judge—for it is in the gift of the Lord's good Spirit that the ability stands to perform that service."

It would be easy to multiply similar testimonies. Since the principles of our Society require the decisions of its meetings to be based upon the judgment of the Spirit-this judgment, whether it speaks through few or many, must be acquiesced in by the others. Hence, as Robert Barclay states, Friends do not decide by pluralities or majorities. The question as to deciding by votes, was prominently brought forward in the course of the trial of a cause in the New Jersey Court of Chancery, involving the rights of Friends and of the Hicksites to a school fund about the year 1830. The first witness examined on behalf of Friends was Samuel Bettle, Sr., who made the following statement:

Our mode of deciding questions is peculiar. It is intimately connected with our religious principles and doctrines; when an individual or a religious assembly is gathered into a reverent, inward, waiting state of mind, that we are sensible at times of the presence of the invisible and omnipresent One qualifying the heart for secret communion and approach unto God. Hence, the Society believe, and it is one of their peculiar and distinguishing doctrines that there may be secret approach to and worship of God, without any ceremonial outward act or service; and in our meetings for business, we also hold that it is needful to experience the same power to qualify us for right discernment and to restrain our own spirit and will; and we do believe that when our meetings have been thus in degree influenced, there have been wisdom and judgment better than our own; consistent with the prophetic declaration respecting the blessed Head of the Church, that "He should be a Spirit of judgment to those who sit in judgment." With these views, and a corresponding practice, our Society has been favored to come to its decisions and conclusions at its various meetings, with a remarkable degree of harmony and unity. These conclusions, thus prevailing in a meeting, or, in other words, this sense of the meeting, is often

attained to with very little expression; and the member acting in the capacity of clerk records this sense, feeling or conclusion of the meeting. And it has never been come to by a vote, or the opinion of the majority; no question is ever taken by a reference to numbers, or votes, or a majority, or anything like that. It is obtained upon religious principles, which we understand very well, but which it is difficult to explain. We have got along in this way for near two centuries very well.

In reply to a query, whether, by the ancient practice of the Society, the young and inexperienced are permitted to take part in the transaction of the business of the meetings, Samuel Bettle stated that in ancient times the young did not attend those meetings, unless specially invited to do so; but that the present practice is to admit all who choose to come. This change of usage has been made with the hope that the attendance of these meetings, and witnessing the religious exercise of those on whom the services of them rested, might have a useful influence over the younger members, and tend to prepare them for taking a part in the business of the Church. This could scarcely fail to be the effect if, as Joseph Pike said was the case with him, they "joined heart and soul with those who were exercised for the Truth."

CHAPTER XVIII.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

The early members of the Society of Friends were very jealous for the honor of Truth, and not only by word of mouth, but with the pen "Contended earnestly for the faith" they had received. The literature they have left is very voluminous. Among the works they produced, perhaps none have been

more valued and been more effective than "The Apology for the True Christian Divinity, as the same is held forth and preached by the people, in scorn, called Quakers. Being a full explanation and vindication of their principles and doctrines, by many arguments deduced from Scripture and right reason, and the testimonies of famous authors, both ancient and modern. With a full answer to the strongest objections usually made against them." By Robert Barclay.

Almost from its first publication, this book has been received by Friends as an authoritative statement of the doctrines most surely believed among them, and has been reprinted and distributed from time to time, so that if any of their number should now reject its authority, it would be no breach of charity to say that they themselves had ceased to hold the doctrines of Friends.

A writer in the "Westminster Review" speaks of it as a "master-piece, both in style and manner, among the richest gems of our language." One of the most learned bishops, when asked by a foreigner to recommend to him a systematic work in the English language on Protestant Theology, told him that he knew of none, unless it were Barclay's "Apology for Quakerism." And truly, to any one wandering in the dreary waste of polemics of this age or that, it would be a pleasant place to alight upon. A complete proficient in the learning of the school-men, he wields their weapons with wondrous skill, to destroy the empire which they had so long held over men's souls, and he defends the Truth with a chivalrous devotion, and courtesy to his opponents, reminding us of the Norman knights from whom he was descended; and, mingling with his eloquence and skilful logic, we ever hear a strain of such pure and heartfelt piety as touches our hearts fully as much as it pleases our fancy and our reason."

The Journal of Joseph Wood mentions the convincement of

several persons through the agency of "The Apology." It says:

The day after the Quarterly Meeting held at Leeds, Joshua Priestman, of Pickering, breakfasted at the same Friend's house as myself. On inquiring of him concerning a certain young man I had particularly noticed in the meeting, he told me he was a member of their Monthly Meeting, and that his name was Richard Finnies Foster; that he came out of the south, and had settled at Scarbro; that he had joined Friends by convincement, and had appeared acceptably in the ministry, and withal related the following occurrence, which I have put down as nearly as I can remember, viz: That Dr. Southam, of Buckingham, a man eminent in his profession, by which he had acquired considerable property, took a journey for pleasure, with his wife, to London. During their stay there they attended a play, in which was acted "The Quaker," with which the doctor was much affected. At the close of the performance the principal manager observed to the company that, if any one was desirous to know more of this singular body of people, he would recommend them to read "Barclay's Apology."

Accordingly, before he left London, the doctor privately purchased that work, and when he got home secreted it in his study, where he employed his leisure time in diligently perusing it. His wife, very soon perceiving a visible alteration in him, and having taken notice that he spent more time than usual in his study, wondered what was the cause. Whereupon, taking the opportunity when he was from home, she carefully examined the room, and found the "Apology" therein, which she began to read, and continued to do so at such times as her husband was absent. The consequence of which was that, by turning their minds to that Divine principle of light and life which comes by Jesus Christ, and is placed in the secret of every heart, they were both convinced of the truth as professed by the Society of Friends, and in time they found strength to make public profession of the same.

About the same period, Richard F. Foster's brother Oswald, who was an apprentice with Dr. Southam, was out of his time, and went to London for further instruction. The doctor, hav

ing a great deal of business, had proposed at Oswald's return to take him into partnership. Before the latter reached home he heard of the doctor and his wife having become Friends, at which he was very much surprised: but being determined to let them know that he was not one, when he entered the house he began to whistle and sing, and passing through the lobby by the sitting-room door, he went directly into the kitchen, where he was very much struck with the visible alteration he observed in the countenance of the maid-servant, and thus accosted her: "What, Betty, are you all turned Quakers? But I will not be one, however." But in a short time he was also favored with a precious visitation of Divine grace, and became clearly convinced of the Truth as professed by Friends.

The said Richard F. Foster, hearing that his brother Oswald was turned Quaker, lightly said: "I shall quake also when cold weather comes." The same Divine power however soon after reached unto him, and caused him to bow thereto, bringing him into a state of willingness to confess Christ before men (after the manner of Friends); and about the same time his brother John, resident at some distance, was convinced of the truth of Friends' principles, without having any previous conversation one with another. Thus were six persons in rather a remarkable manner convinced and brought to the acknowledgment of the Truth, as laid down in "Barclay's Apology," and became valuable members of the Society of Friends.

The following testimony to the efficacy of the Holy Spirit, and also to the value of "Barclay's Apology," is extracted from a letter dated Twelfth Month 24th, 1834, from Deborah Cope, then travelling with Dugan and Asenath Clark, in New York and New England meetings, and addressed to Sarah Emlen:

We paid Moses Brown a visit, who enquired affectionately for thee, and desired his love; says thou mayest come back to N. E., and he, for one, will be glad to see thee. It was really a feast to be in his company; he still seems green in his ninety-seventh year. He had just received a letter from