drawn from them, they are at a loss again, and see themselves, as they really are, ignorant and destitute.'

The fog in which this envelopes us is fhocking: all that we are fatisfied of is this, that the texts here cited, are abominably wrefted from their real meaning, and applied to fupport an errour of which the apoftle was a moft zealous

opponent.

The fact is, St. Paul's language here quoted is at direct variance with the Quaker comment, for he is by analogy proving that the things or myfteries of our religion are only to be learned in the Scriptures, which were revealed to man by the miniftration of the Spirit of God. Therefore it is added, that the "natural man," the Gentile, or he who rejetteth Revelation, "receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned." This is explained by what the apoftle fays in the preceding chapter, that the doctrine of "Chrift crucified, is unto the Jews a ftumbling block, and unto the Greeks," who prided themselves on their great wifdom, "foolishness."

Upon this paffage concerning the "natural man's rejecting the things of the Spirit of God," Chryfoftom has a moft excellent note, which we cannot forbear quoting in this place as an antidote to the poifon of the Quakers,

"For if we fhould go about" says he, "to prove by natural reasons, how that God was made man, and entered into the virgin's womb, inftead of leaving these matters to faith, (i. e. inftead of proving them by teftimonies of divine revelation) they [the heathens] would laugh at us more than they do already.*"

The reader is defired to take this explication, and Alexander Arfcott's experience, into his ferious consideration, and judge, as far as he can, between plain fenfe and mystical jargon, which is to be preferred as giving the cleareft view of the apostle's meaning.

According to the doctrine of the Quakers, reafon has nothing to do in our religious courfe, but only in temporal matters. The divine influence which is to be our guide, is diftinct from reason, and comes and goes while all the rational faculties remain alive. How then came an apostle

to

Και γαρ αν θελωμην πείθειν δια λογισμών, πως ανθρωπG' εγενετο ὁ Θεός, και εις μητραν εις ήλθε παρθενικην, και μη τη πίζει το πραγμα επιτρέψω μεν, μαλλον εκείνοι καταγελασονίαι. Chrysost. Hom. 4.

to leave this injunction, that we should" be READY ALWAYS, [conftantly prepared] to give a REASON of the HOPE that is in us ?" No, fays Alexander Arfcott, who is one of the Oracles of the Friends, this cannot be done, because the “understanding of the divine will, even with regard to prefent duty, is fometimes withdrawn from thofe who at other times experience the influence of the Spirit of God, and leaves them ignorant and deftitute."

The whole Chriftian life then, we fee, is made by the Quakers to confift in fupernatural communications, and the very path of religious duty which we thought was plainly enough marked out in Scripture, is rendered obfcure if the mind is without a divine impulfe, or not directed by a "clear light."

This pretence to an immediate infpiration is undoubtedly a claim to infallibility, and indeed the firft Quakers were impudent enough to avow it. George Fox fays of himself and his party" that they have the word of God, Chrift, which is eternal and infallible, in their heart, to judge perfons and things." A doctrine so prepofterous, not to say blasphemous, we fhould hardly have fuppofed any man would have ventured to ftate in the prefent day without the animadverfion which it deferves.

In the volume before us, however, this claim to infallibility is exprefsly maintained in behalf of the Quakers, who tenaciously hold that they have an unerring direction in the Light within, while they regard the Scriptures as being "highly ufeful" in an outward fenfe, and in points of difcipline only fubordinate or secondary to the infallible spirit by which they are actuated.

Upon this fubject we should think our time as much mifspent, were we to enter into a confideration and refutation of it, as our readers would, were we to argue at length against the modeft claim to infallibility fet up by the old Gentleman at Rome,

In a following chapter it is attempted to be proved, that the very "Heathens believed that God's Holy Spirit became a guide to them, and furnished them, as it had done. the patriarchs and Jews, with a rule of practice." Our author brings forward as evidences of this, Pythagoras, Timæus, Plato, Seneca, Cicero, and others. But the most remarkable inftance of all, is that of Socrates and his genius, or good angel.

It was the obfervation of one of the wifeft of the perfons here mentioned, that there was nothing fo abfurd but what fome philofopher had advanced the like and of all the abfurdities attributed to any of the old philofophers, not one exceeded this of the dæmon of Socrates. The belief of aerial intelligences, or certain intermediate beings between the gods and men, was indeed common among all the Heathen nations, but that a man should have one of these especially allotted to him from his childhood to attend upon him, as his monitor, requires better authority than can be produced by the modern advocate for immediate inspiration. Plato and Xenophon have indeed recorded this circumftance of Socrates, but who will believe two writers who have directly contradicted each other in relating the particulars of their mafler's life ?

It is remarkable enough that modern times have afforded us two inftances refembiing that of Socrates; but neither of them have yet received an apologift. The one was in the cafe of the noted Jerom Cardan, who pretended to have a dæmon as his conftant attendant, but for afferting which he only expofed himself to univerfal contempt and derifion. The other was that fine genius Torquatus Taffo, who afferted that for many years he was in the habits of converfing with a heavenly vifitant, "Si fece all' orecchio quel gentile fpirito che quattro anni fono, fua mercede, cortefemente mi favella." And when his great friend Manfo endeavoured to drive the imagination out of his head, Taffo gravely replied. "He inftructs me in matters which I have never before heard or thought of." This, to be fure, was a very convincing argument, and we cannot well fee how a Quaker in particular can withhold bis affent from it.

Our readers will excufe us for this little rambling, to which we were invited by the extraordinary adduction of heathen authorities, and their fyftem of demonology, in an apology for Quakerifm. The occafion was the more alluring because it popped upon us unexpectedly, and we trust that it has not only afforded fome amufement to our readers, but will also be taken in good part by the Friends and their advocate, to whom we have lent fuch confiderable affiftance, by furnishing them with two additional, and far from difreputable, authorities, in behalf of fupernatural i nftruc

tion.

* Cicero, de Divinat. lib. 2.

It is no wonder that with fuch notions the Quakers fhould maintain the poffibility of attaining to a ftate of finless perfection in this life. Moft enthufiafts believe the fame in fact, though many of them do not fo frankly own it. When men have brought themselves to believe that their mental faculties are poffeffed by a divine afflatus, and that they are the fpecial favourites of heaven, having been felected from the mafs of corruption, and made, by supernatural operation, the children of God, it is natural enough for them to imagine that they are in a state of total deliverance from fin, or in other words, that they are arrived at perfection. To reafon with fuch perfons would be almost as great a folly as to believe them. Two chapters are taken up with telling us that the Quakers do not believe the Calviniftic dogmas of election and reprobation, and with ftating their objections to thofe doctrines, but as we have. no concern with what they do not believe, we shall pafs over these chapters without farther notice.

In the ninth chapter we have a recapitulation of the doctrines of the Quakers concerning the influence of the fpirit, in which the darkness and confufion are ftill more thick and perplexing than before. We are here told what we have long confidered to be the real doctrine of the Quakers, that Chrift is not a perfon, but a mere principle, or an operation, and identically the fame with what is called the Spirit of GOD. It muft however, in justice be observed, that Mr. Clarkson will not directly fay, " that the Quakers always confider Christ and the Spirit the fame, or the former only as a principle." He then quotes Ifaac Pennington, an ancient quaker, as faying, "There is a difference between the fullness of the light which enlighteneth, and the measure that is given. The one is Chrift himfelf; the other is his gift."

Now though we give Mr. Clarkfon credit for his caution, we fee nothing in this paffage which deviates an hair's breadth from his statement of the Quaker doctrine, for if there is any meaning in the cant of old Ifaac, it is this, "that the only difference between the Light retained and the Light imparted, is the degree or the measure thereof," as he calls it; a very profound propofition, and well deferving the ferious inveftigation of a myftical analyst.

(To be concluded in our next.)

RR

Vol. XIII. Churchm, Mag, for October 1807.

Poetry.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN's

MAGAZINE.

HE following curious description of the Vifitation of the University of Oxford, by the Parliamentary Commiffioners in 1648, was written by Dr. Allibond, of Magdalen College, and afterwards Rector of Bradwell in Gloucester. fhire where he died in 1658. As it is now very scarce, you may probably think it worth preferving in your Magazine. I am, &c.

Ruftica Academia OXONIENSIS nuper reformata Descriptio, in Vifitatione Fanaticá, O., 6to, A. D. 1648: Cum Comitiis ibidem Anno fequente: Et aliis Notatu non indignis.

Auctore JOH. ALLIBOND, S.T.P.

This alludes to the Arabian story of the seven sleeping mussulmans in the