his people, consistent with their free agency-he has. pointed out to them in the gospel the way to happiness→→→ he has promised to heal their maladies, to supply their necessities, and to be their protector while they adhere to him he has shewn them how to do this, by the instructions he has given them; and he has endowed them' with the faculty of reason, to understand those instructions. He does not demand from any of his creatures more than he has given them a capacity to fulfil-but in proportion to the gifts with which he has endowed them, and the opportunities which his providence has furnished of rendering those gifts beneficial, in the same proportion he expects their faithful improvementIn the gospel he has frequently held out promises of encouragement to the diligent labourer, and pronounced awful judgments upon the slothful and unprofitable servant, and even in the present life, those rewards and punishments, both in an individual and society capacity, have evidently commenced. to Ought not these considerations to operate as an incentive to the friends of retirement, to bestir themselves, and enter upon a diligent examination of their systemnor yet to suffer a mistaken deference of custom, prevent them from abolishing any impediment which they may perceive in it, to the progress of vital godliness, and a more general spread of the gospel-If those who have been called to this work, suffer the fear of man, or the love of ease and honor in the beaten path of their little community, or the weakness of any instrument which heaven may use to enlighten them-I say if they suffer any one, or all of these impediments, to retard their obedience, and persevere in this infidelity-those whom they may esteem as the filth and offscouring of mankind, may receive their testimony and their crown! nor in the busines of reformation, should they suffer a little and low spirit of party, to prevent them from conferring with their fellow christians of other denominations, whose piety or talents, may qualify them to throw light upon subjects of general utility. -- These observations are a debt that I have long believed I owed to the society in which I was educated and which notwithstanding many painful circumstances, I still continue to regard with affection--I wish them to give an impartial hearing to the truths which concern them; and which notwithstanding the weakness of the writer, he conceives are worthy of attention. In truth I can declare that I ardently covet their prosperity-I covet the removal of that uncharitable coldness which freezes zeal, and which seems to close their bosoms against the weary and heavy laden of their christian brethren-nor can they I trust, say in truth, that however plain the writer has expressed his sentiments in these pages-that they manifest a spirit of malignity, or contain the language of reproach. Quaker Society first considered. Doctor Mosheim, the German historian asserts, that George Fox, the instrumental founder of this society, derived his doctrine from the writings of the mystics, which at that time were in the hands of many, or picked it up from the conversation of some mystics I have read George Fox's Journal, but do not remember any passage in it, not yet in any of the histories of the rise and progress of this society, that give this account of the origin of his sentiments-I had always been in the habit of believing, that they were the result of his own experience; or of supernatural light, unfolding the mysterious passages of scripture-Whether this his experience was strengthened by the perusal of mystic authors, is hard to determine; but to assert that the whole of his doctrine was derived from the opinions or experience of others, I believe erroneous and unjust-Had the Quakers indeed espoused and continued to maintain the doctrines attributed to them by Dr. Mosheim, their present prosperity in the world would be little less than miraculous, for the historian represents that," they renouuce the right of self defence, and let pass with impunity, and even without resistance, the attacks that are made on their possessions, their reputation, nay on their lives" The first race of Quakers suffered deep persecution, rather than give up their peculiar testimonies; their manners were so offensive to human pride, and were so calculated to reprove it; that if their principles in every other respect, corresponded with the received maxims of the age, their unflattering deportment alone, would have procured them persecution-but they seemed absolutely raised up as stumbling blocks to every temper short of perfect candor, or perfect humility-and the age in which they lived, was not remarkable for either-In these days of persecution, they bore with astonishing patience and fortitude, the loss of property, reputation, and even life itself-In fact the laws of those times afforded them little protection in any case-they were a people "scattered, peeled, and trodden under foot" in the beginning-and in those days did probably act in such a manner, as to give birth to the sentiment, that they would "resist no evil." Matt. v. 39-in modern times, however, this, with several other distinguishing features of their religion, seems to have worn away, as they now generally claim the rights of citizenship wherever they are settled-sue like others for their property, and seem as sensible of injury as most other people-to their honour however it must be acknowledged, even in these days of degeneracy, that they are very tender of human life; nor do I recollect an instance of any member of this society enforcing, for any injury received, the numerous laws of this country which destroy it. The learned historian has also informed the world, that Robert Barclay appeared "as a patron and defender of Quakerism, and not as a professed teacher"-here also an error occurs-Robert Barclay bore a public testimony to those doctrines which he defended with his pen-His letter to Charles II. prefixed to his apology, begins thus— "Robert Barclay, a servant of Jesus Christ, called of God to the dispensation of the gospel" -The historian proceeds-" The fundamental doctrine of Quakerism, from whence all their other tenets are derived, is that ancient opinion of the mystic school- That there lies concealed in the minds of all men, a certain por tion of divine reason, a spark of the same wisdom that exists in the supreme Being.' They frequently (said he) call it divine light, sometimes a ray of the eternal wisdom, at others the heavenly Sophia, whom they supposed married to a mortal, and whose wedding garments, some of their writers describe with the most pompous eloquence"* -1 was * Where Dr. Mosheim borrowed this heap of nonsense, I am really at a loss to conceive-had it proceeded from one of the lower class of people, who are usually carried away by their prejudices, and who are apt to believe every report; it would not in the same degree have excited our surprise born and educated in this society, and have with deep attention read most of its writings, and although I confess that some of its ancient productions, particularly the works of Isaac Pennington, greatly stumbled and discouraged me, when sincerely in pursuit of the divine favour-for in them I did not find the Saviour of sinners, set forth in his character and offices, as I |