tions. "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." 1 Cor. 12: 3. Certainlyand yet this text is just as much in favor of Friends as the others we have considered. The fact is incontestable-no man can so say approvingly, wisely, knowing what he says, but by the Holy Ghost. The only question is-How does HE induce the result? With or without his written word! Without it, says Fox. So he came by his knowledge, he tells us; and we in part credit him. With it only, and in no other way, says the consistent christian. A man who knows the testimony of the Spirit, "understandeth it," (Matt. 12: 23,) loves it, trusts it with his heart, and gives his life cordially to its influence, is the one and THE ONLY ONE who can say "by the Holy Ghost" that "Jesus is Lord." He is a true christian. He walks by "the word of God," the scriptures, as his highest rule in religion. He owns the Lawgiver, as greater than the law; but not as a greater law! not as a law at all! He has "the Spirit of Christ." He belongs to the glory of the species, the noble company "of whom the world was not worthy," the ransomed of the Lamb, the saved "in Christ Jesus," the legion of honor devoted forever to the glory of the King of kings.

It now occurs to consider, in relation to the 'luciferous aura' of Friends,

8. THE POWERFUL DECISION OF MANY PASSAGES OF THE WORD OF GOD AGAINST IT.

After treating this branch of the subject, it would remain to despatch two others; namely, according to original announcement,

9. THE INNUMERABLE CONTRADICTIONS OF THAT LIGHT AS IT SHINES FROM FRIENDS; and,

10. THE PARAMOUNT OFFICE OF SCRIPTURE, ACCORDING TO ITS OWN CLAIMS, AS OUR RULE IN RELIGION.

Willing to condense, rather than amplify, the topics of discussion, I refer the ninth article mainly to the pervading exhibitions of this volume for some evidence of its truth: subjoining, that while the details of that evidence would be sometimes in minimis, concerning things of small moment if not of frivolous import; while I have letters on file received from their inspired preachers, and have heard oral predictions from "the fountain-head" uttered concerning myself, which I have been spared to contradict and by the grace of God have lived to confound: I forbear for the present to pursue a path of illustration which is very far from grateful to my own feelings and may be irritating to theirs. This pre

mised, I shall consider the eighth and tenth articles as one in substance; treat them together; and endeavor to vindicate their common truth and related sentiment, by an array, apt though brief, of scriptural declarations inconsistent with the arch heresy in which all Friends are agreed; and in which, as such, they must necessarily remain; and which is of itself sufficient to require our non-recognition of their claims, whatever else they say, as professing christians:-the arch heresy that denies the paramount relation of the scriptures as our rule in religion.

"Christianity and the scriptures are essentially

associated. Without the latter, we should not have received the former.-In examining into the degree of authority to be attached to the scriptures, we are favored with a very direct appeal. We may go to the scriptures themselves." In these sentiments of an excellent cotemporary," I need scarce record my own most hearty concurrence. It is more to the point to say, they suit our purpose admirably; they are just such as the sacred volume, intelligently and devoutly and thoroughly perused, never fails to inspire. What then is that "degree?"

It is often said loosely by excellent writers, that the scriptures are our only rule in religion. This is not accurate; it is incorrect. We have other rules; as reason, experience, observation, history, the general facts of life, philosophy, the love of happiness, the light of nature, the moral sense, the maxims of wisdom, the law of the land, the precepts of morality; and those innumerable laws, collateral and subordinate, which flow from these in endless ramifications and forms. But among many, among myriads or millions, ONE ONLY can be SUPREME or PARAMOUNT. I use the word PARAMOUNT, because it is definite and apposite exactly to the grand idea to be conveyed-SUPERIOR TO ALL OTHERS. This is the sense in which the word is used; attributing SUPREMACY UNRIVALLED to the authority of the inspired scriptures, in the position, THE BIBLE is to

BE REGARDED AS OUR PARAMOUNT RULE IN RELIGION.

Not only do I view the position as sound and demonstrable; but as FUNDAMENTALLY IMPORTANT. The only hope I can have for the salvation of a

Friend-I speak my own conviction as it is-reposes in this one qualifier; for ought I know he may be better in his feelings than his philosophy or the ordinary symbols of his creed. This I often fondly hope. Hence I think deliberately, and by moral necessity, that if his feelings ultimately put any other rule above "the word of God," and if he is as bad in his real principles as in his doctrinal statements, he is also "in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity; his heart not right in the sight of God, and himself with no lot or part-as yet— in the matter" of salvation by Jesus Christ. Besides, if "the oracles of God" are not paramount, then some other rule is "above them ;" and what is that? "The scriptures cannot be the rule of faith, because they cannot give faith; for faith is the gift of God, which overcomes the world." The rule of faith then is-God himself, because He can give faith! Hence the Bible can be the rule "neither of practice, because it cannot distinguish of itself, in all cases, what ought to be practised, and what not, since it contains as well what ought not to be practised, as what ought." The Bible then "cannot be the rule of faith or practice!" This is 'orthodox' Quakerism: for, so says that inspired mystic, William Penn!! Again; "George Whitehead says, That which was spoken from the Spirit of truth in any, is of as great authority as the scriptures or chapters are, AND GREATER, as proceeding immediately from that Spirit; as Christ's words were of greater authority when he spoke, than the Pharisees reading the letter." Penn here quotes

approvingly what Whitehead says. Hence Quaker inspiration "in any," is of Greater authorITY than the Bible; especially as it is fresher!!! Hubberthorn, another picce of inspired heresy, says, "The Spirit of God is the saint's rule, and that is greater than the scriptures; and the rule of the Spirit of God is above the scriptures." An opponent had objected to him that, "The scripture was given by the Spirit for a rule:" to which Hubberthorn replies; "This we desire a proof of, by plain scripture, and till then we deny it." Humphrey Smith says, "God changeth not; and where doth the scripture say, that the scripture is to be a rule to walk or be led by?" Edward Burroughs says; “that we own to be the rule of our conversation, which they [Abel, Moses, and others] walked by, the immediate Spirit of God which was before the scripture was written. And all you who profess the scripture to be your rule, your own rule shall testify against you when the eternal judge judges you; and they who witness that to be their rule which gave forth the scripture, walk up in the life of the scripture more than you all; and you are proved to be but the Jew outward, who boasts of the ordinances from the letter, but persecutes them by slanders and false reproaches, who witness the substance." Another says, "This I witness to all the sons of men, that the knowledge of eternal life I came not to by the letter of the scripture, nor hearing men speak of the name of God." Dewsbury. I quote once more, from Fox; "the scriptures-will not

give the knowledge of Christ. That which comes