come to nothing, which was fulfilled on some that then were something in shew. And when this man was buried, a great work of the Lord fell upon me, to the admiration of many who thought I had been dead: and many came to see me for about fourteen days time; for I was very much altered in countenance and person, as if my body had been new moulded or changed. And while I was in that condition, I had a sense and discerning given me by the Lord-through which I saw plainly, that when many people talk of God and Christ, &c. the serpent spake in them.""And I saw

into that which was without end, and things which cannot be uttered; and of the greatness and infiniteness of the love of God, which cannot be expressed by words."-P. 13, folio edit., 1694.

Such are the effects-upon a fanatical mind, and a heated imagination--the inevitable effects of a belief in this inward light, and in the mental operation of this supernatural spirit! From Fox's Select Epistles, &c. which form a ponderous volume of pride and fanaticism, not unfrequently verging on impiety, we extract the following :—

"When the Lord first sent me forth in the year 1643, I was sent as an innocent lamb (and young in years) amongst (men in the nature of) wolves, dogs, bears, lions and tigers, into the world, which the devil had made like a wilderness; no right way then found out in it. And I was sent to turn people from darkness to the light," &c.—Page 1.

And again, page 6--" Concerning the first spreading the truth, and how that many were imprisoned," &c.

"For I was sent for to many sick people; and, at one time, I was sent for to White-Chappel, about the third hour in the morning, to a woman that was dying, and her child, and the people was weeping about her. And, after a while, I was moved (in the name and power of Jesus Christ) to speak to the woman, and she and her child was raised up; and she got up, to the astonishment of the people, when they came in the morning, and her child also was healed." *

But, perhaps, the strongest evidence of the spiritual intoxication of the founder of Quakerism, is to be found in a curious work which was written to explain and defend the Quaker practice of using the singular pronouns thou and thee, in preference to the plural you a work entitled, "A Battle-Dore for Teachers and Professors to learn singular "and plural-YOU to MANY, and THOU to ONE;"-the object is expressed to be, " to shew how emperors and others "have used the singular word to ONE-and how the word you "to ONE came first from the Pope." It is written "

by

George Fox, John Stubbs, Benjamin Furley-1660." We learn from Fox's Journal that this work was chiefly com

* "A collection of many select and Christian Epistles, Letters, and Testimonies, written on sundry occasions by that ancient, eminent, faithful friend and minister of Jesus Christ, George Fox-1698, published by G. Whitehead.

posed by Stubbs and Furley (it being in fact a work of learning, to which Fox had no pretensions), but that some things were added by himself. It is in the introduction to

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this singular work that Fox makes the following modest declaration :-" All languages are to me no more than dust, "WHO WAS BEFORE ALL LANGUAGES WERE; and am com'd “before languages were; and am redeemed out of languages into the power where men shall agree." It would be very amusing, if our subject would allow of it, to notice the criticisms that have been offered on this passage by some of the literati among the Friends, in order to soften down the presumption of the above assertions: some have even gone so far as to suggest two long supplements in the text of the inspired penman, and to justify such supplements by the example of the translators of our English Bibles; forgetting that we have Fox in the pure original of our native tongue, whilst the scriptures are a translation from a dead to a modern language. But what objection have these fastidious critics to the above passage? It is, after all, only true orthodox Quakerism, and with that view it has been quoted by us. Fox could only mean that the spirit of God, which was in him, and by which he was inspired, was before all languages; and that, receiving communications in heavenly language, he disdained such as were earthly. This is very presumptuous indeed; but that is the very point we contend for we say that the Quaker, then as now, who acts upon and feels the principles of his sect, must, as a necessary consequence, be presumptuous. And, we willingly adopt the judgment of the reviewers, with regard to the Society of Friends:-" It is quite plain to us that, "their founder, George Fox, was exceedingly insane; and though we by no means suspect many of his present "followers of the same malady, we cannot help saying that "their doctrines are a little too high-flown for our humble apprehension."-Edinburgh Review, vol. 10, p. 101, Clarkson's Portraiture.

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From Fox the greater we turn to Fox the less; the latter being an approved and zealous minister among the early Quakers, and not less presumptuous, as it would seem, in the nature of his claims than the modest master-builder of the Quaker system. This Fox, when prisoner in Lambeth House, wrote a book entitled "The dread of God's Power uttering its Voice, through Man, unto the heads of the Nation.” "Herein" (says Sewell) " he exhorted the rulers very earnestly to do justice; and said, among the rest, Friends, I must deal plainly with you in the sight of God, who hath made me a prophet to the nation." I may not

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flatter any of you. My life is in the hand of my Maker, and not one hair of my head can fall to the ground without his providence. He hath redeemed my soul from hell, and my mind from the earth, and he hath given me his good spirit to lead me. I am henceforth no more my own, but I am the Lord's, who hath formed me to his praise, and hath brought me forth that I may sound forth his powerful truth amongst the people.'”—p. 287.

The next of the Quaker worthies to whom we shall referthe next instance of the natural effect of a belief in the inward light, which we shall adduce-is William Dewsbury. He had been originally a shepherd; afterwards became a soldier, and finally a Quaker! in which profession he was, observes Sewell, 66 a very zealous teacher, and an eminent instrument to the conversion of many." (p. 617.) When taken before Judge Atkins, at Wellingborough, in the year 1655, during an examination touching his principles, the following dialogue occurred :—

"The next query of the Judge was, What is thy name?" and the answer was, Unknown to the world.' Let us hear (said the Judge) what that name is that the world knows not.' 'It is (quoth Dewsbury) known in the light, and none can know it, but he that hath it; but the name the world knows me by is, William Dewsbury.' Then said the Judge What countryman art thou?' and Dewsbury answered, 'Of the land Canaan.' That's far off,' replied the Judge. 'Nay (said Dewsbury) for all that dwell in God are in the Holy City, New Jerusalem, which comes down from heaven, where the soul is in rest and enjoys the love of God in Jesus Christ, in whom the union is with the Father of Light."-Sewell, p. 119, 120.

How different, as compared with the conduct of this fanatic, is that of the apostle Paul when brought before rulers and magistrates for the testimony of the gospel. Paul is respectful in his manner, clear and dignified in his defence; he never insults those in authority by playing upon words, or seeks to stultify his judges by the adoption of a confused, unintelligible jargon. Equally different also is Paul's account of his miraculous conversion to that of one Marmaduke Stephenson, who is reported to have been one of the first Quaker martyrs on American ground. Take the following account, as given forth by Stephenson himself, when a prisoner at Boston (America, 1659). It commences in the following manner :

"In the beginning of the year 1655, I was at the plough in the east parts of Yorkshire, in old England, near the place, where my outward being was;*

* It does not exactly appear, whether the outward being of the worthy Quaker was in the place where he really was, or only near it. If we were blessed with the inward light, we suppose we should see this matter more clearly.

and, as I walked after the plough, I was filled with the love and the presence of the living God, which did ravish my heart when I felt it; for it did increase and abound in me like a living stream, so did the love and life of God run through me like precious ointment giving a pleasant smell, which made me to stand still; and as I stood a little still with my heart and mind stayed on the Lord, the word of the Lord came to me in a small still voice, WHICH I DID HEAR PERFECTLY, saying to me in the secret of my heart and conscience, I HAVE ORDAINED THEE A PROPHET UNTO THE NATIONS.'-And at the hearing the word of the Lord I was put to a stand, seeing that I was but a child for such a weighty matter. So, at the time appointed, BARBADOES was set before me, unto which I was required of the Lord to go, and leave my dear loving wife and tender children. For the Lord said unto me, immediately by his spirit, that he would be as a husband to my wife and as a father to my children, and they should not want in my absence, for he would provide for them when I was gone."-Sewell, p. 228. 229.

Edward Burroughs appears to have been another finished representative of the inward light. He is known as the author of a folio volume of letters, exhortations, prophecies, threatnings, curses, and consolations, given forth at sundry times and in divers manners. This man was denominated by the Quakers A son of thunder;' and he appears indeed, from the following narration, to have been at least a spiritual pugilist.

"At London there is a custom in summer time, when the evening approaches and tradesmen leave off working, that many lusty fellows meet in the fields to try their skill and strength in wrestling, where generally a multitude of people stands gazing in a round. Now, it so fell out that E. Burroughs past by the place where they were wrestling, and standing still among the spectators, saw how a strong and dextrous fellow had already thrown three others and was waiting for a fourth champion, if any durst venture, to enter the lists. At length, none being bold enough to try, E. Burroughs stept into the ring, commonly made up of all sorts of people: And, having looked upon the wrestler with a serious countenance, the man was not a little surprised, instead of an airy antagonist, to meet with a grave and awful young man; and all stood as it were amazed at this sight, eagerly expecting what would be the issue of this combat. But it was quite another fight E. Burroughs aimed at." Sewell then goes on to relate, that this spiritual combatant proceeded to address the spectators "with such a heart-piercing power, that he was heard by this mixt multitude with no less attention than admiration!!" P. 81.

To refer, in this instance, to the judicious advice of Jesus," Cast not thy pearl before swine," would be to pay an undeserved compliment to the heavenly garbage, the spiritual pigs meat,' on which it may be supposed that Burroughs feasted "the ring commonly made up of all sorts of people." We proceed, therefore, to notice a book of Judgments, published by this Burroughs, which the Quaker historian Sewell, omits to mention. It was ushered into the world under the following assuming, not to say blasphemous

announcement; which, as another instance of the effect and operation of a belief in the inward light, we extract from the folio edition of his works (1672.)

"A trumpet of the Lord sounded forth in Sion, &c. or fearful voices of terrible thunders uttered forth from the throne to the astonishment of the heathen in all quarters of the earth, who are not sealed in the forehead, &c.. declared and written by a son of thunder, as a warning to all the inhabitants of the earth, where the great image is standing, or any part of it is worshipped, &c. with a salutation to the seed who are gathered into the fold, and with the children of the King, &c. by order of the Lord, and authority given unto me, by the spirit of the living God, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords: the one-and-thirtieth day of the tenth moneth, in the year of the world's account, 1655, about the fourth hour in the morning, when my meditations were on my God, upon my bed in Kilkenny Castle, in the nation of Ireland: at that time the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, write my controversie with all the inhabitants of the earth. Given under my hand, and sealed with the spirit of the eternal God who lives for ever, through a servant of the Lord, E. Burroughs."

Now, as it frequently happens when the blasphemies of the Quaker worthies are pointed out, that the writers on the side of Quakerism abandon their defence, under the plea that such individuals were not approved by the Quakers themselves; we shall produce certain testimonies' in favour of this E. Burroughs to shew, that he, the writer of the above, and other similar blasphemies, was an approved minister amongst them. In the introduction to the collection of his works, entitled "The memorable works of a Son of Thunder and consolation; namely, that true prophet and faithful servant of the Lord, and sufferer for the testimony of Jesus, E. Burroughs." 1672. There are several "testimonies" in favour of this man from Quakers of pious memory, from amongst which we select the following:

"A testimony of George For concerning E. Burroughs. His name is chronicled in the lambs' book of life, a righteous plant, pure, chaste, clean; a valiant warrior, more than a conqueror, who hath got the crown through death and sufferings, who is dead, but yet liveth amongst us; and amongst us is alive.-G. Fox."

We have also Frances Howgill's testimony concerning Edward Burroughs, "that worthy prophet of the Lord."

"Shall days, or months, or years, (he asks) wear out thy name as though thou hadst had no being? O nay! Shall not thy noble and valiant acts, and mighty works, which thou hast wrought through the power of him that separated thee from the womb, live in generations to come? O yes! The children that are yet unborn shall have thee in their mouths, and thy works shall testify of thee in generations who yet have no being, and shall count