abundantly manifested by the light of Scripture Doctrine without the help of his notions and shall be yet farther manifested in the day of Christ to the shame and silencing of all that now reply against God even in those things where his Judgements are a great deep as the Apostle discourseth at large Rom. 9. and 11. Chapâ—ers The Objection that he starts about God his creating man upright c. I need not long stay upon The truth concerning this is before stated and proved and every impartial Reader may see how miserably he trifles in his endeavour to solve it He gives you his word for it that God will excuse men from all that Obedience that they have by their sin lost both power and will to perform But I hope none are so credulous as to take his Book to be Canonical Not one Text of Scripture doth he nor can he produce for the proof of his opinion but only attempts to back one falshood with another saying That since the fall God requireth not perfect obedience of men but only sincerity and that he knew that man might yield sincere Obedience â—n Faith and Love and in that hath promised both assistance and accâ—ptance in his Son c. Two things he here takes for granted but both without ground 1. That all the World are under the Covenant of Grace so as to be presently interested in the priviledges thereof and accepted in those sincere endeavours to obey God which they are capable of in that condition wherein they are by nature which is not so For all that can be said of Men in General unto whom the Gospel is preached amounts to no more then this That the Grace and Blessings of the New covenant are offered to them upon condition of Faith God declareth his good pleasure to sinners that if they or any of them do confess and forsake their sins they shall find mercy and those of them that do believe he gives the sure mercies of David unto Isa 55. 3. and they are under Grace Rom. 6. 14. But the rest of the world are under the severity of the Law still yea whosoever doth in heart depart from Christ and seek life by his own works is a Debtor to answer the most rigorous demands thereof and is fallen from Grace Christ shall profâ—t him nothing Gal. 5. 3. 4. And that passage 2 Cor. 8. 12. For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to what he hath not is pitifully wrested by Mr. C. in that he would apply it to the case in hand for neither the thing nor persons there spoken of will at all agree thereto 1. It is not a moral sinful impetency or deficiency that the Apostle there speaks of but only a want of riches and ability in that respect to contribute so largely to the necessity of the â—oor Saints as otherwise they might and would have done 2. The persons spoken of are Saints Believers such as are accepted in Christ and interested in the Covenant of Grace whose sincere endeavours to walk with God are according to the terms of that Covenant accepted by him through the beloved though this Obedience of theirs is not their justifying righteousness nor accepted for that end But the case is otherwise with persons out of Christ Mr. C. endeavours to strengthen this notion p. 32. by proving That under Moses Law sincerity was accepted and â—hat though the Law required perfect Obedience yet this perfection consâ—sted in universality and sincerity c. But here again he pitifully confounds things that ought to be heedfully distinguished In the Mosaical oeconomy there was such a remembrance of the Covenant of works revived with the terms and sanction thereof as that hereupon it is called the ministration of condâ—mnation and did ingender unto bondage 2 Cor. 3. 7. Gal. 4. 25. But yet the promise of Salvation by the Messiah being made long before was not enervated thereby but even this was laid in a subserviency to Gospel ends and also the Gospel was preached to them Heb. 4. 2. and so the Covenant of Grace revealed though more darkly in types and shadows through which they were instracted to seek Justification unto Life by Christ promised and so deliverance from the curse of the Law by him Now amongst these some did believe others did not and so some were related to God in the New Covenant others remained under the Old The sincere Obedience of the one was accepted on Gospel gracious terms and for Gospel ends not that they obtained life thereby according to the terms of the Covenant of works Do this and live Christ being their surety to answer the utmost demands of the Law for their Justification before God The otheâ— wer 〈…〉 n their own persons responsible for the br 〈…〉 of the Lâ—w 〈…〉 nd stood 〈…〉 ty of death by the curse thereof 〈…〉 ll for wa 〈…〉 〈…〉 lu◠〈…〉 rtection as sincerity in their Obedien 〈…〉 〈…〉 e Covenant of works considered formally as such knows no câ—ange of sincerity for perfection but its commands must in every spect be obeyed and its demands answered and they are so by Christ alone who hath fulfilled the righteousness thereof for them that do believe and without Faith in him the Soul stands or falls to the unallayed and most rigorous sentence thersof The second thing Mr. C. supposeth is That every man hath ability in his fallen state to yield sincere obedience to God in Faith and Love This hath been already refuted and here is nothing offered to enforce it I shall therefore refer the Reader to that which precedes in this Chapter where also the foundation of what Mr. C. farther pleads in his two following Sections is fully removed so that there remains only a flourish of words wherewith he beats the Air in returning answer to which I shall waste no more precious time CHAP. V. Wherein some things relating to the principles already asserted are farther cleared and vindicated And also the Saints perseverance proved and Tho. C's Exceptions removed I Am now come to his 5th Chapter wherein he endeavours farther to strengthen his Opinions before laid down and is more express in his asserting Believers final falling awâ—y from Grace The most of what he saith is built on those principles that have been already discussed and therefore in my examination thereof I will only note either those things which are very gross or that wherein he seems to offer something that hath not before been urged and answered Those Texts which he endeavours to wrest in the beginning of this Chapter have been already vindicated from his corrupt glosses I do therefore here pass them over and attend to what he saith p. 31. where he propounds this question May we suppose that persons may believe or that any do believe unto life only by the objective evidence or external Ministry without the spirits work in and with the Gospel His answer is
be admitted I cannot see how he will exclude those that have sinned against the holy Ghost otherwise then by an arbitrary exception of his own for every man is partaker of the salvation here intended In the 7 § p. 50. Mr. Collier repeats again who it is for whom he intends this deliverance from Hell-torments But with his vain words we are not concerned being well assured There is no such thing and that distinction insisted on § 8. we have already proved to be vain and groundless Those that are under the Eternal Judgement must suffer Eternal torment as well as loss And indeed according to this mans principles they may as well expect deliverance from the one as from the other for those that have forgiveness of sin have also Righteousness imputed to them and are on that account received to glory not for their own good works the want of which he makes the only bar unto the admission of these persons into the Kingdom of Heaven Yea he asserts farther § 9. That this favour and mercy shall be extended to them on the account and for the sake of Christ and again p. 54. Why we should make that an argument against all Grace after the Judgement the infinite Sacrifice remaining the same to have its influence herein which hath been our alone hope and help before the Judgement I do not yet understand It is pleaded that sin is against an infinite Majesty and therefore deserveth Everlasting punishment and this Mr. C. acknowledgeth to be true but yet saith that God is infinite in Grace as well as in Justice and therefore this property of God can be no bar to the relief of the damned and then pleads That the infinite sacrifice of Christ remains the same to have its influence for the obtaining of Grace after the Judgement as before Now if this be so either Heaven was never purchased by Christ for those that believe in this world or the damned have through the influence of his sacrifice as free access thither upon their Repentance as we Nay if Mr. Collier will suspend it on mens good works seeing they may repent when damned why may they not do other good works also to such a measure as to earn Heaven as well as we But behold here another instance of his daring confidence in asserting his antiscriptural and pernicious notions where is the Scripture that saith Christ died for the Redemption of the damned in Hell or that his Sacrifice was ever designed for the obtaining of Grace for such as die in their sins It is most certain that when the great day of Judgement is past the Lord Christ hath finished all his work as Mediator and will then present his Church compleat before God and so give up the Kingdom to the Father that God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15. 24. c. There will therefore remain no more sacrifice for sins pleadable for the remission of any that are not already saved but their Redemption ceaseth for ever And although sinners in the day of Gods patience are invited and encouraged to come to him on the account of his infinite mercy in Christ yet is it no where proposed as a ground for hope or spring of comfort to the damned who are the objects not of mercy but divine vengeance In the last place he pleads That this is rational and most God-like who hath let us know that he will suit his Judgements to mens various facts for measure That is most rational and becoming God which he hath revealed in his word and it is the highest presumption to dictate unto him another way for the manifestation of his glory upon the vessels of wrath then himself hath fixed on Who hath been his Counsellor Himself also hath revealed That as a righteous Judge he will suit his Judgements to the various facts of men and that some shall be beaten with many stripes others with few Luk. 12. 47 48. But this difference of punishment doth not consist in a differing duration but present degrees of torment Their fire that have sinned ignorantly shall not be so hot as theirs that have sinned wilfully neither will their worm gnaw them so grievously yet of both it is true That their worm never dyeth and their fire is not quenched He adds From the same reason and rule of Righteousness hath he given us â—ints of limitation in respect of time as if he would not be for ever punishing Luk. 12. 58 59. And this word till or untill in Scripture rarely imports Eternity but limits to time Mat. 18. 34 35. 5. 25 26. That we have any hint in the Scripture of limitation in respect of the time of the punishment of the wicked is false And that reason and righteousness do render such a limitation necessary is audacious boldness to assert Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance shall vile dust be so bold as to fix the demerit and limit the punishment of an offence against the infinite Jehovah But Luk. 12. 59. is brought in to give countenance to this abomination the words are I say unto thee thou shalt not depart thence untill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt have paid even the last mite Apply this now to the case of sinners in the prison of Hell as Mr. Collier doth And 1. It utterly overthrows his notion of their release by forgiveness on condition of repentance through the influence of Christs sacrifice no such thing can be admitted in this case no favour is to be expected but even the last mite must be paid or no release can be obtained 2. It most emphatically sets forth their irrecoverable and everlasting damnation for if they may not expect any mercy but must themselves pay the utmost mite they are indebted to dâ—vine Justice we know they must be paying it for ever it being impossible for a finite creature to satisfie the demands of an infinite God justly provoked to anger by our rebellion against him so in the other Texts mentioned untill being referr'd to and determined by that which never can be done doth utterly cut off all hopes from those that are once fallen into the hands of the living God and so by consequence doth necessarily infer an absolute denial of the thing spoken of See 1 Sam. 15. 35. And this is directly the scope of the parable to take men off from their presumptions of relief in another world and to press them now to make their calling and Election sure And if it may be thought that men may satisfie divine Justice and pay the last mite I know not out the Devils may possibly do so too and may as well as men on this account justly claim a release from their torments sooner or later Thus far I have confidered and removed what Mr. Collier offers for the countenancing of his new Doctrine and by reason of my having already exceeded the room I intended to have comprized this reply in I shall be forced only to touch upon
Book I answer I have in the following page given thee a specimen of Mr. Colliers strange Heterodoxies collected out of his Book for the most part in his own terms which with very many more contained therein are detected and refuted in this And give me leave to express my desires in the words of that holy man of old concerning what I have written Domine Deus unus Deus Trinitas quaecunque dixi in his libris de tuo agnoscant tui si qua de meo tu ignosce tui Amen! August Let God alone have the glory of any thing serviceable to the interest of his truth in this Treatise and interpret well my poor Essay towards the clearing thereof much weakness therein I am sensible of and know right well that one of deeper Judgement and greater abilities endued with a more plentiful anointing of the good spirit would have said much more in less room then I have done But seeing no other was engaged in this service my mite is humbly offered and that my weakness may be pardoned and my poor endeavours succeeded to some advantage if it be but of the weakest of Christs sheep and the reflecting of some glory to his holy Name is the earnest prayer of The unworthiest of his Servants N. C. Amongst the many gross Errours published by Mr. Collier in his Additional Word and refuted in this Treatise are these following 1. THat Christ is the Son of God only as considered in both natures Addit Word Ch. 1. p. 2. 2. As he was the Prince of Life the Lord of Glory was he killed and crucified and that was not in the humane nature only ch 1. p. 4. 3. As God-man he was a Creature ch 1. p. 9. 4. This Creature God-man made all things ch 1. p. 10. 5. The word God-man was made flesh ch 1. p. 11. 6. There are Increated Heavens for the Eternal God must have some Eternal habitation ch 1. p. 12. 7. Christ died for the Universe the Heavens and Earth and all things therein ch 2. p. 13. 8. The Gospel ought to be preached to the whole Creation even to that part of it that is not capable of hearing or understanding it ch 2. p. 16. 9. The Foolish Virgins shall obtain some great priviledge in the day of Christ ch 3. p. 23. 10. Those that never heard the Gospel cannot be under the Judgement of Damnation ch 4. p. 26. 11. The sinful defilement of our nature is not the sin but the affliction of man ch 4. p. 27. 12. It s possible for men in respect of power to believe the Gospel if God do not work at all upon them by his spirit ch 5. p. 31 32. 13. Regenerate Persons or True Believers may finally fall away from God and Perish ch 5. p. 36 c. 14. None shall be Eternally damned but those that sin against the holy Spirit ch 7. p. 47. 15. The Gospel hath been preached to men after they were dead ch 7 p. 48. 16. Men may repent so as to obtain deliverance from their torment after death and the last Judgement ch 7. p. c. 8. 17. Sluggish Christians and Formalists may find some mercy in the day of Judgement p. 51. 18. Perhaps the torment of some sinners may not exceed a 100 years p. 52. 19. The Sodomites have already received their Judgement and are still suffering thereof and the day of the general Judgement is like to be their day of ease p. 53. 20. The infinite Sacrifice of Christ remains the same to have its influence for the obtaining of Grace after the Judgement as before p. 54. CHAP. I. Concerning God The distinct Subsistencies in the Divine Nature And more especially the Person of the Son MR. Collier intimates in the beginning of his first Chapter That he had been from some private hand admonished of certain errors by him before published in his Body of Divinity which in this Chapter he endeavours to vindicate and makes this the occasion of the putting forth the whole of what we find in his Additional Word But verily this course is in no wise like to give satisfaction to them who before were justly offended For a man when he is blamed for swerving from the form of sound words and that Doctrine that is according to Godliness in some instances to repeat his errors with new Confidence instead of a retractation of them and then to add many more and more dangerous against the analogy of Faith yea the express words of Scripture and common sentiments of all that deserve the name of Christians is not the way to reconcile himself to the truth or to any true lovers thereof And that Mr. Collier hath thus done will be manifested in our progress We are plentifully instructed from the Scripture That there is but one only living and true God who is a most pure Spirit Eternal and Immutable Incomprehensible and infinitely perfect in his Being and all the properties thereof c. This also Mr. Collier professeth to own yet he hath in the close of this first Chapter of his Additional Word dropt an expression or two that seem to hold no very full harmony therewith He saith p. 12. As to the Omnipresence of God the Father I say what the Scripture saith which directeth us to the Father as in Heaven and that by his Spirit he is present in all places Omnipresence is an Essential property of God grounded on his Infiniteness it is as necessary to him to be Omnipâ—â—ent as to be God It is all one therefore whether we speak of the Omnipresence of the Father or of the Son or of the holy Spirit these three being that One incomprehensible and infinite Jehovah to whom all fear and worship is due And to deny it of any of them is to deny their Divinity And whereas Mr. Collier tells us That he saith what the Scripture saith c. That is not enough unless he make it manifest also That he saith it according to the true sense and intendment of the Spirit of God in those Scriptures he refers unto I am unwilling to entertain jealousies of any man but yet I must say That those Socinians who have most opposed the truth concerning the immensity of God have yet said as much as Mr. Collier here presents us with and to clear himself from suspicion in this matter when questioned about it more might justly have been expected from him The Scriptures indeed speak of God as in Heaven but that is as many other expressions in them â—re in a way of condescension to our capacity And we must always remember that those things that are spoken of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men must be interpreted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a sense becoming God else we must immediately close with the gross and absurd Heresie of the Authropomorphites Seeing then that we conceive of no place so glorious as Heaven that is represented to us as the dwelling place or
some degrees and measures of ohem to comply with his mind and will which they voluntarily neglect And this of its self is sufficient to bear the charge of their Eternal ruine The second thing whereby he endeavours to prove his opinion p. 25. is Because God blames those under all his ministrations that did not or do not suitably obey him therein To which he adds in the third place He threatens and executes Judgement on all such Both these depend on the first and no man besides Mr C. would have made use of them as distinct mediums in the proof of his position The first therefore being enervated these fall with it But he saith If we accept not this as a sufficient proof of his notion We cannot have right honourable and God-like thoughts of the Lord to require blame pity promise threaten and execute terrible judgement on a people that in no case was able to help it He that can make good sense of these words hath more skill then I but I heartily wish non-sense had been the worst fault in Mr. Colliers Book however it be I will endeavour to give a distinct answer to that which he drives at 1. God may require obedience of those from whom it is due though they have siâ—ned away their power to perform it 2. It is a moral sinful impoâ—ency that men are under they cannot nor they will not obey but they can and do wilfully refuse to obey God and therefore are justly blamed and punished for this wickedness and are also as Creatures the objectâ— of pity while they thus destroy themselves 3. Promises and threatnings are fit mediums to work upon rational Creatures who are capable of understanding the terms in which the things of the spirit of God are proposed to them though the Glory of the things themselves they discern not and to put forth a free act of their wills in reference to them as Mr. C. saith himself in his Bod. of Div. p. 452. Though man hath lost the freedom of his will to that which is good by sinning yet not the power of willing And 4. By the mighty power of Gods spirit giving efficacy to this means the Elect are made obedient and the rest left without excuse or Cloak for their sin As for that clause That in no case was able to help it it is fallacious They act spontaneously and are in no case willing to help it whose Souls are not renewed by special Grace He goes on p. 26. 4. It must be so because the contrary leaves the condemnation of sinners at Gods door which fâ—r be it from any sober spirit to imagine For God to bring forth a glorious ministration of Grace and Life to the world 1 and tender it to sinners on such terms as is impossible for them to perform with the helps he affords 2 and to damn them for non-performance therâ—â—f necessarily leaves a necessity of perishing without hope or help So that if this were true that men could not believe and obey the Gospel where it comes 3 simply from their debility and impotency and the debility of the means â—fforded them for help therein It could not be their sin 4 for it s no mans sin not to do what he cannot do but what he can and might do had he a will to it The things before pleaded do fully remove out of our way what is here offered But farther to detect his aequivocation mind 1. Although it be impossible for dead sinners to quicken themselves yet seeing this impossibility is founded in the corruption of their natures and wickedness of their own hearts it cannot in the least excuse their disobedience 2. Sinners are liable to damnation for the breach of the Law and if they add hereunto disobedience to the Gospel it necessarily aggravates their sin and condemnation and this they will do if left to themselves but neither doth this necessity which is only a necessity of infallibility with respect to the event in any wise infringe their liberty or excuse their sin 3. Whereas he talketh of unbelief that comes simply from the debility and impotency of men and the debility of the means afforded them and in the next Section Of that which befalls a man that he could not nor in any case cannot help c. I must tell him that it is dishonestly done to represent this as the opinion of the men with whom his controversie is seeing they teach That mens disobedience to God springs from their obstinacy and not only impotency and they are condemned for that and not simply for this alone and also That the means of Salvation tendred in the Gospel is full and gloriously perfect in its kind But the reason why the Gospel is not effectual to the salvation of all that hear it is The natural enmity and obstinacy of their hearts against God is such that unless it be overcome and cured by him that raised Christ from the dead they do finally resist the call of God and will not come to Christ that they might have life And this defilement of humane nature man brought upon himself â—y his fall which he could have helped and prevented if he would and it is approved and delighted in by all his posterity 4. The falshood therefore of his saying That is no mans sin not to do what he cannot do is evident seeing mans duty is determined by Gods holy command not his own sinful weakness So then our Doctrine doth not lay the sin of men at Gods door as he suggests but at their own where the Scripture lays it It spoileth man indeed of all matter of boasting which is the true reason of Mr. Colliers endeavour to load it with this calumny And in truth though proud Hypocrites will be bâ—asting of their self sufficiency we need not nor can have a more pathetical confutation of Mr. C's Doctrine then that which is gathered from the confession of one poor in spirit and distressed in Soul under the sense of his lost condition by nature Methinks I see such an one rolling himself in the dust and with flouds of tears and groanings that cannot be uttered pouring out his Soul before the Lord with such expressions as these O Lord look down in mercy upon a captivated condemned sinner that hath broken thy holy Law and finds nothing in himself but a principle of enmity to and aversation from thy holy will revealed either in the Law or in the Gospel I confess that it is a miracle of mercy that terms of pardon and acceptance by Jesus are proposed to me But ah Lord my blindness is such that I shall never find this way of life if thou do not lead me and the hardness of my heart such that it will not bow unless thou make me willing in the day of thy power I hear Christ say Come but alas I cannot came Oh draw my Soul to thy self by thine effectual Grace Heaven is opened to the Believer but O Lord that word
shall have a large share in them when the desired day of their calling and returning to God is come but their claim of right in new covenant blessings must now be on the account of their Faith in Christ not their natural descent from Abraham Let us now look into the Text and first we find that when the Prophet enters upon this comparison of Jerusalem with Samaria and Sodom v. 44. he saith Every one that useth Proverbs shall use this Proverb against thee c. which doth plainly lead us to a metaphorical sense of divers terms used in this proverbial or parabolical discourse Yea he saith v. 45. to the Jews your Mother was an Hittite and your Father an Amorite which certainly is not to be taken in a strict literal sense but is rather intended to note their corrupt manners then their natural descent And so although in the name Sodom there is an allusion to literal Sodom and the punishment thereof yet may we rather understand the Moabites and Ammonites to be intended who were like to Sodom and Gomorrah in their sinfulness and in their punishment See Zeph. 2 9. And there seems to be some farther occasion of this allusion not only in the situation of these Countries near to the Land where Sodom stood but more in that they sprang from Lot who was once an Inhabitant among the Sodomites whose evil manners his posterity did now conform to And indeed we find this in Scripture to be a common brand of Great sinners See Job 36. 14. Isa 1. 10. Rev. 7. 8. Now many of these two Nations did return to their Country as divers of the ten Tribes did also when Judah returned but especially are these promises made good in Gospel times in the gathering of Jews and Gentiles into one Church under one head Christ Jesus And these things duly weighed lead to such an interpretation of this prophecy as is according to the analogy of Faith and fully agreeing with other Texts both which are crossed and contradicted together with the whole scope of the Text under consideration by the sense that Mr. C. would force upon it For 1. It is evident that the promises here made must have their accomplishment in this world which is the only time and place for godly repentance and entring into Covenant with God by Faith in Christ 2. The Scripture and Reason doth cut off all hope of the returning so much as of any remnant of literal Sodom see Isa 1. 9. and saith expresly that the Sodomites do suffer the vengeance of eternal fire Jud. 7. which passage Mr. Collier mentions a little after I suppose to prevent others objecting it against him for certainly he cannot be so ignorant as to think that it strengthens his sense no doubt those that suffer the vengeance of Eternal fire are cut off from all hope of deliverance 3. The Grace promised in v. 62 63. is not a deliverance from torment only but a full and free pardon and taking of the persons pardoned into Covenant with God which includes their enjoyment of him as their portion which by Mr. Colliers own grant is no ways applicable to the damned in Hell And it is evident that the tollerableness allowed unto Sodom in the day of Judgement Mat. 18. 15. which he pleads is only comparative they shall be tormented less then those that have rejected the Gospel And the reasoning of our Saviour in that and like Texts is to this purpose That the condemnation of the Sodomites will be great is easily granted by you because they were great sinners and you are promising to your selves a far better portion then theirs is like to be in the day of Judgement but do not deceive your selves for your sin in rejecting the Gospel is greater then any they were guilty of and your punishment if you go on to neglect so great salvation will be heavier then theirs It shall be more tolerable for them in the day of Judgement then for you And there is no force of reason or terrour to the persons threatned suitable to what is intended if according to Mr. Colliers notion p. 53. The day of general Judgement should be the day of Sodoms ease That they should not be then condemned but released from their punishment and escape the Judgement that the rest of the wicked world fall under If this assertion of his be not bold and antiscriptural I know not what deserves to be so accounted Mr. Collier proceeds to argue Why may we not suppose that God may in time be pacified towards sinners after they have born their sin and judgement as formerly he hath declared himself to be or will be in time to come Ez. 16. 58. Seeing God hath been or will be pacified in Judgement why should we suppose him to be unreconcileable and never to be pacified in this last and great Judgement Is there indeed no difference betwixt the state of men in time and in Eternity why then can Mr. C. see no reason against sinners expectation of the same mercy hereafter as now some do partake of in the pardon of their sins and salvation by Christ Men are now under a mixt dispensation of justice and mercy and the time of life in this world is the only time of Gods patience 2 Pet. 3. 9. and while this time doth last he doth as well design the reclaiming of sinners by temporal Judgements as the vindicating of his own holiness and therefore when this is accomplished he may be here and oft-times is pacified towards sinners But in the world to come this mixt dispensation ceaseth and the Vessels of mercy shall enjoy the fruit of mercy perfectly and only and the vessels of wrath the extremity of justice all that is then designed towards them being the making known of wrath and glorifying justice upon them Rom. 9. 22 23. They must drink the Wine of Gods wrath without mixture Rev. 14. 10. And therefore no hope for them after this last and great Judgement He proceeds The Scripture saith expresly That God is the Saviour of all men but especially of those that believe and it is not present outward salvation that the Apostle is there speaking of c. The Text referred to is 1 Tim. 4. 10. where the Apostle is giving an account of his diligence and constancy in the work of the Ministry notwithstanding the persecutions that did or might attend him on that account as also the encouragement he had thereto because he trusted in the living God who is the Saviour of all men especially of those that believe which can intend no other then the conserving providence of God which is over all and especially his own people So the 70 render Psal 36. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou wilt save or preserve Men and Beasts O Lord. It is evident the Apostle encourageth himself in that salvation that is presently enjoyed in this world who is the Saviour c. and if Mr. Colliers corrupt sense of this Text
or more in the New Testament is the eternal duration of the Saints life and happiness in another world exprest thereby and frequently the everlasting torments of the wicked is so also as hath been before urged and every one may see how preposterous a course it would be because the term is once used figuratively in a limited sense which the subject there treated of and scope of the place doth inforce therefore to limit it in all other places where it doth occur although there be not only no reason for it but also in the things spoken of an utter repugnancy to such a limitation And if Mr. Collier know these things already he is far from upright dealing in this business if he know them not he is guilty of great temerity in publishing such things as these to the world at all adventures Much more might be added but I must hasten In the last branch of his answer to this Objection p. 52. he hath recourse again to his former distinction and allows the Judgement of the wicked to be Eternal in respect of their loss But the vanity of this hath been already detected and my answer thereto need not be here repeated The next thing he attempts is to clear his Doctrine fâ—om a charge laid against it most justly viz. That it tends to the encouragement of sinners in their wicked ways And truly this is so evident in it self that it needs no farther inforcement yea in his answer he lays a farther ground for such a charge His words are these If a fit of sickness and terrible pain be so hard to be boâ—n here for a season in which men wish for death and cannot obtain it what will be the dreadful state of sinners that must lye in the fiery Lake some perhaps a 100. some a 1000. and some perhaps 10000 years c. Thus he will interpret Everlasting punishment to be lying in the fiery Lake perhaps an hundred years yea according to his principles perhaps it may not be an hundred days no nor an hundred hours neither for if they repent which he supposeth they may and shall do the sacrifice of Christ remains the same to procure their pardon then as now and no doubt he will allow them the same power and free-will to repent there as here so that as soon as they find the place displeasing to them they may repent and repenting may obtain mercy and deliverance out of it And if this were true there is nothing can be devised more effectual to encourage a wicked life as on the contrary The Doctrine of Eternal Judgement doth make sinners tremble and by it they are restrained from much wickedness which otherwise they would rush into See also 2 Cor. 5. 10 11. Mr. C. is aware also that some will tax him for complying with the Popish Doctrine concerning Purgatory and therefore p. 53. he endeavours to shew the difference betwixt his Purgatory and theirs I cannot now stay to run the paralel betwixt them but must tell him in short 1. That although his Doctrine of a Purgatory after Judgement be not so pernicious to mens Purses as the Papists have rendred theirs yet it is full as much if not more ruining to their Souls that shall receive it and they that follow either of these blind guids and content themselves to go out of this world without Faith and true Holiness on hopes of a time to repent and better their state hereafter will certainly fall into the ditch of Eternal woe and misery and their heavy curse will all too late for their own relief come upon those that seduced them with this vain hope that will prove as the giving up of the Ghost 2. On two accounts his Doctrine in this point is more gross then the Papists for 1. They make believers fideles supposed to die in venial sin the subjects of their Purgatory But Mr. C. will indulge the Sodomites yea all that have not sinned against the holy Ghost to pass through his Purgatory unto forgiveness and ease 2. They place their Purgatory before the last Judgement and final sentence so that they do not so directly oppose that fundamental Article concerning the Eternal Judgement as he doth nor suppose any possibility of sinners obtaining a change of their condition after the sentence is past by the great Judge which yet Mr. C. hath the boldness to plead for There are other unsavoury notions couched in his answer to this Objection viz. That ordinarily sinners do not come under any Judgement or suffer any punishment before the great day c. But I must pass over them at present only mind how contrary this is to what we are taught in Luk. 16. 23. 1 Pet. 3. 19. c. The last Objection that I shall be concerned to take any notice of is to this purpose If the damnation of the wicked be limited unto time why may not the salvation of the Godly be so likewise Now although Mr. C. pretend that there is not the like reason for the one as for the other this will not secure us of the possession of this truth For if his arguing were right we had no word in Scripture that assures us of Eternal Glory There being no term used therein to signifie the Everlasting duration of the Saints happiness but what is used to denote the duration of sinners torment which Mr. C. will not allow to be without end And as he hath to day pretended reasons for limiting the words in this respect so may another idle brain to morrow devise as good reason 〈…〉 duration of the Believers happiness and then where are we in this point seeing the Eternity which the Scripture speaks of after Judgement may in this mans sense have an end in one hundred years In Mr. Colliers 8th Ch. he pretends to give some reasons of his understanding the Scriptures abused by him as he dotâ— But they being urged on those false grounds which have been already detected and refuted I will not abuse my Readers patience to attend my second or farther raking into such an heap But shall oppose thereto some reasons why his notion of the Judgement and punishment of sinners must be rejected briefly summed up from the former discourse I shall begin with his own words p. 1 2. 1. For any to affirm that which the Scripture doth not must needs be unsound and unsafe But the Scripture no where affirms nor allows That persons may obtain forgiveness after they are damned and by Repentance get out of Hell-torments c. Ergo. Mr. Colliers assertion hereof by his own confession must be esteemed unsound and unsafe 2. That assertion which is contrary to the express terms and evident scope of the holy Scriptures in a fundamental Article is pernicious and Heretical But this Doctrine of Mr. Colliers is such ergo It is pernicious and Heretical and if so to be rejected by all that love truth and tender the safeguard of their own Souls The first proposition