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CHAPTER IV.

Of the Divinity of Jesus Christ.

ALTHOUGH The preceding articles have all an allusion and direct reference to Jesus Christ, and salvation by Him, for He is the only means and way of salvation, and the foundation of every christian doctrine, yet it seems necessary to say something more distinct and particular, in relation to that divine character.

The Society of Friends, from the beginning, have believed in the Divinity and Humanity of Christ. The history of his miraculous conception, birth, life, sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension, as recorded by the Evangelists, we fully believe.

A few extracts from the writings of some of the most distinguished members of the society, may probably be the best introduction to this article.

G. Fox, in his journal, Vol. 1, p. 4, says: "This priest Stevens, asked me, why Christ cried out upon the cross: 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" and why he said, 'If it be possible let this cup pass from me; yet not my will but thine be done.' I told him, at that time the sins of all mankind were upon him, and their iniquities and transgressions, with which he was wounded, which he was to bear, and to be an offering for, as he was man, but died not as he was God: so, in that he died for all men, tasting death for every man, he was an offering for the sins of the whole world. This I spoke, being at that time, in a measure, sensible of Christ's sufferings."

In a publication about the year 1675, entitled, A Testimony of what we believe of Christ, he says: "The apostle, speaking of the Fathers, saith: "Of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is God over all, blessed for ever, Amen.' This was the apostles' doctrine to the Church then, which we do witness, both as to his flesh, and as he was God."

G. Fox and others, in an address to the Governor of Barbadoes, (Vide Journal, Vol. 2, p. 139,) says: "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 or 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 the Father, for our justification, and that he ascended up into heaven, & now sitteth at the right hand of God. This Jesus, who was the foundation of the prophets and apostles, is our foundation, and we believe 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, & not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."-"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 amongst men, where

by we may be saved."-"He is now come in spirit, & 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."

I. Pennington, Vol. 1, p. 694, 4to ed. says: "It is objected against us, who are called Quakers, that we deny Christ, and look not to be saved by him, as he was manifested without us: but look only to be saved by Christ within us: to which it is in my heart to answer, to such as singly desire satisfaction therein."

"We do indeed expect to be saved, by the revelation and operation of the Life of Christ within us; yet not without relation to what he did without us, for all that he did in that body of flesh, was of the Father, and had its place and service in the will, and according to the counsel of the Father."

In another treatise, entitled "Flesh and Blood of Christ;" Vol. 2, p. 256, he says: "Now as touching the outward, which ye say we deny, because of our testimony to the inward, I have frequently given a most solemn testimony thereto: and God knoweth it to be the truth of my heart, and that the testifying to the inward doth not make the outward void, but rather establish it in its place and service. God himself who knew what virtue was in the inward, yet hath pleased to make use of the outward; and who may contradict, and slight his wisdom and counsel therein? It was a spotless sacrifice. of great value, and effectual for the remission of sins; and I do acknowledge unto the Lord, the remission of my sins thereby: and bless the Lord for it: even for giving up his Son to die for us all."

William Penn, Vol. 5, p. 310, says: "We cannot believe that Christ's death and sufferings, so satisfy God, or justify men, as that they are thereby accept

ed of God. They are indeed put into a state, capable of being accepted of God, and through the obedience of faith and sanctification of the spirit, are in a state of acceptance." "And though Christ did die for us, yet we must, through the aid of his grace, work out our salvation with fear and trembling. As he died for sin, so we must die to sin, or we cannot be said to be saved by the death & sufferings of Christ." "We do believe that Jesus Christ was our holy sacrifice, atonement and propitiation: that he bore our iniquities, and by his stripes, we were healed of the wounds Adam gave us in his fall: and that God is just in forgiving true penitents, upon the credit of that holy offering Christ made of himself to God, for us: and that what he did and suffered, satisfied and pleased God: and that through the offering up of himself once for all, through the eternal Spirit, he hath forever perfected those, (in all times,) that were sanctified; who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." Vide Rom. 8. 1.

"In short,justification consists in two parts, or hath a two-fold consideration: viz. justification from the guilt of sin, and justification from the power and pollutions of sin;""The first part of justification, we do reverently and humbly acknowledge, is only for the sake of the death and sufferings of Christ. Nothing we can do, though by the operation of the Holy Spirit, being able to cancel old debts, or wipe out old scores: it is the power and efficacy of that propitiatory offering, upon faith and repentance, that justifies us from the sins of the past: and it is the power of Christ's Spirit in our hearts, that purifies and makes us acceptable before God."

In a paper presented to parliament, in the year 1693, signed by 31 of our primitive friends, among whom was G. Whitehead, it is declared:

"1. That Jesus of Nazareth, who was born of the

virgin Mary, is the true Messiah, the very Christ, the Son of the living God, to whom all the prophets gave witness: and that we do highly value his death, sufferings, works, offices, and merits, for the redemption of mankind, together with his laws, doctrines, and ministry."

"2. That this very Christ of God, who is the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world, was slain, was dead, and is alive, and lives forever in his divine glory, dominion, and power, with the Father."

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"And we know of no other doctrine or principle, preached, maintained, or ever received among or by us, since we were a people, contrary to these aforesaid." (Sewel's His. fol. ed. p. 626.)

R. Barclay, in his Apology, page 141, expresses himself thus: "We do not hereby intend any way to lessen or derogate from the atonement and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but on the contrary, do magnify and exalt it. For, as we believe all those things, have been certainly transacted, which are recorded in the Holy Scriptures, concerning the birth, life, miracles, sufferings, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, so we do also believe, that it is the duty of every one to believe it, to whom it pleases God to reveal the same, and to bring them to the knowledge of it. As we firmly believe it was necessary, that Christ should come, that by his death & sufferings, he might offer himself up a sacrifice to God, for our sins, who his own self bare our sins, in his own body on the tree, so we believe the remission of sins, which any partake of, is only in, and by virtue of, that most satisfactory sacrifice, and no otherwise."

About the year 1699, G. Keith, having left the Society of Friends, and become an inveterate opposer, wrote a book which he called, "The Deism

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