EXTRACTS 
 
 rnosf THE 
 
 WRITINGS OF THE EARLY MEMBERS 
 
 0©©2E!^T ©3^ S^miESIBS^ 
 
 THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST, THE BENEFITS OF 
 HIS COMING, THE SCRIPTURES, 8tc. 
 
 TOGITHER -WITH 
 
 SOME ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS ON THESE AND OTHER SUB- 
 JECTS CONNECTED WITH THEM. 
 
 The -whole designed to Vindicate the Character ofovr Primi- 
 tive Friendsy and the Doctrines thev viainlaincd. 
 
 BY ELISHA BATES. 
 
 ItEPRINTED FROM THE MOUNT-PLEASANT 
 EDITION, 
 
 FRIENDS LIBRARY. 1S25. 
 
 142 N. 16th Street, 
 
 PEILADELPHIA. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 That our primitive friends were eminently favoured 
 with wisdom, is a proposition that will be readily admit- 
 ted by their successors in religious profession. Their 
 doctrines, their lives, and their sufferings will endear 
 them to the latest posterity ; and give weight to their sen- 
 timents on religious subjects. Copious as their writings 
 were in the beginning, and scarce as those writings are 
 at the present, as respects the Society at large, there are 
 many, even within the Society itself, who lie open to the 
 danger of receiving wrong impressions as to their views 
 on religious subjects. And the circumstance of a large 
 portion of those early writing being rather refutations 
 of erroneous opinions than declarations of belief, adds 
 to that danger. To guard the sincere inquirers after 
 Truth, against the influence of the names of those worthy 
 instruments, in giving currency to sentiments which 
 they never held, is but an act of justice to their character, 
 to the principles they held, and to those who stand iH 
 need of such information. 
 
 But when we look at the subject itself, it rises into 
 very imposing magnitude. It embraces not merely the 
 character of our primitive friends — but the character of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, and the benefits he has conferred 
 upon us. On subjects tnus lying at the foundation of the 
 Christian religion, and which have an intimate relation 
 to our feelings of love, gratitude, and obedience to our 
 Divine Benefactor, it is certainly desirable that no dis- 
 cordance of opinion should exist among the members.of 
 the visible Church. To guard as much as possible against 
 such a diversity of opinion, and connectively, against 
 those feelings which naturally spring from such causes, 
 is the object of the following Essay. E. B. 
 
 MOUST-PLEASANT, OfllO, 
 
 5th month, 1825. 
 
 Examined and Approved, by the Meeting; 
 for Sufferings of Ohio Yearly Meeting.. Fifth 
 Month, 1825. 
 

 EXTRACTS, &c. 
 
 It must be admitted, that the present is an age ot 
 much speculation on religious subjects. And as such 
 speculations endanger not only the faith of indivi- 
 duals, but the peace and order of society, it is impor- 
 tant that all classes should keep a watchful and 
 guarded care over their thoughts, as well as expres- 
 sions. Great is the influence oi principles, on our 
 feelings; and consequently our preservation and im- 
 provement, have a very intimate relation to the doc- 
 trines and opinions we hold. The injurious conse- 
 quences of erroneous opinions, are not confined to 
 those with »liuiii ilic^ wi-iginatc —they have a pow- 
 erful tendency to spread an evil influence, as said 
 the apostle — '* their w^ord will eat as doth a canker.'^ 
 Thus, in different ages of the world, the peace of 
 the Church has been destroyed, and her doctrines 
 tarnished with the inventions and speculations of 
 men. Not only have men departed from the doc- 
 trines of the gospel, and been turned unto fables, 
 but grievous dissentions and controversies have been 
 produced, which have grown into open persecution, 
 with fines, imprisonments, exiles, massacres, and all 
 the dreadful catalogue of outrages, which mark the 
 grossest depravity of man. 
 
 Even when these worst consequences are not pro- 
 duced, the natural efiects of these exciting causes, 
 in their most simple and circumscribed character, 
 are yet highly injurious to the reputation and best in- 
 terests of religious society. The following extracts, 
 from " Cave's Lives of the Fathers,'' convey some 
 
 ..^ ii J-- 
 
idea of the effects to be expected to take place, 
 Avhenever the same causes are brought into opera- 
 t ion. " These pernicious principles," sayshe, " which 
 Arius* propagated, both by word and writing, were 
 greedily entertained by persons of loose and insta- 
 ble minds: as indeed, men are naturally disposed to 
 novel and curious opinions." — ** All places were fill- 
 ed with schisms and factions; offends and quarrels; 
 and that not with open enemies, but amongst friends 
 and neighbours: nothing but disputes and controver- 
 sies heard in every company; and the common peo- 
 ple, who were least capable to understand, were 
 made not only spectators of the differences, but judges 
 of the most abstruse and intricate doctrines of re- 
 ligion: nay, the very Gentiles themselves, were fur- 
 nished with matter of scorn and laughter, and the 
 sublimest articles of the Christian faith, made sport 
 lor the theatre.'' [Page 350, 356.] 
 
 How appropriate therefovp ^urcxr-o. iVip rAtYiarka of 
 Constantine the Emperor, when he said, that Arius 
 should not at " first have conceived [his doctrine,] or 
 having conceived it, should have passed it over in 
 silence" — " a fruitless contention of idle brains, 
 which if conceived at all, should have been kept 
 within the inner closet of the mind." For '' who," 
 said he, " is there in sifting out so curious a question, 
 that can well pass the peril of plunging into error? 
 Wherefore, in such cases we must refrain from ver- 
 bal disputation, lest that either ])y reason of the im- 
 becility of our wit, we cannot explicate our mind; 
 or our auditors, when we teach, by reason of their 
 
 * Arius lived In the beginning- of the fourth century. He de- 
 nied the Divinity of Christ, and declared that he was a crea- 
 TURE — of his own free will capable of vice or virtue. Grievous 
 were the commotions and calamities produced in the Church, 
 by the propagation of these doctrines, and which lasted with 
 little abatement for almost a hundred years. 
 
dull capacit}', cannot comprehend the curious drift 
 of our doctrine; wherehy the people of necessity, in- 
 cur the danger either of blasphemy, or the poisoned 
 infection of discord." [Soc. EccL Hist. b. 1, c. 3.] 
 
 The examples of past ages ought to admonish us, 
 to avoid the rocks on which others have made ship- 
 wreck of faith and a good conscience. For though 
 the arm of secular power may not be brought into 
 action, yet the peace and harmony of society may be 
 as completely laid waste, as in any age of the world. 
 The human mind may still busy itself in vain specu- 
 lations, instead of submitting to the renovating pow- 
 er of truth : or it may depart from the faith, giving 
 heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines which stand 
 opposed to the great truths of redemption by Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 These truths our primitive friends maintained. 
 And their faith was made manifest by many clear 
 testimonies, in word and writing; and tested by deep 
 sufierings. In those times of persecution, divers of 
 their doctrines were misrepresented by their ene- 
 mies, in order to injure their Christian reputation. 
 Against these perversions of their principles, they 
 defended themselves with great ability and clearness, 
 making distinct declarations of their meaning, in 
 those parts of their writings which had been differ- 
 ently construed; that they might bear a standing tes- 
 timony to the various doctrines of the Gospel. What 
 was then charged upon them by eneonies, though, as 
 some of them said, a thousand times denied, is now 
 taken up by professed admirers of their lives and 
 principles, and represented as their real sentiments. 
 
 It has tlierefore become necessary to raise up a 
 memorial of those faithful instruments, in vindica- 
 tion both of their characters, and the dignified prin- 
 ciples which they held. The various trials of their 
 day, they endured with unshaken constancy; and 
 1* 
 
maintained the testimonies which hadheen commit- 
 ted unto them to bear, with a zeal proportioned to 
 their importance. In all their various trials, they 
 were supported by an invincible Arm of power. 
 We then, their successors in the same faith, and be- 
 lievers in the same precious promises on which they 
 relied, may derive encouragement from their exam- 
 ple faithfully to discharge that portion of labour, 
 which has devolved upon us. We have still to con- 
 tend for the faith once delivered to the saints. 
 Though the circumstances of that contest are differ- 
 ent, the principle is still the same. It is one conso- 
 lation, however — an important advantage that we 
 enjoy — that though they are removed from works to 
 rewards, their writings have descended as an inheri- 
 tance to us — in which, "being dead, they yet speak.^' 
 
 No one article, written by the members of this So- 
 ciety, has been more unfairly represented, than Wil- 
 liam Penn's " Sandy Foundation Shaken" — a treatise 
 written in the early part of his life, and on purpose to 
 confute some gross conceptions of the Divine Na- 
 ture, and the Divine purposes^ in preparing the 
 means of redemption. 
 
 This treatise was construed, by his enemies, into 
 a denial of the Divinity of Jesus Christ, and the be- 
 nefits of his sufferings and death : in consequence of 
 which, William Penn was committed to prison. Here, 
 though he was never driven from his principles by 
 persecution, but was as bold in suffering as in writing 
 or in preaching, yet perceiving the inferences which 
 had been drawn from what he had written, he pub- 
 lished a treatise, which he called, " Innocency with 
 her Open Face." This treatise v/as considered by his 
 enemies, as a recantation^ and he was accordingly 
 released from confinement, — but his friends and he 
 ■iimself, regarded it only as an explanation. * In that 
 * Clarkson's Life of Penn. 
 
treatise, he asserts his innocence of the opinions im- 
 puted to him, from the Sandy Foundation Shaken, 
 and uses a train of arguments from Scripture, to 
 prove the Divinity of Jesus Christ — that he is truly 
 and properly God. 
 
 The doctrine commonly called the Trinity, he 
 handled with great freedom, to expose the inconsist- 
 ency of his opponents' doctrines. On another occa- 
 sion, however, we find him making the following de- 
 clarations: " Conceiming the Father, the Word, arid 
 the Sph'it: — Because wc have been very cautious 
 in expressing our faith concerning that great mys- 
 tery, especially in such school terms and philosophi- 
 cal distinctions as are H7iscriptural if not unsound, 
 (the tendency whereof hath been to raise frivolous 
 controversies and animosities amongst men,) we have, 
 by those that desire to lessen our Christian reputa- 
 tion, been represented as deniers of the Trinity at 
 large: whereas, we ever believed, and as constantly 
 maintained the truth of that blessed, (Holy Scrip- 
 ture,) " three, that bear record in heaven, the Fa- 
 ther, the Word, and the Spirit, and that these three 
 are one ;" the which we both sincerely and reverent- 
 ly believe, according to 1 John, v. 7. And this is 
 sufficient for us to believe and know, and hath a ten- 
 dency to edification and holiness; when the contrary 
 centres only in imaginations and strife, and persecu- 
 tion, where it runs high, and to parties, as may be 
 read in bloody characters in Ecclesiastical Histories." 
 {Penn's Testimony to the Truth, § 8.] 
 
 This treatise was written thirty years after the 
 Sandy Foundation Shaken. But we see this testimo- 
 ny from the same author, and after so many years, of 
 what he, in common with his friends, "ever believ- 
 ed, and constantly maintained,''^ 
 
 About the same time tliat the Sandy Foundation 
 
8 
 
 Shaken was published, that is, in 1668, the Society 
 of Friends issued a tract, entitled : — 
 
 *• An Epistle from the people in scorn called Qua- 
 kers; for all people upon earth to read over, that they 
 may see what the people called Quakers hold, con- 
 cerning God, Christ, his death, his resurrection, his 
 blood, his offering, redemption, salvation, justifica- 
 tion, faith, and hope."' 
 
 In this Kpistle tliey cite that passage from John, 
 " And there are three that bear record in heaven, the 
 Father, the Word, and the Spirit, and these three are 
 one." 
 
 As the principal object of this Epistle seems to be, 
 to defend the Society from the charge ofdenj'ingthe 
 Divinity of Christ, &c. I shall refer to it again in its 
 proper place. 
 
 John Brown, a Presbyterian minister, having pub- 
 lished what he called, " An Examination and Refuta- 
 tion of Robert Barclay's Apology." — R. B. published 
 a vindication, in which he says: " I have written no- 
 thing, says he, [John Brown,] of the nature and attri- 
 butes of God" — to which R. B. replies: "I write not 
 to atheists, but Christians, who already acknow- 
 ledge; and I judge it not my work to write books to 
 persuade men of that they already profess to believe. 
 But I write not expressly and distinctly of the Tri- 
 nity; yet himself after acknowledges that it would 
 seem, I am orthodox herein; that he finds not any 
 clear ground to the contrary: I wrote as expressly 
 and distinctly of that, as is expressed in Scripture ; 
 which I hope, J. B. will not say is defective in suffi- 
 ciently expressing this article of faith." \^Barclay^s 
 Works, fol. ed. page 733.] 
 
 But the most material charge against the Society, 
 arising out of the discussion of the doctrine of the 
 Trinity, so called, related to the Divinity of Christ. 
 William Penn, as we have already noticed, was sup- 
 
posed to have denied this article of Christian faith, in 
 his Sandy Foundation Shaken. We have also noticed 
 that he denies and refutes the charge, in his " Inno- 
 ♦jency with her Open Face:" and refers to a treatise 
 written before the Sandy Foundation Shaken, for 
 further arguments in support of the Divinity of 
 Christ. But I shall give, in the sequel, some further 
 evidences of his belief. 
 
 George Fox, in a Letter to the Governor of Bar- 
 badoes, recorded in his Journal, vol. 2. p. 145, says: 
 •* 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 
 through his 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, dominations, prin- 
 cipalities, or powers: all things were created by him. 
 And we own and believe, that he was made a sacri- 
 fice for sin, who knew no sin, neither was guile found 
 in his mouth; that he was crucified for us in the flesh, 
 without the gates of Jerusalem, and that he was bu- 
 ried and rose again the third day, by the power of 
 the Father, for our justification; that he ascended up 
 to heaven, and now sitteth at the right hand of God — 
 This Lord Jesus Christ, the heavenly IVIan, the Em- 
 manuel, God with us, we own and believe in: he 
 whom the high priests raged against, and said he 
 had spoken blasphemy; whom the priests and elders 
 of the Jews took counsel together against, and put 
 to death; whom Judas betrayed for thirty pieces; — 
 after he was risen from the dead, the history of the 
 acts of the apostles set forth how the chief priests 
 and elders persecuted the disciples of this Jesus, for 
 preaching Christ and his resurrection: this we say, 
 
10 
 
 is that Lord Jesus Christ, which we own to be our 
 Life and Salvation." 
 
 The Epistle from the Society already quoted, and 
 which, from the style, appears to have been written 
 by George Fox, contains almost the whole body of 
 Scripture evidence in support of the Divinity of 
 Christ, and the benefits of his sufferings and death. 
 In this very large body of evidences, mostly in Scrip- 
 ture language, are the following: " Christ Jesus — the 
 Emmanuel, God with us — whom all the angels must 
 worship. Christ offered himself, through the eter- 
 nal Spirit, without spot to God, and by his blood, 
 purges our consciences from dead works to serve the 
 living God. And so we know that Christ, by one 
 offering hath forever perfected them that are sancti- 
 fied. And so as people walk in the Light, they 
 have fellowship one with another, and the blood of 
 Christ cleanseth from all sin. And Christ, who his 
 own self bare our sins in his body on the tree, that 
 we, being delivered from sin, should live unto righ- 
 teousness — by whose stripes you are healed. And 
 we, being justified by the blood of Christ, shall be 
 saved from wrath through him. 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,'' Rom. 5. 8 — 10; to which 
 the following simile is added: " So that it is not that 
 people should live in their sins, and unrighteousness, 
 and ungodliness, to dishonour God. For if you 
 should redeem a man from Turkey from being ii 
 slave, would it not grieve you for that man to go 
 into Turkey again to be a slave again, after you had 
 paid a great ransom for him? So Christ redeeming 
 people from sin and iniquity, from ungodliness — by 
 his blood, and death, and offering, and this is God's 
 Love to mankind, through Christ Jesus," [did not 
 design that they should live in sin.] 
 
11 
 
 To this Epistle is a P. S. from which the follow- 
 ing extract is taken: — 
 
 " And this is to clear us from all those pamphlets 
 which are spread and scattered up and down among 
 people, that we should deny the God-head, his Eter- 
 nal power, or his offering, or his Blood, or that we 
 should be bought with a price. For it pleased the 
 Father that in him the fulness of the God-head 
 should dwell bo^y — and the Father, and the Son, 
 and the Spirit wTOo own. And so let all stop their 
 mouths that say that the Quaker's principles are hid 
 till now, for we have manifested our principles, both 
 in our printed books — and would that all people 
 knew our inside as they know our outside: and we 
 do know, (and also others know it,) that we have an 
 esteem of Christ's sufferings, and death, and hlood^ 
 and the Scriptures of the prophets and apostles, 
 more than any other people." GEORGE FOX, 
 
 ELLIS HOOKS. 
 This Ellis Hooks was the first Clerk of the Yearly 
 Meeting in London, and the Yearly Meeting was 
 held for some years in the beginning, at his house. 
 
 We hardly can conceive that this P. S. could have 
 been more applicable at the time in which it was 
 written, than it is at present. It still stands as a re- 
 futation of " those pamphlets scattered up and down 
 among people," representing those eminent worthies 
 as denying the Divinity of Christ, and the benefits of 
 his sufferings and death; and also detracting from 
 the just estimation of the Scriptures. 
 
 Robert Barclay, in his Apology, says: " Hence he 
 is fitly called The Mediator between God and man; 
 for having been with God from all eternity, being 
 himself God, and also in time partaking of the na- 
 ture 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." Prop. 2. § 5. 
 
12 
 
 '• We do not hereby Intend any way to lessen 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 cer- 
 tainly transacted which are recorded in the Holy 
 Scriptures, concerning the Birth, Life, Miracles, Suf- 
 ferings, 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 j^feeveal the same, 
 and bring him to the knowledge of it. Yea, we be- 
 lieve it were damnable unbelief not to believe when 
 so declared: but to resist that holy Seed, which, as 
 minded, would lead and incline every one to believe 
 it, as it is offered to them: though it revealeth not 
 to every one the outward and explicit knowledge of 
 it, nevertheless it always assenteth to it, iibi decla- 
 ratuVy where it is declared. Nevertheless we firmly 
 believe it was necessary that Christ should come, that 
 by his death and sufferings he might offey^ up hiin- 
 self di sacrifice to God for our sins, who his own self 
 bore our sins in his own body on the tree; so we be- 
 lieve that the remission of sins, which any partake 
 of, is only in and by virtue of, that most satisfactory 
 sacrifice, and no otherwise. For it is by the obedi- 
 ence of that One, that the free gift has come upon all, 
 unto Justification. For we affirm that as all men par- 
 take of the fruit of Adam's fall, in that by reason of 
 that evil seed, which through him, is communicated 
 unto them, they are prone and inclined unto evil, 
 though thousands of thousands be ignorant of Adam's 
 fall, neither ever knew of the eating of the forbidden 
 fruit; so also many may come io feel the influence of 
 this Holy and Divine Seed and Light, and be turned 
 from evil to good by it, though they know nothing 
 of Christ's coming in the flesh, through whose obe- 
 dience and sufferings it is purchased unto them. And 
 as we affirm it is absolutely needful that those do be 
 
18 
 
 lieve the history of Christ's outward appparance, 
 • "vvhom it pleased God to bring to the knowledge of it, 
 so we do freely confess, that even tha- outward 
 knowledge is very comfortable to such as are subject 
 to, and led by the inward seed and lis^it. For not 
 only doth the sense of Christ's love and^sufferin^ 
 tend to humble them, but they a?e thereby ?Iso 
 strengthened in their faith, and encruraged to fdlow 
 tliat excellent pattern which he hati left us, wItO suf- 
 fered for us." Prop. 5 and 6, § 8. 
 
 " How many are injured by Adam's fall. ^at know 
 nothing of ever there being such a man irthe world ? 
 or of liis eating the forbidden fruit? V'hy may they 
 not then be saved by the gift 'and g-^ce of Christ in 
 them, making them righteous and^'^^b^ though they 
 know not distinctlv how that 'Vas purchased unto 
 Ihem, by the rfef/Mand suffc^^^^^ o^ Jesus, that was 
 rrucified at Jerusalem? esj^cially seeing God hath 
 made that knowledge si)-ply impossible to them. As 
 many men are killed ^y P^iso^ infused into their 
 meaf,thou2;h they lyitherknow what the poison was, 
 nor who infused ^j ^o, also, on the other hand, how 
 many are cure^^^f their diseases by good remedies, 
 who know H^ ^^w the medicine is prepared, what 
 the ino-refi'Si^ts are, nor oftentimes who made it. T'he 
 iil^e j-j5;>' also hold in spiritual things, as we shall 
 jjgj.^titer prove. '^ ib. § 25. 
 
 **' Secondly. God manifested his love towards us, in 
 sending his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ into 
 the world, who gave himself for us, an offering and 
 sacrijiceio God, for a sweet smelling savour; and hav- 
 ing made peace, through the blood of his cross, that 
 he might reconcile us unto himself, and b3^the e/e?'- 
 nal spirit, offered himself without spot unto God, and 
 suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust, that he 
 might bring us unto God." 
 
 •* Thirdly i then — Forasmuch as all men who have 
 
^ 14 
 
 come it man's estate, (the man Jesus only excepted,} 
 have si7i^ed, 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 iniquity rrf lis aU, in his body oti the tree; and 
 therefore is th^ only Mediator, having qualified the 
 wi^thof dod tovards us; so that our/or7/2e?'5z;?-s stand 
 not in our \vay,hGJ.nghy virtue of this mosisatisfactory 
 sacrifce, removal and pardoned. Neither do we 
 think trat remission of sins is to be expected, sought, 
 or obtained J any other way, or by any works or sa- 
 crifices, whatever; (though as has been said former- 
 ly, they ma> come to partake of this remission, that 
 ore ignorant ol t,he history.) So then, Christ, by his 
 death aiid snffetlngs, hath reconciled us to God, 
 oven while we are ^lemies, that is, he offers recon- 
 ciliation unto us, we Ye put in ix capacity of being 
 reconciled, God is williiiT- to forgive us our iniquities, 
 and to accept us, as is wen expressed by the apostle, 
 2 Cor. V. 19: *^God was inOhrist, reconciling the 
 world unto himself, not impu'mg their trespasses 
 unto them: and hath put in us tli. word of reconci- 
 liation." And therefore the apos^i^ in the next 
 verse, entreats thena in Christ's stead «-> be reconcil- 
 ed fo God: intimating that the wrath ol God bein<'' 
 removed, by the obedience of Christ Jesus, i^ is wil- 
 ling to be reconciled unto them; and ready to^^j^it 
 their sins that are past, if they repent." 
 ■ ".We consider then, our redemption in a two-fold 
 respect or state, both which in their own nature are 
 perfect; though in their application to us, the one is 
 not, nor can be, without the other." 
 
 *' The first is the redemption performed and ac- 
 complished by Christ for us, in hi* crucified body 
 without us, , The other is the redemption wrought 
 })y Christ in us: which no less properly is called and 
 af'counted a redemption, than the former. The first 
 
15 
 
 then, is that, whereby man, as he stands in the fall, 
 is put in 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 is the 
 free gift of God, is able to counterbalance, overcome, 
 and root out, the evil seed, wherewith we are natu- 
 rally, as in the fall, leavened. The second is that, 
 whereby we witness and know this pure and perfect 
 redemption in ourselves, purifying, cleansing, and 
 redeeming us, from the power of corruption, and 
 bringing us into unity, favour, and friendship, with 
 God." Prop. 7, § 3. 
 
 " The doctrine of the incarnation,sufferings, death 
 and 7'esurrection of Christ, are necessary every where 
 to be preached, and being preached, to be believed 
 and improved, as being and belonging to, the inte- 
 gral parts of Christianity and the Christian religion." 
 lBarclai/'s Quakerism Con firmed ^sec.^^jir op. 14.] 
 
 Here let it be observed, that a considerable time 
 previous to the publication of Barclay's Apology, a 
 meeting called the Second day's Meeting, had been 
 instituted in London, for the examination of such 
 works as related to the Society, or its doctrines or 
 discipline. This meeting consisted of the most quali- 
 fied members of the Society, and without whose ap- 
 probation no such work could be published. The 
 Anarchy of the Ranters, was written before the Apo- 
 logy. In some proceedings had in relation to that 
 former work, we find the judgment of that Meeting, 
 (published in Barclay's Works, p. 250,) signed by 
 thirty -three Friends, among whom were John Burn- 
 yeat, Stephen Crisp, Thomas Elwood, C. Marshall, 
 John Osgood, and William Penn. These facts are 
 stated to show the care that existed in the Society, 
 even at that early period, in relation to w^hatever was 
 published to the world as the belief of the Society. 
 And as we cannot suppose those men, so eminent for 
 
16 
 
 tiieir talents as well as their virtue, would, after ex- 
 amining and revising manuscripts over which they 
 liad absolute control, suffer such to be published as 
 were contradictory to one another — we must con- 
 clude that the true meaning of those keen, contro- 
 versial strictures on particular doctrines, which are 
 to be found among their writings, did not clash with 
 those clear and unequivocal declarations of Faith, 
 xvhich were published under the immediate sanction 
 of tlie Society, in its official capacity. The extracts 
 which have been made from Barclay's Apology and 
 Iiis other writings, are of this description — they are 
 not exposures of the opinions of others, but declara- 
 tions of the doctrines of the Society. They were 
 carefully examined by the Society — were acknow- 
 ledged then, and have been from that day to this, as 
 the true principles of the Society. 
 
 These principles of the Society, respecting the 
 Divinity of Christ, and the benefits of his coming, be- 
 ing then almost universally admitted by Christians, 
 (for though different societies connected certain opi- 
 nions to these principles, yet the principles them- 
 selves, they generally admitted,) it did not appear to 
 be necessary", as Robert Barclay observed to John 
 Brown, " to write books to persuade men to that they 
 already professed to believe" — or as John Richard- 
 son told George Keith in a public meeting, that there 
 was " any necessity frequently to press a matter, so 
 universally believed among Christians." 
 
 The doctrine, however, of the immediate opera- 
 lion of the Spirit and Grace of God in the hearts of 
 men, and the necessity of a life of righteousness, not 
 being so generally admitted, it becanle one of the 
 great objects of their ministry and writings, to open 
 and enforce this doctrine. 
 
 But in order to prevent misconstructions, and to 
 avoid losing sight of one part of the doctrines of the 
 
17 
 
 gospel, by particularly pressing another, and also to 
 explain their true meaning in their controversial 
 writings, they still, from time to time, adverted to 
 these subjects, and made such declarations of their 
 faith, as never can be misunderstood, without a de- 
 termination not to take their own declarations as 
 evidence of their meaning. 
 
 The extracts from the Apology alone, considering 
 the circumstances attending its publication, the cha- 
 racter in which it was held at the time, and wliich it 
 has maintained ever since, would be sufficient to es- 
 tablish the belief of the Societ)^ at that day, in all 
 the points embraced in those extracts. But in order 
 to show that the doctrines of the Society stand on 
 a much broader ground, I will present the reader 
 with a few, out of a large mass of corroborating evi- 
 dences, which might be taken from the writings of 
 our primitive Friends. 
 
 William Penn, in his Christian Quaker, [chap. 18, 
 § 2,] says: " 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, sJluding to the custom of Jewish sacrifices, 
 shall be an utter blotting out of former iniquities, 
 carrying them into a land of forgetfulness. This 
 great assurance of remission from wrath, due upon 
 the score of former offences, do all receive in the ra- 
 tifying blood of Christ, who repenting of sins, be- 
 lieve and obey the holy light with which he hath en- 
 lightened them." 
 
 And that he believed the Gentiles were as deeply 
 interested in his appearance as the Jews, is gathered 
 from the following expressions: — 
 
 § S. " He at once became both the author of a more 
 heavenly dispensation, and therein an example to 
 all; as well Jews as G entiles j sealing such a com- 
 2* 
 
18 
 
 mon and general religion to both, with his blood, as 
 would forever end the dififerencc, and slaying the en- 
 mity, that they might be all one in Christ. Thus 
 did he end the Jews' external services, and overturn 
 the Gentiles' idolatry, by his own most pure and 
 spiritual offering and worship." 
 
 § 5. " 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." 
 
 § 7. " But there is yet a further benefit that ac- 
 crueth 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 and Spirit 
 revealed and witnessed in every particular person, yet 
 in that general appearance there was a general bene- 
 fit justiy to be attributed to 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 down stupendous judgments 
 upon the heads of those who were authors of that 
 dismal tragedy and bloody murder of the Son of God, 
 and died impenitent, yet doubtless it thus far turned 
 to very great account, in that it was a most precious 
 offering in the sight of the Lord, and drew God's 
 love the more eminently to mankind, at least such as 
 should believe in his name." 
 
 § 9. ^'Nor is this all the good the coming and 
 sufferings of that blessed manhood brought into the 
 world: for having been enabled so effectually to per- 
 form the will of God, living, and having so patiently 
 suffered the will of wicked men — dying; therein free- 
 ly offering up his most innocent life for the world, he 
 certainly obtained exceeding great and precious gifts; 
 which, as every man comes to believe in the light 
 
19 
 
 ■wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightened him, and to 
 be led by it, he shall assuredly feel a particular be- 
 nefit to himself, accruing from that general one pro- 
 cured by Christ, who so laid down his life for the 
 world." 
 
 In his "Key," § 8, he mentions the charge which 
 had been made against the Quakers, that " they ex- 
 pected to be saved by the light within them, and 
 not by the death and sufferings of Christ." To which 
 he replies: " This is both unfairly and untruly stated 
 and charged upon us. But the various sense of the 
 word Justification obliges me here to distinguish the 
 use of it. For in the natural and proper sense it 
 plainly implies making men just that were unjust; 
 godly that were ungodly; upright that were de- 
 jiraved''' — '■^ In the other use of the word, which 
 some call a law sense, it refers to Christ as a sacri- 
 fice and propitiation for sin, as in Romans 5. 9; 
 '^ Much more then, being now justified by his blood, 
 we shall be saved from wrath through him." And 
 1 John 2. *' If any man sin we have an advocate 
 with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous; and 
 He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for our 
 sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 
 Which though a great truth, and most firmly be- 
 lieved by us, yet no man can be entitled to the be- 
 nefits thereof, but as they come to believe, and to 
 repent of their evil ways, — wherefore we say that 
 whatever Christ then did, both living and dying, 
 was of great benefit to the salvation of all that have 
 believed, and now do, and that shall hereafter be- 
 lieve in him unto justification and acceptance with 
 God. But the way to come to that Faith is to re- 
 ceive and obey the manifestations of his divine 
 light and grace in their consciences ; which leads 
 Tnen to believe and value, and not to disown or u?i' 
 dervalue Christ as a common sacrifice and Media- 
 torP " And because this people say, That Christ^s 
 
20 
 
 ojitward coming and sufferings, profit not to thdir 
 salvation that live in sin, and rebel against this Di- 
 vine Light, some have untruly and uncharitably con- 
 cluded that they deny the virtue and benefit of 
 Christ's coming and sufferings in the flesh, as a sa- 
 crifice for sin. Whereas we only deny and oppose a 
 false and dangerous application of them in and to a 
 disobedient state. For we believe Christ came not 
 to save men in their sins, hviifroryi their sins. — For 
 we have seen a shoal or sand here, that we fear many 
 thousands have split upon, which we desire to 
 avoid, and are earnest that others should beware of it 
 also, viz. That because Christ died a sacrifice for 
 the sins of the whole world, by which he put man- 
 kind into a capacity of salvation, and has given every 
 one a talent of grace to work it out by, they presume 
 upon the sacrifice, and sin on, without a thorough 
 repentance, reformation, and conversion to God.'' 
 
 *'By all which it is eridenl to any moderate in- 
 quirer, that we acknowledge Christ in his double ap- 
 pearance: as in the flesh of the seed of Abraham, so 
 in the Spirit, as he is God over all, blessed forever." 
 Wherein is a full confession, both to him, as a bles- 
 sed person, and as a divine ]jrinciple of Light and 
 Life in the soul — the want of which evident and ne- 
 cessary distinction, occasions our adversaries' fre- 
 quent mistakes about our belief and application of 
 the Scriptures of Truth, concerning Christ in that 
 two-fold capacity." 
 
 And in his "Primitive Christianity Revived," 
 chap. 8, § 1, he says: "I shall first speak negatively, 
 what we do not own — which perhaps has given oc- 
 casion to those who have been more hasty than wise, 
 to judge us defective in our belief of the efficacy of 
 the death and sufferings of Christ, to Justification. 
 
 § 2, " First. We cannot believe that Christ is the 
 cause, but effect of God's Loye. 
 
21 
 
 ^* Secondly. We cannot say that God could not 
 have taken another way to save sinners than by the 
 death and sufferings of his Son, to satisfy his justice 
 — and indeed, we are at too great a distance from 
 his infinite Wisdom and Power to judge of the liber- 
 ty or necessity of his actings. 
 
 " Thirdly. We cannot say Jesus Christ was the 
 greatest sinner in the world, (because he bore our 
 sins on his Cross, or because he was made sin for us, 
 who knew no sin;) an expression of great levity and 
 unsound, yet often used by great preachers and pro- 
 fessors of religion. 
 
 " Fourthly. We cannot believe that Christ's death 
 and suffering, so satisfy God, or justify men, as that 
 they are thereby accepted of God. They are indeed 
 put in a state capable of being accepted of God, and 
 through the obedience of Faith and sanctification of 
 the Spirit are in a state of acceptance. For we can 
 never think a man justified before God, while self- 
 condemned, or that any man can be in Christ, who is 
 not a new creature. — Though Christ did die for us, 
 5' et we must, by the assistance of his grace, work out 
 our salvation with fear and trembling. As he died for 
 sin, so we must die to sin, or we cannot be said to be 
 saved by the death and sufferings of Christ, or tho- 
 roughly justified with God. Thus far negatively. 
 Now, positively what we own as to Justification. 
 
 '' We do believe that Jesus Christ was our holy 
 Sacrifice, Atonement, and Propitiation: that he 
 bore our iniquities, and that by his stripes we are 
 healed of the wounds Adam gave us in his fall: and 
 that God is just to forgive true penitents, upon the 
 credit of that holy offering Christ made of himself to 
 God for us, and that what he did and suffered, satis- 
 fied and pleased God. And that through the offering 
 up of himself once for all, through the eternal Spirit, 
 he hath forever perfected those, (in all times.) that 
 
22 
 
 were sanctified, who walked not after the flesh, but 
 after tlie Spirit." 
 
 " In short, Justification consists of two parts, or 
 hath a two-fold consideration. — The first part of 
 justification we do reverently and humbly acknow- 
 ledge, is only for the sake of the death and sufferings 
 of Christ. Nothing we can do, though by the ope- 
 ration of the Holy Spirit, being able to cancel old 
 debts, and wipe out old scores. It is the power and 
 efficacy of that propitiatory offering, upon faith and 
 repentance, that justifies us from the sins that are 
 past: and it is the power of Christ's spirit in our 
 hearts that purifies and makes us acceptable before 
 God." 
 
 And finally, in his defence of a paper called " Gos- 
 pel Truth," against the exceptions of the Bishop of 
 Cork, he says of the Bishop: *' His second paragraph 
 allows us sufficiently to have expressed our Christian 
 belief in two articles, viz. " Justification by Christ, 
 and submission to the civil government:" and adds, 
 " I heartily rejoice to find you acknowledge the ne- 
 cessity of Christ, as a propitiation, in order to the 
 remission of sins, and justifying you, as sinners, from 
 guilt. It is the first time I have heard of it among 
 you." To which William Penn replies: " If so, it 
 is the Bishop's own fault, and seems to me next to 
 impossible: since before that paper was given to him, 
 he was pleased to acknowledge he had read several 
 of our books; particularly my Rise and Progress of 
 the people called Quakers — also Robert Barclay's 
 Apology, which states and vindicates our principles 
 at large, in w^hich the two doctrines aforementioned 
 are very clearly declared and maintained, notwith- 
 standing he seems to make this look like a new dis- 
 covery. But however, I am pleased that the Bishop 
 is so, at two of the Gospel Truths. I am of the opi- 
 nion if he had well considered the force and compre- 
 
\ 
 
 23 
 
 hensiveness of our belief in Christ, that pleases him 
 so well, he might have saved himself the trouble of 
 what he has published to the world upon the rest of 
 them. For whoever believes in Christ as a propi- 
 tiation, in order to the remission of sins, and justifi- 
 cation of sinners from the guilt of sin, can hardly 
 disbelieve any fundamental article of the Christian 
 religion: since every such person, must necessarily 
 believe in God, because it is with him alone man is 
 to be justified. To be sure he must believe in Christ, 
 for that is the very proposition. He must also be- 
 lieve in the Holy Ghost, because he is the author of 
 his convictions, repentance, and belief. He must 
 believe Heaven and Hell, Rewards and Punishments, 
 and consequently the Resurrection of the just and 
 the unjust: for why should he be concerned about 
 being freed from the guilt of sin, if he were unac- 
 countable in another world? So that acknowledging 
 Christ as a propitiation, in order to the remission of 
 sin, comprehends the main doctrines of the Christian 
 religion: and as so many lines drawn from the cir- 
 cumference to the centre, they all meet and centre 
 in Christ. Indeed it is as the characteristic of the 
 Christian religion." 
 
 Thomas Story, in a discourse with a Priest, on the 
 subject before us, speaking of Christ, and the bene- 
 fits of his coming, spoke both of the Jews and Gen- 
 tiles, to the former of whom his apjoearance in the 
 flesh, was principally confined: but to the latter he 
 was promised no less than to the former — being 
 ** proposed as the object of faith unto all nations." — 
 ^* That God, who is divine and 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 voluntary 
 "J^ath upon the tree of the cross, according to the 
 ^^^^"letermined council and purpose of the Father, 
 
24 
 
 Jeclared his mercy and free pardon of the sins of the 
 whole world, upon terms suiting the state, reason, 
 and understanding, of mankind.'' Page 333. 
 
 In page 308, he relates that a young man took 
 some exceptions to what was said in a meeting about 
 infarcts. In explanation of his views, to this person, 
 he queried: " Dost thou not believe that many ages 
 and nations of people, fell under some disadvantages 
 by Adam's sin, who never heard of him outwardly? 
 He said yes. Then said I, why may not they through 
 the boundless mercy and goodness of God, manifest- 
 ed by Christ, have the advantages by the death and 
 works of Christ, who never heard of him outwardly? 
 To this he was silent." 
 
 Page 603 of Story's Journal — " On the 1 8th, (being 
 the last day of the meeting, and our parting time, the 
 Lord being still with us,) in the forenoon, I had a 
 large open time: and though I was very weak, and ill 
 of a great cold I had taken — yet the Lord gave me 
 strength and utterance, so that many things were 
 opened to general satisfaction. One thing happened 
 somewhat remarkable in it. For as I was concerned 
 to speak of the crucifixion of Christ, and mentioned 
 the large incision in his side by the spear, whence is- 
 sued blood and water; which clearly evinced he was 
 wounded to the heart, through the pericardium which 
 held that water: and this being for the sins of men, 
 without which it would not have been put upon him, I 
 myself was so much affected with it, as also the whole 
 auditory, that I could not go on; but being much bro- 
 ken, stopped and stood still, till my spirit was a little 
 unburdened by an efflux of many tears; and the whole 
 auditory was bowed, and many surprised, and gene- 
 rally broken and melted. So that many confessed the 
 Truth, and that they had never known the like. And 
 after some time I vyent on with the matter, whir^> 
 opened so full as I believe nothing stood in th' ^""^y* 
 
25 
 
 before all was ended. As this was the l^ord's work, 
 and his hand plainly in it, so to Him alone be the 
 glory and thanks, now and forever — Amen. 
 
 In the early periods of the Society, two writers dis- 
 tinguished themselves for bitterness of enmity, and 
 imfairness of representation — George Keith, and the 
 " Snake in the Grass." Both of these charged the 
 Society, and William Penn, in particular, with many 
 false doctrines, but none were more insisted on than 
 the denial of the Divinity of Christ, and the benefits 
 of his sufferings and death. G. Keith even called one 
 of his books " The Deism of William Penn and his 
 brethren." The Snake, was cotemporary with Keith, 
 and some supposed, a mere tool to answer his purpose. 
 Thomas Elwood undertook a reply to Keith, and Jo- 
 seph Wyeth to the Snake. They both quoted from 
 W. Penn some of the most pointed passages which 
 I have selected in this collection, which they gave as 
 a fair statement of the sentiments held by him and his 
 friends. Joseph W^eth says: — "I do here of set 
 purpose, declare it as a truth, which now is, and al- 
 ways has been, (since we were a people,) believed 
 and declared by us." "■ Yet such hath been, and is, 
 the inveterate malice of our enemies, that our writ- 
 ings, (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 want proofs for 
 these their false and envious charges." [Sivitch for 
 the Snake, j). 192, 199.] And Thomas Elwood says, 
 in his repl}^ to Keith, [see his Journal, p. 408, &c.] 
 '^ These things, I say, G. Keith certainly knows have 
 been constantly held, believed, professed, and own- 
 ed, by William Penn and his brethren, the Quakers, 
 in general, both privately and publicly, in word and 
 wTiting. These things are so often testified of in 
 our meetings, and have been so fully and plainly ?>;- 
 3 ' 
 
26 
 
 serted and held forth in our books, that we might, 
 call in almost as many witnesses thereof, as have fre- 
 quented our meetings or attentively read our books/' 
 Were I to gather up all the evidences out of our 
 Friends' writings, as T. Elwood observed on the 
 same occasion, ''I might therewith fill a large vo- 
 lume." I will however add one more testimony, 
 because it is not only clear, but stands very 
 much as an act of the Society, and also embraces the 
 name of one individual, whose character deserves 
 this justice to be done to it; I mean George White- 
 head. I allude to an Epistle written in 1692, by 
 Friends in London, to Friends in Pennsylvania, on 
 the occasion of their troubles with G. Keith: an ex- 
 tract of which is recorded in Gough's History, vol. 
 3, p. 328. They testify that the dispensation of the 
 gospel " committed to them, was a spiritual dispen- 
 sation; in no wise to oppose, reject or invalidate, 
 Jesus Christ's outward coming, suffering, death, re- 
 surrection, ascension, and glorified estate in the hea- 
 vens; but to bring men to partake of the remission of 
 sins, reconciliation and eternal redemption, which 
 he hath obtained for us, and for all men, for whom 
 he died, and gave himself a ransom, both for Jews 
 and Gentiles, Indians, Turks, and Pagans, without 
 respect of persons or people. And Christ is fully 
 to be preached unto them, according to the holy 
 Scriptures, by them whom he may send unto them for 
 that end; that as the benefit of his sufferings extends 
 to all, even to them that have not the Scriptures, or 
 outward history thereof, they may be told, who was 
 and is their chief friend, that gave himself a ransom 
 for them, and hath enlightened them; yet not exclud- 
 ed those from God's mercy or salvation by Christ, 
 2oho 7iever had 7107' 7nay have the ouiwdiYd knowledge 
 or history of him, if they sincerely obey, and live up 
 •'() ]i]<. Ii2:ht; for his lidit and salvation reach to the 
 
27 
 
 ends of the earth ; yet still we that have tlie holy Scrip- 
 tures; and those plain outward confirmed testimonier^ 
 concerning our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 
 both as to his coming; in the flesh and in the Spirit, 
 have cause to be thankful to God for the peculiar fa- 
 vour, and that these Scriptures are so well preserved 
 to posterity; and we beseech you let us keep to the 
 plainness and simplicity of Scripture language in all 
 discourses about matters of faith, divinity and doc- 
 trine; and sincerely believe, own, and confess, our 
 blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Son of the 
 living God, in all his comings, appearances, proper- 
 ties, offices, and works, 'both for us and in us." 
 
 " This Epistle," says Gough, "which is very long, 
 concludes with the excellent counsel of the apostle," 
 ** If there be therefoi-e any consolation in Christ; if 
 any comfort of love; if any fellowship of the Spirit; if 
 any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be 
 like-minded, having the same love, being of one ac- 
 cord, and one mind; let nothing be done through 
 strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind, let 
 every man esteem others better than himself." 
 Signed by 
 George WhUekead^ Samuel Waldenfield, 
 John Field, Benjamin ^iitrobus, 
 
 Willia'in Bingley, John Vavghtony 
 x^lexander Seaton, Daniel Monro, 
 Patrick Livingston.^^ 
 Great have been the perversions of the writings of 
 our primitive Friends, in relation to the Scriptures. 
 This subject afforded the Snake in the Grass, and all 
 the ancient enemies of the Society, a copious theme 
 of declamation. Every expression of our Friends, 
 that could bear a construction to suit their purposes, 
 they gathered up, and endeavoured to make them de- 
 tract from the estimation in which the Society have 
 always held those sacred writings. Some expres- 
 
28 
 
 sions of George Whitehead were thought particular- 
 ly to answer this purpose : in which he said — " That 
 which was spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any, is 
 of as much authority as the Scriptures, or chapters 
 are, or even more." These expressions, though not 
 the whole sentence, were taken up by the Snake, 
 and represented as meaning, that the writings, ser- 
 mons, &.C. of our Friends, were of as much authority, 
 or even more than the Scriptures. Joseph Wyeth 
 denies this construction; asserts that G. Whitehead 
 jnade a direct application of his remark to the Phari- 
 -oes' reading of the letter, and he illustrates it by 
 "our Saviour's denying the Sadduces, when they 
 spoke and repeated the Law, (Matt. xxii. 24,) and 
 thus also he denied the devil, (Matt. iv. 6,) when the 
 devil repeated the prophecy of the Psalmist: and 
 ihus also he denied the Pharisees, of which there are 
 divers instances." {^Switch, p. 171.] Thus it appears 
 from the evidence of a writer, living at the time in 
 which these things were written, that the meaning of 
 G. W^hitehead in w^hat he says, that was construed dis- 
 paragingly of the Scriptures, or chapters, related to 
 the use of Scripture language in a sense which was 
 jiot intended — adduced under an evil influence, and 
 for a wrong purpose. 
 
 The sentiments of the Society in relation to the 
 Scriptures, have been so well understood — the 
 daily perusal of them so often recommended by the 
 Society in its collective capacity, and even incorpo- 
 rated into the Disciplines of the different Yearly 
 Meetings, that I need not take many extracts at the 
 present. I shall therefore content myself with a few: 
 one from Francis HowgllPs Works, which are very 
 scarce at the present day: and the others from the 
 writings of Robert Barclay, which have always been 
 regarded as fair statements of our Doctrines, and 
 therefore are good evidence, in questions a? to what 
 the Society believes on particular poiiit"!^. 
 
29 
 
 " It is not my intention to vindicate other men's 
 quarrels, which is no part of my faith ; notwithstand- 
 ing I should be sorry but that every thing had its 
 true weight and measure, and shall not in the least 
 detract from the price, value, and true worth of the 
 words of truth, to wit, the Scriptures of Truth, which 
 w^ere spoken forth by the Spirit of Truth and by the 
 Holy Ghost, as it gave utterance; but as men erring 
 in their judgments, run sometimes to the right hand, 
 and sometimes to the left hand, and walk not in a 
 straight path; some men are sitting them up above 
 that which they were intended for, and placing them 
 in the stead of God, Christ, and the Spirit; and others 
 are too much debasing them and dis-esteeming them, 
 as that they would set up the judgment of variable 
 and changeable men, who hold and teach things in 
 contradiction to the Scriptures, and repugnant to the 
 mind of the Spirit in them that spoke them forth. 
 
 " But first of all, I say not against thee in this 
 thing, that the sole or whole Scriptures are not suffi- 
 cient of themselves to teach true faith, and give the 
 knowledge of God without the Spirit: for many have 
 got the words, and yet have not received the Spirit, 
 nor the power which the Scriptures declare of, such 
 w^rangle and contend with the words, and oppose 
 the Life and the Power; the Jews had the Scriptures, 
 and knew by them where Christ should be born, and 
 knew by them what his works should be w^hen he 
 was manifest, and yet rejected him, unto whom all 
 the prophets bore witness, from Moses to Samuel, 
 and from him to John; and they were never intended 
 by God, as to be set up as judge and guide, to wit, 
 the words without the Power and Spirit of God; yet 
 notwithstandins:, though I cannot set them up in the 
 place of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, nor con- 
 tend ignorantly, as some have done, that they are 
 the author of true faith, and that they are the Eternal 
 
80 
 
 Word of God, which the world was made by, that 
 they are the Light and the Way, the truth and the 
 Life, and that they are the decider of all controver- 
 sies, and sole and absolute, and only judge of all mat- 
 ters of faith, and of all matters that ever have been, 
 or ever shall be in controversy to the end of the world, 
 without the Spirit of God; neither am I of that igno- 
 rant mind, as some are, that the letter and the Spirit 
 are inseparable, as that whosoever hath the Scripture 
 must needs have the Spirit, or whosoever hath the 
 Scripture must needs be infallible without the Spirit; 
 all that are of the aforesaid judgment are but wrang- 
 lers for the most part about words, and contenders 
 against the power of God and Godliness, and bring 
 tlie words to oppose the Life, and them that have the 
 Spirit, and walk in it; for a natural man may read 
 the Scriptures, and yet not perceive the things of 
 God, neither perceive the mind of the Spirit, but 
 wrest to their own destruction, as Peter saith, be- 
 cause they are unlearned and untaught, (by the Spi- 
 rit's teaching,) though otherwise learned enough in 
 languages, tongues, and speeches. 
 
 ** Secondly. Yet I cannot detract from them, 
 neither undervalue them, or dis-esteem them as un- 
 certain, or of no use, or of little use; but whatever 
 themselves declare themselves to be, that I own them 
 to be, to wit, the words of God, the words of Christ, 
 the words of the Holy Prophets, and Patriarchs, and 
 Apostles, who were endued with the Holy Ghost, and 
 spake forth the Scripture as they were moved there- 
 by, in several ages, of several things, and unto seve- 
 ral states and conditions, as they were led thereto 
 by the Holy Spirit; and they are a certain declara- 
 tion of things that were done, and believed and prac- 
 tised by the Jews under the first covenant, and by 
 the apostles and primitive Christians in the new cove- 
 nant, and contain many precious and holy precepts 
 
31 
 
 and commands, doctrines, examples, exhortations, 
 admonitions, reproofs, and instructions, and are as 
 lively examples and holy patterns for all the saints 
 in light to follow, by which we are given to under- 
 stand what faith, what hope, what patience, what 
 love, what mercy, what long-sufferings, what conso- 
 lation, what virtue and what inheritance the saints 
 in light were made partakers of, tlu^ough faith in 
 Christ Jesus; likewise, what doctrines were held 
 forth, and what practice they used in tlie primitive 
 times, when they walked in the order of the Gospel, 
 and had fellowship with God the Father and the Son, 
 and one with another in the light of the Gospel, which 
 is the Power of God, through which they witnessed 
 salvation and remission of sins, and published it unto 
 others that they might believe. 
 
 " Thirdly. The Scriptures testify of Christ, and 
 were written, that they might be believed, and re- 
 ceived, and read, that thereby every one that believ- 
 ed might be made wise to salvation, through faith 
 in Christ Jesus, 2 Tim. 3. and instructed in righte- 
 ousness, that the man of God may be perfect, tho- 
 roughly furnished with all good works; and whoso- 
 ever doth teach any doctrines contrary unto the holy 
 men of God, who spake as they were moved by the 
 Spirit of God, which dwelt in them; the Scriptures 
 are witnesses against such, that they have not the 
 Spirit of God, but are led by another spirit, which 
 brings forth contrary doctrine, and another faith than 
 was once delivered among the saints; and whosoever 
 brings in, sets up other precepts, constitutions, or- 
 ders, and practices in point of worship, in opposition 
 and contrary unto those practices which w^ere held 
 forth in the primitive times, and would set up other 
 traditions than the apostles delivered cither by word 
 or writing, such are manifest to have the spirit of 
 f^rror, and are innovators and bringers in of other 
 
32 
 
 things, as necessary in point of worship among Chris- 
 tians, 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 declar- 
 ed the whole counsel of God; and furthermore they 
 said, we have the mind of Christ, and Christ's mind 
 is not variable. 
 
 " Fourthfi/. Though divers of the writings of the 
 prophets and apostles be lost, doubtless, as is evident 
 by divers places of Scripture, yet blessed be God that 
 there are those preserved which do hear 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 
 regard; and though there be divers copies of that 
 which is called the original tongue, and divers trans- 
 lations, yet he unto whom the Spirit 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 contained, as though 
 they had heard them speak that spoke it at the first ; and 
 though the translators were men, yet I have such an 
 honourable esteem of their labour, that I believe they 
 have not varied 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 a Work; and 
 there be many figures and tropes, improprieties of 
 speech, mysteries and difficulties, 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 
 
SB 
 
 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 maintain 
 and prove every thing good, especially when their 
 doctrines contradict one another; this is granted, it 
 is only their private interpretation, and not the Scrip- 
 ture; and for want of that spirit that gave it forth, 
 for that alone gives the true understanding of it; and 
 they that are without this are like to kill one another 
 about words, and names, sounds, title 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." 
 [F. HowgiWs Works, p. 635, &c.] 
 
 *^ We then trust to and confide in this Spirit, be- 
 cause we know and certainly believe, that it can 
 only lead us aright, and never mislead us: and from 
 this certain confidence it is that we affirm, that no 
 revelation coming from it can ever contradict the 
 Scriptures' testimony nor right reason/' [Barclay^ s 
 .7poIog7j, Prop. 2, § 15.] 
 
 "From these revelations of the Spirit of God to 
 the saints have proceeded the Scriptures of Truth y 
 which contain, 
 
 I. A faithful historical account of the actings of 
 God's people in divers ages; with many singular and 
 remarkable Providences attending them. 
 
 II. A prophetical account of several things, where- 
 of some are already past, and some yet to come. 
 
 III. A full and ample account of all the chief prin- 
 ciples of the doctrine of Christ, held forth in divers 
 precious declarations, exhortations 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 
 
34 
 
 01 the iountain, and not the fountain itself, therefore 
 they are not to be esteemed the principal ground of 
 all truth and knowledge, nor yet the adequate pri- 
 mctry rule of faith and manners: yet because they 
 give a true and faithful testimony of the first founda- 
 tion, they are and may be esteemed Ti 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 principal 
 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 originally and principally the rule, according 
 to that received maxim in the schools: Propter quod 
 unumquodque est tale, illud ipsum magis est tale: 
 That for which a thing is such, that thing itself is 
 more such.^' [lb. — Thesis to Prop. 3.] 
 
 " Though then we do acknowledge the Scriptures 
 to be very heavenly and divine writings, the use of 
 them to be very comfortable and necessary to the 
 Church of Christ, and that we also admire and give 
 praises to the Lord, for his wonderful providence in 
 preserving these writings so pure and uncorrupted 
 as we have them, through so long a night of apostacy, 
 to be a testimony of his truth against the wickedness 
 and abominations even of those whom he made in- 
 strumental in preserving them, so that they have 
 kept them to be a witness against themselves; yet 
 we may not call them the principal fountain of all 
 truth and knowledge, nor yet the^?'^^ adequate rule 
 of faith and manners; because the principal fountain 
 of truth must be the Truth itself; i. e. that whose cer- 
 taintv and authority depends not on another." 
 
 lib. Prop. 3, § 2.] 
 
85 
 
 •• Secondly, God hath seen meet that herein we 
 should, as in a looking-glass, see the conditions and 
 experiences of the saints of old; that finding our ex- 
 perience answer to theirs, we might thereby be the 
 more confirmed and comforted, and our hope of ob- 
 taining the same end strengthened; that observing 
 the providences attending them, seeing the snares 
 they were liable to, and beholding their deliverances, 
 we may thereby be made wise unto salvation, and 
 seasonably reproved and instructed in righteous- 
 ness." \^Ib. prop. 3, § 5.] 
 
 " In this respect above mentioned then we have 
 sliown, what service and use the Holy Scriptures, as 
 managed in and by the Spirit, are of to the church of 
 Go(]; wherefore we do account them a secondary 
 rule. Moreover, because they are commotily ac- 
 knowledged by all to have been written by the dic- 
 tates of the Holy Spirit, and that the errors which 
 may be supposed by the injury of time to have 
 slipt in, are not such but that there is a sufficient 
 clear testimony left to all the essentials of the Chris- 
 tian faith; we do look upon them as the only fit out- 
 ward judge of controversies among Christians; and 
 that whatsoever doctrine is contrary unto their testi- 
 mony, may therefore justly be rejected as false. And 
 for our parts, we are very willing that all our doc- 
 trines and practices be tried by them; which we 
 never refused, nor ever shall, in all controversies 
 with our adversaries, as the judge and test. We shall 
 also be very willing to admit it as a positive certain 
 maxim. That ivhatsoever any do,])retending to the 
 Spirit, ichich is contrary to the Scriptures, be ac- 
 counted 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 Scrip- 
 tures, so it doth also the Spirit in the first place, from 
 
36 
 
 which the Scriptures came, and whose motions can 
 never contradict one another, though they may ap- 
 pear sometimes to be contradictory to the blind eye 
 of the natural man, as Paul and James seem to con- 
 tradict one another. '^ [lb. § 6.] 
 
 ^^ The last, and that which at first view seems 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; whereas, 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, 
 offering freely to disclaim all pretended revelations 
 contrary to the Scriptures. 
 
 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 necessary, 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; affirming. That 
 the Scriptures give a full and ample 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 was deliver- 
 ed by the apostles; and do freely subscribe to thai 
 
87 
 
 saying, Let him that preacheth any other gospel, than 
 that which hath been already preached by the apos- 
 tles, and according to the Scriptures, be accursed. 
 
 So we distinguish ])etwixt a revelation of a new 
 gospel and new docfrines, and a new revelation ol" 
 the good old gospel ^nd doctrines ; the last we plead 
 for, but the first wc utterly deny. For wc firmly be- 
 lieve, That no other foundation can any man lay. 
 than that which is laid already. But that this reve- 
 lation is necessary we have already proved; and thi*^ 
 distinction doth sufficiently guard us against the ha- 
 zard insinuated in the objection." \^Ih. Prop. 3, § 9.] 
 
 In a dispute between Robert Barclay and George 
 Keith, on one part, and some students of Aberdeen 
 on the other, the following argument was advanced 
 b}^ a Student: 
 
 Student. " That which may beguile a man is fal- 
 lacious: But 
 
 According to the Quakers, the Scriptures m.ay be- 
 guile a man, without the indwelling of the Spi- 
 rit: Therefore, 
 
 According to the Quakers, the Scriptures are fal 
 lacious. 
 
 R. B. I deny thy second Proposition: for the Scrip- 
 tures cannot beguile any man, although men may oi 
 have beguiled themselves by a wrong use of it. 
 
 Student. Take notice people, the Quakers say, the- 
 Scriptures cannot beguile you. 
 
 R. B. Speak louder yet ; for we do and have con 
 stantly affirmed it: and we hope, it will help to clear 
 us of those misrepresentations, as if we despised oi 
 spake evil of the Scriptures.'' \_Barclay^ s Works, 
 p. 576, 577.] 
 
 The sentiments of many professors at the time of 
 the rise of our Society, (and no doubt at the present 
 dav,) were very objectionable, in relation to the 
 4 
 
88 
 
 Atonement, or Redemption by Christ, and many 
 other articles of faith. It was asserted then in some 
 of the controversies in which our friends were en- 
 gaged, that our Lord Jesus Christ suffered injinitc 
 icrath — eternal death — was the greatest sinner in 
 the world, (from imputation) — that his sufferings 
 and death so paid the debt for all mankind, that be- 
 lieving in him, they were justified by his blood, 
 though in the daily practice of sin during life — tliat 
 a freedom from sin in this life, was absolutely im- 
 possible — and that a belief in the operations of the 
 Spirit of Truth in the heart, was an extravagant and 
 dangerous doctrine. Against these ideas our primi- 
 tive Friends earnestly laboured. The teaching and 
 operations of the Spirit of Christ in the hearts of 
 men, cleansing them from sin — regulating their 
 thoughts, words, and actions — teaching that denying 
 ungodliness and the world's lusts, we "should live so- 
 berly, righteously, and godly, in this present world — 
 this teaching, sanctifying principle, was the leading 
 doctrine of the Society — on this they insisted — be- 
 cause it immediately applied a remedy to all the mo- 
 ral evils to which we are exposed — while they con- 
 ceived the opposite doctrine of the atonement, had a 
 tendency to perpetuate sin — and thus at once both 
 to injure man, and dishonour God. 
 
 To draw conclusions either then or now, that they 
 denied the benefits of his sufferings and death, be- 
 cause they insisted on the necessity of improving 
 the benefits which were purchased for us, by those 
 very means, must be considered by the candid, as a 
 perversion of their meaning. They taught, and ive 
 have believed, that according to the inscrutable 
 counsels of Infinite Wisdom — through the coming, 
 suffering, death, resurrection, ascension, and media- 
 tion, of Jesus Christ, the whole human race are put 
 in a capacity of obtaining sah^ation — the free gift has 
 
39 
 
 come upon all men — which free gift so come upon 
 all — is a powerful redeeming Principle — the Grace 
 of God that brings salvation. This free gift — Light — 
 Redeeming principle — by whatever name it may be 
 called, being the remedy by which we may be rais- 
 ed out of the fallen nature, was procured for us, by 
 what Christ has done and suffered for us. For however 
 we must co-operate with the divine principle, in the 
 great work of sanctification, yet in obtaining this re- 
 medy, it is clear we could have no co-operation. To 
 be thus disenthralled — set at liberty to rise again in- 
 to the Divine Image — may properly be called a Re- 
 demption — like opening the prison doors, and paying 
 the price for the ransom of the slave. This, Robert 
 Barclay, and others of our primitive Friends, called 
 the first part of redemption or justification. But it 
 must be evident it would not be proper for the pri- 
 soner or captive to rest satisfied with this part of re- 
 demption alone. Something remains for him to do. 
 He must improve the privilege thus bestowed upon 
 him. Though the prison doors be set open before 
 him, he may still drag out his days in the dungeon — 
 though the ransom be paid for his emancipation, and 
 liberty be thus within his reach, he may still remain 
 in the house of bondage, and realize no advantages 
 from all that had been done for him. From views of 
 this description, our Friends were earnestly concern- 
 ed to stir up the minds of their fellow men to the 
 necessity of embracing and improving the great and 
 glorious privileges which had been procured for 
 them, through Jesus Christ. But they never design- 
 ed to detract from the character of our divine bene- 
 factor. For how ungrateful must it be in the captive 
 exile, set at liberty to return — redeemed from bon- 
 dage " not with corruptible things as silver and gold, 
 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb 
 without blemish,'^ (alluding to the ancient sacrifices,) 
 
40 
 
 fo deny the benefits of that interposing friend — that 
 Redeeming love ! This ingratitude never was justly 
 chargeable to our primitive friends — it never can 
 lind place in the minds of true Christians. The feel- 
 ings of these, in unison with the language of the re- 
 deemed in heaven, will still arise in humble acknow- 
 ledgment and reverent adoration — " Thou wast slain, 
 and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood," &c. 
 
 Having thus brought a few extracts together, from 
 various writers among the leading members of the 
 Society, to show what their principles were in the 
 beginning, I may take the liberty from the interest 
 which I feel in those gospel truths they maintained, 
 and for which they suffered, to add some additional 
 observations on the same subjects. 
 
 The extent of Divine mercy, and the means of re- 
 demption through Jesus Christ, is a subject of infi- 
 nite importance to everj^ rational soul. If the means 
 of salvation are not within the reach of all, how 
 miserable — how deeply to be lamented must be the 
 condition of those to whom it is not possible ! And 
 if the belief of such an exclusion from heaven — from 
 happiness — from the participation in the mercies of 
 God, may be brought to operate on the mind of each 
 individual, how powerfully must such reflections 
 tend to destroy our hopes, and deprive us of all those 
 animating feelings of gratitude and love to God, 
 which make up our happiness here ! " We love him, 
 [said the apostle,] because he first loved us." When- 
 ever, therefore, his love to its becomes doubtful, our 
 love to him is cut up at the very root. Gratitude 
 to him, lies at the foundation of obedience, hope, 
 and faith, in him. Take from us the belief of his 
 having made salvation possible to us — gratitude can 
 have no existence in our minds — hope perishes for- 
 ever — s.nd faith, where is it? Thus a belief in the 
 goodness of God, stands next to the belief in his ex- 
 
41 
 
 istence — so the apostle has given us to understand, 
 in the simple declaration — " He that cometh to God 
 must helieve that he is^ and that he is a rewarder of 
 them that diligently seek him." Heb. 11. 6. 
 
 And as redemption is only to be obtained by Jesus 
 Christ, we are led to the important consideration of 
 the extent of the benefits derived to mankind, from 
 Him. It must be admitted that the prophecy of Joel 
 related to the gospel dispensation. If the prophecy 
 itself were not sufficient evidence in the case, the 
 testimony of the apostle Peter would be conclusive: 
 " And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, 
 I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh." To the 
 fulfilment of this prophecy, the apostle Peter bore a 
 very striking testimony, when the Holy Spirit was 
 " shed forth," after the ascension of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ. In explaining the fulfilment of this prophecy, 
 the apostle brings into view the death of our Saviour, 
 according to the Divine purpose — his resurrection, 
 and the impossibility of its being otherwise — his 
 ascension and exaltation through the prevalence of 
 Divine Power, and the shedding forth of the Divine 
 Influence, in connexion with the preceding events, 
 of the death, resurrection, and ascension of our bles- 
 sed Lord. The intimate relation which these events 
 had to each other, as related by the apostle, is very 
 clearly corroborated by our Lord himself, in that me- 
 morable discourse with his disciples: "Nevertheless 
 I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go 
 away; for if I go not away the Comforter will not 
 come 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." John 
 16. 7, 8. Here the coming of the Holy Spirit, which 
 brings convictions for sin, and gives a true sense of 
 righteousness and judgment, was evidently made 
 to be dependent on the death of Christ, as on a 
 4* 
 
42 
 
 means, without which the end could not he obtain- 
 ed. We may well say that the respective events enu- 
 merated by the apostle Peter, was each dependent on 
 its preceding event. For without the Divine coun- 
 sel, our Lord could not have been delivered to be 
 crucified. — This is evident from many passages of 
 Scripture. Our Lord said to Pilate, Thou couldst 
 have no power at all against me, except it were given 
 thee from above. And to Peter lie said, Thinkest 
 thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he 
 shall presently give mc more than twelve legions of 
 angels? but how then shall the Scriptures be fulfill- 
 ed, that thus it must be? And again. For this cause 
 came I unto this hour — and again, I lay down my 
 life for the sheep; I have power to lay it down, and I 
 have power to take it again: No man taketh it from 
 me, but I lay it down of myself — this commandment 
 liave I received of my Father — and again. No man 
 laid hands upon him, because his hour was not yet 
 come: and the church, when under Divine Influence, 
 lifting up their voice with one accord, said, that 
 the combination of Herod, and Pilate, with the Gen- 
 tiles and people of Israel, was to do what the Divine 
 hand and counsel had determined before to be done. 
 
 Thus it is evident he could not have been deliver- 
 ed, crucified, &c. had not the Divine hand deter- 
 mined it before to be done. So his resurrection could 
 not have taken place, had he not previously been 
 crucified. His ascension follows this in order — and 
 lastly the pouring out of the Holy Spirit is brought 
 into view, as resulting from, or in immediate con- 
 nection with the preceding events. 
 
 It was, according to Scripture testimony, through 
 the eternal Spirit, that our Lord Jesus Christ offered 
 up himself: and this became the means of the effu- 
 sion of the Divine Influence upon the children of 
 men, as appears by the concurrent testimony of the 
 
48 
 
 inspired writings. If then, these events were in ful- 
 filment of the prophecy of Joel, the effects must be 
 of universal extent, for the prophet expressly declar- 
 ed, that it should be on all flesh. There was, there- 
 fore, no exclusion of any part of the human family; 
 for all classes are included in the prophecy. 
 
 "I will also give thee,'' said another prophecy, 
 " for a light to the Gentiles, [and for] salvation to the 
 end of the earth." This related to our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and in common with the other prophecies 
 concerning him, had respect to his advent, and what 
 he would do for the redemption of fallen man. This 
 promise, it may also be observed, was not limited in 
 its application — it embraced the whole human race, 
 — to the end of the earth. Therefore the benefits 
 of the coming of Jesus Christ, and what he did and 
 suffered were of universal application. 
 
 Accordingly we find a large accession to the true 
 Church was made from among the Gentiles — from 
 the very depth of pagan darkness. — The means of 
 redemption were placed within their reach, while in 
 that state, for there is no other means by which they 
 could have risen from their dark and depraved con- 
 dition, but those which were provided by Jesus 
 Christ. The preaching of the apostles, and the other 
 outward helps they received, were not the primary, 
 but secondary means in the great work of their sal- 
 vation. " By Grace ye are saved,'' said the apostle, 
 *' and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God:" 
 and again; '^ grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." 
 So that the primary cause of their salvation was 
 Grace, the gift of God, through Jesus Christ. — This 
 placed them in a capacity to believe the truths of 
 the gospel, and also enabled the apostles to preach 
 that gospel. So that in its original distribution, it 
 could not be dependent on instrumental means, such 
 as preaching, &c. It was the great work, for which 
 
44 
 
 the Word that was In the beginning with God, and 
 truly was God — took flesh — and humbling himself 
 unto death, even the death of the cross — lasted death 
 for every man — died for all men, for that all were 
 dead — became the propitiation for the sins of the 
 whole world; through whose obedience the free gift 
 is come upon all men to justification. 
 
 That the sanguinary sacrifices which were uni- 
 versally practised by the pious of all nations, before 
 the Advent of the Messiah, had reference to his suf- 
 ferings and death, I think is established by incon- 
 trovertible Scripture evidence. And to my mind, 
 the command to Abraham to offer up his only son — 
 the son of promise, was a lively figure of the very 
 event. It w^as in that transaction of the patriarch's, 
 that his faith is most particularly spoken of. Our 
 Lord said: '* Abraham saw my day and was glad." 
 He had a view^ of his son's being raised from the 
 dead. The transaction took place on a mountain in 
 the land of Moriah — probably the very scene of our 
 Saviour's sufferings. And as it was the greatest ex- 
 ercise of his faith — so at that time too, he received 
 the promise, " In thy seed shall all the families of 
 the earth be blessed;" " which seed" the apostle says 
 " was Christ." 
 
 The term, shedding of blood, in its plain, simple, 
 and obvious meaning, conveys the idea of violeiice 
 done to the subject whose blood was shed. This 
 was literally true of all those beasts whose blood was 
 shed in the sacrifices prescribed in the law, and prac- 
 tised during the continuance of that typical dispen- 
 sation. For there was of necessity violence done to 
 4;hose things which were sacrificed, nor indeed is it 
 possible, according to those institutions, that there 
 should be a shedding of blood — or a sacrifice, with- 
 out violence. And so closely did the apostle make 
 the application of these types and figures, to Jesus 
 
45 
 
 Christ and his sufferings on the cross, that he em- 
 ploys much of the epistle to the Hehrevvs, and seve- 
 ral others, to show that relation. The application 
 was made in various particulars of our Lord's suffer- 
 ings and death: even to \hQ place where he suffered. 
 Thus we find the apostle to the Hehrews, making 
 the following illustration: — " For the bodies of those 
 beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by 
 the high priest, for sin, are burned without the camp 
 — wherefore Jesus also, [that great sacrifice to which 
 all others pointed, and in which they ended,] that 
 he might sanctif}^ the people with his own blood, 
 suffered without the gate." Heb. 13. 11, 12. Now, 
 in that he laid down his life — that his blood was 
 shed — was a sacrifice — it was through violence done 
 to his person. 
 
 Here let it be remembered that in these events — 
 these sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, the whole 
 ceremonial law ended. There was no further occa- 
 sion for the effusion of the blood of slain victims. 
 And all those mighty preparations for sacrifices at 
 the temple, were abrogated forever: and why? To 
 what mighty and efficient cause are we to ascribe 
 this important change? Why was it that the whole 
 system of religion, as to outward forms — which had 
 begun in the very infancy of time, and by successive 
 discoveries of divine revelation, not only received 
 the most unequivocal demonstrations of divine sanc- 
 tion, but was wrought up to the highest point of out- 
 ward glory, was abrogated forever? Those sacrifices 
 in which the most eminent patriarchs and prophets 
 had found acceptance — those institutions which were 
 given upon Mount Sinai — when the great Jehovah 
 descended, with a visible glory, before whom the 
 mountain trembled to its foundation, and its smoke 
 rose up as from a furnace — these sacrifices and these 
 institutions, thus solemnly attested for four thousand 
 
46 
 
 years, now lost their divine obligation. It was the 
 introduction of a new dispensation, altogether as 
 much under the divine control as that which was 
 ratified from Mount Sinai — and though it was more 
 simple, it was infuiitely more glorious. Not one single 
 event, essential to the introduction of that more glo- 
 rious dispensation, could the Jews or any other hu- 
 man power prevent. They could not desti'oy the 
 Messiah when Herod sent forth and slew the chil- 
 dren from two years old and under — They could not 
 lay hands on him before his ministry was accom- 
 plished — because his hour was not yet come — They 
 could not prevent the sun from being darkened — 
 They could not save the veil of the temple from be- 
 ing rent — They could not control the earthquake, 
 nor prevent the rocks from being rent asunder — 
 They could not, with all their guards, prevent the 
 angel from descending and rolling back the stone 
 froin the Sepulchre — They could not prevent the 
 Lord Jesus Christ from rising from the dead — ap- 
 pearing to his disciples — instructing them from the 
 law and the prophets, of the necessity of his death 
 — and finally making them eye-witnesses of his as- 
 cension to heaven. But they had power to mock 
 — to buffet — to crucify him — to wound him to the 
 heart — and cast lots for his garment; because in 
 these events, he became that one great offering to 
 which the blood of victims for four thousand years, 
 had constantly borne witness: and the divine hand 
 and council had determined before that they should 
 be done. Almighty God, who had delivered the Law 
 with such evident demonstrations of his immediate 
 presence and authority — who made it a figure and 
 representation of things to come — in the practice of 
 which figures the righteous of all ages, through faith, 
 might be made partakers of those good things thus 
 represented — even He also abrogated it, when those 
 
4T 
 
 events had taten place to which it pointed, and to 
 typify which it was at first instituted. 
 
 Thus ended the Jewish system — and at the same 
 time, through the greater efliision of the Holy Spirit 
 which was shed forth, the heathen idolatry was over- 
 turned, and a change took place among the Gentiles 
 altogether as great as that which took place among 
 the Jews. 
 
 The institution of sacrifices, and of approaching 
 the divine presence, through the Mediation of a 
 priest, and with the blood of slain oiferings, was not 
 peculiar to the Jews. We find these things record- 
 ed among the first religious performances that are 
 related after the fall. The acceptable offering of 
 Abel was of this description. It was practised by 
 the patriarchs one after another. And so far as we 
 are informed from sacred and profane history, they 
 were common in all nations and in all ages. For as 
 they began in the infancy of human society — that is, 
 after Redemption became necessary, so like some 
 other things in which the welfare of the whole was 
 concerned — ihey were common to all. All nations 
 were immediately interested in the means which 
 were appointed for a common salvation; and all na- 
 tions appear to have been in the practice of those 
 rites, which typified tliose means. It is true that the 
 knowledge of God became very early obscured by 
 heathen superstition: and the selecting of one na- 
 tion for the preservation of that knowledge, was for 
 purposes of universal good. Yet the Gentile world 
 was not left without witness. They still retained a 
 sense of a Supreme Power, as an unknown God, and 
 continued to approach that Supreme Power through 
 the ^lediation of a Priest and sacrifices. Though 
 they had corrupted and adulterated those simple 
 principles of Truth, which had been universally dis- 
 tributed or communicated to men — though they were 
 
48 
 
 plunged into darkness and superstition, and their 
 ideas were confused as to the object of adoration, yet 
 they were in the practice of rites and ceremonies, 
 bearing a striking resemblance to those which, in the 
 ceremonial law pointed to the Messiah, and that of- 
 fering which he made of himself. 
 
 That the heathen sacrifices were offensive will be 
 readily admitted — -so was their belief of Deity. It 
 was the corruption which took place in those prin- 
 ciples of religion and devotion that made them offen- 
 sive. But it proves that they had a sense of an eter- 
 nal Source of good — and of that worship which per- 
 tained to the dispensation of that time. The reli- 
 gious performances of the Jews were likewise offen- 
 sive, when their hearts became alienated from God. 
 For he that killed an ox was as if he slew a man — he 
 that sacrificed a lamb as if he cut off a dog's neck — 
 he that offered an oblation, as if he offered swine's 
 blood — he that burned incense, as if he blessed an 
 idol — (Isa. 66.) and even the solemn meeting was 
 iniquity — an abomination. 
 
 That the blood of sprinkling is mentioned in a spi- 
 ritual sense is true. But if taken altogether unconnect- 
 ed with those deeply interesting events which took 
 place at Jerusalem, if understood to have no relation 
 to those events, the terms would be unintelligible or 
 dangerous in the extreme. Who would not see an 
 alarming and monstrous incongruity in the expres- 
 sions. We are reconciled to God by tlie death of his 
 Son, unless we have reference to those ideas of sacri- 
 fice w^hich were inculcated by the blood of victims 
 from the earliest ages of the world: and which, with 
 a few cardinal points of religion, appear to have been 
 universally impressed on tlie minds of all nations? 
 The terms in a spiritual acceptation, camiot relate 
 — it would be monstrous to suppose that they did 
 relate, to violence done to the divine principle in the 
 
19 
 
 hearts of men. But tliey have a reference to those 
 important benefits which were placed withni our 
 reach by the Mediation of Jesus Christ, and the offer- 
 ing he accomplished for us in his sufferings and death. 
 To realize these benefits to ourselves, in our indivi- 
 dual experience, is to have our hearts sprinkled from 
 an evil conscience: and in the expressions in that spi- 
 ritual sense, there is still a memorial preserved of the 
 death of our dear Lord and Saviour, who procured 
 the means of salvation, and of all heavenly blessings, 
 by inexpressible agonies, and a death on the cross: 
 that in all our attainments — in oil the spiritual bless- 
 ings we enjoy — we are still to bear about in our bo- 
 dies, the dying of the Lord Jesus. 
 
 That what he did and suffered for us, was not to 
 place us in a situation to sin with impunit)' — is an 
 everlasting truth. Unless we submit to the opera- 
 tions and regulating power of his Spirit in our hearts, 
 so far from being saved by his death and sufferings, 
 they will stand in the day of final retribution, in judg- 
 ment against us, and awfully aggravate our condem- 
 nation. 
 
 Butthoughthis is indispensably necessary — though 
 to those who have attained to years of rational re- 
 flection salvation is not possible without this opera- 
 tion and government of the Divine Principle in our 
 hearts, yet the lielief in, and a reverent regard for, 
 what Christ has done and suffered ybr us, is as neces- 
 sary for i(s, (who have had the opportunity of that 
 knowledge,) as the receiving of him outwardly, was 
 for those who, in the days of his flesh, were favoured 
 with that visible appearance. For tliough he did not 
 show himself to the whole world then, yet those to 
 whom he did appear, could not have him as their Sa- 
 viour, while they withstood the belief and acknow- 
 ledgment of him in that visible appearance — so, 
 though the knowledge or history of those events is 
 5 
 
50 
 
 not now univer8ally clifTused among men, yet those 
 to whom that knowledge is afforded, cannot have 
 him as their Saviour, while they reject the belief in, 
 and reverent regard for, what he then did and suffer- 
 ed for us. For as the Eternal Spirit, which in its 
 fulness dwelt in him, and through which he offered 
 up himself for the redemption of men, led to the ac- 
 knowledgment of him then^ so the same Spirit in the 
 hearts of men now^ will lead all those who are under 
 its influence, to the acknowledgment of all that he. 
 then did, when declared to them. To this our early 
 Friends bore a pointed testimony, as we have seen — 
 and it has been the concurrent testimony of all ages, 
 since those important events occurred. 
 
 It must be supposed that his disciples formerly, 
 were under the influence of that Divine Principle, 
 in becoming his disciples — leaving all and following 
 liim, and that they did believe in him. as the Mes- 
 siah: though it was evident, from many clear passages 
 of Scripture, that they did not understand the whole 
 mystery of his kingdom. And one of the most emi- 
 nent of them, even after he had been a disciple for 
 years — been enabled to heal diseases and cast out 
 devils, did hot understand the doctrine of his death 
 and resurrection. For when he began to show un- 
 to his disciples how that he must go up to Jerusalem, 
 and suffer many things, and be killed, and raised the 
 third day, Peter exclaimed: " Far be it from thee. 
 Lord, this shall not be unto thee." But he was se- 
 verely rebuked, and told, that he savoured not the 
 things of God — and these events were the things he 
 did not savour. Thus they found continually, occa- 
 sion for the exercise of faith, in things on which they 
 could not reason: and hence that expressive appeal, 
 •• Lord, I believe — help thou mine unbelief." 
 
 He who made this short but pathetic appeal, could 
 not have been under the influence of tlie opinion. 
 
51 
 
 that we are not bound to believe what we do not un- 
 derstand. 
 
 This opinion, and especially when connected with 
 a disposition of speculation or curious inquiry, ap- 
 pears to me to have a very dangerous tendency. 
 There is so nice a shade of difference between not 
 believing and disbelievins;, that the distinction may 
 easily be lost, when applied to practice. Taking it 
 on the latter ground, few propositions would be 
 more prejudicial to religious principles and religious 
 improvement. No finite being, it is presumed, can 
 comprehend the Divine Nature, in all its infinitude 
 and perfection. Our conceptions, comprehensions, 
 and faculties, themselves, are limited, and therefore. 
 if our belief or assent, is not to exceed these limits, 
 we must consider the attributes of the Deity as limit- 
 ed and imperfect. 
 
 We meet with many things in the visible creation, 
 which cannot be explained by any reasoning on the 
 knowledge already obtained. Certain facts are 
 known to exist, and yet the cause of those facts lies 
 far beyond the reach of our limited comprehension. 
 Those whose minds are most stored with the accu- 
 mulated knowledge of past ages — who have made 
 the greatest progress in the researches of science — 
 are most ready to make the confession of their inca- 
 pacity, to explain the whole order and operation of 
 nature. 
 
 If this is true in relation to visible objects — things 
 which are under our continual observation — which 
 enter into all our feelings, and make up our suffer- 
 ings and gratifications, why should it be considered 
 strange, that we should not know every thing of the 
 invisible world, and of the Divine Nature, and of his 
 purposes and motives, in his providence and govern- 
 ment of the Universe? 
 
 Or if, when certain facts are proposed to us, facts 
 
52 
 
 which he has caused to he divulged to us hy his spe- 
 cial messengers and servants, are we at liberty to 
 disbelieve them, because we cannot, hy any coui*se 
 of reasoning of which we are capable, arrive at an 
 understanding of the causes and motives that would 
 lead to such results? 
 
 The Dispensations of God to man through all ages, 
 would be disbelieved on this proposition. By what 
 train of reasoning, either from individual experience 
 or from nature, should we arrive at a belief in the 
 Scriptural accounts of the primitive affairs of the 
 world — of the general deluge — of the communica- 
 tion of the Divine will, by the ministry of angels — 
 the passage of the children of Israel through the Red 
 Sea — their subsistence in the wilderness forty years 
 — the giving of the Law, from Mount Sinai — the visi- 
 ble descent of the Divine Glory on that occasion — 
 or in any miracles w^hatever ? Any of the general 
 answers which can be given to these questions, will 
 apply to the Christian doctrine of Redemption. The 
 absolute fitness of the ceremonial Law, and the rea- 
 sons for instituting it, were not discoverable by hu- 
 man reason, any more than the mysteries of the New 
 ])ispe7isatiun. Indeed the very existence of a God, is 
 the greatest of all mysteries. Wc cannot conceive 
 how the universe should exist, without an Omnipo- 
 tent Power, by whom it was originally created, and 
 by whom it is still upheld. But whenever we ap- 
 proach the Divine Character, a Being Infinite in all 
 his attributes — before whom the whole universe — 
 with all this vast assemblage of worlds, is but as the 
 dust of the balance — a Cause without a cause — an 
 Infinite Intelligence, existing from all eternity — rea- 
 son becomes prostrate as in the dust — we cannot in- 
 vestigate — we cannot argue — we cannot comprehend 
 ■ — but we must believe and adore. 
 
 Thus we are bound to believe many things which 
 ^ve cannot so understand as to be able to explain. 
 
53 
 
 We must believe in the existence of God, but we 
 cannot reason on his self-existence, or on the Infini- 
 tude of his Attributes. We must believe that he 
 created the Universe, and still upholds it by the 
 Word of his Power, though we cannot be assured 
 that we are fully acquainted with his designs in do- 
 ing so. We must believe in his moral government 
 of the world, though we may not always be able to 
 understand the interposition of his Providence in 
 human affairs. We must believe in the existence of 
 matter^ of which all visible objects consist, and yet 
 no one has yet been able to explain what it is. We 
 must believe that certain portions of matter are en- 
 dued with animal life, and others with vegetable life, 
 but we cannot explain how this is effected. These 
 subjects open a wide field of observation and wonder, 
 in which we find at every step, the evidences of our 
 own limited capacity; and that if we disbelieve all 
 that we cannot understand, we shall be driven to a 
 state of scepticism of which the most barbarous na- 
 tions upon earth would be ashamed. 
 
 For if, with the professed infidel, we deny the doc- 
 trine of the incarnation, the sacrifice, the atonement, 
 and mediation of Jesus Christ — because it embraces 
 mysterhsy and abandoning the doctrines of the gos- 
 pel, resort to what they call natural religion — there 
 we shall meet with mysteries in the very Being of 
 God, as much beyond our comprehension, as those 
 we had discarded. If still determined not to bend 
 our exalted minds to the belief of what we could not 
 understand, we denied the existence of Deity, and 
 become unqualified atheists; still mysteries surround 
 us on every side — even our very existence would 
 become inexplicable, and we should be driven to de- 
 ny it, or renounce the principle on which we had set 
 out in the beginning. Thus we shall be driven from 
 5* 
 
54 
 
 Christianity to deism — ^from deism to atheism — from 
 atheism to universal unbelief, not excepting even our 
 own existence. 
 
 How dreadful is this contest against God and our- 
 selves! And what a refuge — what an inexhaustible 
 source of consolation is opened to us by the faith 
 in our Lord Jesus Christ! Here the wise and the 
 simple are received on the same ground — and their 
 hopes and their enjoyments rest — not on human com- 
 prehension — but FAITH. 
 
 Whether they have trodden the paths of science, 
 or been excluded from the treasures of human know- 
 ledge, they can equally adopt the language of the 
 Psalmist — in contemplating the goodness of God — 
 " Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, it is high, 
 I cannot attain unto it." Or that of the apostle — 
 *' Oh the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and 
 knowledge of God ! How^ unsearchable are his judg- 
 ments, and his ways past finding out." 
 
 For whether we contemplate the Divine Charac- 
 ter in the creation of worlds — or in that superintend- 
 ing Providence by which the whole frame of nature 
 is supported, or the various dispensations of his 
 goodness to man, in difierent ages of the world — in 
 no case do we find such powerful claims on our gra- 
 titude, love, and adoration, or grounds for so firm a 
 trust — so lively a hope — so animating prospects, as 
 in the doctrine of redemption by Jesus Christ. 
 
 When w^e bring to thankful remembrance the con- 
 descension of our Lord Jesus Christ, in descending 
 from the height of his divine glory — taking our na- 
 ture upon himself — enduring the various indignities 
 and sufferings to which he was exposed, and finally 
 becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the 
 cross, on which he was not only nailed through his 
 hands and his feet, but wounded to the heart — that 
 he did and suffered all these things for our sakes — 
 
55 
 
 what powerful claims do we feel upon our gratitude, 
 love, and obedience! And how clearly do we see 
 the force of the reasoning of the apostle, when he 
 sets forth the awful consequences of trampling under 
 foot the Son of God, and counting the blood of the 
 covenant an unholy thing! 
 
 When we further reflect on that wonderful system 
 of sacrifices, which began immediately after the fall, 
 and was as universal as the belief of a Supreme 
 Power — which pointing to the Messiah, and the of- 
 fering which he made of himself, ended when that 
 one great oiTering was accomplished — when we fur- 
 ther bring into view the repeated declarations that 
 these events emanated from the love of God, and 
 were the highest evidences of that love — instead of 
 inquisitively prying into the reasons and motives of 
 Almighty God, for the hidden portions of his coun- 
 sel, we ought to give place to those feelings of love, 
 gratitude, faith, and obedience, which are intimately 
 connected with a right view of the subject. 
 
 In closing this little essay, I may perhaps be per- 
 mitted to express the desire that I feel for the pre- 
 servation of the Society to which I belong: — That 
 they may maintain the faith once delivered to the 
 saints — and walking in the light of the gospel, have 
 fellowship one with another. We have seen what 
 were the principles of our primitive Friends — we 
 have seen their fellowship and brotherly love — their 
 patience under persecution — their animating hope 
 in the hour of death — that through all the rage of 
 persecution — all the vicissitudes of time — in perils 
 by sea, perils by land — perils by open enemies and 
 among false brethren — they could adopt the lan- 
 guage of the apostle — " In all these tilings we are 
 more than conquerors, through Him that loved us:" 
 and " this is our victory, even our faitli." Shall we 
 
56 
 
 leave this sure foundation on which they stood, and 
 against which no storms or tempests could prevail ? 
 When some of the disciples formerly, unable to 
 comprehend the deep yet divine doctrines of our 
 Lord and Saviour, turned from him and walked no 
 more with him — he queried with the twelve, " Will 
 3^e also go away ?'' How appropriate was the res- 
 ponding language, *^Unto whom shall we go? thou 
 hast the words of eternal life." Let us make this lan- 
 guage our own, and we shall be enabled in the con- 
 clusion, to bear the same noble testimony which that 
 same disciple also bore — " We have not followed 
 cunningly devised fables when we made known un- 
 to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ." 
 
 H 
 
 THE END.