58 i THE CHAMBER OF IMAGERY.
the efficacy of that blood for that end, which is to be obtained by faith alone, Rom. iii. 25. Only, they have placed this image behind the curtain of mortality, that the cheat of it might not be discovered. None, who find themselves deceived by it, can come back to complain or warn others to take care of themselves. And it was, in an especial manner, suited unto their delusion who lived in pleasures or in the pur- suit of unjust gain, without exercise of afflictions in this world. From these two sorts of persons, by this engine, they raised a revenue unto themselves beyond that of kings or princes; for all the endowments of their religious houses and societies were but commutations for the abatement of the fire of this purgatory. But whereas in itself it was a rotten post, that could not stand or subsist, they were forced to prop it with many other imaginations. For unto this end, to secure work for this purgatory, they coined the distinction of sins into mortal and venial; — ^not as unto their end, with respect unto faith and repentance, nor as unto the degrees of sin, Avith respect unto the aggravations, but as unto the nature of them; some of them being such (namely, those that are venial) as were capable of a purging expiation after this life, though men die without any repentance of them. And when this was done, they have cast almost all the sins that can be named under this order ; and hereon this image is become an engine to disappoint the whole doctrine of the gospel, and to precipitate secure sinners into eternal ruin. And to strengthen this deceiving security, they have added another invention, of a certain storehouse of ecclesiastical merits, the keys whereof are committed to the pope, to make application of them, as he sees good, unto the ease and relief of them that are in this purgatory. For, whereas many of their church and communion have, as they say, done more good works than were needful for their salvation (which they have received upon a due balance of commutative justice), the surplusage is committed to the pope, to commute with it for the punishment of their sins who are sent into purgatory to suffer for them; — than which they could have found out no engine more powerful to evacuate the efficacy of the blood of Christ, both as offered and as sprmkled, and therewith, the doctrine of the gospel concerning faith and re- pentance. Moreover, to give it fartlier countenance (as one lie must be thatched with another, or it will quickly rain through), they have fancied a separation to be made between guilt and punishment, so as that when the guilt is fully remitted and pardoned, yet there may punishment remain on the account of sin. For this is the case of them in purgatory; — their sins are pardoned, so as that the guilt of them shall not bind them over to eternal damnation, though " the wages of sin is death;" yet they must be variously j)in??'sAerf for the sins that are forgiven. But as this is contradictory in itself, it being
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utterly impossible there should be any punishment properly so called but where there is guilt as the cause of it; so it is highly injurious both to the grace of God and blood of Christ, in procuring and giving out such a lame pardon of sins, as should leave room for punishment next to that which is eternal. These are some of the rotten props which they have fixed on the minds of persons credulous and suj)er- stitious, terrified with guilt and darkness, to support this tottering, deformed image, set up in the room of the efficacy of the blood of Christ, to purge the souls and consciences of believers from sin. But that whereby it is principally established and kept up is, the darkness, ignorance, guilt, fear, terror of conscience, accompanied mth a love of sin, that the most among them are subject and obnoxious unto ; being disquieted, perplexed, and tormented with these things, and utterly ignorant of the true and only way of their removal and deliverance from them, they greedily embrace this sony provision for theu- present ease and relief, being accommodated unto the utmost that human or diabolical craft can extend unto, to abate their fear, ease their torments, and to give security unto their superstitious minds. And hereby it is become to be the hfe and soul of their religion, diffusing itself mto all the parts and concerns of it, — more trusted unto than either God, or Christ, or the gospel.
Spiritual light and experience, with the consequents of them in jyeace with God, will safeguard the minds of believers from bomng down to this horrid imaofe, thoug-h the acknowledgments of its divi- nity should be imposed on them with craft and force : otherwise it will not be done ; for without this there will a strong inclination and dis- position, arising from a mixture of superstitious fear and love of sin, possess the minds of men to close with this pretended relief and satis- faction. The foundation of our presei-vation herein lies in spiritual light, or an ability of mind, from supernatural illumination, to discern the beauty, glory, and efficacy of the purging of our sins by the blood of Christ. When the glory of the wisdom and grace of God, of the love and grace of Christ, of the power of the Holy Ghost herein, is made manifest unto us, we shall des^^ise all the paintings of this in- vention,— Dagon will fall before the ark; and all these things do glo- riously shine forth and manifest themselves unto believers in this mysterious way of purging all our sins })y the blood of Christ. Hereon will ensue an experience of the efficacy of this heavenly truth in our own souls. There is no man whose heart and ways are cleansed by the blood of Christ, through the effectual application of it by the Holy Spirit, in the ordinance of the gospel, but he hath, or may have, a refreshing experience of it in his own sou.1 ; and, by the power which is communicated therewith, he is stirred up unto all that exercise of faith, and all those duties of obedience, whereby the work of purify-