A TREATISE ON ATONEMENT; IN WHICH, THE FINITE NATURE OF SIN IS ARGUED, ITS CAUSE AND CONSEQUENCES AS SUCH ; THE NECESSITY AND NATURE OF ATONEMENT; AND ITS GLORIOUS CONSEQUENCES, IN THE FINAL RECONCILIATION OF ALL MEN TO HOLINESS AND HAPPINESS. BY HOSEA BALLOU, OF BARNARD; AUTHOR OF A PAMPHLET, ENTITLED "Notes on the Parables of the New-Teftament." "For as in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift fhall all be St. Paul. "And there fhall be no more death." St. John. RANDOLPH: (VER.) PRINTED BY SERENO WRIGHT. 1805. A LETTER TO THE READER. CHRISTIAN READER, I KN KNOW it is frequently the cafe, when a perfon takes a new work in hand, he firft cafts his eye over the title page, and if perverfe fentiments finds no word on it that indicates the name, or denomination, of the author is agreeable, he may think of having patience to read it; but, being something in a hurry, paffes flightly over the preface, fuppofing it to be of little consequence. But what fenfations may have ftruck your mind, on reading the title of this Book, and finding it to be the intention of the author to prove the doctrine of univerfal holiness and happiness, through the mediation and power of atoning grace, I cannot fay; however, I would invite you to read, with candor and attention, not only this letter, but the whole of the work, and make up your judgment afterwards. Many circumstances might be mentioned, which, in their affociation, have induced me to write and publifh the following treatise; but I can fay, with propriety, that the central object was that, in which I always find the most happiness, viz. to do what I find most neceffary, in order to render myfelf most useful to mankind. I have, from my early youth, been much in the habit of inquiring into the things of religion, and religious fentiments; and have, for a number of years, feen, or thought I faw, great inconfiftencies, in what has, for a long time, paffed for orthodoxy in divinity. The ideas, that fin is infinite, and that it deferves an infinite punishment; that the law tranfgreffed is infinite, and inflicts an infinite penalty; and that the great Jehovah took on himself a natural body of flesh, and blood, and actually fuffered death on a cross, to fatisfy his infinite justice, and thereby fave his creatures from endless mifery, are ideas which appear to me to be unfounded in the nature of reason, and unfupported by divine revelation. Such notions have, in my opinion, ferved to darken the human understanding and obfcure the gofpel of eternal life; and have rendered, what I efteem as divine revelation, a fubie of difcredit to thoufands, who, I believe, would neve ve condemned the fcriptures, had it not been for thofe grofs abfurdities being contended for, and the scriptures forced to bend to such fignifications. Christian authors and preachers have labored much to diffuade those whom they have caused to disbelieve the Christian religion, from their infidelity. But, in this cafe, the falt has loft its favor, become good for nothing, and is trodden under foot of men, who are too fenfible to believe the unreasonable dogmas impofed on the world, either through error, or defign, and fanctioned by tradition; and too inattentive to fearch the fcriptures faithfully and impartially, whereby they might have learned, that those errors were neither in them, nor fupported by them. One particular object, therefore, in this work, is, if poffible, to free the fcripture doctrine of atonement from thofe incumbrances which have done it so much injury; and open a door, at least, for the fubject to be inveftigated on reafonable grounds, and by fair argument. If we admit that our Creator made us reafonable beings, we ought, of courfe, to believe, that all the truth which is neceffary for our belief, is not only reafonable, but requcible to our understandings. In order to come at the subject of atonement, fo as to have light continually fhining along the path which I intend to occupy, I found it neceffary to fhow my reafons for not admitting the doctrine, on the ground on which it is ufually argued, to do which, I found I muft, of neceffity, fhow, that the common notion of the infinity of fin is unfounded in truth; and, of course, every confequence deducible from fuch an error, equally unfounded and unfupported. It may seem not a little ftrange, to fome of my readers, that I difpute the infinity of the law against which fin is committed; as all un efs muft be, either in union, or difunion, with the eternal law of holinefs, and divine purity. But, if the reader will take a little pains to observe particularly, it will appear plain, that no being can ftand amenable to a law above his capacity. And as the creature is finite, in his earthly character, in which character only, he is, or can be a finner, it is not reasonable to fay, that he ftands amenable to an infinite law. But, as the reader will find, in this work, fo much of the divine law of perfection, as the creature obtains a knowledge of, (which, in comparison to the whole, is no more than a fhadow to a fubftance) is the law which he violates by his fin. And though we may speak of the fin of ignorance, it can amount to no more than the production of a virtuous intention thwarted by ignorance, or the fame principle by which the beafts of the field, the fowls of the air, and the fifh of the fea, gratify their various inclinations and appetites. And I do not think my reader will wish to have me prove that fuch fin is not infinite. In my argument on the cause, or origin of fin, I thought it neceffary to hint a little on the general idea of the fubject, endeavoring to fhow the want of propriety in what is commonly contended for; and I have fought for the rife of unholy temptations in the conftitutions of earthly and finite be, |