Identifier: antiuniversalist01prie (find matches)
Title: The anti-universalists, or history of the fallen angels of the scriptures..
Year: 1839 (1830s)
Authors: Priest, Joseph. (from old catalog)
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Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ligations. The New Testament Scriptures, teach that repentance towardGod, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, are the conditions ofsalvation; but Universalists say, that the condition is the under-standing of a figure, which implies neither repentance or faith,but a mere trait of information only. This is Gnosticism, orsalvation acquired by knowledge, as held by the Gnostics—a sectof spurious Christians, which overrun many countries, in thefirst ages of Christianity. On this plan as set forth by Mr. Bal-lou, how few even in Christendom, are there who can be saved,as the death of Christ can do no good to any man, only as hecan understand the abstruse, allegorical and figurative meaningof matters too high for the entire comprehension of the humanmind. Even Mr. Ballou himself, at the very moment of hiswriting the above sentiment, was far from being sure of his ownsalvation, as attainable in this life; inasmuch as he was notabsolutely certain, that he did fully and completely understand
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ANGELS OF THE SCRIPTURES. 381 the figurative meaning of Christs death. But on the orthodoxplan of faith, the simple as well as the wise may be saved; asfaith in its very nature, supposes something materially differentfrom knowledge, and is in a manner, a confession of ignorance;on which very account, reliance or faith has its existence. Onthis plan, the ignorant may come to God as well as the wise;believing his word and crediting those things in his word,which are too high for their understanding, (as did Abraham,)as are many subjects of true theology. Is not this a better waythan to expect salvation by mere knowledge, or by the under-standing of abstruse figures, and better adapted to the universalcondition of mankind 1 We leave the reader to decide, eventhough a Universalist. Universalists do not believe that the conduct of human beings,whether good or bad in this life, can in any way affect their con-dition in eternity,as being either revvardable or punishable; yetsays Mr. Ballou,

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