needful; and on the latter they would do no good. But then between these are the smaller offenders, and the imperfectly good Christiansi; and these, believe me, are to smart for it. For the fire, or flame of gehenna, extends into such parts of hades as wicked men, who are not incurably so, are forced into, long before the day of judgment. And this preliminary eruption of that fire or flame is only intended as a punishment necessary for the repentance and recovery of lesser offenders, that they may never be actually cast into gehenna. Upon this account it is said in the text, that the man who calls his brother fool, shall (not now be cast into gehenna, but only shall) be liable to some part of its torments. This, as I apprehend, is Mr. Whiston's scheme; and either he or his authors, Esdras, Hermas, &c. may have the honour of inventing it; for I cannot find it in the genuine scriptures.

The scripture supposes but two sorts of men, viz. those who die with faith and repentance, and those who do not. The former, according to the terms of the gospel, are entitled to the pardon of God: and there is no intimation that God designs to punish his creatures after he has pardoned them. His pardon is free pardon. They are not to satisfy for their own sins; they are not to merit their own salvation. All this is done to their hands. And if they die with repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, they are as certainly saved as the gospel is true. What improvements they may be capable of in hades, or this intermediate state; and to what degrees of perfection they may there arrive, above what they could attain in k P. 115.

i P. 112.

this world; is a point I shall not determine. But, according to the mercies and the covenant of God in Christ Jesus, all punishments I disclaim1. Then, as to the other sort of men, who die without faith and repentance, those I reckon to be the same with Mr. Whiston's" hardened and incorrigibly wicked Christians, who are not at all admitted to repent"ance and pardon in hades:" which I take to be a concession so far in my favour, as it supposes, that there may be some men "incurably and incorrigibly "wicked "."

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m

What Mr. W. says, that this imputation (viz. Thou fool) must be said in opposition to known truth; or must be an unjust imputation; and, in the second place, it must not have been repented of"; will be admitted, I suppose, without the authority of the apostolical canons. Utitur, in re non dubia, testibus non necessariis.

Num. IV.

Matt. v. 25, 26. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee

I

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John i. 9. And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Ver. 7. Not the fire either of purgatory or hell. Certe remissio peccatorum non definitur tormentis flammarum et suppliciorum satisfactionibus. Neque enim sensus est, quando scriptura dicit, Christum meruisse nobis remissionem peccatorum, quod promeruit nobis tormenta flammarum, et acerbissima supplicia, quibus nobis ipsis pro peccatis satisfaciendum sit; sed ex misericordia Dei propter satisfactionem Christi, scriptura tradit peccata remitti, hoc est, gratuito condonari et tegi, ne imputentur et exquirantur. Chemnitii Examen Conc. Trid. pars iii. p. 120. n P.115.

m P.112.

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હે..

to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

Upon these words Mr. W. thus comments: "If by the adversary here be meant the Devil, and the "text relates to the prison of gehenna, or hell, and not to that of hades, as it is commonly understood; "this assertion of our Saviour's most naturally implies, that at length, though not soon, the wicked are to be delivered out of that prison; and is clearly against the proper eternity of hell tor"ments."

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This assertion of our Saviour's cannot imply all this, unless also it be supposed, that the wicked in hell are capable of making this complete payment; that is, I presume, of repenting, and making their peace with God; a point by no means clear, either from this or any other text of scripture. Nay, Mr.W. himself assures us, upon his own authorities, that in gehenna, or hell, there is no repentance. "This," he says, "is perfectly agreeable to the testimonies "sacred and primitive; which all agree, that what

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repentance or pardon soever there may be in "hades, the state of preparation, there is no hopes "of either in gehenna or hell itself"." If in other places of his book he expresses some hopes, and drops some hints, not very consistent with this declaration, I cannot help it. I am willing that he should not contradict himself at least; and perhaps what follows may clear up all: "There can be no "obstacle to my belief of Origen's doctrine, (that of "the restoration,) but the supposal of an utter moral incapacity in the constitutions of these worst of

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"free agents ever repenting and amending; with"out which repentance and amendment, as such "creatures cannot, so it is no way desirable that

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they should, ever be made happy, either in this or "another world 4." Here then the point must rest at present, for these words of our Saviour do not determine it, being only an allusion to forensic causes, whereby, when a person is once cast into prison, he is not (in the usual course of things) discharged thence till he has paid the uttermost farthing of his debt. The particle till (or ews av) does not imply that he ever will do so; being frequently used in scripture of events that never come to pass at all.

Num. V.

Matt. v. 29, 30. It is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

If our Saviour had thought of the doctrine of annihilation, he might possibly have said, It is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, (viz. here upon earth,) and not that thy whole body should perish in gehenna. The word anóλytai, here repeated, and used in opposition to the perish

9 P. 131.

Literalis enim sensus loquitur de judiciis forensibus in hac vita. Allegoria vero, juxta Christi et veterum etiam interpretationem, ad fraternam reconciliationem, dum in hac vita sumus, hortatur, similitudine petita a civilibus judiciis, ostendens, sine spe salutis in æternum damnandos illos, qui vel reconciliationem petere nolunt, vel offensam remittere negant, sed in inimicitiis moriuntur. Chemnitii Examen Conc. Trident. pars iii. p. 120; where this text is fully vindicated from favouring the popish doctrine of purgatory, as also Mr. W.'s.

ing of one member, would have been stronger than in other places, where there is no such opposition.

Num. VI.

Matt. vii. 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find

it.

These words have no other relation to the subject we are upon, than as they suggest an argument, of which the writers on the other side of the question never fail to make their advantage. They are all willing to suppose, when it will serve their turn, that "much the greatest part of mankind will in❝evitably be damned." This gives an alarm to the imagination and the passions, which immediately, without entering into the merits of the cause, prejudice us against the doctrine. The supposition probably may be founded in no good reason; but as it would lead us here into too large a digression, we must postpone the consideration of it, till we come to the chapter of objections. In the mean time we may observe, that Mr. W. himself, in another part of his work, gives such an interpretation of the text before us, that no such doctrine can be drawn from it; and concludes with saying, " There is great rea"son to hope, that, on the contrary, after all the "gracious methods of Providence have been tried, "both in this world and in hades, the far greater

s P. 18. So Dr. Burnet too has his maximam partem gentis humanæ damnatum iri ad pœnas æternas; though he owns in the very next sentence that he knows nothing of the matter, and that the numerus miserorum plane incompertus sit. De Statu Mort. p. 290.