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In the contents, the part of the poem which relates to this fubject is entitled, " The groans of the creation fhall have an end.-A view taken of the restoration of all things." And the permanent reafon affigned, in the lines quoted, requires fuch a restoration, without restricting it to the beings that shall exist at any one period on the earth. These make but a small part of God's works.

The late Dr Blair, in his fermon on the death of Chrift, has the following remarks, among others of the fame import, which plainly fhew, that he viewed that event as productive of confequences which are not recognized by the bulk of Chriftians." This awful difpenfation of the Almighty contains mysteries which are beyond the discoveries of man. The nature and extent of the efficacy of his fufferings, we are unable, as yet, fully to trace Let us not imagine that our present discoveries unfold the whole influence of the death of Christ. It is connected with causes into which we cannot penetrate; it produces confequences too extenfive for us to explore. God's thoughts are not as our thoughts. In all things we fee only in part; and here, if any where, we fee thro' a glafs darkly."

That the doctrine of the restoration has had many of the most pious and intelligent Christians in every age for its friends and advocates, there is reason to believe. In looking over Mr Middleton's life of that early reformer Wickliffe, who was called the first English Lollard, I find that very many Christians in Germany, at an early period, held this doctrine among others, on account of which they were accused by the Church of Rome, and probably learned it from that great man, whofe tenets they had espoused. Du Pin is referred to for his authority, whose veracity as a writer has been seldom called in question. To gratify the reader, I fhall transcribe the whole note, where this teftimony occurs," The fect of the Lollards, spread throughout Germany, had for their leader Waltar Lollard, who began to disperse his doctrines about the year 1315. He despised the facraments of the church, and derided her ceremonies and her conftitutions; observed not the fafts of the church, nor its abftinencies; acknowledged not the interceffion of the faints, and believed that the damned in bell, and even the evil angels, Should one day be faved. Trithemius, who recites their opinions, says that Bohemia and Auftria were infected with them; that there were above 24,000 perfons in Germany who held those errors, and that the greater part defended them with obstinacy, even to death.”—Du Pin, Middleton's Biographia Evangelica, vol. 1. p. 26.

These people had the honour to make a noble ftand against the corruptions and encroachments of the Papal power, for which many of them fuffered to the death, as Du Pin attefts. It has been owing to their laudable exertions, under God, that Chriftianity has been all along preserved in a tolerably pure state in the valleys of Piedmont and Griffon country. The prefent oppofers of the doctrine of the restoration may fee who they have for their fellow labourers, the bigotted abettors of the Church of Rome.

In reading the lives of the pious reformers, in that ufeful work, one fees reafon to conclude that fome of them at leaft had not the fame contracted view of the extent of our Lord's death, and of the object of his mediation, as many of their modern brethren entertain. That great and good man Mr Wishart, on the morning of his martyrdom, partook of the Lord's fupper with the Captain of the castle, and some friends. When difpenfing it, he exhorted them to remember that Chrift died for them, and that his blood was shed for them. But how he could affure them of this, if a strict Calvinisft, I am at a loss to fay; because it is impoffible we can be certain, that all in any company, be they many or few, are elected from all eternity. In the public and folemn prayer of Cranmer, before the fentence of death was pronounced against him, I find the following clauses, which expreffes his view of the extent of Chrift's death." Son of God, Redeemer of the world-O God the Father, whofe property is always to have mercy, thou didst not give thy Son to die for our smaller crimes only, but for the greatest fins of the whole world."

It is worthy of confideration, that tho' the Church of England once admitted an article into her creed, exprefsly condemning the doctrine of the refloration as heretical; yet upon more

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mature deliberation fhe thereafter expunged that article; but why expunge it, if they did not fee reafon to believe, upon revising the whole, that fuch judgment was unfounded, and that there is nothing in the doctrine of the final restoration that deferves to be accounted heretical? In the liturgy of that church they pray not only, That God would bless and keep all his people, but also proceed to befeech him, " that it would please him to have mercy upon all men. How could they pray for this in faith, if they believed the word of God warranted no fuch prayer, and that he does not intend to fhew mercy on all men? In prayer we must lift up holy hands, without wrath or doubting; but how to pray without doubting, when we have no scripture promise upon which to found our faith and request, let the abettors of the common system fhew. We are exhorted, however, to pray for all men, for this plain and good reason, because this is acceptable in the fight of God our Saviour, who will have all men to be faved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, or to be delivered from fin and mifery, and reftored to holiness and happiness; and that because he gave himself a ransom for all, to be teftified in due time, 1 Tim. ii. 1—7.

But truth itself is not affected by the affent or diffent of churches and councils; for it will remain always the same whether they receive or reject it. Of all the errors that prevail among Chriftians, perhaps none prove more fatal than a blind zeal, which leads men to believe that they must be acceptable to Deity, because they find their hearts difpofed to perfecute their brethren, who may confcientiously differ from them in any article of their creed; whence they persuade themselves that by such persecution they do God excellent service. With Jehu of old they in effect exclaim, Come see my zeal for the Lord of hosts, when the best apology you can make for them is, in the words of our Lord upon a fimilar occafion, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. However confined the perfecution may be, thro' the favour of civil government, the principle is the fame. Agreeable to this, Mr Locke fays, "That if you may fubject a man to a flight degree of punishment or inconvenience on account of his religion, you may with equal justice subject him to any or to all." Would any wish to fee proofs of the existence of the universal doctrine in the church from the earliest periods, let them confult the two prefaces prefixed to Jeremiah White's Treatife on the Restoration of all Things, and there he will find it maintained by fome of the most eminent men in all ages.

The Author has been told, that a work has been lately published, confifting chiefly of extracts from the meft orthodox authors, in favour of the univerfal restoration. These writers might not intend this, nor might it come into their mind; yet truth fometimes breaks the shackles of fyftem, and afferts her unlimited fway. The authority of great names weighs much with many; but a Christian should say, with Peter and John, "Whether it be right in the fight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye." Would Calvinists and Arminians but agree in the two leading points of their system, they would be Univerfalifts.-The latter maintain that Chrift died for all men; and the former, that all for whom he died fhall be faved. Thus, as the prophet speaks," the nations fhall blefs themselves in the Lord, and in him fhall they glory;" Jer. iv. 2. even all the nations which he has made, or fhall make, Pfal. lxxxvi. 9. And what else can be the iffue of the Divine procedure, if, with Solomon, we allow, that by mercy and truth iniquity is purged, without restriction ?—With the Poet let the writer and the reader join:

"Let not this weak and erring hand,

Prefume thy bolts to throw,

And deal damnation round the land
On each I judge thy foe.

If I am right, thy grace impart

Still in the right to stay;

If I am wrong, O teach my heart

To find that better way!"

то

Mr WILLIAM VIDLER, Preacher of Univerfal Restoration.

DEAR SIR,

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THOUGH I have not the pleasure of being perfonally acquainted with you, yet have I derived pleafure, and, I truft, inftruction, from the perufal of fome of your writings. You have had the honour of fucceeding a great man in contending earnestly for an effential, though derided branch of the faith, which was once delivered to the faints; and I hope, your candid and scriptural defence of it has not been in vain in the Lord. He has refted from his pious labours, and the ftrife of tongues, which he had to encounter in his day; and entered into his Master's joys, where thefe no more infeft. Though he was inftrumental in breaking up much fallow ground, yet you too, I understand, have had your share of persecution, with which every one must lay his account that would embark in the fame honourable cause. I trust, however, you will have the fatisfaction of feeing truth triumph over prejudice, and the pure beneficent religion of Jefus, which is the cause of human kind, burft afunder the fetters with which it has been fo long bound, and emerge, like its Author, to fet no more, from under every dark and obfcuring cloud, to enlighten and bless the human race with its enlivening rays.

Jefus was defpifed, reproached, traduced, accused, and crucified, in the garden of his visible church; and all by his own profeffed people. In that garden, too, there was a fepulchre, where they laid him, fealing the stone, and fetting a watch. It is only in the visible church fuch things can be done, and there our Lord, his cause, and people, have often met with fuch treatment. His enemies, however, could not prevent his refurrection, or exaltation to univerfal dominion; and the wrath of man, even of the fcribés, priests, and rulers, ferved only to praise him, and to make the triumphs of his gospel in the world the more conspicuous and extensive. When the Lord fends his angel or meffenger to roll away the ftone, which confines truth in the grave, there will be a commotion; and fome will be found weeping, and fome trembling, yet all will iffue in the joy and triumph of the righteous. The revival of truth, in its native fimplicity, beautiful harmony, and glorious extent, cannot but alarm the powers of darkness, and excite them to use all their influence, with friends and foes, to counteract and fupprefs its voice. Truth, however, is quick and powerful, though in the mouth of a babe, and will prevail.

It gives me pleáfure to learn, from your Mifcellany, that the univerfal doctrine is gaining ground among the candid and intelligent, who are happily delivered from the fhackles of human fyftems and the undue infiuence of clerical authority. I would deem it the chief felicity of my life, fhould God deign to honour me to vindicate, in any meafure, his character and administration from the foul afperfions of received fyftems, by

which many have been grieved and ftumbled. How harfh the idea inculcated by fome of our reverend doctors, and believed by their admirers, that God has no farther refpect to the bulk of inankind in giving them being, and preferving them in it, than to get his elect out of their loins! They fo ba icade all accefs to the land of promife, that no fooner do poor finners attempt to enter, than, despairing of fuccefs, they form the refolution to go back to Egypt, Numb. xiv. 4.

The men of stature, who have pofsefsed the land of promise in past times, are a great hinderance to those who succeed them, by reafon of that undue deference they pay to their opinion on religious fubjects. Thus they are prostituted into fons of Anak, and we view ourselves as grasshoppers in comparison of them; whence many are deterred from following the Lord fully, and chufe rather to be the fervile difciples of men. "Ceafe ye from man, for wherein is he to be accounted of,” Ifa. 2. 22.

This is the native confequence of bringing up a falfe report on that heavenly country, and the mode of pofsefsing it; and, for two fpies that gave a fair account, ten joined in a falfe one, and got the whole congregation of the Lord to take part with them, and to unite in the attempt of ftoning their faithful brethren, who, in that affair, followed the Lord fully. The Jews of old were ready to ftone our Saviour, with the very ftones which they had collected about the walls of his temple; and fuch alfo has often been the fate of his followers. Seldom are these exploits achieved without the priests having a hand in them. It is worthy of every Christian, and efpecially of all the minifters of the gofpel, to endeavour, by word and deed, to place the pure, benevolent, and undefiled religion of Jefus, in fuch a fcriptural, amiable, and inviting light, as may, through the bleffing of God, conciliate the minds of adverfaries, heal the divifions of profefsed friends, and fecure the triumph of divine truth in the world.

I cannot here give you a particular account of the fteps by which I was gradually brought to embrace the univerfal doctrine; though, taken altogether, fingular enough to mark the interpofition of Heaven. No fooner was my own heart impressed with a fenfe of divine things, which, blesfed be God, was at an early period of life, than the common doctrine of the eternal prevalence of fin and mifery, over the far greater part of God's intelligent works, gave me more concern than I can exprefs. This, with a ftrong defire I felt to devote myself to the miniftry of the gofpel, and a fear that I had mistaken or anticipated the call of the great Lord of the vineyard, gradually brought my mind to a state of the deepeft diftrefs; which, though for the time, not joyous but grievous, proved, I hope, through the divine bleffing, a refining furnace. The perufal of what Chevalier Ramfay has publifhed on the fubject, in his Principles of Natural and Revealed Religion, and of Worthington on Redemption, both which works happened about that time to fall into my hands, did not, however, remove my difficulties, not feeing the fubject then in the light of Scripture. The time was not yet come. Notwithstanding, my mind was brought to entertain a hope, that God would, in due feason, in a way known to, and worthy of, himfelf, manifeft the agreement of his word with a more univerfal difplay of his mercy than is commonly admitted. I thought, however, that it was not his will this fhould be now publicly known, and therefore, that no perfon fhould attempt to deduce fuch a

doctrine from Scripture, for the reason which still prevails with many, the fear of its abufe by the profligate.

I remained in this ftate of mind, believing, and afterwards declaring in my public ministry, the doctrines commonly termed Calvinistic, till providentially fome of Mr Winchefter's writings fell into my hands. Thefe prefented the leading doctrines of that fyftem, and indeed the whole of the divine administration, refpecting our guilty world, in a quite new, and to me, glorious light. I began the diligent fearch of the holy Scriptures, which I have continued ever fince, whence the truth of the doctrine appeared with increasing evidence, and the difficulties, which once feemed infurmountable, gradually evanished. Such was the joy the doctrine imparted, I could not forbear fometimes dropping hints relative to it, long before I thought myfelf entitled to fay any thing decifively on the fubject. The doctrine of election, which I always faw to be a fcriptural one, appeared now fraught with mercy to the rest of men, inftead of amounting to their total exclufion from all hope for ever, as is ufually taught. Par ticular election and falvation appeared now perfectly confiflent with univerfal redemption and restoration; and the connection of both in the divine plan harmonized the feeming contradictions of Scripture. I faw that the elect, as the first fruits, were the pledge, earneft, and pattern of the recovery of their brethren at length, and would have an honourable efficiency in that glorious work. When I was beginning only to perceive the glory, and taste the sweetness of fuch a view of the divine plan, I felt myself called upon publickly to defend that view, by the following circumftance:

Calling on a professed friend, upon his own urgent invitation, he begged I would point out fome of the texts on which the doctrine of the Restoration was founded, alleging he did not know, till of late, there was any fuch doctrine in the world. He urged this the rather, as he had been juft reading Winchefter's Sermon, entitled, the Gospel Preached by the Apoftles, and owned that it contained many things he thought unanfwerable. Begging to be excufed, as I had already found my confidence, in fuch cases betrayed, he reprobated fuch conduct, and expreffed his hope I viewed him in a different light, and that he wished for information from a very different motive. Thus was I induced to lay before him fo much of the Scripture evidence of the univerfal doctrine, without afferting my own full belief of it, though I owned I had been at pains to collect the Scriptures which appear to favour it, and to commit what occurred upon them to writing. He owned that they feemed to have weight with them, and that some of the paffages, upon the common system, had been often ftumbling to himself. The only objection he made was, that, if fuch a doctrine were taught, wicked men might be induced to abuse it to the purposes of licentioufnefs. This was granted; but it was observed, that, if the doctrine was of God, which was the chief thing in queftion, he would fee to its abufe. We parted, with a promife, on his part, not yet fulfilled, of fpending an evening with me foon; but it is long fince the maxim has been adopted by the church, that no faith is to be kept with heretics. Of this leaven more ftill remains among us than many are aware of, and truth alone can purge it away.

Having made, in the interim, an excurfion to preach the gofpel, to my great furprife, I found, at my return, that the converfation had been

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