UNI 
ing election and reprobation, on the one 
hand ; and to the opinions of Pelagius, con- 
cerning the merit of good works, on the 
other. The doctrines of the hypothetical 
Upiversalists were propagated with success 
by John Cameron ; and were further illus- 
trated and defended by Moses Amyrant, a 
man of great learning and sagacity, The 
opinions he maintained, and which pro- 
duced no small changes in the doctrine of 
the reformed in France, are briefly sum- 
med up in the following propositions : 
That God desires the happiness of all 
men j and, that no mortal is excluded by 
any divine decree from the benefits that 
are procured by the death, sufferings, and 
gospel of Christ: 
That, however, none can be made a par- 
taker of the blessings of the Gospel, and of 
eternal salvation, unless he believe in Jesus 
Christ : 
That, such, indeed, is the immense and 
nuiveisal goodness of the Supreme Being, 
that he refuses to none tire power of believ- 
ing ; though he does not grant unto all his 
assistance and succour, that they may wise- 
ly improve this power lo the attainment of 
everlasting salvation : 
And that, in consequence of this, multi- 
tudes perish through their own fault, and 
not from any want of goodness in God. 
It does not, indeed, appear, how this mi- 
tigated view of the doctrine of predestina- 
tion can effectually destroy the heart-ap- 
palling thoughts occasioned by the more 
open and direct notions of Calvin and his 
adherents; but such were the opinions 
taught by the hypothetical Universalists ; 
and they were not without their good ef- 
fect, in softening down many of the rigours 
of high Calvinism. But the term Univer- 
salists has now obtained -a far more exten- 
sive signification ; as it is used lo designate 
those Christians, who hold the doctrine of 
the future restoration of all men to eternal 
life and happiness. This sentiment was em- 
braced by Origen in the third century ; 
and, in more modern times, by the Cheva- 
lier Ramsay, Dr. Cheyne, Dr. Hartley, and 
others. Tlie most popular advocates for 
this doctrine, were Dr. Ghauncy and the 
late Rev. Elhanan Winchester. 
Dr. Chauncy held, that as Christ died, 
not for a select number of men only, but 
for all men universally, that therefore all 
men shall finally partake of the benefits of 
his death ; if not in this state of existence, 
yet in another. He held, that, as a mean, 
in order to man’s being meet for salvation, 
God will^ sooner or later, bring them all to 
UNI 
a willing and obedient subjection to his mo- 
ral government. 
This doctrine is maintained by many, not 
so much, as they say, because it appears to 
be indicated by some passages of Scrip- 
ture : but because it is strictly agreeable to 
the spirit and genius of the dispensation of 
universal goodness displayed in the Gospel 
of Christ. They contend, that the doctrine 
of eternal punishments is not only a cruel 
and hateful doctrine, but subversive ofall pro- 
per ideas of the benevolent and wise charac- 
ter of the Almighty, as well as destructive of 
the true use and design of all punishment. 
And as punishment cannot proceed from 
a vindictive spirit on the pait of the 
Almighty, it must he designed so to cor- 
rect the offenders against his moral laws, 
as to destroy the necessity of eternal punish- 
ment, and restore the sinner to obedience, 
and a desire after reformation ; which re- 
formation, when effected, must render all 
further punishment both unmerciful and 
unjust. In defence of this reasoning they 
say, that the scriptural words rendered ever- 
lasting, eternal, for ever, and/or ever and for 
ever, are frequently used to express things 
of limited duration ; and that, when they 
refer to the futffre state of punishment, 
they are always to be so understood ; be- 
cause to interpret these words otherwise, 
would be to reason contrary to the analogy 
of faith, the ideas of the divine goodness, 
the design of the Gospel, and the plain 
dictates of right reason. This doctrine has 
to boast of having, among its advocates and 
defenders, the names of Origen and his dis- 
ciples ; of many of the German Baptists 
prior to the reformation ; and, in later 
times, of Petitpiere, a learned Swiss; of 
Dr. Rust, Bishop of Dromore, in Ireland ; 
of Archbishop Tillotson ; as well as of Bi- 
shops Burnet and Newton. 
This doctrine is also generally maintained 
by those Christians who profess the Unitarian 
faith, whether Arians or Humanitarians. It 
has, however, been ably opposed by many 
learned men ; though the controversy is 
now pretty much at rest. 
UNIVERSITY. This term signifies the 
establishment of many colleges in one par- 
ticular situation, all of which are subject to 
the same general government, and which 
are formed by the residence of numerous 
professors in every branch of science, who 
teach them to students assembled from all 
parts of Europe, and particularly the coum 
tries possessing those seals of learning. 
So many centuries have elapsed since the 
introduction of this mode of instruction, 
