Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

when they do not preach, with the visitation of this Spirit, or that it is, at any particular time, a resident within them?

Richard Claridge, a learned and pious clergyman of the Church of England in the last century, but who gave up his benefices, and joined the Society of Quakers, has said a few words, in his Tractatus Hierographicus, upon this subject; a part of which I shall transcribe as an answer to this latter question.

"Men," says he, " may certainly know, that they do believe on the Son of God, with that faith which is unfeigned, and by which the heart is purified; for this faith is evidential, and assuring, and consequently the knowledge of it is certain. Now they who certainly know that they have this knowledge, may be certain also of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them; for "he that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself *:" and this witness is the Spirit; for " it is the Spirit that beareth witness t;" of whose testimony they may be as certain, as of that faith the Spirit beareth witness to.

* 1 John v. 10.

VOL. I.

U

+ 1 John v. 6.

Again:

[ocr errors]

Again: "They may certainly know that they love the Lord above all, and their neighbour as themselves. For the command implies not only a possibility of knowing it in general, but also of such a knowledge as respects their own immediate concernment therein, and personal benefit arising from a sense of their conformity and obedience thereunto. And seeing they may certainly know this, they may also as certainly know that the Spirit of Christ dwelleth in them, for "God is Love; and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God, and God in him*." And "if we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in ust." In the same manner he goes on to enumerate many other marks from texts of Scripture by which he conceives the question may be determined ‡.

I shall conclude this chapter on the sub

** 1 John iv. 16.

† 1 John iv. 12.

The Quakers conceive it to be no more difficult for them to distinguish the motions of the Holy Spirit, than for those of the Church of England who are candidates for holy orders. Every such candidate is asked, “ Do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon you this office and ministration?" The answer is, "I trust so."

ject

ject of the Quaker-preaching, by an extract from Francis Lambert, of Avignon, whose book was published in the year 1516, long before the Society of the Quakers took its rise in the world. "Beware," says he, “that thou determine not precisely to speak what before thou hast meditated, whatsoever it be; for though it be lawful to determine the text which thou art to expound, yet not at all the interpretation; lest, if thou doest so, thou takest from the Holy Spirit that which is his; namely, to direct thy speech, that thou mayest preach in the name of the Lord, void of all learning, meditation, and experience, and as if thou hadst studied nothing at all, committing thy heart, thy tongue, and thyself wholly unto his Spirit, and trusting nothing to thy former studying or meditation, but saying to thyself, in great confidence of the divine promise, The Lord will give a word with much power unto those that preach the Gospel."

[blocks in formation]

SECTION II.

But besides oral or vocal, there is silent worship among the Quakers-many meetings, where not a word is said, and yet worship is considered to have begun and to be proceeding-worship not necessarily connected with words-this the opinion of other pious men besides Quakers-of Howe-Hales-Gell- Smaldridge, bishop of Bristol-Monro-Advantages which the Quakers attach to their silent worship.

I HAVE hitherto confined myself to those meetings of the Quakers where the minister is said to have received impressions from the Spirit of God with a desire of expressing them, and where, if he express them, he ought to deliver them to the congregation as the pictures of his will, and this as accurately as the mirror represents the object that is set before it. There are times, however, as I mentioned in the last section, when either no impressions may be said to be felt, or, if any are felt, there is no concomitant impulse to utter them. In this case, no person attempts to speak; for to

speak

speak or to pray where the heart feels no impulse to do it, would be, in the opinion of the Quakers, to mock God, and not to worship him in Spirit and in truth. They sit therefore in silence, and worship in silence *. And they not only remain silent the whole time of their meetings, but many meetings take place, and these sometimes in succession, when not a word is uttered.

Michael de Molinos, who was chief of the sect of the Quietists, and whose "Spiritual Guide," was printed at Venice in 1685, speaks thus: "There are three kinds of silence; the first is of words, the second of desires, and the third of thoughts. The first is perfect; the second is more perfect; and the third is most perfect. In the first, that is of words, virtue is acquired. In the seeond, namely, of desires, quietness is attained. In the third, of thoughts, internal recollection is gained. By not speaking, not desiring, and not thinking, one arrives at the true and perfect mystical silence, where God speaks with the soul, communicates himself to it, and in the abyss of its own

* See note †, page 279, in the preceding Section.

depth

« AnteriorContinuar »