festation whereof is given to every man to profit withal. (1 Cor. xii. 7.) This certain doctrine then being received, to wit, that there is an evangelical and saving Light and Grace in All, the universality of the love and mercy of God towards mankind, (both in the death of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the manifestation of the Light in the heart) is established and confirmed, against all the objects of such as deny it. Therefore, "Christ hath tasted death for every man," (Heb. ii. 9.) not only for all kinds of men, as some vainly talk, but for every one of all kinds; the benefit of whose offering is not only extended to such who have the distinct outward knowledge of his death and sufferings, as the same is declared in the scriptures, but even unto those who are necessarily excluded from the benefit of this knowledge by some inevitable accident: which knowledge we willingly confess to be very profitable and comfortable, but not absolutely needful unto such, from whom God himself hath withheld it: yet they may be made partakers of the mystery of his death (though ignorant of the history) if they suffer his Seed and Light, enlightening their hearts, to take place (in which Light, communion with the Father and Son is enjoyed) so as of wicked men to become holy, and lovers of that power by whose inward and secret touches they feel themselves turned from the evil to the good, and learn to do to others as they would be done by; in which Christ himself affirms all to be included. As they then have fastly and erroneously taught who have denied Christ, to have died for all men; so neither have they sufficiently taught the truth, who, affirming him to have died for all, have added the absolute necessity of the outward knowledge thereof, in order to the obtaining its saving effect; among whom the Remonstran's of Holland have been chiefly wanting, and many other asserters of Universal Redemption, in that they have not placed the extent of this salvation in that divine and evangelical principle of Light and Life, where with Christ hath enlightened every man that comes into the world; which is excellently and evidently held forth in these scriptures. (Gen. vi. 3, Deut. xxx. 14, John i. 7, 8, 9, Rom. x. 8. Tit. ii. 11.)

THE SEVENTH PROPOSITION.

Concerning Justification.

As many as resist not this Light, but receive the same, in them is produced an holy, pure, and spiritual birth, bringing forth holiness, righteousness, purity, and all those other blessed fruits which are acceptable to God; by which holy birth, (to wit, Jesus Christ formed within us, and working his works within us,) as we are sanctified, so are we justified in the sight of God, according to the apostle's words, "But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor. vi. 11.) Therefore it is not by our works wrought in our will, nor yet by good works, considered as of themselves, but by CHRIST, who, is both the gift and the giver, and the cause producing the effects in us; who as he hath reconciled us while

we were enemies, doth also in his wisdom save us, and justify us after this manner, as saith the same apostle elsewhere, "According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." (Tit. iii. 5.)

THE EIGHTH PROPOSITION.

Concerning Perfection.

In whom this Holy and Pure Birth is fully brought forth, the body of death and sin comes to be crucified and removed, and their hearts united and subjected to the truth, so as not to obey any suggestion or temptation of the evil one; but to be free from actual sinning, and transgressing of the law of God, and in that respect perfect. (Rom. vi. 14, Id. viii. 13, Id. vi. 2, 18, 1 John iii. 6.) Yet doth this perfection still admit of a growth; and there remaineth a possibility of sinning, where the mind doth not most diligently and watchfully attend unto the Lord.

THE NINTH PROPOSITION. Concerning Perseverance, and the possibility of Falling from Grace. Although this Gift, and inward Grace of God, be sufficient to work out salvation; yet in those in whom it is resisted it both may and doth become their condemnation. Moreover, in whom it hath wrought in part, to purify and sanctify them, in order to their further perfection, by disobedience, such may fall from it, and turn it to wantonness, making shipwreck of faith; and "after having tasted of the heavenly gift, and been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, again fall away." (1 Tim. i. 6, Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6.) Yet such an increase and stability in the truth may in this life be attained, from which there cannot be a total apostasy.

THE TENTH PROPOSITION.

Concerning the Ministry.

As by this Gift, or Light of God, all true knowledge in things spiritual is received and revealed; so by the same, as it is manifested and received in the heart, by the strength and power thereof, every true minister of the gospel is ordained, prepared and supplied in the work of the ministry: and by the leading, moving, and drawing thereof, ought every evangelist and Christian pastor to be led and ordered in his labor and work of the Gospel, both as to the place where, as to the persons to whom, and as to times when, he is to minister. Moreover, those who have this authority may and ought to preach the Gospel, though without human commission or literature; as, on the other hand, those who want the authority of this divine gift, however learned or authorised by the commissions of men and churches, are to be esteemed but as deceivers, and not true Ministers of the Gospel. Also, who have received this holy and unspotted gift, "as they are freely received, so are they freely to give," (Mat. x. 8.) without hire or bargaining, far less to use it as a trade to get money by it: yet if God hath called any from their employments, or trades, by which they acquire their livelihood, it

may be lawful for such, (according to the liberty which they feel given them in the Lord) to receive such temporals (to wit, what may be needful to them for meat and clothing) as are freely given them by those to whom they have communicated spirituals.

THE ELEVENTH PROPOSITION.
Concerning Worship.

All true and acceptable worship to God is offered in the inward and immediate moving and drawing of his own Spirit, which is neither limited to places, times, or persons: for though we be to worship him always, in that we are to fear before him; yet as to the outward signification thereof, in prayers, praises, and preachings, we ought not to do it where and when we will, but where and when we are moved thereunto by the secret inspiration of his spirit in our hearts; which God heareth and accepteth of, and is never wanting to move us thereunto, when need is, of which he himself is the alone proper judge. All other worship then, both praises, prayers, and preachings, which man sets about in his own will, and at his own appointment, which he can both begin and end at his pleasure, do or leave undone, as himself sees meet; whether they be a prescribed form, as a liturgy, or prayers conceived extemporality, by the natural strength and faculty of the mind; they are all but superstitions, will worship, and abominable idolatry in the sight of God; (Ezel. xiii. Mark x. 20, Acts 4, xviii. 5, John iii. 6, and iv. 21, Jude xix. Acts xvii. 23.) which are to be denied, rejected and separated from, in this day of his spiritual arising; however it might have pleased him (who winked at the times, of ignorance, with respect to the simplicity and integrity of some, and of his own innocent Seed, which lay as it were buried in the hearts of men, under the mass of superstition) to blow upon the dry bones, and raise some breathings, and answer them, and that until the day should more clearly dawn and break forth.

THE TWELFTH PROPOSITION.
Concerning Baptism.

As there is "One Lord and One Faith so there is One Baptism; which is not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience before God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Eph. iv. 5, 1 Peter iii. 21, Rom. vi. 4, Gal. iii. 27, Col. ii. 12, John iii. 30.) And this Baptism is a pure and spiritual thing, to wit, the Baptism of the Spirit and Fire, by which we are buried with him, that being washed and purged from our sins, we may "walk in newness of life;" (1 Cor. i. 17.) of which the baptism of John was a figure, which was commanded for a time, and not to continue for ever. As to the baptism of infants, it is a mere human tradition, for which neither precept nor practice is to be found in all the scripture.

THE THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION.

Concerning the Communion, or Participation of the Body and Blood of Christ.

The communion of the body and blood of Christ, is "inward and spiritual," (1 Cor. x. 16, 17.) which is the participation of his "flesh and blood," (John vi. 32, 33, 35, 1 Cor. v. 8.) by which the inward man is daily nourished in the hearts of those in whom Christ dwells; of which things the breaking of bread by Christ with his disciples was a figure, which they even used in the church for a time, who had received the substance, for the cause of the weak; even as "abstaining from things strangled, and from blood, the washing one another's feet and the anointment of the sick with oil;" (Acts xv. 20, John viii 14, James v. 14.) all which are commanded with no less authority and solemnity than the former; yet seeing they are but the shadows of better things, they cease in such as have obtained the substance.

THE FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION. Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate, in matters purely Religious, and pertaining to the Conscience.

Since God hath assumed to himself the power and dominion of the conscience, who alone can rightly instruct and govern it, therefore it is not lawful for any whatsoever, by virtue of any authority or principality they bear in the government of this world, "to force the consciences of others;" (Luke ix. 55, 56, Matt. vii. 12, 29, Tit. iii. 10.) and therefore all killing, banishing, sinning, imprisoning, and other such things, which men are afflicted with, for the alone exercise of their conscience, or difference in worship or opinion proceedeth from the spirit of Cain, the murderer, and is contrary to the truth: Provided always, that no man, under the pretence of conscience, prejudice his neighbour in his life or estate; or do any thing destructive to, or inconsistent with, human society; in which case the law is for the transgressor, and justice to be administered upon all, without respect of persons.

THE FIFTHTEENTH PROPOSION.

Concerning the Salutations and Recreations, &c.

Seeing the chief end of all religion is to redeem man from the spirit and vain conversation of this world, and lead into inward communion with God, (Eph. v. 11, 1 Pet. i. 14, John v. 44, Jer. x. iii. Acts x. 26, Mat. xv. 13, Col. ii. 8.) before whom if we fear always, we are accounted happy; therefore all the vain customs and habits thereof, both in word and deed, are to be rejected and forsaken by those who come to this fear; such are the taking off the hat to a man, the bowings and cringings of the body, and such other salutations of that kind, with all the foolish and superstitious formalities attending them; all which man has invented in his degenerate state, to feed his pride in the vain pomp

and glory of this world; as also the unprofitable plays, frivolous recreations, sportings and gamings, which are invented to pass away the precious time, and divert the mind from the Witness of God in the heart, and from the living sense of his fear, and from that evangelical Spirit wherewith Christians ought to be leavened, and which leads, into sobriety, gravity, and godly fear; in which as we abide, the blessing of the Lord is felt to attend us in those actions in which we are necessarily engaged, in order to the taking care for the sustenance of the outward man.

A SHORT ACCOUNT

Of the People called Quakers;-their Rise, Religious Principles and Settlement in America.

BY ANTHONY BENEZET.

These people were first distinguished by the name of Quarkers in England, about the middle of the last century. George Fox was the principal instrument of gathering them into a religious society. His outward employment, while young, was chiefly in the care of sheep, and from his infancy being of a grave, solid, observing turn of mind, was early restrained from the follies incident to youth; solicitous, above all things, to obtain the favor of God, and to avoid every thing which either the Scriptures or the inward principle of Divine Grace taught him to believe was offensive to him; though in so doing many corrupt practices, which custom had familiarized to the professors of christianity, presented themselves as obstacles in his way, which for a time occasioned him much anxiety, lest his own particular prospect should mislead him; but as he retained an inflexible integrity, he gained experience by the things that he suffered, and as his understanding was gradually illuminated, he received satisfaction in the many doubts he had long painfully labored under. In the year 1647, and 23d of his age, he travelled through several counties of England, seeking out such as, in religious tenderness, were inquiring after the way of life and salvation; these he taught both by precept and example the benefit of retiring into silence, and instructed them to cease from all self-performances, to turn to the Light of Christ in their own hearts, and wait to feel the instructions of his Spirit there, that their knowledge, worship and religious services, might not stand in the will of man, but in "the power of an endless life."

In this service of love he continued some years, and his labors were so blessed, that great numbers were convinced by his ministry and that of others who were gathered into the same inward divine principle, who at first were called, Children of the Light. But the