(who came from the woman). But the Quakers consider it to have been partially accomplished by many from the time of Adam; for they believe that many, who have attended to the seed of God, or, which is the same thing,* to the portion of the Spirit of God within them, have witnessed the enmity alluded to, and the power of sin, in a great degree, bruised within their own hearts, or have experienced in these early times the redeeming power of the Spirit of God. And except this be the case, they conceive some of the passages, which they suppose to relate to this subject, not to be so satisfactorily explicable as they might be rendered. For it is said of Abraham, that he saw Christ's day. But as Abraham died long before the visible appearance of Christ in the flesh, he could neither have seen Christ outwardly, nor his day. It is still affirmed that he saw Christ's day. And the Quakers say they believe that he saw him inwardly; for he witnessed in his own Spirit, which is the same thing, the redeeming power of the Spirit of God. For as the world was made by the Spirit, or by the Word, which is frequently interpreted to be Christ, so these terms are synonymous, and often used the one for the other. The Quakers, therefore, believe Abraham to have experienced, in a very high degree, the power of this inward redemption. They

* 1 John iii, 9. Whoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

The Quakers do not deny that Abraham might have seen Christ prophetically, but they believe he saw him particularly in the way described.

believe, also, that Job experienced it in an extraorFor he asserted that he knew

dinary manner. "that his Redeemer lived." But Job could never have said this, except he had alluded to the powerful influence within him, which had purified his heart from the pollution of sin. For, being as early as the time of Moses, he could never have seen any of the Sacred Writings which mentioned Jesus Christ as a Redeemer, or the person of Jesus Christ. The Quakers also consider David, from the numerous expressions to be found in the Psalms, as having experienced this inward work of redemption also. And in the same manner as they conceive this Spirit to have striven with Abraham, and Job, and David, so they conceive it to have striven with others of the same nation for their inward redemption from the power of sin to the time of Jesus Christ. They believe, again, that it has striven with all the Heathen nations from the foundation of the world to the same period. And they believe also that it has continued its office of a Redeemer to all people, whether Jews, Heathens, or Christians, from the time of Jesus Christ to the present day.

SECTION IV.

Proposition of the new Birth and perfection, as hitherto explained, explained in the ordinary way -new view of the subject from a more particular detail of the views and expressions of the Quakers concerning it—a new spiritual birth as real from the spiritual seed of the Kingdom, as that of plants or vegetables from their seeds in the natural world -and the new birth proceeds really in the same progressive manner to maturity or perfection Result of this new view the same as that in the former section.

I STATED in the last section that the Spirit of God is considered by the Society as effecting the work of redemption in men; and that in this office it has the power of producing a new birth in them, and of leading them to perfection in the way described. This proposition, however, I explained only in the ordinary way. But as the Quakers have a particular way of viewing and expressing it, and as they deem it one of the most important of their religious propositions, I trust that I shall be excused by the reader if I allot one other section to this subject.

Jesus Christ states, as was said before, in the most clear and positive terms, that except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of Heaven.

Now the great work of religion is salvation or redemption. Without this no man can see God. And therefore the meaning of the words of Jesus Christ

will be this, that except a man be born again, he cannot experience that inward work of redemption, which shall enable him to see the kingdom of Heaven.

Redemption then, is necessary to qualify for a participation of the heavenly joys; and it is stated to take place by means of the new birth.

The particular ideas, then, which the Quakers have relative to the new birth and perfection, are the following.

In the same manner as the Divine Being has scattered the seeds of plants and vegetables in the body of the earth, so he has implanted a portion of his own incorruptible seed, or of that, which in Scripture-language is called the "Seed of the Kingdom," in the soul of every individual of the human race.

As the sun by its genial influence quickens the vegetable seed, so it is the office of the Holy Spirit, in whom is life, and who resides in the temple of man, to quicken that which is heavenly. And in the same manner as the vegetable seed conceives, and brings forth a plant, or a tree with root, stem, and branches; so if the soul, in which the seed of the Kingdom is placed, be willing to receive the influence of the Holy Spirit upon it, this seed is quickened, and a spiritual offspring is produced. Now this offspring is said to be as real a birth from the seed in the soul by means of the Spirit, as the plant from its own seed by means of the influence of the sun. "The seed of the Kingdom," says Isaac Pennington, "consists not in words or notions of mind, but is an inward thing, an inward spiritual substance

VOL. II.

in the heart, as real inwardly in its kind as other seeds are outwardly in their kind; and being received by faith, and taking root in man, (his heart, his earth, being plowed up and prepared for it) it groweth up inwardly, as truly and really as any outward seed doth outwardly."

With respect to the offspring thus produced in the soul of man, it may be variously named. As it comes from the incorruptible seed of God, it may be called a Birth of the Divine Nature or life. As it comes by the agency of the Spirit, it may be called the Life of the Spirit. As it is new, it may be called the New Man or Creature. Or it may have the appellation of a Child of God. Or it is that spiritual life and light, or that spiritual principle and power within us, which may be called the Anointed or Christ within.

As this seed," says Barclay, "is received in the heart, and suffered to bring forth its natural and proper effect, Christ comes to be formed and raised, called in Scripture the New Man, Christ within us, the Hope of Glory. Yet herein they (the Quakers) do not equal themselves with the Holy Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily, neither destroy his present existence. For though they affirm Christ dwells in them, yet not immediately, but mediately, as he is in that seed which is in them."

Of the same opinion was the learned Cudworth. "We all," says he, "receive of his fulness grace for grace, as all the stars in heaven are said to light their candles at the sun's flame. For though his body