find the way to better, higher and happier paths! God will never compel men to be happy by physical force. But in this world, and in every state of existence, happiness will be always within the reach of all his intelligent offspring. Whenever they forsake sin, and error, and seek and practice truth, uprightness and holi ness, they can enter upon the happiness of which these moral qualities are ever the unfailing fountains!!

The Elder complains that I have not " marched up" to the fundamental principles of his arguments. This is decidedly cool! After the shuffling course he pursued on the negative of the second question-after dodging the vital point on nearly every argument I offered on the affirmative of that question, and seeking to conceal his evasions by redundant verbiage, deceptive syllogisms, and a pompous display of the most sophistical logic-after attempting to go over the whole ground the second time, in his closing speech, in the vain hope of compelling people to adopt his bare-faced sophistries, through the mere force of repetition-after all this, he gravely turns and charges me, with failing to march up to the fundamental principles of his arguments!! Why, dear man, you have not introduced an argument, to which I have not paid all the attention it could possibly claim, and to some of them much more than they were deserving of. As to "fundamental principles," if in any instance I have not marched up to them, it was because there were none. The trouble with my friend is, that he does not seem to possess the ability to distinguish between a sheer assumption and a true argument. And he imagines all the people are as deficient in this respect as himself. Hence while I have utterly exposed the sophistry-the false assumption-on which an argument is built, he thinks, and very honestly perhaps, that his argument is untouched!!

Mr. Holines refers once more to death, as the penalty of the violation of God's law. He inquires if there is an element of life in death? I have already shown that in moral death there is an element of life. This is made certain by the fact that the wicked reform. If there was not this element of life- if moral death was a total extinction of moral life, then a wicked man could never reform, except by aid of a direct miracle worked by Omnipotence himself. In this case, of what avail all warnings, threatenings, exhortations and entreaties, to induce sinners to turn from their wickedness! It would be entirely beyond their power! They could no more repent, than they could make a new world. Thus it is seen by all, that the Elder's position on this subject is nothing else than the doctrine of total depravity; and to be consistent, he should contend repentance is the fruit of the irresistible influence of the Holy Spirit. Here, again, the Elder runs himself directly into the very depths of the most ultra Calvinism-which, indeed, is but blank fatalism!! It is a fact susceptible of the clearest proof, that Methodism itself, is after all, Calvinistic in its funda

mental principles, and possesses all the worst features of Calvinism. It declares in its Articles of Faith, that “man cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works, to faith and calling upon God," and that he has "no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God," without the grace of God assisting him! Hence those who actually repent, do so, not by their own power, but by the assistance of God's grace. And the only reason why others do not repent, but continue in sin, and fall into endless woe, is simply because God was not pleased to assist them by his grace! What is this, I ask every reflecting man, but Calvinism in all its odiousness!

I repeat, there is an element of life in moral death. How often do men reform from the basest habits and practices, and become morally, new beings, and this too, frequently even without any pretence of acting under religious influences. Does not this show an inherent element of moral life in all hearts? And when the wicked are reformed under the higher and better influences of religious instruction, it is not done by any miraculous interposition, or by the imparting of any new power to the human soul, but by awakening bringing into activity-an element of moral life, which God had already placed in every soul, and which nothing can wholly obliterate. What does the Apostle mean, when he says "You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins?" Again-"But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ." To "quicken," is not to add new powers, but it is to resuscitate, revive, bring into action, that moral power which is already in the heart.

The Elder declares that the Death, which the scriptures declare shall be destroyed, is physical death-the death of the body-and not moral death. If his doctrine is true, why should physical death be destroyed, in respect to the wicked? Why should they be raised to life, if that life would be one of endless torture? Why not allow the wretched creatures to sleep on in non-entity? How abhorrent the idea that God will compel his blinded children to live again, only to have an opportunity to torment them forever!! Yet this sentiment is the central principle of modern orthodoxy!! What proof has Mr. Holmes given us that physical death only, is to be destroyed? His assertion—nothing more!! I maintain, that those passages which declare death shall be destroyed, include not only natural, but moral death-they declare the extinction of death of every description. The original Greek word rendered death, both physical and moral, is " thanatos." That this word is used to signify moral death, may be seen in the following passages, and many others that might be quoted.Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants, to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, [thanaton] or of obedience unto righteousness.”—(Rom. vi.

16.) Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death [thanatou] unto life."—(John v. 24.) No one will doubt that in these passages moral death is intended. Now it is this same death, [thanatos] that is to be destroyed.--" The last enemy that shall be destroyed,is death."-[thanatos]-(1 Cor. xv. 26.) "Death [thanatos] is swallowed up in victory! O death, [thanate] where is thy sting (1. Cor. xv. 54, 55.) This testimony must be sufficient to satisfy every mind that the Bible teaches the destruction of both moral and physical death. Hence the only form in which Elder Holmes claims that punishment can be administered forever, will in due time, be destroyed!!

I proceed to my tenth Negative Argument. Endless Punishment represents God as violating in his own proceedings, the Moral Principles he has enjoined on his creatures. The Savior says "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your ENEMIES; bless them that CURSE you; do good to them that HATE you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you. That ye may be the children [the imitators] of your Father which is in heaven. For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."-(Matt. v. 43-48.) St Paul utters a similar injunction" Be not overcome of evil; but overcome evil with good."-(Rom. xii. 21.) Here is the Rule of conduct which God has enjoined on mankind. Mark! We are not to return good for evil and love for hatred, a short time, and then render hatred for hatred during the remainder of our intercourse with our enemies. But returning good for evil is to be the Standing Rule of our existence. The moral philosophy, the beauty, sublimity and perfection of this principle, has received the sanction and admiration of all pure minds in every age. It is one of the chief characteristics which distinguish the Christian religion from all other systems, and is one of the most convincing evidences of its divine authenticity.

How does the doctrine of endless misery represent God as proceeding in his intercourse with sinful man? According to this principle? No; but in direct CONTRADICTION of it! It declares that he will love his enemies for a short season--that he will bless those who curse him, for a few years-that he will do good to them that hate him during this brief life !—but that he wil afterwards turn with fury upon them, and hate, curse, and torment forever all who hate and curse him!! This doctrine represents God as endeavoring for a short period, to overcome evil with good. This is correct so far. But it goes farther, and insists that Deity soon wearies of practicing on this noble and per

fect principle; and ere long entirely changes his method of procedure, and returns evil for evil, and wrath for wrath, throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity!! We protest against this most abhorrent view of the moral principles of the holy God! The doctrine which asserts it, is a libel on religion--casting as it does, the darkest stigma on the character of the Most High. It makes the Creator act on the same low, base and malicious principles that the Savior in condemnatory terms charges on the publicans of old-of loving only those who love them, and hating in return all who hate them. This, indeed, is the fundamental error of all the sects of so-called Evangelists-in representing that God throughout eternity, after this brief life is closed, will love and bless those alone who love and bless him!! In this, they subject the Deity to the censure of his own Son. Christ says, “If ye love them that love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publicans the same ?-(Matt. v. 46.) If God hereafter will forever love them only who love him, what better is he, or how more perfect than frail man? The publicans, the worst of men, can love those who love them. Is God no better, no more perfect than they? Does he act on no higher principles than the brute-the savage-the most base and depraved of men? Words fail of expressing the utter detestation with which a doctrine should be viewed, which thus degrades the holiest and best of beings, in his principles of action, to an equality with the most ignorant and sinful among men. What further evidence can be required of the entire FALSITY of a sentiment, than that it thus deliberately charges our Heavenly Father with violating through eternity, the most perfect and lovely moral principle enjoined on human beings? My eleventh Negative Argument, is that the doctrine of Endless Punishment represents God as perpetuating voluntarily, NEEDLESSLY, and forever, that which is in opposition to his own nature, and to the welfare of his creatures. That those whom partialism declares will be lost, will sin and blaspheme forever, is the belief of all the defenders of Endless Punishment. The evangel. ical President Edwards, in his sermon entitled Men naturally God's enemies," says of those who will be driven to hell-" then will you, as a serpent, spit poison at God, and vent your rage and malice in fearful blasphemies. Out of that mouth, out of which when you open it, will proceed flames, will also proceed dreadful blasphemies against God. That same tongue, to cool which you will wish for a drop of water, will be eternally employed in CURSING and blaspheming God and Christ." Now as the Creator is infinitely holy and happy, blasphemy and misery are the direct opposites of his nature. In placing his creatures where they would be involved in endless sin and agony, he perpetuates and enstamps with immortality, not only that which is in opposition to himself, but that which is the most awful and disgusting of all

Yet St. Paul says, "be not weary in well doing,"

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things!! If this state of things will exist, Jehovah not only permits it, but ordains it, and perpetuates it, voluntarily!! He perpetuates it, by perpetuating the existence of a being who sins and blasphemes forever!! The sinner in hell could not exist without the direct aid of the Deity. His being can be prolonged only by a strength, a power, immediately and continually imparted to him or rather forced upon him, by the Creator. It would still only be in God," that he could " live, move, and have his being." Were Jehovah to withdraw his presence, and withhold the life-sustaining power he imparts, for but a single moment, the sinner would instantly drop into utter annihilation! If his existence is prolonged through eternity, it will be because God compels him to live. And all for what? That the miserable wretch whom Deity himself breathed into life may writhe in agony and blaspheme forever!!

If God thus perpetuates sin and woe through eternity, he must do it VOLUNTARILY! Is he not at the head of the Universe? Is he not above all, and independent of all? Is not his will done both in heaven and in earth? Does he not act voluntarily in all his ways? What power can compel him or induce him to do different from his own desires, his own purposes, his own pleasure? If any such power there is, then that Power is God, and the god we have been worshipping is a subordinate being! But there is no such Power. I am aware my opponent's system attempts to create a Power of this description-declaring that MAN compels God to frustrate his own intentions, disappoint his own desires, and violate his own will. This virtually makes man independent of his Creator, so far as his final destiny is concerned, and Deity dependent. In other words it makes the CREATURE to be God, and Gop to be the creature!! But how false is such a theory. Jehovah is God over all! He does his will, and acts after his own pleasure, at all times, and with all beings. Hence if he perpetuates the sinner's existence forever, with his blasphemy and wretchedness, he does it voluntarily!

Moreover, I maintain that such a perpetuation of sin and woe, would be needless!! What need can there be of prolonging and immortalizing that which is so wicked and horrid in its nature? Do you say that Justice requires it? I deny the position. Pure Justice cannot demand endless punishment for temporary sin! Pure Justice cannot require a state of wretchedness, which aims at no good, eventuates in no benefit to any created or living thing!! It is CRUELTY which requires this. Do you say there is need of eternal woe as an example? Example to whom, and for what? To the saints in heaven? Is hell so near the celestial abodes, that saints can behold the agonies of the damned, and hear their wailings? And if it is, can it be necessary for the dwellers in heaven to have such a spectacle constantly before them? What kind of SAINTS must those be who cannot be kept in restraint