The Title Page noticed.

THE charitable author of the pamphlet, intitled, Salvation for all Men, unhappily stumbles and falls at the threshold of his performance: For even the title page is not without its er­rors.—It is this, Salvation for all men illustrated and vindicated as a scripture doctrine.

HAD the writer intended and said, Salvation for all men revealed and offered in the gospel; this would have passed well enough for a scriptural doctrine. But, that all men shall actually obtain salvation sooner or later, which is the intent and meaning of this writer; this cannot be fairly illustrated from the sacred writings; nor can it be truly and honestly vindicated as a scriptural doctrine.

BUT how is it proposed to illustrate and vindicate this? Not, it should seem, from the studies and endeavours of this generous well-wisher to all mankind; but in numerous extracts from a variety of pi­ous and learned men, who have purposely written on this subject; toge­ther with their answer to the objections urged against it.

WE are not certain as to the piety and learning of these persons, to be hereafter quoted by him. The extracts from them afford no suffi­cient evidence of the one or the other. But, were they ever so learn­ed and pious, they were only weak and fallible mortals, like their neighbours: And it will be found, upon due examination, that they have imbibed error, and endeavoured to promote it.

THE author of this pamplet, or the collector of these various ex­tracts, is pleased to give himself the flattering title of One who wishes well to all mankind. But his whole farrago of extracts gives no satis­factory evidence of his being so: For it is probable, that his ex [...]racts may prove hurtful and ruinous to many: And, if they should do so, his wishing them well will make no sufficient amends for it.

THE collector then quotes the speech of the Angel to the Shepherds at Bethlehem.—And he is chargeable with a faulty misapplication of it: For the good tidings of great joy, promulged by the Angel to all people, was the birth of the Saviour, the CHRIST of GOD: But if [Page 6] this extractor meant to insinuate, as he doubtless did, that the Angel declared universal salvation to be given to all people, as matter of great joy to them; as it is not true, we see not but that he must be taxed as handling the word of the Lord by his Angel deceitfully.

AND now having got over the threshold, we may go into the porch, or the preface, and give a few strictures upon the same before we en­ter into the dome, that is constructed of trash, errors and falshoods.

The Preface considered.

THE preface begins, That mankind shall universally, in the final issue of the gospel plan of mercy, be de [...]ivered from the bondage of cor­ruption. and be admitted to the felicity of the sons of GOD, is no novel doctrine, as many may be ready to imagine. It is very true, as he says, that it is no novel doctrine: But in truth it is an old error revived, that has been again and again refuted, and repeatedly exploded; and like Jonah's g [...]urd, it has come up in a night, and perished in a night.

THEN the preface goes on; it was, as some writers on the subject have observed, received as a revealed truth by Origen and Clemens of Alexandria, in the latter end of the second century.

IN answer to which it may be said, that it is questionable whether Origen received this as a revealed truth, that all men will be saved, and even the Devils too; though he has often been taxed with hold­ing this. For we are well assured, that one Ruffians has taken the unbecoming and licentious liberty with Origen's works to leave out of them, and to add to them, as he pleased; which, as that learned and judicious writer of ecclesiastical history, Mr. Du Pin, has observed, has occasioned some to doubt, whether a great part of those works, published under his name, were Origen's or no.

AND as for Clemens of Alexandria, though he writes indeed of one Ephesies, who learned from barbarous philosophy, that there is an ex­purgation by fire of them that have lived badly; yet we do not recollect that he any where writes this as his own sentiment, and that he tho't all mankind would be finally happy. And although he writes in his fourth book of Stromes, that whensoever sinners do repent, whether here in this world, or in the next, they may be received to GOD's mercy; it must be said, that nothing can be offered from the sacred writings to support it, as to the future world. —But this his assertion is not only contrary to the sacred scriptures, but it shews a forgetful­ness of what he had written before and is inconsistent with it: For he had before asserted, that after our calling to the knowledge of the truth, p [...]l; GOD might grant to them, that have sinned a recovery into their former state for once or twice by repentance: But if they should fall oftener into sin, then there is no more restitution to be expected or hoped for, but a fearful looking for a final judgment.—Clemens there­fore may here be set against Clemens.

[Page 7]BUT was it really fact, that both these fathers received and owned this tenet, the salvation of all, as an evangelical truth? It must be acknowledged however, that they were really but mistaken mortals: And they have actually shewed themselves to be so, by admitting as a revealed truth, if they have done so, a palpable error.

IT is then added by the prefacer; It appears from Austin and Je­rom, and other celebrated writers in their day, that it was not then a new or uncommon tenet.

BUT this is a very fallacious account: And, if the writer of it was acquainted with Austin's and Jerom's works; he writes not honestly, but with a design to deceive: For many, by this account, would be led to think, that those fathers were favourers of this tenet of univer­sal salvation: Whereas both of them have written plainly, explicitly and strongly against it.

THE prefacer then mentions a variety of books in various languages, published in favor of this doctrine; and particularly an ingenious piece written in French by a noble minister in the court of the King of Prussia, stiled, A treatise on the universal restitution of the creation: What a pity it is, that our prefacer has not favored us with some ex­tracts from this ingenious piece?—But these writers that have been mentioned have never yet shewed themselves able to prove, to the sa­tisfaction of the wise and judicious, the universal salvation of men and of [...] [...]se.

HEREUPON this new writer adds, that there is a considerable number of other books on the same subject now extant in English And what then? this is only telling us, what we knew before, that mankind are prone to errors; and they are apt too soon and easily both to re­ceive them, and to promote them, as far as they can, among others.

BUT here our prefacer sees cause to mention one or two, out of many others, as favourers of his charming doctrine of universal sal­vation.

THE first of these is " Jeremiah White, chaplain to Oliver Cromwell; (who, by the way, had no chaplain to his own particular family, nor wanted one; for he always blessed his own houshold; though he had a chaplain for his state family;) and an eminently pious good man, who has written a large book in vindication of God's goodness to be ma­nifested at last in the recovery of the whole lower creation from the fall." If by this lower creation, we understand the whole terraqueous globe; this will undoubtedly be recovered from its present morbid and languishing condition. But, if it is to be understood, that all the finally wicked and impenitent will be recovered to perfect hap­piness; the pious good man has advanced an idle whim and an erro­neous fancy.

THEN after pious good White, Dr. Hartley is mentioned as a man of known serious piety, who, in his observations on man, has several chapters on the salvation of all men: And it is said of him, that he [Page 8] was a disciple of Mr. John Wesley; and, in common with him and all his followers, a believer in the restoration of all mankind in God's time and way to final happiness.

MR John Wesley may be a precious good man too, as well as the Doctor his disciple; and the rest of his disciples may be precious good people also: With all our hearts.—But good people may hold errors; and with respect to the point of doctrine which they are said to hold, we scruple not to say, it is an error that is held in common by them, and may endanger the happiness of others, as well as their own.

BUT why must good Dr. Hartley be introduced and commended for holding this error as a truth? If the real truth of the case had been known by this prefacer, he should have been so fair and candid as to have informed his readers, that the good doctor was strong in the opinion concerning fatality: and in order to support this favou­rite doctrine, he found it necessary to bring forward, and plead for, the error of the universal salvation of men: And herein he has dis­played a consistence in his errors: For if GOD be the cause or author of all the actions in the world, good and bad; does it not seem fit and right to render the doers of the bad actions, as well as good, fi­nally happy? for they have acted by his impulse and according to his will, when they have been disobedient to his commandments.— Thus, we may see, that one error prepares the way for the support of another; as indeed this doctrine of universal salvation opens the door for the reception and maintenance of other errors and delusions: and therefore all considerate people have need to be on their guard against it.

BUT let us now see, what our prefacer says, it may not be unsea­sonable to add here▪ and this is, as follows: It is freely and fully acknowledged by all the above writers, that many among the sons and daughters of Adam will pass through a state of unutterable misery, before they will be prepared for and admited to, the joys of GOD'S presence in the heavenly world.

WHAT a fine discovery have we here! Though it is no novelty. Here are some persons, that would be thought by themselves and o­thers Protestants, who however are represented as declaring for the Popish doctrine of purgatory, though not in plain and explicit terms, yet in truth and reality: for they think, that the wicked, by passing through a state of unutterable misery, are to be prepared for a state of perfect happiness. And is not this state of misery then to be accounted purgatorial? Precious doctrine indeed, which can neither profit them that advance it, nor any others! There is however one thing wanting to complete the scheme; and this is, There should be certain priests set apart to say masses for the rest of their souls in purgatory, and their release from it! And they should do this kind [...]ice for them on the account of some pecuniary consideration.

[Page 9]THIS state of unutterable misery, the prefacer judges it proper to mention as taking place before the restoration of the wicked to happi­ness; because, as he acquaints us, a stranger under the assumed character of a preacher in direct contradiction, not only to all the writers before-mentioned, but to the whole tenor of the new testa­ment books, has held forth the doctrine of universal salvation; and, according to him, a man may go to heaven, notwithstanding all the sins that he has been guilty of in the course of his life.

BUT wherein he judges another, does he not condemn his own self? For is it not the plain and manifest tendency of the doctrine col­lected by our extracter to shew forth the universal salvation of men, and even the very worst of them, after some intervening and unutter­able punishment: And where then is the mighty difference between this stranger and this novel extracter? For they converge and meet in the same point of doctrine, the salvation of all.

AND yet our prefacer says, with a placid air and a great deal of assurance such a doctrine looks very like an encouragement to liberti­nism; and falls in with the scheme of too many in this degenerate age; who, under pretence of promoting religion, undermine it at the very root.

WITHOUT criticising here on the undermining of a root instead of a foundation; we will venture to say, that not only the doctrine of the wandering stranger but the strange doctrine of our extracter, whether he has the real or assumed character of a preacher or not, not only looks like, but they both really and in fact are encouragements to libertinism: And, if they should be generally received and enter­tained, they not only may, but certainly will, prove as hurtful to civil society as to religion.

HEREUPON the preface writer delivers a pathetic wish; would to GOD it might be realized as an undoubted truth, that there is the same reason to believe there is a Hell, as a Heaven.—And may we not take leave to add our fervent wish? Would to GOD it might be realized, that there is the same reason from scripture to believe, that the punishment of the wicked in Hell will be eternal, as there is to believe, that the happiness of the righteous in Heaven will be so? For the very same terms are used for the former as for the latter. And we unite with the preface writer in saying, that those, who are infidels as to the former, would do well to take care, lest they should know from their own experience the horrors, and we add the eternal ones, of that dreadful place.

THE prefacer lets us know, that the following doctrine, held forth in his extracts, is capable of being perverted and abused: Which, he says is the truth with every other doctrine.—And we are taught to conceive, that the christian religion is the doctrine according to God­liness: And we have cause to be persuaded, that every truth of this religion is calculated and adapted to promote piety and virtue: Whereas every error and falshood has a contrary tendency: And [Page 10] this verily is the ease of that particular error, which is held forth by our well wishing extracter. And, if any turn the grace, which our prefacer intends to magnify, into wantonness; while they may re­flect proper [...] on themselves, they may possibly bla [...]e and curse him, who has [...]rawn and led them on to a state of unutterable and long punishment, even for ages of ages, and to an awful degree of it.

BUT, after getting over the threshold, and passing through the por [...]h, we come now [...]nto the house itself, the building of hay and stubble, that is not [...] put together, nor will be able to stand the trial.

All men will not be finally and eternally saved.

THE pamphlet, intitled, Salvation for all men, is aptly designed and accommodated to make bad men easy, and cause them to conti­nue deceived and hardened in their wicked and vicious choices and ways; and to unhinge the minds of serious and well disposed per­sons from the truth, on which they were settled, and to betray them into errors, iniquity and ruin.

IT may probably therefore be of some consequence and advantage to take this insidious pamphlet into a serious and impartial conside­ration, and to shew the erroneous and wrong notions that are con­veyed in it and by it. And as this has been requested by a number of serious, virtuous and godly persons; hence it has been underta­ken.

THE author of the pamphlet would have us to think him contra­ry and opposite to the notion that has been carried about by a stran­ger from England, who, instead of following the business of the world, has been preaching up the general salvation of all mankind, without any future punishment at all for the wicked; for, according to him, as it is said, their follies and crimes will be laid on the De­vil: And he therefore alone will bear the punishment of them.

BUT although this author appears to be averse to the doctrine of this stranger; and he owns and professes himself to be a believer of the punishment of the wicked in the future state; yet he is plainly for confining this punishment, however severe and unutterable, to a limited season: And he has ransacked some books, and produced some authorities, to support his hypothesis and to gain it a favoura­ble reception among mankind.

NOW we shall take some proper notice of his plausible sayings; and we shall consider and animadvert on his produced authorities: which, whatsoever they are, it maketh no matter to us: GOD accepteth no man's person: He calleth whom he will to his service; and he dis­penses his gifts and benefits to whomsoever he pleases

THE doctrine of the future state of punishment, as to the eternity of it, if not as to the extremity of it, seems by some accounts to [...] been attacked in the beginning of the second century from the birth [Page 11] of our Lord. However it stood its ground against the gain sayers at that time and afterwards. And both Austin, the celebrated mi­nister of Hippo in Africa▪ and the learned Father Jerom. bare their testimony against it, as having an unhappy tendency to promote and encourage all manner of vice and wickedness and a continuance in the same.

BUT since those early times of christianity, this doctrine of the eternal duration of the punishment of the wicked has been opposed at one time and another by some particular persons; and it has been so particularly in the present century, as well as in that pre­ceeding it: However it has not yet been subverted; but it has stood its ground; Nor is it to be overthrown by any thing we have yet seen advanced against it, nor will it be overturned: For the truth is great and strong; and though for a season there my be a running upon it and a striving against it, it will surely prevail and stand se­cure.

BUT, in order to its standing and prevailing against opposition, it is highly proper and requisite, that some one or other should set the present truth in a fair light, prove it a christian doctrine, and endeavour to establish wavering christians in the faith of it, left, being led away with the error of the deceiving or the wicked, they should fall from their stedfastness.

THE collector of other men's sentiments begins with acquainting us, that after some pertinent observations; [for the pertinence of which, as we have not the book, we must implicitly rely on his judgment and saying] the pious and ingenious Mr. White proceeds in the following manner, &c —Here, as the extract is large, it is ra­ther too long to write: And there is no need of it, especially as there is no argument and convictive evidence to support it. We shall only say at present of the long extract, that it is a meerly fan­ciful harangue, in a declamatory way and with a great flow of words, to shew what a love he has for mankind and how pleased he is wi [...]h the notion, that they are all like to be happy. And as this appears to be a favourite and most beautiful tenet to this ingenious master White, he discovers himself to be dotingly fond of it: for it removes vari­ous difficulties; it is ravishing to his own heart; it is a most com­fortable doctrine for the human race; and, according to his view of it, very honorary to the divine being.

THIS fine introduction of Mr. ingenious White, which our collec­tor says breathes a spirit of piety and benevolence, is however only a specious and plausible representation of error: nor is there any thing in it but fancy and flourish to support and establish the truth of it.

AND as the extracter himself is aware of this, he therefore re­marks, that, after the ending of this introduction, our author (he pi­ous Mr. White) proceed [...] to confirm the doctrine of [...]n universal res­toration of the human race by a variety of testimonies from scripture. And our collector kindly promises, that, in order not to be tedious he [Page 12] will endeavour to give the ideas of the author in as few words as possible. We may take it very well, that he has kindly promised not to be tedious: and we shall use our endeavours to shew, in as few words as possible, that Mr. White, with all his ingenuity, has mista­ken and misinterpreted the meaning of those scriptural testimonies, and we shall produce much superior and more established authorities than his that he has not given the right sense and meaning of them.

THE first text that he produces is found, 1 Tim. ii. 3.4. God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and come to the know­ledge of the truth. Upon which Mr. White observes that the letter of this text is full and express: God will have all men to be saved: And should we press it, there are almost as many arguments as words. For 1st, it is not said, that God would have all men to be saved by his good will, but that he authoritatively wills it; wills it as a being of supreme, uncontroulable power; a being, that will be obeyed inspite of the corrupt dispositions of men or the mischievous arts of de­vils: It is a fixed, determinate immutable will, not transient nor re­vokable: Thus powerfully and irresistably does God will all men to be saved. This is all gratis dictum, freely said of his own head▪ and has no truth in it: For God has no where said in his word, that he authoritatively wills the salvation of all men, so as powerfully and irresistably to effect it. But he goes on, As God wills the end, he wills the necessary means leading to it: he will have all men come to the knowledge of the truth: For, no man is or can be sanctified and saved without the knowledge of the truth —And further he remarks that this will has its ground in the essential benevolence of the divine nature. And to what does this amount, but that God is not willing that any should perish? And he has therefore furnished them with the means of grace and salvation. But, as to God's absolutely, powerfully and irresistably willing it, so as that it shall certainly and infallibly take place, the word of God says no such thing: and he not only adds to the word of God in saying as he has, but he palms an untruth upon it.—And yet to his corrupt fancy he applies, 1 Tim. vi. 13. that, God quickens all things: which intends and means, that he from his quickning influence maketh all things that are living, to be alive: which is nothing to his purpose. And then, says he, our saviour tells us, all things live to God▪ as in Luke xx. 38: which is in Greek Pantes, all, not things; but it means men, particularly the pious and faithful Patriarchs before mentioned: and this is far from his in­tention and meaning: but there is one thing, which follows, that is quite inexcuseable. Mark, says he, who is this Saviour, i. e. of all men? It is GOD, and not CHRIST. Let us only look into 1 Tim. ii. 3, and we shall see who is God our Saviour: And we shall see, that in the Greek it runs, in the sight of the Saviour our GOD: and servants are enjoined to shew all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of GOD our Saviour in all things, in Tit. ii. 10. But it is in the Greek, that they may adorn the doctrine of the Saviour, our GOD in all things: And how contrary is this to the interpretation of Mr. White, as well as other Arians. However it is the truth as it is in Jesus, the saviour GOD, and worthy of acceptation.

[Page 13]BUT we shall now produce some testimonies, that are preferable to Mr White's that are sufficient to invalidate the wrong design and and, for which he has cited and misinterpreted the sacred text in the forecited 1 Tim. ii 3.

GOD then will have all men to be saved. The famous Austin ^* understands all men to mean not every man; but some of all kinds of men, as kings and plebeians; some men and me women; some Spaniards; some Hollanders, &c. And Beza approves of this expo­sition: And indeed this sense appears to agree with the preceding context where prayers are enjoined to be made for all men, for kings and all that are in authority &c. And Arnobius, ^† another antient writer, interprets the text thus for us that he, God our Saviour, makes the power of coming to him uniformly to the highest and lowest, to ser­vants, to women, to boys: The fountain of life lays open to all: nor is any one prohibited or driven from the right of drinking. And that they may be saved he would have them to come to the knowledge of the truth And this, the learned Grotius says, is the knowledge of evan­gelical truth: ^§ It is therefore in this way, the knowledge of evange­lical truth, so as to be conformed to it, that the children of men may expect to be saved. But may they expect to be brought to this saving knowledge in the land of darkness and misery? We have no war­rant for thinking any such thing from the word of God. And, without this saving knowledge can they reasonably look for happi­ness?

OUR extracter then tells us, that our author Mr. White, further illustrates his reasoning by the following words: For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time; as at the 5th and 6th verses. 1. There is one GOD, or more properly as he says, God is one. Though it is more literally and exactly in the Greek, one God This he strangely explains, all men, reprobated as well as elect, have one and the self same GOD. But, if he means, that GOD is the self-same GOD to the reprobate, as well as to the elect, to bless them and make them eternally happy; he is grosly mistaken himself, and he tries to deceive others by it.—Again, 2. The Mediator is also one: And he interprets it, that He is the Me­diator between GOD and all men: He is not nearer to one party of the human race than another. But he says more than he has au­thority from the text to say, and he sinfully adds to it. —And, 3. This Mediator gave himself a ransom for all. And, as the greatest part of mankind have no benefit from it now, the time will come when the happy effects of it will be universally felt and most illustri­ously displayed. For which reason the apostle adds, to be testified in [Page 14] due time. The meaning of St. Paul if we may believe the pious Mr. White, is, that there shall be a time when it will be ma [...]st, that all men are ransomed and bought by the b [...]ood of [...] he presently after adds, the reconciliation shall final [...] operate upon all: And if the elect are first received to [...]avor the rest sh [...] [...] after in their due order. But he racks out a meaning [...] po­sile, that does not belong to the text. And we shall now g [...]v [...] the genuine intent and meaning of it. If the words be justly translated, the sense will be. There is one God and one mediator of God and man, the man Christ Jesus: And so it signifies, that the mediator in both God and man. But we may note that the learned Mr. B [...]tterfield [...] propossed this translation of the words, which it must b [...]w [...]ed, answers word for word to the Greek The one GOD the one who is also mediator of GOD and man, is the man CHRIST JESUS So then the man CHRIST JESUS, who is the mediator, is GOD, as well as man; so that he is GOD and man united. But although this mediator has given himself a ransom for all: For it must be granted, that he has given a sufficient ransom and propitiation for all; and he will not cast out abroad any, who penitently come to him as he requires, to gain and enjoy the benefit of it; yet it is no where said that they, who will not come to him for life and happiness shall en­joy the benefit of his ransom and propitiation. And, whereas Mr. White, who may be called an interpreter, one of a thousand for in­terpreting amiss, has explained to be testified in due time that there shall a time come when the reconciliation shall finally operate on all, &c. he has egregiously erred from the truth: For these words re­fer to what went before: And according to the learned Grotius, they signify, that CHRIST gave himself to death as a ransom in the proper season; and that not merely that he might yield a testimony to the truth of his doctrine; but that he might lay down his life in the proper time and season, of which the prophets predicted: And this appears to be all that is meant by it.

AND then, there is another text, produced by our author that is, Mr. White, in 1 Tim. iv. 10, The living GOD, who is the Saviour of all men; especially of those that believe. Here he allows, that GOD is the common Saviour of the whole human race; and particu­larly of them that believe the gospel of his son. But although be­lievers have the advantage above other men; yet this does not prove that GOD is not their Saviour: Because he condemne them to suf­fering, he has not cast them off. His meaning is, that GOD will be their final and eternal Saviour.

WE have now heard with one ear what our extractor has errone­ously told us: And let us now open the other ear that we may gain the right sense of that passage. Grotius's explication of it, which is preferable to Mr. White's, is▪ the living GOD will have all men to be saved if they believe: But he will save christians, because they believe; to wit, if their faith be efficacious by love —But Corne­lius a Lapide, a learned Jesuit, interprets it, and very justly as we [Page 15] apprehend, the living GOD is the Saviour, the preserver of the soul and body of [...] in the present life; and especially of the faith­ful, whom he will save not only in the present life, but in the future. And we may annex the testimonies of Chrysostom, Occumenius, Am­brose▪ Anse [...]m, and many others, to the genuine sense of the words, and which we cannot but approve as being so: Now these observe, that GOD may be called the Saviour of all men, as he gives to all some salvation: For temporal life and the many goods of this life are common to a [...]l But especially is he the Saviour of the faithful; i. e. of them that pe [...]s [...]vere in the faith which worketh by love: For to all them, and them on [...]y is he the giver of eternal life, which is especially [...]ed for and called salvation. And now the reader is left to judge for himself whether Mr. White's interpretation is as likely to be true and right, as those that we have offered from wiser men.

THEN Mr White, according to our extractor, says, if we turn to 1 Cor xv 22 &c. we shall see this matter cleared up. But, if we are not mistaken, his interpretation will only enlighten our minds with a beam of darkness, as [...]n ancient writer has expressed it. The text is, As in Adam all die; so in CHRIST shall all be made alive: This is interpreted for us, that believers will be raised to everlasting lif [...] at CHRIST's second coming: And unbelievers will be raised too, but only to punish them in Hell: And when their punishment shall have a proper effect, i. e. such an effect as Mr. White pleases; they will then be recovered to the same happiness with the saints.

THERE is certainly nothing of this sort said in the text: nor is there any thing offered in it from which it may be justly argued. The most, that can be gathered from it is, that as in Adam all died, so in Christ shall all be made alive; i. e. by a resurrection from the dead But it may be justly remarked here; that the latter clause may be read; so in Christ all, or, all in Christ shall be made alive. And the learned Dr. Whitby has very well paraphrased it; and we must be allowed to say, we think better than Mr. White, that all of his nature and spirit shall be made alive. And so indeed it follows: In CHSIST all shall be made alive. How? it follows, every man in his own order, Christ the first fruits; afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming; and no others are mentioned.

BY our collector we are referred to the ingenious White for his next quotation, and the sense of it. This is out of Rom. v. from verse 15 to 19. Upon which, having made his own remarks, he forms this conclusion, Here you see grace has the preference in the p [...]ot: GOD hath a design to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, i e for a season; for that appears to be his meaning; but more to glorify his grace. And he tells us at the bottom of the 11th page, t [...] [...]hen he shall have exhibited acts of the greatest and most univer­sal grace, GOD will be viewed with admiration by the whole intelli­ge [...]t creation, and celebrated with the loudest anthems of praise. But will there not be cause for the highest admiration and praise, when [Page 16] at the same time the divine holiness and righteousness will be display­ed towards wicked men and the devil and his angels? No Our Mr. White will not, as we can find, allow the display of these for­ever to be part of his divinity.

THE last quotation, says our extractor, I shall make from Mr. White, is his remarks on Ephes. i 10. and Col [...]ss 1.20 The im­port of these passages he makes to be that all men, all things, were originally made by CHRIST▪ headed by him, &c There was no war, no fighting, no disorder; these all came by sin But GOD sent his son to recover them out of this state: And he has laid an effectual plan for it. And he sums up the matter, that there is nothing in Hea­ven or earth, which shall not be finally reconciled to GOD Thus there will be a recapitulation of all things under CHRIST and univer­sal restoration to favor.

WHAT a fine story is here; and how admirably is it adapted to please the fine fancy of the author, and gain upon the imagination of weak people! But let us now see, what more enlightened and wise interpreters have said upon these scriptural passages.

IT is the plain design of Ephes. i. 10, to signify, that the dis­persed are to be gathered together in to one flock, by Christ as their head, even the things in heaven and earth; which, as Grotius justly notes, the Hebrews call the superior and inferior family of God. The Jews, as he observes, hated the Aliens as idolaters: And the Jews on the account of the diversity of their institutions, were disagreeable to the Gentiles: but now they of both nations, as they come to Christ, will be friends, yea brethren, among themselves, and together one people of God: And let it be noted, that they will be reduced under Christ their head.

BUT the plain & natural sense of the words according to various learned authors, may be given thus, that it is the divine design and intention, under the dispensation of the gospel, here called in the Greek, the dispensation of the filling up of the seasons, to rec [...]pitulate; to bring them by a penitent faith to a reconciliation to God, and so to good terms with all the heavenly beings, and to bring them thus to an union, and good agreement among themselves: thus heaven and earth will be reconciled.: And they are thus in Christ, as the head recapitulated and gathered together in one. And it must be putting a strange force on the words to make them signify the resto­ration of the wicked and impenitent to the divine favour and ever­lasting happiness: They are not adapted to convey any such wrong apprehension, only to such as are fond of errors and delusions, and love deceit.

BUT now let us hear instead of Mr. White, what the learned and judicious Beza has to say, on Col. i. 20. Now he understands it of the whole church, which, contains in it things in heaven and things in earth.

[Page 17]ORIGIN, as it has been said, gathered from this, but very unad­visedly that it would some time come to pass, that damned men and devils would be reconciled to God and saved. But the most discern­ing learned and judicous interpreters both Protestant and Roman Catholic, understand it, that God by the shedding of the blood of his son on the cross, has reconciled all to himself both in heaven and earth, and men as well as angels.

AND we may add here the interpretations which the learned and judicious Mr Dail [...]é has given of this text: which is, the will of GOD was to reconcile things on earth and in Heaven by his son, and reduce all the parts of the universe unto good terms each with the other: This great work is begun; the foundations of it are [...]; the pledges of it are given us; but it will not be perfectly accom­plished until the latter day; when the world, free from the bondage un­der which it yet groaneth shall be entirely changed; its new Hea­vens, and its new earth, and its new elements, with the angels and the saints, and all the other parts of the world, conspiring together in eternal concord and in inviolable correspondence to the glory of their common creator, who, as the apostle says, shall then be all in all. Thus he.

AND it is very sure and certain besides, that the best expositors, both ancient and modern, whose expositions we need not tarry to annex to those that we have mentioned have not given such a lati­tod [...]nary exposition of this text as this extraordinary benev [...]l [...]nt wri­ter has done, without any good reason; but only from a partial at­tachment to his own unscriptural notion.

GOD extracter here closes his quotations from this author by say­ing Thus [...]uch for the excellent Jeremiah White. But we see, that his excellency for interpreting is not discovered and manifested: And they may well be ashamed, who have laid any great stress and pla­ced any dependance, on the fanciful interpretations of such a whim­sical brain.

AND we are now to proceed to another author, whose testimonies for universal salvation from the scriptures are to be noticed by us: This author is indeed a nameless one: And we shall produce au­thors of name and eminence to shew, that he has not aright under­stood and interpreted these scriptural testimonies.

ANOTHER portion of scripture, proceeds our extractor, mentioned by another writer may be found in 1 Corinth. xv. from 24th to 28th verse. And this writer thinks it is here most peremptorily affir­med, that universal subjection to CHRIST shall be effected: And the affirmation, he says, is expressed in a variety of as strong and exten­sive terms as could have been used, as by putting down all rule, all authority, and all power; by putting all enemies and all things under his feet, &c.

BUT there are very learned men besides Grotius, who, by the all rule, principality and power, that are to be put down, understand all [Page 18] the empires and kingdoms of the world, and all the lesser governments. And when it is said, that after the subjection of these the son himself will become subject: they understand the meaning of it to be, that the glorious son of GOD will be as an ambassador, who, having laid aside the business and burthen of his embassy, will still retain his pristine dignity and glory.

AND it may be adviseable here to give out in a particular manner the sentiments of the excellent Witsius, excellent and celebrated both for learning and piety: Now these are his thoughts, that the divine, essential and natural kingdom of the Messiah is nothing short of eter­nal: Dan. iv. 34 That the manhood of the Messiah will be for­ever personally united to his Godhead, and will therein enjoy a glory far above all the creatures of GOD: Phil 11 8: That the Messiah will be forever the head of the church; and considered, ac­knowledged and celebrated by it, as being the head, the most illus­trious member of that body; and finally, that there will be ever­lasting effects of the Messiah's mediatorial kingdom; such as the ef­fulgence of the Divine majesty and glory in the person of the GOD man, and the full deliverance of the people of GOD from all their enemies and afflictions; and especially the full abolition of all their sins. This blessedness of the people of GOD will be forever ac­knowledged as obtained by the Messiah and the spirit inhabiting the faithful. And our apostle makes it his design every where to esta­blish these things. But, after the day of judgment, and at the end, the mediatorial kingdom of our Lord will come into other circum­stances. First, the present oeconomy will be at an end: All rule, as it now is, shall be put down. Then, our Lord will give an account concerning the consummation of his whole mediatorial undertaking to obtain and apply the salvation of his church, and present it with­out defect to him, the Father: And this may be meant by deliver­ing up the kingdom to GOD. And then, as all sin, with all the con­sequences of it, will be removed; there appears not to be any fur­ther need of a mediator, which there will be until then It seems therefore, that the Deity will now more immediately make its com­munications to the blessed, as unto the angels: which favor will be forever owned as owing to the merits of their Saviour: Thus GOD will be all in all. And in fine, our Lord in his human nature, cea­sing from his mediatorial function, that he had faithfully discharged, will be subject to GOD, with his brethren, and at the head of them, in the most excellent glory, and without any diminution of the glory, which he now enjoys. And we shall conclude with giving you the learned Witsius's comparison for it; As any son of a king, who goes from his father with the highest power to subdue rebels and vindicate citizens from the tyrannical usurpation, having happily ac­complished the business according to the pleasure of the father, and laying aside the laborious empire, of which there is now no further use; he will now and henceforth securely live in the delights of the royal court. Thus the son himself will also become subject. And, as the [Page 19] mediatorial kingdom of our Lord supposes and intimates some im­perfection in his church; this wise and good end of it, makes not for the dishonor, but for the glory, of our blessed Lord and Saviour.

WE have besides at hand the accounts, which the Baron Pussen­dorf, and sundry others of eminence for learning and piety, have given of this place, that are quite different from the crude and loose no ions of this author. But we apprehend, that truth enough has been offered to shew the error and falsi [...]y of the notions of this un­known author.

THERE is another text, says our extracter, produced by the same author, which is the very first, that reveals the promise of a Saviour and summarily comprehends the whole of what has been said concerning the reduction of mankind universally to an obedient subjection to the go­verning will of GOD. Such, alas! is the ignorance and foolishness of some among mankind, that when they have embraced any particu­lar notion and mere whimsy in religion, they soon contract a fond­ness for it: And they will then apply as many passages of scripture as they can, and put them to the rack and torture, to make them confess their favorite opinion.

THUS this unknown writer will have this passage in Genesis to be understood as conveying his own sense and corroborating of it; because he has a mind that it shall do so; which sense of his is, in a narrow compass, that sin shall be totally destroyed by the reduction of all men under moral subjection to GOD.

BUT there is not the least countenance given to this fancy in the text: It is all the forgery of his own brain from it: All, that can be fairly and honestly gathered from this passage is, that after the apostacy, there was an enmity commenced between the woman and the serpent, and between his seed and hers. Now the seat, where in the con­troversy arising from this enmity will be maintained, is the present world. And the only question is, who shall get the better? Now it is most certain, that the seed of the woman will be victorious over the devil; and he will destroy all the works of the devil: And when he comes to judge and rule the world at the last day; he will cause the earth and the works therein to be burnt up: When the sin­ners shall be consumed out of the earth and the wicked be no more, as in Psalm. civ. 34. And, after the conflagration, and the restoration of the earth to a paradisaic state, the earth will be a new one, where­in shall dwell righteousness This is the sense which the learned Comenius thinks, that this passage in Genesis affords to us: And other learned men are very well satisfied with this interpretation of it: And it has certainly more truth in it, and is more worthy of re­ception with us, than the bold and yet weak imagination and flou­rishing of our extracted author.

AND now we come to another text from this same writer and the last, says the extracter, that I shall bring to view: It is recorded Rev. v. 13. These words, our author observes, evidently look for­ward [Page 20] to the completion of the scheme of GOD with reference to man­kind, or the time of GOD's being all in all. But he evidently discov­ers to us his ignorance of the matter: For the time to which this passage refers, is before the opening of the seven seals. And here saints and angels, and all creatures, are represented as making this acknowledgment, in the 13th verse of this 5th of the Revelation, in order to signify, that GOD in CHRIST JESUS is the sole object of worship and not any creature whatsoever. The ingenius Mr Wap [...]e and others have observed to this purpose; and it is worthy to be regarded. But, as CHRIST is now possessed of his kingdom, and his power and dominion will be acknowledged by all creatures; the opening of the seals of the sealed book, or volume, hereupon follows: And consequently this knowing and assuming author is egregiously mistaken, when he declares, that it looks forward to the completion of GOD's scheme with reference to mankind: For it refers to the opening of the seals: And by the opening of the seals, it is shewed, that there are no creatures but what are subject and subservient to CHRIST, the Lord and judge of this world in the conduct of his providence We see then, how little regard is to be paid to such superficial interpreters of the word of the living GOD.

BUT our extracter is not yet satisfied: He is not contented with extracting from a number of writers the many texts they have men­tioned in favor of salvation for all men; but, out of his abundant kindness he will exhibit, as he tells us, a like extract from what they and others have offered in answer to the objections brought against the truth of this, i. e. his precious doctrine.

AND here Mr. Joseph Nicol Scot, is produced to answer the ob­jection, [...] the punishment of the wicked is declared in the scripture to be eter [...], &c. And this same Mr. Scot, says, For my own part, I must [...] confess, that after having with repeated care examined all the passages of scripture that relate to the future punishment, I have not been able to find one single text in which this article of an eternal and endless misery is either expressly affirmed or necessarily implied.

THIS is a very peremptory and bold assertion; and yet it must be confessed there is no truth in it: For after all his pretended care to examine all the passages of scripture relating to this matter it is certain, that he has not so carefully examined them as he should; or he has not taken the genuine sense and meaning of many of them.

HERE we readily grant, that the word Aione, as well as the He­brew word G [...]ol [...]m, in the Old Testament, is frequently used for a [...] age, or a li [...]ed time: And our translators have again and again, and very [...] mistaken in giving the sense of this word very va­riously and unaccountably.

HOWEVER this word [...] even in the singular sometimes, is used to signify an interminable duration of punishment and misery. Thus we understand it, when it is said concerning him, that speak­eth against the holy spirit, as in Matt. xii. 32, It shall not be forgiven [Page 21] him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come; or, more ex­actly according to the Gre [...]k It shall not be forgiven him either in this age or that to come. Where, by this age, we understand the age in which CHRIST lived▪ and from that time to the end of the world; and by the age to come, we understand the lengthy age, the perpetual age, that is to succeed it: So, that this sin will never be forgiven. And the Apostle Paul has given the reason, why such as are guilty of this sin will never be forgiven: For writes he, in Heb. vi 4 & 6 It is impossible to renew them again to repentance. And surely if it is impossible to recover them to repentance; it is im­possible, that they should be pardoned here or hereafter: And there­fore they must undergo an eternal punishment.

THE Greek word Aione, we have allowed, is sometimes used for an age: But it is derived from the Greek adverb Aci, which signi­fies always—And we a [...] persuaded, that the adjective from it, with, or without, Mr. Scot's leave, generally signifies everlasting: Nor can we recollect any place, where it has a different signification.

WITHOUT insisting here on this term, Aionios, as it is applied to the blessed GOD; and, when it is so, surely it cannot be aright un­derstood of [...] limited duration: For the Divine Being is without be­ginning; and he is a never ending Being:—This term is often attri­buted to things that had a beginning, and will never know a period. Thus, the terms eternal, or everlasting, as adjectives are attributed, not only to angels, to the souls of men, and to the heavens and earth with regard to their substance; but to various other things in the book of GOD.

IT is as certain as any thing can be, that the Greek word, which the knowing Mr Scot will not have to be signifying eternal, is used for eternal in numerous places, as we shall make plain and evident. Thus this adjective is adduced concerning the covenant of God; which is said to be everlasting; because, according to the tenor of it, God will eternally be reconciled and favourable to them, that are in it. So the gospel is called the everlast­ing gospel; which surely cannot mean of a temporary dura­tion: for, as it has had its influence and efficacy from the begin­ning of the world; its influence and efficacy will also endure thro'­out all ages —So the redemption purchased and procured by CHRIST JESUS is expresly called eternal redemption; forasmuch as the pow­er and efficacy of this redemption will last forever.—So the consola­tion, that is conveyed by the gospel and grace of our divine redeemer to renewed and gracious souls, is said to be everlasting: Why? They who are possessed of this everlasting consolation, will not enjoy it, merely for a [...]eason; but they will never be deprived of it. So we read of enjoying in the heavenly world life eternal; and that the holy and gracious will have eternal salvation, eternal glory, and the things invisible and eternal, in the everlasting kingdom of God our Saviour. And what can this same adjective here over and over again [Page 22] used, mean? Certainly it cannot mean any thing short of a perpe­tual duration in any one of these places: And the term is adapted to convey that idea. And so we read of the eternal judgment in Heb. vi 2 Aioniou Krimatos. And why [...]s it so called? From its effects and consequences: for it will bring life eternal to the good and gracious; and eternal wretchedness and misery to the wicked, unrighteous and uncharitable.

BUT here is the insurmountable difficulty: Mr. Nicol S [...]t can find not so much as one single text in which this article of eterna [...] mi­sery is either expresly affirmed or necessarily imp [...]ied. What a strange thing is this, that he could not find Matt xxv 46! These, i. e the wicked and ungracious, shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. Every one that has eyes to see, may see that the same epithet is used for the punishment of the wick­ed, as for the life of the righteous: And why then must a two fold meaning be given to it? Surely our Lord and judg [...], that had been hi [...] intent and meaning could have told us, that the wicked should go away into a temporary but unutterable punishment, and the righte­ous into life eternal: but he has not given us any information in the te [...] of a temporary and limited punishment for the wicked And therefore we have not sufficient reason to believe it: For our Lord was no deceiver, neither was guile ever found in his mouth.

AND further our Lord has given us to understand, by his apostle, that the devils are held in everlasting chains under darkness: And we are assured from his own lips, that the wicked and ungracious, shall be ordered to depart accursed into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: And here we would note, as it deserves to be noted, that the words, rendered for us everlasting fire, are more emphatical in the Greek, To Pur To Aionion; which plainly signify the are the everlasting one. And the very same terms are used by our bles­sed Lord and judge, in Matt. xviii. 8. It is better to enter into life halt and maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the fire, the everlasting one. And we are taught of GOD our Sa­viour, by his apostle, that the perdition of ungodly men will be an everlasting destruction, &c.

NOW, from all the citations out of the scripture, does it not ap­pear that the Greek adjective Aionios, in whatever case it is put uni­formly signifies eternal? Certainly then Mr. Scot i [...] much mistaken when he affirms, that eternal misery is never expressly of [...] in one single text.

BUT he goes further, and says, that there is not a text wherein it is necessarily implied. We think however that it is implied in that one text without mentionting any other, which says concerning Judas, that it had been good for that man, that he had never been born. For, if he went to Hell at his death, and should continue there even to the end of the final judgment and then be recovered to life and per­fect happiness; we think that it was, and it will be, good for him [Page 23] that he was born: whereas our Lord affirms to the contrary. Some have quibbled about the precise meaning of those words: But, if we collate and compare them with the saying of our Lord in Joh xvii. 12. When praying for his apostles, none of them is lost, but the son of perdition: Will any presume to say, that this son of perdition is not lost, and even irrecoverably so? It is more than they have any right or reason to do; when our Lord himself declares him to be a lost man, and represents him as an incarnate devil.

WE have written of the substantive Aione. and the adjective Aio­nios: But we must now observe, that it is written of such as give way to antichristian superstitions and idolatries, in Rev. xiv. 11. that the smoke of their torment assendeth forever and ever: But it is in the Greek for ages of ages And can there be a stronger way of expressing the perpetual duration of their torment and misery? It is the very same form of expression as is used for the Divine Being in Revel x 6, the living one for ages of ages. Let not any then flat­ter themselves that only a temporary duration of punishment can be intended by it: For the form of expression is too full and strong to be thus confined and straitened.

THERE is one objection, which is taken, Mr. Extracter says, from those words of our Saviour, in Mark ix which he justly notes are thrice solemnly repeated: And this solemn repetition of them thrice, we shall be all wed to say, shews them to be deserving of a threefold attention and heeding by us. But Mr. Joseph Nicol Scot has with a wet finger wiped way the difficulty; and from Isaiah's prophecy, which he misinterprets, he says, the worm preys on the wicked in Hell and the fire torments them: The one dieth not, and the other is not quenched till they have certainly effected the dissolution or death of wicked men in the future state It is observable, that Mr. Scot does not here grant, that the wicked will be finally and eternally happy, as might be expected according to our extracter, after the worm had preyed on them and the [...]re had tormented them for a while: But he affirms, that the worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched, till they have certainly [...]ffected the dissolution or death of wicked men in the fu­ture state. And here although he does not allow the eternal dura­tion of their punishment in the future state: he allows their punish­ment to continue till their dissolution or death; that is, until they are annihilated or blotted out of being: So that in this sense he gives them up to an eternal death; though he does not see fit to have them eternally miserable. However, to use his language, it may be said, that this article, of an endless dissolution, or death, of wicked men, we cannot find to be expressly affirmed or necessarily im­plied in the sacred writings. Mr Scot's doctrine therefore must pass with us as a new conjecture of his own brain, as it is indeed of some others: And what will not vain men conjecture!

BUT to return to the words in Isai. lxvi. 24. and allowing the words of our Lord in Mark ix to be taken from thence; this inter­preter however does not appear to have observed that just before this [Page 24] passage it is written of the eight worshippers of GOD our [...]vi [...]ne▪ And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases of the m [...]n that have transgressed against me: so that the men were dead, and their ca [...] ­cases were spread abroad: however they were not wholly distroyed, for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched. [...]y their worm the learned Leibnitz and other learned men have under­stood their human animal part, consisting of soul and spirit: for men is a worm, and the son of man is a worm: and this worm that has transgressed shall not die, neither shall the fire into which it shall be cast be quenched: for it is such a fire as is prepared for the [...] and his angels —But let us see and particularly remark the [...] of our Lord himself upon his third citation of these word from I [...] where, i. e. in hell fire, their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched: for, as our Lord continues, every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt Upon which w [...] the learned Dr. Samuel Clark has given this paraphrase which to serves to be considered; as every burnt offering under the law [...] first salted with salt and then consumed by fire▪ [...] every [...] has been instructed in the doctrine of the gospel, if, when [...] found not sincere, shall be destroyed by the eternal fire [...] the divine wrath.

BUT it is probable, that the sense and meaning of it in its con­nection may rather be; for every one shall be sa [...]e [...] with, [...] or s [...]a­soned with fire itself, to be preserved and rendered [...]: For as salt preserves from corruption; here the f [...] itself shall be of such an operation as to render the objects of it capable of undergoing the torments of it forever with the devil and his angels.

OUR extracter hereupon starts another objection, that if all are finally saved, this will greatly tend to encourage wicked men in their vicious courses: and he answers, that moral depravity is absolutely inconsistent with rational happiness; and that the suffering of wicked men in the next state will be exceedingly great in degree, as well as long in duration, in order that they may be made the willing people of GOD: nor will they be delivered from their suffering till this i [...] ef­fected —But we answer, whosoever they be that die in their sins; that quit the world, while they are alienated from the life of God and abhorrent from his holy nature and will, cannot be happy in any time, or in any place; no, not in Heaven itself And they can­not see life: for they have the wrath of God abiding on them: [...]nd the direful effects of that wrath will abide on them Nor is there the least reason to believe, that their suffering will make the willing people of God; as the suffering of punishment naturally excites an a­version in the sufferers to the inf [...]cter of the punishment: And as the sufferings and torments increase, and go forward, the enmity and rage of those that undergo them proceed and increase against their punisher. If then condemned sinners will never be delivered from their sufferings, until this is effected until they are brought to be the willing people of God, there is not the least likelihood that it will be ever effected: Nor does the word of God any where say, that such an effect shall ever take place.

[Page 25]FINALLY, says our extracter, It is said, upon the supposition of the truth of universal salvation; it may be improper and hurtful to open it as a scripture doctrine in the world: And the extracter says, he has seen a proper answer [...] these words; It would be very extraordinary if setting a scripture [...] its genuine light should have a danger­ous tendency, &c. But a [...], on one hand it does not yet appear, that the doctrine of universal salvation is a scriptural one; on the other hand, it is plain and evident to all sound and considerate minds, that the broaching of it has a very dangerous tendency: and hence it should not be admitted for a scriptural truth.

WE have now done with our animadversions on the new extracter, and we are sorry to say, that he has spent his time very idly and foolishly and hurtfully in making such a collection, and communica­ting it to the world. For it's probable that he may be answerable for the evil and mischievous effects of it.

BUT we shall not finish our reply without requesting the reader to attend to our reasoning, upon the whole, with respect to the subject which we have been considering: and if nothing new be offered in them, perhaps the new manner of offering them may not be disagree­able.

Eternal death then and punishment is threatened against the wicked and impenitent: and the sentence to it will most surely be pronoun­ced against them; and it may on very good grounds and for sub­stantial reasons be expected, that the pronounced sentence will be fulfilled on them.

AS men, by their sinning, go away from God and alienate them­selves from him; and all the children of disobedience unpersuadea­bleness and impenitence practically say to the MOST HIGH, depart from us; hence it is most fit and right, that GOD our Saviour should order them to depart from him; and that they should ac­cordingly be separated from him and utterly banished from his pre­sence and favour. And hence foolish mortals, by continuing impe­nitent and hardened in their evil choices and actions, contract a ha­bit of sinning; hence they are under a necessity, though it is a cho­sen one, of sinning: and as they will not, hence they cannot, by any endeavours of their own, cease from doing wickedly and sinning a­gainst God. It is therefore but fit and right that they should smart for it, and continue under punishment.

THE wrath of God is indeed revealed from heaven against the un­godliness and unrighteousness of men: and even Pagans themselves, from some notices of this, have had their apprehensions and fears of it. But the direful effects and the vast duration of it was not known to them. No! These were not discovered but by the revelation of God in his word and the preaching of the gospel according to it: for as life and immortality are brought to light by the gospel so a state of eternal death and misery is clearly revealed by this divine revelation.

[Page 26]HOWEVER there have been some of an inquisitive turn of mind, and indulging to contemplation; and many who are called Christi­ans, that have been very loth to receive this doctrine, and have actu­ally disowned and rejected it.

AUGUSTINE ^* mentions some tender hearts, as he calls them, of our religion, who think, that although GOD has justly doomed the wicked to hell, yet he will after a certain space, deliver them from that torment: and, of this opinion, says he, was Origen; and in a far more compassionate manner: For (if Ruffinus has not wronged him in his works) he held, that the devils themselves, after the expiration of a determinate time, shall be released from their torments and become illustrious angels of heaven, as they were be­fore; but this and other of his opinions, and chiefly that of the rota­tion and circumvolution of misery and bliss, in which he held, that all mankind should run, furnished the church with the cause to pronounce him anathema.

THERE have been others since Origen, who have been of such a compassionate and merciful disposition, that they could not bear any of the human race to be perpetually miserable: and yet they are not so gracious and generous as Origen is said to be to the devils: for they seem willing that these should perpetually remain in misery: but the whole human race should be perfectly and eternally happy. Is it possible, say they, that an infinitely good GOD should make any of the children of men to damn them? Certainly there is not any good cause to imp [...]ch, nor the least reason to de [...]r [...]ct from, the goodness of GOD in the punishment, and even the eternal punish­ment of sin. So far is GOD from making any of the human race to be damned, and miserable, that he desires both the present and fu­ture happiness of all mankind: And he mercifully prosecutes this desire by the threatening of evil to pursue sinners: And this very threatening must be allowed to be a kindness to mankind in general, in order to keep them in awe and under a good regulation. Clemens, of Alexandria had this right and just notion of it: for he writes of the threatening of punishment as a gracious method to strike men with fear & terror that they may not sin ^† and so by sinning render them­selves unhappy and miserable. And is it not most plainly shewed, by the previous threatening of destruction and misery, and the kind and faithful fore warnings of it, that the God of all grace has no desire to inflect the threatened punishment? Surely then he must be per­fectly and infinitely good as well as wise, in threatening punishment for sin and impenitence in it, that he may not be obliged, as he is glorious in holiness and righteousness, to execute the threatened pu­nishment.

BUT should any one inquire, why the punishment for continued [Page 27] wilful [...]n and impenitence should be not only extreme, but eternal? It may be answered that the threatening of such a punishment must add weight and force and vast importance to the punishment threat­ened. For let men imagine and fancy as they please, neither Pur­gatory threatened, nor any place or state of lengthy punishment, that is to have an end can be in reason so affrighting and terrifying, as a punishment, that is not only extreme, but of a perpetual duration. Therefore the punishment, to which impious, unjust, uncharita­ble and impenitent transgressors are to be doomed, is called everlast­ing fire; or that fire, the everlasting one, as has already been ob­served.

AND as GOD is perfectly good and wise, as well as holy and just, in threatening punishment, and even eternal punishment; certainly he will still be perfectly wise and good, as well as holy and just, in fulfilling his threatening. And his doing this will be but a fit de­monstration of his truth and faithfulness: For he will thus testify and evidence, that He is not a man, that He should lie or deceive; and that it is indeed impossible for him to lie.—And is it not right and becoming, when audacious, impenitent and hardened sinners, from the threatening of eternal punishment, insolently laugh at it; and, instead of fearing the Almighty and the direful effects of his dis­pleasure, challenge him after a sort to do his worst, and run on the thick bosses of his buckler; that almighty GOD should make them know that his threatenings are not despicable scarecrows; but they shall surely feel, in and from the execution of them, the tremendous effects of his holy displeasure for ages of ages?

AND as this holiness and righteousness of GOD, without his cea­sing to be perfectly and infinitely good, may demand and require this; so it can be no injustice and wrong to the impenitent trans­gressors to infl [...]ct the threatened punishment upon them: For, as Austin has truly observed, not grace, but punishment, is due to the merits of the impious. ^*

WE may, and should, endeavour to conceive as highly as we can with truth concerning the goodness of our GOD in CHRIST JESUS. But is it not right and reasonable to think, that this divine goodness is always influenced and regulated by the highest wisdom and recti­tude? And is it not contrary to reason and fitness, and indeed to common sense, to think, that goodness itself should bear to be exer­cised in vain, and be continued forever to irreclaimably perverse and obstinate sinners? It is readily granted, that goodness, forbearance and long suffering may, as indeed it does, bear long with deceived and hardened sinners. But can it be reckoned goodness in GOD to bear always with such sinners? And as there is in truth no good reason for his doing so; there can be good reason assigned, why he should not bear with them, when they have filled up the measure of their iniquities.

[Page 28]IT is a known truth and a stubborn fact, that the kindest and ten­derest parent on earth, having a bad, profligate and abandoned son, when he has again and again rebuked and chastised him for his vi­ces and crimes; and at length he has threatened him in his high dis­pleasure, that, if he continues any longer in his excesses and enor­mities he will disinherit him and utterly have done with him: And yet the base wretch will not relinquish his wicked and vicious cour­ses, for there is no reclaiming him: And hence the displeased pa­rent, with grief of heart and tears in his eyes, fulfills his threatening, and gives up his son as a lost vagabond: Nor yet does he shew any want of paternal affection to his son in so doing: No! He would give his whole estate and all the world for his son's recovery and salvation. And may we not argue in like manner concerning the love of the divine Being, the Father of mercies; and its proceed­ing and issuing after the like sort with respect to his disobedient, obstinate and irreclaimable children? May it not be rationally ex­pected, that he will swear in his wrath, that they shall never enter into his presence and favor, and that he will fulfil his threatening oath against them?

BUT some will insist on it, that it is very hard for the wicked to have their bodies and souls forever tormented in hell fire. Now we cannot pretend to say, in what way and to what a degree the cor­poreal part of the impenitent may be punished. However, it is high­ly reasonable, that the impenitent transgressor, who sinned in and with the body, should also suffer in it. And therefore the resurrecti­on of the dead is certified and assured to us. And it would be ad­viseable for all, who are wicked and vicious, when they are indulg­ing to their lusts and vices, to think of that sore punishment, which is hereafter to be inflicted on their bodies, as well as their souls and spirits, for what they are doing.

AND yet it should be remembered, that the fire, in which impeni­tent sinners are to be tormented, cannot be a gross culinary fire: For it is said to be the fire prepared for the devil and his angels. And it may be supposed, that the principal punishment of sinning men may be intellectual and spiritual, and beyond the reach of any corporeal sense. ^* But we cannot certainly determine about this; for we have not sufficient light from divine revelation so to do.

AS for human actions, they are faulty and bec [...]me transcendently so, according to the superiority and excellency of the object, against whom they are committed Hence [...]ff [...]ontive and injurious actions against good parents, kind benefactors and benevolent and gracious rulers, are much greater than those committed against others of dif­ferent and lower relations & characters. And consequently the faulty, base & iniquit [...] actions committed against the most gracious & mer­ciful parent & benefactor of all and the supreme ruler of the universe, must exceed in guilt and aggravation, and that proportionally to the [Page 29] eminence, perfection and glory of the Divine Being, against whom they are committed: For the faults and transgressions are height­ened and greatened from the great and glorious qualities of that Be­ing, against whom they are committed. It must therefore be deem­ed no small matter, but a great wickedness, to sin against GOD, even in the least respects and instances: And how much greater is the crime [...]f sinning knowingly, wilfully, presumptuously and impeni­tently against him? Surely then this must deserve a punishment pro­portioned to its aggravated nature and malignity.

IT is the will and choice of rational beings, who offend, which is the grand principle in action: And this in right construction may be allowed to p [...]ss for the deed. And as bad persons quit the world with a confirmed choice [...] sinning, and a resolution for continuing in it; they must surely deserve to be continued and confirmed in their exquisite punishment for it.

WICKED and vicious persons are so addicted to their wickedness and their vices, and so powerful and predominent are their lusts, that the threatening of the most extreme torments will not deter them from gratifying and pursuing their lusts and vices: And when eternity is added to the extremity of the punishment threatened; even this is not sufficient to affright and reclaim them from their evil choices and pursuits. And, if such a threatening will not answer this end, much less will the threatening of shorter punishments, however great, avail for this purpose. They are therefore no friends to mankind, who attempt to make them believe against the apparent discoveries of divine revelation, that after suffering considerably and unutter­ably for a season, they shall be brought, and even by means of their suffering, to perfect and endless happiness.

THERE are, however, some men, who go beyond them, that think the Almighty to be such an one as themselves; and who, by their manner of speaking and writing, would make us believe, that they are more gracious and merciful than GOD himself: And because they cannot find in their own hearts, that they or others should be condemned to everlasting punishments for their transient faults and follies; therefore they are not willing that GOD should be incli­ned and resolved to condemn them to such punishments, notwith­standing his peremptory declarations and threatenings.

BUT it is very weak and wrong to judge and conclude from the Divine benignity and infinite goodness, either that there is no place of torments and miseries reserved for the punishment of wicked and impenitent mortals; or that the punishments and torments of that place, however great, are of a short duration: For the arguing in this manner is founded on error and falshood: I [...] has this import and carries this signification in it, that i [...] GOD be essentially and in­finitely good, he cannot be holy and righteous and [...]ithful; which can by no means be admitted by any serious and [...] per­sons.

[Page 30]AND what reason have any to think, that if sinners were allowed a longer time and continued advantages for growing penitent and reformed, it would answer a happy end and reclaim the children of disobedience and impenitence? That space for repentance and those continued advantages for turning and living to GOD if granted to stupid and hardened transgressors, would only embolden them to be more presumptuous, obstinate and vile still, and render them more hardened in their wicked and vicious choices and ways: For so it is found in fact often.

BUT how long shall GOD wait upon impenitent and hardened sin­ners? And who shall set bounds and limits to the exercise of his goodness? If guilty wretches, if hardened criminals, could have their own will and way, the gracious GOD might wait forever for their penitence and amendment. But if presumptuous mortals will think, that GOD has never sufficiently tried and proved themselves and others; they should be informed, that his thoughts and ways are not as their's but infinitely above them: And that glorious GOD, who is a GOD by judgment, by whom actions are weighed, certainly knows best, and indeed he only knows, when he has sufficiently tried and punished them.

AND ought not all the human race to acquiesce in the rectitude and justice of the Divine appointments and the executions of them? Has not the just judge of all the earth the undoubted prerogative and right to appoint both the time and manner of punishing the wicked and impenitent, and also the duration of all the torments and mise­ries to be endured by them?

SOME have presumed to speak of it as cruel to inflict long conti­nued torments on criminals, however deserving of them. But at great suffering and much affliction is in the nature of things con­nected with punishment; so indeed there cannot be punishment without it: And it is the design and end of anger and wrath to inflict it: We read therefore, that GOD distributes, that is in a proportional way, sorrows in his anger. Now, as the writer of sorrowful things mournfully si [...]gs, the anger of Caesar draws all evil along with it, must not the anger of the immortal King bring all manner of evil, and in the highest degree with it? And as GOD in a peculiar manner claims vengeance to himself; for he says, it is mine, and I will repay it: What then can be plainer, than that it is GOD, who taketh vengeance, and that he will surely and greatly do it: And let GOD be true, though all men should be found liars.

THE causes of punishing sins, are mentioned in Aulus Gollius ^* One is for the sake of chastising and amending the offender. [Such are, we may think the corrections and chastisements of sinners in the present life] The next is, that the dignity and authority of him, [Page 31] against whom the sin is committed may be preserved; and lest, if there be no due punishment inflicted it may procure contempt to the law-giver: And the third reason for punishing it, that this punish­ment is necessary for an example to others; that they, being intimi­d [...]ed may he kep [...] from the like sins, from fear of the inflicted and known punishment.

BUT if i [...] should be here inquired, why GOD should continue any to [...] [...]e instances of his extreme displeasure and perpetual ven­g [...]ce? Though we are not obliged to give answer to such a cap­tious inquiry▪ we may however reply on GOD's behalf: He, the just judge of all the earth, has an undoubted right to support the dignity of his government, and not suffer any contempt to be cast on him by the bold transgressors against his holy will and laws. And perhaps the examples of amazing and eternal punishments may serve to keep the holy and happy people above in the continued choice and prac­tice of rectitude and holiness. And perhaps besides, if there be other worlds, and other intelligent beings in them, who are innocent and upright, the notification of the sin and wickedness, and the consequent extreme and perpetual misery of these wretched crea­tures may serve to keep them in their right choices and actions.

BUT if a truth be cleared and sufficiently established there is no need of indulging to imaginations, or laying any stress on specula­tions, for the support of it.

WE have seen, that the punishment threatened against impeni­tence in sin and wickedness, is eternal: It is that fire that is eternal, such as is prepared for the devil and his angels: Aeternus, nullisque domabilis undis: It is an unquenchable fire. And nothing but what is idle and frivolous has been offered against the infliction of the threatened punishment.

LET not any transgressors then, from the hope of immunity from punishment, and from eternal punishment especially, be encouraged to sin.—And let them realize it, that nocet empta dolore voluptas; pleasure is hurtful that is bought with pain, and especially with e­ternal torment.

AND let all the human race, as we are required, serve Jehovah, our Lord our GOD and Judge, with fear; and rejoice with trem­bling before him from the consideration of his holiness and righte­ousness, his terrible majesty and consummate truth and faithfulness. And let us seasonably repent and give glory to GOD in CHRIST JESUS, that we may not be vexed in his sore and perpetual dis­pleasure; but we may be blessed in him and with him, completely and forever; AMEN!