There was rather an uncommon circumstance transpired yesterday in our meeting for worship. A few minutes after the meeting assembled, one of our English Friends, E. R., took the floor, and stood so long that the assembly appeared to be wearied, and as soon as she sat down, A. B. kneeled, and almost as soon as she had resumed her seat, R. J., E. R., and A. B. attempted to break up the meeting by shaking hands, and a number in the next raised seat also shook hands; but the whole assembly sat still as though riveted to their seats. As the Friend who sat next to E. Bates, believing the motion to be premature and not in order, refused to give him his hand, they could not effect their object. And as he and T. Wetherald sat still and did not unite with the motion, not an individual left their seats, but appeared more composed. In a few minutes Thomas stood up, and had a very favoured opportunity with the people, to the rejoicing of every heart, I believe, except those who might have let in prejudice and envy."

*

* The stenographer who took in short hand the communications delivered at the meeting here referred to, made the following note, which was published with the

sermons :

"As the circumstances of this meeting were peculiar, and have been variously represented, it becomes the duty of the stenographer to give a statement of facts as they appeared to him at the time.

"At an early period of the meeting Mrs. Robson rose, and continued to speak for more than an hour. She was very soon succeeded by Mrs. Braithwaite in the foregoing prayer; immediately after which, Richard Jordan and Elisha Bates, who sat at the head of the meeting, shook hands as the customary signal for a separation but contrary to any thing ever before witnessed by the stenographer, or by any other person with whom he has conversed, not a solitary individual, among more than two thousand, was seen to move!

"In the course of about a minute, there was another and a similar attempt made to close the meeting, by R. Jordan, E. Robson, A. Braithwaite, and some persons occupying the second galleries, but it was with the same effect! A profound silence now pervaded the whole of this large assembly, and, in breathless expectation, every eye seemed riveted with intense interest upon the galleries. The whole meeting, simultaneously breaking through the rules of the Society, remained fixed and immovable, as if controlled by some invisible power. Such was the effect, that the beholder might have easily conceived himself surrounded by a congregation of statues, instead of animate beings. During this interval, Mr. Wetherald rose and delivered the following discourse, which being succeeded by a few remarks from Elias Hicks, a short pause ensued-when Mr. Hicks and Mr. Wetherald shook hands, and the meeting quietly dispersed."

With much love to thee, with every branch of thy family and inquiring friends, I rest thy sympathizing and very affectionate friend.

ELIAS HICKS.

TO WILLIAM POOLE, WILMINGTON.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Jericho, 8th mo. 9th, 1826.

Thy two letters of 6th mo. and thy last of 7th mo. 31st, are now before me. I have perused them several times with much satisfaction, as they contained nothing to induce regret, except the account thou givest of thy continued bodily infirmity, and the burdens of thy temporal business, which tends to excite renewed and continued sympathy with thee amidst thy various trials. But let us, dear friend, through and over all, gratefully remember that He whose mercy is over all his works, and who careth for the sparrows, will in his own time cause all things to work together for good, to those who truly love him.

I fully accord with thy views as it respects the several subjects treated upon in thy letters, and especially as it regards our English visitors, now supposed to be on their passage to this land, as experience teacheth, it is not good to lay hands suddenly on strangers, but much safer to be reserved and cautious both on the right hand and the left.

I feel for them as they are coming among us in rather an evil time; a time, I conceive, in which they will be closely watched, and in which they will have need to attend steadily to the advice given by Jesus to his disciples, "be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves," for should they happen to tread in the steps of their forerunners, some of whom have lately departed our coast, they may have cause to rue the day they landed on our shore, which I fear is the case of those who lately left us.

We had the company, last first day week, of J. W. and com

panion from the district of Maine, and A. B. from your yearly meeting.

J. W. appears to be an innocent and well intentioned person, but of small experience, and not sufficiently established on the one only unshaken foundation, to travel abroad in the work of the gospel, in the present time of commotion in the Society; for I fear that in his late journey he has not only suffered loss himself, but, in some instances, has rather wounded than promoted the cause he professed to advocate.

Things, as they relate to the discordant sentiments of some among us, are at present somewhat at a stand, but I don't know that the professed orthodox, have, as yet, become so convinced of the weakness and inconsistency of their traditional views, as willingly to barter them away for those that are better. But this is no strange thing, for it is as Paul says, blindness in part has happened to Israel, and that not only in Paul's time, but in every age and dispensation of God to his creature man; for children are so apt to place implicit confidence in their parents and tutors, whose seeming pious conduct they are led to venerate, that often, for want of due consideration, they set up the standard their parents left them, insomuch that the reproof of the martyr Stephen will, more or less, apply to some in every succeeding generation, “As your fathers did so do ye." This has been very apparent in our Society, as well as in every other, both in a moral and religious point of view. See how hard it has been for Friends in Pennsylvania, to give up the part they took in the coercive governments of this world, and what a struggle Friends had to bring their members from holding their fellow men in slavery. An old man, an elder and leader in Society, and one whom I truly loved, chose rather to be separated from society than to set his slaves free, and was disowned, as were several others of my acquaintance. And we need only examine the history of the past, and it will appear that in all ages, since the fall of man, tradition and popularity have been in general the governing principle among the children of men, in preference to strict justice and truth, and never more so

than in our day,—if we are to judge professors by their works

and fruits.

Thy affectionate friend.

ELIAS HICKS.

TO THOMAS M CLINTOCK, PHILADELPHIA. Jericho, 8th mo. 14th, 1826.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Thy letter of 3d month last, by W. B. I., was duly received, and very acceptable, as its contents were corroborative of my own sentiments and feeling, on the several subjects of which it treated, particularly as respects the agitation in Society. For no real and perfect birth, either in a moral or religious sense, is brought forth without pain and labour. And this was the prophet's view formerly, which led him to exclaim, "When Zion travailed, she brought forth children.”. And I have no doubt but that the present stir and agitation in our Society, has been productive of many living and substantial births.

Had the same state of supineness and ease continued, that had for a long time been prevalent among us, many, I believe, who are now quickened, and alive in concern for truth's prosperity, might still have remained easy and secure amidst their worldly enjoyments. But the conflicting views and discordant opinions, that have for a few years past agitated the minds of the people, have naturally led the minds of our Friends, especially those in younger life, into an investigation, to think and search for themselves, and no longer pin their faith on the sleeves of their predecessors, but to know the foundation that is immovable, and that cannot be shaken, for themselves. And many, I believe, have profited greatly by their own right labour and exercise. But all who may seem to take part in the commotion and exercise, may not, for want of faithfulness and stability, prove good and wholesome fish, but as is represented by the parable of a draw-net, many may be enclosed therein that the head fisherman, when he comes to make his

selection, will cast back into the sea again, while he will save all the good. And some may be like the seed that fell on the highway; the light chaffy spirit may devour it. And some like the seed on stony ground, that springs up quickly, but for want of depth, when trials and tribulations attend, they are scorched by the heat, or give back and are offended. And some may be like the seed in thorny ground, which, although it springs up and seems to take root for a time, yet through the admission of the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, it is choked, and brings forth no fruit, to the honour of the husbandman. But those who, out of a good heart, receive the seed in the love of it, and give all their strength and ability to its support and growth, in these it will produce "some thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred fold," to the honour of the Great Seedsman.

Our transatlantic friends, I. and A. B., have, I think, by keeping their design so much behind the curtain, made rather an inglorious exit, especially the latter, not giving their friends generally an opportunity of a parting kiss, and the accompaniment of their good desires for a prosperous and pleasant passage to their native shore. However, they are gone; and I apprehend if they have made any right move while among us, this latter stands paramount to all the rest: so that they have left nothing else for us to do relative to them, but to pray for their safe arrival to their native land, and the gladdening embraces of their family and friends, and an increase of light and knowledge in wisdom's ways; which the upright in heart know to be ways of pleasantness, and all her paths to be paths of peace.

We will now take leave of those that are gone, and reflect a little on their anticipated successors, for whose preservation and safe-keeping while among us, should they be permitted to land on our shore, I feel considerable solicitude. For unless they attend carefully to the advice given by our great Pattern and perfect Way-mark, to his primitive disciples, to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves," that is, unless through deep suffering and temptation, they have so learned in the