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NEWHAMPSHIRE—PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY RUSSELL AND DAVIS, AT CONCORD. _
; [VOLUME III.]
I Domejlic Mijcellan,.'
I'''''''
VERITAS CONTRA FREE THINKER.
for the FEDERAL MIRROR.
T) support your scheme, you adduce lev
era! more passages, which I shall now
confider—one from Heb. 2, 9 — Rut we fa
jferfur the buffering of drab, crowned with
glory and boner ; that be, by the grace of Cod,
fauU taste death for ever, man—From the jaft
daufe, you'draw this conclusion, that every
man must be infallibly saved, be his charac
ter ever so bad in this world—l readily ac
knowledge the truth of the Apostle's affec
tion ; that Christ has tasted death for every
man, in such a sense, that every man by
ireans of his facrifice, enjoys a temporal life,;
—outward favors—a state of probation—the
ftrivin^sof the spirit ; and an opportunity
to attain eternal life—But I deny the con
clusion, that every man will make such an
improvement of these privileges, as finally to
obtain the object. The Apostle, it appears
from the context, had no such idea of tfe in
fallible fafety of all men, otherwise, he never
would have given such an alarming caution ;
verses 2 and 3, of this chapter— ls tbe word
ffeoken b, Angele was fledfaft, and ever, trans
gression and disobedience received a just recommence
of reward ; bow shall we escape if we neglea so
great falroation —The plain meaning of these
words is,that there was great danger of men's
negleding the great salvation ; and if they
did, there would be no possible way to es
cape punishment—That, as under the law
given by Angels, in the hand of a Mediator,
every transgression and disobedience received
a just recompense of reward, or due punifh
i ment ;fo it would be under the gofpei—The
neglefters and difpifers of it, living and dy
ing in that temper of heart, should infallibly
perish. How dare you then, Mr. F. T. from
this clause, assert the certainty of the salva
tion of all men ? when in the fame connex
ion, the Apostle declares the great and amaz
ing danger men are in of abufiog the gofpei;
and in case of it, the absolute certainty of
their deftrudion without repentance. I add,
how dare you presume to draw such a con
clusion—when in the very next words to your
favorite clause, the Apostle expressly asserts
the contrary— For it became bim, for whom are
all things, and b, whom are all things, in bring
ing man,Jons to glory, to make the Captain of tbeir
salvation perfea through Offerings —Hire it is
said, that all things are of Christ ; and all
for him, all at his difpofal—for what purpose
—not to bring all mankind, but many sons
to glory—not the whole, but a part—lo which
is added, for both he that fandifieth,and they
who are landified, are all of one, for which
cause he is mot ashamed to call them breth
ren. Here we fee, that these many sons are
not going to heaven, upon Mr. F- T's. new
plan, without faith, holiness, or good works ;
but they are such as are fandified, and born
of God ; conformed to the image, example,
and laws of Christ ; and for this reason he
is not ashamed to call them brethren. The
holy Jesus don't call wicked men his brothers,
as F. T. insinuates ; but in the days of his
flefh, he gave them their true title—n are of
your Father, the Devil, and the works of ,our
Father ,e will do.
Another passage you call into ,our aid, is
taken from Tit. 2— Fer the grace of God that
bringetbjalvation bath appeared to allmen ; teach
ing at, that denying ungodliness and wordl, hefts,
we Jhould liroe soberly, righteoujly, and godly, in
this prejent evil world —By the grace of God
here, we are to understand the blessed gofpei,
the product of God's infinite grace— This
brings salvation in the offer wherever it comes
—This brings salvation tothe heart where
ever it is cordially-em braced.—This the A
postle tells us, hath appeared to all men, that
is, to all under its difpenfation—lt could not
appear to those who were not under its dis
pensation; to those who had never heard of
it—thi&is inconfiftcnt to suppose ; therefore
it could not appear to every individual of
mankind, in the Apostle's day—Whoever
reads Ecclesiastical Hiftory, will find, that
there were many nations brought to the
knowledge of chriftianity, long after the A
postle was dead ; confequentTy, they must
have been in a state of Pagahifm, at the time
when these words were penned, totally un
acquainted with the gofpei—therefore the
term all men must be taken here in a limited
sense, according to the ftri& truth, meaning
not all men, but only that part of men, that
were then under the dispensation of the gof
pei, and it can mean no more now ; and fee-
CONCORD, FRID ffim 19, 1795.
ing there are so many nations in the present
day, in a state of total Heathenism, wno have
never heard ofthis grace of God ; how vastly
short must the word all come, of including
the whole of mankind ; so that giving the
phrase the most extensive sense it will poffi *
bly bear, it proves not a syllable of tJniver
falifm—but were we to confider it in a lefs<
extensive sense, as including only those who
receive this grace of God in the love and
power of it, and pradife agreeable to its dic
tates ; mefoumber I fear would he very fmulL
in comparison of the whole ; many who live
under its dispensation, though they are con
tinually taught by it, that'it is their duty to
deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts ; and
to live soberly, righteously, and godly ; yet
they do not put these divine Itfons imopraaice;
but on the contrary, lead ungodly, unright
eous, intemperate, loose and wicked lives—
and are all such as these to be saved ? —Yes,
F. T. according to your doctrine, not one can
be loft ; and is not this turning the grace of
God into lafeivioufnefs, with a witness t con
fider how you will answer to him, who is of
purer eyes than to behold iniqufty—deceive
not yourfelf nor others—the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God. A
gain you lay much stress upon a passage from
1 John 2, 2 — And he is the propitiation for our
fins ; and not for ours only, butftor thefins of the
whole world —From this last clause, you draw
your favorite conclusion ; that every individ
ual of the human race shall be finally saved :
but let us examine the ftra&ure and connex
ion of the passage.— The Apostle had just
been observing, that none were without fin ;
and if any should presume to fay, they had no
fin, they deceived themselves, and the truth
was not in them—He then points out the
only way in which they could obtain forgive
nefs of their fins ; if we confefs our fins he
is faithful, and just to forgive us our fins, and
to cleanse us from ^1 unrighteousness—He
then thirdly, lays down the only ground up
on which God can be just, in forgiving the
'."! °f the humble confeffor, viz. the pro
pitiation of Christ, and to encourage all to
repent and confefs their fins; teWs them,
that Christ is the propitiation, not only for
the ' penitent Jew, but for all true penitents
throughout the Whole world, like that of the
Apostle Peter—l perceive that God is no re
fpeder of persons ; but in every nation, he
that feareth him, and worketh righteousness,
is accepted of him.—The Jews were exceed
ing parcifl—they imagined the divine favor
was confined to them, and withheld from ev
ery other nation—At firft the believing Jews
feeme^ to have the fame opinion of the pro
pitiation of Christ, that it was confined to
their nation alone. The Apostle here re,
moves, that national prejudice, from the
minds of his countrymen, by assuring them,
th,it Jesus Christ was the advocate and' pro
pitiation, not only of those that believed of
the boufe of Israel, but all that believed,
throughout the whole world.—Agreeable ty
that passage of the Apostle Paul, Rom. 3=g
Is be the God or Saviour of the ,cws only ? I<sß
not also of the Gentiles ? Yes, of the Gentiles al/ir^
feeing it is one God which Jhalljuftify the circtofef
cifan by faith, and uncirctfmcifion through faith.
From this illustration we fee, that the propi
tiation of Christ, forgivenefs of fin, and jus
tification extends no farther than confeffion^
and belief of the gospel, and so is of no avail'
to prove Universalism.
Another passage you have pressed into your
service, is from Rom. iith. —For cf bins, and
through him, and to him, are all things —How in
the name of common sense, you could think
this was any proof of your scheme, I cannot
conceive—but the drowning man,as you fay,
will lay bold of a firaw ; and as little aid will
this text afford you, as the straw the finking
man. There is nothing in this passage that
looks with a favorable eye upon you—lt is
taken out of, or & rather the conclusion of
a long oontinned difeourfe of the Apostle
Paul's, recorded Rom. 9, 10, and 11, where
he writes in the highest stile of Election and
divine sovereignty ; and though you fay, the
Apostle don't join with Veritas in making
diftinaions, yet, here are such pointed dif
tißaions of men into two separate classes, as
will make your ears and your heart tingle —
The one is called children of the flefh ; the
other the children of the promise ; the one
the Eledion, that obtained ; the other, the
rest that were blinded ; the one vessels of
honor tftye other verfels pf dishonor ; the
one ve@s of mercy prepared unto glory ;
the othff veflels of wroth fitted for destruc
tion—and to sum up the whole, the Apostle
concludes in these words—" For of him, and
through him, and to him, are all things ; to
whom be glory for ever and ever, amen,"—
that is, all things, are of God, as the great
creator—all are through him, as the great
director and disposer of all events—and all
shall be to him as their last end, that is, God
shall be glorified adively, or passively, by ev
ery creature ; not only the salvation of all the
vessels of mercy will terminate in the glory of
but the ruin of all the vessels of wrath,
foave fitted themselves for deftroaion—
diftinaions made b, an inspired Apofy
tle,l:hai leave with you, Mr. F. T. intrea^
i^ fa> to ronGdet whether they be real
imaginary—if real, then own them to be so ;
ifimaginary, then prove them to be fuch—
and be so kind Sir, as to let us know how
they operate upon your stomach ; whether,
as an emetic or cathartic, (for it appears you
are very much out of order, by some com
plaints yoahave lately made) —if they should
operate as an emetic, attended with heart
risings and four belches, it will be a sign of
future wind ; but if as a cathartic, all should
fettle down, and every sickish qualm be lay
ed, it will be a sign of your speedy recovery
from yourprefent state of insanity, so that in
a short time you will be able, with Veritas, .
to make diftinaions between virtue and vice ;
between good and evil ; and also to fee the
plain and express diftintlion of human char
acters made by Christ and his Apostles, in
this and the other world—and the moment
you arrive to this state of reason, and sound
ness of understanding, you will throw away
your idol of Universalism to the moles and to
the bats.
VERITAS.
for THE MIRROR.
Cautious Address,
To Mr. Free Thinker and Veritas.
Messrs. Printers,
I humbly pray you will give the following a
place in the Federal Mirror.
Y CONCEIVE that Mr. Free Thinker iswil
l ling all mankind Jhould be finally saved ; but
Mr. n.itojetms unwilling for that, at feaff in
timates, that part of mankind must, and will, be
ine^^l, itf^^^^ conftfthat Mr. F.
T.feems to exhibit a more generous spirit than Mr.
V.for be fams willing that all should fare alike ;
but Mr. K fams to exhibit the contrary ; for we
"^ j u fb conclude V. does not count bimjefrone of
these who are lof. New Mr. V.lthink you are
wrong in trying to prove, that a part of mankind
will be loft; for that is as much as to fay, that a
certain number will be log let their lives and con
versation be never Jo good; but this is taxing
. God with ingratitude. Bejides, the doarine of E
leaion is attended with pernicious consequences —I
myjelf have been acquainted with persons who, by
fray means or oth^r, entertained a notion, that
ttyretre if the non-eleß ; whereby they immedi
faety&l into diftraaien or keen dejpair, which
'in4id,s bell itjelf, or nearly tantamount to being
ityrmtyd therefore I think the doarine of
^Ehaiun a very dangerous dodrine, and that by no
fofeity ought to be promulgated. Indeed, if Mr.
endeavored to prove that aver, person
q&tyld be eternally punished, who oppressed the fa
[t&rlefs and widow,pervert judgment, swear pro-
Ifanily, lie notarioufly, £fc. be would have done
1 well,for jueb dodrine is really necessary ; but I
, fr a y goo<i„Mr. V. don't again endeavor to prove
that God is a refpeaer of persons.
Now, Mr. F. T. I have fom^wbat against
thee, not becaujeyon are of opinion that all will be
finally Javed, but by trying to insinuate the fame
into others, for by Jo doing, you may cause many
vicious and dishonest perfans, io be of your opinion,
whereby the, will be likely to become tenfold more
the Children of Hell, (if jueb place there be, than
they now are ; for I do facerel, believe, that
were it not for the fearful apprebenfion of a future
Hell, we should fan have a bell upon earth ; for
there would daily be committed murders, thefts,
paricide, ^c. by which means all mankind would
soon be exterminated from the earth; therefore
it is nail, ntcfffary that we should pa, miniJhrs
to preach up a future hell, for we can by no means
live without a bell, as we can hardly live with.
Now if I believed there was neither God norfu.
tureflats, lfhould be entirely willing to help Sup
port a miziJHr to tell the,topic if they committed
Jueb and jueb crimes the, would go to bell; for if
thefear of an earthly baiter, prison, chains, %.
fewbieb are butfart,in cemparifon of eternal pun
iJhrant) prevent murders^ robberies, cheating,
&c« furel, the fear of an everlafing bell, will be
a much greater preventive; tberfoe, Mr. F.
t induce people with a belief that there is afu
ture pugiJhment : For if,on think that all will
be janxd, there are man, who do net, who if the,
did, would become notorious rogues. Befdes, if all
will certahd, befanmd, Ijeene need ts cemmuni-
eating the fame to them beforehand ; far that will
tend to leffin their happiness ; as an unexpeaed
pardon adminiflers the greatest bappinefs ; there
fore, Mr. F. T. and F. I recommend a frifndl,
jociabilit, between ,ou, and not fight with wea
pons with which you are unacquainted, for by so
doing, perhaps you may injureyour felvts ; for I
amfully of opinion, that neither of you canfairiy
prove,our assertion ; neither are you without jome
doubts to the contrary of what,cu argue; for lam
pertain that neither of you&now any thing abcut
w i invifble world, unitfs you have hern thirty.,
„GUrfelvu, or seen sane wlkflari And-hre
me remind you of acTrut bear, :oncuring aprieft
arid Scotchman, which is as follows, wz.
An ignorant Scotchman went to church and
hearing the priest let forth the joys of heaven and
the torments of hell, in a very flriking manner, be
was greatly afcatd at the preaching, for he took
it for granted that the priest had been both to Hea
ven and Hell, by his giving so p/wn a defroption
of them. After meeting was over, the Scotchman
kept bis eye upon the prieji, and flowed him to his
boufe,for be wanted to discover more minutely,
concerning the laws and cufloms of Heaven and
Hell ; so be addreffid the pritf thus : Sir, were
you ever in beaven ? Oh, no ! jaid the pref, those
who go to heaven, never return again, but enjoy
continual bappinejs. Well, fir, jays the Scotch
man again, wereyou ever in bell? No, indeed !
replied the priest, those who go to bell raver return
an, more, but are eternally tormented. Hah !
fays the Scotchman, thenyou know na mere aboot
it than I do. Sb be went esf quite contented.
Now, MfJfrj.F. T, and V. IJay by you as the
Scotchman Jaid by the prieff —that you know no,
more about a future state than I do—there
fore I think it more commendable for every one to
dealjuft I, and uprightly in this world, rather than
to spend so much time in arguing about another ;
they know nothing of. Pope fays,
—+ presume not God to scan ;
The proper fludy of mankind is—ma n.
A FRIEND TO MANKIND.
6 Last Week's Omissions.
Lateji from France.
NATIONAL CONVENTION.
Report of a Treat, with Prussia.
SESSIONS OF IITH APRIL.
REUBEL, in the name of rhe com
mittee of Public Safety, amend
ed the tribune ; he laid, your Com
mittee has followed your intentions,
refpeding a Partial Peace , the, pre
sent for your ratification, the Treaty
concluded with the King of Prussia.
We have not, for a moment, forgot
ten, that if the wifhea of the French
people were favorable to Peace, that
it must have been such a Peace, at
was glorious to them, and which can
not injure the interests of the Repub
lic. You will judge by perusing the
articles fubmitced to you, how far
they have attained those objects.
PRINCIPAL ARTICLES.
I. There shall be peace, friendship
and good understanding, between
Prussia and the French Republic.
11. In consequence, all hoftilitiet
shall cease between the two poweri,
from the ratification of the present
Treaty, and neither of them shall fur
nilh against the other any fuccours,
in men, horses, money, contingent or
warlike floret.%
111. Neither of the two poweri,
shall grant passage over its territories,
:ft>the enemies of the other.
IV. The Republican troops shall
evacuate, within 15 days, that part of
the Prussian dominions which they oc
cupy on the right bank of the Rhine.
V. The Republican troops shall
continue to occupy that part of the
dominions of the Kin, of Prussia, ite &
utted on the left Bank of the Rhine.
VI. Till a Treaty of Commerce
Ihdl be eftablilhed between the two
powers, all commercial relation# shall
NUMBER 139.