given; that Men are obliged to endure temporalpains after their fins are forgiven?

Yes, fay they; for their forrow wrought revenge, that is, a revenge upon themselves by way of Satisfaction for the temporal punishment, after the eternal punishment was forgiven. But this Comment do's not explain, but add to the Text: for St. Paul faies no fuch thing. And certainly Men may by Severities and other Acts (if I may fo fpeak) of felf-revenge, endeavor to reftrain themselves from fin more effectually for the future, without any opinion of making Satisfaction for a temporal punishment, which is vainly fuppos'd to remain after the eternal punishment is forgiven.

I may add, that the word Revenge has in all probability a refpect to the Church-cenfure inflicted upon the Sinner; and confequently, it cannot respect any Satisfaction made after the Sinner's Reconciliation to the Church, and Pardon from God.

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10. I must now proceed to an Argument drawn from the Mofaic Sacrifices. Our Adverfaries tell us, that the Legal Sacrifices were Satisfactions to the Juftice of God for the Temporal punishment of fins for otherwife they were Inftituted in vain, becaufe 'tis certain that they did not fatisfy for the Eternal punishment of fins. To this. I anfwer, 1. That tho' fome temporal Satisfaction were required by a pofitive Precept under the Mofaic Law; yet it will not follow, that any fuch Satiffaction is now requir'd under the Gospel, wherein we have no fuch pofitive Precept. 2. The Legal Sacrifices were not Satisfactions for any temporal punishment; but were injoin'd by God (who may injoin what he pleases; and whofe injunctions

Q 4

tho'

tho' never fo arbitrary, 'tis a fin to difobey) I fay, they were injoin'd by God, as Types and Figures of that full and complete Satisfaction to be made hereafter by our Savior Chrift. So that the end of their Inftitution was very apparent and useful, altho' nothing of Satisfaction were intended by them.

If it be faid, that different fins had Different Sacrifices, which intimates a different meafure of Satisfaction; I answer, that God might appoint what Sacrifices he thought good for particular Crimes but this do's not prove, that all those Sacrifices were not Types of Chrift's Satisfaction; much lefs do's it prove, that thofe Sacrifices were requir'd as Satisfactions to God's Juftice for a temporal punishment in particular.

But in a word, this argument is wholly impertinent; because thefe Sacrifices were fo neceffary under the Jewish Law, that the Man wou'd be damn'd who did not perform them; and confequently, they must be perform'd as a condition of the Pardon of fins: whereas we are now disputing of fuch Satisfactions, as are to be made after the fin is actually forgiven.

1. If it be faid, that we may Merit eternal Life, and confequently we may Satisfy for the temporal punishment of our fins; I anfwer, That I fhall examin and difprove the Popish Doctrin of Merit in the 18th Chapter, and in the mean while I defire the Reader not to make one falfe Doctrin the proof of another.

Thus then I have fhewn, 1. That the Scripturès do not teach, that the Vindictive temporal punishment of fin's committed after Baptism, the Vindictive eternal punishment of which is already forgiven for Christ's fake, do's still remain due. That the

Scriptures

Scriptures do not teach, that we may, or ought to fatisfy for the Vindictive Temporal punishment of fins committed after Baptifm, when the Vin dictive Eternal punishment is forgiven for Chrift's fake. I fhall not determin, whether we are able to fatisfy for fuch a Temporal punishment, if it did remain due; because I think it needlefs. However, fince we are not commanded to make fatif faction for it; nay, fince there is no fuch punishment remaining due, for which we may pretend to fatisfy; 'tis plain, that the Popish Doctrin concerning the Neceffity of fuch fatisfaction is utterly groundless. And confequently, this is another inftance of fomething not taught in the Scriptures, which the Church of Rome impofes as neceffary to Salvation.

I

CHA P. XVI,

Of Purgatory.

N the 19th Article of the Popish Creed we have thefe Words, I do firmly believe that there is a Purgatory. From whence it is plain, that every Member of the Church of Rome, is oblig'd to be lieve that there is a Purgatory, upon pain of Damnation. Whereas I fhall fhew that the Belief of a Purgatory is utterly groundlefs, it having no foun dation either in Scripture or Reafon.

I fhall not nicely inquire into the Nature of Purgatory, or endeavor to determin wherein the cleanfing Virtue of it do's confift, according to the Opinion of our Adverfaries, or what fort of Tor

ments

(

Part II. ments the Souls therein detain'd are fuppos'd to undergo, before they can have fatisfy'd for the remaining part of the Temporal punishment of their Sins, and be made pure enough for the Kingdom of Heaven. 'Tis fufficient to obferve, that our Adverfaries are agreed, that, Purgatory is a certain place in which the Souls of thofe Men, who die in God's favor, and have a certainty of their Salvation, are detain'd for fome time, till they have fatisfy'd for that part of the Temporal punishment of their Sins, which they did not fatisfy for upon Earth. They tell us indeeed, that thofe perfons, who made a full fatisfaction for fuch Temporal punishment during their Life-time, do go immediately to Heaven but that thofe whofe fatisfaction was not complete, are constrain'd to finish it in Purgatory.

Now I have already fhewn in the fore-going Chapter, that there is no Vindictive Temporal punishment due to Sin, after the Eternal punishment of it is forgiven: And confequently there is no manner of neceffity, that Souls fhou'd go to Purgatory, for the payment of any part of fuch punishment. The Souls that are fent to Purgatory by our Adverfaries, are reconcil'd to God thro' Chrift; and the time of their farther amendment, if any fuch were needful, is already pafs'd: why then fhou'd they be tormented merely for Torments fake & Chrift has fully fatisfy'd for all our Vindictive punishment; and a Corrective punilament is granted to be then impoffible: and why then fhou'd Men be punish'd at all? Thus by overthrowing the Popish Doctrin of Setisfaction, I have rooted up the main Foundations, and thrown down the Pillars of Purgatory.i to c

But tho' this imaginary place of Torments is utterly needlefs, for the reafon already affign'd; yet Our Adverfaries do perfift in afferting the reality of it. Nay, they pretend to prove from Scripture, that thofe Holy Souls, which they fuppofe to be not perfectly cleans'd, do fuffer pains, before they are admitted into Heaven. But we utterly deny, that the Scriptures do inform us of any fuch place, wherein those who die in the Lord, are forc'd to undergo Torments by way of preparation for their future Happiness.

I fhall not endeavor to prove, that the Holy Scriptures do condemn this Doctrin of Purgatory : because it may juftly feem ridiculous for a Man to labour with a train of ferious Arguments to con fute a Dream. 'Tis fufficient if I make it appear, that 'tis a groundlefs Notion; and this I fhall do, by examining the pretended Proofs of it.

1. They tell us, that the Men of Fabeth-Gilead fafted feven days for Saul, 1 Sam. 31. 13. Tis true, when the Philistines came to ftrip thofe that were flain in the Battel, wherein Saul and Jongthan were kill'd, they found Saul and his three Sons fallen in mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head, and fript off his armour, and fent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the House of their Idols, and among the People. And they put his armour in the House of Afhtaroth, and they fa ftened his body to the Wall of Beth-fhan. And when the Inhabitants of Jabefh-Gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul: all the Valiant Men arofe, and went all night, and took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his Sons from the Wall of Beth-fhan, and came to Jabefh, and burnt them there. And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fafted seven days; viz. to humble them