ページの画像
PDF
ePub

THE DOCTRINE

or

ENDLESS MISERY INVESTIGATED.

"Who only hath immortality'-i Tim. vi. 16. See alfo Rom. ii. 7-1 Cor. xv. 53, 54-2 Tim. i. 13. The last enemy that shall be destroyed, is Death.' 1 Cor. xv. 26.

THE

HE time once was, when the leaNo. I. ding topic of every gofpel minifter, in the delivery of the gofpel meffage, was the immortality of God and his kingdom, in oppofition to the continuance of the devil and his kingdom; fhewing the triumphant nature and power of the immortal life over death, mifery and hell; at the fame time proving and making evident from divine teftimony, that as immortality, happinefs and heaven originated in God, the only eternal caufe which could give birth to their existence in creatures; these must of neceffity, eternally triumph over every thing that oppofe them; and that as they depend folely on an eternal caufe for their existence, they must in their true nature continue to exist without end.

No. 2. Those genuine gospel preachers were no lefs careful to fhew, that as death, hell and all mifery originated, hot in God, but in the devil (the only murderer of human nature) they must sooner or later, by the triumphing power of immortality,

through the agency and under the government (o8, reign) of the Meffiah, be utterly deftroyed; fo as for immortality to become ALL IN ALL.

No. 3. That as death, mifery and hell were, in their nature, oppofed to immortality, and that as it was the great office of Chrift to deftroy the devil and all his productions; death, mifery, or hell, could not in the nature of things, continue to exist beyond the mediatorial reign; that is, beyond time; for this reign will effect the accomplishment of time and all time things.

No. 4. Thefe were the doctrines, and thofe the leading topics, of the first gospel minifters.

No. 5. But alas! what a revolution has finçe taken place among the preachers; what a strange change of doctrines and topics !!!

No. 6. The leading doctrines and topics now, among the leaders of the church, are the following, viz. Polytheifm, the immortality of the devil, of fin, of death, of mifery, and of hell; with an endeavour to prove the impoffibility of the deftruction of their immortal devil and his immortal productions.

No. 7. The former miniftry advocated the caufe of God against the cause of the devil, and declared God only in his nature, to be immortal; but the devil and all his productions to be temporary (or temporal.-The latter miniftry feems to advocate the caufe of the devil against the caufe of God, and declare the devil and many of his productions to be immortal.

No. 8. May not the latter, then, be juftly confidered minifters of darkness ???

No. 9. It is by these that the doctrine of an endless devil and of endlets mifery, is maintained; and thefe together compofe the formidable body of oppofition, to that general union among chriftians, which (was it not for this oppofition might quickly be effected. By thefe it is, that the eter nal fountain of infinite love and goodnets is daily reprefented to the world, as being poffeffed of a malevolent, revengeful, vindictive and retaliating difpofition, towards the greater part of mankind.

No. 10. By thefe it is, that the idolatrous reli gion, founded on the doctrine of three Gods, has been fet up and established, in the world, in place of the pure religion of Jefus ; and by thefe it is, that the unity of God (which was the leading doctrine of Christ) with all its real advocates have become univerfally reprobated in the Christian church, and Polytheifm propagated and confirmed as the leading doctrine of the church, in place thereof. Yea, and in a word by this very clafs of nien has more mifchief and real injury been done to the church of God and to fociety at large, than has ever been' done by any other clafs whatever.

No. 11. This is the great body of oppofition, which I have now to encounter. Nor can they be won over (while under the dominion of their prethe fent love-principle) to the fide on which I ftand,. but by one means. If the doctrine I efpoufe fhould only become fo populous, as that both money and popularity might be gained thereby; they would be quickly feen flocking over like blackbirds to the place where their pockets might be lined with filver, and their pride gratified with public

encomiums:-but, until then, I need look for nothing else than to find them my most formidable

foe.

No. 12. However, I fear them not I fhall therefore encounter them with pleasure, knowing TRUTH to be the strongest fide.

No. 13. What art thou, O great mountain, before the power of divine truth? behold this rod in mine hand; even with this, fhalt thou be threshed, until thou shalt become a plain, Tremble therefore, for thou shalt fall, as Dagon before the ark. Not by human might, or power; but by the fpirit of the most high. For fo hath the Lord declared.

unto me.

No. 14. Bring forward then, all your forces and call upon your gods, and you fhall fee the fuperior power of the ONE immortal God, in the utter defeat of his enemies, the minifters of darknefs.

No. 15. The devil and his kingdom with all things belonging thereunto are mortal, and God only (who is the life and foul of the heavenly kingdom) hath immortality,

No. 16. The kingdom of heaven therefore, by virtue of union with God, is an immortal kingdom, and by the immortal life and nature of God will be fupported in endlefs exiftence: whereas the devil for want of immortality, muft of neceffity fink into everlafling ruin, and by the power of immortal light, fhall be driven from the univerfal prefence of God; until that old fepent, with all that appertain to his kingdom, fhall ceafe to exift, and fo thro' eternity be no more.

No. 17. The doctrine of endless mifery, has

« 前へ次へ »