LETTER XXII.

Dear Sir-Your twelfth objection is presented in these words-" Universalism often fatally deceives the ignorant." "They quote Scripture; this passes with the ignorant for argument. Are their quotations appropriate, and do they harmonize with the general tenure* of the Scriptures, are questions which the intelligent may ask, but the ignorant seldom think thus far. They take the simple fact for demonstration, instead of looking to the language and meaning of the passages thus quoted, and upon the strength of it live and die without religion, and lose their souls forever. How awfully responsible and dreadfully to be deprecated must be the condition of their teachers!"

Your intimate acquaintance with Universalism, both as it is preached, and as it is met with in books, gives great weight to this objection. Besides, there is an assumed superiority of intelligence among the believers in endless misery which comes with overwhelming power from the learned writer of the lectures before me. And no man within the sphere of my limited acquaintance, knows better how to quote Scripture, and have it pass among the ignorant for argument, than yourself. Your lectures furnish most satisfactory evidence of this.

But really, Mr. Remington, there is an effrontery in this objection that is intolerable. If you knew a tithe as much of the controversy between Universalists and their opposers for the last fifty years, as you ought to have known before you commenced your labors in this field, you would have been aware that however liable to this objection Universalists may be, their opposers are still ten-fold more so. What, indeed, have been most of the labors of the latter, but a continued repetition, and frequently without an attempt at scholar-like

* Perhaps the erudite author meant tenor.

exegesis, of the ordinary round of the proof-texts of that favorite dogma, endless misery? "The wicked shall be turned into hell"—" shall go away into everlasting punishment"'except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish," &c. &c., have been repeated again and again and again, till a tolerably well read Universalist is as familiar with all the passages of Scripture ever marshaled against him, as a school-boy is with his table of multiplication. We, on the contrary, have asked what do these passages teach? We have challenged our opposers to an examination of them. We have explained them ourselves, and in most cases, backed our interpretations by the concessions and expositions of learned and respectable orthodox commentators. We have called upon the advocates of endless misery to come forth and show, if they can, that our views of these passages are false: and what is the reply? If a champion of that doctrine heeds our summons, we are doomed to hear the same passages repeated once more, in the same way. Hammond and Whitby and Clarke and others, are treated with contempt, while the ignorant are left to believe that they cannot misunderstand language so plain as these proof-texts of ceaseless torments. It is thus final appeal is made, on a subject so important, to the prejudices of the unlearned, instead of meekly and patiently "looking to the language and meaning of the passages thus quoted."

I now come to your last objection; and as it is last, so is it the most absurd. "Universalism," you say, "often fails in the hour of danger and death. Its promises are not to be relied upon. They have often been broken. It is a treacherous system. I would not trust it for worlds," &c. &c. What you mean is rendered plain by the contrast which you afterwards exhibit between Universalism and "true religion," i. e. modern orthodoxy which "never fails." Now it is quite possible you meant to state the truth here, though I confess I have some doubts. For in the first place, it is a most notorious fact, which impudence itself dare not deny, that orthodoxy does often and most egregiously fail its votaries when they come to die. It is a system replete with terrors. In all that is peculiar to it, I challenge the world to find a parti

cle that can sustain any soul in life, or comfort and cheer it in the hour of death, In the second place, the instances in which Universalism fails its believers are exceedingly rare. Of those reported and believed in the orthodox world, not one in fifty is susceptible of any proof. Many of them are sheer falsehoods, set afloat for party purposes, by those who think it right to lie for the truth. A large share are the cases of orthodox hypocrites, who confessed that they never believed Universalism, but had been trying to do so; while a few instances, perhaps, have occurred where sincere Universalists, when enfeebled by disease and unsustained by the prayers and conversation of persons of kindred faith, have been left victims to the arts of such spiritual "comforters" as yourself, and driven to despair. During the last eight or ten years, it has been my fortune to see many Universalists on the sick and death bed, under almost every diversity of disease and of worldly circumstances; and never yet have I seen one whose faith failed him. On this subject I cannot be instructed by you or any other orthodox minister. What I have seen I have

seen.

Universalism embraces every thing which belongs to orthodoxy that can in any degree support one in the hour of danger and of death. And it superadds to this, much that is peculiar to itself and full of comfort and good hope. It opens fountains of consolation to the dying and the mourner, of which the opposing creed does and can know nothing.

That many christians, who embrace the popular creed, live and die happily, is undoubtedly true; and devoutly 'ought we to thank God for it. But it is quite worthy of remark, that it is not the dogma of endless misery, or any thing connected with it, that enables them to do so. The great mass of christians of all sects, even of the strictest, are blessed with a most comfortable scepticism relative to the doctrine of endless misery. They think of it, and fear it, both for themselves, and their friends and neighbors, much less than a careless observer might suppose. Much is said about it in the pulpit, it is true. But how is it said, and how is it heard? You know full well; and others may if they will but observe. Occasionally a storm

is raised under the name of a revival of religion, and some are led to think that the preachers themselves are beginning to believe what they preach. There is a great show of zeal ; and mighty effects follow. After a time, the storm subsides: a few have been converted; one or two probably sent to the Lunatic Asylum; three-fourths of the converts backslide, and the rest are found no better than they were before; the preachers resume their former tone, and talk of hell, and endless torments, with as much coolness as a farmer would speak of the loss of a potato crop, or the burning of a hay-stack or a stable; and thus goes the great indispensable to all "true religion." It is a solemn mockery!

Who ever knew a christian to speak with pleasure upon the subject of everlasting misery on the bed of death? His mind, thank God, dwells on other and better themes. His eye is fixed on heaven, and his heart swells with the love of God. The grace of God, and the mercy of God, through Christ Jesus, are his song, and his meditation. And here, too, rests the Universalist, under the shadow of the same wing, and on the same everlasting arms;" but to his favored soul they are still broader and more secure, for they embrace and shield the whole world; and he is able to say here what he expects to sing hereafter with the ransomed universe, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"

I admire one of your concluding remarks. I doubt not it came from the heart, and is in fact the real foundation of half the orthodoxy in the land. "The true christian [i. e. the believer in endless misery] is safe, even if Universalism be true; but the Universalist is lost forever if his doctrine be false." This is not quite as clear as demonstration. Indeed, I see no reason why a Universalist must be lost forever, even if Universalism is not true. But I will not now stop to dispute the point. I only wished to say that in the quotation just made from you, we recognize the "ruling principle" of the orthodox world. The great question is not, what is true, but what is safe; not what has God revealed, but what is it good policy to believe. The practical inference is, Let us believe in endless misery; and if after all, Universalism should prove true,

we shall be saved even as others! Perhaps I am altogether in the wrong, but I cannot avoid the conviction that God has made it our duty to seek for TRUTH, and to know and walk in it. And the way of truth is the only path of safety. The orthodox world has merely reversed the order established by God, and is looking primarily for safety, which it hopes to secure by its own good policy; while TRUTH is left as a matter of comparative insignificance. "But wisdom is justified of all her children."

I have now finished my task. Whether it has been well or ill done, I leave my readers to decide. I have devoted more time and attention to the review of these lectures than I had intended, and far more than they deserve. For none know so well as Mr. Remington and myself, what a strange medley, what a collection of scraps and fragments these lectures are ! It may seem to some, perhaps, that I have been severe, yet I am confident that those who know the circumstances of the case, will not thus judge me. The provocation has been great. When ignorance puts on the garb of learning, and truth is sacrificed to an overweening love of mastery; when all the christian graces are forgotten in the indulgence of malicious and unsparing abuse; and pretensions of uncommon piety and experimental godliness are set up for the purpose of giving point and edge to the foulest slander, I deem it time for some one to administer the much needed reproof: and Mr. Remington may congratulate himself that he has fallen into so gentle hands as mine. Throughout these letters I have endeavored to keep in mind the great truth that mercy is better than sacrifice.

And now, sir, may God of his infinite goodness bless you, by giving you a higher love and a fuller view of the truth as it is in Jesus, and finally bring you, with the whole human family, to enjoy and praise Him forever.

I am your friend and well wisher in the gospel.

THOMAS J. SAWYER.