another Life, any further than conditionally, that if their Repentance be fufficient, their Forgiveness is certain. But whether it be fufficient or no, the Priests of our Church can give their Judgement, and those of the Church of Rome can poffibly do no more. For they must own themselves to be as fallible as we are.

But as neither Reafon nor Scripture makes Confeffion and Abfolution of this Kind neceffary, fo neither did the primitive Church hold it to be fo. Public Confeffion indeed they required in Cafes of public Scandal: but for private Confeffion in all Cafes, it was never thought of as a Command of God for 900 Years after Chrift; nor determined to be fuch till after 1200: when the fame Council of Lateran decreed it, which decreed alfo the depofing of fuch Princes as would not extirpate Herefy. And yet it is amazing what Strefs they now lay upon it. No Repentance, they tell us, will avail, if it be neglected: and almost any will do, if it be obferved. For let a dying Sinner have only what they call Attrition, fuch a Sorrow as arifes merely from the Fear of being punished without the least Degree of Diflike to Sin or Love to God, this Sorrow, though not fufficient without Absolution, yet, with it, is. So that if

a

a Person who hath difregarded God all his Life, can but be made afraid of him at his Death, the Prieft fhall deliver him from Hell, and fecure Heaven to him, by a Word fpeaking. Some leffer Punishments indeed he doth remain subject to firft: as to which however there are Ways of making Matters as easy as can well be wifhed. But in order to understand them, another Head of Popish Doctrine must be explained.

Our Saviour, they tell us, having procured for repenting Sinners the Forgiveness only of the eternal Punishment due to their Sins, there remains a temporal Punishment due to them ftill, which, if it be not in this Life either inflicted by worldly Sufferings, or fatisfied for by good Works and Penances, must be undergone after Death, in the Pains of a Place called Purgatory: which Pains may, however, be mitigated and fhortened, partly by offering up Prayers for fuch Perfons, and partly by granting Indulgences to them. And these Things alfo we are Heretics for not believing. Yet for the Neceffity of our believing these Doctrines, they pretend no Scripture-Proof, and they have no Proof for fo much as the Truth of them. Heaven and Hell we read of perpetually in the Bi

ble, but Purgatory we never meet with: though furely, if there be fuch a Place, Chrift and his Apostles would not have concealed it from us. St. Paul indeed mentions, a Fire that tries every Man's Works, and Perfons that shall be saved, yet fo as by Fire'. But what is he there speaking of? He had been laying amongst them, he fays, the Foundation of Religion, the Acknowledgement of Jefus Chrift. On this, fays he, another Man bath built: but let every Man take Heed bow be buildeth; what he teaches for Christian Doctrine: for the Day fhall declare it, and the Fire fhall try every Man's Work of what Sort it is either the Day of the fiery Trial of Perfecution, or rather, the final Judgement of God, whofe Day fhall burn like an Oven, this fhall try every Man's Work, fearch it as thoroughly as Fire does Things that are put into it. Then, if any Man's Work which he bath built, abide, if the Doctrines he hath taught bear the Teft, he shall receive a Reward: but, if his Work be burnt, if, preserving the Funda mentals of Chriftianity, he hath built Errors on them, be fhall fuffer Lofs; the Pains he hath taken shall be of no Benefit, and though he may be faved himself, it fhall be like one that ef

11 Cor, iii. 13, 15.

* Mal. iv. 1,

capes

capes through the Fire, with great Danger and Difficulty. For fo St. Jude fpeaks: Some fave with Fear, pulling them out of the Fire1: and the Prophet Amos, Ye were as a Firebrand plucked out of the burning". This Paffage therefore relates not to punishing, in Purgatory, the Perfons of fome Men, before the Day of Judgement, but to trying the Works of all Men at the Day of Judgement: and, far from patronizing the Church of Rome, gives them indeed an awful Warning not to build on the Foundation of Christianity Hay and Stubble; fuch ufelefs Trash as this, and many other of their Doctrines; which that great Day of the Lord will how to have no Solidity in them: but their Works fhall be burnt up, themselves fuffer Lofs, and at best be faved only fo as by Fire. Their other Texts for Purgatory are, if poffible, lefs to the Purpose than this: that Blafphemy against the Holy Ghoft fhall not be forgiven, either in this Life or that to come"; which is only faying, it shall never be forgiven, but punished both here and hereafter: that he who agrees not with his Adversary in the Way, shall be caft by the Judge into Prifon, and not come out till

1 Jude, ver. 23,

m Amos. iv. 11.

? Matt. xii. 32.

he hath paid the uttermoft Farthing; which perhaps is only faying, that whoever doth not make up a Difference with his Neighbour before Trial, must expect no Favour after: Or, if God be the Judge meant, the Sense will be, that the Perfon condemned fhall never come out of Prifon, because he can never pay the uttermoft Farthing. For Uncharitableness unrepented of, which is the Crime here mentioned, the Papifts themselves own, fends Men not to Purgatory, but to Hell. As for their Notion, that our Saviour hath not procured Forgiveness of the temporal Punishment of Sin, 'tis certain from Scripture, that he hath procured the Forgiveness of every Thing that can properly be called Punishment. For his Blood cleanfeth us from all Sin3 ; and therefore no Purgatory is needful. And there is no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jefus, and confequently no fuch Place to be condemned to. Correction indeed there is; but this Correction is the Work, not of an offended Judge, but a merciful Father and as he, by these and many other Means endeavours to amend us, fo we should use all

proper Means to amend ourselves: but fuch Penances as tend are not proper Means even in

only to give Pain,

• Matt. v. 25, 26.

P John i. 7.

4 Rom. viii. 1.