Excerpt from Dialogues on Universal Salvation: And Topics Connected Therewith To the use of fictitious names, I felt strongly disinclined. The Therons and Aspasios, the Philalcthcs's, the Theophilus's, and the Biblicus's, of a former day, did not happen to suit my taste. Real personages were what I wanted. But why violate the truth of history, by representing the illustrious dead as acquiescing in sentiments, which, in their time, had not been broached; or to which, as we gather from their writings, their minds were adverse? And what right had I, without consulting them, to introduce living characters as a portion of my machinery? This was somewhat puzzling. At last it struck me, that I might, not only without offence, but even in such a way as to testify affection and respect, bring you on the stage as one of my interlocutors. And this being once resolved on, anomalous as the procedure may appear to be, - indeed, amounting as it does to a practical bull, - it was farther determined, that the conversations should be carried on by you with myself. The author of the whole was thus to present himself to his readers as merely the author of a part. Conceiving as I do, that I am in possession of views of religion of a more - than - usually important kind; and that I am capable of maintaining these against all opposition; I have certainly acted the part of a superior and a teacher throughout these dialogues. You, therefore, are made to yield. By the arguments which I employ and enforce, you allow' yourself ultimately to be overcome. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.