in the plainly, but also frequently. See St. Matt. present state. You will please therefore to xvi. 21, xvii. 9, 22, 23, xx. 17-19, xxvi. 31, notice that the universal doctrine, so far from 32, St. Mark viii. 31, ix. 9, 10, 31, 32, x. 32 tending to render the divine threatenings use--34, xiv. 27, 28, St. Luke ix. 21, 22, 44, 45, less or vain, weakening their force, or setting xviii. 31-34. them aside, operates in the direct contrary Yet notwithstanding the plainness and fremanner. I as much believe as you or any quency of these predictions, and the pains other man can do, that all the threatenings which Christ took to instil these ideas into will be fulfilled upon the finally impenitent; them, they never understood them at all until but dare not carry the matter so far as to set some time after they were fulfilled. aside the gracious promises of God, with when they saw him taken and delivered into which the Scriptures appear to me to abound, the hands of men, and treated exactly accorda favour of the final recovery of all at last. ing to his own words often repeated, they Friend. It must I think be confessed that if were entirely disappointed, and all their the doctrine of the Restoration be true, it would hopes seemed to die within them. And when be matter of great joy and comfort for good men he was risen from the dead, they would not know it, for they have often great trouble believe the testimony of those who had seen and anxiety of mind on the account of their him, and would hardly trust their own senses, families, friends, neighbours, acquaintance, so ignorant were they of what he had told and mankind in general; which sorrow them. Would be greatly relieved, could they have an idea of the Restoration of all things in the manner you hold it. But however true this may be, it seems not to be plainly revealed in the Scripture, otherwise it would not be hidden from the eyes of so many great and good

men.

For

St. John was the first of the disciples who believed that he was risen, for thus he writes; “Then went in also that other disciple, who came first to the sepulchre, and he saw and believed. For as yet they knew not the Scripture that he must rise again from the

dead." St. John xx. 8, 9. This instance is Minister. It is possible that a subject may so much to my purpose, and proves so evibe revealed in the plainest manner, and yet dently that a thing may be plainly revealed, the best of men may remain ignorant of it? and expressed in the plainest manner, and yet For instance, were not the sufferings, death, not be understood, that I hardly need menand resurrection of our Lord plainly revealed tion any more. But I will mention another, in the Scriptures of the old Testament? And and that is, the calling of the Gentiles.