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Cairns Call.

BX

7730
483

1752

(3)

An Exhortation to the INHABITANTS of SOUTH-CAROLINA, &c.

My Friends and Neighbours,

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FTER an Absence of near fix Years from this Province (my native Country) and my Arrival among you, I have beheld the Faces of many of the Inhabitants whom I have known, and been known to, fome Years: But the Novelty of my religious Sentiments, and Meannefs of my Appearance, has, I find, render'd me defpicable in your Eyes; which has been obvious, when a Few of us, called Quakers, have met to worship the Supreme Being in a Manner agreeable to the best of our Understanding and Knowledge: And tho' fome perhaps may ftile our Principles * and Tenets by the hard Name of Herely, and our Mode or Manner of Worship, ridiculous or abfurd; nevertheless, we are humbly of Opinion, they are neither unfcriptural nor unchriftian, having, as we think, the Sanction and Authority of our Lord himself, the Example of the primitive Believers, and right Reason on our Side."

But notwithstanding, as I have noted, that I have fuffered your Ridicule and Reproach, as I am conscious

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* Any Perfon who defires to be informed of the Principles of the Quakers, is referred to Robert Barclay's Apology, fince I find we are oftentimes condemn'd unheard. But be that anfwereth a Matter before he beareth it, it is Folly and Shame unto him, Prov. xviii. 15. The Apology may be had of the Printer hereof, in George-Yard, Lombard-street.

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confcious it is for no other than Obedience to the Will of my heavenly Mafter, whose I am, and whom I ferve, I am willing to become more vile in your Eyes; which, it is more than probable, I fhall appear, when I expofe the following Lines to your Obfervation and Cenfure. I would not have you imagine that any Confideration, less than his Favour, could have prevailed with me to have appeared thus publickly in Print, or otherwife; for could I, with any Eafe to my own Mind, have evaded this, or been excufed from returning to this Place (as I apprehended it was required of me by the Almighty) you had never beheld my Face in the Province, much lefs any Performance of this Sort in publick. I am not infenfible, that the Reason I have for writing, as well as the Subject itself, may probably be confider'd as the Production of a diftemper'd and enthusiastick Brain; as it is poffible, on fuch a novel and uncommon Occafion, as a Woman's appearing on the Behalf of God and Religion, you may (as others have done in the like Circumstances) be induced to confider fuch an One under fome unaccountable Delufion, or affected with religious Madness; and more especially, as the Things recommended to your Confideration, are offer'd by a fimple Female of your own Country: Some, in this Cafe, I expect, will afford me a Smile of Contempt, while others (acted by a more generous Paffion) pity my Folly, and kindly wish me a Return of my Senfes: But however this may be, I have confidered, that from the earliest Ages of Chriftianity, and indeed in all preceeding Time, those who refused to conform to the Ufage and wicked Cuftoms of the Age, and lived a Self-deny

ing Life, Their Lives were counted Madness by the World, and their End to be without Honour : Not confidering that religious Minds despise and contemn all worldly Honour, and earthly Preferment, feeking that only which comes from God, and which he is pleased to distinguish those by, who honour him (by walking in Conformity to his Laws and Precepts) as he himself declares, Thofe who honour me, I will honour; but those who defpife me, fhall be lightly esteemed.

But before I proceed to what the Title-page mentions, I fhall premife one Propofition, on which all I have to offer, will greatly depend, viz. That all Mankind have a Measure and Manifeftation of the Light, Spirit, or Grace of God, given them to profit withal. This Doctrine of the univerfal Extent of the Grace of God, the People called Quakers hold in a peculiar Manner, and are distinguished by, from fome other diffenting Sects, who generally limit God's Gifts of his holy Spirit, or faving Means, to what they call The Elect; and affert, that the rest of Mankind are (as they term it) paffed by, or denied the Means of Salvation, being * predeftinated from all Eternity to Deftruction.

However, we say that this Gift of the holy Spirit, or Grace of God, is bestowed on all Mankind without Exception, agreeable to the Affertion of the Apostle Paul; The Grace of God, which brings Salvation, hath appeared to all Men, teaching

us,

To refute the Doctrine of Predeftination, read Doctor Whitby on the New-Teftament; and his Difcourfes on the Five Controverted Points.

us, that denying Ungodliness, and the World's Lufts, we should live righteously, foberly and godly in this prefent World. But tho' all Men have received this Talent of Grace, or Manifeftation of the Spirit of Chrift, all are not faved, as Men may rebel against, or quench the Spirit; and, by fruftrating its Motions, render it ineffectual. Under the Law it is faid, The Almighty gave of his good Spirit to the Jews to inftruct them, but they rebelled against it, Nehemiah ix. 20. And the Prophet Isaiah alfo tells us, They rebelled, and vexed God's holy Spirit. And, under the Gofpel, the Apoftle Paul cautions the Theffalonians against quenching the Spirit, or extinguishing the Light, and hindering the confuming Force, that would deftroy Sin and Iniquity in the Heart,

Thus, according to the Testimony I have offered, and many I might produce, all Men have received a Proportion of Light and Grace, but all have not obey'd its Leadings; all have heard, but all have not obeyed: However, this internal Monitor or Director, is ready on all Occafions (if we will apply to it for Knowledge and Help) to inftruct us in our Duty, and affift us in overcoming the Temptations of the great Adverfary of our Souls Happinfs; but we must diligently attend to its Voice, and not only hear, but obey its Inftructions, that our Souls may live.

But fome have faid to me, We grant that Chriftians ought to walk agreeable to the Dictates of the Spirit of Chrift; but the Quakers make the Guidance and Direction of the Spirit neceffary in trivial and indifferent Matters; nay, fometimes they offer its Dictates as a Reafon for many Things accounted by

us

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