meate a fur hater, as axei by the eng much a frend tout card with as mir shutting ap with a fe fistuction leven te bereit of In the large Committee, after this, much of the time was spent (shall I In the Printed Yearly Epistle considered as resulting from this inquiry, Scripture, as a standard from which there is no appeal for the Christian in matters of doctrine and conduct. This declaration, somewhat more explicit than various former ones made in our behalf, (and very seasonably renewed) is due to the introduction of a Proposition from the Quarterly Meeting of Westmoreland, on the subject: and that again, to the Beacon controversy.' The proposition was as follows: A difference of opinion having arisen in the Society as to the authority of Holy Scripture, in matters of faith and doctrine, this Meeting requests the Yearly Meeting to take the subject into its serious consideration, and clearly to define what are, in its estimation, the authority, place, and office of the Holy Scriptures, as the rule of faith and practice.' On this proposition, and connected with it, we had an abundance of pretty free discussion: in the whole of which an evident disposition appeared in many, to uphold 'the doctors and fathers of our Church' against the Bible itself. This is not greatly to be wondered at, in a people who are so often told by their preachers that they are not to reason, but_to obey; to wit, the monitions, discoveries, and leadings of the Spirit. But how does this implicit faith in spiritual presentations and movings consist with the advice of that experienced elder, the apostle John. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God. Because [here the apostle reasons, because] many false prophets [who know how to cast a spiritual influence on your minds but know not the Holy Ghost himself] are gone out into the world:' thus the apostle, on whose bosom Jesus lay at table, treats the matter of his Divine Master's counsel. He would have them try even that which might purport to be from the COMFORTER, (the paraclete, a term of most comprehensive import) himself. And how were they to try subjects offered in the spirit but by the light in them, their previously acquired knowledge of the things of God? This is just the advice again of George Fox, Friends, bring all to the Light of Christ in you-eye the Light, and mind its discoveries to your souls.' It matters not to say that all is still the gift of God, through Jesus Christ; and therefore not acquired knowledge. If we read not, when the book of his discipline is opened to us-if we trade not with his talents, nor put forth even the one (our memorial faculty, it may be,) to interest-how shall we grow rich in heavenly learning? This persua sion, that we are ever to be sitting still and waiting for influences, cometh not of him that calleth us: it is, when carried past the point of a due subjection of the will to God's law, and an examination of our own thoughts for our religious profit, an exercise very subject to the subtle workings of the enemy, transformed into an angel of light. Let us then, while we preserve and use, and duly prize the history and lives of our valiant and worthy predecessors, leave the few crude notions they were led as fallible men to superadd to the Truth, and betake ourselves for instruction, at once and with all diligence, to the written word of God! 6 I commander no or space L. necher came it into * 3 rom stess quotations it does not appear that there is any improperit using the word mind, in reference to the Low-Cars-or W the Spices but there is a support in Sempre for such an expression the Mind of Tria-The improprie cos I using the word Truth as a persona appellation or name, tile or designation of Christ. He said indeed, 'I at the way, the trinity and the lie: but who uses the Way at a name: and why then the Truth-or if one be used, why not the other? “Ga. 1 5. That the truth of the Gospel might contine with you. * G&E 1. O bollah Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ bath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? “Galv. 7. Ye dié run well, who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth; and ver. 14, Bot when I saw that they walked not uprighty according to the truth of the Gospel, &c. others. "By a comparison of all these texts, the truth appears to signify nothing more than the doctrine of the gospel: but let us turn to some The next that occurs is John i. 17: But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ This example surely confirms the view advanced above. The next is John v. 33; John-be bare witness unto the truth. Is there any thing in this text, which can be supposed to justify the application of Truth, as a name, to our Saviour? I think not. Nor yet in the following, John, viii. 32. Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Again, John, xvi. 13. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth. Lastly, John, xviii. 37, where Jesus says, 'For this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth; every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.' This seems to decide the question. So also, when the apostles so often speak of the truth, they seem to me to mean the same thing as when they more explicitly call it (as in 2 Cor. xi. 10.) the truth of Christ: or as in Gal. ii. 5 and 14, the truth of the Gospel-viz. the Gospel itself. "But to return to the words of our Saviour, the truth shall make you free;' if this should appear to give a sort of personality to the truth, yet the same might be advanced in favour of the law of the Spirit of life!' since Paul in that passage in Romans asserts that it had made him free."R. H. 11th mo. 1827." I shall now continue these observations on a phrase, by the use of which our members have been prevailed upon at times to attribute more to 'the sense of the Meeting' than can be proved, on sound principles, to belong to it. Were we to count out the house,' and ascertain a majority by numbers, we should be thought to reduce our business to the ordinary secular standard. We We are, yet, above doing this: our members retain still a belief in a superior influence on the mind, by the help of which we may be conducted to a right decision; though it should happen to be settled by mere deference to the will of those we revere and love. I remember the time when (after, it may be, thirty years' attendance,) I could not have said that I had witnessed a conclusion of the Yearly Meeting, manifestly warped by personal feelings, by considerations of interest or party. There may be of our younger members in the like condition, still such as are unable to discern spirits-such as are full of faith in 'the leadings of Truth,' (as a sensible influence on the mind,) and desirous, above all things, to be edified and comforted by what they hear. To these a close controversy (a thorough searching out of the cause we understood not, Job, xxix. 16,) may often present a stumbling-block, in place of that attractive sweetness and such need not be called to witness doubtful disputations, That there has crept into the Society, of later time, a separate interest, of a certain class of Friends ruling as ministers and elders, is manifest. And, what is more to be lamented, this house' is now in measure 'divided against itself:' so that we are in danger to have, in a figure, Pau and Apollos, and Cephas, with their separate adherents and friends, who would fain put them in competition with each other; nay, with the MASTER himself. And the means by which, chiefly, this sort of work is carried on, is personal influence: the reputation of knowing on every difficult question the mind of Truth!" To this, as considered to be disclosed through them, are others expected to yield up their judgments; all evidence of Scripture and right reason to the contrary notwithstanding. Thus is a meeting silenced, and the question settled for it, by a portion, and that often questionable whether the best informed, of those assembled ; to the injury (by its being unrighteously kept down. Rom. i. 18.) of the Truth itself. Scripture may be very fitly appealed to, here, to show how they proceeded in such cases in old time. If we look into the fifteenth of the Acts, we shall find, 1. the Church with the Apostles and Elders, assembled to receive' Paul and Barnabas and certain others' from the country; come to get a point settled at Jerusalem, about which there had been no small dissention and disputation among themselves.' It may or may not have been, that both sides of the question were represented in that deputation: but it appears the Pharisaical view of it found, at once, its advocates there. For there rose up certain' who would have had the Gentile con more, now, of our testimony in Christ's behalf) let us shew them, by appearing with unblushing simplicity and boldness, as willing martyrs, should our God call us to it, in this noble cause. No other terms should we submit to, now no other covenant or agreement make, than that of Christ himself respecting the things of his kingdom, FREELY YE HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE! I have elsewhere stated truly my accordance, as to those who really teach and preach his doctrine, with the principle that the Labourer is worthy of his hire :—and every man, of a decent maintenance, who gives up his time to so important a public duty. I love my country, and desire to lay my bones in English dust: but I see plainly that, what law may fail in, force temporal and fraud spiritual may yet be tried to accomplish; to the breeding of confusion and distress indescribable, in society here. To those, who bring thus another gospel than the free glad message of my Lord and Saviour, I have now to say in conclusion, ME you may wear out and silence, by means and methods not to be detected by observation, or proved by evidence, or punished by the just laws of the land: :-my children may have to seek elsewhere a place wherein to worship God, and serve Him and mankind, and cultivate the unity of brethren, leaving the State-priest to the short-lived enjoyment of his usurpation. Nos patrios fines [dicant] et dulcia linquimus arva. You have prevailed against us (they may say) to your own destruction: we leave you to your fate, and to our lost country the blessings and benefits she may now reap from a State Ecclesiastical establishment!' ED. ART. II. Remarks on the conduct and proceedings of the Yearly Meeting of 1836. The spirit of inquiry and reform, which has travelled far and wide in all directions, has at length found its way into Friends' YEARLY MEETING; the proceedings of which, and the conduct of the speakers in it, have been of late years reported in print, and remarked upon with like freedom as those of the representatives of the people in parliament; or of the people themselves, assembled for a religious or benevolent object. It is desirable for our own sakes, and it may be expedient likewise for the sake of the great cause we advocate as a Society, that our young people should be furnished with correct views of the nature and tendency of our debates that they should neither be forbidden by their elders to criticise, out of doors, what passes in the great Folkmote of the Society, (for it has ceased to be strictly a Representative body,) nor be left to gather all they want from the columns of a newspaper; in which it stands reported |