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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

"I have long desired, and should be glad if some one of sufficient
learning and skill would point out to me the line of demonstration
between the human and brutal creation; and say where the human ends,
and where the brutal begins!

"Naturalists take care to say but little on this subject, and I
believe the task would be more difficult than what people in general
imagine.

    "Come then, ye learn'd, ye great and wise,
  Unfold the soul to mortal eyes;
  Say where eternal life shall end,
  Or where eternal death begins!
  For death eternal theirs must be,
  Whose souls no future life shall see!
  And why should mortals vainly weep
  For creatures wrapt in endless sleep?
  They've had their day, they've had their bliss,
  Their life, their joy, and happiness,
  And now must we forever mourn,
  Because their life will not return!
    "O foolish man! go, and be wise!
  Learn where the source of greatness lies;
  To be content is to be blest:
  A cure for woes is endless rest.
  If God be good to all the race
  Of animals before his face,
  Although the life of some be short,
  (One day begins and ends their sport)
  Shall we presume he is less kind
  To human souls of nobler mind,
  Unless he lengthen out their days
  To endless years in future maze?
    "It cannot be! His love is such,
  Whate'er he gives, little or much,
  Is always good: faith, hope, desires;
  Or any grace which he inspires.
  All, all are good: for man indeed,
  (Whilst here) such gifts, such helps may need!
  All bring him to his final goal,
  Where nature's law winds up the whole!

"But you will say, does God inspire man with faith and hope barely to
deceive him; and does he not mean that he should ever realize the
'things hoped for?' which must be the case, unless the hope is founded
on a reality. Answer: Let us rather say, unless the _hope_ be a
reality. The hope of man is in fact a reality, as much so as any thing
else which exists. It is, however, what it is, i. e. _hope_; and not
what is not, i. e. the 'things hoped for.' But hope never deceives any
one, it continues as long as the creature has any use for it; and it
is never taken away from any (except a disordered mind, to which all
men are liable) as long as it can be of any service to the creature.

  "That hope is given for thy blessing NOW."--_Pope_.

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