once fell into the absurdity of maintaining that the whole Scripture narrative respecting Jesus Christ, is not the history of the Son of God, clothed in human nature, but the history of Christ within us, decorated with poetic imagery and allegory. This opinion, if we may give credit to very respectable witnesses, is so far from having become extinct among them, that on the contrary it still prevails and is taught in America. But the Europeans, either from the force of truth, or compelled by fear, maintain, that the divine wisdom or reason descended into the son of the Virgin Mary, and by him instructed mankind; and that this divine man actually did and suffered what he is recorded to have done and suffered. At the same time, they express themselves very ambiguously respecting many things pertaining to Christ: in particular, respecting the fruits of his sufferings and death, their statements are so loose and meagre, that it is altogether uncertain and dubious, what and how great they suppose these fruits to be. Besides, they have not renounced wholly the [figurative] interpretation of the history of Christ, above mentioned; for they press us hard to grant that the things which occurred in regard to our Saviour, while resident among men, are signs and emblems of the things which may occur, and must occur, in relation to the Christ within, in order that man may partake of salvation. And hence they are accustomed, with the mystics their preceptors, to talk much, in lofty terms and inflated style, of Christ's being born, living, dying, and rising to life, in the hearts of saints.2

[In answer to most of the allegations in this section, the Quakers refer us, triumphantly, to the following extracts from their declaration or Confession of faith, drawn up in the year 1693, and preserved by Sewel, Hist. of the Quakers, vol. ii. p. 497, &c. "We sincerely profess faith in God, by his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as being our only light and life, our only way to the Father, and our only Mediator and Advocate with the Father: That God created all things, and made the worlds, by his Son, Jesus Christ; he being that powerful and living Word of God, by whom all things were made; and that the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, are One, in divine Being inseparable; one truc, living, and eternal God, blessed for ever :- Yet that this Word or son of God, in the fulness

of time, took flesh, became perfect man, according to the flesh, descended and came of the seed of Abraham and David, but was miraculously conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary; and also further, declared powerfully to be the Son of God, according to the Spirit of sanctification, by the resurrection from the dead:-That as man, Christ died for our sins, rose again, and was received up into glory in the heavens; he having, in his dying for all, been that one, great, universal offering and sacrifice for peace, atonement, and reconciliation, between God and man; and he is the propitiation, not for our sins only, but for the sins of the whole world : We were reconciled by his death, but saved by his life:-That divine honour and worship is due to the Son of God; and that he is, in true faith, to be

§ 10. From the same source which has been mentioned, [namely, the ancient mystic theology,] has flowed their discipline and practice. They assemble, indeed, on the days in which other Christians generally assemble for religious purposes. But they neither observe festival days, nor use ceremonies and rites, nor suffer religion to be fettered by any positive institutions; placing it wholly in the worship of Christ hidden in the heart. Such as please teach in their assemblies, both men and women: for who may deny to persons, in whom Christ dwells and speaks, liberty to address and instruct the brethren? Prayers, hymns, and the other exercises which distinguish the public assemblies of other Christians, are unknown and discarded by them: and not without reason, since they believe with the mystics, that to pray truly, is not to utter the desires of our hearts in a set form of words, but to collect the mind, recall it from all emotion and thought, and fix it wholly on a present Deity. Neither do they baptize new members of their community; nor renew the remembrance of Christ's death, and the benefits of it, in the Lord's Supper. For they suppose both institutions to be Judaical; and to have been formerly used by the Saviour, only to represent to the eye, in visible imagery, by baptism the mystical purification of the soul, and by the holy supper the spiritual nourishment of

the soul.

§ 11. The system of morals adopted by them is beyond. measure austere and forbidding. It is chiefly comprehended in these two precepts:-I. Whatever can afford us pleasure, produce agreeable emotions, or gratify the senses, must either be wholly avoided, or, if by the laws of nature this is impossible, must be so tempered and checked by reason and reflection, that it may not corrupt the soul. Because, as the mind ought to be always and exclusively attentive to the voice and the intimations of the teacher within, it should be separated from the intercourse and contagion of the body and corporeal things.II. It is criminal to follow the customs, fashions, and manners,

3

Quakers themselves say, "is no tenet of the Quakers." To the latter part of the precept they make no objection; believing it to be coincident with the apostle James' direction, "To keep himself unspotted by the world." Tr.]

that are generally received in society. Hence they are easily distinguished from other people by their outward deportment and manner of life. They do not salute those whom they meet, never use the customary language of politeness and civility; never show respect to magistrates and to men of rank by any bodily gestures, or the use of honorary titles; never defend their lives, their property, or their reputations, against violence and slander; never take an oath; never seek redress in civil courts, or prosecute those who injure them: on the contrary, they distinguish themselves from all their fellow-citizens, by their aspect and demeanour, by their dress, which is very simple and rustic, by their phraseology, their diet, and other outward things. It is however affirmed, by persons of credibility, that the Quakers, especially the prosperous Quaker merchants of England, have already departed considerably from these austere rules of life, and are gradually departing further and further; nay, that they explain and shape much more wisely the religious system of their predecessors. It is also well attested, that very many of them have but an imperfect knowledge of the religion transmitted to them by their fathers.

§ 12. This sect, at its commencement, had no organization and government. But afterwards the leading men perceived that their community could not subsist and escape falling into great disorder, unless it had regulations and men to superintend its affairs. Hence boards of elders were established, who discuss and regulate every thing involving doubt and difficulty, and carefully watch that no one conduct himself amiss, or do any thing injurious to the society. To these elders people who think of marrying give in their names: to them all births and deaths in the society are reported: to them such as wish publicly to address the people exhibit their discourses, and in some instances, written out, that the elders may see whether they will enlighten and edify. For they do not allow, as they once did, every one at his pleasure to declaim before the people; since the very indiscreet orations of many have brought much

[This duty of their elders the Quakers deny; declaring that their speakers never write their discourses; and that no such practice as that here described, exists among them. Their speakers, however, have a kind of license or approbation; or at least,

when they travel abroad, they carry some testimonials. And it is well known that they have standing committees to superintend all publications relating to the history and doctrines of the society. Tr.]

5

reproach and ridicule upon the society. There are also, in the larger congregations, especially in London, certain persons, whose duty it is to exhort the people, if it should so happen that no one of the assembly is disposed to instruct and exhort the brethren; lest, as often happened, for want of an orator the meeting should break up without a word said. It is not indeed necessary that there should be any speaking in the Quaker assemblies. For the brethren do not come together to listen to an external teacher, but to attend to the voice of that teacher which each one carries in his own breast; or, as they express it, to commune with themselves. But as these silent meetings afforded occasion to their enemies to rail and deride, they have now appointed fixed speakers; to whom also they give a small compensation for their services. The Quakers annually hold a general convention of their whole society, at London, the week before Whit-Sunday, in which all their congregations are represented; and by this convention all important questions are examined and decided. The Quakers at this day complain of many grievances: but these all originate solely from their refusal to pay tithes.

6

5 [Here again the Quakers, through Mr. Bevan of London, deny the existence of such subsidiary speakers in their congregation. Tr.]

6

[Ut in semet ipsos introvertant.] Sewel, Hist. of the Quakers, p. 612.

[Here also Dr. Mosheim was mis

informed. Mr. Bevan says: "Except a few clerks of this kind, (that is, who keep voluminous records, &c.) and persons who have the care of meetinghouses, none receive any stipend or gratuity for their services in our religious society. Tr.]

SUPPLEMENT

RELATING TO THE DOCTRINES AND DISCIPLINE

OF THE

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS, COMMONLY CALLED QUAKERS.*

CHAPTER I.

DOCTRINE.

General Belief.-Universal and saving Light.-Worship.-Ministry. - Women's preaching. Baptism and the Supper.- Universal Grace.-Perfection.- Oaths and War.-Government. - Deportment.—Conclusion.

WE agree with other professors of the Christian name in the belief of one eternal God, the Creator and the Preserver of the universe; and in Jesus Christ his Son, the Messiah, and Mediator of the new covenant.1

When we speak of the gracious display of the love of God to mankind, in the miraculous conception, birth, life, miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Saviour, we prefer the use of such terms as we find in Scripture; and contented with that knowledge which Divine Wisdom hath seen meet to reveal, we attempt not to explain those mysteries which remain

* [Dr. Mosheim's account of the Quakers is so very faulty, that the American editions of the work have generally been accompanied with other statements, derived from other and better authorities. In the preceding notes many of the mistakes of Dr. Mosheim have been pointed out. But still it is believed, that full justice will not be done to the principles of this sect, without allowing them to express their religious views in their own language.

The following Supplement is therefore annexed, being part of a "Summary of the History, Doctrine, and Discipline of Friends, written at the desire of the Yearly Meeting for sufferings in London;" first published in a small work by Joseph Gurney Bevan, Lond. 1800, 12mo. and afterwards annexed to the 4th vol. of Maclaine's Mosheim, ed. New York, 1824. Tr.]

1 Heb. xii. 24.