ture, that this Kingdom is the Kingdom of Truth, of Righteousness, and of Happiness-that it is administered by Jesus Christ-that it is "not of this world; that it has different states, commencing at different periods according to the qualifications of its subjects; that the Righteous will be admitted to the happiness of it which is Immortal Life at the Resurrection, and that these " the first-born from the dead"-will be distinguished by its highest honours; that from this glorious state all the wicked will be excluded and be banished into "outer darkness," which is the idea of future punishment chiefly insisted on in Scripture, and to which its threatenings almost exclusively refer. It further appears highly probable, that the same principles and laws in the divine administration will still continue,-that the punishment of the wicked, which is an important part in this economy, will produce its effect, the destruction of Sin

-that

that Death does not mean annihilation-that it is the termination of one state of being and the introduction to another-that to the Righteous, who are qualified for the enjoyment of celestial happiness, it is the birth to Immortality, and to the wicked the introduction to their state of punishment-that as the necessary process in the change from mortal to immortality the wicked will experience it a second time-that when all are virtuous, or become capable of celestial happiness, all will be made partakers of it: And that then, at this glorious consummation, all the purposes of this eternally prepared dispensation being fully accomplished, Christ will resign the Kingdom to the Father, that God may be all in all." All this is comprehended in one sentence in Scripture, "The wages of sin is Death, but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

66

The

The statement of this scheme will enable you, by studying your bibles with reference to it, to judge of the foundation on which it rests. I apprehend that every text of Scripture most beautifully harmonizes with it, and that the more faithfully and impartially the Scriptures are examined, the more general will be its reception. At the same time, I wish it never to be forgotten, that all which is necessary on this subject, is to prove that punishment in the Divine Government is corrective, or designed to cure; that if it can be shown that there is no foundation in Reason or Scripture. for the doctrine of the Eternity of Helltorments, or for that of Annihilation, this necessarily follows; and that from the cure of Sin and the change to Holiness, the final Happiness of all the human race is the necessary, indisputable, and glorious consequence.

It is with some degree of satisfaction

that

that I inform you, that the doctrine which I most wish to establish, from a conviction of its supreme importance to the present peace and virtue, and the future happiness of mankind, is no sectarian doctrine, nor peculiar to the religious system which I have adopted; but that, on the contrary, its most zealous supporters have been what are called orthodox men and churchmen. Indeed neither the doctrine of the Eternity of Hell-torments, nor that of Annihilation, was ever so generally received as to be admitted into any ancient creed; and it is with peculiar pleasure that I inform you, that they constitute no part of the Articles of the Church of England. It is indeed said in the Athanasian Creed, "Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly." It is a curious circumstance, that if by "perishing everlastingly" the compiler of this Creed, who however

however was not Athanasius, meant erist in torment for ever, this single clause includes in itself all the ingredients of persecution. The belief of the doctrine of the Eternity of hell-torments, of the infallibility of the imposers of Creeds or Articles (and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit means no less than infallibility), and of exclusive salvation, or of salvation depending upon what a man believes and not what he practises,-I say the belief of these three doctrines must form a Persecutor, or an inconsistent character. The phrase however "perish everlastingly" may mean no more than the Scripture doctrine of future punishment whatever that may be. And a person: who has subscribed to the Articles of the Church of England may, I apprehend, consistently with his subscription, preach the doctrine of Universal Restitution".

Although

In the forty-two articles settled in the reign of Edward the Sixth the Eternity of Hell-torments is expressly asserted.

C