deprivation of life and all that is precious here and very much more of bitterness after it And this is further inforced by their being not consumed but tormented with Fire and Brimstone not here as Sodom was in the presence of men but in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb. i. e. by the sentence of Christ with his assembly of Angels in judgment and so vers 11. the smoak not simply as Rev. 19.3 nor of their burning or consuming as in Isay it was but of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night quite contrary to death whereby men rest from their labours and to annihilation much more which is a perfect cessation and that eternal as opposite as was possible to having no rest day nor night so chap. 19.20 where 't is said of the beast and the false prophet the Roman Idolatry and Magick c. i. e. the eminent supporters of the former by Magick and auguries the principal factors for the holding up the Heathen Worship Apollonius Tyanaeus c. See note on Rev. 13. g.h.i.k. that they were cast alive into a Lake burning with Fire and Brimstone the meaning in all reason must be that they were from this life sentenced to be cast into exquisite torments not that they were utterly destroy'd or consumed but as infallibly removed to that place of Torments as if they had gon down quick Bodies and Soules together into Hell Here indeed is nothing said of the perpetuity of those Torments but that is expresly set down chap. 20.10 not only as far as concernes the Divel that was to bear them company and was cast into the Lake where they are which by the way must either inferre that the Divels who are not deemed to enter on their full punishment till the day of Doom shall then also be annihilated or that the wicked who are then in the same condition with the Divels shall not be consumed or annihilated but particularly as to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Beast and the Prophet shall be tormented for ever and ever And if you shall demand why I said not this thus particularly in the Paraphrase and Annotations on the places of the Revelation I answer that it was not agreeable to my design on that Book which was only to set down the grand lines and branches of that obscure Prophetick Writing and not more nicely to descend to every minute expression in it Where it is said pag. 12. l. 8. That to apply any passages in the Revel to that which is to follow after the last judgment is not so Prophetical and therefore not so probable a sence I answer that all that is future as surely all that followes the last judgment is may well be ingredient in a Prophecy and so in this probably enough if either speaking of vengeance on wicked men this be added over and above their visible portion for that sure is very fit in a Christian Prophecy when wicked men oft thrive very prosperously here 'till the day of full iniquity and their accounts comes and then they die oft but as other men and would not deterr any man from following their steps if we were not admonisht that after death they must meet with a dismal Portion or speaking of the end of the World and the day of doom the several allotments of men be there seasonably mention'd also as we see it is in Rev. 20.12 13 14 15. As for the last reserve that if the punishment here described be to be understood of that which followes the last Judgment yet no expression used in any of those Texts doth necessarily signifie an absolute eternity of positive Torments I answer that undoubtedly some do I instance in Rev. 20.10 as it hath been formerly inlarged on day and night for ever and ever expresseth an absolute eternity as much as any words of man can do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth plainly denote positive torments and referring peculiarly to a rack doth thereby denote the kind of positive torments to be such as are not designed to ending the life but to continuing it in great paines for so we know the Rack is among men Now for the exceptions to Rev. 20.10 I must adde somewhat 1. 't is suggested that that seems not to be spoken of the last final judgment I grant it is not but of the houre of death whereon I suppose those wicked mens Soules cast into the Fire of Hell and never rescued from thence till Body and Soul together at the day of doom being joyned in those torments they are shut up thither to all eternity Secondly 'T is suggested that it seems not to be meant of Hell i. e. Gehenna into which none were ever cast alive i. e. before the first death To this I answer that to be cast alive into Hell is a phrase like to that of going down quick into Hell used of them whom the earth swallowed up Wherein 't is more then possible that such notorious sinners might go Bodies and Soules together to Hell without any previous separation by death by the same analogy whereby we believe that Enoch and Elias went up bodies and souls into heaven without seeing death and whereby we believe the same of those that shall be found alive at Christ's coming both wicked and Godly But then secondly if this be not certain enough to be adhered to then the phrase will signify as suddenly and really to be cast into those Flames and there to be tormented as they could be imagin'd to be if bodies and souls together they should be cast alive thither and so this is a direct prejudice to the sleeping of their souls or receiving any interval of rest from their passing out of this life and their entring into the torments of hell Of the places in the Apocalypse some things are added to the taking off from their force First a desperation of any certain understanding of that book To which I answer that 't is but a panick and popular fear which is the author of that desperation and keeping men from the study of it makes it necessarily unintelligible whereas First there be many repeted passages of Christ in it designed on purpose to excite men to the studying of it Secondly there are evident characters which serve as keyes to the understanding of it and nothing but the seeking and fancying depths and mysteries in it hath made it so mysterious the meaning nearest to literal and such as by comparing it with other prophecies appears to be the one prophetical signification of each passage will be found to be the truest and they that strein higher and seek farther off to find what was never intended by the inspirer or the Amanuensis are the men that have made this Prophecy obscure which would otherwise be as perspicuous as any one of the greater Prophets of the Old Testament Secondly when 't is suggested that the places
more then is necessary to be suppos'd to the defining several degrees of torments in Hell that the mighty sinners might be mightily punished it doth not at all concern the justice of that sentence that decrees every unreform'd impenitent to those flames For repentance as it signifies some degree of sincere renovation being the minimum quod sic without which all shall perish even under the Gospel that utmost dispensation of strict Law that God will permit any to hope for that doth not give the lie to his message in the mouth of his Son they that come short of this have no more to plead from any other circumstance imaginable because that God which gave space for repentance hath also provided such counterballances either of aids or pardon to such circumstances as shall utterly frustrate and prevent all plea that can from thence be drawn either against his justice or his mercy 2. It must be remembred that there be other states to which those titles of flagitious and contumacious lives are not competible which yet have no lesse of malignity in them by that consideration such are that of the intricate disguis'd painted hypocrite that hath God alwaies in his mouth and his glory the design of his foulest actions and yet his damnation as just as any man's that of the wicked Christian carnal Gospeller that under the vow of baptisme i. e. Christs banner equals the sinnes of Jew Turk or Heathen Worshipper that of recidivation into forsaken sins Apostacy Temporary adherence to Christ but in time of temptation presently they are offended the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or cowardly Gnosticks that Christ in the Revelation ranks with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unbelievers each of these upon other as just accounts as those under which the flagitious and contumacious is acknowledged to fall and perish may as reasonably be resolv'd to have their portion the richest talents being rather more then less accountable for then the meanest and the utter darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth peculiarly assign'd to the unprofitable servant that being apt to object severity and austerity against God did not yet endeavour by improving his Talent to approve himself unto him By the way that parable forewarns us how possible it is for a man negligently to loose all his opportunities of graces and advantages toward heaven and engulfe himself in endless woe whilst his heart is secretly objecting against the reconcileableness of God's judgments with those Attributes which he thinks fit to be vindicated in all his inflictions In this Section after the middle of the 4th p. it is resolv'd that the opinion of eternal torments properly so call'd is not to be accepted upon less termes then of plain demonstration from Scripture But what that signifies I cannot guess God's affirmation when once reveal'd as there is no just cause to doubt the testimony to be divine will bear down all difficulties which any improbability of the matter will suggest to us Reason it self thus judgeth that God is to be believed rather then any humane reasoning If therefore Christ who sufficiently testify'd himself to come from God and to have the signature of his Authority on all his affirmations did teach eternity of torments properly so call'd and express that doctrine in such plain words as all that heard him and his Commissioners preach were firmly resolv'd to signifie the real everlastingness of those torments then I suppose here is as plain demonstration as the weightiness of the matter or the Objecter's exceptions can exact And that thus it is it may not be amiss briefly to shew in this place Besides those testimonies which are by the Objecter produc'd and as they are enervated by him have and shall be vindicated and clear'd to have force in them and so are not to be mention'd here I insist on these three 1. The parable of Dives and Lazarus which being yielded to be but a parable hath yet from Christs using it these grounds of assuring our faith that there is as certainly after this life a state of torments as of bliss and those torments executed by scorching but not devouring and consuming much less annihilating flames He that is in them hath nothing to beg but a present cooling of his tongue and that may not be had because Dives hath had all his portion of good things in this life and so must have no more such though it be but the least allay of his pains for one minute which sure excludes annihilation which is the perfect superseding of them Again there is a gulf fixed which interscinds all entercourse between Heaven and Hell whereby any aid or relief should come to them These circumstances put together must conclude that the fire being not such as of it self consum'd those that were tormented in it and Abraham that was now a Comprehensor knowing that there was now no place left for the least degree of release to the sufferer and no relief being to be hop'd for from Heaven from whence only it was possible to come the fire and so the continuance in the torments must be eternal I foresee but one objection to this viz that this was before the Day of Judgment and then this non obstante the fire after the day of Doom may annihilate To this I answer that the Parable is not bound to refer to the time wherein it was delivered Other parables of the King and the Bridegroom referr'd to after times and this here by the seeing Dives bodily in Hell and the scorching of the tongue and the mention of dipping the finger c must refer to the state of conjunction of souls and bodies in Heaven and Hell and that must be after the Resurrection and so that supersedes that one objection and I foresee no other Secondly I mention Christs words of Judas that it were better for him never to have been born and of him that should offend a tender disciple and avert him from Christ that it were better a Milstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the midst of the Sea Here I shall suppose annihilation as fully express'd by these two phrases as by any it could be and yet that somewhat worse then that expects wicked men which must needs be founded in eternal miserable being for eternal Being if not miserable is much better and miserable Being if not eternal but immediately determin'd by a swift destruction as Christ supposeth is not certainly and unquestionably worse then never having had a Being Thirdly I resume again though I now perceive they are after mention'd the express words of Christ Revel 20.10 that the Beast and the false Prophets i. e. some wicked men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be tormented in a lake of fire and brimestone day and night for ever and ever Nothing could have been more expresse And to these I adde that there is no one seeming dissent of contrary testimony producible from the whole Scripture but innumerable that
of an immortal worm nothing could have been more adaequate for the expressing the eternity of torments in hell those especially of a gnawing tormenting conscience which if it be but the conjecture of Divines is as appears a very probable conjecture Of the meaning of the place in the Prophet Is 66.24 I have formerly spoken and acknowledg'd it the fountain from which our Saviour Mar. 9. derived it but have shewed how little is gain'd from thence toward prooving it a present because a visible destruction Abraham is supposed to behold Dives in hell but that proves not that Dives his punishmens were present of this world Procopius hath shewed how the pious in heaven might behold the punishments of the wicked in another world and in what sence to be said to come forth to worship before the Lord and go forth and look c. And indeed if it be unquestionable that in Christ's speech the future miseries of the wicked are thus express'd as the disputer himself yields there can be no difficulty to understand the words so in Isaiah also If therefore the place in Isaiah so referred to the future torments of the wicked after the day of judgment if the expression of future punishment by fire and worms proportionable to the several customs of disposing dead bodies by interring and burning was frequent among the Jews as the disputer grants to the force of the other Texts which Grotius quotes if the addition of the never quench't fire take away all ambiguities imaginable in the worm and incline it more strongly to those punishments which are elsewhere express'd by eternal fire and if they to whom Christ spake the Jews which generally agreed to the Pharisees opinion of the eternity of another life so understood the phrase and Christ speaking agreeable to their opinion and interpretations of Isaiah gave no least cause of conjecture or imagination that he meant the words in any other sence then it was sure they would understand him what cause of doubting can remain in this matter None certainly from the subsequent words v. 49. for adhering to that interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for consumption of the sacrifice as in the Holocausts to which the wicked are fitly compared there follows no more then that the whole of the wicked bodies and souls shall like the Holocaust be cast into the Fire and burnt or destroyed there but in what sence of destruction whither in that of annihilation which is not competible to the holocausts and wherein 't is never found to be taken in the Sacred dialect when the Heavens are said to vanish or melt as Salt Is 51.6 this is not for the Heavens to be annihilated and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used for vestimenta detrita seu evanida Jer. 38.11 were not annihilated or in the other having lost all the advantageous parts and effects of life and being engaged in a most sad estate far worse then not being is not so much as intimated in the phrase any farther then by the conjunction thereof with the Eternal never dying Worme and Fire it is reasonably to be interpreted and that is quite contrary to the disputers interests Next then for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 13. 2 Pet. 2.17 there is no pretence that it should in these places be meant for death any more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 2 Pet. 2.4 It signifies the sad uncomfortablenesse of that state which being in respect of the torments expres'd by Fire in other places hath not yet the one comfort of ordinary Fire belonging to it viz. lightsomnesse but contrariwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as durable as the flames The Texts produced Job 10.21 22. 1 Sam. 2.9 Eccl. 11.8 Ps 88.7 11 12. Job 17.13 Eccl. 6.14 are Pertinent to prove what they designed that darknesse denotes the State after this life but that no way prejudices the use of it for a positive state and not that of annihilation for for that 't is not used in any of those places Yet that it shall not here be taken in that sence which in those places belongs to it there are these reasons 1. Because the New Testament most explicitely affirming a resurrection from that Old Testaments darknesse doth yet threaten this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which therefore must commence after the resurrection and so cannot be that death from whence men rise in the resurrection of which those Old Testament places were understood 2ly Because in the same Chapter 2 Pet. 2.4 't is said of Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being applied to Angels it cannot signifie that death as if 't were applied to living men it might 2. Being joyn'd with chaines it thereby seems to signifie some positive state but especially 3. Being joyn'd with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it must denote that state which all sorts of men Heathens as well as Jewes and Christians understood by Tartarus that sure is a place of suffering after death 3ly Because though there be no further mention then of the privative part of Hell in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet in the other places of the N. T. where the same is mentioned under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the utter or utmost darkness the farthest recession from lightsome or blisfull life imaginable there is joyned with it weeping and gnashing of Teeth Matt. 8.12 and 22.13 and 25.30 which sufficiently differenceth it from the notion for death As for the places in the Revelation it is granted to be reasonable to interpret them according to prophetick style and not exact them to strict literal interpretation accordingly as Jer. 7.20 and Is 34. 4.10 signifie utter final vastations as appeares by their smoak going up for ever and ever lying wast and none passing through it from generation to generation for ever and ever and the not quenching of Gods wrath but burning upon man and upon beast so where the like circumstances either inforce or but incline the interpretation of passages in the Revelation I shall make no scruple to yield as Revel 18.18 speaking there of the ruine of Babylon 't is most reasonable to interpret to that sence the smoak of her burning by her meaning that great City in the end of the verse and so again chap. 19.3 her smoak rose up for ever and ever Heathen Rome was destroyed so as never to be rebuilt again there is nothing in the context's that inclines to any more then this But then for Rev. 14.9 10 11. I cannot thus yield There to deter all from yielding to Idolatry in the least degree worshipping the beast and his image c. the intermination goes out thus if any man shall do thus vers 9. the same shall drink c. vers 10. where the bitter wine of God mixt unmixt in the cup of his wrath is properly such a vengeance as hath 1. No mixture or allay of mercy 2. All the embittering spices added to it and so fitly signifies
Fire and Brimstone into which they are cast which must be a very strange figurative expression if it signify no more then their own voluntary acts appetitions and aversations Thirdly it is manifest that those diseases which precede many Men's deaths do change their appetitions and aversations The luxurious Man on his sick Bed hath not those vehement desires of Weomen delicate meats c. which he had in his health Why then should I think that after Death his appetites of what he desir'd in via viz. in his life and health should continue to him Nay 4. When Souls are divested of those Bodies which were the necessary Instruments and also the fomenters of those carnall sins and again when the body before its re-union is so chang'd as not to be sustein'd as in via it is by eating and drinking 't is not imaginable it should retain those natural desires which in via it had And when they no more marry in Hell then Heaven and are as equal to evill Angels as the Saints in Heaven are to good ones and the natural end of all carnal desires ceasing it is not imaginable God should continue those desires to them for ever Or if any should so conceive many strange wild consequences unfit to name would be equally probable equally unimaginable 5. By this stating the losse of Heaven will from hence only be penal that Men desir'd Heaven in via or judg'd it fit to be desired And if so it will be no punishment to them that never thought of it at all as infidels or despised it as they did all spirituall joyes and thought it not worth desiring as they that placed all their appetites on carnall and material pleasures which are the worst sort of men who in consequence hereunto must be least punisht in Hell poena damni Having said thus much against your Scheme I owe my self the pains of adding a word or too for the defence of the way that I have us'd in the Practical Catechisme viz. by considering the option given to us by God wherein you seem to me not to have observ'd that on which the chiefe weight of my account was design'd to lie That God propos'd to Men life and death blessing and cursing eternal joyes and eternall paines as the Rector of the Universe I take for granted and so do you as an Article of our Faith So that of the an sit the question is not but considering the transitory short pleasures of sin the onely question is How eternal paines are with any justice proportion'd to them and to that the answer is Not that they are proportion'd to them but that there is no need they should be because God having propos'd the joyes of Heaven and much more immunity from these paines upon termes put absolutely in our power it is meerly our own fault not imputable to the decree of God if we fall under those hardest paines The extremity of which was primarily design'd as by all prudent Lawgivers punishments are to deter men from those sins which are fenced with so thorny an hedge not that they may be inflicted on any but that all may be kept innocent and in this sence 't is ordinarily observ'd that the everlasting Fire which is threatned men was prepar'd for the Devil and his Angels Yet when such threats are entred into those lawes whereby the Universe is governed it is just and reasonable that they should be also actually perform'd on the disobedient else it were as good nay better to all political ends that they had never been made or promulgate And if still when they come to be inflicted they appear to be hard or above the proportion of the offence there are yet other wayes of superseding that exception beside the evacuating the decree viz. The several branches of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all which the Gospel hath provided in this matter First That those which wee could not either by Physical or moral possibility avoid should not be charg'd upon us to this condemnation as Original sinne sinnes of Weaknesse Ignorance sudden surprise Indeliberation c. Secondly That know deliberate voluntary sinnes if timely retracted by repentance Humiliation Confession change of mind shall not fall under it Thirdly That God gives sufficient grace to avoid all willful sin and again sufficient grace to repent when it hath been committed and inflicts it not till he sees men go on obstinately and that they will not repent Fourthly That he calls and warns and importunes them to consult their own safety to make use of his grace timely and not obstinately to harden their hearts against their own mercy and so to perish in despight of mercy Fiftly That he offers not only deliverance from these torments but over and above eternal joyes upon so easy termes of so moderate nay desireable performances that they which will neglect so great Salvation propos'd to them with so many advantages and concurrence of all rationall motives and finally make so mad a choice as to take Hell as it were by violence cannot but be thought worthy to take their portion in that lake be it never so punitive and endless Because though in respect of that one sinne the short pleasure that comes in to them by sin compar'd with intensive endlesse flames there is no proportion yet 1. In respect of their obstinacy and unexcusablenesse 2. In respect of God's tendernesse using all wise means of moderating the rigour of his Law by the Gospel though not by utter abrogating his Lawes which becomes not either a just or wise Lawgiver or Rector of the Universe all shew of Injustice is remov'd particularly by the second taken alone much more in union with the first and third the rule being owned by all rationall men volenti non fit injuria be the evill never so great 't is just they should have it that finally make it their choice so doth the persevering Impenitent and that not only an hasty passionate choice as Nero's Mother's Occidat modò imperet which yet Historians observe to have brought her death justly upon her but a deliberate stanch obstinate constant choice when their Creator and Redeemer and Sanctifyer have us'd all prudent probable meanes to gaine them to better counsels and choices but all in vain they die because they will die When yet they are oft warn'd and expostulated with of the irrationalnesse of that will or choice 'T is true when they come to suffer their own choices they are far from liking them as Xiphilin observ'd of Neroe's Mother in the foremention'd case and then 't is likely would fly from them call to the mountaines to cover them from the wrath of the Lamb But their choices being primarily terminated in the pleasant sinnes and but consequentially in the paines annexed to them by God's Law 't will be as unreasonable that they which have chosen the former should be freed from the latter as that he that hath bought a Commodity at a price
certainly is the truth then first I must admonish him that his fiducial assent by which he defines faith must not signify a believing with reliance that he is one of them that shall be partakers of what is promised which they are wont to call special faith or particular application for that must either suppose them to have performed the condition and so good works in them yea and faith must be before faith or else it is the believing confidently of a lye it being absolutely false that the thing promised belongs to any that hath not performed the condition But his fiducial assent if it be a tolerable definition of faith must be answerable to the promises only this a believing and relying conditional that he shall be partaker of what is promised that is a believing and depending on it that God will not fail him if he fail not God that God will give him heaven if he perform sincere obedience and rely upon the gift of Christ not on any merit of his obedience for the attaining of it Now to say the truth this fiducial assent thus express'd and none but this may truly be affirm'd to be a most powerful motive to me to produce good works but then it is as true that it is as powerful a motive to me to rely on the gift of Christ and so in that respect faith may be said to produce good works faith may also be said to produce that which they call faith i. e. the believing that if I obey and rely I shall be saved is a motive thus to produce actual relying and in this sence I will acknowledg both if he with whom I dispute will thank me for it But then secondly it follows not that that which is a powerful motive is a cause necessarily producing because that motive is but a moral motive perswading not enforcing and man by corruption or by some prevailing temptation may resist that motive and I think 't would be no Paradox to say that some men have made no doubt of the truth of God's conditional promises i. e. have verily perswaded themselves that if they served God sincerely they shall be saved and yet quite neglected God's service and if it be objected that they want the fiduciall though they have the assent and that if they had the affiance they would assuredly produce good works I answer that by that affiance they mean either absolute assurance that they shall be saved and that if it be not an error supposeth good works if it be produceth them not or else a conditional affiance and then again I affirm of that that it is no more then what I exprest by making no manner of doubt but if they serve God sincerely they shall be saved which though I believe to be a most powerful motive to obedience yet I conceive not a necessary irresistible cause because 't is only a moral motive nay nor that that alwaies produceth the effect First because the foolish virgins had as much of this as the wise for ought we see and after the door is shut come as confidently Lord Lord open to us yet it seems did not watch and make ready their Lamps which was the act of obedience requir'd of them and the want of it forfeited their hopes 2. Because the unprofitable servant that professeth he knew that God reaped where he sowed not yet hid the Talent in a Napkin put it not out to the exchangers 3. Because the exhortations of Christ and the Apostles are generally to good works as well as to faith nay much more frequently which argues to me that faith doth not necessarily produce good works and they that are supposed to have faith are exhorted to adde to their faith virtue 2. Pet. 1.5 which if Faith were a necessary cause of Works were all one as to exhort the Fire to burne the Water to moysten c. 4. Because there is a difference observed in Scripture between a working and a non working Faith and the priviledges are bestowed only on the first by which it is plain that it is possible for it not to worke 5. Because faith is said to be made perfect by works Jam. 2.22 which sure an agent cannot be said to be by producing an effect which it cannot but produce as the act of Humectation adds no degree of perfection to the water Nay 't is a general rule that the producing of what effect soever adds no perfection to the cause save only relative as the begetting of a Sonne adds only the relation of a Father but nothing else more then he was before it rather supposeth him perfect before which is the importance of the Logick axiom effectus est extra naturam causae All that can truly and in propriety of speech be said of Faith in this matter is this that Faith is so strong a motive to obedience that if it be drawn as a Weapon to the purpose and used as it should it would in reason out-ballance all the contrary temptations to disobedience if the will which hath the casting voice give its suffrage as in reason it ought it shall then infallibly produce obedience but yet not irresistibly because that will being still a free faculty at least to evill may after all the proposal of motives either suspend its Action or else do that which it should not For sure it is an error of Socinus to affirme cognitionem rerum pulchrarum aut turpium quales praeter alias sunt res honestae vitiosae harum odium illarum amorem necessariò gignere and that Socrate's speech praesente scientia fieri non posse ut quis incontinens sit was true with this Caution ut quis sciat res honestas eas facienti magnum commodum allaturas def disp de loco c. 7. ad Rom. in 1 Joh. 4.8 If by amor and odium he mean prosecutio and aversatio as 't is plaine he doth by that which followes For sure Medea was not deceived in her self when she said video meliora proboque deteriora sequor And so many who make no doubt of an Heaven to belong to all penitent reformed Servants of Christs and that that Heaven conteines joyes above all that the World can afford do yet choose the pleasures of sin for the present season like Ephraim that is likened to an heifer that loved to tread out the Corn betook her self to that course which for the present yielded some profit as the Heifer being by the Law then unmusselled might eat as she troad it out that had its reward at that minute that she did the Work Whence is all this but from hence that the carnal pleasures of sin for the present obtaine the consent of the will against all the future pleasures and joyes of Heaven joyn'd with the sowernesse of present obedience which could never be if believing the promises allwaies either necessarily or infallibly produced good works FINIS The Socinians opinion of the future state of Souls Mr Hobbs Mr White Resolution concerning Origen