Tormenting Tophet, Part 5
The fift part of the deſcription of Hell, in theſe wordes,The fift part. The burning thereof is fire. The burning thereof is fire: expreſſing the bitterneſſe of the torments of Tophet. There is great controuerſie among the learned about this fire.An in inferno ignis. Whether it be true ſubſtantiall fire, or fire allegoricall? if it be true fire, whether it be materiall, corporall, or ſpirituall.
If it be Corporall, whether it burneth the body onelyonly, or ſoule and body alſo?
Whether there be true fire in Hel?Quaeſtio. 1 or whether theſe words (the burning thereof is fire) be taken allegorically?
Caluin would hauehave it taken allegorically,Caluin in Eſai. and thinks there is no true fire in hell.
His reaſon is this, If Wood and the Worme be taken metaphorically, vvhy not then the fire alſo?
But this is no argument to prooue this fire allegoricall: For in the holy Scriptures things ſpoken together,Reſolutio 1. quaeſtionis. are not alway taken in the ſame maner and nature: For example ſake: Chriſt is called a Dore, a Vine, a Rocke, a Stone, figuratiuely: and doth it therefore follow, that he was not God and man ſubſtancially?
Againe, in Saint Lukes Goſpel our Sauiour ſayth,Luke 22. I appoint you a Kingdome, as my Father hath appointed to mee, that yee may eate and drinke at my Table in my Kingdome: Eat…ng is allegoricall, but will you ſay, that the kingdome is allegoricall alſo?
I confeſſe that wood in hell is taken allegorically, but that fire is taken ſo, I vtterly deny.
Bulling. in Eſai.Bullinger holdeth true and ſubſtanciall fire in hell: and ſo do the moſt and beſt of the learned.
Chriſt puniſhed with Fire in this world,Gen 10. Numb. 1…. Sodome: and the Murmurers in the Booke of Numbers, chap. 11. and called the name of that place Thabherah: becauſe the fire of the Lord burnt amongſt them.
And Chriſt ſhall come to Iudgement with Fire:Eſay 66, which ſhall hauehave two properties.
To burne: Theodoret. in Pſal. 96.this property ſhal puniſh the wicked: to ſhine: this property ſhal comfort the Saintes, as ſayeth Theodoret.
And what ſhall hinder the being of fire in hell, when the extremity of tortures ſhall be put vponupon the damned? hee that will not belieue this, ſhall one day feele it to his ſorrow.
If then it be graunted, that there is Subſtantiall fire in hell, the next queſtion will bee, Whether it be Materiall, Quaeſt. 2.Corporall, or Spirituall?
Surely Materiall fire, that is,Reſolutio 2. quaeſtionis. fire nouriſhed and maintayned with wood, it ſhall not be: for as the flaſhings of Aetna and Veſuuius, and other places of the earth, doe burne without fuell; ſo ſhall the fire of hell doe: hee that is able to make the damned liue without food, is able to maintaine this fire without wood.
Whether then it bee Corporall or Spirituall, (for if it bée Subſtantiall, it muſt be one of theſe) Gregory calles it Ignem incorporeum, Gregor.a Spirituall fire, but that is not likely, for it paſſeth the nature of fire to be Spirituall, and to goe about to make it Spirituall, is to make it no fire at all.
But it is moſt probable that it is, & ſhall be, a Corporall fire, vvith an extraordinary afflicting povver, giuen vntounto it, tormenting both ſoule and body.
Auguſt.Saint Auguſtine affirmeth the fire of hell to be Corporall.
Quaeſt. 3.If it be Corporall, whether it tormenteth the body onelyonly, or both ſoule and body: and how a Corporall fire ſhould worke vponupon a ſpirituall ſubſtance,
Saint Bernard ſayth, that Ignis exteriùs carnem comburit, Bernard. de interiere domo. c. 38. Idem. part. ſer. 16.vermis interiùs conſcientiam corrodet: that is, Fire ſhall outvvardly burne thy fleſh, & a vvorm ſhall inwardly gnavv thy conſcience.
Again, he ſayth, Duo mala ſunt vermis & ignis, altero roditur conſcientia, altero concremantur corpora: that is, the worme and fire are two inſufferable torments: by the one the ſoule is vexed, by the other, the body ſcorched.
Againe he ſayth:Idem meditat. 4, cap. In carne cruciabuntur per ignem, in spirituper conſcientiae vermem: that is, in the fleſh they ſhal be tormented by fire, and in the Spirite by the worme of conſcience.
Iſodore ſayth,Iſodor. de ſummo bono. l. 1. c. 31. that there is duplex poena damnatorum, quorum mentem vrit tristitia, & corpus flamma: that is, Their minds burne vvith ſorrovv, and their bodies with the flame.
Beda ſayth,Bed. lib. 3 in cap. 9. Mar. Ignis erit poena extrinſecus ſaeuiens, vermis dolor, interiùs accuſans: that is, The fire ſhall be a torment outwardly raging, and the vvorme a griefe invvardly accuſing.
Though theſe maintaine fire in hel, yet they hold (as you ſee) that it is not of power to touch the ſoule, but only to torture the body: but I am perſwaded according to the iudgement of many learned Fathers, That this fire tormē teth both body and ſoule.
Zanchy de Operibus Dei, ſayth,Zanch. de Operibus That the deuils, Dei, part. 1. lib. 4. cap. 19.mens bodies and ſoules, are tormented with fire euerlaſting. For as they were (as Simeon and Leui) brethren in the ſame euill, ſo both of them ſhall be tormented in the ſame fire.
Iuſtin. Mart. Apologia 1. pro Chriſtianis. Mat. 25.41Iuſtine Martyr ſaith, That the Deuil ſhall ſuffer puniſhment and vengeance, encloſed in euerlaſting fire: and they are no bodies, but ſpirits.
The truth of this is ratified by Chriſt himſelfe: Goe from me yee curſed, into euerlaſting fire, prepared for the Deuill and his Angels.
And the ſpeech of Diues prooueth this moſt true:Chryſoſt. for it is no Parable, but Hiſtory (as Chryſoſtome ſaith) Parabolae ſunt vbi exemplum ponitur, tacentur nomina: that is, Thoſe are Parables, where an example is propounded, and no names mentioned: he crieth out, and ſhall for euerlaſting,Luk. 16.24 I am tormented in this flame.
And if any man will not beleeue this, I make bold to vſe againſt him, the words of Ruffinus, Ruffinus.who ſaith, Si quis negat diabolum aeternis ignibus mancipandum, partem cum ipſo aeterni ignis accipiet, vt ſentiat quod negauit: that is, If any man doth deny that the Deuill is tormented with euerlaſting fire, hee ſhall one day bee partaker with him of that fire, that hee may feele that which hee would not be brought to beleeue.
But how this Corporall fire ſhall torment the Deuils and the Spirits of the damned, I know not, and I truſt neuer to know, and it is but curioſity to be too too inquiſitiue in theſe points: for as a Father ſaith,Auguſt, Melius eſt dubitare de occultis, quam litigare de incertis: viz. It is better to doubt of vnknowne things, then to ſtriue for vncertaine.
Compeſcat igitur ſe humana timeritas, & id quod non eſt, non quaerat, ne illius quod eſt non inueniat: that is, Let no man raſhly meddle about theſe things that are not reuealed, leſt hee findeth not the good of thoſe things that are reuealed.
It being probable that there is in hell a Subſtanciall and Corporeall fire, that vexeth both the ſoules and bodies of the damned, let vsus now ſée the difference of this fire frō our elemētall fire.
Ignis infernimultum differt ab elementari.This fire of hell differeth from our elementall fire in fiue reſpects.
Firſt, In regarde of heate: Our fire in regard of hel fire, is but as fire painted on a wall, in regard of our fire.
Oh it is a fierce and an intollerable fire.
Exemplū.We reade of one, who (vponupon the violence of any ſtrong temptation) would lay his hands on burning coales, and being not able to endure the ſame, would ſay to himſelfe: O! how ſhall I be able to indure the paines of Hell fire?
Dan. 3.21.The fire into which Sydrach, Miſach and Abednego were caſt, was excéeding fearefull: but alas, nothing to hell fire.
Eſa 33.14.Eſay ſpeaking of this terrible fire, ſayth: Who is able to dwell in this deuouring fire? or, who ſhall bee able to dwell in theſe euerlaſting burnings?
Secondly, In regard of light: Our fire giueth a comfortable light, but the fire of hell giueth no light.
Greg. Moral. l. 9. c. 46Cremationem habet, lumen vero non habet, (ſayth Gregory:) It burneth, but giueth no light at all.
It is a darkiſh fire (ſayth Baſil) that hath loſt his brightneſſe, Baſil. in Pſal. 33.but kept his burning.
Phauorinus in verbo foreign ſayth:Phauor. in verb. hades hades is a place voyde of light, and full of eternall darkeneſſe.
Sophocles cals it foreign:Sophoc. in Oedipo. black darkneſſe.
Euripides cals it foreign:Euripid. in Ariſtide. Theognidis gnomae. Euſtath. in 1. Iliados Exo. 10.21 the houſe without Sunne-light.
Theognis calles it foreign: the blacke gates.
Euſtathius ſayth, foreign: Hell is a darke place vnderunder the earth.
The darkeneſſe of Egypt was wonderfull and fearefull: Wonderfull, becauſe it was ſo thicke as it might bee felt: Fearefull, and therefore made the ninth plague of Pharao: yet that darkneſſe was nothing to the darkeneſſe of hell,Iude 13. which is called the Blacke darkneſſe.
The Poets, in regard of the darkneſſe thereof, do compare hell to a certaine territory in Italy, betwixt Ba…ae and Cumae, where the Cimerii inhabite: ſo inuironed with hills, that the Sunne neuer commeth to it: wherevpon this Prouerbe commeth:Cimerae tenebrae. Cimeris tenebris atrior, Darker then the darkeneſſe of Cimeria. Whoſoeuer hee bee, that loueth darkneſſe more then light, ſhall hauehave his heart full of darkneſſe in Tophet.
Thirdly, Our elementall fire burneth the body onelyonly, but the fire of hell burneth both ſoule and body, as yee hauehave heard at large.
Fourthly, Our elementall fire conſumeth that which is caſt into it, but the fire of hell doth alway burne, and neuer conſume.
Fiftly, Our elementall fire may bee quenched, Math. 3.but hell fire can neuer bee quen…hed: The chaffe will hee burne with vnquenchable fire: their worme ſhall neuer die, Eſay 66.their fire ſhall neuer goe out.
As there is nothing that maintaineth it, ſo there is nothing that can extinguiſh it.
Obſerua…o.From all this wee may obſerue the extremity & bitterneſſe of the torments of Tophet: Tho. Aquin.Yea minima poena inferni maior est maxima poena huius mundi: that is, The leaſt torture in hell is greater than the greateſt torture that euer was deuiſed vponupon the earth. That Hell-hound that murthered the King of France, had as heauy a puniſhment as this world could affoord: for his arme that did that curſed act, was taken from his ſhoulder, his nayles pulled from his hands and feet, his fleſh piece by piece pulled from him with hot burning pincers, and in the end rent in pieces with foure horſes: all this is nothing to the leaſt torment of Tophet.
Chryſoſtome ad populum Antiochenum, ſaith: That fire and ſword, Chryſoſt. ad pop. Antioch. hom. 49.and wilde beaſts, or any thing more grieuous than theſe, are ſcant a ſhadow to the torments of hell.
And this bitter torment ſtandeth in theſe two: In poena damni: that is: In the puniſhment of loſſe: and in poena ſenſus: that is, In the puniſhment of feeling: Idem.the former wherof is the greateſt (as ſaith Saint Chryſoſtome) this poena damni, this puniſhment of loſſe is more bitter then the paines of hell, yea, worſe then a thouſand hels.
Poena damni.This Poena damni, though it bee a priuatiue puniſhment, yet it hath a poſitiue effect: For, to bee depriued of Ioy, cannot but bring intollerable ſorrow:Simile. euen as the abſence of the Sunne cauſeth darkenes, ſo the want of Gods preſence bringeth inexpreſſible griefe.
1. Sam. 4.18.When the Arke of God was taken by the Philiſtimes, olde Eli with griefe fell backeward and died.
Plutarc. in vita Demost.Demoſthenes tooke his baniſhment ſo heauily, that many times hee would weep bitterly when he looked towards Athens, though hee found much kindeneſſe at the hands of his enemies.
Tully, when he was baniſhed from Italy, though he were in Greece, yet he wept bitterly when he looked towards Italy.
1. Sam. 14.22.Abſolon tooke his baniſhment from his fathers preſence very grieuouſly.
If theſe exiles breede ſuch ſorrow, how fearefull will it be to be baniſhed from the preſence of the Lord, Who is the Father of mercies, 2. Cor. 1.3.and God of all conſolation: in whoſe preſence is ioy, in whoſe pleaſure is life: to be baniſhed from the preſence & louing countenance of the Lambe: from the fellowſhip of Saints and Angells: from all ioyes and felicity,Math. 25. with that bitter ſentence, Goe from me yee curſed into euerlaſting fire, prepared for the Deuill and his angells. Goe from mee: theſe are words of ſeparation: yee curſed: theſe are wordes of obiurgation: into euerlaſting fire; theſe are words of deſolation: prepared for the Deuill and his Angels: theſe are words of dolefull exemplification.
This is the greateſt part of the ſecond death: for as the firſt death ſeparateth the ſoule from the body, ſo the ſecond death ſeparates ſoule and body from the preſence of the Lord for euermore.
Oh vvhat vveeping and wayling wil there be, when yee ſhall ſee Abraham, Luke 13.Iſaac, and Iaacob intertayned into the Kingdome of God, and yee your ſelues ſhut out.
Ye therefore ſpake truly that ſaid, The teares of hell are not ſufficient to bewayle the loſſes of heauen.
Infoeliciſſimum genus infortunij, meminiſſe fuiſſe foelicem: that is, it is the vnhappieſt thing of all, to thinke that euer we were happy.
Poeta.Dura ſatis miſeris memoratio priſca bonorum:
It is miſery enough, and though there were no more miſery, to remember the ioyes we hauehave loſt.
Terent.As the olde man in the Poet ſayd, I hauehave a ſonne, nay, alas, I had a ſonne; ſo the damned may ſay; Wee hauehave a heauē, nay, alas, we had a heauen.
Lyſimach.Lyſimachus King of Macedonia warring againſt the Scythians, béeing inforced by extreme thirſt, to yéeld himſelfe into the hands of his enemies, after he had drunke colde water, brake out into theſe lamētable words: Good God, for how ſhort a pleaſure, how great a Kingdome hauehave I loſt? So the damned ſoule may ſay, Good God, for how ſhort a time of pleaſure, how great a Kingdome hauehave I loſt?
And ſurely this is iuſt with GOD, that thoſe that ſeparate themſelues from him héere, ſhould bee baniſhed from him hereafter: That thoſe that hate the Saints héere, ſhould be debarred their company hereafter: that thoſe that crucifie the Lambe here, ſhould be curſed of the Lambe euerlaſtingly hereafter.
The ſecond thing that maketh Hell torments ſo bitter and intollerable, is poena ſenſus: the puniſhment of feeling. Poena ſenſus.EueryEvery member of body, and eueryevery faculty of ſoule, together tormented for euer.
The eye afflicted with darkeneſſe, the eare with horrible and hideous outcries, the noſe with poiſonous and ſtinking ſauours, the tongue with gallie bitterneſſe, the whole body with intolerable fire: a fire that ſhall burne ſo violently, that the danmed ſhall prize a droppe of water aboue tenne thouſand worlds.
The faculties of the ſoule alſo ſhall be moſt pitteouſly tormented: the memory with pleaſures paſt: the apprehenſion with paines preſent: the vnderſtanding with ioyes loſt: and in this faculty ſhall lie the worm of conſcience gnawing,Miſeria reproborummaxima. which the Scriptures ſo often threaten to ſinners: this worme is a continual repentance and ſorrowful of rage, and deſperation, by reaſon of their ſins: and this worme or remorſe ſhall chiefly conſiſt in bringing to their minds the meanes and cauſes of their preſent calamities: how eaſily they might hauehave bin fréed from hell, & how often they hauehave beene inuited to heauen, and they would none, but now when they would they cannot. And this worme biteth and gnaweth on the bowels of theſe miſerable mē for euermore.
The will alſo ſhall be moſt grieuouſly tormented with a furious malice againſt God, and againſt the Elect. And in this their curſed eſtate, they ſhall recurſe, curſe God againe, becauſe hee made them, and making them, adiudged them to death, and dying, they can neuer find death: they ſhall curſe his puniſhments, becauſe hee puniſheth them ſo vehemently: they ſhall curſe his benignities, becauſe they are ſawced with contrary ſeuerities: they ſhall curſe CHRISTS bloud ſhed vponupon the Croſſe, becauſe it hath beene auayleable to ſaue thouſands, & nothing auailable to ſaue them: they ſhall curſe the Angels in heauen, and the Saints in bliſſe, becauſe they ſhall ſée them in ioy, and themſelues in torment: curſings ſhall be their hymnes, and howlings their tunes: blaſphemy ſhall be their ditties, and lachrymae their notes: lamentations ſhall bee their ſongs, and ſcriching their ſtraines: theſe ſhall bée their euening and morning, yea mourning ſongs: Moab ſhall cry againſt Moab: father againſt child, and child againſt father that euer he begat him: vae, vae, vae, Reuel. 8. Ʋae prae amaritudine, vae prae multitudine, vae prae aeternitate poenarum: that is, Woe in regarde of the Bitterneſſe, woe in regard of the Multitude, and woe in regard of the Euerlaſtingnes of the torments of Tophet.
Now therefore I may truely ſay of all the damned crue, as our Sauiour ſayde of Iudas, Mat. 26.24It had beene good for him if he had neuer been borne. So it had been good for the damned, if they had neuer beene borne: or if they muſt needes hauehave a being, they had bin toads or ſerpents, that ſo they might neuer hauehave known theſe vnſpeakeable ſorrowes of Tophet.
I cannot but muſe at a company of wicked hell-hounds, that will vſe theſe execrable words: Would I ware damned if euer I knew of this or that: God damne me body and ſoule, if I do it not: Alas, alas, full little doe theſe wretches know what it is to be damned, if they did vnderſtand aright, they would bee hanged vp before they would vſe theſe fearefull ſpeeches: vnleſſe they meant with the moth-flie, neuer to be at quiet, till they hauehave clipt their winges in thoſe flames.
I therefore conclude this part with the admonition of Proſper, Proſper de vita contemplatiua, l. 3. c. 12.who wiſheth all men to thinke, how great an euill it is to be excluded the preſence of God, to be baniſhed from heauen, and caſt into euerlaſting fire with the deuil and his Angelles, to ſee no light, but feele exceſſiue heate, to bee drowned in the deepe Lake of Gehenna, and to be eternally torne with moſt greedie wormes: To thinke on theſe thinges (ſayth he) is a ſure way to renounce al vice whatſoeuer: and he that wil not be brought to lay to heart theſe, I leaue him to féele the ſmart of them for euerlaſting.