as we come under the influence of the Spirit of Him, who laid down his life for us, so this love and desire for the salvation of all men becomes powerful in us. And is it to be supposed that our love for mankind, our feelings of pity, commiseration, and desire for their salvation, should be thus enlarged, if the love of God, and the means of salvation, were restricted to the narrow limits which have been supposed, on the predestinarian scheme? It is impossible. Effects cannot exceed their cause; nor any feeling of love or good-will, or desire for the salvation of souls, rise in us, superior to the inexhaustible Source of the love of God in Christ Jesus, from which alone it is derived

.

in us.

Nor is this the only evidence we find within ourselves. And here I can make a similar appeal-whether every man who is capable of rational reflection, does not feel himself in the full exercise of free agency? Is he not conscious of a discrimination between right and wrong? Does he not feel the solemn obligations of duty? Is there not a conviction on his mind, that a God, all Goodness, does not require impossibilities of him; but, in fatherly regard, invites him to love and gratitude, and finally to an inheritance eternal in the heavens? And when, at any time, he has gone counter to the convictions in his own bosom, does he not feel that he is left without excuse-that the Grace afforded, the evidences of sin, and ability to resist temptation, were sufficient for him?

We acknowledge unhesitatingly, that God is good, that He is not a hard Master, or an austere man, taking up where He has not laid down, and gathering where He has

robe of state, and other ensigns of majesty, would presently sink into things hardly noticeable." TOPLADY, preface, p. 8.

And these comparisons he brings forward, to illustrate the "reflections," &c. "of such persons as are favoured with a sense of their ELECTION in Christ to holiness and heaven." ib.

not strawed. And when our minds are addressed with the language: "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked. turn from his way and live ;" Ezek. xxxiii. 11; we may respond with the apostle : "Let God be true, but every man a liar." Rom. iii. 4.

CHAPTER IV.

OF THE DIVINITY OF JESUS CHRIST.

Although the preceding articles have all an allusion and direct reference to Jesus Christ, and salvation by Him, (for He is the only means and Way of salvation, and the Foundation of every Christian doctrine,) yet it seems necessary to say something more distinct and particular, in relation to that Divine Character.

The Society of Friends, from the beginning, have believed in the Divinity and Humanity of Christ. The history of his miraculous conception, birth, life, sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension, as recorded by the Evangelists, we fully believe.

A few extracts from the writings of some of the most distinguished members of the Society, may probably be the best introduction to this article.

G. Fox, in his Journal, vol. 1, p. 4, [p. 4, fol. ed.] says: "This priest Stevens asked me, why Christ cried out upon the cross: 'My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?' and why He said: 'If it be possible, let this cup pass from 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 sufferings."

In a publication about the year 1675, entitled, “A Tes

"The

timony of what we believe of Christ," he says: apostle, speaking of the fathers, saith: Of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is God over all, blessed for ever, Amen.' This was the apostle's doctrine to the Church then, which we do witness, both as to his flesh, and as He was God."

G. Fox and others, in an address to the Governor of Barbadoes, Journal, vol. 2, p. 139, [p. 434, fol. ed.] says: "We own and believe in Jesus Christ, his beloved and only begotten Son, in whom He is well pleased; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary ; in whom we have Redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: who is the express Image of the Invisible God, the First-born of every creature; by whom were all things created, that are in heaven and in earth, visible or invisible, whether they be thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him. And we own and believe that He was made a Sacrifice for sin, who knew no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth;— that He was crucified for us in the flesh, without the gates of Jerusalem;-and that He was buried, and rose again the third day, by the power of the Father, for our justification; --and that He ascended up into heaven, and now sitteth at the right hand of God. This Jesus, who was the Foundation of the prophets and apostles, is our Foundation; and we believe 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 men-is the Propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."-"He is, (as the Scriptures of Truth say of Him,) our Wisdom, Righteousness, Justification, and Redemption; neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given amongst men,. whereby we may be saved."-" He is now come in Spirit, and hath given us an understanding, that we know Him that is

true. He rules in our hearts by his law of love and life, and makes us free from the law of sin and death."

I. Penington, vol. 1, p. 694, 4to. ed. says: "It is objected against us who are called Quakers, that we deny Christ, and look not to be saved by Him as He was manifested without us; but look only to be saved by Christ within us; to which it is in my heart to answer, to such as singly desire satisfaction therein."

"We do indeed expect to be saved by the revelation and operation of the Life of Christ within us, yet not without relation to what He did without us; for all that He did in that body of flesh, was of the Father, and had its place and service in the will, and according to the counsel of the Father."

In another treatise, entitled, "Flesh and Blood of Christ," vol. 2, p. 256, he says: "Now as touching the outward, which ye say we deny, because of our testimony to the inward, I have frequently given a most solemn testimony thereto; and God knoweth it to be the truth of my heart; and that the testifying to the inward doth not make the outward void, but rather establish it in its place and service. God Himself, who knew what virtue was in the inward, yet hath pleased to make use of the outward; and who may contradict and slight his wisdom and counsel therein? It was a spotless Sacrifice of great value, and effectual for the remission of sins; and I do acknowledge unto the Lord, the remission of my sins thereby; and bless the Lord for it, even for giving up his Son to die for us all."

William Penn, vol. 5, p. 310, says: "We cannot believe that Christ's death and sufferings so satisfy God, or justify men, as that they are thereby accepted of God. They are indeed put into a state, capable of being accepted of God; and, through the obedience of faith and sanctification of the Spirit, are in a state of acceptance." "And though Christ