God or man, the better it is for him; as by that means he absolutely escapes all the hell there is, except barely the process of hardening a little while at first. With this view, we do not wonder that Universalists ridicule, what is called in the Scriptures, and by the orthodox sects, conviction for sin, conversion to God, pardon, regeneration, and the new birth, by the spirit from above; disclaiming loudly and boldly, even from the desk, all mysterious operations of the kind, on the heart of man; imagining a mere change of conduct and belief sufficient, without inquiring into the cause of that change, caring nothing about the moral condition of the heart or mind, if so be the conduct is but relatively fair. No wonder these men tell us there is no hell in another world, as indeed there cannot be, for man, at any rate, if such is the condition of the heart; and no more is required than that he should be outwardly circumspect in relation to human society. This is precisely the ground all Deists take, and is called natural religion; which denies the fall, reprobates a sacrificial atonement, pours contempt on a change of heart, and any hopes of a future happy condition, on any such ground as being founded in Jesus Christ, but nature only. We repeat it, they hold that heaven is the unalienable right or inheritance of all the human race, by virtue of the immutability of the Creator; and it is impossible by anything that man can do, to put this certainty in jeopardy; and has, therefore, never been lost to them; on which account, a sacrificial atonement, the just for the unjust, for its recovery, has never been needed, or taken place; and yet claim to have Jesus Christ as their teacher and foundation.

But even one's belief, or faith, is not by Universalists considered important to salvation-if so be the moral conduct is not greatly reprehensible. We come to this conclusion, from the fact that this people will not even allow that sin, be it ever so heinous or horrible, even self-murder, staining the soul on its entrance into eternity, and the presence of God, can possibly bar it from admission into the kingdom of heaven, and eternal felicity. We prove this from some remarks made by a Mr. Lefevre, a very popular man among Universalists, (See a paper published by that people, entitled- Universalist Union, for July 2, 1836, vol. 1st, No. 34, page 270-where the remarks alluded to are printed,) in which such a case is argued, and decided that though a man might go into eternity, having his soul stained with the sin of the murder of his neighbor, and then of himself by the same dagger, that in the general resurrection, that man, soul and body, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, on the same footing that the triumphant St. Paul will, or any other person, who departs this life as a Christian.

This, their opinion, is bottomed on the words of St. Paul-1st Cor. xv. 52, and on Phil. iii. 21-where it is written of the saints

only, that in the resurrection, they shall be changed, and their vile bodies fashioned after the likeness of Christ's glorious body. But Universalists claim this glorious change for all mankind, however bad, merely because St. Paul has used the words we and This reminds us of the fable, in which an apple and a nameless article were afloat together in a stream, when the nameless article said to the apple, how we applès do swim. This doctrine of the salvation of such as die in their sins, is certainly opposed to the express word of Jesus Christ, on this very subject: (St. John, viii. 21, 24,) "Then said Jesus again unto them, (the Jews) I go my way and ye shall seek me, and die in your sins: whither I go ye cannot come: I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins; for if ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your sins." Now that the Saviour has here stated a case in which a person dying a sinner, could not, and shall not go where Christ is; inasmuch as he says-" whither I go ye cannot come." That the Saviour was speaking of his own death, then soon to take place, is shown from their own words- -as seen in the 22d verse of the same chapter-as follows: "Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go ye cannot come." That this was a right view of his meaning, we have only to look at the 28th verse of the same chapter, which reads: "Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he;"—that is, the Christ, the thing they disbelieved, and for which, they were to die in their sins, if they continued in their unbelief; and after which they could not go to the place where Christ was which is heaven; for when he ascended-it is said in the book of Acts-that he went into heaven.

St. John the Revelator, (we suppose we may quote this book, notwithstanding Universalists have their doubts of its authenticity for we find they often quote it, especially if they fancy they have found some text there which makes against an antagonist,) we repeat it, St. John says, Rev. xiv. 13, "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth: yea saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labors: and their works do follow them." But is it anywhere written, blessed are the dead who die in their sins? No it is not; while it is written as above noticed, that a man dying in his sins, as in the case of self-murder, by a shot through the heart, cannot go to heaven, or to the place where Christ has gone. If such persons go to heaven, it must of necessity be a heaven where there is no Lord Jesus Christ; on which account we are of the opinion that it will be very much like hell, If such as die in the Lord are to have their good works follow them, as a justification and evidence of their righteousness, before all heaven's hosts, is it not to be infered, that such as die in their sins shall also have their works of wickedness follow them, as evidence of their evil characters, before

all heaven's hosts, to be required at their hands? for it is said by Christ himself, Math. xii. 36, 37, "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned," or damned, which is the true meaning.

In the same paper to which we have alluded above, under the head of "A Question considered," by Mr. Williamson, pastor of a Universalist church, in Albany, N. Y.-it is contended that all men are sinners, all their life long, even till death; and that they die in this condition,-as he says: "We hear much of changes in this life, and we are free to grant that men's views and feelings, and conduct frequently change: but we know of no change on earth, which renders a man free from every stain of sin." Now, Mr. Lefevre, in the same paper, and in his sermon, as above noticed-argues that the least sin a man can commit, and which he may commit, a moment before he dies, will as effectually shut him out of heaven, according to the orthodox, as one that is larger; even self-murder. We therefore conclude, if this is true, that all men will die as deeply stained with sin, as if the whole human race were to commit suicide; and yet the general resurrection is to bring them up, changed and fitted for heaven. That all men are thus to die, sinners, saints, and all, does not seem to comport well with many parts of the Scriptures; for then it cannot be said of the righteous, that they die in the Lord when they die, any more than a drunkard who dies in that condition, dies in the Lord-wherefore, it is unwisely said by the Revelator, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord:" seeming to make a distinction, when the truth is no man dies in the Lord, according to the above writer, who no doubt, speaks the universal sentiment of the Universalists on that point; or else all, both good and bad, die in the Lord alike.

Now on the supposition, that the general resurrection is to bring up all mankind in a fit condition for heaven, we clearly perceive that Universalists do not believe in the immortality of the human soul; but believe that it dies with the body, or at least, sleeps in a dormant condition, like a frog in a morass, in a cold climate, till it shall be aroused by the sound of the last trumpet.

We believe that such an idea cannot be supported by Scripture, or reason as in the first place, the soul of the thief on the cross, which was to be, on that same day in which his body was crucified, was to be in Paradise with Jesus Christ; which certainly contradicts the idea of the sleep of the soul after death. It also contradicts the existence of Enoch and Elijah, as being in a quick or active condition, as shown in the Scriptures; of whom it is said that they did not die as other men do, but were transla

and did not see death. It contradicts the hope of St. Paul;

who when speaking of his death-which was then soon to take place says: (Phil. i. 23,) "I am in a strait, betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better, and to remain in the flesh for the sake of the church."

Now if the soul of St. Paul was to sleep on from the time of his death till the time of the general resurrection, or day of judg ment, how could he anticipate being present with Christ, as soon as he should have passed the fatal Rubicon? which his statement certainly supposes. Does not some thousands of years make any difference in the idea of being with Christ, as soon as death should permit it? The ideas are put opposite to each other that of remaining there with the church, or then leaving it, to be with Christ immediately,-without the intervention of thousands of years. It contradicts all the hopes of all Christians since the world began :—for if this doctrine of the sleep of the soul, from death till the resurrection is true, then from the time of the death of righteous Abel, with that of all the holy prophets, even including the soul of Moses, and all the the martyrs of the age-are asleep now in the dust of earth. What a blow is this to strike on the face of the ardent hopes of the good; who as soon as this life shall be passed, expect to enter into an active state of being and happiness.

Second, it contradicts reason on this subject; for if God is the father of the spirits of all flesh that is human, and he is the living God; it follows of necessity that such spirits partake of the father's nature, in respect to perpetual being and activity of the living principle. Of this principle-the non-immortality of the human soul-Universalists are rather shy; keeping it in an ambiguous condition, not exactly avowing it, or denying it; seeming to wait till their sentiments shall gain a stronger footing in the land than at present, when that or any other unscriptural vagary may be taught to the people, as the morality of Jesus Christ.

That in the resurrection, the whole human race, both good and bad, are to be punished, and then and there made meet for heaven, is the reason why Universalists cannot see the necessity of a man's having his soul converted to God in this life, by the renewing of his mind, by the operation of the power of the Holy Ghost: no necessity of being born again from above, as Christ taught Nicodemus, the disciples, and the Jews, and that without this they could not enter the kingdom of heaven: no necessity of all this-say Universalists-because the resurrection will do it after death.

But why this people assume so much to be done for the soul, in the resurrection, is unaccountable; when they all know that the full extent of the operation of that event, reaches no further than to the mere bodies of men, and that of the saints only; whose bodies are to be changed from a state of corruption, to a

state of purity and incorruptibility, like Christ's glorious body; while there is not a word spoken about the soul, mind, or spirit, in all the account of the operation of the resurrection :-not one word; it is all about the body. Of the wicked, it is not said in any part of the Bible, that their vile bodies are to be gloriously changed like those of the saints; but to the contrary: for Daniel says expressly, that some-meaning the wicked-shall rise from the dust of the earth, with shame, and eternal contempt; for the word eternal is used in the original. The same thing is made out by St. John, the Revelator, chap. xx., where we are informed that two resurrections are to take place; the first is to consist of all the righteous, in all ages,--and the second of all the wicked: there being a thousand years put between the two. St. Paul has said the same thing, in amount, long before the book of Revelations was written; to which St. John here subscribes: (see 1st Thess. xvi.) "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God-and the dead in Christ shall rise first." It is true St. Paul does not state how long first; but St. John does, and says it will be a thousand literal years. Now with this view, it is clear, that all the immunities of the first resurrection, in relation to the changing of the bodies of the saints, is spoken of them, and them only, and that merely of their bodies, while there is no promise of such a resurrection, to such as die in their sins.

If the spiritual conversion of the soul of man to God, by the Holy Ghost, is not necessary in order to prepare men for heaven, in this life; relying solely on the resurrection for all that may be necessary to be done; then we clearly see why Universalists denounce what is commonly believed by the orthodox churches, about being born again; even making ridicule of it, as being the whim of fanatics. Universalists contend that it is no matter how a man dies see the same paper, the Universalist Union, before alluded to-where Mr. Williamson states that the frame of mind in which a man may happen to die, is of no more importance to his future happiness, than is the disease of which he may happen to die.

If this is truly so, then it follows that the triumphant deaths of all the holy martyrs of every age-including all the apostles, with St. Paul, who said he had fought the good fight, and finished his course; when he had death in his view, and but a few days before him, triumphed, because, thenceforward, there was a crown laid up for him, which he said he was to receive—is to be put on a level with the curses, blasphemies, and howlings of several famous infidels, whom we can easily name, in their last sickness, and at their deaths. Why this difference if the state of one's mind indicates nothing in relation to the future, at the solemn hour of death?

Universalists teach that Christ died as a mere martyr, for his