QUAKERS. 



Quakers, cording to the testimony of the beloved disciple, (John, 

 " "V*"' chap, iii.) " (Jod so loved the world, that he gave hii 

 only hf_M,ttrn Son, that whosoever l>rlicv. th in him 

 should not perish, hut have everlasting life." We can- 

 not -ay that Christ'* di-ath and sufferings were a strict 

 and rigid satisfaction for that eternal death and misery 

 due to man lor sin and transgression; for such a no- 

 tion were to make God's mercy little concerned in 

 man > >:dvation." Now, positively, what we own as to 

 justification ; " we do believe that Jesus Christ waa 

 (nir holy sacrifice, atonement, and propitiation, that he 

 bore our iniquities, and that by his stripes we are 

 lu-aled of the wounds Adam gave us in the fall, and 

 that dod is just in forgiving true penitents upon ac- 

 count of that holy offering which Christ made of him- 

 self to God for us ; and that what he did and suffered, 

 satisfied and pleased God, and was for the sake of fallen 

 man that hail displeased God ; and that by the offering 

 up of himself, once for all, through the eternal Spirit, 

 he hath for ever perfected those (in all times,) that are 

 sanctified." It is their belief that every man coming 

 into the world, is endued with a measure of the light, 

 grace, or good spirit of Christ, by which, as it is at- 

 tended to, he is enabled to correct the disorderly pas- 

 sions and corrupt propensities of his fallen nature, 

 which mere reason is insufficient to overcome, for all 

 that belongs to men is fallible, but by this divine grace 

 which comes from him who hath overcome the world, 

 the snares of the enemy are detected, his allurements 

 avoided, and deliverance experienced through faith in 

 its effectual operation, whereby the sour is translated 

 out of the kingdom of darkness, and from the power of 

 Satan, into the marvellous light and kingdom of God. 



7. On Worship Being thus persuaded, that man, 



without the spirit of Christ inwardly revealed, can do 

 nothing to the glory of God, or to effect his own salva- 

 tion ; they think this influence especially necessary to 

 the performance of the highest act of which the human 

 mind is capable, even the worship of our Heavenly 

 Father, in spirit and in truth ; therefore, they consider 

 as obstructions to pure worship all forms which divert 

 the attention of the mind from the secret influence of 

 this unction from the Holy One. Yet they think it 

 incumbent on Christians to meet often together in tes- 

 timony of their dependence on God, and for a renewal 

 of their spiritual strength. In the performance of this 

 worship, they believe it to be their duty to maintain 

 the watch by preserving the attention from being car- 

 ried away by thoughts originating in the will of man, 

 and patiently to wait for the arising of that love, 

 which, by subduing these thoughts, produces an inward 

 silence, and therein affords a true sense of their condi- 

 tion ; believing even a single sigh, arising from such a 

 sense of their infirmities and of the need they have of 

 divine help, to be more acceptable to God than any 

 performances, however specious, which originate in the 

 will of man. Thus each not only partakes of the par- 

 ticular refreshment and strength which comes from the 

 divine life in himself, but is a sharer with the whole 

 body, as being a living member of the body, has a joint 

 fellowship and communion with all, and hereby, a mi- 

 nister by being baptized into the states of those assem- 

 bled, is enabled to exercise his gift to the real edifica- 

 tion of the church. (R. Barclay's Summary.) 



8. On the Ministry. Hence it follows, that the mi- 

 nistry which they approve must have its origin from 

 the same divine influence that they conceive essential 

 to the right performance of every religious act. Ac- 

 cordingly, they believe that the renewed assistance of 



6 



29 J 



the light and power of Chriht is indispensably nee*- Q<*krt. 

 stry for all true ministry j and that thu holy influence *-~<~ 

 is not to be procured by study, but is the free gift of 

 I to chosen and devoted servants, and as this gift 

 is freely received, they believe, according to the com- 

 mand of Christ, (Mat. x. 8.) that it ought to be freely 

 exercised by the Christian minister. Hence arises their 

 testimony against preaching for him, and hence their 

 conscientious refusal to support such ministry by tithes 

 or other means. And being fully assured that male 

 and female are all one in Christ, they conceive that w. 

 men may equally with men be qualified for the minis- 

 try. 



9. On Baptism and the Lorft Supper They hold, 

 that as there is one Lord, and one faith, so his baptism 

 is one in nature and operation, that nothing short of it 

 can make us living members of his mystical body, and 

 that the baptism with water administered by his fore- 

 runner John, belonged, as the latter confessed, to an in- 

 ferior dispensation. With respect to the other rite, 

 they believe that communion between Christ and his 

 church is not maintained by that, or by any other ex- 

 ternal ceremony, but only by a real participation of his 

 divine nature through faith ; that this is the supper al- 

 luded to in the revelation : " 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," (Rev. iii. 20.) 



10. On Oaths and War. With respect to the former 

 of these, they abide literally by Christ's positive in- 

 junction, " Swear not at all." From the most excx-l- 

 Jent precepts and example of our Lord himself, and the 

 primitive Christians, and from the correspondent con- 

 victions of the Holy Spirit in their own hearts, they 

 are confirmed in the belief that wars and fightings are, 

 in their origin and effects, repugnant to the gospel, 

 which still breathes peace and good will to men. 



11. They disuse those names of the months and days 

 of the week which, having been given in honour of 

 the heroes and false gods of the heathen, originated in 

 their flattery or superstition ; and the custom of speak- 

 ing to a single person in the plural number, as having 

 also arisen from motives of adulation. Compliments, 

 superfluity of apparel and furniture, outward shows of 

 rejoicing and mourning, &c. they esteem likewise in- 

 compatible with the simplicity and sincerity of the 

 Christian life. 



12. On their Church' Government or Discipline. 

 They have monthly, quarterly, and yearly meetings, so 

 called from the times of their being held. A monthly 

 meeting is usually composed of several particular con- 

 gregations, situated within a convenient distance. Its 

 business is to provide for the subsistence of the poor 

 (for they maintain their own poor) and for the educa- 

 tion of their offspring ; to judge of the sincerity and 

 fitness of persons appearing to be convinced of their re- 

 ligious principles, and desiring to be admitted into 

 membership ; to excite due attention to the discharge 

 of religious and moral duty, and to admonish disorder- 

 ly members, and if they should prove irreclaimable, to 

 disown them. The society has always scrupled to ac- 

 knowledge the exclusive authority of the priest to mar- 

 ry. All marriages amongst them are proposed to the 

 monthly meeting for its concurrence, without which 

 they are not allowed, and are solemnized in a public 

 meeting for worship. Of such marriages the monthly 

 meeting keeps a record ; as also of the births find bu- 

 rials of the members. 



Several monthly meetings compose a quarterly meet- 



