JOHN WHITING, In his address to Edward Ancketyll, on the subject of Tythes, says: "And therefore, Christ being come in the flesh, 1st John iv. 2, and offered up himself a most acceptable sacrifice to God, for the sins of the whole world, in the fulness of time appointed of the Father; and having put an end to all those offerings, and according to the will of God, abolished and changed the law and priesthood, which commanded and took tythes: He is become the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth, in him, Rom. x. 4. I say again, Christ being come in the flesh; and offered up himself through the eternal Spirit, once for all, 2d John 7, he hath put an end to the Levitical Priesthood, tythes and offerings, and is become an High Priest forever, not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchisedec,' who is without beginning of days or end of life not like those priests who could not continue by reason of death, but liveth and abideth a priest forever, to make intercession for us; and such an High Priest becometh us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners: who is made a priest, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life: And is become the minister of the sanctuary, and true tabernacle which God hath pitched, and not man: and dwells not in temples made with hands, Heb. vii. 11, 16, 23, 25, 26; viii. 2, but is long since departed from them. Who, when he ascended up on high, led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; Acts vii. 48; Ephes. iv. 8, 12. Who saith, freely ye have received, freely give, Matt. x. 8. Of whom the Lord saith, This is my beloved Son, hear ye him, Mark ix. 7.”—P. 80, 81. 1680. A Declaration of the Christian Doctrines of the Society of Friends, issued in 1693. In the year 1693, the Society of Friends being greatly misrepresented and traduced as denying the doctrines of the christian religion, the following declaration of faith was drawn up, and published by them. After stating the causes which led to its publication, they thus proceed; viz. "We are, therefore, tenderly concerned for truth's sake, in behalf of the said people, (as to the body of them, and for all of them who are sincere to God, and faithful to their christian principle and pro fession,) to use our just endeavours to remove the reproach, and all causeless jealousies concerning us, touching those doctrines of christianity, or any of them pretended, or supposed, to be in question in the said division; in relation whereunto we do in the fear of God, and in simplicity and plainness of his truth received, solemnly and sincerely declare what our christian belief and profession has been, and still is, in respect to Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God, his suffering, death, resurrection, glory, light, power, great day of judgment, &c. "We sincerely profess faith in God by his only begotten Son Jesus Christ, as being our light and life, our only way to the Father, and also our only Mediator and Advocate with the Father. "That God created all things, he 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 Holy Spirit are one, in Divine Being inseparable; one true, 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 in the Word, (or Son of God,) was life, and the same life was the light of men ; and that he was that true light which enlightens every man coming into the world; and therefore that men are to believe in the light, that they may become the children of the light; hereby we believe in Christ the Son of God, as he is the light and life within us; and wherein we must needs have sincere respect and honour to, and belief in, Christ, as in his own unapproachable and incomprehensible glory and fulness; as he is the fountain of life and light, and giver thereof unto us; Christ, as in himself, and as in us, being not divided. And 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 Jesus Christ, who sitteth at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, yet he is our King, High-Priest and Prophet, in his church, a Minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man. He is Intercessor and Advocate with the Father in heaven, and there appearing in the presence of God for us, being touched with the feeling of our infirmities, sufferings and sorrows. And also by his spirit in our hearts, he maketh intercession according to the will of God, crying, Abba, Father. "For any whom God hath gifted, and called sincerely to preach faith in the same Christ, both as within and without us, cannot be to preach two Christs, but one and the same Lord Jesus Christ, having respect to those degrees of our spiritual knowledge of Christ Jesus in us, and to his own unspeakable fulness and glory, as in himself, in his own entire being, wherein Christ himself and the least measure of his light or life, as in us or in mankind, are not divided nor separable, no more than the sun is from its light. And as he ascendded far above all heavens, that he might fill all things, his fulness cannot be comprehended, or contained in any finite creature; but in some measure known and experienced in us, as we are capable to receive the same, as of his fulness we have received grace for grace. Christ our Mediator, received the spirit, not by measure, but in fulness; but to every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of his gift. "That the gospel of the grace of God should be preached in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, being one in power, wisdom and goodness, and indivisible, or not to be divided, in the great work of man's salvation. "We sincerely confess and believe in Jesus Christ, both as he is true God and perfect Man, and that he is the Author of our living faith in the power and goodness of God, as manifested in his Son Jesus Christ, and by his own blessed spirit, or divine unction, revealed in us, whereby we inwardly feel and taste of his goodness, life, and virtue; so as our souls live and prosper by and in him: and the inward sense of this divine power of Christ, and faith in the same, and this inward experience, is absolutely necessary to make a true, sincere and perfect christian in spirit and life. "That divine honour and worship is due to the Son of God; and that he is, in true faith to be prayed unto, and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ called upon, as the primitive christians did, because of the glorious union or oneness of the Father and the Son; and that we cannot acceptably offer up prayers and praises to God, nor receive a gracious answer or blessing from God, but in and through his dear Son, Christ. "That Christ's body that was crucified, was not the Godhead, yet by the power of God was raised from the dead; and that the same Christ that was therein crucified, ascended into heaven and glory, is not questioned by us. His flesh saw no corruption, it did not corrupt; but yet doubtless his body was changed into a more glorious and heavenly condition than it was in when subject to divers sufferings on earth; but how and what manner of change it met withal after it was raised from the dead, so as to become such a glorious body, as it is declared to be, is too wonderful for mortals to conceive, apprehend or pry into, and more meet for angels to see: the scripture is silent therein, as to the manner thereof, and we are not curious to inquire or dispute it; nor do we esteem it necessary to make ourselves wise above what is written, as to the manner or condition of Christ's glorious body, as in heaven; no more than to inquire how Christ appeared in divers manners or forms; or how he came in among his disciples, the doors being shut; or how he vanished out of their sight after he was risen. However, we have cause to believe his body, as in heaven, is changed into a most glorious condition, far transcending what it was in on earth, otherwise how could our low body be changed, so as to be made like unto his glorious body; for when he was on earth, and attended with sufferings, he was said to be like unto us in all things, sin only excepted; which may not be so said of him as now in a state of glory, as he prayed for; otherwise where would be the change both in him and in us? "True and living faith in Christ Jesus the Son of the living God, has respect to his entire being and fulness, to him entirely as in himself, and as all power in heaven and earth is given unto him; and also an eye and respect to the same Son of God as inwardly making himself known to the soul, in every degree of his light, life, spirit, grace, and truth; and as he is both the word of faith, and a quickening spirit in us; whereby he is the immediate cause, author, object, and strength of our living faith in his name and power; and of the work of our salvation from sin and bondage of corruption: and the Son of God cannot be divided from the least or lowest appearance of his own divine light, or life in us or in mankind, no more than the sun from its own light; nor is the sufficiency of his light within, by us, set up in opposition to him the Man Christ, or his fulness, considered as in himself, as without us; nor can any measure or degree of light, received from Christ, as such, be properly called the fulness of Christ, or Christ as in fulness, nor exclude him, so considered, from being our complete Saviour; for Christ himself to be our light, our life, and Saviour, is so consistent, that without this light we could not know life, nor him to save us from sin or deliver us from darkness, condemnation, or wrath to come: and where the least degree or measure of this light and life of Christ within, is sincerely waited in, followed and obeyed; there is a blessed increase of light and grace known and felt; as the path of the just, it shines more and more, until the perfect day; and thereby a growing in grace, and in the knowledge of God, and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, hath been, and is truly experienced. And this light, life or spirit of Christ within, (for they are one divine principle,) is sufficient to lead unto all truth; having in it the divers ministrations both of judgment and mercy, both of law and gospel, even that gospel which is preached in every intelligent creature under heaven: it does not only, as in its first ministration, manifest sin, and reprove and condemn for sin; but also excites and leads them that believe in it to true repentance; and thereupon to receive that mercy, pardon, and redemption in Christ Jesus, which he has obtained for mankind in those gospel terms of faith, in his name, true repentance and conversion to Christ, thereby required. "So that the light and life of the Son of God within, truly obeyed and followed, as being the principle of the second or new covenant, as Christ the light is confessed to be, even as He is the seed or word of faith in all men, this does not leave men or women, who believe in the light, under the first covenant, nor as the sons of the bondwoman, as the literal Jews were, when gone from the Spirit of God, and his Christ in them; but it naturally leads them into the new covenant, in the new and living way, and to the adoption of sons, to be children and sons of the free-woman, of Jerusalem from above. "It is true, that we ought not to lay aside, nor any way to under value, but highly to esteem, true preaching and the Holy Scriptures; and the sincere belief and faith of Christ, as he died for our sins, and rose again for our justification; together with Christ's inward and spiritual appearance, and work of grace in the soul; livingly to open the mystery of his death, and perfectly to effect our reconciliation, sanctification, and justification; and wherever Christ qualifies and calls any to preach and demonstrate the mystery of his coming, death, and resurrection, &c. even among the Gentiles, Christ ought accordingly to be both preached, believed, and received. "Yet supposing there have been, or are such pious and conscientious Gentiles, in whom Christ was, and is, as the seed or principle of the second or new covenant, the light, the word of faith; (as is granted,) and that such live uprightly and faithfully to that light they have, or to what is made known of God in them, and who, therefore, in that state cannot perish, (but shall be saved,) as is also confessed; and supposing these have not the outward advantage of preaching, scripture, or thence the knowledge of Christ's outward coming, being outwardly crucified and risen from the dead; can such, (thus considered,) be justly excluded christianity, or the covenant of grace, (as to the virtue, life, and nature thereof,) or truly deemed no christians, or void of any christian faith in the life and power of the Son of God within, or be only sons of the first covenant, and bond-woman, like the literal, outside Jews; or must all be excluded any true knowledge or faith of Christ within them, unless they have the knowledge of Christ as without them? No sure, for that would imply insufficiency in Christ and his light, as within them, and to frustrate God's good end and promise of Christ, and his free and universal love and grace to mankind, in sending his Son. We charitably believe the contrary, that they must have some true faith and interest in Christ and his mediation, because of God's free love in Christ to all mankind, and Christ's dying for all men, and being given for a light of the Gentiles, and for salvation to the ends of the earth. And because of their living up sincerely and faithfully to his light in them; their being pious, conscientious, accepted, and saved, (as is granted,) we cannot reasonably think a sincere, pious, or godly man, wholly void of christianity, (of what nation soever he be,) because none can come to God or godliness but by Christ, by his light and grace in them: yet we grant if there be such pious, sincere men or women, as have not the scripture or knowledge of Christ, as outwardly crucified, &c., they are not perfect christians in all perfections, as in all knowledge and understanding, all points of doctrine, outward profession of Christ; so that they are better than they profess or pretend to be; they are more Jews inward, and Christians inward, than in outward show or profession. These are christians sincere and perfect in kind or nature, in life and substance, though not in knowledge and understanding. A man or woman having the life and fruits of true christianity, the fruits of the Spirit of Christ in them, that can talk little thereof, or of creeds, points, or articles of faith, (yea, many that cannot read letters,) yet may be true christians in spirit and life; and some could die for Christ, that could not dispute for him; and even infants that die in innocency, are not excluded the grace |