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and hath made of one blood all dwell on all the face of the earth; that though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there are gods many and lords many,) yet to us there is but ONE GOD, THE FATHER, of whoi are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him, (for God hath made him both Lord and Christ,) 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. Deut. vi. 4; Mark xii. 29; Mal. ii. 10; Acts ii. 36, and xvii. 26; 1 Cor. vii. 5, 6; 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6.

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ARTICLE 2. Concerning the character of God. We believe the Lord our God is the Almighty, and of great power, that his understanding (or wisdom) is infinite, that he is love itself, good unto all, and his tender mercies over all his works, that he loveth all the things that are, and abhorreth nothing that his hands have made, for he never would have created any thing to have hated it, - that he is a just God and a Saviour,

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who will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, and who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that in him mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have embraced each other. Gen. xvii. 1; Ps. cxlvii. 5, and lxxxv. 10, and cxlv. 9; Isa. xlv. 21; 1 Tim. ii. 4 ; Eph. i. 11; 1 John iv. 8, 16.

ARTICLE 3. Concerning the mission and mediation of Christ. We believe God sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world, that to this end, (as he loved both his Son and the world,) he gave all things into his hand, ever power over all flesh, that he might give eternal life as many as the Father hath given him, and that all that the Father gave him shall so come to him as not to be cast out, that, as he tasted death for every man, and is a propitiation for the sins of the whole world, he shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied, that as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall

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all be made alive, that, having brought life and im mortality to light by the Gospel, he shall continue to reign until death, the last enemy, is destroyed, and all things are subdued unto him; till every knee shall bow and every_tongue confess him Lord, to the glory of God the Father, and, that then he will deliver up the reconciled kingdom to the Father, that God may be all in all. 1 John ii. 2, and iv. 14; John iii. 35; vi. 37 ; xvii. 2; Heb. ii. 9; Isa. liii. 11; 1 Cor. xv. 22, 24-28; 2 Tim. i. 10; Phil. ii. 10, 11.

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ARTICLE 4. Concerning the motive to obedience, We believe it is our duty to love God, because he first loved us, that, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another, that the goodness of God leadeth to repentance, that the grace of God, that bringeth salvation to all men, hath appeared, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, and that those who believe in God ought to be careful to maintain good works; for these things are good and profitable unto MEN. 1 John iv. 11, 19; Rom. ii. 4; Titus ii. 11, 12, and iii. 8.

ARTICLE 5. Concerning the reward of obedience. We believe, that great peace have they who love God's law, and nothing shall offend them, they are like trees planted by the rivers of water, that bring forth their fruit in season; their leaf, also, shall not wither; and, whatsoever they do shall prosper, that wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace, that she is a tree of life to them that lay hold of her, and happy is every one that retaineth her, that Christ's yoke is easy and his burden is light, and all who come to him find rest to their souls, that we which have believed do enter into rest, that, though God is the Saviour of all men, he is especially so of the believer, and, that whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. Ps. i. 3, and cxix. 166; Prov.

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i. 17, 18; Matt. xi. 28-30; Heb. iii. 3; 1 Tim. iv. 10; James i. 25.

ARTICLE 6. Concerning punishment for disobedience. We believe the way of the transgressor is hard, that the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt, for there is no peace, saith our God, to the wicked, that he that doeth wrong, shall receive for the wrong which he hath done, and there is no respect of persons, that God will render to every man according to his deeds, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile. Prov. xiii. 15; Isa. lvii. 20, 21; Matt. xvi. 27; Rom. ii. 6, 9; Col. iii. 25.

ARTICLE 7. Concerning the limitation and remedial design of punishment. We believe the Lord will not cast off forever; but, though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies, that he will not contend forever, nor be always wroth, lest the spirit should fail before him, and the souls he has made, — that, although he may apparently forsake his children for a small moment, yet with great mercies will he gather them, in a little wrath, he may hide his face from them for a small moment, but with everlasting kindness will he have mercy on them, and heal them, and lead them also, and restore comforts unto them, that whom he loveth he chasteneth, (and he loveth and chasteneth all,) for their profit, that they may be partakers of his holiness, and be enabled afterwards to say, "before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word." Lam. iii. 31, 32; Isa. liv. 7, 8, and lvii. 16-18; Heb. xii. 7-11; Psalm lxxxix. 30-35, and cxix. 67.

ARTICLE 8. Concerning the Scriptures, the doctrines they teach, and the duties they enjoin. We believe, that all Scrip ture, given by inspiration of God, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and instruction in righteousness, that the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men

of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, -that God hath spoken of the restitution of all things by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began, that the word, gone out of his mouth in righteousness, shall not return void, but shall accomplish that which he pleases, insomuch, that every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear, saying, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength. From the Scriptures, (which we take as the rule and guide of our faith and practice,) we are taught, that the whole duty of man is, to fear God and keep his commandments; to deal justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God; to do good to all men as we have opportunity; and that pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father, is this; to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and keep ourselves uncorrupted from the world. 2 Tim. iii. 16 ; 2 Peter i. 21; Acts iii. 21; Isa. xlv. 23, 24; lv. 11; Micah vi. 8; Eccl. xii. 13; Gal. vi. 10; James i. 27.

We presume, that Universalists, in general, will agree to the doctrines here specified. They are all evidently drawn from the oracles of God; and the references, made at the end of each article, fully sustain the positions advanced in each.

But still, we desire that it should be remembered, that the distinguishing feature of their faith, IS THE

EVENTUAL HOLINESS AND HAPPINESS OF ALL MEN.

God hath willed the salvation of all men; and hath sent his Son to accomplish the transcendently great and glorious work. He hath made a full revelation of himself, and of the mission of his Son, and of his purpose to save all mankind, in his divine word, the true sense of which Universalists implicitly follow. The glory of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ, as manifested in the final holiness and happiness of all men, is the central sun of Universalism. This, with them, is the all-absorbing topic; the crowning excellence of revealed religion; the richest glory of God; the highest

honor of Christ; the fullest joy of the saints; the sweetest answer to prayer; the strongest motive to praise; the most potent charm of Christian faith; a fountain of consolation in life; a holy triumph in death; the joy of angels, and of the spirits of just men made perfect. Such is the doctrine of the ULTIMATE SAL

VATION OF ALL THE HUMAN RACE.

CHAPTER III.

WHAT EVIDENCES DO UNIVERSALISTS ADDUCE FROM THE SCRIPTURES IN SUPPORT OF THEIR BELIEF IN THE EVENTUAL HOLINESS AND HAPPINESS OF ALL MEN?

WE arrange the Scriptural evidences of Universalism, under the following heads :

GOD THE CREATOR OF MEN.

"He hath made dwell on all the He would not

1. God is the Creator of all men. of one blood, all nations of men, to face of the earth." Acts xvii. 26. have created intelligent beings, had he known they were to be forever miserable. To suppose that God would bring beings into existence who he knew would be infinite losers by that existence, is to charge him with the utmost malignity. The existence itself would not be a blessing, but a curse; the greatness of which cannot be described. A poor soul, sentenced to endless damnation, might well cry, in the touching language of Young;

"Father of Mercies, why from silent earth,

Didst Thou awake, and curse me into birth?
Tear me from quiet, ravish me from night,
And make a thankless present of thy light;
Push into being a reverse of Thee,
And animate a clod with misery?

As God is infinite in knowledge, and as he sees the end from the beginning, he must have known before the creation, the result of the existence he was about

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