regard your own safety, rather than make the trip in that large ship UNIVERSALISM, and be furnished with the most extravagant accommodations,) prefer taking even a deck passage on that little brig ORTHODOXY, if you should thereby even be exposed to the piercing wind, and an occasional drenching from the surging billows! Why not, gentlemen, manifest the same amount of cautiousness and consistency with reference to the inconceivably more important concerns of eternity? Why not prefer a certainty to an uncertainty? If you have not positive testimony in favor of your system, which you must admit you have not;--why then preach the doctrine? What blind infatuation must influence that man who is willing to risk his immortal inheritance upon a game at chance, when the probabilities are decidedly against him—a chance, upon which he would not venture to hazard one hundred dollars!

Dear sirs, permit me to speak to you freely:-let not "the pride of life," I beseech you, or "the God of this world" blind your eyes to your highest-most exalted interests. Whoever would not be on the safe side of a doubtful question, especially one which involves as much as the one now under consideration, must be most selfwilled and presumptuous, having shut his eyes to the light of self-interest, and closed his ears against the voice of reason!

Permit me, then, in the conclusion of this short, but friendly address, to remark, that as you admit us to be perfectly safe in our theory, as regards the future life; and if we do experience some trials and sorrows, as the result of our orthodox heresy in this world, still your doctrine inforins us that this shall all be overruled for our good hereafter, and will work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;-hence you have no motive which you can hold out, to induce us to leave orthodoxy and embrace Universalism, let it be ever so true, and therefore you need not make the attempt.

We would have you know that we are perfectly unconvertible to that system, which, if true, gives us to

understand that although we do not enjoy as much happiness without it here, yet we shall possess the more in the future world on that account, and that "thereby our happiness will be enhanced for eternity." Hence, we have no reason in the world for becoming converts to your doctrine, whilst on the contrary, from the uncertainty of your theory, and the safety of ours, you have every reason, both in this world and in that which is to come, for renouncing Universalism and becoming converts to the orthodox faith! I think, gentlemen, honestly and candidly, you had better give it up. You have had rather a hard tussel for it so far, and you have saved no one by your effort. Just, then, please be consistent for once, and throw away that thing of Universalism; for why waste paper and puff out your breath of life in defending a cause so perfectly barren and unfruitful, as is the one in which you are now engaged? I subscribe myself most truly and benevolently, your friend, A. H.

TO THE READER.

Reader: You are now through the book, and have doubtless detected many imperfections, both in style and language: but a few words of explanation will perhaps apologize for such, and all other defects which you may have discovered in the foregoing pages:

Six months only have elapsed since the author first commenced writing this work, during which time his attention has been engrossed by many cares and perplexities, which are not very great facilities in the prosecution of a work of this character. Being engaged in a partnership manufacturing establishment, the concerns of which must necessarily demand a share of his thoughts, and the additional concern of providing for the contingent necessities and accommodations of a large family of boarders, all served as impediments in the way of carrying out this work as perfectly as it would have been

done, perhaps, under more favorable circumstances.The ministerial duties of the author, likewise, in attending to his appointments, sometimes at the distance of thirty or forty miles from home-during the same period receiving, and replying to, about one hundred and fifty letters-and the additional loss of two days in each week, in riding to St. Clairsville, (and back,) in order to "correct proof," have levied a heavy tax upon his time, leaving but little over three months for the writing of the whole work.

The book was commenced being printed when but a few pages of the manuscript were written, and frequently the author found himself under the necessity of writing the greater part of the night, in order to supply the printers with copy. We have had a pretty tight race for it, but fortunately I have come out a little ahead!

These facts are stated, courteous reader, not with the view of begging mercy at the hands of Universalist preachers and editors, as far, at least, as argument is concerned, for in such matters the author neither gives nor asks quarter:--but he supposes that these considerations, in connection with his own age and inexperience, (this being his first book,) will serve as an apology for all literary and scientific aberrations, from which he cannot possess the vanity to suppose his work entirely exempt.

The author does not design to leave the impression that he claims originality for all the arguments herein presented; yet he believes that the main body of the work is пего, and has never before been presented to the public. This consideration has induced him to send it forth as bread cast upon the waters, hoping that it may prove instrumental, in the hands of an overruling providence, of turning many from the error of their ways, to which end, may God grant it abundant success. THE AUTHOR.

St. Clairsville, June 15, 1846