quoted the passage, it suited his purpose; and so have I heard it quoted in their solemn public inspirations, and that very frequently; they quote it so, I ween, every month in the year, and found their argument on the mistake. But, as the passage is written in the text, and especially as the connection ascertains its meaning, it affords them no assistance. The crown of the matter was that a year or more afterward, and in company with that very same preacher, a professional gentleman and one who claims some scholarship in the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages, himself quoted that very passage in his old way to establish his old doctrine of the universality of inward light. I reminded him of the circumstance; remarked on the power of habit and the love of theory; and then abandoned this inspired quoter of scripture as an incorrigible victim of the inward light. He has since, however, abandoned his Quakerism for the allied mysticism of the system of correspondences. This is one of a thousand specimens that might be afforded.

One thing is remarkable:-the tenacity and boldness of Friends in quoting scripture, when they see clearly that the passage helps their doctrine. It seems probable that if the Bible was found seemingly to favor their views one tenth part as much as it contradicts them, they would soon adopt it as their paramount rule in religion. In this they resemble other enemies and corrupters of the truth; who deal in excerpts and detached phrases, instead of studying and loving the whole connection; in

stead of believing and adopting the total volume: who array one part against others, a few parts against many, and individual expressions against the universal scope of the word of God; as if it were not all one thing-all equally divine-all equally evidenced to be "given by inspiration of God."

I will add, that it has often been sarcastically remarked by some of their own people, that their preachers are too much indebted to the phraseology of the Bible to be supposed themselves inspired: and one very distinguished professional gentleman, a Friend, in the city of P-a, once affirmed to an elder of the meeting, and in the presence of many, his own dubitation of their preachers, as follows; "I have seen some preachers that we call hirelings,' who, on acquaintance, appeared to me to be men of great intelligence and spirituality." His audience seemed astounded. "What!" exclaimed the elder, (whose son was a preacher,) "does thee mean them that preach for hire ?" Answered the other; "Aye! and to tell thee more, much that comes regularly from our gallery is sheer nonsense." I can give names and witnesses, when necessary. Thus it is, especially with the more intelligent; many doubt and ridicule their inspired communications:-many who will be angry with me for thus-in part-exposing a system of spiritual abuse which themselves certainly know to exist in the midst of them.

IV. My next argument is drawn from the condition and practice of those nations, who, being des

titute of the scripture, but not (on this theory) of the inward light, have had nothing to embarrass the growth of its natural fruits or mystify their qualities.

The doctrine of the interior light was invented, in my opinion, much on the ground of its wonderful convenience. And who can deny the splendor and excellence of the scheme? What a grand spiritual equipment for tartars, hottentots, and all sorts of savages! Every man, the world over, furnished with a private supply, an individual vade mecum of inspired illumination, "by attending to the monitions of which" he has all necessary knowledge, and especially the riches of salvation! What could the Great Mogul desire or have in all his state, more handy or important?

The only difficulty of the scheme is that it clashes with all evidence, fact, experience, and scripture. Like a thousand other "imaginations" that the gospel unceremoniously "casts down," there is not a particle of truth in its composition. The monstrous ignorance of the pagan nations, their idolatry, polytheism, cruelty, pollution, obscenity, and perverseness, have been recorded by their own poets, orators, and historians; and the scene has been relieved by no evidence of "the principle" in its proper fruits, which can be read by eyes that have been anointed with "the eye-salve of Christ." Men think well of themselves, and of others, when they feel a common cause. Hence they are very charitable to human nature in the gross while their "tender mercies" to individuals in the detail are

"cruel." Just the reverse is true of those who think of human nature that it is as bad as the Supreme Inspector testifies.

In proof of the real character of the nations, to whom the light of the gospel has not shone, as a tremendous but certain matter of fact-not half so convenient, it may be, but abundantly more worthy of confidence than the opposite theory, I shall appeal to scripture alone. If they have this light, each of them, we are not to expect an omission in the total scriptures respecting it; much less the attestation of the absolute contrary. I waive what "certain of their own poets have said;" what Dr. Macknight has proved, from the best heathen authorities, of the dreadful moral degradation of the very lights of heathenism themselves, and especially of the immorality of Socrates, that darling of popular infidelity; I waive the assistance of facts narrated in the reports of missionaries, who were personal observers and eye-witnesses of the enormities which they rehearse; I waive the fact of the current testimony of the christian church, of all denominations since the Reformation, to the darkened and dreadful condition of the heathen nations.

These sources of proof and many others of kindred character, I waive: for, if the Bible is not express in omitting or contradicting the statement of Friends, I grant that other proofs are insufficient or illusory. My first proof is drawn from the first chapter of Romans, from the fourteenth verse to the end:-in which, if there be such a light in all men, as they aver, I am sure that Paul was ig

norant of it. He there declares that he wishes to preach the gospel to all men, because they need it and because he feels benevolently indebted to them, to communicate, by preaching or writing, that invaluable blessing. "I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise and to the unwise: so, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For THEREIN is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; [or, the righteousness of God by faith is revealed to faith ;] as it is WRITTEN, the just shall live by faith;" or, the just by faith, shall live. I now ask, if this is not all folly, or at least a most superfluous office of the apostle, on supposition of this all-sufficient universal inward light? Friends believe the gospel and this light to be identical! Why then should Paul carry them the gospel, when each one of them had it in his own bosom? Will Friends say they did not know what it was, and needed the presence and preaching of an apostle to give them the information? What kind of a light then is it? What good would the sun himself do to the nations, if they could not see him without the help of lesser lights, as torches, lamps, tapers, matches, fireflies, and glow-worms, to aid the vision of a man and teach him where to see the sun? And why were not forty thousand apostles provided with forty million of evangelists to help them, in the work of going