pornangee 
AELL 
trine of ie gp ie taught by the Papitts, feems to be a 
corruption of a genul e dotrine held by the ancient fathers 
tleties oe to time, eternity, &c. and the ways of ex- 
prefling thefe, 7. ¢. not till after se — cesar a and 
vain deceit, had mixed itfelf w pted Chrift:- 
anity. He adds, it by. no means aad to ty > confonant 
to the nature of the Chriftian religion to pane the New 
literal manner, or adhe ere to phrafes in 
Teftament 1 ina ftrict 
r to follo 
us than an “obj e& of love. 
kind are incapable of forming a clear, 
feGtual idea of eternal punifhment. The pas is too 
abitra&, not fenfible, not concrete enough to a ect the 
{uch a man that he thall remain a ve 
he will be much lefs affected, than 
; a, oe jeeenns eternal punifbment, 
will convey to him no ya gate a: he will imagine it to repre- 
- i , fo that the proper idea of 
eternity, at which he ce ped will be loft to him, or 
at = will make no impreffion on his mind, which a deter- 
number of years would not have done with equal 
fotcea and certainty. owever, fuppofe that he can 
Let us, h 
form a j ult — of eternal duration, probably one of the 
two fo <i Sap Epa Pe would enfue. Huis re. religion, i 
it did no e him totally abandon it, and fall into pelts 
cal Atheifm, pgs 23 eebieby. fuperttition, confifting m 
n love and oe nee in God 5 to 
in the name of C 
fel damnation but by an eminently mee life, or 
religious rs 3. he were-not worfe 
than the majority, or guilty of poms offending God; 
and of | | —— agai his aie but took care 
he fhould efca vale 
ate peters co emeren 
from it by yan adherence to the qeery & ‘the 
fecured. 
Vou. XVIL 
* 
é 
church to which he pelonats a right faith, and an obfervancé 
of the ceremonies of reli 
y the eternity of hell-torments, 
a queftion has occurred oe confiderable importance ; and 
t 
deftruction or Gaon of rhe confcious being. 
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Revelation fo Mtl. xx, 16, 
deftruétion from the prefence of the Lord,” 
2 Theff. i. 9.) ‘This is what the advo- 
effect of the ae Ha sad rciit objet of our 
XXV. 46.) ° soe 
oy “death” is ioe ‘molt hetieuts made ule of to fignify the 
end of wicked men in another Pea of 
divine juftice in their punifhme (Rom: 3%, James; 
15.) Death, it is faid, w ap sea lied to ‘he end of wicked 
men in a future Rate properly denotes “ their ceafing to 
extinction of life and being.”’ i 
and “gate 3 6 rok and of which the form rmer is but an - 
image or fhadow, ; 
death,’’ or an “ everlafting deftruction.” 
bs faid, by which the e ternal punifhment of wicked men - 
cribed, agree to eftablifh the fame doctrine. One figure 
ee of moa tible materials thrown into a fees and which 
will confequently be entirely piremr if the fi no 
quenched. (Matt. xxv. 41 cordingly, it is faid, th 
f the image of fire aetna or poe ing is not intended to 
fignify the decree or duration of torment, but the abfolute , 
certainty of defirufion ectget all poffibility of a recovery. 
Thus, the cities of Bes om ES varity so are faid to have 
‘6 fu the vengeance of an ” that is, they 
were fo effectually Cee fiinel ad fe +d; ‘shige re = 
sig rebuilt. Rompe re ae Apr 8. Mark, ix. 43. 46. 
Ifaah, lxvi. 24. € ee. 14.) ae 
ther dbleved, sist as “fpittual ‘ind? eternal, or annibila- 
tion, is properly ftated in the New Teftament an everlafling 
unifhment, as it is irrevocable and unalterable for ever. 
ty the  Scilnee of their pata as to “at ‘Sradght to 
a Pe 5 pees which they wall not omy be 
Tho 
eee “dee X ara “ ein the fabeaion of sae po 
ae she arguments tha ghee, e to demonftrate the ne 
