Mr. L. soon arrived.

The message given me for him I heard Mrs. A. communicate in person as nearly as I can recollect as follows.

"I wished you to know, sir, the goodness of God to me. He has given me a perfect assurance that I shall be happy. I do not however trust in any worthiness of my own. My whole dependence is on the merits of Christ. I believe there is a peculiar efficacy in his death. What this efficacy is, is not revealed. I feel that my sins are washed away in his blood. I believe him to be an all-sufficient Saviour not an Almighty Saviour. I believe that he is not God himself, but the Son of God; the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person. There are those who go to an extreme-I shonld be unwilling to be one of them.' She added, "You know I have not believed in the doctrines of total depravity, election and reprobation, which you preach. I have a full persuasion of your sincerity and piety; that you are anxious to do good in this place, and to awaken sinners from their carelessness. But I entreat you not to be influenced by human systems, but to read the word of God with prayer. I entreat you not to be governed by what Calvin, Luther, or

* Mr. L. in his prayer between the public services yesterday used this expression. After he retired Mrs. A. excepted against it, and made the dis. tinction she here makes.-God, how ever, is an Almighty Saviour: Christ is one whom "God hath exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour." The Father sent the Son to be the SAVZOUR of the world."

Origen say, but to read the scriptures. I know I may be in an error, but I believe that I shall be forgiven. We may both be in an error, but if sincere we shall be forgiven.”

Mr. L. said, "I hope if I am in an error it will be revealed to me.

Mrs. A. replied, "we are very much under the influence of education, and you cannot expect to have this revealed unless you discard human systems and read the scriptures with prayer." She added, "I wish you to have more charity. Charity, Mr. L. that is the point. The Saviour says in his gospel: "why dost thou judge thy brother, or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? To his own Master he standeth or falleth. We must all stand before the judgement seat of Christ.' Is it right, Mr. L. to condemn those who differ from us in opinion ?”

He observed, "I hope I do not assume the prerogative of the judge."

Mrs. A. asked, “Is it not doing this to say, that it is impossible for persons to be saved, who do not believe in your doc

trines ?"

To which Mr. L. replied, "Salvation we are told is obtained through sauctification of the spirit and belief of the truth by those, who are elect according to the foreknowledge of God."

Mrs. A. observed, "You separate the foreknowledge of God from election. You get into a sad jumble Your election is not the scripture election. I do not think with that we you can do nothing of ourselves. We can do something for

ourselves. God hath required it of us."*

Mr. L. began the sentence: 66 We must wait,”.

Mrs. A. interrupted him by saying, "We must not wait, sir. Our Saviour has told us to strive to enter into heaven. We have no more reason to expect salvation without striving than a man has to expect to preserve life without the use of daily food. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father, who is in heaven, give the Holy Spirit to them, who ask it."

She added, "We have it in our power to grieve the spirit, to resist the spirit. Unless we do abuse the grace of God, and neglect the means he has given us we shall be saved." She asked Mr. L. "Do you not rejoice with me in my prospects ?" He not immediately answering, she earnestly added, "Say, Mr. L.; tell me ; do you not rejoice "

Mr. L. answered, "it is a very desirable thing to have hope."

Mrs. A. said, "I have a hope which shall not make me ashamed. I may become delirious. I may pass through many agonies, but I shall go to heaven, and I long to be with my Saviour and my God. But

* We are not to suppose that Mrs. A. was so ignorant as not to know that all our sufficiency is of God. Her ideas were probably these, That God bestows on men faculties which he requires them to exercise, that they are not to live as though they had nothing to do for the attainment of heaven; but, as becomes dependent agents, to "work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.".

heaven, although a place of rest, is not a place of idleness. I shall be employed in contemplating the perfections of God, and in celebrating the praises of my God and Redeemer, which is employment enough for eternity." "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive blessing, and honour, and glory and praise."

Mrs. A. said to Mr. L. "If my life is spared, which I think would be next to a miracle, I hope I shall not be suffered to forsake my God; for I do not believe in your ideas of the perseverance of saints. I believe we may fall from grace."

Mrs. A. then asked Mr. L. "if he understood her, if she expressed her ideas clearly ?” Mr. L. replied in the affirmative.

Mrs. A. asked, "Will you remember it, sir ?"

Mr. L. replied, "Such a conversation, madam, cannot easily be forgotten."

Mrs. A. expressed to Mr. L. a hope that his feelings would not be wounded by the communication she had made. She assured him, that she felt constrained by a sense of duty to say what she did, and intreated that if contrary to her present expectation her life should be spared, he would not be prejudiced against her or her friends on the account."

After the above conversation, Mrs. A. was seized with a violent ague fit. In the midst of the severest agonies she exclaimed, "Do not suppose my sufferings great. My mind is so full of comfort, I consider these as nothing."

After retiring from the cham

ber I asked Mr. L. in presence of Mr. Atherton, whether Mrs. A. did not appear to him to have her recollection perfectly, and to be in the full exercise of her mind ?" In perfect accord. ance with my own opinion he replied in the affirmative.

The above was read to Mrs. Atherton, who said, after proposing two additional sentences, which I perfectly recollected, and which are bere inserted, that the representation was cor

rect.

I also read the above, so far as it related to her interview with Mr. L. to Mr. Atherton and Dr. Spalding, who were present, and who each affirmed their belief of its correctness and truth.

At the request of my brother Charles H. Atherton, and in the hope that it may afford him some consolation under his present afflicting prospects, I have transmitted the above for his perusal.

NATH'L. THAYER. Monday, Sept. 1, 1817.

Remarks by the Editor.

We have admitted the account of the interview between Mrs. A. and Mr. L. not from a desire to excite controversy, or to wound the feelings of any person. Nor is it admitted supposing the consolations of Mrs. A. on her dying bed, are any evidence that her opinions were correct. For on this principle abundant proof might be adduced in support of opposite opinions; and there is perhaps no sect of Christians but what might furnish evidence of this kind in support of their distinguishing tenets. But we wish

it to be better understood, than it has formerly been, that evidences of piety and goodness, and of consolation in a dying hour, have not been exclusively associated with the opinions of any one sect.

When Mrs. A. said to Mr. L. "We may both be in an error," she expressed a truth to which we should think Mr. L. might have very frankly acceded, without any injury to his reputation either as a Christian or a Minister of religion. Had he cordially admitted this truth and duly felt its force, it might perhaps have expanded his heart, extended the bounds of his charity, and multiplied the sources of his joy.

It will, we believe, be in vain for Christians of any sect, who have adopted a human creed as a test of character, to boast of their distinguishing tenets, as having a peculiar tendency to produce Christian humility and love, while history and observation afford the fullest evidence that such creeds or systems have been associated with the most enormous practical errors which ever disgraced or deso lated the world,—errors which would permit and encourage Christians of different denominations, and even of the same denomination, to meet each other in the field of war, to fight the battles of ambition and avarice, and to show their zeal for God by shedding each other's blood. It is surely time for Christians of every name to adopt some creed, some rule of duty, some test of character, which will at least preserve them from destroying one another.

EXTRACTS FROM THE EPISTLE OF THE YEARLY MEETING, HELD IN LONDON, BY ADJOURNMENT, FROM THE 21st of THE 5th MONTH, TO THE 30th OF THE SAME, INCLUSIVE, 1817.

To the Quarterly and Monthly Meetings of Friends, in Great Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere.

DEAR FRIENDS,

Un

THE love of our Heavenly Father has prevailed in this, our annual assembly. It has united us in the fellowship of the gospel, and has extended to our dear absent brethren. der this influence, our confidence has been renewed, that the foundation upon which the righteous in all ages have built their faith and their hope, is forever immutable.

In turning our attention to the state of the Society as it has been now laid before us, the proper employment of the first day of the week, the day more particularly set apart for public wor ship, is a subject that has claimed our attention. It is no small privilege to be living in a country where much regard is paid to this duty, and it highly becomes us to be careful that our example in this respect be consistent with the profession we make to the world.

In a well ordered family, short opportunities of religious retirement fre quently occur, in which the mind may be turned in secret aspiration to the Author of all our blessings; and which have often proved times of more than transient benefit. It is our present concern, that no exception to this practice may be found among us; whether it take place on the reading of a portion of the sacred volume, or when we are assembled to partake of the provisions with which we are supplied for the sustenance of the body. On these latter occasions, may the hearts of our young friends also, be turned to gratitude to God, who thus liberally provides for them. May the experience of us all be such, that we can adopt the words of the PsalmVol. V.-No. 12.

ist-"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray."-Ps. lv. 18.

In our last Year's Epistle, we had to remark the failure of some of our members in paying their just debts. We have been again deeply pained on finding that some disgraceful cases of this kind have since occurred. Whilst we lament the condition of such as have thus wounded their own peace, and brought condemnation on them. selves, we also feel very tenderly both for the near relatives of these, and for their creditors who have suffered through them. In adverting to these cases, it is our solicitude that the misconduct of those to whom we allude may be a caution to others. And we would especially recommend to Friends of discrimination and sound judgement, in kindness and love, to watch over their brethren for good. Great advantages would result from early, repeated and private advice to young tradesmen, who from temporary success and inexperience may be in danger of exceeding their capital, and of imprudently extending their business.

The amount of sufferings reported this year, for tithes and other ecclesiastical claims, and a few demands of a military nature, is upwards of four. teen thousand four hundred pounds. We have received Epistles from all, except one, of the yearly meetings on the American continent From these we observe with pleasure, that, besides a watchful care to support the testimonies of our own Society, our brethren beyond the Atlantic are engaged in various acts of benevolence for the welfare of their fellow-men.

Dear young Friends, our hearts are warmed with love to you. We desire that it may be your frequent concern to seek for an establishment on the only sure Foundation, and to wait in humble watchfulness for the teachings of the heavenly Instructer.

And, dear Friends, you who love the truth, and who are in the vigour of life; feeling as you must the many blessings of which you have been partakers, and the privilege it is to be 48

employed, in the smallest degree, in the service of the Lord, let it be your concern to offer your hearts to his disposal, and under his sacred guid. ance to become devoted to the support of His Cause.

May our dear elder Brethren and Sisters, though often depressed on various accounts, be, by continued watchfulness unto prayer, endued with capacity to trust in God. May they receive that divine support which will enable them acceptably to endure the remaining trials of time; and, being preserved in liveliness and meekness of spirit, be prepared to enter into rest everlasting. Farewell.

Signed in and on behalf of the meeting, by

WM. DILWORTH CREWDSON, Clerk to the Meeting this Year.

REPORT OF THE AUXILIARY BIBLE SOCIETY IN THE COUNTY ΟΡ WORCESTER.

On the 11th of September, the Auxiliary Bible Society in the County of Worcester, held their annual meetingat which the Rev. Dr. Puffer delivered an appropriate and excellent discourse, from Rev. xx. 12; and the following Officers were elected for the year, viz:

Hon. Joseph Allen, President.
Rev. Dr. Summer, Vice President.
Rev. Dr. Thayer, Secretary
Samuel Allen, Esq. Treasurer.
Directors.

Rev. Dr. Bancroft,
Hon. Benjamin Adams,
Rev. John Fiske,
Hon. Bezaleel Taft, jr.
Rev Elisha Rockwood,
Hon. Levi Lincoin, jr.
Rev. Jonathan Going.

REPORT.

The Directors of the Auxiliary Bible Society in the County of Worcester assemble with its members, at this annual meeting, with religious joy in the contemplation of the manifold benefits which have resulted from similar associations throughout Christendom. In the attempt extensively to distribute the sacred scriptu.. the greatest efforts of an individual would prove ineffectual; but the united exertions of general associations have produced effects beyond human an cipation. In the execution of the pious

and charitable purpose of distributing the Bible, Christians, meeting upon ground common to all, have risen above those differences which unhappily divide them respecting articles of faith and modes of worship; and the number of these societies now in ope. ration in Europe, Asia and America, give high promise of the most benefi. cial operations in future.

The British and Foreign Bible Society alone, since it was instituted, have distributed more than a million and three quarters of Bibles and Testaments. Innumerable other societies in the christian world are aiding in the prosecution of the same benevolent and godly design.

One good effect flowing from bible societies, worthy of particular notice, is the excitement of more general attention to the sacred scriptures. Besides the destitute Christian and the deluded Heathen, who are the immediate objects of the charity, thousands who fall not within this description, by means of these associations are induced to study the oracles of truth with increased diligence and serious

ness.

Numerous channels are, through Divine Providence, daily opening to bible societies for diffusing the light of truth in various parts of the world. For the good actually produced by their endeavours, we would refer you to the countless number of those who were in pagan darkness and bondage, but are now vindicated into the light and the liberty of the sons of God; to the many christian individuals, who, scattered among heathen nations, were destitute of the word of life, but are now in the possession of it.

For a view of the benefits and bless. ings which have resulted from the establishment of bible societies, we refer you to the houses and the hearts of the pious poor throughout the christian community, who find support and comfort under all their privations and sufferings from the sacred scriptures which charity has placed in their hands; to the sons and daughters of sickness and wordly oppression, who are enabled in patience to possess their souls, by the consolations which they derive from divine revelation, and of which, but for these institutions, they would have been destitute; to