their system up to public scorn? He would bave pointed with his finger to its effects on the nations, saying-see the horrid and licentious tendency of your system, in the fruits which it has produced. We should not very soon have heard the last about this from him. He might well say then, as he now Says to Mr. Ballou and Mr. Kneeland, that their system not only leads to all manner of licentiousness, but to downright atheism. But he has all along been contending, that not their system, but his has been the universal belief of all nations. And he may now see, what has been its effects. What Mr. Hudson will say to these palpable facts against his system, in ages past, I am unable to devise. They stand as an eternal monument against his system, and ought to seal his lips forever in silence against those whom he opposes. I feel grateful to God, that whether my system is right or wrong, the heathen nations were believers in his system, not mine. If he claims kindred with the heathen in his faith, he must expect to share in the disgrace which their immorality entails, as the fruits of the system they mutually embrace. If my system had produced such fruits for so many ages, I should indeed think it was of an immoral tendency.

Mr. Hudson has been very careful to remind Mr. Ballou, that his system is but of yesterday, and glories in the antiquity as well as the universality of his own. He has told us, Mr. Ballou's system began with Dr. Huntington only about thirty years ago. He may think it has not had time yet fully to develop its licentious tendency, but when it comes to be as long and as universally believed, its effects on the world will be worse than his has been. This is a mere surmise: and I would add, that worse it hardly could be, for what system could produce more superstition, immorality, and wicked

ness than the one which Mr. Hudson lays claim to, in common with all nations in past ages? There can be no great risk at any rate, in discarding his, to make an experiment, if possible to produce a better state of things.

They

But our orthodox brethren, will likely turn the tables on Mr. Hudson, respecting what he says in this letter and many other parts of his book. I have only room for a single specimen from p. 288. will say to him, with a slight variation of his phraseology, what he says to Mr. Ballou-"I very much doubt whether you can lay your hand upon your heart, and say in the presence of your Maker, that you believe that future endless misery corrupts the morals of society. If your system has any salutary influence, ours has all its advantages and others superadded. Your doctrine tells the villain who is plotting the assassination of his fellow creatures, that if he falls in the attempt, he must experience a state of correction and chastisement from his own mental reflections; ours tell him that if he loses his life in such a horrid attempt he must experience endless hell torments." And probably will add, "Mr. Hudson, if your mere scarecrow of a hell produces thirty fold good fruits, you must allow ours to produce a hundred. But better your hell than none; and we hope you will join your exertions with ours in getting up religious excitements by means of it. Prove your faith by your works in all time coming, by preaching your doctrine openly and fully to the world. If preaching our hell produces an earthquake, yours may produce a thunder clap, and by continuing faithfully to preach limited punishment you may in due time come to be of one mind with us that it is endless." In taking our leave of the subject, we recommend to all to re-examine the Scriptures, and see if either limited or endless punishment were the

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doctrines by which the apostles converted and reformed the world.

In taking our leave of Mr. Hudson, we thank him for his publication. Before it appeared we suspended judgment, not knowing certainly what the counsel on the other side had to say in defence of his cause. Now we see wherein his great strength consists, and have no fears about the issue. After his proposals were issued, we besought Mr. Hudson to take time, avail himself of every assistance, and let us have at once the strength of all he could produce in support of his system. We hope he did this, and our readers may judge for themselves between us. If he has not, we shall be happy to discuss the subject further with him. But as we did not begin, we have no desire to prolong this controversy, and therefore leave Mr. Hudson to his own choice concerning it.

THE END.