fion." But this is a direct untruth: for it was through the want of a living faith in JESUS CHRIST, which he now has, that he was not a christian before, but a mere moralift. Your Lordship knows that our article says, "Works done without the Spirit of GoD, and true faith in JESUS CHRIST, have the nature of fin." And fuch were all the works done by Mr. Benjamin Seward, before the time mentioned in my Journal. Again, my Lord, the Doctor represents, that as my opinion concerning quakers in general, which I only meant of those I had converfed with in particular. But the Doctor, and the rest of my reverend brethren, are welcome to judge me as they please.-Yet a little while, and we shall all appear before the great Shepherd of our fouls. There, there, my Lord, fhall it be determined, who are his true ministers, and who are only wolves in fheeps cloathing. Our LORD, I believe, will not be ashamed to confefs us publicly in that day. I pray GoD we all may approve ourselves fuch faithful minifters of the New Teftament, that we may be able to lift up our heads with boldness. As for declining the work in which I am engaged, my blood runs chill at the very thoughts of it. I am as much convinced, it is my duty to act as I do, as that the fun shines at noon-day. I can foresee the confequences very well. They have already in one sense thrust us out of the fynagogues. By and by they will think it is doing GOD férvice to kill us. But, my Lord, if you and the rest of the bishops caft us out, our great and common Master will take us up. Though all men fhould deny us, yet will not he. And however you may cenfure us as evil doers, and difturbers of the peace, yet if we do fuffer for our present way of acting, your Lordship at the great day will find, that we fuffer only for righteousness fake. In patience therefore do I poffefs my foul. I willingly tarry the LORD'S leifure. In the mean while I fhall continually bear your Lordship's favours upon my heart, and endeavour to behave, so as to fubfcribe myself, my Lord, Your Lordship's obedient Son, and obliged fervant, A LETTER TO THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES OF ENGLAND. Written during the Voyage to Philadelphia, 17393 and particularly recommended to thofe who had then lately formed themselves into RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES in Scotland. A LETTER, &c. My dear Brethren in Chrift, TH HE Apoftle in his epiftle to the Hebrews, chap. x. 23. exhorts them to hold faft the profeffion of their faith without wavering; and foon after adds, as a most effectual means to fo defirable an end, "Let us confider one another to provoke unto love, and to good works; not forfaking the affembling of ourselves together." As chriftianity was not then the national religion, I fuppofe the affemblies here intended, were not fuch as our public congregations, but rather little private focieties, or affociations, or churches, as was the cuftom of the primitive chriftians, who, we are told, continued ftedfastly in the Apostle's doctrine, and in fellowship one with another. This was the Apoftle's exhortation to the chriftians of those times; and I am fully perfuaded there never was more occafion for renewing it, than the age wherein we live. Nothing hath of late more alarmed the enemies of the cross of CHRIST, than the zeal that God hath ftirred up in the hearts of many to put in practice this apoftolical injunction. Balls, plays, horfe-races, and fuch like unchriftian and fatal entertainments, are countenanced and supported by public authority. And few as yet have had courage to speak, preach, or write for the fuppreffing them, fo plainly and publicly as they ought; but, if the children of GOD meet (as they are required) to build up each other in their most holy Faith, almost every one's mouth is opened against them. Nay, with grief it must be spoken, even many of our mafters in Ifrael, who ought to be patterns, and promote every good word and work, are not content with countenancing the polite and finful di B 4 verfions |