A ITS CAUSE AND CONSEQUENCES AS SUCH ; THE NECESSITY AND NATURE OF ATONEMENT; IN THE FINAL RECONCILIATION OF ALL MEN TO HOLINESS AND HAPPINESS. BY HOSEA BALLOU, OF Barnard; AUTHOR OF A PAMPHLET, ENTITLED "Notes on the Parables of the New-Teftament." "For as in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift shall all be St. Paul. "And there fhall be no more death." St. John. RANDOLPH: (VER.) PRINTED BY SERENO WRIGHT, 1805. A LETTER TO THE READER, CHRISTIAN READER, I KNOW it is frequently the cafe, when a per fon takes a new work in hand, he first cafts his eye over the title page, and if he finds no word on it that indicates perverfe fentiments; and the name, or denomination, of the author is agreeable, he may think of having patience to read it; but, being fomething in a hurry, paffes flightly over the preface, fuppofing it to be of little confequence. But what fenfations may have ftruck your inind, on reading the title of this Book, and finding it to be the intention of the author to prove the doctrine of universal holiness and happiness, through the mediation and power of atoning grace, I cannot fay; however, I would invite you to read, with candor and attention, not only this letter, but the whole of the work, and make up your judgment afterwards. Many circumstances might be mentioned, which, in their afsociation, have induced me to write and publish the following treatife; but I can fay, with propriety, that the central object was that, in which I always find the most happiness, viz. to do what I find most neceffary, in order to render myfelf moft ufeful to mankind. I have, from my early youth, been much in the habit of inquiring into the things of religion, and religious fentiments; and have, for a number of years, feen, or thought I faw, great inconfiftencies, in what has, for a long time, paffed for orthodoxy in divinity. |