Page:New history of all religions.pdf/18

 suceed in the parish, Mr Barclay set out for Edinburgh, and in a short time after it was announced in the News Papers, that he had formed and joined himself to the Serean Society in that city, about the year 1770.

So far as is known, Mr Barclay was a man of good character, of a religious turn of mind, and only rendered singular by his peculiar sentiments concerning the doctrine of the Assurance of Faith, viz

They say, As faith and doubting are opposite principles, so no true Christian can have any doubt of the truth of the gospel; that is, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the only Redeemer of God's elect; nor of their own salvation; for both resteth on the same testimony: "He that believeth, shall be saved." &c Mark xvi 16.

They are Independants, and allow infant-bapism, although some of them are very scrupulous on that head.

They say, that people ought to remain in no doubt of their believing, and consequently of their being saved; for such as do are in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity.

Mr Barclay asserts, in a letter to a friend, on the doctrine of assurance. That he has no more doubt of his shining as a star in the kingdom of heaven, after death, than he has of the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah being already in that happy state; because it is positively said, " He that beleiveth shall