3T 7SC C45 University of California Berkeley .<- .' DIVIDE- ^.B R O U G H T T O V I E \V ' "~ ' ~ f .< FINAL SALVATION OF ALL/ MEM. / E T T E R <, " To the Frieiro t& Truth. i$x % " /6o -wifhfs -well to all Mankind. J < By the rigJueoufhefs of one, tl^r free v gift came upon ALL MEN to justification ^tid life." PAUL. " And hLL FLESH fball fee the falvation of God." LUKE iii, 6^ % .*. ^^ ^ L. , _ ^> BOSTON; Printed .and 1 Sold by T. AND J. F L E E T> at the BIBLE and HEAET in Cornhiil, 1783, I ( 3 I ><'^< : V. Drv'wc Gkry brought to View IN THE FINAL -SALVATION OF ALL MANKIND, A LETTER, 5 1 R, THOUGH unconvinced by your arguments, I am plcafed with the temper you difcovcr j and am happy to find, you can unite the moderation of a fair dijputant with the candour of a cbriftian* Unlike fome others, who have engaged in the controverfy, you attack opinions^ and not their author^ wifely confiiering others may differ from you in femiment, without being inftdious foes to the inno cence of mankind. However though recommended by fo much candour and moderation, I am ft ill under the difagreeable neceffity of di0enting from ycur reli gious fy.ftem. Nor can I calmly refign up a number of my fpecies to everlafting mifery, notwithftanding all you have faid to prove it confiftent with the juflice of God, and client ia] to his glory, I have fuch a veneration for my creator, as jfo fuppofe he needs no foil fo fet off his perfections : : Such ?n opinion of the faints, as to imagine they could rtlifli ibtir felicity, without MI73497 4; A L ETr E R, &c. ;Vt'* i ^ ' l : : ^itJiotit^bei'ng'fpeftators of the mifery of the damned, I place fucha value up>n the merits and de^th of my. redeemer, as to conclude all will be happy for whom he fuffered on the crofs. And I pay fuch a regard to the pofitive declarations of fcripture, as to antici pate the reftieufion of all things ; when the ruins of the fall Hull b? more than repaired, and tbs creature which now grtans Jhall groan no mare* From thefe few hints it muft be evident to all, the Gods we refpedlively ferve are very unlike each other; and that our profprds beyond the ^rave dp as widely differ, The God, to whom you pay your jreligious homage, needs the introduction of fin and mifery* in order to illuftme fcs own chara&er, and clifplay his divin? perfections. / bow my knee to a power intrinfecally excellent, who can fhine without contraft \ whofe glory is eiVential ; whufe happinefs is immutable and who would be the admiration of alj his creatures, e^en were guilt and iuffering banilhtd the uniVerfe, Tou expert to look down from hraven upon numbers of wretched obj" leads to a conclufion of which you are not aware, I am ready to nppeal to thofe who are moft prejudiced in favour. of your work, whether, upon your own principles, the final Jalvation of al(.msn does not neccfTiriiy follow. It were needief?, therefor?, to purfue you farther, till the error of this conclufion be deteded. The pijffages, to which 1 referred, are as follows. 46 God our faviourrwho will have all men to be faved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth " i Tim, ii. 3. '* The living God, who is the faviour of all men, efpecially of thofe that believe.' 5 i Tim iv. 10. The former of thefe texts you explain after the ufual manner; as intimating a define that 4 *all people, na tions, and chffes of men" fhould become acquainte^ wita the gofpel, and be made partakers of the falva- tion there revealed, fnyourgth page, you acknow ledge there is a foundation laid for the uxiver/al be- ftowment of life. Your words are, " according to the exprefs word of God, it is plain, that mercy can not be granted without ao atonement ; and where ic cannot bz granted, it furely cannot be offered ; and therefore, an offer of mercy, fo compleat anduniverfal as has been mentioned, muft fuppofe an atonement equally A LETTER, equally compleat, and fufficient for the falvatidn of 'the whole world. 1 * i agree with you, in cppofnion to all the CALVINISTS that ever wrote upon the fubjedt, that nothing could be a greater in< on the weaknelsand mifer* ot mankind, than to offer them all falvc. Arminians, that call this in qucftion. The univerfally fuppoie, that all will be fkved^ for whom the Ton of God made an atonement Th^y woaM not fo undervalue the nieriis and death of Quid, 3 Q affert the contrary. Allowing then, our divine redeemer died for all^ sasS tfft&tGod, their heavenly father, is deftrous of their cwerltfting felicity, it muft follow, that all will, in ti&e rime, * c come to the knowledge of the truth and far faved. 1 * What fhould hinder the future acconi- ptrlfcment of the divine will ; or the final fuccefs of Qbrrfl's mediatorial undertaking ? Our wiflies are crffifra fruftrared : but God cannot be difoppoinced. loafmoch as the faviour of the world has atoned for tile fias of every creature, and God earneftiy defires ifae f3ilv.ation of all+ it is inconceivable that any fhould perifTi everkftingly. His infinite power, wifdom and gbodDefs forbid luch & diflionourable fuppofuion. If slkfe attributes belong co Cod, he muft be able and wiiHDg to reduce all men to a ftate of moral fubj.-dion Co* his suthoriiy. And if fo, he certainly will not fail it, Wt miy therefore, congratulate mankind up- rbeir fumre profpeds; and afiure them of an en- into heaven, as foon as they are qualified for MS Services and entertainments. this, I know, it is commonly objefted, that arc free age^ts^ and consequently may refift all cfee meafures, God ufes for their reformation and hap- Bur, I muft confcfs, 1 do not fee how this follows. Though fret* yet furely, infinite guided by infinite wifdom, and excited by infi- s, may devife iuch a fcheme, as fhal! bring men bio a ftitc of mural fabj:6lion, without breaking A L breaking in upon their liberty. It would be a grofs xt flexion upon the great Jehovah to iuppoie him in capable of doing this, he muft be able to treat all his creatures in iuch a manner, as (hall lead them to aft a wife and rational part. And he will do it, if he fincertly defires their happinefs. To fay therefore, that God ** mils all men fhou d come to the know ledge of the truch, and be favcd,"is virtually declaring chac the whole human race will be finally happy. His dejirir.g they fhculd be faved, muft iffue in their everlamng (alvation, And this falls in with the Cal- vinian doctrine refpedling this point. " The will of ** God (fay the divines of that denomination) is efficaci- " fltfj.and therefore, he cannot fall Ihort cfhte purpofe. i4 If he willed all men to be faved, he would fave " them ijfefihialiy. It is annihilating his Omnipotence 44 to fiy, he defires to fave all men, but that he cannot.'* Upon your own principles then, I muft conclude againft the fenfe you put upon thefe texts of Icripture* However, 1 will do you the joflice to own, your fentimencsare, in forne rt^ds. more liberal than thofe which have received the ftamp of Orthodoxy in this country. Cahinijlic writers will aJmitthc ialvation of all fur whom Chrift died, but fhen> they pretend, he died only for the Elell. The IPeftminfter Divines, who were under a folcmn oath, to maintain nothing, in point of dc&rine, but what they believed, exprefs themfelves in the following words. * fc By the decree of God, feme men and angels are prtdtftinated unto tvtrlafhng life, and others fore-ordained to everlafting death, Thofe ot mankind, that are predeftinated unto life, God, before the foundation ot tht world was laid, chofc in Chrift to tvcrkfling glory, c reconciled and fayed. We are born into the world heirs of immor tality. And the part, affigncd us, is to acquire fuch habits, and improve in fuch graces, as ihall fit us for the joys of heaven, at the refurretftion day. Hence God is ftyled " the faviour of all men, efpecially of thofc that believe." In confequence of the merits and facrifice of Chrift* eternal life is fecured to every individual; though believers only will bejfr/? parta kers of it, Others, who die in their fins muft fuffer the A LETTER, &c. n the confequences of their di (obedience, and be reduced to a proper temper of cnind, before they can be rati onally and immortally happy. But (hall they perifh forever ? God forbid The faviour of mankind (accor ding to your conftffion) died for, them, in common > with others An atonement is already made for tbsir fins. And " through the obedience of one, the free gift hath come upon them tojuftification of life. The confequence therefore, muft be, that fooner or later, they alfo will reap the benefits of Chrift's mediatorial undertaking. This is ft ill further confirmed by the reafoning of St. Paul m the 5th Chap of his epiftle to the Romans, 8, 9, and loth verfes. " Bat God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet finners, Chrift died for us. Much more then, being now juftified by his blood, we (hall be faved from wrath through him* For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God f by the death of his fon, much more being recon ciled, we (hall be faved by his lite." This reafoning, upon my prmciples,is ftrong and conclufive; uponyours, 1 can fee no force or pertinence in it. Inftead of ar guing a fortiori, as the apoftle intended, you would make him trifle, in a manner unworthy fo great a character. If I underftand him right, the idea he would convey is this, that in as much as God hath taken fuch an extraordinary ftep, as to deliver up his only brgotten fon forthe/?/r and ungodly, we may rely on it, he will not fail toaccomp^ifh hi benevolent purpofes, even their final reftoration t& favour^ and eutrlafting fahation. To illuftrate my meaning, let me refer you to the 6, 7 and 8th verfes. Having mentioned the love of God, the apoftle endeavours to fet 12 A LETTER, fr c . fet forth the exceeding greatntfs of it from this tonfi- deration, that it w*s wr.ile men were without ftr'en%tb % ungodly aad ftnntrs, that Jefus Chrift died for ibsm< But, if fuch was their moral fbte for whon he fuflfcred, MUCH MORE /fo// :bey b?f wed from wrath tbr;u%h him. In virtue of the atoning blood of Chrift, thefe "ftnnen and ungodly are in ijtftifiedjtate. O, as the apotlle exprcfiVs himfelf, thefe enemas are reconciled to God Thev are all refaied from that (late ot Watb and condemnation, ro which they were reduced by the fall. G^d therefore, being now, reconciled to thefe finners, enemies, and ungodly, the apolile would teach us to argue, that they fhall eventually he faved by the death of ftis fon. He would nnt have taken fuch meaiures for the recovery of mankind, had he not intended to accomplifh their everlafttng Jafoitton The application is obvious : There is an atonement For fin complete and univerjal \ and, in conft.qoence of it, the free gift b*s come upon ALL M FN tojuftifi- eatiw and bfe But whatever you underfland by this juftification^ whether you include more or K-fs in it, molt certainly it follows from thence, that all men will It finally happy. For ibty all being -juftified ly bis Hood) fliall MUCH MORE bfavtd from wrathtbrou^b him Jn other words, the univsrfal redemption, which you allow, muft iffje in ti^ie univsrjal fahation, for which / contend. I have now examined your firft argument, and cannot bur think, you perceive the conikjucnces I have deduced fiom it. But bleffcd be God. the falvation tf all men doe? not reft merely upon thefe texts of fcripture. The fame glorious truth is af- ferted in the Sih chapter of this epiftle to the Romans, A LETTER, &e. 13 19, 20 and 2ift verfes. For the exrnsft expectation cl the creature ivaitetbfor the manifeflation of the font of God. for the creature was made jubjefl to vinity, net willingly, but by rcafon of him who bath fub- jstted the Jame in hope : Eecwfe /^CREATURE IT SELF nlfo fhall bt DELIVERED FROM THE BON DAGE OF CORRUPTION, INTO THE GLORIOUS LIB fcRTY OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD." By the creature^ we are to understand che whole rational creation. So che word is ufed in other places, as you may fatisfy yourfelf by recurring to the Greek Original And ic is mod poficively declared, that the fame moral intelligent creation, that is now fubj^ft to vanity faall hereafter be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty &f the children of God. Bat all men, without exception f are fubje<3ed to vanity, therefore they Hull all^ with out exception, be delivered from it ; and inflated in that freedom> which is the glory of rational be- ings> and conftimtes. their (upr erne felicity. And m order to qualify them for th^s happy ft ate, they will b* all previouQy fubjedted to the govern ing authority of God. They wil) be delivered from their fins ; their moral diforder will beredi- fied v their vicious habits fubdued. Jclus Chrid came into the worll to put an end to all vice and wick- edneff. He was minifefted rhat he might ticftroy the works of the Devil: By which we are to understand natural and moral evil. Hence thole words of the Baptift John i. 29. " Behold the lamb of. God, which taketh away tht fins of the world /" And the name Jefus was conferred on him, becaufe he fhould even* ^fave his people from their yw." And 14 A LETTER, &c. And having laid a foundation for unirerfal hap- pinefs, in his death, God hath now crowned him with glory and honour. And this, not only as a reward for his humiliation, but the better to enable him to profecute the benevolent defign of his mif- fion even the Salvation of AIL ** God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name.'* No created power, either io he&ven or earth, is able to control bit authority. The confequence is, '* every knee will finally bow, and every tongue confefs him Lord, to the glory of the father." God hath folemnly fworn, fuch a (late of moral fub- je&ion to his authority (hall univerfally take place; nor can we doubt of it, without giving him the lie. For thefe reafons, Sir, (and numberlefs others, which I would produce, were it not for anticipating an inge nious work, where the fubjeft isexhaufted) I muft frill diffent from you, refpe&ing the final iflue of our Lord's benevolent undertaking. The repeted declarations of fcripture, as well as my own natural apprehenfions of the Deity, convince me, all men will be finally happy. This, I am fenfible, is a very unpopular doc trine. It meets with great opposition in the world \ and is very prejudicial to the temporal intertft of thofe who have the courage to advance it. However, the queftion is not what is popular? but what is truth? A real friend to revelation will always contend for the latter ; happy, if his zeal is imputed to a right prin ciple, and undifcouraged, though it expofes him to uaiverfal reproach. Many ferious perfons are much concerned about the tendency of this do&rine. And you, Sir, feem to flure in the general alarm. But why fuch uneafy apprehenfions? A LETTER, &*. is tpprehenfions ? You give us to underftand, that the great ** ruler of heaven and earth permitted fin to come into exiftence, in order to give diftinftion to holinefs.** And you plainly intimate, that there will be no more fin in the world, than 5s neceflary to raife the Icftre of its oppofite ; and by the force of contraft, difplay its beauty in a more ftriking light. Why then are you alarmed at the dodtrine of unwerfal falvation ? Suppofe unthinking minds Jhould take the advantage of it ? Suppofe itjftould be io perverted as to increafc the number of bad men ? Upon year principles, this (hould be a matter of joy. The more wicked- nefs there is in the world the more beautiful will holi- nefs appear. The mere will free grace be enhanced ; and the more will God be known and admired by his rational creation. You ought therefore, to de precate a general reformation of manners. And if you ever prayed, it (hould be fora fpirit of delufioo* that ftill greater numbers might fin againft God, and be damned everlaftingly for its glory, and to give diftindtion ro holinefs. I am furprized, you {hould be fo apprehenfive of prevailing impiety, when you are fo well convinced of the folid advantages of it. But to return ; did you and other good minds really deprecate moral evil ; did you wife to fee ic utterly exterminated, you would find nothing in the book you oppofe, to fill you with uneafy apprehenficns. It is for want of due examination, you pronounce fo unfavourably upon it. I defy the art of man to prov<* that dodrine an encouragement to licencicufnefs, which infifts, that a man will be mtferable^ while be is wicked \ and that'&t muft be virtuous in order to be happy. It Tinners are punilhed, in proportion to their guilt? and are i A LETTER, are excluded heaven, Yill they are humbled anff re formed, all the ends of the v indicate ry part of God's law are fully anfwered. The fyfttm tf error, which to me appears mcft fatal to the morals of mankind, is that which makes God the efficient caufe of all evil, and refers all our wicked adticns to his divine agency. Had the pam phlet, you cppofe, contained any thing of this kind* 1 Ihculd readily have born teftimany againft it. 1 am not ignorant, that men would sake the advantage of fuch dcdrines, and impioufly chargeall their vices upon the bleffed God. Could they be once perfuaded, in their own minds, that (contrary to all experience) they had no will of their own ; that they were only inrtruments in the hand of God, while be was the efficient caufe of all the mifchief perpetrated in the world, they would be very unconcerned about their behaviour. They could not but perceive, on this fup- pofition, thu virtue and vice were mere empty names. And yet, th'efe are the doctrines, which have been proclaimed from the delk , and offered to the world as truths of the gofpel. Left men fhould reflect too feverely upon thtmfelves, for their wicked conduit, they are told, for their comfort, God is the efficient caufe of all their aftioos : That fin is infinitely con ducive to his glory : And that we ought to be thankful for all the immoralities which have diigraced mankind ! Thefe are the monftrous errors, which appear to me rnoft pernicious to the morals of fociety. It is the propagation of ihefe fentiments 1 moft dread, ac this time of general licencioufnefs. And would to heaven 1 may be miftaken, in my fufpicions that you y Sir, have been betrayed into the fame error. From iomc expreffions, A L E7TE R, &e. -if expreffions, in the latter part of your book, I was not without my tears j though I fhould be happy to find they were wholly without foundation. No man, who is not ftnngely infatuated, will deny that modern fatdli/m is infinitely more prejudicial to the morals of fociety than the do&rine of & final refti- tuiion Our fathers, who were efteemed the ftandard ci ORTHODOXY, would have ^probated the former^ thbugli f hey might not have fallen in with the latter. ThtFataltft would have fared s ill with them, as the advocace for Uniwfai Salvation. It is to be hoped, therefore, thole good people, whoprofefs the religious opinions of our fathers, will not dikharge all their indignation upon thtUniverJalift, while there areother doctrines, as unlike their own, propagated in the world. While they fhudder ac the confequences of what they improperly ftyle the new doffrine, let them tremble at the others. And while they condemn the Unwer/alift^ let them notpafs by the Fatalift^ unnociced and unit-proved! Othfr'wrfc, they will give juft rea- f;n to luip^ tit their Ze r d ts -without knowledge^ and thac they are actuated by fume other principle, than a real concern for the truth. I mention this, becaufe the btrejy^ of which I have been fpeaking, is pafled over in hlence, by thole very perfons, who proiefs the fanic religious opinions with our fatheis. But not to enlarge The. work, which I have mprc dun once mentioned, will anfwer all the objections hitherto urgeil agawft the final jafoation of all nun. Referring you tnereiore, to ih$t^ ior further lei {nc--ukg leave with the following fcrious i8 A LETTER, &c. Do vou not really think theory of Coi, will be more advanced by the final bappme/s of the whole hum in kind 9 thin the everiafting perdition of any ? If, by his wife and benevolent meafures, he reduces all men to a willing fubjeftion to his authority, arid then fixes them in a ftate of unending felicity, will it not redound more to his honour, than it he left them in utter ruin ? Is it not undervaluing the biood of Ghrift, to fuppofe he died for any who will penfh everlaftingly ? And can we reconcile the providential admmiiiranons of God v but upon the iuppofuion of final^ univerfal bappinefs? If we can not, let us not ftart at a conclu- fion, which refie&s fo much honour upon God, and places fuch a jufl value upon the farrifice of his fon. We can not think too highly of the former, nor ought we to fet bounds to the happy confequcnces of the latter. And as forthofe ferious perfons, who exprefs them- felveswith fo much bittern^ upon the fubje(5tofi//iwfr- Jal Salvation, let meaikthem, whether they imagine its advocates have any worldly ends in view, in pubiifh- ing their fcntiments to mankind ? Will it promote their temporal intereft ? Will it procure them friends ? Will it advance their reputation ? If it will do neither, they ought, at leaft, to be treated as well-meaning entbv- Jiaftsi and not as fecret enemies to the good order of fociety. Such candour, on the fide of their opponents, would convince the world, they were honeft in their obje&ions ; that they were really afraid of error, and not of expofing their judgment, by reviewing their early notions, and receding from the principles of eheir education. I A LETTER 9 &c. i