the idea of a univerfal return of all inferior divinities, demons, and human fouls, to Jupiter, or the fupreme Divinity, or foul of the world.

Page 156, 157. "Portions of the etherial foul of the world being diftributed throughout all the parts of the universe, and animating all bodies, hence arife, in the system of the Stoics, inferior Gods, or Demons, with which all nature is peopled. All thefe divinities they confidered as derived from the foul of nature, and as limited in their duration. Chryfippus and Cleanthes, fays Plutarch, taught that the heavens, the earth, the air, and the fea, are full of gods; but that none of them are immortal, except Jupiter, to whom all the reft will at length return, and in whom they will lofe their separate existence. Demons were divided by the Stoics into fuperior and inferior: the fuperior, those who inhabited the fun and ftars, which they confidered as oufias pfuchikas, animated fubftances: the inferior, human fouls feparated from the body, or heroes. Illuftrious men, fays Cicero, whose fouls furvive and enjoy immortality, are justly ef teemed to be gods, fince they are of an excellent and honorable nature."

Thus, my kind reader, I have given you several fcraps of ancient hiftory. You are, perhaps, more indebted to Mr. S. for them, than to me. 1 had no original intention to produce any thing of this kind, in the prefent work, But the affertions of Mr. S. induced me to review the hiftory of ancient na

tions;

tions; as I was fully perfuaded that he must be miftaken.

What should have tempted Mr. S. to hazard an affertion, fo entirely deftitute of truth, the reader is as capable of judging as I am. However, we have feen that the ancient Perfians, Egyptians, Ethiopi-. ans, Thracians, Greeks and Romans, the Celts including the Gauls, Britons, Germans, and Northern nations of Europe, all believed in a future ftate of happiness and mifery, reward and punishment; that fin and mifery would come to an end, and all rational creatures, as they proceeded from God, at firft, would finally return to him, and form one great and happy fociety.

Our modern, narrow and contracted views of the divine scheme of creation and moral government, are not to be imputed to the ancients. Their ideas of the divine government of the universe, as they were far more extenfive and catholic, fo they were far mor just and confiftent in themselves, as well as more honorable to the great Father of creation.

All the scriptures produced by Mr. S. in fupport of the doctrine of eternal fin and mifery, I have confidered as objections against the doctrine of univerfal virtue and happiness. In the fame manner, I have hitherto confidered and treated his obfervations upon the adduced paffages of scripture, and all those of importance which have followed. I have now about concluded what I fhall fay in answer to

Mr.

Mr. S.'s direct proof of eternal mifery. One thing more Mr. S, mentions, and seems to confider as of weight, concerning the nature and conftitution of man, as attended by the paffions of hope and fear; which, he thinks, are far more advantageously ad. dreffed, on the fyftem of eternal fin and mifery, than on that of eternal virtue and happiness,

Page 105. "It ought further to be confidered, that the minds of men are fo conftructed by their Creator, as to be powerfully moved by addreffing the paffions of hope and fear. Those who deny this, or who think it is a confideration of little weight in the prefent inquiry, betray great ignorance both of themfelves and of human nature. This is one principal mean, by which God governs his universe of intelligent creatures. In order for this, there must be objects of hope and fear. And we find them in the conftruction of nature; in the fpecial difpenfations of providence; and we allo find them revealed in the holy fcriptures." On p. 106, speaking of the Universalifts, he fays, "Though they leave to us the objects of hope; they take away the objects of fear, and these, are neceffary to be combined in the present state, both for felf gov. ernment and for a public order."

It seems Mr. S. allows, that Univerfalifts have left the motive entire, which is addreffed to the hopes of the human heart; but that he charges them with taking away that which peculiarly af fects the fears of men. And, in doing this be fup

poles,

4

pofes, they have removed a principal inducement to felf government, and injured the interefts of fociety and of public order. A heavy charge. It ought to have been fubftantially fupported. But not one fpark of evidence, in fupport of this heavy charge, do we find; nor the leaft attempt towards producing any. But whether this be fair, ingenuous, and gentleman-like conduct in Mr. S. I freely submit to the reader to judge.

However, we will not be difheartened and faint in our minds, on account of an unfupported charge. We may poffibly give some fatisfaction to our fellow citizens, and to the world, by endeavoring to fhow that the charge itfelf is unjuft and unfounded, According to the fyftem of Univerfalifin, God is the. Father and the friend of all his creatures. He loves the human race; and has fo conftru&ted his scheme of creation and moral government, as to admit the holinefs and happiness of every fon and daughter of Adam. And, by the introduction of a mediatorial, plan of providence, he hath infured the final virtue and happiness of all men, in perfect confiftency with his own highest glory, and the greatest felicity of all virtuous beings.

On the opposite system, God is the father and the friend of all virtuous beings, and of all the elect amongst mankind. He loves the elect; and hat b fo conftructed his fcheme of creation and moral g werament, as to admit the holiness and happiness of

his elect. And, by the introduction of a mediatorial plan of providence, he hath insured the final virtue and happiness of all the elect; and, at the same time, hath left a great, if not the greateft, part of mankind, to be eternally finful and miferable, for his own greatest glory and bleffednefs, and the greateft glory and blessedness of his holy intelligent king

dom.

Now, I ask the reafon and feelings of mankind, which scheme of creation and providence represents God in the best light, that which includes, and is defigned to render virtuous and happy, the whole human race? or that fcheme of creation and providence, which excludes, and never was defigned to render virtuous and happy, a great part of the human race? I ask again, which fcheme of creation and providence is best calculated, in its own nature, to induce mankind to love, and fear, and serve God?

That God, who hath excluded millions of millions of his rational creatures, in one fingle fmall province of his dominions, from virtue and happiness, to all eternity, cannot be loved. According to the best ideas mankind are capable of forming of justice, rectitude, and mercy; this is unjuft, wrong, unmerciful. At the fame time that the mediatorial plan of providence holds out the certainty of the eventual falvation of all men, it pofitively proclaims, that," he that believeth and is baptifed fhall be faved: and he that believeth not fhall be damned." It is the invariable language, even of that "

grace of God