under the disadvantage of a prohibition, by the Clerk of the Meeting, of the taking of notes of the proceedings; as highly disorderly, and inconsistent with the right occupation of the thoughts of those present at such deliberations. The character which I ventured to give to our Society (from Brissot) in my last number, has been very fairly borne out at this season. In discussing subjects of vital importance to the body, our members have very generally been preserved in calmness; there has been little exhibition of temper, or of petulance, and no personal altercation; though sixty or eighty speakers may have risen to the same question. The fair succession of these, in the order in which they have claimed to speak by rising in their places, has been also well kept, by the vigilant eye, and timely checks and intimations of the Clerk. But vivacity of debate, and occasional consequent disorder, may be rated at nothing, compared with what we have had to endure at this time from the interferences of the other house. In giving an account of these, I must go back a few years in our history, and show how they got in. It will appear from my Fourth Volume, that in the year 1790, after twenty-four years of application to that object, (at first with a decided repulse from the Men,) our Women Friends had fully obtained the privilege of treating the discipline in a Representative Meeting of their own; corresponding with and advising the subordinate Meetings of the sex, and only inferior in the point of LEGISLATION for the whole body, to their brethren. Connected with this separate jurisdiction, (to be treated hereafter more at large,) is the privilege of communicating by reciprocal deputations with the Men's Meeting; and it was by the coming in of a powerful and influential deputation (in 1784) from the Women Friends, met as usual on the affairs committed to them, (in London, and for the occasion merely,) that their way was opened to the gradual acquisition of what amounts, now, very nearly to a co-equality of power; making the whole Society into a body with two heads, and in which consequently two distinct interests might, by possibility, be found in operation and activity together. Thus circumstanced, not only in our Yearly but in the Quarterly and Monthly Meetings, the Men's Meetings have of late years been subjected from time to time to the process I am about to describe. Let the Reader conceive of a Meeting of several hundred MEN, representing their brethren in the different quarters of the Society, (with a considerable body besides of privileged Ministers and Elders, and a still larger number of members of all ages and descriptions, admitted by courtesy and usage,) set down in quietness and order to the business of the year, and having proceeded but a little way upon it. Suddenly a note is read from the Table, brought up by a doorkeeper, to this effect: 'Is the present a suitable time to admit a woman-friend under a Religious concern?' Observe, the question is not 'Does this Meeting agree to receive a religious visit from a woman?' That point is already settled for us-she comes deputed by the whole Women's Meeting; now constituted (like the men's) of all ages, and of all degrees in religious experience: yet (probably, and to judge from what happens in our own) without the smallest previous disclosure to that Meeting of the nature of the concern which brings her. Had this concern' brought her directly from her own residence to our doors, without the sanction (in an unlimited confidence) of the Women's Yearly Meeting, it would have been made a very serious question with us, whether she ought to be admitted at all. The ground of this unlimited confidence is, the previous Ministerial exhibitions of the Friend in question, and her place in the affections of the members at large. The thing used to consist in one or more of these exhibitions, for edification merely, and often also accompanied with prayer. Nothing more solemn need to be conceived of among us; and the exercise over, the Friend or Friends visiting, with the attendant elders, presently withdrew-not attempting in the least to interfere in the business of the Meeting. Similar concerns and deputations have occurred in most years, also as from the Men to the Women: and we had two of these towards the close of our late Yearly Meeting. It is rare indeed to see a Friend prevented by objections, who may have proposed such a movement for himself; and, often, two go together. The visit or deputation is, then, a matter of course: it began with the personal report, by two or three women on behalf of the rest, of the conclusion of their business; or, with what was always accepted as pure Gospel-ministry. No one would now think of putting the visit aside, but at the risk of his character for order: and be the business in hand what it may, it is presently suspended, and the Friends ushered in by an Elder, and shewn to the seat of ministry; while all is stillness around, as in a meeting for worship. But what will the experienced Christian think of us, as a body of wise men, (reputed such in our Christian discipline, and in its administration,) if he be now informed that, under the guise of New Testament prophecy,' we are content to receive on such occasions (and that from year to year) a set speech of an hour or two from a woman, bearing directly and in the most offensive manner, in respect of character and religious standing, upon a minority of those then sitting in the house? If he be given to understand, that the tendency of the visit is, manifestly, to influence the deliberations and shape the conclusion of the Meeting, upon some question then pending, or likely soon to come before it? I have not the best of memories; but my own notes, made after no great interval of time, agree so nearly with what is given (to our reproach as a body of Christian men) in the paper called the Christian Advocate, that I shall here go into some particulars of the three cases of the kind which have occurred this year. I shall sink the names-my object being wholly general: and shall I hope so write, as not to be found wanting in charity; or to be such an one as would in any case despise prophesying, and set the real gift of the Minister at nought. The subject was not long waited for on this occasion, before the Friend rose-nor was the principal topic long held in reserve. It soon appeared that the natural man,' in such as were 'leaning to their own understandings,' was (in the estimation of the speaker) endeavouring 'to slay the true ministry-to wit, the mystical doctrine: and that some were laying their heads together to build 'on the sandy foundation a Babel of their own:'— 6 which building should fall, and the builders be scattered, east and west, north and south.' Just as I have heard the same individual, in the same place and spirit, and on the same subject, twenty years ago, proclaim as in the name of the Lord, concerning such as reasoned and inquired for themselves in our Religious Society, I will scatter, scatter, scatter!" Scattering there has been, since, to be sure, and many have gone, by entire families, to other denominations; not the more reluctantly, we may believe, for the denunciations to which, in place of exhortation and counsel in 'Christian love' they have been subject, under ministers of the stamp now before us. Now let us interpose an observation or two on the doctrine. In the Greek it is the animal' man, not the reasonable,' that is pronounced unapt for receiving the things of the kingdom of God: which are spiritually, that is, by the use of an enlightened and well disposed understanding,* to be discerned.' Let no one tell me the censure does not apply, because the preacher knew not the original. To say nothing of plain comments, which those who take upon them this dictation ex cathedrâ, to so large a body and of the other sex, ought surely to read, the Holy Spirit (had she been indeed under Divine guidance) would have preserved her from rating as mere sensualists, and in the wisdom from beneath, a body of solid Friends, in no respect inferior to those by whom she might consider herself as then supported. The meaning of this text (1 Cor. ii. 14,) is quite departed from, and its use perverted, in the declamatory sermons so frequent among us of late time, tending to decry 'human reason,' and the thinking and inquiring for ourselves on matters that involve our Eternal peace. What was said about building on the sandy foundation involves another gross mistake. The 'sand' in the parable (Matt. vii. 24-27) plainly denotes TRADITION, that miserable site of all sorts of mystical Babelbuilding; the great heap of doctrines and observances, that come loose down the stream of time in the churches-separate from, but often covering from observation, the rock on which the believer may safely build-the word and power of God, in the Gospel of our Lord. Did the Friend mean to assert, or was she aware that she appeared to assert, that the sandy foundation is Holy Scripture, carefully studied and clearly understood? I hope not: but with how many things that look very like the sand, both in doctrine and practice, our profession is yet encumbered, let the wise in heart judge! Not a ray of tenderness of spirit, or humility of heart, could be discerned to pervade the gloom of this vehement tirade. I sincerely pity the mistaken, though zealous and (I am even willing to allow) in the main wellmeaning preacher and I pitied the elders, who seemed to those near to sit in dismay under it, exercising what patience they could, to the end. 'Ichabod name the child,' the poor church might have said when the end at length came, for the glory is departed from Israel!' The Meeting * See Luke, xxiv. 45. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. was left in any thing but a desirable frame, and the Clerk resumed the business (not without a rebuke or two from notorious myɛtics) by that time the deputation had cleared the doors. But not so ended the interference of the other bouse. For scarcely had we assembled for business on the Second-day forenoon, five days afterwards, when a second notice came of an intended second visit of the kind. To the question, whether the present was a suitable time, I now ventured to rise in demur of proceeding. For I remembered we were to have presently before us, for consideration, an important document on the subject of the Scriptures from one of our Quarterly Meetings; and that we had need to be guarded against prepossession in the case. I stated so much; and reminded the Meeting of the usual tone of these communications, and of the manifest purpose of undue influence to which they tended: moreover that they must be considered as coming authorized by a body of very mixed composition: but my remonstrance had no place with the Table, and it was ruled at once that the deputation should come in. The Friend who rose first began with the text, But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.' Gal. v. 15. Plain proof of surmise of misconduct in our debates—which had not, however, occurred. At this moment the preacher was interrupted by another of the deputation, and something appeared to be said to her: she proceeded, 'I am not come to sit among you in the seat of judgment:' and some thought there was much of meekness and charity in the short speech that followed; which I own I had noted as delivered in judgment, like the rest. The other minister, an experienced leader in our differences, began with an accusing prayer, (one of the most trying occasions that can occur in the hearing of ministry among us ;) and then delivered a set speech, in like manner as before criminating the minority in the Meeting; and imputing MOTIVES, which duly considered might have been a just occasion to the elders, of confronting her with the Friends (well known both to them and her) who were smitten at, to explain what she meant. The whole was plainly a second attempt to prejudge a cause of vital importance to the body, likely soon to come before us; a proceeding which, in both instances, looked very like bringing among us, (not the word of God with power, but) the result of their own divinations. Yet a third time, however, was our patience to be put to the test. At the close of the sittings on the 25th, we had a note, announcing a visit from two women-friends, to take place next morning: here was time for the concern to be well weighed. And when we met at the time, endeavours were used to obtain a more favourable solemnity' than had before prevailed during these visits. But this object was frustrated, by the Clerk's raising up again the question about members taking notes of the proceedings; which consumed no little time in debate. The Women Friends under concern' at length came in : and knowing one of these to be, again, a leader in our differences, and involved in the 'Beacon' question in her own Quarterly Meeting, I doubted whether it might not have been better for her to leave the gift before the altar, for the pre- Thus, by the force of a prescription of some forty years' standing, was Friends are subjected (as was stated to the Meeting) to considerable Suppose we were, as a present remedy, to agree to behave in the Yearly |