SIXTY-FIFTH REASON.

"When a wicked man dieth, his expectations shall perish; and the hope of unjust men perisheth.” Proverbs, xi. 7.

SIXTY-SIXTH REASON.

"But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."

2 Peter, iii. 7.

SIXTY-SEVENTH REASON.

"Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."

17 *

James, v. 20.

SIXTY-EIGHTH REASON.

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."

1 Corinthians, vi. 9, 10.

SIXTY-NINTH REASON.

"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." 1 Thessalonians, v. 2, 3.

SEVENTIETH REASON.

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all; and to convince all that are un

godly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

REMARKS.

Jude, 14, 15.

We have been informed by good authority, that another reason which the Rev. Abel C. Thomas gives for not wishing to pursue this discussion is, that we have called him a hypocrite. We suspect that he has some other more substantial reasons than this; but let us examine those which he deems it prudent to offer.

We have said that we did not believe any intelligent man to be sincere in his belief of Universal Salvation. We made this assertion in view of the overwhelming amount of evidence there is in the Bible, and out of it, against such a doctrine. The Rev. A. C. Thomas has drawn the inference of his own hypocrisy from our declaration. This we allow is a just inference. But why is it that our opponents manifest so much uneasiness when we make a declaration which implies their hypocrisy? Why do they discover so much irascibility of temper? Jesus Christ, whose gospel they profess to preach, manifested no such impatience under the unjust allegations of his enemies. The Pharisees said of him, in his presence, "This fellow doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub the prince of de

vils." They called him a wine bibber, the author of sedition and a friend of publicans and sinners. They even spat in his face and murdered him; but under all this unjust and malicious treatment he manifested no resentment or anger. All was calm, gentle, mild, forgiving. He did not get impatient and refuse to reason with his enemies. But he replied to them-"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan cast out Satan he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?" Paul was called a mad man, a babbler, a pestilent fellow, a man who was turning the world upside down; yet he controlled his feelings and reasoned with his enemies upon the doctrines of salvation. He did not get impatient at their raillery, though it was unjust raillery, and say he would have nothing more to do with them. Paul's love for souls was not such an ephemeral love as that. Paul's consciousness of purity of motive and soundness of doctrine, led him to stand unmoved before his persecutors, and reason with them of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. He was ready, not only to be bound, but to suffer death, for the Lord Jesus Christ. But the Rev. Abel C. Thomas cannot pursue a discussion which involves the everlasting life of his soul, and the souls of his deluded followers, because, forsooth, we have said that Universalists cannot be sincere in their faith!

If our declaration had been an unjust one, it would not have been imitating Paul or Jesus Christ

to have fled the course. But when our declaration was in accordance with the opinions of the community-when it was made in view of one hundred reasons against the truth of Universal Salvation, how can we account for the irascibility of the Rev. Abel C. Thomas? We did not say of his sentiments as he has said of ours, that they were "utterly false, yea, ridiculously absurd!". We said that he was not and could not be sincere in his faith. That, to say the least of it, is a courteous way of conveying to a man your convictions of his hypocrisy. Why, then, in view of the justness of our declaration, should a man, professing to be a Christian minister, be offended? Was it from that well known law of human nature, that man is most sensitive in view of his defects? That he is for ever anticipating an attack upon his weakest points?

A man who is a devoted child of God, is not greatly disturbed by a sermon on hypocrisy. A man who uniformly tells the truth, feels no blush of shame mantling his cheek when he hears a sermon addressed to liars. A man whose private life will bear inspection, does not wince at a sermon on fornication. It is only when the silver probe of truth enters the ulcerated parts of character that we shrink. It is when an arrow comes from the quiver of the Almighty, and transfixes our dark and guilty souls, that we spring in agony.

When men, who are for ever asserting the purity of their motives and lives, the sincerity of their hearts and the great peace and joy which a false