Book Description 1842. This treatise presents the history of universalism from the time of the apostles to its condemnation in the Fifth General Council, 553 AD, with an appendix tracing the doctrine down to the era of the Reformation. The attentive reader will discover that the ancient history of universalism is naturally distinguished, by certain peculiarities, into three successive periods: the first, extending to the year 190; the second running to the year 390 or 394; and the third, reaching to the Fifth General Council in 553 AD. Due to the age and scarcity of the original we reproduced, some pages may be spotty, faded or difficult to read.