"The Spirit of God, who redeemeth from the pollutions of the world, and implanteth in man a new heart, is regarded, by the Quakers, as so powerful in its operations, as to be able to exalt him to perfection. But, they would not, on this account, compare this perfection with that of God, because the former is capable of progression. This only would they assert, that in the state of internal newness, we can observe the Divine commandments; as Holy Writ relateth of Noah and Moses," (Gen. vi. 9), of Job (i. 8), and of Zachary and Elizabeth, (Luke i. 6), "that they were righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame."*

Hence, we ought not to be surprised, if the same objections are urged against the Quakers, as against the Catholics; that they set up their own righteousness in the room of the righteousness of Christ. They reply to these objections, in the same way also, as Catholics are wont to do.

§ LXVIII. Continuation of the same subject.-Doctrine on the Sacraments.

In the most consistent application of their fundamental principles, the Quakers convert the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper, into purely interior, and merely spiritual actions and ordinances. The Christian, they contend, needs no other seal to his inheritance (signatura)—no other pledge of his sonship, but the Spirit. To introduce outward acts of this kind. is, in their estimation, entirely to misapprehend the

*Vol. ii. c. vii. sect. ii. p. 193. "This spirit of God ...... is so powerful, in its operations, as to be able to lead him to perfection."

religion of the Spirit, which Christianity undoubtedly is; to renew a Jewish ceremonial service, and to relapse into Judaism; nay, to approximate to Heathenism; for such mere outward things, as we call sacraments, have sprung out of the same spirit as the Heathen worship; whereas, Judaism observed holy rites prescribed by God. Accordingly, the Quakers assert, that the sacraments are not even to be considered as pledges of Divine promise left by Christ to his Church-nay, not even as emblems and aids to the remembrance of spiritual and historical facts-but as absolute misconceptions of actions and expressions of Christ-misconceptions absolutely inexcusable, for, they were the offspring of a Heathenish sense.

The baptism, which Christ ordained, is, in their opinion, merely the inward baptism of fire and the Spirit, whose existence renders utterly superfluous the watery baptism of John. Nay, they were even of opinion, that the water extinguishes the fire-that attention to the external rite draws off the eye from the interior, which is alone necessary. Baptism, accordingly, in their opinion, is nothing more than the ablution and purification of the spirit from the stains of sin, and the walking in newness of life.* The Scriptural proof for the proposition, that Christ has instituted no outward act of baptism, is managed with uncommon art, and is full of the most striking, singular, and forced constructions. Moreover, the writings of

*Loc. cit. p. 341. "Sicut unus est Deus, et una fides, ita et unum baptisma, non quo carnis sordes abjiciuntur, sed stipulatio bonæ conscientiæ apud Deum per resurrectionem Jesu Christi, et hoc baptisma est quid sanctum et spirituale, scilicet baptisma Spiritûs et ignis, per quod consepulti sumus Christo, ut a peccatis abluti et purgati novam vitam ambulemus."

Faustus Socinus, were much used by Barclay in this article of doctrine; although, by this remark, I do not wish the reader to conceive it to be my opinion, that George Fox, the unlearned founder of the sect, had any knowledge of Socinian writings, and was anywise led by the same to the adoption of his views. Being a shepherd and shoemaker, such literary productions were totally inaccessible, or at least unknown to him; but his really great, though perverted, mind was led only by the general connexion of ideas to his peculiar view of baptism. But Barclay, who undertook to demonstrate Fox's propositions, made, for this end, in the article in question, very evident use of the writings of Socinus.

The body and blood of the Lord is, according to the belief of the Quakers, perfectly identical with the divine and heavenly, the spiritually vivifying seed--with the inward light, whereof we had occasion to speak above.* They compare the words in John i. 4, "In him was the life, and the life was the light of men;' with the other text (vi. 50), "I am the living bread, which came down from heaven, and the bread, which I will give, is my flesh for the life of the world; and they accordingly take "light," "life," "bread of life," and "flesh of Christ," and the inward Christ as synonimous terms. The Lord's supper, therefore, they describe as the inward participation of the interior man,

* Loc. cit. p. 380. "Corpus igitur hoc, et caro et sanguis Christi intelligendus est de divino et cœlesti semine ante dicto." P. 378. ، Si quaeratur quid sit illud corpus, quid sit ille sanguis? Respondeo, cœleste illud semen, divina illa et spiritualis substantia, hoc est vehiculum illud, seu spirituale corpus, quo hominibus vitam et salutem communicat."

VOL. II.

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in the inward and spiritual body of Christ, whereby the soul liveth to God, and man is united with the Deity, and remaineth in communion with Him.*

§ LXIX. Continuation of the same subject.-Rejection of a distinct order of ministry.-Preaching.-Public worship.

Carrying out their fundamental principle still further, and gradually drawing into its circle every thing else, the Quakers lay down, respecting public worship, the following maxims. No act of divine service is acceptable to God, which is produced and consummated by human activity and importunity: the Divine Spirit-the inward light, must be immediately efficacious, and alone determine, move, and conduct man. Hence, prayer and the praise of God, as well as exhortatory, instructive, and solacing discourses, must be the pure result of inspirations, which occur in the right cases, when, and where, and in so far as the utility of man requires.† Hence, very important consequences ensue.

*Loc. cit. p. 383. "Ita interna participatio est interioris hominis de hoc interno et spirituali corpore Christi, quo anima Deo vivit, et quo homo Deo unitur, et cum eo societatem et communionem habet."

† Loc. cit. p. 287. "Omnis verus cultus, et Deo gratus, oblatus est spiritû suo movente interne, ac immediate ducente, qui nec locis, nec temporibus, nec personis præscriptis limitatur: nam licet semper nobis colendus sit, quod oporteat indesinenter timere coram illo, tamen, quoad significationem externam in precibus, elogiis, aut prædicationibus, non licet ea perficere nostra voluntate, ubi et quando nos volumus; sed ubi et quando eo ducimur motû et secretis inspirationibus Spiritus Dei in cordibus nostris ; quæ Deus exaudit et acceptat, qui nunquam deest, nos ad precandum movere, quando expedit, cujus ille solus est judex idoneus. Omnis ergo alius cultus, elogia, preces sive prædicationes, quas propriâ voluntate suâque intempestivitate homines peragunt, quas et ordiri et finire ad libitum possunt, perficere vel non perficere, ut

1. There is no distinct order of ministry, because the members of such an order, receive from men the qualification for their functions, whereas, this qualification can proceed only from the Spirit. By the institution of specific teachers, the human principle in the Church, received not only a preponderance over the Divine, but entirely superseded the same. The preaching of the Gospel is degraded into an art-nay, into a trade, which is learned and practised by long preparatory training; though it should be only an outpouring of high inspirations. To enable the preachers of the Church to say but something, they are supplied with a multitude of notices, gathered from the four quarters of the world, and often bearing a Heathenish stamp. And such things are to supply, or to communicate the Spirit of God! Hence, the discourses of such preachers are no words of life-no manifestations of higher power; and as they proceed not from a heart filled with God, they are incapable of rousing any one. It is a dry, dead, unfruitful ministry, which we have in the Church.*

ipsismet videtur, sive formæ præscriptæ sint, sicut Liturgia, etc. sive preces ex tempore per vim facultatemque naturalem conceptæ, omnes ad unum sunt cultus superstitiosus, Græce é0ɛλ00ρnokɛía, et idololatria abominabilis in conspectû Dei, quæ nunc in die spiritualis resurrectionis ejus deneganda et rejicienda sunt."

......

* Loc. cit. p. 275 "Et magna quidem causa est, quod tam aridum, mortuum, siccum, et sterile ministerium, quo populi eâ sterilitate fermentantur, hodie tantoperè abundat, et in nationibus etiam Protestantibus diffunditur, ita ut prædicatio et cultus eorum, sicut et integra conversatio a Pontificiâ vix discerni possit aliquo vivaci zelo, aut spiritûs virtute eos comitante, sed merâ differentiâ quarundam notionum et ceremoniarum externarum." P. 229. "Vita, vis, ac virtus veræ religionis inter eos multum periit, eademque, ut plurimum, quæ in ecclesiâ Romanâ mors, sterilitas, siccitas, et acarpia in ministerio eorum reperitur."