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The universal restoration
by Elhanan Winchester
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Excerpt:
Hoao &. At Wood's Press Concord, H.h.
TO THE READER.
As I now present my Friends and the Public with a new edition of the Dialogues on the UniVersal Restoration, which by many has been long desired, perhaps it may be acceptable to some for me to give a brief account how I came first to the knowledge of this part of the counsel of God, which I have not shunned freely to declare, both by word and writing, as I have found opportunity and necessity.
I think it was in the beginning of the year 1778, being in South-Carolina, upon the river Pee Dee, where I was at that time minister, that I called to see a friend, who first put into my hands that valuable book written by Paul Siegeolk, and which is called The Everlasting Gnspel, of which I have lately published a new edition. I was desired to tell what it meant to hold forth, as my friend could not tell by any means what to make of it on account of the singularity and strangeness of the sentiments therein contained; although the language is very plain and clear, and by no means dark, mystical or obscure.
I opened the book as I was desired, and dipping into it here and there, for a half an hour perhaps, was very soon abre to tell what the Aufhor aimed at, viz. that there would be a final
end of sin and misery, and that all ftillcn creatures would be restored by Jesus Christ to a state of holiness and happiness, after such as were rebellious had suffered in proportion to their crimes. I had never seen any thing of the sort before in all my life; and I seemed struck with several ideas that I glanced over, such as the inconsistency and impossibility of both good and evil always existing in the universe: and especially his observations upon the word eternal or everlasting, shewing that it was used for what never had a beginning, and would never have an end, as the being and perfections of God; and that it was also applied to things which had a beginning, but should never have an end, as the being and happiness of the righteous ; and, that it was also frequently used to express things, times and seasons which had both beginning and end; which he therefore called periodical eternities, and gave a great number of instances of this sort, which could not be denied; and he contended that the everlasting punishment threatened to the wicked, did not belong to the first nor to the second, but to the third class of these durations. But as I was only desired to tell what the author meant, when I had satisfied my friend in that respect, I laid the book down, and I believe we both concluded it to be a pleasant, ingenious hypothesis, but had no serious thoughts of its being true; and for my part, I determined not to trouble myself about it, or to think any more of the matter. And as the book had been sent a considerable distance for my friend to read, I suppose it was soon after sent back; for I saw it no
more, nor heard any thing farther about it. The following summer I went a journey into Virginia, and happening to mention the subject to a minister there, he told me that a few years before, it had been a subject of controversy in the puplic papers, between a clergyman who defended, and a gentleman of the law, who denied the proper endless eternity of punishment; and he told me that this gentleman who denied it, had advanced, that the translators of the Bible had rendered the very same Greek word, by very different English words, sometimes rendering it forever, and sometimes world; and that if they had uniformly rendered it by one English word, it would have been evident to all readers, that no argument for endless misery, could have been drawn therefrom. I was told also while I was in Virginia, that a clergyman of the Episcopal Church, had a few years before, given out that he had some wonderful thing to make known to his hearers, which he would preach upon some Sunday, but did no mention when. This raised the public curiosity, and great numbers attended his place of worship in hopes of hearing what this wonderful thing might be ; but for a considerable time the matter was undiscovered. But at last he gave out, that on the next Sunday hes would open this great secret. Vast numbers of people flocked to hear what it could be. When be came t > declare what it was, behold! it was a wonderful piece of news indeed, such as had never been heard before in any pulpit in Virginia. It was nothing short of the doctrine of the Restoration. I think, to the best of my remsmbrance, they told me, that he opened and
