He concludes with some remarks, which I cannot understand-for instance,

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In due time he will see and admit the absurdity and temerity of such insinuations."

What he means by temerity I know not. It may be temerity for me to speak my sentiments; but the author of the piece was mistaken if he thinks I fear him and his coadjutors more than God-not so. I know not what punishment they intend to inflict; but I trust in the omnipotent hand that gave me being; and hope to so live, that in death, I can reflect that I have been instrumental in turning some from vicious pursuits which lead to misery and ruin. It is hoped that they do not mean to Morganize me.

I have now answered in order the writers for one universalist paper, only; but others have foamed out their wrath in a very similar manner. The horde of universalist editors appeared to be affected by the Renunciation, like a hornet's nest upon receiving a fire coal. But this reply will answer them all, as they are little more than the echo of each other. Upon an examination of all these facts, how clearly it appears, 1. That the author, becoming convinced of the errour of universalism, and of its fatal and pernicious tendency, did, like an honest man, and a philanthropist, renounce it; knowing that in so doing, he was sacrificing his highest pecuniary interests; and bringing upon himself the unsleeping vengeance of malicious men. 2. And that these men, who boast of being the very cham

bitious to do some little good while I act in a publick capacity. And would much rather, on my own account, spend the rest of my days in perfect retirement, far from the strifes and censures of men, where I might read, and think, and enjoy the sweets of uninterrupted peace. I fear universalist editors will make it necessary to write a few volumes more, in this "seven years war for independence," before they will make peace. But I hope they will not; for I want not the labour; and as to the notoriety, I only regret the necessity of getting so much. For I fully believe, and have long believed, that they, who are but little known, and have but little intercourse with mankind, enjoy the most real and substantial happiness.

pions of benevolence, and the only charitable men in the world, did immediately begin to sophisticate, and torture, and misrepresent every thing in relation to it; and conjured up mountains of suspicious circumstances, which after all, upon investigation, vanish into the baseless visions of jealousy and malice; and "leave not a wreck behind.”

I am not conscious of having had the least unfriendly feelings toward the body of the universalists at the time of writing my Renunciation. I did not intend either to abuse them, or to injure their feelings, any farther than would be absolutely necessary to let my acquaintance know why I left them. I was obliged to leave them, because I was fully satisfied the doctrine was untrue, and not the doctrine of Christ and the apostles; and that its general promulgation, instead of improving the condition of mankind, would be a serious and fatal evil. I positively know that my convie

*That the world may see farther how powerfully my charitable Renunciation altered the minds and feelings of universalist preachers towards me, I will copy the following from this same Mr. Skinner, published in the 4th vel. p. 117, of his paper at Utica; only about one month before the Renunciation appeared.

"The Genius of Liberty, which has been published for nearly two years at Jamestown, Chautauque county, N. Y. by Br. Lewis C. Todd, we learn by a late number of it is to be discontinued at the end of the present volume, which closes in May or June next. We regret that the patronage of the Genius of Liberty, has not been such as to warrant its continuance; we have ever considered Br. Todd as one of the best of men and one of the best of our writers. However, we know that the task of an editor and publisher is generally rather a thankless one, however faithful his labours or great his sacrifices for the publick good may be; and perhaps Br. T. feels anxious to get rid of the labours and toils, and perplexities and vexations of such a life. We cannot blame him if he does. We hope when he leaves his editorial he will be better able to attend to his ministerial labours, that prosperity and peace may attend him through life, and that his patrons, especially all that are good, will become the patrons of other and similar publications, whose owners will be glad of their support, that the number of patrons to universalist papers may not be diminished. We hope also that Br. T. will occasionally furnish us with an article from his able pen.' Who would suppose this to have been the same Mr. Skinner, who soon after, so profusely poured out his vials of bitterness upon me, without the least provocation, only that I had ceased to be a universalist! But such is poor human nature. I feel in my heart this moment a perfect willingness to forgive all the efforts among infatuated universalists to injure me without a cause.

tions and impressions on this subject, wrought up as they were at last, were such, that I could not have continued to preach universal salvation, any more than I could be guilty of deliberate murder. In view of my accountability to God, and the short time allotted me to live I dared not do otherwise than renounce the doctrine. The monarchy of half the world would not have hired me to continue openly a universalist. Could I have retired into obscurity, and avoided the cross of a renunciation, and the suspicions and reproaches, which I knew would fall to my lot, I should gladly have done so; but I could not be satisfied that I was not bound to do more than that. Many that know not my feelings, trials, and motives on this subject, of course, will execrate me. But the Great Searcher of hearts, knows that I have acted solely from the convictions of duty.

Additional remarks and facts bearing on the subject of the Renunciation.

It has been abundantly shown already, that the author of this book, had been not only discouraged with the moral influence exerted by universalism, but had frequently expressed his dissatisfaction to numerous friends, and also through the press to the publiek, for years before his final Renunciation. This too was well known to his friends generally in Chautauque, and had often been made the subject of serious conversation with such of them as were candid, and most familiar with him. Well known too were these facts to Mr. Stacy, and partially known to Messrs. Skinner and Smith. Under such circumstances, how much more fortunate for them, would it have been, had they barely admitted the Renunciation to have been brought about as it professed to be; and only contended its author

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was in errour! This would have had the appearance of honesty and candour, and would have accorded with that high character of charity which universalist teachers have professed, while the whole world knows they have exercised the least in their publick career of any people under the whole canopy of heaven!! The author saw these things till his heart sickened. He was reading many universalist periodicals; and became fully satisfied from the drift and general course of them, that their secret object appeared to be, and their actual effect was, to raise doubts, in the minds of their readers, on one religious subject after another, till they should believe in none; and by innuendoes and sarcastick reflections upon the errours of christians, to spread abroad a deep and universal prejudice against a gospel ministry, the Bible, and all religion. He became satisfied beyond a single doubt that all this was true. He conversed also with many professors of universalism at different times, and found most all of them to view the subject in the same light. Most all of them to be enemies to christianity, and to consider the whole engine of universalism now in the United States, to be 'a shrewd and well concerted scheme, to bring together the elements and efforts of unbelief, to overthrow in the end the christian religion. His candid opinion is, and has long been, that ninety-nine out of a hundred, who profess publickly to be univérsalists, are unbelievers in divine revelation. I say this in the fear of God, as the result of all that I know of them. And I know too that they themselves, when they read this will know that it is not far from the truth, however unwilling they may be to own it. Many open infidel papers had already advocated the idea of building up a government in the United States, that should be purely infidel, and they were calculating on certain success. I was satisfied from the general aspect of universalism and the feelings of its professors generally, that they were actually making common cause.

Then the question occurred, which side shall I take?

There is to be no middle way. We must either stand for Christ or Infidelity. I looked forward-shall religion be banished from the Union? Shall the black banner of skepticism be unfurled-universal pollution and crime crimson our happy plains; and the horrours of despair freeze up all the tender germs of philanthropy; and extinguish the last vestige of faith, tenderness, virtue, and hope? I looked upon my children; and nature herself, in her own holy eloquence, pleaded for religion, and admonished me to be a christian, and come out from the ranks, which appeared to be tending to infidelity. In addition to all I could gather about the religious condition of universalists, from my own observations; and what Mr. Sweet informed me from Ohio, I saw an account given in the "Trumpet," of Boston, last winter, by a "restorationist," which the editor of that paper inserted to show how universalists are persecuted by the restorationists. The editor represents the account to be entirely false. But I know the writer to be a man of high respectability, and of extensive acquaintance with universalists generally in New England, having travelled as a preacher of the doctrine very extensively in that region. I knew, furthermore, that his account would apply exactly as far as I knew any thing about universalists. I read the article to many candid universalists before my Renunciation, all of whom acknowledged it to be a just description as far as they knew them. As this article is referred to in the Renunciation, I give it here; it speaks the very truth and nothing but the truth in relation to the sect, as far as I know any thing about them.

"I have already in some degree called your attention to "the nature and moral tendancy of that scheme of divinity "which is so earnestly pressed upon your consideration.— "I will not at present enlarge upon this subject, but will "invite your attention to the practical tendency of that "scheme upon society. But here I do not intend to touch "upon the moral character of individuals. I shall look at