nace.

RUSALEM.

the house of Israel is to me become dross; all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furI will gather you into the midst of JEAs they gather silver and brass into the midst of the FURNACE, to blow the fire upon it to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there and melt you. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof," viz. in Jerusalem, as in ver. 19.

out

Moreover, the parable says that "all things that offend and them which do iniquity" shall be gathered of his kingdom." How could they be gathered out of it, if they were never in it? And were such characters ever in the kingdom in a future state of existence?

I have thus noticed all the passages you have adduced in proof of endless punishment. I regret having so frequently found it necessary to call your attention to points which you have not attempted to prove. It is presumable that neither of us can quote a Scripture passage of the existence of which the other is ignorant. Nor can either of us quote a passage which the other denies. It is therefore of much importance that the bearing of every passage on the doctrine it is quoted to establish should be clearly pointed out.

As our object is not useless disputation, I shall present only a few proofs of the final holiness and happiness of all mankind, in each letter-being persuaded that such a course will prevent the confusion that might be consequent of citing a multiplicity of passages.

Colossians i. 19, 20: "For it pleased the Father that in him [Christ] should all fulness dwell; and having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile ALL THINGS unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." In my judgment, this passage distinctly teaches the final holiness and happiness of all mankind-inasmuch as it teaches the reconciliation of all things to God.

From the language of the text I feel myself authorized to believe and teach, that it as perfectly pleased the Fa

ther "to reconcile all things unto himself," as it did that "in Christ should all fulness dwell." And I suppose you do not feel disposed to deny, that he who is reconciled to God must be happy.

If it be objected, as it probably will, that the phrase "all things" does not mean all mankind, but simply believers, I reply, 1st. That the reconciliation of believers is specially spoken of in verse 21: "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now HATH he reconciled." This special reconciliation of believers cannot justly be supposed to militate against the universal reconciliation before spoken of. In 2 Cor. v. 18, 19, we read: “And all things are of God, who HATH reconciled us [believers] to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling THE WORLD to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." By which non-imputation, I understand, that God did not consider the trespasses of the world any objection to their reconciliation-for he who is sinless needs no reconciliation.

2d. In the verses preceding the text, we read as follows: "For by him were ALL THINGS created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: ALL THINGS were created by him, and for him. and he is before ALL THINGS, and by him ALL THINGS consist. And he is the head of the body, the Church; who is the beginning, the first born from the dead; that in ALL THINGS he might have the pre-eminence," and then come in the words of the text. In the above quotation the phrase in question is used five times-and in each of these instances you allow that the meaning is unlimited. Why then limit the phrase in the declaration, "by him to reconcile ALL THINGS to himself?" By what ruli of interpretation would you feel authorized to urge a lim itation in the latter instance, while you acknowledge universality in the former ?

Philippians ii. 9-11,

Wherefore God also hath

highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." If the phrases "every knee," and "every tongue," do not express universality, I am at a loss to conceive what words could be used to convey the idea.

If it be objected, that though all mankind will thus bow the knee and thus confess, many will do it unwillingly, and to their own shame and endless condemnation, I remark, 1st. That nothing like this appears on the face of the text. We are not certified that some will bow and confess willingly, and others unwillingly-nor that some will thus bow and confess to their eternal happiness, and others to their endless condemnation. Far from it. In whatever manner and with whatever feelings, one will bow and confess, "every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess." 2d. The text does not inform us that any will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord to their own endless condemnation-but "to the glory of God the Father." And we read, Psalm 1. 23, "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me." And surely endless condemnation would not be subject matter of praise. We further read, 1 Cor. xii. 3, "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit."

In concluding this letter, let me affectionately entreat you and all our readers, to receive, believe and rejoice in this gracious testimony. The precious records of Divine love, and the faithful promises of our God, fill my own soul with the peace that passeth understanding. And though I have not the smallest doubt of your final blessedness in Christ, I am desirous that you should enjoy the present happiness of believing in the ultimate reconciliation of all things. Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound. They walk in the light of God's countenance, and thus to walk is heaven.

Respectfully yours,

ABEL C. THOMAS.

TO MR. ABEL C. THOMAS.

Philadelphia, March 7th, 1834. Dear Sir-The pages of the Bible are so replete with the doctrine, that some of our race die in their iniquities, and are punished in the future state of being, that in my former letters I have cited passages not because I judged them to be the most conclusive, but because providentially my eye was turned upon them at the opening of the book.

Frequently the simple quotation of Scripture, if it be understood in its plain and obvious meaning, is "sufficient proof of a position ;" and commentary and criticism are needful to those alone who wish to believe a different doctrine from that taught by the holy Spirit of inspiration. For instance, these propositions, "there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men,”—and "these shall go away into everlasting punishment," are so simple and conclusive, that none but an Atheist will require elucidation to satisfy him, that the Bible asserts the being of one God: none but a Romanist will need criticism to show that there is no other Mediator than the Lord Jesus Christ; and none but a Universalist will demand comment to establish the doctrine of the everlasting punishment of the wicked.

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That there are many texts of Scripture which require reference to the context, and sometimes to the original language in which they were written, that we may ascertain their meaning, is readily granted. Especially has our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him,-written unto you-some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction;" not only in time, as you admit, but during everlasting ages.

That the kingdom of God sometimes denotes the church in the world, consisting of all professors of the true religion together with their children, is true; but it also signifies that domain of God in glory which is called heaven.

Now if none can enter the kingdom of God in the world without being born of the Spirit, surely none can enter the dome of the king in glory without first having experienced a spiritual renovation.

There was a just man who perished in his righteousness, from the steamboat William Penn, the other day; and the righteous perish daily, from the earth, when they die; but surely Christ did not intend, that "whosoever believeth in him should not perish" from a steamboat, or from the face of the earth. Believers as well as unbelievers perish from the earth, by heat, cold, fire, water, and all the procuring causes of the dissolution of soul and body. To perish, therefore, does not in every instance signify to suffer endless punishment; but when one is threatened with perdition as an evil the very opposite of everlasting life, that perishing does mean nothing else but everlasting death.

Paul speaks of the dying of the just man, which is his perishing from the earth, as falling asleep in Christ; and says, that if there be no resurrection, "then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished," 1 Cor. xv. 18. Now if to perish means nothing more than dying, then you would make Paul say, that if there is no resurrection, they who have fallen asleep, i. e. died in Christ, have died! Paul was not wont thus to trifle by repeating truisms. He speaks of a perdition that might succeed natural death.

When Christ foretold, that he should die, that believers should not perish, he referred we think, to the "perdition of ungodly men," (2 Peter iii. 7,) which is to succeed "the day of judgment;" and which will fulfil the predictions of Scripture, that "the hypocrite's hope shall perish," (Job viii. 13;) that the desire of the wicked shall perish, while the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance, (Ps. cxii. 6, 10;) that he who speaketh lies shall perish, (Prov. xix. 9;) and that many other persons "shall utterly perish in their own corruption." Now if the perishing here denounced, means nothing but natural death, then the righteous and the wicked, and all