Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors][ocr errors]

and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upor every soul of man that doth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile."

[ocr errors]

How

How many does the apostle pretend have come short of the GLORY mentioned in the 7th and 10th verses? large a proportion of mankind does he believe have sinned? See his answer in the 9th verse of the 3d chapter. "What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise for we have before PROVED both Jews and GENTILES that they are ALL UNDER SIN." Also, verses 23 and 24. "For ALL have SINNED, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," &c. With these quotations also consider the 19th and 20th verses. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them which are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

What is very remarkable is, that the preacher should not see himself and every body else cut off from any hope of justification pursuant to any probationary works of theirs, since the apostle asserts that the matter is proved that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin; that by the deeds of the law no flesh can be justified in God's sight, and that wherein he judges another he condemus himself. And it is also equally remarkable that the preacher should not see that every soul who has sinned and come short of the glory of God, is freely justified by grace, as expressed in chap. iii, 23, 24, which we have noticed above. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," &c. To bring the apostle's argument to a single point, see two passages, one in the 2d chap. 10th verse, the other in the 3d chap. 12th verse. "But glory, honor and peace, to every man that worketh good." "There is none that doeth good, no, not one." Look on now to the 5th chap. 18th verse. "Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men upto justification of life."

It is now hoped, that enough has been said to satisfy the reader, that St. Paul was a stranger to the preacher's doctrine of this eternal distinction, according to the works of the creature,

The 8th passage which the Preacher has quoted for the purpose of proving that God will punish men eternally in the future world, is found in the 58th Psalm, part of the 11th verse. "Verily there is a reward for the righteous." To correct the preacher in the application of this text, we need only quote the whole verse: "So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth." The preacher savs, there is a reward for the righteous, but he denies that judgement takes place IN THE EARTH! And perhaps for that reason he did not quote the whole verse! The last passage brought in this assemblage for purposes aforesaid, is found in Job xxxi, 3. "Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity ?" This text we answer in the affirmative, but the passage says nothing about a future world, nor endless punishment.

We have now carefully examined the scriptures which the preacher thought were sufficient to prove the proposition for which he labours so zealously, and which seems to lie so near his heart, but we find none of those scriptures at all to his purpose. It is evident beyond all power of refutation, that the Holy Ghost never intended those scriptures to support the preacher's opinion of endless unmerciful punishment.

We seriously hope the preacher will not be disposed to call our reasoning on the foregoing scriptures, "quibbles and declamations," of which he speaks on his 21st page, unless he be disposed, at the same time, to prove such an assertion, This passage on his 21st page we will notice. Says the preacher, "We are not ignorant, indeed, of their quibbles and declamations upon this point; quibbles and declamations by which they delude the unwary, but which are completely refuted even by themselves. For while they talk of an atonement, and of being saved by the merits of the redeemer, they will also tell you that sinners are punished, as much as they deserve, in this world;"&c. As believers in God who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and as deniers of ENDLESS UNMERCIFUL PUNISHMENT, we do by no means assume the place of judgment, or

pretend to say how long God may, for gracious purposes, chasten or punish the rebellious. We believe that chastisement will be exercised by the faithfulness of our merciful. father in heaven, as long as sin in us renders it necessary, and no longer. But let us look at what the preacher calls our quibbles and declamations. "For while they talk of an atonement, and of being saved by the merits of the redeeme er, they will also tell you that sinners are punished as much as they deserve. in this world," &c. We presume that the preacher does not mean to be understood, that we say that all sinners are punished as much as they deserve in this world, because that would be saying what we could not prove by the word of God, and it would be saying what we presume the preacher would be loth to affirm that we do say. But we say by the authority of God's holy word, that God "will render unto every man according to his works." And yet we say by the authority of the same holy word, that all who have sinned and come short of the glory of God, are. "justified freely by God's grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus." Now if the preacher has called this quibbling and declaiming, it belongs to him to prove such an allegation against the word of God, or to acknowledge himself, and that with confusion of face, to be in the wrong.

Though we wish to close this examination and trial, we beg of our readers to have patience a little longer, there being a few things more worthy of notice. In his improvement, the preacher says, 1st. "The doctrine of future punishment is a fundamental article of true religion." With this first, we will place his fourth inference, in the following words. "A denial of future punishment is virtually a denial of the gospel." It is supposable that every body believes that all punishment is future, in relation to the crimes for which punishment is inflicted, but we have before proved. that the preacher means eternal never ending punishment in the future world, by future punishment.

By placing these two inferences together, we learn that the preacher believes that the doctrine of FUTURE, NEVER-ENDING UNMERCIFUL PUNISHMENT, is a FUNDAMENTAL ARTICLE OF THE COSPFI OF JESUS CHRIST. Now it is evident that a religion ought to be called according to its PRINCIPLE OF FUNDAMENTAL ARTICLE of faith; of course, the gospel

which the preacher believes and preaches, is, and ought to be called, the GOSPEL of ETERNAL, NEVER-ENDING PUNISHMENT! St. Paul has informed us that the gospel was preached to Abraham, and he is careful to tell us the words in which it was preached, and makes an application of the ges gel in such a way, as, it would seem, difficult not to under stand him. See Gal. iii, 8. “And the scriptures, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed." With what blessing did God promise to bless all nations? Answer, JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH Here the gospel was preached by God himself, but our preacher's FUNDAMENTAL article was not mentioned !

The same apostle tells us again, see Rom. iv, s. "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." What did Abraham believe? See the answer in verses 4, 5. "Now to him that worketh is the eward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Here is a particular account of Abraham's faith, but we find in it no mention made of our preacher's fundamental article. St. Paul, in Acts xx, 24, calls the gospel, "The gospel of the GRACE of GOD." In Eph. i, 13, he calls it the "GOSPEL of SALVATION." vi, 15, he exhorts us to have our "feet shod with the preparation of the GOSPEL OF PEACE." Col. i, 23, he speaks of the 66 HOPE of the COSPEL.' Can there be any sense in calling the doctrine of endless unmerciful punishment, "the gospel of the grace of God?" When ministers have their feet shod with the preparation of their fundamental doctrine of eternal damnation, do they appear beautiful upon the mountains as the "feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publishes peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation." Who would be willing publicly to express their hope in this "fundamental article"? With a design to support this fundamental article. the preacher says on his 20th page, pursuant to his second inference, "The grand declaration of the gospel is, "He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." Here the preacher has made a mistake, which we will rectify. 1st. In this sentence, which the preacher calls, "the grand declaration of the gospel," is the thing to be believed, declared? Answer, No.

2d. Is not the gospel the thing to be believed? Answer, Yes, What is the conclusion? Answer, the gospel is not declared in the sentence which the preacher quoted.

By paying that attention to the mission which our Saviour gave to his apostles, which every professed preacher ought to pay, we see as plain a distinction between the gospel and the above sentence, as there is between a fact, and the belief or disbelief of that fact; as plain a distinction as there is be tween good news, and belief or unbelief of that good news ;* as plain a distinction as there is between the justification of all men by the righteousness of Christ, unto eternal life, and men's believing or disbelieving in that justification. The Saviour commanded his apostles to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; but he never commanded them to publish in their preaching, what he told thein would be the consequence of men's believing, or of disbelieving the gospel, in the room of preaching the gospel itself. But the preacher by the above mistake destroys his funda mental article, for it is plain that this article is not expressed in what he says is "the grand declaration of the gospel." Notice, "He that believeth shall be saved." In this part of the declaration it is shown that if the time ever comes when all men shall come to the knowledge of the truth, according to the will of God, expressed by St. Paul to Timothy, then all men will be saved according to the will of God expressed by St. Paul in the same communication. Therefore, it is evident that if all men believed the gospel, they would all be saved. In this case, what would become of this fundamental article? Here we find the preacher labouring in the absurdity of supposing, that the fundamental article of the gospel depends on the gospel's being disbelieved! Notice again, "He that believeth 'not shall be damned.” Here is nothing said about endless damnation in another world. We should naturally expect to find the fundamental article of the gospel in the grand declaration of the gospel. How do the scriptures explain the meaning of the words, "He that believeth not shall be damned"? Answer, "He that believeth not IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, and the wrath of God abideth on him." This condemnation will abide as long as unbelief does, and no longer.

On his 26th page, the preacher, in endeavoring to show that the doctrine which he is at war with is more pernicious

« ZurückWeiter »