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THE

DOCTRINE AND PRINCIPLES

OF THE

PEOPLE CALLED QUAKERS, &c.

THE "Address to the Quakers, including the pamphlet entitled, Errors of the Quakers," being written by one who frequently acknowledges his having read such of our writings as clearly explain our principles, it is the more to be regretted," that his prejudice should yet remain so strong, as to lead him not only to make partial and unfair quotations from those works, but to draw unfounded inferences from them; which, I conclude, the reader will readily discover in the following pages.

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In his preface, page 3, he says, "The pamphlet does not contain any thing else "but plain truth concerning the Quakers;" and, in page 5, "I wrote a plain and true

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"statement of the errors of the Quakers. "I wrote with prayer and tears, in humble "hope that it would be rendered a bless"ing to the Methodists, Presbyterians, "Churchmen, Baptists, &c. and those of no persuasion, as well as Quakers."

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In page 13, he says, "If you notice what "I quoted from their authors, you will 66 agree with me, that the quotations clearly "prove the charges in the book."

And, in page 69, "I have not charged "the Quakers with any thing but what I "can substantiate; and I defy them to prove "one charge false, or give any good reason "why it is not strictly true."

These declarations of his, I wish the reader to bear in mind, that, on perusing the following pages, he may judge of the propriety of them.

Page 4, he says, "The great respon"sibility I have ever viewed myself under "to God, requires that I speak and act " here below not according to my own will, "but according to the will of God, who "hath called me to ministerin holy things." Page 12, "My great intention has been to "be plain and honest in my writing, weigh❝ing every part of the subject with prayer "to God."-Page 13, "The Lord called "me to write the Errors of the Quakers."

This is professing to set out upon sacred ground. How far he has kept upon it, the reader must judge.

Pages 6 and 7, "The ostensible reason "for writing the Pamphlet entitled Errors "of the Quakers, was, a firm belief that their 66 principles and forms were hostile to the "Scriptures, and general received opinions "of all denominations of christians. The "statement of facts in the pamphlet shews 66 my faith in them to be well founded. I "consider myself therefore on the defen"sive, and set for the defence of the gos"pel of Christ, from the mystical rant, or "ambiguous cant of Quakerism. I love "good men of all persuasions, and plain "dealing on every subject. But this pro❝fessing charity, when we will not join in "the worship of God with those who dif"fer from us in non-essentials only, is too "much hypocrisy for me." And again, in the same page, "It has been, and still is my "opinion, that the Quakers differ from "other denominations in something more "than non-essentials.'

In these two pages, he remarks, that our principles and forms are hostile to the Scriptures, and opinion of all denominations; and then infers, that it is only in non-essen

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