Diary of Alexander Jaffray, provost of Aberdeen

NOTES TO THE MEMOIRS. 691
WITNESS of Christ and Christianity to the world. And though the
folly of fanatics tempted me long to overlook the stren/jth of this
testimony of the Spirit, while they placed it in a certain internal
assertion, or enthusiastic inspiration ; yet now I see that the Holy
Ghost, in another manner, is the witness of Christ, and his agent in
the ivorld." — Life and Times, by Orme, vol. ii. p. 469.
In connexion with the subject of the present Note, the Author
cannot better do justice to his own sentiments upon the important
ground which the early Friends took, than by quoting a itvi lines
from a valuable pamphlet, which has appeared while these sheets
were passing the press. " The professors of Christianity in the
time of George Fox, had generally forsaken the spirituality of
religion, but were not in the least wanting as to a belief in the
outward coming, the divinity, and sacrifice of Christ. Hence there
was not that necessity of insisting upon faith in this last men-
tioned part of the covenant, respecting which there was no defect
of faith, as upon that part in which there loas a deficiency.
I believe, that the more [of] true, spiritual Christianity a man has, the
better he will be qualified, rightly to see and to estimate the doc-
trines of truth, as contained in the Holy Scriptures, relative to the
outward coming and offices of Jesus Christ. And, for this very
reason, I believe, and ain abundantly convinced, that our prede-
cessors had much more of the true faith, and had mnch clearer
views of the meaning and standing of the Scriptures, as well as
of the true divinity of our Lord and Saviour, and the purposes of
his sufferings, than other professors of that day, who were making
a high profession of their faith in them, but many of whom were
wanting in spiritual and vital religion." Letters to a Friend, &c.
by John Wilbur, p. 26.
Note GG.— Page 528.
However clear such doctrines may appear to many readers, the
Author cannot entirely quit the subject, without still further con-
firming it, as the doctrine of the Society of Friends, and even of
" the Established Church of England," by adducing the following-
quotation from the writings of a learned man, who had once been
a rector among the latter religious class, but ultimately became a
valued minister among the former.
" We say, then, according to the Scriptures, That Christ died for
all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves,
but unto him which died for them and rose again, 2 Cor. v. 16. —
that without faith it is impossible to please God, Heb. xi. 6. — that
without repentance the sinner shall perish, see Luke, xiii. 3, 5. —