Επειδαν απαξ αποθάνωσι, μηκέτι αυθι γίνεσθαι, αλλ' εις το πανελες απεσβηκεναι; lib. xii. fect. 5.

From the whole, then, of what has been faid, it appears, 1. That not any particular expreffion in the New Teftament, nor the general tenor of it, inculcate the doctrine of endless punishment, either by total annihilation, by eternal death, or by perpetual and unceafing mifery. 2. That a plain unfigurative word is felected by our Lord in his account of the proceedings of the day of judgment and recompenfe refpecting the wicked, the proper meaning of which is chaftifement, or punishment, in order to correct and amend, 3. That the figurative and lefs determinate expreffions ufed by Jefus and his Apoftles, on the fubject of fu ture punishment, are all reconcileable to this notion; but are not all reconcileable, either to that of annihilation, or of eternal death, or of endless torment. 4. That corrective punishment accords with all our beft natural ideas of the perfections of God, and is analagous to his providence and moral government of the world. 5. That it is thoroughly confonant to the general spirit and defign of the Christian difpen. fation, and to all the particular views of it that are given in the New Testament. 6. That there are feveral strong, plain expreffions, without any figure, which pofitively affert, and neceffarily imply, that all mankind fhall be finally faved hereafter. 7. That, coinciding with thefe, there are various phrases and reafonings which are easily understood in confistency with thefe fentiments, and thus convey fublime ideas

worthy of God, but which otherwife admit of no fair interpretation, nor can be reconciled to our purest and best notions of the univerfal Father, and wise, good, and Almighty Governor of the universe. Lastly, that the doctrine of final universal restoration to virtue and happiness completely obviates the objection of Porphyry, an ancient and learned adversary to the Christian caufe, who alleges, " that Christ threatens "everlasting punishment to those who do not believe “in him: and yet, in another place, he says, with "what measure ye mete, it fhall be meted to you “again. Which is abfurd and contradictory; for "all measure must be limited to time." See, for this objection, Lardner's works, vol. viii. Heath. Test. ch. xxxvii. fect. ix. fubd. 7.

SECTION XII. Objections and Replies.

Some paffages in the New Teftament may be adduced as objections to the doctrine of universal reftoration to life and happiness.

Matt. xxvi. 24, and Mark xiv. 21. Christ fays, concerning Judas, who delivered him up to his enemies, "good were it for that man, if he had never "been born." Now this, it is alleged, cannot be true, if he fhall finally be restored to virtue and everlafting felicity.

But this is only a proverbial manner of expreffing the miferable fituation of any perfon. Therefore it must not be interpreted literally. It is thus used by

both facred and profane authors. It is often found in the Talmudical writers. See Wolfius's and Lightfoot's note on Matt. xxvi. 24. Alfo, Grotius in locum, and Alberti Obferv. Philologicæ, &c. who produce feveral inftances of fimilar phrases. The fame proverbial manner of speaking occurs, Jerem. xx. 14 to 18, on which fee Blayney's note. Ecclus. xxiii. 14. Job, alfo, impreffively defcribes the bitternefs of his own affliction in the fame language, with great variety of phrafeology, in the 3d chapter. The expreffion of Jefus, therefore, concerning Judas, is only making an emphatical addition to tite var, alafs, which he had in the preceding fentence applied to him. Our Lord had ample reafon for adopting this proverbial faying concerning Judas, becaufe he forefaw his confcience would fo deeply wound him, that he would confefs his crime, restore the money which tempted him to commit it, and then go and put an end to his life, Matt. xxvii. 3 to 5. For this was really acting as if he was perfuaded of the truth of the phrase in its plain literal fense.

Again; of the fin against the Holy Spirit, mentioned Matt. xii. 31, 32, Jefus fays, "it fhall not be

forgiven, neither in this world, or age, neither in "the world, or age, to come:" Mark iii. 28, 29: "but is in danger of eternal damnation;" or is obnoxious to punishment for an age: Luke xii. 10, "It shall not be forgiven."

Grotius obferves, that our Lord could not mean, in the former part of the fentence in Matthew, in

Thus Matt. v. 18,

Also, 1 John iii. 9, likewife, Acts v. 4;

which he speaks of other fins and blafphemies, to affirm abfolutely that they fhall be forgiven without repentance, becaufe this is not true; for many of them, we are told, will not be forgiven, but will incur their due punishment. Therefore this is a Hebrew form of speech, fignifying that all other fins and blasphemies fhall fooner be forgiven than the blafphemy against the Holy Spirit. For it was common among the Jews to fay, this thing fhall be, and that fhall not be, merely to exprefs the greater difficulty of effecting the latter than the former, without affirming any thing abfolutely of either." is explained by Luke xvi. 17. compared with ver. 18. See, Heb. x. 26 to 29; vi. 4 to 8; 1 Sam. ii. 25; comp. John iv. 21, 23, 24. This fin against the Holy Spirit probably refers to blafpheming the spirit which fell on the apostles at the day of Pentecoft. See Whitby's Append, to Matt. xii. with whom Doddridge, on Matt. xii. 31, 32, agrees. Now it cannot be faid. that this fin fhall not be forgiven, because those who had committed it were exhorted to repent, that they might obtain forgivenefs; Acts ii. 13, 38; viii. 17 to 24. Suppofing, however, that the words are to be taken strictly, and that this fin against the Holy Spirit will not be pardoned, either in this world or in the world to come, it will then render the guilty perfon obnoxious to the punishment of the future age or world, i. e. to pain and the fecond death, before he can be admitted to happinefs. Now as this will be

the cafe with all the obftinately-wicked, it is no ob jection to the doctrine of the final falvation of all men.

Further; John iii. 36. "He who disbelieves the "Son, will not fee life." This disbelief means infidelity caused by vice, as appears from ver. 18 to 21, and comp. John xvii. 3, with Luke x. 25 to 28. "He will not fee life," cannot mean that he shall never live again, because this would be contrary to the doctrine of the final refurrection of all mankind, both good and bad; it must, therefore, refer to the Cany awvior of the believer, in the first clause of the verfe, which is explained in other parts of scripture to be a life that is not fucceeded by any subsequent or fecond death. A fimilar text occurs, John vi. 53,

66

Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and "drink his blood, ex exele (wηv ev εAUTOIS, ζωην εν εαύζοις, ye

have

"not life in you;" i. e. unless you receive and obferve my doctrine, fee ver. 35, 40, 47, ye have not uninterrupted everlafting life, without the intervention of a fecond death. For by any here is meant w alavio, as it is more fully expreffed in the next verfe, 54. Our Lord ufes Con without the adjective in the fame manner, to fignify eternal life, in his anfwer to the Jewish lawyer's queftion, what he should do to obtain (any awviov, Matt. xix. 16, 17. And John iii. 36; v. 24; comp. 29 and 40, comp. 39. Alfo Matt. vii. 14, (wn is opposed to anλed, as appears from ver. 13, comp. John iii. 15, 16, 17.

Another difficulty has been fuggefted in regard to the doctrine which we are endeavouring to establish.