Page images
PDF
EPUB

that he intended the foregoing remarks should have a general application to the books from which quotations had been made to prove that the wicked sometimes prosper in this world. And is there no way to prove Universalism but by denying the inspiration of the Scriptures? What could Voltaire, or Thomas Paine, or any other infidel, have said more in so few words to overthrow the inspiration of those books, and make them of no authority in matters of faith? If Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes in the midst of his voluptuous course, it is entitled to no more respect than the “ song of the drunkard." And this is the sentiment of the reply. But what effect are these sentiments, thrown out by professed ministers of the Gospel, likely to have upon that part of the community who have not made the evidences of revealed religion their study, and who love pleasure and sin more than God and religion? The effect will be what we have seen and heard; the youth who have not yet learned their religious alphabet, as soon as they begin to relish this new doctrine, Universalism, will begin to imagine that "the Bible is full of contradictions ;" while those who worship at the shrine of Bacchus, as oft as their senses are well steeped in new rum, will talk largely of "the tough stories of the Bible ;" and others from the example of their teachers in excepting to a part, will object to the whole inspired volume. I would hope that my opponent is not

yet prepared to go all this length; but this is the direct tendency of the sentiments of his brother W., whom he has brought in to answer the arguments of my third lecture. The best apology that can be made for him will be found in his scarcity of argument, and in the urgency of the case, which has driven him upon the very shoals of Deism.

Thus far we have found nothing in the reply to show that the wicked do not sometimes prosper in this world, and of course nothing to show that they receive their whole punishment here; and as it has not yet been said that they suffer more pain and distress of body than the righteous, we have nothing to add on that point, but shall pass to notice a few things in connection with those passages of Scripture which teach that the consciences of some become "seared with a hot iron," and "past feeling."

The first thing I shall notice here is an attempt to make Dr. A. Clarke countenance the sentiment of my opponent and his new recruit from Cambridge Port. Passing over two other passages to the same point in my lecture, he fixes on that in 1 Tim. iv, 1, 2, where the apostle speaks of the "conscience seared with a hot iron," and that in Eph. iv, 18, 19, where the same apostle speaks of the conscience that is "past feeling," and then says, "you cannot be ignorant, I trust, that the expression, seared with a hot iron, may be ex

plained without favouring the idea of callousness of conscience." He then introduces Dr. A. Clarke; and suppressing his comment on the passage in Ephesians, where he is clear and full to the point of "callousness of conscience," and withal saying that "he is authority which I will not refuse," goes on to say, "A. Clarke," on the phrase, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, "does not favour the idea of callousness of conscience," but says, "they bear the marks of their hypocrisy as evidently and as indelibly in their consciences in the sight of God, as those whọ have been cauterized for their crimes do in their bodies in the sight of men." Here I have but two remarks to make. 1. What Dr. Clarke says on this passage implies "callousness," or insensibility of conscience, as much as cauterized flesh, or flesh burnt with a hot iron, implies that that flesh is without feeling. 2. I believe this, not because Dr. Clarke says it, but because St. Paul says it; and I must inform my opponent that in matters of faith Dr. Clarke with me is no better authority than any other uninspired man, however I may respect him for his learning and piety.

Again: speaking of those whose consciences are so seared and past feeling that they have "6 no shame, no remorse," he says, "if their

consciences did not accuse them of wickedness, if the functions of conscience all ceased, as you contend, they knew not that they did

wrong, and therefore, were deserving of no punishment." Now this is a very precious confession of my opponent, as it goes far to disclose the features of Universalism in some important points, and to show what all may not have been sensible of before. We infer from it, 1. That mankind are under no law but that of their own conscience; for were they under any other law they might transgress it, and so deserve punishment after their consciences had become so depraved as to feel neither shame nor remorse. But the reply says, "If the functions of conscience have ceased, they deserve no punishment."

2. It is better for mankind to remain in ignorance, to neglect the word of God, and the ordinances of his worship, and all the means of instruction and grace, than to attend to them; for if they attend to them they will obtain knowledge, and have a conscience, and so will acquire the capacity of becoming sinners, and will undeniably become guilty; whereas if they only remain as ignorant as the cattle, they will have no more conscience than they, and of course no more sin :-"For if they are ignorant," says my opponent, "they deserve no punishment."

3. When a man's conscience, through an excess of depravity and wickedness, becomes seared with a hot iron, and past feeling shame and remorse, his actions thenceforward, be they what they may, become innocent. "For then,"

says my opponent, "they deserve no punish

ment."

4. That there are no fixed, immutable principles laid down by God for the government of mankind ;- -none but such as are acquired and such as cease to exist upon being forgotten: if they knew not," says my opponent, "they deserve no punishment."

[ocr errors]

5. Finally, God cannot be much displeased at the conduct of man at any time, and none at all when, through the abuse of his knowledge, and an excess of wickedness and depravity, his conscience becomes "seared with a hot iron, and past feeling;" "for then," says my opponent, "he deserves no punishment." These are the legitimate inferences arising from one important article in the system of Universalism. They are more fully expressed in Mr. Ballou's Treatise upon Atonement; and who can wonder that upon this view of sin and the law, either he, or his

*To rid himself of these corollaries my opponent denied the sentiment whence they are drawn, and made a most flimsy attempt to show that he reasoned on my principles. I have indeed quoted the Scripture to prove that there is a state of depravity in which the conscience is "past feeling" shame and remorse for the most beastly actions; but it is the author of the reply who says that such "know not that they do wrong, and therefore deserve no punishment." And it is from this sentiment of his that the corollaries are drawn, as every one may see. If, therefore, he does not like the corolla, ries, let him renounce the sentiment which contains them, and no longer attempt to deceive the public by denying his own spurious offspring.

« EelmineJätka »