is practised to a much greater extent in your own denomination. Rememember that unitarians have the same right and as much reason to accuse the orthodox of spreading their sentiments by conceal

ment.

6. The Orthodox assert that Unitarians are Universalists. Look at those passages, in which orthodox writers accuse unitarians of being universalists. One clause from "The Spirit of the Pilgrims" will answer my present purpose. "Leading unitarians in the United States, with possibly a few exceptions, do believe the doctrine of universal salvation, and are in every thing but the name universalists." Now why have you so often brought this charge against unitarians? I firmly believe it has been done to injure their influence, and disaffect their hearers. Your writers well know, that many among the universalists believe in no future punishment. They also know that this doctrine is peculiarly offensive to a considerable portion of the community. They are therefore willing to confound the two classes together, and to permit the unlearned to believe, that unitarians have embraced this obnoxious sentiment. I do not make this statement without satisfactory evidence.

And does your charge contain the truth? Is it a fact, that almost all the leading unitarians in our country believe in universal salvation? I think not; although I cannot imitate you, by saying that I am well acquainted with all against whom this charge is specially directed. But I will honestly and frankly state what I believe to be the exact truth on this question. On the subject of punishment, I think the unitarians may be divided into four distinct classes. They all believe that God will render unto every man according to his deeds, and that all who die impenitent and unreformed must suffer the natural consequences of their wicked characters. The first class, then, believe in the annihilation of the wicked, after a limited period of suffering. I say class, although I am unable to name but one individual of this belief in the whole denomination. A second class believe that those who die unregenerated, will eventually become holy, and consequently be saved from the torment of their sinfulness. I again say class, although I am unable to name but few individuals of this belief in the denomination. A third class cannot find sufficient evidence in the Bible to warrant a belief in endless torments, neither can they find sufficient evidence to warrant a belief in universal restoration. They therefore leave the subject indefinite, as they believe the Scriptures have left it. How many or what proportion of the whole are embraced in this class, I have no means of determining. For on this as on all other subjects, every man in the denomination thinks for himself, and there is no human standard erected for making hypocrites. The last class believe in the everlasting punishment of the wicked; and I have reason to believe that it is very respectable both for numbers and character. If my statement is

correct, you perceive how very unfounded is your oft repeated accusation. You see that the number who have a firm belief in universal salvation is comparatively small. If you mean to include all who fondly hope and wish, that it may be consistent with the justice and mercy of the common Father to enable his children to love and serve him, so as to answer the design of their creation, I desire for the credit of humanity that the whole denomination may be included.

Now I could bring the charge of universalism with equal justice against your denomination. For I do know, that some members of orthodox churches privately entertain the belief of universal restoration. I do also believe, that orthodox preachers have done more, than all other causes combined, to make universalists. And I likewise understand, that the whole orthodox party in Germany, whom you are ever willing to praise, have embraced the doctrine of universal salvation. I will give you a few sentences from the late publication of the orthodox Mr. Dwight, whose authority none of you will pretend to dispute. Here you have his own words. "The doctrine of the eternity of future punishment is almost universally rejected. I have seen but one person in Germany who believed it; and but one other whose mind was wavering on this subject." Remember, Sir, that these are the orthodox Christians whose praises some of your writers have sounded so long and so loudly. And what effect has this rejection produced on their Christian character? Let the same orthodox writer answer this question. Here you have his words. "I have never seen any Christians, who seemed to me to have a deeper sense of the odiousness of sin in the sight of God, or whose hearts beat with a more ardent gratitude for our Saviour, for the great redemption he has made for fallen man. I know of no examples of humility greater than those exhibited by some of these gentlemen, or more elevated views of the character of God than you discover in their conversation. So far as an opinion can be formed of them from their reputation and their conversation, we must look in vain for brighter examples of piety than they exhibit. They certainly manifest a greater spirit of love for those who differ from them, than is found in most of our sects; and they feel very unwilling to shut the gates of heaven against all those who do not believe every article of their creed. In this charity and love, the Christians of most Protestant countries would do well to imitate them." A very important admission, and no very blind hint to his orthodox friends in this land of boasted freedom.

For my own part, I know not why the unitarians of America may not investigate the subject of future punishment as well as the orthodox of Germany. I know not how they are to reject evidence on this question, any more than on other theological inquiries. I know not how any man can believe a proposition without satisfactory proof, or contrary to convincing evidence. If a man cannot find sufficient testimony in the Scriptures to enable him to believe in the endless torments of

the wicked, I know not why he should be held up to public reprobation for his honest convictions. If a belief in either doctrine indicates a corrupt heart, I see not but it must be the doctrine of endless misery. And I think the unitarians have more reason to accuse you of being actuated by corrupt motives in adhering to this belief, than you have to charge them with an evil heart of unbelief, because they hope and pray and labor for the salvation of all mankind, and do not find any evidence of an eternal decree to consign the larger portion of the human family to unutterable and never-ending woe. I will merely add, that it is my hearty prayer, that you and your aggrieved friends may meekly improve the kind hint of Mr. Dwight, and imitate the charity and love of the orthodox universalists of Germany.

7. The Orthodox assert that Unitarians are Heretics. Look at those passages, in which orthodox writers have denounced unitarians as heretics, and promoters of damnable heresies. Charges of this kind are so common, that it seems scarcely necessary to make even a quotation. I will however take a sentence from "The Spirit of the Pilgrims." "And here I would say, that as Christ crucified or the atonement of Christ, is the foundation of all hope for sinners, so those who deny this doctrine, the atonement, differing or agreeing in whatever else they may, are the persons referred to by the apostle, when he speaks of DAMNABLE HERESIES." Now you well know that unitarians do not believe in the Calvinistic doctrine of the atonement, although they uniformly hold to the Scriptural doctrine of the atonement. But for you to accuse them of propagating damnable heresies, because they prefer the words and statements of inspired apostles and a divine Saviour to those of John Calvin, seems not a little domineering. And every one of you, who has studied theology to any purpose, must know that unitarians are no more scripturally entitled to the name of heretics than the orthodox are. I shall not therefore attempt to reason on this question, but simply quote one passage from the orthodox Dr. Campbell. "I shall conclude, with adding to the observations on the words schism and heresy, that how much soever of a schismatical or heretical spirit, in the apostolic sense of the terms, may have contributed to the formation of the different sects into which the Christian world is at present divided; no person who, in the spirit of candor and charity, adheres to that which, to the best of his judgment, is right, though in this opinion he should be mistaken, is, in the SCRIPTURAL sense, either schismatic or heretic; AND THAT HE, ON THE CONTRARY, WHAtever sect he BELONG TO, IS MORE entitled to THESE ODIOUS APPELLATIONS, WHO IS MOST APT TO THROW THE IMPUTATION UPON OTHERS."

8. The Orthodox assert that Unitarians are Enemies to Jesus Christ. Look at those passages, in which orthodox writers charge unitarians with being enemies to Jesus Christ, and all that is valuable in religion. One quotation from the Farewell Discourse of the late

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Dr. Mason will be sufficient. "Above all things it is devoutly to be hoped, that you will never invite to the care of your souls, a man who cares nothing about them. I mean, more particularly, for I would not be misunderstood, a man who belongs to that rank of traitors who miscall themselves rational Christians. Against these men I have ever warned you, AS THE enemies of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, and all that is valuable in his religion and peculiar in his salvation.” To reason on this subject would be idle. Remember that unitarians have the same right and equal reason to accuse the orthodox denomination of being enemies to Jesus and his religion.

9. The Orthodox assert that Unitarians are Deists in Disguise. Look at those passages, in which orthodox writers have accused unitarians of being deists in disguise. My first extract shall be from Dr. Miller. "You are prepared, I hope, to decide, promptly and without wavering, that they, unitarians, are by no means to be considered as Christians, in any Scriptural sense of the word; that their preaching is to be avoided as blasphemy; their publications to be abhorred as pestiferous; their ordinances to be held unworthy of regard as Christian institutions; and their persons to be in all respects treated as decent and sober DEISTS IN DISGUISE." The Reverend Doctor must have a very contemptuous opinion of the orthodox denomination, and very little confidence in orthodox sentiments, if he is obliged to adopt such strong language to frighten his readers from hearing unitarian preaching, or reading unitarian books, or attending on unitarian ordinances.

My next extract shall be from "The Spirit of the Pilgrims,” said to have been written by yourself. "The question is here soon to be, Whether the Bible is indeed an inspired book, and its decisions final and authoritative in the Christian church. The time has been, when a suggestion of this nature would have brought down a storm of obloquy upon the man, who dared to venture on making it. The time now is, when some of the younger, bolder, more thorough-going, more open-hearted young men, and a few of the older ones, do not hesitate, when among the INITIATED, to answer the question above in the negative; nor do some of them hesitate even to preach what implies a negative; although they are somewhat guarded in their assertions, on account of the yet remaining prejudices, as they term them, of their hearers, or at least a portion of their hearers. These open-hearted men whose sincerity we do not feel at all disposed to question, and whom we, on every account, respect far more than we can those who are not bold and honest enough to make an open profession of their belief, only need a little more of a common centre around which they may rally, some able, and learned, and fearless defender of their cause, to come out with an entirely open face, and avow substantially the naturalism which Dr. Wegscheider now teaches at Halle-Wittenburg." Now this pas

sage contains several most weighty charges against unitarians. First, that some young and a few old unitarians declare privately that the Bible is not an inspired book, and that its decisions are not final and authoritative in the Christian church. Secondly, that these men only need some able leaders, and they will openly declare themselves on deistical ground. Thirdly, that another class are not deserving your respect, because they are not bold and honest enough to make an open profession of their belief. And from these premises, this conclusion naturally follows, that most of the unitarians are hypocrites; for they are now really deists, but disguise their belief, and call themselves Christians. Of all the charges against unitarians, I know of none more slanderous than this. After making this statement, I should not suppose you would ever complain of the severity of unitarian denunciations. For you here aim a death-blow at their very sincerity and honesty; you would hold them up before the world as hypocrites. I can never condescend to reason with a man who denies the very integrity of my heart on the question in debate. I will only say, that a more false and injurious statement was never published.

10. The Orthodox assert that Unitarians are Infidels. Look at those passages, in which orthodox writers have accused unitarians of being infidels. A few sentences from "The Spirit of the Pilgrims" will answer my purpose. "Who can hesitate where to class those leading, standard unitarians, whose writings have been quoted! Is it an abuse of language to call such writers infidels? The infidelity of leading unitarians in this region is not, with them, mere philosophical speculation. It has been poured out upon this community, in conversation, in the lecture-room, from the pulpit, and the press, till the whole moral atmosphere is in a degree infected. It has rolled over this portion of our fair land like a destroying deluge, and unless the Lord lift up a standard against it, where shall its proud waves be staid? It certainly is high time that things were called by their right names; and that the public were loudly and solemnly warned of the dangers that surround them." I have no wish to reason on this question. I merely desire to ask a few questions. Does an individual leader in your party believe the truth of these charges? Do you believe that unitarians have given up their faith in the divine and miraculous origin of the Christian religion? No. Why then do you wish to make the ignorant believe such a falsehood? To injure the character and usefulness of unitarians. And, Sir, where has infidelity prevailed to the greatest extent? In places where unitarianism or Calvinism has most prevailed? In the regions of Calvinism. And who have written the most unanswerable defences of revelation? Unitarians. And who is to check the progress of infidelity in our land? The unitarian. He can show that the Gospel does not teach Calvinism. Remember that unitarians