said the Lord Jesus, was our great example, and that his obedience to his Father, doth not excuse ours, but as by keeping his commandments, he abode in his Father's love, so must we follow his example of obedience, so abide in his love; some have been so ignorant, (or that which is worse,) as to venture to say for us, or in our name, that we believe our Lord Jesus Christ, was in all things but an example. Whereas we confess him to be so much more than an example, that we believe him to be, our most acceptable sacrifice to God his Father, who, for his sake, will look upon fallen man, that hath justly merited the wrath of God, upon his return by repentance, faith, and obedience, as if he had never sinned at all; 1 John ii. 12. Rom. iii. 26, x. 9, 10. Heb. v. 9."-page 880.

In his "Primitive Christianity Revived," we find the following: "We do believe, that Jesus Christ was our holy sacrifice, atonement and propitiation; that he bore our iniquities, and that by his stripes we were healed of the wounds Adam gave us in his fall; and that God is just in forgiving true penitents upon the credit of that holy offering, Christ made of himself to God for us, and that what he did and suffered, satisfied and pleased God, and was for the sake of 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 from the guilt of sin, and justification from the power and pollution of sin, and in this sense justification gives a man a full and clear acceptance before God. For want of this latter part it is, that so many souls, religiously inclined, are often under doubts, scruples, and despondencies, notwithstanding all that their teachers tell them of the extent and efficacy of the first part of justification. And it is too general an unhappiness among the professors of christianity that they are apt to cloak their own active and passive disobedience, with the active and passive 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 propitiatory offering, upon faith and repentance, that justifies us, from the sins that are past; and it is the power of Chrits's spirit in our hearts, that purifies and makes us acceptable before God. For 'till the heart of man is purged from sin, God will never accept of it. He reproves, rebukes, and condemns those that entertain sin there, and therefore, such cannot be said to be in a justified state, condemnation and justification being contraries: so that they that hold themselves in a justified state by the active and passive obedience of Christ, while they are not actively and passively obedient to the spirit of Christ Jesus, are under a strong and dangerous delusion; and for crying out against this, sin-pleasing imagination, not to say doctrine we are staged and reproached as deniers and despisers of the death and sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ. But be it known to such, they add to Christ's

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sufferings and crucify to themselves afresh the Son of God, and trample the blood of the covenant under their feet, that walk unholily, under a profession of justification; for God will not acquit the guilty, nor justify the disobedient and unfaithful. Such deceive themselves, and at the great and final judgment their sentence will not be, "come ye blessed," because it cannot be said to them, "Well done good and faithful," for they cannot be so esteemed, that live and die in a reproveable and condemnable state; but "Go ye cursed, &c."—pages 867, 868. 1696.

In his "Christian Quaker," published in 1673, he says

"Further Christ himself says, "I am the light of the world," which is as much as if he had said, "I have lighted, or shined forth to the world; therefore the light which shines in the hearts of mankind, is Christ, though we do not say that every particular illumination is the entire Christ, for so there would be as many Christs as men, which were absurd and blasphemous."-Vol. i. p. 569.

In his "Key, &c." printed 1692, we find the following

"Perversion 2nd. The Quakers hold, that the light within them is God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, so that every Quaker has whole God, Christ, and holy Spirit in him, which is gross blasphemy.

"Principle. This is also a mistake of their belief: They never said that every divine illumination, or manifestation of Christ, in the hearts of men, was whole God, Christ, or the Spirit, which might render them guilty of that gross and blasphemous absurdity, some would fasten upon them: But that God who is light, or the Word Christ, who is light, styled the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, and the Quickening Spirit, who is God over all, blessed forever, hath enlightened mankind, with a measure of saving light; Who said, I am the light of the world, and they that follow me, shall not abide in darkness, but have the Light of Life. So that the illumination is from God, or Christ the Divine Word; but not therefore that whole God or Christ is in every man, any more than the whole sun or air, is in every house or chamber. There are no such harsh and unscriptural words in their writings. It is only a frightful perversion of some of their enemies, to bring an odium upon their holy faith. Yet in a sense, the scriptures say it, and that is their sense in which only they say the same thing. I will walk in them and dwell in them. He that dwelleth with you shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you: I in them and they in me; Christ in us the hope of glory. Unless Christ be in you, ye are reprobates. Little children of whom I travail again in birth, until Christ be formed in you. Now if they who denied his coming in the flesh, though high professing Jews, were to be accounted antichrists, because enemies to that appearance and dispensation of God to men; what must they be reputed, who as stiffly disown his inward, nearer, and more spiritual coming, formation, and dominion in the soul, which is to be sure, the higher and nobler knowledge of Christ? Yea, the mystery hid from ages, and now revealed to God's people: the riches of the glory of the mystery, which God reserved to be made known to the Gentiles, of whose stock we are. Certainly

though they are called christians they must be no whit less antichrists than those obstinate Jews of old that opposed his more visible and bodily appearance." Vol. ii. p. 780.

In his "Testimony to the Truth, &c." he thus speaks of the belief of Friends in the Scriptures

"Concerning the Holy Scriptures. Because we assert the Holy Spirit to be the first, great, and general rule and guide of true christians, as that, by which God is worshipped, sin detected, conscience convicted, duty manifested, scripture unfolded and explained, and consequently the rule for understanding the Scriptures themselves, (since by it, they were at first given forth;) from hence our adversaries are pleased to make us blasphemers of the Holy Scriptures, undervaluing their authority, preferring our own books before them, with more to that purpose: Whereas we in truth and sincerity believe them to be of divine authority, given by the inspiration of God, through holy men, they speaking or writing them, as they were moved by the Holy Ghost: that they are a declaration of those things most surely believed by the primitive christians, and that as they contain the mind and will of God, and are his commands to us; so they in that respect are his declaratory word; and therefore are obligatory on us, and are profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, that the man of God, may be perfect, and thoroughly furnished to every good work.

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Nay, after all, so unjust is the charge, and so remote from our belief, concerning the Holy Scriptures, that we both love, honour, and prefer them, before all books in the world; ever choosing to express our belief of the christian faith and doctrine, in the terms thereof, and rejecting all principles or doctrines whatsoever, that are repugnant thereunto.

"Nevertheless we are well persuaded, that notwithstanding there is such an excellency in the Holy Scriptures, as we have above declared, yet the unstable, and unlearned in Christ's school, too often wrest them to their own destruction. And upon our reflection on their carnal constructions of them, we are made undervaluers of Scripture itself. But certain it is, that as the Lord hath been pleased to give us, the experience of the fulfilling of them in measure, so it is altogether contrary to our faith and practice to put any manner of slight or contempt upon them, much more, of being guilty of what maliciously is suggested against us; since no society of professed christians in the world, can have a more reverent and honourable esteem for them than we have; John iv. 24. xvi. 8. Rom. i. 19. Luke i. 1, 2. Tim. iii. 16, 17. 2 Pet. iii. 16."--Vol. ii. p. 878.

GEORGE WHITEHEAD.

George Whitehead being questioned by a priest as to his belief in the Trinity, gives this reply:

"I answered him in terms of Holy Scriptures, viz: that I really own and believe the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, are the Three which bear record in Heaven; the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these Three are One, according to the doctrine of John the Evangelist, 1st John v. 7."-Works, page 168. 1659.

"The Holy Scripture Trinity, or Three thereby meant, we never questioned, but believed; as also the unity of Essence; that they are one substance, one Divine infinite being, and also we question not, but sincerely believe, the relative properties of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, according to Holy Scripture testimony, Matt. xxviii. 19, and that these Three are One, 1st John v. 7."-Page 195.

In order that the different denominations of Protestants might avail themselves of the benefit of the act of toleration, they were obliged to subscribe to a declaration of their christian belief. The form required by the committee of Parliament, not being agreeable to Friends, they proposed a substitute; George Whitehead, speaking of the subject, says

"Yet to prevent any such from being stumbled or ensnared by some expressions in the aforesaid profession or creed, (which appeared unscriptural) in the said bill, we, instead thereof, did propose and humbly offer, as our own real belief of the Deity, of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, viz: I profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ his Eternal Son, the true God, and in the Holy Spirit, one God blessed forever: and do acknowledge the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, to be given by Divine inspiration.'

"Which declaration, John Vaughton and I, delivered to Sir Thomas Clergis, who with some others, were desirous we should give in such confession of our Christian belief, that we might not lie under the unjust imputation of being no Christians, nor thereby be deprived of the benefit of the intended law for our religious liberty. We were therefore of necessity, put upon offering the said confession, it being also our known professed principle, sincerely to confess Christ, the Son of the living God, his divinity, and as he is the eternal Word, and that the Three which bears record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, are one; one Divine being, one God, blessed forever."-Page 635. 1689.

To the Question 1st, "Whether Jesus Christ hath a body, glorified in the heavens, distant and distinct from the bodies of his saints here below?" George Whitehead answers

"Answer.-Yea, as a glorified body is distinct from natural, or earthy bodies, and heaven from the earth.

"Second. Whether the blood that Jesus Christ shed at Jerusalem, is the blood that believers are justified by? Or whether he dies in men for their justification?

"Answer.-Both sanctification, forgiveness of sins, cleansing from sin, and justification, are sometimes ascribed to the blood of Christ, and to the spirit of our God, and our Lord Jesus Christ; which effects, works, and manifests the same in all true believers. "But here are two questions put for one; the first, appears not a scriptural, or proper question; where does the Scripture use those words, viz: 'the blood that Jesus Christ shed?' Seeing 'twas by wicked hands, he was put to death, and his blood shed upon the cross? Yet as the blood of Jesus Christ, is put for, or represents his life, which he laid down, and even the offering and sacrifice of himself at Jerusalem, that was a most acceptable sacrifice and of a sweet smelling savour to God, for mankind; respecting his great dignity and obedience, who humbled himself even to the death of the cross, and gave himself a ransom for all men, for a testimony in due time; and his sacrifice, mediation, and intercession, hath opened a door of mercy for mankind to enter in at, through true repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, which are wrought in man, (that obeys his call thereto) only by his grace and good spirit unto sanctification and justification in the name and power of our Lord Jesus Christ, who of God is made unto us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. God's great love toward mankind, was manifest, in his dear Son Jesus Christ, and God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, 2 Cor. v. 19.

The latter question of the second, is groundless and perverse. We know neither scripture, nor minister among us, that asserts Christ's dying in men, for their justification, but that once he died, that is, for our sins, and rose again for our justification, and that he ever lives to make intercession; and death has no more dominion over him. Christ Jesus lives and reigns forever in the power and glory of the Father, although some are said to crucify to themselves the Lord of life afresh, and to tread under foot the Son of God, which cannot be taken properly in a literal sense, but by their contempt of truth and doing despite to his spirit of grace, as some malicious apostates have done, not to their justification, but condem

nation.

"What any of us, or among us, have spoken or written of the Seed or Word, which the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, sows in men's hearts, and of the same being oppressed, or suffering in some, or as being choaked with worldly cares, and the love of riches in others, &c. These and many such like expressions may have been used, according to the parables, and similitudes, which Christ Jesus himself spake, relating to the kingdom of heaven, the word, or seed of life and grace, sown by him in men's hearts; and likewise of grieving, vexing, and quenching his spirit in them, by their disobedience; and yet by all these never to intend or mean, that Christ himself