the society will be manifest, by a perusal of the extract from William Penn just cited, as also from Tuke, page 42, who says, "In attributing our justification, through the grace of God in Christ Jesus, to the operation of Holy Spirit, which sanctifies the heart, and produces the work of regeneration, we are supported by the testimony of the apostle Paul, who says, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but of his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Again, "But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." Titus iii. 5. and Corinthians iv. 11. And again Barclay says, "Forasmuch then as all men who have come to man's estate (the man Jesus only excepted) have sinned, therefore all have need of this Saviour to remove the wrath of God from them due to their offences; in this respect he is truly said to have borne the iniquities of us all in his body on the tree, and therefore is the only mediator, having qualified the wrath of God toward us; so that our former sins stand not in our way, being by virtue of his most satisfactory sacrifice removed and pardoned. Neither do we think that the remission of sins is to be expected or obtained any other way or by any works or sacrifice whatsoever; though, as has been said formerly, they may come to partake of this remission that are ignorant of the history, so then Christ by his death and sufferings hath reconciled us to God even while we are enemies ; that is, he offers reconciliation unto us; we are put into a capacity of being reciled; God is willing to forgive us our iniquities, and to accept us, as is well expressed by the apostle, 2 Cor. Y. 19. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto

himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath put in us the word of reconciliation. And therefore the apostle in the next verses intreats them in Christ's steadto be reconciled to God; intimating that the wrath of God being removed by the obedience of Christ Jesus, he is willing to be reconciled unto them, and ready to remit the sins that are past, if they repent." See Apology, p. 203, or 217 of Philad. edition of 1805. Observe here Barclay makes it an express condition of reconciliation and remission of sins, that "they repent." From which it appears that it is clearly stated by these writers that repentance from dead works, to serve the living God, true contrition and holy confidence, the washing of regeneration aud renewing of the Holy Ghost, are necessary, and without which it will be impossible to obtain remission of sins, But Rand says further, (p. 91) "They do not view justification as an act of God in absolving them from guilt, and the curse of the law."

But that this is not true will fully appear from our quotations from Barclay already made, whereby it is manifest that they do view justification as an act of God, in absolving them from guilt. But as to the curse of the law, it cannot be proved by scripture or otherwise that we lie under any such curse, until by actual transgression we bring ourselves under it, Christ having redeemed us from that curse, agreeably to the testimony of the apostle, Gal. iii. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. But that the incorrectness of Rand's statement may the more fully appear, I will quote from Barclay further, Apol. page 226 or 240, “And we do not here

by deny but the original and fundamental cause of our justification is the love of God manifested in the appearance of Jesus Christ in the flesh, who by his life, death, sufferings and obedience made a way for our reconciliation, and became a sacrifice for the remission of sins that are past," &c.

But he still charges the Quakers with not acknowledging it an act of grace in acquitting the guilty, and restoring them to favour, because they say that justification is making righteous; as though God would justify unrighteousness; when all unrighteousness is sin, and abomination to the Lord. I have no wonder that he finds fault of the Quakers, for believing that the spirit of life enables them to fulfil the commands of God, since he is pleased to call it only an unenlightened conscience; but of the correctness of that opinion I leave the wise to judge, after comparing it with the apostle's testimony concerning it. Rom. viii. 2.

7. He says, "I can find no clear description of faith ;" and quotes a detached sentence from Barclay; when Barclay gives a full description there, both of the medium and object of faith, and of such as can only work by love. And here too he has miserably perverted Barclay's meaning, making him to put what he (Barclay expressly calls the object of faith for faith itself; for he (Rand) says, "But wicked men have had this," that is the word or testimony of God speaking in the mind. True, wicked men have had the object of faith, but does it follow from thence that they had faith? If wicked men had not had the object of faith presented to them, would they not have been excusable? for how can a man believe in that which he hath not seen or heard? But it cannot be expected that I can transcribe

all the Quaker authors, even that he has quoted. But his work is calculated to deceive by detaching sentences, in order to mislead those that have not opportunity of reading them, and to discourage this reading, when they have opportunity, which appears to be his evident design throughout his whole performance.

He asks, "How will the youth know, who read Barclay as their principal guide, whether they have obtained the like precious faith with Peter? I answer, by a simple attention and obedience to Christ, that light within which is our principal guide, and in unison with the scriptures, to which Barclay so earnestly refers them, even the key of David which opens and no man can shut; by which indeed they may come to a full assurance that they are acceptable in the sight of God. 66 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his spirit." John iv. 13. And again, chap. v. 6. It is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

8. He says, "We have already seen what ideas they have of regeneration." I presume since he has not pointed out better ones, it will not be worth their while to abandon them upon the uncertainty of getting more rational or scriptural ones from him.

9. He says, they believe perfection is attainable in this life."He grants that Christians ought to be perfect, and says no Christian will be satisfied without it." Yet still he will not admit that it is to be attained to. "Yet he says, Christians deeply lament, and abhor; every thing that comes short of it." Now what an absurdity is this, that Christians cannot be what they ought to be and what God wills them to be; and that they abhor all the rest of God's favours and mercies,

because they fall short of one state they cannot attain to; although it is the will of God they should, and it is nothing but their remaining sinfulness that prevents; thus plainly intimating that God compels them to sin, or at best will not give them ability to become what he wills them to be.

Of the rest of this division I shall say nothing, only as respects a detached sentence from William Smith, an author I never read, but the expression seems so scriptural, that I should for myself say, it was incontrovertible. John ii. 25, 26. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whoscever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. And again, I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. John xii. 46.

Who can admit that the believers, the children of God, are all miserable sinners? since the children of the devil can be no worse in their worst state; so that I think it would be proper to answer his question, "Were scripture saints perfect?" Yes, if scripture commands were rational-"Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect," Matt. v. 48-If not, it would be placing the state of those under the gospel lower than the state of those under the law, or even of those before the law, because Job, before the law, was declared by inspiration to be perfect. I presume it will not be contended that any enter the kingdom until they are purified from all defilement, and consequently are perfect; seeing no unclean thing can enter the kingdom; and if so, I have found none except the Pope and his followers that would un