TORMENTING TOPHET OR A terrible Description of HEâ—L able to breake the hardest heart and cause it quake and tremble Preached at Paules Crosse the 14. of Iune 1614. BY HENRY GREENVVOOD Master of Arts and Preacher of the Word of GOD. The second Edition corrected and amended Esay 30.33 Tophet is prepared of old it is euen prepared for the King he hath made it deepe and large the burning thereof is fire much wood the breath of the Lord like a Riuer of Brimstone doth kindle it LONDON Imprinted by George Purslowe for Henry Bell and are to be solde at his shop without Bishopsgate 1615. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL AND my very deare friends Sir LESTRAVNGE MORDAVNT of Massingham Hall in the County of Norfolke Knight Baronet and Lady FRAVNCIS MORDAVNT Bed-fellow HENRY GREENVVOOD Wisheth all increase of Grace in this Life and Eternall Life in Life to come IT is and hath beene long since Right Worshipful the custome of the learned that when they commended to publike view therein ayming at coÌ„mon good their Christian paines and diuine indeuours knowing that the truth hath and alwayes had many oppositions and detractions to present them to men of high place and well affected in Religion that so their works might passe with lesse feare and danger of disgrace and opprobrie I though vnlearned making bold to imitate their Christian policy herein haue presumed to present that doctrine to your Worships eies that lately in publike place was sounded in your eares both of which senses are great Instruments in the furtherance of our soules in the way of Gods Kingdome for as the eare conueieth grace to the affections of the soule so the eye bringeth much matter to the vnderstaÌ„ding of the mind nay the eare cannot so often be an Auditor as the eye an Oratour to the conscience For which cause your Worships nothing more affecting than growth in Grace and Religion I haue attempted to commend to your often considerations Tormenting Tophet for as nothing allureth the heart to grace more than Gods mercies so nothing more preualent against sinne than his fearefull and terrible iudgements If therfore your gracious Worships shall vouchsafe to accept of these my poore presented paines it will giue content to mine own heart and doubtles answerable comfort to your owne soules And to conclude as the Lord hath abundantly blessed your Worships with graces internall and blessings external So to vse the words of the Apostle the very God of peace sanctifie you still throughout and I pray God that your whole spirits and soules and bodies may be kept blameles to the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen From Hempsted in Essex Aprill 3. 1615. Your Worships alwayes ready to bee commaunded in the Lord HEN. GREENVVOOD TO THE CHRISTIAN READER CHristian Reader I commend to thy charitable view this terrible and lamentable description of Hell a Subiect most necessary in these dayes wherin Iniquity hath gotten the vpper haÌ„d the greatest part of mankind laboreth of this dangerous disease namely hardnes of hart and contempt of all grace I therefore for the remouing of this damnable euil haue prepared this Tormenting Corrasiue Blame mee not if I be too bitter in denouncing GODS Iudgements against sinne the presumption of the time compels me this onely is the ayme of my intention herein that many may bee saued from the damnation hereof Let not the Quotations of Latine and other tongues offend thee but know this they are but as country Stiles stepping ouer them thou losest not the way by them for their Expositions follow them Thus commending this Tractate to thy christian consideration and thy self to Gods most blessed protection I rest Thine euerlouing and vvelvvilling brother in the Lord HEN. GREENWOOD ¶ TORMENTING TOPHET OR A terrible description of Hell able to breake the hardest heart and cause it quake and tremble Esay 30.33 Tophet is prepared of old it is euen prepared for the King he hath made it deepe and large the burning thereof is fire much wood the breath of the Lord like a Riuer of Brimstone doth kindle it ALbeit the Lord in the beginning created man in glorious manner omninoÌ„ ad imaginem sui ratione sapientem vita innocentem dominio potentem altogether after his own most glorious image in purity and in perfection of holinesse both in soule and body yet withall he gaue him naturam flexibilem a mutable and changeable nature creating him inpotestate standi seuposse cadendi in power of standing and in possibilitie of falling power of standing that he had from God his creatour possibility of falling that he had from himselfe being a creature A reason whereof S. Augustine giueth in his booke of Confessions Because the Lord created man ex nihilo of nothing therefore hee left in man possibility to returne in nihilum into nothing if he obey'd not the will of his Maker And as Basil sayth Si Deus dedisset Adae naturam immutabilem deos potius quà m homines condidisset id est If God had giuen Adam an immutable and vnchangeable nature hee had created a God not a man for this is a mayne trueth in Diuinity immutabiliter esse bonum proprium soliusest Dei id est to be immutably and vnchangeablie good onely proper to God Adam therefore being thus created that hee might eyther stand or fall by the Diuels subtill suggestion and by the abuse of his owne free will receyued a double downefall the fall of sinne by disobedience and the fall of death by sinne the last fall being the wages of the first fall as ye may reade in the last verse of the sixt to the Romanes The wages of sinne is death The Lord therefore hauing pitty vpon this his miserable estate vouchsafed in his Sonne to shew mercy vpon some by election to saluation as to shew iustice vpon other some by reprobation to damnation According to which irreuocable decree the Lord hath prepared euen from the foundations of the earth answerable places a glorious habitation for the one and a terrible dungeon for the other Which generall truth is confirmed in the words of my Text hauing particular reference to the reprobat Assyrians For as the Lord in his mercy doth promise in this Chapter to his people repenting them of their sinnes manifold blessings spirituall and corporall temporall and eternall so doth he threaten in his iustice terrible vengeance to their enemies the idolatrous Babylonians and Assyrians not onely temporall but also eternall not to the meane subiect alone but to the King himselfe saying Tophet is prepared of old it is euen prepared for the King c. Not to insist therefore too long vpon introductions lest it should be sayde to mee as once a flowting Cynicke sayde to the Citizens of Myndus a little City with great Gates Shut your Gates lest your City runne out I come to the Text it selfe which containeth in it a terrible and lamentable description of Hell prepared of olde for
Sauiour sayth I appoint you a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed to mee that yee may eate and drinke at my Table in my Kingdome Eatâ—ng is allegoricall but will you say that the kingdome is allegoricall also I confesse that wood in hell is taken allegorically but that fire is taken so I vtterly deny Bullinger holdeth true and substanciall fire in hell and so do the most and best of the learned Christ punished with Fire in this world Sodome and the Murmurers in the Booke of Numbers chap. 11. and called the name of that place Thabherah because the fire of the Lord burnt amongst them And Christ shall come to Iudgement with Fire which shall haue two properties To burne this property shal punish the wicked to shine this property shal comfort the Saintes as sayeth Theodoret And what shall hinder the being of fire in hell when the extremity of tortures shall be put vpon the damned hee that will not belieue this shall one day feele it to his sorrow If then it be graunted that there is Substantiall fire in hell the next question will bee Whether it be Materiall Corporall or Spirituall Surely Materiall fire that is fire nourished and maintayned with wood it shall not be for as the flashings of Aetna and Vesuuius and other places of the earth doe burne without fuell so shall the fire of hell doe hee that is able to make the damned liue without food is able to maintaine this fire without wood Whether then it bee Corporall or Spirituall for if it bée Substantiall it must be one of these Gregory calles it Ignem incorporeum a Spirituall fire but that is not likely for it passeth the nature of fire to be Spirituall and to goe about to make it Spirituall is to make it no fire at all But it is most probable that it is shall be a Corporall fire vvith an extraordinary afflicting povver giuen vnto it tormenting both soule and body Saint Augustine affirmeth the fire of hell to be Corporall If it be Corporall whether it tormenteth the body onely or both soule and body and how a Corporall fire should worke vpon a spirituall substance Saint Bernard sayth that Ignis exteriùs carnem comburit vermis interiùs conscientiam corrodet that is Fire shall outvvardly burne thy flesh a vvorm shall inwardly gnavv thy conscience Again he sayth Duo mala sunt vermis ignis altero roditur conscientia altero concremantur corpora that is the worme and fire are two insufferable torments by the one the soule is vexed by the other the body scorched Againe he sayth In carne cruciabuntur per ignem in spirituper conscientiae vermem that is in the flesh they shal be tormented by fire and in the Spirite by the worme of conscience Isodore sayth that there is duplex poena damnatorum quorum mentem vrit tristitia corpus flamma that is Their minds burne vvith sorrovv and their bodies with the flame Beda sayth Ignis erit poena extrinsecus saeuiens vermis dolor interiùs accusans that is The fire shall be a torment outwardly raging and the vvorme a griefe invvardly accusing Though these maintaine fire in hel yet they hold as you see that it is not of power to touch the soule but only to torture the body but I am perswaded according to the iudgement of many learned Fathers That this fire tormeÌ„teth both body and soule Zanchy de Operibus Dei sayth That the deuils mens bodies and soules are tormented with fire euerlasting For as they were as Simeon and Leui brethren in the same euill so both of them shall be tormented in the same fire Iustine Martyr saith That the Deuil shall suffer punishment and vengeance enclosed in euerlasting fire and they are no bodies but spirits The truth of this is ratified by Christ himselfe Goe from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels And the speech of Diues prooueth this most true for it is no Parable but History as Chrysostome saith Parabolae sunt vbi exemplum ponitur tacentur nomina that is Those are Parables where an example is propounded and no names mentioned he crieth out and shall for euerlasting I am tormented in this flame And if any man will not beleeue this I make bold to vse against him the words of Ruffinus who saith Si quis negat diabolum aeternis ignibus mancipandum partem cum ipso aeterni ignis accipiet vt sentiat quod negauit that is If any man doth deny that the Deuill is tormented with euerlasting fire hee shall one day bee partaker with him of that fire that hee may feele that which hee would not be brought to beleeue But how this Corporall fire shall torment the Deuils and the Spirits of the damned I know not and I trust neuer to know and it is but curiosity to be too too inquisitiue in these points for as a Father saith Melius est dubitare de occultis quam litigare de incertis viz. It is better to doubt of vnknowne things then to striue for vncertaine Compescat igitur se humana timeritas id quod non est non quaerat ne illius quod est non inueniat that is Let no man rashly meddle about these things that are not reuealed lest hee findeth not the good of those things that are reuealed It being probable that there is in hell a Substanciall and Corporeall fire that vexeth both the soules and bodies of the damned let vs now sée the difference of this fire froÌ„ our elemeÌ„tall fire This fire of hell differeth from our elementall fire in fiue respects First In regarde of heate Our fire in regard of hel fire is but as fire painted on a wall in regard of our fire Oh it is a fierce and an intollerable fire We reade of one who vpon the violence of any strong temptation would lay his hands on burning coales and being not able to endure the same would say to himselfe O! how shall I be able to indure the paines of Hell fire The fire into which Sydrach Misach and Abednego were cast was excéeding fearefull but alas nothing to hell fire Esay speaking of this terrible fire sayth Who is able to dwell in this deuouring fire or who shall bee able to dwell in these euerlasting burnings Secondly In regard of light Our fire giueth a comfortable light but the fire of hell giueth no light Cremationem habet lumen vero non habet sayth Gregory It burneth but giueth no light at all It is a darkish fire sayth Basil that hath lost his brightnesse but kept his burning Phauorinus in verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth hades is a place voyde of light and full of eternall darkenesse Sophocles cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 black darknesse Euripides cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
we thy poore seruants vnworthy in regarde of our manifold transgressions of the least of thy blessings doe most humbly fall downe before the throne of thy dreadfull Maiesty confessing in the bitternesse of our soules the basenesse and vilenes of our estates by sinne O Lord ashamed wee are to come before thee that are nothing but sinneful corruption and abhomination but thou a maiesty most pure in comparison of whom the Angells themselues are counted impure we dare not therfore being thus loathsome and abhominable presume to present our selues before thee as in our selues but in thy manifold mercies and thy Sonne Iesus Christ his merites in whom thou art delightfully pleased with all that faithfully call vpon thy name Lord in thy Sonne behold vs wee most humbly beseech thee accept vs in his worthinesse clense vs in his bloud iustifie vs in his righteousnes sanctifie vs with his spirit and in his most precious death free vs from the damnation of hell O till these comfortable tidings be sealed vp to our soules how perplexed are we O how do our harts quake and tremble till we haue found the saluation of thee our God! Reiect vs not O heauenly Father that faine would as be saued of thee so vprightly serue thee we pleade now and euer as for pardon so for grace whereby wee may in plentifull manner bring foorth fruits worthy of amendment Lord keepe vs in body and soule to thy euerlasting Kingdome and saluation Lord preserue vs from the terrible torments of Tophet O what shall become of vs if we for our sinnes when we die be throwne into that Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone so bitterly as forceth screeching and screaming continually Lord deale not with vs according to our sinnes and thy iustice but in the multitude of thy mercies saue our soules aliue O consider the terrors of our troubled soules Let not the grones of our hearts bée despised but suffer them to pierce the heauens for a blessing O thou that art the God of endlesse compassion cast vs not away from thy presence wee are the workemanshippe of thine handes O Lord confound vs not O Lord that delightest not in the death and damnation of a sinner bee moued to shew pitty vppon vs O Christ our blessed Sauiour make intercession to God the father for vs speake by thy gracious spirit peace to our disquieted soules bind vp our broken hearts giue vs that we may clearely see our names written in the Booke of Life and our soules released from the fearefull damnation of Tophet To this end gracious God remoue all sinne from our soules and plant in the garden of our hearts all those spirituall and heauenly graces that are proper and peculiar to thine Elect that we may be alwayes a sweet smelling sauour before thee giue vs faith in thy promises loue to thy Maiesty zeale to thy glory obedience to thy lawes and guide vs dayly by thy blessed spirit into all truth and godlinesse Lord giue vs to be out of loue with the vanities of this life to hate euery worke of darkenes the little sinne aswell as the great quicken vs O Lord by thy quickening Spirit O giue vs hearts to bee inflamed with the loue of thy truth O that we could hunger and thirst after grace as the chased Hart doth the running brooke O that we could experimentally say with thy seruant Dauid that all our delight is in thy commandements Thus O Lord we receyuing grace from thy Maiesty to repell the fierie darts of the Deuill and to flie euen froÌ„ euery apparition of euill so doing we may reape much comfort to our soules in this world of trouble and at the fearfull day of iudgement we may be 〈◊〉 from the lamentable tortuâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—phet where howling and yelling 〈◊〉 be for euermore and that for Iesus Christs sake thy Sonne our Sauiour to whom with thee and thy most glorious Spirit wee desire euen from the bottome of our hearts to haue offered vp all thanksgiuing and prayse both in heauen and earth this day and euermore Amen FINIS August Basil Rom. 6. Reu. 13.1 The first part Tophet Aretius Montan. in Esai Scultet in Esai Scultet in Esai Snepfsius in Esai Descriptio Moloch 2. Ki. 23.10 Iere. 7.32 Tophet Piscat in Esay How Tophet taken for hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chytreus in 20. ca. Apoc. numero 7 de poenis impiorum Auernus Simile Obseru August Aug. 3. tom de Spiritu Anima Poeta Tertul. in Apologet. Dan. 5.5 Gregor â—â—â—siodor Lib. de nat rerum Simile Psal 4.4 Mat. 10.28 Exemplum Act. 24.16 Amos. 6.3 Is prepar'd Simile Simile Actua Mat. 5.22 Mar. 9.43.35.47 Matth. 25. Refut Atheist Psal 14.1 Epicure Esa 22.13 Poet. Heretike Danaeus Reuel Iob. 21.12.13 Act. 16. Of olde 2. Pet. 2.4 Note Error Romae Purgatory Bellar. lib. 2. de Purgatorio c. 1. Lymbus Infantum Lymbus Patrum Iohn 8.44 Athanas de incarnat Christi Mar. 14.19 Math. 6. Psal 132.3 Ludouic Rom. 8. 2. Pet. 1.5 The secoÌ„d part It is euen prepared for the king 2 Reg. 39.37 Obser 1. Luke 16. Wisd Psa 49.67 1. Sa 12.25 1. Cor. 6.9 Reu. 21.8 1. Cor. 1.26 1. Tim. 2.4 2. Sam. 3. 1. King 22 Esay 30. Iere. 11.21 Amos 7. Amos 5.10 Micah 2.11 Rom. 12.1 Vse Psalm 2. Deu. 17.18 Psal 147. Esa 49.23 Ioâ— 15. â—â—â—h 15.1 2. Ch. 17.3 cha 29.1.2 ch 34.1.2 Obseru 2. Act. 10. Eccle. 3.16 Vse Psal 2. 2. Ch. 19.5.6.7 Esay 59.14 Esa 5.7 1. King 21 1. Sam. 8.3 Leu. 29.15 Iudicis officium Seleucus Psal 45.4 The third part He hath made it deepe Sheol Mercer in c. 37. Gen. Abyssus Luke 8. Reu. 20. Nic. de Lyra in Esai Tartarus Hesiod in Theogonia Rab. Ab. in c. 2. Ionae Rab. Leu. in cap. 26. Ioh. Esay 14.9 Deu. 32.22 Psa 140.10 Psal 55. Reu 20. Pron 9.18 Pro. 15.24 Locus inferni Socrates Maxim serm 23. Obseruatio Infernus Hugo Mat. 22.13 Simile Luk. 16.28 Simile Luk. 18.13 Esay 55.6 1. Cor. 6.2 Tempus gratiae negligere est absolute animam perdere Math. 5.26 The 4. part And large Oecolam in Esay Obseruat Esay 5.14 4. Esd 8.1 Obiect Math. 8 1â— Answere Gen. 7. Gen. 19.16 Iosua 6.22 Mat. 12.36 Wisd 1.9 Iohn 1. Vse The fift part The burning thereof is fire An in inferno ignis Quaestio 1 Caluin in Esai Resolutio 1. quaestionis Luke 22. Bulling in Esai Gen 10. Numb 1â— Esay 66 Theodoret in Psal 96. Quaest 2. Resolutio 2. quaestionis Gregor August Quaest 3. Bernard de interiere domo c. 38. Idem part ser 16. Idem meditat 4 cap. Isodor de summo bono l. 1. c. 31. Bed lib. 3 in cap. 9. Mar. Zanch. de Operibus Dei part 1. lib. 4. cap. 19. Iustin Mart. Apologia 1. pro Christianis Mat. 25.41 Chrysost Luk. 16.24 Ruffinus August Ignis infernimultum differt ab elementari ExempluÌ„ Dan. 3.21 Esa 33.14 Greg. Moral l. 9. c. 46 Basil in Psal 33. Phauor in verb. hades Sophoc in Oedipo Euripid. in Aristide Theognidis gnomae Eustath in 1. Iliados Exo. 10.21 Iude 13. Cimerae tenebrae Math. 3. Esay 66. Obseruaâ—â—o Tho. Aquin Chrysost ad pop Antioch hom 49. Idem Poena damni Simile 1. Sam. 4.18 Plutarc in vita Demost. 1. Sam. 14.22 2. Cor. 1.3 Math. 25. Luke 13. Poeta Terent. Lysimach Poena sensus Miseria reproborummaxima Mat. 26.24 Prosper de vita contemplatiua l. 3. c. 12. The 6. part And much wood Obseruat Dan. 12.2 Mar. 9.24 Iude. Reu. 20.10 Reu. 9.6 Simile Psal 136. Adagium Gregor Bern. de consid ad Eugen. li. 5. The seâ—enth and â—â—st part â—he breath â—f the lord 〈…〉 c. Heb. 12.29 Reuel 5. Act. 9.1 GeÌ„ 19.24 Ezec. 38.22 Psal 11.6 Apo. 1â— 20 August Plato Act. 5. Zach. 5 8. Pro. 8.