Three letters to the bishop of Bangor

I hope, my Lord, there is mercy in store for all sorts of people, however erroneous original: "erroneous"; meaning mistaken or straying from the truth in their way of worshiping God; but I cannot believe that to be a sincere Christian is to be no more in the favor of God than to be a sincere Deist Deism is the belief in a creator who does not intervene in the universe, often rejecting the divinity of Christ and the authority of the Bible, or a sincere destroyer of Christians. It will be allowed that sincerity is a necessary principle of true religion, and that without it, all the most impressive appearances of virtue are worth nothing. But still, neither common sense nor plain Scripture will allow me to think that when our Savior was on Earth, those who sincerely refused to be his disciples and sincerely called for his crucifixion were as much in the favor of God as those who sincerely left everything and followed him. If they were, my Lord, where is that blessedness of believing so often mentioned in the Scripture? Or where is the happiness of the Gospel revelation, if those who sincerely refuse it are as well off as those who embrace it with integrity?

Our Savior declared that those who believed should be saved, but those who did not believe should be damned. Will your Lordship say that all unbelievers were insincere? Or that, though they were damned, they were yet in the same favor with God as those who were saved?

The Apostle assures us that there is no other name under heaven given to men by which they can be saved, but Jesus Christ original: "there is no other Name under Heaven given unto Men, whereby they can be saved, but Jesus Christ"; referencing Acts 4:12. But your Lordship has found an atonement more universal than that of his blood, which will even make those blessed and happy who count it an "unholy thing" original: "unholy Thing"; referencing Hebrews 10:29, which describes the rejection of Christ's sacrifice. For seeing it is sincerity, as such, that alone recommends us to the favor of God, those who
sincerely