purgatory, even before the death of Christ. The inference is, there is no such place. ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, for they rest from their labours.’ But purgatory is not rest; it is a species of future ordeal; and God cannot deny Himself or contradict His promises. Papists affect that Augustine taught the doctrine of purgatory; but this pretext will avail little; for if it could be proved, the weight is nothing against Scripture. There was, indeed, a time when he had some debate in his mind upon the subject, and observed, ‘that such a matter as a middle state for purgation might be inquired of;’ but after more diligent investigation and thought, he says: ‘We read of heaven and of hell, but the third place we are utterly ignorant of; yea, we find it is not in the Scriptures. Nor will any thing help thee but what is done while thou art here. As the last day of man’s life finds him, so the last day of the world shall hold him. Nor is there for any body any third place that he can possibly be in, but with the devil, who is not with Christ.’ The scheme of purgatory, like the other legends of papacy, was doubtless invented with a special view to the ‘main chance,’ that is, the cash. When a Roman Catholic talks of securing bliss, he means, making money; and it is clear that in this view the doctrine now exploded is intimately connected with indulgences, and that they stand or fall together. This invisible trial was never heard of till the year 600; and 222the first who directed prayers for the dead to be used in the Church of Rome was Odillo, abbot of Cluny, in the year 1000.