And yet do not you pray to them that know not any thing? Is not that madness?

Concerning the apostate christians' tradition of a purgatory, after they are dead.

SOLOMON Saith, All turneth to dust again; and who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward;' and 'the spirit shall return unto God that gave it;' so then not into purgatory. Eccles. iii. 20, 21. xii. 7. And Elisha prayed for the Shunimite's child that was dead, and he was raised up to life; so he doth not say he prayed him out of purgatory.

And when Lazarus, that poor man, died, he was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom; and when 'the rich man died and was buried, in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torment, and seeing Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom, he cried and said, Father Abraham have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would pass from thence.' Luke xvi. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26.

And now here you see, that when Lazarus died, he was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom, not into purgatory, who would have been glad of the rich hard hearted man's crumbs that fell from his table; and the rich man's dogs had more compassion of the poor man, (in licking his sores,) than he had. But when this rich man died and was carried into hell, neither Abraham nor Lazarus could go to him, nor help him out, nor he to them; so that neither Abraham nor Lazarus could relieve him there, not with so much water as would hang on the tip of his finger to cool his tongue.

And Christ said to the thief upon the cross that was crucified with him, 'Verily I say unto thee, to day shalt thou be with me in paradise.' Luke xxiii. 43. So he doth not say, he should go into purgatory, to be purged; but as Abraham said to the rich man that was in hell, 'If they will not hear Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if one rose from the dead.' For these were the Jews to whom Christ spake this parable, who set up their traditions, and made the word of God and his command of none effect, so they were not like to hear Moses and the prophets, who like the apostate christians now, set up their

vain traditions above the holy scriptures of truth, and allow the ignorant people to read their traditions, and deny them the reading of the scriptures, contrary to the holy men of God that gave them forth, to be read, believed, fulfilled, and practised, as in 2. Tim. iii. 16. John vii. 38. Luke xxiv. 25. 1 Thessalonians v. 27.

Give attendance to reading,' &c. 1 Tim. iv. 13. And Christ exhorts his hearers to ask in his name, ' And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he shall give it you,' as in John xvi. 23. 25, 26. And again Christ teacheth his disciples to pray, and say, 'Our Father which art in heaven,' &c. So that Christ never taught his believers to pray either to his mother, the virgin Mary, in his name, or to any saint, or in the name of any saint after they were dead, nor his apostles after him. And the apostle James saith in his General Epistle to the church of Christ, 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, that giveth to all men liberally.' James i. 5. And John saith in his General Epistle to the church of Christ, If our hearts condemn us not, then we have confidence towards God; and whatever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in his sight.' John iii. 21, 22. And again John saith, This is the confidence that we have in God, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.' 1 John v. 14, 15. And it is said, 'Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord,' &c. And also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, (the witch of Endor,) and inquired not of the Lord, and therefore he slew him.' 1 Chron. xiii. 14. And you read of such that set the counsel of the Lord at naught, and would have none of his counsel, and what was their end? as in Prov. i. 25, 26. And the Lord said, 'My people ask counsel at the stocks,' &c. who were gone a whoring from God. Were not these the Jews that followed their own traditions, and made the commands of God of none effect, (Hos. iv. 12,) like the apostate christians that pretend to pray to saints that are dead, and for the dead, that set up so many images and kneel down before them; but hear what is said in Isa. xxx. 1. Wo to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me, and cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.'

So here you may see what is the portion of all such that cover with a covering, but not of God's spirit; and ask counsel, but not of him.

Concerning the apostate Christians' traditions, of making a God or Christ of bread and wine; and of their bowing to him, and worshipping him, and eating him when they have done. We never read that the heathens, nor the apostate Jews, when they had made gods and bowed to them, and worshipped them, eat them when they had done.

CHRIST's disciples said unto him, the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed, 'Where wilt thou that we go and prepare, that thou mayst eat the passover? Mark xiv. 12. Luke xxii. 7. Now Christ, though he is the christian passover, he did not eat himself.

And again the apostle saith, 'In the same night that Christ Jesus was betrayed, he took bread and brake it, and said, do it in remembrance of me,' and likewise the cup. So Christ's body was whole, and was not crucified when he brake that outward bread; for that which they were to take in remembrance of Christ, and in a show of his death until he 'came, it was not the Lord Jesus Christ, but outward bread, and wine in an outward cup, and Christ was nowhere called a cup. It is said, 'Christ took the cup when he had supped,' then he did not take his own blood and give it unto them, but he called it, 'the fruit of the vine." Matt. xxvi. 29. And Christ took the cup and gave his disciples and said, 'Drink ye all of it; and took the bread and brake it, and gave it to his disciples also.' And in Mark xvi. 22. they all drank of the cup, and he brake the bread, and gave it to his disciples,' (namely, the twelve,) as in Luke xxii. Then he did not brake his own body, for it was then whole; and after he had broken the bread and given it them, and given them the cup, and called it 'the fruit of the vine'-after Christ had given them this, he said, 'Drink ye all of this.' Matt. xxvi. 25. Luke xxii. 21. Behold, saith Christ, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.' So it seems here, that Judas did eat of the bread, and drink of the fruit of the vine in the cup, and he did partake of these outward elements in the same night that Christ was betrayed, which elements were taken in a show and remembrance of the Lord's death till he came; but Judas did not stay till he came, for he betrayed him.

Now if this outward bread, had been Christ the living bread that came down from heaven, and his blood, which if any man eat of that bread, and drink his blood, he shall live for ever, and not die; as Christ saith, Whosoever eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and dwelleth in me and I in him; and he that eateth me, shall

live by me; and he that eateth this bread that cometh down from heaven shall live for ever,' see John vi. 50 to 59.

Now here you see it is clear, that the cup and the bread that Judas did eat and drink of at Christ's last supper, was not the flesh of Christ, the bread of life that came down from heaven, nor his blood that giveth life everlasting; for Judas had not eternal life, nor did live for ever, by eating of that outward bread, and drinking of that outward cup, the fruit of the vine.' And so Judas did not eat Christ, and live by him, and live for ever, though he drank of the outward cup, the fruit of the vine,' and eat of the outward bread that Christ broke at his last supper, the same night that he betrayed him; and that Judas might do, and not eat the bread from heaven, the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood; for such have not life eternal in them, as Christ saith, that do not eat his flesh, and drink his blood. For Christ said, Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.' John vi. 53. And the Jews murmured at Christ when he said, 'I am the bread that came down from heaven;' and 'except ye eat my flesh, and drink my blood, ye have no life in you;' and 'he that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood hath eternal life.'

So here is a great difference between the flesh and the blood of Christ, the bread which came down from heaven, which giveth life eternal, and the elements of bread and wine, which reprobates and Judas's may take and eat, that have not life eternal, nor know Christ to be in them, as the apostle saith. Where the tree falleth there it shall be.' Ecclesiastes xi. 3.

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And after Esau had sold his birthright, he sought it carefully with tears, but he found no place of repentance; and therefore, how are any like to repent, and come out of the grave and purgatory, as you call it, after they are dead, when Esau could not find repentance upon the earth?

Concerning the traditions of the Jews, and apostate Christians.

CHRIST said to the Pharisees, Why do you transgress the command of God by your traditions? You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you: This people draweth nigh me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do you worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of none effect by your traditions. Matt. xv. 3. 6, 7, 8, 9.

And again Christ said unto the scribes and Pharisees, Laying aside

the commandment of God, you hold the traditions of men, and of your elders;' and again he saith unto them, Full well you reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own traditions, making the word of God of none effect through your traditions which you have delivered.' Mark vii. 3. 8, 9. 13.

Now is not this the condition of the apostate christians that set up their traditions above the scriptures of truth, like the Jews, and forbid the reading of the scriptures of truth? Nay, are not they worse than the Jews, for they must read and pray in an unknown tongue; so are like barbarians, worse than the Jews who read and pray in their mother tongue?

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And Paul saith to the church of Christ, Ye have heard of my conversation in times past, in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it, and profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers; but when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his son in me, that I might preach him,' &c. Gal. i. 13, 14, 15, 16.

Now here you may see while Paul was zealous of the traditions of his forefathers, he was not separate from traditions, nor called by God's grace, nor the son of God was not revealed in him; therefore he was not like to preach him, but persecute him.

And now are all the apostate christians in their blind zeal of their forefathers, (like persecuting Saul,) separate from the Lord, and not so called by God's grace, as Paul was? And is the son of God revealed in them that have been such persecutors and wasters of God's people, the church of Christ, since the apostles' days? And if not, can they preach Christ in truth, but withstand him like the Jews in their traditions, and set traditions above the holy scriptures of truth that testify of Christ?

And after the apostle was converted, he bid the church of Christ • Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, and not after Christ; if you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances? Touch not, taste not, handle not, which all are to perish with the using, after the commandments and doctrines of men; which if you be risen with Christ seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.' Col. ii. 8. 20, 21, 22, and iii. 1, 2.

So you may see that the apostle brought the church of Christ off the traditions, and doctrines, and ordinances of men, and rudiments of the