turally would it follow, that " divers well disposed "friends fhould indeed be fenfibly affected by the "various causes of discouragement which had been "reported to the late national yearly meeting!" Well might they be "prone to fink under the present "gloom," whilft they reflected, either upon the events which were already paffed-or upon those which might reasonably be expected to fucceed. For unless these "well difpofed friends" are roufed from their defpondency, and should happily fucceed in giving a more falutary direction to the zeal of their active brethren, it requires not the aid of prophecy to foresee the result, which, a perseverence in such measures, must neceffarily produce.

They who are rightly bound to the "maintenance "of good order," and the "fupport of chriftian tefti"monies," have indeed important duties to fulfil; and earneftly will it be the wish of every serious and benevolent mind, that such persons may, at all times, be "encouraged and affifted." It is of importance, however, to ascertain whether the language, adopted on this occafion, is ftrictly applicable to that conduct which it was the object of the fociety to recommend.

the

The deceivableness of the human heart, and the fecret, continual workings of SELF-LOVE, frequently under circumftances which render its agency leaft-fufpected, and fometimes under the guise even of benevolence-are juftly deemed powerful obftacles to that most difficult, yet most important, of all human attainments-THE ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR

SELVES.

SELVES. Hence, great circumfpection and frequent felf-examination are effential, and especially for those who fill the leading stations in fociety, left, from miftaken apprehenfions refpecting themselves and their duties, they become of that clafs, who have "a zeal "for God, but not according to knowledge." The prejudices of education-an undue attachment to the reputation of our fect, or to the establishment of our favourite fyftem, are motives, which, in all ages, have operated with such extenfive influence, that none, but those who are jealous of themselves, can poffibly expect to preserve their minds unwarped by fuch causes. The purity of our motives, the suitableness of our qualifications, and the genuine nature and tendency of our conduct, should therefore be well afcertained, before we engage in focial duties for the "maintenance of good order," and the "fupport of chriftian teftimonies ;" and in an especial manner, under fuch peculiar circumftances as those which we have now been relating. Without great attention to thefe confiderations, whenever we engage in the service of religion, we are in constant danger of injuring instead of ferving, that caufe which we may believe ourselves moft defirous of promoting, and even of deftroying our own peace.

It cannot be doubted, that among those who have been active in the measures which have led to the difownment, or voluntary feparation of their ferious and confcientious brethren and fifters, there are many, whofe lives and converfation evince much that is truly refpectable and exemplary. There is abundant reason to believe that this clafs includes a confiderable num

ber who have been fincerely defirous of discharging their duty, under circumftances, to them, peculiarly difficult and painful; and they may not have been fully aware of all the confequences which the meafures, in which they have taken part, were calculated to produce.

It is alfo poffible, that fome of these persons, knowing that they had been appointed by the fociety to execute its rules, in fupport of the discipline, and in conformity with the recommendations of the national yearly meeting, may hence, have been too eafily fatisfied with their own conduct, and not fuitably impreffed with the importance of that serious inquiry into the grounds on which they were then acting, which was so peculiarly called for, by the new and interesting situation of affairs at this time. How often, and how emphatically, have the rightly concerned minifters among us, been engaged to imprefs upon our minds, that in all our movements for the good of our fellow creatures, it is of great importance not to act under the fanction of mere human appointment; but to have a clear conviction, that the fervice proposed to us by our brethren in the church, is that which is required by, and will be acceptable to, God.

In whatever point of view, the events, which form the fubjects of this narrative, may be confidered, it will be admitted by all, that they are pregnant with inftruction. To those who have taken an active part in them, these events must frequently form the subjects of interefting review; and, if any of the feelings,

under

under the influence of which they have acted, or any of the impreffions, under which their opinions have been formed, were too ftrongly excited by the concomitant circumftances of the day, the "lenient hand "of time," and the opportunities for fubfequent reflection, may, it is hoped, have affifted them in forming a more mature and unbiaffed judgment. They are now enabled more fully to afcertain the aggregate number and importance of the events which have taken place, and to judge, in what degree "the restoration of "barmony and good order amongst us, as a religious fo"ciety, (that fo all may be preserved in the unity of the fpirit, which is the bond of true peace.” *) has been effected by the measures, which are reluctantly recorded in this narrative; and to compare the confequences, hereby produced, with those which might poffibly have been the result, if a different fyftem had been acted

upon.

They cannot be fuppofed to be ignorant of thofe events which, ecclefiaftical history informs us, have occurred in every religious fociety, whenever the bulk of its members have become devoted to the world. The certain confequence of this is, that the religious opinions of fuch are thenceforward retained, merely as effects of education or tradition; the inclination, and even the power, to investigate for themselves, fcarcely exifts; the rights of private judgment and the exercise of individual inquiry, in others, are difcouraged, or at least regarded

* See Minute of the National Yearly Meeting, 1801, Page 139.

regarded with a jealous eye, the very grounds on which the fociety firft claimed a distinct existence, become unpopular among its own members; and an appeal to those principles on which it was originally founded, is regarded as a fymptom of the dangerous spirit of innovation.* But the consequence, most of all

* One of the most important of those PRINCIPLES, under the influence of which, conscientious individuals, detach themselves from the community at large, in order to form a diftin&t religious fociety is, "that the END for which they affociate, fhall at all times be aimed at SOLELY by VIRTUOUS "MEANS." Their PRIMARY OBJECT is to affert and maintain important rights, or to promulgate and give effect to important truths, by which they believe their own best interests, and those alfo of their fellow-creatures, are likely to be promoted. The forming and preserving of a society is a sɛCONDARY OBJECT; it is folely the MEANS, of which the primary object is the END. It must therefore follow that, to this PRIMARY OBJECT, the SECONDARY OBJECT fhould be at all times, not merely SUBORDINATE, but SUBSERVIENT; and it is effential to the right conduct of every religious society, that its members fhould be impreffed with the importance of this diftinction. If they be ignorant of or inattentive to it, they will often be in danger, not only of, forgetting the PRIMARY OBJECT for which they were at first associated, but even of counteracting its attainment. Indeed there is always reafon to be apprehenfive of this confequence, when the PREDOMINANT wish, or LEADING object of any society, is to fupport its existence and reputation as a distinct sect. Measures may be well adapted to the purpose of keeping up a sect, and preserving respect to its rules and reputation;

and