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em, and the opportunities which his providence 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.

Ought not these considerations to operate as an incen-, tive 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, to 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

gage in the work of their own salvation-With regard to those whose hearts are honest, but who are prevented by a consideration of their own infirmities, from putting forth a finger to assist their fellow men in this great and important work-it would be well for such to considerthat in the great work of reformation, no human instrument could ever have been used, if absolute perfection had been an indispensible requisite-Man, has no righteousness whatever of his own to preach-the whole of whatever is excellent in him-and the whole of whatever he possesses, inwardly or outwardly, that can be rendered useful to his species, together with himself, who has received them, are all the property of God-this is the first truth for him to consider; and this once cordially received, he will according to his capacity (which perhaps for the most part, may not be unfitly described, by the strength and ability of the worm beneath his feet) devote his little all to God; for his all that is either good or useful, he knows he has derived from Him alone His corruptions and infirmities, the enlightened man, knows he has derived from another source he is neither ignorant of, nor attached to these-on the contrary they are the deepest source of his humiliation; but he does not expect to have them removed by the wilful neglect of any duty-it is not by lying down in despair and abstaining from medicine, that the disorders of the physical or moral body will be healed; but by the application of proper remedies.

Our great moral physician who is also the lawgiver of his church, has done every thing which can be done for

.

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 improvement

In 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.

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, to 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 mysticsI have read George Fox's Journal, but do not remember any passage in it, nor 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