their unbelief, cause the Gentiles to obtain mercy and salvation; but also, that he might have mercy upon all those, whom he had thus shut up in unbelief, without exception. See the whole chapter. Here, then, are three designs worthy of a God of infinite wisdom, power and goodness, in this one dark dispensation, the rejection of the Jewish Church and nation:-1. That he might punish them for their iniquity:-2. That others might come in their room, stand in their office, and be made partakers of their privileges; and 3. That they may be reserved to mercy and forgiveness at last. And what happened to a whole nation of traitors, might happen to an individual of that nation; and vice versa. Friend. This is a subject of great importance, and if you can maintain the system you have espoused, and answer the remaining objections that may be brought against it, it will most certainly give me pleasure, and relieve my mind from great anxiety. I am a father of many children, and God knows the tears I have shed on their account, but could I receive your views, with what pleasure should I look upon them! stored, or the promise cannot be fulfilled; But I have many remaining difficulties and objections still to propose; may God preserve me from error and false doctrine. I wish to know what is really the truth in this matter, for above all things I dread deception. Minister. I assure you, my friend, that I should be as loth to deceive you as you are to be deceived; and had I not the surest confidence through the Lord of the truth and reality of this most glorious system, and did I not find the highest satisfaction in it myself, I should never presume to hold it forth to others. But as I have an engagement that calls me elsewhere just now, I must beg you to excuse me, hoping that in a little time I shall have another opportunity of hearing the remainder of your objections; and in the mean time I advise you to search the Scriptures, and pray God to lead you in CONTENTS OF DIALOGUE III. OBJECTION. That the doctrine of the Restoration tends to licentiousness, and is calculated to encourage the wicked in a continuance of their evil ways, &c. ANSWER. First, by shewing the principles upon which the doctrine of the Restoration is founded. 1. God is the Creator of all. 2. His benevolence is universal. 3. Christ died for all without exception. OBJECTION.-That Christ did not die for all, because he did not pray for all. ANSWER. This objection is entirely groundless ;-for though in one place he prays exclusively for his apostles, yet a little after he prays for all that should believe on him, through their word. &c. 4. Another of the first principles upon which the doctrine of the Universal Restoration is founded. Is the unchangeableness of God. 5. The immutability of his counsels; confirmed by his oath.f That God hath given all things into the hands of Christ, and that nothing that is given to him shall be lost. 7. That the Scriptures must be fulfilled, and that none of them can be broken. Secondly. It is proved that the doctrine of the Restoration cannot lead to licentiousness, because it is perfectly consistent with experimental religion. Queries asked upon this subject. A little sketch of the author's experience. Queries submitted to the consideration of all experienced Christians. Inferences deduced therefrom in favour of the doctrine of the Restoration. Thirdly, It is proved that the doctrine of the Restoration does not lead to licentiousness, by its tendency to practical religion. 1. We are commanded to love all mankind, even our enemies. 2. To do good to all. 3. To forgive all that trespass against us. 4. To pray for all men, that they may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. The belief of the Restoration so far from preventing us from these things, enables us to perform them with pleasure and consistency. All shall be restored at last by the blood of Christ, Fourthly, It is proved, that the doctrine of the Restoration is according to godliness, because the belief of it tends to fill our hearts with all amiable tempers, &c. Fifthly, The doctrine of the Restoration is vindicated from the charge of licentiousness, by an appeal to facts, especially by the amiable conduct of the Tunkers, or German Baptists in America, who universally hold these sentiments. Reply to those who call this the doctrine which Satan taught Eve in the Garden. Dr. Whitby's grand objection, that the unbelievers shall not see life, answered. OBJECTION.-The doctrine of endless punishment said to be the greatest possible restraint upon sin. ANSWERED.-1. By showing that God does not always lay the greatest possible restraint upon sin. 2. The idea of limited punishment by appearing more just and reasonable to the mind, is more calculated to restrain sin and iniquity than the doctrine of endless misery. 3. That in fact, though the greater part have professed to believe endless damnation, yet their belief appears not to have much restrained them from sin. 4. The great number of heathen people that die without ever hearing the gospel, infants, idiots, persons born deaf, &c., render it probable that many are reclaimed in a future state. 5. That the intention of God is not so much to restrain sin, as to shew its enormity; and finally to destroy it out of the universe. 6. If the doctrine of the Restoration should be abused, that can be no argument against it, as the gospel itself has been perverted; yet it is the greatest blessing to mankind; therefore it is evident that this glorious doctrine cannot justly be charged with the least tendency towards licentiousness. OBJECTION.—It would not be prudent in God even if he intended finally to restore the wicked to let them know his gracious designs beforehand; it is time enough to let them know his gracious purposes towards them, when his former threatenings have failed of their effect, but not before. ANSWERED.-God has thought it the abounding of his wisdom and prudence to make known to his saints this mystery of his will, even his promise to rehead all things in Christ. The discovery is chiefly intended for the comfort and satisfaction of the good, and not for the encouragement of the bad. God has frequently mixed promises of great mercies with threatenings of terrible judgments; yet his threatenings are not thereby weakened. OBJECTION-The doctrine of the Restoration seems not very plainly revealed in the Scripture, or it would not have been so long hidden from so many great and good men. ANSWER.-Things that have been plainly revealed have been still hidden from great and good men; as the death and resurrection of Christ. QUESTION.-But how comes this man to know better than all the world? &c. ANSWER.-The charge denied. Many have known, believed, preached and defended it. The doctrine of endless misery is one principal cause of the disagreement among Christians. DIALOGUE III. Friend.-I am glad to meet with you, to nave some farther conversation upon the very important and interesting subject of the final Restoration. Since I saw you last I have had opportunity of hearing some very capital objections made against this system, which I beg leave to state in the plainest and strong est manner. Minister.—Your frankness is well pleasing to me, and I am ready to hear whatever can be urged against my sentiments, and will do my endeavour to answer all reasonable objections; therefore propose them as soon as you think proper. shall Friend.-One grand objection that is very generally made against the doctrine of the Restoration, is, that it tends to licentiousness; that it is the doctrine that the serpent preached to Eve; for we read, (Gen. iii. 4,)" And the serpent said unto the woman, ye not surely die;" and that it is a doctrine calculated to give encouragement to the wicked to continue in their evil ways; that it is "saying, peace, peace, when there is no peace;" and that this doctrine is as danger ous as that of the wicked prophetesses of Ezekiel's time, of whom GoD says, "With lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life. They say unto them hat dispise me, JEHOVAH hath said, ye shall bave peace? and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, no evil shall come upon you." Jer. viii. 11, Ezek. xiii. 22, Jer. xxiii. 17. It is said that it is the nature of God to lay the highest possible restraint upon sin, and, therefore, he has threatened it with eternal or endless punishment; and this is even found too weak to prevent the prevailing iniquity. What a flood of impiety, therefore, would overflow the world, if it should be generally believed, that after some ages of suffering, mankind should be restored to some degree of happiness? Would not the restraints be wholy taken off from the lusts and passions of the wicked, if once this doctrine should become prevalent? Will you be so kind as to give a fair and candid reply to this objection? Minister. This objection is stated with all possible, force, I shall, therefore, endeavour to answer it as well as I can; putting in this event, that if I shall not answer it to your satisfaction, do not imagine that no solid anewer can be given; but impute it to my not being sufficiently master of my subject, or not being able to express my mind so clearly as I could wish. As this objection is frequently made, and often used, by people who mean well, but have not considered the subSet thoroughly, I shall be as explicit as I possibly can upon it. I would first observe, that the great truths, first principles, upon which the Restoration is founded, and from which it is derived by natural and easy consequences, are far from -nding to licentiousness. But in order to make this evident, it will be proper here to set them down in their order. Fire Principles upon which the Doctrine of the 1. GOD is the universal and only Creator of ell; contrary to the opinion of the Manichees of old, who believed the devil to be the creator of most, if not all visible things. The Mugletonians of the last century, and the Buchanites lately, assert nearly the same sentiments; Contrary to Rev. iv. 11, Col. i. 16. Psalm c. 3, Numb. xvi. 22, Isaiah lxiv. 8, Ezek. xviii. 4, Zech. xii. 1, and a vast number of other scriptures. Now who can say, that this noble thought, which St. Paul enlarges upon so beautifully, (Acts xvii. 24-30) tends in the least, to make nen wicked? Does it not tend to dignify and ennoble human nature, to be told, that God is our Father, Creator, and First Cause: and that we were made by his power, according to his will, and for his pleasure and that the chief end for which he made us, was, to glorify his name and enjoy him forever?-as the Assembly's Catechism beautifully declares. This is one of the principles from which God himself deduces the certainty of the final end of wrath, as I have observed before: "For I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth for the spirits should fail before me, and the souls which I have made." Isaiah lvii. 16. Those who venture to contradict their Maker, and say that he will contend forever, and be always wroth! ought to be able at least to give us as good a reason why he will, as he has assigned why he will not; and consequently prove that he hath not made all souls; which is the true foundation upon which endless misery must be founded, and the only doctrine which is perfectly consistent with it. The poor untutored Indians in America, argued (with a missionary that was sent from Sweden to convert them) from the universal providence of God, that he, who was so kind a Father as to provide for their bodies all things needful, had not wholly neglected their souls. But this I do not insist upon, though, I think, the argument has weight in it; and certainly, the providential goodness of God, and his long suffering, tends to lead men to repentance. Rom. ii. 4, 2 Pet. iii. 9. 2. The universal benevolence of the Deity, or the love of God to his creatures, is one of the first principles from which the general Restoration is deduced; and who can say that this leads to licentiousness? If those who believe that God loves them, in particular, find that consideration the strongest obligation on them to love him again, and to obey his will; by the same rule, if all the individuals of the whole human race, were to believe that God loved each one of them, would not the same cause produce the same effect? And if so, can this be charged as a licentious doctrine, which is expressly grounded upon a cause which powerfully operates to produce holiness? Is there anything like argument in this reasoning? I know that God loves me, and seeks to do me good; therefore, I must hate him. What should we think of a woman who should leave her husband; and do all in her power against him, and should be able to give no better reasons for it than the following: My husband loves me, and I know it, and he has always loved me, and always will; and therefore I am determined to hate, ridicule, despise, and contemn him, and have left him for this cause, and am determined never to love or obey him more." Bad as human nature is, I question whether such instances often occur. We commonly say, that love begets love. "We love him because he first loved us;" says the apostle, 1 John iv. 19. There fore, the doctrine of God's universal benevo lence, cannot lead to licentiousness, in any light in which it can be viewed for if he really loves us, he will do all in his power to bring us to love him again, and to be like him; and I am sure the consideration of his love to us, goes as far as moral persuasion can go, to induce us to love him again; nay, the belief of it is acknowledged to be one of the strongest motives to obedience; and the love of God, shed abroad in the heart, pro * duces the best effects, and is the most powerful principle, and spring, of good and virtuous actions, that we are acquainted with. This being a first principle, from which the Universal Restoration is concluded, we are happy to find, that "God is love:" and that he "so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life: For, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." See 1 John iv. 16. St. John iii. 16, 17. But it is not so much my business now to shew, that the sentiment is scriptural, as to shew that it is not of a dangerous tendency. The following words, however, are so beautiful, that I take the liberty to mention them :-" but thou hast mercy upon all; for thou canst do all things, and winkest at the sins of men, because they should amend. For thou lovest all the things that are, and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made; for never wouldst thou have made any thing, if thou hadst hated it. And how could any thing have endured, if it had not been thy will; or been preserved, if not called by thee? But thou sparest all; for they are thine, O Lord, thou lover of souls. For thine incorruptible Spirit is in all things: therefore chasteneth thou them, by little and little, that offend, and warnest them, by putting them in remembrance wherein they have offended, that leaving their wickedness, they may believe on thee, O Lord. For thy power is the beginning of righteousness; and because thou art the Lord of all, it maketh thee to be gracious unto all. But thou, O God, art gracious and true; long suffering, and in mercy ordering all things. For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy power; but we will not sin, knowing that we are counted thine." Wisdom of Solomon xi. 23, 26; xii. 1, 2, 16; xv. 1, 2. "Jehovah is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great mercy. Jehovah is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O Jehovah; and thy saints shall bless thee." Psal. cxlv. 8-10. 3. Another great principle upon which the Restoration depends, is, that Christ died for all: "We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man." (or all.) Heb. ii. 9. "If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John ii. 1, 2. 66 For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6. I need not multiply passages to prove that Christ died for all; for though the universaliIV of his death is not expressly asserted, in ery text where it is mentioned that he died, must always be understood; because it is never denied in any place, and is plainly, and pointedly declared in those I have quoted. And, besides, it is evident that in the apostles' time, the universality of the death of Christ was a first principle, universally acknowledg ed, and therefore, St. Paul reasons from it as such; which it would have been highly preposterous for him to do, if that had not been the case: as, for example, "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all," (which is not disputed by any, and which we know to be a truth) "then were all dead: and that he died for all; that they who live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again." 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. Friend. But have you never heard it argued that Christ did not die for all, because he did not pray for all? Minister. I remember, when a lad, I was sent to a neighbour's house, and overheard the good man, the master of the family, read in a book after this manner: "Christ did not die for all, because he did not pray for all; I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine." St. John xvii. 9. And I then thought the argument conclusive; but I am now at a loss whether the author of that book meant to deceive his readers; or, whether he had never read the chapter through critically. For had he read the 20th verse, he would have found these words, which would have overthrown his hypothesis:-"Neither pray I for these alone; but for them also, who shall be lieve on me through their word." If Christ had prayed for all, in the 9th verse, for whom he died, he could not have enlarged his prayer so much in the 20th verse, as to take in not them only, but all who should believe on him through their word. Neither does he stop here, but goes on to pray for those that believe in these words: "That they all may be one; as thou, Father art in me and I in thee: that they also may be one in us.” And why is all this unity prayed for among unbelievers? Surely, it hath never been accomplished; but it shall be, for this great and admirable purpose, viz.: "That the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." v. 21-23. Friend.-But when shall the world believe, and know that Christ is sent from God? Minister. When all that believe shall be one, as the Father and Son are one. When the great marriage of the Lamb shall be cele brated, and his bride shall be one, in the bond of universal love and fellowship, as the Father and Son now are: when the church shall be perfected in one; shall dwell in love, and dwell in God, as the Father dwells in the Son, and the Son in the Father: when Zion's watchmen shall see, eye to eye: when all believers shall speak the same thing; when But God commendeth his love towards us, in there shall be no more divisions among that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died them; when they shall be perfectly joined for us. Much more being now justified together in the same mind, and in the same through his blood, we shall be saved from judgment. This was the state that St. Paul besought the Corinthians to press after, and wished them to attain; but he had the mortification to see them fall short of it, as all the Christian churches have, from that day to this. But when Christ shall give that glory and honour to his bride, which the Father gave to him, and shall thus unite her to himself, in an indissoluble union, and the several members of his body the Church, shall be as much united one to another, as the members of the natural body are; or, to express it in his own words, “As thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee." When thus the church shall be one, in spirit, love, design, judgment, &c., as the Father and Son are; then shall the world believe, and beIlieving, have life; then shall the world know him, whom to know is life eternal. See verses 2,3. But as this great cause has never yet existed, the effect has not yet followed; but when the first shall be, the last shall take place consequence. LORD'S The petitions in that most excellent prayer, that may, with great propriety be called the sprayer, may be divided into four classes. 1. For himself, verses 1st and 5th. 2. For his apostles, 9, 19. 3. For them that should believe through their word, 20-23. And 4, for the world, verses 21, 23: as I have just observed, and need not add any more upon so plain a matter. Friend.-Proceed, if you please, to show, that the doctrine of the universality of the death of Christ does not lead to licentious ness. wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Rom. v. 6, 10. Here the death of the Lord Jesus is laid as the ground and the salvation of men inferred from it, with the greatest possible certainty; yet, will any one say, that because Christ hath died for him, therefore he will indulge himself in sin? God forbid. Some say that if they believed this doctrine, they would live in sin; and indulge themselves in their lusts and passions: but then it may be observed, that those who say so are its enemies, and those who oppose the view, and not those who receive it. Minister. It is evident that it doth not; bat on the contrary, it is the strongest motive to all who believe it, to love and live to him who died for them, and rose again. We are not our own, but are bought with a price; therefore, we are exhorted not to be the servants of sin, slaves to our passions, and servants to men; but to glorify God in our bodies and spirits, which are his; and the apostle beseeches us by the mercies of God, to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God; which is our reasonable service. Forasmuch, as we know that we were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish, and without Spot. See 2 Cor. v. 15; Rom. vi. 12, 13; Cor. vii. 23; vi. 19, 20; Rom. xii. 1; 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. There is something so brutish and unaocountable in such dispositions, as would lead men to hate their best friends, merely because they are so; that would lead them to hate God, because he loved them; despise Christ, merely because he died for them; that for the honour of human nature, I would hope these instances are rare. But to the point; I have conversed with many who believe that Christ died for them in particular; and yet I never heard them say, that they hated him for it; but, on the contrary, that they loved him exceedingly. Now, is not the same cause likely to produce the same effect? If a thousand persons, for instance, all believing that Christ died for them, find their hearts constrained to love him for it, would it not have the same effect upon ten thousand, ten millions, or ten millions of millions ?-And if it would cause licentiousness to abound in the world, to preach that Christ died for all, if it was universally believed; by the same rule it must cause it to prevail, in a lesser degree, to preach that he died for a small part, at least, among those who believe themselves to be of the number; and, therefore, it must not be preached at all, that he died for any?Who can deny the consequence? It seems to be evident, that Christ has done and suffered too much for those that he died for, to lose them finally; and thus the universal Restoration stands connected necessarily with the universality of the death of Christ, and is deduced therefrom, in the easiest manner; therefore, the doctrine of the former cannot tend to licentiousness, as it stands upon the ground of the latter, which hath been demonstrated to have no such tendency. What a horrid thought would it be, that Christ should be the minister of sin, and that his blood-shedding should cause wickedness to abound! The love of God in giving his Son to die, is enough to move a heart of stone. "For when we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly, for, scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure, for a good (kind, benevolent, generous) man some would even dare to die. 4. Another principle upon which the universal doctrine depends, is, the unchangeableness of God: whom he loves once, he always loves; he loved his creatures when he made them, as none can well deny; their sins he never loved, nor ever will; he hath declared, that he loved us when sinners, but never as sinners. His eternal and constant hatred of all sin, and his unchangeable love of all his creatures, are of the nature of primary truths |