7. The American House of Re-flaughter. The Rebels, at several prefentatives refolved on the 20th of places, have been guilty of great April, after a debate of unufual cruelty, on which account fome felength, that the Prefident fhould be vere examples have been made. authorifed to employ the naval force of the United States as convoys for the protection of the American trade, without waiting until there fhall exift an actual state of warfare between that country and the French Republic. In confequence of this it is fuppofed, the Americans will foon have a respectable fleet on the ocean. 8. Yefterday morning Mr. Reeves, Mr. Wilkinson, and Mr. Adamfon, fone time ago convicted of forgery, were executed. There was a vaft concourfe of people prefent on the melancholy occation. Yefterday morning the execution of Mr. John James Coigley took place on Pennendon Heath, near Maidstone, for High Treafon. 9. Lord Edward Fitzgerald is dead of the wounds which he received when he was arrested; one of the zealous magiftrates who apprehended him is alfo dead of the wounds which he received of Lord Edward. 16. A letter from Cadiz of the 22d May advises, that preparations are making at Gibraltar for the bombardment of that town, and that the Spaniards, on the other hand, are making the most vigorous preparations of defence. 19. The armament under Buonaparte is faid to be destined against Malta, and from thence to go to Egypt, to open a commercial communication with the East Indies, by way of the Red Sea. The Marquis Cornwallis has been appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, in room of Earl Camden. Great hopes are formed from the well-known abilities of this Nobleman. 20. The Rebellion, which had fpread into the Northern counties of Ireland, and had affumed a threatning appearance, was fupprefied by the activity of the military, aided by the prompt fervice of the yeomanry. Very little blood has been shed in the North, and the Rebels have laid down their arms. 22. The English East India Company have depofed the young Nabob of Oude, and have advanced his uncle in his stead. French agents in India have prevailed with Tippoo Sultan to try his ftrength with the English. He is making immense preparation for war, and forming alliances. The Government in India are taking vigorous steps to oppose him. 12. The accounts from Ireland are of the moft alarming nature, feveral engagements have taken place between the Government Forces -and the Infurgents in which the fucIcefs has been various. On the 24th May the Rebels were defeated at Naas, with the lofs of 200 men, and on the fame day on the Banks of the Liffey, near Dublin; their lofs was 130 men. A few days after they were defeated at Carlow with the lofs of 630 men. On the 4th 25. By the mails which arrived of this month an engagement took from Ireland on Saturday, it ap place at Wexford, when the town pears feveral more actions have taken of that name, with feveral others, place, in most of which the Rebels were taken by the Rebels. And have been defeated. 15,000 troops within thefe few days another at under the command of General Lake Rofs, when the King's troops were are marching against the Infurgents at first repulled, and Colonel Wal-in Wexford, and it is expected that pole, who commanded them, was in a few days they will be quite fubkilled; but the Rebels were after-dued in that county. wards routed with confiderable *** The Continuation of Mr. Winchefter's Sermons is unavoidably poftponed till our next. THE Universalist's Miscellany For JULY, 1798. To the Editor of the Univerfalift's Mifcellany. July 23, 1798. If you think a practical Comment on 2 Tim. ii. 24. exhibited in the following Letter from a Gentleman in Scotland, in defence of Univerfal Restoration, to his Friend in town, of a different fentiment, is worthy a place in your valuable Treasury, it is at your fervice DEAR SIR, Your's, A FRIEND TO TRUTH. WAS favoured with your long letter by Edinburgh. the 16th Auguft laft, which I have carefully and attentively perufed, am particularly obliged to you for having treated the fubject at fuch length and with fo much pains, as it fhews me your affectionate care that I fhould not be deceived. I find I ftand much in need of inftruction and am happy to receive it from any quarter whatever, as it is my endeavour to derive advantage from every converfation or correfpondence, even though my friends should differ in opinion from me. I wish to follow your plan in my enquiry, becaufe I think it is excellent, viz. Not to receive any doctrine preci pitately, because it may, at first view, seem to wear the femblance of truth, affect the paffions, or feem to be supported by fome paffages of Scripture, &c. but to examine both fides/ of the question with care, and fearch the facred oracles diligently, that I may receive the truth upon proper evidence and authority, and not be easily removed from it by plaufible arguments. With this view I have read and confidered your letter, and shall give you my remarks upon it with the freedom of an old friend, as I find myself particularly pleafed VOL. II. Dd with with the freedom you have used in writing to me; fhall, therefore, with the greateft confidence expect the freedom I use in return, will meet with a candid and favourable reception. I will not pretend to imitate your elegant, concise, yet nervous style, nor do I hope to attain your closeness of reafoning; but I fhall be happy if I can make my scope and meaning intelligible; I muft, however, befpeak your forgiveness, if any thing occur which may appear to give offence, and beg leave to affure you, that nothing can be farther from my intention, and if any thing of that kind flip inadvertently from me, I hope your pardon and correction, with your ufual candor. Your first argument to invalidate the doctrine of the Reftitution of all Things is, That it is no where expressly taught in Scripture, or that it is not faid in express terms, that all men fhall certainly, and finally be faved.' From which you conclude, there can be no abfolute or fubftantial ground to affirm or expect it. At firftfight, this argument feems to have a good deal of weight; but upon a nearer view, perhaps it may not be found altogether conclufive, for though it may by fome be granted, that it is not said in exprefs terms, that all men fhall certainly and finally be faved, yet, if it be found that the characters of the doctrine of Universal Reftitution are fufficiently delineated in Divine revelation, that it was the defign and purpose of God, that he has appointed means for the accomplishment of this defign, and that he has intimated that these means fhall not be ineffectual, or fail to accomplish the end: I fay, if these things can be proved from Divine teftimony, it would seem to warrant a conclufion of a very different nature from that which you draw. A conclufion drawn from fuch premises is by no means unfcriptural. When our Lord came and dwelt in Nazareth, Mat. ii. 23. the Evangelift fays, "This came to pass that it might be fulfilled which was fpoken by the prophets, He fhall be called a Nazarene.' 'Now it is no where faid in exprefs terms by any of the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene, this title is no where afcribed to him in all the Old Teftament, but the characters of the Nazarene are afcribed to him by all the prophets, and hence Matthew does not mention this as the prediction of any particular prophet; but from the characters they all afcribe to the Saviour, he gives it as the general voice of the whole. Eph. i. 9, 10. The Apostle defcribes this as the good pleasure of God, which he hath purposed in himself, That in in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might* gather together in one all things in Chrift, both which are in the heavens and which are on earth, even in him. Col. i. 19. For it pleased the (Father) that in him should all fulness dwell, and having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things to himself, by him I fay whether they be things on earth or things in heaven. 1 Tim. ii. 3, 4. "God our Saviour, who will have all men to be faved or restored, and come unto the knowledge of the truth." These texts may fuffice without troubling you with many more, which might be adduced to the fame purpose. I think the most plain and obvious conclufion which these point out is, that it was the defign and purpose of God, that all things fhould be gathered and united under one head, and that this one head is our Lord Jefus Christ, that this union is to be effected in the dipenfation of the fulness of times, by means of reconciling all enemies, which reconciliation is already begun by Jesus Christ. See Col. i. 21, 22, and that the end of this gathering and reconciling of all enemies is, that they may be prefented holy and unblameable and unreproveable in the fight of God, for he will have all men to be restored, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Secondly, that God has not only purpofed the Reftoration of all in the moft extenfive fenfe of the word, but as became him who is infinite in wisdom, he hath alfo appointed means for the accomplishment of this end. John iii. 16. God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him fhould not perish, but have everlasting life. For God fent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be reftored. Heb. ii. 9. That he, by the grace of God, thould tafte death for every one. To accomplish the will of God, who will have all men to be reftored, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, he, the one mediator between God and men, gave himself a ransom for all, to be teftified in his own proper times. 1 Tim. ii. 6. and I John ii. 2. The propitiation for our fins, and not for our fins only, but alfo for the fins of the whole world. And he fent his Apostles into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature: for the obedience of faith, Mark. xvi. 15. Rom. xvi. 25. and *The word anakphalaiofafthai rendered gathered together in one," you know fignifies to recollect and arrange under one head, as fcattered foldiers under a General, and this agrees with the apostle Peter's idea, 1 Eph. ii. 23. For ye were as theep going aftray, but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your fouls." Dd 2 commandeth commandeth all men every where to repent, Acts xvii. 30. and xxvi. 18. To open their eyes and turn them from darknefs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of fins and inheritance among all them that are fanctified through faith in Chrift. The Apoftles, thus intrufted with the ministry of reconciliation, poclaimed God in Chrift, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing nto them their trefpaffes. Now the reconciling of the world I hink was the intention of God, in caufing his gofpel to be preached unto every creature under heaven, that they all might believe and obey the truth, and submit unto the righteoufnefs of God. And, thirdly, he has given reafon to believe that it will anfwer that end. See Ifa. 55 throughout particularly verfe 11. So fhall my ward be that goeth aut of my mouth, it fb ll not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall profper in the thing whereto I Jend it. Now the Lord is not flack concerning his promife, for though it feem to tarry long wait for it, for in the end it fhall come and fhall not tarry, and hence the gofpel is styled the æonian gofpel, Rev. xiv. 6. which would feem to intimate, that it will continue to operate in the converfion of finners, and bringing them to fubmit to the righteoufnefs of God, during the periods of æonian punishment, and continue to profper in the things whereto God hath fent it, till it fhall finally and fully accomplish that which is his good pleasure, and that, as has already been noticed, in the uniting all things under Jefus Chrift the one head, by means of reconciliation, it being the will of God, that all men fhould be restored and come unto the knowledge of the truth. Philip. ii. 10, 11. from Ifai. xlv. 23 That in the name of Jefus every knee should bow of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue fhould confess that Jefus Chrift is Lord to the glory of God the Father. I cannot better exprefs the conclufion to which thefe texts naturally lead, than in the elegant and nervous language of your own letter. "We fee here, according to the appointment of God, the reconciliation of all things to himfelf, the whole creation voluntarily fubmitting to the divine authority and government, and afcribing bleffing and praife unto God and the Lamb, and this not in heaven only, but alfo on earth and under the earth, and in the fea, &c." Can language be more univerfal, or any thing be faid more fubverfive of the idea of the everlafting mifery (permit me to add, or everlasting death) of millions of rational beings? "This reconciliation is to be accom |