a care of our own spirits, words and works, confessing what he said had weight in it, telling him, it was our care to write and speak according to the divine sense, and not human invention. So, in a very sober and serious manner, we parted."

The "Select Anecdotes" shall be closed with a short extract from a controversial pamphlet, written by Samuel Fothergill, and bearing the date of 1763.

“A number of people in the seventeenth century, made sensible of the inutility of empty profession, and and having long sought the living amongst the dead, were excited to look for the substance of religion as an inward spiritual work; they had spent their money for that which was not bread, and their labour for that which satisfied not. Isai. Iv. 2. They found themselves impoverished amidst the imaginary treasure of exterior profession, and famished amongst the multiplicity of forms. Their situation was like that of the poor woman, mentioned in Mark v. 26. who had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.

"In this exercised condition, labouring and heavy laden, they remained without any prospect of relief from exterior rites and observations, having proved their inefficacy by long trial; they therefore turned towards God, and earnestly sought Him whom the Father had appointed to give rest to the weary soul. The anxious concern of their minds was evident, and sometimes might occasion, upon divers of them, the literal accomplishment of that most necessary injunction, Phil. ii.

12, Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.' Hence the name of Quakers was given to them, at first in scorn, and by many continued from the same motive. The apprehension of imminent danger to the body, hath often produced this effect, without reproach to the parties affected; and why should it be thought to merit any epithet of contempt, to tremble at the sense of danger to that immortal part, which must inevitably abide the decisive sentence of Come ye blessed,' or 'Go ye cursed? I freely and thus publicly acknowledge, that notwithstanding the contempt poured upon the name of a Quaker, I would rather sustain it with propriety, than any of the most dignified titles amongst the sons of men.

"But to proceed: a degree of divine light arose upon their minds, to shew them wherein the essential help consisted, which was accompanied by faith in the name of Jesus Christ, by whom salvation and strength are only attainable. Through a fight of afflictions they followed Him; cruel mockings, severe imprisonments, banishments, sequestration of their goods, and almost every species of oppression and cruelty were exercised upon them, and even death. Yet as a collective body, no occasion was ever found against them, except concerning the law of their God.* Dan. vi. 5. This fervent cry of soul after substance, was graciously regarded by a God hearing prayer. He led them in the way to peace, and spoke comfortably to them, raised in

* See the two volumes of Friends' Sufferings. by Besse ; G. Fox's Journal, Sewel's and Gough's Histories, &c. &c.

many thousands the same religious hunger, and by the baptism of the holy Spirit united them together, as men of one heart. To this we owe our being as a people separate from others.

THE END.

ERRATA.

Page 10-Fourth line from the top, for where, read were. 23-Tenth line from the bottom, for week read weak. 23-Fifth line from the bottom, for dialcet read dialect. 51-Eighth line from the top, for principal read principle. 78-Eighth line from the top, for are read art.

90--Second line from the top, for deligent read diligent. 161-Second line from the top, for he read the. 171-First line, for into read in N. England.