is as follows: "The opinions of our doctors, that the very nature of man is so depraved that there is nothing morally good in it, and that it is totally averse to the nature of God, is doubtless erroneous." Mr. D. Skinner of Utica, says, "that the doctrine [of total depravity], being opposed to reason and common observation, is false and untenable." S. R. Smith, of Albany, declares, "that the doctrine of the total moral depravity of mankind is neither agreeable to reason and experience, nor taught in the Bible."

The testimony of these three men of public notoriety among Universalists, and who hold the position of oracles in that denomination, is sufficient to define the position of Universalism on this subject. "It is doubtless erroneous”—“it is false and untenable”—“it is in conflict with reason, experience, and the Bible," are expressions sufficiently explicit, to prove the doctrine is unqualifiedly rejected by them.

Take the Savior's rule, which reads, "he that is not for me, is against me," and then closely scrutinize the deportment of the profligate, and those who have no fear of God before their eyes, how much do they perform for the glory of God? What do reason and observation testify? Is it not, that such persons are wholly averse to the nature of God, and live as though there were no Supreme Being in the universe?

By total depravity we do not mean, that the wicked are as bad as they can become, for we know that the wicked grow worse and worse.

Or that their social nature is supplanted by malevolence, and the highest degree of all the baser passions, for some of the wicked are sociable and polite. Nor that all their actions, as such, are mischievous, wrong and maliciously unkir for the wicked may relieve the dis

tressed, visit the sick, and contribute to benevolent enterprises, which as actions are good, however wrong the motive may be. Though the actions are an index to the motives of the heart, as a general thing, yet the deep hypocrisy of the heart may screen the motives, while performing fair and benevolent actions.

Nor are we to understand, that all men are equally vile and wicked. We find that there are different degrees of wickedness in the world among the profane and ungodly, for one has plunged farther into the polluting stream of folly and corruption than his neighbor. After all, they are living without God or any filial fear of Him in the world.

Neither do we believe that men are compelled to commit sin. If this were the case, sin would cease to be sin, for the only correct idea we can form of sin is, that it is a voluntary transgression of the law. So long as a person is incapable of putting forth voluntary actions, he will not be punished for wicked actions, nor rewarded for good actions. It is often said, that a man's habits are beyond his control, and that vice has become his second nature, therefore he is not accountable for his wickedness, or viciousness. Whether this position is true or not, it does not mitigate the criminality of his conduct, for he is equally guilty for the acquirement of such habits. God never implanted in human nature such habits; but they are of his own. creating.

The wicked are totally depraved, because all their actions are put forth through the influence of supreme selfish feelings, and not with an eye single to the glory of God. The will, the king among the intellectual powers in a state of depravity, is actuated and controlled by selfish motives. The glory of God is not sought, and the improvement of the universe for the declarative honor of Jehovah.

The

language of the selfish and depraved heart is, what shall we eat, and what shall we drink, wherewithal shall we be clothed; while the great and weighty matters of judgment mercy, truth, salvation and grace are overlooked. "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; every imagination of the thoughts of the heart are wicked continually. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it." The intellectual and moral powers are misdirected, and all the activities of life are perverse. "The heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. The carnal mind is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be❞—at all times and continally in stout rebellion-" Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." Jer. xiii. 23. Do all these Bible testimonies prove nothing in support of the tenet, that the heart of man is wholly corrupt and depraved; and in opposition to the daring assumption, that the mind never becomes entangled in sin, and stained with its guilt? It appears, that those who have cut loose from the moorings of truth, dare venture their frail bark amid the roaring breakers of error, though certain of shipwreck.

We have now passed through the investigation of the subject of human depravity and fairly shown the faith of Universalism, by quoting their own sayings and writings; we have also attempted to show the fallacy of their assertions and reasonings by the light of common sense and reason, as well as their utter hostility to the word of God. It is not at all surprising, that the adherents of Universalism should cherish such trifling ideas of the desert of sin; and loose notions concerning punishment, when we take into consideration their vague and erroneous sentiments on the

Scripture doctrine of human depravity. What the fruit of the denial of this doctrine is, will be palpably manifest as we progress in showing the absurdity of their religious.

In close connection with human depravity, they would be likely to express their views of the desert of sin; in this we are not disappointed, for they have not cloaked their views with a cloud of darkness, for a subject, as commonly understood, so much opposed to their scheme, has not been passed by unnoticed, nor escaped the mangling pruning knife of criticism.

CHAPTER III.

THE PENALTY OF SIN.

"Ye have wearied the Lord with your words; yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment ?" Mal. ii. 17.

If the people in the days of the prophet Malachi were so profligate in their sentiments, as to blend the character of the righteous and the wicked, and served the Lord with their sins and wearied him with their iniquities; that they could see no difference in the moral character of men, that the vile and ungodly were as good and as much esteemed in the sight of God as the virtuous and the godly; then it is not surprising that they discarded the doctrine of condign punishment, and contemptuously inquired, "Where is the God of judgment?" Nor is it the strangest thing in the earth, that Universalists should peremptorily deny the doctrine of future punishment, or that divine happiness is ever forfeited by the commission of sin, since they hold such loose and anti-scriptural views of sin. To deny that the soul is ever stained by sin; yea, on the contrary, to assert that the mind never consents to evil doing, and continues to be as pure as the soul of Adam when created; would lead us to oppose the propriety of the doctrine of either present, future, or everlasting punishment.

We very well know, that these were not the views of Murray, Winchester, and others, who early propagated