Quakerism examined : in a reply to the letter of Samuel Tuke

Front matter

^ of PmcJrfy

<&<fcOGICAL SE*^

Wilkinson, John, d. 1846.

Chap. II. Is the "Light within" the "fundamental

principle of Quakerism ? " . • .21 Chap. III. Are the Scriptures held in proper estimation

by the Society of Friends ? . . .47 Chap. IV. Is the sacrifice of Christ held in proper estimation by the Society of Friends ? . .141 Chap. V. Is the Society of Friends justified in not observing the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper ? .... 251 Section I. Concerning Baptism . . 253 Section II. Concerning the Lord's Supper 272 Chap. VI. Is the doctrine of perfection, as held by the Society of Friends, sanctioned by Holy Scripture ?...••■ 2!// Chap. VII. Is the complaint of Friends " shaping their

language" unfounded? .... 312 Chap. VIII. Is there among Friends "an open door to the preaching of the whole revealed will of God?" .... ■ 336

Conclusion . . . • • 4.>D Appendix. . . ■ ■ • . «o?9

ADVERTISEMENT.

A considerable time after I had begun writing this small volume, I heard of the existence of the paper, whereof a fac-simile is given to face the title-page. It is in the possession of an intimate and valued friend, who is descended from the Fell family : and who, on my application, very kindly allowed me to avail myself of the opportunity of exhibiting so undeniable an evidence of the nature and tendency of the profession which Friends originally made, and are still making. I present the fac-simile therefore as a basket of genuine first-fruits, which it may fairly be considered to be : because some of the persons whose signatures are affixed to this remarkable document, were individuals of much influence, and were highly esteemed in the Society. They are also still regarded as pre-eminently entitled to veneration, not only on account of their supposed sanctity ; but as having been among the first to unite with George Fox in the formation of the Society.

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ADVERTISEMENT.

As it will be difficult for persons who have not been accustomed to read the hand-writing of that day, to make out some of the words, a copy of the paper is subjoined; and there need not at present be any thing further said in explanation of it, than just to remark, that the words " This was sent to G F & he came back againe to thes that sent for him and he that he shak'd the dost of hise feet against was not long after convinsed," are in George Fox's hand-writing: so is also part of the indorsement, as well as the " for G. F.," prefixed. Therefore his making the memorandum, and affixing his initials, must be considered as evidence that he was not dissatisfied with the contents of the paper. On the contrary, from the purport of what he wrote, it would appear that the paper was acceptable to him : and this also is corroborated by the evidence which other documents in the possession of the same parties afford.

A copy of my letter of resignation of membership in the Society of Friends, is also added for the purpose of reference.

Wycombe, Oct. 28M, 163G.

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION.

" Our Dear Father in the Lord,

" For though we have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet we have not many fathers, for in Christ Jesus thou hast begotten us through the gospel, eternal praises be to our Father; we thy babes with one consent being gathered together in the power of the Spirit : thou being present with us, our souls doth thirst and languish after thee, and doth challenge that right that we have in thee, oh, thou Bread of Life, without which Bread our souls will starve. Oh, for evermore give us this Bread, and take pity on us whom thou hast nursed up with the breasts of consolation. Oh, our life, our desires is to see thee again, that we may be refreshed and established, and so have life more abundantly. And let not that beastly power, which brings us in bondage, separate thy bodily presence from us, who reigns as King above it, and would rejoice to see thy kingly power here triumph over it. Oh, our dear nursing Father, viii we hope thou wilt not leave us comfortless, but will come again : though that sorrow be for a time, yet joy cometh in the morning. Oh, our life, we hope to see thee again that our joy may be full ; for in thy presence is fulness of joy, and where thou dwells is pleasure for evermore. Oh, thou fountain of eternal life, our souls thirst after thee ; for in thee alone is our life and peace, and without thee have we no peace : For our souls is much refreshed by seeing thee, and our life is preserved by thee, oh thou Father of eternal felicity.

" Margarett Fell.

" Oh, our dear Father, when wilt thou come ?

Susan Fell.

" Dear Father, pray for us. Sarah Fell. " Oh, my dear Heart, shall we not see thee

once more again ? Issabell Fell. " Thou art the Fountain of Life. Mary Fell.

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" My own dear Heart,

" Though thou hast shaked the dust of thy Feet at him who would not receive thee nor is not worthy of thee which shall be a Testimony against him for ever yet thou knowest that we have received thee into our Hearts and shall live with thee eternally and it is our life and joy to be with thee. And so my dear Heart* let not the power of darkness separate thy bodily presence from us which will be a grief and trouble to us and especially through him whom thou knows can call nothing his own but the plagues and woes. My soul thirsts to have thee to come once if it be but for two or three days to strike down the deceit in him for the Truths sake and if thou do not come it will add abundantly to our sorrow and strengthen the beastly power. I know it is a burthen and suffering to thee but thou hast borne our burthens and suffered for us and with us and now dear Heart do not leave us nor forsake us for our life and peace is in thee M F

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" This was sent to G F & he came back againe to thes that sent for him & he that he shak'd the dost of hise feet against was not long after convinsed "

X

After the greater part of this work was sent to press, I received a copy of " An Appeal to the Society of Friends, by Elisha Bates," which is altogether so powerful, that I cannot satisfactorily do otherwise than call the attention of Friends to it ; because it appears to me to be providentially ordered, that a flood of light should be poured into the " chambers of imagery," wherein the idolatrous system was put together, by which such a multitude of people have been deluded. In the " Appeal," a fac-simile is given of George Fox's Letter to Oliver Cromwell, in which he unequivocally arrogates to himself Messiahship : for he calls himself " the Son of God," and says that his " kingdom is not of this world." And a letter written to James Nayler, by Margaret Fell, a copy of which is also given in the "Appeal," places the subject beyond all question : for the main purport of this letter seems to be, to remonstrate with James Nayler for presuming to dispute the title to the Messiahship with George Fox ! ! And James Nayler was afterwards convicted as a blasphemer by the Parliament, in 1656. As some persons may peruse this volume without having the opportunity of seeing the " Appeal," I give a copy of Margaret Fell's Letter, with Elisha Bates's introductory observations upon it, which are as follows, (page 16:) — "The de-

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lusion of James Nayler made much stir in the nation at the time at which it happened. He appears to have had a most erroneous idea of the indwelling of Christ in him; and to have supposed that he himself was the peculiar instrument, raised up for introducing some extraordinary dispensation or discovery of truth. In consequence of these delusions, he sanctioned the application of terms and addresses to himself, which were unlawful to any created being. George Fox visited him when in prison, on this account ; but he, supposing himself the special instrument for the great work which he imagined was about to take place, did not hold himself in the least degree subject to Fox. The latter says, ' The next day I spake to James Nayler again, and he slighted what I said, and was dark and much out; yet he would have come and kissed me. But I said, since he had turned against the power of God, I could not receive his show of kindness, so the Lord God moved me to slight him, and to set the power of God over him. So after I had been warring with the world, there was now a wicked spirit risen up amongst Friends to tear against, and I admonished him and his company. And when he was come to London his resisting the power of God in me, and the truth that was declared to

Xll him by me, became one of his greatest burthens.' — Journal, page 220.

" The following letter relates to this subject, and forms a leaf in the MS. Journal. It was from Margaret Fell to James Nayler, and is thus directed, ' For James Nayler, prisoner of the Lord at Exeter, these with care.' It is endorsed by George Fox for filing away, 4 M ff to J. Nayler, 1656.' It reads thus: —

"Dear Brother,

" I have received thy letter, and it was gladness to me when I received it, and I could receive and bear wl thou had written in it, if thou had kept in subjection love and unity as thou did express in thy letter. But since I have heard that thou would not be subject to him to whom all nations shall bow, it hath greeved my spiritt. Thou hath confessed him to be thy Father, and thy life bound up in him, and when hee sent for thee and thou would not come to him where was thy life then ? Was thou not then banished from the Father's house, as thou knows thou hath writ to mee ? And y1 wch shewed thee this wch was to come I owne, but that wch banished thee I must deny, and when he bended his knees to ye most high

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God for the seed's sake, and thou would not bend, nor bow, nor joyne with him, how wilt thou answer this to him who hath given him a name better then every name to wch every knee must bow. This is contrary to what thou wrett to me, where thou saith he is buring thy name that he may raise his owne, but it was thy name y1 stood ag" him then. And thou wrett to me ye truth should never suffer by thee, for where y" seed suffers the truth suffers : doth not ye seed and all ye body suffer by y< spiritt y' houlds not the head but rebells against him? Oh, consider what thou art doing; I ame sure ye lamb in his suffering is in subjection, not resisting nor exalting, but in yc time of his suffering hee is servant to all the seed, and if thou stood in ye suffering for ye seed thou had not resisted him who is the prmise of the Father to ye seed, who hath said blessed are ye y are not offended in me : oh, deare heart, mind while it is called to day w' thou art doeing. Least thou walke naked and be a stumbling blocke to the simple, and bee tender of the truth which thou hath [not legible] and suffered for, whch draws thyne eare from unclean spiritts, wl h is like frogs which cometh out of the mouth of the dragon, ye beast, and the false P.fitt there was seene when the first angel poured out his vial upon ye great river Euphrates : b

XIV read and understand, and return to thy first husband, my deare brother : I can beare all y hath beene past if thou wilt be subject to y« will of the Father, and hee who doth ye will hath learned obedience, and is subject, and I could ly downe at thy feete y' thou might trample upon me for thy good, and soe I know would hee whom thou hath resisted, though to v spiritt y' rebels it cannot bee, for that is not one wth ye Father, soe in dearness and tenderness have I written to thee, my Father shall bear me witness, and I warn thee from the Lord God y* that thou beware of siding with unclean spirits, least thou bee cutt off for ever. Let me heare from thee as shortly as thou can after the receite of this.

" Thy dear Sister in the eternal love, " M. F."

" I wrett to thee after I had received thy Letter, whch may be may come to thee after this but then I did not know of this.

" My husband tooke some letters from the feeld post which was to me which mentioned the difference between G. and thee and he read them."

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" The allusion which is made to her husband may be explained by stating that Judge Fell died in 1658, and G. F. and M. F. were not married till 1669."

I would just observe, that the authenticity of the documents from which these particulars are supplied is beyond all reasonable question.

Wycombe, Dec. 8th, 183G.

P. S. That the Society continues to be fully set upon resisting all evidence of the radical unsoundness of the "early Friends," is proved in a very affecting manner by an epistle from "the Meeting for Sufferings," dated "the 5th of the I -2th Month, 1836," which appears to have been written for the purpose of protecting the Society against the effects of the shock which the " Appeal" has given to its veryfoundation. The epistle is addressed " To Friends in the Quarterly and other Meetings within the limits of this Yearly Meeting," and the following are extracts from the two first paragraphs : —

" We have observed with much pain the printing and industrious circulation of various papers and pamphlets, put forth apparently for the purpose of weakening the attachment of the members of our religious Society to those

XVI views of Christian truth and practice which have ever been entertained by Friends. It is not, however, our purpose, in the present address, to offer a refutation of the various charges brought against our early Friends, and against many of our Christian principles."

" In the mercy and appointment of Him who ordereth all things according to the purpose of His own will, those who were made instrumental in gathering our Society, were, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, immediately and powerfully visited by the Holy Spirit ; and we believe it was by the operation of this grace that our early Friends were subsequently formed into a distinct religious community. It has been through the extension of the care of the Great Shepherd that we have been preserved to the present day."

This is surely little better than sheltering the root with a chip that the axe has already cut away from it, and is a mournful instance of preferring to the Saviour those who are selfconvicted of having dared to lay hands on his exclusive prerogatives and highest glory. That the prayers of many persons besides myself are offered up, that God would be pleased effectually to open the eyes of those who are upholding such a system, I cannot doubt. Indeed, how can we sufficiently deplore the resistance which

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XVll is shown to such overwhelming evidence : for when we consider the fearful effects which, in all ages, have resulted from the pertinacious support of error, the contemplation of what rfiay result from the present resistance to the truth wrings one's heart with sorrow. Upper Clapton, Dec. 30th, 1836.

The following is a copy of my Letter of resignation of membership in the Society of Friends, viz. : —

TO THE

MONTHLY MEETING OF FRIENDS,

To be held at Chesfiam, the 4th of the 2nd Month, 1836.

" My Dear Friends,

" The desire for your welfare, and for the promotion of your best and eternal interests, was never, I believe, more deeply felt by me than at the present time. I therefore hope that the subject of this communication will not for one moment be viewed by you, as in any respect indicating a defect of that sincere love that I have long felt for you all, nor of the particular friendship that has been cherished in my heart b 3 for many of you. But you must be well aware, that circumstances may arise to render the dissolution of certain connexions indispensable ; and after much deep and very painful consideration, I am now fully convinced of the necessity of my withdrawing from the Society of Friends.

" It is many years since my eyes were in some measm-e opened to see the Holy Scriptures in a very different point of view from that in which, it seems to me, the Society has always regarded them ; and it is now about seven years since I felt a powerful and enduring conviction of the absolute necessity of gratefully accepting Holy Scripture, not as a secondary rule, but as the rule of faith and practice.

" Now I believe this acceptance of Scripture was brought about in me by the operation of the Holy Spirit upon my heart ; because it was accompanied by such a view of my own state as a poor, undone, and helpless sinner, and of the offices of our adorable Saviour, and of the Holy Spirit, as I had never before been able to take. The cardinal doctrine of justification by faith, was also more and more clearly opened to me, for which I can never be sufficiently thankful.

" It was not long after the change of view I have mentioned relative to the Scriptures, that I became convinced that the ' fundamental principle' of the Society of Friends, and that of

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XIX those who now go under the denomination of Seeeders or Hicksites, is one and the same. I had before imagined that these unhappy and misguided persons had departed from the distinguishing principle of the Society of Friends ; but, alas ! one common root supplies them both : the legitimate fruit of the one being only more conspicuous and undisguised than that of the other.

u This conviction was forced upon me very unexpectedly, by reading the second section of Robert Barclay's Third Proposition, which, while it professes to uphold the Scriptures as heavenly and Divine writings, virtually destroys their authority, by setting above them the Spirit, which is supposed to be in the heart of every man, whereby even the Scriptures themselves may be tested. Now it appears to me, that there never was a more fertile source of error broached in this fallen world ; and where such a principle is held, it only requires some particular excitement to make it productive of the worst imaginable fruit.

"The discipline of Friends has served to keep up that moral decency for which they are admired by the world, and on account of which they also hold themselves in estimation; but this is only ' making clean the outside of the cup and of the platter ;' for unless, by the grace of God, Holy Scripture be accepted as the rule of faith and practice, there can be no sound internal principle of action : because it is bv faith in what God has been pleased to reveal through the apostles and prophets, which the apostle* speaks of as the foundation upon which all true Christians are built, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone, whereby the whole body of believers (represented by a spiritual temple) are consecrated.

" If, then, the doctrine of the apostles and prophets is that upon which, and upon which only, all true believers rest their faith, (Jesus Christ himself, as the rock of ages, supporting the whole.) it is clear that inward and immediate revelation, as both Friends and the Seceders from them understand it, is an utter fallacy : and to build faith upon what is imagined to be inwardly revealed, is nothing better than a delusion. I speak of this most feelingly ; because I am fully persuaded that such a notion, when calmly and patiently examined by the light of Holy .Scripture, will be found to lead directly to deism. It appears to me, indeed, to be worse, inasmuch as it is deism with a fallacious gloss thrown over it; whereby the unhappy person who is deluded by it, fancies himself to be really a Christian, because he believes in what he * Ephes. ii. 20— "22.

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xxi calls revelation, and supposes that he has Christ within him as an inward principle : but alas for him in the day of trial! His 'faith' is no better than a broken reed, which pierces the hand that leans upon it. Tens of thousands have, I fear, thus been lulled, until they have slept the sleep of death.

" When, by the unmerited mercy of God, I was roused by the consciousness of this awful state of things, it was my endeavour to point it out, especially to those who had most influence in the Society ; and for a time I indulged the hope, that in this country at least, Friends would be warned against retaining a principle, which had manifestly produced such devastation in Ireland, as well as on the other side of the Atlantic : but I am now obliged wholly to abandon the hope, that as a Society, Friends will ever receive the Holy Scriptures as the rule of faith and practice ; because I see, to mv indescribable sorrow, that whilst, on many publicoccasions, they are shaping their language so as to give an idea of their full reception of Holy Scripture, they still cling, if possible, more closely than ever, to the ruinous fallacy of the paramount authority of their own inward and immediate revelation. Ministry, also, is constantly brought to the test, which is furnished by the writings of the k early Friends,' not to

XXll that of Holy Scripture. The books, too, which in the present controversy meet with very extensive acceptance among those who must be considered as having the chief influence in the Society, I can only look upon as being wholly subversive of the gospel: whilst, at the same time, the publications and the preaching, which tend to promote the cause of the gospel, are as generally discouraged, and as much as possible put down.

" But, as if to place this matter bevond question, a publication which is directly levelled against Hicksism, and, by appropriate quotations from the Holy Scriptures, clearlv shows its contradiction of gospel truth, is said by the generality of Friends, to be secretly aimed against their principles : thereby, as every reasonable and unprejudiced person must see, identifying their principles with those of the Hicksites. The excellent author of ' the Beacon, (the publication to which I allude,) as a mark of their disapprobation of the work, has lately, it seems, been silenced ' for the present,' as a minister, by the committee of the Yearly Meeting, who were appointed to visit the Quarterly Meeting of which he is a member. But this mark appears to me to give an honourable distinction to the Christian man on whom it is placed, and at the same time fixes a stigma on

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XX1U those who have dared to wound the cause of the gospel by such a stretch of authority : for they have not been able to lay their fingers on a single sentence in « the Beacon' which they have ventured openly to condemn.

" I, therefore, feel myself conscientiously bound to renounce a profession which I believe to be incurably hostile to the gospel : but at the same time that I request you no longer to consider me as a member of the Society, I can most truly say that my controversy is with principles, not with persons; neither do I presume to judge individuals : but my heart's desire and prayer to God is, that, for Jesus Christ's sake, every member of the Society may, by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, be enabled to lay hold on the word of the truth of the gospel : and thus by true repentance, and a scriptural faith in God, and in the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, may be made a partaker of that salvation which comes through him alone.

" Indeed, my beloved Friends, I cannot by any words express the affectionate and earnest solicitude I feel, that you may throw aside with holy indignation the mischievous traditions of men ; and receive with child-like simplicity the truth, which God has so graciously and so clearly revealed in Holy Scripture. And let

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me assure you, that notwithstanding the separation now made between us, which will prevent my voice from being again heard among you to proclaim the truth of the gospel, yet my prayers to God for you will continue to be put up in secret.

" But allow me most solemnly to remind you, that the numerous and sufficient warnings you have had, not only by the plain statement of the truth, but by the incontrovertible evidence of the delusive nature of the principles you profess, must necessarily bring upon you an aggravated condemnation, if such warnings are disregarded. Look, I beseech you, with an intelligent and impartial eye to Ireland, to America, and though last, not least, to this country, for evidence of the destructive effects of these deadening principles. I entreat you, therefore, not to count me ' your enemy because I tell you the truth,' but believe me to be your faithful and affectionate friend,

" John Wilkinson."

' " Upper Clapton, ■2nd of 2nd Month, 1836."

Introduction

If my information be correct, the letter addressed to me by Samuel Tuke is not to be considered as the production of that muchesteemed individual alone, but that several other influential members of your Society have given their assistance in drawing it up, and that it has also been revised by the meeting whose business it is to judge of publications that relate to the principles of the Society. It will, therefore, be more suitable for me to address the observations I have to make upon it to Friends generally, than to the talented writer whose name appears in the title-page of it.

I confess, it gives me a great deal of concern to find, that although it was my endeavour to guard the expressions in my letter of resignation of membership in the Society,* so as that no one might consider himself to be personally reflected on ; yet that much offence has been taken from

* For the sake of conciseness, this will afterwards be referred to by the term, " My Letter."

B

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INTRODUCTION.

the idea, that I had particular persons in view., I can truly say, this was not the case ; and it must be recollected, that in my letter it is distinctly stated, that my controversy is with principles, not with persons. And if any expressions I have made use of seem to bear hard on individuals, who have for several years taken the most active part in the Society, I must acknowledge, it never entered my mind that these, in particular, would imagine themselves to be singled out by me ; because, whatever- has been performed by them as organs of the Society must be considered as done by the Society itself.

Nothing, certainly, but an imperative sense of duty would have induced me to make public my reasons for leaving the Society, for no one, I think, can love retirement or dislike publicity more than I do; but as hitherto there has appeared to me to be no proper disposition manifested by the Society to take warning by the very awful exhibitions of the effects of the unscriptural principles which are, as far as I can see, still exerting their full force, unchecked by any substantial public act of the Society ; and as, by the full reception of these principles in which from four years of age I was educated, I have been placed in a situation as perilous as can well

INTRODUCTION.

be imagined; never could I have answered it to myself, much less to that adorable and merciful Saviour, who, in wholly unmerited grace, has rescued me and snatched me as a brand from v the burning, if I had allowed myself silently to retire from so dangerous a profession.

Whether I have made any unjust charges against the principles or practices of the Society, may be better judged of after the perusal of what I am about to write, than can be seen by the letter which is under my review; for it appears to me, however unintentional on the part of the writers, to contain a very partial exhibition of the whole subject. In the first place, it seems to be insinuated that I am charging the whole Society with being deists. Now really this is not the case : we know that persons may in the first instance be deceived with regard to the direct tendency of the principles they profess to hold; which principles also may not have so full a hold upon them as might be supposed to be the case, by the manner in which they speak or write of them. And we also know that many who are educated in the profession of certain principles, may see through the fallacy of them, and yet, from not knowing how to liberate themselves from the trammels of their profession.