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
By what method, sir, would it be proper for me to express my surprise
at your introducing the words recorded in the 13th chapter of Ezekiel,
and at the 22d verse, as a testimony against the doctrine of universal
salvation? "Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous
sad, whom I have not made sad, and strengthened the hands of the
wicked that he should not turn from his wicked way by promising him
life;"--Must I suppose, sir, that you believe, that the lies mentioned
in this quotation were promises of life in the seed of Abraham, in
whom all the families of the earth are to be blessed? I cannot believe
this of a man of your understanding, and yet cannot conceive why you
adduce this passage as proof that Christ is not the life of all men.
Is it not evident that those who were addressed in that text were such
as promised the people life in the vain traditions which they had
established, by which they made void the law? And what does the Lord
say that he would finally do in this case?--See verse 23d, "Therefore
ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations; for I will
deliver my people out of your hands, and ye shall know that I am the
Lord." This is very far from saying that they should be endlessly
miserable. Christ is the Lord our righteousness, and his heart was
made sad by the traditions of the house of Israel and by the Rabbis
who promised the people life in their vain customs which they had
established for religion: and I would acknowledge this passage justly
urged against the doctrine which I should vindicate, should I set up
any thing but Christ and him crucified, on which to depend for life
and salvation; but you leave this quotation as if you had done what
you hardly meant to do, by observing that you do not intend to enter
into a dispute on this subject, neither to enlarge on arguments to
support your own sentiments nor to disprove mine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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