"Will any pretend to say, that, when they have exe"cuted this office, they are still needful? Shall any be "fo foolish as to fay, if, inftead of bringing to Chrift,

.

they lead men away, teaching doctrines diverse from "Chrift's doctrine, that they are neceffary and conve"nient?-furely they must be very tenacious of the "law of formal commandments who fhould hold them

66 up in fuch extravagant veneration."

No. III. page 73.

Extract from an Address to the people called Quakers, and others, on the fallen and degenerate state of man, by Samuel Stephens, of Dublin.

My mind hath been for years impreffed, under a "feeling fenfe of the fallen and degenerate state of "man; amongst whom I rank myself, from a confcious"nefs of which, I have endeavoured to feek the caufe, "which I find to be, a departure in the heart from the

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pure living principle implanted in us by a great and "bountiful Creator; a principle which, if adhered to, "would gradually lead us back from the fallen state in "which we are, unto that more perfect one which "breathes glory to God in the higheft, and peace and 66 goodwill towards men; a state that would redeem us from all the lo heres and lo theres ;' one crying "Chrift is here,' another crying Chrift is there,' " whilft

"whilft they are living as without Chrift in the world; "fatisfying themselves with a name to live, and are "dead; dwelling under the forms and fhadows, ne"glecting the one thing needful, the living fubftance in "the foul, which, if attained to, is fufficient for all things.

"Thus far I believe it neceffary for me to preface "what I may have to communicate, in order to put to "filence a vain and delufive spirit that has gone forth "into the world, saying that I and fome others deny "Jesus Christ and his coming, and that we rank him 66 as an impoftor: a thing which is utterly falfe. For "I know not one, within the circle of my acquaintance, "that looks on him in any fuch light; on the contrary, "I believe him to have been the most perfect character "that ever yet made his appearance amongst the chil"dren of men. But all this is not fufficient to fatisfy "them, because I cannot fw allow down the abfurd "doctrine that he was God; a doctrine that they "themselves acknowledge they cannot comprehend, or "understand; a doctrine they are as it were obliged to "believe, because their church, fect, or party, require "them to do fo: and on what ground? A few vague "fcripture expreffions, backed by the writings of men

ignorant as themfelves. For we must acknowledge "that the world has been under fuch a cloud of grofs "darkness, so much fo, that the very people who "claimed to be the most enlightened of all, took and "laid violent hands on him, and put him to death, "because they could not bear the purity of his doc"trine, which went to fap the foundation of their super"ftitious building. And fo it has fared, more or less,

t

"with all thofe, before or fince his day, that have en"deavoured to tread the fame path: witness the prophets, apoftles, and others, at different ages of the "world, who declared against the established religion "of the land, whether jewish, heathenish, or what is "called chriftian; be it which it may, the ruling party "were always ready to rife up againg them, and put "them to death, for daring to call in question their "mode of faith, as prescribed by law. It would be too " tedious and unnecessary to enter into all the particu"lars on that head, nor do I find myself equal to the "task, but I fhall confine myself for the present to one "of the most recent inftances, which is, that the "fociety of the people called Quakers, many of whom, " in England, Ireland, and America, not only fuffered hard and and grevious imprisonments, for fake of a "good confcience, but fome of them were perfecuted even unto death, and particularly in America, by "the hands of men who had fled there from a violent "perfecution in their native land, and who in turn "became perfecutors themselves. This is a matter fo "recent and fo well known, I need not defcend into 66 particulars, as I expect no one can deny it. But how "the defcendants of those very people (the Quaker) who "had food fo nobly for the cause of truth and righ"teousness in their day, should now traduce and vilify "others, because they wish to go a step farther than "their forefathers have gone, may appear cause of "aftonishment to fome: but the reafon is obvious when "it comes to be understood; for the great bulk of them, "having departed in principle and practice from their "progenitors, they have fet up the form in place of

"the

"the fubftance of true religion; fo when they have "not the kernel, they are refolved to have the fhell; "and in order to support that, they have declared war "against all who call in queftion their empty form. "Now as I believe all forms, without the power, to be "unavailing, so I likewife believe the power, without the "form, to be of itself sufficient for all those who feel their "minds drawn thereunto. This feems another caufe of "difference; fome plead for the outward form, as well

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as the substance, and go as far as to fay, it is neceffary "to keep up the form, notwithstanding the power do "not accompany it. To all those I shall fay, I do not "wish to trespass on their right of judging for themselves, "and by the fame rule, I hope they will grant me the fame "liberty; for I believe all men are created equal, that. "the power of God is implanted in every human being. "the world over, without respect to perfons, names, or

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religion; the jew, and gentile, as well as the highly "profeffing chriftian, who may exalt himself as it were "unto heaven, and look down with an eye of disdain on "the furrounding multitude of God's workmanship; a "multitude far more numerous than those under the "christian name; men, equally the peculiar care of "heaven; men, many of whom are as ftrongly impreg"nated with that heavenly effence of charity and love as themselves.

"But to return to my fubject, which is to expoftu"late with those under the name of Quakers. I fhall "in the name of wonder, afk them, how they, as a "fociety, who have pleaded for the liberty of con

>>❝ science,

"fcience, against the united efforts of furrounding "nations, can now fo far deviate from their first "principle, as to fet limits to the Holy One or his re

quirings, to condemn me or another, because I be"lieve in my confcience, I ought to do this, or re"frain from that or the other thing, whilft I do not "thereby violate any moral or religious law; violate, "I fay, for furely any thing fet up by man, let that "man be who he may, has a right to be pulled. "down, or laid afide by his fucceffor. If that be not "the cafe, reformation can never go on, either in a "civil or religious sense; therefore it must ultimately

stop, nay, turn back; for, I am bold to declare it, "that the fociety, body of men, or people who do "not recur to firft principles, will go to decay, nay, "they must go beyond first principles, if ever they

expect to journey forward on the road towards per"fection: for I believe there is no man hardy enough "to fay, that there is, or ever was, any fociety of "people under any denomination yet, perfect; there"fore, if that should be granted, which I expect it

will be by all, our next inquiry naturally is, how "we are to attain to it. My answer is, by each indi"vidual implicitly doing, and following that, which "he believes to be right, regardless of what man "fhall fay, think or do, or act towards him. These I "know to be hard fayings, and some may be ready to

query, who can bear them? Those who are weaned "from the love of this world and its pursuits, who are preferring the joyful prospect of a far better in"heritance, when time to them here, fhall be no

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