ing," not by any language, or verbal descriptions, whether divine or human. Could it be contained in 'a "compofition of words," it may be written or printed, "bought and fold, and, "confequently, carried in "the pocket ;" but this, to Mr. Phipps, is an infuperable objection against it. The reader furely will admire the great veneration he has for the Bible.

It can be no pleasure to any honeft man, to differ from a fellow-finner, upon the interefting fubjects of revelation: It therefore gives one pain to obferve, that Mr. Phipps, and his brethren, feem to think it no Gofpel, that Jefus of Nazareth was " the Chrift, the Son of

the living God," and that confequently " remiffion "of fin was preached" by the Apostles "through "his name," to Jews and Gentiles. We are really much grieved to think, that men fhould be taught to neglect "the record which God has given" us " of

his Son," and to believe that any knowledge of what our Saviour was, and what he did and fuffered, to work out our falvation, as defcribed by the New Teftament writers, is not a fufficient foundation of their hope before God:-No-it is an inward feeling, or impreffion, that is not occafioned by any fentiments delivered by the infpired fervants of Jefus, but by a mystical virtue or power, that is the ground of their encouragement and confidence.

The Apologift, and his defender, seem to take it for an undoubted truth, which cannot be contradicted, that there cannot be, properly fpeaking, any Gofpel, or Goodnews, which is expreffed by the words of the Holy Ghoft in the Scriptures: Or they fuppofe fuch a Gospel as this, would contain nothing of reality, nothing influential, nothing lifegiving to the defpairing, nothing interefting and important, nothing truly faving to the foul, who knows, believes, and, confequently, feels it; to them it appears to be only "an "outfide," " a form," a "name," and "an" unaffecting "compofition of words.'

But,

But, I defire any Quaker would confider the following representations, and then judge whether there be not the most affecting Gofpel, which may be expreffed by words.

Suppofe Mr. Phipps, and fome of his brethren, had been in a ftate of rebellion against their lawful Prince, and were now fhut up, by a conquering army, within the walls of a city: Imagine them to be without any profpect of escaping, without any of the neceffaries of life, abfolutely in ftarving circumftances, beholding numbers falling around them into the cold arms of death, and feeling themselves almoft finking into the grave, under the preffure of a diffolving faintnefs Suppofe this, I fay, and then ask-What effect would the spoken, or written tidings of a royal meffenger being at the gate, have upon them, if he came to proclaim a moft gracious pardon, the full enjoyment of their liberty, and an immediate and ample fupply of every thing they wanted? If they believed these tidings to be true, would they not congratulate one another? Could they avoid feeling extacies of joy? Would not the news appear to be a reality, to be fomething more than a mere name, or an uninteresting report, even though an outfide". and external proclamation? Though they had only a bare belief of what they heard, would it not enlarge and fupport their finking hearts and fpirits? I think it cannot be denied.

Or let me fuppofe, that they were under a juft fentence of condemnation to an excruciating death, for daring rebellion against a truly good King, and that, in confequence of the appointment of the death warrant, they now ftood at the place of execution, ready to fuffer the dire punishment to which they were fentenced, without any hope of pardon, or even a refpite; How dejected, how truly miferable, would they appear! What fhudderings of nature! What difinal apprehenfions would actuate their minds! X 2

In

In this deplorable fituation, would it not be reviving, joyous, tranfporting news, to be certified, by the King's fon himself, either by word or writing, (after a great deal of condefcenfion, pain and fuffering, by which he fupported the dignity of government, and the honour of thofe laws which they had broken) that his Father fo pitied, fo loved them, in their condemned hopeless ftate, as to fend him to do all this, and propofe a free and full pardon to every one of them, who believed in the real import of his royal miffion? Would not this appear a great, as well as a fuitable Gofpel? Would not their fouls feel fuch a ferment of warm fenfations, if they really believed it true, as would engage them to exprefs themselves, in mutual congratulations, joyous hopes, and admiring gratitude? Surely Mr. Phipps cannot deny, but, in thefe fuppofed circumstances, the news, the tidings, the Golpel, would be truly interefting, important, heart affecting, and strongly influential.

་

How then can he look into the New Teftament, and read this faying, John iii. 16. For God fo loved "the world, that he gave his only begotten fon, that "whofoever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but "have everlasting life," and not fee fome thing much more affecting, much more interefting, fomething truly lifegiving to his guilty dead foul, with refpect to his eternal happinefs, in thefe gracious tidings from heaven? Will he object and fay, this is only an biftorical truth, expreffed by "a compofition of words,' as it is recorded by the divine hiftorian, and therefore not the Gofpel? If fo, then, it appears to us, he trifles moft egregioufly with the fayings of Jefus and his Apoftles, and manifefts, that he does not believe what our Lord expreffed in these words. He neither thinks that he is a part of that world which is in itself perifhing, nor that there is enough in the character and work of the Son of God, when known and be lieved,

lieved, to give a finner folid hope before his offended maker.

Is there not fomething, in this divine report or teftimony of Jefus, calculated to fill the believing heart, with the highest veneration for the divine purity, in that God thought it not proper to forgive tranfgreffors, but, through the mediation of his fon, who fhould humble himself, and become obedient unto death, for them? Does it not fo difplay infinite wifdom and pardoning goodness, as to foften the rebellious hearts of all who believe it, and melt them into genuine repentance? Can there be, a nobler principle of virtuous action, or a scheme more mortifying to the pride of the human heart? What better Gospel, what more affecting, powerful, and transforming fyftem, can the Spirit of God now difcover to the minds of men? But I must restrain myself, upon this copious heart-affecting fubject.

*

Mr. Phipps may here perceive, that I "feel" what I am writing: Indeed I do. This is my Gospel. It runs through every page almoft of the New Teftament, and I know it, by experience, as well as by Scripture declarations, to be a " doctrine according to "godliness." 1 Tim. vi. 3. I wish for nothing more, than that the Spirit of God may convey the conviction of it to his heart, and all thofe of his brethren who do not believe it,

CHAP.

CHA P. VII.

Mr. Barclay's elaborate differtation on the fifth and fixth Propofitions analyzed. 2. His arguments from Scripture, for the univerfal faving principle of the Light within examined, with remarks upon the obfervations of his defender, concerning the fenfe of fome paffages in the word of God..

1. The Analyfis.

N order that we may more fully understand Mr. Barclay's fyftem, let us fairly analyze what he has written under the fifth and fixth propofitions; and as a kind of key to thefe, I would infert the following paragraph, from the fourth.

"All Adam's pofterity, (or mankind) both Jews "and Gentiles, as to the firft Adam, or earthly man, "is fallen, degenerated and dead, deprived of the "fenfation or feeling of this inward testimony or feed "of God; and is fubject unto the power, nature and "feed of the ferpent, which he foweth in men's hearts, "while they abide in this natural and corrupted "eftate: from whence it comes, that not only their "words and deeds, but all their imaginations, are ❝evil perpetually in the fight of God, as proceeding "from this depraved and wicked feed. Man, there"fore, as he is in this ftate, can know nothing "aright; yea his thoughts and conceptions concern❝ing God, and things fpiritual (until he be disjoined "from this evil feed, and united to the divine light) are unprofitable both to himself and others."

The fifth and fixth propofitions treat of "a fpiri"tual, heavenly and invifible principle, or feed, which "counter-acts that derived from Adam, mentioned

"above,