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things are no more; when the faithful receive the crown of life; and when the hope which is as an anchor of the soul, sure and stedfast, receives its anticipations; then will charity live, and bless the happy inhabitants of celestial glory.

We may consider charity greater than faith and hope, because it is an attribute of the Deity, exclusive of the others. Faith in the sense of credence, cannot belong to him, who absolutely knows all things; nor can he that enjoys the fulness of heaven and earth hope for that which he does not possess ; for all things are his.

"INVESTIGATOR" INVESTIGATED.

In the Woodstock Evangelical Monitor, a work which we have before had occasion 'to notice, a writer under the title of Investigator has appeared in a series of numbers; and in his 5th No. has attacked the doctrine of universal salvation. He says, page 132, "Very many become careless on the subject of religion, by indulging a belief that all mankind will be saved; and the tendency is similar, whether they believe in a limited punishment, or immediate happiness after death."

Investigator, we think is the first that has pronouneed the doctrine of future punishment, and that which embraces no such punishment, alike pernicious.

His idea seems to be that endless punishment has a great tendency to restrain, but unless men are threatened with endless punishment, it matters not whether they are threatened a little or a great deal. Ten years imprisonment is no more fearful than one. It must be endless, and then there would be some force in it. We can here apologize for Investigator; for we suppose he is used to the fear of endless punishment, and caiculates from his own feelings, that any thing short of that, would be giving reins to the wicked, and setting at loose ends the moral government of God. But we Universalists, tho we do not fear

endless punishment, account "no chastisement to be joyous, but grievous." The fear of a little punishment very frequently restrains us.

Investigator complains that we leave off praying, when we come into the faith of universal salvation. Speaking of this point he says, "If such is not the tendency of the doctrine, why do these results so uniformly follow " Then to make a man pray, he must be threatened with eternal damnation. He must believe in endless damnation for some, if not for himself. The question relating to the omission of prayer, "why do these results so uniformly follow ?" he predicates on the faith of limited punishment, either in this or another state. Does he believe the faith of endless misery is the main spring of prayer to God? If this be his faith, we can tell him, we have bread to eat that he knows not off. If it be not his faith, why does he attribute this omission to the faith of universal salvation? Suppose it might be noted in many instances, that when men become Calvinists, they were conspicuous for hypocrisy, would Investigator be willing to admit that the fault was in Calvinism? Would he not try to introduce some other cause? And if he is greatly in love of Calvinism, who would blame him?

The next ideas we propose to notice, are found in the following quotation: "Let him," (the sinner,) "then be fully persuaded that his salvation is eventu ally secure, the he live in neglect of duty, and gratify the flesh with its affections and lusts, and can it be supposed, he will pursue that course of life which he hates ? This doctrine in the hands of the impenitent tends to licentiousness. Secure their title to heaven, and you put out of your hands those terrors of the Lord by which the Apostles persuaded men, and at the same time establish them in the ways of vice, which are their delight."

In his preceding No. we find Investigator pleading for the doctrine of particular election. He introduces his objector as saying, "if I am not one of the

elect, and I fear I am not, then all my efforts are vain. It is said when Paul and Barnabas preached to the. Gentiles, as many as were ordained to eternal life believed-Why, then, says the objector, does he find fault with the unbelief of those whom he did not or

dain to receive the gift of life ?” To this Investigator replies; "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Such objections are a gross perversion of the most wholesome truths and convert them into deadly poison." Reader, what are we here taught? Is it any thing different from this? The election of a part is a wholesome truth; and then to say, "If I am not one of the elect, then all my efforts are vain," converts a wholesome truth into deadly poison! Now what is an unwholesome truth, or if you please an unwholesome falsehood, according to Investigator? "Secure their" (the sinner's) "title to heaven, and you put out of your hands those terrors of the Lord by which the Apostles persuaded men, and at the same time establish them in the ways of vice." It makes no difference how much or how little they are punished, there is no terror unless you punish them eternally-you put it all out of your hands!

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Notwithstanding our opposer believes in particular election, and, we suppose reprobation, he continues his answer as follows; "Why do you conclude you are not one, whom God hath designed for mercy? Because it is thus revealed? No. Then you impeach his goodness and despise his truth to conclude he is designing you for a vessel of wrath, when he stands with open arms beseeching you to be reconciled." Investigator here denies that any man ought to think himself a reprobate, because God beseeches him with open arms to be reconciled. If no man has a right to think himself a reprobate, he must think some others are, or else deny the doctrine. If a man impeaches the goodness of God and despises his truth to think himself a vessel of wrath, as Investigator informs us, then, surely he ought to think himself a vessel of mer cy-one of the elect. Therefore every man ought

suppose that he is elected, tho perhaps his neighbor is not; and if so, he must suppose his title secure to heaven. What then becomes of the "terrors" that Investigator thinks Universalism wants? His own concessions have destroyed them all. Here we compare Universalism with the Calvinism of Investigator. He says, Universalism secures, for all, the title to heaven. A man must therefore suppose his neighbor to have as good a title to heaven as himself. He holds Calvinism as embracing the election of a part, but every man ought to think himself elected; and consequently some others excluded. Here according to Investiga tor' own representation, Calvinism falls at the feet of Universalism in point of moral tendency. St Paul said, "Let each esteem other better than himself ;"" but investigator's doctrine teaches a man to esteem himselt better than others. Why then should Investigator complain of the universal doctrine, when his has all its defects and more too? He says, "Many insensibly become careless and stupid by such belief." He further remarks, he has known many who have manifested a becoming zeal in the duty of family prayer, and other devotional exercises, and very soon after embracing this belief, they have uniformly dispensed with the duty, either occasionally or entirely." The man here gives us to understand we do not pray, and condemns our doctrine on this account. We are then to take it for granted that the Congregationalists are a praying people. But we remember Jesus said, "Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

Let us now look at the effects of Calvinism according to his own description. See his 3d No. page 117. "In my last," says he, "I considered the case of a person who has grown old in sin, and in view of his past abuse of mercies, draws the rash conclusion that his day of grace is past. More, however, are in danger of erring on the other extreme, and are more ready to adopt the language of the pharisee than the publican.

While one is bewailing that his heart is corrupt, and his sins are great, another is blessing himself that he is not se. In his own esteem he is righteous. Tell him that he is abominably wicked in the sight of God, and if he is not too indignant to make a reply, he immediately begins to make excuse, y life has been moral, I have been guilty of no immoralities, such as profanity, drunkenness and the like; i have dealt honestly with my neighbor; I pray often, attend public worship, and contribute for its support; I strictly observe the sabbath, and am kind and charitable to the poor and distressed.' "To such it may be answered," continues Investigator, "the scribes and pharisees could boast of observing all these duties, and many more; they appeared to men to be righteous, made long prayers and were constant worshippers in the synagogue."

The reader will perceive from the above quotation that Investigator mentions pharisee and publican to describe the two extremes of the Christian character. He says, more are in danger of erring on the extreme of pharisee than of publican. We conclude his idea is, that Calvinism is more likely to make pharisees than publicans; and we accord with him in this opinion. He was not in this No. speaking of the Universalists; and besides, he says, when men believe in universal salvation they leave off praying, and many other duties which pharisees are very strict to observe. Universalism he thinks is an extreme, and if an extreme, it must fall either on the side of pharisee or publican; but it falls not on the side of pharisee, because its adherents do not pray. Falling on the side of publican, we again call to mind that MORE are in danger of being pharisees than publicans; which brings us to the conclusion that Calvinism is more likely to make pharisees than Universalism. Universalism makes men publicans, and Calvinism makes them pharisees. Thus we have the moral tendency of both sentiments according to Investigator as represented in his different productions. We sincerely invite

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