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Untitled Article
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rfea ^ Jt ^ ' ^ hfe' sufferings of the unhappy victiflfi would excite his j £ ity and sympathy ; while viewing his -agonies , he would think more of the wretched sufferer as a
man , a brother in nature , than as a Culprit whose vices and crimes had brought him to such a fearful doom , and lament that some other method of preventing injuries to society could not be
found . Is it possible that such a person should , in a state of far greater moral perfection , be so entirely divested of sympathizing goodftess and generous pity , the brightest glory of his character ,
the best ornament of our nature , as to be capable of knowing that niiilio-ns of his fellow creatures , perhaps some who were very near artd dear to him in this world , are
consigned to eternal names , must be ^^ ndleSsly sinking deeper and deeper m misery , or that their indescribable sufferings will only tefftiiriate at some unknown period with their existence , without
feeling ^ oy concern , any painful emotion ; Hovv can the righteous here-&ff « r view with entire delight , with tf&fftixed pleasure , the Being whoru ih&y have supposed to be infinitely good and merciful ., the gracious Father of all , if thejr can see in
him nothing but vindictiveness , unrelenting vengeance , towards ftd inconsiderable part of his rational offspring on account of the offences of a few years , if they be forced to belifeve that he will
always keep tnem alive in torment , or torment them till his vengeance is exhausted , and then blot them outof being ? Would the mansions of the jtist be seats of perfect bliss , if erected over dungeons of despair , frightful abodes of unceasing blasphemy and end less tottute ?
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Would not eternal groans froth hell rather damp than raise ' ( tie songs of heaven , lower the tnelony of the blessed to plaintive notes and sighs , rather than raise it to the highest pitch of celestial rap , ture ?
If the repentance of one sinner can add to the pleasures of the already happy ; if , as our Lord declared , there be joy in heaven when such an event takes place ; if the happiness of the righteous hereafter be at all connected with
benevolence and love ; then must that happiness be increased by the recovery of the wicked from pollution and misery ; the bringing of all sinners to repentance must fiil
heaven with unbounded joy ; and the absolute fulness of joy of which the righteous are capable cannot be complete till the universal restoration has taken place . I am , Sir , Respectfully your ' s , &c . AN OLD CORRESPONDENT .
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Inquiries concerning Future Ptu nishment . April 27 , 1814 , Sir , Among the important subjects discussed in your useful Repository , none has interested me more than that which relates to the
final state of ( he millions of mankind who unhappily die in their sins . The doctrine of eternal torments has long appeared to me so unreasonable , so utterly irreconcileable with the character and
perfections of God , and so completely destitute of plath scripture proof , when passages are fully examined , that I cannot think its truth in die least probable , IVfany fconsiderattidns Have ; l £ & '•" ihe' ^ lo
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Inquiries cdncerning Future PunishmeHt . 275
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1814, page 275, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2440/page/19/
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