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The different principles, however, then revived the Arian controon which they had originally di-versy, and by degrees many of vided from the church establish- them settled in Socinianism. At ment at home, operated in a way the same time another part of that might have been expected them, chiefly Independents and when them came to the possession Baptists, earnestly contending for of the civil power abroad. Those the doctrines of grace, and conwho formed the colony of Massa-ceiving, as it would seem, that the chusett's Bay, having never relin- danger of erring lay entirely on quished the principles of a nation- one side, first veered towards al church and of the power of the High Calvinism, then forebore civil magistrate in matters of faith the unregenerate to repent, believe and worship, were less tolerant or do any thing practicably good, than those who settled at New- and by degrees many of them, it is Plymouth, at Rhode Island, and said, settled in Antinomianism. at Providence Plantations. The Such are the principles which very men (and they were good men have found place amongst the detoo) who had just escaped the per-scendants of the Puritans. At secutions of the English prelates, the same time, however, it must now in their turn persecuted others be acknowledged that a goodly who dissented from them, till at length the liberal system of toleration established in the parent country at the revolution, extending to the colonies, in a good measure put an end to these proceedings.

number of each of the three denominations have adhered to the doctrine and spirit of their forefathers; and have proved the efficacy of their principles by their concern to be holy in all manner of conversation. See articles BROWNISTS, INDEPENDENTS, and NONCONFORMISTS, in this work. See also list of books under the last-mentioned article.

Neither the Puritans before the passing of the Bartholomew Act in 1662, nor the Nonconformists after it, appear to have disapproved of the articles of the established church in matters of doctrine. The PURITY, the freedom of any number of them who did so, how-thing from foreign admixture; ever, was very small. While the but more particularly it signifies great body of the bishops and cler- the temper directly opposed to crigy had from the days of archbi-minal sensualities, or the ascendenshop Laud abandoned their own cy of irregular passions. [See CHASarticles in favour of Arminianism, TITY.] Purity implies, 1. A fixed they were attached to the princi-|| habitual abhorrence of all forbidden ples of the first reformers; and by indulgences of the flesh.-2. their labours and sufferings the past impureties, either of heart or spirit of the reformation was kept life, will be reflected on with alive in the land. But after the re- shame and sorrow.-3. The heart volution one part of the Protestant will be freed, in a great measure, Dissenters, chiefly Presbyterians, from impure and irregular desires. first veered towards Arminianism,4. It will discover itself by a

cautious fear of the least degree of PURPOSE OF GOD. See impurity.-5. It implies a careful DECREE. and habitual guard against every thing which tends to pollute the mind. See Evans's Sermons on the Christian Temper, ser 23; and Watts's Sermons, ser. 27.

PUSILLANIMITY is a feebleness of mind, by which it is terrified at mere trifles or imaginary dangers, unauthorised by the most distant probability.

QUAKERS, a sect which took || its rise in England about the middle of the seventeenth century, and rapidly found its way into other countries in Europe, and into the English settlements in North America. The members of this society, we believe, called themselves, at first, Seekers, from their seeking the truth; but after the society was formed, they assumed the appellation of Friends. The name of Quakers was given to them by their enemies, and though an epithet of reproach, seems to be stamped upon them indelibly. George Fox is supposed to be their first founder; but, after the restoration, Penn and Barclay gave to their principles a more regular

form.

him to be so according to the scripture." To the objection that they deny the human nature of Christ, he answers, "We never taught, said, or held so gross a thing, but believe him to be truly and properly man like us, sin only excepted." The doctrines of the fall and the redemption by Christ are, according to him, believed firmly by them; and he declares" that they own Jesus Christ as their sacrifice, atonement, and propitiation."

But we shall here state a further account of their principles and discipline as extracted from a summary transmitted to me from one of their most respectable members.

They tell us, that, about the beginning of the seventeenth century, a number of men, dissatisfied with all the modes of religious worship then known in the world, withdrew from the communion of every visible church, to seek the Lord in retirement. Among these was their honourable elder, George Tox, who being quickened by the immediate touches of Divine love, could not satisfy his apprehensions of duty to God without directing the people where to find the like consolation and instruction. In the course of his travels, he met Y y

The doctrines of the society have been variously represented; and some have thought and taken pains to prove them favourable to Socinianism. But, according to Penn, they believe in the Holy Three, or the Trinity of Father, Word, and Spirit, agreeable to the scripture. In reply to the charge that they deny Christ to be God, Penn says, "that it is a most untrue and uncharitable censurethat they truly and expressly own VOL. II.

with many seeking persons in cir- "To Christ alone we give the cumstances similar to his own, title of the word of God, John i, and these readily received his tes-1. and not to the scriptures, altimony. They then give us a though we highly esteem these sashort account of their sufferings cred writings, in subordination to and different settlements; they al- the Spirit (2d Pet. i, 21) from so vindicate Charles II from the which they were given forth; and character of a persecutor; acknow-we hold, with the apostle Paul, ledging that, though they suffered that they are able to make wise much during his reign, he gave as unto salvation, through faith, which little countenance as he could to is in Christ Jesus, 2d Tim. iii, 15. the severities of the legislature. "We reverence those most exThey even tell us that he exerted cellent precepts which are recordhis influence to rescue their friends ed in Scripture to have been delifrom the unprovoked and cruel per-vered by our great Lord, and we secutions they met with in New-firmly believe that they are prac England; and they speak with be-ticable, and binding on every coming gratitude of the different Christian; and that in the life to acts passed in their favour during come every man will be rewardthe reigns of William and Mary, and George I. They then proceed to give us the following account of their doctrine:

ed according to his works, Matthew xvi, 27. And farther; it is our belief, that, in order to enable mankind to put in practice these sacred precepts, many of which are contradictory to the unregenerate will of man, John i, 9. every

"We agree, with other professors of the Christian name, in the belief of one eternal God, the Creator and Preserver of the uni-man coming into the world is enverse; and in Jesus Christ his Son, dued with a measure of the light, the Messiah and Mediator of the grace, or good spirit of Christ; by New Covenant, Heb. xii, 24. which, as it is attended to, he is "When we speak of the graci-enabled to distinguish good from ous display of the love of God to evil, and to correct the disordermankind, in the miraculous con-ly passions and corrupt propensiception, birth, life, miracles, death, ties of his nature, which mere rearesurrection, and ascension of our son is altogether insufficient to Saviour, we prefer the use of such overcome. For all that belongs 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 under the veil; nevertheless we acknowledge and assert the divinity of Christ, who is the wisdom and power of God unto salvation, 1st Cor. i, 24.

to man is fallible, and within the reach of temptation; but this Divine grace, which comes by him who hath overcome the world, John xvi, 33. is, to those who humbly and sincerely seek it, an allsufficient and present help in time of need. By this the snares of the enemy are detected, his allurements avoided, and deliverance is

experienced through faith in its || which originate in the will of man. effectual operation; whereby the soul is translated out of the kingdom of darkness, and from under the power of Satan, unto the marvellous light and kingdom of the Son of God.

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"From what has been said respecting worship, it follows that the ministry we approve must have its origin from the same source; for that which is needful for man's own direction, and for his accept"Being thus persuaded that ance with God, Jer. xxiii, 30 to man, without the Spirit of Christ 32. must be eminently so to enable inwardly revealed, can do nothing him to be helpful to others. Acto the glory of God, or to effect cordingly we believe that the rehis own salvation, we think this newed assistance of the light and influence especially necessary to power of Christ is indispensably the performance of the highest necessary for all true ministry; act of which the human mind is and that this holy influence is not capable; even the worship of the at our command, or to be procured Father of Lights and of Spirits, in by study, but is the free gift of spirit and in truth: therefore we God to chosen and devoted serconsider as obstructions to pure vants. Hence arises our testimoworship, all forms which divert ny against preaching for hire, in the attention of the mind from the contradiction to Christ's positive secret influence of this unction command, Freely ye have refrom the Holy One, 1st John ii,ceived, freely give,' Matt. x, 8. 20, 27. Yet, although true wor- and hence our conscientious reship is not confined to time and fusal to support such ministry by place, we think it incumbent on tithes, or other means. Christians to meet often together, "As we dare not encourage any Heb. x, 25. in testimony of their ministry but that which we believe dependance on the heavenly Fa- to spring from the influence of the ther, and for a renewal of their Holy Spirit, so neither dare we spiritual strength: nevertheless, attempt to restrain this influence in the performance of worship, we to persons of any condition in life, dare not depend for our accept- or to the male sex alone; but, as ance with him on a formal repeti-male and female are one in Christ, tion of the words and experiences, we allow such of the female sex of others; but we believe it to be as we believe to be endued with our duty to lay aside the activity a right qualification for the minisof the imagination, and to wait in try to exercise their gifts for the silence to have a true sight of our general edification of the church; condition bestowed upon us; be- and this liberty we esteem a peculieving even a single sigh (Rom.liar mark of the Gospel dispensaviii, 26) arising from such a sense of our infirmities, and of the need we have of Divine help, to be more acceptable to God than any performances, however specious,

tion, as foretold by the prophet Joel, Joel ii, 28, 29. and noticed by the apostle Peter, Acts ii, 16, 17.

"There are two ceremonies in use among most professors of the

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Christian name,-water-baptism, for salvation, we can neither adand what is termed the Lord's mit that it is conferred on a few supper. The first of these is gene- only whilst others are left withrally esteemed the essential means out it, nor, thus asserting its uniof initiation into the church of versality, can we limit its operaChrist; and the latter of maintain-tion to a partial cleansing of the ing communion with him. But as soul from sin, even in this life. we have been convinced that no- -We entertain worthier notions thing short of his redeeming pow-both of the power and goodness er, inwardly revealed, can set the of our heavenly Father, and besoul free from the thraldom of sin,lieve that he doth vouchsafe to as by this power alone we believe salvation to be effected. We hold, that, as there is one Lord and one faith, Eph. iv, 5. 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-13. Col. iv, 12. runner John, belonged, as the latter confessed, to an inferior dispensation, John iii, 30.

sist the obedient to experience a total surrender of the natural will to the guidance of his pure unerring Spirit; through whose renewed assistance they are enabled to bring forth fruits unto holiness, and to stand perfect in their present rank, Matt. v, 48, Eph. iv,

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"There are not many of our tenets more generally known than our testimony against oaths, and "With respect to the other rite, against war. With respect to the we believe that communion be- former of these, we abide literaltween Christ and his church is not ly by Christ's positive injunction, maintained by that, nor any other delivered in his sermon on the external performance, but only by Mount, Swear not at all,' Matt. a real participation of his divine v, 34. From the same sacred nature (1st Pet. ii, 4.) through collection of the most excellent faith; that this is the supper al- precepts of moral and religious luded to in the Revelation, Rev. duty, from the example of our viii, 20. Behold, I stand at the Lord himself, Matt. v. 39, 44, door, and knock: if any man hear &c. Matt. xxvi, 52, 53. Luke my voice, and open the door, I xxii, 51. John xviii, 11. and from will come in to him, and will sup the correspondent convictions of with him, and he with me;' and his Spirit in our hearts, we are that, where the substance is attain-confirmed in the belief that wars ed, it is unnecessary to attend to and fightings are, in their origin the shadow, which doth not confer and effects, utterly repugnant to grace, and concerning which opi-the Gospel, which still breathes nions so different, and animosities so violent, have arisen.

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"Now, as we thus believe that the grace of God, which comes by Jesus Christ, is alone sufficient

peace and good-will to men. We also are clearly of the judgment, that if the benevolence of the Gospel were generally prevalent in the minds of men, it would effec

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