It is alfo clear, that what was thus revealed to the Apoftles, was known to them; and that they expreffed it in very intelligible language.

We pass over his new discovery, Ibid. that "the "rock on which Jefus will build his church," Matt. xvi. 17, 18. is, "the immediate revelation of Chrift, "by the Father;" fince it is, at leaft, highly probable, that the Apostle learnt the truth he confeffed, from our Lord's conversation and inftruction, or from the Baptift's teftimony; however, the Spirit of the Father influenced him in receiving it. Neither fhall we dwell upon his ranking, P. 41. " the feeling after "God, and finding him," mentioned by Paul to the Athenians, Acts xvii. 27. as an equal proof of his point, with "the Prophets being moved by the Holy

Ghoft:" 2 Pet. i. 21. We also pass over numerous invidious reflections, and, one can scarcely well help thinking, fome defigned perverfions, which are to be found in his obfervations upon this fection.

There is one thing we would just notice. He would make the Letter-writer deny all internal fenfation and feeling; or, at leaft, feems to fuppofe this is his intention: However, in arguing against this, which is only the phantom of his own imagination, he seems to argue for a mental feeling, without ideas, or for mere fenfations in religion, without divine truths to excite them. Indeed, this appears to be confiftent with the Quakers notion of revelation, and their “in"ward light," and was the very thing, which the au-. thor he animadverts upon meant to oppofe, but not the existence of any fuch thing as mental affections, or feelings.

Thus he reafons, P. 41. after mentioning the following pallage of Scripture, Rom. viii. 14.-" As "many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the "fons of God." "If they are led by it, they follow "it; and if they follow it, they know it; and are "not infenfibly moved, like inanimate machines."

To

To which his opponent replies. If they know what they follow, they must have fome views, fentiments, or ideas, or elfe that which they follow must be fomething which influences them by mere contact or natural force, and then they are moved like inanimate machines, nay in a manner, if it can be, inferior to that of an inactive infenfible vegetable.

He feems to think, P. 42. that "the" good "things" mentioned by Paul, 1 Cor. ii. 9. are merely " divine "fenfations," and not the moft interefting and important truths of the gofpel, which are the ground or caufe of divine fenfations: But his opponent cannot help thinking, that these good" things" are the fame which "were freely given," or revealed "of God," ver. 12. unto the Apostles, concerning Chrift Jefus ; and the very fame with those mentioned in another verfe of the faine chapter, ver. 13. "which things "alfo we fpeak, not in the words which man's wif "dom teacheth, &c." If the Apostle fpake them, they were truths to be defcribed by words, and not merely mystical fenfations, which could not be explained: But Mr. Phipps feems to imagine, that the fenfe and meaning of the Apoftle's fayings, when understood, are not fpiritual, heart-affecting, and ef féctual to produce divine fenfations.

Thefe Gofpel-truths, called, "the things of God," were not of human invention, but revealed, by the Spirit of God, to the Apostles, attefted by miracles, and are manifefted to be divine, to the foul that knows them, from their own nature and influence. From them all his hopes, joys, and truly religious experience, flow; and they are, in themselves, the good things of the Spirit, unconnected with all human traditions.

Upon another paffage, John vi. 27. Mr. Phipps expatiates in this manner: "After our Lord had been pleased thus metaphorically to treat concerning himself," (or, he fhould have faid, concerning the

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true knowledge of himself) " as the fpiritual life of "the foul, under the terms of bread and flefh, two "of the principal fupports of man's body, he fhews "the aptnefs of the fimile in its explanation, ver. 63. "It is the Spirit that quickneth, the flesh profiteth nothing: The words that I fpeak unto you, they are fpirit, and they are life; that is," writes Mr. Phipps," they don't imply a dry theory, but a real "fpiritual life."

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True, the meaning, fenfe, or fpirit (Tara) of them, gives hope, life, and vigour, to the mind, and is the grand mean by which the Spirit of God forms, and moulds the fouls of his people, for holiness and happiness. According to our thinking, if the meaning of Chrift's fayings, when understood, believed, and fo impreffed upon the mind, was not fpiritual, heart-affecting, truly practical, or the very oppofite of a dry, uninterefting theory, nothing in the world could be affecting and influencing: But I doubt not, by "a real fpiritual life," Mr. Phipps means fomething more than all this; for he feems to fuppofe, that nothing can be truly fpiritual, but that which is the effect of a mere myftical power, without ideas, views, or truths.

In fhort, Mr. Phipps appears to have expreffed the whole of his fyftem, in one beautiful laconic fentence: P. 44. "The confidence of a true Chriftian is not "in what he hears, or reads, but in what he feels, of "the Holy Spirit.". Now this fets afide the real ufe and importance of a written revelation, to all intents and purposes; for its contents cannot now be known, but by either reading or hearing. Paul, when accufed of infincerity by his fellow-creatures, or fufpected of making any falfe pretenfions in his apoftolic character, pleads the uprightnefs of his intentions before God, 2 Corinth. ii. 17. and declares, that

his

his confcience bore him witness in the * Holy "Ghost. Rom. ix. I :" But, when speaking of the grand principle of his religion, that gave him hope before God as a finner, we find him exulting in nothing but "the excellency of the knowledge of "Chrift Jefus his Lord, for whom he had fuf"fered the lofs of all things. Phil. iii. 8." In his epiftles to the Galatians and Corinthians, he speaks the fame language; for that which devout "Jews" efteemed "the fcandal" of the Chriftian cause, and the learned "Greeks" termed "foolishness," he determined to proclaim, as the grandeft object of knowledge, and the nobleft ground of glorying. Reader, obferve his animated language; behold what was the fource of his feelings! Gal. vi. 14. " 66 But, God for"bid, that I fhould glory, fave in the crofs of our "Lord Jefus Chrift, by which the world is crucified "unto me, and I unto the world." And again, I Cor. ii. 2. "For I determined not to know any thing 86 among you, fave Jefus Chrift, and him crucified."

"The" however is not in the original, for the Greek phrase is without the article, and it may fignify, he did this with a Holy fpirit, or temper: Though I have no objection to its being thus, "His confcience bearing him witnefs by the Holy Ghoft," as he most certainly was influenced by him.

+ Should Mr. P. fuppofe, that by "crofs" here is meant, as he terms it," the light of Chrift in men," P. 83. we think his fuppofition would deserve to be treated as a wild, extravagant notion, which has nothing from Scripture or reason to support it: To attempt to confute fuch a ftrained opinion, would be doing it too much honour. It feems fufficient to fay, that the "Crofs of "Chrift," and "a crucified Chrift," appear here to mean one and the fame thing. Every one who prefers truth to fyftem, will be convinced, from the main drift of the Apostle's writings, that he gloried in that which the Jews and Greek's deemed the difgrace of Christianity, and that was a fuffering, dying Saviour. who expired upon the accurfed tree. As to the exhortation, "Take up your "crofs, and follow me," Matt. xvi. 24. every expofitor, I have feen, except Mr. Phipps, nay, every common reader almoft, knows its ftriking and ufeful meaning, as well as he does that of the following injunction, "Take my yoke, upon you." Ibid. xi 29." Paul

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Paul felt as ftrongly as Mr. Phipps or any of his brethren could do; but his mere feelings were not the ground of his joy, but a part of it, His divine fenfations arofe from what the Spirit of the Lord had made known to him, concerning the perfon, character, and work, of a crucified Saviour: This was his Gofpel, what he preached, and what Chriftians believed.

According to this Apoftle, "faith cometh by hear❝ing, and hearing by the word of God." Rom. x. 17; and what he means by "bearing," and "the "word of God," is explained most clearly by the next verse ; But I fay, have they not heard? Yes, ve"rily, their found" (that of the Apoftles) went ❝ into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of "the world."

However, the fpirit of Mr. Phipps, contrary to that of Paul's, fuppofes faith comes by feeling, and not by the apoftolic report; and that the joy of a Chriftian arifes from a myftical impreffion, not from glad tidings, heard, read, and believed,

Good News, Gospel, cannot, we confefs, be underftood and believed, without producing feeling, and ftrong feeling too; but the feeling is the refult of the glad tidings, not the caufe, or ground, of a Chriftian's confidence, "The Eunuch believed" what Philip explained to him, concerning the perfon of Jefus, and, doubtlefs," went on his way rejoicing, Acts viii." in the faith he had profeffed, which he received by hearing-" The Jailor" alfo "rejoiced, with all his house, "believing in God, Acts xvi." unquestionably, according to "the word of the Lord," which he had beard from Paul and Silas-And "the Gentiles, at "Antioch in Pifidia," "when they heard" the Gofpel of Paul and Barnabas, "were glad, and glorified the "Word of the Lord; and as many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed." Acts xiii. 48.

...

But, Mr. Phipps feems to pay as little regard to thefe authorities, as I do to the journals of Fox: It