not be purged from ye till ye dye then it is purged from them if this iniquity be purged from you till ye dye 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 verse 20. it is evident that the punishment of the old Serpent the Devill and of the woman and of the man for their sin are onely punishments of this life there is not the least word of any punishment after this life much lesse 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 depriv'd of al possibility of dying or of being ever consumed in torment eternally they say the fire of hell burneth far hotter then ten thousand râ—vers 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 eternall 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 dâ—ath to hell to the Devills contrary to Eâ—cles. 3. 21. 12. 7. Gen. 2. 7. Hâ—b. 12. 9. Ezâ—k. 43. 13 14 15. Zach. 12. 1. if the Devills are in hell in torment as they commonly and vainly imagine hell is in the wicked the devils evill spirits are there and rule there in the children of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. 1 Pet. 5. 8. Math. 8. 28. Jud. 14. Math. 25. 29 30 31. Adam in innocency being a naturall man he had the Law of nature written in his heart the breach of that naturall Law caused a temporall curse and punishment and not any eternall they that think eternall life is to be had for our works our well doing are prone to think eternall life may be lost for our not well doing but the way of the Gospel places not eternal life and eteâ—nall death in misery upon our doing Rom. 4. 2 3 4 5. Also the Scripture speaketh not of an eternall 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 Resurection 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 there 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 Joh. 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 their graves after his Resurrection Matthew 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 followes if any 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. 19. 10. not to make any miserable he came to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. Lu. 4â— 18â— 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 tast death for every man Hebrews 2. 9. See Lu. 4. 18. the last enemy is death he abolished death 2 Tim. 1. 10 he hath promised deliverance from death and grave I wil redeem thee from death Hosea 13. 14. that keeps my sayings shall not see death Iohn 8. 51 52. O death where is thy Sting O grave where is thy Victory 1 Cor. 15. 55. I will ransome 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 Christs delivering us from that and in that the Scripture saith He is able to save from death Hebrewes 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 Christs suffering and the Saints comfort for if a punishment for ever be due to man for sinne 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 Galatians 3. 13. Isaiah 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 reproâ—aâ—es in â—ell suffer the wâ—nt of the vâ—sion or sight of God for ever finall rejection 2. They shall be perplexed with the horrour of a guilty Câ—nscience 3. Deprived of the gifts of the holy Spirit 4. Instead of Vertues they are defiled with Wickednesse Indignation Desperation Christ suffered none of these saith Willets Synopsis pag. 1010. far be it from
heart of man is ready to do it there are many things in Pauls Epistles 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 nor come abroad if so the Scriptures must not come abroad Moreover the Doctrine of the Protestant Ministers is charged not onely 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 Synops 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. Act. 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 hath subjected the same in hope Rom 8. 20. Dr. William Whitaker against Campion the Jesuite saith now answer me Campion do you think that which any one doth how wicked soever is done whether God will or not if you hold that any thing is done against Gods 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 confesse 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 Gods decree and the being of all things the will and pleasure of God is the Wombe 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 onely foreseen of God but decreed saith Mr. Par in his grounds of Divinity we are not saved from sinne except we have committed sin therefore salvation from sinne is not without committing Sinne saith Fulk pag. 121. God willed and decreed his glory and mans 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 sinne 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 sinne there had been no need of Christs coming nor of his death and righteousness most of the great works of God in this world and that to come have dependence or reference to sin how should we have lived by Faith exercised the fruits of the Spirit or have any happinesse or glory in the world to come if it had not been for Christ and Christ had not been if there had been no sinne he that willeth the end willeth those things that are necessarily referred to that end taking away sin was decreed before the world therefore the being of sinne 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 Gods will and so man shall be the originall 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 man 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 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 Gods decree of sending Christ had been void and of none effect Mr. Perkins saith God decreed the fall of Adam if the fall was decreed if man had power to stand then he had power to frustrate Gods 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. Jer. 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 so set upon the Popish principle to be saved for their works that they count all prophanenesse that crosseth their way some have burned the Bible and Doctor Crisps book of salvation by Christ alone Mr. Archers late of All-hallowes London his Treatise of comfort to believers against their sinnes and sorrow was burnt by the Hang-man 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 greedinesse the greatest sinners they do believe there are hell torments for though 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
be understood Mr. Aiâ—sw on Psal. 16. 10. saith that place through custome is taken for the place of the damned but is not so to be understood the word being Sheol Maâ—olat 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 D. 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 drunke they can finde 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 signall 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 7 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 wisdome of this world 1 Cor. 1. 20. he frustrateth the tokens of liars and make diviners mad and turneth wise men backward and maketh their knowledge foolishnesse Isaiah 44. 25. Mr. Edward Leigh Esquire and Master of Magdalene 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 punâ—shment after this life provâ—s it Answ. If they have that doth not prove it because the consciences of men are as they are instructed according to the Proverb Such Doctor such Scholar hâ—nce it is that the conscience of a Papist tells him it is not lawfull to eat flesh in Lent nor of a Friday And whoso killeth you will think he doth God good service Joâ—. 16 2. that is his conscience the consciences of some men are almost if not altogether for some evill 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 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 Pithagoras the Phiâ—osopher â—aught that the soul goeth from one body into another man or beast that some of the Philosophers 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 Plâ—to the god of the Earth in which they say he keeps his Court Palace no word of torment that would make it a poore Court and Palace so Homer and Noninus Greek Poets Homer wrote of the destruction of Troy which was neare a thousand yeares 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 pacifie these ill spiriâ—s a feast was kept in February with wax candles burning to Pluto called Candlemas-day so Mr. Jess in his Almanack the Cretians are alwaies lyars Titus 1. 12. the greatest lyars 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 thousands of miles into the earth to pacifie those ill spirits there it seemes they are not in any great torment if a little light will pacifie them the Poets say hell is twice as deep as heaven is high Astronomers say Jupiter the second plannet 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 Cerebrus three heads and Charons boat to row men to Pluto so the phantasy of Purgatory did spring first from the Heathen Poets long beâ—ore 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 Elisium 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 passe 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 Scripture 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 Maâ—dalen and the poor Prodigal bâ—t 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 sâ—ve of the worst of sinners as appears Luke 7. 47. 1 Tim. 1. 19. Acts 9. 13. if some enjoy more prosper prosper ty then others must they therefore suffer a punishment â—ever 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 Ecl. 7. 24 nor to say O Lord I beseech thee send me now prosperity Psa. 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 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 its just they should suffer for ever who if they had