Universalism Against Itself

Alexander Hall (1846)

"An examination and refutation of the principal arguments claimed in support of the final holiness and happiness of all mankind."

As Universalism came of age and spread, numerous public debates, especially among clergymen were held between those who expressed the faith and those who didn't. Alexander Winford Hall's Universalism Against Itself is one of the earliest written polemic against the belief in ultimate harmony with God for all humankind.

Hall himself was an interesting character. He was praised by Alexander Campbell who promoted Hall's book. The book was enormously popular selling over 50,000 copies with two printings. Although Campbell praised Hall, the two men had a bitter falling out for a period of time. It took four trips to Campbell by Hall to mend the rift. In addition to his popular books he made money through a number of patents, among them a cable grip used on the cars on the Brooklyn Bridge, and a self-playing piano. Hall died an enormously wealthy man under mysterious conditions after at least once attempting suicide.

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