OBSERVATIONS .OH TEm DISTlNGUISHING VIEWS AND PRACTICES SOCIETY OF FRIENDS,. ... JOSEPH JOHN GURNEY. BgCOND AMERICAN, FBOX THB BEVEHTa LONDON EDITION. NEW YORE : WILLIAM WOOD & COMPANY, !27 QBBAT JORMBTBILET. 1880. CONTENTS P.0. Introduotory Ohapter to the Seventh Edition, . , . 1 OW. L4the QrounC of Beligio~Union whiah lltlbdub among Mankind in general, and more eqmblly among true Chrietians, . 15 Addendum, on Universal Light, . 84 OHaP. IL4n Rdigiom Peoulhitiee General O-atiom on thoeeof the Wety of Friende, . 47 CHAP. m.4n the Peroeptible Influenoe nnd Quidmoe of the Spirit of Truth, . 62 . CHAP. IV.-On the Msaee of dl Typid Eihin the 'wornhip of w. .........a9 Addendum, on Baptiw and the Supper, ...116 OW. V.+n the Nature and Charsoter if the CMW.n , . .I21 CHAP. VL-On the SeJection, Prepamtion, and Appointment ot the Afiniebm of the Gospel, ...14% C-. VII.--On the Pecuniary Bem~e.rationof the lhiotan of the Goqml, .........164 OEM. VIlX-On the Ministry of Women, .....18i Addendum, on BeligioM htmotion, Prayer, &. 189 CHAP. E4Silent Wolahip, . 809 Addendum, Prrctfoal Bemub and Adriom on Silent wordlip, . 211 CHAP. ~-0XIhth3, ...819 c-. XI.-Onwu, .........887 tMX C& . XU.-& tbs Moral Vie- of Friends Plainnem of Speech, Behaviour. and Apparel, ..260 . Addendum. on Plainnq '..291 byon'the Meoipline of the Primitive ChriebiPne, and on that of the Wety of Frim* ..813 PREFACE. AMONGthe arguments employed in the course of the following observations, there are some &hich are urged upon the attention of such persons, exclusively, as already possesa an intimate knowledge of the character and circumstances of the Society of Friends. The present volume is, in fact, intended not so much for the information of the public in general, as for the use of the junior members of that Society. To these the essays contained in it may be considered to be addressed.. I am pemuaded that there are not a few of them who, although bropght up in the .Society, are not sufficiently informed respecting the religiohs prin- ciples by which it is distinguished ; and who, perhaps, hare soldom reflected, faith ~CC~~TM:~,on the Christian and scriptural grounds of our several distinguishing views. It has fallen to my lot to be brought into familiar acquaintance with serious Christians of several denomi- nations; and, altbough I enjoyed a birthright in the Society, my situation, .after I had arrived at years of diecretion, waa of that nature which rendered it, in rather an unusual degree, incumbent upon me to maka my cnun'choace ofapcyrtic2lZar ~~Zigiow,cour8~. Under # vi PBFFAOE. these circumetances, I was led, partly by research, but chiefly, I trust, by a better guidance, to a settled prefer- ence on my own account, of the religioue profession of Friends. Nor ought I to hesitate in expressing a heartfelt gratitude to the " Shepherd of Israel," who has bestowed upon me a resting place in this depart- ment of his fold : for although in some degree, aware how much there is of vital Christianity in other socie- ties, 1hay acknowledge that I have found the situation thus provided for myself to be one accompanied with . true tdety, and with a variety of suhstantial advan- Since such ha8 been my experience, and since, in reference to this selection of a particular course, 1 have been, at various times, engaged in much reflec- tion and in some scriptural investigation, I am inclined ' to submit to the candid attention of my young friends the grounds on which I was originally led more closely to attach myself to Friends, and on which I have since been confirmed in the persuasion that I wae right in so doing. 'Although, however, these essays are addressed ' princi&lly to the junior members of our own body, I confess. that I have also had in view a number of individuals who do not actually belong to us, but who have an intimate connexion with us, and appear to he ' brought, in various degrees, under the aame religious peculiar adminiatration. Should the younger membem of our Society receive, from this huml~leendearour to serve,them, any instlvc- tion, or any encduragement topemeverein that restricted patch which Providence haa caet up for them-and should the individuals before alluded to be confi~rued, by any of the argumentsvhere adduced, in the choice PBEFAW Vii which they appear to be making of the eame restricted path-my object in publishing the following'statement of thought and sentiment will be anewered, and I ehall rest satisfied in the comforting persumion, that my labour (which I trust bas been a labour of love) has not been in vain in the Lord. Here it may be'proper for me to remark, that, while the various subjects considered in the present work are discudin distinct dissertations, and while it may be hoped that these, when separately read, will be found intelligible, it has been my endeavour to maintain, throughout the work, one continued train of reflection and argument; bdto do this in sucll a manner as that the eeveral pa* of the series might be closely con- .netted with each other; and that all might tend in harmony to the Rsme general conclusion. Such having . been my plan, I may now venture to request the reader to abstain from 'forming a final judgment of any par- ticular sectioq or chapter, until the whole volume ahall have passed under his review. Since, laatly, the view. which I have attempted to unfold are of a nature entirely ~.eliqious,it hag of course, been necessary for me largely to refer to that sacred Book,. to the test of which all religious opinion8 are rightly brought, eince it was given by inspiration of ~od,and contains a divinely-authorized recor4 both of the doctrines which we ought to believe and of the duties which .we are required to practice. In thus referring to the Holy Scriptures, I have often found occasion, on critical points, to appeal to the decisions of various commentators, both ancient and modern. While, however, I have not hesitated thus to avail my- self of the well applied learning and useful researches of these writers, I apish to take the preeent opportunity ,$ii PEBBAOE. of expressing my conviction, that, for the most im pm&nt purposes, the common Engliah version of the Bible may be understood with sufficient precision without the aid of the critic or the annotator. Above all, may it ever be remembered, that if the Scriptures of Truth are to make us " wise unto salvation,through faith which ib in Christ Jesus," that spiritual eye must be open in us, which alone is capable of a just and . efficrrcioue perception of their divine contents : for it remains to be an incontrovertible truth, that as no man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him, "even so tbth(ngti of God knoweth no num, but th8 @kit of God." INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER SEVEPTH EDITION. INpresenting to my young friends and the public at large, a new edition of the " Observations," I wish to make a few remarks on its contents, as .well as on some subjects with which they are con- nected, and which I deem to be of vital importance .to the welfare of our religious byody. F'iwith respect to the language and style of the volume-I have endeavoured to simplify many of the sentences, and have ex- changed a number of long words of foreign origin, for others which am at once shorter and plainer. The experience of more than ten years, since the work was first has convinced me of the importance of aiming, as far as possible, at a simple style, that the m- of the writer may be clear to all men ; and especially to a large class of readers, who have not enjoyed the opportunity of much mental cultivation, but to whom religious truth, in all its branches, is, I trust, increasingly precious. Frequent complaints having been made to me of the title of the work, I have ventured in the present edition to take the somewhat unusual step of changing it; and for the term "Peculiarities," in the title page, I have substituted Distinguishing Views and Prac- h', The reader will observe that in the present edition, I have added menew passages and notes, which I have marked with two crsfaishp. These are the results of farther reflection and observa- 1 A tion ; and will, I trust, be found to strengthen the meral arguments to which they are attached. I propose also to add, as an appendix to the volume, a brief essay on one part of our system, which, al- though it is of considerable importance, I have not hitherto no- ticed-I mean the nature, origin, and effect,of our Christia?~Dis- cipline. I am persuaded that the more dhgently our young friends inquire into the subject, the more they will find cause to believe, that our plan of discipline was very wisely formed? and that its provisions, in their scope and intention, truly agree with the onler of the gospel. May they be led to place a right value on its u-holesome checks, and to account the protection which it affords them, one of their happiest privileges ! In oon6ning my attention, in the present work, chiefly to those points in religion, by which Friends are distinguished frdm other bodies of true Christian believers, notlung can be farther from me than any desire to throw into the shade those fundamental doc- trines, in which all such believers agree. To unfold these doc- trines, and to prove their truth from Scripture, is, in some other worh,l the sole object which I have pursued; and to maintain them fully and freely (as ability is afforded) in the presence of all men, I deem to be both my first duty, and my dearest right.