Early Friends and modern professors

Preface

It was my intention, for the purpose of more fully exhibiting the contrast between the sentiments of our early Friends and those of the author of the " Strictures/' to have made a more precise and methodical arrangement of the quotations, but time will not admit. My plan was to have selected different passagesfrom the "Strictures/' and have separately headed them with the words, Modern Professor, and in the opposite line to have placed the words, Our Early Friends, followed by the appropriate quotations ; having however abandoned this plan, I must leave their application to the judgment of the reader. I had also intended to have marked in italics several of the Yearly Meeting's advices, contained in the Appendix to the " Strictures," for the purpose of showing how distinctly, in most of them, the paramount authority of the Spirit is

VI marked; and how entirely dependent the Scriptures are represented to be for efficiency upon the enlightening influence thereof; but from the cause just mentioned^ I must leave this also with a general^ though earnest request that attention may be directed thereto.

The author of the " Strictures" has told us that he has " less difficulty" in making remarks upon my work, (i because" he " does not know even the name of the author." What "difficulties" names may throw in his way, I am not competent to say. Whether the name simply, without reference to any thing else, creates the difficulty ; or whether the difficulties vary with the name; as associated with rank; station; prejudice; or partial ity, I do not know ; but I must confess that this consideration has had no weight with me. "Our author's" name has presented no u difficulties" to my mind; unless it has been that of fear that error with a name; might; in the eyes of some weak ones, appear more fascinating than truth without a name.

I hope that the quotations in this pamphlet will be the means of inducing the reader to go to the works themselves; replete as they are with instructive and interesting matter. It is the constant endeavour of the BeaconiteS; in their unprofitable and prosy

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essays, to bring these writings into disrepute, and charge those who value and recommend them with placing them upon " the same shelf with Holy Writ." And yetsome of these essayists recommend other works for the Society's perusal, the authors of many of which are not in unity either with Friends or their principles. I was noticing the other day in one of these dull treatises, two works I think, recommended to our notice upon the ground that they would be peculiarly servicable to Friends at the present time. Richard Ball also refers to several works, in his " Test of Truth," whilst he deprecates a reference to the works of our early Friends, and wofully misrepresents their opinions. A mass of confusion about " mysticism," assists to the disfigurement of his work, the materials of which are furnished from the writings of Mosheim, a German scribe, who in his Ecclesiastical History, has been guilty of geat injustice towards the Society of Friends, stating, amongst other falsehoods, that they have preachers with a small fixed salary attached to their office , in which he is followed by his late translator, Archibald Maclaine, a Scotch " hireling and deceiver." Isaac Crewdson also, has republished a work of Richard Baxter's, a man, who, says Francis How-

Vlll gill, " wrote many lying books against the truth." So that the Society would be turned upside down by these men, if they are suffered to proceed without interruption. Recommend the early Friends' productions, and they lift up their hands, and cry aloud, "horrible ! horrible ! to direct to the writings of fallible men, instead of the word of God." But read their injurious aspersions upon the characters of those holy men and their principles, — read those works that they in their wisdom are so condescending as to recommend, then you are "an evangelical Friend, and a Bible Christian." I should like to have bestowed a little more time upon this reply, but it should now be out. I must claim therefore some indulgence for the errors that may appear in the composition.

EARLY FRIENDS

MODERN PROFESSORS.