Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

able or needless, that all this is as important and necessary as if this doctrine were not true."

So likewise the doctrine of universal salvation is so far from rendering the use of means, and setting motives before them in order to promote and effect their living a life of faith and holiness, unreasonable or needless, that all this is as important and necessary as if the doctrine were not true, and their salvation were not made certain. I can see no cause why the argument for one will not apply equally as well for the other; and if any who reject the doctrine which I contend for, will shew why it is not as proper for a Universalist to preach the gospel to the whole world, as it is for a Calvinist to preach the same to believers, they shall receive the sincere thanks of a well-wisher to the cause of truth, B. MORSE.

For the Christian Repository. Mr. EDITOR,-I consider you to be peculiarly generous in admitting the writings of those who disagree with you in sentiment into your publication. This is not only christian-like, but, as I conceive, the most promising method of eliciting truth. If it will not be too great a demand upon your generosity, please to admit the following into your next number.

A writer, signing himself "Justin," has undertaken to give an exposition of John v. 28, 29, in the Repository for October. That writer, in my apprehension, has altogether mistaken his subject, and I presume would be gratified to have his mistake pointed out.

Justin supposes that a literal resurrection of persons is spoken of in the passage quoted. The fact is, there is uo resurrection of persons asserted in that passage. The passage speaks of the resurrection of life, and the resurrection of damnation; but says nothing about the

resurrection of any person whatever. The meaning of it I conceive to be this-Jesus was sent, as to his personal ministry, only to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Therefore in verse 25th he says, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead (meaning the house of Israel, spiritually dead) shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." But the time was coming when not only the house of Israel, but the Gentiles also, should hear his voice, through his apostles and successors in the ministry, some to believe in the gospel, and so receive Christ, which is "the resurrection of life," and some not to believe, which would involve them in the condemnation of the law, which is called "the resurrection of damnation." As the final reception of the Jews is called "life from the dead," (Rom. xi. 15,) so the reception of any, whether Jews of Gentiles, previous to that time, is life from the dead; or it is coming from the dead, or the graves, to the resurrection of life. "There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus;" (the resurrection of life) but they are "justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses." Whereas all those Jews, and others, who disbelieved the gospel when they heard it, were awakened by it from their spiritual slumber in their graves, not to be justified, as above stated, but to experience the condemning power of the law, and to suffer all its denunciations. He that believeth not the gospel, when he hears it, (and he cannot hear it till he is awakened by it) shall be damned; and this is coming to the resurrection of damnation, or condemning power of the law. Hence the bour that was coming, when all that were in their graves (i. e. both Jews and Gentiles) should hear the voice of the Son of God and come forth, they that had done good to the resurrection of life, and they that had done evil to the resurrection of damnation, was

that alluded to in Acts xiii. 45, 46, in these words "But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you, but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, (the resurrection of life) lo, we turn to the Gentiles." Here we find the Jews awakened at the sound of Christ's voice, as it was heard from the mouth of the Apostles, but not to justification, but to damnation. Therefore they, in particular, were meant by those who should come forth from their graves, not to the resurrection of life, (Christ) but to the resurrection of damnation, which is the law. The statement of Justin, that "the doctrine of no future punishment forbids the idea of any special judgment,” and all his arguments on this ground, are as unscriptural as any thing could be. For instance, Cain received his just punishment, for murder, in being made a fugitive and vagabond in the earth; and yet a special judgment, for murder, was to come on the Jewish nation in this world. Hearken to Christ "Wherefore behold I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify, &c. that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, &c. Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation." (See Matt. xxiii. 34, 35, 36.) Altho every individual murderer, from Cain downward to the time of Jerusalem's destruction, received, in his own person in this world, the just recompense of his deeds, yet the consummation of a murderous temper, and consequently of the punishment of murderers, took place, in a special manner, with the generation of the Jews about eighteen

hundred years ago.

Those who murdered the Prince of life, crying, "His blood be on us and on our children," have certainly experienced a special judgment, according to their special criminality, and that all in this world. The anger of the Lord was kindled against the land of Judea, as foretold in Deuteronomy xxix. 27, to bring upon it all the curses written in the book of the law. St. Paul tells us, that "as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law." (Rom. ii. 12.) The Jews sinned in the law, and, of course, were to be judged by the law. According to the law, as just quoted, all its curses were to come upon them in this world; for they were all to come upon the land of Israel. They did come, in all their force, about ten years after Paul wrote the above declaration. The judgment of the Jews, according to the law in which they had sinned, took place here in this world, A. D. 70; and, in the figurative language of scripture, "The whole land of Judea became brimstone, and salt, and buruing-like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah." (See Deut. xix. 23.) Therefore it is evident, not only that each individual who sinned in the law suffered in his own person a just recompense, but also, that a special judgment, a particular period of judgment, took place with the nation, and all in this world. All the denunciations of the law, against individual transgressors, and against the whole nation to whom the law was given, are specified as temporal, and restricted to this world. Therefore, if St. Paul was right in saying that those who sinned in the law should be judged by the law, it is certain that neither that judgment, nor the punishment of transgressors, were to be in another world, but here on the earth. It is also certain, that both the judgment and punishment, according to law, have taken place with the Jews, and that Justin is laboring under an entire mistake in the whole matter. JOHN BROOKS.

MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE GENERAL CON

VENTION OF UNIVERSALISTS, SEPTEMBER, 1825.

The Ministers and Delegates composing the General Convention of Universalists of the New England States and others, assembled, according to adjournment, in Hartland, Vt. on the 20th Sept. 1825, and opened the session by uniting with Br. Paul Dean, in solemn thanksgiving and prayer.

Organized the Council by choosing Br. PAUL DEAN, Moderator, Br. RUSSELL STREETER, Clerk, and Br. DOLPHUS SKINNER, Assistant Clerk.

Appointed Brs. H. Ballou, 2d, R. Streeter, and K. Haven, a committee to receive applications for letters of Fellowship and Ordination, and to make a seasonable report thereof to this Council.

Br. Wm. Morse addressed the throne of grace, and the Council adjourned to meet again on Wednesday morning, at 8 o'clock.

Wednesday, A. M. 8 o'clock-convened in Council, and invoked the divine blessing with Br. Gardner.

Read the certificates and letters of Delegates from several Societies, and attended to verbal reports from others; and received gratifying and encouraging intelligence.

Voted, To grant the request of the following Societies, to be received into the fellowship of the General Convention of Universalists; viz. "The Restorationist Society in Royalton," Vt. "The First Universalist Society of Piermont," N. H. "The Universal Society of Restorationers in Richmond,” N.H. "The Universalist Society in Randolph," Vt. "The First Society of United Christian Friends, called Restorationists, at Saratoga Springs," N. Y. and "The Universalist Society of South Woodstock," Vt.

Voted, To grant the request of the Universalist Society in Hartland, to have Br. R. Bartlett installed, during the session, as pastor of that Church and Society.

PUBLIC EXERCISES, WEDNESDAY, A. M.

The first prayer by Br. W. Morse; the sermon by Br. S. Cobb, from Matt. xxii. 37-40: the last prayer by Br. K. Haven.

PUBLIC EXERCISES-AFTERNOON.

First prayer by Br. David Ballou; the sermon by Br. H. Ballou, from 1 Kings iii. 5; the closing prayer by Br. Wil

liam Bell.

Having returned to the Council Hall, it was Resolved, on

[ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »