Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

and dogmatize them on mankind, proscribing or legitimating what we will-as if will was law! Others are as free as we are; we as obligated to subjection as others. Legislation in such things belongs underived to the prerogative of the Great King of consciences; and belongs to him alone. Besides, there are two other reasons against the usurpation of our legislating in the case: first, we never engage in making or doing such laws, without so neglecting, as practically to unmake and undo, the really obligatory laws of God: the commanded sacraments, for example! The attention we give to uncommanded forms, always subduces proportionately from our obedience to what is commanded. Second, As it is wrong in principle for any man to POPIFY himself as a lawgiver, in the church especially, so, as Paul avers and as experience shows, it ought to be resisted in its beginnings and crushed in the quickening; or it will increase, mature, and become at last a living monster of mischief and impiety. So prolific is the progeny of abuses, when allowed; superseding christianity as God gave it to us, in its completeness and adaptation, in his word.

But the plainness of the society often operates as a salutary restraint. I question this altogether. Besides, restraint is not virtue. A tiger may be restrained, till in effect he becomes as inoffensive as a lamb: but still he is a tiger. How much virtue is there in a restrained Quaker? as much as there is of sanity in a maniac dressed in strait vesture. Such restraint is not salutary, except possibly for the repose of the community. It cramps the mind;

makes servile the temper; irritates the feelings; contradicts the wishes, without at all convincing the judgment or enlightening the conscience; generates cowardice; acts as a constant mentor of degradation; exposes its subjects to the cruelty and sport of the foolish, without at all commending them to the confidence of the wise; and is calculated to foster self-deceit, contractedness of thought, latent malice, envy, and sly duplicity. I solemnly believe that Quakerism tends to degrade the human mind; to strengthen its vulgar and low propensities, to alienate mental manhood and the honest love of moral evidence; to inspire cant, religious whining, holy moping, artificial distortions of the countenance, perversion of doctrine, solemn vacuity, and even desperation, insanity, and suicide! Of the insanity of its tendencies-I can only record that I have long believed it from actual observation. I could give names-a number-now at my command and of my acquaintance, of Friends, who, under the influence of their most reasonless and proofless scheme of mysticism, have gone lunatic and died maniacs-some, and these their preachers, by self-violence. The reasons are, I think, mainly such as these: it stimulates the mind, when spiritually exercised, to the intensity of fanaticism; puts it upon the quest of things impracticable; deprives it of the strength and satisfaction of rational evidence; shows it not at all, for it does not know, THE GLORIOUS DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, or THE SCRIPTURAL WAY OF WARRANTED ACCESS TO GOD; fills it with a host of

morbid prejudices; perverts its sober thought, and inspires a feeling that rational investigation is inimical to spirituality and offensive to the grace of the Spirit; destroys, as I believe, the proper and glorious use of scriptural and evangelical guidance, by telling them—and let no Friend deny this—that the scriptures are "a secondary rule!" and the Spirit speaking IN them "the primary rule" in religion; yea, that the Spirit, i. e. God himself, is a rule of action, and infinitely the highest and best rule of action! I speak as a witness and know that I speak truth-though well I know also how their serpentine sophistry will declaim, and throw dust in the air, to darken the vision of others! The best restraint in the world is-pure christianity.

64

But one of their esoteric arguments is—that if they do not maintain the characteristic plainness of the society, they will lose cast and come to nothing! Will they? Well, I think this must be admitted. It is my own opinion. Hence we see the importance of "working out their own" Quakerism, with punctilious conformity; for, otherwise, they may stand a chance to find out the truth and get converted to christianity! But-I would tell them, 1. That they will come to nothing, at all events, so far as Quakerism is concerned. They are now so much altered, from a thorough-going Quaker of the seventeenth century, that if the two kinds should coexist in Philadelphia next year, or even in London, they could not mutually endure each other. Which of them is sufficiently "faithful" in these days, to enter Christ church "steeple-house" in

that city and interdict the worship there, in the name of the Lord! I do not believe that if George Fox were to enter Arch-street meeting, in the city aforesaid, he would be either welcome or endured; i. e. if he should be just what he formerly was. There is no persecution in this free and happy land, to elevate them into sectarian prosperity. Nor is any man more glad of this every way than myself. But mark my word, and remember it when I am in the other world-IN THIS COUNTRY OF

LIGHT AND CIVIL FREEDOM THEY WILL CONTINUALLY WANE, ASSIMILATE TO BETTER MODELS, AND ULTIMATELY COME TO NOTHING AS A SECT.

Every generation will probably improve in mental freedom and the temper to examine. The circumambient light, made by reflections and refractions from the word of God, will compel them progressively to see things as they are. They will then begin to reason; and I hope, to pray— without waiting profanely for a motion of their sluggish internal prompter. It will then be enough for them to know what is the will of God on the subject. And if they can possibly ascertain from his living oracles, by studious searching and a little common sense, that Jesus Christ once spake a parable to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint," they may at last come to see that the invitation, the order, the promise, of God, to prayer, constitute THE IDENTICAL ALL-SUFFICIENT WARRANT "to every one that believeth." This will instantly break up the waiting system; it will make their silent meetings seem to

[ocr errors]

them as empty and heathenish as they are; and learning to follow the Spirit where he truly leads, they will obey the written word of inspiration, as their highest rule of action, and come experimentally to know, much better than Barclay ever did, the meaning of that grand aphorism which he mystically abuses-As MANY AS ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD. Rom. 814. Heb. 4: 14-16. Many an old man probably will hug his prejudices "inwardly" to the grave; but his posterity may not always "approve his sayings." The signs of the times indicate the progress of things and their improvement too. Their educated young men will think and speak and influence others. Friends have altered since I can remember. They are shaken, the whole of them-except the mere mental and moral sediment of the society, the ignorant and the dull proverbially. They begin to see that there is no sin in classical education and mental discipline; that Latin and Greek may be learned from good motives, and without contamination; that there is more temptation in ignorance than in sound learning ; and that all correct knowledge may be acquired in subserviency to piety. Let real light advance. It never had such a fair field as in this land. God is the Great Patron of all true knowledge; and christianity is a system of rational evidence, as well as of "grace and truth.”

SECTARIANISM.

I must add, 2. That they ought to repent of their It is a shame to any people, especially in this age and in this unique and happy land;

« AnteriorContinuar »