THE MYSTERY OF General Redemption.  
By the Lady elinor.  1 Pet. 1.13. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mindes, &c. and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you in the revelation of Jesus Christ. 
Printed in the Year, 1647.   

The Mystery of general Redemption.  
ANd the Grave and Hell, one and the same word serving for both in the Native Tongue or Language, as observed both by Prophets and Apostles, between which, and the word Sepulchre or Monuments, distinguishes and puts a difference: So that doubtless of the Resurrection may as well doubt, as out of Hell believe or hold is no redemption; whereof the Prophet Hosea thus, who affirms, 13. I will ransom thee out of Hell; confirmed by that, Cor. 15. O Death, where is thy sting? O Hell, where is thy victory, &c. in the first place to our saviours soul not left in Hell, applied, nor his body in the earth to see corruption, according to the Psalm; But every one in his order, instanced as by the fruits of the earth: Touching which word its extent unto the Devil, the mystery not unknown; to Saul foreshewd he and his sons to morrow to be with him; a taste or token whereof had then by his falling all along, as shows was sore afraid, &c. provided for him against the next day.  
And according to the Scriptures, for proving the affirmative, The worlds general pardon, kept till last, like the good wine; This place for one, of Adam, the figure of him to come, saying thus, Wherefore, as by one man sin entred into the world, and death by sin; and so deathpassed upon all men, &c. Therefore as by the offence of one, &c. so by the righteousness of one, &c. Rom. 5. came upon all men, &c. and he one able to distinguish between the general and special, Cor. 5. argues, in short, the same point; And if all were dead, then dyed he for all: And to Timothy, God the saviour of All, especially of them that believe, who gave himself a ransom for all, a propitiation for our sins, not only, but for the whole worlds sins. And so much for these who by reason of the Law and several Statutes, have incurred such penalties and forfeitures to the whole world, therefore that sends forth these; That as in Adam all dyed, so in Christ all are made alive, according to Cor. 15. and his own promise, If I be lifted up, I shall draw all men to me; answerable to the angels first salute, Behold, tidings of great joy to all people; and the criers voice, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.  
Concluding not some, but All, the whole degenerate mass of Angels and Men, pardonned that partake of the pit where no water is, or taste the second Death too, from whose blessedness( to wit) in the first resurrection, who have their pa●t, it detracts not, but is beyond measure an addition, to whom they but as the numerous common sort in comparison.  
Lastly to free this largesse from any tax that may befall in respect of such ample expressions.  
Behold else where in penning it, how cautious the same Apostle to the letter, saying, Now Abrabraham and his seed, &c. he saith, Not seeds, of many, but as of one; And to thy seed: and again, Behold, I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed( Thess.) And in every thing so) Hebrews, For in that he put all things under his feet, he left nothing that is not put under: but that he by the grace of God, should taste death for every man: as, O the height and depth of his Grace, for whom in his appointed time nothing is too difficult.  
And again, for a farther manifestation of his strictness this way, Brethren, if it be but a mans covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth or addeth thereto: and yet this consolation of ours, how it is endeavoured to be hidden from us amongst the good seed, by tares sowed, by this blind or envious age, bear witness, to whom the word Age such an mushroom Guest how perverted, in that Thanksgiving Psalm, itis golden burden, For his mercy endures for an Age: Englished, For his mercy endures for Ever; which upon their words taken or believed, signifies without end reiterated so.  
And lo, throughout the New Testament, this passes for current, Heb. By whom the worlds were made, when the truth of it, By whom the Ages were made, viz. Secula: Likewise in judas closed with these words, To whom, &c. In all Ages; And now, and in all Ages of Ages, Amen: By our Doctors concluded or curtaild, To whom, &c. for ever, Amen: of which false Brethrens Doctrine and doings more dangerous to the Truth, then the practise of open enemies: Heretofore moreover thus, Apocal. he saying, I am he, &c. and behold, am alive for Ages of ages, Amen; and have the Keys of Death & Hell: By whom( as though those Keys at their command) rendered, For evermore, Amen, at farthest signifying but Ages and farther, or from henceforth. Again,( Revelation the 14.) Et fumus, &c. ascendet in secula seculorum, from age to age, from day to day; alluding in their being tormented without intermission, and restless, to metals refined those monstrous smokes, yet who continue the old Antichristian note, of extending these to a perpetuity or unlimited estate, being finite, taking upon them, above him, taken up into the third Heaven; Paul pressing no farther then What if God willing to show his wrath, &c. endured with long suffering, &c. And why not then, What if God unwilling as when Moses desired to behold all his glory) to make known all his mercy; or if pleased to shadow it under a term, not infinite, but determinable, lawful shal it be therfore for them, when it was unlawful for the Apostle to utter the things he heard: Thus to take away without warrant, whose last charge to beware of it, Rev. 22. lest partake of those Plagues, which were they to endure but a moment, enough to break in two the strongest heart, or to distracted: yet but as a Dream compared with the days of Heaven, although such horror to continue a thousand Methusalahs ages, and thus by such Addition continued of EVER and sometime NEVER, groaning under the burden of misunderstanding for so many ages; not the word Age alone( as manifest) but this going for currant also, The Fire that never shal be quenched. And the worm, &c. Not onely alluding to Sodoms wild fire, but by the ensuing bidden to have salt in themselves: Also, to remember Lots wife, so faithless, worthy to be made an example, commended unto them.  
Whereas the Greek and Hebrew both agreeing( Mar. 9. Isaiah 66.) Where the fire is not quenched, and the worm dieth not; Ignis non extinguitur, from one new Moon to another, or from Sabbath to Sabbath; unmindful of Pauls unable to contain himself, O the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God, how unsearchable, who hath known his mind? &c.  
So that either some design, like those Brethren who sometime upon a doubtful speech cast out by our saviour, presently gave out, That that Disciple should not die: because replied, What if I will he tarry till I come; though in that it opposes the article of our Lords descending, &c. a thing of more dangerous consequence; whence say they is no Redemption: by whom those torments were undergone; so sure as that wine and gall prepared for him, mixed like Hope and Despair; witness that outcry Psal. 88. O Lord my salvation, I have cried day and night, I am so fast in prison I cannot get out: why abhorrest thou my soul? I have stretched out my hands unto thee, &c. True it is, Isa. 26. once have been true to the sense this far in the Margin thus, Heb. Rock of ages: translated, The everlasting strength; which word by way of terror sometime used, by them not having the Spirit, extend it to their Non plus ultra, now like the Decree of the Medes and Persians, though shewed to be erroneous, nevertheless irrevocable, who bring us forth Hercules for Samson, Ovid for David, and Seneca before Paul, &c.  
Whereas the Kingdom of GOD speaking better things, then such strait passages testifying, In my Fathers house are many Mansions, one mystery enfolding another, as Ezekiels vision, A fire in the midst of the cloud. And, put the fire, lightning, &c. so, wheel within wheel: Those Cherubims their intricate work, enclosing the Mercy-seat, of whose Kingdom shows there is no end; and they worthy to be heirs thereof; promised to be equal with the Angels, shall die no more,( Luke 20.)  
And, Psal. No end of his years, from everlasting to everlasting: Heb. indissolvable, passes not from one to another, &c. different from the Kingdom of Darkness, or like the Beasts Dan. 7. declaring a prolonging of life was given unto them, for a time and seasons; whose dominion taken away, or authority, as judas gives to understand of those angels, reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgement of the great day, against whom, namely the Devil, the angel Michael durst not bring railing accusation, only The Lord the rebuk thee, was to consider them, who had no more but so much belief, as served to deprive them of HOPE under such restraint.  
So with his secret Providence proceeding, the common Salvation hidden, like that Grace bestowed on the Gentiles, so long waited for, alike held impossible, what if he, after Josephs reserved way, as he toward his untoward Brethren before made himself known who kept them in hold, questioned both for spies and theft; but correspondent to his silence she when running & crying after him, at length as though but lost her labour; answered her, was not but to the lost sheep sent of the house of Israel; yet overcame him, obtained her svit, the Gentiles fore-run, deriving her title from Canaan, showing Dogs ought not perish.  
Concluding the Prince of Peace; his Mercy seems racked up in ashes of Despair, as it fared with them so many days in such jeopardy that saw neither sun nor stars, for his servant Pauls cause; not a hair of their heads perishing; came safe every one to land ( Acts) much more for his own sake, will never reverse his own judgement against Law for any to do; having spoken it, Namely, for the womans seed to vanquish the Serpents power; and of such triumph to come, His leading captivity captive, to reduce every one to their former liberty: as what special blessing otherwise such a numerous generation promised Abraham, much like that the Apostle speaks of himself, else man of all creatures most miserable, were Redemption but for a handful, as though All souls are not his( Ezek.) whom Moses calls, The God of the Spirits of all Flesh.  
Whose last these, Woman, behold thy son, figured in Adam and the Serpent both; who then to his mo her made his first word good; finishing with Father forgive them every one.  
Then mercy extending to thousands without number, exceeds so far his hate, but unto the third and fourth generation; accordingly who came into the world, made to wait four thousand years near, embraces no less then as wide as east from the west, &c. So far be it from him, for our first Parents first offence surprised in state of Innocency, to lay it all upon their Progeny, as they better able to discharge this obligation, kept on foot still, when those two debtors because had nothing to pay, frankly both forgiven, both contrary to the New and old Law, the childrens teeth for the fathers default set on edge; whereof the Lord said, there was no more occasion to use any such harsh proverb, &c. ( Ezek.) who may be merciful as he pleases, rather then unjust in the least.  
Making such presidents of no force( the day of judgements figure) intolerable sinful Sodom for so few their sakes which had been pardond, prest Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? or shall the most high be implacable against Dust and Ashes, to contend with a Worm, an earthen vessel? O from him far be it.  
And so, Dost thou well to be angry Jonas, pleads himself, the cause, how children ought not for the Parents to suffer, contradicts Moses Law, in regard of 〈◇〉, which that King, the children of the Murtherers of his father, put them not to death( Kings 2.) so Ninevehs to be drowned in forgetfulness neither, in tender consideration of a world of Infants pardond all; the whole worlds figure Jonas being his, showing Summum jus, summa injuria, Alzas knowing not what they do without special grace, as all doing they know not what.  
And thus much concerning that principle, not of more Antiquity then Truth, That every thing returns to the place from whence it came: so then, if Dust thou art, to Dust return.  
Much more in point of mercy, where goodness so immense to reduce the same, as behold saw every thing very good at the first, &c. Gen.  
Lastly, to breath the breath of Life into these straight passages: Judas called, The Son of Perdition, granted good for that man he had never been born, yet extends not to deprive him of happiness in that he had a being, though unborn; as Job for example, notwithstanding blames the knees that prevented him, which concerns at all not his conception, or the time of life, though bestows imprications alike, on the night wherein he was conceived, as upon his Nativity, to be blotted out of the calendar, yet unto annihilation extends not, harbours no such vain wish, Job 3.  
Also he on the left hand, that thief, by saying to the other, This day be thou with me, &c. a limited day, implies another day for him, ( Hebr.) that author but after his order showing, in that he saith anew, He hath made the first voided, in speaking of the Covenant, as in another place of interring in the Rest; a certain day insists thereon at large.  
So again for that sin, forgiven neither here, nor in the other world, but punished in both: He that speaks against the holy Ghost, or the holy Breath or Breathings, but shall be in danger, &c. First, who knows how many worlds are to come; as Peter speaking of that before the Deluge, calls it, The world that THEN WAS.  
And for the word Danger what it imports who knows not( to wit) a possibility of escape.  
Besides his pointing to Peter and Judas, The fall of the one through frailty, as Adam; the other of arrogancy, as the Devil: likewise shows who opposes the holy Spirit( in the original) Breathings, or holy wind: He that seeks to stop that breath, a mill-stone a fitter ornament for him; better first had been his own Executioner: In those days supposed though or held presumption, to expect gifts of such high nature.  
And so for correcting the severity of this Parable too, showing Of a fixed space between them two( Luk. 16.) no other then a prefixed space of time, termed by them a fixed Gulf impassable, otherwise in respect of place but unnecessary, which moves not to say fixed, more proper for Times perpetual motion; where moreover touching the type of his finger dipped, &c. as points to Hagar who had her eyes opened, saw a well of water, calling it, Thou God seest me; The truth of it, The Mystery of Redemption out of Hell, to be clearly set forth foreshows, and from Abraham calling him Son, also, and he him father, thus but a line of Mercy craving; from this Lazarus no ordinary Beggar; as those Allegorical Ulcers, or wounds, but answerable to that of Abrahams bosom: likewise that Rich man, one in some eminent Office, calling Brothers, who it seems dyed of a Fever, or else some one craving a pardon for his life; one in some eminent Office, both by his rob and Calling, them his five Brethren.  
The sum of it in part, who so performs not without compulsion penance here, makes it good there: And thus making no long dwelling or commentaries on evident things. As for the word Chasma( or a Gulf) a Learned author, though upon an other occasion borrowing this figurative word, hereupon applies it thus; A Chasma, or voided space of time, in the mention of some inter reign: GOODWIN by name.  
And as supposed not to be avoided of a purgatory appointed for the Saints after this life, being both Birds of a feather; briefly thus, founded on this and the like places, Verily thou shalt not come forth thence, till paid the utmost mite: The verity of it, a certain moment, or signifying till the last minute expired, as the godly become here Exiles in this world, so on the other side till Gods wrath appeased, they excluded his presence under Excommunication.  
Which Article of the Christian Faith famous ORIGEN understood well, of whom the worst they could say was, That when he wrote well, as he went before all men, so no man did worse when he wrote ill; from whose judgement other Fathers erring, were enforced to erect a Purgatory, being fallen between this Sylla and Charybdis.  
Whereto a word adding Exhortative from the parable preceding( Luke 15.) of his unnatural preferring a Calf before his own Brother, would not be drawn to see him. And those labourers possessed with a like spirit of envy: Of such evil aspect mutining and grudging that nothing at all to damage them, like that cutthroat for another served in the same kind, without compassion on his fellow servant, points to prison, &c.  
A Lesson for his Disciples not unseasonable, voided of spleen neither against the other twain; a disease reigning in Esaus world: Jonas was entred into it, about a straw matter as angry, by whom a gored more taken into consideration, then a City of great and small; concerning which uncharitableness in the highest degree, and unchristian belief thus to judge: Lo that parable of the day of judgements sentence, where behold charged with nothing besides, rewarded with Lex talionis, Go ye, &c.( Mat. 25.) in that ye did it not to the least, &c. sometime my sad companions, those heavy prisoners, when sweat those clods of blood, in no small measure in that Garden or orchard, encountering no inferior Temptations.  
Concluding with this, a Remedy for all Diseases, The end at hand, even Time aged, 1647. stolen away, attained to Noahs days; so that no great danger in leaving the door open, or for dismissing the guard, hitherto fortified under pretence of withstanding presumption, with illegal constructions and terrification of that uncharitable nature: wherefore prayed, away with such sinister suspicion any longer in defence of it, being arrived the port; as Behold the appointed time of the Son of mans coming: The Ancient of days holding the Seven Stars in his right hand, of no small moment a mystery, if his word to be taken or believed( Apoc. 1.) before whose Throne the Dagons of the Earth now prostrate; even Tyrant time also resigning all his rights and privileges with them; agreeable with that Rule, When ceaseth the the cause of the Law, then ceaseth the Law itself also: of which Time, namely the end, Enoch the seventh from Adam( as by judas foreshowed) he being a figure of it prophesied, was not, God took him, after had fulfilled three hundred threescore and five years, according to the days of the year, walked here no longer: The first prophet foreseing their hard speeches, accompanied with hardness of belief, whom the Lord will convince howsoever, who like Kore and his companions, not having the spirit, despise prophesy not onely, but take upon them to contradict the express Word: showing that the first fruits and root be holy, also the branches and whole lump. So that in stead of his Spirit, the last of the old prophets, and the first of the new: John the Baptist, upon them have Balaams spirit, witness Timothy, He a ransom for all, as O Hell, I will be thy destruction, &c. In due time to be testified; and John, a propitiation for the whole world, as instanced afore, and proved: The which maintained by them to be the whole for the part, spoken by a figure, say they, like that of All Jury went out to John, and his decree Cesars, that went forth from all the world to be taxed( Luk. &c.) where the one spoken after the vulgar way, the other in high strain of Kings.  
But this rara Avis, one Swallow makes no Summer; rather making choice to be abrupt then farther prolix, supposing ye will imitate the cruel Soldiers, resolved to kill the prisoners, or be worse then their captain,( Acts 27.) or more inexorable then his furious Majesty of great Babylon, revoking his hasty sentence or loud Proclamations, beyond expectation all of them, when saved by Daniel the prophet, so preserved with his companions, &c. with whom, Blessed bee the Lords Name, Aseculo & usque in seculum, & ipse mutat tempora & aetates,( Dan. 2.21.) Leaving them to swim for their Lives, or at least will not gainsay a possibility of escape for these Captive brethren, wh Abraham refuses not the style of Sons, shall present these not unlike the broken boards or pieces of the ship for the present. To which passages or New song, the end of which Behold I make all things new: Let every creature in Heaven, and Earth, and Sea, and under the Earth, say Amen.  
FINIS.