that are to be found in the first chapter of the prophet Malachi, "We are impoverished; but we will return, and build the desolate places. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, they shall build, but I will throw down."

CONCLUSION.

In bringing this extremely painful examination to a conclusion, I would strongly and affectionately urge upon Friends the absolute necessity of special and persevering prayer to God, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the all-sufficient help of the Holy Spirit, to enable them to receive "the word of the truth of the gospel," in the way which God hath appointed. Because it can hardly fail to force itself on the minds of those who are not really determined to shut their eyes against the light of Holy Scripture, that there is real unsoundness at the very root of the doctrines contained in the standard writings that have been quoted. And let it be taken into account, that the extracts do not consist of only a detached sentence or two; for, at the risk of greatly wearying the reader, whole paragraphs, and those sometimes very long ones, have been given, in order to remove even the shadow of an objection that might otherwise have been made, that the extracts were garbled.

And although many of the quotations, now they are held up to view, may appear to be, as they are, of a nature so greatly to be deplored that many persons will probably question the propriety of exposing them; yet I wish it especially to be considered that they are from THE STANDARD WORKS of the Society of Friendsworks that are to be met with in most Friends' houses, open to the perusal of any persons, young or old, who may incline to take them up -works, which alas! many a parent in the Society even at this day, yes, in the year 1836, would delight to see his child inclined to study, though he would be rendered unhappy if the child should show a disposition to attend a "Bible class" for the study of Holy Scripture. No one, then, must fastidiously exclaim, “ Why are these things exposed?" Consider they are taken from the very works that no longer ago than last year were strenuously recommended by the Yearly Meeting, to young persons in particular, as being "replete with instruction;" and the authors of them eulogized as having been "remarkably visited with the day-spring from on high."

Now when we consider the manner in which we have seen by the extracts the Holy Scrip

tures were undervalued by the "early Friends," there is no reason to wonder at any errors into which such writers fell; because, I must repeat, it is by the Scriptures that the knowledge of spiritual things is communicated to us. If then on any pretence, the channel of religious knowledge be slighted, error is the necessary consequence for the mind of man, so far from being naturally inclined to receive truth of the highest importance, is averse to it. The extracts which have been produced prove this to be the case in the most unequivocal manner. Wise in their own conceit, the writers rejected the main doctrines of the gospel-ruin by the fall; repentance by the contriting power of the Holy Spirit in bringing home the WORD OF TRUTH to the heart; and restoration by faith in IMMANUEL.-But no; "inward light," as the standard writers constantly exhibit, and as it is abundantly proved by transactions that are now taking place, is the very warp and weft of Quakerism. In order to form it, all scriptural truth, even to the prophecy of the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ without sin unto salvation, is, as we have seen, sacrificed or perverted. And when it is formed, it is the web in which the makers of it are entangled. Instead of

standing fast in the liberty wherewith Christ doth set his people free, they are set fast in the bondage wherewith perverted truth ensnares them.* For in the place of accepting the gospel as the message of salvation to ruined man, they have already "something which man has not lost by the fall, but which is by the fall reduced to a seed." In this doctrine surely there is enough error to darken the whole soul; because it is not only utterly false in itself, but it inevitably leads to an erroneous view with regard to the person and offices of Christ. And we find, accordingly, that the "something," "seed," light," &c., &c., being assumed, the benefit of the coming of Christ is lowered down to the liberation from its "wrapping" of this "seed" already in man.

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The all-important doctrine of mediation is

*For undeniable evidence of this we need look no further than to "the Whole Correspondence," published a few months ago; and a very able "Defence of the Beacon," which is just published by Isaac Crewdson, in which the supporters of the doctrine of "the inward light" are fairly exhibited as being completely snared in their own devices; and prove by their own words the truth of what I have stated in my letter, "that the fundamental principle of the Society of Friends, and that of those who now go under the denomination of Seceders or Hicksites, is one and the same." See particularly the "Defence of the Beacon," pages 38-41, 53, 54.