"judge him that did not eat, and he that did not eat, "not to judge him that did eat. Yea, in matters of "worship he that obferved a day, and kept a sabbath, "not to judge him that obferved not a day or kept not "a fabbath: for the Jews which were truly converted,

were yet hard to be drawn off from the obfervation "of their fabbath, and could hardly bear with the "believing Gentiles, who were never taught to keep "their fabbath with them, but were taught to esteem "every day, and fanctify it to the Lord, Rom. xiv.

up a

5. And thofe who efteemed every day, and dedi"cated it to the Lord (ceafing from fin, and refting "to him for under the gospel we are not to fet ແ new type, but to enter by faith into the true rest, "which is the fubftance of what the other fignified,) "could hardly bear with them who obferved a day."Even in the apoftles' days, Chriftians were too apt ແ to strive after a wrong unity and uniformity in outward "practices and obfervations, and to judge one another

unrighteously in these things. And mark, it is not "the different practice from one another that breaks the

peace and unity, but the judging of one another, be"cause of different practices. He that keeps not a "day, may unite in the fame fpirit, in the fame life, "in the fame love with him that keeps a day; and he "who keeps a day, may unite in heart and foul with "the fame spirit and life in him who keeps not a day; "but be that judgeth the other, because of either of these, "errs from the spirit, from the love, from the life, and "fo breaks the bond of unity. And he that draws "another to any practice, before the life in his own particular lead him; doth, as much as in him lies, "destroy

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F

"deftroy the foul of that perfon, (ver. 15.)

This

was the apostle's rule, for every one to perform "fingly to the Lord what he did, and not for one to "meddle with the light or confcience of another, (un"dervaluing his brother, or judging him because bis

66

light and practices differed from his, chap. xiv. 10.) "but every one to keep close to their own measure of light, even to that proportion of faith and knowledge, which God of his mercy hath bestowed on "them. And here is the true unity in the spirit, in the « inward life, and not in an outward uniformity. "That was not necessary in the Apostle's days, nor is "it necessary now; and that eye which fo dotes upon "it, overlooks the one thing which is necessary. Men "keeping clofe to God, the Lord will lead them on "fast enough; for he taketh care of fuch, and "knoweth what light, and what practices are most 66 proper for them; but for men to walk on fafter than "the Lord holds forth his light to them, this over"turns them, raising up a wrong thing in them, and "the true birth hereby comes to suffer, to fhrink, and "be driven back. And ob! bow fweet and pleasant " is it to the truly spiritual eye, to see several forts of "believers, feveral forms of chriftians in the school of "Chrift, every one learning their own leffon, per

forming their own peculiar fervice, and knowing, 66 owning, and loving one another in their several places, "and different performances to their Mafter, to whom

they are to give an account, and not, to quarrel "with one another about their different practices !" Rom. xiv. 4.-Pennington's Works, v. i. p. 320. 4to. 1761.

Some

Some time previous to this, confiderable diffatisfaction had arifen, and was ftill felt, refpecting feveral friends who had been confidered as acknowledged minifters of the fociety. This was occafioned in part by the doctrines which fome of these minifters preached, and in part by an apprehenfion that the lives and conduct of others were not fuch as became the important ftations of minifters of the gofpel. The diffatisfaction was variously expreffed; in fome inftances, to the minifters by private individuals; in others, by the admonition of the elders, to whose province the overfight of the miniftry peculiarly belongs; and fometimes difapprobation was manifested during the times of public worship, by individuals declining to conform to the general practice of standing up, and taking off the hat, and continuing uncovered, whilft fuch minifters kneeled in prayer.*

And as fome doubts were entertained whether the élders were in all cafes fufficiently vigilant and attentive to execute the very important trust committed to them, with becoming firmnefs and difcrimination, JOHN BEWLEY was defirous of ftating to the select meeting of minifters and elders, his opinion with respect

F 2

* Minifters usually fit with the elders or other members on a raised feat in the gallery, in front of the congregation; and the general or prevailing practice of the fociety is for the minifter, if of the male fex, previously to engaging in prayer, to kneel down and take off his hat. The congregation then ftand up; and the men take off their hats and remain uncovered during prayer.

fpect to those duties, which in his judgment, the neceffities of the times required from the members of that meeting. For this purpose he fought an opportunity of communicating his fentiments verbally at one of their fittings, but being refused admittance, he addreffed to them the following letter:

To Friends of the yearly felect meeting.

The gold that's fterling, need not fear the touch,
Gold once they seemed, but were they ever such.

"Friends of the felect meeting muft excufe me for reforting to a means of communication, which is only the second beft. They know why I have not pursued that course which was more defirable.* What I have to communicate, will be comprised in a few words. It is touching my uneafinefs of mind respecting what is called miniftry. I really doubt, and cannot say in conscience, that I believe, we have any real spiritual gospel ministry amongst us. I acknowledge that I have heard, with fatisfaction, feveral friends deliver what appeared good doctrine; and I thought I was edified thereby, and I am ftill far from pofitively faying that they are not gofpel minifters. They may be fuch, although I cannot clearly com

prehend

* Alluding to the obftruction given to his communicating with them perfonally.

prehend it. And I look to you for an explanation of what appears a difficulty. Thofe friends give the hand of fellowship* to fuch as evidently are not in a gofpel fpirit; whofe lives do not accord with their profeffions, and whofe doctrines are not free from exception. How can this be? Do they know them, or do they not? If they know them, and have for years known them, they practice on us a dangerous deception. If they do not know thofe who fit befide them, if they cannot fee into their states, it will be difficult to perfuade us, who are at a distance, that they can fee or difcover ours. And yet how much do we daily hear of this fort? My heart is fick of those prefumptuous profeffions. †

"Respecting

Giving the hand of fellowship does not here relate merely to the outward act, but to that conduct generally, by which fanction or approbation is reasonably inferred in favour of fuch minifters as are here described.

+ It has long been an established opinion that the rightly concerned minifters of the gospel, without any previous opportunities for observation, or the affiftance of any external information whatever, are, whenever it pleases divine wifdom fo to affift them, endued with fuch a knowledge of the feveral mental ftates, in a religious refpect, of meetings or individuals, as enables them to minifter fuitable inftruction to such states. This is very strikingly described in the following paffage extracted from John Griffith's Journal :

"The