A course in lectures in defence of the final restoration

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Preface

The subject presented to the mind in these lectures^ is one of the deepest interest to the reader. Whether we shall be personally happy, is a question of the highest concern to eyery rational being ; and whether the world will be made virtuous and happy is one of the highest general interest to all mankind. In the same ratio as we feel concerned in the event, shall we feel interested in the means by which that event is to be effected ; and therefore the revelation of the gospel, being the only method by which either the knowledge or happiness of heaven can be acquired, will ever command our most devout consideration.

Even that view of religion which promises the salvation of a part of the world only, is infinitely to be preferred to infidelity, which sweeps the whole world to one common grave of oblivion. But that view of the gospel plan advocated in this course, embracing, as it does, the universal restoration, and that, without setting aside the necessity of experimental and practical godliness,or weakening the motives to a good life, must always commend itself to the approbation and the best wishes of every truly benevolent and phinthropic heart. And if, as we sincerely believe, it has the united support of revelation, who would not wish to understand and believe, as well as to support it ?

Although we thus speak, and speak it to the honor of human nature, yet we apprehend and fear that the self-

IV. PREFACE.

ish and narrow minded will feel but little interest in it ; that the worldly minded will despise its good tidings, and neglect its reasonable injunctions ; and that the wicked and abandoned will prefer something else, and that for the same reason that such persons in the days of our Saviour chose darkness rather than light, " because their deeds were evil."

No hope of gain, or desire of polemic fame, has induced the publication of these lectures. The principal object of their being given to the public, especially without that thorough revision, which a firmer state of health and more leisure on the part of the author, would have afforded, is the gratification of many friends who heard them, and desired the opportunity of reading them. Also a wish to afford the community, and particularly the religious public, a more general and condensed account of the sentiments of the Restorationists, and of their reasons for the adoption and support of them.

Leaving to others, better qualified for it, the task of gratifying the literary taste of an enlightened public, it has been my aim to offer the sincere and plain inquirer after religious truth, a sure and safe guide to its attainment. And to place religion in such a light as that while it has the full support of the Bible, and the perfect approbation of its Divine Author ; it may also command the respect and veneration of all good men, and receive the hearty assent of every reasonable and unbiased mind. If in ever so small a degree these objects shall be realised — if the skeptical shall be established in the love of truth, and made more friendly to religion, then will my humble effort be rewarded.

PREFACE. y

Of the correctness of the sentiments advanced, and of the validity and conclusiveness of the reasoning adduced in their support, the reader will judge for himself, after a candid, faithful and impartial examination. The writer can only say, they are such as he most sacredly believes to be according to scripture, justice and sound reason. And such as he is fully persuaded, will, when received and reduced to practice, promote the peace and happiness of society, by affording the best grounds of faith in the gospel, the best motives to the practice of virtue, and the strongest incentives to universal good will among men.

It has been the aim to treat all denominations and parties with respect and kindness ; while at the same time great plainness has been observed in regard to their sentiments, so far as they have been alluded to. The modern scheme, which limits rewards and punishments with all motives of virtue and religion to the present life, has been alluded to incidentally, and opinions of its character and tendency expressed with honest frankness, and from a conscientious sense of duty ; but without attempting its general investigation ; such investigation not coming within the scope of our prescribed limits and design. The same remark is true of several other topics and opinions, which have received more or less notice.

In a similar way, the subject of temporal death has been treated as wholly a physical matter, not affecting in the least the moral relation between the soul and its. Maker — not changing the nature of his moral government over it, or its own moral power to comply with his requirements ; and not therefore placing it beyond the means of grace, such as are suited to its condition, it being still

VI. PREFACE,

under the gracious government of Christ. This is thought to be the most scriptural, rational, and consolatory view of death. Yet there is as wide a difference between the future emendatory punishment of the wicked as we view it, and the Papal doctrine of purgatory, as there is between the punishments of this life and purgatory. An intermediate state of moral conscious existence for the soul between death and the resurrectiou, has also been considered, as sustained by the word of God, and by the economy every where observable in the works of Jehovah, which would ill justify the useless sleep of Abraham and others, from their early death to the resurrection. This state is also required by the divine impartiality in the bestowment of the means of grace, which are certainly not equally bestowed on men in the present life ; instance the heathen, idiots, infants, to say nothing of others; and hence if the means of grace are ever equalized, they must be equalized in an intermediate state. Further, there are many promises of God which are not accomplished \n this life, and if there be no conscious state between death and heaven, they never can

be.

These subjects are here alluded to merely to throw light on some passages in the lectures ; but as this view of death and the conscious state of the dead are calculated to obviate many difficulties in theology, they will, no doubt, soon receive an ample discussion, and be shown to be scriptural, honorable to God, and beneficial to men.

With these few remarks, the following course of lectures is, with humble diffidence, submitted to a liberal public ; and that they who read may be blessed of heaven, is the fervent prayer of

The Author.

Contents

LECTURE I.

QUESTION STATED, AND ITS IMPORTANCE,

LECTURE II.

I

tion to our sentiments. We shall, therefore, for the sake of method, state the view and grounds of the objection, with our reasons for not admitting them scriptural; and then give what we understand to be the bible view of election, by which it will appear that it favours rather than opposes the affirmative of the great question at issue.

Preparatory to that statement, let it be observed, that election in whatever view we consider it, must be the unconstrained and free act of that great and good Being, whose perfections are infinite, and whose attributes extend equally to all creatures of the universe ; and who being the perfect Father of the spirits of all flesh, and by the current voice of revelation and Providence, declared to be good and merciful to all his works, can be no respector of persons, nor have the least arbitrary and original preference for the happiness of one, or one part of his creatures over the others.

Further be it remembered, that when God created man, he created him upright and holy, and pronounced him good ; at which time he must have loved him, and designed his happiness. Though the crown has fallen from the head of him that was thus created in honour, the gold become dim, and the most fine gold changed, and man without exception become

OBJECTION 1. 29

subject to vanity, sin, and death, yet God has not changed.

And it is certain that if any are made truly happy, they must first, and that by their Maker, be restored to the spiritual, practical, and habitual purity in which they were at first created.

Now under these circumstances, God being unchangeably good, and mankind equally sinners and equally unable to reinstate themselves, under these circumstances we ask, would it be reasonable for us to suppose that the Deity in the exercise of his favour for the recovery of lost men, would select some, and pass by and leave others to perish forever ? We appeal to you that are parents, could you so do among your own children in a similar case ? Nay, more, we appeal to you, if any such there are here, and we doubt there are many, who have felt the power of divine grace kindling up in your souls the feelings of benevolence and concern for the eternal welfare of all mankind, such in some degree as the blessed Saviour felt when he left the bosom of the Father, and that which animated the holy apostles when they left wives and children, through persecution and death to preach the gospel to the world — would it be possible for you under the influence of the same spirit, to place before you the world of sinners, and then deliberately select those you would have redeemed to the exclusion of the rest ?

Having brought the mind of the attentive hearer to feel the decision to which reason and christian feelings would lead us were we allowed to follow them, we shall now seek the advice of the standard of truth, to which after all, we must all appeal, to the scriptures.

In doing which, we shall, as already proposed, state the objection in its clearest light, that we may the better judge its true character.

The doctrine of election, as understood by those who urge it as an objection to universal salvation, is this, viz: — The decree of God by which from all eternity he determined of his own good pleasure to select some of all nations for eternal glory, and appointed and made irresistably efficacious all the means of grace to effect that end, without the least reference to works done, or to be done, which necessarily implies the endless perdition of all the rest, and the certain inefficiency of all means apparently used for their salvation — in a word that God created some to be unconditionally, certainly, and endlessly happy, and the residue of mankind to be unconditionally, certainly, and endlessly miserable ? This doctrine has been supported by St. Augustine and some others among the fathers, and strongly advocated by Calvin in that article of his institutes, Henry,

Doddridge, the assembly of Divines at Westminster, and most of their followers in all ages down to the Orthodox of the present day. Some difference in modes of expressing it, and some variation in the manner of defending it have obtained, but the spirit, substance, and effect to be ultimately produced by it has been and is the same — nor do we see that it is at all possible substantially to alter it, without directly or indirectly rejecting its truth.

The leading points in this view are these : 1. The object of election is eternal and always the same, though expressed by different terms in scripture, such as elect, choose, appoint, ordain, will, &c. i. e. those who are elected or chosen are not elected to any office, temporary good, or national distinction, but to eternal glory. 2. To this act of favour God was wholly self-moved, having no reference to the natural or moral qualities of the persons elected. 3. The result of this election is in all cases certain^ unconditional, and in no possible way, liable to be contingent in regard to any one individual of all the elect. 4. It necessarily includes by implication the everlasting and certain doom of all the non-elect to unceasing and inconceivable sufferings in eternity. The last of these points, however, more particularly distinguishes the adherents of this doctrine from all other religionists.

Much as we are opposed in sentiment to this doctrine, we deem it but fair to acknowledge the slanderous saying, which has been often repeated, viz: — that it admits men to heaven without reference to personal holiness, is a mistake ; for though God elected them without regard to their personal holiness or sinfulness, yet he does not, and will not admit them to heaven without their being first made perfectly and personally holy ; and that by the means of grace provided in the gospel, and provided for all equally : yet it is equally just to remark that though the means of grace are general, they are not designed, and therefore, cannot in a single instance, prove effectual to salvation, save in the cases of the elect where they are certain to be so.

In support of this doctrine there has been much subtile and metaphysical reasoning of talented school men employed ; but we shall here only notice a few of the prominent passages of scripture, which have been mostly relied on for its authority.

Our .text declares " there is a remnant according to the election of grace" — and verse 7th, "the election hath obtained it." Rom. 9. 11, 1£, 13.— St. Paul says, "the children not being yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand, not of works but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Also, the same author writing to the Ephesians says, i. 4, 5. — " According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love : having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." And again, 2d Thes. ii. 13. — " But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the spirit, and belief of the truth."

From these portions of the oracles of God, the advocates of eternal, personal election, and reprobation, appear to think the following conclusions irresistable : 1. Those who are to be admitted to heaven are a remnant. 2. They were from eternity selected and chosen from the rest of mankind. 3. That God loved the elect, and hated the non-elect from the beginning, as it appears plainly in the case of Jacob and Esau. 4. Therefore he chose the elect because he freely and eternally loved them, and left or reprobated the rest of the human race because he freely and eternally hated them, or disapproved of their salvation, and not at all on account of

OBJECTION I.

any works, good or evil ; for neither party had done good or evil at the time of their election. And 5. That the way by which he determined to save those he predestinated to glory, was by sanctification of the spirit, and the belief of the truth : all which was designed and will terminate for the glory of his infinite and free grace in Jesus Christ ; and therefore, the only hope of salvation is founded on election.

Having stated the argument in favour of this view of election in its clearest and strongest light, we ask what objection is there to this interpretation ? To which we answer, it does not give the true and most obvious sense of the passages it professes to interpret. 1. The remnant preserved from idolatry in the days of Elijah, were not appointed exclusively of all others at that time, to have their names written in heaven ; but they were reserved in mercy to that rebellious people, as seed in the midst of them, though hid even from the eyes of the prophet, which should germinate and produce among them a harvest of true worshippers, to the living God.

Also, the remnant left to that same people in the apostle's day, which Jesus says prevented their being entirely cut off like Sodom and Gomorrah, were so far from being appointed to the exclusive blessings of Christianity, that they were, in God's endless kindness to the world,

OBJECTION t. 35

reserved a faithful seed of Christ, from whom the word of the Lord should sound out, and by whom the true religion should be spread through the earth, till the fulness of the Gentiles should come to its obedience, and all Israel be saved. This is St. Paul's conclusion on this very subject of the remnant in his 11th Chap, to the Romans. 2. Being chosen in Christ, and made heirs of glory, carries not the idea of the eternal exclusion of all but themselves from salvation, but from the nature of the case implies the extension of the same choice to all others, which would appear on their conversion, as it had already appeared in the conversion of the christians at Ephesus and Thessalonia. 3. The love and hatred mentioned in the case of Jacob and Esau, to say nothing of the harshness of the rendering, are not to be understood as positive but comparitive love and hatred, i. e. love to both, but a greater degree of it to one than the other, or a preference among friends, for instance, for a certain office. Our Saviour uses the language of love and hate in this sense. St. Luke, xiv. 25. — " If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he can not be my disciple." And John, xii. 25.— " He that loveth his life shall lose it ; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."

OBJECTION I.

Now seeing that the scriptures undeniably teach us to love our kindred, and even our enemies, and by all allowable means to preserve our lives and theirs; it cannot have been the design of Jesus to teach an opposite doctrine, but only that while we sincerely and affectionately love our relatives, we should, as disciples, love him with a still stronger and more devoted affection ; and that we should strongly prefer eternal life to our temporal life in this world.

Again, the election mentioned in the case of Jacob and Esau, has no relation to their eternal state ; nor does it seem to relate to them personally, but as the agents or fathers of two distinct people or nations. The matter of this election was the choice of Jehovah that Christ should be given to the Israelites and not the Edonites 5 and as from necessity he must select and prefer one nation to all others for this purpose, so he chose that Jesus should be brought into the world by the posterity of Jacob, and not the posterity of Esau. In all this we see nothing like positive hatred or eternal reprobation of any person or people ; for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son to be the light and Saviour of all the nations of the earth.

We are also constrained to regard the above interpretation, or any other which can be given of those or other passages of God's word in favour of this view of election and reprobation, as being opposed to those great and good rules of expounding scripture, which require that we should so interpret every part, passage, doctrine, and duty of the bible, as 1, That the whole shall agree and be consistent with itself. 2. That it shall be consistent with the attributes and perfections of its Divine Author. 3. That nothing therein shall be repugnant to natural reason and equity. Therefore we cannot but object to the eternal reprobation of any of the human race as being entirely opposed to the declaration, and numerous other proofs God has given that he is not willing that any should finally perish — to the numerous calls and invitations to virtue and to glory which God has graciously given to all mankind — and to the spirit of the apostolic mission to preach the gospel of salvation to every creature.

Lastly, we object to this as a scripture doctrine, because we think it calculated most unreasonably to discourage and drive, even into despair, beyond the reach of hope, the erring, weak minded, and scrupulous, who most of all need to be soothed in affliction, and encouraged to reform, and then to grow in grace daily. — Nor is this all ; — on the other hand it has a tendency to countenance the arrogant, and lift up with pride the presuming, and embolden the hardened hypocrite.

Having stated and considered the view of election which is and has ever been adopted by genuine Calvinists, and noted the reasons why we think it not to be a scriptural doctrine, we shall now further only ask your attention to what we conceive to be the genuine doctrine of election, as taught in the bible. We first meet with this doctrine in the sacred pages, in the case of Abraham, who was separated from his people and his father's, house and chosen from all the families of the earth, to be the servant and the friend of God ; who called, appointed, and predestinated him to rear up and establish a house, kingdom, and priesthood, agreeably to the purpose and will of God, which should be distinguished from all other kingdoms and people, by the enjoyment of peculiar honours, titles, blessings, privileges, and the covenant of Jehovah. Here is both personal and national election — personal to Abraham, national to the Jews. Between personal and national election however, their is no difference in principle ; for personal election extended to a nation, becomes national. But to what were Abraham and the Jews elected ? Were they elected to eternal salvation, to the endless exclusion of all persons and nations but themselves ? By no means, they were elected to receive, preserve, and transmit the genuine worship of God, till the Messiah, the true seed to whom the promises were made, should come and dispense the same divine system of religion to the nations. Since the coming of Christ, and the calling of all nations to the service of God, and the blessings of his kingdom made by the gospel, all nations and people are and have been elected to similar duties, promises, and honours, to those before exclusively enjoyed by the Jews ; so that the calling and election of the Jews, and the divine dispensations towards them, were pledges of the infinitely kind and gracious design of Deity, to extend in the fulness of time, his great salvation to all mankind, in Jesus, the true seed of Abraham. And as a demonstration of their having been originally separated from the rest of the world, by an immediate revelation from heaven — of their having enjoyed the special care of a holy Providence, and been redeemed from Egypt, and Babylon, by the hand of the Most High — and also of the certain accomplishment of all the purposes of God, relative to them and the Gentiles, as a demonstration of this we say, they have for 1800 years, though dispersed, without either civil or ecclesiastical polity, persecuted and derided by the nations for their singularity, yet they have in the face, and to the utter astonishment of the world, remained a distinct and separate people, and will no doubt continue so to be, till the gospel of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they rejected and crucified, shall succeed in uniting both Jews and Gentiles, in one new and grand assembly of true worshippers ; and thus prove him to be the salvation of God to the ends of the earth.

Election is often in the sacred writings applied to the selection which God makes of certain persons, for certain offices and duties. In this sense^ and in reference to his having been appointed to the ever blessed office of mediator between God and men, Jesus is proclaimed as the elect and chosen of the Lord. Isa. xlii. 1. St. Mat. xii. 18. In like manner St. Paul and the other Apostles were chosen vessels, to bear the riches of the gospel to all nations and kindreds of men. Acts, i. 24, xxvi, 16. And St. John, xvii. 18. — and many other places. In this way also all true christians are elected and separated from the world by their faith, principles of action, and hopes of glory ; and are called not only to enjoy, but to exemplify by their conduct, and diffuse and spread by their exertions, the excellent principles, and rich blessings of Christianity, until the moral wilderness shall, beneath their genial influence, bud and blossom as the rose ; the whole earth become the garden of the Lord 5 and the nations of it be brought to feel and own that christians have been emphatically the salt that preserved them, and the light that spread around them the effulgence of heavenly bliss. Certainly my

Christian hearers, this view of the bible doctrine of election implies no eternal reprobation, but proves that it is the grand purpose of God to save the whole world ; and thus it strongly supports the benevolent sentiment of the final restitution of all things. The leading principle in this doctrine of election, is this, viz : — That the peculiarly elected, are so elected for the benefit and salvation of those who are not, like themselves, specially elected.

We have now, as we hope, succeeded in finding the true meaning of election, and shown that it does not oppose, but wonderfully favours the happiness of the world ; and, therefore, seeing the mediation of Christ, the preaching and mission of the apostles, and the united influence of christians, and christian principles and examples, are all directed by the will, and aided by the spirit and power of God, in establishing the universal empire of grace and of glory, who can doubt its accomplishment, to the praise of God, and the joy of angels ?

But several voices seem to say in my ear, though we do not believe God has limited salvation by election, yet we do not believe in universal salvation, because we think salvation to be conditional : Therefore, the conditionally of salvation will be pur theme the next evening.

LECTURE III.

OBJECTION II.

HEBREWS XII. 14.

FOLLOW PEACE WITH ALL MEN, AND HOLINESS, WITHOUT WHICH NO MAN SHALL SEE THE LORD.

However some men of proud and selfish feelings may spurn the idea, there is no true christian, could he be perfectly convinced the whole intelligent creation of God would be made eternally happy, consistently with the di* vine perfections and the rights of human agency, that would not rejoice with joy unutterable at such a conquest over sin and death, such a triumph of the Redeemer's grace, and such a glorious display of infinite goodness, wisdom, and power ; and that would not most cordially join the song of angels in acclamations of "Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace and good will towards men." But there are many who suppose that by the gospel, salvation is truly and freely offered to all, upon such conditions as they can readily accept or reject as they please ; and that during what they term the day of probation, many will continue wilfully to reject the terms of grace, and so by their own sinful neglect, come forever short of the great salvation set before us in Jesus Christ.

This objection being made to our religious belief, not only by many persons, but by many of profound learning in theology, and of distinguished piety and usefulness in the church of God, we shall now investigate its merits with a care becoming its importance, and he that hath ears to hear let him hear.

The doctrine of the objection is asserted to have in its favour the most clear and unequivocal authority of both reason and scripture.

It is claimed to be perfectly reasonable, that the Deity should bestow salvation on his creatures by such conditions only as will perfectly secure his own glory, and as will promote and secure the obedience and perpetual happiness of all the subjects of his kingdom ; and such the conditions of salvation are averred to be, as will more fully appear by reference to the

44 OBJECTION If

scriptures on the subject. The objector asserts, that the substance of his objection is very forcibly expressed in the text at the head of this discourse, where complete salvation is impliedly offered to the sinner's acceptance, i. e. the blissful visions of God's presence and glory, are presented to our most enraptured imagination, but not without conditions, which are these : perfect holiness of heart and life. What can be plainer than that no one can ever see and enjoy God in his heavenly kingdom, except he first follow after holiness, and obtain it 5 which irresistibly proves that holiness is the only condition on which God can accept and save the sinner.