to suppose a soul sensible of its misery, and not grieved because of it, is contrary to the nature both of the soul and of misery. It is then a fixed point, that the punishment of loss in a human soul without the punishment of sense, is a senseless and self destroying fiction. XV. Further, as the soul cannot be ignorant that God is infinitely good, and that it is the nature of goodness to be communicative; it thence certainly gathers, that something exceedingly contrary to God must be found in itself, which he has the most dreadful detestation of, and on account of which that infinitely-good One can have no communion with his creature and consequently that that non-communion is a most evident sign and sad effect of the divine displeasure, depriving man of the fruition of that good, by which alone he could be rendered happy. And thus in this punishment of loss there is an exquisite sense of the wrath of God: with which no torments of the body by material fire can be compared. XVI. Besides, seeing the soul is conscious to itself, that by its sins it is the cause of this misery, it becomes enraged against itself, accuses, abhors, tears itself, acts the part of a tormentor against itself, and under this lash more severely smarts, than any criminal under the hands of the most unrelenting execution er. Add to this, that all the hope of a happy restitution being cut off, and being racked with horrid despair, it is condemned to be eternally miserable. All these things are so closely connected, as to make themselves manifest to every conscience, upon a diligent attention. XVII. The same things the scripture expressly teaches, when it speaks of eternal punishment,* and torments,† of the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is not quenched, and the like; which expressions are too strong, to be understood of the punishment of loss only, without that of sense. * Matt. xxv. 46. † Luke xvi. 23. 28. Mark ix. 44. Ο XVIII. And it is absurd to say, that this punish. ment is threatened only against the despisers of the gospel, seeing Paul testifies, that Christ will come, in flaming fire, taking vengeance, not only on them that obey not the gospel, but on them that know not God.* Compare 1 Thess. iv. 5. The Gentiles which know not God. Such, namely, who would not know God even from the works of creation, and did not like to retain God in their knowledge.† Such as whom the very power of truth obliged Curcellæus to say, These are altogether inexcusable before God; and it therefore does not appear wonderful, if hereafter he should consign them to the punishment of eternal fire. And surely our adversaries will not say, that the gospel was preached to those of Sodam and Gomarrah. and to the neighbouring cities. Of them however Jude writes, that they are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Which words are not to be so interpreted, as to be restricted to that fire, wherewith those cities were burnt, but to be extended to the flames of hell, with which the lewd inhabitants of those cities are at this very day tormented. Those things are to be distinguised, which the very nature of the thing teaches to be dstinct. We are to understand, their giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, of the inhabitants, and not of the towns. It is true of both, that they were burnt with fire which, with respect to the towns, may in some measure be said to be eternal, they being so consumed, as that they never can or shall be restored. But it is truly eternal, with respect to the inhabitants, who, by that vengeance of God, were not annihilated; but at the time when the apostle wrote, having been cast headlong into overlasting pain and torment, suffered the punishment of that fire. For the portion of whoremongers is in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. So these cities are an emblem or type of eternal fire; but their * 2 Thess. i. 8. † Rom. i. 28. Loco citato. § Ver. 7. I Rev. xxi. 8. wicked inhabitants suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, and so both are for DEIGMA, an example (Peter says, HUPODEIGMA, an ensample*) by which we are reminded what whoremongers are to expect. XIX. To this purpose also Christ expressly declares, that all those who shall be placed on his left hand, and not declared heirs of eternal life, shall by a righteous sentence, be condemned to everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels st which fire is explained to be KOLASIN AIONION everlasting punishment. We cannot approve that Curcellæus§ has written; that in "Matthew is not described a judgment in every respect universal, of all who ever had existed, but only of those who made a profession of the Christian religion; some of whom behaved becoming the gospel, others not." These are expressions not of the best stamp. For shall notthat judgment be universal, which our Lord extends to all nations?|| to all the tribes of the earth ¶ in which every eye shall see Christ the Judge ?** in which according to Paul,†† he will judge the world? in which both sea, and death, and hell will deliver up their dead to be judged ?‡‡ in which shall be accomplished the prediction, which God solemnly confirmed by oath, saying, Every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God ?§§ in which even the men of Ninevah and the queen of the South shall rise to condemn the wicked Jews?||| and their portion of torment be assigned to those of Tyre, and Sidon, and Sodam ?¶¶ in which shall be inflicted on that servant, who knew not his master's will, and did commit things worthy of stripes, his due measure of stripes ?*** in which, in fine, they who sinned without law, shall perish without law ?††† To restrict all those things to whom the gospel has been preached, is for a man to make sport with scripture. But God will not be sported with. * 2 Pet. ii. 6. + Matth. xxv. 41. dissertation, § 6. i. 7. tt Acts xvii. Ver. 46. § In the said Matth. xxv. 32. ¶ Matth. xxiv. 30. Matth. xii. 41, 42. ttt Rom. ii. 12. 11 Matth. xi. 22, 24. **Rev. §§ Rom. xiv. 11. *** Luke xii. 48. XX. If Curcellæus should perhaps reply, that he denies not an universal judgment to come, but that it is not described in Matth. xxv. nor in those passages, in which the men to be judged are divided into two classes, as John v. 28, 29. 2 Thess. i. 6, &c. I answer, 1. That the scripture makes no mention but of one judgment, to be held on the last day; nor are we any where taught, that a different tribunal is to be erected for those, to whom the gospel was not preached, and for those to whom it was. Paul preached of the judgment to come,* in the singular number; and in like manner, of eternal judgment.† 2. The pas sages alledged have the marks of unaversality affixed to them. For it is said, John v. 28. ALL that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man; and, ver. 29. this universality is not to be divided into those, who either by faith received the gospel preached to them, or perversely rejected it; but into those who have done good or evil, without mentioning the gospel in the least. And, 2 Thess. i/6, &c. the punishment of eternal destruction will be inflicted, by the sentence of the Judge, not only on those who were disobedient to the gospel, but also on those who know not God, viz. "God the Creator, to the knowledge and worship of whom nature alone might have led men, unless they had extinguished its light through their wickedness," as Curcellæus himself explains it. 3. Nor is it any thing singular to distribute the persons to be judged into two classes, but common in every judgment concerning the whole human race: of which there are but two dissimilar bodies, either of those to be acquitted, or those to be condemned. The scripture knows nothing of an intermediate state. XXI. The only thing specious adduced by Curcellæus, is this, that Christ cannot upbraid those who knew nothing of his will, thus, I was an hungry, &c. But we answer, 1. That what Christ here speaks, does not comprize the whole process of the judgment, but only mentions this by way of example. For who doubts, that more things are to be considered in this * Acts xxix. 25. †† Heb. vi. 2. |