other, but cry up the letter, and make as good shift with it as he can, though his soul the meanwhile is starved, and lies in famine and death for want of the bread of life, and a wrong thing is fed."

Geo. Fox (Journal, Vol. 1. p. 32.): "He [the Priest] took for his text these words of Peter, 'We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.' He told the people this was the Scriptures, by which they were to try all doctrines, religions, and opinions. Now the Lord's power was so mighty upon me, and so strong in me, that I could not hold; but was made to cry out, 'Oh! no; it is not the Scriptures;' and told them it was the Holy Spirit, by which the holy men of God gave forth the Scriptures, whereby opinions, religions, and judgments were to be tried; for it led into all truth, and so gave the knowledge of all truth. The Jews had the Scriptures, yet resisted the Holy Ghost, and rejected Christ, the bright morning star. They persecuted him and his Apostles, and took upon them to try their doctrines by the Scriptures, but erred in judgment, and did not try them right; because they tried without the Holy Ghost."

Barclay (Apology, p. 147.): "So we confess also, that conscience is an excellent thing, where it is rightly informed and enlightened: wherefore some of us have fitly compared it to the lantern, and the light of Christ to a candle; a lantern is useful, when a clear candle burns and shines in it; but otherwise is of no use. To the light of Christ then in the conscience, and not to man's natural conscience, it is that we continually commend men; that, not this is it that we preach up, and direct people to, as a most certain guide into life eternal. Lastly, this light, seed, &c., appears to be no power or natural faculty of man's mind; because a man that is in his health can, when he pleases, stir up, move, and exercise the faculties of his soul; he is absolute master of them; and except there be some natural cause or impediment in the way, he can use them at

his pleasure; but this light and seed of God in man, he cannot move and stir up when he pleaseth; but it moves, blows, and strives with man, as the Lord seeth meet."

Geo. Fox (Journal, Vol. I. p. 111.): "I was sent to turn people from darkness to the light, that they might receive Christ Jesus; for to as many as should receive him in his light, I saw he would give power to become the sons of God; which I had obtained by receiving Christ. I was to direct people to the Spirit, that gave forth the Scriptures, by which they might be led up to all truth, and up to Christ and God, as those had been who gave them forth. I was to turn them to the grace of God, and to the truth in the heart, which came by Jesus; that by this grace they might be taught, which would bring them salvation, that their hearts might be established by it, their words might be seasoned, and all might come to know their salvation nigh. I saw that Christ died for all men, was a propitiation for all, and enlightened all men and women with his divine and saving light; and that none could be true believers, but those that believed therein. I saw that the grace of God, which brings salvation, had appeared to all men, and that the manifestation of the Spirit of God was given to every man, to profit withal. These things I did not see by the help of man, nor by the letter; though they are written in the letter; but I saw them in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by his immediate spirit and power, as did the holy men of God by whom the Holy Scriptures were written."

(Ibid. p. 212.)" Another time, this priest came to a meeting, and fell to jangling. First, he said, 'The Scriptures were the word of God.' I told him, they were the words of God, but not Christ, the word; and bid him prove by Scripture what he said."

J.J. Gurney (Brief Remarks, p. 15.): "And as it is appointed unto men once to die; but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them who look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Heb. ix: 27, 28. It is generally allowed and I think it is very obvious that the second appearing of Christ, here mentioned is nothing more nor less than his future coming in glory, to judge the quick and dead."

Discipline of New England, (Yearly Meeting, p. 74.): "And to his spiritual appearance in the heart, for 'unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation.”

J. J. Gurney. "Were I required to define Quakerism, I would not describe it as the system so elaborately wrought out by a Barclay, or as the doctrine and maxims of a Penn, or as the deep and refined views of a Penington; for all these authors have their defects as well as their excellencies; I should call it the religion of the New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, without dimunition, without addition, and without compromise."

See concluding paragraph of his misinterpretation of Scripture.

The

J. Penington says, "Now mark, see if this be not a clear thing, He that giveth any other meaning of any Scripture, than what is the true, proper meaning thereof, he both addeth and diminisheth; he takes away the true sense, he addeth a sense that is not true. Spirit of the Lord is the true expositor of Scripture, he never addeth nor diminisheth : but man (being without the Spirit) doth but guess, doth but imagine, doth but study or invent a meaning, and so he is ever adding or diminishing."

NOTE.-The Publisher of this Narrative, is indebted to a much esteemed Friend for most of the foregoing

extracts.

LETTERS, &c.

In the following letters a very few verbal alterations and transpositions have been made, not only for a grammatical improvement, but to make a few sentences more explicit to the understanding of the reader. Yet these are substantially literal copies of the original letters, and on a comparison will be found, entirely, to coincide with the sense of the original:

To

LETTER I.

My Dear Friends :-Notwithstanding the lively continuation of that interest which I have truly for a long time felt for you and your prosperity in things of an eternal moment; and although I have been aware of some discrepancy of views for most of the year past between you and myself, and a great grief has it been to me, because considerations of great importance are involved therein: yet I have never until very recently, felt even a liberty to address you on the subject. But now the way for such service seems to open pretty clearly; so much so that you have of late been almost continually present to the view of my mind, with interesting and living desires for your as for my own preserva