inference, I say, is as irrational, as it would be for any to conclude, that because we say of the shining and appearance of the Sun, there is the Sun; or the Sun there appears; therefore we exclude the Being of the Sun elsewhere. For its virtue is communicated to our natural bodies, every one having in measure, some enjoyment of the virtue or light of the natural Sun, which is light to the eye, even as the outward eye is light to, or of the natural body; and whosoever they are, whose invisible senses are quickened by the influencing virtue which proceeds from the eternal Sun of righteousness, do thereby see and discern, that these things are according to the clear manifestation of Truth in their inward parts; and from a true sense thereof, can of a truth give this certain testimony, that Christ, the Lord, by his holy, quickening spirit, hath appeared in them, to the quickening of their immortal souls; and that through believing in the light, and obedience to his appearance, being come out of that state which is reprobated by the Lord, can of certain experimental knowledge say, Christ is in us the hope of glory. And so when we direct people to this Word, Light, Law, Grace and Spirit, we do not thereby intend, that Christ Jesus, the Light of the World, and Gift of God, is not the true Saviour, Redeemer, and Reconciler of mankind unto God."-Works, page 71 to 77. 1673.

In a piece entitled "A Warning unto the Rulers and People of England, &c." C. Marshall speaks thus

In the tender love of God, unto whose ears the misrepresentations, vilifications or aspersions underwritten, have or may comeGive ear, and hear, all you rulers and inhabitants of these northern islands: God Almighty, even the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in this later age of the world is risen and arising, and causing his ancient horn of salvation to be revealed: 'of whom all the holy men, prophets and servants of God gave testimony, through ages and generations, to be that Holy One, on whom he hath laid help, who is mighty to save, Christ Jesus the Lord; of whose spiritual appearance and coming we are witnesses this day; and by the arm of his eternal power are raised up, to declare him unto these Northern Islands of the Gentiles, as their Light to lighten them, according to the prophet's testimony, of John, old Simeon, Christ Jesus, the Apostles and messengers of God Almighty, through many ages and generations, of which many demonstrative testimonies, in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit and power of Christ Jesus, have been, and are daily borne both by word and writing; against which holy, certain testimonies, men of the spirit of Jannes and Jambres, men of corrupt minds have risen up to withstand, and by lies, slanders, misrepresentings, &c. have endeavoured their utmost to veil and cloud this testimony; which work and way of theirs God hath beheld, and hath determined to blast, because in their right hand hath been found a lie, and the poison of asps is under their tongues, to reproach, vilify, and misrepresent the servants and people of God, under hideous and odious disguises, that they might thereby (as much as in them lies) effect such a work, as the old heathens did on the Christians; namely, by putting lions' skins and bearskins on them, that thereby they might cause the dogs to take hold on them: so hath there been an

endeavour in our day, to misrepresent the servants and people of the Lord, as deniers of salvation by Jesus Christ; making his birth in Bethlehem of Judea, his travails, sufferings, blood, death, resurrection and ascension, of no value; deniers of the scriptures of truth; and instead thereof, preaching up salvation by meritorious works of our own; and in short, representing us as enemies to christianity concerning which charges, and every particular of them, full, clear and demonstrative answers have been and are given, unto which I refer all unsatisfied persons.-That which lies on my spirit at this time, is to declare in the presence, name and power of the Everlasting God, that these things spoken and written of us, are as false as the accusations of the Pharisees concerning Christ Jesus, and as false as the accusations of the Jews concerning the Apostles-For

"1st, We declare to all nations, tongues, and languages, that we believe in the One, Holy, Everlasting God

"2d, We believe concerning him, that he is a spirit; and concerning his worship, that it is in Spirit, and spiritual—

Sd, We believe, preach, and publish salvation, in or by no other name, but in, by, and through Him, of whom all the prophets gave testimony, the apostles preached, the primitive saints believed and received, namely, Jesus Christ

"4th, We declare we are so far from denying or having any light esteem of that holy, honourable record, viz. the Scriptures of Truth, that we are often greatly bowed and tendered in spirit, in the sense of the great mercy and love of our God; that although the wicked have been suffered to persecute, revile and evily to represent the way of life and salvation believed and preached by them, and also have proceeded to kill the bodies of the prophets of God, of Christ Jesus our Lord, his apostles and faithful servants; that yet such hath been his great and unexpressible love, to preserve their precious testimonies unto our age and generation.

"And now, ye rulers and people of these Northern Islands; in the universal love of the God of the spirits of all flesh, I warn you, that as any thing comes unto your ears of us, contrary to this our faith and belief in God, that you be so noble, as to do that which is but just and equal for you to do, viz. to keep one ear for the accused, to hear with diligence and without partiality: And let none be like those ignoble people of Thessalonica, who being moved with envy, refused to hear the Apostle's doctrine; but be like those worthy Bereans, whose nobility is recorded, because they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, to see whether those things were so or no."-Works, pages 127 to 130-1674.

HENRY TUKE,

In his tract entitled, "The Faith of the people called Quakers, &c." p. 24, 25, quotes the following declaration, from a paper

entitled "The Quakers' Vindication," which was presented by Friends to the members of Parliament in 1693-viz.

"We whose names are underwritten, being in christian society with the people called Quakers, do in good conscience, declare and certify all persons concerned;

"1st. That we sincerely believe and confess 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 we do highly value his death, sufferings, works, offices, and merits, for the redemption and salvation of mankind, together with his laws, doctrines and ministry.

"2d. That this very Christ of God, was and is the Son of God, that takes away the sins of the world, who was slain and is alive, and lives for evermore, in his divine, eternal glory, dominion, and power with the Father.

"And we know of no other doctrine or principles, preached, maintained, or ever received among or by us, since we were a people, contrary to these aforesaid."

Signed on behalf of the said people by thirty-one Friends.

JOHN BURNYEAT AND JOHN WATSON,

In an essay entitled "The holy truth and its professors defended," make the following declarations, viz.

"He [an opposer,] charges us with denying the Trinity, as he terms it.

"Answer. We do really own the Three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these Three are one, John v. 7. And we also own the three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, the water, and the blood, and these Three agree in one, as verse 8, and so we do, and always did believe, according to the Holy Scriptures.

"He charges us with denying the Scriptures to be the Word of God.

"Answer. We believe the scriptures to be what they call themselves, a testimony or declaration, as in Luke i. 1. John v. 39. But Christ we own and believe to be the Word of God, according to John i. and Rev. xix. 13. So we own the Word of the Lord, that came unto the prophets, saying, as in Ezek. vii. 1, and in divers other places; and we own and believe the sayings of the Word, as recorded in the Holy Scriptures. So the Word that came unto the prophets was the sayer, or that which spake unto them; and the scriptures are the words or sayings which the Word, or spirit of Christ, spake unto and through the prophets, as is evident from the testimony of the apostle, 1 Peter i. 10, 11."-J. Burnyeat's Works, page 224. 1688.

On page 251, in the same essay, replying to the same opposer, they say

"When he saith, As far as he understands, our principles and practice are according to Christ's institution, which he doubts not but we will make good upon occasion; thou, in answer, sayest, thou knowest our practice well enough which, if true, and if so bad as thou endeavourest to make people believe of us, why hast thou brought none of them to make good thy charges against us? And as for our principles, thou sayest thou never heard'st we had any. Then thou must needs be ignorant of our way and religion: and therefore, in thy speaking evil of it, thou speakest evil of things thou understandest not, and so art of that generation spoken of, 2 Peter ii. 12. And as for our faith and principles, they have been published to the world both by words and writing, they have not been hid in a corner; so that any that had a mind to concern themselves against us, and yet as wise men, would not judge without an understanding, lest like thee, they should speak evil of the things they did not understand, might easily be informed what our principles are. However, we are a people that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; and that the Father sent him into the world, to lay down his life a ransom for all men; that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have eternal life: that he was crucified without the gates of Jerusalem, and so became a propitiation for the sins of the whole world: and that after he had suffered, and was buried, God the Father raised him again by his Eternal Spirit, after which he showed himself unto many witnesses, and then ascended into heaven, and is glorified with the Father, with that glory he had with him before the world was made. And we further believe, that he is the Light of the world, and that he ought to be followed according to his own words, John viii. 12; and that he lighteth every man that cometh into the world, according to John i. 9, and that this light, wherewith he lighteth every man, all ought to believe in, that they may be children of the light, according to John xii. 36. And so we believe in his spiritual appearance, according to his promise who said, He would pray the Father, and he should send them another Comforter, even the spirit of truth, according to John xiv. 16, 17; and this was HIS OWN spirit, for he is the Truth; and of this the saints were witnesses, as the apostle saith, Gal. iv. 6. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. And thus was Christ, in the saints, the hope of glory, according to Coloss. i. 7. And thus believing and witnessing the truth of the scripture, we wait upon God for his spirit, that we may worship him therein, according to the institution of his Son, Christ Jesus, as in John iv. 23, 24; and that we may pray with the spirit, and sing with it, according to 1 Cor. xiv. 15. For the apostle exhorted the saints to be filled with the spirit, Eph. v. 18. And the saints were to pray in the Holy Ghost, Jude 20. So our faith stands in the power of God, which is that, the apostle laboured that the saints' faith might stand in, as thou mayest see, 1 Cor. ii. 5. Believing that there shall be a resurrection, both of the just and unjust, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation, according to John v. 29."-Pages 251, 252. 1688.

JOHN BANKS,

In a paper, entitled, "A true and faithful testimony for the true and living God, and the all-sufficiency, and unchangeableness of his power and spirit, against the Devil, and his dark power and spirit, by which he rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience, with all his cunning and subtility in his instruments," &c. writes as follows, viz:

"And now, dear friends, although the devil, the old liar, be at work in this day, in a great mystery, even in the mystery of iniquity, by his evil power and rending spirit, heed him not, nor the strongest of his instruments; for the power of God is over him and them all, yea, over all that is contrary unto it; for this is He that was the first, and will be the last, who said, I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end; and he will tread down Satan shortly, and all his agents of mischief; he was promised to bruise the serpent's head, which daily is a fulfilling, by the dominion of his power and holy spirit, over hell, death, and the grave, and every foul, unclean, dark, quibbling spirit; for that is appointed for the fire of eternal wrath and judgment, whose end is to devour, kill, and destroy, and make rents and breaches among God's people, where it gets an entrance whatever it pretends, which I am to warn Friends to beware of; and do say, this is one of the devil's last shifts, to appear in the name of light and ancient power and truth, as it was in the beginning; a transformation to cover his dark power and spirit, which creeps so cunningly in the dark, to deceive the simple on this wise." -Journal, p. 119. 1678.

In an epistle which he wrote to the inhabitants of Carlisle, after earnestly exhorting them to believe in Jesus Christ, as revealed in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, or just Witness for God, which would lead them out of all sin, he adds:

"Is not this at the door of your hearts to call you to repentance by his light, grace and Holy Spirit? And if there be not such a believing in him by the same, what availeth his death and suffering to you, and the shedding of his precious blood for you; if sin be not finished here and transgression put to an end? Ephes. v. 5, and read to the 21st verse. No unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of Christ and of God. Did not he suffer for the sins of all, that all through him, might believe? John iii. 18, and they that believe not are condemned already.

"I say was not sin the cause, wherefore he suffered? and if the cause, sin, through faith in him be not taken away, how shall the effect cease? But if the cause through faith in him be taken away, then the effect ceaseth, and everlasting felicity, world without end, ensueth."-P. 174. 1684.