material from the ,google ,books        
project47                               
,transcriber's ,note3  ,this version of 
the text cannot represent certain       
typographical effects4 ,italics are     
delimited with the '' character as      
italic4  ,footnotes have been moved to  
follow the paragraphs in which they are 
referenced4                             
,,observations ,,on ,,the ,,sermons ,,of
 ,,elias ,,hicks                        
,,in                          ,,several 
,,letters ,,to ,,him2                   
,,with                         ,,some   
,,introductory ,,remarks1               
,,addressed ,,to ,,the                  
,,junior ,,members                      
,,of ,,the                              
,,society ,,of ,,friends4               
,,by ,a ,,demi-,,quaker4                
,robert ,waln    ,to expect that we     
should be informed of the divine economy
 with the   same distinctness as of our 
own duty1 would be a piece of arrogance 
above ordinary4--,burgh4                

,dim1 as the borrowed beams of moon and 
stars               ,to lonely1 weary1  
wandering travellers1               ,is 
reason to the soul3 and as on high1     
,those rolling fires discover but the   
sky1               ,not light us here3  
so reason's glimmering ray              
,was lent1 not to assure our doubtful   
way1               ,but guide us upward 
to a better day4--,dryden4              
,,philadelphia #ahbf4                   
,,to ,,the ,,junior ,,members ,,of ,,the
 ,,society ,,of ,,friends4   ,the       
situation in which the ,society of      
,friends has of late been placed1 has1  
,i have no doubt1 attracted the         
attention of all its members2 and that  
even those among you who have not been  
in the habit of attending its meetings  
for discipline1 are no strangers to     
their proceedings1 although you have not
 yet felt it your duty to take any part 
in them4 ,and to you more especially ,i 
submit the observations contained in the
 following letters4  ,when in my early  

days ,i sometimes attended these        
meetings1 my mind was filled with       
admiration at the harmony and prudence  
with which their affairs were conducted1
 and that genuine christian forbearance1
 one with another1 which enabled them to
 triumph over all the difficulties which
 are imposed by conflicting opinions1   
and generally to unite in the adoption  
of such measures as true wisdom         
dictated2 and it was gratifying to me to
 observe that it was1 to other sects1 a 
subject of wonder1 how any numerous     
association could conduct their business
 without the intervention of votes or   
other substitutes1 to ascertain the     
opinions of the majority of the         
assembly4  ,the form is1 ,i have no     
doubt1 yet preserved1 and the language  
of forbearance and humility retained by 
many who in their hearts entertain far  
different feelings2 and the proceedings 
have in several instances proved1 that  
the spirit which formerly pervaded these
 assemblies1 no longer prevails in some 

of them4  ,why this great change has    
taken place1 will no doubt be ascribed  
to different causes by the parties more 
immediately interested3 an impartial    
spectator may form conclusions different
 from many of them1 and may be permitted
 to ask1 whether the leading causes may 
not have been produced by some of that  
class1 to whom the great majority of the
 members of the society look for        
instruction4  ,the situation of a       
christian teacher is of awful           
responsibility1 and in the ,society of  
,friends peculiarly beset with dangers1 
not only because of the high claim on   
which their ministry is founded1 and    
which seems to require a degree of      
unremitting watchfulness with which it  
is difficult for man to comply2 but     
also1 because it requires a constant    
attention to keeping the mind in that   
state of lowliness and humility1 which  
can alone preserve them from mistaking  
the wanderings of the imagination for a 
call of duty2 and from those feelings   

which lead them to seek after the       
applause of men4 ,hence it must         
necessarily follow1 that but few among  
them are always preserved in such a     
state of mind1 as not to require the    
caution and advice of their friends3 and
 consequently1 that some portion of the 
society must be selected to watch over  
their conduct2 and as this is an office 
of the greatest importance to their well
 being1 the greatest care ought to be   
observed in the appointment4 ,the elders
 are the depositaries of this power1 so 
essential to the very existence of the  
society2 and as the most prudent and    
cautious use of it cannot always prevent
 the objects of their attention from    
feelings of resentment1 so it will      
naturally follow1 that those to whom the
 exercise of it is most necessary1 will 
always be the most zealous in abridging 
it4  ,this impatience of control is     
increased by a ranting spirit which     
seems of late to have infected a portion
 of the society1 and which1 in its      

consequences1 is always more injurious  
than infidelity itself2 and generally   
arises from a restlessness of           
disposition1 which not content with the 
measure of light which may have been    
imparted1 is always aspiring after      
greater things4 ,it arises from a desire
 after distinction2 and as this         
disposition must prevent a growth in    
genuine religion1 the delusions of      
self-love easily enable a man to        
substitute his own imaginations for     
revelations2 and as every passion is    
strengthened by indulgence1 he proceeds 
from one step to another1 until he      
fancies himself under the constant and  
peculiar guidance of the spirit1 not    
only in his religious duties1 but in all
 the temporal concerns of life4 ,it     
naturally follows1 that when he has     
persuaded himself that he is thus gifted
 and endowed1 he will feel himself above
 the advice of men1 and regard all      
regulations which may have a tendency to
 restrain his wanderings1 as obstructing

 him in his duties1 and it will be one  
of his favourite objects to relieve     
himself from all control4 ,how          
individuals actuated by such passions   
can subject the minds of others to their
 illusions1 would indeed be wonderful1  
did not history furnish sufficient proof
 that it is difficult to calculate too  
largely on the credulity of a portion of
 mankind4  ,whenever this disposition of
 mind is discovered1 especially in any  
part of the ministry1 every reflecting  
member of society must perceive the     
necessity of adopting means to prevent  
the injurious consequences of it2 and as
 that duty more especially devolves on  
the elders1 7who are1 and always have   
been1 the true and efficient support of 
the society17 they soon become objects  
of dislike to the sublimated spirits    
opposed to them1 and the diminution of  
their power and authority1 the first and
 favourite scheme4  ,that they will not 
succeed1 ,i am fully persuaded2 because 
,i think it must be evident to every    

unclouded mind1 that without such       
salutary interference as they often find
 it necessary to exercise1 all order and
 propriety would be banished from the   
society4  ,cunning is not more          
inconsistent with fanaticism1 than it is
 with lunacy2 for however perverted the 
mind may be in relation to particular   
subjects1 we often see individuals in   
both situations1 adopting the most      
plausible means for the accomplishment  
of the most irrational objects4 ,it is  
not therefore to be expected that any   
attempts will be made totally to abolish
 the eldership3 such a proposal would   
hardly be successful2 but if means are  
found to render that body less          
independent1 and to diminish the weight 
and authority which they have long and  
deservedly possessed1 it may subserve   
the cause1 and lead to ultimate success 
in their projects3 and here1 if any     
where1 the danger seems to be4#a        
,footnote #a3    ,since writing the     
above1 ,i have been informed that this  

attempt has   actually been made in the 
yearly meetings in ,philadelphia and    
,new   ,york1 under the pretext of a    
necessity of subjecting all important   
appointments to change at stated        
periods4 ,no measure could be devised   
more injurious to the society1 and every
 friend to its welfare must   rejoice   
that it was rejected4 ,i know there are 
many very pious   labourers in the      
ministry of this people1 yet ,i think it
 must be   evident to every observing   
mind1 that there never was a period     
since   the existence of the society1 in
 which there was greater necessity of   
unremitting watchfulness on the part of 
the elders2 and that so far   from its  
being expedient to diminish their       
control1 it ought1 if   possible1 to be 
rendered more efficient4 ,there is a    
spirit now abroad1   which if not       
checked1 will devastate this society4   
,who would be the   principal agents is 
not for me to say2 but one thing is     
certain1 that   if there is any         

disposition on the part of its ministers
 to relieve   themselves from this      
control1 it is sufficient evidence of   
the   necessity of it4 ,such a          
disposition must proceed from a mind not
   imbued with true christian humility1 
but presumptuously confident in         
itself4 ,it is spiritual pride1 than    
which nothing is more injurious   and   
odious in a christian professor4  ,it is
 with this disposition that such        
extraordinary solicitude has been       
manifested1 to induce the youth of the  
society and others of its members1 who  
had before silently attended to its     
proceedings1 to take part in its        
deliberations1 and to flatter them into 
a belief that they are qualified to     
administer to its affairs and direct its
 proceedings2 instead of recommending an
 endeavour to discipline the mind to the
 weighty business of the society1 and   
cautioning them against indulging a     
spirit of judging without a serious and 
solemn consideration of the subject2 and

 against interrupting the business by   
their councils1 unless it is under a    
solemn impression of duty4  ,the effect 
has been such as might be expected1 and 
was probably intended4 ,individuals who 
had before taken no part in the         
deliberations of the society1 and who1  
7however respectable in life17 had never
 evinced that disposition of mind which 
had before been thought a necessary     
qualification of an active member1 are  
now among the most busy2 and some of the
 younger portion of the society         
forgetting that modesty is the most     
becoming ornament of youth1 are found   
opposing their unripe notions with      
unhesitating pertinacity1 to the wisdom 
and experience of age4  ,under these    
circumstances is it not proper for you  
to consider whether you have not a part 
to act8 ,when you look back to the      
history of your society and consider its
 admirable organization2 and when you   
reflect on the respectable standing1 to 
which the unostentatious propriety by   

which all its transactions have been    
governed1 has raised it2 you must be    
impressed with an honest zeal for its   
welfare2 and that reverence which every 
ingenuous mind feels for the            
institutions and practices of their     
ancestors1 strengthened as it is in this
 case by the best of all tests1 a long  
experience1 must induce you to oppose   
the innovations of the restless         
agitators of the present day3 and your  
good sense will1 ,i trust1 enable you to
 distinguish between true religion and  
fanaticism1 and not permit you to lose  
your reverence for the one1 in          
contemplating the wild deformity of the 
other4  ,and perhaps you may be induced 
to believe that your attendance at the  
meetings for discipline1 may not be     
without its use2 that your presence may 
give additional strength and            
encouragement to the long tried standard
 bearers1 and though you may not feel   
yourselves called upon to take a very   
active part in their deliberations1 your

 example may be of use to some of those 
froward spirits1 who1 whatever may be   
their exterior appearance1 are less     
qualified for the important business    
than many of yourselves4  ,i know there 
are individuals in every stage of life1 
who judge of preaching as others do of  
music1 by the concord of sweet sounds2  
and who are convinced more by the       
harmony of a well turned sentence1 than 
by the sentiment it is intended to      
convey2 whose religion is founded on    
sensation rather than reflection1 and is
 an affair of feeling instead of a      
deliberate sense of duty4 ,to these ,i  
have nothing to say4 ,my endeavour has  
been to show the inconsistencies into   
which men are led1 by unfounded         
pretensions to a state of               
perfectability1#b and an acquaintance   
with the inscrutable workings of        
,providence1 7which all experience      
proves to be unattainable by man27 to   
show that such lofty aspirations are not
 in accordance with the genuine         

principles of the religion of ,jesus    
,christ2 and that it is by a submissive 
acquiescence in the measure of knowledge
 communicated1 and an anxious endeavour 
to fulfil the obligations it imposes1   
rather than by curious researches into  
hidden things1 that we best perform our 
duties here2 and as no intelligent mind 
among you can believe that the          
suggestions of infinite wisdom are ever 
contradictory1 it was part of my plan to
 show the inconsistencies in the        
doctrines of the great leader of the    
illuminati of your society4  ,footnote  
#b3    ,perfection1 in the sense in     
which it is understood by some people1  
frequently leads to great extravagance  
on religious subjects1 by   inducing men
 to believe that they have eradicated   
from their hearts   every propensity to 
evil1 and have arrived at a state of    
stainless   purity4 ,there is a great   
difference between the perfection of the
   ,creator and man4 ,the perfection of 
man consists in his possessing all      

that is requisite to attain the end of  
his creation2 and the proper   question 
for him to consider1 is not whether he  
has arrived at that   perfection which  
is the promised reward in another state 
of being1 but   whether he has by       
careful diligence and attention secured 
for himself   that reward4  ,if ,i have 
succeeded in this1 and to your          
deliberate examination ,i submit it1 my 
task is accomplished2 for if we are     
permitted to judge of the sermons as the
 arguments of a simple individual1 sure 
,i am1 there are none among you         
habituated to reflection1 who will not  
discover that they abound with          
inconsistencies1 and are totally        
irreconcileable with reason1 and the    
authority of the ,scriptures4 ,and you  
must unite with me in lamenting the     
strange illusion which induced the      
author of such discourses to declare    
that he dare not speak at random1       
otherwise he should show that he        
departed from ,god's illuminating       

spirit4                                 
,,letter ,i4   ,when ,i some time since 
addressed you1 ,i expressed an anxious  
wish that you would submit to the       
consideration of your friends1 your     
scheme of religion1 in such a form as   
would enable them to examine it with    
deliberation2 because ,i did believe    
that on this momentous subject1 too much
 care could not be exercised4 ,my wish  
has been gratified1 not by your         
immediate agency1 but by the zeal of    
your followers1 who have caused a number
 of your discourses to be printed and   
published to the world4  ,when ,i sat   
down to read them1 ,i did not expect to 
find a regularly concocted system1      
because ,i did not believe you had a    
mind capable of very extensive          
combination2 but ,i did imagine you had 
given to your plan some semblance of    
consistency1 and that if there was no   
adhesion1 there would be no striking    
incongruity in its parts4 ,in this ,i   
have been disappointed2 for in it1      

nothing can be discovered but disjointed
 effusions1 and attempts to give to     
different passages of ,scripture novel  
constructions2 to amuse the fancy1 and  
engage the mind in useless enquiries    
after hidden things2 to withdraw it from
 its proper business2 to entangle it in 
the web which the vanity and            
restlessness of man has woven2 and to   
substitute for that pure and simple     
worship which consists in prostration of
 spirit before the throne of grace1 a   
grateful acknowledgment of his goodness1
 and humble thankfulness for the measure
 of light received2 lofty speculations  
on subjects more curious than           
beneficial2 which can have no tendency  
to mend the heart1 and which often lead 
into unprofitable controversies and     
perplexity of mind2 for it will ever    
remain a truth that the judgments of the
 ,lord are unsearchable and his ways    
past finding out4  ,the christian       
religion is of so much importance1 and  
has so long engaged the attention of    

men2 it has occasioned so much research 
and so many controversies2 so many      
sermons have been preached1 and so many 
books written1 upon every part of it1   
that nothing new can be said upon the   
subject3 yet such is the nature of man1 
that he is always requiring some novelty
 to rouse his attention and amuse his   
mind4 ,this may perhaps furnish some    
apology for the preacher of a sect whose
 form of worship requires sermons at    
stated times1 if he sometimes indulges  
in metaphorical allusion1 or contrives  
to expand his discourse by ingenious    
digression4 ,with the genuine quaker    
this plea must be unavailing3 impressed 
with the sublime idea that it is by     
silence and abstraction from all outward
 things1 that the mind is best fitted   
for true and acceptable worship1 it must
 follow1 that when a minister imbued    
with this spirit feels himself called   
upon to offer advice or instruction1 he 
will be careful not to multiply words   
without knowledge1 by which counsel is  

darkened4 ,but prolixity is the vice of 
oratory2 it infects the pulpit1 the     
senate1 and the bar4 ,there is something
 so gratifying to the pride and vanity  
of man in the display of this talent1 or
 so fascinating is the music of his own 
voice1 that it is almost always carried 
to excess2 and we often see the orator  
pursuing his course with undiminished   
vigour1 long after his exhausted        
auditors have withdrawn their attention 
from him4  ,you possess some of the     
qualities essential to the orator2 you  
are voluble of speech and impressive in 
your delivery1 and you have that        
confidence in the powers of your own    
mind1 which secures you from hesitation 
and embarrassment3 but you are deficient
 in others1 without which all is        
unavailing2 your perception is obscure1 
and your ratiocination singularly       
defective2 and you are peculiarly       
unfortunate in the belief that you excel
 in that faculty in which you are most  
deficient4 ,hence we find you plunging  

into the fathomless depths of           
metaphysics with fearless confidence2   
stating propositions and assuming       
inferences in direct opposition to them1
 and such is your fondness for          
amplification1 that even when the truth 
of your proposition is self-evident1 you
 contrive to involve it in obscurity by 
the redundancy of your expletives1 and  
the profusion of your attempts at       
illustration4 ,you contemn all human    
science1 for you are ignorant2 yet from 
the whole body of ministers of that     
society of which you are still a member1
 you cannot select an individual who    
makes such a lofty display of technical 
terms1 or more frequently endeavours to 
elucidate his observations by reference 
to it4 ,you believe in the doctrine of  
inspiration1 and you seem to claim the  
possession of it to a degree with which 
few are favoured3 you say it is an      
unerring director1 and plainly to be    
understood1 and yet declare that all its
 dictates must be governed by the       

fallible reason of man4  ,having given  
to reason this unlimited dictatorship1  
it was natural to expect that you would 
recommend the most assiduous cultivation
 of it2 but you have interdicted the    
only means by which it is improved1 and 
denounced by a curse those who are      
engaged in extending it4#c  ,footnote   
#c3    ,see discourses delivered in     
,philadelphia1 page #ec4 ,oh that men of
   science might be aware what a curse  
they are to the inhabitants of the      
earth2 what a great curse4 ,there is no 
novelty in this opinion1 for   we find a
 poet more than two hundred years ago   
making ,jack ,cade   exclaim1 thou hast 
most traitorously corrupted the youth of
 the   realm1 in erecting a grammar     
school3 and whereas before1 our         
forefathers had no other books but the  
score and tally1 thou hast   caused     
printing to be used2 and contrary to the
 king1 his crown and   dignity1 thou    
hast built a paper mill4 ,it will be    
proved to thy face1   that thou hast men

 about thee that usually talk of a noun 
and a verb1   and such abominable words 
as no christian can endure to hear4     
,all this confusion arises from your not
 having formed any precise idea of the  
terms you apply4 ,with the words reason 
and rational continually in your mouth1 
you have never enquired into the nature 
and operation of that distinguishing    
faculty of man1 nor of the manner in    
which alone it can be properly applied  
to the truths of our religion4 ,you     
appear to consider it as of physical    
organization2 an instinct of our nature 
which is perfected without care or      
cultivation1 and that like one of our   
natural senses1 it may be summoned to   
our aid without fear of error in its    
perceptions4 ,you cannot be ignorant of 
the great inferiority of the reasoning  
powers of man in his savage state1 and a
 little enquiry would have taught you1  
that observation and experience are the 
foundation of all knowledge1 and that as
 we can only reason from the ideas      

existing in our own minds1 it is by     
their increase alone that our reasoning 
faculty is extended4 ,hence it must     
follow1 that as it is the noblest gift  
of the ,almighty to man2 a germ which   
without cultivation can never flourish1 
it is our duty to promote its growth and
 expansion by every means in our power4 
,i am not insensible of the evils which 
have arisen from the presumption with   
which some learned men have endeavoured 
to destroy that religion which is the   
foundation of our hope2 but we ought to 
recollect that such is the perversity of
 man1 that if the abuse of the blessings
 of ,providence can be adduced as an    
argument against their enjoyment1 there 
are few indeed in which we can          
innocently indulge4 ,nor is ignorance   
any security against this presumption2  
on the contrary its decisions are always
 more bold and dogmatic2 and if they are
 less injurious1 it is only because they
 are more foolish4  ,that we could never
 have arrived at a knowledge of our     

spiritual duties1 or of many gospel     
truths by the deductions of human       
reason1 is evident2 were it otherwise1  
the revelations under the christian     
dispensation would have been            
unnecessary2 but we are not to infer    
from this1 that our reason is to be     
silent on this all important object2 for
 if it is the subject of our            
cogitations1 it is of course under the  
examination of our reasoning powers1 and
 hence arises the importance of         
endeavouring so to improve this talent1 
as to enable us to unravel the subtilty 
of the sophist1 and separate the gold1  
from the dross of the enthusiast4 ,were 
we all well instructed in the right use 
of our reason1 we should be able to     
distinguish between that which is above1
 and that which is contrary to it2 and  
we should confine it to its proper      
place1 which is1 not to judge of things 
revealed1 but of the reality of         
revelation4 ,to attempt to test the     
truth of the things revealed1 by our    

reason1 is inconsistent with it3 they   
are given to us in a supernatural way1  
which of itself1 discovers the          
impossibility of examining them by      
deductions from our own ideas2 but the  
reality of the revelations themselves1  
stands on very different ground4        
,admirable as is the instruction to be  
drawn from them1 the ,almighty in mercy 
to man1 did not leave them on their     
intrinsic merits alone2 they were       
accompanied by signs and wonders1 the   
evidence of the divine power by which   
they were sent4 ,the life of our blessed
 ,saviour1 his doctrines1 and the       
miracles which he wrought1 have been    
recorded in the ,scriptures1 and handed 
down for our instruction and government2
 and as no man can be a christian who   
does not believe in them1 ,i am fully   
persuaded that every candid and diligent
 enquirer1 will find sufficient evidence
 of their authenticity to satisfy his   
mind2 and that being satisfied1 his     
faith in the things revealed will be    

established4  ,now although ,i agree    
with you1 that the inspirations of man  
in our day1 are to be examined by the   
rule of right reason1 ,i fear we shall  
not concur in our manner of conducting  
the enquiry4 ,we have no extraordinary  
signs accompanying them1 and we all     
know1 how easy it is to mistake the     
suggestions of the imagination for the  
operations of the spirit of truth on the
 mind2 and the strange visions which    
enthusiasm often produces1 and as it is 
sometimes difficult to discover the     
source from which they spring1 it is a  
satisfaction to know that we have a     
standard by which error itself may be   
rendered innoxious4  ,i am far 7says    
,locke17 from denying that ,god can1 or 
doth sometimes1 enlighten men's minds in
 the apprehending of certain truths1 or 
excite them to good actions1 by the     
immediate influence and assistance of   
the ,holy ,spirit1 without any          
extraordinary signs accompanying it4    
,but in such cases we have reason and   

,scripture1 unerring rules1 to know     
whether it be from ,god or no4 ,where   
the truth embraced is consonant to the  
revelation in the written word of ,god1 
or the action conformable to the        
dictates of right reason1 or ,holy      
,writ1 we may be assured that we run no 
risk in entertaining it as such2        
because1 though it be not an immediate  
revelation from ,god1 extraordinarily   
operating on our minds1 yet we are sure 
it is warranted by that revelation which
 he has given us of truth4 ,but it is   
not the strength of our private         
persuasion within ourselves1 that can   
warrant it to be a light or motion from 
,heaven2 nothing can do that but the    
written word of ,god without us1 or that
 standard of reason which is common to  
us with all men4 ,where reason or       
,scripture is express for any opinion or
 action1 we may receive it as of divine 
authority2 but it is not the strength of
 our own persuasions which can by itself
 give it that stamp4 ,the bent of our   

own minds may favour it as much as we   
please2 that may show it a fondling of  
our own1 but will by no means prove it  
to be an offspring of ,heaven1 and of   
divine original4  ,here is a great      
coincidence between the opinions of the 
christian philosopher and the quaker    
apologist2 and although they refer to   
right reason as well as the ,scriptures1
 as our guide1 they meant not to use    
them in contradistinction to each other4
 ,when we refer to either of two rules  
to solve a proposition1 it is because   
both will produce the same result2 and  
they introduced the word reason1 as     
applicable only to those opinions and   
actions1 respecting which1 the          
,scriptures are silent4  ,if1 says the  
philosopher1 the doctrine is consonant  
to reason or ,scripture1 it may be      
received without risk1 although it may  
not proceed from an immediate revelation
 of ,god4 ,divine revelation1 says the  
apologist1 can never contradict the     
outward testimony of the ,scriptures or 

right reason2 and whatever any do1      
pretending to the spirit1 which is      
contrary to the ,scriptures1 must be    
accounted and reckoned a delusion of the
 devil4  ,by this test no genuine quaker
 can object to being tried1#d for he    
preaches no new gospel1 but that which  
is confirmed by all the miracles of     
,christ and his apostles2 and he offers 
nothing but that which he is able and   
ready to confirm by the authority of the
 ,scriptures1 which all protestants     
acknowledge to be true4 ,it is indeed   
the only criterion by which we can judge
 of the faith of man1 and by that       
criterion1 how few of your sermons would
 escape condemnation4  ,footnote #d3    
,barclay4                               
,,letter ,,ii4   ,it may now be proper  
to state the motives which have again   
induced me publicly to address you1 and 
to inform you what course it is my      
intention to pursue2 and as ,i have no  
standing in the church1 and am aloof    
from those scenes which must sometimes  

give rise to asperities1 even in the    
bosom of meekness1 have no personal     
acquaintance with you1 and have been    
taught to respect your private          
character1 ,i enter upon the subject1   
uninfluenced by many of the passions and
 prejudices which sway and control the  
opinions of man4 ,but although not in   
membership1 ,i feel a deep interest in  
the ,society of ,friends1 and while ,i  
am without that sectarian spirit1 which 
in the narrow breasts of some           
individuals1 confines all true worship  
to a particular description of people1  
7and which ,i am happy in believing is  
no part of a quaker's faith27 long      
observation has convinced me1 that there
 is no society whose principles and     
discipline are more eminently successful
 in inculcating the moral doctrines of  
christianity1 and there is none whose   
religious tenets are more in conformity 
with my own ideas of true spiritual     
worship4  ,i have perused your religious
 discourses with some attention1 and as 

they appear to me to be in a style1     
seldom1 if ever before1 heard in the    
meetings of the ,society of ,friends2   
are abounding in terms which if not     
rightly understood may lead into great  
error1 and with propositions1 which1 in 
the conclusions that may be drawn from  
them1 may be destructive to religion1 ,i
 thought ,i should not be unprofitably  
employed in endeavouring to separate    
your principles from the mass of        
expletives and allusions1 in which they 
are enveloped2 to discover the true     
object which you have in view1 and to   
show the inconsistencies in which you   
have involved yourself by your attempts 
to define inscrutable things3 and if ,i 
should sometimes be thought to indulge  
in language unsuitable to the solemnity 
of the subject1 my only excuse can be1  
that when you occasionally favour your  
auditors with a display of your         
reasoning powers1 there is such a       
neglect of all order in your            
arrangement1 and such metaphorical      

confusion in your ideas1 that when you  
arrive at your usual conclusion1 now how
 plain this is1 the effect is so comic  
that it would extort a smile from       
gravity itself4  ,in the examination of 
the doctrines of every christian        
teacher1 the first and most essential   
point1 is their conformity to the       
,scriptures2 but as your many deviations
 from them have been shown with         
sufficient clearness in a pamphlet      
lately published1 ,i shall not enter    
into the subject generally1 although ,i 
may occasionally refer to them4 ,neither
 do ,i propose to enter upon an analysis
 of each particular discourse1 for they 
are mixed up of so many heterogeneous   
materials1 are so diversified in their  
objects1 and so devious in their        
courses1 that the end ,i have in view   
will perhaps be best answered1 by       
referring only to such topics1 as in    
their consequences1 are of most         
importance4  ,in the first discourse in 
the volume now before me1 which was     

delivered at ,friends' meeting house in 
,mulberry street1 your principal objects
 appear to be1 to depreciate the value  
of the ,scriptures1 and to disprove the 
account of the miraculous birth of our  
,saviour4 ,on the first subject it may  
hereafter be proper to make some        
observations2 to the latter ,i shall now
 give my attention4  ,after several     
allusions to the birth of our ,saviour1 
you come forward and explicitly state   
your own belief2 and unlike those who   
have preceded you in this path1 and who 
have endeavoured to destroy our faith in
 the miracle1 by arguments drawn from   
the ,scriptures1 you take a shorter     
road1 and declare it is impossible4     
,you say ,by the analogy of reason1     
spirit cannot beget a material body1    
because the thing begotten1 must be of  
the same nature with its father4 ,spirit
 cannot beget any thing but spirit1 it  
cannot beget flesh and blood4 ,no1 my   
friends1 it is impossible4#e  ,footnote 
#e3    ,see discourse delivered at      

,friends' meeting house1 in ,mulberry   
street1   page #aa4  ,i have in a former
 letter referred to this assertion1 and 
had you confirmed the opinion which ,i  
then intimated1 that it was a hasty     
expression1 and uttered without your    
perceiving its tendency1 ,i should not  
again allude to the subject4 ,but you   
found yourself seated between the horns 
of a dilemma4 ,if you admitted it was an
 inconsiderate expression1 you abandoned
 your high claim to inspiration2 and if 
you re-affirmed it1 in its obvious      
meaning1 it would be an adoption of     
principles which ,i sincerely hope you  
do not entertain2 and you have          
endeavoured to escape by an explanation 
which1 although it narrows the meaning1 
does not relieve it from the stain of   
impiety2 and is a proof1 7if any further
 proof is wanting17 that such a course  
cannot proceed from the inspirations of 
the spirit of truth4  ,you say1 that in 
denying the power of the spirit to      
beget1 you did not mean to question the 

power to create4 ,to limit is to destroy
 the omnipotency of the ,creator2 and   
when we see such a creature as man1     
presuming to scan ,his power and        
determine what ,he can1 or cannot do1   
the feelings which its profanity would  
otherwise occasion1 are lost in our     
astonishment at its arrogance and       
presumption4 ,but you have announced    
your opinion not only as sanctioned by  
divine inspiration1 but as being        
according to the true analogy of reason1
 and yet1 taken with your subsequent    
explanation1 it is enveloped in         
absurdity4 ,in admitting the power to   
create1 you have destroyed your own     
argument2 for you cannot suppose that   
there was an individual present in the  
meeting1 so grossly dull as to believe  
that when the prophecy was accomplished 
in the birth of our ,saviour1 it was by 
the means which your explanation points 
to2 or that it was other than a         
miraculous intervention of that merciful
 ,being1 who in his unlimited power and 

inscrutable wisdom1 has chosen his own  
way in directing us to a knowledge of   
those truths which the gospel unfolds4  
,and if we assent to your doctrine in   
the restricted sense in which you say   
you intended the word beget to be       
understood2 we must believe there are   
sexes in spirit1 and that it can only be
 produced by a corporeal union of       
incorporeal beings4  ,here is no proof  
of your ability to draw conclusions from
 the analogy of reason1 but it is a     
striking illustration of the wisdom of  
the counsel1 not to multiply words      
without knowledge4  ,a very keen and    
accurate observer of the foibles and    
infirmities of man remarks1 it would be 
well1 if people would not lay so much   
weight on their own reason in matters of
 religion1 as to think every thing      
impossible and absurd1 which they cannot
 conceive3 how often do we contradict   
the right rules of reason in the whole  
course of our lives8 ,reason itself is  
true and just1 but the reason of every  

particular man is weak and wavering1    
perpetually swayed and turned by his    
interests1 his passions1 and his        
vices4#f  ,footnote #f3    ,swift4  ,if1
 as ,i truly believe1 the christian     
religion is intended to subdue the      
wanderings of the imagination1 and bring
 the mind into a humble dependance on   
our ,creator1 it seems necessarily to   
follow1 that we ought to be anxiously   
careful to prevent its being drawn into 
a too great fondness for enquiries into 
unsearchable things4 ,in the course of  
my reading1 ,i have lately perused the  
prayer of a very learned man1#g which1  
for its rational and fervent piety1 must
 be instructive to all1 and in a        
particular manner to those who are our  
teachers4 ,it is the prayer of one whose
 writings will be read with instruction 
and delight as long as our language     
endures2 whose intellectual faculties   
were of the highest order1 and who was  
sufficiently sensible of his            
superiority1 when compared with most    

other men3 yet1 when in solitude and    
private worship1 he looked beyond all   
sublunary things1 and contemplated the  
immensurable distance between the wisdom
 of man and his ,creator1 with deep     
prostration of mind he prayed ,oh1      
,lord1 my maker and protector1 who hast 
graciously sent me into this world to   
work out my salvation1 enable me to     
drive from me all such unquiet and      
perplexing thoughts as may mislead or   
hinder me in the practice of those      
duties which thou hast required4 ,when  
,i behold the works of thy hands1 and   
consider the course of thy providence1  
give me grace always to remember that   
thy thoughts are not my thoughts1 nor   
thy ways my ways3 and while it shall    
please thee to continue me in this      
world1 where much is to be done1 and    
little to be known2 teach me by thy holy
 spirit1 to withdraw my mind from       
unprofitable and dangerous enquiries1   
from difficulties vainly curious1 and   
doubts impossible to be solved4 ,let me 

rejoice in the light which thou hast    
imparted1 let me serve thee with active 
zeal and humble confidence1 and wait    
with patient expectation for the time in
 which the soul which ,thou receivest1  
shall be satisfied with knowledge4      
,grant this1 ,o ,lord1 for ,jesus       
,christ's sake4  ,footnote #g3    ,dr4  
,johnson4  ,and that it is with minds   
thus disciplined1 that all ought to be  
prepared for prayer1 and that in this   
spirit alone1 can the preacher awaken   
the mind to true worship1 are truths    
which few professors of the christian   
name1 and none who believe in the       
doctrines of ,friends1 can doubt4       
,,letter ,,iii4   ,if1 in my succeeding 
observations1 ,i refer to the opinions  
held by any other sect than that in     
which ,i have been educated1 ,i wish it 
to be understood1 that it is neither to 
approve nor censure4 ,believing1 7as ,i 
sincerely do17 that christianity        
consists not in forms or observances2   
neither in subscriptions to curiously   

contrived creeds1 nor in confessions of 
faith2 but in that worship which        
purifies and cleanseth the heart2 so ,i 
believe that he who ministers to a      
congregation in this spirit1 7whatever  
may be his name among men17 ministers   
profitably2 and that both he that       
soweth1 and he that reapeth1 may rejoice
 together4  ,in reading your sermons1 it
 evidently appears that you have imbibed
 the notions of a sect1 who attribute   
much more to reason1 than any other     
christian society1 and you have asserted
 that you are unable to believe any     
thing which you cannot bring down to the
 level of your own understanding2#h yet 
you believe in direct revelation1 and   
with singular inconsistency assert that 
all your discourses are from its        
immediate dictates1 and without the     
intervention of any other cause2 thus   
calling upon your auditors to assent to 
that which you assert to be impossible2 
for by no process of human reason can   
the reality of your revelations be      

tested1 and if they are assented to1 it 
must be by faith alone4  ,footnote #h3  
,see ,letter to ,dr4 ,atlee4 ,i admit   
that ,i did assert and have long done   
it1 that we cannot believe what we do   
not understand4 ,this assertion   is in 
curious contrast to some others which he
 has made4 ,in a   discourse before     
alluded to1 he has declared the         
miraculous birth of   our ,saviour to be
 impossible2 and in his letter to       
,thomas ,willis1 he   says1 that after  
believing in the miracle for many years1
 he has read   the ancient ,history of  
the ,church and the ,evangelists with a 
view to   this subject1 and that        
according to his best judgment1 ,jesus  
,christ is   the son of ,joseph2 yet he 
declares in the same letter1 that he    
still   retains his original belief3    
thus proving that he has a mind capable 
of believing not only what he does not  
understand1 but also against   the      
convictions of his understanding4  ,i   
know that you have been hailed as an    

efficient fellow labourer in destroying 
our belief in some doctrines which are  
considered as fundamental by almost     
every christian sect1 and ,i am         
apprehensive that this applause has     
stimulated you to greater daring3 but   
you ought to recollect how much easier  
it is to destroy than to build up1 and  
you may be assured that when the work of
 destruction is accomplished1 your      
services will be at an end3 your        
coadjutors have too much understanding  
not to perceive1 that you have not      
sufficient knowledge to aid in erecting 
the building which is to be raised on   
the ruins1 and that you are without the 
skill necessary to give uniformity to   
its appearance1 or embellishment to its 
parts4 ,when the temple of reason is    
finished and dedicated1 you may be      
permitted to worship in its vestibule1  
but will never be called upon to        
administer the rites at its altar4  ,it 
seems1 however1 that you are not quite  
ignorant of the apparent inconsistency  

of these contradictory assertions1 and  
it is proper that your explanations     
should be fairly examined1 that we      
should endeavour to ascertain what you  
really mean by the word reason1 and how 
it is to be applied to your own         
inspirations3 in order to do this1 it   
will be necessary to quote your own     
words4  ,in a discourse delivered in    
,new ,york1 you say1 ,now we learn as   
rational creatures1 that ,god spoke to  
the ,israelites not only as such1 but   
that he always addresses us as rational 
creatures4 ,were we not rational        
creatures we could not understand2 for  
nothing is a recipient for the spirit of
 ,god but the rational soul1 and        
therefore we are always to understand   
him rationally2 for this is according to
 the nature of things4  ,in this remark1
 the only novelty is1 the confusion in  
which your ideas are involved2 for ,i   
cannot believe there were any of your   
audience so ignorant as not to know that
 it is according to the nature of       

things1 that as we were created rational
 creatures1 we should be addressed as   
such2 and that if we were without       
understanding1 we could not understand4 
,again you say1 as reason is a dormant  
principle without revelation1 so when   
,god is pleased to reveal things unto   
the immortal souls of the children of   
men1 they are then seen rationally3 and 
then reason has an opportunity to       
exercise its balancing and comparing    
principle in man1 and therefore there is
 a two-fold revelation to man4  ,you    
surely cannot intend to persuade us1    
that reason has always been dormant     
without revelation1 or you must yourself
 be ignorant1 or believe that we are    
ignorant1 of the writings handed down to
 us1 and which sufficiently attest the  
powers of the human mind1 even when     
unilluminated by the revelations of the 
,gospel1 and in the darkest ages of     
,paganism4 ,and if1 as ,i suppose1 you  
meant to limit this dormant principle1  
7as you call it17 to the revelations of 

the spirit1 you involve it in absurdity4
 ,we will now examine your propositions1
 and endeavour to discover the          
deductions to be drawn from them4 ,you  
say that reason is a dormant principle  
without revelation3--when any thing is  
revealed by ,god1 it is seen            
rationally2--that then reason is to     
exercise its balancing and comparing    
principle1 and the result is1 that there
 is a two-fold revelation in man4  ,we  
have heretofore been taught to believe1 
that the only way in which we can arrive
 at a knowledge of the truth of any     
thing by our reason1 is by the          
deductions drawn from the ideas which   
have been impressed on our minds by the 
use of our natural faculties2 and that  
revelation is a special communication1  
in a manner independent of these        
faculties4 ,but admitting that all the  
theologians and metaphysicians who have 
preceded you1 have been in error1 and   
that you alone are acquainted with the  
nature and operation of the faculty of  

reason1 in what does it result8 ,why1   
when the ,almighty reveals any thing to 
our souls1 ,he1 by another revelation1  
enables us to examine and discover      
whether the first revelation is right2  
but you have not told us1 by which we   
are to be governed1 if they differ4 ,if 
you say they always accord1 then a      
two-fold revelation is superfluous1 and 
you admit that our ,creator never deals 
superfluously with us2#i and if they    
should disagree1 how are we to decide8  
,your great and leading maxim1 that for 
which a thing is such1 the thing itself 
is more such1 will not apply1 for both  
revelations are immediate and from the  
same source2 and it will be necessary   
for the numerous#aj converts which your 
maxim has made1 again to apply to you to
 solve the difficulty4 ,can folly itself
 believe that the truth of any thing    
revealed to our immortal souls by       
infinite wisdom1 requires confirmation2 
or that if it does1 that confirmation   
can be found in the authority from which

 it was first derived8 ,and is it not   
extraordinary1 that any individual can  
go on day after day1 and year after     
year1 professing to explain to us the   
nature and object of revelation1 and the
 use of our reason when applied to it2  
and yet not know1 that divine revelation
 must be immutably true1 and that as it 
is communicated in a way wholly         
unconnected with our reason1 all        
reasoning upon it is vain4 ,whether the 
revelation is from a divine source is   
another question1 and one which our     
reason may sometimes enable us to       
resolve4  ,footnote #i3    ,see sermon  
preached in ,philadelphia1 page #h4     
,footnote #aj3    ,see letter to ,dr4   
,atlee4  ,in the discourse you delivered
 at ,newtown in ,bucks ,county1 you     
enter more largely on this subject2 and 
as it seems to comprise all your notions
 in relation to reason1 as connected    
with our religion1 it is proper to      
examine it with particular attention4   
,you say1 ,right reason is as much a    

gift of ,god1 as any gift that we can   
receive3 therefore1 nothing but the     
rational soul is a recipient for divine 
revelation2 and when the light shines   
upon it and shows any object1 reason    
brings it to the test4 ,if it is kept in
 right order1 and under the regulating  
influence of the divine law1 it brings  
things to balance1 and it is brought to 
know every thing which may rise up1     
although at first sight4 ,if it will not
 accord with right reason1 we must cast 
it off as the work of ,antichrist4 ,all 
that the ,almighty requires of us1 will 
always result in reality2 and we are not
 to believe any thing which does not so 
result4 ,here now we see how easy it is 
to go along1 if we pursue the right     
course2 but as free agents1 we can      
reason ourselves into the belief that   
wrong is right4#aa  ,footnote #aa3      
,see sermons1 page #bjg4  ,i have       
perused this passage with great         
attention1 and so far from discovering  
any thing to enable me to get easily    

along1 it appears to be wholly          
inexplicable4 ,i have examined it as a  
whole1 and in its different divisions1  
without being able to arrive at any     
result4 ,in this perplexity ,i          
recollected that ,i was1 in my youth1 in
 company with several ancient friends1  
when some discussion occurred respecting
 the true interpretation of a passage in
 a book which was the subject of        
conversation4 ,an individual present1   
with some flippancy observed1 that he   
had read it with great attention both   
backwards and forwards several times1   
and thought he was able to explain it2  
when he was interrupted by a venerable  
old man1 who with admirable gravity of  
countenance and simplicity of manner1   
said ,he wished the friend to inform the
 company1 in which way of reading1 he   
understood it best4 ,but here even this 
novel experiment must fail1 and had the 
ingenious expounder tried it on the     
passage ,i have quoted1 ,i fear he must 
have confessed it was equally           

unintelligible in either way2 and that1 
being contrary to all reason1 it must1  
if examined by the severity of your own 
rule1 be deemed the work of ,antichrist4
  ,if you had said that no revelation   
can be the suggestion of infinite       
wisdom1 if contrary to right reason1 it 
would have been intelligible and true3  
but if the divine light really discovers
 any thing to us1 we want no test to    
confirm it4 ,again you say1 that reason1
 if kept under the regulating influence 
of the divine law1 will know everything 
that rises up at first sight2 but that  
as free agents1 we can reason ourselves 
into a belief that wrong is right4 ,now 
what kind of reason can this be8 ,it    
does seem that reason is given to us    
because we are free agents1 and that it 
would be a very useless gift were it    
otherwise3 and we do know that this     
faculty is improved by observation and  
experience1 and that so far from its    
enabling us to know every thing at first
 sight1 it is by study and meditation   

that our knowledge is extended1 and that
 at last1 we know but little4 ,but the  
reason of which you speak1 is a reason  
that arrives at all knowledge without   
deduction1 and can act and determine    
with unerring certainty1 although       
contrary to that reason which is given  
to us as free agents4 ,it must follow1  
that the faculty which you call reason1 
is an instinct never before known to    
exist2 or that all this circumlocution  
ends in the production of one of those  
phantasms which are sometimes engendered
 by the imagination1 and which has      
persuaded you that two inspirations are 
necessary to confirm our belief1 that   
they are distinct in their nature1 and  
that one of them is right reason4  ,when
 the sensations occasioned by the       
sonorous voice in which the pompous     
terms analogy of reason1 rational souls1
 and recipients for truth are delivered1
 have passed away2 and we seriously     
meditate the manner in which they are   
applied2 low indeed must that man be in 

the scale of intellectual being1 who    
does not discover that all is but as    
sounding brass1 or a tinkling cymbal4   
,,letter ,,iv4   ,every reader of your  
discourses1 must be surprised at the    
extent to which you have carried the    
practice of allegorising the            
,scriptures3 you declare your assent to 
them1 and yet in practice1 you seem to  
consider each part as a fable from which
 you can draw a moral to suit the       
purpose of the moment2 and the belief   
which you profess in their divine       
origin1 does not restrain you from      
indulging in all the licentiousness of  
fiction4 ,sacred ,history1 7says an     
eminent writer17 has always been read   
with submissive reverence1 and an       
imagination over-awed and controlled4   
,we have been accustomed to acquiesce in
 the nakedness and simplicity of the    
authentic narrative1 and to repose on   
its veracity with such humble           
confidence1 as suppresses curiosity4 ,we
 go with the historian as he goes1 and  

stop with him when he stops4 ,all       
amplification is frivolous and vain2 all
 addition to that which is already      
sufficient for the purposes of religion1
 seems not only useless1 but is in some 
degree profane4 ,such events as were    
produced by the visible interposition of
 divine power1 are above the power of   
human genius to dignify4 ,the miracle of
 ,creation1 however it may teem with    
images1 is best described with little   
diffusion of language3 ,he spake the    
word and they were made4#ab  ,footnote  
#ab3    ,life of ,cowley4  ,that an     
argument may sometimes be illustrated by
 a moral drawn from the events recorded 
in ,scripture1 ,i do not deny2 but ,i   
think a pious mind must always indulge  
in the practice with great caution1 and 
be careful not to make an allegory of   
the fact itself4 ,nor do ,i think that  
the passage of ,scripture the letter    
killeth1 but the spirit giveth life#ac  
which you so often quote1 is at variance
 with this view of the subject1 or can  

furnish any argument in excuse for the  
spirit of mysticism by which you involve
 every part of them in obscurity4 ,it is
 true that this passage is in the       
figurative language generally used in   
the ,east1 but the meaning appears so   
plain1 that only those can mistake it1  
whose minds have been perverted by the  
habit of speculating in the airy regions
 of the imagination4 ,the ,new          
,testament is a code of moral law and   
spiritual instruction1 teaching man his 
duty to his neighbour1 and the true way 
in which he can render acceptable       
worship to ,god4 ,for the outward order 
of this worship1 and the government of  
religious society1 certain rules and    
ordinances must be necessary1 and were  
found to be so1 even in the days of the 
apostles2 but as under the old covenant 
many had been led to consider the       
outward observance of the law as their  
only duty1 and that if they paid their  
tithe of mint and anise and cummin1 they
 might omit the weightier matters of the

 law1 judgment1 mercy and faith2        
although both ought to have been        
observed2#ad so this exhortation is     
intended to caution the flock1 not      
against the observance of the rules of  
discipline which had been established1  
but that they might not sink down into  
the belief that such observance was all 
that was required2 and that they ought  
always to remember that ,god is a       
,spirit2 and they that worship him1 must
 worship him in spirit and in truth4    
,footnote #ac3    #b ,corinthians1 chap4
 #c4  ,footnote #ad3    ,matthew1       
,,xxiii4  ,now let us see the use you   
have made of this passage of ,scripture1
 and to how many purposes your inventive
 fancy has applied it4 ,in your         
discourse at the meeting house in       
,germantown1#ae you enter largely into  
this subject1 but as the passage is too 
long to be transcribed1 ,i shall        
endeavour to give the different         
inferences you draw from it4  ,footnote 
#ae3    ,see sermon at ,germantown1 page

 #ib4  ,first1 ,that from the letter of 
the ,scriptures1 every thing suitable to
 deceive the people can be taken4       
,secondly1 ,that as every thing we read 
in the ,scriptures must necessarily be  
received through our outward senses1    
they are only fit for the outward       
creature4  ,thirdly1 ,that it was the   
letter of the ,scriptures that led men  
to the apostacy4  ,fourthly1 ,that all  
that has ever been written1 is nothing  
but that which the wisdom of man has    
devised4  ,fifthly1 ,in your discourse  
at ,middletown#af1 you say1 ,it is but a
 shadow which may do for young          
beginners2 and may point them to the    
right thing4  ,footnote #af3            
,sermons1 page #bbf4  ,had the          
commentators who have preceded you1     
possessed such fertility of imagination1
 their works1 voluminous as they are1   
must have been multiplied to an extent  
which it is difficult to conceive4 ,yet 
after all1 you appear at some moments to
 have a view of the true use of         

,scripture1 and of the meaning of that  
passage which you have perverted to so  
many purposes1 although you conclude by 
one of those strange involutions of     
ideas with which your attempts at       
illustration so often abound4  ,you say1
 ,all letter written under the influence
 of ,god1 points us back to the place   
from whence it came1 and this is all2   
because as the letter never could be    
written without the spirit which stands 
above it1 the great first cause of all  
wisdom and knowledge2 therefore1 unless 
by the letter we are gathered to the    
spirit1 we cannot see the letter aright1
 for it is the effect2 and when we face 
the letter we turn our backs upon the   
cause1 just as a man turns his back upon
 the sun to see his own shadow4#ag      
,footnote #ag3    ,see sermons1 page    
#ajj4  ,here the sentiment is in itself 
correct1 although the conclusion        
attempted to be drawn by the puerile    
conceit with which the sentence ends1 is
 in direct opposition to it4 ,the needle

 points to the pole1 and the careful    
mariner does not turn his back upon it1 
but with a steady eye keeps it          
constantly in view as the guide by which
 alone he can be directed through the   
trackless ocean3 so the ,christian      
pilgrim1 with the gospel in his hand1   
endeavours to explore his way4 ,the book
 itself contains not that for which he  
is seeking1 but it has been in mercy    
handed down to him by the inspirations  
of infinite wisdom1 as a landmark to    
direct him in the way in which he should
 walk3 it has not only taught him the   
nature and efficacy of spiritual        
worship1 but it affords a standard by   
which all his thoughts may be tried1 and
 enables him to distinguish between the 
wanderings of the imagination and the   
dictates of eternal wisdom4 ,if contrary
 to the ,scriptures1 he rejects them2   
and whatever you may think of the       
superiority of your two-fold            
revelations1 and the accuracy of your   
knowledge of the nature and use of right

 reason1 no reasonable being who is     
convinced that the ,scriptures were     
given to us by divine revelation1 can   
believe in the truth of any thing which 
does not accord with them4  ,such a     
tissue of inconsistencies has seldom    
been brought together--you say that the 
,scriptures were written under the      
inspiration of infinite wisdom1 and also
 assert that they only proceed from the 
wisdom of man3 you consider them as the 
box of ,pandora from which the apostacy 
was derived1 and every thing calculated 
to deceive us may be taken2 and still   
continue to recommend them as proper to 
be read by young beginners in religion3 
that they1 and every thing else that is 
received by man through his outward     
senses1 is suitable only to the outward 
creature2 and yet you are continually   
addressing your hearers through these   
senses1 for the purposes of reproof and 
spiritual instruction4  ,that passages  
of ,scripture have often been perverted 
to purposes far different from the      

spirit and original intention of them1  
must be admitted by all2 and the sources
 from which these perversions have been 
derived it is not difficult to conceive4
  ,it was long before any of the outward
 professors of ,christianity had the    
hardihood to question their authority3  
they knew that the whole ,christian     
world considered this book as the       
standard by which their doctrines were  
to be tested1 and whenever their        
inclinations1 or their vices1 impelled  
them to actions contrary to the pure and
 obvious meaning of gospel ordinances1  
they sought to veil their aberrations by
 the perversion of the book itself4 ,the
 man of the world found in it so many   
restraints upon his ambition and fancied
 enjoyments1 that it is not surprising  
that he should be anxious to avail      
himself of every pretence to enlarge its
 boundaries and relax the rigour of his 
bonds4 ,in this struggle1 many of the   
priesthood were his faithful coadjutors1
 for they too felt the uneasiness of the

 straightened path prescribed to them1  
and that the pure ,christian doctrines  
and principles could afford no field for
 the indulgence of their vanity by      
pompous declamation1 or for the display 
of a superiority of mind by subtile     
disquisition3 all was simple and        
practical1 such as fishermen could teach
 and herdsmen understand4  ,then began  
that system of mysticising and          
allegorising the ,scriptures1 a practice
 which accorded so well with the lively 
and subtle characters of the modern     
,greeks1 that every priest became a     
mystagogue1 and the pulpit a chair of   
theological alchymy1 from which men were
 taught how to reduce divinity to the   
maxims of the laboratory1 explain       
morality by sal sulphur and mercury1 and
 allegorize the ,scripture itself1 and  
the sacred mysteries thereof1 into the  
,philosopher's ,stone4#ah  ,footnote    
#ah3    ,locke4  ,hence the ,scriptures 
became as one of the sibylline books of 
,paganism1 to be opened by the priests  

alone1 for they only could explain the  
oracles of ,god2 and they acted with    
more consistency than you have done1 by 
endeavouring to conceal them from the   
view of the laity2 for if they are      
indeed such as you have described1 and  
they have strove to make them1 they     
ought not only to be concealed from the 
view of young beginners in religion1 but
 prohibited to all but the initiated4   
,thus was the simplicity of the         
,christian religion deformed1 and the   
understandings of men subdued by an     
ambitious priesthood4 ,they knew that   
gravity and meekness were the attributes
 and best ornaments of a gospel         
minister1 and while pride and the spirit
 of domination reigned within them      
uncontrolled1 they sought1 by a         
sanctimonious exterior and affected     
humility1 to prolong their sway2 and we 
find the most imperious of the ,roman   
pontiffs1 when treading on the necks of 
kings1 subscribing himself the servant  
of the servants of ,god4  ,i fear you   

will consider me as presumptuous1 yet ,i
 must venture to entreat you to examine 
the course you have been pursuing2 to   
consider whether the habit you have     
acquired of looking for some hidden     
novelty in every passage of ,scripture1 
does not prevent you from perceiving its
 obvious meaning2 and whether the       
manifest inconsistencies in which this  
practice involves you1 is not sufficient
 proof of your being under the guidance 
of a different spirit from that which   
you claim as a director4  ,i have no    
disposition to question the uprightness 
of your motives1 but ,i am fully        
persuaded that the applause with which  
you have been surrounded1 has given an  
unhappy bias to your mind2 and that if  
it was under a right direction1 you     
would be enabled to see1 that it is not 
the letter of the ,scripture1 but the   
habit1 7in which you so largely         
indulge17 of seeking for meanings other 
than the letter1 which has caused so    
many false interpretations and divisions

 among men3 that the letter is intended 
to teach us our moral and spiritual     
duties1 and points out with sufficient  
clearness the way in which we should    
walk2 and that the nice distinctions and
 elaborate refinements of the orator1   
neither have a tendency to enlighten the
 understandings nor purify the hearts of
 the audience1 though they often gratify
 the vanity of the one and amuse the    
imaginations of the other4              
,,letter ,v4   ,in reading your         
discourses my attention was particularly
 engaged by the sermon delivered at     
,newtown1 in ,bucks ,county1 and it did 
seem to me so much at variance with the 
principles which induce the ,quakers to 
assemble for public worship1 that were  
there no other evidence1 it would be    
sufficient to prove that you are not    
under the guidance of that spirit1 by   
which1 in former days1 their ministers  
were governed4  ,that society believe   
that the great object of such assembling
 is to endeavour1 by shutting out all   

external things1 to discipline the mind 
to that pure and silent worship and     
waiting upon ,god1 in which they may    
experience ,christ to be their shepherd 
and teacher2 and although this solemn   
silence may sometimes be profitably     
interrupted for the purposes of         
admonition1 instruction and             
encouragement1 yet that no minister can1
 7when under right direction17 expatiate
 on topics irrelevant to the subject4   
,a little examination must1 ,i think1   
convince us that your sermon1 so far    
from being delivered under such         
impressions1 carries on the face of it1 
the proof of a mind struggling for      
distinction3 and that in this effort1   
much has been introduced foreign to the 
subject on which you professed to treat1
 and however innocent in itself1 very   
unsuitable to the place1 and peculiarly 
calculated to withdraw the mind from the
 object for which the assembly were     
ostensibly gathered4  ,you commence your
 sermon by stating your apprehensions   

that there are individuals who are not  
sufficiently impressed with the         
necessity of order and discipline in    
society1 and seem to consider it your   
duty to convince them of its importance4
 ,to a plain understanding this does not
 appear difficult1 for the arguments in 
favour of it are so palpable1 that a    
very few minutes indeed1 would be       
sufficient to any one not in the habit  
of multiplying words1 to establish it   
beyond all controversy4 ,you1 however1  
seem never disposed to take the common  
road3 the arguments would be but the    
repetition of a thrice told tale1 and   
would therefore command no extraordinary
 attention3 they might beget conviction1
 but would not produce that effect upon 
the audience1 which1 if not always the  
object1 is so dear to the orator4  ,but 
in deviating from the road1 you have    
lost yourself in the wilderness2 and    
such has been your entanglement1 that   
after all the time which you consumed1  
,i am sure there was not an individual  

present in the meeting1 who could tell  
what you really meant by discipline1 how
 it is to be established1 or in what    
manner it is to be enforced4 ,i form    
this opinion from having read the       
sermon3 for with all the advantages of  
frequent recurrence to particular       
passages1 and of re-perusal1 ,i found it
 very difficult to form any idea of your
 meaning3 how then could your audience1 
with none of these advantages1 in the   
very few moments in which they could    
preserve unbroken the slight            
concatenation of your ideas1 encumbered 
as they are with references unconnected 
with the subject1 receive any           
information or instruction from them4   
,if ,i am correct in my conclusion1 and 
sure ,i am that no one who heard you can
 contradict me1 it must follow1 that    
being incomprehensible to those to whom 
it was addressed1 it could not proceed  
from the suggestions of true wisdom4    
,after a few observations on the subject
 of discipline1 you give to your        

audience a kind of lecture on astronomy4
 ,had you confined yourself to recalling
 to their recollection the wonderful    
harmony in the works of the ,almighty1  
it would not have been incongruous2 but 
to enter into a long dissertation on the
 sun1 moon1 and stars1 and on vacuum and
 unmeasured space1 was neither adapted  
to the place or company4 ,it was no     
doubt quite new and entertaining to such
 of them as had never read the          
elementary treatises in use in some of  
our schools2 and it is certainly the    
most sublime of all sciences1 and that  
in which the powers of the human mind   
have been displayed in the greatest     
degree2 yet ,i cannot think you were    
judicious in selecting a ,quaker meeting
 as a proper theatre for the display of 
your talents1 nor can ,i believe that   
your ingenuity can make any application 
of the facts you have stated to the     
subject of your discourse4 ,you tell us 
that the sun1 although it emits so much 
light1 never lessens2 that there is     

harmonious and social commune between   
the heavenly bodies2#ai that the earth1 
if kept too long in the cold1 would grow
 heavier1 and falling from its proper   
place1 derange the other bodies2 that   
the moon has a great effect upon our    
globe1 c4 c4 ,the moon1 we know1 is     
thought by many to have a considerable  
influence on the imaginations of men in 
certain situations1 but ,i never heard  
that such influence had any effect in   
producing good order and discipline1 and
 no one supposes that the rays of the   
sun can throw any light upon the        
subject4 ,besides you ought to have     
recollected that you were subjecting    
yourself to the charge of ingratitude2  
for surely the men of science must think
 you ungrateful in availing yourself so 
largely of those labours1 which you have
 endeavoured to persuade your friends   
are a curse to mankind4#bj  ,footnote   
#ai3    ,this information1 ,i must      
acknowledge1 is an exception to the     
generality of my assertion1 for ,i do   

not believe it is contained in   any of 
the elementary books ,i have mentioned2 
nor do ,i think it can be   found in the
 writings of either ,newton or          
,herschell1 or that either of   them1   
although so long engaged in examining   
the planetary system1 were   so         
fortunate as to observe any of these    
bodies at the moment when they   were   
engaged in these friendly conversations4
 ,perhaps the author has   been led into
 a mistake by some obstruction in his   
glass1 like a   celebrated member of the
 ,royal ,society1 who announced the     
discovery of   an elephant in the moon1 
which1 on examination1 was found to be  
only a   mouse in his telescope4        
,footnote #bj3    ,sermons1 page #ec and
 #ee4  ,i am not so ignorant of the     
situation of the ,society of ,friends1  
as to be uninformed of the uneasiness   
which is felt by some of its members    
under its established rules of order and
 discipline2 and as ,i know that your   
preaching was one of the principal      

causes of it1 ,i did think it of some   
importance to endeavour to ascertain    
your opinions on the subject4 ,it was   
indeed a laborious work to travel       
through the many pages over which they  
are dispersed2 to remove the various    
matters with which they were encumbered1
 and collect the scattered fragments4   
,yet after all my toil1 ,i found my work
 not half accomplished4 ,these fragments
 when brought together1 were of such    
various sizes and colours1 so           
diversified in shape1 and heterogeneous 
in their materials1 that it surpassed my
 skill to arrange them in any way       
consistent with order and propriety2 and
 if the knowledge of them can afford any
 instruction1 it must be from the       
striking contrast between their wild    
deformity1 and the rational rules of    
order and discipline which they are     
intended to supersede4  ,you say that   
all aversion to order and discipline    
arises from the want of a right         
knowledge of ourselves3 that when we    

come to this right knowledge1 we shall  
be so perfect in these things1 that     
there will be no contests or divisions  
among us3 that all order and discipline 
must be fixed by the divine ,lawgiver1  
and that then it cannot be violated2 and
 therefore that all attempts to censure 
or control a member must proceed from   
those who counterfeit its meaning1 in   
order to lord it over others3 that each 
member of society is in himself a little
 world1 which1 if kept in right order   
and subjection1 all would be harmony and
 discipline2 but1 when this is not the  
case1 all attempts to enforce them tend 
to increase the confusion3 that we all  
have the law within ourselves1 therefore
 order and discipline must never be     
contrived by mortals3 that the ,quaker  
discipline is unsound1 because it is in 
the letter2 but that there are some true
 ,quakers1 and that each of these has   
all discipline and order within himself4
  ,now what is all this8 ,is it not a   
second growth of that ,fungus which was 

engendered in the hot bed of fanaticism 
many years past2 and has not the sober  
sense of the humble ,christian1 or the  
wit and humour of a ,butler1 been able  
to eradicate it from the soil of the    
,christian church8 ,are we again to have
 among us those men above ordinances1   
who mistake confusion for order1 and the
 destruction of our faith for the       
consummation of religion8  ,these       
questions must present themselves to    
every mind when examining your opinions2
 for1 when stripped of all glosses1 and 
exhibited in their genuine colours1 they
 mean that all written rules of order   
and discipline are restraints upon the  
liberty of the saints3 that no rules    
should be established by men1 for that  
every man has the rule written in his   
own heart1 and that there alone he is   
accountable4  ,that no man is           
accountable to another for his religious
 belief1 and that every man has a right 
to worship in the way which he may      
believe most acceptable to his ,creator1

 are undeniable truths2 but as the      
different ,christian sects have         
congregated on account of a unity in    
their religious tenets1 and assemble    
together for the purpose of uniting in  
divine worship1 they have a right1 and1 
7if they are firm in their belief17 it  
is their duty1 to establish such rules  
and regulations as will best preserve   
their religion in1 what they believe to 
be1 its greatest purity2 and in an      
especial manner to prevent the preaching
 of doctrines adverse to it4 ,and this  
is no infringement of the liberty of    
conscience2 for any man who dissents    
from their doctrines may separate       
himself from them2 he may unite himself 
with any other sect2 or if1 in his      
career1 his spiritual knowledge has set 
him above all ordinances1 he may erect  
his own standard1 and1 unrestrained by  
forms and unfettered by creeds1 he may  
give the utmost strain to his           
imagination1 and perhaps become himself 
the head of a sect4 ,but no casuistry   

can justify1 or pretence excuse a man1  
who continues to be ostensibly the      
member of a religious community1 for the
 purpose of undermining its principles  
or destroying the belief in its tenets4 
,let him believe them erroneous and the 
substitutes he offers unquestionably    
true2 it alters not the case4 ,the      
source will be impure1 and the waters   
which flow from it1 tainted4  ,if the   
mind can be brought to conceive the     
possibility of the existence of a       
society formed according to your rules  
and orders of discipline1 it must       
present itself to the imagination in all
 the sublime confusion of another       
chaos--you may offer yourself to explain
 the word of ,god1 and you will be      
reminded that this is all in the letter3
 you may tell them that the ,scriptures 
may be read to advantage1 when all      
things in them have been previously     
revealed2#ba and they may reply1 that   
reading them will then be quite         
unnecessary--you may exhort them to     

assemble together for the purpose of    
divine worship1 for that then we should 
be instructed what to do1 and how to    
bring our offerings1 to be handed over  
to the priest1 so that they may be made 
acquainted with our state1 and may      
preach the true gospel to us2#bb and    
they may tell you that such assemblies  
are not the places to gather spiritual  
food4#bc ,if you are asked why you waste
 so much time in preaching1 you will    
tell them the reason is plain2 that     
although the letter directs us to the   
law1 and nothing else can teach us1 yet 
we flee from it2 and therefore outward  
instruments are raised up and clothed   
with power3#bd and they may reply that  
this is also the letter1 and that the   
,lord is too kind to send them away for 
instruction2 and that he is always      
present1 a schoolmaster to every        
soul4#be ,if you explain to them your   
own growth and experience in spiritual  
knowledge1 they will ask you of what use
 it can be to them1 and tell you1 that  

each individual requires a law peculiar 
to himself2 and that the law of the     
,spirit of ,life in one1 is not the law 
of the ,spirit of ,life in              
another#bf--;and if1 7adopting this     
opinion17 you should declare to them    
that the law of the ,spirit of ,life is 
different in each individual1 some of   
your audience may assert1 that the      
divine law which is written by the      
finger of ,god upon the tablet of our   
hearts1 is the same to every            
individual#bg--;and if fatigued with    
these objections1 you should express    
your surprise at their number1          
inconsistency and futility1 you will be 
told that they are all furnished by     
yourself4  ,footnote #ba3    ,sermons1  
page #cac4  ,footnote #bb3    ,sermons1 
page #bdh4  ,footnote #bc3    ,sermons1 
page #bge4  ,footnote #bd3    ,page #eb4
  ,footnote #be3    ,sermons1 page #ea4 
,footnote #bf3    ,sermons1 page #ea4   
,footnote #bg3    ,sermons in ,new      
,york1 page #abd4  ,if1 then1 the great 

founder of the sect is yet so indistinct
 in his vision1 what must be the        
situation of those who are less advanced
 in the religious experience of your new
 school8 ,if he is so frequently        
involved in contradictions1 what must be
 the accumulated mass when collected    
together8  ,should your project be      
realised1 and such a congregation       
assembled1 those who1 like yourself1    
search the ,scriptures for types and    
figures1 may1 with much less violation  
of probability than occurs in your      
discourses1 consider the meeting as a   
consummation of that confusion of       
tongues typified in the building of the 
,tower of ,babel4                       
,,letter ,,vi4   ,the extraordinary and 
unhesitating confidence with which you  
state your opinions1 even on the most   
important and solemn subjects1 and the  
air of authority with which you         
endeavour to enforce them1 is in such   
striking contrast to that humility and  
reverence with which we are accustomed  

to hear such subjects treated1 that it  
naturally excites some suspicion that   
there are views and feelings in the mind
 of the preacher not in accordance with 
that meek and quiet spirit which is the 
necessary qualification of a ,christian 
teacher3 and when we turn from the tone 
and manner of the discourse to some of  
the opinions delivered1 ,i am afraid    
that suspicion will ripen into          
certainty1 and that there will be too   
much evidence of a mind not habituated  
to reflections on its own infirmities1  
but proud#bh in its acquirements1 and   
vaunting in its own strength4 ,for we   
find you glorying in the ability to     
withstand the enemy of your peace1 and  
gratifying yourself with the honour to  
be derived from the victory4#bi ,in this
 elevation of mind you say1 that it     
would be a debasement to man1 were he   
placed by the ,almighty in a situation  
from which he could not fall2#cj and    
that had we been content to remain in a 
state of innocence1 we should have      

continued to be but as mere machines4#ca
 ,to rely on any other than your own    
exertions you think degrading1 and would
 not accept the sacrifice which is      
offered for your sins by the sufferings 
and death of ,jesus ,christ4#cb         
,footnote #bh3    ,sermons1 page #fh4 ,i
 challenge the whole host of mankind4   
,footnote #bi3    ,sermons1 page #bca4  
,footnote #cj3    ,sermons1 page #bca4  
,footnote #ca3    ,sermons1 pages #bcj1 
#bca4  ,footnote #cb3    ,letter to     
,doctor ,shoemaker4  ,we are1 indeed1   
placed in a state of probation1         
surrounded with temptations and         
perplexed with dangers3 we have before  
us the prospect of a change into a      
never-ending state1 and that state is   
promised to be one of endless felicity  
to those who1 with a sincere and humble 
heart1 seek the ,god of ,israel for     
their portion4 ,to such1 and such alone1
 is promised the exceeding great reward2
 and1 though it is our duty to          
acquiesce1 without repining1 in our     

station and allotment here1 temeracious 
indeed must that man be1 who1 with such 
a prize before him1 would1 for the      
gratification which the honour of a     
victory over his own evil propensities  
might afford1 prefer the hazardous      
contest to that state of innocence with 
which our first parents were blessed    
before the fall2 and confident indeed   
must he be in his own merits1 if he     
rejects the offer of an intercessor1 and
 relies on them alone for a fund not    
only to redeem his errors here1 but to  
purchase the rich inheritance of eternal
 happiness4  ,such a state of mind alone
 could conceive the singular idea of    
opening an account current with the     
,creator1#cc and call it religion2 to   
ask a record of our sins1 and boldly    
claim our offsets2 and to rely on the   
accumulated balance of our own works3 to
 gain the prize of everlasting life from
 the justice and not from the mercy of  
the ,almighty1 and not to pray with     
,david1 have mercy upon me1 ,o ,god1    

according to thy loving kindness2       
according unto the multitude of thy     
tender mercies1 blot out my             
transgressions4  ,footnote #cc3         
,sermons1 page #dd4  ,such an account   
would indeed be a novelty3 there is no  
difficulty in filling the debtor side of
 the ledger3 the melancholy list of     
man's frailties and vices furnish ample 
materials2 but1 from whence the mighty  
balance reserved for the great purchase 
should arise is not easily to be        
conceived4 ,let us figure to ourselves a
 man not immured in sloth or sunk in    
wickedness1 but one whose march through 
life has been in the path of propriety  
and virtue1 arranging his account1      
,i have lived a life of temperance1     
regularity and virtue4        ,thou hast
 been blessed with the enjoyment of     
health4      ,i have been1 through life1
 frugal and industrious4        ,thou   
hast acquired wealth4      ,i have been 
humane and charitable to the poor and   
needy4        ,i gave thee the fat of   

the land4      ,i have been a good      
husband and a careful and tender father4
        ,thy wife has been virtuous and 
faithful1 and thy children a            
blessing to thee4      ,and if he could 
add1 ,i have gone about preaching to1   
and exhorting        large assemblies of
 people in thy name4        ,may not the
 answer sometimes be1 ,and hast thou not
 been richly          rewarded by the   
incense of flattery and applause which  
thou          hast received4  ,here1    
then1 is no balance2 virtue is generally
 rewarded in this life2 and1 if the     
,christian is to look for redemption1 is
 it not by standing fast and holding to 
the traditions which we have been       
taught1 by which we shall know that as  
all have sinned and fallen short1 so we 
can only be justified by grace through  
the redemption that is in ,christ       
,jesus2 whom ,god hath set forth to be a
 propitiation through faith in his      
blood1 to declare his righteousness for 
the remission of sins that are past1    

through the forbearance of ,god4#cd     
,footnote #cd3    ,romans1 #c;d ,chap4  
,you may say that your idea of opening  
an account with the ,creator was only by
 way of illustration1 but what does it  
illustrate8 ,is our situation with our  
,creator such1 that works are sufficient
 to insure our salvation8 and do you    
believe that if in looking over the leaf
 and seeing where the balance           
strikes1#ce we should find it to be in  
our favour1 we may indulge in sin and   
iniquity until the balance is brought to
 an equilibrium8 ,do not you believe in 
the efficacy of repentance1 and that the
 truly repentant sinner may receive     
remission of his sins1 although it may  
be in the eleventh hour1 and when they  
are of a crimson colour1 or a scarlet   
dye8  ,footnote #ce3    ,sermons1 p4    
#de4  ,the idea is indeed cold and      
heartless2 in sentiment most degrading1 
and in its deductions most pernicious4  
,how different from the inspirations of 
the man of old1 when musing on the      

sacred mount of ,zion1 or on the banks  
of ,shiloah's stream fast1 by the       
oracles of ,god1 he saw the dawn of that
 auspicious day1 when ,,he1 our promise 
would appear to blot out our            
transgressions and redeem us from our   
sins--and with what holy rapture did he 
announce the joyful tidings8 ,speak ye  
comfortably to ,jerusalem1 and cry unto 
her that her warfare is accomplished1   
that her iniquity is pardoned2 for she  
hath received of the ,lord's hand double
 for all her sins4 ,behold a virgin     
shall conceive and bear a ,son4 ,unto us
 a ,child is born1 unto us a ,son is    
given2 and the government shall be upon 
his shoulder1 and his name shall be     
called ,wonderful1 ,counsellor1 the     
mighty ,god1 the everlasting ,father1   
the ,prince of ,peace4 ,the sun shall be
 no more thy light by day3 neither for  
brightness shall the moon give light    
unto thee3 but the ,lord shall be unto  
thee an everlasting light1 and thy ,god 
thy glory4  ,but this is not the        

,messiah of whom you preach3 yours is   
like yourself1 a peccable man clothed   
with infirmities and liable to          
transgression2 and who1 so far from     
having the power to give salvation to   
others1 was himself tempted to sin4#cf  
,you profess to believe that ,jesus     
,christ is the way1 the truth1 and the  
life1 but in direct opposition to the   
plain intent and purport of the         
sentence1 you declare it only means that
 he had power to cure outward diseases  
and give strength of body to enjoy the  
good things of this life2#cg that for   
this only was he sent1 and his power was
 but as a figure or shadow of the great 
,comforter4 ,but even with this         
perversion1 the facts you state will not
 support your argument4 ,it is true that
 ,jesus ,christ healed the diseases of  
individuals2 but surely no rational     
being can suppose that such was the     
object of his mission1 for the number of
 the healed was so small that it could  
have had no perceptible effect on the   

general outward health of mankind1 or   
even of the particular people to whom he
 appeared4  ,footnote #cf3    ,sermons1 
p4 #bec4 ,e4 ,hicks says1 ,he1 7,jesus17
 was tempted in all   points as we are4 
,now how could he be tempted if he had  
been fixed in   a state of perfection in
 which he could not turn aside4 ,could  
you   suppose as rational beings that   
such a being could be tempted8 ,no1     
not any more than ,god could be tempted4
 ,perfection is perfection1 and   cannot
 be tempted1 it is impossible4 ,here is 
an evident perversion of   the          
,scriptures2 for we nowhere find that   
,jesus yielded to temptation2   and it  
is a most irrational conclusion1 that   
because there was a   tempter he was    
subject to temptation2 and so far from  
such attempts   evincing that he was not
 perfect and could turn aside2 the      
resistance and reproof of the tempter   
proves1 7and was probably   intended to 
prove17 the very reverse4 ,it is one    
thing to be tempted1   and another to   

yield to temptation1 and ,e4 ,hicks     
could not have   forgotten that the     
authority from which he drew his account
 of the   temptations likewise declares 
that though ,jesus was in all points    
tempted like as we are1 yet without sin4
 ,heb4 #d4 #ae4 ,by ,e4 ,hicks's        
erroneous construction of the sentence1 
he could with equal ease prove   the    
fallibility of the ,almighty1 for the   
,scriptures in several places   speak of
 ,his being tempted by the people4      
,footnote #cg3    ,sermons1 p4 #ej4     
,you say you believe that the           
,scriptures were written by divine      
inspiration1 and that ,jesus did nothing
 but as he received power and command   
from ,his heavenly ,father2#ch and these
 ,scriptures tell us that when the      
,pharisees began to reason and said who 
can forgive sins but ,god alone8 ,jesus 
answered1 is it easier to say thy sins  
be forgiven thee2 or to say1 rise up and
 walk8 ,but that ye may know that the   
,son of ,man hath power upon earth to   

forgive sins1 he said unto the sick of  
the palsy1 ,i say unto thee arise1 and  
take up thy couch and go unto thine     
house3 and immediately he rose up before
 them1 and took up that whereon he lay1 
and departed to his own house glorifying
 ,god4#ci  ,footnote #ch3    ,new ,york 
,sermons1 p4 #ig4  ,footnote #ci3       
,luke1 chap4 #eth4  ,here we have a     
plain historical narration1 from which  
it is evident that the sick was healed  
to convince an unbelieving people1 by an
 act of supernatural power perceptible  
to their senses1 that ,jesus was clothed
 with authority to forgive sins4 ,you   
however say it was a figure or shadow1  
and as these terms are often in your    
mouth1 it may be proper to enquire      
whether you understand their true       
meaning1 and whether by any possible    
construction of language they can be    
considered as illustrative of your view 
of the subject4 ,they are here used as  
synonymous1 and mean the expression of  
an idea by resemblances3 if ,i speak of 

persons in the morning of life1 ,i am   
understood to mean youth2 and if ,i say1
 the king of day is rising in the east1 
every body understands it to mean the   
sun2 and there are other figurative     
resemblances more obscure1 but no one   
can1 without violating every principle  
of reason1 attempt to adduce as         
authority for1 and illustrative of his  
opinions1 expressions which so far from 
resembling are in direct opposition to  
them1 merely because he chooses to call 
them figurative4  ,if indeed there are  
any individuals who believe they can    
perceive any resemblance between your   
inferences and the facts2 and that when 
,jesus said he healed the sick1 in order
 that the ,pharisees might know that he 
had power on earth to forgive sins1 he  
meant it only as a figure1 and that he  
claimed authority only as to the cure of
 outward diseases2 their conclusion must
 be arrived at by a process which the   
uninitiated do not understand3 and if   
your argument is according to the       

analogy of reason1 it cannot be of that 
reason which arrives at the truth by    
observation and deduction1 but the      
reason of your new school of            
metaphysics1 which discerns without     
reflection all things at first sight4#dj
  ,footnote #dj3    ,sermons1 p4 #bjg4  
,were you reading a letter informing you
 that a friend had departed on a        
journey1 riding on a black horse1 and   
was told by one of your auditors that   
the expression was figurative and that  
he meant a white cow1 you would probably
 laugh2 and yet the incongruity is not  
greater than some of your own           
discoveries4 ,for instance1 ,paul said  
let your women keep silence in your     
churches2 and you observe that all who  
are truly enlightened will understand   
that the woman means the selfish spirit 
which ought not to be permitted to speak
 in churches2 but you have forgot to    
tell us how to apply the succeeding     
observation that if they will learn any 
thing they must consult their husbands  

at home4 ,nor is it probable that ,paul1
 7although a bachelor17 was so          
uncharitable as to believe the selfish  
spirit so identified with woman1 as to  
render her a proper emblem of it4  ,in  
this instance ,paul was recommending a  
rule of conduct1 and ought to be allowed
 to speak for himself3 so thought       
,robert ,barclay1 and in accounting for 
the exhortation he has given the        
probable reason of it4 ,he considered it
 neither as an allegory or a figure2 but
 he had not arrived at that degree of   
spiritual knowledge which enabled him to
 discover in every page of the ,bible a 
meaning in direct contradiction to the  
plain and obvious sense of the written  
language4 ,religion was with him not an 
occult science1 nor the ,bible a        
caballistick book which can never be    
read to advantage until the truths      
contained in it have been previously    
revealed to us4#da ,on the contrary1 he 
believed with the ,apostle ,paul that   
these things were written for our       

learning1 that the holy scriptures are  
able to make wise unto salvation1       
through faith which is in ,christ       
,jesus1 and that all ,scripture is given
 by inspiration of ,god1 and is         
profitable for doctrine1 for reproof1   
for correction1 for instruction in      
righteousness1 that the man of ,god may 
be perfect1 thoroughly furnished unto   
every good work4#db  ,footnote #da3     
,sermons1 p4 #cac4  ,footnote #db3      
#bnd ,timothy1 ,chap4 #c;d4             
,,letter ,,vii4   ,when the early       
,quakers1 dissatisfied with the formal  
worship of the existing protestant      
church1 separated themselves and formed 
a society of their own1 they were       
reproached by some with denying the     
authenticity of the sacred writings1 and
 by others with setting up their own    
inspirations in opposition to them2 and 
they seem at an early period to have    
discovered the necessity of recording   
their belief on this subject1 not only  
to refute the calumnies circulated by   

their opponents1 but as a guide to the  
inexperienced of their own sect4 ,for1  
such was the ferment of men's minds at  
that moment1 and the violence of the    
change from the dull uniformity of      
formal belief1 to all the extravagancies
 of unrestrained enthusiasm1 that it    
appeared like an epidemic affecting all 
descriptions of people2 and their       
imaginations became so exalted1 that    
every fancy was mistaken for a          
revelation1 and every preacher1 however 
wild his doctrines1 had his followers4  
,nor did their own members wholly escape
 the infection2 for with all their care1
 there were those among them who        
indulged in extravagancies1 to the great
 grief of their more sober friends4  ,it
 fell to the lot of ,robert ,barclay to 
record the doctrines of the early       
,quakers1 and none of them was better   
fitted for the task2 for he was learned 
and pious1 clear in his perceptions and 
logical in his arrangement1 and well    
able to give his reasons for his faith4 

,he knew that superstition and          
fanaticism were the ,scylla and         
,charybdis of religion1 and how much    
care was necessary to prevent us1 while 
avoiding the one1 from being swept into 
the whirlpool of the other4 ,he was     
surrounded by instances of the unhappy  
effects of that exaltation of mind1     
which induced individuals to believe    
they had arrived at such an unerring    
state of spiritual knowledge1 that the  
recorded opinions and advice of their   
pious predecessors1 and even the        
scriptures1 7being only in the letter17 
were to them neither authority nor a    
guide2 and that they had derived the    
fulness of knowledge from the fountain  
itself4 ,that to them reason itself had 
ceased to be of use1 since they were    
under the constant influence of a clear 
and distinct revelation1 as stable and  
certain as any of the instincts of our  
nature3 and such was the fever of the   
brain1 that when their prophecies were  
contradicted by the event1 it did not   

impair their confidence in their own    
inspirations1 because it was the ,lord  
who chose to deceive them1 and they were
 deceived4  ,he had not adopted the     
fantastical idea that every passage of  
scripture has a mystical meaning2 but   
declares them to be the revelations of  
the spirit of ,god to the saints1 and   
that they contain a faithful historical 
account of the actings of ,god's people 
in various ages2 a prophetical account  
of several things1 whereof some have    
passed1 and some to come2 and a full and
 ample account of all the chief         
principles of the doctrine of ,christ4  
,that they are profitable for correction
 and instruction in righteousness1 and  
that divine inward revelations can never
 contradict the outward testimony of the
 scriptures1 or sound reason4  ,here all
 is plain and consistent4 ,no man of    
sound mind can believe that the         
revelations of infinite wisdom are ever 
contradictory2 and as the evidence of   
the divine origin of the scriptures is  

such as no individual can produce1 he   
was warranted in his conclusion1 that   
all pretensions to the spirit in        
contradiction to them1 are delusions of 
the devil4 ,and indeed no man of        
observation can cast his eyes round him1
 and contemplate the various illusions  
into which the human mind is seduced on 
religious subjects1 without perceiving  
the absolute necessity of a standard or 
rule by which its wanderings may be     
checked and its aberrations corrected1  
and we find ,locke concurring with      
,barclay1 in stating the scripture      
revelations and right reason1 as the    
true standards by which our faith is to 
be tried4  ,you also seem to perceive   
the necessity of some check1 but in the 
very spirit which induces that          
necessity1 your own standard is as      
visionary1 and as fruitful a source of  
evil1 as the propensity it is intended  
to correct2 for yours is not that reason
 which proceeds from premises to        
consequences1 but an actual illusion1   

which has persuaded you that there is a 
reason which can see all things         
immediately and by intuition2#dc and    
your bible1 a book written in cypher1#dd
 the key of which is one of the most    
vigorous plants of the wilderness of    
fanaticism4 ,hence it follows1 that your
 standard1 so far from being a true test
 or corrector of your opinions1 must    
always1 when used1 confirm you in error2
 for it is a magnifying mirror1         
reflecting the exaggerated image of the 
delusion it is intended to control4     
,footnote #dc3    ,sermons1 page #bjg4  
,footnote #dd3    ,sermons1 page #cac4  
,there is not a more prolific source of 
error1 than assuming principles without 
a careful examination of their          
correctness1 and drawing conclusions    
from them2 and even when the principle  
is correct1 and the inference fairly    
deducible1 men in the ardour of their   
zeal1 often push it to an extreme far   
beyond its just limits4  ,it is not     
difficult to conceive1 that a man whose 

mind is convinced by internal evidence  
of the truth of the christian religion1 
and who1 under an awful impression of   
its incalculable importance1 opens the  
sacred volume1 finds more instruction   
and comfort in it1 than he who only     
reads it as history1 or from an         
indistinct sense of duty2 because he has
 a greater degree of inward acquaintance
 with the same spirit and work in the   
heart4 ,but this simple exposition is   
too plain to satisfy the lofty          
imaginations of the high professors of  
the present day3 because the lukewarm   
and indifferent do not receive the same 
instruction and profit from the         
scriptures as the more serious and      
pious1 the perusal can afford them no   
benefit2 and even to the sincere        
inquirer it is a sealed book1 until its 
contents are previously communicated by 
an especial revelation4#de  ,footnote   
#de3    ,sermons1 page #cac4  ,this is  
the doctrine you have preached1 and yet 
your own practice proves that you have  

no reliance on it2 and that it was only 
one of those inconsiderate excursions1  
in which the orator1 when not under the 
strict control of duty or reason1 too   
often indulges2 for when1 in your cooler
 moments1 you wished to instruct your   
mind on the subject of our ,saviour's   
birth1 you sought it1 not only by       
reading the scriptures1 but also by     
consulting the traditions of the        
christian church1 as recorded by one of 
its historians4#df  ,footnote #df3      
,letter to ,thomas ,willis4  ,these are 
the inconsistencies to which            
extravagance always leads2 for when the 
mind1 tired of its aerial flight1       
revisits the earth1 and is again        
employed in its proper duties1 it finds 
that practical objects can only be      
attained by practicable means4          
,exaggeration in public speaking is     
always blameable1 and in the preacher   
particularly objectionable3 it is       
generally resorted to for the purpose of
 increasing the impression1 but seldom  

produces that effect2 and it is upon    
religious subjects1 above all others1   
that amplification should be avoided1   
and that pure and simple style adopted  
which admits of no adventitious         
ornaments4  ,you1 however1 pursue a     
different course1 and by the            
extravagance of your epithets1 not only 
defeat your own views1 but sometimes    
occasion the subject itself to be       
considered1 if not with ridicule1 at    
least with but little seriousness4 ,thus
 in speaking of the propriety of        
plainness in apparel1 instead of giving 
the simple and obvious reason why the   
,society of ,friends adopted it1 you    
consider it as a vital principle of     
religion2 and you mistake1 7to use your 
own favourite expression17 the effect   
for the cause1 when you exclaim that    
there is religion in clothing1 and      
exaggerate beyond all bounds1 when you  
declare1 that all the sin in the world  
is created by men's following foolish   
fashions3 and when you seriously assure 

us that high-crowned hats were never    
devised in the wisdom of ,god1 the      
obvious inference that low-crowned hats 
were1 is so ludicrous1 that we should be
 tempted to laugh1 were not all         
merriment on a subject in which that    
sacred name is introduced1 7however     
improperly17 incongruous1 if not        
profane4#dg  ,footnote #dg3    ,sermons1
 page #acc4  ,again1 in speaking of the 
necessity of a living faith in ,god1 you
 exclaim that1 faith in creeds and the  
traditions of your fathers1 is worse    
than nothing2 that we had better have no
 faith at all1 for it is no better than 
the faith of devils2 and in confirmation
 of this rash assertion1 you quote a    
passage of scripture which has not the  
most remote application to the          
subject4#dh  ,footnote #dh3    ,sermons1
 page #bic4  ,to this1 no rational      
christian can ever assent3 he believes  
in the necessity of spiritual worship1  
and that all ought to feel the power of 
religion in their own souls3 but that   

the faith which is derived from the     
lessons of a pious parent1 although it  
may not be accompanied with that degree 
of spiritual knowledge which it ought to
 be our endeavour to attain1 is no      
better than the faith of devils1 no man 
in his sober senses can believe4  ,you  
would no doubt think me very daring were
 ,i to say that your own faith is as bad
 as the faith of devils2 and yet1       
admitting the truth of your own         
assertion1 ,i can prove it by testimony1
 which1 to you at least1 ought to be    
conclusive4 ,for in your letter to      
,thomas ,willis1 before alluded to1 you 
declare your belief in the ,scripture   
account of our ,saviour's birth from    
your reliance on tradition1 although it 
is contrary to your judgment4 ,if then  
that faith which a child admits and     
believes to be true from a firm reliance
 on the wisdom and experience of a pious
 father1 is as bad as the faith of      
devils2 how are we to describe the faith
 of that man who gives to tradition such

 supreme control1 as to make a reliance 
on it a point of duty1 although a belief
 in it1 is contrary to his deliberate   
judgment4  ,this is one of the instances
 of the wanderings of your imagination1 
and the strange inconsistencies into    
which your metaphysical divinity leads  
you3 and ,i cite it as a proof of the   
pernicious consequences of substituting 
mystical reveries in the place of the   
simple religion taught by ,jesus        
,christ2 and not to censure your        
reliance on the faith of your           
predecessors3 for ,i truly believe that 
did you1 like many of them1 endeavour to
 preserve your mind in that meek and    
lowly state recommended by ,his example 
and precepts1 all propensity to curious 
speculation on hidden things would be   
suppressed1 and when called to testify  
to your faith1 you would be ready always
 to give an answer to every man that    
asketh you a reason of the hope that is 
in you1 with meekness and fear4  ,in    
alluding to the reasons which prevent   

many ,friends from taking a part in the 
governments of the earth1 instead of    
ascribing them to that peaceable        
principle which does not permit them to 
be agents in any measures connected with
 war1 you denounce the governments of   
this world as standing eternally in     
opposition to the government of the ,god
 of heaven2 and this because all laws   
made in the wisdom of man are           
foolishness with ,god3 yet you          
acknowledge them to be necessary1       
although you say it is no reason why the
 law of the ,almighty should not        
prevail1 which would take away the      
necessity of all other laws4#di         
,footnote #di3    ,sermons1 p4 #aih4    
,this reasoning is as confused1 as the  
conclusion to which it leads is         
extraordinary4 ,how laws in opposition  
to the will of the ,almighty can be     
necessary1 when there is no reason why  
his law should not prevail1 you have not
 explained2 and if human governments are
 in eternal opposition to the government

 of ,god1 and yet are necessary1 then is
 there not only a necessity for man's   
being in eternal opposition to ,god's   
will2 but the necessity is a            
justification of it1 and your argument1 
if sound1 affords a complete vindication
 of the persons engaged in the          
administration of those governments4    
,we need not be told that if all men    
were under the strict influence of      
virtue and religion1 most of the        
existing laws would be unnecessary1     
because they are enacted in consequence 
of the vices and frailties of man2 but  
that such a state of things will ever   
exist on earth1 in which all regulations
 and covenants of society may with      
safety and convenience be abolished1 is 
an idea too extravagant to require      
refutation4 ,nor can it be believed that
 all laws made by the wisdom of man1 are
 foolishness with ,god1 in the sense in 
which you understand it4 ,the ,creator  
in his wisdom seems to have ordained    
that the improvement of man in this     

state of being should be progressive4   
,the first step is associating in       
societies1 and they necessarily require 
rules for their government2 and as they 
multiply1 new circumstances are         
continually arising1 which require      
additional regulations4 ,and herein that
 reason with which man alone1 of all    
created beings1 has been favoured1 is   
properly applied3 for this it was given 
to him1 and its application to the      
purposes for which it was originally    
intended1 can never be foolishness in   
the sight of the ,almighty4 ,the        
scriptures indeed tell us that the      
wisdom of this world is foolishness with
 ,god2 but it is used in reference to   
our religious duties2 to teach us the   
vanity of building up systems for       
ourselves1 and pretending to explain the
 hidden things of ,omnipotence2 and to  
warn us that as it is the gospel that   
has brought life and immortality to     
light1 so other foundation can no man   
lay than that is laid1 which is ,jesus  

,christ4#ej  ,footnote #ej3             
,corinthians1 ,chap4 #c;d4              
,,letter ,,viii4   ,when we consider the
 ingenuity of the mind of man1 in       
drawing inferences from propositions to 
suit his present passions and           
prejudices1 and how often they are      
perverted to the most injurious         
purposes1 every person of reflection    
must admit that it is of the most       
serious importance that the ministers of
 religion should be extremely guarded in
 the terms they use1 and not suffer a   
sentence to escape from their lips      
without a careful examination of its    
bearing and tendency4 ,nor is it any    
justification of such persons1 although 
they may with truth assert that the     
pernicious deductions drawn from their  
declarations were not intended by them1 
if such deductions can fairly be made4  
,these reflections were impressed upon  
my mind in reading your sermons1 in     
which are to be found many assertions   
which appear to me to have a very       

injurious tendency2 and with whatever   
views they were uttered1 7for ,i inquire
 not into your motives17 seem to strike 
at the very foundation of revealed      
religion4  ,in your vain attempts to    
describe the nature of the ,almighty1 we
 should be induced to believe1 from some
 of your expressions1 that you had      
adopted the opinion of some sects of    
unbelieving philosophers1 that ,god is  
not the governor1 but the soul of the   
universe2 not a ,being1 but a principle 
or element1 which1 although it acts     
efficaciously1 implies the absence of   
all personal agency4 ,for you say1      
,every child of ,god has the full and   
complete nature1 spirit1 and1 may ,i not
 say1 the divinity of ,god ,almighty2   
because there is nothing but divinity in
 ,god1 and therefore1 if they are       
partakers of his divine nature1#ea so   
far they are partakers of his divinity1 
according to the portion which he is    
pleased to dispense3 and he must        
dispense that portion which will make   

them like himself4 ,for his children are
 as much like their ,almighty ,father1  
as the children of men are like their   
fathers4#eb  ,footnote #ea3    ,this is 
not the doctrine or belief of the       
,society4 ,they believe in a   divine   
principle of light and life1 wherewith  
,christ hath enlightened   every man    
that cometh into the world2 but by this 
they understand1   not the proper       
essence and nature of ,god precisely    
taken1 who is not   divisible into parts
 and measures1 but is a pure and simple 
being1   void of all composition and    
division4 ,see ,,barclay4  ,footnote    
#eb3    ,new ,york ,sermons1 page #acj4 
,in speaking of the operation of the    
great first ,cause1 you compare it to   
the sun3 ,what1 7you say17 would become 
of us1 were it not for the enlivening   
beams of the sun8 ,although it emits so 
much1 yet it never lessens4#ec ,our     
immortal spirits receive all their light
 from that celestial and invisible ,sun 
which is the ,creator of all things4 ,he

 emits of his excellency to us1 yet he  
does not lessen1 but remains eternally  
the same1 for all that comes from him   
will return to him4#ed  ,footnote #ec3  
,philadelphia ,sermons1 page #ahg4      
,footnote #ed3    ,philadelphia         
,sermons1 page #ahh4  ,consistent with  
this idea1 you totally reject the       
,scripture declarations respecting      
heaven and the kingdom of ,god1 and     
consider them only as a condition of the
 mind1 and that we can enjoy them in    
this state of being4  ,in alluding to   
the account of the apostle's being taken
 up into the third heaven1 you say1     
,what is this third heaven but a        
three-fold manifestation of the divine  
presence2#ee and you ask1 ,is heaven of 
so little value to us that we put it off
 till the day of our death8#ef ,we are  
led to believe that there is an         
opportunity to lay up treasure in       
heaven2 that is1 to be in possession of 
heavenly treasure2 or1 to use a more    
proper expression1 to be in possession  

of heaven2 because heaven is a state2 it
 is every where where ,god is2#eg ,god  
comes alike into the hearts of all the  
children of men1 as much in the         
fornicator1 the thief1 and the liar1 as 
in me4 ,but there it is dead1 because   
the creature is in opposition to        
,god4#eh ,now this leading by the spirit
 of ,god is the same as the kingdom of  
,god1 and being subject to the leaven4  
,they are still one and the same thing2 
they are not two things2 and as we yield
 to the leaven it leavens us1 and brings
 us into the divine nature1 so that we  
come to partake of the nature of        
,god4#ei  ,footnote #ee3    ,sermons1   
page #ag4  ,footnote #ef3    ,sermons1  
page #gf4  ,footnote #eg3    ,sermons1  
page #bge-f4--;,in one of his sermons1  
7page #bib17 the preacher   declares    
that ,god never set ,jesus ,christ above
 us1 because if he did   he would be    
partial4 ,in this1 he sets himself above
 ,christ by   undertaking to correct his
 erroneous notion of heaven4 ,christ1 in

 his   ,sermon on the ,mount1 says1 ,lay
 not up for yourselves treasures upon   
earth1 where moth and rust doth corrupt1
 and where thieves break   through and  
steal2 but lay up for yourselves        
treasures in heaven4   ,this humble     
teacher says the proper expression would
 be to be in   possession of heaven1    
because heaven is a state1 and every    
where1   where ,god is4  ,footnote #eh3 
,sermons1 page #bib4  ,footnote #ei3    
,sermons1 page #bie4  ,it is an         
observation of ,doctor ,paley1 that     
contrivance is a proof of the           
personality of the ,deity2 and we have  
been accustomed to contemplate with     
admiration and awe the stupendous works 
of creation as emanating from his wisdom
 and will4 ,but you1 in strict          
accordance with the notion to which ,i  
have alluded1 seem not to admit the     
argument1 or the fact on which it is    
founded2 for1 in speaking of the earth's
 revolving in its orbit1 you say1 ,so it
 has been through all ages past1 and so 

it will continue through the eternal    
ages to come4#fj ,as the moon receives  
all its light from the sun1 for itself  
in the first place1 so by that means it 
is enabled to emit a part of the power  
received to the next orb2 and here the  
heavenly order is kept up--so it has    
been through all the previous eternal   
ages1 and so it will continue to all    
future ages4#fa  ,footnote #fj3         
,sermons1 page #ahh4  ,footnote #fa3    
,sermons1 page #aic4  ,is this          
,christianity1 or is it not a renewal of
 the old doctrines of ,pagan philosophy8
 ,they held that matter is eternal1     
although they did not think with you    
that our system had existed through all 
eternity4 ,plato believed the world to  
be the work of ,god out of existing     
matter2 but it was the general belief of
 the learned at a period preceding the  
coming of ,jesus ,christ1 7as it appears
 to be your's17 that the soul of man is 
an emission of the divine nature1 and   
that all are partakers of it--and from  

hence they drew the natural1 and indeed 
unavoidable inference1 that as ,god is  
immortal and the soul of man a part of  
him1 it must necessarily have existed   
from all eternity4  ,this idea1 so      
incompatible with ,god's moral          
government1 completely excludes the     
doctrine of rewards and punishments2 for
 if all that comes from him must return 
to him1 and is part of his nature1 how  
can the soul1 when absorbed in the      
divine essence1 be rewarded for its     
virtues or punished for its vices       
practised on earth8  ,so far from being 
alarmed at this conclusion1 you appear  
to have adopted both the idea and the   
inference2 for you say1 to be in the    
image of ,god we must partake of his own
 nature1 and have a portion of his own  
blessed spirit to animate the soul and  
make it immortal1 as ,god is            
immortal4#fb  ,footnote #fb3            
,sermons1 page #ff4  ,hence it must     
follow1 that if the only immortal part  
in man is the portion of the blessed    

,spirit of which he is the partaker1 and
 that this is a part of the nature of   
,god1 it must be bestowed equally on the
 good and the wicked1 or that no part of
 the latter can be immortal2 and this   
extraordinary consequence must result1  
that worship in spirit is not the homage
 of man to his ,creator1 but the        
,divinity adoring himself4#fc  ,footnote
 #fc3                    ,as much you   
pull ,religion's altars down1           
,by owning all things ,god1 as owning   
none2                   ,for should all 
beings be alike divine1                 
,of worship1 if an object you assign1   
,god to himself must veneration show1   
,must be the object and the votary too2 
,and their assertions are alike absurd1 
,who own no ,god1 or none to be adored4 
,,blackmore4  ,socrates alone1 of all   
the ancient philosophers1 had adopted   
the belief of a future state of rewards 
and punishments2 and the reason why he  
arrived at this truth1 affords an       
instructive lesson to the metaphysical  

preachers of the present day--he        
confined himself to the study of        
morality4 ,what1 7says an eminent       
writer17 could be the cause of his      
belief1 but this restraint1 of which his
 belief was the natural consequence8    
,for1 having confined himself to morals1
 he had nothing to mislead him2 whereas1
 the rest of the philosophers1 applying 
themselves with a kind of fanaticism to 
physics and metaphysics1 had drawn a    
number of absurd but subtile            
conclusions1 which directly opposed the 
consequences of those moral             
arguments4#fd  ,footnote #fd3           
,warburton4  ,and the great ,newton1 in 
reference to this subject1 finishes his 
principles of natural philosophy with   
these reflections3--,this most elegant  
frame of things could not have arisen1  
unless by the contrivance and direction 
of a wise and powerful being3 and if the
 fixed stars are the centres of systems1
 these systems must be similar2 and all 
these1 constructed according to the same

 plan1 are subject to the government of 
one ,being4 ,all these he governs1 not  
as the soul of the world1 but as the    
,lord of all2 and therefore1 on account 
of his government1 he is called the     
,lord ,god2 for ,god is a relative term1
 and refers to subjects4 ,deity is      
,god's government1 not of his own body1 
as those think who consider him as the  
soul of the world1 but of his servants4 
,the supreme ,god is a ,being1 eternal1 
infinite1 and absolutely perfect4 ,but a
 being1 however perfect1 without        
government is not ,god2 for we say my   
,god1 your ,god1 the ,god of ,israel4   
,we cannot say my ,eternal1 my          
,infinite4 ,we may have some notions1   
indeed1 of his attributes1 but can have 
none of his nature4 ,with respect to    
bodies1 we see only shapes and colour1  
hear only sounds1 touch only surfaces4  
,these are attributes of bodies1 but of 
their essence we know nothing4 ,as a    
blind man can form no notion of colours1
 we can form none of the manner in which

 ,god perceives1 and understands1 and   
influences every thing4  ,therefore1 we 
know ,god only by his attributes4 ,what 
are these8 ,the wise and excellent      
contrivance1 structure1 and final aim of
 all things4 ,in these his perfections  
we admire him1 and we wonder4 ,in his   
direction or government1 we venerate and
 worship him--we worship him as his     
servants2 for ,god without dominion1    
without providence1 and final aims1 is  
,fate--not the object either of         
reverence1 of hope1 of love1 or of fear4
  ,you may say that you never intended  
to inculcate such doctrines as ,i have  
alluded to1 and you can produce various 
instances in which you have described   
the ,almighty as the supreme governor of
 the universe2 and if these facts are a 
justification of the course you have    
pursued1 you may continue your career   
completely sheltered from censure or    
reproach2 for ,i cannot observe a single
 novelty in your opinions1 or deviation 
from the established doctrines of the   

,christian church1 which have not been  
contradicted by yourself4  ,but such an 
excuse cannot be availing2 you declare  
that you dare not speak at random1      
otherwise you would show that you       
departed from ,god's illuminating       
spirit2 and although those who have had 
an opportunity to read and compare your 
different sermons1 can contemplate that 
solemn declaration with no other than   
feelings of astonishment and regret at  
the strange delusion1 with others it may
 have a different effect4 ,you are a    
travelling preacher1 scattering one     
doctrine here1 and another there2 and   
interlarding your discourses with bold  
assertions1 which are remembered1 when  
the prolix and visionary distinctions by
 which you attempt to qualify them are  
forgotten4  ,i remember hearing an      
individual who had attended at a meeting
 in the vicinity of ,philadelphia1 at   
which you preached1 when asked what was 
the subject of your discourse1 reply1   
that you preached very comfortable      

doctrine for some of the company1 for   
you had assured them there was no devil4
 ,i am not so uncharitable as to believe
 that you are intentionally instrumental
 in removing the salutary restraints    
upon the vices of man2 and yet ,i am    
surprised that you do not perceive the  
inevitable and pernicious consequences  
of such declarations2 and that1 if you  
do not believe in the authority of the  
,scriptures yourself1 you do not avoid  
assertions which1 while they can have no
 tendency to strengthen and encourage   
the pious mind1 must necessarily        
diminish those feelings of future       
responsibility which1 awful as they are1
 unhappily are not sufficient to        
restrain the wickedness of man4#fe      
,footnote #fe3    ,if the reader wishes 
to know what ,elias ,hicks says on this 
subject1   let him peruse the ,sermons1 
pages #cg1 #afc1 #aff1 #agj1 #ahb1 and  
#bic1 and   he will there have a fair   
specimen of the darkness which surrounds
   him--a cloud of words unilluminated  

by a ray of light4  ,many to whom you   
preach are illiterate1 and without      
capacity to investigate your doctrines  
and their tendency4 ,they have been     
accustomed to listen to the simple      
truths of our religion1 enforced in     
language which they can understand2 and 
they often found in their attendance at 
places of worship1 consolation1         
instruction1 and encouragement4 ,they   
have been taught to believe in the      
revelations unfolded in the sacred      
volume1 and to look forward with the    
cheering hope1 of a ,mediator and       
,redeemer1 who ever liveth to make      
intercession for them4#ff  ,footnote    
#ff3    ,hebrews1 chap4 vii4  ,these are
 the lessons of practical piety1 which  
bring the mind into a situation to      
worship acceptably1 and under the       
influence of which1 men but little      
instructed in human learning1 are often 
enabled to counsel the wise of this     
world in the things that lead to their  
peace4  ,but if these things are all to 

be changed3 if in place of this simple1 
practical religion1 our places of       
worship are to be converted into        
theatres for metaphysical disquisitions1
 and the discussion of questions more   
curious than useful2 and we are to be   
instructed in the unprofitable          
controversies which have so long        
perplexed and disturbed the christian   
world3 if faith is no longer a christian
 principle1 and the revelations of the  
scriptures rejected when not to be      
arrived at by the analogy of reason1    
then indeed must the ,quaker ministry be
 constituted anew1 and even your own    
labours cease4 ,the old and unchanged   
servants can take no part or portion in 
the new order of things2 and it cannot  
be expected that the disciples of the   
new school will take for a master to    
lead them to the truth by analogous     
reasoning1 one1 who has yet to be taught
 what reason really is4                 
,,letter ,,ix4   ,your assertion that   
you cannot believe what you do not      

understand1 is often quoted by your     
followers1 as a proof of your having    
emancipated yourself from the thraldom  
of tradition1 and risen superior to     
those prejudices1 which early education1
 and the authority of antiquity have    
fastened on the minds of men2 and yet   
when we examine and compare this        
assertion with the doctrines you        
inculcate1 it appears evident that you  
have not a correct idea of the meaning  
of your favourite maxim4  ,this         
understanding can only be arrived at by 
the natural faculties of perception1    
judgment1 and reasoning1 and as the     
truth of the especial revelations of    
which you speak1 are propositions which 
cannot be demonstrated by the use of    
these faculties2 they must1 if assented 
to1 be purely matters of faith1 arising 
from our belief in the general truth of 
the christian dispensation4  ,there is a
 clear distinction between things which 
are according to1 above1 and contrary   
to1 reason4 ,the first are propositions1

 the truth of which may be discovered by
 the use of the ideas we have acquired  
from sensation and reflection4 ,the     
second are propositions whose truth     
cannot be investigated by these means3  
and the third1 such as are inconsistent 
and irreconcileable to our clear and    
distinct ideas4  ,thus1 were you to tell
 us1 that without other impulse than    
your own will1 you can give mobility to 
matter1 and at your pleasure reduce it  
to a quiescent state1 we cannot withhold
 our assent1 because we see you         
exercising that dominion in the         
government of your limbs2 and yet so far
 from understanding the operation of    
this wonderful power1 the mind cannot   
form the least idea how the effect is   
produced4 ,but when we hear you declare 
to one set of people that the law of the
 spirit of life in one1 is not the law  
of the spirit of life in his brother2   
and that each individual requires a     
peculiar law to himself2#fg and to      
another1 that this divine law which is  

written by the finger of ,god upon the  
tablet of our hearts1 is the same to    
every individual2#fh we know that these 
contradictory assertions cannot both be 
true2 and must withhold our belief when 
you declare that you dare not speak at  
random1 otherwise you should show that  
you departed from ,god's illuminating   
spirit2 because our reason will never   
permit us to believe that such          
inconsistencies can proceed from the    
illuminations of infinite wisdom4       
,footnote #fg3    ,philadelphia         
,sermons1 page #ea4  ,footnote #fh3     
,new ,york ,sermons1 page #abd4         
,reason1 7says ,locke17 is natural      
revelation1 whereby the eternal ,father 
of ,light1 and fountain of all          
knowledge1 communicates to mankind that 
portion of truth which he has laid      
within the reach of their natural       
faculties4 ,revelation is natural       
reason1 enlarged by a new set of        
discoveries1 communicated by ,god       
immediately1 which reason vouches the   

truth of1 by the testimony and proof it 
gives that they come from ,god4 ,and he 
rebukes the presumption of those who    
reduce the measure of their belief to   
the narrow limits of their own          
understanding1 and declares it is an    
over-valuing of ourselves1 to reduce all
 to the narrow measure of our           
capacities2 and to conclude all things  
impossible to be done1 whose manner of  
doing exceeds our comprehension4 ,this  
is to make our comprehension infinite1  
or ,god finite1 when what he can do1 is 
limited to what we can conceive of it4  
,if you do not understand the operations
 of your own finite mind1 that thinking 
thing1 within you1 do not deem it       
strange1 that you cannot comprehend the 
operations of that eternal1 infinite    
mind1 who made and governs all things1  
and whom the heaven of heavens cannot   
contain4  ,if a ,socinian tells me that 
he cannot assent to any doctrine which  
is not on a level with the comprehension
 of the human understanding1 he is at   

least intelligible2 for he necessarily  
rejects the doctrine of inspiration2 but
 when you make the same assertion1 and  
yet declare that ,god is                
incomprehensible to us as rational      
creatures1 and that all the aids which  
science and philosophy can give1 can    
never bring man to believe rightly in   
,god1#fi and that it is by his inward   
manifestations only that we can discover
 the path of our duty2 the assertions   
are evidently incompatible2 and if any  
deduction can be drawn from them1 it is1
 that the indications by which alone we 
are taught aright1 we are not bound to  
believe4  ,footnote #fi3                
,philadelphia ,sermons1 pages #ea1 #bid1
 and #cjj4  ,reduce your argument to a  
syllogism1 and reflect on the result4   
,prop4 ,i4 ,we cannot believe any thing 
which the human understanding cannot    
comprehend4  ,prop4 ,,ii4 ,science and  
philosophy1 and all the knowledge which 
man can derive from his natural         
faculties1 can never bring him to       

comprehend or believe rightly in ,god4  
,conclusion4 ,as it is impossible for   
man to believe any thing which the human
 understanding cannot comprehend1 and he
 not being able by the aid of these     
faculties to comprehend or believe      
rightly in ,god1 it is impossible for   
him to comprehend or believe rightly in 
,god4  ,suppose1 7and ,i think it       
actually the case17 that you do not     
perceive the extent to which your       
assertion leads1 and that you intended  
to convey the idea that we are not to   
believe any thing above the limits of   
our natural capacities on the testimony 
of another1 and only when the same is   
especially revealed to us2 then ,i would
 ask why you waste so much time in      
descanting on them8 ,according to your  
own rule1 none but those who are        
favoured with the same especial         
revelations can believe you1 and to them
 your preaching is useless4  ,these are 
the inconsistencies of those who bow the
 knee to the image of the ,baal of the  

present day2 who1 neglecting the        
exhortation not to think more highly of 
themselves than they ought to think2 but
 to think soberly1 according as ,god    
hath dealt to every man the measure of  
faith1#gj have become wise in their own 
conceits4  ,footnote #gj3    ,romans1   
chap4 xiv4  ,if indeed the doctrine is  
true1 that nothing is to be believed as 
of divine origin1 which cannot be       
accounted for by that faculty of        
comprehending and judging which we      
derive from nature1 the number of       
religions must be nearly in proportion  
to the number of individuals4 ,what will
 be clear and evident to the more       
discerning1 will be unintelligible to   
the superficial and ignorant1 and our   
unbelief will be increased in the same  
ratio in which our intellectual         
faculties are diminished4  ,look from   
the hillock on which you stand1 at the  
ascending and descending grades of human
 intellect1 and contemplate the         
immeasurable distance between the minds 

of a ,newton and a ,hicks2 of a ,hicks  
and an ,esquimaux3 you will find the    
last unable to comprehend truths of     
which you possess indubitable evidence1 
and yourself unable to understand many  
of the laws by which the universe is    
governed1 although you may have before  
you1 the demonstrations by which the    
great philosopher has proved their      
truth4  ,indeed after all this boast of 
regulating the conduct by those facts   
and circumstances only which we         
understand1 every observer must         
perceive1 that under the practical      
exercise of this principle1 even the    
common affairs of life would stand      
still2 that we all act on the moral     
certainty of the existence and operation
 of things1 the cause or production of  
which is beyond our comprehension2 and  
that it is from the evidence of their   
actual existence1 and not the discovery 
of the means of it1 that our belief in  
them is established4 ,and such is the   
weakness of that understanding on which 

you so much rely1 that even on subjects 
where it can with propriety be          
exercised1 we every day see men         
believing and disbelieving propositions 
under the influence of their interests  
and inclinations1 and sincerely changing
 their opinions1 with their situations  
and circumstances4  ,reason1 7says the  
author#ga of a review of the internal   
evidence of the christian religion17 is 
undoubtedly our surest guide in all     
matters which lie within the narrow     
circle of her intelligence4 ,on the     
subject of revelation her province is   
only to examine its authority and when  
that is once proved1 she has no more to 
do1 but to acquiesce in its doctrines2  
and is therefore never so ill employed  
as when she pretends to accommodate them
 to her own ideas of rectitude and      
truth4 ,god1 says this self sufficient  
teacher1 is perfectly wise1 just1 and   
good2 and what is the inference8 ,that  
all his dispensations must be           
conformable to our notions of perfect   

wisdom1 justice1 and goodness3 but it   
should first be proved1 that man is as  
perfect and as wise as his ,creator1 or 
this consequence will by no means       
follow2 but rather the reverse1 that is1
 that the dispensations of a perfect and
 all wise being1 must probably1 appear  
unreasonable1 and perhaps unjust1 to a  
being imperfect and ignorant4 ,and in   
reply to the objections to the divine   
origin of the christian religion1 from  
the apparent incredibility of some of   
its doctrines1 particularly those       
concerning the trinity1 and atonement   
for sin by the sufferings and death of  
,christ1 one of which is asserted to be 
contrary to all the principles of human 
reason1 and the other to all our ideas  
of divine justice1 he says1 ,no         
arguments founded on principles which we
 cannot comprehend1 can possibly        
disprove a proposition already proved on
 principles which we do understand3 and 
therefore on this subject they ought not
 to be attended to3 that three beings   

should be one being1 is a proposition   
which certainly contradicts reason1 that
 is our reason2 but it does not from    
thence follow that it cannot be true2   
for there are many propositions which   
contradict our reason1 and yet are      
demonstrably true3 one is1 the very     
first principle of all religion1 the    
being of a ,god2 for that any thing     
should exist without a cause1 or that   
any thing should be the cause of its own
 existence1 are propositions equally    
contradictory to our reason2 yet one of 
them must be true1 or nothing could ever
 have existed4 ,in like manner the      
overruling grace of the ,creator1 and   
the free will of his creatures2 his     
foreknowledge of future events1 and the 
uncertain contingency of these events1  
are to our apprehensions absolute       
contradictions to each other2 and yet   
the truth of every one of them is       
demonstrable from ,scripture1 reason1   
and experience4 ,all these difficulties 
arise from our imagining that the mode  

of existence of all beings must be      
similar to our own1 that is1 that they  
must all exist in time and space2 and   
hence proceeds our embarrassment on this
 subject4 ,we know that no two beings1  
with whose mode of existence we are     
acquainted1 can exist at the same point 
of time1 in the same point of space1 and
 that therefore they cannot be one3 but 
how far beings whose mode of existence  
bears no relation to time or space1 may 
be united1 we cannot comprehend2 and    
therefore the possibility of such an    
union we cannot positively deny4 ,and to
 those who assert that even if these    
doctrines are true1 it is inconsistent  
with the justice and goodness of the    
,creator to require from them the belief
 of propositions which contradict1 or   
are above the understanding which he has
 bestowed on them1 he says1 to this ,i  
answer1 that christianity requires no   
such belief3 it has discovered to us    
many important truths1 with which we    
were before entirely unacquainted1 and  

amongst them are these1 that three      
beings are sometimes united in the      
divine essence1 and that ,god will      
accept of the sufferings of ,christ as  
an atonement for the sins of mankind4   
,these1 considered as declarations of   
facts only1 neither contradict1 nor are 
above the reach of human reason3 the    
first is a proposition as plain1 as that
 three equilateral lines compose one    
triangle2 the other as intelligible as  
that one man should discharge the debts 
of another4 ,in what manner this union  
is formed1 or why ,god accepts these    
vicarious punishments1 or to what       
purposes they may be subservient1 it    
informs us not1 because no information  
would enable us to comprehend these     
mysteries1 and therefore it does not    
require that we should know or believe  
any thing about them4 ,the truth of     
these doctrines must rest entirely on   
the authority of those who taught them2 
but then we should reflect that those   
were the same persons who taught us a   

system of religion more sublime1 and of 
ethics more perfect1 than any which our 
faculties were ever able to discover1   
but which1 when discovered1 are exactly 
consonant to our reason1 and that       
therefore we should not hastily reject  
those informations which they have      
vouchsafed to give us1 of which our     
reason is not a competent judge4 ,if an 
able mathematician proves to us the     
truth of several propositions by        
demonstrations which we understand1 we  
hesitate not on his authority to assent 
to others1 the process of whose proofs  
we are not able to follow3 why therefore
 should we refuse that credit to ,christ
 and his apostles which we think        
reasonable to give to one another4      
,footnote #ga3    ,soame ,jenyns4  ,we  
know that the first preachers of the    
gospel were generally illiterate men1   
and that the first converts were among  
the unlearned and ignorant2 and it was  
sufficiently intelligible to them       
because the practical parts were then   

taught2 which1 if not the only1 are     
certainly the most essential portion of 
it4 ,its intrinsic excellence is perhaps
 the best evidence of its divine origin2
 yet it cannot be denied that proofs of 
its authority may sometimes be drawn    
from the speculative inquiries of       
learned and pious men4 ,but a very      
little reflection must convince us how  
little the reasoning of uninformed men  
can be depended on2 and that when they  
are so unwise as to habituate their     
minds to such speculations1 their       
ignorance must continually involve them 
in error and contradictions3 and it     
surely would be prudent in these to     
pause1 before they reject a revelation  
which does not accord with their crude  
notions of reason and the fitness of    
things1 when they recollect that the    
diligent and learned researches of the  
master minds of such men as ,grotius1   
,bacon1 ,newton1 ,locke1 and ,paley1    
have ended in convincing them of its    
truth4  ,there are in the ,scriptures1  

allusions to mysteries which it seems   
not given to us to comprehend in this   
state of being2 and1 consequently1 all  
inquiries into them are vain3 is it not1
 therefore1 reasonable to believe1 that 
such is not our proper business1 and    
that our concern is with those truths   
only1 which have a practical operation  
on the minds and conduct of men1 and    
which are clearly revealed3 and if we   
examine the consequences to many of     
those who are engaged in these theoretic
 inquiries1 must we not conclude that   
they tend little to righteousness1 and  
less to their own peace4                
,,letter ,x4   ,religion being a subject
 of the greatest importance to man1 and 
a matter solely between the ,creator and
 the individual who worships him1 its   
rewards and its punishments appertaining
 to that kingdom which is not of this   
world1 and the conscience of man being  
the seat and throne of ,god in him1 of  
which ,he alone is the proper and       
infallible judge1 who by his power and  

spirit can rectify its mistakes2#gb and 
it being man's duty to worship according
 to the dictates of that conscience1 it 
must follow1 not only from the precepts 
of the ,christian religion1 but also    
from the clearest dictates of reason1   
that every attempt on the part of others
 to control or direct his belief1 is a  
usurpation2 and the injustice is not    
greater than the folly of such attempts2
 for who is there that can believe that 
the coerced acquiescence in any form of 
worship1 can be grateful in the sight of
 the ,almighty2 or that he who1 by the  
exertion of power1 thus makes           
hypocrites1 can render a service        
acceptable to him4  ,footnote #gb3      
,barclay4  ,yet1 notwithstanding this   
self-evident truth1 we find the spirit  
of persecution had taken such fast hold 
of the minds of men1 and had become so  
identified with the priestly character1 
that although they were always ready to 
complain1 and recommend moderation1 when
 suffering from its exercise by others1 

they generally resorted to it when their
 own sect became dominant1 and ages     
elapsed before the principles of        
toleration gained the ascendency in any 
portion of the globe4 ,and it is1       
indeed1 painful to observe with what    
reluctance this wicked prerogative of   
power has been abandoned1 and that in   
this country1 in the full exercise of   
the rights of conscience1 and in the    
midst of the blessings which accrue from
 it1 individuals are found in different 
,christian societies who evince by their
 conduct1 the old spirit2 and who1      
happily restrained by the law from the  
use of the sword and faggot1 freely     
indulge in contumely and reproach1 the  
only weapons left them4  ,the ,society  
of ,friends early distinguished         
themselves as champions for the rights  
of conscience1 and the consequences     
which resulted from the practical       
exercise of this principle in settling  
the province of ,pennsylvania1 have1    
both mediately and immediately1 been of 

incalculable advantage in softening the 
hearts1 and enlarging the minds of men1 
and have caused the name of ,penn to be 
enrolled in the first class of the      
benefactors of mankind4  ,the soil of   
,pennsylvania was dedicated by the great
 proprietor to religious freedom2 it was
 the asylum offered to all sufferers for
 conscience sake2 and our legislators1  
acting on the same principles1 have done
 their part by protecting it from the   
actual violence of bigotry4 ,this is all
 that they could do1 and the duty       
remains to each religious community to  
suppress that spirit1 which1 when       
indulged1 eradicates from the human     
heart all the charities of life4  ,this 
is the duty of all1 and1 in a more      
especial manner1 of those who1          
professing to be of the same faith1 also
 profess to walk in the path of that    
man3 and that they are now called to the
 exercise of this duty must be evident  
from the course which you and some      
others have pursued4  ,who art thou that

 judgest another man's servant8 ,to his 
own master he standeth or falleth2 yea1 
he shall be holden up2 for ,god is able 
to make him stand4 ,but why dost thou   
judge thy brother8 or why dost thou set 
at nought thy brother8 for we shall all 
stand before the judgment seat of       
,christ4 ,let us not judge one another  
any more4#gc  ,footnote #gc3    ,romans1
 chap4 xiv4  ,this was the exhortation  
of ,paul to the ,romans1 when           
instructing them in the use of          
,christian liberty2 for he had been     
taught by his master1 that there were   
other sheep1 though not of this fold4#gd
 ,you1 however1 seem to be in the state 
of ,peter before his vision1 who thought
 it unlawful to eat with the            
uncircumcised1 and knew not1 that on the
 ,gentiles also1 was poured out the gift
 of the ,holy ,ghost3 and1 like ,james  
and ,john1 you seem ready to call down  
the fire of heaven on those who do not  
receive the gospel according to your own
 particular ritual1 although you must   

have read the rebuke of their master1   
,ye know not what manner of spirit ye   
are of2 for the ,son of man is not come 
to destroy men's lives1 but to save     
them4#ge  ,footnote #gd3    ,john1 chap4
 x4  ,footnote #ge3    ,luke1 chap4 ix4 
,you denounce the members of ,bible and 
,missionary ,societies1 and the         
ministers of most other sects1 and      
stigmatise their endeavours to spread   
the gospel1 as an abomination in the    
land2 and accuse them of taking from the
 widow for their own aggrandisement4#gf 
,you say that they compass sea and land 
to make a proselyte1 and that when he is
 made1 they have made him two-fold more 
the child of hell than he was before2#gg
 and1 in speaking of the studies which  
many religious societies enjoin as a    
preparation for the ministry1 you call  
it inventing religions by earthly       
science2 and1 usurping the judgment     
seat1 you boldly pronounce every priest1
 thus made1 to be an enemy to his       
,god2#gh thus indiscriminately          

anathematising thousands and tens of    
thousands of men1 of whom you know      
nothing4  ,footnote #gf3                
,philadelphia ,sermons1 pages #bc1 #bd1 
#bf4  ,footnote #gg3    ,phil4 ,sermons1
 page #abj4  ,footnote #gh3             
,philadelphia ,sermons1 page #bhi4      
,yet1 when it answered a present        
purpose1 we find you asserting1 that the
 law of the spirit of life in you1 is   
not the law of the spirit of life in    
your brother1 whose bondage here may be 
different from your own2 that each      
requires a law peculiar to himself2 and 
that the law in another man's mind is no
 law to us2 and you say you believe that
 there are among the ,christian         
professors1 many who are industriously  
seeking the ,lord1 although under the   
power of tradition and education1 and   
the superstition that reigns in the     
land4#gi  ,footnote #gi3    ,philada4   
,sermons1 pages #ea1 #bfg4  ,that no man
 can tell how far his own opinions are  
influenced by tradition and education is

 unquestionable1 and it ought to render 
us cautious in censuring those of       
others2 and if it is indeed true1 that  
each requires a law peculiar to himself1
 and that the law in another man's mind 
is no law to us1 it must follow that we 
can form no idea of another's duty1 and 
that to attempt to censure or direct his
 conduct1 is as unwise as it is         
presumptuous4 ,and we can account for   
your inconsistency1 only by supposing1  
that you believe yourself possessed of a
 faculty heretofore thought to be an    
attribute of ,omnipotence only1 and that
 you also are a searcher of hearts2 or  
that1 like ,mahomet1 you have especial  
revelations which release you from the  
obligations which you impose on others4 
,neither of your positions appear to me 
to be correct4 ,i believe with one of   
the most exemplary ministers that the   
,society of ,friends ever produced1#hj  
that all true ,christians are of the    
same spirit1 though their gifts may be  
diverse2 that sincere1 upright hearted  

people in every society who love ,god1  
are accepted of him2 and that           
,christianity is a pure principle in the
 human mind1 which is confined to no    
forms of religion1 nor excluded from    
any1 where the heart stands in perfect  
sincerity4  ,footnote #hj3    ,john     
,woolman1 pages #i1 #ha1 #cbe4  ,these  
are the opinions of one1 who ,i cannot  
be mistaken in considering1 as of       
greater authority than yourself2 for the
 history of his life discovers the      
uniformity of his belief2 and the       
moderation which characterised his      
language and opinions1 sufficiently     
prove that he adopted in practice the   
recommendation of a very pious man1#ha  
turn your eyes inward upon yourself1 for
 you can hardly exceed in judging your  
own actions1 nor be too cautious and    
sparing in censuring those of others2   
and censuring1 indeed1 this deserves to 
be called1 in the worst sense of the    
word1 rather than judging2 if we        
consider1 not only how unprofitable to  

any good end1 but how liable to infinite
 mistakes1 and very often how           
exceedingly sinful1 all such judgments  
are4  ,footnote #ha3    ,thomas a       
,kempis4  ,i am not a member of any     
,missionary or ,bible ,society1 nor are 
all the measures pursued by either of   
them1 in accordance with my opinions2   
but ,i see among them1 men who1 by their
 lives and conversations1 evince the    
purity and uprightness of their motives1
 and ,i dare not judge them1 lest ,i be 
judged4  ,in reading the rash and       
uncharitable assertions which ,i have   
quoted1 ,i have imagined one of these   
men expostulating with you4 ,suppose him
 to say1 ,look to the many pious1       
charitable1 and distinguished men who   
are among us1 and say whether you really
 believe they would rob the widow of her
 mite for their own aggrandisement8 ,or 
do you believe that the labours of a    
,wilberforce1#hb who has devoted all his
 talents1 and passed a life in          
unparalleled exertions for the relief of

 the oppressed ,africans1 and in        
communicating to them a knowledge of the
 ,christian religion1 are an abomination
 in the land8 ,you appear to have your  
mind exercised on account of this       
people1 and have expressed great zeal on
 their behalf2 but your labours seem to 
be confined to declamations among your  
friends in ,pennsylvania and ,new       
,jersey1 among whom slavery does not    
exist1 and whose abhorrence of the      
practice is equal to your own4          
,footnote #hb3    ,he is one of the most
 active members of the ,society for     
propagating   the gospel4  ,compare     
these labours with those of one of our  
brethren1#hc who1 under a like concern1 
believed himself called to visit the    
mansions of misery1 and endeavour to    
pour into the afflicted bosom of        
wretchedness1 the consolations unfolded 
by the gospel4 ,he knew the perils and  
privations that awaited him1 and he     
encountered them all4 ,excluded from the
 society of the white inhabitants1 and  

continually assailed with contumely1 he 
passed his days among this miserable and
 degraded race1 until1 under the pretext
 that he fomented rebellion among the   
slaves1 he was imprisoned and condemned 
to die1 on the oaths of some of these   
wretched beings1 whose own lives        
depended on the testimony they gave4    
,this was all that his enemies could do1
 for the regulations of the government  
of ,england did not permit the execution
 of the sentence until ratified by them1
 and the proceedings were no sooner     
known there than they were annulled4    
,but it was too late6 the severity of   
his imprisonment in an unhealthy climate
 had hurried him to his grave4 ,his     
journal and letters show the extent of  
his labours1 and that in many instances1
 even the imperfect knowledge and       
experience which his converts must      
necessarily have had of our religion1   
had produced a striking improvement in  
their conduct and conversation1 and     
afforded great encouragement to expect  

the happiest results4  ,footnote #hc3   
,the missionary ,smith4  ,now1 can you  
believe that this man1 who has given    
such evidence of the sincerity of his   
belief1 and of his devotedness to what  
he deemed his duty1 could be numbered   
among the enemies of his ,god8 ,or that 
the glimpse of gospel light which he had
 been instrumental in communicating to  
the benighted minds of the miserable    
beings around him1 had made them        
two-fold more the children of hell than 
before8  ,to such expostulations you    
could make no reply1 nor can the        
imagination conceive any plausible      
apology for the terms you have used4    
,the inconsistency and extravagance of  
the assertions carry with them their own
 refutation1 and the coarseness of the  
language can inspire nothing but disgust
 in every liberal mind4 ,in one point of
 view only1 can they be of importance to
 any but yourself1 and that is1 as it   
affects the reputation of the society of
 which you are a member2 and as these   

sentiments are alien to those of that   
respectable body1 it is to be lamented  
that a meeting which was probably       
attended by people of various religious 
professions1 was permitted to separate1 
without some individual whose mind was  
imbued with their truly catholic        
principles1 explaining what they really 
are2 so that none might go away in the  
belief that this people also1 presume to
 scan the limits of the mercy of the    
,almighty1 and deal damnation round the 
land1 on each they judge his foe4  ,nor 
do ,i believe that your own heart       
responds to such sentiments1 or that in 
your cooler moments you can possibly    
believe them correct4 ,the tongue is an 
unruly member1 and he who talks much1   
will sometimes talk unwisely4 ,we are   
told that although man can tame the     
beasts of the forest1 the tongue no man 
can tame4 ,behold1 7says the            
apostle1#hd7 how great a matter a little
 fire kindleth4 ,therewith bless we     
,god1 even the ,father2 and therewith   

curse we men1 who are made after the    
similitude of ,god4 ,out of the same    
mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing4  
,my brethren these things ought not to  
be so4 ,this wisdom descendeth not from 
above1 but is earthly1 sensual1         
devilish4 ,but the wisdom that is from  
above is first pure1 then peaceable1    
gentle1 and easy to be entreated1 full  
of mercy and good fruits1 without       
partiality and without hypocrisy4 ,and  
the fruit of righteousness is sown in   
peace1 of them that make peace4         
,footnote #hd3    ,james1 ,chap4 #c4    
,an accurate observer will often        
discover how erroneously the zeal of    
individuals operates3 he will see around
 him numbers always ready to counsel and
 advise their neighbours2 to detect     
their errors and reprove their          
aberrations3 but how few among us scan  
with equal severity their own2 and this1
 because there is something gratifying  
in the superiority which attaches to the
 counsellor and censor of others1 but   

always troublesome1 and often painful1  
to sit in judgment on ourselves4 ,so    
when the preacher is followed and       
applauded1 it often begets a restless   
spirit3 silent worship no longer affords
 him satisfaction1 and he seldom permits
 it to others1 when he is present4 ,few 
men have such fertility of imagination  
as to be able to vary such frequent     
discourses2 he is often at a loss for a 
subject1 and seizes with avidity every  
new idea1 regardless of its correctness1
 if it possesses the charm of novelty4  
,the author of an essay on practical    
piety#he makes some reflections on the  
situation of ministers of the gospel1   
which ought to be attentively considered
 by them4 ,there are perils on the right
 hand and on the left4 ,it is not among 
the least1 that though a pious clergyman
 may1 at first1 have tasted with        
trembling caution of the delicious cup  
of applause1 he may gradually grow1 as  
thirst is increased by indulgence1 to   
drink too deeply of the enchanted       

chalice4 ,the dangers arising from any  
thing that is good1 are formidable      
because unsuspected4 ,and such are the  
perils of popularity1 that we will      
venture to say that the victorious      
general1 who has conquered a kingdom1 or
 the sagacious statesman who has        
preserved it1 is almost in less danger  
of being spoiled than the popular       
preacher2 because their danger is likely
 to happen but once1 his is perpetual3  
theirs is only on a day of triumph1 his 
day of triumph occurs every week2 we    
mean1 the admiration he excites4 ,every 
fresh success ought to be a fresh motive
 to humiliation3 he who feels his danger
 will vigilantly guard against          
swallowing too greedily1 the            
indiscriminate and often                
undistinguishing plaudits1 which his    
doctrines1 or his manner1 his talents or
 his voice1 may equally procure for him4
 ,if he be not prudent as well as pious1
 he may be brought to humour his        
audience1 and his audience to flatter   

him with a dangerous emulation1 till    
they will scarcely endure truth itself1 
from any other lips4 ,the spirit of     
excessive fondness generates a spirit of
 controversy4 ,some of the followers    
will rather improve in casuistry than in
 christianity4 ,they will be more busied
 in opposing ,paul to ,apollos1 than in 
looking unto ,jesus1 the author and     
finisher of their faith1 than in        
bringing forth fruits meet for          
repentance4 ,religious gossip may assume
 the place of religion itself4 ,a party 
spirit is thus generated1 and           
christianity may begin to be considered 
as a thing to be discussed and disputed1
 to be heard and talked about1 rather   
than as the productive principle of     
virtuous conduct4  ,footnote #he3    ,h4
 ,moore4  ,that this spirit exists in a 
considerable degree among a portion of  
the ,society of ,friends1 ,i think      
cannot be doubted2 and it would indeed  
be wise in each individual1 seriously to
 scrutinize his own conduct1 and        

consider whether he has been            
instrumental in generating or           
propagating it4                         
,,conclusion4   ,when ,i first undertook
 to review some of the prominent        
features in the sermons alluded to1 ,i  
did expect to confine my remarks within 
a narrow compass2 but the topics which  
the author discusses are so various and 
the applications so numerous1 that it   
unavoidably led to their extension1 and 
,i have at last left many untouched     
which are entitled to very serious      
consideration4  ,i know there are some  
very serious and pious men who lament   
that these sermons were published2 but  
,i am not of their opinion2 for although
 they may1 in one point of view1 be     
prejudicial1 an accurate knowledge of   
the whole scheme1 must ,i think convince
 every thinking mind1 that it is not    
only inconsistent with the christian    
religion1 but that its parts are so     
discordant1 and its doctrines so darkly 
mysterious1 as to elude the             

comprehension of man2 and that the      
author1 so far from elucidating that    
religion by his boasted reliance on the 
human understanding1 has been led by    
that modicum of it possessed by himself1
 into many notions totally              
irreconcileable to right reason4  ,in   
one respect they may be injurious2 not  
by making converts to the system1 but by
 impairing the belief of individuals in 
the truths recorded in ,scripture1 and  
thus paving the way to complete         
infidelity2 for there are few minds so  
stolid as really to have faith in a     
religion1 founded on a book1 which they 
believe to be itself a fiction4  ,it    
would perhaps be advisable for every    
member of the ,society1 after perusing  
these sermons1 to read the life and     
writings of ,john ,woolman4 ,contrast   
often serves to elucidate the truth1 and
 the dissimilitude is so great1 that    
they will have little difficulty in     
discovering which has been actuated by  
that humble1 peaceable1 and gentle      

spirit1 recommended by the example and  
precepts of the ,founder of our         
religion4 ,they were probably equally   
deficient in human learning2 but while  
the one1 confident in his own abilities1
 is continually involving himself in    
contradictions by allusions to subjects 
which he does not understand2 the other1
 favoured with what learning can never  
supply1 a large fund of good sense1     
pursues the even tenor of his way       
without entanglement or inconsistency3  
the one1 labouring to clothe his        
arguments in the brilliant language of  
the orator1 leaves them involved in     
inextricable confusion2 the other1      
explains his ideas with a precision and 
clearness1 which if they do not convince
 cannot be misunderstood4  ,indeed there
 is such a sober seriousness and        
mildness of spirit which breathes       
through all the writings of ,john       
,woolman2 such unbounded charity for    
others1 and such severity in the        
examination of himself2 such persuasive 

earnestness in his exhortations1 and    
such a perfect conformity between all   
his principles and practices1 that      
however men may differ respecting some  
of his doctrines and opinions1 all must 
acknowledge that he possessed a mind    
imbued with a truly christian spirit1   
and regard his tone and manner of       
writing as a model which ought to be    
imitated by all christian professors4   
,the doctrine of divine inspiration was 
the belief of every christian church in 
its primitive simplicity1 and is yet the
 doctrine of almost all of them1 under  
different names and modifications2 and  
if the belief in it is impaired1 ,i fear
 it must1 in a great degree1 be         
attributed to some of those who profess 
to be under the guidance of it4 ,not    
content with the measure of light which 
it affords1 and which is sufficient for 
the great purpose of enabling him to    
work out his own salvation1 man1 in the 
pride of his heart1 is prone to get from
 under that humble state1 in which alone

 its manifestations are rightly         
impressed on the mind2 to believe it is 
given as a substitute for1 and not in   
aid of1 our reason2 and mistaking his   
own visionary fancies for revelations1  
actually persuades himself that he also 
is invested with the attribute of       
omniscience4 ,the inconsistencies in    
which minds thus sublimated are always  
involved1 are stumbling blocks to many1 
who are from thence led to consider all 
as an illusive or hypocritical          
pretension4  ,these are the whims of the
 imagination2 when man in his exaltation
 releases himself from the control of   
his reason1 and eradicates from his     
heart the pure and unadulterated        
principles of the christian religion2   
when1 forgetting his infirmities1 and   
vaunting in his strength1 he assumes    
that station to which he is not called1 
and ministers to others1 when his own   
light is extinguished4 ,these are they  
who are described by the poet--         
,aspiring to be ,gods1 if angels fell1  

,aspiring to be angels1 men rebel4      
,but1 notwithstanding the discouraging  
prospects which surround this people1 ,i
 trust that all is not lost2 that the   
ark is yet upborne by hallowed hands2   
and that ,sion's mount is still         
encircled by a chosen band1 who read    
with humility1 reverence1 and           
instruction1 that great spiritual and   
moral code1 given to man in the name and
 in the majesty of ,him1 who is from    
everlasting to everlasting1 the         
,almighty4  ,,the ,,end4                
,transcriber's ,notes3  ,missing or     
obscured punctuation was corrected4     
,typographical errors were silently     
corrected4  ,errata provided at the end 
of the book have been applied to the    
text4