Page images
PDF
EPUB

ITS

ORIGIN AND GROUNDS

EXAMINED;

WITH OTHER DISCOURSES.)

BY T. J. SAWYER.
Minister of the Orchard street (Universalist) Church, New York.

NEW YORK:

C. L. STICKNEY, 140 FULTON

Second Floor,

STREET,

Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1845,

BY C. L. STICKNEY,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern Diatrict of New York.

PREFACE.

The following pages were written to be published and are published in the hope that they may be read. It would therefore be quite out of place to offer an apology for the errors and imperfections they may very probably contain.

The subjects here treated I cannot but think important, and to deserve much greater attention than they usually receive. Of the doctrine of Endless Punishment it may be thought that I have spoken harshly; but I ask my reader to reflect on the doctrine a moment, on its terrible character, on what it implies of man and ascribes to God, the Father of all, and then tell me in candor if I have spoken of it, or if it be possible for any one to speak of it, in terms of condemnation too severe. For the honest believers in this horrible dogma I would ever entertain a due respect, but the doctrine itself I can neither respect, nor speak of in any other language than that of undisguised abhorrence and detestation. The ingenuity of men and devils can invent nothing worse. It is the foulest libel ever uttered upon the divine character and government, a disgrace to the church which fosters it, and a curse to all over whom it exerts an influence. No system of theology which embraces it can be otherwise than corrupt and corrupting, inasmuch as it teaches principles subversive of the very spirit of the gospel, and inconsistent with the whole revealed character of God.

But I will not argue the subject here; I merely commend this little book to such as may be interested in its perusal; for the rest, I would neither court their favor, nor deprecate their displeasure. THE AUTHOR.

New York, 1845.

« PreviousContinue »