THE

UNIVERSALIST'S

BOOK OF REFERENCE.

CONTAINING

ALL THE PRINCIPAL FACTS AND ARGUMENTS, AND
SCRIPTURE TEXTS, PRO AND CON, ON THE
GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN

LIMITARIANS AND UNIVERSALISTS.

BY REV. E. E. GUILD.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.-JESUS.

Revised and Enlarged.

BOSTON:

UNIVERSALIST PUBLISHING HOUSE.

1901.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853,

BY JAMES M. USHER,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts

BX

9941

G86

1901

cop. 2

PREFACE TO THIS EDITION.

In this revision a corrected statement has been made of the Plan of Church Government, and the Statistics of the Church are brought down to date. There have been many changes in these items since this book was first published, and it is believed that these accurate statements will greatly enhance its present value. A few errors in dates have been corrected, and a detailed statement of the Belief of Universalists has been appended to the Winchester Profession of Faith. These corrections and additions will be found in Chapter XXIII., and chiefly on pages 362 to 372.

BOSTON, June, 1891.

PREFACE.

THIS work is designed to be what its title imports; a book of reference. We do not say that we have collected all that can be said on the subjects treated, but we think we have collected all that is important that has been said in favor of, or in opposition to, the views generally entertained by Universalists. That the subjects discussed in this volume are important, no one will dispute. We have endeavored to treat them candidly and fairly, and to present in a condensed form all the information which we possess concerning them. We have expressed our opinions freely, frankly and boldly. These opinions are the result of years of careful, patient, persevering and untiring investigation. We have long seen and felt the necessity of a work like this, and for years have been collecting together materials for it, and now present it to the public. We lay claim to but little of originality, except for the design, the arrangement, and the manner of discussing the various subjects treated. Most of the ideas contained in this book have, no doubt, been expressed by others; but in no case have we intentionally adopted the language of others without giving credit. If