overcome to be cleansed and to be made free from all Sin Matth. 20.30 Luke 1.17.23.56 that so they may be fitted and prepared for that future and eternal Weight of Glory laid up for those that shall have overcome of which those that are not so cleansed are utterly incapable Or that being as it were on the other hand perfected in Unrighteousness and Unbelief they may by the just Judgment of God be cast into that terrible Torment and long Damnation that is appointed as the Lot and Portion of all those that shall have out finned so long a day of Visitation the and Tender of the Mercy of God in Jesus Christ That no Man did ever live all this time of a thousand Years upon this Earth at once But that God ordinarily giveth to every Soul of Man since his Life was shortned to less thin a hundred Years Qu. 8 61 62 63 70 114. twelve Revolutions or Times of Living upon this Earth and that continually in the same Body for Substance Except some holy Men to whom God shewed that singular Grace as to reveal unto them that Jesus Christ should come in the Flesh to be a Sacrifice and Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World Qu. 44. who being through this Faith in his Name and Blood perfectly purified cleansed and sanctified from all Sin stood not generally speaking in need of returning to live upon the Earth until that time that all the Saints shall so return to wit in the first Resurrection to live here together a thousand Years That the Souls do not return immediately to their Bodies again as the Heathen Philosophers have taught who all along did corrupt the Divine Truths which they learned of the Church of God by mixing in with them their own Imaginations But Qu. 194. that every Soul is so long out of the Body as together with the time of the precedent Life makes up one Hour that is according to this Hypothesis 333â…“ Years except Infants that return sooner That all the time from Adam to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ which he saith is almost Four thousand Years P. 8. and which sometimes he calls the Great Circle sometimes the Whole Great Revolution is in Scripture called the Night This be divides into Twelve equal Parts as the Twelve Hours of the Night One of which Hours being 333â…“ of Years and Three Hours being a Watch of the Night makes the Psalmist call a thousand Years a Watch of the Night Qu. 5 11 12 61.63 72 74 194. in one sense viz. as it is Three of these Hours of this Night or Time from Adam to Christ and in another sense as one Day viz. as it is the Day of Visitation which God gives every Man to live upon the Earth Psal 90. â—4 And from this Text he admirably derives all his Scripture-Chronology That during the absence of the Soul out of the Body it remains in the same State till its return again into the Body Qu. 32. God having appointed no other Place nor State out of the Body for Men and Women to be converted in but this Earth That the Souls of the Righteous whether they have had the outward law or only the inward Law while they were in the Body are during this absence out of the Body Qu. 43. at rest but that those of the Impenitent and Wicked are not so That Faith in the Man Christ Jesus crucified and offered up as a Propitiation for the Sins of the World Qu. 39 40 41 42. is so necessary to Salvation that no Man ever was or ever shall be saved or receive Remission of his Sins but through Faith in his Name and Blood That Jesus Christ was by his Death a Ransom for the Sins that were under the First Testament Heb. 9.15 so that even the Sins of Cain Esau and all that died in their Sins Qu. 19 22 52 65 70. before the Resurrection of Christ and the preaching of the Gospel should be pardonable to them at what time soever they should again live in the World if when they should hear the Gospel preached unto them they should truly believe in his Name And consequently that none had at that time committed the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost That no Man shall be condemned to that terrible and long Damnation in the End of this World and afters its Conflagration but for having neglected so long a Day of Mercy Qu 36 39 29. and particularly for having rejected the Tenders of the Mercy of God in Jesus Christ preached unto them in the Gospel as well outwardly as inwardly for which all their Sins of a thousand Years past shall be charged upon them that so God may be just in sentencing them to that terrible and long Damnation for Ages of â—â—ges of which no Man knows the â—nd Heb. 2.3 John 8.24.16.9 That though God hath in all Ages â—â—en to Mankind a Dispensation of Grace even of Gospel-Grace through Christ Jesus Qu. 26 c. yet where it pleased him 〈◊〉 to superadd that singular Grace of the Revelation of Christ to come in the Flesh to be offered up as a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World that Grace was not sufficient to the final and eternal Salvation of my Man it not being indeed given 〈◊〉 that end Luk. 1.17 but only to prepare their â—â—arts for the Reception of that Doâ—â—rive when God in his Providence â—â—ould cause the same to be preached 〈◊〉 them both outwardly and inwardly That therefore all Men of all Ages and in all Places of the World that have lived and died without ever hearing of THAT VERY GOSPEL of the Kingdom preached to them Qu. 37 51 52. WHERE MENTION SHALL BE MADE OF WHAT THAT WOMAN DID TO CHRIST IN MEMORIAL OF HER Matth. 24.14.26.13 shall live again in the World in some Age and Place where they shall hear it before the End of the World that so they may be in a capacity through Faith in his Name and Blood of receiving the Remission on of their Sins or be condemned to that just Damnation which the Contempt and Rejection of so great Mercy and Salvation shall demerit That therefore no one Man had finished all his Twelve Revolutions before Christ was offered up upon the Cross risen again from the Dead and that Remission of Sins was preached in his Name Qu. 95 96. because then such a Soul could not have been saved And for this Cause it was that the Apostle said that even now in the â—â—d of the World after Christ was appeared to put a way Sin by the Sacrifice of himself it was yet appointed for all Men at least once to die before the Judgment of God should â—â—â—â—lly come upon them Heb 9.26 That that time when Christ arose from the Dead and the Apostles were sent forth into the World to preach Remission of Sins through Faith in his Name and Blood was the
their Infancy others live and die in Frenzy and others natural Idiots never being in any capacity 〈◊〉 either doing good or evil while they are in the Body Except this Doctrine be received which supposes them to have lived before when they had a Capacity or that they shall 〈◊〉 after and shall have a Capacity of doing good and evil in the Body â—â—d of receiving a Reward accordingly Besides How is the common Doctrine of all Christians both Papists and Protestants with respect to these Creatures reconcileable to the Justice Wisdom and Mercy of God and to the Scriptures alledged with many more that might be produced For Whither shall these Infants Franticks and Fools go What shall become of them Shall they all go to Heaven and partake of that eternal Weight of Glory prepared only for those that have overcome For what I pray What good have they done that they sâ—ould reap so great a Reward Shall they all go to Hell For what I wonder What evill have they done that they should be condemned to so great Damnation How doth the Wisdom of God appear in the former or his Justice in the latter Shall they go to the Popish Limbus where they shall be free from Pain or Pleasure but for ever secluded the Presence of God But where do the Scriptures speak of any such middle Place or State Not to speak of the inconceivableness of such a State as in which Intellectual Beings if these can be said to be such deprived of all outward Objects to divert their Thoughts upon should while to all Eternity deprived of the Enjoyment of the Presence of God be void of Torment Or shall they as the Socinians say of the Wicked be annihilated But what Glory can accrue to that Supream Intellectual Being who created all things for his own Glory by annihilating any of his Intellectual Creatures To say no more What more reasonable Solution then of this Difficulty hath hitherto â—â—n found than this Hypothesis which â—â—ars both the Wisdom Justice and â—ercy of God in rewarding or conâ—â—mning them because he hath affordâ—d or will afford them other Opporâ—â—nities of living upon the Earth in â—hich they received or will receive a â—apacity of doing Good or Evil of â—â—â—ving in Christ or persisting in 〈◊〉 belief What Doctrine doth the Scripture â—specially the New Testament seem 〈◊〉 teach more expresly more plainly 〈◊〉 with more earnestness than the â—â—â—cessity of Faith in the Man Christ 〈◊〉 order to Salvation Saying That there is no other Name under â—â—â—en by which any Man tan be saved Acts 4.12 〈◊〉 that of Jesus Mat. 26.8 Luke 24.47 Acts 2.38.10.43 Rom. 2.25 Heb. 9.22.10.18 That Remission of Sins is only attainâ—â— through Faith in his Name and â—â—â—d That he that believes not shall 〈◊〉 damned yea is condemned already â—hat God shall judge all the World in Righteousness by the Man Christ Jesus Rom. 2.16 and that according to that very Gospel which Paul preach'd How is all this by any other Principle but this Hypothesis reconcileable to the Infinite Justice and Mercy of God's Nature not only with respect to that numberless number of Infants Franticks and Ideots already mentioned but also with respect to the many Millions of Souls of Men and Women even whole Nations for many Ages together who have lived in the Body and died without ever having heard of the Man Christ Jesus or of that Law of the Gospel or of any Necessity of believing in his Name for the Remission of their Sins or that they should for want of it be condemned to so terrible Damnation Shall we to avoid the manifest Injustice that there seems to be in condemning Men for not believing in him of whom they never heard and for not conforming to a Law never promulgated in their Nation Shall we I say to avoid this gross Absurdity fall into another almost is bad viz. give the Lie to this â—ain Doctrine of the Gospel Or by Fetches of Wit no where to be â—ound in Scripture seek to evade or elude it and so as some think and call it introduce a certain kind 〈◊〉 Paganism or Salvation without â—y explicit knowledge of Christ cruâ—â—hed Or is it not better and more â—â—â—e to embrace this middle Way in which the Justice of God is sufficiently cleared on the one hand and the Doctrine of the Gospel on the other hand preserved asserting That every Man shall at one time or other live in one place or other where Christ and Remission of Sins through Faith in his Name shall be preach'd to them outwardly as well as inwardly The Scripture saith That Christ by his Death Heb. 9.15 became a Ransom for the Sins that were under the First Testament and that in that time of Ignorance God winked Acts 17.30 But how is this Scripture Doctrine consistent with the vulgar Opinion which equally condemns the Sinners under the First Testament to the same everlasting and endless Damnation with the Sinners under the Second Covenant The Scriptures which Christ says cannot be broken say most expresly That with what measure men do mete Mat. 7.2.26.52 Rev. 13.10 Luke 6.38 it shall be measured to them again That he that kills with the Sword shall with the Sword be killed and he that leads captive shall be led captive But do we not see saith he Men daily die without receiving in this Life the same Measure they have meted to others and that divers die on their Beds at liberty that have killed and enslaved others How is then the common Doctrine true That no Man lives more â—an once upon the Earth or how 〈◊〉 it consistent with these Scriptures 〈◊〉 this Doctrine is For that tho they â—eet not with the same Measure in â—is Life they may hereafter upon â—is Earth and have the Reward of 〈◊〉 their other Sins at last to boot The Scripture saith in so many Words That when we were Enemies Rom. 5.10 〈◊〉 were reconciled to God by the death 〈◊〉 his Son on the Cross But how could we at that time 〈◊〉 Enemies if we had not then any â—â—ing at all but did first begin to â—â—ist above Sixteen hundred and â—â—ghty Years after The Scripture saith Rom. 9.22 That God enâ—â—â—th with much long-suffering the â—essels of Wrath fitted for destruction But is it probable that ten twelve 〈◊〉 twenty Years at which Age we 〈◊〉 many die in their Sins is a time 〈◊〉 much long-suffering with God with whom at thousand Years is as one Day The Scripture saith That after Christ was put to death in the Flesh 1 Pet. 9.20 1 Pet. 3.18 19 20. and quickned by the Spirit that is was raised from the dead he went by the Spirit and preached to the Spirits in Prison which once were disobedient in the days of Noah But how could this be if those very Souls that lived and were Captives of the Devil in the Days of Noah were not then again living upon
147. on the the other hand to furnish the Athestick Spirits of these Times the very Scab of the Age with Matter of Mockery against the Doctrine of Gospel while they find so unreasonable and absurd a Doctrine as this with so much Zeal and Confidence preached up as one of the most weighty Doctrines of Christ Jesus by all Sects that make profession of his Name which therefore without all examination they take for granted to be his and so make no difficulty of exploding all the rest because they do clearly find this to be false That therefore it had been much better and safer that Men had at first kept in a Matter of this consequence to the Terms Qu. 135. which the Holy Ghost hath used to express this great and terrible Damnation by and that they would yet return to the same viz. that it shall be everlasting for ever for ever and ever or for Ages of Ages of which no Man and only God alone doth know the end That those who believing this cannot be induced to leave their bosom-Bosom-sins for fear of so great Judgment Qu. 149. in which yet they can clearly and distinctly conceive a possibility of a Proportion and Consistency with Justice will never leave them for that other unreasonable Addition which they clearly discern to have no Foundation in Justice at all but iâ— a meer Chimera and they that â—o not believe such a Punishment as 〈◊〉 consistent with Justice can much less believe the other that is not so That tho' the fear of Punishment be a reasonable and necessary Motive to advance against Sin Qu. 150. yet that of the Love and Mercy of God in Jesus Christ is much more prevalent Yea that that of Fear without the hope of this of Mercy can be of no force to persuade the Soul of any Man That it is of the Nature of God's Vindictive Justice to aim at the Amendment and Conversion of Sinners Qu. 141. And that all his Afflictions and Punishments are the meer Effects of his Love applied as so many Medicines for their Recovery Behold here Sir if not all for some may have slipt my observation at least the most important and principal Doctrines as I think pointed at in the Two hundred Queries Concerning which you will with me no doubt conclude That it was not without Reason that the Author said he did not presume to the utmost assurance of every Particular there proposed and therefore would not impose them upon his Christian Brethren as the infallible Dictates of the Holy Ghost and much less as necessary Articles of their Faith While yet he seems tho' to have so many Reasons for his Chief Doctrine of the various Revolutions of the Souls of Men that he cannot doubt of the Truth of it As first Because the Scripture teacheth it in express Terms as he saith in divers places Ps 90.3 4. Matth. 21.23 35 36 37 38 39. 1 Thess 2.15 Matth. 11 14. Rev. 11.1 as a general Docrine and confirms it by particular Examples Because it has been all along received in the Church under the Old Testament as a constant Truth Because it hath been received from the Jewish Church by the most celebrated and serious of the Heathen Philosophers as such Because it was believed as such then Christ came in the Flesh by the better part of the Church even by such the Jews became his Disciples as appears by their Questions to him Mark 8.28 Luke 9.19 John 9.2 Because Christ notwithstanding the many Occasions his Disciples gave him to have informed them better Qu. 195. had it been an Error or Chimera of the Rabbins he never reproved them for if but rather upon all occlâ—sions presupposing the Doctrine of the Corporal Regeneration to be true he endeavours further to inform them of some things which they then of understood not and particularly from thence takes occasion to preach his Fundamental Doctrine of the Spiritual Regeneration John 3.4 5. and the Necessity of it which certainly he would never have done had it been a meer Fiction that was not â—terum Natura Because of the Offence the Jews Turks and others Pagan Nations who do believe it to be so necessary a Truth as that without presupposing it they judge that there is no clear evincing of the chiefest Attributes of God as his Justice Mercy and Wisdom do take at the Christian Religion for rejecting that Doctrine frankly averring That the Christians seem to them rather to worship the Idol of their owr Brains than the True God And lastly Because without presupposing it to be a Truth there are many Passages and express Doctrines of the Scriptures which are not so well to say no more by any other Principles reconcileable to themselves to the Truth to the Experience of all Men and to the Justice Mercy and Wisdom of God As That with God there it no respect of Person Ezech. 18.25 Act. 10.34 2 Sam. 4.14 Col. 3.25 When we certainly believe from Scripture-testimony that he hath given to some five six seven eight nine hundred Years to live upon the Earth that they might be converted and perfected in Holiness While we daily see many others out off in their Sins without having the one tenth part of a hundred Years to be converted in Again Some are born with large Capacities both as to Body and Mind Whilst others are born under great Distempers of both yea stark Fools and Madmen without any exercise of Reason or Understanding of whom it cannot properly be said that they are enlightned because they want the Capacity of being so Again Some are born in Ages and Places of the World when and where much Gospel-Light and great Holiness hath shined forth in very eminent Examples While others are born and die in Ages and Places of the World where little or no Gospel-Light hath shined and scarce any Examples of Vertue and true Holiness have appeared but much Darkness Superstition Idolatry and Profaneness Now how doth the Equality of God to all the Sons of Men and his non-respect of Persons not to say his Justice Mercy and Wisdom so well appear to a reasonable impartial Man as by this Hypothesis which asserts all Men to have an equal Day of a thousand Years and that in divers Ages of the World and by which every one lives at least once to hear the Gospel of the Kingdom preach'd to him outwardly and inwardly The Scripture teaches in most express Terms Rom. 2.16 John 3.5 Heb. 11.6 12.14 Gal. 6.7 That Christ will render unto every Man according to the Deeds done in the Body good or evil That except a Man be born again he cannot enter into nay nor so much as see the Kingdom of God that without Holiness no Man shall see him and that without Faith it is impassible to please God Now saith he How can this be true with respect to the many Millions of Mankind some of which do die in