over every man in the world. He is filled with joy and peace in believing. Death, to him, is the passport, not to eternal nothingness, nor eternal torture, but to immortality and incorruption. Whereas, a man who believes in the orthodox doctrines of the day, if he have the common feelings of humanity, must find his bosom wrung with the keenest anguish.

The primary question with the Universalist is, what has God revealed in his word? To this standard we bow implicitly. The true sense of this book is the only true orthodoxy we know of. If our opponents will convince us, by arguments drawn from this book, that their doctrines are true, we shall feel ourselves compelled to receive them; but, until they do, they may rest satisfied, we shall be obliged to retain our present opinions.

III. "If I become a Universalist, I must reject the evidence arising from the general apprehensions of the Christian world; and that, too, when it should have the greatest possible weight in every candid mind. With comparatively few exceptions, the inhabitants of Christendom have, for eighteen hundred years, embraced the doctrine of a future and eternal punishment; and all this time the strongest feelings of the natural heart have been enlisted against it. So that it is next to a miracle, that the Christian world should, for so many ages, embrace the doctrine of future punishment, and reject that of universal salvation, had not the doctrine of universal salvation been most evidently false, and that of future punishment most evidently true.""

Is this argument sound? Is the believer in endless misery satisfied with it? The Pope's supremacy has been as generally acknowledged, as the doctrine of endless misery ever was. Will the man who penned the above argument, accede to the Pope's claims ? Will he say, "with comparatively few exceptions, the inhabitants of Christendom have, for eighteen hundred years, embraced the doctrine of the Pope's supremacy, and transubstantiation, and all this time the strongest feelings of the natural heart have been enlisted against it.

So that it is next to a miracle, that the Christian

world should, for so many ages, embrace this doctrine of the Pope's supremacy, and reject the contrary, had not the contrary been most evidently false, and that of the Pope's supremacy true," will he say this? No, he will not. Then he himself acknowledges that his argument is good for nothing. If he will go into China, or any other heathen land, he may use the same argument in defence of idolatry; at Constantinople, the same, in principle, may be set up in defence of Mahometanism. That the doctrine of endless misery was held, without exception, in the dark ages of the church, is no argument in its favor. The Universalist alleges, and is able to prove, that the doctrine he holds, was taught by Christ and his apostles, and by some of the most eminent Christian Fathers immediately succeeding the apostles; that it was not for two or three centuries, that the doctrine of endless misery was unquestionably declared; that the two contrary sentiments existed in the church for a long time, without being made a matter of reproach on either hand; and that, when the doctrine of Universalism was first condemned, it was done by wicked men, whose hearts were filled with enmity against those who held that doctrine, and who were plotting their destruction. Of these very important facts there is the fullest evidence. For additional information on the subject, we refer the reader to the first chapter of this work.

IV. "Adopting the sentiments of Universalism, I cannot account for that deep solicitude which Christ and his apostles manifested for the salvation of immortal souls. That they were deeply solicitous for the salvation of their hearers, admits not of doubt or dispute. But why should they have been so, if all were sure of heaven?"

This is mere sophistry. That Christ and his apostles were solicitous for the salvation of their hearers, and of all mankind, the Universalist has no desire to dispute; but it belongs to the partialist to prove, that they were solicitous to save men from eternal hell torments in the future state. Now the truth is, we do not

read one word in the Bible about saving men from punishment in the future state. Jesus was anxious to save people from their sins, and their errors,, and bring them to the knowledge of the truth. He was anxious to save the Jews from the awful judgments which were impending over them, and all the apostles partook of the same solicitude. Paul says, '(Gal. i. 4,) that Jesus gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from "this present evil world." The evils from which Jesus came to save men are in this world, and for this reason he came into this world to save them. We challenge those who believe in endless misery, to produce a single passage in which salvation from hell torments in the future state is spoken of. The Universalist feels a like solicitude, with that possessed by Christ and his apostles; and our "heart's desire and prayer to God is," that men may be brought to the knowledge of the truth. We have seen too, often the dreadful effects resulting from endless misery, to be indifferent on this subject. We have known people grievously tormented with the fear of being cast off forever, so much so, that at times they have been actually insane; and not a few cases of suicide have resulted from this cause. Universalists feel the deepest solicitude to save men from these errors, and bring them to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.' Now, on the same principle on which our opposing brethren can account for the solicitude of Universalists, let them account for the solicitude of Christ and his apostles.

When we see the deep misery and heartfelt anguish which a sincere belief in the doctrine of endless torment occasions, the heart bleeds for the unhappy sufferers, and we pray God most earnestly that they may be saved from the influence of such a faith. We have deep solicitude for the salvation of such persons from the "fear that hath torment," 1 John iv. 18; and we desire that they may be brought to enjoy the same faith which the apostle Peter cherished when he said, "believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of

glory," I Peter i. 8. He, certainly, could not have believed in eternal torments. The evils which have been produced by an unshaken faith in endless torments, are absolutely indescribable. We will give one or two instances, but a large number must be omitted for a want of room.

We call the reader's attention to a paragraph in the sermon preached a few years since, by Rev. Dr. Tenney, of Weathersfield, Connecticut, at the funeral of the late Dr. Austin, for many years pastor of the elder orthodox society in Worcester, Massachusetts. It shows, clearly and forcibly, the oppressive and unwholesome tendency of those views of the divine character and government, which Dr. Austin was well known to entertain. We publish the extract as a warning, a solemn warħing, and as a tangible and incontrovertible evidence, that there is no comfort nor solace to be derived from the doctrine of endless misery..

"But for the last three or four years, a thick and dark cloud has hung over the course, and enveloped in dismay the mind, of our revered friend. He lost nearly all hope of his own reconciliation to God and interest in the Redeemer. He sunk into a settled, deep, religious melancholy, which occasionally appeared in paroxysms of despair and horror. His bitter moanings were, at times, sufficient to wring with sympathetic anguish the most unfeeling heart.”

Dr. Austin for a long time before his death, was in a state little short of madness; * and we do not see what is to hinder that effect in a man who sincerely believes in endless misery, and applies his doctrine to himself. The same remark may be made concerning the celebrated Dr. Bellamy, well known as an orthodox divine. Cowper, also, the beautiful poet, it is well known, more than once attempted to destroy his life through the influence of religious melancholy. "He

See "Unitarian Advocate," for July, 1831.

was led into a deep consideration of his religious state; and, having imbibed the doctrine of election and reprobation, in its most appalling rigor, he was led to a very dismal state of apprehension. We are told, "that the terror of eternal judgment overpowered and actually disordered his faculties; and he remained seven months in a continual expectation of being instantly plunged into eternal misery."* Although he at times recovered from this dreadful depression, he at last sunk under it, being gradually worn out, and he expired upon his bed.

This subject brings to mind the exclamation of Saurin, the celebrated French divine. After having preached a long discourse in support of endless misery, he breaks out in the following touching peroration: "I sink! I sink under the awful weight of my subject; and I declare, when I see my friends, my relations, the people of my charge, this whole congregation; when I think that I, that you, that we are all threatened with these torments; when I see in the lukewarmness of my devotions, in the languor of my love, in the levity of my resolutions and designs, the least evidence, though it be only presumptive, of my future misery, yet I find in the thought a mortal poison, which diffuseth itself into every period of my life, rendering society tiresome, nourishment insipid, pleasure disgustful, and life itself a cruel bitter. I cease to wonder, that the fear of hell hath made some mad and others melancholy.'

May we not, then, have "deep solicitude" that mankind may be delivered from a faith whose effects are so appalling?

V. "On this ground, I cannot account for the bitter opposition which the wicked exhibited to the preaching of Christ and his apostles. If in their preaching they advocated the doctrine that all will be saved, why did they meet with persecution and distress from wicked men ? No one can tell."

If Christ and his apostles preached Universalism,

* See the new "Encyclopedia Americana," art. Cowper, and Cowper's" Private Correspondence with his most intimate friends, edited after the life by Haley, by his relative Johnson."