Since writing the above, Mr. Stuarts Commentary on the epistle to the Romans has fallen into our hands. On chap. xiv. 9, he says-'to be Lord of the dead and of the living, is, that he should be supreme ruler over the present world and the world of spirits; for the living and the dead make up all the human race.' May I be permitted to ask, on what authority Mr. Stuart changes the Apostles words, 'the dead' into 'the world of spirits"? Does not he mean by spirits living beings, or what he would call immortal souls in a future state? How then can they be dead? And if the Apostle neant this, he could have said this, just as easily as Mr. Stuart for him. Where did Mr. Stuart find such language as the world of spirits'? Not in the Bible, for it contains no such language. We presume he derived it from the Jewish Rabbinical writings, or the heathen. See his exegetical Essays, where something like this is admitted.

But Mr. Stuart's explanation, or rather alteration of the Apostle's language, destroys all distinction between the dead and living mentioned in the passage. According to it there are no dead, unless Mr. Stuart's spirits are dead in his world of spirits. He admits, 'the living and the dead make up all the human race,' and if his spirits in the world of spirits are alive, all the human race are living. But do the scriptures represent all the dead to be still alive? Do they not rather say, ‘the dead know not any thing? That at death their 'thoughts perish.' Were Universalists, to alter the language of the Bible to suit their system, in a similar way as Mr. Stuart does here, they would be counted infidels.

6. Again, on pp. 124, 125. Mr. Stuart thus writes. 'So God is said to have highly exalted him, (Christ), and given him a name, above every name,' Phil. ii. 9-11. In a similar way all power is given him in heaven, and on earth; i. e. he is constituted 'head over all things to his church; Math. xxviii. 18. Acting as such a head, 'all enemies are put under his feet;' (1 Cor. xv. 25-27.) And this mediatorial dominion, when the work of a mediator is completed, will be resigned, at the final judgement, (1 Cor. xv. 28.)' He adds, p. 131; 'besides, in 1

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Cor. xv. 28, it is affirmed, that when the enemies of the church shall be all subdued, the Son himself shall be subject to the Father, that God may be all in all.' Here we have several remarks to make. 1. Mr. Stuart seems here to forget, what he said p. 69, noticed above. Here he says, Christ' is constituted head over all things to his church.' But there he told us, God placed him over the creation.' And as an explanation added-' And hast placed him over the works of thy hands, all things hast thou put under his feet.' And we have just seen, that on p. 101, he says, Christ is-kurios panton, universal Lord.' We have also seen in the letters, and also in the remarks above, that this universal Lordship, or being placed over the creation, is to bring all into a willing subjection to God.

2. But if we examine the texts, which Mr. Stuart here refers to, we shall find the writers explanations differ from his. Let us look at them. The first is Phil. ii. 9-11, which he partially quotes thus. 'God is said to have highly exalted him, and given him a name, above every name.' Mr. Stuart's explanation is-i. e. he is constituted 'head over all things to his church.' Let us now hear the apostles explanation. After saying God hath 'highly exalted him, and given him a name, above every name,' he adds-' that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father.' This is somewhat a different explanation from his. And, have we not seen in the letters, that Mr. Stuart explains the language of the apostle just quoted, thus: Things in heaven, earth, and under the earth is a common periphrasis of the Hebrew and New Testament writers, not for the church but for the universe.' And that this explanation is correct, may be seen from Exod. xx. 4. But such is his own comment, on the language of the apostle in this very passage, which he quoted on p. 100 of his letters to Dr. Channing to prove, that divine honor and worship are ascribed to Christ.' And that he thought his proof correct, is evi

dent, for he added—'What can be meant, by things in heaven, i. e. beings in heaven, bowing the knee to Jesus, if spiritual worship be not meant?' And ought he not to have also said-'What can be meant by things on earth, and things under the earth, i. e. beings in earth and under the earth bowing the knee to Jesus, if spiritual worship be not meant?" In fact he says as much as this, for he immediately adds-' What other worship can heaven render? And if the worship of Christ in heaven be spiritual, should not that of others, who ought to be in temper united with them, be spiritual also? And when it is added, this worship shall be 'to the glory of God the father;' I understand the sentiment to be, that Jesus in his mediatorial character is the proper object of universal adoration. But as this character, has a peculiar connexion with and relation to God the Father, so the worship paid to Christ the mediator, should redound to the glory of the Father as well as of himself.' Mr. Stuart here then, is not only at variance with the Apostle's comment, but he is even at variance with his own comment on the Apostles language.

The second passage which he quotes is Matt. xxviii: 18, and but partially thus. In a similar way all power is given him (Christ) in heaven, and on earth.' He gives the same explanation here as of the last passage thus, 'i. e. le is constituted 'head over all things' to his church.' But I ask, is this the Saviour's explanation? No. Or, does he say, 'Go ye therefore and teach the church. No; but Go ye therefore and teach all nations,' etc. And I may add, if 'all power is given to Christ in heaven and on earth,' according to Mr. Stuart's own explanation above, all power is given to him over the universe. But why give to any being, all power over the universe, unless there was a will or inclination to employ that power for the good of the whole universe? Without this, it would be dangerous to trust so much power in any beings hands. But all this power over the universe, was given to Christ for the purpose of subduing it, that all might worship Christ with spiritual and divine worship. This Mr. Stuart shews, as seen in the preceding letters and remarks.

Mr. Stuart's third text, is 1 Cor. xv. 25–27, which he quotes thus. 'Acting as such a head, 'all enemies are put under his feet, (1 Cor. xv. 25-27.) And this mediatorial dominion, when the work of a mediator is completed, will be resigned, at the final judgment. (1 Cor. xv: 28).' What Mr. Stuart means by the phrase final judgment,' we presume is, sentencing some to the endless joys of heaven, and others to misery without end. But where does any sacred writer, use the phrase 'final judgment,' or, the thing Mr. Stuart intends by it? In this very chapter, is given the fullest account of the resurrection of the dead in the Bible. The resurrection is one to all, and of the same nature to all, for not a hint is dropped, that at this period some are raised from the dead, to be forever miserable. No, the change in all raised from the dead, is, from mortality to immortality, from corruption to incorruption; and the last enemy death is to be destroyed to all alike. But, if Mr. Stuart's eternal death, is still to remain after this period, how can death then be swallowed up in victory? Say, if his final judgement, his eternal death, his endless misery, are scripture doctrines, was not 1 Cor. xv. the very place in the Bible where they ought to have been introduced?

Who, Mr. Stuart means by the church, he does not define; but we presume from the orthodox use of this phrase he restricts it to believers. But he should recollect, the church, in the Bible sense of this phrase, includes all those for whom Christ died; whom he loved, and gave himself for them. See Eph. v: 25-28. And that Mr. Stuart believes in universal redemption by Jesus Christ, is beyond all question. In his Exegetical Essays p. 8, he thus writes: "The world by wisdom knew not God. Nor did they know that he had made man in his own image; much less that man had been redeemed by the death of God's own beloved Son.' I beg Mr. Stuart to consider: 1. Does he not in these words mean, that God hath redeemed man, the world, the whole of mankind, by the death of his beloved Son? The redemption, whatever it may be, is alike to them all, whether it be

redemption from sin, hell, or any thing else. It is one redemption, it is by Jesus Christ, and it is one to all.

2. The passage just referred to, Eph. v: 25–28, calls all those the church,' whom Christ loved and gave himself for them: the very persons whom Mr. Stuart says God hath redeemed by the blood of his own beloved Son. And these included man, the whole of mankind, by his own shewing.

3. Does it not conclusively follow, that if Mr. Stuart's system is correct, hell at last must be peopled with the church; persons whom God hath redeemed by the death of his own beloved Son? I beg of him, and all our orthodox friends, to consider if this can be true. And if it is denied, that this conclusion follows, that they would be so kind as to show how they avoid it. If the Bible speaks of damned sinners in hell, who have been redeemed by the death of Christ, it has escaped my ob

servation.

3. But let us inquire, to whom or to what Mr. Stuart refers, by the enemies of the church,' in 1 Cor. 15, which he quotes above? Are they persons, or, are they things? It is of some importance to ascertain this. Let it then be observed, that throughout the whole chapter, the apostle does not mention in any shape wicked men, devils, or any other beings as the enemies of the church. But he mentions two things as enemies, over which at that period victory shall be obtained. He says, verses 55-57, 'O death where is thy sting? O grave (hades) where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be unto God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Sin, death, or the grave, are then the enemies of the church. But in the resurrection, they shall all be subdued, a complete victory obtained over them. Mr. Stuart seems to forget, that those whom he calls the church, are the persons Christ at that period has subdued. They were the enemies of God, whom Christ was exalted to subdue, and then he has subdued them. Nor will the church, which is Christ's body be complete, until all are subdued. Nor will Christ's work be completed,