PREFACE. THERE may possibly need something by way of apology, for putting out a book of this kind, especially in an age so profligate; and it may by some be looked upon as a design to promote libertinism, and concur with the aim and end of too many writers of these times, under pretence of religion to undermine it at the root: but I doubt not but the seriousness and solidity with which this subject is managed, the zeal for the glory of God, the vindication of his most glorious attributes, and the earnest endeavours for promoting the love of God and charity to all mankind, which all along appear so conspicuous in this work, will soon convince the reader that there is a design of the utmost service to religion at the bottom; and that rather by a new topic of persuasion to bring in proselytes to the kingdom of grace, than to drive any from it. With relation to God, it cannot but be an acceptable service to represent him in his most amiable excellencies, and vindicate the supereminence of his love, which is his nature, and the full latitude of his mercy and goodness towards his creatures, which has had a cloud or veil of darkness drawn over it in the minds of the generality of mankind; so that it has shown out less amiably, and less powerfully convincing and commanding the hearts and affections of men, and giving occasion to many that have been strong in the faculty of reasoning, and have taken their notions of God rather from thence than from the Scriptures, as translated and glossed upon, and represented according to the schemes and systems of these latter ages, by reason of the many inconsistencies therein, to throw off all revealed religion, and own only a God in such manner as can be proved by human reason; and others that have less consideration and use of that talent, through their immersion into sense, have hence had too great encouragement and too great arguments for atheism and libertinism itself. And those that would convince them upon the common hypotheses have wanted also their greatest arguments to prevail upon them. One instance I shall give, which I have been well informed of, and that is in the late Earl of Rochester; in the midst of all his extravagancies, both of opinion and practice: he was once in company with the author of this treatise, who discoursing with him about religion and the Being of a God, took the opportunity to display the goodness of God in its full latitude, according to the scheme laid down in this his present work; upon which the earl returned him for answer, "That he could approve of and like such a God as he had represented." So far was he from drawing any encouragement for his loose principles from hence, that on this sup position he gave up the cause. And thus we may see how, with relation to mankind, if God were truly represented in the infinity of his grace and goodness, and the authority of those other schemes which give his justice so great a prevalency over his mercy, were rebated or taken off, many that can stand the shock or terrors of the common preaching of eternal wrath and damnation, or a hell-fire without end, might yet be reclaimed by the manifestation of the goodness of God when they should come to see, or understand it as it is. For love is strongest, and in its own nature most powerful to attract and to persuade. And therefore when it is objected, this doctrine ought not to be broached in a licentious age, apt to take hold of all occasions of encouragement: we must turn back the argument upon the objectors, and tell them, therefore there is need of greater strength and argument for persuasion; that the best wine at last should be drawn out, and the full strength of the love in its turn and season should be superadded to the strength of justice and judgment for influence upon the minds of men. It may be yet said, "Supposing this doctrine to be true, that in the opinion of several that have held it, it ought to be kept as a secret, among such as may be fit to receive it, and not publicly exposed?" To this I answer, 1. "Tis true, Origen himself says so: but this is not to be understood of writing upon the subject, for that he did himself most freely; but rather for the general conduct of our conversation, not to expose the mysteries of religion to such as could not receive them. But, 2. There is a time for all things. There is a time when all secrets are to be revealed and proclaimed upon the house tops. And this is in the latter day, in which WISDOM is to manifest herself, and knowledge to increase as the waters that cover the sea: Isa. ix. 11. See also Dan. ult. iv. 10. Yea, this very secret has its proper time to be revealed; as 1 Tim. ii. 6. i. e. "To be testified in due time."-And when is it, that this pouring out of knowledge is expected to be, and the manifestations of the hidden wisdom of God, but in the preparation or entrances of the blessed times of refreshment from the presence of the Lord, in his next or latter day advent, i. e. to his millennial kingdom; of which we hear the alarms at this very day, from all quarters and all parties; from such as have been students of the prophetic writers, or heedful observers of the signs of the times. As then in this very age, we have found many running to and fro, and knowledge increased, So. ed to full view by the direct pencil of the di vine wisdom, which operates all in perfect unity and harmony, and wants not the breach or division of the properties of nature in any degree of disproportion and disharmony, or of real contrariety in order to its own perfect product. And the accidental illustration of grace by sin and sufferings; seems to be chiefly in the passage through the vale of misery, or the first sensation of those that are admitted to the heavenly enjoyments, which without these extraneous and accessory excitements, go on increasing and multiplying without bound or end, from their own eternal so we may expect it will be yet much more The occasion of our author's writing upon this subject is so very singular, that I believe some account thereof will be both acceptable and useful to such as shall incline to look into it. When he was at the University, and had studied all the schemes of divinity, he could not find from any, or from all of them together, that God was good, that God was love, as the Scriptures declare of him. This put him into a great dissatisfaction and perplexity of mind, from which he could no way extricate himself; but it grew upon him more and more, till it threw him into a fit of sick-motives and incentives; from the ground of ness, and that so dangerous that there was no hope of his recovery; but in it, at the most, he had a beam of divine grace darted upon his intellect, with a sudden, warm, and lively impression; which gave him immediately a new set of thoughts concerning God and his works, and the way of his dealing with his offending creatures, which, as they became the rule and standard of all his thoughts and measures of things afterwards, as I have heard him declare, so they gave in particular, the ground and occasion of this present design. And upon this he presently recovered. This, as reasonably may be supposed, might give occasion to an expression of greater freedom in his title, as he at first intended it; which we have taken the liberty to omit, lest any might stumble at it; yet the reader will find it mentioned by him in the book. He had wrote at first more voluminously, but towards the latter end of his life he was busied in contracting and preparing it for the public service; in which he was more particularly taken up, and so brought it to a conclusion, a little before his death. His character is great, and has been more than once given to the world in print; though on account of the offence many will be apt to take at the subject, it has been thought fit here to conceal his name. He goes indeed upon the predestinarian hypothesis, as will appear in several passages of his work; but by his additional scheme makes it quite another thing, and entirely evacuates it as the severer part. But if any inured to other schemes of divinity are yet unsatisfied in this, they may take his general hypothesis of the restoration, and graft it upon their own, and it will suit as well; and serve to rectify and improve it, as it has done this. | the eternal and infinite fulness and perfection of the Godhead, as moving in its own harmonious unity, proceeding and manifesting itself, of itself, and by itself, in all harmonious variety; and that without any such thing as a defective foil; which has rather been an offence or impediment of its glory, only as this has, and still does, like the sun, break through the fog and discover itself. In this work the author has gone only upon Scripture grounds; and yet from the Scriptures which he has produced and discoursed at large upon, he has sufficiently absolved the rational part. And for further confirmation, it has been thought fit here to add some testimonies both ancient and modern to this great point; and they are as follow. ORIGEN is well known to be the great propagator of this doctrine, so that it might seem scarce needful to make citation from him to this purpose, yet as a leader of others, I shall here set him in the front, with a testimony or two. We find then, this learned father, Origen in fine Lab. 8vi. Explanat in Epist. ad Rom. declaring himself after this manner:* "But he that despises the purificaitons of the Word of God, and the doctrine of the Gospel, is reserved for those dreadful and penal purifications afterwards; that so he may be purged by the fire and torment of hell, who would not receive purgation from the apostolic doctrine and evangelical word, according to that which is written of being 'purified by fire.' But how long this purification which is wrought out by penal fire shall endure, or for how many periods or ages it shall detain sinful souls in torment, he only knows to whom all judgment is committed by the Father." And then, upon the same place and subject, he adds: "But we must still remember that the apostle would have this text accounted as a mystery, so as that the faithful and perfect ones may keep its secret sense among themselves, and not ordinarily divulge it to the imperfect and less capable of receiving it." The next I shall cite, (and indeed who · might have disputed precedency with the for noted on this account) is CLEMENS ALEXAN There are many indeed that run so far in magnifying the method God has taken for manifestation of his grace and mercy towards his fallen creatures, as to imagine their fall was needed in order to the perfect display of the wonders of his goodness. Indeed there is something of a particular and partial man-mer, as being Origen's master, though less ifestation accidentally made through the objects of mercy, rendered so by their sin and folly but surely God needed not this accident to show that grace which was contained in, and but as a part of his essential goodness; and which might by the enlightened eye be contemplated therein; or by the works of God, and manifestation of himself, he exhibit [In this as well as in all the following references, we have omitted the passages as they occur in the original Latin or Greek, and, have in the preface. Those who wish to consult the simply given the translations as they appear original can doubtless obtain the works from which the suosations are made.) DRINUS; Adumbrat. in Ep. 1. Johan. printed of God and latitude of his grace. "Tis from at the end of his treatise, Quis Dives Salvetur; St. Austin, as follows. where he has these words :-"The Lord is not (says he, v. 2.) a propitiation for our sins only, that is, of the faithful, but also for the whole world. Therefore he indeed saves all universally; but some as converted by punishments, others by voluntary submission. And hence he obtains the honour and dignity, that to Him every knee shall bow, both of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth, that is, angels, and men, and souls departed this life before his coming into the world. Another is GREGORY NAZIANZEN. He tells us, Paris Edit. 1630. Orat. Quadrag. Pag. 664, 665,-"There is another fire, not for purging but for punishing; whether it be of that kind by which Sodom was destroyed, or whether that prepared for the devil, or that which proceeds before the face of the Lord [at his last advent], or lastly, which is most formidable of all, that which is conjoined with the worm that never dieth, which is not quenched, but burns perpetually upon the wicked. All these are of a destructive nature. If yet we are not even here [in the last kind of fire] to understand it more mildly [or with greater philanthropy or love to mankind] and more worthy of [or, suitable to the nature of] Him that punishes." We have for another testimony, from GREGORY NYSSENUS. In Dial. de Anima and Resurrect. Paris Edit. 1659.-" For 'tis wholly and absolutely needful that evil should be removed out of the circle of being. For since evil is of that nature, that it cannot be without a will and purpose of its own; and since all will and arbitrement is in [and of right belongs to] God; how can it be otherwise, but that the evil must be entirely abolished, so that nothing shall remain that can be a receptacle of it." And again in his Catechetical Oration, chap. xxvi, p. 517, 'tis said of Christ, "Who is He that delivers man from evil, and who heals the inventor [or author] of evil himself.” SULPICIUS SERVERUS, De Vita B. Martini, p. 488. Edit. Lugd. Bat. 1647. "If thou, O miserable one, [speaking to the devil] would cease from the temptation and persecution of man, and repent thee of thy facts, even at this time of day when the judgment is so near at hand; I myself could with true assurance [or confidence] in God, promise thee the mercy of Christ." This testimony, if it does not absolutely conclude for the point, yet it does against the so great difficulty and impossibility of it,which is by some supposed; and vindicates the good will of God, as all being ready, and nothing wanting on his part for the salvation of all his creatures. That which follows may likewise be of use to show the gentleness and tenderness wherewith the propagators of this doctrine have been received, and serve to open the narrowness, and allay the severity and rigidness of spirit, with which they are treated by many at this day: as also to shew that in the times of the latter, as well as elder fathers, there was still a reserve in the Church, of vindicators of the great love AUGUSTIN. De Civ. Dei, lib. xxi. cap. 17. "And now I see I must have to do with our merciful men, and must dispute with them gently and peaceably, who either will not be lieve everlasting punishment to be inflicted on those whom the just Judge shall condemn to the pains of hell; or at least not on all of them: but that after certain periods of time, longer or shorter, according to the proportion of their crimes, they shall be delivered of that state." St. JEROME, at the end of his comment on Isaiah, speaks thus, concerning the opinion that hell torments shall have an end, though he himself was persuaded in and believed the eternity of the torments of devils and Atheists. "Which (matter) we ought to leave to the wisdom of God alone, whose judgments as well as his mercies are in weight and measure, and who well knows whom, or how, or for how long he ought to judge them." I shall conclude these testimonies of the fathers with that of FACUNDUS, Episcop. Hermiensis, lib. iv. cap. 4. pag. 62. Edit. Paris. 1679. "In the book which DOMITIAN, Bishop of Ancyra, wrote to Vigilius, he is found complaining of those that contradicted the doctrines of Origen, which maintained that the souls of men pre-existed in a state of happiness before they came into bodies; and that all those that were doomed to the eternal punishment, shall, together with the devil and his angels, be restored to their former state of blessedness." And after this he adds, "They have rashly run out to anathematize the most holy and most glorious doctors, (or teachers of the Church) on occasion of those doctrines that have been advanced concerning the pre-existence, and the restitution of all things. And this indeed under pretext of Origen, but thereby anathematizing all the (great) saints which were before him, and which have been after him." Thus have we the declaration and testimonies of two of the ancient fathers and bishops of the Church in one. This is a taste of those numerous testimonies of the ancients to the truth of this doctrine; and those of the moderns are yet more numerous. There have been several books written on this subject in French, in the High Dutch, and the Low Dutch; and particularly in the High German by the learned Dr. Jo. W. Petersen, sometime Superintendent of Lunenburgh, at large in folio; where he has strenuously defended this point, and collected and adopted into his work the writings of several others upon this subject in lesser tracts: 'tis called The Restitution of all Things. There is also an ingenious piece written in French by a noble eminent lord and minister of the court of the King of Prussia, intitled, Entretiens sur la Restitution Universelle de la Creation : or, A Conference upon the Universal Restitution of the Creation, betwixt Dositheus and Theophilus. But to collect testimonies from all these would make a volume instead of a preface: therefore I shall content myself with producing a few testimonies from some of the learned or curious en quirers into this subject, some more, some | Scripture is of more worth than ten thousand less, that have been of our own nation. GERARD WINSTANLEY, in his book Of the Mystery of God, &c. p. 9, printed 1649, declares thus: "Therefore I say the mystery of God is thus: God will bruise this serpent's head, and cast the murtherer out of heaven, [i. e. of] the human nature where it dwells in part. And he will dwell in that whole creation in time, and so deliver whole mankind out of their fall." There is another treatise called The Church Triumphant: or, A comfortable Treatise of the Amplitude and Largeness of Christ's Kingdom; wherein is proved by Scripture and reason, that the number of the damned is inferior to that of the elect. By Joseph Alford, M. A. sometime fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. Printed An. 1644. The title-page of which being so full, I shall omit any further quotation from the book. worlds. If any thing of good or mitigation is intended to them, it will come in upon this account; that they are the creatures of God and his workmanship: The Lord shall rejoice in his works, and they shall reciprocally rejoice in the Lord their God. If those very creatures who seem rejected, can but call upon him by the name of THE LORD, and lay hold on him as Esau did when he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, Bless me, even me, O my father! Hast thou but one blessing, O my father? [still putting in mind of the relation] bless me, even me also, O my father! So it may be conceived of those condemned forlorn and miserable creaturesthat after they have been long in wailing and gnashing of teeth-if they can but call upon him by the name of CREATOR, and remember and lay it before him, that they are the works of his hands-Gon hath more than one blessing to saints and angels; he may make devils and condemned sinners hewers of wood and drawers of water. For I will not contend forever (saith the Lord), neither will I be always wroth, for the spirit would fail before me, and the souls which I have make.' Isa. lvii. 18.- For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.' Rom. xi. 32." The learned Dr. HENRY MORE, in his D vine Dialogues, printed Anno 1668, especially that part which relates and pursues the vision of Bathynous's silver and golden keys (the keys of Providence,) speaks very favourably of this, yea covertly and at a distance involves it; not only in his direct maintain hand in hand with it; but laying down the more general principles from whence it flows. There is also a book written by R. Stafford, entitled, Some Thoughts of the Life to come, &c. Printed Anno 1693, in which this doctrine is notably asserted. We find here, p. 52, &c."So that let satan do his worst, as it is proverbially and truly said, God is above the devil; so his knowledge doth as much exceed the other, (who is a creature and by him made) as the whole ocean a single drop of water. In the 1st and 2d chapters of Job, and the 2d of Zechariah, and in Rev. xii. 10; we see and understand God's superlative and over-ruling goodness and equity; how he doth moderate the matter, and affirm it by the way of favour and mercy on the side of mankind. And this but as talking a little before the day of assize, an emblem and forerunner, how he will de-ing the doctrine of pre-existence, which goes termine it eternally on their side, at the last and great day of judgment, notwithstanding all the informations, accusations and aggravations of Satan. And now if there should be We find, p. 479, BATHYNOUS speaking thus : any-who draw up more heavy and-"I was not content to think of God in the false inditement than the true and very nature gross only, but began to consider his nature of the thing doth require and will bear: or if more distinctly and accurately, and to conthe conscience itself (which is yet more) template and compare his attributes. And I pressed with sin and guilt, should forecast did confidently conclude, that infinite power, too grievous things: all this will not do one wisdom, and goodness, these three, were the jot of harm in the day of the Lord; for He chiefest and most comprehensive attributes of who hath prepared his throne for judgment the divine nature; and that the sovereign of knows all things:-" With righteousness will these was his goodness, the summity and he judge the world, and the people with equi- flower, as I may so speak, of the Divinity; ty. Psalm lxxxix. 9. Now equity is a mild and that particularly whereby the souls of thing, which doth state, moderate, and adjust men become divine: whereas the largest a matter. Aud then after all, God doth re- communication of the other without this serve mercy, even after judgment and con- would not make them divine, but devils. In demnation for that is its proper place." the mean time being versed in no other natural philosophy nor metaphysics but the vulgar; and expecting the laws of the external creation, either visible or invisible should be suitable to that excellent and lovely idea of the Godhead, which with the most serious devotion and affection I entertained in my own breast; my mind was for a long time charged with inextricable puzzles and difficulties, to make the phenomena of the world and the vulgar opinions of men in any tolerable way to comfort or suit with these two chiefest attributes of God, his wisdom and his goodness." And afterwards, p. 55.-"But God only knows what may succeed after all this, when those miserable creatures have lain under condemnation and punishment, a much longer space of duration than six or seven thousand years, [the ages or evers of this lower creation] now God will look down from the heighth of his Sanctuary: From heaven will the Lord behold the earth,' (yea, and who knows whether he will behold yet lower: If I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there!') to hear the groaning of the prisoners, to loose them that are appointed to death.' Psa. cii. 19, 20; [in the margin there, it is the children of death.] This one This is a like plunge with that in which our author was found, as before-mentioned, viz. To make out that God was good: and |