allusion to the approaching calamity in this letter to Timothy? I cannot command patience even to ask questions where the case is so plain. I regard this passage as conclusive evidence of a future retribution. Tim. 4. 1. 4. Read the following declaration. 2 "Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained." This is likewise clear and decisive. Your writers however give it the same meaning as the others, and refer the judgment to the temporal calamities coming on the jewish nation. You say the greek word, oikoumene, rendered world, means the Roman empire, including Judea, in five instances in the christian scriptures. The simple classical meaning of this word is the world. In more than half of the instances in which it occurs in the New Testament, it manifestly includes Judea. In no case does it mean the gentile world exclusively. It sometimes means the Roman empire, and sometimes the world taken in its amplest signification, and sometimes it is used in that lower application in which we often use colloquially the phrase all the world. So that to confine it in this instance to a particular part of the world is to assert rather than prove the position. But even on this ground, what sense can be made of the apostle's discourse. Did Jesus judge the Roman empire within fifty years of the delivery of this message? You also assert that the greek word, mello, means about to be, or near at hand. But the same word is used in the seventh chapter after this in connexion with the resurrection of the dead, and no one supposes the judgment of Christ will take place before that period. Jesus speaks of his being appointed judge, and the manner in which he will execute his office. Read my paraphrase under the last head. Let him be the com mentator on this text. God gave assurance that all Christ said about himself in this capacity was true by raising him from the dead. If this is not satisfactory, just apply your exposition to the passage itself. itself. Acts 17. 31. John 12. 48. 5. Examine the following declaration. "For as many as have sinned not being under a, law shall without a law perish; and as many as have sinned under a law shall by law be judged, in that day when God shall judge the secrets of men, by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel." Two ideas are distinctly stated by the apostle. First, he refers to men who had lived before; and second, he affirms that they were to be judged hereafter. This passage so manifestly teaches a judgment after death that not one word need be said in defence of this meaning. And to spend words to expose your exposition would be labor lost. The meaning of the whole may be learnt from the following paraphrase. "A righteous God will make a just discrimination in the punishment of guilt; nor will he visit the sins of those who possessed imperfect degrees of moral information with the same severity with which he will punish those who offend against the clear light of divine revelation. Some sin against the obscure intimations of unassisted reason only, being destitute of the superior information communicated by a written law; their offences shall be punished in the way reason may dictate. Others offend against a written and positive law, which prohibits the crime and declares the penalty; by that law shall they be tried, and to its condemning sentence shall they be doomed. There is a day coming when the secrets of the heart shall be brought to light, and every man's character shall be made manifest. In that day God will allot the condition of all mankind in exact correspondence to the truth of their character; and the gospel, which it is my honorable commission to publish to the world, announces that the medium through which this grand event is to take place is the Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 2. 12, 16. 6. Hear the account of Paul's discourse before a dis tinguished character. "And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled." You say that the preacher threatened this hearer with some temporal affliction. Did he possess the gift of prophecy in this instance? Or did he guess that his iniquities would bring down upon his head some awful calamity. Suppose we put the verse into plain english, so as to give the force of your exposition. "Felix, you have been unrighteous and intemperate. Your sins have rendered you miserable. You have been so very wicked God will bring further torment upon you very shortly, I imagine. But death will soon terminate all your punishment. You will arise from the dead a reformed character." If any one thinks such ideas calculated to make a sinner tremble, I know of no arguments which can change his opinion. I consider the class of passages now quoted perfectly conclusive. There are several other clear and striking texts of the same character; but I have not room for their insertion or exposition. I may simply refer you to the following places. John 12. 48; 11. 24; 5. 21, 22, 29. 1 Peter 4.5. 2 Cor. 5. 10. I have not room for any more passages of scripture in this connexion. That all which I have quoted în the present and two preceding communications either teach or imply the doctrine of future retribution I have no doubt. Were this my individual opinion merely I should feel extremely diffident in giving it expression. But I am supported in my conclusions respecting them. by the ablest and best commentators of all denomina tions. Not only so. After I had gone through the christian scriptures, and selected all the passages which appeared to me to have a bearing on the present controversy, and arranged them in their respective classes, I requested the late Professor of Biblical Literature in the Divinity School in Cambridge to hear me read my manuscript. He kindly consented, and no text has been presented which he does not consider either as clearly implying or plainly teaching future rewards and punishments. I take pleasure in mentioning this fact, because proper judges consider this gentleman the most thorough and able and candid biblical critic in our country. He has spent years in the study of the New Testament; his judgment is not liable to be warped by personal or party considerations; and those who are acquainted with his deep research, his minute accuracy and his fearless examination, place almost unlimited confidence in his decision. I would also acknowledge my obligations for some of the contents of my present letter to my friend, the Tutor in Hebrew and Mathematics in Harvard University. I shall not therefore feel the force of any sneers which individuals of your sect may possibly express in relation to my expositions of scripture. I have likewise given paraphrases of many texts from the epistles. Every one of the number has been taken from the writings of a divine whom the author of the Modern History of Universalism declares to have been "ardent in the defence of universalism." You perceive therefore that men of candor and learning whom you claim, furnish me with the true meaning of many texts which clearly prove my position. Now let me beseech you to read over every passage in its original connexion. If but one of the whole number teaches future rewards, and but one of the whole number teaches future punishments, my |