Take away this spirit, and Christianity remains with
them no more Christianity, than the dead carcass of a man, when the
spirit is departed, remains a man. Whatsoever is excellent, whatsoever
is noble, whatsoever is worthy, whatsoever is desirable in the Christian
faith, they ascribe to this spirit, and they believe that true
Christianity can no more subsist without it, than the outward world
could go on without the vital influence of the sun.
Now an objection will be made to the proposition, as I have just stated
it, by some Christians, and even by those who do not wish to derogate
from the spirit of God, (for I have frequently heard it started by such)
that the Quakers, by means of these doctrines, make every thing of the
spirit, and [100]but little of Jesus Christ. I shall therefore notice
this objection in this place, not so much with a view of answering it,
as of attempting to show, that Christiana have not always a right
apprehension of scriptural terms; and therefore that they sometimes
quarrel with one another about trifles, or rather, that when they have
disputes with each other, there is sometimes scarcely a shade of
difference between them.
[Footnote 100: The Quakers make much of the advantages of Christ's
coming in the flesh. Among these are considered the sacrifice of his own
body, a more plentiful diffusion of the Spirit, and a dearer revelation
relative to God and man.
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