that region for years. There was a threat given out that he would be arrested early on Monday morning for disturbing the Congregationalists in their worship, and he waited several hours on that account; but no officer came, nor were the Universalists ever excluded from that meeting-house after that day, on any Sabbath when it belonged to them.

Such is a plain narrative of an event which made a great excitement at the time, and concerning which many contradictory stories have been told. It shows the opposition which Universalists frequently had to meet in supporting their rights, and the way in which they deported themselves in the midst of these exciting scenes. Mr. Murray in the first place, and Mr. Ballou afterwards, both did much in asserting the religious liberties of the people.

SECTION XXI. A PAINFUL MATTER.

Almost the only unhappy effect attending the removal of Mr. Ballou to Boston, was the increase of alienation which it caused on the part of the pastor of the First Universalist Society in the town. On a subject so painful we desire to use few words; but it will be impossible to do full justice to Mr. Ballou without making mention of it. Mr. Dean made a most unhappy mistake in supposing that Mr. Ballou's removal to Boston (an event which he seems to have anticipated for some two or three years) would have an evil effect either on the cause of truth or on himself. But, in consequence of that error in his mind, the relations between the two were almost

entirely broken up. Mr. B. had hoped

hard for him to surrender the hope that he should be able to overcome the animosity on the part of his brother Dean and others, by proving himself to be, what he really was a brother to them. But, even, if doomed to disappointment in this respect, he was persuaded that no blindness or enmity in others would justify him in entertaining a spirit of retaliation. It would have been more than could be expected of a human being, that the opposition he was called to meet should not have some effect upon him. At times he was obliged to defend himself from reports and insinuations, which, if left uncontradicted, would seriously have affected his character. Very few men would have borne these things with the meekness and the forgiving spirit in which he bore them. We shall aim, in the chapters that follow, to dwell upon this subject no further than a faithful record of the train of events shall render necessary.

CHAPTER X.

MR. BALLOU AS AN EDITOR; HIS COURSE CONCERNING THE DOCTRINE OF FUTURE PUNISHMENT; HIS WISHES IN REGARD TO THE NEW SECT OF UNITARIANS; HIS BELIEF IN DIVINE REVELATION; OTHER MATTERS.

FROM JULY 1819 TO JULY 1821.

THE events of the preceding eighteen months had been exceedingly important in the life of Mr. Ballou. He had accomplished more for the spread of truth, and for the building up of the cause he so deeply loved, than he had ever done before in the same time. He had reason to "thank God and take courage."

SECTION I.-THE UNIVERSALIST MAGAZINE.

In the month of July, 1819, came out the first number of the Universalist Magazine, of which Mr. Ballou was editor, which was the first Universalist newspaper published in the United States, and probably in the world. This publication took its rise in the following manner. There was a young man, a member of Mr. Ballou's society, Mr. Henry Bowen (whom we have before mentioned), a printer by occupation, who was

publishing a small quarto sheet, entitled The Weekly Magazine and Ladies' Miscellany. It had not succeeded well as to patronage; and it occurred to Mr. Bowen, who had found a large sale for Mr. Ballou's sermons, which he had published, that a weekly paper, edited by Mr. B., would be more profitable, and far more useful, than the paper upon which he was engaged. On suggesting the matter to Mr. Ballou, he expressed his fears of a failure, as it was something so novel; but Mr. Bowen reasoned that the materials which he employed to get out his Weekly Magazine would answer just as well for the Universalist Magazine; and that he had better make the attempt with the new paper than to continue the old one. Obtaining Mr. Ballou's consent to act as editor, if the work went on, Mr. Bowen issued his prospectus.*

This paper commenced just as Mr. Bowen closed the publication of the "Lecture-sermons." The first number appeared on July 3, 1819. A copy of that number

*The following is the prospectus :

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Proposal by Henry Bowen, Congress-street, Boston, for publishing a new weekly paper, to be entitled the Universalist Magazine, devoted to doctrine, religion and morality. Edited by the Rev. Hosea Ballou.

"The Universalist Magazine will be neatly printed on good paper, in a quarto form, and published every Saturday. It will be commenced on the 3d of July, if a sufficient number of subscribers should be obtained to warrant the undertaking.

"The price will be $2.50 per annum, payable in advance, on the delivery of the first number. No subscription received for a less term than one year.

"All communications addressed to the publisher or editor must be post paid.

"Those who hold subscription papers are requested to make return of the number of subscribers obtained to the publisher."

now lies before me, four pages quarto, which measures just twelve inches by nine and a half. It was furnished at two dollars and a half per annum; and commenced with a quite respectable list of subscribers, which the popularity of the editor had attracted. The leading object of the paper, as defined by him in the first number, was to aid the growth of truth [or doctrine], religion and morality. Whatever correspondents might contribute to aid in these objects would be gratefully received; nor would the editor exclude articles advocating doctrines opposite to his own, if written in a proper spirit, provided he should retain the liberty of pointing out any errors that seemed to be of a dangerous tendency. He desired to see more charity among different denominations of Christians; he therefore invited different sects to present their views, "clothed in their most simple light, and shining in their purest lustre." He answered the objections which might arise in tender minds, in having a religious paper thus open to the communications of all sects; and he showed that this fact was what made it a Universalist paper, namely, a paper open to all. He invited his ministering brethren to write for the columns of the little Magazine; and if any persons were oppressed with sorrow, that right views on the subject of religion would heal, they were invited to make their sorrow known through the medium of this sheet, and perhaps something might be said in reply that would give "rest to their souls." If any needed light in regard to difficult passages of Scripture, he would hear and answer their queries, if he was so happy as to understand the proposed subject himself. But everything must be free from asperity;