57 EVANGELIST'S MANUAL. one or other of the numerous and most popular sects of professing Christians. But at the same time, we do most sincerely believe, that there always have been, and that there still are, many truly pious and sincere persons, in each of those divisions of the Christian Church, who conscientiously believe in the doctrine of exclusive election, and in the eternity of future punishment. All that we require of such sincere persons, is, to allow us the Christian liberty of exercising our Religious Faith in peace; and we do most cordially invite them to consider the true import and meaning of the word, which has led them to the adoption of a doctrine, which, should it eventually prove itself to be literally what they have concluded it to be, must, as long as there remains one drop of the milk of human kindness in their nature, one spark of Divine love in their souls, or one ray of Christian charity in their hearts, prove a source of continued disquietude to their minds, whenever they set themselves seriously to reflect upon this solemn and awful subject. For ourselves, feeling that we are accountable to God alone for our religious sentiments and opinions, we have resolved, that whenever the Greek word (aion, an age,) which has been rendered into English, "forever," or "everlasting;" or its derivative, (aionion, an age of ages) also rendered into English, "eternal, everlasting, forever and ever," occur in the Scriptures, in connexion with the angry threatenings of God against his rebellious creatures; in all these, and in accordance with the original, literal, and correct import and meaning of these words, and also in full faith of the assurance of God, that "his anger endureth but for a moment, but his tender mercy forever and ever," we understand and accept these words in their limited and definite sense; that is to say, an age, or an age of ages, the precise period of whose limits, or duration, is necessarily left with Deity to determine. So, also, when the same words occur in connexion with Deity, or any of his glorious and immutable attributes, his justice, his love, his tender mercies, and his sal vation, here indeed is no ambiguity; these are each and all of them eternal as he is eternal; on these occasions, there is no rational grounds for doubt, because they are applied to, and connected with subjects whose eternal happiness is unquestionably the design of God; and in this sense, they at once convey to the mind of the creature, the solemn and undeniable truth, that God is love; that he is good to all; that his tender mercy is over all his works, and endureth forever; that he will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. And we humbly conceive, that in proportion to the true knowledge, and extension of the correct applications of these words, among the serious inquirers after truth, there will be an increase of that faith, and of that hope, founded on Christian charity or love, which, by the Divine aid, will not fail of extending the Kingdom of the Redeemer in the earth, and myriads of souls, more eagerly embrace "the faith which was once delivered unto the saints," than now; a consummation devoutly to be desired by every benevolent heart, and most devoutly to be prayed for, by all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity. SECTION V. An Essay in support and defence of the Doctrine of the "Holy, undivided Trinity." "Is the Lord's hand waxed short? "Is any thing too hard for the Lord"?"-This Essay, like the preceding, has grown out of the necessity of self-defence. As believers in, and advocates for the Scripture doctrine of the final salvation of all men; a consummation which cannot be otherways than the ardent and sincere desire of every benevolent heart, is a doctrine that has been, nevertheless, most violently assailed by other denominations of professing Christians;* who, without patient investi * See, Charleston Observer. The Anti-Universalist, and other Public Journals. EVANGELIST'S MANUAL. 59 gation, denounce in the most unqualified terms, all who maintain this faith, as supporting the doctrine of Devils; when in truth, there is no Scripture doctrine more dreaded by Devils, than is that, which deprives them of all hope of forever triumphing over that nature, which the Arch-Fiend has estranged from its Maker and God! As Trinitarians they are condemned by Arians, Socinians, and Unitarians, as Tritheists, Polytheists, and hence Idolaters. Thus assailed on all hands, the Trinitarian Universalist, has no alternative left him, but that of defending his faith, by an honest, dignified and candid appeal to the Christian world, for a fair and impartial hearing; or else, of being considered the adherents and advocates of a baseless theory, which has been founded in error, and persisted in from obstinacy; and for the belief and support of which, he is not prepared "to render unto every one that asketh, the reason of the hope that is in him." And having in the preceeding sections, offered some weighty reasons for being the advocates of this doctrine, and associates in this faith; we shall in this, offer equally strong reasons, why we are Trinitarian Universalists. In order to this, we shall enter freely and extensively upon such propositions, arguments and inferences, or deductions as proofs, that must, in their own intrinsic character, bid defiance to honest doubt or lawful contradiction, with regard to the validity of our faith in the eternal nature and essential divinity of the Son of God, and in support of our faith in the Trinity. That the general reader may be qualified to judge between us and our opponents, we consider it necessary to explain the leading features of the Unitarian scheme, as derived from the most learned and popular writers of their party, before we enter into our defence; together with the full developement of the principles upon which that defence is founded. And here let it be remembered, that we intend not to meet our opponents upon the ground of their being heretics and apostates from the true faith; but as sincere, devoted Christians, whose sole object is that of Truth, to the comfort and satisfaction of their souls, and the glory of their God and His Christ! We desire to meet them as Christians, in the mild spirit of Christian feeling and sympathy; and while we consider them to have overlooked those truths that have permanently fixed our faith as Trinitarians, and are conscious, that they have erred on this subject, and that theirs has been an error of the head and not of the heart; with this conviction, we. should violate our own profession of universal charity, were we to deny the conscientious Unitarian his claims to Christianity; and we now offer to the candid consideration of our readers the theory of Unitarian Believers in the following abridged form: The Unitarian Faith consists in their belief-1, "In the doctrine of God's Unity; or, that there is ONE God, and ONE ONLY."* 2, "We object to the doctrine of the Trinity, that it subverts the Unity of God. According to this doctrine there are three infinite and equal persons, possessing supreme divinity, called the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Each of these persons, as described by Theologians, has his own particular consciousness, will, and perceptions."+ 3, "We believe in the Unity of Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus is one mind, one soul, one being, as truly as we are, and equally distinct from the one God," "and inferior to God."§ And comparing the views of Trinitarians with regard to the nature and character of the Son of God, with their views, the Doctor says: "We esteem our own views to be vastly more affecting, especially those of us who helieve in Christ's pre-existence. It is our belief that Christ's humiliation was real and entire; that the whole Saviour, and not a part of him, suffered; that his crucifixion was a scene of deep and unmixed agony."|| 4, "We believe that all virtue has its foundation in the moral nature of * Dr. Channing's Sermon, delivered at the ordination of the Rev. Jared Sparks, to the Pastoral care of the First Independent Church in Baltimore, May 5th, 1819-11th edition. Boston, 1824. p. 10. Ib. id. p. 11. Ib. id. p. 15. § p. 21. pp. 19, 20. EVANGELIST'S MANUAL. 61 man; that is, in conscience, or his sense of duty, and in the power of forming his temper and life according to conscience."* 5. "We do not mean to deny the importance of God's aid or Spirit: But, by his Spirit, we mean a moral, illuminating and persuasive influence, not physical, not compulsory, not involving a necessity of virtue."t "We lay no stress on strong excitements: we esteem him, and him only, a pious man, who practically conforms to God's moral perfections and government; who shows his delight in God's benevolence, by loving and serving his neighbor; his delight in God's justice, by being resolutely upright; his sense of God's purity, by regulating his thoughts imaginations and desires; and whose conversation, business, and domestic life, are swayed by a regard to God's presence and authority. In all things else, men may deceive themselves."+ We believe this to be a fair specimen of the faith of the Unitarian believer. There are, however, many shades of difference, on different points of religious faith among these, as we shall presently show; and in the mean time, take some notice of the theory of the Rev. Dr. Worcester. This learned and zealous Divine contends, also1, For the Unity of God. 2, The real divinity and glory of Christ. 3, That he is truly the Son of God, that he is not a created, intelligent being, but a being who properly derived his existence and his nature from God; that he is of Divine dignity; that he is a constituted character; that he existed with God before he came into the world; that Divine honors are due to him, as God's own Son, on the ground of his Divine fullness, his Divine offices, his Divine works, and as the constituted Lord of all, Judge and Saviour of the world: not, however, as God, but as the Son of God. 4, That by the Holy Spirit is intended the same as the "fulness of God;" and that the Holy Spirit is not a distinct person.§ lb. p. 29. * Dr. Channing's Sermon, p. 27. Ib. p. 28. "Bible News," published by Bradford & Read, 1812. "Unitarians," says Miss Adams, "a comprehensive term, including all who believe the Deity to subsist in one person only; it |