Tell me, Ye high-flown _Perfectionists_, ye boasters of the _Light
within_ you, could the highest perfection of your inward Light ever
show to you the history of past ages, the state of the world at
present, the knowledge of arts and tongues, without books or teachers?
How then can you understand the Providence of God, or the age, the
purpose, the fulfilment of Prophecies, or distinguish such as have
been fulfilled from those to the fulfilment of which we are to look
forward? How can you judge concerning the authenticity and
uncorruptedness of the Gospels, and the other sacred Scriptures? And
how without this knowledge can you support the truth of Christianity?
How can you either have, or give a reason for the faith which you
profess? This _Light within_, that loves darkness, and would exclude
those excellent Gifts of God to Mankind, Knowledge and Understanding,
what is it but a sullen self-sufficiency within you, engendering
contempt of superiors, pride and a spirit of division, and inducing
you to reject for yourselves and to undervalue in others the _helps
without_, which the Grace of God has provided and appointed for his
Church--nay, to make them grounds or pretexts of your dislike or
suspicion of Christ's Ministers who have fruitfully availed themselves
of the Helps afforded them?