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    iog reason from the province of religion , and at the same time plead for mpernatural communications of religious knowledge , in the present day . The inquirer admits that unassisted human reason could not have made the glorious discoveries of the gospel . But however imperfect as a guide to religious truth our reason may be when left to itself , and however

    depraved by original corruption some may represent it , he asks , by what other principle than our reasoning faculty , can we determine the divine authority of any revelation proposed to us , and by comparing together the

    several parts of the records containing it , the doctrines and duties by which it is distinguished ? He is answered perhaps by a thousand tongues , the inward teaching of the spirit $ this is an infallible guide , while human

    reaion is an ignis fatuus which will surely lead those astray who trust to it . The inquirer remarks , what the spirit of God teaches must be true ; but how ¦ hall I know who among you have this guide ? In the number of you Whitfieldites , Wesleyans , and

    peaceable Quakers who present yourselves laying claim to this inward infallible teaching , I observe pious , benevolent , worthy characters , though your religious sentiments differ . I cannot believe that any of you of this

    description will fail of meeting with the divine acceptance , and of becoming members of the heavenly kingdom , -As to your claims however of the infallible teaching of the Holy Spirit , I ask , would the spirit of truth teach Calvinism to you of the first

    denomination of Christians , Arminianism to the second , and the passive system of George Fox to the third ? Two of tiiese classes must be mistaiten , and now am I to know with which the J * uth lies ? If either of you were endowed with the supernatural gifts of ^ e apostles and first Christians , and

    w enabled to work open and unequivocal miracles as they did , 1 should Jnink myself bound to receive the re"gious system of a person who gave wch decisive proofs of his heavenly fission , persuaded that the God of ^ th would not thus sanction false-« ood . Not perceiving however ii * any ** you those " signs and wonders and Jjvers miracles and gifts of the Holy £ Uost , with which the Lord bore * em w itness / ' Heb . iL 4 I cannot

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    r ^ m see that it would be any degree of presumption to examine your respective systems as the opinions of unin * spired and fallible men , to bring them to the ordeal of reason and scripture * and to admit or reject them as they may be found to stand or shrink from this test .

    To this decision would the seriou * inquirer come , on the review of the pretensions of every sect that ever appeared in the Christian world . It is not sufficiently considered by many professors of Christianity , that

    however necessary the supernatural gifts of the spirit and miraculous operations were , at the original propaga * tion of the gospel , they are now su * perseded by the writings of the New Testament . To these must the

    Christian have recourse if he would " know the truth as it is in Jesus . " By sin * cerity and diligence in our researches , with fervent prayer to our heavenly Father for all needful assistance , and a readiness to do whatever we perceive he has enjoined us in his word ,

    we take the best , the only proper method indeed , of discovering pure Christian truth , the genuine fruits of which are fervent piety to God , and unfeigned love and good-will to men * With an enlightened mind , a rational , well-established faith , and a "

    conscience void of offence , " we shall be guarded against the reveries of enthusiasm , the gloom of superstition and the cunning arts of religious fraud , and have a safe guide in the way of righteousness and peace to the future kingdom of everlasting lights life and happiness .

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    Account of Writers on Universal Restoration 541

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    Sir , July 30 , 1815 . FTHIHE Abbe Gregoire , quoted in JL your Review , ( p . 184 ) attribute * " Tke error of the Universalists , " as he calls the doctrine of the Final

    Restoration , to two writers who caa hardly ^> e co rrectly classed w ith them . The first is Puccins , well known by his controversies with Socinus , and of whom Bayle gives the following account : —

    " j Francis Puccius , born at Florence , of an illustrious family , forsook the Church of Rome , when he came to examine the disputes about religion which arose in Calvin ' s time . He was then at JLyons . He went into England and studied Divinit y at Oxford , aud then at I * ondou . Afterward * ] to x +

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    , *•* - x- A a

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1815, page 541., in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1764/page/9/