the divine goodness, they also should be cut off as well as the Jews; and in that case, he gives them to understand, there was no fear that God would want a people, for he was able to graft in again the Jews; and that it was as natural and easy, or rather more so, to conceive such an event to happen, or that the natural branches should be grafted into their own olive tree, as that they [the Gentiles] who were naturally afar off, should have been cut out of the wild olive and grafted, contrary to nature, into the good olive-tree. But in the whole strain of his reasoning, it is easy to see, that he gives no certain intimation of God's having any real design to call in again the Jews nationally. But it is very manifest that he makes use of every argument to cut off from the Gentiles every handle for glorying over the rejected Jews. And, as to the Jews, Paul himself, who was most earnestly desirous of their salvation, and who was as well acquainted with the Old Testament prophecies, and the designs of God about them, as any since, plainly tells us all that he aimed at in regard to them, by this whole discourse to the Gentiles. Ver. 13. "For I speak to you, Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles; I magnify mine office, if by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them." So he plainly intimates that all he expected was the salvation of some of them, even as of the other nations to whom he preached the Gospel. Thus I have briefly touched your questions; but in the volumes of Mr. Glas's works already published, and the other two which will soon appear, you will find the same points handled more distinctly and largely. Difficulties in the study of the Scriptures will always occur, even among those best acquainted with them; and such will always see need to grow in the study and knowledge of the Scriptures. But such as have got any taste of the grace revealed there, may at first view easily see the necessity of separation from the world, to observe Christ's new commandment of brotherly love. And if we are readily disposed to follow what we already know, then we are in the fairest way to have our minds enlarged in the further knowledge and experience of all that God hath revealed for our safety and comfort. Hoping to find you ready to follow what you have already some conviction of, I am, dear Sir, yours, affectionately, Multrees Hill, Sept. 26, 1761. THE QUAKERS' YEARLY MEETING. [Concluded from our last.] On Friday we found the meeting-house open for public religious worship. A lady, or as the society would term her, a female friend, from Ireland, preached for upwards of an hour one of the most extraordinary sermons which it has ever yet been our fortune to hear. Her style was truly prophetic, and she seemed to give full scope to her inspired imaginings, extolling the society of Quakers as the chosen people of God, and assuring her hearers that what she termed the "" precious testimonies of truth," or, in other words, the singularities of the sect, were ultimately to be adopted by the world, upon all of whom, beyond the Quaker pale, she seemed to look as the Jews did formerly upon the Samaritans and unbelievers. In the afternoon meeting the subject of the dissension in Lancashire, in consequence of the publication of the 'Beacon' and of Dr. Hancock's 'Defence,' was again entered upon; and, after a somewhat stormy debate for so sedate an assembly, a committee was appointed to assist the Friends in Lancashire in dealing with the subject. It consists of thirteen of the most celebrated characters in the meeting, some of whom were, however, objected to, on the ground of having expressed decided opinions against the Beacon' and its author; and, indeed, from a remark by the clerk, and another by Mr. Forster, relative to the probability of what they termed an appeal, it appeared clear that the disownment of Mr. Isaac Crewdson was contemplated. Should this anticipated result be realised, we should suppose it probable, from the decided feeling manifested in the meeting, that one half of the members would leave the society with him. On Saturday, the general state of the society was again brought under discussion, and Mr. Luke Howard, of Yorkshire, brought forward the subject of the sufferings or losses of the members for tithes and church-rates. This led to a lengthened discussion of the voluntary principle, and whether it was desirable for the Quakers again to petition the legislature on the subject, as it appeared they had done in former years, which course seemed to be generally approved. Reference was also made to the property in tithes, and it was allowed that they did not belong to the landlord, but were public property, misappropriated to the support of an hireling ministry, which, as also the union of church and state, they considered to be completely opposed to the Gospel dispenstaion. On Monday morning, the 25th May, the subject of Temperance Societies was discussed; and, although some members seemed to think it dangerous to legislate on such a subject, as improperly restricting their Christian liberty, especially as the Society of Friends were notoriously and pre-eminently a temperate body, yet a full minute on the subject was at last unanimously adopted and ordered to be sent down to all the subordinate meetings. This minute commenced with expressing the deep concern which the annual meeting of Friends had felt respecting the dreadful evil of intemperance; and proceeded to enjoin, that all its members, who were influenced by the love of God and of their neighbour, should endeavour to stem this torrent of evil, by abstaining from the use of distilled spirits, except for medicinal purposes, and that, considering the numerous evils of trading in spirituous liquors, no member about to commence business should on any account adopt that trade, it being utterly inconsistent for any member of the Society of Friends to keep a dram-shop. Thus the Quakers, as a body, have adopted the principles of the Temperance Society; a step which, we doubt not, will promote one of the best moral agents at work in this country, and one of the most valuable assistants of the Christian minister. A similar resolution was come to by the Friends in Ireland at their last annual meeting. Mr. Forster, from Dorsetshire, brought forward the subject of the continuance of the slave-trade by France, Spain, and Portugal, and was ably supported in his views by Mr. Pease the member of parliament, Mr. Allen, and many others. It was stated that this traffic in human flesh was carried on to an unlimited extent by the subjects of the above-mentioned powers, especially by the Brazilians; and that, within the last three months, six vessels, with many thousand slaves on board, had been captured off the coast of Sierra Leone, where the traffic was still carried on in defiance of solemn treaties entered into with this country for its total annihilation, and for which Great Britain had already paid one million in the shape of compensation money. It was decided that the Society of Friends should memorialize our own government, and also the governments of France, Spain, and Portugal, on the subject, in terms expressive of their sympathy for their African brethren, and of their most anxious desire that an end should, at once and for ever, be put to this most unchristian and derogatory commerce in human and immortal beings. It was likewise agreed that a liberal subscription should be raised amongst the members of the Society of Friends throughout the kingdom, to be appropriated exclusively to the protection of the negroes in the West Indies, and that the numerous associations in all parts of the country formerly connected with the anti-slavery society should be resuscitated and set in vigorous and efficient operation. On Monday afternoon, the subject of a Quakers' missionary society was introduced by the clerk's reading a minute from the Bristol and Somersetshire Friends, expressing a deep concern for the spiritual condition of the heathen world, and recommending the Society of Friends, as a section of the Christian church, to come forward more decidedly in the work of conveying a knowledge of the gospel to the heathen. The discussion on this most important proposition occupied the whole of the sitting, and was ably supported by Dr. Ash, of Norwich, Mr. Ball, of Taunton, Mr. Rutter, of Shaftesbury, and many other Friends, whose names we could not ascertain. Its adoption was opposed by Mr. Allen, Mr. Samuel Gurney, Mr. Forster, Mr. Howard, and many others. Striking allusions were made to the exertions of other Christian bodies in the missionary cause; but it was ultimately decided that, in consequence of the present want of unity in the society on a point of doctrine, the time was not yet come for the Society of Friends to form a specific society in aid of missionary exertions, but its members generally were encouraged to render efficient aid to those missionary societies already in existence. One feature in the discussion struck us forcibly the great anxiety expressed by some of the speakers lest "the Society's ancient testimonies" should be encroached upon; and several seemed to intimate an opinion that Quaker ministers alone were sent out by the Lord, whilst those missionaries who have been instrumental in converting whole nations were spoken of as if they had been sent out by the mere will of man. On the other hand, it was argued that the Divine call directed that the Gospel should be preached to every creature; that either the Quakers had or had not received that call; and that, if they had, they had neglected to obey it. It appeared, however, very clearly, that the time is fast approaching when a Quaker's missionary society will be established, and we cannot help expressing an ardent wish for its speedy arrival. At a subsequent sitting an interesting case concerning the imprisonment of a Quaker for the non-payment of tithes in Ireland was brought forward. The sufferer's name is John Wilder, of Carlow, who is now incarcerated in the prison of that place for three years' tithes, due to Walter P. Gurney, Esq. as lessee under the dean and chapter. It was agreed that earnest applications for his release should be made, on behalf of the Society at large, to both the Irish and the English governments; and also that every suitable opportunity should be embraced of enforcing on their attention the scriptural views of the Friends on the subject of a hireling ministry and compulsory payments in support of religion. The whole of one sitting was occupied with reading and commenting on extracts from the journal of Mr. David Wheeler, who went out as a Quaker missionary to the Islands in the South Sea, in a vessel purchased by the Society, and fitted up exclusively for this service. His account of the voyage from England to Rio Janeiro, and thence to Hobart Town, was certainly most extraordinary. During the former, the wind and weather were so favourable, that not a single tack was made; whilst the voyage from Rio Janeiro to Hobart Town was one continued series of storms and hurricanes; from all of which he was providentially rescued, having, in one extremity, been most remarkably preserved from the overwhelming waves by a regularly formed breakwater of two hundred whales! One of the sailors was converted during the voyage, and the whole crew were daily assembled for social worship and reading the Scriptures. At Hobart Town, Mr. Wheeler fell in with two other Quaker missionaries, named Backhouse and Wright, who appear to have been in that country for some time. They sailed with Mr. Wheeler to Sidney, from whence he intended to proceed direct to the Society Islands. These instances of the practical existence of the missionary spirit amongst the Quakers are highly important and interesting; and we hope that the feeling out of which they grew will become greatly extended, and that very many labourers will, ere long, be sent by this Society into those wide fields of Gospel labour which are now everywhere opening to the view T of the Christian, and which are white unto the harvest, though the labourers are indeed few. On Wednesday morning, we again found the meeting-house open for public worship. Mr. Joseph John Gurney, Mr. Wilkinson, and Mrs. Robson, each preached a sermon of some length. The two former were truly sound and evangelical in the doctrines they stated and enforced; especially Mr. Wilkinson, whose discourse was most impressive, and contained an incontrovertible outline of the Gospel plan of salvation, illustrated in a manner equally novel and striking. Mrs. Robson's sermon we acknowledge to have been far beyond our comprehension, being enveloped in the dense fogs of mysticism. Nor could we refrain from contrasting Mr. Wilkinson's sermon with one preached in the same meeting-house by Mrs. Grubb, on the preceding Friday. They were as opposite as light and darkness, truth and error, Mrs. Grubb's statements corresponding with the doctrines of the Hicksites in America, and approximating very closely to those of the Irvingites in England, whilst Mr. Wilkinson's was simply the unadulterated Gospel of Christ as we find it in the New Testament. Whilst the Society of Friends continues to tolerate the ministration of two systems of doctrine thus wide as the poles asunder, it cannot but be harassed with theological controversy; for truth and error can never harmoniously exist together. It must be the anxious desire of every true Christian, that a church possessing so many excellencies, and calculated to be so eminently useful to their fellow-creatures as the Quakers, should discard the traditions of men, and embrace the truth as it is in Jesus. Instead of any longer endeavouring to prop up their favourite notions by appeals to the fallible works of Fox, Barclay, and Penn, and to the still more fallible impressions on their own minds, let them appeal to that infallible standard, the Book of God, and make it the sole test of orthodoxy-the sole rule of faith and practice. In the course of one of the discussions a considerable sensation was produced by the discovery that the ministers and elders of the Society had refused to give Mr. Elisha Bates (an American Friend who had been in England on a religious visit) the usual certificate or testimonial of good conduct and sound doctrine on his return. It appeared that, whilst in this country, Mr. Bates had been of extensive service; that he had zealously and effectually promoted the evangelical doctrine of salvation by faith, in opposition to the Hicksite doctrine of salvation by the inward light; and also that he approved of the Beacon.' The consequence was that the meeting, composed exclusively of ministers and elders (a sort of Quaker House of Lords), became jealous of his evangelical labours; a majority of that meeting being, as is supposed from their preaching and conversation, strongly tinctured with the Hicksite heresy. The most gratifying testimonies in favour of Mr. Bates, both as regards his ministry and his conduct, were borne by a large number of Friends; and it was at last decided, to the evident chagrin of some, but to the unbounded satisfaction of most, that the meeting of ministers and elders should be directed to reconsider their decision. At a subsequent sitting, it was reported that a committee |
