'Yi^LHo^MT^^I^SIIirY' « ILIIIBISiaiElf "

1933

A CONCISE ACCOUNT

OF THE
RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS,
COMMONLY CALLED QUAKERS;
EMBRACING
A SKETCH OF THEIR CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES
AND PRACTICES.

BT
THOMAS EVANS.

HBPRINTED BY AUTHORITY OF THE MEETING FOR SUFFERINGS.

PHILADELPHIA:
FOR SALE AT FRIENDS' BOOK STORE,
No. 304 ARCH STREET.

TO THE READER.

THE substance of the foUowing Essay is chiefly taken
from the approved writings of the Religious Society
of Friends, and the limits assigned to it do not admit of
more than a very brief outline of its history and doc
trines. Those who desire more full information on these
subjects, are referred to the following works ; which may
be obtained at Friends' Book Store, No. 304 Arch Street,
Philadelphia ; viz. :
George Fox's Journal.
Sewel's History.
Barclay's Apology.
Barclay's Catechism.
Barclay's Treatise on Chtjech Government.
PhIPPS on the OeIGINAI. AND PRESENT StATE OF
Man. Selections from onsE Writings of Isaac Pen-
ington. William Penn 's Rise and Pkogeess of the People
called Quakers.
An Exposition of the Faith of the Religious
Society of Friends, by Thomas Evans ;

IV TO THE READER.
And the works contained in the various volumes of
the "FRIENDS' LIBRARY." In this Periodical have
been published the following, viz. : A Sketch of the
Institution of the Discipline in the Society. No
Cross, No Crown, by William Penn. The lives of
William Dewsbury, William Penn, George
Whitehead, John Woolman, John Churchman,
William Edmundson, Thomas Chalkley, Thomas
Shillitoe, Daniel Wheeler ; and many other emi
nent members and ministers of the Religious Society of
Friends.

CONTENTS.

PAOI
Rise of the Society  7
Notice of Geobge Fox. ....... 9
Chabacteb of the early Mlnistebs  15
Discipline. . .  18
Chubch Goveenment. ,  20
Meetings fob DiscrPLiNE. ...... 23
Disownments.  25
Reception of Membebs  25
Mabbiages  26
BUBIALS  27
POOB  29
Education  30
Meetings of Ministebs ai^d Eldebs  30
The Thbee that beab Recoed in Heaven . . .32, 57
CONCEBNING CUE LOED JeSUS CHBIBT .... 33, 60
Of the Holy Spieit  34, 70
Of the Holy Sceiptuees.  35, 83
Fall of Man.  36
Bbstobation of Man by Cheist  38, 92
Peopitiatoey Saceifice of Jesus Cheist . . 39, 97, 101
Rbsueebction akd liAST Judgment .... 42
Baptism and Supper  42, 104
Worship  44,107
ministbt of the gospel  45, 115
1* T

VI CONTENTS. FASI
War  4«
Oaths  ^
Public Fasts AND THE FiestDay OF THE Week . . .49
Slaveey, and the Use of Aedbnt Spirits ... 51
Magistbacy and Law  52
Moderation, Amusbmbnts, &c  63
Divinity and Offices of Jesus Chbist. . . . .60
Of the Woek op the Holy Spieit ret the Soul. . 70
Of Redemption by Jbsus Cheist  92
Prayeb  119
Trade and Business  121
Christian Liberality  126
Simplicity op Appaeel  127
On the Use op the Plain Language, Compliments, &c. 133
On the Names of the Days and Months. . . . .141
Moderation and Plainness in Living, &C. . . .144
Childeen and Domestic Training  148
Amusements  160
Reading.  154
Music.  166
Conclusion  ,...167

A CONCISE ACCOUNT

RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS.

THE EeligiouB Society of Friends, commonly
caUed Quakers, is a body of Christiaa pro
fessors, wMcli arose in England about the middle
of the seventeenth century.
The civil and religious commotions which pre
vailed in that country about this period, doubtless
prepared the way for the more general and rapid
spread of gospel truth. The fetters, in which
priestcraft had long held the human mind, were
beginning to be loosened. The dependence of
man upon his fellow-man, in matters of religion,
was shaken, and many sincere souls, panting after
a nearer acquaintance with God, and a dominion
over their sinful appetites and passions, which they
could not obtain by the most scrupulous observ
ance of the ceremonies of rehgion, were earnestly
inquiring, " What must we do to be saved ? " *
* From the dawn of the Eeformation, the spirit of religioua
inquiry had been kept alive and strengthened by the very eflTorta
7

8 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OF
In this humble, seeking state, the Lord was gra^
ciously pleased to meet with them; sometimes
used to suppress it. The shackles with which priestcraft had
attempted to bind the human mind, had been in measure loosened,
and an earnest desire awakened after the saving knowledge of the
Truth as it is in Jesus. This was increased by the troubles of the
times. The nation was tom by intestine strife. Civil war, with
its attendant evils, raged throughout England, and the lives as well
as the property of the subjects, were at the mercy of a lawless
soldiery. Many were stripped of their possessions, reduced from
affluence or ease to poverty and want, and often obliged to abandon
their homes and flee for their lives. This melancholy state of
afiairs had a tendency to loosen their attachments from the world,
by showing the precarious tenure of all earthly enjoyments, and to
induce them to press after those substantial consolations which are
only to be found in a religious life.
The ecclesiastical and the civil power were frequently shifting
hands, and the national form of religion changing with every
change of rulers; new sects and opinions arising, and different
teachers of religion inviting attention, and saying, " Lo, here ia
Christ," or "Lo, He is there." In this state of things it is not
surprising that the sincere inquirers after the right way of the
Lord should have been greatly perplexed. The effect of these
commotions was to wean men from a dependence on each other in
the work of religion, and to prepare their minds for the reception
of the important truth, that, however useful instrumental means
of divine appointment may be, it is the glory and exceUence of
the gospel dispensation that the Lord, by his Holy Spirit, is him
self the teaeher of his people.
Previous to the commencement of George Fox's ministry, many
serious persons had withdrawn from all the acknowledged forms
of public worship, and were engaged in diligently searching the
Holy Scriptures, with prayer for right direction in the path of
duty, and frequently meeting iu select companies for the worship
of Almighty God and their mutual edification. Among these the
preaching of George Fox, directing them to the light of Chriat
Jeaus in their consciences, found a ready entrance, aud many of
them joined in religious profession with him.

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 9
without any instrumental means; at others, through
the living ministry of George Fox or other anointed
servants, who were prepared and sent forth to
preach the gospel. The ministry of George Fox
was chiefly instrumental, under the divine blessing,
in convincing them of the Christian principles
and testimonies which distinguish the Society;
and his pious labours contributed in no small de
gree to their establishment as an organized body,
having a regular form of church government
and discipline.
This devoted servant of Christ was born al
Drayton, in Leicestershire, in the year 1624, and
was carefully educated by his parents in the Epis
copal mode of worship. He appears to have led a
religious life from his childhood, and to have been
deeply concerned for the salvation of his soul.
Amid a high profession of religion, then generally
prevalent, he observed among the people much
vain and trifling conversation and conduct, as well
as sordid earthly-mindedness, hoth which he be
lieved to be incompatible with the Christian life.
This brought great trouble upon his mind, clearly
perceiving that the profession in which he had
been educated, did not give to its adherents that
victory over sin which the gospel enjoins^^and
which his soul panted after. He vdthdrew from
his former associates, and passed much of his
time in retirement, reading the Holy Scriptures,
and endeavouring to wait upon the Lord for tha

10 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OF
revelation of his Spirit, to enable him rightly to
understand the truths of the gospel.
In this state of reverent dependence upon the
Fountain of saving knowledge, his mind was
enlightened to see into the spirituality of the
gospel dispensation, and to detect many errors
which had crept into the professing Christian
church. In the year 1647, he commenced his
labours as a minister of the gospel, travelling ex
tensively through England, generally on foot;
and, from a conviction that it was contrary to
Christ's positive command, he refused to receive
any compensation for preaching, defraying his ex
penses out of his own slender means. The unc
tion from on high, which attended his ministry,
carried conviction to the hearts of many of his
hearers ; and his fervent disinterested labours were
crowned with such success, that in a few years a
large body of persons had embraced the Christian
principles which he promulgated. The message
of George Fox appears to have been, mainly, to
direct the people to Jesus Christ, the great Shep
herd and Bishop of souls, who died for them, and
had sent his Spirit or light into their hearts, to
instruct and guide them in the things pertaining
to life and salvation.*
* In his Journal he says, " I was sent to tum people from dark
ness to the light, that they might receive Chriat Jesus ; for to as
many as should receive him in his light, I saw that He would give
oower to become the sons of God, which I had obtained by le-

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 11
To the light or Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus, in
the conscience, he and his fellow-labourers in the
gospel endeavoured to turn the attention of all, as
that by which sin was manifested and reproved,
duty unfolded, and ability given to run with
alacrity and joy in the way of God's command
ments. The preaching of this doctrine was glad
tidings of great joy to many longing souls, who
eagerly embraced it, as that for which they had
been seeking ; and, as they walked in this Divine
Light, they experienced a growth in grace and in
Christian knowledge, and gradually came to be
established as pillars in the house of God.
Many of these, before they joined with George
Fox, had been highly esteemed in the various
rehgious societies of the day, for their distin
guished piety and experience, being punctual in
the performance of their religious duties, and
regular in partaking of what are termed " the
ceiving Christ. I was to direct people to the Spirit that gave forth
the Scriptures, by which they might be led into all truth, and so up
to Christ and God, as those had been who gave them forth. I was
to tum them to the grace of God and to the Truth in the heart,
which came by Jesus ; that by this grace they might be taught,
which would bring them salvation; that their hearts might be
established by it; their words might be seasoned, and all might
come to know their salvation nigh.
" I saw that Christ died for all men, was a propitiation for all,
and enlightened all men and women with his divine and saving
light, and that none could be true believers but those who believed
there' a. I saw that the grace of God, which brings salvation,
hath appeared to all men ; and that the manifestation of the Spirit
uf God was given to every man to profit withal."

12 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OF
ordinances." But notwithstanding they endeav.
oured to be faithful to the degree of knowledge
they had received, their minds were not at rest.
They had not yet witnessed that redemption from
sin, and that establishment in the Truth, which
they read of in the Bible as the privilege and duty
of Christians; and hence, they were induced to
believe that there was a purer and more spiritual
way than they had yet found. They felt that they
needed tp know more of the power of Christ Jesus
in their own hearts, making them new creatures,
bruising Satan and putting him under their feet,
and renewing their souls up into the divine image
which was lost in Adam's fall, and sanctifying
them wholly, in body, soul, and spirit, through the
inward operations of the Holy Ghost and flre.
Great were their conflicts and earnest their
prayers, that they might be brought to this blessed
experience r but looking without, instead of having
their attention turned within, they missed the ob
ject of their search. They frequented the preach
ing of the most eminent ministers ; spent much
time in reading the Holy Scriptures ; in fasting,
meditation and prayer, and increased the strict
ness of their lives and religious performances ; but
still they were not wholly freed from the dominion
of sin.
Some, after wearying themselves vrith the mul
titude and severity of their duties, without finding
the expected benefit from them, separated from all

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 13
the formb of worship then practised, and sat down
together, waiting upon the Lord, and earnestly
looking and praying for the full manifestation of
the kingdom and power of the Lord Jesus. Then
they were given to see that that which made them
uneasy in the midst of their high profession and
manifold observances, and raised fervent breath
ings after the God of their lives, was nothing less
than the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, striving
with them in order to bring them out fully from
under the bondage of sin, into the glorious liberty
of the children of God.
They were brought to feel that they had been
resting too much in a mere historical belief of the
blessed doctrines of the gospel, the birth, life,
miracles, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension,
mediation, intercession, atonement, and divinity
of the Lord Jesus : but had not sufl5.ciently looked
for, and abode under, the heart-changing and sanc
tifying power of the Holy Spirit or Comforter ; to
seM those precious truths on the understanding,
and give to each one a living and practical interest
in them ; so that they might really know Christ to
be their Saviour and Redeemer, and that He had,
indeed, come into their hearts and set up his right
eous government there.*
* In the progress of their religious experience, they were con
vinced that they had been improperly depending on a bare belief
of what Christ had done and suffered for them when personally
on earth, and also on the ceremonies of religion, without sufficiently
2

14 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP
This was the dawning of a brighter day to their
souls ; and, as they attended in simple obedience
to the discoveries of this Divine Light, they were
gradually led to see farther into the spirituality of
the gospel dispensation. The change which it
made in their views was great, and many and deep
were their searchings of heart, trying the fleece
both wet and dry, ere they yielded; lest they
should be mistaken and put the workings of their
own imagination for the unfoldings of the Spirit
pressing after the knowledge of "Christ iu them, the hope of
glory;" to feel his righteous govemment set up in their hearts, and
the power of the Holy Spirit giving them the victory over sin in
all its motions, and qualifying them to serve God in newness of
life. They saw that the Holy Scriptures held up to the view
of Christians a state of religious advancement and stability, fei
beyond that which most of the professors of their day appeared to
aim at or admit ; a state in which sin had no more dominion over
them, because the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus had set
them free from the law of sin and death. They believed that this
was an inward work, not effected by a bare assent of the under
standing to the blessed truths contained iu the Biblfe, hearing
sermons, dipping or sprinkling in water, partaking of bread and
wine, or any other outward act, but a real change of the heart and
affections by the power of the Holy Ghost inwardly revealed, re
generating the soul, creating it anew in Christ Jesus, and making
all things pertaining to it of God.
Convinced that this great work was necessary to salvation, and
yet in great danger of being overlooked amid a round of cere
monial performances, and a high profession of belief in Christ as
the propitiation for aina, they zealously preached the doctrine of
the new birth, calling their hearers to come to Christ Jesus, the
true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,
that they might be bom again and experience Him to shine into
theil hearts, to give them " the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 15
of Christ; but as they patiently abode under its
enlightening operations, every doubt and difficulty
was removed, and they were enabled to speak,
from joyful experience, of that which they had
seen, and tasted, and handled of the good "Word
of life.
The rapid spread of the doctrines preached by
George Fox was surprising ; and among those who
embraced them were persons esteemed of the best
families in the kingdom; several priests of the
Episcopal denomination and rbinisters of other
societies; besides many other leamed and sub
stantial men. A large number of ministers, both
men and women, were soon raised up in the infant
society, who travelled abroad, as they beheved
themselves divinely called, spreading the knowl
edge of the truth, and strengthening and comfort
ing the newly convinced.* In a few years meet-
* Of these ministers, William Penn says, "They were changed
men themselves, before they went about to change others. Their
hearts were rent as well as their garments, and they knew the
power and work of God upon them." " The bent and stress of
their ministry was conversion to GroA, regeneration and holiness ;
not schemes of doctrines and verbal creeds, or new forms of wor
ship, but a leaving off in religion the superfluous and reducing the
ceremonious and formal part, and pressing eamestly the substantial,
the necessary and profitable part." " First, repentance from dead
works to serve the living God ; which comprehends three opera
tions — first, a sight of sin ; secondly, a sense and godly sorrow for
it ; thirdly, an amendment for the time to come. This was the re
pentance they preached and pressed, and a natural result from the
principle [the light and Spirit of the Lord Jesus in the soul of
man] they tumed all people unto. For of light came sight, and

16 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OF
ings were settled in nearly all parts of the United
Kingdom ; and, notwithstanding the severe perse-
of sight came sense and sorrow, and of sense and sorrow came amend
ment of life. Which doctrine of repentance leads to justification ;
that is, forgiveness of the sins that are past through Christ, the
alone propitiation ; and to the sanctification or purgation of the
soul from the defiling nature and habits of sin present ; which is
justification in the complete sense of that word ; comprehending
both justification from the guilt ofthe sins that are past, as if they
had never been committed, through the love and mercy of God in
Christ Jesus, and the creature's being made inwardly just, through
the cleansing and sanctifying power of Christ revealed in the soul,
which is commonly called sanctiflcation.
" From hence sprang a second doctrine they were led to declare,
as the mark of the prize of the high calling of all trae Christians,
viz., perfection from sin, according to the Scriptures of Tmth,
which testify it to be the end of Christ's coming, the nature ofhis
kingdom, aud for which his Spirit is given."
" Third ; to an acknowledgment of etemal rewards and punish
ments, as they have good reason, for else of aU people certainly
they must be the moat miserable ; who, for about forty years, have
been exceeding great sufferers for their profession, and in some
cases treated worse than the worst of men, yea, as the refuse and
offscouring of all things."
Stephen Crisp, speaking of the gospel labours of the early min
isters among Friends, says : "You are witnesses in how great sim
plicity and plainness of speech we have preached the word of God
among you, from the day the Lord sent us forth to this day. We
came not unto you with enticing words, we needed not logical or
philosophical demonstrations, for our testimony had the demon
stration and evidence of the Spirit of Tmth in your hearts. And
our words, or the word of God in our mouths, has not altered or
changed imto this day, but remains the same aa it ever was. The
great t'.octrine of the gospel was and is, Regeneeation, without
which there is no entrance [into the kingdom of heaven]. The
oidy means and way to attain it, was and is, that light and graca

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 17
cution to which the Society was subjected, by
which thousands were locked up in jails and dun
geons, and deprived of nearly all their property,
besides being subjected to barbarous personal
abuse, its members continued to increase, and
manifested a zeal and devotedness which excited
the admiration even of their persecutors. Their
sufferings seemed only to animate them with fresh
ardour, and to unite them more closely together in
the bond of gospel fellowship. Instances occurred
where all the parents were thrown into prison, and
the children continued to hold their meetings, un-
awed by the threats of the officers, or the cruel
whippings which some of them suffered.
As early as the year 1655, some ministers
travelled on the continent of Europe, and meet
ings of Friends were soon after settled in Holland
and other places ; some travelled into Asia, some
were carried to Africa; and several were im
prisoned in the Inquisitions of Rome, Malta, and
Hungary. About the same period the first Friends
arrived in America, at the port of Boston, and
commenced their religious labours among the peo
ple, many of whom embraced the doctrines wliich
they heard. The spirit of persecution, from which
Friends had suffered so deeply in England, made
^ts appearance in America with increased virulence
that comes by Jesus Christ, and sanctifies, und purifies, and brings
to Him, by whom the entrance is ministered into the kingdom.
These things have we declared, and these things ye have believed."
2*

18 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP
and cruelty, inflicting upon the peaceable Quakera
various punishments; and finally, four of them
were put to death by the gallows at Boston.
JSTotwithstanding the opposition they had to
encounter, the principles of Friends continued to
spread in America. Many eminent ministers, act
uated by the love of the gospel and a sense of
religious duty, came over from Great Britain, and
travelled through the country; others removed
and settled in it; and in 1682 a large number,
under the patronage of Wilham Penn, came into
the Province of Pennsylvania and founded that
flourishing colony. At that time meetings were
settled along the Atlantic provinces, from I^Torth
Carolina as far as Boston, in New England ; and,
at the present day, the largest body of Friends is
to be found in the United States.

DISCIPLINE.
"When we consider the great numbers who joined
the Society ; that, without any formal admission,
all those who embraced the principles of Friends
and attended their meetings were considered
members, as well as their children, and of course
the character of the Society was in some measure
implicated in the consistency of their conduct; the
numerous meetings which were settled, and the
wide extent of country which they embraced — it ia
obvious that the organization of the Society would

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 19
have been imperfect, without some system of
church govemment by which the conduct of the
members might be inspected and restrained.
The enlightened and comprehensive mind of
George Fox was not long in perceiving the neces
sity for this ; and he early began to make arrange
ments for carrying it into practice. Under the
guidance of the light of Christ Jesus, which had
so clearly unfolded to him the doctrines and pre
cepts of the gospel in their true spiritual character,
he commenced the arduous work of establishing
meetings for DiscipUne ; and in a few years had the
satisfaction to see his labour and concern crowned
with success, both in Europe and America. Act
uated by that Christian love which warmed his
heart towards the whole human family, but which
more especially flowed toward the household of
faith, he was very tender of the poor, and careful
to see that their necessities were duly inspected
and supphed. This principle has ever since char
acterized the Society, which cheerfully supports
its own poor, besides contributing its share to the
public burdens.
The first objects to which the attention of meet
ings for Discipline was directed, were the care of
the poor and destitute, who had been reduced to
want by persecution or by other causes ; the manner
of accomplishing marriages ; the regisfry of births
and deaths; the educating and -apprenticing of
children ; the granting of suitable certificates of

20 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP
unity and approbation for ministers who travelled.
abroad, and the preservation of an account of the
sufferings sustained by Friends in the support of
their religious principles and testimonies.
It also became necessary to establish regulations
for preserving the members in a line of conduct
consistent with their profession. In this imper
fect state of being, we are instructed from the
highest authority, that offences must needs come ;
but it does not necessarily follow, either that the
offender must be cut off from the church, or that
the reproach of his misconduct should be visited
upon the society to which he belongs. Jf, in pur
suance of those Christian means laid down in the
New Testament, l^e is brought to acknowledge
and sincerely condemn his error, a brother is
gained ; the church is freed from reproach by his
repentance and amendment of life ; and thus the
highest aim of all disciplinary regulations is at
tained. "Where these effects, however, do not re
sult from the Christian care of the church, it
becomes its duty to testify against the disorderly
conduct of the offender, and to declare that he has
separated himself from its fellowship, and is no
longer a member thereof. The views of George
Fox on this subject were marked by that simpli
city and scriptural soundness which distinguished
his whole character.
He considered the church as a harmonious and
compact body, made up of living members, having

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 21
gifts difiTering according to the measure of grace
received, yet all dependent one upon another, and
each, even the weakest and lowest, having his
proper place and service. As the very design of
religious society is the preservation, comfort, and
edification of the members, and as all have a com
mon interest in the promotion of these great ends,
he considered every faithfal member rehgiously
bound to contribute, according to his capacity,
toward their attainment. The words of our Lord
famish a short but comprehensive description of
the order instituted by him for the government
of his church : " If thy brother shall frespass
against thee, go and tell him his fault between
thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou
hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear
thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in
the mouth of two or three witnesses every word
may be established. And if he shall neglect to
hear them, tell it to the church ; but if he neglect
to hear the church, let him be to thee as a heathen
man and a publican."
Here is no Umitation o:^ this Christian care to
ministers or any other class ; but any brother, who
sees another offending, should, under a proper
qualification, admonish him in love for his good.
The language of our blessed Saviour respecting
the authority of his church, and his being in the
midst of it in the performance of its duties, is very
clear and comprehensive : " Verily I say unto you,

22 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OF
whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound
in heaven; aad whatsoever ye shall loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you,
that if two of you shall agree on earth, as touch
ing anything that they shall ask, it shall be done
for them of my Father which is in heaven. For
where two or three are gathered together in my
name, there am I in the midst of them."
This doctrine of the immediate presence of
Christ with his church, whether assembled for the
purpose of Divine worship, or for the transaction
of its disciplinary affairs, is the foundation of all
its authority. It was on this ground that George
Fox so often exhorted his fellow-believers to hold
their meetings in the power of the Lord ; all wait
ing and striving to know Christ Jesus brought into
dominion in their own hearts, and his Spirit lead
ing and guiding them in their services, that so his
living presence might be felt to preside over their
assembUes. In a church thus gathered, we cannot
doubt that the gracious Head condescends to be
in the midst, qualifying the members to worship
the Father of spirits in spirit and in truth, or
enduing them with vdsdom rightly to manage
the business which may engage their attention.
Nor can we question, that so far as they are care
ful to act in his wisdom and under his direction,
their conclusions, being in conformity with his
win, have his authority for their sanction and
support

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 23
The Discipline of the Society of Friends, estab
lished in conformity with these views, embraces
four grades of meetings, connected with and de
pendent upon each other. First, the Preparative
Meetings receive and prepare the business for the
Monthly Meetings, which are composed of one or
more Preparative Meetings, and rank next in order
above them. In the Monthly Meetings the execu
tive department of the DiscipUne is chiefly lodged.
The third grade includes Quarterly Meetings,
which. consist of several Monthly Meetings, and
exercise a supervisory care over them, examine
into their condition, and advise or assist them as
occasion may require ; — and lastly, the Yearly
Meeting, which includes the whole within a given
district, possesses exclusively the legislative power,
and annually investigates the state of the whole
body, which is brought before it by answers to
Queries, addressed to the subordinate meetings.*
In order that the Yearly Meeting and its branches
* No one is appointed president in any of the meetings for Dis
cipline of the Society ; as Friends believe that Christ Jesus alone
ought to preside, and his spirit and wisdom only to govern, iu all
such assemblies, and that no member ought to claim pre-eminence
over the rest ; though deference is to be paid to age and religions
experience. The person appointed as clerk, is to gather and re
cord the solid sense and judgment of Truth as manifested in the
meeting ; but no vote is ever taken, nor is any question decided by
numbers. No person receives any stipend or gratuity for the ser
vices performed, except where voluminous documents are to be re
corded ; for doing which, a small pecuniary compensation is some
times made.

24 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP
may be properly represented during its recess, and
on emergent occasions, a meeting is held called
the Meeting for Sufferings, consisting of a certain
number of Friends chosen by the Yearly Meeting,
and others appointed by each Quarterly Meeting,
any twelve of whom constitute a body capable cf
transacting business. Its principal duties are : to
appear on behalf of the Yearly Meeting, in all
cases where the cause of Truth, or the interests or
reputation of the Society may render it needful ;
to take the oversight and inspection of writings
proposed to be printed, relative to the religious
principles and testimonies of the Society, and to
approve or suppress them ; to inspect and explain
titles to land or other estate, and charitable lega
cies and donations, and give advice respecting
them, and to extend assistance to such members
as may be brought under suffering for the support
of the testimonies of Friends.
In eaeh Preparative Meeting there are usually
two or more Friends of each sex appointed as
Overseers of the flock, whose especial duty it is to
take cognizance of any improper conduct in the
members, and endeavour by tender and affectionate
labour to convince the offender, and bring him to
such a sense of his fault as may lead to sincere re
pentance and amendment. Violations of the Dis
cipUne by members are reported by the Overseers
to the Preparative Meeting ; and from thence, if
deemed necessary, to the Monthly Meeting, where

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 25
a Committee is usually appointed to endeavour to
convince and reclaim the deUnquent ; and if this
desirable result is not produced, a minute is made
declaring the disunity of the meeting with his
conduct, and with him until he is brought to a
sense of his error, and condemns it in a satisfactory
manner. From the decision of a Monthly Meeting, the
disowned person has the right of appeal to the
Quarterly Meeting, and if that gives a judgment
against him, he may carry his case to the Yearly
Meeting also, where it is finally determined. The
women also have Overseers, appointed to extend
Christian care and advice to their own sex; and
likewise Preparative, Monthly, Quarterly, and
Yearly Meetings, in which they transact such busi
ness as relates to the good order and preservation
of their members ; but they take no part in the
legislative proceedings of the Society; and in
difficult cases, or those of more than ordinary im
portance, they generally obtain the judgment of
the men's meeting.
Monthly Meetings also grant to such of their
members as remove within the limits of other
meetings, certificates of membership, to transfer
their rights to the Monthly Meeting removed into.
Persons desiring to be received into the Sociefy,
make application to the Overseers ; and if after
deUberate consideration they are satisfied, the case
is introduced by them to the Preparative Meeting;
3

26 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OF
where a couple 'of Friends are usually appointed to
have an interview with the applicant, and to report
on the propriety of carrying the requests to the
Monthly Meeting. "When brought there, a Com
mittee is appointed to visit the party and solidly
consider his or her fitness for membership. If
after hearing the report of this Committee, the
Monthly Meeting is satisfied that the party is sin
cerely convinced of the truth of the principles of
the Society, and is of suitable conduct and conver
sation, the request is granted.
To Monthly Meetings also belong the allowance
and oversight of the marriages of members. The
Society believes that marriage is a divine ordi-'
nance, and that none but the Lord alone can
rightly join any in this solemn covenant. It has
therefore always had a conscientious scruple against
acknowledging the authority of priests, ministers,
or magistrates, in the solemnization of marriage.
Those who intend to marry, appear together and
propose their intention to a Monthly Meeting, and
if not attended by their parents or guardians, pro
duce their consent, if living, in writing. The
meeting then appoints a Committee to inquire
whether they are clear of other marriage engage
ments, and if at the next meeting no objection is
reported, the parties have the meeting's consent to
accompUsh the marriage. This is done in a pub
Uc meeting for worship, where the parties stand
up and soleinnly take each other for husband and

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 27
wife. A certificate of -the proceedings is then pub
licly read and signed by the parties, and afterward
by the relatives and others as witnesses. Of such
marriages the Monthly Meeting keeps a record, as
also of the births and burials of its members.
Burials are conducted in a simple and unosten
tatious manner. After a tirae of quiet retirement
at the house, the body, followed by the relatives
and friends, is carried to the place of interment,
where a solemn pause is made before and after de
positing it in the grave, and sometimes ministers
of the Society who may be present are engaged
to address the company for their edification, but
no reUgious rite is considered necessary.
The Society has long borne a testimony against
affixing monuments of wood or stone to the graves
of deceased persons, and also against wearing
mourning habits, believing that these practices are
inconsistent with Christian simplicity, occasion a
needless expense, which may be oppressive to the
poor, and tend to foster a spirit of pride. It also
recommends its members to avoid all unnecessary
expense and show in the interment of the dead.
The following advice on these subjects was
issued by the Yearly Meeting in 1854, viz. :
" This meeting has been brought under much
concern in consequence of the increased expen-
siveness and show, which are gradually obtaining
a place among Friends at the time of burials. It
is painful to observe, in some instances, the costU-

28 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP
ness of the materials, and the unsuitableness of tha
attire, in which the lifeless body is arrayed, as if
to make it a spectacle for beholders, and to gratify
the pride of the living ; the needless expense in
making and lining the coffin; the unnecessarily
long train of carriages which follow it to the place
of interment ; and sometimes the large entertain
ment afterward ; as though it was intended to make
the occasion one of vain show, instead of a solemn
opportunity, the effect of which should be to hum
ble us, under a sense of our own mortality, and to
subdue every disposition which could be gratified
by display. We beUeve these things are not only
unbecoming so serious an occasion, but inconsistent
with that Christian simpUcity and moderation to
which we are called ; and we would affectionately
caution our members against them.
" It has also been cause of concern, to observe
that some of our members, not duly regarding the
ancient and approved practice of our Sociefy, have
procured places of interment which are not under
the control of Friends, and where customs are
sanctioned which are at variance with our well-
known testimonies. "We apprehend this is open
ing a door to weakness, and preparing the way for
departures from those salutary restraints, which,
in the vrisdom of Truth, have been placed around
our members, and which have so evidently tended
to preserve them in a conformity to our religioua
principles and practices. "We would therefore

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 29
tenderly entreat Friends to avoid the entangUng
effects consequent on such a course, and be wilUng
to conform to the regulations of Society in this
respect. " The infroduction of monuments of wood or
stone into our graveyards has, at this time, claimed
renewed attention, and, agreeably to former recom
mendations, we are again engaged to discourage
the practice, and request meetings to carry into
effect, in the spirit of Christian love, and as far as
they have control of the burying-grounds, the ad
vice heretofore given on this subject, as contained
in the Discipline. We trust, also, that all our dear
Friends will receive the word of tender admoni
tion, and refrain from everything which is contrary
to our ancient testimony on this subject."
The Society of Friends esteems it a Christian
dufy, to see that all its poor members, who are un
able to maintain themselves, are properly provided
for. None is ever permitted to become chargeable
to the public. In each Monthly Meeting, a Com
mittee of men and women Friends is appointed,
whose special business it is to inspect into the
necessities of the poor, and give such relief as
may be proper out of the ftinds of the meeting ;
taking care, however, that they do not encourage
in any an idle or improvident disposition, or an
improper dependence on the aid of others with
out sufficiently exerting themselves to procure a
livelihood. To meet these and other expenses, the
3*

30 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP
members are encouraged to make voluntary con
tributions to the stock ofthe meeting, "not grudg
ingly or of necessify, but as cheerful givers."
The subject of affording the means of a good
Uterary and religious education to the children of
all its members, has, from the earUest rise of the
Society, engaged its earnest attention.
Monthly Meetings are enjoined to see that the
children of poor Friends are schooled without
cost to their parents ; and they are encouraged to
promote the establishment within their borders of
good seminaries of learhing, taught by members
of the Sociefy, where the moral and religious
training of the pupils, as weU as their literary in
struction, may be attended to, and to which the
children of all their members may have free access.
Monthly Meetings are required annually to answer
queries, asking whether they are careful in these
respects. There are distinct meetings for the care and help
of the ministry, composed of Ministers and Elders;
the latter being prudent and solid members, chosen
specially to watch over the ministers for their good,
and to admonish or advise them for their help. In
these meetings the men and women meet together;
they are called Meetings of Ministers and Elders,
and are divided into Preparative, Quarterly, and
Yearly. The Preparative Meetings send to the
Quarterly Meetings of Ministers and Elders an
swers to queries relative to their state and the con-

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 31
dorrt of the members, and the Quarterly likewise
answer them to the Yearly Meeting of Ministers
and Elders ; but none of these meetings have any
power to change the discipUne, nor do they inter
fere with the business of any meeting for discip
line. Ministers and Elders, in common with other
members, take part in the proceedings of meet
ings for discipline, and are equally accountable with
others for any violation of the rules of the Society.*
* In the year 1827, a portion of the members in some of the
American Yearly Meetings seceded from the Society, and set up
a distinct and independent association, but still holding to the
name of Friends. The document issued by the first meeting they
held, bearing date on the 21st of 4th month, 1827, and stating the
causes of their secrasion, says, " Doctrines held by one part of
l,he Society, which we believe to be sound and edifying, are pro
nounced by the other part to be unsound and spurious." The doc
trines here alluded to were certain opinions promiilgated by Eliaa
Hicks, denying or invalidating the miraculous conception, divinity^
and atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ, and also the authenticity
and divine authority of the Holy Scriptures.

32 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OF

DOCTRINES.
The doctrines of the Society may be brie^j
stated as follows :
OF THE HOLT THREE THAT BEAR RECORD IN HEAVEN.
Friends believe in one only wise, omnipotent,
and everlasting God, the creator and upholder of
all things, visible and invisible ; and in one Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, the Mediator
between God and man; and in the Holy Spirit
which proceedeth from the Father and the Son ;
one God blessed forever. In expressing their
views relative to the awful and mysterious doctrine
of " The Three that bear record in heaven," they
have carefully avoided the use of unscriptural
terms, invented to define Him who is undefinable,
and have scrupulously adhered to the safe and
simple languag' of Holy Scripture, as contained in
Matt, xxviii. 18, 19; 1 John v. 7.*
* See Appendix A.

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 33
CONCERNING OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
They own and beUeve in Christ Jesus, the be
loved and only-begotten Son of God, who was con
ceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin
Mary, In him we have redemption, through his
blood, even the forgiveness of sins ; who is the ex
press image of the invisible God, the first-born of
every creature, by whom all things were created
that are in heaven or in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, dominions, principaUties,
or powers.
They also beUeve that He was made a sacrifice
for sin, who knew no sin, neither was guile found
in his mouth ; that He was crucified for mankind,
in the flesh, vdthout the gates of Jerusalem ; that
He was buried, and rose again the third day, by
the power ofthe Father, for our justiflcation; and
that He ascended up into heaven, and now sitteth
at the right hand of God, our holy Mediator, Ad
vocate, and Intercessor, They believe that He
alone is the Redeemer and Saviour of man, the
Captain of Salvation, who saves from sin as well
as from hell and the wrath to come, and destroys
the works of the devil. He is the Seed of the
woman that bruises the serpent's head, even Christ
Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.
He is, as the scriptures of fruth say of him, our
wisdom, righteousness, justification, and redemp
tion ; neither is there salvation in any other, for

34 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP
there is no other name under heaven given among
men whereby we may be saved.
The Society of Friends has uniformly declared
their belief in the divinify and manhood of the
Lord Jesus : that He was both true God and per
fect man ; and that his sacrifice of himself upon
the cross was a propitiation and atonement for the|
sins of the whole world ; and that the remission of
sins which any partake of, is only in, and by virtue
of, that most satisfactory sacrifice, and no other
wise,* 01 THE HOLY SPIRIT,
Friends beUeve also in the Holy Spirit, or Com
forter, the promise of the Father, whom Christ de
clared He would send in his name, to lead and
guide his followers into all truth, to teach them
all things, and to bring all things to their remem
brance. A manifestation of this Spirit they believe
is given to every man to profit withal ; that it con
victs for sin, and, as obeyed, gives power to the
soul to overcome and forsake it. It opens to the
mind the mysteries of salvation, enables it savingly
to understand the truths recorded in the Holy
Scriptures, and gives it the living, practical, and
heartfelt experience of those things which pertain
to its everlasting welfare. They believe that the
saving knowledge of God and Christ cannot be
attained in any other way than by the revelation
* See Appendix B.

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 35
of this Spirit ; — for the apostle says, " "What man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of
man which is in him ? Even so the things of God
knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we
have received not the spirit of the world, but the
Spirit which is of God, that we might know the
things which are freely given us of God." K
therefore the things which properly appertain to
man cannot be discemed by any lower principle
than the spirit of man, those things wliich pro
perly relate to Qod and Christ, cannot be known
by any power inferior to that of the Holy Spirit.*
OF THE HOLT SCRIPTURES.
The religious Sociefy of Friends has always be
lieved that the Holy Scriptures were written by
divine inspiration, and contain a declaration of all
the fundamental doctrines and principles relating
to etemal life and salvation ; and that whatsoever
doctrine or practice is confrary to them, is to be
rejected as feilse and erroneous; that they are a
declaration of the mind and wiU of God, in and
to the several ages in which they were written,
and are obUgatoiy on us, and are to be read,
beUeved, and fulfiUed by the assistance of divine
grace. Though it does not call them " the "Word
of God," beUeving that epithet pecuUarly appUca
ble to the Lord Jesus ; yet it beUeves them to be
* See Appendix 0.

36 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP
the words of God, written by holy men as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost ; that they were
written for our learning, that we, through patience
and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope ;
and that they are able to make wise unto salvation,
through faith which is in Christ Jesus. It looks
upon them as the only fit outward judge and test
of controversies among Christians, and is very
willing that all its doctrines and practices should
be tried by them, freely admitting that whatso
ever any do, pretending to the Spirit, which is con
trary to the Scriptures, be condemned as a delu
sion of the devil.* OF THE FALL OF MAN.
They believe that man was created in the image
of God, capable of understanding the divine law,
and of holding communion with his Maker.
Through transgression he fell from this blessed
state, and lost the heavenly image. His posterify
come into the world in the image of the earthly
man ; and, until renewed by the quickening and
regenerating power of the heavenly man, Christ
Jesus, manifested in the soul, they are fallen, de
generated, and dead to the divine life in which
Adam originally stood, and are subject to the
power, nature, and seed of the serpent; and not
only their words and deeds, but their imaginations,
* See Appendix D.

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 37
are evil perpetually in the sight of God. Man,
therefore, in this state can know nothing aright
conceming God. His thoughts and conceptions
of spiritual things, until he is disjoined from this
evil seed, and united to the divine Ught, Christ
Jesus, are unprofitable to himself and to others.
But while it entertains these views of the lost
and undone condition of man in the fall, the
Sociefy does not beUeve that mankind are punish
able for Adam's sin, or that we partake of his
guilt, until we make it our own by fransgression
of the divine law.
For however early children give evidence of
the effects of the fall, and of a sinful nature, they
cannot be sinners from their birth, because there
can be no sin where there is no fransgression ; and
where there is not a capacify to receive a law, it
cannot be fransgressed. The testimony of the
apostle is very positive to this point ; " "WTiere no
law is, there is no fransgression ; " " but sin is not
imputed where there is no law." To account a
child guilty or obnoxious to punishment, merely
for an offence committed by its parents, before it
could have any consciousness of being, is incon
sistent both with justice and mercy; therefore no
infant can be born with guilt upon its head.
Those are by nature children of wrath who walk
according to the prince of the power of the afr,
the spirit that worketh in the hearts of the chil
dren of disobedience. , Here the apostle gives their
4

38 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP
evil walkng, and not anything which is not re
duced to act, as a reason of their being children
of wrath. Besides the natural aUenation from the
internal life of God, as they become capable of
distinguishing the monitions of Truth in their
consciences, the bonds of corruption are often
strengthened by habitual indulgence of the carnal
propensities against the sense of duty, and thus
all who have arrived at such a degree of maturity
as to be convinced of right and wrong, have sinned
and come short of the glory of God.
But whatever Adam's posterity lost throxigh him,
is fully made up to them in Christ; and undoubtedly
his mercy and goodness, and the extent of his pro
pitiation, are as applicable to infants who have
not personally offended, as to adults who have;
and Uttle children who are taken away before they
have sinned, may with perfect confidence be re
signed as entirely safe in the arms of their
Saviour, who declared "of such is the kingdom
of heaven." *
OF THE RESTORATION OP MAN, IN AND THROUGH OUR
LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND JUSTIFICATION BY HIS
PROPITIATORT SACRIFICE.
God, who out of his infinite love sent his Sou,
the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world ^ to taste
* See Barclay's Apology anr ^ipps' Original and Present State
of Man.

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OP FRIENDS, 39
death for every man, hath granted to all men, of
whatever nation or country, a day or time of visi
tation, during which it is possible for them to par
take of the benefits of Christ's death, and be saved.
For this end He hath communicated to every man
a measure of the Ught of his own Son, a measure
of grace or the Holy Spirit, by which He invites,
calls, exhorts, and strives with every man, in order
to save him ; which Ught or grace, as it is received
and not resisted, works the salvation of aU, even
of those who are ignorant of Adam's fall, and of
the death and sufferings of Christ ; both by bring
ing them to a sense of their own misery, and to
be sharers in the sufferings of Christ, inwardly;
and by making them partakers of his resurrection,
in becoming holy, pure, and righteous, and re
covered out of their sins. By which also those are
saved that have the knowledge of Christ outwardly,
in that it opens their understandings rightly to use
and apply the things delivered in the Scriptures, and
to receive the saving use of them. But this Holy
Spirit, or Ught of Christ, may be resisted and re
jected; in which, then, God is said to be resisted
and pressed down, and Christ to be again crucified
and put to open shame ; and to those who thus re
sist and refiise him. He becomes their condemna
tion. As many as resist not the light, or Holy Spirit
of Christ Jesus, but receive and walk therein, it
becomes ia them a holy, pure, and spiritual birth,

40 A CONCISE ACCOU»(T OF
bringing forth hoUness, righteousness, and purity,
and all those other blessed fruits which are accept
able to God ; by which holy birth, viz,, Jesus Christ
formed within us, and -working his works in us, as
we are sanctified, so we are justified in the sight
of God ; according to the apostle's words : " But
ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are
justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by
the Spirit of our God," Therefore, it is not by
our works, wrought in our will, nor yet by good
works considered as of themselves, that we are
justified, but by Christ, who is both the gift and
the giver, and the cause producing the effect in us.
As He hath reconciled us while we were enemies,
so doth He also in his wisdom, save and justify us
after this manner ; as saith the same apostle else
where : " Not by works of righteousness which we
have done, but according to his mercy He saved
us, by the washing of regeneration and renevring
of the Holy Ghost ; which He shed on us abund
antly through Jesus Christ, our Saviour, that,
being justified by his grace, we should be made
heirs aecording to the hope of eternal Ufe."
We renounce all natural power and abiUty in
ourselves, to bring us out of our lost and fallen
condition and first nature, and confess that as of
ourselves we are able to do nothing that is good,
so neither can we procure remission of sins or
justification by any act of our own, so as to merit
it, or to draw it as a debt from God due to us; but

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 41
we acknowledge all to be of and from his love,
which is the original and ftmdamental cause of our
acceptance. God manifested his love toward us
in the sending of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ, into the world, who gave himself an offer
ing for us and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smell
ing savour ; and having made peace through the
blood of the cross, that He might reconcile us unto
himself, and by the etemal Spirit offered himself
without spot unto God, He suffered for our sins,
the just for the unjust, that He might bring us unto
God. In a word, if justification be considered in its
full and just latitude, neither Christ's work with
out us, in the prepared body, nor his work within
us, by his Holy Spirit, is to be excluded; for both
have their place and service in our complete justi
fication. By the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ
without us, we, truly repenting and believing, are,
through the mercy of God, justified from the im
putation of sins and fransgressions that are past,
as though they had never been committed ; and by
the mighfy work of Christ within us, the power,
nature, and habits of sin are destroyed; that, as
sin once reigned unto death, even so now grace
reigneth, through righteousness, unto eternal life,
by Jesus Christ our Lord. All this is effected, not
by a bare or naked act of faith, separate from obe
dience, but in the obedience of faith; Christ being
4*

42 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP
the author of eternal salvation to none but thoB«
that obey him.*
OF THE RESURRECTION AND LAST JUDGMENT.
The Society of Friends believes that there will
be a resurrection both of the righteous and the
wicked; the one to eternal Ufe and blessedness,
and the other to everlasting misery and torment ;
agreeably to Matt. xxv. 31-46 ; John v. 25-80 ; 1
Cor. XV. 12-58. That God will judge the world
by that man whom He hath ordained, even Christ
Jesus the Lord, who will render unto every man
according to his works ; to them who by patient
continuing in well-doing during this life seek for
glory and honour. He will give immortality and
etemal life ; but unto the contentious and disobe
dient, who obey not the Truth, but obey unright
eousness, indignation, and wrath ; tribulation and
anguish upon every soul of man that sinneth ; for
God is no respecter of persons,
BAPTISM AND THE SUPPER.
As there is one Lord and one faith, so there is
but one baptism, of which the water baptism of
John was a figure. The baptism which belongs
to the gospel, the Society of Friends believes, is
" not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but
the answer of a good conscience toward God, by
* See Appendix E.

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 43
the resurrection of Jesus Christ." This answer of
a good conscience can only be produced by the
purifying operation of the Holy Spirit, fransform-
ing and renewing the heart, and bringing the wiU
into conformify to the divine will. The distinc
tion between Christ's baptism and that of water is
clearly poiuted out by John: "I indeed baptize
you with water unto repentance: but He that
cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I
am not worthy to bear: He shaU baptize you with
the Holy Ghost and fire : whose fan is in his hand,
and He will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather
his wheat into the gamer; but He wiU burn up the
chaff with unquenchable fire."
In conformify with this declaration, the Sociefy
holds that the baptism which now saves is inward
and spiritual ; that frue Christians are " baptized
by one Spirit into one body; " that " as many as
are baptized into Christ have put on Christ; " and
that " if any man be in Christ, he is a new crea
ture : old things are passed away, behold all things
are become new, and all things of God."
Respecting the communion of the body and
blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sociefy of
Friends believes that it is inward and spiritual — a
real participation ofhis divine nature through faith
in Him and obedience to the power of the Holy
Ghost, by which the soul is enabled daily to feed
upon the flesh and blood of our crucified and risen
Lord, and is thus nourished and sti-engthened.

44 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP
Of this spiritual communion, the breaking of
bread and drinking of wine by our Saviour with
his disciples were figurative; the true Christian
supper being that set forth in the Revelations :
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any
man hear my voice and open the door, I will come
in to him and will sup with him, and he with

me.

» *

ON WORSHIP.

As the Lord Jesus declared, " Without me ye
can do nothing," the Society of Friends holds the
doctrine, that man can do nothing that tends to
the glory of God and his own salvation, without
the immediate assistance of the Spirit of Christ ;
and that this aid is especially necessary in the per
formance of the highest act of which he is capable,
even the worship of the Almighfy. This worship
must be in spirit and in truth; an intercourse
between the soul and its great Creator, which is
not dependent upon, or necessarily connected with,
anything which one man can do for another. It is
the practice therefore of the Society to sit down in
solemn silence to worship God ; that each one may
be engaged to gather inward to the gift of divine
grace, in order to experience ability reverently to
wait upon the Father of spirits, and to offer unto
Him through Christ Jesus, our holy Mediator, a
sacrifice well pleasing in his sight, whether it ba
* See Appendix F.

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 45
in silent mental adoration, the secret breathing of
the soul unto Him, the public ministry of the
gospel, or vocal prayer or thanksgiving. Those,
who are thus gathered, are the frue worshippers,
" who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ
Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." *
OF THE MINISTRT OF THE GOSPEL.
In relation to the ministry of the gospel, the
Sociefy holds that the authority and quaUfication
for this important work are the special gift of
Christ Jesus, the great Head of the church, be
stowed upon both men and women, vpithout dis
tinction of rank, talent, or learning. This gift
must be received immediately from Him, through
the revelation of his Spirit in the heart ; agreeably
to the declarations of the apostle : " He gave some
apostles, and some prophets, and some evangeUsts,
and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting
of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ." " To one
is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom, to
another the word of knowledge, by the same
Spirit; to another faith; to another the gifts of
healing ; to another the working of miracles ; to
another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits;
to another divers kinds of tongues ; to another the
interpretation of tongues; but all these worketh
* See Appendix Oc.

46 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP
that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every
man severally as he will." " If any man speak,
let him speak as the oracles of God ; if any man
minister, let him do it as of the abiUty which God
giveth; that God in all things may be glorified
through Jesus Christ."
Viewing the command of our Saviour, " Freely
ye have received, freely give," as of lasting obU
gation upon all his ministers, the Sociefy has, from
the first, steadfastly maintained the doctrine that
the Gospel is to be preached without money and
without price, and has bome a constant and faithful
testimony, through much suffering, against a man-
made, hireling ministry, which derives its qualifica
tion and authority from human learning and ordi
nation ; which does not recognize a direct divine
call to this solemn work, or acknowledge its de
pendence, for the performance of it, upon the re
newed motions and assistance of the Holy Spirit.
"Where a minister believes himself called to re
ligious service abroad, the expense of accompUsh
ing which is beyond his means, if his brethren
unite with his engaging in it and set him at liberty
therefor, the meeting he belongs to is required to
see that the service be not hindered for want of
pecuniary means. OF WAR.
The Society of Friends beUeves that war is
wholly at variance with the spirit of the gospel,
which continually breathes peace on earth and

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETf^ JP FRIENDS. 47
good-will to men. That, as the reign of the Prince
of peace comes to be set up in the hearts of men,
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more. They
receive, in thefr fuU signification, the plain and
positive commands of Christ: "I say unto you
that ye resist not evil," — " love your enemies ;
bless them that curse you ; do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use
you and persecute you, that ye may be the chil
dren of your Father which is in heaven." They
consider these to be binding on every Christian,
and that the observance of them would eradicate
from the human heart those malevolent passions
which engender strife and warfare.*
It being the nature and design of the Christian
reUgion to subject the angry and revengeful pas
sions of human nature to its benign influence and
government, those who have folly submitted to
its transforming power, must necessarily be re
deemed from the spirit in which wars and fighting
originate. The gospel of Christ is a message of
universal love and peace, and the precepts of ita
divine Author entirely preclude the indulgence of
a disposition which would resent an injury or in
flict one upon a fellow-creature. Ye have heard,
says He, " that it hath been said, an eye for an eye,
* The reader who may wish to see this subject ably treated at
length, is referred to "An Inquiry into the acootdancy of War
with Christianity, &c^" by Jonathan Dymond.

48 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP
and a tooth for a tooth ; but I say unto you that ye
resist not evil ; but whosoever shall smite thee on
thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." K
then we would be children of God, and joint heirs
with Christ, we must love our enemies instead of
hating them, do good to them, instead of injur
ing them; and not seek to avenge ourselves for
wrongs which may be inflicted upon us.
It is also worthy of our serious consideration,
that in our Lord's instructions on the subject of
prayer, we are taught that the measure of the for
giveness which we receive from our heavenly
Father, will be that which we exercise toward our
fellow-men. " Forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors." " And when ye stand praying, for
give, if ye have aught against any, that your
Father also, which is in heaven, may forgive you
your trespasses." "But if ye forgive not men
their trespasses, neither vrill your heavenly Father
forgive you." Thus it is evident, that the spirit
of the gospel is that of unfeigned love and for
giveness; and wherever these plain and unalter
able commands of Christ are duly regarded, strife,
malevolence, and discord must come to an end ;
" violence will no more be heard in the land, wast
ing or destruction within its borders ; " but the
prediction will be fulfilled, " they shall beat their
swords into plough-shares, and their spears into
pruning-hooks." When we contemplate these blessed effects ofthe

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 49
rehgion of the Prince of peace, and contrast them
with the fierce and cruel passions which rage upon
the battle-field ; the injuries inflicted by man upon
his fellow ; how many immortal spirits are hurried
unprepared into an awful eternify, — guilfy, per
haps, of a brother's blood ; the cry of the mourn
ing widow and of the bereaved orphan ; how
mournful is the prospect, and how deeply is it to
be deplored, that any of the professors of the
Christian name should countenance a system so
directly opposed to the precepts of Christ, and so
offensive in the sight of. heaven.
ON OATHS.
In the same manner the Sociefy beUeves itself
bound by the express command of our Lord:
" Swear not at all, but let your communication be
yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than
these cometh of evil : " and that of the apostle
James : " But above all things, my brethren, swear
not; neither by heaven, neither by the earth,
neither by any other oath ; but let your yea be
yea, and your nay nay, lest ye fall into condemna
tion ; " and therefore its members refuse, for con-
seience' sake, either to administer or to take an
oath. OF PUBLIC FASTS AND THE FIRST DAT OF THE WEEK.
Consistently with its belief in the purity and
spirituaUfy of the gospel, the Sociefy cannot con-
6

60 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OF
scientiously unite in the observance of public
fasts, and feasts, and holy days, set up in the will
of man. It believes that the fast we are called to,
is not bowing the head as a bulrush for a day, and
abstaining from meats or drinks ; but a continued
fasting from everything of a sinful nature, which
would unfit the soul for being the temple of the
Hofy Ghost. It holds, that under the gospel dis
pensation there is no inherent holiness in any one
day above another, but that every day is to be
kept ahke holy, by denying ourselves, taking up
our cross daily, and following Christ. Hence it
cannot pay a superstitious reverence to the first
day of the week ; but inasmuch as it is necessary
that some time should be set apart to meet to
gether to wait upon God, and as it is fit that at
some times we should be freed from our worldly
affairs, and as it is reasonable and just that ser.
vants and beasts should have some time allowed
them for rest from their labour ; and as it appeara
that the apostles and primitive Christians used the
first day of the week for these purposes ; the So
ciefy, therefore, observes this day as a season of
cessation from all unnecessary labour, and for reU
gious retirement and waiting upon God ; yet not
80 as to pre\'ent them from meeting on other daya
of the week for divine worship.

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 51

AND THE USE OP ARDENT SPIRITS,
The Sociefy has long borne a testimony against
the crying sin of enslaving the human species, as
entirely at variance with the commands of our
Saviour, and the spirit of the Christian religion.
When we remember that the victims of this
system of wickedness and cruelty are our brethren ;
children of the same universal parent ; for whose
souls Christ died as well as for ours, and that they
are designed to be fellow-heirs with us of immortal
ity and eternal life, the sufferings, the degradation,
and the wrongs they endure, cannot but awaken
our sympathies, and incite the inquiry what the
Lord is calUng for at our hands, in their behalf.
The sin of slavery, vrith its multitude of attendant
evils, hangs as a dark cloud over our land, and
portends the approaching infliction of divine
judgments.* We believe, that as the spirit of the
gospel is sneered to prevail among the professors
of the sacred narae of Christ, it will bring with it
peace on earth and good-will to men, vrithout dis
tinction of nation or colour; — "will loose the
bands of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens,
break every yoke, and let the oppressed go free."
Friends also bear a steady testimony against
the unnecessary distillation and use of spirituous
Uquors, and against deaUng in them.
* This was written prior to the Bebellion, which terminated
slavery.

52 A CONCISE ACCOUNT OP

MA6ISTRACT AND LAW,
Friends believe magistracy or civil government
to be God's ordinance, the good ends thereof being
for the punishment of evil-doers, and the praise of
them that do well. While they feel themselves
restrained by the pacific principles of the gospel
from joining in any warlike measures to pull down,
set up, or defend any particular government, they
consider it a duty to live peaceably under what
ever form of government it shall please Divine
Providence to permit to be set up over them ; to
obey the laws so far as they do not violate their
consciences; and, where an active compliance
would infringe on their reUgious principles, to
endure patiently the penalties imposed upon them.
The Sociefy discourages its members from accept
ing posts or offices in civil govemment which ex
pose them to the danger of violating our Christian
testimonies against war, oaths, &c., and also frora
engaging in political strife and party heats and
disputes, believing that the work to which we are
particularly called, is to labour for the spread of
the peaceful reign of the Messiah,
It also forbids its members to go to law with
each other; enjoining them to settle their disputes,
if any arise, through the arbitration of their
brethren ; and if peculiar circumstances, such as
the cases of executors, trustees, &c., render this
course impracticable or unsafe, and liberty is ob-

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 53
tained to bring the raatter into court, that they
should on such occasions, as well as in suits with
other persons, conduct theraselves with modera
tion and forbearance, without anger or animosify ;
and in their whole demeanor evince that they are
under the govemment of a divine principle, and that
nothing but the necessify of the case brings them
there. ON MODERATION, AMUSEMENTS, AND FASHIONS.
In conformity with the precepts and examples
of the apostles and primitive beUevers, the Sociefy
enjoins upon its raerabers a simple and unostenta
tious mode of hving, free frora needless care and
expense ; raoderation in the pursuit of business ;
and that they discountenance lotteries of every
kind, music, dancing, stage-plays, horse-races, and
all other vain and unprofitable amusements; as
well as the changeable fashions and manners of the
world, in dress, language, or the furniture of their
houses ; that, daily Uving in the fear of God and
under the power of the cross of Christ, which cru
cifies to the world and aU its lusts, they raay show
forth a conduct and conversation becoraing their
Christian profession, and adorn the doctrine of
God our Saviour in all things.*
* See Appendix H.
6 •

APPEN])IX.

A DISTINGUISHING trait in the character of
the primitive Friends, was the earnestness
with which they enforced, both by example and
precept, the indispensable obligation of a life of
hoUness in the fear of God. "While they felt the
necessify of having a sound and firm belief in all
the docfrines of the Christian reUgion as set forth
in the Holy Scriptures, they were also convinced
that unless this belief was carried out in the daily
walk and conversation, and accompanied by those
fruits of the Spirit which are the evidences of frue
faith, as well as the ornament of the Christian, it
would be of Uttle avail.
Recognizing in its full extent the declaration,
" Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdora of God," and the test laid down by the
Saviour of men, " By their fruits shall ye know
them ; " as well as his solemn words, " Not every
one that saith unto me. Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the
will of my Father which is in heaven," they were
concerned to warn all against the delusive notion
64

APPENDIX. 65
that men might Uve in sin, and in the indulgence
of thefr carnal wills and appetites, and yet be
saved by a professed dependence on what the Lord
Jesus Christ haa graciously done in his flesh for
the redemption of mankind.
They were plain, practical, self-denying men and
women, deeply and earnestly engaged to walk in
the obedience of faith to aU the reqmreraents of
the Divine law; and thefr minds being enUghtened
from on high to see the frue spiritual nature and
the transforming effects of the reUgion of the
gospel, they apprehended that many of its pro
fessors were resting thefr hopes of 'salvation in a
mere assent of the understanding to the fruths re
corded in the Holy Scriptures, and in the compU-
ance with outward ceremonies, without bringing
forth those "good works which were before or
dained that we should walk in thera," The in
ward life of righteousness in the daily fear of God,
being the great object of their eamest concern and
engagement, both for themselves and others, they
called on thefr hearers to corae home into thefr
own hearts, and examine, in the Ught which Christ
gives, whether they were clean and pure, or defiled
and unholy.
With no less earnestness they pressed upon aU
the necessify of a close attention and obedience to
the teachings of the Spirit of Truth in the heart,
as the great enUghtener and sanctifier of man, and
bis guide in things pertaining to salvation ; as the

66 APPENDIX.
frue Ught by which every one might come to see
his own state, as seen by the Searcher of hearts,
and be shown the way to corae out of the thraldom
of sin into the glorious liberty of the children of
God. They invited men to come to and believe in
Christ Jesus the Lord, not only as testified of in
the Bible as the Redeemer, Propitiation, Mediator,
and Intercessor with the Father for lost fallen man,
but also as He reveals hiraself in the heart by his
Spirit, as the true Light ; showing raan his undone
condition in the fall, and the means by which he
may be brou^t out of it, by being bom again of
the Spirit ; and also as a swift witness against evil,
and a comforter for well doing. Esteeming this
knowledge as the very essence of true religion,
they dwelt much upon it in their ministry and
writings, and even in their dying sayings enjoined
it on their hearers, as of the first iraportance to all
who hoped for salvation.
The views here portrayed soraetiraes led the op
ponents ofthe early Friends, through prejudice or
misunderstanding, to charge them with slighting
or undervaluing, or with saying but Uttle about the
work of the Lord Jesus Christ in his outward ap
pearance for man's sake, and with depending for
salvation on their own good works. Such charges
they steadfastly denied, declaring that they had
Uving faith in Him, as the only Saviour and Re
deemer, a reverent esteem for all his holy offices,

APPENDIX. 67
and that they looked and hoped for salvation only
in and through Him.
In order further to iUustrate and confirm the
views contained in the foregoing pages, the foUow
ing extracts are submitted to the attention of the
reader. Some of thera are taken frora Declarations
of Faith or other official docuraents, issued either
by the Sociefy itself or with its sanction, and
others from authors whose writings have been ap
proved. A.
Of the Holy Three that bear Record in Heaven.
In a work entitled '.' An Answer to all such as
falsely say the Quakers are no Christians," George
Fox has these remarks, viz. :
" We own the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost, as the apostles have declared."
" It is the Spirit that beareth witness, because
the Spirit is Truth ; for there are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the
Holy Ghost, and these Three are one ; and there
are Three which bear record in earth, &c., which
we ovm, 1 John v. 6, 7. And now let none be
offended, because we do not caU them by those
unscriptural naraes of Trinify, and Three Persons,
which are not Scripture words ; and so do falsely
say that we deny the Father, the Word, and the
Holy Ghost, which Three are one that bear record
in heaven, &c., which Three we own with aU our

58 THE HOLY THREE
hearts, as the Apostle John did, and as all frue
Christians ever did, and now do ; an i if you say
we are not Christians, because we do not call the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the Trinity, distinct
and separate persons ; then you may as well con
clude that John was no Christian, who did not
give the Father, Word, and Holy Ghost, these
names. " We believe concerning God the Father, Son,
and Spirit, according to the testimony of the Holy
Scripture, which we receive and embrace as the
most authentic and perfect declaration of Christian
faith, being indited by the Holy Spirit of God,
that never errs : 1st, That there is one God and
Father, of whom are all things ; 2dly, That there
is one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom all things were
made, John i. and xvii. and Rom. ix., who was
glorified with the Father before the world began,
who is God over all, blessed forever, John xiv.
That there is one Holy Spirit, the promise of the
Father and the Son, and leader, and sanctifier, and
comforter of his people, 1 John v. And we fur
ther beUeve, as the Holy Scriptures soundly and
sufficiently express, that these Three are one, even
the Father, the Word, and Spirit."
In the " Testimony to the Truth, as held by the
people called Quakers," William Penn says: " Con
cerning the Father, the Word, and the Spirit.
Because we have been very cautious in expressing
our faith concerning that great mystery, especially

THAT BEAR RECORD IN HEAVEN. 59
in such school terms and philosophical distinctions
as are unscriptural, if not unsound, (the tendency
whereof hath been, to raise frivolous confroversies
and animosities araongst men,) we have, by those
that desfre to lessen our Christian reputation, been
represented as deniers of the Trinify at large :
whereas we ever beUeved, and as constantly main
tained, the truth of that blessed Holy Scripture
Three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the
Word, and the Spirit, and that these Three are
One ; the which we both sincerely and reverently
beUeve, according to 1 John v. 7. And this is
sufficient for us to beUeve and know, and hath a
tendency to edification and hoUness; when the
contrary cenfres only in imaginations, and strife,
and persecution, where it runs high and to parties,
as may be read in bloody characters in the ecclesi
astical histories."
George Whitehead thus sets forth the belief of
the Sociefy of Friends on this subject, viz. :
" The Holy Scripture Trinify, or Three thereby
meant, we never questioned, but believed; as also
the unify of Essence; that they are one substance,
one Divine infinite Being, and also we question
not, but sincerely believe, the relative properties
of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, according to Holy
Scripture testimony. Matt, xxviii. 19, and that these
Three are One, 1 John v. 7."
A Declaration of Faith drawn up in the form
of question and answer, and presented to the Par-

60 THE DIVINITY AND OFFICES OP
liament of Great Britain in 1689, by the Society
of Friends, contains the following, viz. :
" Q. "What's your belief concerning the blessed
Trinity, as our term is ?
" Answer. Our belief is, that iu the unify of
the Godhead there is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
being those Three Divine Witnesses that bear re
cord in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the
Holy Spirit, and that these Three are one, accord
ing to Holy Scripture testimony." B.
Of the Divinity and offices of the Lord Jesus Christ.
George Fox, in his Journal, writes as follows,
viz.: " Priest Stevens asked rae, ' "Why Christ cried
out upon the cross, " My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken rae ? " ' and why He said, ' If it be
possible, let this cup pass frora me, yet not my will
but thine be done ? ' I told him, at that time the
sins of all mankind were upon Him, and their
iniquities and transgressions, with which He was
wounded ; which He was to bear, and to be an
offering for, as He was man, but died not as He
was God ; so in that He died for all men, tasting
death for every man. He was an offering for the
sins of the whole world. This I spoke, being
at that time, in a measure, sensible of Christ's
suffeiings."

OP THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. 61
In a letter to the govemor and council of Bar
badoes, written on behalf of the Sociefy of Friends,
to clear it from some malicious raisrepreseatations,
he says :
" We own and believe in the Only, Wise, Om
nipotent, and Everlasting God, the Creator of all
things in heaven and earth, and the Preserver of
all that He hath made ; who is God over all blessed
forever, to whom be all honour, glory, dominion,
praise, and thanksgiving, both now and for ever
more! " And we own and beUeve in Jesus Christ, his
beloved and only-begotten Son, in whom He is
well pleased, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost
and bom of the Virgin Mary ; in whom we have
redemption through his blood, even the forgive
ness of sins ; who is the express image of the in
visible God, the First Born of every creature ; by
whora were all things created that are in heaven
and in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, dominions, principaUties, or powers, all
things were created by Him.
" And we own and beUeve that He was raade a
sacrifice for sin, who knew no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth ; that He was crucified for us,
in the fiesh, without the gates of Jerusalem ; and
that He was buried and rose again the third day,
by the power of his Father, for our justification,
and that He ascended up into heaven, aid now
sitteth at the right hand of God.
6

62 THE DIVINITY AND OFFICES
" This Jesus, who was the foundation of the
holy prophets and apostles, is our foundation ; and
we beUeve there is no other foundation to be laid,
but that which is laid, even Christ Jesus, who
tasted death for every man, shed his blood for all
raen ; is the propitiation for our sins, and not for
ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world :
according as John the Baptist testified of Him,
when he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God that
taketh away the sins of the world.' John i.
29. " We beUeve that He alone is our Redeemer and
Saviour, the Captain of our Salvation, who saves
us frora sin, as well as frora hell and the wrath to
come, and destroys the devil and his works ; He is
the seed of the woman, that bruises the serpent's
head, viz., Christ Jesus, the Alpha and Omega,
the flrst and the last. He is, as the Scriptures of
Truth say of him, our wisdom, righteousness, justi
fication, and redemption; neither is there salva
tion in any other, for there is no other narae under
heaven, given among raen, whereby we may be
saved. " He alone is the Shepherd and Bishop of our
souls : He is our Prophet whom Moses long since
testified of, saying, ' A Prophet shall the Lord your
God raise up unto you, of your brethren, Uke unto
me ; Him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever
He shall say unto you : ahd it shall come to pass
that every soul which will not hear that Prophet,

OP THE LORD JBSUS CHRIST, 63
shall be desfroyed from among the people,' Acts
Ui, 22, 28.
" He is now come in Spirit, ' and hath given us
an understanding that we know Him that is frue.'
He rules in our hearts by his law of love and Ufe,
and makes us free from the law of sin and death.
We have no life but by him, for He is the quicken
ing Spirit, the second Adam, the Lord from heaven,
by whose blood we are cleansed and our con
sciences sprinkled from dead works to serve the
living God, He is our Mediator, who raakes
peace and reconciliation between God offended
and us offending ; He being the Oath of God, the
new Covenant of Ught, life, grace, and peace, the
author and flnisher of our faith.
" This Lord Jesus Christ, the heavenly Man,
the Immanuel, God with us, we all own and be
Ueve in ; He whom the high-priest raged against,
and said He had spoken blasphemy ; whom the
priests and elders ofthe Jews took counsel together
against, and put to death ; the sarae whom Judas
betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, which the
priests gave him, as a reward for his freason ; who
also gave large raoney to the soldiers, to broach a
horrible lie, namely, that his disciples came and
stole him away by night, whilst they slept. Aftei
He was risen from the dead, the history of the Acta
of the Apostles sets forth, how the chief priests
and elders persecuted the disciples of this Jesus,
for p reaching Christ and his resurrection. This,

64 THE DIVINITY AND OFFICES
we say, is that Lord Jesus Christ, whora we own
to be our life and salvation."
George Whitehead,"in a treatise entitled " The
People called Quakers, truly Represented and Vin
dicated," makes the following stateraents in their
behalf, viz. :
" We know nothing, in point of Christian doe-
trine and principle, raore openly and apparently
asserted and propagated by the said people called
Quakers, than the divinity of Christ, and essential
union of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This
holy and blessed Scripture Trinity we have always
stood for, in real faith and practice.
" The divinity of our blessed Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ, that He is the Etemal Word, the
true God, as well as truly man, being expressly
agreeable to Holy Scripture testimony ; viz., that
He is the mighty God, &c., the Eternal Word,
whereby all things were raade; who is over all,
God blessed forever: God created all things by
Jesus Christ; who is the true God and etemal life;
by whora also the worlds were raade. The Divine
Three that bear record in heaven, are the Father,
the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these Three
are One."
" Thus we sincerely believe and confess the
Divinify and Deity of the eternal Son of God,
Christ Jesus, with respect to his being the Eterna.
Word, which was in the beginning ; before Abrahara
was; flora everlasting; glorified with the Father

OP THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. 65
before the world began : and in respect to the ful
ness of the Godhead, yea, all fulness, dwelling in
him; and as all power in heaven and earth is given
unto him; and by whom also God made the
worlds. " All which seriously considered, thus to assert
the glorious Divinify of the Son of God, cannot
be inconsistent with his divine wisdora, love, and
great condescension in assuming the holy human
ity, his pure and perfect raanhood for our sakes,
even for the rederaption of raankind. ' Without
controversy, great is the mystery of godliness;'
saith the apostle, 1 Tim. iii. 16, ' God was mani
fest in the flesh, .justified in the Spirit,' &c. And
surely excellent is the mystery of Christ, and the
true spiritual knowledge of him, and his riches
unsearchable." In the Declaration of Faith presented by Friends
to Parliament in 1689, the following passages oc
cur, viz. :
" Question. Do you believe the divinify and
humanity of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God,
or that Jesus Christ is truly God and man ?
"Answer. Yes; we verily believe that Jesus
Christ is truly God and man, according as Holy
Scripture testifies of him; God over all, blessed
forever ; the true God and eternal life ; the one
Mediator between God and men, even the Man
Christ Jesus.
" Question. Do you beUeve and expect aalva-
6*

66 THE DIVINITY AND OFFICES OP
tion and justification by the righteousness and
merits of Jesus Christ, or by your own righteous
ness or works ?
" Answer. By Jesus Christ, his righteousness,
merits, and works, and not by our own : God is
not indebted to us for our deservings, but we to
him for his free grace in Christ Jesus, whereby we
are saved through faith in him, not of ourselves,
and by his grace enabled fruly and acceptably to
serve and follow him as He requires. He is our all
in all, who worketh all in us that is well pleasing
to God.
" Question. Do you believe remission of sins
and redemption, through the sufferings, death, and
blood of Christ ?
"Answer. Yes; through faith in him, as He
suffered and died for all men, gave himself a ran
som for all, and his blood being shed for the re
mission of sins, so all they who sincerely believe
and obey him, receive the benefits and blessed
effects of his suffering and dying for them : they,
by faith in his name, receive and partake of that
eternal redemption which He hath obtained for us,
who gave himself for us that He might redeem us
from all iniquity : He died for our sins, and rose
again for our justification ; and if we walk in the
Ught as He is in the light, we have fellowship one
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his
Son cleanseth us from all sin."
The Declaration of Faith given forth in 1693,

OP THE LORD JE5D 3 CHRIST. 67
thus speaks of the divinity and offices of our
blessed Saviour, viz. :
" This Word, or Son of God, in the fulness of
time, took flesh, became perfect man, according
to the flesh descended and came of the seed of
Abraham and David, hi.*, was miraculously con
ceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin
Mary ; and also further, declared powerfully to be
the Son of God, according to the Spirit of sancti
fication, by the resurrection from the dead.
" That in the Word, or Son of God, was Ufe,
and the same life was the Ught of men ; and that
He was that true Ught which enlightens every man
coraing into the world ; and therefore that raen are
to believe in the light, that they raay becorae the
children of the light. Hereby we beUeve in Christ
the Son of God, as He is the Ught and life within
us ; and wherein we must needs have sincere re
spect and honour to, and belief in, Christ, as in
his own unapproachable and incomprehensible
glory and fulness ; as He is the fountain of life and
Ught, and giver thereof unto us; Christ, as in him
self, and as in us, being not divided.
"And that as raan, Christ died for our sins,
rose again, and was received up into glory in the
heavens. He, having, in his dying for all, been
that one great universal offering, and sacrifice for
peace, atoneraent, and reconcill ation between God
and raan ; and He is the proj' tiation not for our
sins only, but for the sins of the whole world.

68 THE DIVINITY AND OFFICES
We were reconciled by his death, but saved by his
Ufe. " That Jesus Christ, who sitteth at the right
hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
is our King, High Priest, and Prophet in his
church, a Minister ofthe sanctuary, and ofthe true
tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man.
He is Intercessor and Advocate with the Father in
heaven, there appearing in the presence of God
for us, being touched with the feeUng of our in
firmities, sufferings, and sorrows ; and also by his
Spirit in our hearts, He m&,keth intercession ac
cording to the will of God, crying, Abba, Father.
"For any whom God hath gifted and called,
sincerely to preach faith in the same Christ, both
as within and without us, cannot be to preach two
Christs, but one and the same Lord Jesus Christ,
having respect to those degrees of our spiritual
knowledge of Christ Jesus, in us, and to his own
unspeakable fulness and glory, as in hiraself, in his
own entire being, wherein Christ himself and the
least measure of his light or Ufe, as in us or in
mankind, are not divided or separable, no more
than the sun is from its light,
" And as He ascended far above all heavens, that
He might fill all things, his fulness cannot be com
prehended, or contained in any finite creature; but
in sorae raeasure known and experienced in us, as
we are capable to receive the sarae, as of his ful
ness we have received grace for grace, Christ our

OP THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. 69
Mediator, received the Spfrit, not by measure, but
in fulness ; but in every one of us is given grace,
according to the measure of his gift,
" That the gospel of the grace of God should
be preached in the narae of the Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, being one in power, wisdora, and
goodness, and indivisible, or not to be divided, in
the great work of man's salvation.
" We sincerely confess and believe in Jesus
Christ, both as He is frue God and perfect Man,
and that He is the Author of our Uving faith in
the power and goodness of God as manifested in
his Son Jesus Christ, and by his own blessed Spirit,
or divine unction, revealed in us, whereby we in
wardly feel and taste of his goodness, life, and
virtue ; so as our souls Uve and prosper by and in
Him. The inward sense of this divine power of
Christ, and Mth in the same, and this inward ex
perience, are absolutely necessary to make a true,
sincere, and perfect Christian in spirit and Ufe.
" That divine honour and worship is due to the
Son of God ; and that He is in frue faith to be
prayed unto, and the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ called upon, as the primitive Christians did,
because of the glorious union or oneness of the
Father and the Son ; and that we cannot accepta
bly offer up our prayers and praises to God, nor
receive a gracious answer or blessing from God,
but in and through his dear Son, Christ."
Another Declaratic: o^ Faith contains the fol
lowing, viz. :

70 OP THE HOLY SPIRIT AND
" 1. That we sincerely believe and confess that
Jesus of Nazareth, who was born of the Virgin
Mary, is the true Messiah, the very Christ, the
Son of the living God, to whom all the prophets
gave witness. And we do highly value his death,
sufferings, works, offices, and merits, for the re
demption and salvation of mankind, together with
his laws, doctrines, and ministry.
" 2. That this very Christ of God, was and is
the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the
world, who was slain, was dead, and is alive, and
lives for evermore, in his divine, eternal glory,
dorainion, and power, with the Father.
" 8. That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and
New Testaraent, are of divine authorify, as being
given by inspiration from God.
'" 4. And that magistracy or civil government is
God's ordinance, the good ends thereof being fof
the punishment of evil doers, and praise of them
that do well.
" And we know of no other docfrme or princi
ple, preached, maintained, or ever received among
or by us, since we were a people, contrary to these
before-mentioned. " C.
Of ihe Holy Spirit and his Work in the SovH qf Man.
In setting forth the beUef of the Sociefy, that
Christiana are now to be led inwardly and imme
diately by the Spirit of God, Robert Barclay says:

HIS WORK IN THE SOUL OP MAN, 71
"I shall prove this by divers arguments, and
first from the promise of Christ in these words,
* And I will pray the Father, and He will give you
another Coraforter, that He raay abide with you
forever ; even the Spirit of Truth, whora the world
cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither
knoweth him ; but ye know him, for He dwelleth
with you, and shall be in you,' Again, ' But the
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whora the
Father will send in ray narae, He shall teach you
all things, and bring all things to your reraera
brance,' And ' Howbeit when He, the Spirit of
Truth is come. He will guide you into all truth :
for He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever
He shall hear that shall He speak, and He will
show you things to come,'
" We have here first, who this is, and that is
divers ways expressed, to wit. The Comforter,
the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Ghost, the sent of
the Father in the narae of Christ. And hereby is
sufficiently proved the unsoundness of those So-
cinians and other carnal Christians, who neither
know nor acknowledge any internal Spirit or
power but that which is raerely natural; by which
they sufficiently declare themselves to be of the
world, who cannot receive the Spirit, because they
neither see hira nor know him. Secondly, Where
this Spirit is to be: He dwelleth with you, and
shall be in you. And thirdly, "What his work is ;
He shaU teach you aU things, and bring all things
to your remembrance, and guide you into all fruth.

72 OP THE HOLY SPIRIT AND
"Secondly, that this Spirit is inward, in my
opinion needs no interpretation or commentary.
' He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.' This
in-dwelling of the Spirit in the saints, as it is a
thing most needful to be known and believed, so
is it as positively asserted in the Scriptures as any
thing else can be. ' K so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you,' saith the apostle to the Romans.
And again, ' Know ye not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost, and that the Spirit of
God dwelleth in you ? ' Without this the apostle
reckoneth no raan a Christian. 'If any raan,'
saith he, ' have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none
of his.' These words immediately follow those
above-mentioned out of the epistle to the Romans,
' But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so
be the Spirit of God dwell in you.' The context
of which showeth that the apostle reckoneth it the
main token of a Christian, both positively and
negatively; for in the former verses he showeth
how the carnal mind is enmity against God, and
that such as are in the flesh cannot please him.
Where he adds conceming the Romans, that they
are not in the flesh, if the Spirit of God dwell in
them. "What is this but to affirm, that they in
whom the Spirit dwells, are no longer in the flesh,
nor of those who please not God, but are become
Christians indeed ? Again, in the next verse he
concludes negatively, that ' If any man have not
the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his ; ' that is, he

HIS WORK IN THE SOUL OF MAN. 73
is BO Christian. He then that acknowledges him
self ignorant and a sfranger to the inward in-being
of the Spirit of Christ in his heart, doth thereby
acknowledge himself to be yet in the carnal mind,
which is enmify to God; to be yet in the flesh,
where God cannot be pleased ; and in short, what
ever he may otherways know or beUeve of Christ,
or however much skilled or acquainted with the
letter of the Holy Scripture, not yet to be, notwith
standing all that, attained to the least degree of a
Christian; yea, not once to have embraced the
Christian religion. For, take but away the Spirit,
and Christianify remains no more Christianify,
than the dead carcase of a man, when the soul and
spirit is departed, remains a raan."
" Seeing ' no man knoweth the Father but the
Son, and he to whom the Son revealeth him ; ' and
seeing ' the revelation of the Son is in and by the
Spirit;' therefore the testiraony of the Spirit is
that alone by which the frue knowledge of God
hath been, is, and can only be revealed. As, by
the moving of his own Spirit, He disposed the
chaos of this world into that wonderful order in
which it was in the beginning, and created man a
Uving soul, to rule and govern it, so, by the reve
lation of the same Spirit, He hath manifested
himself all along unto the sons of men, both patri
archs, prophets, and apostles; which revelations
of God by the Spirit, whether by outward voices
and appearances, dreams, or inward objective
7

74 OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND
manifestations in the heart, were of old the formal
object of their faith, and remain yet so to be;
since 'the object ofthe saints' faith is the same in
all ages, though held forth under divers adrainis-
trations.' " Moreover, these divine inward revelations,
which we raake absolutely necessary for the build
ing up of true faith, neither do nor can ever con
tradict the outward testimony of the Scriptures,
or right and sound reason. Yet from hence it will
not follow, that these divine revelations are to-be
subjected to the test, either of the outward testi
mony of the Scriptures, or of the natural reason
of man, as to a more noble or certain rule and
touchstone. For this divine revelation and in
ward illumination is that which is evident and
clear of itself, forcing, by its own evidence and
clearness, the well-disposed understanding to as
sent, irresistibly moving the same thereunto, even
as the common principles of natural truths do
move and incline the mind to a natural assent."
" We do distinguish betwixt the certain knowl
edge of God, and the uncertain ; betwixt the spir
itual knowledge and the literal ; the saving heart-
knowledge and the soaring airy head-knowledge.
The last, we confess, raay be divers ways obtained ;
but the first by no other way than the inward im
mediate manifestation and revelation of God's
Spirit, shining in and upon the heart, enlighten
ing and opening the understanding."

HIS WORK IN THE SOUL OP MAN. 75
In reference to the various outward sources of
knowledge, he says : "I would however not be
understood, as if hereby I excluded those other
means of knowledge frora any use or service to
man ; it is far from me so to judge, as conceming
the Scriptures, in the next proposition will more
plainly appear. The question is not, what may be
profitable or helpful, but what is absolutely neces
sary. Many things may contribute to further a
work, which yet are not the main thing that makes
the work go on."
Having laid down the position, that the knowl
edge of the Father is by and through the Son, he
proceeds to show that the revelation of the Son is
by the Spfrit. " "Where it is to be noted," he says,
" that I always speak of the saving, certain, and
necessaty knowledge of God, which, that it cannot
be acquired otherways than by the Spirit, doth
also appear from many clear Scriptures. For
Jesus Christ, in and by whom the Father is re
vealed, doth also reveal himself to his disciples
and friends, in and by his Spirit. As his mani
festation was outward when He testified for the
fruth in this world, and approved himself faithful
throughout; so being now withdrawn as to the
outward man. He teaches and instructs mankind
inwardly by his own Spirit. He standeth at the
door, and whoso heareth his voice and openeth. He
comes in to such. Of this revelation of Christ in
him, Paul speaks, in which he places the excel-

76 OP THE HOLY SPIRIT AND
lency of his rainistry, and the certainty of his call
ing. And the promise of Christ to his disciples
confirms the sarae thing, 'Lo, I am with you alway,
even to the end of the world ; ' for this is an in
ward and spiritual presence, as all acknowledge."
In outward and natural things, we often rely
upon probabilities and the testimony of others;
but in matters which pertain to the salvation of
the soul, there can be no effectual faith but that
which is produced by the immediate operation of
the Holy Spirit in the heart, inclining and ena
bling us to beUeve what it reveals to us there, as
well as those things which are recorded in the
Scriptures of Truth. This faith is not an inherent
principle or natural faculty of the human mind,
which can be exercised when, and as a man pleases,
though it will always be given to those who seek
it in a humble and childUke spirit, of Hira who is
the author and giver of it. " "Whatsoever is born
of God," saith the apostle, " overcoraeth the world;
and this is the victory that overcoraeth the world,
even our faith." No faculty or principle natural
to the mind of raan can give this victory. " By
grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves ; it is the gift of God." This grace of
God teaches us to deny all ungodliness and the
world's lusts ; and where it is received and obeyed,
it gives faith to believe that we shall be strength
ened and enabled by it to overcorae the world, the
flesh, and the devil. Thus we are saved by the

HIS WORK IN THE SOUL OF MAN. 77
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, through faith in
hira ; and as we continue to beUeve in and follow
hira to the end, we shall know Hira to be the fin
isher, as weU as the author, of this living victori
ous faith.
" He that beUeveth on the Son of God, hath the
witness in himself: " this witness is the Holy
Spirit, by which the Son of God reveals himself to
the soul, gives it faith to believe in his all-power
ful name, and as He is obeyed and followed, He
displays his almighfy power and goodness, in par
doning its past sins, delivering it out of the bond
age of corruption, and franslating it into the liberty
ofthe sons of God. Thus, Christ is experimentally
known as the Redeeraer, Saviour, and Sanctifier
of his people ; and those only have a right to call
Him so, whom He thus saves from thefr sins, by his
own blessed Spfrit. " "Wherefore I give you to
understand," saith the apostle, "that no man
speaking by the Spirit of God, caUeth Jesus ac
cursed ; and that no man can say that Jesus is the
Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." Through Uving
experience of his power, in breaking up the sfrong-
holds of sin and Satan; deUvering thera from
worse than Egyptian bondage and darkness, and
bringing thera into the marvellous light of the
Lord, these can fruly say that Jesus is their Lord
and Saviour ; and while they keep under the gov
emment of his Spirit, they can never do or say
anything that derogates from his divine character
7*

78 OP THE HOLY SPIRIT AND
or offices, or from the testimony of the Holy
Scriptures. After stating that some persons confess that the
Holy Spirit now leads and influences the saints, but
that He does it only by enlightening their under
standings to understand and believe the truths de
livered in the Scriptures ; Robert Barclay further
says, " This opinion is not altogether according to
the truth, neither does it reach the fulness of it.
Because there are raany truths, which, as they are
applicable to individuals, and raost needful to be
known by them, are in nowise to be found in
the Scriptures. Besides, the Spirit not only sub
jectively helps us to discern fruths elsewhere de
livered, but also objectively presents those truths
to the mind. For that which teaches me all
things, and is given me for that end, without
doubt presents those things to my raind which
it teaches rae. It is not said, it shall teach you
how to understand those things that are written
[raerely] ; but it shall teach you all things. Again,
that which brings all things to ray reraerabrance
must needs present them by way of object."
This is also evident from the nature of the New
Covenant, which is expressed in divers places.
" As for me, this is ray covenant with them, saith
the Lord; my Spirit that is upon thee, and my
words which I have put in thy mouth, shall
not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of tha
mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of

HIS WORK IN THE SOUL OP MAN. 79
thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceftrth
and forever." — "The perpetuify of this proraise ia
fully expressed ; and it was immediate, for there is
no mention made of any medium. He says not, I
shall by means of such writings or books convey
such words into your mouths ; but my words, I,
even I, saith the Lord, have put into your mouths.
This must be objectively, for the words put into
the mouth are the object presented by him. He
says not, the words which ye shall see written, my
Spirit shall only enlighten your understandings to
assent unto; but positively, ray words which I
have put into thy raouth : therefore upon whora-
spever the Spirit reraaineth always, and putteth
words into his mouth, hira doth the Spirit teach
immediately, objectively, and continually."
" The nature of the New Covenant is yet raore
araply expressed in Jereraiah, and repeated by the
apostle in these words ; ' For this is the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel ; after
those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into
their mind, and write them in their hearts, and I
will be to them a God, and they shall be to rae a
people. And they shall not teach every man his
neighbour, and every man his brother, saying,
know the Lord ; for they shaU all know me, frora
the least to the greatest.' The object here is God's
law placed in the heart and written in the raind ;
from whence they become God's people, and are
brought truly to know him. In this then the law

80 OP THE HOLY SPIRIT AND
is distinguished frora the gospel : the law before
was outward, written in tables of stone, but it is
now inward, written in the heart. Of old, the
people depended upon their priests for the knowl
edge of God ; but now they all have a certain and
sensible knowledge of hira. How rauch then are
they deceived, who, instead of making the gospel
preferable to the law, have made the condition of
such as are under the gospel far worse. For no
doubt it is a far better and more desirable thing to
converse with God imraediately, than only medi
ately, as being a higher and more glorious dispen
sation; and yet these men acknowledged that
many under the law had immediate converse with
God, whereas they now cry that it is ceased."
" Under the law there was the holy of holies,
into which the high-priest entered, and received
the word of the Lord imraediately frora betwixt
the cherubira ; so that the people could then cer
tainly know the raind of the Lord : but now, ac
cording to these raen's judgment, we are in a far
worse condition ; having nothing but the outward
letter of the Scriptures to guess and divine from.
But Jesus Christ hath promised us better things,
though many are so unwise as not to believe him,
even to guide us by his own unerring Spirit ; and
He hath rent and removed the veil, whereby not
only one, and that once a year, may enter; but all
of us, at all times, have access unto hira as often
as we draw near unto hira with pure hearts. He

HIS WORK IN THE SOUL OF MAN. 81
reveals his will unto us by his Spirit, and writes
his law in our hearts. And where the knowledge
of God is put into the mind and written in the
heart, there the object of faith and revelation of
the knowledge of God is inward, immediate, and
objective; and this is the situation of every frui
Christian under the New Covenant."
In replying to the objection, that if men be now
immediately led and ruled by the Spirit of God,
they raay add new Scriptures of equal authorify
with the Bible, and that every one raay bring in a
new gospel according to his fancy, Robert Bar
clay observes, " We have shut the door upon all
such doctrine, affirraing that the Scriptures give a
full and araple testimony to all the principal doc
trines of the Christian faith. For we do firmly
beUeve that there is no other gospel or doctrine
to be preached, but that which was delivered by
the apostles ; and do freely subscribe to that saying,
Let hira that preacheth any other gospel than that
which has been already preached by the apostles,
and according to the Scriptures, be accursed. So
we distinguish between a revelation of a new gos
pel and new doctrines, and a new revelation ofthe
good old gospel and doctrines ; the last we plead
for, but the first we utterly deny. For we firmly
beUeve that no other foundation can any man lay
than that which is laid afready."
WilUam Penn, in writing on the sarae subject.
Bays : " By revelation we understand the discovery

82
and illumination of the Light and Spirit of (Jod,
relating to those things that properly and imraedi
ately concern the daily information and satisfaction
of our souls, in the way of our dufy to him and
our neighbor. We renounce all fantastical and
whimsical intoxications, or any pretence to the
revelation of new matter, in opposition to the an
cient gospel declared by Christ Jesus and his
apostles ; and therefore not the revelation of new
things, but the renewed revelation of the eternal
way of truth."
"Whatsoever is excellent, whatsoever is noble,
whatsoever is worthy, whatsoever is desirable in
the Christian faith is ascribed to the Spirit. To
this, frue Christians in all ages attribute their
sfrength and life : by it they declare themselves to
be illuminated, converted, regenerated and re
deemed from the world. By it they are strength
ened in weakness, coraforted in affliction, arraed
against temptation, fortified against sufferings, en
abled to triumph over their persecutors, and to
hold communion with God. It is the Spirit that
quickeneth ; it was the Spirit that gave them utter
ance ; it was the Spirit by which Stephen spake,
so that the Jews were not able to resist. It is such
as walk after the Spirit that receive no conderana
tion, for the law of the Spirit of Ufe in Christ
Jesus makes them free from the law of sin and
death ; and it is by the Spirit of God dwelling in
as that we are redeemed from the carnal mind.

OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 83
It is the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us that quick
eneth our mortal bodies ; it is through the Spirit
that the deeds of the body are mortified, and life
obtained. It is by the Spirit that we are adopted, and cry
Abba, Father ; for it is the Spirit that beareth wit
ness with our spirits that we are the children of
God. It is the Spirit that helpeth our infirmities, and
maketh intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered ; and it is by the Spirit that the
glorious things which God hath laid up for the
righteous, which neither outward ear hath heard,
nor outward eye seen, nor the heart of man con
ceived by all his reasonings, are revealed unto us.
It is by this Spirit that wisdom, knowledge, faith,
tongues, prophecies, are imparted to man, and it
is by it that we are all baptized into one body, and
made to drink into one cup. In a word, there is
nothing relating to the salvation of the soul, that
can be rightly performed or effectually obtained,
without it. D.
Of the Holy Scriptures.
George Fox, in his letter to the govemor and
council of Barbadoes, speaking in the narae of the
Societj of Friends, says :
" Concerning the Holy Scriptures : We believe
they were given forth by the Holy Spirit of God,

84 OP THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.
through the holy men of God, who, as the Scrip
ture itself declares, 2 Pet. i. 21, spoke as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost. We believe they are
to be read, believed, and fulfilled, (he that fulfils
them is Christ,) and they are profitable for doc
trine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruc
tion in righteousness, that the man of God may be
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works,
2 Tim. iii. 19, and are able to raake wise unto sal
vation, through faith in Christ Jesus.
" We believe the Holy Scriptures are the words
of God, for it is said in Exodus xx. 1, ' God spake
all these words, saying,' &c., meaning the ten com
mandments given forth upon Mount Sinai. And
in Rev. xxii. 18, saith John, 'I testify to every
man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this
book, if any man addeth unto these, and if any
man shall take away from the words of the book
of this prophecy, (not the Word,) &c.' So in Luke
i. 20, ' Because thou believest not my words ; ' and
in John v. 47, xv. 7, xiv. 23, xii. 47. So that we
call the Holy Scriptures, as Christ, the apostles
and holy men of God called them, viz., the words
of God."
Robert Barclay has these observations, viz.:
" Though then we do acknowledge the Scriptures
to be very heavenly and divine writings, and the
use of thera to be very corafortable and necessary
to the church of Christ; and admire, and give
praises to the Lord for his wonderful providence

OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 85
in preserving these writings so pure and uncor-
rupted as we have them, through so long a night
of apostasy, to be a testimony of his fruth against
the wickedness and abominations even of those
whom He made instrumental in preserving them,
so that they have kept them to be a witness against
themselves ; yet we may not caU them the princi
pal Fountain of aU fruth and knowledge, nor yet
the first adequate rule of faith and manners, be
cause the principal Fountain of fruth raust be the
Truth itself, whose certainfy and authorify depend
not upon another.
" If by the Spirit we can only come to the true
knowledge of God ; if by the Spirit we are to be
led into all fruth, and so be taught of all things ;
then the Spirit, and not the Scriptures, is the
foundation and ground of all truth and knowl
edge, and the primary rule of faith and manners.
The very nature of the gospel declareth that the
Scriptures cannot be the only and chief rule of
Christians, else there would be no difference be
tween the law and the gospel."
" There are numberless things, with regard to
their circumstances, which particular Christians
may be concerned in, for which there can be no
particular rule had in the Scriptures ; therefore the
Scriptures cannot be a rule to them [in those
things]. As for instance, sorae are called to the
ministry of the word : Paul says there was a ne
cessify laid upon him to preach the gospel, and

86 OP THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.
woe is unto me if I preach it not. If it be neces
sary that there be now ministers of the church aa
well as then, there is the same necessify upon
some more than upon others to occupy this place ;
which necessity, as it may be incumbent upon
some particular persons, the Scriptures neither
doth nor can declare.
" If it be said the quaUfications of a minister are
found in the Scriptures, and by applying these
qualifications to mys.elf I may know whether I be
fit for such a place or not, I answer : The qualifi
cations of a bishop or minister, as they are men
tioned both in the Epistle to Timothy and that to
Titus, are such as raay be found in a private Chris
tian, yea, which ought in sorae raeasure to be in
every true Christian ; so that this giveth a man no
certainfy. Every capacify to an office gives me
not a sufficient call to it. Again ; by what rule
shall I judge if I be so qualified ? How do I know
that I am sober, meek, holy, harmless ? Is it not
the testimony of the Spirit in my conscience that
must assure hereof?
"And suppose I was qualified and called, yet
what Scripture rule shall inform me whether it
be ray duty to preach in this or in that place,
in France or England, Holland or Gerraany?
"Whether I shall take up ray time in confirming
the faithful, reclairaing heretics, or converting in
fidels, or in writing epistles to this or that church ?
The general rules of the Scriptures to be diUgent

OP THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 87
In my dufy; to do all to the glory of God, and for
the good of his church ; can give me no light in
this thing ; seeing two different things may both
have a respect to that way ; yet I may commit a
great error and offence in doing the one, when I
am called to the other. If Paul, when his face
was turned by the Lord toward Jerusalem, had
gone back to Achaia or Macedonia, he might
have supposed he could have done God more ac
ceptable service in preaching and confirraing the
churches, than in being shut up in prison in
Judea; but would God have been pleased here
with ? Nay, certainly. Obedience is better than
sacrifice, and it is not our doing that which is good
siraply, that pleaseth God, but that good which He
willeth us to do.
"Moreover, that which, of all things, is most
needful for a Christian to know, viz. : whether he
really be in the faith and an heir of salvation or
not, the Scripture can give him no certainfy in,
neither can it be a rule to him. That this knowl
edge is exceedingly desirable and comfortable, all
do unanimously acknowledge ; besides, it is espe
cially commanded, ' Examine yourselves whether
ye be in the faith ; prove your own selves. Know
ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in
you, except ye be reprobates ! ' ' Wherefore the
rather, brethren, give all diligence to make your
calUng and election sure.' Now I say, what Scrip-

88 OP THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.
ture rule can assure me that I have true faith, and
that my calling and election are sure ? "
After examining various suggestions, he says :
" Moreover, the Scripture itself, wherein we are
so earnestly pressed to seek this assurance, does
not at all affirra itself a rule sufficient to give it,
but wholly ascribeth it to the Spirit. ' The Spirit
itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are
the children of God.' ' Hereby know we that we
dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath
given us of his Spirit.' ' And it is the Spirit that
beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.' "
" If it then be asked whether I think hereby to
render the Scriptures altogether uncertain and
useless, I answer not at all : Provided, that to the
Spirit, from which they came, be granted that
place which the Scriptures theraselves give it, I do
freely concede to the Scriptures the second place,
even whatsoever they say of themselves; which
the Apostle Paul chiefly mentions in two places,
viz. : ' "Whatsoever things were written aforetime,
were written for our learning, that we through
patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have
hope.' ' The Holy Scriptures are able to make
wise unto salvation, through faith which is in
Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspira-
tion of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for re
proof, for correction, for instruction in righteous
ness, that the man of God may be perfect, thor
oughly furnished unto all good works.' "

OP THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 89
William Penn, in his " Testimony to the Truth,"
says : " Concerning the Holy Scriptures. Because
we assert the Holy Spirit to be the first, great, and
general rule and guide of true Christians, as that
by which God is worshipped, sin detected, con
science convicted, duty manifested, Scripture un
folded and explained ; and consequently the rule
for understanding the Scriptures themselves, since
by it they were at first given forth ; from hence
our adversaries are pleased to make us blasphemers
of the Holy Scriptures, undervaluing their au
thority, preferring our own books before them,
with more to that purpose. Whereas, we in truth
and sincerity believe them to be of divine authorify,
given by the inspiration of God, through holy
men, they speaking or writing thera as they were
raoved by the Holy Ghost : that they are a decla
ration of those things most surely believed by the
priraitive Christians, and that, as they contain the
raind and will of God, and are his coramands to
us, so they in that respect are his declaratory word;
and therefore are obligatory on us, and are profit
able for doctrine, reproof, correction, and' instruc
tion in righteousness, that the man of God may be
perfect, and thoroughly furnished to every good
work. " Nay, after all, so unjust is the charge, and so
remote from our belief concerning the Holy Scrip
tures, that we both love, honour, and prefer thera
before all books in the world; ever choosing to ex-
8*

30 OP THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.
press our belief of the Christian faith and doc
trine, in the terms thereof, and rejecting all prin
ciples or doctrines whatsoever, that are repugnant
thereunto." Richard Claridge, writing on behalf of the
Society, says : " We do sincerely and unfeignedly
believe the following propositions :
" 1. That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and
New Testament were not of any men's private
setting forth, but were given by inspiration of God.
" 2. That they do contain a clear and sufficient
declaration of all docfrines, in common to be be
lieved, in order to eternal life and salvation.
" 8. That the Holy Scriptures are the best out
ward rule and standard of doctrine and practice,
" 4, That whatsoever, either doctrine or practice,
though under pretensions to the immediate dic
tates and teachings of the Spirit, is contrary to the
Holy Scriptures, ought to be rejected and dis
owned, as false and erroneous : for ' whatsoever is
not read therein, nor raay be proved thereby, is
not to be required of any raan, that it should be
believed as an article of faith.'
" 5. That the Hofy Scriptures contain the say
ings or words of God, are divine writings, which
claim the precedency of all others ; and we do
esteem them as such ourselves, and under this
character recommend them to others.
" 6. That there ever was, and is, a most sweet
concord and harmony between the teachings of

OP THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 91
the Spirit and the testimony of the Holy Scrip
tures ; and that there is no inconsistency or contra
diction between the one and the other, notwith
standing that great diversity of men's opinions and
sentiments, under the profession of Christianify."
The Discipline of the Sociefy also contains the
following advice, viz. : " We tenderly and earn
estly advise and exhort all parents and heads of
families, that they endeavour to instruct their
children and families in the doctrines and precepts
of the Christian religion, as contained in the Holy
Scriptures ; and that they incite them to the diU
gent reading of those excellent writings, which
plainly set forth the miraculous conception, birth,
holy life, wonderful works, blessed example, meri
torious death and glorious resurrection, ascension,
and mediation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ; and to educate their children in the belief
of these important truths, as well as in the behef
of the inward manifestation and operation of the
Holy Spirit on their own minds ; that they may
reap the benefit and advantage thereof, for their
own peace and everlasting happiness, which is in
finitely preferable to all other considerations."
Every year each Monthly Meeting is required to
prepare answers to certain queries respecting its con
dition. These answers are sent through the Quar
terly Meetings up to the Yearly Meeting ; in order
that this body may be raade acquainted with the
state of its subordinate branches. One of these

92 OF REDEMPTION BY JESUS CHRIST.
queries asks, whether Friends are careful to bring
up their children and those ^ under their direction
in frequently reading the Holy Scriptures, and to
be good examples themselves in this respect,
E.
Of Redemption hy Jesus Christ.
God, out of his infinite love, who deUghteth not
m the death of a sinner, but that all should live
and be saved, hath so loved the world, that He hath
given his only Son, a Light, that whosoever be
lieveth in Him shall be saved, John iii, 16, who
enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world,
John i. 9, and maketh manifest all things that are
reprovable, Eph. v. 13, and teacheth all, temper
ance, righteousness, and godUness. This Light
enlighteneth the hearts of all for a time, in order to
salvation ; and it is this which reproves the sin of
all individuals, aud would work out the salvation
of all, if not resisted. Nor is it less univet-sal than
the seed of sin, being the purchase of his death,
who tasted death for every man ; for as in Adam
all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive, 1
Cor. XV. 22.
" This most certain doctrine being received, that
there is an evangeUcal and saving light and grace
in all, the universality of the love and raercy of
God toward raankind, both in the death of his be
loved Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and in. the raani

OP REDEMPTION BY JESUS CHRIST. 93
festation of his Ught in the heart, is estabUshed
and confirmed, against aU the objections of such as
deny it. Therefore Christ hath tasted death for
every man ; not only for all kinds of men, as sorae
vainly talk, but for every man of all kinds : the
benefit of whose offering is not only extended tc
such who have the distinct outward knowledge of
his death and sufferings, as the same is declared in
the Scriptures, but even unto those who are neces
sarily excluded from the benefit of this knowledge
by some inevitable accident.
" This knowledge we willingly confess to be
very profitable and corafortable, but not absolutely
needful unto such from whom God himself hath
withheld it ; yet they may be raade partakers of
the raystery of his death, though ignorant of the
history, if they suffer his seed and light, enlight
ening their hearts, to take place, (in which light,
communion with the Father and the Son is en
joyed,) so as of wicked men to become holy, and
lovers of that power, by whose inward and secret
touches they feel themselves turned from the evil
to the good, and learn to do to others as they would
be done by, in which Christ himself affirras all to
be included. As they then have falsely and erro
neously taught, who have denied Christ to have
died for all men ; so neither have they sufficiently
taught the truth, who, affirraing Him to have died
for all, have added the absolute necessify of the
outward knowledge thereof, in order to obtain ita
saving effect."

94 OF REDEMPTION BY JESUS CHRIST.
After declaring that God, in his love and mercy,
grants to every man a day or time of visitation,
during which the light or Spirit of the Lord Jesus
Christ strives with him, showing him his lost and
undone condition by nature, and inviting him, by
submission to its operation, to come and be saved,
R. Barclay further says :
"By this day and time of visitation, which we
say God gives unto all, during which they raay be
saved, we do not understand the whole time of
every raan's life ; though to some it may be ex
tended even to the very hour of death, as we see
in the example of the thief converted upon the
cross : but such a season at least as sufficiently ex
onerates God to every man's condemnation, which
to some may be sooner, and to others later, accord
ing as the Lord in his wisdora sees meet. So that
many men may outlive this day, after which there
may be no possibilify of salvation to them, and
God justly suffers them to be hardened, as a just
punishment of their unbelief, and even raises thera
up as instruments of wrath, and makes thera a
scourge one to another.
" To men in this condition may be fitly applied
those Scriptures which are abused to prove that
God incites men necessarily to sin. This is ex
pressed by the apostle, Rom. i. from verse 17 to
the end, but especially verse 28. 'And even as
they did not Uke to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do

OP REDEMPTION BY JESUS CHEIST. 95
those things which are not convenient.' That men
may outUve this day of God's gracious visitation
unto them, is shown by the example of Esau, who
sold his birthiight. So he had it once, and was
capable to have kept it; but afterwards, when he
would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected.
This appears also by Christ's weeping over Jeru
salera, saying, ' If thou hadst known in this thy
day the things that belong unto thy peace; but
now they are hid frora thine eyes.' "Which plainly
imports a time when they might have known
them, which now was removed frora them, though
they were yet aUve."
After speaking of the Holy Spirit of Christ,
wherewith all men are enUghtened for thefr re
demption and salvation, he adds :
" We do not understand this divine principle to
be any part of man's nature, nor yet to be any relic
of any good which Adam lost by his fall, in that
we make it a distinct and separate thing frora
raan's soul and all the faculties of it. There are
some that lean to the doctrine of Socinus or Pela
gius, who persuade theraselves through mistake,
as if this divine Ught which we preach up were
some natural power or feculfy of the soul, and
that we only differ from them in the wording of it,
and not in the thing itself. "Whereas there can be
no greater difference than is betwixt us in that
matter : for we certainly know that this Ught of
which we speak, is not only distinct, but of a dif-

96 OP REDEMPTION BY JESUS CHBIST.
f
ferent nature, from the soul of man and its facul
ties." " By this, as we do not at all intend to equal
ourselves to that holy Man, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was born of the virgin Mary, in whom all the
fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily ; so neither do
we destroy the realify ofhis present existence, as
some have falsely calumniated us. For though we
affirra that Christ dwells in us, yet not iramedi-
ately, but mediately, as He is in that seed which is
in us; whereas He, to wit, the Eternal Word,
which was with God, and was God, dwelt imraedi
ately in that holy Man. He then is as the head,
and we as the members ; He the vine, and we the
branches. Now as the soul of man dwells other
wise, and in a far more imraediate manner in the
head and in the heart, than in the hands or legs ;
and as the sap, virtue, and life of the vine lodgeth
far otherwise in the stock and root, than in the
branches, so God dwelleth otherwise in the raan
Jesus than in us. We also freely reject the heresy
of Appollinarius, who denied him to have any soul,
but said the body was only actuated by the God
head. As also the error of Eutyches, who made
the manhood to be wholly swallowed up of the
Godhead. "Wherefore, as we believe He was a
true and real man, so we also believe that He con
tinues so to be glorified in the heavens, in soul and
body, by whom God shall judge the world in the
fifreat and general day of judgraent."

OF REDEMPTION BY JESUS CHRIST. 97
After largely enforcing the sufficiency of the
Holy Spirit of Christ, and the necessity of obedi
ence thereto in order to salvation, he writes thus,
viz. :
" We do not hereby intend, any ways, to lessen
or derogate frora the atoneraent and sacrifice of
Jesus Christ; but, on the confrary, do raagnify
and exalt it. For as we beUeve all those things to
have been certainly fransacted, which are recorded
in the Holy Scriptures, conceming the birth, life,
mfracles, sufferings, resurrection, and ascension of
Christ ; so we do also beUeve, that it is the dufy
of every one to believe it, to whom it pleases God
to reveal the same, and to bring to them the
knowledge of it ; yea, we beUeve it were damna
ble unbelief, not to believe it, when so declared ;
but to resist that holy seed, which as minded
would lead and incUne every one to believe it, as
it is offered unto thera ; though it revealeth not in
every one, the outward and expUcit knowledge of
it, nevertheless it always assenteth to it, where it
is declared."As we firraly beUeve it was necessary, that
Christ should corae, that by his death and suffer
ings He might offer up himself a sacrifice to God
for our sins, who his own self bare our sins in his
own body on the free, so we believe that the remis
sion 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 obedienc e of that one
9

98 OF REDEMPTION BY JESUS CHRIST.
that the free gift is come upon all, to justifica
tion. " We renounce all natural power and abilify in
ourselves, in order to bring us out of our lost and
fallen condition, and first nature ; and confess, that
as of ourselves we are able to do nothing that is
good, so neither can we procure remission of sins
or justification by any act of our own, so as to
merit it, or draw it as a debt from God due unto
us, but we acknowledge all to be of and from his
love, which is the original and fundamental cause
of our acceptance.
" God manifested this love toward us in the
sending of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ, into the world ; who gave himself for us,
an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet
smelling savour ; and having made peace through
the blood of his cross, that He might reconcile us
unto himself, and by the Eternal Spirit, offered
hiraself without spot unto God, and suffered for
our sins, the just for the unjust, that He raight
bring us unto God.
" Forasmuch as all raen who have come to man's
estate, (the raan Jesus only excepted,) have sinned,
therefore all have need of this Saviour, to reraove
the wrath of God from them, due to their offences.
In this respect He is truly said to have borne
the iniquities of us all, in his body on the free,
and therefore is the only Mediator, having qualified
the wrath of God toward us ; so that our former

OP REDEMPTION BY JESUS CHRIST. 99
sins stand not in our way, being, by virtue of his
most satisfactory sacrifice, removed and pardoned.
Neither do we think that remission of sins is to be
expected, sought, or obtained, any other way, or
by any works or sacrifice whatsoever, though, as
has been said formerly, they raay come to partake
of this remission, that are ignorant of the history.
" So then, Christ, by his death and sufferings,
hath reconciled us to God, even while we are
enemies; that is. He offers reconciliation unto us;
we are put into a capacify of being reconciled.
God is wilUng to forgive us our iniquities, and to
accept us, as is well expressed by the apostle, 2
Cor. V. 19. ' God was in Christ, reconciUng the
world unto himself, not imputing their frespasses
unto thera, and hath put in us the word of recon-
ciUation.' And therefore the apostle, in the next
verses, enfreats them in Christ's stead to be recon
ciled to God; intimating that the wrath of God
being removed by the obedience of Christ Jesus,
He is wiUing to be reconciled unto them, and
ready to remit the sins that are past, if they re
pent. " We consider, then, our rederaption in a two
fold respect, both which in their own nature are
perfect, though, in their appUcation to us, the one
is not, nor can be, without respect to the other.
" The first, is the redemption performed and ac
complished by Christ for us, in his crucified body,
without us. The other is the rederaption wrought

100 OF REDEMPTION BY JESUS CHRIST.
by Christ in us ; which no less properly is called
and accounted a redemption than the former. The
first, then, is that whereby a man, as he stands in
the fall, is put into a capacity of salvation, and
hath conveyed unto him, a raeasure of that power,
virtue, spirit, life, and grace, that is in Christ
Jesus, which, as the free gift of God, is able to
counterbalance, overcome and root out the evil
seed, wherewith we are naturally, as in the fall,
leavened. " The second is that, whereby we witness and
know this pure and perfect redemption in our
selves, purifying, cleansing, and redeeming us,
from the power of corruption, and bringing us
into unity, favour, and friendship with God.
" By the first of these two, we that were lost in
Adara, plunged into the bitter and conupt seed,
unable of ourselves to do any good thing, but
naturally joined and united to evil, forward and
prepense to all iniquity, servants and slaves to the
power and spirit of darkness, are, notwithstanding
all this, so far reconciled to God, by the death of
his Son, while enemies, that we are put into a
capacity of salvation, having the glad tidings of
the gospel of peace offered unto us, and God is re
conciled Nin to us, in Christ ; calls and invites us to
himself; in which respect we understand these
Scriptur3s, 'He slew the enmity in himself. He
loved us first ; seeing us in our blood. He said unto
us, live. He who did no sin, his own self bare

OP REDEMl riON BY JESUS CHRIST. 101
our sins in his own body on the free; and He
died for our sins, the just for the unjust.'
"By the second, we witness this canacify brought
into act, whereby receiving and not resisting the
purchase of his death, to vrit, the Ught, spirit, and
grace of C!hrist revealed in us, we witness and
possess a real, true, and inward rederaption frora
the power and prevalency of sin, and so eome to
be truly and reaUy redeemed, justified, and made
righteous, and to a sensible union and friendship
with God. Thus He died for us, that He might
redeem us from aU iniquify ; and thus we know
Him and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conform
able to his death. This last foUows the first in
order, and is a consequence of it, proceeding from
it, as an effect from its cause : so as none could
have enjoyed the last, without the fii-st had been,
such being the wiU of God ; so also can none now
partake of the first, but as he witnesseth the last."
William Penn in his "Primitive Christianify
Revived," has the following :
" We do beUeve, 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 Adara gave us in his fall ;
and that God is just in forgiving frue penitents
upon the credit of that holy offering, Christ made
of himself to God for us, and that what He did
and suffered, satisfied and pleased God, and waa
9*

102 OF REDEMPTION BY JESUS CHRIST,
for the sake of the fallen man, that had displeased
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 were
sanctified, who walked not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit. Rom. viii. 1. Mark that.
" In short, justification consists of two parts, or
hath a twofold consideration, viz., justification
frora the guilt of sin, and justification frora the
power and pollution of sin ; and in this sense, jus
tification gives a man a full and clear acceptance
before God. For want of this latter part it is, that
so raany souls, religiously inclined, are often under
doubts, scruples, and despondencies, notwithstand
ing all that their teachers tell thera of the extent
and efficacy of the fii'st part of justification. It is
too general an unhappiness araong the professors
of Christianity, that they are apt to cloak their
own active and passive disobedience, with the ac
tive and passive obedience of Christ.
" The first part of justification, we do reverently
and humbly acknowledge, is only for the sake of
the death and sufferings of Christ : nothing we can
do, though by the operation of the Holy Spirit,
being able to cancel old debts, or wipe out old
scores. It is the power and efficacy of that pro
pitiatory 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.

OP REDEMPTION BY JESUS CHRIST. 103
For tin the heart of man is purged frora sin, God
will never accept of it He reproves, rebukes,
and condemns those that entertain sin there, and
therefore such cannot be said to be in a justified
state; condemnation and justification being con
traries. So that they that hold theraselves in a
justified state by the active and passive obedience
of Christ, while they are not actively and pas
sively obedient to the Spirit of Christ Jesus, are
under a sfrong and dangerous delusion.
" For crying out against this sin-pleasing imag
ination, not to say doctrine, we are staged and re
proached as deniers and despisers of the death and
sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ. But be it
known to such, they add to Christ's sufferings,
crucify to themselves afresh the Son of God, and
frample the blood of the covenant under their feet,
who walk unhoUly, under a profession of justifica
tion; for God will not acquit the guilfy, nor justify
the disobedient and unfeithful. Such deceive
themselves, and at the great and final judgment,
their sentence wiU not be, ' Come, ye blessed,'
because it cannot be said to them, 'Well done,
good and feithful,' for they cannot be so esteemed,
who live and die in a reprovable and condemna-
ble state ; but ' Go, ye cursed.' "

104 BAPTISM AND THE SUPPER.
F.
Baptism and ihe Supper.
We should ever bear in mind, that the Son of
God came into the world to put an end to sin, to
finish transgression, and to bring in everlasting
righteousness ; and that if this all-important work
is accomplished, it raust be carried on and perfect
ed in the heart of raan by the Spirit of God — no
outward ceremonies can ever effect it. The dis
pensation of types and shadows, with its " divers
washings" or baptisms, was finished and passed
away when our blessed Lord was crucified; and
was succeeded by the more glorious dispensation
of the gospel, which is spirit and life to the peni
tent and obedient soul. The Holy Scriptures
plainly declare that there is now but one baptism ;
and that this one baptism saves the soul ; " not by
the putting away of the filth of the fiesh, but by
the answer of a good conscience towards God, by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ." Few of the ad
vocates of water baptisra contend that it is neces
sary to salvation ; while the New Testament uni.
formly represents the baptism of Christ, which is
with the Holy Ghost and fire, as effectual in puri
fying the soul from the defileraent of sin, and con
sequently essential to its salvation.
The forerunner of our Lord testified, " I indeed
baptize you with water unto repentance ; but He
that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose

BAPTISM AND THE SUPPER. 105
shoes I am not worthy to bear; He shaU baptize
you with the Holy Ghost and fire ; whose fan is in
his hand, and He will thoroughly purge his floor,
and gather his wheat into the gamer, but He wiU
bum up the chaff with unquenchable fire." These
striking figures are a lively representation of the
work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those who
submit to his operations, whereby they are thor
oughly refined from the pollution of sin, and the
transgressing nature winnowed away, so as to pre
pare the soul for being gathered into the heavenly
gamer. To those who thus yield themselves to this fiery
baptism, and follow Christ in the regeneration, the
apostle addresses this language : " Ye are complete
in Hira, who is the head of aU principalify and
power ; in whom also ye are cfrcumcised with the
cfrcumcision raade without hands, in putting off
the body of the sins of the flesh, by the cfrcumci
sion of Christ; buried with him in baptism, where
in also ye are risen with him, through the faith
of the operation of God, who raised him from the
dead," As many as are thus baptized into Jesus Christ,
are baptized into his death; and like as Christ
was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so these also walk in newness of life.
" They have put on Christ," and " become new
creatures ; old tilings are passed away ; behold all
things are become new, and aU things of God,"

106 BAPTISM AND THE SUPPER.
This, and this only, is the baptism of the gospel,
and this is complete and effectual in itself; with
out the addition of any outward washing or sprink
ling, which relate to the body only, and can never
affect the soul.
The passover supper, at which Jesus gave the
bread and wine to his disciples, was aboUshed,
with the rest of the Jewish ceremonies, at his
death ; and although the disciples, frora their at-
tachraent to the law of Moses, practised it after
that event, as they did circumcision, and abstain
ing from blood and frora things strangled ; yet we
find nothing in Scripture to warrant the assump
tion that it is a standing ordinance in Christ's
church. He himself declares, "Except ye eat the
flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye
have no life in you: whoso eateth my flesh and
drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will
raise him up at the last day ; for ray flesh is meat
indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that
eateth ray flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth
in me, and I in him." When his disciples mur
mured at this doctrine. He told them, " It is the
Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing ;
the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit
and they are life."
We beUeve that this communion of the body
and blood of Christ, without which we cannot
have eternal life, is inward and spiritual — a real
participation of his divine nature, through faith in

WORSHIP. 107
him, and obedience to his Spirit in the heart ; by
which the inward man is daily nourished and
sfrengthened, and kept alive unto God. This is
the true communion of saints, in and with Christ
Jesus their Lord, and it is not confined to those
who have the knowledge ofthe Holy Scriptures, or
of the coming and sufferings and death of the Son
of God, as the propitiation for sin ; but is gra
ciously granted to every sincere and obedient soul,
who is faithful to the degree of light and knowl
edge with which he is favoured, agreeably to the
testimony of our Lord himself: "Behold I stand
at the door and knock ; if any man hear my voice
and open the door, I will come in to him and sup
with hira, and he with me," — Ancient Testimony.
G.
Worship,
"All true and acceptable worship to God is
offered in the inward and imraediate moving and
drawing of his own Spirit, which is limited neither
to places, times, nor persons. For though we are
to worship him. always, and continually to fear
before him, yet as to the outward signification
thereof, in prayers, praises or preaching, we ought
not to do it in our own will, where and when we
will, but where and when we are moved thereunto
by the stirring and secret inspiration of the Spirit
of God in our hearts ; which God heareth and ac-

108 WORSHIP.
cepteth of, and is never wanting to move us there
unto, when need is, of which He himself is the
alone proper judge,"
"Although I say that this worship is limited nei
ther to times, places, nor persons, yet I would not
be understood as if I intended the putting away
of set times and places to worship : God forbid I
should think of such an opinion. We are none
of those that forsake the assembUng of ourselves
together,, but have certain times and places in
which we carefully meet to wait upon God and
worship him. To meet together we think neces
sary for the people of God ; because so long as we
are clothed with this outward tabernacle, there is
a necessity for it, in order to entertain a joint and
visible fellowship, and to bear an outward testi
raony for God; and seeing the faces of one
another, that we concur with our persons as well
as spirits, accorapanied with inward love and
unity of spirit, doth greatly tend to encourage and
refresh the saints." *

* Friends do not uncover the head on entering their places of
worship, but sit with their hats on or off, as best suits the conveni
ence and comfort of each one. The practice of pulling off the hat
had its origin in the superstitious notion that there was a peculiar
sanctity in places of worship, and that they, and the ground on
which they stood, were holy. Hence they were erroneously called
" holy places," " the temples of God," or " the houses of God." Be
lieving that these views were incompatible with the spirituality of
the gospel dispensation, and that, according to the testimony of
the apostle Paul, and of the martyr Stephen, the Most High does

WORSHIP. 109
When assembled, the great work of one and aU
ought to be to wait upon God, and retiring out of
their own thoughts and imaginations, to feel the
Lord's presence, and know a gathering into his
name indeed, where He is in the raidst, according
to his proraise. As every one is thus gathered,
and so met together inwardly in thefr spfrits,
as well as outwardly in their persons, there the
secret power and virtue of [divine] Ufe is known
to refresh the soul, and the pure motions and
breathings of God's Spirit are felt to arise; from
which, as words of declaration, prayers or praises
arise, the acceptable worship is known which edi
fies the church, and is weU pleasing to God.
Here no raan liraits the Spirit of God, nor brings
forth his own conned and gathered stuff; but every
one puts forth that which the Lord puts into his
heart This is uttered, not in man's will and wis
dom, but in the evidence and " demonsfration of
the Spirit and of power." Yea, though there be
not now dwell in. temples made with hands, but that the humble
and contrite hearts of sincere Christians are the temples in which
he delights, Friends have felt themselves restrained from using
this custom, because it tends to keep the minds of the people out
ward, to support and continue an erroneous opinion, and as prac
tised by others, is an empty and useless ceremony.
For similar reasons they do not call their meeting - places
ohurcheii, believing it an entire misapplication of the word, cal
culated to give a fiJse impression, wholly irreconcilable with
Scripture authority, where the church is declared to be the living
body of regenerated and sanctified believers, of whom Jesus Christ
»ur Lord is the adorable Head.
10

110 WORSHIP.
not a word spoken, yet is the true spiritiial wor
ship performed and the body of Christ edified. It
may fall out among us, and hath often happened
so, that divers meetings have passed without one
word being spoken, and yet our souls have been
greatly edified and refreshed, and our hearts won
derfully overcome with the secret sense of God's
power and Spirit, which, without words, hath been
ministered from one vessel to another.
As there can be nothing more opposite to the
natural will and wisdom of man than this silent
waiting upon God, so neither can it be obtained
nor rightly comprehended by man, but as he lay-
eth down his own wisdom and will, so as to be
content to be thoroughly subject to God. There
fore it is not preached nor can be so practised, but
by such as find no outward ceremony, no observa
tions, no words, yea, not the best and purest words,
even the words of Scripture [alone] able to satisfy
their weary and afflicted souls ; because where all
these may be, the life, power, and virtue which
make such things effectual may be wanting.
Such were necessitated to cease from all exter
nals, and to be silent before the Lord ; and being
directed to the inward principle of life and light in
themselves, as the most excellent teacher, that can
never be reraoved into a corner, they carae there
by to be taught to wait upon God in the measure
of life and grace received from hira, and to cease
from their own forms, and words, and actings, in

WORSHIP. Ill
the natural willing, and comprehension, and feel
after this inward seed of life, that as it moveth
they may move with it, and be actuated by its
power, and influenced, whether to pray, preach, or
sing. From this principle of raan's being silent,
and not acting in the things of God of himself,
until thus actuated by God's light and grace in the
heart, did naturally spring the manner of sitting
silent together, and waiting upon the Lord.
The excellency of this silent waiting upon God
appears, in that it is impossible for the enemy to
counterfeit it, so as for any soul to be deceived or
deluded by him in the exercise of it. In all other
matters he may mix hiraself with the natural raind
of man, and so by transforming hiraself he may
deceive the soul by busying it about things, per
haps innocent in themselves, while he yet keeps
them from beholding the pure light of Christ, and
eo from knowing distinctly their dufy, and doing it.
"When the soul comes to this silence, and as it
were, is brought to nothingness as to her own
workings, then the devil is shut out, for the pure
presence of God and shining of his light he can
not abide. So long as a raan is thinking and
meditating as of hiraself, he cannot be sure but the
devil is influencing hira therein; but when he
comes wholly to be silent, as the pure light of God
shines in upon him, then he is sure that the devil
is shut out, for beyond the imagination he cannot
go-

112 WORSHIP.
The nature of this worship which is performed
by tho operation of the Spirit, the natural man
being silent, appears from these words of Christ :
" But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and
in truth ; for the Father seeketh such to worship
him. God is a spirit, and they that worship him,
must worship him in spirit and in truth." This
testimony is the raore specially to be observed, for
that it is the first, chiefest, and most ample testi
mony which Christ gives us of his Christian wor
ship. He showeth that the season is now come
wherein the worship must be in the spirit and in
truth ; for the Father seeketh such to worship hira.
So then it is no more a worship consisting in out
ward observations, to be performed by man at set
times or opportunities, which he can do in his own
vrill and by his own natural strength, for else it
would not differ in raatter, but only in sorae cir
curastances, from that under the law.
As for a reason of this worship, we need not
give any other, and indeed none can give a better,
than that which Christ giveth, which I think
should be sufficient to satisfy every Christian, to
wit : " GoD IS A Spirit, and they that worship him,
must worship him in spirit and in fruth." As
this ought to be received because they are the
words of Christ, so also it is founded upon so clear
a demonstration of reason, as sufficiently evi-
denceth its verity. For Christ excellently argueth

WORSHIP. 113
from the analogy that ought to be betwixt the ob
ject and the worship directed to it. God is a
spirit; therefore He raust be worshipped in spirit.
— R. Barclay.
Divine worship is the highest and most import
ant dufy in which the raind of raan can be en
gaged. It is no less than holding intercourse with
the Father of spirits, and offering the fribute of
horaage and adoration to " the High and lofty One,
who inhabiteth eternify, whose narae is Holy ; "
but who condescends also to " dwell with him that
is of a contrite and humble spirit ; to revive the
spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the
contrite ones." This solemn act is not dependent
upon, or necessarily connected with, anything
which one raan can do for another ; but must be
performed between the soul and its Almighfy
Creator; for " God is a spirit, and they that worship
him, must worship him in spirit and in fruth."
Acceptable worship cannot be offered, but
through the assistance of the Spirit of Christ ; He
being our Mediator, by whora only we can ap
proach unto God, and from whom we must derive,
for this engagement, both " the preparation of the
heart and the answer of the tongue." In order to
experience this necessary qualification, it is our
dufy to have the mind withdrawn from aU out
ward objects, and reverently and humbly to wait
upon the Lord in the silence of all flesh ; that so
He may be pleased, through the revelation of hia
10*

114 WORSHIP.
Spirit, to give us a true sense of our needs and a
knowledge of his will, and enable us to offer a sacri
fice well-pleasing in his sight. Those who thus
wait upon the Lord, and depend upon the assistance
of his Spirit, will often be favoured with a broken
and contrite heart, a sacrifice which, it is declared,
He will not despise — their spiritual strength will
be renewed, and they will experience a growth
and establishment in the blessed truth. These,
however small their number or reraote and solitary
their situation may be, are the frue worshippers
whom the Father seeketh to worship hira ; and to
whora the Lord Jesus vrill fulfil his gracious
proraise, " "Where two or three , are gathered to
gether in my name, there am I in the midst of
them." We tenderly entreat all to be constant in as
sembling with their brethren on first days, and
other days of the week when meetings for Dirine
Worship are held, in order to bear a public testi
mony to our dependence upon the Father of
mercies, for the blessings we enjoy, and to experi
ence a renewal of our abiUty to live in his fear,
and to labour in his blessed cause and service.
Let us not suffer the improper influence of tem
poral things, an indifferent or lifeless state of
mind, the smallness of the number who meet, or
the absence of a vocal ministry, to discourage us
from diligently attending all our religious meet
ings; remembering that it is our reasonable aer-

MINISTRY. 115
vice to present our bodies a Uring sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God. "Where this is the sincere
engagement of those gathered, whether it may
please him to authorize any public rainistry or not,
the great rainister of the sanctuary, Christ Jesus,
will, in his own tirae, dispense to the waiting soul
that divine consolation or insfruction which He
sees to be best for it Let none, then, be weary or
ashamed of our ancient and noble testimony to
the excellence of silent waiting upon God; it
having been found, in the experience of many of
his servants, a raost profitable exercise of mind,
and one which He has graciously been pleased emi
nently to own and bless. — Ancient Testimony.
Ministry.
As it is the prerogative of the great Head of the
church alone to select and caU the ministers of his
gospel, so we beUeve both the gift, and the quaUfi
cation to exercise it, must be derived immediately
from Hira ; — and that as in the primitive chureh,
so now also. He confers them on women as well as
on men, agreeably to the prophecy recited by the
apostle Peter : " It shall come to pass in the last
days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon
all flesh : and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy ; " " and on my servants and on my
hand-maidens, I will pour out, in those days, of
my Spirit ; and they shall prophesy : " respecting
which the apostle declares, " The promise is unto

116 MINISTRY.
you, and to your children, and to all that are afar
off, even as raany as the Lord our God shall caU."
The gift being free, the exercise of it is to be
without money and without price, agreeably to
the command of our Lord, " Freely ye have re
ceived, freely give."
The apostle Paul in speaking of his ministry,
declares, " I neither received it from man, neither
was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus
Christ ; " that the exercise of it was " not in the
words which man's wisdora teacheth, but which
the Holy Ghost teacheth ; " and that his " speech
and his preaching were not with enticing words of
man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit
and of power ; that the faith of his hearers might
not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power
of God." We believe that the experience of
every frue minister of Christ will correspond with
that of the apostle; and therefore, our reUgious
Society, frora its first rise, has borne a faithful
testiraony against a raan-raade and hireUng min
istry. We apprehend, that the selection of one man to
speak to an assembly, who is always to perform
that service at the stated times of raeeting,
whether divinely called to it and assisted, or not;
to the exclusion of all others, whatever raay be
their religious exercises or apprehended duty, is
an (Unauthorized assumption of power, greatly pre
judicial to the welfare of the churc h ; and a direct

MINISTRY. 117
interference with the dirine prerogative of Christ,
whose right it is to dispense his gifts to whom He
will, as saith the apostle, ^' To one is given, by the
Spirit, the word of wisdora ; to another the word
of knowledge, by the same Spirit; to another
faith ; to another the gifts of healing — to another
the working of mfracles — to another prophecy —
to another discerning of spirits — to another divers
kinds of tongues — to another the interpretation
of tongues : but all these worketh that one and the
self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as
He will." — Ancient Testimony.
"When, by the fransforming power of his grace.
He has prepared any for his service, and bestowed
on thera a gift in the ministry, such haring freely
received it frora Hira, feel themselves bound as
freely to dispense that with which they are in-
frusted; haring nothing wherein they can glory;
because a necessity is laid upon them ; yea, woe is
unto them, if they preach not the gospel. This
was the experience of the priraitive ministers of
Christ, whose glory it was that they made not the
gospel chargeable to any. The system of hireling
minisfry presumes to place this divine prerogative
in the arbitrary control of fallible men, who per
mit any that comply with their prescribed forms
to assume the sacred office ; while all others, how
ever godly in their lives, and however clearly called
of the Lord to the work of the ministry, are pro
hibited from engaging in it. It is a systera which

118 MINISTRY.
does not profess that any renewed divine aid or
qualification is to be sought for, or expected, in
the soleran acts of preaching or praying, and pro
poses to perform thera in return for a pecuniary
compensation ; all which is clearly in opposition
to the practice of the primitive church, and to the
liberty of the gospel — an obstruction to the reli
gious growth and usefulness of indiriduals ; and a
great barrier to the spread of those spiritual riews
which constitute an essential part of vital reUgion.
There is no testimony for which the early mem
bers of our Society suffered more deeply in person
and estate than that which they so nobly bore to
a free gospel rainistry, of Christ's selection and
appointraent* However raen may have changed,
the system remains the same. Our testimony
against it has lost none of its force or its obligar
tion. Those who slight or baulk it, are frarapling
upon the sufferings of our worthy predecessors,
and going back into the bondage to carnal ordi
nances, out of which they were redeeraed. Such
we believe will suffer loss in a spiritual sense ; dis
qualifying themselves for the performance of that
worship which is in spirit and in truth, and which
* From an early period after the rise of the Society, the amount
annuaUy distrained from Friends in consequence of their conscien
tious refusal to pay tithes, and other ecclesiastical demands, has
been very large. Of late years, the unwillingness of Friends in
Great Britain and Ireland to comply with these anti-Christian im
positions, has led to the seizure and sale of their property, to tha
value of about forty thousand dollars a year.

PRAYER. 119
only is acceptable to the Father, and be in danger
of settiing into lukewarmness and cold formaUfy.
— F. M. Extracts. Prayer.
Prayer is a dufy inseparable from the life and
growth of a Christian. Whenever he is upon the
watch, it is the clothing of his spirit. He cannot
maintain the watch against the insidious machi
nations of his unwearied enemy, without the con
stant aid of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit, which
reminds him of his need of holy aspirations to the
throne of grace for preservation, and for forgive
ness ofhis missteps when off the watch, influences
and prepares his heart to breathe forth fervent de
sires before the Lord, for sfrength to stand against
the wiles of the devil, that he may be built up and
preserved upon the Rock, Christ Jesus. When
through divine love he is made sensible of the
Lord's holy presence, prayer or praise arises in his
soul ; and thus he is permitted to hold communion
with the Father of mercies, the God of all consola
tion. But it is only through the Spirit of our
Holy Intercessor and Advocate with the Father,
that the heart is thus influenced and enabled to
put up availing prayer. None need doubt that
this indispensable qualification will be furnished
if they humbly seek it, and are obedient to the
divine will in this and other duties.
At those seasons of dirine visitation, when the

120 PRAYER.
convictions of that grace, which strives with all to
save them, are pressing upon the rebellious trans
gressor, as they are yielded to, a cry for mercy and
forgiveness is raised by the Holy Spirit in the
heart, which will reach the gracious ear of Him
against whom he has sinned, and will be accepted.
Were the command of our Lord to " watch and
pray continually " lived up to, there would be no
formal prayers; and where that is not regarded,
formal prayers will not avail as a substitute. Many
of our early Friends had been educated in the
habit of " saying their prayers," as it is termed, at
stated periods ; and when it was given thera, in
the light of Christ Jesus, to see their own condi
tions, and that He required a thorough change of
heart, they were convinced that those customary
and Ufeless prayers, in which the spirit of suppli
cation was not poured forth frora on high upon
the individual, would not avail anything, and they
were restrained from the practice, and from teach
ing it to their children. They clearly saw and felt
that He only, to whom the apostles applied, could
teach them how to pray, and what to pray for.
Under his guidance, their Uves became lives of
prayer and watchfulness, and many of them at
tained to an extraordinary growth and fixedness
in the blessed truth.
Like the qualification for gospel minisfry, we
have always believed that the putting forth of the
Shepherd of Israel is requisite for the duty of

TRADE AND BUSINESS. 121
vocal prayer in our religious assemblies, a serrice
in which the spiritual worshipper can fervently
and cordially unite, when it is performed under
the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It is one of the
most solemn acts in which man can be engaged,
and when prosfrated in the presence of the great
I AM, our words should be few and weighfy. —
Ancient Testimony, H.
Trade and Business.
We feel tenderly soUcitous on behalf of those
who are engaged in frade or business, and who, in
pursuing the means of gaining an honest liveli
hood, are subjected to many difficulties. We be
lieve the present is a day of peculiar temptation to
such. Circurastances of latter time have combined
to produce a state of exfraordinary excitement
among the frading community, and an active and
eager competition, which is not scrupulous as to
the means employed to inrite and secure custom.
Pressed by the manoeuvres of this selfish and
grasping spirit, and beholding the apparent suc
cess, which for a while is sometimes permitted to
attend it, we fear lest any under our name, should
yield to the temptation to resort to artifices or
plans, to enlarge their business or to increase their
profits, which are inconsistent with the law of
universal righteousness, and thus destroy their
peace of raind. Strict justice and honesty in all
11

122 TRADE AND BUSINESS.
his dealings, and a conscientious observance of the
great precept of our holy Redeemer, "Whatsoever
ye would that men should do to you, do ye also
even so unto them," are the indispensable duties
of the Christian ; and the greatest pecuniary gain
would be no compensation for the guilt, and the
sore distress, which, sooner or later, must result
from a riolation of them.
' The standard which the world adopts, and even
defends, in its pursuit of trade and its desire to
gather riches, is not a safe one for the disciple of
Christ. " Men vrill praise thee when thou doest
well for thyself; " and we sorrowfully see that this
praise is often bestowed with but Uttle regard to the
means employed to acquire wealth. But we are
taught by the Saviour himself, that " that which is
highly esteemed among men is an abomination in
the sight of God ; " and we fear that it is frue as
respects some of the modes of conducting busi
ness, and many of the schemes for procuring
money, which are resorted to in the present day.
Earnestly do we desire that all may be scrupu
lously on their guard, not to suffer their nice sense
of Christian integrity to be blunted or benumbed
by the examples which pass unreproved in the
comraunity, but steadily adhere to that strict up
rightness, in all their transactions and converse,
which becoraes the disciple of Christ, and which
so remarkably distinguished our worthy predeces
sors. How exact were they in the fulfilment of

TRADE AND BUSINESS. 123
their words and obUgations ! how careful to avoid
all evasive and insincere deaUngs, and how consci
entious not to engage in anything of a doubtful or
objectionable character. Thefr strictness in these
respects gained for them, and for our reUgious So
ciefy, a high reputation; and the Lord blessed
thefr honest endeavours, so that they prospered
in the world. May thefr noble example influence
us of the present day to follow in thefr footsteps,
that so our conduct may bring no shade over the
brightness of our Christian profession, but that
walking and acting in the holy Ught of the Lord
Jesus, we may, by our example, commend our
principles to those who behold us, and experience
in ourselves the fruth of the Scripture declaration,
" The path of the just man is as a shining light,
that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."
It is a truth confirraed by the experience of
many, that " godliness with contentment is great
gain, having promise of the Ufe that now is and
of that which is to come." "Where the desires of
the mind are cfrcumscribed by the limitations of
the holy Truth, there is raore frue enjoyment in a
moderate business, and a moderate and simple
way of Uving, than can be known by ady of the
sons or daughters of exfravagance and folly. In
this Imnible state, a Uttle with the Lord's blessing
satisfies its wants. Its peace and franquiUify, in a
reverent dependence upon God, are preserved, and
many sorrows and temptations are avoided. Re-

124 TRADE AND BUSINESS.
deemed from the love of the world, and the affec
tions set on things above, it is jealous over itself,
lest it should become unduly occupied with the
things of time, and rather shuns than seeks a large
business ; mainly desiring, that while diligent in
the necessary concems of life, it may be " fervent
in spirit, serring the Lord." The eye being thus
kept single, it is tavoured with dirine light, clearly
to discover the path which the Lord is calling to
walk in; and, freed from needless anxiefy and
care, and the cumber of much worldly business,
its tirae and faculties are devoted, under the lead
ings of the good Shepherd, to the serrices of reli
gious Society and the promotion of the cause of
truth ahd righteousness in the earth.
We have abundant reason to assent to the truth
of the declaration of the inspired apostle, " They
that will be rich fall into teraptation and a snare,
and into raany foolish and hurtful lusts, which
drown raen in destruction and perdition." How
many of this class, in their haste to accomplish
their favourite object, have launched out into large
business, brought upon theraselves a load of anxiety
and care which has deprived them of much of the
comfort of life, wounded their own consciences,
and done violence to the secret, gentle conrictions
of the Holy Spirit, and at last been bitterly disap
pointed, as regards the attainment of that which
they have been so eagerly pursuing.
The desire after large business is one of the be-

TRADE AND BUSINESS. 125
setting teraptations of the present day, and we
would affectionately enfreat our members to be
ware of being caught with it. " Seekest thou
great things for thyself, seek them not," is a lan
guage of Holy Scripture applicable, we believe, at
this day, to every one who desires to be a partaker
of the joys of the righteous. The happiness of
man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the
things which he possesseth, but in the love of God
shed abroad in the heart, and daily coraraunion
with hira. Trade, or business, or speculations in
property, which hold out prospects of a rapid ac-
curaulation of riches, often destroy the tranquillify
of the mind, and lead to perplexities which not
only lessen the desire, but disqualify, for a patient,
humble dependence upon Hira, who is the author
of all our raercies, and whose blessing alone
raaketh fruly rich.
May none involve themselves in worldly con
cerns of such magnitude, or of so absorbing a
character, as to disqualify thera for acting the part
of faithful stewards to God, in the right use of
their time, their talents, and the temporal sub
stance intrusted to their care; or prevent thera
frora being concerned, in all things to pass the
time of their sojourning' on earth in fear, and by
daily watchfulness unto prayer, to have their lamps
trimraed, and oil in their vessels, that when the
solemn close of life shall come, they may be pre-
11*

126 CHRISTIAN LIBERALITY.
pared, through the mercy of God in Christ Jesus,
to enter into the joy of their Lord.
We affectionately desire that those who are made
stewards over but a small portion of this world's
goods, may be contented in the allotment which
Dirine Proridence has assigned them, and whilst
diligently pursuing a course of honest industry,
observe the injunction of our holy Redeeraer,
" Seek first the kingdora of God, and the right
eousness thereof; " in the undoubted assurance
that the annexed proraise will be fulfilled, " and
all things necessary shall be added unto you."
Seek not, by entering upon any undertakings into
which the Truth does not lead, to increase your
earthly possessions ; but having your eye fixed on
the durable riches and righteousness that fade not
away, endeavour to lay up for yourselves treasure
in heaven. He who feedeth the ravens and clothes
-the lilies of the field will not fail, as you serve
Him in uprightness, to grant you all that is neces
sary for your accommodation during the short
period of your stay on earth, and also make you
rich in faith, and heirs of the proraises. — Y. M.
Epistle. Christian Liberality.
Those who are in more easy or in affluent cir
cumstances, have their peculiar temptations, and a
weighfy responsibilify arising out of the frust
committed to their care. They are stewards, wh»

SIMPLICITY OF APPAREL. 127
must give an account of the manner in which they
use their temporal substance, which is not their
own, but belongs to Him whose is the earth and
the fulness thereof, to be used for his glory and
the good of thefr feUow-creatures. We would
encourage these carefully to cherish and practice
Christian UberaUty towards proper objects of be
nevolence, and to seek out and aid such, rather
than hoard up for those who may corae after
them ; the effect of which has often been injurious
both to thefr temporal and spiritual welfare ; and
to be fruitful in the good works produced by that
faith which gives the victory over the world.
May a deep sense of these things so rest upon the
minds of this class, that Uring in humility and
godly fear, they may at last be prepared to render
up their accounts with joy, and receive the answer
of " Well done, good and faithful servant."
Simplicity of Apparel.
The use of clothes came originally from the fall.
If man had not fallen, he would not have needed
them ; but this miserable state made them neces
sary. Now for man to deUght himself in that
which is the fruit of his iniquity and the conse
quence of his sin, can be no ways lawful for him.
So, to extend things beyond their real use, or to
superadd things wholly superfiuous, is a manifest
abuse of the creation, and therefore not lawful for
Christians.

128 SIMPLICITY OF APPAREL.
Those who so adorn theraselves in the use of
their clothes, as to beset thera with things having no
real use or necessity, but merely for ornament sake,
openly declare that the end of it is either to please
their lust, for which these things are chiefly con
trived, or to gratify a vain, proud and ostentatious
mind ; and it is obvious these are their general de
signs in so doing. We see how easily men are
puffed up with their garments, and how proud
and vain they are, when adorned to their minds.
How far these things are below a true Christian,
and how unsuitable, needs very little proof. Those
who love to be gaudy and superfluous in their
clothes, show that they concern themselves little
with mortification and self-denial, and that they
study to beautify their bodies raore than their
souls; which proves they think little upon their
mortality, and so are certainly raore norainal than
real Christians.
The Scripture severely reproves such practices,
both coramending and comraanding the contrary.
How severely doth the prophet Isaiah, chap, iii.,
reprove the daughters of Israel for their tinkling
ornaraents, their cauls, their round tires, their
chains and bracelets, &c. Yet is it not strange to
see Christians allow theraselves in these things,
frora whora a more strict and exemplary conver
sation is requirbd? Christ desires us not to be
anxious about our clothing; and to show the
vauify of such as glory in the splendor of their

SIMPLICITY OP APPAREL. 129
clothing, tells them, " That even Solomon, in all
his glory, was not to be compared to the Uly of the
field, which to-day is, and to-raonow is cast into
the oven." But surely they make small reckoning
of Christ's words and doctrine, who are so curious
in their clothing, so industrious to deck themselves,
so earnest to justify it, and so enraged when they
are reproved for it. The apostle Paul is very
positive in this respect : " I will therefore in Uke
manner also that women adorn theraselves in
modest apparel, with shame-facedness and sobriefy,
and not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or
costly array; but, which becometh women pro
fessing godliness, with good works." To the same
purpose saith Peter, " "Whose adorning let it not be
that outward adoming of plaiting the hair, and
wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel ; but
let it be the hidden raan of the heart, in that
which is not corruptible, even the ornaraent of a
meek and quiet spirit, which is, in the sight of
God, of great price."
Here both the apostles do very positively and
expressly assert two things. First, that the adom
ing of Christian women, of whom it is particularly
spoken, I judge because this sex is raost naturally
incUned to that vanify, ought not to be outward,
nor to consist in the apparel.
Secondly, That they ought not to use the plait
ing of the hair, or ornaraents, &c., which was at
that time the custom of the nations. But is it not

130 SIMPLICITY OF APPAREL.
strange, that such as raake the Scripture their nilo,
and pretend they are guided by it, should not only
be so generally in the use of these things, which
the Scripture so plainly condemns, but also should
atterapt to justify themselves in so doing? For
the apostles not only commend the forbearance of
these things, as an attainment coramendable in
Christians, but conderan the use of thera as un
lawful. Yet does it not seera more strange, that
in confradiction to the apostles' doctrine, as if they
had resolved to sUght their testimony, they should
condemn those who out of conscience apply them
selves seriously to follow it, as if in so doing they
were singular, proud, or superstitious ? This cer
tainly betokens a sad apostasy in those who will
be accounted Christians, that they are so offended
with those who love to follow Christ and his
apostles in denying and departing from, the lying
vanities of this perishing world ; and so evidence
their affinity with such as hate to be reproved,
ahd neither will enter the kingdom themselves,
nor suffer those that would, — R. Barclay.
Pride leads people to a fond value of their per
sons, especially if they have any pretensions to
shape or beaufy. It is admirable to see how much
some are taken with themselves, as if nothing else
deserved their regard or the good opinion of others.
It would abate their folly, if they could flnd in
their hearts to spare but half of the time to think
of God and their latter end, which they most prod-

SIMPLICITY OF APPAREL. 131
igally spend in washing, perfuming, painting, at
tiring, and dressing. In these things they are
very precise and artificial, and for cost they spare
not. That which aggravates the evil is, that the
pride of one raight comfortably supply the need
of ten. Gross impiefy it is, that a nation's pride
should not be spared to a nation's poor! But
what is this for at last ! Only to be admired, to
have reverence, to draw love, and to command the
eyes and affections of beholders. And so fantastic
are they in it, as hardly to be pleased. Nothing
scarcely is good, or fine, or fashionable enough for
thera. The sun itself, the blessing of heaven,
must not shine upon them lest it tan thera, nor the
wind blow upon thera lest it disorder them. O
impious nicefy! "While they value themselves
above all else, they make theraselves the slaves of
their own pride, worshipping their shape, features,
or complexion, whichsoever is their excellency.
Tn such folUes we have a specimen of man, what
a creature he is in his lapse from his primitive im
age. All this, as Jesus said of sin of old, comes
from within : from the disregard of men and
women to the Word of their Creator in their
hearts, which shows pride, and teaches humilify
and self-abasement, and directs the mind to the
true object of honour and worship; and that with
an awe and reverence suitable to his sovereignty
and majesfy. Poor mortals! But Uring dirt,
xnade of what they tread on ; who, with aU thefr

132 SIMPl ICITY OF APPAREL.
pride and finery, cannot secure themselves from
the spoil of sickness, much less from the stroke of
death. Oh ! did people consider the inconstancy of
all visible things, the cross and adverse occurrences
of man's life, the certainty of his departure and
of eternal judgment, it is to be hoped they would
bring their deeds to Christ's light in their hearts,
and see whether they are wrought in God or not.
Art thou comely, beautiful ? Admire the power
that made thee so. Live an harmonious Ufe to thy
make and frame, and let the beauty of thy body-
teach thee to beautify thy mind with holiness, the
ornament of the beloved of God. Art thou
homely or deformed ? Magnify the goodness that
did not make thee a beast, and with the grace that
is given thee, for it has appeared to all, learn to
adorn thy soul with enduring beaufy. Remember,
the King of heaven's daughter, the church of
which all frue Christians are members, is all glori
ous within. If thy soul excel in this inward adom
ing, thy body will only set off the lustre of thy
mind. Nothing is homely in God's sight but sin ;
and they that commune with their own hearts and
sin not ; who, in the light of the holy Jesus, wateh
over the movings and inclinations of their own
souls, and suppress every eril in its conception ;
these love the yoke and cross of Christ, and are
daily crucified by it to the world, but live unto
God in that life which outlives all the fading pleas
ures of time and sense. — W. Penn.

PLAIN LANGUAGE, ETO. 135
Chi Che Use of the Plain Language, avoiding Flattering
Titles, ^e.
Convinced that the use of compliments and flat
tering titles, bowing, and putting off the hat, and
addressing a single indiridual in the plural lan
guage, all had their origin in the pride of the'
human heart, nourished a vain mind, and being
often, or mostly, used for mere show, without any
real feeling of respect, tended to encourage an in
sincere and hypocritical disposition ; Friends have
felt theraselves religiously bound to abstain frora
thera, and to keep to the plain Scripture language
of Thou and Thee when addressing one person,
according to correct graramar rules.
George Fox says, the Lord showed rae that it
was an honour which He would lay in the dust
and stain : an honour which proud flesh looked
for, and sought not the honour that coraes from
God only. That it was an honour invented by
men in the fall and alienation from God, who
were offended if it were not given to thera, yet
would be looked upon as saints, church members
and Christians. But Christ saith, " How can ye
believe who receive honour one of another, and
seek not the honour that cometh from God only ; "
and again, " I receive not honour of men."
In allusion to the use of the singular nuraber
in addressing an indiridual, the disuse of the
appellations master, or mister, mistress, sire and
12

134 PLAIN LANGUAGE AND
other complimentary epithets to those who do
not stand in those relations to us, a writer on
the views of Friends, remarks : " From these and
other erroneous and corrupt practices the Spirit.
of Truth, in which we profess to beUeve as the
guide into all truth, led our predecessors in re
ligious profession, and still leads us as we faith
fully follow it. Our conduct in these respects is
so fully supported by the practices mentioned in
Holy Scripture, as well as by the simplicity and
reasonableness of it, that I apprehend no one wiU
deny its propriety.
" The origin of applying the plural number to an
indiridual, and of giving complimentary titles,
will, I suppose, be acknowledged by those who
have traced these things to their source, to be
vanity and pride. Besides this consideration, our
practice of using the singular nuraber, and of call
ing persons by their right names, is both more
correct and raore perspicuous. This is also the
case with respect to our names of the months and
days. Nevertheless, it is not by reason and pro
priety alone that our conduct in these things is
supported, nor are these the grounds of our prac
tice. The examples and precepts recorded in the
Holy Scriptures also justify our conduct.
" It was no doubt the complimentary, and not the
proper, use of the appellations of Rabbi, Father,
and Master, that our Lord prohibited ambng hia
followers. Speaking of the disposition of the

DISUSE OF COMPLIMENTS, ETC. 136
Scribes and Pharisees, He says, ' They love the
uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in
the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and
to be called of men. Rabbi, Rabbi.' Then ad
dressing himself to his disciples and the multi
tude, He adds, ' But be not ye called Rabbi, for
one is your Master, even Christ, and aU ye are
brethren. And call no man father upon earth,
for one is your Father which is in heaven. Nei
ther be ye caUed masters, for one is your Master,
even Christ' The foUowing expressions of Elihu,
a pious young man mentioned in the book of Job,
are appUcable to the present purpose: 'Let me
not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither
let me give flattering titles unto man ; for I know
not to give flattering titles ; in so doing ray Maker
would soon take rae away.'
" With respect to the use of the singular number
to one person, it is the uniform practice in the
Holy Scriptures, and indeed in all other writings,
to a period long after that in which the last part
of the Scriptures was written. It is not therefore
to be expected that any allusion to a confrary prac
tice would be mentioned in thera, but our conduct
in this respect is consistent with 'the form of
sound words ' recommended by Paul to Timothy."
The first and most pressing motive upon our
spirits to decUne the practice of these customs,
pulling off the hat, bowing the body or knee, and
giving people flattering titles and epithets, waa

136 PLAIN LANGUAGE AND
that savour, sight, and sense of God, by his lighl
and spirit, given us, of the Christian world's apos
tasy from God, and the cause and effects of' that
great and lamentable defection. In the discovery
of which, the sense of our state came first before
us, and we were made to see Him whom we had
pierced, and to mourn for it. A day of humiUa
tion overtook us, and we fainted to that pleasure
and delight we once loved.
Now, our works went beforehand tQ judgment,
and a thorough search was made, and the words
of the prophet became well understood by us, viz. :
" Who shall abide the day of his coming, and who
shall stand when He appears ? He is like a refin
er's fire, and like fuller's soap ; " and as the apos
tle said, " If the righteous scarcely be saved, where
shall the ungodly and the sinner appear." " "Where
fore," says the Apostle Paul, " knowing the terror
ofthe Lord, we persuade men." "What to do? To
come out of the nature, spirit, lusts, and custoras
of this wicked world, reraembering that, as Jesus
has said, "For every idle word that men shall
speak, they shall give an account thereof in the
day of judgment."
God knows it was so in this day. The bright
ness of his coraing to our souls discovered, and
the breath of his mouth destroyed, every plant
he had not planted in us. He was a swift witness
against every evil thought and every unfruitful
work; and, blessed be his name, we were not

DISUSE OP COMPLIMENTS, ETC. 137
offended in Him, or at his righteous judgments.
Now it was that a grand inquest came upon our
whole life. Every word, thought, and deed was
brought to judgment, the root examined, and its
tendency considered. The lust of the eye, the
lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, were opened
to our view, the mystery of iniquity in us. Now,
this I say, and that in the fear and presence
of the all-seeing, just God, these honours and re
spects of the world, araong other things, becarae
burdensorae to us. We saw they had no being in
paradise, that they grew in the night-tirae, and
carae from an ill root, and only delighted a vain
and eril mind, and that rauch pride and folly were
in thera.
And though it be objected, that we seek to set
up outward forras and preciseness, and that our
plainness is but a badge of the party, the better to
be known ; I do declare, in the fear of Almightj
God, that these are but the imaginations and vain
constructions of insensible men, who have not had
that sense, which the Lord hath given us, of what
arises from the right and the wrong root in raan.
And when such censurers of our siraplicity shall
be inwardly touched and awakened by the mighty
power of God, and see things as they are in their
proper natures and seeds, they will then know
their own burden, and easily acquit us, without
the imputation of folly or hypocrisy herein.
To such as say that we strain at smaU things,
12*

138 PLAIN LANGUAGE AND
which becomes not a people of such fair preten
sions to liberty and freedom of spirit, I answer
with meekness, truth, and sobriety, that nothing
is small that God makes raatter of conscience to
do or leave undone, and that as inconsiderable as
they are made by those who raise this objection,
yet they are much set by.
We decline and refuse the use of these customa
in our addresses and salutations, from the consid
eration of their emptiness and vanity, there being
nothing of true honour and respect in thera, sup
posing them not to be eril.
There is no discovery of honour or respect made
by them, it is rather eluding and equivocating it ;
cheating people of the honour and respect that is
due to them ; giving them nothing in the show of
something. There is in thera no obedience to su
periors, no love to equals, no help or countenance
to inferiors.
We declare to the whole world we are for true
honour and respect. We honour the king, our
parents, our masters, our magistrates, and one
another; yea, all men, after God's way, used by
holy men and women of old tirae ; but we refuse
these custoras as vain and deceitful, not answering
the end they are used for.
If thou to a single person be improper and
unciril, God himself, all the holy fathers and
prophets, Christ Jesus and his apostles, the prim-'
itive saints, and all languages throughout the

DISUSE OF COMPLIMENTS, ETC. 139
world, are in fault, which were great presumption
to imagine.
Another reason of great weight with me is, that
it is a raost extravagant piece of pride in a raortal
man to require or expect from his fellow-creatures
a raore eiril speech or grateful language, than he
is wont to give to the immortal God, his Creator,
in his worship to hira. Art thou, O raan, greater
than He that made thee? Canst thou approach
the God of thy breath, and the Judge of thy life,
with thou and thee, and when thou ariseth off thy
knees, scorn or ridicule a Christian for giring to
thee, poor mushroora of the earth, no better lan
guage than thou hadst given to God but just be
fore? This were an arrogancy not easily to be
equalled. Certain we are that the Spirit of God seeks not
these respects, much less pleads for thera, or would
be wroth with any that conscientiously refuse to
give thera. But that this vain generation is guilfy
of using thera, to gratify a vain raind, is too palpa
ble. "What capping, what cringing, what bowing,
what vain, unraeaning words, raost extravagant
expressions, compliments, and gross flatteries, and
even plain lies, under the name of civilities, are
men and women guilfy of in conversation ! Ah !
my friends, whence fetch you these examples?
What part of aU the writings of the holy raen of
God warrants these things ? Is Christ your exara-
ple herein, whose name you profess lo bear. Or

140 PLAIN LANGUAGE, ETC.
are those saints of old that lived in desolate places,
of whom the world was not worthy ? Do you think
you follow the practices of those Christians who,
in obedience to their Master's life and doctrine,
forsook the respect of persons, and relinquished
the fashions, honour, and glory of this transitory
world, whose qualifications lay not in the gestures,
respects, and compliraents of the world, but in a
meek and quiet spirit adorned with teraperance,
vfrtue, modesfy, grarity, patience, and brotherly
kindness, the tokens of true honour, and badges
of respect and nobility in those Christian times.
And tell us truly, are not romances, plays, balls,
garaes and music, the entertainments that most
delight you ? Had you the spirit of Christianity
indeed, could you consume your most precious
little time in so many unnecessary visits, games,
and pastimes, in your vain compliments, feigned
stories, flatteries, and foolish novelties, invented
and used for diversion, to make you easy in your
forgetfulness of God ? Oh ! were you truly touched
with a sense of your sins, and in any measure born
again, did you take up the cross of Jesus and Uve
under it, these things which so much please your
wanton~ and earthly nature, would find no place
with you. This is not seeking the things that are
above, nor working out your own salvation with
fear and trembling. This is not crying with Elihu,
" I know not to give fiattering titles to raen, for in
80 doing ray Maker would soon take me away."

ON THE NAMES OP THE DAYS, ETC. 141
Tliis is not to deny self, and lay up a more hidden
and enduring treasure, an eternal inheritance in
the heavens that will not pass away. Your plea
of custom will find no place at God's fribunal.
The light of Christ in your own hearts will over
rule it, and the spirit against which we testify will
then appear to be what we say it is. Say not I am
serious about slight things : beware you of levify
in serious things. — W. Penn,
On the Names of the Days avd Months,
The children of Israel were strictly commanded
not only to abstain from the idolafrous practices
of the heathen nations, but not even to make
mention of the naraes of their gods. This was a
perpetual ordinance, respecting the honour of the
one only frue God, and obligatory on all who con
fess that " the Lord, he is God, and there is none
else besides hira ; " who says, " I will not give my
glory to another, nor my praise to graven images."
It was in the tirae of degeneracy that professing
Chiistians, regardless of this command, lapsed into
the custom of calling the names of some of the
months after heathen deities, a practice the more
surprising, as the religion of the gospel so greatly
exceeds in purify and perfection that of the law.
Convinced of the obUgation of the command,
both by the testimony of Holy Scripture and the
manifestations of the light of Christ, which leads
from all that would dishonour the holy name of

142 ON THE NAMES OF THE
the Loi d, either in word or deed, our early Friends
were restrained from the use of those names of the
months and days, which had been given them in
honour of idols, or in conformity with their false
worship. The importance of this Christian testimony will
be more clearly seen, by the following brief ac
count of the origin of the names of some of the
months, January was so called from Janus, whora hea
thenish superstition had deified, and to whom a
temple was built and this month dedicated,
February was so called from Februa, a word de
noting purgation by sacrifices ; it being usual for
the priests of the heathen god Pan to offer sacrir
fices and perform certain rites in this month, under
a pretence of purifying the people.
March was so denominated from Mars, the
feigned god of war.
April derives its name from a Greek appellation
of Yenus, an imaginary goddess of the Romans.
May, so called from Maia, mother of Mercury,
a pretended deity, to whom, in this month par
ticularly, devotion was paid.
June, from Juno, another of the feigned god
desses of the heathen.
July, so called from Julius Csesar, whose pride
led hira to give his name to this month, which
before was called Quintilis, the Fifth.
August, so named in honour of the Roman Em-

DAYS AND MONTHS, ETC. 143
peror Augustus Csesar. It was previously called
SextiUs, the Sixth.
The other four months still retain their numer
ical Latin names, riz. : September (7th), October
(8th), November (9th), December (10th), which,
since the change made in the year 1752, are im
properly applied.
The idolafrous Saxons called the days of the
week according to the narae of the idol who was
particularly worshipped on each day : thus,
The first day of the week was called Sunday,
frora thefr custoraary adoration of the sun on that
day. The second was called Monday, because specially
devoted to the worship of the raoon.
The third day was naraed Tuesday, in honour
of their idol Tuisco.
The fourth day was called Wednesday, from
Woden, another of their idols.
The fifth day was called Thursday, from the
name of the idol Thor, worshipped on that day.
The sixth day was termed Friday, in honour of
Friga, a heathen goddess.
The seventh day they sfyled Saturday, from
Saturn or Seater, worshipped on that day.
In the days of popish superstition, not only was
the use of such heathenish names indulged, but
ceremonies and sacrifices were imposed upon the
people under the false pretence of Christian rites.
From this corrupt source sprang the popish sacri-

144 MODERATION AND PLAINNESS
fiee of the raass, the celebration of which, on par.
ticular occasions, gave rise to the vulgar naraes of
Christraas, Martinmas, Candlemas, and such Uke.
These appellations of days, raonths, and times,
being of idolatrous or superstitious origin, confrary
to the divine coraraand, to the practice of holy
men in former ages, and at variance with the
purity of the religion of Christ, the Sociefy of
Friends has felt itself called to bear a testimony
against the use of them, and to encourage its
members, regardless of the reproach of singularify,
or the specious reasonings of those who would
evade the cross of Christ, and lower the standard
of Christian principle, to keep to the language of
truth, and denominate the months and days accord
ing to the plain scriptural method, which is far
more rational and perspicuous. — Epistle, 1751.
Moderation and Plainness in Living, SfC,
As the true Christian Ufe is the fruit of the
inward sanctification of the heart, by the spirit and
power of Christ Jesus, so we believe that they who
experience that blessed work in themselves, will
be redeeraed frora the pride and vanify of the
world, and the practices which grow out of thera,
and be brought into the siraplicity and self-denial,
enjoined by Hira who was himself "meek and
lowly of heart." Minds which are happily bent
upon seeking a more glorious and enduring inher
itance than temporal enjoyments can give, will

IN LIVING, ETC. 145
have Uttle reUsh for the fashions, the grandeur, or
the empty compUraents of a world that Ueth in
wickedness, but wiU be sfriring to fulfil the in
junction ot the apostle, "Be not conformed to
this world, but be ye fransformed by the renewing
of your minds, that ye may prove what is that
good and acceptable, and perfect will of God" con
cerning you.
It is with sorrow we observe that many under our
name, in this day of ease and prosperify, wherein
the raeans of indulging pride and ambition are
easily obtained, have swerved from that Christian
simpUcify and plainness in habit, speech and de
portment, and in the furniture of their houses and
manner of Uring, which the gospel enjoins, and
which become raen and woraen professing godU
ness. Sorae, to excuse or paUiate thefr departures in
these respects, speak of thera as "little things,"
and of small raoraent; thereby endeavoring to
lower that standard of moderation and self-denial,
which is set before us in the Holy Scriptures, and
which the Witness for Truth raised in the hearts
of our forefathers, and still caUs all to uphold.
We beUeve that nothing can be called Uttle which
forms a pirt of our dufy to God, and that the dis
position to lessen these testiraonies, as well as the
unwillingness to conform to them, arises from the
unsubdued wiU and unraortified pride of the
human heart, wMch shuns the offence ofthe cross.
13

146 MODERATION AND PLAINNESS
It is upon the simpUcity of the Truth as it is in
Jesus, whose whole life was one of contradiction
to the grandeur and glory of this world, and on
the heart-changing nature of the religion which He
infroduced, that our testimony to plainness and
raoderation rests. And why is it that any seek
to be conformed to the world in these things, and
to imitate its fashions and customs ? Is it not to
be like the people of the world ; from a desire to
emulate their style of Uring, to escape the cross,
and that mortification which arises from being
considered strict or narrow-minded ? We believe,
if such would search closely into the secret motives
which lie at the bottom of these worldly compli
ances, they would find they had their origin
in that love of the world, respecting which it is
declared, that if any man indulge it, the love of
the Father is not in him. We affectionately en
treat all seriously to ponder the path they are
pursuing, and inquire of the blessed Witness for
God in their own hearts, whether it is that strait
and narrow way, which their dear Redeemer trod
before them; who " Set us an example that we
should follow his steps." As these suffer him to
arise in their hearts, and plead his own cause ; and
give themselves up to his leading ; He will bring
them out of these indulgences into a conformify to
his divine will, strengthening them with holy
magnanimify and flrmness, to deny themselves,
and to despise the shame or the reproach which

IN LIVING, ETC. 147
the ungodly world may attach to their humble,
siraple way of life ; and give them to partake of
that peace which is the enriching reward of obedi
ence. Some, who are theraselves consistent in their
personal appearance and deportraent, have gone out
into greater show and expense in the furniture of
their houses and their style of Uving, than the
proper sphere of the humble follower of Christ
will justify. Besides the inconsistency of these
departures, we would invite our dear friends to a
serious consideration of the effects which such a
course of life will be Ukely to have upon their
beloved offspring. If they see the parents gratify
ing a vain mind in these things, can it reasonably
be expected that the children will be disposed to
submit to the resfraints of the cross in their dress
and language; or will they not rather conclude,
that if the other is allowed by the parents, the
latter cannot be raore inconsistent for them.
Such a raode of Ufe, moreover, atfracts a de
scription of company which is not congenial to a
growth in a religious life and conversation, and
often opens a door for leading the young people
into many hurtful things, which prove of lasting in
jury to their susceptible minds. We mourn over the
effects which are afready apparent in some places
and famiUes, and believe it is highly necessary
that a living concern should be raiaed among us,
to make a firm stand against the inroads of a

148 CHILDREN AND DOMESTIC TRAINING.
worldly spirit in these respects. Copying after
others in these things and pleading the example
of others to justify their own departures, or to
silence the secret uneasiness raised in the mind,
has been, we believe, a fruitful source of weakness
and wrong compliance. The day calls loudly upon
us to gather home into our own hearts, and consult
the dirine monitor there, which we have no doubt
will bear a faithful testimony for Truth, and lead
us to put away everything which is unbecoming
the siraplicity, moderation and humility of the
self-denying Christian. — Y. M, Epistle,
Children and Domestic Training.
When parents are primarily concerned to frain
ap their children for heaven, rather than to gain
for them a character and standing among the rich,
the popular, or the honourable of this world, they
will not only be engaged, like some of old, to bring
them to Jesus, that they raay learn of hira, but
will avail themselves of every means which may
serve as a help in the early subjection of the will,
and that discipline of the cross, which so essen
tially contribute to the future comfort of the child ;
and, like brealdng up the fallow ground, prepare
it for the reception of the heavenly seed. In this
important work, the restraints of simplicity and
plainness in habit, speech and demeanour, form
important auxiliarios, curbing the proud and aspir
ing dispositions of youth, and serving as an im-

CHILDREN AND DOMESTIC TRAINING. 149
portant hedge about them during a critical and
exposed period of life. The same remarks may be
made as respects a plain, simple mode of Uring,
and the firm but gentle control which springs up
in a well regulated Christian family; the unspeak
able benefits of which many have had gratefully to
acknowledge in after years as having been a means
of preservation, however irksome they sometimes
found them to thefr unsubjected terapers.
We wish seriously to call the attention to a
practice, which we fear is a growing evil, of col
lecting large companies of young people, and often
detaining thera until an unreasonable hour of the
night, breaking in upon the order of a well regu
lated family, and exposing the youth to many
temptations. We believe it is of very hurtful
tendency, and requires the vigilant care of well
concerned parents and others to check and prevent
it. How rauch of the demeanour and conversation
which passes on such occasions, is of a very light
and frivolous character, even if it be no worse;
unworthy of beings endowed by a beneficent
Creator with noble powers of mind, designed to
be employed to his glory and the good of each
other ; and wholly unbecoraing the gravity of the
Christian, who feels the responsibiUty of his high
calling, and knows that for every idle word that
men shall speak, they must give an account in the
day of judgment ! How much idle curiosity and
evil emulation are often awakened •.-especting the
18*

150 AMUSEMENTS.
dress of indiriduals, or the character of the enter
tainment, each one trying to outvie others, and
set themselves off to advantage, while the excite
ment of mind and feelings which is produced, and
the insincerity and display prompted by the desire
to please, are very uncongenial with the formation
of a sound religious and moral character. The
great end of society is mutual improvement and
rational enjoyraent; but we think there are few
who attend these parties, but must acknowledge
that they are far from being occasions of improve
ment, or yielding the raind any calra, substantial
pleasure. — Y, M, Epistle. Amusements.
Let us consider the use of games, sports, plays,
and other such amuseraents, and see whether these
things can consist with the seriousness, grarity and
godly fear which the gospel calls for. The apostle
coraraands us that ""Whether we eat or drink,
or whatever we do, we should do all to the
glory of God." But I judge none will affirm, that
in the use of sports and games, God is glorified.
If any should say so, they would declare they
neither knew God nor his glory. Experience
abundantly proves, that in the practice of these
things, men raind nothing less than the glory of
God, and nothing raore than the satisfaction of
their own carnal lusts, wills and appetites.
The apostle declares, that because the time is

AMUSEMENTS. 151
short, they that buy should be as though they
possessed not, and they that use this world as not
abusing it. But how can those be found in the
obedience of this precept, who plead for the use
of these garaes and sports ; who, it seems, think the
tirae so long, that they cannot find occasions
enough to employ it; neither in taking care for
their souls, nor yet in the necessary care for their
bodies, but invent these sports and amusements to
pass it away, as if there was not enough else to do,
in which they might serve God or be useful to the
creation !
The apostle Peter enjoins us to " pass the time
of our sojourning here in fear." But will any say
that such as use dancing and comedies, playing
cards and dice, &c., mind this precept in the use
of these things ; where there is little to be seen but
lightness and vanity, wantonness and even ob
scenity, contrived to draw men from the fear of
God, and therefore calculated for the service of the
devil? There is no duty more frequently commanded,
or more incumbent upon Christians, than the fear
of the Lord : to stand in awe before hira, and to
walk as in his presence. But if such as use these
amusements will speak from their consciences,
they can, I doubt not, experimentally declare, that
this fear is forgotten in their sports ; and if God by
his Ught secretly touch them, or remind them of
the vanity of their conduct, they strive to shut it

152 AMUSEMENTS.
out, and use their amusements as an engine to put
away from them that troublesome guest, and thua
make merry over the just One, whom they are
crucifying in theraselves.
If Christ's reasoning is to be heeded, who saith
that the good man out of the good treasure of his
heart bringeth forth good things ; and an evil man
out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things;
and that " for every idle word, we shall give an
account in the day of judgment," it may be easily
gathered frora what treasure these inventions come,
and as easily proved that it is frora the evil and
not the good. How raany idle words do they ne
cessarily produce ? "What are plays but a studied
corapound of idle and lying words ? Let men that
believe their souls are imraortal, and that there
will be a day of judgraent, in which these words
of Christ will be fulfilled, answer rae; how will
they raake account in that great and terrible day,
for all those idle words that are raade use of in
their dancing, games, playing cards, and acting of
plays ?
If these things were discountenanced by those
called Christians, as inconsistent with their profes
sion, a great scandal and stumbling-block would
be removed frora the Christian narae; so also
would a part of that be taken away which pro
vokes the Lord to withhold his blessing ; and by
reason of which, the rainds of many remain in
darkness, drowned in sensuality and worldly

AMUSEMENTS. 153
pleasures, without the sense of God's fear or their
own soul's salvation. — R, Barclay.
Among the striking characteristics of the pres-
ent day, are the instabilify and love of excitement
which pervade the minds of the people. Many,
even among the professors of reUgion, seem to be
"lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God;"
looking abroad for sources of gratification, and
eagerly pursuing anticipated pleasures, instead of
endeavouring to secure frora the present hour as it
passes, those franquil enjoyraents which are the
fruit of well-doing, and to cultivate that retire
ment and mental infroversion, in which we may
profitably coraraune with our own heart and be
still. One of the effects of this state of unsettle-
ment, is the great increase of pubUc amusements
and pastimes, which has latterly become so obrious;
for, as the eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor
the ear with hearing, so when the mind is let
out to seek gratification in these vanities, the de
sire for them increases with the indulgence ; and it
is constantly requiring new objects to please the
senses, and to fill the aching void which they leave
behind them. Often after haring run the giddy
round, in the vain pursuit of pleasure, there is a
secret sense of bitter disappointment, and a con
sciousness that these empfy frifles cannot satisfy
the longings of an immortal mind, designed for
nobler and purer enjoyments.
We apprehend that many of the lectures and

154 READING.
readings, with other kindred exhibitions, ar<3 of
latter time, either so objectionable in themselves,
or so mixed up with improper associations, that
parents and others have need to be on their guard,
lest in going theraselves, or allowing their children
to attend, they should be proraoting a dissipation
of raind, and an exposure to hurtful influences, the
consequences of which may be long and injuriously
felt. To say nothing of the more pernicious kinds
of diversion, it is often the case that pastimes and
shows, which seera at first view to be of a more in
nocent character, when they are strictly inquired
into, are found to be attended vrith accompanimenta
which are not such as a Christian ought to counte
nance. We believe there is, at the present time
particularly, great need for all to be studiously
watchful, how they yield to the solicitation to
attend on such occasions, lest they baulk their re
ligious profession, encourage wrong things, and
thereby wound and weaken their own minds. — Y.
M, Epistle, Reading,
Another great evil of the present time, is the
flood of Ught literature pouring almost daily from
the press. Many of the publications, even some
that profess to be proraotive of moralify, are of a
mixed character, truth and fiction being artfully
blended together, and an attraction thrown around
the whole, which easily captivates the unguarded.

MUSIC. 155
It is cause of regret to observe the multiplication
of books of this description, and we fear the peru
sal of them, and the taste for this ffimsy and per
nicious reading are on the increase. "We believe
its tendency is decidedly evil, creating a disrelish
for the practical duties and sober realities of life,
dissipating the energies of the mind, and habituat
ing it to a state of excitement, which is unfavourable
to calra and serious reflection. It creates raoreover
a distaste for profitable reading, and a morbid appe
tite for that which stimulates the imagination, ren
dering reUgious meditation and solid thoughtful-
ness irksome and repulsive. We affectionately
exhort all, not only to avoid such reading them
selves, but to discountenance it in others, and
especially to resfrain the children and youth frora
the pernicious effects of this practice, endeavouring
to cultivate in thefr minds a love for insfructive
reading, and such as will lead to the contemplation
of heavenly things. — Y. M. Epistle.
Music.
Amongst the gratifications of sense frora which
the members of our religious Society, by common
consent, growing out of what we believe to be a
root of Christian principle, have with much unani
mity felt themselves restrained, are the study and
practice of music. That which is of the character
ordinarily designated as sacred music, not unfro.

156 MUSIC.
quently stimulates expressions and feelings which
are far from being the genuine breathings of a re
newed heart; and tends to delude the mind by
producing an excitement often unhappily mistaken
for devotion, and to withdraw the soul from that
quiet, humble and retired frame, in which prayer
and praise may be fruly offered, with the spirit and
with the understanding also.
As to those musical exhibitions in which an at
tempt is raade to combine religion with a certain
amount of amusement, it is hard to understand
how a truly Christian raind can allow itself to
sanction the profanation of the sacred name and
sacred things, by the attendance of such perform
ances ; where the most awful events recorded in
Holy Scripture are made the subject of professed
entertainment to an indiscriminate assembly, many
of whora raake no pretension to religion.
That rausic, on the other hand, which does not
in any degree partake of the character usually des
ignated as sacred, has, we fear, in innumerable in
stances, allured the feet of the young to the light
ness, the gayety, and even the dissipation of the
world, and thus proved araong the raany snares
against which we are enjoined fervently to pray,
"Lead us not into temptation." The Christian
cannot surely devote hours and days to pursuits of
this description, without being in danger of un
faithfulness in his stewardship of that time which
he is called upon to " redeem," and of impairing

CONCLUSION. 157
that tenderness of conscience, and that fiUal fear
of offending God, which are among the raost pre
cious evidences of the work of grace in the heart.
— London Epistle,
We would renewedly caution aU our members
against indulging in rausic, or haring insfruments
of rausic in thefr houses ; beUeving that the prac
tice tends to promote a light and vain mind, and
to disqualify for the serious thoughtfiilness which
becomes an accountable being, hastening to hia
final reckoning. When we consider that our
days pass swiftly away, and that our tirae is one of
the talents coraraitted to our frust, for the employ
raent of which, we shall have to render an account
in the day of judgraent; it becoraes us to be Uring
as strangers and pilgrims upon earth, seeking a
better country; and to be diUgently using it for
the great end for which it is lent to us, even in
working out the soul's salvation in fear and frera-
bling, and not in vain amusements, or corrupting
pleasures; but striving that whether we eat or
drink, or whatsoever we do, we may do aU to the
glory of God ; that " God in aU things raay be
glorified by us through Jesus Christ our Lord." —
Y, M, Epistle. Conclusion.
It is no less the privilege and interest, than it is
the dufy of Christians, to be diligent in the use of
thi;se means which a merciful Providence has placed
14

168 CONCLUSION.
within their reach, for attaining a correct knowl
edge of the principles and practices of our holy
religion. If we have a proper sense of the shortness and
uncertainfy of life, of our responsibilify as account
able and immortal beings, and of the vast import
ance of the concerns which relate to the salvation
of the soul, we shall not rest satisfied, without a
careful inquiry into the truth of those doctrines
and precepts, by which we profess to regulate our
conduct, and on which we build our hopes of
happiness, in a world that will never have an end.
We shall frequently ponder the inspired pages of
Holy Writ, as the dirinely authorized record of
the Christian religion, and raise our hearts in as
pirations to our heavenly Father for the light of
his Holy Spirit, to illumine our darkness, and give
us the saving knowledge of the Truth as it is in
Jesus. Nor will it be less interesting to us, to frace out
the result of these principles, as exhibited in the
examples of those who have gone before us ; to
inquire what fruits of holiness they produced in
their conduct and conversation; what support they
derived from them amid the trials inseparable
from raortal existence, and what consolation and
hope they yielded in the hours of disease and of
death. If in the course of our researches, we discover
that they were remarkable for their justice, their

CONCLUSION. 159
integrity, their meekness and humility; were
patient under suffering, even when wrongfully
inflicted; zealously devoted to the cause of Christ,
and cheerfully given up to spend thefr time and
substance for its advanceraent; blameless and
harraless, in the raidst of a crooked and perverse
generation, amongst whom they shone as lights in
the world ; we may be assured that the tree whence
these fruits ofthe gospel sprung could not be eril.
The faith which showed itself by such works of
righteousness, must be that by which the saints of
old " obtained a good report," and which was
their victory over the world.
K we follow them to the chamber of sickness
and to the bed of death, witness the tranquillity
and composure of their spirits ; their hurable, yet
steadfast reliance on the raercy of God, through
Christ Jesus; their peace and joy in beUeving;
and their hope full of iraraortality and etemal life ;
we shall not only derive the strongest evidence of
the soundness of their Christian belief, but, in ad
miration of its blessed and happy effects, be incited
to follow them, as they followed Christ.
The records of the Society of Friends show a
long list of worthies, whose dying hours and say
ings bear ample testimony that the principles in
which they lived, and by which they endeavoured
to regulate their actions, did not fail them in the
near prospect of death and eternity; but admin
istered that support, consolatifm, and animating

160 CONCLUSION.
hope, which ^ve to the death-bed of the Christian
its peculiar interest It is especiaUy obligatory on
the members to be conversant in these raatters.
Ignorance of them, where the means of informa
tion are accessible, is discreditable, if not culpable.
We should be prepared to give to every one that
asketh us, a reason for our faith and hope. If the
things which belong to our peace have a due place
in our affections, we shall meditate with pleasure
on the experience of those who have trodden the
strait and narrow way before us. The fervour of
our piety, the strength of our attachraent to reli
gious truth, will be proraoted by frequently peru
sing their excellent writings, and dwelling in
serious conteraplation on the bright exaraple they
have left us, adorned with the Christian graces,
and inriting us to follow in their footsteps.
To whatever departraent of human pursuit we
direct our attention, we perceive that men deUght
in the productions of congenial minds. He who
finds that he has little relish for serious things, and
that it is difficult to fix his attention upon them,
may safely infer that his heart is not right in the
sight of God, nor its aspirations earnestly directed
towards the kingdom of heaven. The religious
raan delights to dwell on those things which con
cern the salvation of his soul. He feels a lively
interest in the saints and holy men who have
entered the celestial city before him; and as he
contemplates their blameless, seLf-denying walk.

CONCLUSION. 161
their faith and patience under trials, thefr simple
obedience and dedication to the wUl of God ; and
above aU, the blessed hope of an etemal inher
itance, which shed a bright radiance around their
dying beds, his soul kindles with desire to arise,
take up his cross and gird himself anew for the
heavenly joumey, and with increased diUgence and
ardour, to press towards the mark for the prize of
hia high calUng of God in Christ Jesus.
14*

'>':;^

';0 'J

¦ y^ ''-'^