commends prayer to all men; saying, "I will your scheme, that it tended to set at naught therefore, that men pray every where, lifting the whole mediatorial plan, and to depreciate up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." 1 Tim. ii. 1,8; iv. 9-11. Observe, the apostle recommends prayer for all men; and wills, that men should pray every where, at all times, and in all places, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. How nearly forgiving all men, and praying for all men, stand connected! and both are plainly and peremptorily recommended by our Lord, who says, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." We are commanded to pray for all men, because it is the will of God that all men should be saved (or restored) because Christ hath given himself a ransom for all. And we are bid to pray without doubting. O what a world is this! May we, ought we, to pray, for the salvation of all men, without doubting? Surely, God would never have commanded us to do this, unless it was his purpose to restore all men, in his own time; and no man can say, that the belief of the Restoration will prevent our praying for all men. I was once on a journey, and called in at the house of one of my former good friends. Several religious persons were there; and, after some time, my sentiments came to be spoken of, and they seemed to wonder how I could embrace the opinion, that all men, finally, would be saved! I told them, however many might preach against it, that no person, under the influence of the Divine Spirit, could pray against it; but, on the contrary, we could pray for it in faith, nothing wavering, as God had commanded, and as his Spirit naturally inspired; that no person could pray God not to save or restore all mankind, without being shocked at the blasphemy and impiety of such a prayer; but that our Lord had said, that all things whatsoever we asked in prayer, believing that we should receive, should be granted, let them be things seemingly ever so impossible; that if we asked any thing according to his will, it should be done; and that it was his positive and declared will, that all men should be saved (or restored) and come to the knowledge of the truth; that we were ordered to pray for it in faith, without doubting; and, therefore, it was as evident as the nature of things required, that it would be done; since God had never ordered us to pray for any thing that he was not able and willing to do. This, and much more, I said, and they seemed exceedingly well satisfied; especially, when I informed them, that it was through the blood of Christ, the blood of the covenant, that the prisoners should be sent forth out of the pit wherein is no water, and that all should be restored through his mediation. Friend. Then you hold that even the damned shall be finally restored and delivered by the power of Jesus, and through his blood the blood of Jesus, which he had shed to purge our sins away; though I never observed any thing like this in your discourses, either in public or in private. Minister.-No; God forbid that I should ever set aside the blood that cleanseth from all sin; nor can I be charged with it, unless having a much higher idea of its merit than my opposers, may be looked upon as tending to depreciate it. They hold that it shall cleanse a small number from their sins; Ibelieve that it shall cleanse, heal, and restore the whole human race. They believe that its virtue endures for a little season; I maintain that it shall continue to all ages, until all evil shall be destroyed out of the universe. Friend. I am satisfied that you do not mean to set at naught the powerful blood of the dear Redeemer, but on the contrary, you suppose that your views tend more to exalt it. Pray proceed in your discourse. Minister.-I need not say much more upon this matter. Our Saviour has said, "If any man will do his (the Father's) will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." St. John vii. 17. This is the surest rule; practice religion; love, revere, and serve God; love all men, even your enemies; do good to all, forgive all, and pray for all; and then ask, is the doctrine of final Restoration contrary to this manner of life? If it be, reject it; for these commands are plain; and if these principles are inconsistent with the observation of these precepts, then avoid them, as you would death and hell. But, I trust, it has been shown that they have no such tendency; but the contrary. For instance, does this doctrine tend to make us hate God, and his character? Does it naturally fill our minds with selfishness, and prevent benevolence from ruling within us? Does it fill us with pride, and cause us to look down with contempt upon those that are beneath us in life, and banish humility from our hearts? Does the belief of this, cause our breasts to swell with pale envy, and rancorous malice, at the happiness of others? Does it cause us to burn with hellish rage, fury and madness, against mankind? Does it tend to destroy meekness, and increase wrath? If these questions require (either from the nature of things, or from known facts) the answers to be in the affirmative; then I would abhor such a system, and wish it to be universally detested: but, if on the contrary, the candid inquirer must answer in the negative, and say, that the doctrine of the final Restoration does not tend to produce selfishness, envy, pride, or wrath; but, on the contrary, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men;" that it causes benevolence, meekness, humility, forbearance, forgiveness, charity, and all goodness, to abound and increase; then it cannot be a licentious doctrine, and is not to be discarded on that account; for it is a maxim with St. John, that "He that 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. 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 World." And in his history of the Baptists in Pennsylvania, speaking of these people, he says: "General redemption they certainly held, and, withal, general salvation; which tenets (though wrong) are consistent. In a 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 licentious; both from the first principles on which it is founded, from the nature of experimental and practical religion, and from facts. As to that part of the objection, which supposes this doctrine to be the same that the serpent preached to Eve, saying, "Ye shall not surely die;" it seems almost unworthy of notice. But as it has been glorified in by some writers, as unanswerable, merely because it was passed over unnoticed, as 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 be lieved 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. Did St. Paul join with the serpent, when he said, "For as in Adam all die, even so in CHRIST shall all be made alive?" 1 Cor. xv. 22. Will any suppose that we affirm, that the dreadful threatenings denounced by God, never were, nor ever will be executed, because 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, 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. 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? in the day wherein they sinned; yet, CHRIST is 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 con- But I now pass to consider the latter part tradicting God, or joining with the serpent. of this objection, upon which I have dwelt so Had the Scriptures, indeed, contained no-long; viz. that it is the nature of God to lay the thing 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 way, by promising him life; but we are so far from strengthening the hands of the wicked, and saying, that no evil shall come upon them; that we declare from the Scripture, 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 unrighteousness, 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 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. 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, restrain sin, but "that the offence might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus 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. iii. 19. St. Paul says; "Sin, taking occasion 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, yet God has not thought fit to restrain it by those, and perhaps many other possible ways. Wherefore I have a right to doubt the premises; for if the strongest possible restraints were laid upon sin, it might not be so consistent with a state of probation, as those reasonable restraints which God hath thought fit to lay upon it. 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. 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 ef 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 foot, but you say, ten thousand for one, and that punishment shall never end." I have heard of numbers that had no better excuse for sinning greedily, than this, viz. that there was no hopes of their being saved; that, therefore, they were determined to sin as much as possible, since it could make no difference. I have reason to say, from what I know of mankind, that more persons refuse to believe in Divine Revelation because it is commonly thought to contain the doctrine of endless misery, than from any other cause: And numbers have embraced it immediately upon being fairly convinced that it was not necessary to understand it in that light. And a very sensible Deist once said to an acquaintance of mine, who believed and preached the universal doctrine, "Had I been acquainted with your system, thirty years ago, I should have been a zealous Christian; and as great a friend to Revelation, as I have been an ene-vation to sinners, through grace, or faith in my." "And pray why not now, Doctor?" "Because I am ashamed, having been so long fighting against, to receive it now." 3. Though damnation has been commonly understood to be endless, for many ages; yet it has not (as far as we can judge) prevented evil at all, or very little; but I have mentioned before, how very strict those people live, who receive and hold the system of limited punishments; whether it is that endless damnation is too unnatural to be believed, and that limited punishments, being more reasonable, seem more certain; or whether it be that by considering they shall be punished, either without end or not at all; and every one thinking that endless punishment is more than they deserve, but is only reserved for some greater sinners, and therefore they have nothing to fear from it, I shall not pretend to determine; but certain it is, that where the idea of endless misery prevails, it has not prevent 6. As the doctrine of the final Restoration has been shewn in itself not to have the least tendency to licentiousness, but directly the reverse; and as far as I can learn, by history, or my own observation, those who have believed it, in the manner here laid down, as perfectly consistent with a future state of rewards and punishments, have been particularly careful to depart from iniquity of every kind; yet if any should be so lost to all that is good, as to pervert this truth (revealed for contrary purposes) to their own destruction, they alone must bear the blame, the loss and the punishment. The Scriptures of truth have been perverted; yet that is no argument against Divine Revelation. The Gospel of the Grace of GoD, has been abused; but should it never be preached on that account? Some in the apostles' days, turned the Grace of GOD itself into wantonness and lasciviousness, (See Jude, 4,) and others pretended that those holy men encouraged sin, by proclaiming sal Christ; of which St. Paul complains, Rom. iii. 8. "We be slanderously reported, and some affirm that we say, let us do evil that good may come: whose damnation is just." The holy apostle abhorred, and constantly denied this horrid consequence, which some perverse minds pretended to draw from his doctrine; he declared that the damnation of such was just, who did sin that grace might abound, or who affirmed that the doctrine Ted thereto, or that the apostles taught or practised any such things; nevertheless (not as fools, but as wise) they did not think fit to lay the gospel aside and refuse to preach salvation through CHRIST any more on that account. The selfsame reasoning applies to the present case. Friend.-I must confess that you have so far prevailed as to silence this great objection; for certainly the belief of the Restoration 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. 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 Besides, it is impossible to read the Scriphis first evident intention. He hath abounded tures attentively, and not perceive that God towards us in all wisdom and prudence, having very frequently mixes promises of mercies made known unto us the mystery of his will among his severest threatenings of judgment; according to his good pleasure, which he hath and yet he doth not throw down with one purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of hand, what he builds up with the other. the fulness 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. Ephes. i. 8-10. God hath judged it to be the height of heavenly wisdom and prudence to make known to his saints, his glorious purpose, finally to re-head all things in Christ; 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 remember, and never expect to have any more Your objection seems to suppose that the doctrine of the Restoration supercedes and sets aside those punishments which God has threatened to inflict upon the impenitent; or else how does the preaching of this doctrine weaken the force of the threatenings? But this is a very false idea; for we acknowledge that 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 |