sponsible within the orbit of his moral freedom. He can always do either right or wrong. He is a free agent, but not independent. His will is circumscribed by the Divine. He is God's agent, not his instrument. The agent is free, the instrument is not. The agent is intelligent, responsible, rational, moral; the instrument is not. The material universe is God's instrument,—a machine; man is the free agent of God. [Williamson's "Rudiments;" Brook's "New Departure;" Lee's "Birth from Above;" Cone's "Salvation."]
Ancient History of Universalism. — The documents that survive from the early periods of the Christian Church prove that a belief in universal salvation was cherished by the immediate successors of the apostles. The very first of these writings contain nothing definite on the subject of human destiny, but universal salvation was announced very soon after the death of the apostles. It is now known that it was advocated by the Basilidians and Carpocratians (A. D. 120), the Valentinians (A. D. 130), the Sibylline Oracles (A. D. 150), Clemens Alexandrinus (A. D. 150-220), Origen (A. D. 185-250), Gregory Thaumaturgus (A. D. 270), Eusebius (A. D. 324), Titus of Bostra (A. D. 360-70), Athanasius and Basil the Great (A. D. 370), Gregory Nyssa (A. D. 370), Jerome (A. D. 380-90), Diodorus of Tarsus (A. D. 378-94), and many others. At the time of Origen it was the prevailing doctrine as there was but one theological school in all Christendom that taught endless punishment and one that taught the annihilation of the wicked, while there were four in which universal salvation was taught. The doctrine was not condemned by any ancient ecclesiastical council, though an attempt was instigated by the Emperor Justinian (A. D. 553). Down to that date it was entirely "orthodox" to accept and advocate universal salvation. The
