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not have died to save men from endless punishment; for this would suppose that he died to prevent a violation of divine justice. We say then as Christ did not die to save men from endless punishment, on the supposition that such punishment would be unjust, it follows that his death cannot disprove endless punishment on one hand, nor prove endless, universal salvation, on the other. The arguments then drawn from the death of Christ and the justice of God clearly contradict each other.

Once more, universalists contradict themselves in their exposition of terms. They often urge the term destruction, in proof that the devil and sin will have an eternal end, because this term is applied to the devil and his works; but when it is said that sinners shall be destroyed, they turn in defence and attempt to maintain that destruction means nothing more than some temporal evil, which is perfectly consistent with an eternal and happy existence. The above points have been produced as mere specimens of the contradictions which exist between the arguments employed by universalists. We ask then, will the reader venture the cause of his eternal salvation on evidence so contradictory?

III. Universalism is not calculated to reform community, but is demoralizing in its tendency. We are perfectly aware that this objection will be highly resented by many universalists, and be condemned as false and slanderous; but our appeal is to the candid, who will please to remember that it is not universalists that we here assail, but universalism. Let facts speak for themselves.

1. Universalists as a religious community have not done, and are not doing so much for the spread of the gospel and the advance of the Messiah's kingdom, as christians of other denominations. As a denomination they have not made the least effort to spread the saving influence of the truth beyond the circle of our own already christianized congregations. Christianity is evidently designed to fill the world, and to bless all nations; and if universalism be true, its heralds should fly on mercy's wings to proclaim it to the ends of the earth; and yet a universalist minister was never known to step over the line of christendom to scatter the light of the gospel in the pathway of the benighted heathen. All other denominations

are making praiseworthy efforts to bring the heathen under the influence of the gospel, while universalists instead of coming up to the work, so far as they have done any thing on the subject, have actually opposed. Those among christians, who believe that they must live a sober, righteous and prayerful life here, in order to be saved in heaven, are entitled to their unmingled pity, while the degraded savages excite no sympathy, and Hindoo widows can perish upon the funeral pile; and they have not a tear to shed, nor an effort to make, to have it otherwise.

The following article, which is copied from the Magazine and Advocate, a universalist paper published at Utica, N. Y. goes to prove the effect which universalism produces in drying up the streams of benevolence, and paralizing the efforts which are made for the support of the gospel under the influence of other sentiments. As the article is short we copy it entire.

"For the Magazine an Advocate.

WHY IS THIS?

I know men who, while they were Partialists, paid from forty to sixty dollars per annum, for the support of these doctrines. They are now universalists, and are as able as ever-but they complain of being unable to afford ten to twenty dollars per annum to support the doctrine they profess! Did they love Partialism more-Universalism less, or their money most of all? WHY IS THIS?"

We answer, because if universalism be true, all will be just as well off in the end, without the preaching of the gospel as with it.

2. No visible reformations take place under universalist preaching. When and where have universalist preachers entered the neighborhood of sabbath-breakers, drunkards, and of vice in general, and had them transformed under their ministry into a sober, praying and moral people? Such an instance has never fallen under our observation, though we have often seen these fruits follow the labours of those who preach the doctrine of endless punishment.

3. Men do not generally become more pious, better citiizens and neighbours, when they abandon the doctrine of endless punishment and embrace unisversalism; but men do,

on the other hand, generally become more moral and pious when they abandon universalism and embrace the doctrine of endless punishment. This cannot be denied.

4. Some who have committed crime, have afterwards confessed that a belief in universalism led them to perpetrate the deed, but no one ever made a contrary confession. It is perfectly easy to conceive that men may, through temptation, be led to commit sin because they think they shall not be punished endlessly for it; but it is not possible to conceive that a belief in the doctrine of endless punishment could, under any circumstances, be an incentive to crime. But it may be said that universalism teaches, that if men sin they must be punished for it, and that there is no way of escaping it. To this we reply, that while universalism teaches that there is no way of escaping the punishment of sin after it is committed, it has never told the sinner what his punishment must be, but that it is endured in some way here as he passes along through life. Taking this view, the sinner can have no cause much to fear a universalist hell, for he is taught that he has been in it ever since he began to sin; and having found it quite supportable, and most of the time quite comfortable, he can have but little to fear for the future. think the above array of facts most clearly proves that universalism is demoralizing.

We

IV. Universalism is not especially comforting to the truly pious, but administers consolation to none but the ungodly. The godly have every assurance of salvation whether it be true or false; hence, their own hope of salvation does not depend upon the truth of universalism, but upon a knowledge of their present acceptance with God, being justified by faith and already in the way to heaven. Should it prove true that those who live and die in sin will be forever lost, it would not endanger the salvation of those who fear God and keep his commandments. Taking this view, we see that so far as relates to personal hope and comfort, universalism can administer nothing to the truly pious which they may not enjoy without it, or which they might not enjoy knowing it to be false. But while universalism administers nothing to the personal comfort of the pious, it really administers to the comfort and hope of the wicked of every description, so

far as they believe it. It says to them that sin cannot endanger their final salvation. Universalism says to the drunkard that though he must suffer here in the loss of property, character, and the aching of a feverish brain, yet drunkenness cannot endanger his final salvation; that just in proportion as he shortens his life by intemperance he will hasten his flight to heaven; and if at any time he shall drink so much as to destroy life, or if he meet with some fatal accident in a defenceless hour of intoxication, for such last drunken-fit he will have no after pain, but will awake in heaven and find himself shouting among the angels and redeemed spirits. Universalism says to the murderer, that though he must be somewhat disturbed with the horror of a guilty conscience, and be hanged by the neck if he be detected, yet all the murders he can commit cannot shut him out of heaven at last; that should he be called to expiate his crimes upon the gallows, yet it will be but a momentary pang, from whence he will make a precipitate retreat to heaven where he will meet the victim for whose murder he was hanged, and will have the opportunity of congratulating him on their premature arrival in glory.

Universalism says to the man who may be tired of contending with the ills of the present life, that suicide is a shorter way to heaven; that though it looks like a harsh work to take one's own life, yet he must die at last, and probably suffer more in dying than he will by an act which will end his life and suffering together in an instant. From this view it must be seen that universalism administers 'no special comfort to the devoted, praying christian; gives no special encouragement to virtue; but absolutely comforts the wicked in their sin, and strengthens the hands of the workers of iniquity.

V. Universalism is unsafe. It makes salvation depend upon a disputed point; disputed too by the voice of the church, and by the principal writers and commentators of every age. How unsafe then must it be, to hang our immortal hopes upon the truth of a point so generally and ably contested? There are many no doubt, whose only hope of heaven depends upon the truth of universalism, and should it fail, which it may do, their prospects are blasted in eternal night. Unless univer

salists pretend to popish infallibility, they must admit that they may be mistaken, and if mistaken, all who depend upon it for salvation will be ruined forever. But this is not the case with those who hold the opposite doctrine.

Should those who believe in the doctrine of endless punishment, and are living, watching and praying in view of it, after all find themselves mistaken, it will be attended by no lasting evil they will still be saved. If there be no hell, our believing that there is one, cannot be the cause of our going to hell, and if there be no eternal damnation, we cannot be eternally damned; and if the doctrine of endless punishment be false, our believing it to be true will not render us liable to be punished endlessly. An old and just proverb says, "there can be no harm in keeping upon the safe side." "Their rock is not as our rock, our enemies themselves being judges."

THE END.

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