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But happily, this excellent man, has more than once, indignantly repelled the charge of unbelief; and nobly refused to lend his sanc tion to such unhallowed sentiments. Elias Hicks denies the miraculous conception and the divinity of Jesus Christ; he makes him a mere man, endued with a portion of the spirit of God; and says, that he came only to do that which every man is called to do; that his death was no more availing to redemption, than the exit of any one of the martyrs, and that the hope of forgiveness, through his propitiatory sacrifice, is wicked and absurd. That such are not the doctrines of William Penn, we have already proved by our quotations from his works. The Sandy Foundation alone, is, indeed, amply sufficient to show, that William Penn was widely different in his views; and in the course of the following pages, we shall have occasion to adduce other extracts, clearly elucidating the same fact.

SECTION II.

Remarks upon the extracts made by the compilers, from the works of William Penn.

The next extract from the works of William Penn, is to be found

on page 25 of the compilers' pamphlet. It is taken from an essay written by William Penn in the year 1698, headed, "A Defence of a paper entitled 'Gospel Truths,' against the Bishop of Cork's exceptions." "Gospel Truths" is a declaration of faith, or a creed, consisting of eleven articles, setting forth the belief of the Society of Friends, in various points of christian doctrine, signed by William Penn, Thomas Story, Anthony Sharp, and George Rook.

The extract made by the compilers, appears to be designed to convey the idea, that William Penn considered the benefits and blessings of the outward manifestation of the Son of God in the flesh, to be wholly confined to the Jews. Presented as it is by them, disconnected from parts which are necessary to explain the author's meaning, it might possibly be wrested to bear such a construction. But it was far, very far from the meaning of William Penn; as will be seen when we quote the whole paragraph. He is replying to the eighth exception, which includes the Bishop's objections to the fifth, sixth, and seventh articles of the Gospel Truths, all which treat of the manifestation of Christ Jesus in the soul, by this Holy Spirit, agreeably to the testimony of the apostle John, "That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."

William Penn says, "I know some read this text otherwise, as indeed he (the Bishop,) did to me in Cork, viz. "That was the true light, that coming into the world, lighteth all men;" referring the word coming, to Christ, and not to man. But all the versions I ever met with, and I have seen more than twenty, render the verse as it is in our English translations; and all critics and commentators, except the followers of Socinus, read and render it as we do. And while we have so much company, and so great authority, I think we

need not be solicitous about the success of this point. But besides that the foregoing verse tells us, that the divine life of the Word-God, is the light of men; which shows all mankind have it in them, (for it is the light of their minds, and not of their bodies;) it is impossible that interpretation should be true, in a strict sense:* [for the coming of Christ in that blessed manifestation, was to the Jews only: he says it himself, "he was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel;" Matt. xiii. 24. Again, He came unto his own, and his own received him not; John i. 11. And within that narrow compass, he could not be said to be the light of all mankind, that had, did, and should, come into the world; for so both the fourth and ninth verse plainly import, viz. The light of mankind without restriction to this or that manifestation of God to men." Vol. II. page 897.

Now we would ask, is it consistent with the rules of fair quotation, thus to mutilate the sentences, and change the sense, of an author's essay, in order to make him speak a language which he never intended? The words, "his appearance in the flesh," inserted in the quotation in the pamphlet, are not in the original, but have been supplied by the compilers.

The sentiment which William Penn expresses, is easily understood. It is a fact, recorded in Scripture, that Jesus Christ, while personally on earth, walked almost exclusively among the Jews, and wrought his miracles principally for their benefit. To this circumstance William Penn alludes, and argues from it, that as regarded that outward body, separate from his Divinity, he could not be the light of the world, since its travels and labours were confined within so narrow a compass. But this is quite another thing from confining the benefits which accrued from that outward appearance, to that nation only, which the compilers evidently wish to do; from the unwarrantable liberty they have taken with Thomas Story, in the next following quotation, upon the same subject, (adding a whole line to a part of a sentence of his; thereby making him speak a similar sentiment, and directly deny what he has just asserted in the same paragraph.) We are not ignorant, that these mutilations are made to support Elias Hicks in his opinion, that Christ's whole mission was limited to the Jews, and that the advantages of it terminated there; calling him merely, "the Jewish Messiah." But William Penn had a more reverent regard, and just sense, of the unspeakable benefits which resulted to mankind from the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; as will appear by the following quotation from the paper entitled "Gospel Truths."

1. "It is our belief, That God is; and that he is a rewarder of all them that fear him, with eternal rewards of happiness: and that those that fear him not, shall be turned into hell. Heb. xi. 16. Rev. xxii. 12. Romans ii. 5, 6, 7, 8. Psalm ix. 17.

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2. "That there are Three that bear record in heaven, the Father,

Throughout the following pages, those parts of the quotations which the compilers have extracted, are enclosed in brackets, with an index, or hand, to distinguish them from such as they have omitted to give.

the Word, and the Spirit; and these Three are really One. 1 John

v. 7.

3. That the word was made flesh; and dwelt among men; and was, and is, the Only Begotten of the Father; full of grace and truth; his beloved Son, in whom he is well pleased, and whom we are to hear in all things; who tasted death for every man, and died for sin, that we might die to sin, and by his power and spirit, be raised up to newness of life here, and to glory hereafter. John i. 14.

iii. 17. Heb. ii. 9.

Matt.

4. That as we are only justified from the guilt of sin, by Christ, the propitiation, and not by works of righteousness that we have done; so there is an absolute necessity that we receive and obey, to unfeigned repentance, and amendment of life, the holy light and spirit of Jesus Christ, in order to obtain that remission and justification from sin: since no man can be justified by Christ, who walks not after the spirit, but after the flesh; for whom he sanctifies, them he also justifies; and if we walk in the light, as he is light, his precious blood cleanseth us from all sin; as well from the pollution as guilt of sin. Rom. iii. 22-26. viii. 1-4. 1 John v. 7."-Vol. ii. 885.

The authors then proceed to declare, that he is the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, &c. From all which the reader may at once perceive, that William Penn had no intention of limiting the benefits of the blessed manifestation of the Son of God in the flesh to the Jewish nation; in which respect, as well as most others contained in the above extract, the Christian faith of William Penn, and the dogmas of Elias Hicks, are quite at variance.

The compilers have inserted a long extract from "The Christian Quaker," on their 25, 26, and 27th pages; which we shall next notice. One Thomas Hicks, a bitter opponent of the Quakers, having written a calumnious essay in the form of a fictitious dialogue, between a Christian and a Quaker; one object of which was to prove that the Quakers denied Jesus Christ, and the Holy Scriptures; William Penn, in the year 1674, wrote the first part of that excellent reply to the aspersions of Hicks, entitled "The Christian Quaker and his divine testimony vindicated;" a work which is replete with the most unequivocal and solemn declarations of his full faith, in all the circumstances recorded in Holy Scripture, relative to the life of Jesus Christ; in his divinity, and in his various offices i the accomplishment of man's salvation; both as relates to that redemption, which he purchased for all mankind, when, through the eternal spirit, he offered up his holy body, an acceptable sacrifice for the sins of the world; and also in the completion of the great work of regeneration in the soul, by the gift of his holy spirit; whereby he is emphatically, that great "Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."

It is not a little surprising, that a work so truly scriptural in the doctrines which it teaches, and which was written to show that the Society of Friends were really Christians, should now be adduced as proof that the Quakers were not Christians. We rejoice, however, in being able to show by William Penn's own language, that

the tenor of the Christian Quaker is directly the reverse of the system of unbelief which Elias Hicks has revived: and we are persuaded that the only way in which his disciples can obtain the shadow of support from William Penn, is by the misconstruction, or perversion, of the great truths which this treatise contains.

The extract given by the compilers, appears designed to represent William Penn, as believing that mediation, atonement, and redemption by Jesus Christ, are exclusively inward and spiritual, without any reference to what He did and suffered for us, in his body of flesh. Hence, they have omitted to quote a part of William Penn's chapter, (from which the extract they give is made,) in which he most explicitly declares the extent and benefit of that work which Christ did in the flesh. It would seem that they wish to make it appear, that Christ was no more our Saviour, than any other great and good man who lived before, or has lived since, the days when he was personally on earth. Such, however, were not the sentiments of William Penn. The quotation is made from the seventeenth chapter. It is thus headed;"The fourth part of the objection stated and considered-Christ's death and sufferings confessed to, and respected; they were beneficial to salvation: the light of Christ within, is the efficient cause to salvation, completely taken."

From this, it must be evident, that while William Penn justly asserted, that "salvation completely taken," or in its full sense, was attributable to the "light of Christ as the efficient cause;" yet he does, also, fully own and confess the sufferings of the holy manhood to have been "beneficial to that salvation ;" and as his object in this chapter is to prove the former, so the next, or eighteenth chapter, is appropriated to a most full and reverent confession of his regard and gratitude for the great benefits of that outward sacrifice.

The seventeenth chapter thus commences: "Having considered the third part of this great objection, I am now come to what chiefly stumbles the people, with respect to the light within; at least, as I apprehend; and that in this fourth and last particular, viz. But if the light in every man be Christ, how does it bear our sins, and are our iniquities laid upon it? And how can we be said to be justified, redeemed, or saved by its blood; since all these things are spoken by the holy penmen of the man Christ, or Jesus, born at Bethlehem ? Surely you wholly invalidate his life, death, resurrection, ascension, and mediation, by this belief of yours in the light within.'

"This I take to be the very stress of the matter, collected out of the most forcible writings of our adversaries; to which I answer, and let him that reads understand.

"It must be considered, in this last part of the objection, how those questions can be applicable to the light, and yet be reconcileable with those srriptures, that seem to attribute all to his bodily sufferings. I hope to make appear, that as we exalt the first, so we dare not, by any means, to slight the last."

"The light, or rather HE that is light, in man, for so I have always desired to be understood, (light being a metaphor or a word, taken from the outward day, and chiefly so termed because of man's dark

ness, which is thereby discovered,) hath been, according to scripture, as a lamb slain since the foundation of the world. That is, the world had not been long created; before man, being envied by Lucifer, the fallen angel, was betrayed of his innocency by him; and sin by disobedience, prevailing, the light or principle of life, under whose holy leadings man was placed, became resisted, grieved, and as it were, slain; (which word slain is also metaphorical;) that is to say, the innocent, pure life was, as it were, wounded unto death, through disobedience; and, that lamb-like image, in which Adam was created, by him, through rebellion, lost. Thus, that holy principle, which God placed in the heart of Adam, in which was true light, life, and power, bore the sin, was pressed under it, as a cart under sheaves, grieved exceedingly, and as it were, quenched with iniquity.

"This hath been the condition of that precious and elect Seed, spirit, light, life, truth, or whatever name, equivalent, any may please to give it, ever since that first rebellion, to this very day. And as in wicked men, God's holy light and spirit, or that principle which is so called, hath been deeply wounded, yea, as one slain, so in good men, that have had a sense of the world's abomination, hath it also borne many burdens and weights. For the light and life, is one in all, though not treated alike in all. And those who have been reformed by it, and joined to it, have been as one spirit, and have not been without their share of the Lord's heavy sufferings, from the ungodly world; which was as well a filling up of Christ's sufferings, that were before his outward coming, as what to this generation, are yet behind to be completed."-Vol. i. pages 573, 574.

We have here, a very full acknowledgment from William Penn, of the fall of Adam, through the temptations of the devil, and a just description of the lost condition of his unregenerate descendants, in whom that measure of the holy spirit, which comes through Jesus Christ, "the glorious luminary of the intellectual world," is resisted, pressed down, obscured, and quenched. We have also a clear testimony from him, that Jesus Christ has been the Saviour of man, through all ages of the world, one and the same, by his holy spirit, in all, corresponding with his own blessed testimony, " Before Abraham was, I am;" and that those who dwelt with this seed of grace, and suffered with it, were filling up their measure of the sufferings. of Christ, for his body's sake, which is his church.

Immediately following the Jast quotation, comes the first paragraph which the compilers have inserted in their pamphlet, viz:

"And as at any time, disobedient men, have hearkened to the still voice of the Word, that messenger of God in their hearts, to be affected and convinced by it, as it brings reproof for sin, which is but a fatherly chastisement; so upon true brokenness of soul, and contrition of spirit, that very same principle, and Word of life in man, has mediated and atoned; and God has been propitious, lifting up the light of his countenance, and replenishing such humble penitents, with divine consolations. So that still the same Christ, WordGod, who has lighted all men, is by sin grieved and burdened, and bears the iniquities of such as so sin, and reject his benefits. But as any hear his knocks, and let him into their hearts, he first wounds,

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