withmans Defirualon. 79.` good ; but he that is tormented in hell, bath a being, and by confecpence fomething that is good. If therefore God may take away a mans being that !is innocent, and turn him into nothing for his pleafure, much more may he torment him in hell. L To the Ell part of this RepIy,namely, That it is more ..1nfiwer r; deferable co be in hell then to be nothing , I oppofe three things. Firít, the EL] Cpeech ofour Saviour concerning Judas ; rho matth.:6.24 be to that man by whom the Sonneofman is betrayed : it had been good for that man ifhe had never been born. Two things efpecially are let forth in thefewords of our Saviour: z . Themiferie of Judas the betrayer ofhisLord ; wo be to, &c. z. The greatneffe of his miferie, It hadbeen good, 8cc. It [ M ] is as much as if our Lord had laid, Judas the Trayteur thall be damned : and therefore fo wofull will his conditionbe, that it had been good and happy for him if he' had never received a bring: good in carnal, as Interpreters do generally expound it ; not in the opinion and efteem of weak - minded and faint - hearted men onely, as fome few un- derftand it. For Firít, let it be granted that the Scripture fpeakethof things fomecimes according to mens opinions; yet without reafon to f ften fuch an expafition upon any Scripture, is to do as Dunfes do in theSchools, who being not able to anfwer a place in Ariftotle wherewith they are charged,thifc it off and fay, Loquitur ex aliorum fententia, He fpeaketh according to the opinion of others. Secondly, This Scripture [ ] cannot in reafon be thus expounded, i. Becaufe it is an argument and ground bywhich Chrift de- clareth the truth or greatneffeof the mifery of Judas, wo to the man, &c. And why wo? Becaufe it had been good, &c. But it were no argument to thew his wofull eftate by, to fay that it had been good for him that he had never been born in the opinion of men who miftake the cafe, but not in truth. x. Becaufe this expoficion would teach and [ O ] encourage men to be Atheifts and Epicures. In the fecondof a'ifdome we reade, how voluptuous men do flirre up one another to enjoy thegood things that areprefent, to fill themfelves with wine andoyntments, to leave force tokens of their joiitie in every place, and to praftice all manner of wickednefhe : and what is their motive ? A falle perfwafion that their fouls fhould diewith their bodies, and that they (hould have no beingafter death. If this conceiç could dell, them thus in their
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=