Hell with the Everlasting Torments Thereof Asserted, Title page – To the reader
HELL, With the Everlaſting Torments thereof Aſſerted.
SHEWING
1. Quod ſit, That there is ſuch a place.
2. Quid ſit, What this place is.
3. Ubi ſit, Where it is.
Being Diametrically oppoſite to a late Pamphlet, Intituled, The Foundation and Pillars of Hell Diſcovered, Searched, Shaken, and Removed.
For the Glory of God, both in his Mercy and Juſtice, the comfort of all poor believing Souls, and the terrour of all wicked and ungodly wretches.
Semper meditare Gehennam.
By NICH. CHEVVNEY, M.A.
LONDON, Printed by J. M. for Tho. Dring, and are to be ſold at his Shop, at the Sign of the George in Fleet-ſtreet, near Cliffords-Inne, 1660.
To the Worſhipfull, and his ever honoured Friends, William Parſons Eſq; and Mrs. Dorothy Parſons, his virtuous Conſort.
THough either of your Names were more then ſufficient Honour done to this ſmall and weak piece in the Patronage of the ſame; yet, whom God hath joyned together, I did not dare to ſever. To you both then do I make this Application, and Dedication. Yours was the Principal, and to whom elſe ſhould pertain the intereſt? What you ſhall meet with of Vigour, and Solidity, I deſire you would entertain and cheriſh; for it is Yours, Yours firſt in the Birth and Occaſion; now in the Nouriſhment and Protection. What more languiſhing and abortive, impute to the Author; 'tis mine, like me, I'le Father it. However it will implore your Charity, the Charity of your fair Interpretation, which if you ſhall vouch ſafe, you have Nobly rewarded the Endeavours of,
SIR, Your moſt Affectionate Friend and Servant, N. C.
To the READER.
WHat Anonymus tells thee in the beginning of his Epiſtle, thou knoweſt to be true, and wilt gratifie him with a conceſſion of the ſame, that what he preſents there is both new and old, to wit, an old Originian Hereſie new vampt on the Socinian laſt. In the reviving of which, that he may be indulgent to the Creature, he conſiders not how injurious he is to the Creator, whoſe mercy while he ſeems to magnifie, he vilipends his juſtice. For if there be no Hell, no place of everlaſting Torment after this life, (which he vainly endeavours to prove) not onelyonly the wicked, how looſe and licentious ſoever in their lives, how prophane and ſcandalous ſoever at their death, but even the Devils themſelves (who were reſerved in everlaſting chains under darkneſs, unto the judgement of the great day) may at laſt be ſaved. And how then will the infinite juſtice of God be ſatisfied, in which, as well as in his mercy, he will everlaſtingly be glorified?
I was once in the mind to have followed this bold Undertaker paſſibus aequis, and to have ſet before thee his ignorant miſtakes, his wilfull errors, his falſe gloſſes, his fair pretences, his foul purpoſes, his undervaluing the Scriptures, his diminution of Chriſt and his ſufferings; but I ſuppoſe theſe muſt needs be obvious to every judicious eye; I have then contented my ſelf (and I hope thee) with this down-right confutation. In which, God knows, my aim is aut praevenire errori, aut revocare errantem; Either to prevent a man before he erres, or to recal and recover him erring. It is a phraſe often uſed by the Apoſtles, Let no man deceive you with vain words. Nihil facilius eſt quàm errare, There is nothing eaſier then to erre. There is no man but does erre; ſometimes in via pedum, often in via morum. That proviſion then is very neceſſary for us, foreign, eſpecially in theſe bad times, when deceits lie as thick upon the Earth, as the Graſhoppers did upon the ground in Aegypt, that a man can ſcarce ſet his foot beſide them. But woe unto thoſe, by whoſe pride and ſelf-conceitedneſs the world is ſo filled and furniſhed with them.
I but, ſay ſome, they urge the Scriptures for their opinions. So did Arius, Novatus, Aerius, Montanus, Donatus, Pelagius, and the Devil himſelf. Neither hath there been at any time, any Heretick ſo fruitleſs, that hath not uſed the copy of their countenance; nor in any place any error ſo ſhameleſs, that hath not been over-caſt with the blaze of theſe orient colours. Impoſtors make uſe of the ſcriptures, to undermine thoſe that deſire to be guided by them, by their corrupt interpretations of them.
Yet is it no diſgrace to the Scriptures, that they are thus depraved; it ſeems rather ſome grace unto them, that Satan and his Impes do meddle with them. For thereby they tacitely acknowledge, that there is virtue and power in them. The Bee gathers honey on the ſame ſtalk, from which the Spider ſucks poyſon. Some have been infected by their meats and drinkes; yet either theſe things muſt nouriſh us, or nothing. Nor is it poſſible for Impoſtors to find out a better colour for their Errors and Hereſies, then out of the Scriptures. Therefore with that heavenly gold, they guild over their baſe mettal, that it may paſs the more current. But what they get hereby they may put in their eyes and ſee near the worſe; for they pervert the ſcriptures to their own deſtruction.
Truly I could wiſh, that ſuch Impoſtors as theſe before they be ſuffered to meddle with the Scriptures, might be forced to put in ſureties, that the ſenſe they give of them ſhould be ſound and Orthodox, and conſenting with the Church of God: For the truſting of every man upon his ſingle bond, to interpret any place of ſcripture, is the occaſion of very much Error, as we find by woful experience. Hence grow they bold to utter their own fancies, and look to be credited upon their bare word. And what is this but Dominari fidei, to Lord it over the faith of others? Hence it is, that the ſcriptures themſelves, which were by God ordained as a ſpecial means to bring us to the knowledge of him, by Satans illuſions become occaſions of our more offending him.
As in dark nights Pyrates uſe to kindle fires, and make great lights upon the Rocks and Maritime Coaſts: whether, when the poor weather-beaten Seamen ſteer in hope of harbour, they meet with nothing but wrack and ruine: ſo Hereticks flouriſh with the ſcriptures, or at leaſt ſome ſeeming flaſhes thereof, under the pretence of new, but falſe Lights, to which, when diſtreſſed ſouls repair for ſuccour, theſe peſtilent ſeducers feed them with nothing but pernitious error.
This is the cunning of theſe wicked Impoſtors, ſomething they will have good, to draw down the evil, the greater part ſhall be evil, to poyſon the good. Miſcent recta perverſis, &c. But as the Apoſtle from God, ſo I from the Apoſtle, by the command of God,, do warn thee of theſe wicked perverters of the Word of God, which come indeed in ſheeps cloathing, but inwardly they are ravening Wolves, that thou take heed of them, that thou be not led, and ſo led away by them, leaſt thou fall into the error of the wicked.
It may be this councel may be ſlighted by thee, but they of whom I warn thee, would give much, that ſuch as I am, though now mean and contemptible in the eyes of the world, would hold our tongues, and forbear ſpeaking; our hands, and forbear writing againſt them. If they could procure (as who ſees not 'tis their great endeavour) our mouthes to be muzzled, or our hands manacled by Authority, or elſe delivered over to their wolviſh cruelty; Error would then play Rekes, Darkneſs triumph, Hell (though now devided) make play-day, Truth languiſh, and all goodneſs fall ſlat to the Earth. From which ſad influences, let every Chriſtian pray, in that which was once the Dialect of the Church, Good Lord deliver us, &c.