e who have shrunk from its
representations and sought to escape its conclusions. Many of its
strongest advocates in every age have avowed it to be a fearful
mystery, resting on the inscrutable sovereignty of God, and beyond
the power of man's faculties to explain and justify. The dogma has
been eluded in two ways. Some have believed in the annihilation of
the wicked after they should have undergone just punishment
proportioned to their sins. This supposition has had a
considerable number of advocates. It was maintained, among others,
by Arnobius, at the close of the third century, by the Socini, by
Dr. Hammond, and by some of the New England divines.26 All that
need be said in opposition to it is that it is an arbitrary device
to avoid the intolerable horror of the doctrine of endless misery,
unsupported by proof, extremely unsatisfactory in many of its
bearings, and really not needed to achieve the consummation
desired.

Others have more wisely maintained that all will finally be saved:
however severely and long they may justly suffer, they will at
last all be mercifully redeemed by God and admitted to the common
heaven. Defenders of the doctrine of ultimate universal salvation
have appeared from the beginning of Christian history.27 During
the last century and a half their numbers have rapidly
increased.28 A dignified and influential class of theologians,
represented by such names as Tillotson. Bahrdt, and Less, say that
the threats of eternal punishment, in the Scriptures, are
exaggerations to deter men from sin, and that God will not really
execute them, but will mercifully abate and limit them.29 Another
class of theologians, much more free, consistent, and numerous,
base their reception of the doctrine of final restoration on
figurative explanations of the scriptural language seemingly
opposed to it, and on arguments drawn from the character of God,
from reason, and from morals. This view of the subject is
spreading fast. All independent, genial, and cultivated thought
naturally leads to it. The central principles of the gospel
necessitate it. The spirit of the age cries for it. Before it the
old antagonistic dogma must fall and perish from respect. Dr.
Spring says, in reference to the hopeless condemnation of the
wicked to hell, "It puts in requisition all our confidence

26 This theory bas been resuscitated and advocated within a few
years by quite a number of writers, among whom may be specified
the Rev. C