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binding up the broken hearted, consoling the afflicted, comforting the feeble minded, supporting the weak. What encouraging words are these for the newly awakened sinner-" though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isa. i. 8.) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon," for" If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."-(1 John i. 9.) •6 If we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification." (Rom. iv. 24, 25.) Contemplate for a moment the infinite value of this exhaustless treasury of divine wisdom, —this never-failing well-spring of comfort, strength, and consolation ;these still waters, beside which there is spiritual peace and refreshment. How forcible are the encouragements held forth in Holy Scripture to its devout study! “ For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." (Rom. xv. 4.) And "they are written for our admonition" as well as for reproof and correction," and also "that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim. iii. 16, 17.) And as the apostle John declares "these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."

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How full are the blessings experienced by those who thus seek for divine wisdom in the way of God's appointing: thus David exclaims, “I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation." 66 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." "The entrance of thy words giveth light, it giveth understanding unto the simple.' Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee.” (Ps. cxix.) "Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:" (Deut. xi. 18-20.)

On the other hand, how awful is it to contemplate the divine denunciations against those who despise or neglect the law of the Lord! "Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed, but he that feareth the commandment shall be in peace," (Prov. xiii. 13.) "Salvation is far from the wicked, for they seek not thy statutes." (Ps. cxix. 155.) "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." (Prov. xxviii. 9.) And let us refer to that terrific passage in which the rich man is described, (Luke xvi.) as "in hell lifting up his eyes being in torments." Forgetting for a moment his own misery, in anxiety that his five brethren should not come into that place of punishment, he intreats that Lazarus might be sent to warn and awaken them by a message from the dead, "for," said he, "if one went unto them from the dead they will repent;" but what was the reply?" If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead!" The awful solemnity of this declaration is full of instructive warning. If the teaching of God's law be neglected or set aside, we have no right to expect extraordinary means of instruction or reproof. Supposing a child were to refuse to obey the written instructions of his parent, and in this state of wilful disobedience were to insist on having his directions by word of mouth, would a wise parent grant such a rebellious desire?

Our Lord himself, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and

knowledge," (Col. ii. 3,) recognised the Scriptures as the divinely authorised means of instruction: and if this was the case when he was personally conversing with his disciples, surely it is equally so now. When two of them were proceeding pensively from Jerusalem to Emmaus, sorely perplexed and dismayed on account of his violent death, and the cloud it had cast upon their hopes, He joined them, gently soothed their fears, and "beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself:" (Luke xxiv. 27.) And has he not also conferred on the practice the divine sanction of his example? "And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and stood up for to read." (Luke iv. 16, &c.)

While the example of the church in every age* sanctions and enforces the practice, is there a single passage in Holy Scripture which in any way operates against it? It may be urged that such a practice would be an innovation on our established usages, but as such reasons have not held good in other cases, why in this?

It is within the recollection of many, when the daily family reading of the Scriptures in our Society was an unusual practice ;-now it is almost universal. Was it not as great an innovation to recommend, as the Society then did most properly and strongly, this blessed practice of family devotion, as it would be now to extend such a recommendation to our meetings for worship, when the respective families are assembled together?

Believing as I do, that incalculable benefits would result to our Society from the devout performance of this duty, I trust the subject will obtain your serious consideration, and that we shall all make it a matter of special prayer, that we may be rightly directed herein.

In the full persuasion that you will receive this address in that spirit of Christian regard in which I have written it, I remain, Your affectionate friend, RICHARD BALL.

The Elms, near Taunton, 19th October, 1836.

* That such was the practice of the early Christians in the middle of the second century, may be gathered from the following passage from Justin Martyr, as quoted by J. J. Gurney, in his "Brief Remarks" on the Sabbath, pp. 78, 9. On the day called Sunday there is a meeting in one place of all the Christians who live either in the towns or in the country, and the memoirs of the apostles (supposed to mean the four gospels) or the writings of the prophets are read to them as long as is suitable. When the reader stops, the president pronounces an admonition, and exhorts to the imitation of these noble examples; after which we all arise and begin to pray."

ART. I.-On Baptism and the Supper as Ordinances; and on proceedings of the Society of Friends in relation thereto.

On the former of these I have fully and honestly given my sentiments as a Quaker, and see no reason to retract what I have written: see vol. i. p. 261, and ii. p. 9. Recent events make it, however, needful for me here to say something further. I have a few things to advance, applicable to our present circumstances and to the relation we stand in to our Fellow-christians; amenable as we are with them to the authority of the written word on these subjects.

This caution the reader will please to take with him, all along-that in these external acts (for they are not in themselves righteousness, or peace, or joy in the Holy Ghost,) whatsoever is not of faith is sin :' Rom. xiv. He that eateth or is washed, ceremonially, if he do it with a doubting mind he is condemned: it is worse than an unprofitable thing-it is an offence. Again, though a man be perfect at all points in these, doing every act and submitting to every ordinance according to Scripture'-and yet want CHARITY, he is nothing' in God's esteem. And though he press them much upon the churches, speaking with the tongues of men and angels, exercising the highest powers and gifts of ministry, yet if he want charity it shall profit him nothing-though it may hurt others to observe his temper. And if it be thus with him who recommends scripture doctrine and practice, how much more so with such as, in an ill-informed uncharitable mind, oppose them!

I am led, with this before me, still to admire at the earnestness with which these points are urged, by some of other denominations, VOL. V.

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upon members of our society. By such as are, themselves, even in profession very far as yet from the simplicity, purity, and peaceableness of the Gospel of Christ! Surely an honest well-concerned' Friend may turn upon them, and say, We are defective, it seems, in respect of the observance of ordinances to that extent, or obstinate to that degree in their rejection, that we are in danger, with many, of incurring the virtual excommunication: so that they may without breach of charity turn their backs upon us, refuse to sit down with us, decline even to salute us in the way! This is a fearful sentence, when it proceeds from the many and takes hold of a few. Still it is human judgment-and supersedes not the Gospel ordinance, that every man be fully persuaded in his own mind,'-Rom. xiv. 5,—and do what he does unto the Lord:' even as, before, he conscientiously declined it. But how comes it, my Friends, that with all this zeal for a Scripture practice, you still go on fighting and swearing-justifying what Christ and his apostles condemn, and what we, the quakers, have always declined to do-we proceeding herein according to Scripture ? Surely we ought, long since, but for that rule of charity, to have forborne engaging in any work of Christian utility or benevolence, in company with you!

I own I cannot but suspect here a little of the spirit of the scribe and pharisee, a little of an outward interest belonging to a particular order, by whose hands all must be done! However, the things are in Scripture-we must meet them, now, as our ancient friends met, and received, and cherished and defended those other principles-in an open, manly, faithful consistent way: not shunning the argument merely for our own ease, (which we may call, in great mistake, our peace of mind,) nor eviting its consequences because of their probable effects on our outward comfort. Let God be true, (said the magnanimous advocate of His truth of old,) though it cost every man the shame of being found a liar!

I have before me a tract of about thirty pages, 16mo, entitled 'Water Baptism an Ordinance of Christ: an Address to the Society of Friends, by Isaac Crewdson : 1837.' The author, an esteemed Friend and minister in the society, has laid down his membership among us, and undergone baptism in the Independent way, professing now, with many others in like circumstances, as an Evangelical Friend. I have likewise had occasion to peruse a larger piece, though comprised in twenty pages, published last autumn by our Friend Elisha Bates; well known as an able writer and preacher among Friends, both here and in North America. This is entitled Reasons for receiving the ordinance of Christian Baptism: to which are added some Observations on the Lord's Supper; in a Letter to the Society of Friends.' Elisha Bates had been baptized by Dr. J. Pye Smith, at Homerton, 15th of Ninth mo. 1836.*

*In a Minute of the Morning Meeting of Ministers and Elders,' held in London, the 10th of 10th mo. 1836, (found appended to Isaac Crewdson's tract,) the meeting records its deep concern on the occasion; and its continued sense

From the Beacon controversy' I have hitherto kept clear, as regards a personal opposition of my own sentiments to those of any other Friend-and I desire to do so still. I am no longer a minister in the Society; having tendered my resignation of that office to my own Monthly Meeting, accompanied with an offer of a conference with the Elders, (or whom it might concern,) before the Quarterly Meeting at large, as to the reasons of my conduct in that matter-not confined to this act, of a relinquishment of that which I could no longer with peace and acceptance hold. The meeting, after a month or two taken to deliberate, accepted the act, but declined to hear the reasons. Being then in no office whatsoever, though in divers trusts among us, I have only the common motives of a member of the body to which these pieces are addressed, to notice them in my assumed character of Reviewer, (used probably for the last time) in this work.

On the subject treated by both writers, Baptism, they agree perfectly. It may suffice therefore for me to notice first the work of my Friend Isaac Crewdson, and refer to the other before I conclude. He states himself to have been convinced that some views of religion have been inculcated in the society, which are not taught in Holy Scripture; and that the adoption of certain principles, not found therein, had led to the inevitable perversion of the doctrines and practices of Christianity. His own conclusions from the facts recorded in the New Testament I shall give as I put them down in reading the piece, and without adverting to his own summary of them, placed under six heads towards the end: viz, 1. That water baptism is divinely appointed as a standing ordinance in the Christian dispensation. 2. That John's baptism was also of Divine appointment, and introductory to that of Christ.

"Only a very short period elapsed, after he had announced the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world, before he was beheaded, and his baptism, so far as appears, came to a full end. On the other hand, the disciples of Him of whom John was the harbinger-the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, of Him, to whom the promise was made,' I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession,' have been making disciples, and baptizing with water in His name, from that day to the present. So literally has the testimony of John been fulfilled." p. 5.

3. That a baptism with water, distinct from that of John, having been administered by the apostles under the authority of Christ and during his ministry, the same must be accounted the baptism of Christ. 4. That the command to the apostles to teach and baptize all nations, given that the practice' [of water baptism] against which our religious society has uniformly believed itself called upon to bear a public testimony as no part of the Christian dispensation, was not instituted by our Lord and Saviour, whom we have always acknowledged as the only supreme head of his Church.'

It is very true that baptism was not instituted' by Christ: our Lord found it in use, as the ordinary and universal sign of a religious profession in that age and country; and he was pleased to recognize and command it. Yet against this thing, thus recognized by Christ himself, our Ministers and Elders now say we have always had a public testimony to bear. I believe, if they take the pains to examine further, they will find the testimony' to be against the hands by which it has been administered, and the corrupt way in which it has been upheld.