arose from the dead, he commanded his Apostles to preach the gospel to the entire family of man, expressed in the following words : "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."-Mat. 23: 19. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." -Mark, 16: 15. "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations."—Luke, 24: 47. "But ye shall recieve power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witness unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."-Acts, 1: 8.

After Christ's Apostles were baptized with the Holy Ghost, they were great and good christians, yet could not understand that Christ meant they should preach to the uncircumcised : for their former opinions blinded their minds to the plainest of truth. Christ had told them not to go in the way of the Gentiles, nor to enter into any city of the Samaritans. [See Mat. 10:5.1"When he first sent them forth to preach, the time had not arrived for the Gentiles to become fellow heirs with the Jews" but when he gave forth his commands to have them preach to the Samaritans, and to all nations, it had then arrived: but as they had formed an opinion from his first command, that none but the Jews were to hear the gospel, they could not understand his last command. The promises of universal salvation are as plainly spoken, as were Christ's commands to preach the gospel; and christians being taught from early life to believe that all will not be saved, is the reason why they cannot understand them. But lest some should believe that the Apostles did understand Christ when he commanded them to preach to every creature, I will cite a few texts to prove they did not. St. Peter, while very hungry, fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet, knit at the four corners, and

let down to the earth; Wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." But Peter said, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." And the voice spake unto him again the second time, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." This was done to convince Peter not to call any man common or unclean, for the Jews thought it an unlawful thing for them to keep company, or come unto one of another nation.

While Peter thought on the vision, the spirit said unto him, "Behold, three men seek thee. Go with them doubting nothing for I have sent them." If Peter had understood the command of Christ, there would have been no need of a vis1on, nor the spirit to bid him go to the uncircumcised Cornelius, but when he was convinced that heathens, if they feared God and worked righteousness, would be accepted of him, he opened his mouth and said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons ;" he then understood that all the prophets had given witness that through Christ's name whosoever believed in him should receive remission of sins. Read the 10th Chap. of Acts. If Peter had understood the prophecies, he no doubt would have understood Christ's commands to preach the gospel; for it was predicted that Christ should have the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession. Read Psalm 2: 8. And he said, it is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Isa. 49: 6.

The Apostles were not led into an error by the prophecies, for nothing could be plainer; and yet when commanded to preach to the heathen they could not understand what Christ

meant. But when Peter and the six brethren who accompanied him, saw the gift of the Holy Ghost poured out upon the Gentiles, it unfolded to them the mystery: yet the other Apostles and brethren, when they heard that Peter had preached to the Gentiles, contended with him, saying, "Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and did eat with them."-Read Acts, 11: 1-3. But when Peter rehearsed the wonderful things whereby he was convinced that Christ's commands extended to all, they glorified God, saying, "Then hath God also to the Gentiles, granted repentance unto life." Acts, 11: 18. Plain scripture facts show that the majority of christians believing a doctrine, is no proof that it is true. Neither is their believing it, any evidence that it is false.

L. No one, in reading the New Testament, feels the least doubt whether the penitent and pious are to be happy in the future world. Now if it is equally certain, as universalism affirms, that the wicked shall be happy hereafter, and the inspired writers believed this, why did they not express their belief with equal plainness? We certainly need as much evidence to convince us that it will be well with the wicked, as we do that it will be well with the righteous. Is it not unaccountable, then, if these two classes of men are alike heirs of salvation, that their future destiny should be spoken of in such diametrically opposite terms; in terms, which, while they exclude all doubt as to the final happiness of the righteous, have been almost uniformly interpreted by christians of all denominations, and in every age of the church, as threatening destruction to the wicked? His ignorance or prejudice led to this misapprehension.

R. The bible proof that the penitent and pious will be happy, and there being no proof that any, while wicked, will be happy, does not prove but that all will finally be happy by becoming penitent and pious. Those who are now penitent, were once wicked, or they could not be sorrowful for sin; and

they had no more promise of salvation then, than the wicked have now. When the command was given to preach the gospel to all, it was not specified in so particular a manner as were the promises that all should be blessed by the gospel.

The promise of Jehovah, confirmed by an oath, that all the nations, families, and kindreds of the earth should be blest in Christ, was the gospel. [See Gen. 12: 3. Chap. 22: 15-19, and 26: 4. Also 28: 14. Acts, 3: 25.] For it is written thus: - The scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abra. bam, saying, in thee shall all nations be blest; therefore, the promise that all the kindreds of the earth shall be blessed in Christ, is gospel, and comprises every individual. For God hath made of one blocd all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth. - Acts, 17: 26; which makes them all of akin. Hence we see that the promise that all shall be bles sed by the gospel, reacts stronger, than the command does to preach the gospel; and it is no more strange that christians cannot understand the full extent of the promises now, than it was that the Apostles could not understand the full extent of the commands then.

"Go and teach all nations," is the command. Christians now believe that the word "all," in this command, meant all. "All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name." — Psalm, 86: 9. But in this promise they will not allow that the term "all" means the whole, because it would prove too much for their belief, which has been so long rooted in their minds that they have become blind, and cannot see that this promise includes the Antideluvians, Sodomites, and all nations whom God ever made. Another command was to preach the gospel to every creature; this they believe meant every creature.now compare it with the following promise: "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under

the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." Rev. 5: 13. This was a prediction, made known to St. John by a revelation. And does not " every creature," when specified so particularly, mean as many as were included in the command. Lest it should be said the promises would prove the salvation of all were not the threatenings against them, I will show that they are not against them; for all the threatenings of punishment are denounced against the breakers of some law; "For where no law is there is no transgression," and God does not punish any unless they transgress. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid. Gal. 3: 21.

The threatenings will all be accomplished upon the wicked; they will be turned into hell, will be destroyed; yet they may be delivered from hell. The term destruction does not imply endless; they can be saved from this destruction. It was said of the Israelites that their wound was incurable; yet there is a promise that it shall be cured. For her wound is incura. ble; for it is come unto Judah, &c. - Mat. 1: 9. Yet it is written, So all Israel shall be saved; of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn Jacob.-For this is my covenant unto away his sins. Rom. 11: 26, 27. By the word Jacob, we know that the promise comprehends the whole nation; for the term Jacob is a bible phrase to express the Israel of God. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory. Isa. 45: 25. These texts prove that their incurable wound will be healed.

For there shall come out away ungodliness from them, when I shall take

E. As to the doctrine being opposed by the prejudices of men, this is so far from true, that it is every way adapted to please and gratify the desires of the natural heart. If the doctrine were true, and revealed in the bible, all men would glad.