  When I first undertook to review some of the prominent features in the sermons alluded to, I did expect to confine my remarks within a narrow compass; but the topics which the author discusses are so various and the applications so numerous, that it unavoidably led to their extension, and I have at last left many untouched which are entitled to very serious consideration. I know there are some very serious and pious men who lament that these sermons were published; but I am not of their opinion; for although they may, in one point of view, be prejudicial, an accurate knowledge of the whole scheme, must I think convince every thinking mind, that it is not only inconsistent with the christian religion, but that its parts are so discordant, and its doctrines so darkly mysterious, as to elude the comprehension of man; and that the author, so far from elucidating that religion by his boasted reliance on the human understanding, has been led by that modicum of it possessed by himself, into many notions totally irreconcileable to right reason. In one respect they may be injurious; not by making converts to the system, but by impairing the belief of individuals in the truths recorded in Scripture, and thus paving the way to complete infidelity; for there are few minds so stolid as really to have faith in a religion, founded on a book, which they believe to be itself a fiction. It would perhaps be advisable for every member of the Society, after perusing these sermons, to read the life and writings of John Woolman. Contrast often serves to elucidate the truth, and the dissimilitude is so great, that they will have little difficulty in discovering which has been actuated by that humble, peaceable, and gentle spirit, recommended by the example and precepts of the Founder of our religion. They were probably equally deficient in human learning; but while the one, confident in his own abilities, is continually involving himself in contradictions by allusions to subjects which he does not understand; the other, favoured with what learning can never supply, a large Indeed there is such a sober seriousness and mildness of spirit which breathes through all the writings of John Woolman; such unbounded charity for others, and such severity in the examination of himself; such persuasive earnestness in his exhortations, and such a perfect conformity between all his principles and practices, that however men may differ respecting some of his doctrines and opinions, all must acknowledge that he possessed a mind imbued with a truly christian spirit, and regard his tone and manner of writing as a model which ought to be imitated by all christian professors. The doctrine of divine inspiration was the belief of every christian church in its primitive simplicity, and is yet the doctrine of almost all of them, under different names and modifications; and if the belief in it is impaired, I fear it must, in a great degree, be attributed to some of those who profess to be under the guidance of it. Not content with the measure of light which it affords, and which is sufficient for the great purpose of enabling him "to work out his own salvation," man, in the pride of his heart, is prone to get from under that humble state, in which alone its manifestations are rightly impressed on the mind; to believe it is given as a substitute for, and not in aid of, our reason; and mistaking his own visionary fancies for revelations, actually persuades himself that he also is invested with the attribute of omniscience. The inconsistencies in which minds thus sublimated are always involved, are stumbling blocks to many, who are from thence led to consider all as an illusive or hypocritical pretension. These are the whims of the imagination; when man in his exaltation releases himself from the control of his reason, and eradicates from his heart the pure and unadulterated principles of the christian religion; when, forgetting his infirmities, and vaunting in his strength, he assumes that station to which he is not "Aspiring to be Gods, if angels fell, Aspiring to be angels, men rebel." But, notwithstanding the discouraging prospects which surround this people, I trust that all is not lost; that the ark is yet upborne by hallowed hands; and that Sion's mount is still encircled by a chosen band, who read with humility, reverence, and instruction, that great spiritual and moral code, given to man in the name and in the majesty of Him, "who is from everlasting to everlasting, the Almighty." THE END. Footnotes 1.Since writing the above, I have been informed that this attempt has actually been made in the yearly meetings in Philadelphia and New York, under the pretext of a necessity of subjecting all important appointments to change at stated periods. No measure could be devised more injurious to the society, and every friend to its welfare must rejoice that it was rejected. I know there are many very pious labourers in the ministry of this people, yet I think it must be evident to every observing mind, that there never was a period since the existence of the society, in which there was greater necessity of unremitting watchfulness on the part of the elders; and that so far from its being expedient to diminish their control, it ought, if possible, to be rendered more efficient. There is a spirit now abroad, which if not checked, will devastate this society. Who would be the principal agents is not for me to say; but one thing is certain, that if there is any disposition on the part of its ministers to relieve themselves from this control, it is sufficient evidence of the necessity of it. Such a disposition must proceed from a mind not imbued with true christian humility, but presumptuously confident in itself. It is spiritual pride, than which nothing is more injurious and odious in a christian professor. 2.Perfection, in the sense in which it is understood by some people, frequently leads to great extravagance on religious subjects, by inducing men to believe that they have eradicated from their hearts every propensity to evil, and have arrived at a state of stainless purity. There is a great difference between the perfection of the Creator and man. The perfection of man consists in his possessing all that is requisite to attain the end of his creation; and the proper question for him to consider, is not whether he has arrived at that perfection which is the promised reward in another state of being, but whether he has by careful diligence and attention secured for himself that reward. 3.See discourses delivered in Philadelphia, page 53. "Oh that men of science might be aware what a curse they are to the inhabitants of the earth; what a great curse." There is no novelty in this opinion, for we find a poet more than two hundred years ago making Jack Cade exclaim, "thou hast most traitorously corrupted the youth of the realm, in erecting a grammar school: and whereas before, our forefathers had no other books but the score and tally, thou hast caused printing to be used; and contrary to the king, his crown and dignity, thou hast built a paper mill. It will be proved to thy face, that thou hast men about thee that usually talk of a noun and a verb, and such abominable words as no christian can endure to hear." 4.Barclay. 5.See discourse delivered at Friends' meeting house, in Mulberry street, page 11. 6.Swift. 7.Dr. Johnson. 8.See Letter to Dr. Atlee. "I admit that I did assert and have long done it, that we cannot believe what we do not understand." This assertion is in curious contrast to some others which he has made. In a discourse before alluded to, he has declared the miraculous birth of our Saviour to be impossible; and in his letter to Thomas Willis, he says, that after believing in the miracle for many years, he has read the ancient History of the Church and the Evangelists with a view to this subject, and that according to his best judgment, Jesus Christ is the son of Joseph; yet he declares in the same letter, that he still retains his original belief: thus proving that he has a mind capable of believing not only what he does not understand, but also against the convictions of his understanding. 9.See sermon preached in Philadelphia, page 8. 10.See letter to Dr. Atlee. 11.See sermons, page 207. 12.Life of Cowley. 13.2 Corinthians, chap. 3. 14.Matthew, XXIII. 15.See sermon at Germantown, page 92. 16.Sermons, page 226. 17.See sermons, page 100. 18.Locke. 19.This information, I must acknowledge, is an exception to the generality of my assertion, for I do not believe it is contained in any of the elementary books I have mentioned; nor do I think it can be found in the writings of either Newton or Herschell, or that either of them, although so long engaged in examining the planetary system, were so fortunate as to observe any of these bodies at the moment when they were engaged in these friendly conversations. Perhaps the author has been led into a mistake by some obstruction in his glass, like a celebrated member of the Royal Society, who announced the discovery of an elephant in the moon, which, on examination, was found to be only a mouse in his telescope. 20.Sermons, page 53 and 55. 21.Sermons, page 313. 22.Sermons, page 248. 23.Sermons, page 275. 24.Page 52. 25.Sermons, page 51. 26.Sermons, page 51. 27.Sermons in New York, page 124. 28.Sermons, page 68. "I challenge the whole host of mankind." 29.Sermons, page 231. 30.Sermons, page 231. 31.Sermons, pages 230, 231. 32.Letter to Doctor Shoemaker. 33.Sermons, page 44. 34.Romans, 3d Chap. 35.Sermons, p. 45. 36.Sermons, p. 253. E. Hicks says, "He, (Jesus,) was tempted in all points as we are. Now how could he be tempted if he had been fixed in a state of perfection in which he could not turn aside. Could you suppose as rational beings that such a being could be tempted? No, not any more than God could be tempted. Perfection is perfection, and cannot be tempted, it is impossible." Here is an evident perversion of the Scriptures; for we nowhere find that Jesus yielded to temptation; and it is a most irrational conclusion, that because there was a tempter he was subject to temptation; and so far from such attempts evincing that he was not perfect and could turn aside; the resistance and reproof of the tempter proves, (and was probably intended to prove,) the very reverse. It is one thing to be tempted, and another to yield to temptation, and E. Hicks could not have forgotten that the authority from which he drew his account of the temptations likewise declares that though Jesus "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Heb. 4. 15. By E. Hicks's erroneous construction of the sentence, he could with equal ease prove the fallibility of the Almighty, for the Scriptures in several places speak of His being tempted by the people. 37.Sermons, p. 50. 38.New York Sermons, p. 97. 39.Luke, chap. 5th. 40.Sermons, p. 207. 41.Sermons, p. 313. 42.2nd Timothy, Chap. 3d. 43.Sermons, page 207. 44.Sermons, page 313. 45.Sermons, page 313. 46.Letter to Thomas Willis. 47.Sermons, page 133. 48.Sermons, page 293. 49.Sermons, p. 198. 50.Corinthians, Chap. 3d. 51.This is not the doctrine or belief of the Society. They believe in a divine principle of light and life, wherewith Christ hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world; but by this they understand, not the proper essence and nature of God precisely taken, who is not divisible into parts and measures, but is a pure and simple being, void of all composition and division. See Barclay. 52.New York Sermons, page 130. 53.Philadelphia Sermons, page 187. 54.Philadelphia Sermons, page 188. 55.Sermons, page 17. 56.Sermons, page 76. 57.Sermons, page 275-6.—In one of his sermons, (page 292,) the preacher declares that God never set Jesus Christ above us, "because if he did he would be partial." In this, he sets himself above Christ by undertaking to correct his erroneous notion of heaven. Christ, in his Sermon on the Mount, says, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." This humble teacher says the proper expression would be "to be in possession of heaven, because heaven is a state, and every where, where God is." 58.Sermons, page 292. 59.Sermons, page 295. 60.Sermons, page 188. 61.Sermons, page 193. 62.Sermons, page 66. 63. As much you pull Religion's altars down, By owning all things God, as owning none; For should all beings be alike divine, Of worship, if an object you assign, God to himself must veneration show, Must be the object and the votary too; And their assertions are alike absurd, Who own no God, or none to be adored. Blackmore. 64.Warburton. 65.If the reader wishes to know what Elias Hicks says on this subject, let him peruse the Sermons, pages 37, 163, 166, 170, 182, and 293, and he will there have a fair specimen of the darkness which surrounds him—a cloud of words unilluminated by a ray of light. 66.Hebrews, chap. vii. 67.Philadelphia Sermons, page 51. 68.New York Sermons, page 124. 69.Philadelphia Sermons, pages 51, 294, and 300. 70.Romans, chap. xiv. 71.Soame Jenyns. 72.Barclay. 73.Romans, chap. xiv. 74.John, chap. x. 75.Luke, chap. ix. 76.Philadelphia Sermons, pages 23, 24, 26. 77.Phil. Sermons, page 120. 78.Philadelphia Sermons, page 289. 79.Philada. Sermons, pages 51, 267. 80.John Woolman, pages 9, 81, 325. 81.Thomas a Kempis. 82.He is one of the most active members of the Society for propagating the gospel. 83.The missionary Smith. 84.James, Chap. 3. 85.H. Moore. Transcriber's Notes: Missing or obscured punctuation was corrected. Typographical errors were silently corrected. Errata provided at the end of the book have been applied to the text. |
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