the fame Chapter, (a) Who fhall lay any Thing to the Charge of God's Elect?" It is God that juftifieth. So faith the Lord by his Prophet, (b) " I have blotted out, as a thick Cloud, thy Tranfgreflions, and, as a Cloud, "thy Sins." And God promifes, that (c) "He will "caft all our Sins into the Depth of the Sea." (Surely there is no Fire there to purge them) (d) "That they fhall not be mentioned. (e)" That the Iniquity of "Ifrael fhall be fought for, and there fhall be none, and "the Sins of Judah, and they fhall not be found: For "I will pardon them whom I referve." Now, if our Sins fhall not be fo much as mentioned, why fhould we think they will be fo terribly punished, or what need is there of a Purgatory? If all their Sins whom God pardoneth fhall be found no more, then certainly they are not to be purged any more after this Life. 3. Where there is no Spot, there needs no purging or cleanfing; where there is no Imputation of Sin, there needs no Punishment for Sin; but in the Faithful there is no Spot or Wrinkle. (f)" Though your Sins be as Scarlet, they fhall be as white as Snow; though they be "red like Crimson, they fall be as Wool," faith the "Lord: And if God remit, and Chrift hath fatisfy'd for the greater, how abfurd is it to think, the fame God hath not remitted, and the fame Chrift fatisfy'd for the leffer 4. If Men, in any kind, by doing, or fuffering, cou'd in Part, make Satisfaction to God for Sin, then is not Chrift's Satisfaction perfect, for that only is perfect, to which nothing can be added. Nor is Remiffion of Sins. gratuitous, nor is only Chrift our Redeemer, &c. which to fay, is against the Analogy of Faith, and contrary to the Scriptures, for, (g)" By one Offering, he hath per (c) Micah. 7. (f) Ifai. (a) Rom. 8. 33. (b) Ifai. 44. 22. 19. (d) Ezek, 18. 22.' (e) Fer. 50, 20. 1. 18. Eph. 5. 27. (g) Heb. 10. 14. fected for ever them that are fanctified." And (a) "With his Stripes we are made whole. (b) "For by Grace are ye faved thro' Faith, and that not of your "felves. (c) "It is the Gift of God, faith the Apostle, " in whom we have Redemption through his Blood, even "the Forgiveness of Sins." 5. Again, the Text fays plainly, "That all the Faith "ful that die in the Lord are bleffed," because, (d)" They "reft from their Labours." But what Reft is it to lye in fuch exceffive Torments, as thefe People fancy to be undergone in Purgatory? 6. Our Life is compared in Scripture, to a Race or Pilgrimage; and when we come to lay down this earthly Tabernacle, we are faid to have finished our Course, to have fought a good Fight, and to ceafe from Afflictions and Combats, to enter into Poffeffion, receive our Crown, and take our Rewards. But can all this be true, if we must yet pafs moft violent Tortures, for we know not how long Time after Death. 7. The Law of God, being moft perfect, hath und... doubtedly taught us all the Way of purging that God requires for our Sin; but it no where holds forth fuch a Purgatory as Papifts have framed to themselves; but rather in Oppofition to them, whenever it fpeaks of the State of Souls after this Lite, mentions only two Places, Heaven, and Hell, and tells us, that, (e) "As the Tree falls fo it lyeth," which, if there were any Place of purging after this Life, to put away our Sins, and make us more fit for Heaven, wou'd in no Sort be true. C. 8. This Notion of Purgatory dishonours our bleffed Sa viour and Mediator, by fuppofing his Mediation imper (a) Ifai. 53. 5. (d) Rev. 14. 13. Ecclef. 11. 3. (b) Eph. 2. 8. (c) Col. 1. 14.. Luke 16, &c. G4 fect; fect; it difhonours God the Father, as if he exacted Payment twice, for one and the fame Debt; and feems to be repugnant to that Article of our Faith," I believe "the Remiffion of Sins:" For, how are they remitted, if I my felf muft after this Life, make Satisfaction for them, by enduring moft grievous, and no lefs tedious Torments? 9. All Perfons when they die, are either justified, or Lot juftified: It justified, (a)" Then they have Peace • with God,” and therefore, not to be cruciated with any Pains: If they are not justified, then they are damn'd eternally, and therefore, can have no Redemption. Jujiin Martyr (b) pronounces, “That immediately "after Death, there is made a Separation betwixt good “and bad "Men, the Sheep and the Goats, and that the Good are carry'd into Paradise.” Irenaus (c) declares, "The Wicked fhall be caft into "eternal Fire." Cyprian, in his Sermon of Mortality, fays, "The Juft, when they die, are called to a Place of Shelter and Reft." So fays Gregory Nazianzen, in Encomio Cafaris," That the Souls of good People, when they are freed from the Shackles of the Body, do forthwith perceive or enjoy an incredible Pleasure, and joy"fully Ay unto their Lord." Cyril, (d) in his Comment on St. John's Gofpel, denies that the Souls of the Faithful are to pass any Place of Pain or Torment; and averrs, that they are perpetually with Chrift. But Chryfoftom speaks out yet more plainly, in his fecond Homily about Lazarus, "When we shall "be departed out of this Life, there is then no Room for Repentance; nor will it lye in our Power, to "wash out any Spots we have contracted, or to purge away one of the Evils which we have committed." So Ambrofe, de Bono Mortis, (e) "He that before he goes out of this World, hath not received Remiffion (a) Rom. 5. 1. (b) Quest. 75. (c) Lib. 1. Cap. 2. (d) Lib. 22. (e) Cap. 2. " at " of his 'Sins, fhall never in the other World, be ad"mitted into the Country of the Bleffed." And Jerom determines, that, "In this Life we may be affifted "with Prayers, and good Chriftian Counfels, but af"terwards, when we are fummoned to appear before "the Tribunal of Chrift, the Prayers of Job, or Daniel "will not be heard, nor can avail in any one's Behalf, but 66 every Man muft bear his own Burthen " All which confidered, are abundantly fufficient to fatisfy any Perfon, not obftinately partial, with how much Juttice, and on what folid Grounds, the reformed Churches do explode this imaginary Place of Torment, which the Romanifts call Purgatory. CHA P. XII. We are now to take a Review of the State of the Roman Church, from their own Teftimonies, for many hundred Years before the Reformation; by which it will appear, that it was no very dif ficult Matter in thofe Days, to impofe the most notorious Falfboods upon the credulous and undifcerning World. W E fhall begin with a Complaint of a Rev. Father and Bishop of the Church, in the Year 900. His Words are thefe, (a)" So great Folly now oppreffeth the miferable World, that at this Day more abfurd "Things are believed by Chriftians, than ever any cou'd impole upon the blind Pagans." Sabellius faith, (b) "It is wonderful to obferve, what a ftrange Forgetfulness of all Arts did about this Time "feize upon Men: Infomuch, that neither the Popes, nor other Princes, feemed to have any Senfe or Appre 46 (a) Agoberdus. Epif. Lug. Lib. de Grandi, &c. Anno 900. (b) Enead. 9. Lib. 1. Anno 900. "henfion |