1The Light of Nature tells us, that the immortal Souls of men must be happy or miserable after their separation from the Body, and that there is a life of Retribution after this. Heathens have plainly taught that there are two ways that the Souls of men do go, after they are loosed from the Body, according as their lives were in this world, that such as have wallowed in sin, and given themselves to gratify their lusts, that these Souls are shut out from God, and shut up in extremity and eternity of torment. Hence Heathens mention Tityus, who being cast down to Hell, had a Vulture that came every day, and did gnaw his Liver, and in the night it was repaired and made up again, that what was torn by the Vulture one while, again did grow, that his punishment might be perpetual; and some that are punished by being put to labour in rolling huge Stones, and racked upon Wheels, and to be there in this misery for ever.
Saxum ingens volvunt alii, radiisque rotarum
Districti pendent: sedet, eternúmque sedebit
Infoelix Thoseus— Virgil. Aeneid. 6.
Some roll huge Stones, and stretched on Wheels do lye;
Damned Theseus sits there to eternity.
Thus they make mention of Pluto, by whom those that were most vicious, were most tormented; and of Charon's Boat, whom they imagined was Ferry-man of Hell; of Rhadamanthus the Judg; of Tantalus thirsting in the midst of waters; of the Stygian and other Infernal Lakes, of Cerberus, a Dog with three heads, Porter in Hell: and give descriptions of the place of torments.
1The Light of Nature tells us, that the immortal Souls of men must be happy or miserable after their separation from the Body, and that there is a life of Retribution after this. Heathens have plainly taught that there are two ways that the Souls of men do go, after they are loosed from the Body, according as their lives were in this world, that such as have wallowed in sin, and given themselves to gratifie their lusts, that these Souls are shut out from God, and shut up in extremity and eternity of torment. Hence Heathens mention Tityus, who being cast down to Hell, had a Vulture that came every day, and did gnaw his Liver, and in the night it was repaired and made up again, that what was torn by the Vulture one while, again did grow, that his punishment might be perpetual; and some that are punished by being put to labour in rolling huge Stones, and racked upon Wheels, and to be there in this misery for ever.
Saxum ingens volvunt alii, radiisque rotarum
Districti pendent: sedet, eternúmque sedebit
Infoelix Thoseus— Virgil. Aeneid. 6.
Some roll huge Stones, and stretch'd on Wheels do lye;
Damn'd Theseus sits there to eternity.
Thus they make mention of Pluto, by whom those that were most vicious, were most tormented; and of Charon's Boat, whom they imagined was Ferry-man of Hell; of Radamunthus the Judg; of Tantalus thirsting in the midst of waters; of the Stygian and other Infernal Lakes, of Cerberus, a Dog with three heads, Porter in Hell: and give descriptions of the place of torments.
- 1Socrates, supremo vitae die de hoc ipso multa disseruit, & cum penè in manuj•m mortiferum illud peculum teneret, locutus est ità, ut non in mortem trudi, verùm in calu•n videretur ascendere, ita enim censebat; itaque disseruit duas esse vias, duplicésque cursus animorum è corpore excedentium: nam qui se humanis vitiis contaminassent, & see totos libidinibus, dedidissent, quibus caecati velut domesticis vitiis atque flagitiis se inquinassent— iis devium quoddam iter esse seclusum à concilio Deorum; qui autem se integ•os castósque servassent; quibúsque fuisset minima cum corporibus contagio, seséque ab his semper se vocassent, esséntque in corporibus humanis vitam imitati Deorum, his ad illos, à quibus essent profecti, reditum facilem patere. In Cicerone, Tusc. Quaest. lib. 1.Socrates, supremo vitae die de hoc ipso multa disseruit, & cum penè in manuj•m mortiferum illud peculum teneret, locutus est ità, ut non in mortem trudi, verùm in calu•n videretur ascendere, ita enim censebat; itaque disseruit duas esse vias, duplicésque cursus animorum è corpore excedentium: nam qui se humanis vitiis contaminassent, & se totos libidinibus, dedidissent, quibus caecati velut domesticis vitiis atque flagitiis se inquinassent— iis devium quoddam iter esse seclusum à concilio Deorum; qui autem se integ•os castósque servassent; quibúsque fuisset minima cum corporibus contagio, seséque ab his semper se vocassent, esséntque in corporibus humanis vitam imitati Deorum, his ad illos, à quibus essent profecti, reditum facilem patere. In Cicerone, Tusc. Quaest. lib. 1.
