The different principles, however, then revived the Arian controon which they had originally di-versy, and by degrees many of vided from the church establish- them settled in Socinianism. At ment at home, operated in a way the same time another part of that might have been expected them, chiefly Independents and when they came to the possession Baptists, earnestly contending for of the civil power abroad. Those the doctrines of grace, and conwho formed the colony of Massa-ceiving, as it would seem, that the chusett's Bay, having never relin-danger of erring lay entirely on quished the principles of a nation-one side, first veered towards al church and of the power of the High Calvinism, then forebore civil magistrate in matters of faith the unregenerate to repent, believe and worship, were less tolerant or do any thing practicably good, than those who settled at New-and by degrees many of them, it is Plymouth, at Rhode Island, and said, settled in Antinomianism. at Providence Plantations. The Such are the principles which very men (and they were good men have found place amongst the detoo) who had just escaped the per-scendants of the Puritans. At secutions of the English prelates, the same time, however, it must now in their turn persecuted others be acknowledged that a goodly who dissented from them, till at number of each of the three denolength the liberal system of tolera-minations have adhered to the doction established in the parent coun-trine and spirit of their forefathers; try at the revolution, extending to and have proved the efficacy of the colonies, in a good measure their principles by their concern put an end to these proceedings. to be holy in all manner of conver sation. See articles BROWNISTS, INDEPENDENTS, and NONCONFOR MISTS, in this work. See also list of books under the last-mentioned article.

Neither the Puritans before the passing of the Bartholomew Act in 1662, nor the Nonconformists after it, appear to have disapproved of the articles of the established church in matters of doctrine. The PURITY, the freedom of any number of them who did so, how-thing from foreign admixture; ever, was very small. While the but more particularly it signifies great body of the bishops and cler- the temper directly opposed to crigy had from the days of archbi-minal sensualities, or the ascendenshop Laud abandoned their own cy of irregular passions. [See CHASarticles in favour of Arminianism, TITY.] Purity implies, 1. A fixed they were attached to the princi- habitual abhorrence of all forbidden ples of the first reformers; and by indulgences of the flesh.-2. All their labours and sufferings the past impurities, either of heart or spirit of the reformation was kept life, will be reflected on alive in the land. But after the re-shame and sorrow.-3. The heart volution one part of the Protestant will be freed, in a great measure, Dissenters, chiefly Presbyterians, from impure and irregular desires. first veered towards Arminianism,4. It will discover itself by a

with

cautious fear of the least degree of impurity.-5. It implies a careful and habitual guard against every thing which tends to pollute the mind. See Evans's Sermons on the Christian Temper, ser. 23; and Watts's Sermons, ser. 27.

PURPOSE OF GOD. See DECREE.

PUSILLA NIMITY is a feebleness of mind, by which it is terrified at mere trifles or imaginary dangers, unauthorised by the most distant probability.

e

they deny the human nature of Christ, he answers, "We never taught, said, or held so gross a thing, but believe him to be truly and properly man like us, sin only

QUAKERS, a sect which took him to be so according to the its rise in England about the mid-scripture." To the objection that dle of the seventeenth century, and rapidly found its way into other countries in Europe, and into the English settlements in North America. The members of this society, we believe, called them-excepted." The doctrines of the fall selves, at first, Seekers, from their seeking the truth; but after the society was formed, they assumed the appellation of Friends. The name of Quakers was given to them by their enemies, and though But we shall here state a further an epithet of reproach, seems to account of their principles and disbe stamped upon them indelibly.cipline as extracted from a sumGeorge Fox is supposed to be mary transmitted to me from one their first founder; but, after the of their most respectable members. restoration, Penn and Barclay gave to their principles a more regular form.

and the redemption by Christ are, according to him, believed firmly by them; and he declares "that they own Jesus Christ as their sacrifice, atonement, and propitiation."

They tell us, that, about the beginning of the seventeenth century, a number of men, dissatisfied with The doctrines of the society all the modes of religious worship have been variously represented; then known in the world, withand some have thought and taken drew from the communion of pains to prove them favourable to every visible church, to seek the Socinianism. But, according to Lord in retirement. Among these Penn, they believe in the Holy was their honourable elder, George Three, or the Trinity of Father, Fox, who being quickened by the Word, and Spirit, agreeable to the immediate touches of Divine love, scripture. In reply to the charge could not satisfy his apprehensions that they deny Christ to be God, of duty to God without directing Penn says, "that it is a most un- the people where to find the like true and uncharitable censure-consolation and instruction. In that they truly and expressly own the course of his travels, he met VOL. II.

Y Y

"To Christ alone we give the title of the Word of God, John i, 1. and not to the scriptures, although we highly esteem these sacred writings, in subordination to the Spirit (2d Pet. i, 21) from which they were given forth; and we hold, with the apostle Paul, that they are able to make wise unto salvation, through faith, which is in Christ Jesus, 2d Tim. iii, 15.

with many seeking persons in circumstances similar to his own, and these readily received his testimony. They then give us a short account of their sufferings and different settlements; they also vindicate Charles II from the character of a persecutor; acknowledging that, though they suffered much during his reign, he gave as little countenance as he could to the severities of the legislature. They even tell us that he exerted his influence to rescue their friends from the unprovoked and cruel per-vered by our great Lord, and we secutions they met with in NewEngland; and they speak with becoming gratitude of the different acts passed in their favour during the reigns of William and Mary, and George I. They then proceed to give us the following account of their doctrine :

"We agree, with other professors of the Christian name, in the belief of one eternal God, the Creator and Preserver of the universe; and in Jesus Christ his Son, the Messiah and Mediator of the New Covenant, Heb. xii, 24.

"When we speak of the gracious display of the love of God to mankind, in the miraculous conception, birth, life, miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Saviour, we prefer the use of such terms as we find in scripture; and, contented with that knowledge which Divine Wisdom hath seen meet to reveal, we attempt not to explain those mysteries which remain under the veil; nevertheless we acknowledge and assert the divinity of Christ, who is the wisdom and power of God unto salvation, 1st Cor. i, 24.

"We reverence those most excellent precepts which are recorded in scripture to have been deli

firmly believe that they are practicable, and binding on every Christian; and that in the life to come every man will be rewarded according to his works, Matthew xvi, 27. And farther; it is our belief, that, in order to enable mankind to put in practice these sacred precepts, many of which are contradictory to the unregenerate will of man, John i, 9. every man coming into the world is endued with a measure of the light, grace, or good spirit of Christ; by which, as it is attended to, he is enabled to distinguish good from evil, and to correct the disorder ly passions and corrupt propensi ties of his nature, which mere reason is altogether insufficient to overcome.

For all that belongs to man is fallible, and within the reach of temptation; but this Divine grace, which comes by him who hath overcome the world, John xvi, 33. is, to those who humbly and sincerely seek it, an allsufficient and present help in time of need. By this the snares of the enemy are detected, his allurements avoided, and deliverance is

experienced through faith in its | which originate in the will of man. effectual operation; whereby the soul is translated out of the kingdom of darkness, and from under the power of Satan, unto the marvellous light and kingdom of the Son of God.

"From what has been said respecting worship, it follows that the ministry we approve must have its origin from the same source; for that which is needful for man's own direction, and for his acceptance with God, Jer. xxiii, 30 to 32. must be eminently so to enable him to be helpful to others. Accordingly we believe that the renewed assistance of the light and power of Christ is indispensably necessary for all true ministry; and that this holy influence is not at our command, or to be procured by study, but is the free gift of God to chosen and devoted servants. Hence arises our testimony against preaching for hire, in contradiction to Christ's positive command, Freely ye have received, freely give,' Matt. x, 8. and hence our conscientious refusal to support such ministry by tithes, or other means.

"Being thus persuaded that man, without the Spirit of Christ inwardly revealed, can do nothing to the glory of God, or to effect his own salvation, we think this influence especially necessary to the performance of the highest act of which the human mind is capable; even the worship of the Father of Lights and of Spirits, in spirit and in truth: therefore we consider as obstructions to pure worship, all forms which divert the attention of the mind from the secret influence of this unction from the Holy One, 1st John ii, 20, 27. Yet, although true worship is not confined to time and place, we think it incumbent on Christians to meet often together, Heb. x, 25. in testimony of their dependance on the heavenly Father, and for a renewal of their spiritual strength: nevertheless, in the performance of worship, we dare not depend for our acceptance with him on a formal repetition of the words and experiences, of others; but we believe it to be our duty to lay aside the activity of the imagination, and to wait in silence to have a true sight of our condition bestowed upon us; believing even a single sigh (Rom.liar mark of the Gospel dispensaviii, 26) arising from such a sense of our infirmities, and of the need we have of Divine help, to be more acceptable to God than any performances, however specious,

"As we dare not encourage any ministry but that which we believe to spring from the influence of the Holy Spirit, so neither dare we attempt to restrain this influence to persons of any condition in life, or to the male sex alone; but, as male and female are one in Christ, we allow such of the female sex as we believe to be endued with a right qualification for the ministry to exercise their gifts for the general edification of the church; and this liberty we esteem a pecu

tion, as foretold by the prophet Joel, Joel ii, 28, 29. and noticed by the apostle Peter, Acts ii, 16,17.

"There are two ceremonies in use among most professors of the

Christian name,-water-baptism, for salvation, we can neither adand what is termed the Lord's mit that it is conferred on a few supper. The first of these is ge- only whilst others are left withnerally esteemed the essential out it, nor, thus asserting its unimeans of initiation into the church versality, can we limit its operaof Christ; and the latter of main- tion to a partial cleansing of the taining communion with him. But soul from sin, even in this life. as we have been convinced that We entertain worthier notions nothing short of his redeeming both of the power and goodness of power, inwardly revealed, can set our heavenly Father, and believe the soul free from the thraldom of that he doth vouchsafe to assist the sin, by this power alone we be- obedient to experience a total surlieve salvation to be effected. We render of the natural will to the hold, that, as there is one Lord guidance of his pure unerring Spiand one faith, Eph. iv, 5. so his rit; through whose renewed assistbaptism is one, in nature and ope- ance they are enabled to bring ration; that nothing short of it can forth fruits unto holiness, and to make us living members of his stand perfect in their present rank, mystical body; and that the bap- Matt. v, 48. Eph. iv, 13. Col. iv, tism with water, administered by 12. his forerunner John, belonged, as the latter confessed, to an inferior dispensation, John iii, 30.

"There are not many of our tenets more generally known than our testimony against oaths, and against war. With respect to the former of these, we abide literally by Christ's positive injunction, delivered in his sermon on the Mount, Swear not at all,' Matt. v, 34. From the same sacred collection of the most excellent precepts of moral and religious duty, from the example of our Lord himself, Matt. v, 39, 44, &c. Matt. xxvi, 52, 53. Luke xxii, 51. John xviii, 11. and from the correspondent convictions of his Spirit in our hearts, we are

"With respect to the other rite, we believe that communion between Christ and his church is not maintained by that, nor any other external performance, but only by a real participation of his divine nature (1st Pet. ii, 4) through faith; that this is the supper alluded to in the Revelation, Rev. viii, 20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me;' and that, where the substance is at-confirmed in the belief that wars tained, it is unnecessary to attend to the shadow, which doth not confer grace, and concerning which, opinions so different, and animosities so violent, have arisen.

"Now, as we thus believe that the grace of God, which comes by Jesus Christ, is alone sufficient

and fightings are, in their origin and effects, utterly repugnant to the Gospel, which still breathes peace and good-will to men. We also are clearly of the judgment, that if the benevolence of the Gospel were generally prevalent in the minds of men, it would effec