reated, compassionated,
because they will not accept freedom and peace, are spoken of as
excluded by their own unfitness for grace, arising from natural causes,
and not by any sin of any ancestor, or by any arbitrary decree of God,
or by any repellant and exclusive character in the dispensation of grace
itself. Its most distinguishing character, on the contrary, was its
boundlessness. Its first work was to throw down the wall of partition
which had separated the favored people from others, to abolish arbitrary
distinctions, to exchange the multifarious conditions of the old law for
the few, simple and universal requisites of salvation declared in the
new. If other distinctions have since been instituted, other conditions
imposed, other requisites insisted on, they are no part of Christianity,
and shall no more impede its ultimate prevalence than the cloud which
shrouds the lightning can prevent its shining from one part of the
heaven unto the other.

It may be objected, and with justice, that this method of considering
the scheme of justification makes out the gift of grace to be only
ultimately and not strictly universal; unlimited in its tendencies, but
hitherto very limited in the diffusion of its blessings: and hence may
arise an inquiry concerning the fate of those who have died without the
hope of the Gospel.

As to the limited spread of the Gospel thus far, it is our business not
to assign the final cause of the fact, but to admit and reason on the
fact itself. The fact occasions no horror in our minds, and less regret
than is felt perhaps by any denomination of Christians besides
ourselves; and for this reason, that we do not hold perdition to be the
only alternative to salvation by Christ. We find no sanction for so
fearful a collocation of terms in the record of the covenant; no mode of
reconciling the doctrine thus originated with the attributes of Deity,
or with our conceptions of justice, much less of benignity. Moreover we
can clearly discern through what misconception the monstrous belief in
the everlasting destruction of unbelievers, whether by natural or moral
necessity, has sprung to birth. We believe it to have arisen from the
before-mentioned misapprehension of the terms Salvation, Remission of
sins, and Justification.

To the enjoyment of the blessings of the Gospel no alternative could be
opposed but their non-possession; to the remission of sins, but their
retention; to justification, but conde