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
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
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
consumed c. Then it follows Thus v. 13. shall my Anger be accomplished as much as if he had said Hereby shall my threatning of judgment in the 8 and 9 verses be fulfilled and made good And what is that to prove that there is no worse thing for the worst of them than temporal judgments and corporal death Surely they that can gather such a conclusion from it are as bad Logicians as the Mahometan Priests that he so merrily mentioneth in the former part of his Book Thus Reader I have considered his various considerations and they that duly consider what hath been said in answer to them will not be rung to sleep in their sins by the Musick of those sweet sounding Bells CHAP. III. SECT III. Mr. Richardson's Richest Learning discovered or his many infallible proofs disproved R. p. 126. line 6 and 7 c. many infallible proofs that there is not to be any punishment after this life that shall never end B. UNgodly sinners are more than secure enough in their evil wayes though we tell them never so often from the word of the Everlasting Miseries they are liable to How safe then may they think themselves now when such a man as Mr. R. hath given them not only some Conjectures against them or probabilities of escaping them nor barely some various Considerations to comfort their hearts against the fears of Hell but proofs to the contrary yea Infallible proofs and many of them too that sinners may take their choice and see which likes them best and which they may best trust to to secure them from the storms of endless wrath Will they not now bless themselves in their iniquities and think themselves almost as safe in a way of sin as in a way of obedience and go as chearfully to a Play-house or a worse House as to a Steeple-house to use the witty word of the religious Separatists And now by all means let us take his infallible proofs since we may have so good a bargain in them viz. more than Nineteen to the Dozen for he mentions no less than Twenty of them And by the way was it not strange yea most exceeding strange that there should be so many proofs of it to be found and yet none of them appear to the eyes of his many Betters such as St. Austine Chrysostome Calvin Beza Whitaker Whately Perkins Bolton and such like that are mentioned by my Author himself and are confessed to be pious as well as Learned Men. It seems their Prayers could not obtain that measure of Illumination in this particular which his have done for he hath made this discovery not only by the strength of his wits but also and especially by the fervency and frequency of his Prayers as he tells us in the Epistle to the Reader in these words I upon often seeking God and diligent search c. am fully perswaded that it is the truth which I contend for Well but whatsoever his perswasions may be we must not be perswaded by him any further than we have reason for it Let us consider his infallible proofs and if they prove to be infallible I will confess Him to be as good a Man as the Pope R. Proof 1. The Scriptures hold forth no such thing p. 126. and we ought not to presume above that which is written Things revealed belong to us Deut. 29. B. They that purpose to poison Men are not wont to give them pure poison but rather to mix it with some thing that is good and wholesome that it may go down the more freely and unsuspected So they that lye in wait to deceive the weak and to corrupt their minds with Pestilent Doctrines and Opinions will not present them with any thing less than a mixture of Truth and Error together that they may receive the one to make way for the other Just thus hath my Author done herein for as it is a truth that revealed things belong to us so it is as apparently false that the Doctrine of Everlasting Punishments for the wicked in Hell is not revealed in Scripture See the 1. Chapter of this Book R. Proof 2d Their Opinion of a Punishment never to end is contrary to the Word of God B. The Devil is a Lyar and his Servants to my knowledge do not always speak true and many times also they have as little of shame in them as they have of truth or goodness in them But how shall this which he hath said be proved Why thus From those places of Scripture which speak of everlasting life p. 127. as the proper portion of Believers as in particular John 3. last verse He that believeth not the Son shall not see life and several other Scriptures to the same purpose B. But if this be an infallible proof I am very much mistaken It is not such indeed nor doth it look like such to the eyes of them that understand it Let us observe the nature of it He that believeth not shall not see life whence he would have us conclude that such a person shall not live for ever and consequently not live in Punishment for ever But what reason is there why we should make any such conclusion from thence for to see life in that place doth not signifie barely to have life or to be alive for so it is not a truth since they shall live again at the last Day and be raised out of their Graves Joh. 5.29 yea be raised incorruptible in 1 Cor. 15. and many other places Wherefore to see life is a figurative expression for as by life is signified glory and happiness life being naturally the sweetest thing and so very fit to express the state of glory by so by seeing is meant enjoying As when it is said Matth. 5.3 Heb. 12.14 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God and in Heb. 12.14 Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. We know and are assured from the Revelations that every eye shall see the Lord even the Lord Jesus Christ who is Lord of all and by whom all things were created in Colos 1.16 and the most part of Men never were partakers of true holiness nor ever will be and therefore the most part shall see him without holiness So that to see in that place must be meant of enjoying the Lord in glory and so we grant none shall see him in that sense without holiness And the like may be said of seeing good or good days in 1 Pet. 3. it must needs be meant of enjoyment and partaking that good as 't is plain This therefore is no proof at all of it much less an infallible proof The next attempt which he maketh for the proof of it is from those places of Scripture p. 128. where mention is made of their Perishing and Destruction They shall be destroyed for ever and the ungodly shall perish and the like in the Book of Psalms and elsewhere But for my part I think
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
the exercise of Mercy and works of Love in particular more than Sacrifices at the hands of his people for the particle there used is not an absolute Negative but a Comparative only as in the Text before Ezek. 18.23 Vid. Rivet in Hos 6.6 where the Particle not doth not deny his pleasure to punish but compares his will of punishing with his will of returning and of their Salvation in case they turn in Truth and prefers the latter before the former Now if we do but state the matter thus and infer the conclusion according to the sense of the Text it will need little or nothing more to be said for its confutation for who sees not the vanity of this Argument God regards the exercise of Charity and Works of mercy more than Sacrifices therefore none shall be punished for ever c. If he will take leave to infer thus I will give him leave to make the same conclusion from the History of Job's Cattel or the fiery Tails of Sampsons Foxes He concludes this Proof with a very great truth That God abhors cruelty but 't is such a Truth as little concerns either his design it self or the things that he had said immediately before but is brought in by the head and shoulders and is forced to stand in this improper place by the meer violence of his Resolute Pen. If he would make it serve his turn he must of necessity make it appear that God cannot punish an impenitent sinner everlastingly without being cruel which I am confident he cannot do and do verily hope he will not undertake to do And if he think so I might easily subdue his error if it be not maintained by an invincible perverseness and that by telling him wherein the cruelty of a punishment consisteth to wit not in the duration of it or degree of it but in the nature and merit of it As first when the person punished is not fit to bear the punishment as if a man should punish the perverseness of a child with a Rack instead of a Rod or as if he should disown and disinherit him for some smaller acts of disobedience to him This were cruelty because the punishment in the one is of such a nature as is unfit for the child to bear and in the other because 't is such as is not due for such an offence nor deserved by it as it respects man And therefore our honest Professors that revile and reproach us behind our backs for preaching God's word and taking their Tythes and make lyes of us for telling them the sad Truths that concern them are like enough to be indicted for cruelty when the Judge of the world shall come for though these things through his good Providence do not hurt us much yet they are things that are not deserved upon the former accounts and therefore are no better than cruelties in the eyes of him whose we are and whom we serve And on the other side though a punishment be never so great and grievous yet if it be such as the person punished doth deserve for his offence it is not cruelty but justice That wretched Villain Ravilliack that murthered that Renouned King of France in his Coach King Henry the IVth if I mistake not was afterwards taken and Tormented to death in a fearful manner yet I believe there were few honest men that ever accused his Judge of cruelty for condemning him to such a death because they knew he had well deserved it by the horrid crime he had committed And now having taken so much pains to make good his bad cause in the nineteen Proofs that we have seen there is no doubt but he will make the best use he can of his strength and skill in his 20th and last Proof as the Candle gives a great light a little before it goes out And behold what it is Proof 20 R. 'T is not for the glory of God to impose such a Punishment upon any man p. 189. for glory lieth not in imposing great and terrible Punishment but in mercy and forgiveness Exod. 34.6 7. But by his leave I judge otherwise and do not doubt but it is for his glory to impose great Punishment upon the wicked namely for the glory of his Justice which he doth not so much as pretend to disprove unless it be by telling us that glory consisteth in mercy and forgiveness for which he alledgeth Exod. 34.6 7. And how vain all this wisdome is a few Lines may discover for certainly God's glory doth not lye only in mercy and forgiveness for he was glorified upon his greatest Enemies even hard-hearted Pharaoh himself Rom. 9.17 yet he was not glorified in a way of mercy upon him but in a way of vengeance and severity and the same may be said of the Devils And in that Text in Exodus as the Lord proclaims himself to be merciful and gracious so one that will by no means clear the guilty or wicked so remaining And the not clearing of them is not an act of mercy my Author himself being Judge Then he adds thus R. Proverbs 10.12 'T is said Love covereth all sins But what of that for it doth not mean that God's love will cover or forgive all Men's sins penitent or impenitent no sure the Prophet tells us of some Esay 27.11 That he that made them will not have mercy upon them 'T is meant therefore of the love of Men one towards another Love so far as it prevails will cause a Man to cover to wit to overlook and pass by the sins of his Brethren against him vid. Synopsin crit in Pro. 10.12 so far as with a good conscience he may But he proceeds R. God doth all things for his glory p. 190. and it is more for his glory to save all men than to save a few In what sense we hold that few shall be saved hath already been shewed To wit comparatively with them that dye in their sins and perish for otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Rev. 7.9 the number of them that are saved is a great number Now if Mr. R. supposeth that 't is more for God's glory to save all Men than to save some only he may enjoy his Opinion but ought not to impose it upon us as an undoubted truth without a sufficient proof which he hath not been pleas'd to give us The Apostle speaks all in a Verse of them that are saved 1 Cor. 1.18 and of them that perish Surely then God doth not save all for we read of some that perish but he doth what is most for his glory saith Mr. R. himself Therefore it is not most for his glory to save all or to save the Impenitent And if it were most for his glory to save all Men why would it not be most for his glory to save all the Angels too for is not their nature as noble and their salvation as precious as Man's And yet
following Considerations 1. That there is in God Bonitas Regiminis as well as Beneficentiae In plain English thus There is in God the goodness of a Governour and the goodness of a Benefactor now his punishing the wicked with Eternal Damnation is not at all contrary to his goodness in either of these sences 1. 'T is plain It is not contrary to the goodness of his Government He is the great Governour of the World and therefore is called a King a great King the King eternal c. in Holy Scripture Malac. 1.14 1 Tim. 1.17 Cap. 6.15 and as he is such it belongeth to him to punish obstinate and impenitent offenders according to their deserts and without this the goodness of his Government namely the wisdom and righteousness of it would not be discovered to his Creatures Even amongst Men they are not accounted good Governours that do not punish the disobedient according to their deserts and maintain the honour of Government thereby And if a Man suppose that the wicked do not deserve to be punished for ever who would gladly be wicked for ever he little knows what wickedness is and the equity of this dispensation hath been cleared in the first Chapter of this Book towards the end of it 2. It is the goodness of God's nature that he hates sin and wickedness 'T is his Excellency that he cannot look on iniquity else he were not a Holy God and without Holiness he could not be a God indeed for his Holiness is Essential to him and therefore when he would swear by himself he swears by his Holiness Now if the goodness of his nature doth make him to hate sin it cannot be any disparagement to his goodness to punish it accordingly since the punishing of it is but the just demonstration of his hatred against it and he that shall go about to argue the contrary will shew himself a bad Logician and a worse Christian 3. If it were not contrary to his goodness to threaten Everlasting Punishment and Destruction to the wicked Matth. 25. 2 Thess 1. c. and to tell us of such Punishment for them so continuing then certainly it cannot be contrary to his goodness to make good that word by inflicting such punishment Whatsoever Men pretend herein for the extolling of God's goodness yet he will not think himself honoured by them when they would exalt it against his Holiness and Truth 4. These Learned Objectors should not act so unlearnedly as to argue the doing of that upon the account of his goodness which cannot be done upon the account of his wisdome nor complain of his casting those into Hell whom his wisdome sees to be utterly unfit for Heaven The Enemies of God and Holiness are not fit to dwell in his Holy place A Swine is fitter for a Prince's Presence-chamber than an unholy Soul for Heaven And if Hell be fitter for them than Heaven 't is fit that they should be sent to Hell rather than Heaven for 't is fit they should have what is fittest for them If an ungodly Man should be brought to Heaven it would be little comfort to him yea I doubt not but he would count it a misery if he should come there in such a state The imperfect graces of his People on Earth as discovered in gracious practises are matter of trouble and grief unto him and he had rather be amongst the Beasts of the Field than be in company with those that would move him to be Holy in good earnest How contrary then would the Holiness of God be unto him and what a vexation would it be to him to see those glorified whom he so much delighted to vilifie and disgrace to see those silly precise ones as he counted them sitting with Christ upon his Throne whom he thought more worthy to be trodden under foot by such as he Thus miserable would an ungodly Man be in Heaven and is it not fitter that he should be miserable in Hell Is it not more proper and congruous that he should torment himself in the place of Torment than in the place of Glory and Blessedness And secondly Let me tell the Objector that God will sufficiently appear to be good in a way of Beneficence also though the wicked be under Everlasting Condemnation This is so plain that I need not spend much time in the proof of it for it would not be accounted a reasonable thing that a King on Earth should be charged with unmercifulness for condemning of Rebels to perpetual Imprisonment He will appear a gracious and bountiful King for all that while he takes care of the honour and safety of his true Subjects Thus will the King of Heaven appear to be bountiful and gracious and abundant in goodness in his gracious dealings towards all his faithful Servants 2. He is very bountiful to the wicked themselves yea to the very worst of them here in this World He gives them that Breath which they so often breathe out to his dishonour and the reproach of his Gospel He gives them all that time which now they mispend and those precious means of grace which they so unthankfully despise and abuse He gives them drink to quench their thirst though they drown their reason with it and preserves them every minute and moment from many secret and unknown dangers besides those that are open and visible in which respect he is said to be the Saviour of all Men. * 1 Tim. 4.10 Yea he gives them time to repent and promises of mercy when they unfeignedly return from sin to his service in Esay 55.7 c. And as for the Number of them that perish which Coelius Of the Number of the Damned and Mr. R. think so strangely of we may easily perceive it is not so much to be wondered at nor may not be imagined to be any disparagement to the Divine Goodness A sober Christian may receive some satisfaction from the words of his Lord in Matth. 7.14 Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat Is it fit these Men should make a question of that which their Lord who is Truth it self hath so positively told us Nevertheless I shall add a few Considerations to rectifie our thoughts hereabouts that on that account we may not charge our God foolishly And 1. How many soever they be that perish yet none of God's true servants ever shall John 10.28 Christ will give them eternal life and they shall never perish John 10. 2. Those many that perish were all out of the way of Salvation and would not be perswaded to turn into it by a true Conversion What wonder if Destruction and Misery be their end when they are in their ways as St. Paul in Rom. 3.16 Destruction and misery are in their ways and the way of peace they have not known He that chuseth to travail in a Ship that is bound for Spain may not wonder if at last he