502 NO PAIN AMONG THE BLESSED. rÍDISC. IX. The word of God has appointed but two states, viz. heaven and hell, for the reception of all mankind when they depart from this world : and how vain a thing must it be for men to invent a third state, and make a purga- tory ofit ? This is a building erected by the church of Rome between heaven and hell, and prepared by their wild imagination for souls of imperfect virtue, to be tor- mented there, with pains equal to those of hell, but of shorter duration. This state of fiery purgation, and ex- treme anguish, is devised by that mother of lies, partly under a pretence of completing the penances and .satis- factions for the sins of men committed in this life, and partly also to purify and refine their souls from all the re- maining dregs of sin, and to fill up their virtues to perfec- tion, that they may be fit for the immediate presence of God. But does not the scripture sufficiently inform us, that the atonement or satisfaction of Christ for sin is full and complete in itself, and needs none of our addi- tions in this world or another ? Does not the apostle John tell us, 1 John i. 7. " The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us.from,all sin ?" Nor shall the saints after this life sin any more, to require any new atonement; nor do they carry the seeds of sin to heaven with them, but drop them together with the flesh, and all the sources of pain together : Now since neither Christ nor his apos- tles give us any intimation of such a place as purgatory for the refinement or purification of souls after this life, we have no ground to hearken to such a fable. Argument II. " God has not provided any medium to convey pain to holy souls after they have dropped this body offlesh." They are pardoned, they are sanctified, Theyare accepted of God for ever ; and since theyare in no dan- ger of sinning afresh by the influences of corrupt flesh and blood, therefore they are in no fear of suffering any thing thereby. And if, as some divines have supposed, there should be any pure wthereal bodies or vehicles pro- vided for holy separatespirits, when departed from this grosser tabernacle of flesh and blood, yet it cannot be supposed that the God of,all grace would mix up any seeds of pain with that rethereal matter, which is to be the occasional habitation of sanctified spirits in that state, nor that he would make any avenues or doors of entrance for pain- into these refined vehicles, when the state ,óf their sinning and their trial is for ever finished.
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