given him, neither in this world nor in the world to come. (Matt. xii. 31, 32. See also Mark iii. 29. Luke xii. 10.) So long as the gospel rejects every idea of the salvation of men without forgiveness, so long will those texts confute the salvation of all men.* The apostle says in 1 John v. 16, If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. It is evident we are not to pray for those who sin unto death, because their salvation is impossible: for if their salvation be possible, no sufficient reason can be given why we should not pray for it. It is said in Heb. vi. 4-6, It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were partakers of the holy Ghost, and have tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they should fall away, to renew them again to repentance. Since it is impossible to renew them to repentance, it is im possible that they can be saved. Of like import is chap. x. 26, 27: For if we sin wilfully after that we have receiv ed the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin; but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. If there remain no more a sacrifice for sin, then neither will the man whose character is here de scribed, be able by his own sufferings to make a sacrifice or satisfaction for his sins, nor will the sacrifice of Christ be longer of any avail to him: and if the judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries remain for him, he will suffer them without a possibility of escape, either by the sacrifice of Christ, or in consequence of his own sufferings.-The woe denounced by Christ on Judas also seems to remain a demonstrative proof of endless punishment: Wo to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed; good were it for that man if he had never been born! (Matt. xxvi. 24. *Dr. Edwards asserts, that the hypothesis of the Universalists precludes all possibility of the forgiveness of the damned, even on the supposition of their being finally admitted to heavenly happiness. Forgiveness implies that the sinner forgiven is not punished in his own person according to law and justice. On the scheme of the Universalists, all the damned are in their own persons punished according to law and justice, in that they suffer that punishment which is necessary to lead them to repentance. The new testament every where represents that all who are saved are saved in a way of forgiveness. decisive of it; as hopeless of He that is Mark xiv. 21.) Let Judas suffer a temporary misery of ever so long duration, it must be infinitely less than an endless duration of happiness. So that if Judas were finally to enjoy endless happiness, he would be an infinite gainer by his existence, let the duration of his previous misery be what it might. It was therefore, on the supposition of his final salvation, not only good, but infinitely good, that he had been born; which is a direct contradiction to the declaration of our Saviour.-All those texts which declare that those who die impenitent shall perish, shall be cast away, and rejected, disprove universal salvation; as, 1 Cor. i. 18, 2 Pet. ii. 12, &c. With what truth or propriety can those be said to perish, be cast away, be rejected, destroyed, and lost, who shall finally be saved? So it is said in Ileb. vi. 8, That which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. How is it the end of any man to be burned, if all shall finally be saved? The expectation of the wicked the general judgment, cannot shall perish. (Prov. x. 28.) If be said to come quickly, and all are saved, the expectation to be at hand. The reprethe wicked have of final hap- sentation in the parables of piness will never be cut off.- our Lord is, that after the The figurative descriptions of general judgment the tares the punishment of the wicked and chaff shall no are strong, emphatical, and mixed with the wheat, nor unjust let him be unjust still, and he that is filthy let him be filthy still, and he that is righteous let him be righteous still, and he that is holy let him be holy still. And behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be, (Rev.xxii. 10-12.) These last words determine this text to refer to the general judgment; for a period, ages of ages after more be consequences. * > the good with the bad fish. Nor is there any intimation that the tares and the chaff will become wheat, or the bad, putrid fish, become good; but the contrary is plainly implied in the parables themselves. Besides, the judgment is said to be eternal, awvior; doubtless with respect to the endless and unchangeable But if the judgment be strictly eternal with respect to its consequences, the punishment of the damned will be without end. The parables before mentioned further prove endless punishment, as they represent that the bad fish are cast away, that the tares and chaff are burnt up. How is this consistent with their final salvation and happiness? The peculiar epithets and emphasis put upon the future judgment indicate it final. It is frequently styled the last day; and the great works appropriated to it are, the universal resurrection, and the universal judgment and decision of the states of the whole moral world. That the wicked will never be released from punishment, and pass from hell into the abodes of the blessed, is asserted by our Saviour in the words which he represents Abraham speaking to the rich man: And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed; so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from thence. (Luke xvi. 26.) He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; but he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. If all are to be saved, then all will see and enjoy life; which is contrary to the express words of scripture.-All the texts which speak of the divine vengeance, fury, wrath, indignation, fiery indignation, &c., hold forth some other punishment than that which is merely disciplinary. (See Deut. xxxii. 41. Rom. iii. 5, 6. xii 9, 2 Thess. i. 8, &c.) Beside the arguments drawn directly from texts of scripture, there is one from the general nature of the gospel. Those who die impenitent deserve an endless punishment; for if endless punishment be not the penalty threatened in the law, no account can be given of the penalty of the law. It cannot be the temporary punishment actually suffered by the damn * Dr. Edwards, and the other advocates for the eternity of future punishment, assert that the greek words aion and aionios strictly imply an endless duration. On the other hand, Dr. Chauncey has taken great pains to shewthat they mean a limited duration, ed, because then they would be finally saved without forgiveness. It cannot be a temporary punishment of less duration than that which is suffered by the damned, because on that supposition they are punished more than they deserve. It cannot be a temporary punishment of longer duration than that which the scriptures abundantly declare the damned shall suffer, because no such punishment is threatened in the law or in any part of scripture: it must therefore be an endless punishment. The doctrine of the perpetuity of future punishment is also confirmed by the constitution of nature, which connects sin and misery together, and will finally make the wicked necessarily miserable as long as they have existence; unless this constitution be annihilated, or superseded by the grace of God, which he assures us never shall be the case.* Real Grace, issuing in the Salvation of All Men." The author of this performance supposes the atonement to be a direct, true, and proper setting all our guilt to the ac count of Christ, as our fede ral head and sponsor; and alike placing his obedience to death to our account." "The Son of Man (says he) is God's only object, as an elect head, in regard to our eternal salvation; and all human nature is one entire, elect object, in union with Christ, as a body with a head." Agreeably to this idea, Dr. Huntington maintains that our sins are transferred to Christ, and his righteousness to us; that he was a true and proper substitute for all mankind, and has procured unconditional, eternal salvation, for every individual;+ that the gospel is all mere news, good news, and hath no threatenings in it; that law and gospel are diametrically opposite; that these two disA new scheme of universal pensations of God oppose each salvation has been advanced other from beginning to end. by the late Rev. Joseph Hunt- "The moral law (says he) ington, D D., in a posthumous every where speaks to man in work, entitled, "Calvinism his own personal character, Improved; or, The Gospel the gospel in that of the Illustrated in a System of Messiah. The law informs us Edwards against Chauncey, pp. 53-293. Johnson on Everlasting According to this author, in consequence of this imputation of guilt and righteousness, God regards sinful man in the proper character of his substitute, or vicar. what man in justice deserves, ton's "Calvinism Improved” the gospel what the Son of has been published by Mr. God deserves." Accordingly Nathan Strong, minister of the doctor understands all the Hartford in Connecticut. In threatenings in the word of this work he endeavours to God as the pure voice of law reconcile the doctrine of eter and justice. Thus he explains nal misery with the infinite beMatt. xxv. 46: "Mankind nevolence of God. Mr. Strong in this passage are considered observes, that those who be in two characters: in their lieve in eternal punishment, own personally; and then the found their belief in consist voice of the righteous law is, ence with the infinite benevoThese shall go away into ever- lence of the Godhead. They lasting punishment, but (in suppose that benevolence is Christ) the righteous (by union the sum of all his glorious of faith) shall enter into life perfections; that it is a cometernal. The wicked charac- prehensive name for his whole ter shall remain an everlast- moral rectitude; that there is ing object of shame, contempt, no separation to be made be and condemnation, in the view tween primitive justice and of God and holy intelligences; benevolence; that it is his the righteous character an benevolence which moves him eternal object of approbation, to punish now and eternally; worthy of life eternal." and that if he did not punish he would not be an infinitely benevolent God. He defines benevolence to be,—(1.) A love of the greatest quantity of happiness.-(2.) That it is consistent with the existence of misery.-(3.) That it has regard to the greatest quantity of happiness in society, and not to the happiness of every individual. "Benevolence thus defined (says he) is that goodness, or holiness, which directs the supreme God in creating, governing, and rewarding. The good of the whole, or the An answer to Dr. Hunting greatest happiness of intellec* Huntington's Calvinism Improved, pp. 26–165. This author declares, that the whole tenor of divine revelation ascertains the salvation of all men. In support of this assertion he adduces various texts of scripture. But, as many of the general arguments in favour of universal salvation have been exhibited in the foregoing articles, the readers who desire to see Dr. Huntington's peculiar system delineated at large, and his manner of defending it, are referred to his posthumous publication.* |