him, might be saved." If Christ does not save the world, he does not fulfil his Father's commands. He cannot be said to give life to the world, to take away the sins of the world, and finally to save the world, if the greatest part of the world is lost. But if God does not impute to the world their trespasses, but to Christ, and he saves the world, then of him, and to him, and through him, are all things; to whom be glory for ever and ever, amen. This is all pure gospel, and good news, not to a part, but to all mankind.

Evander. The whole force of your argument, from the passages you have quoted, rests on this ground; viz. that in the Scriptures, the words, all, all men, the world, &c. mean every individual of the human race; that this is always the case, is easily shown to be unfounded. These phrases are often applied to mankind generally, and to all of a particular class or denomination. Impenitent sinners are sometimes represented by the world, in distinction from Christ's disciples. Our Saviour says, "ye are not of the world, even as I am not of the world ;" "I pray not for the world." But in no sense are these expressions used oftener, than to comprehend Gentiles, in distinction from, or in connection with, the Jews. "If the casting away of them (that is, the Jews) be the reconciling of the world," &c. "There was a decree, that all the world should

be taxed;" but this decree could not extend beyond the bounds of the Roman empire. The apostle testifies to the church, that their "faith is spoken of throughout the whole world;", but it is evident that the gospel had, at that time, spread over only a part of the habitable globe. The Pharisees say of Christ," behold, the world is gone after him;" but we know they meant to except themselves. It is written, "for this cause God shall send them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned," &c. It is evident from the whole connection, that the apostle meant those only that believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. It would be easy to select many more passages, to shew these phrases are frequently used in a limited sense; but it is unnecessary to satisfy every candid person. The simple meaning of those texts, as I understand them, is this; that the Lord Jesus Christ is the saviour of sinners, of all nations, distinctions, and conditions, that repent and believe; "for he that believeth, shall be saved," whether Greek or Jew, Barbarian, Scythian, bond, or free; for he is no respecter of persons; "but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." I would enquire of you, if the Bible does not plainly declare, that impenitent sinners will be damned to to interminable punishment?

Lorenzo. I grant it does; and my friend Dr.

H. says,

"It certainly does, as plainly as any language can express, or any man, or even God himself, can speak ;" and all those who attempt to criticise this meaning away, are unfair in their reasonings. But it is to be remembered, that all the threatenings in the Scriptures against sinners, only thunder their just desert, and not what will, in very deed, be executed upon them, but only what would have been inflicted, if it had not been executed on their Surety. The law cries vengeance, as the just desert of sinners out of Christ; and the gospel proclaims peace and forgiveness in Christ, and is good tidings of great joy to all mankind. The law and the gospel are directly opposite to each other; they go side by side through the whole of the Scriptures; one demands perfection, and pronounces eternal wo in case of failure; the other requires nothing as a condition of salvation, but cries mercy and forgiveness to every son and daughter of Adam. This is evident from the first threatening to our first parents; which was, "in the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." This pronounced their just desert, but not what would literally take place, for the threatening was not executed; instead of their dying that very day, they lived several hundred years; for the gospel interposed, and warded off the avenging stroke of justice. In that day, the promise was, that the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head. If Christ completely bruise Satan's head,

then he will destroy his works, the design of which is, the destruction of mankind. This will

be completed at the day of judgment, when the Judge shall set all mankind on his right hand, which are his sheep; and the goats, which are chaff, stubble, and every thing that offends in them, on his left, and bid these depart into everlasting perdition. Then Satan will be completely defeated, and his head most perfectly crushed. But should a great proportion of mankind be finally lost, he will be gratified in his design, and Christ will fail of accomplishing his mission. If this is not the truth, my friend Dr. H. says, it is impossible to make any thing of the Bible, but a series of the most palpable contradictions.

Evander. The principal argument that you, and your friend, Dr. H. have, to support your sentiments and the vindication of the Scriptures, rests on this ground, viz. that God has declared what he will not fulfil, and promised what he will never execute. But what a sentiment is this! Will Jehovah violate his word, or alter the thing he swears? Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for he is not man, that he should lie, nor the son of man, that he should repent. The word that is gone out of his mouth, shall not return unto him void; but it shall prosper, in accomplishing that whereunto he hath sent it. Your doctrine is by no means a new one. After God declared to our first parents, that in the

day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die, Satan then promulgated the doctrine," ye shall not surely die.” This proved effectual, and

plunged our first parents into that abyss of wo,' which they have entailed upon their posterity. By listening to this doctrine, they lost the divine image, their primeval glory, and became dead in sin, which was their just reward, "" for the wages of sin is death ;" and so strict was Jehovah in executing his righteous threatening, (notwithstanding you join the voice of the deceiver in declaring they did not die) that they not only became spiritually dead, but were dri-: ven from the tree of life, and cherubims, and flaming swords were placed, to guard its confirming power from fallen man. You must pardon me, if I consider your sentiments pregnant with the very essence of infidelity. If the law. and the gospel contradict each other, or agreeable to your friend, Dr. H. are directly opposite, and God promises and never fulfils, what evidence have we, that he will be any more faithful to fulfil his promises in the gospel, than to execute his threatenings in the law? or how can we know what his character is by his word, if he says one thing and does another; but, "let God be true, and every man a liar;" for he has never failed to fulfil his promises, or execute his threatenings, which have been ever made on condition to his creatures. The apostles Peter and Jude, argue the certainty that God will in