hers must be in the future state also. And if these receive judgement in the future state at the day of Judgement, it proves the day of judgement to be after this life.

2

"Should it be said the judgement of Sodom to which our Savior referred, was her destruction by fire, as it was said, she was set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire, it may be answered, then the language of our Savior was calculated to deceive. Had he said, 'It was more tolerable for the land of Sodom in her day of judgement, than shall be for you in yours,' the idea would have been clearly expressed, by putting the judgement of Sodom in the past time, and Capernaum in the future. But he who spake with authority and not as the scribes, expressed it differently,

"Our subject, likewise, admits no evasion by understanding Sodom figuratively. The text is clear in expression that old: Sodom was meant. This is evident from these words; "If the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day."

"As Capernaum, in our text is compared with Sodom, so in other places, Chorazin and Bethsaida are compared with Tyre and Sidon. Of Tyre and Sidon, our Savior said, as he did of Sodom, it shall be more tolerable in the day of judgement than for Chorazin and Bethsaida. And it is as evident that by Tyre and Sidon is meant those ancient cities; known by those names, as it is that by Sodom is intended the city so memorable for being suddenly destroyed by fire."

The above remarks on the passage under consideration, were published by the Editor about four years ago, since which time, we have had an opportunity of becoming acquainted with some of the methods made use of by the deniers of future punishment to avoid their force. These, it may be proper briefly to notice, as they have at different times made their appearance in public. One of them, which we consider a mere evasion, is, that the inhabitants of old Sodom were not

meant, but the literal land or soil that suffers more tolerably in the day of judgement. Such consider the judgement of Sodom to be the time of her destruction by fire. But it is well known that the inhabitants were destroyed by that fire, as well as the land, which, according to that interpretation, were not included in our Lord's meaning. Can any reasonable person suppose that Christ meant to compare the judgement of Capernaum, which he said was exalted to heaven, with the literal soil of old Sodom? We surely should not have thought it, had we not known that it has been adopted. Land is frequently used by a figure of speech for the inhabitants that live upon it, as house is used for the people who dwell in it. God says by the prophet Malachi, (chap. iii. 12) to Israel, "And all nations shall call you blessed; for ye shall be a delightsome land." What will be a delightsome land? "Ye," the people. See further on this subject in the Christian. Repository, Volume 3d, pages 65 and

82.

We find this judgement of Sodom is noticed in Luke x. 12, where the word land is not used. But after all, if it must be the literal land of Sodom that was meant, let some one show us what literal land ever suffered less tolerably than the land of Sodom. It has ever been represented by historians a barren waste from the time of its destruction to the present.

Another method of accommodating this passage to the ancient destruction of the Sodomites is by asserting that the future, shall be, is a Hebraism for the past tense, hath been. But if this is the case, the judgement of Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida,. past when it was threatened ! But if theirs were future, why not Sodom, Tyre and Sidon, expressed by the same phrase in the same place that expresses the other? That the phrase, shall be, should mean at the same time, both the future and the past, is neither an Hebraism, Grecism, nor Anglicism, according to any lexicon, dictionary, or grammar that ever we saw (and we have seen not a few,) but it is an ism that never had a name, and we think never ought to have.

We forbear to attempt an illustration of more passages in this place in relation to this subject; but submit the passages already quoted, with the remarks and arguments accompanying them, to the candor and impartiality of our friends.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ON THE FAITH OF THE ANS CIENT FATHERS.

Dear and respected Brather,

As it is not generally known that any of the ancient Fathers were believers in the final salvation of all men, I think it may be subserving a useful purpose to publish, in the Christian Repository, the following statements.

I was led to this train of thinking, by reading a book entitled, Universal Damnation and Universal Salvation clearly proved by the scriptures. The author of the work was an Episcopalian. In pages 110, 111, we find the following; "For what can condemn any man if the sins of all are satisfied for? If they are not saved it is plain they cannot be punished; but there is no middle way between salvation and damnation, so that you must see the Church of England has in her articles, taught the salvation of all men, at least, implicitly; and am I to be condemned for differing from all the Church clergy in doctrine, because I preach the doctrine contained in the 39th article? Is this a crime to preach the doctrine, contained in the articles of the church of England, because it is said, none of the rest of the clergy teach so, but the contrary? Will the preaching of the doctrine of the Church of England contradict, the doctrine of her clergy? Can preaching the doctrine of the Church of England, be shewing disrespect to her Bishops, or great writers or clergy who composed the 39 articles? But my teaching that all mankind will finally be happy, is not preaching contrary to what is and ever has been taught by the rest of the clergy of the Church of England. For no less a man than the Archbishop

Tillotson, has been written against, for preaching this doctrine; and at least in one of his sermons, he did -intimate that this was his opinion, tho at the same time he appeared to be in darkness and doubt about it; and several others of the clergy of the Church have taught the salvation of ALL MEN.

Mr. Murdon, a Church clergyman, has for several years preached the same doctrine, and has printed a book on the subject, and yet is in full and regular standing under his bishop. Dr. Steed, who was of our order, and was greatly admired in most parts of England, in a sermon he delivered in St. Paul's Cathedral Church in London, has these words; "Our Savior laid down his life for the sins of the whole world ; he came, that as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive." Again, speaking of Christ, says he, "The sphere of his beneficence extended backwards to the foundation of the world, and reaches forward to the last conflagration, he became the Savior of all ages: from the first birth of time to its last period. The Father of mankind, from the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same. The blessings of his coming into the world are as extensive as the world, and as lasting as eternity."

He continues, "Behold the Son of God, pouring forth his blood, as well as prayers, even for those that shed it; behold him, at once, bearing the insults, expiating the sins, and procuring happiness for mankind, till at last he bows his sacred head, and shuts up the solemn scene, with these short but comprehensive words, IT IS FINISHED :-the great, the stupendous work. The universal sacrifice, which shall take in all mankind, and which all mankind shall contemplate throughout eternity with awful joy and gratitude, is completed: Our Savior was a person born for the whole world, for which he died, a blessing to all mankind, from the beginning of time, and whom all mankind will have reason to bless, when time shall be no more."

From the Apostles' time, till the introduction of

Popery, is a period of about four or five hundred years; in which time, the general opinion of bishops and clergy of the Christian church was, that all mankind would be finally and everlastingly happy, if we believe Dr. Whitby, who was esteemed a great and learned divine of the Church of England. Says Dr. Whitby, "This hath been the constant doctrine of the Church of Christ, owned by the Greek and Latin fathers;— among the Greek fathers, Chrysostom, whose words are these, When the fulness of the Gentiles is come in, then all Israel shall be saved, at the time of Christ's second coming, and the consummation of all things." Says Origen, "They of the people of Israel, who for their unbelief were deserted, that God's mercy might be showed to you, they shall not always be left in unbelief; but when the dispensation of the fulness of the Gentiles is completed, they also shall find mercy; Israel may then also enter; for if the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, then all Israel shall be saved, and then there shall be one fold and one Shepherd."

All the Latin fathers, who have left us any commentaries or notes on the Epistle to the Romans, did plainly believe in the salvation of all men :-Of this you will be convinced by reading Hilary the Deacon, Primasius, Sedurius, and Homo. St. Augustin says, that the carnal Israelite, who now will not believe, shall hereafter do so. St. Cyril was also of the same mind. St. Jerome, having cited those words of Christ, spoken to the barren fig-tree, Let no fruit grow on thee forever, Matt. xxi. 19, bids us consider, that he saith not forever and ever, but only in seculum, for that age; and when that day is past, and when the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, then this fig-tree shall bear fruit again, and all Israel shall be saved.

We think the enemies of our faith ought not to accuse us, (as they frequently do) of holding to new invented doctrines of men. So far from that, that we have, according to our ideas, indubitable testimony, written by inspiration, that this doctrine was taught