said, that, because the
words "everlasting," etc., are applied to "the possession of the land
of Canaan," and the "priesthood of Aaron," that therefore the
punishment of the wicked cannot be without end, seeing that the
possession of Canaan and the priesthood of Aaron are not without end.
My endeavour, therefore, was, to show the brethren the difference
between the earthly calling of Israel and our heavenly one, and to
prove from Scripture, that whenever, the word "everlasting" is used
with reference to things purely not of the earth, but beyond time, it
denotes a period without end. 2, They had laid exceeding great stress
upon a few passages where, in Luther's translation of the German
Bible, the word hell occurs, and where it ought to have been
translated either "hades" in some passages, or "grave" in others, and
where they saw a deliverance out of hell, and a being brought up out
of hell, instead of "out of the grave." 3, They had taken passages
out of their connexion.--The mode which I now pursued was, to refer to
all the very many passages which they had written down, and to
expound them according to the connexion in which they stood, seeking
to show the brethren this connexion. In addition to this, I requested
them to allow me to speak on those passages without being
interrupted, in order that, being able pretty fully to enter upon
this subject, there might be free opportunity given to the Holy Ghost
to work conviction in their hearts; and, as they were greatly in
favour of universal salvation, they might thus be kept from
controversy, to which they would have been inclined, without having
heard what I had to say from the Word of God against universal
salvation; for I had previously given them full opportunity to bring
out their own views. After having thus proceeded for several evenings
in our private meetings, I saw that the greater part were fully
convinced about the errors they had held, and the others had no
desire to contradict, though they had perhaps not grace enough to say
plainly that they had been in error. Nor did I in the least enforce
that any acknowledgment should be made to me. These meetings took
place during the last three weeks of my stay at Stuttgart. Thus, by
having received grace from the Lord to deal patiently with the
brethren, and to wait upon God even for the right time to attack
these errors, I was helped to conquer in this thing also.

IV. I add also a few words more with reference to