with £250, towards building school-rooms, on condition of expending AS MUCH OF OUR OWN in the same work, and giving account to THEM. On the strength of this encouragement, we lately called a public ineeting in the Town-Hall, and examined two classes of our boys, (I believe to satisfaction) and stated a debt due to the Treasurer of some Twenty pounds, and asked for Funds.-What does the Reader think the Town did for us? We obtained at the doors from a considerable number of very cheerful givers, I fully believe, the sum of Four pounds seven shillings and sixpence! I suppose the result of so preposterous a state of things will, in time, be this—that the parents of our two hundred children will be induced to raise their penny-a-week pay to twopence, and educate them out of their own pockets. Taking, however, the advice in this important affair of some of their old friends; who do not purpose to desert them, while they are willing to accept their aid. Ed. ART. IV.—Remarks on Scripture Passages. Continued. 1 John i. Let the reader peruse the whole Chapter (it has but ten verses) and consider what here follows: Should a preacher identify himself with a congregation of sinners, or with sinners in the congre gation, in the exercise of his ministry? This manner of speaking is used by some in express terms as, 'Brother-sinners! By others in such words as literally taken, imply a sinful state in the speaker at the time he meaning probably no such thing, or if he intend it, pronouncing his own condemnation along with theirs. But is the person who feels that he must do this, to ease his own conscience, fit to preach to others—at least until he has made confession to God for himself, and experienced pardon from Him, and come to true peace of mind? It is written Isaiah lii, 11.-' Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. We hear again of such as, having known the terrors of the Lord because of sin;' (compare 2 Cor. v, 11) are willing to persuade men to forsake sin. But must they not (for this end) have first forsaken it themselves? The Apostle says (in 2 Cor. v, 17, 18) If any man be in Christ he is a new creature -the old was after the flesh in sin-old things are passed away-behold all things are become new, and all things of God,'-so is not sin in our mortal members-Of God, 'who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation '-not, surely, of damnation and destruction of preacher and hearers together-To-wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself-blessed message, blessed work! Not imputing their trespasses unto them.'-Why, then, should the preacher be imputing; and, as if to put on something of humility, and modesty in speech, to himself also? Sin is commonly mentioned in Holy Scripture without a personal application of the charge. Our sin' is only twice in the Concordance Our sins,' only about twenty times. With ' we have sinned' in about as many more places-in confession to God, not in exhortation Your sin,' and 'ye have sinned' occur but in a few places, to men. in Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and once in John; in all which it is Moses or Christ who speaks. So clear are God's ambassadors of peace, and ministers of reconciliation, in His own written word, from charging sin (God's own prerogative, to do or delegate specially) upon God's people. How greatly then does it degrade and misbecome their holy office, for ministers to be charging sin in the people's hearing upon themselves! 6 But it is objected, that the Apostle says, 1 John i, 8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us,' Here he identifies himself with the believers to whom he writes: but let us compare with this, verse 10th, If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar [in professing to have offered himself up for sin, and to be ready to cleanse us from it] and his word not in us. What is that word? Is it not that which is ingrafted in us (as power derived from God) and is able to save our souls, (James i, 21) if indeed we have received the truth. But he says again, verse 7. If we walk in the light [how shall he that walketh in darkness show others the way?] as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. After which cleansing unto real sanctification of heart (and so as that he hath only to persevere) not by a continually repeated imputation of righteousness, to sin again, the believer is qualified, when and where he may be called to it, to preach the gospel to others. It may be objected further, that the apostle Paul, in his first Epistle to Timothy, after declaring this to be a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,' immediately adds, of whom I am chief.' To what does this relate? To the state of that holy man at that moment, or to past transactions which stood on record against him? But in vain on record, as to any present condemnation; he having already 'obtained mercy, that in him, first, Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. And on which account he immediately ascribes (as a saint, not as a sinner) to the only wise God honour and glory for ever!" Let us strive to lift up our souls to this acknowledgement as often as we preach the word of life to others,-putting our mouths in the dust before Him, in respect of our own unworthiness, but taking care also that we let not down that high and holy message, by confessing that we ourselves have not as yet derived the intended benefit. Ed. ART. IV.-FABLES, &c., IN PROSE AND VERSE-CONTINUED, If we may give, in modern days, And this, methinks, might well determine The tale's worth aught, could we be sure A Cobler did his work so ill, That awl and last at length lay still; Just then, the new Lord-Mayor fell ill, There was a medicine, which the lout What seemed some arsenic, in the cup, Not form'd to blush, the rogue turn'd pale, His skill (howe'er the mob might flatter) Was not quite equal to the matter! Full soon the Common Council sate, And thus our prudent magistrate Reprov'd the folly of the cits: Surely, my friends, you've lost your wits, To let so manifest a knave Communications may be addressed, rosT PAID, "For the Editor of the Yorkshireman," at the Printer's, Pontefract; at Longman and Co's, London; John Baines and Co's Leeds; and W. Alexander's, York CHARLES ELCOCK, PRINTER, PONTEFRACT. THE YORKSHIREMAN, A RELIGIOUS AND LITERARY JOURNAL BY A FRIEND. PRO PATRIA. No. XLIV. THIRD DAY, 29th FOURTH Mo. 1834. PRICE 4d. ART. I.-A Chronological summary of events and circumstances, connected with the origin and progress of the doctrine and practices of the Quakers. (Continued from p. 280.) A. D. Trial of Francis Moore and others, for meeting in Grace1670. church-street and near Bishopsgate: fines, imprisonments: appeals in the country: demolition of Friends' Meeting-houses. "At the same sessions Francis Moore, Richard Mayfield, Richard Mew, Richard Knowlman and Gilbert Hutton-taken from a Meeting at Gracechurch-street; Richard Thornton, Charles Banister and Job Bolton-from a Meeting near Bishopsgate; John Bolton an ancient citizen, and Thomas Rudyard a man skilful in the law of the land and zealous for the liberties of the people, were brought to trial upon like indictments for meeting in a riotous nanner. The same Jury who acquitted Penn and Mead, had been also sworn in Court to try these other quakers, but were prevented by that extraordinary proceeding of the Court in fining and imprisoning them." (a) The Bench used towards these persons the like arbitrary conduct as to Penn and Mead. At their appearance on the 3rd of September, the Recorder had ordered off the men's hats, which the Mayor had previously ordered on (when they had been brought in uncovered by the officers) and then fined them on pretence of contempt, some twenty VOL. II. (a) Besse, vol. i, p. 426. 2 marks, others twenty nobles. On the 5th a new pannel (before sum. moned) was called over, from which the Clerk was observed to pick here and there such persons as were most likely to answer the designs of the bench, not calling over the pannel in direct course and order as usual.' The prisoners protesting against this course and challenging several Jurors, were threatened and overruled. The Jury (whose names I shall not here record) heard the evidence of the beadle and officers, that Francis Moore and four others were met in Graciousstreet, and 'staid till after proclamation was made for all persons to depart-the three several proclamations required being made out by the officer's having three times, in one speech, said O yes! The prisoners owned they were there met, to worship the Living God in spirit and in truth, against which there is no Law;' and said they were peaceable and quiet. They were thrust into the Bail dock (as before) and the charge given in their absence: the Recorder telling the Jury they were a refractory people, delighting in deeds of dark[they had met in the open street, in the forenoon, kept out of their own house by force!] that they must be suppressed, and that upon the Indictment they [the Jury] must bring them in guilty: which the Jury, prepared for the purpose, readily did.' (b) And, on indictments in matter and form similar, found Thornton, Banister and Job Bolton also guilty. ness 9 Ezekiel Archer and Margery Fann had been indicted as rioters the sessions before; but the evidence being insufficient, the Court had detained them on a new Indictment of felony. But the attempt against these two in that case was so apparently unjust and malicious, that even this Jury (how partial soever in other cases) brought them in Not guilty.' The Bench fined the prisoners (in their absence and without admitting them to plead exceptions) mostly forty marks apiece, for contempts, and John Bolton forty marks ;* but Thomas Rudyard £100-and committed them close prisoners until payment, to the Dog, by Newgate; a house out of which during the sessions, two persons (one the master of the house, the other a prisoner) had died of the spotted fever or pestilence. But through the goodness of God they were preserved in health. And on the 8th October an order was made by the Court of Aldermen, and entered in the Chamberlain's office, to pay the Recorder an hundred pounds, as a gratuity for his extraordinary pains in the last sessions at the Old Bailey, in trying the quakers! (c) Attempts were made, at different times during this persecution, to force upon the quakers, or upon the persons meeting at their houses, the service of the Church of England. On the 26th [of the month called June, 1670] at the Meeting-house at Gracechurch Street, the Lord Mayor and others had ordered a Priest to attend, who read the (b) Idem, p. 428. 6 (c) Idem, p. 431. *He had been haled by soldiers out of Gracechurch Street Meeting, and convicted by Sir John Sheldon, ، on the 5th of the month called June ; having exhorted the people to sobriety!' |