rivers of blood, with which thou hast deluged accursed!" Gal. i. 8, 9. Do we always keep the earth, and which thy reign has caused to in sight while we are working in the building be shed! May God blot out of his book the of the church, “the pattern showed to us in injuries which thou hast done us, and while he the mount?” Heb. viii. 5. You ought to be rewards the sufferers, inay he pardon those attentive, diligent, and teachable.

Do we who exposed us to suffer! O may God, who make an odious mixture of truth and error, has made thee to us, and to the whole church, “ Christ and Belial, light and darkness? you a minister of his judgments, make thee a dis- ought to exercise your senses to discern good penser of his favours, an administrator of his from evil. It is this inseparable connexion of mercy!

your duty with ours, which determined me to I return to you, my brethren, I include you explain the text. It directly regards the variall in my benedictions. May God pour out his ous methods of the preachers of the gospel: Holy Spirit upon all this assembly! God grant but as the terms are metaphorical and obscure, this year may be to us all an acceptable year, it will be necessary to develope the meaning of a preparation for eternity! “Drop down ye the apostle in the following manner. heavens from above, let the skies pour down First, we will examine what gave occasion righteousness, let the earth open, and let them for the words-next, we will observe the design bring forth salvation."

of the apostle in writing them—in the third It is not enough to wish for these blessings, place, we will explain the several figures made they must be procured, and we must derive use of—and lastly, we will apply the subject to them from the source. It is not sufficient that practice. a frail man utters benedictions in your favour,

I. The occasion of the text will appear by a we must pray for a ratification of them by the little attention to the connexion in which it happy God. We must go to the throne of God stands. St. Paul had been endeavouring to himself, wrestle with him, earnestly beseech put an end to the divisions of the church at him with prayers and tears, and “not let him Corinth, and to destroy the party-spirit of the go except he bless us.” Magistrates, people, Corinthians. Ought we to be astonished, that soldiers, citizens, pastors, flock, come let us churches are so little unanimous now, when bow our knees before the Monarch of the we see diversity often among apostles and priworld: and you birds of prey, devouring cares, mitive Christians? If peace, left by Jesus worldly anxieties, be gone, and interrupt not Christ as an inheritance to his apostles, could our sacrifice.

not be maintained in churches gathered by

these blessed men, where must we look for it?
SERMON LXIV.

Perhaps, division was partly owing to the im-
prudence of some preachers in their primitive

churches: but certainly their hearers had a THE DIFFERENT METHODS OF

chief hand in fomenting them. The teachers PREACHERS.

had different gifts, and their hearers divided

into parties under their ministry. It is always I CORINTHIANS iii. 11-15.

allowable to distinguish men, who have re

ceived great talents from God, from such as Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, have received abilities not so great; but these

which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build Corinthian Christians affected to exalt those of upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious their ministers, who they thought, were men stones; wood, hay, stubble; every man's work of the most eminent abilities, to the depresshall be made manifest; for the day shall declare sion and discouragement of the rest, and under it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the pretence of paying homage to God the giver fire shall try every man's work of what sort it of these talents, they very indiscreetly idolized is. If any man's work abide, which he hath the men who had received them. Moreover, built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If they made as many different religions, as God any man's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer had given different commissions, and different loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by abilities to ministers to execute them. Each fire.

party at Corinth chose out of these pretended Had rules of preaching sermons no con- religions, that which appeared most conformnexion with those of hearing them, we would | able to its prejudices. The converted Pagans not have treated of this text in this place. Sa- were for St. Paul, to whom the conversion of tisfied with meditating on it in the study, we the gentiles had been committed, and who had would have chosen a subject in which you brought them to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, would have been more directly interested. But and they said, for our parts, we are of what doctrine can we preach to you, which Paul.” Such as had a taste for eloquence were does not engage you to some dispositions, that for Apollos, who was an “ eloquent man, and cannot be neglected without hazarding the mighty in the Scriptures,” and they said, great salvation, for the sake of which you as- we are of Apollos.” The converted Jews semble in this holy place? Are we such ene- were for Peter, who discovered a great deal of mies to truth, or do we so ill understand it, as moderation towards their ceremonies, and who to teach.you a doctrine contrary to that, which had even “compelled the gentiles to live as the Holy Spirit has laid down in Scripture? the Jews did,” that is to mix the simple worIf so, you should remember the saying of an ship of the New Testament with the ceremoapostle, and, animated with a holy indignation, nial observances of the law, and they said, as should exclaim, “Though you, or an angel for us, "we are of Cephas.” And those Jews, from heaven, preach any other gospel unto us who obstinately continued the ceremony of than that which we have received, let him be circumcision, pretended that they had no need

Ser. LXIV.)

OF PREACHERS.
of the authority either of Paul, or of Apollos, II. It was to be feared (we proceed to the
or of Cephas, for the example of Jesus Christ, design of the text,) it was to be feared, that
who had himself been circumcised, was suffi- under pretence that all the ministers of the
cient for them, and for their parts, they were gospel were united in one point of equality:
“of Christ."

under pretence that none of them were any
St. Paul tells these Corinthians, that, as more than servants of God, and canals by
long as they should continue in this disposi- which he communicated himself to the church;
tion, he should consider them as novices in the I say it was hazardous, and much to be sus-
Christian religion, able at most only to under- pected, whether teachers themselves would not
stand the first principles, not to comprehend abuse this equality by applying what the apos-
the whole design. He tells them, that there tle meant only of the abilities of preachers,
were in this religion "treasures of wisdom and to the very doctrines themselves which they
knowledge," but into which men could never taught.
enter, who mixed their passions with truths If this were doubtful in regard to the preach-
intended to mortify them; and that this defect ers, it was no less so in regard to the hearers.
in them prevented him from attempting to lay People have, I think, a natural bias to super-
before them these riches. “I, brethren, could stition. They easily show that respect, which
not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as is due only to the character of a minister of
unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I the living God, to all that put it on, even to
have fed you with milk and not with meat: such as use it only for the perverting of the
for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither gospel, yea to those who endeavour to subvert
yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal, it entirely. Because we ought not to hear the
for whereas there is among you envying and gospel in a spirit of chicanery and sophistry, it
strife and divisions, are ye not carnal, and is supposed we ought to lay aside a spirit of
walk as men,” 1 Cor. iii. 1—3, that is, as men discernment. Hence this way of speaking, so
of the world!

superstitious, and at the same time so common
Having reproved the folly, and repeated the among us, that is, that whatever difference
descriptive censure, he leads them to the true there may be in preachers, yet they all preach
motive that should induce them to avoid it. the word of God. But it is not impossible,
Although, as if he had said, the talents of that from a text which is the word of God,
your ministers are not all equal, yet they explications may be given, which are only the
all received them from the same source, that word of man. Not impossible, did I say! I
is, from the grace of God; and how amply so believe it seldom, if ever happens, that two
ever any of them may be endowed with abili- ministers treat of one subject without at least
ties, they can have no success, except the same one of them mixing with the word of God
grace bestows it. “Who then is Paul, and some expressions which are only the word of
who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye be- man. Why? Because the conformity of their
lieved, as the Lord gave to every man,” ver. sentiments can never be so perfect, but they
5, that is, as the blessing of God accompanied will differ on some questions. Now, of two
their ministry? “I have planted, Apollos wa- men, one of whom takes the affirmative side
tered: but God gave the increase. So then of a question, and the other the negative, one
neither is he that planteth any thing, neither of them must of necessity, in this respect,
he that watereth, but God that giveth the in- preach the word of God, and the other the
crease," ver. 8. A great lesson for those to word of man. You should not, therefore, pay
whom God has given gifts to preach the gos- a superstitious attention to our discourses.-
pel! A fine example of humility, which they You should not, under pretence that all your
ought always to have before their eyes! And ministers thus preach the word of God, con-
what were the gifts, with which God enriched found the word of God with the word of man.
the first heralds of the gospel? What is a lit- Whatever patience you may be obliged to have
tle vivacity of imagination, a little grace of elo- with our imperfections, you ought not equally
cution, a little reading, a little justness of rea- to esteem two discourses, the greatest part of
soning? What are these talents in comparison one of which you call, and have reason to call,
with the gifts of men, who spoke several fo- the word of God, and the greatest part of the
reign languages, who understood all mysteries, other the word of man.
who altered the laws of nature, who were dis- The design of St. Paul in our text is to rec-
pensers of the divine power, who raised the tify our judgment on this subject. For this
dead, who slew the wicked with the breath of purpose he divides preachers into three classes.
their lips, who struck dead at their feet Ana- The first are such as preach the word of man,
nias and Sapphira, and to say more still, who not only different from the word of God,
were immediately conducted by the spirit of but directly in opposition to it. The second
God in their ministry? Yet behold the man, preach the pure word of God without human
who was first in this class of extraordinary mixtures. The third do indeed make the word
men, behold this chosen vessel, behold the man of God the ground of their preaching, but
who could say, "I was not a whit behind the mix with it the explications and traditions of
very chiefest apostles,” 2 Cor. xi. 5, behold men. The apostle characterizes these three
him, doing homage for all his own talents, and kinds of preachers, informs us of their destina-
all those of his colleagues, to that grace, from tion, and what account God will require of
which they came, and which blessed the ad- their ministry.
ministration of them. “Who is Paul? Who is 1. “Other foundation can no man lay than
Apollos? He that planteth is nothing, he that that is laid.” This is directed against such mi-
watereth is nothing, but God that giveth the nisters as preach the word of man in direct op-
increase.”

position to the word of God, or the doctrine

(Ser. LXIV. of Jesus Christ. What will be the destina- tions signify some propositions, without which tion of such ministers? St. Paul tells us by all the rest that make the body cannot subaffirming, "no man can preach, no man can sist. lay any other foundation than that is laid.” The foundation is Jesus Christ. These terms No man can! Not that this can never hap- are to be understood in this place, as in many pen. Alas! This has too often happened; wit- others, of the Christian religion, which is callness many communities, which under the ed Jesus Christ, not merely because Jesus Christian name subvert all the foundations of Christ taught it to the world, but because his the Christian religion. But no man can do so history, that is, his sufferings, his death, and without rendering himself guilty of the great- his resurrection, are the principal subjects

. est crime, and exposing himself to the greatest In this sense, the apostle says, “ he determinpunishment.

ed not to know any thing among” the Corin2. "If any man build upon this foundation, thians “save Jesus Christ and him crucified," gold, silver, precious stones." These are mi- that is, the Christian religion, of which the nisters, who preach the pure word of God. crucifixion of Christ is a principal article. They not only retain all the fundamental points The other emblems, « wood, hay, stubble; of the Christian religion, in opposition to the gold, silver, precious stones," seem evidently former who subvert them: but they explain to convey the ideas which we just now affixed these truths so as to affirm nothing inconsistent to them. As St. Paul here represents the docwith them. All the inferences they draw trine of preachers under the similitude of an from these great principles naturally proceed edifice, it is natural to suppose, that "wood, from them, and their whole doctrine is agreea- hay, and stubble,” especially when they are ble to the foundation on which it is built. On opposed to “gold, silver, and precious stones," this account it is compared to "gold, silver, should mean doctrines less considerable, either and precious stones.” What shall be the des- because they are uncertain, or unimportant. tiny of these ministers in the great day of For the same reason, “gold, silver, precious judgment, when their doctrine shall be exam- stones," signify in the edifice of the church, or ined? They "shall receive a reward.” They in the system of preachers, such doctrines as shall share the glorious promises made to faith- are excellent, sublime, demonstrable. In this ful ministers of religion.

sense the prophet Isaiah, describing the glory 3. “If any man build upon this foundation, of the church under the government of the wood, hay, stubble.” These are ministers who Messiah, says, “ behold, I will lay thy stones really make the word of God the ground of with fair colours, and thy foundations with their preaching: but who mix the word of sapphires. And I will make thy windows of man with it, and disfigure it with their fanci- agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all ful sophistry. When the doctrine of these mi- thy borders of pleasant stones," chap. liv. 11, nisters shall be examined in the great day of 12, and, by way of explaining this metaphorijudgment, what shall their destiny be? “They cal language, he adds in the very next words, themselves shall be saved,” because they have “All thy children shall be taught of the Lord, taught nothing directly contrary to the essen- and great shall be the peace of thy children.” tial

truths of Christianity: but they shall have There is a little more difficulty, at least no reward for exercising a ministry, in which there are many more opinions on the meaning they rendered the word of God of less effect by of those words, "Every man's work shall be mixing with it the traditions of men, and they made manifest, for the day shall declare it, beshall be "saved, yet so as by fire,” that is, with cause it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire difficulty, because their preaching occupied shall try every man's work, of what sort it is." the time and attention of their hearers, in a Without detailing, and refuting erroneous opinmanner unworthy of the disciples of Jesus ions on these words, let it suffice that we point Christ.

out the true sense. By the day” we underThis is, my brethren, a general view of the stand the final judgment. This day is called design of our text: but this is not sufficient to in many passages of Scripture the day of the give an exact knowledge of it. In a discourse Lord,” the “day," or that day by excellence. intended to prevent, or to eradicate a certain Thus the apostle, “ Jesus Christ shall confirm kind of superstition, nothing ought to be pro- you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in posed that is likely to cherish it. You should the day of our Lord,” chap. i. 8. Thus, also, not be required to believe any thing without speaking of the temporal punishment of the the most full and convincing evidence. Hav- incestuous person, he says, " deliver such a ing therefore shown you the general design one unto Satan, for the destruction of the of the text, we will proceed to our third arti- flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day cle, and explain the several metaphors made of the Lord Jesus,” chap. v. 5. So again, "I use of in it.

know whom I have believed, and I am perIII. Although all these figurative expres- suaded, that he is able to keep that which I sions are selected with caution, and very bold, have committed unto him against that day,” 2 yet they are not all alike obscure to you. Tim. i. 12. In that day "every man's work Which of you is such a novice, I do not say shall be revealed," or "made manifest by fire.” only in the style of the inspired authors, as not It is not astonishing, that fire should be joined to know the idea affixed to the term founda- here with the day of judgment. The. Scription? In architecture they call those massy ture teaches us in more than one place, that stones laid in the earth, and on which the the terrible day of judgment will verify in the whole building rests, foundations; and thus in most dreadful of all senses this declaration, moral things, particularly in sciences, founda- ! “God maketh winds his angels," and "flam

ing fire his ministers."* Hence the psalmist | we try gold in the fire. I return to the text, says, “the mighty God, even the Lord hath which I left only for the sake of explaining it spoken, and called the earth from the rising the better. St. Paul here represents the day of of the sun unto the going down thereof. Å judgment as a time of the most exact and fire shall devour before him," Ps. 1. 1. Agree- severe trials of the actions of men, and partiably to which our apostle says, “the Lord cularly of the doctrines of ministers of the Jesus, when he shall come to be glorified in gospel. For this purpose he compares the his saints, and to admired in all them that trial with that of metals by fire. Says he, believe, shall be revealed from heaven in flam- the different doctrines of ministers of the gosing fire, taking vengeance on them that know pel shall then be put into a crucible that they not God," 2 Thes. vii. 10. 8. Though all may be fully known, as by the same process these passages cast light on the text, yet strict- pure gold is separated and distinguished from ly speaking, I think the apostle presents the foreign matter mixed with it: "Every man's fire of the day of judgment here under an work shall be made manifest, for the day,” idea somewhat different from that given in all that is, the day of judgment, "shall declare these passages. In these, fire is represented it,” because it shall be “revealed by fire,” as punishing only the wicked, the righteous do that is, the day of judgment like "fire,” apnot feel the action of it: but here in the text plied to metals “shall try every man's work, it is described as alike kindled for the righte- of what sort it is." ous and the wicked; at least it is said that the The apostle, pursuing the same metaphor, works of both shall be " revealed by fire.” adds, “If any man's work abide, which he Now we should be obliged to have recourse to hath built thereupon, he shall receive a resome subterfuge to make sense of the text, if ward,” that is, if the doctrine which a miniswe understood the apostle speaking of the fire ter of the gospel shall have taught, and built of hell. How can the works of the righteous on “the foundation that is laid,” if this docand the wicked be equally manifested by the trine shall abide the trial of the day of judgfire of hell?

ment, as gold abides that of fire, the preacher I think a much more simple and natural ex- shall receive a reward: but if his doctrine position may be given of the words of the text. burn, if it will not abide this trial, if it be like The chief design of a day of judgment is to the foreign matter mixed with gold, and which examine the actions of men, and to distinguish burns when gold is tried with fire, then the bad actions from good, and good from better. preacher will lose the honour and pleasure of This is an idea contained in a thousand pas- his work, he will have no reward for his minissages of Scripture, and it would be useless to terial services: but as himself, perhaps he prove it. Now the apostle, in order to make may be saved, however, he will be saved with us understand that the evidence shall be com- difficulty," he will be saved as by fire.” Why plete, represents it under the similitude of the may he be saved? Because his doctrine did most perfect and best known trials among not go to the subversion of the principal truths men, of which that of metal by fire certainly of the Christian religion. Why will he be excels in its kind. Hence it is, that the sacred saved with difficulty? Because his doctrine writers have chosen this to explain the trials was inconsistent with the dignity of Christiwhich God makes his children go through in anity. Why is the salvation of such a man this world. I select only one passage out of a uncertain? Because it is possible, that the great number, "That the trial of your faith, motives which induced him to preach such a being much more precious than of gold that doctrine, and to prefer it before what St. Paul perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might compares to "gold and precious stones,” may be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, have been so detestable as to deserve all the at the appearance of Jesus Christ,” 1 Pet. i. punishments denounced against such as shall 7. The trial of your faith is a remarkable have subverted the foundation of the gospel. word in the original. Good Greek authors If you doubt whether the sense we have given use it for the trial of metals in the fire. Iso- to this metaphorical expression, "saved as by crates uses the term exactly as St. Peter does, fire,” be just, we beg leave to observe in three

words that it is well founded. * Psalm civ. 4. The English version is-Who maketh First, the sense given is not forced, for no his angels spirits: his ministers a flaming fore. Mr: thing is more natural than to express a great Saurin understands the words, as above, expressive of difficulty by similitudes taken from difficult the divine influence over the power of nature, and reads, roho maketh winds and fires, literally, his instruments, or things, thus we say a man escaped from shipfiguratively, his messengers. This is perfectly agreeable wreck, to describe a man who has escaped -first, to the original terms--secondly, to the context, from any great danger: and the same idea is who walketh upon the wings of the wind-who maketh clouds his chariot--who sitleth on waters-whose canopy expressed with equal aptness, when we say a is the heavens. Whose clothing is light. This whole man freed from some great danger has espsalm, the most sublime of all essays on nature, makes caped the fire. all parts of the universe particles of one body of majestic size, and exact symmetry, of which the Psalmislio Godbeautiful in itself, but it is common in profane

Secondly, the metaphor is not only just but JEHOVAH, is the soul; the earth, the deep, mountains, ralleys, beasts, fouls, grass, herbs, oil, wine, man, and writers. In this manner Æmilius Paulus, to all his morements, the skill that builds, and sails a ship, show that he had hardly escaped the rage of and the sensations that make leviathin play, all these, the populace during his first consulship, says, all the parts and powers of nature, are formed, animated, and directed by God. Thirdly, this sense is agreeable that he escaped a popular conflagration, in to other passages of Scripture--the Lord rained fire, which he was half burnt. In like manner CiGen. xii. 24. The Lord caused the sea to go back by á

cero, speaking of the miseries of life, says, that strong east winil, Exod. xiv. 21. Fire and hail, snow and vapour, stormy wind, fulfilling his word, Ps. cxliii. it would be better not to be born, but that if

we have the misfortune to be born, the most

8.

a

advantageous thing is to die soon, and to flee passages of Scripture, which tell us that “there from the hands of fortune as from a conflagra- is no condemnation to them that are in Christ tion.

Jesus, that " he that believeth is passed from Thirdly, the metaphor in the text is common death unto life,” that when “the righteous in other parts of Scripture, as in Amos, “I dieth, he is taken from the evil to come, and shall have overthrown some of you, as God over- enter into peace,” Rom. viii. 1; John v. 24; threw Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a and Isa. Ivii. 1, 2. A doctrine founded on a firebrand plucked out of the burning," chap. thousand visions and fabulous tales, more fit iv. 11. The apostle Jude adopts the same for times of pagan darkness than days of evanfigure, and says, “save others with fear, pull- gelical light; a sordid doctrine that evidently ing them out of the fire,” ver. 13.

owes its being to that base interest, which it By establishing the true sense of the text on nourishes with profusion, luxury, and extravasolid grounds, I think we have sufficiently re- gance; a barbarous doctrine, which produces futed all erroneous opinions concerning it, and in a dying man a dreadful expectation of passyet there are two, which for different reasons ing from the agonies of dying to whole ages of I cannot help mentioning.

greater agony in flames of fire. The first is the opinion of those, who think IV. Let us now proceed to examine with the apostle meant by the fire in the text the what eye we ought to consider the three sorts destruction of Jerusalem. This opinion has of preachers, of which the apostle speaks, and an air of probability, yet I do not think it so apply the subjeet to practice. The first are certain. The time of the destruction of Jeru- such as “ lay another foundation” beside that salem is often called in Scripture, as well as which is laid. The second are those who the time of the final judgment, that day, the “build on the foundation,” laid by the masterday of the Lord, and the calamities of the day builder, “wood, hay, and stubble.” The third are represented under the idea of fire, and are such as build on the same foundation "gold, literally speaking, fire did make sad ravages in silver, and precious stones.” Jerusalem and in the temple. However there Thanks be to God we have no other conis a deal of perplexity in the paraphrase given cern with the first of these articles except that of the text by such as are of this opinion. This which compassion obliges us to take for the is it, exactly as we have transcribed it from a wickedness of such teachers, and the blindness celebrated scholar. “ The fire of the destruc-of their hearers! tion of Jerusalem will prove whether the doc- What a strange condition is that of a man trines of your teachers be those of the gospel, who employs his study, his reading, his medior whether they be foreign notions. He whose tation, his labours, his public and private disdoctrine will abide this trial, shall receive a courses to subvert the foundations of that edireward: but he whose doctrine will not abide fice which Jesus Christ came to erect among it, will lose the fruit of his ministerial labours." mankind, and which he haş cemented with his

We said this opinion was probable: but we blood! What a doctrine is that of a man, who cannot say so with the least shadow of truth of presumes to call himself a guide of conscience, the opinion of some of the church of Rome, a pastor of a fock, an interpreter of Scripture, who pretended that the apostle speaks here of and who gives only false directions, who poithe fire of purgatory.

sons the souls committed to his care, and darkBecause, suppose purgatory were taught in ens and tortures the word of God! Jesus other passages of Scripture, which we are very Christ, to confound the glosses' of the false far from granting, great violence must be done teachers of his time, said, " ye have heard that to this text to find the doctrine here; for on it was said by them of old time" so and so: supposition the apostle speaks of purgatory, “but I say unto you” otherwise. The teachers, what do these words mean? The fire of pur- of whom I speak, use another language, and gatory shall try the doctrines of the ministers they say, you have heard that it was said by of the gospel, so that substantial doctrines, and Jesus Christ, so and so: but I say to you vain doctrines shall be alike tried by this fire! otherwise. You have heard that it was said

Because St. Paul says here of this fire things by Jesus Christ, “Search the Scriptures:" but directly opposite to the idea which the church I say to you, that the Scriptures are dangerof Rome forms of purgatory. They exempt ous, and that only one order of men ought to saints of the first order, and in this class St. see them. You have heard, that it has been Paul certainly holds one of the most eminent said in the inspired writings,“ prove all things:” places: but our apostle, far from thinking him- but I say unto you, it is not for you to examine, self safe from such a "trial by fire” as he speaks but to submit. You have heard that it has of in the text, expressly says, “every man's been said by Jesus Christ, that “the rulers work” shall be that is the work of minis- over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, ters who shall have built on the foundation but it shall not be so among you." But I say "gold, silver, precious stones,” shall be tried, unto you, that the pontiff has a right to domias well as that of other ministers, who shall neer not only over the Gentiles, but even over have built on the foundation “wood and those who rule them. You have heard that it stubble.”

has been said, "blessed are the dead which die But the chief reason for our rejecting the in the Lord,” that the soul of Lazarus " was comment of the church of Rome is the nature carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom:" of the doctrine itself, in proof of which they but I, I say unto you, that the dead pass from bring the text. A heterodox doctrine, which the miseries of this life, only into incomparaenervates the great sacrifice that Jesus Christ bly greater miseries in the flames of purgatory. offered on the cross for the sins of mankind; a If this disposition be deplorable considered doctrine directly opposite to a great number of 1 in itself, it becomes much more so hy attending