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Beyond Penn's Treaty

The Life of Thomas Eddy; Comprising an Extensive Correspondence

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over the Indians, which preserved peace for so many
years in their borders. Such men suffer in turbu-
lent times for not taking part in the bustle, but are
amply repaid for this, in their prosperity in days of
quiet. Mr. Eddy

was a firm orthodox Friend, whose
faith was unshaken in the midst of difficulties.

The recent separation which has taken place in
the Society of Friends, is a matter of public notoriety,
and it is also pretty generally known, that a differ-
ence of opinion, upon some of the leading doctrines,
was the cause of this unhappy division. Although
this separation did not take place in the society at
New York

, until after Mr. Eddy's death, yet as he,
from the beginning, took such a deep interest in the
controversy, which was carried on for many years
previous to this event, it becomes the duty of his
biographer to allude to it.

A late celebrated minister in the society, who, from
his strong natural talents, purity of life, and patri-
archal appearance, had obtained unbounded influence
over a large portion of the members, for many years
previous to Mr. Eddy

's death, was very active and
zealous in propagating his peculiar sentiments upon
the doctrines of the atonement and divinity of our
Saviour. Without meaning, in the least, to call in
question his sincerity, or the purity of his motives,
it must be admitted, that he held opinions on those
important doctrines, and also respecting the holy
scriptures, which differed materially from those held
by Robert Barclay, and the early Quakers. They
ever believed in the divinity of the Saviour, and in
the efficacy of the outward atonement, in conjunc-
tion with spiritual regeneration; whilst he lowered
the character of the Redeemer, to that of a good man,
and holy pattern, and denied the efficacy of the
atonement altogether, relying solely on the regene-
ration, as a means of Salvation. The founders of
the society also, uniformly upheld the authenticity
and inspiration of the scriptures, declaring them to