A draught of eternitie. Written in French by Iohn Peter Camus Bishope of Belley. Translated into English by Miles Car preist of the English Colledge of Doway

Whether it were better for the damned not to bee.

XXXV.

FOrme a iudgment of it out of this consideration, Athana∣sia, that without respite they search after death and it comes not; they shall wish for it, and it shall fly from them. Vpō which the Deuines moue a fine questiō; to witt, whether it were not better for the damned to bee no more, or neuer to haue bene

at all, then to subsiste without anihi∣lation amidst so many liuing dea∣thes. To which the Angell of the schowle, S. THOMAS, makes an∣sweare with no lesse subtilitie then soliditie, that the non-esse being considered purely in it selfe, is the euil of euils, and the most miserable condition imaginable, and that thus, it cannot in generall be desired. But being taken as deliuering vs, from a beeing accompained with all sorts of miseries; and as it is a priuation of so many calamities, it may be wished for of those who are in so deplo∣rable a state. Whence it is said in the Ghospell of that reprobate which betrayed the sonne of man, and who through despaire hanging himselfe was burst in the midst. It had bene better for this man that he had neuer bene. And IOB in the extreamitie of his afflictions curseing the day of his birth, wished that he had neuer bone.

S. AVGVSTINE confirmes this opi∣nion when he saith: The wicked and impious persons that are plunged in e∣ternall fires, shall liue in despite of themselues; for they would be glad, if it were in their powre, to end so accursed a life; but none will oblige them with the benefit of such a death as would make them senselesse of their paines. And a∣gaine, the Scripture daignes not this continuall sufferance with the name of life; for to be continually in such ex∣treame torments, seemes not so much to be a life, as a perpetuall death. Wher∣vpon in Sacred writt; this damnation, is called a seconde death, to distinguish it from the first, wher vnto all that are vpon the face of the earth, are lyable. And albeit it be called death, yet is none extinguished therby; for to liue in con∣tinuall torment, is not to liue, but to dic. The same Doctor, in another pas∣sage, saith to the same pourpose. If the damned soules liue in those eternall

paines, where the vncleane spirits a•• tormented, they are rather to be said t••∣dy then liue, and that eternally. Fo•• there is no worse nor more dreadf•••• death, then when death cannot dy••▪ Pope INNOCENTIVS giues au∣thoritie to that beleife, in these tear∣mes. Then (speaking of the accurse•• Eternitie) death shall be immortall. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 death how much more sweete should thou be, if thou didst extinguish so do∣lorous a life, then to constraine one t•• liue in such hellish torments; and which is yet worse, torments of so long conti∣nuance. I, for the number of yeares in Hell, is numberlesse. The last yeare of those punishments shall neuer arriue. After a thousand mil∣lion of yeares, there will remayne as many againe to be counted, and those also being sommed vp; we are to begin anew againe. CAIN after fiue thousand yeares of a liuing death, is, as in the first day of his tor∣tures:

and after a thousand million ••f million of yeares, he shall begin ••new to suffer. And though the ••icked richman hath thirsted two ••••ousand yeares in the flames which ••oe burne, but not consume him, he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 yet to expect, and shall expect for ••ternitie, one droppe of refreshing ••••ater, which shall for euer be de∣••yed him. When humane iustice ••oth adiudge a criminall to exqui∣••te tortures, for some great and ••••ormious crimes; to dy is reputed a ••uour, since by that meanes, he is ••eed from the cruell tormēts which ••reife doth imprint in his body. But 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Diuine iustice which is exe∣••uted in Hell, there is no stroke fa∣••orable; where one is to languish ••or euer in a death which cannot ••ie. Which is a Hell in Hell, worse ••hen a thousand Hells.