BT 837 .D63 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1833, by THOMAS WHITTEMORE, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts BOSTON: 122 WASHINGTON-ST. THE TORMENTS OF HELL, THE FOUNDATION AND PILLARS THEREOF, SEARCHED, DISCOVERED, SHAKEN AND REMOVED. TOGETHER WITH INFALLIBLE PROOFS THAT THERE IS NOT TO BE A PUNISHMENT AFTER THIS LIFE FOR ANY TO ENDURE THAT SHALL NEVER END. PREFACE. It cannot be considered improper to introduce the following work, on the Torments of Hell, with a brief account of its Author. The first edition appeared in London, in 1658, and no secresy was maintained in regard to its origin. It was avowedly the production of one SAMUEL RICHARDSON, a writer of some note, if we may judge from the size and number of the works he wrote. Very little, however, is known of him. I have searched all the usual sources of biography for some account of this singular individual, but without success. By a reference to that scarce and valuable book, Watt's Bibliotheca, it appears that he was the author of the following works: 'Considerations on Dr. Featley's Dipper Dipt,' quarto, London 1645. Justification by Christ alone, a Fountain of Life and Comfort,' quarto, London, 1647. The Necessity of Toleration in Religion,' quarto, 1647. An Answer to the London Minister's Letter to his Excellency and to his Council of War, as also an answer to J. Geree's Book, &c.' quarto, London, 1649. The Cause of the Poor pleaded,' quarto, London, 1653. An Apology for the present Government and Governor,' quarto, London, 1654. Plain Dealing,' in answer to Mr. Vavasor, Powell and others, quarto, London, 1656. None of these works to our knowledge have descended to the present age. The most of them, we should judge from the titles, referred to the peculiar events of the author's own time; and they would lead us to think that he was possessed of a bold and enterprising character. Of the work that follows, the present, we believe, is the fourth edition. The original edition came out, as we have said, in 1658; the second, in 1660. The third was published many years after, with a selection of scarce and valuable pieces that were entirely out of print, with a view to their preservation. This edition is from the third. It is a faithful copy in every res pect, except that the antique orthography is avoided, the style is in some cases modernized, and a few passages have been elucidated where the sense was obscure. It will be universally conceded that this is a rare and curious work. It abounds in a great variety of arguments, some of them strange and whimsical, but others very cogent and convincing. The author was unquestionably a man of originality, of talent, of fearlessness, of reflection, of study, though he sometimes decided hastily, and involved himself in inconsistency. He has said enough however to accomplish fully the object he proposed, viz. to search, discover, shake and remove the pillars of the erroneous doctrine of endless hell torments. It should be remembered that it is one hundred and seventy-five years since this work was written. At that time very few doubted the doctrine of endless hell tor |