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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

_Preaching repentance_, I conceive _is teaching_ men and giving them
such divine instructions as bring their minds to discover more
glorious things than the sins and carnal vanities of this world; which
_teaching_ produces a returning of the mind to the things of God and
his ever blessed kingdom. The word _repent_ may or may not be used in
the giving of such instructions. I conceive a preacher of Jesus
Christ, warmed with the spirit of eternal love, breathing forth the
gracious words of truth, may successfully preach repentance as well
without the use of the word _repent_ as with it. At both those places
of sorrow, dear sir, I endeavoured to lead the mourners' minds to the
consideration _of eternal things_; I endeavoured to represent God our
Creator and Governor, as a friend to his creatures, and strove to the
utmost of my power to fix the love, regard and confidence of our
mourning friends on God our Creator. This you will recollect, and I
cannot suppose that you believe that a person can truly believe in the
divine goodness, and love his Creator as the greatest good, and put
confidence in him, so as to draw consolation, in the day of adversity,
from such confidence, and still be a stranger to true penitence.

The many scriptures which you have judiciously quoted to prove the
propriety of the doctrine of repentance are justly applied, as I
conceive; and I accord with you in their use and meaning as far as you
have explained them. I would wish to be understood that whenever
repentance is spoken of as a creature act, originating in creature
agency, it is represented directly contrary to the scripture sense as
expressed in Acts v. 31, "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to
be a _Prince_ and a _Saviour_, for to _give repentance_ to Israel and
forgiveness of sins."

From the above passage it is evident that repentance is no more
dependent on creature agency than the forgiveness of sins; and the
idea that repentance is a grant of divine favour is plainly expressed
in Acts xi. 18, "Then hath God also, to the Gentiles, _granted
repentance_ unto life." By the above testimonies the idea that
_repentance_ is a _creature condition_, on which the divine favour is
bestowed, is proved erroneous.

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