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we afk, Did the Baptift ever teftify concerning this Light, that it had communicated a faving measure of its influence to the mind of every individual man upon the face of the earth? We cannot recol lect the leaft hint of it, in any part of his teftimony, which is recorded by either of the Evange lifts. What he bore witnefs of was this, that Jefus of Nazareth was the Son of God, the promised Meffiah, the Saviour of men, the Light of the world: In what fenfe he was the light of the world we may afterwards explain.

"He was not that Light, but was fent to bear wit "nefs of that Light," ver. 8. (then comes the pas fage in difpute) that was the true Light, which "coming into the world, enlightened all," ver. 9. Gentiles as well as Jews.

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ερχομένον,

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This I take to be a just tranflation of the paffage, for the following reafons: The word " "dered coming," is the nominative cafe, and agrees with "to the Light." So Doddridge, Bengelius, and many others, tranflate it, who had no contro verfy with the Quakers; and it is confirmed, I think, by thofe paffages where it is faid, "that Jefus was the "true Light that came into the world." John iii. 19. * I am come a Light into the world, &c." John xii. 46. The attentive reader will alfo remark, that the phrase, "coming into the world," seems plainly to de note a pre-existent state; but neither Scripture, nor reason, support any fuch notion, concerning mankind in general. It may be fafely faid, this phrafe never is applied, in the facred writings, to the common birth of men: But our Lord's "coming into the world” implies evidently his entering on his office, as well as his birth. 1 Tim. i. 15. Heb. i. 6. x. 5. John xvii. 18. The reader will obferve, that the Apostle, in this verfe, is only fpeaking of Chrift, the "Light as coming into the world."

Hare,

Here, therefore, he afferts a truth of the greateft o importance, namely, that the Son of God was fent to illuminate and fave, not the fingle nation of the Jews only, as they fondly imagine, but, conformably to numerous prophecies, the Gentiles alfo *.

Accordingly the Apoftle goes on to obferve, "He « was in the world, and the world was made by him, " and the world knew him not." Ver. 10. The Son of God came down to earth, and "the world was "made by him," yet that very world did not, in general, know and acknowledge him, as the word of God.

Then he defcribes the reception he met with, in the world, according to that Scriptural divifion of it into Jews and Gentiles: "He came unto his own" things, raidia, (his own inheritance, to a people whofe perfons and poffeffions were his peculiar property. Matt. xxi. 38. Ifai. v. 1. viii. 8. He had diftin, guifhed the Ifraelites, by his providence, before other nations)" and his own" (people) " received him not."

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But, as many" of (those who were not his do own people, as the Jews were)" as received him, or "believed on his name, even to them gave he the

right or privilege " of becoming the fons of God, Ver. 11, 12. And they obtained this right, neither

*Though I have no doubt but the above tranflation, and interpretation of this paffage, are true and juft, yet, according to the common tranflation, the words might be understood, by any impartial perfon, in a sense that will by no means favour the Quakers notions; for real facts will not allow us to think, they imply any more than this, that there is not a man in the world, who has any light, which was not derived from him; or that this Light is defigned for all forts of Gentiles as well as Jews, without any exception: So our Saviour is "a propitiation for the fins of the ❝ whole world; 1 John, ii. 2. But a propi iation is worth nothing, if it has no effectual influence to deliver from fin.

+ When Mr. Phipps talks, P. 8, of Chrift's not only enlightening, but" impovering them to become the fons of God;" he seems not to have understood the Evangelift, or elfe to have used an ambiguous expreffion, to confound the unwary reader,

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by circumcifion, nor facrifice; nor by marriage, nor natural descent; nor by any rite invented by men ; nor by any inward ftillness, or pious determination to be paffive; nor by any virtuous actions, or innocency of character; but by the mere good pleasure of God, who," of his own will, regenerated them, by the "word of truth." James i. 18. v. 13. "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, "nor of the will of man, but of God."

Now, let the reader judge, whether there be the leaft foundation for the Quakers universal saving principle, from this paragraph. The term " all," though it be in the plural, in one verfe, Ver. 7. must be understood with some restriction; whereas in the other, Ver. 9. which is their favourite paffage, it is in the fingular, and muft neceffarily alfo be taken in a confined sense; for no man will be fo hardy as to affert, that all mankind, individually confidered, were, in John's time, favingly enlightened with the true knowledge of Chrift Jefus, as it is defçribed by his fervants in the New Teftament,

Moreover, the paragraph itself moft clearly afferts, taking it in connexion, that only "those who re"ceived or believed on him, had the power" or privilege "of becoming his children," in a faving fenfe: Thofe who did not receive him, and were not born of him, could not, therefore, be defcribed as enlightened unto falvation.

Befides, let us confider our Lord's own explication of the time and manner of his being "the Light of "the world." John often calls him "the Light of "the world:" But how? Was he fo, in the Quakers fenfe? No, hear what Jefus himself fays, " as long

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as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” John ix, 5. Again, "yet a little while is the Light "of the world, with you, while ye have the Light, "believe in the Light, that ye may be the Children "of the Light." Chap. xii. 35, 36. And "I came

"a Light

a Light into the world, that whofoever believeth " in me, fhould not abide in darkness.” Ver. 46.

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Nothing then can be plainer than this, that Chrift confidered himself as "a light come into the world," in person, and not into the minds of all mankind, in Spirit, as the Quakers boldly affert. He fhone, and ftill fhines, as "the fun of righteoufnefs" by his holy and self denying life, his aftonishing and beneficial miracles, and by his pure and moft excellent doctrines.

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After he had made atonement for tranfgreffors, had rifen from the dead, and afcended to his Father, he fent down his Spirit, upon his firft difciples, to "bring to their remembrance whatsoever he had faid "unto them," concerning his perfon, character, and work, either before or after his refurrection; and commiffioned them, in an extraordinary manner, to write and speak of these things, for the illumination and happiness of mankind. His providence and Spirit have ftill the direction of this light and knowledge to the hearts of men, and it takes effect, where, and when, and on whom, he pleaseth: In this fenfe he is ftill "the "Light of the world."

But, never in any one inftance, we apprehend, thoughout the New Teftament, is Chrift faid to be "a Light" unto the falvation of the foul, by a myftical fenfible influence upon the mind, when there is not the least communication of any measure of that knowledge concerning his perfon offices and redemption, which the comfortable and influential doctrines of the gospel clearly defcribe. This knowledge, however, a great part of mankind were totally ignorant of, at the time when John wrote his hiftory, therefore it neceffarily follows, the text the Quakers fo much dwell upon, has nothing in it, but the mere found of the words in our tranflation, and hardly that, when confidered in its connexion, to fupport their opinion.

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In fhort, the whole paragraph itself taken together -the manner in which our Lord fpeaks of himself, as

the Light of the world"-the total filence of the Baptift, and the first preachers of the Gospel, concerne ing Chrift's being a faving principle of Light in every individual man, and their preaching him to a guilty world, in a manner directly contrary-the limited fenfe in which the term "all" mufst be used in the seventh verfe, and numerous places of the Bible and indif putable facts, or the constant and invariable experience of all ages, intirely remove even the appearance of argument, for the Quakers univerfal faving Light, which they have endeavoured to found upon this

text.

Barclay's fecond proof, for this univerfal faving light, is taken from the parable of the fower, Matt, xiii. Mark iv. Luke xviii. Likewife from two other paffages: Rom. x, 8, James i. 21. See his twenty fecond fection.

Now let any perfon of common sense read the ac count the Evangelifts give us of the parable of the fower; let him obferve what is faid of the "word of "the kingdom," and how men, under the feveral characters, are faid to hear it ;" and then let him afk himself, whether it was the glad-tidings of the kingdom of God, which Jefus preached from city to city, Luke viii. 1. or an imaginary light within? And how does, how can this prove, that this is the faving light given to every individual man? From the answer our Lord gives to the question proposed by his difciples, after his delivering the parable, as it is recorded by all the three Evangelifts, every honeft inquirer must conclude quite the contrary. "To fome

* Matt. x. 22. Mark i. 37. Mark xi. 32. And numerous other places. We have carefully noticed Mr. Phipps's evalve remarks upon this paffage, and, upon recollection, are inclined to think, that he will be fully convinced the neceffary intention of the context manifeftly restricts this term.

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