the good with the bad fish. Nor is there any intimation that the tares and the chaff will become wheat, or the bad, putrid fish, become good; but the contrary is plainly implied in the parables themselves. Besides, the judgment is said to be eternal, vov;* doubtless with respect to the endless and unchangeable consequences. But if the judgment be strictly eternal with respect to its consequences, the punishment of the damned will be without end. The parables before mentioned further prove endless punishment, as they represent that the bad fish are cast away, that the tares and chaff are burnt up. How is this consistent with their final salvation and happiness? The peculiar epithets and emphasis put upon the future judgment indicate it final. It is frequently styled the last day; and the great works appropriated to it are, the universal resurrection, and the universal judgment and decision of the states of the whole moral world. That the wicked will never be released from punishment, an pass from hell into the abodes of the blessed, is asserted by our - Saviour in the words which he represents Abraham speaking to the rich man: And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed; so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from thence. (Luke xvi. 26.) He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; but he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. If all are to be saved, then all will see and enjoy life; which is contrary to the express words of scripture.-All the texts which speak of the divine vengeance, fury, wrath, indignation, fiery indignation, &c., hold forth some other punishment than that which is merely disciplinary. (See Deut. xxxii. 41. 41. Rom. iii. 5, 6. xii 9. 2 Thess. i. 8, &c.) Beside the arguments drawn directly from texts of scripture, there is one from the general nature of the gospel. Those who die impenitent deserve an endless punishment: for if endless punishment be not the penalty threatened in the law, no account can be given of the penalty of the law. It cannot be the temporary punishment actually suffered by the damn, * Dr. Edwards, and the other advocates for the eternity of future punishment, assert that the greek words aion and aionios strictly imply an endless duration. On the other hand, Dr. Chauncey has taken great pains to shew that they mean a limited duration, Real Grace, issuing in the Salvation of All Men." The author of this performance supposes the atonement to be ed, because then they would be finally saved without forgiveness. It cannot be a temporary punishment of less duration than that which is a direct, true, and proper suffered by the damned, be- setting all our guilt to the accause on that supposition they count of Christ, as our fedeare punished more than they ral head and sponsor; and deserve. It cannot be a tem- alike placing his obedience to porary punishment of longer death to our account." "The duration than that which the Son of Man (sayshe) is God's scriptures abundantly declare only object, as an elect head, the damned shall suffer, be- in regard to our eternal salvacause no such punishment is tion; and all human nature threatened in the law or in any is one entire, elect object, in part of scripture: it must union with Christ, as a body therefore be an endless pu- with a head." Agreeably to nishment. The doctrine of this idea, Dr. Huntington the perpetuity of future pu- maintains that our sins are nishment is also confirmed by transferred to Christ, and his the constitution of nature, righteousness to us; that he which connects sin and misery was a true and proper substitute together, and will finally make for all mankind, and has prothe wicked necessarily misera- cured unconditional, eternal ble as long as they have ex- salvation, for every individual ;+ istence; unless this constitu- that the gospel is all mere tion be annihilated, or super- news, good news, and hath no seded by the grace of God, threatenings in it; that law which he assures us never and gospel are diametrically shall be the case.* opposite; that these two disA new scheme of universal pensations of God oppose each. salvation has been advanced other from beginning to end. by the late Rev. Joseph Hunt- "The moral law (says he) ington, D D., in a posthumous every where speaks to man in work, entitled, "Calvinism his own personal character, Improved; or, The Gospel the gospel in that of the Illustrated in a System of Messiah. The law informs us Edwards against Chauncey, pp. 53-293. Johnson on Everlasting According to this author, in consequence of this imputation of guilt and righteousness, Gud regards sinful man in the proper character of his subMitute, or vicar. what man in justice deserves, ton's "Calvinism Improved" the gospel what the Son of has been published by Mr. God deserves." Accordingly Nathan Strong, minister of the doctor understands all the Hartford in Connecticut. In threatenings in the word of this work he endeavours to God as the pure voice of law reconcile the doctrine of eterand justice. Thus he explains nal misery with the infinite beMatt. xxv. 46: "Mankind nevolence of God. Mr. Strong in this passage are considered observes, that those who be in two characters: in their lieve in eternal punishment, own personally; and then the found their belief in consist voice of the righteous law is, ence with the infinite benevoThese shall go away into ever- lence of the Godhead. They lasting punishment, but (in suppose that benevolence is Christ) the righteous (by union the sum of all his glorious of faith) shall enter into life perfections; that it is a cometernal. The wicked charac- prehensive name for his whole ter shall remain an everlast- moral rectitude; that there is ing object of shame, contempt, no separation to be made beand condemnation, in the view tween primitive justice and of God and holy intelligences; benevolence; that it is his the righteous character an benevolence which moves him eternal object of approbation, to punish now and eternally; worthy of life eternal." and that if he did not punish he would not be an infinitely benevolent God. He defines benevolence to be,-(1.) A love of the greatest quantity of happiness.-(2.) That it is consistent with the existence of misery.-(3.) That it has regard to the greatest quantity of happiness in society, and not to the happiness of every individual. "Benevolence thus defined (says he) is that goodness, or holiness, which directs the supreme God in creating, governing, and rewarding. The good of the whole, or the An answer to Dr. Hunting- greatest happiness of intellec* Huntington's Calvinism Improved, pp, 26–165. This author declares, that the whole tenor of divine revelation ascertains the salvation of all men. In support of this assertion he adduces various texts of scripture. But, as many of the general arguments in favour of universal salvation have been exhibited in the foregoing articles, the readers who desire to see Dr. Huntington's peculiar system delineated at large, and his manner of defending it, are referred to his posthumous publication.* tual being, is the object of not a compliance with these benevolence. We may be conditions, the gospel becomes assured that the infinitely a dispensation of death to sine benevolent, ali-wise, and all-ners as much as the law is; powerful God, will eternally yea, of a much more awful execute such a government as death than the law threa will make blessedness in the tened." universe the greatest that is po-sible. In order to confute Dr. Huntington's plan of universal salvation, Mr. Strong attempts to prove,―(1.) That the gospel contains threatenings of death, and impenitent sinners will be as much condemned by the gospel as by the law. (2.) That there is in no sense a contradiction, or opposition, between the law and the gospel. Neither the law nor gospel give life or death independent of the moral temper and actions of men. The law itself hath the same power to give life as to give death. To the obedient and holy the law gives life. It gave life to Adam so long as he was a holy being, and it now gives life to all those beings who have not sinned. To the disobedient, by means of their sin, it gives death; and as all men have become disobedient, they are under a sentence of condemnation. (See Rom. vii.) So it is with the gospel there are conuitions on which life is offered, repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; and if there be Mr. Strong next attempts to prove that Dr. Huntington's ideas of the atonement of Christ are unscriptural and absurd. His own ideas on that subject are as follow: "Christ, according to the will of the Father, and with his own choice, hath by obe dience and sufferings made a display of certain moral truths, which the eternal misery of those who were forgiven was necessary for displaying; so that their misery is not now necessary for the good govern ment of the universe. The reason that their eternal sufferings was fit under the law. was to make this display, the necessity of which hath now ceased, if God will be pleased to sanctify and forgive through Christ; but if he be not pleased to sanctify them through Christ, the necessity doth not cease. The meritorious cause on which he forgives, is the atoning sufferings of his Son. The moving cause in his own mind to provide the gospelatonement, and pardon the sinner on account of it, was his own goodness and the general good. So many as the general good requires he will sanctify and pardon, and no more. "The atoning sufferings of Christ were necessary on the gospel scheme, for the same reason as the eternal miseries of the sinner were under the law; to make a display of God's moral character; of his righteousness, as King of the universe; of his sense of the turpitude of the sinner's principles and practice; and also the nature of benevolence in its high and infinite source, Godhead himself." As the brevity of this work will not admit of giving an account of the arguments Mr. Strong uses to support his idea of the atonement and refute Dr. Huntington's, those who are desirous of further information are referred to his late publication in favour of the doctrine of eternal misery.* [The doctrine of universal salvation, or restoration, besides being generally acknowledged by the Socinians, has been defended in England by Mr. Winchester, and after him by Mr. Vidler and others. The latter has lately been opposed by Mr. A. Fuller and Mr. C. Jerram.+] said to have been copied out of certain manuscripts, bearing date nearly four hundred years before the time of Luther, and twenty before Peter Waldo.-(1.) That the scriptures teach that there is one * Strong's Benevolence and Misery, pp. 152-266. Review of both by Scrutator.] Many protestants suppose that Waldo derived his name from the Waldenses, whose doctrine he adopted, and who were known by the name of Waldenses, or Vaudois, before he or his immediate followers existed. The learned Mr. Allix, in his history of the churches of Piedmont, gives this account : "That for three hundred years or more, the bishop of Rome attempted to subjugate the church of Milan under his jurisdiction; and at last the interest of Rome grew too potent for the church of Milan, planted by one of the disciples; insomuch that the bishop and the people, rather than own their jurisdiction, retired to the vallies of Lucerne and Angrogne, and thence were called Vallenses, Wallenses, or The People in the Valleys," See Allix's History of the Churches in Piedmont, and Perrin's History of the Waldenses. On the other hand, the Roman Catholics derive their origin from Peter Waldo, who was born in 1170. See Dupin's Church History, and Dufres Boy's Chronological Tables, |