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CHRISTIAN DOCTRI^iE^S
OF THE
SOCIETY or FRIENDS:
BEIXG A REPLY TO TUE CHAUGF. OF DEXYIXG
THE THREE THAT BEAR RECORD IN HEAVEN,
THE DIVINITY AND ATONEMENT OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS
CHRIST, AND THE AUTHENTICITY AND DIVINE AUTHORITY OF
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES,
EECENTIX IlEVITED AGAINST THE EARLY a^'AKERS, BY THE FOLLOWERS OF
EIiZAS HZCKS.
IN TWO PARTS.
THE FIRST. PART CONTAINING
A Fefutation of a Pamphlet lately published, entitled " The Sandy Founda-
tion Sliaken, &,c. to which are added, Extracts from tlie writings of divers
of our primitive Friends on the Divinity of Christ, Atonement, the Scrip-
tures, &c. ;" in which the compilers' mutilations and perversions of the lan-
guag-e and meaning' of the authors whom they quote, are detected and ex^
posed.
PART SECOND, CONSISTING OF
Extracts from the writing-s of FOX, PENN, BARCLAY, PENNINGTON,
WHITEHEAD, CLARIDGE and others, showing the consistency of their
belief with the doctrines of HOEY SCRIPTURE.
PlIJLADELPHIA.
1825.
PREFACE.
A PAMPHLET lias recently made its appearance in this city,
entitled " The Sandy Foundation Shaken, kc. by Wm. Penn,
to which are added, Extracts from the writings of divers of
our primitive Friends on the Divinity of Christ, Atonement,
the Scriptures, ^cc. ;" the obvious intention of which, is to
make it appear, that the worthy founders of the Society of
Friendsj concurred with the Socinians and modern Unitarians,
in denying these important doctrines of the Christian religion.
It is now incontrovertibly established by the writings, as
well as the public preaching of Elias Hicks, that he denies the
miraculous conception, and the divinity of our Lord and Sa-
viour Jesus Christ ; the virtue of that most satisfactory sacri-
fice for sin, which he made of himself upon the cross, without
the gates of Jerusalem, and likewise the authenticity, genuine-
ness, and autliority of the Holy Scriptures of Truth. His
adherents being no longer able to deny these charges, nor to
screen him, by saying that he is misunderstood ; are now^ at-
tempting to prove, that in thus rejecting some of the most
important and precious doctrines of the Christian religion, he
does no more than was done by the early Quakers.
This was a task not to be performed without much labour
and contrivance — full and fair quotations would not answer
their purpose, but prove the contrary of that which they wish-
ed to establisii, and therefore the compilers of this pam])hlet,
have resorted to the disingenuous stratagem of miit Hating y al-
tering, and grossly perverting tiie language and obvious mean-
ing of the authors, w hose writings they quote. In the following
pages we shall bring ample proof of the validity of these charges,
and show that they have committed acts of great injustice to-
wards those worthy men, whose names they have adduced, to
sanction doctrines which they declared they never held nor
owned. Our present remarks w ill be confined to tlie contra-
dictions and misrepresentations contained in their preface.
It is a truth established by long experience, that iiot only a
frequent recurrence, but also a^r7Ji adherence, to its original prin-
ciples, is essentially necessary to the preservation of every reli-
gious societ} . But in order to realize the advantages of this
important truth, it is absolutely necessary for the members of
every such society, to be able to determine, what those ori^
m.
IV I'UEFACK.
ginal principles are ; and it is evident that for tins purpose tliey
must be in possession of some declaration which can inform
them, what the peculiar points of belief or practice were,
which formed the great terms of the compact into which their
predecessors entered, and in which themselves have now be-
come parties. Hence the obvious necessity, according to the
maxim laid down by the authors of the preface, that eve-
ry society should have its declaration of faith. Obvious
however as this is, and indispensable as the authors have thus
made it, they seem soon to have forgotten, or else not perceiv-
ed their own admission ; for immediately after, they asscrtthat
the Quakers rejected all creeds and confessions of faith. HoW
then we would ask, do tlie authors determine, what those ori-
^inal principles are which they recommend us to recur to; or
how do they ascertain, that Elias Hicks docs not " hold and
^iropagate doctrines and opinions contrary to the doctrines and
opinions of primitive Friends.'*
The word ci'eed,, signifies no more than a form of words, ex-
pressive of the belief of a person or society ; and is synony-
mous witii confession of faith. Every declaration whether
oral or written, which contains any thing believed, is a creed j
it is a confession of Aiith ,• and consequently if, (as the authors
assert) the early Quakers rejected all creeds and confessions of
faith, it follows that they had no first principles or belief what-
ever. To recommend us, therefore, to recur to " original princi-
ples" and to assert that the doctrines of E. H. are coincident
with those of the early Friends ^ and at tlie same time to deny
that the early Friends had any principles or doctrines, is a
palpable exhibit of absurdity and contradiction.
The authors assert, that the individuals composing the So-
ciety in its commencement, " had become disgusted with the
many palpable errors in faith and practice prevalent among
religious professors." Now if they withdrew from the com-
munion of other religious professors, in consequence of their
many errors in faith as well as practice, it must have been, be-
cause these errors in faith, were inconsistent with their own
doctrines and belief; and the Quakers must have had some writ-
ten declaration of their own faith, whereby they showed that
they did not hold those errors. This then was tlieii* creed and
confession of faith ; and how can the authors assert that they
rejected all creeds and confessions of faith ? Their own asser-
tions mutually prove each other to be untrue.
The authors also tell us that ** they sought for, and embraced
only, w hat they believed to be substantial truths, and the realities
of religion." How, we would ask, do they ascertain that the
Quakers embraced substantial truths, or that they believed
their doctrines to be the realities of roligion, if they had re-
PREFACE.
jected all creeds and confessions of faith ? Could tlie early
Quakers have embraced or believed in any substantial truths, if
they had rejected all belief ? The sources whence the authors of
the preface, derive the knowledge of those substantial truths,
and realities of religion, w hich they say tl»e Society of Friends
embraced, arc undoubtedly those writings in which they declare
what they did believe ; and these arc as certainly their confes-
sions or declarations of faith.
Again, say the authors, ** a zealous adherence to their prin-
ciples, and a faithful dischai-ge of their religious duties, soon
rendered them obnoxious to the derision and persecution of both
priests and people." Now we can readily believe that the faith-
ful discharge of religious duties, rendered them obnoxious to
scorn and suffering ; but we are at a loss to comprehend how
the Quakers could zealously adhere toprincij)les, when they had
none ; or how such an adherence, to principles of which the
world could know nothings (since they rejected all creeds and
confessions of faith,) should render them obnoxious to derision
and persecution.
If the Quakers confessed no belief — if they owned no creed,
if they declared no particular faith, the world could not
know that they had any. Such are the strange contradictions
and absurdities, which these authors have run themselves into,
in their anxiety to apologize for the unbelief of Elias Hicks.
The authors are either ignorant of the history of the peo-
ple, whose faith they pretend to give us^ or what is still more
culpable, wilfully misrepresent them ; when they assert, that
they rejected all creeds and confessions of faith.
Not only individuals, but the society, has at different peri-
ods published to the world, full and ample confessions of their
faith, on various important points of christian doctrine j some
of which we shall notice.
In 1658, but a few years after the rise of the society, Richard
Farnsworth, a distinguished minister, published a " Confession
and profession of faitii in God, &c." In 1668, William Penn,
being imprisoned in the Tower, upon the charges of denying
the divinity of Christ, and of being a Socinian, published a
declaration of his faith in God, and in Jesus Christ our Lord,
which is included in his " Innocency w ith her Open Face, or
an Apolog} for the Sandy Foundation Shaken ;" apart oi which ^
the compilers have inserted in their pamphlet. It begins thus :
*' I sincerely osvn and unfeignedly believe," A:c. We would
ask, is not this a creed or confession of faith ?
In the year 16ri, George Fox wrote a declaration or con-
fession of the faith of the Society of Friends, addressed to the
Governor and Council, he. of Barbadoes ; in order to clear
himself and his brethren, from tlie false accusation of those.
Vl UREFACK.
who said they '•' denieil God, Christ Jesus, and the Scriptures
of Truth." — In 1682 he published another, embracing other
points of christian faith, which may be seen in his answer to
to all such as falsely say the Quakei-s are no christians, &c.
In 1673, Robert Barclay published his treatise, entitled A
Catechism and Confession of Faith, &c., as held by the people
called Quakers ; which was, and continues to be, fully owned
and approved by all true Quakers. It has been several times
reprinted by order of tlie Society.
In 1689, G. Whitehead, and others, drew up a declaration,
or confession of faitli, to be subscribed to by Friends, in order
that tliey might avail themselves of the benefit of the act for
granting liberty of conscience, passed in the reign of William
and Mary. This confession included a belief in the Holy
Three that bear record in Heaven — the Godhead and man-
hood of Jesus Christ, and the authenticity of Holy Scripture.
In the year 1692, a declaration and confession of faith,
signed by eight distinguished Friends on behalf of the Society,
was published in London ; and Francis Bugg, an apostate
Quaker, having charged the Quakers with holding Sociman
notions, denying the diviijity of Jesus Christ, &c. ; a short de-
claration of faith was drawn up in the same year, signed by
thirty-one Friends, on behalf of the Society, and published. It
contains a clear confession of their full belief in the divinity
and atonement of Jesus Christ and the authenticity of Holy
Scripture. We could, if it were needful, refer to other decla-
rations of the kind, which the Society has had occasion to re-
vive from time to time. Sewell, in his history of the Quakers,
speaking of the charges alleged against them by George
Keith, says : " And since he [G. K.] had contradicted that,
which formerly he had asserted, and defended in good earnest;
and charged the Quakers, with a belief 7vhich theij never owned
to be theirs ; they found themselves obliged, publickly to set
forth their faith anew in print, which theij had often before as-
serted, both in words andin writing, thereby to manifest that their
belief was really ortliodox, and agreeable with the Holy Scrip-
tures.'^ This confession of faith which Sewell alludes to, may
be seen at length, in the 2nd vol. of his History, p. 499, and
seq.
Thus we see, that it is both untrue, and unfair, to charge
the primitive Quakers, with "rejecting all creeds and confes-
sions of faith," as though they either denied all doctrines of
every kind, or were indifferent what faitii their members adopt-
ed. Such is not the case. There was no society, who more
frequently declared to the world, the consistency of their doc-
trines with the Holy Scriptures; invariably making these the
lest in all controversies with tlicir opponents, and declaring
PREFACE> Vll
that whatsoever was contrary tliereto, though oflered under
the sacred sanction of inward, immediate revelation, they ut-
terly rejected and denied. The teaching and doctrine of their
ministers, was founded upon, and proved by the Bible; and
some of them carried them in their pockets, when out from
home upon gospel missions, and preached with them in their
hands. We have several instances of this kind, in our honour-
able Elder George Fox, who was a man mighty in the scrip-
ture.
The object of the authors, in making this unfounded accu-
sation, can only be to break down the barrier of sound doc-
trine, and make way for the rejection of those primary and
fundamental articles of christian faith, w hich all true Quakers
have ever held and owned ; that are the very basis, upon
which the society was first founded, and on which, if it stand
at all, it must continue to be built. This foundation, together
with the Holy Scriptures, Elias Hicks is striving to destroy,
and to aid him in this attempt, the authors and compilers of
this book, present us with their garbled and interpolated, and
perverted extracts. But happily, this very book itself, de-
feats their purpose : — Mangled and distorted as it is, the sys-
tem of doctrine w hich it presents, is widely different from that
of Elias Hicks; while the unmanly shifts which the compilers
have stooped to, in order to force the authors to speak their
language ; is a sure indication of the weakness ^ nay, worse,
the turpitude of their cause.
They have betaken themselves to the same arts, as- were
practised by the persecutors and opponents of Friends, in the
beginning; have adduced, in many cases, the same passages,
and all to prove the very same accusations, viz : a denial of
the divinity of Christ — of his atonement, and of the authority
of Holy Scripture. Thus they have fairly entered the ranks
of calumniators, and classed themselves w ith T. Hicks, Vin-
cent, Maddox, Iycs, Brown, Bugg, Leslie, Faldo, Mitchell,
Clapham and Keith ', and more recently, their worthy col-
league in the work of misrepresentation, "William Craig
Brownlee.
That the primitive friends, believed the revelation of the
Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus in the soul, to be the foundation
of true and living faith, is readily admitted j for it is indeed,
tlie very corner stone of our holy profession : but they also de-
clared as positively, to speak in the language of Barclay,
that "these divine inward revelations, which we make abso-
lutely necessary, for the building up of true faith ; neither do,
nor can ever contradictf the outward testimony of the scriptures,
or nght and sound reason."
William Penn^ defending himself against the exceptions of
Tin
tliC Bishop of Cork, to a paper called *< Gospel Truths, kc."
says, — " Now if being general, and keeping to the terms of
scripture, be a faulty we are like to be more vile with the Bish-
op : For, thanks be to God, that only is our creed ; and with
good reason too, since it is fit, that should only conclude, and
be the ci-eed of Christians, whicii the Holy Ghost could only
propose and require us to believe. — For if the comment is made
the creed, instead of the text ; from that time we believe not
in God, but in man." Works, fol. ed. vol. ii. 896.
It is therefore in vain, for Elias Hicks, or his followers, to
screen their unbelief, by pleading further revelation or great-
er light. — If they have seen beijond the scriptures, they are not
Quakers; for Barclay positively asserts, that all such preten-
ces, are mere delusions of the enemy. The Quakers have al-
waijs appealed to the Bible, for the proof of their doctrine ;
and it is a sure indication, that theij are neither Quakers nor
Christians, who are afraid to submit their doctrines to its
test.
When we reflect upon the awful defection in faith and in
practice, which the principles of Elias Hicks have introduced
into the society, we can cordially reciprocate the mournful lan-
guage of the authors of tlie preface. The demoralising, the
disorganizing effects of his sentiments are becoming every day
more and more obvious ; and while we view the diminution of
religious watchfulness and holy circumspection, which is ap-
parent in many who have adopted them ; whose minds in ear-
lier and better days, were deeply imbued with tlie fear of
God, and the love of Christ, and whose daily prayer was,
that they might be preserved in humility, and in faithful de-
votion to the Lord's cause; — when we remember the days of
their espousals, and the peacefulness and holy quiet which they
then enjoyed, we are ready indeed to say, " how is the gold
become dim, how is the most fine gold changed."
How many are there, who, deceived by specious pretences to
greater spirituality, and to the guidance of the Holy Spirit ;
lured by the unlawful love of novelty, and a restless desire to
be prying into the inscrutable mysteries of God, have left that
precious state of humble dependence and holy faith, that true
tenderness of spirit, that teachableness and conscientious fear
of doing wrong, which they knew something of in the day of'
their early visitation; and arc now determined to choose for
themselves -, to believe what they please, and deny what they
dislike, — until they have at last come to reject the doctrines of
Holy Scripture, to deny the Lord that bought them, and are
** rapidly merging into the popular doctrines" of infidelity.
They are not only " receding from genuine quakerism," and
PREFACE. lit:
approaching tJie communion of modern unbelievers, but by the
most unfair means, are endeavouring to press into their company,
many honourable christian Quakers, wlio have long since fallen
asleep in Jesus ; and who in life, and in death, declared that
they had no fellowship with such unfruitful works of dark-
ness.
It is not, however, surprising that those who have thus
swerved from the ancient faith of the gospel, as held forth by
this society, are anxious to gloss over their pernicious princi-
ples, and to plume themselves with the credit of antiquity and
the authority of '* primitive friends.'* There is something so
forbidding — so unpromising, so utterly comfortless and una-
miable, in the principles and character of an unbeliever, that
few have been found, who were bold enough to throw off the
mask, and voluntarily to embrace it. They have generally
sought to soften down the term, and to give their doctrines a
more inviting aspect, by pretending that they differed not in
essentials from sound christians ; that they only stripped Chris-
tianity of human trappings, and taught it " in its native ex-
cellence and purity," and that many pious men were of their way
of thinking. But the veil is too thin to conceal the deformity
which lies beneath. Infidelity, in its most specious forms, has
been too often detected, and too fully exposed, to give them
any hope of success, and the time is at hand, w hen they will be
made fully manifest.
The society of Friends, holds the same relation to other
christian professors, that ever it did. William Penn, in his
*' Testimony to the truth as held by the people called Quakers,"
written in 1698, says, "Because we are separated from the
publick communion and worship, it is too generally concluded,
that we deny the doctrines received by the church, and conse-
quently introduce a new religion j whereas we differ least,
where we are thought to differ most. For, setting aside some
school terms, we hold the substance of those doctrines, be-
lieved btj the Church of England, as to God, Christ, Spirit, Scrip-
ture, repentance, sanctijication, remission of sin, holy living and
the resurrection of the just and%njust to eternal rewards and
punishments. But that wherein we differ most, is about wor-
ship, and conversation, and the inward qitalif cation of the soul,
by the work of God's Spirit thereon, in pursuance of these good
and generally received doctrines.''^ 2d vol. fol. p. 881.
It is the certain effect of a faithful submission to the leadings of
the Holy Spirit of Christ, to bring its followers into an humble
and sincere belief in the sublime doctrines of the christian reli-
gion; and as occasion requires, to qualify them earnestly to con-
tend for that precious faith once delivered to the saints, against
those who are labouring to destroy it. Hence, it is not sur-
rilEFACE.
prising, that the doctrines of Elias Hicks have been critically
examined ; and their numerous inconsistencies, and contradic-
tions of Holy Scripture, plainly exposed. It is what every
man must expect, when he attenijjts an innovation upon the es-
tablished doctrines, and discij)line, of the society, of which he
Las professed himself a member. In perusing these inquiries
into the nature and effects of his principles, we have not per-
ceived, that any unfair or harsh measures have been pursued,
or any opprobrious epithets cast upon him. It is true his
views have been proved to be coincident with those held by
most deists ; but this coincidence is his fault, not the fault of
his reviexcers.
The authors of tlie preface say, that the Reviews are " teem-
ing with misrepresentations and perversions ;" but they pru-
dently decline attempting to give any examples. The charge
is so manifestly unfounded, t!tat it docs not need a serious re-
ply ,• and as the best refutation of it, we earnestly recommend
a candid perusal of the Reviews themselves. Their assertion,
that *' his private letters have been surreptitiously obtained,"
must recoil with double force upon themselves. It is well
known that a part of Elias Hicks' letter to "William B. Irish,
Avas printed in New York by his own friends, more than three
years ago, and many manuscript copies of it industriously cir-
culated by them ; that addressed to Dr. N. Shoemaker, was
shown to many persons, in the original ; copies w ere taken by
Elias Hicks' particular friends, and handed about, with high
encomiums, for its excellence and the purity of the docti'ines it
contained ; and before it n-as printed, was so effectually pub-
lished by his own adherents, that hundreds of persons, in re-
mote parts of the country, as well as in the city, w^re acquaint-
ed w ith its contents ; that to Dr. Atlee was first printed, pub-
lished, and widely circulated by his own friends ; and, indeed,
in every instance within our knowledge, his letters have been
extensively known abroad, before they were put into print.
The authors of the preface, could not be ignorant of these
facts ; and it ill becomes them^ to assert that the letters were
surreptitiously obtained, when it is so clearly apparent, that
"while they could be circulated, without an antidote to their
poisonous contents, and while their errors and contradictions
were not exposed ; the friends of Elias Hicks, were forward
in disseminating them, and were not sparing in their encomi-
ums, of w hat they now wish to apologize for, by telling us
that they " are mere sketches of his views," " insufficiently
guarded." Elias Hicks, however, who is the best judge in
this matter, tells us, they are the result of due consideration and
refiection.
The authors tell us, they have compiled their pamphlet to
PREFACE. XI
rescue Elias Hicks from unmerited censure. Do tliey sup-
pose, that to stigmatize primitive Friends, with the unjust odi-
um of holding antichristian tenets, will extricate Elias Hicks,
from the dilemma in which he has involved himself? His prin-
ciples merit censure; and to free himself from it, he must aban-
don those principles. The authority of their names, could he
justly adduce them, would not make his principles correct.
But why should so much pains and labour be bestowed, to
support the tottering fabrick of Elias Hicks's doctrine, when
his followers profess to consider doctrines of no importance ?
Why do his advocates, Avring and torture the writings of *' pri-
mitive Friends," in the vain hope of extracting some senti-
ment, that will yield them tlie semblance of authority ; and
yet shrink, with conscious fear, from the sure test of Holy
Scripture? Why do they struggle so hard to make their muti-
lated extracts fi'om Friends' writings, the test of doctrines,
when they disclaim any test at all ? There is a sentiment of
the learned and j)ious Locke, which so well describes the cause
of that repugnajice, which Elias Hicks and his fastidious fol-
lowers, manifest to the scriptures, that we are induced to quote
it. ** But the great antipathy, (says he,) which a thoughtless
tribe among us, (for simple apprehension is a very metaphysi-
cal kind of thinking,) professes against the scriptures, is best
accounted for, from hence ; because they make us acquainted
with ourselves, and teach us sundry unfashionable duties,
which theTj are determined, never to copy after ; and, therefore,
as it happens in too many other cases, the scriptures heing
against them, they are against the scriptures"
The compilers invite their readers to examine the works of
primitive Friends, assuring tliem that their extracts "have
been carefully transcribed and compared." This looks like
candour, but, as it is only the semblance of it, is, therefore, the
more injurious, and the more criminal. The works of the
authors irom w hom they quote, are accessible to comparatively
but a small number ; and few of these have time or inclination
to read them carefully ; and where a pamphlet is put forth to
the world, containing numerous garbled or perverted quota-
tions, under the imposing aspect of candour and honesty, a
great proportion of undiscerning readers may be deceived.
The compilers have not thought proper to state the doctrines
of Elias Hicks, as contained in his letters, that the reader
might compare them with the sentiments exhibited in the com-
pilation ; and the danger of deception is thus rendered greater,
as many may be induced to imagine that the extracts are a
faithful delineation of them.
We unite with the authors of the preface in affectionately in-
viting the candid and upright^ to read carefully tlie extracts
511 PREFACE.
■which the compilers have made to support the principles of Elias
Hicks, and to notice^ espedalkj, the mutilation of many of the
sentences, and the violence which is done to the authors' mean-
in,^, in many places, by the omission of parts wliich are imme-
diately in connexion with what they have quoted, and which
are necessary to understand the true meaning of the writer. We
would also invite tiie reader to observe, that many of the omit-
ted sentences, contain clear declarations of the belief of the
author, in those very doctrines^ which the compilers are endea-
vouring to make them deny ; and hence it is not difficult to see
ivhy they have not had the honesty to quote them fully and
fairly. Thus, the reader will be enabled to decide whether
some have not " obviously departed, not only from the original
grounds of faith assumed by our pious and enlightened prede-
cessors," but also from that regard to truth, strict integrity,
and justice, by which those dignified sons of the morning were
so honourably characterized.
How high soever infidelity may rear her haughty crest, or
however her votaries may vaunt themselves over the humble
Christian, one thing is certain ; her reign has ever been short.
For the religion of Jesus Christ, and for the doctrines of the
Bible, we have nothing to fear. We repose ourselves, in re-
verent confidence, upon the unfailing promises of God, who has
solemnly assured us, tiiat they shall prevail. Much as the
freethinker boasts of his enlightened views, and liberal senti-
ments, and free inquiry, he has never yet been able to stand
the test of fair investigation. The Bible has stood the storms
of ages, and the cavils and criticisms of unbelievers, w ho could
summon to their aid the richest stores of human learning; but
their greatest ingenuity, sharpened by the most inveterate
malice, has only served to show the impregnable strength of
the basis upon which it is founded. It still stands; and it will
continue to stand, when all the flimsy systems which have been
arrayed against it, shall have mouldered away into irreparable
ruin, and the remembrance of them be blotted out from under
Heaven.
We haA^e no personal enmity to Elias Hicks. We utterly
disclaim any such feeling. It is the doctrines, not the man,
that we oppose. We often deeply deplore his lamentable apos-
tacy from that holy faith which we believe was once committed
to him ; we mourn over his aberration from the path of Ciiristian
humility and obedience ; and we mourn, too, for the many inno-
cejit and unwary souls whom he has allured, to tread with him,
the thorny paths of unbelief, and whom he has robbed, we fear,
of that sustaining hope, and holy confidence, which they once
enjoyed, in the Captain of their salvation. Had he stood as a
little child in the obedience of faith, relying upon Jesus Christ,
PREFACE. Xm
instead of leaning to his own understanding, he might, at this
day, have been a pillar in the house of God, that should go no
more out. The Lord, of his infinite mercy, grant that he may
yet be brought to see, and to tremble, at the awful gulf upon
the very brink of wliich he now totters ; that, through unfeign-
ed repentance, the evil heart of unbelief may be removed, and
a capacity graciously given, to look with full faith to the Lamb
of God who takes away the sin of the world ; that thus,
through the merits and mercies of a crucified Redeemer, he
may finally obtain that eternal life, which remains to be " the
gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
We shall now close with the following extract from a ser-
mon, delivered at Bristol, England, the 19th of 5th month,
1767, by that eminent minister of the gospel, Samuel Fother-
gill : in which he beautifully and feelingly declares his full
and firm belief, as also that of the society of Friends, in those
very doctrines which Elias Hicks denies. We earnestly ex-
hort our readers to compare the sentiments in this extract, and
indeed throughout the whole volume of his sermons, with
those contained in Elias Hicks' sermons, lately published in
this city. The contrast is truly affecting.
" We follow not formally, but we believe in, and are con-
vinced, fully convinced, of the doctrines of the Christian re-
ligion; the incarnation, glory, life, death, mighty miracles,
and various circumstances relative to the holy life of Jesus,
* as in the volume of the book it is written ;' and can, in an
awful and reverent sense, commemorate those vast and most
interesting events. We admire, with humble hearts and minds,
the awful transactions of that time, when sweat, like drops of
blood, ran from the face of the Holy Jesus ; when being in ago-
ny, he prayed more earnestly ; when he was betrayed, his sa-
cred head crowned with thorns, his face spit upon, he was most
jgnominiously treated, and as a sheep before her shearers is
dumb, he complained not.
** We behold him in his agonies on Calvary's mount, offering
himself as a sacrijice for the sins of the whole world ; tbat he
might purify us, by the shedding of his precious blood ! *More
precious than the blood of bulls and goats,' or any other that
was shed under the law. We believe in his ama^iing mercy in
offering himself there, when laden with the immense weight of
the sins of mankind, and the immediate sense of the Father's
presence withdrawn, he was left to suffer alone j under this
extreme pressure crying out, * Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani,'
was crucified, dead and buried.
" Here pause a little, I beseech you. Contemplate the ado-
rable theme ! Acknowledge, Oh man, that unbounded grati-
tude which is ever due from thee : Oh, my soul, * how much
XIV PREFACE.
©west thou unto thy Lord.' I know we have been stigmatized,
as disbelieving the truths of the Christian religion. However
I call the divine Record, the Saviour of the world, that was
offered a sacrijice without the gates of Jerusalem, to witness for
my belief; that he was sent from God to do the ' Father's will ;*
,and I do, without controversy, believe that he was * God mani-
fest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, believed on in the
world, and received up into glory.' We do not at all doubt
that God was ' in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself;'
* that Christ gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due
time, and that * with his stripes we were healed.*
** By virtue of that holy sacrijice, the remission of sins is gained ;
the awakening power of that sentence which is due to sin, is felt
in a state of alienation from God ; and as we believe that, * if
one died for all, then were all dead,' so we believe, that he who
was crucified, dead, and buried, likewise triumphed over the
grave, and now * sitteth at the right hand of God,' in a glorified
body, to make intercession for man ; in order that he might ef-
fectually purchase, and redeem to himself, a people to the
praise of his name j and diffuse throughout his universal em-
pire, a similarity of opinion and nature, arising from the ex-
perience of his universal redeeming love.
*' / am no Arian — far from it. I believe in the clear, empha-
tic testimonies, laid down in holy writ, that Christ was mora
than a prophet. I repeat my belief, that he suffered, died, as-
cended, and is now come, * the second time, without sin unto
salvation,' in order to reconcile the world to himself. I know
many are willing to admit that he died for all, as all were
in a state of death ; and that by the imputation of his righteous-
ness, all are justified in the sight of God. Whereas, I think
it more just to proceed in the language of the holy, inspired
apostle, *that they which live, should not henceforth live to
themselves, but to him who died for them, and rose again ;'
that there may be an effectual redemption, a thorough change;
not the imputation of righteousness without works, but a real
substantial righteousness, in heart and life ; which may ope-
rate upon, and regulate the mind and will, and lead us to a con-
formity to his divine nature : not a righteousness imputed to
us, from what Christ did and suffered without us, but a right-
eousness raised by him within us, through our surrendering
ourselves to his government, and yielding entire submission to
his heart-cleansing, refining power.
" However this doctrine may relish with some, I am con-
vinced he died for all, that all should be saved ,; that through
him, we might be justified in the sight of God, that we might
* put on the Lord Jesus Christ, with all his divine affections.' "
Pages 33, 34, 35, 56. Again in the same sermon, page 41,
PREFACE. Xt
** Our sins have been great, and our transgressions never
cmild have been obliterated^ had not Christ done it for iis ; let us
therefore no longer dwell upon the rock of presiimption^ with Sa-
tan, who hath been a liar from the beginning; but let us rather
descend into the valley of humility and peace, and settle ac-
counts witii the God of our lives ; from w horn I had strayed
to that degree that my life became a burden to me, and I have
wished that I had never been born; but Christy who was a
friend to the publicans and sinners, is now become the rock of my
salvation ; he hath caused me to trust in him, and to seek the
Lord my God. The debt I owe is infinite. I desire ever to
acknowledge it with all possible gratitude, and to do my ut-
most towards the discharge of it, while I have my being.'*
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
It is no new thing for the writings of the early Quakers to be mu-
tilated and perverted, in order to prove their denial of the doctrines
of our Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles. Among the many accu-
sations and calumnies which were heaped upon this despised people,
there was none more frequently reiterated, nor more fully refuted
and denied, than this, which the compilers of the pamphlet are now
endeavouring to support ; and it is a fact, that, in order to sustain it.
the enemies uf the society have always been compelled to resort to
garbling or misrepresentation of their language.
It is well known that the fundamental principle of the Society, is
a belief in, and an obedience to, the sensible influences of the holy
spirit of Christ, in the soul. At the time of its first rise, this im-
portant doctrine was too little known or believed in, while great
dependence was placed upon the observation of mere outward rites,
and a bare historical belief in the life, suffering, and death of Christ;
the scriptures being considered as the word of God, and the alone
treasury of that knowledge which gives life eternal. Hence it was,
that the Society of Friends, strenuously enforced the necessity of
coming to the real experience of the work of regeneration in the
heart ; to feel Christ ruling there by his spirit ; that so the blessed
and most comfortable tiuths of Holy Scripture might be sealed in
their experience, by the revelation of that power which gave the
scriptures forth. Now, because Friends preached the necessity of
coming to know Christ within^ they were charged with denying
Christ without, and with believing in Christ no otherwise than as the
spirit in man. And because they taught the necessity of the new birth
in the soul, and a real change of heart, whereby all things came to be of
God, they were accused of slighting, or wholly denyins;, the virtue
of all that the Son of God had done for them, without them.
These several accusations they again and again refuted ; declaring
that while they enforced the necessity of the inward work, they
were so far from denying the outward, that they were taught by the
Holy Spirit, mosi reverently and gratefully to believe and acknow-
ledge all that was done by Jesus Christ without them ; and that al-
though, with the apostle, they believed the spirit of Christ was in all
men, who were not reprobates, yet, so far from doubting, they were
taught by this very spirit, unfeignedly to believe and own, both the
Godhead and manhood of Jesus Christ, his miraculous conception,
holy life, miracles, propitiatory sacrifice, death, resurrection, ascen-
sion, mediation and intercession ; and openly to avow their full faith
in all that was contained in the Holy Scriptures of truth.
So repeatedly has the Society declared its belief, in all these doc-
trines of the Christian religion, that the generality of liberal minded
men have been convinced of the soundness of its faith, and of its
C
XVm INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
consistency with Holy Scripture; and the invidious charge of Sc-
cinianism had ceased to be arraVi^d against them, until renewed bj
"William Craig Browntee, and his coadjutors, the compilers of the
pamphlet which we are replying to. We do not, however, regret the
coalition. It is a favourable circumstance that they agree so nearly,
in endeavouring to prove the Society "ab origine, Socinian ;" since
the same reply will serve for both : though, as the most suitable re-
buke for their calumny, we would advise them to read the replies to
Bugg and Leslie, and the " Switch for the Snake."
It is certainly not consistent with fair dealing, to pass over the
many plain and tlpar declarations of faith, which the Society of
Friends have at different times published, with the false assertion
(hat they rejected all creeds and confessions of faith; and to cull
from their controversial ivrithtgs^ mutilated sentences, and publish
them as exhibiting the true doctrines of the society. Controversial
writings are more generally written to refute and expose the errors
of an opponent, than fully to set forth the belief of the writer. There
are some observations in a reply to the "Snake in the Grass," which
are so peculiaily applicable to the compilers of the pamphlet, that
we shall quote them. They are inserted in Gough's History.
"As to this envenomed performance, it was remarked: 1. That
the matters therein charged upon us, (Friends,) are generally the
same that have been charged on us heretofore, by Faldo, Hicks, and
other adversaries, and always refuted, over and over, both formerly
and of late. 2. That the things they charge on us, as errors and
heresy, are not pretended to be proved, by any plain, express po-
sitions or assertions of ours, but from our adversaries' own perverse
meanivgs and ivrested constructions of our words, always denied
and rejected by us. 3. That the words and passages brought by our
adversaries, for proof of their charges against us, are not taken out
of our doctrinal treatises^ or declarations of faith and principles ; but
for the most part, out of controversial books, wherein, oftimes, the
scope and aim of the author is not so much to assert, or express, his
own principles or doctrines, as to impugn and expose his adversa-
ries; by showing the contradictions, absurdities, and ill consequences
of his adversaries' opinions; from whence positively to conclude the
author's own judgment, is neither safe nor fair. 4. That, however
any of our former adversaries might have been misled in their judg-
ments concerning us, George Keith, who hath now moved this con-
troversy against us, knows full ivell,that we do not hold those things,
either generally, as a people, or as particular persons, ivhich he has
charged on us as errors." ''Besides this, (says Gough,) as George
Keith had done before, in his quotations, and references to their wri-
ting*, he stuck at no unhandsome nor unfair means to represent this
people in the most ridiculous, absurd, and disadvantageous light. He
mutilated their expressions, by omitting the leading or concluding
parts of a sentence, or passi7ig over some in the middle f whereby, in
most cases, they made a sense quite different from the author's in-
tention."— \k\e Gough's History, vol. iii. p. 392, 393, 394.
In order to enable our readers, to compare the sentiments of
Elias Hicks, with those of the authors who are quoted in the
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 3CiX^
following pages, and to give a clear view of the great discrepancy
and contradiction between them; we subjoin the following extracts
from his letters, sermons, &c. viz:
SENTIMENTS OF ELIAS HICKS.
" I dont admire at ihe difficulties thou hast had to encounter, in
B'egard to the mode of redemption, generally held by prof essing chris-
tians, as being effected by the death or outward dying of Jesus
Christ upon the outward wooden cross. This, as it regards the re-
demption of the immorial soul from the bondage of sin, I consider
ft vulgar error, that came in with the apostacy from primitive Chris-
tianity. The redemption effected by this outward offering, would
ONLY, accoi ding to the true analogy of things, be a redemption of the
outward bodies; for, as under the legal dispensation, there were ma-
ny legal institutes, that were binding upon the people of Israel, and
on no other people, and a breach of these, produced legal crimes to
which penalties were attached, and these inflicted on the bodies of
The Israelites ; now I consider that the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ on the outward cross applied only as a matter of redemption
to the Israelites / redeeming them from the curse of that covenant and
the penalties attendant on every breach thereof, and this outward re-
demption was the top stone of that figurative dispensation, as by it
that dispensation with all its legal rites and ceremonies was abolish-
ed and done away." — Elias Hicks' letter to fVilliam B. Irish.
" Why shouldst thou think it cruel or painful, that God sent his
Son into the world, and when in the world, permitted him to suffer
death by the hands of wicked men, when history informs us that
many thousands of righteous men and vvomen have, by the permission
of the Almighty, been persecuted to death by wicked men; yet, never-
theless, we do not believe that God sent any of these into the world
purposely to suffer death, in the cruel way they did, by the cruel
power of the wicked ; neither do I believe that God sent Jesus Christ
into the world purposely to suffer death in the way he did, any more
than all them ; for I do not believe that God created any rational be-
ing and sent him into the world, to suffer death for other men ; be-
cause they were wicked and he was righteous; but that it was the right-
eousness of all these that aggravated the wicked, and was the procur-
ing cause of their hatred and vengeance toward them when they cru-
elly persecuted them to death. But their sufferings was entirely op-
posite to, and inconsistent with, the purpose and will of God, for if
it was not, the perpetrators of these dreadful crimes, and most atro-
cious deeds, u'ould all stand justified in his sight." — Ibid.
" Hence we conclude, that God never sent his Son, Jesus Christy
nor any of his rational creation, purposely into the ivorld to suffer
death, by cruel men, but only in his free and voluntary choice to at-
tend to and do his holy will in all things, and thereby glorify and
enjoy him, which all agree to be the chief end and design of man's
creation." — Ibid.
"But as divine wisdom foresaw that his people Israel, would re-
volt from his commandments, and rebel against his law, and become
cruel and hard hearted, so likewise he foresaw that the wicked among
SX INTROBUCTOKY REMARKS.
them would cruelly persecute mid slay many of the righteous ; and
his son, Jesus Christ, among the rest, therefore he inspired many of
his servants to testify of these things among them, before they came
to pass — as a warning and cajition, that so those who were seeking
after the right way, might be preserved from taking any part there-
in ; while those vvlio wilfully hardened their hearts against reproof,
might suffer the penalties resulting from theircrimes, which they had
committed in their own free choice, contrary to the counsel and will
of their Creator." — Ibid.
In an essay entitled "Wisdom Justified of all her Children,"
after speaking of Christ as the Jewish Messiah, in which capacity he
fulfilled the law and did it away, which was the first part of his work,
&c. he proceeds : —
" And, secondly, after having finished the law, John's water
Baptism being the last ritual he had to conform to, after which he
immediately received the descending of the Holy Spirit of God upon
him, agreeably to the above Prophecy of Isaiah ; by which he became
a partaker of the divine nature of his Heavenly Father^ and by this
spiritual birth, became the son of God, ivith power ; and thereby
fully qualified for his Gospel Mission, and went forth, clothed with
the spirit and power of God, preaching the gospel to the poor.
"Hence, we see another instance of the consummate wisdom of
the Highest, in leading his beloved son, qualified only as a real and
true Israelite, first to fulfil in that state all the righteousness of the
law, before the pouring forth of the Holy Spirit upon him, which
is the peculiar privilege of the gospel state, but which no individual
is prepared to receive, until, l:ke Jesus, he has fulfilled all the right-
eousness of the moral law. For, had this diffusion of the spirit
been conferred upon him while engaged in the fulfilment of that out-
ivard covenant, he would not have been any example to that people j
as it would have proved that it required greater ab'lity than the Israel-
ites had received, to perform the same ; and would thereby impeach
the liOrd of being an hard master, in requiring more than he had
given ability to perform. But, by withholding the diffusion of the
spirit, until he had fulfilled the law of the outward covenant, with
the same ability that every Israelite had conferred upon him for the
same purpose; he thereby justifies his heavenly Father, and proves
his impartiality towards the children of men, and stands as a per-
fect example in that relation, to all succeeding ages, who come to
the knowledge of it. And then by the pouring forth of his spirit
upon him, shows his readiness to do the same to every other of his
rational creation, according to their several needs, to enable them to
fulfil, as Jesus has done, all the righteousness of the gospel — who
had previously come up in the same way of faithfulness, in fulfilling
the righteousness of the law. And when he had finished his out-
ward ministration, he then gave himself up to the power of his ene-
mies; although it was a very severe and trying baptism for his hu-
man nature to bear; having a clear prospect of his sufferings and
death, crying out that the spirit urns willing, but the flesh was weak:
but by his willing surrender to his heavenly Father's will, he has set
us a perfect example that we should account nothing too dear, not
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. XXI
even our bodily lives, to surrender for the gospel sake, and the testi-
mony of a good conscience." — Wisdom Justified.
" First, By what means did Jesus suffer ? The answer is plain, by the
hands ot wicked men, and because his works were righteou?,and theirs
were wicked. Query. Did God send him into the world, purposely to
suffer death by the hands of Avicked men ? By no means, but to live
a righteous and godly life, [whicli was the design and end of God's
creating man in the beginning,) and thereby be a perfect example to
such of mankind as should come to the knowledge of him and of his
perfect life. For if it was the purpose and will of God, that he
should die by the hands of wicked men, then the Jews, by crucify>
ing him, would have done God's will, and of course would all have
stood justified jn his sight, which could not be. But it was permit-
ted -)0 to be, as it had been with many of the prophets, and wise and
good men that were before himy who suffered death by the hands of
wicked men for righteousness sake, as ensamples to those that came
after, that they should account nothing too dear to give up for the
truth's sake, not even their own lives." — Letter to Dr. JS". Shoemaker.
" But 1 DO NOT CONSIDER THAT THE CRUCIFIXION OF THE OUT-
WARD BODY OF FLESH AND BLOOD OF JESUS ON THE CROSS, WAS AN
ATONEMENT FOR ANY SINS BUT THE LEGAL SINS OF THE JEWS } for aS
their law was outward, so their legal sins and their penalties were
outward, and these could be atoned for by an outward sacrifice ; and
this last outward sacrifice was a full type of the inward sacrifice that
every sinner must make, in giving up that sinful life of his own will,
in and by which he hath from time to time crucified the innocent life
of God in his own soul, and which Paul calls, the old man with his
deeds, or the man of sin and son of perdition, who hath taken God's
seat in the heart, and there exalteth itself above all that is called
God or is worshipped, sitting as judge and supreme. Now all this
life, power, and will of man, must be slain and die on the cross spir-
itually, as Jesus died on the cross outwardly, and this is the true atone-
ment, which that outward atonement was a clear and full type of.
This the apostle Paul sets forth in a plain manner. Romans, vi. S, 4.
Know ye not that so many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ,
we-e baptised into his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by
baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead,
(outwardly,) by the glory of the Father, even so we, having by the
spiritual baptism witnessed a death to sin shall know a being raised
up spiritually and walk in newness of life." — Ibid.
" And inasmuch as those idle promulgators of original sin, believe
they are raade sinners, without their consent or knowledge, which,
according to the nature and reason of things, every rational mind
must see is impossible ; so likewise, they are idle and ignorant
enough to believe they are made righteous without their consent
or knowledge, by the righteousness of one who lived on the earth near
two thousand years before they had an existence ; and this by the
cruel hands of wicked men, slaying an innocent and righteous one ;
and these are bold and daring enough, to lay this cruel and unholy
act in the charge of divine justice as having purposely ordained it to
be so : but what an outrage it is against every righteous law of God
XXll INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
and man, as the scriptures abundantly testify. See Exod. ch. 23, v.
7. " Keep thee far from a false matter, and the innocent and right-
eous slay (hou not, for I will not justify the wicked." Deut. 27" ch.
25 V. "Cursed be he that taketh reward, to slay an innocent per-
son ;" and much more might be produced to show the wickedness and
absurdity of the doctrine, that would accuse the perfectly just
all-wise and merciful Jehovah of so barbarous and cruel an act as
that of slaying his innocent and righteous son, to atone for the sins
and iniquities of the ungodly.
" Suiely is it possible that any rational being, that has any right
sense of justice or mercy, that would be willing to accept forgive'
ness of his sins, on such terms.' Would he not rather go forward
and offer himself wholly up, to suffer all the penalties due to his
crimes, rather than the innocent should suffer r Nay, was he so liar-
dij. as to acknowledge a willingness to he saved through such a me-
dium, would it not prove, that he stood in direct opposition, to eve-
ry principle of justice and honesty, of mercy and love, and show
himself to be a poor, selfish creature, and unworthy of notice !"
Ibid.
Elias Hicks, in his letter to Thomas Willis, on the miraculous con-
ception of the Lord Jesus Christ, says :
" Finding this to be the case, / examined the accounts given on
this subject, by the four Evangelists, and according to my best judg-
ment on the occasion, 1 teas led to think there was considerable more
scripture evidence for his being the son of Joseph than otherwise; al-
though it has not yet changed my belief, are the consequences which
follow much more favourable; for as the Israelitish covenant rested ve-
ry much upon external evidence by way of outward miracle, so I
conceive this miraculous birth was intended principally to induce the
Israelites to believe he was their promised Messiah, or the great
prophet, Moses had long before prophesied of, that should come, like
unto himself.
" But, when we consider that he was born of a woman that was
joined in lawful wedlock with a man of Israel, it would seem that it
must shut the way to the enforcing any such belief, as all their
neighbours would naturally be led to consider him the son of Jo-
seph, and this it appears very clear they did, by the scripture testi-
mony : and although it has not, as above observed, given cause as
yet, to alter my views on the subject, as tradition is a mighty bul-
wark, not easily removed, yet it has had this salutary effect, to deli-
ver me from judging my brethren and fellow creatures who are in
that belief, anrf can feel the same flow of love and unity with them,
as though they were in the same belief with myself ; neither ivould I
dare to say, positively, that it ivould be my mind, they shoidd change
their belief, unless 1 could give them much greater evidence than 1
am at present possessed of , as 1 consider in regard to our salvation,
they are both non-essentials ; and I may further say, that I believe it
woidd be much greater sin in me, to smoke tobacco that was the pro-
duce of the labour of slaves, than it ivould beta belitve either of these
positions;" — See Letter to T. IP'illis.
"I admit that I did assert, and have long done it, that we cannot
INTRODUCTORT REMARKS. XXHl
believe ^vhat we do not understand ; this the scripture affirms ; Deut,
sxix. 29. 'The secret things belong unto tiie Lord our God, but the
things that are revealed belong unto us, and our children forever, that
we may do all <he words of this law;' and all that is not revealed
is to us the same as a nonentity, and will forever remain so, until it
is revealed ; and that which is revealed enables us, agreeably to the
apostle's exhortation, to give a reason of the hope that is in us, to
honest inquirers." — E. Hicks^ Letter to Dr. E. Jl. Mlee.
"As to what she [Anna Braithwaite,]] relates as it regards the
manner of our comiiig into the world in our infant state, it is my be-
lief that we come into the world in the same state of innocence, and
endowed with the same propensities and desires, that our first pa-
rents were, in their primeval state; and this Jesus Christ has estab-
lished, and must be conclusive in the minds of all true believers,
when he took a little child in his arms, and blessed him, and said to
them around him, that except they were converted, and became as
that little child, liiey should in no case enter into the kingdom of
heaven. Of course, all the desires and propensities of that little
child, and of our first parents, in their primeval state, must have
been good, as they were all the endowments of their Creator, and.
given to them for a special and useful purpose. But it is the impro-
per and unlawful indulgence of them that is evil."
" I readily acknowledge I have not been able to see or understand
how the cruel persecution and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, by the
wicked and hard hearted Jev,s, should expiate my sins; and I never
have known any thing to effect that for me, but the grace of God,
that taught me, agreeably to the apostle's doctrine, to deny all un-
godliness and the world's lusts, and to live soberly, righteously and
godly, in this present world; and as I have faithfully abode under its
teachings, in full obedience thereto, I have been brougiit to believe
that my sins were forgiven, and I permitted to sit under the Lord's
teaching, as saith the prophet, that the children of the Lord are all
taught of the Lord, and in righteousness they are established, and
great is the peace of his children. And so long as I feel this peace,
there is nothing in this world that makes me afraid, as it respects my
eternal condition. But if any of my friends have received any
known benefit from any outward sacrifice, I do not envy them their
privileges. But surely they would not be willing that I should ac-
knowledge, as a truth, that which I have no kind of knowledge of"
—Ibid.
We shall now quote some extracts from Elias Hicks' sermons, re-
cently delivered in the city of Philadelphia, and (he neighbouring
counties, which will be found to correspond with the sentiments
expressed in his letters.
Sermon L at Arch street, pages 10, 11. Speaking of Christ, he
said, " Who was his father? He was begotten of God. We cannot
suppose that it was the outward body offiesh and blood that teas be-
gotten of God, but a birth of the spiritual life in the soul. We must
apply it internally and spiritually. For nothing can be a son of
God, but that which is spirit; antl nothing but the soul of man is a
recipient for the light and spirit of God. Therefore, nothing can be
XXIV IMRODUCTORV REMARKS.
a son of God hut that which is immortal and invisible. JVothing
visible can be a son of God. Every visible thing must couip to an
end, and we must know the mortality of it. Flesh and Dlood can-
not enter into Heaven. By the analogy of reas^on, spirit cannot be-
get a material body, because the tiling begotten must be ot the same
nature with its father. Spirit cannot be^et any thing but spirit s it
cannot beget flesh and blood. No, my frieniK, it is imp«issible."
Sermon III, Western District, Twelfth street, pages oO, 51. —
"We must never look for the way without us; '1 am the way, ihe
truth, and the life,' Jesus declared, when he was outwardly present
as a teacher and iVlessiah to Israel. They did not look any higher.
He was their directo.-, their Saviour. He it was that saved them
from their outward sicknesses. He was only an outward Saviour^
that healed their outward diseases, and gave them strength of body
to enjoy that outward good land. This was a figure of the great
comforter, which he would pray the Father to send them ; an in-
ward one, that would heal all the diseases of their souls, and cleanse
them all from their inward pollutions ; that thing of God ; that thing
of eternal life. It was the soul that wanted salvation; but this no
outward (Sflviour could do; no external Saviour could have any hand
in if. It was altogether inward, for as God is a spirit, invisible to
all our exernal senses, he is incomprehensible to all rational crea-
tures. The work must be by some secret thing in the soul, and ev-
ery one to whom it is communicated has a soul in which it dwells."
Sermon IX. Middletown. "As man gains honour by victories in
worldly things, so we may consider it in a religious sense. When
we meet with that which would lead us from the divine law, insti-
tuted by perfect wisdom ; if we meet it with firmness, and stand our
ground against all the allurements to vice and temptation to evil,
we come to be in a degree like our great pattern, ivho rose up to a
situation fit to be a communicant with the great Creator in the
realms of eternal happiness." — Pages 231, 232.
Sermon X. Falls. " This animal body of Jesus Christ, was born
of the Virgin Mary, and therefore must be nothing, as to the visi-
ble part, but flesh aad blood ; as nothing else could emanate from her
but what was of her. So here, now, this outward body, this flesh and
blood, was born of a woman, which shows us why Jesus always calls
himself the son of man — because he was verily and actually so, for
he could not use evasions. Now, I have heard suggestions from ra-
tional beings, that Jeeus mentioned this, to deceive the people : to
turn them away; to make them believe something that was not cor-
rect; that it was only a speech that did not apply to him. But it
was the truth, for he could speak nothing but the truth, and he knew,
with a full certainty, that he was the son of man, as well as any of us
can know so; and therefore he asserted it abundantly. And the
highest station he assumed, while in that prepared body, was, that
he was not only the son of man, but the son of God. Here, now, we
learn, as rational beings, by his own testimony, what it is that makes
a son of God. We see that this flesh and blood never could have
been in a strict sense the son of God, but a creature created by
God, by his power, because spirit and matter cannot be united to-
INTRODUCTORT REMAUKS. SXV
gether,, mid make a being , nor make, a son of God. Nothing but the
rational souls of men and women can come to know a birth of God :
and the rational soul never was created by flesh, or through flesh-
The animal part is taken, and created llesh, by the power of
God."
In the same sermon, speaking of "tlie life which was the light of
men," lie says, " Here now are we all to have a portion of the same
light, for the life was the light of men, and it remains eternally so.
It all comes from God, and is dispensed to the children of men, and
if was to Jesus Christ likewise, as man, in the same proportion as to
inscrutable wisdom seemed necessary and consistent, to effect the
great design in tlie creation and redemption of the children of men.'*
" So here we see Jesus made lower than the angels, on account of
his suffering death. He was tempted in all points, as we are. Now,
how could he be tempted, if he had been tixed in a state of perfec-
tion in which he could not turn aside? Can you suppose, as rational
beings, that such a being could be tempted? No, not any more
than tjod Almighty could be tempted. Perfection is perfection,
and cannot be tempted. It is impossible: and here it is proved to
a demonstration, that he came to be an example to the children of
men ; a great high priest and teacher in those things which concern
the salvation of the children of men. And here he did his office, as
a great high priest of the Jewish covenant, in that outward dispensa-
tion, in which he was limited to the Jewish people as a child of
Abraham ; to sum up all the righteousness of the law ; by faithfulness
to it : and when he had effected that part, by the grace of God that was
upon him, for we read that he grew in stature and in favour with God
and man ; and the grace of God was upon him.' Then it was not his
grace, but the grace of God, communicated to him, as it was commu-
nicated to the rest of Abraham's children ; to every one in a sufficient
degree to enable them to come up to the law and commandments
jiven them. It will not do for us to suppose, for a moment, that the
Almighty, when he gave this law, did not at the same time give them
power to fulfil it in all its parts. For if he did not, they could not
be accountable for a neglect. But we see that he did this, for here
was a child of Abraham, endued with his spirit, which he has given
to every rational creature tQ profit with. He lived up to the law and
covenant given by the Father, and in this he justified his heavenly
Father in giving this law and covenant, and thereby condemned the
Israelites for not fulfilling it. Well, when he had done this, for we
hear of no miracles till after all this ivas done, none at all ; nor any
thing of his righteousness or acts ; but now, when he went into the
last institute of the legal dispensation, which was called watery bap-
tism, and the ministry of Joiin, his forerunnei-, was nearly at an end,
divine wisdom thought fit to reveal to John, by what medium be
should know who it was that was to baptize with the Holy Ghost. It
was him on whom the spirit should be seen descending and resting
upon him.
" Now, we find, that when he came up out of the water, John hav-
ing baptized him, the Holy Ghost descended in bodily shape like a
dove, and rested upon him. Now, whether this was open to John's
D
XXVI INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
external eye, or whether it might not rather be an expression of
John's, that as the dove is the most innocent creature of the feather-
ed race, he made use of it, to express what he beheld in him^ and in
this power that descended upon him. This was a power from hea-
ven — an additional power and gift from heaven ; as by his righteous-
ness in fulfilling the law, he was prepared to enter into a higher dis-
pensation.
" I consider, according to the tenor of the law, that the whole de-
sign was to lead up some of the Israelites into this state of perfec-
tion, and fulfilment of the law ; and then that it should be abolished.
Hence, the fulfilment of the law was the abolishment of the law.
He abolished it by nailing it to his cross. Oh ! had the professors of
Christianity left it there, and been willing to go forward, under the
illumination of the Holy Ghost, which alone could qualify Jesus to
be a gospel minister; so likewise, according to his own testimony,
nothing ever did or can qualify for the ministry, but the descending
of the Holy Ghost from heaven, upon rational creatures. And, there-
fore, in the same proportion as we have the descending of the holy
spirit upon us, in the same proportion, till we gain a conquest over
our passions and propensities, we shall be more tempted and tried.
So it was with Jesus, when this holy spirit descended upon him, the
spirit drove him into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan.
"Now, let us pause a little, and consider what is here meant. Can
it be supposed that he was driven into an outward wilderness.^ Or
shall we not suppose, that he was brought, by the power of divine
light, to see the wilderness state in his own mind? Because, in the
outward wilderness a man loses his way, and meets with many trials;
and so there is a spiritual wilderness, where man is tempted and
tried. Here the natural propensities which are fixed in man, no
doubt for an excellent purpose, rise up and attempt to gain an as-
cendency over us. Here we find it in all things in us. The pro-
pensity to thirst — what does it do? It is a gift of God to the chil-
dren of men. It leads them to do that which might sustain their
natural life. But if not regulated and kept under subjection by the
immortal soul, which is placed in us to regulate these anirnal desires
and propensities, it will become injurious to us, by being indulged to
excess. For you know we have many propensities ; many that are
necessary to us: for we could not eat or drink, or have a desire to do
it, if we had not a propensity to it. We could not fulfil the com*
mand, to increase and multiply, and replenish the earth, had we not
a desire which led to it. These propensities are all good in their
place ; and we could not answer the end of our creation without them.
As it is not in bones to tiiink, or flesh to reason, so there is no bounds
to our natural desires: but the soul must wait for counsel from on
high, and direct the body, and by faithfulness to it, regulate all these
desires, and keep them within the bounds of reason and truth. This
■was the case with the blessed Jesus, so that he never offended in
any one point ; but learnt obedience by Ihe things he suffered. He
had all these desires. The desire after knowledge, and the things of
the loorld, presented itself to his animal part ; and thus it is said to
have driven him into the wilderness : that is, he felt that u-ilderness
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. XXVil
which man feels, while in a state of probation. It is the way in
which divine wisdom speaks of the church. 'I will allure her, and
draw her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.' I
will allure her — see, I will draw her. Now what wilderness was
this? It was not an outward wilderness; but the same which Je-
sus was led up into: and here it was that he was tried. Here the
tempter led him vp to aspire after the glory of the world. He told
him if he would fall di.un and worship !iim, that he could arrive
at it — if he would only submit to tliis desire, and fall down and wor-
ship it, all should be his: but you see how ready he was to reply to
this temptation. The divine law always gives us an answer, and if
we are faithful, we shall be like Jesus; when we are tempted to as-
pire after the glories of the wo' Id. We shall be always able to give
a righteous answer, if we are faithful to the truth in our own minds,
as ftdly as he was, no doubt ; because he is our example, and we are
to follow his steps. Jesus said, ' Get thee behind me, satan.' Oh 1
how often has my poor soul been brought to this point, when tempta-
tions have arisen, 'Get thee behind me, satan.' Oh ! I have seen that
it was mine enemy; the light of truth has revealed it to me ; and I
have felt sometimes, in a degree, like the blessed Jesus. 1 have seen
that mine enemy hath wanted to exalt me: but I could ask no honour
or power, for I knew that he had none to give, nor any power to pre-
serve me one moment.
" ' Get thee behind me, satan : for it is written, thou shalt worship
the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.' Is not this the
case with all of us? Have we not this language in our souls; that
sometimes tells us it is not right to serve any thing else in this world.
Here, if we are faithful to the divine light, we shall in proportion
be able to withstand every temptation that may assail us in our state
of wilderness, travel, and probation.
" We read that he was taken up and set upon a pinnacle of the
temple. And do you suppose there was some power which actually
took him up, and set him upon a pinnacle ? No, T hope there are
none so ignorant as to suppose so. It was a temptation to exalt him-
self, for his righteousness — his goodness. And have you not, many
of vou, bee>. !«e* upon this pinnacle of high honour? Have you not
a little religious pride? What was that saying then to the tempter?
He was placed in a dangerous situation ; but not more so than the
soul is when tempted to aspire in consequence of its righteousness.
The tempter ' saith unto him, if thou be the son of Gitd, cast thy-
self down : for it is wiitten,he shall give his angels charge concern-
ing thee; and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest at any time
thou dash thy foot against a stone.'" Pages 252 to 259.
Sermon XI, Trenton. Page 292. "If we believe that God is
equal and righteous in all his ways ; that he has made of one blood
all the famdies that dwell upon the earth, it is impossible that he
should be partial; and therefore, he has been as willing to reveal his
will to every creature, as he was to our first parents, to Moses and
the prophets, to Jesus Christ, and his apostles. He never can set
ANY of these above us, because, if he did, he would be partial. His
love is the same for all, and as no man can save his brother, or give
iXVlU INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
a ransom for his soul, therefore (he Almighty must be the only deli-
verer of his people."
Sermon V. (.Termantown. " All must go away. We must no
longer look to the letter, let it come from lohat source it may, it is no
difference. He directed them to wait for the spirit. 'I will pray the
Father, and he will send you another comforter ;' another than the
letter, and different from any that you ever heard verbally /rom me,
or from men ; for it is all hit letter; all that can come to you through
your external senses. But the will of God manifested within us
never can come through the externa! senses, it must come through
the spiritual senses: and then it wdl quicken the soul, open the
blind eye and deaf ear of the soul, so that it can see and hear the
things of God clearly. The time has come, I believe, when it is ne-
cessary to give up all our old foundations, and suffer them, my friends,
to pass under judji,ment, that judgment may pass upon all, and
that this truth may be revealed. It is expedient that 1 go away: for
if I go not away the Comforter will not come, but if I go away I
will pray the Father, and he will send you another Comforter? An-
other, in what respect? A spiritual one disencumbered with any
thing corporal ; enthrli/ spiritunl and nothing else. Why ? — Because
the soul of man is purely spiritual, and nothing can have communion
with the Father but that which is spiiitual,an immortal soul. Evpry
thing then derived from the letter, must come through the external
senses, and can only answer for the outward creature: but when the
spiritual senses are quickened by the coming in of the spirit of God,
and the shining of his light upon the soul, it opens a ."-enewed inter-
course with his creature man, as he did with our first parents in the
beginning in Eden's garden." Pages 112, 113.
Same sermon, page 119. " We have a gracious God to do with,
who is able to give all that is necessary. If the Scriptures were abso-
lutely necessary, he had power to communicate them to all the nations
of the earth. For he has his way as a path in the clouds ; he knows
how to deal out to alMiis rational children. But they were not ne-
cessary, and perhaps not suited to any other people than they to
whom they were written. Is it to be supposed that he has neglected
any nation ? Can we suppose that he has forgotten the rest of the
nations of the earth ? No, he has dispensed a suitable law, to answer
every purpose, as completely as the law to the Israelites answered
for tl;em ; foe otherwise he is a partial God.
Sermon VL Abington. "The New Testament so called, which is
usually bound up in the book called the li\h]e, comprehends no cove-
nant ; there is nothing in it that appertains to a covenant. It consists
chieliy and principally in a biograpliiral account of the birth, the
miracles, and the excellent life of Jesus Chris*, the son of Mary, and
of the epistles and writings of his apostles.. But the covenant made
with Israel, as comprehended in what is called tlie Old Testament,
was a real covenant, and was bound in a very solemn manner, and
had its witnesses." Page 124.
Sermon VII. page 165. "Nothing can write God's law upon
our hearts but the linger of God. There it it is, then, that we
must gather, as the only place of safety; there the work is to be
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. XXIX
done. It is there, we find our enemy, if we have any, and there
we must find our friend. But people are too generally looking
outward to find God j and in this outward looking, they are told about
a devil ; some monstrous creature, some self-existing creature, that
is terrible in power. Now all this seeking to know God, and this
devil or the serpent without, is the work of darkness, superstition,
and tradition. It hath no foundation; it is all breath and wind,
without the power. We need not look without for enemies or friends,
for we shall not find them witliout. Our enemies are those of our
own household, our own propensities and unruly desires, are our
greatest, and I may almost say, our alone enemies."
Sermon XI. Trenton, 293. " There is nothing can give us faith
but God. Faith is the gift of God. But this faith in creeds and the
traditions of our fathers, what is it ? It is worse than nothing. We had
better have no faith at all. It is no better than the faith of devils. Thou
believest that there is one God ; thou dost well : the devils also,
believe and tremble." Who are the devils? — Apostate men and
women, who go contrary to God. They are all devils. Every
thing that is in opposition to the will of God is a devil. In short,
they are nothing but what opposes the law of light and the spirit of
truth in the heart; nothing but what is in opposition to the law of
God ; and that devil is in us all ; as sure as the kingdom of God is in
us, so sure the devil is in us. Were you ever tempted by any devil
but one in your own souls? No: you never were. — There it is that
we come to know God, and no where else. It is the only place
where he is manifested."
Such are the absurd, inconsistent, and antichristian sentiments of
Elias Hicks; and to support these, the compilers of the pamphlet
have adduced their quotations from the writings of primitive Friends.
It being fully proved, and well known, that not only Elias Hicks,
but many of his adherents, do openly and publickly deny the miracu-
lous conception, divinity, and atonement of Christ, and the authen-
ticity, and divine authority of Holy Scripture; jand the compilers
having made their extracts purposely to prove that our early Friends
were coincident in their faith; we consider, that the publication of
the pamphlet, is, undeniably, a renewal of the often refuted charge
against the Society, of denying the doctrines of the christian reli-
gion.
Note. — The limits of this work will not admit of extending our
quotations from the Sermons to great length. We can embrace but
few of the objectionable sentiments with which the whole volume is
replete. Those we have quoted, are amply sufficient to show the
striking contrast between the christian doctrines of the Quakers, and
the notions of Elias Hicks. The books from which we have made
our extracts are easily accessible to all, and we respectfully recom-
mend those persons who read them, to compare the sentiments they
contain, with those asserted by " primitive Friends," in the extracts
given in the following pages.
A VINDICATION
OF THE QUAKERS, &c.
CHAPTER I.
Defence of William Penn, from the charges of den^ng the Three that bear
re^cordin Heaven — the Godhead of Jesus Christ — his Propitiatory Sacrifice,
and the Authenticity of Holy Scripture, &c.
SECTION I.
OF THE " SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN."
In the year 1666, William Penn was convinced of the truth of the
principles held by the Society of Friends, and joined himself to their
religious communion. Possessing an active and uncommonly vigor-
ous mind, cultivated by a liberal education, and disciplined in the
school of Christ, he was eminently qualified for promulgating, and
successfully defending, the doctrines of the christian religion. The
seventeenth century is known to have been remarkable for the dis-
sensions which existed in England, among the different denomina-
tions of religious professors. Publick disputes upon the subject of
christian faith, were very common, and it too frequently happened,
that they were managed without due regard to that divine charity
which is pure, gentle, and easy to be entreated. An extraordinary de-
gree of interest seemed to be awakened in many persons, relative to the
important concerns of the soul's salvation, and many were seekino-
after the knowledge of the truth, with hearts humbly disposed to em-
brace it, in full faith.
The religious Society of Friends, then in its very infancy, had ra-
pidly increased in numbers; and as its doctrines were but little un-
derstood, and often misrepresented ; its members were frequently
engaged, publickly to defend themselves from the aspersions of their
enemies. Hence, they were often involved in disputations, in the
management of which, as well as in their controversial writings,
they used expressions which may sound harsh to modern ears;
great allowance, however, is certainly to be made for the improve-
ment in language, and the refinement in taste and manners since
their day.
It was not to be supposed, that a mind like Penn's would long re-
main an idle spectator of the commotions which prevailed among his
32
fellow professors of the christian name. Called of God to the
ministry of the gospel, animated by an ardent desire for the good
of souls, he soon became a zealous preacher of the religion of Je-
sus Christ; and very f'arly in life, was engaged publickly to de-
fend the Society, against the calumny of its accusers.
Two of the hearers of one Thomas Vincent, a presbyter in the
Spittle Yard, London, having gone over to the Quakers, their former
pastor took offence thereat, and charged the Society, with holding
" the most erroneous and damnable doctrines." It was not long be-
fore Penn heard of this, and in conjunction with his intimate friend,
George Whitehead, demanded an opportunity of publickly vindica-
ting their injured christian reputation. A conference accordingly
took place, in which several points of faith were discussed, some-
what at length, but nothing finally concluded upon. William Penu
finding that they were not likely to be fairly or decently heard, de-
termined upon stating the grounds of the controversy between them
and Vincent, in anotner manner ; and with this view, wrote his trea-
tise entitled "The Sandy Foundation Shaken, &c.;" which was pub-
lished in 1668, within two years after he had joined the Society of
Friendsl, and when he was only in the twenty-fourth year of his
age.
No sooner was this work published, than William Penn was ac-
cused of being a Socinian, denying the divinity of Christ, &c. and
committed close prisoner to the Tower; and it is somewhat surpris-
ing, that notwithstanding he has often denied and repelled the
charge, yet, to this day, the Sandy Foundation is adduced to prove
him a Socinian. The compilers of the pamphlet are not the first
who have quoted this book of William Penn's, to sanction their apos-
tacy from the christian doctrines of the Quakers. About the year
1801, Hannah Barnard, a minister of the Society of Friends, being
then in England, on a religious errand, adopted notions somewhat
eimilar, though far more rational and consistent, than tliose now pro-
mulgated by Elias Hicks ; and was disowned from the Society there-
for. A writer under the name of " Verax," undertook the defence
of her doctrines, and published a work to show their consistency with
those of primitive Friends ; asserting that they were all Socinians;
and among the authorities which he quoted to confirm this, he placed
particular stress upon Penn's Sandy Foundation Shaken. He was
ably refuted by John Bevans, and the doctrines of the early Qua-
kers proved to be scriptural, in a work known under the title of
« Bevans' defence of the Society of Friends." Notwithstanding this
refutation, the compilers now present us with a new edition of a
part of the Sandy Foundation Shaken, as autiiority for Elias Hicks'
denial of the divinity and atonement of Jesus Christ.
Such a construction of William Penn's argument, can only pro-
ceed from ignorance or wilful perversion ; since it is obvious, from
his own statement of the dispute, that neither of the above articles of
faith, were discussed in the conference with Thomas Vincent, nor
treated of by Penn in his book. The title page alone, is sufficient
evidence of this assertion — it runs thus, "The Sandy Foundation
Shaken ; or those so generally believed and applauded doctrines, of
33
One God, subsisting in three distinct and separate persons ; the
impossibilily of^ God'ii pardoning sinners, without a plenary satisfac-
tion; and the justification of impure persons, by an imputative
righteousness; refuted from the authority of scripture testimonies,
and right reason."
In stating the argument in relation to the Trinity, William Penn
sa> 3: "The question vvas this, Whether we owned One Godhead, sub-
sisting in three distinct and separate per sons, ^^ &c. ; and lest in treat-
ing upon the subject, he shouid have used any expression, whicli
might be considered as a denial of the scripture doctrine of the
" Three that bear record in Heaven ;" he very prudently guards the
reader against such a misconstruction of his meaning, by this cau-
tion, " Mistake me not, ive never have disowned a Father, TVord and
Spirit, which are One; but men''s inventions.''''
Besides thf clear testimony of William Penn, on this subject, we
have the collateral evidence of his companion, George Whitehead.
It appears tliat Thomas Vincent, their opponent, put the same con-
struction upon Penn's language as our compilers now do, and charged
him with a denial of the doctrines of the christian religion. To defend
Penn and himself against this illiberal opinion, George Whitehead
wrote and published a book in 1699, which he entitled, "The Divi-
nity of Christ and Unity of the Three that bear record in Heaven;
with the blessed end, and effects, of Christ's appearance, coming in
the flesh, suffering, and sacrifice for sinners, confessed and vindicat-
ed by his followers, called Quakers."*
In this treatise, he states the objection made by William Mad-
dox, one of Thomas Vincent's coadjutors, as follows : " You, by re-
fusing to call them the three divine Hees, have made it manifest,
that your quarrel is not with the word " person," as some then
apprehended; but with the doctrine, or fundamental truth expressed
by the three peisons, viz: the modal distinction, and essential union,
©r oneness of the Father, vSon, and Holy Ghost :" To which George
W'hitehead answers — " It is manifest that some of the hearers, that
were present at our debating this matter, had a better apprehension
and understanding of us, than you prejudiced opposers had : for
some of them apprehended, that we opposed your unscriptu-
ral terms ; and words put upon the Deity, and not that we oppos-
ed elihei- the Bivinity, or Union of Father, Son, or Holy Ghost;
neither did we in the least, go to quarrel with any fundamental
truth. Yea, and it was evident to many, that we found fault, with
your miscalling and misrepresenting the Father, the Word and Spi-
rit ; and never in the least opposed, nor questioned their being Three
such as mentioned in the scripture ; to wit, The Father, Son, and Ho-
ly Ghost; but there openly confessed to the fundamental truth of
them, in scripture terms." p. 23.
Again — " And as for his (T. Vincent's) railing against William
Penn, and accusing him, with denying that the Lord Jesus Christ is
God, and of denying the Divinity of Christ, and Holy Ghost ; and
with thrusting the Lord Jesus Christ off, from the throne of his God-
* See « Bevans' defence of Friends," pages 38, 39, 40, 41.
L
34
head, Sec. I have not yei perceived any strength, or weight of argu-
ment, (Vom either T. Vincent, or his brethren, that has convicted
William Penn as guiltj herein ; his showing the absurdity of T.
Vincer;l's doctrines, and both unscriptura! and unreasonable distinc-
tions, and his denial thereof; is neither a denial of the Son, nor Spi-
rit, nor the divinity of either: but tlie apparent falseness of these
railing accusations, with the consequences thereof, agrinst William
Penn in this thing, touching the divinity of Christ, &c. appears in his
[William Penn's] own book, (viz. .Sandy Foundation, &c.) p. 14.
"Of Christ being the only God, and the divine nature being insepa-
rable to each, (whom they call) person ; each person having the
whole divine nature, 'he Son in the Father, and the Spirit in the
Son, unless the Godhead be as incommunicable to the person (so call-
ed), as they are reported to be among themselves," saith William
Penn. Doth not William Pen-; hen in, own the divinity o! Christ,
and Holy Spirit? Let the indifferent judge how T. Vincent hath
wronged him; and then William Penn's admoniticm, page 15, saith;
" Apply thy mind unto the light and grace, which brings salvation,
that by obedience thereunto, those mists, tradition hath cast before
thy eyes, may be expelled, and thou receive a certain knowledge ot
that one God, whom to know is life eternal, not to be divided,
but One pure, entire and eternal Being; who, in the fulness of time,
sent foiih his Son, as the true light, which enlighteneth every man,
that whosoever followed him (the light), might be translated from
the dark notions, and vain conversations of men, to this holy light,
in which only sound judgment and eternal life are obtainable; he
[Christ -Jesus] testified the virtue of it, and has communicated unto
all, such a proportion as may enable them to follow his example." —
[Thus far William Penn.] " Now mark, whether herein he has not
owned the divinity of the Son, when thus plainly he hath confessed
to his light, both as to its extent and virtue."
George Whitehead then complains of T. Vincent's fiilsely compar-
ing William Penn to Arius, and thus proceeds — " But further, how
evidently has William Penn, in his 18, 19, 21 pages, owned and con-
fessed (^hrii«f, the Son of God, and his light and grace, both for re-
mission of sins, reconciliation, salvation of men, life eternal, and as
he is the only begotten of the Father, the gift and expression of eter-
nal love, tor s;ilvation. Now can any thing have, or work, these ef-
fects, that is not divine? Is not Christ's divinity, virtue, divine
light, and power, plainly confessed by William Penn herein, as also to
his being God, page 21. How grossly have these Presbyterians wrong-
ed him, in charging the contrary upon him; and are not they rather
justly chargeable herein, with denying the divinity of Christ, in set-
ting so slight, by his light in every man, as they have done ; one call-
ing it an idol, another cautioning not to follow its jjuidance — but the
divinity of Christ, and the honour due to him, far be it from us to de-
ny, :hs these men have done : and the scripture instances in that case,
we both know and own. John iii. 13, viii. o8. Rom. ix. 5. Phil,
ii. G, 10. Coloss. i. 16, 17. Heb. i. 3, 8."
In reply to the charge of Socinianism, George Whitehead re-
marks, " I have heard of some, beyond the sea, that went under that
35
name, Socinians; who were accused with denying <he divinity ol
Christ; but I know of none here, that either deny the divinity of
Christ, or him to be of one substance with the Father; if our oppo-
sers do know of any sucli. they may tell them of it, and not acais,'' the
innocent with the guilti/, as they have done to us. We had not our
principles either fr«im Arius or Socirus, neiflier did we ever deny
the divinity nf Christ, or his boino; of the same substance with the
Father, as Ariu*, "^ocinois, and others are accused; so that therein
we are very unjustly compared and misrepresented, for which I can
say, the Lord forgive these our prejndired opposers. But it is no
strange thing for us to be called by nickname^, by these and such
false accusBJs; for one while, they were wont to revile us for wanting
learning, being illiterate, &c. another while, they accused us falsely,
with being Free-VViilers, AriTiiniaiis, &,c, because we plead for the
free grace of (lod, 'o ;«ll men; and nnv we are falsely reckoned So-
cinians, and most injuriously accused with denying the divinity of
Christ, the Son of God, ^Hiich we are ever always clear of; -'ill > on-
fessing him, accorditig to the Scriptuie>, both in his sufferirigs, do-
niiriioii, and glorv, who is the same yesterday, to-day, and foit^vcr."
— ffhitehead^s Divinity of Christ, pages 32, 33, 34, 38, 39. — Be-
vans'' Defence, page 41.
Now, It must ceitainly be admitted, t!)at one who was so inti-
mately acquainted with William Penn ; who was associated uith
him it) the dispute with Tiiotnas Vincent; and who had beaid Wil-
liam Penn himself, declare his sentiments upon these important
doctrines then discussed; must be a mote competent, and ciedible
witness, of the real belief of this worthy man. than our tnodern
compilers, or any of those who unite with them in accusing William
Penn of denying the divinity and atonement of Jesus Christ.
Francis Bngg, who used great exei tions to injure the character of
the early Friends, appears to have coincided with the compilers, in
their construction of William Penn's argument. He puhlickly charg-
ed him with utibelief, in his libellous treatise, entitled "Quakerism
Drooping;" to which Jlichard (.^laridge, "a learned and highly esteem-
ed writer" in the Society of Friends , thus replies, in "An Essaj' on
the Doctrine of (Christ's Satisfaction, ike."
"That which William Penn refuted, was not the doctrine of the
Holy Trinity, as it is declared of in Ihi' Scriptures of truth ; but the
notion of three distinct and separate persons, as the title page plainly
shows ; or the trinity of distinct and separate persons in the unity of
essence, page 12 The imagined trinity, ij've i6. Ff.r William
Fenn sincerely owned, and doth own, '-hp Scripture trinity. Father,
Soi;, and Holy Ghost. Matt, xxviii. 19, &c." Richard Claridge
then proceeds to make many Scripture quotations, to show that the
Three are one. In a note upon this passage, he gives the following
extract from William Penn's Key, page 17, edit. 1693. "They,
(the Quakers,) believe in the Holy Trinity of Father, Word, and
Spirit, John i. I. xiv. 9. Rom. ix. 5. 1 John v. 7. And that these
Three are tiuly, and properly One." "They own the Scripture
Trinity, or Holy Three, of Father, Word, and Spirit, to be truly
and properly One. That Christ is God, and that Christ is man ; that
36
lie came in the flesh, died, rose again, ascended and sits on God's
right hand, the only sacrifice and mediator for man's happiness."—
Ibid^ pages 33, 34.
We sliall now adduce the explanations which William Penn has
given, in regard to his belief in the divinity of Christ, and the object
of his argument, in the Sandy Foundation Shaken. Soon after the
publication of this work, he was committed to the Tower ; and while
a pri>ioner there, he wrote his essay entitled, " Innocency with her
open face, presented by way of Apology for the book entitled the
Sandy Foundation Shaken, &c." in which he thus alludes to the
cause of his confinement: "That which I am credibly informed to
be the greatest reason for my imprisonment, and that noise of blas-
phemy which hath pierced so many ears of late, is my denying the
divinity of Christ, and divesting him of his eternal Godhead ; which
most busily hath been suggested, as well to those in authority, as
maliciously insinuated amongst the people." He then enters into an
argument of considerable length, to prove the Godhead of Jesus
Christ, which he thus concludes: — "In short, this conclusive argu-
ment for the proof of Christ, the 'Saviour's, being God, should cer-
tainly persuade ail sober peisons of my innocency, and my adver-
saries malice. He that is the everlasting Wisdom, divine Power,
the true Light, the only Saviour, the creating Word of all things,
whether visible or invisible, and their upholder, by his own power,
is, without contradiction God — but all these qualifications, and divine
properties, are by the concurrent testimonies of Scripture, ascribed
to the Lord Jesus Christ; therefore, without a scruple, I call and
believe him, really to be, the mighty God. And for a more ample
satisfaction, let but my reply to J. Clapham be perused, in which
Christ's divinity and eternity is very fully asserted." — Vol. I. page
Again, in the same treatise, he says, "And, (to shut up my apolo-
gy for religious matters,) that all may see the simplicity. Scripture
doctrine, and phrase of my faith, in the most important matters of
eternal life, I shall here subjoin a short confession. 'I sincerely
own, and unfeignedly believe, (by virtue of the sound knowledge
and experience received from the gift of that holy unction, and di-
vine grace, inspired from on high,) in one, holy, just, merciful, al-
mighty, and eternal God; who is the Father of all things; that ap-
peared to the holy patriarchs and prophets of old, at sundry times
and in divers manners: And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the everlast-
ing W^isdom, divine Power, true Light, only Saviour and Preserver
of all ; the same one, holy, just, merciful, almighty, and eternal God;
who in the fulness of time, took, and was manifested in the flesh; at
which time he preached, (and his disciples after him,) the everlasting
gospel of repentance, and promise of remission of sins, and eternal
life, to all that heard and obeyed ; who said " he that is tcilh yoii (in
the flesh) shall be in you (by the Spirit ;) and though he left them (as to
the flesh,) yet not comfortless; for he would come to them again (in the
Spirit;) for a little while, and they should not see him (as to the
flesh ;) again a little while and they sliould see him (in the
spirit;) for the Lord (Jesus Christ) is that Spirit, a manifestation
whereof is given to every one to profit withal ; In which Holy Spirit,
37
1 believe, as the same almighty and eternal God, \\\\o as in those
times he ended all shadmv?, and became the infallible guide to them
that walked therein ; b)' wiiich they were adopted heirs and co-heirsi
of glory; so am I a living witness, that the same holy, just, merciful,
almighty, and eternal God, is now as then (after this tedious night of
idolatry, superstition, and human inventions, that hath overspread
the world,) gloriously manifested to discover, and save from all ini-
quity, and to conduct unto the holy land of pure and endless peace,
in a word to tabernacle in men. And I also firmly believe, that with-
out repenting, and forsaking of past sins, and walking in obedience
to this heavenly voice, which would guide into all truth, and estab-
lish there ; remission and eternal life can never be obtained; but un-
to tiiem that fear his name, and keep his commandments, they, and
they only, shall have right unto the tree of life ; for whose name
sake, I have been made willing to relinquish and forsake all the
vain fashions, enticing plea'^ures, alluring honours, and glittering
glories of this transitory world, and readily to accept the portion of
a fool, from this deriding generation, and become a man of sorrows
and a perpetual reproach to my familiars; yea, and with the greatest
cheerfulness, can obsignate and confirm (with no less seal than the
loss of whatsoever this doting world accounts dear) this faithful con-
fession ; having my eye fixed upon a more enduring substance, and
lasting inheritance; and being most infallibly assured, that when
time shall be no more, T shall, (if faithful hereunto,) possess the man-
sion^ of eternal life, and be received into his everlasting habitation
of rest and glory.'" Pages 269, 270.
William Penn having referred to his reply to Jonathan Clapham,
for a more ample declaration of his belief in Christ's eternal divinity,
we shall extract the following: — "Thou must not, reader, from my
que-ying thus, conclude we do deny, (as he has falsely charged us,)
those glorious Three which bear record in heaven, the Father, Word,
and Spirit ; neither the infinity, eternity, and divinity of JeJ-us Christ,
for that we know he is the mighty God ; nor ivhat the Father sent his
Son to do, on the behalf uf lost man; declaring to the whole world
we know 710 other name, by which atonement, salvation, and plente-
ous redemptiuii come«>; but by his name, are, a^-cordino; to our mea-
sures, make sensible of its mighty power." — Works, Vol. II. page 14.
Again to Jonat'ian Clanham's charge, that the Quakers openly deny
the doctrine of the Tiinity ; after declaring this is not a Scripture
phrase, but an invented tei m, Penn proceeds, " Yet if by Trinity, he
understands those three Witnesses in heaven, Father, Word, and
Spirit; he should have better acquainted himself with what we
di=nwn, »hin ignorantly thus to bl-ize abroad our open denial of what
we most absolutely credit and believe.''^ Ibid, page 18.
^^ e apprehend that we have adduced sufficient evidence from
William Penn and his cotemporary writers, to show clearly
that he was a firm believer' in the Holy Scripture Trinity of
Th'ee that bear record in heaven ; and also in the manhood and
Godhead o( J e^ns Christ. It now only remains for us to show that
in his argument on the doctrine of satisfaction and justification, he
not only had no intention to undervalue, or to deny, that holy offer-
ing of the body of Christ Jesus for sin, or the imputation of Christ's
SB
righteousness to the saints ; but that these formed no pari of the sub-
ject under discussion. We shall again avail ourselves of Richard
Claridge's defence of William Penn.
He says, " And as we distinguish between a Scripture Trinity, Fa-
ther, Son, and Holy Ghost, which we unfeignedly believe; and that
humanly devised Trinity, oi three distinct and separate persons, which
we receive not, because the Holy Scriptures make no mention of it:
so we distinguish between Scripture r*'demption, and the Nulgai doc-
trine of satisfaction. Thejirsf we receive, the second vje reject. And
because Francis Bugghaih dealt unfaithfully wi;h William Penn, in
not citing William Penn'> account of the vulgar doctrine of satisfac-
tion, which he oyxly oppugns ; and Francis Bugg could not but be sen-
sible, if cited, would have cleared up the matter to every judicious
and impartial reader, I shall therefore transcribe it in William Penn's
own words, as fuUoweth: — 'That man having transgressed the
righteous law of God, and so exposed to the penalty of eternal
Wrath, its altogether impossible for God to remit, or forgive, without
a plenary satisfaction; and that there was no other way, by which
God could obtain sritisfnction, or save men, than by inflicting the
penalty of infinite wrath and vengeance, on Jesus Christ, the second
person of tiie I'rinity ; who for sin> pa?i, present, and to come, hath
wholly borne and paid it, (whether for all or but some,) to the of-
fended infinite justice of his Father.' — Sandy Foundation, page J 6.
"So that by this it appears evidently, that it was not the doctrine
of satisfaciion, taken simply, and according to the true sen^o of
Scripture, (though the word satisfaction is no Scripture word, and
were better to be omitted than used,) but the vidgar doctrine of it,
which hath no foundation in Scripture, and containeth several things
in it, that many, both ancient and modern writers, do not allow."—
See Works, pages 423, 424.
Again, on page 437, Richard Claridge adds, "It was not the doc-
trine of satisfaction, taken simpl^', and in the true sense of
Scripture, that William Penn opposed, as I said before, page 424,
but the vulgar and mistaken doctrine of it, viz. The impossibility of
God's forgiving sin upon rej-entance, without . Christ's! paying his
justice, by suftering infinite vengeance, and eternal death, for sins
past, present, and to come; a rigid satisfaction. And therefore says
he, [William Penn,] 'I can boldly challenge any person, to give me
one Scripture phrase, which does approach the doctrine of satisfac-
tion, (much less the name,) considering to what degree it's stretched ;
not that we do deny [mai k that] but really confess, that Jesus Christ
in life, doctrine, and death, fidfilled his Father's will, and offered up
a most satisfactory sacrifice; but not to pay God, or help him, (as
otherwise being unable,) to save men.'
"So that, 'tis as apparent as the sun shining at noon-day, that
William Penn neither denies the Scripture Trinity, or holy Three
of Father, Word, and Spirit; nor satisfaction truly stated, accoiding
to the Scripture; but sincerely owns all that the Scriptures do tes-
tify of them; and if any thing besides, oi contrary to the Sciipiuies,
be required of us, as an article of faith in common to be belie\ed, as
necessary to salvation, we reject i<." page 437. He then recites the
article of the Church of England respecting the Scripture, &c. and
39
quotes Bishop Burnet's exposition thereof, after wliich he thus pro-
ceeds: "But notwithstanding all this, Francis Bugg is pleased to
say, the Quakers deny the Trinity, and (he satisfaction made for the
sin-- of mankind. When we oivn the scripture Trinity and satisfac-
tion; but not our adversaries' unscriptural and imaginary terms and
notions, in the stating and explicating of thero."
" As to the doctrine of Christ's satisfaction for the sins of mankind,
that we unfeignedly embrace, according to the scriptures; and there-
fore Francis Bugg hath done us wrong, in saying tlie contrary of us. If
he had had any regard to truth, and intended to have dealt plainly in
the controversy, he should have distinguished between the vulgar doc-
trine of satisfaction, which, as stated by William Penn, and asserted
by some of our adversaries, we do not receive; and the doctrine of
sati*«faction according to the scriptures, which we do receive. But
instead of this, he conceals the account William Penn gives,
of the vulgar doctrine of satisfaction, which carries its confutation
with it, and cites only the title of that section, where it is set down
and refuted, and then concludes, we deny the satisfaction made for
the sins of mankind ; whereas, if he had dealt fairly by us, and con-
cluded as he ought to have done, his conclusion should have been,
that we deny the vulgar doctrine, and nothing else ; for the premi-
ses ivill bear no other conclusion, according to the true and just
rules of reasoning. So that his conclusion is fallacious, and sophis-
tical ; and proves no more against us than that we deny the vulgar
and erroneous doctrine of satisfaction." Page 439.
From the Sandy Foundation itself, it appears that William Penn,
so far from denying the scripture doctrine of the propitiation of Je-
sus Christ, fully believed, and sincerely owned it; since he adduces
those very texts of Holy Scripture, which forcibly inculcate this doc-
trine, to refute the absurd and inconsistent notions which he was com-
batting. Thus, on pages 10 and 11 of the compilers' pamphlet, Wil-
liam Penn has quoted these striking passages.
" ' For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlast-
ing life.' John iii. 16. By which it appears that God's love is not
the eiFect of Christ's satisfaction, but Christ is the proper gift, and
effect, of God's love."
<"To him. give all the prophets witness, that through his name,
whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins.' Acts x.
43. So that remission came by believing his testimony, and obeying
his precepts, and not by a strict satisfaction."
"•If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not
his own son, but delivered him up for us all.' Romans viii. 31, 32,
Which evidently declares it to be God's act of love; otherwise, if
he must be paid, he should be at the charge of his own satisfaction ;
for he delivered up the son."
"'And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself
by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them.' 2 Cor. v. 18, 19. How unde-
niably apparent is it, that God is so far from standing oft', in high
40
displeasure, and upon his own terms, contracting with his Son for a
satisfaction, as being otherwise incapable to be reconciled, that he be-
came himself the reconciler by Christ, and afterwards by the apos-
tles, his ambassadors; to whom was committed the ministry of re-
conciliation."
"' In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgive-
ness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.' Ephes. i. 7. Now
what relation satisfaction has to forgiveness of sins ; or how any can
construe grace, to be strict justice, the meanest understanding may
determine."
"' But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal
glory by Christ Jesus.' 1 Peter, v. 19. He does not say that God's
justice, in consideration of Christ's satisfaction, acquitted us from
sins past, present, and to come, and therefore hath called us to his
eternal glory ; but from his grace"
" 'In this was manifest the love of God towards us, because that
God sent his only begotten son into the tvorld, that we might live
through Him.' 1 John iv. 9. Which plainly attributes Christ, in his
doctrine, life, miracles, death and sufferings to God, as the gift and
expression of his eternal love for the salvation of men."
AVe have already quoted sufficient to prove to every unprejudiced
mind, that William Penn was perfectly consistent with scripture in
believing unfeignedly in the Holy Three, that bear record in heaven,
the divinity and propitiatory sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour Je-
sus Christ; we shall, however, add to our quotations on this subject,
some extracts from his letter, dated 11 th mo. 22d, 1673, to Dr. John
Collenges, whohad taken exceptions to the Sandy Foundation Shaken,
and charged William Penn with denying these doctrines. It will,
we apprehend, do away every shadow of excuse for ranking him
among the believers in the notions of Elias Hicks, and rescue his
Christian character from the insinuations of the compilers' pam-
phlet.
" The matter insisted upon, relating chiefly to us, on this occasion,
was, that ive, in common ivith Socinians, do not believe Christ to be
the Eternal Son of God ; and I am brought for proof of the charge. To
this hath been already answered, that my book, called ' The Sandy
Foundation Shaken,' touched not upon this; but Trinity and separate
personality, &c. But this will not serve thy turn, thou must both
accuse us, and then wring and rack our books to maintain it. I
Itave two things to do; first, to show I expressed nothing that divest-
ed Christ of his divinity; next, declare my true meaning and
faith in the matter. I am to suppose, that when any adversary goes
about to prove his charge against me, out of my own book, he takes
that which is most to his purpose : now, let us see what thou hast ta-
ken out of that book, so evidently demonstrating the truth of thy
assertion. I find nothing more to thy purpose than this, that I deny
a Trinity of separate persons in the Godhead. Ergo — what ? Ergo
— William Penn denies Clirist to be the only true God ; or that
Christ, the Son of God, is from everlasting to everlasting, God. Did
ever man yet hear of sucli argumentation? Doth Dr. Collenges know
logic no better j but (which is more condemiiable in a miaisler.) hath
41
he learned charity so ill ? Are not trinity and personality one thing,
and Christ's being the Eternal Son of God another? Must I, there-
fore, necessarily deny his divinity, because I justly reject the popish
school personality? This savours of such weakness, or disingenuityj
as can never stand with the credit of so great a scribe to be guil-
ty of."
William Penn,then instances the cases of Paulus Samosatenus and
SabelliuSj and proceeds to give the following declaration of his faith.
" And now I will tell thee my faith in this matter; I do heartily believe^
that Jesus Christ is the only true and everlasting God, by whom all
things were made, tiiat are made, in the heavens above, or the
earth beneath, or the waters under the earth ; that he is, as omnipo-
tent, so omniscient, and omnipresent, therefore God. This is con-
fessed by u)e, in two books, printed a little before the Sandy Foun-
dation Shaken, viz: Guide Mistaken, page 28, and Truth Exalted,
pages 14, 15; also at large, in my " Innocency with her Open Face."
I think I have dealt very honestly with thee, I am sure to the satis-
faction of my own conscience, and it is not my fault, if it be not to the
better information of thine. But as thou confessest the scripture
hath no word for Trinity, so thou undertakest to prove personality
from if, and callest it a foundation. But certainly this retorts
with great sharpness upon thee ; for first, this being a foundation, as
thou sayest, it follows, that there is a necessity of its being known
and believed, in order to salvation ; but I do aver, first, that there is
no scripture for it; next, that ten thousands, yea, millions of people
called christians, neither do understand, nor (which is more) can
understand any such thing; so mean are their capacities, and so in-
tricate and obscure is the thing itself.
"What dangerous inquiry, and wanton curiosity is that, which can-
not set down with this scripture definition, There be Three that bear
record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit? It is more
truly religious,if not to deride, at least to reject, human inventions and
pagan philosophy, the chief ingredients that make up the school de-
finitions ; and acquiesce in the naked text of holy writ, unless the
comment were more clear and unquestionable : clear it is not, and
for unquestionable, the present protestant nation, call it Popery; as
if it we.re an infallible mark of sound doctrine, to cry up the falli-
bility of all doctrine ; a piece of new fashioned divinity that is not
two removes from atheism."
William Penn, then goes to disprove the asesrtion of J. Collenges,
that "there be Three individual, intelligent, incommunicable, sub-
stances" in the Deity, which, not being necessary to insert here, we
omit. He then says: "For satisfaction, thou knowest, or oughtest
to do, that is a term belonging to the civil law, and was never read
in scripture : I have this to say, that the Friend took me right ; name-
ly, that I chiefly opposed the impossibility of God's otherwise par-
doning, &c., and thou shewest great acquaintance with some late
writers, and such, too, as go for no small divines ;" £here he inserts
their names] and proceeds — " He that would not have me mistaken,
on purpose to render his charge against me just, whether it be so or
tto, may see in my apology for the Sandy Foundation Shaken, that 1
F
42
otherwise meanf, than I am charactered. In short, I say, both as to
this, and the other point of justification ; that Jesus Christ it-as a sa-
crijicefor sin, that he was set forth to he a propitiation for the sins
of the whole icorld; to declare God's righteousness for the remis-
sion of sins that are past, Sfc. to all that repented, and had faith in
his Son. Therein the love of God appeared, that he declared his
good will thereby to be reconciled ; Christ bearing aioay the sins
that are past, ds the >oape-goat did of old, not excluding inward
wo>k ; for, till that is begun, none can be benefited, though it is not
the work,hut God's fiee love that remits and blots out, of which, the
death of Christ, and his sacrificing of himself, was a most certain
declaration and confirmation. In short, that declared remission, to
all who believe and oboy, for the sins that are past; which is the
first part of Christ's work, (as it is a king's to pardon a traitor, be-
fore he advanceth him,) and hitherto, the acquittance imputes a
righteousness, (inasmuch as men, on true repentance, are imputed as
clean of guilt as if they Iiad never sinned.) and thus far justified;
but the completing of this, by the working out of sin inherent, must
be by the power and spirit of Christ in the heart, destroying the old
man and his deeds, and bringing in, the new and everlasting righte-
ousness; so, that which I writ ajjainst, is such doctrine as extended
Christ's death and obedience, not to the first, but this second part oi
justification; not the parifying [of] conscience, as to past sin ; but
to complete salvation, without cleansing and purging, from all filthi-
uess of fiesh and spirit, by the internal operation of his holy power
and spirit; concerning these points, I refer thee to two books, writ-
ten not long since by me^ called " Quakerism, a New Nickname for
Old Christianity," and "Reason against Railing;" in which, these
points are fully discussed, as also "The Divinity of Christ," written
by George Whitehead. — See Penn's Works, vol. ii. pages 165, 166,
167.
Such is the abundant, and conclusive testimony, to the scriptural
soundness of W^illiam Penn's belief, in the doctrines of the christian
religion. The compilers of the pamphlet, have undoubtedly examin-
ed his works, and the very extracts which they.have made, prevent
them from pleading that they were ignorant of the earnestness with
which he defended himself, against the charge of Socinianism. They
must have known well, that he had been accused of entertaining
the same unscriptural, and antichristian notions, which they are now
endeavouring to force upon him, by adducing partial scraps of his
writings, as authority for the unbelief of Elias Hicks, and that he
had uniformly, and peremptorily denied them. It is therefore disin-
genuous in them, to print his Sandy Foundation Shaken, without the
statement of the arguujent on the Trinity; and also to omit the in-
sertion of those explanatory observations, which he afterwards wrote,
to clear himself from these insinuations. By pursuing this course,
they have sufficiently evinced, that their object is not so much to in-
form us what William Penn really believed, as to make it appear
that he held those very sentiments which he so repeatedly disavow-
ed, and thus to sustain if possible, the credit of Elias Hicks, by the
authority of so great a name as that of Penn.
43
But happily, this excellent man, has more tiian once, indignantly
repelled the charge of unbelief; and nobly refused to lend iiis sanc-
tion to such unhallowed sentiments- Elias liicks denies the miraculous
conception and the divinity of Jesus Christ; he makes him a mere
man, endued with a portion of the spirit of God ; and says, that he
came only to do that which every man is called to do ; that his death
was no more availing to redemption, than the exit of any one of the
martyrs, and that the hope of forgiveness, through his propitiatory
sacrifice, is wicked and absurd. That such are not the doctrines of
William Penn, we have already proved by our quotations from his
works. The Sandy Foundation alone, is, indeed, amply sufficient
to show, that William Penn was widely difterent in his views ; and.
in the course of the following pages, we shall have occasion to ad-
duce other extracts, clearly elucidating the same fact.
SECTION II.
Remarks upon the extracts made by the compilers, from the works of Wil-
Uam Penn.
The next extract from the works of William Penn, is to be found
on page 25 of the compilers' pamphlet. It is taken fiom an essay
%vritten by William Penn in the year 1698, headed, " A Defence of
a paper entitled ' Gospel Truths,' against the Bishop of Cork's excep-
tions." " Gospel Truths" is a declaration of faith, or a creed, con-
sisting of eleven articles, setting forth the belief of the Society of
Friends, in various points of christian doctrine, signed by William
Penn, Thomas Story, Anthony Sharp, and George Rook.
The extract made by the compilers, appears to be designed to
convey the idea, that William Penn considered the benefits and
blessings of the outward manifestation of the Son of God in the
flesh, to be wholly confined to the Jews. Presented as it is by them,
disconnected from parts which are iiecessary to explain the author's
meaning, it might possibly be wrested to bear such a construction.
But it was far, very far from the meaning of William Penn ; as will
be seen when we quote the whole paragraph. He is replying to tlie
eighth exception, which includes tlie Bishop's objections to the fifth,
sixth, and seventh articles of the Gospel Truths, all which treat of
the manifestation of Christ Jesus in the soul, by this Holy Spirit,
agreeably to the testimony of the apostle John, "That was the
true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."
William Penn says, " 1 know some read this text otherwise, as
indeed he (the Bishop,) did to me in Cork, viz. " That was the true
light, that coming into the world, lighteth all men;" referring the
word coming, to Christ, and not to man. But all the versions I ever
met with, and I have seen more than twenty, render the verse as it
is in our English translations; and all critics and commentators, ex-
cept the followers of Socinus, read and render it as we do. And
while we have so much company, and so great atithority, I think we
44
need not be solicitous about the success of this point. But beside*
that the foregoing verse tells us, that the divine life of the Word-God,
is the light of men ; which shows all mankind have it in them, (for it
is the light of their minds, and not of their bodies;) it is impossible
that interpretation should be true, in a strict sense:* fCT'ifor the
coming of t-hrist in that blessed manifestation, was to the Jews only :
he says it himself, "he was not sent but to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel ;" Watt. xiii. 24. Again, He came unto his own, and
his own received him not; John i. ll.]«£::^ And within that narrow
compass, he could not be said to be the light of all mankind, that
had, did, and should, come into the world; for so both the fourth
and ninth verse plainly import, viz. 2Vie li^ht of mankind without
restriction to this or that manifestation of God to men." Vol. 11.
page 897.
Now we would ask, is it consistent with the rules of fair quota-
tion, thus to mutilate the sentences, and change the sense, of an au-
thor's essay, in order to make him speak a language which he never
intended? The words, ''/tis appearance in the flesh " 'mi,erted in the
quotation in the pamphlet, are not in the original, but have been
supplied by the compilers.
The sentiment which William Penn expresses, is easily under-
stood. It is a fact, recorded in Scripture, that Jesus Christ, while
personally on earth, walked almost exclusively among the Jews, and
wrought his miracles principally for their benefit. To this circum-
stance William Penn alludes, and argues from it, that as regarded
that outward body, separate from his Divinity, he could not be the light
of the world, since its travels and labours were confined within so
narrow a compass. But this is quite another thing from confining
the heneflts which accrued from that outward appearance, to that
nation only, which the compilers evidently wish to do; from tlie un-
warrantable liberty they have taken with Thomas Story, in the next
following quotation, upon the same subject, (adding a whole line to
a part ot a sentence of his; thereby making him speak a similar
sentiment, and directly deny what he has just asserted in the same
paragrapli.) We are not ignorant, that these mutilations are made
to support Elias Hicks in his opinion, that Christ's whole mission
was limited to tiie Jews, and that the advantages of it terminated
there; calling him merely, "the Jewish Messiah." But William
Penn had a more reverent regard, and just sense, of the unspeaka-
ble benefits which resulted to mankind from (he comins; of Jesus
Christ in the flesh; as will appear by the following quotation from
the paper entitled "Gospel Truths."
1. "It is our belief, That God is; and that he is a rewarder of all
them that fear him, with eternal rewards of happiness: and that
those that fear him not, shall be turned into hell. Heb. xi. 16. Rev.
xxii. 12. Romans ii. 5, 6, 7, 8. Psalm ix. 17.
2. " That there are Three that bear record in heaven, the Father,
* Throughout the following pages, those parts of the quotations which the
compilers have extracted, are enclosed in brackets, with an index, or hand,
to distinguish them from such as they have omitted to give.
45
the Word, and the Spirit; and these Three are really One. 1 John
V. 7.
3. That the word was made flesh; and dwelt among men ; and
was, and is, the Only Begotten of the Father ; full of grace and truth ;
his beloved Son, in whom he is well pleased, and whom we are to
hear in all things; who tasted death fur every man^ and died for sin,
that we might die to sin, and by his power and spirit, be raised up
to newness of life here, and to glory hereafter. John i. 14. Matt.
iii. 17. Heb. ii. 9.
4. That as we are onZa/ justified from the guilt of sin, by Christy
the propitiation, and not by works of righteousness that we have done;
so there is an absolute necessity that we receive and obey, to 2infeigned
repentance, and amendment of life, the holy light and spirit of Jesus
Christ,in order to obtain that remission anAjtistificationfroms'in: since
no man can be justified by Christ, who walks not after the spirit,
but after the flesh ; for whom he sanctifies, them he also justifies ;
and if we walk in the light, as he is light, his precious blood cleans-
eth us from all sin ; as well from the pollution as guilt of sin. Rom.
iii. 22—26. viii. 1—4. 1 John v. 7."— Vol. ii. 885.
The authors then proceed to declare, that he is the true light,
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, &c. From all
which the reader may at once perceive, that William Penn had no
intention of limiting the benefits of the blessed manifestation of the
Son of God in the flesh to the Jewish nation; in which respect, as
well as most others contained in the above extract, the Christian
faith of William Penn, and the dogmas of Elias Hicks, are quite at
variance.
The compilers have inserted a long extract from " The Christian
Quaker," on their 25, 26, and 27th pages ; which we shall next no-
tice. One Thomas Hicks, a bitter opponent of the Quakers, having
written a calumnious essay in the form of a fictitious dialogue, be-
tween a Christian and a Quaker; one object of which was to prove
that the Quakers denied Jesus Christ, and the Holy Scriptures ;
William Penn, in the year 1674, wrote the first part of that excel-
lent reply to the aspersions of Hicks, entitled "The Christian Qua-
ker and his divine testimony vindicated;" a work which is replete
with the most unequivocal and solemn declarations of his full faith,
in all the circumstances recorded in Holy Scripture, relative to the
life of Jesus Christ; in his divinity, and in his various offices i
the accomplishment of man's salvation; both as relates to that re-
demption, which he purchased for all mankind, when, through the
eternal spirit, he oftered up his holy body, an acceptable sacrifice for
the sins of the world ; and also in the completion of the great work
of regeneration in the soul, by the gift of his holy spirit; whereby he
is emphatically, that great "Light which lighteth every man that com-
eth into the world."
It is not a little surprising, that a work so truly scriptural in the
doctrines which it teaches, and which was written to show that the
Society of Friends were really Christians, should now be adduced
as proof that the Quakers were 7iot Christians. We rejoice, how-
ever, ia being able to show by William Penn's own language, that
46
the tenor of the Christian Quaker is directly the reverse of the sys-
tem of unbelief which Elias Hicks has revived : and vi^e are persuad-
ed that the only way in which his disciples can obtain the shadow of
support from William Penn, is by the misconstruction, or perversion,
of the great truths which this treatise contains.
The extract given by the compilers, appears designed to represent
William Penn, as believing that mediation, atonement, and redemp-
tion by Jesus Christ, are exclusively inward and spiritual, without
any reference to what he did and suffered for us, in his body of flesh.
Hence, they have omitted to quote a part of William Penn's chap-
ter, (from which the extract they give is made,) in which he most ex-
plicitly declares the extent and benefit of that work which Christ
did in the flesh. It would seem that they wish to make it appear, that
Christ was no more our Saviour, than any other great and good man
who lived before, or has lived since, the days when he was person-
ally on earth. Such, however, were not the sentiments of VVilliam
Penn. The quotation is made from the seventeenth chapter. It is
thus headed; " The fourth part of the objection stated and consider-
ed — Christ's death and sufferings confessed to, and respected ^ they
were beneficial to salvation: the light of Christ within, is the effi-
cient cause to salvation, completely taken."
From this, it must be evident, that while William Penn justly as-
serted, that " salvation completely taken" or in its full sense, was
attributable to the "light of Christ as the efticient cause;" yet he
does, also, fully own and confess the sufferings of the holy manhood
to have been *' beneficial to that salvation ;" and as his object in
this chapter is to prove the former, so the next, or eighteenth
chapter, is appropriated to a most full and reverent confession of
his regard and gratitude for the great benefits of that outward
sacrifice.
The seventeenth chapter thus commences: "Having considered
the third part of this great objection, I am now come to what chiefly
stumbles the people, with respect to the light within ; at least, as I
apprehend ; and that in this fourth and last particular, viz. 'But if
the light in every man be Christ, how does it bear our sins, and are
our iniquities laid upon it? And how can we be said to be justified,
redeemed, or saved by its blood ; since all these things are spoken
by the holy penmen of the man Christ, or Jesus, born at Bethlehem ?
Surely you wholly invalidate his life, death, resurrection, ascension,
and mediation, by this belief of yours in the light within.'
" This I take to be the very stress of the matter, collected out of
the most forcible writings of our adversaries ; to which I answer, and
let him that reads understand.
"It must be considered, in this last part of the objection, how those
questions can be applicable to the light, and yet be reconcileable with
those srriptures, that seem to attribute all to his bodily sufferings. I
hope to make appear, that as we exalt the first, so we dare not, by
any means, to slight the Inst."
" The light, or rather he that is light, in man, for so I have always
desired to be understood, (light being a metaphor or a word, taken
from the outward day, and chiefly so termed because of man's dark-
47
»i8ss, which is thereby discovered,) hath been, according to scripture,
as a Iamb slain since the foundation of the world. That is, the world
had not been long created ; before man, behig envied by Lucifer, the
fallen angel, was betrayed of his innocency by him ; and sin by diso-
bedience, prevailing, the light or principle of life, under whose holy
leadings man was placed, became resisted, grieved, and as it were,
slain ; (which word slain is also metaphorical ;) that is to say, the in^
nocent, pure life was, as it were, wounded unto death, through diso-
bedience ; and, that lamb-like image, in which Adam was created, by
him, through rebellion, lost. Thus, that holy principle, which God
placed in the heart of Adam, in which was true light, life, and pow-
er, bore the sin, was pressed under it, as a cart under sheaves, griev-
ed exceedingly, and as it were, quenched with iniquity.
" This hath been the condition of that precious and elect Seed,
spirit, light, life, truth, or whatever name, equivalent, any may
please to give it, ever since that first rebellion, to this very day.
And as in wicked men, God's holy light and spirit, or that principle
whicli iri so called, hath been deeply wounded, yea, as one slain, so
in good men, that have had a sense of the world's abomination, hath
it also borne many burdens and weights. For the light and life, is
one in all, though not treated alike in all. And those who have been
reformed by it, and joined to it, have been as one spirit, and have
not been without their share of the Lord's heavy sufferings, from
the ungodly world ; which was as well a filling up of Christ's suffer-
ings, that vvere before his outward coming, as what to this genera-
tion, are yet behind to be completed." — Vol. i. pages 573, 574.
We have here, a very full acknowledgment from William Penn,
of the fall of Adam, through the temptations of the devil, and a just
description of the lost condition of his unregenerate descendants,
in whom that measure of the holy spirit, which comes through Jesus
Christ, " the glorious luminary of the intellectual world," is resisted,
pressed down, obscured, and quenched. W^e have also a clear tes-
timony from him, that Jesus Christ has been the Saviour of man,
through all ages of the world, one and the same, by his holy spirit,
in all, corresponding with his own blessed testimony, " Before Abra-
ham was, I am;" and that those who dwelt with this seed of grace,
and suffered with it, were fiUins; up their measure of the sufferings
of Christ, for his body's sake, which is his church.
Immediately following the Jast quotation, comes the first para-
graph which the compilers have inserted in their pamphlet, viz: —
|0°"["And as at any time, disobedient men, have hearkened to
the still voice of the Word, that messenger of God in their hearts,
to be affected and convinced by it, as it brings reproof for sin, which
is but a fatherly chastisement; so upon true brokenness of soul,and
contrition of spirit, that very same principle, and Word of life in
man, has mediated and atoned ^ and God has been propitious, lifting
up the light of his countenance, and replenishing such humble peni-
tents, with divine consolations. So that still the same Christ, Woril-
God, who has lighted all men, is by sin grieved and burdened, and
bears the iniquities of such as so sin, and reject his benefits. But as
any hear his knocks, and let him into their'hearts, he first wounds.
I 48
and jthen heals. Afterwards he atones^ mediates, and reinstates man,
in the holy image he is fallen from by sin. Behold, this is fhe stale
of rt\stitiition I And this, in some measure^ was witnessed by the holy
patriarchs, prophets, and serA^ants of God in old time; to whom
Christ was substantially the same Saviour, and seed, bruising the
serpent's head, that he is now to us, what difference soever there
may be in point of manifestation."]oOJ
This is, indeed, a beautiful description of "salvation complete,"
or the work of regeneration, and restitution into that divine image
which man lost by the fall ; and which was, in some measure, wit-
nessed by the holy patriarchs, and prophets ; the same Christ or
Word-God, bearing and atoning for the sins of repenting transgress-
ors, in all ages ; not a justification or atonement by any works of
righteousness they could do, but a real putting on the rigliteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ ; yet not to the exclusion of what he did
for man without them, who has ever been, and continues to be, the
Saviour of his people from their sins. For as we believe him, to
have been with God from all eternity, and to be that divine and ef-
fective Word, by whom all things were made, so also, we believe, that
so soon as man had fallen, he became the propitiation, mediator, re-
deemer, and sanctifier, that thus he might restore man into a state
of purity, fitted for the enjoyment of the glory and harmony of
Heaven.
Although William Penn wrote the chapter, from which we are quo-
ting, with the express intention of unfolding the sufferings and ope-
rations of the light, or seed in man; yet, lest he should be thought
thereby to sligh* or undervalue "Christ's 6o£?j/!/ sufferings;" he stops
in the midst of his discourse, to make the following clear and expli-
cit declaration of his christian belief in their inestimable value and
extent.
"But notwithstanding it was the same Light, and Life, with that
which afterwards clothed itself with that outward body, which did
in measure inwardly appear for the salvation of the souls of men ;
yet, as J have often said, never did that divine life so eminently
show forth itself as in that sanctified and prepared body. So that
what he then suffered and did, in that transcendent manifestation.
may by way of eminency, have the credit of the whole ivork unto
itself that he ever did before, or might do afterwards for man's sal-
vation. For, doubtless, the very same light, life, and power, which
dwelt in that fleshly tabernacle, eminently was the Convincer, Con-
demner, Saviour, and Redeemer: yet not only as confined to that
blessed body, but also as revealed in the hearts of men ; as he was
in Paul, wiio, not consulting with ilesh and blood, against the Lord
of Glory; did willingly receive him in, to bind the strong man,
spoil his goods and cast him out ; that he might reign, whose right it
was. And that the divine life, light, spirit, nature or principle,
which resided in tliat body, was the efficient cause of salvation, ob-
serve the title that is siven him, from the sreM work he was to do,
namely, to save his people from his sins; there is not one word or
wrath, but consequentially. Now, since that sin, is in the heart and
conscience of mankind, nothing but a divine light, spirit or power.
49
can reach and convey purity into those inward part>, and conse-
quenly that must be the Redeemer and Saviour from sin. But, in-
deed, those who have a mind to naturalize that strange figure, into
the languao;e of the holy truth ; I mean, that to be saved, is only to
be saved from v.rathand not from sin, whose assured wages is wrath;
may have some interest, though no reason, for their implacable enmi-
ty against an inherent holiness."
After the quotations made by the compilers, we think the omis-
sion of so important a declaration as the foregoing, was not doing
justice to William Penn, inasmuch as he appears to have designed it
to guard against the supposition that he meant, in any degree, to
slight or undervalue the outward manifestation, and propitiatory
deatii, of Jesus Christ in the fle«h. To what Christ then did and suf-
fered, he attributes the credit of the ivhole xcork^ that he ever did
before, or might, afterward, by his spirit do. toward the salvation
of men ; thus unequivocally acknowledging the transcendency of his
sufferings over every thins that the most enlightened and redeemed
Christian could ever possibly experience.
The following paragraph is the second quoted by the compilers,
and commencing with the words, " But I further confess," would
seem to refer to the one which they place immediately preceding;
whereas in William Peon's work, they are separated by that which
we last quoted, and which they have omitted entirely.
|CT'["But. I further confess, that his righteous life, with respect
" to its appearance in that holy body, was grieved by sin, and that
" the weight of the iniquity of the whole world, with the concern-
'• ment of its eternal well being, lay hard upon him, nor was his
" manhood insensible of it : under the load of this did he travail ; he
" alone trode the wine-press ; that is, all others were then insensible of
" that eternal wrath which would be the portion of the impenitent
''persons, as well as that it was his great care and deep travail, that
'• the holy, yet oppressed seed, might arise over the pressures of ini-
" quity in the hearts of men, to bruise the serpent's head in all. And
" as outwardly, he gave his outward life for the world, so he might
•• inwardly shed abroad in their souls, the blood of God ; that is, the
." holy, purifying life, and virtue which is in him, as the Word-God,
" and as which, he is ihe Light and Life of the world. "*1cr:i|
*J\''ote. — We have compared the extracts from the Christian Qua-
ker, as inserted in the compilers' pamphlet, with the first edition of
that work, publis^hed in lGr4, with the Essay as inserted in the folio
edition of his works ; with the same, in his select works, in folio and
octavo, and with a new edition of the Christian Quaker, lately pub-
lished in Philadelphia, by the friends of Elias Hicks. In collating
the other editions, witli the Philadelphia, we find that a very unusual
and unjustifiable liberty has been taken with the author's work, as it
agrees with none of the editions previously published, but is a medley
of the whole. Some expressions which are found in the first edition,
and which were omitted in the subsequent corrected editions, are
retained in this, and many others not in the first edition, but in*
serted in the corrected editions, are also found in this.
G
50
We have here a striking testimony to that great work which the
Son of God came down from heaven to accomplish ; to his oiFering
To make the matter clearer we may state, that in the year 1699,
twenty-five years after the first edition was printed, and nineteen
years before William Petin's death, a new edition of the first
part of the Christian Quaker, wriiten by him, was published: in
1726 the complete edition of his works, in folio, was printed, and in
1771, his select works were published. Now, as these latter
editions are alike, and are considerably amended from the first, and
as the second edition, in 1699, was published many years before the
author's death, there cannot be a doubt but the alterations were made
by himself, and therefore it must be considered and received as the
autfior's second corrected edition. If the publisher of the new
Philadelphia edition designed to print the first edition of 1674,
■which it would seem he did, by his inserting this date upon the title
page, he should strictly have adhered to it. Instead of this, how-
ever, there are numerous discrepancies between the two. In the
Philadelphia, the first three chapters of the first edition, are con-
densed into an introduction, commencing the body of the work with
what formed the fourth chapter of the original : in this it agrees with
no edition extant, that we can find. In the language too, there is
much difference; we counted thirty-five discrep'incies, more or less
important, in the space of two pages; which, however, as they stand
in his edition, correspond with the corrected editions. But on compar-
ing the Philadelphia edition with the corrected ones, we find also nu-
merous variations. The preface is inserted in it, which the others
omit, and several expressions contained in the old edition, whicli were
omitted or amended in the subsequent, are again replaced in the new,
especially some which might be misconstrued to lessen the value of
the propitiation of Christ, &c. Now a printer is certainly at liberty
to publish any edition he pleases of an author's work, though cour-
tesy should induce him to use that which the writer had endeavoured
to make most perfect; but certainly no one can justify the amalga-
mation and confounding of two editions of a book, so as to make one
different from all the preceding copies, and different too, from any
one which the author ever wrote. To publish such a book to the
world, with the name of William Penn affixed to it, is little less
than a forgery, since, as the Philadelphia edition stands printed, it
was never written by William Penn.
We think it right to state thus much, for the information of the
public, that they may be on their guard, how they receive, as the
genuine " writings of primitive Friends," books which have thus
been manufactured in their names.
The compilers have used the Philadelphia edition in their extract?,
and they have quoted correctly, with some small exceptions. The
most material of these is in their third and last paragraph, where the
article i/i?, is substituted for the definitive adjective that, in the sen-
tence where William Penn speaks of Christ's "living that most un-
blemished life." T^ie most unblemished life, may allude to the ho-
liest life that men usually live, whereas William Penn confines it to
that most unblemished life which Christ, and he alone, lived.
51
up his precious life for the sins of the whole world, when the iniquity
of all mankind lay hard upon him, and he alone v\as sensible of that
eternal wrath which would be the portion of impenitent sinners, and
under the agonizing weight of suifering, "trodethe wine press alone."
This is a different kind of belief from tiiat of Elias Hicks ; viz. that he
did not come to offer up hi? life for sin ; that God never sent him in-
to the world for any such purpose ; that his death was exactly pa-
rallel to that of every other martyr ; that his sacrifice was not an
atonement for any sins, but the legal sins of the Jews, and that it
is cruel and unholy to believe that he suffered for the sins of others.
For proof that such are the sentiments of Elias Hicks, we refer to
our extracts from his letters, &c. inserted in the introduction to this
work. How striking i'< the contrast between the two. William Penn
reverently acknowledges all that Christ did for us in the flesh ac-
cording to the scriptures. Elias Hicks anathematizes this very doc-
trine which Penn so devoutly belie\ed, and says, " Surely is it possi-
ble that any rational being that has any right sense of justice or mer-
cy, that would be willing to accept forgiveness of his sins on such
terms! Would he not rather go forward, and oiler himself wholly up,
to suffer all the penalties due to his crimes, rather than the innocent
should suffer ! ! Nay, was he so hardy as to acknowledge a willingness
to be ^?ive6, through such a medium, would it not prove that he stood
in direct opposition to every principle of justice and honesty, of
mercy and love, and show himself a poor, selfish creature, and un-
worthy of notice." According to these sentiments, Williaoi Penn
must have been destifwte of any right sense of justice and mercy,
and a poor, selfish creature, unworthy of notice.
The third and last paragraph quoted by the compilers, appears to
be designed by the author, to point out the distinction between the
manhood and the Godhead of the Lord Jesus Christ. To the latter
he "chiefly appropriates the work of salvation," as to that which fit-
ted the blessed manhood for its glorious mission, by which he wrought
his mighty miracles, lived that most spotless life, and patiently en-
dured that most ignominious death on the cross for our sakes, and
afterwards raised up his body, as a most irrefragable proof that He
was the only begotten of the Father, endued with omnipotent power,
and filled with the spirit without measure. Such was AV illiam Penn's
reverence for that transcendent manifestation in the flesh, that he
declares, he " dare not by any means slight it," or rob it of whatever
was its due, nor yet attempt to separate what God had joined to-
gether. He concludes the seventeenth chapter thus : "To be brief,
that I may yet again express our reverent sense of Christ's manifes-
tation, so far as relates to that holy thing that should be born of
Mary, take these few particulars in my next chapter."
" Chapter XVIII. — ^ confession, in particular, to redemption, re-
mission, justification and salvation by Christ.
•'I. Though we believe the Eternal Power, Life and Light which,
inhabited that holy person, who was born at Bethlehem, was and is
chiefly and eminently the Saviour, " for there is no Saviour besides
me,"' saith God, yet we reverently confess the holy manhood was
instrumentally a Saviour, as prepared and chosen for the work that
5-1
Christ, the Word-God, had then to do in it, which was actoaiij
to the salvation of some, and intentionally of the whole world, then,
and in ages to come ; suitable to that scripture, " Lo, in the volume
of the book it is written, T come to do thy will, (0 God,) a body hast
thou prepared me," &c. Heb. x. 5. 7.
"II. That as there was a necessity that one should die for the
people, so whoever then or since believed in him, had and have a
seal, or confirmation of the remission of their sins in his blood: and
that blood, alluding to the custom of the Jewish Sacrifices, shall be
an utter blotting out of former iniquities, carrying them as into a
land of forgetfulness. This great assurance of remission, from the
wrath due upon the score of former offences, do all receive in the
ratifying blood of Christ, who, repenting of their sins, believe and
obey the holy Light with which he iiath lighted them. For Paul's
being turned from darkness to the light in his heart, was one and
ths same with his believing in- the Son of God revealed in his heart.
" III. This more glorious appearance ended that less glorious ser-
vice of the Jews; for the figures being completed, the shadows fell.
He, in that body, preached and lived beyond those beggarly ele-
ments. He drew religion more inward, even into the secret of the
heart, and made it to consist in an higher state of righteousness, called
evangelical ; and at once became both the author of a more heavenly
dispensation, and therein an example to all, as well Jews as Gentiles:
sealing such a common and general religion to both, with his blood;,
as would forever end the difference and slay the enmity, that they
might be all one in Christ. Thus did he end the Jews' external
services, and overturn the Gentiles' idolatries, by his one most
pure and spiritual offering and worship.
"IV. It plainly preaches thus much to us, that as he, whose body
the Jews outwardly slew, was by wicked works crucified in the
streets of Sodom and Egypt spiritually so called, viz: our polluted
hearts and consciences; so, unless we come to know the power and
benefit of this inward life, answering to and expressed by that out-
ward life he gave for the world, that will avail us little. For so it
is, and very marvellous in our eyes, that the life of the crucified can
only save those who may well be reputed the crucifiers. Oh myste-
ry ! And because those that did not actually slay him outwardly,
have slain him inwardly, that is, by their evil spirits resisting and
quenching his spiritual appearance to their souls, therefore must
such really know that divine life inwardly raised and shed abroad
for sanctification and redemption from sin. Oh, how great was his
love to man ! Truly larger than man's cruelty; who, whilst he died
by wicked men, died fur them; and when dead, they could not hin-
der him from rising to do them good, who had done their worst for
his destiuction, thereby showing mercy to those who showed they
had no mercy for him nor themselves. "O Jerusalem! Jerusalem !
how often would I have gathered thee, and thou wouldst not," &c.
" V. That expression of his is greatly worth our notice, " I lay down
my life for the world." All he did was for the good of the world,
and particularly the laying down of his life, that he might both ex-
press his love and our duty. Had he not desired man's salvation.
53
and for that purpose prepared a body in which to visit him, and by
his daily labours among men to further their eternal happiness, the
Jews had never been able to put him to death. But being come, and
when come so hardly used, herein did he recommend his great love to
us, that besides the inward weights of sin he bore with his deep con-
cernment for man's eternal well-being, he cheerfully q^crft^ up his
bodily life, to recommend and ratify his love for the remission of sin,
and gave us an holy example to follow his steps. But these words will
bear another sense too, as do those he spoke to the Jews : " Unless ye
eat my flesh, and drink my blood, you have no life in you." John
vi. 51, 52, 53, 54, 62, 63. — Where we may plainly see, that as the
Jews vainly and carnally fancied he meant his outward body only,
to which they opposed the impossibility of the thing; so Christ de-
clares their mistake of his meaning, to his disciples, in these few but
deep words : " the flesh profiteth nothing ; it is the spirit that quick-
eneth." So that the words are true and weighty in both senses.
" VI. And we further acknowledge, that in that holy body the Di-
vine principle of light and life did discover the depths of satan's
darkness, encounter hell, death, and the grave, and every tempta-
tion it was possible for the serpent, with all his power and subtility,
to beset him with, (in which sense he was made like unto us in all
things, sin excepted, that he might be sensible of our infirmities,)
yea, the Divine life travailed under all, administering strength to,
and supporting the outward man, that it might answer the end of its
appointment, and in the end utterly defeat and for ever overcome
the power of the tempter, bruising the serpent's head in general, as
prince of darkness, and God of the world, and in a plain combat
giving him that foil, which in good measure shook his foundation,
divided his kingdom, chased away his lying oracles, and proved a
very fatal blow to his whole empire. WJiich holy conquest, obtain-
ed by sweat of blood, and deepest agonies, with holy patience, may
not unfitly be compared to that of some worldly prince, maintaining-
a righteous cause against an usurper of his territories, whom he
puts to rout in the open field, (by which I understand the general
conquest,) yet, many towns, and cities, and citadels, remaining
strongly garrisoned, (by which I understand, particular men and
women enslaved by sin,) they are not thereby overcome, though the
approach be easier to them, and that they are truly more ac-
cessible than before.
"The One Seed, who is Christ, who is God over all blessed for
ever, though he gave this proof of his everlasting arm, that it has
brought a general salvation, by a plain overthrow of the god of this
world, the enemy of his glory, and thereby weakened his power, as
in himself, (which is the single battle fought in garments rolled
in blood between the two seeds, spirits, natures, and powers, God
and mammon, Christ and belial,) yet there are also many towns, ci-
ties, and citadels to vanquish, which are strongly garrisoned by this
God of the world, to wit, the souls of men and women possessed and
enslaved by him. So that though their hearts are more acces-
sible by that general victory over the very spirit of darkness, and
that light may be more clear and broken forth, yet unless those par-
54
llcular places or persons are besieged and taken, their goods spoil-
ed, and houses sacked of all theii strange gods, and so come to be
redeemed from under the yoke of that Pharaonian task master, re-
claimed, renewed, sanctified, and divinely naturalized and brought
into an holy subjection to him, who is Lord from Heaven, the right
Heir of all things, and receive his mark, and bear his image, those
places or persons must needs be under the power of the prince of
darkness, the god of this world, who reigns and rules in the hearts
of the children of disobedience.
"To conclude, we say, though this general victory was obtained,
and holy privileges therewith, and that the holy body was instru-
mentally a sharer therein, yet both the efficient or chiefest cause
was the divine light or life, that so clearly discriminated and deeply
wounded this mystery of iniquity ; and that none can be thereby be-
nefited, but as they come to experience the Holy Seed of Life, who
is God's mighty arm of power, revealed to effect the same salvation
from sin, in each par tiadar conscience, and which none can fail of,
who first receive it as a light that manifesteth and reproveth every
evil ivay, and continue to walk up to it in all its h(»ly manifestations.
" VII, But there is yet a farther benefit that accrueth by the blood
of Christ, viz : that Christ is a propitiation and redemption to such
as have faith in him. For though I still place the stress of feeling
of a particular benefit, upon the light, life, and spirit revealed and
witnessed in every particular person, yet in that general appearance
there was a general benefit justly to be attributed unto the blood of
that very body of Christ, (which he offered up through the eternal
Spirit,) to wit, that it did propitiate. For, however it might draw
stupendous judgments \x\ion the heads of those who were authors of
that dismal tragedy, and bloody murder of the Son of God, and di-
ed impenitent, yet doubtless it thus far turned to very great ac-
count, in that it was a most precious offering in the sight of the
Lord, and drew God's love the more eminently unto mankind, at
least such as should believe in his name, as his solemn prayer to
his Father at his leaving the world, given us by his beloved disciple
doth plainly witness.
" For how can it otherwise be, but that it should render God
most propitious to all such as believe in Christ, the Light of the
world, when it was but placing of his only begotten Son's sufferings
truly on their account, that should ever believe and obey him. Yea
doubtless, greatly did that sacrifice, influence to some singular tender-
ness, ?Lnii \)ecn\i!ir vegard untoallsuch who should believe in his name,
being the last and greatest of all his external acts, viz: the resisting
unto blood, for the spiritual good of the world, thereby offering up
his life upon the cross, through the power of the eternal spirit, that
remission of sin, God's bounty to the world, might be preached in
his name, and in his very blood too, as that which was the most ra-
tifying of all his bodily sufferings. And indeed, therefore might it
seem meet to the Holy Ghost, that redemption, propitiation, and re-*
mission should be declared, and held forth in the blood of Christ un-
to all that have right faith therein, as saith the apostle to the Ro-
mans : " whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith
55
in his blood." Rom. iii. 25. And to the Ephesians : " in whom we
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins," &c.
Eph. i. 7. — Because it implies a firm belief that Christ was come in
the flesh, and that none could then have him as their propitiation
or redemption, who withstood the acknowledgment of, and belief in
his visible appearance, which John tells us, some denied. 2. That
he came in order to the remission, redemption, and salvation of the
world. 3. That his so dying, was both an evident token of his love,
and strong argument of confirmation of his message and work.
4. That it might the better end the Jews' shadowy services, by an
allusion to the way of their temporary and typical sacrifices, as the
whole epistle to the Hebrews showeth. 5. And that by bringing^
through the holy light in every particular, into the acknowledgment
of, and belief in the blood, which was ratifying of that whole appear-
ance, men might be brought unto the knowing Christ after a more in-
ward and spiritual manner, suitable to Christ's own words; " It is
the Spirit that quickens ;" and the apostle avers, that " the Lord
from heaven is that quickening Spirit;" by which eternal Spirit he
oft'ered up himself without spot. Nor can any reasonably suppose,
that when Christ so spoke to his disciples, explanatorily of what he
had obscurely and in parables said to the Jews, that he meant not
something more hidden and divine than what they and the Jews
saw ; yet that which hindered those Jews from the knowledge or be-
nefit thereof, was their stumbling at him, without a confessing of
whom, they could never come into the beholding or experiencing of
his Divine life in them.
"To conclude. That body was the Divine Life's: "a body hast
thou prepared me," therefore all that was done by that body to-
wards the redemption of mankind, was eminently the Divine Life's.
Yet because often times actions are denominated from, or appropri-
ated to the instrument, as the next cause, though not the efficient
or most eminent cause, therefore the scripture speaks forth, (as in-
deed is the propriety of both the Hebrew and Greek tongues,) par-
abolically, hyperbolically, metaphorically, the inward substance and
hidden life of things, by things more exterior and obvious to the
sense, to the end that such mysteries might be the better accommoda-
ted to vulgar capacities. Consider what I say, with this qualifica-
tion, that ultimately and chiefly, not ivholly and exclusively, the
Divine life in that body was the Redeemer. For the sufferings of
that holy body of Jesus had an engaging and procuring virtue in
them, though the Divine life was that fountain from whence origi-
nally it came. And as the Life declared and preached forth itself
through that holy body, so who did then come to the benefit procu-
red by the Divine life, could only do it through an hearty confes-
sion to it as appearing in that body, and that from a sense first be-
gotten by a measure of the same in themselves.
"This is the main import of those places : "whom God hath set
forth to be a propitiation," and " in whom we have redemption
through faith in his blood." Rom. iii. 25. — For who is this He
whom God hath set forth, and in whom is redemption? Certainly
the same He that was before Abraham, the Rock of the fathers, that
56
cried : " Lo, T come to do thy will, (0 God,) a body hast thou pre-
pared me," (Heb. x. 5. 7,) which was long before the body was
conceived and born. But may some say, how is it then his blood ?
Why, just as the body is his body.
" Those who had faith in that blood believed his visible appear-
ance, inasmuch as they acknowledged that great seal and ratifica-
tion of it, to wit, the shedding of the blood of His body, who came
to save the world, and who alone is the propitiation, redemption,
and salvation of all who had and have right faith in that appear-
ance and message so confirmed, and therefore so often expressed
by it, as including all his whole life and sufferings besides. And
this is my reason for it, — that it was impossible for any man in that
day, to confess to, and believe in the Divine light and life v/hich
appeared in that prepared body, but from the inward discoveries
and operations of the Divine light with which Christ, the Word-
God, who took flesh, had enlightened him.
" However, though the apostles might then so express themselves,
thereby to assert and recommend unto the faith of all, that eminent
and blessed manifestation, and the great love of Christ therein, as
the visitation of the heavenly life through that prepared body, and
the deep sufferings of both for the world, being true and spiritual
witnesses thereof; yet it was never intended that any should bare-
ly rest there, but press after the knowledge of Christ, by faith in
something farther, and beyond that body in which he appeared, not
excluding our belief in that too. They who knew Christ after the
flesh, were to press after some more spiritual discovery of him ; and
it was expedient that they who almost doated upon his outward mani-
festation should be weaned from it, to the end his more interior, and
indeed, beneficial revelation of himself, might be witnessed by the
soul.
"Faith in his blood was requisite, that they might confess him
whose body and blood it was, to be the Christ, who is God over all,
blessed forever; which was the great question with the Jews,
whether God was truly manifested in that body of flesh, which
they saw ? So that the stress lies in confessing to the Divinity
come in the flesh: otherwise they would have rejected not only the
most signal suffering of the whole manifestation, but consequently,
that itself. To conclude, we confess, He who then appeared, was,
and is, the propitiation, &c. and in him was redemption obtained, by
all those who had such tine faith in his blood. But still it is to be
understood, that there must be a witnessing of a measure of the
same light, spirit, and power, to appear for redemption of the soul
from the pollution of sin, in each particular.
" VIIl. That justification came by faith in his blood, is clear in a
sense; for "by the law could no flesh be justified." That is, the
law being added because of transgression, certainly the transgres-
sor could not be justified, whilst such, by that law which condemned
him for being such. Which puts me upon distinguishing betwixt
justification, as it is sometimes taken, viz, : for remission, pardon or
forgiveness of sin past upon repentance, and that justification which
implies an acceptance with, and an access to God as a keeper of the.
57
luw of the spirit of life, which is to be made inherently just, right-
«ous, or holy.
"In the first sense, since all have sinned, no man can be justified
by the law he has transgressed. Therefore, that great favour and
mercy of remission, pardon, and forgiveness, was only then gene-
rally joreac/jet/ in the name of Jesus, which such as believed in his
message should obtain. Thus "by the works of the law shall no
flesh be justified," because all the righteousness man is capable of,
cannot make satisfaction for any unrighteousness he halh com-
mitted; since what he daily doth, is but what he daily owes. But
still such as keep the law are justified. For that a man should be
condeumed both for transgressing and keeping the law too, would
be very hard. What shall we say then, but that justification in the
first sense, since Adam's day to this, hath been Gocfsfree love upon
repentance; and above all, that by Christ's visible appearance and
suffering, and in his name, was remission, pardon, or forgiveness
preached, or held forth to the whole world, upon their believing
therein, more eminently than ever.
" But in the last sense, no man can be justified hut .is he is m,ade
jws/, and is found acUiaWy doing the will of God. That justifies —
that is it which gives acceptance with, and access to God. In this
sense it was the apostle said, such as are "the doers of tiie law shall
be justified," and not from the guilt of what they formerly did
against it, by their after keeping it ; for that is the free love of God
alone, upon the repentance of the creature; which hath been in all
former ages, but never so eminently held forth to the world, as by
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh.
" So that thus far we can approach the honester sort of pro-
fessors of religion, or rather, we were herein never at a distance from
them, viz : that men may be reconciled, and in a sense justified^
laJiile sin may not be totally destroyed. That is, God upon their re-
penting of past sins, though not then clearly purged from the ground
of evil, may, and we believe, doth remit, pardon, or forgive former
offences, and is thus far reconciled; that is, he ceaseth to be ano:ry,
or at a distance from them, as when they went on in a state of diso-
bedience to the light. Y'et forever we must affirm, that no man or
woman can be made a child of God, but as the new birth, regenera»
tion, and the divine and heavenly image comes to be witnessed
through the putting off the old man and his deeds, and being bapti-
zed by the Holy Ghost and fire into the onehoiybody, of which Christ,
the immaculate Lamb of God, is Head and Lord. So that all those
who apply to themselves, or others, the promises due to this state,
unto that before mentioned, heal themsehes or others deceitfully;
and God will judge for those things. So let all people consider
with sobriety and moderation, if the things we assert are not most
agreeable to the scripture, and that light of truth which is in their
own consciences, unto which we most of all desire to be made
manifest.
" IX. Nor is this all the good, the coming and sufferings of that
blessed manhood brought unto the world. For, having been ena-
bled so effectually to perform the will of God living, and having so
H
58
patiently suffered the will of wicket! men, dj'ing, therein yrff/i/ of-
fering up his most innocent life for the tvorld, he certainly obtained
exceeding great and precious gifts, which as every man conies to
believe in the light wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightened him,
and to be led by it, he shall assuredly feel a particular benefit to
himself, accruing from that general one procured by Christ, who so
laid down his life for the world.
"In short, as we cannot but acknowledge him a Saviour in that
very manifestation, or coming in that prepared body, who appeared
so extraordinarily to visit the world with his marvellous light and
truth, and to turn their minds from error and darkness, and who
actually converted and reclaimed many, and endued his followers
with his own heavenly light, life, and power, whereby to supply his
exterior absence with a most lively, piercing, and effectual minis-
try, for the completing of the rest, from generation tn generation ;
so must we needs attribute this, chiefly, to the Divine light, life, and
power, that through the manhood of both Lord and servants, shin-
ed forth and revealed itself to the salvation of the world.
" Nor are we yet. as hath hpen often hinted, to speak strictly, to
ascribe the particular salvation of every man's soul, to the appear-
ance of that same light in nature, in either Lord or servant, (albeit
many were reached into their very hearts and consciences at that
time, and great and mighty things were generally procured, and
Christ in that manifestation became the autfior of salvation unto ma-
ny;) but rather, as he is the light of men individually, he both then
did, and now doth appear in the hearts and consciences of men, unto
the awakening of them, and turning their minds from the darkness
of tradition, formality, and sin, which had and doth overcast and
darken the soul, to that blessed light in men, that thereby, (as to
them,) suffered and doth yet suffer, so great and tedious an eclipse.
I say, this is the efficient cause of salvation, and all other exterior
visitations, ministries of assistance, though from the same light,
are in respect of the light in every single man or woman hwiinstru-
mental, and secondary.
" In this sense, then, man is only a saviour instrumentally, but
Christ, both with reference to his bodily appearance, and in the mi-
nistry of his servants, is the most excellent means, and the only effi-
cient cause of salvation, as revealed and obeyed in the consciences
of men. So that the question is not, whether Quakers deny any
benefit to redound by Christ's bodily sufferings? But whetiier
the professors allow and acknowledge the main of the work to the
Divine life and light ?
" In short, he was the general Saviour in that eminent appear-
ance at Jerusalem, in which lie did so many great and good things
for mankind; and is an effectual Saviour to ^\^Yy particular person,
as we find him in our hearts, an holy light, showing sin, reproving
for it, and converting from it, into the holy nature of the light,
Christ Jesus to be flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone.
"Thus have I declared, according to my understanding, ground-
ed upon my experience and that illumination God has given me, in
love and moderation, the very truth, weight, and tendency of the
59
outward coming of Christ, and his deep siifferings by and for the
world. And also the nature of his inward coming into the souls
of men to expel the darkness that lodged there, and give unto
them the light of life. In both which respects, I confess him to be
the Saviour of the v/orld in general, and the Saviour of each man
in particular. But that the benefit according to men from him, as
the general Saviour, is only known and received by such as wit-
ness him a particular Saviour; and this I will abide by. For
"Christ in man" becometh "the hope of glory," and man's being
" changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by
the Spirit of the Lord,'''' (2 Cor. iii 18,) is tlie salvation and perfec-
tion of every true christian." — Vol. i. 575 to 581.
'Die ciimpilers next introduce lo our notice, four paragraphs,
marked as quotations from William Penn's works, in these words:
" William Penn quotes the following, in defence of his doctrine"—
See pamphlet, pages 34, 35, 36. What the doctrine of William
Penn is, in support of which he adduces these authorities, we are not
informed by the compilers, and as their book professes to be made
up of the writings o( primitive Friends, and these paragraphs are pla-
ced at some distance apart, it is calculated to make the impression
that these authors, whom VVilliam Penn has quoted, were Quakers,
which, however, they are not. The first is from Bishop Jewell's
sermon on John, vi. 1,2, 3, and is merely a testimony to the truth of
the apostle Paul's doctrine, that Christ has been the spiritual bread
of his saints in all ages of the world, and that that flesh and blood
on which his church was to feed, were pre-existent to his outward
manifestation in the flesh — a doctrine little coincident with the no-
tion, that he was a mere Israelite, destitute of the holy spirit of grace
until after the baptism of John.*
The remaining three, are taken by William Penn, from the
works of " some considerable separatists," pointing out the scriptu-
ral distinction between the Godhead of Christ, as he was from all
eternity Divine ; and that holy manhood with which he afterwards
clothed himself. The doctrines promulgated by our early Friends,
were so new to many of their cotemporaries, and were so bitterly op-
posed by many high professors of the christian name, that they not
unfrequently availed themselves of the coincident testimony of other
protestant writers, who had in some degree, owned the same doc-
trines, though their language and sentiments might not, in all re-
spects, be strictly consonant with what the Quakers approved.
But while the compilers make William Penn accountable for the
sentiments in the quotations, justice demanded that they should
have given William Penn's account of the doctrine, in support of
which he adduced them ; especially as it immediately precedes the
parts extracted by tlie compilers ; in this solemn confession of faith
on behalf of himself and the Quakers, viz:
" I will end my part herein, with our most solemn confession, in
the holy fear of God; that we believe in no other Lord Jesus Christ,
* See extract from •' Wisdom Justified of her children," &c. in our intro-
duction.
60
than he who appeared to. the fathers of old, at sundry times ?nd in
divers manners ; and in the fulness of time, took flesh of the seed
of Abraham and stock of David, became Immanuel, God manifest
in flesh, through vi'liich he conversed in the world, preached Ais ever-
lasting gospel, and by his divine poioer, gathered faithful witnesj^es;
and vvlien his hour was coaie, was taken of cruel men,his body wicked-
ly slain, ivliich life he^ave, to proclaim upon faith and repentance, a
general ransom to the ivorld ; the third day he rose again^ and
afterwards appeared among his disciples, in whose view, he vvas re-
ceived up into glory ; btit returned again, fulfilling those scriptures,
HE tha' is ivitli you, shall he in you ; I will not leave you comfort-
less, / will come to you again, and receive you unto myself,3ohn xiv.
S, 17, 18., and that he did come, and abide as really in them, and
doth now in his children by measure, as ivithout measure in that bo-
dy prepared to perform the will of God in ; that he is their King,
Prophet, and High Priest, and intercedes, and mediates on their be-
half; bringing in everlasting righteousness, peace and assurance for
ever, unto all their hearts and consciences, to whom be everlasting
honour and dominion. Amen." — Vol. ii. page 420.
We have here another striking proof, of the incongruity of the
truly christian doctrines of William Penn and the early Quakers,
with the notions of Elias Hicks. They believed that the Lord
Jesus Christ, the eternal Word, took flesh of the seed of Abra-
ham. Elias Hicks declares this to be impossible. They believed Je-
sus Christ to be the Immanuel. Elias Hicks, that he vvas the Son
of Joseph, and no more than any Israelite — devoid of the effusion of
the Holy Ghost, until he was thirty years of age. They believed
that he preached the everlasting gospel, granted repentance and
forgiveness sins. Elias Hicks asserts, that he was a mere outward
Jewish Messiah ; that his work was wholly limited to healing the
diseases of the body ; and that he had not power to heal the soul.
They believed that the sacrifice of his bodily life on tise cross, was
a general ransom and atonement for the sins of the ivhole world.
Elias Hicks asserts, positively and unconditionally that it was not an
atonement fur any sins, but the legal sins of the Jews. They believ-
ed that He that was with his disciples in the flesh, was the pro-
mised Comforter, who cante in the spirit. Elias Hicks asserts that
it vvas not the same, but another and a different one. They believed
that Christ Jesus had tlie spirit without measure, and is made unt©
his saints, Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption.
Elias Hicks asserts that he had only a portion of the spirit ; and that
we by obedience may attain to as great degrees of righteousness as
he did.* Let the unprejudiced and honest reader judge, wheth-
er there is any more agreement between Quakerism and the dogmas
of Elias Hicks, than there is between light and darkness ; and whe-
ther the latter are not worse than mere " innovations on the doctrine
of primitive Friends."
The next quotation from William Penn, is on pages S7 and 38, of
* See the extracts from his letters and sermons, in the introduction to this
work.
61
the compilers' pamphlet. It is taken from the second part of " A
Serious Apology for the principles and practices of the people call-
ed Quakers," which was written by William Penn in 1670, while
confined in Newgate, for attending a religious meeting. It was de-
signed by the author, as a defence of that people, "against the mali-
cious aspersions, erroneous doctrines, and horrid blasphemies of
Thomas Jenner and Timothy Taylor," who had greatly misrepre-
sented their tenets, in a book which they called " Quakerism Anato-
mised and Confuted." The paragraphs quoted by the compilers are
from the fourth chapter, in which William Penn vindicates the Society
from Thomas Jenner's accusations of denying Christ, &c. The
compilers have here quoted unfairly from William Penn, as will ap-
peal- by the insertion of the following extract. The parts which they
have inserted, are enclosed in brackets marked with a hand.
" First, he |C7" [takes up an whole chapter, in his endeavours to
" prove that we deny the Lord that bought us, though very falsely,
*' and equally unsuccessful.
" Because we deny that person y (the Son of God,) that died at Je-
*' riisalem, to be our redeemer."
*' Which most horrid imputation has been answered more, (I be-
<' lieve,) than a thousand times, by declaring, that he that laid down
<' his life, and suflfered his body to be crucified by the Jews, without
*'the gates of Jerusalem, is Christ, the Only Son of the raost High
" God : But that the outward person, which suffered, was properly
" the Son of God, we utterly deny, and it is a perfect contradiction
" to their own principles ; a body thou hast prepared me, said the
*' Son, then the Son was not the body, though the body was the
*' Son's,3oC^ this brings /jim, [Jenner,] more under the charge of
making him but a mere man, than us ; who acknowledge him to be One
with the Father, and of a nature eternal and immortal ; for he was
glorified with the Father, before the world was." — Vol. ii, page 65.
Here is a very material omission, and it a cannot be without de-
sign. The compilers stop at a comma, as may be seen by the brack-
ets, carefully omitting the latter and important clause of the sen-
tence, where William Penn repels the charge of making our Saviour
a mere man, and adds so sound and Scriptural a confession of his
faith in Jesus Christ. Now, as this omisision could not have occurred
"by accident," we would ask any unprejudiced reader, whether
leaving out so necessary a part of William Penn's reply, does not
carry ir-f-esistible evidence that the carvers deny the doctrine which
it asserts, and were sensible it was directly contrary to the dogmas
of Elias Hicks, and would serve to show the discrepancy, rather
than the coincidence, of the doctrines of the Quakers with his no-
tions.
What principally induced the compilers to quote the passage,
was, probably, the assertion that the Quakers do not consider the
outward person to be, in the highest sense of the term, the
Son of God. But if they think to prove thereby that William
Penn denied, or undervalued the manhood of Jesus Christ, or to
draw therefrom an excuse for lessening our veneration for the out-
ward appearance of Christ in the flesh, William Penn has himself
62
prevented them, since he denies the same charge alleged by Jenner,
calling it a "most horrid blasphemy that had been answered he be-
lieved more than a thou!*and times," Had we been selecting passa-
ges to show that Elias Hicks denies peremptorily what William Penn
as positively ai^serts, we should have considered this reply of Wil-
liam Penn to Jenner, well adapted to our purpose, since he fully
acknowledges in it the divinity and eternity of our blessed Lord.
The author of the Snake in the Grass, adduces the same passage
from the writings of William Penn, and apparently to make the
same impression respecting his belief, as the compilers wish to do
by the manner in which they have italicised his words. To the
charge and insinuation of the author, Joseph Wyeth thus replies:
" Against this false and unjust imputation, I shall first give William
Penn's words in the page quoted ; from whence the impartial reader
may be able to take William Penn's meaning from himself, and then
observe somewhat upon the Snake's perversion." He then inserts
Jenner's charge and William Penn's reply, and adds,*' Thus William
Penn ; whose plain meaning is no other than that the outward per-
son, that body which our Lord did take of the Virgin, was not pro-
perly the Son of God by eternal generation, and was not glorified
with the Father before the world began. He is here distinguishing
between the Divinity and Manhood of our Saviour, and that accord-
ing to Scripture. The Divinity was from everlasting, the Manhood
not so; that was taken up in the fulness of time appointed by God,
born of Mary, nourished, and 'increased in stature,' strength, &c.
according to nature's law and course. This body when Christ
laid it down, for the sins of the world, he did thereby consecrate
for us, a new and living way through the vail, that is to say his flesh,
Heb. X. 20, and here the flesh or body of Christ is called a vail ; bj
allusion to the vail mentioned Exodus xxvi. 33, which did divide
between the holy place and the most holy^ and this the apostle shows
Heb. ix. 24; "For Christ is not entered into the holy places, made
with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself,
now to appear in the presence of God for us." And in this sense,
and NO OTHER, have ive ever used the words vail or garment, in this
case, and not as is falsely alleged by the Snake to signify, " a body
in which angels appear for a time, and throw them off' again." —
Switch, pages 201, 202.
The next objection of Jenner William Penn thus states : |G°'[" Se-
"condly, But he says, that v/e deny Christ to be a distinct person,
" therefore we deny the Lord that bought us. In answer to this, 1
"shall make these three offers: First, if he will but bring me one
'* Scripture, (for he calls it his guide and rule,) that has directed him
" to such a phrase as distinct person, or that says, I and my Father
" are two, instead of I and my Father are one: Secondly, if he vvili
''but bring me one piece of antiquity, for the first two hundred
"years, that used any such expression: Thirdly, anil if he can deny
"that the popish school men, (through the assistance of the Aristote-
"lian or in/lrfci philosophy, were not the grandfathers and promoters
"of such like monstrous terms, and uncouth phrases, I will be con-
" tented to take the shame upon me of denying, proper, apt, and sig-
" nificant phrases.]c£;::| — Vol. 11. page 65.
63
William Penn then enters into an argument to prove that there
rannot be distinct personality in the Deitjj'^a doctrine which the
Quakers have never professed. The paragiaph is thus concluded
by NN'illiam Penn : — " Let Jenner turn to the ffth chapter of John's
first Epistle, where he may find our faith at large in the point, and
if he is not satisfied therewith ; his refusal shall set the very letter of
the Scriptures, (his pretended rule) over his head, that he would
suggest we deny." This chapter contains the declaration that
there are "Three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost, and these Three are One."
The third objection is, " He saith that we own Christ to be but
mere man, and that he had his failings in the world, therefore we
deny him." To which William Penn answers, "Indeed if thi> were
as tiue, as it is false, his consequence would be just; but meihinks
he sliould have better studied his own reputation, than to assert any
thing so contradictory to his preceding sense of us. For no far-
ther oft' than the same page, he aflBrms we deny that person to be
Chrisi, that suffered without the gates of Jerusalem, and now, he
charges us with disowning him to be Christ, on any other account,
than that of mere humanity. So that his charge is briefly this, They
own the true Christ not to be a man ; — but however they own the
true Chiist to be only a mere man; iir.d they hold a perfection, and
yet say that Christ had his failings. Horrid weakness and contra-
diction." — Vol. II. page 66.
We are not surptised that the compilers have passed over this
third charge of Jenner's, in silence; for untrue and silanderous as it
is, when applied to our early Friends, it comes home very closely to
Elias Hicks, as the following expressions of his will fully show, —
Speaking of the light, he say*, " It all comes from God, and is dis-
pensed to the children of tnen, and it was to Jesus Christ likewise
as man; in the same proportion as to inscrutable wisdom seemed
necessary and insistent, to effect the great design in the creation,
and redemption of the children of men. — Sermons, page 253. " He
was tempted in all points as we are. Now how could he be tempted
if he had been fixed in a state of perfection, in which he could not
turn aside." — Ibid. See also pages 258, 259, Sermons. Elias
Hicks speaking of the temptation of Jesus, on page 253, says, " Per-
fection is perfection, and cannot be tempted. It is impossible." —
Now, as he asserts that Jesus was tempted, it follows from his own
reasoning on the subject, that Christ was not perfect, %mcQ. "perfec-
tion cannot be tempted," else he could not have been tempted; and
if he was not perfect, he must have had his failings. Thus we see
how far Elias Hick's is from coinciding with our ancient Friends in
their belief respecting Christ.
The fourth objection of Jenner is, "That we hold, 'All that Christ
did in the world, was only as a figure and example ; therefore we deny
the Lord that bought us.'" To which William Penn replie?, "This
language he cannot produce in any autlior, that is an acknowledged
true (Quaker; for we affirm he did many things wherein he was
neither a figure nor example; though in some scn^e he may be the
former, and in many the latter: For in him we have life, and by
64
juith^ atonement in his blood ; yet 'twas the language of the apostle
Peter, ' For even hereui.io were ye called, because Cliristalso sitffi^red
for us; leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps, 1 l*et,
ii. 21 ." page 66. If the compilers of the pamphlet had designed to tell
the woild vvhat Elias Hicks' belief concerning the outward appear-
ance of Christ was, they should have copied Jenner's charge, to
which William Penn is here replying, since there is scarcely any
point which Elias Hicks more strenuously inculcates, than that Je-
sus was only our pattern and example — that he was under the dis-
pensation of types and shadows, and was himself a mere type, a fi-
gure. His public discourses are peculiarly marked with this feature.
Now, William Penn says, that such a sentiment cannot be found
upon any acknowledged true Quaker, for they affirm thai he did
many things in which he was neither figure nor esan)ple; and as an
instance, adduces his being the atonement for sin, through faith in
his blood ; and also the divine life of the righteous. This acknow-
ledgment of ti.e atonement of Christ, i« another evidence of Elias
Hicks' innovation upon the acknowledged doctrines of the Society,
since he declares the doctrine to be wicked and absurd.
The compilers have wholly omitted the fourth objection and an-
swer, and give us the fifth and last, viz. 5. fCr°["That we deny
"justification by the righteousness which Christ hath fulfilled in his
"own person for us, (wholly without us,) and therefore deny the
" Lord that bought us." William Penn replies," And indeed this wc
" deny, and boldly affirm it in the name of the Lord, to be the doc^
"trine of devils, and an arm of the sea of corruption, which does now
"deluge the whole world. "].Qr:3| — iftirf, page 66.
The reply of William Penn to this objection, the compilers have
completely italicised, by which we are to understand, that they con-
sider it a very apt quotation, and doubtless, with their great teacher,
would have it stand as an anathema against all those who believe in
the scripture doctrine of the propitiation of Jesus Christ, which Elias
Hicks has taught them so stoutly to deny. It is, however, some-
what surprising, that persons who have assumed the task of select-
ing from the writings of primitive Friends, a creed for the followers
of Elias Hicks, should evince so little true discernment of the com-
mon signification of terms, or of the notions which they wish to
support. The justification of impure persons by an imputed right-
eousness, ivholly rvithout them, has no more connexion with the doc-
trine of propitiation by the sacrifice of Christ, than the dogmas of
Elias Hicks have to do with genuine Quakerism. The Quakers re-
verently embrace and own the latter, and ever have done so, but
reject the former. Now Elias Hicks entirely rejects both, and de-
nies them in terms of the greatest contempt. William Penn is,
therefore, no authority for him ; as in this reply to Jenner he alludes
ivholli/ to that which Friends have always denied, viz. the justifica-
tion of sinners in their sins, and not to the propitiation of our bless-
ed Lord, as we shall now prove.
To what we last quoted, William Penn adds, "I shall not much
insist upon this, (^JeMner's fifth o'ojection,] as I have not upon the
other four particulars, they having been irreconfufably considered and
65
answered, by my friend and partner in this discourse, in his first part
of this apology: only this I shall observe and add — First, "no man
can be justified without faith, (says .Tenner.) No man hath faith
without works, (any more than a body can live without a spirit,) sayg
James. Therefore the works of righteousness by the spirit of Christ
Jesus are necessary to justification. Secondly, if men may be jus-
tified ivhilst iinpiire, then God quits the g-wi/^/, contrary to the scrip-
ture; which cannot be. Thirdly, death came by actual sin, not impu-
tative in his sense; therefore justification unto life, comes by actual
righteousness, and not imputative. Fourthly, this speaks peace to the
wicked, ivhilst wicked ; but there is no peace to the wicked saith my
God. Fifthly, men are dead and alive at the same time, by this doc-
trine; for they may be dead in sin, and yet alive in another's right-
eousness, not inherent: and consequently men maybe damned actu-
ally, and saved imputatively. Sixthly, but since men are to reap what
they sow, and that every one shall be rewarded, according to his
works; and that none are justified but the children of God ; and
that none are children but who are led by the spirit of God; and
that none are so led but those tliat bring forth fruits thereof, which
is holiness; 'tis not the oil in another's lamp, but in our own only,
which will serve our turns; I mean, the rejoicing must be in our-
selves, and not in another; ijet to Christ's hobj poiver alone, do ice
ascribe it, who works all our ivorks in us and for us."
This were proof sufficient to show that William Penn was treat-
ing upon a doctrine entirely different from that of the propitiation,
and one which no society of Christians, that we are acquainted with,
now hold. But there is yet further evidence in vindication of Wil-
liam Penn. Thomas Hicks, a bitter opponent of Friends, thinking,
as our compilers have since done, tliat the sentence which they have
italicised, was well adapted to this purpose, quotes it, in his dia-
logue between a Christian and a Quaker, makingthe latter use it, in
reply to the query of the former — to this William Penn, among oth-
er observations, rejoins.
" If any living, will produce me but one passage out of scripture,
that tells of a justification by such a righteousness, as is wholly
without us, I shall fall under its authority; but if we only deny
men's corrupt conceits, and sin-pleasing glosses, and they offer us
nothing to our confutation or better information, we shall not think
bare (piotations of our books to be sufficient answers." In a note at
the bottom of the page, William Penn adds,
" If wholly without us, then none of it iviihin us. It was such a jus-
tification, as respected being made just, by the destruction of sin in-
herent, by the spirit and power of Christ Jesus; and not being ac-
counted just from the guilt, and former sins freely remitted in his
blood, as an offering for sin once for all, to every one that truly re-
pents." — Works, vol. ii. page 522.
This explanation may serve to show the compilers, how little Wil-
liam Penn is to be relied upon, as an authority for Elias Hicks,
opinions ; since he always adheres to sound scripture doctrine, and
snakes that his test; they could not, however, be ignorant, at the
very time they were copying the fifth objection, that William Penn
I
66
did not design to deny the atonement of Christ, since the fourth ob-
jection and I'eply, which they have injuriously suppressed, fully sets
forth his faith in it. At the bottom of the very same page from
which their quotations are made, William Penn has subjoined a short
but full creed, declaratory of the faith of the Quakers ; and if the
compilers had honestly intended to give us the "doctrines of pri-
mitive Friends," they would better have served the cause of truth
by making use of it ; though we suppose it were sufficient reason
with them to reject it; because it so directly impugns the notions of
Elias Hicks. It is as follows :
" To conclude this brief account, 1 am constrained, for the sake
of the simple hearted, to publish to the world, of our own faith in
God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
" We do believe, in one, only, holy God Almighty, who is an Eter-
nal Spirit, the Creator of all things.
*' And in One Lord Jesus Christ, his only Son, and express image
of his substance ; who took upon him flesh, and was in the world ;
and in life, doctrine, miracles, death, resurrection, ascension and
mediation^ perfectly did, and does continue to do, the will of God ;
to whose holy life, power, mediation, and blood, we only ascribe
our sanctification, justification, redemption and perfect salvation.
*' And we believe, in One Holy Spirit, that proceeds and breathes
from the Father and the Son, as the life and virtue of both the
Father and the Son ; a measure of which is given to all to profit
with; and he that has one has all, for those Three are One, who is
the Alpha and Omega — the first and the last, God over all blessed
for ever. Amen." — Pages 66, 67, vol. ii.
We would ask — could Elias Hicks, or any of his initiated follow-
ers, in truth, subscribe to tliis christian confession of faith ?
On page 46, of the compilers' pamphlet, we have a short extract
from Penn's works, taken from the nineteenth chapter of the Chris-
tian Quaker, page 213 ; asserting as the sentiments of William Penn ;
That JCF" [" All imputation of general acts of righteousness, per-
" formed by Christ without us, will avail nothing for salvation, in the
*' great and terrible day of God's inquest and judgment, when all
*' shall be judged, not by the deeds any other hath done for them,(vvholl v
<' without them,) but, according to the deeds done in their own mortal
<« bodies."],aOi On referring to his works, we find that the compilers
have shamefully garbled the passage, commencing at a comma, in
the middle of a sentence, preceded by the words, " and without
which;" that connect it with, and refer to the conditions upon
which we receive the benefits of Christ's sufferings and death, as
stated jin the part which they have thought proper unjustly to with-
hold. We shall quote the whole, in order, clearly to place before
our readers, the unwarrantable mutilation of the language of Penn.
It is as follows, viz:
"We shall conclude, then, that Christ, the Word-God, is the
light of the world, and that all are enlightened by Him, the Eter-
nal Sun of Righteousness ; therefore the light of men is Christ, (for
to Him) Christ, or the true light, John testified ; who gives wicked
men to see their unrighteousness, and who leads good men on in the
67
ivay of holiness, which persevered in, brings unquestionably, to
Eternal happiness, and without which, ^:ZF' [*' all imputation of ge-
" neral acts of righteousness, performed by Christ without us, will
"avail nothing for salvation, in the great and terrible day of God's
*« inquest and judgment, when all shall be judged, not by the deeds
" any other hath done for them, (wholly without them,) but accord-
" ing to the deeds done in their own mortal bodies."],cO|
By thus dissecting the sentence, the compilers have made it con-
vey the sentiment, that the imputation of Christ's righteousness,
will on no terms avail any thing for salvation; which is contrary to
what Penn held or expresses, and, therefore, a libel upon his chris-
tian character ; since he has repeatedly declaied, in various parts of
his works, that we are not justified by any works of righteousness
that we can do, but that he and all true Quakers, attribute their sal-
vation to the Holy life, spirit, power, mediation and propitiating
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. No farther than the next preceding
(eighteenth) chapter, he fully sets forth his belief, that Jesus Christ of-
fered up his bodily life, a sacrifice for the sins of the ungodly ; that the
blood of Christ shed at Jerusalem, shall be an utter blotting out, of
all former iniquities, and that upon unfeigned repentance we are there-
by assured of remission from the wrath due to all our past offences.
And, although William Penn places the stress of particular bene*
fit, upon obedience to the Holy Spirit in the heart; yet he also
asserts, that there was a general benefit, justly to be attributed, to
the blood of that very body of Christ, which he offered up through
the Eternal Spirit, viz: that it did propitiate; greatly, says he, did
that sacrifice influence to some singular tenderness, unto all such who
believed in his name, being the last and greatest of his external
acts, viz: the resisting unto blood, for the spiritual good of the
world, thereby offering up his life upon the cross, through the eter-
nal spirit; that remission of sins, God's bounty to the world, might
be preached in his name, and in his very blood too, as that whicli
was the most ratifying of all his bodily sufferings. Such was Penn's
belief, as contained in his eighteenth chapter of the Christian Qua-
ker, which we have inserted on our 51 — 59 pages.
After this full confession to the virtue of the "general acts of
righteousness, performed by Christ without us,"can any person, how-
ever prejudiced, hazard the unfounded assertion, that William Penn
believed these will avail nothing to the saint's salvation, in the day
of righteous retribution. The compilers could not be ignorant of
what William Penn had asserted, respecting the outward offering of
Christ, in his eighteenth chapter ; for they quote from the seven-
teenth and nineteenth chapters, immediately preceding and follow^
ing it. Could a mind, impressed with a conscientious regard for
strict justice and undisguised truth, consent thus to pervert the
meaning of an author, by mutilating his sentences, and impose upon
the world as his sentiments, what he never believed .^ Certainly not.
It is not only far beneath the uprightness and magnanimity of a
true christian, but beneath the dignity and honourable feelings of an
honest man. If the principles of Elias Hicks and his adherents,
sanction the use of such means, to propagate and support them, rot-
68
ten, indeed, must be their foundation, and certain and irretrievable
their approaching ruin.
The next quotations from the works of William Penn, are upon
the subject of the Scriptures, and extracted from his essay entitled
"A Discoursse of the General Rule of Faith and Practice, and
Judge of Controversy," written in the year 1673.
In order to form a correct opinion of the object William Penn
had in view in this tract, and of the point, to prove which, his whole
argument was directed, it is important that we should know what he
means by the terms " General Rule," and " Faith;" since upon these
two words, the principal stress of his reasoning is founded. He says,
" By general rule, &c. we understand that constant measure or
standard, by which men, in all ages, liave been enabled to judge of
the truth or error of doctrines, and the good or evil of thoughts,
words, and actions." ^^ i^y faith, we understand, an assent of the
mind, in such manner, (o the discoveries made of God thereto, as to
resign up to God, and have dependence upon him, as the great Crea-
tor and Saviour of his people ; which is inseparable from good
works."
However clear it may appear to us, that the Holy Scriptures are
not such a rule, of such a faith, as William Penn here describes ; and
much as we may be surprised that he should have thought it neces-
sary to write a treatise to prove what appears so self-evident; it is
nevertheless true, that one great objection which other religious pro-
fessors made to the principles of the Quakers, was their denying the
Scriptures to be this general and primary, and only rule of faith and
manners. Impressed with a belief that all immediate revelation
ceased when the canon of Scripture was completed, protestants ge-
nerally held, that the Scriptures were the only medium through which
the will of God was communicated to mankind, and the only means
by which the saving knowledge Sf God, and of Jesus Christ our Lord,
could be obtained. Contrary to this opinion, the Society of Friends
believed and taught, that Jesus Christ by his Holy Spirit, enlightens
all men; that through this sacred medium a channel of intercourse
is opened between the soul and its Maker ; whereby the will of God
may be savingly and immediately revealed or communicated. That
this Spirit not only shows to man his sins, and reproves and chas-
tens him therefor, but also secretly unfolds his religious duties, both
toward his great Creator and his fellow men. Since then salvation
is to be attributed to the saving light and free grace of God ; revealed
through our Lord Jesus Christ in the soul of man, as the foundation
of all true and living faith, the Quakers could not but acknowledge
and declare, that this Holy Spirit was the primary and general rule
of faith and manners, and the Scriptures under its guidance, a se-
condary or written rule.
Deeply impressed, by heartfelt experience, with the great impor-
tance of these views, they apprehended that professing christians, by-
rejecting and denying the sensible influences of the Spirit of Christ,
and exalting the Scriptures into its place; were prevented from
coming to the knowledge of that complete redemption from sin, and
perfect obedience to the will of God, which completes the saints*
69
sanctification, and which the gospel of Jesus Christ was so eminent-
ly calculated to produce. Hence it was, that William Penn and
his fellow members, considered it of primary importance, earnestly
to call the attention of the people to the manifestation of the Light
of Christ in the soul, and to labour to convince them, that an entire
dependence for salvation upon the Scriptures as the primary rule of
life, would eventually be found to be unavailing. But while they
did this, the Quakers evinced by practice as well as precept, that
they were far from denying the true value of the Bible, declaring on
all occasions, that through the faith which is in Christ Jesus, they
were able, to make wise unto salvation, being profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for instruction in the work of righteousness, that the man
of God may be perfect and thoroughly furnished unto all good
works. This they proved from the Bible itself; always referring to
it, as the evidence of the soundness of all their doctrines, quoting
them more largely, both in writing and preaching, than any other
denomination of christians ; refusing to admit as an article of faith,
any thing not found therein, nor to be proved thereby; and always
declaring that they considered all pretensions to the Spirit itself,
which were incompatible with the sacred records, to be dangerous
delusions and errors.
Such were the views and the objects for which the discourse of
William Penn was written; not to undervalue the Scriptures, but to
put them in their proper place, viz. subordinate to the Spirit. In
controverting the popular opinion, that the Scriptures were the gene-
ral and only rule, he contends that as there was a faith before the
Scriptures were written, and that faith must have had a rule, there-
fore they were not the primary rule, yet admits they are a secondary
and declaratory rule to all those who have them. In the same trea-
tise from which the compilers have made their quotations, he says,
"►3 rule and the rule are two things. By the rule of faith and prac-
tice, I understand, the living, spiritual, immediate, omnipresent, dis-
covering, ordering spirit of God ; and by a rule, I apprehend some
instrument, by and through which, this great and universal rule may
convey its directions. Such a subordinate, secondary, and declara-
tory rule, we never said several parts of Scripture ivere not ; yet we
confess, the reason of our obedience, is not merely because they are
there written, (for that were legal) but because they are the eternal
precepts of the spirit, in men's consciences, there repeated and de-
clared. It is the testimony of the Spirit which is the true rule for
believing and understanding of the Scripture ; therefore, not the
Scripture, but the spirit of truth, must be the rule for our believing
and understanding them." — Vol. i. page 599.
Now, as William Penn here acknowledges, in the very same trea-
tise from vrhich the compilers have made their extracts, that the
Scriptures contain the eternal precepts of the Spirit in men's con-
sciences, it will at once be seen that he fully believed them to be a
secondary rule; since if the precepts contained in them are eternal,
they cannot alter nor be done aivay ; and if they are the precepts of
the Spirit, the Spirit being unchangeable, cannot contradict itself,
nor teach now, or at any future time, any precept inconsistent with
70
what it tauglit in former ages. Therefore as William Penn here de-
clares, they are a subordinate ^ secondary^ and declaratory rule, it is
therefore obligatory upon all who are blessed with a knowledge of
them, to believe in and conform to them.
With the views which we have here stated, the extracts of the
compilers are perfectly reconcileable. They are principally taken
^rom nine reasons which William Penn gives, why the Scriptures
cannot be " the rule." We must recollect here that they are not
reasons why the Scriptures are not to be esteemed, believed, read, or
obeyed ; but why they are not the rule, "a living, spiritual, imme-
diate, omnipresent, discovering, ordering, spirit of God," which he
says " the rule" is. We shall take up the extracts in the order in
which they stand in his treatise.
On page 49, pamphlet, we have the following quotation from his
third reason, viz. ^::y [" The scriptures, however useful to edifica-
"iiou and comfort, seem not in their own nature and frame to have
<' been compiled, and delivered as the general rule, and entire body
*' o//atf/i, but rather written upon particular occasions and emer-
*« gencies. The doctrines are scattered throughout the scriptures,
*' insomuch that those societies who have given forth verbal confes-
" sions of their faith, have been necessitated to toss them to and fro,
" search here and search there ; to lay down this or the other princi-
" pie, and then as like the original text as their apprehensions can
" render it: whereas, were it as plain and distinct as the nature of
"a rule requires, they needed only to have given their subscription
" for a confession. Besides, here they are proper ; there metapho-
" rical : in one place literally, in another mystically, to be accepted :
" most times points are to be proved by comparing and weighing
" places coherent; where to allude aptly, and not wrong the sense,
"is difficult, and requires a clear and certain discerning, notwith-
" standing the clamours upon us about infallibility. Now, from all
" this, with abundance more, that might be said, plain it is, that the
"scriptures are not plain, but to the spiritual man: thus Peter said
"of Paul's writings, that ' in many things, they were hard to be un-
" derstood ;' therefore, not such a rule, which ought to be plain, pro-
« per, and intelligibIe."]„Ci|— Vol. i. 594.
It will be seen from this, that while William Penn asserts they are
not the primary rule, he acknowledges the scriptures to be useful for
edification and comfort ; and that a clear and certain discerning^
and comparing the different parts, give to the spiritual man an un-
derstanding of the sound doctrines which they contain. We see
nothing, in all that he has said, derogatory to the true value and
authority which they justly possess among all sober Christians.
Immediately following the last quotation comes the first paragraph
of William Penn's fourth reason, viz. |C7^["4. Again, the scrip-
" tore cannot be the rule of faith, because it cannot give faith; for
" faith is the gift of God, which overcomes the world. Neither
" of practice, because it cannot distinguish of itself, in all cases,
" what ought to be practised, and what not, since it contains as welt
"what ought not to be practised, as what ought."] ^CI — Vol. i.
page 594.
71
That the Holy Scriptures cannot give faith, is true according lo
their own testimony; and though, oj themselves, they cannot distin-
guish in alt cases; yet, since William Penn asserts that they contain
not only what ought, but what ought not to be practised, they are
certainly a broad and very comprehensive rule, which, under the
guidance of the spirit must be obligatory upon all true believers.
The next quotation of the compilers comprises the fifth and sixth
reasons, viz. 8CF*[" 5. These very men that say it is the rule of
'•' faith and life, deviate in their proof from their assertion, for the
" scriptures, nowhere say so, of themselves. Here they fly to mean-
"ings and interpretations: the question nrhes, not abotit the truth
^^ of the text, for that is agreed on allhands^bm the exposition of it:
" if then, 1 yield to that man, do I bow to the letter of the text, or
" to his interpretation ? If the latter, as manifestly I do ; is the scrip-
"ture, or that man's sense of it, my rule? Nay, the person so in-
" terpreting, makes not the scripture his rule, but his own apprehen-
" sion, whatever he may say to gain credit to his conceptions, with
"others ; then mine it must need be, I consenting thereto.
" 6. How shall I be assured that these scriptures came from God?
" T am bound to try all things : if all things, then them amongst the
" rest. I would fain know what I must try them with .^ With the
" scriptures? Then the scriptures must be the rule of my examina-
" tion and faith concerning themselves, which is improper. If with the
" spirit that gave them forth, which searcheth the deep things of God,
« (a measure of which is given to me to profit withal.) then is it most
" congruous to call the spirit, by ivay of excellency,* and not the
"scriptures, the rule."'],JZ^ — Vol. i. 595.
In these paragraphs William Penn enforces the necessity of hav-
ing the aid and assistance of that spirit which gave the scriptures
forth, in order to be enabled rightly to expound the true meaning of
them, and hence, by ivay of excellency, he calls that spirit, the rule.
The question, he says, arises not about the truth of the text, for that
is agreed on all hands ; and for good reason, since he asserts that the
spirit which searcheth the deep things of God, gave them forth ;
which shows plainly how far he was from lessening the authenticity
or divine authority of the sacred volume.
Thomas Hicks, in his abusive pamphlet against Friends, entitled
a Dialogue between a Christian and a Quaker, puts the following
questions to the latter : " Do you believe the scriptures to be the true
sayings of God ?" To which he makes the Quaker reply, " Yea, so
far as they agree with the light within." To this unjust insinua-
tion William Penn indignantly exclaims, "An arrant forgery!!"
Again he questions the Quaker — " How shall I know that ?" Qua-
ker — I witness it. Must I believe thee upon thy own words? Qua-
* The compilers of the pamphlet have taken their quotations from a late
edition of the Christian Quaker, and Discourse on the Rule of Faith, &c. print-
ed in Philadelphia. In this edition, the words " by way of excellency," in this
last sentence, are omitted. The folio edition of Wilham Penn's works, pub-
lished in 1726, being printed from the last and best editions of William Penn's
treatises, as affirmed by the editors of it in their address to the reader, ^Ye
think it proper to adhere to it, in rU our quotations.
72
ker — I would have thee do so. William Penn adds, " Abominable
forgery !" — Vol. ii. 552.
Those in the present day who would have us think that no man is
bound to believe the scriptures, unless they are specially revealed to
him, may perceive, from hence, with what honest indignation the
early Quakers would have rejected such a notion.
The next quotation on pages 50, 51, 52 of the pamphlet, compri-
ses William Penn's 7th and 8th reasons, why the scriptures are not the
Rule. The objections which the author urges in these two sections,
against the doctrine of the scriptures being the primary and general
rule, are such as arise from the possibility of errors having occurred
in transcribing and printing, and from the various copies and read-
ings. Although the compilers may consider them as conclusive tes-
timony against the divine authority of holy scripture, yet William
Penn is far from supporting them in such an opinion. For he does
not state them as actually existing^ but reasons upon the possibility
that they might occur, solely to counteract the opinion of those who
asserted that " the scriptures are the General Rule, &c., in opposi-
tion to the spirit" and to show the doubts they might be introduced
into, " who had gone from that heavenly gift in themselves, by which
the Holy Scriptures are truly discerned, relished, and distinguished
from the traditions of men." He expresses, himself, not the sligiitest
doubt of their authenticity or genuineness, nor of the correctness
of our present translation, but in the most unequivocal manner as-
serts that they were given forth by the Holy Spirit of God ; and that
" the question arises not about the truth of the text, since that is
agreed on all hands," which alone, is positive evidence of his unsha-
ken belief in their authenticity and genuineness. To confirm his
assertion, we shall add to it, the following satisfactory testimony,
given by one of the most learned biblical critics that the world has
ever produced, which will corroborate Penn's belief that there can
be no question about the correctness of the text. We allude to
the indefatigable Thomas Hartwell Home, to whose extensive and
profound researches, the christian world is indebted for much valua-
ble information on the subject. In his "Introduction to the Holy
Scriptures, &c." a work which we do earnestly recommend, to the
careful perusal of all our readers; he makes these excellent remarks,
viz:
" Although the various readings which have been discovered by
learned men, who have applied themselves to the collation of every
known manuscript of the Hebrew Scriptures, amount to many thou-
sands, yet these ditierences are of so little real moment, that their
laborious collations afford us scarcely any opportunities, of correct-
ing the sacred text in important passages. So far, however, are
these extensive and profound researches from being either trivial or
nugatory, that we have, in fact, derived from them, thegreatest advan-
tage which could have been wished for, by any real friend of revealed
religion ; namely, the certain knowledge of the agreement of the copies
of the ancient scriptures, now extant in their original language, with
each other, and with our Bibles." — Home's Introduction, vol. i. page
114, 4th edit.
73
Of the New Testament, he says — '• The manuscripts of the New
Testament, which are extant, are far more numerous, than those of
any single classic author whomsoever : upwards of three hundred
and fifty were collected by Griesbach, for his celebrated critical
edition. These manuscripts, it is true, are not all entire: most of
them contain only the Gospels ; others, the Gospels, Acts of the Apos-
tles, and the Epistles, and a few contain the Apocalypse or Revela-
tion of John. But they were all written in very different and distant
parts of the world ; several of them are upwards of ticelve hundred
years old^ and give us the books of the New Testament, in all
essential points, perfectly accordant with each other; as any person,
may readily ascertain, by examining the critical editions published
by Mill, Kuster, Bengel, Wetstein, and Griesbach. The thirty
thousand various readings, which are said to be found in the manu-
scripts, collated by Dr. iMill, and the hundred and fifty thousand
which Griesbach's edition is said to contain, in no degree whatever ,
affect the general credit and integrity of the text."
" In fact, the more copies are multiplied, and the more numerous
the transcripts and translations from the original, the more likely is
it, that the genuine te^t, and the true original reading, will be inves-
tigated and ascertained. The most correct and accurate ancient
classics, now extant, are those, of which we have the greatest num-
ber of manuscripts; and the most depraved, mutilated, and inaccu-
rate editions of the old writers, are those of which we have the few-
est manuscripts, and perhaps only a single manuscript, extant.
Such are Athenaeus, Clemens Romanus, Hesychius, and Photius.
" But of this formidable mass of various readings, which have
been collected by the diligence of collators, not one tenth, nay^,
not one hundredth part, either makes, or can make^ any perceptible,
or at least any material alteration in the sense in any modern ver-
sion. They consist, almost wholly, of palpable errors in transcrip-
tion, grammatical and verbal diiferences, such as the insertion or
omission of an article, the substitution of a v/ord for its equivalent,
and the transposition of a word or two in a sentence."
''Even the i^w that do change the sense, affect it only in passages
relating to unimportant, historical, and geographical circumstances,
or other collateral matters; and the still smaller number, that make
any alteration in things of consequence, do not on that account,
place us in any absolute uncertainty." — page 117, 118. — On the same
page?
" The very worst manuscript extant, itould not pervert one arti-
cle of our faith, or destroy one moral j^recept. All the omissions oi
the ancient manuscripts put together, could not countenance the omis-
sion of one essential doctrine of the gospel, relating either to faith, or
morals; and all the additions, countenanced by the whole mass of
manuscripts, already collated, do not introduce a single point es-
sential either to faith or manners, bevoiul what may be found in tiie
Complutensian or Elzevir editions. And though for tiip beauty, em-
phasis, and critical perfection of the letter of the New Testament,
a new edition formed on Griesbach's plan, is desirable; yet from
such an one, injidelitij can expect no help ; false doctrine no support;
K .
74
and even true religion, no accession to its excellence — as indeed it
needs none.
" The general iiniformitij, therefore, «f the manuscripts of the
New Testament, which are dispersed through all the countries in
the known world, and in so great a variety of languages, is truli/ as-
tonishing:; and demonstrates both the veneration in wliich the scrip-
tures, have uniformly been held, and the singular care which was
taken in transcribing them ; and so far are the various readings, con-
tained ill these manuscripts, from being hostile to the uncorrupted
preservation of the books of the New Testament, (as some sceptics
Aai'p6o/f////ff^r?nec?, and some timid christians have apprehended,) 'hat
they afford us, on the contrary, an additional and most convincing
proofs that they exist at present, in all essential points, preciseli/ the
same as they were, when they left the hands of their authors.'^ — pages
118, 119.
We have only to add to this conclusive testimony, our earnest
wish that Elias Hicks, and his followers, would take the pains to
read the able and interesting works, which have been written in de-
fence of the sacred volume ; and to examine for themselves the very
great weight of evidence, amounting io absolute certainty, that such
of the inspired writings, as we have received, are preserved to us,
in a state of purity and completeness ; which, amidst the revolu-
tions of empires, the fall of governments, and all the changes which
this transitory world is subject to, can only be attributed to the mi-
raculous interference of that Almighty Providence, at whose hand
we have received the blessing; and to whom we shall as certainly
have to account for the right use of it. We are fully persuaded
that the weak and childish objections, that "they were altered by
the Pope," and "written by nobody knows who" — and such like un-
founded cavils, can only proceed from downright ignorance, to
which unbelief lias added its usual concomitants, presumption and
arrogance.
The next extract of the compilers, in the order of William Penn's
treatise, is at the bottom of page 48 of the pamphlet, vi z ; |Ci°'[" Ch rist
"left nothing in writing for the rule of faith and practice, that we
" hear of; and it is not to be thought, that he was less faithful in his
<' house than Moses; and doubtless, had he intended the rule of his
<' followers to have been a written rule, he would have left it upon
" record with all punctuality ; this must be believed, and that done,
" on pain of eternal death. Nor did his followers write, in the me-
*' thod of a rule, as the law was written, nor did they so call or re-
" commend what they writ."]<a£::}i — Vol. i. 597.
That our blessed Lord left behind him any of his own writings, we
have no evidence to prove. This, however, forms no argument against
the reverent esteem and proper use of those invaluable books, which
he was pleased to influence and inspire the holy rnen of old to write,
for our learning and comfort. We have botli his example and pre-
cept for the use of them, since he often quoted them, and even conde-
scended to do it in order to convince the unbelieving Jews that he
Was indeed the Christ. And though he was Lord of all, and had
ia his hand all power in heaven and earth, though the very object of
75
his mission was to introduce a higher and more glorious dispensa-
tion than that of the law of Moses; yet to give irrefragable proot
that the revelations of his holy spirit never could contradict eacli
other; he told the Jews, when delivering his memorable sermon on
the Mount, '' Think not that I am come to destroy the laiv or the
prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil" On another oc-
casion he declared to them, "the scripture cannor be broken" — and
again to his disciples, after his resurrection from the dead, "These
are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that
all things must be fulfilled^ which were written in the law of Moses ^
and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me. Then open-
ed he their understanding, that they might understand the scrip-
tures; and said unto them, thus it is irriiten, and thus it behoved
Christ to suffer, and to rise from thi^ dead the third day, and that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name
among all nations, beginning at Jerusalea." — Luke xxiv. 44 — 47.
What higher sanction could we have for the truth of Holy Scrip-
ture, than he has thus been pleased to give u*, by his own testimony,
and although William PennV remark, that he left nothing in writing
as the rule of faith and practice, may have much weight against
the opinion which he was opposing, it is far from proving that Wil-
liam Penn had any design to derogate from the inestimable value
of Holy Scripture — he was not contending against the reverent use
and esteem of them, but on the other hand, enforces it upon his rea-
ders in this very essay.
There cannot be a stronger argument in favour of the divine
authority of the Sacred Writings, than the fact that Jesus Christ
and his apostles constantly appealed to them, as furnishing decisive
proof of the coming of the Messiah, and of all the important parti-
culars relative to his holy life, death, and resurrection ; showing, in
the most clear and convincing manner, that the prophecies of the
prophets had been literally fulfilled in Him, and that the glorious day
of Gospel Light, had dawned upon the world, and thus evincing that
those prophecies were written under the guidance of the Holy-
Ghost.
The next, and last extract from this treatise, is inserted on the
top of page 49 of the pamphlet. It is taken from the conclusion of
a long paragraph, and is similar in its arguments to those we have al-
ready noticed. It is a little remarkable how close the compilers
have clipped the last sentence, closing at a comma, with &c., doubt-
less in fear, lest they should quote any thing that would serve to
show the incongruence of Elias Hicks' opinions, with the belief of
William Penn. The last sentence stands thus in Penn; "Now his-
tory, though it inform me of others' actions, yet it does not follow
that it is the rule of duty to me ; since it may relate to actions not
imitable, as in the case of Adam and Eve, in several respects, [here
the compilers stop with &c. Penn proceeds,] and Christ's being born
of a virgin^ dying for the sins of the tvorld,&.c. wherefore this can-
not be the rule of duty." This last they omit entirely, and it is not
difficult to see why, when we observe ihat it contains a declaration
of belief in the miraculous conception and atonement of our bless-
76
ed Lord ; two points which Elias Hicks notoriously denies. Had
the omitted part inculcated contrary sentiments, the compilers,
doubtless, would have been careful to present it to us, duly itali-
cised.
It would have been more consistent with justice to the Christian
character of William Penn, and the early Quakers, had the compi-
lers, while they professed to furnish the faith of the Society, in rela-
tion to the Holy Scriptures, resorted to such of their writings as are
declaratory of their belief on the subject, disconnected from extra-
neous argumentation. They certainly have acted unfairly towards
William Penn, in not insertipig such parts of the present treatise, as
defend him from the imputation of doubting the authenticity, or di-
vine authority of the sacred iexi. Aware of the misconstructions to
which controversial essays were liable, where the scope of the argu-
ment was directed to expose the errors and inconsistencies of an op-
ponent, rather than simply to declare the writer's views, and to pre-
vent his language from being wrested to prove what he never intend-
ed ; William Penn states the following objection to his own essay—
" But do you not turn the scriptures oW'for an uncertain and unser-
viceable writing ; and as good as reject and deny them altogether r"
To which he replies —
" Some, indeed, to render us odious to all protestants, have said
us much, in our names, as the consequence of our principles, but not
without great injustice to us. 'Hie scriptures are uncertain upon
their foundation, hut not upon ours. Doth our manifesting their
jfaii/t concerning the scriptures, to be grounded upon their own imagi-
nations, or human traditions, make void the scriptures, or render them
uncertain? By no means, for we would have them received, upon
the spirit's testimony and evidence, which gave them forth. And
though we cannot allow them to be the ride oj faith and life, under
the dispensation of the gospel, which is power and life itselt ; yet are
they to be reverently read, believed, and fulfilled under the gospel.
For notwithstanding the law written upon stone was not Paul's rule,
after the Son of God was revealed in him ; yet the Son of God taught
Paul to fulfil the righteousness declared by that law. If it be to
deny and reject, (as some have enviously said of us,) yea, to vilify the
scripture, because we cannot allow it to be the rule, &c. Paul then
may be said to deny, reject, and vilify the written law, at what time
the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus became his rule.
" There is a great difference between asserting that the spirit is the
rule, and casting away and vilifying of scripture. And indeed, it is
but an old fetch of the devil's, to pretend honour to the letter, that
he might, the more unsuspectedly, oppose the bringing in of the dis-
pensation of the spirit ; which the letter itself testifes of and to.
They that come to be led of the spirit, arrive at the end for which
the scripture was given forth: the apostle John did as good as say
the same thing, when he told them to whom he wrote, that the anoint-
ing which they had received, and abode in them, would lead them in-
to all truth; and that they needed not that any man should teach
them :
" To deny this to have been the saints' teacher, is to deny as plain
77
a proposition, as is in the whole Scripture : and that one age of
chri-Mianity should have one rule, and another age another rule, that
age the Spirit, and this but the letter, is more than any man can
prove: yei did John so writing to the he\\e\ers, invalidate the Scrip-
ture, or vilify his own epistle? I would think none could talk, so
idly. How then doth our exalting the light and Spirit of Christ,
which fulfils the Scriptures, (by bringing such as are led by it, to
enjoy the good things therein declared,) reject and vilify the Scrip-
lures? Does our living up to them, by an higher rule, make us deny
and reprobate them? Erasmus and Grotius think them then to be
most valued^ when men are witnesses of their truth in themselves ;
See them on 2 Peter i. 19, 20.
'r " I do acknowledge, they contain an account of several heavenly
prophecies, godly reproofs, instructions, and examples, that ought to
be obeyed and followed." — Vol. i. page 599.
In reply to the objection, that his doctrine makes void the protes-
tants' plea against the Papists, " that the Scriptures are the rule of
faith and practice," William Penn says, ♦' Answer, JVb such matter:
for the question was not, whether the Spirit of Christ or the Scrip-
ture was the rule; but whether the Scripture, which is God's tradi-
tion, or popish traditions, were the rule to measure the truth of doc-
trines and practice by. We grant that particular scriptures, rightly
understood, inay measure what is agreeable or disagreeable to them :
that is, such doctrines and practices as are contrary to that part of
scripture, more particularly relating to our days, are questionable,
by the scripture ; especially since all parties pretend, that what they
say and do, is according to scripture. Yet this concludes not the
scripture to be the general and evangelical rule." — Page 601.
We have confined our quotations to the same treatise, as the com-
pilers have taken theirs from, and apprehend we have adduced
sufficient proof, that William Penn was far from according with
Elias Hicks in his denial of tlie authenticity, divine authority, and
true value of the sacred wi itings. We shall have occasion to give
other extracts from Penn's Works on the subject, which will fully
confirm this fact. The devil must have had ill success, we think,
with his "old fetch of pretending honour to the letter," in order to
oppose the Spirit, since he is now practising the more specious and
sanctimonious "fetch" of pretending great honour to the Spirit, in
order that he may more successfully destroy all regard to the Holy
Scriptures; and thus, open the way to the greatest libertinism in
doctrine and practice.
On page 52 of the compilers' pamphlet, we have the following sen-
tence quoted from William Penn's works, as though it were approv-
ed and adopted by him, viz,
|Ci°"[" George Whitehead says, < That which was spoken from
" the spirit of truth in any, is of as great authority as the scriptures,
" or chapters are, and greater, as proceeding immediately from that
"Spirit, as Christ's words were of greater authority when he spoke,
"than the Pharisees reading the letter. William Penn's Works,
"Vol. ii. page 674."],Z:3|
The passage is extracted from a tract written by William Fenn^
78
m 1676, called " A brief Answer to a false and foolish libel, called
the Quakers' Opinions," the object of which as stated by the author,
is to reprove the libeller, and hinder others from being abused by
him, that the Quakers' innocency may be delivered from the mis-
takes of his ignorance and the reflections of his malice.
Among other " mistakes and reflections" which William Penn re-
futes, is the author's alleged doctrine of George Whitehead, viz.
"that which is spoken from the spirit of truth in any; is of as great
authority as the scriptures, yea, greater;" in proof of which he cites
the expression of George Whitehead, as quoted by the compilers. — ■
WMlliam Penn repeats the language of George Whitehead, in order
to show the libeller's unfair deduction from it, and to vindicate the
injured character of his friend, from the base insinuation of his ac-
cuser. The compilers have italicised the words " and greater," and
omitted the explanation of William Penn, immediately following,
whence it is evident they would impress upon the public the same
unfair sentiment as the libeller had done, and impose it as being the
belief, not only of George Whitehead, but William Penn also. But
it will appear from William Penn's defence, that they have greatly
wronged both him and his friend. He says: —
" Now I appeal to the just witness of God in every conscience, if
this adversary was not very disingenuous, to take no notice of this
distinction: For in short, two things are in our friend's words; first,
that what comes from the same spirit of truth, is of the same autho-
rity ; and who denies that? Nobody, that is in his senses. Next,
that what is spoken by the immediate motion, life, and power of the
Spirit, is of more authority; (that is, force and eflicacy to move,
quicken, enliven, or operate upon the hearers,) than the bare reading
of a chapter in the scripture, especially by such as the Pharisees
were} as a letter cannot give that impression, which we may justly
suppose, the lively presence, mind, and voice of the person that writ
it, might. But the end of our adversary plainly is this, to make
us undervalue the truth of the scripture, and to debase the authoritt/
of the scripture, ivith relation to its verity : as if what was said now,
by the spirit of truth, in any godly man, were more true than that
which was spoken by the same spirit in former ages, which is a gross
suggestion. The difterence lying in these two things, first, whether
Christ's words, spoken by his own mouth, were not of greater force,
vigour, and authority, to influence or quicken an auditory, than the
same words, written and now read. Secondly, whether the ivords
of Christ when spoken by his own mouth, were not of more life and
authority, than the scriptures read by the Pharisees. The first is
true, and much more the last; let this adversary then be ashamed of
his injustice. Christ said of the words that he spoke, the words
that I speak they are spirit and they are life, [Eiias Hicks asserts
that Christ's words were ''all but letter." See Sermons, page 11 3. j
that is as they proceeded from his gracious lips, and as tney were
uttered from that divine power, glory, and authority, which dwelt in
him." — Vol. ii. page 674.
William Penn was the intimate friend and frequent companion of
George Whitehead ; they were often engaged together both in oral
79
and written controversies, and he must certainly be a more correct
judge of his real meaning and sentiments, than either the libeller or
the modern compilers; consequently, this defence must completely
vindicate him from the unjust imputation designed by the quotation
in the pamphlet.
William Penn wrote several essays in 1692, in defence of the
Quakers, against some aspersions contained in a paper called " The
Athenian." Speaking of the belief of Friends in the Holy Spirit,
and their exalting it as the primary rule of faith and practice, he
says: " This is the doctrine that is our crime, our enthusiasm, our
error; and we are seducers, deceivers, and what not ; for asserting,
recommending, and pressing it. But if this be to be vile, we are
like to be more vile ; for we must bear witness to that which the
scripture testifies of, viz. the spirit ; and prefer it before the scrip-
ture, when the scripture does so of itself. No man's letter is himself,
nor so noble as himself. The scripture, is as the letter or epistle of
the Holy Ghost, to men ; but for that reason 'tis not the Holy Ghost,
nor to be instead of the Holy Ghost to us ; nor to be sure, to be pre-
ferred before the Holy Ghost. We bless God for the scriptures :
we read them with comfort and advantage ; and they are profitable,
to the perfecting of the man of God, through ^he assistance of the
spirit: The scriptures declare the things of God; but cannot work
them in the man : The spirit only can do that ; for which cause we
honour, exalt, and prefer the spirit, as that which fulfils the scrip-
ture; and invite all to receive it, that it may make people spiritual,
for to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Wherefore, as often
as any of our expressions, are consttmed to lessen the Holy Scrip-
tures ; we ask it as a piece of justice, from all our readers, to take
this caution with them ; we speak comparatively, not with our books,
or u'ith men, but with Christ, his Light and Spirit, from whence the
scriptures came. And in this sense it is, that R. Barclay, and others,
on the like occasion, express themselves, when supposed to abate of
the common opinion of the scriptures. For as face answers face in
a glass, so we say and know, the spirit and scripture answer each
other. And, therefore, the comfortable evidence of a christian man,
is the testimony of the spirit of God within him and the scriptures of
truth without him. Let it not, then, be any more a fault in us to direct
people to the spirit of God, by which only they can come to the
possession of the good things the scriptures speak of; for though they
exhort, rebuke, instruct, &c., yet without that great agent, the spirit,
influencing and enabling the creature, he shall never experience the
truth of the scriptures, to himself, in the most relative and excellent
parts of it." — Vol. ii. page 799.
Again, in the same paper," But for equalling our writings with
scripture, we have no such expressions or thoughts ; it is a word ot
your own, and a. conceit and hfirence of our old adversaries. There
are degrees, as well as diversity of manifestations and operations,
but the same Lord, and the same Spirit : Yet, if it will satisfy you,
we have ever preferred the Bible to all books and writings of saints
and good men." — Ibid, page 800.
We hope that the readers of the pamphlet, will comply with the
80
reasonable request of this worthy man, on behalf of the Quakers,
and avoid the unfair construction which Penn complains of. It
would have been well if the compilers had done them that justice^
which their " old adversaries" seem to have had so little regard for,
and from the want of which, so many false " conceits and inferences,"
were injuriously put upon their words, to make them convey a mean-
ing, which, though contrary to the true intent of the authors, yet serv-
ed the purpose of those who cared not how erroneous and inconsistent
the persecuted Quakers appeared, so that their own evil designs
were answered. If such are willing to be satisfied at all, as to the
true faith of the Quakers respecting the scriptures, we hope " it
will satisfy them to know" what Penn here says of them, a more
honourable confession than which, could not be made.
It is a circumstance peculiarly favourable to the cause in which
we are engaged, that the enemies of the Society of Friends, for se-
veral years after its origin, reiterated against them, the unjust accu-
sation of entertaining those opinions which Elias Hicks now advances
— and they adduced as proofof it, several of the same quotations which
the compilers of the pamphlet have now selected. The Society could
not but view the accusation, as one which essentially affected their
christian character, and were, therefore, prompt and decisive in de-
nying and refuting it. Those who will take the pains to peruse their
replies to the various libels published against them, will find abun-
dant proof of this fact. The passage quoted by the compilers, from
William Penn's work, to show that George Whitehead undervalued
the Holy Scriptures, was adduced for the same purpose, by George
Keith, and by the author of the Snake in the Grass, — a most scurril-
ous and invidious publication. This coincidence enables us to give
additional testimony to counteract the impression which the compi-
lers would wish to make, as Joseph Wyeth and George Whitehead
replied to the accusation, in a work entitled " The Switch for the
Snake and a Supplement."
Joseph Wyeth, states the charge of the Snake, viz: that Friends
preferred " not only their own ivritings, but extempore preach-
ments," and all that they said, to the holy scriptures, which he de-
clares to be boldly and impudently asserting a notorious lie, and adds
— " Reader, I cannot here omit, a serious appeal to thyself, on the
great injustice and falsehood o[ this ad\er%a.ry ;&nd if thou art one, who
by conversation with us, or our books, hast any knowledge of us, thoU
dost know the charge of this adversary is false : And Ido truly declare
that our value and esteem for the books of the Old and New Tes-
tament, is much greater than for any other book extant in the world,
and this George Whitehead doth freely own, and hath declared as
much. So, also, in this particular, I will show his falsehood and
■perversion of George Whitehead's words in the place quoted, which
the Snake has injuriously curtailed." He then quotes the passage,
and thus explains : — " So that according to George Whitehead's
wovds^that speaking, or reading of the scriptures, which is denied to
be of authority ; is, when spoken or read by such, in whom that spirit
gpeaketh not, that gave forth the scriptures; and we have good au-
thority for this, for thus our Saviour, Matt. xxii. 24, denied the Sad-
81
ducees, when they spoke and repeated the law, mentioned, Deuh
XXV. 5, and thus he also denied the devil, Matt. iv. 6, when the de-
vil,repeated the prophesy of the Psalmist, xci. 1 1 , and thus also he de-
nied the Pharisees, of which are divers instances." — Switch, pages
170, 171.
In the Supplement, George Whitehead thus replies to the same
charge, viz— " Thisalso is notoriously false, both in charge and quota-
tion, as is manifest in my answer, '* Antidote, page 43, viz: He [the
Snake] very perversely wrongs George Whitehead in all these ex-
pressions; for there is not a word of preferring our writings to
the Holy Scriptures, much less of all, whatsoever we speak, thereto ;
but a preferring the Holy Spirit, and its immediate teaching in man,
to the letter of the scripture: and preaching in the true sense of the
spirit, with divine power and authority, (according as (^Jhrist did,)
to the bare reading the letter, as the Pharisees did." — page 510.
Again, on page 493, George Whitehead says — " For my part, as I
am not in the least conscious to myself, of the least contempt of Ho-
ly Scripture, nor yet of the Bible, /or 1 have ahvays preferred it to
all other hooks extant in the world, and more affected reading there-
in, than atiy other book, even from my childhood, and often bless
Diviun Providence, for preserving to us the scriptures ; so I know
of NONE among us guilty of contemning them : Neither is what's
said fronj any contempt of scripture, no more than it is of the earth
and the heavens to say, " they shall wax old and perish, but the
Word that made them endureth. Psalm, cii. 25,26. Heb. i. 11, 12.
But say what we can in this case, to clear ourselves of any contempt
to the Holy Scriptures, this our uncharitable judge and accuser will
not believe us : He^s bent to asperse, he has swallowed down so much
of the sour leaven of the malice of a few false brethren, persecutors
and apostates, from whom he derives much of his authority, and thus
scurrilously and most falsely imposes upon me, viz: *' And there-
tore, George, notwithstanding all thy mealy modesty, it is, it is, in-
deed, George, it is the very doctrine of the scriptures which you blas-
pheme as dust, and death, and serpents' meat, on purpose to bring
men off' from trying your pernicious heresies by those sacred ora-
cles." " This is a pernicious abuse and calumny against myself and
others of us, to outface us against ourvery sense and consciences ; and
in good conscience, 1 testify against it ; it never entered into my in-
tention or thoughts, so to blaspheme the doctrine of the scriptures as
to term or deem it dust, death, or serpents' meat: the Lord rebuke
this lying envious spirit.
" Neither do I vilify the written doctrine and precepts of God in
comparison of our new light, (as he falsely calls it, page 177,) but
reverently esteem them.* The man makes no conscience of defaming
us. Neither do we quarrel with the law and the testimony; nor yet
with writing or scripture, as 'tis in ink and paper, but distinguish
* We request our readers to compare with this confession of George White-
head's, the epithets by which Elias Hicks characterises one of the plainest
and most sacred doctrines of Holy Scripture, viz : the propitiation of Jesus
Christ, in his letter to Dr. Nathan Shoemaker, calling: it wicked and ab-
surd, 8ic.
L
82
between the writiDg and the things written, which is no tentempt to
either. We are thankful to Divine Providence, for both the scripture
or writing, and the Holy doctrine, and divine precepts therein writ-
ten, for they testify unto Christ our light, and our light to the truth
of «Am."— pages 493, 494.
We are presented, on pages 58 and 59 of their pamphlet, with an
extract on the subject of the scriptures, taken from an essay written
by William Penn, styled "The invalidity of John Faldo's vindica-
tion of his book, called 'Quakerism no Christianity,'" &,c. dated
1673. We shall insert the whole paragraph, as the compilers have
unfairly omitted a part of it. The part they have quoted is inserted
in brackets, &c. It is as follows:
"In short, |C7=[the scripture is not the rule, but declaration
'• of faith and knoidedge : that only must be the rule of faith, which
"gave and ruled the faith of those that gave forth scripture. And
•' because none can give or work faith now, but what did give and
" work faith then ; 'tis not the scripture, but that which was before
" the scripture, even the Spirit of Truth, w hich was the author, rule,
"and finisher of their faith. And if our faith in this age be the same
" with the holy men's of old, that gave forth the scriptures, they are
" no more our rule now, than they were their's then, who had a rule
"and a faith before them. But as it ivas a declaration of ivhat they
" believed, knew, and witnessed ; so it is a declaration nf ivhat we
" now believe, and desire to know and witness: John's epistle was not
"writ to be the saints' rule; [the compilers have made it, John's
" epistle was writ by the saints' rule.] for he directed them to the
" anointing ;3<a£:::^ yet Xhe'ir faith and life, of which the anointing
was the rule, was according to John's epistle. Again, the declara'
Hon, in time, was after the faith declared of; but where there was
faith, there was a rule; consequently, that declaration which was af-
ter that faith and rule, was not that rule, so that the most that can be
said against us, is this: the scriptures cannot be a declaration of your
faith, till you come to such a belief of the truths thereby expressed,
as they had who writ them ; and a great truth it is. But then, say
we, the spirit must work that faith, before the sciiptures can be ac-
counted a declaration of our faith ; or we interested in them : and
because that faith has a rule, so soon as it has a being, it must needs
follow, that the declaration of that faith cannot be either the author
or rule of it. Here lies the mistake of my adversary, and many
more; that because what a man does is according or agreeable to a
thing, therefore that is the rule of the thing done." — Vol.ii. page 338.
It is worthy of notice, how carefully the compilers have avoided
giving any thing in their extracts which was obviously opposed tojthe
favourite sentiments of Elias Hicks. It is well known that there is
scarcely any thing which disturbs him more, than an attempt to try
his notions by the test of scripture. It at once refutes him, and
therefore his policy is, to inculcate the idea that a man is to run law-
less, in doctrine, if he is only confident enough to assert that he is
guided by the spirit. To avoid any thing like discredit to this con-
venient libertinism, the compilers stop their quotation in the middle
of a sentence, at a semicolon, when William Penn is declaring, that
83
ii though John's epistle was not written to be the saints' rule, since
he directed them to the anointing, yet their faith and life, of which
the anointing icas the rule, was according to John's epistle ; which
important clause they leave entirely out.
Now, it is most clear, that if that faith and life, of which the
anointing is the rule, is according to scripture ; then that faith or life
which h not according to scripture, is not ruled or produced by the
anointing or Holy Spirit ; and hence, it is easy to see that as Elias
Hicks' doctrines are contrary to scripture, and he asserts they are
not to be judged by it, therefore they cannot be produced or sanc-
tioned by the Holy Spirit.
They have altered the words of William Penn : he says, "John's
epistle was not writ to be the sainis' rule ;" they say, " John's epistle
was writ by tne saints' rule" — and though the difference is not mate-
rial, yet it serves to show how little confidence is to be placed upon
the accuracy or honesty of their quotations.
It is exceedingly to be regretted that their cause is such as to
oblige them to- resort to so mean a shift, as the omission we have
just noticed, in order to make out the appearance of support for it.
Justice to the character of those exemplary Christians and true
" Gospel Ministers," whose writings they pretend to quote ; and es-
pecially a regard for the cause of Christ, and the unwary souls whom
they would fain beguile of their Christian faith, induce us to expose
the unwarrantable and unjust liberties, which they have taken with
" the writings of primitive Friends," that their Christian character
may be rescued from aspersion.
The sentiments contained in the whole extract, are very simi-
lar to those we have before noticed. William Penn shows that the
scriptures are not "the rule," that is, the primary and only rulej
but yet he expressly says, they are a declaration of what those holy
men believed and knew, who gave them forth, and a declaration too
of what the (lunkers believed, and desired to know and witness.
Now as Elias Hicks declares his disbelief of the doctrine of the
scriptures in several respects, and is so far from desiring to witness
those things which they set forth, that he asserts the scripture doc-
trine of the atonement to be wicked and absurd ; it is as clear as de-
monstration can make any proposition, that he is not one in faith with
the " primitive Friends." As the compilers have introduced this es-
say of William Penn into notice, we -shall make a few short extracts
from the third chapter of it, viz.
"1 do declare to the whole world, that we believe the scriptures
to contain a declaration of the mind and will of God, in and to
those ages in which they were written ; being given forth by the
Holy Ghost, moving in the hearts of holy men of God: that' they
ought also to be read, believed, and fulfilled, in our day ; being use-
ful for reproof and instruction, that the man of God may be per-
fect." Page 324. Again, on page 3^27, after speaking of the apos-
tacy from the Holy Spirit, under the darkness of which men put the
scriptures into the place of the spirit, and canonized and worship-
ed them ; he adds — " They are a declaration and testimony of hea-
venly things; but not the heavenly things themselves, and as such
84
we carry an high respect unto them. We accept them as the words
of God himself: and by the assistance of his spirit, they are read
with great instruction and comfort. I esteem them the best of
writings, and desire nothing more frequently, than that I may lead
the life they exhort to; and whatever slight apprehensions my disin-
genuous adversary is pleased to have of these kind of acknowledg-
ments, I write the naked truth of my heart, knowing I must give an
account to God." — Page 327.
Again on pages 337 and 338, the very same from which the com-
pilers have quoted, after affirming that the spirit of Christ alone, can
unfold the mysteries contained in the Scriptures; he adds, " Where-
fore we affirm, that repentance, faith, sanctification, justification, re-
demption, regeneration, &c are all a mystery, never to be disclosed,
but by the revelation and operation of the spirit of Goa in man ; the
scripture can only testify to such things, that they are ; but it is the
spirit alone that works them, and illuminates, guides, governs, and
rules the soul, in and about such things. Tis true, all the spirit
leads to is according to the scriptures; it overturns them not;
for they declare of most of these operations ; yet because we be-
lieve, know and witness them, from the conviction and operation
of the spirit, before we can possibly understand them in scripture;
therefore the scripture is but a declaration, and not the rule of faith,
&c."
The next quotation from William Penn, is on pages 60 and 61 of
the pamphlet, being extracted from the second part of " A Serious
Apology for the Principles and Practices of the People called Qua-
kers, against the malicious aspersions, &c. of Thomas Jenner and
Timothy Taylor, &c." William Penn in replying to an answer of
his opponents, to a pretended objection of the Quakers, divides it
into two parts, the first of which is, " They who formerly spoke by
immediate revelation, as Moses and the prophets, Christ and the
apostles, did confirm what they said by miracles; the consequences
are plainly this, that there is a mediate revelation."
" To which I reply, That |ci7°'[greater impertinency no man can
<'be guilty of, than to affirm or teach that there is a revelation not
"immediate ; it is a direct contradiction in terms, for that which is
" revealed must be immediately, or else it cannot rationally be a re-
<' velation, but tradition rather. Nay, the scriptures cannot be proper-
*' ly styled the revelation of the will of God, till they are first open-
" ed by Him, who was found worthy to unseal the book, that spirit of
<' truth, that opens and none shuts; and shuts and none opens.
"The scripture give this testimony to what I affirm, That 'tis the
"inspiration of the Almighty which gives understanding: And none
" can come to the Father but by me : None knows the Father, but
" the Son, and he to whom the Son reveals him : None knows the
" things of God, save the spirit of God : 1 will be with you to the
" end: If any be otherwise minded, God will reveal it to him, with
"many, the like expressions, which aftord us thus much, viz. That
"since no man knows the mind and will of God, neither can rightly
*' discern of spiritual matters, but as they are revealed and mani-
"fested by the spirit of God— -the very scriptures themselves are not
85
" a revelation to him ; but the sense and purpose of tlietn, so imme-
»<diatelv revealt-d by the etertial spirit is the only true revelation,
*' and the scriptures but a godly tradition.
'• Moses did not conclude his predecessors ignorant of the will of
" God, who were without a written law. Nor did Job say that the
« naked books of IMoses, were able to give understanding, but the
"inspiration of the Almighty; neither did Christ bid them read the
"scriptures that the Father might be revealed to them; nor the
" apostles require the churches to have recourse to their writings,
*' (tlien scattered amongst them) as what would only reveal to them
« the mind of God. But as they affirmed and preached the impos-
" sibility of knowing the things of God, any other way, than that of
" revelation from God ; so did they attribute all such science ; not
*' to their writings, but to his spirit; directing all to the grace,
" spirit and anointing, as their most infallible teacher.
" Nay, the Lord in his wisdom, apprehending that the people
" would not believe -Moses, unless they had some sensible and con-
'' vincing evidence, was therefore pleased to say to Moses, Lo I
" come in a thick cloud, that the people may hear, when I speak
" with thee, and believe thee forever: Exod. xix. 9. This was far
" from God's speaking, so as that the people should not hear as well
« as Moses, or the prophets."].ciC]| — Vol. ii. page 37.
The compilers have italicised the words "godly tradition," to
make them emphatical, doubtless supposing that William Penn by
using the term designed to lessen the true value of the Holy Scrip
tures. But it must be remembered that the word tradition, was not
so frightful a term in his days, as the fanatacism of some modern
professors has made it — divested of the extraneous ideas which of
latter times have been connected with it, the term means no more
than something delivered, or handed down from generation to gene-
ration. Now a godly tradition, or as he calls it in the extract on
our rrth page, " God's tradition," and " the letter or Epistle of the
Holy Ghost;" is no less than something communicated by God him-
self to man, and transmitted from generation to generation, which is
indeed giving them, a most exalted, though strictly true character.
John Faldo, an illiberal opponent of our early friends, took occa-
sion to traduce the Society in consequence of William Penn's use
of this very term, and construed it, as the compilers would have us
do, into an expression of disrespect towards the sacred volume.
William Penn replied to Faldo's book in 1673, in an essay entitled
" Quakerism a new nick-name for old Christianity, &c. from which
we extract the following: —
" John Faldo, page 86, [says,] Traditions of men, that is, says he
the scripture or written word." William Penn. " Show us that in any
book that is subscribed by an acknowledged Quaker. Tradition is a
delivering anything down from one generation to another; and as
such the word is inoffensive : but to say, they are the traditions of
men, in the sense Christ reproved the Pharisaical religion, God for-
bid: I had rather my tongue were cut out of my head. Oh! base
man! To abuse an innocent people thus grossly. The scripture
IS a godly tradition, or writing, given forth by inspiration, and pre-
86
served through generations, which we ready believe^ and desire to
fulfil through the power of God." — Vol. ii. pajje 312.
The sentiments which William Penn asserts in the above quo-
tation, are similar to those we have before commented upon. To
show that while he urged the propriety of considering the Spirit of
Christ, as the primary rule of faith and practice, he was not for re-
jecting, or lessening our esteem for the scriptures, we shall quote
the following, from the same essay, and the very same page on which
the compilers' extracts are found. After asserting that the belief of
Friends in the Spirit, did not do away the advantages to be derived
from outward teaching, he adds: —
"Nor would we be thought to lessen the virtue, use and reputa-
tion of the Holy Scriptures, whilst we endeavour the vindication of
the Holy Spirit, in his office of revelation to believers —
" They are useful in two eminent respects—
" First — Historically ; as giving a true narrative of the transac-
tions of those ages of the world, in reference to the Church, or state
of both Jews and Christians, their trials, troubles, temptations,
lapses, recoveries, and perfect victories.
" Secondly — Doctrinally ; as presenting us with a true account of
the principles and doctrines of the people of God; their holy faith
and patience; I cannot phrase it better than a divine glass, in which
we see, (I say we see, who Jirst have that heavenly organ, and eye
opened by inspiration and revelation ;) the states and condition of
the primitive saints, which is matter of unspeakable comfort and
confirmation, as well as of good example to us ; yet still, the effi-
cient cause of all, is the convincing revelation, and operation of the
Eternal Spirit of God ; and the Scriptures are only useful, as un-
folded by the inspiration of the same" — page 37. Again, in page
42, in reply to Jenner, William Penn says: —
" His other Scriptures are as little to his purpose, viz: "Keep
this commandment, until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ;
the things which thou heardst from me, the same commit thou to
faithful men, who shall be able to teach others — contend for the faith
which was once delivered to the saints. Hold the traditions which
ye have been taught, that ye may be able by sound doctrine, both
to exhort and convince gainsayers." After expressing that he is
weary with wondering at the folly of his opponent,'^William Penn
adds : —
" But I answer. Did ever any Quaker in the world deny the scrip-
tures quoted? Do they not own that the commandments should
be kept forever; that Timothy did well to commit the wholesome
doctrine, he had heard of Paul, to others ; and that the faith should
be contended for; and the Tradition, or those Holy Truths, decla-
red by the apostle, should abide with them to whom he spoke; and
WITH us TOO, FOR EVERMORE. But what has this to do with the ne-
cessity of Revelation ? Does not the same apostle expressly say,
the Spirit of God only, can give to discern the things of God, and
that if any man is otherwise minded, God will reveal it to him"—
page 42.
87
In concluding the chapter, from which we have taken the forego-
ing quotations, William Penn says: — "We end the chapter with
this brief summary of the whole —
" First, That by Revelation, we understand the discovery and il-
lumination of the Light and Spirit of God, relating to those things,
that properly and immediately concern the daily information and
satisfaction of our souls, in the way of our duty to Him and our
neighbour.
"Second, That we renounce all fantastical and whimsical intox-
ications, or any pretence to the revelation of new matter in opposi-
tion to the ancient gospel, declared by Christ Jesus and his apostles:
and therefore not the revelation of new things, but the renewed revela-
tion of the eternal way of truth.
"Third, That this revelation, is the life, virtue, condition, and
very soul of the gospel, and second covenant.
"Fourth, That none oppose this, but such as the God of this
world has blinded ; and that through their ignorance of the spiritu-
ality of the evangelical dispensation, are, (whilst they pretend to be
under it,) sticklers for a more embondaged state than that of the
ancient Jews" — page 48.
From this second article, it is clearly apparent, that all the pre-
tended revelations, further openings, and greater advances, that
Elias Hicks and his followers boast of; which go to overturn or
contravene the ancient gospel of Jesus Christ and his apostles, as
laid down in the holy scriptures, are contrary to the faith of the
primitive Quakers ; and the foolish notion that he is an hundred
years ahead of the ancient or modern friends, can only be correct,
when applied to those "fantastical and whimsical intoxications, and
pretences to the revelation of neiv matter,'''' which those pious chris-
tians so devoutly renounce. Again, in the same essay, page 62, af-
ter giving his reasons why they are not the complete rule, he adds
-—"But, methinks, this our demonstration, should satisfy ail; when
neither man nor scriptures are near us, yet there continually at-
tends us, that spirit of truth, that immediately informs us, of our
thoughts, words, and deeds, and gives us true directions what to do,
and what to leave undone ; is not this the rule of life ? If ye are
led by the spirit of God, then are ye sons of God ; let this suffice,
to vindicate our sense of a true and unerring rule, which we assert,
not in a way of derogation from these holy writings, which with re-
verence we read, believe, and desire always to obey, the mind and will
of God therein contained, and let that doctrine be accursed,
that would overturn them."
On page 69 of the pamphlet, we are referred to the Christian
Quaker, for an extract on the subject of the scriptures, to prove
what is very true, that those who made ^rea.t pretence to the scrip-
tures, would not come to Christ, but rejected and crucified him.
Pretenders to the scriptures, as well as pretenders against the scrip-
tures have always rejected Christ ; while those who have had a sin-
cere and humble belief and godly esteem of those invaluable
^\ ritings, and have waited to know them fulfilled by the holy Spirit
88
«)f Christ, have ever found their faith in them, strengthened and
owned by God himself. The quotation is as follows —
|i::;7^["They were the great pretenders to srriptures, (hat would not
"come to Christ: the traditional, literal, and ordinance men, who also
'< rejected and crucified him. On the ovher hand, had not Cornelius,
" and the centurion, with many others, been upright livers to the light
" within; neither had Peter been so received by the one, nor Christ
"so followed by the other. But that measure of the divine light,
"which they had hitherto obeyed, as * the more sure word of prophe-
♦' cy,' led them naturally unto the rising of the * day star ;' which,
" though a more glorious manifestation, yet not of another light, life
" or spirit ; for there are not two lights, lifes, natures, or spirits, in
"God. He is one forever in himself; and his light iis one in kind,
"however variously he may have declared himself; or manifested
" it at sundry times of the world."]oC3l
It is quite as easy to be pretenders to the spirit, as to the Scrip-
tures, and the state of such is the more dangerous, because the de-
ception is the more complete, and the hypocrisy and security more
fatal. Had the temptation for the enemies of Christianity to cloak
themselves under false pretences to the spirit, been as specious and
as powerful then as it is now, doubtless, they who crucified Christy
would have availed themselves of it ; and yet if they had, it would
form no argument against the certainty or absolute necessity of im-
mediate Divine revelation, since the abuse of a blessing is no valid
objection against the proper and grateful use of it.
The object of William Penn in the paragraph quoted, is evident-
ly from the context, to show that a manifestation of the Holy Spirit
was the guide to all those who lived upright and godly lives, both
Jews and Gentiles, and that they were led by it, more readily " to
acknowledge that glorious appearance of Light when in the fiesh ;"
to wit, the outward coming of Jesus Christ, than did the Pharisees
and elders of Israel, who were great pretenders to the letter. As
evidences of the truth of this fact, he adduces the cases of the Cen-
turion and Cornelius, and argues that had not they been obedient to
the light within, Christ would not have been so followed by the one,
nor Petei so received by the other.
The case of Cornelius is beautifully illustrative of the great duty
of making diligent use of the Holy Scriptures. As certainly as he
would have missed of the blessings which he obtained by obedience
to the Light, in making use of those external means, which it
pleased the Lord to ordain for his instruction, and would have
sinned against the Holy Spirit ; so certain it is, that if we refuse
and reject the instruction and benefit which the Lord has designed
for us, by a proper esteem and use of the Holy Scriptures ; we shall
not only lose the enjoyment of the blessing, but also rebel against
the Light. It is a truth, that all those, who are " upright livers to
the light within," cannot, nay, dare not, slight or neglect any of
those gifts, which HE, from whom the Light comes, has been pleas-
ed to bestow — and of these gifts, the Holy Scriptures are among
the most invaluable.
89
The Light of Christ was as all-sufficient for salvation in the days
of Cornelius as it is now; It could as easily have unfolded to him,
the counsel of God, as to bid him send for Peter to tell him what he
ought to do. But because the Lord ordained the use of instrumental
means, was it any reason, why Cornelius should reject the teaching
of Peter, as being subordinate to the Spirit? If when Peter
came, Cornelius had said to him, I have the Light in myself — this
is all-sufficient for my direction and government ; I " have no need
to go to books or men ;" thou may go thy way, I have no need of
any human teaching ; would this have been honouring and rever-
encing the Light, or is it probable that Cornelius would have been
favoured with its further illuminations ? Certainly not — it would
have been /?rc/enf//n^ honour to the Spirit, while at the same time,
he was despising those very means which the Spirit of Christ had
sanctified for his use.
Let those in the present day, who are making use of this specious
but dangerous and delusive reasoning, against the use of the Sacred
Volume, remember, that in all ages and dispensations of the world,
it has pleased Almighty God to teach his people not onl}- immedi-
ately but instruinentally — immediately by his grace and good spirit,
and instrumentally by the Holy Scriptures and his faithful servants.
Both of these are blessings, sanctified and given for our use; and al-
though the revelations of the Holy Spirit are above all other teach-
ings, yet they are not at our command ; and if we slight and reject
the secondary means, which are given forth by the same spirit for
our instruction in righteousness, we do as certainly rebel against,
and deny the Holy Spirit, and whatever pretences we may make
to the contrary, set up in its stead, our own self-confident spirit as
judge in the case.
The next quotation, on page 72 of the pamphlet, is taken from
William Penn's " Guide Mistaken, and Temporizing Rebuked, or
a brief reply to Jonathan Clapham's book, entitled, A Guide to
the True Religion." It is contained in his 12th section or para-
graph, in wiiicli he discusses the Guide's first article of true reli-
gion ; viz. that there is one God, of an infinite, perfect, and spiritual
nature, subsisting in three glorious persons. To which distinction
of persons William Penn replies —
'• As for his strange distinction of the Deity, which he enforces
on the faith of all that value their eternal welfare, I cannot find
one Scripture that will bear him out ; and if they had been of so
much credit with this Guide, as to have been by them led into their
undeniable form of sound words, he would not have intruded tradi-
tion for Scripture, to the creed of any, but rather have inserted the
text or phrase itself, whose authority might have commanded an
assent: and it had become him to give the world a reason for his
requiring a submission to, and credence of his doctrine, rather than
barely to draw up so many articles, and thus imperiously to call
on all for a subscription, as they would be saved ; especially since
he cannot but know how stronjily these very points have been de-
bated in ancient councils, and not less controverted by modern per-
sons of reputation and learning." [Here William Penn introduces
M
90
llie different opinions of Arius, Crellius and others, then proceeds.^
" But because the Scriptures do not warrant that division into, and
appellation of. Three persons ; and that he slightly passes over this
weighty matter, recommending it for an article of faith, but never
arming him with reasons, that receives it, for his defence against
the strength and great subtilty of his adversaries. I here shall of-
fer him by way of query, what every sober person would desire
satisfaction in, before he etertains his principle." — Vol. ii. p. 11.
It must be manifest to every discerning reader, that William
Penn does not mean in this paragraph, to call for reasons, why
Christians should adopt, as the expression of their faith, " the undeni-
able form of sound words," contained in Scripture ; but as the
Guide had " intruded tradition for Scripture,''^ and chosen to desig-
nate the dread Majesty of heaven, by terms not applied to Him in
the Sacred volume, William Penn very justly calls upon him to
give a reason, why Protestants should copy after him, in his devia-
tion from the text or phrase itself, which might have commanded
an assent from all.
Since the Guide had departed from the Scriptural form of sound
words, William Penn proposes to him six queries, for his considera-
tion and reply, predicated upon his notion of Three distinct per-
sons, and calculated to show its absurdity. They relate to the Unity,
Infinity, Eternity, &c. of the Supreme Being ; and, having pro-
pounded them, he proceeds to consider an objection which the
Guide may make to answering ; as quoted by the compilers, viz :
ICT* [" If he will tell me, it is a mysterious point, and therefore
" he did forbear a farther description of it : I answer, it did the
" more require his explanation; for that I conceive a religion
" or hope will do a man but little good, for which he has not a rea-
" son in himself; and to believe things by rote, is quite as ineffec-
" tual as not to believe at all. If he shall say that reason is not to
" be consulted or rendered in this case, I answer, that either it is
" what deserves silence, and so condemns himself amongst those
" fools that will be meddling ; or if it is to be pried into, then to be
" understood before believed ; or else his three philosophical acts
♦' of election are defeated. "].oCi| — Vol. ii. p. 12.
We are well aware that the compilers have made this extract, with
the vain expectation, that it would corroborate that fundamental
axiom of unbelief, so strenuously enforced by Elias Hicks and his
disciples, that we are not to believe what we cannot comprehend.
To facilitate such an interpretation of William Penn's words, they
italicise some of them, suppress all allusion to the subject under
discussion, and leave us to guess what the " mysterious point" was,
of which the author was speaking. This was certainly very unfair
towards William Penn, and shows clearly, that they wished to pre-
sent him to the world, as asserting that there are no mysteries in re-
ligion, and that human reason is to be the criterion of our articles of
faith. This, however, was far from William Penn's sentiment, as is
apparent from a fair exposition of the extract made by the compi-
lers, as well as the quotation which we shall insert hereafter.
91
William Penn does not call for reasons why we should believe iii
the doctrine of the scriptures, or for the Guide's explanation of the
solemn truths revealed there, for he has already granted, that the
authority of scripture commands assent. But he demands a reason
why protestants should differ from the scripture; and an ejcplana^
Hon of that point wherein they are to differ. And where he says,
^^that religion or hope will do a man but little good, for which he has
not a reason in himself;" he is evidently alluding to the expressions
of the Apostle Peter; who exhorted the believers; "sanctify the
Lord God in your hearts, and be always ready to give an answer to
every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with
meekness and fear." This is quite another thing from comprehend-
ing nie mysteries of God's kingdom by human reason, and William
Penn, no more than the Apostle Peter, intended to inculcate so ab=
surd and dangerous an opinion.
When the Apostles were questioned respecting their hope in the
Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord, it was a sufficient reason for them,
that all the law and the prophets testified of Christ, and that
they had the evidence of His spirit, bearing witness with their spi-
rits, to those sublime truths which they so reverently and joyfully
embraced. They professed not to comprehend them by their own
powers ; but on the contrary declared, that the world, by wisdom^
knew not God ; that the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
was foolishness to human wisdom; and that the natural man could
not comprehend those glorious truths, which were revealed to the
believing disciples of the Lamb of God ; and hence the Apostle Paul
exhorted them that their faith should not stand in the wisdom of
men, but in the power of Gud. And to this day it remains to be
sufficient authority for every humble Christian to believe in the truths
recorded in the bible, to know that God has revealed them there, and
he cannot give a better or a higher reason for the faith and hope that
is in him, than to say, God hath been pleased to reveal it, therefore
1 believe; though at the very same time, not only the thing revealed,
but also the very act of revelation itself, may be utterly incompre-
hensible to his own reason.
Every proposition whicli is offered for belief, must be couched in
such terms, that we may ascertain what the truth is, which we are to
believe; but this is very different from comprehending that tiutb.
Did we fully comprehend all that we believe, there could be no ex-
ercise of faith, since faith is the assent of the mind to those truths
which cannot be made out, or proved by the deductions of reason,
but which are received upon the credit of him who communicates
them. If there are no mysteries in the religion of Jesus Christ, why
did he thank the Father, that he h i hid them from the wise and prU'
dent of this world ; and if they a i only revealed to babes, it is most
clear, that reason is not the key which opens them, else there would
be no need of a revelation to unfold them. William Penn does
not say in the compilers' extract, that every thing is to be under-
stood, before believed ; and though the compilers have italicised
the words, yet when fairly considered, they make nothing for them.
Speaking of the Guide's " mysterious point," which is no other
92
liian iiie notion of one Deity, existing in three glorious persons :
William Penn says, " if he shall say, reason is not to be consulted,
or rendered in this case, I answer, that either it's what deserves si-
lence," " or if iCs to be pried into, then to be understood before be-
lieved." William Penn wouUl silently and reverently have accord-
ed with (he Guide's exposition of the mysterious point, had he kept to
the "undeniable form of sound words:" he would not have asked to
have any other reason rendered for the doctiine, than that it was re-
vealed in the bible ; but the Guide being disposed to pry into the mys-
tery, further than the lioly Ghost had revealed it in the scriptures of
truth, W. Penn very properly says ; " if ifs to he pried into ;" if we
are to leave God's revelation, and follow human exposition ; " then to
be understood before believed:" that is, though we are willing huni-
bly to follow the revealed will of God, without consulting flesh and
blood ; yet, if we are called upon to believe mere human assertions,
we demand an understanding of the matter before we assent.
W. Penn is very clear on the subject of mysteries. In tlie same es-
say, he says, "Since Paul, who veiy we'l knew the mind of God, has
left it as the spirit's recoid in the scriptures, that the deep things of
God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God, and looking on the true
religion to be wliat he intends by these following expressions; the
viysteries of God's kingdom, heavenly things, hidden wisdom, re-
demption from all iniquity, all things to become new, to be (lead with
Christ to the world, and risen with him, to seek the things that are
above ; in short, by the revelation of the Eternal Spirit, to fathom the
deep and behold the mysteriotis things of God, so as thereby to be
translated frcnn darkness into his most glorious kingdom, of right-
eousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit ; I can by no means sub-
scribe my assent to this Guide's proposition, that man, with his tall-
est wisdom, distinct from that light, or pure capacity, [which] the
Quakers allirm God has enlightened and invested all men with, is
able to wade securely into the depths of divine mysteries, nor allow
him that urbitrium of working out in his own strength, time, and
viediums, the knowledge of true religion; much less can I concur
with his esteeming any wise, in rightly choosing what religion they
■would embrace, since it doth not limit him to what is true, in which
the choice can only be called right: but rather seems to give him the
liberty of choosing ivhere he will, in which no election ought to be
judged true or wise." — Vol. ii. page 5.
At the bottom of page 73, of the pamphlet, we have an extract
from the 6th section of the second part of William Penn's address
to Protestants, which, as is usual with the compilers, is presented
with great unfairness. The section from which it is taken, is a trea-
tise on "The propagation of faith by force ;" ov the interference of
the civil power to coerce people into an assent to peculiar tenets,
or the observance of the same form of worship. Had the compilers
been as honestly disposed to do justice to W''illiam Penn, as they
seem anxious to procure some authority to support the opinion,
that it is immaterial what doctrines we hold, or whether any, and
that none should be separated from the communion of Christian
93
Society, however erroneous their notions may be ; they would have
finished out the paragraph which they began to quote, and not sup-
pressed the closing sentence, where he explains what he is alluding
to. We shall quote the two preceding paragraphs, and the whole of
that which they have mutilated. The parts they extract, will, as
usual, be enclosed in brackets, designated with a hand.
" But,methinks I hear a stout objection, and 'tis this : " At this
rate you will overthrow all church discipline^ all censure of errors ;
it' no man or men can determine." — My answer is ready and short.
No scripture church discipline, is hereby oppugned or weakened : let
not the sentence, end in violence upon the conscience, unconvinced :
Let who will, expound or determine, so it be according to true
church discipline; which can be exercised, on them only, who have
willingly joined themselves in that covenant of union ; and which
proceeds only to a separation from the rest, a disavowing or disown-
ing, and that only in case of falling from principles or practices
once received; ov about known trespasses: But never, to any cor'
poral or pecuniary punishment, the two arms of antichrist, or rather
of the great beast which carries the whore.
"But let us observe what sort of church government the Apostle
recommends. Avoid foolish questions, and genealogies and conten-
tions, and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain.
A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, re-
ject, knowing that he that is such, is subverted and sinneth, being
condemned of (or in) himself." Then follows the paragraph select-
ed by the compilers, viz: |C3°'[" It's very remarkable, first, that this
"great Apostle, instead of exhorting Titus to stand upon niceties,
" and sacrifice men's natural comforts and enjoyments, for opinions
" of religion, enjoins him to shun disputes about them; leaving the
" people to their own thoughts and apprehensions in those matters,
*' as reputing the loss of peace in striving, greater than the gain that
*' could arise from such an unity and conformity. Which exactly
" agrees with another passage of his, Let us, therefore, as many as be
" perfect be thus minded, and if in any thing ye be otherwise mind-
"ed, God shall reveal even this unto you .],ar:^ He did not say, you
shall be fined, pillaged, excommunicated and flung into prison, if
ye be not of our mind." — Vol. i. pages 804, 805.
It will at once appear, from this extract, that William Penn, so
far from reprobating, cordiallif approves of the exercise of that
christian discipline, whose object is, to preserve an orderly conver-
sation, and sound christian faith, among the members of the same
society. Our primitive Friends suffered greatly from the cruel ex-
ecution of oppressive laws, enacted to compel a conformity to the
established religion of England ; and it was not until many years af-
ter this essay was written, that the act for tolerating dissenters was
passed. It is to the cruel finings, imprisonments, whippings, and other
pecuniary and corporal punishments which they endured for non-
conformity, that W. P. alludes. He was too great a friend to the pre-
servation of right order, too well versed in the great truths of the chris-
tian faith, and too intimately acquainted with the nature and de-
sign of religious compacts, to advocate a doctrine that would tole-
94
rate within the pale of a christian society, persons who denied and
impugned those very fundamental christian principles, which they
had associated to propagate and maintain.
Every religious society has certain principles and doctrines which
it holds sacred, and necessary to be believed, as being sanctioned by
the spirit of God, and the revelation of Holy Scripture. A conform-
ity to these doctrines and the code of discipline which it has institu-
ted, are indispensable to the rightful enjoyment of the privilege of
membership. They are the terms upon which membership is granted,
and upon which only it can be maintained. Preposterous, indeed,
would it be, to suppose that an individual, after having voluntarily
embraced those principles, and gained admission upon those terms,
should claim it as his ri<2;ht to continue to exercise and enjoy the
privileges of communion, after he had openly denied and rejected
those fundamental principles, on profession of v/hich he was receiv-
ed a member; and for the maintenance of which the society was
formed.
The very act of renouncing the doctrines or discipline of the So-
ciety, is a virtual relinquishment of the right of membership, as com-
pletely so, as a refusal to conform to the stipulated terms of any civil
association. And to disown such is no oppression — no persecution — no
infringement of liberty of conscience; since those, who so dissent
from the body of consistent professors, are at liberty to withdraw
and to attach themselves to any other denomination, whose princi-
plesyor in other words, whose terms of communion, more nearly ac-
cord with those which they have recently imbibed.
The compilers seem determined to secure the authority of Wil-
liam Penn, in support of their views, without regard to the means by
which they obtain it. On page 74, they give another garbled extract
from his writings, with a view of enforcing the same disorganizing
sentiments as the last. To defend William Penn from the charge,
they would allege against him, we have only to quote his own words
fairly. The part extracted by the compilers is in brackets with an
index. He says :
"Now it may be expected, I should here set down what sort of
authority is exercised by this people, upon such members of their So-
ciety as correspond not in their lives with their profession, and (hat
are refractoiy to this good and wholesome order, settled among
them ; and the rather, because they have not wanted their reproacli
and suffering from some tongues upon this occasion, in a plentiful
manner.
" The power they exercise, is such as Christ has given to his own
people to the end of the world, in the persons of his disciples, viz :
to oversee, exhort, reprove, anjl after long suffering and waiting up-
on the disobedient and refractory, ' to disoiai them as any more of
their comnmnion, or that they will any longer stand charged in the
sight and judgment of God or men, with their conversation or beha-
viour, as one of them, until they repent.' The subject matter about
which this authority, in any of the foregoing branches of it is exer-
cised, is, first, in relation to common and general practice : and se-
condly, about those things that more strictly refer to their own
95
tharacter and profession^ and distinguish them from all other pro*
fessors of Christianity ; avoiding two extremes upon which many
split; viz. persecution and libertinism. A coercive power to whip
people into the temple ; that such as will not conform, though against
faitli aiid conscience, shall be punished in their persons or estates;
or leaving all loose and at large as to practice, unaccountable to all
but God and the magistrate. To which hurtful extreme, nothing
has tnore contributed than the abuse of church power, by such as
suffer their passions and private interests to prevail with them to
cairy it to outward force and corporal punishment ; a practice they
ha\e been taught to dislike by their extreme sufterings, as well as
their knovvn principle for an universal liberty of conscience."
*' On the other hand, they equally dislike an independency in So-
ciety;, an unaccountableness in practice and conversation, to the
terms of their own communion, and to those that are the members ot
it. |C7*[A'hey distinguish between imposing any practice tliat im-
*' mediately regards faith or worship, (which is never to be done,
" nor suffered, or submitted unto) and requiring christian compliance
" with those methods that only respect church business in its more
" civil part and concern, and that regard the discreet and orderly
"maintenance of the character of the Society, as a sober and reli-
♦' gious community. ]cCJ| In short, what is for the promotion of
holiness and charity, that men may practice what they profess, live
up to their own principles, and not be at liberty to give the lie to
their own profession without rebuke. They compel none to them,
but OBLIGE those that are of them, to walk suitably, or they are de-
nied by them: that is all the mark, they set upon them, and the pow-
er they exercise or judge a christian Society can exercise, upon those
that are members of it." — Preface to George Fox's Journal, pages
33, 34.
It is easy to perceive from the ungenerous and unfair manner
in which the paragraph of William Penn is mutilated by the compi-
lers of the pamphlet, that they were conscious at the very time they
were quoting it, that if William Penn's sentiments were fully and
fairly exhibited, they would operate directly against them, and well
may they blush with confusion and shame, at the unholy doctrines,
and the unrighteous means, by which they have sought to traduce the
christian reputation of this great and good man.
The sentiments of William Penn as expressed in the extracts we
have inserted, define clearly the nature and extent of the discipline
of the Society of Friends. First, it is a christian authority, instituted
by Christ Jesus himself, to oversee, exhort, reprove, and after due
labour to reclaim the offender, it proving ineffectual, to disown from
their religious communion, consonant with the expression of our bless-
ed Lord, " Let him be t© thee as an heathen man, or as a publican."
Second, as regards its extent; it includes not only general practice,
but what is particidarly to be noticed in this case, as it seems to be
that which the compilers are most anxious to overturn; also, "those
things that more strictly refer to their own character and profession,
and distinguish them from all other prof essors of Christianity ; avoid-
96
ing two extremes upon which many split, viz. persecution and liber-
tinism."
What then are those things, which distinguish the profession of
the Society of Friends from that of all other professors of Christiani-
ty. Most certainly, they are their doctrines and principles; those
"substantial truths and realities of religion" which the authors of the
preface to this very pamphlet, tell us, "they sought for in humility,
and embraced." To a denial or direliction from these, William Penn
declares the exercise of the discipline is to be extended, and in en-
forcing its salutary regulations, he cautions them to avoid two ex-
tremes, persecution and libertinism. Now it is important for us to
know what he naeans by these two words; and we are hap|»y in hav-
ing his own definition at hand. Persecution he defines, as the exer-
cise of a coercive power to whip people into the temple, or punishing
them in their persons or estates for nonconformity in matters of
faith and conscience. Libertinism, is leaving all loose and at large ;
an unaccountableness, in practice and conversation, to the terms of
their own communion, and those that are consistent and orderly
members of it; which he declares the Quakers equally dislike, with
persecution, or the application of outward force, and corporal pun-
ishment. This libertinism then, which the primitive Frieiids so dis-
liked, is the very thing which the followers of Elias Hicks contend
for; and to support which, our compilers have garbled these two
extracts from William Penn ; crying out that disownment for doc-
trines, is persecution. But William Penn thought not so. He states
it as a legitimate subject, upon which to exercise the discipline,
and where the party will not conform "to the terms of their own
communion," (hey are to be disowned ; which he is so far from con-
sidering as persecution, that he calls it "good and wholesome or-
der." He says they compel none to them, they oblige none wJio are
with them (o remain ; if they are not united in their principles, they
leave them at liberty to join any other communion, or to withdraw
from all, as they may please, but on the other hand, he says as posi-
tively that " they oblige those that are of them, to walk suitably, or
they are denied by them." As the compilers are so much attached to
the authority of Penn, as to be determined to press him into their
service at the hazard of all honest principle, we could wish they
would conform to the excellent regulations which he has here set
down ; it would be to their own credit, and greatly to the benefit and
order, and good government of the Society.
Such has been the order and discipline of the Society since the
earliest period of its existence. Though they have not demanded
of their members a subscription to any particular articles of faith,
yet (hey have always expected those who liold communion with them,
unfeignedly to believe in the ddctrines of the christian religion. The
following rule of discipline issued by the Yearly Meeting in the year
1694, will confirm what we say.
"If there be any such gross errors, false doctrines, or mistakes
held by any professing truth, as are either against the validity of
Christ's sufferings, blood, resurrection, ascension, or glory in the
heavens, according as they are set forth in the scriptures j or any
97
ways tending to the denial of the heavenly Man, Christ ; such persons
ought to be diligently instructed and admonished by faiOiful friends,
and not to be exposed by any to public reproach ; and vihere the er-
ror proceeds from ignorance and darkness of their understanding,
they ought the more meekly and genfly to be informed : But if any
shall wilfully persist in error in poiut of faith, after being duly in-
formed, then such to be farther dealt with according to gospel order ;
that the truth, church, or body of Christ, may not suffer by any par-
ticular pretended member that is so corrupt" — See Extracts.
This single quotation of the rule of discipline, made at so early a
period after the rise of the Society, is a conclusive answer to all the
assertions of the friends of Elias Hicks, that he and they are one in
doctrine with the early Quakers. This rule shows clearly that the
primitive Friends would have disowned any and all of their pretend-
ed members, who persisted in holding the notions which Elias Hicks
now promulgates. We have other rules and advices of a similar
nature, which have continued in force from that time to the present,
of which we could give extracts if necessary.
We have now gone through with the quotatiotis from Wiljiam
Penn, and have showed that in various instances the compilers of the
pamphlet have unjustly altered and perverted his meaning, in order to
present him as holding sentiments coincident with those of Elias
Hicks. But we trust that we have also proved in the clearest man-
ner, that in every instance where he has been permitted to speak for
himself, he has denied and repelled the injurious accusation. We
have seen him declaring repeatedly his unshaken belief in the Holy
Three that bear record in heaven, in the Divinity and manhood, the
miraculous conception, holy life, and propitiatory death of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ; and likewise in the authenticity and di-
vine authority of Holy Scripture. He has again and again asserted
his firm faith in all these particulars, in the most solemn and un-
equivocal manner, " as knowing that he must give an account unto
God." When charged by his illiberal opponents with entertaining
doubts respecting these important and holy doctrines, which Elias
Hicks now impugns, he uniformly repelled it with honest indigna-
tion, as a most false and malicious libel. To associate his name at
the present time with the same principles, to pervert or alter his
language in order to make him speak those sentiments which he
then denied with abhorrence, is certainly most injuriously casting a
shade over the memory of a sound and practical christian, and fixing
an unmerited stigma upon his reputation and religion.
N
98
CHAPTEll II.
Remai'ks upon the Extracts made by the Compilers, iVoni the works of
Stephen Crisp.
On the 25th page of the pamphlet, we find a quotation of two
lines, said to be taken from Stephen Crisp's works, new edition,
page 125. It stands thus, " The light, wherewith all are enlighten-
ed, is the life of Jesus ; John i. 4. which he hath given a ransom
for man." On page 33, we find what is intended to be the same
quotation, extended to about four lines ; in the beginning of which,
the compilers have made a slight variation, so that it reads — " This
light wherewith we are enlightened, is the life of Jesus, which he
hath given a ransom for man. And that was not natuial, as some
foolishly imagine ; for if it were natural, it could not be a ransom
for man out of sin." — p. 125.
Thus in two quotations the compilers give the same sentence dif-
ferently ; in one it is The light wherewith all are enlightened — in
the other, This light wherewith we are enlightened ; but what is
more singular, neither of them are correct: since Stephen Crisp has
it, This light wherewith thou art enlightened, &c.
Besides this alteration in two instances, the extract is made with
great unfairness, as it begins after a semicolon, omitting the copula-
tive conjunction "and ;" which connects both the words and the
sense with what precedes ; and the second quotation on page 53, of
their pamphlet, closes at a semicolon, just wjiere Stephen Crisp is
proceeding to explain his views more fully. We shall quote the
passages more at length, that the reader may have an opportunity of
understanding the subject upon which the author is treating ; and
also of noticing the manner in which the compilers have mutilated
his sentences. The parts which they have extracted are enclosed
in brackets, designated with a hand.
" And therefore consider this, that every good and perfect
gift cometh from above, from the Father of Lights and Spirits,
who would not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should
turn and live. And therefore hath he out of his infinite love, and
tender mercies to the sons of men, prepared a way to draw nigh
unto them, even while they are in their sins, which he doth not
but through Jesus Christ, the mediator of the new covenant, whom
he hath freely given to be a light unto the dark world ; and
that he should enlighten every one that cometh into the world,
John i. 9. of which number thou art one, whoever thou art, and
art enlightened by Christ, though thou be yet darkness thyself as
the Ephesians once were ; yet the light shineth in thy darkness,
or else there would not be two contrary natures and seeds found
99
working in thee, as there are ; and |C7*[this light wherewith
« thou art enlightened, is the life of Jesus, John i, 4. which he hath
"given, a ransom for man. And that was not natural, as some fool-
" ishly imagine ; for if it were natural, it could not be a ransom for
" man out of sin ;]«C3| for the sin to be natural, and that which re-
proves it natural, is contrary to the apostle, who said, they two that
warred in the creature were contrary, and called the one flesh, or
natural, and the other spirit or spiritual ; and Christ Jesus called
that which should reprove the world of sin, the Spirit of Truth, and
Antichrist and his ministers call it, a natural insufficient light, &.c.
But know this, thou that art enquiring, that that in thee which doth
make manifest things to thee that are reproveable, that is the light
wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightened thee withal, as the apostle
of Christ said in his epistle to the Ephesians, v. 13, 14."
It will be seen by the first part of our quotation, that Stephen
Crisp has made a full acknowledgment of his belief in that means
of salvation, which God hath been pleased to ordain through his
son Jesus Christ ; for he asserts that he hath " out of his infinite
love and tender mercies to the sons of men, prepared a way to
draw nigh unto them, even while they are yet in their sin.s, which he
doth not, but through Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the new cove-
nant, whom he hath freely given, to be a light unto the dark world."
Here is sufficient testimony in the very same paragraph from
which the compilers have quoted, to show that the author was far
from denying or doubting the great truths of the Christian religion.
The garbled extracts inserted in the pamphlet, appear to be pre-
sented to the public with the intention of conveying the idea that
the author believed in no outward sacrifice for sin. It must be ob-
vious, however, upon the slightest consideration of the text, that
Stephen Crisp was treating of quite another thing, than the propi-
tiatory offering of Jesus Christ. He uses the word ransom, to sig-
nify tiiat measure of the Holy Spirit, which is given to every man,
to redeem him out from under the dominion of his own sinful pro-
pensities. Hence it is, that he speaks of the ransom reproving for
sin, — from which it is most apparent, he was not then alluding to
the great sacrifice, but the inward work.
George Keith, who had apostatized from the doctrine and dis-
cipline of the early Quakers, and become a bitter opponent, and a
traducer of their principles, published a book entitled " A Serious
Call to the Quakers, &c." in which he adduces this same passage
which our compilers have quoted from Stephen Crisp, to prove that
the author held those very principles, which they would now have
us to infer from their extracts. To George Keith's .Serious Call, an
answer was returned by several Friends, entitled, "A Serious Ex-
amination, &c." from which we take the following/T After noticing
a variation which George Keith has made in quoting it, they say,
J St. " In him, in Christ the Word, was life, and the life was the li^ht
of men," John i. 4. In George Keitirs quoting this among mon-
strous doctrines or vile errors, he has condemned the Divine doc-
trine of John the Evangelist. 2ndly. That this Life or Light of
100
Jesus Christ, is not natural, but spiritual and divine, is no vile er-
ror, but true doctrine. Sd. Which he hath given a ransom for man ;
is true in that sense, as given to guide, and actually to redeem man
out of darkness, sin, and all iniquity, for so Christ doth lead and de-
liver all true believers. 4th. Man's redemption and salvation hath
respect, both to Christ's suffering and giving himself a ransom for
all men, by his ONE OFFERING WITHOUT MEN, and also his
■work in men, in redeeming them from all iniquity, which is not ef-
fected without their believing in his Light." — p. 20. Edit. 1707.
The following quotations will serve to show the scriptural sound-
ness of Stephen Crisp's faith. In the postscript to his essay, enti-
tled "An Alarm Sounded in the borders of Spiritual Egypt;" af-
ter stating that it is the appearance of Christ Jesus that has brought
professing Christians off from their sins, which they could not do
themselves; that it is the grace of God that leads to perfection ;
that it is Christ, who is the unfailing preserver and helper of all those
that trust in him, and that he only, is able to keep them from fal-
ling, and to present them faultless before the throne of his glory,
with exceeding joy. He adds —
" So here you may see that the bringing to the state of perfection,
and the keeping from falling from it again, is both the work of
Christ ; and yet this is not a perfect salvation ; for this does not put
away the former sins." But thirdly, " Whoever comes to perfect
salvation, he comes to know Christ to be an offering for sin, and to
obtain reconciliation with God, and forgiveness of his former sins :
for all the holy conversation and perfection of Life, can be counted
no more but his duty ; and therefore he cannot obtain remission of
one of his former sins ; but those that confess their sins and forsake
them, such come ^o forgiveness by Jesus Christ, and come to know
his blood cleansing them from all their former sins; and so they
come to perfect salvation by grace, not by works, but by faith, that
works in the love of God unto obedience ; without which, faith is
but dead, and makes no man saved ; but those that have this true
faith and hope in them, they purify themselves as he is pure, 1 John
iii. S. And he that has not this hope, does not purify himself,
neither Joes he believe that he can do it ; and by this we know the
true believers from the false, and by this sinners are made mani^
fest, that cannot stand in the congregation of the righteous. Psal.
i. 5.
" So now let all the pleaders for sin, stop their mouths forever,
and let the devil stand for himself and plead his own cause ; and
henceforth do not despise and revile the innocent, (that are travail-
ing and striving after perfection, with a faith to obtain it) that
they think to be saved by their own works ; for we hope for no other
salvation, but that which is in and by Jesus Christ, the eternal Son
of God, who is the first born of every ci eature, that brings many
sons and daughters unto glory, but not by leaving them in their sins ;
but his name is Jesus,andhe saves people from their sins." — p. 229.
This extract will evince that the author, though a firm believer
in the necessity of the new birth unto righteousness, was equally
101
firm and clear, in his belief of the virtue and efficacy of that pre-
cious sacrifice, which Christ Jesus made of himself for sin.
On page 70 of the compilers' pamphlet, they have giv\n us an
extract from Stephen Crisp's "Description of the Churr,l\ of Scot-
land," wherein he is opposing the notion of three distinct and se-
parate persons in one Godhead. The ([uotation proves nothing more
than his denial of this doctrine, and although the compilers have
italicised the words " the Christ," as if to insinuate his denial of
the divinity of Jesus Christ, yet no such inference can justly be
drawn from them. The following extracts from Iiis Sermons will
sufficiently show that the author was far from denying either his
divinity, manliood, or atonement.
" The same Almighty power, that said in the creation, ' let there
be light, and it was so, he hath shined into our hearts, and the way
by which he hath done so, is through the Mediator, through Jesus
Christ the Redeemer, in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells"
—1692, Vol. i. page 91, edition 1822.
" When there is no hope of atonement and reconciliation with
God, by all those offerings under the law, he tells you of one offer-
ing of the Son of God himself, through the Eternal Spirit, by which
he became a propitiation : for thus will it do, if I believe that Christ
offered a holy offering to the Father for my sins, / believe he offer-
ed his body : and that through the Eternal Spirit, that he might be
a propitiation for sin, and take away sin, and have power over sin
and death, and conquer death and darkness. The apostle carries
the matter further — You must come to the inward work of this out-
ward offering, this eternal offering, that was in due time offered to
God. You must come to know the operations of it, by the sprink-
ling of the heart from an evil conscience : so that there was to be an
applicatory faith, for the offering of that. The way to a Saviour was
not made by man, any more than the way of salvation by Christ, was
found out by man : any more than the application of the benefits is
effected by man" — page 123, Vol. i. 1692.
" This is no new doctrine. We see the new and living way ; it
was an old way to old Christians, and a new way to the new ; and
so,~a thousand years hence, if the world last so long, men will see
that they cannot do any thing pleasing to God, but as they are ga-
thered into Christ. They will see that their own righteousness,
works and doings, will avail them nothing at all. This is all laid
at the feet of Jesus, ichom God hath exalted to be a Prince and a
Saviour, to be Lord and King''^ — page 129, Vol. i. 1692.
Speaking of the works wrought by Satan, he says — " Whv doth
not God destroy those works, when he is Almighty and able' to do
it.-* Very true, God is so, but he hath offered to mankind, through
the Son of his love, a way and means, whereby man may come to be
purged and cleansed from the evil that the devil hath wrought in
him, and may come to be reconciled to God. God hath not chosen
the way of coercion and force, and to work altogether by irresisti-
ble power, that man shall go to heaven, whether he w*ill or not.
There was no force used for his going to hell and darkness, but it
'vas the choice of hia v/ill j the devil could not have forced him,
102
and led him away out of covenant with God ; he could not compel
him to break the holy command of God ; but the devil tempted him
and he yielded to the temptation, and now man is driven out of the
presence of God ; yet God hath found out a way for the sons and
daughters of men to turn again to him. What ! by force and coer-
cion, and irresistible power ? No ; but the scriptures saith, He hath
offered faith and salvation to all men : He hath freely given the Son
of his love, out of his oicn hosom,ivho, making himself an offering for
sin, hath presented a way and means for man^s returning again to
God. How doth God present Christ to us ? He presents him to
the view of every one's mind, to the understanding of every soul;
he offers and presents him for salvation to the ends of the earth.
There is a damnation come in by man's being subject to Satan ;but
salvation comes in, by his being subject to Christ; as damnation
came in by his being defiled, so salvation came in by his being cleans-
ed. As the devil is the defiler, so Christ is the cleanser, and man
is the object upon which both do work ; and they that have been de-
filed and corrupted, us ive all have, by the unclean spirit, can any of
us give a reason why we should not be cleansed by the Holy Spirit ?
" We have lost our right to heaven by sin and transgression in
the first Adam ; and can any give a reason, why we should not
be restored and redeemed by Jesus Christ, the second Adam ? No
reason can be given for our redemption, but that God is free in his
love, and Christ in his offering: he hath offered himself a sacrifice
for sin: every priest hath something to offer, this man, the Man
Christ Jesus, offered himself, through the Eternal Spirit, a sacrifice
for sin ; and now the sacrifice is offered, and a door is opened, and
a new and living way consecrated through the vail, that is to say
his flesh"— pages 143, 144, 145. 1692.
" God, who at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in times
past, unto the fathers, by the prophets; hath in these last days, spo-
ken to us by his Son. But where is his Son ^ you will say. He is
in heaven. But though He is the High and Lofty One that inha-
bits^ternity yet he dwells with meek, humble, and contrite hearts,
that tremble at his word. If I be one of the number of those that
tremble at God's word, I have that promise that he will come home
to me, and dwell with me. It is well for thee, if the overruling
power of God, hath prevailed upon thee, that thou canst be willing
to be at God's disposal, and say. Lord, what wouldst thou have me
me to dor"— Page 160. 1692.
"To the Lord I leave you, to his favour and protection I commit
you. Remernber that there is no salvation but by Jesus Christ; and
none to be had by Christ, till you come to believe in him. To him that
searcheth the heart and trieth the reins, that pardoneth iniquity,
transgression, and sin, for the sake of Christ Jesus the Mediator, to
Him I do commit you, not doubting that he who hath begun a good
work in you, will at last complete and finish it, to his own praise
and your salvation." — Page 362, 363. 1691.
"The institution of the Christian Religion was for this purpose,
that holiness and righteousness might be brought forth in the earth ;
103
that God, throus^h his Son Jesns Christ, might take delight in the
sons and daughters of men, that they might be reconciled to him ;
for that which the law could not do by reason of its weakness, God
hath had a. purpose to do by his Soni and to Him he s^ave all power
in heaven and earth, that thereby he might be enabled to perforni
the great work of God in establishing righteousness, and in bring-
ing forth a holy people, to serve a Holy God. This is the great
blessing that is come to us, and to all mankind, through our blessed
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ; that came to turn every one from
the evil of his ways. That is the way and method by which our
Lord Jesus accomplished the end of his coming, and the will of his
heavenly Father. Moses and all his washings, and offerings, and
sacrifices, could not make clean and purge the conscience; and by
all his offerings and sacrifices he could not reconcile us to God : but
Jesus by his once offering himself, did forever peifect them that are
sanctified, and by one offering reconciled us to the Father, and so
brings forth a holy generation unto God, through regeneration and
the santification of the Spirit."— Pages 386, 587. 1692.
Again, in the second volume; "The Apostle alludes to this bap-
tism ; for he speaks in a figure of the eight persons that were saved
in Noah's ark ; then he brings down the allegory to Cliristian bap-
tism ; not only the bapti^m of John, the forerunner of Christ, who
preached of Chiist. but to the Christian baptism itself: by the like
figure, whereof baptis-n now saveth us, saith the Apostle, not the
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good con-
science. What doth he mean by bapiism saving us ? He means the
answer of a good conscience towards God, through the resurrec-
tion of Christ from the dead ; so that Christian baptism did bring
along with it, the cleansing and putting away of all sin out of the
conscience, that might bring them under doubts and scruples; and
then there is an arising of Jesus the Saviour, in the conscience, the
mediator, that bought them, to answer for them in the sight of God,
for if people be con>cious of sin, and do leave oft' their sin, this doth
not yet cleanse the conscience, for there still remains a conscience of
sin : 'tis not the leaving; off of our sin that makes our atonement icith
God, or that expiates our guilt, or doth away the guilt of the sins
that \ve have committed ; but there must be a t'orsaking and a leaving
off" of sin, by the virtue and power of the spirit, by which we are not
only enhbled to leave off' sin, but are guided and directed to the Me-
diator, whose blood alone reconcileth us to God, and cleanseth us
from all sin.
'^^If I should never commit a sin ivhile 1 live, it is not this simply in
itse'f, that will make me have the ansicer of a good conscience in the
sight of God : for there remains the guilt of sin, contracted in the
days of ui;belief, which is a bai and hindrance, that none can ap-
proach tilt' holy God, but in the atonement and salvation that comes by
Jesus Christ ; for all that believp and obey the gospel are accepted in
Christ, and upon the account of Christ'' s precious blood, that cleanseth
us from all sin and unrighteousness. Whom doth it cleanse.^ Those
only that forsake their sin, and who, by his power, are brought to a
104
lioly life, they, by the virtue of his power, and the cleansing of his
blood, come to have their former sins removed from them, as far as
the east is from the west." — Pages 53, 54. 1687.
It needs no argument to prove that Stephen Crisp did not coin-
cide with the dogmas of Elias Hicks. These extracts strongly as-
sert his full belief in the divinity and propitiatory sacrifice of our
blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ, and the whole volume of his sermons
is fraught with those very doctrines which are so unequivocally de-
nied bv Elias Hicks.
105
CHAPTER III.
Remarks upon the Quotations from Thomas Storit.
The compilers of the pamphlet have inserted about three lines,
on their twenty-fifth page, which are marked as a quotation from the
Journal of Thomas Story, page 385. After a careful exa.iii nation,
it appears that no such expressions are to be found there. Whether
this false reference was made, purposely to lead the reader away
from a very able argument by that excellent man, upon the charac-
ter, divinity, and glorious mission of Jesus Christ, as well as the
general fundamental principles of the Christian religion, we cannot
determine; certain it is, however, that their reference does not lead
to the quotation.
If we turn to page 533 of Thomas Story's Journal, we find there
apart of the sentence printed by the compilers; the remainder they
have added themselves; thus most unjustly making him avow a sen-
timent, which it is plain from the context he never intended to im-
ply. To render their garbling and interpolation more clearly appa-
rent, we shall quote what they have printed, viz. " The prophecies
concerning the advent of the Messiah ??■«.« fuljiUed to the Jews ; to
whom alone he was sent^ and appeared in the days of his flesh"
The great length of Thomas Story's argument, (eight folio pages,)
prevents our inserting the whole, though we sincerely wish it may be
carefully perused by every person interested in the subject; the fol-
lowing extract will illustrate his views. The part enclosed in
brackets, with a hand, is that which the compilers have taken out.
"And the goodness and mercy of God appeareth still further iu
this, that in the fulness of time, many aa;es after that first promise,
the Lord added other promises to mankind, bcsth Jeivs and gentiles,
even unto all nations, the whole posterity of Mam ; when, mua-. the
Jew he saith, Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; be-
hold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel. And unto both the Jew and gentile, he saith, behold my
servant, whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth ; f
have put my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the
gentiles Again — I, the Lord, have called thee in righteousness, and
will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a
covenant of the people, /or a light of the gentiles. To open the blind
eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit ia
darkness, out of the prison house. Which ICT* [was fulfilled unto
" the Jews, to whom alone he was sent and appeared, in the days of
"his flesh,]^^^ where it is said, the people who sat in darkness,
saw a great light, and to them who sat in the region and shadow of
death, light is sprung up.
106
'* And that it might be certainly known, in the fulness of time un-
to all mankind, who this sacred person is, and what is the manner of
his comitio; and appearance both to Jew and gentile: he was to be
made manifest unto the Jews first, under the name and character of
Jesus, (a Saviour ;) and being anointed of God, xvith all the divine in-
dwelling fulness, is thereby called Clirist ; and under both, is called
Jesu> (Miri*t, the anointed Saviour; proposed as the object of faith,
unto all nations ; first unto the Jews in the flesh, as born of the vir-
gin ; and secondly, unto the gentiles _: as the true light, who lighteth
every man who cometh into the world.
" First — the testimony of good old Simeon, concerning hiin,
through the Holy Ghost, is, that he is a light to lighten the gentiles ;
and in that respect, their light and salvation, according to the pro-
mise of the covenant of God aforc2;oing.
" vSecondly — the evidence of John, where he is full and express,
sayin<r, In the beginniiiii was the Worfl,and the Word was with God,
and the Word w.is God. In him was life, and the life was the light
of men. That was the true light, which lighteth every man who
cometh into the world : and the Word was made (or assumed,) flesh,.
and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the on-
ly begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. And of his ful-
ness have all we received, and grace for grace.
"Thirdly — the witness of Christ himself, where he saith. I am the
light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life. Again — Jesus said unto them, yet a
little while is the light with you; walk while ye have the light, lest
darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness, knowetU
not whither he gneth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that
ye maybe the children of light.
"And as the Father hath promised, and offered his Son, as he is
that light, and as his new and everlasting covenant with mankind, in
order to their restoration and establishment; not of works, but of
life; so whoever will enter into this covenant with God, must first
believe in him ichum God hath sent ; and in the way and manner in
which he hath sent him, according to his promises.
" Now a covenant is not on one side only, but on two, at the least ;
and, therefore, God, who is divine Eternal Love, infinite in goodness
and mercy, is pleased of his own nature and love to mankind, thus
to send his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ into the world ; who by a vo-
luntary death upon the tree of the cross, according to the fore-deter-
mined counsel and purpose of the Father^ declared his mercy, and
free pardon of thp sins of the whole world ; upon terms suiting the
state, reason, and understanding of mankind : that is to say, upon
faith in God the Father of all, and in Jesus Christ the Son of God,
(as I have already declared,) and repentance from dead works, as
the reasonable and necessary terms required of mankind, on our side
or part of t!ii^ covenant ; that we may be restored to the knowledge of
God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, his Son ; and made capable of be-
ins united unto God, through Christ the J^lediator hetsveeu God and
man, in tliis covenant; by and through whom, we are brought into it,
and stand therein stedfast and immoveable forever.
iOT
" We must then receive the Saviour in the way in vvhicli he \% seni
and proposed unto us; not onli/ as lie is offered upon the crosfi for
the ej-'pintion of the sins that are past ; but also as he is the divine
liglit, enlightening our minds and understandings, as directed by
Christ hin^self, where he saith, While ye have ligiit, believe in
the light, that ye may be the children of light, that is, children of
God, who is that Light. So that as Adam fell from the true know-
ledge of God, and sense of his divine love, presence, goi»dness, and
other attributes through unbelief; we his posterity after the flesh,
may all arise and be re^tored by faith in Christ, the second Adam,
the Lord from Heaven, that quickening Spirit; not into the animal
life which by nature we already have, and in which we are averse
to God, and all his ways; but unto life eternal, that we may all
know what that word meaneth, As in Adam all die, even so in
Christ shall all be made alive. And as by the offence of one,
judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the right-
eousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justitication of
life." — Journal, pages 332, 333, 334.
It will be seen from this quotation that t'le words " T!ie prophe-
cies concerning the advent of the Messiah," with which the compi-
lers begin their pretended quotation, are entirely of their own mak-
ing, and are not to be found in Thomas Story's argument. It is
important too, to observe their design in thus foisting in, words
which Thomas Story never wrote there, and the meaning which
they thus put upon the sentence. The fair inference from it, as gi-
ven by them is, that all the prophecies relative to the advent of the
Son of God, were fulfilled to the Jews only ; and thus to do away
the necessity of the Gentile world believing in him, or the possibil-
ity of their deriving any benefit from his glorious manifestation in
the flesh. Now this is not only, not the meaning of Thomas Story,
but directly contradicts his own declarations, in the very same par-
agraph from which they have carved out their few words.
In the beginning of that paragraph he says, " other promises were
added, to all mnnidnd, both Jews and Gentiles, even unto all nations,
the whole pusteriti/ of Adam:" — and where he says Christ was sent
unto the Jews alone, he expressly declares his meaning to be as re-
gards his personal appearance, alluding to Christ's declaration, no
doubt, that he was not sent, but unto tiie lost sheep of the house of Is-
rael, which plainly implies, as to his bodily appearance. It is, there-
fore obvious, that the compilers have put down language of their
own, as being Thomas .Story's, and have thereby forged in his name,
a direct contradiction of what he has asserted in the very same
paragraph. Surely, if such liberties as these are to be taken by
transcribers, the most christian author, may be made to utter the
most pernicious sentiments, and to deny every truth in the religion
of Jesus Christ. Even the Bible itself, might then be safely addu-
ced as the best authority for Deism or Atheism.
The language of Thomas Story, which we have quoted, is widely
different from Elias Hicks' denial of the divinity and sacrifice of our
blessed Lord, and how unworthy a subterfuge is it, to alter and add
108
to the words ot so christian a writer, in order to make him speak the
language of unbelief.
On page 73, of the compilers' pamphlet, we are furnished with an
extract from a sermon preached bv Thomas Story, in which he treats
upon the necessityof cultivating that divine charity, which our bless-
ed Lord enjoined upon his disciples in these words-^ — " this is my
commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you." He
tells us, that under the influences of this heavenly love, we shall not
personally hate those, who may differ from us in religious opinion ;
but that as God loved us, while we were in sin, and was kind toward
us, so we should be, toward those whose opinions we may consider
erroneous ; yet, he adds, we may and ought to persuade one another
in love, with a single eye to the convincement, conversion, and sal-
vation of those with whom we reason. With these sentiments, we
do most cordially unite : — we consider them coincident with thatdi-
vine command, "love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully
use you, and persecute you." It must, however, be remembered,
that the same divine love vvhich can only enable us to do this, does
as certainly, prevent us from uniting with wicked men, or join-
ing ourselves to their society. It leads us to pray for the persons,
but to abhor and to protest against their evil practices. It enjoins it
as an imperative command, '■ come out of her, my people, that ye be
not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."
"While, therefore, we earnnstly desire to fulfil the important pre-
cept of loving all, we are far from thinking, that our blessed Lord
enjoined it upon his followers, to have unity and church fellowship,
with all. Those, who, by the temptations of a cunning adversary,
have been allured into the mazes of unbelief, and are denying the
Lord that bought them, we can truly commiserate, well knowing
how painful and comfortless a path they tread — we mourn over their
errors, and under the influence of this divine charity, we desire ever
to pray earnestly, for their restoration to the faith of the gospel of
Jesus Christ ; but we cannot, nay, we dare not, unite with them in
their unbelief. We feel it our incumbent duty, in meekness and
christian boldness to expose their errors, not only to clear our own
hands of the evil, but also to free our christian profession from the
reproach
109
CHAPTER IV.
of the compilers' quotations from the works of Isaac FETXTsnxaros,
' The first quotation which the compilers have made from the works
of this faithful servant of Jesus Christ, is to be found on page 27 of
their pamphlet. It is extracted from a short essay, entitled, "An
Incitation to Professors, seriously to consider, whether they or we^
fail in the true acknowledgement, and owning of the Christ, which
died at Jerusalem." From an essay headed with such a title, it was
not to be supposed that much could be extracted, which would go to
prove that the author denied Christ; and accordingly the quotation
made by the compilers, so far from proving I. Pennington to coincide
in the unbelief of Elias Hicks, evinces in the clearest manner, his
full faith both in the manhood and Godhead of our blessed Lord.
He commences the essay thus: —
"We who are commonly called Quakers, being a people whom
the Lord hath gathered, out of the wanderings, out of the many pro-
fessions, (out of the several scattered estates and conditions wherein
his eye pitied us, and his love found us out,) into a measure of the
eternal rest ; where we have found that life, that power, than mani>
festation of the Eternal Spirit, and that redeeming virtue which we
never were before distinctly acquainted with, I say having tasted of
this, having known this, having felt this, and come to a real enjoy-
ment of it, in some degree in our several measures; we could not
possibly conceal this treasure, but in bowels of love, (and in the
movings of the life and power of the spirit) have been drawn to tes-
tify of it to them who are left behind, grovelling under the burden of
corruption, and crying out because of the sin and bondage from the
powers of darkness; who have in a mist withheld their eyes from
beholding that living virtue which is able to save, (and doth save,
blessed be his name,) therefrom. Now this we have often found; that
this our testimony hath not been received in the same spirit and
love, wherein it hath gone forth; but the enemy, (by his subtilty,)
hath raised up jealousies concerning us, and prejudices against us,
as if we denied the scriptures and ordinances of God, and that Christ
that died at Jerusalem; professing him only in words, (to win upon
others by) but denying him in reality and substance.
'• To clear this latter, (for my heart is only at this present, drawn
out concerning that,) vve have solemnly professed in the sight of the
Lord God, (who hath given us the knowledge of his Son in life and
power,) these two things.
" First, That we do really, in our hearts, own that Christ, who
came in the fulness ofiime,\n that prepared body, to do the Father's
'.vill (his coming into the world, doctrine, miracles, sufterings, death,
110
resurrection, &c.) in plainness and simplicity of heart, according as
it is expressed in the letter of the scriptures.
" Secondly, That we own no other Christ than that, nor hold forth
no other thing for Christ, but Him who then appeared and was made
manifest in the flesh." — Vol. iii. pages 58, 59.
The following is the quotation made by the compilers, viz.
|C7°'["Now that professors generally, have not received their know-
ledge of Christ from the spirit, or from scriptures opened in the
spirit, (and so know not the thing, but only such a relation of the
thing, as man's reasoning part may drink in from the letter of the
scriptures) is manifest by this, in that they are not able in spirit
and understanding to distinguish the thing itself, from the garment
wherewith it was clothed, though the scriptures be very express
therein. Speak of Christ according to a relation of the letter;
there they can say somewhat, but come to the substance, come to
the spirit of the thing, come to the thing itself, there they stutter
and stammer, and show plainly that they know not what it is. —
Now the scriptures do expressly distinguish between Christ and
the garment which he wore, between him that came, and the body
in which he came, between the substance which was veiled, and
the veil which veiled it. " Lo! I come ; a body hast thou prepared
me." There is plainly he, and the body in which he came. There
was the outward vessel, and the inward life. This we certainly
know, and can never call the bodily garment Christ, but that
which appeared and dwelt in the body. Now if ye indeed know
the Christ of God, tell us plainly what that is, which appeared in
the body ? — Whether that was not the Christ before it took up the
body, after it took up the body, and forever? And then their con-
fining of Christ to that body, plainly manifesteth that they want
the knowledge of him in spirit. For Christ is the Son of the Fa-
ther; he is the Infinite Eternal Being, one with the Father, and
with the Spirit, and cannot be divided from either; cannot be any
where, where they are not, nor can be excluded from any place
where they are. He may take up a body, and appear in it; but
cannot be confined to be no where else but there; no, not at the
very time while he is there. Christ while he was here on earth,
yet was not excluded from being in heaven with the Father, at the
very same time; as he himself said concerning himself, ' the Son of
Man, which is in heaven.' John iii. 13. Nor was the Father ex-
cluded from being with him in the body, but the Father was in him
and he in the Father: whereupon he said to Philip, ' He that hath
seen me hath seen the Father.' What ! did every one that saw
that body see the Father also? Nay not so, but he that saw-
Christ the Son of the living God, whom flesh and blood revealed
not, but the Father only. Matt. xvi. 16, 17, he saw the Father
also."].^£3|— Page 61.
The compilers seem to evince but little perception in some of the
passages which they have selected, and this among the number. It con-
tains a most full and positive declaration, of the doctrines of" the three
that bear record in heaven ;" the ordained appearanceof Jesus Christ in
the flesh, and his eternal divinity and manhood. Scarcely could a pas-
Ill
sage be selected more directly at variance with the dogmas of Ellas
Hicks. It contradicts his assertions, that Jesus Christ was not the Son
of God, until after the baptism of John ; that he was liable to fall
like other men ; that he was no more than a man ; that the same
power that made Christ a Christian, must make us Christians; and
that it was impossible the Word could take, or be made flesh ; all
which, Ellas Hicks has repeatedly asserted. — See "Letters and Ob-
servations, &c. with the review of his Letter to Dr. N. Shoemaker."
To those who will read the essay of L Pennington, carefully and
candidly, it must be apparent that he has in view, to recommend to
all professors, an inward and living acquaintance with Jesus Christ,
by the revelation of his own holy spirit ; to draw them otFfrom a de-
pendence for salvation, upon a mere literal knowledge of the ap-
pearance of the Son of God in the flesh, without coming to witness his
power and life revealed in the soul ; and mainly to clear himself and
his brethren, the Quakers, from that very imputation which the compi-
lers insinuate against them, by adducing him as authority for Elias
Hicks' doctrines, viz. denying the scriptures, and the divinity and
atonement of that Christ, who died at Jerusalem.
The compilers have italicised those parts of their extract where
I. Pennington speaks of the distinction between the Christ of God,
and the body of flesh ; but they might have saved themselves the
trouble, since Friends have always professed a belief, both in the
manhood and in the Godhead of Christ, and this is the real meaning
of 1. Pennington; which is very different from the notion, that he was
a mere fallible man, endued with a portion of the spirit, commensu-
rate with the work he was called to, and that he was no otherwise
divine, than as this spirit dwelt in him, or as every other Christian is,
L Pennington thought not so meanly of his Saviour, as is evident
from the exalted epithets which he bestows upon him, in this very
essay.
Francis Bugg, and after him, the author of the Snake in the Grass,
quoted the parts of this extract which the compilers have italicised,
in order to prove that the Quakers denied the proper humanity of
the Lord Jesus. Joseph Wjeth and George Whitehead both replied
to this aspersion. The following observations of G. Whitehead,
may serve to show, that the meaning which the compilers would
have us draw, from L Pennington's language, is not what was intend-
ed by the author. After reciting the Snake's charge, he says —
" We know best our own meaning, being well satisfied that it is
according to Holy Scripture. Where is then the difference? He
then quarrels with our meaning, not with the words here, but else-
where ; he doth as his author, F. Bugg, has done with the words,
"veil and garment," in I. Pennington's question to professors; but
this author yields the point ; he assents to both ; as our soul is clothed
with our body, as with a garment or veil, and so of Christ ; which
warrants L Pennington's question, against his author, F. Bugg, and
himself, at least so far as not to make a subject of any further con-
tention against us." — See page 499.
Again on page 505: " Now, though our adversary has made a deal
of dispute and quarrel with us about calling Christ's flesh the vail.
112
as in Hebrews x., yet he is fain to grant that Christ's body is called
a vail, in relation to its type, the vail of the temple, but he'H have
this not to be in the Quaker's sense. They call i( a vnil ; that is,
saith he, a garment, in contradistinction to its heitig Christ's sub-
stance, and of his nature. Whereas it's rather in contradistinction
to its being his divine nature ; or to its being, in the first plac •, or
principally, or chiefly, Christ himself, (who is the Son of God,) for
whom the body was prepared ; because he did pre-exist if, or was in
being before he .took upon him that body, even in his Father's glory,
before the world began, wherewith he is glorified. However, the
vail which was Christ's flesh, through which he set open the new and
living way, ice never deny to be Christ's body, or to be a real body,
but own it was; and never believed it to be a fantastical body, as I
have often said ; but that Christ, the Son of God, took upon him real
flesh and blood of our nature, yet pure and uncorriipted, in him.
And as his flesh was called the vail, it answers its type or figure,
viz. the vail of the most holy place, or oracle, where God gave an-
swers. 1 Kings vi. 20. viii. 6, 8. 2Chron. iii. 10, 16. And these
most holy places in the tabernacle and temple, being places of divine
service, then peculiar to the high priest to enter into, their antitype is
in Christ Jesus, the newcovenant, where in spirit and in the truth, God
is truly worshiped, and meets with and speaks to his people, even by
Christ Jesus, their High Priest, who is present, in the midst of his
church, and assemblies of his people, the true and spiritual wor-
shipers, who meet in his name, spirit and power, whose light and
truth brings its followers unto his holy tabernacles. — Psalm xliii. 3.
"And as to Christ's substance and nature, what does our opposer
mean thereby ? How has he distinguished in this point r Christ has
in him, a divine nature, as well as that of man, which he hath also in
the purest sense. But which is the greatest? Is not the divine na-
ture, the Deity in him, greater than the manhood ? As he said, 'My
Father is greater than all, greater than I.' John x. 29. Neverthe-
less, as our great and only Mediator and Intercessor, it teas necessa-
ry he should be man, as he is the most glorious heavenly Man ; and
as the Christ of God, he is spiritually in us, in the saints and mem-
bers, in some measure, by his spirit, light, life, and power, even as
the incorruptible, immortal seed in man, is of the Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost; and therein all true spiritual believers do, iw measurey
partake of the divine nature, being born again of this incorruptible
seed."— See also Switch, 202.
These very clear remarks of George Whitehead, must satisfy eve-
ry candid reader, that by the use of the words garment and veil, the
early Quakers never designed any thing more, than to distinguish be-
tween the essential divinity and manhood, of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The manhood they could not consider as exclusively the Christ, nor
yet the divinity exclusively, but gave the term Jesus Christ to both,
declaring that what God had joined together, they could not separate,
though they believed that the fulness of the Godhead, which dwelt
in the manhood, was chiefly and eminently the Saviour.
The next quotation which we have from Pennington, is on pages
9.B and 29, of the compilers' pamphlet. It is from a treatise entitled
113
" Life and Immortarity brought to light by the Gospel. Being a
true discovery of the nature and ground of the Religion and King-
dom of Christ, &c." It is divided into sections and chapters ; and
the extract is taken from the eleventh chapter, entitled " Of the
threefold appearances of Christ, to wit : under the law, in a body
of flesh, and in his spirit and power." And from the second section,
" concerning Christ's appearance in a body of flesh."
A very important part of this section is omitted, although it im-
mediately precedes and follows the extract, and, commences and
concludes the section. We would call the attention of the reader
particularly, to the parts left out, as from the explicit testimony
which they contain to the eternity. Godhead, and manhood of .Tesus
Christ ; his humbling himself unto death for our sakes, and offering
his life a sacrifice for sin ; his ascension to the bosom of the Father ;
and gloriflcation at the right hand of the throne of God in the hea-
vens ; it is but too clearly apparent, why they did not think proper
to quote the whole fairly. They could not but know that if I. Pen-
nington was permitted to speak for himself, he would directly con-
tradict the sentiments avowed by Elias Hicks, and thus defeat the
very object which they had in view, when making their extracts.
Isaac Pennington, after speaking of the shadowy dispensation of
the law, says, " Secondly ; Concerning ChrisCs appearance in a
body of flesh. When the time of these shadows drew towards an
end, and the fulness of time was come, he who thus appeared in se-
veral types and shadows, among that people of the Jews, under the
law, he noio came down from the Father, debased himself, and
clothed himself like a man, partaking of flesh and blood ; and was
in all things, made like unto us (excepting Sin, for he was the
Lamb without spot) humbling himself to come under the law, and
under the curse, that he might redeem those that are under the law,
(and under the curse) by fulfilling the righteousness thereof, and
bringing them through into the righteousness everlasting,
|0"[" Now while he was in the body, his glory did shine to the
" eye of the children of the true wisdom : his disciples (to whom not
" flesh and blood, nor the wisdom and knowledge which they could
" get from the letter, but his Father revealed him) they saw the hid-
" den glory ; they saw through the veil of his flesh, and beheld hini
" as the only begotten of his Father, full of grace and truth. Now
•' in this body he finished the work, w hich his Father gave him to
" do ; he fulfilled all righteousness, (the righteousness of the letter,
" the righteousness of the Spirit) that he might bring his, through
*' the righteousness of the law or letter, into the righteousness of
" the Spirit and power, into the righteousness of the new life ; and
" here that Scripture is read and fulfilled, " I through the law am
'' dead to the law, that I might live to God." So his whole life was
" a <loing the will of the Father which sent him.
" When he was but twelve years old, he disputed with the doc-
" tors and teachers of the law, hearing and asking them questions
" {discovering the pure wisdom of the Father which dwelt in him)
" because it was his Father's business which he was to be about, as
" iie told his mother. Luke ii. 49. And when the Lord led him into
p
114
" the wilderness to be tried, he went and was tempted, that he might
" fight the battle against his great adversary. And when the Spirit
" of the Lord was upon him, moving him to preach the gospel, he
" preached the gospel, in the spirit and power of the Father, and
" went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the
" devil, as his Father's Spirit led and guided him : for he did no-
*• thing of himself, or in his own will or for himself, but all in the
" will and time of the Father. ' Mine hour is not yet come,'
" said he to his mother, when she was hasty to have him do that
" miracle of turning water into wine. John ii. 4. And so when his
" brethren urged him to go up to the feast. John vii. 3, 4. ' My
" time,' said he ' is not yet come, your time is always ready,' verse
" Thus he did always please his Father, and seek the honour of
him that sent him ; and was obedient to death, even the death of
the cross, being willing to drink of the cup, which his Father gave
him to drink; and so having finished his work, he returned from
whence he came, and sat doivn at the right hand of the Majesty on
high, being exalted above all principalities, and powers, and domin-
ions, both in this world and in that which is to come." — See Vol. iv.
pages 98, 99, 100.
Isaac Pennington here closes his remarks upon " Christ's ap-
pearance in the body of flesh," and immediately proceeds to treat
of his third or Spiritual appearance in the Soul. The parts extract-
ed by the compilers are enclosed in brackets ; and it will be observed
that they are preceded and followed by a paragraph, each containing
very important evidences of the soundness of his faith. Is it not
doing great injustice to Isaac Pennington, thus to cull out a part of
his remarks upon a subject, omitting that which precedes and fol-
lows, and is necessarilv connected with it, and without which he
cannot be fully understood ; and in this mutilated state to publish
them as a complete exposition of the author's sentiments ? Is such
a course kind, or ingenuous ^ Does it not betray a consciousness
of the weakness of the cause in which the compilers are engaged }
The purport of the omitted portions is worthy of particular no-
tice. If Elias Hicks, and his friends, the compilers, believe in the
divinity, manhood, or glorious offices of the Son of God, why do
they, thus omit the paragraphs, which bear testimony to any of
these? Why are they so fearful of quoting passages, where these
are clearly and unequivocally acknowledged ? Mutilated, how-
ever, as the quotation is, it does not accord with the notions of Elias
Hicks. Isaac Pennington, in the compilers' extract, calls our blessed
Lord " the only begotten of his Father, full of grace and truth."
Elias Hicks says that the Scripture evidence, proves he was the son
of Joseph ; and that he was no otherwise the Son of God than every
good man is. Isaac Pennington says, that at twelve years of age,
the pure wisdom of the Father dwelt in him. Elias Hicks asserts
that the Holy Spirit was not conferred upon him until the baptism
of John, when he was thirty years of age — that then and not till
then, he became the Son of God, and that " we hear of no miracles
till after all this was done, none at all, nor any thing of his right-
115
eousuess or acts." Query — Was it no miracle for a child of twelve
years of age to confute the reasoning of the learned Scribes and
Pharisees, and doctors of the law? Was it no righteousness, to be
earnestly engaged in doing the will of his heavenly Father? " Wist ye
not, said he, that I must be about my Fatlier's business r" Was this
no miracle in a child so young? Was it no righteousness, no act?
1. Pennington says, the Lord led him inio the wilderness to be
tempted. Llias Hicks declares that it was not an outward wilder-
ness he was led into, but the wilderness state of iiis own mind. I.
Pennington acknowledges the existence of an evil spirit or devil.
Elias Hicks denies that there is any such being as a devil. See his
sermons lately printed, especially those at Byberry and Falsing-
ton.
The next extract from I. Pennington, is on page 29 of the pam-
phlet ; it is taken from a tract entitled " A Question to the Profess-
ors of Christianity, whether they have the true, living, powerful, sa-
ving knowledge of Christ, or no r" In this, as in several other
of his essays, he enforces the necessity, of coming to know Christ re-
vealed in the heart, by his spiri*, asserting that without this, the
mere historical knowledge of him, drawn from reading Holy Scrip-
ture, though true in itself, will never save the soul. The preface to
it begins thus:
"This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ wliom thou hast sent." JVhom did the Fa-
ther send ? Did he not send the Son of his Love? From xvh nee did
he send him? Did he woi send him out of his own bosom? ^^ hither did
he send him? Did he not send him into the world, to take upon him
a body, and glorify the name of the Father, doing his will therein?
He laid down his glory, stripping himself o( the forin of God, and ap-
pearing in habit as a man, in their raiment, with their garment up-
on him, in which, as a servant, the Seed, (the Heir of all,) served the
Father; and now his work being as good as done, lie looks back at
the glory which he had laid down for the Father's sake, looking up
to the Father, for the restoring of it to him again. " I have gloi ified
thee on the earth, saith he, I liave finished the work whicii thou
gavest me to do, and now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine
own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was,
John xvii. 4, 5." — Vol. iii. page 25.
This short extract alone, is sufficient to decide the question whe-
ther 1. Pennington believed in the sentiments asserted by Elias
Hicks. Every unprejudiced person, who reads it, must be convinc-
ed that he does not ; for the author makes a most explicit declaration
of his belief in the eternity and divinity of our blessed Loid ; in
his being sent into the world by the Father, laying aside his glory —
clothing himself with a body like our's, doing the vvill of the Father
in all things, and finally laying down the humanity and returning
again to the bosom of the Father, and entering into the glory whicli
he had with Him before the world began. From an essay prefaced
with so sound and scriptural a confession of faith in Christ, it was
not to be supposed that the compilers could fairly extract any thing,
that would favour the notions of Elias Hicks, and accordingly we
lirul, tfiat they have had recourse to the most unjust mutilation and
perversion of the author's language and meaning. We shall notice
the extracts separately, and quote at length, in order fully to shov/
their alterations and omissions — the parts which they quote are en-
closed in brackets.
The pious author begins his essay with stating the question which
he is going to discuss, viz: "The question is not, whether they
know what is said of Christ in the scriptures, but wliether they know
it savingly, truly, livingly, powerfully?" — And then proceeds to en-
force this latter kind of knowledge — on page 29, he says:
" Our knowledge is in a principle, wherein we receive our capaci-
ty of knovving, and wherein the Father, (fioni whom the principle
came,) teacheth us. And this is his way of teaching us, by making us
one with the thing he teacheth. Thus we learn Christ, by being
born of him, by putting him on. Thus we know his righteousness,
his life, his wisdom, his power, by receiving a proportion of them,
which giveth an ability to discern and (iclaioudedge the fulness.
And in this, we receive the understanding of the scriptures, and
know tlie seed of the woman, (which bruiseth the serpent's head,) by-
receiving the seed, by feeling its growth in us, and its power over
the enemy. Then we know the thing; likewise we know the wo-
man, that brings forth this seed after the Spirit, ichich is the Jeru-
salevi above ; and ite know also, and singly acknowledge the bring-
ing forth of it outwardlif, after the flesh. This seed we know to be
the seed of Abraham, the seed of David after the flesh, and the seed
of God after the power of the endless life ; and ive are taught of
God to give the due honour to each ; to the seed of God in the first
place, to the seed of David in the second place. There was the seed that
wrought the thing, which seed was the life, and fCT^Lthe seedjjcCJl
in which he wrought it, which |C7^[" was formed into a vessel like
"ours, but without sin. in which the pure Lamb appeared in the
" pure power of life, which kept the vessel pure, and so he, (who
'• was to be the first fruits,) had the honour above all his brethren, be-
"ing anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows.
" But we also are born of the same seed. He is formed in us;
'' we are formed of him ; we are as well of his flesh and blood, as he
'• was of ours. And by being thus formed, and feeling him grow
" up in us, and receiving an understanding from him, and in him,
" thus we come to know him, and to understand the words of scrip-
'• ture concerning him. By feeling and knowing the Lamb in our
" vessels, we know also what was the Lamb in his vessel. "]<qO|
" Thus we know things in the certainty and demonstration of God's
Spirit, even in the light which shines from him, and in the life which
he begets ; and we speak of things as they are, and as we feel them
to be in the true life, which the Spirit of Christ hath begotten in us.
And we can truly say concerning the scriptures. That now we be-
lieve, not so much because of the relation of things concerning
Christ, which we have found in them ; but because we have seen
and received the thing, which the scriptures speak of, and find it to be
the very thing indeed, the very Christ of God, the spotless one, the
living garment of righteousness and salvation, wherein God findeth
117
no fault, and in which the soul appears without blame before him."-=
Vol. iii. page SO.
From this extended quotation of Isaac Pennington's language, the
reader will at once perceive, how far he is from holding the doctrines
of Elias Hicks, and also the great injustice which the compilers have
done him by altering and garbling his sentences in order to force
upon them their oivn^ not his meaning. They commence quoting
after a semicolon, omitting the copulative conjunction ^^and" which
connects the sense with what precedes; take in two words, "i/je
seed" then omit sijc words, which are necessary to define I. Pen-
nington's meaning. What confidence can be placed in the quotations
of men who can thus deliberately change the language of an au-
thor, to make him speak sentiments, suited to their own pur-
poses, without regarding, yea, even changing his own assertions?
Where was the integrity and honesty of the compilers, when en-
gaged in this work ?
It is curious to sec the pains they have taken to avoid inserting the
preceding part of the paragraph, in which the autlinr expresses his be-
lief in both the divinity and manhood of the Lord Jesus. He defines
two seeds; one the everlasting Seed of the kingdom, the eternal
Word, by whom the worlds were made; the other, the seed of Abra-
ham and David after the flesh, the manhood, in which the Holy Seed
or Godhead dwelt in fulness. Both these, he says, the Quakers were
taught, singly to own and acknowledge; to confess Christ, both as he
appeared in the flesh, and as he is come in the spirit, giving due
honour to each seed, to the seed of the kingdom in the first place, to
the seed of Abraham and David in the second place. The true
Quakers, he declares, were taught to know Christ by being born of
him, by putting him on ; and by obeying that proportion of divine
light received from Him, they were taught to discern and acknow-
ledge tlie fulness which is in Christ Jesus. He confesses their be-
lief in all that is declared in the scriptures concerning his outward
manifestation in the flesh, and that these very scriptures wore living-
ly opened and confirmed to their minds, by the operation of that
Holy Spirit which gave the scriptures forth. Now if the light of
Christ Jesus thus taught the early Quakers to own Christ both out-
wardly and inwardly, and to believe in all that is written concerning
him in the sacred volume, it is evident that their pretended succes-
sors, who are denying these solemn trutlis, cannot be guided by that
unerring spirit which never can contradict itself. They have swerved
from the ancient faith of the gospel, and departed from that religious
profession for which our worthy predecessors suffered so deeply.—
Let the reader compare the sentiments of Elias Hicks, with those ac-
knowledged by I. Pennington, the contrast will be strikingly ob-
vious!
On pages 29 and SO of the pamphlet, we have another extract from
the same essay of I. Pennington, in making which, the compilers
have again omitted a considerable part of the paragraph, which is
immediately connected with what they quote, and necessary to give
the true sense of the whole. The paragraph is as follows; — the
118
pari quoted by the compilers is enclosed in brackets, designated by
a hand.
" And this may be a great evidence to professors, that they know
not indeed Christ in his nature, spirit, lifp, and power; because they
speak not of him, as persons who feel the thing, and speak from the
present sense of it, and acquaintance with it, but only as persons
that bring forth a notion, they have received into tlieir understand-
ings. And yet they fail therein also, for they speak not of Christ
according as the scriptures hold him forth, compared one with an-
other, but as they have grossly apprehended concerning him, from
some scriptures as the Jews outward did. For the scriptures speak not
only of a body, but also of Him that appeared in the body; nor only of
bodily tiesh, blood and bones, but also of such flesh and bones whereof
Christ and his church consist. He is Christ (say the scriptures) who
is one with the Father, who came from the Father, in whom the Father
was, and who was in the Father; so said Jesusof himself, (lifting up his
eyes to heaven and praying to the Father of his disciples, and the
children whom the Father had given him,) more than once in that sev-
enteenth chapter of John. Yea, he is Christ whom a man cannot see, but
he must see the Father also; and whom, whosoever seeth the Father,
seeth ; who was before Abraham was; whom no man could know
whence he was, even as no man can know whence the Father is. —
iCJ^^Christ granted the Jews that they knew him, and whence he
" was, as to his body; and yet for all that, he was the Christ who
" was to come, whom no man knew, from whence he was. What was
" that, Christ called me, speaking to Philip? ' Hast thou not known
"me, Philip, hast thou not seen me? What, dost thou know me
" after the flesh, after the body? Dost thou take that for me? Have
" I been so long with you, and do you know me no better than so?
" The body is from below, the body is like one of yours, (only sancti'
^^jied by the Father, and preserved without sin;) but I am the same
" spirit, life, and being with the Father. We are one substance,
" one pure power of life, and we cannot be divided ; but he that
" sees one, must needs see both ; and he that knows one must needs
" know both. This is the Lamb of God which John bare witness of,
" which he said was before him, John i. 15, which the body was
" not."]„£::i— Pages 31, 32.
The partial extract made by the compilers does not by any means
coincide with the notions of Elias Hicks, which it is adduced to sup-
port. I. Pennington sufficiently expresses a belief in the Godhead
and Manhood of Jesus Christ; his oneness in nature, spirit, life, and
being with the Father; his existence before his appearance in
the flesh, and his being the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin
of the world. And while he distinguishes between the Godhead and
Manhood of Christ, and says, "the body is like one of yours;" lest
it should thence be inferred, that he made it no holier than any other
human body, he reverently adds, "only sanctified by the Father and
preserved without sin;" which shows how far he was from equaliz-
ing Christ with man, even as related to his humanity only.
Another quotation from the same essay, occurs on page 30 of the
pamphlet, and presents us with a still more open and direct perver
119
sion of the doctrines of I. Pennington, than we have yet had occa-
sion to notice.
It appears there were some illiberal persons, cotemporary with
Isaac Pennington, who like our compilers, accused the Quakers,
of denying the scripture testimony, to that Christ who died at Je-
rusalem, &c. ; and in order to clear himself and his brethren from
so foul an aspersion, he gives forth a declaration of his belief, re-
specting the Lord Jesus Christ. This declaration consists of three
articles, all of which are necessary, fully to give his faith on the
subject; and we could scarcely have supposed that the compilers
would have stooped to so great an outrage upon the Christian cha-
racter of this good man, as to mutilate and garble a declaration of
his faith, to prove his denial of Christ ; when that very declaration
was put forth by the author, to prove that he did not so deny. True
it is, that they fail in their object, even with all their unfairness, but
this is to his credit, not theirs. The turpitude of their design is
none the less apparent. The following quotation will prove the
truth of what we say — the compilers' extract is enclosed in brackets :
" Now, a little further to remove the scruples and prejudices, out
of the minds of such, as sometimes have been touched with the
power of truth, and have had the witness of God reached to, in their
hearts; but afterwards the enemy hath raised mists and cast blocks
in their way, stirring up in them, hard thoughts against us, as if we
denied what the scriptures affirm in this thing, and indeed, (in ef-
fect,) that Christ which died at Jerusalem, and set up a natural
principle within, instead thereof. To remove this out of the minds
of the honest-hearted, (who, in the guidance of God, might light on
this paper,) I shall open my heart nakedly herein.
First — We do own that the Word of God, (the only begotten of the
Father,) did take up a body of the flesh of the Virgin Mary, who was
of the seed of David, according to the scriptures, and did the will
of the Father therein, in holy obedience unto him, both in life and
death.
Secondly — That he did offer up the flesh and blood of that body,
(though not only so; for he poured out his soul, he poured out his
life,) a sacrifice or offering for sin, (do not. Oh ! do not stuvnble
at it ; but rather wait on the Lord to understand it ; for we speak
in this matter what we knov^ ;) a sacrifice unto the Father, a}id in
it, tasted death for every man ; and that it is upon consideration, (and
through God'' s acceptance of this sacrifice for sin,) that the sins of
believers are pardoned, that God might be just, and the justifier of
him which believeth in Jesus, or who is of the faith of Jesus.
Thirdly — " [iCT^What is attributed to that body, we acknowledge,
•' and give to that body, in its place, according as the scripture attribut-
"eth it, which is through, and because of that which dwelt and act-
"ed in it. But that which sanctified and kept the body pure, (and
"made all acceptable in him,) was the life, holiness, and righteous-
"ness of the Spirit ; and the same thing that kept his vessel pure,
"it is the same thing that cleanseth us. The value which the natu-
''ral flesh and blood had, was from that; in its coming from that;
•'in its acting in that; ia its suffering through that : yea, indeed,
120
"that hath the virtue ;"]«Ol that is it which is of an unchangea-
ble nature, wliich abiileth forever; which is pure, and maketh pure
forever, and it is impossible for a man to touch it, but he must feel
cleansing by it. Now this living virtue and power, man was shut
out from by the fall; but tlirough the true knowledge o{ the death of
Christ, the way is made open for it again, and man brought to it to
be baptised, washed, cleansed, sanctified, fitted for, and filled with,
life. So that this it is, that doth the thing; this is it from whence
Christ had his own flesh and blood, (for we are taught both by the
Spirit and by the scriptures, to distinguish between Christ's own
flesh, and that of ours, which he took up and made his;) which flesh
and blood we feed of in the Spirit ; which they cannot feed on,
which serve at the outward tabernacle, nor they neither which know
only the outward body; but they only that feed in the Spirit." —
Vol. iii. pages 33, 54.
By noticing where the brackets are placed, the reader will per-
ceive that the compilers omit the two first articles of the confes
sion, and close their extract at a semicolon, taking in only six words
of a sentence, which begins after a colon, and in which 1. Penning-
ton is declaring the immutability, eternity, and purity of the Holy
Spirit of Christ — then follows his assertion of the fall of man, and
the restoring virtue of the sacrifice of Christ, all which, is purpose-
ly omitted by the compilers. The two first articles of this confes-
sion of faith are particularly full and clear — they assert the belief
of the early Quakers in the scripture testimony, that the Word of
God, took up a body of flesh of the Virgin Mary, and did the will
of the Father therein ; that he offered up the flesh and blood of that
very body, a sacrifice for sin, and in it tasted death for every man;
that it is upon consideration, and through God's acceptance of this
sacrifice, that the sins of believers are pardoned. This is the doc-
trine of the early Quakers, and lest any who were striving to com-
prehend it in their own reason, should be tempted to deny it, the
author exhorts them, to icait on the Lord to understand it, for they
spake what they knew herein. How evident it is, that the dogmas
of Elias Hicks, are not only innovations upon the ancient faith of
the Society of Friends; but direct contradictions, and bitter ana-
themas, against some of its most sacred and solemn truths.
Even the mutilated c[Uotation of the compilers, does not accord
with the unbelief of Elias Hicks, since I. Pennington declares in if,
the belief of Friends, in all that is attributed to that holy body of
Christ, in the scriptures of truth, and to its being miraculously con-
ceived ; likewise to the value of the sacrifice of the natural flesh and
blood. Now, every one who has read the letters and sermons
of Elias Hicks, must see that he denies much that is attributed to
the body of Christ in the sacred volume, especially its miraculous
conception, and the efficacy of the propitiatory sacrifice, declaring
that it is not an atonement for any sins, but the legal sins of the
Jews.
The next quotation, given by the compilers, is from Isaac Pen-
nington's " Epistle to ail such as observe the seventh day of the
week, for the Sabbath of the Lord." The object of the author, in
121
this cssaj, is to show that the dispensation of the law of Moses is
abolished by the coming and death of Christ, and that the new and
more glorious dispensation of the gospel is now come. He points
out some of the rituals of the law, as being typical of the more ex-
cellent, spiritual things of the gospel, and concludes with enforcing
the necessity of witnessing the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ
Jesus, to set free from the law of sin and deatli ; that thus the soul
may realize the living substance of those things, which the types of
the law shadowed forth.
The extract inserted by the compilers makes nothing for their
cause, and yet such is their aptness at disjointing sentences, that
they have commenced after a comma, left out the leading part of
the author's sentence, without which his meaning cannot be under-
stood, and placed it in their pamphlet as though it were complete
in itself, and fairly extracted. This will be seen by reference to
the following, where the part they have inserted is enclosed in
brackets.
" Notv (he sum or substance of this law of the spirit, may out-
wardly be signified, in divers short words ; as love, that comprehends
the whole of it ; so doth fear; there is the whole wisdom and course
of the life, comprehended also ; or thus. ' Thou shalt not lust ;' (thus
is was administered to Paul ; Romans vii.) or ' thou shalt keep the
Sabbath;' or 'believe in the light, follow the light.' The observing
of any one of these, in the spirit, is the keeping of the law ; for ev-
ery breach of the law is out of the love ; out of the fear; the lust of
the fleshly spirit; a transgression of the Sabbath, or spiritual rest to
God, out of the light, and out of the faith. But if ye will read this
in the spirit, and come to the true righteousness of the faith, which
is received in the obedience of faith to the law of the spirit, fcpfye
" must come to the word of faith; to which Paul directs, Romans x.
" 6, by the hearing whereof is the justification, and not by a bare
"believing that Christ's blood was shed ; for it is the virtue of the
^^ blood which saves, which virtue is in the living Word, and is felt
" and received in hearing, believing, and obeying that Word, thereby
" bringing into unity and confornuty with him, both in his death, and
" in his resurrection and life. This is the only way to life; be not
" deceived; there is not, nor ever was, any other.]^^^! Oh wait on
the Lord in his fear! that it may be opened to you, and that slain in
you which cannot bear the straitness thereof, and with which there
is no erring." — Pennington, Vol. ii. pages 58, 59.
Such are the liberties which these compilers take with the com-
position of their authors; and what may they not thus make them
express ? It is well to observe, that in their own extract L Penning-
ton declares, that it is the virtue of the blood of Christ that saves the
soul ; though he also very properly remarks that the blessed benefit
of it, can only be known and felt, by yielding obedience to the Holy
Spirit of Christ Jesus, inwardly revealed. Now Elias Hicks not on-
ly denies that there is any redeeming virtue to the soul, in the pre-
cious blood of Christ, but anathematizes the doctrine of (he propitia-
tory sacrifice, as wicked and absurd. — See the Review of his Letter
to Dr. N. Shoemaker, and his Sermons, recently printed.
Q
122
We have next, on paj^es 30, 31, a quotation from an essay by the
same author, entitled, " Some questions and answers for the direc-
tion, comfort, help, and furtherance of God's spiritual Israel," &c. in
which he declares the state of man in the fall, his blindness, igno-
rance, and darkness, while in it, and the impossibility of his bringing
himself out of it. He then queries —
" What is the work of redemption ? Answer. — To purge the old
leaven out of the vessel, to purify the vessel from all the false ap-
pearances of light, to batter down all the strong holds of the ene-
my in the mind, all the reasonings, thoughts, imaginations, and consul-
tations, which are not of the pure, or in the pure; and so to new
create and new form the vessel, in the image of the wisdom and pu-
rity wherein it was at first formed.
Question. — Who doth this work, or iCj°"[who is man's Redeemer
" out of the fall ?
" A. — The Eternal Word, or Son of the Father, even the wisdom
" and power which went forth from the Fountain in the creation, (he
" same goeth forth from the bosom of the Father, to purify the ciea-
" ture, and so bringeth the creature back, being purified and cleans-
*' ed, into his bosom again.
" Q. — With what doth this Word, or Redeemer, redeem ?
" A. — With his own life, with his own blood, with his own eter-
"nal virtue and purity. He descendeth into the lower parts of the
" earth, becomes flesh there, sows his own seed in his prepared earth,
" begets of his flesh and of his bone, in his own likeness, and nour-
" isheth up his birth, with his flesh and blood unto life everlasting.
" Q. — What is this life? or how doth it first manifest itself in the
"darkness?
" A. — It is (he light of men. It is that which gave light to Adam
" at first, again to him after the fall, and to all men since the fall.
" It enlightens in nature ; it enlightened under the law ; it did en-
" lighten under the gospel before the apostacy, and again, since the
" apostacy.
" Q. — How doth the light enlighten ?
" A. — By its shining. The eternal word moves, the life opens,
" the light shines: this, in the least degree is a beginning of redemp-
" tion; in its fulness it is redemption perfected."],uOiVoI. ii. p. 281.
The object of I. Pennington in these queries, is to describe the in-
ward work of redemption out of the fall ; out of the thraldom of sin
inherent, by the power and spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. This
is evident, from the first query and answer which we have extracted,
and lest the readers of their pamphlet should perceive the true
intent and meaning of Isaac Pennington, the compilers omit the
first query, which describes what he is about to treat of in the
others, and also cut off a part of the second question, viz. " Who
doth this work" doubtless with the same view. These little indica-
tions of unfairness and want of integrity, would of themselves, be
quite sufficient to destroy the credit of their pamphlet, in the esti-
mation of every generous and candid mind. I. Pennington reite-
rates the declaration again and again, in his works, that a belief in
the necessity of the inward work, did not in any degree invalidate
123
the faith of Friends, in the outward sacrifice, but taught them, reve-
rently to esteem and own it, and to feel grateful therefor, to him
who has ordained it.
Upon the same page of the pamphlet, we have a quotation from
I. Pennington's "Salutation of love and tender good will to tlie com-
missioners of the peace, in the county of Bucks;" in which he so-
lemnly warns them of the necessity of a real change of hearty and
of the insufficiency of all things else, to save the soul. The compi-
lers close their quotation at a semicolon ; but the sentiments con-
tained in it are so truly excellent, and so opposite to those of Elias
Hicks, that we are pleased with the opportunity of presenting the
whole paragraph to our readers, viz.
$Cj^\J' There is no way of avoiding the eternal, insupportable
" wrath of God, but by travelling out of that nature, spirit and
" course, which it is to. Him that sowed to sin and corruption
" under the Law, the sacrifices would not save then ; nor him that
" soweth to sin and corruption under the Gospel, the sacrifice of
" Christ will not save now; but he that is saved by Christ, must
" be sanctified and i-edeemed from sin and corruption by him ;
" which Christ worketh by his principle of life sown in the
" heart ;"]^tO| which principle turneth against the contrary prin-
ciple discovering its nature, and evil dark ways, and drawing froni,
and leading out of them. Oh ! therefore let me in love entreat you,
all my dear countrjnnen, (indeed I have no end in it but your good)
to mind that in your hearts, which discovers your evils to you, that
therein ye may feel the power of life drawing you from them, and
helping you against them. Greater is the power in this, than the
power that is in the contrary principle ; as those that hearken to
it, and become subject, by experience feel. And what if ye lose
a few fond pleasures for the present, (which indeed are beneath the
true state of a man) ye will lose a great deal of misery too, and your
gain at last will be exceeding great." — Vol. ii 389.
From this language of Isaac Pennington, it is most evident, that
while he asserts, that he who soweth to sin and corruption, shall not
be benefited by the sacrifice of Christ; he does clearly imply, that
he who sov/eth to the Spirit, shall as surely partake of the benefits
of that holy offering for sin. This is the true doctrine of Quaker-
ism. — How difterent it is fx'om that of Elias Hicks, the reader must
at once perceive.
Page 32 of the compilers' pamphlet, presents us with three lines,
extracted from an essay of Isaac Pennington's, entitled " The Holy
Truth and People Defended," in which he is replying to a number
of charges made against Friends by one, who like our compilers,
would make it appear, that they denied redemption and justification
by Christ, &c. To the first he replies —
" And as for denying redemption by the blood of Christ, oh ! how
will he answer this charge to God, when none upon the earth, (as
the Lord God knoweth) are so taught, and do so rightly and fully
own Redemption by the blood of Christ, as the Lord hath taught us
to do ! for we own the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, both oxd-
wardly and inwardly ; both as it was shed on the cross, and as it is
124
sprinkled in our consciences ; and know the cleansing virtue there-
of in the everlasting covenant, and in the light which is eternal ;
out of which light, men have but a notion thereof, but do not truly
know nor own it. And let him consider, before the time of Anti-
christ, it was a great matter to know and own Christ outwardly, as
he appeared in that body ; but since the Antichristian Spirit hath
got that, the distinguishing knowledge and owning of Christ is, to
know, and own him inwardly. The outward knowledge and con-
fession now, (as it is generally separated from, and held forth in
way of distinction from the inward,) is but the knowledge and con-
fession of Babylon, and not the true, living knowledge and confes-
sion of Christ, in and by the Spirit of the Father, which is the know-
ledge and confession of all the children of the true and heavenly
mother, which is the mother of all that are born of the Spirit."—-
Vol. iii. pages 234, 235.
At the time when Isaac Pennington wrote this essay, too many
professors were placing their whole dependence for salvation,
upon a bare historical knowledge of the coming and death of the
Son of God, vainly expecting justification from the guilt of sin,
whilst they continued in the commission of it, and denying entirely
the sensible influences of the Holy Spirit. This knowledge and
confession of Christ, by those who rejected him and his govern-
ment, Isaac Pennington calls the knowledge and confession of
Babylon, that the antichristian spirit had got ; and he exhorts
them to come to that inward and living acquaintance with him,
which would enable them from their own experience, to set theiv
seals to the truth of all that is declared of him in Holy Scripture.
It is sorrowful to observe, that in the very society of which he
was so honourable a member, the day that he alludes to seems to
have come, when it is " a great matter to know and own Christ
outwardly, as he appeared in that body." The Antichristian Spirit
which then led the unwatchful, to place undue confidence in the
knowledge of Christ outwardly, in this day, is seducing many into
a denial of this blessed manifestation in the flesh, under the speci-
ous and delusivepretence,of exalting his inward appearance; though
in truth, they are thereby denying and rejecting both. The extract
we have given, is so pertinent a reply to the compilers, for their en-
deavours to prove that he rejected redemption by Christ, that it is
well worthy of their serious perusal. The three lines given by them,
are taken from Isaac Pennington's reply to the following objection,
viz :
" He [an opponent]] saith hefeareth lest Imake this life and virtue
our righteousness, which is indeed the fruits of it.
" Answer. — Who is this that darkeneth counsel, by words without
knowledge, and runneth out from the truth into his own imagina-
tions ? |C?'[" What was Christ's righteousness ? Was it not the
" life, the virtue, the Spirit of the Father in him, he being one with
" it, in the faith of it, and in the obedience to it i'"]cC3| And is not
the righteousness of the Head, and the body the same, communicat-
ed from the Head to the body? Are they not all of one, and the
righteousness one and the same in both ? So much of Christ's spiritj
125
so much of his righteousness ; and out of his spirit, aid of his right-
eousness for evermore. For the righteousness of the Son is revealed,
and communicated from faith to faith, in his Spirit ; and so Christ
is indeed made righteousness to them that are found in his Spirit ;
and they are covered with the garment of righteousness and salva
lion, who are covered with his Spirit." — Vol. iii. p. 236.
On page 5238, 1. Pennington remarks —
" He [the opponent] saith, Were we godly before, or at that
time, it were no act of grace to pronounce us righteous.
" Answer — He that witnesseth Salvation in Christ Jesus, witnes-
seth it to be a continued act of grace. Grace appears to the soul,
grace teacheth, grace enableth, grace maketh a change from the un-
graciousness of the heart and state, and then grace, (or God by his
grace, in and through desres Christ) forgiveth the sins that were
committed before. For though the Lord visit me with life, quick-
en me thereby, make a change in my heart, and state, yet it is his
mercy to accept me, and to pass by for his name sake, my former
debis and trespasses against him. Alas ! the new covenant, is
wholly a covenant of grace and mercy ; and the giving of Christ,
drawing the mind to him, accepting and justifying in Him, are
works of grace and mercy towards his. So the Spiritual Israel,
may well sing this song in the land of holiness and redemption ;
" O praise the Lord ! for he is good, and his mercy endureth for-
ever ! I can truly set my seal to this thing ; that the more holy and
righteous, the Lord maketh me in his Son, the more sensible am I of
his love, grace and mercy, in justifying of me ; and it is precious to
me, to witness justification and acceptance with him, in and through
his Son.^^
Such is the holy and devout language of this experienced ser-
vant of God ! — How directly the reverse of the sentiments of Elias
Hicks in his letter to Drs. N. Shoemaker and E. A. Atlee.
The next quotation from Isaac Pennington, is on page 42 of the
compilers' pamphlet. It is taken from a work entitled *' Some of
the Mysteries of God's Kingdom glanced at, &c." — the preface to
it, begins with these remarkable words — " None but Christ, none
but Christ, saith my soul, from the sense of my continual need of
him, and from the deep love of my heart unto him. Now there is a
twofold way of knowing Christ, both which are of use, and have
their service, in their several seasons, according to the estate and con-
dition of the soul, and according to the dispensation, which it
pleaseth God to set up among his people ; the one whereof is literal,
the other spiritual ; the one is according to a description of him,
received into the understanding ; the other is according to the re-
velation or unveiling of him in the heart." — Vol. ii. p. 405.
He then proceeds to exemplify these two ways of knowing Christ,
and insists upon the great necessity of witnessing him, inwardly re-
vealed in the iieart. The work itself commences thus :
" What is Christ ? Answer. He is the immediate offspring of
Kternal life in himself, and the fountain or spring of life unto the
creation. ' Even as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to
126
the Son to have life in himself;' and in and through his Son, he coni-
municateth of his life, uBtohis creatures." — page 407,
Of repentance, he has the following excellent observations: —
"What is repentance? Answer. It is Christ's turning of the heart
from the dead nature, and from the dead works, towards the living
principle, and the living works thereof.
"Question 2. — Cannot a man turn fromsin,and turn to God when
he will?
" Answer. JS''o. — Man is a captive ; his understanding captive ;
his will captive; all his affections and nature in captivity; and no-
thing can turn him towards God, but that which is stronger than
that power which captivateth him.
" Question 3. — How is repentance wrought ?
" Answer. — It is Christ's gift, whom God hath appointed a Prince
and Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins, who giveth it
in his enlightening and drawing virtue, wherein sin's nature is open-
ed and the bent of the soul, bj him, secretly turned against it."—
page 410.
Under the head of obedience, after declaring that it " is the obedi-
ence of the seed conveyed into the creature by the seed" that forms
the obedience of the true child of God ; he adds these truly sublime
and evangelical remarks.
" Mark how every thing in the kingdom, every spiritual thing, re-
fers to Christ and centres in him. His nature, his virtue, his pre-
sence, his power, makes up all. Indeed, he is all in all to a believer,
only variously manifested and opened in the heart, by the Spirit. He
is the volume of the whole book, every leaf and line whereof speaks
of him, and writes out him in some or other of his sweet and beauti-
ful lineaments." — page 417.
In the same essay, treating of justification, he thus beautifully
sets forth his faith, in the virtue of the atoning blood of Jesus
Christ.
<' Question 5. — How is this justification wrought?
" Answer. — By faith in the virtue ivhichjioiceth from Christ. God,
letting in, of the nature of his Son into the heart, and begetting therein,
somewhat of his own likenes?, in which he draweth, and which he
giveth to believe in : this faith is imputed by God /or righteousness,
in every heart, wherever it is found : and where this faith in the living
virtue is found, there God blotteth out the iniquities for his name
sake; yea and remission is felt in that which is made living. And
there is one near who hath power to bind or loose, in the conscience,
according to the nature of the dispensation ; and who doth bind or
loose in every dispensation as he findeth cause. Btit all loosing of
sins, is for Christ's sake, and throztgb his blood ; though every one,
in every dispensation, is not able distinctly so to read it. Yea, un-
der the \iisv , the remission was by this sacrifice; though many of
the Jews could not read the type. The promise is to the seed of
the kingdom, and to man in the seed; and there it reache'h him,
whenever it findeth iiim : for in all his gatherings into, and being
found in that, he is blest." — pages 422, 423.
We should not have supposed that an essay, so fraught with the
127
holiest doctrines of the scriptures of truth, would have been refet'
red to by the compilers, to support a system of unbelief. But as it
often happens in such a cause, the weapons used for its defence, turn
against itself.
I. Pennington queries. What is redemption? This he defines to be
" the purchasing of the vessel, out of the captivity and misery of
death, into the liberty and blessedness of the divine life, sown, re-
vealed, grown up, and perfected in the heart." This then is com-
plete sanctification, which Friends have never believed to be ef-
fected by the outward oiFering only. They believe that this Holy
sacrifice procured the remission of sins and opened a new and liv-
ing way for the people of God to approach unto Him, but that com-
plete sunctificiition is never to be obtained but by yielding obedience to
the grace or good spirit of the Son of God, in the heart. That I.
Pennington had no intention of denying the virtue of Christ's death,
will appear, from what immediately follows the compilers' quota-
tions, viz:
" When Sion, in any heart is built up, it is natural to the Lord
to appear there in his glory, and the pure eye sees it, and the
pure heart enjoys, and is one with it. So that as there is a true
entrance into fellowship in, and enjoyment of, the death af Christy
so is there also of the resurrection and glory of the redeemed
life ; which is the portion and inheritance, which God hath pre-
pared for Sion, after her long desolation and sore widowhood ;
which he will give unto her in the sight of all the world, where-
by she shall become the beauty, joy, and praise of the whole earth ;
who hath hitherto been the reproached, despised, and afflicted,
and made a prey of, by the several sorts of devouring spirits." —
Vol. iii. pages 427, 428.
In the next quotation from I, Pennington, pages 47, 48, of the
compilers' pamphlet, we have a full acknowledgment of the propiti-
atory sacrifice of Jesus Christ, of the good pleasure of the Father in
his offering up himself on the cross, and of the great efficacy it
had, in the redemption of fallen man. I. Pennington refers to those
forcible expressions of the apostle Paul in Romans, v. 18, 19.
*' Therefore, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to
condemnation ; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift
came upon all men unto justification of life. For, as by one man's
disobedience, many were made sinners ; so by the obedience of one, sba\l
many be made righteous." It is a little remarkable, that the compi-
lers, in order to prove that I. Pennington rejected this doctrine,
should adduce a quotation from an essay, v/hich he wrote to set
forth his full belief and firm fiiith in it. The essay from which the
extract is made, is entitled " Life and Immortality brought to lio-ht
by the Gospel, &c." and the eighteenth section, containing the quo-
ted sentence, is thus headed: "Some observations concerning the
Priesthood of Christ, from several passages in the Hebrews." We
shall insert some parts of it. He thus commences :
" Observation 1. — Who is the Apostle, and High Priest of our pro-
fession? It is Jesus Christ the Son of God, whom God hath appoint-
128
eJ Heir of all things, by whom he made tlie worlds, and who is the
express image of his Father's substanc?, &c. Hpb i. and iii. 1,
"Observation 2. Why this High Priest was to suffer death? which
was, that he might taste death for every man, and so through suffer-
ing, become a perfect Saviour, or perfect Captain of Salvation, to
all the sons that were to be brought by him to glory, ii. 9, 10.
" Observation 3. Why he partook of flesh and blood r one reason
whereof was, because the children (and that therein he might show
them an example of righteousness, that he might condemn himself in
the flesh) were partakers of flesh and blood ; for that was the very
ground or reason, that he took part of the same : another reason was,
that which was mentioned before ; that he might taste death, and
through death destroy him, who had the power of death, and so break
open the prison doors, and deliver those who were captives under
him, ii. 14, 15.
"Observation 4. Why he was, tempted, and why in all things, it
behoved him to be made like unto his brethren? Which was, " that
he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining
to God; to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." For his
own suftering under temptations, (even the sense thereof,) renders
him merciful, tender, faithful, and ready to help, and succour his, in
all their temptations, ii. 17, 18.
" Mark ; Christ was not only to die, and so offer up a sacrifice of
atonement, but he was also to make reconciliation by it, ever after-
wards for his children, (in case of transgression,) whenever occasion
should be. So saith John, "If any man sin we have an Advocate
with the Father," (to plead for the forgiving and blotting out of the
sin,) "and he is the propitiation, (or reconciliation) for our sins ;" as
the old translation renders it, I John ii. 1, 2. — Vol. iv. pages 121,
122.
"Observation 16. That this High Priest needeth not to offer ma-
ny sacrifices to atone by, as the priests under the law needed to do
often : for he was a perfect Priest, and offered tip one perfect, spot-
less sacrifice; and ' is a propitiation for the sins of the whole world,"
vii. 27, 28.
« Observation 23. For what cause, Christ was Mediator of the New
Testament? which was, that by means of death, for the redemption
of the transgressors under the first testament, they which are called
might receive the promise of eternal inheritance, verse 15. For God
hath made Christ, a propitiation for all men, both Jews and Gentiles,
that through faith in his blood, his righteousness might be declared,
for remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God,
that he might be just, and a justifier of him, who is of the faith of
Jesus. Rom. iii. 15, 16. So that they that were under the first cove-
nant, hearkening unto him, and believing in him, were justified from
all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Mo-
ses, Acts xiii. 39.
"Observation 24. The necessity of Christ's death ; which was, be-
cause he was to make way by his own blood into the holiest, to ap-
pear before God for us, and to sprinkle the heavenly things with the
blood of a Sacrifice, of an higher and better nature, than the blood of
129
bulls and goats was; for that was the blood of the covenant which
was to pass away; but he was to sprinkle his, with the blood of the
everlasting covenant; and by this his death and blood, (sprinkled
upon the hearts of his,) his covenant comes to be of force, Hebrews x,
16 to 25, and xiii. 20, 21.
" Observation 25.— 'That this High Priest need not often offer sacri-
fices to put away sin, as the priests of the law did ; because this one
offering; is sufficient ; and the blood thereof sprinkled upon the con-
science, is able to purge away dead works, wherever it is sprinkled.
There needeth not anif other offering, nor any other blood to do it;
but all that is now further needed, or to be expected by his, is his ap-
pearing the second time, without sin, unto salvation, in the pure vir-
tue, power, and life, of his own spirit. — Verse 25 to the end.
" Observation 26. — |CP[What it was, that was the thing of great
" value with the Father, in Christ giving up himself to death ? It
" was his obedience. He did obey his Father in all things, not do-
" ing his own will, but the will of him that sent him. ' He was
" obedient to death, even the death of the cross :' and so, as by one
" man's disobedience, death came upon all, so by the obedience of
"one, the free gift came upon all; which free gift is unto life; for
" life comes upon all that come to him, and believe in him, through
" the free gift, which is freely tendered to, and come upon all. —
«Rom, v. 18, 19.
" Observation 27. — That God took away sacrifices and burnt offer-
"ings, which were appointed by the old covenant; that he might es-
"tablish this obedience among all his children. Christ led the way,
" and all are to follow him in the new obedience, and to walk in
" newness of spirit before the LordI — Verse 9.
"Observation 28. —That we are sanctified by the same will by
" which Christ was sanctified, or sanctijieth himself. In subjection.
" to the same will which the head obeyed, (even in denying thera-
" selves, taking up tlie cross to their own wills and submitting to
" God,) are the members sanctified.]ar£3i The spirit of God works
them into holiness, by this will of God, and through the offering of
the body of Jesus Christ once.— Verse 10 John xvii. 19.
"So mark: there is the will of God, the offering up the body of
Jesus, the pouring out the spirit of grace, the new covenant, and/aii/t
in Christ, ike. Jill these tend to work out one and the same thing,
and they all concur thereto in their several orders and places." —
Vol. iv. page 128.
The reader will now perceive what part of the observations of I.
Pennington the compilers have thought proper to extract, and it is
worthy of particular notice, that they close their quotation within
two lines of the end of a paragraph, omitting the remainder of it,
and also the concluding paragraph of the observation. And why, we
would ask, do they omit these ? Because they assert the author's belief
in the propitiatory sacrifice of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and directly contradict the positive denial of that offering which
Elias Hicks so often makes. It is indeed mournful to see men who
profess a regard to honourable principles, thus mutilating the lan-
guage of an author, to make him speak sentiments directly the re-
R
130
verse ot wiiat he holds. Isaac Pennington is one of those h«jmble.f
believing Christians, who receive with reverent gratitude the glo-
rious doctrine of pardon and redemption, through the blood of Jesus
Christ, the Lamb of God ; a doctrine whose professors Elias Hicks
is pleased to call "idle and ignorant," "bold and daring," "desti-
tute of any right sense of justice and honesty, mercy and love."
The next quotation made by the compilers, is from the preface to
a treatise by 1. Pennington, entitled " The consideration of a posi-
tion concerning the book of common prayer." The compilers have,
as usual with them, treated him unfairly, by taking their extract
from a paragraph, the different sentences of which are connected
so as to be necessary to the full understanding of the author's mean-
ing. We shall insert the whole paragraph, enclosing the compilers'
quotation in brackets.
" Christ, the Eternal Son of God, the substance of all the types
and shadows of the law, was made a Priest to God, not after the law
of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
lie came in the power of the Father, he received the power, he minis-
tered the power, and in the power. Thus he gathered together living
stones, built them into a living temple for the Father of life to dwell in,
that they may be filled with the power, dwell in the power, and be
to the glory of the power. The church of Israel, the church of the
old testament, the church of Moses, was gathered by the letter; was
to be ordered by the letter ; was to keep and observe the law of the
letter; was to have priests and sacrifices according to the letter; but
the new testament church was to be of true Jews; of Jews gather-
ed in the power, circumcised by the power, renewed in the power,
&,c. So that he is not a Jew any longer, who is one outward, nor
that circumcision which is outward in the flesh ; but he is a Jew who
is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit,
and not in tlie letter. We are the circumcision, saith the Apostle,
which worship God in the spirit, and have no confidence in the flesh.
fCJ'I^The new testament state, is a state of substance, even of that
" Spiritual Substance which the law held out in shadows. The Jew
" is inward, the circumcision inward, the sacrifice inward, the church
" inward, the ministry inward, the worship inward : all is in spirit,
"in life, in power, in virtue; the whole state is answerable to the
" High Piiest of our profession, even after the power of the endless
" life. Ry the eternal spirit was he made a minister, by it he preach-
" ed, (' the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hatit anointed
" me to preach the gospel,' &c. Luke iv. 18.) ' through it he offered up
" himself, a sacrifice without spot to God.' Heb. ix, 14. And in the
" same power runs the vein of the whole dispensation of the gospel,
"for it is a ministration of the spirit. 2 Corinth, iii. 8. Take away
"the life; take away the spirit; ye take away the stones of this
"building; ye take away the church ; ye take away the ministry; ye
" takeaway all." — ,J^Vo\. ii. pages 115, 116.
The reader will observe that there is nothing like coincidence
with Ellas Hicks' principles, in this extract from I. Pennington. He
calls Christ Jesus, the Eternal Soti of God; whereas Elias Hicks
says, he was not the Son of God, until after the baptiam of John.
131
I. Pennington describes him as the substance of all the types and
shadows of the law. Elias Hicks says he was himself but a type
under the law. I. Pennington asserts him to be the High Priest of
our holy profession, after the power of an endless life. Elias Hicks
says he was no more than an Israelite, I, Pennington declares that,
through the Eternal Spirit, he otiered himself up, « sacrifice unto God
for tilt' sins of the people : Elias Hicks says, His death was no more
than that of a martyi-, and that he was not an atonement for any
sins but the legal sins of the Jews.
The next quotation, on pages 43, 44, of the pamphlet, is marked
*' Pennington on Christ," but no page given, which would enable us
to refer to the part of his works, in which it was contained. So
much has I. Pennington written "on Christ," and so repeatedly has
he declared his full faith, in all his glorious offices and attributes ;
that we were not a liltle at a loss, where to look for the compilers'
quotation. After a careful examination, however, we have at length
succeeded, and unravelled the whole mystery. On a comparison of
the original with the pretended extract, we find that they have so
altered and garbled the text, that it bears, at first sight, so little re-
semblance to the original, that v/e passed it over, as not being the one
we were in search of. No wonder that the compilers omiited the
page whence it was manufactured ; we commend them for the faint
traces of shame which the concealment indicates.
It is painful to us to be obliged, again and again, to remark upon
their unfair and mutilated quotations. It is wearisome and disgust-
ing — but it is a duty we owe to the public, and to the worthy authors,
whom they thus misrepresent. Such wanton and unjustifiable per-
version of a writer's meaning and language, is the ve«y worst spe-
cies of detraction ; because the vilified author is not present to de-
fend himself; and by such unfair means, he may be presented to the
world as holding the most unchristian principles; principles which
his very soul abhorred, and which the whole tenor of his writings,
his godly life, and triumphant death, directly contravened.
The extract is from the essay entitled " A question to the Profes-
sors of Christianity," &c. from which they have before given us a
garbled extract. The reader will observe that the scraps which they
have taken out and joined together are all enclosed in brackets.
|C?°'[" The question is not whether they know what is said of
" Christ in the scriptures, but whether they know it savingly, tru-
"ly, livingly, powerfully ?']„J;:yi Yea they may know what is said
of him, and yet not knoiv him, of whom those things are said. As
it was with |CP'[the Scribes and Pharisees, they knew what was
"said of Christ in the law and prophets; but they knew not him-
" self when he appeared in that body of flesh. So men may now
"know what the apostles and the evangelists have said]cnOl con-
cerning his appearance in a body of flesh, |CP[concerning his birth,
" circumcision, baptism, preaching, doctrine, miracles, death, resur-
"rection, ascension, intercession, &c.; and yet not know him, of
"whom these things are said.].cOl Yea they may know what
is said concerning the Word which was from the beginning, and yet
not know the Word, the power, the life itself. Since the prevailing
132
of the apostles' testimony, |C7*[the way of the enemy hath not been
"directly to deny Christ, but to bring men into such a knowledge
" of Christ as saves not. And as the enemy did own Christ when
" he appeared in that body of flesh, saying, ' 1 know thee who thou
" art, the Holy One of God ;' so he hath found it for his advantage
" almost ever since, to own that appearance of his. So that this he
" doth not oppose, nor men's knowledge and understanding of scrip-
" tures, so as to confirm them in this, but the saving knowledge, the
"true knowledge, the living knowledge, the powerful knowledge of
"truth, that he always opposeth ; for that alone overturns and de-
" stroys his kingdom in man, and brings man out of his reach. ]„XI^
Now there is a vast difterence between knowing the relations
concerning a thing, and knowing the thing related of. And there
is also a great deal of difterence, between believing the relations
concerning a thing, and believing in the thing, which is related of.
"Spiritual things cannot be savingly known but in union with
them, in the receiving of them. A man can never really know the
Spirit of God by all that can be said, concerning it, but he must
first feel, somewhat of it, whereby he may truly know it. So the
peace, the joy, the life, the power, they pass the understanding, and
a man can never rightly know them by reading, or comprehending
ever so much concerning them ; but by coming out of himself and
travelling thither, where they are given and made manifest he may
come into acquaintance with them. |G°'[And if the peace which
" Christ gives, the joy, the life, the power, cannot be thus known by
" literal descriptions, how can he who is the fulness of all],aO| tlie
fountain of them all) the treasury of all perjection, %C7^[in whom are
" hid all the riches and treasures of wisdom and knowledge, how
"can he be known by outward and literal descriptions r"],QO| —
Vol. iii. pages 28, 29.
It is easy to perceive what mangling of sentences and para-
graphs is here made by the compilers. They might almost as well,
forge an essay in Isaac Pennington's name, as thus to change and
re-model one of his own. There is one part of the paragraph which
we have quoted, that furnishes us with a decisive proof of I. Pen-
nington's full belief, in the scripture testimony, to the coming, suf-
fering, death, and various offices of Jesus Christ. At the time in
which he lived, professors of religion, were so firmly established in
all these points; and the necessity of believing them, was so stren-
uously enforced by the ministers of all denominations, that he re-
marks, " since the prevailing of the apostles^ testimony, the way of the
enemy hath not been, directly to deny Christ." He considered the
inspired writings of the holy Evangelists and Apostles, to be so
full, clear, and indisputable, as to afford the enemy little hope of
success, in tempting men to deny them. Judging from his own
sincere conviction of their truth, he supposed few. persons would be
found, so hardened in unbelief, as to call in question the glorious
manifestation of the Son of God in the flesh, or to reject the bene-
fits of what he then did, on behalf of a lost world. Hence he argues,
that as Satan found it to his advantage, to acknowledge Christ when
personally among men, so it had been to the interest of iiis king-
133
•Join, to appear to do so ever since, and by this stratagem to lead
men into such a belief in him, as saved not.
But the times are altered. The enemy is ever ready to accom-
modate himself to circumstances, and to suit his wiles to the dispo-
sition and favourite notions of poor man. Hence he is now trans-
forming himself into an angel of light; pretends to be a mighty ad-
vocate for the Spirit, and a great opponent of traditional believers,
and letter-learned christians; and by these devout appearances, is
seducing and leading away many passive and credulous followers,
into an open denial of the solemn truths of holy scripture ; persuad-
ing them meanwhile, that by thus denying the written testimony of
the Holy Spirit, they are becoming more conformable to the inward
light. But alas! they know not what Spirit they are of: they see
not the cunning working of this subtle serpent. He delights in these
pretences to the guidance of the Spirit of Truth, he glories in their
boasted revelations, and clearer views, because he knows, that so
long as he can feed them with these, and keep alive within them,
that evil heart of unbelief which rejects the truths of Christ's gos-
pel, so lon^ they are securely his. So long as he can satisfy them
with the likeness, and keep them from coming to the thing itself, it
is easy to persuade them, that they are advancing in their heaven-
ward journey, and becoming wise in the myster}' of God's salvation,
when in truth they are blind as the sorcerer who groped at noon-
day, and are not among the number of those " babes and sucklings,"
to whom only, the Father revealeth the gospel of his dear Son.
Could Isaac Pennington see the use which the compilers are now
making of his writings, how mournful would be his feelings. Sure-
ly he would conclude that the power of delusion had prevailed to a
most fearful degree, when the professors of that religion for which
he suffered so deeply, are not only denying those doctrines which
he held so sacred, but are mutilating his writings, and pervertino-
his meaning, in order to make him do the same.
On page 44 of the pamphlet, we have another quotation from the
I8th chapter of Isaac Pennington's essay, entitled "Life and Im-
mortality brought to light, &c," a considerable portion of which, we
have already quoted. The compilers have extracted only the last
sentence of the concluding paragraph of the 32nd observation, omit-
ting some preceding matter which seems necessary to explain the
author's meaning. We shall transcribe the whole, viz:
" Whither they came in the apostles' days, who knew Christ as
the High Priest and Mediator, and who partook of the blood of
sprinkling ? They came to spiritual Mount Sion, and to the city of
the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem — Heb. xii. 22. Observe,
likewise, where they walked, who felt the virtue of Christ's blood
cleansing them; which was 'in the light as God is in the light,' 1st
John, i. 7."
Now, what light is that which the redeemed are to walk in? Is
it not the light of the LAMB'S city; the new Jerusalem? Is it
not the light thereof, that the nations of them that are saved must
walk in ? — Rev. xxi. 24. Yea, this light, this city, and the holy
waters of the sanctuary, which flow and stream from the river of
134
lite there, were in measure known and experienced in the days of
old,; which David prayed for, and experienced a sense of — Psalm
xliii. 3, xlvi. 4. Yea, he knew also the blood of the everlasting co-
venant, praying and waiting to be sprinkled, and cleansed therewith
• — Psalm li. 6. For he looked through the outward figure, to what
his soul needed to purge and wash it inwardly ; which outward
hyssop, or outward water of purification, he knew would not do;
for he that saw through the outward sacrifices, to the inward, could
not choose but see through these also. But that power, virtue
and life of God's spirit, which could 'create a clean heart and re-
new a right spirit in him ;' and bring him into God's presence,
where he might feel the upholdings of his free spirit, and partake
of the joy of God's salvation and deliverance from that which had
defiled him ; this was it he prayed for ; knowing assuredly, he
should here meet with the true hyssop, and water of life, and blood
of the covenant, which purgeth the heart and conscience from dead
works, and maketh it whiter than the snow in God's sight, v. 10,
11, 12. |CP[" For he that delightcth not in sacrifice nor burnt
" offerings, neither could he delight in hyssop, or water, or blood,
" outward or natural; but injthat which melteththe heart, and puri-
" fieth the conscience, from that which is dead and unclean, in that
" is God's delight ; and in that which is melted, broken and purified
« by it."]«0|— V. 16, 17. Vol.iv. p. 129, 130.
We have next, a quotation from Isaac Pennington's answer to
such as objected that the Quakers preached a new way, &c. We
shall quote the paragraph at length, that the author's meaning may
be better understood.
" Object. It is objected against us, that this which we testify to,
hold forth, and practice, is a new way, sprung up of late, never
known nor heard of in the world, till some few years ago.
Ans. The Light eternal, when it shineth out of the darkness, af-
ter the great apostacy from the spirit and life of the apostles, is new
indeed to those that were overwhelmed and buried in the darkness
of the night, and so never saw or heard of it before ; but it is not new
in itself, but the same that it was from the beginning. |Cj^[" This
Seed of life, this Seed of blessing, is the same that was promised at
first to bruise the serpent's head. The same which was promised
to Abraham when the gospel was preaclied to him. The same that
saved all (that believed in it) under the law; for it was not the
types and shadows, and outward ordinances, which saved the soul
then, but the Seed, who was the Saviour from the beginning, and is
the Saviour all along, even to the end : and it was the same, which
was the Gospel in the days of tiie Apostles. They preached the
Seed also, the Word of faith ; Christ the way, Christ the power.
Yea all along the times of the apostacy, this was the thing that pre-
served the witnesses, saving them from being swallowed up in
the darkness, and keeping them alive in their testimony. And
there is no other thing held forth now, by those who are in the
truth, and raised up by the power of God in it, to give testimony to
it. This is it, from whejice life hath sprung, in any riiat have fel
life, in all ages and generations.] «Ol This is the Root and Off-
135
spring of David, the bright and the morning Star. This is the Dc
sire of all nations (Oh that they knew their desire,) and their sav-
ing health too, without which they can never be healed !" — Vol. iv.
pages 12, 13.
It will be observed, that the compilers, by stopping their quota-
tion at " generations," have omitted a very important part of Isaac
Pennington's definition of that Holy Seed of life, which has been
the Way to Salvation in all ages of the world. As the account,
stands in I. Pennington's essay, it forms a beautiful description of
Him, who is " the way, the truth and the life," and who declared,
" before Abraham was, I am." He is indeed " the Root and 0ft-
spring of David," an expression which acknowledges both his God-
head and manhood — the bright and the morning Star, the Desire of
all nations — terms which are used in Scripture exclusively, to de-
signate Jesus Christ the Eternal Son and sent of God.
Isaac Pennington's views will be more clearly explained, by in-
serting a short paragraph from the eleventh chapter of his Essay,
entitled " Life and Immortality brought to light by the Gospel." —
Speaking of the appearance of Christ under the Law, he says,
" Various were the appearances of Christ, sometimes as an angel
in the likeness of a man ; so to Abraham, and so to Jacob, when Ja-
cob wrestled with him and prevailed, and had overcome ; so to
Joshua, or the captain of the Lord's host, at his besieging Jericho ;
so to Moses in the bush, he appeared as an angel, Acts vii. 35, so
likewise in visions. — Those glorious appearances of God to the pro-
phets in visions, were the appearances of Christ; as particularly,,
that glorious appearance of God, sitting upon a throne, and in his
train tilling the temple, and the Seraphims crying " Holy ! Holy !
Holy is the Lord of Hosts, his glory is the fulness of the whole
earth !" Isaiah vi. This was an appearance of Christ to Isaiah, as
is manifest, John sii. 41. where the evangelist (relating to that
place) useth this expression: " These things (said Isaiah) when he
saw his glory, and spake of him."-^So he was the Angel of God's
presence, which went before the Jews, in all their journeyings and
travels out of Egypt, through the sea and in the wilderness, and in
the time of the judges ; and wrought all their deliverances for them
as is signified, Isaiah Ixiii. 9. " In all their afflictions he was af-
flicted, and the angel of his presence saved them," &c. So with the
three children, he appeared in the midst of the fiery furnace, " in
a form like the Son of God''^ — as Nebuchadnezzar judged. Dan.
iii. 25." — Vol. iv. p. 94.
From the manner in which the primitive friends used the term
Seed, to denote that holy gift of light and grace which in some mea-
sure was vouchsafed to mankind, under the former dispensations,
but more fully and gloriously in this gospel day ; asserting that it
had, in all ages been the Saviour of men, they were accused of de-
nying that the promise made to Adam, foretold, or was fulfilled in,
the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Thus the " Snake in the
Grass," p. 140, says, "They have evaded the Inost express texts,
for Christ's humanity, even that. Genesis iii. 15. his being the Seed
of the woman : they allegorize that too, into a spiritual sense, quite
136
away from the letter, and to mean nothing else iu the world, but
their light within." To which the author of the Switch replies, —
" We have not evaded any text of Scripture for Christ's humanity,
therefore not that of Genesis iii. 15. wherein HE is testified of, as
the Seed of the woman : Nor have we allegorized it into a spiritual
sense, beyond the authority of express texts of Scripture, much less
quite away from the letter ; but as we now do, so we always since a
people, have owned that it did mean something more than the mani-
festation of the Spirit or Light of Christ in man."
The Snake to prove his charge, quoted a paragraph from W. P's.
Christian Quaker (see works, Vol. i. p. 572.) in which he states that
as the serpent was a spirit, so nothing could bruise his head, but
something internal and spiritual, &c. The author of the Switch
recites the passage, and adds —
"Thus W. P. from which the Snake says, his consequence is, that
that the promised Seed, was not any person, but a principle. Which
consequence is falsely drawn by the Snake from W. P's. words ; the
consequence of them being more truly, that the promised Seed was
not only that, but also a principle of light, life and power, which I
shall now further show, as it is also declared by T. EUwood (Truth
Defended, p. 1 1 3, 1 14.) " That the scope and design of W. P. in those
words, was to prove, against his opponents, that the Son of God,
who in the fulness of time took upon him a body of flesh, in which
he suffered on the cross, was, and was properly called, Christ, be-
fore he appeared in that outward body ; which his opponents de-
nied, not owning Christ as Christ, to have any existence before that
body, which was born of the virgin, but confining Christ to that
body. And because all acknowledge, the promised seed, to be
Christ, William Penn used that as a medium to prove that Christ
was before that outward appearance. Now this affirming Christ to
be the Seed, and that seed to be inward and spiritual, is not a de-
nial of Christ having a bodily existence without us, for he ma?/ have,
and hath, a bodily existence without us ; and yet may be, and is,
spiritually within us : it is true he denied, that that body, which
Christ had from the virgin, strictly considered as such was the
Seed, and he gave divers reasons for it, and which are mentioned
page 94, &c."
"From the consequence, which the Snake hath falsely drawn from
William Penn's words: viz. that the Seed is not a person but a
principle ; He goes on fighting against the bugbear which himself
hath conjured up, and declares it to be a supposition of so perni-
cious a nature, that it unchristians any who hold it ; for the faith
of christians is built iipon that man Jesus Christ, as the seed pro-
mised to bruise the serpent's head.
" His supposition, so far as respecting us, the Quakers, and Wil-
liam Penn, in particular, is false : " For we believe the manhood of
Christ, gloriously united with the Godhead, to be the Seed promised.
Genesis iii. 15 ; and also that that Seed, being of a divine and spi-
ritual nature, did inwardly work against the serpent, and did bruise
his head, and break his strength and power in some measure, in the
holy men and women, in all generations." (T. E. Truth Defended,
137
page 114. ;) and by this, their inward experience of his spirit and
power, he was the object of their faith, to be made manifest in God's
due time. And he is now, the object of the faith of all true Christians ;
not only as born of the virgin, &c. but also as known and witnessed
in his inward and spiritual appearance in man, to bruise the ser-
pent's iiead, power and strength, which has had dominion and rule
in man. lo this sense, our !Saviour hiniself, does also explain the
spiritual nature of the seed, the Word of God, Luke viii. 11." —
iSwitchfor the Snake^ pages 212 to 215.
The next quotation of the compilers from I. Pennington, is insert-
ed on page 45, of their pamphlet. It is from an essay entitled " An
Examination of the Grounds and Causes which are said to induce
the Court of Boston, to make that order or law of banishment upon
pain of death, against the Quakers." To the charge that they deny
the person of Christ, he replies, as quoted by the compilers, viz :
|Ci°'[" They, [the Quakers,] believe that Christ is the eternal
'* Light, Life, Wisdom, and Power of God, which was manifested in
" that body oj'fiesh which he took of ilie virgin: that he is the King,
"Priest, and Prophet of his people, and saveth them from their sina
" by laying down his life for them, and imputing his righteousness
i^ to them; yet not without revealing and bringing forth the same
" righteousness in them^ which he wrought for them. And by ex-
" perience they Jinow, that there is no being saved, by a belief of his
" death for them, and of his resurrection, ascension, intercession,
" &c., without being brought into a true fellowship with him in his
"death, and without feeling his immortal seed of life raised and
" living in them. And so they disown the faith in Christ's death,
" which is only received and entertained, from the relation of the
'■' letter of the scriptures, and stands not in the divine power, and
"' sensible experience of the begotten of God in the heart.
"Now they distinguisli, according to the scriptures, between that
"which is called the Christ, and the bodily garment which he took.*
" The one was flesh, the other spirit. ' The flesh profiteth nothing,
•• (saith he,) the spirit quickeneth,and hethateateth me shall live by
*' me, even as I live by the Father,' John vi. 57, 63. This is the man-
" na itself, the true treasure ; the other, but the visible or earthen
" vessel which held it. The body of flesh was but the veil, Heb. x. 20.
" The eternal life, was the substance veiled. The one he did partake
" of, as the re^t of the children did; the other was he which did par-
*' take thereof, Heb.ii. 14. The one was the body which was prepared
"Tor the life, for it to appear in, and be made manifest, Heb. x. 5. The
"other was the life or light itself, for whom the body was prepared,
" who took it up, appeared in it to do the will, Psal. xl. 7, 8, and was
" made manifest to those eyes which were able to see through the
" veil, wherewith it was covered, John i. I4."'].,j^i Vol. i. page 360.
It needs not much comment, to convince any reasonable person,
who has any acquaintance with the doctrines of Elias Hicks, that
this extract from I. Pennington, is totally at variance with them.
* We have already given an explanation of the meaning of the early Qua-
kers, in the use of the words g-annent and veil. See oui- 112th page.
S
138
It is one that we should have selected to show that he, [E. H.] had
swerved from the ancient faith of the Quakers. I. Pennington de-
clares in If, their belief in the Eternity, Divinity, and Manhood of
the Lord Jesus Christ — acknowledging his miraculous conception —
his laying down his life a sacrifice for sinners, and imputing his
righteousness to believer?, "yet not without revealing and bringing
forth the same righteousness in them, which he wrought for them ;"
and fhat he is the King, Priest, and Prophet of his people. How differ-
ent is this christian belief, from the notions of Elias Hicks, who de-
nies the divinity, tlie miraculous conception, and the atonement of
Jesus Christ, and declares the doctrine of the imputation of his right-
eousness to be wicked and absurd.
I. Pennington says, the Quakers disown that faith in Christ's death,
which is onli/ received and entertained from tlie letter of the scrip-
tures; and stands not in the divine power and sensible experience
of the begotten of God in the heart. The compilers have made the
word rfisou'/z emphatical, as though they would make it appear that
the Quakers denied all faith in the blood of Christ — but it alludes
only to that mere literal faith, which is not accompanied by works
of obedience ; and while they reject this, they have always sincere-
ly owned that faith in the propitiatory sacrifice, mediation, and in-
tercession of our blessed Lord, which does stand in the divine power
and sensible experience of the Holy Spirit. This Elias Hicks re-
jects, and consequenly denies and condemns that very doctrine which
the " primitive Friends," so strongly recommended.
The next extract is found in an essay entitled, "Some Queries
concerning Christ and his appearances; his taking upon him flesh,
&c." which he thus commences :
" Query 1 . — Whether there was not a necessity of Christ's taking
upon him our flesh, for the redemption of those that bad sinned, and
the satisfaction of the justice offended?
" Query 2. — Whether the Father did not, accordingly, prepare a
body for him, to do his ^vill in all things in ; and particularly to offer
7tp to him, the acceptable sacrifice for the sins of the whole world '^
" Query 3. — Whether it was not necessary, in this respect also,
that Christ should take upon him our flesh, that he might have expe-
rience of our temptations, and infirmities, and become a mercifuland
faitliful High Priest and Intercessor for us?
" Query 4. — Wherein lay the value and worth of his sacrifice, and
of all he did ? Did it lie chiefly on the thing done, or in the life
wherein he did it ; in that he did it, in the pure faith and obedience
to the Father. He became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross ; and he, through the Eternal Spirit, oftered himself without
spot to God.
"Query 5. — What was He, for whom the Father prepared a bo-
dy, and who took it up to do the will, and did the will in it ? Was
He not the Arm of God, the power of God, the Saviour and Salvation
of God, the Jesus and Christ of God ?" — Vol. iii. pages 45, 46.
The compilers have selected as best adapted to their purpose, the
twenty-fourth Query, viz ;
jCT'C'Is not the substance, the life, the anointing, called Christ,
139
•• wherever it is found ? Doth not the name belong to the whole body,
" (and every member in the body,) as well as to the Head ? Are they
"not all of one; yea, all one in the anointing? Was not this the
"great desire of his heart to the Father, that they all might be one,
" even as the Father and Christ were one, John xvii. 21, 23? And
*' so being one in the same spirit, (one in the same life, one in the
" same divine nature, 2 Peter, i, 4, even partakers of God's holi-
" ness, Heb. xii. 10.) Christ is not ashamed to call them brethren,
" Heb. ii. 11. nor is the apostle ashamed to give them the name
"Christ, together with him, 1 Cor. xii. 12. The body is the same
" with the head, one and the same in nature ; and doth not the name
"belong to the nature in the whole? So that the name is not given
*' to the vessel, but to the nature, to the heavenly treasure, to that
" which is of him, in the vessel, to that which the Lord from Heaven
"begets in his own image, and likeness of his own substance, of
" his own seed, of his own spirit and pure life"]cDl Vol. iii. page
54.
I. Pennington, as is very plain to be understood, is here speaking
of the oneness in nature, of that spirit or grace of God, which is in
the hearts of all true believers, and of their unity in it. Thus he
says, they are one in the anointing, in the divine life and nature ;
and the divine anointing, life or nature, is one in all. The name,
Christ, he says, is not given to the vessel — to the creature, but to the
heavenly treasure, which we have in our earthen vessels ; and hence
he cites the Apostle's expression, in Corinthians, to show that he
gives this divine spirit or nature in all, the same name, calling it
Christ; the same in nature, but not in degree, in the Head and all the
members. The text is, " For as the body is one and hath many
members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are
one body; so also is Christ, for by one spirit we are all baptised in-
to one body." — 1 Cor. xii. 12.
The compilers have italicised the word Christ, where I. Penning-
ton speaks of its application to the body or church of Christ, by the
Apostle; as though they would have us think, he thereby meant to
equal men with their Saviour; but that I. Pennington was very far
from any such intention, is obvious from the glorious attributes which
he gives him, in the extracts we have already made, as well as the
following quotation out of the same essay.
" Now, as the Father sent the Son, and yet was with and in the
Son ; so the Son sending the spirit, he also is with and in the spirit.
And as it is the Father's will, that the same honour be given to the
Son, as is given to Him; so it is the Son's pleasure, that the same
honour be given to his spirit, as is given to him. Yea, as he that will
worship the Father must worship the Son, must come to him in the
Son, must appear before him in the Son, must reverence and kiss
the Son, so he that will come to Christ, will worship him, must
come to him in the spirit, must bow to him in the spirit. Yea, he
that will know and worship Christ in his fulness, (in the majesty of
his glory, dominion and power,) must learn to bow, at the lowest
appearance of his light and spirit, even at the very feet of Jesm :
for that is the lowest part of the body." — Vol. iii, page 50.
140
The early opponents of the Society of Friends charged them with
applying the name Christ, to the members of his church, as mean-
ing to equal them with him, the Holy Head ; but tliey always
positively denied any such meaning. Thus, the Snake says, page
125. "But for the same reason, they take the name Christ to
themselves, and say that it belongs to them, as vvell as to Jesus," &c.
To which Joseph Wyeth thus replies ; " Jesus Christ, when he ascend-
ed up on high, he led captivity captive, and did give gifts unto men ;
the gifts of his holy spirit, of which the apostle hath testified, Ephes.
iv. 7. But unto every one of us is given grace, according to the
measure of the gift of Christ. Thus much, we have,often declared,
and that truly: but it is falsely said and charged, that we take the
name of Christ to ourselves, or say it belongs to u? in any other man-
ner than in these and other scriptures is mentioned. We say that
Christ, by his ascension into glory, hath given the gift of his spirit '
to men, to which, as they are obedient, they will witness the power
of the spirit of Christ in them, to bring every thought into subjec-
tion ; and when, through the assistance of this spirit, they thus have
got the victory over their own corruptions and lusts, they will truly
say, It is no more I, but Christ in me; yet the name Christ cannot
hereby be supposed to belong to such, nor icas it ever said hy any of
us, that it did belong to us, in such manner as to Jesus; for to him
it belongs by origination, to us only by participation, through him : for
he, by partaking of our nature, made thereby mankind partakers of his
spiVit; (I say this with respect to the generality of the gospel dis-
pensation, for there were many particular persons, not within the
covenant of the law in the time of the law, who had manifestations
of the spirit of Christ,) and in no other sense have we ever taken
the name of Christ to ourselves." — Switch, page 194.
To the same unfounded accusation George Whitehead replies: '
" But even in the same article, quoted against me, I do not allow
any member to be called Christ, but expressly disallow it, though I
confess how Christians have some, interest in his name, but not to be
called Jesus, but Christians. The explanatory part of my confes-
sion in the said tenth article, disingenuously left out by this scoffer,
is in these words, viz. But that the divine anointing, (to which name.
Christ hath relation,) virtually is, in some measure or degree, afford-
ed to every member of his body, but not so amply as to him, the
head; nor for any member to be called Christ, but a Christian, be-
cause Christ received the anointing, the Holy Spirit, not by measiire,
but in fulness, and because he is the Head of the body, the church." —
Supplement to the Switch, page 490.
To the charge that the Quakers give to themselves, and to one
another, the most peculiar titles of Christ, as that of the Branch,
and the Star, and the Son of God, &c. George Whitehead re-
plies :
" Here this credulous adversary has accepted and promoted
Bugg's false quotation and charge against us, though over and over
detected, as his notorious refuted lies, which this adversary is, (as
'tis told him in the Antidote,) so shamefully credulous of; and that
we positively deny giving those peculiar titles of Christ, to ourselves,
141
vr to one another, (as he falsely prates,) and Bugghas been over and
over charged therewith, and cannot prove them, (i. e. that we) give
those said titles either to G. Fox, or to one another ; and that George
Fox is not so much as mentioned in that epistle of E. Burroughs, out
of which those titles, the Branch, the Star, and the Sun of Righte-
ousness, are taken, which are peculiar, and intended to Christ, and
no other." — Ibid, pages 510, 511.
The next extract from I. Pennington is the same as repeated on
page 30 of the pamphlet, and on which we have already comment-
ed, see page 118.
At the bottom of page 47, the compilers present us with a short
quota lidii, contradicting the notions of Elias Hicks respecting the of-
fering i>[ Christ. In reply to the question, " What if there be diso-
bedience r" I. Pennington answers:
|CP[" Tlie seed itself cannot disobey, but the vessel in which it is
<' sovvn, and to which it is united, may prove weak, frail, brittle, yea,
" sometimes stubborn ; the weight and chastisement whereof, the seed
" also bears, and in patient sufferino;, helps and cleanses the vessel,
*' through the virtue of the blood of Jesus, which is felt, in the seed
♦' which comes from Jesus. And here is the blood of sprinkling
" known, in the soul, which cleanses the conscience from dead works,
"and washes away the iniquity thereof. "JcjDIVoI. ii. page 358.
This is, indeed, a beautiful illustration oi the doctrine of the re-
mission of sins for Christ's sake. The Holy Spirit of Christ cannot
sin ; but if a man sin, and repent thereof, this blessed seed bears the
weight and chastisement of the sin, and by its own divine power ap-
plies the cleansing efficacy and virtue, of the precious blood of Christ
to the soul, thereby washing it from the guilt and stain of transgres-
sion. Hence he says, that the virtue of the atoning blood ot Christ,
"is felt in the seed which comes from Jesus;' now can those who
deny the efficacy and virtue of this blood, and say they have no
kind of knowledge of it, and do not see how it can expiate their
sins ; can these, be " in that seed which comes from Jesus," since I.
Pennington says it is in this, that the virtue of the blood is felt? —
The compilers have italicised the word ^^ virtue," in the expression,
"through the virtue of the blood of Jesus." This is well, it will
serve to show, more clearly, the great contrast between the doctrines
of Isaac Pennington, and those of Elias Hicks, who denies that it
has any virtue in it.
At the top of page 48 of the pamphlet, we have a short extract
from an essay of I. Pennington, entitled ^"A Treatise concerning
God's Teachings and Christ's Law. The compilers not having quo-
ted enough to give the proper meaning of the author, we shall insert
the whole paragraph, enclosing the part copied by them in
brackets, marked with a hand. It is from the eighth chapter, " Con-
cerning Christ's Righteousness, vvhicii is the righteousness of all his
Saints."
" Christ is the Head, his saints the body ; and do they not all par-
take of one nature, one spirit, one virtue, one life, one righteousness ?
Doth not Christ give them of his own righteousness, even of the
righteousness which his Father gave him ? And is not that rightc-
142
ousness which Christ giveth them, their righteousness r What was
Christ's righteousness? Was it not (he righteousness of God reveal-
ed in him, communicated to him, and made his? And what is their
righteousness? Is not the same righteousness revealed in them,
communicated to them, and made theirs, in and by Christ? Are not
they made partakers of the divine nature, in and through him ; and
made the righteousness of God in him? |Cj"[Christ trusted his
" Father, and obeyed his Father in all things. Now was not that
*' an effect of the righteous nature and spirit of his Father in him?
" ' He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross' — and
"Oh! how was his Father pleased therewith! Did not he say to
"him, as to Abraham in the like case? 'Because thou hast done
" this thing, in blessing I will bless thee,]«r::^ and in multiplying I
Avill multiply thy seed, and thou shalt see of the travail of thy soul
and be satisfied:' for thou shalt not only gather the 'dispersed of
Israel;' but 'inherit the Gentiles' also; 'and have the uttermost
parts of the earth for thy possession.'" — Vol. iv. pages 303, 304.
Let the reader particularly notice the unhandsome manner in
which the compilers have treated this worthy christian. They close
their quotation from his essay with an &c. stopping at a semicolon,
in the midst of an important sentence, where I. Pennington is ex-
pressing the Father's good pleasure in the obedience of the Son, in
oftering up his precious life, a sacrifice for sinners; and is reciting,
and applying to Christ, some of those beautiful passages in the Pro-
phets, where the propitiatory offering, and subsequent glory and do-
minion of our blessed Lord are so clearly set forth. Such omissions
evince, but too clearly, that the compilers are willing, on all occa-
sions, to rob the Saviour of those sublime expressions, which char-
acterize him as the mighty God, and the Prince of Peace.
As the compilers, in the course of their extracts, have evinced a
determination to make it appear, if possible, that Isaac Pennington
allegorized away the outward oftering of the body of Jesus Christ
for sin, and esteemed that body no more than common flesh and
blood ; we think it proper to quote some observations of I. Penning-
ton's, in reply to Thomas Hicks, who most unjustly accused him of
the same unchristian sentiments.
" In the second part of Thomas Hicks' ' Dialogues,' called ' Con-
tinuation,' page 4, he maketh his personated Quaker speak thus :
'Thou sayest we account the blood of Christ, no more than a com-
mon thing; yea, no more than the blood of a common thief.' To
which he makes his personated christian answer thus: 'Isaac Pen-
nington, (who I suppose is an approved Quaker,) asks this question ;
Can outward blood cleanse? Therefore, saith he, we must inquire,
whether it was the blood of the veil, that is, of the human nature, or
the blood within the veil, viz. of that spiritual man, consisting of
flesh, blood, and bones, which took on him the veil, or human na-
ture. It is not the blood of the veil, that is but outward ; and can
outward blood cleanse ?' "
I. Pennington, after noticing Thomas Hicks' unfairness, in mak-
ing him speak what he never intended^ respecting the spiritual ma.n,
Christ Jesus, &c. adds —
143
" And then, besides his alterations at the beginning, putting in only
four words of my query, and leaving out that which next follows,
(which might have manifested my drift and intent in them^ he puts
in an affirmation which was not mine, in these his own words: *It
is not the blood of the veil, that is but outward ;' and then annexeth
to this affirmation of his own, the words of my former query, ' Can
outward blood cleanse?" as if these words of mine, (can outward
blood cleanse,) did necessarily infer, that the blood of Christ is but a
common thing.
*' Herein he represents me wicked, and makes me speak, by his
changing and adding^ that which never was in my heart, and the
contrary whereto, I have several times affirmed in that very bookf
>vhere those several queries were put, out of which he forms this his
own query, giving it forth in my name. For in the tenth page of
tl\at book, beginning at line third, I positively affirm thus; That
Chiist did offer up the flesh and blood of that body, (though not only
so, for he poured out his soul, he poured out his life) a sacrifice or of-
fering for sin, a sacrifice unto the Father, and in it, tasted death for
every man ; and that it is upon consideration, (and through God's ac-
ceptance of this sacrifice for sin,) that the sins of believers are pardon-
ed, that God might be just, and thejustifier of him who believeth in Je-
sus, or who is of the faith of Jesus. Is this common flesh and blood/
Can this be affirmed of common flesh and blood ? Ought not he to have
considered this ; [and ought not the compilers too,] and other passages
in my book, of the same tendency, and not thus have reproached we,
and misrepresented me to the world? Is this a christian spirit; or
according to the law or prophets, or Christ's doctrine ? Doth he
herein do as he would be done by ? Oh ! that he had a heart to con*
sider it!
"I might also except against these words j * Human nature,*
(which he twice putteth in,) being not my words, nor indeed my
sense ; for by human nature as I judge, is understood more than the
body ; whereas I, by the word veil, intended no more than the flesh,
(or outward body,) which in scripture, is expressly so called, Heb.
X. 20, " through the veil, that is to say, his flesh." — Vol. iii. pages
406, 407, 408.
In the preface to this reply to the aspersions of Thomas Hicks,
[. Pennington says, " I have had experience of that despised people,
[the Quakers,] for many years, and I have often heard them, even
the ancient ones of them, own Christ both inwardly and outwardly,
Vea, I heard one of the ancients of them, thus testify in a public meet-
ing, many years since, that if Christ had not come in the flesh, in
the fulness of time, to bear our sins, in his own body on the tree,
and to oifer himself up a sacrifice for mankind, all mankind had ut-
terly perished. What cause then have we to praise the Lord God
for sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for what his
Son did therein! Oh I professors, do not pervert our words, by
reading them with a prejudiced mind, quite contrary to the drift of
God's Spirit by us! If ye should thus read the Holy Scriptures, yea,
the very words of Christ himself therein, and give that wisdom of
yours, which fights against us, scope to comment upon them, and
144
perverts them after this manner, what a strange and hideous appeal =
ance of untruth and contradiction, to the very scriptures of the Old
Testament, might ye make, of that ivonderJuL appearance of God/
For the words of Christ seemed so foolish and impossible to the
wise men of that age, that they frequently contradicted, and some-
times derided him." — Pages 403, 404.
This forcible and earnest expostulation with the former opponents
of the Society, is so directly applicable to the compilers of the pam-
phlet, that it forms of itself, both a contradiction to the sentiments
which they would force upon the primitive Friends, and a severe,
though just rebuke, for the means which they have resorted to, in or-
der to effect their purpose. On the same page I. Pennington adds :
" Oh I T. Hicks, dost thou believe the eternal judgment at the
great day? Not outwardly only in notion, but intvardly in heart!
Oh ! then consider, how thou wilt answer it to God, for saying so
many things in the name of a people, as their belief and words, which
never were spoken by any one of them, nor ever came into any one of
their hearts! ! Innocency in me, Life in me. Truth in me, the chris-
tian spirit and nature in me, is a witness against thee, that thou wro-
test thy dialogues, out of the christian nature and spirit ; and thy
brethren, W. K. and the rest, who have stood by thee, to justify
thee, (or at least seemed so to do,) must take notice of these things,
and condemn them in thee, or they will expose themselves and their
religion, to the righteous judgment of God, and of all who love truth,
and HATE FORGERY AND DECEIT."
The next extract on page 48, is from an essay, " Concerning the
True Church, and Ministry ;" in which I. Pennington says, three
things are necessary; to the right qualification of true gospel minis-
ters, which he proceeds to treat of, in as many sections. The first
of these sections, the compilers have quoted and joined to it, only
the heading of the second. The extract does not appear to relate,
in any way, to the controversy about Elias Hicks' doctrines, being
merely a statement of the necessity of a divine call to the ministry
of the gospel, and an obedience to the call, in that ability which
comes from God.
The two quotations next following, on page 55, are taken from
the preface to a treatise entitled, "The New Covenant of the Gos-
pel distinguished from the Old Covenant of the Law," &c.,in which
the author sets forth the great advantage of reading the sacred vo-
lume, with a mind, illuminated by a portion of the same Holy Spi-
rit, that gave the scriptures forth, and laments the great loss which pro-
fessors sustain, by reading them without this. The compilers ap-
pear to have quoted the sentences in their pamphlet with a view to
show, that he considered the Holy Scriptures to be of little value,
when the teachings of the spirit were come to, but in this L Pen-
nington himself contradicts them. As they have not done him jus-
tice in their quotation, we shall extend it a little, in order to give
his true meaning.
" Oh ! how long have christians, (so called,) wanted the Spirit!
|C7*[How have they wearied themselves, in running to and fro,
"about the letter to find out the mind of God, and are still unsatis-
145
<• fied concerning it, and even drowned in fleshly imaginations, and
•' contentions about it.],^^! They seek to have tliat satisfied which
is not to be satisfied : they seek to have tliat know, which is not to
know : they offer to God the service, fuith, and obedience of that
which he will not accept, and keep tliat from him which he calls for.
They seek for the spirit in the letter, according to the manner of
the law; but my«7 nof to feel it in the seed, quickening the seed,
raising up the seed, and dwelling in the seed, whither Christ and
his apostles directed to wait for it." — Vol. ii. pages 35, 36.
He goes on to describe the various kinds of knowledge, which
men have gathered by their own unenlightened reason and wisdom,
in opposition to the Holy Spirit ; declaring that the true knowledge
of God and of Jesus Christ, which gives Life Eternal, can only be
obtained from the Holy Spirit itself: and then adds:
'' These are strange things to the several generations of the chris-
tians of this age, who commonly know no more of them, than ac-
cording to the apprehensions they have taken in concerning them;
even from that icisdom and iinderstanding ivhich hath not a capaci-
ty in it, to receive them, but vinst be destroyed, before these things
can be understood aright, 1 Cor. i. 19. Oh, that ye could read, in
the eternal light of life. |C/°'[Oh ! christians, christians! Oh I that
'•ye could see how your understandings and knowledge from the
"letter, stand as much in your way as ever the Jews did in theirs;
<'and must be broken down as flat as ever theirs was, before the
« foundation of the kingdom can be laid, and the building of eternal
" life reared up in your hearts."],^/::]!
By closing the quotation here, the compilers have left I. Penning-
ton's meaning obscure, whereas it will be seen by the following, that
it was not the scriptures which he was contending against, but that
knowledge of them, which opposed the Holy Spirit; for he adds:
" Be not offended at my zeal for the Lord my God, and for your
souls. It hath cost me very dear, what I testify to you in the sim-
plicity and integrity of my heart; and this I know to be most cer-
tainly true, that that spirit of man, which, without the leadings of
the eternal light, hath nestled itself in the letter, got a seat of wis-
dom and knowledge there, raised up a building from thence, either
of inward or outward worship, will be dissettled and driven thence,
even by that very spirit which gave forth the letter. *And when
this is done, and God's spirit again openeth the letter. Oh! how sweety
how profitable, how clear, how refreshing, ivill it be, being read in
the light of the spirit, and in the faith which is in Christ Jesus,
which is begotten in tiie heart by the word of faith which is nigh
there." — Vol. iii. pages 35, 36, 37.
We have here, another -pecimen of the great injustice of the quo-
tations made in the pamphlet, and the violence which is done there-
by to the author's meaning.
At the top of page 54, we are presented with a quotation from I.
Pennington, for which we are referred to his second volume, page
310. Upon examination, we find that the compilers have taken
parts of two paragraphs from different essays, and different pages of
his work, and joined them together as one. The first paragraph is
146
from an essaj, entitled "Some Queries to the Strict and Zealous
Professors of this age, such as stick in the letter, but are strangers
to the life and power; to provoke them to jealousy," &c., in which
he treats of the superior glory of this gospel dispensation; and the
necessity of going beyond the law of Moses, into an obedience to
the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, — On page 362, he says:
"1.4 there any uniting witii God, or enjoying of God, but by his
spirit? Is tliere any receiving of God's spirit, but within the heart?
Doth he not appear there, by his light, and in his power? What if
God please to give forth a measure of his eternal light, in the heart
of his chosen, to open that to tliem, which they could never see be-
fore, and to bring them into a nearer unity with them, than ever they
knew before ; may he not do it? Nay, is not such a thing needful, to
help out of the deep and intricate apostacy, wherein have been so
many twistings and twinings of the subtil serpent, about every step
or appearance of reformation ; and to gather the wandering sheep
who were scattered up and down, and sorely distressed for want
of the tongue of the learned, to speak a word in season, to their
states and conditions? |ci?*[Have not every sort bent the scriptures,
" in the reasonings of their own minds, and made them speak accord -
" ing to their own hearts' lusts ? And is not every one wise in his
" own eyes, and strong in his own toiver and fenced city ? Surely there
" was great need of an appearance of the Lord, to shut out the
"wisdom of man, and to help the poor, the needy, the fatherless,
" the weak panting babes.]<cd And blessed be the Lord God, who
hath appeared ; and blessed are those, who have seen his light, and
bowed at the feet of his living appearance, and felt the virtue of his
saving arm, scattering their lusts and corruptions ; yea, also raising
up, and bringing forth, his pure seed in the fresh power, dominion,
and authority of his perfect life, which reigneth in the hearts, v/hich
the Lord hath regenerated and sanctified for ever more." — Vol. ii.
pages 362, 363.
It will be remembered that these queries were addressed by I. Pen-
nington, "To the Strict and Zealous Professors of his age, who
stuck in the letter, but were strangers to the life and power." He is
speaking to those, whose dependence was placed entirely upon out-
ward means, for all the religion they possessed ; and who, in oppo-
sition to the light of the glorious gospel, which in a remarkable man-
ner, then appeared in that nation, were withstanding the day
of their visitation. Hence he was led to inculcate the necessity of
humbly and simply receiving the grace and spirit of God extended
to all, declaring that they, and they only, wlio thus received and
obeyed it, were true believers in Christ Jesus. Is it not too obvi-
ous, that some in this day, as well as in that, are striving to " bend
the scriptures, in the reasonings of their own minds, and to make
them speak" a language, accordant with their own impure designs,
and when they find the testimony of those sacred records too plain
and positive to admit of their false glosses, are denying it alto-
gether.
For the remainder of the paragraph, we must turn to page 309 of
this volume. It is taken from the postscript to " Some questions
147
and answers for the direction, help, and furtherance of God's Spirit-
ual Israel, &c." In this postscript, he urges " four propositions
relating to the right knowledge of the things of God ;" the first of
which is, " That the knowledge of the things of God, comes from
the Spirit. »^s the scriptures themselves came from the Spirit, so
the true knoicledge of them, is alone given, to any man which
receiveth it, by the same Spirit. And no man living can know
the mind, of the words which the Spirit spake, but as the same
Spirit which spake them, gives the meaning of -them." On the
same page, in his third proposition, he has the words quoted by
the compilers, viz : " Likewise, |C7^[in my reading of the scrip-
" tures, I lay open to this great snare, of reading in my own will,
"and of gathering from thence in mine own understanding, and so
"growing wise concerning the things of God, after the flesh: for
" though at that time, I was not without living knowledge, and ex-
" periences of God, yet I knew not how to turn from the death,
" nor to keep to the life ; and so the bad, the lean, the earthly, the
" ill-favoured, overgrew the good, and well-pleasing to God, and
" brought it into bitter misery and death.^aaOl Oh ! that ye knew,
being begotten of the will of the Father, and keeping to the will of
the Father, and receiving the bread daily from his hand !" — Pages
S09, 310.
The meaning of Isaac Pennington in these remarks is so clear,
that none but those who were determined not to understand him
aright, could mistake it. The evil which he writes against, is wrest-
ing the scriptures, according to the corrupt reason of men, and turn-
ing away from the Holy Spirit which livingly opens the true sense:
and purport of them, and gives infallible demonstration that they
are of divine authority.
Immediately after the foregoing quotation, on page 54, we have
a few lines taken from an essay, called " Life and Immortality
brought to light by the gospel," &c. Isaac Pennington is pointing
out the cause of the ditterence, between the views of Friends, and.
many other professors of their day, in doing which, he says : —
" And truly, this is the ground of the great difference between us
and others, about the things of God ; for though lae own the same
things, and speak of tlie same things, yet we own them not alike,
nor speak of them alike. Why so r Because we see them with
different eyes, and so have a different sense of them. |cr'[Others
"call things true, and so acknowledge them, as they apprehend
"them from the letter; we call things true, as they are demonstra-
" ted to us by God's Spirit, and as we feel the virtue, life and pow -
"er of them, from God in our hearts."]..iDl — Vol iv. p. 176.
The next quotation on page 54, is from the same treatise : Tlie
compilers have mutilated it, in such a manner, that it does not con-
vey the true meaning of the author. It is taken from the 18th
chapter, in which he is describing the condition which he and ma-
ny others were in, when it pleased the Lord to reveal his Spirit in
their hearts ; and also his gracious dealings with them, in bringing
them out of it. The parts which the compilers have taken out, are
enclosed in brackets, designated with a hand.
148
" There are chambers of imagery, in many people ; and strong
liolds, and reasonings, and imaginations, and high thoughts, exalted
above the pure seed ; and measure of life in their hearts. For eve-
ry true christian, every true believer, hath received somewhat of
Christ's Spirit, some /?ro/)or/ion of grace and truth, from the fidnes6
of Christ, which is as leaven and salt, to leaven the iieart, and sea-
son the mind and Spirit with.
" But all do not distinctly know this, nor are all that do know it,
subject to it; so that this doth not lead, and command, and rule in
all ; but there is somewhat which holds captive, and the enemy of
the soul hath the rule, and dominion in many men's spirits, profes-
sing godliness ; whereby the seed is kept under in them, and their
souls kept back from that redemption, and deliverance which they
should partake of, in and with the seed. So ICfLmany talk of the
" gospel and speak great words of Christ, and redemption by him,
" who knew not immortality brought to light, nor the dead raised by
" it, to live to God and praise his name.
" Now in these chambers of imagery, in these strong holds, there
" are many pleasant pictures, many images of the heavenly things,
" which men form in their minds, from their oiot apprehcndings and
" conceivings upon the scriptures. For men reading tlie scriptures,
•' 7iot in the life, Spirit, and Power, which gave them forth; but with
'• that which is natural, they come not to the true, pure, heavenly,
" living knowledge, but only obtain a natural knowledge, according
•' to which they believe and worship ; and so fall down before, and
" according to, the apprehensions and imaginations of their own
"minds; and so one believes and worships one way, and another
•' believes and worships another way. And truly, here men wor-
•' ship they know not what ; but they that are the true Jews, know
" what they worship : for salvation is of the true Jews ; who wor-
" ship neither at this mountain, nor at the other mountain ; but on-
" ly in spirit and in truth,].^0| even in the life and power of our
Lord Jesus Christ.''^ — Vol. iv. pages 131, 132.
AVe have here another instance of garbling : The compilers
begin to quote after a conjunction, which connects the sentence with
what precedes, taking in only two lines of a paragraph, and con-
necting it with the one following, in order to make the expression
" chambers of imagery," apply to "speakingof Christ, and redemp-
tion by him, without knowing his power ;" doubtless thinking, there-
by to cast some slight upon the doctrine of Christian redemption.
The most remarkable mutilation, however, is their closing their ex-
tract at a comma, when they are within eleven words, not only of
the end of the sentence, but the termination of the whole paragraph.
From this circumstance, we may suppose they have a particular an-
tipathy to these few words, the reason of which must be the same
that Locke gives, why some men are so opposed to the scriptures.
The words being against them, they are against the vjords. The
matter is, that the words inculcate a doctrine which they, with
Elias Hicks seem determined not to believe, viz : The Divinity
of our blessed Lord ; and the manner in wliich they have clipped
iliem off, and shut up the sentence with a period ; as if it were com-
149
piete, is a mortifying proof, of the littleness and selfishness, of the
human mind, even in things professedly religious.
The next quotation is from Isaac Pennington's " Short Cate-
chism for the Sake of the Simple hearted," in which he treats par-
ticularly, upon the lost condition of man in the fall, and the neces-
sity of a divine power to redeem him out of it ; declaring that this
power is the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, inwardly revealed, de-
stroying the works of sin and changing the sinful nature. He ear-
nestly recommends to all professors, a close attention, and humble
obedience, to the manifestation of this Holy Spirit in the soul, en-
deavouring to draw them from such a dependence upon the mere
literal knowledge derived from reading the Scriptures, as diverts
them from this heavenly teacher. But it will be seen how far he
is from undervaluing the Scriptures, as he asserts in the extract
made by the compilers, that the " saving knowledge of Christ"
" is also revealed in the Scriptures," as well as by the spirit of
Christ in the heart, but that professors, too generally, by looking for
nothing further than the letter, miss of it and cannot see it.
The part which the compilers seem to lay the most stress upon,
is the conclusion of the answer to the second question, viz: —
|C7^[" But now this principle is made manifest, their reading and
" setting up a knowledge of the Scriptures without this, (which was
" the thing, even then, from whence they had their life) yea, in op-
" position to this ; this increaseth their death and bondage, and shuts
" them out of life.]«r:]| — Vol. i. page 141.
The last twelve words they have italicised, as though they would
have us understand, that Isaac Pennington thereby sets aside the
use of the Scriptures, since the spirit was poured forth. But
it is evident that he is alluding only to that use of the Sacred
volume which is in opposition to the Holy Spirit ; which quali-
fication destroys any hope of support which the compilers might
have had from it. So in the next query and answer, where he asks
" wilt thou keep to the Scriptures in opposition to that light, which
alone, can give the knowledge of the Scriptures r" it is plainly to
be seen, that it is the abuse, and not the reverent and christian pe-
rusal of the Holy Bible, to which he objects. It is reading it with
an intention to gather therefrom, a knowledge which is opposed to
the Spirit of Christ.
On the same page of the pamphlet, we are presented with a quo-
tation from an essay, entitled " An Examination of the grounds
and causes, which are said to induce the Court of Boston, in New
England, to make that order or law of banishment against the
Quakers." The third of these grounds or causes, was, that the
Quakers denied the Holy Scripture to be the perfect rule of faith and
life; to which Isaac Pennington replies —
|C?^[" The new covenant is the covenant of the Gospel, which
" is a living covenant, a spiritual covenant, an inward covenant, and
" the law or ruleof it, cannot be written outwardly. Read the tenor
" of the new covenant, Heb. viii, 10. ' I will put my laws into their
" minds, and write them in their hearts.' If God himself should
'• take the same laws, and write them outwardlv, vet so written
150
' they are not the new covenant, at most they would be but an out-
" ward draft of laws, written in the New Covenant."]aaOi And
mark, this is one difterence given between the new covenant and the
old; the laws of the one were written outwardly in tables of stone,
the laws of the other were to be written in the heart. That is the
book wherein the laws of the new covenant, were promised to be
written, and there they are to be read. So that he that will read and
obey the laws of the covenant of life, must look for them in that
book, wherein God hath promised to write them; for though in other
books he may read some outward descriptions of the thing, yet here
alone, can he read the thing itself. " Christ is the way, the truth,
and the life." What is a Christian's rule ? Is not the way of
God his rule } Is not God's truth his rule ? And is not the truth
in Jesus, where it is taught, and to be heard, and to be received,
even as it is in Jesus ? Ephes. iv. 22. Is not he the King, the Priest,
the Prophet, the Sacrifice, the Way to God, the Life itself, the
Living Path out of Death ; yea, all in all to the believer, whose
eye is opened to behold him ? The Scriptures testify of Christ, but
they are not Christ ; they also testify of truth, and are a true lesti-
tnony, but the Truth, itself, is in Jesus ; who, by his living spirit,
writes it in the heart, which he hath made living. And so a Chris-
tian's life is in the spirit : * If we live in the spirit, let us also walk
in the spirit,' Gal. v. 25. The whole life and course of a Christian,
is in the volume of that book, as the Lord opens the leaves of it, in
him. The gift of God, the measure of faith, given him by God,
that is his rule ; that is his rule of knowledge, of prophesying, of
obedience, Heb. xii. Rom. i. 4. xii. 6. If he keep there, if he walk
according to the proportion of it, he errs not ; but out of the faith,
in the error, in all he knows, in all he believes, in all he does." —
Vol.i. pages 361, 362.
We nave enclosed the part of this paragraph extracted by the
compilers, in brackets, designated with a hand. It will be seen
that they have omitted the most important part of the examination
into this subject: apart, in which Isaac Pennington declares Jesus
Christ, to be King, Priest, Prophet, Sacrifice, the Way, the Truth,
and the Life ; yea all in all to the believer; and that the Scrip-
tures, are a true testimony of Christ and oithe Truth ; although they
are not Christ himself. We cannot be at any loss io decide, why
the compilers omitted this paragraph: — the doctrines it contains,
are too scriptural and christian, to answer their purpose ; and hence
they have suppressed the whole and joined the preceding and fol-
lowing parts of the paragraph together, as though they were imme-
diately connected in Isaac Pennington's works, ivhich is not the
case, as they are separated by that portion which they omit. They
then give us the following:
|C7"[" The new creature, tliat which God hath new created in
*' the heart, in which life breathes, and nothing but life breathes,
" which is taught by God, and true to God, from its very infancy ;
" that is his rule whereby he is to walk ; the apostle expressly calls
" it so — Gal. vi. 15, 16. That which is begotten by God is a Son,
" and the Son, as he is begotten by the breath of the Spirit, so he
151
" is preserved and led by the same breath, and such as are so led are
*' sons, and none else ; for it is not reading of scriptures, and gather-
" ing rules out thence, that makes a son ; but the receiving of the
" Spirit, and the being led by the Spirit — Rom. viii. 14, 15. And
" being, the whole worship of the gospel, is in the Spirit, there is a
" necessity of receiving that in the first place, and then in it the
" soul learns to know and wait for its breathings and movings, and
" follows on towards the Lord in them. The Spirit cannot be with-
" held from breatliing on that which he hath begotten, and that breath
" is a guide, a rule, a way, to that which it breatheth upon. Now
" this is most manifest, even from the scriptures themselves ; they
" expressly calling Christ the way, the truth, &c. the new creature,
" the rule, the faith, grace, or gift given to be the rule, testifying the
" heart to be that, which God hath chosen to write his laws in ; but
" when do they call themselves a perfect rule of faith and obedience ?
" They are they, (saith Christ,) which testify of me: and ye will
" not come to nie that ye might have life — John v. 39, 40. Life
" cannot be received from the scriptures, but only from Christ the
"fountain thereof; no more can the scriptures give the rule, but
"point to the foimtain, of the same life, where alone the rule of life,
" as the life itself, can be received. The scriptures cannot ingraft
" into Christ, nor give a living rule to him that is ingrafted ; but he
" that hath heard the testimony of the scriptures, concerning Christ,
** and hath come to him, must abide in him, and wait on him, for the
" writing of the law of the Spirit of Life in his heart ; and this will
" be his rule, from the law of sin and death ; even unto the land of
" life.]aZ3l Now, if men have mistaken, in the night of darkness,
and put the scriptures out of their place, (even in the place of the
Spirit,) and so have become ministers, not of the Spirit but of the
letter, whereas the apostles were made ' able ministers of the New
Testament, not of the letter but of the Spirit' — 2 Cor. iii. 6. Let
them not be offended at the Spirit of God, for teaching us otherwise,
nor at us for learning as the Spirit of God hath taught us ; the scrip-
tures also testifying, that this is the rule, but no where setting up
themselves for the i-ule. And it is tlie same Spirit which would
now^x* men in the scriptures, to keep men from Christ the Living
Rule, and only way to Life Eternal, as formerly kept them by tra-
ditions, from the scriptures, though it is hard for them, who are en-
tangled in this deceit to see it." — Pages 361, 362, 363.
From this extended quotation it is apparent, that Isaac Penning-
ton had no design to lessen the true value of the Holy Scriptures, but
only to draw people off, from an undue reliance upon them, in op-
position to the Spirit ; and from exalting them into that place, which
the Spirit alone ought to occupy. While he contends against the
erroneous idea, that they are the perfect and only rule of faith, he as-
serts that they point to the fountain, and bear testimony unto Christ.
and that such as hear this testimony and come unto Christ, will
know him to be their perfect rule, and deliverance from the law of
sin and death.
On pages 59 and 61 respectively, we have a short extract from
this same treatise, in which L Pennington speaks of the Spiritual
152
nature of that perfect rule of faith, which is to be followed and obey-
ed under this gospel dispensation. The arguments which he enfor-
ces, are substantially the same, as those in the last quotation we
have made.
It will be remembered, that the persons whose opinions I. Pen-
nington was combatting, denied the sensible influences of the Holy
Spirit, and contended that the scriptures were the only means
whereby the saving knowledge of God and of Christ could be ob-
tained. Hence they denominated them the Word of God — the key
of David, and gave them other exalted epithets which Friends be-
lieved to be justly and properly applicable to Christ alone. It was in
consequence of this great unwillingness among professors general-
ly, to believe in the fundamental doctrine of internal revelation, and
their placing entire dependence upon the scriptures, interpreted by
their own reason, as a guide in the great work of salvation, that
our ancient Friends wrote so much upon this subject, and were so
unwearied in their exertions to draw professors to the divine Life
and power in the soul. Their expressions, therefore, when they
say they are not the rule, are to be understood of that general, pri-
mary, and perfect rule of faith and manners, which they consider-
ed the Holy Spirit only to be. In this same essay I. Pennington
calls the scriptures an outward rule, and says that Paul taught
nothing but Moses and the prophets — that the scriptures are the
words of the Spirit, and that by exalting them into the place of the
Spirit, professors miss of the true use, benefit, and intent of the
scriptures.
On page 61 of the pamphlet, we have a short extract on the sub-
ject of the scriptures, taken from an essay entitled "The way of
life and death made manifest, and set before men," &c. I. Pen-
nington's reply to the following objection, will serve to show clear-
ly, the views of the primitive Quakers, upon this important subject.
" Objection — But are not the scriptures the word of God? And is
not the word of God to be a christian's rule } If every one should
be left to his own spirit, what confusion and uncertainty would this
produce ?
" Answer — The scriptures are not that Living Word, which is
appointed by God, to be the rule of a christian, but they contain
words, spoken by the Spirit of God, testifying of that Word, and
pointing to that Word, which is to be the rule. ' Search the scrip-
tures, for in them ye think to have eternal life, and they are they
which testify of me, and ye will not come to me, that ye may have
life' — John v. 39, 40. The scriptures are to be searched, for the tes-
timony which they give of Christ ; and when that testimony is re-
ceived, Christ is to be come to, and life received from him. But
the Pharisees formerly, and christians since, (I mean christians in
name,) search the scriptures, but do not come to Christ for the life,
but stick in the letter of the scriptures, and oppose the Life with the
letter, keeping themselves from the life, by their wisdom, and know-
ledge in the letter. Thus they put the scriptures into the place of
Christ, and so honour neither Christ nor the scriptures. It had
been no honour to John to have been taken for the light j his ho-
153
mour was to point to it : nor is it any honour to the scriptures to be
called the Word of God ; but their honour is to discover and testi-
fy of the Word." — Vol. i. pages 14, 15.
He proceeds to describe the Word of God, in the language of Ho-
ly Scripture, "quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged
sword," to which he recommends the attention to be chiefly directed.
He then says :
"He that hath an ear, let him hear. 'Examine yourselves
whether ye be in the faith : prove your ownselves. Know ye not
your ownselves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be repro-
bates ?' 2 Corinth, xiii. 5. Are ye in the faith? Then Christ is in
you. Is not Christ in you ? Then ye are in the reprobate state, out
of the faith. If.T'CIs Christ in you, and shall he not hold the reins,
"and rule? Shall the living Word be in the heart, and not the rule
" of the heart ? Shall he speak in the heart, and man or woman in
*« whom he speaks, run to the words of scripture formerly spoken, to
"know whether these be his words or no? Nay, nay; his sheep
" know his voice better than so. Did the Apostle John, who had
"seen, and tasted, and handled, and preached, the Word of life,
"send Christians to his epistles, or any other part of scripture, to
" be their rule? Nay, he directed them to the anointing, as a suffi-
"cient teacher. ].aDl 1 John ii. 17. He that believeth on me, as the
scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
John vii. 38. He that hath the fountain of life in him, issuing out
rivers of living water continually, hath he need to go forth to fetch
in water?" — Pages 16, 17.
It must be evident to every candid reader, that I. Pennington is
here alluding to the impropriety of setting the sacred volume, above
the revelation of the Holy Spirit of Christ in the soul ; and to prove
that he had no intention of derogating from the true value of the
scriptures, we subjoin the following extract from the same essay.
Page 17, he says, "But to cry up these, [the scriptures,] not un-
derstanding their voice, but keeping at a distance from the thing that
they invite to, the words hereby are put out of their place, out of
their proper use and service, and so attain neither their end, nor their
glory. And though man put that upon them, which seems to be a
greater glory, namely, to make them his rule and guide ; yet it being
not a true glory, it is no glory, but a dishonour both to them and to
the spirit, who gave them to another end."
Page 20, he says, " In my heart and soid 1 honour the scriptures,
and long to read them throughout, with the pure eye, and in the pure
light of the living spirit of God : but the Lord preserve me from
reading one line of them, in my own will, or interpreting any part
of them, according to my own understanding, but only as I am
guided, led, and enlightened by him, in the will and understanding
which comes from him. And here, all scripture, every writing of.
God's spirit, which is from the breath of his life, is profitable to
build up and perfect the man of God ; but the instructions, the re-
proofs, the observations, the rules, the grounds of hope and comfort,
or whatever else, which man gathers out of the scriptures, (he him-
self being out of the life,) have not the true profit, nor build up the
U
154
true thing, but both tlie gatlierlngs and the gatherer, are for destrut-
tion. And (he Lord will ease the scripture of the burden of man's
formings and inventions from it, and recover its honour again^ by
the living presence and power of that spirit that wrote it, and then
it shall be no longer abused, and wrested by man's earthly and unlearn-
ed mind, but in the hands of the spirit, come to its true use and ser-
vice, to the seed and to the world."
Ib a " Reply to some Animadversions," he says, " Yet, (though we
do own Christ to be the rule,) we do not deny making use of the
scriptures, to try doctrines and forms of religion by : but know that
what is of God, doth and will agree theriwith, and what doth not
agree therewith, is not of God ; and that our forefathers in the faith
were led to batter the superstitions and idolatries of the papists, by
the testimony of the scriptures. And we have also the testimony
of the scriptures with us, both to the light and spirit within, and
against forms, formerly invented or now practised, out of the life
and power. But we believe the spirit to be a touchstone beyond the
scriptures, and to be that, which giveth ability to try, and discern not
only words, but spirits; whereas a man may hold the form of doctrine
and godliness, and yet want the power : in which case, nothing can try
such a spirit, but the spirit of God, which is in the spiritual man. And
for calling the scriptures the Word of God, we cannot but look upon
it as an improper expression ; they being many words, not the one
Word ; and Christ is called in the scripture, not only the Word-God,
but the Word of God. And if, in the fear of the Lord, and true
sense, we keep herein to the expressions of sciipture, and its form
of words, which are sound, surely we cannot justly be blamed for
80 doing." — Vol. iv. pages 208, 209.
In comparing the sentiments of 1. Pennington, respecting (he Ho-
ly Scriptures, with those of Elias Hicks on the same subject, we are
forcibly struck with the wide difference between them. I. Penning-
ton not only says, that he loves and honours them, in his heart and
soul, and that they are profitable to build up and perfect the man of
God, but he ileclares his belief, that they are a rule to try doctrines
and forms of religion by; that whatsoever is of God doth and will
agree therewith; and whatsoever doth not agree therewith is not of
God. This simple declaration is sufficient to convince any reason-
able person, that Isaac Pennington and Elias Hicks are not of one
religious profession ; since the latter not only denies the scriptures
to be a test of doctrines, but even rejects doctrines which they teach
in the most solemn and positive manner.
If whatsoever does not agree with scripture is not of God, as T.
Pennington unequivocally asserts; it follows, most certainly, that
the notions which Elias Hicks is now promulgating, as the product
of revelation, cannot be of God, nor owned by him, but are phan-v.
toms of the imagination of man, produced by the mists of error and
delusion; since they do directly deny and invalidate many of the
most positive and solemn declarations, which the Holy Spirit, through
the inspired penmen, has recorded in the pages of the sacred vo-
lume.
At the top of page 72, of the compilers' pamphlet, we are referred
155
to Isaac Pennington's works, for an extract on the subject of the
Trinity. It is taken from a tract, which we have had occasion se-
veral times to notice, entitled " An Examination of the grounds
and causes, &c." The compilers have not presented the quotation
fairly, having greatly altered the sentence, so as to obscure the au-
thor's meaning ; we shall therefore insert Isaac Pennington's re-
marks more at length, enclosing the parts which the compilers have
selected, in brackets, designated by a hand. It is his reply to the
first cause, alleged for persecuting the Quakers, viz : — their denial
of the Trinity.
|Cj°'[" 1st. Concerning the Sacred Trinity. They fthe Quakers)
" generally, both in their speakings and in their writings, set their seal
" to the truth of that Scripture, 1 John, v. 7. That " there are Three
•' that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy
" Spirit. That these Three are distinct, as three several beings, or
"persons; this they read not; but in the same place, they read,
" that • they are one.' And thus they believe, their being to be one,
" their life one, their light one, their wisdom one, their power one :
" and he that knoweth and seeth any one of them, knoweth and
" seeth them all, according to that saying of Christ's to Philip, • He
" that hath seen me, hath seen the Father."]<c£3i — John xiv. 9.
Three there are, and yet one ; thus they have read in the Scriptures,
and this they testify they have had truly opened to them by that very
spirit, which gave forth the Scriptures, insomuch that they cer-
tainly know it to be true, and own the thing from their very hearts:
ICP'L" but as for this title of Sacred Trinity, they find it not in
•' Scripture ;"]«£3| and they look upon Scripture w^ords as fittest
to express Scripture things by. And surely if a man mean the same
thing as the Scripture means, the same words will suffice to express it:
but the papists and school men, having missed of the thing which
the Scripture drives at, and apprehended somewhat else, in the wise
imagining part, have brought forth many phrases of their own in-
vention, to express their apprehensions by, which we confess wc
have no unity with ; but are content with f cling (he thing which
the Scripture speaks of, and with the words whereby the Scriptures
express it " — Vol. i. p. 358.
We have here one of the most palpable instances of garbling,
with a view to obscure an author^s meaning, which we have yet had
occasion to notice. We are aware that in quoting from any author,
there must be some discretionary power used ; as it could not be
expected that a compiler, should always insert whole paragraphs or
essays. When the scope of the author's meaning is strictly, and
honestly preserved, no objection can arise from the brevity of the
extract ; but when a sentence is mutilated, a paragraph curtailed,
or M'ords interpolated, with a manifest design to change the sense,
or to render it ambiguous, and thus to inculcate a doctrine which
the author never held, such perversion and garbling, must ever be
considered as unjust and dishonourable.
It must be remembered, that the compilers have set out, with
ihe professed intention, of giving us an exposition of the doctrines
and principles of primitive Friends. Let us then examine, how
156
fairly they have done this, in the present instance. Isaac Penning-
ton is asserting the belief of himself and his cotemporary friends,
in relation to the doctrine of the Trinity; which he declares they
own, when expressed in the terms of Holy Scripture. This the
compilers quote, and continue their extract through that part, where
he is proving the Holy Three to be one being, Sec. but there they
stop, omitting an important part, where he asserts that they are not
only one, but Three, viz : " Three there are, and yet one; thus they
[the Quakers] have read in the Scriptures, and this they testify,
they have had truly opened to them, by that very spirit, which gave
forth the Scriptures, insomuch that they certainly know it to be true,
and own the thing from their very hearts.''''
This surely is an important declaration of their doctrine on
the point in question, and had the compilers been honestly desirous
of exhibiting the principles of the early Quakers faithfully, they
could not have omitted it; — especially as they resume their quota-
tion from a colon, in order to take in that part of a sentence, where
Isaac Pennington objects to the term " Sacred Trinity ;" viz.
" but as for this title of Sacred Trinity, they find it not in Scrip-
ture ;" Here they stop at a semicolon, join the fragment to tlie
preceding sentence, as though they were immediately connected
in the treatise, and close up their quotation with a period, as if it
were the termination of the sentence ; whereas I. Pennington goes
on to declare, that though they reject the term as unscriptural, yet
they own the doctrine fully, viz : " and they look upon Scripture
words, as fittest to express Scripture things by. And surely if a man
mean the same thing as the Scripture means, the same words will
suffice to express it." We will leave our readers to judge whether
this kind of mutilation, does not betray more of a desire to wrest
the sentiments of priinitive Friends, so as to make them agree with
the opinions of Elias Hicks, rather than to state them with truth and
candour.
On pages 72 and 73 of the pamphlet, we have another quotation
from Isaac Pennington, which, as it stands there, is scarcely intel-
ligible. On referring to the essay from whence it is taken, we find
that the author is treating upon the mysterious contents of the Re-
velations of John the Divine. We shall insert the paragraph at
length, and enclose the parts which the compilers have extracted,
in brackets, as usual, in order that the reader may decide how truly,
or clearly they represent the sentiments of primitive Friends.
" Now whereas many say, that the book of the Revelations is such
a mystical book, that it is not to be understood ; to what end then
was it written ? It was the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God
gave unto him to show unto his servants, things which must shortly
come to pass, ch. i. 1. ; and would Christ give them forth in such
words as could not be understood i Again it is said verse 5th,
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this
prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the
time is at hand. |C!P[How can any be blessed in the reading, or
" how can any keep what is written therein, without understanding
157
^' the things contained in it ? How can any follow the true ChurcU
" into the wilderness ; or avoid being taken with the golden cup of
<♦ fornications of the false church, or refuse the mark of the beast,
" (that he take it neither on his forehead nor hand, nor have the
" name of the beast upon him, nor so much as the number of his
" name) unless he truly and rightly understand these warnings and
" descriptions of the Holy Spirit of God, given forth in the book,
" to preserve in the way of truth,]„i:3| in the way of life, (though
through great sufferings and tribulations) out of the way of spiritual
whoredom and death i For mystical Babylon, the nations of the
earth, and great ones (generally) commit fornication with. Rev. xvii.
2. and xviii. 3. Indeed this book is a mystery to mail's wisdom,
for it was not given to the wisdom of this world, but is hid from
that ; but God gave it [to] Christ, to give to his servants ; and it is
not a mystery (but opened and revealed by the Father's Spirit) to
the children of the true wisdom, who are instructed and taught of
God, to escape the bed of whoredom, and spiritual fornication,
which the earthly wisdom (in the wisest men of this world,) is en-
tangled in." — Vol. iv. p, 72.
It vvill be perceived, that by the manner in which the compilers
have quoted from this paragraph, the meaning of I. Pennington's re-
marks is totally lost. No person could imagine from their extract,
what subject he was writing upon. The compilers have adduced it
to support the idea, that we are not to believe what we cannot un-
derstand, as is obvious from their italicising the word understand in
two places They mu-^t, however, have been fully aware at the time,
that they were doing the greatest violence and injustice to the sen-
timents of I. Penniugron, since he declares " the Book" to be a mys-
tery to man's wisdom — incomprehensible to the reason of the wisest
men, and only opened and revealed by the Father's spirit. This is
quite another thing from understanding all that we believe, since in
this case no revelation would be necessary. So far from giving us
the opinions of Isaac Pennington in this instance, they have closed
th'^ir quotation at a comma, and pointed it with a period, lest the
subject upoo which I. Pennington was speaking, should be discover-
ed, and the total irrelevance of his observatioos, to their purpose,
fully set forth. We could say much upon the unrighteousness of
such conduct, but we prefer leaving it to the honest determination of
every uprigh: and enlightened mind. I. Pennington was far from
entertaining so irreligious an opinion, as that the great mysteries of
the gospel <tf Christ, were to be scanned by human powers; on the
other hand, heropeatedly declared that they were utterly incompre-
hensible to human reason, and could only be known, as they were
unfolded by the revelation of that Eternal Spirit, which searcheth all
things, yea. the deep things of God.
The compilers conclude their pamphlet with an extract from an
essay, by I. Pennington, upon the important subject of church unity.
The sentiments it contains are well adapted to. the state of brethren
of the same family, and household of faith ; those who can in sinceri-
ty of soul, adopt the language of the primitive believers, "Our fel-
lowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." Among
158
suck only, can true unity subsist; and io these, and none others, do
the excellent observations of I. Pennington apply. Those who deny
the very foundation of this precious unity, viz,, the union of Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, as our blessed Lord, in that most holy prayer,
was pleased to set forth: "That they all may be one, as thou, Fa-
ther, art in me, and I in thee, that diey also may be one in us, tliat
the world may believe, that thou hast sent me;" such can have no
claim to the privileges of that happy state.
I. Pennington says in the extract, that harsh interpretations, con-
cerning any thing relating to one another, is unworthy to be found
in an Israelite toward an Egyptian; but exceeding shameful and
inexcusable to be found in one brother toward another. Harsh in-
terpretations we entirely disapprove: but when actions speak in a
language so plain and positive, as to require no interpretation , it
surely cannot be a breach of christian charity to designate them by
the name which they give themselves. When our friends err
through inadvertency, it is our duty ever to view their failings in the
most favourable light that a conscientious regard to truth will admit
of; but when those errors become notorious, and are obstinately per-
sisted in, it is incumbent upon us, to speak the truth without hypo-
crisy. We are not, however, to suppose that one who might be called
an Egyptian, is to be placed on an equality with false brethren. No.
Those who have swerved from the ancient faith of the gospel, and,
while professing the name of Jesus Christ, are denying his divinity
and atonement, and secretly and assiduously striving to annul the
only sure bond of religious communion, and to draw the unwary
from their steadfastness in Christ; such, are more to be avoided than
open unbelievers. They can have no valid claim to the appellation
of brethren, hewever they may assume the outward appearance, and
seek to pass themselves as members of the true church.
The author of the essay exclaims, " How many weaknesses doth
the Lord pass by in us!" and we reverently adopt the grateful lan-
guage, for his mercy indeed endureth forever. But is this to be made
a screen and an excuse for principles and practices subversive of the
holiest doctrines and precepts ol the gospel of Christ.^" Then Chri-t
may have fellowship with Belial, and light hold communion with
darkness.
L Pennington says, where there is any evil manifest, wait, Oh
wait, to overcome it with good ! This is peculiarly proper and be-
coming, as relates to personal injuries or offences. But it is not to
deter the sincere christian from earnestly contending for that holy
faith once delivered to the saints. He is not to set down in careless
indifference, and suffer the most pernicious and destructive doctrines
to be disseminated, without animadversion or opposition. This would
be nothing short of betraying his Lord and Master; nothing less than
denying Him^ before men. Such supineness would, doubtless, be
viewed with great complacency, by those whose ambitious desires,
and towering pride, prompt them to resort to every stratagem to
pronsote their own views, and to gain partisans to their cause. —
These, liave ever been the first to raise the cry of persecution against
those who were honestly engaged to support the law and the testi-
159
tnony, and who dare not forsake the cause of Jesus Christ. They
have stigmatized these as spiritual iruiuisitors; apposed the whole-
some order of the churcli, as tyranny and oppression ; and pretended
great concern that liberty of conscience might be preserved, while,
in truth, they are too often actuated by no better motive, than the
desire to gain popularity and power, and elevate themselves into
stations where they may lord it over the heritage of God.
I. Pennington, who knew well the subtle workings of this deceit-
ful spirit, was far from intending to afford any shelter to its advo-
cates, as he solemnly testified against them, in several of his writings^
In his reply to some misrepresentations of John Pennyman, who en-
deavoured to show, that I. Pennington disapproved of church go-
vernment, we find the following pertinent remarks. — After declar-
ing that all worldly ambition, and wisdom, and power, is to be ex-
cluded from the true church, and the Lord's power alone to be
exalted, he says —
»< But doth all this hinder, deny, or oppose Christ's spirit, Christ's
power, Christ's truth and grace, from arising in Ihe church, in a way
of spiritual and holy government? Because man is not to aspire,
nor take upon him, to reign or rule because of grace, gifts, or know-
ledge received ; shall not therefore the head govern the body? Shall
not life and truth, and the wisdom of God, spring in the church, to
order and govern the church ? But must every man be left to the
dictates of what he callSy light in him, and not to be reproved or tes-
tified against, though the spirit of God manifest it (to them that are
indeed in the light, life, spirit, and power,) that it is not lights as
persons may pretend and imagine, but real darkness, gross darkness,
darkness that may be felt, even by the least babes that are in the
true, living sense?" — V^ol. iv. page 383,
Again, in the same essay :
" But if the Lord hath taught a man, opened the same eye in
him, that he opened in others, and brought into unity and uniforwi-
tij with the church, in the practices which the Lord hath taught it ;
and he afterwards let in another spirit, and fall from these practi-
ce*, and JiK/o:e the very church itself for continuing in them ^ may
not the church testify to this person, that he is erred from his guide,
hath lost the light in himself and so judgeth amiss, both concern-
ing himself and concerning the church of God ? This hath been the
state of some who went out from among us formerly, and may also
be the state of some who go out frovi ?<s now. For as there is
one that gathers to the true church, so there is another that endea-
vours to draw and scatter from it, and then, to cause men to turn
head against it, as if it were not of God, but apostatised from the
spirit and principle of truth, which indeed is their oivn state and
condition,' in God's sight, but not the church's, which was gathered
and preserved by him, glory to the Lord, over all the accusations of
(he accuser through what mouth soever he uttered them forth." —
V'ol. iv. page 390.
After speaking of the great value of liberty of conscience, he
says:
'• Concerning what conscience is this to be understood ? Is it to
160
be understood of the tender and weak conscience? Or of the hard
and searecZ conscience ? For the conscience which God once made
tender, may afterwards come to be seared and hardened. And is
the church of Christ, which is guided by the spirit and wisdom of
God, taught and required by him, so to act toward the hard and sear-
ed conscience, as it is toward the tender and weak conscience ? Is
the hard and seared conscience, which hath forsaken the true light,
spirit, and power, and turned against the truth, and is in a wrong,
stift", wilful, hardened liberty, and subtilty, to be left to its liberty,
and to that spirit which draweth it out, and hardeneth it in a wrong
liberty? Can there be any unity, in the light and in the spirit, had
with those who are erred from the light and from the spirit, and are
deceived in their own hearts concerning it, and do but only pretend
to it? Can they walk sweetly and harmoniously together in differ-
ing practices, who differ also in the ground, and are not one in the
foundation, even in the true light and spirit of the Lord ? Ought
not the church to judge this spirit, with its liberty and evil cen-
science, (for that sjflrit will make the consciences of all that let it
in, evil,) as well as, to the utmost, to cherish the liberty of the ten-
der consciences, in and to the Lord ? Read and consider these
scriptures following. Tit. i. 15. 1 Tim. i. 19, iv. 2." — pages 395,
396.
In some considerations on church government which he added to
the former essay, he makes the following objection, viz :
" Objection. — But have I not been taught to be subject to the light
in my own heart, and to make that my judge? And is not this ano-
ther, or new, or different doctrine from that, — now to tell me I must
subject to the light of God's spirit in his church ? Suppose that
which the church requires, or orders, or holds forth, be different
from my light, or be not yet revealed to me by the light wherewith
God hath enlightened me, must I deny the light wherewith God hath
enlightened me, and subject to the church's light ? Or must I practice
as the church orders, before I have light and faith in my own par-
ticular ?"
To this objection he replies in several paragraphs, the fifth of
which we quote.
'' Great sobriety is needful in such cases, wherein men are too
prone to be judging others, especially the church of God. Everyman
is to take heed of thinking of himself more highly than he ought to
think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every
man, the measure of faith, Rom. xii. 3. And the young men who have
not the experience of the aged, and are most apt to confidence and
excursions, are in a special manner to be exhorted to be sober mind-
ed, Tit. ii. 6. Men may easily judge that others err, and that they
themselves keep to the light and measure of truth in their own par-
ticulars, but it is hard to do it. But they t\\2it indeed do it, abide in
the humility and innocency and lamb-like spirit, which would give
no offence in any thing, neither to Jew nor Gentile, nor to the church
of God. If it will go so hard with him that offends one of Christ's
little ones, how will it go with him that offends His church, wherein
his power and glory riseth, and is established ? The church is not
fipt to be such an erring body, from the light, spirit, and power of
161
the Lord Jesus, as many who mistake concerning the light in theii
own particulars, are too apt to suppose." — Vol, iv. page 413.
Among the many authors, with which the early history of the So-
ciety of Friends, has made us acquainted, there are few to be found,
whose controversial writings evince a more meek and heavenly
temper, or whose doctrines are more pure, evangelical and scriptu-
ral, than I. Pennington's. He had largely tasted and handled of the
good word of life, had learned his religion in the school of Jesus
Christ, and was taught by experience, the pieciousness of those glo-
rious doctrines which are so clearly set forth in the sacred volume.
Amidst all calumnies of envious accusers, the treachery of false bre-
thren, and the storms of cruel persecution which fell to the lot ol
this good man, he evinced the most lamb-like patience and resigna-
tion, the most christian forbearance and good will toward all; yet
as one whose hope and confidence was immoveably fixed upon Christ
Jesus, the Rock of ages, he forsook not the faith, he swerved not
from those precious truths which he had learned through suffering,
but nobly vindicated himself and his brethrn from the charge of de-
nying them.
His writings are richly replete with christian instruction ; and
those who will peruse them attentively, will find that in all the fun-
damental principles of the gospel of Christ, he is remarkably sound,
clear, and scriptural. It is, therefore, ungenerous in the compilers
of the pamphlet, to adduce his name at the present day, as authori-
ty for sentiments which are directly subversive of the whole tenor
of his writings, which contravene those tenets which he strenu-
ously contended for, and in support of which, he endured the loss of
much of his temporal estate, and many long and painful imprison-
ments.
X
162
CHAPTER V.
Observations on the extracts made by the Compilers of the Pamphlet frons
the works of Geobge Whitehead.
The first quotation which we are presented with, from the works
of this distinguished member of the Society of Friends, is taken
from the second part of the '^ Christian Quaker." The chapter in
which it is found, treats of " Justification and Imputation," the ques-
tion under discussion, being, " Whether impure, that is, unsanctified
persons, while such, be justified by the imputation of Christ's right-
eousness ?" George Whitehead thus objects to his opponent's doc-
trine :
*' You have lived in sin and disobedience all your life long, and
have preached to others, that perfect freedom from sin and corrup-
tion, is not attainable, in this life, by any, either in the beginning or
end of life, but have preached many into more looseness and liberty
of sinning, by telling them that it is God's good pleasure not to re-
move the being of sin in this life, but to suffer corruptions to remain
in his saints, to keep them humble; so no part of your life is pure
or clean, but corrupt and sinful ^ what have you to plead or say for
yourselves, why sentence of damnation should not pass upon you r"
His opponent pleads in reply —
" Christ's holy life and suffering is our only defence or apology,
against this charge. Tliough I am guilty, yet satisfaction hath been
made for that guilt; because, therefore, the same fault cannot be
twice punished, after satisfaction, 'tis as if it never were : this is the
only way of defence we have at God's tribunal. Christ's sufferings
are they, for which God will justify us — they have /z///y satisfied jus-
tice for our sins; we maybe confdent, they will secure us from con-
demnation, it being against justice to punish those sinners a second
time, that have been punished to the full already."
The nature of the question, will, we apprehend, be fully under-
stood by our readers, after the foregoing statement. The extract
given by the compilers, is taken from George Whitehead's rejoinder
to the answer of his opponent ; and to make his meaning more clear^
we shall take in the whole of the paragraph. The part which the
compilers have selected, is enclosed in brackets, designated by a
hand.
" To all which, it may be justly replied, and reflected upon you,
who are thus pleading and making your apology, in your sins and
unholy life, this will not cover nor excuse you in your sins, if you
live and die in sin, your mouths will be stopped, you will not be able
to plead Christ's holy life and sufferings, to rescue you from con-
demnation ; except you repent, ye shall all likewise perish : what in-
163
fluence or eft'ect hath Christ's holy life or sufferings upon you, only
you profess and plead them ? So it may be said, Christ was ever holy,
but you were never holy ; Christ was a sacrifice of a sweet smelling
savour to God, which neither your life nor actions seem any thing of,
but contrariwise, are a bad savour to him. Christ was an holy and
perfect example, whicii you never followed, nor ever intend to follow,
so long as you live, (for you do not believe it is attainable;) Christ
came to condemn sin in the flesh, which you keep alive (and plead
for,) in your flesh as long as you live: Christ also came to fulfil the
righteousness of the law in us, who walk not after the flesh, but af-
ter the spirit : but you do not own nor believe its fulfilling to be in
your persons, but only in Christ's person : Christ's blood was not on-
ly for remission of sins past, but is to cleanse from all sin, and to
purge the conscience, sanctify, &c. This you reject, and in your
sins^ and defiled consciences tpample the blood of the covenant un-
der foot, anil add to the sufferings of Christ, and the sin of his perse-
cutors, by adding sin unto sin, and so grieving his spirit all your days,
and pleading his holy life for your defence therein ; and so the guilt
of his blood will be charged upon you, in the day of judgment, if you
repent not. And further, |CP[you blasphemously charge divine jus-
" tice with punishing your sins to the full, in Christ, or punishing
^' him that was ever innocent, to the full, for your sins; so that you
*' account it against justice to punish your sins again in you, though
^^yoii live and die iji them. And yet you think it an excellent piece
" of justice to punish the innocent to the full, for the guilty. But
" your mistake herein is gross, as will further appear, and you will
" not be acquitted nor cleared hereby. This will not prove you, in-
" vested with Christ's everlasting righteousn«ss, nor will this cover
"your own filthy rags, or hide your shame.
" And while you think that you are secured in your sins, from the
*' stroke of justice, as having been fully executed, and that, by way of
" revenge, upon the innocent Son of God, in punishing your sins to the
'■'full upon him; I say, ichile you state this as the nature of the satis-
•' faction by Christ's suffering in your stead, the whole world may as
" well acquit itself thereby from punishment as you :for he died for all,
^^ and is ^ the propitiation for the sins of the whole world.' And,
" therefore, if this must be looked upon, as the full punishment
" of sin, laid upon Christ, and that ' the sin cannot be twice pun-
" iehed after such satisfaction,' this may make a merry world in
'^ sin ; once punished to the full in Christ, never to be punished
" again upon the offender, which the law directly takes hold of. Oh,
" sinners' soothing doctrine I the plain effect of which is, to make
" the wicked world rejoice in a sinful state, and say, Oh! admirable
"justice, that was pleased thus to revenge thyself upon an innocent
" man, that never sinned, and to punish our sin to the full upon him !
"Oh! transcendent mercy ! that hast found out this expedient that we
" might be fully acquitted, pardoned, and discharged from the penal-
" ty, that is just and due to us, for all our sins, past, present, and to
" come. Oh! what glad tidings are these to the hypocrites and drunk-
" ards,],./;;^! &c. ! And how merry they are apt to be in tiieir sins,
upon their ministers proclaiming such an act of indemnity of all of-
164
fences and injuries past, present, and to come, not only against their
neighbours, but against God himself. But if it be objected, thai
without sound faith, (which is a working faith) men have not an
interest in Christ's obedience, righteousness, or satisfaction, nor are
we invested with any thing for which God should pronounce us
righteous, &c.
" From hence it follows then, that if they remain in unbelief, they
have no interest in Christ's righteousness or satisfaction ; and then
the consequence is, Christ did not make satisfaction in our stead,
nor was punished, for the sin of unbelief, nor for the effects of un-
belief, to acquit us therein ; for what sins then, was he punished to
the full ?"— JstEdit. p. 195, 196.
From the quotation we have given, it will appear that George
Whitehead was only contending against the vulgar, and now gene-
rally abandoned, doctrine of justifying sinners in their iniquities,
and thereby tolerating every species of wickedness. — Such a doc-
trine as made people think they could get to heaven while laden
with crimes, under the delusive notion that another had been pun-
ished to the full in their stead. But while George Whitehead thus
opposes this sin pleasing idea, he is careful /?/% to acknovledge, his
belief in the atonement of Christ, confessing that his blood tvas not
only shed for remission of sins, but also inwardly sprinkled, to
purge and purify the conscience: that he died for all, and is the
propitiation for the sins of the whole world."— This is fully conso-
nant with Scripture.
The great contradiction between George Whitehead and Elias
Hicks, is strikingly apparent. — For it is not the former sin -pleas-
ing doctrine merely, \jhich Elias Hicks denies, but also the sacri-
fice, and propitiation of our blessed Lord, which George Whitehead
is so careful to distinguish from the other, and to assert his firm
belief in, — this Scripture doctrine it is, that Elias Hicks calls wick-
ed and absurd, an outrage against every righteous law of God and
man. In vain tlien, do the compilers adduce this passage to show
that the Christian belief of that worthy man, corresponded with the
dogmas of Elias Hicks. Their own quotation proves in the clear-
est and most unequivocal manner, that they are at variance, and
that the latter has really swerved, from the ancient and evangelical
faith of the founders of this Society.
The next page of the pamphlet, presents us with a short quota-
tion from the second part of the Christian Quaker, by G. Whitehead,
in these words : " l( all had walked in his light within, he (Christ)
had not been persecuted and murdered." These words are taken
out of the middle of a long paragraph, beginning after a semicolon,
and ending at a semicolon ; in which disjointed position they pre-
sent a meaning, which, though strictly true in itself, is quite differ-
ent from that, intended by the author. We shall quote the whole
paragraph, to render his argument clear, and as usual, insert the
extracts of the compilers in brackets, marked with a hand. He is
replying to Thomas Hicks' reasoning against the influence of the
Holy Spirit, whose third argument is —
" If the light within be sufficient to save men, then it renders
165
Christ's coming and suffering, needless." To which G. Whitehead
answers —
" This is a blind inference ; still opposing the light of Christ within,
(yea, and all that is of God in man,) as insufficient, and 50 as neither
discovering Christ's coming, nor the effect of his suffering ; or as
if men might be saved by his coming and suffering, without respect
to his light within, which shows gross darkness, as if there were
not a concurrence between the light within, and the end of Christ's
coming and suffering ; and he might as well say, that if the en-
grafted Word ivhich is within, be able to save the soul, then Christ's
coming and suffering was needless ; he should rather have said that
Christ's coming and suffering without, was because men were
turned from his light within ; for ICT'Cif all had v^alked in his
" light within, he had not been persecuted and murdered ;]qO| but
this man's argument, supposeth Christ's coming and suffering to be
for the supply of some great defect or insufficiency, of his light with-
in ; as if nian had so well improved it, a.n(i found it too scanty or
insufficient ; and, therefore, by this, Christ must suffer and die, for
his own light within, to supply it; whereas Christ died for the un-
godly, for all men that were dead in si7i, who had disobeyed and
transgressed his light within ; and though there be a reconciliation
by his death, yet the being saved is by his life, whose life is the light
of men, which for men to be turned to, in themselves, and therein
to live to God, varies not from the blessed end of ChrisVs coming
and suffering, while he works in man, by his light and power with-
in, both in showing him sin, and saving him from it, as he believes
in the light, becomes a child of the light thereof, as Christ exhorted :
and if we walk in the light of God, the blood of Jesus Christ his
Son, cleanseth us from all sin." — Pages 16, 17.
From the manner in which the compilers have garbled their quo-
tation, and the italicising of some words, it is readily seen that thej
design to make it convey the idea, that Christ's offex'ing himself
up a sacrifice for sin, was a mere adventitious circumstance, not
necessarily connected with the plan of Christian i-edemption. Now
that this is not the meaning of George Whitehead, is evident from
the context. He contends, that the Light or Spirit of God was all-
sufficient for salvation from the beginning, and that had all men
walked in obedience to it, from Adam to the present time ; then
Christ would not have been persecuted and murdered. But men
(laving rebelled, and turned away from the light within ; that re-
bellion and disobedience to tlie light, rendered Christ's coming and
suffering in the flesh necessary, to restore them to the state from
which they have fallen ; which is the obvious meaning of his words,
when he says, " he should rather have said, that ChrisVs coming and
anffcrbig without, ivas because men were turned from the light
within ; for had all walked in his light within, he had not been per-
secuted and murdered:" the whole of which results in this, that
if man had not fallen, there would not have been occasion for the
outward manifestation of the Son of God in the fiesh. The extract
we have given, contains a very full confession of faith, in the pro-
jutiatory sacrifice and atonement, made by our blessed Lord, for an
166
ungodly and wicked world ; jivhich is in contradiction to tlie notion
of Elias Hicks, that he was not an atonement for any sin, but the
legal sins of the Jews. George AVhitehead says, there is a concur-
rence between the outward offering and the work within, and that
our being savad by the life of Christ, varies not from the blessed
end of Christ's coining and suffering in the flesh, for if we walk in
the Light of God, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin.
Immediately following the last, we have another quotation from
the same work, upon the subject of Satisfaction, in which we think
the compilers have done great injustice to George Whitehead ; by
mutilating the sentence, so as to obscure and conceal the doctrine
which he was asserting, in opposition to that of a full, rigid, and
complete satisfaction for sin. We shall state the controversy in his
own language, and enclose the parts quoted by the compilers, in
brackets: of his opponent, Henry Grigg, he says —
" He is very inconsistent, in his saying, " that redemption and
justification, have been fully completed, and finished by our Lord
Jesus for us, once for all ; and that the debt is paid, and satisfaction
rnade^ while yet he grants that " ignorance and unbelief, as chains
and fetters, bind many in Satan's kingdom ;" for did you ever know
of any, so fully in a redeemed and justified estate, while so actually
under Satan's chains and fetters in his kingdom ? Or that any
should be thus detained in prison, so long after the debt is paid, and
satisfaction made, as he imagines : |C7^[" But in this notion of
" satisfaction, he appears very short and shallow, though it be not
" a Scripture phrase, as T. Danson grants ; and though it depends,
" but upon some notions of law, as Dr. Owen saith. Now that all
" men's debt should be so strictly paid, or such a severe satisfaction
" made to mnrfica/e justice, by Christ in their stead ; (which God
" never imposed upon the son of his love) and that for sins past,
" present, and to come, (as some say) how inconsistent is it ?"]aO|
Besides the gross liberty this gives to sin, how agrees it, with his
teaching them to pray, forgive us our debts, Matt. vi. 12.; for what
needed that, if they be all so strictly paid in their stead } Howbeit,
that Christ in another, or more acceptable sense, was a most satis-
factory offering, and sacrifice for mankind, for a sweet smelling sa-
vour to God, Ephes. v. 2. This we confess and own ; and that he
tasted death, not only for some, but for every man ; and is apropitia-
tionfor the sins of the ivhole world.''^ — p. 89, 90.
It will appear from this extended quotation, which includes no
more than the same paragraph, from v/liich the compilers have talcen
their extract; that they have greatly misrepresented G. Whitehead,
by omitting his statement of the " notion of satisfaction," as held
by his opponent ; and the conclusion of the paragraph, in which he
asserts, that though he denies their vulgar notion of rigid satisfac-
tion, yet he and his fellow professors, the Quakers, do own and con-
fess that Christ was " a most satisfactory offering and sacrifice for
mankind," " and that he tasted death, not for some only, but for
every man, and is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world."
167
This doctrine, which George Whitehead says the Quakers confess
and own, is the very same that Elias Micks has stigmatised with the
most opprobrious epithets in his letter to Dr. Shoemaker. He calls
the believers in it, idle and ignorant, bold and daring; and the doc-
trine itself wicked and absurd.
Let the reader now "judge impartially upon comparison, whether
Elias Hicks does" not "hold and propagate doctrines and opinions
contrary to the doctrines and opinions of primitive Friends." Nay.
whether he has not sufficiently declared that " those who have always
been acknowledged to be among the best and most approved authors
of the society," are destitute of "any right sense of justice or mer-
cy," "standing in direct opposition to every principle of justice and
honesty, of mercy and love," and are "poor selfish creatures and un-
worthy of notice." This he declares to be the condition of all those
who acknowledge a willingness to accept the forgiveness of their
sins, or the hope of salvation, upon those terms which the early Qua-
kers, with unfeigned gratitude, most reverently embraced; and yet
after this positive denunciation against them, the compilers of the
pamphlet, can coolly and unblushingly tell us in their preface, that
Elias Hicks is now only reviving the same views and belief as they
propagated.
On page 33 we have two quotations from George Whitehead's
" Light and Life of Christ within, Sec." In the first of these the be-
ginning of the paragraph is omitted, which contains a very clear and
full acknowledgment of the author's belief in the manhood and mira-
culous conception of our blessed Lord. We shall insert the whole,
enclosing, as usual, the compilers' extracts in brackets. George
Whitehead states the following objection, alleged against the Qua-
kers by William Burnet, viz.
" Baptist. They do deny that man Christ, or that God-Man, that
was born in Bethlehem, of the Virgin Mary."
George Whitehead answers, " We never denied the man Christ,
nor that he took upon him flesh, or was born of the Virgin, according
to the flesh, nor did tve ever deny Christ to be the Saviour; but as
for ♦^hose expressions, 'God-Man, being born of Mary,' we do not
find them in the scriptures, nor do we read that Mary was the mo-
ther of God, but in the Pope's canons, articles, &c. Though William
Burnet has pretended the Scripture to be his rule, as if he would be
exact in squaring his work thereby; here his work is contrary to his
rule. Again he says, |C7'[' Christ was seen with a carnal eye, and
" his voice heard with a carnal ear.' Whereas Christ said. He that
" seeth me, seeth my Father also. Now dare he say, that God is such
" a visible object as may be seen by a carnal eye ? Surely nothing
" is obvious to the carnal eye, but that which is carnal or outward :
" but so is not the invisible.^ But indeed if the body that Christ took
" upon him in the Virgin, and which was afterwards crucified and
" put to death, was God, (for he tells of God-man, being born of the
" Virgin,) then this would make God visible and to die, when that
" body was put to death ; which were no less than blasphemy, where-
•' as God was manifest in flesh. Christ came in the flesh, I Tim,
168
" iii. 1 John iv. and so did bear the name Christ as he wa3 in the
" flesh ."].oO|— Page 35.
We know not with what view this extract has been presented by
the compilers, unless it be to support Elias Hicks in his denial that
Jesus is the Christ ; because George Whitehead has said, that Christ, in
that sense in which he was one with the Father was not, neither could
be, seen with human eyes. The whole of his answer, as we have
quoted it, is a most clear and full acknowledgment of the belief of
the early Quakers, in the miraculous conception, Manhood and God-
head, the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. The au-
thor declares they never denied the man Christ, as he took flesh of the
virgin, nor yet that Christ was the Saviour; but believed that he
was God manifest in the flesh, and as such was truly and properly
the Christ. This is different from making him a mere man, endu-
ed with only a portion of the spirit, commensurate with the work
which he had to perform, and brought into the world in the same
way and for the same purpose that all otiier men are; — and that in-
stead of being the Saviour, he himself had need to be saved by the
same power, that all men are saved by. Such are the sentiments of
Elias Hicks! how great is the contrast.
The next extract is in reply to the following objection, viz ;
|0°'[" Baptist — He was that day born a Saviour : but had the light
" within been the Saviour, or the Spirit, or the Godhead, then this
"had not been that day born.
"Answer. — Hereby has he denied the spirit, the light within,
" or the Godhead to be the Saviour, and so has gone about to make a
"separation between Christ, the Spirit, the Light, and Godhead;
" Whence then came this Christ? And by whose power was he a
" Saviour ^ Had he any power but what was given him of the Fa~
" ther? But a Saviour was born : what was he born for but to bear
" witness to the Truth? And by whose power and spirit but by the
" power and spirit of the Father? and what he did and wrought, it
" was what God did by him. And though that day was born, in
" the city of David, a Saviour, was he a Saviour distinct from ei-
" ther Light within. Spirit, or Godhead ? What manner of Saviour
*' was he then ? This is sad doctrine to exclude Spirit, Light within
"and Godhead from being a Saviour; surely flesh and darkness is
" not the Saviour, but the Holy thing, (spoken of,) which was of the
** Holy Ghost."]„C]|— Pages 46, 47.
This and the subsequent quotation which the compilers have giv-
en, are of the same import, being designed only to show the great
absurdity of William IJurnet's doctrine, that the body of Christ
alone^ without the Godhead which dwelt in fulness in him, was the
Saviour. The reply of George Whitehead to this absurd notion of
his opponents, shows clearly how firm a believer he was in the divini-
ty of our blessed Lord, and how greatly he objected to separating
what God himself had joined together, viz: The divinity and hu-
manity of the Son of God. We need not point out how different
this is from the dogmas of Elias Hicks, since it must be plain to all
who are acquainted with the principles of the latter.
On page 56^ of the pamphlet, we have another quotation from the
169
same essay, the first part of which, is merely an expose of vario'u
contradictory statements, made by William Burnet, relative to the
vulgar doctrine of satisfaction, as we have before stated it. The se-
cond part is George Whitehead's reply, to the accusation of his op-
ponents, that the Quakers asserting '• the blood which sprinkles the
conscience, cleanseth from sin, sanctifieth, &c., is the Life or is o[
the spirit, and that it is the blood of the covenant," is "gross mistake,"
"mere fable," ike.
To which G. Whitehead rejoins — |C7^[" Here is no mistake, nor
•• fables proved against us, for the Spirit, the water, and the blood.,
"agree in one, and by walking in the light, is the blood of Christ
*' known to cleanse from all sin. Now the blood that sprinkles the
" conscience, cleanseth, &c. is as truly spiritual as the water is,
" which Christ giveth, and by which he washeth his church through
"the Word. For we are not to suppose two kinds of Saviours and
" Sanctifiers.that is, both a natural (wltich is not in being, as is said of
" the blood that was shed,) and the Spirit which still iiveth. And
" though Christ, that he misht sanctify the people vjith his own blood,
" suffered without the gates — Heb. xiii. I hope it uill not be denied but
" this work of sanctification is lorought and fulfilled within by the
" Spirit, and that sprinkling and purging the conscience is inward;
♦* and then where the blood is said to do it, that must needs be spi-
" ritual ; for surely the blood shed outwardly, must needs have a
" spiritual signification as well as the water and the cross had : and
•' the apostle attributes washing or sanctifying, to water as well as
" blood.3 £31 Again, it is confessed, that God by his own blood
purchased to himself a church — Acts xx. 28. Now the blood of
God, or that blood that relates to God, must needs be spiritual, he
being a spirit ; and the covenant of God is inward and spiritual, and
so is the blood of it. But our opposer confesses ' he is as ignorant of
any such blood as may be.' And indeed so he is like to be, while
he sets himself to contend against the very mystery of God, and
against plain scripture; telling us that ' God hath not blood' con=
trary to Acts xx. 28 — Zech. ix. 11." — p. 48, 49.
The object of George Whitehead in the reply which we have
quoted, appears to be to assert the doctrine, that the work of sanc-
tification, redemption, sprinkling the conscience, &c. is an inward
work, and that the atoning and cleansing virtue of the blood of
Christ is only known, when applied by the Holy Spirit to the soul.
But while doing this, he is careful not to do away the outward of-
fering ; acknovv'ledging that Christ Jesus suffered withmit the gates
of ■Jerusalem, that he might sanctify his church with his own blood.
Here is no denial of the propitiation of Jesus Christ, but a full con-
fession to its blessed efficacy and virtue.
On the same page of the pamphlet, we have anothor quotation
from the same work, which the compilers have mutilated, by stop-
ing at a comma ; in order to suppress the author's declaration of
is faith in the atoning sacrifice of our blessed Lord. We shall
quote the whole; and request our readers to notice how unfairly
they deal with George Whitehead. If as they tell us, their " ex-
tracts have been carefully transcribed and compared," we think
I
170
their principal care, has been, to si/ppress and conceal every thing
which would oppose the notions of Elias Hicks ; to wrest the au-
thor's language in such manner as to make it bear the strongest re-
semblance to his dogmas, without regard to the sense of the writers or
the principles and doctrines which they held. The parts extracted
bj the compilers are enclosed in brackets marked with a hand.
The Baptist objects — " Now the Quakers would be so far from
directing men to go to the material temple, that they make it but a
vain thing, to look to Jerusalem, to the antitype of that temple,
viz : to Jesus Christ, as he was there crucified ; or to that blood that
was there shed for justification.
" Answer — |C7^[The Quakers see no need of directing men to
'' the type for the antitype, viz: neither to the outward temple, nor yet
•' to Jerusalem, either to Jesus Christ or his blood ; knowing that nei-
" ther the righteousness of faith nor the word of it, doth so direct —
" Romans x. And is it the Baptist's doctrine to direct men to the
" material temple^ and Jerusalem, the type for the antitype r What
" nonsense and darkness is this ! And where do the scriptures say,
" the blood was there shed for justification, and that men must be di-
" rected to Jerusalem to it? (whereas that blood shed is not in be-
" ing, page 40, [says the Baptists,] ) but the true apostle directed
" them to the Light, (which is so much opposed by the Baptist,) to
" walk in the light/or the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse them from
" all sin,]c3Cii — 1st John i. and he died for our sins, but rose agairi
for our justification, which resurrection surely was after the shed-
ding of the blood outwardly."
In order to understand the object of George Whitehead in this
reply, it is only necessary to recur to the opinion which he is op-
posing, as they are stated in the Baptist's objection to the Quakers.
It is, the necessity of directing men to look to Jerusalem, to be
justified by that blood which was shed there. G. Whitehead in
his reply, endeavours to show that there is no necessity for direct-
ing men to Jerusalem, to look for Christ there, but to recommend
them to seek after an acquaintance with him by the revelation of
the Spirit ; and instead of looking to Jerusalem for the blood, to
wait to know the Holy Spirit, to apply. its pardoning virtue to the
soul and conscience, which he enforces where he recommends them
to walk in the Light that they may know the blood of Jesus Christ
to cleanse them from all sin.
In the same book from which the compilers have quoted these
passages, we find a number of accusations against Friends, made
by William Burnet ; to which G. Whitehead replies. Some of
these, may well apply to the case in hand, and serve to show that
the early Quakers did not hold the sentiments which the compilers
would have us think they did. G. Whitehead says : —
" It is false that ' the Quakers slight the scripturef' —
" It is false that ' the Quakers' Christ is not God's Christ, or that
they deny the Man Christ, or the Christ that is in the heavens.'
" A slander also, • that we trample under foot the blood of the co-
venant, and make the offering of the Cross, a mere fiction of tl>e
171
brain ;' for we have a reverent esteem of both. Also we do not de-
ny the resurrection, as falsely we are accused." — Pages 8, 9.
William Burnet, having charged the Society with owning only an
imaginary God, Christ, and Spirit, George Whitehead replies:
"That God, Christ, and Spirit, the Quakers own is no other but
the true God and Christ, even that God that cannot be confined,
circulated, nor limited to a place of residence, seeing the heaven of
heavens cannot contain him; and that Christ, which ascended up
far above all heavens that he might fill all things, who is God over all,
blessed forever"— Page 35.
The next quotation from George Whitehead, is taken from his
Christian Quaker. The compilers have not stated it in the language
of the original. Henry Grigg, against whom George Whitehead is
writing, asserted that " the spirit or blessed comforter cannot be the
Saviour;" which George Whitehead proved to be contradictory to
another asseition of his, viz,:
" Till the coming of his spirit and grace with power, in my heart,
for the binding of the strongman, satan,and killing my corruptions,
my soul was not brought out of the horrible pit ; having wrought this
glorious work of regeneration, &c." Henry Grigg denied that there
was any contradiction between these two assertions of'his, to which
George Whitehead, rejoins:
" The contradiction is very obvious, to say the spirit cannot
be the Saviour, when it can save the soul out of the horrible pit; can
it save and not be a Saviour? Or can it bind the strong man, or kill
man's corruptions, and yet not save him ? And if the Father, the
AVord,and the Holy SpiritbeGod,cannot God be the Saviour .^ When
as Christ's being the author of faith, giving power to others, to be-
come the sons of God, is a proof of his being God. And Christ
said, the Son can do nothing of himself, &c., the Father that dwell-
eth in me, he doth the works, John v. 19,30. viii. 28. xiv. 10.
And the Holy Spirit, where received, also maketh intercession accor-
ding to the will of God, and by this spirit, Christ prayed unto the
Father ; but to say the spirit, or blessed comforter, cannot be the Sa-
viour, is also, to deny Christ, in his spiritual appearance, to be a Sa-
viour, and so confine the saving work to him, only as man, or in the
flesh, withouf, (or separate from,) us, whereas he said, I will not
leave you comfortless, I will come to you, John xiv. 18, which plain-
ly denotes him to be the comforter, in that spiritual appearance,
wherein he that was with them, promised to be in them ; and as re-
vealed in them, his appearance was another or diverse to his out-
ward appearance in the flesh. Whereas Henry Grigg saith, "Are
there not Three that bear record in Heaven r I say yes ; — |CI?"[and
" these Three are One ; and is not Christ, (the Saviour,) that Word,
" which is One of the Three, which are but one divine being, tiling
''or substance, though revealed under several considerations and di-
"versities of manifestations and degrees of discoveries .^ Yet all
"one divine Life and Being; as God is the Word, the Life, the
" Light, and so is Christ ;]<qCi| and the Holy Spirit, is Life to the
righteous, and so is Christ the Way, the Truth, and the Life : In
him was Life and the Life the Light of men ; the Life afibrdefli
172
Light to all, and the Light, Life to all that obey it, and in it foilow
Chiisf, such receive the Light of Life and come to walk in the
Liffht of the living; as the Light of Life is received unto justitication
and peace, the Holy Spirit is received in that glorious ministration
as comforter, after a state of desolation and sorrow^, of whom Christ
said, He shall receive cf mine and show it unto you, John xvi. 13"
—Pages 127, 128, 129.
We have marked the extract of the compilers, by enclosing it in
brackets with a hand. They begin with saying, "There are Three
that bear record in Heaven ;" but this form of expression is not found
in the original, though the substance is the same. George White-
head has it — " Whereas Henry Grigg saith, ' Are there not Three
that bear record in Heaven?' I say, yes — and these Three are one,"
&c. So it is evident that the compilers have changed George
Whitehead's language, though the sense i> still preserved. We
thought it proper to give the whole quotation at length, in order
that the reader may observe that it contains a full ackowledgment
of the scripture doctrine of the Trinity, as set forth in the seventh
verse of the fifth chapter of John's first Epistle. That there are
Three and yet One.
Henry Grigg having taken exception to some of the writers
among the Quakers, calling the body of Christ, his garment, asks
this question, " If that body that was nailed to the cross, was but
as a garment, which the true Christ did wear, or as a house in
which he did dwell ; why may not any other man in whose flesh
Christ is manifested, and doth dwell, be called the Christ, as well
as Jesus of Nazareth?"
George Whitehead answers — "There's not the same reason for
any other man to be called the Christ.
" First. — Because of his divine pre- existence, both before he took
upon him that body or flesh, and before man or other things were
made, tv! ich God created by Jesus Christ.
" Secondly. — Because of his miraculous conception, as concerning
tliat body.
" Thirdly. — Because he was anointed with the oil of gladness
above his fellows.
Lastly. — He that compared that body or flesh, which He took
upon him, to a garment or house, intended no detraction from the
honour or dignity of the true Christ; for his flesh was called the
veil ; fiis body, the body of Jesus ; this temple, the form of a servant ;
and his saints are his members." — Pages 154, 155.
S. Scandret, wrote a book against George Whiteliead, in which
he states the following argument — "No righteousness wrought by
us, is of that worth, as to redeem our lost souls, nor for that are
we justified, therefore, the sufferings of Christ only, &c. — This ar-
gument, (says he,) God enabled me, the first dispute, to press with
full enlargement on the consciences of the people, to secure them
from the soul-destroying error of this man, [G. W."] To which
George Whitehead replies.
" This accusation upon me, is both groundless, false, and mali-
cious — for, First, — I never affirmed any such doctrine, as that any
173
lighteousness wrought by the creature, doth redeem man's lost soui
to God ; nor place any such infinite worth, price or merit, upon any
temporal' act or work of man ; but Christ Jesus, who is God's right-
eousfiess, is the Redeemer, Deliverer, and so the Redemption of the
soul to God, by whom also the soul is enabled to true obedience. It
is by grace in him, through faith, that we are Sdived, not of ourselves,
it is the gift of God ; nor of tvorks, lest any man should boast ;
howbeit, good works, are ordained of God that we should walk in
them ; for we are his workmanship, created in Christ again unto
good works. See Eph. ii. 8, 9, 10.
"Secondly — I never undervalued the tcorth of ChrisV s sufferings in
the flesh ; far he it from me so to do ; though yet, I cannot own this
man's, [S. S.] placing men's absolute justification on them, and
from thence shutting out ChrisVs inivard work of sanctification ;
yet thereto, both the travail of his soul, intercession, sufferings, and
sacrifice, had a lively tendency, seeing that both remission andsanc-
tification is knoivn through faith in his blood, which both purgeth
the conscience, sanctifieth, and justifieth. I do confess, that as the
redemption of theeoul, or its salvation, is of infinite value; so the
price that procures it, must be equivalent, and nothing short of in-
finite. — page 2 IT.
In summing up the controversy between Samuel Scandre and
himself, George Whitehead states a number of questions, to which
he has given answers, containing, as he says, " a plain intimation of
his sense," concerning the points therein treated of. We shall quote
some of them, viz.
"Question 1. — What was the nature and extent of Christ's suf-
ferings ?
'• Answer. — Not an undergoing, infinite wrath, or vindictive jus-
tice, (so called,) at the hands of his Father, (for that* is the just
reward of rebels against God, Christ, and free grace ;) but first, the
weight and burthen of sin and grief of soul, because thereof, as see-
ing the punishment and wrath incurred by the rebellious. Second,
the fury of his persecutors, in his undergoing that cruel death of the
cross, inflicted on his body, by wicked hands and murderers ; so that
liis sufferings were twofold, both inward and outward. Third, his
real desire, travail of soul, and good will, through all, was for the
benefit and good of «// mankind, even for the whole world, for whom
he suffered and died, that all who receive him, might be spiritually
influenced with his holy life, and partake of his mind and will, which
stood in subjection to the Father.
"Question 2. — What was the true signification, intent and ends of
Christ's sufferings ?
" Answer. — First, to evince God's long suffering towards all men,
for whom Christ gave himself a ransom for a testimony in due time.
Second, the appeasement of wrath and severity, so far as to grant re-
mission on true repentance. Third, the end of the law and first co-
venant, and the shadows and curse of it, as threatened, to impose the
terms of it. Fourth, to introduce the new covenant administration ;
Christ being the Mediator of it. Fifth, to show God's great conde-
scension to receive poor lost man again, on the terms of this new
174
covenant, reinforced by the death of his Son, that man coming into
this new covenant, he might experience a real agreement wiih God,
even in the Son of his love."
" Question 3. — How far the light in man is necessary, and an-
swers the intent and ends of Christ's sufferings ?
" Answer. — It is absolutely necessarry to salvation, being that di-
vine principle of light within, which directly guides all them that
obey it, into the way and dispensation of the new covenant, whereby
they secretly experience the real intent, virtue, and ends of Christ's
sufferings and blood."
[Query — Can those who deny the real intent, virtue, and ends of
Christ's sufferings and blood, be guided by the light, since George
Whitehead says that this light, when obeyed, leads all into the expe-
rience of thcm.3
"Question 6. — The satisfaction, what? And in what did it con-'
sist ?
"Answer. — First, Not rigid payment from Christ to God. Second,
Not of the nature of payment for all sins past, present, and to come,
(as stated by sin pleasers.) Third, Not Christ's undergoing infinite
wrath or revenge from his Father, for these were never exacted nor
required of him ; but the satisfaction was in Christ, as the Son of
the Father's love, the delight of his soul, and as he was a sacrifice of
a sweet smelling savour to Him : both the Father and the Son, con-
descended, in one and the same infinite love for man's recovery, out
of sin and death, and for his deliverance from wrath to come; being
confessed to be equally kind to man, and equally angry at man's sin ;
God so loved the world that he freely sent his only begotten Son, &c.
And in the same love, the Son freely gave his life, yea, even himself,
a ransom for all, for a testimony in due time.
"Question 7. — What is true justification?
" Answer. — It is properly and strictly, a making man just, (viz.
through the washing of regeneration.) It is, also, not only God's par-
doning sins past for Christ's sake, through faith in his name; but,
also, God's absolute accepting, owning, and blessing all them who
faithfully obey, persevere, and walk in the light and law of the new
covenant.
" Question 8. — What is the true or real imputation of righteous-
ness ?
"Answer. — It is the same with justification, as it relates to
God's reckoning or esteeming that man righteous, that partakes of
the everlasting righteousness of Christ, by a living faith in him : and
so the same righteousness and holiness of Christ, as inwardly reveal-
ed, and brought forth in the new creature, that is made conformable to
his image; and so all the blessed fruits and effects of Christ's power
and inward work of righteousness, as true faith, love, obedience, sin-
cerity, holiness, integrity of spirit to God, are acceptable to him, ac-
counted of, and reckoned unto his people for righteousness, and all
still for Christ's sake, who is the Author and Finisher of true, living,
saving, justifying faith ;as Abraham believed God, and it was reckon-
ed to him for righteousness, we say then that Abraliam's faith w^as so
reckoned or imputed to him. it has been by some confest, (as be-
175
tween God and (he creature,) that there can be no liking one another,
without likeness of disposition ; nor doth God receive man into ac-
tual friendship with himself, without being renewed after his image."
Pages 2S9, 240, 241.
The compilers of the pamphlet having quoted from George White-
head, to prove that his belief was similar to Elias Hicks', we have
thought it proper to add the foregoing to their extracts. We leave
the reader to make the comparison of the sentiments of the two
persons, being fully convinced that every candid mind, will at once
perceive that the doctrines are entirely different.
To satisfy every reader that George Whitehead fully believed in
the outward manifestation in a body of flesh, as \vell as the inward ap-
pearance of our blessed Lord, we subjoin the following declaration
of his faith, with which he concludes his Supplement to the Switch
for the Snake; viz.
" Seeing our adversary, and his confederates, so much insist upon
the words without us, Christ as without us, (and sometimes gives
him the character of an outward Christ, as if he were not an inivard
Christ, inwardly anointed,) I may take leave a little to follow them
in their terms; yet with a real respect and honour to the true Mes-
siah, the very Christ, the anointed of God, of whom all his holy pro-
phets gave witness, Acts x. 4. namely, we believe and confess, that
this very Christ of God, the only begotten son of God, was conceiv-
ed by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary without us, that
he was born in Bethlehem of Judea without ?.<5, that he lived an in-
nocent, sinless life, preached most blessed and excellent doctrine
without MS, that he wrought most eminent and wonderful miracles
without us, that he went about doing good without us, that he was
crucified, and put to death, by wicked hands, (without the gates of
Jerusalem,) without us, that by the power of God, he revived and
rose again the third day, without us, that after he was raised from
the dead, he showed himself alive after his passion, bj many infalli-
ble proofs, unto his disciples, without us, being seen of them forty
days, after which he ascended into heaven, being seen to ascend, with-
out us, and a cloud received him out of their sight, who beheld hira
ascend. Unto whom it was said, by the two angels present, This
same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in
like inanner, as ye have seen him go into heaven, Acts i. 5,9, 10,
11, and doubtless, when he so comes, and all his mighty angels with
him; it will be in great glory and open triumph; and he will in that
day be greatly glorified in his saints, and admired in all of them that
believe." 2 Thes. i. 7, 8,' 9, 10.
" But now 1 must not stop here, we must not leave this same Je-
sua Christ all without us, we must humbly consider, and own him, as
he is within us also. As Christ is tlie Word of God, that true light
which enlighteus every man coming into the world, John i. 9. He is
ivithin us. As in him was life, and the life was the light of men, he
is ivithin us ; his life, as the light of men is ivithin us, John i. 4. As
Christ is the light of the world, given to lead men out of darkness,
and to give the light of life to all who follow him, John viii. 12. He
is within men, within us, to lead us out of that darkness and cor-
ruptioii that was in us. As Christ is given for the light of the gen-
tiles, and for a covenant unto the people, and to be God's salvation
to the ends of the earth, Isa. xlii. 6, and xlix. 6. Acts xiii. 47,
He must be known as such within them. Seeing his coming, was
that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly,
John X. 10. This life we must have ivithin us. Jesus said. If a man
love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and
we will come unto him, and make our abode with him, John xiv. 23.
M'hich must be witliinus. Abide in me, and I in you, (saith Chiist,)
as the branch cannot bring forth fruit of itself, except it abide in the
vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me, John xv. 4. There-
fore, if we abide in Chriist, he abides in us. The branches must
abide in the vine, to partake of the life and virtue thereof in them,
to cause fruit. John xiv. 18. I will not leave you comfortless, I will
come to you, (said Christ.) Verse 20. At that day ye shall know that
I am in my Father, and you in me, and 1 in you. Therefore we
must know Christ within us, if we be his true followers. John xvii.
22, 23. Where Christ saith, And the glory which thou gavest me, I
have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. I in
them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, that the
world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as
thou hast loved me. And verse 26. And I have declared unto them
thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved
me, may be in them, and I in them. What's more clear, than
Christ's own testimony for his being within ns, i. e. ivithin all his
true followers especially. 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Examine yourselves,
whether ye be in the faith ; prove your own selves : Know ye not
your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be repro-
bates. Therefore, they who are not reprobates, but in the faith, know
that Jesus Christ is within them. Colos. i. 27. To whom God would
make known, what is the riches of the glory of this mystery, which
is Christ in you the hope of glory. Therefore, the saints know
Christ within them, to be the hope of glory to them. Gal. iv. 6.
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son
info your hearts, crying Abba Father. The Son of God is, therefore,
by his spirit ivithin us, who are sons of God. Galat. iv. 19. My lit-
tle children, of whom 1 travail in birth again, until Christ be formed
in you. Rom. viii. 29. For whom he did foieknow, he also did pre-
destinate, to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be
the firstborn in many brethren. Therefore the son of God is within
them.
"Rev. iii. 20. Heboid I stand at the door and knock, if any man
hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will
sup with him, and he with me. Was not this the Son of God, the
faithful and true witness, who thus spake, verse \4^ And where is
that door that must be opened unto him? Many more instances
might be shown for the nearness of Christ, with, and in his faithful
followers and members: And blessed are they who truly believe in
his name, and follow him in the regeneration." — Page 544.
To the last quotation from George Whitehead, the compilers have
appended the following note :'
177
"The authenticity of this text, was doubted by Richard Claridge,
a learned and highly esteemed writer among primitive Friends, and
it is now admitted to be spurious, even by many Trinitarians."
The text here alluded to is 1 John v. 7. " For there are three that
bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost;
and these three are one."
After a careful examination of the writings of Richard Claridge,
we do not find he has dechtred that he ever entertained any such
doubt.
In his "Essay on the Doctrine of the Trinity," he has placed this
text on the title page as a motto, with the usuali-eference of chap-
ter and verse, which it is highly improbable so " learned and highly
esteemed a writer" would have done, if he had doubted its authenti-
city. He commences the treatise wilh these words: " Although it
be, doubtless, the duty of every (Christian man unfeignedly to believe
the testimony of the Holy Scripture, concerning the Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, yet the notion of three distinct persons, subsisting in
the unity of the Godhead, having its rise not from the Holy Scrip-
tures, but from men's iniajjinations, is not necessarily to be received-
' For whatsoever is not read therein, viz. the Holy Scriptures, nor may
he proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it shoidd be
believed as an article of faith, or be thought necessary, or requisite to
salvation, as the sixth article of the Church of England deciaretli. And
as in our doings, that will of God is to be followed, which we have ex-
expressly declared unto us in the word of God ;' article IT, so in a
point of faith proposed to us, as necessary to be believed in order to
eternal salvation, it should be expressly declared in the Holy Scrip-
tures. For ' as works done before the grace of Christ, and the inspira-
ration of the spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring
not of faith in Jesus Christ,' article 15; so, according tn this article, how
can that faith be pleasant unto God, which is not expressly declared
of in the Holy Scriptures, which the Cliurch of England itself says,
are the only rule of f;iith ? There is sufficient reason to dissent from
her, in this point, even upon her own articles. Her doctrine of the
Trinity, as delivered and explained, aiticle 1, and in the confession
commonly called the creed of Athanasius, is not expressly declared
in the Holy Scriptures, and because it is not, may therefore, accord-
ing to her own principles, be justly rejected. I am of Hierom's
mind in things of this nature, ' We do not believe them, because we
do not read them in the sacred records.' Again, a little before, he
saith, ' As we deny not those things which are ivritten there, so we
refuse those that are not written ; for all that we speak,' saith he. 'we
ought to affirm from the Holy Scriptures.' For they are a sufficient
declaration, of all the necessary and fundamental articles of the
Christian religion, in common to be believed ; and the best outward
rule or standard, extant in the world, to examine the principles and
doctrines of men by; and therefore, nothing ought to be required or
imposed, as a common article of the Christian religion, which is not
expressed in plain scripture term*." — W< rks, pages 389, 390.
He then proceeds to state the ground of his dissent from the
doctrine of the Church of England on this point, from which it ap-
178
pears, that it arises wholly, from the use of the unscriptural term
Trinity, and the notion of Three distinct and separate persons in
one Godhead. After treating these points at some length, and ad-
ducing the testimony of several protestant writers, to show, that
they have given rise to many inconsistent and erroneous ideas up-
on this solemn and mysterious subject, he concludes very properly
that it is safest and most becoming, for men to express their belief
in those terms, which the Holy Ghost has been pleased to reveal. —
On page 414, he says —
" By keeping to scripture revelation we shall declare our faith
in a form of sound and safe tvords ; but if we go beyond those sa-
cred records for our creed, there may quickly be as many symbols
of faith, as there are fond and ambitious innovators.
" Therefore in this, and all other articles of faith and doctrines
of religion, in common to be believed, in order to eternal salvation,
let not the opinions, explications, or conceptions of men, which are
often dubious, various, or erroneous, be esteemed as a rule or stan-
dard, but let every one rely upon the divine testimony of the Holy
Scriptures, which declare that " God is one, and there is none
other besides him ; and that the one God is Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit: or, as it is expressed 1st John v. 7 — The Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost. Though that text is suspected by many learn-
ed men, it being not met with, as Poole informs us, in Nazianzen,
Athanasius, Didymus, Chrysostom, Cyril, Hilary, Augustine, and
Bede ; nor urged in the Nicene Council against Arius ; for though
it quote verse 6, yet it omits. verse 7th, either because they found
it not in the original, or doubted its authority.
" Neither is it found in many ancient Greek and Latin copies,
nor in the Syriac, Arabic, or Ethiopic versions, nor in some ancient
Greek impressions, as that of Strasburg by Woltius Cephalinus,
1524, and that of Paris by Simon Colinaeus, 1534, nor in the Ger-
man version of Martin Luther, as Erasmus, the Divines of Lovain,
Beza, and others, have observed.
" Nor is it, as Dr. Hammond says, in the King's manuscript at
St. James. See also what Franciscus Junius, Selden, Paulus Colo-
niesius, and Bishop Burnet say of the omission of it.
•' But whether that verse be dubious or authentic, is not much ma-
terial, because in other places of scripture the substance of it is re-
corded.^^ — Pages 414, 415.
We suppose that this last quotation from Richard Claridge has
induced the compilers to make the assertion, that he doubted the
authenticity of this text in 1st John. It will at once be seen, how-
ever, that Richard Claridge himself, does not say that he doubted its
authenticity; but merely that this text was suspected by many
learned men, and gives their reasons for so doing. Had the rea-
sons, which induced them to suspect (not actually to doubt) the pas-
sage, produced the same impression on his mind, he would not have
concluded the statement in the manner he has ; for to say, "whe-
ther it be dubious or authentic, is not much material," is an expres-
sion, which shows that he had not decided it to be dubious ; since
it might be safely used, in the sense he has it, by one who was con-
179
tending for its authenticity. The most, therefore, that can be drawn
from all that he has said on its doubtfulness, is that he asserted ma-
ny learned men suspected it.
The concluding paragraph above quoted, is however, a strong
proof of his belief in its genuineness, when viewed in connexion
with the fact, that he has not only placed it as his motto on the ti-
tle page of his book, but also declared in this essay, that it is the
fittest language whereby to express our belief in the Holy Three.
It is scarcely to be supposed, that so learned a writer, would ha-
zard the credit and force of a controversial essay, on so momen-
tous and serious a subject, by building its authority, upon a text of
scripture whose authenticity he doubted. It would certainly be an
evidence of great weakness in him, and augur very unfavourably of
the cause for which he was contending. A further confirmation of
this view% is afforded by the great care he takes, to guard his read-
ers against denying the doctrine, in consequence of any doubt
which some might have, of the authenticity of the text. For after
stating the suspicion of these learned men respecting it, he adds —
" But ic'hether that verse be dubious or authentic, is not much mate-
rial, because in other places of scripture, the substance of it is record-
ed;^' thus clearly showing, that he was an unfeigned believer in the
doctrine which it contained.
From the note made by the compilers of the pamphlet on the sub-
ject, and their unqualified assertion, that he doubted its authenti-
city, as well as from the object of their work ; viz : to prove that
" primitive friends," concurred with Elias Hicks, in denying the
doctrine which is inculcated in the text, and the divinity of Jesus
Christ ; it might possibly be inferred, by some uninformed readers,
that Richard Claridge did not believe in the doctrine of the " Three
that bear record in Heaven ;" but for proof that this was not the
case, the extracts which we have here given, as well as those from
his defence of William Penn and the early Quakers, against the in-
vidious accusations of Francis Bugg, inserted in our first chapter,
are amply sufficient. His "Essay on the Trinity," concludes with
this excellent paragraph : —
" The Holy Scriptures are the great Charter of the Christian
Faith and doctrine, and unto them, should all appeals be made in
matters relating unto both. So was it observed by the Ancient Fa-
thers and by the first Reformers : they constantly appealed to scrip-
ture, in all questions and controversies of religion. And though in
sundry instances, they deviated from the path of truth, it was not be-
cause they appealed to scripture, but because they attended not to
the teaching of the Spirit of Truth, in their own hearts, whose pre-
rogative it is, to open and guide the understandings of those infal-
libly therein, who humbly wait for, and faithfully follow its con-
duct."— Page 419.
The compilers likewise inform us in their note, that the verse in
question, " is now admitted to be spurious, even by many Trinita-
rians." We grant that some persons who are denominated Trini-
tarians, have been so far influenced by the objections which have
been made to the passage, as to be induced to suspect its authenti-
ISO
city. It is equally true however, that the number of these is small
when compared with those who are satisfied of its genuineness.
The learned bishop of St. David's, who has devoted much time and
attention to this subject, and whose extensive research, entitles his
opinion to great weight, has this observation respecting it ; "I cau
say with truth, that every renewed examination of the subject has
added to my convictions of its authenticity." Nolan in his pro-
found and interesting •' Inquiry into the integrity of the Greek
Vulgate," after stating the internal and external evidence in sup-
port of the text, adds — " I trust nothing further can be wanting, to
convince any ingenuous mind that 1st John v. 7, really proceeded
from St. John the Evangelist." Dr. Hales in a very able and learn-
ed work on the subject of the Trinity, speaks with equal confidence
of the authenticity of the verse. "To the authority of Griesbach
on this question, (he says) I shall not hesitate to oppose and prefer
the authority of a celebrated German editor and critic, the learned
Ernesti, with whose observations I shall close this minute and tla-
borate survey, of the whole external and internal evidence, which I
humbly trust, will be found exhaustive of the subject, and set the
controversy at rest in future." Grier, in his reply to Dr. Milner's
"End of religious controversy," after noticing " the invincide ar-
guments''^ of Nolan, says, " I feel compelled to abandon my former
prejudices against the verse, and to think, that a person should al-
most as soon doubt the genuineness of the rest of St. John's Epis-
tle, as that of the disputed passage." A late edition of the Greek
testament by Edward Valpy, a very learned Greek scholar, retains
among other passages 1st John v. 7.
It may be proper to remark, that the investigation of the subject
is still industriously continued ; and as there are yet to be examined,
many hundred ancient manuscripts in the Vatican, and other libra-
ries, many of which may be still older than those we are at present
possessed of; we should certainly have the most positive evidence
of corruption or interpolation, to induce us to abandon a passage so
well supported, by internal and external evidence, and which in the
deliberate and sober judgment, of many Of the most learned bibli-
cal critics, is equally genuine with any of the apostle John's writings.
Should it however happen, that future researches, present us with
evidence, sufficient to invalidate the great weight of testimony bj
which it is now supported, the absence of the text will not diminish
the irresistible evidence, for the doctrine which it teaches, since
other unsuspected passages, prove it in the most clear and unequi-
vocal manner.
181
CHAPTER VI.
Remarks upon the Quotations made by the Compilers of the Pamphlet, from
the works of William Batlt.
The compilers have presented us with several extracts from the writ-
ings of this author, the object of which we are at a loss to determine,
since they do not favour a denial of the divinity or atonement of our
blessed Lord, but, on the contrary, afford sufficient proof of his
sincere faith in both, and are, therefore, no evidence in support of
the notions of Elias Hicks.
The first of them is on pages 38, 39, of the pamphlet, and is a re-
ply to an objection made by some of the opponents of Friends, that
they seldom addressed their prayers to God, in the name of Jesus
Christ. To this William Bayly answers :
|C7^['' First, I do affirm, that they who preach and pray in the
" spirit, and power, and light, and wisdom of God, do pray in the
<' name of Jesus; for Jesus is but a name which was given unto that,
" which was before that name was, which the angel called a holy
" thing, and also said, that holy thing which shall be born of thee,
" shall be called the Son of God. And also, it is written, behold a
'•' virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they
" shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted, is God with
" us. So that this one holy thing, in process of time, according to
'' the knowledge of his works and operations, in and by many, hath
'•'several, many, and various names given unto it."]<arfi| Page 158.
It is obvious that William Bayly fully asserts his belief in the
Godhead and pre-existence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and his mira-
culously taking liesh of the Virgin Mary, in this very passage which
the compilers have quoted. In the subsequent paragraph he calls
him the Seed of the Woman, the Word of God, the faithful and true
"Witness, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the Lion
of the tribe of Judah, the Lord our Righteousness, the Prince of
Peace, the tried Stone and Rock, the Mediator, the Child, the Morn-
ing Star, and the good Shepherd, that lays down his life for the
sheep. He then argues, that as the name Jesus was given to this
holy thing, which in different ages had been characterized by these
glorious titles, so those who prayed to him, in his name or power,
under any of these various characters, did pray in the name of Je-
sus, though they might not always use this word to designate him
by. The great difference between the Christian doctrines of Wil-
liam Bayly and the dogmas of Elias Hick?, is sufficiently proved by
the extracts which the compilers have made, since the latter declares
our blessed Saviour was not the Son of God, until after the baptism
of John, denies his miraculous conception, and so far from admitting
182
that he is the mighty God, says, that the spirit, or light, was dis-
pensed to him as man, in such proportion as was necessary for the
work he had to perform. Now as a proportion, or part of any thing,
cannot be the whole, so it follows, from the assertion of Elias Hicks,
that the fulness of the Godhead did not dwell in him, and that he
was no otherwise divine, than as every Christian is.
The next quotation from William Bayly is taken from his reply
to the following objection, viz. "But how could Adam be in Christy
before Christ came into the world, or was born of the Virgin, seeing
Adam was made in the image of God long before ? Could he be made
in Christ, or by Christ, before Christ was? How can these things
be ? Answer. ICT^f" The word Christ, in letters CHRIST, was not
"known, (neither was there any occasion of them,) before man had
''^ transgressed, a.nd lost that life, in and by which he was created;
" but the power, which was in that man, or body, which suffered
'^without the gate of Jerusalem, was before the body or creature was
" made ; and it was the power of the Most High, which overshadow-
" ed the Virgin ; and said he, a body hast thou prepared me ; mark,
" this was the Life and Power in the body, which spoke, in whom
'' the fulness of the Godhead dwelt : and he spake, and prayed to
" his Father, which was in him : so though he was not known by them
" letters, or the name Christ, yet he was with the Father, glorified
*' before the world began, and was the Word in the beginning, by whom,
" the world was made, who said ' Before Abraham was, I am ;' but the
"name, or letters, Christ, was not until many hundred years af-
" ter :]„.ZI3| So thou mayst see, that the Christ of God, the Word, by
whom all things were made ; was, before it was made, glorified with
the Father, before Abraham, and Adam, and Moses, and the names
or letters, were ; the image of God, the blessed seed." — Page 94.
This quotation furnishes us with another full confession of the
faith of William Bayly, in the pre-existence of our blessed Lord, as the
Eternal Word, by whom all things were made; in his miraculous
conception, Godhead, and Manhood, which suffered without the gates
of Jerusalem ; and presents a striking contrast with the dogmas of
Elias Hicks, who, as we have repeatedly shown, denies both of the
former, making Jesus Christ no more than a man.
On the same page of the pamphlet, we have a short quotation, in
which the author declares that there are but two seeds, the seed of
the serpent or devil, and the seed of the woman, Christ Jesus, the
same yesterday, to day, and forever; who, by a manifestation of his
Holy Spirit, is now appearing in the hearts of ten thousands of his
saints. Here are two points in which he diifers from Elias Hicks.
The existence of the devil, and Christ being the seed of the woman,
promised to Adam and Eve after they had fallen.
At the top of page 40, of the pamplilet, we find a short quotation
from William Bayly, in which he applies the term " Elder Brother"
to the person of Jesus Christ. The compilers have italicised these
words, as if they would have us to infer from thence, that he con-
siders our Lord to be no more than a man. in this, however, they
are greatly mistaken, since, in the very paragraph from which they
have garbled their quotation, beginning it at a semicolon, and end-
183
ing it at a comma, he fully acknowledges his divinity. It is as fol-
Jows. viz : —
" This we do declare, and that, in and by the spirit of the Lord,
that we are, in our measures, redeemed by the precious blood of his
Son, Jesus Christ, tlie Lamb of God that takes away the sin, and re-
conciles unto Him, and to all men, from that nature and spirit of
enmity from whence the wars and fightings come; |CP[and we are
*' taught, led, and guided by, and are possessors of a measure of
*' the same spirit of grace and truth, that'was in that person, Christ.
" our Elder Brother, that suffered patiently, the contradictions and
<' false accusations of sinners, as a Lamb, without the gates of Jeru-
** salem, of whose resurrection and life we are eye witnesses,],^^!
even of his majesty and glory, and the coming of his kingdom with
power, full of grace and truth, so that the tree being now made good,
the fruit is the same also; and a good tree cannot bring forth evil
fruit, viz. wickedness, enmity, mischief, or violence, against any of
the children of men, upon the face of the earth : so we have not only
the name, or outward profession of Christ, in words, as it is in the
world, but we are made partakers of a measure of the same divine
nature ; and we are now, (being regenerated, raised, and renewed into
his own image of truth and love, righteousness and peace,) his off-
spring, and HE is our God and Father, who rebukes the strong na-
tions, and makes wars to cease, to the ends of the earth, glory
and honour be to Him in the highest, overall, forever." — Pages 169,
170.
It will be seen by the brackets, which enclose the compilers' quo-
tation, that they have omitted the leading part of the paragraph, and
ended their extract at a comma ; thus concealing those parts where
William Bayly declares his belief in the divinity, majesty, and glo-
ry of the Lord Jesus Christ. The injustice of this garbling is great-
ly increased, by the sentiment which they thus attempt to force upon
him, which is no less than a denial of his eternal divinity. The
term Elder Brother is strictly confined, to the person or vian-
hood of Christ, and is evidently not at all intended to equalize him
with man, since, in the same sentence, he asserts that ive have onlif
a measure of that spirit, which dwelt in fulness in Him, speaks of
him in language, which can only be applicable to the Deity, and
closes the paragraph by styling him, "our God and Father," "glory
and honour be to him in the highest, over all, forever." So that it is
manifest he was a firm believer in all that is declared of him in
Holy Scripture.
It is but proper to remark, however, that the appellation of elder
hi'Other, even when applied solely to the humanity of our blessed and
adorable Redeemer, i§ very seldom used by any of the early Friends.
We have never met with it but in one instance, except in the works
of this author. — And although our Lord was pleased to call his dis-
ciples," my brethren," and condescendingly to say, "Whosoever shall
do tlie will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother,
and sister, and mother;" yet Friends considered it more becoming
the dependent and unworthy condition of man, to adopt th^t form
of expression, which he was pleased to commend in his immediatf;
184
followers, "Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say ivell, for so I
am."
Immediately following this extract, we have another from the same
author, in which he addresses those, vvho are living above the just
witness for God in the soul, and oppressing and persecuting it by
their wicked works, assuring them that Christ without^ will be of no
benefit to them, unle-s they become obedient to the manifestation of
his Holy Spirit within. He also asserts, that whcisoever " preacheth
any other Saviour, Gospel, or way to eternal salvation, but the Im-
manuel, the Son of God ; his life, power, and wisdom in him, to re-
deem his soul (which is in him,) from the curse, wrath, hnd power of
darkness, which is in man ; — yea, I say, if an angel should preach con-
trary to this Gospel, the light and power of God, which is everlasting,
whose foundation in man is already laid; I say, from tite presence of
the Lord God he is accursed, Sec." This gospel which William
Bayly preached, wa.^ the same that the apostles of the Lord Jesus
Christ preached, and concerning which, Paul declared that man ac-
cursed, who preached any other. Surely, then, the language both of
this eminent apostle, and of William Bayly, contain a most solemn
sentence upon all those who are rejecting the holiest doctrines of
that very gospel, and even denying him who gave it to the world,
and ratified it with no less seal, than the sacrifice of his own pre-
cious life.
The quotation closes, with his testimony against those who taught
people, that they might be saved by Christ without them, while the
light of Christ in the conscience, condemned them ; and persuaded
them to hazard the eternal welfare of their souls by trusting solely
to a redemption, wrought by Christ without them, while their sins
remain in them ; and that redemption from sin could not be witness-
ed in this life: such he declares to be ministers and messengers of
Satan. It will appear from this, that while W^illiam Bayly denies
the possibility of redemption by the blood of Christ, without repen-
tance and amendment of life ; he is far from rejecting the virtue and
efficacy of that blood, to all those who come in faith unto God, by
Christ. Because he preached so strenuously, the indispensable ne-
cessity of knowing the inward work, it does not follow, that he de-
nied the outward, though the compilers would, doubtless, have
us think so, from the manner in which they have italicised his
words. This unjust and uncharitable construction was put upon his
words, by an illiberal opponent of the early Quakers, of which Wil-
liam Bayly complains, as being an injurious reflection upon his chris-
tian reputation. We sincerely vvish that the compilers may profit by
what he says. The essay in which it is contained is entitled, " The
True Christ Owned, in a few plain ivords of truth, by way of reply
to all such, professors or profane, who lay to tfie charge of the elect
people of God, called Quakers, that they deny the blood of Christ,
and his body and resurrection, and that they deny the Lord that
bought them, and trample the blood of the covenant under their feet."
It is inserted in his works, page 573 and seq. The following de-
claration of William Bayly's faith, concerning Christ Jesus, is ex-
tracted from it, viz.
185
*' The second query and charge, ' But do you own salvation by the
Man Christ, that was born of the Virgin Mary, and that was baptized
of John in Jordan, and that preached in the world, and was crucified,
dead and buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into
heaven, and there sitteth, at the right hand of God, and shall come
again to judge the world ?' [Answer] — (Now mark, if we apeak the
truth in the uprightness of our hearts, and say yea to all this; it
doth not at all satisfy them,) but they further proceed with terms
beyond what is written : [viz.] ' But do you believe in the visible man
Christ with flesh and bones, which the people fastened their eyes on,
when he read in the book of Isaiah ? So that Christ Jesus was a vi-
sible man, w\t\\ jlesh and fconps, as he himself said to Thomas, a spi-
rit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have ; so they did see him
after he was risen from the dead, and this was visible. Do you,
Quakers, own salvation alone by this visible person, Christ Jesus ?
For we believe you do not, because you preach up a light within and
not the visible man, Christ, for salvation ; and so we publish you to
be them, that deny the Lord that bought them, and so are of anti-
christ and false prophets.'
" Answer — The former part is here answered already, with a word
of truth, YEA ; and as to the latter part thereof, I have this to say,
that we do not deny but own and believe, that he was the Son of
God, and the true Christ and the Saviour of the world, that did ap-
pear to his disciples, and did eat and drink with them, and talk with
them, after he was risen from the dead : who said, A spirit hath not
flesh and bones as ye see me have; and all that is, or was spoken,
and written by the prophets, and apostles of Christ, concerning him,
what he was, or what he did or said, we do really believe without
any equivocating, as some of you usually charge us with, and with
reservations ; to which we may say, as the apostle, if our gospel be
hid, or reserved, it is hid to them that are lost, wliose minds the god
of this world hath blinded, that do not believe, lest the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God, should shine unto
them: read 2 Cor. iv. througliout; you that talk against the light
within, and understand what ye read, and what ye are crying out
against. It's no less tlian the Son of God, if you will believe Paul,
who witnessed the Son of God revealed in him, and Christ, the Son
of God, said, I am the light of the world.
" But as to your charge, I say further, that we own salvation by no
other Christ than Him, the true apostles preached, nor no other gos-
pel, or name under heaven by which men shall be saved, but by Je-
sus Christ; who is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. And
for the word visible, its yours, and not Christ's,nor his apostles', nor
mine, and so I leave it out, and keep to the form of sound words, as
the apostle exhorts, and not meddle with it, lest I add to his words,
and he reprove me; — but he that took upon him the likeness of sin-
ful flesh, and the form a servant, and was found in fashion as a man,
and made in the likeness of men, being in the form of God, thought
it no robbery to be equal with God ; this Christ Jesus we own, and
witness salvation by, and by no other: And though Christ Jesus
spoke at that time, and upon that occasion, of his flesh and bones,
A a
186
that they might believe, that it was he, that was risen from the dead,
whom the chief-priests, Scribes, Pharisees, and elders had caused to
be crucified, which before he had declared to them, and so upbraid-
ed them with their unbelief in that particular; yet we need not be
upbraided unth tinbelief, by any, as you have done, saying, we deny
the resurrection of the body; but we do really believe that Christ is
risen from the dead, and entered into his glory, according to the
scriptures, who said to his disciples at the supper, "I will not drink
henceforth, of this fruit of tlie vine, until that day when I drink it
new with you, in my Father's kingdom, and that after he was risen
from the dead, he v/ould go before them into Galilee: so these things
they did witness fulfilled, according as he had said, whose cup of
blessing which they blessed, was it not the communion of the blood
of Christ, &c.? And did not his blood cleanse them from all sin, as
they walked in the light, in which their fellowship and communion
was? Read with understanding in the fear of the Lord: and so
mark your great argument upon what occasion he thus appeared,
and spoke; A spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have:
Did he thus speak, that his disciples should always look after flesh
and bones to appear amongst them, and to be with them, asid comfort
them forever? or did he not appear to them in another form, and last
of all did he not appear to Paul, who was called Saul, as to one born
out of due 4ime, and how did he appear to him? — Mark, when it
pleased God to reveal his Son in me, &c." — Pages 582 — 585.
It will be seen from this declaration that William Bayly sincere-
ly and unfeignedly, without any shuffling, equivocating, or reser-
vation, owned Jesus Christ both outwardly and inwardly, as the
true Saviour and Redeemer, and held forth no other thing whatever
as the Saviour, but HE that took upon him that body of flesh, and
was ofli'ered up without the gates of Jerusalem, a propitiation for the
sins of the world. Let the reader compare these doctrines with
those avowed by Elias Hicks in his sermons and letters, and he will
at once perceive how great the contrast is between his notions, and
genuine Quakerism.
From the same essay which we have here quoted, the compilers
of the pamphlet have extracted some queries, which AVilliam Bayly
addressed to the opposers of the Society of Friends with whom he
had the dispute, which gave occasion for writing the essay. Mat-
thew Qaflin, one of the disputants, asserted — " My Saviour that I
own salvation by, is that visible Man Christ, that is ascended up into
heaven, and there sitteth at the right hand of God, that visible ma?!,
with the s^mejlesh and bones, which he took of the Virgin Mary." —
This he said in opposition to the doctrine of the apostle, that the
Word was nigh in the heart and in the mouth, even the engrafted
word which was able to save the soul ; wholly denying the latter,
and asserting that the visible man of flesh and bones was the alo7it
Saviour. This occasioned William Bayly to query with them.
|C7°'[" 1st. Whether there be any more Saviours of the immor-
" tal soul but one, that is able to save it, or to bring salvation to it —
" Yea or Nay ? If you say nay, there is but one able to save, and
" able to destroy as the Lord said, Beside me there is no Saviour
187
" and there is no other name under heaven by which men can be sav-
*' ed, but Jesus Christ.
" 2d. Then, whether the visible person of flesh and bones, be the
" only Saviour, seeing tlie apostle saith. The engrafted word is able
" to save the soul, and the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath
" appeared to all men ? And who was Enoch's Saviour and the
*' prophets', who were before that visible flesh and bones was ?
" 3d. Whether the visible person of flesh and bones, be the en-
"■ grafted Word ? Or whether that person, hath appeared to all
" men, seeing that which bringeth salvation hath ? I leave it to the
" witness of God in you all, to consider and judge. For if you say,
•' the visible man, with visible flesh and bones, is the alone Saviour^
"' (as you have said,) then whether this visible man be in the hearts
'' of people ? For the apostle preached Christ, the Word nigh
" in the heart,, and in the mouth ; and the ingrafted Word is able
" to save the soul ; so he did not preach a visible Christ with flesh
" and bones as you do, (which W. B. [an opponent] said was not
'■' Christ ; but the Word.]«0| And Paul preached God, that made
the world, &c. that was not far from every one of us, the invisible
God, but you preach a visible man, with flesh and bones at a great
distance from all people, above where the sun, moon, and stars are,
as Matthew Caflin said, his Saviour was, which he owned for salva-
tion."— pages 600, 601.
The candid reader will at once discern the real meaning of Wil-
liam Bayly in these queries. It is not to deny or undervalue the
outward coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, but to show
the inconsistency of that doctrine, which would make the manhood
alone the Saviour, distinct entirely from the eternal divinity, the
fulness of the Godhead which dwelt in the manhood ; for this was
the opinion of his opponent.
The compilers have italicised the words "he did not preach a
visible Christ, with flesh, and bones," &c. alluding to the apostle
Paul. They would doubtless have us construe this, into a denial
of the manhood of the Lord Jesus, and to conclude that the Qua-
kers believed in Christ, no otherwise, than as he is the Word, nigh
in the heart. Such, however, was not the meaning of William Bay-
ly, as we shall presently prove. George Keith, after he had apos-
tatised from the true Quaker doctrine, quoted this very passage
from W"dliam Bayly, and charged him with holding those senti-
ments which the compilers would have us to infer from it. See
Keith's " Serious Call." The reply to Keith after quoting the pas-
sage, adds :—
" 1st. If this be truly cited, the first part is according to plain
scripture, that the apostles did so preach Christ, the Word nigh,
and the ingrafted Word — See Romans x., James i. 21. Therefore,
George Keith, in placing this among fliose, he terms, vile and mon-
strous doctrines, has accused the holy apostles, with vile and mon-
strous doctrines, to show his own vileness. 2d, ' He did not preach
a visible or fleshly Christ as you do ;' As who do ? Doubtless
they were such opposers of Christ hi spirit, or his light in man, as
preached Christ only in the flesh, and only far remote from men.
188
Whereas the liolj apostles preached him both as come in the flesh,
and in the Spirit ; both without and within also." — Serious Exami-
nation of G. Keith, pages 20, 21.
It will thus appear, that neither W. Bayl}', nor any of the early
Quakers, preached Christ within, to the exclusion of Christ without;
but sincerely owned him, both as he appeared at Jerusalem, without
them, in the flesli, and also as he is revealed by a measure of his
Holy Spirit in the hearts of his people. But we have yet further
evidence upon the subject, from W. Bayly himself, who seems to
have been aware that illiberal opposers might pervert the true mean-
ing of his words, in order to traduce his christian reputation. He,
therefore, states the following objection and answer, in the very
same essay, from which the compilers have extracted; and only two
pages from their quotation, viz:
" But some may say, if God and Christ, and Justification and sal-
vation, and all must be known within ; then what benefit have you
by the death and sufferings of Christ? And for what end came
he into the world f And what advantage have any people by these
things ?
" Answer, — Much every way ; for first. He, in his birth, and com-
ing in the flesh, was the opening of a door, (though under a veil to
the carnal eye,) to see into the mysteries of his kingdom ; which was
at hand, as he told them ; as his being born of a virgin, and then be-
ing carried into Egypt, and then being brought back again, as also
his being kept out of the inn, which was full of guests in the days
of taxing, and his being wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a
manger, showed his entertainment in the world, and among the
professors of all sorts, that saw not the invisible Life, but looked
at the visible af)pearance, and so his face was more marred than any
man's — and his form more than the sons of men.
" And then in his preaching, he told for what end he was born, and
came into the world, to bear witness to the truth; and so he fulfilled
all the types and shadows, and sacrifices under the law, by his offer-
ing once for all, and ended them forever; and so a body was prepar-
ed ; to do his Father's will, who would not have any more such sacri-
fices and offerings, but a new and living way must be consecrated for
the people, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, which was offered
up once for all: So here, all the outward oftering?, (which were many
and often.) ended ; and now the offering is in righteousness, in that
which exceeds the Scribes and Pharisees; and the true worship is
now, as he said, in the spirit and in the truth. And so, as they of-
fered the blood of bulls and goats, and such like things, in their sa-
crifices for sin and transgression, so Christ, at his death and suffer-
ings, offered up a body of flesh and blood, which was prepared, (as
I said,) TO THAT END OF HIS FATHER; SO he did his Father's will,
with which He was well pleased, saying, this is my beloved son, hear
ye him ; so that God is in Christ, reconciled ; and out of him there is
no reconciliation, nor acceptable sacriflce. And now, all must hear
him, who said I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, and I am the Light
of the world ; believe in the Light ; whose name is called the Word
of God; which his ministers, in his stead, preached, nigh in the
189
iicart and in the mouth, and forbad saying, Who shall ascend up into
Heaven to bring him down, or descend to fetch him up, Sec? But
the Word of reconciliation tliey had, and this they preached, that
people might come to Christ, and be reconciled to God ; and theii
fellowship was with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ, and
the blood of Christ did cleanse them ; and yet they desire to know
him no more after the tiesh : but these things are parables to the
wise men of the world. Therefore, I may conclude as the apostle
did, without controversy great is the mystery of godliness ; God
was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up
into glory : and so he is out of your sight who deny the Light with-
in, for that gives the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus
Christ, as ye may read, 2 Cor. iv. 6." — pages 602 to 604.
From this extract it is apparent, how careful the primitive Qua-
kers were, while they enforced that great fundamental doctrine
of the christian religion, the manifestation of the spirit of Christ
Jesus, given to all men to profit with, to guard against giving any
just ground to suspect, that they in any degree lessened, or slighted
the unspeakable blessings which resulted to mankind, from the out-
ward coming, and sufferings, and death of the Son of God in the
flesh. And although their writings have often been misconstrued to
convict them of this most unchristian doctrine, yet their accusers,
whether open enemies, or pretended friends, have always been ob-
liged to resort either to mutilation of their writings, or to perver-
sion of their true meaning. When permitted to speak for them-
selves, they declare to the satisfaction of every candid and ingenu-
ous mind, that they believed without any equivocation or reserva-
tion, in all that the scriptures testify concerning the coming, suflfer-
ings, death, resurrection, mediation, and intercession of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ.
On page 41, of the pamphlet, we are presented with a quotation
from an essay of W. Bayly's, entitled "A Saltation to the breath-
ing Seed of Israel." The section which contains the extract, is enti-
tled " Concerning Christ's second coming and Kingdom and Reign,
and of the Kingdoms of this world becoming his Kingdoms." It
commences thus :
" I never read in all the scriptures, as I can remember, of a third
coming of Christ personally, in his own single person, or of a per-
sonal reign, besides what shall be in his saints. But I have read
of his coming the second time, without sin, unto salvation, &c.,
which the apostles in their days did witness, yea, even his coming
and kingdom, as may be mentioned hereafter. I believe most peo-
ple, in tiiat called Christendom, who have read the scriptures, will
confess Christ is come once already, even when he had the body pre-
pared, which he laid down, and took up, without the gates of Jeru-
salem ; this I grant ivns a personal comings or the Godhead dwelt in
that person, bodily; this we conclude was his first coming, to be ma-
nifest in these days ; and we believe all the things that are written
of him to be reall'i true, and that v, hatsoever he did or said, must be
fulfilled, &c." '
190
" But now, this being hisjij^sfco/iunff", he tells his disciples while he
was yet with them, that '< he must go away, and that it was expedi-
ent that he should go away, or else, said he, the Comforter will not
come, the which if I go away, /shall send unto you, even the Spirit
of Truth, which shall abide with you forever, &c. Yet, notwith-
standing sorrow had filled their hearts, though He tells them he
would come again unto them, and their hearts should rejoice, and their
joy no man should take from them : This was his promise to his dis-
ciples, while HE was yet personally with them, and to comfort and
strengthen them yet more, yet he told them, that he that was with
THEM, SHOULD BE IN THEM." pageS 306, 307.
The substance of this confession to the personal and spiritual ap-
pearance of our blessed Lord, is so truly scriptural, that we wish to
call the attention of our readers particularly to it. So well was the
author grounded in the sacred truths recorded in Holy Scripture, so
clear and unequivocal did they appear to him, that he supposes
most people in Christendom, will confess Christ is come already,
in that prepared body, which he laid down and took up again, with-
out the gates of Jerusalem. To such a sincere and believing chris-
tian, how painful would it be to know, that many of the professed
members of that Society, which above all others he loved, as the
household of true faith; and for whose doctrines he endured cruel
persecution and imprisonments; had not only departed from the
confession of that Christ which died at Jerusalem, but were quoting
his works to prove that he did the same ! I
He makes a full acknowledgment, not only to all the circumstan-
ces relative to the birth, life, and death of the Holy Jesus, confess-
ing to all that the scriptures testify of him ; but what is especially
worthy of remark, he declares that the same Comforter that was out-
wardly with his disciples in the flesh, did afterward come again to
them in the spirit. That Christ himself, sent them this Comforter,
even the Spirit of Truth that should abide with them forever." —
There is a striking contrast here, between the belief of W. Bayly
and Elias Kick?, since the latter asserts that it was not the savie
Comforter who was afterward sent to the disciples, but another, cfjs-
tinct from Jesus Christ, as is set forth in various places in his ser-
mons.
Immediately following what we last quoted, comes the paragraph
which the compilers have selected; in wliich W. Bayly speaks of the
attachment which the disciples of Christ had for his person, which
he thinks to have been for the sake of the excellent spirit which
dwelt in him — though he says he means not to slight the person. —
The part which the compilers seem to consider peculiarly adapted
to this purpose, is his enjoining it on his disciples, to pray to-their
Father who was in Heaven. He says, ICT^f'* And sohe taught them
"to pray. Our Father, &c., not to look at liis person, and pray to
*^ him as a person, without them, but bid them pray to their Father
" which seeth in secret, who would reward them openly; and he
" that seeth in secret, searcheth the heart and trieth the reins :]«Ol
And he bid them pray, thy kingdom come ; and the kingdom of Hea-
ven is within, and the heart and reins, and the searcher of them, is
191
within ; and he bid them wait at Jerusalem, till they were endued
with power from on high; and the kingdom of" God consisteth in
power, &c. So they waited for his coming and kingdom, in their
days, after his bodily departure from them, and also came to enjoy
what they tvaited for, and to receive the promise of the Father,
which was fulfilled unto them, and in them : For saith the Apostle,
We wait for his Son from Heaven ; this was after he had suffered,
and was departed from them; and at length said. The Son of God
is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we know him
that is true, and are in him that is true ; this is the true God and
Eternal life, and this life is in his Son." — page 308.
It is evident from the context, that William Bayly had no inten-
tion to inculcate the idea ; that prayers were not to be oftered up
to Christ, or to the Father, in his name. For though he says, the
disciples were not to look at his person, or pray to him as a jierson
without them, yet the clear distinction which he makes between the
Manhood and Godhead, shows that he alluded only to the former —
the outward person; and in the same paragraph, he inculcates the
necessity of witnessing the Son of God to be come, and recites
that passage of John's Epistle, where he is styled, the true God
and eternal life, that everlasting and glorious Being to whom all
prayers must ascend, and to whom all adoration and praises forever
belong. "I have chosen you, said the Holy Jesus, and ordain-
ed you ; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father, in my name, he
may give it you :" hence all our petitions to the throne of grace,
must be offered in the name of Jesus Christ, and they that ask not
in his name, their prayers will not be answered, because they ask
amiss.
We shall conclude our remarks, with the following extract from a
work by this author, entitled " The Lamb's Government to be Exalt-
ed over all, in Israel." The sentiments which it contains, respect-
ing the divinity and ofTices of Jesus Christ, will strikingly contrast
with those of Elias Hicks, and completely acquit William Bayly
from the charge of coinciding in his antichristian notions, viz:
" Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, the Holy Seed, the
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, (that lies in wicked-
ness,) in whose mouth guile is not found, whose name is called the
Word of God, whom all are to hear, whose kingdom is not of this
world, whom God the Father hath raised from the dead, and ap-
pointed. Heir of all things, and Head over all to his Church, and giv-
en Him a name above every name, that at His name, every knee
should bow, of things in Heaven and things in the earth, and every
tongue confess him to be Lord, to tlie glory of God the Father;
whom he hath given for a Leader and Commander of the people, in
whom alone is redemption and salvation, and not in any other, — this is
the Captain of thy host. Oh Israel, This is thy King and Lawgiver, thy
Judge and Saviour, and every spirit, seed, motion, or thought, which
is contrary, opposeth, or riseth against the life of this pure, righteous,
precious Seed, (wheresoever or in whomsoever it is,orappeareth,) is of
antichrist, which the Lord God will consume by the Spirit of his
mouth, and destroy by the brightness of his coming, (without respect
192
ot persons,) and this hath been the testimony of the servants of the
Lord in ages past, and this hath been, and is, our testimony, (who
are his servants,) unto the world in this age, which work he is now
cutting short in righteousness, for his Elect Seed's sake, in whom
alone, he is well pleased, which has long been pierced, wounded,
grieved, and oppressed, by the contrary seed of evil doers, which has
always opposed and exalted itself, above all that is called God, and
would not, that he should reign, (who is the truth, the resurrection,
and the life,) whose right alone it is^ and for whose sake, the Lord
God Almighty will overturn, overturn, overturn, till he possesses it.
unto the ends of the earth." — pages 347, 348.
193
CHAPTER VII.
Uemarks upon the Quotations made by the Compilers from the writings of
George Fox.
This eminent minister and servant of Jesus Christ, was the ho=
iiourable instrument, whom it pleased the Lord to make use of, in
the convincement and gathering of the first members of the So-
ciety of Friends. He descended from a respectable family in
Leicestershire, and his parents being persons of a religious cha-
racter, endeavoured to give him, as well as the rest of their chil-
dren, a guarded and pious education, according to the established
religion of the nation. His opportunities of literary instruction
were very limited, and hence his manner of writing is sometimes
ambiguous and rather unpolished, but being naturally of a sound
understanding and vigorous mind, and deeply versed in that know-
ledge, which is only to be acquired in the school of Christ, he became
an eminent preacher of the gospel of Life and Salvation, skilful
both in word and doctrine.
It pleased the Lord very early in life, to impress upon his mind,
the great fundamental doctrines of the Christian Religion, and to
give him a clearer and more spiritual view of the nature of the gos-
pel dispensation, than was then known by the different denomina-
tions of professors.
In speaking of these divine openings into the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven, which were graciously vouchsafed to him, he
informs us, that although they were not always communicated to
him, through the medium of the sacred volume, yet they all answer-
ed to the testimonies of Holy Scripture, and were in accordance
with it.
Soon after his mind came under religious exercise, he was brought
to see, and reverently to acknowledge the unspeakable mercy of
God in giving his dear Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to
be a sacrifice for the sins of the whole Morld ; and when question-
ed on this subject by Nathaniel Stevens, he gave a remarkably clear
and full testimony to his belief in the atonement, which he has re-
corded in his Journal, p. 86.
His writings are remarkable for the abundant testimony which
they bear, to the Divinity and various offices of our blessed Lord,
and although the state of the Christian world at that time requir-
ed that the doctrine of his second coining, by his Holy Spirit in the
souls of all mankind, should be peculiarly enforced, yet he was
ever careful to give, when occasion demanded, his unequivocal and
positive declaration, to the unspeakable blessings which flowed from
his transcendant manifestation in the body of tiesh.
In the year 1675, being in the island of Barbadoes, and many
194
misrepresentations of the Society of Friends being then circulated
there, with the design of rendering them odious in the estimation
of the people, he addressed a letter to the Governor and Council, in
which he makes a full confession of the belief of the early Quakers,
in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Scriptures; for which see the
conclusion of this chapter, and page 147 of the second volume ot
his Journal. In 1682 he issued a pamphlet, entitled, "Something
by way of answer to all such as falsely say, the Quakers are no
christians," which contains a declaration of the belief of the Socie-
ty, in the Holy Three which bear record in heaven, the Divinity and
Atonement of Jesus Christ, and the authenticity and divine author-
ity of Holy Scripture.
George Fox died in the year 1690, and as we have these two de-
clarations of the soundness of his faith, together with that to priest
Stevens in 1644, they alone, if we had no other proof, (though there
are volumes beside,) are amply sufficient, to show in the most indu-
bitable manner, that he was not a believer in the antichristian no-
tions of Elias Hicks. If, therefore, the compilers had been able to
adduce from his controversial writings, any passages which could be
misconstrued to favour a contrary opinion, it would not be any evi-
dence of his coinciding in the sentiments which they wish to force
upon him, unless they could make it appear that he denied at one time
what he solemnly professed at another ; and if they could do this,
the authority of such a man would be of little moment. But George
Fox was too deeply versed in the sacred truths of christian re-
demption, and too largely experienced in the work of salvation, to
evince so changeable a disposition, or to entertain a doubt of any
of the doctrines of the gospel of Christ. His religion was of the heart,
not of the head. He had tasted, and handled, of the good Word
of life, and spake from experimental knowledge of that salvation,
which was purchased for mankind, by the coming, and suffering, and
death of the adorable Son of God.
Most of the extracts made by the compilers, are taken from two
controversial books by George Fox, entitled " Saul's Errand to Da-
mascus," and the " Great Mystery," &c. Both of the books are so
badly printed, as to render their autliority, in many places, doubt-
ful ; they have now become scarce, and are accessible to but few of
the members of the Society of Friends. It would seem that the com-
pilers have not considered George Fox as very good authority for
their principles, since their extracts from his works, are generally
very short, several of them greatly mutilated, and taken from pie-
ces, by no means so fully declaratory of his faith, as other essays
which he wrote ; particularly some inserted in his Journal. Some
of the passages quoted in the pamphlet, are such as the enemies of
Friends adduced, in order to prove that he was not a christian ; a
circumstance by no means favourable to the cause in which the
compilers have embarked.
We shall now proceed to an examination of the quotations of the
compilers, and trust we shall be able to show, that in all they have
gleaned from him, there is nothing which will support the anti-
christian dogmas of Elias Hicks. The first extract on page 46 of
195
the pamphlet, is from an essay, entitled " Saul's Errand to Da-
mascus," page 15, viz :
ICPL" Question, Whether a believer be justified by Christ's
" righteousness, imputed — Yea or No r
" Answer, He that believeth is born of God ; and he that is born
'' of God is justified by Christ cdone, without imputation."]..^:^!
Our present business is only to inquire how far the sentiments
here expressed by George Fox, accord with those of Elias Hicks
upon the same subject. Geoi-ge Fox says, " he that is born of God
is justified by Christ alone without imputation." Now if the believer
"is justified by Christ alone." it is evident, he is not justified by
any works of his own, but by Christ's righteousness; and whether
we say this rigliteousness is imputed, applied, or put on, all which
terms the scriptures warrant, the doctrine is the same, the expres-
sion changes it not. The meaning of George Fox, therefore, is sim-
ply this, that the believer is made righteous, by and in Christ, which
is strictly accordant with that declaration of the apostle Paul, concern-
ing Christ, where he says, " who of God, is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification and redemption ;" and again, " For
he hath made him to be sin, who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God, in him." This doctrine, Elias Hicks re-
jects in his letter to Ur. Shoemaker, in terms of the strongest disappro-
bation and contempt. The early Quakers objected to the term impiita'
tion, in the sense in which it was almost wholly used in that daj, viz.
the accounting of wicked persons holy, while they continued in their
sins; but though they denied this as a most dangerous and delusive
doctrine, yet they sincerely owned that imputation which the Holy
Scriptures so clearly sets forth. The remaining part of the quota*
tion is from page 14 of the same book, viz. —
|CIP[*' Question — Whether Christ in the flesh be a figure or not,
" and if a figure, how and in what r Answer — Christ is the substance
" of all figures; and his flesh is a figure, for every one passeth through
" the same way, as he did, who comes to know Christ in the flesh:
" there must be a suffering with him, before there be a rejoicing with
" him; Christ is an example to all to walk after: and if thou knewest
" what an example is, thou wouldst know what a figure is, to come
*' up to the same fulness."]<c£i:3|-— Page 14.
The reply of George Fox to the proposed question, is divided into
two parts : the query is, " whether Christ in the flesh, be a figure or
not?" To this he plainly replies, " that Christ is the substance of
all figures;" therefore it follows, that Christ in the flesh was not a
figure, but the substance typified by the figures. He then adds,
" Christ's ^es/i is a figure."
It is evident that George Fox uses the word figure here, as sy-
nonymous with example; for he says, "Christ is an example, to all
to walk after, and if thou kneivest what an example is, thou would
know ivhat a figure is." He was very far, however, from consider-
ing that Christ, or his sufferings, in the flesh, was no more than a
figure; for on page 98 of his Great Mystery, we find him thus se
verely reprimanding a priest for saying so : viz.
196
*' And he saith, Christ in the flesh, his sufterings, was but an ex-
ample and a figure."
" Answer — Christ ended all figures, in suft'ering, and examples
and patterns; yet he is the saint's pattern and example, as the Scrip-
ture witnesses ; and there is no other example nor pattern to be
heeded, but Christ alone, which they are to learn of; but to say he is
nothing but a figure, for that^ thou and you all will be judged: for
he ended all figures, and is the resurrection and the life both ; and
thy dead body shall live with my dead body, this is scripture; and
they that said, the resurrection was past in the days of t!ie apostles,
overthrew the faith of some." The latter part of this was in reply
to the charge of de;iying the resurrection; and George Fox proceeds
to answer some other charges alleged, as denying Christ came in the
flesh, &c. in which he very justly as^serts his belief in the divinity of
Jesus Christ.
In consequence of the use of the expression which the compilers
have italicised, viz. "Christ's flesh is a figure," the enemies of the
Society of Friends took occasion to misrepresent them, as though
they considered the outward manifestation of our blessed Lord to be
nothing more than a figure or type of his inward appearance in the
soul of man. This accusation, (now revived by the compilers,) was
alleged by Francis Bugg, the author of the Snake, George Keith,
and others: — the following reply to the Snake, by George White-
head, will fully vindicate the early Quakers from the aspersion. In
repelling the accusation that they used the words, " figure and veil,"
in order to derogate from the true value of Christ's outward appear-
ance; he alludes to the use of the word veil by the apostle Paul in
tlie Hebrews; and then says —
" But herein he [the accuser,] would place on me a misapplication of
the words, ' \\ ho beins; found in the shape or figure of a man,' &c.
and therefore saith, ' What relation has this, to the calling 'Christ
Jesus a type or figure of their light within, which I have shown above,
out of the Quaker's books?' And I have denied this as a falsehood
before, and now declare against his manifest perversion and injury
to me, and my words herein: For as I sincerely disown the words
charged, viz. " the calling Christ Jesus a type or figure of our light
■within," so I could not apply the words before, in the text, Philip, ii.
to have any relation thereto, and much less as proof of that. Which I
never hold : And I know none of us, that doth so call Jesus Christ, a
type of our light within; he being the fottntain thereof; nor that
Christ is only a figure, as falsely charged by Francis Biigg. Which
perversion, so far as I can find, was first forged from these words in
the book, " Saul's Errand," viz. ' Christ in the flesh, without them is
their example or figure; which is both one.' For his being their ex-
ample, 1 Pet. ii, 21, iv. 1. i. 15, John xiii. 15, are quoteil. See also
Luke ii. 31. He was called a sign ; now hence to say he was only
a sign, were a gross perversion ; Christ was our example, now
hence to say he is nothing else but an example, were an abuse, and
to lessen his dignity, and a variation from the sense ; as our adver-
sary has done, upon trust of his author Francis Bugg; upon his false
report, which is besides all justice, morality, and judicial proceed-
197
Ings. Now the question is, whether figure may be made synonj'
mous to example^ for the words example or figure as before ? I con-
ceive it may."
George Whitehead then proceeds to give examples, where the
Greek word for type or tigure, is also rendered example. He then
concludes: " That is, exemplum, exemplar, hath a threefold signifi-
cation in scripture: First, it signifies a type or figure of things,
either past or to come. Second, an example of imitation. Third,
an example of warning or caution.
" Now see how synonymously the terms type, figure, pattern, and
example, are rendered in scripture, and of what extent, not only in
relation to the types under the law, but in some respect to Christ, and
his ministers, though he be also confessed to be the antitype, sub-
stance, and end, of all legal shadows, types, and figures. But I have
not called Christ himself atype of our light within, nor justified the
same." — Page 502, Switch and Supplement.
It must be evident to every unprejudiced reader, from this expla-
nation of George Whitehead's, that our early Friends used the
terms figure, and example, in much the same sense, when ap-
plied to Christ, and that they had no intention whatever of limiting
him to be no more than a figure or example.
The next quotation from this author, inserted in the pamphlet, is
extracted from his Great Mystery, page 307. He is repljing to
John Stillom, who affirmed, " Not any man knows him, speaking of
Christ, to be God, till he find him in scripture, and saith, as deep
things as the spirit hath revealed, they are all in the scripture." —
George Fox answers, " Many knew God and knew Christ, and yet
had not written scripture to tell them of those things, as Enoch and
Abel ; and many again hath scripture, speaking of God and Christ,
and yet doth not know God and Christ, and doth not find him in
scripture : as instance, ICT^L^he Pharisees knew not God and Christ,
" which had the scripture,and had not life until they came to Christ,
'^- the scripture speaks of: and many things the spirit did reveal,
" which was not written in the scriptures f\oCyl and was spoken to
the saints." — Great Mystery, page 306.
It will be seen, that even in this short quotation, the compilers
have mutilated the sentence. They begin after a comma, leaving
out the leading part of the paragraph, where George Fox has laid
down his proposition, and merely take in a part of the example,
which he gives, of the truth of his assertion. This they close at
a comma, and italicise the last seven words, in order to make
it appear that George Fox thought the spirit would reveal ma-
ny things, which are not declared in the scripture, and thus
produce his authority for pretended new revelations, which con»
tradict and overturn the sacred volume. That George Fox in-
tended no such thing is very clear. He is speaking of the days
of Christ's personal appearance, when the books of the New Tes-
tament were not written, and uses the past tense, viz. many
tilings which were not then written, confining it to that time of which
he was then speaking ; adding that these things, <* was spoken to the
sainta," If these things, which were spoken to the saints, had not
198
been written in the New Testament, George Fox could not have
known that they were so spoken ; so that it is evident he was allud-
ing to the history, precepts, and doctrine, which were then spoken to
the saints, and written in the New Testament. The compilers were
aware, no doubt, that these last six words would destroy the con-
struction which they wished to force upon his expression, and have,
therefore, omitted them. To show that George Fox had no slight
esteem of the sacred volume, we shall subjoin the following short
extract from the same work. Samuel Eaton objected, " The devil
shows his spite and spleen, in them who say they have the Word, as
it was in the beginning, against the scriptures," &c.
George Fox. " Answer. — That is not so, for they that have the
Word, as was in the beginning, own the scriptures, and are not
against them, but are in that which fulfils them." — Great Mystery,
page 4.
Hence, it is clear, that they who do not own the scriptures, but are
opposed to them, and preach doctrines contrary to them, and refuse
to have their doctrines tried by them, have not that Word which was
in the beginning. Again, in his answer to Enoch Howett, who made
the scriptures " to be the only iveapon whereby Christ overthrew the
devil." George Fox said —
"Who (Christ) bruiseth his head, and was before scripture vv'as;
yet the scriptures is for correction and doctrine, furnishing the
man of God in his place; and Christ, the Seed, was before scrip-
ture was: and all them that hath scripture, and not Christ, cannot
overcome the devil, you and the papists doing his work; for they
that overcome him, it is with the power, and those have the scrip-
ttires of truth, which the devil is out of." — Pages 14, 15.
The remainder of the quotation, on page 55 of the pamphlet, is
from George Fox's reply to Ambrose Dickinson, who asserted that
" there is no knowledge of Christ, in this generation, but by the scrip-
ture." Answer. fCf^C" Many may have the scriptures, and not
" know Christ ; they will not give the knowledge of Christ ; that
" which comes from him and shines in the heart, doth give the know-
" ledge of Christ, the Light. And the Jews had the scriptures, but
" had not the knowledge of Christ,],^^:]! as you that doth not know the
light, that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, the
ear being stopped to that of God in you, and eyes closed; and it is
not the spirit; and the letter of it cannot give life." — Page 245.
Here again the compilers close at a comma, taking in only thirteen
words of a sentence beginning after a period, which they have
changed to a comma, and omitted the conjunction "and." Although
these alterations do not change the sense, yet they serve to show the
liberties which the compilers take with the text. It is obvious that
George Fox says nothing in this quotation which lessens the value
or authority of Holy Scripture. He simply states a fact which his-
tory has recorded, and which the experience of every day confirms,
viz. that men may abuse the choicest blessings of heaven, and thus
deprive themselves of the inestimable advantages which Divine Pro-
vidence has designed for them. The scriptures will not give the
knowledge of Christ, unless they are read under the sacred influence
199
ef his spirit, and then, the Apostle declares, they are able to make
wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
At the bottom of pages 55, 5G, of the pamphlet, about four lines
are inserted, which the compilers have taken out of the following
replies of George Fox to the assertion of Thomas Leadger, viz.
" T. L. — The scripture is the lanthorn of obedience, and it directs
men to Jesus, and he calls the scripture, i/ie word of God, the sum
of truth; and they could not have known there had been a Christ,
or a Mediator, or grace, or glory, or worship, or Father, or Spirit, or
Light, but as it is declared in scripture."
"Answer. — I do believe you, who are got up since the days of
the Apostles, in the apostacy, inwardly ravening from the spirit of
God ; you had nflt know n there had been a Father, or Spirit, or grace,
or worship, if the scripture had not declared it; but ICr^ithey that
" had not scripture, had faith, had the Holy Ghost, had the Father,
" knew the Father, knew Christ, knew the Spirit,],oOl they that had
the scripture, the Pharisees, knew not the Father, knew not the Ho-
ly Ghost, nor the Redeemer, but resisted, (as it was in Steplien,) knew
not Father, nor Christ, the author of it, [scripture,^ knew not him
that was born of the Spirit." George Fox proceeds to state that
those who had the scriptures, and obeyed the Light of Christ, came
to know all these mysteries of redemption, while the Phaiisees,
though they had the scriptures, yet, refusing to come to Christ, were
not profited by them. He then takes up Thomas Leadger's next as-
sertion, viz.
T. L. — The gospel is the scripture.
G. F. — " Answer. |C7='[Many may have the scripture, and deny
" the power of God, which is the gospel ,]a3r:]| many had the scrip-
ture and the form, and stood against the Son of Truth, Christ Jesus,
the power of God, the gospel ; and as for thy other lies and slanders,
which are not worth mentionins:, which comes from thy drunken spi-
rit, when the spirit is awakened that suffers by it, thou shalt feel
every word of thy own, thy burthen, and thou that doth set the scrip-
tures above Christ, and God, and the Spirit, art a heathen." — Pages
256, 257.
The reader will observe by the brackets marked with a hand, that
the compilers have mutilated the replies of George Fox. Although
his style is here somewhat ambiguous, yet there is no difficulty in un-
derstanding his real meaning. He is informing those who denied the
revelation of the Holy Spirit in the soul, that the scriptures without
this, will not bring them to the saving knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. In his reply to the first assertion he gives full
proof how highly he valued the sacred writings, calling them the
words of God. given forth by the Holy Ghost. That he is far from
lessening or disesteeming the Holy Scripture, will appear from the
following quotations.
Richard Baxter, writing against Friends, called the scriptures
" the temporal word ;" to which George Fox replies. " Now see if
this be not an undervaluing the scriptures of truth, and the icordsof
God and Christ, and the prophets and apostles, which rannnt be hru-
200
ken ; he calls it a temporal word, which the scripture teacheth no
such doctrine, but thy lying spirit. "•'—Page 29.
Again, in reply to some who objected that " for people to be
Jed by a light within, is to make the scriptures useless." He
says, *'No, this lets [us] see the scriptures in their place, and the
fulfilling of them, which was given forth to be believed, practised, read
andfuijilled, not for men to make a trade of them, and call people
from the light within, with which they should see the scriptures ; and
none comes into covenant with God, with their hearts and their
minds ; that they need not say, one to another, know the Lotd, that
they may be always living under man's teaching." — Page 74.
On page 122, he says," Whoever owns the Word of God, that re-
conciles to the Father, and hammers down, and brings out of the
fall, and cuts down and burns up; they must know their salvation
wrought out with fear and trembling: and these owns the word
of God, and the words of God the scriptures; and these owns this
trembling."
He says, " Christ's name is called the Word of God; his name is
above every name, and over all things he must have the pre-emi-
nence, words and names. Yet I say, the scriptures of truth, given
forth from the spirit of truth, are the words of God : God's words,
which Christ, the Word, fulfilled by him, in whom they end, who
was before the words were spoken forth." — Page 110.
The next quotation from G. Fox, is from page 217, of his " Great
Mystery." An opponent of the early Quakers, had written a book
railing against their doctrines and principles ; among other charges
which he alleged against them, was this — "To say Christ is within,
is never to mention Christ without." To this unjust accusation, G.
Fox replies in these strong terms — |C7"[" There's none knows
" Christ within, but he knows him without; the same yesterday, to
" day, and forever; and there's none knows him but they know him
" within, revealed ofthe Father, which is beyond flesh and blood. "].Qr:j|
It appears that this opponent, suspected the early Quakers of
what Elias Hicks, now openly acknowledges to be his doctrine, both
in his letters and preaching ; and to this suspicion G. Fox replies,
that none know Christ within ; none come to the revelation of the
Holy Spirit, but they know and acknowledge him without also, and
this not by human testimony, or merely because it is declared by ano-
ther, but by the revelation of the Father's Spirit within them. It
would seem very clear from this, that those who deny Christ with-
out, cannot truly know and acknowledge him within. G. Fox was
far from denying the outward manifestation of our blessed Lord,
or his death upon the cross, as will be seen by the folloM-ing extracts
from this book. In reply to one who asserted " that every man in
the world, should not have his sins pardoned" — he replies :
" Christ ^at'g himself, his body, for the life of the whbli world;
he ivas the offering for the sins of the whole world ; and paid the
debt, and made satisfaction; and doth enlighten every man that
comes into the world, that all, through him, might believe ; and he
THAT DOTH NOT BELIEVE IN THE OFFERING, IS CONDEMNED ALREADY."
— Page 63. What would G. Fox have said to the unqualified and
201
bold denial of belief in that most precious oftering, which Elias
Hicks has so often deliberately made, in his letters and preaching?
*< he that doth not believe in the offerings is condemned already."
On pai^e 72, he says, " Reprobates may talk of justification : did
not Christ work justification, without them, upon the earthy for man-
kind, and brought righteotimess ? And where there is Christ made
manifiist within, is not their justification wrought there from Heavenj
within ? Where faith is witnessed within, doth not that justify? And
none knows justification in truth, but ivhere it is wrought within."
In reply to one, who said " Christ was a sinner by imputation,"
he remarks — " The Scripture doth not speak such kind of words;
but that he knew no sin ; no guile was found in his moutli : a Lamb
without spot or blemish, though it pleased the Father to lay the ini-
quity upon him: by his stripes we are healed. And by the one of-
fering [he] perfected forever, them that are sanctified ; made himself
an offering for the sins of the whole itorld ; who breaks down the
partition wall betwixt Jews and Gentiles, slays the enmity among
men, reconciles in one, unto the Father by his body, his death up-
on the cross." — page 158.
We have next about a line and a half, quoted from the commence-
ment of a paragraph of considerable length, in which G. Fox asserts
that none can come savingly to witness the sufferings of Christ, but
through obedience to the Holy Spirit within. The compilers have
done him great injustice, by closing their quotation at a semicoloHj
and excluding the explanation which he gives of his meaning. The
part inserted in the pamphlet is enclosed in brackets, with a hand,
viz:
ICT'L^'Thereis none knows Christ nor his suffering, but with the
" Spirit of God within ;]c£:3| for with the Spirit of God in the pro-
phets, and the holy men, they knew Christ that was to come to suffer;
with the Spirit of- God in the apostles, they knew that was the
Christ, that did suffer ; with the same Spirit of God within people,
they now come to see him, and enjoy him, and receive him, the same
that did suffer, wliich none doth, that are out of the Spirit. And
the Pharisees that had scriptures, knew him not, who were gone as-
tray from the Spirit ; nor the gentiles though they had scriptures ;
neither doth the apostates who are inwardly ravened from the Spirit
of God, tlioughthey have all the sheep's clothing, know ihe light that
doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, though they
be for multitude as the sands on the sea shore ; nor doth any know
it, and receive it, but who comes to that which they ravened from."
—page 142.
It must be apparent to every reader, that the compilers have mu-
tilated their quotation, in order to make G, Fox inculcate the idea
that there was no offering for sin, but in the soul of man. This was
certainly very unfair, since in the same sentence, he acknowledges
that the prophet?, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, prophesi-
ed of Christ that was to come to suffer, that when he came, the apos-
tles were convinced by the same spirit, that it was he who had been
prophesied of, that did suff'er, and that those who have this spirit
noic, come to see and enjoy him. This is so far from a denial of
C c
202
the outward offering of Jesus Christ, that it is asserting it upon the
highest authority and sanction; and plainly implies that all those
who have not come to see and enjoy him, who so suffered, cannot
have that Holy Spirit, which led the prophets to foretel his com-
ing.
We have next, two short quotations from the same vi^ork, upon
the subject of the scriptures, in which G. Fox asserts, that the spirit
and life, are not in the scriptures, but were in them that gave the
scripture forth. In the same paragraph from which this is taken,
the author asserts that they are the words of God. As God's words
cannot contradict each other, but must always be in accordance, it
is manifest that every thing which contradicts the testimony of the
sacred volume, must proceed from that spirit which opposes God's
words, and is at enmity with him.
On page 67, of the pamphlet, we are presented with an extract,
from an essay by G. Fox, entitled " A testimony concerning the Blood
of the Old Covenant, and the Blood of the New Covenant," &c. :
inserted in his doctrinals, page 643 and seq. The quotation as made
by the compilers is very far from giving us the true sense of G. Fox,
upon this very important subject. They have omitted all the first
part of the essay, containing a description of the blood shed under
the law, and the precious blood of Christ which he freely poured
out for the sins of the whole world. But after the many proofs we
have had of the partiality and injustice of the compilers, we could
not expect them to extend their extract further, as it would com-
pletely have contradicted the favourite notions of Elias Hicks ; to
support whicli, tliey seem fully prepared to sacrifice all principles of
fair and honourable quotation.
We shall now permit G. Fox to speak for himself, and the reader
will have an opportunity of observing the nature of the doctrine con-
tained in the suppressed parts. The compilers' extract is enclosed
in brackets, with a hand.
The writer commences his essay, with describing the manner of
sprinkling the blood of the sacrifices under the law, which blood
could not take away sin. " But, says he, in the new covenant it is
written. Forasmuch as we are not redeemed with corruptible things,
nor with silver nor gold, from our vain conversations, or tradition of
our forefathers, but with the piecious blood of Christ, a Lamb with-
out blemish or spot, which Lamb was foreordained before the foun-
tlation of the world, and was manifested in the Jlpostles' time and
days, which he calls the last times. Silver and gold are corruptible
things, wliich cannot redeem from corruption, nor the blood of
bulls, goats, or other creatures which will corrupt, but the blood
of the Lamb, which was ordained before the foundation of the world,
and manifested in the last times, in the new covenant ; this precious
blood of tlie Lamb, without spot or blemish, Christ Jesus, doth not
corrupt, for it doth redeem from the traditions of our forefathers,
the Jews, in the old covenant, and the corruptible blood of bulls,
goats, and other creatures, that could not take away sin. And so
by the blood of the Lamb, Christ Jesus, the saints are redeemed
203
from tiieir vain conversation and corruptible life, to a conversation in
Heaven, and incorruptible life.
" And as Moses in the old covenant sprinkled the people with
the blood, the life of beasts; so Christ, our High Priest, sprinkles
the hearts and consciences of his people, in the new covenant, with
his blood, his life, from their dead works, that they may serve the
living God, in newness of life : And as the blood of the old cove-
nant was the life of the beasts, so the blood of the everlasting cove-
nant, is the life of Christ the Lamb, ordained before the foundatmi
of the tvorld, who is the great Shepherd of his sheep ; through the
blood of his everlasting covenant, he makes his saints perfect in
every good work, to do his will, working in them that which is well
pleasing in his sight.
" So it is clear, the blood of the everlasting new covenant, is the
life of Christ Jesus ; and the blood of the old covenant was the life
of the beasts, and the bodies of those beasts in the old covenant
were burnt without the Jews' camp, and the blood was brought in-
to the sanctuary by the High Priest, as an atonement for the sins of
the priests and people ; wherejore Jesus also, that he mis^ht sanctify
his people icith his oivn blood, suffered without the gates of Jerusalem :
let us go, therefore, unto him, (to wit, Christ,) without the Jews'
camp, bearing Christ's reproach, who was reproached, who sancti-
fies with his blood, his life, which dedicates the new covenant ; so
that all may come to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and
his blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel,
or of the blood of bulls and goats, the lite of beasts ; for Christ be-
ing a High Priest, and of a more perfect tabernacle than that which
was made witii hands, in the old covenant, did not enter into the
holy place made with hands, by the blood of bulls, goats, and
calves, as the priests of the old covenant did. But Christ, the
Lamb of God, ordained before the foundation of the world, which
was manifested in time, by his own blood, his life, entered once in-
to the holy place, into heaven itself [now to appear in the presence
of God for us,) having obtained eternal redemption for us : so it is
the blood, the life of Christ, in the new covenant, that cleansetli
from all sin, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself tvithout
spot to God, to purge our consciences from dead works, to serve the
living God : for this cause he is the Mediator o( the New Testament.
" And so Christ 7vas once offered for sin, who tasted death for eve-
ry man ; so he takes away the first covenant, that he may establish
the second, and by one offering he hath perfected forever, them that
are sanctified ; so it is by the blood of Christ, by which all his peo-
ple's sins are washed away, who did, and do confess, that Christ
nad redeemed them to God by his blood, and their garments were
made white with the blood of the Lamb.
" So |CP[the blood of the old covenant, was the life of the beasts
" and other creatures, and the blood of the new covenant, is the life
" of Christ Jesus, who saith, except ye eat my flesli and drink my
"blood, ye have no life in you, John vi. 53. So the blood of the
" new covenant, is not according to the old ; and so with this blood
'' of the new covenant, must every one feel their hearts sprinkled if
204
•* they have life ; and in tliis new covenant, tliej shall all know the
■>' Lord, &c. And by this blood of Jesus, his life, in the new cove-
*' nant, they are justified, in whom we have redemption, and thefor-
" giveness of sins ; and Christ hath purchased his Church with his
" own blood, liis life, and their faith doth >tand in his blood, which
"is the life of the Lamb.]cO| Therefore the apostle saith, if ye
walk in the light, as HE is in the light, then have ye fellowship one
Mith another, and the blood of Christ Jesus, His Son, cleanses from
all sin.
" So it is not the blood of bulls, goats, or the blood of other crea-
tures, which was the blood of the old covenant, nor their outward
washings in it, that takes away sin ; but the blood of the new co-
venant, which is the blood of the Lamb without blemish, Christ Je-
sus, the blood of the Lamb, the Life of the Lamb, with which Christ,
the High Priest, sanctifies, cleanse?, and redeems ; and he washes
with his own life, his blood, yea he sprinkles the altar of their hearts
that they may offer a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is,
the fruits of our lips, giving thanks to his name.
" So you are bought and purchased with the blood of Christ, the
life of Christ, ivho has died for yoK, and risen for your justifica-
tion, that all might live to him, and not to themselves, and glorify
HIM, in body, soul, and spirit, which are his, who hath piirGhused
you with his blood, his life; so ivorthy is the Lamb, to receive glory
and honour, who hath redeemed us to God by his blood, and hath
washed us from our sins by his blood, and our garments are made
xvhite by the blood of the Lamb. So the saints do overcome by the
blood, the life of the Lamb, who was dead, and is alive again, and
lives fbreverinore.^^ — Pages 643, 644, 645.
The reader will perceive how far George Fox is from denying, or
slighting, that most acceptable sacrifice of Christ's body upon the
cross. He acknowledges Jesus Christ to have been fore-ordained
before the foundation of the world,, and manifested in the apostles'
times; that he offered himself up Avithout the gates of Jerusalem, a
Lamb without spot unto God, an offering for (he sins of the whole
world, tasting death therein for every man. Now Elias Hicks denies
that he was sent into the world to suffer death, or that he made
atonement for any sins but the legal sins of the Jews. He calls the
doctrine of propitiation and atonement, which George Fox has so
beautifully set forth in this essay, an outrage against every righteous
law of God and man. He rejects the very principle of atonement,
terming it wicked and absurd ; and denounces all those who would
be willing to accept the forgiveness of their sin thereby, as "bold
and daring," destitute of "any riglit sense of justice or mercy," and
standing "in direct opposition to every principle of justice and ho-
nesty, of mercy and love." What " a poor selfish creature, and how
unworthy of notice" does Elias Hicks thus make George Fox to have
been.
In the next two quotations, on page 68 of the pamphlet, the com-
pilers have acted with no greater justice toward George Fox. They
have mutilated their extracts, so as to make them convey a meaning
directly the reverse of what George Fox has fully declared in the
205
same essay. They are taken fiom his " Answer to the declaration
of the great Turk." To render the intentions of the compilers more
clearly apparent, we enclose their quotations in brackets, and insert
all the intermediate matter which they have unfairly omitted, viz.
|Cj°>[" Now whereas the Emperor of the Turks saith, that he is
" commander and guardian of the christians' crucified God. Now in
*' this he is mistaken, for the eternal, incomprehensible, invisible,
"everlasting God; whose divinity extends throughout the whole
" earth, who is God in heaven above, and in the earth beneath, to
" whom all nations are but as the drop of a bucket ; this is the true
" christians' God, whom they serve and worship, in his spirit and
"truth, which the .Tews did not crucify, nor could they crucify;
" and it is blasphemy for the Jews, or any, to say, that they did
" crucify the true christians' eternal, invisible God ; and great igno-
" ranee for any to say that the true christian's God was crucifi-
" ^^,~\.aO$ or that the eternal, incomprehensible, immortal God, the
creator of all, who is the God of the spirits of all ilesh, and the breath
of all mankind is in his power, so that poor mortals or externals
should say, think, or imagine, that the eternal, invisible, everlasting,
immortal, incomprehensible God, was or can be crucified, which they
cannot comprehend, which is the true christians' God.
" But Christ, which was made of the seed of David, according to
the flesh, who took not Ujion him the nature of angels, but the seed
of Abraham ; he suffered for us in the flesh. And so as Christ also
hath once suffered for sins in the flesh; he, the just fur the unjust^
that Christ might bring us to God, so God was not crucified, but
Christ, being put to death, or crucified in the flesh, but quickened
again in the spirit, and rose again ; and sits at the right hand of
God; this Peter, (one of the apostles of Jesus,) testifleth, and the
true christians now believe it: and though Christ was crucified
through weakness, that is through the flesh, yethe is alive and liveth
by the power of God, 2 Corinth, xiii.
"So it is clear that the eternal and invisible, incomprehensible
God was not, nor cannot be crucified; but Christ, the Son of God,
suffered according to the flesh, not in his Godhead : So Christ died
for our sins, accor,ding to the scripture of the Old and New Testa-
ment; for as in Mam all died, so even in Christ shall all be made
alive; and that Christ by the grace of God, shoidd taste death for
every wan;, so it was not the invisible, eternal, incompreliensible
God, that was crucified and died, and did taste death for every man,
but Christ according to the flesh, who was manifest to takeaway our
sin ; and in him there was no sin ; so Christ was manifest to destroy
the works of the devil, and Chrht through his death, (\ei:troy% death,
that sin brought, and the devil, tlie power of death. And about the
ninth hour, (vhen Jesus Christ hanged upon the cross,) he cried
with a loud voice, saying, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me. So it is clear the eternal God did not die, nor was cruci*
fied, but Christ was put to death in the flesli; this testifies Matthew,
one of Christ's apostles: So he ivas the one offering, who made an
end of all the offerings among the Jews, through the offering up of
the body of Jesus once for all; so the man Christ Je?us offered np
206
himself^ one sacrifice for sins; so by that one offering he hath per*
fected forever them that are sanctified; so he is the propitiation^ of-
fering, and sacrifice for the sins of the whole ivorld, yea, Jesus
Christ which was of the seed of David: and so according to the
scripture, Christ died for our sins, and he was buried and rose
again the third day according to the scriptures; and after he was
risen from the dead, he was seen of the apostles; and again he was
seen of above five hundred brethren at once, that icere believers in
him ; and this was after he was dead, buried, and risen : but none of
the princes of the world knew him, for had they known Christ, they
would not have crucified him; but we know now, tliat Christ being
raised from the dead, dies no more, and death hath no more dominion
over Christ, in that he died unto sin, and for the sins of the whole,
world ; but now he being raised from the dead he is set at the right
hand of God ; and therefore |C7"[Jesus of Nazareth, a man, approv-
'•ed of God, by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did by him,
" this Jesus, the son of Mary, the Jews with their wicked hands did
" take, crucify, and slay ;]<oOi but it was God, who loosed the pangs
of death, because it ivas not possible, that he should be holden of it :
and though the Jews did crucify Jesus, and slew him, and hanged
him on a tree ; yet God hatii raised him up the third day, and God
hath exalted him at his right hand, to be a Prince and a Savio7ir, to
give repentance, ^'c. and forgiveness of sins ; so Christ's apostles
were witnesses, how God raised him from the dead ; so you may see
here, it was not God that was crucified and died, for he raised
Christ from the dead, on the third day, and showed him openly to his
apostles, and they did eat and drink with Jesus Christ, after that
God had raised him up from the dead ; and he commanded his apos-
tles to preach to the people, and testify that it ivas he, that was or-
dained of God, to be judge of the quick and dead; and to him gave
all the prophets, (and apostles,) of God witness, that through the
name of Jesus, whosoever believed in him should receive remission of
sins, neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other
name under heaven, given amongst men, whereby we must be saved,
but by Jesus of JVazareth, whom the Jews crucified; whom God
hath raised from the dead ; for God said to David, that of the fruit
of his loins, (according to the ilesh,) God would raise up Christ to
sit on his throne.
" And David, he seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of
Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did his flesh see
corruption. So, though the Jens crucified him, and a soldier thrust
a spear into his side; and though he was crucified and hanged on a
tree, and slain, dead, and buried, Him did God raise up the third
day, and he appeared to his apostles and disciples, and did eat and
drink with them after he was risen, who were the faithful witnesses
that God raised him up from the dead ; who is ascended up into hea-
ven, at the right hand of God ; who being the brightness of God's
glory, and the express' iuiage of his substance, and upholding all
things by the word of his poiver, when he had by himself purged our
sins, sat down at the right hand of the .Majesty on high, whom the
heavens must receive, until the time of the restitution of all things.
207
^vhich God hath spoken by the moutli of all his holy prophets, since
the world began; and he that descended, is the same also that as-
cended, far above all heavens, that he might fill all things, who led
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, &c.
" And we have redemption through Christ's blood, even forgive-
ness of our sins, who hath delivered us from the devil, (the power of
darkness,) ivho is the Seed of the woman, which bruiseth the old ser-
pent's head, which deceived Adam and Eve ; which God promised
to Adam, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's
head ; in which Seed, viz. Christ, all nations are blessed, who is the
image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature ; for by
him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in the
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions,
principalities or powers, all things were created by Him and for Him,
and he was before all things, and by Him all things consist; and
Christ saith in his prayer to his Father, this is eternal life, that they
might know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent. And Jesus desired of God his Father, saying, that those whom
God hath given him, might be with him, where he was, that they might
behold his glory, which God hath given him ; for he loved him before
the foundation of the world ; therefore, saith Christ, Now, Oh I Fa-
ther, glorify thou me, with thy own self, with the glory which I had
with thee, before the world was; and Christ said, to his disciples,
after he was risen from the dead, all power, in heaven and in earth,
is given unto me ; and he bid his disciples go into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature, &c. And then, after the Lord
Jesus Christ had spoken to his disciples, he was received up into
heaven, and sate down at the right hand of God.
" And now ice^ who are the believers in Christ Jesus, and true
Christians, we do live unto him, and if we die, we die unto the Lord,
whether we live or die we are the Lord's ; for this end Christ both
died, revived and rose, that he might be Lord both of the dead and
of the living; and he \s Judge both of quick and dead, who is the on-
ly one JIediator> betwixt God and man, even the Man Christ Jesus,
who makes intercession to God for his people, and is able to save to
the ntniost. all that come to God by him, who ever lives to make in-
tercession for them, who is sate down at the right hand of God in hea
ven, who is the Prince of the kings of the earth ; who said to John,
I am the first and the last, I am he that liveth and was dead, and be-
hoUl, I am alive for evermore."— 1006, 1007, 1008.
We have here no indications of doubting, or denying, either the di-
vinity or atonement of the Lord Jesus, or any of his glorious offices in
the great work of man's redemption. From this essay, so fraught
with Christian doctrine, the compilers have most unfairly extracted,
two short and incomplete sentences, and placed them in their pam-
phlet in such a position, as to make it appear as though the worthy
author did not believe in the divinity of the Saviour. They place
first, that part where George Fox denies that God was crucified, or
could be put to death, and immediately below this introduce these
expressions ; " Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God, by mira-
cle=, wonders and signs, Mhich God did by him ; this Jesus, the son
208
of Mary, the Jews with their wicked hands did take, crucify, and
slay ;" here they stop, omitting all the intermediate and succeeding
part, in which he asserts the glorious and divine attributes of this
same Jesus. In this disjointed situation, separated from all the ex-
planatory matter, with which they are immediately connected in the
original, they present an aspect which might induce some readers,
who were ignorant of the character of George Fox, to suppose that
he considered Jesus Christ no more than a man approved of God ;
and it is obvious that such is the impression which the compilers,
most unjustly, wish to produce. This design must forcibly strike
every ingenuous person who examines their pamphlet, and we
doubt not but among those who may even favour the principles which
the compilers contend for, there are many, very many, who will turn
away with disgust and indignation, at the unmanly artifices which
have been resorted to, in order to support the tottering cause of un-
belief.
It is not a little curious to observe the great difficulties which the
compilers encounter in mustering up some mutilated extracts which
may have the semblance of support for Elias Hicks' opinions. Their
ingenuity seems to have been put to the rack, especially in the pre-
sent case. Anxious to grace their book with so dignified a name as
that of Fox, they seem resolved to put down something, however ir-
relevant to the purpose. But after ransacking his controversial pa-
pers, mutilating and garbling his sentences and meaning, they do
not at last present us with one extract by which a single point of
Klias Hicks' unbelief can be supported, while, if George Fox is only
permitted to speak out fairly, he totally condemns and rejects as anti-
cbristian, the notions which tliey so strenuously contend for.
In their next quotation they have taken about four lines out of a
paragraph, with the view to prove by it, that George Fox denied the
outward offering of Christ ; whereas he wrote the essay from which
it is taken, in order to repel " the many lies and false reports which
had been cast upon the Quakers, that they do slight, deny, and un-
dervalue the blood of Christ Jesus ;" and although the essay is head-
ed with these words, the compilers have most unjustly adduced the
quotation from it, to confirm these " lies and false reports." We
shall quote the whole paragraph, and insert the part extracted by
the compilers in brackets marked with a hand, viz :
" Thus the first covenant was dedicated with the blood, which
was the life of all flesh ; but |C7'[the new and second covenant is
" dedicated with the blood, the life of Christ Jesus, which is the alone
" atonement tinto God, by which all his people are washed, sancti-
" fied, cleansed, and redeemed to God Q.J^k so that their faith and
testimony stands in the blood of the Lamb, the life of Christ Jesus,
foreordained before the world was, a Lamb without blemish, guile,
spot or sin, which cleanses from all spots and sin, and washes and
makes clean the garments. And Christ abolishes both the blood of
beasts, and the altar and all the traditions in the law, and their of-
ferings and sacrifices before the law, by the offering up of himself,
once in the end of the world, a Lamb ordained before the foundation
of the world, therefore must every one's faith and testimony stand in
209
him and his blood. And who are the true witnesses of this, but they
only that have drunk of the blood of Christ, and eaten of his flesh,
which he gives for the life of the world, not such as talk of it only."
—Page 646.
We have here a full confession of faith in the Lamb of God, fore-
ordained to take away the sin of the world, and offered up upon the
cross, once in the end of the world. How contrary is the irreverent
denial of this most precious doctrine, made by Ellas Hicks in his
letter to Dr. Shoemaker — let the reader contrast them.
The compilers have revived the old objection to George Fox, so
much harped upon by the enemies of Friends, that he said he
was equal with God. In this they have again identified themselves
with Bugg, Keith, and the Snake. The malicious accusations and
aspersions of these illiberal opponents having been repeatedly an-
swered, we shall merely quote some passages from the replies ; as
they will furnish a full defence of the expressions of George Fox.
Joseph Wyeth after reciting the charge of the Snake ; that George
Fox, when before the Justices at the Lancaster Assizes, asserted
" that he was equal with God," adds —
" Pray reader observe, had this been true that George Fox had so
answered, as the Snake says he did, in the presence of three Justi-
ces, what need was there for Marshal and Altan to swear it against
him ? —Since the Justices, if they had heard it themselves, might have
convicted him thereof upon their own personal hearing, without other
evidence. Or how likely is it that Colonel West and Thomas Tell,
both Justices upon the bench at this trial, should sign a supersedeas,
which both of them did, for his acquittal : if either of them had heard,
him say the words charged ? Or how could he have been discharg-
ed for want of another evidence, when his adversaries might have
brought in the three Justices against him, had it been true, that they
had heard him themselves. But besides, there are two lies in this
paragraph ; the first is, there was not any Justice of the Peace, or
Colonel named Tell. Secondly, George Fox did not answer that
he was equal with God. But thus it was ; there were eight several
charges against him ; the fourth of which was, that he had said, he
was equal with God, which being asked in court, he made the fol-
lowing answer : George Fox, ' That was not so spoken by me :
But he that sanctifieth, and he that is sanctified, is all of one, Heb. ii.
11. It is God and Christ that sanctifieth, and the saints are all one,
in the Father and the Son ; they are of his bone and of his flesh —
Ephesians v. 30. And the Father and the Son are one ; and they
are the sons of God — Galatians iv. 6. And as they that are joined
to the Lord are one spirit, so they that are joined to an harlot, are
one flesh, 1st Cor. vi. 16, 17. This the scriptures witnesseth and I
witness.' This answer is scriptural, and is directly opposite to
v/hat he was then charged with, as it also is, to what the Snake's
pamphleteer, says he did then answer." — Switch, page 63.
The Switch for the Snake was published in 1699, and the defence
of George Fox, which we have quoted, is quite suflicient to clear
him of any design to equal himself, or the saints, with the Almigh-
tv Creator,
Dd
210
George Whitehead in the Supplement to the Switch, thus replies
to the same charge — " Which is also a false charge and quotation
against George Fox ; who being charged by his persecutors with
professing himself to be equal with God, positively denies the charge,
as not so spoken, as that George Fox was equal with God, but that
the Father and the Son are one ; and that Christ and the Holy Spirit
are equal with God — Saul's Errand to Damascus, p. 5, 6. See al-
so, Just Enquiry, p. 12." — Page 509.
To George Keith's charge that the Quakers made themselves
equal with God ; the authors of the " Serious Examination," reply :
" This charge is falsely cited ; and the words as printed even in
' Saul's Errand,' are misprinted, or by some accident defective, be-
ing these, viz : ' He that hath the same Spirit that raised up Jesus
Christ, is equal with God ;' being not the Quakers^ doctrine or prin-
ciple, as well as contrary to George Fox's answer to his persecutors,
to the matters falsely charged upon him, Saul's Errand, p. 3, his
words should be thus rendered, or understood, ' He that hath the
same Spirit which raised up Jesus Christ; hath that which is equal
with God ;' as most agreeable to his own answer to his persecutors ;
who in their petition, charged him with professing and avowing
that he was equal with God,' which he positively denied, in sundry
places of Saul's Errand, p. 2, 5, 10, though noiv falsely quoted
against him ; to which liis answer further was ; ' But the Father
and the Son are one; I and my Father are one ; and he that sancti-
iieth, and they that are sanctified, are all of one, and they that are
joined to the Lord are one Spirit, p. 6, for the same Spirit, where it
is, is equal with God." There's one ' is' again lacking in the im-
pression ; (Note, the said ' Saul's Errand' was printed in 1654, and
not so well and carefully as it should have been, and so were divers
others by Giles Calvert, in those early days,) and being equal with
God, is ascribed to Christ, Phil. ii. 6, and no otherwise intended,
though misplaced as before ; and not that they (the Quakers) ascribe
it to themselves, as falsely charged.
" The matter appears plain, being impartially compared, that the
equality intended, is not between man and his Maker, but between
God and his Holy Spirit, bteween the Father and the So7i. Besides,
the people called Quakers, are fully cleared in this point from any
such pretence of equality with their Maker ; but that they are par-
takers of his Spirit, and of tlie divine nature and image, as is fully
answered by George Whitehead, in his 'Antidote against the ven-
om of the Snake in the Grass, page 25, &c.' '* — page 9, 10.
The reply of G. Fox, to the charge that he was as upright as
Christ, contains nothing in it that can be construed as equalling
himself with our blessed Lord, though the compilers seem to have
quoted it with this view. He says in it, that the saints, are made
the righteousriess of God ; that they are one, in the Father and the
Son ; and that all the teaching of Christ, is to bring the saints to
perfection,, even to that measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ, which He designs for them.
The following extract, from a declaration of Faith, addressed
by George Fox, to the Governor, Council, and Assembly of Barba-
211
Joes, will completely clear him from the unjust imputation, of co
incidingin the antichristian sentiments of Elias Hicks, viz :
" Whereas, many scandalous lies and slanders, have been cast
upon us, to render us odious ; as that, we deny God, Christ Jesus,
and the Scriptures of Truth, &c. This is to inform you. That all
our books and declarations, which for these many years have been
published to the world, clearly testify the contrary. Yet for your
satisfaction, we now plainly and sincerely declare —
" That we own and believe, in the Only, Wise, Omnipotent, and
Everlasting God, the Creator of all things in Heaven and earth,
and the Preserver of all that he hath made ; who is God over all
blessed forever, to whom be all honour, glory, dominion, praise, and
thanksgiving, both now and for ever more ! —
" And we own and believe in Jesus Christ, his beloved, and only
begotten Son, in whom he is well pleased, who was conceived by
the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary ; in whom we have
redemption, //n*o?/g/i /iis blood, even the forgiveness of sins; who is
the express image of the invisible God, the First-Born of every
creature ; by whom, were all things created that are in Heaven and.
in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, dominions,
principalities, or powers, all things were created by Him.
"V^rrd we own and believe, that he was made a sacrifice for
sin, who knew no sin; neither was guile found in his mouth; that
he was crucified for us, in the fleshy tvithout the gates of Jerusalem /
and that he was buried and rose again, the third day, by the power
of his Father, for our justification, and that he ascended up into
Heaven, and now sitteth at the right hand of God.
" This Jesus, who was the foundation of the holy prophets and
apostles, IS our foundation ; and we beliyve, there is no other Joun-
dation, to be laid, but that which is laid, even Christ Jesus who
tasted death for every man, shed his blood for all men, is the propiti-
ation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole world : according as John the Baptist testified of Him, when
he said, ' Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the
world, John i. 29.'
" We believe that He alone is our Redeemer and Saviour, the
Captain of our Salvation, who saves us from sin, as well as from
hell and the wrath to come, and destroys the Devil and his works ;
He is the Seed of the icoman, that bruises the serpent's head, viz:
Christ Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. He is,
(as the scriptures of truth say of him,) our wisdom, righteousness,
justification and redemption, neither is there salvation in any other,
for there is no other name under Heaven, given among men, where-
by we may be saved. He alone is the Shepherd and Bishop of our
souls : He is our Prophet whom Moses long since testified of, saying
' A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your bre-
thren like unto me ; Him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever
HE shall say unto you : And it shall come to pass that every soul
that will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the
people,' Acts ii. 22, 23.
*' He is now cotne in spirit, ' and hath given us an understanding
212
that we kiiow him that is true.' He rules in our hearts bv his lawoi"
love and life, and makes us free from the law of sin and death. We
have no life, but by him, for he is the quickening Spirit, the second
Adam, the Lord from Heaven, by whose blood we are cleansed and
our consciences sprinkled from dead works to serve the living God.
He is our Mediator, who makes peace and reconciliation, between
God, offended, and us, offending. He being the Oath of God, the New
Covenant of light, life, grace and peace, the author and finisher of
our faith. This Lord Jesus Christ, the heavenly Man, the Imman-
uel, God with us, we all own, and believe in; He ivhom the High
Priest raged against, and said, he had spoken blasphemy, whom the
priests and elders of the Jews took counsel together against, and
put to death, the same whom Judas betrayed, for thirty pieces of
silver, which the priests gave him, as a reward for his treason; who
also gave large money to the soldiers, to broach a horrible lie, name-
ly, that his disciples came and stole him away by night, while they
slept. After he was risen from the dead, the history of the Acts
of the Apostles sets forth, how the chief priests and elders, perse-
cuted the disciples of this Jesus, for preaching Christ and his re-
surrection. This we say, is thai Lord Jesus C/irist whom ive own
to be our life and salvation.
" Concerning the Holy Scriptures ; We believe they were gjven
forth by the Holy Spirit of God, through the holy men of God,
"who, (as the scripture itself declares, 2 Pet. i. 21,) spoke as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost ; we believe they are to be read,
believed, and fulfilled, (he that fulfils them is Christ,) and they are
profitable for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righte-
ousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished
unto all good works, 2 Tim. iii. 19 ; and are able to make wise un-
to salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus. We believe the Holy
Scriptures are the words of God, for it is said in Exodus xx. 1.,
" God spake all these words saying, &c." meaning the ten com-
mandments given forth upon Mount Sinai. And in Rev. xxii. 18.,
saith John, "I testify to every man that heareth the words of the
prophecy of this book, if any man addeth unto these, and if any man
shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, (not the
Word,) S:c."' So in Luke i. 20, because thou believestnot my words ;
and in John v. 47, xv. 7, xiv. 23, xii. 47 : So that we call the Holy
Scriptures^ as Christ, the Apostles and holy men of God called
them, viz: the words of God." — G. Fox's Journal, pages 145, 146,
147.
If there was not to be found in all the writings of G. Fox, any
other confession of his christian faith, than that which we have here
quoted, it would be amply sufficient to evince in the clearest man-
ner, that so far from coinciding with Elias Hicks iu his denial of
the doctrines of the gospel of Christ ;he was a firm believer in all that
is set forth in the Holy Scripture, and especially in those very points,
which Elias Hicks rejects, in language so irreverent and contemp-
tuous. The paltry and mutilated scraps which the compilers have
extracted from the writings of this honourable Elder, prove nothing
in their favour, but on the other hand, serve to shotv' how little they
213
could find in in his works, which could be manufactured to suit
their purpose. The contrast between the doctrines of George Fox
and the opinions of Elias Hicks, is too strongly pourtrayed upon
every page of his writings, to give the compilers the least hope of
securing him as an advocate for their cause. He not only dissents
from them, but condemns their principles in the strongest terms.
George Fox was a man of solid religious experience, firmly ground-
ed in the christian religion, and by no means changeable in his dis-
position or doctrines. He did not contradict or deny at one time,
opinions which he had openly asserted at another. After labouring
many years in the work of the ministry, he did not turn about, and
propagate a system directly subversive of his former principles, under
profession that it was more rational and consistent than the ancient
gospel, and the result ofclearer views, or more easily comprehended
by the wisdom of men. He was not afraid to come out openly with
all his sentiments; he did not conceal, or disguise them under a
pretence that the minds of the people were not prepared to receive
them. No, he preached the gospel of Christ — not the mere inven-
tions of a depraved imagination, but the unchangeable truth as
it is in Jesus. He never refused to bring his doctrines to the test
of the sacred volume, but was ever theJirM to appeal to it, not only
to prove the truth of all that he asserted, but to refute the er-
rors of his adversaries. He sought not to lessen a proper regard
and esteem of those invaluable records, by denying the solemn
truths and holy precepts which they contain, or telling the people
" they were altered by the Pope,'''' or " written by nobody knows whoP
nor yet to apologize for his constant appeal to them, by saying that
he did it on account of the ignorance and superstition of his hear-
ers, and " to draw them off from the scriptures by degrees.''^ No. he
needed no such flimsy coverings; — he was above such unmanly arti-
fices ; — he was open — plain — honest — sincere in all he did ; and
great as was his service, honoured and beloved as he justly was by
all who truly knew him ; so far from seeking to undervalue Christ
Jesus and his blessed offices, and to draw the people to himself, or
get himself a party, and a great name among men, he accounted it
his highest honour to turn the minds of all his hearers to Jesus Christ,
and him crucified — to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of
the world, in whom he felt it to be his greatest joy and noblest privi-
•o^e, to be a humble, devoted, and true believer.
214
CHAPTER VIll.
Remarks upon the Quotations made by the Compilers from the works of
Edward Burrough.
On page 47 of the pamphlet, we are presented with a short ex*
tract, from the works of this excellent man. He was one of those
who were early engaged, in defending the society of Friends from
the unjust accusations of its enemies, who laboured industriously, to
fix upon its members the odious character of denying the doctrines
of the christian religion. — It is from a work of this description, that
the compilers have taken their first quotation, and by a most unfair
mutilation, have endeavoured to support the very charge which it
was written to repel.
One Christopher Fowler published a book against the Quakers,
in winch he exhibits a number of charges, in the form of syllogisms ;
the third of which is — " They that do not own the Lord Jesus
Christ to be God by nature, are horrible blasphemers : But those
called Quakers do not own the Lord Jesus Christ, to be God by
nature: therefore they are blasphemers."
From Edward Burrough's reply to this high charge, the extract
in the pamphlet is copied ; and in order to enable the reader to
judge more correctly, of the injury which they have done him, we
shall insert the whole of his reply, and enclose their quotation in
brackets, viz.
" Answer to the third position ; In this, thou hast falsely accused;
but yet, let us consider thy words ; |CP'[there was a nature, in
" that man, Jesus Christ, that was born of the Virgin, that was sub-
" ject to cold, heat, thirst and hunger, and subject to be tempted of
" the devil ; and this nature was not God ; whose nature is infi-
" nite, eternal, unmeasurable, not subject to hunger nor thirst, nor
" to heat and cold, nor subject to temptations ;]aOi so that a man
may say lawfully, and be no blasphemer, that there was a nature
in him, which was not God ; and yet the fulness of the Godhead dwelt
in him too, and he is the Everlasting Father, and the Father is in
him, and he in the Father : and thus by a sound interpretation of
the word, (God by nature) thy major, and minor, and conclusion,
are all made void." — Page 637.
The manner in which the compilers have garbled this answer of
E. B. in order to force upon him a denial of the divinity of our
blessed Lord is really disgraceful. — They commence and end at a
semicolon, omitting both the leading and concluding parts of the
sentence, in which lie denies the charge which they insinuate
against him ; by an open confession of his full belief in the God-
head of Jesus Christ. This partial quotation they place in their
pamphlet, as though it were full, fair and complete. — By such un-
215
righteous means, the early Quakers, or any religious writer, might
be made to avow the most unchristian doctrines ; since if they did
but recite the words of an opponent, or state a position to be dis-
cussed and refuted, it might be adduced by our compilers to prove
that they held the very doctrines which they were opposing.
The sentiments which E. B. has asserted in the answer quoted,
must be admitted to be sound and scriptural by every christian reader.
He positively denies the charge of C. Fowler, as a false accusation.
This then at once contradicts the same charge, alleged by the com-
pilers. — He then proceeds to describe the manhood and Godhead
of Jesus Christ, asserting that the former was not the latter, which
must certainly be admitted to be correct ; but that he may not
thereby be construed to deny the Divinity, he asserts his belief in
this also, in the most unequivocal terms. He acknowledges that
i\\e fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him, that he was the everlasting
Father, and that the Father was in him, and he in the Father ; all
which is according to Scripture, and directly contrary to the notion of
E. Hicks, that Christ was no more than an Israelite, endued with
a portion of the Spirit.
On the same page of the pamphlet, we have about three lines,
extracted from the middle of a long paragraph, on p. 5G of E. Bur-
rough's journal, in which he is replying to an opponent, who charg-
ed the Quakers with " not only neglecting the weightier matters of
the law, but the law itself, teaching men so to do ;" and this, be-
cause they affirmed, that the Scriptures tverenot the primary rule of
faith and life. E. B. clears the Society, from the charge of neglect-
ing the precepts of the law, and then adds, |C?^C" and this again I
affirm, as]<QC3i before I did in thy hearing, |CP[that the Scripture
is not the Saint's rule, but the Spirit which gave forth the Scripture,
as the Scripture itself witnesses."]]c£]i
The compilers have omitted the words " before I did in thy hear-
ing," and inserted in their place " I have done befoie." The extract
they make, proves nothing more, than that Edward Burrough asserted
the scriptures were not the primary and only rule of the saints,
which the Quakers never believed they were. On the same page he
says in reply to his opponent :
"I answer, the scriptures we own, and by that spirit which speaks
them forth, we witness them to be true, and they are ours ; and though
you say they are the savour of death to us that perish, yet thou art
found a liar, for we are saved out of the perishing state, and death
is destroyed through death, through faith ; and thou hast diminished
from that scripture, 2 Tira. iii. 15, false prophet like again, and so
art both an adder [to] and a diniinisher j and thou mayst read thy por-
tion inRev.xxii. 18, 19."
No less than five times, on this and the following page, does Ed-
ward Burrough declare that the Quakers own the scriptures.
The following extract, from his treatise entitled " A Standard lift-
ed up," &c. will show fully the opinions of " primitive Friends," up-
on the subject of the Holy Scriptures, viz,. "Concerning the Word of
God, and concerning the scriptures, this testimony I give unto all
the world.
21t>
>' The Word of God was in the beginniiii;, before any creatures
Were made; and by it all things stand and remain unto this day; and
the Word endures forever, and by it all things in heaven and in
earth are brought to pass, which God doth ; and it is from everlast-
ing to everlasting, without beginning and without end ; and the Word
is powerful, dividing and discerning all things, even the secret
Ihoughts (»f every man's heart ; it is as a two edged sword, and as a
fire, and like a hammer, to cut up, to burn, and to beat down ; the
W'ord of the Lord reconciles man again to Him ; and this Word is
in the mouth and in the heart, and the servants of the Lord handled,
tasted, saw, and felt the Word ot Life ; and from it, spoke forth the
scripttires, as they ivere moved by the Holy Ghost, through the eter-
nal spirit; and it is a declaration of the Word of Life, which was
in the beginning, and endures forever; and it declares what the
saints received, believed and enjoyed, and none can understand it^
without the same spirit that gave it forth, and to such who have the
same spirit, the scripture is profitable: the Word of God, which
was in the beginning, and which endures forever, is not the scrip-
ture ; which was not in the beginning:, neither can it endure forever ;
but the scripture testifies of that Word, and that Word, witnesses
to the scriptures ; and they are not contkary one to the other,
but gives icitness each of other ; but many hath the scripture that
hath not the W^ord, neither knows it; but they that have the
WORD, cannot but OWN THE SCRIPTURES : and this is the truth as it
is in Jesus, testified to all the world by us: who doth deny them that
hereof gives any other testimony." — Page 249.
Here are some very plain declarations, which look but little like
coinciding with Elias Hicks' denial of the sacred volume. Edward
Burrough asserts that the scriptures are the declaration of the Word
of Life, given forth by holy men, as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost, that the Word, ivitnesse.s to the scripture; that they are not
contrary one to the other; and that they who have the Word, cannot
but own the scripture, and lastly, that the Quakers deny those who
give any other testimony of them. According, therefore, to Edward
JBurrough's knowledge of the early Quakers, they not only denied the
principles of Elias Hicks on this subject, but also those persons who
held them.
In a paper entitled " Some considerations presented to the King
of England," &.c. he says —
"I do testify unto the King, and before the whole world, that we
[the Quakers] do profess and believe, concerning the Father, Son and
tipirit, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the blessed gospel, and the Ho-
ly Scriptures : I say we do believe, and make profession in truth and
righteousness, concerning all these things ; and by our doctrines and
instructions, do persuade all people to believe ; and not seduce any
from these truths of the gospel, and this is known, through these king-
doms, concerning us, though we stand 7iow accused falsely, concern-
ing these matters before the king. But as for the scriptures being
the rule of life, we say the spirit of God that gave forth the scrip-
lures, is the rule of life and faith, unto the saints, and leads not
217
CONTRARY, BUT ACCORDING UNTO THE SCRIPTURES J ill the BELIEF
and practice of whatsoever the scripture saith." — Page 758.
It will necessarily follow from this declaration ot" Edward Bur-
rough, on behalf of " primitive Friends," that those doctrines which
some, professing to be Quakers, are now promulgating, contrary to
the scriptures, are not sanctioned by that spirit of God which is the
saints' rule, and consequently are directly in opposition to the ChriS'
tian principles of our worthy ancient Friends.
On page 71 of the pamphlet, the compilers have inserted a part of
E. Burrough's reply to Samuel Eaton, who contended that " the
sanctification of the first day of the week, had put an end to the
sanctilication of the seventh," &c. To this Edward Burrough ob-
jects, because the scriptures no where tell us, that under the gospel
dispensation, one day has any more inherent holiness, than another,
but that all days are to be sanctified unto the Lord.
It was an opinion very common among the various denominations
of professing Christians, in his time, that the first day of the week
viras the gospel Sabbath, or true saints' rest, typified by the seventh
day Sabbath, under the law ; and that hence, the obligation to refrain
from every species of labour on the first day, was equally as obliga-
tory upon Christians; as the rigid observance of the seventh was
upon the Jews. This notion, and the severity of the existing laws,
in England, subjected our early Friends to much suffering, from the
malice of persecuting informers, who falsely accused them of viola-
ting the Sabbath, when oidy engaged in the necessary and unavoida-
ble duties of domestic life.
Convinced in their own minds, that the true gospel rest had a more
spiritual and inward signification, and that it was to be witnessed in the
secret of the soul ; the early Quakers endeavoured to convince other
professors, that from various passages in the sacred volume, it was
evident, that with all their veneration of holy days, they were miss-
ing the real enjoyment of the saints' rest, and too much confiding in
the mere outward form without knowing the life and power.
But while they did this, they were religiously careful to be dili-
gent and punctual in their attend.ance at their places for divine wor-
ship; and as scrupulously guarded against the performance of
manual or servile labour, other than was indispensable, on that day,_
as those of other denominations. This is repeatedly asserted in their
writings, when defending themselves from the charge of totally ne-
glecting the observance of the Sabbath.
It is clearly apparent that the compilers design to make the im-
pression, by their extract, that tliis charge was true — that our an-
cient Friends made no distinction between the first day and other
days of the week. To do this the more effectually, they have added
a note at the bottom of the page, stating that the sentiments of Ed-
ward Burrough were advanced and defended by all the early writers
in the Society of Friends. It may be very true, that most., or all, of
the early Friends, held the same sentiments respecting the sanctifi-
cation of the first day of the week, as Edward Burrough did ; and a
number of writers have defended them; but it is certainly true, that
the compilers' construction of those sentiments, was neither advan-
Ee
218
ced nor defiended by any of the Quakers or their writers. They have
I'eferred to several books, and to numerous pages, to support their
illiberal insinuation, which we have examined with some care, and
find them to treat almost exclusively on the nature of the spiritual
Sabbath, under the gospel, and the doctrine of inherent holiness
in the firsr day of the week. But we find not one word in any of the
writings they refer to, or any where else, which encourages the mem-
bers of the Society of Friends to open their shops, or pursue their
ordinary avocations, upon this day of the week.
The compilers refer particularly to Isaac Pennington's works,
quarto, vol. i. page 349, &c. where they say, " the subject is discuss-
ed at length, and many objections clearly and satisfactorily answer-
ed." This assertion is certainly untrue, with their construction of
it; as any person may readily see by turning to Isaac Pennington's
works. The pages they refer to, include four essays; the first is
entitled, " The New Covenant of the Gospel, distinguished from the
Old Covenant of the liaw, and the Rest or Sabbath of Believers, from
the Rest or Sabbath of the Jews, &c." the second is, " An Epistle to
all such as observe the Seventh day of the week, for the Sabbath of
the Lord;" the third is an answer to, "Some queries sent in writing,
upon occasion of an Epistle, directed to all such as observe the Se-
venth day of the week, for a Sabbath;" and the fourth is " A Brief
Explication of the Mystery of the Six days Labour, and Seventh
day's Sabbath, ike" In all these essays, as the reader may perceive
from the titles of them, the subject treated of, is the christian's sanc-
tified, spiritual rest, and the appointed Sabbath of the Jews: and not
one word is said throughout the whole, against the sober and regular
observance of the first day of the week, as a day of religious worship
and cessation from bodily labour.
Among other early writers in the Society of Friends, whom the
compilers unjustly cite, in order to prove their non-observance of the
first day of the week ; (with a view of procuring some authority for
the known violation of it by Elias Hicks,) they refer to R. Barclay.
We shall quote his words, in order that the reader may see, how
contrary the principles and practice of the early Quakers were to
those of Elias Hicks on this subject. In his essay entitled, " William
Mitchell Unmasked," to which the compilers refer, Robert Barclay
bays—
" His 13th head, is concerning the Sabbath, or First day of the
week's being so, as to which, I desire the reader first to take notice;
that as we believe the apostles and primitive christians did meet this
day to worship God; so we as following their exampk, do the like,
and forbear working, or ifsing our lawful occasions upon that day,
as much as our adversaries: so that the debate is only, Whether
there be any inherent holiness in this day, more than in another? or
if there be any positive command for it/»'oui scripture? particularly
if tlie fourth command bind us to the observation of it.^" — Barclay's
Folio Works, page 91.
The compilers also refer to his Apology, from which we shall quote
his observations on this subject, viz.
'' ^ye not seeing any ground in scripture for it, cannot be so su-
219
perstitious as to believe, that either the Jewish Sabbath now con»
tinues, or that the first day of the week is the antitype thereof, or
the true christian Sabbath, which with Calvin we believe to have a
more spiritual sense: and therefore we know no moral obligation by
the fourth command, or elsewhere, to keep the first day of the week,
more than any other, or any holiness inherent in it. But first, foras-
much as it is necessary that there be some time set apart for the
saints to meet together to wait upon Gud ; and that secondly, it is
Jit at some times they be freed from their other outward affairs ; and.
that, thirdly, reason and equity doth allow that servants and beasts,
have some time allowed them, to be eased from their continual la-
bour; and that fourthly, it appears that the apostles and primitive
christians^ did use the first day of the week for these purposes ; we
find ourselves sufficiently moved for these causes to do so also, with-
out superstitiously straining the scriptures for another rea.son ; which,
that it is not to be there found, many protestants, yea, Calvin him-
self, upon the fourth command, hath abundantly evinced. And
though we therefore meet, and abstain from icorking upon this day,
yet doth not that, hinder us, for having meetings also for worship at
other times." — Barclay's Apology, pages 349, 350.
George Keith, having falsely accused the Society of Friends with
disregarding the observance of the First day of the week, the au-
thors of the "Serious Examination," replied to the charge; and af-
ter stating reasons why it is not the christian Sabbath, &c. they con-
clude thus —
" But to conclude this point, we grant as George Keith hath done ;
' And that besides other times set apart for the worship of God, both
in public and private, it is commendable in christians, to set apart
the First day of the week, from common and ordinary labour; not
only for an ease to their servants and cattle, but also that they may
■with the more freedom, and cheerful readiness attend upon the
Lord and his service without all incumbrance.' — -Presb. and Indep.
vis. churches. And we further add, that tve may be truly thankful,
that there are laws, to restrain the people of this nation, from their
common servile work on the First days of the week; and that God
has put it into the hearts of the government, to grant liberty for the
subjects, (especially all protestants,) to resort to such religious meet-
ings, (on the first days and others,) as they are in conscience per-
suaded unto: Blessed be our God, for such liberty and such oppor-
tunities" — Pages 47, 48.
Again, on page 72, George Keith says, " They, [the Quakers,"!
allow doing servile work, as opening s1\x)p on the Lord's day, to
sell goods, and taylors to mend clothes on that day ;" — to which the
authors of the Examination reply —
" We know no such allowance given by the said people, called
Quakers ; and their practice shows the contrary: How many of their
shops has this adversary seen open, and how many taylors employed
by them, on that day, he calls the Lord's day?"— Page 73.
220
CHAPTER IX.
Remarks upon the Quotations from Humphrey Smith.
On page 47 of the pamphlet, the compilers have inserted a short
quotation from the " True Rule Discovered," by Humphrey Smith ^
the object of which, we are at a loss to discover, as the doctrine it
teaches, is perfectly consonant with the Holy Scriptures. We shall
insert the passage a little more at length, viz :
" And now the light is in man, and so that he, that is with His, to
the end of the world, is the light of the world ivho is the resurrec-
tion and the life, ivho was dead and is alive, and I say, he livethforB'
ver more, who hath finished his work, in the outward things, to wit :
Circumcision, Baptism, the Supper, and death on the cross without
the gate ; and is now revealed within, and worketh all our works in
us, and ever liveih to make intercession for us, Isaiah, xxvi. 12; Heb.
vii. 25, in whose hearts he is now crying, Abba, Father ; and he that
hath the Son, hath also the Father ; to whom be eternal domi-
nion, glory, honour, and humble obedience, forevermore. And so
%C7°\_" Christ Jesus, being guided by that of God, or rsither the fidness
•' of God in him, whereby he finished his work, and departed away
" from among them, and bid them wait for that which should abide
" with them forever ;]co£II3| and said, these things have I spoken un-
- to you, being yet present ivith you, but the Comforter, whom the
Father icill send in my name, he shall teach you all things, John
xiv. 16, 25, 26, and that which teaches all things, was to be re-
vealed within, &c." — p. 149.
From this extract, it is clearly apparent, that Humphrey Smith
believed fully, both in tlie outward coming, and sufferings, &c. of
our blessed Lord, his mediation and intercession on behalf of sinful
man, and also his spiritual appearance in the soul. He acknow-
ledges the Divinity as well as manhood, asserting that the fulness
of the Godhead dwelt in him, and that the Father sent the Com-
forter in Christ's name. This extract alone is amply sufficient to
show, how directly opposite his belief was, to the notions now pro-
mulgated by Elias Hicks ; who asserts that our blessed Lord had
the Spirit communicated to him only, as man, in such proportion as
seemed necessary, and that God never set him above us. — See his
Sermons.
The next quotation from this author, is on the subject of the scrip-
tures being the primary and only rule of Faith and Life. The fol-
lowing extract will explain his meaning, viz : —
" But say the people, though they did walk, and direct others to
walk by the Spirit, yet are not we now to walk by the scriptures ?
And is not the scriptures now to be our rule ':: and are we not to be
led by that ?
221
*' To which I answer, Tliat |0°'[God changeth not ; and where
" doth the scriptures say, that the scripture is to be a rule, to walk
" or be led by ? And the ministers of Christ did not say. As eve-
" ry man hath received the scriptures, so walk ; but as every man
" hath received Christ, (and he is the light,) so walk"l«oi — Co-
lossians, ii. 6. Consider there is first something to be received, and
then, there is to be a walking in the power and strength of that re-
ceived, &c." — p. 150.
It is evident that Humphrey Smith is only contending against the
erroneous idea, that under the dispensation of the gospel, the Holy
Scriptures are to be preferred before the Spirit of Christ Jesus, in-
wardly revealed, and made the alone rule of the saint's faith and
life. But that he was far from disesteeming the sacred volume, or
endeavouring to lessen a true regard for it in others, will be appa-
rent from the following quotation from page 152, of the same book.
After defending the revelationsof the blessed Comforter, as the guide,
and rule under the gospel, and declaring that he fulfils that, which
is written without, viz : in the scriptures, he says:"^
" What then ? do I herein, in the least make void, contemn, slight,
vilify, or deny the scriptures, ? God forbid ; nay, I had rather my
pen might fall out of my hand, or my arm from my shoulder, or my
tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth forever, than I shoidd go about
to make void the scriptures of truth, (and is a true declaration, Luke
i. 1.) which was given forth from that lahich is my life, ivhichis hid,
not in the scriptures, but with Christ in God, Colos. iii. 3. and the
Word was God, and that which was God, is God, John i. 1 ; but if
I should say the scriptures is God, I should be a blasphemer, like
unto others : Do I hei-ein deny the scriptures ? Nay, rather, I es-
tablish the scriptures in its place, and make use of it, as a cloud of
witnesses by me, in directing all people unto that which the scrip-
tures testify of, and was given forth from ; John v, 39, &c." — *
Page 152.
* As we had not in our possession, a copy of the works of Humphrey Smith,
we have not the opportunity of comparing- the above quotations with the ovi-
.^inal, but have no doubt whatever of their perfect accuracy. The compilers
have inserted on page 32 of their pamphlet, two short extracts from the wri-
tings of THOMAS ZACHARY. On examining- " Whiting's Catalogue," we
find that the whole amount published by this author, was fotir quarto sheets.
As we have not been able to obtain these, we cannot say, whether the extracts
in the pamphlet ai-e fairly made. If they are, however, they do not prove any
thing in favour of the doctrines of Elias Hicks. In the first, the author says,
he came to see the idolatry of professors, respecting the body, flesh, and
blood of Christ ; this is, as he himself explains it, placing all their faith on this
alone, without regarding the invisible power, the Godhead which dwelt in him,
which was the Life, Power, and Arm of God. But this does not make our
blessed Lord to be a mere man ; it does not rob him of his equahty with the
Father, but confesses to his Manhopd, as well as Eternal Divinity. In the
next quotation Thomas Zachary sajs, there is no serving God aright, but in a
measure of that Spirit, wherewith Christ served him. This all Christians rea-
dily admit ; but observe he does not say we are to be equal with Christ, and
that God never set Christ above us, as does Ehas Hicks ; but that through the
.'issistance of a measure, of the same Spirit which our blessed Saviour had in
fulness, we are to be quahfied for the performance of all our religious duties.
222
There could scarcely be a more reverent confession to the ines-
timable value of the sacred volume, than is here made by Humphrey
Smith. Let the reader compare it with the light manner in which
Elias Hicks speaks of them, and undervalues their authority — tell-
ing the people they were altered by the Pope, and " written by no-
body knows who" — and boldly denying the most precious and sa-
cred doctrines wliich they teach.
223
CHAPTER X.
Remarks upon the Quotations from the Works of Samuel Fisheh,
The compilers have inserted on j). 48 of the pamphlet, a short
quotation, on the subject of imputation, which they inform us is
from Samuel Fisher's Works — but give no page. We have care-
fully examined the volume published by this author, and cannot dis-
cover that he ever wrote any such passage. He has written about
forty pages on the subject of justification and the atonement by
Christ, in which he makes frequent acknowledgment of his christian
belief in both. If there be any thing like the compilers' extract, in
his works, we imagine it must be altered, so as to bear little resem-
blance to the original — and whenever they think proper to inform us
where it may be found, we shall be ready to reply to it.
The following extracts will serve to show the scriptural soundness
of S. Fisher's belief.
" And because we make mention of Christ in us, and the right-
eousness of the law as necessary in order to salvation, to be per-
formed and fulfilled in our own persons, as Paul does, Romans viii.
4. though we mean no other righteousness than the same that is in
Christ, and is wrought in us, by no other power than that of Christ,
and that same Christ too, of whom the Scripture speaks, that " to him
give all the prophets icitness. Acts x. that in his name and through
faith in his name alone, whoever believeth, shall receive remission of
sins ; than which Christ and his name, there is no other under hea-
ven^ given among men, whereby they must be saved; they belie us
both to God and men, as denyers of Chnst, and of his righteousness,
and of justification by Christ alone; witness one Ackworth of Ro-
chester, who was once heard by the writer hereof, deprecating and
declaring against the Quakers in these words to God himselt, in his
public prayer, viz. Above all things Lord, (quoth .he,) deliver this
poor city from the Quakers ; they are a people, Lord, that deny
God, deny Christ, deny the righteousness of Christ, deny justifica-
tion by Christ alone." — Page 34.
8. F. proceeds to state that he offered to prove these charges
false at the time they were made, but was not permitted ; and he
gives also, other instances in which the same unfounded accusations
were alleged against friends, all which he denies to be true.
On p. 654, in arguing against the notion that Christ died only on
i>ehalf of some, and that he was a sacrifice for the sins of believers
only, he savs,
" Argument 11th. If all men are not put into a possibility of
life by Christ's dying intentionally /or every one of them, if them-
selves choose not death ; then it could not be said. As by sin, con-
demnation is come on all men, so justification of life is come on all
224
men ; and that the gift of God's grace, and gift of God in Christ,
and the benefit and blessing, is, every way, at least as large, and
some ways larger and abounding, beyond the mischief and curse
that comes by the sin.
" But it is in effect so said, Romans v. 15. xviii. 23. Therefore
all and every man, is made as capable to be saved by Christ, as
every man is liable to be damned by reason of the sin.
'' Argument 12th. Christ could not be truly or properly said to ic /Ac
propitiation for the sins of the ivhole world, nor the Saviour of the whole
ivorld ; to be given a covenant to the people ; a witness to the peo-
ple, a Leader and Commander to the people, a light to the nations,
God's salvation to the ends of the earth; much less could all peo-
ple, in any consistency with mercy, or (as before) without foolery
and mockery of most men, in the midst of their remediless misery,
be bid to behold him, or all the ends of the earth, be summoned
with promise, yea, assurance of salvation, if they do, and on pain
of more cruel damnation, if they do not ; to look and come to Him,
for it, and hearken to his voice, (or else, be cut off,) in all things
whatever he saith to them, and such like, unless he were truly, pro-
perly, and intentionally at least, given to be all this, to all men ;
all the people, the whole world, and every man in it."
From these short quotations, (and there is much more of the same
import in his writings,) it is sufficiently evident, that S. F. did
believe in the propitiatory sacrifice of our blessed Lord, for the sins
of ihe whole world ; a doctrine which E. Hicks, does positively
reject, and therefore dissents entirely from the acknowledged tenets
of the early Quakers.
On p. 61 and 62 of the pamphlet we have another quotation from
the works of this author, in which he objects to the numerous com-
mentaries, which have been written upon the text of holy Scripture,
as tending rather to obscure than render them more perspicuous ;
and likewise against that undue reverence for the Scriptures them-
selves, which leads men to place them above the Holy Spirit of God,
and to honour the gift, more than the giver. — It is worthy of remark,
that in the commencementof the treatise, from which the compilers
have taken their extract, he lays it down as a certain position, that in
all he says on the Scriptures, " it is the letter and not the matter, the
ivritings, and not the subjects, things, truths, doctrines or Word,
written of, that is the subject to come under consideration," between
him and his opponent, and therefore he does not in the least degree
impugn any doctrine or precept contained in the sacred volume.—
The following quotations will acquit him from coinciding with E.
Hicks in a denial of the doctrines of Christ and his apostles, viz.
" The outward Scripture I say, is profitable, to such as Timothy
was ; to men of God, to make them who are wise in the Spirit, wiser
and wiser, through tlieir faith in the light, to their own and others^
salvation ; and to furnish such a minister as Timothy was, who
knows when, (and being in the Spirit) how, and liow far forth to use
it, for every good icorli in his ministry. And such as are full of
might and power first by the Spirit of the Lord upon them, as Mi-
cah was, Micah iii. and as Apollos was, are mighty also in the Scrip-
225
ture, and furnished mightily, to confound the scripture searching
scribes, and all gainsayers of the light, as they were in their times."
— Page 453.
" As for our obedience to the letter, we are hy the Spirit, so boicnd
to that, not so far only as we are willing, as thou beliest us, but in a,
cross to our own wills, that ivhile wetvalk in the Spirit, which is our
rule, ice cannot disobey the letter, but fulfil it ; while yourselves,
who prate of your being bound to obey it, walk at large after your
own wills, and lusts, in the liberty of the flesh, and through your
boundless boasting of that, ye as boundlessly break, do dishonour
both God and yourselves.
" As for our going about to deceive the simple, we deny all de-
ceivers, and deceit ; teaching no other doctrine nor gospel, than what
Paul delivered, than which, whoever it is that brings or broaches
another, whether it be we who are hated as devils, or you who are
honoured as an?;els of light from heaven, by such as dwell in the
depths and darkness of hell, / say with Paul, let him be accursed ;
but those are now marked and manifested plainly enough, who
cause the divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine the Saints
learned of old ^ and by the children of the day are avoided also ; for
they that are such, serve not the Lor(PJesus Christ, but their own
bellies, and yet by good ivords and fair speeches, deceive the hearts
of the simple, Rom. xvi. 17, 18." — Page 458.
Again, on page 667, " Objection — The Letter kills — cannot give
life.
" Reply. — True, but why is it ? but becauseits disobeyed, and can-
not give ability to any, to do what it requires — 2Vie law, or light, and
gospel, and all, kills such as transgress it, I say the gospel itself con-
demns ; but whom is it? None but such as hate, and take not heed
to it, that thereby they may come from under the curse and death,
into the life it calls for; else, it being the power of God to the sal-
vation of such as believe in it, life should be by the light one way
more, than it could come by the letter; for the letter could keep
them, that keep it, from the curse denounced in it, to the breakers of
it, yet cannot give any, an ability to keep it : But the light is not on-
ly able to acquit, justify, clear, absolve, secure, and save from wrath,
all such as believe in, and obey it, but also to enable such as look to
it, and impower them, more and more to obey and walk by it; and
consequently by the letter, which cannot be transgressed by such as
abidein the light ; all such as singly come to it, and continue wait-
ing on the Lord in it."
In answer to the question, " Whether are i\\e Spirit of God, the
Spirit of man, and the Spirit of the devil, thvce distinct Spirits? S.
Fisher replies, " Yea, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the devil, and
the Spirit of man are three distinct Spirits." — page 846.
Here are several points, in which S. Fisher is directly at variance
with the notions of Elias Hicks. He acknowledges the usefulness
of the Holy Scripture; that they are profitable to make wiser, even
those who are already wise in the Spirit, and to furnish the man of
God unto every good work ; whereas, lilias Hicks asserts that since
the Spirit has come, we should be better without the scriptures, S.
Ff
226
Fisher says, the early Quakers were bound by the Spirit, to be obedi-
ent to the letter, not so far as they were willing only, but in the cross
to their own wills — that they could not disobey the letter, but fulfil
it; but Elias Hicks does disobey it, by teaching many notions which
directly contradict its sacred testimony. S. Fisher says, if any man
preach any other gospel, than that which Paul preached, let him be
accursed — yet Elias Hicks does teach doctrines entirely different and
opposite to that gospel which Paul preached — and " contrary to the
doctrine which the saints learned of old." S. Fisher says, that
those who receive and obey the light, and abide in it, cannot trans-
gress the letter, or scriptures, therefore it is clear, that " the dan-
gerous innovations" of Elias Hicks, are positively condemned in the
most solemn manner, by the very authors whom the compilers
quote. Another point of difference, is the existence of an evil Spi-
rit, distinct from the propensities and will and spirit of men,
which Elias Hicks has long notoriously denied, but which S. Fisher
here asserts— From all which it is fully proved, that Elias Hicks
has really swerved from the ancient faith of the Society, and is pro-
mulgating notions, subversive of those precious testimonies and doc-
trines, in support of which, our worthy predecessors suffered the
loss of all that this world accdftnts most dear.
227
CHAPTER XI.
Observations upon the Compilers' Extracts from the Writings of Ricbarb
HUBBERTUORX.
On page 52, of the pamphlet, the compilers have given us two
quotations, from the works of this author, each about three lines.
They are parts of replies to the objections of the two opponents,
who denied the doctrine of the influence of the Holy Spiiit, and
contended that the Scriptures were the only rule of faith and life.
The first is from his answer to John Stelham, viz :
"Further, he, [John Stelham,] saith, the scriptures are a rule
above the saint's light, and unto it ; and not so, their light above the
scriptures;" to which R. Hubberthorn rejoins," this is confusion, and
he knows not whereof he affirms ; ICT'tfor the Spirit of God is the
"saint's rule, and that is greater than the scriptures, and the rule
" of the Spirit of God, is above the scripture :]caOi hut such as John
Stelham, who talks of scriptures to be a rule, and yet acts these
things, which the scriptures declare against, are but found in deeper
hypocrisy ; for he that is rulpd by the Spirit of God, walks up in the
fulfilling nf Scripture." — Work;^, page 142.
It was well for the compilers' cause, that they closed their quota-
tion at the semicolon ; since if they liad extended it but a few lines
further, they must have included a declaration of R. Hubberthorn's,
which is in direct opposition to Elias Hicks. If " he that is ruled
by the Spirit of God, walks up, in the fulfilling of Scripture " as
this author says; it follows that such as do not fulfil, but reject and
deny the scriptures, are not ruled by the spirit of God. Hence we
may readily see, that as Elias Ilicks does reject and deny the testi-
mony of scripture, as relates to the miraculous conception, divinity,
and propitiation, &c. of Jesus Christ, he cannot be in unity with the
faith of the ancient Quakers.
The next quotation is from the same treatise, viz:
" Further, he, [J. Stelham,] saith, |C?"[the scripture was given by
" the spirit for a rule ; this, [says R. Hubberthorn,] we desire a proof
" of by plain scripture, and till then, we deny it."]aaO| — page 145.
The reader will see, that in this reply, R. Hubberthorn, so far
from denying scripture, lays it down as the test of the truth or er-
ror, of his opponent's assertion — which is certainly making it a stan-
dard for the soundness of doctrine. His opponent says, " the scripture
was given by the spirit for a rule." — U. Hubberthorn demands proof
of it by plain scripture, and until he produce this, denies it. The
passage, so far from undervaluing the scriptures, gives them a very
high character, and commits to their decision the question in dis-
pute between himself and his opponents.
To infer from a short reply, to the erroneous assertion of an oppo-
I
228
ncnt; that this worthy man denied the authenticily or authority of
Holy Scripture, as the compilers would have us (odo, from their quo-
tations, would be an act of great injustice to him. The whole tenor
of his writings directly contradict such a conclusion. The follow-
ing may be sufficient to show this. Thomas Winterton made the
following charge against the Society, viz:
'' That now, the scripture is no more a guide for us to walk by,
nor nothing without them, but the light within them, and he that
seeks after any other guide but that within him, is in the flesh still."
To this R. Hubberthorn replies —
" Which words are thy own, and was not so spoken, by any of
us. But to tliee I say, that the scripture, which did foresee that
which we now do see, we own to be one with the light, which was
before the letter, and to be our g'.iide in the way of truth : and this
guide is within us ; but by the scripture letter, without thee, thou
neither sees nor foresees the things which belong to ^ternal life,
which, if ever any come to see, it must be by the light of Christ
within them ; aiid all who own this light, and with it is guided, can-
not deny the scriptures which was spoken forth from the light ivithin.^'
Pages 76, 77.
This short quotation speaks a direct denial and condemnation to
the dogmas of Ellas Hicks. Since R. Hubberthorn says positively,
that ail who own and are guided by the Light of Christ, cannot deny
the scriptures.
On page 117, after having answered a number of erroneous no-
tions, advanced by John Stelham, and proved their unsoundness from
scripture authority, Richard Hubberthorn adds, "In reading of this
let all people take notice, that in the several and particular heads of
John Stelham's book, where he saith he hath contradicted us, he is
proved himself to contradict the scriptures ; and so far as he contra-
dicts the scriptures, in those particulars; so far, he may say he con-
tradicts us ; our testimony being one with the scriptures in those
things."
If the reader will take the pains to refer to Richard Hubberthorn's
works, he will find that " the several and particular heads of John
Stelham's book," comprehend the fundamental doctrines of the
Christian faith, in regard to which R. Hubberthorn says that the
Quakers' testimony is one with the scriptures. So far, then, as Elias
Hicks contradicts the scriptures, which he does in many of the pri-
mary and fundamental articles of the doctrine of Christ and his
apostles, so far he contradicts the early Quakers, and proves that he
has swerved from the ancient faith of the society.
In a discourse which R. Hubberthorn had with King Charles II.
the latter asked him —
" Hov/ did you first come to believe the scriptures were truth ?"
R. H. — " I have believed the scripture?, from a child, to be a de-
claration of truth, when I had but a literal knowledge, natural edu-
cation, and tradition ; but now I know the scriptures to be true, by the
manifestation and operation of the spirit of God, fulfilling them in
me."— Page 271.
Is then the spirit of God changed ? Or doth it teach novj contra-
229
ry to what it taught in the time of Richard Ilubberthorn r Or, seeing
God is unchangeable, and cannot lie ; cannot deny what he has once
asserted, is it not clearly evident, that those who plead tiie guidance
of the spirit of truth, for their denial of the most solemn declara-
tions of Holy Scripture, are under delusion and error, and are not
led by that spirit of truth which guides into all truth ?
We have a quotation from the same author, inserted on pages 52,
53, of their pamphlet, designed to convey the idea that the early
Quakers denied the existence of any other heaven or hell, than what
is in man ; which, of course, the compilers must consider as one of
the tenets of Elias Hicks. The quotation is as follows :
" And again, as concerning hell, Clapham ICPCsaith, that men are
<• not in hell while they are upon earth.
"Answer. — The prophet said, while he was upon earth, thou hast
*' redeemed my soul out of hell ; and Jonah said, out of the belly of
" hell, cried I unto thee, and so the believers' doctrine was contrary
" to Clapham's ; for they knew both heaven and hell, while they were
" upon earth, and a redeeming out of the one into the other, hy Jesus
" C/jm^ "]«0|— Works, page 33.
The assertion of J. Clapham, and the reply of R. Hubberthorn,
furnish no ground whatever, for supposing that the latter denied that
heaven was a place of eternal rewards to the righteous, and hell a
place where the impenitent sinner shall endure everlasting torment,
where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. The an-
swer is no more than an assertion, that the Royal Psalmist, and the
prophet Jonah, experienced a foretaste, while here on earth, of the
terrors and woe of that interminable punishment prepared for the
wicked hereafter. But this does not imply that there is no future
state or place, where just retribution will be rendered to every man,
according to his deeds. Richard Hubberthorn has sufficiently denied
the construction which the compilers would put upon his words, in
liis reply to J. Clapham, who alleged the same false charge against
him, viz :
"And whereas many other accusations are charged upon usfalse-
/y, for the name of Christ, by the priest; yet seeing Christ, the true
Prophet, hath said it should be so, because they know not the Father,
nor Him who hath enlightened every one that cometh into the world ;
therefore, can we bear all things, being manifest unto God, and to all
men, to be witnesses of those things which he saith ive deny.
" His accusations are these, that we deny the resurrection of the
hody, the last judgment, heaven and hell, are enemies to all the ordi-
nances of Christ, are not true mortified persons, and our doctrine
tendeth not to destroy sin ; that we are the common sink of all her-
esies and enemies to civility and good manners.
" Answer — Our doctrine is the same as is testified of in the scrip-
ture of truth ; and where it is received, remission of sins is received ;
it being the same that our example, the First Born amongst many
brethren, the First Begotten from the dead, preached, which gospel
we preach to every creature; which gospel is the power of God, and
where it is received doth both destroy sin, and sanctify them through-
out in body, soul, and spirit, and by it. is the members which aro
230
upon the earth, inortiiied: for this is tlie power that raised up Jesus
trom the dead, and doth aUo quicken our mortal bodie?, by his Spirit,
that dwelleth in us, in which the scripture is tviincssedy which was a
treatise of those things which was known and surely believed amoijgst
the saints; and which saith, they that are asleep in the dust of the
earth, shall rise, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting
shame and contempt: and from the true foundation, witnessing these
doctrines, which the apostles did not lay again the foundation of;
repentance from dead works, and faith towards God, of the doctrine
of baptisms, and laying on of hands, and of the resurrection from the
dead, and of eternal judgment, Heb. vi. 12, for we, having learned
what it is to be baptized for the dead, deny such as say there is no
resurrection of the dead ; the first fruits of this resurrection is Christ,
1 Cor. XV. 22, of which they that are of Christ, are witnesses of these
things, and they come to know each seed in the light, through the
figures, and through the parables." — Pages 39, 40.
He then proceeds to §peak more at large, upon the subject of the
resurrection, and in conclusion declares, that by the Spirit of the
Lord, the Quakers have received the knowledge, and are made wit-
nesses of those things which the prophets and apostles of Jesus Christ
testified of in the scriptures, whatever envious opposers may say to
the contrary. It is obvious from the above quotation, that Richard
Hubberthorn was far from denying a day of eternal judgment, or
that heaven and hell were places in which the righteous enjoyed ev-
erlasting rewards, and the wicked endless woe and misery; since,
when he was charged with holding such sentiments, he declares it to
be false, and asserts that the doctrine of the Quakers is the same as
is testified of in the Holy Scriptures. It follows therefore, that
whatever doctrines are not coincident with the testimony of Holy
Scripture, are not those held by the primitive friends.
Among the numerous calumnies which George Keith heaped upon
the Quakers, after he had apostatised from their christian principles,
we find the very same, as the compilers would have us to infer from
their extract from Richard Hubberthorn. George Keith says " They
deny any other heaven or hell than what is within men, calling all
other Mahometanism." To this, the authors of the Serious Examina-
tion reply —
"This is also unfairly stated: For though both heaven and hell
may in some sense and degree, be in men ; that is, a degree of heaven
or heavenly places, in the righteous, in Christ Jesus; and some de-
gree of hell, terrors, tribulation and anguish in the wicked, even in
this life : yet heaven [is] not wholly ivithin one, nor hell tcholly with-
in the the other, in this life, but an earnest thereof; for heaven is both
within and without, and so is hell; yet both are discovered within,
before fully entered into ; both the joy of the one, and unto many, the
terrors of the other: And how can treacherous Judases, and envious
apostates, escape the damnation thereof? 'Tis certain that the chil-
dren of the light and of the day, have no utter darkness, (where
hell is,) within them, they being delivered out of the kingdom of
darkness, into the kingdom of the dear Son of God." — Serious Ex-
amination, pages n, 72.
231
CHAPTER XTI.
Rcmai'ks upoa the quotations from the works of Wiliiam Dewsburt.
The compilers have inserted upon page 33 of their pamphlet, a
short quotation, of about three lines, from the works of William
Dewsbury, designed to convey the idea, that this worthy man, had
a light e&teem of the sacred volume. Tliey have made the extract
^vith great unfairness as will be seen from the following quotation.
The part which they have selected, is enclosed in brackets as usual.
'* And this I declare to all the inhabitants in England, and all that
dwell upon the earth, that God alone is the teacher of his people,
and hath given to every one a measure of grace, which is the light
that comes from Christ, that checks and reproves for sin, in the se-
crets of the heart and conscience ; and all that wait in that light which
comes from Christ, (which is the free grace of God,) for the power of
Jesits Christ to destroy sin, and to guide them in obedience to the light,
so shall they come to know the only true God, and Father of light
in Christ Jesus, ivho is the way to him: ^:3=»[And this I witness to
••all the sons of men, that the knowledge of eternal life, I came not
" to, by the letter of the scripture, nor hearing men speak of the name
" of God ;],c£I3| I came to the true knowledge of the scripture, and
the eternal rest, [theij testify it in Christ,) by the inspiration of the
spirit of Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who alone is
found worthy to open the seals of the book; and I witness, none else
can, for he alone opened the seals of the book in me, and sealed it up
to my soul, by the testimony of his own spirit, according to his own
promise, 1 will bind up the testimony, and seal the law amongst my
disciples; and I will write my law in their hearts, and put my spirit
in their inward parts, and they shall not depart from me; neither -
shall they need to teach every man his neighbour, and every man
his brother, for all shall know me from the least of them to the great-
est, for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins
and iniquities will I remember no more, and all my children shall be
Taught of me, isaith the Lord God, and great shall be the peace of
my children; and this here declared, tlie scriptures witness, and I
witness the scriptures fulfilled in me ; praises, praises, hallelujah
and eternal praises, be unto the Lord God Almighty, who hath
taken unto thee thy great power to sit upon thy throne, and to the
Jj\MR forever more." — pages 54, 53.
The extract made by the compilers closes at a semicolon, where
William Dewsbury is declaring that he came to the true knowledge
of the scriptures, and the eternal rest, which the scriptures testify
232
of, by the Inspiration of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Thei^e is suffi-
cient in the paragraph we have quoted, to show, how far he was
from undervaluing the sacred volume ; but the following declaration
is so very forcible, and applies with such precision to the present sub-
ject, that we think proper to insert it. It is taken from an essay, en-
titled " Christ Exalted, &c. ;" in which William Dewsbury refuted
a number of false accusations, preferred against the Quakers by John
Timson, and also answers several questions, among which is the fol-
lowing : —
•' Whether any other revelations and observations, not to be found
■in the scripture^ be binding to the consciences of those persons, that
have the benefit of the scripture ; or whether such revelation, or
dictates within a man's heart and soul, be as binding to the con-
science, and to be urged to a man's self, or others, as the scrip-
tures are ?
" Answer, The Revelations of Jesus Christ, is according
TO Scripture, which revelation hmds up the testimony, and seals
the law, in the hearts of his disciples ; and what dictates, is in the
conscience or heart of man, contrary to the law and testimony, is not
to be regarded, but disowned arid judged, with the Light which
comes from Christ, the Saints' Life, who guides them in a pure life
and holy conversation, according to Scripture — Isaiah viii. 20."
—Works, pages 148, 149.
This query and answer is a most triumphant refutation of all the
pretensions of Elias Hicks and his friends, to coincidence in doc-
trine with the early Quakers. William Dewsbury declares that
the revelations of Jesus Chrht are according to scripture — it follows
that what is not according to scripture, is not the revelation of Jesus
Christ, but a delusion. Again he says, that whatever dictates, in the
heart and conscience of man, are contrary to scripture ; they are not
to be regarded, but disowned and judged, by the Light which comes
from Christ. Now as the doctrines of Elias Hicks are not accord-
ing to scripture — they cannot be the revelations of Jesus Christ ;
and as they contradict and deny the testimony of the scriptures of
truth, they ought not to be regarded or followed; but are condemn-
ed by that light which comes from Jesus Christ, and which accord-
ing to William Dewsbury, always leads its followers into a life and
conversation which accords ivith the testimony of the sacred volume.
Thus we see that the very authors whom the compilers have addu-
ced, as authority for the innovations and unsound doctrines of Eli-
as Hicks, judge and condemn him, in the most decisive and positive
manner, as one who ha^ gone from the leadings of the Holy Spirit,
and wandered into tlie maz-es of error and doubt.
Page 66 of the pamphlet has a quotation from William Dewsbury,
which the compilers have, as usual, mutilated. We shall insert the
whole paragraph, and enclose their extract in brackets with a hand.
It is from the reply to John Timson, viz, : —
" The sixth false accusation ; thou sayest we boast that we are as
perfect as Christ that died at Jerusalem.
" Reply — Thy charge is false, boasting we deny, or any perfec-
tion that is of self; |CP[our righteousness, tvithout Christ, is as a
"filthy rag, and a menstruous cloth ; Christ our righteousness, who
*' is the true light that lighteth every one that comes into the world,
" Johr. i. 9, we witness him the same Christ as was in that body that
"sufFered at Jerusalem; and every one of the children of light in
" the measure of growth in Him, the same mind is in them, that was
" in Christ Jesus, Phil. ii. 5]«£3f who is the brightness of the Fa-
ther's glory, Heb. i. 3."— Works, p. 120.
This answer, furnishes us with an acknowledgment of several im-
portant points of christian doctrine. It appears from it, that the
early Quakers denied as false, the accusation of professing them-
selves as perfect as Jesus Christ. Elias Hicks maintains, that by
faithfulness we may attain to as great a degree of righteou'^ness as
he did. The Quakers believed that their own righteousness, was of
no value, without Christ — and that Christ was their righteousness ;
but Elias Hicks condemns this doctrine of being made righteous by
the righteousness of Christ. The Quakers declared they witness-
ed, that he who enlightened them by his Spirit, was the same Lord
Jesus Christ, who died at Jerusalem, and that the children of this
Holy Light, according to their measures of growth, were in Him,
who is the brightness of the Father's glory.
It seems difficult to conjecture for what purpose the compilers
have selected this extract, since it is so far from according with the
doctrines which they wish to support, that it is directly contrary to
them. It is, however, by no means so difficult to see why they have
cut oft' the last eight words of the paragraph, and closed at a com-
ma. It is a true saying, that a straw will show which way the wind
blows ; and small as the omission seems, it clearly evinces how wil-
ling they are to suppress those parts of sentences, where the Divi-
nity of the Saviour is recognised. Justice to the religious senti-
ments of W. Dewsbury, should have induced them to exhibit that
part, since he quotes from and refers to, a part of the scriptures
where the Godhead and glorious attributes of our Lord and Sa-
viour Jesus Christ, are set forth in the most unequivocal language.
Immediately following the paragraph last quoted, we have an-
other accusation and reply, viz.
"The seventh false accusation; thou sayest, we say that he that
trusts in Christ, that died at Jerusalem, for salvation, shall be de-
ceived."
Reply. — "This charge is false as the other, in the presence of
God, we witness against thee ; no other Christ lue bear testimony of^
to be the salvation of lost man and woman, but that Christy accord-
ing to scripture testimony, who was born of the Virgin, and made a
good confession before Pilate, and suffered at Jerusalem, and rose
again the tliird day, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right
hand of God; and this Christ we witness the true light, who lighteth
every one that comes into the world, and saith, I stand at the door
and knock ; who opens, I will come into him, and sup with him, and
he with me ; Rev. iii. 20. and we witness him faithful : and as many
as receive him, to them he gives power to become the sons of God ;
and this is the condemnation of all, because they believe not in mv.,
John xii."— Pages 120, 121.
Gg
234
CHAPTER Xni.
Observations upon the Quotation from the Journal of Richard Davies,
The compilers of the pamphlet have extracted a paragraph from
the Journal of Richard Davies, in which he recites an opinion deliver-
ed by an Independent preacher, at a meeting where R. Davies was
present; which was, that the time would come, when there would'be
no need of the scripture, any more than another book: this senti-
ment very much stumbled R. Davies, who queried with him, when that
time would be ; to which the preacher replied, when the Lord would
make a new covenant with his people, as is foretold in Jeremiah xxxi.
33, 34, which contains the prophecy respecting the diffusion of the
Holy Spirit. It will be sufficient for us to remark that Richard Da-
vies was not in profession with the Society of Friends at that time,
nor until two years after; and the opinion of an Independent teacher
is no authority for the doctrine of primitive Friends.
The high estimation in which Richard Davies held the sacred vo-
lume, may be seen by any one who will peruse the work from which
the extract is made. His religious education had been among a peo-
ple whose entire dependence for instruction in the way of righteous-
ness, was placed upon the Holy Scriptures, and the teaching of their
ministers; for they did not believe in the immediate influence of
the Holy Spirit, as that Comforter, which was to lead the followers
of Jesus Christ into all truth, and to bring all things to their remem-
brance.
His mind having been awakened to a lively concern relative to the
great work of salvation, and being earnestly engaged in seeking after
the knowledge of those things which belonged to his soul's peace, he
found the insufficiency of all those means, which he had formerly de-
pended upon, as the only medium of right instruction. In this state,
it pleased the Lord to reveal himself to him, by his Holy Spirit, and
to give him a clear sight of the inward work of regeneration ; and
by yielding in obedience to the manifestations of divine light, he was
brought to see, that although a mere literal acquaintance with the
sacred volume could not save the soul, yet when it was opened by
that Holy Spirit, under whose divine inspiration and direction it was
written, it was not only profitable for doctrine, correction, reproof,
and instruction in righteousness, but through faith, which is in Christ
Jesus, able to make wise unto salvation. He thus writes —
"I, with many more, was under tliat mistake that the Jews were
in, who thought they might have Eternal Life in the Scriptures;
Christ saith, John v. 39, Search, or ye search the scriptures, for in
them ye think ye have Eternal Life, and they are they which testify
of me, and ye will not come to me that ye might have life. As he
is the life, so he is the way to the Father ; I am the way, and the truth.
235
and the life : no man cometh unto the Father hut by me. John xiv. 6.
As for the scriptures, I was a great lover, and a great reader ol
them, and took great pleasure in searching of them, thinking that
would make me wire unto salvation, as Paul said to Timothy, and
that from a child thou hast known the scripture*, which are able to
make thee ivise unto salvation, through faith, which is in Christ Je-
sus. 2 Tim. iii. 15. This main thing was wanting, the true and sav-
ing faith, which is the gift of God. It is by grace we are saved,
through tiiith, not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephes. ii. 8.
So it is the grace of God that brings salvation, and not the bare his-
torical knowledge of the scriptures.
" Too many take a great deal of pride in a literal knowledge of
them; some f<»r their gain and profit; others take pleasure in them,
by wresting them to vindicate their false and erroneous opinions^ that
gender to strife and contention, and take little or no notice of
that meek, holy, and lovely spirit of life, that gave them forth, for
they are of no private interpretation ; but holy men of God spake
them, as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Pet. i. 20, 21.
"Men may have a great literal knowledge of the scriptures, and
yet remain in error, because they know them not as they ought to do,
nor the power that was in the holy men that gave them forth; so I
may say, as Christ said to the Jews, You err, not knowing tlie scrip-
tures, nor the power of God. Matt. xxii. 29. So that which gives
the true knowledge of God, and a right understanding of the scrip-
tures, is the power of God; and I may say with the apostle, 'For
God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined
in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God,
in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Corin. iv. 6. And as men and women
come to mind this light, that is, the Spirit of God, and to obey it, they
shall come to the comfort of the Scriptures, as the same apostle says,
'* For tvhatsoever things were written aforetime were ivrittenfor our
learning, thai we through patience, and comfort of the Scriptures,
might have hope, Rom. xv. 4.
" And being under a serious consideration of what I read in the
Scripture, believing the Spirit of the Lord to be the interpreter
thereof, those great mysteries, that were hid from ages and gene-
rations, and are hid now in this our age from many, are come to be
revealed by the Spirit of God ; and if they, would have comfort in
reading the Scriptures, they must wait in that measure of the spirit,
which God hath given them, which is the only key that opens them
to the understanding of those, tliat are truly conscientious in the
reading of them ; and though I read them formerly, as many do
now, without a true sense and a due consideration, yet now lean bless
God for them, and have a great comfort in the reading of them ; they
being no more as a sealed book unto me, and many more who wait
for the assistance of God's holy Spirit, in all their duties and per-
formances, that the Lord requires of them, for without him we
know that we can do nothing that is pleasing unto him : though
formerly we ran, in our own time and wills, to preach and pray,
not having such a due regard to the leading and moving of the Spirit
of the Lord ; yet I bless God it is not so now." — Pages 12, 13, 14.
236
Thus this worthy man, instead of lessening the true value of the
inspired writings, gives them a very exalted character, as proceed-
ing from^ the immediate revelation of the Holy Ghost, and M^hen
read under its guidance, proving a comfort and encouragement to
the humble christian ; for which inestimable blessing he could truly
bless God.
237
CHAPTER XIV.
Quotations from Robebt Barciai's Apology.
Among the many amiable and pious characters, which adorned
the Society of Friends, in the period of its infancy, and who were
eminently useful under the divine blessing, in promoting a know-
ledge of those precious truths, which were then peculiar to the Qua-
kers, there were few more honourably distinguished than Robert
Barclay.
His extensive natural endowments, had been cultivated and im-
proved by a liberal education ; and very early in life, he yielded to
the secret, though powerful influences of heavenly grace, by which
they were sanctified, and prepared for extraordinary service, in
the glorious cause of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. He joined in religious communion with the Society of
Friends about the year 1667, when in the 19th year of his age ;
and a gift of the gospel ministry being committed to his trust, he
was for many years actively engaged in the exercise of it, as well
as in writing in defence of the principles and practices, of the So-
ciety of which he was a member. He suffered much for his religion,
being frequently imprisoned and otherwise cruelly persecuted, but
he endured all with christian patience and resignation, esteeming it
all joy to be accounted worthy to suffer for his crucified Lord and
Saviour. — He died in 1690, in the 42d year of his age.
Robert Barclay was the author of a number of valuable works.
His Apology for the true Christian Divinity, &c. and his Catechism
and Confession of Faith, are doctrinal treatises of the highest autho-
rity, both among ancient and modern Friends. The Apology is in-
deed, the most comprehensive and complete exposition and defence
of the christian faith of the Quakers, and the grounds upon which
they dissent from other denominations of religious professors,
which has ever been published. To show the high esteem in which
it was held by the founders of the Society, we shall quote a part of
the excellent preface to his works, written by William Penn, viz.
" I am now come to his elaborate apology, published in 1675,
entitled, •' An Apology for the true Christian Divinity, as the same
is held forth and preached by the people called in scorn Quakers,
&c. dedicated to King Charles the Second." It was the most com-
prehensive of all his pieces, published in Latin, Dutch and English,
and at least twice printed in our own tongue. It came out at the
close of a long and sharp engagement between us, of this kingdom,
and a confederacy of adversaries of almost all persuasions. It was
his happiness both to live in a more retired corner, and to enjoy at that
fime, a space of quiet above his brethren : wluch, with the conside-
388
ratioii of their three or four years toil, and a sense of service in
himself, put him upon undertaking and publishing this discourse,
as an essay towards the prevention of future controversy. It first lays
down, eur avowed principles of belief and practice, distinguished
from what our enemies are pleased to say in our names, who by ma-
king us erroneous, give themselves the easier task to confute us ;
and then triumph. After he has stated our principles, he has put
the objections which he had collected out of our adversaries' books,
or that he did apprehend might be made, to those principles ; and
answers them : and lastly cites divers authors, both ancient and
modern, especially some of the primitive ages, for further illustra-
tion, and confirmation of our said belief arid practice.
*' The method and style of the book, may be somewhat singular,
and like a scholar; for we make that sort of learning no part of our
divine science. But that was not to show himself, but out of his
tenderness to scholars, and as far as this simplicity and purity of the
truth would permit, in condescension to their education, and way of
treating of those points, herein handled ; observing the Apostle's ex-
ample of becoming all unto all, (where there was nothing in himself
to forbid it,) that he might win some. In fine, the book says so much
for us, and itself too, that I need say the less ; but recommend it to
thy sei'ious perusal, reader, as that which may be instrumental, with
God's blessing, to inform thy understanding, confirm thy belief,
and comfort thy mind, about the excellent things of God's kingdom.
To be sure, thou wilt meet with the abused and disguised Q^itaker, in
his own shape, conijileocion, and proper dress ; so that if thou art not
one of them, thou needest not longer follow common fame or pre-
judice, against a people, though afflicted from the first, yet not for-
saken, to this day : Ever blessed, be the name of the most High God,
for he is good, for his mercy endures forever." — Preface, pages 21, 23.
To this preface, is added the following testimony, viz :
'•According to that true and sincere love in the Lord, which we
had to our dear brother, Robert Barclay, and christian respect which
lives in us, to his blessed memory, and our real esteem and value of
his faithful testimony, great industry, and labour oflove, for promoting
the ever living truth as it is in Christ, in his day and time: We,
whose names are under-written, do sincerely own, and have satis-
faction and unity in truth, with this foregoing preface and relation, in
the behalf of him, the said Robert Barclay, and his great and memor-
able service, labours, and travels, in the gospel of our Lord and Sa-
viour Jesus Christ; to whom, be the glory and dominion for ever!
" George Whitehead, Patrick Livingston, Alexander Seaton,
Benjamin Antrobus, Francis Stamper, John Vaughton, and John
Field.
" London, 15th of Tth mo. 1691."
George Fox in his testimony concerning him, says :
" A testimony, concerning our dear brother in the Lord, Robert
BarclaV} who was a wise and faithful minister of Christ, and ivrit
many precious books, in the defence of the truth in English and Latin,
and after translated into French and Dutch. He was a scholar, and
a man of great parts, and underwent many calumDies, slanders and
239
reproaches and sufferings for the name of Christ ; but the Lord gave
him power over them all."
William Pe;in, in his "testimony to the memory of R. Barclay,"
has these observations —
" He vvas much exercised in controversy, from the many contradic-
tions that fell upon the truth, and upon him for its sake, in his own
country chiefly, in which he ever acquitted himself with honour to the
truths purticuiarlij by his apolgy for the christian AWmiy professed
by the people called (Quakers, which contains a collection of our prin-
ciples^our enemies' objections, and our answers, augmented and il-
lustrated, closely and amply, with many authorities for confirmation.
Also his book of church government, distinguishing between tyran-
ny and anarchy, imposition and ^flzt'/^ssn^ss, occasioned by the scru-
ples of some, and partialities of others, that had a tendency to a di-
vision among us : They are standing: books of sound judgment, and
good service to the truth and church of God. J\^or must his Scripture
Catechism be forgotten, in that it opens the mind oftnith, iiponpoints
of doctrine, in the words of the Holy Ghost ; excluding all human
glosses or interpretation ; which is an easy, safe, and peaceable vie-
thod, the tendency of it, being, to silence, and commend the ciiriosity
of man to the text, which all own; and there leave controversy,
as the best method to unity and peace, next that of the spirit itself.
And indeed, it was exactly suitable to his own disposition, that pre-
ferred truth before victory, and peace and unity, before niceties, and
a good life before worldly learning."
Patrick Livingston, says of him:
" Both as to the inward and outward, he was a blameless man in
his conversation ; and he was both solid, sound, and comprehensive
in his writings. And as for his doctrine he was plain and clear to
the meanest capacity, discreet and obliging therein."
Andrevv Jaffray, makes these remarks:
'• He was a man that laid out himself in the ability of the large
understanding given him, to set forth the beauty, and infallibility of
the grounds, and excellent principles of truth, and to open and prove
the same over all opposition of gainsayers, to the reaching of the
understanding of many of the great and learned of the world, both
at home and abroad, and to the begetting a better opinion and judg-
ment, concerning both the principles and practices of God's people,
(called in derision Quakers,) than had been held forth by the craft
and malice of the priests and others, to be in the beginning, as fools,
madmen, &c., and holding nonsensical and unreasonable, as well as
unscriptural whimsies, <^c."
Speaking of the doctrine of the influence of the Holy Spirit, he
says: " Which is our testimony and holy principle we direct all un-
to ; and which this blessed servant of the church, laid out himself in
his many excellent writings, {('specially his Apology,) to promulgate
through the world, with blessed success, not only in printing, but in
travelling, having gone through a great part of Germany, Holland,
and other countries, in the service of the truth : And the Lord blessed
him every way therein."
These excellent testimonies, evince both how highly the Individ-
240
ual was esteemed, and what full credit and authority his writings
obtained among those who were the earliest ministers and labourers in
the Society of Friends. From the time the Apology was first print-
ed down to the present period, it has been repeatedly sanctioned by
the Society in its collective capacity, both in England and America,
and appealed to, as containing the best and most approved de-
claration of their christian belief. It was first printed in 1675, and
in 1705, had reached the fifth edition in English, beside several in La-
tin, French, and Dutch, &c. It was written soon after the Society
was settled, and referred to by the early Quakers for information
concerning their principles, and its language quoted in their defence
against the accusations of invidious enemies. This book has now
passed through more than twelve editions in our own tongue, beside
being translated and published in many foreign languages ; and from
the universal credit which it has ever obtained from the Society,
collectively, and all those who were in unity with it ; from the pains
they have been at in circulating it ; from its full acknowledgment by
the early Quakers, and repeated sanctions by their successors, it is
evident that no book ever printed by them, is so justly entitled to
the character of " A confession and defence of their faith, doctrines,
and religious practices."
If the doctrines of Elias Hicks were really coincident with those
of the early Quakers, the compilers need have gone no further for
proof of it than Barclay's Apology. As this contains the tenets of
true Friends, both ancient and modern, they might have saved them-
selves the trouble of searching over their controversial and occasional
essays, and culling from so many volumes, the fragments which bore
the semblance of authority for their notions. But the friends of Elias
Hicks are well aware, that Barclay is too clear and christian a writer,
too plain and positive in his assertion of the principles of Quakerism,
and too cogent and scriptural in his arguments to establish them, to
serve as authority for their dogmas. Unwilling, however, to lose
the name of so distinguished and learned a writer, and probably
fearing that the entire omission of so generally received and authen-
tic a work, as the Apology, might excite some well founded suspi-
cions that they did not acknowledge it — they have given place to
some quotations on the subject of the scriptures, and the spiritual
body and blood of our blessed Lord. We shall be able to show the
reader, that these quotations are made vvith great unfairness, and do
not exhibit, by any means, the faith of this society upon the points to
which they relate.
The first proof of a want of candour in the compilers, is the en-
tire omission of the whole of Barclay's proposition relative to the
Holy Scriptures, which contains his declaration of what the Quakers
believe them to be, and what they are not; and the introduction to
his argument, where he states at how high a rate they value them.
The compilers then insert a considerable part of the argument, where
he is showing, that the Holy Scriptures are not the primary lule of
faith and life, which the Quakers have never believed they were. In
doing this they have mutilated his sentences, and omitted parts
of paragraphs explanatory of his meaning, so as greatly to obscure
241
t)ie true design of the author. We shall insert some of the parts
which they have omitted. The proposition, and introduction to the
argument are as follows. After speaking of the inward, immediate
revelations of the Holy Spirit, he says —
" Proposition third, concerning the scriptures.
"From these revelations of the Spirit of God to the saints, have
proceeded, the scriptures of truth, which contain,
" I. A faithful historical account of the actings of God's people
in divers ages; with many singular and remarkable providences at-
tending them.
" II. A prophetical account of several things, whereof some are
already past, and some yet to come.
"III. A full ami ample account of all the chief principles of the
doctrine of Christ, held forth in divers precious declarations, exhor-
tations and sentences, which by the moving of God's spirit, were at
several times, and upon sundry occasions, spoken and written unto
some churches and their pastors. •
" Nevertheless, because they are only a declaration of the fountain,
and not the fountain itself, therefore they are not to be esteemed the
■principal ground of all truth and knowledge, nor yet the adequate,
primary rule, of faith and manners. Yet because they give a true
and faithful testimoni/, of the first foundation, they are and may be
esteemed, a secondary rule, subordinate to the Spirit, from which
they have all their excellency and certainty: for as by the inward
testimony of the Spirit we do alone truly know them, so they testify,
that the Spirit is that guide, by which the saints are led into all truth ;
therefore according to the scriptures, the spirit is the first and prin-
ciple leader. Seeing then that we do therefore receive and believe
the scriptures because they proceeded from the Spirit, for the very
same reason, is the Spirit more origin.i.lly and principally the rule,
according to the received maxim in the school?. Propter quod unum-
quodque est tale, illud ipsum est magis tale: that for which a thing
is such, that thing itself is more such."
He then proceeds to the argument, viz : — 1st, " The former part
of this proposition, though it needs no apology for itself, yet it is a
good apology for us, and will help to sweep away, that, among ma-
ny other calumnies, wherewith we are often loaded, as ifive were vi-
lifyers and deniers of the scriptures ; for in that which we af-
firm of them, it doth appear at what high rate we value them, ac-
counting them without all deceit, or equivocation, the most excellent
ivritings in the loorld ; to which not only no other writings are to be
preferred, but even in divers respects not comparable thereto. For
as we freely acknowledge, that their authority doth not depend upon
the approbation or canons of any church or assembly ; so neither
CAN WE SUBJECT THEM TO THE FALLEN, CORRUPT, AND DEFILED REA-
SON OF MAN : and therein as we do freely agree with the Protes-
tants, against the error of the Romanists, so on the other hand, we
cannot go the length of such Protestants, as make their authori-
1 • ■ 1
ty to depend upon any virtue or power that is in the writings them-
selves ; but we desire to ascribe all to that Spirit from which thev
proceeded." — Pages 81, 82.
H h
242
We should not have supposed, that Robert Barclay would hare
been produced at the present day, as authority for supporting that
calumny of which he here complains, viz : that the Quakers vilifi-
ed and denied the scriptures; or that the compilers could have
omitted to notice this full assertion of the belief of the Society of
Friends in their divine original, authentity and authority ; and in-
comparable superiority over all other books in the world. Such,
however, is the case; without even noticing this, the compilers un-
generously commence with the nest paragraph, take in six lines,
stop at a semicolon ; then omit two pages — take in about half of page
85, then omit the statement of the nature of the argument, viz : that
they are not the principal ground of faith and knowledge ; pass over
to page 86 ; take in about four lines and stop at a colon, omitting
a sentence explanatory of R. Barclay's views, which concludes a
paragraph ; then on page 87 omit seventeen words at the beginning
of the next paragraph ; and commence where there is no stop in the
sentence, take in about one third of the page, leave out the remain-
der and go to page 88, take in about nine lines, then pass over
to page 93, take about half a page, then omit eight lines and begin
after m comma, taking in the remainder of page 93, and about four
lines on page 94, then omit nine lines, and resume the quotation
which is continued to page 97, where they close their extracts.
The several parts of this mangled extract, are placed in immedi-
ate succession to each other, as though they were regularly con-
nected in the author's treatise, without any mark which would de-
note that any intervening parts are left out, and punctuated and di-
vided into paragraphs as though they regularly commenced after,
and closed vvith a full period. We leave our readers to judge for
themselves how far such quotations as these can be considered as
authority for the sentiments of Robert Barclay, or the early Qua-
kers ; they need but little comment since every upright man must
see that by such means, an author may be made to speak almost any
sentiments.
Immediately succeeding the paragraph with which the compilers
close, we have the following, viz :
§ V. " If it be then asked me. Whether I think hereby to ren-
der the scriptures altogether uncertain or useless ? I answer; Not
at all. The proposition itself declares how much I esteem them ;
and provided, that to the Spirit from which, they came, be but
granted, that place, the scriptures themselves give it; I do freely
concede to the scriptures the second place, even whatsoever they say
of themselves, which the apostle Paul chiefly mentions in two pla-
ces, Romans xv. 4, Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were
written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of
the scriptures might have hope. *2d Tim. iii. 15, 16, 17, The ho-
ly scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation through faith,
which is in Jesus. Christ All scripture given by inspiration of God,
is profitable for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the
man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good
work."
243
Robert Barclay then proceeds to describe the several ways in
which Christians may derive benefit from the pious perusal of the
sacred volume; and after asserting that the society are ever willing
to have all their doctrines and practices tried by them, he considers
the various texts adduced by other protestant professors, to prove that
they are the only and primary rule of faith and manners. In his
ninth section, he thus replies to an objection :
" The last, and that which at first view seen\s to be the greatest
objection, is this :
"If the scripture be not the adequate, principal, and only rule,
then it would follow that the scripture is not complete, nor the canon
filled; that if men be now immediately led and ruled by the spirit,
they may add new scriptures of equal authority with the old, where-
as every one that adds is cursed : yea, what assurance have we, but,
at this rate, every one may bring in a new gospel, according to his
fancy ?
'*The dangerous consequences insinuated in this objection, were
fully answered in the latter part of the last proposition, in what was
said a little before, oflfering freely to disclaim all pretended revela-
tions contrary to the scripture.
" Objection 1. — But if it be urged, that it is not enough to deny
these consequences, if they naturally follow from your doctrine of
immediate revelation, and denying the scripture to be the only rule:
" I answer, we have proved both these doctrines to be true and ne-
cessary according to the scriptures themselves ; and therefore, to
fasten evil consequences upon them, which we make appear do not
follow, is not to accuse us, but Christ and his apostles, who preached
them. But, secondly, we have shut the door upon all such doctrine
in this very position, aflirming that the scriptures give a full and am-
ple testimony, to all the principal doctrines of the Christian faith.
For we do firmly believe that there is no other gospel or doctrine
to be preached, but that which uas delivered by the apostles; and do
freely subscribe to that saying, let him that preacheth any other gos-
pel than that which hath been already preached by the apostles, and
according to the scriptures ,be accursed.
" So we distinguish betwixt a revelation of a new gospel and new
doctrines, and a new revelation of the good old gospel and doc-
trines ; the last we plead for, but the first we utterly deny. For we
firmly believe that ' no other foundation can any man lay than that
which is laid already.' But that this revelation is necessary we have
already proved ; and this distinction doth sufficiently guard us against
the hazard insinuated in the objection." — Apology, pages 104, 105.
Barclay then goes into the consideration of the question, whethei'
the scripture be a filled canon or not, which concludes the chapter.
Our readers will at once perceive, that while this excellent man,
and able theologian, contended firmly against the erroneous idea,
that the Holy Scriptures are the only, or the primary rule of faith
and life ; he does positively assert, on behalf of the Society of
Friends, that they utterly renounce and deny all pretensions to the
revelation of any new doctrine ; that the sacred volume contains all
doctrines necessary in common to be believed, and that Ihey freely
244
subscribe to the saying, Id him that preacheth any other gospel than
that ivhich hath been already preached by the apostles, and according
to the scriptures, be accursed.
This doctrine the society has as;ain and again sanctioned, both in
England and America, and given it their approbation in the most un-
equivocal manner; and consequently, as Elias Hicks and his friends
do teach doctrines lohich directly contradict the Holy Scriptures, it
follows that they are not one in faith with the Society of Friends,
ancient or modern.
On page 66, of the compilers' pamphlet, we have three short quo-
tations, from the second section, of the thirteenth proposition and
argument of the Apology, which treats of the " communion, or par-
ticipation of the body and blood of Christ." We are at a loss to
discover what object the compilers had, in selecting these passages,
unless it be to make it appear, that R. Barclay denied the manhood
of Jesus Christ. But whatever might have been the design, it is cer-
tain that the quotations are made very unfairly, as will appear from
the following extracts, in which the parts selected by them, are en-
closed in brackets with a hand. Tiie second proposition thus com-
mences :
"§ 11. ICT'^The body,].,:^! then. iCT^Cof Christ, which believers
*' partake of, is spiritual and not carnal ; and his blood which they
" drink of, is pure and heavenly,~l<cDS and not human or elementa-
ry, as Augustin also affirms of the body of Christ which is eaten, in
his Tractat Psal. xcviii. Except a man eat my flesh, he hath not
in him life eternal : and he saith. The words which I speak unto you,
are spirit and life; understand spiritually what I have spoken. Ye
shall not eat of this body which ye see, and drink this blood
which they shall spill, which crucifj me. I am the living bread, who
have descended from Heaven. He calls himself the bread, who de-
scended fiom Heaven, exhorting that we might believe in him, &:c.
" If it be asked then. What that, body, what that flesh and blood
is? • ■
" I answer ; ICr^CIt is that heavenly seed, that divine, spiritual,
« celestial substance, of which we spake before, in the fifth and sixth
" propositions.].,^^! This is that spiritual body of Christ, whereby
and through which, he communicateth life to men, and salvation to
as many as believe in him, and receive him ; and whereby also,
man comes to have fellowship and communion with God." — page
460.
The first sentence which the compilers have taken, comprises
about three lines of the Apology, and closes at a comma — this they
have pointed with a period, and omitting twelve lines, take in about
three lines more, in the next paragraph, joining the two together as
though regularly connected in the Apology, and appearing in their
pamphlet as one continuous quotation.
R. Barclay, then proceeds to recite the principal part of the sixth
chapter of John, from verse 32 to the end, and to explain and apply
it to the communion of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus, which
the saints partake of. Having done this, he draws the following
conclusion, a part of which the compilers quote, viz :
245
" |ir7*[From],ad this large description of ICT'Cthe origin, na-
" ture, and effects, of this body, flesh, and blood of Christ, it is ap-
■' parent that it is spiritual, and to be understood of a spiritual body,
*' and not of that body, or temple of Jesus Christ, which was born
••of the Virgin Mary, and in which he walked, lived, and suffered, in
" the land of Judea ;]«C^ because it is said, that it came down from
Heaven; yea, that it is he that came down from Heaven. Now all
christians at present, generally, acknowledge, that the outward body
of Christ came not down from Heaven ; neither was it that part of
Christ which came down from Heaven. And to put the matter out
of doubt, when the carnal Jews, would have been so understanding
it, he tolls them plainly, verse 63, It is the spirit that quickeneth,
but the flesh profiteth nothing.
" |C7^[This is also founded upon most sound and solid reason;;
•' because it is the soul, not the body, that is to be nourished by this
'* flesh and blood. Now, outward flesh cannot nourish nor feed the
•' soul ; there is no proportion nor analogy betwixt them ; neither is
" the communion of the saints with God, by a conjunction and mu-
•«tual participation of flesh, but of spirit :]a:£:3| he that is joined to
the Lord, is one spirit, not one flesh." — page 462.
R. f3arclay, then goes on to explain the subject further, and to
draw a distinction between the spiritual flesh and blood and body
of Christ, and that body of outward flesh which he t-ook from the
Virgin Mary, in which the Word of God appeared and was mani-
fested. This distinction of spiritual and fleshly bodies, is the most
that can be inferred from the sentences, which the compilers have
mutilated, and since R. Barclay acknowledges in one of them, the
miraculous conception of our blessed Lord, it furnishes us with an-
other instance of disagreement between him and Elias Hicks, the
latter affirming that the scripture testimony proves Jesus Christ to be
the son- of Joseph.
To show clearly, that Barclay was a firm believer in all that the
scriptures set forth, concerning the coming, and suffering, and death,
See, of the Son of God, (though this has already been sufliciently
evinced from his declarations respecting the sacred volume,) we
shall insert the following paragraph from his proposition on univer-
sal and saving light. After largely enforcing the necessity and suf-
ficiency of the Holy Spirit graciously vouchsafed to all men, the au-
thor adds :
" § XV. Fourthly. — AVe do not hereby intend, any ways, to les-
sen or derogate from the atonement and sacrifice of Jesus Christ ;
but on the contrary, do magnify and exalt it. For as we believe all
those things to have been certainly transacted, which are recorded
in the Holy Scriptures, concerning the birth, life, miracles, suffer-
ings, resurrection, and ascension of Christ; so we do also believe,
that it is the duty of every one to believe it, to whom it pleases God
to reveal the same, and to bring to them the knowledge of it ; yea,
we believe it were damnable unbelief, not to believe it, when so de-
clared ; but to resist that holy seed, which as minded would lead
and incline every one to believe it, as it is oflfered unto them, though
it revealeth not in Q\cry one, the outward and explicit knowledge of
246
it, nevertheless it always assenteth to it, where it is declared. Ne-
theless as we firmly believe it was necessary, that Christ should
come, that by his death and sufferings, he might offer up himself a
sacrifice to God for our sins, who his own self bare our sins in his
own body on the tree, so we believe that the remission of sins
WHICH ANY PARTAKE OF, IS ONLY IN AND BY VIRTUE OF THAT MOST SA-
TISFACTORY SACRIFICE, AND NO OTHERWISE. For it is by the obedience
of that one, that the free gift is come upon all, to justification. Foi-
we affirm, that as all men partake of the fruit of Adam's fall, in that,
by reason of that evil seed, which, through him, is communicated un-
to them, they are prone and inclined unto evil, though thousands of
thousands be ignorant of Adam's fall, neitheirever knew of the eat-
ing of the forbidden fruit; so also many may come to feel the influ-
ence of this holy and divine seed and light, and be turned from evil
to good by it, though they knew nothing of Christ's coming in the
flesh, through whose obedience and sufferings it is purchased unto
them. And as we affirm it is absolutely needful, that those do be-
lieve the history of Christ's outward appearance, whom it pleased
God to bring to the knowledge of it; so we do freely confess, that
even that outward knowledge, is very comfortable to such as are
subject to, and led by, the inward seed and light. For not only
doth the sense of Christ's love and sufferings tend to humble them, but
they are thereby also strengthened in their faith, and encouraged to
follow that excellent pattern, which he hath left us, who suffered for
us, as saith the apostle Peter, 1 Pet. ii. 21 , leaving us an example that
we should follow his steps: and many times we are greatly edified
and refreshed, with the gracious sayings which proceed out of his
mouth. The history then is profitable and comfortable with the mys-
tery, and never without it; but the mystery is, and may be profita-
ble, without the explicit and outward knowledge of the history."—
pages 155, 156.
247
►
CHAPTER XIV.
Observations on the extracts from the writings of Frajjcis HowaiLi,
The compilers have inserted on their 69th page, a quotation from
a controversial essay, written by Francis Howgill, by which it would
seem, they wish to make it appear, that this author considered the
saints to be equal with God. We have already replied to a similar
charge alleged against George Fox; and have proved from the evi-
dence of his cotemporary Friends, that he meant far otherwise, than
his enemies pretended ; and that the early Quakers never profess-
ed so blasphemous a doctrine.
Francis Howgill does not assert, that the saints are equal with
God, but that they are in that, which is one in nature with him. He
quotes the language of the apostle, " He that is joined to the Lord
is one spirit," and adds, " there is unity, and the unity stands in
equality itself." It is evident from the manner in which he uses
the term, that he means no more by equality than oneness in nature,
and this is further shown in the subsequent sentence. " He that is
born from above," says he, " is the Son of God ; and he said, I and
my Father are one. And when the Son is revealed and speaks, the
Father speaks in him, and dwells in him, and he in the Father."
The compilers have here, as in the paragraph from George Fox, on
the same subject, omitted the usual form of commencing the word
Son, (when applied to our blessed Lord,) with a capital letter, doubt-
less intending to make it apply to those who are called sons of
God by adoption. But it will be seen that Francis Howgill pre-
vents this construction of his expression, by using the past tense,
" Who said,^^ and reciting the express words of our Lord, which
proves that he alluded to him only. Francis Howgill adds, " In
that which is equal; IN equality itself; there is equality injjia-
ture, though not in stature.^^
The intention of the author in these expressions, appears to be
in consonance with that saying of our blessed Saviour, " I am the
vine, ye are the branches, and my Father is the husbandman. As
the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no
more can ye except ye abide in me." Hence every true disciple
of the Lord Jesus, must abide in him — and he that abides in him,
in Christ, is in that, which is equal with God, for said he, " I and
my Father are One." But Francis Howgill is careful to distinguish
between equality in nature and equality in degree, and in the former
sense only, he uses it when applied lo the saints ; and in both when
speaking of Jesus Christ. The same passage as the compilers have
quoted in their pamphlet, was adduced by the Snake, to prove
that Francis Howgill, equalled himself with God. The reader may
see the reply, in Joseph Wyeth's Switch, p. 60.
248
Page 7-2 of the pamphlet, we have a quotation from Francis How-
gill's works, which seems to be highly valued by the compilers, as
they have printed a part of it in large capitals. It is upon the sub
ject of, understanding what we believe ; and we cannot but smile at
their want of perception in construing it into a defence of their
great axiom, that man^s reason is to comprehend the mysteries of re-
ligion. As they have garbled the passage in order to make it fa-
vour their notions, we shall quote the whole paragraph and doubt
not but we shall convince every man, of common understanding and
candour, that Francis Howgill is writing against the very notion,
which they quote this mutilated sentence, to support. This extract
is, as usual, enclosed in brackets.
The essay from which it is taken, is entitled, " The true rule,
judge, and guide, of the true Church of God, borne testimony unto,,
what it is, and wherein it consisteth." This was written in reply
to a treatise by Robert Everard, in which the latter asserted, that
as "all dissenting judgments grant there must be a' way, and a rule,
appointed to teach us, to decide all doubts, to judge of all matters,
and to teach us the true way to heaven with certainty ; but who
this rule or judge is ; is not agreed upon by all ;" he has collected
the different opinions respecting it, into four heads — " First, Some
set up the Spirit to direct them, and to be this means — Secondly,
another will have every man's own natural reason to be this rule and
judge. Thirdly, others will set up sole scripture. And the fourth,
assigns the Holy Catholic Church to be that Judge and director."
Robert Everard argues against either of the first three, being that
rule, and establishes, as he thinks, " the fourth to be that way, and
rule, and judge, and governing power, to decide all doubts, as that
whereby all are obliged to submit unto, as to Christ himself." He
states that he always esteemed the Quaker's light, to be the spirit,
or natural reason ; but which, he did not know ; and therefore this
being the point in which he wished satisfaction, he waved all con-
troversy respecting their doctrines, and confined his observations
and inquiries to this one subject. Francis Howgill replies to his
arguments severally: On page 634, he says —
"The next thing which Robert Everard saith he considered, was,
That the natural reason of every man, could not possibly be the
rule and judge that I sought for; for, (saith he,) if rca?on were to be
rule and judge, then it would follow, contrary to scripture, that it's
not impossible to please God tvithoiit faith., and it would likewise
follow, that every religion would be truth, consequently, contradic-
tions would be true, consequently, there would be many religions,
and no faith all, for reason exclucles faith as in the 26th page of his
[Robert Everard's] book. To this Francis Howgill answers: —
" Thy tongue is thy own, and thou art at liberty and goest whither
thou wilt, and speakest what seems good in thy own eyes, and hast
never yet known another to gird thee, and lead thee whither thou
wouldst not; I stand not to vindicate every man's judgment, n^\\\\Qv
to prove other men's conceptions; but seeing thou hast taken in hand
to lay all mountains waste before thee; that stand in tliy ways, thou
hast raised up some in thv discourse for others to stumble at, and
249
hast spoken many false things without distinguishing;, and putting a
difference between light and darkness, between naturcd reason and
spiritual reason, I could not choose but say somewhat.
" Although it is no part of mi/ belief that the natural reason of any
man, or every man, is able to be rule, judge, and guide to any man
in the things of God ; yet faith is not in opposition unto pure reason,
neither is pure and spiritual reason in opposition to true faith, but
in harmony with it, and one with another, as they are the gifts of God ;
but the natural reason of all the fallen sons of Jldam is corrupted,
and is too short ami too narrow, too cross, and too perverse to be rule
and judge in the things of God ; for the natural man by all his en-
dowments, in the transgression, perceives not the things of God, for
they are spiritually discerned, and the things of God, that are spiri-
tual and eternal, are above the reach of natural reason, and
yet thy consequence is false, foi faith doth not exclude pure reason :
and faith doth not make blind the understanding but enlightens it,
and though it is impossible to please God without faith, yet it is
impossible, that that taitli should be ivithout reason ; the apostle de-
sired to be delivered from unreasonable men, that had not faith, so
it is manifest, they that have faith have reason, and ihey that have
no faith, are unreasonable: And fcip[where thou hast borrowed this
" rule 1 know not, that a man must believe that he doth not under-
" stand, seeing the Apostle saith to the Romans, even of the Gen-
" tiles, who had not the law nor the scripture, 'that that which may
♦' be known of God was manifest in them : for by tiiat it is manifest,
"they understood the mind of God, and knew him; for Paul saitli
" further, when they knew God they glorified him not as God, but
*' were unthankful, &c. ; and again he that believes, must know that
" God is, for none can believe in that which is not; for, to persuade any
*' to believe in uncertainties which are not manifest in the under-
" standing, doth rather beget unbelief and doubting, than true
" faith,]a3r:]| but thy paths, are so full of darkness, I shall not tra-
duce them, and thy consequences are false ; for pure reason teacheth
not contradictions, neither doth teach that there is no faith at all,
neither is faith excluded by pure reason, as thou igiiorantly sayest
in the 26th page; and is it not reason, that 1 should believe in him,
whom I know is the Creator, and Governor of all the world ; and
pure religion is so far from excluding faith, that they that have true
faith have reason, and stand not in opposition to faith; but this I
conclude, that the reason of fallen men is corrupted and is an uncer-
tain thing to rely upon, and so not a competent judge in matters of
so high concernment, as touching everlasting salvation."
It must require but a very moderate share of discernment, to ena-
ble any candid reader, to perceive the true meaning of P'rancis How-
gill in this argument. The author against whom he was contending,
being a member of the Church of Rome, lays it down as a maxim,
that every thing propounded by her, as an article of faith, Imwever
absurd and contradictory to revelation and pure reason, is to be be-
lieved, upon the credit of her infallibility; therefore he rejects all other
rules for judging controversies or doctrines, but her dictum. This
notion Francis Howgill contends against as false and antichristian.
T •
250
In replying to the argument of Robert Everard, he censures himjfor
not distinguishing between light and darkness^ natural reason and spi-
ritual reason, which is to say, that though spiritual reason is lighf , yet
natural reason is darkness. He then declares that it is no part of his
belief, that the natural reason of any man^ is able to he rule^ pidge
and guide to any man in the things of God. Now if not the natu-
ral reason of any man, then, not the natural reason evenofthe saints.
is adequate to this great business, of judging in the things of God,
and consequently something higher than reason is essentially neces-
sary, to lead us aright in the mysteries of religion.
To prove his assertion that natural reason is not adequate, he says
it is "too short and too narrow," as well as "too cross and loo per-
verse, to be rule and judge in the things of God." If it is too short
and too narrow, then it is not able to comprehend those things of
God, which '\f is necessary for man to know in order to salvation,
and a more comprehensive and noble principle is necessary to guide,
and govern, and direct. If a man is to believe those things of God,
which natural reason is too short and too narrow to comprehend,
which Francis Howgij] asserts; then man is to believe what Iiis na-
tural reason cannot comprehend or judge of, and hence it is that he
adds, "for the natural man, by all his endowments, in the transgres-
sion, perceives not the things of God, for they are spiritually discern-
ed." If then man, by all his endoivments, perceives not the things
of God, consequently, reason, though ever so much cultivated, is in-
capable of discerning or comprehending them ; and must remain for-
ever ignorant of them, unless they are opened by that spirit of
truth, which alone is able to unfold the mysteries of the kingdom of
heaven.
But we have yet a more positive declaration from Francis How-
gill of the incapacity of human reason, to scan the deep things of
God. In the same sentence he says, '■'the things of God, that are
spiritual and eternal, are above the reach of natural reason;" now if
they are above the reach of natural reason, it follows that natural
reason cannot comprehend nor understand them ; therefore, if they
are believed, as they must be, in order to salvation, a man must be-
lieve what his reason cannot comprehend.
But Francis Howgill says it is a false inference to conclude fronj
hence, thskt faith concludes reason; which is certainly true, since, if
man had not reason, that noble faculty which distinguishes him from
the inferior orders of the animal creation, he could not have faith.
But this is a truth not at all connected with the axiom of unbelief,
that a man must not believe what he cannot comprehend.
If we believe that God is a God of truth, that he is ever unchange-
ably the same, then it is perfectly consistent with pure reason, that
we should implicitly believe whatever he is pleased to reveal to us, be-
cause we know that he cannot lie. Hence, faith does not exclude
pure reason, but is in harmony with it, though the truth which he re-
veals, and which we thus receive, and believe, in consequence of our
faith in Him, may be utterly incomprehensible by our own puny pow-
ers. Thus God has seen meet to reveal to us that he is an eternaU
251
self-existent, uncreated being; without beginning and witliout end;
infinite in all glorious attributes and perfections ; omniscient and
omnipresent ; and that all time, past, present, and to come, is ever
present with him, and open to his view. Now if we have faith in
Him, that faith which is his own blessed gift, we must reverently as-
sent to all this; we must believe him to be what he has declared he is;
and in humility we can worship and adore him as such ; but yet ivc
cannot comprehend even one of these, his exalted attributes; nor with
all our puny powers have the least adequate idea of it. He is infinitely-
exalted above all our finite conceptions and narrow powers of com-
prehension, higher than the heavens are above the earth ; and yet it
is reasonable, nay, it is our indispensable diityto believe not only that
he is^ but that he is, what he has declared himself to be.
We now come to the consideration of that part of F. Howgill's ar-
gument which the compilers have extracted. He says to his opponent,
*' And where thou hast borrowed this rule, T know not, that a man
must believe that he doth not understand." It is proper to notice, iu
the first place, that this rule was adduced by R. Everard,as a reason
why people should assent to the absurd notions which the church of
Rome propounded to the belief of her members, and to which she
required their assent upon the bare credit of her assertion, however
contradictory they might be to the doctrines of Holy Scripture, and
the immediate revelation of the spirit of God.
In opposition to this, Francis Howgil"! says, " he knows not where
he has borrowed this rule," and then gives, as a proof of the neces-
sity of understanding what we believe, that " the apostle saith to the
Romans, even of the gentiles, who had not the law, nor the scrip-
ture, that that which may be knoivn of God, was manifest in them"
When we consider this explanation of what Francis Hovvgill intends,
by '-understanding what is believed," and compare it with his pre-
vious assertion, that the things of God are above natural reason, it
must be evident that he alludes only to that revelation of the things
of God, by the spirit of God, through which they were made mani-
fest in the minds of the gentiles, as well as the Jews. He could not
allude to comprehending them bj natural reason ; or coming to know
them, through that medium, else he would thereby contradict his
many positive assertions in the preceding and concluding parts of the
same paragraph.
This is still more evident by what immediately follows the last
sentence, viz. " for by that, it is manifest, they understood the
mind of God, and knew him, for Paul saith further, ' when they
knew God, they glorified him not as God but were unthankful,' &c.
And again, he that believes, must know that God is, for none can
believe in that which is not.''''
Now to understand the mind of God, and know him, he has al-
ready declared, to be beyond the reach of naturcd reason ; and con-
sequently he cannot allude to this, as the means of their knowledge.
— It is obvious too, that if reason had given them the knowledge of
God, and of his will, the same reason would have taught them to
obey it, whereas, though they knew God, yet they glorified him not
as God, but were unthankful.
252
From the whole paragraph, it is clearly apparent, that when the
author speaks of understanding, he means no more than that know-
ledge of any mystery, duty, or command, which through the reve-
lation of the Holy Spirit, God is pleased to unfold to the mind of
man, and make manifest there. And this he asserts, in opposition
to the notion that we are to believe or practice things, contrary to
reason and scripture, merely because the church of Rome has com-
manded them. He winds up the whole argument with this result :
" but this I conclude, that the reason of fallen men is corrupted, and
is an uncertain thing to rely upon, and so NOT A COMPETENT
JUDGE in matters of so high concernment as touching everlasting
salvation.''^
The compilers have done great injustice to Francis Howgill, by
mutilating the sentence, so as to force upon him, if possible, an opi-
nion directly the reverse of that which he was contending for ; and
one which he declares to be no part of his belief.
In the course of the essay from which the extract is made, he as-
serts, that " they that teach a contrary doctrine to the doctrine of
Christ and his apostles, they have the spirit of error ; p. 633.
" Again we have this to say, he that teacheth a contrary doctrine
than that which was once delivered unto the saints, is a deceiver and
deceived ; and this was Christ's doctrine, once delivered unto the
saints, &c." P. 631. Those who are now promulgating sentiments
which are directly contradictory to the doctrines of Christ and his
apostles, may perceive from this, how far F. H. is from coinciding
with them ; while these assertions, will fully acquit him from in-
tending to insinuate that man by his own reason and wisdom may
understand the mysteries of redemption, in direct opposition to the
declarations of our blessed Lord, who said, they were hid from the
wise and prudent of this world, and of the apostles, who declared
the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God, and the
world by wisdom knew not God.
In conclusion he declares, that Christ is the way to the Father
and to the kingdom, the rule of his church and the Head by which
it is governed, that he is the Lawgiver and Judge, for the Father
hath committed all judgment unto the Son, who alone propounds
truth sufficiently, and is the Author of true, living, saving faith.
253
CONCLUSION.
We have now concluded our examination of the Extracts made
by the Compilers, from the writings of our " primitive Friends ;*'
and have proved by abundant and conclusive testimony, from the
very authors whom they quote, that the alleged charge of coinci-
ding with Elias Hicks, in denying the Three that bear record in
heaven, the Divinity and Atonement of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, and the authenticity, and divine authoiity of the Holy
Scriptures, is unfounded and untrue.
We have shown from the writings of the early Quakers, that
when charged with holding the sentiments which Elias Hicks now
avows, they promptly denied and repelled it as a false and mali-
cious accusation ; and we have presented to the reader, numerous
declarations of faith, put forth by them, evincing in the clearest
manner, their firm belief, in all the doctrines of the christian reli-
gion, as laid down by our blessed Lord and his apostles, in the sa-
cred volume ; from which it is apparent, that E. Hicks and his ad-
herents, have widely swerved from the original principles " of our
pious and enlightened predecessors."
In examining the extracts made by the compilers, we have had
to notice many instances, where they have garbled or interpolated
the writings, which they have quoted, so as to obscure, or entirely
pervert, the true sense, and meaning of the authors. We cannot
but view tliese unjustifiable liberties, as greatly beneath the true
dignity of honest men, and the uprightness of the christian charac-
ter, and as furnishing decisive proof, that they are advocating a
cause, which cannot be defended by fair and honourable means ;
yet we are not so uncharitable, as to suppose that all those, who
may be favourable to Elias Hicks, approve of the ungenerous means
to which the compilers have resorted, in order to force upon the
early Quakers, sentiments, which it is incontestibly evident,
they never held. — We trust that the number who would thus iden-
tify themselves with such dishonourable practices, is very small —
for we are persuaded that every liberal and enlightened mind,
whatever may be its bias, in favour of the opinions which the com-
pilers wish to support, will disclaim with noble indignation, any
participation in such measures.
In treating upon the several points embraced in the pamphlet,
to which we have replied, the sameness of the subjects rendered it
impossible to avoid frequent repetition; but we apprehend, the pe-
culiar circumstances of the case, will form a sufficient apology to
the candid reader. — In making our extracts, we have been careful
to omit no part, requisite to give a just view of the author's senti-
254
ments ; and though the limits of the present volume, would not ad-
mit of the insertion of more than a small part, of the very abun-
dant evidence, for the soundness of the doctrines of primitive
Friends; yet we hope the quotations which we have exhibited, will
not only satisfy our readers that they were real Christians, but ex-
cite them to a serious examination of their acknowledged doc-
trinal treatises ; of which the most full and clear are Penn's Pri-
mitive Christianity Revived, his Key opening the way to distin-
guish between the Quaker's religion and the perversions of it, and
his Testimony to the Truth, &c. and Barclay's Catechism and
Apology.
From an extensive and careful research into the works of the
early Quakers, we are fully satisfied, without the shadow of a doubt,
that they were, what they ever professed to be, sincere and un-
feigned believers, in all the doctrines of Holy Scripture, undenia-
bly so, as regards those points which Elias Hicks now positively re-
jects ; and that they were ever ready and willing to have all their
tenets tried by the testimony of the Sacred volume. We fear not,
but that we shall, on all occasions, be able to prove and establish
this, in the most satisfactory manner, by the evidence of their own
writings.
The compilers of the pamphlet inform us, that their extracts,
" have been carefully transcribed and compared; if, however, [say
they3 any alterations, or inaccuracies, appear, they are to be attri-
buted solely to accident, and not to design."
We appeal to the sober judgment of every upright man, whether
this sentence, does not evince in the clearest manner, that they
knew at the time they were printing the pamphlet, that they had
unjustly altered the language of the primitive Friends ; and were
anxious by this flimsy apology, to screen themselves from the me-
rited odium which such conduct must inevitably receive. We can
readily attribute literal inaccuracies, and typographical errors to
accident, and make every reasonable allowance for them, because
we know, that even where much care is taken, they will frequently
occur ; but deliberately to assert, that alterations, and such altera-
tions too, as the compilers have made, leaving out necessary parts
of sentences, adding whole lines to the language of the writer, and
by the most unfair garbling, entirely perverting the meaning of the
text ; to tell the public, that these alterations " are to be attributed
solely to accident, and not to design;''^ is so palpable an instance of
disregard to truth, as must put to the blush, every advocate for the
cause in which they are engaged. Such alterations coidd not possi-
bly occur, by accident, as the compilers well knew, when they were
writing this sentence. They evince a deliberate design, to lay waste
the christian character of the Society of Friends, and to fix the odi-
ous stigma of unbelief, upon those worthy and pious men, who were
its original founders.
We doubt not, but the compilers have " carefully compared
their extracts ;" but we have s-hown enough in the present volume,
to convince any one, that the care in comparing, has been taken, not
to render them faithful delineations of the sentiments contained in
255
the originals, but to mutilate or alter them, so as to present the
most favourable construction, in support of the sentiments ofElias
Hicks. They seem themselves to have been fully aware of this,
and as if to deprecate the just retribution of censure and contempt,
which they knew must await detection, they put in the plea of ac-
cident. The alterations say they, occurred by accident. But surely,
this is adding effrontery to unfairness. What opinion would a ju-
dicial tribunal form of a man, who, when arraigned on trial for a
forgery, should plead that he did it, solely by accident, not by de-
sign ? Would not such a paltry excuse justly be esteemed an ag-
gravation to the offence? and yet a man so circumstanced, might
with as much truth, set up such a pretence, as do the compilers for
the alterations, which they have wittingly made.
It is cause of deep regret to us, that persons professing them-
selves members of a religious society, once honourably distinguish-
ed by its conscientious regard to truth and integrity, should have
given occasion for the remarks which we have been obliged to make ;
and especially when under the pretence ot advocating religious
-principles. Great indeed must be their defection from the sincerity
of our worthy predecessors ! We know not who the compilers
are, and consequently cannot be actuated by personal feelings, in
aught we have said. The task of exposing their errors has been
by no means a pleasant one ; but when we remembered how prompt
and decided the early Quakers were, in replying to every accusa-
tion alleged against them, and how zealously they vindicated their
infant society from the charges which are now revived by the com-
pilers ; justice to the memory of these worthy christians, love to the
Society of Friends, as well as a sense of duty, impelled us to en-
gage in the present work. We have endeavoured to state the truth
honestly, though plainly, and trust that in so doing, we have been
actuated only by upright motives.
The following accusations being substantially the same as those
insinuated in the pamphlet; and the replies to them, asserting the
true belief of the primitive Friends, may properly claim a place in
this conclusion, viz :
" It hath been an objection often made, sometimes foolishly, some-
times enviously, but always falsely ; that we deny the holy Three, >
mentioned 1 John v. 7, which bear record in heaven : because we
cannot but think the word " Per-son," too gross to express them.
IVe own their distinction in all the instances of it, recorded in Holy
ivrit ; and have a thousand times declared our sincere belief, in Al-
mighty God, the creator of all things; and in Jesus Christ his eter-
nal Son, by whom all things were made, and in the Holy Spirit, pro-
ceeding trom the Father and the Son." — Switch for the Snake, p.
184.
" Snake, p. 121. — The Quakers and Socinians, acknowledge a
Three, but deny a trinity, which is to confess the same thing in
English and to deny it in Latin : for trinitas is only Latin for three
— But the meaning is, they would not have the Three in heaven to
be Three persons. Though they cannot make sense of Three what
they are, if not Three Persons." To which Joseph Wyeth replies :
256
" What the Socinians acknowledge is not my business 'to en-
quire. But for ourselves. We acknowledge the Three mentioned in
Holy Writ, which bear record in heaven, and we need not the pe-
dantry of the Snake, to translate the word into Latin : and the
sense we make of the Three, so bearing record, is the same which
is declared by the Holy Ghost ; and when the Snake shall show that
the Holy Ghost hath declared them, Three Persons, we will not
fail so to express them." — Pages 186, 187.
" According to what has been already spoken in the foregoing
sections, occasionally, concerning the Divinity and incarnation of
Christ, I do here of set purpose declare it as a truth, which notv is,
and always hath been, since we were a people, believed and declared
by us : That the Word which was in the beginning with God, by
which all things were made ; did in the fulness of time, according to
the appointment of the Father, take flesh, and was born of the Virgin
Mary, and that in that body of flesh, the fulness of the Godhead
dwelt bodily. Thus in the largeness of the expression, and sense
of Scripture, we do truly and sincerely o^«n, according to John i. 14.
that the Word was made flesh, 8,'C. dwelt on the earth, and took on
him, not the nature of angels ; not airy aerial or fantastical body ;
but the seed of Abraham and David ; and this he did for the same
reason and behoof mentioned by the apostle, Heb, ii. 17, 18,
Wherefore in all things it behoveth him to be made like unto his
brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in
things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the
people. For in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is
able to succour them that are tempted. For which infinite love of
Jesus Christ, in being both the Saviour and Reconciler of men to
God, through himself, we sincerely say with the apostle, Heb. iii. 3,
For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inas-
much as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the
house.
" Reader, these, and all other testimonies recorded in Holy Writ,
testifying to the manhood as well as the divinity of Jesus Christ, we
(lo, and always did sincerely own: so that should our books, in
which is treated directly on this subject, and abundantly more
largely, and particularly than here it can be, be collected, they would
make many volumes. Yet such hath been, and is the inveterate ma-
Hce of our enemies, that our writings no more than our words, must
not mean what we so often and solemnly have declared we do mean by
them / but what our adversaries will have them to mean, that so they
may not seem to ivant proofs for these their false and envious charges.
Wliat now remains for us to do ? But still to persevere in our true
and scriptural belief ; and to repeat our testimonies of it to the envi-
ous objections of enemies ^ and for the satisfaction of the gober en-
quirer."— p. 191, 19i^
" In the section imntediately foregoing, the divinity and incarna-
tion of Christ, is largely treated of, and I have therein shown that
we own and believe both, as declared fully and truly in the Holy
Scriptures, and also that our books, rescued from the perversions of
/his our adversary, do speak according to that acknowledged rule.
257
It remains, that in this, I now show that we have always owned in
like scriptural sense ; that Jesus Christ, in life, doctrine, and deaths
did fulfil his Father'' s ivill, and did offer up himself, a most satisfacto-
ry sacrifice for the sins of mankind ; m opposition to the false insin-
uations of the Snake herein, who says, p. 151, Herein the Quakers
are direct Socinians, for they positively deny the satisfaction.
" Under which cloudy charge, he insinuates as if we did deny what
the scriptures do declare herein : which is false, and he might with
equal sincerity have said, the Church of England do deny the satis-
faction. For to come nearer, the satisfaction which is positively
denied by us, is as positively denied by the Church of England,
which is, that rigid and strict notion of satisfaction, which some had
doctrinally, but unscripturally laid down, in the terms following, viz:
— [Here the author inserts William Penn's description of the doc-
trine, for which see page 38 of this work.]
"This, reader, is the satisfaction, or strict and rigid notion of it
which we do deny, and which William Penn as quoted by the
Snake, p. 154, does totally exclude, as anon I shall have occasion
more largely to show. But that we do from hence deny the satis-
faction which Christ did make, and ivhich the Father did accept^ as
mentioned and declared in Holy Tfrit, is very false. For we do believe
that as our Saviour does declare, John x. 18, ' No man taketh it from
me, (speaking of his life,) but I lay it down of myself : I have power
to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command-
ment received I of my Father.' I say, ive do believe that as Christ
had this commandment and poioer from the Father, so by his pure,
divine, free and voluntary resignation, ' not as I will, but as thou
wilt,' JVlatt. xxvi. 42, he did, thereby endear the Father^s love unto
him, as himself declares, verse 17, Therefore doth my Father love
me, because I lay down my life. And this his free, and uncon-
strained, voluntary offering of himself as a ransom for all, did in-
clude his agonv on the mount, and his agony on tiie cross ; in tine,
it includes all his sufferings, botli inward and outward, ichereby he
became a complete, perfect, and satisfactory sacrifice, and as such was
accepted of the Father. This briefly, but truly, and according to
scripture, is a short account of the satisfaction which we do positive-
ly own : as the former is an account of the satisfaction which we do
positively deny." — Pages 230, 231, 232.
" The Quakers dispute against these, (viz: the outward sufferings
and death of Christ,) and place the merit and satisfaction, in the alle-
gorical sufferings and blood of their light iviihin, inivardly 9\\ed, Sec.
" This assertion of the Snake, is not allegoriccdly, but literally a
lie ; for we acknoivledge the satisfaction made by Christ to his Father,
but we do deny that groundless and dangerous notion, of his having
paid, and his Father exacted, that strict and rigorous satisfaction,
by undergoing the self-same punishment and pains that the damned
suffer in hell.
" We own the merit of his outward death and sufferings, but dis-
pute, against the misapplication oj that merit, to ungodly men, con-
tinuing impenitently in their sins.
" W^e own and believe, that men by continuing impenitently in
Kk
258
their sins, do press, as with sheaves, the Holy Spirit, and by such,
their despite to the Spirit of grace, do grieve the good Spirit of God,
which he hath shed abroad upon the hearts of men in order to their
regeneration. But have never said or believed, that the satisfaction
made by Christ to the Father, and the merit thereof, consisted in any
allegorical suffering and blood of the Light within, inwardly shed.
" We own and believe, that men through obedience to the spirit
of grace, may come to have their consciences sprinkled from dead
works, to serve the living God ; and may through the blood of the
everlasting covenant, be made perfect in every good work to do the
will of God, through Jesus Christ. But have never placed, or be-
lieved the possibility thereof, did consist in such allegorical death and
sufferings, as the Snake does insinuate against us ; no more tlian
the apostle, in these and other places of Holy Writ, where he di-
rects men to the AVord, Christ, in them, can be supposed to under-
value the outward death, and sufferings of Christ, at Jerusalem, and
to place the satisfaction he made to the Father, and the merit of it,
to consist in these his spiritual appearances, by the Holy Spirit, in
the hearts of men." — Switch, pages 7, 8.
" We, have always testified according to 2 Tim. iii. 16. ^11 scrip-
ture is given by inspiration of God, and is profiiabU for doctrine^
for reproof , for correction^ for instruction in righteousness. And
the reason of this is, because according to 2 Pet. i. 21. The
2)rophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but Holy
■men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And
therefore, it is, that we have constantly directed men, to the Holy
Spirit for the true understanding of them ; by the movings whereof
they were at first written. For as they do contain a true declara-
tion of the tilings of God, so they are not to be truly understood, but
by the Spiiit of God. How much the contrary of this can be prov-
ed by this Snake, I shall now examine.
" Snake, page 85. — The Quakers' notion of the Light within, (as
before explained,) must necessarily cut off our dependence upon the
Holy Scriptures, as a rule either of faith or manners.
" The Light within, Christ in zis, as before I have explained, as it
is not contrary to the scriptures ; so it does not cut them off from be-
ing useful, as before declared, viz : for doctrine, reproof, correction,
&c. For though the Holy Spirit is as infallible now as ever, and
it is the same Holy Spirit, (manifested in the hearts of men at this
day,) by which the holy men did write the scriptures, yet the mani-
festations thereof to them, being in greater degree, we justly give
them the priority ; th\s, with respect to the writings of any faithful
servant of Christ at this day. But with respect to the Holy Spirit,
that being, (as I have jnst now said,) as infallible now as ever; it
must of necessity also follow, that whosoever, through obedience,
follows the guidings of it, must have as sure, (because the same.)
rule as the prophets and apostles had. And this is no more contradic-
tory, than the parable of the talents, Matt, xxv,, in which our Saviour
shows the different proportions of trust of the same treasure: and
the one talent, had it been employed in the same way, which the
five were, it would as certainly have gained profit. Thus they who
259
liuough obedience, improve their talent, and are in the apostle's
phrase, 2 Cor. vi. 1, workers together with Christ, they shall witness
a growth in his grace ; and who do so grow, have the same sure rule
of the Holy Spirit, to read and understand the scriptures by, even
the same sure rule, which the prophets and apostles had, when
they writ them. Hence it is, that he that hath, and obeys the least
measure of this sure rule, the Holy Spirit in himself, will easily and rea-
dily acknowledge and consent, to the further degrees of the revealed
will of the Holy Spirit, recorded in the scriptures of truth." — pages
150, 151.
Such are the doctrines and principles which the Society of Friends
has ever maintained, and which all those who are consistent mem=
bers of it, do still maintain, notwithstanding the many contrary as-
sertions which invidious opposers, or pretended friends have beea
pleased to make in their name. And however its christian reputa-
tion may be eclipsed by the sorrowful defection of some nominal
members, from that holy faith which in so remarkable a manner
was committed to our worthy predecessors, the profession whereof
they held fast, through a long scene of cruel persecution and grievous
suffering, we reverently rejoice in the unshaken belief that our chris-
tian doctrines will never fall to the ground — but that He who raised
us up to be a people, and so signally blessed us with the Holy Spirit,
will still continue to preserve faithful witnesses unto himself, who
amid all the storms of calumny, and the reproaches of that spirit
which still delights to be the accuser of the brethren, will stand no-
bly and firmly for the support of the glorious gospel of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To conclude, we sincerely adopt the following expressions of
the great and dignified Penn, in his address to the Bishop of Cork :
" That God, that has upheld us by his free spirit to this day, through
many and great afflictions, we firmly believe, will suffer nothing to
attend us, that shall not in the conclusion work for his glory and our
good, if we continue stedfast to the end, in the blessed way of right-
eousness, wherein he has so often and signally owned and preserved
us; notwithstanding the violence of open enemies, and the treach=
crous and restless endeavours o^ false friends."- — Vol. ii. page 915.
PART SECOND.
SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF
FOX, PENN, BARCLAY, PENNINGTON, WHITEHEAD, CLATIIDGE,
CROOK, BURROUGH,
AND OTHER DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS,
SHEWING THE CONSISTENCY OF THEIR FAITH AND DOCTRINES WITH
THE DIVINE TESTIMONY OF THE HOLY SCIPTURES.
JSTote. — The following selections, from the writings of many an=
cient, and honourable members of the Society of Friends, will fully
establish the assertion, that since its first rise, the same doctrines
have ever been held and promulgated by all those who were in unity
with the body; and that, whatever calumnies might be raised against
them, whether by open enemies, pretended friends, or apostatized
members, the true Quakers have ever been sincere believers, in all
the doctrines of the Christian religion, as they are set forth in the
Holy Scriptures.
The limits of the present volume will admit of inserting but a
small part of the abundant testimony, which goes to prove this point,
in the most conclusive manner. So frequently and fully did our pre-
decessors assert the soundness of their belief, in the Three that bear
witness in heaven ; the divinity, atonement, mediation, and inter-
cession of our blessed Lord ; and the inestimable value of the Holy
Scriptures, that if these declarations were all collected, they would,
alone, fill a large volume.
GEORGE FOX.
On page 86 of George Fox's Journal, we find the following:
" This priest Stevens a>ked me, ' Why Christ cried out upon the
cross, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me r" ' and why
he said, ' If it be possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not my will
but thine be doner' I told him, at that time the sins of all mankind
were upon him, and their iniquities and transgressions, with ivhich
he was ivounded ; which he was to bear, and to be an offering for, as
he was man, but died not as he was God ; so in that he died for all
men, tasting death for ever if man, he ivas an off'e ring for the sins of
the whole world. This I spoke, being at that time, in a measure, sen-
sible of Christ's sufferings." — 1644.
•' Though I had great openings, yet great trouble and temptations
came many times upon me, so that when it was day I wished for
night, and when it was night, I wished for day ; and by reason of
the openings I had in my troubles, I could say as David said, ' Day
unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.'
When 1 had openings, they answered one another, and answered the
scriptures, for I had great openings of the scriptures, and when I
was in troubles, one trouble also answered to another." — Page 90.
1646.
" The ranters pleaded that God made the devil : I denied it ; and
told them I was come into the power of God, the Seed, Christ, which
was before the devil was, and bruised his head ; and he became a de-
vil by going out of truth; and so became a murderer and a destroyer.
I showed them that God did not make him a devil ; for God is a God
of truth, and made all things good, and blessed them ; but God did
not bless the devil. And the devil is bad, and was a liar and a mur-
derer from the beginning, and spoke of himself, and not from God."
Page 278. 1655.
"I turned the people (othe divine light, which Christ, the heaven-
ly and spiritual Man, enlighteneth them withal, that with that light
they might see their sins, and that they were in death and darkness,
and without God in the world, and might also see Christ, from whom
it cometh, their Saviour and Redeemer, who shed his blood and died
for them, who is the way to God, the truth, and the life." — Page 299.
1655.
In a general epistle to the yearly meeting of Friends, in London,
he says —
" As the gospel is preached again, if your faith doth not stand in
the power, but in men, and in the wisdom of words, you will grow
( arnal ; and such are for judgment, ivho cry up Paul or ApoUos
264
AND NOT CHRIST, the ttuthor of your faith. 'Those thai love to be
popular, would have people's faith stand in them, such do not preach
Christ, but themselves. But such as preach Christ and his gospel,
would have every man and woman to be in the possession of it, ^nd
every man's and woman's faith to stand in Christ, the author of it^
and in the power of God ; in which, as their faith stands, nothing can
get betwixt them and God ; for if any should fall amongst us, as too
many have done, that leads its followers either into the waters, or in-
to the earth. "— Vol. ii. page 213. 1676.
In a paper which he wrote, " concerning the true church," &c. he
says —
"Christ took upon him the seed of Abraham; he doth not say the
corrupt seed of the gentiles ; so, according to the flesh, he was of
the holy seed of Abraham and David, and his holy body and blood
ivas an offering and a sacrifice for the siiis of the ichole ivorld, as a
Lamb without blemish, whose flesh saw no* corruption. By the one
offering of himself, in the new testament, or new covenant, he has
put an end to all the offerings and sacrifices, amongst the Jews in the
old testament. Christ, the holy Seed, was crucified, dead, and bu-
ried, according to the flesh, and raised again the third day, and his
flesh saw no corruption. Though he was crucified in the flesh, yet
quickened again by the spirit, and is alive, and liveth forevermore,
and hath all power in heaven and earth given to him, and reignelh
over all, and is the one Mediator between God and man, eveyi the
man Christ Jesus. Christ said, ' he gave his flesh for the life of t!ie
world;' and the apostle saith, 'his flesh saw no corruption;' so fliat
which saw no corruption, he gave for the life of the corrupt world,
to bring them out of corruption. Christ said again, * He that eateth
my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, for my flesh is
meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. And he that eateth my
flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 5 He
that eats not his flesh, and drinks not his blood, which is the life of
the flesh, hath not eternal life. As tlie apostle saith, 'All died in
Adam,' then all are dead. Now all coming spiritually to eat the
flesh of Christ, the second Adatn, and drink his blood, his blood and
flesh, give all the dead in Adam, life, and quicken them out of their
sins and trespasses, in which they were dead ; so they come to sit
together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, and are living mem-
bers of the church of Christ tiiat he is the Head of, and are clothed
with the Sun of righteousness, the Son of God, that never changes,
and have the changeable moon under their feet, and all chantreable
worldly things, inventions, and works of men's hands." — Vol. ii.
pages 384, 385. 168G.
In an essay entitled the " Royal Law of God Revived," &c. he
says,
" And further saith the apostle in 1st John i. 1, 2. * TVe have aii ad-
vocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the pro-
pitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the
whole world."
" Now mark, this is a large word for all people to take notice of.
That Jesus Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole ivorld.
265
Therefore every one of you, in your own particulars, know this,
that Christ Jesus loho is crowned with glory and honour, did taste
death for every man ; mark, for every man ; and whosoever de-
>fIES THIS DOCTRINE IS AN ANTICHRIST, AND PREACHES ANOTHER, IS
A FALSE PREACHER AND SEDUCER, and brings pcoplc to trouhU and
toss, from that which is right, and their due, in which is their satis-
faction : so these are universal things to all mankind, whereby all
mankind might come out of the earthly old Adam, in the fall and
transgression, to hiyn that hath died for them all, and purchased
them all, and tasted death for all, and enlightened them all, and gave
his grace to them all; and he willeth that all might be saved, and
come to the knowledge of the truth of Christ, who doth this : ^nd
whoever teacheth another doctrine, brings people into sects and con-
fusion, to destroy one another, where they have not natural affec
tions, and will do that to another, which they would not have
others do unto them, ivho break the bonds thereby of civil commerce
amongst mankind, and the religions, ways and worships of all such,
are no worships, religions, nor ways to God, but set up by a dark,
peevish, spirit, by which they destroy one another, which are God's
creatures, about them ; ail which come from him, who is out of the
truth, whom Christ came to destroy." — Page 19. 1671.
In his "answer to all such as falsely say, the Quakers are no
Christians," written from Worcester Prison, and printed in the
year 1682, he has the following declaration, viz :
" And Christ hath purchased his Church with his own blood. Acts
XX. 28. ' And we give thanks unto the Father, which hath made
us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,
"who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath trans-
lated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in ivhom we have re-
de.tnption through his blood, that is, the forgiveness of sins, who is
the image of the invisible God, the first begotten of every creature ;
for by him were all things created, which are in Heaven, and which
are in earth, things visible, and invisible, whether they be thrones,
dominions, principalities, or powers, all things were created by him
and for him ; and he is before all things; and in him, and by him,
all things consists; and he is the Head of the body, (the Church)
who is the beginning, and the first begotten from the dead, that in
all things he might have the pre-eminence; for it pleased the Fa-
ther, that in him should all fulness dwell, Col. i." And many
other scriptures we might bring, which do prove that Christ is the
Head of the Church.
" And Christ saith, all power in Heaven and in earth is given to
me. Matt, xxviii. 18. And we know that the Son of God is come, and
hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is
true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ;
this is the true God, and eternal life, 1st John v. 20. And Christ
and the Apostles in their days, did not set up one man to be Pope
(nor set a triple crown on his head) to be Christ's vicar and vice-
gerent upon earth, nor set him above the Apostles, &c. : but on the
contrary, Christ said, it was the Gentiles that exercised lordship,
and are called gracious lords ; but said Christ, he that will be the
r.i
266
greatest among you, let him be servant unto all : not Pope or
Lord over all, but servant unto all. And Christ gave the keys and
power to others of his disciples, as well as Peter, to bind and loose.
Matt, xviii. 19. And so Christ prayed for all his disciples and fol-
lowers, that God had given him, that he would keep them from the
evil of the world ; and not only for Peter, as may be seen in John
xvii. 9. And we own the Father, the vSon, and the Holy Ghost, as
the Apostles have declared.
" When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made
of a woman, made under the law, that he might redeem them that
were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Gal. iv. 4, 5. And by, the grace of God, Christ tasted death for
every nxan,\i<i\i. ii. 9. And how that Christ died for our sins, accord-
ing to the scriptures ; and that he was buried, and rose again, ac-
cording to the scriptures, 1st Cor. xv. 3, 4. For other foundation
can no man lay than that is laid, Jesus Christ, 1st Cor. iii. 11. iVnd
so ive believe those things tvhich God before hath shoived, by the
mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, and he hath
thus fulfilled it, and is risen from the dead, and is at the right
hand of God, who is alive again, and lives for evermore; and will
reward every man according to his deeds, and is the Judge both of
the quick and dead, and his sheep now hear his voice, and follow
him, as in the Apostles' days. Acts iii. Rev. i. 18. Neither is there
salvation in any other than in the name of Jesus ; for there is none
other name given under Heaven among men, whereby we must be
saved, Acts iv. 12. And without controversy, great is the Mystery
of Godliness, God manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit,
seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, and received up into glory, 1 Tim. iii. 16. And it is the
spirit that beareth witness, because the spirit is truth ; for there
are Three that bear record in Heaven, the Fatlier, the Word, and
the Holy Ghost, and these Three are one ; and there are Three which
bear record in earth, &c. which we own, 1st John v. 6, 7. And now
let none be offended, because we do not call them by those unscrip-
tural names of Trinity, and Three Persons, which are not scrip-
ture words : and so do falsely say, that we deny the Father, the
"Word, and the Holy Ghost, which Three are one that bear record
in Heaven, &.c. tvhich Three ive own with all our hearts, as the apos-
tle John did, and as all true Christians ever did, and now do, and if
you say, we are not Christians, because we do not call the Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost, the trinity, distinct and separate persons :
then you may as well conclude that John was no Christian, who did
not give the Father, Word, and Holy Ghost, these names.
" We believe concerning God the Father, Son, and Spirit, accord
ing to the testimony of the Holy Scripture, which we receive and
embrace as the most authentic and perfect declaration of Christian
faitii, being indited by the Holy Spirit of God, that never errs : 1st,
That there is one God and Father, of whom are all things; 2ndly,
That there is one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom all things were
made, John i. and xvii. Rom. ix. who was glorified with the Father
before the world began, who is God over all, blessed forever, John
267
xiv. That there is one Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father and
the Son, and leader, and sanctifier, and comforter of his people,
1st John V. And we further believe, as the Holy Scriptures soundly
and sufficiently express, that these Three are one, even the Father,
the Word, and Spirit.
" And in the fulness of time according to the promise of the Fa-
ther, Christ was manifested in the flesh, and by the grace of God
tasted death/or every man, as before, is risen, and ascended, and
sits on the right hand of God in Heaven, and is the only Mediator
between God and man ; and that he exercises his prophetical,
kingl V, and priestly office, now in his church, and also his offices, as
a Counsellor and Leader, Bishop, Shepherd and Mediator, he (to wit)
the Son of God, he exercises these offices, in his household of faith,
whose house we are, that are believers in the light, and by faith en-
grafted into Christ, the Word, by whom all things were made ; and
so are heirs of eternal life, being elected in him before the world
began. And we do not matter if this Jewish spirit saith now of
us, as it did formerly of the followers of Christ, that none but ac-
cursed people followed him, that knew not the law; and if you
say as Nathaniel said, John i. 46, can there any good thing come
out of Nazareth? We say with Philip, come and see." — Pages 26,
•27. 28.
268
ROBEflT BARCLAY.
<' Question. — What are (hey that bear record in heaven r
*' Answer. — There are Tliree that bear record in heaven, the Fa-
ther, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these Three are One." —
Catecliism, page 2.
After reciting the texts which prove the pre-existence of our bless-
ed Lord, he thus queries —
" Question. — These are very clear, that even the world was crea-
ted by Christ: But what scriptures prove the divinity of Christ
against such a.s falsely deny the same?
" Answer. — And the Word was God. Whose are the fathers, and
of whom, as concerning the flesh Christ catne, who is over all God
blessed forever. Amen. Who being in the form of God, thought
it no robbery to be equal with God. And we know that the Son of
God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know
him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Je-
sus Christ: this is the true God and eternal life." — Page 8.
" Question. — After what manner doth the scripture assert the
conjunction and unity of the eternal Son of God, in and with the
Man Christ Jesus?
" Answer. — And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father.) full of grace and truth. For he whom God hath sent, speak-
eth the words of God ; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto
him. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost
and with povver, who went about doing good, and healing all that
were oppressed of the devil ; for God was with him. For it pleased
the Father that in him should all fulness dwell. For in him dwel-
leth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. In him are hid all the
treasures of v/isdom and knowledge." — Page 11.
<' For the infinite, and most wise God who is the foundation, root,
and spring of all operation, hath wrought all things by his eternal
Word and Son. Tliis is that Word that was in the beginning with
God, and was God, by whom all things were made, and without
whom was not any thing made that was made. This is that Jesus
Christ, by whom God created all things, by whom and for whom all
things were created that are in heaven, and in earth, visible and in-
visible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers, Coloss. i. 16. Who therefore is called the First-Born of every
creature, Coloss. i. 15. As then that infinite and incomprehensible
fountain of life and motion operateth in the creatures by his own eter-
nal word and power, so no creature has access again unto him but in
and by the Son, according to his own express words, ' No man
269
knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal
him,' Matt. xi. 27, Luke x. 22, And again he himself saith, 'I am
the way, the truth, and the lite : No man cometh unto the Fatlier, but
by me,' John xiv. 6.
" Hence he is fitly called the Mediator betwixt God and man : for
having been with God from all eternity, being himself God, and also
in time, partaking of the nature of man, through him, is the goodness
and love of God conveyed to mankind, and by him again, man re-
ceiveth and partaketh of these mercies." — Apology, page 27.
After speaking at large of the Holy Spirit of Christ, wherewith all
men are enlightened for their salvation and redemption, he adds —
" But by this as we do not at all intend to equal ourselves to that
Holy Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was born of the Viigin Mary,
in whom all the fulness of the Godliead dwelt bodily; so neither do
we destroy the reality of his present existence, as some have falsely
calumniated us. For though we affirm that Christ dwells in us, yet
not immediately, but mediately, as he is in that seed which is in us;
whereas he, to wit, the Eternal Word, which was with God, and was
God, dwelt immediately in that holy Man. He then is as the head,
and we as the members, he the vine, and we the branches. Now
as the soul of man dwells otherwise, and in a far more immediate
manner in the head and in the heart, than in the hands or le"^s; and
as the sap, virtue and lite of the vine, lodgeth far otherwise in the
stock and root, than in the branches, so God dwelleth otherwise in
the man Jesus, than in us. We also freely reject the heresy of
Appollinarius, who denied him to have any soul, but said the body
was only actuated by the Godhead. As also the error of Eutvches,
who made the manhood lo be wholly swallowed up of the Godhead.
AVherefore, as we believe he was a true and real man, so we also believe
that he continues so to be glorified in the heavens, in soul and body,
by whom God shall judge the world, in the great and general day of
judgment." — Apology, page T39.
" First then, as by the explanation of the former thesis appear?,
we renounce all natural power and ability in ourselves, in order to
biing us out of our lost and fallen condition, and first nature; and
confess, that as of ourselves we are able to do nothing that is good,
so neither can we procure remission of sins or justification by any
act of our own, so as to merit it, or draw it as a debt from God due
unto us, but we acknowledge all to be of and from his love, which
is the original and fundamental cause of our acceptance.
*' Secondly: God manifested this love towards us, in the sending
of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world; who "-ave
himself for us, an oftering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smel-
ling savour; and having made peace through the blond of his cross,
that he might reconcile us unto himself, and by the Eternal Spirit,
offered hi:Hself without spot unto God, and suftered for our sins, flie
just for the unjust, that he might bring us unto God.
"Thirdly then. Forasmuch as all men who have come to man'>^
estate, (the man Jesus only excepted,) have sinned, therefore all have
need of this Saviour, to remove the wrath of God from them, due to
their offences; in this respect he is truly said to have borne the ini-
270
quities ot us aii, in his body on the tiee, and therefore is the onlv
Mediator, having qualified the wrath of God towards us ; so that our
former sins stand not in our way, being, by virtue of his -most satis-
factory sacrifice, removed and pardoned. Neither do we think that
remission of sins is to be expected, sought, or obtained, any other
way, or by any works or sacrifice whatsoever, though as has been
said formerly, they may come to partake of this remission, that are
ignorant of the history. So then, Christ, by his death and sufferings
hath reconciled us to God, even while we are enemies; that is, he
offers reconciliation unto us; we are put into a capacity of being re-
conciled ; God is willing to forgive us our iniquities, ami to accept
us, as is well expressed by the apostle, 2 Cor. v. 19, God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their tres-
passes unto them, and hath put in us the word of leconciliation. And
therefore the apostle, in the next verses, entreats them in Christ's
stead to be reconciled to God ; intimating that the wiatli of God be-
ing removed by the obedience of Christ Jesus, he is willing to be re-
conciled unto them, and ready to remit the sins that are past, if they
repent.
" We consider then, our redemption in a twofold respect or state,
both which in their own nature, are perfect, though in their applica-
tion to us, the one is not, nor can not be, without respect to the other.
" The first, is the redemption performed and accomplished by
Christ for us, in his crucified body, without us : the other is the re-
demption wrought by Christ in us ; which no less properly is called
and accounted a redemption than the former. The first then, is
that, whereby a man, as he stands in the fall, is put into a capacity
of salvation, and hath conveyed unto him, a measure of that power,
virtue, spirit, life, and grace, that was in Christ Jesus, which as the
free gift of God, is able to counterbalance, overcome and root out
the evil seed, wherewith we are naturally, as in the fall, leavened.
" The second is that, whereby we witness and know this pure
and perfect redemption in ourselves, purifying, cleansing, and re-
deeming us, from the pow er of corruption, and bringing us into uni-
ty, favour and friendship with God. By the first of these two, we
that were lost in Adam, plunged into the bitter and corrupt seed, un-
able of ourselves to do any good thing, but naturally joined and uni-
ted to evil, forward and propense to all iniquity, servants and slaves
to the power and spirit of darkness, are notwithstanding all this, so
far reconciled to God, by the death of his Soji, while enemie^, that we
are put into a capacity of salvation, having the glad tidings of the
gospel of peace offered unto us, and God is reconciled unto us, in
Christ, calls and invites us to himself, in which respect we under-
stand these scriptures, 'He slew the enmity in himself. He loved
us first ; seeing us in our blood, he said unto us, live ; He who did
not sin, his own self bare our sins in his ow n body on the tree ; and
he died for our sins, the just for the unjust.' " — p. 202, and seq.
"In this respect above mentioned then, we have shown what ser-
vice and use the Holy Scriptures, as managed, in and by the spirit,
are of to the Church of God ; wherefore we do account them a se-
f-.ondary rule. Moreover because they are commonly acknowledg-
271
ed by all, to have been written by the dictates of the Holy Spirit,
and that the errors, wliich may be supposed by the injury of times
to have slipped in, are not such but that there is, a sufficient clear
testimony left to all the essentials of the christian faith ; we do look
upon them as the only fit outward judge of controversies among
christians ; and that whatsoever doctrine is contrary unto their tes
timony, may therefore justly be rejected as false. And for our
parts we are very willing that all our doctrines and practices be
tried by them ; which we never refused, nor ever shall, in all contro
versies with our adversaries, as the judge and test. We shall al-
so, be very willing to admit it as a positive, certain maxim, that
whatsoever any do, pretending the spirit which is contrary to the
scriptures, be accounted, and reckoned a delusion of the devil. For
as we never lay claim to the Spirit's leadings, that we may cover
ourselves in any thing that is evil, so we know that as every evil,
contradicts the scriptures, so it doth also the Spirit, in the first
place, from which the scriptures came, and whose motions can never
contradict one another, though they may appear sometimes to be
contradictory to the blind eye of the natural man, as Paul and
James seem +o contradict one another."— Pages 85, 86.
272
W ILLIAM PENN,
In his Testimony to the Truth as lield by the people called Qua-
kers, written in 1698, has these declarations:
" Concerning the Father, the Word, and the Spirit. Because we
have been very cautious in expressing our faith concerning that great
Tiiysterv. especially in such school terms, and philosophical distinc-
tions as are unscriptural, if not unsound, (the tendency whereof
liath been to raise frivolous controversies and animosities amongst
men,) we have, by those that desire to lessen our christian reputa-
tion, been rpreesented as deniers of the Trinity at large: Whereas
ire evpr believed, and as constantly maintained, the truth of that
blessed Holy Scripture, TJiree that bear record in Heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Spirit, and that these Three are One ; the
which ive both sincerely and reverently believe according to 1 John
V. 7. And this is sufficient for us to believe, and know, and hath a
tendency to edification and holiness; when the contrary centres on-
ly in imaginations, and strife, and persecution, where it runs high
and to parties, as may be read in bloody characters in the ecclesias-
tical histories." — Vol. ii. page 879.
" Of Christ's coming, both in flesh and spirit. Because the ten-
dency, (generally speaking,) of our ministry, is to press people to
the inward and spiritual appearance of Christ, by his spirit and
grace in their hearts, to give them a true sight and sense of, and sor-
row for sin, to amendment of life, and practice of holiness : and be-
cause we have often opposed that doctrine, of being actuallyjustified by
the meritsof Christ, whilst actual sinners against God,by living in the
pollutions of this wicked world : We are by our adversaries render-
ed such, as either deny or undervalue the coming of Christ without
us, and the force and efficacy of his death and sufferings, as a propi-
tiation for the sins of the whole world. Whereas ive do, and hope
ice ever shall, as we always did, confess the glory of God the Fa-
ther, and the honour of his dear and beloved Son, that he, to wif,
Jesus Christ, took our nature upon him, was like us in all things,
sin excepted: that he was born of the Virgin Mary, went about
amongst men doing good, and working many miracles : that he was
betrayed by Judas into tlie hands of the chief priests, &c., that he
>uftered death under Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, beingcru-
cified between two thieves, and was buried in the sepulchre of Jo-
seph of Arimathea : rose again the third day from the dead, and as-
cended into Heaven, and sits at God's right hand, in the power and
majesty of his Father, and that by him, God the Father, will one
day jiidse the whole world, both of quick and dead, accoiding to
their works."— pages 880, 881.
" Of Christ's being our example. Because in some cases we have
273
^aid the Lord Jesus, was our great example, and that his obedience
to his Father, doth not excuse ours^ but as by keeping his command-
ments, he abode in his Father's love, so must we follow his example
of obedience, so abide in his love ; some have been so ignorant, (or that
which is worse,) as to venture to say for u*, or in our name, that we
believe our Lord Jesus Christ, was in all things but an example.
Whereas we confess him to be so much more than an example, that
we believe him to be, our most acceptable sacrifice to God his Father,
who, for his sake, will look upon fallen man, that hath justly merit-
ed the wrath of God, upon his return by repentance, faith, and obe-
dience, as if he had never sinned at all; 1 John ii. 12. Rom. iii. 26,
X. 9, 10. Heb. V. 9."— page 880.
In his " Primitive Christianity Revived," we find the following :
" We do believe, that Jesus Christ was our holy sacrifice, atone-
ment and propitiation; that he bore our iniquities, and that by his
stripes we were healed of the wounds Adam gave us in his fall ; and
that God is just in forgiving true penitents upon the credit of that
holy offering, Christ made of himself to God for us, and that what he did
and suffered, satisfied and pleased God, and was for the sake of fal-
len man, that had displeased God : And that through the offering up of
himself once for all, through the Eternal Spirit, he hath forever per-
fected those, (in all times,) that were sanctified, who walked not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit, Rom. viii. 1. Mark that.
"In short, justification consists of two parts, or hath a twofold
consideration, viz : Justification from the guilt of sin, and justifica-
tion from the power and pollution of sin, and in this sense justifica-
tion gives a man a full and clear acceptance before God. For want
of this latter part it is, that so many souls, religiously inclined, are
often under doubts, scruples, and despondencies, notwithstanding
all that their teachers tell them of the extent and efficacy of the first
part of justification. And it is too general an unhappiness among
the professors of Christianity that they are apt to cloak their own
active and passive disobedience, with the active and passive obedi-
ence of Christ. The first part of justification, u'e do reverently and
hiijnbly acknowledge, is only for the sake of the death and sufferings
of Christ : nothing ice can do, though by the operation of the Holy
Spirit, being able to cancel old debts, or wipe out old scores : it
is the power and efficacy of that propitiatory offering, upon faith
and repentance, that justifies us, from the sins tiiat are past ; and it
is the power of Chrits's spirit in our hearts, that purifies and makes
us acceptable before God. For 'till the heart of man is purged
from sin, God will never accept of it. He reproves, rebukes, and
condemns those that entertain sin there, and therefore, such cannot
be said to be in a justified state, condemnation and justification be-
ing contraries: so that they that hold themselves in a justified state
by the active and passive obedience of Christ, while they are not
actively and passively obedient to the spirit of Christ Jesus, are
under a strong and dangerous delusion ; and for crying out against
this, sin-pleasing imagination, not to say doctrine we are staged and
reproached as deniers and despisers of the death and sufferings of
our Lord Jesus Christ. But be it known to such, they add to Christ's
Mm
274
sufferings and crucify to Uicrasclves afresli the Son oi God, aiid tram-
ple the blood of the covenant under their feet, that walk unholily, un-
der a profession of justification ; for God will not acquit the guiltv,
nor justify the disobedient and unfaithful. Such deceive themselves,
and at the great and final judgment their sentence will not be, "come
ye blessed," because it cannot be said to them, " Well done good
and faithful," for they cannot be so esteemed, that live and die in a
leproveable and condemnable state; but " Go ye cursed, &c." — pa-
ges 86r, 868. 1696.
In his " Christian Quaker," published in ^6T5, he says —
" Further Christ himself says, " I am the light of iKe w^orld,"
Avhich is as much as if he had said, " 1 have lighted, or shined forth
to the world ;" therefore the light which shines in the hearts of
mankind, is Christ, though we do not say that every particular il-
lumination is the entire Christ, for so there would be as many
Christs as men, which were absurd and blasphemous." — Vol. i.
p. 569. ^
In his " Key, &c." printed 1692, we find the following—
" Perversion 2nd. The Quakers hold, that the light within them
is God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, so that every Quaker has whole
God, Christ, and holy Spirit in him, which is gross blasphemy.
" Principle. This is also a mistake of their belief: They never
said that every divine illumination, or manifestation of Christy in the
hearts of men, was u'hole God, Christ, or the Spirit, which might
render them guilty of that gross and blasphemous absurdity, some
would fasten upon them : But that God who is light, or the Word
Christ, who is light, styled the second Adam, the Lord from hea-
ven, and the Quickening Spirit, who is God over all, blessed for-
ever, hath enlightened mankind, with a measure of saving light ;
"Who said, I am the light of the world, and they that follow me,
shall not abide in darkness, but have the Light of Life. So that
the illumination is from God, or Christ the Divine "Word ; but not
therefore that whole God or Christ is in every man, any more than
the whole sun or air, is in every house or chamber. There are
no such harsh and unscripturcd words in their ivritings. It is only a
fris;htfid perversion of some of their enemies, to bring an odium upon
their holy faith. Yet in a sense, the scriptures say it, and that is
their sense in which 07rly they say the same thing. I will walk in
them and dwell in them. Hethat dwelleth with you shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you : I in them and
they in me ; Christ in us the hope of glory. Unless Christ be in you,
ye are reprobates. Little children of whom I travail again in birth,
until Christ be formed in you. Now if they who denied his coming
in the flesh, though high professing Jews, were to be accounted anti-
christs, because enemies to that appearance and dispensation of God
to men ; what must they be reputed, who as stiffly disown his inward,
nearer, and more spiritual coming, formation, and dominion in the
soul, which is to be sure, the higher and nobler knowledge of Christ r
Yea, the mystery hid from ages, and now revealed to God's people :
the riches of the glory of the mystery, which God reserved to be
made known to the Gentiles, of whose stock we are. Certainly
275
though they are called christians they must be no whit less anti-
christs than those obstinate Jews of old that opposed his more visi-
ble and bodily appearance." Vol. ii. p. 780.
In his " Testimony to the Truth, &c." he thus speaks of the belief
of Friends in the Scriptures —
" Concerning the Holy Scriptures. Because we assert the Holy
Spirit to be the first, great, and general rule and guide of true chris-
tians, as that, by which God is worshipped, sin detected, conscience
convicted, duty manifested, scripture unfolded and explained, and
consequently the rule for understanding the Scriptures themselves,
(since by it, they were at first given forth ;) from hence our adversa-
ries are pleased to make us blasphemers of the Holy Scriptures, un-
dervaluing their authority, preferring our own books before them,
with more to that purpose : fVhereas we in truth and sincerity be-
lieve them to be of divine authority, given by the inspiration of God,
through holy men, they speaking or writing them, as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost : that they are a declaration of those things
most surely believed by the primitive christians, and that as
they contain the mind and will of God, and are his commands to us ;
so they in that respect are his declaratory word ; and therefore are
obligatory on us, and are profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction,
and instruction in righteousness, that the man of God, may be per-
fect, and thoroughly furnished to every good work.
" Nay, after all, so unjust is the charge, and so remote from our
belief, concerning the Holy Scriptures, that we both love, honour,
and prefer them, before all books in the world ; ever choosing to
express our belief of the christian faith and doctrine, in the terms
thereof, and rejecting all principles or doctrines whatsoever, that
are repugnant thereunto.
" Nevertheless we are well persuaded, that notwithstanding there
is such an excellency in the Holy Scriptures, as we have above de-
clared, yet the unstable, and unlearned in Christ's school, too often
wrest them to their own destruction. And upon our reflection on
their carnal constructions of them, we are made undervaluers of
Scripture itself. But certain it is, that as the Lord hath been
pleased to give us, the experience of the fulfilling of them in mea-
sure, so it is altogether contrary to our faith and practice to put any
manner of slight or contempt upon them, much more, of being guilty
of what maliciously is suggested against us ; since no society of pro-
fessed christians in the world, can have a more reverent and honour-
able esteem for them than we have ; John iv. 24. xvi. 8. Rom. i. 19.
Luke i. 1, 2. Tim. iii. 16, 17. 2 Pet. iii. 16."— Vol.ii. p. 878.
276
GEORGE WHITEHEAD.
George Whitehead being questioned by a priest as to his belief
in the Trinity, gives this reply :
" I answered him in terms of Holy Scriptures, viz : that I really
own and believe the Father, tlie Son, and the Holy Ghost, are the
Three which bear record in Heaven ; the Father, the Word, and
the Holy Ghost : and these Three are One, according to the doc-
trine of John the Evangelist, 1st John v. 7." — Works, page 168.
1659.
" The Holy Scripture Trinity, or Three thereby meant, we never
questioned, but believed ; as also the unity of Essence; that they
are one substance, one Divine infinite being, and also we question
not, but sincerely believe, the i-elative properties of Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost, according to Holy Scripture testimony, Matt.
xxviii. 19, and that these Three are One, 1st John v. 7." — Page 195.
In order that the different denominations of Protestants might
avail themselves of the benefit of the act of toleration, they were
obliged to subscribe to a declaration of their christian belief. The
form required by the committee of Parliament, not being agreeable
to Friends, they proposed a substitute; George Whitehead, speak-
ing of the subject, says —
" Yet to prevent any such from being stumbled or ensnared by
some expressions in the aforesaid profession or creed, (which ap-
peai'ed unscriptural) in the said bill, we, instead thereof, did pro-
pose and humbly oifer, as our own real belief of the Deity, of the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, viz : ' I profess faith in God the Fa-
ther, and in Jesus Christ his Eternal Son, the true God, and in tlie
Holy Spirit, one God blessed forever : and do acknowledge the Holy
Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, to be given by Divine
inspiration.'
" Which declaration, John Vaughton and I, delivered to Sir Tho-
mas Clergis, who with some others, wei-e desirous we should give
in such confession of our Christian belief, that we might not lie un-
der the unjust imputation of being no Christians, nor thereby be
deprived of the benefit of the intended law for our religious liber-
ty. We were therefore of necessity, put upon oftering the said
confession, it being also our known professed principle, sincerely
to confess Christ, the Son of the living God, his divinity, and as he
is the eternal Word, and that the Three which bears record in Hea-
ven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, are one ; one Di-
vine being, one God, blessed forever." — Page 635. 1689.
To the Question 1st, " Whether Jesus Christ hath a body, glori-
fied in the heavens, distant and distinct from the bodies of his
saints here below .'" George Whitehead answers —
277
'• Answer.— Yea, as a glorified body is distinct from natural, or
earthy bodies, and heaven from the earth.
*' Second. — Whether the blood that Jesus Christ shed at Jerusa-
lem, is the blood that believers are justified by? Or whether he
dies in men for their justification?
" Answer. — Both sanctification, forgiveness of sins, cleansing
from sin, and justification, are sometimes ascribed to the blood of
Christ, and to the spirit of our God, and our Lord Jesus Christ;
which effects, works, and manifests the same in all true believers.
" But here are two questions put for one ; the first, appears not
a scriptural, or proper question ; where does the Scripture use
those words, viz : ' the blood that Jesus Christ sAeJ?' Seeing ' twas
by wicked hands, he was put to death, and his blood shed upon the
cross r Yet as the blood of Jesus Christ, is put for, or represents
his life, which he laid down, and even the offering and sacrifice of
himself at Jerusalem, that ivas a most acceptable sacrifice and of a
sweet smelling savour to God, for mankind; respecting his great
dignity and obedience, who humbled himself even to the death of
the cross, and gave himself a ransom for all men, for a testimony in
due time ; and his sacrifice, mediation, and intercession, hath open-
ed a door of mercy for mankind to enter in at, through true repen-
tance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, which
are wrought in man, (that obeys his call thereto) only by his grace
and good spirit unto sanctification and justification in the name and
power of our Lord Jesus Christ, who of God is made unto us, wis-
dom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. God's great
love toward mankind, was manifest, in his dear Son Jesus Christ,
and God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not im-
puting their trespasses unto them, 2 Cor. v. 19.
" The latter question of the second, is groundless and perverse.
We know neither scripture, nor minister among us, that asserts
Chrisfs dying in men, for their justification, but that once he died,
that is, for our sins, and rose again for our justification, and that he
ever lives to make intercession ; and death has no more dominion
over him. Christ Jesus lives and reigns forever in the power and
glory of the Father, although some are said to crucify to themselves
the Lord of life afresh, and to tread under foot the Son of God,
which cannot be taken properly in a literal sense, but by their
contempt of truth and doing despite to his spirit of grace, as some
malicious apostates have done, not to their justification, but condem-
nation.
" What any of us, or among us, have spoken or written of the
Seed or Word, which the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, sows in men's
hearts, and of the same being oppressed, or suffering in some, or as
being choaked with worldly cares, and the love of riches in others,
&c. These and many such like expressions may have been used,
according to the parables, and similitudes, which Christ Jesus him-
self spake, relating to the kingdom of heaven, the word, or seed of
life and grace, sown by him in men's hearts; and likewise of griev-
ing, vexing, and quenching his spirit in them, by their disobedience ;
and yet by all these never to intend or mean, that Christ himself
278
properly dies in men for their justification, aithough his spirit be
both grieved and quenched in many ; and many do lose the true
sense of his living word in themselves, by suiFering their souls' ene-
my, to draw out their minds from that Seed, that Word, that Light,
that Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ in them, which (in itself, in its
own being) never dies. The immortal Seed, the immortal Word,
is of an immortal being, though many be dead thereunto in their
trespasses and sins." — Pages 149, 150, 151.
*■* And if God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for
us all, how shall he not with him also, freely give us all things.^" —
Rom. viii. 32.
" Jesus Christ showed his own and heavenly Father's great love
to all men, as he is the Light of the world, and given for a light un-
to the gentiles, and to be God's salvation to the ends of the earth ;
and also in his dying for all men ; by the grace of God tasting death
for every man ; giving himself a ransom for all men, and in making
intercession, both for transgressors and for the saints ; also accord-
ing to the will of God, even in Heaven itself, he appears in the pre-
sence of God for us, and also by his holy spirit in all true believers :
his spirit maketh intercession, helpeth our infirmities, moves and as-
sists us in prayer. They who are sons of God, are sensible that he
hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, Abba,
Father. Galat. iv. 6.
" The humility, mercy, and condescension, of Jesus Christ, our
blessed Mediator, are such that he is touched with a feeling of our
infirmities, weaknesses and temptations, and ready to succour-, help,
and relieve all them that are tempted, even by his grace and good
spirit in their drawing near to the throne of his mercy and grace.
" O faithful Creator, O King of Saints, O merciful High Priest, O
compassionate Mediator, let thy light and thy truth shine forth more
and more to the glory of thy great and excellent name and power,
and expel the great darkness of apostacy that has covered many
nations and professions of Christianity, and greatly appeared in these
latter times against thy light, thy truth and people, whom thou hast
called and delivered out of darkness, into thy marvellous light.
Glory and dominion be to thy great name and power, forever and
ever.""— Pages 211, 212. 1654.
" I always had a love to the bible, and to reading therein, from my
childhood, yet did not truly understand nor experience those doc-
trines essential to salvation, nor the new covenant dispensation, un-
til my mind was turned to the light of Christ, the living, Eternal
Word, the entrance whereof giveth light and understanding to the
simple. Yet I do confess it was some advantage to me frequently
to read the Holy Scriptures when I was ignorant, and did not under-
stand the great and excellent things or matters therein testified of;
for when the Lord had livingly, in some measure, opened my under-
standins; in the Holy Scripture, by my often reading the same be-
fore, having the better remembrance thereof, it was a help and ad-
vantage to my secret meditations, when a lively sense and comfort
of the scriptures was in measure given me by the spirit, and thereby
I was the more induced to the serious reading and consideration of
279
what I read in the Holy Scriptures, and the comfort thereof made
known by the Holy Spirit enlightening the understanding: all the
promises of God, which are yea and amen in Christ Jesus, being truly
comfortable, when applied by the same spirit, for that will make no
wrong application thereof; that spirit will never apply peace to the
wicked, nor to persons living in their sins, nor tell the unjust that
they are just or righteous in God's sight.
"It is through faith, which is in Christ, that the Holy Scriptures are
said to make the man of God wise unto salvation, and profitable to
him, for doctrine, reproof, admonition, and instruction in righteous-
ness, that he maybe perfect, and thoroughly furnished in every good
word and work. Doubtless Paul esteemed Timothy's knowing the
Holy Scriptures from a child, to be some advantage and help to him,
but it was principally through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
"These things considered, I would not have Chiistian parents re-
miss, in educating and causing their children to read the Holy Scrips
tures, but to indace them, both to learn and frequently to read there-
in, (that is the bible.) It may be of real advantage and profitable
to them, when they come to have their understandings enlightened,
and to know the truth as it is in Christ Jesus." — Pages 15, 16.
*' Question 2. — Whether the scriptures be the rule to try doctrines
and spirits?
" Answer. — The Holy Scriptures are truly owned and esteemed a
rule subordinate to the Holy Spirit, from which they were given
forth, and by the help of the same spirit, doctrines and spirits may
be tried ; but the spirit is the supreme, universal guide and rule,
which affords light and understanding to discern and try both spirits
and doctrine, to the truly spiritually minded ; for discerning of spi-
rits is a spiritual gift of the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor. xii. 10." — Pages 190.
191.
"• When a person, fearing God and loving our Lord Jesus Christ,
in sincerity and truth, confesseth his or her real belief, faith or hope,
in term* of Holy Scripture, it is sufiicient ; whether it be of the suf-
fering, death, resurrection or ascension, of our Lord Jesus Christ
into heaven and glory, or of his body being spiritual and glorious in
heaven. And as the saints being spiritually united to him are his
church and body also, and esteemed mystical, while here on earth, so
their low or humble body shall be changed and fashioned like unto
his glorious body: and of the resurrection of the dead, both of the
just and unjus-, and of eternal judgment, according to Holy Scrip-
ture: 1 say, whosoever, fearing God, or friends of truth, are at any
time questioned about these things, it will be sufficient and ought to
be satisfactory, to answer them in plain scripture language, and keep
to the same : and / icould advise all Friends to keep to the ivordsy
terms, language, and doctrine of Holy Scripture, and not to be
wheedled or drawn from the same, nor suffer themselves to be im-
posed upon, either with unscriptural terms or unlearned questions, by
any contentious or carping adversaries, whatsoever. For foolish and
unlearned questions, as well as profane and vain babbling, must be
avoided."— Pases 185, 184.
280
ISAAC PENNINGTON.
In " An Epistle to all serious professors," he has these remarks :
" The first is concerning the Godhead, which we own as the
scriptures express it, and as we have the sensible, experimental
knowledge of it. In which there are Three that bear record in hea-
ven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these Three
are One, 1st John v. 7. This I believe from my heart, and have in-
fallible demonstrations of; for I know Three, and feel Three in
Spirit, even an Eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which are
but one Eternal God. And I feel them, also One, and have fellow-
ship with them, through the tender mercy of the Lord, in their life,
and in their redeeming power. And here I lie low before the Lord
in the sensible life, not desiring to know and comprehend notion-
ally ; but to feel the thing inwardly, truly, sensibly, and effectual-
ly; yea, indeed, this is to me far beyond what I formerly knew
notionally concerning them, and I cannot but invite others hither.
" Now consider seriously, if a man from his heart believe thus
concerning the eternal power and Godhead ; that the Father is God,
the Word God, the Holy Spirit God ; and that these are one
Eternal God, waiting so to know God, and to be subject to him ac-
cordingly ; is not this man in a right frame of heart towards the
Lord, in this respect ? Indeed, friends, we do know God sensibly
and experimentally, to be a Father, Word, and Spirit, and we wor-
ship the Father in the Son by his own Spirit, and here meet with
the seal of acceptance with him. Nor would we contend with you
about your crimes in this respect, but that ye provoke us thereunto,
in laying to our charge, as if we denied the thing; whereas we do
not, nor can deny the expressions which the scripture useth, nor
our own sense and experience concerning the thing. I pray let
this suffice and let us all strive to know God and his Son Jesus
Christ, in his life, spirit, and power, wherein is unity and true de-
monstration, and not contend about such expressions concerning
things, as are beside the scriptures. For would not ye yourselves
think it hard, (I mean, such of you, as read the scriptures serious-
ly, desiring to understand and observe what is written therein,) to
have a belief of things imposed on you, otherwise than is there
written, and otherwise than ye have the sense, knowledge and ex-
perience of them from the Lord ?
" The second is concerning the offering of the Lord Jesus Christ,
without the gates of Jerusalem. I do exceedingly honour and es-
teem that oftering, believing it had relation to the sins of the whole
world, and was a propitiatory sacrifice to the Fathei-, therefor. .And
surely he that is redeemed out of the world, up to God, by Christ,
cannot deny that Christ ivas his ransom, and that he was bought
281
with a price, and therefore is to glorify God, with his body and spi
rit which are God's, 1st Cor. vi. 20. And saith the apostle Peter,
ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as sil-
ver and gold from your vain conversation, &c. but with the precious
blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot, 1st
Pet. i. 18, 19, who so offered himself up to God through the Eter-
nal Spirit, Heb ix. 14. This we do own singly and nakedly, as in
the sight of the Lord ; though I must confess we do not lay the sole
stress upon that which is outward and visible, (though we truly and
fully acknowledge it, in its place,) but upon that which is inward
and invisible ; upon the inward life, the inward power, the Spirit
within; knowing and experiencing daily, that that is it, which doth
the work. The outward flesh is not the meat indeed, nor the out-
ward blood the drink indeed, but it is the spirit, the life, the sub-
stance, which the birth that is born of the Spirit feeds upon and
lives by. Oh ! consider seriously, and wait on the Lord rightly to
understand that scripture, John vi. 63. It is the Spirit that quick-
eneth, the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto
you, they^ are Spirit and they are life. What doth this scripture
lay the stress upon.^ Is it not upon the quickening spirit, and the
words which the quickening spirit speaketh to the soul, which are
living, and give life to those that hear them ? * Hear and your soul
shall live !' Hear his voice who giveth life and your souls shall live
by him ; but can any one live without hearing the voice of him, who
alone is able to quicken and raise the soul from death and out of
the grave of sin r" — Vol iv. pages 450, 452.
In his treatise entitled, " The flesh and blood of Christ, &c." af-
ter speaking largely, of that mystical body and blood of Christ,
which the saints feed upon, and asserting the necessity of a parti-
cipation in it, he adds —
" Now as touching the outward which ye say we deny, because of
our testimon}' to the inward, I have frequently given a most solemn
testimony thereto; and God knoweth it to be the truth of my heart;
and that the testifying to the inward, (from which the outward came,)
doth not make the outward void, but rather establish it, in its
place and service. God himself who knew what virtue was in the
inward, yet hath pleased to make use of the outward, and who may
contradict or slight his wisdom and counsel therein ? Glorious was
the appearance and manifestation of his Son in flesh, precious
his subjection and holy obedience to his Father ; his giving himself
up to death for sinners was of great esteem in his eye ! It was a
spotless sacrifice of great value, and effectual for the remission of
sins : and I do acknowledge humbly unto the Lord the remission
of my sins thereby, and bless the Lord for it ; even for giving up his
Son to death for us all, and giving all that believe in his name and
power, to partake of remission through him." — Vol. iii. p. 415.
" In the postscript to a work entitled ' Remarks upon some pas-
sages in a book, entitled Antichrist's transformations within, &c.'
we find the following, viz :
" First, As to his main controversy with Friends about the Christ
that died at Jerusalem, he affirming that neither justification nor
Nn
282
condemnation is by him, and reproaching Friends as having gone
back to the professors' Christ and Saviour, who died without the
gates of Jerusalem ; this is in my heart to say —
" Is Christ divided ? Is there one Christ that died without the
gates of Jerusalem, and another that did not die? Or is it not the
same Lord Jesus Christ who died without the gates of Jerusalem,
according to the flesh, and yet was then alive in the Spirit? Do we
affirm that the Godhead died ? (No — we do not so much as affirm
that his soul died, as he doth page 19,) but according to the flesh he
died ; that is, he who was the resurrection and the life, laid down his
life, and took it up again according to the commandment of his Father.
" Thus we have been taught of God to believe, and thus to hold it
forth. And we have no other Justifier, Condemner, Saviour, or In-
tercessor than HE that laid down t!ie life of the body, offering it up
a sacrifice to his Father without the gates of Jerusalem. < Who is
he that justifieth?' Is it not God, in and through him ? 'And who is
he that condemneth ?' Is it not ' Christ that died?' And where did he
die? Was it not without the gates of Jerusalem? * Yea, rather that
is risen again,' &c. Rom. viii. S3, 34." — Vol. iv, page 370.
In an essay entitled, " A Visit of Tender and Upright Love," &c-
he says —
" We do indeed really, heartily, singly as in God's sight, own the
scriptures; the Scriptures written by the prophets and holy men of
God under the law ; the scriptures written by the evangelists and
apostles in the time of the gospel ; and we read them with delight
and joy, and would draw no man, from a right reading of them to
the benefit of his soul ; but only from giving their own judgments on
them without the Spirit of God ; lest in so doing, they wrest them to
their own destruction.
"This is that which the Lord hath drawn us from, and which we
know it would also be profitable to others, to be drawn from too; to
^vit, from imagining, and guessing at the meaning of scriptures, and
interpreting them, without the opening of that Spirit from which
they were given forth ; for they who so do, feed that part, (with a
gathered knowledge) which should be famished, die, and perish, that
another thing might come to live in them, and they in it." — Vol. iii.
page 184.
mCHARl) CLARIDGE,
In his essay on the doctrine of" Christ's satisfaction," says —
" And as we distinguish between a scripture Trinity, Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost, which we unfeignedly believe; and that humanly
devised trinity of three distinct and separate persons, which we re-
ceive not, because the Holy Scriptures make no mention of it: So
we distinguish between scripture redemption and the vulgar doctrine
of satisfaction. The first we receive, the second we reject." — Page
423.
283
He then proceeds to show the unfairness of Francis Bugg, in his
accusations against Friends, for which see pages 35, 38, and 39, of
this book. After stating the doctrine of rigid satisfaction, as held
by some professors of that day, and ably refuting it, from sound scrip-
ture arguments, he declares the belief of Friends, concerning Christ
Jesus and his sufferings, in the following words —
" We do believe that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was cruci-
fied dead and buried, that he is the propitiation for our sins, and not
for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world, 1 John ii. 2.
That it is through his blood that we have redemption, even the for-
giveness of sins, Col. i. 14. We do believe that as he was delivered
for our offences, so he was raised again for our justification, Rom. iv.
25, and ever liveth to make intercession for us, Heb. vii. 25. We do
also believe, that he was and is, both God and man, in wonderful
union, not a God by creation or office, as some hold ; nor man by the
assumption of an human body only, without a reasonable soul, as
others; nor that the manhood was swallowed up of the Godhead, as
a third sort grossly fancy : But God uncreated, see John i. 1, 2, 3;
Col. i. 17; Heb. i. 8, 10, 12. The true God, 1 John v. 20. The great
God, Tit. ii. 13. The Lord of glory, James ii. 1. King of kings,
and Lord of Lords, Rev. xix. 16. Which is, and which was, and
which is to come, the Almighty, Rev. i. 8. The same yesterday, to-
day, and forever, Heb. xiii. 8. And man conceived by the Holy
Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary, see Luke i. 31, 35. Who suf-
fered for our salvation. Hath given himself for us, an oft'eting and
a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling savour, Eph. v. 2. And by
his own blood he entered in once, into the holy place, having obtain-
ed, or found, as the word signifies, eternal redemption for us, Heb.
jx. 12. It was (see 1 Tim. ii. 5.) the Man Christ Jesus, the one
Mediator between God and men, that was conceived, born, suffered,
died, and gave himself a ransom for all ; for through the Eternal Spi-
rit, he offered himself without spot to God, Heb. ix. 14. Though by
•wicked hands he was crucified and slain. Acts ii. 23. And in the
offering of himself, he was a true and real sacrifice and propitiation
for sin, acceptable and satisfactory to God. But he was not a sinner
or reputed by God as such ; for the apostle saith expressly. That he
knew no sin, 1 Cor. v. 21. was without sin, Heb. iv. 15. was holy,
harmless, uniiefiled, separate from sinners, Heb. vii. 26. But it was
by wicked men, that esteemed and condemned him, the Just and
Holy One, as a sinner, and numbered him with the transgressors,
Isaiah liii. 12."— Pages 441 — 443.
He then cites the testimony of some protestant writers, to show
that Christ did not so take the sinner's guilt upon him, as to suffer
the very same eternal punishment that is due to the wicked, and then
adds: —
" As it was the main design of Christ's life, doctrine, and miracles,
to call men to repentance, faith, and obedience; so it was also the
great end of his sufferings and death, to accomplish the same glo-
rious design. For he gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver
us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our
Father, Galat. i. 4. He loved the church and gave himself for it;
284
that he migiit sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing of water, by
the Word ; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not
having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be holy
and without blemish. Eph. v. 25, 26, 27. He gave himself for us
that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself
a peculiar people, zealous of good work?, Tit. ii. 14. This was a
principal end of his giving of himself for us, or offering himself a sacri-
fice of propitiation for the sins of mankind. For he died for all, that
they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto
him which died for them, and rose again, 2 Cor. v. 15. This is the
argument that the apostle much insisted upon, and for the further
enforcing of it, I shall mention but two places more ; Ye are bought,
saith he, with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your
spirit which are God's, 1 Cor. vi. 20. And you that were sometimes
alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath
he reconciled, in the body of his flesh through death, to present
you holy, and unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight, Col. i.
21,22."— page 444,445.
In stating the belief of Friends on the subject of justification, in
an argumemt which he had with an Antinomian Baptist, he says :
" In a word, if justification be considered in its full and just lati-
tude, neither Christ's work without us, in the prepared body, nor his
work within us, by his holy spirit, are to be excluded ; for both have
their place and service in our complete and absolute justification.
" By the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ without us, we, truly re-
penting and believing, are, through the mercy of God, justified from
the imputations of sins and transgressions, that are past, as though
they had never been committed ; and by the mighty work of Christ
within us, the power, nature, and habits of sin are destroyed, that as
sin once reigned unto death, even so now grace reigneth, through
righteousness, unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. And all
this is effected, not by a bare or naked act of faith, separate from
obedience; but in the obedience of faith, Christ being the author
of eternal salvation to none but those that obey him." — page 79. 1699.
The following is the preamble to his last will, dated the 18th of
the month called April, 1723, viz:
" Forasmuch as all men, the Man Christ Jesus excepted, have
sinned and come short of the glory of God, and there is none other
name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved,
but that of Jesus Christ, who was delivered for our offences, and was
raised again for our justification, and is able to save (hem unto the
uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them: My faith and hope are in God alone, for the
free and full remission of all my transgressions, through sanctifica-
tion of the spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Je-
BUS Christ, who is the Word, the Light, the Way, the Truth, and the
Life, the one Mediator and Advocate with the Father, and the pro-
pitiation for my sins, and not for my sins only, but also for the sins
of the whole world ; that being thoroughly washed, sanctified, and
justified in his name, and by the spirit of my God, I may be received
into that everlastingly glorious rest, which he hath prepared for hi?
285
Vieopie, not for any works of righteousness which I have done, but
according to the exceeding riches of his free grace and mercy, in and
through Christ Jesus, the Son of his infinite love, into whose hands
I humbly commend my immortal spirit, earnestly and fervently be-
seeching him, to keep me by his power, through faith, in love to him
above all, and to my neighbour as myself, walking, through the as-
sistance of his grace in righteousness and holiness, before him all
the days of mine appointed time here upon earth, waiting in pa-
tience and resignation (o his holy will, and watching and praying al-
ways, with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, that my soul
may be ready, through his preparing power whensoever my earthly
house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved, to enter into that build-
ing of God, the house not made with hands, eternal in the Hea-
vens.
'• My body I commit to the earth, from whence it was taken, be-
lieving that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust."
—Pages 331,332.
In his "Treatise of the Holy vScriptures," he thus states the faith
of the Society of Friends respecting them, viz :
*' We do sincerely and unfeignedly believe the following proposi-
tions :
"1. That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament,
were not of any men's private setting forth, but were given by inspi-
ration of God.
" 2. That they do contain a clear and sutficient declaration of all
doctrines, in common to be believed, in order to eternal life and sal-
vation.
" 3. That the Holy Scriptures are the best outward rule and stan-
dard of doctrine and practice.
" 4. Tliat whatsoever either doctrine or practice, though under
pretensions to the immediate dictates and teachings of the spirit, is
contrary to the Holy Scriptures, ought to be rejected and disowned,
as false and erroneous: For ' whatsoever is not read therein, nor may
be proved (hereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should
be believed as an Article of Faith.' — See Art. vi. of the Church of
England.
" 5. That the Holy Scriptures contain the sayings or words of
God, are divine writings, which claim the precedency of all others;
and we do esteem them as such ourselves, and under this character re-
commend them to others.
" 6. That there ever was, and is, a most sweet concord and har-
mony between the teachings of the Spirit, and the testimony of the
Holy Scriptures ; and that there is no inconsistency or contradiction
between the one and the other, notwithstanding that great diversity
of men's opinions and sentiments, under the profession of christian-
ty. For we do believe, that if pride, prejudice, and self-interest
were laid aside, and mpn would, in humility of mind, sincerity of heart,
and abasement of self, wait upon the Lord for the teachings of his
spirit, they would be taught by him the very truth, as it is in Jesus,
and come to know that blessed and heavenly unity in the things of
286
God, from which they now are so divided and subdivided both among
themselves and in opposition to one another,
" 7. That, though the manifestation of the spirit, is given to eve-
ry man, both Jew and Gentile, to profit withal, and the grace of God
which bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men, so that all
have means sufficient afforded them for their present and eternal
welfare, if they neglect not the means, nor slight the d.-iy of God's
gracious visitation; yet it is a great mercy to us, and all those that
make a right use of it, that it hath pleased God to afford unto us the
Holy Scriptures, which he hath withheld from many others: And
we do believe, that having the advantage of the Holy Scriptures,
more is required of us, than of those to whom they are not com-
municated ; for, to whom much is given, from them much is requi-
red.
" 8. That as the Holy Scriptures have God alone for their author,
60 the spirit of God alone is their certain and infallible interpreter.
For except the spirit which he hath promised, and we ought to wait
for, expound them to us, we can never spiritually or savingly under-
stand or apply them. The certain knowledge, therefore, and under-
standing of" them, must be waited for, of the same spirit by which
they v.ere dictated and committed to writing."
EDWARD BURROUGH.
I.N an essay entitled " Satan's design defeated, 5cc." we find
the followirig accusations and replies — viz.
" They [the Quakers] do deny the doctrine of the Trinity, and
that Christ is God and man in one person.
" Answer. As for the word Trinity, it is invented and he hath
learnt it out of the mass book, or common prayer book, but ive own
the doctrine of the Gospel of Christ, that Christ is God, and the Spi-
rit is God ; ajid there are Three that bear record, the Father, Son
and Spirit, and these are one, but God and the Spirit are not per-
sons, but infinite beings, and the Scripture nowhere in true trans-
lations expresseth God under the name person, for person is too
carnal to express God, and Christ, and the Spirit by : But God was
in Christ reconciling the world, and this we believe and acknowledge
according to the Scriptures ; but for this word, " doctrine of the
Trinity," the Scriptures know^ no such word, but the truth we own,
and the Gospel, and the Scriptures too.^^
" They hold that Jesus Christ died only signally, or exemplarily,
and that we are justified by the suffering of Christ in us ; and to be
healed by his stripes, is to be stripped off or from sin.
" Answer. Jesus Christ died, and rose again, and ascended ac-
cording to the Scriptures, this we do believe : And Christ was and
is the substance, the end of all signs and examples, yet was he an
287
Example to the Saints ; and the apostle exhorted to walk as they
had Christ for an example ; and while he was in the world, he did,
and spoke and acted many things, as parables, signs and examples, the
substance of which is to be received in the Saints, and known by
them through the Spirit ; and toe believe saints are justified by Christ,
and through faith in Him, which was and is and is to come, who is
blessed foi-ever; and none -dYQ justified by his death and suffering
and blood without them, but who witness Christ within them ; for
all are reprobates and to be condemned, and cannot be justified, that
have not Christ in them ; as thou mayst read, except Christ be in
you, you are reprobates, and all that believe in Christ and receive
him, they are healed through his sufferings and stripes ; for he sanc-
tifies them, and gives them remission of sin, and justifies them, and
in him, the saints are complete, and the new man, the regenerate,
is justified ; and the old man is in the degeneration, and knows not
Christ in him, and hath not received him, but only heard of him with-
out him, and believes the relation : but this faith doth not justify;
for all the false christians upon earth have this faith : but that faith
alone justifies which gives to receive Christ, and him to live in us,
and to dwell in us by that faith.
" They utterly renounce the doctrine of Justification, by the im-
putation of the righteousness of Christ, or by the obedience he per-
formed, or sufferings he sustained or underwent, in his own per-
son without us.
" Answer. This is partly true, and partly a lie. We do indeed
renounce the profession of Justification, by the imputation of Christ
or his righteousness performed without men, by men while they are
in the degenerated estate, and unconverted, and unreconciled, and un-
born again, for by such profession of justification, man)^ deceive
their souls : but yet, we say, that righteoicsness is imputed to us,
and reckoned loito us, who believe in Christ, and have received him ;
even the obedience and sufferings, that he performed without us, is
ours, who have received him within us, and witnesseth, Christ in us,
and therefore we are not reprobates ; yet we do acknowledge, he
-wrought perfect righteousness by obedience, and sutFerings without
us, and that righteousness is ours, by faith ; which faith, hath recei -
ved Christ to dwell in us; and he and his righteousness, his obedi-
ence and sufferings, we enjoy in us, in spirit; if any can receive it,
let them ; for that he wrought righteousness, this is acknowledged :
but who have a part in this righteousness, that is disputable."—-
Page 515, 516—1659.
The Quakers hold, " That the Holy Scriptures are not the word
of God, nor the saints' rule of faith and life, neither is it the duly
of every one to search them.
" Answer. The Holy Scriptures tliat were given forth by the
Spirit of the Lord, as holy men of God were moved, they
are the words of God, and a declaration and a treatise, Luke i.
1. and that which the saints had handled and tasted of the word
of life, that they declared forth in words and writings. Acts i. 1.
and the Scriptures as they were given forth by the Spirit of God,
are are a true declaration of what is to be believed and practised, in
288
relation to eternal salvation : It is a true testimony concerning God
and his mighty works, and of truth and righteousness ; and it is a
testimony also of the devil, and what he is, and of his deceits and
errors, and unrighteousness: So the Scriptures are words given
fortli by the Spirit, but Christ is the Word, that was before the
Scriptures were, for in the beginning was the Word of God, and
the world was made by it, and the Word shall endure forever, and
Christ's name is called the Word of God : And though the Scrip-
tures are profitable, and were given forth to be read, and to be ful-
filled, yet they are not the rule and guide of faith and life unto the
Saints, but the Spirit of God, that gave forth the Scriptures, that is
the rule and guide, the teacher and leader into all truth ; and them
that are led by the Spirit of God, are the sons of God ; and if you
walk in the spirit, saith the apostle, you shall live, and as many as
walk according to this (to wit, of the spirit) peace is upon them ; and
so the Spirit of God is the rule of the saint's faith and life ; and the
spirit leads them to vmlk in the fidjilling of the Scriptures, and ac-
cording to them.^' — Page 514 — 1659.
In " Adeclaration to all the world of our faith, and whatwebelieve
who are called Quakers," published in 1658, we find the following —
" Again, concerning Christ we believe, that he is one with the
Father, and was with him before the world was ; and what the Fa-
ther worketh it is by the Son, for he is the Arm of God's salvation
and the very power and wisdom of the Creator, and was, is, and
is to come, without beginning or end.
And, we believe. That all the prophets gave testimony of him,
and that he was made manifest, in Judea and Jerusalem, and did
the work of the Father, and was persecuted of the Jews, and was
crucified by his enemies, and that he was buried, and rose again,
according to the Scriptures.
" And we believe. He is now ascended on high, and exalted at
the right hand of the Father for evermore ; and that he is glorified
with the same glory, that he had before the world was, and that
even the same that came down from heaven is ascended up to hea-
ven, and the same that descended is he that ascended.
" And we believe, even that He that was dead, is alive, and lives
for evermore, and that he cometh, and shall come again, to judge the
whole world with righteousness, and all people with equity, and
shall give to every man according to his deeds, at the day of judg-
ment, when all shall arise to condemnation or justification ; he that
hath done good shall receive life, and he that hath done evil, ever-
lasting condemnation.
" And we believe. He is to be waited for in spirit, to be known
after the spirit, as he was before the world was, and that is the know-
ledge unto eternal life, which all that believe in him do receive,
he subdues death, and destroys him that hath the power of it, and
and restoreth from death to life, and quickeneth by his Spirit, all
that the Father hath given him : And we believe such he justifieth
and sanctifieth, and such are taught of him ; but he condemns all
that believe not, but continue in unbelief, and are not taught of him.
And this we faithfully believe. — Page 440.
289
FRANCIS HOWGILL.
Iv an Essay entitled " The Heart of New England hardened,-'
replying to one who had misrepresented the Society of Friends, he
says —
" First, Concerning the Trinity, thou sayest ' they confess the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and yet they deny the Trinity, and
those to be three distinct persons ;' for confutation of tliis, thou
bringest Heb. i. & iii. He is the express image of his Father's
person.
" Thy Trinity is an old popish term, and we love to keep to
sound words ; but by Trinity, I suppose thou meanest three, and
thy own words shall confute thee. Thou confessest we say, there
is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and yet but one God, or one
eternal being; or substance, in which they all subsist ; but thy word
* distinct' is thy own, and not the Spirit's, yet, to distinguish be-
twixt Father, Son, and Spirit, we deny not ; and as for Heb. i. it
is in another translation rendered, the express image of his sub-
stance ; for person is too gross a v.ord, as to express an eternal and
Divine Being in ; and if thou dost hold three distinct substances,
thou errestin thy judgment, for that were to make three Gods."
" Secondly, They deny Chri=t to be God and man in one person,
and Christ to be a distinct person from the Father, and they ac-
knowledge such a Christ, as unchiisis Christ; and when they say,
Christ manifest in the flesh, they mean not as the scripture, but
fallaciously."
" Answer. — We say, according to the Scripture of Truth, and not
according to thy fallacy, that in the man, Christ, did the fulness of
the Godhead dwell, and God was in Christ, reconciling the world
unto himself, and he salth, I and my Father are one, and the Fa-
ther, the Son, and the Spirit, subsist in one Eternal Power,
Life and Glory, which thou with all thy stupid generation, are igno-
rant of, and that Christ we acknowledge, is such a Christ as is able
to save to the utmost, them that come unto him, and receive him,
and believe in him ; and is such a Christ as is able to raise them
that have been dead, and such a Christ giveth eternal life to
them that believe ; and so that Christ that we own, doth not un-
christ Christ, but by your doctrine, who plead imperfection, and the
continuation thereof, and a continuation in sin for term of life, as
one of thy own said, * Sin will dwell in the house, 'til the house
be pulled down,' speaking of the natural boHy, which some other
of thy own generation have called, the body of Sin ; and so it is you
that hold such a Christ as unchrists the true Christ, in thy own
words; and when didst thou enter into our thoughts, and into our
heart, or with what dost thou search, that thou sittest as judge over
Qo
290
the heart, ^vho knowest not judginent in thyself, nor what spirit
thou art of, and so thy lies and deceit are turned upon thee.
When we say, Christ manifest in the flesh, we say that holy thing
which was brought forth, and born of a virgin, and conceived of
the Holy Ghost, in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells, in
whom the eternal power of the Father was manifested, that he was
the Christ which was manifested in the flesh and justified in the
spirit, preached among the Gentiles, seen of angels, and received
up into glory, and this is according to the Scripture of Truth, and
thy judgment must be judged." — Page SOS, 304. 1659.
In a treatise entitled " The True Rule, Judge, and Guide of the
True Church Discovered," we find these observations, viz:
" Thirdly, The Scriptures testify of Christ, and were written
that they might be believed, and received, and read, that thereby
every one that believed, might be made wise to salvation, through
faith in Christ Jesus, 2 Tim. iii, and instructed in righteousness,
that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished with all
good works ; and whosoever doth teach any doctrines, contrary un-
to the holy men of God, who spake as they were moved by the Spi-
rit of God, which dwelt in thetn ; the scriptures are witnesses
against such, that they have not the Spirit of God, but are led by
another -pirit, which brings forth contrary doctrine, and another
faith, than was once delivered among the saints ; and whosoever
brings in, sets up other precepts, constitutions, orders, and prac-
tices% in point of worship in opposition and contrary unto those
practices, which were held forth in the primitive times, and Mould
set up other traditions than the apostles delivered, either by word
or writing, such are manifest to liave the spirit of error, and are in-
novators, and bringers in, of other things as necessary in point of
worship among Christians, which the apostles and ministers of
Christ, did not see necessary then, and yet they wanted no part of
the counsel of God ; for Paul said, he had declared the whole coun-
sel of God ; and furthermore they said, we have the mind of Christ,
and Christ's mind is not variable.
" Fourthly, Though divers of the writings of the prophets and
apostles be lost, doubtless, as is evident by divers places of scrip-
ture ; yet blessed be God that there are those preserved which do
bear witness of the one thing absolutely necessary unto salvation ;
and of the ministrations that were appointed of the Lord, for the
church of God to observe, both in the first and second covenants ;
so that Christians of this last age are not left without example and
precedent, which all ought to have an eye unto; and a diligent re-
gard ; and though there be divers copies of that which is called the
original tongue, and divers translations, yet he unto whom the spi-
rit of God is given, and waiteth in the measure of Christ's light,
shall receive it; doth see, and shall see the mind and will of God
in every age, and the mind and intent of the Spirit in them that
spoke forth the Scripture, and can receive the matter therein con-
tained, as though they had heard them speak that spoke it at the
first ; and though the translators were men, yet I have such an ho-
nourable esteem of their labour, that 1 believe they have not varied
291
wittingly and willingly from the best copies, that were extant in
their age, neither that they were altogether void of the Spirit of
God in such a good work, which conduced to the benefit of man-
kind, but were assisted by it for so good work ; and there be many
figures and tropes, improprieties of speech, mysteries and difficul-
ties, yet all these come to be made easy and plain to them that are
witnesses of the same spirit that gave them forth ; and though there
be diversity of judgments, and professions of religion, one clashing
against another, thwarting; and contradicting another, and all will
seem to bring the scripture for their proof, which yet cannot main-
tain and prove every tl)ingg(Mid, especially when thf-ir doctrines con-
tradict one another ; tiiis is granted, it is only their private interpre-
tation, and not the scripture ; and for want of that spirit that gave it
forth, for that alone, gives the true understanding of it ; and they
that are without thi.s, are like to kill one another, about words and
names, sounds, titles and iotas, but still want the key that opens,
and gives an entrance into the knowledge of the things of God, which
alone is the spirit of God that gave forth the scriptures." — Pages 636,
637. 1665.
GEORGE FOX, THE YOUNGER,
In his works, page 51, say^," But further, in the fear and wisdom
of God, for the satisfaction of the simple, I do declare, in plain word,
that I do believe in the true Christ, the Lord of Life, who was glo-
rified with the Father before the world began, and I do believe that
he was in due time niade manifest in that body of tiesh, who was call-
ed Jesus, and that in him the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily,
who was supposed to be tlie carpenter's son, whom the Jews crucified
without the gates of Jerusalem ; and I have remission of sins through
his blood, who is the Lord of Life, and he was buried, but he is risen,
and ascended and sits on the right hand of the Majesty on high ; this is
the Christ I own, who also was and is crucified in Sodom and Egypt,
by the rebellious ; yea, he is crucified afresh, and put to open shame
now, by those that trample the blood of the covenant, the Light of
Life, under their feet, and count it an unholy, or a natural thing,
and such act despitefully against the spirit of grace; and such mur-
der the seed which keeps the commands of God ; and such will God,
the Light, overthrow and burn to ashes, as he did Sodom and Gomor-
rah ; but all that love and obey the true light, (which is the fire,) shall
be saved and preserved by it, and shall remain unhurt; but all that
hate and disobey the light in them, that is their condemnation, the
Light."
F.-om a piece entitled " A message of tender love unto such pro-
fessors as have attained any true sincerity, simplicity, and zeal for
God, in their professions," &c. we extract the following:
" Friends, the Eternal Being, which giveth being to all his crea-
292
tures, hath largely manifested his love unto the worlii, in giving his
Only Begotten to be the Light of the world, (who doth enlighten eve-
ry one that cometh into the world, that all through him might be-
lieve,) and inasmuch as he, in the fulness of time, sent forth his Only
Begotten, (full of grace and truth,) into the world, in a body which
he hath prepared him, therein to do his will, which hodifthe. only he-
gotten of the Father freely g;av>e and offered up for a sacrifice for sin,
and so, according to his grace, he tasted death for every man, and by
his q^mn": himself once for all, he hath put an end to all the sacri-
fices and offerings mentioned in the law, which could not make the
comers thereunto perfect, (nor those that offered them,) as apper-
taining to the conscience : so Christ, the one offering, is become the
propitiation for the sins of the whole ivorld, who wrought eternal
salvation for all them that obey him : and here is the one offering
which perfects forever them that are sanctified. And he having ac-
complished the will of the Father, in that body which was prepared
him of the Father, (in which he came into the world,) he again left
the world, (he not being of the world,) and ascended unto the Fa-
ther, (from whence he proceeded,) and sate down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high, and is now glorified with the same glory that he
had with the Father, before the world began; yea, the* same that de-
scended into the lower parts of the earth, is also the same that ascend-
ed far above all heavens, that he might fill all things : and being one
with the Father, and in the Father, and the Father in him, his presence
filleth heaven and earth; and being the Son in the Father, he hath pow-
er as the Father, to quicken whomsoever he will, that all men might
honour the Son as the Father, by whom all things were made that
were made, in whom we live, move, and have a being: and he halh
a name given him above every name, (to which all things must bow,)
which is called the Word of God, or Jesus, because he is a Saviour,
and saveth his people from their sins. This is he that is given to be
the Head of the body, which is the congregation of the righteous, the
fulness of him that filleth all in all ; that he, in all things, {in ivhom
all fidness dwells,) might have the pre-eminence, being the express
substance of the Father's glory, and the very virtue of his being, one
with him in nature, and one in name: for as the Father is divine, so
the Son is also divine ; and as the Father is called the Light, so the Son
is also called the Light ; the Father is called the Mighty God. so is
the Son also ; yea, the Son's name is called (Wonderful) the Mighty
God, the Everlasting Father, (mark that,) the Prince of Peace, of
whose government there shall be no end.
" Now in the Father there is Life, and in the Word, the Son, there
is life, and this is one ; and this life, proceeding from the Father and
the Son, is that one Eternal Spirit, which is not to be limited : yea,
God is a Spirit, and Christ is the Lord, that Spirit; yea, he is U»e se-
cond Adam, the Lord from heaven, the quickening Spirit, by whom
the free gift is come upon all men, to justify them that believe in the
Life: and he that believeth not, he is condemned by the Life, which
is the light that doth enlighten everyone that cometh into the world :
so the gift that is come upon the unbeliever, that condemns him, be-
293
cause he believeth not in the Lighf, but loves the darkness better."
To this piece is appended the following note :
" So that none shall be able in tlie day of the Lord to plead or
say, Lord, because our first parents fell from thee, and became dead
unto thee, and so were driven out from thy presence, and we being
brought forth in this unreconciled state, there was no way left unto
us to approach or come near unto thee, to lay hold of the grace that
thou offerest unto all, by reason of thine anger; I say, none shall be
able thus to plead : for Christ the Father's love, hath consecrated a
way, by his freely giving up himself a propitiatory sacrifice, which
appea:-»eth God, and therefore it is said, that God was in Christ re-
conciling the world to himself, not imputing sin unto them. So, he
that perisheth, it shall be for his own sins, nor for his parents; but
because he believed not in Christ, who hath freely made a way for
him to come unto God, and by the power of his life visiting him, puts
him in a capacity to receive the free grace, which bringeth salvation,
which to all men hath appeared." — Works, pages 152, 153, 154, 155.
1660.
George Fox, the younger, wrote the following confession of his
faith, in four particulars ; " For the satisfaction of some tenfler, con-
scientious persons who had heard false reports of hhn, and others of
his judgment touching the things above written," which are as fol-
lows —
" 1. — Concerning Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.
"2. — Concerning justification.
"3. — Concerning the resurrection.
"4. — Concerning everlasting glory and eternal misery.
" First, As concerning Jesus Christ, that was supposed to be Joseph,
the carpenter's son, who, as concerning the flesh was crucified, and
put to death at Jerusalem, between two thieves, upon the cross at
Mount Calvary; I do believe he was the Son of God ; and that that
very body that the soldiers pierced, was the very body that was pre-
pared by the Father for Christ, the true Saviour, to come in, to do
the will of the Father that sent him : and I do believe that, by the
grace of God, he tasted death for every man^ that as many as believe
in and obey him, whose soul was made an offering for sin, might have
eternal life, through him, who gave his precious life a ransom for
many.
" Secondly, I do believe that no man can be justified by the works
of the law, nor by any work of his own, but he or she that is justi-
fied in the sight of God ; it is freely of his grace, through faith in
Christ Jesus, who creates such unto good works, which God hath or-
dained, that they that are justified should walk in.
«' Now God, through his free love, hath made me a witness of true
justification : and I testify in the Lord, that it is not my works that
justify me ; but it is the Lord alone, who worketh my v\orks in me,
and for me, according to his own good pleasure ; who loved me, be-
fore I loved him, and manifested his love to me in the covenant of
light, whereby he drew me after himself, and gave me strength to
obey and follow him in the manifestation and drawings of his love;
which, whilst I did reject, I was justly condemned of the Lord, and
294
could not witness justiiication in that state, although I sought it, and
talked much of it, as many professors now do: but God, who is rich
in mercy and love, showed me how he had given me power and abil-
ity to receive his truth in the love of it, through which I am now sa-
ved and justitied.
"Thirdly, Touching the resurrection: it is a mystery which the
carnal mind can never comprehend, but they that come to witness a
part in the first resurrection, which is Christ Jesus, the Light of
Life ; they in his light may come to perceive the mystery of the re-
surrection; but if truth can be received and understood, then it
will appear and be manifested to such, that I do not deny the resur-
rection : for I do verily believe, that the hour is coming, in which all
that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and
shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of
life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of condem-
nation : but to fools that say that this body of natural flesh and bones
shall be raised, I say, that body which is sown, is not that body that
shall be ; but God giveth a body as it pleaseth him, yet fo every seed
its own body: now, there is the seed of the serpent, and the seed of
Christ ; and they that can discern the body of each seed, are not the
fools which are questioning how the dead shall be raised, and with
what bodies they shall come? for they know all mankind will be
found to be one of these seeds, and that every seed shall have its
own body.
" Fourthly, Truly, if I did not believe that there was a glory to
come, more than what is here, surely although the good presence,
peace and consolation of God is in me, and his glory rests richly up-
on me, yet I should think myself to be in a more miserable condi-
tion than very many ; but for the glory that is set before me, which
Christ in me is the hope of, (which anchors and stays my soul) I am
content to endure the cross, and patiently to bear the affliction and
sufferings of this present life, notcountingthem worthy (though ever
so great,) to be compared to that eternal weight of glory, which I
do believe shall be revealed and given unto me in the world to
come.
" And as I do steadfastly believe, that there is a glorious state to
be entered into after this life, by all them that shall be found in the
immortal seed, wherein they shall be swallowed up of life, glory,
and immortality ; so T certainly believe, that there is a woful,
dreadful, horrible state to be entered into after this life, by all them
that shall be found in the seed of the serpent, wherein they shall
be swallowed up of perpetual torment and misery, whei e the worm
dicth not, but shall gnaw everlastingly, and the fire goeth not out.'"'
—Works, pages, 194, 195, 196, 197. 166L
295
JOHN WHITEHEAD,
In " A small treatise, wherein is briefly declared some of those
things which I have heard, and seen, and learned of the Father, &c."
After speaking of Jesus Christ, the true Light, as the only begot-
ten of the Father, the first born of every creature, which is the be-
ginning and end of all things, the rock of ages which followed
Israel in the wilderness, and hath appeared unto all men, &c. he
goes on to say :—
«• I also saw how in his humiliation he was in fashion as a man,
compassed by the virgin's womb, brought forth, and touched with a
feeling of our infirmities, yet without spot of sin, perfect in holiness
having the Spirit without measure, and the fulness of the Godhead
in him : Yet was he a man of sorrows, rejected of men, judged a
blasphemer, and not worthy to live, by the chief priests and phari-
sees that had the scriptures ; and Pilate that had natural learning,
Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, delivered him to be crucified ; and after
he had witnessed a good confession before him, he tasted death for
every man, of which it was impossible for him to be held ; therefore
he rose by the power of God, and in divers manners appeared to his
disciples ; after which, he that descended did ascend far above all
heavens into the glory of the Father, with which he is gloiified as
he was before the world began, having that name, (which is befoie
every name,) that he had in the beginning, which is the Word of
God, the Eternal Life, that was with the Father, which doth en-
lighten men, that through him, who is the Way, Truth, and Life, man
niay be reconciled and have access unto God, who only hath Im-
mortality, dwelling in the Light to which no mortal eye can ap-
proach, and without which no man hath seen or shall see God.
Therefore, man ! whose soul is immortal, wait to have its eye
opened in the Light, that thou mayest see God, and walk with him
in the garden, as in the beginning, before the fall and separation
was, or ever the evil eye was open, or the immortal eye oversha-
dowed by death." — Works, pages 93, 94. 1661.
From a treatise entitled " A manifestation of Truth," we ex-
tract the following, viz:
" Concerning salvation by Ciirist, We say and believe, that with -
out the sufferings and death of Christ at Jerusalem, no man can be
saved, justified, or sanctified ; and therefore do they maliciously, or (at
least,) ignorantly, slander us, who say toe expect not to be saved by
Christ'' s sufferings at Jerusalem, but by Chrisfs sufferings in us ; for
such ivords did never jyroceed from us, though we say that it is not
an historical knowledge and belief of what Christ said and suffered
at Jerusalem, sixteen hundred years ago, that can or doth save any
man without feeling of his Spirit, power, and life made manifest
296
within, to make them conformable to him in his death, and raise
them together with him to live in the virtue of his life, bj which life,
we, as well as the ancient christians are saved, and we are sanctifi-
ed and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of
our God, which mightily worketh in us, and all his works are per-
fect ; and therefore, 1 do distinguish betwixt the righteousness
which is of Faith, which the Spirit worketh, and the righteous-
ness which is of the law performed by man's own strength ; for
though the one be as filthy x-ags, yet so is not the other ; therefore is he
the enemy of righteousness that mingles them both together, and
treads them under foot as dung and dross ; therefore let all that love
their souls, love Christ the righteousness of God, and follow after
him, that they may be made righteous, and have that boldness in the
day of judgment which the ancient christians had, because, (said
they) as He is, so are we in this world. — Works, pages 134, 135.
l66xJ.
CHARLES MARSHALL,
In a piece, entitled, " The way of Life revealed, and the way oi
Death discovered, &c." speaks thus : —
" The travail in spirit of the messengers and servants of the Most
High in ages past, was the same as now it is, viz: To turn people
from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan to the pow-
er of the Living God ; thereby in no wise invalidating Christ Jesus,
his manifestation in that bodily appearance, neither his sufferings,
death, resurrection, or ascension ; but brings all people, guided
thereby, unto that which will open the eyes of their understandings,
whereby they all come unto such a condition, and spiritual under-
standing, as to see and know their benefit by that appearance of the
Saviour of the world ; for this we testify. Ml are perfected by that
one offering that are sanctified. But here ariseth another objection
by some, who may come so far as to own and confess, that there is
a principle or light in man, that discovereth sin, and teacheth man
to do justly and equally, (which some call morality,) but that this
light or principle in man is of a saving property, and of the nature
and quality of the Divine Being, many for v/ant of understanding
do deny, and so are found opposers of truth itself, and stumble at the
corner-stone, which indeed in all generations hath been to many men
a stone of stumbling and rock of offence, which thousands, (giving
themselves up to be guided by their own wisdoms and prudence,) re-
ject ; yea, those accounted the wise master builders, professors of
God and Christ, being ignorant of the Root and Offspring of David,
have, and yet do reject this corner stone.
" Now for the sake of all who do or may desire after the true and
saving knowledge of Christ Jesus, it is on my spirit yet further to
297
open and manifest the nature and property of this principle and
light ; whose Fountain is the Eternal Being, and Everlastin;^ Ocean
of Divine Fulness, and its nature and quality is one with this
Fountain from which it comes : John testified. In the Beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, &c. In him was Life, and
the Life was the Light of men. — He also testified, that he was not
that Light, but came for a Witness, to bear witness, that that was
the True Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world :
so the original of this Light is Christ Jesus, the Word.
" But some may query thus, Is Christ the Light in every man ?
To which I answer: Christ doth appear by his light in every man ;
and the Light which comes from Christ is in every man ; as is
clearly demonstrated from the Scriptures of Truth ; and though I
account it unnecessary to answer the curious inquiries of such,
(who seeking to know much, do not walk answerable to what they
know;) yet for the sake of such, whose understandings are not
opened, and yet are inquiring the way to Sion, I add this simili-
tude : The natural Sun is placed by the Creator to lighten the out-
ward world, and doth extend from its body, a measure of its light
and natural property, shining on the just and the unjust, and so doth
daily give forth of that virtue which is inherent in itself; when the
sun shineth on any object whatsoever, we sometimes say, the Sun
there appears, and other times we say, there is the Sun ; the
propriety of either of which manner of expressions, I sup-
pose, none will question ; for light in that appearance is seen,
and virtue is felt, penetrating to the refreshment of our natui-al
bodies; and this light and heat is inseparable from the fulness;
and notwithstanding it daily shineth and displays its virtuous life
into, and over all the earth and its inhabitants, yet its body is not
any way exhausted or altered through ages and generations. And so,
I sa}', that Christ, the universal Fountain of Life, the Sun of Right-
eousness, the Ocean and fulness of spiritual light, life, and virtue,
(from whence is communicated a measure of his nature, property,
and quality) is given of the Father, to enlighten all the sons and
daughters of men, who accordingly are all enlightened with his
spiritual appearance, and though this appearance cannot be called
thefulness, yet being a measure of that fulness, it is one in nature
and property with, and inseparable from, the fulness ; and though
through its virtue life is daily communicated unto the sons of men
(who waiting for the appearance thereof, as for the morning light,
cannot live unto God without it) yet doth he admit of no diminu-
tion, alteration or change ; but all fulness of divine light, life and
glory, doth and shall, through every age and generation, remain
with him : and albeit the veil of darkness hath overshadowed the
hearts of some, so as when we give testimony unto the universal
appearance of the Sun of righteousness, in the hearts of all the sons
and daughters of men, they are ready to say, such a testimony leads
to the diminishing of that glory and honour which belongs unto him,
as he is the Fulness, and sitting at the right hand of the Father;
inferring from such our testimony, as if, whilst we testify to his ap-
pearance in our hearts, we exclude his presence elsewhere; which
298
inference, I say, is as irrational, as it would be for any to conclude,
that because we say of the shining and appearance of the Sun, there
is the Sun ; or the Sun there appears ; therefore we exclude the
Being of the Sun elsewhere. For its virtue is communicated to
our natural bodies, every one having in measure, some enjoyment
of the virtue or light of the natural Sun, which is light to the eye,
even as the outward eye is light to, or of the natural body; and
whosoever they are, whose invisible senses are quickened by the
influencing virtue which proceeds from the eternal San of right-
eousness, do thereby see and discern, that these things are accord-
ing to tite clear manifestation of Truth in their inward parts ; and
from a true sense thereof, can of a truth give this certain testimony,
that Christ, the Lord, by his holy, quickening spirit, hath appeared
in them, to the quickening of their immortal souls ; and that through
believing in the light, and obedience to his appearance, being come
out of that state which is reprobated by the Lord, can of certain ex-
perimental knowledge say, Christ is in us the hope of glory. And
so when we direct people to this Word, Light, Law, Grace and Spi-
rit, we do not thereby intend, that Christ Jesus, the Light of the
World, and Gift of God, is not the true Saviour, Redeemer, and
Reconciler of mankind unto God." — Works, page 71 to 77. 1673.
In a piece entitled " A Warning unto the Rulers and People of
England, &c." C. Marshall speaks thus —
" In the tender love of God, unto whose ears the misrepresenta-
tions, vilifications or aspersions underwritten, have or may come —
Give ear, and hear, all you rulers and inhabitants of these northern
islands : God Almighty, even the God of Abraham, Isaac and Ja-
cob, in this later age of the world is risen and arising, and cau-
sing his ancient horn of salvation to be revealed : of whom all the
holy men, prophets and servants of God gave testimony, through
ages and generations, to be that Holy One, on whom he hath laid
help, who is mighty to save, Christ Jesus the Lord ; of whose spi-
ritual appearance and coming we are witnesses this day; and by
the arm of his eternal power are raised up, to declare him unto
these Northern Islands of the Gentiles, as their Light to lighten
them, according to the prophet's testimony, of John, old Simeon,
Christ Jesus, the Apostles and messengers of God Almighty,
through many ages and generations, of which many demonstrative
testimonies, in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit and
power of Christ Jesus, have been, and are daily borne both by word
and writing; against which holy, certain testimonies, men of the
spirit of Jannes and Jambres, men of corrupt minds have risen up
to withsiand, and by lies, slanders, misrepresentings, &c. have
endeavoured their utmost to veil and cloud this testimony ; which
work and way of theirs God hath beheld, and hath determined to
blast, because in their right hand hath been found a lie, and the
poison of asps is under their tongues, to reproacli, vilify, and mis-
represent the servants and people of God, under hideous and odious
disguises, that they might thereby (as much as in them lies) effect
such a work, as the old heathens did on the Christians; namely,
by putting lions' skins and bearskins on them, that thereby they
might cause the dogs to take hold on them : so hath there been an
299
endeavour in our day, to misrepresent the servants and people of
the Lord, as deniers of salvation by Jesus Christ ; making his birth
in Bethlehem of Judea, his travails, sufferings, blood, death, resur-
rection and ascension, of no value ; deniers of the scriptures of
truth ; and instead thereof, preaching: up salvation by meritorious
works of our own ; and in short, representing us as enemies to
Christianity: concerning which charges, and every particular of
them, full, clear and demonstrative answers have been and are giv-
en, unto wliich I refer all unsatisfied persons. — That which lies on
my spirit at this time, is to declare in the presence, name and
power of the Everlasting God, that these things spoken and writ-
ten of us, are as false as the accusations of the Pharisees concern-
ing Christ Jesus, and as false as the accusations of the Jews con-
cerning the Apostles — For
•• 1st, We declare to all nations, tongues, and languages, that
we believe in the One, Holy, Everlasting God —
" 2d, We believe concerning him, that he is a spirit ; and con-
cerning his worship, that it is in Spirit, and spiritual —
" 3d, We believe, preach, and publish salvatiot?, in orby noother
name, but in, by, and through Him, of whom all the prophets gave
testimony, the apostles preached, the primitive saints believed and
received, namely, Jesus Christ —
" 4th, We declare we are so far from denying or having any light
esteem of that holy, honourable record, viz. the Scriptures of Truth,
that we are often greatly bowed and tendered in spirit, in the sense
of the great mercy and love of our God ; that although the wicked
have been suffered to persecute, revile and evily to represent the
way of life and salvation believed and preached by them, and also
have proceeded to kill the bodies of the prophets of God, of Christ
Jesus our Lord, his apostles and faitliful servants ; that yet such
hath been his great and unexpressible love, to preserve their pre-
cious testimonies unto our age and generation.
" And now, ye rulers and people of these Northern Islands ; in
the universal love of the God of the spirits of all flesh, I warn you,
that as any thing comes unto your ears of us, contrary to this our
faith and belief in God, that you be so noble, as to do that which is
but just and equal for you to do, viz. to keep one ear for the accu-
sed, to hear with diligence and without partiality : And let none be
like those ignoble people ot Thessalonica, who being moved with
envy, refused to hear the Apostle's doctrine ; but be like those wor-
thy Bereans, whose nobility is recorded, because they received the
word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures dai-
ly, to see whether those things M'ere so or no." — Works, pages 127
to 130—1674.
HENRY TUKE,
In his tract entitled, " The Faith of the people called Quakers,
&c." p. 24, 25, quotes the following declaration, from a paper
300
entitled " The Quakers' Vindication," which was presented by
Friends to the members of Parliament in 1693 — viz.
" We whose names are underwritten, being in christian society
with the people called Quakers, do in good conscience, declare and
certify all persons concerned ;
" 1st. That we sincerely believe and confess that Jesus of Naza-
reth, who was born of the Virgin Mary, is the true Messiah, the
very Christ, the Son of the living God, to whom all the prophets
gave witness. And we do highly value his death, sufferings, works,
offices, and merits, for the redemption and salvation of mankind,
together with his laws, doctrines and ministry.
" 2d. That this very Christ of God, was and is the Son of God,
that takes away the sins of the world, who was slain and is alive,
and lives for evermore, in his divine, eternal glory, dominion, and
power with the Father.
" And we knoiv of no other doctrine or principles, preached, main-
tained, or ever received among or by us, since we were a people, con-
trary to these aforesaid.''^
Signed on behalf of the said people by thirty-one Friends.
JOHN BURNYEAT AND JOHN WATSON,
In an essay entitled " The holy truth and its professors defended,"
make the following declarations, viz.
"He [an opposer,] charges us with denying the Trinity, as he
terms it.
" Answer. — We do really own the Three that bear record in hea-
ven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these Three are
one, John v. 7. And we also own the three that bear witness in
earth, the spirit, the water, and the blood, and these Three agree in
one, as verse 8, and so we do, and always did believe, according to
the Holy Scriptures.
" He charges us with denying the Scriptures to be the Word
of God.
"Answer. — We believe the scriptures to be what they call them-
selves, a testimony or declaration, as in Luke i. 1. John v. 39. But
Christ we own and believe to be the Word of God, according to
John i. and Rev. xix. 13. So we own the Word of the Lord, that
came unto the prophets, saying, as in Ezek. vii. 1, and in divers
other places; and we own and believe the sayings of the Word, as
recorded in the Holy Scriptures. So the Word that came unto the
prophets was the saver, or that which spake unto them; and the
scriptures are the words or sayings which the Word, or spirit of
Christ, spake unto and through ihe prophets, as is evident from the
testimony of the apostle, 1 Peter i. 10,11." — J. Burnyeat's Works,
page 224. 1688.
On page 251, in the same essay, replying to the same opposer, they
say—
301
'•■ When he saith, ' As far as he understands, our principles and
practice are according to Christ's institution, which he doubts not
but we will make good upon occasion ;' thou, in answer, sayest, thou
knowest our practice well enough : which, if true, and if so bad as
thou endeavourest to make people believe of us, why hast thou
brought none of them to make good thy charges against us ? And
as for our principles, thou sayest thou never heard'st we had amj.
Then thou must needs he ignorant of our way and religion: and
therefore, in thy speaking evil of it, thou speakest evil of things thou
understandest not, and so art of that generation spoken of, 2 Peter
ii. 12. £nd as for our faith and principles, they have been publish-
ed to the ivorld both by ivords and tvriting, they have not been hid in
a corner ; so that any that had a mind to concern themselves against
us, and yet as wise men, would not judge without an understand-
ing, lest like thee, they should speak evil of the things they did
not understand, might easily be informed what our principles are.
However, we are a people that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ ; and
that the Father sent him into the ivorld, to lay down his life a ran-
som for all men; that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish,
but have eternal life : that he was crucified without the gates of Je-
rusalem, and so became a propitiation for the sins of the ivhole
world: and that after he had suffered, and was buried, God the Fa-
ther raised him again by his Eternal Spirit, after which he showed
himself unto many witnesses, and then ascended into heaven, and is
glorified with the Father, with that glory he had with him before the
world was made. And we further believe, that he is the IJght of
the world, and that he ought to be followed according to his own
words, John viii. 12; and that he lighteth every man that cometh in-
to the world, according to John i. 9, and that this light, wherewith
lie lighteth every man, all ought to believe in, that they maybe chil-
dren of the light, according to John xii. 36. And so we believe in
his spiritual appearance, according to his promise who said, He would
pray the Father, and he should send them another Comforter, even
the spirit of truth, according to John xiv. 16, 17; and this was his
OWN spirit, for he is the Truth; and of this the saints were wit-
nesses, as the apostle saith, Gal. iv. 6. And bxause ye are sons,
God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Ab-
ba, Father. And thus was Chiist, in the saints, the hope of glory,
according to Coloss. i. 7. And thus believing and witnessing the
truth of the scripture, we wait upon God for his spirit, that we may
worship him therein, according to the institution of his Son, Christ
Jesus, as in John iv. 23, 24 ; and that we may pray with the spirit,
and sing with it, according to 1 Cor. xiv. 15. For the apostle eS-
horted the saints to be filled with the spirit, Eph. v. 18. And the
saints were to pray in the Holy Ghost. Jude 20. So our faith stands
in the power of God, which is that, the apostle laboured that the
saint.-' faith might stand in, as thou mayest see, \ Cor. ii. 5. Believ-
ing that there shall be a re'iurrection, both of the just and unjust,
they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, ami they that
liave done evil, imtc* the resurrection of damnation, according to John
V. 29."— Pages 251, 252. 1688.
302
JOHN BANKS,
In a paper, entitled, " A true and faithful testimony for the true
and living God, and the all -sufficiency, and unchangeableness of his
power and spirit, against the Devil, and his dark power and spirit,
by which he rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience, with
all his cunning and subtility in his instruments,'' &c. writes as fol-
lows, viz. :
"And now, dear friends, although the devil, the old liar, be at
work in this day, in a great mystery, even in the mystery of iniqui-
ty, by his evil power and rending spirit, heed him not, nor tlie strong-
est of his instruments ; for the power of God is over him and them
all, yea, overall that is contrary unto it; for this is He that was the
first, and will be tlie last, who said, I am the Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end ; and he will tread down Satan shortly,
and all his agents of mischief: he was promised to bruise the ser-
pent's head, which daily is a fulfilling, by the dominion of his pow-
er and holy spirit, over hell, death, and the grave, and every foul,
unclean, dark, quibbling spirit ; for that is appointed for the fire of
eternal wrath and judgment, whose end is to devour, kill, and
destroy, and make rents and breaches among God's people, where it
gets an entrance whatever it pretends, which I am to warn Friends to
beware of; and do say, this is one of thedeviPs last shifts, to appear in
the name of light and ancient power and truth, as it was in the begin-
ning ; a transformation to cover his dark power and spirit, which
creeps so cunningly in the dark, to deceive the simple on this wise.*'
—Journal, p. 119.' 1678.
In an epistle which he wrote to the inhabitants of Carlisle, after
earnestly exhorting them to believe in Jesus Christ, as revealed in
their hearts by the Holy Spirit, or just Witness for God, which
would lead them out of all sin, he adds: —
" Is not this at the door of your hearts to call you to repentance
by his light, grace and Holy Spirit ? And if there be not such a be-
lieving in him by the same, what availeth his death and suffering to
you, and the shedding of his precious blood for yoit ; if sin be not fi-
nished here and transgression put to an end ? Ephes. v. 5, and read
to the 21st verse. No unclean thing can enter into the kingdom
of Christ and of God. Did not he suffer for the sins of all, that all
through him, might believe"/ John iii. 18, and they that believe not
are condemned already.
" I say ivas not sin the cause, ivherefore he suffered? and if the
cause, sin, through faith in him be not taken away, how shall the ef-
fect cease ? But if tlie cause through faith in him be taken away,
then the eftect ceaseth, and everlasting felicity, world v/ithout end,
ensaeth.'*--P. 174. 1684.
303
JOHN WHITING,
In his address to Edward Ancketyll, on the subject of Tythep^
says : —
" And therefore, Christ being come in the flesh, 1st John iv. 2, and
offered up himself a most acceptable sacrifice to God, for the sins
of the whole world, in the fulness of time appointed of the Father;
and having put an end to all those offerings, and according to the
will of God, abolished and changed the law and priesthood, which
commanded and took tythes : He is become ' the end of the law for
righteousness, to every one that believeth,* in him, Rom. x. 4. I
say again, Christ being come in the flesh ; and offered up himself
through the eternal Spirit, once for all, 2d John 7, he hath put an
end to the Levitical Priesthood, tythes and offerings, and is become
an High Priest forever, ' not after the order of Aaron, but after the
order of Melchisedec,' who is without beginning of days or end of
life : not like those priests who could not continue by reason of
death, but liveth and abideth a priest forever, to make intercession
for us ; and such an High Priest becometh us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, and separate from sinners : who is made a priest, not af-
ter the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an
endless life : And is become the minister of the sanctuary, and true
tabernacle which God hath pitched, and not man : and dwells not
in temples made with hands, Heb. vii. 11, 16, 23, 25, 26; viii. 2,
but is long since departed from them. Who, when he ascended up
on high, led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, for the per-
i'cctiiig of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ; Acts vii. 48; Ephes. iv. 8, 12. Who saith,
freely ye have received, freely give. Matt. x. 8. Of whom the Lord
saith, This is my beloved Son, hear ye him, Mark ix. 7." — P. 80,
81. 1680.
Ji Declaration of the Christian Doctrines of the Suciety of Friends ,
issued in 1693.
En the year 1693, the Society of Friends being greatly misrepre-
sonted and traduced as denying tlie doctrines of the christian reli-
gion, the following declaration of faith was drawn up, and published
by them. After slating the causes which led to its publication, they
Inns proceed ; viz.
" We are, therefore, tenderly concerned for truth's sake, in behalf
of the said people, (as to the body of them, and for all of tliem who
are sincere to God, and faithful to their christian principle and pro-
304
tession,) to use our just endeavours to remove the reproach, and all
causeless jealousies concerning us, touching those doctrines of Chris-
tianity, or any of them pretended, or supposed, to be in question in
the said division; in relation whereunto we do in the fear of God,
and in simplicity and plainness of his truth received, solemnly and
sincerely declare what our christian belief and profession has been,
and still is, in respect to Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God,
his suffering, death, resurrection, glory, light, power, great day of
judgment, &c.
" We sincerely profess faith in God by his only begotten Son Je-
sus Christ, as being our light and life, our only way to the Father,
and also our only KJediator and Advocate with the Father.
"That God created all things, he made the worlds, by his Son
Jesus Christ, he being that powerful and living Word of God by
whom all things were made; and that the Father, the Word, and
Holy Spirit are one, in Divine Being inseparable; one true, living
and eternal God, blessed for ever.
" Yet that this Word, or Son of God, in the fulness of time, took
flesh, became perfect man, according to the flesh, descended and
came of the seed of Abraham and David, but was miraculously con-
ceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. And also
further, declared powerfully to be the Son of God, according to the
spirit of sanctification, by the resurrection ffom the dead.
•"That in the Word, (or Son of God,) was life, and the same life
was the light of men ; and that he was that true light which enlight-
ens every man coming into the world ; and therefore that men are to
believe in the light, that they may become the children of the light;
hereby we believe in Christ the Son of God, as he is the light and life
within us; and wherein we must needs have sincere respect and ho-
nour to, and belief in, Christ, as in his own unapproachable and in-
comprehensible glory and fulness; as he is the fountain of life and
light, and giver thereof unto us ; Christ, as in himself, and as in us,
being not divided. And that as man, Christ died for our sins, rose
again, and was received up into glory in the heavens. He having,
in his dying for all, been that one great universal offering, and sa-
crifice for peace, atonement and reconciliation between God and
man ; and he is the propitiation not for our sins only, but for the sins
of the whole world. We were reconciled by his death, but saved
by his life.
"That Jesus Christ, who sitteth at the right hand of the throne of
the majesty in the heavens, yet he is our King, Higii-Priest and Pro-
phet, in his church, a Minister of the sanctuary, and of the true ta-
bernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man. He is Intercessor
and Advocate with the Father in heaven, and there appearing in the
presence of God for us, being touched with the feeling of our infirmi-
ties, sufferings and sorrows. And also by his spirit in our hearts,
he makcth intercession according to the will of God, crying, Abba,
Father.
"For any whom God hath gifted, and called sincerely to preach
faith in the" same Christ, both as within and without us, cannot be to
preach two Christs, but one and the same Lord Jesus Christ, having
305
respect to those degrees of our spiritual knowledge of Christ Jesus
in us, and to his own unspeakable fulness and glory, as in himself,
in liis own entire being, wherein Christ himself and the least mea-
sure of his light or life, as in us or in mankind, are not divided nor
separable, no more than the sun is from its light. And as he ascend-
ded far above all heavens, that he might fill all things, his fulness
cannot be comprehended, or contained in any finite creature; but in
some measure known and experienced in us, as we are capable to
receive the same, as of his fulness we have received grace for grace.
Christ our Mediator, received the spirit, not by measure, but in
fulness; but to every one of us is given grace, according to the mea-
sure of his gift.
" That the gospel of the grace of God should be preached in the
name of the Fatlier, Son, and Holy Ghost, being one in power, wis-
dom and goodness, and indivisible, or not to be divided, in the great
work of man's salvation.
" We sincerely confess and believe in Jesus Christ, both as he is
true God and perfect Man, and that he is the Author of our living
faith in the power and goodness of God, as manifested in his Son
Jesus Christ, and by his own blessed spirit, or divine unction, re-
vealed in us, whereby we inwardly feel and taste of his goodness,
life, and virtue ; so as our souls live and prosper by and in him : and
the inward sense of this divine power of Christ, and faith in the same,
and this inward experience, is absolutely necessary to make a true,
sincere and perfect christian in spirit and life.
"That divine honour and worship is due to the Son of God ; and
that he is, in true faith to be prayed unto, and the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ called upon, as the primitive christians did, because of
the glorious union or oneness of the Father and the Son ; and that
we cannot acceptably offer up prayers and praises to God, nor re-
ceive a giacious answer or blessing from God, but in and through
his dear Son, Christ.
" That Christ's body that was crucified, was not the Godhead, yet
by the power of God was raised from the dead ; and that the same
Christ that was therein crucified, ascended into heaven and glory,
is not questioned by us. His flesh saw no corruption, it did not cor-
rupt; but yet doubtless his body was changed into a more glorious
and heavenly condition than it was in when subject to divers suffer-
ings on earth; but how and what manner of change it met withal
after it was raised from the dead, so as to become such a glorious
body, as it is declared to be, is too wonderful for mortals to conceive,
apprehend or pry into, and more meet for angels to see: the scrip-
ture is silent therein, as to the manner thereof, and we are not cu-
rious to inquire or dispute it ; nor do vve esteem it necessary to make
ourselves wise above what is written, as to the manner or condi-
tion of Christ's glorious body, as in heaven ; no more than to inquire
how Christ appeared in divers manners or forms; or how he came
in among his disciples, the doors being shut; or how he vanished out
of their sight after he was risen. However, we have cause to believe
his body, as in heaven, is changed into a most glorious condition, far
transcending what it was in on earth, otherwise how could our low
Qq
306
body be changed, so as to be made like unto his glorious body; for
when he was on earth, and attended with sufferings, he was said to
be like unto us in all things, sin only excepted ; which may not be
so said of him as now in a state of glory, as he prayed for ; other-
wise where would be the change both in him and in us ?
" True and living faith in Clirist Jesus the Son of the living God,
has respect to his entire being and fulness, to him entirely as in him-
self, and as all power in heaven and earth is given unto him; and
also an eye and respect to the same Son of God as inwardly making
himself known to the soul, in every degree of his light, life, spirit,
grace, and truth ; and as he is botli the word of faith, and a quicken-
ing spirit in us; whereby he is the immediate cause, author, object,
and strength of our living faith in his name and power; and of the
work of our salvation from sin and bondage of corruption : and the
Son of God cannot be divided fiom the least or lowest appearance
of his own divine light, or life in us or in mankind, no more than the
sun from its own light; nor is the sufficiency of his light within, by
us, set up in opposition to him the Man Christ, or his fulness, consi-
dered as in himself, as without us; nor can any measure or degree
of light, received from Christ, as such, be properly called the fulness
of Christ, or Christ as in fulness, nor exclude him, so considered,,
from being our complete Saviour; for Christ himself to be our light,
our life, and Saviour, is so consistent, that without this light we
could not know life, nor him to save us from sin or deliver us from
darkness, condemnation, or wrath to come: and where the least de-
gree or measure of this light and life of Christ within, is sincerely
waited in, followed and obeyed; there is a blessed increase of light
and grace known and felt; as the path of the just, it shines more and
more, until the perfect day; and thereby a growing in grace, and ia
the knowledge of God, and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
hath been, and is truly experienced. And this light, life or spirit of
Christ within, (for they are one divine principle,) is sufficient to lead
unto all truth ; having in it the divers ministrations both of judgment
and mercy, both of law and gospel, even that gospel which is preach-
ed in every intelligent creature under heaven : it does not only, as ia
its first ministration, manifest sin, and reprove and condemn for sin ;
but also excites and leads them that believe in it to true repentance ;
and thereupon to receive that mercy, pardon, and redemption in
Christ Jesus, which he has obtained for mankind in those gospel
terms of faith, in his name, true repentance and conversion to Christ,
thereby required.
" So that the light and life of the Son of God within, truly obeyed
and followed, as being the principle of the second or new covenant,
as Christ the light is confessed to be, even as He is the seed or word
of faith in all men, this does not leave men or women, who believe
in the light, under the first covenant, nor as the sons of the bond-
woman, as the literal Jews were, when gone from the Spirit of God,
and his Christ in them ; but it naturally leads them into the new
covenant, in the new and living way, and to the adoption of sons, to
be children and sons of the free-woman, of Jerusalem from above.
•' It is true, that we ought not to lay aside, nor any way to under-
307
value, but highly to esteem, true preaching and the Holy Scriptures;
and the sincere belief and faith of Christ, as he died for our sins, and
rose again for our justification ; together with Christ's inward and
spiritual appearance, and work of grace in the soul ; livingly to open
the mystery of his death, and perfectly to effect our reconciliation,
sanctification, and justification; and wherever Christ qualifies and
calls any to preach and demonstrate the mystery of his coming,
death, and resurrection, &c. even among the Gentiles, Christ ought
accordingly to be both preached, believed, and received.
" Yet supposing tliere have been, or are such pious and conscienti-
ous Gentiles, in whom Christ was, and is, as the seed or principle of the
second or new covenant, tiie light, the word of faith ; (as is granted,)
and that such live uprightly and faithfully to that light they have, or
to what is made known of God in them, and who, therefore, in that
state cannot perish, (but shall be saved,) as is also confessed; and
supposing these have not the outward advantage of preaching, scrip-
ture, or thence the knowledge of Christ's outward coming, being
outwardly crucified and risen from the dead ; can such, (thus consi-
dered,) be justly excluded Christianity, or the covenant of grace, (as
to the virtue, life, and nature thereof,) or truly deemed no christians,
or void of any christian faith in the life and power of the Son of
God within, or be only sons of the first covenant, and bond-woman,
like the literal, outside Jews; or must all be excluded any true
knowledge or faith of Christ within them, unless they have the
knowledge of Christ as without them ? No sure, for that would im-
ply insufficiency in Christ and his light, as within them, and to frus-
trate God's good end and promise of Christ, and his free and uni-
versal love and grace to mankind, in sending his Son. We charita-
bly believe the contrary, that they must have some true faith and in-
terest in Christ and his mediation, because of God's free love in
Christ to all mankind, and Christ's dying for all men, and being gi-
ven for a light of the Gentiles, and for salvation to the ends of the
earth. And because of their living up sincerely and faithfully to
his light in them : their being pious, conscientious, accepted, and sa-
ved, (as is granted,) we cannot reasonably think a sincere, pious, or
godly man, wholly void of Christianity, (of what nation soever he be,)
because none can come to God or godliness but by Christ, by his
light and grace in them : yet we grant if there be such pious, sincere
men or women, as have not the scripture or knowledge of Christ, as
outwardly crucified, &c., they arc not perfect christians in all per-
fections, asin all knowledge and understanding, all points of doctrine,
outward profession of Christ; so that they are better than they profess
or pretend to be ; they are more Jews inward, and Christians inward,
than in outward show or profession. These are christians sincere and
perfect in kind or nature, in life and substance, though not in know-
ledge and understanding. A marj or woman having the life and fruits
of true Christianity, the fruits of the Spirit of Christ in them, that can
talk little thereof, or of creeds, points, or articles of faiih, (yea, ma-
ny that cannot read letters,) yet may be true christians in spirit and
life ; and some could die for Christ, that could not dispute for him ;
and even infants that die in innocency, are not excluded the grace
808
ol God, or salvation in and by Christ Jesus, tlie image and naftir.*
of the Son of God, being in some measure in them, and they under
God's care and special Providence. See Matt, xviii. 2, 10.
"And though we had the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New-
Testament, and a belief of Christ crucified and risen, Stc, we never
truly knew the mystery thereof, until we were turned to the light ot
his grace and spirit within us ; we knew not what it was to be recon-
ciled by his death, and saved by his life, or what it was to know the
fellowship of his sufferings, the power of his resurrection, or tu be
made conformable unto his death ; we knew not, until He opened our
eyes, and turned our minds from darkness unto his own divine life
and light within us.
" Notwithstanding, we do sincerely and greatly value the Holy
Scriptures, preaching and teaching of faithful, divinely inspired,
gifted and qualified persons and ministers of Jesus Christ, as being
great outward helps, and instrumental in his hand, and by his spirit,
for conversion, where God ispleased to afford those outward helps and
means, as that we neither do, nor may, oppose the sufficiency of the
light or spirit of Christ within, to such outward helps or means, so
as to reject, disesteem, or undervalue them ; for they all proceed
from the same light and spirit, and tend to turn men's minds there-
unto, and all centre therein.
" Nor can the Holy Scriptures or true preaching without, be just-
ly set in opposition to the light or spirit of God or Christ within ; for
his faithful messengers are ministers thereof, being sent to turn peo-
ple to the same light and spirit in them, Actsxxvi. 18. Rom. xiii. 2. 2
Cor. iv. 6. 1 Pet. ii. 9. 1 John ii. 8.
" It is certain, that great is the mystery of godliness in itself, in
its own being and excellency : namely, that God should be and was
manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preach-
ed unto the gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into
" And it is a great and precious mystery of godliness and Christi-
anity also, that Christ should be spiritually and effectually in men's
hearts, to save and deliver them from sin,satan,and bondage of cor-
ruption, Christ being thus revealed in true believers, and dwelling in
their hearts by faith, Christ within the hope of glory, our light and
life, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctifica-
tion, and redemption, 1 Cor. i. 30. And therefore this mystery of
godliness, both as in its own being and glory, and also as in men, (in
many hid, and in some revealed,) hath been and must be testitrcd,
preached, and believed ; where God is pleased to give commission,
and prepare people's hearts for the same, and not in men's wills.
" Concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the great day of
judgment yet to come, beyond the grave, or after death, and Christ's
coming without us, to judge the quick and the dead : (as divers
questionsare put in such terms,) what the Holy Scriptures plainly de-
clare and testify in these matters, we have great reason to credit, and
not to question, and have been always ready to embrace, with respect
lo Christ and his apostles' own testimony and prophecies.
'« 1. For the doctrine of the resurrection ; if in this life only we
309
nave hope in Cliiist, we are of all men the most miserable, 1 Cor.
XV. 19. We sincerely believe, not only a resurrection in Christ from
the fallen sinful state hero, but a rising and ascending into glory
with him hereafter; that when he at last appears, we may appear
with him in glory. Col,iii. 4. 1 John iii. 2.
" But that all the wicked, who live in rebellion against the light of
grace, and die finally impenitent, shall come forth to the resurrec-
tion of condemnation.
" And that the soul or spirit of every man and woman shall be re-
served in its own distinct and proper being, (so as there shall be, as
many souls in the world to come, as in this,) and every seed, (yea,.
every soul,) shall have its proper body, as God is pleased to give it,
1 Cor. sv. A natujal body is sown, a spiritual body is raised ; that
being first which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual. And
though it is said, this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this
mortal shall put on immortality ; the change shall be such, as flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corrup-
tion inherit incorruption, 1 Cor. xv. We shall be raised out of all
corruption and corruptibility, out of all mortality; and the children
of God and of the resurrection, shall be equal to the angels of God
in Heaven.
»' And a§ the celestial bodies do far excel terrestrial, so we expect
our spiritual bodies in the resurrection, shall far excel what our bo-
dies now are; and we hope that none can justly blame us for thus
expecting better bodies than now they are. Howbeit we esteem it
very unnecessary to dispute or question how the dead are raised, or
with what body they come : but rather submit that to the wisdom and
pleasure of the Almighty God.
"2. For the doctrine of eternal judgment ;
"God hath committed all judgment unto his Son Jesus Christ;
and he is both Judge of quick and dead, and of the states and ends
of all mankind, John v. 22, 27. Acts x. 42. 2Tim. iv. 1. 1 Pet.
IV. 5.
" That there shall be hereafter a great harvest, which is the end of
the world, a great day of judgment, and the judgment of that great
day, the Holy Scripture is clear, Matt. siii. 39, 40, 41, x. 15, and
xi. 24. Jude 6. ' Vvhen the Son of Man cometh in his glory, and
all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his
glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations, &c.' Matt. xxv.
31, 32, to the end, compared with ch. xxii. 31. Mark viii. 38. Luke
ix. 26. 1 Cor. xv. 52. 2 Thes. i. 7, 8, to the end, and 1 Thes. iv. 16.
Rev. XX. 12,13, 14, 15.
" That this blessed heavenly Man, this Son of Man, who hath so
deeply suflered and endured so many great indignities and persecu-
tions from his adversaries, (both to himself, and his members and
brethren,) should at last, even in the last and great day, signally and
manifestly appear in glory and triumph, attended with all his glori-
ous, heavenly host and retinue before all nations, before all his ene-
mies, and those that have denied him ; this will be to their great ter-
ror and amazement, that this most glorious heavenly Man, and his
brethren, that have been so much contemned and set at nought, should
310
be thus exalted over their enemies and persecutors, in glorj and tri-
umph, is a righteous thing with God; and that they that suffer with
him, should appear with him in glory and dignity when he thus ap-
pears at last. Christ was Judge of the world, and the prince there-
of, when on earth, John ix. 39, and xii. 31. He is still Judge of the
world, the wickedness, and prince thereof, by his light, spirit, and
gospel in men's hearts and consciences, John svi. 8, 11. Matt. xii.
20. Isa. xlii. 1. Rom. ii. 16. 1 Pet. iv. 5. And he will be the
judge and final determiner thereof in that great day appointed ;
God having appointed a day wherein he will judge-the world in right-
eousness by that Man whom he hath ordained. Christ foretold, it
shall be more tolerable for them of the land of Sodom and Gomor-
rah in the day of judgment, than for that city or people that would not
receive his messengers or ministers, &c. Matt. x. 15, and see ch.xi.
24, and Mark vi. 11. Luke x. 12, 14. It is certain that God knows
how to deliver the godly out of all their trials and afflictions, and at
last to bring them forth, and raise them up into glory with Christ;
so he knowethalso how to reserve the unjust and finally impenitent
unto the day of judgment to be punished, 2 Pet. ii. 9. He will bring
them forth unto the day of destruction, Job xxi. 30. The Lord can
and will reserve such impenitent, presumptuous, and rebellious cri-
minals, as bound under chains of darkness, as were the fallen an-
gels, unto the judgment of the great day, Jude 6. Matt. xxv. 30.
It is not for us to determine or dispute the manner how they shall
be so reserved ; but leave it to God, he knows how."
*A Postscript relating to the doctrine of the Resurrection and Eter-
nal Judgment.
"At the last trump of God, and the voice of the archangel, the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, the dead in Christ shall rise first,
1 Cor. XV. 52. 1 Thes. iv. 16, compared with Matt. xxiv. 31.
" Many are often alarmed in conscience here by the word and
voice of God ; who stop their ears and •/ light those warnings ; but the
great and final alarm of the last trumpet, they cannot stop their ears
against, nor escape, it will unavoidably seize upon, and further awa-
ken them finally to judgment. They that will not be alarmed in
their consciences unto repentance, nor out of their sins here, must
certainly be alarmed to judgment hereafter.
'* Whosoever do now wilfully shut their eyes, hate, contemn, or
shun the light of Christ, or his appearance within, shall at last be
made to see, and not be able to shun or hide themselves from his glo-
rious and dreadful appearance from Heaven with his mighty angels,
as with lightning and ikming fire, to render vengeance on all them
that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,
I Thes. iv. 16. Matt. xxiv. 27. Luke xvii. 24. Dan. x. 6. Job
xxxvii. 3.
"And though many now evade and reject the inward convictions
and judgment of the light, and shut up the records or books thereof
in their own consciences, they shall be at last opened, and every
one judged of these things recorded therein, according to their
works, Rev. xx. 12, 13, 14, 15.
311
"•'Signed in behalf of Chrouristian profession and people aforesaid,
" George Whitehead, Ambrose Rigge, William Fallovvfield, James
Parke, Charles Marshall, John Bowater, John Vaughton, William
Binglej."
" Now since Francis Bugg, an envious apostate, charged the Qua-
kers with some Socinian notions ; and being set on by some cliurch-
men, endeavoured also to render them odious with the government,
the following confession of faith, signed by one and thirty persons,
of which G. Whitehead was one, was in December presented to the
parliament :
" Be it known to all, that we sincerely believe and confess,
" 1. That Jesus of Nazareth, who was born of the Virgin Mary,
is the true Messiah, the very Christ, the Son of the living God, to
whom all the prophets gave witness : and that we do highly value
his death, sufferings, works, offices, and merits for the redemption of
mankind, together with his laws, doctrine, and ministry.
" 2. That this very Christ of God, who is the Lamb of God, that
takes away the sins of the world, was slain, was dead, and is alive,
and lives for ever in his divine eternal glory, dominion, and power
■with the Father.
" 3. That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament,
are of divine authority, as being given by inspiration of God.
>' "4. And that magistracy or civil government, is God's ordinance,
the good ends thereof being for the punishment of evil doers, and
praise of them that do well."
WILLIAM EDMUNDSON,
In an address to one of the Irish Bishops, has these remarks con-
cerning the Society of Friends :
" Be pleased to hear a few sentences, though in a plain dress,
yet true in themselves : TVe are Christians ; and hold the Faith
and doctrine as delivered by our Saviour Christ Jesus and his apos-
tles, before the apostacy and falling away, according as it is left on
record in Holy Scriptures, and we are conscientious in our duty, as
much as in us lies, to educate and train up our children according-
ly."— Page 254. 1702.
Speaking of himself he says —
" Now in the eighth month, in the year 1704, and in the 77th
year of my age, being under much affliction and weakness of body,
I was resigned unto the blessed will of the Lord : yet w ere it his
time, would gladly have been dissolved, and at ease, where the
weary are at rest, and the wicked cease from troubling. For I was
not afraid of death or the grave, but could say, through the tender
mercy of God, Death where is thy sting.'* Grave, where is thy vic-
tory ? Through stedfast faith and hope in my Lord and Savioiir
312
Jesus Christ, ivho suj/ered for me, and ivhom death or the grave
could not hold ; hut rose again, and appears before the Father for me,
as Advocate, Mediator, and Interceder ; who in my youthful days,
was pleased to visit me with the appearance of his holy spirit, to
turn me from the evil of my ways, making me sensible of his judg-
ments and mercies, calling me by his grace to a reformation, and
also put me into his service, of the ministration of the Word of
Life, and doctrine of his kingdom, endowing me with a talent of
his Holy Spirit, of understanding in doctrine and discipline, for the
benefit of his church, in which 1 have laboured for the space of
above fifty years, according to my strength and ability, through
many troubles, deep exercises, and perils of divers kinds, met with
by sea and land, which fell to my lot in my line of the Lord's ser-
vice, both in the wilderness by robbers, and blood thirsty murder-
ers, by open opposers, and enemies to truth, and wo xst of all, by false
brethren under the same profession. These things, and many other
great exercises and straits, the Lord's arm and gracious providence
have still preserved me through, and supported me over in the
faith that gives victory, having blessed his work and given the tes-
timony of his truth, dominion to this present time." — Page 269,
270.
He thus commences an Epistle which he wrote to Friends, viz :
" Christ Jesus, the promised Seed, that bruises the Serpent's head,
of whom the law and prophets gave testimony, according to the
promise of the Father, came in due time, in that prepared body, to
do the will of God for man's redemption, which, when he had fi-
nished, and tasted death for us, he ascended up on high, and gave
gifts to men, and peculiar gifts to believers ; to some apostles, to
some prophets, and to some Evangelists, pastors, and teachers, dis-
cerners of spirits, help-meets in governments, and several other
gifts gave he to his gathered flock that believed in him, for the edi-
fying and building them up in the precious faith which he is the Au-
thor of, that they may come to the perfect knowledge of God, and
Christ, in the measure and stature of the fulness in him, and be
established in him, the Head and Foundation, and grow up in him,
in all virtue and godliness, in gospel order."— Pages S41, 342.
J 694.
JOHN GRATTON,
In his reply to some queries propounded to the Quakers, by a
Clergyman, says —
" Thou beginnest thus : AVhat Jesus Christ is it that he preached ?
I told thee before, but that it seems would not satisfy thee, and
therefore I say,
" That ive preach the same Jesus Christ, that was conceived by the
Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pi
313
late, was crucified, dead, and buried, rose again the third day, as-
cended into heaven, and is on the right hand of the Majesty on
high, and will come to judge quick and dead ; this is our Interces-
sor, Advocate with the Father, our Mediator betwixt God and man,
the Man Christ Jesus ; this is He who of God is made unto us wis-
dom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, the
Author and Finisher of our faith, our hope of glory, our life, light,
strength and salvation ; our captain, ensign, deliverer, preserver,
and helper; without him we are as nothing, and can do nothing;
He is the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the King of Kings,
and Lord of Lords." — Journal, p. 35^, 353. 1703.
" As to thy fifth query, I answer, the revealer of the will of God
contained in tiie Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament,
is a sufficient infallible rule of faith and life ; and consequently
for a good conscience ; and all scripture given by inspiration of
God, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for
instruction in righteousness ; and is the best secondary rule in the
world." — Ibid. 353, 354.
From a treatise concerning the death and sufferings of Christ, we
extract the following:
" But some are ready to object, and say, ' You Quakers do
mightily preach up the light within, but you say little of the death,
and sufferings of Christ, without the gates of Jerusalem, Stc."
" Answer. — We have many accusers, that say all manner of evil
against us, which we patiently bear, knowing it is for his sake,
that suffered for us, who is become not only our light, but also our
salvation, as we abide in him, as he hath commanded us. And we
declare, that as he, by the grace of God tasted death for every man;
so every man hath this benefit by it ; that he may now come to him,
receive him, and in him ; receive power to become a child of God :
therefore when he came into the world, there was great joy, for
the angel that appeared unto the shepherds, said unto them, fear
not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be
to all people ; and there was with the angel a multitude of the hea-
venly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will towards men.
" Here is universal love, for God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life : So all the world are put into a ca-
pacity by the death and sufferings of Christ, to come to him, and he
that comes to Christ, he will in no wise cast out ; for God is no
respecter of persons, but in every nation he that fears him and
works righteousness, is accepted of him. So we say it is Christ,
that suffered for us, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to
God, h&m^put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit,
yea, he laid down his life a Ransorn for all, who himself bare our
sins in his oivn body on the tree, that we, being dead unto sin, should
live unto righteousness, by whose stripes we are healed ; yea, ivhilst
ivewere sinners Christ diedforus, and by himself, purged our sins :
forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he
also himself, likewise took part of the same, that through death he
Rr
314
might destroy him that had the power of deaih, that is, the devil ;
and deliver thenit who through fear of deatli were all their lifetime
subject to bondage.
" Thus now I declare, ive own the death and svfferings of Christy
according to the Holy Scriptures ; and that he, and him only, that
suffered icithout the gates of Jerusalem, hath been our peace-maker;
and is now come by his light, and spirit, to give us the knowledge
of God, and what he hath done for us ; so that in his light, we see
Him who is our Light and our Salvation, as Isaiah said, he hath
borne our sorrows, and carried our griefs, which were the sad ef-
fects of our sins, so that now, remission of sins that are past, is
freely preached unto all men through him, and all mankind are in-
vited to come to him, and all the ends of the earth to look unto him
and be saved."— 390, 392. 1690.
In an Essay entitled " Christ is All in All, &c." after recount-
ing the miracles, and mighty works, and gracious acts of our bless-
ed Lord, while personally on earth, he adds —
" But what shall I say, who can declare the good he did ? It is
undeclarable, his goodness surpasses the understanding of all man-
kind, he fulfilled the law of Moses to a jot or tittle, and was so
holy, harmless, righteous, just and good, that no man could con-
vince him of sin, he was and is the end of the law for righteous-
ness to every one that bei/eveth ; he suffered for us, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God ; he laid doum his life, a Ran-
som for all, and tasted death for every man ; he offered up himself a
Lamb without spot unto God, he poured out his soul unto death,
and became an offering for sin, and was a propitiatory sacrifice, our
passover sacrificed for us, offered up himself once for all, and by
one offering hath perfected forever them that are sanctified : those
who receive him in the love of God, he works in them and for them,
makes them new creatures, quickens them who were dead in tres-
passes and sins ; he is the resurrection and the life, he that believes
in me (saith he) though he were dead, yet shall he live ; and he that
liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.
" He is our Peace-Maker, the Prince of Peace, our Reconciler to
God, the AVord of Reconciliation ; he is the true light that lighteth
every man that cometh into the world, he that believeth in him
shall not abide in darkness, but shall have the light of life. He is
our Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption, our
Life, Strength, and Way to God, our All in All.
" Oh ! the benefits, advantages, favours, blessings, and mercies ac-
cruing, by the coming of Christ into the world, by his living and
dyinic in it, and for it, perfecting the work of our salvation, without
any merit of mankind; for all had sinned, and fallen short of the
glory of God, there were none (in that state) righteous, no not one :
there were none that did good, they were altogether become un-
profitable, the way of peace they did not know, there was no fear
of God before their eyes, yet when we were without strength, in
due time Christ died for the ungodly; but God commendeth his
love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us ; here is the Love, not that we loved him, but God so loved u?
315
that he gave his only begotten Son, that he by the grace of God
should taste death for every man: the love of Christ constraineth
us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all men, then were
all dead, and that he died for all, that they who live should not
henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him, that died for them,
and rose again, so all things are of God, and nothing of man, in
this great work of salvation, but ail of God, who hath reconciled us
unto himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given unto us the ministry
of reconciliation, viz: that God was in Christ reconciling the
world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and
hath committed unto us, the word of reconciliation : Now then we
are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us,
we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God, for he hath
made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him.
" Now it appears very fully by the Holy Scriptures, that after
Christ had abundantly benefited the world while he lived in it, he
also by his death hath done much good to all mankind, beyond utter-
ance, yea, beyond the understanding o( man ! What, to all mankind r
Yea, to enemies, to sinners, to ungodly men, as is clear from Rom.
V. 6. to the end, as aforesaid, "for if when we were enemies, we
were reconciled to God by the death of his Son ; much more being
reconciled we shall be saved by his life. So now we joy in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the
atonement. Here is good will to men, yea, to enemies." — Pages
423, 425. 1700.
He thus concludes the Essay —
" Its clear from what hath been said, that Christ is all, in all his
people, viz : their wisdom, strength, power, righteousness, light,
life, peace, sanctification, justification, consolation and salvation :
with him we have all things ; without him, we can do nothing : in
him all fulness dwells ; that though he was rich, yet for our sokes he
became poor, that we, through his poverty, might be rich. And he
who is Heir of all things, was once offered to bear the sins of many ;
and unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time
without Sin unto Salvation. Blessed are they who love his appear-
ance : they are ready to say, come Lord Jesus, come quickly. Arise
O Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered ; make haste and come
away. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done." — Page 432.
JOHN CROOK.
In the year 1698, shortly before the decease of this worthy man,
he reprinted a declaration of the early faith of the Society of
Friends, to which he prefixes the following note, viz.
"It being allowed by some late adversaries, that we are more
316
sound in the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, than they
thought of; yet they persist to object, that we have altered our reli-
gion, and that our ancient Friends held grievous errors: I am there-
fore willing, in the eighty-first year of my age, that this following
treatise should be reprinted, thai they may see xvhat myself, with our
ancient Friends, held in the year 1663.
"John Crook.
« Hertford, the lOth of the 10th month, 1698."
From the declaration or confession which is entitled "Truth's
Principles," we extract the following. After speaking largely of the
gif> of the Holy Spirit, dispensed to all mankind, he adds —
" I5y this grace and gift within, we believe, that to us, though in
the world there be lords many, and gods many, there is but one Godj
the Fatiier of our Lord Jesus Christ, witnessed within man, only by
the spirit of truth, that manifests both the Father and the Son; and
these Tliree are one, and agree in one; and he that honours the Fa-
ther, honours the Son that proceeds from him ; and he that denies
the spirit, denies both the Father and the Son, and is antichrist; but
he that believes in the spirit, and is led by it, is the Son of God ;
Rom. viii. 14. 'And as many as are the sons of God, are led by the
spirit of God.'
♦'We believe, the scriptures bear witness unto, and testify of Christ;
but they say, the witness of God is greater than them ; the spirit it-
self bearing witness with our spirits, that we are the sons of God :
for it is not the scriptures without the spirit, nor tlie spirit contrary
to the scriptures; but the spirit's discovering the will of God in the
heart, or opening of the scriptures in it own time and way, and not
in or by the will of man, but as itself pleaseth, who searcheth all
things, even the deep things of God, and manifests them unto the
soul, which giveth the perfect, sound, and saving knowledge: for,
said Christ, the spirit shall take of mine, and show them unto you:
and as holy men gave forth the scriptures, 2 Pet. i. 21, so holy men,
and tliey only, come truly to understand them ; and not proud or un-
godly, because their hearts and lives do not answer the hearts and
lives of those that gave them forth, as face answereth face in a glass.
And this we believe to be the reason, why so long preaching, by men
of corrupt minds, who have and do handle the words deceitfully, for
selfish ends, and filthy lucre sake, hath brought forth so little fruit,
and been to so little purpose, except to their purses and bellies ; for
^ had they believed, and therefore spoken, and stood in God's coun-
sel, they should have profited their hearers,' Jer. xxiii. 21, 22, 23, to
the end.
"Through this gift we believe, that Christ Jesus, the Son of God,
was manifested in the Hesh, in the fulness of time. And this we
know by the same spirit, by which our fathers believed he was come,
and Abraham saw his day ; by the same we do believe he is come,
and do see his day; as also by the prophets and apostles' writings:
which twofold cord is not easily broken.
"We believe also, according to the scriptures of truth, that this
same Jesus hath God highly exalted, and given him a name above
every namev that whosoever believes in him, shall not perish, but
317
liave everlasting life ; and that there is not another name, whereby
man can be saved, than this name of Jesus Christ; nor is remission
of sins to be preached by any other name. But as we do not believe,
that tlie outward letters and syllables are that name, that are to be
bowed unto by the outward knee, no more than the letters or sylla-
bles in the words, God or Spirit, seeing the scripture saith, ' Unto
God, who is a spirit, every knee shall bow,' Isa. xlv. 23. But that
name which saves, is the power and arm of God, that brings salva-
tion from sin, and makes every soul that names it, to depart from in-
iquity. This is that name which was preached, and which is preach-
ed, through faith; in which name, remission of sins is obtained t
therefore was the outward word Jesus given him, as his outward
name; thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people
from their sins : (mark) for he shall save, &c. So that which saves,
is the name, which is to be believed in, which is that arm of God
that brings salvation, when no eye pities, neither is there any to help ;
the power of God that then saves, is that grace that comes from the
fulness of Christ the Saviour: and without this virtue, Christ and
Jesus are but empty names, 1 Cor. xii. 3. ' No man can say, that
Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.'
" We believe also, that this Jesus died for, or because of sin, and
rose again for the justification of those that believe in him, as well
as to manifest to all the world, that he was the Son of Gforf, and that
he thereby spoiled principalities and powers, and triumphed over
them openly, and led captivity captive in his own person ; yet we
believe and know, by his grace in our hearts, that as his name Jesus,
without virtue and power, is but an empty word ; so his dying, with-
out man's conformity to his death, or being planted in the likeness
thereof, or being crucified with Christ, as saith the scripture, Rom.
vi. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Gal. ii. 20. will not profit man, as to the salvation
of his soul, no ifl(>re than the naming of his outward name, Jesus,
doth at this day make people to depart from iniquity. For we be-
lieve, and are sure, that man must die inwardly, as well as Christ
died outwardly, and must be put to death in his flesh, as Christ was,
in his: for 'he that is in the flesh cannot please God,' Rom. viii. 8.
'neither cease from sin;' but ' he that is dead, is freed from sin,'
Rom. vi. 7. And yet man's dying unto sin, and the root and prin-
ciple of it in himself, is so far from making void Christ's death in
his own person, that it establisheth it to all those ends and purposes,
for which it was intended of the Father. As the cures which the
physician doth, manifest and establish his skill and ability ; so doth
man's dying unto sin and self, and living unto God, manifest and es-
tablish the virtue and power of Christ's death : for as man manifests
his being risen with Christ, by his seeking the things that are above.
Col. iii. 1, 2. so doth he manifest his knowledge of the death of
Christ, by his being crucified with Christ, and bearing about in his
body, the dyings of the Lord Jesus ; for as it is not an outward be-
lief, gathered from the letter, that will change the heart and life,
though the judgment and opinion it may, so is it not a belief from
the history, or letter only, that can give man a saving knowledge of
the death of Christ; but he must have the same glory and power of
Sib
the Father in measure, working in him there, to beget faith in his
heart, that he may believe unto salvation from his own filthiness and
righteousness, as well as confess with his mouth, Rom. x. and must
have that spirit in him, quickening his mortal body, as well as to be-
lieve that it was in Christ, 'and raised up him from the dead,' Rom.
viii. 11. And this man, whoever he be, bond or free, that thus be-
lieves the death of Christ, and its satisfaction to God, as well as its
usefulness to man, cannot make it void, nor divide it and its virtue
upon the soul that thus knows it : but will say, here is a dying man
witnessing the death of Christ, and nevertheless the same man living
with Christ, and concluding, if Christ had not died, man must have
perished in his sin; this being the way found out by God to recover
him: whereby he knows Christ, and him crucified, and what the
preaching of the cross of Christ is, which is foolishness to them that
perish, but to them that are saved, the wisdom of God, and the pow-
er of God, iCor. i. 18.
" By this gift of God in our hearts, we further believe, that Christ
Jesus rose again from the dead, according unto the scriptures, and
sits at God's right hand in a glorious body; and we believe that our
low estates and humbled bodies, shall be made like unto his glorious
body, through the working of his mighty power, whereby he is able
to subdue all things unto himself; and that this mortal shall put on
immortality. For though we believe that Christ Jesus hath lighted
every man with his light, whereby man may come to know himself
lost and undone, as before is said; yet therefore is not every man
saved, though the grace that appears to all men is sufficient in itself;
but some have the grace of God bestowed on them in vain, not liking
to retain God in their knowledge, though something within them
shows them what is good; ' but they reject the counsel of God with-
in, or against themselves, to their own destruction,' Luke vii. 30.
(see the margin.) And yet it doth not follow, th|^ the grace is in-
sufficient itself, no more than it follows that Christ's death is insuffi-
cient, because he tasted death for every man, and yet every man is
not saved. Neither doth regeneration, or the believing in the light
of Christ within, make void the death and sufferings of Christ with-
out at Jerusalem, no more than believing the scripture-testimony
without, concerning Christ's death, makes void the work of regene-
ration and mortification within ; but as the apostle saith in another
case, so say I in this, for as the man is not without the woman,
neither is the woman without the man in the Lord ; even so is not
the death and sufferings of Christ without at Jerusalem, to be made
void and of none effect by any thing within; neither doth the light
within make that of none effect without, but both in the Lord answer
his will : for though there is, and may be, a knowledge and belief of
what Christ did and suffered without the gates, in his own body vip-
on the tree, and yet sin alive in the heart, and the work of regenera-
tion not known ; yet it cannot be so, where the light within is be*
lieved on, and obeyed, so as to have its perfect work in the heart, to
regenerate and make all things new, and to be of God ; this man
can never make void what Christ hath done and siffered ivithout:
and yet this new birth, or Christ formed within, and dwelling in the
319
heart by faith, tloth not limit or confine Christ to be only tvilhin,
and not ivithout also, but both within and without, according to the
good pleasure of the Father, to reveal and make him known ; for,
" He fills all things, and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him,"
and yet he is at God's right hand, far above all heayens, in a glori-
ous body.
" And we also believe the resurrection of the just and unjust, the
one to salvation, and the other to condemnation, according unto the
judgment of the great day ; and then shall every seed have its own
body, according to 1 Cor. xv. S6, 37, 38. which we verily believe :
for if the dead arise not, we are, of all men, most miserable. But
because we dare not be so foolishly inquisitive, as to say. With
what bodies shall they arise ? Therefore do some sav, We deny
both the resurrection of the body of Christ, and of all'that shall or
will be dead : but this also is false ; for " every man shall be raised
in his own order ; but Christ the first fruits,*' 1 Cor. xv. 25. And
we believe they shall be raised with the same bodies, so far as a na-
tural and spiritual, corruptible and incorruptible, terrestrial and
celestial can be the same.
" We further believe, according unto the scriptures, concernino-
faith, That that faith is only true which is God's gift, and hath
Christ Jesus, the power of God, for its author and object, and is
distinguished from the dead faith, by its fruits: for though in des-
cription and definition they may carry a resemblance, yet in na-
ture are as different as a living man is from a dead, which wants
not form or shape, but life and power. So saith the apostle James,
" As the body without a spirit is dead, so is faith without works ;"
even so is that faith which stands in the wisdom of words, and not
in the power of God : by the one, man is kept in captivity to the
world, and the things of it ; but by the other he hath " victory over
the world," 1 John v. 4. and the seal and witness thereof in his
own heart, whereby it is purified, and God is seen ; for the pure in
heart see God, Matt. v. 8. This faith differs men now, and their
worships, as it did Cain and Abel ; for, " by faith Abel offered up
a more excellent sacrifice than Cain," Heb. xi. By this living faith,
Abel saw beyond the sacrifice unto Christ, the first-born of God;
beyond the firstling of the flock, which he offered ; and therefore
God had respect unto Abel and his offering ; but God rejected Cain
and his offering, though he had faith to believe it to be his dutv,
vet sticking in the form, and not flying on the wing of faith unto
Christ the one offering, he missed the mark, as all have done ever
since, that have gone in Cain's way of worshipping, as well as kil-
ting men about worship. But we believe that faith to be only true
and saving, that flies over self-righteousness, as well as filthiness,
unto the fountain of life in Christ ; which faith hath nothing of man
in it, but is as the breath of life, by which the soul lives ; not a bare
assent to the truth of a proposition in the natural understanding,
but the soul's cleaving unto God, out of a naturalness between
(.!hrist and the soul ; and so lives rather by relation, than bare cre-
dit, or desperate adventure and hazard ; not looking at its doing
m commend it. but God's love and bounty in Christ the light, to
320
receive it ; and yet holiness is its delight, and he can no more live
out of it, than the fish upon the dry land.
" We believe, That this faith keeps the mind pure, the heart
clean, througii the sprinkling of the heart from an evil conscience,
by the blood of Jesus, which remits the sin. and justifies the soul,
through the virtue of this blood received into the lieart by this liv-
ing faith, which receives all its power and virtue from Christ, in
whom it abides as its root and object, whereby justification is wit-
nessed " from sin, not in sin." Rom. vi. 22. " But now being made
free from sin, and become servants unto God, you have your fruits
unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
" We believe, That justification and sanctification are distin-
guished, but not divided : for as he that sanctifieth and justifieth is
one, so do these go together ; and when the soul hath the greatest
sense of justification upon it, through the virtue of the blood of Je-
sus by the living faith, then is it most in love with holiness, and at
the greatest distance from sin and evil ; and whenever there is a
failing in sanctification, there is also some eclipse of justification
in the eye of the soul ; until faith hath recovered its strength again,
which it lost by sin's prevailing. For as the farthest and clearest
sight is in the brightest day, so is it with the soul, when it is most in
the brightness and beauty of holiness, its justification appears most
glorious, and its union and communion most sweet and lasting ;
and so, like two twins, as they are much of an age, so they are like
one to the other; and " what God hath joined together, let no man
put asunder.
" We also by this light believe. That acceptance with the Father
?s only in Christ ; and by his righteousness made ours, or imputed
unto us : not by the creaturely skill, but by the applicatory act of
God's gift of grace, whereby the soul feels the diiierence between
self-applying by its own faith, and God applying by his Spirit, and
so making Christ unto the soul, wisdom, righteousness, sanctifica-
tion, and redemption : so that we believe, and are sure, that there is
a great difference between imputation, as it is the act of man's spi-
rit, and as it is the act of free grace, without man's forcing. And
so we distinguish between imagination and imputation, between
reckoning or imputing that is real, and reckoning or imputation that
is not real, but a fiction and imagination in the creaturely will and
power : and because we are against the latter, we are clamoured
upon, as if we denied the imputation of Christ's righteousness,
when it is only unto those that are not made righteous by it, to walk
as he also walked : for, as the scripture saith. It is not he that saith
he is righteous by the imputation of Christ's righteousness, but " He
that doth righteousness, is righteous, as Christ is righteous," 1 John
iii. 7. he that believes otherwise is deceived. And yet it is not acts
of righteousness, as done by us, nor as inherent in us, as acts, by
which we are accepted of God, and justified before him ; but by
Christ, the author and worker of those acts in us and for us, where-
by we know that we are in him, and he in us, and we hold him as
our head ; into whom all things are gathered together in one.
even in him."
321
THOMAS ELLWOOD.
George Keith having written a book against Friends, entitled,
'•' The Deism of William Penn and his brethren, &c." Thomas
Ell wood replied to it, in 1699, from which we take the following ex-
tract : —
" The word Deism being somewhat an uncommon term, may not
perhaps be readily understood by every reader. As it has been op-
posed to Atheism, it has been taken in a good sense ; but as it is now
used, it is taken in an ill sense, as importing an acknowledgment
or owning of God only ; or of the Godhead, but not of Christ, with
respect to his incarnation, or being manifest in the flesh for the re-
demption of man : So that to charge any one now with Deism, is to
charge him with denying that Christ is come and hath suffered in the
flesh. Now herein George Keith's both injustice and malice is the
greater, in charging William Penn, and his brethren the Quakers with
Deism ; inasmuch as he assuredly knows, (which some other adver-
saries have not had the like opportunity to know, as he hath had,) by
certain experience, drawn by so many years intimate conversa-
tion with William Penn and the Quakers, in free and familiar con-
ferences, and in reading their books ; that William Penn and the
Quakers both in word and writing, publicly and privately, have al-
jvays, and on all occasions, confest, acknoicledged, owned, as ivell as
believed the incarnation of Christ, according to the Holy Scriptures,
viz : ' That the Word was made flesh,' John i. 14. That when the
fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman,
made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, Gal.
iv. 4, 5. That Christ Jesus being in the form of God, and thinking
it no robbery to be equal with God ; made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,
Phil. ii. 5, 6, 7, 8. Christ died for our sins, according to the scrip-
tures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day,
according to the scriptures, 1st Cor. xv. 3, 4. That he was deliver-
ed for our offences, and was raised again for our justitication, Rom. iv.
25. That he is the propitiation for our sins ; and not for ours only,
hut for the sins of the whole world ; 1st John ii. 3. That he ascend-
ed up, far above all heavens, that he might fill all things, Ephes. iv
10. That he is the one Mediator between God and men, 1st Tim, ii.
5. That he is at the right hand of God, and maketh intercession for
lis, Rom. viii. 54, And is our Advocate ivith the Father, 1st John ii. 1,
And that it is HE which was ordained of God to be the Judge of
quick and dead, Acts x. 42. These things, 1 say, George Keith
certainly knoii's, have been constantly luld, believed, "professed, and
Ss
822
Qwned by fVilliam Perm, and his brethren the Quakers in general, both
privately and publicly in word and ivriting. These things are so of-
ten testified of in otir meetings, and have been so fully and plainly as-
serted and held forth in our books, that \ve might call in almost as
many witnesses thereof, as have frequented our meetings, or atten-
tively read our books." — T. Ellwood's Journal, old ed. pages 445,
444, 445. — Again on page 451, alluding to George Keith, having
once been in membership with Friends, he says —
"Yet he himself well knows that neither he, nor William Penn, nor
any of the Quakers ever were Deists ; ever did deny, disoivn, or dis^
believe, the coming, incarnation, sufferings and death of Christ, as man,
outwardly in the Jlesh, his resurrection, ascension, and mediatorship;
and he himself has undesignedly acquitted William Penn from his
present charge of Deism, by a story he told in his first narrative, p. 38o
That upon some urging him to give an instance of one English Qua-
ker, that he ever heard pray to Christ; William Penn being pre-
sent, said, I am an Englishman, and a Quaker, and 1 own, I have
oft prayed to Christ Jesus, even him that was crucified. This he
says, was in the year 1678, which was five years after the publish-
ing of that book, [viz : William Penn's discourse of the General
Rule of faith and life,] from which he attempts to prove him a De-
ist; that is, a denier of the man Christ Jesus who was^crucified."
In an " Answer to some objections of a Moderate Enquirer," T-
EUwood says —
" The second objection is. You deny the scriptures to be any rule
for man or woman to walk by, so as to direct them to the saving of
their souls.
" Answer — In this we are misrepresented. We sincerely own,
love, and regard the Holy Scriptures, believing with the apostle that
they were given by inspiration of God, and are profitable for doc-
trine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all
good works, 2d Tim. iii. 16, 17, and that they are able to make wise
unto salvation, through faith that is in Christ Jesus, verse 15. ^7id
great benefit and delight, ivefind in them, reading them in the open-
ings of that Divine Spirit by which they were given forth. We are
so far from deyiying them to be any rule, &c. that ive acknowledge
them to contain many excellent rules, precepts, doctrines, and instruc-
tions, directing man and woman, how to walk that they may obtain
the salvation of their souls. Yet we do not say, (as some have done,)
that the scriptures are the only rule, or the chief and principal rule :
because we dare not give the honour and office of the Holy Spirit,
unto the scriptures ; for the scriptures themselves declare, that it
is the office of the Holy Spirit to guide believers into all truth, John
xvi. 13. And indeed the true meaning and benefit of the scriptures
themselves is not attained to, in the reading of them, unless the
Spirit that gave them forth, do open them, and unseal the inysteries
contained in them. So that the Holy Spirit is greater than the
scriptures, and therefore we cannot but give the chief place unto him.
For he is able to manifest himself unto man, and to lead man into
the way of salvation, either with and by the scriptures, or without
323
them as he pleases : but the scriptures cannot do that, without the
operation of the Holy Spirit. Justly, therefore, do we affirm the
Spirit of God to be the chief rule, and yet acknowledge the Holy
Scriptures to be a true rule, and proper instrument in the hand of
tlie Spirit to direct men and women how tliey ought to walk, to ob-
tain salvation to their souls, as the Spirit of the Lord makes use of
the scriptures to that end." — Pages S, 4.
THOMAS STORY,
Bbixg on a religious visit in America, with Aaron Atkinson, gives
the following account, viz:
" The priest was then silent as to that point, [viz. election,] and
in an angry manner affirmed, that we as a people deny Christ ; and
pretended he could prove it, being furnished, as we perceived, with
his pretended proof, out of that lying, perverting, scandalous book,
called the Snake in the Gras?, which as we were informed, he used to
read often among his people: and his pretended proof amounting to
no more than false accusation, we rejected and exposed it as such.
Then bis last shift was to call upon us for a confession of our own
faith; and directed his demand, to our friend Richard Johns in par-
ticular, with whom he was acquainted.
" We denied that he had any authority to make any such demand
from us, nor should we, on his own account take any notice of him
therein, he appearing as an adversary and perverter; but for the
sake of the people, were willing to say, what might be sufficient to
satisfy such, as were not prepossessed or prejudiced against us:
And then Richard Johns began and proceeded after this manner:
* We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, who was horn of the Virgin
Mary^ being conceived by the power and injltience of the Holy
Ghost, U the true Messiah, and Saviour; that he died upon the cross
at Jerusalem^ a propitiation and sacrifice for the sins of all man-
kind ; that he rose from the dead (he third day, ascended, and sit-
teth on the right hand of the majesty on high, making intercession
for us, and in the fulness of time shall come to judge both the liv-
ing and the dead, and reward all according to their works:' All
which, being more tuUy spoken to, by Roger (jill, we asked the
people if they were satisfied with that confession, and they general-
ly, from all quarters, answered, yea, yea, yea; it is full, no man can
deny it."— pages 173, 174. 1699.
324
THEODORE ECCLESTONE,
In his testimony concerning; John Crook, says:
"Among other, his faithful brethren, he had a reverent esteem ot
the coming of Christ, and his sufferings in the days of his flesh, and
knew well how to distinguish his great work of redemption and sal-
vation, as he died for all men, or was a sacrifice for sin : and also
as he was a sanctifier and redeemer out of sin: the fruit and benetit
of the one, being not obtained without the other.
"And were our adversaries duly sensible what great things Christ
both doth in us, as well as did for us, surely they would be humbled
under his mighty hand, and leave oft" their slight esteem of his spir-
itual work in us, and not suppose the one to be in opposition to the
other.
"The apostle Peter saith, ' He bore our sins in his own body on
the tree, that we being dead unto sin, should live unto righteous-
ness.' And how can we die unto sin and live unto righteousness,
but by his assistance inwardly manifest in his light, grace, and Holy
Spirit.
" Our being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the Word of God, which lives and abides forever, doth not hin-
der his being made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we may be made
the righteousness of God in him.
"Our owning we are sanctified by the work of his spirit, in our
inward parts, hinders not our having remission of sins in his name.
" He having left us an example, that we should follow his step?,
bars him not at all from being our King, and Captain of Salvation ;
though he is a condemner of sin in the flesh, yet he is also our Ad-
vocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
"Our owning liim, a sacrifice for sin, hinders not at all, his being
our great High Priesf.
"Our acknowledging he was tempted in all points, like as we
are, doth not prevent his being able to succour us, when we are
tempted. Thus our preaching him, the true light, which lighteth
every man that cometh into the world, doth not divest him of any
of his blessed attributes, or offices, worthily bestowed upon him in
Holy Scripture ; as the Seed of the woman, the Word, Enianuel, In-
terpreter, One among a thousand. Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty
God, Everlasting Fafher, Prince of Peace, Lamb of God, Jesus, Sa-
viour, the very Christ, the Anointed, and many more : yea, he be-
comes all these to us as we walk in his light, who was given for a
Light to lighten the Gentiles, that he might be God's salvation to
the ends of the earth."~pages 48, 49. 1700.
325
CHRISTOPHER STORY.
This worthy man and his frienrls having experienced some very
rough treatment from the people of Canonsby, in consequence of a.
misapprehension of the doctrines of the Quakers, addressed a letter
to theni, in which he declares the nature of the doctrines preached by
him at the meeting which had been disturbed by them. We extract
the following, viz :
" That there i> not another name given under Heaven by which
men can be saved, but by the name of Jesus, unto whose name eve-
ry knee must bow, and tongue confess, either in judgment or in
mercy ; and that it was the same Jesus Christ who v/as born of the
Virgin Mary, in Bethlehem in Judea, whose life Herod sought, who,
after he had wrought many miracles, suffered the contradiction of
sinners, and whose precious blood teas shed without the gates of Je-
rusalem, that tasted death for mankind, that he might be a propitia-
tion for the sins of the whole icorld ; who was laid in the new se-
pulchre, rose again the third day ; who after his appearing unto his
disciples, as the Scripture makes mention, was received into a cloud
out of their sight, and sits at the right hand of the Father. Ml which
testimonies, recorded in the scriptures of truth, from the time of
the Virgin Mary's being overshadowed by the Holy Ghost, and the
child Jesus being brought forth in Bethlehem of Judea, unto that day
the cloud received him out of the disciples' sight, all christians that
ever 1 met irith agree in ; and ive are of the same belief And this
being part of what was upon my mind at that time, another thing
that followed was, that after Christ Jesus ascended up on high, he
gave gifts unto men, some apostle?, some prophets, some evangelist?,
&c. (Read the fourth chapter of the Ephesians.) 'Till we all come
in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ, saith the Apostle. And the same Apostle writing to the Co-
rinthians, in chapter twelfth, concerning the diversities of gifts, but
the same spirit; saith, that a 'Manifestation of the spirit is given to
every man to profit withal ;' and this makes good the words of our
Lord and Saviour to his disciples, John xvi. * Nevertheless, (saith
he,) I tell you the truth ; it is expedient for you that I go away;
for if I go not away, the comforter will not corae unto you ; but if I
depart, I will send him unto you: And when he is come, he will
reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment, &c.,
and will guide you into all truth.'
"And seeing that which is to be known of God, is manifested in
man, (God hath showed it unto them as in Romans chap, i.) it is
our message to you and all people, wherever we come or go, to direct
all to the spirit of truth that convinceth of sin, as aforesaid, and
326
leads into all trutli. And this is the word nigh even in thy heart
and thy mouth, Rom. x., which the apostle preached ; and that eve-
ry one that hath an ear, might hear what the spirit saith, is no new
doctrine, ' for as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the
sons of God,' Rom. viii. 14. Why we should be reviled and abused
for exhorting people that have believed in God, and in Christ Jesus,
to be led by the Holy Spirit of God, so as that thereby they may work
out their own salvation, with fear and trembling; do ye judge: and
though we have been unchristianly treated by you, once and again,
yet we do suppose you know us not, and therefore we can pray and
say in reality,' Lord forgive them ; they know not what they do ;' for
all that have persecuted God's people in every age, such was their
blindness and hardness of heart, that they knew them not, as they
were really concerned on the Lord's account." — Journal, pages 82
to 84. 170L
JOHN STODDART.
John Stoddart in his preface to William Edmundson's Journal,
has these remarks: —
"The visible dispensations of God to men, have been various, as
hj angels, the law from Mount Sinai, the ministry of the prophets,
and John the Baptist, sent in the spirit and power of Elias, to pre-
pare the way of the Lord: all which dispensations had a glory in
them for their time, though but preparative for one more glorious, yet
to be revealed. Then in the fulness of time, Christ Jesus the Seed
of the woman, the Messiah and Hope of Israel, was manifested in
the flesh, whose day many prophets and righteous men desired to
see, and could not, only by faith, at a distance, by reason of death.
" Now was salvation brought nigh, the kingdom of heaven at hand,
and the glad tidings of the gospel preached to the seed of Abraham,
the glory of former dispensations began to wax dim to such as beheld
His glory, that excelled, even the glory of the Only Begotten of the
Father, full of grace and truth; yet many of the Jews could not see
it so, nor understand his voice, preaching the kingdom of God in
parables, and uttering things that had been kept secret from the
foundation of the world; or believe on him, concerning whom, Mo-
ses in the law, and the prophets did write ; but despised and rejected
him, although the mighty works, and great miracles which he wrought
among them, by the power of his Father, declared him to be the Son
of God.
" Howbeit the most glorious gospel day was not yet fully revealed,
at least with respect to the Gentiles, whilst our Saviour was in the
prepared body, sent only to the house of Israel, in the form of a
servant, to fultil the law and prophets, and things that were written
concerning him ; but after he had done that work which the Father
327
had given him to do, in that holij body, and finished the same by the.
offering up of liimsetf unto God, as a liamb without spot^ a propiti-
ation for \he sins of the luhole world, rose again from the dead, ap-
peared to confirm his disciples, and ascended into glory, at the right
hand of his Father: then an open door was set before both Jews and
Gentiles, by Jesus Christ, who had consecrated a new and living way
through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, and abolished the old cove-
nant, sacrifices, ceremonies and hand writing of ordinances, taking
it out of the w'ay, and nailing it to Isis cross, and openly triumphed
over principalities and powers.
"Now the old covenant was to pass away, and the new covenant
to be established, and the priesthood changed by the great High
Priest, without sin, and higher than the heavens, made not after the
law of a carnal commandment, but by the power of an endless life;
a Priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec ; and the law now to
go forth of Zion, from the great Lawgiver, and written in the heart,
even the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, that sets free from the
law of sin and death. Now was the Spirit poured forth fiom on high
in a more plentiful manner upon mankind, than in former dispensa-
tions, and eminently on believers; whereby many were qualified and
anointed both of Jews and Gentiles, as priests and ministers of the
Lord, to attend at his holy altar, in his temple not made wi(h hands,
and to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
And the holy apostles commissioned and endued with power from on
high, were to teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, having assurance
from Christ, of his being with them to the end of time. And bj
their ministry, and others whom the Lord sent forth, many were
converted to God and added to the church, both of Jews, Greeks, and
other nations, being all baptized by one Spirit into one body, or
church, which was glorious in that day, as a woman clothed with the
sun, having the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of
twelve stars, and she brought forth a Man-child, who was to rule all
nations, but he was caught up unto God, and to his Throne, from
the great red dragon, that sought to devour him as soon as he v.as
born." — Page 4 to 7.
" And now the Man-child, the Lord from heaven, is again revealed
in many of his saints, who by the breath of his mouth, and brightness
of his coming, shall destroy the man of sin, that hath wrought with
all deceivableness of unrighteousness, by signs and lying vvondersin
them that perish. And the true church is returning out of the wil-
derness leaning on her beloved ; and shall again appear in her come-
liness and beauty, as a bride adorned for her husband : to her light
shall the Gentiles come, and kings to the brightness of her rising, for
the glory of the Lord shall arise upon her, and his light shine therein
forever. The glorious prophecies of (he holy prophets and servants
of the Lord, concerning the latter days, must be fulfilled. The
knowledge of the Lord shall fill the earth as the waters cover the
sea. The abundance of the sea, or multitudes of people shall be con-
verted to Sion, the nations shall flow together to the goodness of the
Lord, and be gathered to Jerusalem, that is from above, to worship
328
the great king, the Lord of Hosts upon his holy mountain, that shall
be established on the top of the mountains, and exalted above the
hills, and no hurt or destruction shall be there. The Lamb >hall lead
his people, and feed them in the pastures of life, and biing Ihem to
living fountains of water. The Heir of all things shall inherit his
right and possess the gates of his enemies, who, in due time, shall all
be put under his feet. He shall judge among the nations and rebuke
many people. They shall beat their swords into plough-sharer«, and
spears into pruning hooks, and come under the peaceable govern-
ment of the Lamb. For He is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords,
and of the increase of his governn)ent and peace, there shall be no
end. And blessed be the Lord, many in this day have in measure^
witnessed the fulfilling of many of these prophecies, (as they relate
to particulars) and do know that the Son of God is come, who hath
given them an understanding, whereby they know him that is true,
and that they are in him that is true, even JESUS CHRIST the
true God, and eternal life, in whom all the promises of God, are
and shall be fulfilled in their season." — Pages 10, 11. 1714.
SAMUEL FULLER^
In his " Serious Reply," to some abusive queries proposed to the
Society of Friends, written in 1728, page 27, says —
" We believe the Holy doctrines of the Old and New Testament,
to be given by Divine inspiration ; and therefore of Divine autho-
rity, and preferable to all other writings extant ; though we cannot
think it any affront or undervaluing of those heavenly oracles, that
rare gift, to prefer the mouth and giver whence they came, and
which alone can certainly expound, bless, and make them profita-
ble to those great and good ends, which the Almighty, in his mercy
and favour, to the Christian Church, above others, has been gra-
ciously pleased to vouchsafe and appoint those sacred oracles.
" Forasmuch as the penmen of the Holy Scriptures, particularly of
the New Testament, were entrusted to transmit to posterity the
transactions, with relation to the birth, miracles, sufferings, resur-
rection and ascension of our blessed Lord, with the precepts, ex-
hortations, and gracious sayings, that proceeded from his mouth
whilst here on earth ; as also those excellent and evangelical truths,
revealed to them by the light of the glorious gospel, which they
were commissioned to j)rcach to the nations; in these respects, and as
being prime ministers in God's house, and persons qualified by a
much greater measure of the same divine spirit, to be the first wit-
nesses and dispensers of that glorious dispensation ; their writings
challenge, and justly ought to have the first and chief place, as a
rule of faith and practice, next [to] the holy spirit by which they
329
were inspired : and which leads us into a high esteem of those ex-
cellent writings, as being so valuable an effect of so great a cause.
" We also believe, the Holy Scriptures contain a dear testimony to
all the essentials of the Christiayi faith ; that they are the only fit out-
ward judge of controversy among Christians; that whatever doc-
trine is contrary unto their testimony, may therefore be justly rejected
as false ; and that whatsoever any do, pretending to the spirit,
which is contrary to the Scriptures, ought to be accounted a delu-
sion of the devil ; Jor ^tis impossible, that the spirit of God, which
we believe all Christians should be led by, should contradict itself,
or any of its former revelations in the Holy Scriptures : hence we are
far from equalling, much less preferring, our suppositions, speeches,
pretences, writings, acts or facts, to the sacred writings, that we
submit all to them, as the only fit outivard judge of controversy."^^
On page 82, he says, " We, siacerely believing the divine inspi-
ration and authority of the Holy Scriptures, cannot deny any thing
therein recorded concerning our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
his blood, ascension, and coming again to judgment.
" We do, we bless God, religiously believe and confess to the
glory of God the Father, and the honour of his dear and beloved
Son ; that Jesus Christ took our nature upon him, and was like
us in all things, Sin excepted ; being wonderfully conceived by the
Holy Ghost, his Divinity and Manhood wonderfully united, for in
him dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodily ; he was born of the Vir-
gin Mary at Bethlehem, about 1700 years ago, wrought many wonder-
ful miracles in the land of Judea, lived a life of sanctityand perfect
obedience, died the shameful death of the cross under Pontius Pilate,
the Roman Governor, whereby he became an offering of atonement,
propitiation and full satisfaction for the sins of all men, on condition
of faith and repentance ; was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arima-
thea, rose again on the third day, and afterwards ascended into hea-
ven, and sits on the right hand of God, our Mediator, and great In-
tercessor, and there remains, that heavenly Glorified Man ; who
will descend (in like manner as he ascended) to be judge both of
quick and dead, just and unjust, at that great, general, and final
day of judgment. All which we confirm by the authority of the
Holy Evangelists.
To the charge that the Quakers deny any locality to heaven or
hell, and that therefore they must in effect deny the eternal re-
wards and punishments of the life to come, he says —
'• No — were that our faith, I would deny the consequence ; but we
deny both the premises and the consequences aforenamed : for we
believe that heaven is both a place and state of inexpressible and
endless joy for the godly ; and hell, a place and state of inexpres-
sible and endless misery for the wicked, and such as forget God ;
an earnest of each may be witnessed in this life, but the fulness in
the world to come." — Page 128.
Among other authories which he cites in proof of this being the
belief of Friends, are the following, viz :
" We do not confine all our expected attainments of heaven and
glory, to within us, in this life, but the way to attain more thereof
Tt
330
in that which is to come, is to partake of some share thereof in
Christ Jesus, even in this life ; and where Christ is enjoyed, there
heaven and glory is, in measure, spiritually enjoyed, tliere being
inward and spiritual heavens, as well as natural ; here we enjoy
heaven, or hell but in part ; hereafter, in the fulness of endless joy
and happiness, or woe and misery. — George Whitehead's Antidote,
page 110.
" Question — What is hell ? Answer — A place and state of mis-
ery, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, Mark
ix. 41." — S. Hunt's Instructions for children.
" We own, the one Mediator betwixt God and man, the man
Christ Jesus, who raaketh intercession for man in heaven, with-
out us^ — John Field's True Christ Owned, p. 22.
" In full assurance, that when our testimony is finished, and this
mortal life ended, we shall have n dwelling place in that kingdom of
Glory, which Christ Jesus hath prepared for us, ayxd purchased by
his own blood ; by whom we only expect to enjoy the same, when
we shall rest from our labours and sufterings, and give glory to our
God and to the Lamb, who is worthy of dominion forever. Amen."
— Testimony to Authority, in 1685. — [«S'ee Fuller'* s Reply ^ p. 130,
131.
In the same volume w'e find the following confession of faith on
behalf of the Society of Friends, by Thomas Beaven, viz :
"To give them the true sense of that people (the Quakers) I say,
that as I, so they believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost, Almighty, All-seeing, Omnipresent, One God, the creator of
all things, both in heaven and earth : that the Son, in the fulness of
time, came down from heaven, and took upon him, not the nature
of angels, but the Seed of Abraham ; was born of the Virgin Mary;
suft'ered under Pontius Pilate, the cruel and shameful death of the
cross, to be a propitiation and atonement for tlie sins of the whole
world ; but he rose again the third day from the dead, and ascended
into heaven, and is the Intercessor, Advocate, and Mediator, be-
tween God and man ; the King, Priest, and Prophet of his Church,
the only Author of Salvation, unto all that obey hira, true God and
perfect man.
" That the Holy Ghost proceed eth from the Father and the Son,
the Lord and Giver of liy,ht to the minds and consciences of men ;
the sanctifier of the heart ; the inward comforter of good men, and
condemner of evil men, the safe leader into all necessary truth ;
the guide sent us from heaven to lead us thither. Ti\at God hath al-
ways had a church or people in the world, consisting of believing
and obedient souls, according to the best light, and knowledge re-
ceived from him, of whatsoever nation or diBerent profession.
"That all the members of Christs' Church are baptized by him,
with the Holy Ghost and fire, thereby giving them a new heart and
putting a new spirit within them, by which they are born again, and
become new creatures.
" That these have communion and fellowship together in the eat-
ing the flesh of the Son of Man, and drinking his blood by faith,
in receiving and partaking of the bread of God, that comes down
331
from heaven, and wine of the kingdom, from the immediate hand
of Christ, the minister of the sanctuary and true tabernacle which
the Lord hath pitched, and not man ; these sup with Jesus, and he
suppeth with them.
" That God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world
in righteousness, by Jesus Christ, and that then all in the graves
shall hear his voice, and come forth, they that have done good to
the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil to the resur-
rection of damnation ; then this corruptible shall put on incorrup-
tion, this mortal, shall put on inmiortality ; the body is sown a na-
tural body, shall be raised a spiritual body.
" That there is an eternal rest prepared for the people of God,
the glorious kingdom and inheritance of heaven, the joys of which
infinitely surpass all the pleasure of thisvlvorld ; but as for them
that live and die unholy and impenitent, the wicked and all them that
forget G(»d, they shall be turned into hell, where is weeping and
gnashing of teeth, with torment and that forever and ever.
" That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are
of divine authority, because holy men of God wrote them as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost ; wherefore they are profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, and instruction in righteousness, to the end
the man of God may be thoroughly furnished unto all good works,
able to make wise to salvation, through faith in Jesus Christ, and that
they are therefore the onlv external rule of faith and manners." — ■
Pages 144, 145, 146.
ALEXANDER ARSCOTT,
In his treatise on the Efficacy and Internal Evidence of the
Christian Religion, says —
" Christianity is a divine institution by which God declares him-
self reconciled to mankind, for Ihe sake, and on the account of, his be-
loved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and v/hat HE did and suffered
for theni ; on condition of repentance, amendment of life, and per-
severance in a state of holiness ; for which end he also offers them
the help of his grace, and good Spirit, which is sufficient for that
end : all which taken together may be called salvation ; though in
a proper sense, salvation consists in the last, viz. in that help which
men receive from the grace and good Spirit of God, according to
the words of the Apostle, Rom, v. 10. " If when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, be-
ing reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Again, Ephes. ii. 8.
" By grace are ye saved through faith ; and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God." Tit. iii. 5. " According to his mercy he saved
us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy
Ghost." Now by considering this distinction, it may be observed,
that the christian religion so far as roncprns the great and good
382
ends of its institution, consists of two parts ; first, what our Lord
Jesus Christ did and suffered for mankind in the days of his flesh
tvithout them; and secondly v,'hat he did, and continues to do for
them, in them; or in other words, what they are enabled to do for
themselves, through that help and assistance which he is pleased to
afford them. The first includes the seve'ral particulars of his holy-
life ; the good works which he wrought, in which, he is our exam-
ple ; the miracles which iie did for the confirmation of his doctrine,
and divine mission ; his death, by which through the appointment
of God, he became a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of mankind ;
his resurrection, by which he was fully declared to be the Son of
God with power ; all which, though the ejects of them are lasting
and permanent, yet were then done, once for all, and no more to be
repeated. But the sec^^^d, namely, what Chiist does for mankind,
in them, or what they are enabled to do for themselves through his
help, in order to repentance and conversion, and perseverance in a
life of true piety and holine?s ; this being the standing experience
of believers in him, throughout all generations, remains to be more
particularly considered in this place, being that whereby all the
good ends of religion are answered to mankind : the first of these
1 call, the external, historical part of Christianity, the last, the in-
ternal, experimental part. And though I consider them for dis-
tinction sake, as two parts, yet, as they have a near relation and
dependance, one upon the other, they are not to be divided, in the
influence they have on man's salvation, the one, being the effect or
consequence of the other : according to these scriptures. Tit. ii. 14.
" He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
2 Corinth, v. 15. " He died for all, that they which live should not
henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them
and rose again." So that all the blessings of the gospel, which are
comprehended in these particulars, remission of sins that are past,
redemption from the power of sin, being purified, sanctified and
justified, all are conveyed to us by Jesus Christ, and are the effects
and consequence of what he did and suffered in his own person
without us, but yet wrought in us, by his good spirit ; which I
mention once for all, that when I speak of these experiences, it
may be so understood." — New edit. p. 7, 8, 9.
BENJAMIN HOLME.
From a piece entitled a " Serious Call, &c." we extract the fol-
lowing : —
" 1. Concerning the universality of God's Love in sending his
Son to die for all men.
" We freely own that it is the duty of the children of men to be-
lieve in Christ, as he did outwardly appear ; and we hold it to be
333
absolutely needful, tliat they believe his death and sufferings, and
what he has done for them, without them, where it has pleased God
to afford them the benefit of the Holy Scriptures that declare there-
of : yet we believe this outward knowledge is not so absolutely es-
sential to salvation but that men may be saved by the Lord Jesus
Christ that suffered upon the cross for them, if they are subject to
his Spirit in their hearts, although their lots may be cast in those
remote parts of the world, where they are without the benefit of
the Holy Scriptures, and may know nothing of the coming of Christ
in the flesh ; for the apostle Paul in the fifth of the Romans saith.
As by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condem-
nation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon
all men to justification of life ; for as all men partake of the fruit of
Adam's fall, by reason of that evil seed, which through him^s com-
municated unto them, which inclines them unto evil, although ma-
ny thousands of them never heard of the fall of Adam, nor of his
eating of the forbidden fruit: So we believe many may, and do re-
ceive benefit by the Lord Jesus Christ, as they take heed to that di-
vine light and grace, which is communicated to mankind univer-
sally, through him, although they may know nothing of his coming
in the flesh. Now though we hold it absolutely needful, that men
believe in the death and sufferings of Christ, where they have the
benefit of the Holy Scriptures that declare thereof, as is before ob-
served ; yet all this knowledge will not entitle to a part in the king-
dom of God, unless they know him that died for them, to save them
out of those things that unfit them for that Holy Kingdom, into
which nothing that is unclean can enter.
" But because we bear testimony to the inward appearance of the
Lord Jesus Christ, by his light and spirit in men's hearts, some
have been so unkind and unjust, that they have not stuck to say,
that we denied the Lord Jesus Christ, that suffered without the
gates of Jerusalem for us ; which is a very great abuse upon us, for
we firmly believe in him that was born of the Virgin Mary, that suf-
fered upon the cross for the redemption of mankind universally, and
we are so far from, denying him that died for us, and rose again, and
ascended into heaven, and is come again by his Spirit into our
hearts, that ive hold forth his death and sufferings in afar more ex-
tensiv^manner than many others do ; for a great many will have it,
that Christ only died for the believers, and a part of mankind ; but we
believe, according to the scripture that he tasted death for every
man : But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the an-
gels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that
he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. My little
children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not ; and if any
man sin we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous ; andheis the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours on-
ly, but also for the sins of the whole world. Here is the wonderful
love of God set forth to mankind universally ; Therefore, as by the
offence of one, judgment came upon all to condemnation ; even so
by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men to jus-
tification of life. So that the plaster is as broad a^the sore. Now
334
although we believe that Christ has by his offering up of himself
once for all, cleared the score, so far upon the account of infants
and mankind in general, that no man will perish because of the sin
of Adam ; yet we do not believe that the death and sufferings of
Christ without the gates of Jerusalem, will render men justified, and
acceptable in the sight of God, except they know him that died for
them, to redeem them out of actual sinning, and from those things
that unfit them for the kingdom of God : Know ye not saith the
apostle, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
be not deceived ; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves,
nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall in-
herit the kingdom of God ; and such were some of you, but ye are
washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God. Here the apostle
has clearly set forth how men are justified. Now this is what we
are concerned for, that all people may come to know the Lord to
work a change in their hearts, and wash them by his Spirit ; He
saved us by the washing or regeneration, and the renewing of the
Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ
our Saviour. Now here is salvation and justification by Christ up-
on a true and right foundation . And she shall bring forth a Son, and
thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their
sins. Mark, that salvation from sin, is the way for men to be sav-
ed by Christ, from the wrath to come ; for we read that tribulation
and anguish will be upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew
first, and also of the Gentile. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but
after the spirit. As men come to witness a being washed and sanc-
tified, and brought into Christ, and know their abiding to be in him,
they are redeemed out of those things that bring condemnation." —
Works, pages 96, 97, 98, 99.
Concerning the Holy Scriptures : —
" Although some have misrepresented us, as though we underva-
lued or disesteemed the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Tes-
tament ; yet we do bless the Lord, and have great cause so to do,
that the excellent counsel therein contained, which proceeded from
the Spirit of God, is preserved upon record to this day; and it is a
great favour that we live under a government, where we have the
liberty to read them, this being a privilege that many called chris-
tians are deprived of, in some other countries ; and I wish that all
would be frequent in reading of them : The apostle Paul com-
mended Timothy, in that from a child he had known the Holy
Scriptures, which, saith he, are able to make thee wise unto salva-
tion, through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture given by
inspiration of God, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correc-
tion, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Search the
scriptures, saith Christ, far in them ye think ye have eternal life,
and they are they which testify of me, and ye will not come to me
that ye might hgve life. They are greatly to be valued, in that thev
335
testify of Christ, in whom there is power to give men victory over
their corruptions and passions, and enable them to do the will of
God ; we read that Christ came unto his own, and his own receiv-
ed him not ; but as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the Sons of God. They that receive Christ by his Spirit
into their hearts, they receive power ; for Christ's Spirit is a chris-
tian's strength : I can do all things, saith the apostle, through Christ,
which strengthens me. We read, that no prophecy of the scrip
tures is of any private interpretation : for tlie prophecy came not in
old time by tfie will of man, but holy men of God, spake as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost.
" Now we say, the most true interpreter of the Holy Scripture
is the Holy Ghost, or vSpirit, from which they did proceed. We
read, that the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of
God, neither can he know them, saith the text, and there is a strong
reason laid down for it, because they are spiritually discerned ;
they are beyond his reach and comprehension ; For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in
him ; even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of
God. This is the key which opens the mysteries of the kingdom
of God to men ; 1 take this to be the great reason why there are
such great mistakes about religion, and why many put such gross
constructions upon many parts of the Holy Scriptures, as they do,
because they do not come to that divine Spirit which gives a right
and true understanding; as Elihu said, There is a spirit in man,
and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
Till men come to the Holy Spirit of God in themselves, they can
neither know God, nor the things of God ; for we read, that no man
knoweth the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son
will reveal him. Now if revelation was ceased as some do imagine it
is, what a sad condition would mankind be in ? For we read, the
world by wisdom knows not God ; there is no knowledge of God,
but by the revelation of his Son ; and it is as men come to have an
inward knowledge of God, that they come to have a right under-
standing of the Holy Scriptures, which proceeded from the good
Spirit of God, wherefore we highly value them ; though it is to be
feared some called christians do disbelieve many of the great truths
therein contained ; for i believe that a man, through often-
rebelling AGAINST THE HoLY SpIRIT OF GoD IN HIMSELF, MAY
ARRIVE AT SUCH A DEGREE OF WICKEDNESS THAT HE MAY RE-
JECT THE SCRIPTURES, AND COUNT THEM BUT FABLES ; and may
be so far from owning of any thing of God in man, as to deny the
Lord that bought him, and according to Psalm xiv. 1. he may say
in his heart, there is no God. It is the work of the enemy of all
righteousness, to persuade men that there is no God, and that the
Scriptures are bid a fiction, and that men are not accountable for
their words or actions, and that there are no future rewards and
punishments ; that they might walk at large and take their full
swing in wickedness. — It is greatly to be desired, if there be any
such now living, whose day of mercy is not wholly over, that have
arrived to such a degree of hardness and wickedness as this is, that
3^6
they may be brought to a sense of their iniquity and error, and be
so truly humbled in soul because thereof, that if possible they might
find mercy at the Lord's hand. THE BETTER CHRISTIAN
THAT ANY MAN IS, THE MORE TRUE AND REAL VA-
LUE HE HAS FOR THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.''— Works,
pages 105, 106, 107.
Extracts from a volume containing Sermons preached by the early
Quakers.
WILLIAM DEWSBURY.
" Away with all your own wills, and your pride and haughtiness,
and your hypocrisy and deceit, and all dependency upon any quali-
fication of your own ; you must come to have your life separated from
you, else you will all perish. Those that will die with Christ, and
be willing to die for him, to them he is revealed as a Saviour. He
was before us in the days of his flesh, and complied with his Father's
■will. He was nailed to the cross. The Son of God, when he was
come to the depth of his sufferings, what was his cry .^ My God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me ! This was for thy sake, and my
sake, and every man and woman's sake, that do believe in him. He
drank the cup which his Father gave him to drink: if it was done
thus unto the green tree, what shall be done unto the dry? He went
before us, and when he cometh again, he will take us to himself, and
take us from the filth of sin, that we may be made new creatures."
Pages 9, 10. 1688.
From his prayer after sermon: "We desire to give thee honour
and renown, anil praise and thanksgiving, for thy renewed mercies
and spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, for whom we bless thee, and
in ivhom we desire to be found, not haking our own righteousness.
To HIM, with Thyself, and thy holy, Eternal Spirit, be glory for
ever. Amen." — Page 18.
KICHAUD ASHBY,
In his prayer after sermon : " Lord, thou hast revealed thy glo-
rious arm and power, to thy people, in tiieir many travails, exercises
and afflictions, that have come upon them for the trial of their faith,
and the exercise of their patience and humility, and other graces.
Let our patience have its perfect work, and let the trial of our faith
be found unto praise, honour and glory, at the appearance of Jesus
337
Christ ; and let our humility lay us low before thee, that being hum-
bled under thy mighty hand, we may be exalted in due time, /or the
sake of Jesus Christ, ivhom thou hast exalted at thine own right hand
to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to us, and remis-
sion of sins." — Page 49.
Again on page 50 : " Now, Lord, for all thy mercies and benefits,
and blessings renewed to us from day to day, and from one season to
another, we desire to offer up to Thee, a pure and living sacrifice of
praise, and love, and thanksgiving; for thou alone art worthy, who
art God over all ; who, with thy blessed Son and Eternal Spirit,
livest and reignest forever, and ever, One God, world without end.
Amen." 1693.
WILLIAM BINGLEY.
" How, and by what means, must sin be done away ? God, ever-
lasting, in his iniinite love, hath ordained a way, because he would
not have man to perish and remain in a state incapable of answering
the iMid which God ordained him to. And what is that way ? The
Lord Jesus Christ. God hath sent him into the world in a two-fold
manner.
First, He sent him into the world in a holy body, which he had
prepared for him, as it is written : ' Lo, it is written in the volume of
the book, I come.' What for? 'To do thy will. Oh, God!' What
is God's will ? and what is the reason of Christ's coming into the
\vorId .^ That he might die for every man, and- be a sacrifice for sin,
and redeem man to God; this was the work that God gave him to do,
in that appearance.
" Secondly, There is another coming of Christ, a coming in the
spirit, for the first opened a door for lost uian, that shut himself out,
and by his sin put a bar to his drawing near to God. The first com-
ing of Christ, I say, opened a door, for he became a sacrifice and an
offering, and atonement for mankind, and thereby opened a new and
living way for man's coming to God. And his second coming is
without sin to salvation; and to bring all mankind that believe and
obey him, into this way or door, and to have an entrance into this
new and living way, which he has opened ; and thereby to have the
benefit of that one offering and sacrifice which he hath made for sin-
ners, and God hath revealed and made this known, to the sons and
daughters of men."
" Blessed be the name of God ! that Christ is come in the spirit;
that he hath sent his spirit into our hearts ; that he hath given us a
measure of his spirit to profit withal. The Son of God is come to
wash and purge men from their sins, and to destroy the works of the
devil, and to waste and consume that nature, that hath separated
man from God, and the root and ground of that, which hath hindered
our approaching near to (iod. Christ is come to finish transgression.
f J u
388
and to make an end of sin, to take it away, and to bring in everlast-
ing righteousness." — Page 54, 55. 1693.
SAMUEL WALDENFIELD.
"And what if I should say, comparatively, there is a veil over the.
hearts of many that are called Christians, that hinders them from
seeing the beauty and excellency of Christ. They do not knovv the
power of Christ, nor the government of his spirit in their hearts :
for people may profess Christianity as long as they will, if they do
not knovv Christ to govern them, they are not true Christians. For
one of the prophets among the Jews, could prophecy and foretel of
him J let us consider it and find out a right and true interpretation of
it, and apply it unto our own souls. Isa. ix. 6. For unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his
shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the
Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the in-
crease of his government and peace, there shall be no end, the gov-
vernment shall be upon his shoulder. All these appellations and ti-
tles are ascribed to Christ Jesus. He hath the government upon
him, to lead and guide them in the way wherein they should go.
"Government is an extensive word; it imports government, and
authority, and rule. This is applicable to Christ, and teacheth tliat
dignity wliich was conferred upon Christ, and was really due to him.
No man can parallel it, by any expression ; there is reason in it,
there is justice in it, there is right and equity in it. Christ hath
right to reign and rule forever. I do not speak of outward govern-
ment, but of the government of Christ in the souls of men ; and
here the devil was the first usurper. He usurped authority in the
hearts of the children of men ; and Christ was forsaken and desert-
ed ; people went from him : for Christ was in the beginning of the
world, the world was made by him. Christ's divinity was from eter-
nity. He was before Abraham was. The world was made by him ;
and when he was in it, the world did not know him ; and when he
came into the world, many were not willing that he should reigti
over them : said the Jaws, we will not have this man to reign over
us.»_Pages 78, 79.
"I would speak a little of the government of Christ, with some
evidence and demonstration, and in a twofold manner, that you might
more easily distinguish. There are some Christians that expect that
Christ shall come, and reign on the earth, and then they hope to be
under his government ; but it may be, they are not so careful to mind
the present time, and to know his reign and government now. There
are another sort of people, whom God, in his infinite mercy hath
reached to their consciences, and convinced them that Christ hath a
light to reign now. He had a right to reign from the beginning ; he
339
always had a right, never forfeited it, never was deprived of it. He
hath a twofold right to reign over the sons and daughters of men.
" The first is, by the right of creation. He created us. None deny,
1 hope, that the world was created by Christ; therefore he hath a
right to govern in it. This is an undeniable argument ; no man can
gainsay it, that there is a right and justice belongs to him, to rule
and govern that wliicti he hath made ; therefore it is the most un-
grateful and unnatural thing for men to oppose the reign and govern-
ment of Christ.
" Secondly — Christ hath a right to reign over the sons and daugh-
ters of men, on the account of his purchase. He did only create
•them, but he did also purchase them, at the dearest rate, with the
price of his own precious blood.' We were not redeemed with cor-
ruptible things, as silver and gold, or house, land, or earthly treasure ;
but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish
and without spot. He gave himself to be a ransom for mankind. He
tasted death for every man. One would think that every mouth,
should be stopped ; so there is a twofold right, that Christ our re-
deemer hath, to reign over us, yet many will not not let him reign,
nor let him exercise his dominion. What do you think ot these ?
What will become of them ?"— pages 81, 82. 1695.
JOHN BUTCHER,
After speaking of the inward and spiritual appearance of Jesus
Christ in the soul, he says :
" Friends, I would not be mistaken. I do not preach Christ as the
Light of tlie world, in opposition to his outward appearance, and be-
ing manifested in the flesh in that prepared body, wherein he did his
Father's will when he was on earth. Jill true christians do esteem
and reverence Christ's appearance in the body, wherein he suffered
death, and became a sacrifice for our sins, as the Apostle saith,
Eph. V. 2. Christ hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an
offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour."
*• If I esteem the appearance of Christ in my own heart,l shall be
so far from having a light esteem of his bodily appearance, and of
his being manifest in the flesh, that I shall admire and reverencethe
great mystery of godliness ; and bless God for the record given
thereof, in the Holy Scriptures, which the light of Christ is a key to
open ; even the great mysteries of the kingdom, which men by their
parts and acquirements, cannot attain to. For God hath not made
known these great things to the wise and prudent, as we may gather
from Christ's own prayer, Matt. xi. 25. ' I thank thee oh Father !
Lord of Heaven and earth, because tliose hast hid these things froni
the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes, even so,
Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.'" — pages 102, 103. 1C93.
340
JOHN BO WATER.
'• 1 do not question but here are many tender-hearted ones, that
have tender desires and breathings of soul after God ; that desire to
know peace with God and reconciliation with their Maker. Now my
friends, there is not another Mediator, besides Jesus Christ. He is
the alone Mediator and Redeemer, it is he that gave himself a ran-
som for us; it is he that reconciles man to God; and we must be
found in him, if we will come to have acceptance with God : So let
every one of you consider with yourselves, how far you are broken
off from your evil ways. We are all, by nature, children of wrath ;
consider how far you are broken off from the wild olive tree, from
that which is corrupt by nature, and whether you be grafted into
Christ. If thou art grafted into him, thou receivest strength and
nourishment and ability from him ; and for this end we have waited,
after we have believed; we have waited for power." — page 114.
1693. F I »
FRANCIS CAMFIELD.
•' You have often heard by the servants of the Loid, that have gi-
ven testimony to Jesue, the only and alone Saviour. You have often
heard the report, and the report is true, that there is no name
tinder Heaven, by which any man can be saved, but the name of Jc'
sus. And you have oftentimes read also in the Holy Scripture, of
this Jesus, the only and alone Saviour. All the holy prophets gave
testimony that he should come; and when he was come, all the ho-
ly apostles and ministers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, gave
testimony that he was come, and they were made able ministers of
ihe New Testament ; and their great business was, as instruments
in the hands of the great God, to turn men from darkness to light,
and from the power of satan to the power of God ; that they may
receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them that are
sanctified. You know the scripture speaks plentifully after this
manner." — page 135. 1693.
In his prayer, after sermon — " Father of Life ! preserve all thine
that have waited on thee. Thou art a God that changest not; there-
fore we are not consumed. Glory, honour, and praise, be rendered
to Thee, for all thy love and favour, blessings and benefits, vouch-
safed to us, and for all the opportunities which we have had for our
souls. Break and soften the hearts of all thy children ; and kindle
in their souls, a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving — that we may
Mi
say, it is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes — that we
may rejoice and triumph in thy great salvation through Jesus Christ,
mho atone is worthij, and God over all blessed forever and ever.
Amen." — page 149.
JOHN VAUGHTON.
"Friends, our justification is, indeed, in and through and by the
Lord Jesus Christ; for his sake, not our own. Any thing that we
have done or can do, will not have a tendency to make our peace
with God, seeing that we can do nothing ourselves that is acceptable
and well pleasing to God. Therefore we cannot in the least, as hath
been unjustly charged upon us, disesteeni, or put a light esteem on
what the Lord Jesus Christ hath done for us, in his own person,
without us, nor upon what, by his own power and spirit, he hath
wrought in our hearts. But we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
both as to his outward appearance, as he ivas God manifest in the
flesh, and also in his inward and'spiritual appearance in our souls.
" VVe believe in him that hath appeared by his light, and grace,
and truth, in our hearts; and we know the effectual working and
operation of tiie Divine Power to sanctify, and cleanse, and purify
our souls. And thereby we come to have a real sense of the benefit
and advantage that the souls of the children of men have, in and by
the death and sufferings, resurrection, and ascension, of our l^ord
and Saviour Jesus Christ." — pages 155, 156, 157.
" Till people come to believe in his spiritual appearance by his
light and grace, and truth, in our hearts, and to receive him and
entertain him, and let him have a place in their souls, that he by his
power may purge away sin and transgression; while men remain rebel-
lious and stubborn, and will not let him in when he stands and knocks
at the at the door of their hearts, that he come in and sup with them,
and they with him— when men rebel against his heavenly light with
ihem, and turn away from his divine grace and holy spirit, and turrj
the grace of God into wantonness,' lascieveousness, and men into
uncleanness, drunkenness, pride, envy, malice, and bitterness, and
into those things that are abominable and evil in the sight of the
Lord ; these men have no real advantage or benefit by the death and
sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the satisfaction and atone-
ment he hath made for our sins, by that one offering and sacrifice of
himself. And they do not truly know the blessed end and design of
his appearence and coming into the world : For this purpose was
the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the
devil; that he might finish trangression, and make an end of sin, and
bring in everlasting righteousness."
" When we come to believe in the inward and spiritual appear-
ance of Christ, and to know the work of sanctification, we cannoi
342
HAVE A SLIGHT ESTEEM OF, NOR DISBELIEVE OR UNDERVALUE, wliut
the Lord Jesus Christ hath done without us, in his person ; for we
shall come to find the benefit, gain, advantage, and profit of it, re-
dounding to our souls, through that one offering, when he offered
himself, through the eternal Spirit, as a Lamb without spot. He
offered himself once for all, and we have the benefit of it, when we
come to receive him, live in obedience to him, and answer his re-
quirings, and walk in the spirit. And then as the apostle saitli, if
we walk in the spirit, we shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh ; for
all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life, and is not of the Father, but is of the world,
and the world passeth awaj, and the lust thereof, but he that doth
the will of God abideth forever."— Pages 158, 159. 1694.
JAMES PARK.
•' Now, my friends, hearken and incline your ears from time to
time, unto what the Lord shall say. He will speak peace unto his
people and to his saints; but let them not return again unto folly.
Whoever you are that are true, real, Christians, you have peace
with God, through Christ Jesus, the peaceable Saviour. We are
accepted of God, in the Beloved, and have peace with GoA,inand
through Christ Jesus, who is the great peace-maker and Prince of
Peace. It is by his meritorious death, and sufferings, and satisfac-
tion made to Divine Justice, that we are reconciled unto God. I never
did desire to hear any thing, or speak any thing, that had the least
tendency to undervalue the death, sufferings, satisfaction, mediation
and intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ ; hut have always owned,
believed, and preached these great truths.''^ — Pages 178, 179. 1694.
FRxlNCIS STAMPER,
In a Sermon preached at Devonshire House, 5th mo. 3d, 1594,
says thus —
God hath laid help upon one that is mighty, to save to the utter-
most all that come unto God by him.
" This Mighty one, that the Almighty Lord Jehovah hath laid
help upon for man, is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of his love;
and they are blessed of God that come to partake of the help that is
in him, who said to his disciples in the days past, ivithout me ye can
do nothing.''* Friends this is a deep and a very near word ; and it
stands us all upon to consider whether we have him or not; for we all
343
owe service, a duty, and a worship, to the everlasting God, and of
ourselves we cannot perform it, ivithoiit the help and assistance of his
beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ ; and the comfort of all that
believe in him, is this, that He is not only able to help, but willing
to help."
" And Friends ! what greater love could the Lord God have shown
to the lost sons of Adam, than to have sent his Son, ' his only begot-
ten Son, from the bosom of his heavenly love, to redeem man up to
God again- — to restore man again — and bring him back again out of
that alienated state, and out of that undone condition, that He was
fallen into, by his disobedience and transgression against the
Lord. God hath laid help upon one that is mighty, able to save.
Therefore, children of Sion, look unto the Lord Jesus Christ, that
mighty one, upon whom help is laid, in whom is divine streyigth and
poiver, and from whom you may have divine assistance, that we
may perform the good which is required at our hands, and which is
incumbent upon us, and which we owe to our Creator — that we may
worship Him from day to day, and from one time to another."
We shall conclude with the following extract from a declaration
of the ancient faith of the Society of Friends, viz.
" The Primitive Testimony of the people called Quakers^ Sfc.
" Dear Friends, — To have right sentiments of God the great Au-
thor of our being, and of our duty to him as men and christian*, and
to believe, live and act accordingly, is without doubt a matter of the
greatest consequence to us, respecting our happiness in this life, and
tha' life which is to come. And as we fervently desire that this hap-
piness may be the lot and portion of all mankind, and especially those
who with us make profession of the christian religion, and of that
holy piinciple of grace and truth, which, through Jesus Christ, is
given to n)ankind. for their instruction, help and preservation in the
things of God, and in the way of virtue and godliness; we are at this
time concerned in that love of God, which seeks the good of all, to
recommend a few necessary things to your serious consideration; in
order that both christian knowledge and practice may be maintained
and increased among us, as a people, for the good of ourselves and
our posterity after us.
"In the first place then (not to enter into the various opinions of
men of nice speculation and curiosity, which have tended rather to
perplex peoples minds, than to build them up in chiistian know-
ledge) these are evidently right sentiments of God, to believe him to
be a Being of infinite purity and goodness, as well as wisdom and
power. And therefore in order that mankind may be acceptable to
him, 'tis necessary that they should be pure also. And as it is evi-
dent that all men have, more or less, sinned, and fallen short of this
state, in order to redeem them from it, and restore them to his favour
J44
and acceptance, 'tis necessary both tliat their past sins should be re-
mitted and forgiven; and also that they should be washed, .-anctified
and puritied from their defilements, without which, men will never
be made partakers of remission of sins tiiat are past, and consequent-
Ij of favour and acceptance with God.
"Now as these things are all that mankind wants, so God has
provided a means for both these ends, (viz.) the Lord Jesus Christ,
in whose name, and for whose sake, remission of sins that are past is
preached, and reconciliation unto God promised ; and for overcoming
sin in the lust of it, and purifying and sanctifying the hearts of men,
God through Jesus Christ, otters to mankind the help of his good spi-
rit, as a lively principle of virtue, power and efficacy, for these good
purposes: So that Christianity is in all respects a perfect institution,
completely answering all the ends of religion, which are the glory of
God and the happiness of mankind. And therefore, in the entrance
of this our friendly advice, we earnestly recommend to you, that you
have a reverend regard to the christian doctrine in every part of it,
and that you be humbly thankful to God, who in his Providence has
cast your lot in such an age and country, wherein the doctrine of
Jesus Christ is publicly and freely preached, and the means of salva-
tion taught through him.
"And inasmuch as the evidence or our holy religion is such, both
from the real excellency of it, as well as the external testimonies
concerning it, recorded in the Holy Scriptures, which we have the
greatest reason to believe, not only from the credibility of the histo-
ry, (in which there is the completes! evidence that can reasonably
be required of any matters of fact at so great distance of time) but
also, from the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit, sealing unto our
spirits the truth of the gospel, in that blessed experience of the good
fruits and effects of it, which is witnessed by all those who sincerely
apply their hearts to believe its doctrines and obey its precepts:
We theiefore caution you to be very watchful and careful how you
admit any doubts or questionings concerning it, in giving way to
some pernicious notions, of late published to the vvorid, least the
sin of unbelief, in opposition to such clear evidence, should be at
last charged upon such to their utter confusion and condemnation.
We request you theiefore that none be willingly ignorant or unbe-
lieving;, but that all apply themselves, not only to believe the great
saving truths of the chiistian religion, but put in practice its pure
and holy precepts, which have the truest tendency of any that were
ever published to the world, to the perfecting human nature, and
rendering mankiml hoi} and happy.
" Having said thus much of the christian doctrine and precepts in
general, we take the liberty to put you in remembrance of some par-
ticulars of our belief and practice agreeable thereto.
" First, We put you in mind of our ancient and constant faith in
God the Father, and in Jesus Christ his eternal Son the true Gnd,
and in the Holy Spirit, one God blessed for ever more; and that our
Society always did and still do, acknowledge the Holy Scriptures of
the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration. And
\ye earnestly exhort you stedfastly to maintain and keep the same
345
faith pure and inviolable. And bj all means we pray you avoid the
corrupt doctrines of deism and infidelity, which tend to irreligion
mid a vicious ungodly liberty; a liberty not from sin, but to sin and
wickedness ; a liberty to pull down all religion, and to set up none
in the stead thereof, for ought that yet appears to the world, to the
shame and scandal of all religion, and even of human wisdom and
nature itself.
Secondly, We put you in mind of our steadfast and constant tes-
timony to the coming of Jesus Christ our Lord in the flesh, above
seventeen hundred years ago, according to the christian account,
when he was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, and born
of the Virgin Mary, and after a life in this world as man, during the
space of about three and thirty years, in the three last of which
years (which was the time of his ministry) he wrought many real
mighty miracles, lived a most exemplary life, and taught a most
heavenly doctrine, gave himself up unto the shameful death of the
cross, under Pontius Pilate the Roman Governor, then in Judea,
and became a most satisfactory sacrifice and propitiation for the sins
of the whole woild, upon condition that men sincerely repent of
their sins and truly turn to the Lord, by forsaking them, and amend-
ing and reforming their lives, and receive him as their Lord and
Master, submitting themselves to the conduct of his Light and Spirit,
in their minds and consciences; who was buried and rose again the
third day from the dead by the power of the Father, and appeared
oftentimes to his disciples after his resurrection, and gave them com-
mission to preach the gospel unto all nations, baptizing them in, or
into the name (that is power and virtue) of the Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, as Peter did the first Gentiles which believed, who
said, as I began to speak the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at
the beginning; then, said he, remembered I the word of the Lord,
how that he said, John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be
baptized with the Holy Ghost: He ascended into heaven about forty
days after his resurrection, and sat down at the right hand of God
the Father, making intercession for men, and giving gifts to them,
yea to the rebellious also, that he by the sanctifying virtue of these
gifts might prepare their hearts for himself, to dwell among them
and in them by his most Holy Spirit: And from heaven he shall
come to judge the living and the dead, in the great and general day
of judgment, when all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and
come forth, they that have done good to the resurrection of life
(eternal) and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damna-
tion. And all these doctrines we profess according to the plain
literal sense of the Holy Scriptures, which therefore we earnestly
exhort you steadfastly to believe, and zealously to maintain to the
very end of your lives, notwithstanding all the opposition and cun-
ning craftiness of deists and infidels who lie in wait to deceive you,
men of corrupt minds, and reprobate, or of no judgment, concerning
the faith.
" Thirdly, We put you in mind, that our friends from the begin-
ning, have constantly held and maintained, that according to the
Holy Scriptures, Christ Jesus our Lord, the Eternal W"ord, and
Xx
316
Wisdom of God, is the true Light (called so on account of his di-
vine excellency), who enlighteneth every man that cometh into the
world, John i. 9. with a Light or Gift, of his own Nature, the Life
in him being the Light of men, John i. 4. and therefore superior to,
and distinct from the more human light of our natural Acuities ;
because it is no constituent part of men, as creatuies, but purely
the gift of God, superadded to them by Jesus Christ, for their infor-
mation and assistance, in matters of religion, regarding the favour
of God and their eternal salvation.
" And therefore believe them not, ivho tell you, there is no need of
the grace or help of Jesus Christ to deliver you from the bondage
and corruption of your depraved and sinful, because fallen, nature ;
but that you are self-sufficient, or able of yourselves, alone to save
yourselves, \vithout the assistance of Jesus Christ, or his grace,
\vhich doctrine he, of his infinite mercy, preserve us all from, as be-
ing inconsistent with, and destructive of true religion ; and teach
both you and us, and all men, to abstract our thoughts frequently,
but especially in our solemn meetings, from all worldly things, and
earthly ideas, to attend devoutly and sincerely, on the teaching and
guidance of this heavenly principle, and gift of God, through Jesus
Christ, his beloved Son, our Lord, to know and witness his blessed
work of regeneration ; which none can know and witness without
him and his help, inortifying our sensual and sinful appetites and
actions, called in the sacred writings, the deeds of the body, that
■we may live eternally, and raising in us heavenly desires, and bring-
ing forth in us holy actions, since without holiness, no man shall
see the Lord.
" And therefore we beseech all those who make profession with
us, of the excellency and sufficiency of this divine principle and
salutary grace, which during the time of God's kind visitations to the
souls of men, is always near to them, to help them, by the strength
thereof to keep their hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of
God, from wandering from it ; in a stayed state on God, especially
in our solemn assemblies, for this is worshipping him in spirit and
truth, as our Saviour taught, John iv. 23. This is the way to have our
hearts washed from wickedness, airiness, and wantonness, and in-
stead thereof, to have Christ formed in us. Gal. iv. 19. and to be
blessed with those habits of virtue and piety, which are necessary
for rendering us children of God, and qualifying us for heirs of
heaven.
" Fourthly, We stir you up by way of remembrance, that on our
first becoming a separate people, for the service of God from other
societies, our primitive Friends were very remarkable for their up-
rightness and honesty, in commerce and converse ; they were very
exact in performing their words and promises, without shuffling and
evasive excuses, and insincere dealings, to the credit and reputa-
tion of the Society ; much less did they by wheedling and deceitful
pretences, involve themselves in a multitude of things and affairs,
which they had not understanding and stock of their own to ma-
nage ; and contract great debts which they knew they were not
able to pay, and thereby impose upon, and cheat their honest neigh-
347
bours, under sanctified pretences of religion and holiness ; which
abominations, we find ourselves obliged to solemnly testify against."
It thus concludes,
" And now, Brethren, we commend you to God, and to the word
of his grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheri-
tance among all them which are sanctified, through faith, in our
Lord Jesus Christ.
" Published at our Men's Meeting, in the city of Bristol, the 3d
of the 11th month, 1731. And at their appointment, signed on their
behalf. ALEX. ARSCOTT."
Notwithstanding considerable care has been taken in examining the sheets,
we regret to find that some typographical errors have escaped notice. Though
none of them materially affect the sense, yet we have thought it best to col-
lect them as an Errata.
Page 6, line 13 from the bottom, omit in before toriting.
24, 6 insert that, between station and he.
" 18 from the top, all from read /rom all.
25, 4 for created flesh read created from the earth.
" 7 for are we all to have read we all have.
" 12 from the bottom, insert o/ before it.
27, 9 for 252 read 250.
28, 16 from the top, for this truth read his truth.
" 18 omit you before another.
" 22 for spirittial read a spiritual.
33, 1 from bottom, for of read -with.
42, 26 insert nuo before points.
" 22 for Vol. II. read Vol. I.
54, 22 for it thus read it is thus.
58, 23 for to read unto.
" 25 for them read whom.
60, 18 from top, read irito for unto.
66, 12 omit the word 07vn.
73, 4 for collected read collated.
85, 32 for page 77 read page 79.
86, 16 for giving a read giving us a.
88, 13 for light is one read light one.
90, 27 for description read discussion.
93, 25 after himself insert or self condem7ied.
103, bottom line, for si7i read si?is.
105, 14 from the bottom, for 7vhen read where.
123, 6 from the top, for in read /or.
129, 19 from the bottom, for God read God's.
130, 17 for sacrifice read sacrifices.
132, 11 from the top, for man out o/read man from out of.
133, 11 from the bottom, for the High Priest read their HighPriest.
134, 18 from the top, for delighteth read delighted.
156, 15 omit that.
141, 10 for page 118 read page 121.
151, 15 for -when read where.
156, 2 from tlie bottom, omit the before reading.
161, 11 from the top, for all calumnies read all the calumnies.
170, 21 for Baptists read Baptist.
" 28 for opinions read opinion. ■
" 5 from the bottom, for the Scriptures read Scriptures.
171 16 for so confine read so to confine.
189 19 ior salvation redid salutation.
194 6 from the top, for page 147 read page 145.
196 13 from the bottom, for hold read held.
200 6 for whole world read world.
227 3 from the top, for the two opponents read two opponents.
230 10 from bottom, for within one read within the one.
" 9 for the the other read the other.
238 16 from the top, for this read the.
240 12 from the bottom, for this Society read the Society.
245 19 from the top, for Spirit read the Spint.
255 2 from bottom, for three what, read -what three.
A LIST
OF THE WRITERS AMONG FRIENDS, REFERRED TO, OR QUOTED,
IN THE FOREGOING WORK.
WILLIAM PENN, pages 5, 8, 9. 31
to 97. 237, 238, 239. 259. 272 to
274.
RICHARD FARNSWORTH, page 5.
GEORGE FOX, pages 5, 6. 193 to
213. 263 to 267.
Wn.LlAM SEWELL, p. 6.303.311.
ROBERT BARCLAY, p. 7. 237 to
246. 268 to 271.
SAMTTFT X'r^T.r
JOHN VAUGHTON, p. 238. 303 to
311. 341.
JOHN FIELD, p. 238. 330.
ANDREW JAFFRAY, p. 239.
FRANCIS HOWGILL, p. 247 to 252.
289 to 291.
GEORGE FOX, the Younger, p. 291
to 294.
JOH^r w'T" 5,
296 to
isSSi-HSHS'Z-^.
,.-, x-,/.^iu. 238.276. 279.
311. 330.
RICHARD CLARIDGE, p. 35. 38.
177, 178, 179. 282 to 286.
THOMAS STORY, p. 43. 105 to 108,
323.
ANTHONY SHARP, p. 43.
GEORGE ROOK, p. 43.
JOSEPH WYETH, p. 80, 81. 111.
135, 136, 137. 194. 209. 255 to 259.
STEPHEN CRISP, p. 98 to 104.
ISAAC PENNINGTON, 109 to 161.
218. 280 to 282.
WILLIAM BAYLY, p. 181 to 192.
EDWARD BURROUGH, p. 214 to
219. 286 to 288.
HUMPHREY SMITH, p. 220 to 222.
SAMUEL FISHER, p. 223 to 226.
RICHARD HUBBERTHORN, p. 227
to 2o0.
WILLIAM DEWSBURY, p. 231 to
233. .336.
RICHARD DAVIES, 234 to 236.
PATRICK LIVINGSTON, p. 238.
ALEXANDER SEATON, p. 238.
BENJAMIN ANTROBUS, p. 238.
FRANCIS STAMPER, p. 238. 342.
301.
vjv/u, Ml,
^KJUSS BANKS, p. 302.
JOHN WHITING, p. 303.
AMBROSE RIGGE, p. 303 to 311.
WILLIAM FALLOWFIELD, p. 303.
311.
JAMES PARKE, p. 303 to 311. 342.
JOHN BOWATER, p. 303. 311. 340,
WILLIAM BINGLEY, p. 303 to 311.
oo7.
WILLIAM EDMUNDSON, p. 311.
JOHN GRATTON, p. 312 to 315.
JOHN CROOK, p. 315 to 320.
THOMAS ELLWOOD, p. 136, 137.
321 to 323.
THEODORE ECCLESTONE,p.324.
CHRISTOPHER STORY, p. 325.
JOHN STODDART, p. 326 to 328.
SAMUEL FULLER, p. 328 to 331.
BENJAMIN HOLME, p, 332 to 336,
THOMAS BEAVEN, p. 330, 331.
S. HUNT, p. 330.
ALEXANDER ARSCOTT, p. 331 to
332. 347.
RICHARD ASHBY. p. 336.
SAMUEL WALDENFIELD, p. 338.
JOHN BUTCHER, p. 339.
FRANCIS CAMFIELD, p. 340.
Yy
Notwithstanding' considerable care has been taken in examining- the sheets,
we regret to find that some typographical errors have escaped notice. Though
none of them materially affect the sense, yet we have thought it best to col-
lect them as an Errata.
Page 6, line 13 from the bottom, omit in before -writing.
24, 6 insert that, between station and he.
" 18 from the top, all from read /row all,
25, 4 for created Jlesh read created from the earth.
" 7 for are we all to have read lue all have.
" 12 from the bottom, insert o/ before it.
27, 9 for 252 read 250.
28, 16 from the top, for this truth read his truth.
" 18 omit yo-u before another.
" 22 for spiritual read a spiritual.
33, 1 from bottom, for of read ivith.
42, 26 insert tiuo before points.
" 22 for Vol. II. read Vol. I.
54, 22 for it thus read it is thus.
58, 23 for to read unto.
" 25 for them read luhom,
60, 18 from top, read into for unto.
66, 12 omit the word o-wn.
2,5,
86,
88.
90,
93,
103, bottom line, for sin read sms.
105, 14 from the bottom, for wAe?i read -where.
123, 6 from the top, for in read /or.
129, 19 from the bottom, for God read God's.
130, 17 {or sacrifice re2idi sacrifices.
132, 11 from the top, for man out o/read man from out of.
133, 11 from the bottom, for the High Priest read their HighPriest.
134, 18 from the top, for delighteth read delighted.
136, 15 omit that.
141, 10 for page 118 read page 121.
151, 15 for -rvhen read -where.
156, 2 from the bottom, omit the before reading.
161, 11 from the top, for all calumnies read all the calumnies.
170, 21 for Baptists read Baptist.
" 28 for opinions read opinion. ■
" 5 from the bottom, for the Scriptures read Scriptures.
171 16 for so confine read so to confine.
189 19 for salvation read salutation.
194 6 from the top, for page 147 read page 145.
196 13 from the bottom, for hold read held.
200 6 for -whole -world read -loorld.
227 3 from the top, for the two opponents read t-wo opponents.
230 10 from bottom, for -ivithin one read -ivithin the one.
>' 9 for the the other read the other.
238 16 from the top, for this read the.
240 12 from the bottom, for this Society read the Society.
245 19 from the top, for Spirit read the Spirit.
253 2 from bottom, for three -what, read -what three.
A LIST
OF THE WRITERS AMONG FRIENDS, REFERRED TO, OR QUOTED,
IN THE FOREGOING WORK.
WILLIAM PENN, pages 5, 8, 9. 31
to 97. 237, 238, 239. 259. 272 to
274.
RICHARD FARNSWORTH, page 5.
GEORGE FOX, pages 5, 6. 193 to
213. 263 to 267.
WILLIAM SEWELL, p. 6.303.311.
ROBERT BARCLAY, p. 7. 237 to
246. 268 to 271.
SAMUEL FOTHERGILL, p. 13 to
15.
JOHN GOUGH, p. 18.
JOHN BEVANS, p. 32, 33. 35.
GEORGE WHITEHEAD, p. 33, 34,
35. 77. 81. Ill, 112. 140, 141. 162
to 176. 196, 197. 210. 238. 276. 279.
311. 330.
RICHARD CLARIDGE, p. 55. 38.
177, 178, 179. 282 to 286.
THOMAS STORY, p. 43. 105 to 108.
323.
ANTHONY SHARP, p. 43.
GEORGE ROOK, p. 43.
JOSEPH WYETH, p. 80, 81. 111.
135, 136, 137. 194. 209. 255 to 259,
STEPHEN CRISP, p. 98 to 104.
ISAAC PENNINGTON, 109 to 161.
218. 280 to 282.
WILLIAM BAYLY, p. 181 to 192.
EDWARD BURROUGH, p. 214 to
219. 286 to 288.
HITMPHREY SMITH, p. 220 to 222.
SAMUEL FISHER, p. 223 to 226.
RICHARD HUBBERTHORN, p. 227
to 2j0.
WILLIAM DEWSBURY, p. 231 to
23o. 336.
RICHARD DAVIES, 234 to 235.
PATRICK LIVINGSTON, p. 238.
ALEXANDER SEATON, p. 238.
BENJAMIN ANTROBUS, p. 238.
FRANCIS STAMPER, p. 238. 342.
JOHN VAUGHTON, p. 238. 303 to
311. 341.
JOHN FIELD, p. 2.38. 330.
ANDREW JAFFRAY, p. 239.
FRANCIS HOWGILL, p. 247 to 252.
289 to 291.
GEORGE FOX, the Younger, p. 291
to 294.
JOHN WHITEHEAD, p. 295.
CHARLES MARSHALL, p. 296 to
299. 303 to 311.
HENRY TUKE, p. 299, 300.
JOHN BURNYEAT, p. 300, 301.
JOHN WATSON, p. 300, 301.
JOHN BANKS, p. 302.
JOHN WHITING, p. 303.
AMBROSE RIGGE, p. 303 to 311.
WILLIAM FALLOWFIELD, p. 303.
311.
JAMES PARKE, p. 303 to 311. 342.
JOHN BOWATER, p. 303. 311. 340.
WILLIAM BINGLEY, p. 303 to 311.
337.
WILLIAM EDMUNDSON, p. 311.
JOHN GRATTON, p. 312 to 315,
JOHN CROOK, p. 315 to 320.
THOMAS ELLWOOD, p. 136, 137.
321 to 323.
THEODORE ECCLESTONE,p.324.
CHRISTOPHER STORY, p. 325.
JOHN STODDART, p. 326 to 328.
SAMUEL FULLER, p. 328 to 331.
BENJAMIN HOLME, p, 332 to 336.
THOMAS BEAVEN, p. 330, 331.
S. HUNT, p. 330.
ALEXANDER ARSCOTT, p. 331 to
332. 347.
RICHARD ASHBY. p. 336.
SAMUEL WALDENFIELD, p. 338.
JOHN BUTCHER, p. 339.
FRANCIS CAMFIELD, p. 340.
Yy
INDEX.
A.
ATLEE, EDWIN A. letter from E.
Hicks to, p. 22, 23.
ARTANS, Quakers are not, p 14, 35.
ANTROBUS BENJAMIN, testimony
concerning R. Barclay and his apo-
logy, p. 238.
APOLOGY BARCLAY'S, testimo-
nies proving the high esteem in
■which it was held by the early Qua-
kers, p. 237 to 239.
ARSCOTT ALEXANDER, extract
from his treatise on Christianity,
331. — God is reconciled to man
through the death of Christ, 331. —
what Christ did without us, in his
body of flesh, cannot be separated
from what he does within by his
grace, since the latter is the effect
of the former, 332. — divinity and
atonement of Christ asserted, 331,
332. — declaration of Faith, &c.
signed by him, 343. 347. — See Bris-
tol jyfeetiiig.
ASIIBY RICHARD, extract from his
prayer. — Jesus Christ exalted at
God's right hand, a Prince and Sa-
viour, 337. acknowledgment of
the Holv Scriptui-e Three, 337.
ATONEMENT, see Propitiatory Sa-
crifice.
B.
BARCLAY ROBERT, on immediate
revelations, p. 7. — W. Penn's de-
fence of, 79. — On the observance of
the First day of the week, 217, 218.
— memoir of, 237. — Testimonies to
the excellence of his writings, 237
to 239.- Quotation from the Apo-
logy on the Scriptures, 241 to 244.
— Asserts that the Quakers reject
all doctrines which are contrary to
the Scriptures, 243, 244. 271.—
Quakers renounce and deny all pre-
tence to the revelation of any new
doctrines, 243. — On the mystical
body and blood of Christ, 244, 245.
—Declaration of belief in the atone-
ment, &c. 245, 246. — It wasneces-
saiy Christ should come and suffer
for us, 246. — Damnable unbelief not
to believe in the Scripture narra-
tive of the coming, sufferings, &c.
of Christ in the flesh, 245.— On the
Three that bear recoid in Heaven,
268. — Divinity and manhood of
Christ, 268, 269.— Propitiation of
Christ, 269, 270.— Scriptui-es, &.c,
270.
BAYLY WILLIAM, exti-acts from the
works of, 181. — On praying in the
name of Jesus, 181. — Divinity, mi-
raculous conception, &c. of Christ,
181, 182.— On the term Elder Bro-
ther applied to Christ, 183, 184.—
Defence of Friends, against the
charge of denying the blood of
Christ, 184. — Declaration that the
Quakers believe in all that the
Scriptures assert respecting Chi'ist,
185. 189.— Whether there be two
Christs, 187. — On the benefits ac-
cruing to mankind from the out-
ward coming and death of Jesus
Christ, 189. — On praying to the
Father, 190. — Divinity and glorious
oflftces of Christ, 191.
BURROUGH EDWARD, Quotations
from, 214. — Refutes the charge of
denying Jesus Christ to be God,
214. — Asserts the divinity and man-
hood of Christ, 214.— The Quakers
beheve the Holy Scriptures, 215. —
Scriptures and Spirit of Christ are
not contrary to each other, 216.—
They who have the Spirit of Christ
cannot but own the Scriptures, 216.
— Friends have always believed in
God, Jesus Christ, and all Christian
doctrines, according to Holy Scrip-
ture, 216. — The spirit of Christ ne-
ver leads contrary to the Holy
Scriptures, 217.— Belief of Frientls
in the Trinity, 286.— Christ, not on-
ly an example, but propitiatory sa-
INDEX.
35}
crlfice, 286.---Jtistification by the
righteousness, wrought by Christ
without us, 287.— Belief of Friends
in the Holy Scripture, 287.— Spirit
of Christ leads all according to
Scripture, 288.— BeUef in Christ as
the Saviour and Judge of the world,
288.
BIBLE, preferred before all books in
the world by the early Quakers, 79,
80, 81. — Its holy doctrines ever
owned bj' true Quakers, 82.
BARBADOES, Governor of, declara-
tion of faith presented to, by G.
Fox, 210 to 212.
BURNYEAT JOHN and J. WAT-
SON, declaration of faith, 300.—
Quakers own the Three that bear
record in Heaven, 300. — Quakers
own the Holy Scriptures, 300. —
Divinity and atonement of our
blessed Lord, 301.
BANKS JOHN, extracts from, 302.—
Satan's last shift to appear in the
name of Light and ancient power,
&c. 302. — Divinity and atonement
of Jesus Christ, 302.
BOWATER JOHN, declaration of
the faith of the early Quakers, 303
to 311. — Extract from his Sermon,
340. — Christ Jesus the Mediator
and Redeemer, 340. — He, and He
onlv, can reconcile to God, 340.
BINGLEY WILLIAM, declaration of
faith signed by, and others, 303 to
311. — extracts from Sermon, 337.
— Christ a propitiation for the sins
of all men, 337.— He came into the
world that he might die a sacrifice
for all men, 337.
BEAVEN THOMAS, declaration of
faith on behalf of the Quakers, 330,
331. — They believe in the Holy
Scripture Three, 330. — They be-
lieve in the divinity and manhood
of Christ, 330. — They believe in his
miraculous conception, 330. — They
believe in his propitiatory sacrifice,
330. — Christ is our Advocate, Me-
diator and Intercessor in heaven,
330. Resurrection and eternal
judgment, 331.— Authenticity and
divine authority of Holy Scripture,
331. — They are the only external
rule of faith and manners, 331.
BUTCHER JOHN, extract from his
Sermon, 339. — All time Christians
do esteem and reverence Christ's
appearance in the prepared body,
and his propitiatory sacrifice, he,
339.— They who esteem the inward
appearance of Christ to the soul,
cannot slight his outward manifes-
tation in the flesh, 339.— Christ the
propitiation for sin, 339.
BRISTOL, men's monthly meeting,
declaration of faith issued by it,
343 to 347.— The necessity of be-
lieving the doctrines of the Chris-
tian religion asserted, 844. Warn-
ing to beware of entertaining any
doubts thereof, 344. — Ancient and
constant faith of the Quakers in
God the Father, in Jesus Christ his
Eternal Son, and in the Holy Spirit,
One God, blessed forever, 344. —
Warning to beware of the corrupt
doctrines of deism and infidelity,
345..„Quakers have alwa.ys stead-
fastly believed in the divinity, man-
hood, miraculous conception, holy
life, miracles, propitiatory death,
resurrection, &c. of our blessed
Lord, 345.— Warning to Friends to
beware of those who would seduce
them from their faith in these pre-
cious doctrines, 345. — Testimony
against those who under a plain
and sanctimonious appearance, and
pretences to rehgion, deceive their
neighbours, wheedle them out of
their money, and cheat and impose
upon others, by getting property
which they are not able to pay for,
347.
C.
CLARIDGE RICHARD, on the satis-
faction made by Christ, 35. — De-
fence of W. Penn, 35, 38.— On the
belief of Friends in the Trinity, 35.
38. 39. 177 to 179. 282.— On the
Holy Scriptures, 177.— On 1 John v,
7. p. 178 —On the behef of Friends
in the divinity, manhood, propitia-
tion, and glorious offices of Jesus
Christ, 283.— On Justification, 284.
—Preamble to his last will, 284,
285.— On the Holy Scriptures, 285
to 286.
COLLENGES Dr. JOHN, letter to,
bv William Penn, 40, 41.
CHRISTIAN QUAKER, 46, 47, 48,
49. 66. 88.— Philadelphia new edi-
tion of, note upon, 49.
CHURCH government, W. Penn on,
94, 95.— I. Pennington on ditto,
159 to 161.
GRISP STEPHEN, extract from his
works, 98, 99.— Extract from his
Sermons, 100 to 104.— His belief
352
INDEX.
in the propitiatory sacrifice, fully
asserted, 104 to 1 05.
CROOK JOHN, his declaration of
what the early Quakers believed
and preached, 315 to S20.— Spirit
not contrary to the Scriptures, 316.
— Scriptures not without the Spirit,
316.— Faitii in Jesus Christ, 3^6.—
Faith in his propitiatory sacrifice,
317. — If Christ had not died, man
must have perished in his sin, 318.
— Regeneration doth not make void
the death of Jesus Christ on the
cross, 318. ---He that obeys theSpi-
rit of Christ luithin, can never make
void what Christ hath done and suf-
fered -ivithovt, 318. — Christ is not
confined or limited to be no more
than the spirit in man, 319. — Faith
in the resurrection at the great day,
319. — A real imputation of Christ's
righteousness ovv ned, 320. — Accep-
tance with the Father is only in
Christ, 320.
CAMFIELD FRANCIS, extracts fr.
his sermon and prayer, 340. — No
salvation but by Christ, 340.— Di-
vinity of Christ asserted 341. — Di-
vine honour due to him, 341.
D.
DECLARATION of Faith on behalf
of Friends, by Richard Farnswovtli,
5._George Fox, 5. 205. 211. 265.
— William Peim, 5. 37- 44, 45, 51.
59. 66. 83. 86, 87. 272 to 275.— I.
Pennington, 109. 119. 123. 137.
143. 155. 280 to 282.— G. White-
head, 175, 276. 277. 303 to 311.—
WiHiamBavly, 185.-E. Burrougli,
215, 216. 288. — Robert Barclay,
241. 243. 245. 269, 270.— Joseph
Wyeth, 255 to 259.— Richard Cla-
rid'ge, 283. 285.— George Fox, the
Younger, 291. 294.— J. Whitehead,
295.— Charles Marshall, i97. 299.-
By thirty-one Friends, 299. — John
Burnyeat and John Watson, ."^OO.
302.— By eight Friends, on behalf
of the Society, 303 to 311.— ^Jy C.
Whitehead and others, 311.-- John
Gratton, 312, 313.— John Crouk,
315. 320.— T. Ellwood, 321.— T.
Story, R. Johns, R. Gill, 323.— S.
Fuller, 328.
DIALOGUE between a Christian and
a Quaker, 65, 71. 142.
DISCIPLINE of Friends, on the, by
W. Penn, 92. 94. 95.."Ditto, by 1.
Pennington, 159. to 161. — Rule of,
made in 1694, on doctrines, 96, 97.
DAVID, St. Bishop of, on 1 John v.
7 180.
DEWSBURY WILLIAM, quotations
from 231. — Christ's spirit witnesses
the scripture to be true, 231. — Re-
velations of Jesus Christ, are all ac-
cording to Holy Scripture, 232. —
Pretended revelations, contrary to
scripture, are to be denied, 232. —
Christ's divinity asserted, 231. —
Justification by Christ alone, own-
ed, 233. — Declaration of belief in
the Christ tliat died at Jerusalem,
233. — Miraculous conception, 233.
— Christ sitteth at God's right hand,
233. — Atonement and divinity of
Christ'asserted, 336.
DAVIES RICHARD, quotation from
his Journal, 234. — Scriptures are
able to make wise unto salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus, 235.
— Finds great comfort in reading
them, 235.
ELLWOOD THOMAS, on the use of
the term Seed, in allusion to Jesus
Christ, 136. — Defence of William
Penn and the early Friends, from
the charge of Deism, 321. — Decla-
ration of the Faith of the Quakers,
in the manhood, divinity, and glo-
i-ious offices of Christ, 321, 322
On praying to Christ, 322. — On the
Holv Scriptures, 322, 323.
EDMUNDSON WILLIAM, extracts
from his Journal, 311, 312. — Qua-
kers are Christians, and believe in
the doctrines of Christ and his
Apostles, as recorded in Holy
Scripture, 311.— His stedfiist hope
in our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, 311.— Sacrifice, &c. of Jesus
Christ, owned, 312.- — Divinity of
Christ, 312.
ECCLESTONE THEODORE, ex-
tract from his writing-s, 324.--Qua-
kers believe in all that Christ did
without them, as well as in what
he does within man, 334.— He is
the great sacrifice for sin, 324. —
He is the Captain of Salvation, Ad-
vocate, King, and Higli Priest, 324.
— Divinity asserted, 324.
FOTHERGlLL's SAMUEL, extract
from sermon, 13 to 15.
FALDO JOHN, reply to his charge
INDEX.
353
that the Quakers call the Holy
Scriptures a tradition, W. Penn, 85.
FOX GEORGE, p. 5.— Memoir of,
193 — Quotations from his works,
195. — Believers justified by Christ
alone, 195. — Christ the substance
of all figures, 195. — Reproves a
priest for saying- that Christ was but
a figure, 196. — Those who have
the Word cannot but own the Holy
Scriptures, 198, 200. — Reproves
jt R. Baxter for undervaluing the Ho-
l)' Scriptures, 199.— Christ Jesus
the one great offering for sin, 200,
203 --He that believes not in this
offering is condemned, 200. — The
blood of Christ does remit the sins
that are past, 203. — Divinity and
manhood of Christ, 205. — Atone-
ment and glorious offices, 205, 206,
207. — Extract from liis address to
the great Turk, 206. — Charged
with equalling himself to God, 208.
— Charge of equalling himself with
God refuted, 209. — Remarkable
declaration of faith on behalf of
Friends, presented to the Governor
of Barbadoes, 211— On the propi-
tiatory sacrifice of Christ Jesus, 263.
— Revelation and Scripture accord
with each other, 263.— Belief in the
existence of an evil spirit, 263.--
Christ Jesus, the Seed of Abraham,
suffered for the sins of all mankind,
264. — Jesus Christ the only Media-
tor, 264.— Declaration of belief n\
the propitiation of the Saviour, 264.
He that denies this doctrine is anti-
christ, and a seducci", 265. — Decl.ar-
ation of faith from Worcester pri-
son, 265. — Divinity and atonement
of Christ asserted, 265. — The three
that bear record in heaven owned
by George Fox and the early Qua-
kers, 266, 267. — Holy Scriptures
the most authentic and perfect de-
claration of Christian faith, 266.—
Christ, the Shepherd, Bishop, Me-
diator, &c. 267.
/ . FIRST DAY of the week, on the ob-
servance of, 217, 218. — Charge of
neglecting it, denied and refuted,
219. — Quakers abstain from labour
on the, 217, 219.
FISHER SAMUEL, quotations from
the works of, 223. — Belief in jus-
tification by Christ, 223.— Christ
died a sacrifice for all men, 223,
224.— The Scriptures are able to
make wiser, those who are already
wise in the Spirit, 224. — No doc-
trine taught by the Quakers but
what agrees with the Scriptures,
224. — Scriptures cannot be trans-
gressed by those who obey the Spl-
it of Christ, 225. — On the existence
of the evil Spirit distinct from
man, 225.
FIELD JOHN, testimony to R. Bar-
clay, and his Apology, 238. — Christ
the one Mediator and Intercessor
in heaven, without vis, 330,
FOX GEORGE, the Younger, declar-
ation of his faith, 291 to 294.— Di-
vinity aiid atonement of Christ
owned, 291, 292, 293.— Acknow-
ledges remission of sins through the
blood of Christ, 291 —Christ freely
gave himself a ransom and pi-opiti-
ation for the sins of the whole
world, 292. — Christ's death has
opened a way for fallen man to re-
turn to God, 293. — No man can be
justified by his own works, 293. —
No justification but through faith
in Christ Jesus, 293. — Concerning
the resurrection, 294. — Concerning
eternal rewards and punishments,
294.
FALLOWFIELD VvlLLIAM, declar-
ation of the Christian doctrines of"
Friends, 303 to 311.
FULLER SAMUEL, extracts from
his writings, 328. — Quakers believe
in the inspiration of the Holy Scrip-
tures, 328. — Quakers prefer them
to all other writings, 328. — Scrip-
tures contain a clear declar.ation to
all christian doctrines, 329. — They
are the only fit outward judge of
controversy among Christians, 329.
— Spirit of God cannot contradict
the Scriptures, 329. — Whatever
doctrine is contrary to the Scrip-
tures ought to be rejected as a de-
lusion, 329. — Quakers cannot deny
any Scripture testimony concern-
ing the Lord Jesus Christ, 329. —
They believe in the miraculous
conception, 329. — They believe in
the divinity and manhood of Christ
wonderfully united, 329. — In his
propitiation and atonement, 329. —
He is the only Mediator and Inter-
cessor, glorified in the heavens,
329. — Quakers believe in a heaven
and hell without men hereafter,
329, 330.
354
INDEX.
FALLEN ESTATE OF MAN, 14,
15, 3r, 47, 52, 53, 57, 65, 98, 101,
102, 103, 107, 112, 113, 120, 122,
126, 127, 128, 138, 143, 173, 223,
241, 246, 249, 263, 264, 265, 269,
270, 273, 284, 293, 295, 314, 315,
318, 331, 333, 334, 337, 340, 343,
346.
G.
GRIER, on 1 John v. 7.
GRATTON JOHN, extracts from his
works, 312. — Quakers preach the
true Christ, 312. — Divinity, mira-
culous conception, &c. owned, 312,
313.— Christ our Mediator, Inter-
cessor and Advocate, &c. 313. —
Christ the propitiation and Sacrifice
for sin, 313, 314, 315. — Inexpressi-
ble benefits resulting to mankind
by the coming, and suffering, and
death of the Son of God, 314, 315.
H.
HICKS ELIAS, sentiments of, 19 to
29. — Comparison of his doctrines
with those of William Penn and the
early Quakers, 60, 63. — Compai'ison
■with G. Whitehead on the doc-
trines of Holy Scripture, 81. — His
new revelations condemned by W.
Penn, 87.— Contrast between Wil-
liam Penn and Elias Hicks, 97. —
His doctrines directly contradict
those of the early Quakers, see p.
104, 107.- — Comparison of Elias
Hicks' sentiments with Isaac Pen-
nington, 111, 114, 130. — Striking
contrast between Elias Hicks, and
George AVhitehead, 167. — Striking
contrast between Elias Hicks and
William Bayly, 181, 190.— George
Fox condemns the doctrines of
Elias Hicks, 200, 201. — Comparison
of Elias Hicks with George Fox,
204, 213, 264, 265.— Principles of
Elias Hicks condemned and denied
by E. BuiTough and the early
Quakers, 216, 217.— Contrast be-
tween Elias Hicks and Humphrey
Smith, 220, 222.— Some points of
faith in which Elias Hicks differs
from Samuel Fisher and the early
Quakers, 225, 226.— R. Hubber-
thorn's opinion of Scripture con-
trary to Elias Hicks, 227, 228.—
Doctrines of Elias Hicks denied
and condemned by William Dews-
burj', 232, 233. — Doctrines of Elias
Plicks at variance with Barclay's
Apology, 240, 243, 244, 245, 270,
271. — The early Quakers when
charged with holding the senti-
ments of Elias Hicks denied it as a
malicious accusation, 253, 255 to
259.
HICKS THOMAS, 65, 71, 143, 144,
164.
HORNE THOMAS H. on the various
readings and copies of the Scrip-
tures, 72, 73, 74.
HALES DR. on 1 John, v. 7. 180.
HUBBERTHORN RICHARD, ex-
tracts from, 227. — He that is ruled
by the -pirit fulfils scripture, 227.
— They who are guided by Christ's
Spirit cannot deny the Holy Scrip-
ture, 228. — Quakers' doctrine is
ever accordant M'ith Scripture, 228,
229.— Quakers believe in heaven
and hell according to scripture,
229.
HOWGILL FRANCIS, extracts from
the works of, 247. — Defence against
the charge ofequalling himself with
God, 247.— No part of his belief
that reason can comprehend the
mysteries of religion, 249. — The
things of God are above the reach
of natural reason, 247 — Man's rea-
son an uncertain thing, and not a
competent judge in things pertain-
ing to salvation, 252.— Declaration
of belief in the " Holy Scripture
Three," 289.— Quakers'deny not to
distinguish between Father, ^on,
and Spirit, 289. — Declaration of be-
lief in tlie divinity of Christ, 289.—
The Scriptures testify of Christ,
and ought to be received and be-
lieved, 290. — Those who bring in
doctrines contrarvto Scripture have
not the Spirit of God, but the spirit
of error, 290. — The translators of
the Bible were not without the aid
of the Holy Spirit in so good a
work, 291.
HUNT S. extract from his "Instruc-
tions for children," 330.— Hell is a
place and state of misery and tor-
ment without end, 330.
HOLME BENJAMIN, extract from
his " Serious Call," 332 to 336.—
Quakers declare that it is the duty
of men to believe in Christ as he
appeared outwardly, and in his suf-
ferings and death for their sins on
the cross, 332 and 333. — Quakers
are far from denying that Christ
died for their sins, and rose again
INDEX.
355
for their justification, 333. — Christ
Jesus the Mediator and Advocate,
333. — Quakers do not undervaUie
or slight the Holy Scriptures, 334.
Men by long rebellion against God,
may become so wicked as to reject
the " criptures, and count them but
fables, 335. — It is the work of the
enemy to persuade men that the
Holy Scriptures are a fiction, 335.
—The better Christian a man is, the
more true and real value he has for
the Holy Scriptures, 336.
I.
IRISH WILLIAM B. extracts from
Elias Hicks letter to, 19.
JENNER THOMAS and TIMOTHY
TAYLOR, AVilliam Penn replies
to, 61, 63, 84, 85.
JAFFR AY ANDREW, testimony con-
cerning R. Barclay and his Apology,
239.
JOHN'S FIRST EPISTLE, c. 5. v. 7
See 177 to 180.
JUSTIFICATION from the guilt of
past sins cannot be procured by any
good works that man can do, but
bv Christ alone, and his offering,
15, 42, 45, 57, 100, 101, 103, 143,
173, 246, 270, 273, 284, 293, 295,
317, 318, 320, 341, 346.
K.
KEITH GEORGE, charge against
Stephen Crisp of allegorizing the
atonement of Christ, replied to,
99. — Charge against Friends of un-
dervaluing the Holy Scriptures, 80.
— Charge of denying the outward
coming of Christ, answered, 187.—
Charge against George Fox of call-
ing Christ in the flesh a figure, 196.
— Charge against George Fox of
equalling- himself with God, replied
to, 210. — Charge against the early
Quakers of working on the first day
of the week denied, &c. 219. — Ac-
cuses the Quakers of denying any
other heaven or hell than what is
-within them, 230.— Charge of deism
against W. Penn and his brethren,
ably refuted by Thomas Ellwood,
L.
LOCKE JOHN", excellent sentiments
on the Holy Scripture, 11.
LIBERTINISM in doctrine and prac-
tice condemned by the early Qua-
kers, 93, 95, 96, 97, 159, 160.
LIVIKGSTON PATRICK, testimo-
nies to R. Barclay and his work,
238, 239.
M.
MARSHALL CHARLES, declaration
of his Christian belief, 296 to 299.
— All that are sanctified are per-
fected by the one offering of Christ,
296.— Divinity of Christ confessed
to, 297, 298.— The measure of the
Spirit given to man, is not whole
Christ, 297, 298.— Defence of the
Quakers against the charge of de-
nying the meritorious sufferings
aiid death of Christ, 299.— Quakers
really own the Scriptures, 299.—
Declaration of the Christian faith
of the Quakers, signed by him and
others. 303 to 311.
NOTE on the Philadelphia edition of
the " Christian Quaker," 49.
NOTE on the "Discourse of the Ge-
neral Rule, &c." 71.
NOTE on Thomas Zachary's writings,
221.
NOLAN ON FIRST JOHN, v. 7. 180.
P.
PENN WILIJAM, on the Scripture
creed of the Quakers, 7, 8.— On the
agreement between the essential
doctrines of Friends, and those of
other Christian professors, 9. — On
the Holy Scripture Three, 33, 35,
37, 41, 44, 63, 66, 272.— Christ is
the propitiation for the sins of the
world, 39, 40, 42, 45, 46, 52, 54,
57, 58, 65, 272, 273.— Innocency
with her Open Face, extract from,
36, 37. — Letter to Dr. John Collen-
ges on the doctrines contained
in the Sandy Foundation, 40, 41.—
Declaration of faith by William
Penn, T. Story, and others, 44, 45.
— The divinity of Jesus Christ as-
serted, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 45, 47,
66, 272, 273. — Remission of sins to
be preached in the blood of Christ,
shed at Jerusalem, because that
very blood did propitiate, 54. — Jus-
tification by faith in the blood of
Christ, 56, '57. — Christ is one with
the Father, 61.— Denies that Christ
had his failings, 63. — Asserts that
no true Quaker ever said that what
Christ did and suffered in the flesh
was only as an example or figure,
63. — Extracts from his " Discourse
on the General Rule of Faith," 68
to 75. — Scriptures are a secondary
rule 69, 77.— Denies that the Qua-
556
INDEX.
kers require revelation to convince
them of the truth of the sacred
records, 71. — Quakers believe that
the Scriptures are to be reverently
i^ad, beheved, and obeyed, 76.—
Sefence of George Whitehead on
le Scriptures, 77. — Scriptures are
the words of God, and the letter of
the Holy Ghost, 79.--Denies that the
Quakei-s ever equal their own writ-
ings to tlie Scriptures, 79. — Bible
preferred before all books in the
world, 79. — Scriptures are a true
declaration of the faith of Friends,
82, 83.— All that the Spirit leads to
is according to Sci'ipture, 84, 86. —
Quakers utterly renounce all pre-
tended revelations which are incon-
sistent with Holy Scripture, 87. —
That doctrine wiiich would overturn
them is accursed, 87. — On the in-
capacity of human reason to scan
the mysteries of religion, 92. — Sen-
timents on church government and
discipline, 92 to 95. — Quakers do
not allow libertinism in doctrine or
practice, 95. — Disown such as do
not comply with the terms of Chris-
tian communion, 95. — Defence of
W. Penn by T. Ellwood, 136, 321.
— Belief of Quakers in the Godhead
and Manhood of Christ, 272. — Be-
lief of Quakers in all that the Scrip-
tures declare of, 272, 273.— Nothing
man can do, thoug-h by the Holy
Spirit, can atone for past crimes,
273. — Remission of past sins only
obtained by the sacrifice of Christ
on the cross, 273. — The manifesta-
tion of the Spirit in man, not whole
Christ nor God, 274. — Belief of
Friends in tlie Holy Scriptures, 275.
— They reject all doctrines which
are not according- to Scripture, 275.
PENNINGTON ISAAC, declara-
tion of the faith of Friends in that
Christ that died at Jerusalem, 109.
— Confession to his divinity, 110.
114. — Of his appearance in a body
of flesh, and divine pre-existence,
113, 114. — Remarkable declaration
concerning the Father sending the
Son, 115. — On the glorification of
Chi'ist on the right hand of God,
114. — Declaration of faith in the
propitiatory sacrifice, 119. — The
sins of believers are pardoned thro'
God's acceptance of CSurist's offer-
ing his fiesh and bloodfen the cross,
119. 280. 281, 282.-Refutes the
charge, that the Quakers deny re-
demption by the blood of Christ,
123. — Quakers own the blood both
outwardl}- and inwardly, 123, 124.
— Justification by Christ alone, 125,
126. — All loosing of sins is for
Christ's sake and through his blood,
126. — Man cannot repent when he
will, 126,— Christ came purposely
to suffer, 127, 128.— His death on
the cross is the great atonement for
,5in, 128, 129.— Eternal divinity of
"Christ asserted, 130. 135. 137.—
• Garbled quotation from his " Ques-
tion to Professors," 131. — Of the
glorious appearances of Christ, un-
der the law, 135. — Im]>utation of
Clirist's rigliteousness to believers,
137. — The necessity of Christ com-
ing to suffer death, asserted, 138.—
His body was prepared of the Fa-
tlier to this end, 138.— Divine wor-
ship due to Christ, 139.— Divinity
and atonement, 142. — Reply to T.
Hicks' charge of denying the atone-
ment of Christ, 142. — Remission of
sins only obtained by Christ's sa-
crifice, 143. — Quakers believe it
was necessary that Christ should
come and oifer up a sacrifice for
sin, 143. — Quotations from 1. Pen-
nington on the Scriptures, 145,
157.— Christ is all in all to a belie-
ver, 150. — Scriptures are a rule to
try docti'ines and forms of religion
by, 154. — Concerning the Trinity,
155, 280.— Quakers own the scrip-
ture Trinity from their very hearts,
155. — Extract on the mystical na-
ture of the revelations of John,
156. — Mutilation and perversion of
it by compilers, 157. — On church
government and discipline, 159,
160.— Quakers own no otlier Jus-
tlfier, Condemner, Saviour, or In-
tercessor, but he that laid down his
life without the gates of Jerusalem,
282.
PARK JAMES, declaration of the
Christian doctrines of the Society
of! Friends, signed by, and others,
303 to 311. — Extract from his ser-
mon, 342.-— Meritorious suff"erings
and death of Christ, asserted, 342.
— Always 6wned and believed and
preached, the great truths of
Christ's coming, sufferings and
deatli, 342.
INDEX.
i57
PROPITIATORY Sacrifice of Jesus
Christ, owned by the QiiaVers, 9.
13, 14, 15. 33. 35, 36, 37, 38, 39,
40, 42. 44. 46. 49. 52, 53, 54, 55,
56, 57. 60. 64, 65, 66. 75, 96, 97,
100, 101. 102, 103, 104. 106, 107.
109. 114. 119. 123, 126. 128, 129,
130. 137, 138. 142, 143. 163. 165,
166. 169, 170. 173, 174. 184. 188.
200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206,
207, 208. 211. 220. 223, 224. 233.
245, 246 256, 257- 263, 264, 265,
266. 269, 270 272, 273. 277, 278.
280, 281, 282, 283, 284. 287 291,
292, 293. 295, 296. 300, 301, 302,
303. 304. 311, 31i, 313, 314, 315,
317, 318. 321,322, 323, 3 4, 325.
327. 329, 330, 331, 532, 333. 336,
337, 338, 339, 340, 341, 342. 344,
345.
R.
REVIEWS of Elias Hicks' letters, 10.
REMARKS on the assertion that the
Q\iakers rejected all creeds and
confessions of faith, 3, 4, 5, 6. — On
believing what we do not under-
stand, 90, 91. 157. 248 to 250.— On
the compilers' note respecting 1
Johnv. 7. p. 177. — On the compi-
lers assertion that the alterations
they made in their extracts, oc-
curred solely by accident, 254, 255.
REVELATION immediate divine,
never contradicts the Holy Scrip-
tures, 9. 84. 87. 154. 193. 198. 200.
216, 217. 221. 225. 227, 228. 231,
232. 243. 245. 258, 259. 263. 266,
271. 275. 279. 285. 288. 290. 328,
329. 335, 336.
RIGGE AMBROSE, declaration of
the Christian faith of the Society of
Friends, 303 to 311.
S.
SNAKE in the Grass, remarks upon,
from Gough's History, 18, — Charge
against the Quakers for equalling
their own writings with the scrip-
tures, answered, 80, 81. — Charge
of denying the manhood of Christ,
answered. 111. — Perversions of the
use of " veil and garment," in
speaking of the flesh of Christ, 112.
— Charge of denying Christ to be
any thing more than the spirit in
man, answered, 136, 137. — Charge
of calling themselves " Christ,"
answered, 140. — Charge of deny-
ing Christ -vithout, replied to, 175.
Charge of esteeming the coming
and suflVrings of Christ in the flesh,
to be no more than a figure, ans-
wered, 196. — Charge against G.
Fox, of equalling himself with God,
209. 210.— Charge against F. How-
gill, of equalling himself with God,
247.— Charge that the Quakers de-
ny the Trinity, answered. 255, 256.
— Charge that the Quakers deny
Christ's atonement, answered, 257.
— Charge that they make them on-
ly allegorical, denied, 257, 258.—
Charge that divine revelation makes
the Holy Scripture useless, denied
and refuted, 258, 259.
SENTIMENTS of Elias Hicks, 19.
SHOEMAKER, Dr. N. letter from E.
Hicks to, 10. 21.
SERMONS, at Arch street, by Elias
Hicks, 23.— At Twelfth street, 24,
—At Middletown, 24.— At Falh, 24
to 27. — At Trenton, 27.— At Ger-
mantown, 28. — At Abington, 28.
SANDY Foundation Shaken, vindica-
tion of, 31 to 43. — Cause of writing,
do. 32. — Doctrines refuted in do.
33.
SOCINIANISM, G. Whitehead's re-
plv to the charge of, 35.
SOCINIANS, Quakers are not, 40. 43.
256, 257. 311.
SCRIPTURES Hol.v,T.H. Home, on
the, 72 to 74. — They are to be pre-
ferred before all other books in the
world, 79, 80, 81. 84. 241. 258. 275.
285. 313. 328.
SPIRIT Holy, the revelations of, can-
not contradict the scriptures, 84.
87. 154. 198. 200. 216, 217. 225.
227, 228. 232. 243. 258, 259. 271.^
275. 288. 290. 316. 329.— Manifest
tation of, in man, is not w^iole
Christ or God, 60. 66. 112. 136.
139, 140. 148. 172. 175. 196. 269,
274. 277. 297. 304, 305, 306. 324.
STORY THOMAS, declaration of
faith by, and others, 43, 44. — Gar-
bled and interpolated extract from
his works, exposed, 105. 107. — Di-
vinity of Christ asserted, 106. —
Christ, a fore ordained sacrifice for
the sins of man, 106. — Declaration
of iaith in the miraculous concep-
tion, divinity, propitiation, and in-
tercession of Christ, 323.
SiUTH HUMPHREY, quotations fr.
220. — Divinity and intercession of
Christ asserted, 220. — Declaration
of belief in the scriptures, 221,
358
INDEX.
SEATON ALEXANDER, testimony
to R. Barclay, and his apolo8:v, 238.
STAMPER FRANCIS, testimony to
R. Barclay, and his apology, 238,--
Extracts from his sermon, 342. —
Divinity of Christ asserted, 342. —
Christ is the onmipotent saviour,
343.
SACRIFICE, see Propitiatory.
STEVENS Priest, G. Fox's reply to,
on the sacrifice of Christ, 263.
STORY CHRISTOPHER, declara-
ration of his faith, 325. — Miraculous
conception and divinity of Christ,
asserted, 325. — Propitiatory sacri-
fice of Christ, 325.— All Christians
believe in the scripture account
respecting Chi-ist, 325.
STODD ART JOHN, quotations from,
326. Miraculous conception of
Christ, 326.— Divinity and atone-
ment of Christ, 327, 328.
SCRIPTURES are a rule to try doc-
trines by; and whatsoever doctrine
is contrary to their testimony ought
to be rejected as false, 8. 69. 77. 81,
82. 84. 86, 87, 89. 154, 155. 177,
178, 179. 198. 200. 216, 217. 221.
225. 228. 232. 239, 241, 243. 252.
258, 263. 266. 271. 275. 279. 285.
288. 290. 311. 313. 316. 322, 323.
329. 331, 334, 335, 344,
T.
TUKE HENRY, extract from his
works, 299.
THREE that bear record in heaven,
owned by the Quakers, 33. 35. 37,
38, 39. 41. 44. 63. 66. 115. 155.
171. 178. 210. 216. 255, 256. 266,
267, 268. 272. 276, 280. 282. 286.
289. 292. 300. 304, 316, 330. 336,
337.'341. 344.
VINCENT THOMAS, dispute with
William Penn, 32.
VAUGHTON JOHN, testimony to R.
Barclay, and his apology, 238. —
Declaration of the Christian faith
of the Quakers, 303 to 311.- — Ex-
tracts from his sermon, 341. — Justi-
fication for Christ's sake alone, 341.
— Quakers do not put a slight es-
teem upon the outward coming and
sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ,
340. — They who believe and obey
the sjjirit of Christ, cannot slight or
■undervalue what he did for man-
kind in the flesh, 342.
VINDTCATION of the Quakers, 1693,
ej^tract from, 300.— Faith in the
Godhead and manhood of Christ,
asserted, 300.— Quakers do highly
esteem the death, sufferings, me-
rits, and offices, of Christ Jesus,
300. — No other doctrines or princi-
ples ever held or preached by any
among them, 300.
W.
AVHITEHEAD GEORGE, extracts
from his Essay entitled " The Di-
vinity of Christ, &c." 33 to 35—-
Defence of M'illiam Penn, 33 to 35.
— Charge against him of slighting
the Scriptures, 77, — Defence of do.
do. W. Penn, 78.— Defence of do.
do. Joseph Wyeth, 80.— Reply to
the charge by G. Whitehead, 81. —
Prefers the Bible to all books in the
world, 81. — Reverently esteems the
docti-ines of Holy Scripture 81. —
Thankful to Divine Providence both
for the scriptures and the doctrines
which they contain, 82. — Remarks
on the use of the words " veil and
garment," applied to Christ's flesh,
111. — Reply to the charge, that the
Quakers appropriate the term
Christ to themselves, 141. — Quota-
tions made by the compilers from
his works, 162. — On the vulgar
doctrine of satisfaction, 162 to 166.
Christ's blood was for remission of
sins, 163. — Christ died, a propitia-
tion for the sins of the whole world,
163. 165, 166. 170. 277. 278.— Qua-
kers never denied the manhood or
divinity of Christ, nor his miracu-
lous conception, 167- — Quakers do
not slight the Scriptures, 170. —
Quakers do not deny the offering
on the cross, nor make it a mere
fiction, 170. — Declaration of belief
in the Three that bear record in
Heaven, 171. 276. — Reasons why
none but Jesus can be called Christ,
172. — Justification by Christ own-
ed, 173. — Denies the charge of un-
dervaluing Christ's suffering on the
cross, 173. — Natiu-e and extent of
Christ's sufferings, 173. — Christ's
death was to make atonement and
appease wrath, 173. — Imputation of
Christ's righteousness owned, 174.
— declaration of faith in Christ with-
out as well as -within, 175. — On the
use of the words, figure and exam-
ple, applied to Christ, 196.— De-
INDEX.
359
fence of G. Fox, against the charge
of equalling himself with God, 210.
— Testimony to R. Barclay, and his
apology, 238.— Divinity of Christ
asserted, 33, 34, 35. 111. 141. 167,
168. 172. 175. 196. 276, 277, 278,
279. — Quakers do not believe that
Christ dies in men for their justifi-
cation, 277, 278.— Prayer to Christ,
278— On the excellency of Holy
Scripture, 278, 279. Advises
Friends to keep to Scripture doc-
trine, 279.— Declaration of Faith
303 to 311.
WISDOM Justified of her Children,
extracts from, 19.
WILLIS THOMAS, extract from E.
Hicks' letter to, 22.
WYETH JOSEPH, defence of Wm.
Penn, &c. 62.— See Snake in the
Grass.
WHITEHEAD JOHN, his faith in the
divinity and manhood of Christ,
295. — Asserts that the Quakers be-
lieve no man can be saved, justifi-
ed or sanctified, without the suffer-
ings and death of Jesus Christ at
Jerusalem, 295. — Denies that the
Quakers expect to be saved by
Christ's sufferings within them,
295.
WATSON JOHN and John Burnyeat,
declaration of faith onbehalf of the
Quakers, 300, 301. — Quakers do
really own the Three that bear re-
cord in Heaven, 300.— Beheve the
Scriptures to be the words of God,
300. — Faith in the divinity, propi-
tiation, &c, of Christ, 301.
WHITING JOHN, extract from, 303.
— Divinity, atonement, and priest-
hood of Christ, asserted, 303.
WOR^HIP divine and honour due to
Jesus Christ, 139. 183. 231. 238.
278. 305, 306. 336, 337. 341. 343.
WALDENFIELD SAMUEL, ex-
tracts from his sermon, 338. — Ap-
plication of the prophecy of Isaiah
to Christ, 338.— Divinity of Christ
asserted, 338. — Christ purchased
mankind by his own blood, 339. —
Propitiation and atonement, 339.
YEARLY Meeting, rule of discipline
made by, in 1694, on the subject of
doctrines, 96, 97.
Z.
ZACH ARY THOMAS, note upon the
compilers' quotations from, 221,
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY
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