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and argument. They may more hopefully challenge an orthodox Quaker to fight with a blunderbuss, than myself to meet them on the arena which they now open to my view. They may again and again reiterate the calumny or charge, if they please so to call it, that I am, from conscious inability or cowardice, afraid to sustain what they call my charge, my slander, or my "pledge," in reference to Unitarian Universalism, although in conclusion of my No. 1. I tell them "I am about to sustain all that I have said of Unitarian Universalism:"-I say they may, without even a formal contradiction on my part, amuse their readers with such tricks; but let them explain themselves or refuse positively to tender any proposition or proof except the whole Bible, and then I shall feel myself at liberty either to meet them on their own proposition, or to infer their views from what they have already written and published on this subject.

My conditions, I think, show on the face of them, that, as they pretend to be misrepresented and slandered, I wished for a definite understanding of their peculiar system of Universalism in their own most matured terms and phrases, that we might not degenerate into a mere logo mache, or roam over immense regions of speculation. It was no advantage over them as to the affirmative or negative side of the discussion which we sought in those conditions. We do not regard them or their cause as so herculean as to stipulate for any arrangement giving to us any advantage. They may have their own terms, provided they will submit any definite proposition and numerically arrange their arguments, so that we may know when any one point is fully examined; or if they say they do not like to hazard this, and allow us to take up their back numbers and choose their former propositions, with all their proofs, such as they are, they have only to say so, and the matter is settled. We thought, and still think, the opportunity we gave them was generous, if not magnanimous: not to take the advantage of their many loose and extravagant assertions and mock proofs, but to allow them to choose the most guarded and definite expressions, which, in their most deliberate consideration, they may judge tenable. But if they continue to withhold my pieces from their readers, I need not attempt to prove that they have repented of their challenge. Every argument of theirs to which I reply shall appear in full in the pages of the Harbinger. If their pieces are all argumentative they shall be published in full; but if otherwise, we shall use our own discretion on the subject. I again conclude by repeating my conviction that Universalism (and I will add, that plead by this Western Star,) is not less mischievous than Deism in its tendency upon society, and that it is wholly destitute of any countenance or support from the Author of the Christian Religion or any of his Apostles. EDITOR.

ONE ARGUMENT FOR THE INSPIRATION OF THE APOSTLES, WHICH NO SCEPTIC CAN EVADE. THE apostacy of the Papists from the truth as it is in Jesus, is so clearly revealed beforehand in the scriptures, that the great Dr.

Clarke would have no hesitation in resting the proof of christianity on the fulfilment of these predictions in the corruptions of the Romish church. During the prophetical period of twelve hundred and sixty years, "when Daniel, I say, foretels such a tyrannical power to continue such a determined period of time; and St. John prophesies that the Gentiles should tread the holy city under foot forty and two months; which is exactly the same period of time as that of Daniel; and again, that two witnesses, clothed in sackcloth, should prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days; which is again exactly the very same period of time: and again, that the woman which fled into the wilderness from persecution, should continue there a thousand two hundred and threescore days: and again, that she should fly into the wilderness for a time and times and half a time; which is still the very same period: and again, that a wild beast, a tyrannical power, to whom it was given to make war with the saints, and to overcome them, was to continue forty and two months, still the very same period of time, and to have power over all kindreds, tongues, and nations, so that all that dwell upon the earth should worship him. Is it credible or possible that ignorant and enthusiastical writers should by mere chance hit upon such coincidences of occult numbers, especially as St. John could not possibly take the numbers from Daniel, if he understood Daniel to mean nothing more than the short persecution of Antiochus. And if he did understand Daniel to mean a much longer, and greater, and more remote tyranny, which John himself prophesied of as in his time still future: then the wonder is still infinitely greater, that in those early times, when there was not the least footstep in the world of any such power as St. John distinctly describes, (but which now is very conspicuous, as I shall presently observe more particularly,) it should ever enter the heart of man to conceive so much of the possibility of such a power sitting, not upon the pavilion of heathen persecutors, but expressly in the temple and upon the seat of God himself." After this, Clarke goes on more particularly to enumerate the prophecies relating to the popish apostacy, and their fulfilment, and draws from the whole a proof for the truth of christianity with a force and distinctness which has been generally acknowledged. His remarks, with some omissions, on account of the length of the passage, are as follows:-"Daniel foretells a kingdom upon the earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, diverse from all that were before it, exceeding dreadful, and shall devour the whole earth. That among the powers into which this kingdom shall be divided, there shall arise one power diverse from the rest, who shall subdue unto himself three of the first powers, and he shall have a mouth speaking very great things, and a look more stout than his fellows. He shall make war with the saints, and prevail against them. And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand for a long season; even till the julgment shall sit, and the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.

He shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every God, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, &c. &c. Suppose all this now to be spoken by Daniel of nothing more than the short persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes, which, that it cannot be, I have shown above; but suppose it were, and that it was all forged after the event, yet it cannot be the case of St. Paul and St. John, who describe exactly a like power, and in like words; speaking of things to come in the latter days, of things still future in their time, and of which there was then no footsteps, no appearance in the world. The day of Christ, says St. Paul, shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that Man of Sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God:--whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness." Again: "The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, (that is, for so it should be translated, doctrines concerning demons or souls of men departed ;) forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, &c. St. John, in like manner, prophesies of a wild beast or tyrannical power, to whom was given great authority, and a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies: and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him to overcome all kindreds, and tongues, and nations; and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him. And he that exerciseth his power before him-doth great wonders-and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he hath power to do. And he causeth that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark or the name of the beast. And the kings of the earth have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast; for God hath put into their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree and give their kingdoms to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. The name of the person in whose hands the reins or principal direction of the exercise of this power is lodged, is Mystery, Babylon the Great. She is drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and by her sorceries are all nations deceived: and in her is found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that are slain upon the earth. And this person (the political person) to whom these titles and characters belong, is that great city, standing upon seven mountains, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."

"If, in the days of St. Paul and St. John, there was any footstep of any such a sort of power as this in the world; or if there ever had been any such power in the world; or if there was then any appearance of probability that could make it enter into the heart of man to imagine that there ever could be any such kind of power in the world, much less in the temple or church of God; and if there be not now such a power actually and conspicuously exercised in the world; and

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if any picture of this power, drawn after the event, can now describe it more plainly and exactly than it was originally described in the words of the prophecy; then may it with some degree of plausibleness be suggested, that the prophecies are nothing more than enthusiastic imaginations." James Douglass, Esq.

CORRUPTIONS OF CHRISTIANITY TERMINATING IN POPERY-No. II.

AS the priesthood had an outward and inward religion, so the philosophers had an outward and an inward philosophy. Philosophy began exactly at the point where the more refined systems of superstition ended. The earliest corruptions of religion consisted in assigning animating principles, or souls, to the elements, and the separate portions of nature. The latter, and more elaborate superstition of the priesthood was founded on the belief of one universal soul actuating the whole of nature. From this point the earliest speculations of Grecian philosophy commenced; at least that branch of it which was derived from the Egyptian. Thales, and his successors, held a mundane soul, that is, a soul immersed in matter, and actuating it from within; and it was not till the time of Anaxagoras that the doctrine of a supramundane soul was maintained, that is, of a soul actuating matter from without, unconfined, impassive, and immaterial.

Hitherto two principles were admitted in nature independent, selforiginating, and ever-existing-Matter and Mind. But the higher philosophy of the East went a step further, and simplifying the theory of existence, admitted but one original principle-Mind, of which Matter was the dark and degenerate offspring; Mind being the bright centre and fount of all things, but becoming gross and dim as it flowed at a distance from its source. This system of emanation prevailed over the East, and was introduced amongst the Greeks by Pythagoras. In his school it underwent some slight modifications, till at last, among the elder Eleatic sect, it passed into a still higher system, that of strict Pantheism, which not only does not admit of more than one principle, but excludes any other being than what arises from visionary and deceptive appearances, excepting only the one absolute and universal existence. Pantheism again passed into transcendental atheism, and became similar to many systems which still prevail in the East. The one existence being considered as above the reach of our comprehension, and being every way infinite, is affirmed to be without attributes and modifications, and thus to have as little affinity with mind as with matter. Hence the first cause has 'been termed an infinite nothing. These doctrines passed on the one side into the absolute and universal scepticism of Pyrrhonism, and on the other into the opposite system of atomic atheism, which, going to the contrary extreme, admitted of no existence but that which came within the sphere of the senses.

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Thus the world by wisdom knew not God; the more they reasoned the more they departed from the truth. "When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." Nothing can be more striking than the incongruity and absurdity of the notions and arguments of the most eminent men of antiquity in their attempts to reason on the nature of the First Cause. This is exhibited within a short compass in Cicero's eloquent treatise concerning the nature of the gods. No doubt their absurdities lose nothing by passing through his hands, and had they been accompanied by the elaborate trains of reasoning which led to them, they would have appeared more specious than when represented in the nakedness of their ridiculous and jarring conclusions. Still these conclusions are presented by Cicero with considerable accuracy, and with great beauty and spirit; and afford an admirable commentary to St. Paul's remarks on Gentile wisdom. It is true that Socrates, in his striking and original efforts to discover truth, promised to bring back the philosophy of Greece to saner views; but though the genius of Socrates lent its coloring to many of the systems which followed him, yet his sobriety of investigation had few imitators. Plato added the dreams and wonders of Pythagoras to the more practical tenets of his master, and lost himself in his favorite ideal world, instead of looking at existence in its actual condition. Nor were the varying and contradictory opinions of Aristotle concerning the First Mover, though more destitute of imagi nation, on that account, nearer to the truth. Many of the Stoic dogmas, though sounding high and plausible concerning the divine nature, are yet found, when examined upon the genuine principles of their philosophy, to have more show than significance. Nor was there any hope of amendment in new systems springing up, for the Grecians were continually reasoning upon false principles, and the more accurately they reasoned, the more erroneous and monstrous were their conclusions.

The best and most correct opinions concerning religion which the ancients possessed, were those which were handed down to them from remote antiquity, which were celebrated in the writings of their moral poets, and which their legislators adopted and inculeated in order to give a sanction to their laws. These form the outer doctrines of phi losophy, and are very superior to the tenets of the inner school. In these outer doctrines, the philosophers considered not what was true, but what was useful; and they showed themselves much better judges of utility than of truth. They were ignorant of the simple demonstration which proves that general utility and truth must be forever coincident. Hence the pernicious and perplexing division of their doctrines into the exoteric and esoteric; the first adapted to the world at large: the second hurtful, if generally promulgated, but which might be revealed to the few who were devoted to the pursuit of wisdom. Thus in their own estimation, their whole stock of opinions were made up of useful errors and dangerous truths. But in the

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