The benevolent vifitor eafily comprehended that Britain was greatly diftreffed in his mind, and used every argument in his power to confole him. He begged that he would mention the objections that he had to his visiting him, and hoped he might give fuch answers as might be fatisfactory to the unhappy man.

Britain expreffed his thanks in a handsome manner, but begged to decline the proposed visits, Laying that he was refolved to purfue his own scheme. The visitor demanding what this scheme was, the unhappy man answered " morality."

A conference now ensued on the subject of morality, in which the gentleman endeavoured to convince Britain that his time in this life would be too fhort to form himself to the firft habits of morality; and that, if he could do fo, it was impoffible, for him to atone for the fins of his past life.

The gentleman further urged the neceffity of an immediate and unfeigned repentance, without which he could not expect the mercy of God.

He took pains to explain to him the nature of the gospel difpenfation, and quoted the following and other texts for his encouragement. "Who"foever cometh unto me, I will in no wife caft "out-Seek, and ye shall find; afk, and it shall " be given."

Britain feemed to be attentive to these pious exhortations, but not to be convinced by them. In particular he said, that when he attempted to pray, he was fo confused in his mind, and felt such remorfe of conscience for the enormities of his past life, that he knew not how to fuftain the load of affliction with which he was oppreffed. His bene-volent friend now told him that he had paid the vifit with the moft, difinterested wifh to promote

his

his happiness, and defired him to think how that might be most effectually promoted, and the peace of his mind restored; adding, with a generous benevolence of mind, "I would rather fee you die "a good Papift, than not be of any religion "whatever." He even went farther than this; he advised him to fend for a priest, if he thought his own arguments had no weight.

This amazed Britain, who had no idea that a Proteftant could be influenced by fuch liberality of fentiment, and would fain have entered into debate on the comparative merits of the Proteftant and Popish faith; but this the gentleman wished to decline, obferving that the fhort remains of his life ought to be spent in the practice of devotion.

In answer hereto, Britain faid that the matter was of the highest confequence to him, for he believed in the doctrine of purgatory, and in the propriety of an invocation to faints; whereas the Proteftants, unreasonably as he conceived, were averfe to both. Britain's words were as follow: "You will not pray to departed faints, and yet 66 you folicit the prayers of each other, and you "know that you are neither fo pure or holy as they. Your objections to purgatory are ftill weaker, for they contradict that paffage in the holy fcripture, where the apoftle Peter establish"eth it, ft Peter, chap. III. ver. 19. I fhould "be glad to know what you have to say to these particulars."

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In reply hereto, the gentleman remarked, that St. Paul, in his epiftle to Timothy, enjoined us to pray for each other, when he directs that " prayers "and fupplications should be made for all men;" "but (faid he) for poor fallen men to affume the "office of a mediator, it is condemned in fcrip

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ture, where we are told that there is but one "mediator between God and man, the man Christ "Jefus."

The gentleman farther remarked on the reafonableness of our praying for each other, as it was a proof of the pity that we entertained for our mutual frailties, and tended to conciliate that affection which is the honour of our nature. He likewife obferved, that though we might pray for our fellow creatures, we could not effe&tually ferve them without their own affifting endeavours; and therefore it was ridiculous for a perfon to neglect his own duty, in the confidence of a bleffing to be granted in confequence of the prayers of others. The gentleman's farther remarks are comprized in the following words:

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"You fee how this duty, properly explained, "is confiftent with reafon and the authority of fcripture; whereas the addreffes that are made "to departed fouls are hazardous and dangerous. "They are hazardous, as departed fouls may be "in fome region diftant from our atmosphere; or, "if it could be afcertained that they are conver"fant with mortals, yet they cannot every-where "be attentive to the petitions which are prefented "to them, unless we admit of their omniprefence, "which would be to commence Heathens, and "rob God of one of his moft glorious attributes. "Add to all this, that the fcriptures altogether dif"countenance it, and direct us to truft only in "God. It is, therefore, much fafer to truft in his

power and goodness, who is the fame yesterday, "to-day, and for ever; than to rely on the me"diation of those, who have obtained an inheri"tance in heaven thro' the merits of Chrift.

"Your

"

"Your notions of purgatory are altogether unfcriptural as the very text you bring in proof "of it fhall evince. St. Peter is there fpeaking of "the spirit which quickened, or raised Chrift from "the dead, and affures us, that by the fame fpirit "he went in the days of Noah, long before he "affumed our nature, and preached unto the fpirits in prifon, meaning either the fpirits imprisoned in the body, or faft bound in trefpaffes " and fins.

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"That this must be the fenfe of the text wil appear quite clear, when we recollect that in the day of judgment men will be tried for the deeds "done in the body; confequently when the spirit "returns to God, every-thing remains fixed till the great re-union, when the final fentence will be given, according to the deeds done in the body, "whether they be good or evil.

Now, though I oppose purgatory, yet I ad "mit of an intermediate ftate; and I believe that "happy fpirits in that ftate are waiting for the "confummation of glory. But this cannot afford

you any benefit, if you quit this world without "the neceffary qualification for it, I mean peace "with God."

When the gentleman had concluded what he had to fay, he propofed to pray with the unhappy convict, which was confented to after fome hefitation; but yet Britain behaved with the utmost decency, and they parted as foon as the devotions were ended.

The benevolent friend visited the unfortunate man on the following day, agreeable to his own defire, and was happy to find him more composed in mind than he had been, though he was not yet refigned to the deplorable fate that awaited him,

nor

nor convinced of his errors by the arguments that had been used.

The fubject of their difcourfe on this occafion was the neceffity of obtaining the favour of God, to prevent the certainty of eternal punishment. Britain feemed pleafed with this fubject, obferving that it made him look with horror on the fins of his past life, and fitted his mind to pray for the pardon of his crimes.

The kind visitor now enquired if the Roman catholic priest should be admitted. Britain expreffed his defire to have one conversation with him on the important subject. The gentleman faid that the vifit fhould be made if it was at his earnest requeft; but when he visited the convict on the following day, and found that his view was to obtain abfolution for his fins, he reprefented to him the abfurdity of a practice that could tend only "to fill the mind "with a falfe confidence, and make people believe "that they are objects of the divine favour, when they are enemies to God, and ftrangers to the "truth of the everlafting gofpel."

The unhappy convict now begged an explanation of the following words in the gospel of St. John, chap. xx. ver. 23. "Whofe-foever fins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whofe "foever fins ye retain, they are retained."

To this the gentleman replied, that the preathing the remiffion of fins to thofe who repented, and believed in Jefus Chrift, was a duty enforced on the apostles, but that it was not in their power to remit fins, which could be only the confequence of repentance, and faith in Christ. He added, that the Apostles were faid to retain fins when the auditors of their doctrine neither believed nor repented; but that the remiffion of the fins of an im VoL. V. No. 43. penitent

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