may not shew such favour to the Impenitent as not to inflict such punishment upon them is in effect to ask why he may not act contrary to his own word which is a question more fit to be abhorred than to be answered And what if Parents shew more kindness to disobedient Children than they deserve yet he must not think that Men are a fit rule for God to walk by nor doth he believe that God is bound to shew such kindness to his rebellious Creatures as Men are to their disobedient Children yet it must be remembred that God doth shew a thousand times more kindness to his enemies in this World than they deserve or could deserve if they were his faithfullest servants and doth more for them every day in the Year than Parents can do for their best Children And these things being considered all that which he adds concerning the greatness of God's Mercy above the mercy of man is vain as to that for which he intends it But of that we may have occasion to speak more hereafter Proof 10 p. 173. R. Gods general goodness in the Creation of the world is to all his Creatures Eccles 5.9 The profit of the Earth is for all B. And what of that Is that a proof there shall be no everlasting Punishment for any man Surely if it be 't is not an infallible one but an Idle and impertinent one for the question in this affair is not of God's general goodness but of his saving Mercy Now though we grant the one to be extended to all creatures yet we do not grant it of the other God indeed is good to all but he doth not grant all goodness to all alike Dan. 12. but as some shall arise to everlasting Glory so others shall arise to everlasting shame p. 173. lin 18. R. God takes care to provide for all and bids us feed and cloath the worst that want c. and he that would not have them suffer want here will not impose an everlasting Misery on them hereafter B. We may say of Mr. R. as some did of our Saviour though in a contrary sense that never man spake like him Surely none but himself did ever go about to prove this point in this manner And at the same rate a wicked man might need no better proof of his escaping Hell hereafter than his health and wealth and prosperity here for he might say as Mr. R. Surely that God who would not lay upon them the miseries of sickness and poverty here will not inflict greater miseries for ever hereafter Yet Christians will not count this any good evidence of a state of Salvation Doth not the Parable in Luke 16. manifestly suppose that a man may have comfort here and Torment hereafter All the Turkish Emperors and all the Popes I should have set them first as being the proudest of the two All these I say had Honour and Greatness enough in this world yet we cannot doubt but many of them if not all will inherit shame in the world to come Proof 11 R. Their Opinion lesseneth the goodness of God and limiteth it to a few whereas the Scriptures declare it to be to all p. 174. All flesh shall see his Salvation Luke 3.6 and He will have all men to be Saved 1 Tim. 2.4 The Protestants in Poland say there will come a time wherein the fallen Angels and the wickedest men shall be set free B. This is not all that he saith under this 11. Proof nor do I take my self to be engaged to spend my Ink upon all the Vanities he is guilty of yet that which is for his turn I shall not fear to deal with He urgeth Rom. 8.19.21 to prove that all in general shall be Saved but unless he had made out his Proof from it or shewed some better man than himself that hath urged it for that purpose I shall not think fit to say any thing to it for I am sure Christians may read that Text a thousand times without danger of being led thereby into that Opinion But let us come to the point Our Opinion he saith lesseneth the goodness of God and limiteth it unto a few concerning which we would demand of him what he means by God's goodness If he means God's common goodness it is utterly denyed our Opinion denyes not the extent of that goodness to all though we believe a Hell yet we believe God is good to all here and he therefore casts some into Hell because they would not be truly good to themselves nor chuse the good ways which he commands them to walk in But if he mean it of God's saving goodness then I say our Opinion denyes it to extend to all so as to save All for narrow is the way which leads unto life and few there be that find it i.e. few in comparison Matth. 7.14 or not near so many as miss of it though very many considered in themselves But he tells us All flesh shall see his Salvation very true who doubts of it But he that dares believe his Saviour in that Text but now mentioned will not think that it means that all without exception shall be Saved and if it were so then I say what Divinity yea what truth or sence to speak with Reverence shall be found in the words of Paul to the Corinthians We are a sweet savour c. in them that are saved and in them that perish what shall become of this division of mankind into them that are saved and them that perish if All should be saved and none perish If Mr. Richardson can crack this Nut I will confess his Teeth are strong And as for those Texts they are far from proving the contrary Luke 3.6 Cleared All flesh shall see his Salvation speaks nothing for his turn unless he had made it appear that All in those Texts means all whatsoever without exception of any which I dare say he cannot do nor could it agree with the other places alledged if taken in that sence wherefore by All we mean All sorts that Repent and Believe such persons of what sort soever whether Jew or Gentile high or low bond or free c. shall see the Salvation of God As when it is said our Lord healed all Diseases among the people i. e. all sorts and in another ye shall be hated of all men for my Names sake Matth. 10.22 that is of all sorts of men for certainly All in general did not hate them for Christs sake yea some loved them as truly for it as others hated them 1 Tim. 2.4 Cleared And the other Text may be vindicated with no less difficulty than the former It runs thus He would that All should be saved may we hence infer that God will actually and eventually save all or that he purposeth to save all no sure nothing less There are several Answers to be made unto it to remove this sense from it 1. That the word
in that Text doth not mean only a punishment of long continuance but an endless state in Punishment This I say hath been Evidenced before by such Considerations as Mr. Richardson and his Angels will never be able to Answer See my 4. Answer to his second Exception in this same Section Thus we have seen my Authors Glosses upon the word Everlasting and their unserviceableness to his Design so that we may now lawfully write over them the words of the Wise man Eccles 1.2 Vanity of Vanities All is Vanity The Socinians gloss removed And now I cannot conceive any other Exception against this proof that is worthy to be considered unless it be that of Mr. R. his Brethren whom he calls the Protestants of Poland I mean the Socinians who would have us think the Everlasting Punishment that the Wicked are in danger of to be the Total Abolishment of their Natures to all Eternity or in one word Osterod compend Relig. in Polonia florentis Valent. Smalcius disp de Baptism Everlasting Annihilation Thus the Authors in the Margin Their Arguments for it I shall not trouble my English Reader with the Learned may see them in their Opposites Calovius in Socin profligat q. De Morte aeternâ Stegman Photin Refut disput 56. quaest 4. and many others who have sufficiently Answered them The Author's Arguments against the Socinian Interpretat of the word Punishment I shall content my self to urge my Arguments against them herein which as they are not at all the better for being mine so I hope they are never a whit the worse for Truth is the same when spoken by the meanest And first thus 1. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used is the same which is used of the Life or happiness of the Righteous And since it signifies a positive state in the one how can it be questioned whether it signifies the like in the other so that if the Everlasting Life do note a Being in Happiness it is easie to infer that Everlasting Punishment doth note in like sort a Being in Misery and not an Abolishing of their Beings Nor do I find that word used as an Epithete to any thing but that which is positive in sense at least if not in sound And if it might be good sense to say A man may be Annihilated for ever yet I am apt to doubt whether it be so to say that He may suffer an Everlasting Annihilation for Everlastingness doth imply a lastingness as a thousand includes a hundred and by consequence Partit Metaph l. 2. Sect. 13. quaest 3.2 a subject lasting which in this case is not found Duratio est permanentia Rei in esse as the Learned Martinius most truly 2. They shall go away into this Everlasting Punishment to go away into it implies a positive state yea and their going away viz. from Christ and his Glorious Presence will be none of the smallest parts of their Punishment and therefore is mentioned first Depart from me into c. Matth. 25.41 The Holy Father of old S. Chrysost in Matth. Homil. 24. who had as little need of these mens Learning as of their Religion did confidently affirm it to be the greatest Punishment of all But it would be little Punishment to them or rather none to depart from Christ if at the same time they should depart from themselves too and be turned into nothing Answer 3 3. This Punishment here spoken of Matth. 25. is the saddest of all that ever the Enemies of God endured for there will be the Day of Wrath Matt. 12.36 wherein God will render them the full wages of their Iniquities not abating them so much as for Idle words and therefore it is called in Scripture The Terrible day of the Lord to the wicked though not to the Saints but it would not be the greatest Punishment if it were but the turning them to nothing This I say would not be the saddest Punishment unto them but rather a securing them from all Punishment for when they have no being at all they cannot be under any sorrow nor be sensible of any Punishment Answer 4 4. If the Wicked at Judgment should be turned into nothing and have their Natures abolished that Punishment if it might be so called would be no other than the inanimate and unreasonable creatures shall undergo for they shall then remain no longer the Universal flames will soon consume the creatures in and upon the face of the Earth And can any men think the Punishment of the wicked and impenitent who are compared to * Matth. 7.6 Acts 20.29 Psal 22.12 Dogs and Swine and Wolves and wild Bulls in Scripture yea who are called Enemies of God and Children of the Devil * Psal 37.20 Psal 92.9 John 8.44 and have served him to their Makers dishonour all their days on Earth I say can any men perswade themselves that these wretched mischievous ones shall be in no worse condition for Misery than the pretty Birds and harmless Lambs and the rest that did all the work for which they were made and never transgrest their Makers Law surely if they can we may justly bespeak them in the words of the Apostle Gal. 3.1 O foolish men who hath bewitched you And thus I have vindicated that Sacred Text of our Saviour from the false glosses and fallacious Exceptions of Mr. R. and his Companions And so the Argument it self They shall go away into Everlasting Punishment therefore they shall be for ever in Punishment is sound and firm and the subtilties of a Thousand hells shall never be able to Answer it And now it will be time to put an end to this Second Section CHAP. I. SECT III. Other Texts of Scripture Urged and Arguments grounded on Scripture 2 Thess 1.9 urged and cleared THe next place of Scripture that I shall name for the confirmation of the Point is 2 Thessal 1.9 where he tells us that they who obey not the Gospel of Christ shall be punished with everlasting Destruction They shall be punished with that Punishment which the Apostle calls by the name of Destruction and that Destruction he tells us is an everlasting Destruction therefore it must needs follow that they shall be under punishment Everlastingly If Mr. R. should say any thing to the word Everlasting we may find some satisfaction in the foregoing Section where it hath been largely discoursed of If he Cavil about the word Destruction and pretend it is meant of the Destruction of their Beings by turning them into nothing then we may see something to the contrary in the three latter parts of the last Section in Answer to the Socinians To which I shall now add these Three particulars Destruction in that Text is not Annihilation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1. That this Everlasting Destruction is such as comes unto them in a way of Vengeance as in the 8. Verse To take vengeance on those or as 't is
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
the Word of God or knowest but little reason why thou should'st believe so then I would advise thee to read those that may confute thy unbelief or confirm thy faith in that particular as Bishop Ward 's Sermon against Anti-scripturists Dr. Stillingfleet's Orig. Sacr. and the truly Honourable Sir Charles Woolsley his Grounds and Reasons of Scripture-Belief Dr. Allestry his Sermon of the Authority of the Scriptures Mr. Baxt. Rest part 2. cap. 4. with these in the Margin But if thou dost believe it to be so I trust thou wilt believe the Doctrine I plead for For the Scripture testifies of it in words as plain as can be desired viz. in Matth. 25. last verse and many other places To begin with that Matth. 25. last verse These the ungodly that shall be set on Christ's left hand Matth. 25.46 in the former verses shall go away into Everlasting Punishment What can ever be spoken more plain or more plainly to our purpose than this is They shall go away into Everlasting Punishment 1. Vrged therefore they shall be punished everlastingly For if one were to tell us such or such are to be imprisoned perpetually How could he express it more clearly than by saying That they must go into perpetual Imprisonment And these words are the words of Him who was and is the Son of the Father and most perfectly acquainted with his Counsels Purposes Truths and Ways and had no need to fright the wicked World with such a sad Doctrine if it were not a Truth This is that Marpesian Rock which Mr. Richardson was not able to fasten his Teeth in yet nevertheless 2 Vindicated from Mr. R.'s Exceptions He hath snapt at it Five Times together p. 18 c. where he hath several glosses upon the word everlasting which as by Him applyed are worthy to be had in everlasting detestation 1. He tells us That the Fire of Tophet is so called His first Exception because it did burn Day and Night But here our Lord speaks not of the Fire of Tophet Removed but of the Everlasting Punishment of the Wicked And let Him shew us where any punishment is call'd Everlasting Punishment because it lasted for some days and nights Job his Pains were doubtless Day and Night yea for a considerable time too yet 't is not said he suffered Everlasting Pains The Psalmist said God's hand was heavy upon him Day and Night Psal 32.4 yet it is no where said that he was under Everlasting Affliction The word Ever and Everlasting His second Exception p. 19. are used to note a Limited Time as in Exodus 40.15 We read of an Everlasting Priesthood yet that Priesthood did not last for ever in the largest sense but only till the Son of God was come in the Flesh This is the substance of that which he saith in the greatest part of the 19. Page of his Book Removed And it is easily removed out of the way Let us put it into a form of Arguing and it will be exactly thus The word Everlasting in some places is used to signifie but a limited time therefore it must signifie just the same when 't is spoken of the Punishment of the wicked in Matth. 25. last verse Now were not this a pitiful way of reasoning and most apparently inconsequent See a parallel case in the word save To save sometimes signifies only to be a means of Salvation and an Instrument in God's hand of bringing Men into the way of Salvation as when Ministers are said to save them that hear them 1 Tim. 4.16 Shall we therefore say that Christ is but an Instrumental means of Salvation God forbid for He is the Author of Eternal Salvation Heb. 5.9 Phil. 3.20 And The Saviour by way of Emphasis Answer 2d 2. Though in some places of the Old Testament the word Everlasting doth signifie a limited Time yet Mr. R. doth not shew us any place in the New Testament where it is so taken much less can he shew any Texts therein that call a Temporal Punishment an Everlasting Punishment or any thing like it Answer 3d. 3. Those things which were called Everlasting and yet lasted but for a time were such as were not capable of an absolute and proper Everlastingness The Priesthood in Exodus 40. was not capable of perpetuity being Typical of the Priesthood of Christ that great High-Priest Heb. 4.14 as the Apostle calls him who was appointed to put an end to all former priesthood and Sacrifice by offering up Himself once for All. But the Wicked shall be capable of Everlasting Punishment properly so called for their very Bodies shall be raised Incorruptible 1 Cor. 15.52 In 1 Cor. 15. The Trumpet shall sound and the Dead i. e. All the Dead shall be raised incorruptible Answ The 4th 4. It must needs be meant of an endless Punishment for I find it is the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in Matth. 25.46 that is used by St. Paul 2 Cor. 4.18 where he speaks of things Eternal in contradistinction to Things Temporal in 2 Cor. The things that are seen are temporal but the things that are not seen are eternal * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea it is the same word in the Original which is used by our Lord to express the Eternity of the Saints Happiness Matth. 25.46 These shall go away into Everlasting Punishment and the Righteous into Life Eternal So that if the Punishment of the wicked that continue such be not an endless Punishment we may be at a great doubt whether the Happiness of the Saints shall be endless happiness or not since the same word as was said is used of both of them And now having Answered his first and chiefest Exceptions against this Proof we shall not fear to Examine those which follow and thirdly thus R. Fire may be said to be Everlasting His third Exception p. 19. when it doth not go out till the Combustible Matter is consumed and then he adds The Fire that destroyed Sodom is called Eternal Fire because it went not out till the City was consumed Jud. 7. Answered This is his third gloss upon the word Everlasting in the latter part of the 19. Page And first A Fire may be called Everlasting by his Logick when it goeth not out till the Combustible Matter is consumed It seems then if Mr. Richardson should be pleased to roast his Cat His absurdity shewed in another case to make a Breakfast for those worse than Antichristian Priests that fright the World so needlesly by their Doctrine of Everlasting Punishments for the Wicked he might then bespeak them thus Behold Sirs and see for here is an Everlasting Fire And if the poor ignorant Men should ask him how that can be true since the Fire will be out in a little time He could answer them That it may be called Everlasting because it will last till the Faggots are consumed but if
the main mischief of it may be prevented by that which is already said of the perfection and purity of the Scripture Apud illos nil tam vulgatum quam Scripturas calumniari However we may remember that in this particular This good Protestant hath played a very Popish Game for nothing is more common among Papists than to reproach and undervalue the Scriptures as Chamierus well observes In the next also he hath rambled so much out of the way p. 85. 88. that it is not worth while to follow him his Assertion in chief is briefly this Another Pillar of Hell-Torments are sond Expositors Fond ones he means no doubt Foolish ones Which very expression makes a great discovery of the Man and shews him to be very wise in his own conceipt Surely if he can think all those to be but foolish Men or foolish Expositors that have expounded the word Hell or Gehenna for a place of punishment after this life such as Calvin Beza Paraeus Musculus Perkins Willet and Multitudes more of eminent Protestants he will shew himself fit enough to sail to Anticyrus or to be cut for the Simples here in England Well had these Men been able to foresee the severity of his censure they might easily have prevented it namely by expounding Hell for no worse place than a Grave in all the New Testament Everlasting for a few Minutes time and Punishment for Annihilation that is a Punishment inflicted for a punishment that cannot be felt for when a Man is turned into nothing he cannot be sensible of any thing But though such an Exposition might have pleased him and his party yet it would have offended wiser Men. The fourth Pillar that he reckons up and sets before him p. 88. on purpose to beat it down is the consent of Preachers And of that I need say only as before that it is a better Argument for it than his judgment is against it But see what a mood the Man was in by the ensuing Lines R. p. 89 90. All sorts of Priests agree p. 89. and abuse the People The Mahometan Priests blow a Powder into the eyes of those that come to see Mahomet's Tomb Note to make them blind ever after and then they say the glory of Mahomet hath blinded them So the Antichristian Priests and all sorts of Priests have greatly deluded the People blowing something into their Ears that they are never afterwards able to receive the truth This is the substance of what he saith therein more at large Answer I hope Sir you do except the Priests of your own Order and the Anabaptistical Preachers what ever you say herein of the Antichristian Priests and other sorts of Priests But Worthy Sir I pray let us know where your Goodness hath read this worthy story or at least let us know whether it were your Religion or Conscience your Honesty or Modesty that moved you to apply it after this manner Not to pass a censure upon your Grace I am confident you had little shame in you when you wrote this Methinks Sir you might now perceive that the wicked may be compared to chaff and stubble though God's wrath will not make an end of them as Fire doth of the other As our Doctrines may if your judgment fail not be compared to that Powder aforesaid though they be not dug out of the Earth or scraped out of a rotten Post or any such thing as that may be supposed to be For however they may disagree in other things yet they agree in this that blindness if you mistake not is the effect of both the one blinding Men's minds as the other their eyes So though wicked Men and chaff and stubble are not alike in all things yet they are vain and worthless things in comparison of the Righteous as those are in comparison of the Corn c. and therefore may fitly be compared with them You are a Protestant in Profession and therefore I do judge you never wore a Pilgrim's Weed nor travelled to that Sacred place where Pope Joan's pretty Child was buried nor do I think you ever saw the Miracles that were wrought by the Reliques of St. Anthony nor how the Hand of St. Nicholas his Image moved when it was lifted up to bless the People Dr. Downham's Treatise of Antichrist p. 112. which at length O what pity was thrown into the Fire like a common piece of Wood And yet Sir if you had seen a Thousand such things as these yet you could not speak of any more strange than this which your pious Pen hath acquainted the World with to very good purpose viz. That the Antichristian Priests and all sorts of Priests have agreed to deceive the People That is Protestant Divines yea the generality of them as well as Popish ones The Ministers of Christ as well as the Vassals of Antichrist And that all sorts good and bad should thus conspire for such a mischief that the great Opposers of Antichrist should have such an Antichristian design and wilfully delude the People and that too in no less a matter than Men's everlasting state in another World O how wonderful and how incredible is this And yet we must of necessity believe all this or else we must believe your Worship to be a Lyar. And for my part I had rather believe the latter than the former p. 90 91. In these Pages he mentions two more Pillars of Hell-Torments viz. Some Scriptures and Reasons Of which he saith in effect no more but this That those Scriptures are wrested and those Reasons insufficient But if he be of the same mind still he had best answer what I have written for the proof of the Point in the 2d Chapter of this Discourse The last Pillar of Hell torments which he is pleased to mention is a perswasion The last Pillar of Hell Torments that the believing it is a means to make men leave their sins and the not believing it a means of Licentiousness Whether this may be called a Pillar of it or not I shall not enquire the thing I affirm to be a certain truth whatever he say against it for it could not be that men should follow any way of wickedness securely and quietly if they believed it did tend to so sad an end If they did throughly and stedfastly believe the everlasting Punishments in another world they would not run the hazard of them for all the pleasures and profits of this world nor think the greatest spiritual care and pains too great in a way of Religion to make sure of escaping it And that the Terror of the Lord in the knowledge of it tends to perswade men to leave their sins is clearly intimated by the manifold threats of wrath and punishment against the children of disobedience Rom. 1.18 Colos 3.5 6 c. for what do those threatnings serve for if not to deter men from sin And if any punishment will tend that
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
Adam or his posterity but from their sinfulness and that they should not have dyed but upon the supposal of sin And I think he hath done no good office to suggest such a thing as this concerning Mr. Bolton to make the world believe that such an able and faithful Teacher of Divine Truth would play any the least part of the Socinians damned Game In the two following pages he is very vain p. 132. and p. 133. and deserves not my Ink to he spent upon him and if I should lay open all his weaknesses 't is possible I might be thought to deal over hardly by him those therefore that little concern the point in hand or are answered already I need not concern my self with I pass therefore to the next p. 134. where the substance of his many words is thus in brief That if death be the punishment of sin then Christ by freeing his people from the punishment of their sins must free them from dying which he doth not I answer Christ by freeing them from the punishment of sin hath also freed them from death so far forth as 't is a punishment viz. from an accursed death The Faithful therefore though they suffer death yet they suffer it not as a punishment properly so called nor in a way of vengeance but in a way of mercy and therefore blessed are they that dye in the Lord. That pale horse though it sometimes affrights them Philip. 1.23 yet it is sent on a good errand viz. to bring their Souls into the blessed presence of their Lord and Saviour which the Apostle assures us in the same Text is far better than to live with their friends in this sinful world p. 135 136. In the 135 and 136. pages there is nothing that I think it worth while to trouble my self with some things being beside his purpose and others in a great measure against it And that which is for it how do the wicked perish for ever if they must live for ever is no new dish but only the old coleworts new sodden and how much it is worth is discoverable from that which was said but a little before to what he had offered about eternal life in pag. 130. p. 137. R. Men build much in this point upon the second death but what that death is they cannot agree B. I think he is much mistaken in this and do not doubt but Orthodox Divines are very well agreed in their Judgments about it and describe it with little variation one from another But the main mischief is that their Judgment of it agrees not to his and if his be infallible theirs must needs be erroneous R. Mr. Perkins saith the Second death is a total separation from God and if so it is not a punishment without end and seeing God is every where if they be any where how can they be absent from God B. But as Mr. Perkins was as wise a man as himself so his speech herein is not so absurd as he imagines it to be yea I doubt not but it is sound and good and now I shall consider briefly what he saith unto it 1. if so then it is not a punishment without end what warrant he hath to make such an Inference from it I for my part cannot understand for what if that Separation be everlasting as we believe it to be then it will be vanity to say so yea a contradiction too So that this Collection of his is utterly groundless unless he understand this Separation to be by Annihilation and if he do so I have shewed the absurdity of it sufficiently already in disproving the Doctrine of the Annihilation of the wicked 2. R. If they be any where how can they be absent from God seeing God is every where But certainly he must be a very silly man that can think Mr. Perkins was such a fool as to suppose that they could be absent from the Lord in a proper sense or out of his presence I dare say that was very far from his mind and he needed no more to be taught the doctrine of God's Omnipresence than wicked men need to be comforted by his Book against the fears of Damnation yet because he hath mentioned the word Absent from God I may lawfully put him in mind of that Text of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.6 in 2 Cor. while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord he did not think he and the rest of the Faithful were where God is not while they lived in this world and yet he expresses it after that manner because here they were as it were absent from the comfortable presence of God in comparison of that comfort which their Souls should have in his Glorious Presence after they had left their bodies So in this case we mean by the Second Death the total and perpetual Separation of the wicked and impenitent from the comfortable Presence and the glorious Presence of God Luke 13.28 as when they shall be shut out of his glorious Kingdom and depart from Christ to dwell with the Devil and his Angels And though this be not a death properly so called yet it may fitly be called by that name because of the terror of it Death being naturally the most terrible thing as Heaven is fitly called Paradise for the pleasure and purity of it Luke 23 4â—2 though it be not that place which was mentioned in the 2. of Genesis And if a state of worldly troubles may be called a Death in 2. Cor. 1.10 compared with the 8. verse how much more may a state of endless punishment be called by that name See Rev. 21.8 And thus having vindicated Mr. Perkins from Mr. R's cavils I shall pass over the idle discourses of the 139 and 140 pages and speak a few words of that which seems more worthy of my censure in 141 page thus p. 141. R. We read in Rom. 2.31 of very great sinners proud spightful Inventors of evil things and such like yet the word saith not Ro. 6.21 that they are worthy of more than death and if death be the end of these things then there is not any thing to come after death B. This is a rare piece of Learning indeed and such as the common sort of Preachers never had the confidence to teach their hearers either from the Pulpit or the Press But that it may not be thought better of than it deserves let us examine it briefly the main strength of his Speech lies in this That God hath not said that those wicked ones mentioned in that place were worthy of any more than death true indeed they were worthy of no more punishment than death for that death there spoken of is nothing less than eternal Damnation And thus the unpardonable sin 1 Joh. 5.16 called by St. John a sin unto death that is such a sin as necessarily and infallibly brings eternal damnation upon the sinner
All may be taken of all sorts as before and if I should answer thus Mr. R. might find it hard enough to confute it 2. That the will of God is to be distinguished in this case it may signifie either his Appointing will or his Approving * Vid. Chamier de praedestin l. 7. cap. 6. will God may be said to will the Salvation of All in general by his Approving will because he thus willeth them to walk in the way of Salvation and to shun those things that tend to their Ruine As a King may be said to will that none of his subjects should be put to death because he approves not of but wills them to shun those evil ways which make them deserve such punishment from him But yet in case they prove Thieves or Murderers or unsufferable Enemies to the Common-wealth in any other way he wills that they should die for it and appoints them to be put to death and that without any disparagement to his goodness and merciful disposition So in case men will not forsake their wicked ways and turn to God and his true service the Judge of the world doth will their deserved Punishment and will punish them with an Everlasting destruction * 2 Thess 1.9 and that without any impeachment of his Mercy and Goodness In a word he doth not so will the Salvation of All in general as to bring them to Salvation that 's plain since strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to Salvation Matth. 7.14 and few there be that find it And that this Text aforesaid doth not mean any such thing is plain for he would that All should be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth even his Gospel and word of Truth But 't is clear God doth not so will that All should come to the knowledge of his Truth as to bring them infallibly to the knowledge of it Therefore he doth not so Will that all shall be saved as to bring them infallibly to Salvation The Argument is good because the Apostle maketh no difference between God's Willing that All should be saved and his Willing that all should come to the knowledge of his Truth And the word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I find is not active but passive only and accordingly it is rendred in our Translation not He Willeth to Save all but He Willeth that all should be saved The former would infer the certain Salvation of All for who hath resisted his Will but not so the latter as the excellent Author in the Margin hath proved in his most Learned Animadversions against Mr. Hoard * B. Davenant p. mihi 17â— c. which our new Predestinarians I hope have so much wisdom as not to oppose He addeth The Protestants in Poland say there will come a time wherein the fallen Angels and the wickedest men shall be set free from Punishment he means B. And what of all that Doth he think they were infallible that we should believe so meerly because they say so Why did he not set down some of their Reasons for it had he done so I would have been content to examine them as I have done his and doubt not but I could Answer them as easily by God's ordinary assistance 2. Whom doth he mean by the Protestants of Poland If he means the best and soundest Protestants as the Denomination ought to be à potiori I say if he means the Orthodox Protestants of that Countrey such as Arnoldus Maccovius Chrzastovius the latter of which wrote against the Arrians * In cap. 1. Johan Evangel in general as the two former against Socinus and Smalcius or * Author Censurae Confess Socin Salinarius Clementinus Zabarovius Zarnovecius c. If he mean such Protestants of Poland as these and the like I utterly deny that ever they taught such Doctrine and if my Author would read their worthy Works he might soon see very much to the contrary But if he mean the Heretical Protestants of Poland who were called Protestants in opposition to Papists and yet were as bad or worse than Papists in doctrine such as Smalcius Archisevius Ostaradius c. then I do not deny but they might be of the opinion that Mr. R. speaks of But the judgment of these men will not go far with me for I am well assured that such rank Socinians as they were not guided by a good Spirit and I think they were not Protestants or Christians unless in the same sense as Rebels are Subjects i. e. bad Subjects p. 177. R. All men are in God for in him we live and move and have our Being And if all men are in God all men are in Christ for He and the Father are one Jo. 10. Now all confess that all who are in Christ shall be saved Rom. 8.1 B. O admirable profoundness and learning enough to puzzle those Mahometan Priests that blew their blinding Powder into the eyes of the People and no less mischievous to the minds of his deluded Disciples than that Powder was to the Gazâ—rs upon Mahomet's Tomb I dare forfeit one of my Fingers if he can shew me a more base and more wilfully-distorted speech a more gross and wretched piece of sophistry in any of the Writings of the Romish Foxes than this under consideration Surely it is hard to guess which he strained most herein his wits or his conscience For my part I do verily judge that he offered violence to both of them And that he should take so much pains in vain may well be matter of vexation to him and yet so he hath done and no better For consider How all men are in God 1. When it is said in the Acts That in God we live and move and have our Being speaking of Men in general that doth not mean that he is the Saviour of all Men in a special sense but that he is the upholder maintainer and preserver of all Men not that all Men have an interest in his saving mercy but that they are sustained by his power and common providence so as that they could not live or move or have a Being without him Wherefore In him we live is as much as if it were said By him we live c. for the Greek Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth commonly signifie By or Through 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as we find in Hebr. 1.1 God who in times past spake to our Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son where the Greek hath it in the Prophets and in his Son but the sense of it is by the Prophets and therefore our Translators have rendered it by the Prophets c. And so in the Latine 'tis expressed by Per instead of In Daven in Col. cap. 1. v. 16. by Beza and others And other Instances are given by the excellent Bishop
it and providing for it is his natural work which his natural affection moves him to But his threatning or correcting of it is in respect of the other his strange work which he doth not as a Parent but as an offended Parent Thus punishing is God's strange work such as he doth not as he is God but as he is an offended God and yet this work of his may continue for ever as we have an Example in the fallen Angels And I think his everlasting punishment is more plainly as well as more frequently discovered against wicked Men than it is against wicked Spirits in the holy Scripture Lastly The Death of Christ is so far from disproving our Doctrine that it doth most strongly confirm it For if God did punish his Son with an accursed Death when he bare the sins of his People in this World what wonder is it if he punish the impenitent with an everlasting curse or punishment in the World to come Nor did Christ dye to make an atonement for the sins of any such as might easily be proved if it were necessary Proof 16 R. Such Punishment agrees not to the mercifulness of the Creator to his Creature p. 185. to impose such a Punishment on any of them And then he adds some places that say he is rich in mercy and the like B. Surely this would be very good news for the Devils to hear of if it were true But we have our Lord's words to assure us of their everlasting punishment Matth. 25. and elsewhere which shew my Author was mistaken in thinking that it cannot stand with his goodness as he is their Creator Yet we say not that he will punish any thus as they are Creatures but as they are offending and rebellious Creatures And as for his Mercy we have spoken of it before and though it be great yea infinite yet it hath its proper object and will not be acted in opposition to his truth which tells us of everlasting punishment for the wicked as well as of Eternal life for the Righteous Proof 17 R. Sin cannot overcome his love where Sin abounded p. 186. Grace abounds much more Rom. 5.20 This declares the mercy of God to be greater than sin if so the grace of God is to all even to the worst of men for sin abounds in them most And where sin abounds grace saith the Apostle abounds much more If so then all their sins shall be forgiven And if any were to suffer eternally how doth grace abound to them much more where sin hath abounded Answer this if you can B. This is a precious Proof indeed and such as he hath shewed his chiefest strength in and therefore he is pleased to triumph over the poor ignorant Men that Preach up the Doctrine of Everlasting Punishment c. as though he had a certain and an everlasting victory over them as to this particular Thus and thus the case stands and Answer this if you can As brave a Challenge as any Gentleman of his Quality ever need to make to such as we But did he not argue against his own conscience as well as against us and our Doctrine or could he really believe that this Proof was unanswerable if so we shall have cause to consider the words of Solomon The Fool rageth and is confident Behold Sir the work is undertaken your command with me is as good as a Law and I will Answer you if I can And first I will deal with your first Assertion that sin cannot overcome his love which is such a speech as I have seldome met with in any Book but yours If it be meant of God's faithful Servants of humble and penitent sinners I grant that his love will overcome in due time all their sins and be magnified towards them by pardon here and glory hereafter Rom. 8.35 for What shall separate them from the love of Christ Rom. 8. But if he speak of the proud contemners of his Word and ways and the deceitful workers of iniquity that continue such then though we care not to say that their sin doth overcome his love yet we confidently affirm that it will so provoke his wrath as to cause him to punish them for ever in the life to come See Col. 3.6 John 3.36 Matth. 25.46 Psal 92.7 and many other places His second Assertion That God's mercy is greater than sin hath been spoken to already and I need now to say but this about it That it is greater than the sin of Devils and yet Devils shall suffer for ever for their sins and so we may say God's healing power is stronger and greater than Diseases and yet Men dye by them for all that His third Assertion That the grace of God is to all even to the worst of Men if it be meant of his saving grace or such mercy as accompanies salvation is a gross untruth for the Gospel tells us that he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16. v. 16. And his other That all the sins of all Men shall be forgiven is as loud an Error and let him prove it a truth if he can Thus much for his Vanity His Subtilty follows Where sin abounds grace much more abounds Rom. 5.20 therefore the grace of God abounds to all sinners yea to the worst for sin abounds most in them And if they suffer eternally How doth grace or mercy abound to them Yea doubtless this is the Beast that carries the Bell but let us pursue it a little His gross abuse of Rom. 5.20 and we shall perceive that 't is not a pretty Creature but a horrible deformed Monster For I dare challenge Mr. R. and all his Brethren yea all Mankind to shew me any one Text of Scripture that ever was more abominably abused more wretchedly wrested whether by Papists Socinians Atheists or any sort of Men than this Text of St. Paul is in this case by Him For when the Apostle saith where sin did abound grace did abound much more he doth not mean that God will shew himself most gracious to them that have committed the most or greatest sins for then Pharaoh Judas and Jezabel should be more blessed than Moses Joseph and the Virgin Mary And our Damners and Sinkers be more happy than the holy Prophets Apostles and Martyrs For sin hath most abounded in them if we take Mr. R. his sense of the word But the abounding there mentioned is the abounding of it in the sense and feeling of the sinner that God's gracious goodness hath appeared most wonderful in the eyes of those Penitent sinners to whom sin hath appeared most vile and hateful That the abounding of sin in that place is of this nature the words just before will make evident for we read thus therein the Law entred that the offence might abound Surely it was not given to make men abound the more in sin or to make them more sinful than otherwise they would be but to make men more
that be unto them It was grievous to them to be banished from their friends in the world to be shut up close in a Prison or Pest-house from the comfort and Society of their old acquaintance c. But how grievous will it be to be banished from Christ and be separated everlastingly from all the comforts of his Presence and Favour This this will be a bitter thing indeed and more dreadful than a Thousand Deaths for Consider O Christian Rev. 25.23 't is He that is the Glory of Heaven the Eternal Light of that City of God 't is He that is the Angels Joy and at whose Birth they sang an Hymn of Praise a little of His Divine Consolations have revived the drooping Spirits of his Servants have Crowned their Souls with blessed Peace and turned the Shadow of Death into the Morning as the Prophet elegantly expresseth himself How bravely did the Holy Martyrs Triumph over the saddest and sharpest of humane miseries filling their mouths with Glorious Praises when they were ready to be filled with Smoke and Flames and all through the sense of their interest in Christ and the lively hopes of happiness with him after this life ended And in many others of later times The joy of their Lord hath made them more than Conquerers over all the fears and sorrows of Death Millions of Praises to the Lord our God let Heaven and Earth praise Him for he hath remembred us in our low estate and hath redeemed us to himself said that worthy man * Mr. Janway a little before he gave up the Ghost But now those Consolations of Christ which his Saints partake of in Heaven are doubtless far beyond all that they were sensible of here on Earth Phil. 1.21 for to be with him there is far better as St Paul assures us and yet these Consolations shall be no comfort to them that dye in their sins for they shall have nothing to do with them he will say unto them Matth. 25.4 Depart from me ye cursed And O how cursed will their case then be and how miserable will they then account themselves for they will then lose all other comforts with him which is the next thing to be spoken to 2 In their loss of all other comforts Secondly the wicked in the world to come shall lose all other comforts too whatsoever here they took comfort in shall then be taken from them Now they make a good shift without spiritual Consolations and though they seldom think of Christ and his Kingdom with any seriousness yet the thoughts of present enjoyments delight their Souls and Sensual Contentments do supply the want of Spiritual ones unto them But if they come to Hell as they needs must if they go on still in their sins they will miss of all their Sensual enjoyments But to come to some particulars 1. Wealth and Honour 1. They will lose their worldly wealth and honour they that minded their mony more than Heaven shall lose both Heaven and money too Their Riches will not profit saith the Scripture in the day of wrath the heat of that day will melt their best coin for all things of this inferior world shall be dissolved and burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 They shall see all their pleasant things in flames before themselves are cast into the fiery-lake How speedily will their stately Buildings curious Gardens costly Clothes and richest Jewels then be spoiled and destroyed for ever Their meat and drink will also be denyed unto them because they despised the Bread of Life and wilfully starved their precious Souls and desired not in truth of heart the sincere milk of the Word that they might grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. Their Minds and Memories and Consciences will have many foul sins to feed on but their mouths will have no fine bits to feed on for whatsoever Sensual good may be expected in the Turks Airy Paradise 't is sure there is no such thing to be hoped for in the Devils fiery prison Their honours also will be then at an end since they must arise to shame and everlasting contempt Dan 12.2 2. Loss of rest and ease 2. The Damned will lose all bodily rest and ease and sleep The place of Torment they must be cast into will admit of no refreshment at all They that wearied others with their wickedness before will then be wearied with it themselves and though they could sleep very soundly in God's house of Prayer yet they shall not sleep so much as one wink in his house of punishment That saddest word Go ye cursed will keep them awake for evermore They shall lose also all their carnal Mirth and Worldly Joy 3. Mirth Here they had it many of them in abundance their hearts were light when their Consciences were loaded with guilt And though they said unto God Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy ways yet the Pipers and Singers were more welcome to them Job 21. they take pleasure in the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound thereof yea rather than want Mirth they will laugh at Religion and make Doctrine and Use the matter of their Sport But then these things will be at an end the Candle of the wicked will be put out They that would not take up Religion nor chuse God's Fear lest it should make them dull and melancholy shall then be merry no more for the Matter of their Mirth we have seen will then be taken from them and God will distribute Sorrows in his Anger yea their own eyes shall see their destruction Job 21.17.20 and they shall drink of the Wrath of the Almighty as it is set forth in that Chapter Quest But how shall they live may some say in such a condition For will not so much misery break their hearts and will not life fail when it hath no means to support it no food nor sleep c. Answer I Answer No that may not be imagined They must needs live still because God will not suffer them to dye they that lived on earth as though they had thought their Souls were mortal shall in Hell find their bodies to be immortal they shall be raised incorruptible 1 Cor. 15. and what if they want the natural means of Life as food and sleep yet the principal cause of Life will still remain even the will and pleasure of the Almighty But I shall not say any thing more of this point here having spoke unto it already and maintained it against the wisest of Mr. R's oppositions Object But say some the Saints themselves must part with their worldly comforts at last as well as the ungodly the universal flames will burn up their dwellings c. as surely as the dwellings of the wicked Sol. True indeed But though they must part with these things yet they shall be no losers thereby because they shall have better instead of them Instead of Natural delights they