the test to which he was immediately brought by him who "knew what was in man," "loving this present world," and, with an ungenerous selfishness, "laying up for himself treasures upon earth." Jesus" beheld" this youth with the "pity" which "melts the mind to love;" and, the tenderer that affectionate compassion, the severer would be the pang with which, aware of the result, he applied the test, and sent him away "sorrowful.”—In this, as in every thing else, our Redeemer has "left us an example that we should follow his steps." I quote the case at present, with no further application, than as it exemplifies the principle by which we should ever seek to be actuated. Whatever be the nature and grounds of our affection, there cannot be a greater mistake than that we should spare those we love; that we should prefer their pleasure to their profit; that we should rather leave them in delusion than disturb their repose; rather let them hold their errors than subject them to the pain of their discovery. This would be hatred, not love; cruelty, not kindness. There is no greater favour we can do to a friend, than displacing error in his mind, and introducing truth. And according to 'the measure of our friendship, and the importance of the error and the truth, will be our solicitude to accomplish this end.

The second source of the interest I have felt in the recent agitations of your Society, is to be found in

the part formerly taken by me in a controversy which involves the essential elements of Christianity. I mean, of course, that which relates to the Socinian heresy. The connexion here you will find no difficulty in discerning. The remarkable and melancholy fact, of so large a secession from your community in the United States to errors of a quite analogous description, if they may not even be pronounced identical, very naturally, as you will allow, drew my attention, and stimulated inquiry as to the tendency of some of your principles. Even although, in the Quaker system, there were some things which appeared the very antipodes of Socinianism, the latter discarding every thing of the nature of direct divine influence on the human mind, and avowedly inimical to all spiritual excitement, presenting a scheme of self-sufficient and frigid rationalism;—yet there were other points respecting which, it seemed to me, it would be far from easy to acquit them of the imputation of a tendency to such a result, although that tendency may generally, in regard at least to outward profession, have been counteracted by other causes. In saying so, I have a special reference in my mind to the views entertained by Quakers respecting the Holy Scriptures;—the secondary place which they assign to them; their subordination, in point of authority, to the inward light; and the difficulty,-in spite of all that can be said of its

being a gift of the Spirit and not of nature, and a benefit resulting from the merits of Christ's mediation, of distinguishing, or at least maintaining the distinction, in minds that are not sufficiently imbued with a previous mysticism, between the light of the Quaker and the reason of the Socinian. Even the most intelligent Friends, while they lay down the distinction as an article of their system, find it no easy matter to keep the two clear of each other in their illustrations and reasonings. And if even in the writings of such men this difficulty is apparent, how much greater must it be to ordinary minds, unaccustomed to discriminative thought!—how much more prevalent in such minds the propensity to confound the two together,-universal light with universal reason! Of the Quaker sentiments respecting the Scriptures I shall speak at large by and by:—at present I merely hint at one of their tendencies, as perhaps exemplified in a special case; the idolizing of the light having a similar effect on the mind of the thorough-going Friend, in reducing the paramount authority of Scripture as the direct and only standard of religious truth, with the idolizing of reason on the mind of the thorough-going Socinian.*

What Socinian could desire a loftier eulogy of Reason, than is to be found in the words of one of your earliest writers, one who may be reckoned among the founders of your SocietyWilliam Penn? "Right reason I mean-the Reason of the first

Be not offended with me, when I say (for I say it in kindness and under correction) that this tendency is indebted, amongst Friends, for an augmentation of its strength, to a prevailing deficiency in their system of religious instruction, that all-important branch of early education which consists in the communication of general religious knowledge to the mind. I am anxious to avoid all inculpatory reflexion that may not have foundation in fact. But is it not so, that too little attention has been bestowed amongst you on this department of tuition,-the informing of the youthful mind as to the principles and general contents of the inspired oracles, and as to the evidences of their divine authority? Is there generally, among Friends, such a system of domestic scriptural instruction, or of such instruction in Sabbath schools in cases where it is not enjoyed at home, as is calculated to impart any thing like enlarged and connected views of divine truth? Is the mere practice of daily reading a portion of Scripture, with a few moments of silence, however solemn, before and after, as a domestic exercise, at all sufficient for such a purpose? Or are silent public meetings,—or meetnine verses of the first chapter of John. For so Tertullian gives us the word Logos; and the Divine Reason is one in all; that lamp of God which lights our candle, and enlightens our darkness, and is the measure and test of our knowledge."-Quoted by Richard Ball, in his "Holy Scripture the Test of Truth," Note, page 93.

ings where, in that which is said, there is little or no appeal to the sacred records, the direct movements of the Spirit taking precedence of them, by any means fitted to supply the deficiency? It is easy, on such a subject, to speak of the benefits of getting still,and to say many plausible things as to the necessity in religion, both as a part of its essential exercises and of the means of its growth, of meditation, and quiet musing, and the introversion of the mind's eye upon itself. But you should not forget, that to true and profitable meditation materials of thought are necessary. The mind that has little or no information on the subjects of religious musing will generally muse to little purpose; nay, as it can hardly be an entire vacancy, I fear they are but sciolists in the knowledge of human nature, who, in such circumstances, will commit it to its own thoughts without the apprehension of pernicious rather than of salutary results. Deem me not uncharitable,-tell me not that I judge of others by myself, if I venture to surmise, that, were there such a tribunal as a Quaker confessional, there would come to light before it many a thought of vanity, if not of worse than vanity, that has seemed a part of silent devotion. Nay, is there no such sentiment among you as a jealousy of the human tuition in question, as if it were an interference with the province of the Holy Spirit, derogatory to the supremacy and sufficiency of the