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in this world or the next, his punishment ceases, and he will be allowed to see or enjoy life.*

In his eleventh argument, Elder Holmes has given us a long dissertation on traditions respecting the flood, etc.† He reasons that because the traditions in regard to the flood grew out of an event that actually took place, therefore the traditions among the heathen that endless punishment was revealed by their gods, is a proof that such a revelation must have been made by the true God. This attempt to prove the truth of eternal woe by tradition, is exceedingly consistent. It exhibits about the degree of intelligence we should naturally expect from those who will volunteer to support such a sentiment before the public in this day. It must have great weight with an enlightened community, who of course will throw aside the dictates of their common sense, and the teachings of the scriptures, and the light and knowledge which now prevails, to receive sentiments which come so highly recommended. Especially is it an argument which will receive the unqualified admiration of certain elderly spinsters and venerable ladies, who of all things, most fear to doubt the teachings of tradition!! The Catholics too, will yield it their unbounded admiration. Nothing is more implicitly depended upon for the upholding of their sentiments, than the high decisions of tradition! But unfortunately for these enlightened advocates of tradition, it happens to be precisely the kind of evidence of the truth of doctrines, which the Savior, and the Apostles condemn in the most pointed terms."Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, this people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the TRADITION of men!!"-(Mark vii. 6-8.) Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the TRADITION of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."-(Colos. ii. 8.)

me.

The Elder, however, is mistaken in some of his facts in this traditionary argument. The heathen do not claim that the doctrine of infernal punishment was revealed even from their gods. They tell us very honestly, that they invented it, at an early age. Moreover they inform us why they invented it, viz: to keep the ignorant portion of their population in some restraint, through the sheer influence of fear! This doctrine once having been invented and proclaimed by artful priests, whose influence at that era, was unlimited, we can easily perceive how readily it could be made a

*The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, I have already noticed.-See p. 626. Also "Destruction without remedy."-Prov. xxix. 1.-See p. 481. Also "if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth.”—Heb. x. 26-7. See p. 567.

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subject of general belief, and afterwards become a matter of tradition! Mr. Holmes says the Jews always believed in the doctrine of Endless Punishment. This is a bare-faced assumption, without one particle of truth. I deny it, most positively. I challenge my friend to produce the slightest evidence that the ancient Jews, in the days of their purity, when blessed with the instructions of patriarchs and prophets, ever believed that sentiment. He insists it was revealed to Enoch and Noah and the other patriarchs. What evidence does he offer! Simply the assertion of David Holmes-nothing more! The effort to force the language of Enoch (Jude 14, 15,) into the support of eternal agony, where he simply asserts that God will punish and "convince" (reform) the wicked, would be laughable in the extreme, were it not a serious matter to see a professed preacher of the gospel, deliberately distort God's sacred word, to build up a theory so wicked and blasphemous as endless woe. If the Creator revealed that doctrine to the patriarchs or prophets of old, why have we not some record of the fact in the Old Testament? Not a word in favor of such a sentiment was ever uttered by the ancient servants of God; and yet a modern Methodist Elder guesses it must have been revealed to them, because the heathen generally, he asserts, believed it was revealed by their false gods. Does my friend imagine the public are so hood-winked by superstition, so blind and stupid, as to build their faith on his guess-work? The Elder has once declared that Universalism was found among the heathen. How did they obtain that doctrine? It must have been by tradition. All tradition in regard to religion, he says, can be traced to some common origin-some revelation from God to man. Hence Universalism must have been originally revealed from God, on my friend's own theory! Come, Elder, it is a poor rule that will not work both ways. You must acknowledge that if the prevalence of endless punishment among the heathen, is evidence that it was originally revealed from God, then the fact which you assert, that Universal Salvation was believed by heathen, is proof equally strong of its divine origin.

Mr. Holmes in his ninth speech challenges me to show that any such system of doctrines as that which I advocate, was believed in the ancient christian church previous to the days of Luther. This is a tacit admittal that such a system did prevail at or near the time of Luther-some three hundred years ago. Yet he has not failed whenever the slightest opportunity offered, to reiterate Matthew Smith's senseless twaddle, that Universalism was the work of a man still living, (Rev. Hosea Ballou,) and declares it is composed of the odds and ends of ancient Gnostic and other heresies, strung together by its modern author. Universalism contains not a single feature of ancient heresy, and incorporates none of the doctrines of the Gnostics, but those portions of their sentiments which they ob tained from the New Testament. Indeed, in the early ages of the

Christian era, eminent believers in Universal Salvation, were sent out by the orthodox party, to preach against the Gnostics, and other heretics. History attests that the doctrine of the final salvation of the entire race of man, was believed for ages, by many of the most eminent of the early Christian Fathers. The attempt to distort and conceal this fact, on the part of Elder Holmes, shows him to be either profoundly ignorant of ecclesiastical history, or deliberately attempting to deceive the public.

My opponent asserts that the Sibylline Oracles were not written by professing Christians, but that they existed long before the days of Christ. He says there is no evidence that ancient Christians either wrote, believed, or in any way became responsible for the theological tenets inculcated in these books. I am astonished at these declarations. They show a want of information which I was not prepared to find even in my friend. That there were Sibylline Oracles extant among the heathen, previous to the advent of Christ, is a well known fact, which I have not thought of denying. But that that particular collection of "Sibylline Oracles," which foretold the advent of Christ, etc,. was written before the christian era, is a declaration made in the face of all history. These were forged oracles, written by some fanatical and weak minded christians, under the pretence that they were found among the ancient Sibylline Oracles." The authors of these forgeries supposed they could in this manner convert the heathen to christianity. That they were written since the christian era, is a well established fact. CAVE thinks some of them were written A. D. 130, and the remainder about A. D. 190. Du PIN dates them about the year 160. LARDNER believes they were written A. D. 169, or 190. That these forged Oracles were composed by professing christians, is a fact equally well established. Dr. Jortin says they were written by Christians, and as proof shows that they abound with quotations of words, passages and facts taken from the New Testament. How could they contain quotations from the New Testament, if they were not written after the days of Christ? Mosheim gives his testimony that these "Oracles" were written by professing christians. Mr. Holmes says they were never believed hy christians. This is a great mistake They were believed and

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quote l as genuine, by Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Theophilus of Antioch, and other eminent Christian Fathers. Although these "Sibylline Oracles" were forged for a foolish purpose, yet we can obtain from them a good idea of the doctrines which prevailed in the christian church at that early day.

I omit reference to many points in Mr. Holmes' last speech, to which I was anxious to call attention, and proceed to introduce my eighteenth Negative Argument. Endless Punishment destroys the peace of those who believe it, and who strive to realize it. Fortu

• See
p. 649.

nately for their happiness, there are some professed believers in that doctrine, so constituted that they can keep it at a distance, and will not look it fairly in the face. But it is not so with all. Every sincere and real believer in eternal wretchedness, who is a candid man, will acknowledge that when he reflects upon it, his peace of mind is destroyed. How can it be otherwise? Putting aside entirely the peril in which he must ever feel that he is involved, when he views the condition of others, how can he find peace? When parents look upon their children, and children upon their parents, and reflect on the danger that threatens them, and the separation that may soon and forever take place between them, how can they be happy? How can any man possessing a heart of flesh, who believes this doctrine, enjoy life at any time? When he meets his neighbors, his associates, his friends, and thinks they may all sink to endless darkness and woe, what horror must thrill his frame. Yet I have frequently seen believers, yea PREACHERS of this doctrine, really SMILE-yea, even LAUGH oughtright and heartily, in the presence of those who, according to their belief, were going straight down to an endless hell!!! Where were their hearts?

Some of the most able preachers of endless woe, have acknowledged that it destroyed their happiness. Hear what the eloquent French Hugenot preacher Saurin says on this subject: "I sink! I sink under the awful weight of my subject! I declare, when I see my friends, my relations, the people of my charge, this whole congregation: when I think that I, that you, that we are all threatened with these torments, when I see in the lukewarmness of my devotions, in the languor of my love, in the levity of my resolutions and designs, the least evidence, though it be only presumptive, of my future misery, yet I find in the thought, a mortal poison, which diffuseth itself into every period of my life-rendering society tiresome, nourishment insipid, pleasure disgustful, and life itself a cruel BITTER. I cease to wonder that the fear of hell hath made some mad, [insane,] and others melancholly."

Hear Dr. Barnes, of Philadelphia, one of the most eminent Evangelical Clergymen in the United States. He says-" That the immortal mind should be allowed to jeopard its infinite welfare, and that trifles should be allowed to draw it away from God, and virtue, and heaven-that any should suffer FOREVER!-lingering on in hopeless despair, and rolling amidst infinite torments without the possibility of alleviation and without end-that since God can save men, and will save a part, he has not purposed to save all→ [Elder Holmes admits he has purposed to save all, but declares he will be defeated]-that on the supposition that the atonement is ample, and that the blood of Christ can cleanse from all and every sin, it is not in fact applied to all—that, in a word, a God who claims to be worthy the confidence of the universe, and to be a Be. ing of Infinite Benevolence, should make such a world as this

full of sinners and sufferers-and that when an atonement had been made, he did not save all the race, and put an end to sin and woe forever. I have read to some extent, what wise and good men [of the orthodox school] have written. I have looked at their theories and explanations. I have endeavored to weigh their arguments-for my whole soul pants for LIGHT and RELIEF on these questions. But I get neither! And in the distress and anguish of my own spirit, I confess that I see no light whatever! I see not one ray to disclose to me the reason why sin came into the world; why the earth is strewed with the dying and the dead, and why man must suffer to all eternity! I have never seen a particle of light thrown on these subjects that has given a moment's ease to my fortured mind!! Nor have I an explanation to offer, or a thought to suggest, which would be of relief to you. I trust other men as they profess to do-understand this, better than I do, and that they have not the anguish of spirit which I have. But I confess, when I look on a world of sinners and of sufferers; upon death-beds and grave-yards; upon the world of woe filled with hosts to suffer forever! when I see my friends, my parents, my family, my people, my fellow-citizens when I look upon a whole race, all involved in this sin and danger, and when I see the great mass of them wholly unconcerned--and when I feel that God can only save them, and yet he does not do it--I am struck dumb. It is all dark-DARK-DARK, to my soul, and I cannot disguise it!" -(Barnes' Practical Sermons, pp. 123–125.)

This is the effect the doctrine of endless suffering has upon the mind of Dr. Barnes. Why is the poor man involved in all these doubts, and overwhelmed in this darkness? Because he has not yet got a glimpse of the light of truth in regard to the destiny of man! Let him abandon his false theory-let him see and believe that God has not put in "jeopardy" the final welfare of a soul of of men, but that through all the vicissitudes of this life-through the light and darkness-the enjoyment and suffering of earthly being he is leading all, to final deliverance, to holiness and heaven and all his gloom would depart--his darkness would disappear, and he would be enabled to " rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory!!"

I might read pages showing the unhappy effects a belief in ceaseless agony exerts on the mind, but my time has expired. Think you the doctrine which produces so much wretchedness of heart in those who receive it, forms any part of that gospel which was declared by the angels, to be "good tidings of great joy to all people?"--[Time expired.

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