Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1840, by

THOMAS WHITTEMOKE,

in the Clerk's office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

CAMBRIDGE:

STEREOTYPED BY

FOLSOM, WELLS, AND THURSTON.

BX 9941 W45

2

[ocr errors][ocr errors]

PREFACE

THIS work has been prépared for the benefit of inquirers after truth; for those that ask, Who are Universalists? What are the points of their faith? What proofs can be found in the Scriptures of their distinguishing sen- ́ timents? How do they explain the passages which others adduće to disprove Universalism? How do they meet the common objections? We propose in this work to answer these questions, and thus to lead candid inquirers to the belief of the doctrine maintained by Universalists.

[ocr errors]

This, work is also designed for the benefit of those who have already, in theory, embraced Universalism. We propose to show what are the duties of Universalists; that Universalists are divided into two classes, negative and positive, or those who merely profess. Universalism, and those who believe it with a living faith, and make it the ground of their conduct: the moral excellence of that system of farth will be clearly pointed out: and thus we hope to lead believers of Universalism to the practice of it.

At the end of the work will be found four very full indexes; thus any subject treated on in this work may easily be found. Does the reader wish to know if any passage of Scripture is explained, which he may have in his mind? he has only to turn to the index of TEXTS, and the page on which he will find the desired explanation, is shown him

at once.

In regard to all the passages illustrated in 'the fifth chapter, I take the liberty to refer to "Paige's Selections,” a work of great value to the denomination of Universalists, giving, as it does, the opinions of all the eminent commentators in regard to these texts. I sincerely commend this

work to the public. I have made frequent quotations from the works of that great theologian, Dr. John Lightfoot. My references all have respect to the edition published in London, by Rev. J. R. Pitman, 1825, 13 vols. 8vo.

The Scriptural proofs of Universalism, contained in Chapter III., are as full as the space would allow, which I allotted for that purpose. Let it be observed, that these are scriptural proofs merely. Many of the arguments which Universalists employ, are unavoidably omitted. The basis of the arguments in Chapter III., is the original “One Hundred Arguments for Universalism," published by me several years ago. While I have retained the substance of that little work, the arguments are so much enlarged, that its visage will hardly be recognised. I have put down under each sacred author, what he has said on the great salvation; but in some cases, where the testimony had been included under some other head, it is omitted under the author's name.

My original purpose was, to have concluded this work with some observations of my own, on the evidences of revealed religion; but I soon abandoned that design, on account of my inability to compress the principal evidences into the compass of one chapter. But I have given entire (what I am sure is much better for the reader) that inestimable work, which never yet has been answered, Leslie's "Short Method with the Deists," one of the most popular and valuable essays in defence of revealed religion, . that has ever been published. In some very slight instances, I have modified his phraseology, to avoid his refer ences to the doctrine of endless misery, which he seems fully to have believed.

MARCH 1st, 1840.

THOMAS WHITTEMORE.

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »