A Series of Letters, in Defence of Divine Revelation: In Reply to Rev. Abner Kneeland's Serious Inquiry into the Authenticity of the Same. To Which is Added, a Religious Correspondence, Between the Rev. Hosea Ballou, and the Rev. Dr. Joseph Buckminster and Rev. Joseph Walton, Pastors of Congregational Churches in Portsmouth, N. H.Ballou, Hosea
Religion
A Series of Letters, in Defence of Divine Revelation: In Reply to Rev. Abner Kneeland's Serious Inquiry into the Authenticity of the Same. To Which is Added, a Religious Correspondence, Between the Rev. Hosea Ballou, and the Rev. Dr. Joseph Buckminster and Rev. Joseph Walton, Pastors of Congregational Churches in Portsmouth, N. H.
Ballou, Hosea
Revelation; Universalism -- Doctrines
On observing your admonitions, and believing you sincere in them, I am
led to say, that had I such a friend as you are who possessed the
means for making me eternally happy, I might entertain no doubt of
obtaining the inestimable enjoyment; nor do I view you, sir, less a
friend because you do not possess a power which is equal to the
putting of all your friendly desires into full execution, but will
acknowledge you my worthy friend, and accept the warnings which you
give me against the system of doctrine which, as you say, I have
embraced and come among this people to advocate, as a token of that
friendship which would, if connected with suitable power, place me out
of all final danger, or which would cause you to rejoice exceedingly,
had you the evidence to believe that one who has such power possesses
even stronger desires for my eternal welfare than you do.
You inform me that you do not know what system of Universalism I have
embraced. Permit me, sir, to inform you, though you do not request it,
that I have embraced the system of Universalism, which Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob embraced, in believing God, who said, "In thee shall all the
families of the earth be blessed; and in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed." If this faith of Abraham were
imputed to him for righteousness, it must be a true faith, and if
true, worthy to be embraced by all nations and families of the earth,
without the exception of an individual. Permit me further to observe
that I disclaim all authors as divine guides, except the divine author
of those scriptures which cannot be broken.
You rightly apprehend me in supposing that I believe and teach that
all mankind will be saved, restored and associated with Christ Jesus
in realms of glory; but I do not believe as you intimate, that human
ingenuity, or plausible and sophistic reasoning are necessary to the
support of this doctrine among men; nor will I attempt to say how
sorry I am that you should declare the doctrine not true until you had
produced a "_thus saith the Lord_" to prove it false; or that you
should intimate that I am employing human ingenuity or plausible and
sophistic reasoning to support the universal benevolence of God until
the disagreeable circumstance should transpire, in which I might be
justly thus charged.
Although in order to please myself, I might explain your meaning as
directed against some others of the advocates of the heavenly gospel
of universal salvation; I could find but little satisfaction in thus
endeavoring to avoid any reproach which is directed against the true
disciples of my divine Master.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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