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BEING AN ANSWER TO A LATE PESTILENT PAMPHLET, ENTITULED [The Foundations of Hell-Torments ſhaken and removed] wherein the Author hath laboured to prove, that there is no Everlaſting Puniſhment for any Man (though finally wicked and impenitent) after this Life.
His Conſiderations Conſidered, and his Cavils Confuted; Together with a Practical Improvement of the Point, and the Way to eſcape the Damnation of Hell.—
By JO. BRANDON, late of Oriel Colledge (Oxon) now a Miniſter of the Church of England.
Quos mala praeſentia non corrigunt, ad ſequentia perducunt.
Gregor.Dialog.
JOB xi. 3. Should thy lies make Men hold their peace? and when thou mockeſt, ſhall no Man make thee aſhamed?
LONDON, Printed for Henry Brome at the Gun in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1678.
Hic Liber (cui Titulus
THough I may eaſily apprehend that ſome will not be wanting, who will look upon theſe Lines with an evil Eye, and argue from worſe Principles than thoſe of Logick, that I am proud and preſumptuous in making uſe of Your Name in this ſort; yet upon mature de
To ſee ſome Men live, as if Hell and its
Author pretends very ſmoothly in his Preface) This (my Lord) is ſufficient to provoke a patient and peaceable ſpirit; The diſpleaſure of my Heart againſt his Execrable Book, hath now engaged my Pen againſt it; And (with the Poetical liberty) I may truly ſay—Si natura negat, facit indignatio Librum.
Certainly, it is great pity that a Book of this kind I deal with, ſhould paſs one Year to an end, without a full and formal Confutation; And I was almoſt ready to Write a Satyr againſt my many Betters, (that have a great deal more Learning, and a little more leiſure than my ſelf) for ſuffering it to go ſo long without Controul.
Well, I have now (through Providence) finiſhed that Work which they ſhould have done long before: For a Pamphlet of this nature muſt needs be as worthy of a ſevere Reproof, as thoſe Pieces that have been licenſed by his Holineſs at Rome, which they have ſo often, and ſo excellently oppoſed; For 'tis worſe to believe Hell a Dream, than to believe Purgatory to be a Real thing.
And now (Right Honourable) beſides my Obligations to You, it may ſeem in other reſpects very proper to preſent You with a Diſviz. To lead Others in the way to Heaven, by Your good Example.
The Lord Jeſus multiply his choiceſt bleſ
CHriſtian Reader, It was the Apoſtle's predictithat in the latter dayes perillous times ſhould come;
R. which I have undertaken (by God's aſſiſtance) to ExAuthor hath done.
I Confeſs (to give the Devil his due) ſome of the Socinian Worthies have ſuggeſted ſomething of this Nature,Epithalamiums, and profaneſt Songs that you have, yea, let them delight your honeſt Souls day by day; for what though theſe things are known in Hea
But yet, Take heed ſinners, and do not bleſs your ſelves overmuch in your iniquities, for what if this Learned man ſhould be miſtaken, and his Infallible Proofs ſhould prove to be nothing but fair ſhews and real Deceits, what a caſe would you then be in, if you
(Chriſtian Reader) be pleaſed to compare his Proofs and my Anſwers together.
But, ſay ſome, what need I have troubled my ſelf to Confute him, ſince there are many others that can do it better?
To which I reply, as the Learned Ameſius,
(in praefat. ad Eccleſias Belgicas) Licet hanc provinciam ab aliis potius quam à me, capeſſendam eſſe judicem, à me tamen potius quam à nemine, viz. That though I grant it were fit
Miſtake me not, Reader, I ſpeak not this,Chewney his Book.N. Chewney hath oppoſed unto it. But let theſe particulars be conſidered in the caſe. 1. That it is very ſmall, and 2. ſo general that there is need enough of another Book to that purpoſe, for it is not a fourth part of his ſubtilties which he hath engaged with therein (and I think I may ſay, it is ſcarce a tenth part.) And the Reaſon why He did not Confute his falſe Gloſſes and fair pretences more particularly, is; as he tells us in his Epiſtle to the Reader, becauſe he thought them to be very Obvious to every Judicious eye (to uſe his own words in that place.) But with due reſpect to his Name and Works, he might eaſily have conſidered, that a Pamphlet of this nature, was not deſigned to
Satan will not think that he hath ſowed his Tares in vain.
Secondly, What if others can do it better than I, yet it will be nevertheleſs lawful for me to do it as I can. Muſt I reſolve to lay down my Miniſtry, and to Preach no more, becauſe I cannot Preach ſo well as they that can Preach better? No ſure, no reaſon for it. Doubtleſs I may (and muſt) do my Lord and Maſter what Service I can, though I cannot do what others can.
Thirdly, Others can do it better (thou ſaiſt, and I do not gainſay it) But I rather look what men will do, than what they can do. If they can ſave us from Drowning (when we are fallen into the Ri
Fourthly, If thou thinkeſt I have done amiſs in it, do but ſhew me my Error (in a Sober and Chriſtian way) and I ſhall (I hope) be thankful for it, and ſhall be ready to retract any thing therein, which thou canſt prove to be unſound or unſeaſonable.
Fifthly, If yet thou will not be in Charity with my poor Scribble, but art reſolved to be offended at it; Then, Reader, thou mayſt be offended ſtill: Behold it lies at thy mercy, and (if thou canſt not otherwiſe content thy ſelf) Thou maiſt take thy Pen and write againſt it. If thou let it alone, I am ſure it will do thee no hurt, if thou Readeſt it (though only to caAuthor thy Prayers, who is,
I Have, though too haſtily, read over Your Book; for which You deſerve many Thanks from him, who is your Adverſary; and do hereby receive them from me, who am a friend to you, and every man elſe who is of your Complexion; I mean, a Lover of Virtue, and a defender of Truth. It is my Opinion, that you have much obliged both Your Antagoniſt, and Your Reader; Your Anta
Who this Perſon is, I cannot tell; perhaps a Sceptick, perhaps a downright Atheiſt, and probably a man of a lewd and vicious Converſation; for, the Truth is, ſuch perſons are moſt concerned to believe, and, were it poſſible, to prove, that there is no Hell, who have no ground to expect any ſhare in Heaven. But whoſoever your Opponent may be, I have ſo much Charity for his Immortal Soul, as to wiſh that he may reap that Advantage from your Book, which therein you deſign him; that he may timely ſee his groſs miſtake, and renounce his Hereſie; leſt hereafter he be forced to confeſs an Eternity of Torments, when it will be too late to eſcape them. So Prayeth,
Si Naturae negat, facit Indignatio verſum, Qualemcun poteſt: quales ego vel Cluvienus. que Juv. Sat. 1. Num. 15.
PAge 2. Line 23. add [moſt probably.] p. 16. l. 31. for Bond read [Land.] p. 38. l. 21. for Inſtance, r. [Senſe.] p. 51. l. 7. for inr. [invention.] p. 66. l. 3. add [Almoſt.] p. 99. l. 1. leave out [for.] p. 120. l. 31. for ſtrange, r. [ſtrong.] p. 134. l. 31. for ſelves, r. [ſouls.] p. 138. l. 7. leave out the word [Two.] p. 142. l. 32. for furious, r. [Serious.]
the way of the wicked deceiveth them,
Caryl.
But (ſay ſome) we hope there is no ſuch danger, for that Doctrine hath been ſuſpected of late, yea Mr. R. hath profeſſedly oppoſed it: His Light hath diſcovered the rotten Foundations upon which it is built, and hath proved all thoſe black and diſmal Imaginations concernAtra Bilis, and to have no ground at all in the Scriptures.
What he hath done (in this particular) is too well known in the World, and how well he hath done it, is my Buſineſs to diſcover in this Book.
And I truſt, Good Reader, that thou wilt perceive by that which folSocinian hath proved that there is no Trinity, or than the Atheist hath proved that there is no God.
&c.
But before I ſpeak of either of theſe, it may ſeem needful to ſay ſomeAuthor of this precious Piece, which I am to deal with.
1. Who the Author was.(O Grande nomen!) Mr. S. Richardſon, even that admired Reſolute Richardſon, whom the good Men of his Party did boaſt of ſo greatly, and ſupLondon-Miniſters, viz. indefinitely, (for any of them, or for All of them to deal with) See the Author in the MarginJ. Collings, Vindic. Miniſterii. my Preface to the Reader. (ſub finem.)
Reader, I am not diſcouraged; I hope to come off clear, and to paſs without hurt through all the Pikes of his Arguments and Subtilties; for God and his Truth are greater and ſtronger than Mr. R. and his Falla
2. What he was.Noſcitur ex ſocio, &c. A dark Fellow is to be expounded by his Companions.
It might be queſtioned whether Mr. R. were himſelf of any Religion, for all Religions have a Hell in their Creed, and yet he hath none in his; wherefore his Opinion concludes him of the doubtful gender in point of Religion, ſo that we muſt be forced (as was ſaid) to expound him by his Companions. And if you would know who they were, and what Perſwaſion they were of, you may fitly conſult the Anabaptiſts ConfeſAnno Dom. 1644. which thatFeatly.
The Dippers dipt: Where he tells you, (and you may ſafely take his word for it) That the ſaid Confeſſion was ſubſcribed by Paul Hobſon, Thomas Gunne, and others of the ſame ſtamp, and amongſt the reſt, by S. Richardſon, (to whom I would wiſh, if he be living, ſaving Mercy and a ſound Mind.)
And thus much by way of Introduction to my following Diſcourſe. The firſt particular whereof is now to be preſented to thy ſerious thoughts, and favourable cenſure.
THE fitteſt Method of procedure in my preſent Deſign ſeems to be that which is mentioned, viz. To prove the truth of the DoR. his Sophiſtical Argumentations) namely that aboveſaid.
And herein I do not undertake to convince the Atheist, or drive him out of his Reſolved Infidelity; but rather to confirm the Chriſtian in the Belief of this Doctrine, which he hath been ſo often put in mind of by his Teachers.
And the firſt Argument that I would propoſe,(Vid. Crakanthorp. Logic. de Argum. à Teſtimonio,
& Logicos paſſim de Teſtimonio Disputantes) for Truth is Eſſen31. ſect. 50.
Titus 1.2. He cannot lye. A Man may be a Man though he be not true in his word, but God could not be a God if he were not ſo:3. cap. 13.
Wherefore if we have the Teſtimony of God for it in his written Word, we may ſafely build upon it.
I ſay, His written Word, for that's the Testimony that we are to enquire of, Eſay 8.20. — And as for thoſe inward Impulſes, Revela&c.
Sam. Cleark His Mirror, Cap. 27. Exampl. 17. Concerning the horrid DeWarwick-ſhire fell into, after he looked to be taught by Revelations and Inſpirations, and had refuſed to hear any conformable Miniſter preach, &c.
As alſo of one Mr. Gilpin in the ſame Chapter: The ſum of which Hiſtory I have briefly ſet down in my Caution againſt Quakeriſme.
I ſay, if we have the Teſtimony of God in his written Word, for the Doctrine I aſſert, then we may be bold to believe it, and muſt believe it, though Mr. R. and his Companions in Infidelity ſhould write never ſo many Books againſt it.
Reader, if thou doſt not believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God, (or knoweſt but little reaſon why thou ſhould'ſt believe ſo) then I would adviſe thee to read thoſe that may confute thy unbelief, or conWard's Sermon againſt Anti-ſcripturiſts, Dr. Stillingfleet's Orig. Sacr. and the truly Honourable Sir Charles Woolſley his Grounds and Reaſons of Scripture-Belief,Alleſtry his Sermon of the Authority of the Scriptures. Mr. Baxt. Reſt, part. 2. cap. 4.
But if thou doſt believe it to be ſo, I truſt thou wilt believe the Doviz. — in Matth. 25. laſt verſe, and many other places.
To begin with that, Matth. 25. laſt verſe. Theſe (the ungodly that ſhall be ſet on Chriſt's left hand,ſhall go away into Everlasting Puniſhment.
What can ever be ſpoken more plain, or more plainly to our purThey ſhall go away into Everlasting Puniſhment,
Ʋrged.
This is that Marpeſian Rock which Mr. Richardſon was not able to faſten his Teeth in, yet nevertheleſs,2 Vindicated from Mr. R.'s Exceptions.Five Times together, p. 18, &c. where he hath ſeveral gloſſes upon the word [everlaſting] which, as by Him applyed, are worthy to be had in ever
1. He tells us, Thatthe Fire of Tophet is ſo called,His firſt Ex becauſe it did burn Day and Night. —ception.
But here our Lord ſpeaks not of the Fire of Tophet,
Everlaſting Puniſhment of the Wicked. And let Him ſhew us where any puEverlaſting Puniſhment, becauſe it laſted for ſome days and nights. Job his Pains were doubtleſs Day and Night, yea for a conſiderable time too, yet 'tis not ſaid he ſuffered Everlaſting Pains. The Pſalmist ſaid, God's hand was heavy upon him Day and Night;
Everlaſting Affliction.
The word Ever, and Everlaſting,His ſecond Ex are uſed to note a Limited Time; as inception, p.19.Exodus 40.15.We read of an Everlaſting Prieſthood; yet that Prieſthood did not laſt for ever in the largeſt ſenſe, but only till the Son of God was come in the Fleſh.—
This is the ſubſtance of that which he ſaith in the greateſt part of the 19. Page of his Book.
And it is eaſily removed out of the way. Let us put it into a form of Arguing, and it will be exactly thus: [The word Everlaſting in ſome places is uſed to ſignifie but a limited time, therefore it muſt ſigMatth. 25. laſt verſe.]
Now were not this a pitiful way of reaſoning, and moſt apparently inconſequent? See a parallel caſe in the word [ſave.] To ſave, ſomeſave them that hear them.
He is the Author of Eternal Salvation.
The Saviour (by way of Emphaſis.)
2. Though in ſome places of the Old Teſtament the word Everlaſting doth ſignifie a limited Time, yet Mr. R. doth not ſhew us any place in the New Teſtament where it is ſo taken; much leſs can he ſhew any Texts therein, that call a Temporal Puniſhment an Everlaſting Puniſh
3. Thoſe things which were called Everlaſting, and yet laſted but for a time, were ſuch as were not capable of an abſolute and proper EverExodus 40. was not capable of perpegreat High-Priest,
But the Wicked ſhall be capable of Everlaſting Puniſhment, (properCor. 15. The Trumpet ſhall ſound, and the Dead, i. e. All the Dead, ſhall be raiſed incorruptible.
4. It muſt needs be meant of an endleſs Puniſhment: for I find it is the ſame word Matth. 25.46.) that is uſed by St. Paul,
Cor. The things that are ſeen are temporal, but the things that are not ſeen are eternal
Theſe ſhall go away into Everlaſting Puniſhment, and the Righteous into Life Eternal. So that if the Puniſhment of the wicked (that continue ſuch) be not an endleſs Puniſhment, we may be at a great doubt whether the Happineſs of the Saints ſhall be endleſs happineſs, or not; ſince the ſame word (as was ſaid) is uſed of both of them.
And now having Anſwered his firſt and chiefeſt Exceptions againſt this Proof, we ſhall not fear to Examine thoſe which follow, and third
—The Fire that deſtroyed
R. — Fire may be ſaid to be Everlasting,p. 19.(and then he adds)
Sodom, is called Eternal Fire, becauſe it went not out till the City was conſumed.
This is his third gloſs upon the word Everlasting, in the latter part of the 19. Page. And firſt, A Fire may be called Everlaſting (by his Logick) when it goeth not out till the Combuſtible Matter is conſu
It ſeems then, if Mr. Richardſon ſhould be pleaſed to roaſt his Cat,
And in caſe He ſhould ſuffer them to be familiar with him, 'tis poſi. e. whiles there is any conſiderPericranium.
And what Spirit (I would demand) hath moved him to make uſe of that Sacred Text of S. Jude, to juſtifie ſuch a piece of Learning by?opened.
Eternal fire there mentioned, of That fire that conſumed the Cities (nor is there any ſhew of Reaſon why it ſhould be ſo called, ſo far as I can appreR. would have it, becauſe it went not out while the Combuſtible matter laſted, why might we not call the flame of a Farthing Candle, an Everlaſting fire, ſince it will laſt till the wiek is ſpent?) but rather do they interpret it of the Everlaſting Wrath and Vengeance of God,Dr. Willet on Jude. Mr. Baxter Saints Rest, Part 2. cap. 10.
Willet makes it a proof of their Everlaſting puniſhment, and Mr. Baxter makes it an Argument of the preſent Puniſhments of the wicked (in Soul) immediately after death, in oppoſition to thoſe that imagine their Miſery to be put off till the Day of Judgment.
And if Mr. R. ſhould Interpret the Everlaſting puniſhment after the ſame manner, of a puniſhment that ſhall laſt as long as the wicked ſhall endure; He will overthrow his whole deſign, for they ſhall endure for ever, and ſee corruption no more, after they are once raiſed from the grave,
Fourthly, R.—What if the Fire were Everlaſting, yet it will not follow that That which is caſt into it is Everlaſting;His fourth Ex ception, p.20.to which he adds[The wicked are compared in Scripture to Chaffe and Stubble, which will not be long in conſuming.]
The Text under conſideration ſpeaks not of Everlaſting Fire, but of Everlaſting Puniſhment. And if it ſhould be granted, that there may be an Everlaſting fire, and no perſon everlaſtingly burning in it; yet he doth not imagine there can be an everlaſting puniſhment for the wicked, and yet no wicked man to be puniſhed with it for ever.
2. If it were not for contradicting ſuch a man as Mr. R. why might we not ſay, that it will follow, that the perſons caſt into that fire, ſhall be there for everlaſting, becauſe the Fire it ſelf is everlaſting? for without the ſuppoſal of their continual burning in that everlaſting fire, I ſay without that, the word everlaſting (which flames with more terror than the fire it ſelf, and makes it moſt exceedingly intolerable) ſhould ſtand in effect for a Cypher, and become a meer Bug-bear to fright fools withal; for if a wicked man be ſoon conſumed after he is caſt into Hell fire, then the everlaſtingneſs of it afterwards will be as no
3. And if Mr. R. had been ſo minded, why might not he have preached glad tydings to the devils themſelves? for he might beſpeak them thus — Rejoyce, O ye unclean Spirits, or at leaſt, Deſpair not; for who knows but your puniſhments may be ended in time; for what though Chriſt tells us of Everlaſting fire prepared for you, yet it will not follow that ye ſhall ſuffer everlaſtingly in it—Yet (however his Book hath pleaſed them, as being ſo dangerous to the Souls of men) I am confident they would take little comfort in ſuch a comfortable preach
And if his work ſhould not prove to be done well (in what he taught us in this Exception) we muſt excuſe him the better, becauſe he hath endeavoured to mend it, by offering this following Obſervandum, viz. That,
R.—the wicked are compared in Scripture to Chaffe and Stubble, which are not long in conſuming, in any fire that they fall into.
So then, that's the propoſition,R. his ex
non currunt quatuor pedibus, i. e. do not hold in all reſpects, but in ſome only.Pſal. 22.6.David compares himſelf to a Worm, yet we will not ſay therefore, that he had no bones in his body, nor no reaſon in his Soul, becauſe a Worm hath not. So the Scrip
R.—'Tis to be noted that the Scripture ſometimes uſeth ſuch words as do exceed their ſignification:Nahum 3.9. His fifth Excep tion, p.20.as in Nahum 'tis ſaid,That theÆthiopianArmy was infinite:that is,very great.
But firſt, At this rate it would follow, that the Everlaſting PuniſhR. his Maſters or Brethren, as may be ſhewed in time and place; nor doth it well agree with that Opinion
Secondly, he ſaith well, that it is ſometimes ſo, for therein he gives us to underſtand, that it is not always ſo, and by conſequence, that there is no neceſſity of expounding it ſo in the words of our Saviour, in Matth. 25. ult.
M. 25.46.Richardſon and his Angels will never be able to Anſwer. See my 4. Anſwer to his ſecond Exception (in this ſame Section.)
Thus we have ſeen my Authors Gloſſes upon the word Everlaſting and their unſerviceableneſs to his Deſign, ſo that we may now lawEccleſ. 1.2.) Vanity of Vanities, All is Vanity.
R. his BrePoland) I mean the Socinians, who would have us think the Everlaſting Puniſhment that the Wicked are in danger of, to be the Total Aboliſhment of their NaOppoſites, Calovius in Socin. profligat. q. De Morte aeternâ; Stegman. Photin. Refut. diſput. 56. quaeſt. 4. and many others, who have ſufficiently An
[Puniſhment.]
1. The word
And if it might be good ſenſe to ſay—A man may be Annihilated for ever; yet I am apt to doubt whether it be ſo, to ſay, that He may
2. Sect. 13. quaeſt 3.2.
Duratio eſt permanentia Rei in eſſe, as the Learned Martinius moſt truly.)
2. They ſhall go away into this Everlaſting Puniſhment: [to go away] into it, implies a poſitive ſtate, yea, and their going away, viz. from Chriſt, and his Glorious Preſence, will be none of the ſmalleſt parts of their Puniſhment; and therefore is mentioned firſt—Depart from me into, &c. Matth. 25.41. The Holy Father of old,S. Chryſoſt. in Matth. Homil. 24.
3. This Puniſhment here ſpoken of (Matth. 25.) is the ſaddeſt of all that ever the Enemies of God endured, for there will be the Day of Wrath,The Terrible day of the Lord (to the wicked though not to the Saints) but it would not be the greateſt Puniſhment if it were but the turning them to nothing. This I ſay would not be the ſaddeſt Puniſhment unto them, but rather a ſecuring them from all Puniſhment; for when they have no being at all, they cannot be under any ſorrow, nor be ſenſible of any Puniſhment.
4. If the Wicked at Judgment ſhould be turned into nothing, and have their Natures aboliſhed, that Puniſhment (if it might be ſo calEnemies of God, and Children of the Devil
Gal. 3.1. O fooliſh men, who hath bewitched you.—
And thus I have vindicated that Sacred Text of our Saviour from the falſe gloſſes, and fallacious Exceptions of Mr. R. and his Compa
And now it will be time to put an end to this (Second) Section.
urged and cleared.
Theſſal. 1.9. where he tells us that they who obey not the Goſpel of Chriſt, ſhall be puniſhed with everlaſting Deſtruction. They ſhall be puniſhed with that Puniſhment which the Apoſtle calls by the name of Deſtruction; and that Deſtruction he tells us is an everlaſting Deſtruction, therefore it muſt needs follow, that they ſhall be under puniſhment Everlaſtingly.— If Mr. R. ſhould ſay any thing to the word Everlaſting, we may find ſome ſatisfaction in the foregoing Section, where it hath been largely diſcourſed of. If he Cavil about the word [Deſtruction] and pretend it is meant of the Deſtruction of their Beings (by turning them into nothing) then we may ſee ſomething to the contrary, in the three latter parts of the laſt Section (in Anſwer to the Socinians;) To which I ſhall now add theſe Three particulars.
&c.]To take vengeance on thoſe (or as 'tis in the Grek, to give vengeance to thoſe) that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jeſus Christ.
And can he be ſaid to give vengeance to them, when he takes away their very Beings, and ſo maketh them uncapable of receiving any puHe will execute vengeance upon them,
they ſhall then know that He is the Lord, as the Prophet ſpeaks. But 'tis plain they could not do ſo, if his vengeance did conſiſt in taking away their Being. (that which is not, cannot know any thing.)
Flood came,
and took them all away; but 'tis [omnes only, not totos] it took away All thoſe Perſons, viz. out of the Land of the Living: But it did not take away the whole Natures. Their Souls are living ſtill. And God will be ſo far from deſtroying the Souls of the wicked, (as to their Nature and Being) as that he will quicken and raiſe their Bodies, which Death and Worms had deſtroyed formerly.There ſhall be a Reſurrection of the just and the unjust, ſaith St. Paul in the Acts. And they ſhall be raiſed for good and all, as we ſay, ſo as to ſee corruption no more for ever.
God is able to deſtroy Body and Soul in Hell: that is, to fill them with perfect Miſery: And if it were meant of deſtroying their Beings, then that dreadful word [Hell] which is added as an aggravation of the deſtruction, would ſignifie juſt nothing in point of Terror: for if a Man be turned into nothing, it is all one whether it be in the one or the other. (for nothing is no nearer to ſomething, in Heaven than in Hell.)
And thus alſo the word is uſed very often in our own Language: As when we ſay of Oppreſſors, that they have deſtroyed whole Families, we do not mean that they have turned them into nothing, but that they have brought them into a calamitous condition. And this, I hope, may be enough for that Text, and I think it is not too much.
A third place I ſhall offer,urged for it.
Matth. 25.41. He ſhall ſay unto them on his left hand, Depart from me ye curſed into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.
viz. really, by changing place:) as Chriſt is departed, or gone into Heaven; in 1 Pet. 3.ult.
Greek Verb that is uſed in both places;
Nothing, or ſuch a ſtate, if I might ſo call it, as the World was in before its Creation, but) into Fire.
And if any Man ſhall ſay, they may be caſt into this everlaſting Fire, but not ſuffer everlaſtingly in it; he had need have no leſs than Mr. Richardſon's Learning to enable him to give a good Account of his ſpeech. And he that can conceive any ſuch thing as probable, may (by the ſame degree of acuteneſs) perſwade himſelf,everlaſting kingdom of Christ, and yet poſſibly not dwell everlaſtingly in it. (which yet they will hardly queſtion in the leaſt meaſure, while they have ſo many faithful promiſes of a Happy Eternity.&c.
A fourth Text of Scripture, which may conveniently be urged, for [the everlaſtingneſs of the puniſhment of the wicked] is Daniel 12.2.urged and opened.
Many that ſleep in the duſt of the earth ſhall awake, ſome to everlaſting life, and ſome to ſhame and everlaſting contempt.
But before I come to ſpeak of that which moſt directly concerns my preſent purpoſe,Jo. 5.28, 29. The hour is coming, wherein All that are in the Grave ſhall hear his Voice,
and come forth, &c. So then, there are none excepted. And in the 24. chap. of the Acts, it was the Apoſtles belief,That there ſhall be a Reſurrection of the juſt and the unjuſt: that is, of all and every one of them: for if the juſt there do mean All the juſt; the unjuſt muſt mean All the unjuſt, for the phraſe is alike of both of them: ſo that he that grants the one, may not deny the other. And therefore that Text in Daniel cannot tend to ſtrengthen that Opinion; which that we may the better perceive, theſe three things may be conſidered. 1. That the [Multi ex dormientibus, many of them that ſleep,Multi dormientes, i. e. Thoſe many that are ſleeping in the Duſt of the Earth. And then it will be no leſs, than if it were ſaid, All of them.
ſhall be caught up together, to meet the Lord Jeſus,Paul makes no difference between himſelf and the reſt of the faithful, in reſpect of that priviledge.
3.Pſal. 97.1. The Lord reigneth, let the earth be glad; let the multitudes of the Iſles, or the many Iſles, be glad thereof: i. e. let all Countries be glad of it. (Let all the faithful in all Nations comfort themſelves by the thoughts of his Soveraignty and Dominion over all.) So in Rom. 5. Through the diſobedience of one, (viz. Adam) many were made ſinners: viz. All thoſe that deſcended from him in a Natural way.
And if any that are dead (or ſleeping in, &c.) ſhould not awake, and ariſe hereafter, it muſt be the wicked, (for that's our Adverſary's Opi
Which is moſt direct for my purpoſe: And ſo plain, that I cannot gueſs any thing that can, with any ſhew of reaſon, be objected a
For firſt, If the wicked ſhall awake to everlaſting contempt,Dan. 12.
&c. As in caſe Mr. R. his Book againſt Hell, &c. ſhould bring his name into perpetual reproach among Chriſtians, it muſt needs be perpetually under reproach. (And the everlaſting ſhame is everlaſting in the ſame ſenſe, as the glory (of the righteous) in the ſame verſe is everlaſting) — And thus I have proved the everlaſting puniſhment of the wicked in another World, from ſeveral Scriptures. See alſo to the ſame purpoſe, Matth. 3.12. Luk. 3.17. Matth. 18.8. Mark 9.47. Jo. 3.36. Revel. 19.20.20. verſ. 10. and many more,
And thus having proved the Point by ſeveral Texts of Scripture,(ex abundanti) ſome Scripture-Arguments to confirm it. And the firſt is this: The wicked and impenitent ſhall always (or to all Eternity) have a Being: But they ſhall not have a Being in Joy and Hap
1. From the eDead ſhall be raiſed incorruptible, in 1 Cor. 15.52. What Dead doth he mean? ſurely all of them, ſince he makes no diſtinction between one ſort and another in this reſpect. As when it is ſaid, that the Sea ſhall give up her Dead,
the Dead in Christ) then it might be ſaid as properly, that the Dead ſhall not be raiſed incorruptible, for we might mean it of the wicked that are Dead; yea, it might be more properly ſaid ſo; for the wicked that are dead, are many more than the Saints that are dead: (becauſe moſt of the Living never were Saints indeed) Now the Denomination being to be given from the greater part, I ſee no Reaſon why it might not more fitly be ſaid, [The Dead ſhall not be raiſed incorruptible] than to ſay the contrary, if only the dead Saints ſhould be raiſed. Nor hath my Author, or any for him, ever been ſo reſolute, as to affirm, the word Dead, to ſignifie the Saints more than the wicked.— And their Souls being immortal, we cannot think that God will unite them at Judgment to Mortal Bodies: If God had meant that the Bodies of the wicked, after the Day of Judgment, ſhould dye again, (in a proper ſenſe) ſurely he would not raiſe them at that Day from their Graves. If Death and Deſtruction of their Fleſh were the great wrath they were to lye under, the Worms would be ſufficient Executioners of his wrath upon them. What need any ſuch Miracle be wrought upon them, as the quickning and raiſing of their putrified Bodies, if he intended they ſhould dye and corrupt again?
So then, the firſt Propoſition is certain, that the wicked themſelves ſhall be raiſed to an Immortal ſtate at the Day of Judgment. (They that would come but ſeldome to the Church, ſhall not have the Happi
ſhall come forth to the Reſurrection of Damnation,
Papiſts themſelves, (whatſoever properties Purgatory may have in it before the Day of Judgment, yet they hold it ſhall ceaſe for ever after that Day, and nothing remain but Heaven and Hell, and Joy and Tor
Wherefore the Conſequence is clear as the Light:Reader.
Divine Juſtice requires that the Wicked that continue ſuch,1. Cleared.
The Conſequence will not be denied. The Antecedent is proved thus. If the wicked are always worthy of Puniſhment for their Wickedneſs, then Juſtice requires that they ſhould always have it; for it is the part of Juſtice to render what is deſerved. But the wicked (ſuppoſing them to have a Being always after the Day of Judgment, as was proved juſt before) muſt needs be always worthy of Puniſhment.ult.
The wages of ſin being Death; even Eternal Death or Damnation, as appears by the Antitheſis, and other places.
Let any ſober man judge whether the puniſhing of ſin always, upon them that always deſerve puniſhment,&c.
That Vindictive juſtice is Eſſential to God, is the great Foundation-Doctrine,
&c.
Socinians (who I think are the moſt formidaOwen in his Preface to his Defence of the Trinity, and eſpecially that Learned Doctor himſelf in his Diatrib. de Juſtitiâ vindic. (cap. 15.) where he well defends the Arguments of the famous Lubbertus, againſt the Acute oppoſitions of Dr. Twiſſe, about this particular point.
Defended.
1. Say ſome, At this rate of Arguing it ſeems to follow that the Saints themſelves ſhould be puniſhed everlaſtingly for their ſins, for they alſo deſerve ſuch puniſhment, and they can do nothing to abate the evil of ſin, or remove the evil deſert of them.
But for anſwer to ſuch men, let it be conſidered that the caſe is far different between the Saints and the wicked, in this reſpect. God will deal with them in a way of wrath, they ſhall be brought forth to the day of wrath, and they are reſerved to the Day of Judgment to be puMatth. 12. But he will deal with his Saints in a way of Mercy, and ſpare them acwill ſpare them as a man ſpareth his Son that ſerveth him. And no wonder ſince he ſpared not his own Son for their ſakes, in Rom. 8.32. And though his juſtice be moſt ſtrict and infinite (as being His juſtice who is God the Judge of all and glorious in Holineſs) yet it requires not a double ſatisfaction, but is (if I may ſo ſpeak) fully contented with Chriſts ſatisfaction and ſufferings in their behalf, who bore their ſins and had the Chaſtiſement of their peace upon himſelf,
Eſay 53.
But as for the ungodly (that live and dye ſuch) it is not ſo with them; they ſhall never be able to plead the ſatisfaction of Chriſt in their behalf: for he will diſown them before the Holy Angels, and ſay unto them Depart from me.
But ſay others, God is as juſt, &c. now, and his juſtice as ſtrict now as ever it will be, and ſince it doth not move him to puniſh the Wicked according to their deſerts now, why may we not hope the ſame for hereafter?
Becauſe he hath told us he will condemn them hereafter, (however he ſpare them for the preſent) 2 Pet. 2.9. He knoweth how to reſerve the unjuſt to the Day of Judgment to be puniſhed. What if he let them alone in the day of his Patience, wherein he is minded to make known his long-ſuffering, yet he will not always be mocked as St. Paul intiGalat. What if his Juſtice doth not move him to puniſh them now, how will it follow that it will not hereafter, when the Day of Wrath is come, and when the Righteous Judge ſhall come from Heaven, on purpoſe to render unto them according to their works, and to take vengeance on them that obey not his Goſpel, in 2 Theſſ. 1.8, 9. And here a queſtion is very needful to be reſolved, viz. How it can be juſt with God to puniſh the ſins of a ſhort life-time with Everlaſting puniſhment?
Poſſibly ſinful men (being blinded with ſin and ſelf-love) may not diſcern the Equity of that ſevere Diſpenſation;
2. There is ſomething that looketh like an everlaſting puniſhment, which yet is not thought to be any injuſtice amongſt men in this World; Princes do not count it unjuſt to put thoſe men to death that tranſgreſs the fundamental Laws of their Land, as Murderers, and common Robbers, &c. And yet that is after a ſort an Everlaſting puniſhment, as taking them away for ever from all the priviledges, ho
3. The deſert of ſin is not to be meaſured by the ſhortneſs of the time wherein it was committed: It is not counted ſo here on earth: A reproachful word to a Prince though it be ſpoken in leſs than a miBehold, ſaith the Prophet, All Nations before him are as nothing,
and vanity.
4. It is not contrary to juſtice (but an executing of juſt vengeance) for God to condemn the ſinful Angels to everlaſting Puniſhment, 2 Pet. 2.4.Jude v. 6. by Everlaſting chains under darkneſs, and our Saviour tells us, that Everlaſting fire is prepared for them:
v. 41.R's evil Spirit. And though it were ſeverity and ſtrict Juſtice ſo to deal with them, yet we know it was no injuſtice at all; for He is a Righteous God and without Iniquity. And though His ways are ſometimes paſt finding out,
Rom. 11. yet ſtill we muſt ſay, as thoſe in the Revelation, Juſt and True are thy ways, O King of Saints. Aſſuredly he will not puniſh the Devils themſelves one whit longer than their ſins deſerve.— And if the ſins of Angels are juſtly puniſhable with Everlaſting puniſhments, muſt we not acknow
Is ſin any better thing in Men than in Angels, or is God any fitter to be deſpiſed and diſhonoured by them than by the other? (Doubtevil ways, and turn unto him, which he hath not done for the fallen Angels. And as for the Inferiority of Mans Nature to the Nature of Angels, That (I ſay) is ſo far from excuſing or extenuating their fault, in ſinning againſt him, as that it ſeems very plainly to aggravate the offence. If it be ſo horrible for
5. 'Tis not unknown, what Miſeries ſin brought upon the Lord Je&c.
A Hymn of Praiſe. Thus we ſee what Miſeries he bore, when he undertook for ſinners, and bare their ſins, 1 Pet. 2.24.
And yet the ſins that Chriſt became anſwerable for, were not any ſins of the Impenitent (that live and dye ſuch,) for if he had made ſatisfaction for them, they ſhould not be condemned for them, as we know they ſhall.
Now if Chriſt ſuffered ſo much, when he undertook for them that in time ſhould repent, (if they came to years) how great muſt that puniſhment be, which the Impenitent muſt bear when they muſt anſwer for themſelves? That which (in the Penitent man) made Chriſt to ſuffer ſo great things for a time, being imputed to him (as the ſurety for the ſinner) muſt needs (in the impenitent) deſerve Everlaſting Puniſhment. It is more for Chriſt to ſuffer for a time, than for ſin
Sixthly, Sin being committed againſt a God of Infinite Majeſty and Excellency (as a diſhonour to his Name, and a violation of his Law) muſt needs deſerve a kind of Infinite Puniſhment, [for Juſtice requires a kind of proportion between the fault and the puniſhment] Now be
Seventhly, An Everlaſting Puniſhment is ſuitable, if not to the Act of ſin ſo properly, yet to the principle of ſinning: There is ſuch a cor&c. as ever he was. And the like may be ſaid in other caſes. The hearts of the children of men are fully ſet to do evil.
The Wicked ceaſe not offending when they are in Hell: They will be Blaſphemers,
&c. and will hate God's people when they cannot hurt them. They will always be deſtitute of true Holineſs, and be enemies to it (when they are in Hell) though they will be hindred from following the ſins they like of. Hell will be as full of ſin as of Torment, yea, and a great part of its Torment, will be by ſin as well as for ſin. Will it not fill the Hypocrites hollow heart with vexation to think with himſelf what a ſilly Diſſembler he hath been, to remember what care he took to deceive others, and what pains he uſed to deceive himſelf, and how careleſs he was of that time which was given him to prepare for Eternity? Will it not torment the Drunkard, to think how he ſerved the Devil till he could not ſtand on his Legs, how he valued a Barrel above Heaven, and the company of Sots, before communion with Chriſt in his ways, and ſo of the reſt.
In a word: when a reaſonable creature comes to ſee that he hath been his own Ruine (by following the ways of his own heart) and hath loſt at once the world and Heaven by his wilful wickedneſs, (when he was alſo warned of the danger time after time, and beſeechJeſuits themſelves, (who of all the Men in the World, are leaſt apt to think the worſt of ſin, ſince they have found out ways to make ſatisfaction for it themſelves) yet I ſay theſe very Men do conſtantly own the Doctrine of the EverlaſtBellarmin, Valentia,
2. ſect. 3.
(Reader) if thou can'ſt ſee no Reaſon for it, but judgeſt it unjuſt, that they ſhould be ſo puniſhed, thou wilt ſhew thy ſelf more Blind, than theſe Sons of Darkneſs.
And ſo much for the Proof of the Doctrine aſſerted.
HAving laid down ſome Proofs of the Doctrine aſſerted, and vinR. and his Fellow's Evaſions and Exceptions; I ſhall now proceed, with God's permiſſion and aſſiſtance, to examine his Book, and encounter the Enemies of this Truth, (wheLegion, for that they are many, yet I truſt thou wilt find, Reader, in due ſeaſon, that their united ſtrength is far enough from being inſuperable. My Author was wiſe enough to foreſee, that all good Chriſtians would not have a good Opinion of Him, or his Work, and therefore ſuppoſeth in his Epiſtle to the Reader, that (in this unthankful Age) thoſe that are in the Dark themſelves, might reject and undervalue the new Light he hath afforded them, and ſay of Him, as ſome did of Chriſt, [He hath a Devil, and is mad, why hear ye him.] And truly, if they ſhall ſay ſo of him, I ſhall not much reprove them for it. For in the entrance of his Book, he writes as though madneſs were in his heart, as 'tis expreſſed in Eccleſiaſtes; As though a Spirit of vanity and imChrist's Deſcent into Hell, and ſeems to pleaſe himſelf abundantly in ſetting his Betters at variance with each other, I mean by reckoning up
Ʋrſinus and Mr. Perkins were not altogether of the ſame Opinion with Bucer, and others, as to the ſenſe of that Article, yet 'tis ſufficiR. that there is no Hell, nor no Everlaſting Puniſhment for the Wicked hereafter.
Or what if Hell (in that Article) do not ſignifie the place of TorFulk, (his Defence of the Engliſh Tranſlation) which he alledgeth for His, in the 5. Page of his Book.
Afterwards he brings in the Opinions of ſome learned Men about the word Sheol, which is as much to the purpoſe, as the other. He tells us, that it ſometimes ſignifies the Grave (and what thanks ſhall we give him for ſuch a diſcovery) but yet, alas, he had not ſhewed more of his Learning, in the two former Pages, than he hath ſhewed of his folly in two Lines following, (in p. 11.) where he tells us, that Sheol cannot ſigGreeks ſay plainly, that Mens Souls ſhall vaniſh like ſmoke:] If they do, the more ignorant are they, and if Engliſh Men think ſo too, they would be ſo much the fitter to hear and believe the Doctrine of his Book (which is no better than the other:) His Head hath as much of Atheiſm in it, which can (by the force of imagination) turn Hell into a Dream, and Everlaſting Puniſhment into a Bug-bear and Scare-crow, as he that fancies the Soul to be turned into ſmoke. But enough of this.—
Let us ſee a little of his Sophiſtry, in his Cavil at Dr. Ames his ſpeech (if it be his indeed.Ames (ſaith Mr. R.) tells us, in his Marrow of Divinity,
p. 4.
But while he thus makes game at Doctor Ames, he doth another miſviz. make himſelf ridiculous; for none but a Caviller would gather Mr. R.'s concluſion from it. His meaning (I dare ſay) was only
Eden,
Jeruſalem ſtood, or the like. So in p. 6. He gives us another chip of the ſame Block,Hebrew or Greek. And that the word Sheol, which is ſo tranſlated, ſignifies properly, the Grave.—
A very precious Revelation! and ſuch as might be well accepted, if my Author, or any of his Judgment would but impart it (kindly) to thoſe Noble ſpirited Gentlemen that are Inamorato's to a play, and frequent thoſe Places where all things are common. For might they not go the more pleaſantly thither, when they are aſſured, that if they dye when they are at worſt, they ſhall go to no worſe a place than the Grave, and that there is no other, nor worſer Hell than it; for that which preciſe Men have rendered by the word [Hell] doth properly ſignifie the Grave. But yet let them not truſt too much to this kind of Learning: for if they pleaſe to conſider what I have to ſay unto it, they will find it is not worth one Glaſs of good Wine.R.'s invenviz. that the word ſo rendered ſigGreek Teſtament: (ſince an Engliſh word is not a Greek word) And that which is tranſlated Devil in the 4th. of Matth. and other places,R.'s ſubtilty) that it ſignifies (in that Chapter) the ſame that we uſe to call by that name, even the great implacable adverſary of Mankind, and cannot doubt of it, if they read the 10. and 11. Verſes of that Chapter.
And this is that which he hath offered us upon the word [Sheol.] He adds ſomething like it upon the word Gehenna. But of that (with God's leave) in the next Section.
R.—Hell-Fire, inMatth. 5.and other places, ſignifies the Fire that was in the Valley of the Son ofHinnom:And the word[Gehenna]which is uſed for Hell,P. 12. and 14. is borrowed from the Valley ofHinnom.—
BUT by his leave the former is denied: Hell-Fire in the Goſpel doth only allude to that Fire in the Valley of Hinnom,
Jeremy ſheweth) the People moſt cruelly ſacrificed their Children in the Fire,Moloch. And is it not very fit for the place of Torment for the Enemies of God to be expreſſed by this place of Wickedneſs and Torture? As the word which notes a miſchieHinnom aforeſaid, is manifeſt; becauſe that Fire had been put out long ago, and the place turned to another uſe, by the good King Joſiah, as we find in 2 King. 23.10.
Gehenna, what.Gehenna, we confeſs it is borrowed from the ValHinnom, (that place of Torture aforeſaid) and therefore is very fit to expreſs the place appointed for the Puniſhment of the Wicked, &c. And that it only alludes to that place,Per Metaphoram, uti Piſcain Scholiis ſuper Matth. 5.22. Matth. 10.28.Matth. 10. but rather fear him who is able to deſtroy Soul and Body in Hell: and that too after the Body is killed, Luke 12.5. that is, He can quicken the dead Body, and make it live in the Torments of Hell.
Lazarus, in Luke the 12.
Gehenna, in the 16. and 17. Pages, (to as little profit to himſelf, or his Reader, as can well be deſired) He proceeds in the following Pages, to darken the Light of
Luke cap. 16. concerning the Rich man and Lazarus, where he tells us that it is but a Parable.— And that I am confident, was no new diſcovery of his own, it was found out long before the world had any benefit by this Book of his. Then (having time and paper to ſpare) he undertakes to prove it by no leſs than Ten Reaſons (as the Socinians of old urged 30 Arguments againſt Infant Baptiſm,) But as all theirs were deceitful arguments, ſo Nine of his Ten Reaſons, are needleſs ones, for in ſuch a caſe one may be ſufficient. And when he hath gained what he contends for, [that it is a Parable,] yet he hath gained very little as to the cauſe he hath undertaken.
For as the Learned Mr. Baxter ſaith very well — If that of the Rich man in Hell, and Lazarus, ſhould be no more than a Parable,Saints Reſt. part 2. cap. 10. Sect. 4.
The next place of Scripture he hath taken a view of is Eſay 30.33.Of Tophet, Eſay 30.33. p. 26. &c.
Tophet, only the Valley of Hinnom aforeſaid. This he enlargeth upon, to little purpoſe, for ſeGehenna, upon which he had plaid the ſame Critick. Mr. Calvin, and Vatablus (who could ſee as far as an ordinary man, into a Text of Scripture, whether they may compare with Mr. Richardſon or not) They, I ſay, count it no abſurdity to in
R. being ſo vain as to diſcourſe as he hath done upon other particulars, was not afraid to ſhew himſelf ſo abſurd, as to give a ſuitable gloſs upon theſe words of our Saviour — where their Worm never dieth, telling us that this is in this preſent life; he means, only in this life, if he mean any thing to his purpoſe: And to make it good he citeth Mark 9.44.Mark 6.) and Revelations 14.10, 11. wherein he hath ſhewed himſelf very impartial, for he hath not ſpared himſelf and his Cauſe. There being hardly any Scriptures more apparently deſtructive of it than thoſe: the latter I have mentioned before, the former I ſhall now inſiſt on. The words are theſe.opened. p. 32.to go into hell, into the fire that never ſhall be quenched, where (viz. in which Hell) their Worm (ſpeaking of the wicked) never dyeth, this is only in this life ſaith Mr. R.—ſtrange certainly! for our Lord tells us, 'tis in Hell. And I hope Mr. R. himſelf will not be ſo bold as to interpret Hell in this Text of the Grave. For there is no Worm in the Grave, but ſuch as dyeth in a little time. And this is ſo remarkable that it is ſet down three times within ſix Verſes, and therefore ſeems to note ſomething more than a Puniſhment in this life only. If he take it to be meant properly, of a real and natural Worm, 'tis a ſign he hath a Worm in his own Pate; if he take it figuratively, of the Worm of Conſcience, or the furious Reflections thereof upon its own wilful wickedneſs, and its fierce Accuſations, &c. (as 'tis comJudas found in himſelf, a little before he hang'd himſelf, were doubtleſs continued in his Soul after its ſeparation from the body; and my AuSocinians, That the Soul is aſleep after the death of the Body. And thus I have ſpoken to all that is in any tolerable ſenſe con
In that page he deals with another Text of Scripture, but ſeeing it is ſuch as I would not urge to prove Everlaſting Puniſhments by, and ſeeing his Diſcourſe upon it is (in a great part) wild and extravagant, I ſhall not trouble my ſelf or my Reader with it, but rather proceed to the 36 page, where he hath ſomething fit to be examined, as of the Burning the Tares, in Matth. 13. of the word Curſed, &c. which will be the Subject (in part) of the next Paragraph.
Mr.R.—The Burning of the Tares,p. 36. (Matth. 13.) i. e.at the end of the World,v. 39.The Tares are the wicked, the Harveſt is the end of the World; by which it appears, that the Wicked with the Earth ſhall be conſumed by fire, v. 40.42. 2 Pet. 3.7.
BUT what will not thoſe men venture to ſay, that are reſolved to maintain a bad Cauſe by the ſtrength of their own ungodly wits? [The Wicked ſhall be conſumed with the Earth it ſelf, and by this it appears, ſaith he.] No ſuch matter ſay I; this is falſe in it ſelf, and therefore cannot appear to be true by that Text in St. Matth. That it is falſe in it ſelf, I need name no more than that formerly inſiſted on, in 1 Cor. 15. the dead ſhall be raiſed incorruptible.
v. 40. &c.) As the Tares are gathered and burned in the Fire, ſo ſhall it be (with the wicked) in the end of this world. The Son of man ſhall ſend forth his Angels, and they ſhall gather out of his Kingdom, them that do Iniquity, and (v. 42.) ſhall caſt them into a Furnace of fire, &c. For my part I cannot conceive how he ſhould make an Argument for it, from hence, unleſs it be from the compariſon between them, as thus. The Tares are burned ſo as to remain no longer Tares. But ſo ſhall it be at the end of the world in reſpect of the wicked. And if he would reaſon ſo, there is little reaſon we ſhould much regard it. They ſhall be burned (as the Tares) viz. as they ſhall, in ſome rei. e. certainly, irreſiſtibly, as worthleſs things and the like. But it follows not that they ſhall burn in the ſame manner in every thing, as the Tares burn, or that the fire ſhall have the ſame effects upon them,
The Lord is as a man of War, ſaith the Prophet, ſhall I therefore apply Mr. R's Logick, to that ſaying, and infer (in ſpight of Religion and good ſenſe) that the Lord is not in many places at once, becauſe a man of War is not, or that the Lord is mortal, becauſe a man of War is ſo? God forbid. It is enough that he is like a man of War in other things, or terrible as a man of War, and as it were ready armed againſt his Enemies, &c.
not for Mr. R.Peter make for him, for there 'tis only ſaid, that the day of Judgment will be a day of perdition to ungodly men, And Perdition is no more than the word Deſtruction ſignifies, and if he tells us Deſtruction when ſpoken of the wicked is meant of the deſtroying their Natures, and conſuming their Subſtance, as the fire doth Tares or Stubble, we may anſwer him ſufficiently, from what hath been ſaid in Chap. 1. Sect. 2. (towards the end) and in the Margin.
upon 2 Theſſ. 1.9. Of the word Curſed. p. 38.Curſed comes next to hand, upon which he gives us ſeveral notes [It is to be Barren, to be a Fugitive, and a Wanderer, &c.] and then he adds ſeveral Texts wherein it ſignifies, as he ſaith, ſo to be. But I pray Sir, is this all that it may be ſuppoſed to ſignifie? if not, 'tis noDepart from me ye curſed, &c. Matth. 25. He that concludeth it muſt ſignifie [to be Barren] when ſpoken of wicked men,
Of Eternal Damnation. p. 39.Mr.R.—p. 39.Eternal Damnation is in the Greek, Eternal Judgment, and a Judgment is a Sentence,&c.
Whether he will render the original word, by Damned or Judged, I ſhall not much regard in the preſent caſe, for the judging of the wicked is apparently the Damning or condemning of them, Matth. 25.41.opened.
Hebrews the 6.2. of Eternal Judgment. What will my Author ſay to this? for he cannot well call it an Eternal Sentence: for 'tis plain, The ſentence that Chriſt will paſs is not to be called Eternal, for it will be paſſed in a little time, yea, in a moment in com
He proceeds to the word [Fire] and to enquire what manner of fire the Fire of Hell (if any ſuch thing be) may be called by us,&c. p. 40.
For the firſt, He gives us ſeveral ſenſes of the Word, and tells us, it is ſometimes uſed to ſignifie God's Word, ſometimes God himſelf, by a Figure, &c.
Which Obſervations I have no cauſe at all to admire, ſince they are matters of ſmall difficulty, and little cauſe to thank him for, ſince they are deſigned for a bad end. Theſe therefore I paſs over,Q. If Corporal fire, or not?viz. in anſwer to the queſtion in the Margin.
He contends for the Negative.
Mr. R.The Fire of Hell cannot be Corporal Fire,p. 41, &c. for theſe Reaſons following.—
(And then He mentions no leſs than Eight, that thou may'ſt perceive that his Brain is not curſed, viz. not barren or unfruitful.) And though I am not bound to follow him in all his follies, yet ſome of thoſe Rea
Mr. R. — One Reaſon is this,Becauſe Corporal Fire conſumes the Combuſtible matter caſt into it. But the Fire of Hell (they ſay)conſumes not the Perſons caſt into it, therefore it is not Corporal Fire.
Anſwer. If the Fire of Hell be Corporal Fire, yet nothing proves that it muſt needs conſume them that are caſt into it. For it is not to be conſidered, what it might do in an ordinary and a natural way, but what the God of all Power will have it to do, and hath appointed it to do. The reaſon why that Fire that fell upon Sodom and Gomorrha did conſume them, was not ſo much becauſe it was Corporal Fire, as becauſe God had appointed it to conſume them.Author prove that the Fire of Hell is appointed to conſume the wicked and impeniMatth. 25.41. They that ſhall be ſent away with a Curſe into Everlaſting Fire, ſhall be ſo far from being conſumed, that they ſhall be in Everlaſting Puniſhment, Verſ. the laſt. And in Matth. 13.42.they ſhall be caſt into a Furnace of Fire, (not where they ſhall be conſumed to aſhes, but) where there ſhall be weeping and gnaſhing of teeth:
R. himſelf being Judge. And if the wicked ſhould be caſt into Hell-fire, only to be conſumed by it; then I ſay, the caſe would be no worſe with them, in reſpect of the Fire of Hell, than the caſe of Malefactors, in reſpect of the Faggot-fire, here on Earth; yea no worſe than the caſe of faithful Martyrs of Chriſt, for they were conſumed by Fire, (as to their Bodies.) And he that can think it will be no worſe with the Enemies of God in the World to come, than it was with his Servants in this World, muſt ſtoutly deny the faith, and ſtrongly oppoſe his own wits alſo.
2d.
Reaſon. Mr. R.—Corporal Fire may be quenched, but Hell-fire,they ſay,cannot.
But is it we that ſay ſo, or is it not our Lord that ſaith ſo? yea three times in a few Verſes.— Mark 9.44. Where the Fire is not quenched, i. e. not at all, or never. As when 'tis ſaid, He that believeth not the Son, (but lives and dies in unbelief) ſhall not ſee life, or happineſs, not at all that is. And if it be Corporal Fire, God is able to continue it for ever, as well as for a Time. And let Mr. R. prove that he will not con
3.Things ſeen are Temporal only, ſaithPaul;Hell-fire therefore, if Corporal, is not Eternal, for Corporal fire is ſeen.
But the Apoſtle doth not mean, that nothing viſible is Eternal, for the Body of Chriſt is a viſible Body, yet Eternal.
2. Hell-fire, though it were Corporal, is not actually ſeen by Mortal Eyes in this Life, and therefore is not proved to be Temporal by that Text. But poſſibly ſome may ſay, What is your Judgment in the caſe?
If it were worth while to tell thee, it is thus.
1. Partly Fiprepared for the Devil and his Angels, in Matth. 25. I am apt to think that the word Fire doth not there ſignifie any Corporal Fire, or Fire properly ſo called; becauſe I believe Spirits not to be any ſutable objects for real Fire to work upon; much leſs can I think that Corporal Fire can be the chiefeſt means of their Puniſhment, as this Everlaſting Fire is intiwho knows the power of his Anger, ſaith the Pſalmist: yea, and God himſelf alſo,v. laſt.conſuming Fire, in Hebr. 12. This my Author hath took notice of, p. 44. — Others ſay,Auguſtine, and ſome Modern Preachers.— And I think their judgment concerning it was as much worth as His. And though he is angry with them for it, yet he had more wit in his anger, than to undertake to diſprove them in that par
Yet I am not of their mind, who make it wholly and only figurative. I ſee no reaſon at all to the contrary,2. Partly Real. or Corporal.a Lake of Fire,
&c
Fire and Brimſtone, a Furnace of Fire, Ʋnquenchable Fire, and ſuch like, which ſeem to intimate real fire. And that real fire may be ſufficient to puniſh the Bodies of the wicked by, (in caſe the terrible God ſhall be pleaſed to uſe it for that end) cannot be doubted.
And if it ſhould be but figurative fire, it would be no comfort to the wicked that ſhall be in it; for thoſe things in Scripture, that are figuraconſuming fire, ſo he is more terrible to his Enemies than Fire, (in the day that he ſhall deal with them.) So that if Hell-fire be not fire indeed, but ſomething elſe figuratively expreſſed by it, 'tis certainly ſomething worſe than fire.
Of the Place of Hell. Mr. R.—They generally hold it is in the lower parts of the Earth: But where theſe parts are, no Man on Earth can tell, ſaith Mr.Perkinsupon the Creed.
AND what if Mr. Perkins ſay thus? I ſuppoſe he did not ſay ſo to offend Mr. R. and if he will be offended without cauſe,p. 45, 46.Author's preſence, when he ſtudied for this precious Book: Yet I doubt not but He was then in ſome place or other, (and I believe he ſtudied for it alſo, for I cannot think that he wrote it by Divine Inſpiration.) Behold what follows.
Mr. R.—BiſhopBilſon,Mr.Whately,and others ſay, Hell is below; But how many Miles it may be to it, they cannot tell us.
But why ſhould Mr. R. make ſuch ſport with them for giving him ſo little cauſe?Proverbs. And it can be no diſparagement to them that they knew not how many Miles it is to it, no more than it is to himſelf, that he knows not how many Miles it is to the third Heaven.
In the next Page (having recreated himſelf with two or three more Writers) he comes to propoſe a queſtion,
Mr. R.—We find in Scripture that the Earth ſhall be conſumed by Fire,1 Pet. 3.10, 11.and then where ſhall Hell be?
I anſwer. 1. It is queſtioned by ſome, whether the Earth ſhall be conWendeline, and others are for the Negative. But I know not any of their Arguments that ſeem ſo clear, as thoſe for the Affirmative, alledged by Dr. Prideaux,
9.7.
Hackwell in his Apology of the Power and Providence of God. Wherefore we will take it for granted, that the Earth ſhall be conſuAuthor ſuppoſeth:) And what of that? Muſt Hell be con
But if it be below, (in, or under the Earth) What ſhall become of it, after the Earth is deſtroyed? What place can be for it, when its place is burnt up? — Alas vain Man! wilt thou make difficulties to the Al
In the latter part of the ſame Page,p. 47.Revelation 20.14. verſe, where he tells us, That Hell can
And for the ſenſe of it, either Death and Hell may be ſaid figuraMatth. 16. That the Gates of Hell ſhall not prevail againſt his Church: That is, the power and policies of all the Devils
&c.
Mr. R. — Others ſay plainly, they cannot tell where Hell is (as ſome had held it was in one place, ſome in another.)
Thus being full of Mirth at their different Opinions, he expreſſeth himſelf very freely in theſe following words
R. — As it is reported of FaCotton the Jeſuit,
O admirable man! Well might he be a Ring-leader among the Anabaptiſts, and his name be an honour to their Printed Confeſſion, whoſe wit was ſo far from being curſed or unfruitful, as that it brought forth (with eaſe) ſuch a bleſſed compariſon as this. But firſt he might have left out his ſtory of the Jeſuits enquiring of the Devil, &c. For he dares not ſay our Miniſters enquire of the Devil for a Text to prove Hell by. Nor (ſecondly) have they any need to enquire of him for that purpoſe. The Scripture is plain enough in the caſe. Matth. 10.28.Fear not them that can kill the body, but rather fear him who can deſtroy Body and Soul in Hell. Mr. R. ſhall be a Prophet if this do not prove a Hell of Torment.
For to deſtroy in this place doth not ſignifie to turn into nothing, or deſtroy their BeingSee Cap. 1. Sect. 3.Hinnom is no receptacle for Souls) and thereGehenna, or Hell in that Text doth not mean that very place, but only, as was ſaid, alludes to it.
R. Line 8— See ye not the great uncertainty they are at?His Rhetorical Query. Do ye not ſee by their Reeling, Staggering, and Stumbling, that they are ſo drunk that they can find no ground to ſtand upon,&c.
Than which a ſober man can hardly ſpeak any thing that ſavours of more profaneneſs, pride and ſottiſhneſs. And if we weigh the ſpeech a
And Secondly, They cannot rightly be ſaid to Reel and Stagger, that differ from each others in ſuch ſmall matters. Such differences are no ſigns of Drunkenneſs: yet if my Author will call it ſo, ſo let him do. And if he had but given them a more particular name, and ſaid [the Black coats, or the Covetous Prieſts] inſtead of, [They, and Theſe men] and then talked of their Reeling, Staggering and Stumbling, the Quakers might have called him an upright man, and almoſt have ſworn (by the Light within them) that he was come out of the Darkneſs and the Witchcraft, and ſpake very honeſtly as the Spirit moved him. —Soon after he applies that Text in Eſay 44.He fruſtrates the tokens of Lyars, and maketh Diviners mad, &c. (And if we were uncertain whether there be a Hell or not, yet we may be very certain, that there is a Devil, when they that are pretenders to Religion, are ſo ſhame
THE ſaid Mr. Ed. Leigh I can ſay little of, any farther than his Works diſcover him, and thereby I think he hath ſhewed himR. would have thought it ſomewhat below him, to give him ſuch a large conſideraR. his Exceptions and Anſwers.
Mr.Leigh—The Conſciences of men are many times afraid of a Puniſhment after this life. Therefore there is ſuch a Puniſhment to be feared.
p. 55. Mr.R.Replies—p. 55.That's no proof of it, for mens Conſciences are as they are inſtructed, according to the Proverb, Such as the Doctor, ſuch the Scholar. And hence it is that the Conſcience of a Papiſt tells him 'tis a ſin to eat meat on Friday. Yet that's no proof of its being ſo.
Papiſts Conviz. by thoſe unskilful Preachers whom they had the unhappineſs to hear) ſo that the only reaſon why they fear ſuch a Puniſhment, is becauſe of the Inſtructions they have had about it.1. Evidence.Siſyphus, Tantalus, Rhadamanthus, and the Stygian Lake, ſeveral paſſages in Virgils Æneids, &c.
And how many might we hear of that in the days of their health and ſtrength were as confident as could be, and feared no ſin that they liked of, that were alſo groſly ignorant, and cared for no Inſtructions unleſs it were how to get money, and enrich their Land, &c. that yet have been in great fear when a dangerous ſickneſs ſeized upon them, O they ſhall dye, they ſhall die, and what ſhall become of them then— And how ſhould they have ſuch Impreſſions upon their Spirits, if they had not a ſenſe of this Truth, as ignorant as they are.2. EviFrancis Spira, and others, and you will ſee what Agonies and Terrors, the Appre
Now hence I would offer Mr. R. this Dilemma to deal with—
Either theſe unſpeakable Terrors were natural works of Conſcience,
If he ſay the former, then he doth as good as grant what I contend for, for that's the only reaſon of his denial of the proof, becauſe Con
If he ſay the latter [that theſe extreameſt terrors are occaſioned by thoſe Inſtructions about a future Everlaſting puniſhment] then he is caſt alſo. For what (can he think) makes thoſe Inſtructions ſo
Leigh his ſecond ArguLeigh adds—The Heathen believed a Puniſhment for bad men, after this Life. Therefore there is ſuch a Puniſhment— Mr. R. AnPythagoras the Philoſopher (for ſo he calls him, as though there had been a Pythagoras the Divine, from whom to be diſtinguiſhed) and alſo of Plato and his Sacrifice, &c. which are not fit for my paper to be filled with; and therefore I leave them,Jeſſe his Almanack. (And if Mr. Richardſon had ſpent that time in making Almanacks, which he ſpent in compoſing this precious piece, it might have been more for his comfort, or at leaſt, leſs for his ſorrow, when he comes to dye.)
But to come to the point; [why did not Mr. Leigh ſay and prove that the Heathens believed a Puniſhment for bad men, never to end?] Since I have undertaken this Task, I muſt ſuppoſe my ſelf obliged to make Mr. R. ſome Anſwer in the caſe, and it is thus in ſhort.
It was (in all probability) becauſe he thought there was no need of ſaying it or proving it: nevertheleſs if it may be any Satisfaction to Mr. R. or his Proſelytes, I ſhall be content to ſay it and prove it too. The former is in effect done already: the latter I ſhall now enSeneca the Tragedian,
Sanguine Humano abſtine,&c.
Then he adds—
Where he may fitly note that expreſſion Seneca.
[ut fert fama] which ſpeaks it to have been the common apprehenſion of men in thoſe days, how ſtrange ſo
Ovid alſo, in ſome of his Books (if I miſtake not in his Book de Ponto) hath theſe two remarkable Verſes,
i. e.
And we may find (upon tryal) that he was as much miſtaken, in ſaying that the Heathens deny the Reſurrection of the Body:
—Mille peractis Oblitae ditem redeunt in corpora luſtris. Syllius Italicus.
And the other Seneca hath ſomewhere a ſpeech very plain for it,—Veniet iterum qui nos in lucem reponet dies.
In Engliſh thus,
2. He Anſwers, p. 59.—what if the Heathens do hold as you ſay,p. 59. His ſecond An
Yes certainly, in thoſe things that they believe aright.
They rightly believed that they muſt be juſt in their dealings, and true in their ſpeeches, and we muſt believe ſo too though we are Chriſtians, (yea, becauſe we are Chriſtians.) And now it would be an eaſie matter to make a good Argument of the Heathens Judgment and Teſtimony aforeſaid. For whence was it that they did judge there ſhall be an Everlaſting Puniſhment hereafter for evil doers? Surely not from Satans ſuggeſtions, for the Reaſon afore given in the former Argument, (it were contrary to his deſign to perſwade them of any ſuch thing,) nor from meer weakneſs and ſillineſs; for they were the ſobereſt, wiſeſt and Learnedſt among them, that were of this Judgment. And if it were from God, and his Convictions upon their Conſciences (whe
Mr.L's Reaſon alſo proves the ſame,Mr. for it aſſures us that God is juſt; many abominable ſinners enjoy more proſperity in this world than they that live uprightly,Leighhis third Argument from Gods juſtice, vindicated. &c.
Argument 2.Richardſons Anſwer ſhall be conſidered. The ſubſtance of it is in the following words,
R.—I ſee you are more bold to affirm than able to prove; what, doth reaſon deny the Puniſhment to be juſt, unleſs it be for ever? The Scripture you alledge (viz. Pſal. 73.17.) ſaith, they have an end, and you ſay they ſhall have no end; Again, your Reaſon is againſt the will of God, who is pleaſed to ſave of the worſt of ſinners, Luke 7.47. 1 Tim. 1.19. If ſome wicked men enjoy more proſperity than others, muſt they therefore be puniſhed without end? if that you ſay were true, what cauſe would there be to rejoyce in the day of proſperity, Eccleſ. 7.
This Anſwer is large enough, but whether it be good enough, is now to be enquired. For the firſt part, the charge of Boldneſs upon that learned perſon (if he had been guilty of overmuch) might be brought againſt him more honeſtly by (almoſt) any man, than my Author; for who ever was ſo bold as he, to write ſo much in defence of that Opinion which hath always been abhorred by Orthodox Divines? To his firſt queſtion,Matth. 25.41.) I ſay theſe things conſidered, His juſtice will engage him to Puniſh them for ever, for they will be ever worthy of Puniſhment, their Iniquity will always deſerve ſuch wages, and it is the part of juſtice to pay it to them (ſuppoſing no compenſation to be pleadable by them, as none ſhall be) The other particulars of his Anſwer (herein) will receive very eaſie and quick diſpatch. For his urging of Pſal. 73.17.
Then I went into the Sanctuary of God,
Opened.
and ſo I underſtood the end of theſe men. (Speaking of the wicked that proſper'd in the world.) Their end in this place no man (I verily believe) did ever interpret, as he, of their coming to an end (as we call it) or of the ending of their Beings, as the Birds, and Beaſts, and Plants ſhall have an end: and I ſhall not now trouble my ſelf to confute ſo wild a conceit, ſince I have ſaid enough to it upon the word Deſtruction, in the third Section of the firſt Chapter.
By their End therefore I underſtand rather their Lot and Reward, their final Portion and laſt Eſtate, viz. that it will be Miſerable, as on the contrary, the good mans End is Comfortable. Behold the upright, for the [End] of that man is Peace. That is, his portion at laſt is Peace, his laſt Eſtate is full of Peace and bleſſed Satisfaction in his God, whatever his former ſtate in this preſent world hath been.
His Aſſertion following deſerves as little to be ſaid to it, namely, [That God is pleaſed to ſave of the worſt of ſinners] for if he mean it of ſinners againſt the Law, I confeſs it is true, God is pleaſed to ſave ſome of thoſe that have been the groſſeſt Tranſgreſſors of the Mo&c.) Nor do we ſay (as he would ſeem to intimate) that thoſe wicked ones that proſpered more than others, ſhall be puniſhed Everlaſtingly for their proſperity, but for their wickedneſs, and their impenitency in it. And if he think it is unjuſt that they ſhould ſuffer for ever upon that account, he had beſt AnEccleſ. 7.14. which he would fain get on his ſide, it maketh nothing at all for him; for the perſon Solomon bids, rejoyce in the day of Proſperity, muſt needs be ſuppoſed to be a godly man; for as for the wicked (whether he proſper or not) the Lord hath ſaid, We unto him, Eſay 3.11.
Mr. Leigh's 4th. Argument from the wicked Man's will to ſin.— Vindicated. p.62.Mr. L.— It is but just that they ſhould ſuffer for ever, who if they had lived, would have ſinned for ever.
Mr. R.— [If it be just that we ſhould ſuffer for ever, 'tis just that our Surety ſhould ſuffer for ever.(ſpeaking of Chriſt.)
B. This anſwer is ſhort enough, but not ſo ſweet, and Dunghill-like, the more we ſtir it, the more it will ſtink.—
But before I come to meddle with it, obſerve good Reader, that it is in effect no Anſwer at all, for it concerns not that which Mr. L. had ſaid; it neither grants it, nor denies it, nor hath any more ſuitableneſs to it, than the Sails of a Wind-mill have to a Ship. Alas for Mr. R. what a caſe was he in! though he were inſpired with a ſpirit of contra
But becauſe I cannot Reply to his Anſwer, I muſt ſay ſomething to that which he hath offered inſtead of an Anſwer.
p. 62.Author is very little for his credit, for it ſeems to ſpeak him a meer Socinian, one that doth not believe the Deity of Chriſt. Had he believed him to be God, he could not eaſily have run into ſuch an Error. I anſwer, in a word, That it will not follow that Chriſt ſhould ſuffer Eternally, if we deſer8. De Morte Chri16. Sect. 3, 4, &c.Philip. 2.7, 8. The Learned Reader may conſult the moſt Learned Nichol. Arnolus, in his Anticatecheſis Racoviana.
The 63. and 64. Pages of his Book contain nothing of much moment. His chiefeſt ſubtilty therein, is in perverting that phraſe in the Prophet [cast them out of my ſight] which notes his diſpleaſedneſs with them, not his annihilating of them, as he would have it.
Mr. Leigh (ſaith he) tells us,p. 65.Leigh adds, It is the concurrent Judgment of Divines, &c. To which Mr. R. replies, We are well ſatisfied that they are not Infal&c.
In the next Page he cavils at Mr. R. Bolton, that excellent Chriſtian,p. 72.R.— Mr. Bolton ſaith, thou muſt live in endleſs woe, which thou mighteſt have eſcaped, (ſpeaking to the impenitent ſinner) which overthrows the Doctrine of Election.— I deny it. Doubtleſs ſuch a Maſter-builder would not ſpeak that which ſhould oR. or his Brethren have any thing to ſay againſt it,Charles Phelps his Book on that Point.
And for the ſpeech it ſelf, he meant it doubtleſs conditionally, and ſo 'tis true of the worſt in Hell: He might have eſcaped, if he would have turned in time, &c.—p. 73, 74.Minutiſſima, having greater matters to inſiſt on, and haſten to conſider his more valiant undertaking, viz. to Remove the Pillars of Hell-torments; which is his next work, and way to make his Name famous.]
I Have formerly diſcovered ſuch Pillars of my Doctrine, as he will never be able to ſhake (to any purpoſe) whiles the World ſtands, where alſo the main Pillars of his Sophiſtical exceptions and anſwers have been fully removed. See Chapter the 1. Sect. 2d.
Nevertheleſs, becauſe he takes himſelf to be a ſtrong Man, I will try his ſtrength, and endeavour to diſcover how far he hath prevailed towards the ſhaking of thoſe Pillars, which he hath undertaken to ſhake and remove.—
p. 77.Mr. R.— The Greek Fathers were the firſt Pillars of Hell-Torments: and it came to paſs through their ignorance in the Hebrew Tongue, &c.
But we have found ſome ancienter Pillars of them than they, viz. The Texts of Scripture, in Matth. 25. and elſewhere, (in the Chapter now cited.)
2. I deny them to be Pillars of them, for Chriſtians do not believe an Everlaſting Puniſhment for the wicked, becauſe the Fathers believed ſo, but becauſe the Scriptures tell us ſo.
3. We are not bound to believe them ſo groſly ignorant in the Hebrew Tongue, as my Author makes for. I know not but the Greek Fathers (ſome at leaſt) might have as good skill in it, as ſuch a bold Engliſh Man, as Mr. Richardſon; or if they were never ſo unskilled in the Hebrew, they were very well ſeen in the Greek, (which the New Teſtament was written in, and which contains the cleareſt proofs of the Point.) Doubtleſs they knew how fully the Texts in the New Teſtament did prove it, and were very well able to underſtand that [ult.
Author would not know it.
Mr. R.—The ſecond Pillar of Hell-torments were the Writers of the Original Copies of the Bible: But their defect hath put us to a great loſs; The Original Copy that the Apoſtles wrote is not now to be found. And 'tis not enough that we have Books in Hebrew and Greek, unleſs we were certain that theſe Copies (as they call them) do agree word for word, with thoſe Copies that were wrote by the Prophets and Apoſtles.—
This, if I am not much miſtaken, is bad enough; But the Apoſtle hath told us, that evil men and ſeducers will wax worſe and worſe,
deceiving and being deceived. Behold therefore that which follows, and read it deliberately, (if thou canſt read it without horror) p. 76. line 13.p. 76.
R.—Many boaſt of God's preſerving the Hebrew and Greek Bible, &c.Mr. But as he was pleaſed to deliver up Christ and his People, ſo hath he delivered the Scriptures alſo into the hands of Sinners to be uſed at their pleaſure.—R.'s Horrid Speech.
— Oh Mr. R. which way are you tending, whither do you mean your Pen ſhall run? What can you think of theſe black words,
You profeſſed to write your Book for the glory of God, (in your Title page) and I beſeech you, let it be conſidered whether it tends to God's glory, to bring the Authority of his Word into queſtion; And as you deſire to comfort ſinners, ſo (methinks) you ſhould have more love towards Profeſſors, than to lead them to infidelity, in hopes of winning them to your own Opinion.
[God hath delivered the Scriptures into the hands of ſinners to be dealt with, as they pleaſed, i. e. to be depraved and corrupted how themſelves would.] O monſtrum horrendum, informe, ingens.—A bold Man indeed: He is Doctor Reſolutus, (though not Durandus) He is reſolved to carry it; He will turn all things Arſie verſie, and weaken
Flectere ſi nequeat ſuperos Acheronta movebit. i.e.More ways than one: He will try all,If God will not him help, the Devil ſhall.
But Reader, fear not (too much) his fearful Aſſertion, though it be fierce, yet 'tis but weak, yea, notoriouſly falſe. All thoſe ArguPolanus Scharpius,
Uſhers Body of Divip. 17.
Gerrardus de S. Scriptura, and others, and the meer Engliſh Reader may conſult thoſe in the Margin.Leigh's Treatiſe of Dil. 1. cap. 6. p. 116. Proofs that the Scripture is not corrupted by men.Author in this particular, as well as againſt the Papiſts in the other. I ſhall now urge one or two Arguments in the caſe.
If men had corrupted the Scriptures (and made them ſpeak in any points of Divinity otherwiſe than at firſt) it muſt be ſuppoſed to have been done before the coming of Chriſt in the fleſh, or after. If before, ſurely Chriſt who taxed many other errors in the Jews would not have ſuffered ſuch a wickedneſs to paſs without Reprehenſion. (And 'tis not unknown how careful the Jews were in keeping the Oracles of God committed to them.) And that they were not corrupted ſince the Death of Chriſt is clear, for Copies being diſperſed in the world more and more (one age after another) how could ſuch a thing be acted by ſome, but others would ſoon diſcover it? And it may not be doubted but God's Providence did watch ſomewhat extraordinarily, as to this matter which ſo much concerned his own glory, and the good of his people to the worlds end. Surely he that ſo often diſcovers thoſe that have corrupted the Coin of Princes and States, would not conceal thoſe long that ſhould attempt to corrupt and pervert his Sacred Laws. And here I ſhall borrow an excellent paſſage of the worthy Mr. R. Baxter,
Saints Reſt. part. 2. cap 4. Sect. 6.R's Religion, as to the point.
If any man (ſaith he) be ſo blind as to think it uncertain whether theſe be the ſame Books which the Apoſtles wrote; I would ask him by what aſſurance he holds his Lands? 1. How doth he know that his Deeds, Conveyances and Leaſes be not counterfeit writings? or that they are the ſame that their Fore-fathers made? Surely they have nothing but mens words for it, and yet they verily think their Lands are their own. 2. And whereas they hold all by the Law of the Land,
And after all this,Gregory Martyn, that grave profound Popeling in Queen Elizabeths Reign, did practiſe this Art with the greateſt care and skill he had, and diſcovered (if he did not lye) a great many groſs corruptions in our Engliſh Tranſlation, to the advantage of our Hereſies (as he calls it) But ſince the Learned Dr. Fulk
Gr. Martin.
Author will go higher than ſo, aHebrew and Greek Copies that are extant in the world And well might he contend with the London MiGreek Teſtaments ſuppo
i.e.
&c.
Reader, That thy heart may be throughly antidoted againſt Mr. R's moſt peſtilent ſuggeſtion, I ſhall offer thee theſe following Conſiderations.
Plato, of Ariſtotle, Hippocrates, and of Pliny, and Galen, Plutarch, of Theophraſtus and Cicero, of Homer and Heſiod, of Suetonius and Florus, Tacitus and Livy, were the writings of thoſe men whoſe names they bear, or whether they are agreeable to thoſe Copies which they wrote at firſt?
So that the Writings of Philoſophers and Poets, Phyſicians, HiſtoR. doth not inſinuate any doubt in that caſe.) But when it comes to that which concerns our precious Souls, that word which contains our rules in Life, our comforts at death, and our foundations of hope, as to a better world hereafter, O then his patient heart is moved, his Doubts, and Fears, and Suſpicions are ſuggeſted: he kicks and flings and lays about him extreamly; he throws his blackeſt duſt in our FaPlato's, &c. hand
2. If the Scripture were corrupted in the Originals, it muſt be by ſuch as believed it to be the word of God, or ſuch as did not: If he ſay, by them that believed it ſo to be, then I would fain know how
Julian the Apoſtate Emperor (Acerrimus ille Chriſti hoſtis, as an excellent Author ſtyles him8. Orat. 1.
And if any ſuch thing were done, how ſoon would it be diſcovered? If a Proteſtant ſhould Print ſome Maſs-Books with ſome conſiderable alterations, leaving out a prayer to the Virgin Mary, and putting in a Prayer to Chriſt inſtead of it, how quickly would the Romaniſts eſpy the change, how ſoon would the Bulls roar from Babylon
Pope's Holineſs.— And do ye think, that the Chriſtians in the Primitive times were not as zealous for the Scriptures, as the Papiſt's are for the Maſs-Books, or that they would not have been as careful to diſcover ſuch forgeries, in or about them, if any ſuch things had been?
John, that were attempted in that kind, by any Hereticks, and thoſe were ſuch as concerned myſterious DoVid. Arnoldi Lux in Tenebris in 1 Joh. 5.7.Bellar. de verbo Dei.Author cannot ſerve his turn hereby, for what if he could
And that leud and diſorderly Perſons did not corrupt the Copies of Scripture in favour of their looſe and wicked practices is plain;R.'s diſpleaſure.
R. ſpeaks of it) is well known to them that have been deſirous of information in that matJulian, and the Hereticks that abuſed it, to maintain their falſe Doctrines. Sabinian having wrote a Book againſt the Doctrine of the Trinity, his Head ſuddenly fell off from his Shoulders, no Man knew how; and the like (or as ſtrange judgments) upon others of them, you may find related by Dr. Beard,
Lib. 1. cap 19.
And had he ſo many Judgments for thoſe that abuſed ſome Texts of Scripture for bad purpoſes, and would he ſuffer Men to go unpuniſhed, while they were upon ſuch a deſign, as to corrupt the Scriptures them
And ſince the writing of this laſt paſſage; I have met with a very ReJoſephus.
12. cap. 2. in ſine.quamobrem Rex multum gaviſus, &c. In Engliſh thus. Wherefore the Jews having turGreek, according to the will of the King Ptolomaeus Philadelphus, He was (ſaith the Author) much rejoyced at it, and took much delight to hear it read to him, profeſſing that he admiDemetrius a Learned Man, that waited on him, why the Poets and Philoſophers did not mention this Law in their Writings, ſince it ſavoured of ſuch
Theodectes, a Poet, who purpoſing to put ſome part of it in his own Poems, was ſtricken with blindneſs, and recovered not his ſight till he had changed his purpoſe. And the like he relates of another, in the foregoing words, which for brevity ſake I omit. Now if God were pleaſed thus to rebuke them for ſuch purpoſes; How much more, may we think, would he have re
And if my Author could make us believe, That [Thoſe ſhall go away into everlaſting puniſhment] was forged into the Text, and corruptly added; He might as well make us believe the ſame of [The Righteous going away into Life Eternal] for doubtleſs the ſame ſpirit that would encourage the Enemies of Christ, would not much ſcruple to diſcourage his Servants.
I ſhall now add only the Teſtimony of Him, who is the true and faithful Witneſs.Luke 16.17.
[Facilius est autem Coelum & Terram praeterire, quam vel unam apicem Legis excidere.] i. e.
The Earth may fail, the Heavens may ſooner paſs Than one of their Maker's Laws. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
And thus Mr. R.'s bad ſpeech hath brought forth ſome good, and his ſhaking hath occaſioned ſome matter of confirmation and eſtabliſhment to the Chriſtian's Faith. For which, not unto him, nor unto me, but unto our God be the praiſe.
&c. 85.Chamierus well obſerves.
In the next alſo, he hath rambled ſo much out of the way,p. 85. — 88.Hell, or Gehenna, for a place of puniſhment after this life, (ſuch as Calvin, Beza, Paraeus, Muſculus, Perkins Willet, and Multitudes more of eminent Proteſtants) he will ſhew himſelf fit enough to ſail to Anticyrus, or to be cut for the Simples here in England. Well, had theſe Men been able to foreHell for no worſe place than a Grave, in all the New Teſtament; Everlaſting, for a few Minutes time, and Puniſhment for Annihilation: that is, a Puniſhment inflicted, for a puniſhment that cannot be felt: (for when a Man is turned into nothing, he cannot be ſenſible of any thing.) But though ſuch an Expoſition might have plea
The fourth Pillar that he reckons up (and ſets before him,p. 88.
R.— p.89, 90.All ſorts of Prieſts agree,and abuſe the People. The Mahometan Prieſts blow a Powder into the eyes of thoſe that come to ſee p.89.Mahomet's Tomb,Note. to make them blind ever after; and then they ſay the glory ofMahomethath blinded them: So the Antichriſtian Prieſts, and all ſorts of Prieſts have greatly deluded the People; blowing ſomething into their Ears, that they are never afterwards able to receive the truth.(This is the ſubſtance of what he ſaith therein more at large.)
I hope, Sir, you do except the Prieſts of your own Order, and the Anabaptiſtical Preachers, what ever you ſay herein of the Antichriſtian Prieſts, and other ſorts of Prieſts. But, Worthy Sir, I pray let us know where your Goodneſs hath read this worthy ſtory, or at leaſt let us know whether it were your Religion or Conſcience, your Honeſty or Modeſty, that moved you to apply it after this manner? Not to paſs
Sir, you might now perceive, that the wicked may be compared to chaff and ſtubble, though God's wrath will not make an end of them, as Fire doth of the other. As our Doctrines may (if your judgment fail not) be compared to that Powder aforeſaid, though they be not dug out of the Earth, or ſcraped out of a rotten Poſt, or any ſuch thing, as that may be ſuppoſed to be. For however they may diſagree in other things, yet they agree in this, that blindneſs (if you miſtake not) is the effect of both; (the one blinding Men's minds, as the other their eyes) So, though wicked Men, and chaff and ſtubble are not alike in all things, yet they are vain and worthleſs things in compariſon of the Righteous, as thoſe are, in compariſon of the Corn, &c. and therefore may fitly be compared with them.
You are a Proteſtant in Profeſſion, and therefore I do judge, you never wore a Pilgrim's Weed, nor travelled to that Sacred place, where Pope Joan's pretty Child was buried, nor do I think you ever ſaw the Miracles that were wrought by the Reliques of St. Anthony, nor how the Hand of St. Nicholas his Image moved, when it was lifted up to bleſs the People:Downham's Treatiſe of Antichriſt. p. 112.viz.
[That the Antichriſtian Prieſts, and all ſorts of Prieſts have agreed to deceive the People] That is, Proteſtant Divines, yea the generaPopiſh ones: The Miniſters of Christ, as well as the Vaſſals of Antichriſt. And that all ſorts (good and bad) ſhould thus conſpire for ſuch a miſchief; that the great Oppoſers of Antichriſt ſhould have ſuch an Antichriſtian deſign, and wilfully delude the People, (and that too in no leſs a matter, than Men's everlaſting ſtate in another World) O how wonderful, and how incredible is this! And yet we muſt of neceſſity, believe all this; or elſe we muſt believe your Wor
p. 90, &. 91.viz. Some Scriptures and Reaſons.—Of which he ſaith in effect no more but this, That thoſe Scriptures are wreſted, and thoſe Reaſons inſuffi
The laſt Pillar of Hell torments (which he is pleaſed to mention) is a perſwaſion,&c.
Let us eat and drink for to morrow we dye) is ſo plain that I ſhall not write one line to prove it, yet nevertheleſs I ſhall conſider what he hath ſaid to diſprove it. And firſt (to paſs over his extravagancies from the 92. page to 102. about the Decree of God as relating to mans fall, and the like points which are thruſt in perforce, by the head and ſhoulders,
Mr.R.—That the belief of Hell torments is no ſuch preſervative from ſin, is evident; for the greateſt ſinners believe there is ſuch and yet ſin ſtill.
But what doth he mean by [ſuch a preſervative from ſin] and by [believing them.] If he mean in the former, a total and compleat preſervative, ſuch as keeps them from all ſin,viz. Becauſe the greateſt ſinners do believe there is a Hell, and yet ſin ſtill as much as ever; This ſaith he, maketh it evident, that the belief of Hell is no ſuch preſervative againſt ſin. But this proof proves nothing, nor would he himſelf like of it in another caſe: for (if he be not an Atheiſt) he will eaſily grant, that the belief of a God doth really tend to cleanſe mens hearts and refor though they be never ſo wicked, yet they hope the Torments of Hell, which they believe do not belong to them, or that they may repent before they dye, &c.
Juſt ſo may I ſay of the other. For though men believe there is a God, yet they (too often) hope that he ſees them not, or that he is not much offended with their wickedneſs, or the like. And yet I will not doubt but the belief of a God tends in it ſelf, to do ſome good upon men, (nor doth my Author himſelf imagine that an Atheiſtical opinion is a friend to Religion, but an enemy it.)
And ſecondly, what doth he mean by a Belief of Hell torments? If he mean it of a ſlight belief, a fleeting opinion that they are real, while they know little reaſon why they ſhould believe them, but only becauſe others are of that judgment; This I confeſs is no great pre
Arminian, that ſaid he was at preſent in a ſtate of Damnation, but to morrow (when ſober) ſhould return into a ſtate of grace. And why might he not have told us as well of John a Leydon's many Marriages, or Knipperdoling's Breathing upon the people when he bad them receive the Holy Ghoſt. And what if the Arminian ſpoke ſo ſottiſhly when he was drunk, or were of the ſame principles when he was ſober, yet he never was ſo blind when drunk, or ſo bold when ſober, as to deny there is a Hell, and to compare the terrors and tor
Secondly, he proceeds after this manner.
R.— If fear of Hell were a preſerver againſt ſin,His ſecond Reaſon. then thoſe that are delivered from that fear (and believe they ſhall be ſaved) would ſin more than others, which is not ſo.p. 104.
Very true, if they have nothing more or better to preſerve them from ſinful courſes; but if they have the love of God and holineſs in their hearts, they will ſhun the ways of ſin, though freed from the fears of Hell. In a word, though the godly would eſchew evil when he is freed from the fears of Hell, yet the wicked man would follow it the more if he were ſo. And I doubt not but many ſuch have been more bold to do wickedly ſince his Book againſt Hell came into the world, than ever they were before.
In the 105. page,viz. [That the luſts of men are ſtronger than the fears of Hell.] No wonder if they be ſo in this Age, wherein ſuch a skilful workman as Mr. R. hath uſed all his craft to make them believe there is no Hell. But if men's belief of it were ſtronger, the fear of it would prevail againſt their ſtrongeſt ſinful luſts, ſo as that they would not give them
In the 106. page, He hath ſeveral Texts of Scripture, as Pſal. 19.11.Malachi 2.2. and others, which tend not ſo much as in ſhew to conR's Do&c. and be aſſured at the ſame time, that they ſhould ſuffer no worſe puniſhment than to be turned into nothing. (after they had wrought all the miſchief they are able.) Would they not then be content (if the Laws of the Land would allow it) to hear a Sermon but once a year? and caſt off the very ſhew of Religion? Would they not be content to ſit round a Barrel (in the midſt of a Green) on the Lord's day in the Afternoons (yea in the Forenoons too) and deſire no better company than New Cards and Old Stories, all the day long? Would not a deſperate Damning Gallant be more welcome to them than a Preacher? and his ſhameleſs, Whoriſh, HeaSamuel was no Prophet, nor Mr. Richardſon any of thoſe that wrote by the Spirit. And what he pretends for it from [the Deſtruction] of the wicked, hath received a cenſure in the firſt Chapter.
&c.
viz. when I come to take a view of his conſiderations, &c. in the 113, 114. pages,Matth. 25.41. We read of everlaſting fire prepared for them, there
And their perpetuity under puniſhment may alſo be cleared from their perpetuity in ſinning (their everlaſting impenitency) The Devils are paſt all true repentance for their ſins, and therefore they that conye are of your father the Devil, ſaid our Saviour to the obſtinate Jews of old.
And if the Devils will never truly repent of their ſins, what wonthe ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt ſhall never be forgiven.
And thus we have ſeen the certainty of the Devils everlaſting puniſhR's Arguments as ſhall be ſeen in the next Section.
HItherto he hath fought (as it were) at a diſtance, but now (in the following part of his Pamphlet) he comes more cloſe, and ſtrikes down-right blows upon the Antichriſtian Prieſts and all ſorts of Prieſts (to uſe his own words) that ſo he may, if it be poſſi&c. pages. And though his folly hath been ſomewhat evident by what hath been ſaid, yet I think I may affirm the ſame of it, which the Queen of Sheba once did of Solomons wiſdom,p. 113. l. 1.
Mr.R.— Several conſiderations that there is not to be any puniſhment that ſhall never end.
B. O fortunate ſir, what happy Planet were you born under that ever you ſhould be able (and willing) to do ſuch a great work as this, and ſo effectually to ſtrengthen the hearts of the enemies of God in their moſt raging reſolute wickedneſſes? Well: If you make good what you have undertaken, you ſhall ſurely have the credit of it — & eris mihi magnus Apollo, yea, and for your diligent endeavour in this kind, you ſhall (by my conſent) refreſh your heart with Malmsbury Ale, be a Chaplain to Mr. Hobbs, and contemplate the beauty of his famed Leviathan.
But let us come to the work, and conſider a little your ſeveral con
R.—p. 113. l. 6.firſt we do not find the place of Hell mentioned in any of the ſix days work of God, and if it be not found in Gods Creation, it is a ground for us to judge that it is of mans Creation, viz.a vain imagination,&c.
B. Theſe are plain words indeed, and he hath ſpoken no parable therein, but how well he hath ſpoken a few words will diſcover. For firſt, how would he behave himſelf if he were to diſpute with any ſuch as the Sadducees of old, who held there was no Angel or Spirit? for they might very eaſily argue thus —We read not in the Hiſtory of the ſix days work, of the Creation of Angels, therefore there be no ſuch creatures in the world. If Mr. R. denies the propoſition, he muſt forget the firſt of Geneſis, or ſhew us ſome place of it that menR's firſt conſideration proves as well that there is no Angel.
Geneſis or not. It is ſaid indeed there [God created the Heaven] but the Hebrew is rendred by Fagius,
1.
Coelum hoc, i. e. This Heaven, that is the viſible Heaven: and other good DiMoſes in that Chapter meant only to reckon up the viſible works of God (in the former part of it) and yet I ſhall not doubt whether there be another Heaven above that, becauſe I am not certain that any ſuch is intended in that place; but do believe it becauſe of the Teſtimony of other Scriptures: and ſo will I believe there is a Hell, becauſe it is mentioned in other places, though it be not in the firſt of Geneſis.
His ſecond Conſideration is no leſs vain than the former, as thus:
—R.
Solomon was the Wiſeſt of men,&c. which he would have done if he had known of them.
B. What doth he think of Proverbs 15.24. The way of life is above to the wiſe, that he may depart from Hell beneath. Doth not Solomon ſpeak of Hell in that place, or can he perſwade us that it means no more than the grave, when experience ſhews that the beſt and wiſeſt do not ſcape that no more than the worſt: yet that Hell (there mentioned) is manifeſtly ſuppoſed to be ſuch as the wiſe (walking in the way of wiſdom) may certainly eſcape. 2. Chriſt was wiſer than Solomon himſelf,Solomon ſpeaks not (at leaſt not plainly) of the Deity of the Holy Ghoſt, of the union of the Divine and HuSocinians ſhall never baffle us out of our Faith therein. In a word, though Solomon were the wiſeſt man, yet God never in
In his Third Conſideration,Hebrew Doctors writings) of the ſeven thouſand years, in the world to come in which all Souls ſhall be bleſſed] If ſuch a piece of Jewiſh learning be pleaſing to ſuch a Rabbi as Mr. R. yet that's little reaſon why I or other ChriJews were great ſearchers of Scripture, and if everlaſting puniſhment
Jews ever ſaw, or acknowledged all Scripture-truths, they had as many errors and weakneſſes as other Men.
p.116.R.—The Saints recorded in Scripture, did not believe there was any puniſhment for any to endure, that ſhall never end; for in their penitential confeſſions, they do not confeſs ſuch puniſhment to have been deſerved by them:Dan. 9To us belongs confuſion of face. (This is his fourth Conſideration.)
p. 117, 118.
—We do not find that ever they gave thanks for ſuch a deliverance, or ſo much as prayed for it; which yet could not but appear the greateſt deliverance, if they had known of it.
B. The ſubſtance of this Reaſoning is thus: [The Saints did not confeſs any Everlaſting Puniſhment to be deſerved by them, &c.]
I anſwer. Yes, they did implicitly confeſs ſo much; for, in the Text he mentions, in 9. Daniel, To us belongs confuſion of face, it is not liPſal. 44.23. They pray thus [O caſt us not off for ever.] which was an acknowledgment, that God juſtly might have caſt them off for ever, for their ſin. And in Pſal. 79.5. Lord, wilt thou be angry for ever? Is not that an acknowledgment, that he might pour out his anger upon them, (i. e. puniſh them) for ever for their ſins?
And if it were as he would have it, the Argument would prove but little, for the Saints in Scripture did not expreſly confeſs, that they de
2. I do not remember that ever they ſaid, [we give thee thanks, O Lord, for giving us thy Holy Spirit to inſtruct us] and yet the Text tells, that it was ſo in thoſe very words:Thou gavest alſo thine Holy Spirit to inſtruct them: And yet they could not but know that it was a very great benefit; (to allude to my Author's expreſſion) Nor did they pray (expreſly, and in Terminis) to be delivered from evil ſpirits, and their malice and violence: Yet I verily believe they want not will nor power to do us violence, (every Hour in the Day) if our God did not over-rule, and reſtrain them.
Conſid. 5.— R.Chriſt, when on Earth, did weep for theJews,becauſe of that deſslation that was to come upon them: would he not much more have spoken of a puniſhment never to end, and have wept for them that ſhould ſuffer that, if there were any ſuch to be endured by any? p.119.
B. It is not unfit to be noted, how blind thoſe Men are that have not a mind to ſee the Truth. [He would have ſpoken of ſuch a Puniſh&c.] As ſome Men will face us down, (and vow moſt ſtoutly) that they did not thoſe things which we ſaw them do; So Mr. R. by that ſpeech of his, would make Chriſtians beMatth. 25. laſt Verſe, [Theſe ſhall go away into everlaſting puniſhment.]
But ſaith he [He would have wept for them that ſhould have ſufJoh. 21.) But it is not written ſo of him: True, but what of that? for in the GoMatth 7.14. &c. and yet we read not that he wept for them, which notwithſtandi
His 6. Conſideration is an Aſſertion,p. 120.Matth. (to mention no more at this time) for therein we find a Day, wherein all Nations ſhall be gathered before Chriſt, and have their ſentence according to their works, to everHe ſhall come to judge the quick and the dead.)
There is nothing more that needs to be conſidered by me, but only his heaping up Texts of Scripture one upon another; for upon this occaſion, (in this 120. page) he hath as many Texts as Lines, which yet prove no more, [that there ſhall be no puniſhment after this life] than Mr. Hobbs his Latine Epiſtle to Mr. Wood, will prove Dr. Fell to be no Scholar. (And this, Reader, may be a caution to thee, that thou doſt not always conclude the Excellency of a Book, or a Sermon, from the multitude of Texts of Scripture that are alledged therein, for a Man may name many, when moſt of them are little to the purpoſe they are brought for, and then they will profit thee no more, than the Meat that goes beſide thy Mouth will nouriſh thee: 'Tis not how many Texts, but how pertinent to the point in hand, that is to be moſt regarded.)
R. — p.121.God's puniſhment of ſin is not of ſo large an extent as his mercy,Pſal. 108.Thy mercy is great above the Heavens:(And more of the ſame excellency, which they that want may read in the ſame page, I ſhall not trouble my ſelf to tranſcribe it.)
B. We would know what he means, when he ſaith God's puniſhviz. God's Juſtice is not ſo extenſive as his mercy, I may ſafely deny it; His Juſtice being InfiWide is the Gate that leads to deſtruction,
and many there be that go in thereat; and (on the contrary) Narrow is the way that leadeth to life, and few there be that find it. That of the Pſalmist, [That his mercy is great above the Heavens] ſignifies no more than the Infiniteneſs of his mercy, in that it knows no bounds, but was from everlaſting predeſtination, and ſhall be to everlaſting glorification upon the objects of mercy, even them that fear him; but doth not intimate that he will actually pardon more ſinners than he will puniſh.
p.122.R.— Death (inJob) is called the King of Terrors, therefore Death is the greateſt puniſhment, and the moſt terrible; But if there were an everlaſting puniſhment after Death,Job 18.14. that would be the King of Terrors, for Death is not terrible in compariſon of that.—
B. This reaſoning is not ſo ſtrong, as at firſt view it may ſeem to be, and is very far from proving, that Death is the worſt puniſhment, that ungodly ſinners are ſubject to.
For firſt, What neceſſity is there of expounding Job 18.14. of death? The Text doth not mention Death, and I know nothing in the Context, that will force us to interpret it thereof. The Learned2. Synopſ.Mercerus, a Man well skilled in the Hebrew, renders it by graviſſimos terrores, which may be in this life, as well as in another: The King of Terrors, by a common Hebraiſme, ſignifies powerful, commanding, conquering Terrors, which may be fitly underſtood of the Soul in its ſeparated ſtate, when the Terror of the Lord, and the immediate impreſſions of his wrath have taken hold upon the impenitent Soul.
Well, but my Author will not ſo eaſily yield to have it underſtood of any thing but Death, becauſe that is moſt for his deſign, wherefore let us ſee if (taken in that ſenſe) it will be any help to his cauſe; and I ſhall not fear to undertake the Negative. I will prove, I ſay, that it will not: For, the King of Terrors is but [moſt terrible] if we make the moſt of it that we can. Now Death may be ſaid to be moſt terrible, though there be a greater terror after Death; For [moſt terrible] is not neceſſarily the very uttermoſt terror that can be, but in general very terrible. As when the Thunder ſhook down the Houſes in Amſterdam, upon the Heads of them that dwelt therein, it may lawfully be ſaid, that it was a moſt terrible Day to them, yet the Day of JudgEarth with the works therein ſhall be burnt up. So when Men are ſaid to be moſt excellent Scholars or Souldiers, we mean only that they have very good skill in Armes and Arts, but not that they do exceed all others therein. And in a word, the Scripture-phraſe is Conſonant to this; for, in Ezekiel 33.the Land moſt deſolate, yea he aſſured them of it, [I will lay it moſt deſolate] and yet it ſuffered not a greater deſolation than other Lands had ſuffered, and doubtleſs not ſo great, in all reſpects, as the Land of Sodom had done: So that [moſt deſolate] is in ſubſtance no more than very deſolate: And ſo underſtand the King of Terrors, or moſt terrible, of that which is very terrible, as Death may be, (and is to many) though there be a worſe thing after Death, to them that dye in their ſins. And indeed Death is moſt terrible, as it hath relation to
Conſider. 9.R.—Sin is puniſhed to the full in this life,Ezek. 36.18.I poured out my fury upon them:p. 123, 124. (then he adds)would ye have it to be puniſhed to the full in this life, and afterwards with a puniſhment never to end? —then after ſome ex['tis as diſagreeable to juſtice to puniſh ſin twice, as to receive the payment of a debt twice.]travagancies he adds in the next page
B. Herein (I confeſs) he hath hit the mark as well as if he had been Thomas Gunne himſelf: for the whole ſtate of the queſtion turns upon this hinge [whether ſin be puniſhed to the full in this life] And as Mr. R. and I can agree but in few things, ſo in this we differ as much as may be, for I ſay it is not, and my reaſons are theſe. 1. Becauſe many ungodly men have had a continued ſtate of proſperity, and ſcarce ever felt any thing that they accounted a puniſhment (yea, nothing more common than for ſuch perſons to conclude their ſins are pardoned beI was envious at the proſperity of the wicked,
to 6 verſe.they are not in trouble like other men (nor doth he intimate any viſible Judgments that come upon them in this life.) And can Mr. R. perJob 21.30. compared with the Text in the MarginChapter of this Book, in anſwer to the queſtion how it is juſt to puniſh temporal offences eternally?
But (on the contrary) my Author contends that ſin is puniſhed to the full in this life, or at leaſt he ſaith ſo, if we can take his word for it. But how he will prove it who can tell? For thoſe texts of Scripture which ſpeak of his pouring out his fury upon the wicked in this life, as Ezekiel 36.18. are far from proving that there is no wrath for them in another life. Yea, ſo far, as that they will manifeſtly prove the contrary: for if God puniſh ſin in the day of his Patience, how much more will he puniſh it hereafter in the day of his wrath, which is called the day of the Revelation of his righteous Judgment, and the day of perdition to ungodly men,
Pet. 3.7. They ſhall awake to ſhame and everlaſting contempt, after they ſlept (as it were) in the duſt of the earth, Dan. 12. and yet we know many of them have been brought to
But it is not agreeable to juſtice to puniſh ſin twice, no more than to receive the payment of a debt twice, (ſaith Mr. R.)
But certainly God beſt knows what is juſtice, and what is agreeable to it, and there is no unrighteouſneſs in him, and his word tells us of wrath to come as well as wrath preſent, and of everlaſting puniſhment as well as temporal, Matth. 25. 1 Theſſ. 1.revelation of his righteous judgment in the Text aforeſaid.Author can prove that ſin deſerves no more or longer puniſhments than the puniſhments of this preſent life, he will ſhew himſelf a man of rare acuteneſs.
His Tenth conſideration is little different from the former, it being an aſſertion of the like nature, viz. That there is not a worſe thing than Gods fury, wrath, and anger, and theſe (ſaith he) are poured out in this life (he means to the full ſo as that there ſhall be no more of it remaining for any man in another life.p. 125.
Pſ. 78.49. Pſ. 85.3. Job 14.13. The former he renders thus, he poured out all his fierce anger, but by his leave, the Text ſaith no ſuch thing, but rather thus, [he caſt upon them the fierceneſs of his anger] or as Junius renders, aeſtum irae ſuae, the heat of his anger, namely, by bringing great calamity upon them here in this world: but how will that prove there is no puniſhment for the impenitent of them hereafter?
So Pſal. 85.3. is ſpoken of Gods own people, whom he would magnifie his Mercy upon [Thou haſt covered all their ſins, Thou haſt taken away all thy wrath, viz. from them whoſe ſins he forgave:] But muſt it be ſo therefore with his Enemies too, that dye in their ſins and would never conſent to forſake them while they lived? So upright Job ſpeaks of wrath that would be paſt as to himſelf: But muſt there be no wrath hereafter for the miſchievous Hypocrite? Sure that was far from his thoughts: The Hypocrites in heart do heap up wrath;
Job 36.13viz. againſt themſelves, as 'tis plain and needs no proof.) Wherefore if he blame thoſe that make too bold with the Scripture, he muſt needs paſs a hard cenſure on himſelf too.
Yet there is one phraſe which (to the men of his Religion) may ſeem to favour his aſſertion, viz. [the accompliſhing of God's anger, in
Ezek. 5.13.Conſidered.
Thus will I accompliſh mine Anger, viz. by the Judgments mentioned in the verſe before, Famine, &c.
But thoſe people there ſpoken of may be conſidered either perſonally, or civilly and nationally: his anger may be accompliſhed as to NatioSodom, &c. 2. We may take the word Anger for the threatnings of puniſhment which he had made againſt them in particular, as Rom. 1.18. The wrath (or anger) of God is revealed from Heaven, i. e. His threatnings are ſet forth. So here v. 12. A third part of thee ſhall dye with the Peſtilence, and with Famine ſhall they be conſumed, &c. Then it follows, Thus (v. 13.) ſhall my Anger be accompliſhed; as much as if he had ſaid, Hereby ſhall my threatning of judgment (in the 8 and 9 verſes) be fulfilled and made good. And what is that to prove that there is no worſe thing for the worſt of them than temporal judgments and corporal death? Surely they that can gather ſuch a concluſion from it, are as bad Logicians as the Mahometan Prieſts, that he ſo merrily mentioneth in the former part of his Book. Thus, Reader, I have conſidered his various conſiderations, and they that duly conſider what hath been ſaid in anſwer to them, will not be rung to ſleep (in their ſins) by the Muſick of thoſe ſweet ſounding Bells.
R.—p. 126. line 6, and 7, &c.many infallible proofs that there is not to be any puniſhment after this life that ſhall never end.
B. UNgodly ſinners are more than ſecure enough in their evil wayes, though we tell them never ſo often (from the word) of the Everlaſting Miſeries they are liable to: How ſafe then may they think themſelves now, when ſuch a man as Mr. R. hath given them, not only ſome Conjectures againſt them, or probabilities of eſcaping them, nor barely ſome various Conſiderations to comfort their hearts
viz. more than Nineteen to the Dozen, for he mentions no leſs than Twenty of them. And (by the way) was it not ſtrange, (yea moſt exceeding ſtrange) that there ſhould be ſo many proofs of it to be found, and yet none of them appear to the eyes of his many Betters, ſuch as St. Auſtine, Chryſoſtome, Calvin, Beza, Whitaker, Whately, Perkins, Bolton, (and ſuch like) that are mentioned by my Author himſelf, and are confeſſed to be pious, as well as Learned Men. It ſeems their Prayers could not obtain that meaſure of Illumination (in this particular) which his have done: (for he hath made this diſcovery, not only by the ſtrength of his wits, but alſo and eſpecially by the fervency and frequency of his Prayers, as he tells us in the Epiſtle to the Reader, in theſe words—I upon often ſeeking God, and diligent ſearch, &c. am fully perſwaded that it is the truth which I contend for.—) Well, but whatſoever his perſwaſions may be, we muſt not be perſwaded by him any further, than we have reaſon for it; Let us conſider his infallible proofs, (and if they prove to be infallible, I will confeſs Him to be as good a Man as the Pope.)
R.—Proof 1.The Scriptures hold forth no ſuch thing;and we ought not to preſume above that which is written, Things revealed belong to us, p.126.Deut. 29.
B. They that purpoſe to poiſon Men are not wont to give them pure poiſon, but rather to mix it with ſome thing that is good and wholeſome, that it may go down the more freely, (and unſuſpected:) So they that lye in wait to deceive the weak, and to corrupt their minds with Peſtilent Doctrines, and Opinions, will not preſent them with any thing leſs, than a mixture of Truth and Error together, that they may receive the one to make way for the other. Juſt thus hath my Author done herein; for as it is a truth that revealed things belong to us, ſo it is as apparently falſe, that the Doctrine of Everlaſting Puniſhments for the wicked in Hell, is not revealed in Scripture: See the 1. Chapter of this Book.
R. Proof2d. Their Opinion of a Puniſhment never to end, is contrary to the Word of God.—
B. The Devil is a Lyar, and his Servants (to my knowledge) do not always ſpeak true, and many times alſo they have as little of ſhame in them, as they have of truth or goodneſs in them. But how ſhall this (which he hath ſaid) be proved? Why thus.
—From thoſe places of Scripture, which speak of everlaſting life, as the proper portion of Believers, as in particular, p.127.John 3. laſt verſe.He that believeth not the Son ſhall not ſee life: and ſeveral other Scriptures to the ſame purpoſe.
B. But if this be an infallible proof, I am very much miſtaken: It is not ſuch indeed, nor doth it look like ſuch to the eyes of them that underſtand it. Let us obſerve the nature of it. [He that believeth not ſhall not ſee life.] whence he would have us conclude, that ſuch a perJoh. 5.29. yea be raiſed incorruptible, in 1 Cor. 15. and many other places. WhereBleſſed are the pure in heart, for they ſhall ſee God; and in Heb. 12.14. Without holineſs no man ſhall ſee the Lord. We know, and are aſſured from the Revelations, that every eye ſhall ſee the Lord, even the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who is Lord of all, and by whom all things were created, in Coloſ. 1.16. and the moſt part of Men never were parto ſee in that place muſt be meant of enjoying the Lord in glory, and ſo we grant none ſhall ſee him, in that ſenſe, without holineſs. And the like may be ſaid of ſeeing good, (or good days) in 1 Pet. 3. it muſt needs be meant of enjoyment, and partaking that good, as 'tis plain. This therefore is no proof at all of it, (much leſs an infallible proof.)
The next attempt which he maketh for the proof of it, is from thoſe places of Scripture,where mention is made of their Pe p.128.riſhing and Deſtruction; They ſhall be deſtroyed for ever, and the ungodly ſhall periſh,and the like in the Book ofPſalms,and elſewhere.
But for my part, I think it is the ſaddeſt deſtruction to be in a perpeSocinians. And what doth he think (to mention but one Text for many) of the words of our God in Hoſea, O Iſrael, thou hast deſtroyed thy ſelf, but in me is thy help:
In the following Page he runs very ſwiftly, and diſputes us into abſurdities after this manner,—The Word ſaith,p.129.Their end is deſtruction,R. Philip.3. Their Opinion ſaith,They ſhall never be deſtroyed, nor ever end:The Word ſaith,The laſt Enemy is Death,(1 Cor. 15.) Their Opinion ſaith,There is a worſe thing after Death to be endured without end.
B. There are a ſort of Men in the World that have wit and ſubAuthor be not ſomewhat of Kin to theſe kind of Men, let my Reader judge: For in theſe laſt paſſages there is ſomething of ſubtilty, yea enough to deceive the ignorant and unſtable, and the Men that are inclining to his Opinion: but if we view them narrowly, they will not appear more ſubtile than ſilly. For the forviz. Condemnation and Puniſhment. (as was ſeen before) But he ſaith, their end is ſaid to be deſtruction, which he thinks is contrary to us, who teach that there ſhall never be an end of them, but that they ſhall always remain under Puniſhment. But it doth not mean as he
Their end is everlaſting life.
The other labours under as much weakneſs as the former, for (obCor. 15. that the laſt enemy is Death, (abſolute[The laſt enemy that ſhall be deſtroyed,
is Death] where he leaves out that main paſſage, which carries the whole ſenſe of the Text. Juſt as the Devil alledged the Pſalmiſt, [he ſhall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee] and left out the following words [in all thy ways, or the ways God hath appointed thee to walk in] See Matth. 4.6. compaPſal. 91.11.Muſcul. in Loc.
p. 130.
R.— If Adam had never ſinned, he ſhould have dyed nevertheleſs. This is proved firſt, becauſe he had a Natural bo p.131.dy, and was of the Earth earthly; and therefore mortal and corruptible.—
B. Whatſoever ſtrength and goodneſs may be in this kind of ReaReader may find it amongſt the moſt Reaſonable Doctrines of thoſe Maſters of Reaſon (as they would be counted) I mean the Socinian Hereticks.See Oſtorod. Inſtit. cap. 33.Adam was alAdam was mortal in ſtate of InBy one man ſin entred into the world, and death by ſin, &c.Rom 5.12. A porta in Def. fidei. cap 27. Aſlingii l. c. p. 2. l. 5. q. 2.
R.—Mr.Boltonſaith,IfAdamhad ſtood, he could not have conveyed to us a Body Immortal, or not dying,in his Treat, of Heaven,p.131.
B. This Gentleman's word is not overmuch to be valued as to the Authors he citeth, ſo he citeth Mr. Bolton here, non bona fide, as they ſay: in plain Engliſh, very corruptly. For in that place the words run thus [our condition, (ſpeaking of the Saints in Heaven,) is a thouſand times more happy and glorious, than if we had ſtood ſtill with Adam in his Innocency and Felicity; for if ſo, he could but have conveyed to us bodies Immortal, potentiâ non moriendi ex Hypotheſi, as they ſay, but in Heaven they ſhall be Immortal impotentiâ moriendi:] if he knew not what that means, for a few good words I ſhall be content to tell him; if he doth know, he cannot but know that he granteth no ſubAdam or his poſterity, but from their ſinfulneſs, and that they ſhould not have dyed but upon the ſuppoſal of ſin. And I think he hath done no good office, to ſuggeſt ſuch a thing as this concerning Mr. Bolton, to make the world believe that ſuch an able and faithful Teacher of Divine Truth, would play any (the leaſt part) of the Socinians damned Game. In the two following pages, he is very vain,and p. 133.
I anſwer, Chriſt by freeing them from the puniſhment of ſin hath alſo freed them from death, ſo far forth as 'tis a puniſhment, viz. from an accurſed death. The Faithful therefore though they ſuffer death, yet they ſuffer it not as a puniſhment, properly ſo called, nor in a way of vengeance, but in a way of mercy; and therefore bleſſed are they that dye in the Lord. That pale horſe though it ſometimes affrights them,viz. to bring their Souls into the bleſſed preſence of their Lord and Saviour, which the Apoſtle aſſures us (in the ſame Text) is far better than to live with their friends in this ſinful world.
pages, there is nothing that I think it worth while to trouble my ſelf with, ſome things being beſide his purpoſe, and others in a great meaſure againſt it. And that which is for it [how do the wicked periſh for ever, if they muſt live for ever] is no new diſh, but only the old coleworts ▪
new ſodden, and how much it is worth is diſcoverable from that which was ſaid but a little before, to what he had offered about [eternal life] in pag. 130.
p. 137. R.— Men build much in this point upon [the ſecond death:] but what that death is they cannot agree.
B. I think he is much miſtaken in this, and do not doubt but Or
R.—Mr.Perkinsſaith, the Second death is a total ſeparation from God; and if ſo, it is not a puniſhment without end; and ſeeing God is every where, if they be any where how can they be abſent from God?
B. But as Mr. Perkins was as wiſe a man as himſelf, ſo his ſpeech herein is not ſo abſurd, as he imagines it to be: yea, I doubt not but it is ſound and good; and now I ſhall conſider briefly what he ſaith unto it. 1. [if ſo, then it is not a puniſhment without end:] what warrant he hath to make ſuch an Inference from it, I for my part can
2. R.—If they be any where, how can they be abſent from God, ſeeing God is every where—
But certainly he muſt be a very ſilly man that can think Mr. Perkins was ſuch a fool as to ſuppoſe that they could be abſent from the Lord in a proper ſenſe, or out of his preſence. I dare ſay that was very far from his mind: and he needed no more to be taught the doctrine of God's Omnipreſence, than wicked men need to be comforted by his Book (againſt the fears of Damnation:) yet becauſe he hath mentioned the word [Abſent from God] I may lawfully put him in mind of that Text of the Apoſtle,Cor. while we are at home in the body we are abſent from the Lord: he did not think, he and the reſt of the Faithful were where God is not, while they lived in this world, and yet he expreſſes it after that manner: becauſe here they were as it were abſent from the comfortable preſence of God, in compariſon of that comfort which their Souls ſhould have in his Glorious Preſence after they had left their bodies. So in this caſe we mean by the Second Death, the total and perpetual: Separation of the wicked and impenitent from the comfortable Preſence, and the glorious Preſence of God;Geneſis. And if a ſtate of worldly troubles may be called a Death, (in 2. Cor. 1.10. compared with the 8. verſe) how much more may a ſtate of endleſs puniſhment be called by that name? See Rev. 21.8.
And thus having vindicated Mr. Perkins from Mr. R's cavils, I ſhall paſs over the idle diſcourſes of the 139 and 140 pages, and ſpeak a few words of that which ſeems more worthy of my cenſure, in 141 page, thus,
R.—We read in Rom. 2.31. of very great ſinners, proud, ſpightful, Inventors of evil things, and ſuch like, yet the word ſaith not,
B. This is a rare piece of Learning indeed, and ſuch as the common ſort of Preachers never had the confidence to teach their hearers either from the Pulpit or the Preſs. But that it may not be thought better of than it deſerves, let us examine it briefly: the main ſtrength of his Speech lies in this [That God hath not ſaid that thoſe wicked ones mentioned in that place, were worthy of any more than death] true inJohn, a ſin unto death, that is, ſuch a ſin as neceſſarily and infallibly brings eternal damnation upon the ſinner. And that ſo great ſinners are worthy of more puniſhment than corporal death, I believe was ſcarce ever doubted of by any but Mr. R. (that ever were acquainted with Scripture, and the ſound writings that exJeſuit in the world would eaſily grant it; and if it be needful to be proved, theſe conſiderations may be ſufficient for it.Atheiſts will acknowledge) And can we think an obſtinate rebellious ſinner deſerves no worſe than that which the moſt harmleſs uſeful creatures do ſuffer?
2. That the beſt of the Saints ſuffer death as well as the worſt, yea, ſome of them have ſuffered much worſe, viz. by conflicting many years with horrid Temptations, to deſpair and the like, (as Mr. Glover, a moſt excellent Chriſtian, in the Book of Martyrs, is ſaid to have been in deſpair five years together.) And ſhall we think the wicked are worthy of no worſe evil than the beſt of God's children have un
London by the Hangman, and ſaith thereupon, the ſame Spiviz. by urging Rom. 6.21. to prove that there is not any thing to come after Death: (to ſpeak in his own plain words, p. 141. lin. 16.) Surely it is more than bad enough to doubt whether there be any thing to come after Death or not; much worſe to hold abſolutely, that there is not; for that contradicts the Scriptures, which tell us, that after Death there is a Judgment, and a Vengeance to be inflicted on them that obey not the Goſpel of Chriſt, 2 Theſſ. 1.9. Hebrews 9.27.Dan. 12.2, &c.
But for a Man to act Mr. R.'s part, and to urge Holy Scripture in defence of ſuch a Heatheniſh Opinion, who can imagine how horrible a thing it is in the eyes of God, (I doubt not but he would ſuffer worſe than corporal Death for it, if God ſhould deal with him after his de[The end of theſe things is Death] I ſay how far theſe words are from proving, that there is no Puniſhment for any after Death, is ſo plain, that there's little need of any thing to be ſaid about it, for Death here ſignifies (as before) Eternal damnation: As when it is ſaid, if ye live after the fleſh ye ſhall dye, that is, be Damned, Rom. 8.13. (for how
Proof3d.R.—Their Opinion of a Puniſhment never to end makes not ſin,p. 146. but Christ to be the cauſe of their ſo ſuffering; for if Christ had not come, there had been no Reſur rection, and if no Reſurrection there could be no Puniſhment after Death: But Chriſt may not be ſuppoſed to be the cauſe of their Puniſhment, &c.
B. If this be a Proof, it is a very ugly one certainly, and will not be much valued by them that know what Chriſt, or Sin, or Puniſhment is. However, I ſhall not think much to ſay ſomething to it. I confeſs Chriſt is ſaid to be the cauſe of the Reſurrection of the Dead: He is the efficient cauſe of the Reſurrection of the wicked, as he is God of the ſame ſubſtance with his Father; and he is the Meritorious cauſe of the Reſurrection of the Saints, as their Head and Mediator. (I mean as their Reſurrection is a glorious Reſurrection, in Philip. 3.11. If by any means I may attain to the Reſurrection of the Dead.
Zanch. in loc.Cauſa ſine quâ non, is not a cauſe ſtrictly and properly ſo called, but only a pre-requiſite condition, &c. Sine ullo cauſali Influxu, as the Learned Scheibler expreſſeth it.2. Artic. 4.
&c.
And ſeeing his great weakneſs in this particular, it will not be much amiſs to bring in to his Aſſiſtance the Learning of his Learned Brother Mr. Tho. Hobbs of Malmesbury, who, though (in ſome things) he ſpeaks more honeſtly than my Author hath done, yet is no approver of the Doctrine I contend for. For in his Leviathan (Chapter 44. p. 346. as the Reverend Dr. Tully citeth him in his Expoſit. Symboli) he ſuppoHobbs.
1. By his leave, there can be no Everlaſting Puniſhment upon them at this rate, unleſs they who are firſt annihilated, are made alive again, after their annihilation, (for if they be all annihilated one after another, at laſt there will be no Puniſhment upon any of them) and to ſuppoſe them to be raiſed from the Dead to ſuffer for a time, and then to be an(& vice verſa) every Hours ſpace: (for the Scripture ſaith no more for the one than the other) And he that can think ſo, muſt needs have a very working fancy, or (rather) a mighty Wind-mill in his Pate.
Secondly, If this might paſs for true or probable, concerning the ſucceſſive puniſhment of Damned Men, it might be thought ſo, in like ſort of damned Spirits or Devils [That ſome of them ſhall be puniſhed for a time, and then be annihilated, and others be puniſhed, and ſo of the reſt] which yet no Chriſtian in the World (I believe) ever dream
Thirdly, When they are raiſed from the Dead, they ſhall be raiſed incorruptible, ſo far ſhall they be from total corruption or annihilation.They ſhall ſeek Death, but ſhall not find it. Revel. 9th.
Fourthly, The Text it ſelf confutes this conceit, and ſhews us clearly, that the Everlaſting Puniſhment ſhall be upon the wicked, (in Individuo) upon every particular Perſon among them that are found ſuch at the Day of Chriſt. For the words are thus, Matth. 25. v. 46. Theſe (i. e. theſe in particular) ſhall go away into everlaſting puniſhment: as much as if he had ſaid, Every one of them ſhall be puniſhed everlaſtRevel. 7.14. Theſe are they that are come out of great Tribulation. And if the former part of the 46. Verſe doth not mean an everlaſting puniſhment upon every one of the wicked in particular, how ſhall we be aſſured that the latter part of the Verſe means the everlaſtHobbs himſelf whether the Greek Pronoun (there uſed) do not denote a particularity as plainly in the one as in the other. But I need ſay no more to this Error of his, ſince that worthy Doctor (in the place cited) hath proclaimed its vileneſs in theſe words — Regnum tenebrarum, de quo ibi delirat, maxime promovet, &c.
p. 142.)
And in the following Lines, he aſſures us, that Mr. Hobbs compares the ſtate of the Damned, in, and under Puniſhment, to the troubles of a Married ſtate here in the World: which was ſuch a piece of wiſdome, as his Parents (I dare ſay) did never teach him. And is accounted by the ſame pious Perſon not only ridiculous, but Atheiſtical:Tully. 143. Lin. 4.[Nec iſtam ſanè circa Impios in orco ſuo Ethnicorum ullus (etiam dementiſſimus) inſaniam unquam inſanivit.] In plain Engliſh, that the ſillieſt Heathen never had ſuch a mad conceit in his Head. Is it not ſtrange Mr. H. doth not chaſtiſe him, by publiſhing a Latin Epiſtle conLeviathan be ſo monſtrous,Bramhall againſt it.Leviathan be?)
But now it will be time to return to Mr. R. to examine his Fourth Proof, which is thus.
Christ came to deliver his People out of the hands of all their ene
mies, and to ſave them from all the miſeries that they are ſub ject to; but there is no mention made in Scripture of his deli p.149.vering them from a puniſhment after Death.— So He, inp.149.
I anſwer: There is mention made of it implicitly and in ſubſtance, though not expreſly in thoſe very words: For it is ſaid, that he redeemed them from the curſe of the Law, Gal. 3. and from the wrath to come, in 1 Theſſal. 1. laſt verſe. In a word, The wicked ſhall ariſe out of their Graves to puniſhment,Reſurrection of Damnation: from which Chriſt hath freed the Saints.
And here under this fourth Proof, for many Pages together, from the 150. to 161. he hath ſuch a wild Diſcourſe, as his Reader, I dare ſay, never met with in any other Book whatſoever: I ſhall not tran
p. 151.R.— If a Puniſhment for ever be due to man for ſin, Christ muſt have ſuffered for ever to free us from it.—
B. In theſe words we may note firſt his Opinion, and ſecondly his Proof of it. His Opinion (which they diſcover) is this, That everBellarm. de amiſſ. grat. l. 1. cap. 14. Valentia Tom. 2. diſp. 6. quaeſt. 17. punct. 4. and others, who cite the SchoolBaronii disp. de Pecca2. Sect. 3.
England. And ſeeing he is ſingular herein, he had need give us a very good Proof of his Opinion before he may hope to win us to it. But behold what it is!
R.[If everlaſting puniſhment be due to us for ſin, then if Chriſt free us from it, he muſt ſuffer everlaſtingly himſelf.]
B. But this will need a proof as much as the other, and when he or his Brethren ſhall undertake to prove it, I will undertake to Anſwer them. And to that which he hath ſaid, I reply thus: That Chriſts Sufferings in the place of his people were ſufficient to deliver them from everlaſting puniſhment, though he did not ſuffer for ever, for his Temporal Sufferings were of infinite merit and value, as being the Sufferings of an Infinite Perſon, the Eternal Son of God, whom all the Higheſt Angels are enjoyned to worſhip, or in St. Paul's phraſe, God over all bleſſed for ever, in Rom. 9.Anatome Samoſatenianiſmi,
1. Arg. 11.
(mihi) 81. Actus ſecundi neceſſitatem ſupplevit tum dignit as perſonae, tum pondus paſſionum, &c. But of this ſomething hath been ſaid already, (only I may add thus much, that the eternity of Chriſt's Sufferings, if it might be ſuppoſed, could not work our deliverance, if his Teman Offering and a Sacrifice of ſweet ſmelling ſavour to God.
But againſt this he objecteth after this manner,
R. — [God was never unſatisfied: He is Perfect, Infinite, Bleſſed, unchangeable, and how could he be ſo if he were unſatisfied at any time?]
B. Herein he doth greatly miſtake our meaning, and ſuppoſeth that we hold God was diſcontented, when we ſay there was need of a ſatisfaction to be made unto him, for the ſins of his people. Thick Ale certainly, that could fill the Gentlemans head with ſuch groſs ImagiRome or Malmsbury; and needs no more to confute it than the conſideration of thoſe Perfections of God which my Author menOwen hath excellently demonſtrated in his Diatriba upon that ſubjectAuthor, I hope, will not undertake to confute.)
And now let us proceed to the remaining Proofs that he gives us in the following pages, p. 162.
p. 162. R.— Zephan. 1.18.He ſhall make a ſpeedy Riddance of them in the day of his wrath. But to continue for ever in Puniſhment, is no ſpeedy Riddance. So the pouring out his Anger is called [a Day]which agrees not to a puniſhment that never ends.—
B. Bold men will not ſcruple to act like themſelves, he that hath perverted ſo many other Texts to his purpoſe will do the like by this, yet 'tis fit we ſhould tell him of it (whether he will repent of it or no) Wherefore we deſire him (or his companions) to obſerve that the Text doth not ſay as he ſaith, but thus [The whole land ſhall be deIn that day the Lord alone ſhall be exalted,
R.—The opinion of a puniſhment never to end doth cauſe much ſin—I deny that—p. 163, &c.
—Here he adds ſeveral Proofs (ſuch as they are) ſome of the choiceſt of which I ſhall examine.
R. 1.—It cauſeth fear.] True indeed, it doth ſo, but is it therefore the cauſe of ſin? If ſo, what ſhall we think of the threat
R. 2. —Fear troubles the hearts of many of the Lords people,(he means his Faithful people)and Chriſt ſaith,Let not your hearts be troubled,John14.
It ſeems he would have their Fears removed, by telling them that there is no hell nor Everlaſting Puniſhment for any after this life. But wiſe men will not go that way to work, in comforting the Godly, but rather will comfort them by telling them, that Chriſt hath ſaved them from it, and delivered them from that wrath to come.
R. 3.—If the Soul apprehends it ſelf lyable to Everlaſting Puniſhment, it cannot ſubmit to God or be quiet.—
What doth he mean in ſaying [It cannot ſubmit to God] If he means a contentedneſs to undergo that Everlaſting puniſhment, we ſay God requires them not ſo to be content, but rather to be content to turn to him, and his ſervice, and to accept of Chriſt as Saviour and Lord, that they may (in a way of Faith and Holineſs) eſcape that Puniſhment. If he mean any thing elſe, he may keep his meaning to himſelf, unleſs the world had need of it. And if he think wicked men ſhould be quiet with their Spiritual ſtate, aand live contentedly and ſe
R. 4.—This Opinion maketh many to murder themſelves that they may not live to encreaſe their ſin, and conſequently, their Puniſhment in another world.
This Opinion (ſaith he) maketh this miſchief— But as he doth not prove it, ſo I deny it. For 'tis not this Opinion, but their mi
R. 5.—The contrary Opinion tends moſt to comfort thoſe perſons whoſe friends have dyed, and left no teſtimony of their converſion to God.—
This (Reader) is the preſent caſe (what courſe we ſhould take to comfort thoſe perſons who are afraid their friends ſhall ſuffer the everAuthor thinks it the beſt way to tell them, that there is no ſuch thing for any man to ſuffer (though finally wicked and impenitent) This indeed were a very quick and eaſie way, if it were but as ſafe too, but certainly it is not, (as my firſt Chapter hath ſufficiently ſhewed, where the proof of the point is given at large, and far above all that Mr. R. or all his Brethren, can ever Anſwer to it.)
The ſurer and more warrantable ways for men to quiet their minds in that caſe, are as follows.
Obj. But if a man ſhould not ſhew any ſigns of Repentance to his laſt hour, 'tis very doubtful if he be ever converted indeed, and we have much more grounds for our Fears than for our Hopes concern
'Tis very true and cannot juſtly be denyed; if a man be not godly 'till his dying day, 'tis ten to one but he will dye an ungodly man (and if he do ſo, he is certainly undone for ever, in 2 Pet. 3.7. The day of Judgment is called a day of perdition to ſuch perſons,) But then conſider—
1. That if your Friends have lived and dyed ungodly, and ſo are fallen into everlaſting Puniſhment, yet it was God that caſt them into that Puniſhment: He alone hath the Keys of Hell and of Death, and none but he could adjudge them to it; and therefore they muſt not murmur at it, ſince it was He that hath done it: Thus the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 39. I was dumb,
Pſ. 39.9.and opened not my mouth (in a way of impatience, he means) for thou Lord haſt done it.
2. As it was God that hath done it, ſo he hath never done it, but when it was fit to be done; he is perfectly juſt in this ſevere DiſThe Lord is holy in all his ways, and Righteous in all his works, Pſal. 145.18. and if we doubt of it now, there ſhall hereafter be a Revelation of his Righteous judgment, Rom. 2. If they continued his Enemies, muſt he ſave them becauſe they were your friends? or muſt their Relation to you hinder the Judge of the world from doing Right? Surely not.
3ly, Your exceſſive ſorrow, from the fear of your Friends miſery, will do no good at all, but only diſquiet your hearts in vain; for it will not pleaſe God, nor profit them, but rather unfit you for the du
5ly, Study the vile nature of ſin, view it in the Glaſs of God's holy Law, and in the Sufferings of Chriſt, &c. See how it croſſes the will, and diſhonours the Name of the great God; See how it breaks his Law, reſiſts his Power, denies his Soveraignty, diſparages his Wiſ&c. If we did rightly apprehend theſe things, we ſhould be ſo far from murmur
R.— We read inEſay 57. v. 16.The words of the Lord himſelf, ſaying, [I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth, &c. Therefore he will not puniſh for ever.
B. If he were deſervedly looked upon as an abſurd fellow that made his Anſwer concerning Onyons, when the queſtion was propoſed concerning Garlick only; what an intolerable abſurdity is my Author guilty of, when he urgeth ſuch a Text for the Impunity of the wicked, which manifeſtly ſpeaks of the Mercy of God to the Saints. In the foregoing Verſe he tells us, He will look (with an eye of favour, that is) to him that is of an humble and a contrite Spirit;I will not contend for ever; viz. with ſuch a one. But will this prove that he will not contend for ever with any others; with them that are ſo proud that they care not for God, that go on wilfully in the ways that his Soul hateth, and will not be reformed? ſurely not. If Mr. R. will ſee no difference between the godly and the wicked, the humble Chriſtian, and the proud-hearted Hypocrite, yet our God will, and will alſo make others ſee the difference hereafter: when the one ſhall be ſeparated from the other,Matth 25. (ſetting the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.) Doubtleſs the boldeſt Hypocrite will tremble then, and their hopeleſs cries be far louder in another World, than their ſcornfulleſt laughter was in this.
R.— God hath planted in man an univerſal love to man, especially to his own off-spring, be they obedient or diſobedient; What Bowels of love in Parents, &c. They do not deſire their off-spring, though diſobedient, ſhould ſuffer ſuch a tor p.170.ment, as theſe men speak of, one Year to an end; therefore God will not inflict extreme miſeries upon men for ever, ſince they are his off-spring, as they are his Creatures: for God is not leſs merciful than man.—
B. THis is the ſubſtance of his proof. And if it be ſufficient to prove what he intends by it,viz. to prove that the Devils ſhall not ſuffer extreme puniſhments without end; and that Chriſt was not puniſhed (extremely) for the offences of ſuch as we. For the former, we will take his Argument and urge it thus, [Parents would not deſire to caſt their Children into an irrecoverable ſtate of miſery, upon their firſt act of diſobedience towards them: How can we think then, that God would caſt the Angels (that were the nobleſt of all the works of his hands) into an irrecoverable ſtate of miſery, upon the commiſſion of the firſt ſin againſt him? for God is not leſs merci
Doubtleſs the Proof is as ſtrong this way, as the other way, and yet it is not ſtrong enough, nor will not (cannot) prevail upon them that believe what the Scripture ſaith in the caſe: for let us prove what we will, yet the Apoſtle hath told us,God spared not the Angels that ſinned, but cast them down, &c. 2 Pet. And hath prepared everlaſting fire for them, Matth 25. (And therefore whatſoever proofs are brought to the contrary, are not Proofs truly ſo called, but Sophiſtical Arguments and meer deceits.)
For the latter alſo we may reaſon (as ſtrongly) after the ſame rate. [A good Father would not have his beloved Son (that never offended
Jeſus, in whom his Soul delighted.] One Egg is not more like another than this is like my Author's Proof aforeSocinians, yet Chriſtians will not be wrought upon by it,Rom. 4.25. compared with Rom. 5.8 and, in one word, the 53d. Chapter of Eſay.
And thus we have ſeen how far this his Proof is from being infalliReader will not think I am bound to ſay any thing more unto it; yet for his farther ſatisfaction, I will add thus much: viz. That God is not as Man in every thing, (for then he ſhould not be a God indeed) nor may his goodneſs and Man's be compared toTo him vengeance belongeth, Pſal. 94. where the word vengeance, is mentioned twice in one verſe; And he is the Supreme Law-giver and Governour of the World. Now as he is ſuch, it belongs to him to ſee that his obR.'s word) as it is a puniſhment, yet he will inflict it, as it is an Execution of Juſtice, and a diſcovery of his holineſs, and hatred of ſin, and the like. And (to come to the compariſon) a Father, that is a Judge and a Law-giver, as well as a Father, and (as ſuch) hath made a Law that ſuch and ſuch offenders ſhall ſuffer ſo many Months impriſonment, who ever they be; may not diſpenſe with that Law, (if it be juſt) no not in the caſe of his own Children, when they commit the ſaid offences. So the God of Mercy being a Judge and Law-giver, is engaged by his Honour and Juſtice to puniſh ſin, (which is the tranſgreſſion of his Law) according to its deſert. If you ſay it is not puniſhed upon the Saints, I anſwer: That it was puniſhed upon their Surety Chriſt Jeſus in their place, and they are freed by the merit of his ſufferings: But it is not ſo with the Enemies of his holineſs, ſo remaining; they muſt anſwer for themſelves.
R.—If men had deſerved everlaſting puniſhment, yet why may not God ſhew that mercy, as not to inflict it, as well as to let the Rain fall upon them that no way deſerve it?Men often ſhew more kindneſs to diſobedient Children than they deſerve: And may not God do the ſame?— p.171, 172.
B. This [if Man had deſerved ſuch puniſhment] is ſpoken only for Argument ſake, for he doth not grant it to be a truth, but it hath been proved before, whether he will grant it, or not. But this being ſupI anſwer, He doth ſhew ſo much mercy upon many ſuch, (yea many thouſands) as not to inflict it on them: All that truly turn from their evil ways, and believe on his Son Chriſt Jeſus, ſhall for his ſake be ſecured from it, and he will ſpare them, as a man spareth his own Son that ſerveth him. But if he ask,Matth. 25. Theſe ſhall go away into everlaſting puniſhment: and, to take vengeance of them that know not God, and owho ſhall be puniſhed with everlaſting deſtruction, &c. 2 Theſſ. (But he hath not ſaid he will give them no Rain while they live on Earth, and therefore is free to give it them, though they deſerve it not.) So that for a Man to ask, why God may not ſhew ſuch favour to the Impenitent, as not to inflict ſuch pu
And what if Parents ſhew more kindneſs to diſobedient Children than they deſerve, yet he muſt not think that Men are a fit rule for God to walk by; nor doth he believe that God is bound to ſhew ſuch kind
p. 173. R.— Gods general goodneſs in the Creation of the world is to all his Creatures,Eccleſ. 5.9.The profit of the Earth is for all—
B. And what of that? Is that a proof there ſhall be no everlaſting Puniſhment for any man? Surely if it be, 'tis not an infallible one, but an Idle and impertinent one: for the queſtion (in this affair) is not of God's general goodneſs, but of his ſaving Mercy: Now though we grant the one to be extended to all creatures, yet we do not grant it of the other. God indeed is good to all, but he doth not grant all goodneſs to all alike:
p. 173. lin. 18. R.— God takes care to provide for all, and bids us feed and cloath the worſt that want,&c.and he that would not have them ſuffer want here, will not impoſe an everlaſting Miſery on them hereafter.
B. We may ſay of Mr. R. as ſome did of our Saviour (though in a contrary ſenſe) that never man ſpake like him: Surely, none but himſelf did ever go about to prove this point in this manner: And at the ſame rate a wicked man might need no better proof of his eſcaping Hell hereafter, than his health, and wealth and proſperity here, for he might ſay as Mr. R. Surely that God who would not lay upon them the miſeries of ſickneſs and poverty here, will not inflict greater miſeries for ever hereafter. (Yet Chriſtians will not count this any good evidence of a ſtate of Salvation.) Doth not the Parable in Luke 16. manifeſtly ſuppoſe, that a man may have comfort here and TorTurkiſh Emperors, and all the Popes, (I ſhould have ſet them firſt, as being the proudeſt of the two) All theſe I ſay, had Honour and Greatneſs enough in this world, yet we cannot doubt but many of them (if not all) will inherit ſhame in the world to come.
R.—Their Opinion leſſeneth the goodneſs of God and limiteth it to a few—whereas the Scriptures declare it to be to all.p. 174. All fleſh ſhall ſee his Salvation,Luke 3.6.and He will have all men to be Saved,1 Tim. 2.4.The Proteſtants inPolandſay there will come a time wherein the fallen Angels and the wickedeſt men ſhall be ſet free. —
B. This is not all that he ſaith under this 11. Proof, nor do I take my ſelf to be engaged to ſpend my Ink upon all the Vanities he is guilty of: (yet that which is for his turn, I ſhall not fear to deal with) He urgeth Rom. 8.19.21. to prove that all in general ſhall be Saved: but unleſs he had made out his Proof from it, or ſhewed ſome better man than himſelf that hath urged it for that purpoſe, I ſhall not think fit to ſay any thing to it: for I am ſure Chriſtians may read that Text a thouſand times, without danger of being led thereby into that Opinarrow is the way which leads unto life, and few there be that find it. (i.e. few in compariſon,Paul to the Corinthians, We are a ſweet ſavour, &c. in them that are ſaved, and in them that periſh: (what ſhall become of this diviſion of mankind into [them that are ſaved] and them that [peRichardſon can crack this Nut, I will confeſs his Teeth are ſtrong. And as for thoſe Texts, they are far from proving the contrary:Cleared.
All fleſh ſhall ſee his Salvation, ſpeaks nothing for his turn, unleſs he had made it
All in thoſe Texts, means all whatſoever, without exJew or Gentile, high or low, bond or free, &c. ſhall ſee the Salvation of God. As when it is ſaid, our Lord healed all Diſeaſes among the people, i. e. all ſorts; and in another, ye ſhall be hated of all men for my Names ſake,
Cleared.
He would that All ſhould be ſaved: may we hence infer, that God will actually and eventually ſave all, or that he purpoſeth to ſave all? no ſure, nothing leſs. There are ſeveral Anſwers, to be made unto it to remove this ſenſe from it.
1. That the word All, may be taken of all ſorts as before; and if I ſhould anſwer thus, Mr. R. might find it hard enough to confute it. 2. That the will of God is to be diſtinguiſhed in this caſe, it may ſig7. cap. 6.
ſtrait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to Salvation,
and few there be that find it. And that this Text aforeſaid doth not mean any ſuch thing is plain, for he would that All ſhould be ſaved, and come to the knowledge of the Truth (even his Goſpel and word of Truth) But 'tis clear God doth not ſo will, that All ſhould come to the knowledge of his Truth, as to bring them infallibly to the
Hoard
B. Davenant p. (mihi) 17Predeſtinarians, I hope, have ſo much wiſdom as not to oppoſe.)
He addeth [The Proteſtants in Poland ſay there will come a time wherein the fallen Angels, and the wickedeſt men ſhall be ſet free] (from Puniſhment he means.)
B. And what of all that? Doth he think they were infallible, that we ſhould believe ſo, meerly becauſe they ſay ſo? Why did he not ſet down ſome of their Reaſons for it? had he done ſo I would have been content to examine them, as I have done his, and doubt not but I could Anſwer them as eaſily, by God's ordinary aſſiſtance. 2. Whom doth he mean by [the Proteſtants of Poland?] If he means the beſt and ſoundeſt Proteſtants (as the Denomination ought to be à potiori) I ſay, if he means the Orthodox Proteſtants of that Countrey, ſuch as Arnoldus, Maccovius, Chrzaſtovius (the latter of which wrote againſt the Arrians
1. Johan. Evangel.Socinus and Smalcius) orSalinarius, Clementinus, Zabarovius, Zarnovecius, &c. If he mean ſuch Proteſtants of Poland as theſe, and the like, I utterly deny that ever they taught ſuch Doctrine: and if my Author would read their worthy Works, he might ſoon ſee very much to the contrary. But if he mean the Heretical Proteſtants of Poland (who were called Proteſtants in oppoſition to Papiſts, and yet were as bad or worſe than Papiſts in doctrine) ſuch as Smalcius, Archiſevius, Oſtaradius, &c. then I do not deny but they might be of the opinion that Mr. R. ſpeaks of. But the judgment of theſe men will not go far with me, for I am well aſſured, that ſuch rank Socinians as they, were not guided by a good Spirit, and I think they were not Proi. e. bad Subjects.
p.177.R.—All men are in God, for in him we live, and move, and have our Being: And if all men are in God, all men are in Chriſt, for He and the Father are one: Jo.10.Now all confeſs, that all who are in Chriſt ſhall be ſaved. Rom.8.1.]
B. O admirable profoundneſs and learning! enough to puzzle thoſe Mahometan Prieſts, that blew their blinding Powder into the eyes of the People, and no leſs miſchievous to the minds of his deluded DiſMahomet's Tomb: I dare forfeit one of my Fingers, if he can ſhew me a more baſe, and more wilfully-diſtorted ſpeech, a more groſs and wretched piece of ſoRomiſh Foxes, than this under conſideration: Surely it is hard to gueſs which he ſtrained moſt herein, his wits, or his conſcience: For my part I do verily judge, that he of
Acts, That in God we live, and move, and have our Being, (ſpeaking of Men in general) that doth not mean, that he is the Saviour of all Men in a ſpecial ſenſe, but that he is the up
Wherefore, In him we live, is as much as if it were ſaid, By him we live, &c. for the Greek Particle Hebr. 1.1. God, who in times paſt ſpake to our Fathers by the Prophets, hath in theſe laſt days ſpoken to us by his Son: where the Greek hath it, [in the Prophets, and in his Son] but the ſenſe of it is, by the Prophets, and therefore our Tranſlators have rendered it [by the Prophets] &c. And ſo in the Latine 'tis expreſſed, by Per inſtead of In:
1. v. 16.
Beza, and others. And other Inſtances are given by the excellent Biſhop aforeſaid, in his Comment on the Epiſtle to the Coloſſians. Now when he ſaith, If all Men are in God, all Men are in Chriſt; I grant it in the ſenſe aforeſaid: All men are by Chriſt, for he upholdeth all things by the Word of his Power. And to the laſt paſſage,Rom. 8. v. 1. Then I grant that All who are in Chriſt ſhall be ſaved, (which that very Text demonſtrateth.) But I utterly deny that All men are in Chriſt, in this ſenſe of the word. But if he mean, All that are by Chriſt, (made and maintained in the World by him) then I deny that All ſuch ſhall be ſaColoſ. 1.16.R.'s rich Invention is proved to be worth nothing, but ſcorn and contempt.
R.— In Rom.5.The ſecond Adam in ſaving,is put in oppo p.178.ſition to the first Adam in ſinning. And if All Nations ſhall be bleſſed, as was foretold, in Gen. 22.Every particular muſt alſo, for the general word All, includes every parti cular. And it is a great leſſening of the riches and fulneſs of God's grace and goodneſs, to ſay that God hath made this World for All, and the beſt World, but for a few.—
B. That which he would have us gather from Rom. 5. is manifeſtly thus, That as all Mankind are liable to deſtruction by means of the firſt Adam, ſo all ſhall be freed from it by the merit of the ſecond Adam, Jeſus Chriſt: But I cannot think how he will find any Text in it,As by the offence of one, judgment came upon all Men to condemnation; ſo by the righteouſneſs of one, the free gift came upon all Men to juſtification of life. But this will eaſily be anAdam and Christ, is not in reſpect of the Number of Perſons that are ſaved or deſtroyed; but in reſpect of the cauſes of Salvation and Damnation: That, as the cauſe of Damnation, even ſin, is (originally) only from Adam; ſo the cauſe of Salvation, even Righteouſneſs and Juſtification is wholly from Chriſt. As all ſinners became ſinners through the firſt Adam, and ſo are liable to damnation through him: ſo all juſtified Perſons are juAdam, and have a right to Heaven only through his Righteouſneſs imputed to them. So that when Paul ſaith, by the Righteouſneſs of one, the free gift came upon all Men to juſtification of life; it is not ſo to be taken, as if Juſtification were comviz. that none are juſtified otherPſalmist ſaith, the Lord upholdeth all that fall;Judas,
Pharaoh, the Sinners againſt the Holy Ghoſt, &c. but that All who being fallen; are upheld and preſerved from falling away utterly, are ſo upheld only by him. Hanc Deo tribuit gloriam quod ſine ejus ope nemo ſuſtentetur,
Pſalmist aſcribes to God, viz. That without his help none are upRom. 8.30. Whom he juſtified, them he alſo glorified: but God doth not glorifie them that live and dye unconverted; for, Except ye be converted, Matth. 18.3. ye ſhall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: Matth. 18.3. Therefore neither doth he juſtifie any ſuch Perſons.
Nor is he more fortunate in alledging Gen. 22.18. for, though All (in it ſelf) be incluſive of every particular,Depart from me ye curſed. Wherefore by all Nations, underſtand ſome of all Nations, or (if you will) many of all Nations, even all true believers in every Nation: And that the word, all Nations, doth not always mean all men in geneEſay 2.2. where it is ſaid, that All Nations ſhould flow to the Mountain of the Lord's houſe; which cannot be ſaid of all in general, and is expreſſed by [many] in the 4. of Micah, 1. Verſ.
And as for the fulneſs and riches of God's goodneſs, it is not to be judged of by the number of them that are ſaved by it,
And (by the way) we do not ſay, as Mr. R. that God hath made the beſt World, (or Heaven) but for a very few: For many ſhall come from the Eaſt and the Weſt, and ſit down with Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven; yet they are few in compariſon of them that miſs of Heaven,
And if a Man can think it is an obſcuring of God's goodneſs to ſay, that he hath not made Heaven for ſo many, as he hath made the Earth;
Author allow of it or not: he that ſpares the one did not ſpare the other. He that preSee 2 Pet. 2. Judes Epiſt. Matth. 25.41.
R.—Shall we think the fruit of the Son of Righteouſneſs to be more narrow and confined, than the Sun in the Firmament,p. 179. whoſe excellency it is, that its bright Beams and Rays are diſperſed into every corner of theƲ niverſe?
B. How ſweetly might this Gentleman ſleep in the night time, that had his head ſo full of pleaſant Dreams in the day time? And as for theſe words of his, they are no more worth than the former: for whatH. B. in his Book of Melancholy, tells us a merry ſtory (as ſome may count it) conJews, which he hath as I take it out of the Learned Author of Synagog. Jud.
That when the Arch-Angel ſhall ſound his Trumpet, he ſhall gather all the
Jews into the Holy Land, and make them a great Banquet, whereParadiſe, &c.
Reader, I will not, I cannot requeſt thee to give heed to any ſuch Jewiſh Fables, or to believe any of their lyes to be true, for I do not deſire to believe them my ſelf. And yet I profeſs unto thee, I may be as likely to believe all this, as to believe that aſſertion which Mr. Richardſon's laſt words include and imply, viz. That the Glory of Heaven is as common as the light of the Sun, or that Chriſt will make All happy that the Sun ſhines upon; yea, ſo long as I believe the 7th. chapter of Matth. or the 25. chapter, it is utterly impoſſible that I ſhould believe it.
Thus of his Twenty Infallible Proofs I have examined and diſR. his pleaſant Garden; and what precious Flowers are remaining in it,
pages will ſhew thee; and the next Proof is near as good as any of the reſt; and it is thus in brief.
p. 180. R.—It doth no way agree to the Spirit of a Saint, for Saints are ever merciful, as thePſalmiſtſaith, doubtleſs they are ſo merciful, as that they would not deſire that any man ſhould be in ſuch intolerable Torment one hour to an end, much leſs for ever. Therefore it doth not agree to the mind of God to puniſh any everlaſtingly. The more the Lord manifeſts himſelf in any, the more merciful they are, yea, to their enemies alſo.
B. It is a ſtrange way of Arguing which the man here uſeth, and ſuppoſeth the Soveraign Lord of all, and the Righteous Judge of the whole Earth to be obliged to follow the ſame rules which he hath given to his creatures. And how little excellency is to be found in ſuch Imaginations may appear in theſe particulars following.
1. That the Saints do not deſire that any ſhould fall ſhort of Hea
2. Saints do not deſire that any man ſhould be mocked or abuſed, impriſoned or tormented in the world for maintaining the Truth, and oppoſing the Abominations of the Romiſh Religion; yet it would be madneſs to ſay God would not let his people ſuffer ſo upon that ac&c.
3. A man of much Sanctity would not deſire there ſhould be ſo much wickedneſs in the world as there is, no nor would not ſuffer it to be if he could help it. I my ſelf would turn all men to the love of God and Holineſs if it were in my power: That little goodneſs that is in my heart (alas too little, and indeed ſo little that I am ſomeAtheiſts, on the Lord's Day, under pretence of ſpending their time in Chriſtian Du
4. I verily believe, a Saint (that is eminently ſuch for knowledge and Grace) would not have ſuffered Mr. R. to have ſpent his time ſo ſadly as to write This Book I am engaged with, yet God hath ſuffered him to Write and to Publiſh it too, or elſe it could never have been.—And that which he ſaith of the mercifulneſs of the Saints to their worſt Enemies, is as far from being unanſwerable: and becauſe He hath not urged this Argument to the beſt advantage, I will do it for him, as thus:
[A good man would not puniſh his enemies eternally, therefore God will not ſo puniſh his, for he is more merciful than Man.] I Anſwer, If God may not do otherwiſe than a good man would do, what ſad concluſions might we make from it? for at this rate we might conclude that God the Father would not leave his beloved Son Chriſt Jeſus to the malice of his wicked enemies, to be mocked and ſpit upon, to be Crucified and ſlain by them, for a good man would not deal ſo by his beloved Son; yet ſo it was, as ſure as the Goſpel is true, ſee Matth. 27. Luke 23. and other places.
2. There is no Reaſon why any man ſhould puniſh his enemy ever
3. Men are but men, and therefore Vengeance is not their preroTo him it belongeth, Pſ. 94.1. Neither are they Governors of the World, by natural rightful Soveraignty, and there
R.—Such torment agrees not to the mind of Chriſt,p. 181 for he was full of Love,&c.praying for his Enemies,Luke 23.34.and would not bring fire from Heaven upon them when the Diſciples would have had him do ſo.Luke 9.And he that would not ſuffer his Enemies to endure a ſhort puniſhment by fire, will not inflict a worſe that ſhall never end.—
B. All this is as vain as that which before he hath offered us, and will receive a quick diſpatch. For this kindneſs he ſhewed forth was in the day of his patience, but when the day of wrath is come, he himſelf will come in flaming fire, to take Vengeance on them that abuſe his Patience, and obey not his Goſpel. Which is told us by that Apoſtle of Chriſt that well underſtood the greatneſs of the love of Chriſt.Matthew, wherein we read that he will adjudge them on his left hand to everlaſting fire (even all the ungodly in general) for they ſhall not ſtand in the Judgment, Pſal. 1. (that is, not be abſolved but condemned in that day.)
p. 182. R.Such puniſhment agrees not to the fruits of the holy God. The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy,&c.
B. How he will make this a Proof, that there is no everlaſting pu
p. 183. & 184. R.Such puniſhment agrees not to the Nature of God, for God is Love, and is kind to the unthankful and the evil.Luke 6.If God ſhould only Love them that love him, do not the Publicans the ſame? God's Love and Mercy is infinite, and delighteth in Mercy,Mic. 7.18.and puniſhment is his ſtrange act;Eſay 28.21.and Chriſt dyed to anſwer the Law that we brake.
B. This is the ſubſtance of this 15th. Proof, and is large enough if good enough. To the firſt part I reply—If it be contrary to God's Nature to puniſh ſin for ever, then the Devils ſhould not be puniſhed by him for ever, the contrary to which we have ſeen already: 2. If it be contrary to God's Nature to puniſh ſin for ever (it is not conR. ſay, He is Love Eſſentially; I ſay in like manner, he is Holineſs EſPſalms, and elſewhere. And if the matter be duly weighthe wrath of God abideth on them: John 3. v. ult.
But he is kind to the unthankful and the evil.
True indeed, he is ſo in this World; He waits on them day afPaul tells us in the Epiſtle to the Coloſſians.
To the next thing that he urgeth, [That if God ſhould only love them that love him, he ſhould do no more than the Publicans] I ſay unto this, as follows, viz. That we do not ſay, or ſuppoſe any ſuch thing, as that God only loves them that love him, he loved his Elect from Eternity, and if he had not loved them before they loved him, they had never loved him, for all their love is from his,Deus diligit omnes homines,
Davenant. in Animadverſ. &c.
in quantum vult omnibus aliquod Bonum, &c. God, ſaith he, loveth all Men, in as much as he willeth ſome good unto all Men, yet he willeth not all that is good to all Men: That is,p. 170.Paul tells us,The unrighteous ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of God. So that though God may be ſaid to love all Men after a ſort,
R. hath any proofs to the contrary, we deſire him to bring them forth to light, and ſhall readily (if God per
Well, but he is Infinite in Mercy, and delighteth in Mercy.— Very true: But may he not appear to be Infinite in Mercy, unleſs he ſave his impenitent Enemies? Sure he may. And though he delighteth in Mercy, yet he hath Veſſels of Wrath as well as of Mercy, and re
Eſay 28.21.—
But firſt: The word ſtrange in that place is expounded by ſome of a great and wonderful work, and of an extraordinary judgment: and if we take it this way, it is far from ſerving his purpoſe, ſo much as in ſhew.
Or, ſecondly, It may be taken for ſuch a work as flows not natural
Thus puniſhing is God's ſtrange work, ſuch as he doth not as he is God, but as he is an offended God: and yet this work of his may con
Laſtly, The Death of Chriſt is ſo far from diſproving our Doctrine, that it doth moſt ſtrongly confirm it; For if God did puniſh his Son with an accurſed Death, when he bare the ſins of his People in this World, what wonder is it if he puniſh the impenitent with an everlaſt
R.— Such Puniſhment agrees not to the mercifulneſs of the Creator to his Creature,to impoſe ſuch a Puniſhment on any of them. p.185.And then he adds ſome places, that ſay,he is rich in mercy, and the like.
B. Surely this would be very good news for the Devils to hear of, if it were true. But we have our Lord's words to aſſure us of their everlaſting puniſhment, Matth. 25. and elſewhere, which ſhew my Author was miſtaken, in thinking that it cannot ſtand with his goodneſs, as he is their Creator. Yet we ſay not that he will puniſh any thus, as they are Creatures, but as they are offending and rebellious Creatures.
And as for his Mercy we have ſpoken of it before: and though it be great, yea infinite, yet it hath its proper object, and will not be acted in oppoſition to his truth, which tells us of everlaſting puniſhment for the wicked, as well as of Eternal life for the Righteous.
R.—Sin cannot overcome his love; where Sin abounded,Grace abounds much more, p.186.Rom. 5.20.This declares the mercy of God to be greater than ſin; if ſo, the grace of God is to all, even to the worſt of men: for ſin abounds in them most. And where ſin abounds, grace,ſaith the Apoſtle,abounds much more; If ſo, then all their ſins ſhall be forgiven: And if any were to ſuffer eternally, how doth grace abound to them, much more where ſin hath abounded? Anſwer this if you can.
B. This is a precious Proof indeed, and ſuch as he hath ſhewed his chiefeſt ſtrength in, and therefore he is pleaſed to triumph over the poor ignorant Men, that Preach up the Doctrine of Everlaſting Puniſh&c. as though he had a certain, and an everlaſting victory over them, (as to this particular) Thus and thus the caſe ſtands, and Anſwer this if you can.— As brave a Challenge as any Gentleman of his QuaSolomon, The Fool rageth, and is confident. Behold, Sir, the work is undertaken, your command with me is as good as a Law, and I will Anſwer you if I can.
And firſt, I will deal with your firſt Aſſertion, that ſin cannot overWhat ſhall ſeparate them from the love of Christ? Rom. 8. But if he ſpeak of the proud contemners of his Word and ways, and the deceitful workers of iniquity, that continue ſuch, then though we care not to ſay that their ſin doth overcome his love, yet we confidently affirm, that it will ſo provoke his wrath, as to cauſe him to puniſh them for ever in the life to come: See Col. 3.6. John 3.36. Matth. 25.46. Pſal 92.7. and many other places.
His ſecond Aſſertion [That God's mercy is greater than ſin] hath been ſpoken to already, and I need now to ſay but this about it: That it is greater than the ſin of Devils, and yet Devils ſhall ſuffer for ever for their ſins. (and ſo we may ſay, God's healing power is ſtronger and greater than Diſeaſes, and yet Men dye by them for all that.)
His third Aſſertion, That the grace of God is to all, even to the worſt of Men; if it be meant of his ſaving grace, (or ſuch mercy as ache that believeth not ſhall be damned, Mark 16. v. 16. (And his other, That all the ſins of all Men ſhall be forgiven, is as loud an Error, and let him prove it a truth, if he can.)
Thus much for his Vanity. His Subtilty follows, [Where ſin aR. and all his Brethren, yea all Mankind to ſhew me any one Text of Scripture, that ever was more abominably abuſed, more wretchedly wreſted (whether by Papiſts, Socinians, Atheiſts, or any ſort of Men) than this Text of St. Paul is, in this caſe, by Him. For when the Apoſtle ſaith, where ſin did abound, grace did abound much more; he doth not mean, that God will ſhew himſelf moſt gracious to them that have committed the moſt or greateſt ſins; for then Pharaoh, Judas, and Jezabel ſhould be more bleſſed than Moſes, Joſeph, and the Virgin Mary; And our Damners and Sinkers be more happy than the holy Prophets, Apoſtles, and MarR. his ſenſe of the word) But the abounding there mentioned, is the abounding of
the Law entred that the offence might abound. Surely it was not given to make men abound the more in ſin, or to make them more ſinful, than otherwiſe they would be: but to make men more ſenſible of ſin, and of the evil of it. The Law, ſaith that Learned Expoſitor upon the place, auget peccatum,
Paraeus in Rom. 5.20.non efficiendo ſed monſtrando; It encreaſeth ſin (or maketh it abound) not by cauſing of it, but by diſcovering of it; and Piſcator ſaith, the offence there is not taken properly for the offence it ſelf, but figuratively for the knowledge of it; and makes this the ſenſe of it, that the grace of Chriſt hath appeared to be more powerful to ſave Believers, than ſin is to deſtroy them. Thus I have given an Anſwer to his Proof, and if he like it not, he may confute it if he can.
R.—God is juſt and equal; but ſuch an extream miſery,p. 187. never to end, is not equal.
B. 'Tis a ſign he ſpent moſt of his ſtrength in the laſt Proof, ſince this next is ſo exceeding weak. It ſeems he judgeth that it cannot be juſt with God to puniſh ſinners eternally, and not only judgeth ſo but ſaith ſo too. [To ſuffer Torment never to end, is not equal.] But though he hath adventured to ſay ſo, yet his Word is not ſufficient for it, (nor is he a fit man to judge of the equity of Gods Diſpenſations.)
But 1. If the ſin of Angels may be juſtly puniſhed upon them for ever (as few beſides himſelf will queſtion) then may the ſins of men alſo: for ſin is as bad a thing in the one as in the other, and God is as worthy to be obeyed by men as by Angels.
2. 'Tis no wonder if guilty ſinners (in a natural ſtate) do not ſo eaſily diſcern the equity of this ſevere Diſpenſation, 'tis the nature of ſin to blind the eyes of its followers, nor can we fully know the evil and vileneſs of ſin, unleſs we could fully apprehend the Excellency of that God againſt whom it is committed.
3. Yet we have ſeen ſo much as may ſatisfie a ſober Chriſtian in the caſe, in the latter end of the firſt Chapter of this Book, wherefore I ſhall not need to ſay any more of the equity of ſuch puniſhment, unleſs my Author ſhall Anſwer what is ſaid therein.
p. 188. R.— It is no profit or pleaſure to God to have any man ſuffer endleſs Torments; He hath no pleaſure in the death of any,Ezek. 18.much leſs can it be any pleaſure to him for any ſo to ſuffer.Hoſea 6.6He is ſaid to deſire Mercy and not Sacrifice: if ſo, he deſires none ſhould be ſacrificed in a torment never to end. God abhors cruelty.—
B. This kind of Reaſoning is ſuch as may well become a man of his Principles, and ſuits ſo fully to his bleſſed deſign, and to what he had ſaid in other places, that we need not doubt but he was guided (here
For the firſt I ſay thus: That if that would prove that God will not have any man ſuffer for ever, at the ſame rate of Reaſoning he might prove, that none of the wicked Angels ſhall ſuffer for ever. For cerR. doth grant that God hath made it: He grants alſo that God will make his Saints happy and glorious in Heaven, and yet (I believe) he is not ſo weak as to imagine, that God hath any need of their Happineſs and Glory: nor had he any need of the Death of his enemies in this world, and therefore could not be profited by their deaths, and yet he hath brought them to death very often, and in the moſt remarkable manner.
His Second Propoſition is this: That 'tis no pleaſure to God to puEzekiel ch. 18.23. runs thus: Have I any pleaſure that the wicked ſhould dye (or be damned) and not that he ſhould return from his ways and live? And ſo the ſenſe is clear againſt him, more than for him; and he hath no way to make it appear to be for him, but only to mention the firſt part of the verſe, without the ſecond, wherein he acts like you know whom, (See Matth. 4.6. compared with Pſal. 91.11.) take the words together as they lye, Have I any pleaſure that the wicked ſhould die, and not that he return, &c. and then it is as much as if he had ſaid, I take more pleaſure to have them turn and be ſaved, than to have them go on in ſin and be damned: But if they will not turn, they ſhall not be ſaved, nor eſcape damnation, and therefore, Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye dye,
But the latter part of this Proof is (if poſſible) more ſtrange than the former, viz. — God deſires Mercy and not Sacrifice, therefore he deſires not that any ſhould be ſacrificed in a puniſhment never to end.— As for his Expreſſion of mens being Sacrificed in puniſhment for ever, I do not well approve of it, and could eaſily prove it to be very unfit; for the puniſhment of the wicked is not a Sacrifice for their ſins, ſince it makes no atonement for them (either Typically or Really) whereReader, the ſtrength of this Argument: God deſires mercy and not Sacrifice, therefore he will not puniſh any man eternally. How could he ſpeak more at random if he had ſtriven to do it? for This is meant of his Preceptive will, namely that he values obedience in the general, or the exerciſe of Mercy and works of Love, (in particular) more than Sacrifices at the hands of his people, for the particle there uſed is not an abſolute Negative, but a Comparative only, as in the Text before, Ezek. 18.23.Vid. Rivet. in Hoſ. 6.6.&c. If he will take leave to infer thus, I will give him leave to make the ſame concluſion from the
Job's Cattel, or the fiery Tails of Sampſons Foxes. He concludes this Proof with a very great truth [That God abhors cruel
If he would make it ſerve his turn, he muſt (of neceſſity) make it appear, that God cannot puniſh an impenitent ſinner everlaſtingly without being cruel; which, I am confident, he cannot do, and do verily hope he will not undertake to do. And if he think ſo, I might eaſily ſubdue his error, if it be not maintained by an invincible per
And on the other ſide, though a puniſhment be never ſo great and grievous, yet if it be ſuch as the perſon puniſhed doth deſerve for his offence, it is not cruelty but juſtice. That wretched Villain Ravilliack, that murthered that Renouned King of France in his Coach (King Henry the IVth, if I miſtake not) was afterwards taken and Tormen
And now having taken ſo much pains to make good his bad cauſe, in the nineteen Proofs that we have ſeen, there is no doubt but he will make the beſt uſe he can of his ſtrength and skill, in his 20th.
R.—'Tis not for the glory of God to impoſe ſuch a Puniſhment upon any man:for glory lieth not in impoſing great and ter p.189.rible Puniſhment, but in mercy and forgiveneſs, Exod. 34.6, 7.
But by his leave, I judge otherwiſe, and do not doubt but it is for his glory, to impoſe great Puniſhment upon the wicked, namely for the glory of his Juſtice (which he doth not ſo much as pretend to diſprove, unleſs it be by telling us, that glory conſiſteth in mercy and forgiveneſs; for which he alledgeth Exod. 34.6, 7. And how vain all this wiſdome is, a few Lines may diſcover, for certainly God's glory doth not lye only in mercy and forgiveneſs, for he was glorified upon his greateſt Enemies, even hard-hearted Pharaoh himſelf;Exodus, as the Lord proclaims himſelf to be merciful and gracious, ſo one that will by no means clear the guilty, or wicked, ſo remaining: And the not clearing of them, is not an act of mercy, my Author himſelf being Judge.) Then he adds thus—
R.— Proverbs10.12.'Tis ſaid, Love covereth all ſins.—
But what of that? for it doth not mean that God's love will cover or forgive all Men's ſins, (penitent or impenitent) no ſure, the Prohe that made them will not have mercy upon them. 'Tis meant therefore of the love of Men, one towards another. Love (ſo far as it prevails) will cauſe a Man to cover, to wit, to overPro. 10.12.
R.— God doth all things for his glory,p. 190.
In what ſenſe we hold that [few] ſhall be ſaved, hath already been ſhewed: To wit, comparatively with them that dye in their ſins, and periſh; for otherwiſe,R. ſuppoſeth, that 'tis more for God's glory to
R. himſelf. Therefore it is not moſt for his glory to ſave all (or to ſave the Impeni
And if I ſhould ſay, that the ſaving of ſome only (only the Penitent and Returning ſinners; I ſpeak of them that are of years) tends moſt to the glory of God's mercy, Mr. R. may not honeſtly deny it: for his juſt ſeverity and vengeance upon ſome ſets off his mercy towards o
And having ſeen what he cannot do, (viz. that he cannot make good what he hath undertaken) he tells us (at laſt) what he cannot think. — p. 190. lin. 19.
R.—I cannot admit to think any thing that is cruel, to be in God.
B. This his diſability he takes, doubtleſs, for his perfection: and I (for my part) ſhall readily grant it to be ſo: for he muſt needs be very weak, or very wicked, that can be perſwaded to think any ſuch thing: And I verily believe he never heard any of thoſe Divines that he ſo much undervalues, preach or ſpeak any thing that ſounded that way: I ſhall add only theſe two particulars concerning it.
1. That God is not cruel in puniſhing the impenitent for ever, ſince they are worthy of ſuch puniſhment (as before.)
2. That though there is nothing of cruelty belonging to the nature of God, yet there is of Juſtice, and Vengeance and Severity againſt ſin. Conſider the Example of the fallen Angels, and the ſufferings of Chriſt. And this ſeverity is ſo far from being inconſiſtent with his goodneſs, that St. Paul joyns them both together: Rom. 11.22. Behold therefore the goodneſs and ſeverity of God, &c. And if our Author ſhall think his
Thus (Reader) I have led thee (and I hope ſafely) through the maR. his new-found Wilderneſs; and know not what I ſhould need to ſay more unto him, unleſs it be to admoniſh him of his deſign, and to beſpeak him in the words of that precious Man of God, Biſhop Jewel, (to that Peſtilent Popeling Mr. Harding) at the end of his Defence.—
[Deceive not the ſimple, they are bought with a Price;Jewel.
And now (Good Reader) having given thee the Proof of this DoRichardſon's violence, and wrath; I would humbly invite thee to ponder a little upon it to thy profit: To which purpoſe, I ſhall endeavour to aſſiſt thee, in the Uſes and Improvement of it; which is the next particular to be ſpoken to, (and indeed the chiefeſt of all.)
SInce Eternal Damnation is not a Dream,
Ʋſe 1. For In
But however they value earthly things, becauſe they are moſt ſuitDarius kept his Money, and his Kingdom too, yet it is ſaid, his ſleep went from him.
But there is a greater vanity than all this; for as the greateſt of this World's good cannot content a Man ſufficiently in proſperity, nor comfort him ſufficiently in adverſity, ſo it cannot ſecure him from Hell, or ſave him from Everlaſting Burnings: It cannot work his deliverance from it, nor prove his deliverance from it: The former is plain, and needs no proof: Though the Papiſts will ſell us Pardons for Money, yet they cannot aſſure us, that the one or the other can ſecure us from Hell. And the other is no leſs plain: for, we read expreſly, of a Rich man in Hell, Luke 16. and we find in Job, that God regardeth the Rich no more than the Poor. If he be ungodly, and dye ſo, he ſhall not come to Heaven, becauſe he had the World at will. And if he go to Hell, what will all his former comforts be to him, or how will the Remembrance of them comfort him? What will it be to live in eaſe for a time, if afterwards they live in Torment for ever? What will it be to have Honour for a while, if afterwards they ſuffer Everlaſting contempt? What will it be to be clothed with Silk or Silver, and to fare deliciouſly every Day, if afterwards they be clothed with Helliſh flames, and drink of the Cup of God's fiery Indignation? In a word, what will it be to enjoy the World, and miſs of Heaven, or in our Saviour's phraſe, to gain the whole World, and loſe their Souls? Lord, put me not off with earthly enjoyments, let not any thing be my portion that may conſiſt with thy diſpleaſure.
viz. Concerning the vile nature of Sin: That's almoſt the only thing that ſinners are wont to make light of; yea, many of them make but a mock at it: And though the wiſe
&c. Yet, I ſay, they can make a ſmall matter of it, and can ſee no great harm in it, or at leaſt no ſuch great harm, (in any of theſe things) but that they can eaſily diſpenſe with it, for the attaining of thoſe great ends which they pro&c. Theſe doubtSocinians.) But this Point that I am now upon, might convince the blindeſt Worldling of it, in caſe he would truly believe and conſider it; For he muſt needs grant, there is much evil in that which the Righteous God will puniſh with Everlaſting Torment: How vile and hateful, how hainous and horrible muſt that be, which the God of all Goodneſs and Mercy will ſhew his Eternal Diſpleaſure ault.
Verſ. 23. As hath been excellently cleared by our Proteſtant Worthies againſt the
Romaniſts,
3. lib. 6. cap. 12.
And ſo it may diſcover the madneſs of ungodly ſinners, that walk in the way to everlaſting miſery, but this will afford matter enough for another Section.
3d. of the madneſs of the wicked, &c.Solomon often calls ſuch men Fools, and St. Paul ſtiles them unreaſonable men.
And here I muſt needs ſay with the Apoſtle, who is ſufficient for theſe things? who can fathom the depth of the Damneds ſorrows? what heart can conceive them, or what words can expreſs them? for who knoweth the power of God's wrath, or how miſerable it can make the enemies of his holineſs? But though we cannot fully ſet forth the Terror of the Lord upon them, yet we may ſoon ſee ſo much of it as may make it appear to be moſt exceedingly terrible: as he that can
I ſhall now endeavour to demonſtrate (with all convenient brevity) the dreadfulneſs of the Damnation and puniſhment that the wicked that live and dye ſuch, ſhall ſurely undergo.Richardſon, or any of his Abetters will ever be able to anſwer in this world, or the world to come) but rather of the extremity of it, and that in Two generals, which will admit of a large conſidera
1. The Happineſs and comfort that they ſhall miſs of or loſe.
2. The miſeries, pains and poſitive ſorrows that they ſhall ſuſtain and lye under.
1.1. In their Badepart from me, ye workers of iniquity;
&c. But how grieMr. Janway.
But now thoſe Conſolations of Chriſt which his Saints partake of in Heaven, are doubtleſs far beyond all that they were ſenſible of here on Earth,Paul aſſures us; and yet theſe Conſolations ſhall be no comfort to them that dye in their ſins, for they ſhall have nothing to do with them, he will ſay unto them,Depart from me, ye curſed. And O how curſed will their caſe then be, and how miſerable will they then account themſelves: for they will then loſe all other comforts with him, which is the next thing to be ſpoken to.
2 In their loſs of all other comforts.
But to come to ſome particulars.
1. Wealth and Honour.Their Riches will not profit (ſaith the Scripture) in the day of wrath, the heat of that day will melt their beſt coin, for all things of this inferior world ſhall be diſſolved and burnt up.
deſired not (in truth of heart) the ſincere milk of the Word, that they might grow thereby, 1 Pet. 2. Their Minds and Memories and ConTurks Airy Paradiſe, 'tis ſure there is no ſuch thing to be hoped for in the Devils fiery priſon. Their honours alſo will be then at an end, ſince they muſt ariſe to ſhame and everlaſting contempt.
Dan 12.2. 2. Loſs of reſt and eaſe.
2. The Damned will loſe all bodily reſt and eaſe and ſleep: The place of Torment they muſt be caſt into, will admit of no refreſhment at all: They that wearied others with their wickedneſs before, will then be wearied with it themſelves; and though they could ſleep (very ſoundly) in God's houſe of Prayer, yet they ſhall not ſleep ſo much as one wink in his houſe of puniſhment: That ſaddeſt word [Go ye curſed] will keep them awake for evermore.
They ſhall loſe alſo all their carnal Mirth and Worldly Joy:Mirth.
But how ſhall they live, may ſome ſay, in ſuch a condition? For will not ſo much miſery break their hearts, and will not life fail when it hath no means to ſupport it, no food nor ſleep, &c.
I Anſwer, No, that may not be imagined: They muſt needs live ſtill, becauſe God will not ſuffer them to dye; they that lived on earth, as though they had thought their Souls were mortal, ſhall in Hell find their bodies to be immortal, they ſhall be raiſed incorruptible:
R's oppoſitions.
But, ſay ſome, the Saints themſelves muſt part with their worldly comforts at laſt, as well as the ungodly: the univerſal flames will
&c. as ſurely as the dwellings of the wicked.—
True indeed, But though they muſt part with theſe things, yet they ſhall be no loſers thereby, becauſe they ſhall have better inſtead of them. Inſtead of Natural delights they ſhall have Spiritual, inManſions in their Fathers houſe, Joh. 14.2. inſtead of Food and Phyſick,
Peace.
Hopes.
The hope of unjuſt men periſheth, Prov. 11.Job in like manner —What is the hope of the Hypocrite when God taketh away his Soul? And if his hope ſhall periſh when God takes his Soul from his Body, how far muſt he be from all hope, when he caſteth him Body and Soul into Hell? The hope of
HAving ſpoken of the Privative part of the Damneds miſery,into everlaſting fire, Matth. 25.41. Fire we know is the moſt Tormenting creature, the pains that are cauſed by it are moſt ſharp of any, and therefore the Papiſts have ſo much delight to torture the Hereticks, as they call them, by Burning, and to oppoſe their obſtinacy with Faggot-Arguments; And doubtleſs if they had not had a good God and a good Cauſe on their ſide, they could not poſſibly have withſtood them. A ſmall fire can fill a man with pains intolerable, though no more but one finger be ſcorched with it. A man would not be content to live one year in a burning Brick Kiln, if he might gain the wealth of a hundred Kingdoms, and be ſure to enjoy it a hun
1. Becauſe it is ſuch as is prepared on purpoſe for puniſhment,
2. Becauſe the Saints themſelves may be afflicted with other fire, (and the greateſt of them have been ſo) but Hell fire is proper and peculiar to the wicked; and ſure that evil muſt needs be worſer which is proper to the enemies of God, than that which his Ser
If any ſhall ſay, perhaps Hell-fire is not a real corporeal Fire, but ſomewhat elſe figuratively expreſſed by the name of fire: I anſwer, 'Tis lawful to ſuppoſe that it is real fire, and the abſurdities that my
Author would faſten upon that Opinion, are nothing but the irregula
Furnace of Fire, (a terrible word indeed) and (which is more terrible) a Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimſtone. O how dreadMatth. 13.41, 42. Revel. 21.8.
So (to name no more) it is called a Priſon. As Heaven is ſet out by things delightful, ſo Hell is ſet out by that which is diſtaſtful and loathPeter 3.19. And it is the worſt of Priſons, if we conſider the properties of it.
Paul and his Companions had but an unpleaſant ſailing, when neither Sun, nor Moon, nor Stars apEgyptians were little leſs than aſtoniſhed at that Plague of thick Darkneſs that was upon them for three Days time,The blackneſs of darkneſs for ever.
2. It is a faſt Priſon, ſuch as they that are once in, ſhall never be able to get out of: The Doors of it are ſhut upon them by the Juſtice, Truth and Power of the Almighty.
3. It is a tormenting Priſon: Other Priſons are places where the Malefactors are reſerved for Puniſhment, but may have ſome eaſe and comforts during their aboad therein; But Hell-Priſon is the place of Puniſhment, where the wrath of God is executed continually upon his Enemies: I ſay continually, for they ſhall be puniſhed with an everlaſting (and therefore an ever-continuing) deſtruction, 2 Theſſ. 1.8, 9.
The Doctrines of the Holy God were grievous to them, though they heard of them but now and then; What intolerable grief may the diſpleaſure of God cauſe in them, when they lye under it continu
And the more dreadful will this Priſon be to the Slaves of Satan, beſhall come from Heaven to convince all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds: And doubtleſs,
They will then be able to know, what it was that they are ſent thither for, and that they are ſo miſerable, not meerly for God's good pleaI know you not, and to caſt them into that black
If a Man were never ſo full of pain in his Body,
1. By ſorrow, (in the ſaddeſt ſenſe) our Bleſſed Lord,1. By ſorrow.Matth. 26.28. O what ſorrows then may we think will fall upon the Souls of the wicked in Hell! If the Soul of that Holy One were ſo afflicted, when he ſtood in the room of others, what will be the caſe of them that muſt bear their own ſins, and anſwer the dePſalmiſt tells us, that many ſorrows ſhall be to the wicked, and as it is ſometimes verified here in this World, ſo certainly it will be moſt eminently fulfilled in the World to come; How merry ſoever they may be on Earth, our Lord aſſures us, that they will be weeping and wailing,
2. By ſhame.
3. By rage.Jeſus to forſake thoſe ways which his Soul hateth, preſently what a rage are they in? and how mightily do ſtorms of wrath ariſe in their Breaſts? and if they could kill them with a wiſh, or burn them in their Beds with a fierce and fiery word, they were likely to live but a few Hours longer: If they have loſt but a little of their eſtates, or but ſo much as miſſed of a good Bargain, they are ready to fret beyond meaſure at it. But what will it be to loſe their Souls and Heaven, and endure the pains of Hell, for the love of their fooliſh Luſts on Earth, what unſpeakable vexation will this be unto them; when they have nothing at all to make
weeping, ſo gnaſhing of teeth too, when they ſhall ſee Abraham, Iſaac,
Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, and they themſelves ſhut out.
Fourthly, In Hell they will be tormented by Deſperation.Despair.
Their hope ſhall periſh, Pro. 11.7. They will be no more able to hope for any comfort, than to annihilate the Heavens; And how bitter this will be, who can tell? for verily Deſperation is a Hell it ſelf, ſaid (one, who I hope is in Heaven) Francis Spira.
Fifthly, Their Souls will be exceedingly miſerable,5. Conſcience accuſing.A wounded spirit (or conſcience) who can bear, ſaid Solomon; and yet the wounds of the Spirit, and troubles of the Conſcience, do ſometimes tend to the Health and Salvation of the Soul, (through the help of the Spirit of God) how intolerable then muſt the ſtate of the Damned be, whoſe wounds of Conſcience will never be healed, who will ever be tormented with its ragings and rebukes? And, O how much matter of accuſation and rebuke will it then have againſt them! How will conſcience work,
1. When they think of the excellency and eternity of that bleſſedneſs they have loſt, and how they have loſt it for ſin and vanity, and thoſe things that periſhed in the uſing, &c.
2. When they think with themſelves how fair they were (many of them) for Heaven; how highly they were exalted in Goſpel privi
4ly, When they remember how often they were perſwaded to return, and how often they were convinced of the evil of their ways, of the neceſſity of turning; and yet (in ſpight of all) would go on ſtill in their treſpaſſes: O that ſinners would conſider of this, when they ſtill enjoy the inſtructions and exhortations of a plain and faithful Miniſtry! How they will one day wiſh that they had been willing to obey it, or that they had never been able to hear it! It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha, at the Judgment Day, than for ſuch: That Sodom that was the ſhame of the World for wickedneſs, and the moſt eminent inſtance of Divine vengeance, of any People under Heaven, being burnt with Fire and Brimſtone from thence, yet that Sodom ſhall be in a better caſe at Judgment, than the neglecters of this ſo great SalvaMatth. 11.24. It will be ſome abatement of their Torment, that they had not thoſe means of grace, thoſe conſtant Sermons, thoſe ſtrong perſwaſions, and clear convictions, that Goſpel-ſinners had: They ſhall not have ſo much darkneſs of ſorrow, becauſe they rebelled not againſt ſo much light.
5ly, When they remember what coſt and charges they were at, what care and pains they took (many of them) in Satan's ſhameful ſervices: How they adventured the ſhame and cenſures of the World, the loſs of their health, their peace, their life, to pleaſe the Devil and their wicked humours; How they ſtifled their conſciences, ſhut their eyes againſt the light, rejected Chriſt and Glory, his Word and his Kingdom, for the deceitful pleaſures and profits of ſin; and took more pains in the way to deſtruction, than ever any pious Man did in the way to Heaven. How perfect a Hell will Hell be unto them, where their own Conſciv. 44.
viz. with Infinite Goodneſs) to caſt his Crea
I anſwer: He that hath well weighed what was replyed to Mr. R. when he cavilled ſomewhat to the ſame purpoſe, need not be much trouDe Amplitudine Regni Coeleſtis.
Boni Natura est Communicari; quomodo Deus Pater Miſerationum, &c. It is the nature of good to communicate it ſelf: and the more he communicates his goodneſs, the more he diſcovers it; And how ſhall God appear to be the Father of Mercies and Infinite in Mercy, if his ſaving beatifying Mercy be not extended to the greateſt part of Adam's Poſterity? So He.— But though a Man cannot go through a thick Hedge without ſcratches, yet he may go by it at an eaſier rate; ſo he that cannot make his way through objected difficulties, yet may paſs them by, and hold faſt the truth in ſpight of them: And as to this particular, if thy reaſon cannot untie this Knot, let thy faith cut it aſunder: And if thou canſt not ſee how the Infiniteneſs of God's goodneſs can ſtand with the everChrist hath told us, There is none good but God; (viz. abſolutely,the wicked ſhall go into everlaſting puniſhment:
1. That there is in God Bonitas Regiminis, as well as Beneficentiae. In plain Engliſh, thus: There is in God the goodneſs of a Governour, and the goodneſs of a Benefactor; now his puniſhing the wicked with Eternal Damnation is not at all contrary to his goodneſs in either of theſe ſences.
1. 'Tis plain, It is not contrary to the goodneſs of his Government; He is the great Governour of the World, and therefore is called a King, a great King, the King eternal, &c. in Holy Scripture,
2. It is the goodneſs of God's nature, that he hates ſin and wicked
3. If it were not contrary to his goodneſs to threaten Everlaſting Puniſhment and Deſtruction to the wicked,&c.
4. Theſe Learned Objectors ſhould not act ſo unlearnedly, as to argue the doing of that upon the account of his goodneſs, which cannot be done upon the account of his wiſdome, nor complain of his caſting thoſe into Hell, whom his wiſdome ſees to be utterly unfit for Heaven; The Enemies of God and Holineſs are not fit to dwell in his Holy place, [A Swine is fitter for a Prince's Preſence-chamber, than an unChrist upon his Throne, whom he thought more worthy to be trodden under foot by ſuch as he? Thus miſerable would an ungodly Man be in Heaven, and is it not fitter that he ſhould be mi
And ſecondly, Let me tell the Objector, that God will ſufficiently appear to be good in a way of Beneficence alſo, though the wicked be under Everlaſting Condemnation. This is ſo plain, that I need not ſpend much time in the proof of it: for it would not be accounted a reaſonEſay 55.7, &c.
And as for the Number of them that periſh, which Coelius,
R. think ſo ſtrangely of, we may eaſily perceive it is not ſo much to be wondered at, nor may not be imagined to be any diſparagement to the Divine Goodneſs. A ſober Chriſtian may receive ſome ſatisfaction from the words of his Lord, in Matth. 7.14.—Broad is the way that leadeth to deſtruction, and many there be that go in thereat. Is it fit theſe Men ſhould make a queſtion of that which their Lord (who is Truth it ſelf) hath ſo poſitively told us?
Nevertheleſs, I ſhall add a few Conſiderations, to rectifie our thoughts hereabouts, that on that account we may not charge our God fooliſhly. And,
Christ will give them eternal life, and they ſhall never periſh: John 10.
2. Thoſe many that periſh were all out of the way of Salvation, and would not be perſwaded to turn into it, by a true Converſion. What wonder, if Deſtruction and Miſery be their end, when they are in their ways, as St. Paul, in Rom. 3.16. Deſtruction and miſery are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known.
He that chuſeth to travail in a Ship that is bound for Spain, may not wonder if at laſt he comes thither. As little cauſe have we to wonder that they ſhould have Hell for their end, that make wickedneſs (in ſome kind or other) their common way, and will not conſent unfeignedly to turn into the Holy Path; And that this is the caſe of the moſt among us, is ſo ſadly apparent, that I may lawfully ſpare the pains of pro
3. It is no diſparagement to the goodneſs of a King or Judge to con
4. It cannot be denied, but the greateſt part of Men by far is actual
5. If Mens judgments were not blinded by guilt and ſelfiſhneſs, they would think it more wonderful, that God ſhould ſuffer ſuch a Deluge of wickedneſs to go unpuniſhed in this World, than that he ſhould pu
6. What if God ſhould ſend but one wicked Man of a Thouſand to Hell, and ſave all the reſt, would they not acknowledge and admire his Mercy and Beneficence? Well, though he will not do ſo, yet we know not, but there may be as great a communication of his goodneſs, as that amounts to. For as the Heaven of glory doth incomparably exceed the inferiour Heavens and Earth in bigneſs; So it is judged by ſober, learned Men, that there be ten thouſand times more holy and bleſſed Spirits there, than there be wicked Men in Earth or Hell; and they were as wiſeGaſſendus, and others.Reader, how many Millions of Creatures are over thy head, that are filled with their Maker's love and goodneſs, and therefore entertain no hard thoughts of it, nor murmur at the juſt Judg
And thus I have anſwered the Objection aforeſaid, and may now fitly proceed to a farther improvement of the Doctrine pleaded for, in a way of Exhortation and Caution to ſeveral ſorts of Men; of which with God's leave, in the enſuing Paragraph.
HAving proved the point ſo plainly before, and cleared it now at large from the grand objection about its conſiſtency with the Divine Goodneſs, I ſhall urge it (by God's permiſſion) upon ſeveral ſorts of men amongſt us. And I may fitly urge it upon thoſe in the firſt place, that are firſt in place, viz. The Gentry of our Land—
I need not doubt but ſome or other will think me a pragmatical perſon (in the very worſt ſenſe,) and may be willing to ask me what I have to do with ſuch? Well, if they have any great deſire to do ſo, let them do it by all means, for why ſhould they loſe their longing? But if they are reaſonable men, I may hope to prevent that query by giving them this following account, in brief:
Namely, that I am a debtor to all, and am bound (eſpecially as I am a Miniſter) to do good to all ſo far as I may: and it is as much worth my pains to endeavour to prevent the damnation of theſe, as to prevent the Damnation of meaner men; for their Souls are as preci
1. To the Sen
Firſt, of the former, and certainly I had need be careful how I ſpeak to thoſe men that have ruined ſo many that never durſt to ſpeak to them ſo plainly as I intend to do.
&c.
Dr. SaunderSerm. in 1 Cor. 7.24.Saunderſon— that ſpend half the day in ſleeping, half the night in Gaming, and the reſt of their precious time in other pleaſures and vanities, to as little pur&c. or (as the worthy Author of the Diſcourſe of the Decay of Piety) that live in the world, as the Leviathan in the Sea, to take their Paſtime in it, and to make up the paral&c.
that be lovers of pleaſure more than lovers of God, that ſet their affections (mainly) on things upon earth and not the things that are above; that mind nothing ſeriouſly, but (Heathen like) what they ſhall eat, and what they ſhall drink, and with what they ſhall be cloathed: Theſe I call Senſual Gentry, and I will be content to be judged by any but themſelves, whether I may not fitly call them ſo, and may lawfully ſay ſomewhat the more to them, becauſe others ſay ſo little.
Yet leſt I ſhould lye open to too many Cenſures for it, and leſt my plainneſs ſhould be interpreted to be folly, pride, or peeviſhneſs or the like, I think it meet to mention ſome paſſages out of ſeveral Writers that ſpeak as bluntly to theſe men, as I can do, and yet will be con
Firſt, the famous Cambridge Orator ſpeaks thus in his Poem,Mr. G. Herberts
That worthy Divine of Broughton
Mr. R. Bolton.Northhampton-ſhire in his excellent Aſſize Sermon at the end of his [four laſt things] com&c. that commonly by ſuch time as they come to ſtrength of body and mind corrupt affection obtains its full ſtrength and height and hardneſs in their hearts; and I am afraid,
Engliſh, that ever breap. 217, and 218. of the ſaid work. And whether this thing he feared be now come to paſs or not, I do not ſay, let others judge.
The forementioned excellent Doctor alſo in that very Sermon makes as bold with them,Dr. Saunderſongood of humane Society, but live as if they were made for no other ends but to eat and drink, and ſleep and game,
tells them (how&c.
that the pooreſt contemptible creature, that cryes
Oyſters in the ſtreets for a livelihood, deſerves his Bread betIſis, belonged to the Aſſe that carried her Image.]
And thus having cleared my way, I ſhall now come directly to my intended work, to exhort the brave Gentile ſinners to conſider the things that concern them, which I take to be one of the fitteſt Uſes that can be made of the Doctrine of Hell Torments.
&c.
1. Pride and haughtineſs of mind.Pride.
and walk humbly with your God, before you can ſee the Kingdom of Heaven, Eſay 2.12.The day of the Lord of Hoſts ſhall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, And the proud ſhall be as the ſtubble in the day of his Anger, Mal. 4.1. and pride goes before deſtruction, ſaith, Solomon. And how apt the heart of man is to it, when it is attended with wealth and worldly greatneſs, I need not ſay.
2. Take heed of fleſhly luſts which war againſt the Soul,Fornication.
Peter ſpeaks, in 2 Pet. 2.9, 10. The Lord knoweth how to reſerve the unjuſt to the day of judgment, but chiefly them that walk in the luſt of uncleanneſs, &c. So St. Paul, Heb. 13.4.Piſcat. in Loc. 3. Idleneſs and unprofitableneſs.Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge, (i. e. condemn.) They that would not be diRev. 21.8.
3. If you would eſcape the miſeries of another world, be ſure to take heed of an idle and unprofitable life in this. Surely, Sirs, they are like to partake of little good hereafter, that care not to do good here. If Plays and Romances have not thruſt the Goſpel out of your minds,Papists ſay, that they are Solifidians.) The neglect of this is no ſuch harmleſs Peccadillo, as theſe Men may be apt to account it: We read in the Goſpel, that our Lord will condemn Men at the great Day, for this ſin eſpecially, and make a particular mention of it, as a procuDepart from me, &c. For when I was an hungred (in his members he means) ye gave me no meat, when I was thirſty ye gave me no drink, &c. So then, they that were able to do good to their poor Chriſtian Brethren, and were not willing to do it in ſome conſcionable way, will be puniſhed for ever for this ſin, if they dye ſuch as they lived; and when they have loſt their Souls and Heaven, it will be no ſatisfaction to them to remember, that they kept, or ſaved their Money; they that would not live as Chri
I might alſo caution you againſt Cruely and Oppreſſion, ſcorning of Reproofs, and ſcoffing at Religion, in the ſerious faithful Followers of it; but I have not time to ſay all that might be ſaid unto you.
4. Mispending of Time.
[See that ye walk circumſpectly, redeeming the time] is no Precept of mine, but of the Apoſtle,Exod. 32. [They are a People that ſat down to eat and drink, and roſe up to play] But ſuch provide but ill for themſelves; nor can it be ſafe for them to be ſo pro
5. There is another ſin, that ſome who go for Gentlemen are ſadly in love with,Separatists in their prejudice againſt them, as the Quakers, and ſuch like: I read, not many Moneths ago, a paſſage to this purpoſe, (more than plain enough) in a Quaker's PamGod damn us, and God confound us, and ſoon after you go to your Church, and ſay, We beſeech thee to hear us good Lord.] Thus (Reader) this clauſe in our Letany, We beſeech thee to hear us good Lord, (than which it is hard to imagine any thing more humble, or pious, or better becoming a ſerious Chri
&c.] and think it more needful to beg his mercy, than to imprecate his Vengeance? And if you think that there is no God, and that Religion is only a ſilly thing that came into the World by chance, through the force of fooliſh cauſeleſs fears (as ſome of your companions are willing to perſwade themſelves) It may be worth your while to Read and Conſider what that excellent GentlemanSir Charles Woolſley, p. 77.
2. What if you did but ſee that wicked Spirit that tempts you thus fearfully to challenge your Maker, and dare him to deſtroy you, would you not then take heed how you yield to his temptations, and follow his counſel? And is it not much worſe to feel damnation than to ſee the Devil? Why then ſhould you raſhly imprecate ſo great a miſchief upon your ſelves, and run the hazard of bearing that wrath we are aſ
3. What if you had been among thoſe Swaggerers in Bohemia, menB. in his Theatre of God's JudgmentsR. and make good his Arguments againſt my An
5. If Damnation be ſo ſlight a matter as (by your ſpeeches) you ſeem to make of it, why are you commonly ſo much afraid of dying? They who walked in your ways, and talked in your Language (moſt ſtoutly and preſumptuouſly) yet ſpake very faintly when a deadly diſeaſe took hold of them: ſome of your Quality, when their Phyſi
If any expect an Apologie for what I have ſaid to theſe men, he is likely to be diſappointed of his expectation; and if they themſelves ſhall call me Stoick or Clown, or Puritan for my pains, I ſhall be conviz. The Lord be merciful unto you.—And now I leave them, being willing to ſpeak a few words to their Betters, namely, The Serious and Religious Gentry.
ANd now, good Reader, ſince I am to treat of ſo Noble a Subject, I do really wiſh for thy ſake, that I could ſpeak what is ſutable to it, and that which might be as worthy of thy Reading, as the PerSir T. R. &c.
Religious Gentry, and then ſpeak a word of Exhortation, with all humility unto them. For the former, The Religious Gentleman is one that minds his God above his Money, and placeth his Happineſs in a higher world than this he lives in; one that ſcorns nothing ſo much as ſin, and deſires nothing ſo much as a Conformity to Jeſus Chriſt, and an abſolute fruition of his Love and Glory; 'Tis his higheſt Ambition to be a Favourite in the Court of Heaven, and the beſt of his Buildings are diſeſteemed by him in compariſon of the many Manſions that are there; his Tongue keeps time and tune with his Mind and Conſcience, he doth not make or love a Lye (he looks upon ſuch Drolling as a piece of damnable fooling) he counts it no pride to make his boaſt of God, nor no ſhame to ſpeak often of his Attributes and Excellencies. He will glorifie his God in his body alſo, and therefore will not adventure to diſhonour him with the Apparel he puts upon it, (God having given him his right ſhape, he ſees no reaſon why he ſhould be mis-ſhapen by any monſtrous faſhions.)
In a word, as he is Religious, ſo he is not afraid to own and folReader, is the nature and quality of theſe excellent Perſons I am ſpeaking of, and however thou mayſt wonder at it, I dare affirm there are ſome ſuch to be found among us; and to them I am now (with all Chriſtian reſpectfulneſs) to addreſs my ſelf.
Hell is no Fancy, ſince the miſeries thereof are real, intolerable, and eternal, give me lieve, I beſeech you, to urge upon you theſe following Duties.
1. To rejoyce in the Lord, and delight your ſelves in the Thoughts of his Great Goodneſs towards you. For he hath freed you for ever from all this Miſery. That Cloud of Vengeance which will fall upon the Careleſs Gallants at the laſt day, ſhall be far from you: You may meet with many diſtreſſes, but nothing of Damnation ſhall ever come near you, for there is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt Jeſus, who walk not after the fleſh but after the Spirit, Rom. 8.1, 2. Whoſoever believeth on him (to wit with a holy and True Faith, ſuch as is attended with a Religious life) ſhall not periſh but have everlaſting life, Joh. 3.16.
When the awakening Trumpet ſhall ſend forth its Echo's to the ends of the Earth, it ſhall be no matter of amazement unto you: when you ſhall look out of your Graves and ſee the Lord of Glory, Armed with irreſiſtible power, clothed with ſhining Majeſty, and flaming Vengeance, attended with all his Troops of holy Angels, (Cheru&c. yet then I ſay your hearts ſhall not fail, for you ſhall come forth to the Reſurrection of life, Joh. 5.29. and be raiſed up for heaven, not for hell; wherefore ſerve your God with gladneſs, and do not ſo much humor the Devil, or hoPſal. 84.11. The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
Secondly, To be often in the Heavenly Duty of Praiſe and ThankſLuke 18. ult.) could follow Chriſt ſo joyfully, glorifying God, merely becauſe he was cured of his blindneſs, O what Joyful Praiſes ſhould your hearts be filled with, and your glory (your Tongues) be exerciſed in, when you are ſaved through Chriſt from the Everlaſting Darkneſs and deſtruction, and ſhall ſhortly ſee an end of all your Sorrows.
Value not overmuch the Scorns and Cenſures of the ungodly world: fear not the reproach of men,
Another duty which I would humbly exhort you to, is this, To do what you can to ſave others from Hell. Not that you can ſave them in a way of abſolute yower, by working ſaving Grace in their Souls, nor in a way of Merit, by procuring Heaven for them, This 'tis conReligious Gentleman than this? Motives to it I might add in great variety, from the Glory of God, the Worth of the Soul, the Love of Chriſt, the Honour of his GoſOughteſt thou not to have forgiven thy fellow-ſervant ſeeing I forgave thee? ſo may it be ſaid much more in this caſe, ought you not to do your beſt to ſave others from Hell, ſince your God hath been ſo mer
Now you may be Inſtrumental to their Salvation (or deliverance from Hell) many ways, eſpecially theſe following. 1. In general, by your own example, by living godly, righteouſly and ſoberly in your general courſe. They will be more capable of believing profaneneſs, ſottiſhneſs and injurious doings to be hateful things, when they ſee them ſo carefully ſhunned by ſuch as you.
In particular, If you would be a means of ſaving your Neighbours Souls from Hell, let it pleaſe you to obſerve theſe following Directi
1. Endeavour to engage them to publick Duty, and to hear that word often, that is able to ſave their Souls. Shew your Zeal for the Solemn Service of your God, and let them know how greatly you love the Ha
2. To ſhew your Zeal againſt Drunkenneſs, common Swearing, and all other groſs ſin, by puniſhing it according to the Laws of the Land, and to ſhew moſt of your favour and kindneſs to thoſe Perſons, or Fami
3. To diſcourſe with your Neighbours in an edifying way. Let your ſpeech ſavour of Grace, and diſcover your ſeriouſneſs for your God and Souls. Let them know by your words, the holy temper of your hearts: Tell them how glad you would be to be more holy than you are, to be perfectly conformed to the will of Chriſt, and how little you value all this World's good, in compariſon of his love, and the enjoy
1. Do you not know that you are Men, and that your reaſon was gi
2. Do you not know you muſt ſhortly dye, and your Souls enter immediately into an endleſs ſtate of joy or ſorrow, according as you dye, godly, or ungodly Chriſtians?
3. Doth not God deſerve infinitely more than your higheſt love, your beſt obedience? The Heavens declare his glory, and may it be
Do you not admire the beauty and brightneſs of the ſtarry Heaven, and will you venture to loſe all the glory and joy which dwells in the Heaven of Heavens, for the tranſitory pleaſures or profits of ſin? O how much good might a few of ſuch queſtions (or ſpeeches) do from a Gentleman's mouth upon his Tenents, or Neighbours Souls.
4ly. Engage them in the reading of Scripture, and ſuch Books as oTaylor's Rules of Holy Living, the Whole Duty of Man, Mr. Baxter's Books of Death and Judgment, or any other that your Prudence and Piety ſhall think fit for them. Such private innocent companions (I doubt not) have been a means of ſaving many a Soul. Engage them alſo to a con
5. Do all you adviſe them to your ſelves, and be ready to do good to their Bodies and Names, in any reaſonable way, as well as to their Souls, and then there is no doubt, but your good Examples, and good Counſels, may do them good. And your labour (in all) will not be too much, in ſo great a work, as the ſaving of Souls from the ſecond Death.
My next work is to Exhort All in general, high and low, rich and poor, (one with another.)
Surely, my Brethren, you had need be heedful to your ſelves, ſince Hell is real; O conſider your ways, and uſe all poſſible means to eſcape the Damnation of Hell. I hope I ſhall not need to add any
THis part of my Diſcourſe is deſigned for ſuch (eſpecially) as are yet in the ready way to Hell, as common Swearers, Lyars, Drunkards, Sabbath-breakers, and ſuch like, to which I may add our factious ſpightful Profeſſors, that mix (very wiſely, as they think) their Malice, and their Re
After you have remembred how well you deſerve them, and how worRom. 6. laſt verſ. The wages of ſin is Death, viz. Eternal Death or Damnation, for to Eternal Life it is oppoſed in the verſe) much more all your ſins together, with your obſtinacy and impenitency in, and under them, &c. I ſay, having conſidered your deſerMatth. 18.3. Hebr. 12.14. and other places. And withall, how intolerable its miſeries will be to you, if for the love of ſin you be ſent thither. The light afflictions of this World are greatly dreaded by many, and carefully provided againſt by ſober and prudent Men, How much more ſhould the extremity of endleſs Torments? O conſider what it is to be for ever, I ſay for ever, under the inſupportable wrath of the great God, and whether the utmoſt that ſin can do for you, may rationally encourage you to run the hazard of ſo great a miſery? This is the firſt thing that I would ad
But (ſay ſome) this is harſh counſel, and we cannot take it: To conſider
But Sinner, take heed in time, and do not deceive thy ſelf; thou know
1. Whether there can be any more dreadful or damnable diſtractiReader, thou art of the ſame opi
2. Whether thou wouldſt Reaſon at this rate in other matters of far ſmaller moment? Suppoſe thou hadſt paſſed through ſome infected hou&c. wouldſt thou reply I dare not conſider of it, leſt the thoughts of my danger and death ſhould dull my Spirits, and make me Melancho
3. Whether thy Reaſon was not given thee to conſider of the ſtate of thy Soul in order to its eternal welfare? and whether God doth not require thee to conſider thy ways (what they are, and what they tend to.) Hag. 1.5. Thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, conſider your ways: and Eſay 1.3. he complains that his people did not conſider. And can you think that 'tis the way to be mad to conſider of them, or that God will take away the uſe of your reaſon becauſe you uſe it according to his will and command?
Yet think not of thy danger deſpairingly, nor draw any ſadder conclu&c. 'Tis not deſpairing of Salvation but reEſay 55.7.
Be ſure to ſhun all groſs and ſcandalous ſins, and all ſuch company (how merry ſoever) that may be likely to draw thee to them or to harTheſſ. 4.6. That no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter, for the Lord is the Avenger of all ſuch, as we alſo have forewarned you and teſtified. Yea, this courſe hath brought men to a hell here on earth: Spira, a famous Gentleman of Cittadella, a Civil-Lawyer, who was almoſt a Miracle of Spiritual miſery, and brea's life, p. 3. lin. 1.I was exceedingly covetous of money, and accordingly I applied my ſelf to the getting of it, corrupting juſtice by deceit, and inventing ways to de
He ſaw, That money was too hardly earned, which was gotten with the loſs of Juſtice and Truth. &c.
Noverint univerſi, & caveant universè.
Take heed of your Company: Make not the known enemies of Relia companion of fools (or wicked men that are notoriouſly ſuch) ſhall be deſtroyed, Prov. 13.20. Theſe are likely to fruſtrate (as far as is poſſible) the means of grace and Salvation to thy Soul, keeping thee from Hearing or Reading or other duties when thou ſhouldſt be about them, and hardening thy heart againſt
forſake the fooliſh & live, Pr. 9.6. better leave them than periſh with them.
If you would eſcape hell, content not your ſelves with a falſe and un
Pharaoh, Herod, Nero, Julian, &c. Theſe 'tis confeſſed were as Rich & Great in the World as moſt men ever were, and yet we do not believe they are ſaved. The Pope (good man) hath wealth enough (if he could but think ſo) yet no underſtanding Proteſtant will ſay, that therefore his Holineſs muſt needs be a Saint, and be Saved infallibly (becauſe He is rich.)
2. Worldly Troubles and Croſſes. As ſome hope to eſcape hell torPſalms, you muſt underſtand it either of the poor in ſpirit, the humble and contrite-hearted Man, or elſe of the poor that are ſober, pious and peaceable, as well as poor.
3. Moral honeſty in their common dealings with their Neighbours, freedome from groſs and ſcandalous ſins, performing of outward duties of Religion, hearing at Church, reading at home, &c. We do all this, ſay ſome, and therefore we do not doubt, but we are delivered from DamnaMatth. 5.20. ſaith Chriſt, Except your righteouſneſs exceed the righteouſneſs of the Scribes and Phariſees, ye ſhall in no caſe enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Now he that goes no farther than ſo, doth not exceed them in righteouſneſs. That they were (many of them) honeſt in their dealings, and free from ſcandalous ſins, is ſo plain, that it may ſeem needleſs to prove it; Ye are they that juſtifie your ſelves before men, (ſpeaking to theſe People) Luk. 16. Nor can we think our Saviour would have ſpoken thus, [the righteouſneſs of the Scribes and Phariſees] if they had had no righteouſneſs at all, if they had been groſly unrighteous and abominable, common Cheaters, Drunkards, Railers, or the like. And that they did uſe to obſerve the outward viſible duties of Religion is no leſs plain: We have mention made of their PrayMat. 6. and elſewhere. How ſtrict were they about the SabMint and Cummin, for the mainteChriſt himſelf, if our MaMat. 23. Theſe were ſome of the ſmalleſt mat
What did they fail in? Or, why were they not right good and reli
For ſeveral Reaſons, and theſe following in ſpecial. 1. Becauſe they had not their Religion within them, but rather without them; 'Twas not inward holineſs, but outſide piety: when they made faireſt ſhews, and outMatth. 23.27, 28.
2. As they wanted a true Principle of Religion within, ſo they wanted the main parts (and properties) of it; As firſt, true humility: How often ſoever they fell upon their knees to pray, yet ſtill they roſe up with proud and haughty hearts. We read how they affected the higheſt places, and would needs be called by honorable names; yea, their pride was the main ground and original of their religious ſervices: They did them, that they might have glory of Men, Mat. 6.2.) for that very end, that they might be honored of Men. That was the great thing they deſignPiſcator, and others obſerve. Compare it with the 23. of Matth. 6, 13, 14, &c.) their Pride alſo made them hate and ſcorn the plain Sermons and reproofs of Chriſt himſelf. See Luke 16. verſ. 14.
2ly, They had no care to keep a good conſcience towards God and Man in their general courſe. Their Religion and love of God did not conquer the love of Mony: Yea, they made it a cloke for covetous practiſes: devouring Widows houſes under plauſe of devotion. Mat. 23. They were really coveThe Phariſees who were covetous—
3ly, They wanted a true valuation of Chriſt and his righteouſneſs, and a true relyance upon it for juſtification. Self-righteouſneſs they knew was a real thing, but for the imputed righteouſneſs of the Son of God, it was but a putative ſanciful thing with them, as it is with the Papiſts, and ſome Proteſtants amongſt us that begin to Romanize in that point, and I hope will get little credit by it. (If Mr. S. would be pleaſed to call in his Book, and write a more Orthodox one inſtead of it, no honeſt Man would blame him for it.) To the true Believer Chriſt is precious (that is, moſt precious) but the Phariſees made light of him, and derided him, in Luke 16.14. Thus of the 4th. Direction.
If you would eſcape Hell, make ſure of a true and ſound converſion, and wait upon God in the uſe of all holy means for it. But above all things take heed you miſtake not in ſo great a concern, nor think your ſelvs converted when it is not ſo. Matth. 18.3. Except ye be converted—ye cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven. And ſurely if a Man cannot come to Heaven withEngliſh, while you count ſin your li&c. out of conſtraint, not willingly, and forbear groſs ſin more out of dread of puniſhment, than out of any love to God, or obediIndians did the Devil, viz. for fear leſt otherwiſe he ſhould do them a miſchief. And what do you think, is ſuch ſervice worth? aſſuredly very little, or rather nothing in the ſight of God; who ſeeth the principles of Mens works and ſervices, and looks more upon the Bent of the mind and will, than the matter of the work. Know thou the God of thy Father, and ſerve him with a willing mind, 1 Chron. 28.9. A blockiſh, ſlaviſh, unwilling ſervice (when the work is done, which he had rather ſhould not be done) is fit only for a ſenſleſs Deity, or a dumb Idol, not for the high and holy one. Believe it, you are not truly and ſavingly converted, till God and holineſs have the main diſpoſition of your hearts and wills, till you had rather have God in Chriſt for your everlaſting portion to enjoy, than Honor and Wealth, and all this World's good, (till then you are but Worldlings) till you had rather walk in a way of holiTheſſalonians, that God would direct your hearts to his love, or (as our Church) [that he would encline your hearts to keep his Law.]
Acquaint thy ſelf with Chriſt, ſearch the Scriptures, and ſee how ſufficicome unto him (with true faith and repentance) he will in no wiſe caſt out, Joh. 6.37. O ſinner, if thou wilt heartily forſake the Devils drudgery, he will ſave thee from Hell, and all its damnation; If thou turneſt from every evil way, and giveſt thy ſelf up to him, relying wholly upon his merit and righdeliver thee from the wrath to come. 1 Theſſ. 1. ult. So much for the uſe of Direction.
I come now to one or two Uſes more, and ſo ſhall put a period to my Diſcourſe.
In the next place then, It may ſerve for our Inſtruction, and may teach us not to envy at the proſperity of wicked Men, nor to judge Gods ways to be unequal, becauſe of their impunity (joyned with final impenitency) in this preſent World. No cauſe to judge ſo, when we conſider that he hath a Hell to puniſh them in; for there the ſinner ſhall have enough of ſin, and ſuch wages as is ſuitable to his works (of iniquity). There the proud ſin
There they that tyrannized over pious Chriſtians ſhall be inſulted over by the Devil, and be buffeted by the unclean Spirits; they that willingly forget their God and Souls ſhall remember their ſins whether they will or not: they that made light of Chriſt and Sermons, ſhall be loaded (to the full) with wrath and curſes; and in a word they that grinn'd at godliand puniſh them with everlaſting deſtruction from his preſence, 2 Theſſ. 1.8, 9.
Laſtly, Let me hence add a word to the godly in general; let them be exhorted to grow (more and more) 1. In Grace and holy obedience; for what love, what ſervice, what obedience can ever be ſuitable to that goodRom. 12.1. They can never do too much for his Glory, that hath done ſo much for their Salvation, for he will give them eternal Life, and they ſhall never periſh, Joh. 10.
2. In comfort and ſpiritual joy: Rejoyce in the Lord always, ſaith the APhil. 4.1. Chriſt is their all-ſufficient Saviour, and they ſhall ſurely be ſaved from wrath through him, Rom. 5.9. why ſhould any worldly Troubles trouble them overmuch, ſince they ſhall have none in the world to come? Death can do no more than rot them, and hell no more than fright them. Rejoyce therefore, O faithful Chriſtian, and give thanks at the remembrance of the goodneſs of thy God; the joy of the Lord is thy ſtrength, O let it be thy work too. Yea, moſt certainly, it ſhall be ſo at the coming of Chriſt to judgment. He will then receive thee to himſelf: Joh. 14.3. His love ſhall then be ſtronger than death, and conquer the laſt enemy for thee. Thou ſhalt be filled with Joy and Glory, when the wicked ſhall have their fill of ſhame and ſorrow; and ſhalt be accepted graciouſly with him, when all the enemies of his Holineſs ſhall be bani
— Say not This Work thy Hand to End hath brought, Or This thy Labour hath attain'd unto; Say rather thus: This God by me hath wrought, He's Author of that little Good I do. To Him be Glory for ever and ever.