r THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES / .1 /L I ' /l/ (j-^ i/f u/fii > - I r/a-4y /)i 2U^H}1lJ k^c{. ^ //.^ //'///. .:/ 7 /" y / A V* / / /f ^^ / / / [< /ondo7u The 2'^ of the 6^^ Months 1735." H I N K I N G this a fuitable Time to publifh what I believed fome time lince required of me, which was, in the preceding Letters, to manifeft the Error of them who feri- oufly profefs Chriftianity, yet are blinded with Prejudice J I now find it my Duty to exprefs fome Thoughts relating to thofe who are got from under the dark Cloud of implicit Faith ^ but have not yet difcovered what to believe ; though Infinite Goodness has made Reve- lation fo general, that they themfelves feel, and fometimes acknowledge its Li- fiuence : But not knowing how to define D it. [ 22 ] it, they give it fome Term, or Name, which makes them eafieft under the Difobedience of its DiBates; and To they come to deny all immediate Revelation from GOD, in this Day; and what they feel of Revelation, they call Reajbn, My dear fellow Mortals, fuffer me to addrefs myfelf to you under this un- happy Error, which feparates you from real Happinefs. Now what is this which you call Reafon ? Is it a Principle which GOD has implanted in the Mind or Nature of Man ? And is this Principle what the Lord Shaftjbiiry (in his CharaBeriJiicks^ Vol. II. p. 32.) calls the Leading Part? Are its Dilates real Wifdom ? If fo, then if thou art led by it, Why is not thy Mind at Reft? How comes any Paffion or Defire of thine to fwell be- yond its due Bounds ? Well did I know what EfFed; fuch Faith had upon thofe who thought themfelves Philofophers, before I underftood real Philofophy; and therefore I here affirm that 'tis Sophijlry, and not real Philojbphy, which contra^- dids immediate Revelation. Can [ 23 ] Can the infinite Spirit of Spirits ceafe to manifeft himfelf in the Soul or Spirit of Man ? And if the Eternal Essence be infinite Goodnefs and in- finite Mercy, mufi: not a Ray of this GLORIOUS Light appear in us for our Inftrucftion and Guidance ? ^ It is impof- fible he fliould leave Mankind fo much in the Dark, as they mufl be, if there is no fuch thing as immediate Revelation. But if thou haft obferved how un- happy the Denial of Revelation has made Mankind in general, and thy poor di- ftradled Soul, at times, in particular; come now, if thou art thirfting after real Pleafure^ and drink of that River of Pleafure which is at GOD's Right Hand for evermore. The Way to come into this ^lefeJ Re/lj is to ceafe from thy fruitlefs En- quiries after Learning in the Dark, and turn to that Light which illuminates all Souls, as the Sun does Bodies; and in this Light thou fhalt clearly fee Light; D 2 for * n^. Preface, [ 24] for in this Light alone is the Myftery of every beneficial Science truly difcovered. But while thou derogateft from the Power of GOD^ which enlightens thy Underflanding, thou refifteft the Reve- lation of GOD, and fhutteft thy Eyes, as it were, from beholding a more^/i5- rious ObjeB than ever thou yet beheldft. And, while in this Delufion, thy Ears are flopp'd from hearing a more charm- ing Sound than ever yet got Entrance there. O! YIELD Obedience to the eternal GOD, as the eternal Power operating in thee, and thou wilt be foon convinced, beyond all Doubt, that he is infinite Perfection, which defires and offers thee Power to become a Child of God : For to as many as receive hi??i, to them he gives Power to become Sons of God, even to as many as believe on his Name. ^ And as thou believefl: in him, mani- fefting himfelf in thee, thou pafiefl from the Death of Senfualityj and in the ^/o- rious Effence dofl thou live, move, and have * John i. 12. [ 25 ] have a real Being j and that Life is hid with OOB in Chrift Jefus, abftraded quite from grofs Senfuality, which blinds the Underftanding from perceiving it, fo as to be obedient to the Revelation of GOD J which is made manifeft in Man -, For that which is to be known of God, is made manifeft in usj^ I am a living Wit- nefs of thisi and 'tis that Power which enlightens the Underftanding to diftin- guifh between Right and Wrong. The fame Power alfo gently perfuades the Mind to forfake the one, and to be led by the other; opening the Underftand- ing, and convincing the Judgment that our Duty and Intereft are the fame. This Power raifes us above regard- ing the Cenfure or Approbation of the Crowd, and places our Satisfaction in being approved by if alone, which is felfjiifficient to do all Things, and will impower us to do every thing that is required of us, if we, in humble Ado- ration, are attentive thereto. And is not this Power, by its EfFe(fls, as evident to be the Power of GOD, infpiring ' Rom. I. 19. [26] inlpiring Man, as any Truth which thou, by thy own Search, hafl yet diC- covered? And this Difcovery muft be thy own, before thou canfl be in the leafl benefitted by it: But when thou comeft to own it, for what it really is, in the Secret of thv Soul, and loveft its Appearance, then wilt thou know. What Eye hath not feen^ nor Ear heard, neither hath enter d i?tto the Heart of Man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him: But G^^ (faith the Apo- flle) hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit J for the Spirit fear cheth all 'Things y yea the deep Things of God.^ All true Philofophers are attentive to this Power, and by their Attention difcover, and acknowledge, the Eternal Goodnefs to be infinite, and themfelves dark, but when they are illuminated by this Power. For the fake of the Heedlefs and Unhappy amongfl Mankind, have I writ this; earneflly deliring that they may come to refl on the immoveable Rocky fince I am perfuaded that 'tis^ here *■ 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10, A BRIEF and SERIOUS WARNING To fuch as are concerned in Commerce and Trading, Who go under the Profeffion of Truth, to keep within the Bounds ^hereof, in Righteoufnefs, Juftice and Hunefty to- wards ali Men. Written by Ambrose Rigge, in t v- Year ,678. And now re-p.inted, together with the Advices of Irveial Yearly- Meetings of like Tendency : By Order of the kft Yearly-Meeting in London. LONDON: Printed by Mary Hinde, at N° 2, in George - Tardy ^ Lombard-Street^ ^77 ^»^ [ ! 1 Meeting for Sufferings^ the 15th of the Eleventh Month 1771. UNDER a forrowful Confideration of the Reproach brought on T'ruth and our religious ProfeJJion, by fome late Infl^nces of Perfom under our Name, who have fliamefully deviated from our Principles as well as from common Honejly and Jufiice amongfi Men, in failing of paying their jufi Debts, and thereby involving themjehes and others in Mijery and "Ruin. The laft Tearly-Meeting in London did direSi this Meeting to re-print a Treatife oj our ancient Friend Ambrose Rigge, long fince deceajedy being a Warning to Friends againft entering too deeply into trading and the Spirit of this World, together with fuch Tearly-Meeting Advices on that Head as might be thought proper » 7his Meeting therefore hath feleSfcd, and added to the jaid Freatije, divers earfie/l and pat hi tic Advices ot fever a I of our 1 early- Meetings^ againli a too eager Purftiit of the ferilhing Things of this Life^ omitting many ethers of like Import for Brevity' ^ Sake : But- fuch as are here retained evidently fhew, how early a Declenjion from the primitive Simpli- city and Uprightnejs of our Anceflors began to prevail among divers in Profejfon wjh us-, and [ M ] and at the fame I'ime the conftant and unre* mitttng Care and Concern that refied on the Minds of our faithful PredecejforSy and is fiill continued amojtgfi us, to warn and advije ail Friends againft Pride, Ambition and Luxury, and Launching out into unwarrant*- able 'Trade fojupport them. t 1 1 BRIEF and SERIOUS WARNING To fuch as are concerned in C O M M E R C E, c^c. MANY Days and Months, yea, fome Years, hath my Life be^n opprefled, and my Spirit grieved, to fee and hear of the uneven Walking of many, who have a Name to live, and prcfefs the Knowledge of God in Words ; yea, and alfo of fome who have tailed of the good Word of God, and nave been made Partakers of the Power of the World to come, and have received the heavenly Gift and Grace of God, which teacheth all, who walk in it, io deny all Ungodlinefs and Worldly Lujls, and to live foberly^ honejily and righteoujly in this frejent fVorldi, whole Paithfulnefs, with great Reafon, hath been expftled to God in Things of the higheft Concern, and to have walked as Lights in the World, and in all Faithfulnefs both to God and Man, to have flood as living Monuments of the Mercies of the Lord, letting their Lights fo fhine before Men, that they might fee their good Works, both in fpiritual and temporal Concerns ; and fo might have honoured and glorified God in their Day and Generation, and have convinced, or confounded, Gain-fayers, putting to filence the Ignorance of toolini [ 2 ] foolifh Men, whereby the worthy Name of the Lord, by which they have been called, might have been renowned through the Earth, and his precious Truth and Glory fpread to the Ends of it ; that many, through the beholding rheir good and exemplary Converfation in Chrift, coupled with the holy Fear of God, might have d' fired to lay hold of the Skirt of a Chrijiian indeed, whofe Praife is not gJ Men^ hut of Cod* Thefe are the Fruits which we have laboured and travelled for through many and great Tri- bulations, that many might be turned to Righteouf- nefsy and that the Knowledge of the Power and Glory of the Lord tnight cover the Earth, even as the Waters do the Sea. This was, and is, our only End and Dcfign, which, blelTed be the Lord, many are "WitnefTes of, and eftablifhed in, to our abundant Joy and Comfort : But there are Tome amongff us who have not walked humbly with the Lord, as he hath required^ nor kept in that low Eftate, neither inwardly nor outwardly, which becometh fuch who are travelling up to Zion, with their Faces thither- ward, but have gone from the Rock, which is firm and fure, into the great Sea of Troubles and Uncertainty^ where fome have been drowned, others hardly efcaping, and many yet labouring for the Shore, with little Hopes of coming at it i who have not only brought themfelves in danger of fufFering Shipwreck, but have drawn in others, and have indangered them alfo ; which hath opened the Mouths of the Enemies of Sion\ Welfare, to biafpheme his great and glorious Name, and hath eclipfed the Luftre of the glorious Sun of Righteoufnefs both in City and in Country : This is a crying Evil, and ought not to go unreproved, and that with a fevere t 3 3 a fevere Countenance, for God is angry with it"i and will afTuredly punifh it. Many have got Credit upon the Account of Truth, becaufe at the Beginning ir did, and doth ftill lead all who were and are fairh.u! to it, to Faifhfulnefs and Truth even iri the unrighteous Mammon^ and to let their Yea be Yea, and cheir Nay be Nay, even between iVIan and Man in outward Things -, fo that many would have credited one that was called a ^aker v^\\\s. muchj and many I believe, did meerly upon that Ac- count, fome whereof, I doubt, have juft Caufe to repent o( it already : But if Truth ;ind Righteoufnefs had been lived in by all who profefs it, there had been no fuch Occafion given ; tor they who ftill retain their Intfgrity to the Truth and Life of Rii^lueoufnefs manifefted, can live with a Cup of Water, and a Morfel of Bread in a Cottage, before ^'■■-y can hazi'.rd other Mens Eftates to advance their own ; fuch are not forward to borrow, nor to complain for Wan;, for their Eye and TruO: is to the L.ord their Preferver and Upnolder,. and h-^ hath continued the little Meal in the Barrel, and the Oil in the Crufe hath not failed to fuch, till God hath lent further Help -, this is certain'y known to a Rem- nant at this Day who have coveted no Man^s Silver, Gold or Apparel^ but have and do labour with their Hands Night and Day, that the Gofpel may be without Charge. It is fo far below the Noblliry of Chrijlianily^ that it is fhort of common Civility and honclt Society amongft Men, to twifl- into Mens Eftates, and borrow upon the Truth's Credit, gained by the jull and upright Dealing of the Faithful, more than they certainly know their B own f 4 ] own Eftates are like to anfwer ; and with what they borrow reach after great Things in the "World, appearing to Men to be what in the Sight of God and Truth they are not, feeking to compufs great Gain to themfelves, whereby to make themfelves or Children rich or great in the World : This I teftify for the Lord God, is Deceit and Hypocrify, and will be blafted with the Breath of his Mouth, and we have leen ic blafted already. And that Eftate that is got either with the rending, or with the Hazard of rending another Man's, is neither honeftly got, nor can be blefled in the PofTeflion ; for he that borrows Money of another, if the Money lent be either the Lender's proper Eftate, or Part of it, or Orphans Money that he is intrufted withal, or W^idows, or fome fuch, who would not let ic go but upon certain good Security, and to have the valuable Confideration of it*s Improvement ; and the Borrower, though he hath little or no real or perfonal Eftate of his own, but hath got fome Credit, either as he is a Profefifor of the Truth or otherwife, and hath, it may be, a little Houfe, and a fmall Trade, it may be enough to a low and contented Mind ; but then the Enemy gets in, and works in his Mind, and he begins to think of an higher Trade, and a finer Houfe, and to live more at Eafe and Pleafure in the World, atjd then contrives how he may borrow of this and the other, and when accompliftied according to his Defire, then he begins to undertake great Things, and gets into a fine Houfe, and gathers rich Fiirni'-ure and Goods together, launching pre- lently into the ftrong Torrent of a great Trade, and then makes a great Shew beyond what really he [ s 1 he is, which is Difhonefty ; and if he accom- pliflies his intended Purpofe, to raife himfelt in the World, it is with the Hazard, at lead, of other Men's Ruin, which is unjuft : But if he falls (hort of his Expedtation, as commonly fuch do, than he doth not only ruin others, but himfelf alfo, and brings a great Reproach upon the bleflTed Truth he profcfleth, which is worfe than all ; and this hath already been manitefted in a great meafure, and by fad Experience wit- nefTed. But the honeft upright Heart and Mind knows how to want, as well as how to abound, having learned Content in all States and Condi- tions ; a fmall Cottage and a little Trade is fufficient to that Mind, and it never wants what is fufficient : For he that clothes the Lilies^ and feeds the Ravens^ cares for all who truji in him, as it is at this Day witneffed, Praifes to God on high : And that Mm hath no Glory in, nor Mmd out after, fuperfluous or needlefs rich Hang- ings^ cofily Furniture^ fine Tables great "TreatSy curious Beds, Fejpls of Silver, or Veffels of Gold, the very PoffeJJion of which creates Env)\ as faith the ancient Chriftian Clement Alexandrinus, Paedag. Lib. 2. Cap. 3. Pag. 160, 161. The Way to be rich and happy in this World, is firft to learn Righteoufnefs ; for fuch were never forlaken in any Age, nor their Seed beg- ging Bread. And charge all Parents of Children, that they keep their Children low and plain in Meat, Drink, Apparel, and every Thing elfe, and in due Subjection to all juft and reafonable Commands, and lee them not appear above the real Eftates of their Parents, nor get up in Pride and high Things, though their Parents have plentiful Eftates, for that is of dangerous Confe- quence to their future Happinefs : And let all B 2 wha [ 6 ] who profefs the Truth, both Young and Old, R ch and Poor, fee chat they walk according to the Rule and Difcipline ct thi. Gofptl, in all G')dly Converfation and Hontfty, that none may fufFcr Wrong by them in any Mitter or Thing whatever •, that as the Apoftle exhorted, they may owe Jiothing to any Man^ hut to love one another ; for Love cut of a pure Heart is the ful- filling of the Law *, which Law commands to do juf'ly to all Men. And he that h.ith b'Jt little, Jet him live according to that litde, and appear to be what in Truth he is ; for al)ove all God abhors the Hypocrite ; and he that 1 Tim. VI. nakes Hafte to be rich talis into Snares, 1emptct<- ''' ' * tions, and man"^ fooliflo and hurtful Lufs, w-,ich drown many in Perdition •» for the Love of Money is the Root of dl Evil^ zvhich, while fome have coveted after, they have erred from the Faith^ and ■pierced thejnfelves through with many Sorrows. For preventing this growing Evil for the Time to rorne, let luch by taithful Friends be exhort- ed, who either live without due Care, fpending above what they are able to pay for, or run into great Trades, beyond what they can in Honefty and Truth manage ; and let them be tenderly admiOnifhed of luch their Undertakings : This will not offend the lowly upright Mind ; neither will the Honcft-minded, who through a Temptation may be drawn into fuch a Snare and Danger, take any Occafion to (lumble, be- caufe his Deeds are brought to Liglu. And if after mature Deliberation, any are manifefted to be run into any Danger of falling, or pulling others down with them, let them be fliithfully dealt witlul in Time, before Hope of Recovery he loft, by honeft faithful Friends, who are Cicar of fu^h Things themftlves, and be admo- nifhed [ 7 J ftiftied to pay what they have borrowed faith- fully, and in due Time, and be content with their own, and to labour with their own Hands in the Thing that is honed, that they may have wherewith to give to him that needeth, knowing that ii is more blejfed to give than to receive. And Adis »* if they hear, and are thereby recovered, you 35* will not count your Labour loft 5 but if they be high, and refule Admonition, it is a manifeft Sgn all is not well : Let fuch be admoniflied again by more Friends, and warned of the Danger before them j and if they ftill refufe and rejed Counfcl and Admonition, then lay it before the Meeting, concerned about Truth's Affairs, to which they do belong, and if they refufc to hear them, then let a Teftimony go forth agiinfl: fuch their Proceedings and Under- takings, as not being agreeable to /^^ Truth, nor' the Tejiifnony of a good Confcien^e^ neither in the Sight of God nor Man : This will be a Terror to* evil Doers of this Kind, and a Praife, Encou- ragement and Refrefhment to them who do well, and nothing will be loft that is worth faving by this Care ; for he that doth Truth, whether in fpiritual or temporal Matters, will willingly bring his Deeds to Light, that they may be manifefted to all, that they are wrought in God. Thefe Things lay weightily upon me, and I may truly fay, in the Sight of God, I writ them in a great Crofs to my own Will^ for I delight not, nay, my Soul is bowed down at the Occa- fion of wr-ting fuch Things ; but there is no Remedy, the Name of the Lord has been, and is likely to be greatly difhonoured, if Things of this Natut'C be not ftopped, or prevented for Time to come : Therefore I bcfeech you all, who [ 8 1 who have the Weight and Senfe of thefe Things upon you, let fome fpeedy and effedtual Courfe be taken to prevent what pofllbly we may, both in this and all other Things, that may any way cloud the Glory of that Sun which is rifen amongft us. And make this publick, and fend it Abroad to be read in true Fear and Reverence, and let all concerned be faithfully and plainly warned, without Refped of Perfons, by faithful Friends, who have a Concern for God*s Glory, and his Churches Peace and Profperity upon them : So will the Majefty and Glory of God ihine upon your Heads, and you fhall be a good Savour of Lite, both in them that are faved, and in them that are loft. Written by one who longs t^ fee Righteoufnefi exalt edi and all Deceit confounded. '"i:L":nt's:^^ Ambrose rigge. Month 1673. [ 9 ] EXTR AC T S FROM THE Yearly- Meeting-Epiftles, and Minutes. 1675. ADVISED, that none Trade beyond their Abilities, nor ftretch beyond their Com- pafs i and that they ufe few Words in Dealing, and keep their Words in all Things, left they bring, through their Forwardnefs, Difhonour to the precious Truth of God. 1688. Dear Friends, as it hath pleafed God to bring forth a Day of Liberty and Freedom to ferve him, in which he hath ftopt the Mouths of the Devourers, in a great meafure, for his Name's Sake ; O ! therefore let every one have a Care fo to ufe this Liberty, as the Name of God may be honoured by it ; and not an Occafion taken by any, becaufe of the prefent Freedom, to launch forth into Trading and Worldly Bufinefs beyond what they can manage honour- ably, and with Reputation, among the Sons of Men, and fo that they may keep their Word with [ 10 ] with all Men, and that their Yea may prove Yea, and their Nay may be Nay indeed ; for whatever is otherwife cometh of the evil One* And fuch who make themfelves guilty by thus dirtionouring God, and the holy Prfeffidn of his Name and Truth, fuch are for Judgment by the Truth ; and the Judgment of Truth ought to be fet over them ; mat the Truth, and thofc that abide and walk in it, may be clear of their Iniquities. 1692. It is advifed and earneftly defired, that the Payment of jufl Debts be not delayed by any profelTing Truth beyond the Time promifed and agreed. upon 5 nor Occafion given of Com.- plaint to thofe they deal with, by their Back- wardnefs of Payment where no Time is limited ; nor any to overcharge themfelves with too much Trading and Commerce, beyond their Capa- cities to difcharge a good Confcience towards all Men : And that all Friends concerned, be very careful not to contrail extravagant Debts, to the endangering the wronging others and their Families, which fome have done to the grieving the Hearts of the Upright ; nor to break their Promifes, Contrafts, or Agreements, in their Buying and Selling, or in any other lawful Affairs, to the injuring themfelves and others, occafioning Strife, Contention, and Reproach to Truth and Friends. And it is advifed that all Friends that are entering into Trade, or that are in Trade, and have not Stocks fufHcient of their own to anfwer the Trade they aim at, be very cautious of running themfelves into Debt, with- out advifing with fome of their ancient and experienced Friends among whom they live ; and more efpecially fuch Trading as hath its Dependance upon Sea Adventurco. 1724. [ II ] 1724. Whereas in this Time of general Eafe and Liberty, too n?any under our ProfefTion have launched forth into the Things of this World, beyond their Subftance and Capacities, to dif- charg- a good Confcience in the Performance of their Promifes and Contradls, as well as their juft Debts, to the great Scandal of our holy ProfefTion, and involving of themfclves, their Families and others, in great Sorrow and Incon- veniences : It is therefore our earneft Defire, that all Friends every where be very careful to avoid all inordinate Purfuit after the Things of this World, by fuch Ways and Means as depend too much upon the uncertain Probabilities of hazardous Enterprizes ; but rather labour to content themfelves with fuch a plain Way and Manner of living, as is moft agreeable to the felf-denying Principle of Truth which we profefs, and which is moft conducive to that Tranquility of Mind that is requifite to a religious Conduct through this troublefome World. '727. Dear Friends, it hath long been the great Concern of this Meeting, that all Friends care- fully walk in the Divine Light ; that they may be preferved from the two Extremes of Covet- oulnefs on the one Hand, and Extravagancy on the other -, the latter of which, has been the Occafion of the Failings of fome among us, in the Non-payment of their juft Debts •, by which great Reproach hath too often been brought upon our holy ProfefTion. Wherefore we earn- eftly dcfire all Friends to be very careful not to run into larger Trading and Bufinefs than ih.ir Capacities and Abilities can well anfwer •, and that they frequently inlpc-d their Circum- C ftances, [ 12 1 (lances, and do not live at an Expence be- yond them. And if, thro' adverfe Accidents, any fhould fail in paying their juft Debts, and fhould, afrer his, or her Compofition, with his, or her Creditors, be fo far blefled and profperM in their Affairs, as to be capable ot paying their Dcficiences ; it is the earneft Defire and Advice of this Meeting, that they do not omit the fame, it being agreeable to the Com- mand of the Gofpel, and common Juftice among Men. Let your Light fo JInne before Men, that ihe'^ may fee your good PForks, and glorify your Father which is in Heavm. Let us walk wifely towards thofe that are without, as well as thofe within. Let our Moderation, and Prudence, as well as Truth and Juftice, appear unto all Men, and in ail Things -, in Trading and Commerce, ■in Speech and Communication, in Eating and Drinking, in Habit and Furniture ; and, thro* all in a meek, lowly, quiet Spirit -, that as we profefs to be a fpiritually-minded People, we may appear to be fuch, as being bounded by the Crofs of Chrift, fhew forth the Power of that Divine Principle we make Profeflion of, by a Converlation every Way agreeable thereunto. 1732. We find it our Duty to remind our refpeflive Members of the remarkable Uprightnefs and Honcfty.of our Friends in the Beginning, in their Commerce and Converfe. How exa6l were they in performing their Words, and Pro- mi (es, without evafive Excufes, and infincere Dealings! How careful not to involve themfelves in Bufmcfs which they underftood not, nor had 'Stock of their own to manage ! How circumfped not 1^ 13 I not to contrafl greater Debts than they were able to pay in due Time ! Which brought great Credit and Reputation to our religious Society. But with Sorrow we obferve, that, contrary to their Example and the repeated Advices former-, Jy given by this Meeting, particularly in the Years 1729 & 173 i» againft an inordinate Pur- fuit after Riches, too many have launched into Trades and Bufinefs above their Stocks and Capacities •, by which unjuftifiable Proceedings and high living, they have involved themfelves and Families in Trouble and Ruin, and brought confiderabie Lofs upon others, to the greac Reproach of our holy Profeffion. Again, dear Friends, we efteem it our Duty to renew our former Advices, that Friends every where take diligent Care to prevent, as much as pofllble, Perfons profefling with us defrauding their Creditors of their juft Dues, to the great Scandal and Reproach of our holy ProfefTion, by timely admonifhing and caution- ing all thofe of our Society, who, by Delays in Payment, and breaking their Words and Promifes, give rcafonable Caufe of Sufpicion that their Circumftances are defperate •, advifmg ail fuch to infpecl their Accounts, and give up their Effects in Time, in order to make the befl they can to their Creditors, which will moil conduce to their own Peace, and the Credit and Reputation of our Chrijlian Society. But if any, through Ambition, or Defire of Grandeur in the World, fliall reduce themfelves toJnfolven- cy, after having been thus plainly cautioned,- and dealt with according to the Nature of the Offence, and purfuant to the Advices of this Meeting in the Years 1728 & 1732, to which C 2 w(j [14] we refer you, then the Society will juftly be clear of Reproach arifing from the Mifcondudt of fuch. A Care of this Nature we earneftly re«» commend, not only to Monthly and Quarterly- Meetings, but alfo that Friends, in their private Capacity, watch over, advife, and caution one another, whenever they obferve any real Occa- fion for it. Dear Friends, it is with much Sorrow and Grief cf Heart, v/e have ftill Occafion to remind you of the Advices fb lately delivered in our Ycarly-Epiftles, namely, to keep out of the extravagant Fafhions and Cuftoms of the World, and not to launch farther into Trade and Bufi- nefs, than you are capable of managing and carrying on with Reputaii)n and Credit among Men, and without Prejudice, Lofs or Detriment to any. We are fully perfwadi^d, that if Friends every where had a due Refped and Regard to this one Precept of Chrifb, v\x. Seek ye firjl the Kingdom of God and his Rigkteoiifnefs : which is the indifpenfible Duty of all his Followers to obferve, we fhould have little or no Occafion for the Repetition of fuch Advices : Let therefore, we earneftly befeech you, that Precept of our bleffed Lord and Mafler and holy Head be duly confidered and put in Praftice ; that by order- ing our Converfations agreeable to our Profef- fion, we may fhew forth the Praife of him who hath called us •, fo fhall we witnefs the Promife to be fulfilled, T^hem that honour me^ faith the Lord, / ivill honour. 1754. We befeech you. Brethren, fland upon your Guard againfh the Love of this World, and the Deceitfulnefs of Riches; the Nature of which is to choak the good Seed, and to render Meri unfruitfuJ, t IS J unfruitful. An eagar Purfuit after the Grandeur of this World, is a certain Token of Earthly- mindednefs ; and thofe who mind earthly Things, are reprefented by the ApoftJe Paul^ as Enemies of the Crofs of Chrifl. The beloved Difciple of our Lord alfo exprefly aflures us, that ^ ^«v i John ii. Man love the Worlds the Love of the Father is '5* not in him. A Refolution to be rich, hath de- ftroyed many. They that will he rich, faith the Apoftle, /^// into Temptation, and a Snare, ^«^9,^oT'^** into many foolijh and hurtful Lujis^ which drown Men in Dejlru^ion and Perdition : For the Love of Money is the Root of all Evil ; which while fome have coveted after, they have erred from the Faith, and -pierced themfelves through with many Sorrows, This hath been verified in the ruinous Confe- quences of an earthly ambitious Spirit, pufhing Men forward in the Purfuit of Greatnefs, upon hazardous Attempts, which have too often ifTued in the Fall and Ruin of themfelves and Families, the Reproach of the Society, and great Lofs to others. Some of whom probably, have placed the more Confidence in them for the Sake of their ProfefTion of Self-denial, which, had they really praftifed, would have prevented the fatal Efi^eds of their covetous and ambitious Under- takings. Wherefore we intreat Friends, in their Monthly-Meetings every where, to be properly watchful one over another, and early to caution all againft running beyond their Depth, and entangling themfelves in a greater Multiplicity of Trade and Bufinefs than they can extricate themfelves from with Honour and Rt-putation. And where any fhall proceed in Oppofition to fuch Advice and Counfel of their Brethren, let them in due Time be dealt wiih according Co former Advices of this Meeting. ■o' ^759' I 16 1 1759- This Meeting being forrowfully affeded with the Confideration of a great Defeftion in fome among us from the Pradlice of Juftice and Morality, divers of whom, from Negligence, Inattention, or ill grounded Hopes, and others from Motives of Ambition, and an eager Purfuit after the World, have launched out of their Depth, and entered into various Schemes and Branches of Commerce, beyond their Abilities to manage ; and Ibme of them into fcandalous' Pradices, to uphold a temporary Credit, greatly to the Reproach of our Society, and in open Contradiction to that Principle of univerfal Righteoufnefs we profefs ; which taught our Anceftors fuch Conduct, as to extort a Confef- fion from our Enemies, that, refpeding many of them, they could not find any Occafion, unlefs concerning the Law of their God. And it is the Senfe and Judgment of thi* Meeting, that if any fall fhort of paying their jufl Debcsj and a Compofition is madt- wich their Creditors, to accept of a Part, infttad of the Whole, notwithftanding the Parties may look upon themfelves legally difcharged of any Obli- gation to pay the Remainder, yet tnt Principle we profefs enjoins full Satisfadion to be maie, if ever the Debtors are of Ability. And in order that fuch may the better retrieve their Circum- ftances, we exhort them to fubmit to a Manner of living in every Refpecl the moft conducive to this Purpofe, and correlpondent to the State they are reduced to : It being exceedingly diflionourabie for any to live in Oftentation and Greatnefs at the Expence of others ; which is certainly the Cafe, where any Part of the Debts, due. by the Law of Equity and flrid Juftice, remains I 17 ] remains unpaid. And that Friends, in their Monthly-Meetings be cautious how they admit ;fuch, whofe Debts are unfatisfied, into full Unity, or receive their Colledlions, which cannot properly be deemed of their own. Dear Friends, we find it neceflary to remind you, that our worthy Anceftors, having their Eye direifted towards an enduring Inheritance, and their AfFedions eftablifhed upon Things above, fought not after Greatnefs in this World, J^ut palTed the Time of their fojourning here in iFear and in great Simplicity of Heart, as well ^of outward Detpeanour, endeavouring thereby to reach the Divine Witnefs in every Mind, and promote the Love of Truth and Righteoufnefa .amongft Mankind. In Minds thus bent upon feeking a more glorious Inheritance than Tem- porals can afford, the Love of this World had little Influence. They were fhining Examples ,of Temperance, Juftice and Truth. A De- fe6lion from this Simplicity of Heart, and Hea- venly-mindednefs, into the Love and Purfuit of this fading World, hath obvioufly prevailed with too many amongft us, and produced the Fruits of Pride and Ambition : Thefe have brought in many Wants, which the Simplicity and Inte- grity of our Anceflors preferved them from. To fatisfy thefe Wants, divers have been excited to enter into a larger Extenfion of Trade and Commerce, than they had Stock and Ability to condu(5f. Vain Ambition, and evil Emulation have led into higher Living, and greater Ex- pences than their Income would admit. Reduced by thefe Means in their Circumftances, yet unwilling to leffcn their Appearance in the World, they have made Ufe of indirect Methods to [ i8 ] to procure a temporary Support, which have ended in Failures and Bankruptcies, unknown among us in the Days of our temperate, and lowly, minded Predeceflbrs. This lamentable Defeftion in fome under our Name, hath occafiond great Reproach, and grievous Suffering in the Properties of many, almoft to the Ruin of Particulars, who placed more Confidence in thofe on Account of the Self-denying Profeflion they made to the World. Thefe Caufes of Affliflion have been lately- renewed, nOtwithftanding the many repeated Advices, and Brotherly Exhortations, which have been heretofore afFedlionately communi- cated. We therefore earneftly befeech, and intreat, that a godly Care may more and more fpread amongft us, early and tenderly to watch over fuch as may appear to be in Danger of Mifcarriage in their temporal Concerns ; admo- nifhing the High-minded of the Danger of a Fall, and ufing every Endeavour to prevent thefe fcandalous, and pernicious Occafions of Sorrow and Suffering : And where they break out, that Monthly-Meetings fail not to clear our holy ProfffTion of the Reproach caft upon it, by publickly teftifying againft fuch, from whofe iniquitous Condud the Offence comes. 1771. Notwithftanding the many weighty Cautions and whollome Advices given forth againft all injurious and difreputable Condud in Trade and Bufinels, divers Inllances of fcandalous Failures have of late appeared amongft fome in ProfefTion with us J the Confideration of which, hath brought a trefh Concern upon the Minds of Friends, t 19 1 Friends, to warn all againfl: a moft pernicious Prafticc, too much prevailing amongfl: the Trading Part of Mankind, which hath often iffued in the utter Ruin of thofe concerned therein, viz. That of raifing and circulating a fitflitious Kind of Paper Credit, with Indorfe- ments and Acceptances, to give it an Appear- ance of Value without an intrinfic Reality : A Practice highly unbecoming that Uprightnefs which ought to appear in every Member of cur religious Society, and of which therefore we think it our incumbent Duty to declare our Difapprobation, and Difunity therewith, as abfolutcly inconfiflent with that Truth we make Profeflion of. We are alfo engaged to caution every Individual, againft imprudently entering into joint Securities with others. For by thefe Praftices, many innocent "Wives and Children have been inevitably and unexpectedly involved in ruinous and deplorable Circumflances. We therefore earneflly dtfire Friends to keep flridly on their Guard, that none, through any fpecious Pretences of rendering Acfls of Friendfhip to others with Safety to them.felves, may rifque their own Peace and Reputation, and the Secu- rity of their Families. In Order hereunto, we recommend thisfalutary Advice of the wife Man to their efpeciai Notice, and Regard. Be no( thou one of them that jlrike Hands, or cf than that are Sureties for Debts. If thou haft ncthifig to -pay.^ ivhy Jhculd he take aimay thy Bed fnm tinder thee ? To the foregoing weighty Advices of the Yearly-Meeting we would add the following Caution. That Young People of little or no Capital of their own, beware of being anxious to get fpeedily into Bufmefs for themfelves as D Mailers-, [ 20 ] Mailers i but rather content themfelves with the Condition of Servants, until by their Induftry and Pains they have added fomething to their Stock, and attained a fufficient Degree of Know- ledge and Experience to manage a Trade with Safety. By this means they will be accuftomed to Frugality and Oeconomy, and a good Found- ation will be laid for their conducting themfelves properly in a higher Station, if Provideticje Ihould fee meet for them to fill it. We are your Friends and Brethren* Signed in and on Behalf of the Meeting fhr Sufferings, By William Wefton, Clerk of the Meeting. A N EPISTLE FROM THE Womens Quarterly Meeting FOR THE COUNTY OF YORK, HELD At L E E D S, The 26th and 27th of the 12th Month, 1781, To the Monthly and Preparative Meetings conftituting the fame. LONDON: Printed by James Phillips, George-YarDj Lombard-Street. m.dcc.lxxxii, AN EPISTLE FROM THE Womens Quarterly Meetings To the Monthly and Preparative Meetings conftituting the fame. Dear Friends^ WE are fenfible that to us as a peo- ple no new thing can be faid, hav- ing been favoured with a knowledge of the divine law, and the teftimony required of us to bear -, yet under a frefh renewed fenfe of Divine regard, we feel a fervent en- gagement to flir up the pure mind in you, that you may be animated with a lively concern, and that the flakes which remain in our Zion may be ftrengthened -, that we may unitedly continue to hold forth an invitation to thofe who have not rightly entered the true fheep-fold, to look upon Zion the city of our folemnities, the con- tinued refuge of the righteous, a quiet ha- bitation, fecure from the interruptions by A 3 which ( 6 ) which an unwearied adverfary is feeking to retard our progrefs, and dim our fpi- ritual eyes, in prefenting the glory, wif- dom, profits, and friendfhips of this world, or drawing the mind into its various com- motions, whereby it is prevented from feeing the truth in its own purity and iimplicity. Let us be engaged, beloved friends, fre- quently to look towards the Lord's holy habitation, and be willing to bear the fearching power of truth, that we may experience not only the wine but the oil, which anoints and re-anoints for fervice ; qualifying us to arife in the name of the Lord, and go forth in the way which he hath caft up for us. — Wherefore, we en- treat you, dwell deep in your fpirits, and carefully feel after renewed ability to flep forward in the line of divine appoint- ment ; and when aflembled in your meet- ings for worfhip and difcipline, labour to have your minds feparated from the en- tanglement of outward and even lawful things, that you may be favoured with the fpringing up of immortal life, and have your eye^ afrefli opened to fee in what ( 7 ) what you have fwerved from the pointings of duty, and wherein weaknefs hath enter- ed ; which hath forrowfully been the cafe with fome, even to the laying wafte their teftimony, who mrght have been as pillars in the Lord's houfe, if fully devoted to his will -y but for want of their upright- nefs, there is caufe to mourn, as when a ftandard- bearer fainteth. Were our fpirits thus exercifed, indivi- dually labouring in our own vineyards, he who is the great Hufbandman would condefcend more eminently to vifit our aflemblies, and himfelf to prune our bran- ches ; fo that the fruits of holinefs might be feen upon us. — Thus all, who are right- ly engaged in his fervice, would be enabled, in the meeknefs of wifdom, firmly to bear their teftimony againlt the fpirit and friend- fhips of this world, in its corrupt language, cuftoms and fafliions, truly concerned that, in all things, their moderation may appear unto all men ; even in the furniture of their houfes, the provifion of their tables, and the confiflency of their families, walking uprightly before the Lord, as did Abra- ham, who commanded his ho-ufliold after A 4 him; ( 8 ) him ; and being thus preferved under Di-* vine limitations, and experiencing frequent neceflary baptifms for more perfed: refine- ment, they may arife as from the wafhing pool, and, in the authority of truth, bear that portion of rule which the Lord hath appointed them in his church, and among his people ; warning the unruly, comfort- ing the feeble-minded, and fupporting the weak. A reformation thus advancing a- mongft the leaders of the people, the com- plaint of old may no longer be applicable to us, that the Lord hath given children for Nazarites and for prophets, but the parents (by early cafting before them temp- tations to evil, or fuifering the enemy to prevail, where their power might have prevented) have in effed: given the Naza- rites wine to drink, and faid to the prophets, Prophefy not. Amos ii. 12. We wifli thefe awfully to confider, that for every gift beftowed, whether fpiritual or natural, inquifition will be made, that they might happily fee the neceffity of honouring the Lord with their fubftance, and the firft fruits of all their increafe, inftead of gathering together, and chiefly appropriating it to nourifli in their oiF- fpring ( 9 ) fpring a departure from the fimplicity of the truth, whereby the divine and gracious intention concerning them is often defeated. As it is evident that the judgments of the Lord are in the earth, and that a part of the churches are vifited therewith; and we hav- ing, as well as they, incurred the Divine difpleafure, by the departure of many a- mongfl: us, from his holy commandments; let us now be engaged to humble ourfelves before him, to have our eyes anointed to fee, and our hearts dedicated to perform his will ; that if the Mofl High fhould fee meet to arife more eminently in judgment in this land, we may, by the operation of his fpirit, ex- perience every accurfed thing done away, and, being purified and made clean, may re- pair to the fortrefs of his power, witneffing prefervation as in the hollow of his hand, though fubjedled to outward calamities. And you, beloved friends, whofe fituati- ons and circumftances in life are fo flraitas to render it difficult to attend monthly, quarterly, and other religious meetings, without what may appear a great facrifice of outward things ; we believe of this clafs, there ( 10 ) there are many hidden fervants In the Lord's houfe,whoare walking humbly andmourn- fully before him; with whom we afFediio- nately fympathize, and whofe habitations wc vifit, with the falutation of " Peace be ** upon them." But, dear friends, let it be remembered, that the Lord is equal in all his ways ; and notwithftanding our cir- cumftances may appear various, he deals bountifully with us all, and doth not leave any without ability to perform his wilL Wherefore we wifh to encourage and ftrengthen your minds to feel after, and prefer, that peace which is fuperior to all outward enjoyments, giving contentment with theallotment of Providence, andpre- fervingfrom entanglements with things, for yourfelves or your families, which the wif- dom of truth never pointed out as neceflary for us : whereby the Lord's people are pre- vented from advancing in the way of righte- oufnefs, and from attaining an holy confi- dence which would enable them to refemble the widow, who made the prophet a cake firft, and whofe meal and oil did not wafte. Thus faithfully coming up in the attendance of our religious meetings, and being united- ly engagedfor the advancement of theLord's work in ourfelves and in the earth, we may be ( II ) be enabled to offer together offerings in righteoufnefs, of a fweet-fmelling favour, fuch as will find acceptance as in days of old. Our minds are impreifed with a fenfe, that the gathering arm of Divine love is ilretched out to many of the youth, and we entreat thefe to follow the footfteps of the flocks of the companions of Chrift ; and though many may want examples of this kind, and have caufe frequently to query, ** Who will fhew us any good," yet re- member the Lord's watchful eye is over you, and his power the fame to manifeft and lead into that uniform path the fol- lowers of Chrift have ever walked in. We therefore intreat you to dwell under its humbling operation, whereby you would become acquainted, in the light of the Lord, with your own imperfe(5lions, and the pronenefs of your nature to evil ; rather than juftify yourfelves by the departure of others from under the power of the crofs of Chrift. Thus will you find the reproofs of inftru(flion are necelTary for your falvation, and, by yielding thereto, power to overcome the temptations of the enemy will be afforded, and additional ilrength ( 12 ) ftfcngth fucceed to prefs forward in the way of righteoufnefs ; whereby you may be hrought like Mofes, the appointed leader of Ifrael, in the time of youth, to prefer afflidion with the people of God, rather than enjoy the pleafures of this world, which are but for a feafon. But you who are the offspring of pa- rents ferviceable in any ftation in the church, we wifh particularly to call your attention to the importance of your exam- ple : confider the favours bellowed upon you, the privileges many of you enjoy, for which you muftaffuredly be anfwerablej and, above all, confider that the teftimony of truth is greatly weakened by the mani- feft deviation of fome of you therefrom, and which it is your duty to fupport, by a con- duct: and appearance conformable there- to. We are fenfible that the life is more than meat, and the body than raiment ; and therefore we would imprefs on your minds, a fenfe of theneed there is to purchafe for yourfelves the fubftance of truth, and to be fubjedl to the humbling power thereof. Then will thofe defires be crucified which crave the forbidden fruit, and prevent your approaches to the tree of life, whereunto the ( 13 ) the redeemed only have accefs. Thus would you fee it to be your indifpenfable duty to live under the government of the God of the faithful ; and though your growth and experience may not be equal to your being active for the truth, yet a tender concern would reft on your minds that you fhould do nothing againft it, which we believe would be divinely regarded, and draw down a bleffing upon you. We are comforted under a fenfe, that a-, mongft the youth there are a number whofe minds have been as clay in the hands of the potterj and to thofe we need only fay. Humbly and patiently abide there, that when the Lord is pleafed to try, and carry forward his own work, by the renewed bap- tifms of the Holy Ghoft and of fire, you may not ftart afide, neither count it ftrange as though fome new thing had happened un- ty you ; but rather remembering for your encouragement, tha^ the Lord faid unto his fervant formerly, " I have refined thee, but ^* not with filver : I have chofen thee ja ^* the furnace of ^fflicf^ion/* We alfo feel an engagement for you be* loved friends, who have come amongft u$ by ( H ) by convlncement, and know what it is to purchafe a poiTeffion in the truth, that no- thing may divert your minds from a fteady attention to the Divine Leader, and caufe you to take up any reft Ih jrt of the true one, or to conclude, that after an admiffion into the fociety, and outward union with the Lord's people, you may be lefs careful and watchful over yourfelves ; but rather be engaged to follow on to know the Lord, and, by fimple obedience to all his requir- ings, prove what is his perfecft will con- cerning you J that fo his gracious intention in bringing you amongft us may be anfwer- ed. For want of this engagement how have divers halted in their progrefs, and gradually loft their habitation in the truth, until they have become like fruitlefs wi- thered branches 3 fome even returning to thofe things from which they were once redeemed. May all thefe awfully con- iiderfrom whence they are fallen, and, by fully joining with the renewed offers of our heavenly Father's love, witnefs reftoration to his favour, and to that ftation in the church which he may fee meet to appoint, Notwithflanding we apprehend there is caufe for thefe remarks, we are alfo fenfible that there are others, who being thus join- ed ( IJ ) ed to us, have manifefted their love by their continued obedience, and are chofen of the Lord to feed his flocks, and to be diggers and pruners in his vineyard : thefe we fa- lute, with fuch amongft us, who feel the weight of the work, and are baptized into deep fuffering with the precious feed -, and to thefe we fay. Let nothing abate your holy zeal, neither account your lives dear unto you, but be faithful unto death ; for in the vidory of the Lamb of God, ever- lafting life will be the crown of his faith- ful followers. Wherefore, dear friends, let us feel for renewed fellowfhip in that which is of the Father, whereby we may be enabled to. ftrengthen the things which remain, that are rea'dy to die, and to build one another up in the mofi: holy faith; that fo our works may be found perfed: before God. Signed by order, and on behalf of the faid meeting, held at Leeds the 26th and 27th of the i2th month, 1781. By MARY BIRKBECK, Clerk to the meeting this time. THE FAITH OF THE PEOPLE CALLED QUAKERS, IN OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, SET FORTH IN VARIOUS EXTR.\CTS FROM THEIR WRITINGS, By henry TUKE. LONDON: PRINTED AND SOLD BY WILLIAM PHILLIPS, GEORGE YARD, LOMBARD STREET, 180I. INTRODUCTION. 1 HE obje(5l of this compilation is threefold. Firft, To bear, in this age of fcepticifm and infidelity, when many are fwerving from the Chriflian faith, a public teftimony to the coming of the Son of God in the flefh, and to the benefits derived to mankind thereby. Secondly, To remove from the Society of which I am a member, the fuggeflions and im- putations of unfoundnefs in this great point of Chriflian doftrine, which have at times been cafl upon it. Thirdly, To manifeft, by clear and indif- putabJe teilimonies, to fuch of our own mera- A 2 IV bers as have not maturely conndered the fubjeft, v^hat our uniform and acknowledged principles are ; that they may be the more upon their guard againft any perfons, who may endeavour to draw them from the (lability of faith. I hav^ for a few years paft been apprehen- five that fomething of this kind was due, both to ourfelves and the world ; and I hoped that fom.e better qualified perfon would have undertaken the work ; hut when I conceived that the end might be mod efFe^iualJy anfwered by a colle6tion from former writers, I was the more wiUing to engage therein. It appears to me to be a time, whereia true believers in Chrifi:, of all denominations, fhould unite in the fupport of our holy re- ligion ; but whilfl: we are carefully endeavour- ing to maintain the Truth as it is in Jefus, and even willing to contend, w^hen cccafion requires, for that faith, which was once de- livered to the faints, let us alfo be efpecially careful to adorn the gofpel of Chril confiileut conduct, regulated by that grace and tratli which are come by Him, in whom wc all profefs to believe.- Without this we bear but a very imperfeft teftimony to the iuperior excellence of the gofpel difpenfation, give its enemies an opportunity to defame it, and prove ourfelves to be like the fooliih builder upon the fandy foundation, to whom our blef- fed Redeemer compared thofe who heard his fayings, but did them not. Neverthelefs, the truth of Chridianity does not depend upon the condufl of its profelTors; for however inconfiilent this may be, yet the excellency of the Chrlftian faith, and the purity of its, precepts, will ever bear a ftrong and unequivocal teftimony againft the conduct of thofe who hold the I'ruth in unrighteouf- nefs. Let nonp therefore, from the weaknefs or wickednefs of mankind, condemn a religion, the beft calculated of any for the correction of thefe evils, and for our redemption from them ; and which is indeed peculiarly adapted to the nature of a being prone to fin, and en- compafled with many infirmities ; but who is at the fame time called to glory and to virtue, and defigned for that life and immortality which are brought to light by the gofpel. A3 FAITH OF THE PEOPLE CAtLED RAKERS, '^c. IN producing the Teflimonies of our Friends on this occafion, an attention will be generally paid to the order of time in which they were written. The firfi extra^H: I (hall make is from the Journal of George Fox ; and as he was made inftrumental in gathering us to be a people, and is generally confidered as the founder of our Society, his teftimony may have the more weight. GeorgeFox's Journal, p.358, iftedit. 'We do own and beheve in Jefus Chrift, his (God's) beloved and only begotten Son, in whom he is well pleafed, who was conceived by the Holy Ghoft, and born of the Virgin Mary ; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgivenefs of fins ; who is the exprefs image of the invifible God, the firft-born of every creature ; by whom were all things created that are in heaven, and that arc in earth, A 4 8 vlfible and invifible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principaHties or powers ; all things were created by him. And we do own and behcve, that he was made a facrifice for fin, who knew no fm, neither was guile found in his mouth ; and that he was crucified for us in the flefh, without the gates of Jerufalem ; and that he was buried, and rofe again the third day, by the power of his Father, for our juflification. And we do believe that he afcended up into 'heaven, and now fitteth at the right hand of God. This Jefus, who was the foundation of the holy prophets and apof- tles, is our foundation ; and we do believe that there is no other foundation to be laid, but that which is laid, even Jefus Chriil ; who, we believe, taded death for every man, and (lied his blood for all men ; and is the propitiation for our fins, and not for ours only, but for the fins of the whole world.* Ifaac Pennington, in a publication entitled, ' The Sum and Subilance of our Religion,' mentions the following objeftion, which had been made, and replies thereto. See vol. i, p. 694, quarto edition of -his works. ' It is obje> here cajlcd the feed of the woman,. (becaufe, as :C,Oi>certiiftg thefieih; in the fuMefs-iof time, • Gtiriil;,iwas to be,^ barn of a ^YP^Sl'n,) did doubtlefsijt-hen eHift-, when; this prom ife .was ,inade, 2^|d had done ■ fQ, ^s_ to.: his Divinity, frpnietei:nity^fjji^f.{ / -nd^ '^t[} '\', .^n;f aififn hivv?: ' In due time this {c&A took flefli iii the womb of the virgin Mary, according to Scripture; was born in Bethlehem in the land of Judea ; did many mighty miracles among the Jev/s, ip convince them that he i§ was the promifed MeiTiah, whofe coming they were then in full cxpeftation of ; lived a moil exemplary life ; taught a moft excellent and heavenly doftrine, recorded by the four evan- gelifls; fubmitted to the fliameful death of the crofs, to make atonement and propitiation for the fms of the whole world. He was buried, and on the third day rofe again from the dead, according to the Scriptures j and was conver- fant with his difciples about forty days, con- r cerning the things of God, and the great work he had for them to do in this world. Then he was taken up into heaven; and fet at the right hand of God the Father, where he ever liveth to make interceflion for them that come unto God by him ; by whom God will judge the world in righteoufnefs, in the day he hath appointed, when all that are in the graves fliall hear his voice, and fhall come forth, they that have done good unto the re- furre£i:ion of life, and they that have done evil, to the rcfurre£tion of condemnation.* In the years 1730, 1731, and 1732, Jlex- ander Arfcott, publiflied, in three parts, ' Conr fiderations of the prefent State of the Chriftian 20 Religion,' from which the following cxtra£^ is made : * Chrifl, the author of the Chriflian Reli- gion, is to be confidered under a two-fold fcharafter; as man, whp was born of the virgin Mary, fuiFered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried ; and as God, in which fenfe he wa? in the beginning, before all worlds, and is called in Scripture, the Word, the Wifdom, and Power of God. In the firft fenfe he was, and is, outward ; in the laft, he fills all things, and is prefent every where ; more efpecially, confidered in that relation he bears to mankind, as their Saviour and fanftifier, is prefent in the hearts of men, to quicken and enlighten them, for their affift- ance in the work of repentance, converfion, fan^tification, regeneration, and complete fal- vation,* ' And as what Chrifl: did and fuftered for mankind, was neceffary, by the appointment of God the Father, for their reconciliation to him, notwithftanding their fins and trefpafifes againfi: him j fo his prefence with them and ini 21 them, is as neceffary for their overcoming fin, and bringing them into a flate of holinefs and acceptance with him ; and this lafl: is as truly a part of the Chriftian religion as the firflj and both taken together, make up the whole entire Chriftian rehgion ; and therefore when we fpeak or write of it, we mean that religion which has relation to Chrifl in both the fenfes^ or elfe we do not take in the whole idea of it, but a part only.' In the year 1773, 5^^/^ Phipps, was en- gaged in a controverfy with a perfon, who had attacked the principles of the fociety; and in a publication entitled, ' The Original and Prefent State of Man,' &c. in which he draws a coraparifon betwixt the miracles at- ' tending the introduftion of the legal, and thofe of the Chriftian difpenfation, after fpeaking of the former, he proceeds thus : * Accordingly the gracious difpenfation of the gofpel was introduced by evidences of divine authority equally extraordinary, and equally fuited to its placid and falutary nature.' B3 ,. /..Beiides the numerous predictions of the prophets concerning the MefTiah, the advent of his forerunner the Bapiiil, and the mi- raculous conception of our Saviour by the bleifed virgin, witnefs the many wonderful works he performed, the unaccountable dark- ■nefsj and the rending of the veil of the tem- ple throughout, from top to bottom, at his giving up the ghofi: j his aftonifhing refur- re£tion, and that of the bodies of buried faints, which arofe and went into the city ; and his vifible afcenfion, attended with the glorious miniflration of angels. After all this, at the lime of the Jewifli feaft of Pentecoft, the apoflles and difciples being alTembled together, according to the Lord's command, the Holy Ghoit gave a two-fold demonftration of its advent ; firft, by the appearance of cloven tongues, as of fire, which fat upon each of them ; fecond, by filling their hearts with the Holy Ghoft, to fuch a degree that they began to fpeak with other tongues, or in other lan- guages befides their own, as the Spirit gave them utterance. To divers of them were likewife added, the miraculotis powers of healing all manner of difeafes j the dumb 23 %verc made to fpeak, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the bUnd to fee ; demoniacs were difpoflefled, and the dead were raifcd and rjeftored to life.' I {hall, now add a f6w teftimonies from the Society more at large, in order to fhew that we fpeak the fame thing, both collectively and feparately. The firfl is from a paper, entitled ' The Quakers' Vindication,* which was prefented to the Members of Parliament in 1693 ; and which contains the principles of the Society at this day. ' We whofe names are underwritten, being in Chriflian Society with the people called Qiiakers, do, in good confcience, declare, and certify all perfons concerned : ' ift. That we fmcerely believe and con- fefs, that Jefus of Nazareth, who was born of the Virgin Mary, is the true Meffiali, the very Chrift, the Son of the living God, to whom all the prophets gave witncfs. And we do highly value his death, fufferings, -rworks, offices, and merits, for the redemption B4 and falvation of mankind, together with his laws, doctrines, and minlflry. * 2d. That this very Chrift of God was and is the Son of God, that takes away the fins of the world ; who was llain and is alive, and lives for evermore, in his divine, eternal glory, dominion, and power, with the Father. ' And we know of no other doctrine or principles preached, maintained, or ever re- ceived among or by us, lince we were a people, contrary to thefe aforefaid. * Signed on behalf of the faid people by * thirty-one Friends. The following are fome advices, which were iffucd by the Yearly Meeting, in Lon- don, in 1728 and 1732. There are feveral others from the f*iid meeting, of the fame ten- dency. 1728. ' Inafmuch as the Holy Scriptures are the external means of conveying and pre- fcrving to us an account of the things moft 25 furely to be believed, concerning the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift in the flefli, and the fulfilling of the prophecies relating thereto j we therefore recommend to all Friends, efpe- cially elders in the church and maflers of families, that they would, both by example and advice, imprefs on the minds of the younger, a reverent efteem of thofe facred writings, and advife them to a frequent read- ing and meditating therein; and that you would, at proper feafons, give the youth to underftand, that the fame good experience of the work of fan£lification, through the ope- ration of the Spirit of God, which the Holy Scriptures plentifully bear teftimony to, is to be witnelTed by believers in all generations, as well as by thofe in the firft ages of Chrif- tianity. And this we recommend as the mofl efFe£lual means of begetting and eftablifhing in their minds a firm belief of the Chriflian doftrine in general, as well as the necefllty of the help of the operations of the Holy Spirit of God in the hearts of men in particular, contained in that moft excellent book the 'Bible; and for preferving them from being defiled with the many pernicious notion? 26 and principles, contrary to fucli , found doc- trine, which are at this time induftriouily dif- perfed in the nation, to the reproach f)£:tbe, Chrrftian profeffion in. general.* .. ,In 1732. ' Dear friends, we tenderly and ^arneftly advife and exhort all parents and mafters of families, that they exert themfelves in the wifdom of God, and in the flrength of his love, to inflrufl their children and families m the doiSlrines and precept^ of the Chriilian ■religion, contained in the Holy Scriptures ; and that they excite them to the diligent reading of thofe facred writings j which plainly fet forth the miraculous conception, birth, holy life, wonderful works, blefled example, meritorious death, and glorious refurrcdtion, afcenfion, and mediation of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift ; and to educate their 'children in the belief of thofe important truths, as well as in the belief of the inward mani- feflatioD and op£raiion of the Spirit of God upon their own minds; that they may reap the- benefit and advantage thereof, for their own peace and evcrlafting happinefs, which is preferable to all other confiderations. We 27 therefore exhort in the imqfl: earnefl; manner, that all be very careful in this refpe^, a negleft herein pcmg m our judgaiient very blame- worthy.'- Laflly, I fliall give a quotation from a late publication, iffued by the dire^ion of the Meeting for Sufferings : which meeting is com- pofed of Friends appointed by all the Quar- terly Meetings in the kingdom. The book is entitled, ^A Summary of the Hi{tory,Doftrine, and Difcipline of Friends.' In this work are the following paflages : ' We agree with other profeffors of the Chriftian name, in the belief of One Eternal God, the Creator and Preferver of the Uni- verfe ; and in Jefus Chrift his Son, the Meffiah and Mediator of the new covenant.* * When we fpeak of the gracious difplay of the love of God to mankind, in the miracu- lous conception, birth, life, miracles, death, refurreftion, and afcenlion of our Saviour, we prefer the ufe of fuch terms as we find in Scripture; and, contented with that know- 28 ledge which divine wifdom' has Teen meet to reveal, we attempt not to explain thofe myf- teries which remain under the veil ; never- ihelefs we acknowledge and aflert the Divinity of Chrift, who is the wifdom and power of God unto falvation.* 29 CONCLUSION. THE foregoing quotations are but a fmall part of what might have been adduced on this occafion ; but it is apprehended, they will be amply fufficient to manifefl: the uniformity of our principles on the fubje£t, and their agree- ment with the doftrines of theNewTeflament. They will alfo evince our belief in the Holy Scriptures; which we confider,with theapoftle, as ' able to make wife unto falvation, through faith which is in Chriil Jefus.' And whilft I feel anxious for the prefervation of this faith, both with refpeft to the coming of the Son of God in the flefh, for the redemption of man- kind; and to that glory which he had with the Father before the world began ; I am alfo earneftly foHcitous, that all who make this profelTion, may likewife believe in, and re- ceive him, in his inward and fpiritual appear- 30 ance, by which he enlightens our underftand- ings, and purifies our hearts. Thus Ihall we become partakers of ' the fulnefs of the bleffing of the gofpel of Chrifl 5 ' and know < what is the riches of the glory of this myfterv among the Gentiles ; which is Chrift wiihiiij the hope of glory/ ^rORK, jjl of Firjl Month, 1 80.*/'. r :o aoc: Ji!,. '^ rimed iji ',y. Bhillifi, Qtor^c Varift Lcrnbard Strttl. ^-■Z' LETTER T O FRIENDS OF PORT ISAAC. LETTER T O FRIENDS or PORT ISAAC IH CO RNJVJL L, FROM THOMAS G W I N, LATE OF FALMOUTH. Hontjon : rRINTED AND SOLD BV JAMES PHILLIPS, GEORGE YARD, LOMBARD STRE8T, 1796. a LETTER To Friends at Port Ifaac and the Parts adjacent* DEAR FRIENDS, T> EING at this time difabled by mudi pain and weaknefs, and confined to my chamber, I cannot vilit you perfonally : it therefore became fome concern to me, t;o fend you this Epiflle and token of true love, with defires for your everlafting well-being. A 3 The ( 6 ) The Lord, as you know, hath been won- derfully kind unto us, in vifiting of us with his day-fpring from on high, and calling us to be a peculiar people, and a chofen generation, to fhew forth his praife ; and as we have been diligent in waiting upon him, he has frequently renewed his vifitations unto us, whereby we have known his Divine teaching, " and need not any man to teach us, but as the fame anointing teacheth, which is truth, and no lie." This is Indeed a great privilege ; and that which we labour and travail for is, that all may become the children of Zion, taught of the Lord, that they may be ellablifhed in righteouf- nefs, and be far from oppreflion ; and this is enjoyed by thofe who obey his Divine teach- ings. C 7 ) ings. They have a famihar converfe with him, and are made glad in his prefcnce ; they delight in aflembling together for the worfiiipping of him, and it is a great comfort to them, to ap- proach before him. And although the proud may be counted happy, affd they who work wickednefs may be fet up — yet they that fear the Lord, will take opportunities to fpeak comfortably one unto another ; and the Lord hearkens, and hears, and has a book of re- membrance written for them, and they iliall be his in the day when he makes up his jewels. And herein is the fellowfliip and unity of bre- thren, where the flock of Chriil feed together and partake of the paflures of life, and drink of that river, the ftreams of which make glad the city of God ; and the body edifies itfclf in A 4 love. ( 8 ) love, being all in a holy fubjeftion to our heavenly head and Lord, Chrift Jefus. But the great enemy of the happinefs of mankind, who labours to draw the ftars of heaven from their ftation, endeavours at this day to draw many, who have in fome meafurc beheved, from their fteadfaftnefs in the truth. Thus fomc, as in the days of old, having departed from the heavenly union, have gone into the envious ways of Cain, have followed covetoufnefs with Balaam, and perifhed in the gainfaying of Core. But I am perfuaded better things concerning you; however, I was willing to fend thofe few cautions, that you may be found watchful for the vifitations of divine grace, and may never be prevailed on by the fubtilty of Satan. Firft, ( 9 ) Firft, then, I caution you, that you may- watch diligently againfl the temptations of the world and the cares of this life, which, as they have prevailed, have caufed many to become dry and formal, and unacquainted with the fprings of divine virtue. Our Saviour cau- tioned his followers to take heed left their hearts fliould be overcome by them j and he fet forth the difmal condition of fuch, in the pa- rable of that ground which was overgrown with briars and thorns, whereby the feed fown was choked and became unfruitful. Such may frequent meetings a long time and yet re-* <:cive no benefit : not that there is any thing wanting in the Lord ; but thefe want the due qualifications that fit us for his divine blefllngs. Therefore, friends, let us labour to obtain, a fpirit more heavenly and lefs worldly ; and in it wc ( 10 ) we fliall find the Lord to be as near as ever ; truth will be as defirable to us as ever it was ; and, as a people rifen with Chrift Jefus, we fliall feek thofe things that are above : our affeftions will be fettled on him, and thofe graces which he brings into the foul ; the want of which has caufed many to fit down in barrennefs, under an empty profeffion, where, as the foohfli virgins, their lamps have been deflitute of the divine oil. ~ Secondly. Friends, be careful to keep up your aflemblies, and to improve the opportu- nities of worfhipping the great God. Let that mind be in you which was in the kingly pro- phet, who faid, " I was glad when they faid unto me, Let us go up to the houfe of the Lord :" for that fpirii which leads people to be ( " ) be carelefs of meetings, leads out of the love of truth ; the fervices of fuch become tedious, and it is a hard exercife to them to wait upon God. Whereas the poor in fpirit, with thofe that hunger and thiril after righteoufnefs, will delight to look unto him who feeds them and refreflies them, and who takes a delight in their approaching near unto him. Thirdly. Be careful to keep up the tcf- timony of truth, and not to flinch from it bc- caufe of fufferings ; for that fpirit which is of- fended with fuffering, and looks upon it as grie- vous and intolerable, has not been duly ex- crcifed in looking unto the Lord. If our hearts were guided by the fpirit of faith, wc fhould thereby fee how bleiled they are who are perfecuted for righteoufnefs fake, and that their reward is great in PIcaven. In ( " ) In the primitive times, it is faid, they took joyfuliy the fpoiling of their goods, knowing that they had in heaven a far more enduring fubflance. Let this heavenly inheritance be fet before your eyes; that fo you may not look upon the lofs of goods or lofs of liberty, to be fuch grievous and infupportable exercifes, as therefore to let fall any branch of that tefti- mony, Chrifl has called us to bear. The pro- vidence of God has given us great degrees of liberty and eafe from the outward perfecutorj and there are not many branches of our tefli- mony, for which we are fo liable to fufFerings as we were feme years ago. Let us be thank- ful to God for this mercy, and be true and faithful unto him j that wc may have right to enter with him, and to eat of the hidden manna, and to enjoy " that white ftone, in which ( "3 ) which is the new name that no one knoweth but he who receiveth it." Finally. Brethren, be at peace with each other. Let the love of God abound among you, that the flrong may bear the infirmi- ties of the weak, and not feek to pleafe them- felves. Let not thofe who are weak in judgment be ftrong in conceit ; but all hold- ing to the head, from which the whole body, by joints and bands, hath nourifliment minif- tercd, grow up together, to fervc, to ho- nour, and to praifc the great God, who is over all, worthy for ever! And thus, friends, you will become more and more lively and lovely in the eyes of the Lord J and your fellowfliip together in the truth, will be like the oil that fell upon the ( 14 ) the head of Aaron ; which did not only come down to his beard, but to the very Ikirts of Ills garment. So will the mourners be com- forted, the v/eak and feeble ones fupported, the careiefs be cautioned, and the rebellious rebuked ; and your neighbours, in attending your meetings, and in the doctrine they hear, will have an enfign held out to them ; by which they will be turned to the light within, the holy unclion, the law written in the heart and' placed in the fpirit ; and come to the know- ledge of God, which is life eternal. Many have been like unto the Athenians, worfliipping an unknown God j or like the Samaritans, who, as our Lord told the woman, worfliipped they knew not what : but thofe that come un- der the direaion of the fpirit of Truth, they knov/ whom they worfhip, and what worfhip he is well pleafed withj and that the facri- fices ( '5 ) fices of God, a broken heart and a contrite fpirit, lie never will defpifc. And as the apof- tle told the Athenians, they might feel after the Lord, for he was not far from every one of them — to him I defirc to direft and leave yon, who leads in the way of righteoufnefs, and in the midft of the path of judgment j he will be a fuccour to the needy foul, enrich the poor, and ftrengthen the feeble-minded. In whofe fweet love and peace, I falute you, and remain your faithful friend. And fellow traveller, THOMAS GWIN. FALMOUTH, 13th of 2d Month, I ^10. BOOKS PRINTED AND SOLD BY JAiMES PHILLIPS, George Yard, Lombard-Street. Jiijl Puhlljhed. Lptters of Isaac Penington, &c. now firfl publifhed from Manufcript Copies. 2s. 6d. A Grammar of the Englifli Tongue. By Thomas Coar, of Tottenham. 3s. bound. Piety Promoted, in brief Memorials, and dying ExprefTions, of feme of the People called Qiiakers. Tlie Ninth Part. By T. Wacstafff, bound. 3s. Lately Puhllfied. The Life and religious Labours of Sarah Grubb. With an Appendix, containing an Account of Ackv.orth School, Re- marks on ChriHian Difciplinc, and Extradls from her Letters. 8vo. on Superfine Paper, 65. calf lettered. I 2mo. 3s. 6d, bound. A new Edition, The Hillory of the Ri'e, Increafe, and Progrefs of the Chriftian People called Quakers : intermixed with feveral remarkable Occur- rences. By Wm.Sewel. In two chick vols. 8vo. Ijs. calf let- tered. An Account of the Life, Travels, and ChriHian Experiences in the Work of the Minillry of Samuel Bownas. 2s. 6d. bound, A Journal of the Life of that ancient Servant of Chrift, John Graiton. 2s bound. Sacred Hiflory ; or the Hiflorical Part of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Teilaments, digelled into due Method, with re- fpeifl to order of Time and Place. By Thomas Ellwood. A new Edition. In 3 large Vols i2mo. Calf lettered. 15s. Piety Promoted, in brief Memorials of the virtuous Lives, Ser- vices, and Dying Sayings, of fome of the People called Quakers, by Jo UN Kendall. A new Edition, 3 Vols. 93. well bound, and los. 6d. calf lettered. Davideis.— The Life of David, King of lfr;cl : A Sacred Poem. In Five Books. By Thomas Ellw god. jth Edition. 2s. 6 d. bd. The Seled Wcrks of William Penn. To which is prefixed. The Life of the Author : In five Volumes, 8vo. well bound a2s. 6d. Calf lettered 25s. Fruits of Solitude, in Reflections and Maxims relating to the Conduift of Human Life. By Wm. Phnn. bound, is. 6d. Fnnts of a Father's Love : Being the Advice ofWM. Penn to his Children, relating to their Civil and Religious Conduit. 6d. The Works of Is A.'vc Pen I NGTO.v, in 4 Vols. 8vo. well bound, aos. Calt lettered 22s. An Account of the Convincemcnt, Exercifes, Services, and Travels of that ancie)it Servant of the Lord, Ri c h ard Davi es: With fome Relation of ancient Friends, and of the fpreading of Truth in North Wales, jth Edition, is. 6d. bound. ALL Swearing Prohibited UNDER THE GOSPEL. By JOSEPH PHIPPS. LONDON: Printed and Sold by J. PHILLIPS, George-Yard, Lombard-Street. MDCCLXXXI. ALL Swearing Prohibited UNDER THE GOSPEL. DIVERS of the people called Quakers having of late been repeatedly urged, both in courts of judicature and ellewhere, to produce their reafojis for refufing to give evidence upon oath ; for the fatisfad:ion of inquirers, the following are briefly ex- hibited. It hath appeared to this people, from their beginning, that the great Legiflator of the Chriflian difpenfation, in his evange- lical fermon upon the mount, intending to fhew the fuperior excellence of this difpen- fation to that of the Mofaic lav7, obferved. Mat. v. That the lav^^ condemned iniquity in its axftual branches ^ but the gofpel (hould require the prevention of them, by (triking at the root from whence they fpring. .A3 He [ 6 ] He noted that the law forbad the com- mifTion of murder, adultery, and perjury; but he commanded, not to be angry, not to look upon a woman to lufl after her, and not to fwear at all. For if people may give place to anger, it may kindle into rage, and end in murder; if they may indulge a luft- ful eye, fornication and adultery may be the confequence; and if they are allowed to fwear, evil-doers may forfwear to obtain their purpofes, or to efcape the punifliment due to their demerits. Our Saviour, therefore, laid the axe to the root ; and, with regard to fwearing, he faith, ** Ye have heard it was faid by them ** of old time, thou fhalt not forfwear thy " felf, but fhalt perform unto the Lord " thine oaths. But I fay unto you. Swear " not at ally — Here, as in the cafes of murder and adultery, he cuts up the root, the furefl: way to deftroy both the growth and exiftence of the branches, and perfed: the work of reformation ; for ** He,'' as John faid " will throughly purge his Jloor," This perfed; work was not the bufinefs of the law, but that of the gofpel : for the law made nothing perfeB ; but the bringing in of a better hope did. By the total pro- hibition of oaths, the gofpel, where it is duly obferved, effectually prevents perjury, equivocations, or lying, as well as the pro- fanation a {( t( [ 7 1 fanation of the facred name in common converle. Proceeding then to fome particular ob- jecfts the Jews were accuflomed to fwear by, our Lord adds, " Neither by heaven, ** for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footftool ; neither by Jeru- falem, for it is the city of the great king. Neither flialt thou fwear by thy head, becaufe thou canfb not make one *' hair white or black." If we are not to fwear by any thing that is his, becaufe it is his, nor by any thing that we can nei- ther make, nor change the nature of; then certainly not by the gojpel, which is wholly his, and which never could be in our power either to make or alter. Thefe palTages relating to murder, adul- tery, and fwearing, are comparative, and profelTedly intended by our Lord to fhew the preference of the precepts and dod:rines of the gofpel to thofe of the law. He knew that taking the Lord's name in vain, fwearing by the gods of the heathen, and forfwearing, were all ftrid:ly forbidden by the law; and had he only forbad thefe, he had not at all exceeded the law, which he manifeflly meant to do by his introducing A 4 his [ 8 ] his own command, with the diftindion. But, and following it with, Ifiy unto you. Swear not at all, &c. Having delivered the negative part of his command, he comes to the poiitive, *' Let ** your word (which -Aop? in the Greek lig- ** nifies, and not communication) be yea, *' yea, nay, nay ; for whatfoever is more ** than thefe, cometh of evil." In whatfo- ever we affirm or deny, therefore, and on whatever occafion, our yea or nay ought to be limply fuch j for whatfoever is (or amounts to) more than thefe, (as an oath certainly is or does,) cometh of evil. For though fwearing by the name of the Lord, on folemn occafions, had been allow- ed to the Ifraelites, under the miniftration of Mofes, the fervant, yet, under the purer difpenfation of the Son of God, oaths were exprefly forbidden by him. Confcious of this, the apoflle James, alfo, chap. v. 6. exhorts, ** Above all things, my ** brethren, fwear not, neither by hea- ** ven, neither by the earth, neither " by a?2y other oath ; but let your yea, ** be yea; and your nay, nay; left ye " fall into condemnation." If we are neither to fwear by heaven or earth, nor by any other oath, we ought undoubt- edly [ 9 ] cdly to abftain from oaths of all kinds, upon all occalions, and not to exceed the terms of fimple affirmation in any cafe whatever J that we may avoid the condem- nation confequent upon a breach of this Chriftian precept. To fay, that our Lord's defcending to a few particulars after his general command, ** Swear not at all," fhews that he meant only to prohibit fwearing by thofe parti- culars, implies, that he firft commanded what he had no intention to eflablifh, and ufed an expreflion both improper and fu- perfluous; for in that cafe, he needed only to have faid. Swear not by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footftool, &c. But, furely, he no more intended to revoke his general command, by a brief afTumption of particulars after it, than the Divine Wifdom, Exod. xx. meant to recall the general command, ** Thou fhalt have no other gods before ** me," by adding, " Thou fhalt not make ** unto thee any graven image, or any ** likenefs of any thing," &c. In both cafes, the general command ftands equally independent of the particulars that follow, and not only comprehends them, but all others of like nature. As [ lo ] As to the allegations, that God himfelf fware, and divers of his infpired fervants fware*, I anfwer with Athanalius; ' Seeing ' it is certain it is proper in fwearing to * fvvear by another, thence it appears, that ' God, to fpeak properly, did never fv/ear ' but only improperly : whence, fpeak- * ing to men, he is faid to fwear, bc- * caufe thofe things which he fpeaks, * becaufe of the certainty and immuta- * bility of his will, are to be efteemed ' for oaths.' Compare Pfalm ex. 4. * where it is faid, ** The Lord did fwear, ** and it did not repent him," 6cc. And *' I fwore (faith he) by myfelf :" and this * is not an oath ; for he did not fwear by * another, which is the property of an * oath, but by himfelf. Therefore God * fwears not according to the manner of * men, neither can we be induced from * thence to fwear. But let us fo do and * fay, and fhew ourfelves fuch by fpeak- * ing and afting, that we need not an oath * with thofe who hear us j and let our * words of themfelves have the teftimony * of truth : for fo we fliall plainly imitate ' God.* Bifhop Burnet, in hijs Expofition of the Thirty-nine Articles, article 39, fays * It * See Barclay's Apology, p. 549. 'mufl [ II ] * mud be confefTed thefe words feem to be * fo exprefs and poiitive, that great regard is ' to be had to a fcruple that is founded ' on authority that feems to be fo full.* * The learned Huetius, Bifhop of Avran- * ches, in France, fays, ** It is well known ** by that precept of Chrift," Mat. v. 34. ** That fwearing is to be entirely avoided ; " and the fame is repeated in the epiflle of ** James, chap. v. 12." And Jofephus * fhews, that, * the Eflenes looked upon an * oath to be worfe than perjury, becaufe * he feemed to be already condemned, who * could not be believed, unlefs he attefted * the name of God. And when Maimo- * nides would prove the fame thing, he * makes ufe of the very words of Chrift. * But let us return to Pythagoras, whofe * precept about fwearing was obferved fo * ftridly by his difciples, that one of them ' let a fine of three talents be fet upon him, * rather than affirm the truth by fwearing; < he is called Syllas, by Jamblicus, but * Clinias, by Bafil. The whole nation of * the Phrygians were very much againft ' oaths j they neither required others to take ' them, nor did they take them themfelves. * Amongft the adages of the Arabs, this is * a celebrated one, ** Never fwear, but let ** thy word be yes or noj" *whichcuftom * the [ 12 ] * the Talepolns of Siam obferve, manifeflly * according to the doctrine of Chrift. ' What Bafil has faid of Clinias, Dr. * Potter, Bifhop of Oxford, fays, is con- * firmed by Hierocles, in his Commentary ' on the Second Precept of the Golden * Verfes of Pythagoras; and another author « fays. This is likely to be done out of love * to truth, and the refpe(fl he bore to his ' Mafter's do(ftrine, who faid. Let no man * atteft God by an oath, though in courts * of judicature, but ufe to fpeak fuch * things, as that he may be credited with- * out an oath. See Jamblicus de Vita Py- * thagor. p. 1 20 and 126.' As to the other allegation of its be- ing faid in fcripture, " Men verily <* fwear by the greater, and an oath for ** confirmation, is to them an end of ** all ftrife;" this w^as only a tranfient obfervation on the common practice of unbelievers, and is no reafon for the con- tinuance of oaths among Chriftians. To all fuch kind of pleas, it is anfwered, that vve are not authorifed to imitate what has been formerly done under the law, nor to follow the cuftoms of others, againft the exprefs commands of Chrift, the Law-giver appointed us of God ; but [ 13 ] but ought always inviolably to obferve his precepts. It hath been inlinuated, that his prohi- bition of oaths * was not meant to ex- * tend to the counteraction of the great * ends of publick juftice and focial fecu- * rity.' But it is very clear to us, that our Lord, by commanding, Swear not at ally and his apoflle, by exhorting, " Above ** all things, my brethren, fwear not, nei- ** ther by heaven, neither by the earth, ** nor by any other oath,' intended a total prohibition of fwearing in the Chrif- tian church. They indubitably knew, that the maintenance of publick juflice and focial fecurity, depends on truth and faithfulnefs, and not on the impofition of oaths, which are neither needful to the virtuous, nor binding to the vicious ; for were it not for the penalties annexed, it is to be feared, the oaths of thefe latter would not hold them. The confcientious amongft the people called Quakers, are willing to give their evidence in a way conliftent with the in- junctions of Chrift and his apoftles , but they dare not do it in the manner that they verily believe is forbidden. It is not the evidence, but the oath, that they fcruple; [ 14 ] fcruple j becaufe they are fenfible that no human authority can excufe them before the tribunal of Divine Juftice : but they have always ftood ready to give their evi- dence, where it might be admitted with- out a violation of the precepts of Chrift and his apoftles -, and therefore are not to be charged with the obJiruBion of juftice. Where Almighty God requires one thing, and human powers the contrary, which is the confcientious fubjecl to obey? The apoftle Peter anfwers, A^^s v. 29, *' We ought to obey God rather than ** men." Ought not the divine autho- rity ever to be held facred and fupreme ? Why then are any reproached and ridi- culed for pra(ftically maintaining its due preference, that they may keep a con- fcience void of offence towards God ? FINIS. REPLY TO SO MUCH OF A SERMON PUBLISHED IN THE COURSE OF LAST YEARj BY PHILIP DODD, AS RELATES TO THE WELL KNOWN SCRUPLE ^ OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS, COMMONLY CALLED QUAKERS, AGAINST ALL SWEARING. BT JOSEPH GURKEX BEVA^r, LONDON: Printed by W. Phillips, George-yard, Lombard-streeU 1808. REPLY, &c. 1 HERE Is a certain passage in Scripture which has been the means of inducing a re- ligious body of men in this kingdom, and in some other parts of the world, wholly to abstain from swearing. The passage is con- tained in the 33d, 34th, 35th, 36th, and 37th verses of the 5th chapter of Matthew : where we read as follows : " Ye have heard that it hath been said by " them of old time. Thou shalt not forswear " thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths. But I say unto you, Swear not at all : neither by heaven, for it is " God*s throne ; nor by the earth, for it is " his footstool 'j neither by Jerusalem, for it A2 (( (( " is the city of the great King : neither shalt " thou swear by thy head, because thou canst " not make one hair white or black. But let " your communication be, Yea, yea ; Nay, *' nay ; for whatsoever is more than these, " cometh of evil." It may seem strange that this very passage should have been chosen, not very long since, for the text of a public discourse, the primary object of which is to establish the lawfulness of judicial swearings among the followers of the divine Author of this sacred injunction. But I apprehend it will not be thought strange that one of the religious body of men, whose doctrine is here attempted to be overturned, should incline to examine the arguments ad- duced by the author of the discourse, with rather more scrupulous attention than the re- spectable auditory to which it was addressed, could do at the time it was delivered, or might incline to do afterwards. This examination, then, I propose to un- dertake; but previously I would express my satisfaction at the simple and decorous manner in which the author of the discourse has treated his subject. The people whose tenet he arraigns are not spoken of with one term of asperity. Having mentioned them, not un- naturally, when entering on his remarks, he pursues the question as one generally im- portant; he calmly brings in, without any further personality, such arguments as appear to him to bear on it; and if the Society of Friends cannot be convinced by his reasoning, I am sure they cannot properly be offended by his manner of conducting it. * In order fully to enter,' says he, * into the * meaning of our Saviour's words — it should ' be observed that the Jews were chargeable ' with the grossest perversions of the doctrine * respecting oaths.' This, I intend by ncx means to controvert ; but I think that in order 6 to enter fully Into the meaning of the words of the text, at least one thing more should be done. Some attention should be paid to the context : by which means we shall discover the purpose, the bent of that division of the Lord's discourse, of which this memorable text forms a part. Now I believe it has been often observed, and is generally allowed, that Christ is here showing, in the most vivid light, the supe- riority of that dispensation of immutable righteousness, which he was establishing, over the former aiid imperfect one, then about to receive its completion. And it may be useful to remember that in the gospel " the axe is *' laid to the root of the tree.'- * The evil root had occasioned the want of the law. Its destruction, or excision, removes this sad necessity. Thus though the gospel seems in many instances to abrogate the law, it abro-. * Matt, iii. 10c gates by fulfilling: for righteousness is the purpose of each. Our Lord begins generally with asserting, that the righteousness, that is the justice *, of his followers must exceed that of the most strict sects among the Jews. (ver. 20.) He next observes that the ancients had forbidden murder ; but he cuts away the remote in- centive to it, causeless anger, yea, even a con- temptuous expression. The next head treats of adultery, which the law had also pro- scribed ; but he removes at once the incite- ment to it, by forbidding a lustful look. Then he comes to perjury. This the law had also made criminal ; still it abounded, and the fri- volous perversions of the forms of swearing are agreed on all hands not to have kept in innocence those who practised them. But * I wish the reader to bear in mind this scriptural sense of the word righteousness, which is agreeable also to the translations in other modern languages, and in the Latin. our Lord at once secures his followers from perjury, by that comprehensive sentence, the limits of which Philip Dodd attempts to con- tract, " Swear not at all." I have studied brevity, and have therefore only given a slight hint of the Christian doc- trine on these heads ; but I wish my reader- to peruse the place as it stands, from the 21st to the 37th verse inclusive. I hope now it will appear that Christ, in his sermon on the mount, did something more than correct certain ' pernicious errors,' or ' gross perversions ;' and that by this in- junction " Swear not at all," he averted the danger of their return among all those who receive and obey it. Indeed, upon the due import of the expression at all, hinges the whole, or nearly the whole controversy between the advocates for judicial swearing 9 and the body of people, who, influenced by this text, refuse at all to swear. ' The strong injunction, " Swear not at all,** * IS, doubtless^ says he, ' to be received as ' having a particular and immediate reference ' to the oaths which our Saviour points out — * Swear not by any form of this sort.' But, surely, it is not customary to use a general prohibition, and at the same time to mean only a particular one. Particular directions suffice. Grammar itself would direct the omission of the term at all, in order to imply any limi- tation of the injunction. Could there be any doubt of this, the apostle James, who was probably on the mount at the time, and who was, like Paul, as our author says, * unques- ' tionably a competent interpreter of his * Master's doctrine,' — James, I think, puts it beyond dispute ; and should do so especially to one who calls his text * a parallel passage', and ' little more than a repetition.' After B 10 mentioning heaven and earth, as objects to swear by, which he, consonant with his hea- venly Master, w^as forbidding, James adds, " Neither by any other oath'' Now surely, to swear by the name of the Almighty is aa oath : the, conclusion therefore is obvious. This, I trust may suffice ; but there is ano- ther passage of Scripture, which has been cited by one of my predecessors in the vindication of the prohibition of swearing*, which shows that this is not a single case, in which parti- culars mentioned after a general command, do not restrain the general command to those par- ticulars. Let any one read the first com- mand of the decalogue, " Thou shalt have " NO OTHER gods before me." Then follows the second, " Thou shalt not make unto " thee any graven image," &c. Is not any thing here prohibited but the worship of * Phipps. All Swearing prohibited under the Gospel. Page 9.— Phillips, 1784. 11 graven images ? Molten images apart, does it not still equally forbid the worship of the sun in the East, and of the cows and reptiles of Egypt ? I have next to consider that old objection, that our Lord himself swore. I see however that a term not quite so full is used : ' refused * not to ansiver upon oath before the Jewish * Sanhedrim.'^ Upon ie;)6c»j-^ oath ? If not upon bis own, that is, if he did not adopt the legal and accustomed manner of swearing used in Jewish courts, it will not follow that he swore at all. It is asserted that ' I adjure thee was the form of swearing among the Jews. This form is only on one occasion before mentioned in Scripture*, namely, where Ahab said to Micaiah, apparently in petulance, and pro- voked by Micaiah*s ironical agreement with his false prophets, and not on an occasion on whicbj king as he was, he had a right to exact * 1 Kings xxil 16. % Gbron. xviii, 15. 12 an oath, " How many times shall I adjure " thee ?" This will do but little towards proving that this was the common way, or the way at all of administering oaths among the Jews. There are two other places in which respectively Joshua and Saul are said to have adjured the people with a curse* ; but in the case of these curses, though the latter is men- tioned as an oath, the people cannot be said to have sworn, for Jonathan who appears to have been bound by the curse, knew nothing of it until he had transgressed it. f They ap- pear rather in the light of solemn commands enjoined on penalties. The penalty of Jofhua's curse was exaded some centuries afterwards. J In that of Saul, the transgressor was discovered by lot, but the penalty pre- vented by the voice of the people. I have said these words are solemn com- mands. They can be no other in tho case of « Josh. Ti. 26. 1 Sam. xlv. 24. + Ver, 27. X 1 Kings xvi, 34. 13 the seven sons of Sceva, who adj\ired the de- mon.* They did not, I suppose, expert /jim to swear that he would leave the demoniac. In another case the words can only be a most earnest entreaty, as where the demoniac (or his evil guests, Legion) adjured Christ.")" Thus we have one instance in which there was no judicial process going on, a second where we do not find the people took any part, a third where we are sure one person bound by the curse was not present at the adjuration, a fourth which can only imply a command, and a fifth where it must mean a fearful request. This is far from proving the phrase, I adjure thee^ to be the form of a Jewish oath. I propose now to endeavour to demonstrate that, speaking properly, our Lord could not be capable of an oath ; and then to attempt a clearer exposition of the motives which appear to have occasioned his silence one moment, * Acts xix. 14. t Mark r, 7. 14 and his confeflion at another : and previously, though I do not insist on it as material^ I would just observe that only Matthew records the adjuration of the High Priest ; Mark joins him in attributing to that magistrate the im- portant question ; but Luke relates it to have been propounded by the Scribes and Pha- risees. First then, let us define an oath. The following two definitions are taken from Chambers' Dictionary by Rees ; * Oath is usually defined a religious as- ^ sertion or asseveration, wherein a person * Invokes the Almighty, renounces all claim 5 to his mercy, or even calls for the divine * vengeance on himself, if he speak falsely.'— < * Oath in a legal sense is a solemn action, * wherein God is called to witness the truth ' of an affirmation given before one or more ' persons empowered tp receive the same. ' Legal oaths end with So help me Cod ^ an- 15 V ciently, So help me Gody at his holy dome^ i.e. ' judgment^ The former general definition, and the lat- ter description show that in an oath there is always a reference to the final judgment. Now in what sense can Christ, who in the very days of his flesh was called by his im- mediate forerunner, " The Lamb of God, who " taketh away the sin of the world"* — in what sense, I say, could he fear the judgment? He who himself was to be the judge of the living and of the deadf ? If then it be thus proved that Christ, properly speaking, cannot swear, we need give ourselves little trouble in discovering whether he did swear ; and even if we should allow for a moment that he did, the concession w^ould avail little to the pleaders for swearing. 1^^ gave forth the cver-during commands of justice and truth ; but he lived under the law ; and I believe * John i. 29. f 2 Tim. iv. 1. 16 tliat our opponents will scarcely think them- selves obliged, after his example, to submit to circumcision, and annually to eat of the paschal lamb with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs. Secondly, as to the narrative in Matthew, it should be obser^^ed that the High Priest did not repeat with his adjuration a question to which, simply asked, he had failed to ob- tain a reply. Had that been the case, the arguments of our opponents would have more plausibility. But the questions were very dif- ferent ; one, almost needless ; the other, of primary importance. To the first, " What is *' it which these witness against thee," as to the previous evidence of the false witnesses, *' Jesus held his peace." '* As a sheep be- *' fore her shearers is dumb, so opened he '* not his mouth."* I have already observed that in one instance the form, I adjure thee^ is strenuously imperative. It is so here. To * Isaiah liii, 7. It the second then, " Tell us whether thou be the " Christ, the Son of God ;" a question so im- portant, that on the answer seems to have de- pended the unrighteous condemnation of our Lord ; he replied " Thou hast said :" and we quite agree that this expression is equi- valent with, I am, I hope it is now shown, with at least some force of evidence that Jesus wholly prohibited oaths to his followers ; and that those who, in order to avoid making him appear to act con- trary to his own doctrine, undertake to circum- scribe his prohibition, have more reason to doubt the validity of their arguments than they are aware. If there could be now such a person as an unprejudiced reader, to such a one this question must be left. In the mean time let us see whether any of the more imme- diate disciples of Christ indulged themselves in the use of an oath. 18 Our author alleges Paul alone, and notices his use of such expressions as the following — God is my witness — as God is true — / call God for a record upon my soid — Before God Hie not, I believe it will be allowed that the question, between the Society of Friends and those who admit of swearing, is simply respecting judicial oaths. All others are given up by all denomina- tions of Christians. Now these asseverations of Paul will certainly not be accounted of the nature of judicial oaths. No depending strife about outward things required them : no magis- trate administered them. They are therefore no examples for us, on those very occasions on which our refusal to swear is called in question. Of what exact class of expression they were, it may not be at this time neces- sary to determine ; but two things are certain ; that in the seventeenth century expressions approaching and even amounting to them in force, were offered in courts of justice, and noi accounted legal oaths j and that these exprcs- 19 sions of Paul did not prevent the early- Christians from refusing to swear at all*: for which refusal they deemed the being a Christ- ian a sufficient reason. Paul, like Peter, was a man of a fervid mind. It is sufficiently apparent to those who have studied his writings, that his conceptions were superla- tively bold and rapid, and common speech seemed scarcely sufficient for their utterance. He had to tread an untrodden path, in carry- ing the purity of the gospel among nations sunk in impurity and idolatry. His theme was the unbounded mercy of God in Christ Jesus; and the sacred name of that God, so often present in his thoughts, was likely not seldom to escape from his lips. Even now we allow, nay, we sometimes think ourselves required, *Cruden (Concordance) though he labours to assert an allowance for some oaths, yet says — ■' Our Saviour who came into the world not to destroy the law hut to fulfil it, forbids all kinds of oaths.' Matt. v. 34. and the primitive Christians understood and observed (his command in a literal sense: as may be seen from TcrtuUiaii, EusebiuSj Chrysos- tom, Basil, Jerom, kc. 20 on subjects connected with religion and reve- rently treated, to employ terms which would be profaned on common occasions ; and are certainly degraded by their frequent appli- cation in the adjustment of the dust of the earth. Our author's quotation from Hebrews, " An oath for confirmation is to men an end " of all strife," is only the mention of an incidental custom, and we know that customs are not sanctioned by being simply mentioned. There are four remaining paragraphs on which I shall but cursorily remark, because they do not bear upon the question, Whether swearing is a Howe J under the Gospel. The first contains a reference to a passage in Deu- teronomy, and to one in HebrcM^s where the author is speaking of the times of Abraham. ' But we are not now inquiring what has been said to them of old time. The second para-» 21 graph considers an oath as an act of reHglon. But We insist that it is not an act of the reli- gion of Jesus. The sacrificing of sheep and oxen was an act of religion ; but they are now superseded, and so, we say, are oaths. Our author next speaks of their necessity ; but I apprehend he will not stand to this argument, if their unlawfulness is proved : and if we judge of their necessity by their use, we shall not think highly even of that. But, fourthly, they are essential to confidence amongst men. That is. Suspicion, their parent, has produced a progeny, by which Confidence her opposite is wonderfully nourished ! How little confidence can there then be among the ' body of men who, vindicated as they ' deem themselves by the authority of the ' text, refuse to give assurances upon oath' ! And yet, probably, there is no people among whom confidence Bourishes more, and (which if oaths were essential to confidence would 22 seem very strange) in whom more confidence is placed by their neighbours, than the people who literally obey the injunction, " Swear not at all." The experiment of swearing has been tried fifteen hundred years among professing Christians. Confidence still languishes, inju- ries abound, and genuine sincerity is almost laughed out of countenance. It is then hardly now necessary, for an avowed minister of the gospel of Truth, to plead for a practice to which falsehood gave rise ; but which Christianity condemns and renders needless ; and w^hich it would sweep away as with " the besom of destruction," Indeed my respected antagonist himself seems to think so : and I hasten with pleasure to a sentence of his, in which I cordially unite with him, and with which we may suitably take leave of each other. 23 ' Were men more generally Influenced ' by the fear of God, truth and justice would * be better respected among them, and their * plain declarations would be taken where * now they are thought insufficient.' THE END. Priniedhjf Wm. Phillies ^ Ceerge Yard, Lomhard Street^ London, BY THE SAME AUTHOR. A Refutation of some of the more modern Misrepresen- tations of the Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers. With a Life of James Naylor. 2s. stitched. Thoughts on Reason and Revelation, particularly the Revelation of the Scriptures. 6d. stitched. The Life of the Apostle Paul, as related in Scripture. But in which his Epistles are inserted in that part of the History to which they are supposed respectively to belong; with select Notes, Critical, Explanatory, and relating to Persons and Places, and a Map of the Countries in which the Apostle travelled. 7s. boards, 8s. 6d. calf lettered. Memoirs of the Life of Isaac Penington. To which is added, a Review of his Writings. 5s. 6d. boards, 7s. calf. BRIEF REMARKS ON The State of Man, AND HIS REDE]\1PTI0N BY JESUS CHRIST. By GEORGE STAGEY. ■WILLIAM PHILLIPS, GEORGE YARD, LOMBARD STREET, ASD DARTON, HARVEY & CO. 53. GHACECH'JRCH STREET, LONDON ; ALSO BY WILLIAM ALEXANDER YORK. l"8i2. o. cooKi , rniNTrR, dunstan's hill, iondon. BRIEF REMARKS, S^c, ►VttSiV^f^^M It appears to have consisted with the ivisdom and goodness of God;, in creating Adam in his own iniage^, that the divine nature breathed into him should be in such strength^ as should leave nothing w^anting to his complete dominion over all the works of this lower creation*; in course, over his own earthly nature : and hence, had he retained his station, that death whicli came by sin, with its concomitant evils, pain and sorrow, should not have had power over him. But as his will was evidently made free, for otherwise no prohibitory law could have been proposed to him, and he abused this freedom by giving way to the suggestions of the Tempter; the dominion, in which he was created, was lost, and he became subject to temporal death, as well as involved in spiritual darkness: and, in Gen. I. u. 111. A 3 6 this siaie, unfitted for that commonion ^vith his Maker, for which he was formed. It is more curious than useful to inquire^ how far his posterity would have partaken of his perfection^ or what would have been their circum- stance, had he preserved his first estate. On these points, as it is a condition in which we are not placed, and on which scripture is silent, and reason cannot inform us, it is wiser to forbear conjecture, than to off*er opinions that may bewil- der the mind, and it is to be apprehended have often had that effect ; but which can lead to no- useful conclusion. We are more interested in what actually did befall him, and in our state consequent on that event: and on these subjects inquiry, instituted for the attainment of practical good, is laudable, and the records of Scripture furnish us with light; althous:h it has been obscured bv misconstruction or human inventions, and much more has been said on the condition of man, as he is nov^ con- stituted, than is authorized by the doctrine of our blessed Redeemer. Hence appears to have proceeded the notion of original sin, and our desert of everlasting punishment, before good or evil can be embraced, or even discerned : and inferences, favourable ta this opinion, have been attempted to be draM'n from the dispositions of our nature. Whilst, however, it is allowed, that self-love, from which those propensities that are injurious proceed, is discovered in the earliest stages of our existence, and its gratifications are among the first objects of desire, it must be observed, that this instinctive quality is necessary for the support of animal life; nor is it to be denominated evil in its own proper nature, otherwise it would not have been enjoined on us, as a divine precept, "^ Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself*;" which implies that self-love, being essential to the constitution of man, is good for the purpose designed. When this principle takes a wrong direction,' and inordinate desire, the foundation of evil thought and action, arises out of it, as is the case very early through the power of temptation; then, and not till then, sin is engendered, and our moral nature, in proportion to its deviation from rectitude, becomes depraved. Jlut the appetites and passions are not neces- sary merely to animal existence: they are designed to subserve the further purposes of the Great Creator towards man. They are the instruments which are made use of, together with reason, to promote the glory of his Maker ; and they mark his subjection to the divine will and law written • Lev, xix. JS. and Mattb. xxii. 39. A 4 B in the heart, or his deviation from it^ according as they are \fTought upon or emplojed. '' KnoAV ye not/' said the apostle Paul, '^'that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to w^hom ye obey ; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness * ?'* Nor is it an objection to these remarks, that the passions of the human nature are often more violent than those of the brute creation. Man was formed for higher enjoyments, and with higher powers ; and it is reasonable to infer, if these are misapplied or abused, he will be pro- portionally more injurious and more malignant. But this doctrine of original sin or innate depravity is not a solitary speculative error. Connected as it is, in the view of many, w ith our desert of eternal misery from the first moment of existence, and with the still further opinion, that there are infants not a few, who actually are ex- cluded from the benefit of Christian redemption, it becomes a fearful doctrine indeed in its practical effects or application. It gives support also to the opinion that the best actions of the best of men, those not excepted which are wrought through the agency of the Holy Spirit, are tainted with ski ; and that man must continue to live in sin through the whole term of his natural life : ' Rem. vi. l6. doctrines^, which impugn the power and good- ness of God, and the character of the blessed Redeemer, who " was manifested to take away our sins *;" and who taught, " Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven i» perfect f." Nor do these opinions stop liere: they endanger the principle of gratitude and lively obedience, and cast a gloom over the path of the humble Christian traveller, if, whilst he is in- structed to contend against sin, he is taught to believe it cannot be overcome; and in those who are less thoughtful about their eternal salvation^ they tend to produce laxity in morals, and an unsafe confidence in their own final security, through misapplication of the righteousness of Christ, without a corresponding endeavour io fulfil the conditions proposed by the Gospel. It may not be amiss, however, as the doctrine of perfection has been adverted to, to remark, that the perfection which the Gospel inculcates, and which is noticed here in reply to the doctrine that man can never be made free from sin, is not to be accounted absolute, but relative. '^' There is none good, but One, that is God J." Nor can we suppose the highest created being capable of ever attaining to that which is absolute or infinite. Man is placed in this world i\\ circumstances of ♦ 3 JoliD.iii. 5. tMallb. v. 4S. Jlbid. xix. I/. 10 fr'ial;, having the assistance of divine grace, td counteract the inordinate tendencies of self-love, to which his nature is prone, and to enable him to fulfil the commandments of his Creator ; and so far as the will is subjected to the influence of this grace, and the conduct regulated bj it, the practicability of which is implied in the nature and object of the gift, so far he attains to the per- fection of his present allotment, as said an apostle, " There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit *." Never- theless, as the child does not become a man at once, so neither does the disciple of Christ arrive at once at that fulness of stature, to which this grace would lead him: and as in natural science, so, and much more so, in that v/hich is divine, it may be assumed as certain, that the greater the progress which is made, the more will the creature be humbled, m the contemplation of its slender attainment, and of what remains yet further to be disclosed. To return to the subject from which we have seemed to digress; it may be affirmed, that Christian reJcmplion does not need suppoit from this doctrine of original sin : a doctrine which appears to be in direct opposition to the dcclara- *Rcm. viii. 1^ II tlon of the Saviour of men, who said, ^'^ Suffer little children, and forbid them not^, to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven *;" and again, "^ Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven f." Language can scarcely set forth a state more fit to receive divine im- pression, or with greater clearness describe man's state of innocency, when first brought into existence. It not only declares, that little chil- dren are subjects of the kingdom of heaven; but it also informs us, that conversion to the state of a little child, which surely then cannot be a state of depravity, is the necessary qualification for admittance into it. It would seem presumptuous, after these unequivocal and sacred declarations fi om an au- thority which few will venture to controvert, to propose a confirmation of them by evidence drawn from reason ; otherwise it might be asserted, that sin,beingthe transgressionof law, cannot be trans- ferred by the act of another ; nor be imputed to unconscious infancy : nor can it comport with any idea we can form of Him, who is goodness itself, and who has declared, " The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father J;," to consign to a state of everlasting dereliction and punish- * Maltli. xix. 14. t Il>itl. xviii. 3, J Ezek. xviii. CO, 1 rw ment that which hatli not offended him. And it is not to be forgotten, that man is still the creature of God;, all whose works are in wisdom, and adapted to the purpose for which they are formed. It will probably be inquired, if man be not born in a state of defilement, or actually pollu- ted with sin, what has he to be redeemed from ? To this inquiry it may be sufficient to answer^ '' From the power of Satan unto God * ;" for it must be remembered, that, although he comes into the world in a state of negation as to evil, he is not clothed with that power over the outward creation, nor that divine sp'lendour, which digni- fied Adam, when he came out of the hands of his Creator. He is altogether helpless, exposed to temptation, and without the power of resisting it from any inherent strength of his own ; much less possessed of the capacity to ''^ lay hold on eternal life f . " But this helplessness, this absolute need of a Saviour, was altogether foreseen by his Creator, and the means of his redemption graci- ously provided "' before the foundation of the world ^;;" before transgression found entrance. The truth appears to be, that man was never formed for independence; not Adam himself, although created in the image of God. It was *^cts, xxvi. 18. +1 Tim. vi. 12. 1 1 Pet. i, 20. 13 the divine life which kept all his faculties and powers in heavenly and harmonious ordei^ while he stood upright; and it is the same divine prin- ciple that must restrain^ subdue, and actuate them in all his descendants, if they attain to a blissful immortality. In whomsoever, then, the power of this divine principle is not resisted, but yielded to, of whatever age, condition, or coun- try ; on these we have reason to be assured, seeing '' Christ died for all *," the benefit of Christian redemption will be conferred ; even that eternal life, which is '^' the gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lordf;" for in him, and in him only^ ^'^we have redemption through his blood;];." An objection, which it may be right to con- sider, hath been raised against what is termed the vicarious sacrifice of Christ, and his having '^ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust §;" as comprehending a plan of redemption, irrecon- cilable with perfect equity and goodness. Not to dwell on the incompetency of human wisdom, in matters of such high moment, to de- cide on what is just with God, or what is in all cases good ; we may take a view of the helpless state to which man was reduced. The divine image, in which he was created, was lost ; nor * 2 Cor. V. 15. t I'^o'n. vi. 23. lEphes. i. 7. § 1 Pet. iii, 18. 14: could he be capable of attaining to^ or eiijojing eternal felicity, without its restoration. Seeinjj then he was brought to this extremity; and seeing alsOj which can never be too reverently contem- plated, that the sacrifice of Christ was voluntary; inasmuch as he says, " I lay down my life, that i might take it again ; no man takelh it from me, but I lay it down of myself*," there seems nothing in so gracious a plan, even to r-eason, dim-sighted as it is, inconsistent with the divine attributes, as applied to the offering of our great Exemplar and High Priest; and viewing it, as it respects man, such transcendent love is displayed, as at once points out to him the depth of his ne- cessities and obligation, and furnishes a certain pledge of the divine purpose and goodness towards him. It is not our business to be occupied with considering, nor is it within the compass of our capacity to know, whether, amoi:g the possibili- ties of Divine Wisdom, any other plan of Redemp- tion nwght have been provided alike eilicacious. It is enough for us that our wants arc in mercy ihiui supplied ; and the Christian believer, while he aclmowlcdges with reverence his incompe- tency to j udge of the means of Divine Wisdom foi* effecting any of his own glorious ends, is led * Jol.r^ X. 17, IS. 15 humblingly and rejoicingly to accept this s;tu- pcndous act of t]>c love of God in Christ, as altogether adapted to the circumstances in which he is placed. He sees exemplified in it the mys- terious union of the divine and human nature ; and so far as respects the power^, that which could be alone adequate to his redemption ; for that which was eclipsed or lo^t^ being of heavenly origin, could be restored only by Him, who first breathed it into man, and that was God, " who created all things by Jesus Christ * ;" "the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God f ." — Hence the Christian believer, while he receives these and other sacred declarations of Scripture concerning the office and character of Christ into his heart by faith, is led also by the same faith, to the acknow ledgmcnt of the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not in operation merely, but in essence; seeing if Christ be the Wis- dom and Power of God, he must be One es- sentially with the Father ; and seeing also, that Christ received homage ;|;, as a divine character, without rebuking those by mLoui it was offered ; which it is impossible to believe, that He, who came as a Light into the world, and exhibited to us the most perfect pat- tern of humility, could have admitted, had it * Ephcs. iii. 9. f 1 Cor. i. 24. I Matt. viii,2. & Jolmix. 38, compare Acts x, 25, ^6, Rcv.xix.lO* 16 derogated from his Father's honour, or been misapplied. Nor is it of little account in con- jQrmation of the true Christian's faith^ that the Father and the Son are alike designated " Light*/' and '^ Lifef /' essentially so; which cannot be assumed of any created being. This belief, howeverj in a mystery so pro- foundj is not deduced from the operations of reason^ as its principal ground : it is, where livingly held^ the ^ift of grace. ^' No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. J;" Nevertheless^ where the mind is not possessed of assurance from this highest source of belief, it has an evidence on which it acts in the common affairs of life, and acts with perfect reliance on its authority — the evidence of testimony ; and there can be no evidence of testimony, in an equal degree certauij or on which we can so fully rely, as that which is given to us by our holy and blessed Redeemer, who is Truth itself; and who said, "\ and my Father are One" — " If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not : but if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works ; that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him§.'* It is true, we have an evidence of testimony from the same source^ which seems to contravene this • John, i. 9. and 1 John, i. 5. t John, i. 4. v. 0,6. X 1 Cor. xii. 3. § Jolin, X. 30, 37, 38. 17 assertion ; where it is said, '^ My Father is greater than I *." The Christian believer, how- ever, is not offended at this seeming contrariety. lie considers the two-fold character sustained by Christ, when these expressions were uttered — the divine and human ; nor does he see, that in order to fulfil the glorious oflfice of Mediator, the blessed Redeemer could possess less perfectly the one than the other. As partaking of man's nature, he was inferior to the Father : a^ pos- sessing "^"^all the fulness of the Godhead f," He is One with Him, as said the apostle, '" God, blessed for ever \." If we reverently and humbly receive this testimony to the divinity of Christ, we shall be the better prepared for the reception of that which is more immediately the evidence of the Holy Ghost. And it might seem to humble us in the contemplation of this mystery, as well as the mystery of Redemption, that there are many things in nature^ which reason cannot compre- hend. Man cannot comprehend the constitution of his own mind, or its mode of union with the body. Can it then be matter of surprise, that he should not comprehend, by any process of reason, the mode of union of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; or the union of the divine and « John, xiv. 28. + Colos. ii. 9. J Rom. ix. 5- B 18 human nature^ in the work of redemption ? It is experienccj or feelings that assures him of the existence of this union in the one case ; and it is faithj or feeling, that gives to the submissive mind, evidence of the other. Pride may give weapons to reason to contend against this evi- dence ; and it does disqualify for the perception of truth : but reason can never disprove, what revelation has established. It is not, however, intended by these obser- vations, nor is it needful, lightly to esteem rea- son. It may be allowed to be the noblest and most distinguisbing faculty of our nature ; and it will not be a digression to take a view of it, so far as may enable us with greater clearness to Ascertain its province in matters which relate to religion. What is called Reason, then, does not com* "municate impressions to the mind, though it cannot be exercised without them : and in the subjects brought before it, there must be an adaptation of mean« to the end ; of objects to its powers. Now the things we are treating of are of a spiritual nature, and have relation to a spiritual state : ^nd the apostle Paul tells ui, "' The natural man receiveth not the things ©f the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he know them, because they 19 are spiritually discerned*." Hence it is clear, that the knowledge of the things of tlie Spirit^, those which it concerns us to know, is conveyed by a principle^ that does not belong to our na- ture ; and according to the testimony of another apostle, this principle can be nothing less, nor any other, than the Light of Christ. He " was the true Light, which lighteth every man that Cometh into the world f." Christ himself also declared, '^ I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life : no man cometli unto the Father but by me;};/' No man can know the Father, and do his will, and partake of communion with him, but through the mediation of the Son, and the revelation and assistance of his Light and Spirit, ^ The province, then, of reason, in matters of religion, is to judge and act according to the presentations or discoveries of this Light of Christ ; and, in order to this, there must be faith in its evidence. As, in the outward creation, the organ of vision must be opened, before it can receive the impressions of light ; so, in relation to spiritual concerns, must the eye of faith be opened, and directed to the Light of Christ, as the great source of illumination, and the medium through which divine knowledge is conveyed ; and according to the strength and clearness of ** 1 Cor. ii. 14. t Joliu. i- 9- Ibid, xiv. 6. K *? ^0 this gift of faith will be the impression received ; the way of duty will be opened, and qualification for fulfilling it be imparted. Here we see the reason why the things of the kingdom of heaven are " hid from the wise and prudent/' as was declared by our blessed Lord, " and revealed unto babes*;" to those who offer no resist- ance to this Light ; who have no prejudices to overcome, no confidence in the acuteness of their own unenlightened understanding. It is indeed hard to the wise man to become " a fool f " in the sense implied by the apostle, and to receive his instruction in the way the Gospel prescribes. To do this, is truly to take up the cross ; and in submission to this rule of conduct consists the essence of self-denial. Its branches, which are numerous, may not be alike to all : but as this Light of Christ is believed in, and its impressions are received, in an humble ^nd contrite heart, the portion of duty required of each individual will be clearly unfolded: and the ground being thus prepared, it will bring forth fruit to the praise, and according to the pleasure, of the great Hus- bandman, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, and some thirty-fold X. Inquiry being sometimes made, how man is to distinguish this Light from that \vhich is natural, * Matt. j:l. 2.5. + 1 Cor. iii. IS. : Matt. xiii. *. 21 it may not be improper here to observe, that it makes itself known^ as we are disposed in sim- plicity of heart to attend to it, by its own evidence on the mind, and by its effects. As it proceeds from God, it consents to nothing which is opposed to his purity ; it regulates all things by the standard of universal righteousness ; and its work is to bring Man into a state capable of receiving the divine image, and to impress it upon him. The light of nature teaches us self-preserva- tion, and is concerned about the things of the present life, as its chief good: and although the desires and actions, which proceed from it, nre often mixed and varied with semblances of abstraction from selfish propriety and temporal ends; yet it cannot in its own proper nature, uninfluenced by that which is divine, raise the mind to that state of self denial and purity which the Gospel enjoins; or, in other words^ effect the work of regeneration. Some prof essors of Christianity, who acknow- ledge the means by which Redemption is brought about — that it is through the atonement and mediation of Christ, withhold their assent to the universality of its application. And it need not be concealed, that there are passages in the sacred writings, which seem to admit of various inter- b3 22 pretation, and to give some room for different views concerning doctrine ; more especially in the epistles. But if the occasions on which these were written^, were well considered, and what is difficult in them brought to the test of what is more clear in other parts of the same Apostle's writings, we should be less at a loss respecting their true meaning. And there is one rule in the interpretation of Scripture, where it can be ap- plied, which it seems right to observe— to bring all to the standard of Christ's own doctrine, in subjects on which he has condescended to explain himself. Nor is it of less necessity to keep in view the state of mind, or qualification, pointed out by our blessed Saviour, as requisite for com- prehending divine truth : '' If any man will do [the will of the Father,] he shall know of [my] doctrine, whether it be of God *." On the subject adverted to, it becomes us to hear what our holy Redeemer hath declared of himself: '' I am the living bread, which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that 1 will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world f." Here we see no exception to the universality of the oflering, nor of its application. It is given for the life of the - •Jobn,vii< 17. + Ibid vi.5i. 23 world, and it may be partaken of by all, other- wise it would not have been said by hini;, in whom was no guile, " If any man eat of it he. shall live for ever." It seems then not easy to conceive a ground of doubt respecting its extent, and that it applies to all and every man, which shall not impugn the veracity and goodness of the blessed Redeemer. It is indeed to be admitted, that the means of instruction, as well as the capacity for receiving it, are variously dispensed. Some have the bles- sing of the holy Scriptures^ and many spiritual benefits, which others are deprived of; and some have the advantages of civil life, in a much higher degree than others; and perhaps there is not less difference in intellectual endowment. But as we must not conclude from hence^ that the Almighty is unequal in his ways; so neither may we believe, because some have fewer helps than others, that the sacrifice of Christ will not be effectual to all, if his '^'^ Grace *," which is uni- versally bestowed, have free operation in the soul. This would fill all, and being thus filled, all would be satisfied, however different in capacity, in gifts, or in means of instruction. It is, however, becoming the relation in which we stand to each other, if not a duty which man •Titus, ii. 11. B 4 24 owes to his fellow-man, and when brought into harmony with the divine will it will be his delight, to do what in him lies to lessen these inequalities ; to contribute to the enlargement of the means of religious instruction. The capacity of enjoy- ment of what is truly good will thereby be ex- tended, and the capacity also of bringing glory to the Great Giver of all will be increased, if these means be embraced and rightly improved. Hence it is occasion of rejoicing, and to the at- tentive observer, of thankfulness to the Author of every blessing, that the Scriptures of truth arc in the way of general diffusion. They are a treasure which no man can fully appreciate; a revelation from God which shews us the way of salvation ; and are to be accounted as subordinate only to the Holy Spirit, to which they direct man as his leader; and through which, holy men gave them forth. Whilst, however, we are assured from the tes- timony of Scripture, that Christ '^'^died for all*;" and by his triumph over sin and death redeem- ed man to himself, as his own rightful inheritance, and became '' the propitiation for the sins of the whole worldf ;" it must still be deeply imprinted on the mind, that '^ He died for all^ * 2 Cor. V. 15. + Ijohn, ii. 2. X 25 that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves ; but unto him, which died for them and rose again *." Faith and works are not divided ; nor are we entitled to believe, it will avail us to plead the merits of Christ, and our belief in the redemption which he hath pur- chased for uSj if obedience to the revealed will of God do not accompany knowledge; seeing our blessed Saviour hath declared, '' Not every one that saith unto me. Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven f .'* Here, then, man is brought to the view of what is to be done on his part, in the awful and important business of salvation; and were he to contemplate with due seriousness this language of Christ, it would not fail to lead to the inquiry, how he might fulfil what is enjoined, and become partaker of the blessed reward. Nor is there reason to doubt, but that most, if not all awak- ened minds have been brought to inquiries like these. But in this state, in which much of the future is often involved, there is especial need of humility, watchfulness, and prayer: the danger of yielding to wrong views and to evil counsel is great; and many, who have been met with in this *2Cor. V. 15. +Matt.vii. 21. 26 gpot, have been sorrowfully beguiled. If they have not substituted form for substance, they have fallen into an error at least equally deplorable. Secretly reluctant to surrender the heart, and desirous of assuming its government to them- selves, doubts have been excited and entertained, as to the reality of divine communication to the mind. Faith being thus shaken, by the subtilty of Satan, working on the desire to know good and evil and to become wise, out of the line of divine appointment, as in our first Parents, the eye hath been gradually closed to that evidence of its certainty, w hich the Light of Christ would have supplied it w ith. In this darkened state of the understanding, it has followed that the go- vernment has been withheld from Him, who alone could enable to do the will of his Father, and who said, '' I am the door of the Sheep*;" '' He that cntereth not by the door into the sheep- fold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber f." Revelation has been discarded as the phantasm of a deluded imagination ; and reason has been enthroned, as the competent guide of conduct. Now if this be the entrance to unbelief and its lamentable progress, seeing it leads to conse- quences so awful, with what care should the • John, X. 7. t Ibid, verse 1. 27 mind be guarded against the first approaches to a state of doubt and infidelity ! Christ declared, " No man knoweth the Son^, but the Father ; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him *." Hence, if we have any regard to his doctrine, and allow this knowledge to be essential to eternal life, ( or that it is the key which opens into it, ) as he has elsewhere f declared it to be, is it not evident, that belief in divine Revelation must precede the knowledge of divine things, and that it is the only firm ground on which we can build our hope of attaining to a peaceful and glorious immortality ? How important then, to cherish this belief! and if it be cherished in an humble and contrite heart, it will grow. Light will spring up with it, and the mind being thus turned to its proper centre, it will receive that fulness of assurance, as to the evidence of divine revelation, which will leave it no longer in doubt. If Regeneration be the condition in which only we are entitled to hope for admittance into the kingdom of heaven X; it surely cannot dero- gate from the proper authoriiy or dignity of reason, where the object is so vast as that of implanting the divine nature in the soul, to confess, that the power to carry on and perfect t Matt. xi. 27. + Joliu, xvii. 3. X Ibid. iii. 3. 28 a work of such inestimable value must be divine. There are others interested in the subject of these brief remarks, who would probably be of- fended, if their faith as genuine believers in Christ were called in question, that have yet not less need to examine their foundation. En- grossed with the objects of time and sense, they have indulged an indistinct and unauthorised hope, that they shall be finally received into the arms of mercy ; although it has formed but little or no part of their concern, to be prepared for the enjoyment of a blissful futurity. Such would do well to consider, and with deep serious- ness, that, notwithstanding it is the work of grace to prepare man for a state of happiness, he is required to yield to its government and to co-operate with it. Christianity gives no coun- tenance to intellectual supineness. It calls alike for the surrender of the will, and the dedication and exercise of the faculties ; nor are we less accountable for declining the improvement of the talents committed to our care *, than for their misapplication. The writer will now close these observations. He has aimed at conciseness, because he has » Matt. XXV. 27. 20 wished to promote reflection in the reader^, rather than countenance indolence of mind by minute illustration. His object has been briefly to shew, that which he believes from Scripture record to be the state of man; and to point to redeeming and sanctifying grace, which comes by Jesus Christ, as the foundation and top-stone of his hope of salvation. If the reader have faith in the application and discoveries of this grace to his own mind^ and yield to its humbling and pu- rifying influence, he will find that it is equal to all his necessities. It will inspire repentance and the hope of forgiveness for past transgression ; and will cleanse the heart from every inordinate desire of self-love, the original and the present source of man's corruption and unhappiness. It will lead him to self-distrust and self-denial ; to watchfulness and prayer : and finally^ in the love with which it will not fail to inspire and actuate him, amidst the probations of the present state, it will enable him thankfully and rejoicingly to acknowledge the ineff'able goodness of God in his creation, and in making him a partaker of the redemption that is in Christ; FINIS. (J, Coo;>e, Printer, Dunstan's Hill, I.ondon. AN APOLOGY FOR SILENT WAITING UPON GOD IN RELIGIOUS ASSEMBLIES; WITH SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE NATURE AND GROUND OF TRUE FAITH, AND THE APPLICATION THEREOF IN THE IMPORTANT CONCERN OF WORSHIP. Br THOMAS COLLET. In quietnefs and in confidence Ihall be your /Irength.' Ifa. XXX. 15. HonDon: miNTED AND SOLD BY WILLIAM PK1LL1P», GEORGE YART, LOMBARD STREET, 1804. 7 7 HEN we contemplate the glorious attributes of the Moft High, his wifdom, power, and goodnefs, and the dependent Hate of man, we are led to believe that divine worfhip is an eflential part of man's duty to him, as from a reafonable creature to a merciful and bountiful Creator ; and that he hath an undoubted right to adoration and obedience from fuch dependent beings, agreeably with the command: " Thou fhalt worfhip the Lord " thy God, and him only flialt thou ferve\'* This is acknowledged by Chriftians of all deno- minations, who believe it right to aiTtmble at dated times for the purpofe of worfhip ; although they differ widely as to the manner of it. It is not my intention in this efTay, to examine the different modes of worfhip praflifed in the world ; but to point out the advantage that may be derived from true filence, and how neceiTary it is for receiving a juft fenfe of our particular ftates and duties; as alfo its confjflency with the gofpel difpenfation. A congregation of people fitting down in filence, and fometimes continuing fo throughout the mcet- » Matth. iv. 10. A2 ing, hath been matter of wonder to many, and the fubjecl of various conjeftures and remarks. Some have conchided that all the time fo fpent hath been loft, and that no edification vsras to be received from it. Others have exclaimed. What does this people mean ? and then have endeavoured to ac- count for it by fuppofmg, that becaufe there are divers things among other profeiTions which we cannot reconcile or unite with, fo we have chofen this form as diflinguifhable from them. Silence in worfnip is in itfelf very fimple, and there is fomething in it little underftood and much defpifed by moft profelTors of religion. If upon inveftiga- tion it has no ground to fupport it, let it be done away : but if on the other hand, it has fufficient foundation both in fcripture and reafon, then let mankind embrace it, and receive all the benefit refulting from it. There is this advantage in true filence, that the enemy cannot counterfeit it : there is no excrcife whatever where felf is more fhut out. The filence which we are engaged to promote both by example and precept, is not merely a cef- fution from words, or a fettling into outward ftill- nefs; for that may be acquired by habit, and the mind flill left at large, ranging among created ob- jects, a flranger to the true objea of worfhip, and to that reft which is prepared for the Lord's people. It is a filence of the mind whercia hving 5 faith'' is eflentially necelTary; the awfuhiefs and be- nefit of which flate are better felt than defcribed. Here, the foul is prepared to worlhip in newnefs of life ; from which muft come any thing that is rightly fpoken, either in the way of preaching, prayer, or praife j or it cannot reach the (late of a congregation ; and except that be the cafe, filencc is better ; becaufe when fuch as are in this flate maintain the watch, and abide under the influence and power of the Spirit, they become co-workers therewith ; and their fpirits are baptized into a fympathy with the flate one of another ; and the Spirit of Truth, which is the principal obje£l in their view, being lively and powerful, arifes and fprcads from velTel to veffel, until it frequendy becomes to thefe as a flood bearing down all oppofition. Before I proceed further to enforce the necef- fity of filent waiting in religious worfliip, it may not be unfeafonable to confider the principle out of which it fprings : this being eflablifhed, the other, I think, will follow as a rcafonable confe- quence. That Chrifl is the principle and fpring in all true worfhip, is evident from the holy fcrip- tures, as may hereafter more fully appear. He declared to his difciples, " Without me, ye can *« do nothing/" This, I believe, many will affent to, who yet are at a lofs where to look for, or where to find him. > Heb. xi. 6. ' John xv. g. In order, therefore, to the clearing up of this point, and direfting the poor wanderer where to find this rich and hidden treafure, we will confider a few fcripture teftimonies on this head. The evangelical prophet Ifaiah, fpeaking of the virtue and extent of the office of Chrift in the gofpel days, faid, " There fhall be a root of Jeffe which fhall «' {land for an enfign of the people : to it fhall " the gentiles feek ; and his reft Ihall be glori- '^' ous/'* I know not, but that all profefled Chrif- tlans are united in this, that the enfign here fpoken of is Chrift : but where it is lifted up — herein they are at a lofs, or much divided. It doth not confift with my prefent plan, to inquire into the different creeds which abound in the world, but firaply to (late my opinion. That it muft be a fpiritual ma- nifeftation is evident from this confideration : the (^entiles were not gathered under the outward miniftry of our Lord. The apoftle faid, " Chrift " WAS a minifter of the circumcifion ;''* and our Lord himfelf faith, " I am not fent, but unto the " loft flieep of the houfe of Ifrael •,^" and, when he fent forth his difciples to preach repentance, and that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, he gave them this in charge: " Go not into the way 'f of the gentiles, and into any city of the Samari- " tans enter ye not ; but go rather to the loft «' fliecp of the houfe of IfraeL^" The fliort pe- •) Ifa.ii.ro. 'Rom.xv.g. fMatth.xv.24. «Ib)d. x. j,6. riod of his outward appearance in the world, and the locality of his gofpel labours, evidently prove, that the enfign to which the gentiles Ihould repair, muft be fpiritual, to be adapted to the end pro- pofed ; which was exprefsly declared by the Al- mighty : " I will alfo give thee for a light to the " gentiles, that thou mayefl: be my falvation unto *' the end of the earth.''" Our Lord illullrated this fubje^l in that memo- rable conference with Nicodemus concerninir the new birth: after infilling upon the neceffity thereof, he proceeded to fhew, that it was an effecH: pro- duced in the mind of man by the influence and operation of the holy Spirit, and that it was known only by its own evidence, as by that comparifon j " The wind bloweth where it liileth, and thou *' hearefl the found thereof, but canfl not tell " whence it cometh, and whither it goeih : fo '* is every one that is born of the Spirit." When Nicodemus, expreffing his aftonifliment, faid, " How can thefe things be?'* OnrLord anfwered, *' We fpeak that we do know, and tcdify that we " have feen." " If I have told you earthly " things, and ye believe not, how fliall ye believe " if I tell you of heavenly things ? and no man " hath afcended up to heaven, but he that came " down from heaven, even the Son of man which " is in heaven ; and as Mofes lifted up the ferpenc •> Ifa. xllx. 6. A 4 8 *« in the wildcrncfs, even fo mud the Son of man *' be lifted up j that whofoever believeth in him, *' fhould not perifti, but have eternal hfe'.*' It may be profitable here to make a paufe ; for furely this is a fubje£l of the firfl importance, feeing it is faid in the fame chapter, " He that believetk " not the Son, fliall not fee life; but the wrath of " God abideth on him,*"* Here the obje£t of faith is placed in our view, with the advantage refulting from believing, even that of eternal life; and the danger and lofs which are the confequence of unbelief. In confidering thefe weighty expref- fions, three things particularly claim our attention. Firfl, Chrill; gives the appellation of the Son of man to his divinity, or that part of him that came down from heaven ; fecondly. That that is the antitype of that figure which Mofes made in the wildernefs ; and thirdly, That it is the objeft of our faith and attention. The queflion here does not appear wholly and exclufively to relate to the great work wrought by our Lord in his outward manifeftation in the flefh; when, through a courfe of perfect righteoufnefs, and unremitting obedience, he bruifed the ferpent's head, and " condemned fm in the flefh;" — to the virtue or efficacy of the offering of his body on the crofs at Jcrufalem ; but alfo to his fpiritual ap- pearance, by which the antitype is rendered analo- ' Joliii ill. 8, 9. II— 15. ^ Ibid. Terfe 36, 9 goiis to the type. The means of man's falvation Was prefigured by a ferpent of brafs ; which Mofes raifed upon a pole in fo confpicuous a manner, that when the children of Ifraei were bitten by fiery ferpents, they looked thereupon and were healed. From the analogy that fubfifts between the figure and the fubftance, the latier muft of courfe be fo adapted, as fully to anfwer the end propofed. That it was not limited to the body on the crofs, appears from the following confideration ; that it Was there expofed but for a fhort time, and that few comparatively had the opportunity of looking thereupon. But if it (hould be faid, that he is lifted tip in the gofpel, and the virtue of his merits is proclaimed by thofe who are the publifiiers there- of; this alfo appears not fully to reach the cafe : for, are ' there not at this day millions who have not the opportunity of being fo inftrufted? nor was there ever a rime, when the outward knowledge of the fufferings and death of Chrifl did univerfally prevail. Moreover, where the outward knowledge is fpread by means of the facred writings being pre- ferved, and rendered in our mother-tongue, and people are inftrufted to believe all that is recorded concerning that important event, I would appeal to the confideration of every unprejudiced mind, if that is the faith which our Lord intended ; which faves from perilhing, and puts man in polTeilion of A5 10 )iil tiU" eternal life. That faith may be received fro dition; whereas the faith that is faving, is from the operation of the Spirit of Chrift. We there- fore conclude that the antitype is to be fought not only in that bleifed outward manifeftation at Jeru- falem (which we fully confefs), but alfo, and more efpecially, in that divine principle of light and life, which God hath placed in the mind of man, and fo manifeiled, that every man who is in danger of perifliing, is placed in a capacity of receiving the benefit intended thereby* In confirmaticn of this conclufion, we (hall add a few concurrent teftimonies of Chrift and his apoftles ; and then proceed to inquire into the na- ture of that faith, without which it is impofTible to pleafe God ; which faves man from perifhing, and crowns him with eternal life. When our Lord was reafoning with the Jews on the fpiritu- ality of the gofpel, he took a furvey of the three principal difpenfiuions which had gone before, viz. the law, the prophets, and John the Baptift, as be- ing preparatory to one fuperior to them : as he faid, " The law and the prophets were until John ; " fince th It time the kingdom of God is prcach- *' ed."* This was to be the fubje£l of the miniftry, the objefl: held up to the people's attention ; and confequently, the minds of the children of men were to be turned to it : and that none might be at a ■ Luke xvi. i6. 11 !ofs what confl:ru£tion to put upon it, or where to look for it, liC plainly declared, that " the king- *' dom of God cometh not with obfervation;" for *' the kingdom of God is within you"*.'* This relates to that 1 ving, powerful, operative principle which Chrift compared to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three meafures of meal", and which polTcffing an operative property, the whole lump became leavened by it. This palTage appears con- clufive in our favour. The apoftle Paul faith, " The righteoufnefs which is of faith fpeaketh on " this wife. Say not in thine heart, Who fhall ^' afcend into heaven? that is, to bring Chrift " down from above :" for " the word is nig^h " thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart; that *' is the word of faith which we preach."'* James faith, " Receive with meeknefs the ingrafted word, *' which is able to fave your fouls.''*' Peter faith, " If fo be ye have tafted that the [^ord is gra- " cious ; to whom coming, as unto a hving ftone, " difallowed indeed of men, but chofen of God, '^ and precious;''" being " born again, not of cor- " ruptible feed, but of incorruptible, by the word of " God which liveth and abideth for ever.'" And the apoftle Paul is very plain on this fubjeft, when he faith, " I am made a minifter, according to the " difpenfation of God, which is given to me for ■• Lukexvii, 20, 21. " Matth xiii. 3J. "Rom x. 6. 8. p James i. 21. 9 I Pet. ii. 3,4. Mbid.i.23. A 6 12 *' you, to fulfil the word of God; even the myflery *' which hath been hid frora ages and from gene- rations, but now is made manifefl to his faints;" which is Chrifl in you, the hope of glory; whom " we preach'." I fhall clofe thefe quotations with a fentence delivered by our Lord ; and which con- cerns mankind perhaps as much as any paffage in the bible; viz. " While ye have light, believe in " the light, that ye may be the children of light'." Thefe few tedimonies may be fufficient to confirm the principle : it may now be proper to fay a few words on the nature of that faith, without which, the apoflle faith, it is impoffible to pleafe God." Faith may be confidered as twofold : firft, that which relates to a belief of certain truths ; as, the holy fcriptures, with the general principles and doctrines of religion : which may be acquired by education or application to ftudy. Secondly, It relates to a fpiritual faculty in the foul, which is a fruit of the Spirit of Chriit. As I conceive this to be that faith which our Lord alluded to, when he faid, that he that believed in him ihould not perifli, but have eternal life^ ; fo it is this laflj which in this place I principally infill on. Men may have a zeal for God, and go great lengths towards eftablifhing their own righteouf- nefs; and yet, if they are not fubjeft to the right- coufnefs of Chrift by faith, what will it avail ? 'Col.i.aj— a8 'Jchnxii.36. "Hcb, xi. 6. yjohniii. 15, • 13 Excellent things are fpoken of faith 5 as, that it is " the fiibftance of things hoped for," and '* the " evidence of things not feen'." "This is the vic- " tory that overcometh the world, even our " faith/" " The fhield of faith, wherewith ye " fhall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the " wicked.*"* " Ye are all the children of God " by faith in Chrifl Jefus/" The faith here fpoken of is diftlnguifliable from an hiflorlcal faith, in as much as it is attended wich a divine evidence in the foul. " He that be- *' lieveth on the Son of God,'* faith the apoflle John, " hath the witnefs in himfelf ;" " and this *' is the record, that God hath given to us eternal *' life; and this life is in his Son: he that hath the " Son, hath life ; and he that hath not the Son of " God, hath not life^" " Examine yourfclves," faid the apoflle Paul, " whether ye be in the faith; " prove your own felves : know ye not your own " felves, how that Jefus Chrift is in you, except *' ye be reprobatesS'* Faith then which anfwereth to thefe great and excellent purpofes, and is attended with fuch powerful evidence, is a^ principle of life in the foul of man, begotten by the influence and operation of the Spirit of Chrifl', who is called the author and fiuifher thereof"; and this faith is the medium, or •^Hcb.xi. I. "rjohnv. 4. ''Eph.vi.i6. 'Gal iii.26. * I John V. 10, il, iz. = 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Mhid.iv. 13. sGal.v, 22. Col. ii, iz. ""Heb-xii. a. a; 14 channel, through which d'vinc virtue 's conveyed to the foul ; a principle v/hich feeleth after God', and whereby the foul cleaverh to, or is united un- to him ; wherein ITiandeth that fpiritual union fpoken of, as, " You in me, and I in you''." " I " am the vine, ye are the branches'." " Our fel- " lowfhip is with the Father, and with his fon '' Jefus Chriil".'* " Holding the rayftery of the " faith in a pure confcience"." Raving thus fhewn the nature and obje£t of faith, the application is plain ; that, as, when the people were bitten by fiery ferpents, which made a deadly wound in their body; by looking ftedfaftly on that outward object which was placed for that purpofe in their view, they were healed : fo the wound that fin makes, being inward, a fpiritual _ malady in the foul ; the way to be healed, is to fix the attention of the mind fledfaftly, by faith, on Chrifl:. The apofile Paul, when defcribing an awakened, but not a redeemed, ftate, faid, " I fee *' another law in my members, warring againil the " law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity " to the law of fin°.'* And what was it that fet him free from that law, but " the law of the Spirit " of life in Chrifl: Jefus^ ?"■ Foolifh and hurtful lufl:s, when given way to, drown men in perdition and defl:rn£l:ion. Here is both the caufe and the •Adsxvii. 27. '' Johnxiv. 20. 'Ibid. xv. 5. «• i John i. 3. ■ I Tim. iii. 9. * Rom. vii. 23. f Ibid. vili. a. 15: cfft-a-, and the wifdom and goodnefs of God is manifeft in providing an adequate means for man's recovery and reftoration, a means adapted to his- condition, able to repel fm in all its appearances, and rcftore fpiritual foundnefs to the foul. Having endeavoured to prepare the way, I fliall now proceed to confider briefly the fubjecl of wor- fiiip, and to point out what I conceive to be the jidvaptages refulting from filently waiting upon God. That worfhip under the gofpel is a fpiritual ^xercife, adapted to a fpiritual difpenfation, appears evident from the concurring teflimonies of the facred writings j and is the fubftance of that cere- monial worfliip figured forth and pra£lifed under the law, but cqntradiflinguiflied from it, and fet forth as far excelling it both in nature and degree. After our Lord's afcenfion to that glory which he had with the Father before the world was, he condefcended to declare, " Behold, I (land at the *^ door and knock j if any man hear my voice, and *' open the door, I will come in to him, and will *' fup with him, and he with me''.'* Now, as this vifitation is in fpirit unto the heart or foul of man, can any thing be more confident with the nature of things than to fit down in awful filence; having the attention of the mind fleadily fixed on that which vifiteth; waiting in faith fox the fpringing up of divine life in the foul, according to this pro- ^ Rev. iii. 20. ^8 16 mifc, " I will come in." As man happily experi-. ences this, he can fii under his own vine, and under his own fig-tree, where none can make him afraid. When our Lord converfed with the woman of Samaria, fhe appeared defirous of knowing the true place ofworfliip, faying, " Our fathers worfliipped *' in this mountain; and ye fay, that in Jerufalem *' is the place where men ought to worfhip: Jefus *' faith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour •^^ Cometh when ye ihall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerufalem, worfliip the Father : ye worfhip ye know not v;hat ; we know what we ^' worfhip :** " but the hour cometh, and now is, " when the true worfhippers fhall worfliip the ** Father in fpirit and in truth : for the Father " feeketh fuch to worfhip him. God is a fpirit; and they that worfhip him, mufi: worfhip him in fpirit and in truth'." This pafTage points out, in the firfl place, the neceffity of knowing the object of our worfhip ; and fecondly, that he mufl be worfhipped in fpirit and in truth. The apoflle faid to the Philippians, " We are ** the circumcifion which worfhip God in the *' fpirit, and rejoice in Chrifl Jefus, and have no ** confidence in the flefli'." They were therefore come to the fubflance of the former fhadowy dif- penfation. It is not confiflent with the nature of things for one fhadow to point out another, but ' John iv. ao— 14. » Phil. iii. 3. Si 17 ■always the fubftance : hence it is faidj ** We arc " the eircumcifion which worfliip God in the ." fpirit j" not retaining any of the old rituals, or having any confidence in the flefli. Then doth it not appear mod confiflent with the dignity of the gofpel, and the folemnity with which divine "worfhip ought to be performed, to fit down in aw- ful filence, and wait to feel the mind divinely in- fluenced ? when if any pray, it will be with the fpirit, and with the underftanding alfo : for, if in the primitive church, men fo highly dignified as they were with the gifts of the holy Spirit, knew not what to pray for as they ought, but as the Spirit helped their infirmities, with groanings which could not be uttered'; then let it not feem ftrange that we Ihould alfo be unable to pray without fpiritual afilliance. AlTembling together for the purpofe of divine worfliip, embraceth three principal obje£l:s ; firfl, the teftifying of our duty to, and dependence upon, our great and gracious Benefaiflor, in whom we live and move and have our being j fecondly, the renewing of our fpiritual ftrength in him; and, thirdly, the edification one of another. Thefe ob- jedls ought always to be in view in all our religious meetings ; and firfl: — Our duty as finite creatures, to a merciful and bountiful Benefaftor. If we con- template the greatnefs and majefty of Him who ' Rom. viii. 26. A9 18 formed and upholdcth all things ; who is king of kings, and lord of lords; who only hath immortali- ty, dwelling in the light which no man can ap- proach unto ; who dwelleth in the high and holy place, and inhabiteth eternity; of whom the pro- phet faid, " Before the mountains were brought *' forth, or ev er thou hadft formed the earth and " the world, even from everlafting to everlafting " thou art God":" under fnch a fenfe of the fu- preme Majefty, who is glorious in holinefs, and fearful in praifes, the profoundeft adoration and worlhip are called for, and we believe are witnelfed in folemn filence. But it is to be noted, the work of faith is oppofed by the power of darknefs", and though it may fullain clofe conflifts, fet forth by " the fiery trial;" yet as it is continued to be exercifed in the power of God, it will obtain the viftory, and that faying of Chrift \m\\ be explained, viz. If ye have faith as a grain of muftard-fecd, ye fhall fay unto this mountain. Be thou removed, and it fhall be done\ This brings to the fecond thing to be confidered ; namely, the renewing of our flren^th in the Lord. When our Lord was reafoning with the Jews on the fiibje£l: of his divinity, and of that divine life which he came to reftore and raife up in the foul of man ; in order to turn their views to him ihe fource of hfe, he faid, " Labour not for the » Pf. xcz. * I'ph. vi. 12. '' Match, xvii. ao. xxi. 21. 19 " meat which perifheth, but for that meat which " endureth unto everlafting life ; which the Son *' of man fliall give unto you, for him hath God " the Father fealed." " The bread of God is he " which Cometh down from heaven, and giveth " life unto the world." Again, *' I am the bread " of life ; he that comeih to me fliall never hun- '* ger ; and he that believeth on me fhall never " thirfl^." From all which we infer, that it is his divine nature or fpirit that he is calling them to, agreeably to his own faying, " The words that i " fpeak unto you, they arc fpirit, and they are '« life'.'* Is it not then evident, that filently waiting for the drawing influence of the Father's love to bring the foul to Chrift, is highly profitable, if not indifpenfably necelfary ? efpecially if we con- fider what Chrift (iiid, " No man can come to me, " except the Father which hath fent me, draw " him''." Again, " I am the living bread which " came down from heaven ; if any man eat of this " bread, he fhall live for ever: and the bread that I will give, is my fiefli, which I will give for the ' life of the world." " Whofo eateth my flefh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life;" " for *' my flefh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink *' indeed. He that eateth my flefli, and drinketh " my blood, dwellcth in me, and I in him. As ** the living Father hath fent me, and I live by the ' John vi. -ij. 2^ 55. . * Ipid. vers. 63, * Ibid. vers. 44. (C (C 20 ^' Father, fo he that eateth me, even he fliall live " by me'." As this evidently pointeth out divine virtue inwardly communicated, and received through faith, as a fource of fupport adapted to the foul and whereby fpiritual fliength is renewed; fo it clearly manifefts the neceility of a watchful, atten- tive difpofition, in order to receive thofe divine communications; and, what itate fo fuitable as that of awful filence ? The receiving of the quickening virtue of Chriffc in our fouls, and feeding thereupon, is reprefented by eating and drinking, which is aftually poffefTmg the means of life ; not receiving it in a figure or reprefentation, but the very thing itfelf; as our Lord faid, " He that eateth me, even he fhall live " by me." This is that fpiritual food prepared for the foul's fuftenance, even in its militant, probation- ary (late ; not as a tranfient vifitation in the morn- ing of the day, and no more known of it but in the recolledfion, or the experience of other men ; but as the body (lands in need of daily fupplies of food, in order to its retaining a proper degree of health and vigour, fo the foul doth require to be daily fed with that heavenly food, to be nourilhed up to eternal life. However this may have been negle£l:ed or over- looked, it remains to be the tranfcendent glory of the gofpcl difpenfition : this is the object we have <^ John vi,5I. 54-—i7- 21 ni view ; and to which we defirc to attain in all our approaches to God, both in private retirement, or with our famihes, and in the congregation for public worfiiip ; and we huve not found a more excellent way, than to fit down in fiience, and en- deavour to come to Chrift ; to feel accefs opened to him, through the power of an operative faith : which being the fubftance of things hoped for, and ' the evidence of things not feen, we may hereby participate in thofe treafures which neither ear hath heard, nor heart conceived ; but, bleffed be the name of the God of truth ! he revealeth them by his Spirit to the attentive, waiting foul. And though there may not be a word fpoken outvvardiy, fuch will not be difippointed ; their dependence not being on man but on the Lord, they are ad- , mitted to that fupper promifed by Chrid to fuch as hear his voice and open to him the door, that he will fup with them, and they with him. He will receive of their obedience, and dedication of heart, as fweet incenfe, while their fouls are feeding, in the filence of all fleih, on th it divine nourifhment which he has prepared for them: and thus by waiting upon the Lord, they renew their flrength*^. Thirdly, It is in this flrength, that true edifica- tion is adminirtered. I fliall be (hort on this head, as the fubjeft has been largely and ably handled by Robert Barclay, in his Apology for the true *Ifa. xl. 31- Chriilian Divinity (Propofition on Worfhip), to which I refer; but I fhall jufl: mention a palTage or two, fliewing in what Hght the apodle PauJ viewed the fubjeft ; and fee if our praft'ce does nor coincide therewith. " He afcended up on high, he led captivity '' captive, and gave gifts unto men'." Thefe gifts were to be employed for this excellent pur- pofe ; " for the perfefting of the faints, for the *' work of the miniftry," and " for the edifying *.' of the body of Chnil; till we all come, in the *' unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the " Son of God, unto a perfe6i man*^:" but how thefe gifts are applied, he explains more particu- larly a little further on, where he is fliewing the connexion that fubfifts between Chrifl and the church, and the dependent ftate m which the church is placed ; where Chrift is reprefented as the head, from whom the whole body, having nou- rifiiment miniftered, being " compacted by that <^ which every joint fupplieth, according to the *' effeftual working in the meafure of every part, " maketh increafe of the body, unto the edifying " of itfelf in love^." Now this appears evident, that if what every joint fupplieth mull: be accord- ing to the effectual working in the meafure in them, there can be no inconfiftency in filently waiting for the evidence of the meafure being rct <*Eph. iv. 8 f Ibid. iv. 12, 13. « Ibid. vers. 1 6. 23 newed in their hearts, that thereby they ml;;hi be come co-workers with it. Although it is comfortable and edifying to fit under a miniftry which hath its fupplies from the gift of Chr ft, yet the edification of a religious meeting doth n )t altogethc;r depend on outward means, as preaching, &c. for whatever tends to increafe the weight and foleinnity of a meeting, cpntributcs to its edification. Now, as individuals; are gathered to their proper exercife, and attend to the effeftual working in the meafure in them- felves, an increafe is experienced, and as the Spirit of Chrlft is one in all, baptizing the diiFerent mem- bers into a joint travail and fym.pathy one with and for another, as that exercife is maintained, the fpring of life is not only opened in individuals, but fpreads from vefTel to veflel ; thus an increafe is wit- nefled, and the body is edified in love. The manlfeftation of Chrift in the heart, hath not only a quickening property^, whereby a divine life is raifed in the foul, and nourifhment miniftered, by which that life may be fuftained, but he is made unto us, " wifdom, and righteoufnefs, and *' fau<5lification, and redemption'." Notwithftand- ing all the advantages which we may receive from without ; either from the facred writings, from teftimonies of thofe engaged in the miniftry, the writings and experiences of other men, or the >■ Eph. ii. 1.5,6. 'l Cor. i. 30. 24 faculty of reafon in ourfelves; yet there occur many cafes, wherein we are entirely dependent on a higher principle, for wifdom to dire£i:. I will juft indance one, which will fliew that others may be in the fame circumdance ; that is, with regard to the miniftry. What fource of information is there, fliort of divine intelligence inwardly conveyed to the mind by Chrift, that is fufficient to fatisfy one man, that it is his duty to preach the gofpel, and woe unto him, if he preach it not; and at the fame time doth permit another to be filent, without incurring that woe? The other parts of that excel- lent defc'ription are equally important, that is, *' righteoufnefs, and fanclification, and redemp- <' tion :" it is as Chrift comes to be raifed and formed'' in us, and we united unto him by faith, that he becomes the Lord our righteoufnefs ; and we are accepted in him the beloved ; fo alfo he is our fanclification ; he is the caufe produ- cing the effeft. The term includes the idea of cleanfmg, and the procefs is gradual, adapted to the degrees of impurity imbibed through un- belief and difobedience. " There are diverfities ^« of operations, but it is the fame God, which «' worketh all in all*." The whole is compnfed in this paffage, " He fhall baptize you with the " holy Ghoft, and with fire".*' The diverfity of operations is illuftrated by different fimilitudes, a k Gal. Iv. 19. ' I Cor. xii.6. " Matth. iii. Ii. 25 *' The wafliing of water by the word" ;** in others, the day burning " as an oven° ;" and ** a refiner's " fire," and " fuller's foap^ :" in all, he is the great operator ; and as our attention is fixed on him in true refignation, and we in humble confi- dence do wait for the renewings of the holy Spirit in our fouls, whereby the work is carried on, our hearts become purified through faith. Thus he is hkewife our redeemer, our faviour, our deliverer, and proteftor: (o long as we remain in a taber- nacle of flefti, and in a militant flate, fo long we fhall need his preferving pov/erj for " the jufl fliall « live by faith.'^" From what has been faid, I think it mud appear evident to every candid inquirer after truth, that, for receiving Chriit in thofe important offices, and which cannot be obtained but through the medium of living faith, there is no way wherein we can be engaged, fo much adapted to the attaining of this great end, as this filent exercife of mind. Some perhaps may fay, If there is fo much ad- vantage derived from this filent exercife, how comes it to pafs that none have found it befides you ? is it not fomewhat extraordinary, that the fcripturcs do not recommend the practice ? on which I fliall make a few obfervations. There are many pafiTages which I think evidently favour the practice : I will therefore juft mention a fev/ — "Eph. T, a6. •M»l, iv. I. J" Ibid, iii, i, Zech. ii. I3. • Ifa. rli. i. ■* Habw ii. so. Ifa. xlix. ij. -s from a real apprehension of duty, and in sincerity, not slopping in the outward and visible sig-n, but pressing through this to the inward and spiritual grace, the Lord accepts such, and no doubt has answered many of thtm in peace- But may it not be justly apprehended, that many use the out- ward ceremonies merely as a form ; and that others use (hem with an expectation of their tendency to salvation, without looking for an ac- quaintance with, or submitting to, the operation of that divine grace, ■which can alone etTect it ? God's merciful condescension in acr.epting our imperfect ofFeiings, when made in a spirit of sincere devotion, is not a certain evidence that we have attained to all that we may know of his will. We have a striking instance of this in the Apostle Peter, though one of Christ's first disciples, and accompanying with him until he suffered, and who, after Christ's ascension, had been enabled under the influence of the Holy Ghost, to preach with so much power as to convert thousands to the Gospel ; yet, until he was favoured with a mission to the house of Cornelius, his views were so circumscribed, that it appears he was not aware that the blessings of the Gospel extended to the Gentiles: and how very hardly was he thought of by his brethren, for obeying this mission — for acting agreeahly to what he believed was his duty, in going to the hotjse of Cornelius ? So it appears, we are for not adopting^ ceremonies or ordinances, still in use by many; but which we believe are fully ended as to any necessity, by Christ's coming and suffering for us. ON BAPTISM, {T) We find two kinds of Baptism mentioned in the New Testament; namely, Baptism witli Water, and Baptism with the Spirit : the former was, in some degree, in use under the Jewish law; and some writers mention, that it was occasionally both added to circumcision, and substituted for it, in the admission of proselytes. When the fore- runner of our Lord appeared to fulfil his mission, he made particular use of this ceremony ; and from him it was called the Baptism of John. From this practice among the Jews, and by John the Baptist, Water Baptism appears to have been introduced into the Christian Church, at the mode of acknowledging its converts ; but we conceive it was no more an essential part of chrislianily, than other Jewish ceremonies for a time practised by the early christians. It is clear that John considered his dispensation and Baptism as only temporary : he plainly shews, that the Baptism which was to supersede his, was to be of a different and a spiritual nature, as appears, Matt, iii, 11, 12 — " I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance ; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear : he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire; whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather the wheat iuto his garner ; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." On another occasion, John iii, 30 also says, " He must increase, but I must decrease." From these expressions, as well as from others in the New Testament, we are induced to believe, that the " One Baptism" which now remains necessary to the Church of Christ, is that of the Spirit ; this, according to the foregoing instructive allegory, cleanses the heart. It is to be regretted, that christians have been so habituated to unite Baptism and Water together in their view, that they seem almost to forget that there is a baptism without water, by the Spirit. There are many passages in Scripture, where the words Baptize and Baptism are used in a figurative sense, and in which it is evident no allusion to the use of water is intended. This is peculiarly the case in two instances, in which it is apprehended all will agree that water could not be intended. The first is the question put to the sons of Zebedee, Mark x, 38, " Can ye drink of iht cup that I drink of, and 1)« biplized with tlie baptism that I atn baptized with r" By the^e and similar expressions in the suc- ceeding verse, it is evident, that water cannot be understood; and indeed it is generally agreed, that both the Baptism and the Cup, allude to a state of deep suffering and affliction. This is also the ob%ious meaning of the expression in Luke xii, 50 — " 1 have a baptism to be baptiz(^d with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished 1" From these ap- plications of the words Baptize and Baptism, it appears that they were at that time frequently used in a figurative manner. [P) [B) There is but one baptism, as well as but one Lord, one faith, &c. The baptism of John, was but a figure of Christ's ; and therefore, as a figure, to give place to the substance, — that is, to the one baplisiri of Christ, which is not a washing with water, as appears from the testi- mony of John, who said, " I indeed baptize you with water: " and then he adds, that Christ " shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire." This is further confirmed by the saying of Christ himself. Acts i, 4, 5. — "But wait for the promise of the Father, which (saith he) ye have heard of me; for John truly baptised with water, but ye shall be baptised with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence : " there can scarce two places of scripture run more parallel. Christ here grants, fully, that John completed his baptism, as to the matter and substance of it. Peter also observes the same distinction. Acts xi, 16: — "Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with Water, but ye shall be baptised with the Holy Ghost." Now if there be but one baptism, (as is asserted by the Apostle) we may safely conclude it is that of the Spirit, and not of Water. Therefore, Water Baptism is not to continue now, because it is not the one Baptism of Christ. That John's baptism is ceased, many will confess; but if any should allege it is otherwise, it may be easily proved by the express words of John, not only as being insinuated there, where he contra-distin- guisheth his baptism from that of Christ's, but particularly where he saith, John iii, 30, " He (Christ) must increase, but I (John) must de- crease:*' from whence it clearly follows, that the increasing or taking place of Christ's baptism, is the decreasing or abolition of John's bap- tism ; so that if Water Baptism was a particular part of John's minis- try, and is no part of Christ's Baptism, as we have already proved, it will necessarily follow that it is not to continae* If Water Baptism had been to continue a perpetual ordinance of Christ in his Church, he would either have practised it himself, or command- ed his Apostles so to do. But that he practised it not, the Scripture plainly affirms, John iv, 2 ; and that he commanded his disciples to baptize with water, I could never yet read. As for what is alleged Matt, xxviii, 19, where he bids them baptize, is to be understood of Water Baptism, that is but to beg the question ; and the grounds for that shall be hereafter examined. Therefore, to baptize with water, is no perpetual ordinance of Christ to his Church. But to make Water Baptism a necessary insti- tution of the Christian religion, which is pure and spiritual, and not car- nal and ceremonial, is to derogate from the New-covtnant Dispensation, and set up the legal rites and ceremonies, of which this of Baptism or washing with water was one; as appears from Heb. ix, 10, where the Apostle, speaking thereof, saith, that it " stood only in meats and drinks, and divers baptisms, and carnal ordinances, imposed until the time of reformation." If, then, the time of reformation, or the dispensation of the gospel, which puts an end to the shadows, be come, then such bap- tisms and carnal ordinances are no more to be imposed. For how Baptism with Water comes now to be a spiritual ordinance more than before, in the time of the law, doth not appear, seeing it is but water still, and a washing of the outward man, and a putting away of the filth of the flesh still ; and, as before, those that were so washed, were not thereby made perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; neither are tliey at this day, as experience abundantly sheweth. If Water Baptism was once a carnal ordinance, as the Apostle possitively affiims it to have been, it remains a carnal ordinance still ; and if a carnal ordinance, then no necessary part of the gospel or new covenant dispensation ; and if no necessary part of it, then not needful to continue, nor to be practised by such as live and walk onder this dispensation. The law and rule of the old covenant, given to the Jews, was out- ward, written in tables of stone and parchment ; but the law of the new covenant is inward and perpetual, written in the heart. So likewise the Baptism among the Jews, under the law, was an outward waahing with outward water, only to typify an inward purification of the soul; but the Baptism of Christ, under the Gospel, is the Baptism of the spirit and of fire ; and such is the Baptism that we labour to be bap- tized witbal, and contend for. 8 If Water Baptism had beeu un oidinance of tfi*- 5o*|)el, thru the Apostle Paul would have been sent to administer it ; but hs decluiea positively 1 Cor. i, 17, that " Chri»t setit rne not to Baptize, but to preach the gospel" The reason of that consequence is undeniable, because llie Apostle Paul's commission was as large as that of any of them ; and consequently, he being^ in a special manner th« Apostle of Christ to the Uentiles, if Water Baptism be to be accounted the badge of Christi- anity, he had more need than any of the rest to be sent to Baptize with Water, that he might mark the Gentiles converted by hira with that Christian sign. But by his Epistles, it appears, belaboured to wean them from the former Jewish ceremonies and observations; though in so doing he was sometimes undeservedly judged by others of his brethren, who were unwilling to lay aside those ceremonies ; therefore bis commission, though as full as to the preaching of the gospel and new covenant dispensation as that of the other Apostles, did not re- quire it of him that he should lead those converts into such Jewish observations and Baptisms; however that custom was indulged in and practised by the other Apostles, among their Jewish proselytes; for which cause, he thanks God that he had baptized so few ; intimating that what he did therein, he did not by virtue of his Apostolic com- mission, but rather in condescension to their weakness, even as at another time be circumcised Timothy. Some object, that Christ was baptized with water: 1 answer, so was he also circumsised : it will not follow from thence, that circumcision is to continue; for it behoved Christ to fulfil all righteousness, not only the ministry of John, but the law also; therefore did he observe the Jewish feasts and rites, and keep the Passover. It will not thence follow, that christians ought to do so now: and therefore Christ, Matt, iii, 15, gives John this reason of his being baptized, — desiring hira to •' »ufFer it to be so now ; " whereby he sufficiently intimates, that he intended not thereby to perpetuate it as an ordinance to his disciples. The command in Matt, xxviii, 19, '*Go ye, therefore, and teach alt nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Sod, and of the Holy Ghost, " is that upon which they who plead for Water Baptism build the whole superstructure; whereunto the first general and sound answer is, by granting the whole, but pulling them to prove that Water is here meant, since the text is silent of it. We concede the whole expressed; but deny that it is by water, which is added to the text. That Baptism which Chtist coJhnianded his Apostleu, was the ore Baptism, (i.e.) his own Baptism. The oue Baptism, which is Christ's, is not with Water. Therefore, the baptism commanded by Christ, to his Apostles, was not Water Baptism. That Baptism which Christ commanded, was such, that ab many as were therewith baptized, did put on Christ. As to what Christ saltb, in commanding them to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I confess that states the difference (between John's Baptism and Christ's); and it is great. But that lies not only in admitting Water Baptism in this different form, by a bare expression of these words; for as the text says no such thing, neither do I see how it can be inferred from it. For the Greek is eW TO 'ovoptat, that is, into the name. Now the name of the Lord is often taken, in scripture, for something else than a bare sound of words, or literal expression; even for his virtue and power, as may appear from Psalm liv, 1. Cant, i, 3. Proverbs xviii, 10, and in many more places. Now that the Apostles were by their ministry to bap- tize the nations into this name, virtue, and power, and that they did so, is evident from this testimony of Paul, above mentioned — **that as many of them as were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.^* This must have been a baptizing into the name, (i. e.) power and virtue; and not a mere formal expression of words, adjoined with Water Baptism. I would have those who desire to have their faith built upon no other foundation than the testimony of God's Spirit, and scriptures of truth, thoroughly to consider, whether there can be any thinjr fuither alleged for this interpretation, than what the prejudice of education and influence of tradition have imposed. Besides the reason taken from the signification of the name, as being the power and virtue above expressed, let it be considered, that if it had been a form prescribed by Christ to his Apostles, then sorely they would have made use of that form, in the administering of Water Baptism to such as they baptized with water; but though particu- lar meutiou be made in divers places, of those who were baptized, and bow; and though it is particularly expressed that they baptized such and such, as Acts ii, 41, and viii, 12 13, 38, and ix, lb, and x, 48, and xvi, 15, and xviii, 8, yet there is not a word of this form : and in two places. Acts viii, 16, and xix, 5, it is said of some, that th«7 were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus ; by whivb it yet more 10 appears, that either the author of this historj hath bem rery defective, who having- so often occasion to mention this, yet omiiteth so suhstanlial a part of baptism, {which were to accuse the Holy Ghost, by whose guidance Luke wrote it,) or else thai the Apostles did no ways un- derstand that Christ, by his commission. Matt, xxviii, did enjoin them such a form of Water Baptism, seeing they did not use it; and therefore it is safer to cenclude, that what they did in administering Water Baptism, they did not by virtue of that commission, else they would have so used it; for I suppose it would be judged a great heresy to administer Water Baptism without that, or only in the name of Jesus, without mention of Father or Spirit, as it is expressly said they did in the two places above cited. {P) The commission Christ gave to his disciples was, to teach baptizing; " but (said he) tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high : '* be also said, "ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me." It appears evident, the baptism in the commission relates not to John's baptism, (which they could of themselves use) but to Christ's; and held forth the preaching of the gospel in the spirit and power of God. Therefore the commission was given to those in the primitive age, who were divinely inspired for that purpose; and it unquestionably reaches to their successors in tba same spirit, and to such only, to the end of the world. Peter, relating the result of his visit to Cornelius and his com- pany, says, "as 1 began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us ID the beginning ; then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with wattr, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost." This plainly shews, that the spiritual baptism of Christ accompanied their preaching; and, therefore, was the baptism intended in his commission. The same Apostle wit-- Dcsses more generally, that the Gospel was preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. {B) Baptizing with the Spirit, is something further than teaching or informing the nnderstanding; for if. imports a reaching to, and melting the heart, whereby it is turned, as well as the understanding informed. They say Baptism, in this place, must be. understood of Water, because it is the action of the Apostles ; and so cannot be the Baptism of the Spirit, which is the work of ChriKt and his grace, not of mao, fcc. 11 I answer, baptism willi the spirit, though not wrought without Christ and bis grace, is instrumentally done by men fitted of God for that purpose; and therefore no absurdity follows, that baptism with the spirit should be expressed as the action of the Apostles; for though it be Christ by his grace, that gives spiritual gifts, yet tha Apostle, Romans i, 11, speaks of his imparting to them spiritual gifts; and he tells the Corinthians that he had begotten them through the Gospel, 1 Cor. iv, 15; and yet, to beget people to the faith, is the work of Christ and his grace, not of men; to convert the heart, is properly the work of Christ, and yet the scripture oftentimes ascribes it to men, as being the instruments ; and since Paul's commission was to tura people from darkness to light, (though that be not done without Christ co-operating by his grace) so may also baptizing with the Spirit be expressed as performable by man, as the instrument, though the work of Christ's grace be needful to concur theieunto; so that it is no absurdity to say, that the Apostles did administer the baptism of the Spirit. (P) I.et such consider that God is pleased to work instrumentally as well as immediately; and though in a common way of expression, we may say the ministers of Christ baptize with the spirit of Christ, it is no more meant that they can do it in their own wills, or by their own power, than it was so intended of the primitive ministers, who are said to work miracles. To the Lord alone is the power and glory of all to be attributed. He is the sole effector of all good : and the best of men are but his instruments, when he is pleased to make use of them. ** Without me, (saith our Lord to his disciples) ye can do nothing :" but when he had endued them with the Spirit, they ministered the spirit, as well as the doctiines of Christianity ; for the true Gospel ministry is not that of words only, but of words with power. Therefore, the true ministers of the Gospel always baptizeth more or less in his ministiy, according to the measure of divine influ- ence upon him, who, without it, would be only as salt without savour, however he might be furnished with scholastic argument and human eloquence; these may entertain the head, and move the passions, which is not the business of an inspired minister, but to subject them, and to instruct, and quicken the soul, into an inward sense of the etfectiva power and virtue of the divine life. My speech and my preaching, said Paul, though a learned man, was not with enticing words of man's wisdom; but in the demonstration of the Spirit and power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom cf man, but in the povper of God. 12 {B) That it was a constaut practice of the Apostles, is denied ; for we have shewn in the example of Paul, that it was not so ; since it were most absurd to judge that he converted only those few even of the church of Corinth, whom he saith he baptized; nor were it less absurd to think, that that was a constant Apostolic practice, which he, who was not inferior to the cliiefest of the Apostles, and who declares he laboured as much as they all, rejoiceth he was so little in. It doth not follow that they who did use water either did it by virtue of that commission, or that they mistook that place; for they might have done it by permission, as being in use before Christ's death, and because the people, nursed up with outward ceremonies, could not be weaned wholly from them. And thus they used other things, as circumcision and legal purifications, which yet they had no commission from Christ to do. Although it should be granted, that for a season the Apostles did so far mistake it as to judge that water belonged to the baptism, (which however I find no necessity of granting) yet 1 see not that any great absurdity could thence follow; for it is plain they did mistake that commission, as to a main part of it, for a season, as when he bid them go teach all nations, since sometime after they judged it unlawful to teach the Gentiles ; yea, Peter himself scrupled it, until about seven years after by a vision, he was constrained thereunto; for which, after he had done it, he was, for a season, until they were better informed, judged by the rest of his brethren. Now if the education of the Apostles, as Jews, and their pro- pensity to adhere and stick to the Jewish religion, did so far influence them, that even after Christ's resurrection, and the pouring forth of the Spirit, they could not receive nor admit of the teaching of the Gentiles, though Christ in his commission to them commanded to preach to them, what further absurdity were it to suppose that, through the like mistake, the chiefest of them having been the disciples of John, and his baptism being so much prized there among the Jews, they also took Christ's Baptism, intended by him of the Spirit, to be that of Water, which was John's, and accordingly practised it for a season ? It suffices as that, if they were so mistaken, (though I say not that they were so) they did not always remain under that mistake, else Peter would not have said of the baptism which now saves, that it is not a putting away of the 6Uh of the 6esb, which certainly Water Baptism is. 13 They urge that Water Uaptisin is used even to lliose that had re- r<-ivc(l the ft[)iiit, — that ii is positively commanded by Peter, when at the house of Cornelius. How ran Peter's rominanding- the household of Cornelitis to bo baptized with water, after they iiad received the Holy Ghost, prove any thing; for Water Haptisni more than the use of ciicumcision and other Jeg.il riles, acknowledffcd to have been performed by him afterwards, prove them necessary ? As to these words, — and he commanded (hem to be baptized, it (ieclarcth matter of fact, not of ri^ht, and amounteth to no more than that Peter did, at that time, command those persons to be baptized with water, which is not denied; butitsaith nothing that Peter com- manded Water Baptism to be a standing and perpetual ordinance to the church, neither can a command in matter of fact, to particular persons, infer the thing commanded to be of general obligation to all, if it be not otherwise grounded upon some positive precept. Why doth Peter's commanding Cornelius and his household to be baptized at that time, infer Water Baptism to continue, more than his constraining (which is more than commanding) the Gentiles in general to be circumcised, and observe the law ? {A) The disciples being Jews, and having practised the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish religion in our Saviour's life-time, while they were yet in force, they were strongly attached to the use of those things which they had been accustomed to. And for about 12 years, or until the first council was held at Jerusalem, after our Saviour's ascension, they were so far from a disuse of their old rites and ceremonies, that they continued to think there could be no admission of the Gentiles into Christianity, but through the pale of the Jewish church ; from which opinion they not only practised Water Baptism, one of their accustomed rites of induction, but taught the brethren and said, except ye be cir« cumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. Acts xv, 1. And therefore the argument, from the practice of the Apostles, both before and after Christ's ascension, is as urgent for the continuance of circumcision or any other of the Jewish rites, as of Water Baptism. There was no such thing as a christian church, distinct from the Jewish, for divers years after Christ's ascension; the name of cbristiAn was not then in being, for the believers were first called christians at Aotioch ', and the belicv«rs, at that time, were so far from being pr«- 14 eelyted from Judaism, that they thought it necessary for the beliering Gentiles to be proselyted to Judaism. The distinction, then, was not between Jews and Christians, but betwixt believing Jews and unbeliev. injj Jews; the former of whom were called brethren of I he rircuuicision. and were, till about that lime, the only believers in Christ; of which believers, not only then, but for a long time after, many thousands re- tained their zeal for the law of Moses, and the ceremonies of that re- ligion. (5) They object, John iii, 5, except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. There is no necessity to believe that our Lord Jesus spake then of elementiry water : but as there is a two-fold operation of the Holy Spirit, the one compared to water, which is for the washing away of the polu- tioii of sins passed before conviction ; and the other to fire, for destroy- ing the root of it in us, as it is prophesied of Christ. — He is like a re- finer's fire, and fullers' soap ; he shall sit as a refiufr and purifier of silver, &c. Again, the baptism of Christ makes thorough work : for his fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather the wheat into his garner; but he will burn up the chaff" with unquenchable fire. Again, Christ said, " he that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water: this spake he of the b'pirit, which they that believe on him should receive." The Spirit of Christ, by which Baptism is performed, is ex- pressly called living water, by Christ himself; and the Almighty is pleased to call himself the fountain of living water : and there is a bap- tism, or washing [cleansing] with water, and there is a washing in the blood of the Lamb of God. All which are no other than one and the same thing, expressed in various terms and phrases, that is, the bap- tism of the Holy Spirit of Christ, and nothing else. The sprinkling of infants had its origin in the church of Rome; they imagining children to have original sin, and that something should be done to clear them of it. They thought upon water, as the effectual means, which accordingly they ministered ; but afterwards they declined baptism, and substituted sprinkling for it, to sickly or weakly children ; and afterwards, (402) extended their new invention to all children, so that water baptism was wholly dropt. They added several superstitious and ridiculous actions and ceremonies ; but when the Luther- lb ans and Episcopalians in England, reformed a little from Rome, they laid aside the superstitious part, except a few things. The command in Matt, xxviii, 19, is, " teach, baptizing." The subjects, then, of Christ's Baptism, are such as have sinned, and are capable of being taught or discipltrd, of believing, of repentance ; of ivhich children are not capable, and therefore not included in the intent and nature of the commission. Besides, sprinkling is not baptizing: the Greek word, BawVi'^w, is to dip, to steep, to infuse, to tincture, or as it were to impregnate one thing with the nature of another. Therefore, sprinkling is no baptism. (C) The passage in Ezek. xxxvi, 25, *' I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean," which is so very improperly applied by some, in favour of sprinkling, is explained by the two succeeding verses: ▼erse 20, *• A new spirit will I put within you ;" verse 27, " I will put my Spirit within you :" where the Spirit, for its sanctifying operation, is compared to water. And again, Isaiah xliv, 3, " I will pour water upon bim that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground : I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring." Zech. xiv, 18, *• And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out of Jerusalem ;" which promise is applied by Christ. — See p. 14. Whereby it appears what the Apostle means by pure water, namely, the Spirit; so that the •• having our bodies washed with pure water," is the having our Kves and actions cleansed by the grace or sanctifying virtue of the Holy Spirit, — as the other phrase, "our hearts sprinkled from an evil con- science," denotes the purification of our souls, to and upon which our actions have so near a relation and dependence ; both summed up in this one expression by the same Apostle, which he calls the " cleansing of oorselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit," that being " washed, sanc- tified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God," we may be enabled to yield our '• members as instruments of righteousness unto God," and ** glorify bim in our bodies and spirits, iwbich are his." (P) The practice of sprinkling infants, hath neither precept nor pre- cedent in the New Testament : mere supposition is offered in support of it. Because it is said, in the case of I.ydia, that she w^s baptized and her household — and by the Apostle, I baptized also the household of Ste- phanas, it is supposed there might be infants or little children in their houMbolda ; from whence it is inferred, such were baptized, But could 16 such improbabilities be ever so well ascertained, thej would fall verj short of proving the practice a divine and perpetual institution. If the sprinkHng or dipping of infants be considered the saving baptism, or the sole means through which it is to be received, the salva- tion of the child who dies before it attains the years of understanding, or powers of choice, depends upon the precarious conduct of its parents, or that of others, without any will, knowledge, or default of its own. But what rational or considerate person can believe, that the just Creator and kind Saviour of mankind, is so void of equity and commise- ration as to suffer those innocents who die in their infancy, to fall into everlasting misery for want of a ceremonial, which, if it be a duty, can- not be their's, but that of their parents, or those who have the care of them ? The solemn denunciation of the great God, who affords his saving grace to all men, is,— The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father ; neither shall the father bear the ini- quity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him ; and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. The tender infant hath neither ability to receive a law nor to trans- gress it, therefore it cannot be guilty of the commission of sin ; and to hold it guilty because its progenitors transgressed long before it existed, and that it is justly punishable merely for descending from them in the state of their fallen nature, is too barbarous for truth and righteousness to warrant. The words of our Saviour, respecting little children, afford no gronnd for infant baptism; for he declared their fitness already. •• Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.'* Had he meant to adopt and establish poedo-baptism, as a standing ordinance, a fairer opportunity could hardly have oflered, either to baptize the children himself, or command his disciples to da it; neither of which he did, but graciously shewed his acceptance ol them without it; for he took them up in bis arms, put his bands npon them, and blessed them. Lomax, Printer, Stockport.. ON THE SUPPER. The following Extracts^'^ are selected for the Inform^ ation of Enquirers ; and in Vindication of the Society of Friends called Quakers, for their Non-- observance of the external Supper of Bread and Wine ; collected from their Writings^ and those of other Denominations from the earliest ages of Christianity. V^fJU dissent from the generality of christians on the subjects of Water-bapiism aud the Supper, and our disuse of these a»id other ceremonies, have brought upon us much censure from some of our fe!!ow-chiistians\ conceiving we could not bo sincere believers in Christ; but our disuse of th(>se ccremoni^is i?; so far from proceeding from any inferior views of Christianity, that it arises from our very liigh opinion of it; ou which c:roujid we carmot reconcile these external TTt*^s tf> the great objects, and particularly to the spirituality of the {josp< I dispensation. We doubt not the sincerity and piety with which this ceremony is frpquentiy administered and received;, yet we beli^^ve that the true Lord's Snnp Mark xiv, 14. c Lnke xxii, 13. ^oild, and alsoio his spiritual body or flesh and blood, which, whoso eateth and drinketh, halh eternal life, (a) " I am (saith he) the living bread which came down Itoni heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for evei ; and the bread that 1 will jjive is ray flesh, which I will ijive for the life of the wealui<^-ordinance^, as by some they are, I never could see, ei I her by reason or Sciiptoje, h<»vv the title could be appropriated to thetu. We find not any ihinsj culUd the seal and pledge of our inheri- tance, hut the Spirit of God: it is by that we are said to be sealed, (a) (which is also termed the earnest of our inheritance) [li) and not by outward water or eating- and drinkinjr ; for it is not outward washing with water that niakelh the heart clean, by which men are fitted for heaven, neither doth any thing that man eateth purify him or fit him for heaven. When the disciples were together, and had al! things in common, ** They continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and sin- gleness of heart, (c) This cannot be meant of any sacramental eating or leligious act of worship. Now as the increase of disciples, and their dispersing into divers places, hindered their continuance of that practice of having things in com- mon, to continue their anci(-nt community, they did at certain times come together, and brake bread together, (ti) Here is no mention made of sacramenlai* eating. Verse 11, — " And when he liad broken bread, and eaten, and talked," shews tliat it was no religious act of worship, but only to eat for bodily refreshment, for which the christians used to meet together some time. [B) (C) As the bread and wine, as well as the lamb in the passover, v?ere typical and fi^^uiative of Cliiisi, so of his Supper or the Loid's Supper. The partaking of material bread and wine, or outward eating and drinking, as in Corintliians, (e) the Apostle says is not eating the Lord's Supper. lie doth not say you err in the manner of eating it, but positively this is not eating the Lord's Supper; thereby determin- ing against their Supper as of the Lord's appointment. But in another • The name Sacrament, is not to be found in the Scripture; but was borrowed fnim the military Oaths among the Heathens, from whom the Christians, ■when they began to apostatize, did borrow many superbtitious terms and obser- vations. u Epbes. i, 14, & iv, 30. i 2 Cor. i, 22. c Acts ii, 49. d Acts xx, T. e 1 Cor. xi, SO. 6 place [a) he says, — '* I speak as to wise men ;• judge ye what I My. The cup of blessin^f which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ? the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? [b] Yes, it is: but of what body and blood of Christ ? VVhy, of that which came down from heaven; and is not of a perishing nature, but gives and prpserves that life which is everlast- ing. Here is the supper and table of the Lord, at wliich the truly re- generate, that are born again of the incorruptible seed, by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever, sit down with Chiist,and sup with him, in his kingdom; which stands not in external observation, Lut in the power of the living God. The external Supper had its cessation declared by Christ, pre- sently after the celebration of it, which will appear by considering his own words, as they are recorded with some little variation by three of the Evangelists. '• I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when 1 drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." (c) " I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God." [d) *' I will not any more eat thereof, (that is, the passover or outward supper) until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God," (e) Again, " 1 will not diink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come." {J") So here is an annulling or abrogating of the external Supper, and another, even of a divine and celestial nature, is held forth instead. (C) (/-*) Christ also told his disciples, that he would come to them again — that some should not taste of death till they saw him coming in his kingdom — and that he that dwelleth with them should be in them. The Apostle declared, that the true believers in his day were come to Mount Zion, and to God the Judge of all — that they were come to Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant; (<,'•) and also, that they sat in heavenly places in Christ Jesus ; {h) which must be an attainment above signs of invisible grace, being the life and substance of religion. They that personally enjoy their dearest friends, will not repair to their pictures, though drawn never so luuch to the life, to quicken their remembrance of them. (P) • This implies, (hat there were some he could appeal to, whose religious experience was such, that they were capable of understanding, not in so weak a state and carnally minded as those he spoke of in 1 Cor. iii, 1, 2, 3, also xi, 18. «1 Cor. X, 15, 16. b 1 Cor. x, 15, 16. c Mat. xxvi, 29. d Mark tiv, 24. # Luke xxvi, 16— /v, 18. g Heb. xii, S2, 2«. A Epheg. ii, fi. (E) When Clirist said, " It is finished," and gave up the ghost, (a) the veil of the temple was rent in twain, (fj] No doubt it was the inner- most vti I which was rent, that which the author, to the Hebrews, calls " the second veil," that which hung before " the holiest of all,'"(c) into which the high priest only enten d, and that but *' once a year," (d) else would not the rending of it have been of such eminent signification as it was; for as that veil was a figure of the flesh of Christ which covend his Godhead, so the rending of that veil now at his death did signify, that, by the rending of his flesh upon the cross, " through the ollering of the body of Jesus once for all," {e) we have hberty, with " boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of .Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us, through the vtil, that is to say, his flesh." {/) Of this veil, Wilson (in his Christian Dictionary, vcrfjo Veil) says, " it was a very costly and precious hanging, whereby the most holy place was divided and separated from the ho/i/ place, for which he quotes Exodus ;" (g) then adds, " this was the veil that was rent in twain at the death of Christ, to shew the determination and end of the whole Levitical and Ceremonial Law; as one saith — ' In the death of Christ, all the ceremonies of the law or legal services are put to an end.' " [E) IRENiEUS, who lived in the next age after the Apostles, men- tions (lib. 1, cap. 18.) christians that disused these ceremonies, saying, that the mystery of the unspeakable, invisible power, ought not to be performed by visible and corrupiil)le elements; nor thai incomprehensible things be represented by sensible and corporeal things; but that the know- ledge of the unspeakable majesty is itself perfect redemption or baptism. IGNATIUS, about the same period says, " Ye, therefore, with meekness of spirit, possess yourselves in faith, which is the flesh of the Lord; in love, which is the blood of Jesus Christ." AUGUSTINE. " Believe, and thou hast eaten. To believe in him, (Christ) this is to eat the living- bread. Prepare not your mouths, but your hearts." BISHOP JEWEL, on Christ''s Expressions, " Except ye eat of the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you," [h) says — If this be meant of sacramental eating and drinking, it will follow that no man can be saved without it. But a man may be saved without this sacramental eating and drinking; for John the Baptist testi- 4 John zix, 30. b Mat. xxvii, 51. c Ileb ix, 3. d Heb. iz, 7. « Ileb. z, II. /Heb. X, 19, 20. ^ Ex. xxvi, 31, 32, S3. *Johnvi, 53. fieth, " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." (a) And Christ saith, " He that heareth my word, and believpth on him that .«ent- me, hath everlasting li'"e. (A)" So that life and salvation are not tied to sacramental eating and drinking; but to faith in Christ, and obedience to him, which is included in all true faith. Again, the eating and drinking that Christ speaks of, imports a mu- tual inhabitation ; the communicant dwellelh in Christ, and Christ in him : *' He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." (c) But this cannot be said of every one that eats the outward bread or drinks the outward wine. Judas ate and drank thereof, and be- trayed his Master, Did he dwell in Christ, and Christ dwell in him ? And yet this will follow, if Christ's words are to be understood of sacra- mental eating and drinking. B5SH0P BURNET, in his second letter to Law, says,— for even they (the sacraments) are not strictly means of grace, nor does our sal- vation absolutely depend upon them. Speaking of the Supper, he says, — the effect of this prayer, (mean- ing what is called the prayer of consecration) is not convertinij the bread and wine into means of grace, by a human benediction. Converting is a term, says he, I can never hear without fearing that by degrees the old doctrine of transubstantiation is to be stolen in upon us again. There is'^ no such conversion wrought by the prayer of consecration ; nor are there any means of grace there, says he, but the disposition of the heart. He adds, — Here is no immediate necessity of any minister, ard so we do not find expressed any intention that there should be any. Our Saviour gives no- commission to any to be such ; nor do the Apostles any where intimate that there ever was any such minister of this sacrament in their time ; or leave any directions, about choosing or appointing one, to their followers; or appointing any themselves, for this purpose. And, says he, far be it from me or from any christian, to take upon us to judge or condemn those who, after such a measure of industry in finding truth as human prudence and ordinary discretion advise them to, do not and cannot satisfy themselves, that Christ has required the continuance of those outward actions which he never laid any stress upon. a John ill, 36. — 5vi, 47. — cvi,5G Printed at the Office of J. Lomax, Stockporf. ON WORSHIP, From H. TL'KE'S " Principles of lieligion, as professed by lite Society of Christian's usually called Quakers.'^ W E consider that Worship is an act of the Soul towards God; that He is a Spirit; that the soul of man is spiritual; and therefore, that in the performance of the solemn duty of worship, words are not essentially necessary ; because He, who is a Spirit, understands the language of the Spirit. Nevertheless, we do not disapprove the use of words in our religious meetings, whether in prayer, praises, or in the exercise of gospel ministry, when they are delivered under the influence of the Holy Spirit, which alone can, as we apprehend, rightly qualify for the performance of these important services. Hence, when we come to our places^ of reli- gious worship, we think it right to sit down in silence, and wait therein upon God, for the assistance of that Spirit which helpeth our infir- mities, and without which we know not what to pray for as we ought. Here we may be favoured, at times, to feel the Spirit it- self making intercession for us, under the iniluence of which, we believe, a secret aspiration will ascend with more acceptance before the Father of spirits, than any form of words which may be pre- pared for us, or that does not arise from a heart thus qualified for verbal expression. Holding our meetings under these impressions, it very fre- quently happens that they are continued throughout in silence ; a state which, when attended with a right exercise of mind, we con- sider as best adapted to the performance of the solemn duty of divine worship : for here, every individual who feels his own con- dition and necessities, can secretly pour out his soul unto God, without distraction or interruption ; and here also, we can freely partake of those divine influences upon the mind, which, when mercifully afforded, constitute the highest enjoyment of man upon earth. But we are sensible that these effects are not always experienced in our religious meetings. We fear that some who attend them, have not their minds rightly exercised : we know that divine good is not at our command ; and we believe, that the sensible enjoy- ment of it is often withheld for a Beason, and sometimes for a long season, from the truly exercised mind: — " Verily, thou art a God that hidest thyself, God of Israel, the Saviour."* But, even io this situation, we think it much safer to wait in a state of passive silence, than, by the activity of the creature, to rush unprepared into those external acts of devotion, which we believe are no further acceptable, than as they come from a heart rightly prepared to offer them. A state of humble, silent waiting and dependence on olivine help, k sx) adapted to the relation in which man standi to feis Creator, that we believe it peculiarly likely to meet with divine acceptance and regard: — " Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching."f But to those who do not patiently abide in this state of mind, a very different con- sequence is shewn to result: — " Beliold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand ; ye shall lie down in sorrow." J And we ought by no means to forget the consequence under the law, of offering strange fire to the Lord.§ We consider it an indispensable duty, publicly to meet together for the worship of God, and "not to forsake the assembling of our- selves together, as the manner of some is."|| It is both a reason- able and a beneficial duty : reasonable, because it is a public ac- knowledgment of our dependence on the Supreme Being; and bene- ficial, because we may, if rightly exercised in our minds, be fa- voured to draw nigh unto God, by the spirit of his Son; and thus experience that communion which is with the Father, and with his Son Christ Jesus ; and which the true christian travellers also have one with another in Him. Many, therefore, we conceive, are the advantages which result from silent worship. It enables a number of christians to meet toge- ther for the performance of this important duty, without depending on man to assist them therein — a dependence which deprives numbers of publicly discharging this duty even once in the week. It also pre- serves from the dangerous situation of drawing nigh unto God with the mouth, and honouring him with the hps, whilst the heart is far from him. Christ saith, " The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him." 51 • Isaiah xlv, 15. + Luke xii, 3T. J Ijaiah 1, 11. § L«vitlcus %, I <• S. H Hebrews x. 25. S Jobn iv, 28. R. BARCLAY and OTHERS, ON WORSHIP. THE law and rule of the old covenant given to tlie Jews was outward, written in tables of stone and parchment. But the law of the new covenant is inward and perpetual, written in the heart. The worship of the Jews was outward and carnal, limited to set times, places, and persons, and performed according^ to set pre- scribed forms and observations. But the worship of the new cove- nant is neither limited to time, place, nor person, but is performed in the spirit and in truth, and it is not acted according to set forms and prescriptions, but as the Spirit of God immediately actuates, moves, and leads, whether it be to preach, pray, or sing. Wherefore, the time appointed of God being come, wherein by Jesus Christ he hath been pleased to restore the true spiritual wor- ship, and the outward form of worship, which was appointed by God to the Jews, and whereof the manner and time of its perform- ance was particularly determined by God himself, being come to an end, we find that Jesus Christ, the author of the christian religion, prescribes no set form of worship to bis children, under the more pure administration of the new covenant, save that he only tells them, That the Worship now to be performed is spiritual, and in the Spirit. And it is especially to be observed, that in the whole New Testament there is no order nor command given in this thing, but to follow the revelation of the Spirit, save only that general one of meeting together; a thing dearly owned and diligently practised by us. Since we are commanded to wait upon God diligently, and in so doing it is promised that our strength shall be renewed, this waiting cannot be performed but by a silence or cessation of the na- tural part on our side, since God manifests himself not to the out- ward man or senses, so much as to the inward, to wit, to the soul and spirit. If the soul be still thinking and working in her own will, and busily exercised in her own imaginations, though the matters as in themselves may be good concerning God, yet thereby she incapaci- tates herself from discerning the still small voire of the Spirit, and ■0 hurts herself greatly, in that she neglects her chief business of waiting upon the Lord. Many are the blessed experiences which 1 could relate of this silence and manner of worship, yet I do not so much commend and speak of silence as if we had bound ourselves by any law to exclude prayer or preaching ; for as our worship consisteth not in words, so neither in silence, but in an holy dependence of mind upon God, from which dependence, silence necessarily follows in the first place, until words can be brought forth which are from God's Spirit. WILLIAM LAW says, much speaking, or delight in it, will be often no small hinderance of that good which we can only have from hearing what the spirit and voice of God says speaking within us. This is not enough known by religious persons : they rejoice in kind- ling a fire of their own, and delight too much in hearing their own voice ; and so loose the inward unction from above, which can alone ncw-create their hearts. To speak with the tongues of Men or Angels, on religious mat- ters, is a much less thing than to know how to stay the mind upon God, and abide witliin the closets of our own hearts, observing, loving, adoring, and obeying his holy power vrithin us. Rhetoric and fine language about the things of the spirit, is a vainer babble than in other matters ; and he that thinks to grow in true goodness by heaiing or speaking flaming words, or striking expressions, may have a great deal of talk, but will have little of his conversation in heaven. WILLIAM PENN'S Advice to his Children. Love silence, even in the mind ; for thoughts are to that, as words to the body, troublesome : much speaking, as much thinking, spends ; and in many thoughts, as well as words, there is sin. True silence is the rest of the mind ; and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment. JOHN WOOLMAN says, worship in silence hath often been refreshing to my mind. In pure silent worship, we dwell under the holy anointing, and feel Christ to be our shepherd. Here the best of teachers ministers to the several conditions of his flock ; and the soul receives immediately, from the divine fountain, that with which it is nourished. Loniax, Printer, Stockport. K. BARCLAY ON PRAYER. We freely confess that prayer is both very profitable, and a ne- cessary duty commanded, and fit to be practised frequently by all christians: but as we can do nothings without Christ, so neither can we pray without the concurrence and assistance of his Spirit. But let it be considered, first, that prayer is two-fold, inward and out- ward. Inward prayer is that secret turnings of the mind towards God, whereby, be^ng secretly touched and awakened by the light of Christ in the conscience, and so bowed down under a sense of its iniquities, unworthiness, and misery, it looks up to God, and under the influence of his Spirit, is constantly breathing forth some secret desires and aspirations towards him. It is in this sense that we are so frequently, in Scripture, commanded to pray continually,* which cannot be understood (»f outward prayer, because it were im- possible that men should be always on their knees, expressing words of prayer; and this would hinder them from the exercise of those duties no less positively commanded. Outward prayer is when the spirit, being- thus in the exercise of inward retirement, and feeling the breathing of the Spirit of God to arise powerfully in the soul, receives strength and liberty, by a superadded influence of the Spirit, to bring forth words, and that either in public assemblies or in private, or at meat, &c. But because this outward prayer depends upon the inward, and cannot be acceptably performed but as attended with a superadded influence of the Spirit, therefore, we cannot fix the set times to pray outwardly, so as to lay a necessity to speak words at such and such times, whether we feel this heavenly influence and assistance or not; for that, we judge, would be tempting God, and coming before him without due preparation. We think it fit for us to present our- selves before him by this inward retirement of the mind, and so to proceed further as his Spirit shall help us and draw us thereunto : and we find that the Lord accepts of this, yea, and seeth meet some- times to exercise us in this silent waiting for the trial of our patience, without allowing us to speak further, that he may teach us not fo rely on outward performances, or satisfy ourselves, (as too many do) with the saying of our prayers; and that our dependence upon him may be the more firm and constant, to wait for the holding out of his sceptre, and for his allowance to draw near unto him, with greater freedom and enlargement of spirit upon ou r hearts towards him. * Luke zriii, I. 1 Thes. t, 17. Ephes. vi, 18. Lnke xxi, 96. The necessity of the Spirit's influciioe and 'concurrence, appear* abundantly from that of the Apostle Paul: — " Likewise the Spirt alfio helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray fo-- as we ought : but the Spirit itself niaketh intercession for us with groanine^s which cannot be uttered. And he that searchetli th« hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh inteicession for the saints according to the will of God."* Which first holds forth the incapacity of men, as of themselves, to pr.-iy or call upon God in their own wills, even such as have n^reived the faith of Christ, and are in measure sanctified by it, as was the church of Rome, to which the Aposile then wrote. Secondly, it holds forth that which can only help and af-sist men to pray, to wit, the Spirit, as that without which they cannot do it acceptably \n God, nor beneficially to their own souls. Thirdly, the manner and way of the Spirit's intercession, with sighs and groans which are unutterable. And fourthly, that God receiveth graciously the prayers of such as are presented and offered unto himself by the Spirit, knowing it to be according to his will. Now it cannot be conceived but this order of prayer, thus asserted by tlie Apostle, is most consistent with those other testimonies of Scripture, com- mending and recommending to us the use of prayer. From which 1 thus argue : If any man know not how to pray, neither can do it without the help of the Spirit, then it is to no purpose for him, but altoge* ther unprofitable, to pray without it. This necessity of the Spirit to true prayer, appears from Ephs.f and Jude,J where the Apostle commands us to pray always in the Spirit, and watching thereunto; which is as much as if he had said, that we were never to pray without the Spirit, or watching thereun- to. And Jude shewetb that such piayers as are in the Holy Ghost only, tend to the building up of ourselves in our most holy faith. The Apostle Paul sailh expressly, " That no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost."§ If, then, Jesus rannot be thus rightly named but by the Holy Ghost, far less can he be acceptably called upon. Hence, the same Apostle f)ectares,|I that he will pray with the Spirit, &c. A clear evidence that it was not his m«;thod to pray without it. • llo.n »iii,,26. '2T. + KpltHK vi,IS. + Jiiilr '•iO. <, I C.r. xii, ,T. || 1 Cor. xiv, 15. M. GUION ON PRAYER. ^» »■ Give yourself to God, with your whole heart ; love him above all things; see that his will governs all your actions. Accustom yourself to retire within yourself, where God is always preseut: strive to preserve this divine presence. Enter often within yourself, to speak to God and to hear him. Sit sometimes, as Mary did, at the feet of Jesus. God loves the language of the heart, abundantly more than that of the mouth, or the reasoning of the mind. Con- tinue in faith, in humility, in a dependence on God ; and, above all, in charity, and you will run well. Never omit (without some indispensable necessity) a day with- out silent prayer, and a little reading, for 'tis very essential. 'Tis that which must soften your heart, and take away its hardness and inflexibility. The hardest wax will ratit before the fire; and the sun-beams discover a thousand little motes and atoms which we see not without it : and when it discovers, we see it moves and stirs them ; and what before seemed pure and clean, we discern to be full of dust and motes. So a frequent exposing ourselves before the Sun of Righteousness, makes us see our imperfections and failings; and this sight by how much it is advantageous above all that any crea- ture can afford us, by so much it is more effectual, and destroys, by little and little, what it shews us in the gross, which is what all men put together cannot do, either by their knowledge or pains and end«avours. They may just touch the surface of it, but cannot re- move it. This makes the necessity of silent prayer, in what state or condition soever wc be ; and 'tis the very essential of a spiritual life. 1 never approved of those, who, under pretence of advancement in grace, neglect silent prayer; but have looked upon it as one of the most dangerous snares of the enemy. And 'tis for want of this inward retirement and prayer, that our lives are so imperfect, and that we are neither penetrated nor warmed with the divine light of truth, Christ the Light. The less we practise silent prayer, the leu desire we have for it ; for finding our minds set upon outward things, we contract at last such a habit, that 'tis very hard to turn our minds inward. 1 earnestly beseech you to make trial of what I tell you, and you will find your account in it. On PRAYi^tl, by J. MONTGOMERY. Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, Utter'd or unexpress'd ; The motion of a hidden fire. That trembles in the breast. Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The falling of a tear. The upward glancing of an eye, When none but God is near. Prayer is the simplest form of speech That infant-lips can try ; Prayer the sublimest strains that reach The Majesty on high ! Prayer is the christian's vital breath — The christian's native air; His vpatch-word at the gates of death : Reenters heaven with prayer! Prayer is the sinner's contrite voice. Returning from his ways ; While angels in their songs rejoice. And cry — ** Behold he prays !" In prayer, on earth, the saints are cue — In word, in deed, in mind : While with the Father and the Son, Sweet fellowship they find. Nor prayer is made on earth alone ; The Holy Spirit pleads ! And Jesus, on the Eternal Throne, For sinners intercedes ! Oh Thou ! by whom we come to (iod ! The Life, the Truth, the Way, The path of prayer thyself hast trod: Lord, teach us how to pray ! PriHttd at the Office of J. Lomax, Great VnderhanJt, Stockport. AN EPISTLE, CONTAINING A SALUTATION TO ALL FAITHFUL FRIENDS, A REPROOF TO THE UNFAITHFULj AND A VISITATION TO THE INQUIRING, IN A SOLEMN FAREWEL TO THEM ALL IN THE LAND 01 MY NATIVITY. By WILLIAM PENN. LONDON: PRINTED AND SOLD BY JAMES PHILLIPS and SON, C£ORC£ YARD, LOMBARD STREIT^ 1799. A Salutation to the Faithful, Ye are beloved of me above all the Tons and daughters of men, who have received and bowed to the blefled appearance of the Lord Jefus Chrift in your hearts, and that have not counted any thing dear for the teftimony of his crofs and gofpel, but have unfeignedly loved and obeyed his light within, and not been afraid to confefs it without : you that have not been offended in him, though the world hath not received him, but bitterly mocked and perfecuted his faving appearance ; t© you doth my A 2 ( 4 ) foul reach, in the love which many waters cannot quench, nor time nor diftance wear away, befeeching the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, to be with you, and blefs you with his abundant goodnefs and mercy. Oh, Friends ! go on, you are called to an high and heavenly calling, the trumpet hath given you a certain found ; follow your captain, be valiant, fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, that you may finifh your courfe with joy; a crown is at the end, a diadem that will never fade away, the reward of the righteous at the end of all his troubles. Dear Friends, love the truth in your hearts, be inward to the Lord, that you may grow in the life and wifdom of it ; and keep all your meetings in the faith and power of God ; and love and honour the brethren that labour in word and dodtririe : be diligent in his work, and that will make you rich in the heavens that will never ( 5 ) pafs away. Have a godly care over your children and families, and let your conver- fation be In heaven, and the earth under your feet. Oh ! ye that received the Truth for the truth's fake, who have loved it above all, and for it left all, that being tried, fainted nor, but endured ; and vv^ho to this day have not fought yourfelves, but the Lord, and have counted nothing dear, that you might lift up his name amongfl men : who being reviled, have blefTed ; and being perfecuted, have fufFered ; and being defamed, have yet entreated ; and are to this day tempted, buffeted, and accounted by too many as the offscouring of the land; be not difcomforted, but gird up the loins of your minds, be fober, watch, pray and hope to the end ; for through many tribu- lations are we to enter the reft and city of God. And yet, what if I iliould fay, that the days of forrow and fighing will even here have an end ; and that the peace, A 3 ( 6 ) righteoufnefs and glory of the latter day^ are juft at the door ! Beloved friends, as clay is in the hands of the potter, fo let us be in the hands of our God, fo will he ma- nifeft himfelf through us, and confound the wifdom and oppofition of this world. Nothing can hurt us but our own unfaith- fulnefs ; for the God that hath called us, i$ all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-prefent, and hath given to us that believe, the wit- nefs in ourfelves, which is the unerring way of the Lord ; fo that our religion i$ of Emanuel, God with us, who hath the words of eternal life. He that cured the ruler's fon by his Divine pretence in hi? bodily abfence, he alfo is prefent with us in fpirit, in the fire, in the water, by fea, and by land, he w^orketh wonders upon both, who is glorious in holinefs, and fearful in praifes, in the congregations of his child- ren : in him I love you, in him I falute you, and m him I dearly bid you all fare- ( 7 ) wel. His grace, mercy and peace be with you all, and the bleflings of his life and prefence for ever reft upon you. Amen. Your faithful friend and brother, WILLIAM PENN. A Reproof to the UnfaithfuL HOW long fhall the fpirit of the Lord ftrive with you, O ye carelefs and unfaith- ful ones! who are convinced of the truth of God, and come to meetings, confefs to the teftlmony, and profefs it in the world, and are yet unfandtified and unregenerated, and fo have no part nor lot in this blefled matter of life eternal ! What can you hope for from the hand of the Lord at the hour of your death and day of your judgment \ Will not God remember unto you the day A 4 ( 8 ) of your vifitation, his ftrivings, his wait- ings, his long fufFering; how often he would have gathered you, that you might have inherited fubftance ? Awake, awake, ye fenfual, ye earthly-minded profeflbrs of the truth, that Chrift Jefus may give you life ! for I may fay with the apoftle, and that weeping too, there are too many un- worthy of the great favour and mercy of God in this day who under all their pre- tences to religion, walk in the way of thofe, whofe god is their belly, who glory in their fhame, &c. who mind earthly things, purfuing uncertain riches, and truft- ing in their ftore ; if redeemed from fcan- dalous things, yet abounding too much in more hidden evils, envy, covetoufnefs, high-mindcdnefs, meddling in other folks matters, out of the watch, out of the crofs that crucifietli the flefh, vet delivers the fpirit to ferve God in the newnefs of life. Oh ! as one knowing the terrors of the ( 9 ) Lord, let me perfuade you, while it is to day, to hear his voice, his living word, that cleanfes the young man's way 3 and believe in the light whilft you have the light, that you alfo may be the children of the light, in which the nations of them that are faved muft walk, left it pafs away from you, and the night overtake you, in which the works of peace cannot be wrought. O friends ! your doom will be moft difmal, your end the moft terrible of all others, that are called, and would not make your calling fure, that knew the Maf- ter's will, and would not do it : will not he make fuch of the fynagogue of Satan, who are not Jews inward, neither of that circumcifion that is of the fpirit in the heart and ear, whofe praife is not of men, but of God ? For it is juft with God, to give fuch up to ftrong delufions, and to commit fin with greedineis, who hold the truth in unrighteoufuefs, and profefs it in ( 10 ) their own fpirits, not in the Spirit and power of God ; whofe tongues are their own, whofe wills and affedions are their own, and under the profeffion of Truth, can give them their fv/ing. Such as thefe become the fubje£ts of Satan's devices, and too often by a loofe converfation, or high- mindednefs and unfubjedlednefs, caufe grief, and give great trouble to the churches of Chrift : for many may never leave the pro- feffion of Truth, that yet may be troublers of the peace of Jerufalem here, and veflels of wrath hereafter. Be therefore warned, ye foolifh virgins, ye vain profeiTors of the Truth ! In the fear and dread of God, I fend this caution to you, that ye may re- pent, and do your firft works ; elfe be af- fured, that in the day of his winnowing, you fhall go to the chaff, and the wind of his fury fhall drive you from the joy of his prefence for ever : therefore receive my ccunfel in the love of God i be faithful to ( " ) liis truth, wait and watch in it, that you may be delivered in the hour of temptation: it will tie your tongues, limit your defires, bound your affedions, order all your fteps aright: it will make you humble, fo God will teach you ; and meek, fo will he guide yoH in judgment, and clothe you with fal- vation. I have a travail upon my foul, and my fpirit is pained for you ! I would have nothing loft, but the fon of perdition : I would have you all gathered, and nothing caft away that is called of God ; yea, a greater than all would have all come to the knowledge of the Truth, as it is in Jefus, and be faved. This I fend you as a fare- wel to you, in the name and power of the God of my falvation, and in fo doing am I clear of you all. Your true friend, WILLIAM PENN. ( 12 ) A Vijitation to the Inquiring, YE are the workmanihip of God as well as I, and he hath made us for an end of glory to himfelf ; let us fee, fearch and try, how we anfwer it. Ye have fouls as well as I, and you muft give an account as well as I ; for we muft all die and come to judgment. Turn in therefore, and fee how it ftandeth betwixt you and your judge; for by Jefus Chrift, the light of the world, will God judge all men. Therefore with the light of Chrift, which is within you^ judge yourfelves, that you may not be judged. Put away the evil of your doings; love the light, come to it, walk in it, and it will give you a fight of the fpirit of this world, and the fruits of it, from the Spirit of God, and the fruits thereof j by which ( >3 ) you will receive an underftanding of him that is true, whom if ye receive, you fhall live in him that is true, and he will give you power to become the children of God, born not of flefh and blood, but of the incorruptible feed, word and will of God. O hear his voice, that you may be his fheep ; let him go before you, and do you follow him, and he will give unto you eternal life. O ye hungry and thirfty ones, that want, feek and cry for eter- nal life ! it is his light within that reveals life and immortality ! And if it fhould be faid. Can any good come out of Nazareth? Can fuch a day of fmall things bring fal- vation ? I fay. Oh, come and fee ; for we who have believed, have feen his glory to be that of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace, and full of truth : he is the good Samaritan, the phyfician of value ; he cureth our difeafes, he healeth our breaches, he leads us in the ways of pleafantnefs, ( H ) ^nd in the paths of peace ; there are riches in his reproaches, and a crown in his crofs. Remember who defired eternal life, and what hindered ! Therefore give up all when he calls, and follow him fully. Out of him the enemy is too ftrong for you, but in him you are too ftrong for the enemy ; therefore wait in the light of Chrift, and watch againil him : this is painful to flefh and blood, which muft not inherit the kingdom ; but it brings the foul into the liberty of the fons of God, where the peace of God, and the joy of his fal- vation flow, as a pure river that is never dry. Oh ! that you may have eternal life, that you may not mil's of your defire through the fubtle working of the enemy of your fouls, that feeks to divert you from the right way of God by many Hum- bling blocks ; but be not offended in him, that he may blefs you : and remember, that all things are poffible with him with ( 15 ) whom we have to do ; for all power in heaven and earth is given him that, hath enlightened you : therefore do not mur- mur, do not defpond, do not prefume, but hearken to his voice, in whom the prince of this world hath no part, and he will give you power to refift him : and re- member, that to them that overcome, fhall be given a new name, and they Ihall have right to eat of the tree of life, that ftands in the midft of the paradife of God. My God fhed abroad his love abundantly in your hearts, to the love and obedience of the Truth, that you may all be faved in the day of the Lord, in whofe vifiting love I bid you all farewel. Your well-wilhing friend, WILLIAM PENN. From the Downs, the 30th of the Sixth month, 1682. THE END. AN ADDRESS, &c.' Dear Friends, 1 HE time in which we live is an important one— a time of extraordinary events ; for we see, that Kings are dethroned, and set up — that towns and countries are laid waste — thousands, and tens of thousands, of our feilovv- creatures are slain by war, and thus is evil heaped upon evil ; yet under all this tremendous accumulation of dis- tress, we may, on the other hand, see that much good is stirring, as though the Lord, who can turn all the ways of men to the eft'ecting of his own purposes, was bringing about some great work in the earth. With respect to Africa, deeplij injured Africa ! the traffic in our fellow men is, by our own countr}^ and some others, honourably abolished ; and strong measures, in our own, are adopted to guard with vigilance against any infringement of tne laws, that have been enacted for this purpose : to repair her wrongs, the blessings of civilization are offered ; and, I trust, the still greater blessing of the Gospel, will, ere long, be conveyed to that vast Continent, {a) In the East, the minds of many (even of the heathen) appear to be favoured with a ray of Gospel light, and that * This Address was printed for distribution amongst those only for whom it was originally designed; but some spare copies j^etting more distantly spread, it lias been suggested to the Author, from different quarters, to have it reprinted for more general circulation, to which, after making a few slight alterations, he has consented. .., Editor. A2 this may be more extensively diffused, the Holy Scrif- TL'RES are now spreading there, in a manner totally unprecedented. In many other parts of the world, the general circula- tion of the Scriptures is fast taking ]:)lace. Education likewise, as a handmaid to religion, is, in this an*' some other countries, in an extraordinary manner offered and offering to all descriptions among the poor. Even the seduced and abandoned are not forgotten : proper receptacles are open for the penitent^ where, comfortably provided for, they may consider their ways, forsake their vices, and sin no more ; and thus, from being a pest to society, may come to increase its com^ forts; and of sinners to be made saints, {b) Nor is this all, the poor Jews, the Israel of God, once the most highly favoured people under Heaven, but who, from rebellion to their God, were dispersed over all na- tions, and suffered to become the most degraded, the most vilified, on the whole earth, these are remembered ; and it seems as if the time, '^ the set time"* may be ap- proaching, when the God of mercy will turn the capti- vity of his once chosen people, and, agreeably to the declaration of his inspired prophet, " Pass by the trans- «' gressions of the remnant of his heritage ; [for] he re- *' laineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth «' in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion "upon them, he will subdue their iniquities, and will *-cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou ''wilt perform the truth to .Jacob, and the mercy to ** Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto their fathers, «' from the days of old !"t (f) Well, my dear friends, it is not to be supposed we are to be merely observers of these doings ; but, as we can-. ■* PsA. cii. 13< ■'• >IICAH. vii. IS. not but mourn for the evil which exists, so we may re- joice in the good which appears, and take a part therein; let us consider what part ; and, the more readily to de- termine this, let us seriously contemplate the wonderful manner in which we were raised up to be a people, by the power of God ; and though trampled upon, sorely per- secuted, and greatly despised for a season, tiiis people hath tlie Lord made to stand upon their feet ; he hath honoured them, and made them honourable amongst men, even the great men of the earth : but let not this become a snare to us, for remember, that it was, " When " Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted jiimself in Israel, '' but when he offended in Baal, he died."* Persuaded I am, that we were raised up, as was Israel of old, for a purpose of God's glory, not merely lo favou|i us, but for the promotion of the great cause of truth in the world. That, for this end, God was pleased to call us, and separate us as a people ; to give us testimonies to bear for his name's sake, as he gave statutes and laws to Israel — testimonies, that manifest the holy simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ — 3'et, how are some of these testimonies slighted, and accounted as no holy thing. Look at them, I beseech you, such of you as are casting some of them behind your backs, and, in the language of your conduct, proclaiming, " We will eat our " own bread and wear our own apparel, only let us be " called by thy name, to take away our reproach."t Trivial as you may deem some of these testimonies, saying in your hearts, and perhaps with your tongues, there is nothing in the plain language, nor does religion consist in dress, &c.— 1 say, lightly as you may esteem these things, I consider them as part of our testimonies * HosEAxiii. 1. t I?A. iv. 1. 6 tor God, as marks of Christian simplicity, and a gracious means of our preservation. And, I firmly believe, when men have wearied themselves with the signs and ceremo- nials of religion, they will come to see the Quakers (as we are called) have not been following an ignis f at uus, nor any " cunningly devised fables,"* but that we are a people designed by Almighty God, to hold forth the primeval simplicity of the Gospel, devoid of unessential forms and ceremonies, and a ministry free as that light from whence all true ministry cometh. If then, my friends, we believe these to be some of the purposes designed by the Almighty in gathering us to be a people, let us, each, examine whether, by our individual conduct, we are promoting the Lord's design concerning us, or whether our unfaithfulness does not retard, or tend to frustrate the same. This is worthy of the serious consideration of every one of us. It is not, my friends, barely doing good in our own way and wiil, that will suffice, but it is doing that good which the Lord requires of us, and wider his influence, I sec danger for us as a society in this day — for dan- ger ever awaits the Christian traveller : Satan, his decla- red enemy, accommodates himself to every situation, and every circumstance ; he well enough knows the signs of the times, to ensnare the unguarded ; even the best disposed are not safe without being watchful — for arc we not told, " Satan is transformed into an Angel of '•' light f't Therefore, though the various schemes now on foot for good, and doing good, are many of them Liglily praiseworthy, it does not appear to me safe for us to rush into them hastily, or engage therein without due consideration whereunto u-e may be led. Our hearts maj' glow, and our souls rejoice to see and to hear of the * 2 Pettr I. \C>. t '2 Cos. xl. ^. spirit of benevolence that is going forth in various di- rections ; but the prudent will eye the Lord, and delibe- rately contemplate in which they are more especially called upon to take a part, and what part. In some, we may have no more to do than to desire their prosperity ; others, it may be expedient for us to promote by pecuniary aid ; and some, may also require our personal exertions ; but, in this latter case, a more especial care appears to me to be needful, otherwise, we may be insensibly, and at unawares, led beyond the point of safety, and give up, in one way or another, some of our religious testimonies, weaken our own hands, and occasion the cause of Truth to suffer. It is one thing, to keep our minds clothed with charity towards those who may not see as we see, not doubting but that, ac- cording to their faith in Christ, and the sincerity of their desire to promote his cause on earth, so far as has been revealed to them, the Lord will accept them ; and ano- ther, when uniting with them for laudable purposes, to suffer those testimonies we are called upon to bear to the world, to fall, or to be reduced to a lower standard ; for, in so doing, we may, in the end, make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience. But, so far as it hath pleased Providence, in his wisdom, for purposes appoint- ed therein, to have aflForded us, in any degree, a clearer view of that light by which Christ is now made manifest, let us be careful to attend to it — neither hiding it " under a bushel, or under a bed,"* nor allow it to be smothered by any other thing, but let it be discovered by our faithfulness to it — then it will increase and be- come brighter, and others will see it, and own its power, and have to acknowledge, that this people the Lord hath indeed raised up to show forth his praise. 8 I have thus, my friends, endeavoured to strengthen and encourage you in seeking to know, and to do the will of God concerning you, desiring to share with you in the advice I have thought it my place to communi- cate. And am, in the love of the Gospel, Your affectionate Friend, SAMUEL ALEXANDER, . Needham, 1st 2d Mo: 1812. ( o) It is greatly to be lamented that where legislatures have abolished the Slave trade, there should be found individualsi who hesitate not to perjure themselves in order to carry on this wicked traffic j and, sorrowful to say, there is too much reason to believe, that even British capital is, in some instances, basely prostituted to this purpose : but when gold becomes man^s God, there is nothing to be wondered at, (b) A Female Penitentiary, somewhat similar to the Magdalen Hospital has, within about four years, been established, the reports of which fur- nish some very striking and interesting instances of reformation produced thereby. (f) A Society is established in London, for the avowed purpose of endes^ vouring to prove that Jesus is the Messiah. The New Testament is, by that Society, proposed, and prepaiing to be printed, in the Hebrew Ian. guage, to be dispersed amongst the Jews ; and Buchanan, in his " Christ- ian Researches in India,'' says, the Jews themselves have a general im- pression, that the period of their liberation from the heathen is not very remote; and they consider the present commotions in the earth, as gra- dually loosening their bonds. THE END. -J ou^...,, "■'ilsanand ion, PrinttrSj^Uigh-Ou^egatt, I'ork' / Illllillli ■iiiiiiii / UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. i'ortn L9-Series 4939 nil mil III I Hill 58 00808 6422 { 5s: mp^