Saint Augustine his enchiridion to Laurence, or, The chiefe and principall heads of all Christian religion a most profitable booke to all those which desire to haue a most compendious briefe of Augustines doctrine, out of Augustine himselfe, when he was old, being repurged, by the old manuscript, of many faults and vnusuall wordes, wherewith it formerly flowed.

TOVCHING THE punishments of the dam∣ned.

CHAP. Cxii.

That the punishments of the dam∣ned be euerlasting and the least of them are exceeding great & fearefull, in respect of the weak∣nes of our nature.

DIuers therefore, nay, verie many, doe vainely (out of humane affection) lament the euerlasting paine of the dam∣ned, and their perpetuall tor∣ment, without intermission; and doe beleeue that it shall not be so indeed: wherein though they wil not contradict the scriptures, yet doe they priuately in their owne conceipts mitigate the se∣ueritie therof & drawe God to a more merciful sentence, suppo∣sing that the report therof in the

holy scriptures, is more terrible, then true. For, say they, God will not forget to be merciful, or shut vp his louing kindnes in displea∣sure. This saying is indeed con∣tained in a godly Psalme; but it is meant, without all doubt, of such as be called the vessels of Gods mercie: Because they are deliue∣red out of their calamitie & mi∣serie, nor in respect of their own merites, but of God who hath commiseration of them. Or, if this may be thought to be gene∣rally spoken, it followeth not therefore that they should think there may bee an ende of theit damnation, of whome it is spo∣ken, And they shal goe to eternall punishment: lest by this means the felicitie also of them might be thought to hau an ende and determination in time, to whom it is also saide, The iust shall go to life euerlasting. But let them sup∣pose, if that may content them, that the punishmōts of the dam∣ned bee mitigated in some mea∣sure

betweene whiles. For, so it may bee vnderstood that Gods anger remaineth stil vpon them, that is to say, their damnation is euerlasting. For, this damnation, is called the anger of God, and not a perturbation of Gods minde; So that in his anger, or during the continuance thereof, his mercies should neuerthelesse not bee shut vp, howbeit the same should not make an end of eternall punishment, but one∣ly giue an intermission or some ease of their torments, Because the Psalme sayeth not, to make an ende of his anger, or after his anger was past, but during his anger. The which his anger if it were alone and by itselfe, or howsoeuer it may bee thought to be the least and smallest punishment, to leese the kingdome of God, to bee exiled from that Citie, to bee a straunger from the life of God, & to want the infinite choice of loyes with God, which he hideth

from such as despise him, and af∣fordeth to all such as put their trust in him: yet is it so great a punishment, as no torments, which wee haue knowen, may equall the same, in case Gods anger bee eternall, and these torments doe last but for certain ages, how long soeuer.

CHAP. Cxiii.

That in the world to come, neither the feticitie of the godly, not the punishment of the damned afterwards shall be equall.

THe death of the damned shal bee euerlasting, and haue none ende. That is, They shall bee estraunged for euer from the life of God, and this miserie shall bee common to them an, whatsoeuer men imagine being led by their humane affections

touching the difference of their punishments, the mitigating or intermission of their paines: As also the happie life of the Saints shall likewise indure for euer. In which consideration they shal be all equall howsoeuer they shine and glitter in great varietie and difference of degrees, in happi∣nesse, yet with absolute peace and sweet agreement amongst themselues.