The riches of Gods love unto the vessels of mercy, consistent with his absolute…The riches of Gods love unto the vessells of mercy, consistent with his absolute…

2. If, because men through fear of hell and expectation of eternal vengeance do with Job curse their birth day once, and wish they had never been; therefore it is better to be nothing then to be in hell: By the same reason, because they do no other then Job did, it must follow, that it was better for Job to be nothing, then to be under such torments. But if Job's desire was an unsober and unreasonable desire in this, why might not their desire be as unsober and unreasonable also, proceeding not so much from calm reason, as from the strength of passion inflamed and disordered through extremity of torment. We know that men upon the rack do sometimes make confessions, even against the light of their own consciences. And fear of evil sometimes distracts as much as the sense thereof; as in him who hearing the sentence of death passed against him at Paris, fell into a sweat of blood. And it was wont to be said, that pejor est malo, timor ipse mali. Francis Spira in the time of his distraction confessed as much of hell it self. And if one desire, once having course, prove unreasonable, why should the renewing of it a thousand times over prove less unreasonable. And let the judicious observe the hand of God, in striking this Author with such giddiness even in this argument, (which he conceives of all other to be advantageous to his cause) so as at every turn to supplant himself, and to betray the shameful nakedness of his discourse. As first, in talking of a thousand nothings. Secondly, In putting the case of some cursing their birth day, but how? as Job did. Now will any sober man make the like collection of Job's cursing his birth day, as this Author doth from others cursing theirs. Thirdly, and lastly in calling hell fire the terrible of all terribles. Who seeth not that this proceeds in reference to such things, which as they are feared, soe they may be felt; and supposing a subject existing, as to fear it before it comes, so to feel it when it is come but such is not the condition of being nothing. And when he feigns us to conform to his crude conceptions, namely to conceive annihilation to be a thing feared, he pleaseth himself in his own fictions. He no where finds me to speak of annihilation as a thing to be feared, no more then I speak of it as of a thing that is to be felt.

2. If, because men through feare of hell and expectation of eternall vengeance doe with Job curse their birth day once, and wish they had never been; therefore it is better to be nothing then to be in hell: By the same reason, because they doe no other then Job did, it must follow, that it was better for Iob to be nothing, then to be under such torments. But if Iob's desire was an unsober and unreasonable desire in this, why might not their desire be as unsober and unreasonable also, proceeding not so much from calme reason, as from the strength of passion inflamed and disordered through extremity of torment. We know that men upon the rack doe sometimes make confessions, even against the light of their own consciences. And feare of evill sometimes distracts as much as the sense thereof; as in him who hearing the sentence of death passed against him at Paris, fell into a sweat of blood. And it was wont to be said, that pejor est malo, timor ipse mali. Francis Spira in the time of his distraction confest as much of hell it selfe. And if one desire, once having course, prove unreasonable, why should the renewing of it a thousand times over prove lesse unreasonable. And let the judicious observe the hand of God, in striking this Authour with such giddinesse even in this argument, (which he conceives of all other to be advantagious to his cause) so as at every turne to supplant himselfe, and to betray the shamefull nakednesse of his discourse. As first, in talking of a thousand nothings. Secondly, In putting the case of some cursing their birth day, but how? as Iob did. Now will any sober man make the like collection of Iob's cursing his birth day, as this Author doth from others cursing theirs. Thirdly, and lastly in calling hell fire the terrible of all terribles. Who seeth not that this proceeds in reference to such things, which as they are feared, soe they may be felt; and supposing a subject existing, as to feare it before it comes, so to feele it when it is come but such is not the condition of being nothing. And when he feignes us to conforme to his crude conceptions, namely to conceive annihilation to be a thinge feared, he pleaseth himselfe in his owne fictions. He no where finds me to speake of annihilation as a thing to be feared, no more then I speake of it as of a thing that is to be felt.