A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume 2: Taken from a View of the Education and Discipline, Social Manners, Civil and Political Economy, Religious Principles and Character, of the Society of FriendsClarkson, Thomas
Religion
A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume 2: Taken from a View of the Education and Discipline, Social Manners, Civil and Political Economy, Religious Principles and Character, of the Society of Friends
Clarkson, Thomas
Society of Friends
William Penn seems to have satisfied himself with refuting what he
considered to be a gross notion, namely, that of three persons in the
Trinity. For after having shown what the Trinity was not, he no where
attempts to explain what he conceived it to be. He says only, that he
acknowledges a Father, a Word, and a Holy Spirit, according to the
scriptures, but not according to the notions of men; and that these
Three are truly and properly One, of one nature as well as will.
Isaac Pennington, an ancient Quaker, speaks thus: "That the three are
distinct, as three several beings or persons, the Quakers no where read
in the scriptures; but they read in them that they are one. And thus
they believe their being to be one, their life one, their light one,
their wisdom one, their power one. And he that knoweth and seeth any one
of them, knoweth and seeth them, all, according to that saying of Christ
to Philip, 'He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father.'"
John Crook, another ancient writer of this society, in speaking of the
Trinity, says, that the Quakers "acknowledge one God, the Father of
Jesus Christ, witnessed within man only by the spirit of truth; and
these three are one, and agree in one; and he that honours the Father,
honours the Son that proceeds from him; and he that denies the Spirit,
denies both the Father and the Son." But nothing farther can be obtained
from this author on this subject.
Henry Tuke, a modern writer among the Quakers, and who published an
account of the principles of the society only last year, says also
little upon the point before us. "This belief, says he, in the Divinity
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, induced some of the
teachers in the Christian church, about three hundred years after
Christ, to form a doctrine, to which they gave the name of Trinity; but,
in our writings we seldom make use of this term, thinking it best, on
such a subject, to keep to scriptural expressions, and to avoid those
disputes which have since perplexed the Christian world, and led into
speculations beyond the power of human abilities to decide. If we
consider that we ourselves are composed of a union of body, soul, and
spirit, and yet cannot determine how even these are united; how much
less may we expect perfect clearness on a subject, so far above our
finite comprehension, as that of the Divine Nature?"
The Quakers believe, that Jesus Christ was man, because he took flesh,
and inhabited the body prepared for him, and was subject to human
infirmities; but they believe also in his Divinity, because he was the
word.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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