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ex istence of eyM spirits originally of a rank superior to mankind . Ami as yre are ignorant pf the laws of the spiritual world , it would be great
presumption to take upon us to deter - mine the sphere of their operation . Th $ t tl ^ ey have no dominion over the datura ] wpriji , whjch i $ governed by fixed and invariable laws , is a truth
9 jbte ? ted in the arpplest manner by reason , by revelation , and by our own experience . But the question is , whether possessions are referred to fallen angels or to human spirits . To say they are referred to the latter , is to the
fry np n ^ eps banish former out of t ^ e yy orlji . I do not remember that Mecje , or Sykes , or Lardner , were ever charged with , or even suspected of what ypn impute to me , and what you might , upon the same grounds , h ^ ye imputed to them . " THOMAS REES .
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pletel y into the shade ? If it had been the medium of communicating to mankind the eternal condemnation of the great mas ? to everlasting , irremediable woe , woul 4 itr could it have been characterized as the gospelS , 2 . In the New Testament Christ is
uniformly represented in the character of a conqueror , as conqueror over death and the grave , vice and error , pain apd sorrow . Satan , the adversary of all that is good , is described as baffled , overthrown , completely subdued . Christ leads captivity captive ,
subjects all things to himself , and resigns up the kingdom to God the Father , who becomes all in all . This is not an incidental nor an accidental representation of Christianity , but it enters into the very spirit and intention of the gospel . Now , if the
majprrty of mankind are to be everlastingly miserable , ( which must be the case if the wicked are to undergo everlasting punishment , for I fear the mast benevolent mind wiH be obliged to rank the greater part of mankind in this class , ) if the great mass of human beings are to be subject to eternal
misery , how ia this to be reconciled with the Scripture account of Christ ' s kingdom ? If sin and pain and sorrow are to have an everlasting existence ^ and to number among their victims the far larger part of mankind , then Satan , the power of evil , is the conqueror , and not the Captain of our salvation : Christ is the subdued
combatant , Christ the baffled warrior , Christ the beaten antagonist . The whole order is reversed , the whole scene is changed , the dominion of evil is confirmed , the reign of misery is
established , the empire of sin is extended and perpetuated . But this belies the authority of Scripture : this is repugnant not merely to the letter , but to the whole character of the
gospel . This notion , therefore , I must reject ; and rejecting this , I must admit that death will be destroyed * that sin will be overthrown , that vice will be subdued , that misery will have an end . This appears to me to be the direct and necessary consequence of the nature and character of the Christian
revelation . 3 . The character of God , the description which is given of his goodness and mercy throughout bath Tertameat * , warrants the conclusion
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$ fyb Mr . Madge on the Poctrinp affinal Restitution .
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Sift * Norwich , Slept . 6 . 1818 . AM one of those who , though I believing in the doctrine of final restitution , admit it only on the ground qf inference derived from those pf of
^ ievys nature gospel and of tl ) £ character of God , which are contained in the Scriptures . That the doctrine is expressly and designedly inculcated in any one passage of the Old or New Testament , does not
appear to fne ever to hare been satisfactorily made out . Nevertheless , it seems to be capable of very strong proof from induction , and by your Je ^ ve I will briefly state a few of the considerations from which I think it may be feirly deduced .
1 . The word gospel signifies glad tidings ? , good news . I suppose it will fee allowed that the language of Scripture i § employed for better purposes than to deceive or mislead ; and though "whei * figurative language is used , we
sure to beware of a literal interpretation , syet where the language is plain a&d literal , where the expression is such as to cotf vey only one idea , one sentiment , and which cannot possibly bp construed into a metaphor , it is
right to understand it agreeably to its common accepted signification . Now , if Christianity be a message o £ good news , strictly and properly so called , is it possible that it can at the same time be the bearer of intelligence , which thro w * all its good tidings com-
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1818, page 562, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2480/page/26/
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