"We believe that all things were created by him, and for him; and
that he was before all things, and that by him all things consist.
And any doctrine which goes to invalidate these fundamental doctrines
of the Christian religion we cannot admit, nor do we hold ourselves
accountable for.
"Great efforts are making to make the people believe that Jesus
Christ was no more than a man, but we do not believe any such thing,
nor can we receive any such doctrine, or any thing which goes to
inculcate such an idea.
"We believe him to be King of kings, and Lord of lords, before whose
judgment seat every soul shall be arraigned and judged by him. We
do not conceive him to be a mere man; and we therefore desire, that
people may not suppose that we hold any such doctrines, or that we
have any unity with them."
Isaac Lloyd said: "I unite with Jonathan Evans--we never have
believed that our blessed Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, came to the
Jews only; for he was given for God's salvation, to the ends of the
earth."[136]
[136] "The Quaker," Vol. I, p. 72.
To these doctrinal statements Elias Hicks added: "I have spoken; and I
leave it for the people to judge--I do not assume the judgment seat."
It may be informing in this connection to examine this sermon
somewhat in detail, to see if we can find the definite doctrine which
aroused the public opposition. The text was, "Let love be without
dissimulation." Having declared that there could be no agreement
between hatred and love; and that love could not promote discord, he
indulged in what may be called a spiritual figure of speech, declaring
that a Christian must be in the same life, and live with the same blood
that Christ did, making the following explanation: "As the support of
the animal life is the blood; so it is with the soul: the breath of
life which God breathed into it is the blood of the soul; the life of
the soul; and in this sense we are to understand it, and in no other
sense."
He referred to the reprover of our sins, said that it is God who
reproves us. "Now, here is the great business of our lives," he
remarked, "not only to know this reprover, but to know that it is a
gift from God, a manifestation of His own pure life, that was in his
son Jesus Christ." Continuing he said:
"As the apostle testifies: 'In him was life, and the life was the
light of men; and that was the true light, which lighteth every man
that cometh into the world.' Now can we hesitate a single moment, in
regard to the truth of this declaration? No sensible, reflecting mind
can possibly do it."[137]
[137] "The Quaker," Vol. I, p. 51.
Touching the outward and written as compared with the inner law of
life, he affirmed:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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