4

that God required none but what the tears of the penitent could make; that he died to show us how to crucify our sinful propensities on the cross of our faith:-this queer piece of heretical mysticism is, I think, verbally, much the same as his position, so far as I can recollect its terms. Other views were all in keeping with these; and when I produced a host of quotations of scripture, right in the teeth of his assertions, he grew warm, degraded the Book of God, and made up for the want of argument by resorting to sonorous prophecy. This is one of their very common and very wicked arts of evasion. When cornered with an argument or crippled with a text, they usually (their preachers, I mean) become suddenly inspired; and exalting their testimony above all height, put down all carnal doubts, all naughty caviling, all daring liberty of thought, in a summary way. This, though the details were worse, was the general sum of our interview; and I returned as I went, only more disgusted with Quakerism than ever. Still, I loved the man, and resolved to think the best of him. Sometimes I thought, he is certainly an awful deceiver, an emissary of the pit; and then tried to believe, so recent and infirm were my doctrinal impressions, that his ignorance and education might properly reconcile the idea of his errors with the possibility of his piety.10 My companion, too, said all he could in his favor; but not enough to inspire me with any confidence in such a guide of souls.

Thus to write of that journey, and of those who entertained me at its end, seems, I acknowledge,

like ingratitude: for I was received and treated every where with the kindest hospitality, attention, and fulness. Could these things have compensated for the want of greater and better, I had been converted by their generous behavior much sooner than their arguments. This is one of the worst things about them! They lack the evidences of vital and genuine religion; but have so many other things resembling its secondary and subordinate attendants, that they feel safe, and wish others to think them so, on account of these other things. Now, I am far enough from censuring their hospitable and generous mode of entertaining strangers, and should not blame them if they were even more given to this noble conduct than many of them are: but, what I aver is, that it is worse than boorishness and inclemency when it takes the place and becomes the imposing substitute of the religion of the Bible! It blinds. the eyes of host and guest; while spectators at a distance "judge according to the appearance" and forget "righteous judgment." Hospitality, however, is only one of their sectarian virtues; there is a whole system of influence, exactly of the same sort, that diffuses itself through all the relations of society, and deceives every man who does not truly take the Bible as his oracle. I was, therefore, not insensible to their kindness, nor ungrateful for it; and what is much more, I was not deceived by it. Compare their courtesy and claims with the inspired mottos of the title-page of this volume! A maturer observation has confirmed my opinion of the general emptiness of their christian pretensions. Many of

them, especially in the city of Philadelphia, possess the social qualities comparatively in polish and perfection. Their families, some of their schools, and public institutions, are ordinarily well regulated. They have public spirit, fine manners, and good information. They live upon a noble and generous scale of things; and are evidently in the career of social and intellectual improvement. In many respects are they excellent and valuable members of society; and in many meliorated and altered from primitive Friends. They have refinement, elegance, and worldly respectability! In all these matters I would delight to do them justice, as I sincerely respect and even love many of them; while I wish nothing worse than salvation to one of them. This they may little appreciate, if they read these lines. I however record it, because it is the truth, and because others will appreciate it. I know them too well to expect the holy magnanimity that loves truth even when it condemns us; and when I reflect on the nature of unbelief and of Christianity, of worldly greatness and eternal glory, of the sanctions of God and the presumptions of men, their graceless excellencies appear only the worse, because they usurp the place that religion claims; they appear like Anti-Christ in the temple of God, splendid and saintly in his professions, so that "the world wonders after the beast," but false and hollow in principles, because an evident enemy to the cross of Christ, in which alone the apostle gloried; and the worse an enemy, because surrounded with all the show that indicates a friend.

On my return I was summoned, both by my anxious mother and by the heads of the Pine-street meeting, to which I belonged, to Philadelphia. I complied; and while there, (about two weeks,) lost no opportunity, as I thought it proper, and as my honored mother required of me, to attend all their meetings, and to have frequent interviews with their chief men, and to put myself sincerely in the way of receiving any explanation which might, if possible, reconcile it to my conscience to continue my birth-right membership. The uniform result of such occasions, when calmly compared with the doctrine of the Bible, was a deeper conviction of the fundamental errors of the society, and that it was my duty "to go forth unto Christ without the camp, bearing his reproach for here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come." Heb. 13: 13, 14. Without more detail, I will state the substance of an interview which I had with a committee of the meeting appointed finally to treat with me. They were five or six in number, though at present I distinctly recollect but three of them. These were two brothers, A. and B. and a third one, say C. After sitting through a long pause, which, as they accounted it worship, I was unwilling to disturb, I thought their embarrassment was manifest, and hence that it was my duty to break the silence. If, said I, we are all the servants of the same God, and the disciples of the same Lord, we need not be afraid of each other. I wish you, if you please, to commence business, as time is precious, and I am prepared. I regard you as the heads of

the meeting to which I arnertain, and hope you are Friends not only to each other, but to God and his servants. If you can answer my sincere scruples against your whole system, I will state them, and rejoice in their dissipation.

A. We did not come here to engage in controversy. Neither did I, having no fondness for it, I assure you. But do you not "watch for souls as they that must give account?" and ought you not, when a member deviates, as I appear to you to have done, to try to convince and restore him?

I

Here some allusion was made to a letter which I had written, acknowledging theirs, informing them of my intended compliance with their request to see them, and describing my visit on Long-Island, with the doctrine I had there heard and condemned. found that the letter had affected them unhappily: as I kept no copy, I do not remember its expressions; while I doubt not that its style was energetic and peculiar, I can only vouch for its general correctness. I had also felt some of the bitter fruits of that letter before my interview with the committe. Being in meeting one week-day, just as they were about to pass from worship to "business," I chose to remain. No one, indeed, but a member, had a right to do this; but I was a member, and was conscious of no bad motives or offence in remaining. Here one of their preachers—what is he now ?—who was of the first in that meeting, rose suddenly and beckoned me to arise and follow him. I complied. As soon as we had passed the door he thus accosted me: "I think it improper that thou, who