See PuNiSHJiKNT, Future.
Universalists, a Christian sect believing in the final destruction of sin and the reconciliation of all souls to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. They claim that there is proof of the existence of their doctrine, Universalism, and of the activity of its advocates un- der various names, from the introduction of Christiani- ty to the present time.
I. Ori</in and History. — (I.) Informal. — 1. In For- mer Centuries. — Tlie earliest notices now to be found of Universalism after the days of the apostles are in the writings of some of the more prominent Gnostic
UNIVEliSALISTS
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UNIVERSALISTS
sects, as the Basilidians. Carpocratians, and Taleiitin- iaiis, about A.I). 180. The ultimate piiriticatiou of the race was, aecortiini; to their iheoiies, by means of the discipline of the souls of tlie wicked through transmigra- tion. In the Sihyllini' Oracle^, which appeared A.I). 1 50, Universalism is taught as resulting from the jirayers of the saints affected by the miseries of the damned. The Almighty is represented as granting this favor to the redeemed on account of the great love which lie bears to them for their fidelity. In l'J5 Clemens Alex- andrinus, who was jiresident of the Catechetical School at Alexandria, advocated Universalism on the ground of the remedial cliaracter of all punishment. His pupil and successor iu the school, Origen Adamaiitius, famous alike for his leaniiug, piety, aud zeal, taught Universal- ism on the ground of the ever-continuing freedom of the will, the deep mental and spiritual auguish occa- sioned by the light and knowledge of the truth uutil it leads to repentance, and then the harmony of the sold with (iod. Origen's position, abilities, and untiring efforts for the spread of the Gospel gave him great in- riuence with his pupils, and with the Church at large, in whose behalf he became a voluminous writer. In addition to his position and work in the school of Alex- andria, he also had care for several years, in coiniection with Pamphilius, of the theological school at Cicsarea, one of whose distinguished pupils was the celebrated Gregory Tliaumaturgus, a great admirer of his master's theories, and dually, about A.D. 235, his strong defender and ardent eulogist. Pamphilius, and Eusebius, the first Church historian, also defended Origen's doctrines from charges brought against thetn by the Western Churcli, and in answering the complaint that he denied all future punishment they quote from his writings in contradictiou thereof, not only his positive assurances of future aud severe punishment, but his equallv posi- tive assertion that such correction is purifying and sal- utary. Ill A.D. 364, Titus, bishop of Bostra, wrote in advocacy of Universalism, contending that, although there are torments in the abyss of hell, they are not eternal, but that their great severity will lead the wick- ed to repentance and so to salvation. Gregory of Nys- sa, A.D. 380, also advocated Universalism on the same grounds. Contemporary with him was the justly cel- ebrated defender of orthodoxy, Diilymus the Blind, a successor of Origen in the school at Alexandria, and a zealous Universalist. Prominent among his scholars was Jerome, eminent alike for his abilities, his incon- sistencies, and instability. Universalism as taught by Origen is clearly and ably set forth by Jerome in his commentaries on the epistles, and in his letters. John, bishop of Jerusalem at this period, was also an advo- cate of Universalism on Origen's theory. Another con- temporary, Diodorus, a teacher of great repute in the school at Antioch, and afterwards bishop of Jerusalem, was also a Universalist, who, in opposition to the then general prevalence of allegorical iuterpretation, strictly adhered to the natural import of the text in his many commentaries on the Scriptures. He defended Uni- versalism on the ground that the divine mercy far ex- ceeds all the effects and all the deserts of sin. His pu- pil and successor in the school, Theodore of Mopsuestia, A.D. 420, called "the crown and climax of the school of Antioch," and by the Nestorians, whose sect he found- ed, "the interpreter of the Word of (iod," and whose writings were text-books in tlie schools of Eastern Syr- ia, was a prominent and influential Universalist. His theory was that sin is an incidental part of the devel- o|)ment and education of the human race; that, while some are. more involved iu it than others, (iod will overrule it to the final establishment of all in good. He is the repute<l author of the liturgy used by the Nestorians, a ('hurch which at one time equalled in its membership the combined adherents of both the (ireek and Latin communions, and wliich has had no rival in military zeal. In the addresses and prayers of this liturgv Universalism is distinctly avowed. The-
odoret, A.D. 430, bishop of Cyprus in Syria, a pupil of Theodore of INIopsuestia, was also a Universalist, hold- ing the doctrine on the theory advocated by the Anti- ochian school.
Eor some time prior to this, certain opinions of Ori- gen on pre-existence and on the salvation of the devil had been in dispute and pronounced heretical by a synod; but his doctrine of the universal salvation of the human race had not been involved in this condem- nation. At a local council called by the emperor Jus- tinian at Constantinople, A.D. 544, Origen's doctrine of iniiversal salvation was declared heretical. Nine years later another council was held by the same au- thority at the same place, when condemnation was pro- nounced on the Nestorians, although their belief in Universalism was not menticmed. It has been com- mon to call this an oecunienical council, but without warrant (see the action of the Latin Church iu refusing to recognise it or to send a legate to it). Diidcrlcin. in his Institutes of Christian Theology, after quoting the decree of Justinian against Origen, says, " That was not the belief of all, and in proportion as any one was eminent in learning iu Christian antiquity, the more did he cherish and defend the hope of the termination of future torments." Drexelius, in his defence of eter- nal punishment, gives this testimony : " That (iod should doom the apostate angels and men at the day of retri- bution to eternal torments seemed so hard and incredi- ble a doctrine to some persons that even Origen him- self, who was mighty in the Scriptures, and no less famous for his admirable wit and excellent learning, presumed to maintain in his book of principles that both the devils and the damned, after a certain period of years, the fire having purged or cleansed them from their pollutions, should be restored to grace. Augus- tine and others set forth his error and condemned him for it. But, notwithstanding their condemnation, this error has found a great many in the world who have given it a kind of civil reception. The Aniti, heretics so called, dispersed this error throughout all Spain under various interpretations." Gieseler, the ec- clesiastical historian, says, "The belief in the inalien- able capacity of improvement in all rational beings, and the limited duration of future ]nuiishment, was so gen- eral, even in the West, and among the opponents of Origen, that, even if it may not be said to have arisen without the influence of Origen's school, it had become entirely independent of his system." And Augustine bears this testimony: "Some — nay, very many — from human sympathy commiserate the eternal |)Uiiishment of the damned and their perpettial torture without in- termission, and thus do not believe in it; not, indeed, by opposing the Holy Scriptures, but by softening all the severe things according to their own feelings, and giving a milder meaning to those things which they think are said in them more terribly than truly."