A brief View of some prominent Parts of Christian Doctrine. By EDWARD ASH.-pp. 143.

THIS little book, but for its connexion with the existing controversy in the Society of Friends, might well pass unnoticed, and probably would not be noticed either by readers or critics; but as the author is a leading and influential minister of the Friends, in an important station, the "Brief View" deserves some attention as an exposition of the opinions, and an evidence of the management of the modern school.

The first impression derived from its perusal is, that the author has pretty nearly banished from his public creed the distinguishing and characteristic dogmas of the sect; and, indeed, but for one note in the twelfth page, which is apparently inserted merely as a salvá fide, it would not be suspected that the author is one of the Society of Friends. This note, in brief words, thus timidly states the grand fundamental doctrine of Quakerism :

“While, in the preceding paragraphs, I have represented it as a general truth, that it is through the medium of the word or Gospel, preached, or otherwise made known to men, that Christ works in them by the Holy Spirit, in order to make them partakers of his salvation, it has been by no means my intention to imply that a participation in this salvation is necessarily confined to those to whom that word is brought. Far be it from us who are thus privileged, to limit, by any circumstances whatever, the power and goodness of the Most High, or to entertain a thought at variance with the fullest occupation of the truth that his tender mercies are over all his works.""

This is, indeed, a most important change in the tone of teaching lately adopted by a certain class of ministers amongst the Friends, important, as proving the effect of the evangelical pressure on the mystical elements; and important as showing the incompatibility of evangelical views with the doctrine of the inward light; for, though the author of the "Brief View," in unison with some others in the Society, has thus endeavoured to thrust the real principles of Quakerism very far into the back ground, and to divert attention from them, by the prominent position of some evangelical doctrines; yet it will be found, both in logic and in fact, that these two antagonist systems can never be made to harmonize; and that the inward light, though acknowledged only in a little note, cannot possibly consist with even the lowest grade of Arminian views.

It might be amusing to compare Dr. Ash's statement of the inward light with the more open, zealous, and unhesitating declarations of the early Friends, the forefathers and founders of the Society, whose opinions are thus unhandsomely treated by their degenerate children. The inward light was not, according to the creed of original Quakerism, a mere conjecture of compassion, in order to invent mercy for the Heathen who had not heard the Gospel preached, but was the great rule of faith, the leader, the monitor, the paraclete, the ruler, and the everpresent God of all Quakers; who had, by a process of introversion, turned to the light, and found Jesus Christ within themselves in all his attributes of Divinity.*

* Compare George Fox: "The Quakers have a spirit given them beyond all the forefathers, which we do witness, since the

The inward light was the glory, boast, and pride of the Quaker sanctuary, the sun and centre of their system, the fountain of vitality for every part of their religion, so that by it all other opinions were tested, and to it every doctrine was referred for assent and approbation. Without this mystery of mysticism Quakerism is all darkness; and any book, published by a member of the Society of Friends, which does not fully acknowledge its power and importance, must be pronounced heretical before the Quaker tribunal. As, then, in the work before us, Dr. Ash has merely acknowledged the fundamental dogma in a negative form, and that in the fewest possible words, we can scarcely consider him as an expositor of the opinions of that Society of which he is an acknowledged minister.

This might, however, be rather a subject for congratulation, if, on the other hand, we were able to discover a clear statement of the fundamental truth of the Gospel in the book before us; we are, however, constrained to say, that in the chapter on faith, (chap. iv.,) Dr. Ash has given no clear statement of justification by faith; and that, on this head, he has fallen into the common error of those who do not understand,

days of the apostles in the apostacy; and they can discern who are saints, who are devils, and who apostates, without speaking ever a word, they that be in the power and the life of truth: and the natural man knoweth not the things that be in another man; but the spiritual man searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.""The light within, and Christ within, who owns this, and are come into it, owns the Lord that bought them, Christ, and no other; and they that receive not this within are reprobates without him; and they that go from the light within, go into utter darkness and stumble, and do not know whither they go, and want the garments and the Lamb's clothing."-"Christ is the light in the conscience which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, who was before any creature was, which he that receiveth it comes to be his teacher, and feels him reign," &c. &c.-Great Mystery, &c. -pp. 89, 92, 103.

or who will not accept the primary truth of the Gospel, by confounding justification and sanctification. In vain shall we look in the fourth chapter for any statement of the sinner's reconciliation with God, and the free pardon of sin, by faith in Christ, without any respect to human merit or righteousness. Dr. Ash seems chiefly concerned to draw a careful distinction between a faith of education and a faith of holiness, omitting altogether to name, or even to allude to, gratuitous justification, and never once adverting to this initiatory truth of the Gospel, that, "being justified by faith, we have peace with God."

The following quotations will sufficiently manifest Dr. Ash's views of faith:

'Living faith implies a real change of heart; an influence exerted upon the affections and will, and manifested by corresponding results in the conduct and actions. It is the natural and constant effect of true repentance: it is identified in its existence with regeneration, or the new birth, and is uniformly productive of holiness of life and conversation.".. "The faith which is thus counted for righteousness is no other than the living faith already spoken of, as implying not merely an act of the understanding, but also an operative influence upon the heart and life."......... "The faith which justifies

is, as the apostle Paul declares, that which worketh by love; or as John describes it, that which overcometh the world; or again, as James expresses it, a faith which is made perfect by works; hence it implies deliverance from the power as well as from the guilt of sin."

No statement of justification by faith can be more erroneous: it makes faith void, and, after much perplexity of words, teaches that holiness is the faith which is counted for righteousness; and, as if to make the matter still more hopelessly obscure and unsatisfactory, Dr. Ash afterwards adds,

"When the soul of man is brought under deep conviction of sin, when its guilt and its bondage are felt to be insupportably heavy; when in such a state, his eye is opened to see, and his heart to believe in the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world; he knows and feels something of the unspeakable blessedness of the declaration, that 'being justified by faith we have peace with God.'"

But how can this be? for, if the faith which is counted for righteousness is "an influence exerted upon the affections and will, and manifested by corresponding results in the conduct and actions," how can a burdened sinner feel even something of blessedness by hearing of a justification by faith like this? How can he be made otherwise than more miserable, if his hope of justification is made to depend on his conduct and actions, and if the faith whereby he is to be justified is, in fact, to be his subsequent sanctification?

All this, then, we declare is erroneous doctrine it militates with the most precious truths of the Gospel; it contradicts the creed of Protestants; and is exactly accordant with the decrees of the Council of Trent, as is hereby manifest :

"Canon XI. If any one shall affirm that men are justified either by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ alone, or by remission of sins alone, to the exclusion of grace or charity, which should be poured into their hearts by the Holy Spirit, and remain in them, or even that the grace by which we are justified is only the favour of God, let him be accursed."

The Tridentine fathers did herein legislate in a manner agreeable with the opinions of all mankind; they spoke the language, and published the creed of the natural man; and all who do not accept "the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith,' will unintentionally manifest an accord

ance with the famous decree of Trent, when they undertake to explain this article, which is a test of a standing or falling church; and which may be thus stated, in the words of the apostle; "To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness," Rom. iv. 5.

It may be instructive to close these remarks with a view of justifying faith, as propounded by George Fox :

He,

"He that is sanctified is sanctified from sin, and washed and cleansed; for they who are in the sanctification are in Christ, the righteousness of God. that is, the sanctification, is the justification; and so by their sanctification they are justified-it is one and the same, that which sanctifies justifies : and every man that cometh into the world hath a light that cometh from Christ the sanctification, redemption, justification; but them that be not in the light are with it condemned; and such as be in the light, they come into perfect holiness, and their sins are not imputed to them."-Priests and Professors' Principles, p. 157.

We have but few additional remarks on Dr. Ash's book: the chapter on Watching and Prayer" may, in some respects, be quoted with approbation by any but the Friends; for though (in page 107) there is a cautious and guarded acknowledgment of "that condition of the mind in which it is directed towards God in a state of inward silence," and though this "condition" is fortified by an appeal to one of the Psalms, which has no sort of reference to the practice recommended, yet the rest of the chapter is occupied with directions and rules for prayer, which cannot be reconciled with the doctrine of immediate spiritual dictation, and the perceptible promptings of the inward light; and which, in fact, bring down the theory of prayer to the ordinary level of the catholic creed of Christians.