they tell you, can issue the great truths of God. It is thus they constitute themselves the only legitimate revealers of His will, the learned Rabbies, Scribes, and Doctors of the Bible. It is thus they press into their service the secular arm of power, and force a worldly maintenance from the deluded people, upon the false pretence that they are the only true and authorised venders of wholesome spiritual food.Yes, they direct you to the Bible, as a voucher for their authority-they point to the Bible as their fixed, and certain, and highest appeal-THEY say, what it nowhere says of itself, that it is the Word of God— that they are the true interpreters of it, and that it declares them to be so: aye, the thirty-nine articles, said an Arch-bishop, according to a reported speech the other day, are founded, some on "the natural principles of religion, others, though at first they might appear startling, were capable of being proved by a reference TO SCRIPTURE; and who could wish for more than that they should be borne out by Scripture ?

Then come the "Scotch Congregational" men, with the same book in their hands, declaring it to be "the ultimate appeal for the truth of every doctrine, and the propriety of every practice." Then the Wesleyan, the Baptist, the Ana-Baptist, the Primitive Methodist, the Muggletonian, the Southcotian, the Independent, the Irvingite, and the rest of the numerous sects, all distinct, and completely averse to the views and interpretations of each other, upon the same texts of their "ultimate appeal," and "only sure foundation;" each following some learned Scribe or Rabbi of their order, till somebody else starts up, with some fresh interpretation, and causes. another separation. These all have their "distinctive peculiarities," arising from "suggestions which most comport with their own particular bent of mind.” Some say you are justified one way, some another. Some assert certain ceremonies to be essential, which others assert to be non-essential. Some, that have universities, invested by the legislature with exclusive privileges, altogether supported in their antichristian pomp and grandeur by alliance with the

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State, hold up the Bible, and tell you there are the records of their rights. Others, who are debarred entrance, hold up the same Bible, and tell you there are the proofs that they are unjustly excluded from a participation in these temporal and merely civil benefits-they hold up the Bible, and tell you that it forbids all forced maintenance, such as tithes, and the like; but THIS, they tell you, is ALL that it does forbid. It ends here. Its proscriptions extend only to the mode of payment, and NOT to the payment itself. Pay you must, for the Bible no where authorises the GENTLEMEN preachers of the present day, to degrade themselves by following the menial occupations (at least if they can possibly avoid it) of Simon, the tanner-of Paul, the tent-maker-of Lydia, the purple-seller-or of James and Peter, the fishermen. No, no!-although none of these traded out of the Bible, staying in one place, and obtaining as much money as they could from their hearers, for feeding them with their own suggestions," until they could hear of another place where their “suggestions" and thoughts (given out twice or three times a week upon some few words that had been written or spoken by some prophet before them) would fetch a higher price—although none of these old fashioned preachers (and such are the only true ones) were wont thus to preach the gospel, to force an outward subsistence from the means of the people, whether they preached to them or not-yet the " luntary system" is not only sanctioned, but positively enjoined by our "highest rule," the Bible-which is our "ultimate standard for the truth of every doctrine, and the PROPRIETY OF EVERY PRACTICE.' Thus we see how the different professing sects handle their "highest" and "ultimate rule." I believe that they mostly agree in this-that the Bible is the "Word of God," and that some men should be set apart from the rest of the community, and be handsomely paid for what they call explaining it— one party affirming that they ought to take it, if the people refuse to give it; and the other party, not having the power to enforce the payment, affirming

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they have a right to take so much as they can persuade the people to give them. With these exceptions, there is scarcely another important point upon which they approach so nearly to unanimity. Their readings, their preachings, their forms of praying, -their ceremonies,-all vary more or less from each other, and yet they have all the same "standard of religious truth," the Bible. Still, for all this, differing as they do so widely, and contending so stoutly for Scriptural authority to support their several "distinctive peculiarities," in the very face of all these glaring contradictions of each other, with the whole mass in constant motion before their eyes, of these incongruous and irreconcilable doctrines and practices, the Author of the "Beacon," and his eulogists, the Reviewers, notwithstanding they tell you that the Bible is the only test of religious truth," and that the " Friends," who, in accordance with the Scriptures' testimony, say the "Comforter, the Spirit of truth, (and not the Seriptures) will lead you into all truth," are thus rendered a prey to many fatal delusions" these men, who all disagree with each other, upon what is the truth, though they all acknowledge the very SAME "ultimate standard," and NO OTHER, by which "the truth of every doctrine, and the propriety of every practice," can be ascertained, nevertheless charge the "Friends" with "mysticism," tendency to Hicksism and "the gulf of deism;" because, most extraordinary! they say in the very words of their own touchstone and "ultimate standard," that "CHRIST is the way, the truth, and the life; if a man followeth me (saith Christ) he shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life;" for such is the plain doctrine of "the light within,' professed by "Friends," and which meets with such sneers and contemptuous notice at the hands of these

men.

Well, let me conclude this chapter by a word of reproof as well as encouragement, in which I wish myself to be included. Smooth as the path has been made to our feet, comparatively to that rugged road in which our predecessors sojourned on their way to

wards Zion, have we not, nevertheless, been unfaithful as a people to those testimonies we have been called upon to bear? Have we not compromised too much with the spirit of the world? mixed up too much with its manners, its customs, its honours, and its riches, and so fallen from that spirituality, and word of grace, which is able to build us up," in all that is excellent and good, and which has done so "abundantly" for all those, who have trusted to it in simplicity and faith?-We acknowledge no other infallible leader, no other "ultimate rule," but Christ the light-"the beginning and end of days," "the author and finisher of our faith ;"—and rest assured that this doctrine, if acknowledged in sincerity and truth, will never lead any "into the gulf of Hicksism and deism," but into the way everlasting, for "let God be true, and every man a liar." "Be ye therefore stedfast, immoveable," and remember that though all men should forsake the truth, the truth will remain the same. One of the chosen twelve forsook it and some who had received it in the Apostle's days, "fell away." And as one sinner that repenteth, giveth more joy to the Angels in Heaven, than ninety and nine just persons, who need no repentance; so, perhaps, it affords a greater degree of malignant satisfaction, to the evil ones, that one who was in the light should fall into the darkness, than it would rage and envy, that ninety and nine, who were in the darkness, should be turned to light, and from the " power of Satan unto God." The Truth must finally prevail. It has been evil spoken of, mocked, and oppressed, from the time of Adam until now,— therefore "beloved, think it not strange, concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the spirit of glory, and of God résteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified."-1 Phil., chap. 4, v. 12, 13, 14.

CHAPTER IV.

. In this and the following chapters, I shall endeavour to show, from the authority of the Scriptures themselves, as well as from arguments drawn from existing facts, that the Scriptures are NOT, as the author of the " Beacon," and these several Reviewers say they are," the only standard of religious truth." It is thus stated in the " Beacon," according to the quotation in the article before me-"It is plain that the rule must be THAT WHICH PROCEEDS from the Spirit and not the Holy Spirit himself. To speak of the Holy Spirit as a rule, involves the same incongruity as to speak of God as a rule. It is clear to demonstration, that there can be no higher rule than the Scriptures. There can be no higher rule than that which is given by inspiration of God. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,' therefore there can be no higher rule than the Holy Sriptures." Now these premises may be all very correct, so far as they are set forth. "All Scripture," (provided all Holy Scripture is only spoken of,) I most undoubtedly admit "is given by inspiration of God;" but whilst I admit this, and of consequence, the conclusion (but not_the_conclusion I. C. educes) that flows from it, I also deem it to be of the utmost importance to know whether all that you say is Holy Scripture, is really Holy Scripture or not, and whether there never was, is not now, and never will be any Holy Scripture, but so much of the writings of "holy men," as is at present contained in the book called "the Bible." And in proportion as the consequences involved in my acceptance or rejection of such authority, are of the utmost importance to my well-being both here and hereafter, so is it incumbent upon me to make diligent search, and be "fully persuaded" in my own mind, that I follow "not the