Primitive Christianity revived in the faith and practice of the people called Quakers written, in testimony to the present dispensation of God, through them, to the world, that prejudices may be removed, the simple informed, the well-enclined encouraged, and the truth and its innocent Friends, rightly represented / by William Penn.

§. 5. And if it be duly weighed it will appear, that God, in all his Manifestations of himself, hath still come nearer and nearer to the Insides of Men, that he might reach to their Understandings, and open their Hearts, and give them a plainer and nearer Acquaintance with himself in Spirit: And then it is that Man must seek and find the Knowledge of God for his Eternal Happiness. Indeed, all things that are made show forth the Power and Wisdom of God, and his Goodness too to Mankind; and therefore many Men urge the Crea∣tion to silence Atheistical Objections: But though all those things show a God, yet Man does it, above all the Rest. He is the precious Stone of the Ring, and the most glorious Jew∣el of the Globe; to whose reasonable Use, Service, and Satisfaction, the whole seems to be made and dedi∣cated. But God's Delight (by whom Man was made, we are told by the Holy Ghost) is in the habitable Parts

of the Earth, with the Sons of Men, Prov. 8. 31. And with those that are contrite in Spirit, Isa. 66. 1. And why is Man his Delight, but be∣cause Man only, of all his Works, was his Likeness. This is the inti∣mate Relation of Man to God: Some∣what nearer than ordinary; for of all other Beings Man only had the Honour of being his Image; and by his Resemblance to God, as I may say, came his Kindred with God and Knowledge of him. So that the near∣est and best way for Man to know God, and be acquainted with him, is to seek him in himself, in his Image; and as he finds that, he comes to find and know God. Now Man may be said to be God's I∣mage in a double Respect. First, As he is of an Immortal Nature; and next, as that Nature is Endued with those Excellencies in small, and proportionable to a Creatures Capa∣city, that are by Nature Infinitely and Incomparably in his Creator.

For Instance, Wisdom, Justice, Mer∣cy, Holiness, Patience, and the like. As Man becomes Holy, Just, Mer∣ciful, Patient, &c. By the Copy He will know the Original, and by the Workmanship in himself, he will be acquainted with the Holy Work∣man. This Reader is the Regeneration and New Creature we press, and according to this Rule, we say, Men ought to be Religious, and Walk in this World. Man, as I said just now, is a Com∣position of both Worlds; his Body is of this, his Soul of the other World. The Body is as the Tem∣ple of the Soul, the Soul the Tem∣ple of the Word, and the Word, the Great Temple and Manifestation of God. By the Body the Soul looks into and beholds this World, and by the Word it beholds God the World that is without End. Much might be said of this Order of things, and their respective Excellencies, but I must be Brief.

Notes

• Gal. 6. 15, 16.