Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-02-06
EIGHT REASONS AGAINST uNIVERsAL'sS'
gy DR.. ALEXANDER.

l. Ii dos violence ~ ZIG iAo'J
.,d ,ervcr,s the plain and obvious meaning
,,fonmcrous passages which speak OF TIC
f,,nrr nnoi,hHlent Of inpenlIcnt slhHefs.
And if m one case We may thus set aside
,be exrrcss and repeated declarations OF
God, 10 accommo late the doctrine 10 our
own reason or inclinalions, the volume o'
;oSoir,to Oh is d;shoaored and rendered Hse'
less; for upon ,hcse principles we rFny re-
icct cv.ry fundamental truth OF Inc o'o''.
Ifthe doctrine of future punishment IS no'
taught in the Bible, neither is In Goc'i'"' Goc
Of future hapniness for they arc coh''l'':''
" inculca,eI in the same passages anu :"
similar language. ..ls;,
2. Ifil be true that sin is not p1niSneds'"
The future world, than il would 10 low l"a'
God exercises no moral government over
,,e world : for in the present life the wick
oJ oi,n live a, case AMI are prosperous,
while tho v;rluous are afflicted. Thus
doctrine goes FAR 10 annihhilate all dI!ier-
cree bctwccen virtue aud vice, for we must
inAge of,lese according 10 the treatment
which they respectively receive irem the
.Supreme Ruler; but if there be no future
punishments, there is no s,rong mark oi d's'
approba,ion set oE vice. doctrine "hlch
involves SUCH a consequence as this must
be false and dangerous.
3. If this doctrine should become Scnef-
Al. human society could not erist. Like
atheism, 10 which it is near akin, is NAL
ianant tendency is not fully secn' while So
cietv at large is under the influence OF a
contrary belief. But take away from tho
minds OF all men ihe fear Of Judgment and
eternity, and this becomes scene OF vio-
iance-an aceldama. All confidence
among men would be destroyed;
all the bonds Of civil soc:cty would be sew
cred. Do not say that vice might be CO.
creed by the civil lava vain hope
Where the whole mass is corrupt, laws arc
useless. What means of aScertalnIng the
truth in courts of Justice will remain, with.
GU, which justice canno: be admins ered' II
no man fears the consequence OF perjury
Suppose man who has 10 fear ofjudS-
ment, to be soemnly called upon TO declare
the truth IN case where his own honor
and interest, or that Of some friend. is al
stake-what is there 10 prevent him from
perjuring hmselff Or If he can crafty Sc
cret malice, by swearing against the life Of
an enemy, what shall rcs;rain him? He
NAV reason with himself thus : 81 know
this is wicked act, but it will serve my
purpose, i! will enable me TO crafty my re-
yenge and l have nothing to fear. De-.
lection, here is impossible, and hereafter |
am sure of heaven, dc as | will" What
security should We have thut our medicine
would not be remingled with poison in
every house q? The men WHO propagate
such doctrines are manifestly pursuing a
course destructive 10 the peace and gool
order of society. | would fully as soon
have an atheist to baer witness against me
on oath. or to sit in judgment as juror, as
one Of these new-fanged Universities.
4. If there is no future punishment, tie
wicked who are driven away in their wick
edness, are happier than the righteous
who are preserved TO suffer. The wicked
antedluvians who pcrished in the food, had
q bette portion and richer reward 'han
Noah, for they all escaped The troubles Of
life and went to heaven, while Noah and
his family were subjected 20 'numcrabe
hurdships for some hundreds al yenrs. The
inhabitants of Sodon, and Gomorrah were
better off, though they were destroyed by
fire from heaven. than righteous Lot, who
escaped for they were released al once
srom all PAIN, and sorrow, but his Affections
wers many.-The wicked Canaanites were
40 bid 10 live upon earth, and therefore
-! cni1incd it OH Joshua 10 extirpate them;
.asoo. 90 bado be a1mited at once to heav.
~an; ooaj anyrep"n;ancc orsanctificaton.
.r"aa.r .ot was therefore, gre,lly preferable
% thar OF the Israetes, who endured many
ais and sutl;rngs. Upon this theory. Ju.
iGs was rather benefited than injured, by
as base and ungratelul crime Of betraying
lis Lord, and by his suicide. Indeed if
there be no future punishment, and the next
world be better than this. not only will sui.
eide lnnocent and beneficial, bot there can
be no great harm in murder. 1t only ush,
ers lelIew.crea,u:e into superior bliss
little earlier than if he were left 10 dc na.
tural death.
5. Upon the suppo i ion that this doc
,rine is rue, repentance i useless neither
is there any need Of sanc,iacation. Heav-
"a is the sinners right, without any condl-
'ion OF preparation. How the ungodly will
le pieosed W tn the place and the exercises,
is aLotncr Question. Whether dying will
take away their disrelish for devotional ex.
ercises is not explained. Blu, there is 10
need OF undergoing the sorrows Of repen.
tance for sin.--This the universities ack.
nowledge. A writer before referred 10, de.
clares, (" that there is not the least occasion
for soci,ude ADMINISTRATION, neither l. it in