A Treatise on Atonement, by Hosea Ballou
An online version of A Treatise on Atonement, the classic theological statement of universal salvation, or Universalism, by Rev. Hosea Ballou. This online version of Ballou's Treatise is meant for the religious or spiritual seeker who is curious to see how, when reason is applied to the study of the Christian scriptures, that it may be proved that a loving God would not damn any of humankind to eternal torment. This book may also be of interest to those who want to see how reason can be used to interpret the Christian scriptures, and how reason shows us that parts of the Christian scriptures must be taken as figurative but not literally true.
Some people find Ballou easy to read, while others get confused by some aspects of his early nineteenth century writing style. I have broken up Ballou's long paragraphs, I have removed extraneous commas and italics, and I have included section headings where I think they will help orient the reader. Aside from that, I have left Ballou's words intact. He was no ivory-tower academic theologian; he was a working minister who wrote with a lack of polish, but also with vigorous common sense.
The text is from the fourth edition (taken from my copy of the 1882 printing of the fourth edition, published by Universalist Publishing House, edited by A. A. Miner), with reference to later editions. The text is in the public domain. I began creating this online edition in 2005, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the first publication of the Treatise in 1805. I was interrupted in 2006 by the demands of my ministry, but began work again in 2009. I plan to have the complete text online by the end of 2010. Special thanks to those who helped with this project over the years: Rev. Scott Wells, Steven Rowe, and Russell Allen.
— Rev. Dan Harper, February, 2010
Table of Contents
Preface
A Letter from the Author to the Publishers of the Third Edition
Part I: Of Sin
1. Of Sin, Its Nature
2. Of Sin, Its Origin
3. Of Sin, Its Consequences [incomplete]
Part II: Atonement for Sin
1. Erroneous Theories of Atonement [incomplete]
2. Necessity of Atonement, and where Satisfaction must be made [incomplete]
3. Character of the Mediator [no text yet]
4. Nature of Atonement [no text yet]
Part III: Consequences of Atonement to Mankind
1. Consequences of Atonement, Their Universality [incomplete]
2. Consequences of Atonement, Objections [incomplete]
3. Reasons for Believing in Universal Reconciliation [incomplete]
A
TREATISE ON ATONEMENT.
BY
HOSEA BALLOU.
WITH
AN INTRODUCTION BY A. A. MINER.
FOURTH EDITION.
BOSTON:
UNIVERSALIST PUBLISHING HOUSE.
1882.