God its full and proper force, without considering whose scheme it favours, or what system it is likely to advance.' Regarding the Book of Common Prayer, he said, 'No other human work is so free from faults as it is.' Again he wrote: —
'I wish to receive every truth precisely in the way, and to the extent, that it is set forth in the inspired volume; were this the habit of all divines there would soon be an end to all the controversies that have agitated and divided the Church of Christ.'
These views entered into the mind of James Thomason, and abode with him always.
In the series of sermons, preached by Simeon before the University, on the Offices of the Holy Spirit, there occurs the following passage. The doctrine it contains must have been in Simeon's reflections for many years. It must also have affected the ideas of James Thomason, and inspired him with thoughts that surged up in his soul during the last weeks of his life, as will be seen hereafter.
'The Spirit of God is promised to us to dwell in us as in His Temple, and He is further to operate in us effectually for all the ends and purposes of our salvation. His motions may not unfitly be compared with the operations of the soul in the human body. Without the soul the body cannot perform any vital function whatever, but when that spiritual inhabitant is present with us, and discharges its proper offices, we show by the various exercises of our mind and body that it really dwelleth in us.
'Now, the Spirit of God performs in the soul an office somewhat analogous to this — the soul by itself has respect
