Oct. 20. In the house of widow Sweeny, where there were assembled about fifty Roman Catholics, the man of the house having got a sudden death; whilst I sat amongst them one of them said, "Let us pray for the soul of the departed." Then they all took off their hats and prayed; this they did every half hour, and in the interval talked of consecrated ground, &c., and of the benefits of being interred in consecrated ground. I was indeed much grieved on seeing and hearing such ignorance and superstition; and, addressing myself to one of the most respectable and well informed among them, I asked, "What reason have we to believe that either consecrated burial-ground or prayers for the dead, or any other office, can help the state of the departed soul?" Two of them answered and spoke alternately. One said that no devil or evil spirit could come near consecrated ground; the other told me that they believed in the doctrine of purgatory, and that the prayers of the faithful are necessary for the relief of the souls in purgatory. I told them that it is written in the word of God, that "blessed are the dead which die in the Lord," for they rest from their labours; that those who believe in Jesus Christ, "his blood cleanseth them from all sin," and that consequently they need no other purgatory. I referred to the words of the Saviour in the 3rd of John, "He that believeth on the Son bath everlasting life, but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." One of the men above mentioned said, that he read in the Scriptures that we are purged by fire. I showed, from 1 Peter iv., the fiery trial spoken of means persecutions and sufferings for Christ's sake to be endured in this life. I also showed, from Acts viii. that on the death of Stephen there was not a word about consecrated burial-ground or prayer for the dead. All this time the people heard with most eager attention. I showed them from many parts of Scripture that Jesus is an all-sufficient Saviour, and that all who believe in him are justified from all things, &c.