OF THE TORMENTS OF HELL: THE FOUNDATION and PILLARS thereof Discovered, Searched, Shaken, and Removed. WITH Many Infallible Proofs, that there is not to be a Punishment after this Life, for any to endure, that shall never End. To the Glory of GOD, and Comfort of those in fear of the Torments of HELL, and for the furtherance of a Holy Life.
The Second Edition.
Is not the arrow beyond thee?
1 Sam. 20.37.
If ye will enquire, enquire ye: Return, come,
Isa. 21.11,12.
If thou hast any thing to say, answer me; if not, hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom,
Job 37.32,33.
LONDON,
Printed, and Sold by W. BOREHAM at the
Angel
in
Pater-noster-Row.
1720.
Of Christ's Descending into HELL.
SOme of the Learned say,
Christ Descended into Hell,
and for Proof alledge,
Psal.
16.10.
Acts
2.27. Dr.
Willet
saith, that those Words of Christ (
Descended into Hell
) is not found in the most ancient Creeds; Dr.
William Whitaker
saith, I could produce fifty of the most ancient Creeds that have not these Words (
He Descended into Hell,
) in his Answer to
Campion,
pag. 215. Mr.
William Perkins
on the Creed, saith, It seems likely that these Words (
He Descended into Hell
) were not placed in the Creed at first, and that it crept in by Negligence; for above threescore Creeds of the most ancient Councils and Fathers want this Clause (
He Descended into Hell,
) among the rest, not found in the
Nicene
Creed, nor found in the
Romish
Church, nor used in the Church of the
East.
Also some of the Learned say, Christ descended not into Hell, yet it is an Article of their Faith; but if you say he did not descend into Hell, they will say you deny the Faith, and are a Heretick, and a Blasphemer, and you may be glad if ye can escape so; themselves interpret Hell otherwise than for a Place of Torments never to end: Mr.
Bucer
saith, Christ descending into Hell, is to be understood of his Burial; Mr.
Calvin
saith, Hell is the Sorrow of Mind Christ was in before his Death:
Why hast thou forsaken me?
Is God's hiding his Face when he was upon the Cross? (saith Dr.
Whitaker
against
Campion,
pag. 221.) for upon the Cross he said,
It is finished,
John 9.30. therefore his Suffering was at an End. Some of the Papists confess Christ suffered not after his Death,
Luke
12.44,45.
Ʋ rsinus Catechis.
pag. 350. Mr.
Perkins
saith, Hell is the inward Sufferings of Christ on the Cross:
Bernard
makes the Grief of Christ's Soul his
Hell.
Doctor
Ames,
in his
Marrow of Divinity,
pag, 65. saith, That of the Place of
Hell,
and manner of Torture there, the Scripture hath not pronounced any thing distinctly: If so, then the Word of God saith not any thing at all of them; for that which the Scripture speaks, it speaks distinctly, else it could not have been read distinctly,
Neh.
3.8. That which is spoken expresly, is spoken distinctly; the Spirit speaks expresly, 1
Tim.
4.1. The Word of the Lord came expresly,
Ezek.
1.3. That which is not spoken distinctly, cannot be understood, as appears 1
Cor.
14.2, to 17.
Dr.
Fulk
saith plainly, That neither in the
Hebrew, Greek,
nor
Latin,
there is no Word proper for
Hell
(as we take
Hell
) for the Place of Punishment of the Ungodly,
Fulk
's
Defence Translation,
pag. 13, 87, 89. Is not this a full Testimony against their Opinion of the Torments of
Hell?
For if it be not to be read in the Word of God, what have we to do with it? We are not to believe any thing in Religion, unless it be written.
How readest thou?
saith Christ:
Revealed things belong to us,
Deut. 29.29.
As it is written, I believed,
2 Cor. 4.13. They confess it is not written; then, sure I am, it is not to be by any affirmed nor believed; meddle not with Things not revealed, they are but groundless Conceits, Fables, and Traditions of Men.
That the word
Hell
is not in the
Hebrew
and
Greek
Bible; for the word in the
Hebrew,
for which the
English
word
Hell
is put, is
Sheol
; the proper Signification of
Sheol
is the Grave, as all that be learned in the
Hebrew
do know.
Sheol
hath its signification of
Shaal,
to crave or require; therefore it is one of the four that is never satisfied,
Prov.
30.15. We learn the Propriety of the
Hebrew
word from the learned Rabbies, saith Dr.
Fulk, Def. Trans. Bib.
p. 90. The
Hebrew
Doctors and
Jewish
Rabbies are, for signification of Words, faithful Interpreters; they say,
Sheol
is the Grave; Rabbi
Levi,
according to the Opinion of the Learned, expounds
Sheol
to be the lowest Region of the World opposite to Heaven;
If I descend into Sheol, thou art present.
So Rabbi
Abraham
on
Jonah
2. And
David Chimchi
and
R. Solomon
; read
Psal.
19.16,17.
Let the wicked be turned into Sheol
; that is, Death's Estate or deadly Bed:
Jonah
calls the
Belly
of the
Whale Sheol,
Jon. 2.2,3. Rabbi
Solomon Jarchi
on
Gen.
37.35. saith, That the true and proper Interpretation of
Sheol,
is
Keber,
which is the Grave; the
hoar Head
is said to
go down Sheol,
Gen. 42.31. In
Numb.
16. it is said,
They, their Substance, and Cattle went alive to Shelach
; that is, the Pit or Grave;
Our Bones are scattered at the very brink or mouth of Sheol,
Psal. 141.7.
Jacob
said,
I will go down to my son Joseph to Sheol,
Gen. 37.35. The Protestant Writers say,
Sheol
properly signifies the Grave. Dr.
Fulk
's Answer to the Preface
Remist.
p. 22. so also in his
Defence,
p. 91. Mr.
Beza
saith, That
Sheol
properly signifies nothing but the Grave or Pit.
Fulk
saith, The best of the
Hebrews
that either interpreted Scripture, or made Dictionaries,
Jews
or Christians, say
Sheol
properly signifies the Grave,
pag.
89. and that Deliverance from the lowest Hell, is Deliverance from the greatest Danger of Death; so
Fulk
Answ.
Remist.
pag. 14.39.135. and so the late Annotation of the Bible interprets it; and
Augustine
on
Psal.
16.13. for
lowest Hell
read lowest Grave; and so Dr.
Willet Synop.
p. 1049.
The
Chaldee
Paraphrast retaineth the word
Sheol,
and translates it the House of the Grave,
pag.
11.15. they interpret
Sheol, Keburata,
the Grave,
Job
21.5,13,14. be i'th'
Keburata,
the House of the Grave,
p.
17.12. Rabbi
Abraham Reristsol
joins
Sheol
and
Keber
together, both signifying the Grave; and so doth Dr.
Fulk
in his
Defence,
pag. 91. and so Mr.
Cartwright
on
Acts
2.27. Mr.
Gradock
saith, Hell is not mentioned in the
Old Testament,
but as it is taken for the Grave, in his
Good News,
pag. 43.
Sheol
enforces not any Place of Punishment, because it signified not any Place of Punishment; so says Dr.
Willet Synops.
pag. 1055. also he saith, the word
Sheol
cannot be translated but for the Grave. There are four Words in the
Psalms
expressing the same thing in effect that
Sheol
doth, yet none of them applicable to signifie any Place of Torment; the first is
Shacath, fovea,
the Pit,
Psal.
36.9. the second is
Bhor,
the Lake; the third is
Cheber,
the Grave; both these Words used for the same Thing,
Psal.
88.3. the word is
Sheol,
v. 45. the other Word used as expressing the former; and all these three do contain a Description of Death and the Grave; the fourth is
Tehemoth, Abyssus Terrae, Thou wilt take me from the depth of the earth,
Psal. 71.20. in all which there is no mention of a Place of Torment,
Willet Synop.
p. 1050.
The
Greek
translates
Sheol
into
Haiden
or
Haides
of
Adam,
because
Adam
tasted Death and went to the Grave,
Gen.
3.19. The Gates of
Sheol
is Death;
Sheol
and
Haides
are said to have Gates,
Isa.
38.10.
Psal.
9.14.
Mat.
16.8.
The
Septuagint
express a Place generally to receive the Dead; the Word used in the
Greek
instead of the
Hebrew
word
Sheol,
signifies a dark Place, such as the Grave or Pit in which the Dead are laid. Dr.
Fulk
saith, Some take the
Greek
word for Hell, but it signifies the Grave; Hell it cannot signifie in their Speech that believe no Hell; the
Greeks
say plainly, that their Souls shall vanish like light Smoak or light Air,
Fulk Def.
p. 92. also he saith, If the
Greek
and
Latin
Interpreters had before us translated amiss, which gave occasion to divers Errors, must we (knowing the true signification of the Word) follow them?
The word Hell is not in the
Greek
; the
Greek
word for which they put the
English
word
Hell,
is
Gehenna; Ge
in
Greek
is the Earth, or Ground; and
Henna
is borrowed from the
Hebrew,
from the Valley of
Hinnom.
Dr.
Lightfoot,
in his Epistle of his
Harmony,
saith, It is well known the judgment of
Gehinna
is taken from the Valley of
Gehinna: Tophet,
or
Gehinnom,
are names of the Places of Idolatry, there was the Idol
Moloch.
Of Hell-fire,
Matth.
5.22. and the everlasting fire, and unquenchable fire,
Matth.
25.41.46. Fear him that hath power to cast into Hell,
Luke
12.5. The damnation of Hell,
Matt.
23.33.
Matth.
5.22. The Fire of
Gehinna,
and the everlasting Fire,
&c.
how the
Jews
understood them, it is evidently to be seen in their Writings, that they understood them of the Fire of the Valley of
Hinnom
; so saith Dr.
Lightfoot
to the Reader in his
Harmony,
Because of the Law, thou art deliver'd from the judgment of
Gehenna
and
Baal-tur, Gen.
1.1.
The Protestant Writers confess, that
Matt.
5.22.
Matt.
25.41,46.
Luke
12.5. is to be understood of the Fire of the Valley of the Son of
Hinnom,
which is
Tophet.
So Mr.
Cartwright,
Dr,
Fulk,
Mr.
Trap,
and the late Annotations of the Bible, and others, in danger of Hell-fire,
&c.
read in danger to burn in the Valley of
Hinnom,
or
Tophet,
the damnation of Hell, of Hell
Gehinnah,
they interpret these Places of the Valley of
Hinnom
or
Tophet
; which Place was near to
Jerusalem,
where they offered their Children to
Moloch, Josh.
5.8. King
Josiah
defiled
Tophet,
the Valley of the Son of
Hinnom,
that no Man might make his Son or Daughter to pass through the fire to
Moloch,
2
Kings,
23.10.
Josiah
commanded all the Carrion of the City of
Jerusalem
to be carried to that Valley and burnt there, that the Carrion might not annoy the City: Thither (said
David Chimchy
) was carried all the Filth and unburied Carcasses to be burned: The Synedrian of the
Jews,
for some Offences, sentenced the Bodies of the Offenders to lie unburied in that Valley to burn with the Carrion cast there, which, among the
Jews,
was counted a great Disgrace; and for Offences most criminal they burned alive in that Valley; they set the Malefactor in a Dunghill up to the Knees, and put a Towel about his Neck, and one pulled it one way, and another another way, till strangling him, forced him to open his Mouth, then they poured scalding Lead into his Mouth, which went down into his Body, and so burnt his Bowels,
Talmud in Sanhedr. Per.
7. Mr.
Cartwright
saith, the
Jews
sent thither their Guilty to be burned in that Valley, and those they buried there, they dealt with as Guilty, 2
Chr.
29.3.
It is confessed by all, that Christ speaketh and alludeth to the Jewish Practice in their Judicature; therefore the Places abovesaid concern them. Secondly, The Speech of Christ was to the
Jews
by Birth and Education, they wrote the New Testament; and though it be penned in
Greek,
it speaketh the Phrase of the Jewish Nation: The Apostle speaking to the Jews, used the word
Gehenna,
Jam. 3.6. Christ and his Disciples used known Terms, that they might the better be understood. Thirdly, Because the Jews had not Power to send them to the Hell they speak of. 4thly. Because the last of the three Sins is said to be judged to the Fire of
Gehenna
; which if it were to be understood as some would have it, it will follow, that some Sins deserve not Hell, and shall not be punished there, which is contrary to themselves, who teach, the least Sin deserves Hell. 5thly.
Matt.
5.22. shewing the Ignorance and Severity of the Jews and Pharisees, that Anger without a Cause: And
Racha,
a word of disgrace, which signifies an empty Fellow, or wicked Wretch, as great Faults as to say Fool, if not greater, yet punished less; rash Anger in danger of the Judgment;
Racha
in danger of the Council; if say Fool, in danger of Hell-fire, to burn in the Valley of the Son of
Hinnom.
Of the word
Everlasting.
First, The Fire of the Valley of
Tophet,
is so called, in that it did burn Night and Day, and went not out.
Secondly, The word (
Ever
) and (
Everlasting
) the
Greeks
understand it for an Age:
Ever
and
Everlasting,
are of a like Signification, and is used for a limited Time, a time during Life,
He shall serve his master for ever, Ex.
21.6. Luke 24.46. that is, until his own or Master's Death; longer he could not serve him. The everlasting Priesthood, (
Exod.
50.15.) was but until Christ came, then it was to cease, as appears
Heb.
11.12,13,14. It is said they shall inherit the Land for Ever,
Isa
61.21. That Ever was but a little while, as appears
Isa.
63.18.
Thirdly, In that Fire is durable, and goeth not out until the combustible Matter is consumed, may be called Everlasting and unquenchable; for the Fire that destroyed the Cities of
Sodom
and
Gomorrha,
is called
eternal Fire,
and
(a word of a large signification) in that it consumed those Cities, for where no Wood is, the Fire goeth out,
Proverbs
26.26.
Fourthly, If Fire were Everlasting, it will not follow that which is cast into it is Everlasting: The Wicked are compared to Chaff and Stubble, Fire is not long consuming them; burn the
Chaff,
Isa. 5.24. If any say Chaff will be ever burning, and never consumed, we know the contrary.
Fifthly, Consider that the Scriptures sometimes use Words that exceed their Signification, and are not strictly to be understood according to their letter and signification of those Words; as
John
21.25.
The things that Jesus did, if they should be written, I suppose the world it self would not contain the things that should be written.
A large Expression: What! will not the whole World contain a Record of the Actions of one Man? The meaning is, they would be too great: So Sin and the strength of the
Aethiopian
Army, are said to be Infinite,
Job.
22.5.
Neh.
3.9. that is very great; for the World, and all in it, is Finite,
Isa.
40.17. These Considerations shew how such Words are to be understood, and it may satisfy us herein.
Is it not a very strange thing, that themselves should confess, that the
English
word Hell is in the Hebrew
Sheol,
and in the Greek
Haides
and
Gehennah,
and that they are to be understood as aforesaid, that they should, for the said Words, translate it in
English
Hell, and then expound Hell for a terrible and dreadful Place of Torment never to end! O horrible Abuse and Blasphemy against God and his Word! and even all Men are deluded and deceived thereby: Verily, verily, they deserve the Name they give to others, of denying the Word of God.
The Story of
Dives,
Luke 16.30.
Is not any Proof of any Torments in Hell, because it is a Parable, not a History; of a Parable we are not to ground a Doctrine. The Story of
Dives
is no more a Proof of a Punishment after this Life, than
Judg.
9.8. is a Proof that Trees did walk and speak, though it is said,
The Trees went forth, and said,
&c. The Story of
Dives
is not to be understood according to the letter, for these Reasons: It saith, There was a rich Man in Hell, yet all confess the Body is in the Grave:
2. How could
Dives
see so far as
Abraham
's Bosom is from Hell? Mr.
Leigh
saith, the great Chaos between
Abraham
and
Dives,
signify an infinite distance; which overthroweth their seeing and speaking to each other. 3. It saith, he saw
Abraham
; yet they say, Hell is a Place of utter Darkness: How can any thing be seen in a Place of utter Darkness? 4. By what means can
Dives
know
Abraham
from another, seeing, as all confess, his Body is in the Grave until the Resurrection?
Fifthly, How could
Dives
speak to
Abraham,
his Body being in the Grave? Can any speak without the Organs of the Body?
Sixthly, How shall
Dives
hear
Abraham
at so great a gulf and distance as Heaven is from Hell?
Seventhly, How comes
Dives
to have such Charity in Hell to his five Brethren, seeing he had none to them when on Earth?
Eighthly,
Dives
would have
Abraham
to send to them, which cannot be, because
Abraham knoweth us not,
Isa. 63.16.
Ninthly, How shall
Abraham
send, seing he hath no communion with us, nor passage to us?
Tenthly, To what purpose will it be to send? If they will not hear
Moses
and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rise from the Dead,
ver.
31. It is therefore a Parable, and the scope of it is, as Dr.
Fulk
saith, that those that will not hear
Moses
and the Prophets, are not to expect to be called neither by Vision nor Apparition,
ver.
26,30. This Parable is not done, but represented, saith Mr.
Cartwright,
on
Luke
16.30. The story of
Dives
in Hell, is one of their main Pillars of Hell-torments, and by that which is said, it is shaken and removed.
Of Tophet,
Isa.
30.33.
This Place is no proof of Hell-torments, themselves being Judges. They say Hell is deep under Ground, and
Tophet
is a Place above Ground, as hath been shewed.
Behold, the days come,
saith the Lord,
that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter; for in this place will I cause to fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hand of those that seek their lives, and their carcases will I give for meat for the fowls of Heaven, and they shall bury in Tophet till there be no place to bury in,
Jer. 9.6, to 35. Jer. 7.33. They confess
Tophet
is the Valley of the Son of
Hinnom; Tophet,
Hebrew,
toph, tympanum
; that is to say,
Gehinnom,
Greek,
Gehinna
signifieth a Tabret, or Drumhead, or any thing that makes a Noise,
ver.
32
Tophet
is ordained of old, Hebrew, yesterday, prepared, fitted for the King, and those with him, whom the Lord will there slay for their Sins, by their Enemies: It is deep and large, fit for great Armies to meet and fight in; Fire and much Wood, to consume the Carcases slain there; the Breath of the Lord, like a stream of Brimstone, doth kindle it, not a stream of Fire and Brimstone, but like it; the destruction being from God, was great and terrible; or Fire and Brimstone shall be sent from Heaven to destroy them there, as
Ezek
38.11.22.
Dan.
7.10.
Gen.
19.24.
Tophet
is another of their chief Proofs of the Torments of Hell, and with that which is said, it is shaken and remov'd.
Of
Isa.
66.24. They shall go forth and look upon the Men that have transgressed against me, for their Worm shall not die, neither shall their Fire be quenched, and they shall be an abhorring to all Flesh.
This Place is not to be understood of any Punishment after this Life, because it saith their Carcases shall lie to be seen, and others shall look upon them: In Hell they will confess the Carcases of the Wicked are not now, nor hereafter shall be, for a Carcase is without Life, therefore not capable of Suffering: If they say, at the End of the World Soul and Body shall be united to suffer, how is it then a Carcase after the End of the World? How shall they be an abhorring to all Flesh? For then there will be no Flesh to go forth to look upon them. The late Annotation of the Bible on
Isa.
66.24. say, the Carcases are the Forces of Gog and Magog, which shall be slain near
Jerusalem, Ezek.
29.4, to 10. and 37.36. containeth, is apparent; for after the slaughter is made of them, they shall lie a long time unburied, and seven Months shall the Children of Israel be a burying them, that they may cleanse the Land,
Ezek.
39.11,12. Also the Judgment inflicted upon them, shew it to be in this Life, as Pestilence, overflowing Rain, great Hail-stones, Fire and Brimstone,
Ezek.
38.11. And the End why God punished them, shew it to be in this Life; which was, that God might be magnified and sanctified in the Eyes of many Nations after the end of the World: He cannot be sanctified in the Eyes of any, much less many Nations: The Worm hath reference to those that are bred and fed upon dead Bodies, as
Acts
11.29, especially such as lie long upon the Ground until they Rot, and become as Dung and Carrion, John, 21.26. Jer. 4.11,14,20. The Fire to the burning those Bodies, not fit to be stirred and removed, but to be consumed by Fire in the place where they lay,
Isa.
9.5.
Ezek.
39.6. that lie rotting upon the face of the Earth until they crawl all over with Worms and Maggots; the sight of such is a loathsome Spectacle; therefore it is said they shall be abhorring to all Flesh: The
Greek
renders it a Sight or Spectacle; it hath relation to
Tophet
abovesaid: And the Hebrew Doctors say the same on this Place; they shall go forth out of Jerusalem into the Valley of Hinnom, and there they shall see the Carcases of those that
rebelled against Me.
So Dr.
Kimchi,
and
Abi-ezr.
in loc.
The Worm that shall not die, and the Fire that shall not be quenched, is in this Life, and not as they say, in Hell,
Mark
6.43,44.
Rev.
14.10,11.
Ezek.
3.
&c. Ezek.
38.24. concerning the Destruction of Gog and Magog; as hath been shewed.
Concerning
Luke
5.2. They shall not come out thence till they have
paid the utmost Farthing.
This Place Mr.
Leigh
doth alledge to prove Hell Torments, and the Papists alledge it to prove their Purgatory, and to as much purpose; for
ver.
25,26. is Christ's Counsel to avoid Differences, and to compose them that fall out between Man and Man in this Life, to prevent Suits in Law, and Imprisonment; so the Text shews, and
Chrysostom
expounds it so: The word in the
Greek
is an Adversary of the Law,
Pro.
6.3.
Luke
12.38. mention is made of the Magistrate and Gaoler, which are Terms and Offices properly fitting the Business of this Life: A like Place is
Matt.
18.34. To understand
Luke
5. of their Hell, doth imply Free-will, and falling from Grace, and that suffering in Hell is a satisfaction and payment of the Debt. They will confess in Hell there is no Goal-Delivery, nor any Redemption, therefore it suits not to their purpose. It is conceived that Hell is deep within the Earth; Reason concludes it must needs be dark; the Grave is called the Land of Darkness,
Job
10.21,22. the Cruelty of the Enemy is called thick Darkness,
Joel
2.1. to 14. The Greek Poets say it is dark; they compare the darkness thereof to a certain Territory that lieth betwen
Baiae
and
Cumae,
where the
Cimeria
inhhabit, so invironed with Hills, that the Sun never came to it; whereupon the Proverb comes,
Darker than the darkness of Cimeria
: But the chief Cause is, because they are in darkness without the light of the Word; for Darkness is in this Life:
We cannot order our speech by reason of darkness,
Job 38.19. Where no Light is, there is utter Darkness.
When the eye is evil, the whole body is full of darkness,
Matt. 6.23. The
dark
Places of the Earth full of
Cruelty,
Psal. 74.20. Ignorant Men are in the Dark, and full of
Works
of
Darkness,
Rom. 13.12. that would have others tormented with cruel Tortures and Death, because not of their Opinion in Religion: All unconverted Men are in Darkness; they are of the Night, 2
Cor.
6.14.
Gen.
5. Christ is the Light, and Saints are the Children of the Light: What communion hath Light with Darkness? 2
Cor.
4.14. Darkness covered the Earth, till Christ the Light came, to give Light to them that sate in Darkness,
Isa.
61.12.
Luk.
1.79. who hath delivered us from the Power of Darkness,
Col.
1.13. Who hath called us out of Darkness into his marvellous Light, 1
Pet.
29. The People that sate in a Darkness saw a great Light; and to them that sate in the Region and Shadow of Death, Light is sprung up,
Matt.
4.16. Ye were sometimes Darkness, but now ye are Light in the Lord,
Eph.
5.8. The Chains of Darkness are not material Chains, but so called, because they are fast in Darkness, and cannot get out: The Law worketh Wrath; when that cometh into a dark and ignorant Soul, it causeth weeping and gnashing of Teeth,
Luke
13.28. being sad and comfortless.
Of burning the Tares,
Matt.
13.30.
Is at the End of the World,
ver.
39. The Tares are the Wicked, the Harvest is the World. By which it appears, the Wicked, with the Earth, shall be consumed by Fire, 40,42. 2
Pet.
3.7. Is any so weak as to imagine that Earth will ever burn, and never be consumed? I have seen some burnt to Ashes in an Hour in a Coal Fire: They say, our Fire is but painted Fire to that in Hell; if so, then it will of necessity follow, that so much as that Fire is hotter than our Fire, so much sooner shall the Body be burnt and consumed in that more fierce and terrible Fire.
The Wrath to come, 1
Thess.
1.10.
&
35.9.
The late Annotations of the Bible say, They were to fill up a full Measure of their own and Father's Sins, because God intended to sweep them away by the hand of the
Romans,
to cut them off by a Temporal Death, which was the Wrath to come, to fill up their Sins; for the Wrath is (not shall) come upon them to the uttermost, 1
Thess.
2.16. We are by Nature the Children of Wraih? that is, liable to Wrath; inward and outwatd,
Thy wrath lieth har
on me,
Ps. 88.7. The Wrath of God is the hiding of hi
Face,
Isa.
54.8. Outward Wrath is temporal Destruction; he cast upon them the Fierceness of his Wrath,
Ps.
78.49.
Destroyed them, Deut.
7.10.
Lev.
10.6.
Jos.
9.20. and 22.20.
Numb.
19.40.
Ezek.
3.7. 2
Chr.
19.10.
Psal.
90.6.
Of the word
Cursed.
It is to be barren; so the Earth and Fig-Tree were cursed,
Mat.
11.2. It is to be a Servant of Servants,
Gen.
9.25.
Josh.
9.23. to want Prosperity,
Deut.
28.16,17,18,19.
Mal.
22. to die a violent and disgraceful Death, 2
Kings
2.24.
Deut.
21.23. to be a Fugitive, a Wanderer,
Ps.
59.12, to eat in Sorrow,
Gen.
3.17. to endure Pain and Hardship, 14.
Lev.
11.42.
Of
Eternal Damnation.
The word
Damned, Mar.
16.16. 2
Thes.
22.
Rom.
14.23. in
Greek,
is Judged; Damnation is Judgment, Eternal Damnation is Eternal Judgment; a Judgment is a Sentence, the Sentence is to a second Death, called Eternal, because it is not to be reversed.
The word
Reprobate
Is in the
Greek
of no Judgment; a reprobate Mind is a Mind void of Judgment; see
Rom.
1.28. 2
Tim.
3.8.
Tit.
1.16. See the Notes in the Margin.
Of the word
Fire.
Fire is put for fiery Trials, 1
Pet.
4.12. inward Troubles, Fire in my Bones,
Lam.
1.13. and 2.4. the Tongue is a Fire, 2
Sam.
3.6. and 5.2. his Word is a Fire,
Jer.
23.29. God's Spirit Fire,
Mat.
3.11. Baptized with Fire, 1
Cor.
10.2. God is a consuming Fire,
Heb.
13. last.
Bellarmin
and
Bullinger,
and others say, the
Fire of Hell
is material Fire, kindled with Wood, and alledge for it,
Isa.
30.33.
Isa.
66.24. The
Fire of Hell
is true and substantial Fire kept under the Earth to punish withal, saith
Tertullian.
The Fire of Hell cannot be Corporal Fire, for these Reasons.
Our Fire is corporal; they say our Fire is but painted Fire, a Shadow to that, therefore it is not corporal Fire.
2. Corporal Elementary Fire is Light, and enlightneth the Place where it is: in Hell they say is utter Darkness; if so, the Fire of Hell is not corporal Fire.
3. Corporal Fire consumes speedily all combustible Matter cast into it; they say, the Fire of Hell ever burneth, and never consumeth that cast into it, therefore it is not corporal Fire.
4. They say the Fire of Hell is invisible, then it is not corporal, for that which is corporal may be seen.
5. Corporal Fire may be quenched, the Fire of Hell they say is unquenchable, therefore it is not corporal.
6. Corporal Fire goeth out without Wood, theirs not; therefore not corporal.
7. They say the Fire of Hell is Eternal; if so, it is not corporal: Corporal Fire is seen, Things seen are not Eternal.
8. They say the Absence of God is the greatest Torment in Hell; Corporal Fire is a greater Torment to the Body than the Absence of God.
Lastly, Corporal Fire cannot work upon a Spirit; the Devils are Spirits, therefore cannot be tormented with corporal Fire. Saith
Willet, Synop.
pag. 1023. To say God is able to make corporal Work upon a Spirit, and able to make to live without Food or Refreshment to Eternity, and to make Fire burn without Wood, is no Proof that he will do so, and is as silly a kind of Reasoning, as to say, God is able to do all Things, with God all Things are possible, therefore he will do all Things; Men should not build their vain Conceits upon God's Power without his Word.
2. Others say, the Fire of Hell is not Corporal but Spiritual Fire: But that it cannot be neither, for there is no spiritual Fire; if it ceases to be natural Fire, it ceaseth to be true Fire; it cannot be spiritual, because they say it is natural; it cannot be natural, because they say it is spiritual; it cannot be neither of them, because they say it is partly corporal and partly spiritual, the one to burn the Body, the other to burn the Soul; Hell Flames are material, yet not all material, saith
Willet, Synop.
pag. 1010. if so, there are two Fires in Hell;
Bernard
saith, Fire shall burn thy Flesh and a Worm thy Spirit, Conscience accusing,
Isidore
saith, their Minds burn with Sorrow, and their Bodies with the Flame.
3. Others say, Hell-Fire is neither material nor spiritual, nor mixed, but metaphorical, figurative; so
Austin
and some of the modern Preachers say;
Calvin
thinketh that there is no true Fire in Hell, for, saith he, the Wood and Worm is to be taken metaphorically; but, saith another, that the Fire is so to be taken, I utterly deny.
Ten Opinions of the Learned, of the Places of Hell.
1. Mr.
Edw. Leith, Hugo,
and others say, Hell is a Bottomless Pit; but there is no Place without a Bottom which is the Earth.
2. It is generally agreed, That Hell is in the lower Parts of the Earth, but where these lower Parts should be, Mr.
Perkins
on the Creed, saith, No Man is able to define; the lower Parts of the Earth is great Abasement, saith Dr.
Fulk
on
Phil.
2.7. The lowest Degree of Christ's Humiliation,
Eph.
4.10. one part of the Earth is not put in Opposition to another Part thereof, but to Heaven,
Psal.
103.13.
David
saith, Thou had fashioned me in the lowest Parts of the Earth,
Psal.
139.15. Was
David
born in Hell?
3. Bishop
Bilson,
Mr.
Wheatly,
and others, say, Hell is below, but how many Miles it is to Hell they do not say, nor cannot tell.
4.
Bellarmin, Lyria,
and others, say, Hell is in the Earth near the Centre hereof; if so, ye may know how far it is to Hell, the Earth being round, the Circumference thereof being Twenty one thousand and six hundred Miles: The whole consisting of 360 Degrees, at 60 Miles a Degree, the Diametet of the Terrestrial Globe is Six thousand seven hundred and eighty two Miles, and one Eleventh; so there to the Centre or middle Point, is Three thousand three hundred and ninety Miles and half at Length deep into the Earth to Hell; but in the Day of Judgment, when the Earth shall be consumed with Fire, as 1
Pet.
3.7. where shall Hell be? Then it cannot be in the Center of the Earth when there is no Earth.
5. Mr.
Leigh
and others, say, Hell is a Lake; the Lake is a Sea, as appears
Luke
5.1,2. where the Swine were choaked,
Luke
8.33. whose common Death is not half a Mile; Men seek Hell in the Bottom of the Sea, because they know not where to find it. Hell cannot be the Lake, because Hell was cast into the Lake,
Rev.
20.14.
6. Others say, Hell is in the Air, the Devil is the Prince that ruleth in the Air,
Eph.
2.6. the Air then is the Devil's Hell, saith
Willet Synops.
pag. 1018. if so, then all we that are alive are in Hell; we do find it not a Place of so great Torment, for almost all Men like it well, for there they desire to dwell.
7. Others say, Hell is Above, near the Third Heavens, within the View of the glorious Saints, and alledge for it,
Isa.
66.42.
Rev.
14.10. if so, it is very far to Hell: Astronomers say, that there are three Heavens above the Firmament, where the Fixed Stars are, is a Hundred and sixteen Millions of Miles above the Earth, which is so high, that if a Stone or Weight should fall from thence, and continue falling an hundred and fifty Miles an Hour, it would be Eighty-eight Years, two Weeks, four Days, five Hours, and twenty Minutes a falling down to the Earth.
8. Some say, the Absence of God's Face is Hell, but that is not called
Hell,
but
Wrath, Isa.
54.8. This was
Cain
's Punishment,
from thy face shall I be hid: my punishment is greater than I can bear,
Gen. 4.13,15. The hiding of God's Face causeth Sadness, and the breaking of the Bones of Comfort,
Psal.
5.81.
Behold his eye-lids try the children of men,
Psal. 11.4. if shut they are troubled, if open they are comforted.
9. Some say, Hell is in this Life, and is a guilty accusing Conscience: Dr.
Willet
saith, A guilty troubled Conscience is a Hell and Prison of the Soul; what may rather be called Hell than Anguish of Soul: The Judges Tribunal is in the Soul, God sitteth there as Judge, the Conscience is the Accuser, Fear is the Tormentor, Guilt in the Soul wounds the Spirit,
A wounded spirit who can bear?
Prov. 18.14.
they the spirits in prison,
1 Pet. 3.1,9.
this is the wrath of God that abideth upon him that believeth not in the Son,
John 3.16. Heaven is God's Face and Presence, and our greatest Joy in this Life,
Exod.
33.15,16. and so will be the next,
Psal.
17.5.
Thou wilt fill me with the joy of thy face, in thy presence is fulness of joy,
Acts 2.18. Pleasures or Pleasantness, that is, pleasant Joys at thy right Hand, in the full Enjoyment of thee, are sweet Delights eternal.
Some say Hell is a local Place,
Augustine
saith, it is not a Place; Doctor
Willet
saith the Place of Hell maketh not the Torments; it is a Question, saith he, whether the Place make Hell, or the Absence of the Presence of God,
Synops.
Page 1056.
10. Another saith, it is in the other Side of the blue Cloud that appeareth to us in the Air; others say, where the Place of Hell is, they cannot tell; whether it be in the Earth or in the Water, or in the Air, it is not revealed, saith
Greenwood
; they that have taken Pains to find it out are as far from it as ever; some of the Ministers of
France
affirm, that Father
Cotton,
the Jesuit did enquire of the Devil for a plain Place of Scripture to prove Purgatory, so they are at as great Loss to prove Hell by a plain Place of Scripture truly translated, their Hell of Torments never to end. Also the learned agree not upon which Scripture to ground their Hell Torments upon; for that Place one of them alledge to prove it, another of themselves deny it, that it is so to be understood. Mr.
Ainsw.
on
Psal.
10.16. saith, that Place through Custom is taken for the Place of the Damned, but is not so to be understood, the Word being
Sheol: Marolat
on
Apoc.
Pag. 282. saith, the Fire of
Gehenna
is the Place of the Damned, others of them deny it; M.
Leigh
saith
Dives
proves it, Dr.
Fulk
and others deny it.
See ye not the great Doubting and Uncertainty they are at among themselves? They grope in the Dark without Light,
Job.
22.5. by their reeling, staggering, and stumbling, that they are so drunk they can find no Ground to stand upon; they understand not whereof they affirm, yet each of them hugs his own Apprehension. It is very strange, that in a thing so signal, of which they say they see it in the Word of God, that they can no Way agree concerning it. O ye learned in the seven liberal Sciences, tell us how to reconcile these things in Point of Truth; or tell us in as much as ye speak Contraries, as yea and nay, which of you we are to believe. Have we not all cause to say herein,
Where is the Scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world,
1 Cor. 1.20.
he frustrateth the tokens of liars, and makes diviners mad, and turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge Foolishness,
Isaiah 44.25.
Mr.
Edward Leigh,
Esq
and Master of
Magdalen-Hall
in
Oxford,
presents his Reasons to prove Hell-Torments or Punishment after this Life for some to endure, never to End; let them be considered,
Prov.
18.17. Mr.
Leigh
saith, the Conscience of Man hath a Fear of some Punishment after this Life, proves it.
Answ.
If they have, that doth not prove it; because the Conscience of Men are as they are instructed, according to the Proverb,
Such Docter, such Scholar
; hence it is, that the Conscience of a Papist tells him it is not lawful to eat Flesh in Lent, not of a Friday.
And whoso killeth you will think he doth God good service,
Joh. 16.2. that is his Conscience, the Consciences of some Men are almost, if not altogether, for some Evil; therefore that proves it not.
Mr.
Leigh,
the Heathen, held there was a Hell, a Being and Place for wicked Men after this Life.
Answ.
Why did ye not say and prove, that they hold that they shall be in Torment never to an end.
The Heathens do not believe, that there is to be such a Punishment after this Life, for they deny the Resurrection of the Body, therefore they burn the Body and save the Ashes in an Urn for a Memorial; they believe as
Pythagoras
the Philosopher taught, that the Soui goeth from one Body into another Man or Beast; that some of the Philosohers grew so tender, that they would not kill any Beast nor Fowl, for they said, it may be, it is my Brother or my Sister. These Heathen Greek Poets were long before the coming of Christ; in their
treble Division
of the World they fain three Gods.
Jupiter
the God of Heaven,
Neptune
the God of the Sea, and
Pluto
the God of the Earth, in which they say he keeps his Court and Palace, (no word of Torment, that would make it a poor Court and Palace) so
Homer
and
Noninus,
Greek Poets;
Homer
wrote of the Destruction of
Troy,
which was near a thousand Years before the Birth of Christ;
Homer
is one of the most ancient Records extant; it seems in his time there was no mention of a Hell of Torments never to end, the said Poets call
Pluto Summanus,
as being Chief of the Maunes or Spirits below: To pacify these ill Spirits, a feast was kept in
Febuary
with Wax Candles burning to
Pluto,
called
Candlemas-Day,
so Mr.
Jes.
in his Almanack,
The Cretians are always liers, Titus
1.12. the greatst liars in the World that will fancy, fain, and say any thing; is it a thing possible that Wax Candles above the Earth should give Light thousand of Miles into the Earth, to pacifie those ill Spirits there? it seems they are not in any great Torment if a little Light will pacify them. The Poets say, Hell is twice as deep as Heaven is high; the Astronomers say,
Jupiter
the second Planet is 72 Millions of Miles above the Earth; if Hell be twice as deep, it is a hundred and fifty four Millions of Miles to Hell, which is
fabulous
; so there
Cerberus
three Heads, and
Charus Boat
to row Men to
Pluto
; so the Fancy of Purgatory did spring first from the Heathen Poets, long before the coming of Christ, as appears by
Plato
and
Virgil,
who have described at large the whole Common-wealth, and all the Orders and Degrees of Purgatory: These with their
Elysian
Fields, and many other of their Barbarisms by long Use became venerable.
Your Opinion is fitter for Heathens than for Christians: If the Heathens do hold as you do, are we to believe in Religion as the Heathen? I pass not what they nor any else say, unless they can read it me in the Word of God; we cry,
to the Law and to the Testimony; if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them,
Isa. 8.20. Mr.
Leigh
saith clear Reason proves it, God is just; many abominable Sinners enjoy more Prosperity in this Life, than those that live far more innocently, must be punished hereafter according to the Multitude and Hainousness of their Sins,
Psal.
73.17.
Answ.
I see you are more bold to affirm, than able to prove; doth Reason deny the Punishment to be just, except it never End? The Scriptures you alledge, say they have an end, and you say, they shall never have an end, that is, your clear Reason, to say some are worse than others, therefore they are to suffer a Punishment never to end, so you exclude
Mary Magdalen
and the poor Prodigal, but it is but your bare Affirmation without Proof; your Reason is that God should shew Mercy to little Sinners, but none to the great Sinners, they must not be saved; but this your clear Reason is clear against the Will and Wisdom of God, who is pleased to save of the worst of Sinners, as appears, St.
Luke
7.47. 1
Tim.
1.19.
Asts
9.13. If some enjoy more Prosperity than others, must they therefore suffer a Punishment never to end? Outward Prosperity is a great Blessing, and you make it a great Curse; if that you say were true, there is no Cause
in the Day of Prosperity to rejoyce,
Eccl. 7.24. nor to say,
O Lord I beseech thee send me now Prosperity,
Psalm 115.25. in saying greater Sinners, you judge according to outward Appearances both for Sin and Punishment, and may be mistaken in both what they are in the inner Man; for Sin and Punishment you know not, the Heart of Unbelief and Rebellion of Spirit in others, nor how God punisheth them in their Spirits; Sin is punished in this Life.
Mr.
Leigh
saith, 'tis just they should suffer for ever, who if they had lived, would have sinned for ever,
Cast them out of my sight,
Jer. 5.1.
Answ.
If it be just we should suffer for ever, it is just our Surety should suffer for ever.
Do you consider, that
the Creature was made subject to vanity not willingly, but by reason of him that hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom. 8.20.
Cast them out of my sight,
is no Proof that they shall suffer for ever, but rather that they shall be utterly destroyed, for if they have any Being, wherever they be they cannot be out of Sight of God.
Your Justice is not God's his is a Death; yours is not a Death, but another thing.
Mr.
Leigh,
saith, God's intentions from everlasting, was to glorify his Justice as well as his Mercy,
Rom.
9.21.23. fitted to Destruction.
Answ.
Know you any of the Intentions of God that is not revealed in his Word,
Deut.
29.29. or doth the Word say that God not glorify his Justice, unless he inflict so great a Punishment without end; you give neither Scripture nor Reason to prove that you say is just; the Justice of God was revealed and made known, in causing the Earth to swallow up
Corah and his Company
; they
were Vessels of Wrath prepared, fitted to Destruction,
(your Opinion denies the Word of God that saith they are fitted to Destruction) you say they are never to be destroyed, die nor end. Mr.
Leigh
saith, the Covenant under which ungenerate Men stand, and by which they are bound over to this Wrath is everlasting.
Answ.
There is but two Covenants,
Gal.
4.24.
the old and new,
Heb. 8.13. and 12.24. the old is no more everlasting than the Priesthood of it: The Breach of the Covenant of Works is Death, therefore not eternal Life in Misery. Mr.
Leigh
saith, in that Torment they curse and accuse one another.
Answ.
When you write again, I pray tell us how you know that in Hell they do so; for the Word of God saith not so, nor have you been there to hear it, nor they that told you so. To affirm things in Religion, not revealed in the World of God, is to presume above that which is written, and contrary to 2
Cor.
4.8.
Rom
15.4.
Socrates
an Heathen, was more wise and modest in not affirming things he knew not, being asked what was done in Hell, said, he never went thither, nor communed with any that came from thence: Yet you and others affirm, with great Boldness and Confidence, things you know not; some say in Hell the Eye is afflicted with Darkness, whereas Darkness is no Affliction to the Eye; also they say their Ears are afflicted with horrible and hideous Outcries, their Noses with Poysons and stinking Smells, (of what I pray?) their Tongues with gaully Bitterness, the whole Body with intollerable Fire; the Damned shall prize a Drop of Water worth ten thousand Worlds; cursing shall be their Tunes, Blasphemies their Ditties, Lamentation their Songs, and Screeking their Strains; they shall lye screeking and screaming continually. Ye see how Men set their Brains to work to invent Lies; for all they say is without Warrant from the Word of God. One saith their Torments in Hell is so great, that they cannot forbear roaring; and you say they curse and accuse one another; so that one of their vain Imaginations contradict another, and all of them the Word of God; they will not deny that those in Hell are in the greatest Trouble, and they in less Trouble cannot speak,
I am so troubled I cannot speak,
Ps. 17.4. therefore they cannot curse and accuse one another, as you affirm.
Mr.
Leigh
saith, Divines unanimously concur,
&c.
Ans.
If they do, it is not binding to us, for we are satisfied they are not infallible,
There must be Errors,
1 Cor. 11.9. they have the greatest Share: The Priests,
Popish
and
Mahometan
Priests,
Baals
Priests, and all other Sorts of Priests concur, common Consent sooner believed than naked Truth, it is high time to
Cease from Men, for wherein is he to be accounted of?
Isa. 2.22. Truth, and not Number of Men, is to be followed,
Every one must give an Account of himself to God,
Rom. 14.3.11.12.
Luther
said, he esteemed not the Worth of a Rush a Thousand
Agustines
and
Cyprians
against himself; all Churches err.
Parnormitan
said, more Credit is to be given to one speaking Truth, than to all Men in all Ages speaking the contrary.
They are like to concur and agree if they take the Counsel they give, as not to question Principles: It seems we must take all upon Trust, and Hearsay, without Tryal, they all say it, therefore it is true; but the
Bereans
wo
ld, and did search the Scriptures, to see if Things were so as the Apostles preached, see 1
Joh.
4.1.
Let it be certainly made to appear, that God hath said in any thing contrary to any thing that I have said, I desire with all my Heart, to submit to it; without that I cannot yield the Soveraignty of my Judgment, and Conscience, to the concurring Consent of blind Guides, ignorant and erroneous Men, though in Sheeps Cloathing; and covered all over with the Title of Godly, learned and holy Saints or Presbyters, or Ministers of Christ; the
Papists
call their Church Holy Church, and their Priest Holy Priest, and their Order, Holy Order, and all Holy, if you will believe them.
Some say, the
Jews
report, that in
Tophet,
the Valley of the Son of
Hinnon,
there was a great Ditch which could never be filled, which they called the Mouth of Hell; and that the
Chaldeans,
when they slew the
Israelites,
threw them in there: If this Report be true which hath been brought to prove Hell, then it will follow, that the Mouth of Hell is near
Jerusalem
; and that God doth give to the Wicked, Power to cast his People into Hell.
How much Weight there is in your Reasons to prove a Punishment after this Life never to end, let who will Judge; I, for my Part, profess I do not see how they serve to your Purpose; your Nakedness appears, and that your Opinion hath neither Scripture nor Reason to support it and therefore it must needs fall, 2
Tim.
3.9. You have done all you can, and can come to no surer Bottom to rest upon, than Supposals and Imaginations, wresting Scriptures, and Consent of others; your Glory is that all are of your Mind, though without good Ground or Reason, as is shewed. Also in that you alledge Reasons to prove Hell Torments; it giveth me Occasion to believe, in your own Judgment the Scriptures you alledge to prove it, prove it not; for if you believe the Scriptures prove it, to what Purpose serve your Reasons? Or do you think, that those that doubt of the Sufficiency of our Proof of it by Scripture, will be satisfied with your Reasons as a full Proof of it; if there be any such, they may be to them of some use.
The learned contradict themselves; Mr.
Bolton
saith, Thou must live in endless Woe, in Brimsbone and Fire, which thou mightest so often and easily escape, which overthrows the Doctrine of Election; also they say, the Sense of Loss in Hell is greater than the Sense of Pain. So they make the sensible want of the Presence of God the greatest Torment in Hell, and that is in this life, I am cast out of thy Sight,
Psal.
31.2. it followeth by their Doctrine, that the greatest Torment of Hell is in this Life.
Mr.
Leigh
saith in his
Body of Divinity,
the Sense of God's Wrath, Rage of Conscience, Guilt, Fear, Dispair, the Soul cannot melt with greater Torment; if so, then this is not a worse Torment in Hell than is in this Life.
Water is so scarce in Hell, that
Greenhood
saith, the Damned prize a Drop of Water above ten thousand Worlds; and yet they affirm those in Hell shall continually weep,
&c.
therefore their own Sayings agree not.
The first Author of the Opinion of the Torments of Hell never to end, was
Marcion
the Heretick, that held, that Christ was not a Man but in Semblance; and that there was two Beginnings, two Gods, one good, one bad; that there was Torments for some in Hell, was first invented by him; he determined the Reward of the Creature, either in Torment or Refreshment, to be laid up for them in Hell; he was the first Author thereof, by
Tertulian's
Confession, as saith Dr.
Fulk
in his Defence, Page 83, 84. see and behold the Original of your Opinion of the Torments of Hell,
An evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil,
Luke 6.45.
The seven Pillars of Hell shaken and removed.
The Greek Fathers were the first Pillars of Hell Torments; this came to pass by reason of the Ignorance of the Fathers in the
Hebrew
Tongue, their not understanding the Word
Sheol
deceived them; so saith Dr.
Fulk
in his Defence, Pag. 77.
The second Pillar of Hell Torments were the Writers of the
Hebrew
and
Greek
Copies of the Bible; their Defect hath put us to a great Loss; the original Copy the Apostles wrote, is not only unknown to us, but to the Learned; we do not hear of any alive in
England,
that can produce the New Testament the Apostle wrote; it's not enough that they say, that we have Books in
Hebrew
and
Greek,
unless we could certainly know that these Copies, as they call them, agree Word for Word with those that were wrote by the Prophets and Apostles. Many boast of God's preserving the
Hebrew
and
Greek
Bible amidst so many Enemies; as God hath been pleased to deliver up Christ and his People, so also the Scriptures into the Hands of Sinners, to be used at their Pleasure: It is wonderful to consider, what adding and altering the Scriptues have been subject unto; one Pope publisheth what he pleases for Scriptures, as Pope
Urban
V. and within two Years after Pope
Clement
that succeeded him, calls them in and burneth them, and puts out what he pleaseth, and calls it the holy Scriptures, if ye will believe the Testimony of the learned and godly Protestant Writers, who have not been esteemed Blasphemers nor Hereticks, as Dr.
Fulk,
M.
Beza,
M.
William Perkins,
Dr.
Amis,
and others. Dr.
Fulk
saith, that some
Greek
Copies are altered; it is not unlikely in his Answer to the Remist to the Reader, page 43. And which is more, he saith, Corruption hath happened to all Copies, this Day extant in his Answer to Preface, page 11, 15, 16. whole Verses omitted in some Copies, as 1
Job
5.7. is not in some Copies, nor in the
Syriack,
which is ancient as Apostles, read not this Verse at all, but is extant in others; and that there is at least sixteen various
Greek
Copies of the New Testament,
Jus Divinum,
page 66. Dr.
Lightfoot
saith, Mr.
Beza
was a Man that always question'd the Text, to see so many differing Copies would put any one to a stand which to believe. Mr.
Perkin
saith, it must not seem strange, that Words in the Margin have crept into the Text. Dr.
Amis
saith,
Helps Governments
in the first of the
Corinthians
12.8. are not in the Original; he supposeth it to be done by the Prelates in Favour of their Government. The Preachers, who call themselves Divines, have assumed and challenged Divine Authority to frame all Copies and Translations, and to expound all T
xts according to their own Minds; to maintain their own Doctrine and Practises; to uphold their Power and Standing: Hence it is that each differing Party's Translation agree not; that Party that would have the Magistrate punish idolatry,
&c.
have made a Text for it,
Job
31▪ 28. to be punished by the Judges: But these Words are not in the
Hebrew,
but are an Addition of their own, as appears by the Bible printed in
London
by the Assigns of
John Bill,
in the Year 1640. And the
Geneva
Bible differs from this, and from the Translation printed by the
Stationers, London.
The
English
Transl
tion hath Variety of Differences, not without evident Contradi
ion among divers Places that might be instanced, see Verse 9.18. of the seventh of
Daniel
in the
Geneva
Traslation, Verse 9. is.
I beheld till the Thrones were set up:
And in the King's Translation, printed by the Company of Stationers,
London,
the same Verse is,
I behold till the Thrones were cast down,
and Verse 18. it is [But Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom.] And in the
Geneva
Translation the same Verse is, [And they shall take the Kingdom of the Saints] both cannot be true, which of these is an
Englishman
to believe? Some say,
Luther
added the Word
only
to the Text, being ask'd why he did it, said, he did it to make the Apostle say more plainly,
Faith only justifieth,
Dr.
Fulk
's Defence
English
Translation, page 80. saith, we follow in our Translation as near as we can, the holy Scripture in such Sense, if any thing be doubtful as the proper Circumstance of the Place will lead us unto, that we may attain to the meaning of the holy Ghost. So then it seems, if the Translator do think the holy Ghost meaneth this or that he may translate it so. Is not this a large Liberty? The
Jews
take on such Liberty.
The Ministers of
Lincoln
Diocess, in the Abridgment of their Grievances delivered to King
James.
page 11.13.14. say, that the
English
Translation of the Bible, is a Translation that takes away from the Text, and adds to the Text, and that sometimes to the changing and obscuring of the holy Ghost; and Mr.
Broughton
the great Linguist in his Advertisement of Corruption, tells the Bishops, that the publick Translation of the Scriptures in the
English,
is such, as that it perverts the Text of the old Testament in eight hundred forty and eight Places, and that it causeth Millions to reject the old Testament; and Dr.
Featly
Dr. of Divinity, in his
Dipper Dipt,
page 1. saith, no Translation is simply authentical, or the undoubted Word of God. In the undoubted Word of God there can be no Error, but in the Translation, there are and may be Errors; the Bible translated therefore is not the undoubted Word of God, but so far only as it agreeth with the Original, the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles; and in as much as our
English
Translation, as he saith, is not the undoubted Word of God, what is that Preaching worth that is proved by it? The false Glosses and Interpretations which are put upon the Scriptures by Men learned in the Languages, who have made inconsiderate and bold Assertions without Proof, in not keeping the true and proper Signification of the Words thereof, hath caused many Errors, and great Trouble and Confusion; they put the Word
Lucifer
for the Day-star,
Isa.
14.12. They have forsaken the Fountain, and digged to themselves Cisterns, as
Jer.
2. And we see the People are willing to give up themselves to a Ministry of Fables, 2
Kings
4.4. 2
Pet.
1.16. that makes the Scriptures say and unsay, which being interpreted is to make them say just nothing; the Force of Education and the Custom the Country-men live in, is such as ordinarily ingageth them to a Prejudice and evil Opinion against all Principles contrary thereunto, though of divine Inspiration. Hence the
Papists, Turks
and several Sorts of
Protestants,
cry down and censure each others Judgment and Opinion as abominable Error, Heresy and Blasphemy.
The third Pillar that upholds Hells Torments are fond Expositors that interpret
Sheol
for Hell Torments, so Dr.
Fulk
calls them in his Defence, page 90. I would know why Interpreters understand and translate a Hell of Torments from the
Hebrew
and
Greek
as is not in them, as themselves confess, as hath been shewed: They will take
Sheol
figuratively, and say by
Tophet
Hell is figured, which is a Fancy, a Fable and Delusion that is strong in many that expound Scripture without Sense or Reason; it is as improper to interpret
Sheol
for a Place of Torment, as to interpret the Word House to signify a Horse. The Scripture is not of private Interpretation; a Sense arising out of the Brain of an Interpreter is a private Interpretation, and as the Scriptures are not of Man but of the holy Spirit; so the Interpretation of them is not to be of Man but of the holy Spirit: Oracles signify the Answer of God.
Rom.
3.2. see
Job
12.
and how readest thou,
Luke 10.26. to interpret Words figuratively that are to be understood literally, and Words literally that are to be understood figuratively, is licencious and destructive to the Faith of the Gospel; we are not to interpret any Place figuratively, unless that figurative Sense be expressed in a plainer Place of Scripture; if a Man will have an erroneous Perswasion whatsoever the Scripture saith to the contrary, he will have it to be a figurative Sense, they will be left in the Clouds of their own Perswasion; so instead of proving their Hell of Torments never to end by the Scriptures,
Ruffinus
and others say, they that will not believe it shall seal it; which is no Proof, but a meer Shift, as very a lie as Nurses use to still Children by telling them of a great Bulbegger, and that a Man will come down the Chimney and carry him away; but not any but Children and Fools will be scared with such Bulbeggers.
The Fourth Pillar that upholds their Hell Torment, is the Consent of their Preachers, their learned and godly Men agree herein, but their weak, and various, and uncertain Grounds, declare, that they have not studied the Point; but when Teachers and Hearers are ignorant, any thing will serve and pass for Truth; the simple believe every Word; All sorts of Priests agree and abuse the People; the
Mahometan
Priests blow a Powder into their Eyes that comes to see
Mahomet
hang, that maketh them quite blind, that for ever after they are led, and the Priests say that the Glory of the Sight of
Mahomet
is so great, that it taketh away their sight for ever after; and about
Easter
time, for ten Days there is great Joy about a great fire for their Priest
Mahomet,
and those that cast themselves into the Fire and are burnt to Death are counted Martyrs; and once a Year the Tomb of
Mahomet
is carried a broad upon a cart, and his Priests say, that those that put themselves under the Wheel of that Cart and are crushed to Death, they say to dye Martyrs, and some are so Simple to do so, that so they may dye Martyrs, so the Antichristian-Priests and all sorts of Priests have greatly deluded and deceived the People, blowing something into their Ears that for ever after they are not able to here and receive the Truth. But as M.
Beza
did detest the Papists Limbus and Purgatory, so do I their Dreams of Hell, it being a device of Man without Scripture, with all their uncertain Brain sick Fancies, for the Imaginations of Men have no end.
The 5th Pillar of Hell is their wresting the Scripture to uphold their Hell of Torments; this cozeneth and deceives many under Colour of Divine Authority, when it's but Humane, though they are not pleased publickly to say so; because it streams not to their Purpose, the Scriptures they alledge to prove, is about considered; if any say I wrest Scripture, I appeal to the Learned in the Languages, for to them concerneth the Decision of the Signification of Words, who (as I have shewed) testifie with me.
The sixth Pillar of Hell is their Arguments and Reasons they bring to prove Hell Torments; which have been considered.
The seventh Pillar of Hell is a strong Perswasion that is in Men, that the believing Hell Torments is a great Means to leave Sin and to live a holy Life; and the not believing Hell Torments is a Means to commit all Sin with Greediness, and to live as they list; for, they say, Men live as though there were no Hell.
Carnal Hearts of Men taken Offence of every thing, except the Law of Works, doing to be saved, the Doctrine of Election, God's free Grace and Salvation only and alone by Christ, without Works,
Rom.
4.6. is changed to be one of the greatest Doctrines of Liberty to sin that ever was, and is by the Ignorant made a Stumbling-block and Rock of Offence; and a Cause of Carelesness in many.
Ludovick
said, if I be saved, I be saved, If I be damned, I be damned; the Papists say, if good Works save us not, to what Purpose shall we do them? Then we may live as we list, if we be appointed to Life we shall be saved, though we Sin never so much,
if we sin we have an Advocate,
1 Joh. 2.1.
not any thing can separate us from the love of God,
Rom. 8. If we be not appointed to Life, we cannot be saved, though we should do never so much good, yea see how this truth is turned to Wantonness, the Apostles exhort not to turn this grace of God into Wantonness, Rom. 6.1▪ 15. The corrupt Heart of Man is ready to do it; there are many things in
Paul
's Epistle, which the Ignorant Unlearned (that know not God in Christ) wrest to their own Destruction; will any therefore say, that the Doctrine of Election and Salvation by Christ alone is not a Doctrine fit to be taught not come abroad? if so, the Scriptutes must not come abroad.
Moreover, the Doctrine of the Protestant Ministers is charged, not only to be a Doctrine of Liberty to Sin, but a blasphemous Doctrine, to teach that the Fall and Sin of Man was decreed, they say is to make God the Author of Evil; the Protestant Writers say, that the Sin of Man was determined of God; Dr.
Willet, Synop.
pag. 760. He also saith, the Protestants hold, that the fall of
Adam
was both foreseen of God and decreed to be, not permitted only, they alledge,
Gen.
45.5.8.2.
Sam.
24.1.
Acts
2. and
Acts
4.22.28.
should ungodly lusts, Judg.
18. for the Creature was made subject to Vanity, not willingly, but by Reason of him that had subjected the same in Hope,
Rom
8.20. Dr.
William Whitaker
against
Campion
the Jesuit saith, now answer me
Campion,
do you think that which any one doth, how wicked soever, is done whether God will or no? If you hold that any thing is done against God's Will, what Providence or Omnipotency do you leave him? For he that permitteth that to be done which he would by no Means have to be done, it is certain, that he is not endued with so great Power, as that he can forbid that which he would not have done, wherefore you must needs confess, that all Things that are done are done by the Will of God; and Pag. 196. all confess, God could have hindered Sin to be if he had so pleased, but he would not hinder it, therefore it was his will it should be, the Will of God, and not Sin, is the Cause of God's Decree, and the being of all things; the Will and Pleasure of God is the Womb from whence springeth every Work of the Creature,
Rom.
4.11. God must first will his Creature to stand or fall before he can do either,
Acts
21.14.
Phil.
2.13.
Prov.
21.4. the evil Actions of Men are not only foreseen of God, but decreed, saith Mr.
Par
in hie Grounds of Divinity; we are not saved from sin, except we have committed Sin; therefore Salvation from Sin is not without committing Sin, saith
Fulk,
pag. 121. God willed and decreed his Glory and Man's Happiness; therefore he willed and decreed the Means to it: The end and moving Cause of his willing Sin to be, is for his Glory, which Cause it was necessary for Sin to be; if Sin had not been, how should the Goodness of God in giving Man Eternal Life in Glory appeared, his Love in sending Christ to die? If there had not been Sin, there had been no need of Christ's comming, nor of his Death and Righteousness; most of the great Works of God in this World and that to come, have Dependance or Reference to Sin; how should we have lived by Faith, exercised the Fruits of the Spirit, or have any Happiness or Glory in the World to come, if it had not been for Christ? And Christ had not been, if there had been no Sin: He that willeth the End, willeth those things that are necessarily referr'd to that End, Taking away Sin was decreed before the World, therefore the Being of Sin was decreed; Christ's Death was determined before the World; for the End of Christ was to restore
Adam
's Fall. If
Adam
had not fallen, there had been no need of a Christ to restore him: The Saints were chosen to Life before the World; Choice hath Reference to the Fall, therefore the fall of
Adam
was decreed: If the Will of Man had been the first and chief Cause of the being of Sin, then the Will of Man should be the Cause of God's Will, and so Men should be the original Cause of the Salvation of himself, and so much the Cause of it, that without his will it could not have been: and so the Determination of God what to do, shall not be from himself, but from the Will of Man, which is contrary to
Eph.
1.11. if Men should will Sin before God willed it, then shall the Will of God depend and wait upon the Will of Man: as if God should say, If Man will Sin, then I will his Salvation: And if God should first will to send Christ to save Man, and leave it to Mans Will and Power whether he shall fall or no, then it was possible for Man to stand, and so to frustrate the Decree of God: For if Man had not sinned, God's Decree of sending Christ had been void and of none Effect: Mr
Perkins
saith, God Decree the fall of
Adam
; if the fall was decreed, if Man had Power to Stand, then he had Power to frustrate God's Decree, which no wise Man will affirm; and then that saying that
Adam
had Power to keep the Law, is without truth; if he had, consider
Ezek.
18.2,3,4.
Je.
3.29,36. God willeth all things well, he sinneth not, nor can Sin, because he is under no Law, God commands Men to keep the Law, that no Man can do; he commands Men to think no vain Thoughts, and not to sin; we cannot but think some vain Thoughts, and in many Things we Sin all Christ saith,
No man can come to me except the Father draw him,
John 6.44.37. if they be drawn they come;
draw us and we will run after thee,
Cant. 1.4. if I put sufficient Strength to move the Earth, Motion must needs follow; when Men sin they are beguiled, enticed, deceived, drawn away,
they like men have transgressed,
Hos. 6.7.
We are to distinguish between that which followeth a Doctrine in its own Nature, and that which followeth by Accident, or rather that a corrupt Heart draweth from it, and is not from the Nature and Working of the Doctrine it self; it is strange to consider Men are to set upon the Popish Principle to be saved for their Works, that they count all Prophaness that crosseth their Way; some have burned the Bible; and Doctor
Crisp
's Book of Salvation by Christ alone, Mr.
Archers
late of
Allhallowes London,
his Treatise of Comfort to beleivers, against their Sins and Sorrow, was burnt by the Hangman; the same Spirit is alive to burn this also. I expect no better from such as are not taught of God; they condemn those Things they know not, and think they do God Service, when they persecute the Truth and Professors of it.
Take for Instance, that the Fear of the Torments of Hell is no such Preserver against Sin, is evident; for those that sin with the greatest Greediness, the greatest Sinners, they do believe there are Hell Torments? For tho' they be never so wicked, they hope it doth not belong to them; or they hope to repent and lead new Lives, before they die; though they sin for the present, they hope to make God amends for all, as an
Arminian
being drunk, saith, that he was now in the State of Damnation, but he said he would be in the State of Grace to morrow, so he comforted himself. The Lives of many Heathens that have denied the Resurrection of the Body, and therefore did not hold a Hell of Torment after, have been better than many that seek to escape Hell, and get Heaven by their Works.
2. If Fear of Hell were a Preserver against Sin, then those that are delivered from the Fear of Hell, that believe they shall be saved, they should Sin more than others; but we find the contrary, that none more free from Sin than these.
3. Experience teacheth, that the Fear of Hell, though at first it startleth and frighteth Men, yet that is soon over, and is no Preserver against Sin. I knew one set before him the Torments of Hell to keep him from Sin, and finding that would not do, he added Vows and Curses to keep him from Sin. I knew another wished the Devil to take him Soul and Body, if he did not do the thing he spake of, and I knew he did it not: Another wished he might sink into Hell presently if he did the thing he spake of, yet did do it before he went from the Place; the Reason is, because the Lusts of Men are stronger than the Fear of Hell, Resolutions and Curses.
Because Men are given up to their own Hearts Lusts; it may be that they may find that Liberty to Sin is the greatest Misery and Bondage in the World, it hath all misery in it, whether they Sin with more or less Fear, and could enjoy all the Pleasures of Sin for a Season, they will find they have made a bad Bargain of it.
What fruit had ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed?
Rom. 6.21.
If I sin thou markest me,
Job. 10.14.
Be sure your sin will find you out,
Numbers 32.23.
In keeping thy commands there is great reward,
Psal. 19.11. In breaking them a great Punishment, loss of inward Peace and Comfort, a guilty accusing Conscience, Disgrace, Affliction, Losses, Crosses and Death;
the bloody and deceitful man shall not live out half his Days,
Psal. 53.23.
I will curse your blessings,
Mal. 2.2. see
Deut.
28.
Men Sin because
they are led Captive by the Devil at his will,
2 Tim. 3.6. and 2.26. also Men Sin because they are under the Law; so long as a Man is under the Law, Sin will have Dominion over a Man,
Rom.
6.14.
Sin shall not have dominion over them that are under grace.
4. Men Sin, because they have not received Power from on high against Sin; until they receive that Power they cannot but Sin,
Thou hast led Captivity Captive, and given Gifts for Men,
Psal. 68.18. until Christ by his Spirit set the Soul at Liberty, it is in Bondage, and enthrall'd to base Lusts;
But if the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed,
John 1.36. but not till then; see
Eccles.
8.11. The Punishment of the Magistrates keeps Men from abusing others, more than Fear of Hell; Men would be exceeding dissolute if under no Discipline of Superiors.
5. Men go to Sin for Comfort, Sweetness and Satisfaction; but when satisfy'd, they go not to Sin; to act for Life is no Love to God, nor Self-denial, nor any Spiritualness, nor will it do them good, it's not accepted of God, nor will it continue, such so restrained, oft-times do exceed all other in Sin, the spiritual Soul that lives in the Enjoyments of the Love of God, needs no such Weights to procure its Motion; he acts from a new Life and Principle to the Glory of God, and good of others; and in this Work and Labour of Love is more Sweetness than is in all the Pleasures of Sin, which are but for a Season.
It is great Ignorance for any to think, that it is in the Power of any Man to Sin as much as he will; if this be proved, all Objections are answered; and this the Scripture proves, that without the Will of God, Men cannot do any thing, not so much as go to a City, unless God will,
Jam.
4.13.15. God worketh, governeth, and disposeth all Things after the Counsel of his own will,
Ephesians
1.11. 1
Job
he 1.
Act
18.21.
Rom.
9.11.
Who hath resisted his will? Gods will is done, Luke
11.2.
Hebr.
2.4.
Eph.
1.9.
Acts
13.20. The Measure of Men's Sins are set; Men cannot do more nor less than their Measure, they fill up their Measure always, 1
Thess.
2.13. it was determined how often
Peter
should deny Christ,
Luke
22.31,34. with verse 61,64. God saith if you will believe him,
The wicked
shall do wickedly,
Daniel 12▪ 10.
they cannot cease from sin,
2 Pet. 2.24.
That which is determined shall be done,
Dan. 11.26. he that restraineth the Clouds that they dropt not down Rain,
He made a decree for the Rain,
John 28.26. and the Earth, that it bring not forth Grass,
Deut.
2.23.
He that stilleth the Winds and the Tempest,
Psal. 107.29,3
. that saith to the Waves of the Sea.
Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further, and here shall thy proud Waves be stayed,
Job 38.11. he restraineth Men from doing their Wills when he pleases; they would go further, but he restraineth them,
Job
18. that they cannot do the things they had appointed them to do,
Gen.
20.6. and 31,24.
and
35,5.
and
30.10.
Revelat.
20.3,
.
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps,
Jerem. 10.2
. Psalm
. Prov.
.12.
A man's heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps,,
Prov. 16.9.
The preparation of the heart and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord,
Prov. 16.1.
The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of waters, he turneth it whithersoever he will,
Prov. 12.1.
Man his days are determined,
Jo 7.1.14,5,14.
and the bounds of his habitation,
Acts 17.26. so are his Works and Sins;
surely the wrath of man shall praise thee, and the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain,
Ps. 76.10.
Setting aside the Opinions and Conjectures of Mens devised Fables, I am fully satisfied with the Testimony of the Word of God (besides their own Testimony, which is sufficient against themselves) with which I see through the thick Darkness of the Inventions and Traditions of Men.
Several Considerations that there is not to be a Punishment after this Life, that shall never end.
1. We do not find the Place of Hell mentioned in any of the six Days Work of God; if it be a Place, it is a created Place, and so a Part of the Creation of God, the Whale is mentioned in Scripture; if there be a Place of Hell, it is a greater thing, and in that it is not found in the Creation of God, it is a Ground to judge that it is of the Creation of Man, a vain Imagination of Man; for their Reasons prove it not, nor do they agree amongst themselves of the Proof of it, neither where it is, nor what it is.
2.
Solomon
[was wiser than all Men] 1
King.
4.36. yet he spake not any thing of the Torments of Hell, nor of any Punishment never to end [he spake from the Cedar to the Hysop, he spake also of Beasts and Fouls, of creeping things, and of Fishes] v. 33. if he had known of any Hell and Torments there, he would have spoken of that also.
3. The
Jews,
[unto whom were committed the Oracles of God]
Rom.
3.2. to give unto us, they have delivered no such thing to us, nor do they believe any such thing; for the
Hebrew
Doctors understand the seventh Day of seven thousand Years which is in the World to come he blessed, because in the seven thousand Years all Souls shall be bound up in the Bundle of Life in the World to come;
Aisnworth
on
Gen.
2.
a Day with the Lord is as a thousand years,
2 Pet. 3.8. the
Jews
say, as the World was made in six Days, so it should continue six thousand Years, and no more; and that the seventh Day in the seven thousand Years in the World to come, in which all Souls shall be blessed: Also they say a good Man and a bad Man died afterwards: One in a Vision saw the good Man walking in Gardens among pleasant Fountains of Water, but the bad Man near a River, and his Tongue reaching after Water, but could not reach it.
Talm.
Jerus. in
Chag.
fol. 77.
Col.
4. in that these things are received among them for Truth, though they be but
Jewish
Fables, yet by them we see evidently that they do not believe the Opinion of a Torment after this Life never to end. The
Jews
and
Hebrew
Doctors were great Searchers of every Tittle of Scriptures; and if it had been there to be seen, they or their Prophets should have seen it.
4. The Saints recorded in Scripture did not believe that there was to be a Punishment for any to endure never to end; this appeareth, because when they made a Confession of Sin, and the Punishment due to them for the same, they do not confess to have deserv'd any such Punishment; they confess [to us belongs confusion of Face]
Dan.
9.8.11. [it's the Lord's Mercy we are not consumed]
Lam.
2.22. [thou hast delivered me from Death,]
Psal.
116.8. 2
Chron.
8.1,10.
Nor do we find that they did ever give Thanks for any such Deliverance, if they had known of any such Deliverance, it could not but appear the greatest Deliverance any could enjoy, and that it did require the greatest Acknowledgment and Thankfulness; nor doth it appear that ever they did pray for, or express any Desire of any such Deliverance; in that they express neither, it is a Ground to judge that they knew of no such Punishment; and if there had been any such Deliverance, they should have known it, I should not have been hid from them; they admired the Deliverance of saving their Lives from Death, as the greatest Deliverance,
Ezek.
9.13,14. [the Kindness of the Lord not to Die] 1
Sam.
20.14.
Do you believe that if
Moses
and
Paul
had believed that there was so great and exceeding Torment without end, that in the least they would have wished or desired [to be raced out of the Book of Life]
Exod.
32.33. and [to be separated from Christ]
Rom.
9.3. to endure the said Torment without end? I do not believe that they were willing so to suffer.
5. Christ when on Earth, spoke of the Destruction of
Jerusalem
which was to come, and wept because they were to suffer that,
Luk.
19.42,44. he would much more have spoken of a Punishment never to end, and wept for them that should suffer that, if there had been any Punishment for any to endure.
6. Because when God doth warn any from Sin, from the Consideration of Punishment, there is no mention of any Punishments but of those in this Life. See 1
Cor.
10.1. to 11. [they shall die of grievous Deaths]
Jer.
6.4,2.
Chro.
19.10. 1
Cor.
4.14. Death threatned,
Ezek.
3.18,19. and 33,3. to 14.
Titus
3.10,11. [confounded that serve graven Images]
Psal.
98. a Punishment in this Life,
Jerem.
9.19. Death for Idolatry,
Jer.
44.7. the punishment of Idolatry set for an Example, 2
Pet.
2.6. [be instructed, lest my Soul depart from thee, and I make thee desolate, because of thy Sin▪ ]
Mich.
6.13. see
Jer.
9.11. [Abomination that makes desolate]
Dan.
3.20. [he turned the Cities of
Sodom
and
Gomorrah
into Ashes, condemned them with an Overthrow, making them an Example] 2
Pet.
2.5,6,7. he that threatned Death, would have threatned a Punishment never to end if there had been such a Punishment to be inflicted upon any.
7. Because God's Punishment of Sin is not of so large an extent as his Mercy, for his punishing of Sin is but [to the third and fourth Generation]
Deut.
7.9. [thy Mercy is great above the Heavens, and thy Truth unto the Skies]
Psal.
108.4. by Truth in this Place understand the Punishing of Sin, because the Word
Mercy
is put in Opposition, which lieth in forgiving Sin; the Heavens are far above the Skies. Astronomers say, the Clouds and Skies are not above fifty Miles above the Earth; but the Heavens are above a hundred and sixteen Millions of Miles above the Skies, but the Mercy-seat above]
Exod.
25.21. his Nam
is his Glory [his Glory above the Heavens]
Psal.
8.1. Why, is it said he punisheth the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children to the third and fourth Generation, and not to
tenth and twentieth Generation, but to declare
is satisfied therewith, and requireth not a further Punishment? God doth punish Sin in the Sinner and upon his Children, to the third and fourth Generation, but because there is not to be a Punishment after this Life never to end. 8. Because Death and the fear of it is call'd the [Terror of God]
Gen.
35.3. the King of Terrors,
Job.
8.11,14. therefore Death is the greatest Punishment and more terrible; but if there were to be a Punishment never to end, nor Death, but that were the King of Terrors; for is not terrible at all in Comparison of that. 9. Because Sin is punished in this Life to the full; if you will believe God, he saith, according to their Works and Doings I punished them,
Ezek.
36▪ 18.
Hos.
12.2. and 13.12.
Jer.
50.28. and 56.18.
Jer.
9.9,11.
Job
20.28. [every Transgression received a just Recompence of Reward]
Heb.
2.2. Would ye have it to be punished to the full in this Life, and after in the World to come with a Punishment never to end? That Sin is punish'd in this Life, see
Isa.
65.3, to 16.
Deut.
10.17,18.
Mich.
6.10.
Hag.
1.6.
Lamen.
4.6. I'll punish the World for their Iniquity, they shall fall by the Sword,
Isa.
13.11,15. to 22. outward Calamity and Death, the Punishment of Sin,
Lam.
3.39. 1
Pet.
2.24. [recompence their Sin to the full,
Jer.
16.18. for the Violence of the Sin of Man when all Flesh had corrupted his Way, God saith, I will destroy them with the Earth? a Flood of Water to destroy all Flesh]
Gen.
6.11,12,17. to punish Sin twice, is as disagreeable to Justice, as to receive the Payment of one Debt twice.
10. Because there is not a worse thing then the Dregs of God's Fury, Anger, and Wrath; and these are poured out in this Life; God doth not only begin to punish Sin in this Life; but also finish it in this Life; for it is said,
He poured out all his fierce Anger, he cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath and indignation,
Psal. 78.49. (Death) so
it was poured out,
Esa. 42.8. Ezek. 19.22.
Accomplished my fury,
Ezek. 7.8.
it consumed them,
Ezek. 43.18.
for yet a very little while, and mine indignation and anger shall cease in their destruction,
Jer. 10.25.
Wrath past,
Job 14.13.
taken away all,
Psal. 85.3.
he hath poured out all his Anger,
Lam. 4.10.11. Zeph. 3.3.
the punishment of their iniquity is accomplished,
Lam. 4.22. Ezek. 5.13.
and
7,8.
and
29,21.
the dregs of the Cup of my Fury accomplished,
Ezek. 13.14,15. therefore there is no Continuance of it after this Life; for when
Achan
was dead, it is said the Lord turned from the Fierceness of his Anger,
Jos.
6.26. but if that they say were true, his Death was but the Beginning of the Lord's fierce Anger.
Many infallible Proofs that there is not to be a Punishment after this Life never to end.
Proof
I. Because the Scriptures hold forth no such thing, as hath been shewed; we ought not to presume above that which is written; revealed things belong to us,
Deut.
29.29.
Pooof
II. Their Opinion of a Punishment never to end, is contrary to the Word of God, in that it doth maintain that the Wicked shall have Eternal Life. If Man was to live for ever, why was the flaming Sword set to keep the Way of the Tree of Life?
Gen.
3.24. Left he put forth his Hand and take of the Tree of Life, and live for ever: No Eternal Life came by the first
Adam
; Eternal Life came by Jesus Christ, who is the Tree of Life, Eternal Life promised and given by Jesus Christ, Eternal Life by Jesus Christ,
Rom.
5.21. and [he that eateth of this Bread shall live for ever.]
John
6.58. [Because I live ye shall live also]
John
14.9.
God sent his Son that we might live through him,
1
John
4.9. only Believers have Eternal Life,
he that believeth on the Son hath eternal iife, he that believeth not the Son shall not see life,
John. 3.36.
whosoever believeth shall not perish, but have everlasting life,
1 Jo. 3.14,15.
I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish,
Jo. 10.28.
the wicked abide not for ever,
1 John 2.17. [if ye Live after the Flesh ye shall die]
Romans
8.13. [him will God destroy] in the
Greek it is corrupt,
1 Cor. 3.7. the [preaching of the Cross is to them that perish Foolishness. 2
Thes.
2.10. utterly perish, 2
Pet.
2.14.
Luke
11.3. [to their own Destruction] 2
Pet.
3.16. [abideth in Death]
Rom.
6.21,23. [they shall be destroyed for ever]
Psal.
99.7.
John
4.20. If they perish and have not eternal Life, then they cannot live for ever: God said,
Gen.
2.17. [if thou eatest thou shalt surely die] but the Serpent said,
Gen.
3.4. [ye shalt not die;] so the Serpent; which is the Devil, hath taught Men to say as the Serpent said, Now they have eaten they shall not die, but shall live for ever, and never die, which is to say, God is the Liar, and that which the Devil said is Truth. The Word saith,
Him will God destroy,
Matth. 21.41. 1 Cor. 3.17.
and
6.13.
they shall be destroyed,
2 Pet. 2.12.
Swift destruction, their end is destruction,
Phil. 3.13. their Opinion saith they shall never be destroyed, die, nor end, which is no Destruction: The Word saith, (the last Enemy is Death) 1
Cor.
15.26. Their Opinions saith, that is not the last, there is an after that is much worse, never to end: It saith, God's Anger is for ever, he will never turn from it; contrary to
Jer.
3.12.
Psal.
5
.5. and 89.5. and 78.18. Mr.
Bolton
saith, they shall suffer so long as God is God, if so, then they have eternal Life (though in Misery) whereas the Scripture doth not declare eternal Life to be for all Men,
John
6.45,47.
Promised us eternal life,
1 John 2.17.25.
I give unto them eternal life to as many as thou hast given him,
John 17.2,3.
in hope of eternal life,
John 3.15.
As many as were ordained to eternal life believed,
Act. 13.48.
they that have done good unto the resurrection of life,
John 5.29. If it be granted that the Wicked have not eternal Life, as hath been proved, it will follow, that they cannot suffer for ever so long as God is God; and therefore all their building of a Punishment never to end fails, grant the first and the later must needs follow.
If
Adam
had not sinned, he should have died; this is proved first, because
Adam
in his Creation had a natural Body, 1
Cor.
15.44. that which is natural is not eternal,
v.
46. (he was of the Earth earthly) 57,48. therefore mortal and corruptible, 53,54.
Secondly, Man in his first being was corporal and visible to be seen; things seen are not eternal. Mr.
Bolton
saith, If
Adam
had stood, he could not have conveyed to us a Body immortal, or not dying, in his Treatise of Heaven, Page 131.
Basil
saith, if God had given
Adam
an immutable and unchangeable Nature, he had created a God and not a
Man. Augustine,
in his Book of
Confessions
saith, because the Lord created a Man of nothing, therefore he left in Man a Possibility to return into nothing, if he obeyed not the Will of his Maker.
Thirdly, Man in Innocency needed Food,
&c.
that which depends upon mutable and earthly Things, is earthly and mutable; we see it in all other Creatures that live upon perishing things, at last perish; and herein Man by the first
Adam
hath no Preeminence above a Beast: Heaven and Earth were created, therefore had a Beginning; and although they have a much longer Life than Man, are to have an end, (Heaven and Earth shall be dissolved) 2
Pet.
3.12.
If
Adam
had not died,
Rom.
5.12. he should have continued in this World, he should not have gone to the World to come; therefore by his Fall he lost no Happiness nor eternal Life in that World; for he could not by that Fall lose more than he had, and was to have. Death is according to Nature, but to attain Immortality is above Nature.
Adam
being Earth and from the Earth, his Enjoyment, Life, and Loss, and Punishment, must, of necessity, be earthly; how cometh he then by his Fall to be capable of a Punishment never to end, unless by his Fall he could purchase eternal Life, which none will affirm? Eternal Life cannot be by the first Man, much less by Sin.
I deny not but the
wages of sin is death,
Rom. 6.23. There is difference to be put between a natural Death and a judicial Death; the first is from nature, the second is from Sin, if the common Death that all die,
Heb.
9.27. were the Punishment of Sin, as most Men think, then Christ, by freeing his from the Punishment of Sin, by bearing Death for them, of Necessity he must free them from dying a natural Death, but Christ freeth not his from a natural Death, yet freeth them from the Punishment of Sin; therefore to die the common Death is no Part of the Punishment of Sin: For where Sin is satisfied, or pardoned, or forgiven, the Punishment is not inflicted; if it be, how is it forgiven? Even Men when they pardon inflict not the Punishment; all confess, some Mens Sins are pardoned, how then cometh it to pass that they die for Sin, whose Sin is pardoned? (He that keepeth my saying shall not see Death)
John
15.21. is not to be referred to a natural Death, but to perish, a judicial Death,
John
3.16. the Scripture declares, that there shall be a Resurrection of the Dead, the Just and Unjust,
Acts
24.15. the Unjust would enter into Life, but shall not,
John
5.20. (Unto whom I swore in my Wrath, that they should not enter into my Rest)
Psal.
94.11.
Heb.
4.7. (and your selves thrust out)
Luke
13.28. when they rise to Judgment at the last Day, they shall be consumed with the Earth by Fire, that's their End; so that not to enter, to be thrust out, the second Death, and to perish, is one thing, if they live for ever, and have eternal Life, how do they perish? and how is the End of those things Death)
Rom.
6.21. if there be no End, to be carnally minded is Death,
Rom.
8.6. How is this true if they live
orever, and not die?
Sin being a Transgression of the Law is a legal Sin, and so i
to have a legal Punishment For some Sins is Death,
Rom.
6.23. inflicted by God, as
Gen.
38.9,10. and by Man. A legal Death is not from Nature, but from Sin, and is a Second Death; if a Man for Murder be put to Death, in dying he dieth the first and second Death; for in dying he dieth a natural Death, and a judicial Death: This later is a second Death, in that it is no
from Nature, but from Sin.
Men put the Stress of the Punishment of Sin upon the second Death, but what that second Death is, they cannot agree among themselves; the Ministers in their late Annotations on the Bible on
Revel.
20.9. (on such the second Death hath no Power) interpret it not to be destroyed by Antichrist, nor by the
Turk,
v. 9. so then according to their Inte
pretation it is not a Punishment never to end. Mr.
Perkins
saith the second Death is a total Separation from God; if so it is not a Punishment without End, and in that God is every where,
Psal.
139.7,8. if they be any where, how are they absent from God?
If the second Death be a Death, it is not a Life of Misery never to end; that is not a Death, unless eternal Life be a Death; they confess eternal Life in Misery is worse than Death; if so, then it is not a Death but another thing.
The first Death is the Destruction of the Body, a Separation of Soul and Body; the second Death must be like it; the second Death is an Image of the first, else how is it a Death, and a second Dea
h? the second
Adam
being Man, was an Image of the first; the Scriptures saith,
the second death is like the first,
Luke 6.1. the second is like to it,
Matth.
22.39. Therefore as the first Death, so the second is a separation of Soul and Body, else how is it a Death, or a second Death?
Reuben,
by going into his Father's Bed, deserved a judicial legal Death, but did not die for it,
Gen.
49.3,4, and 35.22. 1 Chron. 5.1. (let
Reuben
live, and not die)
Deut.
33.6. a judicial or second Death: The
Jews Onkelos,
read
Deut.
33.6. let
Reuben
live, and not die the second Death, and
Jonathan
on
Isa.
65.6. (I will deliver their Carkasses to the second Death)
vers.
17. (the Lord will slay them with the second Death) by which it appears, the
Jews
count the second Death) is to be slain; and, if so, it is not a Life of Misery never to end, as some say, the Book of the
Revelation
speaks of the second Death. Dr.
Featly,
and Dr.
Lightfoot,
and others say, that Book treats of the Church and things done in this World; and if so, then the second Death is a Punishment of this Life; they also interpret Heaven in that Book to be the Church, and the late Annotations on the Bible, and Mr.
Brightman
and others on
Apoc.
20.10. say, that the Devil in that Place is the great
Turk.
It is their Opinion that say, the Wages of Sin is not Death; they say it is a Life of Misery never to end, which is worse and more than Death; therefore their Opinion is contrary to the Word that saith, it is Death, filled with all Unrighteousness, haters of God, despiteful, proud, Inventers of evil things, they that commit such things are worthy of Death,
Rom.
1.31,32. these are great Sinners, yet the Word saith, not that they are worthy of more then Death; and therefore why should any say they are worth of more then Death; And if the End of these things are Death,
Rom.
6.21. therefore there is not any thing to come after Death, 2
Kings
7.4. the Soul that Sinneth shall die,
Ezek.
18.14,26. that is all that Sin doth bring forth. God in giving his Law, did express the Punishment of the Breach of it, saying, in the Day that thou eatest of that Tree, thou shalt surely die,
Gen.
2.17. dying thou shalt do, that is, naturally and judiciously, not touch it left ye die,
Gen.
3.3. to bear Iniquity is to dye for it,
Levit.
22.9.
Numb.
18.22. that one Man die for the People,
John
18.14. the Body is dead because of Sin,
Rom.
8.10. he that is dead is freed from Sin,
Rom.
6.7. neither Sin nor Punishment hath any thing to do with a dead Man. This Iniquity shall not be purged from ye till ye die, then it is purged from them; if this Iniquity be purged from you till ye die, we learn that Death acquitteth,
Talm. Jerus, Sanched,
Fol. 27.
Col.
3.
After Man had sinned, God expounded the Punishment of the Breach of his Law,
Gen.
3.14. to v. 20. It is evident, that the Punishment of the old Serpent the Devil, and of the Woman, and of the Man for their Sin, are only Punishments of this Life; there is not the least Word of any punishment after this Life, much less of a Punishment never to end; so that by that which is said we may judge of that Mr.
Bolton,
and others say, of being everlastingly in a red-hot scorching Fire, deprived of all Possibility of dying, or of being ever consumed in Torment eternally; they say the Fire of Hell burneth far hotter than ten thousand Rivers of Brimstone; how know they it, seeing they never felt it, nor they that told you so? Three drops of Brimstone will make one so full of Torment that one cannot forbear roaring out for Pain, yet it must be born so long as God is God. O Eternity, Eternity, Eternity! If so, they shall have Eternal Life, which is contrary to the Scripture, as hath been shewed, and is therefore to be rejected; also they say that the Soul of the Wicked goes immediately at Death to Hell, to the Devil, contrary to
Eccles.
3.21. and 12.7.
Gen.
2.7.
Heb.
12.9
Ezek.
43.13,14,15.
Zach.
12.9. if the Devils are in Hell in Torment, as they commonly and vainly imagine: Hell is in the Wicked; the Devil's evil Spirits are there, and rule there in the Children of Disobedience,
Eph.
2.2. 1
Pet.
5.2.
Matth.
8.28.
Jud.
14.
Matth.
25.29,30,31.
Adam
in Innocency being a natural Man, he had the Law of Nature written in his Heart; the Breach of that natural Law caused a temporal Curse and Punishment, and not any Eternal; they that think eternal Life is to be had for our Works, our well doing, are prone to think eternal Life may be lost for our not well doing; but the Way of the Gospel places not eternal Life and eternal Death in Misery upon our doing,
Rom.
4.2,3,4,5. Also the Scripture speaketh not of an eternal Death, and therefore there is no such thing.
Proof
III. Their Opinion of a Punishment after this Life never to end, makes not Sin, but Christ to be the Cause of their so suffering: This is evident; because if Christ had not come, there had been no Resurrection, and if no Resurrection there could be no suffering of any Torment after this Life: For if no Resurrection they should have perished, in the Grave their had been their End. If Christ be not risen, they which are fallen asleep are perished] 1
Cor.
15.17,18. that the Resurrection came by Jesus Christ is also evident; for Christ saith, I am the Resurrection,
John
11.75. By Man, that is, Christ, came the Resurrection,
ver.
21. [Therefore it is called the Resurrection of Jesus Christ] 1
Pet.
3.21. [His Resurrection]
Romans
6.5.
Philippians
3.16. 1
Pet.
1.21. Christ is called the First-fruits, because he first rose from the Dead, after him others; if Christ had not risen, no Man should ever have risen from the Dead, therefore it is said, [They came out of his Graves after their Resurrection]
Mat.
27.5. and in that Christ is the Resurrection and the Cause of it, in that it came by him, sure none will deny, that if there had been no Resurrection from the Dead, there could be no Suffering after Death, so long as God is God, therefore it follows, if any Man shall so suffer, Christ is the Cause of it: for without him they could not have lived for ever, and therefore not suffer for ever; and is it not very hard and unreasonable, and contrary to the Word, to charge Christ to be the Cause of their so Suffering? seeing Christ came [in love to the World]
John
16.36. [to save, not to destroy]
Luke
9.59. and 9.10. not to make any miserable, [he came to save Sinners] 1
Tim.
1.15.
Luke
4.18. [he rose again for our satisfaction; therefore, if none can so suffer unless Christ be the Cause of it, there is no such Punishment for any to endure never to end.
Proof
IV. The Scriptures declare what Christ came to do, namely, to deliver us from the hand of our Enemies,
Luke
1.74. [to taste Death for every Man]
Heb.
2.9. See
Luke
4.18. [the last Enemy is Death] he abolished Death] 2
Tim.
1.10. he hath promised Deliverance from Death and Grave; I will redeem thee from Death,
Hosea
13.14. that keeps my Sayings shall not see Death,
John
8.51,52. O Death where is thy Sting, O Grave where is thy Victory? 1
Cor.
15.55. I will ransom thee from the Power of the Grave; he saith not from the Torments of Hell, nor from the Punishment never to end: O Death I will be thy Plagues, O Grave I will be thy Destruction,
Hos.
13.4. so that if there be a Punishment after Death and Grave, there is no mention of Christ's delivering us from that; and in that the Scripture s
ith, [He is able to save from Death]
Heb.
5.7. is as much as to say, Salvation from Death is sufficient, and that there is no farther thing to be delivered from than Death and Grave, if there were deliverance from them had not been satisfactory, because not sufficient; for if there is to be a Punishment after Death, who shall deliver us from that? Christ delivereth from Death and Grave; no further Deliverance from any thing is mentioned; therefore he hath not delivered his from more, and therefore there is no further thing to be delivered from; so that ye may see that their Opinion makes void Christ's Suffering, and the Saints Comfort! for if a Punishment for ever be due to Man for Sin, Christ must for ever suffer that Torment to free us from it, or we must suffer it. The Protestant Writers confess, that the Way and Means that Christ freeth us from the Punishment of Sin, is by his Suffering that Punishment we were to suffer: To this the Scriptures agree,
Gal.
3.13.
Isa.
53.4,5,6,7. so that if Christ, our Surety, hath not suffered the said Torments for ever, then hath not Christ suffered enough; namely, that which we were to suffer, and so not delivered us from the said Punishment. That Jesus Christ hath not so suffered is evident, and confessed by the Protestant Writers; some of the Protestants say, the Rep
obates in Hell suffer the want of the Vision or Sight of God for ever, fina
Rejection. 2. They shall be perplexed with the Horror of a guilty Conscience. 3. Deprived of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. 4. Instead of Vertues, they are defiled with Wickedness, Indignation, Desperation; Christ suffered none of these, saith
Willets Synopsis,
pag. 1010. far it be from us so to conceive. Pag. 1014. also they say in Hell is inward and outward Darkness. 2. A Lake of Fire and Brimstone. 3. Fire unquenchable. 4. Worm and prick of Conscience. 5. Malediction. 6. Desperation, second Death; Christ suffered none of these, therefore Christ suffered not the Torments of Hell to be ever, in the
e in that Place, they will not say Christ is now in; if Christ had suffered the Pains of the Damned, yet unless he suffer them without end, Christ suffered not the Punishment of the Damned in Hell, which they say we were to suffer; also they say, they suffer not those Torments without Sin and Desperation? Will any say Christ so suffered also? They say, in Hell they shall see the Story of their Sins before their Eyes, the Wrath of God lying upon them for their Sins, cruel Indignation, horrible Outcries, Blasphemies, fretting for horrible Torments, endless Pains, without all Hope or Comfort; Who dare say Christ suffered any of these? Some that are for the Torments of Hell, confess that it stands not with the Dignity and Worthiness of Christ's Person, nor with the Holiness of his Nature, nor the Dignity of his Office to suffer in that local Place eternally: final Rejection with Desperation, with the Worm of Conscience, agreeth not to the Holiness of his Person; final Rejection Christ suffered not, nor eternal Flames, nor the second Death: For Christ to suffer these, were to destroy the Work of our Redemption: Christ could not be subject to Destruction.
Willet Synops.
Page 1009. Christ suffered none of these Punishments, therefore, he suffered not the Torments of Hell.
Christ was heard in that he feared. Christ
did not fear the Torments of Hell, therefore he did not partake with us, nor deliver us from them. Christ not deliver us from any thing which he suffered not, eternal Fire in Hell: He suffered not; nor are the Pains of this Life the Pains of Hell; therefore if there be any such Hell or Punishment, Christ suffered it not, and therefore we must suffer it; see ye not whither this their Doctrine tends? To overthrow the sufficiency of Christ's Suffering and our Comfort, in leaving us to suffer the said Torments ourselves.
Christ leaving his suffering an example, if we suffer with him,
&c. Rom. 8.17. Must we suffer the Torments of Hell? I believe Christ hath born the whole Punishment of Sin; in it I am satisfied, and desire no more; but how Christ suffered the Torments of Hell, I, nor themselves see not: They say, Christ being God, made an infinite Satisfaction, paying at once upon the Cross, that which we should have been ever a paying: I grant Christ is God; but the Godhead did not, nor could not suffer; if the Godhead of Christ was to make satisfaction to God, is to say, God satisfieth God; and if Christ as God was to make satisfaction, to what purpose was Christ to be made Man and die? If ye say Christ was to make satisfaction in both, his Godhead and Manhood, doth the Godhead need the help of the Manhood to make satisfaction? It is not proper to say, God was to be satisfied, for God was never unsatisfied; God is perfect, infinite, happy, unchangeable; How is he so, if he were ever unsatisfied? To say God is, or ever was unsatisfied, is in effect to deny the Being of God, to say, he is not happy; for Satisfaction and Content belong to Happiness; where there is no Satisfaction, there is no Content, because no Perfection;
God is one to us, there is but one God; God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself,
2
Cor.
5.21. That is, Father, Word and Spirit,
God is one
; not one Divine Nature in Christ satisfying, and another in the Father satisfied, but the Father in the Son,
God in Christ:
the Essence of God is one and the same,
reconciling the World to himself
: God was never unreconciled to the World: it's only Man that is at enmity and unreconciled, therefore it is said,
He reconciled them to him
; the Change is in the Creature, not in God)
Mal.
3.6. If the Manhood of Christ was to make satisfaction to God, how can Man that is finite, sati
fie that which is infinite, unless you will affirm the Godhead of Christ did suffer, there was not any thing to suffer but the Manhood of Christ; Can the suffering of Man satisfie God? Man is finite, so is all he doth,
Sin is a transgression of the Law,
Sin is a Disorder of the Creatures first and chief Being, which stands in Righteousness, and is an Eclipse of the Glory of Man. Sin is a Defect and Discovery of the Weakness and Mutability of the reasonable Creature; Sin cannot impeach God;
If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? Or if thy righteousness be multiplied, what doest thou unto him? If thou be righteous, what givest thou unto him, or what receiveth he at thy hand? Thy wickedness may hurt a Man as thou art, and thy righteousness profit the Son of Man,
Job 34.6,7,8. God hath all Satisfaction in and from himself, not from any thing without or besides himself; God gave not a Law to himself to satisfie, but to Man, the Law belongs only to the humane Nature, therefore Christ was a Man:
He took on him the form of a servant, and became obedient to death, the death of the Cross,
Phil. 2.7,8.
a body,
Heb. 10.10. Obedience belongs to the humane Will;
The man Christ made a curse for us; he was bruised for our iniquities, and with his stripes we are healed,
Isa. 53.5,10. it was Blood that washed away our Sins, Rev. 1.5. Therefore it is said,
By the obedience of one
[man]
we are made righteous,
Rom. 5.10. the Word saith, not by the Obedience of God, nor of God Man, God is satisfied; but by
the obedience of one man we are made righteous, the Man Christ Jesus,
1 Tim. 2.5. the Worthiness of Christ's Person did not abolish the Equity of the Law of God, and exempt him from suffering that he
ought to suffer,
Luke 24.25. Some say, the suffering of Christ was infinite, but the Word saith not so; the Punishment of Sin is Death, he
tasted death,
he died for us; it is no infinite thing to die. They reply, the Sin of Man is infinite, because against an infinite God; to say Sin is infinite, in a strict Sense, is to attribute too much to Sin, and too little to God, to give that to Sin which is proper to God; to equal Sin with God, is in effect to deny the Being of God, because there can be but one infinite; also to say Sin is infinite, is to make all Sin alike equal, for there is no Degrees in that which is infinite; Sin not being infinite, needs not an infinite Satisfaction: They say infinite Majesty offended, infinite Punishment opposed: but it's but their say so, because it is without and besides the Word of God: The Punishment of Sin is not to be taken from the infiniteness of God, but from the Penalty expressed in his Law for the Breach of it, which is Death,
Genesis.
3.3.
Proof.
V. The Word saith, God's
fury is like fire; in the fire of his jealousie he shall make a speedy riddance of all them in the day of the Lords wrath,
Ezek. 1.18. but to continue in Torment for ever, is no speedy
Riddance
: therefore there is no such Punishment to be: The pouring out of the fiery Anger of the Lord,
is a day,
Zeph. 1.15.18. Rom. 6.17. Ezek. 13.14. and 22.22. James 2.21. Isa. 13.9.13.
the day of the Lord is at hand.
Deut. 32.34,35. Job 20.28, a Punishment never to end, no ways agrees to
a day
: Therefore there is no such punishment to be.
Proof
VI. The Opinion of the Torments of Hell never to end, hath and doth daily cause much Sin: For,
First, It causeth Fear:
Fear hath punishment,
1 John 4.8.
He that feareth is not perfect in love,
1 John 4.18. a servile and a slavish Fear is Sin.
2. It causeth many evil and hard Thoughts of God.
3. Fear troubleth the Hearts of many of the Lord's People, and makes them sad with their Lyes; this God complains of,
Ezek.
13.22.
their lies cause them to err, after which their Fathers walked, Amos
2.4. Christ saith,
Let not your Hearts be troubled,
John 14.1. the fear of Hell doeth greatly trouble the Hearts of many; it is Gods Will to comfort the sad, to release those that are bound,
Isa.
61.1,2.3,4. and 40.5,9.
a word fitly spoken, is like apples of Gold in pictures in Silver,
Prov. 25.11.
4. Fear distracts, and greatly discourageth the Soul, hinders Faith; that which freeth the Soul from Fear, fits the Soul to serve
God without fear, in holiness and righteousness, all the days of our lives,
Luke 1.74.
5. Fear unfits and disableth the Soul to every good Work to God or Man: Fear unfits for any outward occasion: Fear is a weight that depresses the Soul, and makes it weak, it straitneth the Heart; but Hope comforteth and enlargeth it.
The Opinion of Hell Torments, provokes the Soul to envy and Unbelief, and hinders Subjection to God; if the Soul apprehends it self liable to so great and everlasting Punishment, it cannot submit to God (nor be quiet.) This caused
Francis Spira
to wish he were above God; The Light of this Truth causeth the Soul less to sin, and less to be troubled, to have less hard Thoughts of God, and less to fret against the Lord.
7. Their Opinion causes an exceeding and unreasonable trouble of Mind and melancholy; such Trouble is Sin,
John
13.1. [a merry heart doeth good,
Prov.
17.22,] the Knowledge of the Truth herein easeth the fearful Mind, and causes, as it were, a Heaven upon Earth.
8. Their Opinion hath caused many to murder themselves in taking away their own Lives by Poyson, Stabbing, Drowning, Hanging, Strangling and Shooting themselves, casting themselves out of Windows, and from high Places to break their Necks, and by other Deaths, that they might not live to encrease their Sin, and encrease their Torments in Hell.
9. Their Opinion provoketh to the greatest Sins, as Despair: Also to the Wickedness that the World lieth in, namely, working for Life, to do Duties to escape Hell and get Heaven, which is to
tread under foot the blood of Christ as an unholy thing,
Heb. 10.29. in seeking to be justified by the Law of Works, and not alone by the perfect Righteousness of Jesus Christ,
Rev.
1.5.
Jer.
23.6.
Heb.
10.10,14.
10. Freedom from Fear causeth Love; Love causeth Service;
the love of Christ constraineth
; it tends to the Comfort of many that through Weakness of Faith give way to Satans Temptations; to fear the Torments of Hell causeth a feeble Mind;
comfort the feeble mind,
1 Thes. 5.14. Its a comfort to many whose Children and Friends die and leave no Testimony of their Conversion, the Fear that they are to suffer so great and endless Torment hath greatly sadded and troubled the Heart of many a Parent and Friend.
Proof
VII. The Reason that God gives, that
he will not contend for ever, nor be always wroth: for the spirit would fail before me, and the souls I have made,
Isa. 57.16. Man is not able to dwell with everlasting burning,
Isa.
33.14. to be in so great a Torment as they speak of without End, Ease, and Refreshment, the Spirit must needs fail (a small thing will make the Spirit fail) if so, then the Reason is the same against the being of a Punishment never to end.
Proof
VIII. It is not agreeable to the God of Nature, to go contrary to the Law of Nature, that he hath written in Mankind; there is planted in Man an universal Love to Man, especially to their Off-spring, be they obedient or disobedient; what Bowels of Love is there in Parents to their Off-spring, when in Misery, and to others in Misery and Want? Sure no Man doth desire any Man nor Creature to indure the Torment they speak of one Year, much less their own Off-spring; how then may I, or can I, think so of God, to be less pitiful, less merciful then cruel Man, (
Jer.
50.24. and
Hos.
4.1.) to his Off-spring? we are all his Off-spring,
Acts
17.28. sure God exceeds Man in Goodness; if ye which are evil know how to give good things to your Children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good Things to them that ask him?
Matth.
7.8,9,10,11. Thou Lord art good and doest good,
Psal.
119.68.
Matth.
5.45. though they were evil, and did evil, God did good and gave Rain,
Acts
14.17. They say the Fire,
Dan.
3.21. is nothing to Hell, and that the greatest Torment Man can devise, is scarce a Shadow to that in Hell, by which they declare God to be more cruel than Man.
Proof
IX. If Man had deserved so great punishment, why may not God shew that mercy as not to inflict it, as well as to let his Sun to shine, and his Rain to fall on them that no way deserve it, seeing he could (if he so pleased) hinder it? we do see Men shew more kindness to a rebellious and disobedient Child then he deserveth; may not God do the same, so much as God is greater than Man, so much greater is his Mercy, Love, and Goodness, than that in Man, yea than that that is or ever was in all Men; all that came from him, and all is but the least drop to that great Sea and Ocean of Mercy and Love that is in him; how little a portion is heard of him?
Job.
24.14. All Nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him less than nothing, Vanity,
Isaiah
40.12,15,17, 22. O how great is he that hangeth the Earth upon nothing!
Job
24.7. he can and will do for the worst Creature far above that which it is able to ask or think.
Proof
X. Because God's general Goodness in the Creation of the World is to all his Creatures, and also in his ordinary dispensation is towards, and for the whole Universe of Mankind; he hath provided room enough for all Men and Creatures, and all good things for all; the profit of the Earth is for all,
Eccles.
5.9. God hath commanded us to do good to all, he that hath two Coats is to impart to him that hath none, and he that hath Meat must do so likewise,
Luke
3.11. all which doth hold forth God's good Will and Care to Mankind, he that would not have them suffer the Torment of Misery and Want, that taketh care to prevent that little and short Misery, will not impose a far greater never to end.
Proof
XI. Their Opinion lesseneth the Goodness of God, and limiteth to a few, whereas the Scripture declares it to be to all,
Rom.
5. The Creature it self shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption, into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God,
Rom.
8.19. The whole Creation and every Creature is Angels and Men,
Jews
and
Gentiles,
verse 20.
Mark
16.15. in Bondage to Corruption, subject to Vanity, Idolatry, and Delusion of the Devil, that know not, nor partake of the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God, shall be delivered from this Bondage into the said Liberty; for God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself, 2
Cor.
5.19. This is spoken to perswade them to be reconciled to God, verse 20. which shews it to concern Mankind; the Protestants in
Poland
understand by every Creature, Angels and Men; they say there will-come a time when the Angels and wickedest Men shall be freed.
Origen,
one of the Fathers, held, that at last all should be saved, Men and Devils, the generality of the Fathers held, that all Souls shall be purged by Fire of the last Judgment, and so pass to Salvation,
Moulin,
pag. 135. see
Rom.
11.22,23,27. [All Flesh shall see the Salvation of God]
Rom.
8.19. see 1
Tim.
2.3,4,5.
Isaiah
47.17. [The Glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all Flesh shall see it]
Isa.
40.5. the times of the restitution of all things God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets since the World began,
Acts
3.21. they shall in time be delivered from their Bondage, for which deliverance they groan: are not all Angels and Men, obedient or disobedient, the Creation of God? if so, the worst shall partake of the liberty of the Sons of God: as the whole Creation came from God, or rather is in God, for in him we live, it shall be taken up into the same Glory, a good the larger it is the better, if it be good to shew Mercy to some, is it not more good to have mercy on all?
Rom.
5.18.
Plato
could say, God being a supreme Good, there was no Envy in him to any of his Creatures, but rather a desire that all might be made like him: This is so great and glorious a discovery of God, and that all Men are in God; for in him we live, and move, and have our being, as certain also of your own Poets have said, for we are all his off-spring,
Acts
17.28. I have wondred how the Heathen Poets came to know this Truth, sure God did manifest it to them: If all Men are in God, all Men are in Christ; for Christ saith, [I and my Father are one]
John
10.30 Also if all Men are in God, for in him we live and move,
&c.
if so, then all Men are in Christ; for God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself, 2
Cor.
5.9. All confess that all that are in Christ shall be saved [as in
Adam
all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive] 1
Cor.
15.22. I see God is good, and doth good, and that it is suitable to the Being of God to do good to all, and that no such torment of such continuance any way agrees to the Mind and Will of God.
Romans
5. Puts the second
Adam
in opposition to the first in saving to his sinning; if all Nations be blessed, as
Gen.
22.18. every particular is comprehended in the general word
All
; it is a great lessening of the Greatness, and Glory of the Fulness and Riches of God's Grace, to say that God hath made this World for all who are many, and the best World to come but for a very few; shall the Fruit of Christ the Son of Righteousness be more narrow and confined than the Sun in the Firmament, whose excellency is, that its bright Rays and beams are dispersed into every corner of the Universe?
Proof
XII. It doth no way agree to the Spirit of a Saint; we may know the mind of a Saint, [we have the mind of Christ] 1
Cor.
2.16. He that is turned to the Lord is one Spirit, 1
Cor.
1.17. God is in them of a truth, 1
Cor.
14. Christ in us,
Col.
1.27.
Stephen
when stoned, cryed [Lord lay not this sin to their charge]
Acts
7.58. [Saints they are ever merciful]
Psalm
36.17. [The desire of the righteous is only good]
Prov.
11.22. Such Torment, of such continuance, in the last agree not to the gracious mind and merciful heart of a Saint; he desires not any Man nor Creature to be in such Torment an Hour: therefore it doth no way agree to the Mind of God: we find the more the Lord manifests himself in any, the more their Minds and Spirit are humb
ed, the more living and merciful they are, even to their Enemies, and can do them Good for Evil.
Proof
XIII. Such Torments do not in the least agree to the Mind and Will of Christ; Christ is full of Love and Mercy to the worst Men; it was truly said of Christ [He was a friend to Publicans and Sinners] He, the best friend to them that ever was; when they crucified him, he said [Father forgive them]
Luke
23.34. When the Disciples would have had Fire to come down from Heaven to consume Christ's Enemies, he rebuked them,
Luke
9.54. He that will by no means suffer his Enemies to suffer a short Death by Fire, will not inflict upon them a more terrible Fire never to end; ye may know the mind of God by the mind of Christ, for Christ is God, alike equal,
Acts
28.
Heb.
1.3. and as one [I and my Father are one]
John
10.30.
Proof
XIV. Such Punishments agree not to the Fruits of the holy and blessed God; [the Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Goodness,
&c.
]
Gal.
5.22,23. the fruit of the Spirit is in all Goodness,
Eph.
5.9. [The words of the Lord are pure words]
Psal.
12.6. [The words of the pure are pleasant words]
Prov.
15.25. good words, comfortable words; the holy Spirit is called a Comforter, not a Tormenter, the pure Spirit of Love sends forth only Love and Sweetness.
Proof
XV. No such torment no way agrees to the nature of God; God is Love, 1
John
4.16. it is his nature, there is no anger nor fury in love; fury is not in me,
Isa.
27.4. God wills us to love enemies that abuse, wrong and hate us; God will do so much more, love his enemies,
Luke
6.35. If God should only love them that love him, do not the Publicans the same?
Mat.
5.46. All that is in God is God, as infinite; God is love, love is infinite without bounds and limits; though we in our shallowness and narrowness, have often set bounds and limits to infiniteness; there was never any beginning in God, therefore no beginning of his love; the infinite blessed God is one and ever the same; I am the Lord, I change not,
Mich.
3.6. This love delights in mercy and love, and not in punishing of Sin: That is his strange act,
Isa.
28.21. Christ died to answer the Law we broke.
Christ did not purchase the love of God; he loved us before the World began, and ever will,
John
13.1. God was never without his love, nor is ever out of that love; Christ saith, thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me,
John
17.23. at what shall God be angry or unsatisfied? for God was never angry with Christ nor his People, nor at the being of Sin, nor at Christ taking our Sins upon him; for he laid them on him, the iniquity of us all,
Isa.
53.6.
Proof
XVI. It is not suitable to the mercifulness of a Father to his Child, of a Creator to his Creature, the work of his hands, to impose so great a punishment without end, upon any of them; that were worse then to forsake the works of his hands, and is contrary to
Psal.
148.8. Your heavenly Father is merciful,
Luke
6.36. rich in mercy,
Eph.
2.7. the Lord is gracious, of great m
rcy, the Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies over all his works; all thy works shall praise thee, and thy Saints shall bless thee,
Psal.
145.8,9,10. he is good to all, he despiseth not any,
Job
36,5. no respecter of persons,
Acts
10.34.
Proof
XVII. Sin cannot overcome his love; where Sin hath abounded, grace abounds muth more,
Rom.
5.20. this declares the mercy of God to be greater then sin: if so, the grace of God is to all, to the worst; for Sin ab
urds in them most, and where Sin abounds, Grace abou
s much more; if so, then all their Sins shall be forgiven; and if any were so to suffer, how hath Grace abounded to them much more, where Sin hath abounded? answer this if ye can: with the Lord there is mercy.
Psal.
130.7. the Lord is good to all; therefore to the worst of Men, his tender Mercy are over all his Works; therefore to the worst of Men also, for they are the Work of his Hands,
Job
34.14.
Isa.
64.8. therefore there is no punishment for any to endure never to end: he that bids us not to be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good, he will not be overcome with evil, but will overcome all evil with his infinite Goodness: that which is finite, cannot possibly overcome that which is infinite.
Proof
XVIII. God he is just, therefore he will not do any thing but that which is just and right: the greatest Punishment of the breach of his law is death; he will not inflict another, much less a worser punishment then he hath expressed in his Law: Justice is in number, weight and measure, God requires things equal; ye may see the mind of God in his command in forbidding any thing to be done but that which is equal and suitable to the fact, as eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, stripe for stripe,
Exod.
21.24,25,26.
How much she hath glorified her self, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her,
Rev. 18.7.
What measure you mete to others shall be measured to you again
: Murder, an horrible and grievous Sin, yet it is punished with an equal Punishment in this Life, Life for Life; he that sheddeth Man's Blood, by Man shall his Blood be shed,
Gen.
9.6. Life for Life is equal, but to lose Life for Life, and also to suffer so great torment never to end, is not equal.
Proof
XIX. It is no profit nor pleasure to God for any to suffer such endless torment [he hath no pleasure in the death of any]
Ezek.
18.31,32. much less can it be any pleasure to him for any so to suffer, [he desires Mercy, and not Sacrifice,
Mich.
6.6. if so, he desires not any should be so sacrificed in a Torment never to end. God abhors cruelty,
Anos
1.3,6,13. and casting off Pity.
Proof
XX. It is not for the glory of God to impose such a punishment upon any; glory lieth not in imposing great and terrible punishments, that belongs to cruelty, is abhored by the light of nature; Glory lieth in great mercy and forgivene's,
Exod.
34.6,7. the greater mercy and forgiveness, the greater is the grace, and the more is it to the glory of God; love covereth all sins,
Prov.
10.12. he that covereth transgression seeketh love,
Pro.
17.9. if
man
his glory is to pass over transgression,
Prov.
19.11. it is for the glory of God to do so much more: God made all things, and doth all things for his glory; he seeketh his glory in his exceeding greatness and riches of his grace,
Ephes.
2.7. it is more for his glory to save all, then to save a few; the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life,
Rom.
5.18. sin could not hinder
Manasses, Mary Magdalen,
persecutors and wicked prodigals to find mercy: I cannot admit to think any thing that is cruel to be in God in love, whose goodness is unsearchable, past finding out, far above all we can ask or think: there is such a confused noise among men of the grace and love of God, so many several voices that we are in confusion, and know not what to make of it: look above and hearken to the sweet voice above in the Region of love, what is the voice in Heaven, they agree in one, there is no voice comes from Heaven but love, peace, and good will to man; let men say what they will, I rest satisfied in the voice above, that is only a voice of love and good will; its enough to satisfie any in this doubt: and suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of Heavenly Hosts praising God, and saying, glory be to the highest, on earth peace, and good will to men,
Luke
2.13,14. not only to some men, but to all people,
v.
10. this is glad tidings indeed, good news from Heaven, the best news that ever was, that God hath good will to men; there is no ill will, all is good will to men; this causeth peace and praise, glory be to the highest for his sweet peace and good will to men, to all people.
Conclusion; in reading the Scriptures we are not to understand any text in such sense as is not plain in Scriptures, or contrary to Scriptures, or contrary to the Law of nature, or against the general Goodness of God to Mankind, or to lessen the Goodness of God, or contrary to the gracious Spirit and mercifulness of a Saint, or contrary to the mind of Christ which he declared when on Earth, or contrary to the fruits of the blessed Spirit, the nature of the Love, Goodness, and Mercy of God; or that shall tend to contradict or lessen the glory of God, or lessen the greatness and riches of his grace; for it is not to be imagined that God who is only wise should do and teach contrary things.
Sure I am, from hence arise no inconveniency to the Gospel, nor is it any dishonour to God, nor any grief, nor hinders faith and love in any good man, nor any discouragement to any in serving of God, that there is not to be a punishment for any to endure that shall never end. There is not any thing more plain than that which hath been said to him that will agree to truth; some will not agree to any thing, though never so plain and certain, if contrary to the tradition of their Fathers; this, their way is their folly, and their posterity approve their sayings, Psal. 49.13. [who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?]
Isa.
53.1.
Some believed the things that were spoken, and some believed not,
Acts
28.29. they make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn away the just for a thing of nought,
Isa.
29.21.
O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battel,
Psal.
140.7.
So be it.