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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.

Name: 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.
Author: Ballou, Hosea

Ballou, Hosea

Revelation; Universalism -- Doctrines

P. S. The within, enclosed, my friend, I can assure you was not
written to you in this manner, as God is my judge, from an envious and
bitter spirit, for I love and esteem your person, as a friend, who
has, from my first acquaintance with you, treated me with great
respect. I see, on the Lord's days, great numbers of precious souls
going and returning from your meeting; and, as far as I know my own
heart, I do not envy you for that; but have often prayed that the
gifts and natural abilities you have might be sanctified and turned
into right improvements, which is the glory of God and the saving
benefit of your hearers. May it please God to make you an able and
faithful minister of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the
spirit, for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. From your
friend and humble servant, JOSEPH WALTON, _Pastor,

Of the Independent Congregational Church in Portsmouth_.

TO MR. HOSEA BALLOU, PASTOR OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH AND
SOCIETY IN PORTSMOUTH.

_Sir_,--You may observe by the date, the letter has been written some
time; but by several avocations I have not had time to correct and
copy it until the present date, December 7, 1810.

J.W.

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LETTER II.

FROM THE REV. HOSEA BALLOU TO THE REV. JOSEPH WALTON.

PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 11, 1810.

_Rev. Sir_,--It is with pleasure that I hasten to acknowledge the
receipt of your "friendly admonition," bearing date December 7th,
which came to my hand late last evening, which I assure you is
accepted as a token of friendship, and a mark of particular attention;
and merits, as I conceive, a grateful acknowledgement as well as an
early answer.

Your admonition begins by taking notice of what you conceive an
egregious error which you have heard me suggest at two several
funerals. You say that I "spake as if death was originally designed,
by the Almighty, for the good of mankind." This statement you consider
of such a dangerous nature that it renders an admonition necessary.
But, dear sir, there are two important ideas contained in the above
short sentence, and you have not distinguished between them, nor
informed me whether it be both, or only one which is thus
reprehensible.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.