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are to improve this heavenly treasure for the Lord, and to put it forth, and to gain with it for the Lord at his appearing to them, when he calls them to an account, that it may be said, Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.' But the wicked and slothful servant, (he is called a servant too,) hideth the Lord's talent in his earthly napkin, and did not improve the Lord's heavenly treasure; and he was cast into utter darkness. And therefore all are to consider, whom the Lord hath given more or less of his heavenly treasure to, how you do, and how you have put the Lord's heavenly treasure forth, and have improved it; I say, the heavenly treasure which you have from the Lord Jesus Christ, who spake this before he was crucified; and after he was risen, did not he go to the Father to receive a kingdom; who said, All power in heaven and earth is given to me? Therefore the Lord's money or treasure of talents ought to be improved, and put to the exchangers, that he may receive it with usury and advantage. So here are exchangers of the heavenly talents or treasure of the Lord, the increasing of them to advantage for the Lord; as there is outward bankers and exchangers, and usuries, where they do put forth their outward money for gain and profit to themselves. But this is a parable that Christ speaks concerning improving of his heavenly treasure of talents, which every one is to improve, or increase that heavenly talent, or measure which they have received from the Lord, as good and faithful servants, and stewards, if that they do intend to enter into the joy of the Lord. G. F.

Kingston upon Thames, the 7th of the 10th month, 1687.

Concerning the apostate Christians, that think to do miracles by dead men's bones, &c. of praying to the saints that are dead, and asking counsel of the dead, and praying for the dead. Concerning purgatory, and making a God or Christ of the elements of bread and wine. Concerning the traditions the Jews taught, which made the word and commandment of God of none effect, and the traditions the apostate Christians teach people to follow, and set up above the scriptures of truth. How Christ is the true rock, and not Peter. And that he is the head of the true Church, and so to be held by his members. The antiquity of the cross of Christ, which was and is acknowledged to be the power of God by his true Church. By G. F.

THE Lord saith, Whosoever toucheth the body of a man that is dead, or dieth in his tent, and purifieth not himself, he defileth the ta

bernacle of the Lord, and that soul shall be cut off from Israel, because it purifieth not itself; and whosoever toucheth any that are slain with the sword in the open field, or a dead body, or the bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days; and if he do not purify himself, he shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord." And this was the law of God, and a itual statute among the Jews, as you may see in Numb. xix.

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And now, do you apostate christians imagine to do miracles with dead men's bones, or the dust of the graves, which defiled the Jews, and they were not to come into God's tabernacle or sanctuary, but to be cut off according to the statute and command of God, if they were not ¡ purified?

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And now if you apostate christians do allege of the Jews burying a man, and casting him into the sepulchre of Elisha, and when the dead man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood upon his feet.' 2 Kings xiii. 21. But where was ever such a miracle as this wrought by the apostate christians, by burying one in the grave of another? Let them produce one example if they can.

Let all the apostate christians produce one scripture where ever the saints got the bones of the saints to do miracles by.

Of praying to the saints that are dead, and asking counsel of the dead, and praying for the dead.

LET all the apostate christians produce one scripture for their vain tradition of praying for the dead, or to the dead, or asking counsel of the dead; but Saul when he had transgressed the command of God, and disobeyed him, he went to the witch of Endor, pretending to raise up Samuel, to ask counsel of the dead; but what was the end of Saul? You may see in 1 Sam. xxviii. and xxxi. chapters.

And David prayed to God while his child was living; but when the child was dead, he gave over praying to God for it, and fasting, and said, 'Now the child is dead, I cannot bring him back again; I shall go to him, but he shall not come to me.' 2 Sam. xii. 16 to ver. 23. The grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee, they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.' Isa. xxxviii. 18. The dead praise not the Lord.' Psalm cxv. 17.

And yet do not you pray to the dead, that cannot praise the Lord? And Solomon saith, The dead know not any thing.' Eccles. ix. 5.

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And yet do not you pray to them that know not any thing? Is not that madness?

Concerning the apostate christians' tradition of a purgatory, after they are dead.

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SOLOMON saith, All turneth to dust again; and who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward;' and 'the spirit shall return unto God that gave it;' so then not into purgatory. Eccles. iii. 20, 21. xii. 7. And Elisha prayed for the Shunimite's child that was dead, and he was raised up to life; so he doth not say he prayed him out of purgatory.

And when Lazarus, that poor man, died, he was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom; and when 'the rich man died and was buried, in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torment, and seeing Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom, he cried and said, Father Abraham have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abra ham said, Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would pass from thence.' Luke xvi. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26.

And now here you see, that when Lazarus died, he was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom, not into purgatory, who would have been glad of the rich hard hearted man's crumbs that fell from his table; and the rich man's dogs had more compassion of the poor man, (in licking his sores,) than he had. But when this rich man died and was carried into hell, neither Abraham nor Lazarus could go to him, nor help him out, nor he to them; so that neither Abraham nor Lazarus could relieve him there, not with so much water as would hang on the tip of his finger to cool his tongue.

And Christ said to the thief upon the cross that was crucified with him, Verily I say unto thee, to day shalt thou be with me in paradise.' Luke xxiii. 43. So he doth not say, he should go into purgatory, to be purged; but as Abraham said to the rich man that was in hell, If they will not hear Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if one rose from the dead.' For these were the Jews to whom Christ spake this parable, who set up their traditions, and made the word of God and his command of none effect, so they were not like to hear Moses and the prophets, who like the apostate christians now, set up their

I vain traditions above the holy scriptures of truth, and allow the ignorant people to read their traditions, and deny them the reading of the scriptures, contrary to the holy men of God that gave them forth, to be read, believed, fulfilled, and practised, as in 2. Tim. iii. 16. John vii. 38. Luke xxiv. 25. 1 Thessalonians v. 27.

'Give attendance to reading,' &c. 1 Tim. iv. 13. And Christ exhorts his hearers to ask in his name, ' And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he shall give it you,' as in John xvi. 23. 25, 26. And again Christ teacheth his disciples to pray, and say, 'Our Father which art in heaven,' &c. So that Christ never taught his believers to pray either to his mother, the virgin Mary, in his name, or to any saint, or in the name of any saint after they were dead, nor his apostles after him. And the apostle James saith in his General Epistle to the church of Christ, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, that giveth to all men liberally.' James i. 5. And John saith in his General Epistle to the church of Christ, If our hearts condemn us not, then we have confidence towards God; and whatever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in his sight.' John iii. 21, 22. And again John saith, This is the confidence that we have in God, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.' 1 John v. 14, 15. And it is said, 'Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord,' &c. And also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, (the witch of Endor,) and inquired not of the Lord, and therefore he slew him.' 1 Chron. xiii. 14. And you read of such that set the counsel of the Lord at naught, and would have none of his counsel, and what was their end? as in Prov. i. 25, 26. And the Lord said, 'My people ask counsel at the stocks,' &c. who were gone a whoring from God. Were not these the Jews that followed their own traditions, and made the commands of God of none effect, (Hos. iv. 12,) like the apostate christians that pretend to pray to saints that are dead, and for the dead, that set up so many images and kneel down before them; but hear what is said in Isa. xxx. 1. 'Wo to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me, and cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.'

So here you may see what is the portion of all such that cover with a covering, but not of God's spirit; and ask counsel, but not of him.

Concerning the apostate Christians' traditions, of making a God or Christ of bread and wine; and of their bowing to him, and worshipping him, and eating him when they have done. We never read that the heathens, nor the apostate Jews, when they had made gods and bowed to them, and worshipped them, eat them when they had done.

CHRIST's disciples said unto him, the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed, 'Where wilt thou that we go and prepare, that thou mayst eat the passover? Mark xiv. 12. Luke xxii. 7. Now Christ, though he is the christian passover, he did not eat himself.

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And again the apostle saith,' In the same night that Christ Jesus was betrayed, he took bread and brake it, and said, do it in remembrance of me,' and likewise the cup. So Christ's body was whole, and was not crucified when he brake that outward bread; for that which they were to take in remembrance of Christ, and in a show of his death until he came, it was not the Lord Jesus Christ, but outward bread, and wine in an outward cup, and Christ was nowhere called a cup. It is said, 'Christ took the cup when he had supped,' then he did not take his own blood and give it unto them, but he called it, the fruit of the vine." Matt. xxvi. 29. And Christ took the cup and gave his disciples and said, 'Drink ye all of it; and took the bread and brake it, and gave it to his disciples also.' And in Mark xvi. 22. ' they all drank of the cup, and he brake the bread, and gave it to his disciples,' (namely, the twelve,) as in Luke xxii. Then he did not brake his own body, for it was then whole; and after he had broken the bread and given it them, and given them the cup, and called it 'the fruit of the vine'-after Christ had given them this, he said, 'Drink ye all of this.' Matt. xxvi. 25. Luke xxii. 21. Behold, saith Christ, the hand of him that betray. eth me is with me on the table.' So it seems here, that Judas did eat of the bread, and drink of the fruit of the vine in the cup, and he did partake of these outward elements in the same night that Christ was betrayed, which elements were taken in a show and remembrance of the Lord's death till he came; but Judas did not stay till he came, for he betrayed him.

Now if this outward bread, had been Christ the living bread that came down from heaven, and his blood, which if any man eat of that bread, and drink his blood, he shall live for ever, and not die; as Christ saith, Whosoever eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and dwelleth in me and I in him; and he that eateth me, shall

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