MR. JOHN MURRAY, a little before his late evangelizing tour to the Eastward, while preaching, was pleased to inform his audi­tory, that he had been misrepresented as holding Universal Salvation; declaring he did not hold that doctrine, but only Universal Redemption.

It may be proper to weigh Mr. Murray's de­claration in the balance; and to give him credit for all the truth there is in it.

And here—not to insist on his being re­commended at first, as one of Mr. Relly's religion, who is the principal man for universal salvation; nor on his recommending Mr. Relly's works in favour of that doctrine, as profitable for the peo­ple of this Town, which he could not have done with a good conscience, if he had not been like-minded: He himself for several months, hath been preaching universal salvation in Boston, perhaps as plainly, as Mr. Relly, or any one else ever preached it in England. The doctrine, that all who ever have lived, or shall live on God's earth, shall be saved with an eternal salvation, is so contrary to [Page 4] the scripture, and so evidently tending to fill the world with sin and wickedness of all kinds, that it is not to be wondered at, if the preachers of this gospel, who cannot have a divine boldness, walk in craftiness, and sometimes would have people think they deny it; whereby they deceive the hearts of the simple. The foundation principle of the uni­versalists is, that since the human nature suffered, when Christ died, all that partake of it, let them be never so bad, are pardoned and dearly beloved of God. Mr. Murray, is as full in this, as Mr. Relly. For he declared lately, three times over, before some hundreds of witnesses, that he held,— The Almighty loves all men on earth, even the most wicked and ungodly, as well as he loves true believers. ^* Now holding this universal love, is holding universal salvation. For if wicked men cannot, by all their wickedness, separate themselves from the love of God while they live; none will say they ever separate themselves from it, in that state of darkness and ignorance, which is supposed to be assigned to them after death: They must therefore abide in the love of God; and as Mr. Relly expresses it, When Christ who is their life shall appear, they shall all appear with him in glory. I believe Logicians will say, the latter doc­trine is inseperably connected with the former.— [Page 5] This therefore would be enough to convict him: But besides, the tenor of his preaching bears, testi­mony against him. It is observable, that wherever Mr. Murray goes, wise men are all of one mind, as to what the principles are which he preaches: In Boston they see eye to eye; it is plain as the me [...]i [...]ian sun, that what he chiefly aims at, is to make people believe, that let them be never so wicked, God loves them as well as if they were the best of sai [...]s, and that whatever any may suffer in a state of purgation, they at last, and all the world, shall be saved.

Oftentimes it requires no depth of understand­ing to know what his drift is; it is level to the meanest capacity: Which was particularly the case, in his long, irrational, wicked and waggish exposition of the parable of the grain of mustard seed, and the birds which lodged in the branches of it, when it grew up to a tree (Matth. chap. 13.) which made so much sport for several evenings. All people of common sense saw, his main design was to let them know, that when the birds, i. e. the devils, departed from the branches, i. e. men and women, which would be at the last day, then all the human race would be happy forever. It is to this very doctrine, that he owes his popula­rity: By this he recommends himself to the sons of infidelity. For a Deist looks upon a preacher, who is so free with the Bible, as to hold all men shall be saved, to be near a kin, and calls him bro­ther in his heart. In a word, young rakes, and old sinners, those who are hardned through the [Page 6] deceitfulness of sin, and have no thoughts of turn­ing to God, must bear a warm side to him, for the benefit they receive from his labors; they are delivered from the qualms of conscience, and walk in the broad way with greater comfort, because they learn they can never sin themselves out of the love of God, and that if they serve the devil all their days, heaven will be their everlasting home. But to proceed—

Mr. Murray's denying, that he holds universal salvation, is the more astonishing, because he hath declared, in so many words, that he looked on the opinion, that all shall be saved, to be the very doctrine of the Bible.

In the narrative of his conversation with a young preacher, assistant to Mr. Lord of Norwich, Aug. 8. 1774. After Mr. Murray had said, since our lives are hid with Christ in God, it is absurd to suppose that any men are sanctified or made holy in part (which alone ought to make christians on their guard against him.) The dialogue proceeds in the following words: —Quest. 4. Do you sup­pose that all mankind will partake of the life that is hid with Christ in God? Answ. I hope so: I wish all men happy. Quest. further. But is it your fixed opinion, that all mankind will be hap­py, or saved with an everlasting salvation? Answ. The scriptures day so. Quest. Where do they say so? Answ. In many places; as 1. All flesh shall see the salvation of God. And again, they shall all know me. And again, as in Adam all died, [Page 7] so in Christ the second Adam, shall all be made alive. And in thy seed, saith God to Abraham, (which seed intends Christ) shall all the families of the earth be blessed. ^*

A true copy ^† attest. David Huntington.

The reader, will observe, that in this dialogue, Mr. Murray declares, universal salvation to be the very doctrine of the Bible: Which declaration is as contrary to that which he made from the pul­pit, Dec. 14. as the east is to the west.

As both parts of a contradiction cannot be true, that which he asserted at Norwich, or Boston, must be false. The latter is so evidently false, that were he to say over a thousand times what he said in the pulpit, wise men, however bias'd in his favour, could not force themselves to believe it. One would think this disovery would be humbling, and that he would be shy of shewing his face again in that pul­pit, where he was left to say, he did not hold all men should be saved, even though he could get into it, without breaking open doors and windows, and appearing like a thief and a robber. But none of these things move him: He can put on a bold face, and make his hearers laugh and giggle; and while he is able to do this, he may be sure of a train after him, in all populous places. His charging [Page 8] one also with printing a falsehood, for saying he asserted, that those who know themselves to be the devil's children, and wicked men ought at the same time to believe they were God's beloved ones; had no more truth in it than the abovemen­tioned declaration. And it is remarkable that pro­vidence, which protects the innocent, brought it to pass, that he justified him whom he had accused with his own mouth, three times over, in the great con­gregation. What is the reason this preacher hath so little regard to truth? It is the easiest thing in the world to account for it: It is owing to the gos­pel which he preaches. According to him, if any should be of the character of him, mentioned in the Spectator, who took pains to avoid speaking truth, and should lie like satan all their days, they would be as dear to God as any of his saints; and these beloved lyars, would at last be received into the heavenly mansions, which Christ as their forerunner, is gone to prepare for them! This is encouraging the lying business, quite as much as satan could ex­pect from a christian preacher! Nor is there any doubt but any one who believes all this, would balk the truth, were he tempted to it, and thought none would ever know it, but God who loves all lyars so dearly, and will love them forever. The Popish religion encourages one sort of lying; but this en­courages all sorts. And there is full as much rea­son that the men of this Creed, should be disquali­fyed for taking an oath, as the Papists themselves. And there is no doubt, but if God should suffer it to spread in Europe and America, the legislature would take care, that the proselytes should be legally [Page 9] incapacitated for any offices which required an oath, and for being evidences in any court of judicature. Nay, as hath been hinted, not only lying, but all sorts of wickedness are promoted by this new gos­pel. What glad tidings of great joy must it bring to drunkards, animating them to go on impover­ishing their families, destroying their health, and drowning reason and conscience; to believe that the almighty hath no greater favourites on earth, than the greatest sots, and that if they should die martyrs to Bacchus, they shall be raised to eternal life at the last day?

The same may be said of whoremongers and a­dulterers. No doubt a dreadful sound is sometimes in their ears, when they think of those words; Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge; but how must they be heartned to believe that God loves them as well as if they were chaste; and that they shall at last be presented before the throne of Christ's glory with exceeding joy! It is easy to see that knaves, cheats, thieves and robbers, must be multiplied and encouraged, by the same comforta­ble gospel. To mention no more (I speaks now only of the body) it is a murdering gospel. How easily can satan persuade a man to gratify his re­venge, or avarice, by shedding his brother's blood, who believes that the words spoken to Daniel, O man greatly beloved of God, are applicable to every murderer; and that all murderers shall have eter­nal life? The shocking accounts we have heard or read of murders, are nothing for number to what they would have been, if this bloody gospel had been [Page 10] commonly received: And if God should suffer the leaven to spread in the christian world, one may foretell, without a spirit of prophesy, that thousands and ten thousands will be murder'd by it. Those words of our Savior, by their fruits ye shall know them; are applicable to doctrines as well as to men. Paul tells the Colossians, the gospel he preached a­mong them and others, brought forth fruit, i. e. the doctrine of life and salvation by faith in Christ: Whoever received it as a divine record, brought forth fruit unto God. But the gospel that all men shall be saved, whether they believe or not, causes those who embrace it, as we have seen, to bring forth fruit unto satan. And there is no doubt but satan would be glad to have ten thousand preachers of it, spread up and down through all Christendom. And as such preaching is so evidently inimical to all vertue, and productive of all vice, no one can be a consistent friend to morality, who is not an e­nemy to it. The judicious have observed, that if it were really true, it would not be worth while for any to take pains in preaching it, since it would only make people in all respects worse than they were before. It is remarkable that Mr. Relly him­self (so great was the force of truth!) owned in a pamphlet which Mr. Mason answers, ‘That the preaching of it, would not be for the glory of Christ, nor for the real happiness of men.’ It seems as if it made him shudder to think of the hor­rible crop of wickedness which would be produced by sowing that seed. And were Mr. Murray to inform him that not only vain, carnal, hardned, de­istical persons rejoiced in his light; but that some [Page 11] FEW of a more serious character heard him gladly; it would not he good news from a far country, un­less he hath much more zeal for a bad cause, than he had when he wrote that piece.

It may not be amiss to say something here of the pedigree of this doctrine of universal salvation. It is not the Proton Pseudos; it is a derivative; it is the very bad offspring of as bad a parent. The pa­rental divinity to which it owes existence (I will not mention the father's name) is, That the innocent Jesus was not punished for guilty men; and that because the human nature suffer'd, when Christ suffer'd, all that partake of it, are pardon'd and loved of God. As if Christ did not his own self, bear our sins in his own body on the tree: This is deny­ing the Lord that bought us! All who swallow u­niversal salvation, swallows this blasphemy ^* along with it. It is melancholy to think that the preach­ers of this gospel, so bad in its effects, as well as pe­digree, should meet with any encouragement in town or country! But, whatever other encourage­ment he meets with, he hath not the comfort to think that serious christians, who know what he is after, pray for the blessing of God on his labors. For, [Page 12] how dares any one go into his closet and pray that God by his Spirit would influence people to believe it is the doctrine of the bible, that God loves the devil's children as well as his own; and that all Christ's implacable enemies when he comes the second time to judge the world in righteousness, shall be blessed and happy for ever? Serious admirers would tremble at this: And yet let me tell them, they cannot with a good conscience encourage his preaching, unless they can find in their hearts, to pray this prayer. And it is not only melancholy, but very surprizing that some of Mr. Whitefield's zealous admirers in one place and another, should receive this man as a teacher sent from God. For what concord was thee between Mr. Whitefield and him? Mr. Whitefield preached much legal terror; this man none at all. Mr. Whitefield di­rected awakened sinners to get into a state of justi­fication, by looking to Christ the antitype of the bra­zen serpent: This man preaches all men are already in a state of justification, without either faith or works. ^* [Page 13] Mr. Whitefield was forever preaching regeneration, and the necessity of our being sanctified by the spirit: Mr. Murray holdss it to be absurd to sup­pose any christians on earth are sanctified by the spirit of God. In a word, Mr. Whitefield, in his last visit, condemned universal salvation as doctrine that peopled Hell! So that according to Mr. White­field, none go to heaven who believe Mr. Murray's gospel! There is such a thing as witchcraft in reli­gion. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you? And all Mr. Whitefield's admirers, whom Mr. Murray can persuade to admire him, may be said to be bewitched by him.

It is said to be the plan, that Mr. Murray is to have a Society, and a Meeting House, provided for him. But it cannot be supposed they will have a church. For they hold, the world is the church, and the church is the world; ^* and own all carnal, wicked and atheistical persons to be their beloved brethren in Christ Jesus. Nay, from their love to these diabolical members of their catholick [Page 14] (worse than Roman catholick) church, they conclude they are passed from death to life, and shall escape that Pugatory, which is to be the portion of others. Besides we may argue they will have nothing to do with the low ordinances of baptism, and the Lord's supper, because Oracle Relly, in his idolized sermon on our life's being hid with Christ in God, speaks very contemptibly of the spirituality of those who mind these visible things. One may venture to say of their intended society, at least what Mr. Relly said of the preaching his own doctrine of universal sal­vation; 'that it would not be for the honor of Christ, nor the real happiness of men.' Nor would any thing be more displeasing to those, who love the prosperity of Zion in this town and elsewhere. For they who make the cause of Christ their own, and love the souls of men, must feel their hearts pained within them to think, so great a corrupter of the word of God should preach any where, and espe­cially in populous places; and more particularly at such a time as this. For New-England never saw so dark a day: It is a day of rebuke and distress from the Lord of hosts, who dwelleth in mount Zion. The hearts of many are failing for fear; and God is calling us loudly by his providence, as well as word, to repent. But will Mr. Murray be of the character of those preachers, whom Paul styles work­ers together with God? No: he will be a worker against God. He will persuade people they have no need of repentance, by assuring them, if they serve the devil all their days, God will love them as well as if they served him; and that if they never re­pent, or are converted, their sins shall be blotted out [Page 15] when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. ^*

God's permitting this man to visit these parts, and to sow his tares so plentifully in this distressed town, is very puzzling. The ways of heaven are intricate and dark! But the scriptures not only as­sure us that there will be heresies in the last days, but furnishes us with a reason, 1 Cor. xi. ver. 19. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you: i. e. that such honest hearts as will bear the trial may be set in view, and appear faithful by their constant adhering to the truth, notwithstanding all temptations of seducers.

This is the reason that this man hath been suffer­ed to visit this land; and particularly this town, viz. that it might appear who would be carried away with every wind of doctrine, and embrace another gospel; and who would hold fast the form of sound words delivered to us, and be like mount Zion that can never be moved. The Author, with suitable respect to his fellow christians, would propose what appears to him the will of God on this occasion.

We learn from Joh. ii. epist. v. 10. That if any man bring not this gospel, which Paul preached, [Page 16] (and we are sure Mr. Murray doth not) we are not to receive him into our houses, nor to wish him God speed; i. e. any ways to encourage him as a preach­er It is a fault in those who are fully convinced of the falsehood and danger of his doctrine, to hear him so much as once. To hear him for curiosity, or diversion after such conviction, is what no con­scientious person will plead for. And we should all pray to God for ourselves (and others too) that we may be established by him, and not suffered to fall from our own stedfastness. We should pray, that we may be kept from believing the doctrine of vicarious punishment to be false, and from believing the doctrine of universal salvation to be true, in the face of a thousand texts of scripture. We should take heed of an undue biass from others, either in a way of hope or fear. And we should see to it, that we don't indulge ourselves in wishing the doctrine true, in hearing it preached, and making ourselves of a party to promote it; lest we be given up to believe a lie.

Here it may be said, can't a man who believes that gospel, be in a state of salvation? How can he be, if he hopes for salvation only because all shall be saved? This hope is not founded on the word of God, but on a contradiction to it, and cannot be the hope which maketh not ashamed. It may be said, Joy is a fruit of the spirit; and the proselytes say, they never knew what spiritual joy meant, till they believed the glad tidings of great joy—that the whole world shall be saved. Mr. Baxter informs us it was common in his day for those who embraced [Page 17] dangerous errors to boast of their uncommon joys. It is one thing for a man's religion to make him glad; and another to have joy in the Holy Ghost. Satan can easily help them to strong consolations, who are under strong delusions. Only that joy can be from God, which is the effect of believing the gospel of God, viz. that believers, and they only shall be saved. But may not they whose faith is of the operation of God, afterwards turn Universalists? It is not easy to conceive that they who have been taught by the word and spirit of God, should embrace a religion so contrary to both. But if it were possible that one who had received Paul's gospel as the word of God, should afterwards receive Mr. Relly's gospel as the word of God, it could be only for a time; other­wise the elect might be finally deceived. The writer can never think, one who is not only almost, but altogether a christian, will ever live and die a be­liever of the latter gospel.

But it is time to think of a conclusion.— The author hath used great plainess of specch, and been fervent in spirit: Which will need no excuse with those who realize that the glory of Christ, and the salvation of souls, are concerned in the contro­versy. Nor is he careful about the event with re­gard to himself: For one can never repent of what was done honestly for Christ, let the consequences be what they will. His zeal hath not been against the Man, but against the Doctrine.

He can say with confidence towards God, that he wishes Mr. Murray all happiness in this world, and [Page 18] eternal life in that which is to come! And that in order to it, he may be a disbeliever of his own Gospel.

May GOD, by his word and Spirit, guide him into all truth: Or however keep him from mis­guiding others.