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of Mary, the Jews with their wicked hands did take, crucify, and slay;" here they stop, omitting all the intermediate and succeeding part, in which he asserts the glorious and divine attributes of this same Jesus. In this disjointed situation, separated from all the explanatory matter, with which they are immediately connected in the original, they present an aspect which might induce some readers, who were ignorant of the character of George Fox, to suppose that he considered Jesus Christ no more than a man approved of God; and it is obvious that such is the impression which the compilers, most unjustly, wish to produce. This design must forcibly strike every ingenuous person who examines their pamphlet, and we doubt not but among those who may even favour the principles which the compilers contend for, there are many, very many, who will turn away with disgust and indignation, at the unmanly artifices which have been resorted to, in order to support the tottering cause of unbelief.

It is not a little curious to observe the great difficulties which the compilers encounter in mustering up some mutilated extracts which may have the semblance of support for Elias Hicks' opinions. Their ingenuity seems to have been put to the rack, especially in the present case. Anxious to grace their book with so dignified a name as that of Fox, they seem resolved to put down something, however irrelevant to the purpose. But after ransacking his controversial papers, mutilating and garbling his sentences and meaning, they do not at last present us with one extract by which a single point of Elias Hicks' unbelief can be supported, while, if George Fox is only permitted to speak out fairly, he totally condemns and rejects as antichristian, the notions which they so strenuously contend for.

In their next quotation they have taken about four lines out of a paragraph, with the view to prove by it, that George Fox denied the outward offering of Christ; whereas he wrote the essay from which it is taken, in order to repel "the many lies and false reports which had been cast upon the Quakers, that they do slight, deny, and undervalue the blood of Christ Jesus ;" and although the essay is headed with these words, the compilers have most unjustly adduced the quotation from it, to confirm these "lies and false reports." We shall quote the whole paragraph, and insert the part extracted by the compilers in brackets marked with a hand, viz:

"Thus the first covenant was dedicated with the blood, which was the life of all flesh; but [the new and second covenant is "dedicated with the blood, the life of Christ Jesus, which is the alone " atonement unto God, by which all his people are washed, sancti"fied, cleansed, and redeemed to God ;] so that their faith and testimony stands in the blood of the Lamb, the life of Christ Jesus, foreordained before the world was, a Lamb without blemish, guile, spot or sin, which cleanses from all spots and sin, and washes and makes clean the garments. And Christ abolishes both the blood of beasts, and the altar and all the traditions in the law, and their offerings and sacrifices before the law, by the offering up of himself, once in the end of the world, a Lamb ordained before the foundation of the world, therefore must every one's faith and testimony stand in

him and his blood. And who are the true witnesses of this, but they only that have drunk of the blood of Christ, and eaten of his flesh, which he gives for the life of the world, not such as talk of it only." -Page 646.

We have here a full confession of faith in the Lamb of God, foreordained to take away the sin of the world, and offered up upon the cross, once in the end of the world. How contrary is the irreverent denial of this most precious doctrine, made by Elias Hicks in his letter to Dr. Shoemaker-let the reader contrast them.

The compilers have revived the old objection to George Fox, so much harped upon by the enemies of Friends, that he said he was equal with God. In this they have again identified themselves with Bugg, Keith, and the Snake. The malicious accusations and aspersions of these illiberal opponents having been repeatedly answered, we shall merely quote some passages from the replies; as they will furnish a full defence of the expressions of George Fox. Joseph Wyeth after reciting the charge of the Snake; that George Fox, when before the Justices at the Lancaster Assizes, asserted "that he was equal with God," adds—

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Pray reader observe, had this been true that George Fox had so answered, as the Snake says he did, in the presence of three Justices, what need was there for Marshal and Altan to swear it against him Since the Justices, if they had heard it themselves, might have convicted him thereof upon their own personal hearing, without other evidence. Or how likely is it that Colonel West and Thomas Tell, both Justices upon the bench at this trial, should sign a supersedeas, which both of them did, for his acquittal: if either of them had heard him say the words charged? Or how could he have been discharged for want of another evidence, when his adversaries might have brought in the three Justices against him, had it been true, that they had heard him themselves. But besides, there are two lies in this paragraph; the first is, there was not any Justice of the Peace, or Colonel named Tell. Secondly, George Fox did not answer that he was equal with God. But thus it was; there were eight several charges against him; the fourth of which was, that he had said, he was equal with God, which being asked in court, he made the following answer: George Fox, That was not so spoken by me: But he that sanctifieth, and he that is sanctified, is all of one, Нeb. ii. 11. It is God and Christ that sanctifieth, and the saints are all one, in the Father and the Son; they are of his bone and of his fleshEphesians v. 30. And the Father and the Son are one; and they are the sons of God-Galatians iv. 6. And as they that are joined to the Lord are one spirit, so they that are joined to an harlot, are one flesh, 1st Cor. vi. 16, 17. This the scriptures witnesseth and I witness.' This answer is scriptural, and is directly opposite to what he was then charged with, as it also is, to what the Snake's pamphleteer, says he did then answer."-Switch, page 63.

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The Switch for the Snake was published in 1699, and the defence of George Fox, which we have quoted, is quite sufficient to clear him of any design to equal himself, or the saints, with the Almighty Creator.

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George Whitehead in the Supplement to the Switch, thus replies to the same charge-" Which is also a false charge and quotation against George Fox; who being charged by his persecutors with professing himself to be equal with God, positively denies the charge, as not so spoken, as that George Fox was equal with God, but that the Father and the Son are one; and that Christ and the Holy Spirit are equal with God-Saul's Errand to Damascus, p. 5, 6. See also, Just Enquiry, p. 12."-Page 509.

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To George Keith's charge that the Quakers made themselves equal with God; the authors of the "Serious Examination," reply: "This charge is falsely cited; and the words as printed even in Saul's Errand,' are misprinted, or by some accident defective, being these, viz: He that hath the same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ, is equal with God;' being not the Quakers' doctrine or principle, as well as contrary to George Fox's answer to his persecutors, to the matters falsely charged upon him, Saul's Errand, p. 3, his words should be thus rendered, or understood, He that hath the same Spirit which raised up Jesus Christ; hath that which is equal with God;' as most agreeable to his own answer to his persecutors; who in their petition, charged him with professing and avowing that he was equal with God,' which he positively denied, in sundry places of Saul's Errand, p. 2, 5, 10, though now falsely quoted against him; to which his answer further was; But the Father and the Son are one; I and my Father are one; and he that sanctifieth, and they that are sanctified, are all of one, and they that are joined to the Lord are one Spirit, p. 6, for the same Spirit, where it is, is equal with God." There's one 'is' again lacking in the impression; (Note, the said Saul's Errand' was printed in 1654, and not so well and carefully as it should have been, and so were divers others by Giles Calvert, in those early days,) and being equal with God, is ascribed to Christ, Phil. ii. 6, and no otherwise intended, though misplaced as before; and not that they (the Quakers) ascribe it to themselves, as falsely charged.

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"The matter appears plain, being impartially compared, that the equality intended, is not between man and his Maker, but between God and his Holy Spirit, bteween the Father and the Son. Besides, the people called Quakers, are fully cleared in this point from any such pretence of equality with their Maker; but that they are partakers of his Spirit, and of the divine nature and image, as is fully answered by George Whitehead, in his Antidote against the venom of the Snake in the Grass, page 25, &c.'"-page 9, 10.

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The reply of G. Fox, to the charge that he was as upright as Christ, contains nothing in it that can be construed as equalling himself with our blessed Lord, though the compilers seem to have quoted it with this view. He says in it, that the saints, are made the righteousness of God; that they are one, in the Father and the Son; and that all the teaching of Christ, is to bring the saints to perfection, even to that measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, which He designs for them.

The following extract, from a declaration of Faith, addressed by George Fox, to the Governor, Council, and Assembly of Barba

does, will completely clear him from the unjust imputation, of coinciding in the antichristian sentiments of Elias Hicks, viz:

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Whereas, many scandalous lies and slanders, have been cast upon us, to render us odious; as that, we deny God, Christ Jesus, and the Scriptures of Truth, &c. This is to inform you, That all our books and declarations, which for these many years have been published to the world, clearly testify the contrary. Yet for your satisfaction, we now plainly and sincerely declare

"That we own and believe, in the Only, Wise, Omnipotent, 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 believe in Jesus Christ, his beloved, and only begotten Son, in whom he is well pleased, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary; in whom we have redemption, through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins; who is the express image of the invisible God, the First-Born of every creature; by whom, were all things created that are in Heaven and in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, 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 his 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 holy prophets and apostles, IS OUR FOUNDATION; and we belivve, 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: 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.'

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"We believe that He alone is our Redeemer and Saviour, the Captain of our Salvation, who saves us from sin, as well as from 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 First and the Last. 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 among men, 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 like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever HE shall say unto you: And it shall come to pass that every soul that will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people,' Acts ii. 22, 23.

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"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. We have no life, but by him, for HE is the quickening Spirit, the second Adam, the Lord from Heaven, by whose blood we are cleansed and our consciences sprinkled from dead works to serve the living God. He is our Mediator, who makes peace and reconciliation, between God, offended, and us, offending, He being the Oath of God, the New Covenant of light, life, grace and peace, the author and finisher of our faith. This Lord Jesus Christ, the heavenly Man, the Immanuel, God with us, we all own, and believe in; He whom the High Priest raged against, and said, he had spoken blasphemy, whom the priests and elders of the Jews took counsel together against, and put to death, THE SAME whom Judas betrayed, for thirty pieces of silver, which the priests gave him, as a reward for his treason; who also gave large money to the soldiers, to broach a horrible lie, namely, that his disciples came and stole him away by night, while they slept. After he was risen from the dead, the history of the Acts of the Apostles sets forth, how the chief priests and elders, persecuted the disciples of THIS JESUs, for preaching Christ and his resurrection. This we say, is that Lord Jesus Christ whom we own to be our life and salvation.

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Concerning the Holy Scriptures; We believe they were given forth by the Holy Spirit of God, through the holy men of God, who, (as the scripture 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 reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, 2 Tim. iii. 19; and are able to make wise unto salvation, 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 commandments 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."-G. Fox's Journal, pages 145, 146,

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If there was not to be found in all the writings of G. Fox, any other confession of his christian faith, than that which we have here quoted, it would be amply sufficient to evince in the clearest manner, that so far from coinciding with Elias Hicks in his denial of the doctrines of the gospel of Christ; he was a firm believer in all that is set forth in the Holy Scripture, and especially in those very points, which Elias Hicks rejects, in language so irreverent and contemptuous. The paltry and mutilated scraps which the compilers have extracted from the writings of this honourable Elder, prove nothing in their favour, but on the other hand, serve to show how little they

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