ward sacrifice for sin that it was the same Spirit that was in us that was in Christ, which was the alone means of redemption and salvation: that he believed it to be from the Spirit that he was convinced that Jesus Christ was no more than a prophet, who was faithful to the gift that was in him, and which was conferred at the time the Spirit descended upon him like a dove, when he was undergoing the ceremony of outward baptism.

E. H. said if A. B. would attentively read the Scriptures, she would believe Jesus to be the son of Joseph, and quoted many texts to convince her of it. He asked her whether she could suppose the Almighty to be so cruel as to suffer Jesus Christ to die for our sakes. He appealed to her as a mother, stating how cruel it would be for her to suffer one of her children to die for the dearest friend she had in the world. That Jesus died in support of his testimony as any other martyr had died, and that his death was no more to us than the death of any other martyr : that he died through the persecution of the Jews, not willingly, but because he could not help it. On being told it was the fulness of the Godhead that was in Christ, and a measure of the Spirit that was in us, E. H. asserted that the fulness of the Godhead is in us, and in every blade of grass; and he often expressed his belief that if we attended to the Spirit, every thing relating to the dealings of the Almighty would be revealed to us individually, so that we could comprehend every thing ourselves. That he thought there was no other test for our society to be governed by but the test of the Spirit, without any reference to the revealed will of God, as contained in the Scriptures. On being asked how it should be that the Spirit should in his mind directly oppose the leading doctrines of our society, founded upon Christian testimony, and upon the revelation of the Lord's power in the hearts of our early Friends, and how it could be that in A. B's mind its openings had been in uniform accordance with these, and who must decide between them? he said he did not know, but he should like to live to see the day when our discipline should be extended to nothing further than immoral conduct: that he thought matters of faith should never come under its cognizance; and he hoped Friends would let him alone as long as he lived.

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On being asked what would become of the society if one minister stated one thing and another something directly opposite, all asserting divine inspiration, he said he should like to see it tried. On the very subject of the miraculous birth of our Saviour, Ann Shipley, who was with me, and who will bear witness to all the above statements, mentioned to me that, some years ago, in a religious meeting, she heard E. H. most beautifully allude to his full belief in our Saviour's being the Son of the Virgin Mary, and he entered into some instructive illustrations on the subject.

Can the Spirit of the Lord be opposed to itself in its operations on the mind?

ANNA BRAITHWAITE. New York, 7th mo. 16th, 1824.

A. B. in reply to E. H. at his house.

In regard to believing what we cannot comprehend, A. B. asked him if he could comprehend how the grass grew : that, perhaps, he could define it to a certain extent, and had the evidence of the process to his outward senses, so as to remove all doubts of the fact that the grass does grow; but beyond that, there was a creative power, a mystery that human wisdom could not fathom; and if this was the case with regard to the works of the outward creation, how much more must it be the case with regard to things of a spiritual nature. That it was transgressing our bounds as finite created beings, to judge of the ways of Omnipotence; that his ways were higher than our ways, and his thoughts than our thoughts; that it was not for us to say what was consistent with his attributes, and what was not consistent with them, but to bow to his holy will in what he is pleased to do in us and for us. That, as to the authenticity of the Scriptures, if we take them upon the ground of evidence, and lose sight of the wish to comprehend the why and the wherefore of the Lord's dealings, further than as they may be unfolded to us, we shall find a greater mass of external evidence of their authenticity than of any other book that was ever written in the world. She recommended to Elias Hicks, that as he had read works stating objections to the English translations, and

insinuating that pernicious effects had been produced by the channels through which our gospels had come to us, to peruse some of the various authors who have so ably replied to all their objections. That the Scriptures containing the history of our first parents, their disobedience, their fall in consequence of it, the account of the Lord's dealings with his people Israel, of the Mosaic dispensation, of the types and figures pointing in so conspicuous a manner to the advent of the Messiah, and to the glorious offering for sin upon Calvary's Mount; containing, also, the prophecies and experience of the dedicated servants of the Most High; followed by the New Testament, where these prophecies are so memorably fulfilled, as relates to the fulness of times when the promised Saviour, the Redeemer, the Word, which was from the beginning, came among men in that prepared body born of the Virgin Mary, and taking upon himself the form of a servant, was, in all respects, tempted as we are, yet without sin; containing, also, most ample testimony to the divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, bears such evident marks of divine inspiration, as to leave no doubt of its having been under divine appointment that the revelation of the will of Almighty God, as contained in them, should be profitable for doctrine, &c. Then, as regards the internal evidence, he that believeth hath the witness in himself, and that the state of the true believer is one of progressive growth; yet when the language can only be in sincerity of soul uttered, "help thou mine unbelief.". Such an one will ever be preserved from denying what he may not yet be initiated into` a belief of, and as he advances he will find that the Spirit of Christ in him will ever acknowledge to the revelation of the divine will in the sacred writings; and that it is well for us to remember that in Christ dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and that in us it is a measure of the same Spirit: that to say his divinity consists only in the gift that was in him and in his faithfulness to it, is to make him on a level with ourselves. With regard to his death for our sakes, what can be said that is not said in the Scriptures, both before and after this wonderful display of mercy to the children of men, to prove that it was a free-will offering for the sins of the world?

In reference to the account of the creation of the world

being an allegory, A. B. stated her opinion that although the spiritual application of Scripture facts might sometimes be instructive, yet she conceived it dangerous in any degree to undermine a belief in the plain historical narration of facts as having really taken place.

With regard to Adam, she fully believed him to be in a very different condition after he had transgressed the command of the Almighty from what he was in before: that the writings of our early friends, R. Barclay, &c. clearly bear their testimony to the fall of Adam from the state in which he was first created: that A. B.'s views on the subject entirely corresponded with R. B.'s statement of it. She told E. H. he must be aware that there was a great deal of evil in the world, and that if we had not propensities to evil, it is more than probable that a preponderance of good would appear. That A. B. from her own experience, and from every observation she had been enabled to make on the human mind, was fully convinced that we have evil propensities; and that it is only through obedience to the glorious means of restoration, through the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that we know an overcoming of evil.

With regard to all being revealed to us, without the Scripture, A. B. stated her very decided opinion, that it was presumptuous to cherish such an idea. Through unutterable mercy, the grace of God has appeared unto all men, yet facts daily prove to us, that even the most watchful find, that it is for them to accept, with humble thankfulness, the intimations afforded, and that immediate revelation is not at their command. That as the Scriptures do so amply contain the above mentioned chain of sublime truths, should we neglect the means put within our reach, of instruction from them, we must indeed be blind to our condition to expect, that this sublime chain of events, would be revealed to us during such neglect. With regard to those nations who have not the Scriptures, we fully believe, that as Christ died for all men, so the grace and truth which came by him, doth appear unto all men-yet we see, and do hear facts continually, proving that where the Scriptures are unknown, evident proofs of darkness do exist, and that it is the want of authentic information on the subject, which can make any one suppose that the

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Chinese, Indians, &c. evince stronger marks of gospel light in their conduct, than professing Christians; and if we take what is called the Christian World, we shall uniformly find, that superstition on the one hand, and infidelity on the other, have opposed the reading of the Scriptures; and that under the Divine blessing, the perusal of them has seemed conspicuously to have enlightened the minds of all those who have been instrumental to religious reform. She stated also, that she thought we could not do better, than leave all those nations whose disadvantages were no doubt weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, to the attribute of Divine mercy, remembering the parable, that he who knew not the Lord's will, and did things worthy of stripes, was to be beaten with few stripes-but what would become of us, if in trying to bring ourselves upon a level with them, we should prove to be of those who might have known the Lord's will, and may deserve to be beaten with many stripes?

A. B. stated the confusion that would ensue in any religious society, if the ministers of that society were not cognizable to it for the doctrines they might preach. That as she fully believed the Scriptures to be given forth by the Spirit, and to direct to it, so she considered the Spirit might be said to be the cause, and the Scriptures the effect. That as they are the effect, if we really witness the operation of the same Spirit in our own hearts, there will be a correspondence, like face answering to face in a glass, and we shall never be afraid of trying the cause by the effect produced. That our fundamental doctrine of a belief in the guidance of the Spirit of Christ, should never screen us from the necessity of trying the spirits, and that it is not possible that it can be the same Spirit which in one individual gives living faith in the doctrines of the Gospel, and in another contradicts them.

That our early Friends, gathered out of the forms and ceremonies of religion, by the power of Truth operating upon their hearts and understandings, were brought into the obedience of Christ-they knew his voice within them, and they acknowledged, under its influence, to all he had done for them. Their writings bear ample testimony to this. A Society founded upon such principles, so long as its ministers are baptized by the One Spirit, into