hell: he also taught that GOD will surely forgive all crimes besides infidelity; and that a disobedient believer will be punished, at the day of resurrection, on the bridge6 laid over the midst of hell, where the flames of hell fire shall catch hold on him, and torment him in proportion to his disobedience, and that he shall then be admitted into paradise.7 The latter held that if GOD do cast the believers guilty of grievous sins into hell, yet they will be delivered thence after they shall have been sufficiently punished; but that it is neither possible nor consistent with justice that 4 Abulfarag, p. 168, &c. 5 Al Shahrestani, ubi sup. p. 252, &c. 6 Sharh al Tawâlea, ibid. To the same effect writes the Moorish author quotes above, from whom I will venture to transcribe the following passage, with which he concludes his Discourse on Freewill. "Intellectus ferè lumine naturali novit Deum esse rectum judicem et justum, qui non aliter afficit creaturam quàm juste: etiam Deum esse absolutum Dominum, et hanc orbis machinam esse ejus, et ab eo creatam; Deum mullis debere rationem reddere, cùm quicquid agat, agat jure proprio sibi: et ita absolute poterit afficere præmio vel pona quem vult, cùm omnis creatura sit ejus, nec facit cuiquam injuriam, etsi eam tormentis et ponis æternis afficiat: plus enim boni et commodi accepit creatura quando accepit esse a suo creatore, quàm incommodi et damni quando ab eo damnata est et affecta tormentis et ponis. Hoc autem intelligitur si Deus absolute id faceret. Quando enim Deus, pietate et misericordia motus, eligit aliquos ut ipsi serviant, Dominus Deus gratiâ suâ id facit ex infinitâ bonitate; et quando aliquos derelingquit, et ponis et tormentis afficit, ex justitia et rectitudine. Et tandem dicimù omnes ponas esse justas quæ a Deo Veniunt, et nostrâ tantùm culpâ, et omnia bona esse à pietate et misericordia ejus infinita." 7 Al Shahrest. ubi sup. p. 256. 1 Abulfar. p. 169. 2 Al Firauz. 3 Ebn al Athîr, al Motarrezi. 4 Al Shahrest. ubi sup. p. 254, &c. 5 Idem, ibid. 6 See before, Sect. IV. p. 71. 7 al Shahrest. ubi sup. p. 257.