rather then they would entertain or admit Communion or desire and practices with them T is possible it may be said that the reason of the difference is because Origens opinion was contrary to Scripture and that this other is not To this I shall make no further reply then in the words of Vincentius Lirin Imo planè nemo unquam Magistrorum fuit qui pluribus divinae legis uteretur exemplis His only fault then must bee that he urged divine Testimonies in uncatholick Interpretations And whether that have not place here also I leave it to every one to consider and so saith Lirinensis again Dum parvipendit antiquam religionis Christianae simplicitatem dum se plus cunctis sapere praesumit dum Ecclesiasticas traditiones veterum Magisteria contemnens quaedam scripturarum capitula nova more interpretatur meruit ut de se quoque Ecclesiae Dei diceretur Si surrexit in medio Tui Propheta Thirdly then to come to your Testimonies from Scripture of the N T especially for proof of the affirmative And 1. for the use of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is acknowledg'd that these words properly signify the same that in English death or dying doth But that this should be limited to utter destruction and annihilation is most unreasonable For in the using of this argument it is foreseen and granted that death is taken sometimes for death in and unto Sin Only 't is suggested that those are mysticall and metaphoricall Sences Hereupon I infer that if the words be taken sometimes mystically and metaphorically and yet no assurance that they are so but because they are us'd in a matter whereto death as it signifies a separation of Soul and Body is unappliable then may they by the same reason be taken so elsewhere and not bound to that one which is thought to be the sole literal and proper signification If Death appear to signify in Scripture somewhat beside utter destruction then how can the wickeds utter destruction be concluded from the mentions of their death c Against this it avails not to say that the one is the proper but the other only metaphoricall notion of it for it being granted that the scripture useth Metaphors in one instance why may it not in another as probably This is sufficient to the force of that argument But then ex abundanti I adde that the Notion of Death for utter destruction i. e. Annihilation being only usefull to the disputer it will be hard for him to produce any one place either in Old or New Testament I might adde or in any other Author where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. signifies Annihilation It signifies indeed the separation of Soul from Body very frequently but that is not founded on supposition that in that separation either of the parts much lesse both utterly perish Nay the doctrine for which the proposer of the questions disputes supposes him not to mean death in that notion for then Eternall death the wickeds portion must be eternall separation of Soul and Body which is exclusive of all reunion or resurrection at the day of Judgment which the Disputer averts as hereticall Nay 't is to be observ'd that when our Saviour came nearest the expressing this matter or annihilation he chooseth two other Phrases not this of death or anything that way inclining having never been born and having a milstone hanged about the Neck and being cast into the midst of the Sea which by an imperfect resemblance seemeth meant on purpose to signifie annihilation And yet it is also observable to the main question that either of these states and so annihilation is better and more desirable then the Lot which in Gods decree awaites a betrayer of Christ a wicked man for that one fact Thus far by way of evacuating all force in that Argument To this I shall adde somewhat Positive toward the laying foundation for the evincing the contrary viz. That death in scripture use is as 't is granted in the objection oppos'd to life Life then ordinarily signifies that which results from the union of Soul and Body but it also signifies the result of another union Unio Virtutis betwixt God and the Soul or betwixt God and both In the former of these it signifies spirituall life both as that signifies living well whereby the passages of spiritual vertue betwixt God and us are kept open and free and as it signifies pardon of sin the contrary whereto is expressed by separating and hiding his face and turning himself from us In the latter viz. betwixt God and the Soul and Body i. e. Person of man it signifies Gods favour and protection of which under the style of Gods presence the Psalmist saith that in it is life And then as all felicity is the certain effect or consequent of this kind of union so life oft signifies felicity even that of the highest Magnitude And all this not Mystically or Metaphorically that I know of or if it did that exception is of no force as hath already been shew'd but as litterally and with as full propriety as the union of Soul and Body is call'd Life God being as the School saith out of St Augustin intimior cuicunque rei creatae then the Soul is to the Body and so the several parts of that union more necessary to the several sorts of life signified thereby Mean while it is evident that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life belongs not to being simply for all Ents have not life or to miserable being non est vivere sed valere vita but to greater or lesser degrees of happy and joyfull being the utmost of which is so naturally expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it wants not the addition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oft times to do it If thou wilt enter into life Mat. XIX 17. and VII 14. and XVIII 8. i. e. the happy being in Heaven Which is so properly that which is call'd life that this we live here scarce deserves the appellation in comparison with it Now in proportion to these acceptions of life must the Notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. be calculated Had life signified most properly being simply taken there might have been some pretence that the contrary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should denote the contrary to being viz. Annihilation But when it signifies those so many other things and not simple entity 't is most rationall that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should both technically and properly signify the opposites to those severals wicked life the displeasure of God a miserable being here separation of Soul from Body of both from God and above all endless torments in another World Joh. viii 51 52. and that as somewhat to be seen and tasted which were not so well appliable to annihilation and in many other places I instance in one or two more first Heb. 2 14. because there it seems to mee to have a mark
deprivation of life and all that is precious here and very much more of bitterness after it And this is further inforced by their being not consumed but tormented with Fire and Brimstone not here as Sodom was in the presence of men but in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb. i. e. by the sentence of Christ with his assembly of Angels in judgment and so vers 11. the smoak not simply as Rev. 19.3 nor of their burning or consuming as in Isay it was but of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night quite contrary to death whereby men rest from their labours and to annihilation much more which is a perfect cessation and that eternal as opposite as was possible to having no rest day nor night so chap. 19.20 where 't is said of the beast and the false prophet the Roman Idolatry and Magick c. i. e. the eminent supporters of the former by Magick and auguries the principal factors for the holding up the Heathen Worship Apollonius Tyanaeus c. See note on Rev. 13. g.h.i.k. that they were cast alive into a Lake burning with Fire and Brimstone the meaning in all reason must be that they were from this life sentenced to be cast into exquisite torments not that they were utterly destroy'd or consumed but as infallibly removed to that place of Torments as if they had gon down quick Bodies and Soules together into Hell Here indeed is nothing said of the perpetuity of those Torments but that is expresly set down chap. 20.10 not only as far as concernes the Divel that was to bear them company and was cast into the Lake where they are which by the way must either inferre that the Divels who are not deemed to enter on their full punishment till the day of Doom shall then also be annihilated or that the wicked who are then in the same condition with the Divels shall not be consumed or annihilated but particularly as to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Beast and the Prophet shall be tormented for ever and ever And if you shall demand why I said not this thus particularly in the Paraphrase and Annotations on the places of the Revelation I answer that it was not agreeable to my design on that Book which was only to set down the grand lines and branches of that obscure Prophetick Writing and not more nicely to descend to every minute expression in it Where it is said pag. 12. l. 8. That to apply any passages in the Revel to that which is to follow after the last judgment is not so Prophetical and therefore not so probable a sence I answer that all that is future as surely all that followes the last judgment is may well be ingredient in a Prophecy and so in this probably enough if either speaking of vengeance on wicked men this be added over and above their visible portion for that sure is very fit in a Christian Prophecy when wicked men oft thrive very prosperously here 'till the day of full iniquity and their accounts comes and then they die oft but as other men and would not deterr any man from following their steps if we were not admonisht that after death they must meet with a dismal Portion or speaking of the end of the World and the day of doom the several allotments of men be there seasonably mention'd also as we see it is in Rev. 20.12 13 14 15. As for the last reserve that if the punishment here described be to be understood of that which followes the last Judgment yet no expression used in any of those Texts doth necessarily signifie an absolute eternity of positive Torments I answer that undoubtedly some do I instance in Rev. 20.10 as it hath been formerly inlarged on day and night for ever and ever expresseth an absolute eternity as much as any words of man can do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth plainly denote positive torments and referring peculiarly to a rack doth thereby denote the kind of positive torments to be such as are not designed to ending the life but to continuing it in great paines for so we know the Rack is among men Now for the exceptions to Rev. 20.10 I must adde somewhat 1. 't is suggested that that seems not to be spoken of the last final judgment I grant it is not but of the houre of death whereon I suppose those wicked mens Soules cast into the Fire of Hell and never rescued from thence till Body and Soul together at the day of doom being joyned in those torments they are shut up thither to all eternity Secondly 'T is suggested that it seems not to be meant of Hell i. e. Gehenna into which none were ever cast alive i. e. before the first death To this I answer that to be cast alive into Hell is a phrase like to that of going down quick into Hell used of them whom the earth swallowed up Wherein 't is more then possible that such notorious sinners might go Bodies and Soules together to Hell without any previous separation by death by the same analogy whereby we believe that Enoch and Elias went up bodies and souls into heaven without seeing death and whereby we believe the same of those that shall be found alive at Christ's coming both wicked and Godly But then secondly if this be not certain enough to be adhered to then the phrase will signify as suddenly and really to be cast into those Flames and there to be tormented as they could be imagin'd to be if bodies and souls together they should be cast alive thither and so this is a direct prejudice to the sleeping of their souls or receiving any interval of rest from their passing out of this life and their entring into the torments of hell Of the places in the Apocalypse some things are added to the taking off from their force First a desperation of any certain understanding of that book To which I answer that 't is but a panick and popular fear which is the author of that desperation and keeping men from the study of it makes it necessarily unintelligible whereas First there be many repeted passages of Christ in it designed on purpose to excite men to the studying of it Secondly there are evident characters which serve as keyes to the understanding of it and nothing but the seeking and fancying depths and mysteries in it hath made it so mysterious the meaning nearest to literal and such as by comparing it with other prophecies appears to be the one prophetical signification of each passage will be found to be the truest and they that strein higher and seek farther off to find what was never intended by the inspirer or the Amanuensis are the men that have made this Prophecy obscure which would otherwise be as perspicuous as any one of the greater Prophets of the Old Testament Secondly when 't is suggested that the places
Unextinguishablenesse of the one must be answered with the durableness of the other Tenthly For the same and like Phrases in the Old Testament granting according to the mind of the Objector that they include the second death after the general judgment yet still this avails nothing to the desir'd conclusion unlesse it be farther prov'd that those Words and Phrases do signify absolute utter destruction or annihilation for upon that only the affirmative of the question depends and for that there is no least pretence of proof offer'd here Eleventhly For the Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it will never be usefull to the disputer for if the first death be the Act of separation of Soul and Body and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the torments of Hell but the state or continuance of that separation as it will be found to signify in all the places of the Bible and in the most and best heathen Authors then the second death being the taking away them must by consequence be founded in the reunion of the Soul and Body that reunion being in propriety the dissolving of separation Act and State both Granting therefore that the casting of death and Hades I must set that word instead of Hell which in use signifies another thing even that whereunto it is there said to be cast into the lake of Fire Revel 20.14 is the second death and the converting those Act and State into a State of sensitive and real misery what can follow thence to the disputers advantage That according to the Rabbinical Notion it signifies final and utter destruction Why let it do so and the result is that then death being finally and utterly destroy'd a never ceasing State of being though that most miserable now takes place and that is eternity of torments far remov'd from annihilation for though utter destruction of positive Entities may be deem'd to signify annihilation yet when attributed only to privative Entities death and Hades it can in no reason signifie annihihilation but the contrary restauration to being i. e. to union of Soul and Body But then secondly that the Rabbins or Chaldae Paraphrast Deut. 33.6 or Is 22.14 meant by second death to denote absolute negation of all being must not be allowed for Deut. 33.6 the Hebrew reading let Reuben live and not die and the Chaldae Paraphrast using the Phrase of the second death that can infer no more then by that Phrase they explain'd what they deem'd already meant by the Hebrew word duly rendred dying and there is no reason or colour for saying that that signify'd annihilation dye he might yet not be annihilated And the like is apparent of the other place Is 22.14 so much therefore for that To proceed then will it be for the Objectors advantage that the second death is express'd by the lake of Fire and Brimstone and that evidently referring to the utter destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah To this I reply first that 't was a tempestuous Rain of Fire and Brimstone that consumed Sodom and not a Lake and so the reference doth no farther hold then the Fire and Brimstone i. e. The terrible stinking and furiously burning Fire and that gaines nothing to the disputer The Fire of Hell may be as searching and noysome as is possible without being finite utterly consuming or annihilating Nay secondly when the Men of Sodome and Gomorrah the inhabitants as well as the Walls were burnt to ashes by that Fire and Brimstone to which that lake bears some resemblance what probability is there that either those walls that were burnt to ashes were annihilated or els that all that people were then annihilated so as to be uncapable of being rais'd and judged at the day of doom Or if they were wherein did their punishment appear to be greater then the portion of any other more moderate wicked man which in the disputers sence shall be so finally annihilated and sure reap no advantage by the state that expects him in the intervall Lastly will his advantage be that as death by being cast into the lake is suppos'd to be utterly destroyed so whoever else is cast into the lake shall be utterly annihilated That I suppose the specially design'd advantage but as it was said it will prove none because death being a privative thing the destroying of that necessarily infers not only a positive Resurrection but consequent to it an undying State and that is contrary to the disputers pretentions And then though those privations be destroy'd by being cast into the lake yet it no way followes that men by being cast in thither shall be destroyed also The concluding thus were as if putting off the prophetical expression one should say in plain words After the death of Adam and all his posterity and their continuing in the state of separation some thousands of years they shall be rais'd againe and their Souls eternally united to their bodyes and of those so rais'd many should be cast into as eternal flames the former of these is parallel to the casting of Hell and Hades into the lake the latter of the persons into the same lake Ergo as there shall be no more separation of Souls from Bodies so there shall be no more punishing of wicked men whereas indeed the very contrary followes The destroying of death is the commencing of this endless miserable life therefore proov'd to be endlesse because death is destroyed and so life comes universally and so to continue eternally instead of it for else death and Hades or that which is more then death annnihilation should returne to have their being again which it was decreed they should not and therefore they are said to be cast into the lake 'T is true indeed if Hades signified the place of Hell or state of torments then the casting this into the lake would be the finishing those torments whether after Origens way or any other it matters not but this as hath been said is not the importance of hades but the State of death as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Act of it To what hath last been said that which followes in the bottome of p. 3. will be found no competent answer The first Answer is that the destruction of death and Hades is spoken properly in reference to them whose Names are in the Book of life But first if this were true then one of my former conclusions must needs be granted that Hades signifies not Hell Torments for that being destroyed to those that were under it the Godly were never under these but the state of the dead in universum Yet secondly it is not true for v. 12. I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened the Books of Register of all mens deeds from which the book of life following is different and the Dead were judged the Dead indefinitely i. e. sure all the dead and yet more deictically by enumeration of all particulars concern'd in it The sea gave up its
of an immortal worm nothing could have been more adaequate for the expressing the eternity of torments in hell those especially of a gnawing tormenting conscience which if it be but the conjecture of Divines is as appears a very probable conjecture Of the meaning of the place in the Prophet Is 66.24 I have formerly spoken and acknowledg'd it the fountain from which our Saviour Mar. 9. derived it but have shewed how little is gain'd from thence toward prooving it a present because a visible destruction Abraham is supposed to behold Dives in hell but that proves not that Dives his punishmens were present of this world Procopius hath shewed how the pious in heaven might behold the punishments of the wicked in another world and in what sence to be said to come forth to worship before the Lord and go forth and look c. And indeed if it be unquestionable that in Christ's speech the future miseries of the wicked are thus express'd as the disputer himself yields there can be no difficulty to understand the words so in Isaiah also If therefore the place in Isaiah so referred to the future torments of the wicked after the day of judgment if the expression of future punishment by fire and worms proportionable to the several customs of disposing dead bodies by interring and burning was frequent among the Jews as the disputer grants to the force of the other Texts which Grotius quotes if the addition of the never quench't fire take away all ambiguities imaginable in the worm and incline it more strongly to those punishments which are elsewhere express'd by eternal fire and if they to whom Christ spake the Jews which generally agreed to the Pharisees opinion of the eternity of another life so understood the phrase and Christ speaking agreeable to their opinion and interpretations of Isaiah gave no least cause of conjecture or imagination that he meant the words in any other sence then it was sure they would understand him what cause of doubting can remain in this matter None certainly from the subsequent words v. 49. for adhering to that interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for consumption of the sacrifice as in the Holocausts to which the wicked are fitly compared there follows no more then that the whole of the wicked bodies and souls shall like the Holocaust be cast into the Fire and burnt or destroyed there but in what sence of destruction whither in that of annihilation which is not competible to the holocausts and wherein 't is never found to be taken in the Sacred dialect when the Heavens are said to vanish or melt as Salt Is 51.6 this is not for the Heavens to be annihilated and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used for vestimenta detrita seu evanida Jer. 38.11 were not annihilated or in the other having lost all the advantageous parts and effects of life and being engaged in a most sad estate far worse then not being is not so much as intimated in the phrase any farther then by the conjunction thereof with the Eternal never dying Worme and Fire it is reasonably to be interpreted and that is quite contrary to the disputers interests Next then for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 13. 2 Pet. 2.17 there is no pretence that it should in these places be meant for death any more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 2 Pet. 2.4 It signifies the sad uncomfortablenesse of that state which being in respect of the torments expres'd by Fire in other places hath not yet the one comfort of ordinary Fire belonging to it viz. lightsomnesse but contrariwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as durable as the flames The Texts produced Job 10.21 22. 1 Sam. 2.9 Eccl. 11.8 Ps 88.7 11 12. Job 17.13 Eccl. 6.14 are Pertinent to prove what they designed that darknesse denotes the State after this life but that no way prejudices the use of it for a positive state and not that of annihilation for for that 't is not used in any of those places Yet that it shall not here be taken in that sence which in those places belongs to it there are these reasons 1. Because the New Testament most explicitely affirming a resurrection from that Old Testaments darknesse doth yet threaten this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which therefore must commence after the resurrection and so cannot be that death from whence men rise in the resurrection of which those Old Testament places were understood 2ly Because in the same Chapter 2 Pet. 2.4 't is said of Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being applied to Angels it cannot signifie that death as if 't were applied to living men it might 2. Being joyn'd with chaines it thereby seems to signifie some positive state but especially 3. Being joyn'd with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it must denote that state which all sorts of men Heathens as well as Jewes and Christians understood by Tartarus that sure is a place of suffering after death 3ly Because though there be no further mention then of the privative part of Hell in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet in the other places of the N. T. where the same is mentioned under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the utter or utmost darkness the farthest recession from lightsome or blisfull life imaginable there is joyned with it weeping and gnashing of Teeth Matt. 8.12 and 22.13 and 25.30 which sufficiently differenceth it from the notion for death As for the places in the Revelation it is granted to be reasonable to interpret them according to prophetick style and not exact them to strict literal interpretation accordingly as Jer. 7.20 and Is 34. 4.10 signifie utter final vastations as appeares by their smoak going up for ever and ever lying wast and none passing through it from generation to generation for ever and ever and the not quenching of Gods wrath but burning upon man and upon beast so where the like circumstances either inforce or but incline the interpretation of passages in the Revelation I shall make no scruple to yield as Revel 18.18 speaking there of the ruine of Babylon 't is most reasonable to interpret to that sence the smoak of her burning by her meaning that great City in the end of the verse and so again chap. 19.3 her smoak rose up for ever and ever Heathen Rome was destroyed so as never to be rebuilt again there is nothing in the context's that inclines to any more then this But then for Rev. 14.9 10 11. I cannot thus yield There to deter all from yielding to Idolatry in the least degree worshipping the beast and his image c. the intermination goes out thus if any man shall do thus vers 9. the same shall drink c. vers 10. where the bitter wine of God mixt unmixt in the cup of his wrath is properly such a vengeance as hath 1. No mixture or allay of mercy 2. All the embittering spices added to it and so fitly signifies