It is unnecessary for us to endorse this statement of our author for the benefit of our Universalist readers; they know its substantial truth already, and have known it long; but could our voice be heard, and our words believed by our orthodox editors and people, we would suggest, that whether it be lawful to lie for the glory of God or not, experience has fully demonstrated in the case before us, that false representations do not alter facts, and that Universalism is none the less prevalent or prosperous, because they say, on the one hand, or believe, on the other, that it is prostrated or declining.

But this is not all: Universalism is not only a most insinuating and fatal heresy, and also wide spread, and zealously and perseveringly advocated and defended, but what renders the case still more alarming, is the fact, just discovered by our author, that "orthodox preachers," -almost the sole guardians and conservators of religious truth and public morals-are, in general, profoundly ignorant or strangely misled, with respect to its true character, and have, therefore, for more than forty years, been "beating the air," or contending with a phantom of their own brain, which no one advocates or believes! This, it must be confessed, is one of the most remarkable facts that our author has presented.

It is true, that Universalists have very often had occasion to remark, that those who volunteered to assail them, were sadly ignorant of the doctrines which they undertook to refute, and were like some mentioned by an apostle, "understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." But it was hardly to be expected that this would be so frankly and fully confessed by our author. And yet he has quoted from some writer in one of our periodicals a paragraph setting forth this truth very clearly, and has himself borne testimony to its substantial verity. "It is well to learn, even from an enemy," says a Latin proverb, and we hope our author may yet learn still more, from the same source. But we must quote our author's own words on this subject. In his preface, p. v. he says:

"It is by no means uncommon for a Universalist preacher to accuse and convict one, whom he regards and treats as an opponent, of being but little acquainted with the peculiarities of the doctrine against which his labors have been directed. The author has seldom heard a sermon against Universalism, that was not based on assumptions, or directed against principles, which no well-informed Universalist at the present day admits. Such discourses, therefore, must not only be powerless, but give an opponent great advantage in reply.

"Orthodox preachers, in order to acquaint themselves with the peculiarities of the sect, have, in too many cases, contented themselves with an examination of the masterly argument of the younger Edwards against Chauncy; or the "Calvinism Improved," of Dr. Huntington; or the writings of Winchester and Mitchell. Thus informed, they have constructed a most powerful argument, and completely overthrown the strong holds of the early advocates of this peculiar creed; and they wonder that any can hold on to a docrine so untenable, and be Universalists still. The truth is, that not a Universalist preacher in the land, so far as the author has been able to learn, does hold on to the system thus attacked. These are not their text books. They that would know what they believe, must consult more modern writers, and gather their creed from more recent publications, and inform themselves thoroughly in regard to the latest discoveries and intrenchments of the sect, or they will labor in vain. To aid such in this investigation, the following work was undertaken."

With all these considerations before him-the fatal nature of Universalism, its extensive prevalence and prosperity, and the lamentable and almost universal ignorance of its true form and features among those who alone of all men can check its progress-it is seen at once, that a

weight of responsibility rested upon our author to come forward, and, at the sacrifice of ease and pleasure, to lift the veil which shrouded its deformity, and present to the astonished world, Universalism," naked and ugly, "as it is," and to give to theological students and his brethren, a "text book" of this antichristian, and fallacious, and soul-destroying system.

"

There is one point, however, to which we wish to call attention, and which seems to us to demand at the hand of our author some little explanation. He has suffered no opportunity to pass unimproved where he could institute a comparison between the illiterateness of Universalists on the one hand, and the learning and wisdom of their opposers on the other. The result of these comparisons is, that Universalists are confessedly, with here and there an exception, illiterate in a shameful degree," while the orthodox, so called, consist of "the wise, the learned, the profound, the intelligent, and the mighty." And yet with all this learning, intelligence, profundity, and wisdom, they seem, by our author's own confession, to have allowed a most seductive and fatal system of error to grow up in their very midst; to be preached and published for forty years in their own cities, towns, and villages, and not unfrequently within a "bow shot" of their own churches and private dwellings; to draw away

the members of their own congregations and churches in great numbers, and if we mistake not, several scores of their own preachers; and still, notwithstanding all this, we are told in 1841, by one of their number-professedly well acquainted with the facts-that hitherto they have been almost without an exception, and are at this moment grossly ignorant of "Universalism as it is!"

And what is still more remarkable, is the fact, that a denomination so large as the Universalist has now become, should have been built up by men so shamefully illiterate, and ignorant, and in the midst of such a flood of learning, intelligence, and, wisdom, and in spite of an organized, constant, and powerful opposition, unparalleled heretofore in the history of religion in our country! Here are some problems which need solution.

We would respectfully inquire how such facts are to be harmonized. How are we to account for the great learning and intelligence of our orthodox neighbors, and at the same time for their total want of knowledge on a subject confessedly so important to the everlasting welfare of souls? And how happens it that "profound" as they are, they should here be profound only in ignorance? Is it because Universalism is a harmless error? This will not be conceded; for it is uniformly represented by