I PROPOSE to conduct this examination in the following method; I. The first part will confift of fome confiderations of the divine benevolence, as displayed in the creation and government of men. II. An enquiry, whether it be not the benevolent and gracious plan of God, that all men fhall, eventually, be virtuous and happy. III. Some of the most material objections against fuch a plan fairly ftated and answered. IV. A kind and generous addrefs to the clergy and people of the United States. I. Some confiderations of the divine benevolence as displayed in the creation and government of men. Juft taken; all he hath written fails of its defign, the fupport of the doctrine of eternal mifery. That his notion of these things is wrong, is plain and undeniable, from the single confideration, that it is reduceable to the most monftrous abfurdity; which the reader will clearly fee as he proceeds. No doctrine that is true can poffibly be reduced to abfurdity. I wifh the reader to pay ftrict attention to this important point, the refutation of Mr S.'s doctrine of benevolence. If he shall be convinced that this is fairly and truly done, all the reft will be easy; fince it is abfolutely impoffible to fupport the doctrine of eternal mifery, on any other plan of divine benevo◄ lence. Indeed, there are but two hypotheses of the divine benevolence, that brought forward by Mr. S. and that which I have infifted upon, in oppofition to Mr. S. If his be wrong, therefore, mine is right. And if my theory of divine benevolence be juft, the doctrine of eternal misery cannot be defended. The reader will next be prefented with the inquiry, whether it be not the benevolent and gracious plan of God, that all men fhall, eventually, be virtu. ous and happy. Mr. S. allows that such an expofition of the doctrine of divine benevolence, as I have given, fignifies the fame thing, as that all men will be faved. This is readily conceded. But if that expofition of divine benevolence, which I have given, be proved, inftead of being taken for granted, as Mr. S's is, this is all we want. That interpretation of the word benevolence, which is fubftantially fupported by reafon and fcripture, is doubtless the true oné, though though it should happen to fignify the fame thing, as that all men will be faved. If I have refuted Mr. S's idea of divine benevolence, my own remains to be the true one; as I before observed. To destroy Mr. S.'s theory of divine benevolence, was my first object. I have then produced many paffages of Scripture, both from the Old and New Teftaments, in fupport of my theory of the divine benevolence, and to show that it really is the benevolent plan of God, that all men fhall, eventually, be virtuous and happy. That paffage of the prophet Ezekiel, concerning the eventual restoration of the Sodomites, the ancient wicked and abandoned inhabitants of Samaria, with the Mike wicked inhabitants of Judea, and their final falvation, is a ftriking inftance of divine benevolence towards the worst of men. And if God be fo benevolent towards the worst of men, that have ever lived on the earth, as to defire and defign their reftoration to virtue and happiness; it must be confidered as a substantial proof that he defires and defigns the virtue and happiness of all men, In the third part of this work, I have gone through with the examination of all the paffages of fcripture which Mr. S. has adduced as proof of the doctrine of eternal mifery. These paffages of fcripture I have confidered and endeavoured to anfwer, as fo many objections against my theory of the divine benevolence, and univerfal falvation. Future misery is the utmost that can be proved, from any passage of fcripture Mr. S. has adduced, without any regard to the duration of that mifery. From the juftice and and goodness of the divine nature, we might fafely and pofitively determine that future mifery will have an end, if it were not demonftrated by fcripture as it is in a variety of paffages. As, where it is declared that Chrift came to deftroy the works of the devil, which are moral and phyfical evil. Also, that be must reign, till he hath put all enemies under bis feet; and deftroyed the last enemy, death. Thefe, and many others as I have shown, give us the utmoft affurance, that neither fin nor death, moral nor phyfical evil, fhall have exiftence in the universe when Jefus fhall deliver up the mediatorial kingdom. I I have also endeavoured to answer that grand obr jection against the doctrine of univerfal falvation, that it tends to evil, and to licentious manners. defire the reader would carefully and candidly confider what I have written in anfwer to this objection. I think I have made it undeniably plain, that the doctrine of eternal mifery tends, directly and naturally, to destroy all piety and morality,' all faith and hope, and love, and joy, and every pious affection; and all justice, kindness, and mercy towards mankind. In the last part, I have addreffed the clergy and people of the United States. In this addrefs, I have attempted a brief view of the two very different fyftems; that of eternal mifery, and that of univerfal holiness and happiness, with their different effects on the minds and manners of men. This is a gen cral view of what the reader may expect in the fol lowing work; all which is now fubmitted to his candid perusal and judgment. A CRITICAL :... CRITICAL AND CANDID EXAMINATION. PART FIRST. I PROPOSE to conduct this examination in the following method; I. The first part will confift of fome confiderations of the divine benevolence, as displayed in the creation and government of men. II. An enquiry, whether it be not the benevolent and gracious plan of God, that all men fhall, eventually, be virtuous and happy. III. Some of the moft material objections against such a plan fairly stated and answered. IV. A kind and generous address to the clergy and people of the United States. I. Some confiderations of the divine benevolence as displayed in the creation and government of men. Just |