Cs?,. XII.] PutoATotr. 377 trive a parablo in such a way that the representation of it would be false. 4. John (Rev. xiv, 13) declares that he heard a voice from heaven, which said, "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, for they rest from their labours, and their works do follow them."Here those that die in Christ are said to rest from their labours; it is therefore cer- taln that none of them are punished or tormented after death. For how can rest from labour consist with dreadful miseries and sufferings, such a8 souls in purgatory are said to undergo ? If this doctrine were true, they would not have a rest from their labours, but a change of them. 5. There are many passages of Scripture which speak a language inconsistent with the doctrine of purgatory, such as the following: "When we are absent from the body, we are present with the Lord," 2 Cot. v, 8. "The night cometh when no man can work," John ix, 4. "If our earthly house were dissolved, we have a house eternal in the heavens," 2 Cot. v, 1. 6. The doctrine of purgatory is inconsistent with justification. For, "being justified by faith, we have peace with God,"Rom. v, 1. Such a state of peace with God cannot agree with purgatory. And hence the justified are ?t com/eom?g. "There i8 now there- fore NO CONDBMNATION tO them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not ailer the flesh, but after the Spirit,"Rom. viii, 1. Again: "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ?" Rom. viii, 33. If there bo no ci?g? or/rcctf.Mz/?, whence arise8 condemnation ? "I am persuaded, that neither life, nor DEATH, nor angels, nor princi- palities shall be able to ?r?M?'?a us," &c., verses 35, 38, 39. T?t,e believer in Christ "shall not come into condemnation," John v, 24. 7. The tenet of purgatory, from its very principle and declared ob- ject, is entirely opposed to the full and complete red?s?iv?J of Christ. Sinners can only be delivered from the guilt and pollution of sin through the blood and sacrifice of Christ. "He, by his own blood, entered once into the holy place, having obtained ETERNAL REDEMP- TION for us,*' Heb. ix, 12. "Nor yet that he 8honEd offer himself o(?en--for then must he often have suffered--but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared, To PUT AWAY 8IN by the sacrifice of himself,"verses 25, 26. "Wo are sanctified through the offering of Jesus Christ, once for all---after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever 8at down at the right hand of God--for by one offering he hath PERFECTED FOR EVER them that are sanctified," Heb. x, 10, 12, 14. "When he had by himself PURSED OUR S?SS, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high," Heb. i, 3. "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son CLEANSETH U8 FROM ALL 8IN. He is faithful and just to for- give ns our sins, and To CLEA.'qSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS," 1 John i, 7, 9. "Christ loved us, and WASHED US from OUR SINS in his OWN BLOOD." Rev. i, 5. i, These have WASHED THEIR ROBE8 and MADE THEM WHITE throllgh the BLOOD OF THE LAMB,"Rev. vii, 14. Now if these scriptures be true, where is the Mces?-/ly or ? of a fttture purgatorial cleansing ! 8. The doctrine of purgalory is dishononrable to God the Holy Ghost, since purgatorial fire is said to be ?b .m..?.'s?,, a?c//.fy/?, pur/.f? If so, the work of the Holy Spirit is deficient.
- Behr.'de Pur?., lib. i, c. 1.
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