ners." They are, however, " to be esteemed a secondary riile subordinate to the Spirit." Nevertheless, he teaches with equal plainness that what " cannot be proved by Scripture, is no neces- sary article of faith." ^ Again, he says : We are " willing to ad- mit it as a positive and certain maxim, that whatsoever any do, pretending to the Spirit, which is contrary to the Scriptures, be accounted and reckoned a •delusion of the devil." ^ He "freely subscribes to that saying, Let him that preacheth any other gospel than that which hath already been preached by the Apostles, and according to the Sci'iptures, be accursed." ^ We look on the Scriptures, he says, " as the only fit outward judge of controver- sies among Christians, and that whatsoever doctrine is contrary unto their testimony, may therefore justly be rejected as false." * His whole book, therefore, is an effort to prove from Scripture all the peculiar doctrines of Quakerism.
His theory is, (1.) That all men since the fall are in a state of spiritual death from which they are utterly unable to deliver them- selves. He is severe in his denunciation of all Pelagian and semi- Pelagian doctrine. (2.) That God determined, through his Son our Lord Jesus Christ, to make provision for the salvation of all men. (3.) The woi'k of Christ secures the opportunity and means of salvation for every man. (4.) Through him and for his sake •' a seed " is given to every man which, under the influence of the Spirit, may be developed into righteousness and holiness, restoring the soul to the image and fellowship of God. (5.) To every man is granted " a day of visitation " in which the Spirit comes to him and exerts an influence which, if not resisted, vivifies this divine seed, and thus gives the opportunity of being saved. (6.) The measure of this divine influence is not the same in all cases. In some it is irresistible, in others, not. In some it is as abundant as in the prophets and Apostles, rendering its subjects as authoritative as teachers as the original Apostles. (7.) The office of the Spirit is to teach and to guide. It is not merely intended to enlighten the mind in the knowledge of truths contained in the Scriptures. It presents truth objectively to the mind. It does not reveal now doctrines, much less docti'ines opposed to those revealed in the Scriptures ; but it makes si new and independent revelation of old doctrines. On this point Barclay is very explicit.^ His discussion of his second and third propositions, — the one concerning " imme- diate revelation," and the other, " the Scriptures," — sets forth this
1 Barclay's Apology, p. 106. 2 Ibid., p. 100. 8 md.^ p. 105.
* Ibid., p. 100. 6 See pp. 62-64, 106
96 INTRODUCTION. [Ch. IV. — Mysticism.
doctrine at length. " We distinguish," he says, " between a reve- lation of a new gospel and new doctrines, and a new revelation of the good old gospel and doctrines ; the last we plead for, but the first we utterly deny." Natural reason reveals certain doctrines, but this is not inconsistent with a new revelation of the same doc- trines in the Scriptures. So the fact that the gospel is revealed in the Scriptures is not inconsistent with its immediate objective reve- lation to the soul by the Spirit.
Besides the great doctrines of salvation, there are many things the Christian needs to know which are not contained in the Scrip- tures. In these matters he is not left to his own guidance. The Spirit "guides into all truth." " Therefore," says Barclay, "the Spirit of God leadeth, instructeth, and teacheth every true Chris- tian whatsoever is needful for him to know." For example, whether he is to preach; and, if called to preach, when, where, and what he shall preach ; where he is to go, and in any emer- gency what he ought to do. So the Spirit teaches us when and where we are to pray, and what we are to pray for. As the Spirit's guidance extends to everything, it should be sought and obeyed in all things.
Quakerisna ignores the distinction between inspired and unin- spired men, except as to the measure of the Spirit's influence. He dwells in all believers, and performs the same office in all. As the saints of old, before the giving of the law, were under his instruc- tion and guidance, so they continued to enjoy his teaching after the law was given. All through the Old Testament dispensation the people of God received immediate revelations and directions. When Christ came there was a more copious communication of this influence. These communications were not confined to either sex, or to any class in the Church. They were not peculiar to the Apostles, or to ministers, but to every one was given a manifesta- tion of the Spirit, to profit withal. The state of the Church, as set forth in the New Testament as to this matter, continues to the present time, except that the gifts bestowed are not of the same miraculous chai-acter now that they were then. But as to his re- vealing, enlightening, teaching, guiding operations. He is as much present with believers now as during the apostolic age. Then all spake as the Spirit gave them utterance. When Christians assembled together every one had his gift : one a psalm, one a doctrine, another a revelation, another an interpretation. Every one could speak ; but it was to be done decently and in order. If anything were revealed to one sitting by, he was to hold his peace