the Popish iniquity have thought it their best Policy to be silent concerning it since that time But my Author will go higher than so aâ—d shake the Authority of the Hebrew and Greek Copies that are extant in the world And well might he contend with the London Ministers as his friends boasted he should if he could prove the word that they preached to be uncertain and their Greek Testaments supposititious Books but though he cannot prove them to be so yet he will give men occasion to suspect them for such witness his Speech aforementioned possibly he might remember the Counsel of the Poet Horatius Si vis esse aliquis facinus aliquod Audeas egregium c. i.e. If thou wouldst be a man of Fame Thou must do something of great name Other Considerations to prove the Purity of the Original Copies of Scripture And now Reader That thy heart may be throughly antidoted against Mr. R's most pestilent suggestion I shall offer thee these following Considerations 1. That Books of another nature are seldom questioned after this manner when did you hear any man making any doubt whether the Books of Plato of Aristotle Hippocrates and of Pliny and Galen Plutarch of Theophrastus and Cicero of Homer and Hesiod of Suetonius and Florus Tacitus and Livy were the writings of those men whose names they bear or whether they are agreeable to those Copies which they wrote at first So that the Writings of Philosophers and Poets Physicians Historians Naturalists Moralists though very ancient shall pass currantly for theirs whose names they go under and are not imagined to be corrupted or altered from what they were at first Mr. R. doth not insinuate any doubt in that case But when it comes to that which concerns our precious Souls that word which contains our rules in Life our comforts at death and our foundations of hope as to a better world hereafter O then his patient heart is moved his Doubts and Fears and Suspicions are suggested he kicks and flings and lays about him extreamly he throws his blackest dust in our Faces that we may have no eyes to see nor no reason to apprehend that those Copies of the Bible which we have among us are the same in sense and substance with them that the Pen-men of Scripture wrote And all because we have not those Original Copies to shew as we have not of the other for he cannot shew us any of Plato's c. hand-writing Is it not manifestly the work of the Devil to cast doubts in mens minds about the one while he raiseth no doubts about the other It seems he can be content to have us believe that other Books are what they pretend to be but he is not so willing that we should believe the same of God's Book and no wonder for he knoweth the belief of that will be more likely to do us good than the belief of the other Argu. 2 2. If the Scripture were corrupted in the Originals it must be by such as believed it to be the word of God or such as did not If he say by them that believed it so to be then I would fain know how those that had so much Religion as to believe it should at the same time have so much profaneness as to go about to corrupt the Copies of it Would not the heart of the wickedest man fail him when he was about such a horrid design if he had but the least thought that it was the Word of his Maker that he set himself to corrupt If he say it was corrupted by those that did not believe it to be the Word of God but looked upon it as a piece of deceit and a politick innovation to keep fools in awe then why should they trouble themselves to corrupt it doubtless they would think it were corrupt enough already and would not much envy the holy Christians any of those delights and comforts which they had in it or from it And if they should ever have undertaken such a work it being that which would require much time and pains to do it to any purpose it must be supposed that they must have had some considerable motives from credit or profit of which no rational account I dare say can ever be given Nor can it be proved that ever any such thing was designed by the enemies of Christian Religion Julian the Apostate Emperor Acerrimus ille Christi hostis as an excellent Author styles him * Zanchius in Tom. 8. Orat. 1. He I say is well known to have been as fit a man to manage such a work as most ever was in the world for he had wit and learning in abundance he had also great power without him and an impenitent hardned heart within him and employed all his power and policy to the ruine not only of Christians but Christianity and accordingly he proceeded in mischiefs by Banishments and Imprisonments fire and Sword and by pulling down Churches and by putting down all Schools of Learning the two latter of which some that go for Christians among us could have wished him good success in yet I have not found that ever he did any such thing as this we are speaking of or that he employed any others about it to corrupt the Copies of Scripture that were in the hands of Christians or to counterfeit it by any other writing He was crafty enough to take other courses against Christianity that were easier to be followed And if any such thing were done how soon would it be discovered If a Protestant should Print some Mass-Books with some considerable alterations leaving out a prayer to the Virgin Mary and putting in a Prayer to Christ instead of it how quickly would the Romanists espy the change how soon would the Bulls roar from Babylon * Revel 17.5.9.18 How many Declarations Manifesto's and Testimonies would be published speedily in the world to prevent the intended mischief and to assure all that were concerned that those Books were not Authentick or Catholick or allowed under the Hands of the Pope's Holiness And do ye think that the Christians in the Primitive times were not as zealous for the Scriptures as the Papist's are for the Mass-Books or that they would not have been as careful to discover such forgeries in or about them if any such things had been A 3d. Argument for the Purity of Scripture c. 3. If the Scripture were counterfeited or the Original Copies corrupted by any it must be by blockish and ignorant Persons or by Men of considerable Wit and Learning The former would not undertake such a work or if they should they could not manage it and carry it on Nor may we well imagine the latter for certainly Men of wit in any tolerable sense could not but apprehend the difficulty of such a work the Copies being dispersed among Christians that valued them more than all the wealth of the World and would be as careful to preserve
History of the six days work of the Creation of Angels therefore there be no such creatures in the world If Mr. R. denies the proposition he must forget the first of Genesis or shew us some place of it that mentions the making of Angels Mr. R's first consideration proves as well that there is no Angel which he cannot do If he deny the consequence he must disparage the Learning of no less man than himself for his is just of the same complexion There is no mention of a Hell in the six days works therefore there is no Hell so that if this consideration will prove there is no Hell it will also prove there is no Angel and consequently no Devil neither for Devils are confessed to be no other than wicked Angels or Spirits and if so the Damner's imprecation the Devil take me will be only Nonsense and not profaneness or wickedness Nor Heaven of Glory 2. May he not at the same charges prove as well that there is no place of glory for the Righteous as that there is no place of torment for the Wicked for 't is a question whether the Heaven of Glory be mentioned in the first of Genesis or not It is said indeed there God created the Heaven but the Hebrew is rendred by Fagius Vid. Synops Crit. in Gen. 1. Coelum hoc i. e. This Heaven that is the visible Heaven and other good Divines are not afraid to say that Moses in that Chapter meant only to reckon up the visible works of God in the former part of it and yet I shall not doubt whether there be another Heaven above that because I am not certain that any such is intended in that place but do believe it because of the Testimony of other Scriptures and so will I believe there is a Hell because it is mentioned in other places though it be not in the first of Genesis His second Consideration is no less vain than the former as thus R. Solomon was the Wisest of men p. 114. and yet in his writings he mentions no Hell nor any everlasting Punishment c. which he would have done if he had known of them B. What doth he think of Proverbs 15.24 The way of life is above to the wise that he may depart from Hell beneath Doth not Solomon speak of Hell in that place or can he perswade us that it means no more than the grave when experience shews that the best and wisest do not scape that no more than the worst yet that Hell there mentioned is manifestly supposed to be such as the wise walking in the way of wisdom may certainly escape 2. Christ was wiser than Solomon himself Matth. 25.46 and he hath told us of everlasting punishment whether the other hath or not 3. Solomon speaks not at least not plainly of the Deity of the Holy Ghost of the union of the Divine and Humane Nature in the person of Christ or of the imputation of his Righteousness to believers yet Christians have believed those points and I hope the Socinians shall never baffle us out of our Faith therein In a word though Solomon were the wisest man yet God never intended that all Truth should be comprised in the small Books that he hath written In his Third Consideration p. 115. he tells us out of the Hebrew Doctors writings of the seven thousand years in the world to come in which all Souls shall be blessed If such a piece of Jewish learning be pleasing to such a Rabbi as Mr. R. yet that 's little reason why I or other Christians should be in love with it and I think it more worthy to be slighted than to be answered And that which he concludes with The Jews were great searchers of Scripture and if everlasting punishment were to be found therein they would have seen it This I say is as little to be regarded for no wise Man ever thought that the Jews ever saw or acknowledged all Scripture-truths they had as many errors and weaknesses as other Men. p. 116. R. The Saints recorded in Scripture did not believe there was any punishment for any to endure that shall never end for in their penitential confessions they do not confess such punishment to have been deserved by them Dan. 9 To us belongs confusion of face This is his fourth Consideration p. 117 118. And in the following Lines we have the second part of it to the same Tune in these words We do not find that ever they gave thanks for such a deliverance or so much as prayed for it which yet could not but appear the greatest deliverance if they had known of it B. The substance of this Reasoning is thus The Saints did not confess any Everlasting Punishment to be deserved by them c. I answer Yes they did implicitly confess so much for in the Text he mentions in 9. Daniel To us belongs confusion of face it is not limited to temporal confusion and therefore may fitly be extended to Eternal confusion Psal 44.23 Psal 44.23 They pray thus O cast us not off for ever which was an acknowledgment that God justly might have cast them off for ever for their sin And in Psal 79.5 Lord wilt thou be angry for ever Is not that an acknowledgment that he might pour out his anger upon them i. e. punish them for ever for their sins And if it were as he would have it the Argument would prove but little for the Saints in Scripture did not expresly confess that they deserved to be given over to the Devil's Tyranny to be possessed and terrified and tormented by him and yet Christians will not doubt but their sins deserve so much To the 2d part And the other may be answered as easily for though I should grant that the Saints in Scripture did not expresly give thanks for their deliverance from endless punishment yet that is far from proving that there is no such thing for they did not give thanks in that manner for Heaven it self and their appointment to it yet we are very sure that there is a Heaven and that they are appointed to it 2. I do not remember that ever they said we give thee thanks O Lord for giving us thy Holy Spirit to instruct us and yet the Text tells that it was so in those very words Nehem. 9.20 Thou gavest also thine Holy Spirit to instruct them And yet they could not but know that it was a very great benefit to allude to my Author's expression Nor did they pray expresly and in Terminis to be delivered from evil spirits and their malice and violence Yet I verily believe they want not will nor power to do us violence every Hour in the Day if our God did not over-rule and restrain them Consid 5. R. Christ when on Earth did weep for the Jews p. 119. because of that desslation that was to come upon them would he not much more
evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3.13 deceiving and being deceived Behold therefore that which follows and read it deliberately if thou canst read it without horror p. 76. line 13. p. 76. R. Many boast of God's preserving the Hebrew and Greek Bible c. Mr. R.'s Horrid Speech But as he was pleased to deliver up Christ and his People so hath he delivered the Scriptures also into the hands of Sinners to be used at their pleasure Oh Mr. R. which way are you tending whither do you mean your Pen shall run What can you think of these black words Examined or what spirit can you suppose did inspire you with them You seem to have a design to shake the foundations of all Piety and Religion as well as the Pillars of Hell-Torments for that end I confess your speech is very proper for if the Scripture be corrupted as to the main in its perfection and purity as your words seem to suggest then farewel to our Religion our Faith to use your own smooth phrase must needs reel and stagger and stumble as having no ground to stand upon You professed to write your Book for the glory of God in your Title page and I beseech you let it be considered whether it tends to God's glory to bring the Authority of his Word into question And as you desire to comfort sinners so methinks you should have more love towards Professors than to lead them to infidelity in hopes of winning them to your own Opinion God hath delivered the Scriptures into the hands of sinners to be dealt with as they pleased i. e. to be depraved and corrupted how themselves would O monstrum horrendum informe ingens A bold Man indeed He is Doctor Resolutus though not Durandus He is resolved to carry it He will turn all things Arsie versie and weaken the Scripture's authority if it will not stand on his side like him in the Poet. Flectere si nequeat superos Acheronta movebit i.e. More ways than one He will try all If God will not him help the Devil shall But Reader fear not too much his fearful Assertion though it be fierce yet 't is but weak yea notoriously false All those Arguments which Protestants use to prove that the Scripture is not imperfect of such the Learned may see Polanus Scharpius Bishop Ushers Body of Divinity p. 17. Gerrardus de S. Scriptura and others and the meer English Reader may consult those in the Margin * Mr. Leigh's Treatise of Divinity l. 1. cap. 6. p. 116. Proofs that the Scripture is not corrupted by men I say all those Arguments will serve against my Author in this particular as well as against the Papists in the other I shall now urge one or two Arguments in the case If men had corrupted the Scriptures and made them speak in any points of Divinity otherwise than at first it must be supposed to have been done before the coming of Christ in the flesh or after If before surely Christ who taxed many other errors in the Jews would not have suffered such a wickedness to pass without Reprehension And 't is not unknown how careful the Jews were in keeping the Oracles of God committed to them And that they were not corrupted since the Death of Christ is clear for Copies being dispersed in the world more and more one age after another how could such a thing be acted by some but others would soon discover it And it may not be doubted but God's Providence did watch somewhat extraordinarily as to this matter which so much concerned his own glory and the good of his people to the worlds end Surely he that so often discovers those that have corrupted the Coin of Princes and States would not conceal those long that should attempt to corrupt and pervert his Sacred Laws And here I shall borrow an excellent passage of the worthy Mr. R. Baxter Saints Rest part 2. cap 4. Sect. 6. in the last page of the cited Section which may shame all the wittiest men of Mr. R's Religion as to the point If any man saith he be so blind as to think it uncertain whether these be the same Books which the Apostles wrote I would ask him by what assurance he holds his Lands 1. How doth he know that his Deeds Conveyances and Leases be not counterfeit writings or that they are the same that their Fore-fathers made Surely they have nothing but mens words for it and yet they verily think their Lands are their own 2. And whereas they hold all by the Law of the Land how know they that these Laws are not Counterfeit and that they are the same Laws that were made by such and such Kings and Parliaments long ago They have nothing but mens words for all this And yet if this be uncertain then any man may be turned out of all he hath as if he had no certain Tenure And is it not certain that those Laws that are kept and practised throughout the Land cannot possibly be counterfeit but it would have been publickly known And yet a word in a Statute Book may be false Printed And much more certain is it that the Scriptures cannot be counterfeited because it is not in one Kingdom only but in all the world almost that they have been used and the Copies dispersed and Ministers still in Office to preach them and publish them So that they could not be generally and purposely corrupted except all the world should have met and consented together for that end which could not be done in secret but all must know of it And yet many Bibles may be here and there misprinted but then there would be Copies enough to Correct them by So that if it be uncertain whether these be for substance and in the main the same Books that the Apostles writ then nothing in the world can be certain to us but what we see and why we may not as wisely question our Eye-sight I do not well know So far that Learned person And after all this The Author's Proofs I shall add something more to this same end for it is hard to speak too much in such a case farther to confirm the Faith of the weak Christian against the attempts of this mighty Shaker who I think hath out gone most of the Shakers that have went before him Gregory Martyn that grave profound Popeling in Queen Elizabeths Reign did practise this Art with the greatest care and skill he had and discovered if he did not lye a great many gross corruptions in our English Translation to the advantage of our Heresies as he calls it But since the Learned Dr. Fulk * In his defence of the English Translation against Gr. Martin hath took him in hand and shook him soundly for his pains he was never able to recover himself so far as to write any thing more for that purpose and his Brethren in
of Atra Bilis and to have no ground at all in the Scriptures Sol. What he hath done in this particular is too well known in the World and how well he hath done it is my Business to discover in this Book And I trust Good Reader that thou wilt perceive by that which follows that he hath not done it well nor indeed any better than the Socinian hath proved that there is no Trinity or than the Atheist hath proved that there is no God The Method observed And now I shall proceed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this following Method 1. To lay down some Arguments to prove the Everlasting Punishment of the wicked that live and dye such 2. To examine the said Book in all the principal parts and passages of it for it will not be worth while to speak of all he hath written there being very many Impertinencies in it 3. To improve the Doctrine in a practical way for Instruction Exhortation c. But before I speak of either of these it may seem needful to say something of the Author of this precious Piece which I am to deal with 1. Who the Author was If any Man should ask me who it was I would answer It was O Grande nomen Mr. S. Richardson even that admired Resolute Richardson whom the good Men of his Party did boast of so greatly and supposed to be a fit Match for the London-Ministers viz. indefinitely for any of them or for All of them to deal with See the Author in the Margin * Mr. J. Collings Vindic. Ministerii my Preface to the Reader sub finem And therefore some may imagine I have been too venturous to engage voluntarily with so great a Champion as He But yet Reader I am not discouraged I hope to come off clear and to pass without hurt through all the Pikes of his Arguments and Subtilties for God and his Truth are greater and stronger than Mr. R. and his Fallacies But to return to that which I was speaking of I say it was He whom the World is so much beholding to for the Book I am opposing For I have seen his Name prefixed to it though it be not set in that Edition of it which I have and perhaps it might be as good policy to conceal his Name in the second Edition as it was to mention it in the former 2. What he was But though it may be easily gained what his Name was yet it may be more difficult to discover what Himself was I remember the old saying Noscitur ex socio c. A dark Fellow is to be expounded by his Companions It might be questioned whether Mr. R. were himself of any Religion for all Religions have a Hell in their Creed and yet he hath none in his wherefore his Opinion concludes him of the doubtful gender in point of Religion so that we must be forced as was said to expound him by his Companions And if you would know who they were and what Perswasion they were of you may fitly consult the Anabaptists Confession of Faith Printed Anno Dom. 1644. which that * Dr. Featly Light of our Church now fixt in a Higher Orb was sometimes pleased to pass some Animadversions upon I mean in his Book called The Dippers dipt Where he tells you and you may safely take his word for it That the said Confession was subscribed by Paul Hobson Thomas Gunne and others of the same stamp and amongst the rest by S. Richardson to whom I would wish if he be living saving Mercy and a sound Mind And thus much by way of Introduction to my following Discourse The first particular whereof is now to be presented to thy serious thoughts and favourable censure CHAP. I. SECT II. An endless state of Punishment for the Wicked and Impenitent proved and the Proofs thereof vindicated from the Exceptions of Mr. R. and his Brethren THE fittest Method of procedure in my present Design seems to be that which is mentioned viz. To prove the truth of the Doctrine contended for before I meddle with the main Body of Mr. R. his Sophistical Argumentations namely that abovesaid And herein I do not undertake to convince the Atheist or drive him out of his Resolved Infidelity but rather to confirm the Christian in the Belief of this Doctrine which he hath been so often put in mind of by his Teachers And the first Argument that I would propose Scripture-Testimony the strongest Argument is the Testimony of God in Scripture and that is indeed the strongest of all Arguments and the most convincing to the Soul and Conscience As the learned have sufficiently evinced Vid. Crakanthorp Logic. de Argum. à Testimonio Logicos passim de Testimonio Disputantes for Truth is Essential to the True God Item Scheibl Topic. cap. 31. sect 50. Titus 1.2 He cannot lye A Man may be a Man though he be not true in his word but God could not be a God if he were not so Keckerm Log. lib. 3. cap. 13. for God to be false in his Word implies a manifest contradiction And there is nothing more natural to a Man in his right Wits than to conceive his Maker to be True in all that he saith or revealeth Wherefore if we have the Testimony of God for it in his written Word we may safely build upon it I say His written Word for that 's the Testimony that we are to enquire of Esay 8.20 And as for those inward Impulses Revelations A digression of Revelations Enthusiastick impressions c. and Suggestions of the Spirit which some have sufficiently boasted of and more than sufficiently trusted to as to Divine Testimonies they have often proved to be the Delusions of the lying Spirit and the false lights which the Prince of Darkness hath set up in the blinded hearts of those that shut their eyes against the light of that Word which is able to save our Souls having them so dreadfully dazelled with the glory of the light within them as they use to speak whose Enthusiastick Errors have been examined by many worthy Men. Spanhem Syntag Theol. Beckman Exercitat in Appendice c. And their vanity hath been shewed by famous or infamous instances in Mr. Sam. Cleark His Mirror Cap. 27. Exampl 17. Concerning the horrid Delusions which a Gentleman in Warwick-shire fell into after he looked to be taught by Revelations and Inspirations and had refused to hear any conformable Minister preach c. As also of one Mr. Gilpin in the same Chapter The sum of which History I have briefly set down in my Caution against Quakerisme Near the end I say if we have the Testimony of God in his written Word for the Doctrine I assert then we may be bold to believe it and must believe it though Mr. R. and his Companions in Infidelity should write never so many Books against it Reader if thou dost not believe the Scriptures to be
nothing of that place which is commonly called by that Name Scripture assures us that there was a Garden in Eden Gen. 2.8 in which Man was placed yet I might say without absurdity That it speaks nothing distinctly of that place for it tells us only that it was East-ward in the general but saith not what part of the World it was in how long or how broad or how near to the place where Jerusalem stood or the like So in p. 6. He gives us another chip of the same Block Page 6 for he tells us that the word Hell is not found in the Hebrew or Greek And that the word Sheol which is so translated signifies properly the Grave A very precious Revelation and such as might be well accepted if my Author or any of his Judgment would but impart it kindly to those Noble spirited Gentlemen that are Inamorato's to a play and frequent those Places where all things are common For might they not go the more pleasantly thither when they are assured that if they dye when they are at worst they shall go to no worse a place than the Grave and that there is no other nor worser Hell than it for that which precise Men have rendered by the word Hell doth properly signifie the Grave But yet let them not trust too much to this kind of Learning for if they please to consider what I have to say unto it they will find it is not worth one Glass of good Wine Mr. R.'s invention to prove no Hell will prove as strongly that there is no Devil For if this were a proof that there is no Hell viz. that the word so rendered signifies another thing sometimes then I say at the same rate of arguing we might prove as well and as wisely that there is no Devil neither for the word Devil is not found in the Greek Testament since an English word is not a Greek word And that which is translated Devil in the 4th of Matth. and other places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is known to signifie an ill-conditioned Man a Detractor Railer Accuser and such like This I say is the proper importance of the original word And yet sobâ—r Christians will believe in spight of all Mr. R.'s subtilty that it signifies in that Chapter the same that we use to call by that name even the great implacable adversary of Mankind and cannot doubt of it if they read the 10. and 11. Verses of that Chapter And this is that which he hath offered us upon the word Sheol He adds something like it upon the word Gehenna But of that with God's leave in the next Section CHAP. II. SECT II. Mr. R. his Observations upon the word Hell-Fire Damnation of Hell c. Of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16. Of Tophet Of the Worm that never dyeth censured R. Hell-Fire in Matth. 5. and other places signifies the Fire that was in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom And the word Gehenna which is used for Hell P. 12. and 14. is borrowed from the Valley of Hinnom BUT by his leave the former is denied Hell-Fire in the Gospel doth only allude to that Fire in the Valley of Hinnom Jer. 7.31 where as the Prophet Jeremy sheweth the People most cruelly sacrificed their Children in the Fire Of Hell to the Idol Moloch And is it not very fit for the place of Torment for the Enemies of God to be expressed by this place of Wickedness and Torture As the word which notes a mischievous Person is fitly used to signifie the Devil as was noted before And that the casting into Hell-fire cannot signifie the casting into the Fire of Hinnom aforesaid is manifest because that Fire had been put out long ago and the place turned to another use by the good King Josiah as we find in 2 King 23.10 Gehenna what And for the word Gehenna we confess it is borrowed from the Vally of Hinnom that place of Torture aforesaid and therefore is very fit to express the place appointed for the Punishment of the Wicked c. And that it only alludes to that place Per Metaphoram uti Piscator in Scholiis super Matth. 5.22 Matth. 10.28 but doth not mean the place it self is manifest by what was now said neither was that a place for the Soul to suffer in or for the Body after its Death as the Hell which our Saviour speaks of most certainly is Matth. 10. but rather fear him who is able to destroy Soul and Body in Hell and that too after the Body is killed Luke 12.5 that is He can quicken the dead Body and make it live in the Torments of Hell Of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke the 12. Having pleased his Humour upon the word Gehenna in the 16. and 17. Pages to as little profit to himself or his Reader as can well be desired He proceeds in the following Pages to darken the Light of the word Everlasting from thence to the 22 page of his Book p. 16 17. and 23. which they that admire for good and sound may conveniently Read the foregoing Chapter where I have examined them severally This Reader I thought fit to mention that thou mayst not think I do wilfully pass over any thing in his Pamphlet that is not grosly impertinent Then in the 23 page he passeth his grave censure upon that Text in St. Luke cap. 16. concerning the Rich man and Lazarus where he tells us that it is but a Parable And that I am confident was no new discovery of his own it was found out long before the world had any benefit by this Book of his Then having time and paper to spare he undertakes to prove it by no less than Ten Reasons as the Socinians of old urged 30 Arguments against Infant Baptism But as all theirs were deceitful arguments so Nine of his Ten Reasons are needless ones for in such a case one may be sufficient And when he hath gained what he contends for that it is a Parable yet he hath gained very little as to the cause he hath undertaken For as the Learned Mr. Baxter saith very well If that of the Rich man in Hell and Lazarus should be no more than a Parable Saints Rest part 2. cap. 10. Sect. 4. yet it seems very unlikely that Christ would teach them by such a Parable as seemed so evidently to intimate the Souls Happiness or Misery immediately after death if there were no such thing So say I in like manner it were very strange that Christ should teach them by such a Parable as seems so plainly to intimate a Hell or Torment for the Souls of the ungodly that dye such though they dye Rich if there were no such matter The next place of Scripture he hath taken a view of is Esay 30.33 Of Tophet Esay 30.33 p. 26. c. where he tells us we must understand by Tophet only the Valley of
it is the saddest destruction to be in a perpetual state of misery This I say is a more dreadful destruction than to be annihilated and therefore fittest to be called a destruction And if he think the word destruction must signifie of necessity annihilation and cannot signifie a state of misery and punishment he had best remove those difficulties that lye in his way in my first Chapter where the sense of the word hath been cleared against the Socinians And what doth he think to mention but one Text for many of the words of our God in Hosea O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help Hosea 13.9 Surely he doth not think it is meant that they had turned themselves into nothing but that by their sins they had brought themselves into a miserable condition and made themselves liable to greater miseries In the following Page he runs very swiftly and disputes us into absurdities after this manner The Word saith p. 129. Their end is destruction R. Philip. 3. Their Opinion saith They shall never be destroyed nor ever end The Word saith The last Enemy is Death 1 Cor. 15. Their Opinion saith There is a worse thing after Death to be endured without end B. There are a sort of Men in the World that have wit and subtilty and some kind of Learning too that yet are little better than fools for want of grace and holy wisdom to make a good use of their wits and therefore we use to say of them that they are simple and cunning And whether my Author be not somewhat of Kin to these kind of Men let my Reader judge For in these last passages there is something of subtilty yea enough to deceive the ignorant and unstable and the Men that are inclining to his Opinion but if we view them narrowly they will not appear more subtile than silly For the former runs upon a false supposition that the destruction threatned to the wicked is a Natural destruction whereas it means only a Moral destruction viz. Condemnation and Punishment as was seen before But he saith their end is said to be destruction which he thinks is contrary to us who teach that there shall never be an end of them but that they shall always remain under Punishment But it doth not mean as he would have it that the destruction there spoken of doth make an end of them or imply the dissolution of their natures for we have seen the contrary before and if he entertain such a perswasion he may easily be brought to believe upon the same ground that Everlasting life or happiness will make an end of the Saints for 't is said Their end is everlasting life Rom. 6.22 Wherefore by end we are to understand their final and unchangeable state and portion in another World which is everlasting destruction or misery to the wicked as it is everlasting life or glory to the Righteous But of this I have said something before The other labours under as much weakness as the former for observe it is not said in 1 Cor. 15. that the last enemy is Death absolutely as if there were no worse thing to come after but thus only The last enemy that shall be destroyed 1 Cor. 15.26 is Death where he leaves out that main passage which carries the whole sense of the Text. Just as the Devil alledged the Psalmist he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee and left out the following words in all thy ways or the ways God hath appointed thee to walk in See Matth. 4.6 compared with Psal 91.11 Vid. Muscul in Loc. Now we grant that Death is the last Enemy that shall be destroyed though it shall not be the last evil that by the wicked shall be endured p. 130. In the next Page he heaps up many places to prove that Eternal life belongs not to the wicked To which I answer by distinguishing of the word if he take it as the Scripture doth for Eternal glory and happiness I grant it but if he mean it only of an Eternal continuance in life as life is opposed only to Corporal Death or Annihilation then I say it will agree to the wicked also after the General Resurrection as in its due place hath been manifested The Devils shall not have Eternal life in the sense aforesaid as it is promised to the People of God but yet they shall be eternally alive and live the life of spiritual substances else they could not suffer eternally in the Everlasting fire as we have proved they shall R. If Adam had never sinned he should have dyed nevertheless p. 131. This is proved first because he had a Natural body and was of the Earth earthly and therefore mortal and corruptible B. Whatsoever strength and goodness may be in this kind of Reasoning it is no more than the World hath been acquainted with before ever it was blessed with the sight of his Book the Learned Reader may find it amongst the most Reasonable Doctrines of those Masters of Reason as they would be counted I mean the Socinian Hereticks See Ostorod Instit cap. 33. And it is easily answered by distinguishing of the word Mortal It may be taken two ways as to this present case either first to signifie a person that may die and is capable of dying and so I grant Adam was always mortal which his Reasons sufficiently prove but if we mean it of one that must dye I deny that Adam was mortal in state of Innocency for whatsoever may be said of a possibility of dying he should never have been actually under the power of death if he had not sinned By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin c. Rom 5.12 A porta in Def. fidei cap 27. Aslingii l. c. p. 2. l. 5. q. 2. They that would see a larger discourse on this subject may consult these in the Margin where they may see the Author of this opinion R. Mr. Bolton saith If Adam had stood he could not have conveyed to us a Body Immortal or not dying in his Treat of Heaven p. 131. B. This Gentleman's word is not overmuch to be valued as to the Authors he citeth so he citeth Mr. Bolton here non bona fide as they say in plain English very corruptly For in that place the words run thus our condition speaking of the Saints in Heaven is a thousand times more happy and glorious than if we had stood still with Adam in his Innocency and Felicity for if so he could but have conveyed to us bodies Immortal potentiâ non moriendi ex Hypothesi as they say but in Heaven they shall be Immortal impotentiâ moriendi if he knew not what that means for a few good words I shall be content to tell him if he doth know he cannot but know that he granteth no subjection to the power of death to proceed from the nature of