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mony,1 either in the Old or New Testament, for this Doctrine of eternal Torments; that they are "intirely "unjust in their own Nature; extremely cruel and bar"barous, both in the Threatening, and in the Execution; "and what any one, that believes and considers the "exact Justice, and infinite Goodness of God, cannot "possibly believe at the same time.2-If the "common Doctrine, he says, were certainly true, the "Justice of God must inevitably be given up, and "much more his Mercy; for this Doctrine supposes "him to delight in Cruelty and Barbarity, the most "savage Cruelty and Barbarity possible; that these "Punishments answer no good End, but are only "Instances of the absolute and supreme Power and "Dominion of the cruel and inexorable Author of their "Being; "4 and that "this amazing, this most per"nicious, this horrid Doctrine, is unjustly fathered 'upon our holy Religion."

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Many more Passages to this Purpose might be collected out of Mr. Whiston's Book; but I take no Delight in such Work, and have repeated these with no other View, than as they may contribute to open my Design, and serve to introduce what I have to offer upon the Subject. Only, before I proceed farther, it may be proper to take notice, that I have nothing to do with the Doctrine as Mr. Whiston has represented it, and as he seems to think it is commonly held and believed. I contend for no

Doctrine, that supposes God to delight in Cruelty; --for no Punishments, that are Instances only of

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absolute and supreme Power and Dominion. All such Doctrines as these Mr. Whiston may confute as long as he pleases; he will have no Adversary in me. I likewise agree with him, that a Distinction should be made between the Heathen, and those that never heard of the Gospel, and Christians, or those to whom that Gospel has been preached.1 To these latter, with my Consent, let the Controversy be confined: They are, for certain, the Persons properly concerned in a Dispute about the Punishments contained in the Gospel. But then, on the other hand, the Gospel is the only proper Authority to determine this Question. Testimonies from apocryphal or spurious Writers will signify little. And as the Old Testament has nothing so clear and express upon this Subject as the New, and contains nothing contrary to the New Testament, it will be sufficient to examine, how this Matter is decided there.

Accordingly, I shall consider all the Texts of the New Testament relating to this Subject, and collect the Doctrine from them alone. I shall then endeavour to clear this Scripture-Doctrine from all Imputations of Injustice and Cruelty, to reconcile it with the moral Perfections of God, and shew, that it is so far from being what no one can possibly believe, that, upon the joint Evidence of Nature, Philosophy, and Revelation, it is perfectly credible. And, if there be any particular Objections, that will not fall under these Articles, they also shall be distinctly considered. Thus far I shall be chiefly upon the Defensive; but

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I shall not content myself merely with that. As the Adversaries have advanced different Schemes of their own, some being for the Hypothesis of Annihilation, and others for the System, as they call it, of a Restoration; I shall take these Schemes into Consideration, and shew, that they are attended with Difficulties not easy to be removed: So that if, after all, I should not be able to clear the Doctrine I defend from all Difficulties whatever, yet there would be no Sense in rejecting it for the Sake of other Hypotheses, not clear from equal Difficulties themselves, and supported by much less (perhaps by no) Evidence of Scripture. Lastly, as Mr. Whiston seems to intimate, that this Eternity of future Punishments is so far from being a fundamental Doctrine of Christianity, that it is rather a Point of small Consequence; 1 and likewise, that his Doctrine is as likely to move and influence Men as this; 2 and something to the same Purpose has been suggested by another Writer, in favour of his System of a Restoration--I must therefore examine this Pretence, and shew the Use and Importance of the Doctrine I defend.

Every one will see, that I have drawn out for myself the Plan of a Work, which will be of some Length; and which therefore, for the Sake both of Ease and Method, must be divided into several Chapters.

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AN INQUIRY INTO

THE SCRIPTURE-DOCTRINE

OF

FUTURE PUNISHMENT.

CHAPTER I.

WHEREIN THE TESTIMONIES OF THE FOUR GOSPELS, RELATING TO THIS SUBJECT, ARE CONSIDERED.

No. I.

Matt. iii. 10, 12. And now also the Axe is laid unto the Root of the Trees: Therefore every Tree, which bringeth not forth good Fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the Fire.

No. II.

Whose Fan is in his Hand, and he will thoroughly purge his Floor, and gather his Wheat into the Garner; but will burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire.

I

CITE these Passages together, because, under different Similitudes, they seem to establish the same Truth,and explain and illustrate each other. They are a Key, as it were, which opens to us the Nature

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