The Trinitarian case for Universalism takes a piece from Arminian logic on the atonement, a piece from Calvinism (indeed a reductio against universal atonement) and puts them together to teach that result. Arminianism teaches Christ made a universal atonement, as opposed to a limited one. Calvinism says Christ died for His Elect only, else His blood would be wasted on the unsaved. Arminianism teaches Christ died for the unsaved too; they just reject His grace. The Trinitarian Universalists seemed to argue that 1) Christ made a universal, not limited atonement. And 2) indeed, His blood WOULD be wasted if even one single soul for whom He died was not saved. Hence, everyone is saved eventually.
I found
a source of more letters from Benjamin Rush explaining the case for Trinitarian Universalism, in particular letters of his to Universalist guru, Rev. Elhanan Winchester.
A taste:
Your funeral sermon for Mr. John Wesley does honor to the philanthropy of your universal principles. I admire and honor that great man above any man that has lived since the time of the Apostles: his writings will ere long revive in support of our doctrine---for if Christ died for all, as Mr. Wesley always taught, it will soon appear a necessary consequence that all shall be saved.
-- To ELHANAN WINCHESTER, November 12, 1791.
2 comments:
John Wesley himself, as the founder of Methodism, is actually the more significant theologico-historical figure.
Methodism enjoyed a huge growth in the immediate post-revolutionary period, and drifted strongly toward Arminianism, although not all the way to universalism.
True, Wesley turned out to be the one who made the mark on history; it's interesting how Winchester appreciated Wesley's Arminianism and tried to make it drift towards what they saw the logical consequence of universal atonement: the salvation of all men.
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