but he himself shall be saved; yet so, as by Fire. [such as the rich Man underwent in Hades, Luk. xiv. 24.] P. 42.

All this is gratis dictum. Grotius and Le Clerc,1 and others of great note, understand by the Day, mention'd ver. 13, not the Day of Judgment, but Time, which will discover what is true, and false; for Truth is the Daughter of Time. And then the Fire will be that stricter and more accurate Examination of Doctrines, which after some time Christians would set themselves to; and upon which the false would be rejected, and the true retain'd. This is certain, that some of the Apostle's Terms here made use of, must be interpreted figuratively. Wood, Hay and Stubble do not mean literally Wood, Hay and Stubble, (which may indeed be burnt by Fire,) but false Doctrines: And what Fire can burn them? But I insist not upon this: Allowing that by the Day is meant the Day of Judgment, and by Fire, real literal Fire; the meaning will only be, what every one grants, that the Day of Judgment will make a full Distinction between true Doctrines, and false. The true, like Gold, Silver and precious Stones, will abide the Trial; while the false will be destroy'd and come to nothing, as Wood, Hay and Stubble are consumed by Fire. Thus the Man will suffer loss; the loss of his Work itself, and of the labour and pains he was at in building it. He himself, however, shall be saved. So that he is not one of those to whom our Lord will say, Depart from me, ye Cursed, &c. and consequently nothing can be inferr'd from his Case, concerning the Perpetuity, or Non-perpetuity, of Punishment after

1 See Poole's Synopsis, and Le Clerc's Supplement to Hammond.

the Day of Judgment; in which he is not concern'd. But then, tho' he be saved at the Day of Judgment, yet he is saved so as by Fire; "such," says Mr. W. as the rich Man underwent in Hades, Luk. xvi. 24.” That point has been consider'd already; see No. XXXIX. But I shall add here the words of the great Cudworth, that "to say that incorporeal Sub"stances ununited to Bodies," (and such, for anything Mr. W. has said to the contrary, are human Souls in the intermediate State,) "can be tormented with Fire, is "as much as in us lieth, to expose Christianity and "the Scripture, to the Scorn and Contempt of all 'Philosophers, and Philosophick Wits." But what then is the Meaning of being saved, yet so, as by Fire? Every one knows that it is a proverbial Phrase, used not only in Scripture, but in profane Authors, to signify a narrow Escape out of a great Danger. Instances sufficient of this may be seen, in Archbp. Tillotson's Sermon on this very Text; who observes farther, that the Particle of Similitude (as) plainly shews, that the Apostle did not intend an Escape out of the Fire literally, but such an Escape as Men make out of a House or Town that is on fire. The Point is really too plain to bear a Dispute. And therefore Mr. W's Reasoning (if one may call it so,) upon the place, proceeds wholly upon a Mistake. Lesser Sins, and greater Sins, if they have been repented of, will be forgiven in the World to come, without Burning; the salutary Effects of which, Mr. W. seems to have too high an Opinion of. He makes some amends however, by owning, in effect, that the Denial of Fundamentals by professed Christians, may

1 Intell. System, p. 817.

2 With difficulty, so as a Man escapes out of a House which is on Fire. Dr. Clarke's Sermons, Vol. IX. p. 198.

be then irremissible. As for his subjoining- -tho' not to be punish'd with endless Torments, but only with utter Consumption: it is a bare Conjecture, contrary to the best Philosophy; and, by his own Confession, not directly asserted in any one Text of Scripture. See No. X.

No. LXI.

I Cor. vi. 9, 10.-The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Be not deceived; neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, &c.-shall inherit the Kingdom of God.

Theophylact observes, that the Apostle here intimates, that there were some even then, who through false Notions of God's Goodness, or Philanthropy, were willing to persuade themselves that he would not punish. But here is as plain a Declaration as a few. Words can make it, of the Exclusion of the Unrighteous, from the Kingdom of God. And it is extreme Folly and Presumption to expect any Afteradmission into it, when the Sentence is once passed, and the Door is shut: Be not deceived.

No. LXI.

Ch. viii. 11.—Through thy Knowledge shall the weak Brother perish? See No. LIX.

No. LXII.

2 Cor. ii. 15, 16.—In them that are saved, and in them that perish. To the one we are the Savour of Death unto Death; and to the other, the Savour of Life unto Life.

No. LXIII.

Ch. iv. 3.-If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.

No. LXIV.

Gal. v. 21.-As I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Compare No. LXI.

No. LXV.

Ch. vi. 7, 8. Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a Man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his Flesh, shall of the Flesh reap Corruption. Parallel to Rom. viii. 13.-if ye live after the Flesh, ye shall die. See No. LVII.

No. LXVI.

Ephes. v. 5. For this ye know, that no Whoremonger, nor unclean Person, &c.-hath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ, and of God. See No. LXI., LXIV.

Phil. iii. 19.

No. LXVII.

Whose End is Destruction;

I Thess. v. 3.

No. LXVIII.

Then sudden Destruction cometh upon them, as Travail upon a Woman with Child; and they shall not escape.

No. LXIX.

2 Thess. i. 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord, and from the Glory of his Power.

Which Mr. Whiston renders thus ;-Who shall have for Punishment ὄλεθρον αἰώνιον, a lasting Destruction, from the Presence of the Lord, and from the Glory of his Power. And his Remark upon it is as follows: "This Text is so far from affirming, as is commonly supposed, that the Wicked shall, at the last Day, be "preserved in Being, in order to the enduring ever'lasting Torments, that it rather implies the direct "contrary; that the flaming Fire into which they are "to be cast at that Day, will, in some time, utterly consume them." (Page 43.)

Now, this Version and this Comment are, in my opinion, utterly inconsistent. If öλe@pos means Annihilation, aivios must mean Everlasting; for to talk of lasting Annihilation only, as distinguished from everlasting, is nonsense. If the flaming Fire into

H