e: 
 
 ERS 
 
 LAC TS OF LETTERS 
 
 I 
 
 
 oi THE LATE 
 
 ^ANDWOOD, 
 
 nister in the So 
 
 >l GHTON, FORMERLY OF EDGWORTH, 
 
 t fir County of Uanrastcr. 
 
 >i (■• give an answer to < . \ man that asketh yon, 
 that is in you with nieekm a and feaj 
 
 l Petet lit. I > 
 
 MANCHESTER: 
 
 PRINTED BY HENRY SMITH, ST. /INN'S SQUAR] 
 
 For John Bradshaw, Deansgale. 
 
 AND DARTON, J. & A. ARCH, A X 
 
 D WS 
 
 I DARTON, 
 
 M. ALEXANDER & SOX, YORK ; 
 
 AND 
 
 
 ». F. GARDINER, DUBLIN. 
 
 
 
 1828. 
 
 
 — Out Shtiltmj and Sixpence. 
 
 
 
 
 ^\f& 
 
 
LIBRAEY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Theological Seminary, 
 
 PRINCETON, N, J. 
 -Oivisioi 
 
 Case, 
 
 Shelf, 
 Book, 
 
 N®, 
 
 ^<sB 
 

- 
 
LETTERS 
 
 AND 
 
 EXTRACTS OF LETTERS 
 
 OF THE LATE 
 
 JAMES BRANBWOOD, 
 
 (A Minister in the Society of Friends,) 
 OF WEST-HOUGHTON, FORMERLY OF EDGWORTH. 
 
 $n t!je Counts of Hattcajster. 
 
 " Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you, 
 a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. 
 
 1 Peter in. 15. 
 
 t 
 
 MANCHESTER : 
 
 PRINTED BY HENRY SMITH, ST. ANN'S-SQUARE, 
 
 For John Bradshaw, Deansgate. 
 
 SOLD ALSO BY HARVEY AND DARTON, J. & A. ARCH, AND WM. DARTON, 
 
 LONDON J WM. ALEXANDER & SON, YORK J AND 
 
 D. F, GARDINER, DUBLIN. 
 
 1828. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 JLN compliance with the desire of some friends, 
 who think the following letters too valuable to be 
 lost, they are now published, with the hope that 
 they will be both acceptable and useful. 
 
 The writer was a plain country man, possessed 
 of a good understanding, but he had not the 
 advantage of a liberal education, which will 
 account for any defects in the composition of the 
 letters. 
 
 He was happily favoured, in early life, to 
 see the excellence of the things which make for 
 eternal peace, and through the renewed visitations 
 of Divine love, being convinced of the spiritual 
 nature and design of the gospel dispensation, he 
 separated from those with whom he had previously 
 associated in religious profession, and afterwards 
 joined the Society of Friends. 
 
 After having proved the efficacy of the 
 
 principles in which he most surely believed, he 
 
 became concerned to recommend them to others ; 
 
 exemplifying the same by a life of self-denial, 
 
 a2 
 
IV. 
 
 christian humility and meekness, and few persons 
 appear to have been more free from the love 
 of the interests of this world, or more dead to 
 its censure or its praise ; and a striking feature 
 in his character, worthy to be recorded, was his 
 scrupulous tenderness of the reputation of others, 
 so that his most intimate friends scarcely ever 
 heard him speak to the disadvantage of any ab- 
 sent person. 
 
 He many years followed the profession of a 
 land-surveyor and conveyancer, was never mar- 
 ried, and when at home, lived most of his life 
 alone, in a retired part of the country; but his 
 christian virtues and unobtrusive deportment, 
 together with his cheerful and instructive con- 
 versation, gained him the general esteem of all 
 classes with whom he had intercourse. 
 
 He passed the last two years of his life as the 
 inmate of a Friends' family, where the peacefulness 
 with which his mind was evidently clothed, very 
 instructively marked the termination of the days 
 of an upright man ; and he frequently expressed 
 his humble yet lively hopes of acceptance with 
 God, grounded solely on the merits and mediation 
 of Christ his Saviour. 
 
 5th Month 14th, 1828. 
 
A TESTIMONY 
 
 Of Hardshaw East Monthly Meeting, concerning James Brandxcood, 
 deceased. 
 
 VJ UR beloved friend, James Brand wood, was the eldest 
 son of John Brandwood, of Entwisle, in the parish of 
 Bolton, in the county of Lancaster, Yeoman, in pro- 
 fession with the Church of England, and was born the 
 11th of the 11th month, 1739, N.S. 
 
 It appears that it pleased the Father of Mercies, to 
 follow him with the visitations of his grace from very early 
 age ; as he grew up, he went amongst the Presbyterians, 
 and continued with them until about his twentieth year, 
 when it pleased God further to enlighten his soul by the 
 Spirit of his Son, and deeply to contrite his heart under 
 the view of his fallen state, and of the necessity of experi- 
 encing the work of regeneration being accomplished 
 through the operation of Divine grace, shaking all his 
 former building in religion to the very foundation. In this 
 state of mind, he was not able to unite in religious pro- 
 A3 
 
VI. 
 
 fession, with any with whom he was then acquainted, and 
 became as one alone. 
 
 About this time, repeatedly feeling his mind drawn 
 to attend a Meeting of Friends, to whose principles he was 
 almost wholly a stranger, he went to a small meeting, at 
 several miles distance from his place of abode ; and in 
 allusion to which, in a letter to a friend, he says, "In 
 that meeting Divine goodness favoured my soul with a sense 
 of His gracious presence, and the promise of Christ 
 opened to my mind with great sweetness, * Wheresoever two 
 or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in 
 the midst of them.' In this my soul rejoiced, and said, 
 4 this is the truth, this is what I have long been seeking 
 for/ n He appears to have been early made instrumental 
 to the convincement of several others, and was himself 
 admitted into membership with our Society, in 1761 ; and 
 a meeting was shortly afterwards settled at Edgworth, 
 where he resided many years. Soon after his joining the 
 Society, and for which he was disinherited by his father, 
 he appeared in the work of the ministry, in which service, 
 with the concurrence of Marsden Monthly Meeting, he at 
 different times visited several of the counties of England, 
 and, in 1787, the principality of Wales, in company 
 with James Birch. During many years, he frequently 
 visited the neighbouring meetings of Lancashire and 
 
Ml. 
 
 Cheshire, in some of which he was acceptably engaged in 
 religious visits to the families of Friends. In the exercise 
 of his ministry, he was reverently careful to wait for the 
 renewed openings and authority of the word of life ; and 
 his communications were concise, forcible, aud compre- 
 hensive. About the sixtieth year of his age, this, our 
 dear friend, through a combination of circumstances, 
 appeared to be, in some degree, under a cloud ; he be- 
 came less diligent in attending meetings ; and, in 1813, 
 was discontinued as an acknowledged minister, yet he was 
 enabled to bear, with exemplary patience, some deeply 
 trying circumstances, which, during this period, were 
 permitted to attend him. 
 
 After some years, it pleased his gracious Lord to 
 dispel the cloud by which his character had been obscured, 
 to reanimate his love to his brethren, and again to engage 
 him in the work of the ministry. Early in 1824, he 
 came to reside in West Houghton, within the compass of 
 this meeting, and some months afterwards was reinstated 
 as an acknowledged minister. Notwithstanding his ad- 
 vanced age, being in his eighty-fifth year, he was diligent 
 in attending meetings, clear and lively in his communica- 
 tions therein, much to the comfort and edification of 
 Friends. During the following year, he visited most of 
 the meetings of Friends in the southern parts of this 
 
Vlll. 
 
 county. His humility, meekness, and peaceful compo- 
 sure of mind, together with his innocent and instructive 
 conversation, greatly endeared him to his friends. 
 
 About the beginning of 12th month, 1825, our dear 
 friend became unwell, from which time to his close, he 
 was mostly confined to the house. During his illness, he 
 was enabled, at different times, to communicate many 
 instructive remarks and much deeply interesting counsel, 
 a considerable portion of which is here omitted for the 
 sake of brevity. One first day evening, to several young 
 friends, w T ho, according to their usual practice, had come 
 to sit with him, after some time of silence he remarked, 
 "I have this day thought much on the subject of Satan 
 attempting to ensnare the Lord Jesus Christ, and I have 
 been made to believe that he, in the same way, attempts 
 to draw aside visited minds, that are turned Sionward." 
 After enlarging on the subject, he added, " dear young 
 friends, we should not think highly of ourselves, but 
 humbly ; and keep low and dependent upon Him, who 
 withstood Satan in all his presentations to ensnare Him, 
 and who will give us strength to withstand also, if we look 
 unto - Him for help and are sufficiently dependent upon 
 Him." In the course of the evening of the 26th of 2nd 
 month, after expressing a few short but lively sentences, 
 he said, " A few words have opened to my mind, and I 
 
IX. 
 
 believe they are in Revelations : ' And they sing the song 
 of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, 
 saying, great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God 
 Almighty ; just and true are all thy ways, thou King of 
 saints.' " After which the whole chapter was read to him, 
 when, without making any remarks, he fell asleep : in a 
 few minutes he awoke, and observed, " I have been 
 dreaming about this song, and it appeared very beautiful, 
 but there are not many who can sing this song, for they 
 must be redeemed from the earth; they must have the 
 white stone and the new name before they can sing it." 
 He was greatly affected during the whole of this commu- 
 nication. 
 
 At another time he remarked, " The Scriptures are 
 full of beauties, if we are but favoured to see them;" 
 and again, " I have been given to see that there is a great 
 deal to be done before the lion can eat straw with the ox." 
 On the 3rd of 3rd month, he requested that paragraph in 
 the first chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians to be 
 read, in which the apostle declares, " We preach Christ 
 crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the 
 Greeks foolishness ; but unto them which are called, both 
 Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wis- 
 dom of God ;" on which he exclaimed, " Wonderful and 
 very good :" and, after a few minutes pause, added, 
 
" This passage dwelt very much upon my mind whilst in 
 bed this morning ;" and he expressed his surprise that any 
 seriously-thinking man, with the New Testament in his 
 hand, could be drawn into that dangerous disbelief and 
 practice of reasoning away the propitiation and atonement 
 of Christ, who was crucified for our sins ;" adding, " such 
 as are favoured with a sense of their own un worthiness, 
 and the exceeding sinfulness of sin, before God, as they 
 humbly seek unto him for help, come to know that he is 
 also Christ, the wisdom of God, and the power of God." 
 
 On the 20th of the 3rd month, in the course of a 
 lively and interesting conversation, he remarked to this 
 effect ; " I have indeed lived a great while, and have seen a 
 great deal both of good and evil; and having, through 
 Divine mercy and forgiveness, got through all, I feel my 
 mind very comfortable, and am thankful I am thus fa- 
 voured." Two days before his decease, to a minister of 
 the church of England, w T ho had married his niece, and 
 w T ho, in the course of conversation, remarked, that his 
 uncle need not entertain any doubt of having a place of 
 rest granted him, " for," said he, " you have been a good 
 liver," our dear friend replied, deeply affected, " It is not 
 for any righteousness of my own, that I shall gain accept- 
 ance, but all my hope is in the mercy of God, in Christ 
 Jesus." After a pause, though then very weak, he was 
 
XI. 
 
 enabled to speak, for some time, on the fall of man, and 
 his restoration, through the atoning sacrifice of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ; "but which,' ' he added, "it is not the 
 believer's duty too nicely to define or explain, but rather 
 to wait for His spiritual appearance in their own hearts." 
 This was the last religious communication of our beloved 
 friend. During the whole course of his illness, he was 
 preserved in patient resignation, always appearing in a 
 sweet frame of mind ; indeed his whole conduct, at this 
 period, plainly evinced that the great Physician was gra- 
 ciously pleased to support and console his humble spirit. 
 
 On the 23rd of the 3rd month, 1826, whilst sitting 
 in his chair, he peacefully breathed his last, in the eighty- 
 seventh year of his age, having been a minister upwards 
 of fifty years. His remains were interred in Friends' 
 burial ground, at West-Houghton, the 29th of the same 
 month, a large and solemn meeting being held on the 
 
 occasion. 
 
 Signed in Hardshaw East Monthly Meeting, held at 
 Manchester, the 11th of the 1st month, 1827, by many 
 Friends. 
 
Xll. 
 
 The foregoing testimony was read and approved 
 in the Quarterly Meeting for Lancashire, held at Man- 
 chester, the 15th day of the 3rd Month, 1827. 
 
LETTERS. 
 
 To a Young Man, inclining to join the Society of Friends. 
 
 Edgworth, 11th Mo. 25, 1792. 
 
 felXCE the last time I saw thee, I have 
 often had thee in remembrance, and feel an 
 earnest desire for the welfare of thy soul, amidst 
 the many dangers to which in thy situation thou 
 must be exposed : and also find freedom to throw 
 before thy view, some brief hints of my experience 
 in the work of religion, desiring thou wilt accept 
 and peruse the same, as a token of my love and 
 sincere regard for thee. For as the way to life 
 is narrow, and but few are travellers therein, 
 some footsteps of the little flock may be of use 
 to those who follow after : therefore, if thou canst 
 reap any thing from my remarks, to thy furtherance 
 in the way, my end is answered: and I shall 
 rejoice with humble thankfulness on thy account, 
 before Him who is the Father and Fountain of 
 all good. 
 
2 
 
 It pleased the all- wise and gracious God, who 
 gave me being, to follow me by His grace, even 
 from my youth, (though I then knew Him not,) 
 often bowing my mind in serious considerations, 
 that I was placed here as on His footstool for a 
 short space of time, and must ere long remove, 
 to appear before His judgment-seat; also, how 
 short and transient present enjoyments are, com- 
 pared with the eternal nature of the life to come ! 
 whereby my mind was led to conclude, " this 
 world is not my resting-place, the life to come 
 is my home, eternity is the chief end and design 
 of my being." 
 
 Thus, in my young and tender years, were 
 desires formed after Heaven, but being unac- 
 quainted with the corruption and weakness of 
 my nature in a fallen state, and with that Divine 
 power in Christ appointed for my help, I laboured 
 long as in the dark, without clearly seeing the 
 necessity of regeneration, or the unfitness of 
 my present state, for such a High and Holy 
 inheritance. 
 
 Thus running in my own will and strength 
 
3 
 
 from year to year, I heard sermons, read many 
 books, and talked with professors, -some said one 
 thing-, and some another; — I then began to read 
 the Scriptures more, but alas ! they were to me 
 in many places as a sealed book. I prayed often 
 in secret places, and learned to sing; (thinking 
 I was thereby preparing myself to join the 
 Heavenly host ;) I talked with religious professors 
 about doctrinal points, and endeavoured to form 
 as just notions and opinions about the coming, 
 life, doctrines, sufferings, and death of Christ as 
 I could, and this I called faith: but this faith 
 ribt proceeding from the quickening power of 
 Divine grace, but from the workings of the natural 
 understanding, was a dead faith, and could not 
 be an evidence of things not seen, nor work by 
 love to the purifying of my heart, so as to give 
 victory over the various sinful lusts and vanities of 
 this world, but on the contrary, I was abundantly 
 overcome thereby from day to day. 
 
 In this condition I travelled long, and was 
 
 sorely tossed between the secret reproofs of Divine 
 
 grace in my conscience, and the workings of 
 
 the adversary, who laboured to persuade me that 
 a 2 
 
4 
 
 all was well with me, yea, much better than with 
 many who were esteemed very religious people ; 
 and that considering my youth, I needed not to 
 walk so circumspectly. 
 
 In this bewildered manner, I stumbled along 
 until about the twentieth year of my age, when 
 it pleased God, in unspeakable mercy, further to 
 enlighten my soul through the Spirit of His Son, 
 as with the day-spring from on high ; whereby I 
 was enabled to see more clearly my fallen and 
 corrupt state, and my sins were set in order before 
 me, appearing exceedingly sinful and opposite k> 
 the holy will of God, whose wrath I felt revealed 
 in my soul against sin and ungodliness. In this 
 day all my former building in religion was shaken 
 to the very foundation. In this situation, I cried, 
 " O what shall I do? to whom shall I flee? for 
 in this sinful state I cannot dwell with Him that 
 is Holy." 
 
 The Scriptures now began to be more opened 
 to my understanding, and though 1 had been told, 
 that by a certain ceremony, which was performed 
 in my infancy, " I was made a member of Christ, 
 
5 
 
 a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom 
 of Heaven," yet, in the opening of the Scriptures to 
 my understanding, I saw this could not be true ; 
 for there I was informed, that the members of 
 Christ were made such by other means, even by 
 His own baptism with the Spirit, as saith the 
 apostle, " by one spirit are we all baptized into 
 one body," and that, "if any man be in Christ, 
 he is a new creature :" for as he is holy, harmless, 
 and separate from sinners ; so those who become 
 united to Him as members of His body, must be 
 fitted for such a union by the sanctifying opera- 
 tion of the Holy Spirit. I also saw that the 
 children of God were such as were begotten of 
 Him through Christ, the incorruptible Seed and 
 Word of God, and born again into newness of life, 
 bringing forth the fruits of the spirit. And that 
 the kingdom of heaven, and government of Christ 
 is within, by the influence of His Spirit, which as 
 a pure principle in his children and people, 
 ruleth and leadeth them in his service. The 
 Scriptures informed me, that those alone who 
 experienced these things, were the true and real 
 church, members of Christ, children of God, and 
 
 inheritors of the kingdom of heaven : all which I 
 a 3 
 
6 
 
 was a stranger to, notwithstanding my baptism 
 and high profession. 
 
 I also saw that all my prayers and songs of 
 praise, had been a sacrifice of my own preparing, 
 and offered up in my own vain imagination, in 
 a fallen and unconverted state : and that it was 
 only in and through the Spirit, that God could be 
 acceptably worshipped. 
 
 I also saw that all my former faith, was no 
 more than a bare assent of the natural under- 
 standing, to certain things whereof I had no 
 evidence, but what arose from the letter of Scrip- 
 ture, and other outward means: whereas, in the 
 opening of the Scriptures, I saw, that he that 
 believeth hath the witness in himself, even the 
 Spirit of Him, who is the author and object of 
 true and living faith, by which the quickened 
 soul receives an evidence of things not seen, and 
 an humble confidence, in the saving power and 
 redeeming love of God through Christ. 
 
 I also saw that I had trusted too much in, 
 and been carried about with the changeable doc- 
 
7 
 trines of men, and neglected the teachings of the 
 grace and good Spirit of God in my soul, which 
 as a swift witness against evil, had followed me, 
 with inward and secret reproof, even from my 
 infant years ; and which I now felt as an axe in 
 the Almighty hand, laid to the root of corruption 
 in my soul, to cut down and cast into the fire, 
 that which was for the fire. 
 
 Then was my soul made to experience many 
 things to be cut down and brought unto death, by 
 the power of the Spirit, and this was a day of 
 deep humiliation ; not from the voluntary act of 
 my own will, but through the Lord's work; 
 witnessing in my measure the saying of the 
 apostle to be true, " being buried with Him in 
 baptism :" and although all my pleasant pictures 
 of devotion and will-worship were spoiled, yet 
 as some degree of the new life was raised in my 
 soul, a new worship arose, even in faith and 
 love; and cries were raised, though often in 
 solemn silence, through Jesus Christ unto my 
 Father who is in heaven. 
 
 As I was thus brought more and more into 
 
8 
 stillness, and humbled under the Divine hand, the 
 Light of Christ arose and more enlightened my 
 mind ; whereby I saw into the purity of that 
 faith which was once delivered to the saints, and 
 that holy religion, which, through the power of 
 Divine grace, was taught and wrought in the 
 primitive believers in Christ, to their unspeakable 
 comfort and peace in the midst of outward tribu- 
 lation : filling their hearts with love to God, and 
 one unto another, and inspiring them with gifts 
 for the edification of one another in that love. 
 
 As these things opened to my view, a strong 
 persuasion arose therefrom, that it was not my 
 duty to join any of the various professions of 
 religion with which I was acquainted, and I 
 seemed as one separated in heart from them all, 
 and left alone: and if at any time I tried to join 
 with any of them, it brought distress and trouble 
 over my mind. I then said in my heart, u is there 
 no people on earth preserved in the simplicity of 
 the truth, with whom I can unite." Whereupon 
 it came into my mind, to go to a meeting of the 
 people called Quakers, a people of whose prin- 
 ciples I had very little knowledge, neither did I 
 
know more than one person of that persuasion ; 
 only I remembered to have heard it said, by way 
 of ridicule and as a taunting proverb, u The 
 Quakers speak as the Spirit moves them," I 
 thought if this be true they must be right : and 
 being encouraged by repeated drawings of mind 
 towards them, I went many miles to one of their 
 meetings, accompanied by several others, to 
 whom I had in part communicated my concern. 
 
 Being sat down in the meeting (which was 
 but small) my mind was seized with great sur- 
 prise, considering the vast difference between 
 that multitude of words and ceremonies, to which 
 I had been accustomed, and the solemn silence 
 in which we sat : and the breathing of my spirit 
 was, " if this be right, confirm it to me this 
 day." After some time my mind was brought 
 into more stillness, desiring to unite in the solemn 
 pause, in which Divine goodness favoured my soul 
 with a sense of His gracious presence, and the 
 promise of Christ opened to my mind with great 
 sweetness, (though I had not understood it before) 
 " wheresoever two or three are gathered together 
 in My name, there am I in the midst of them." 
 
10 
 
 In this my soul rejoiced, and said, " this is the 
 truth, this is what I have been long seeking for;" 
 for in His presence was the light of life, wherein 
 I saw my condition and wants more clearly, than 
 ever I had done before. Towards the latter part 
 of the meeting, some testimonies were borne in 
 great simplicity and plainness of speech, but in 
 the demonstration of the spirit: tending to open 
 and confirm my mind in the true sense of that 
 worship which is in spirit and in truth. 
 
 The next time I attended the said meeting, 
 my soul was more abundantly favoured with a 
 powerful sense of the overshadowing of the Divine 
 presence ; and in that meeting an Epistle from 
 the Yearly Meeting was read, which appeared to 
 be written in true gospel love and care for one 
 another, and to correspond with the practice and 
 spirit of the apostolic times, and seemed like the 
 revival of primitive Christianity ; this, together 
 with the sweetness I felt amongst them, and their 
 love and freedom one with another, which I 
 observed, tended much to unite my mind to this 
 people. I then saw it clearly to be my duty, to 
 join in worship with them. 
 
11 
 
 Now as the testimony which God hath given 
 this people to bear, is so contrary to the spirit of the 
 world, they are abundantly despised thereby, and 
 like the christians of old, almost every where 
 spoken against : therefore when I came amongst 
 them, I met with great opposition, both from 
 professors and profane : but knowing in whom I 
 had believed, and that His power is greater than 
 he that is in the world ; my faith was strengthened, 
 and my spirit frequently bowed before him for 
 help and support in that day : in which (blessed 
 be his name) I often found His secret hand under- 
 neath, enabling me to stand in patience and bear 
 the cross, — even when the enemies of truth shot 
 their darts ; and this made me cleave closer to the 
 Rock of my salvation. 
 
 But the greatest enemies that I met with, 
 were the remaining corruptions of my own heart, 
 and the many foolish and hurtful lusts and habits 
 to which I had been addicted, by which the 
 adversary of my soul was permitted to distress 
 me very much : insomuch that I cried mightily 
 unto the Captain of my salvation, to arm and 
 strengthen me to make war in righteousness 
 
12 
 
 against the man of sin ; and as T kept close under 
 His banner, in faith and dependance, He was 
 pleased to do this, to my great comfort, for which I 
 have cause always to bless His name, in whose ser- 
 vice I remain to this day, and for whose cause I 
 have this testimony to bear : that as I have relied on 
 Him for help, and stood in His counsel, I have 
 been enabled to get the victory ; neither have I 
 wanted any thing that was good, but have been 
 fed with food convenient for me, for which I can 
 do no less than speak well of His name. Not as 
 though I had already attained a complete victory, 
 or " were already perfect ; but I follow after, if that 
 I may apprehend that for which also I am appre- 
 hended of Christ Jesus." 
 
 I have herein laid before thee a brief account 
 of my religious experience, and the real ground 
 and cause for the adoption of my present pro- 
 fession ; perhaps some parts thereof may appear 
 strange to thee at first view ; yet, like bread cast 
 on the waters, they may be found after many 
 days. I am persuaded that if thou attend to the 
 dictates of the Holy Spirit in thy soul, as a pure 
 and precious gift from God, which according to 
 
13 
 
 the promise of Christ, doth convince of sin, and 
 lead and guide into all truth ; thou wilt experience 
 his goings forth prepared as the morning, and 
 his coming down as the former and latter rain in 
 its season. By this, thou wilt be more and more 
 instructed in the way of life and salvation, and 
 know the softening showers of celestial rain to 
 tender thy heart ; that the plant of renown, even 
 the work of Divine grace, may take deep root 
 downward, and bear fruit upward, to the praise 
 of the great husbandman; who I believe is waiting 
 to do thee good ; to whose gracious and powerful 
 hand, I commend thee in much love; and remain 
 thy friend, 
 
 James Brandwood. 
 
14 
 
 To ', On War, Oaths, and Gospel Muiistry. 
 
 1782. 
 
 At the request of thy friend, I here present 
 
 thee with my sentiments on the work . 
 
 I have pretty thoroughly perused it, I hope 
 with that candour of mind which such writings 
 deserve, and Christianity requires: several things 
 which he treats of, appear to be right ; and in 
 some others he appears to me to err from the 
 truth of the Gospel : by making the doctrines of 
 Christ and his apostles subject to what he esteems 
 the light and law of nature, as a permanent 
 rule ; particularly where he considers wars and 
 oaths lawful under the Christian scheme, which 
 appear to me a dishonour to the Christian 
 cause, and a contradiction to the Divine purpose 
 therein. 
 
 For if we consider the fallen and degenerate 
 state wherein human nature stands, as appears 
 both by Scripture testimony and the experience 
 of mankind, we cannot suppose that the light 
 
15 
 
 and law of nature, without Divine revelation 
 either mediate or immediate, can be a perfect 
 rule to us ; but must in some degree be liable 
 to error ; otherwise there had been no need of a 
 further help. And considering that the gracious 
 purpose of Heaven through Christ, was and is to 
 raise man from his fallen state; and by the work 
 of regeneration to cure his degeneracy; by the 
 shedding abroad of pure light in the mind, to 
 enlighten his darkness, and by a communication 
 of Divine wisdom and strength, to enable him 
 to understand the things of God, and to walk in 
 that path which leads to everlasting glory and 
 peace. Therefore to make the doctrines of the 
 Gospel subject to the light and law of nature, 
 appears to me like setting the handmaid above 
 the mistress. 
 
 The author attempts to establish the propriety 
 
 of wars and oaths, as things that are right in 
 
 some cases, when considered only on the score 
 
 of the light and law of nature, without taking 
 
 notice of the evil root from whence they spring. 
 
 For had man remained in his primitive state of 
 
 innocence, there had been no wars to be opposed 
 b 2 
 
16 
 
 by war, nor falsehood to be guarded against, by 
 the solemnity of an oath ; therefore they both 
 had their origin in the fall. And when this 
 author comes to reconsider these subjects, under 
 the Christian dispensation, not having carefully 
 traced them to their root, he attempts to reason 
 away the force of several clear Scriptures, and to 
 make the doctrine of Christ and his apostles, to 
 bend to the law and light of nature which he 
 supposes he has before established. 
 
 If we calmly consider the Gospel dispensa- 
 tion as the outstretched arm of Omnipotence, for 
 the recovery and restoration of fallen man ; and 
 weigh the doctrines of the Gospel, and the 
 prophetic declarations of the old Testament, 
 concerning the glory, the excellency and peace 
 of the kingdom of Christ on earth ; it appears 
 plainly to be the Divine will, that all those who 
 believe in and come to experience the redeeming 
 power of Christ, should come out of all those 
 things which had their foundation in human 
 corruption, should become so imbued with the 
 virtue and power of truth, and be so brought 
 under the government of the Prince of peace, 
 
17 
 
 and so filled with love to their fellow-creatures, 
 that they should " beat their swords into plough- 
 shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks," and 
 " not hurt nor destroy ;" but as subjects of the 
 kingdom of Christ, which is not of this world, 
 nor in its spirit, they should not fight nor oppose 
 evil by violence and war ; but be strong in faith 
 towards God, that he both can and will preserve 
 them so far as shall be for their real good, from 
 the violence of wicked and unbelieving men. 
 
 The author doth indeed acknowledge, " that 
 
 many of the primitive Christians scrupled the 
 
 lawfulness of war," but says, "they were not 
 
 uniform in their opinions about it." What little 
 
 want of uniformity there was amongst them in this 
 
 matter, so far as I have perused the history of 
 
 those times, appears to be no more than that 
 
 some amongst them gave way to the prevailing 
 
 spirit of the world in this respect ; as some also 
 
 did in the case of circumcision and other Jewish 
 
 ceremonies : which conformity, nevertheless, we 
 
 ought not to make use of to weaken the Christian 
 
 testimony against those things, that some, through 
 
 weakness of faith, gave way to. 
 3 B 
 
18 
 
 But there is a warfare of a higher and more 
 glorious nature, in which the followers of the 
 Lamb are to engage, under Christ Jesus the 
 Captain of their salvation, even the fight of faith 
 against the assaults of the world, the flesh, and 
 the devil : and over these the faithful are to be 
 made conquerors ; not by carnal weapons, nor 
 through their own strength as men, but through 
 Him that has loved them, and by such spiritual 
 weapons and armour as He puts upon them. 
 Thus the Christian warfare is to be against that 
 which is the cause of outward wars and fighting, 
 even the corrupt and sinful lust of the flesh, as 
 the apostle James testifies. James, i. 4. 
 
 It was, without doubt, under the blessed ex- 
 perience of this glorious warfare, that the apostle 
 Paul testifies for himself and his fellow-believers 
 in Christ, saying, " for though we walk in the 
 flesh, we do not war after the flesh : (for the 
 weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but 
 mighty through God to the pulling down of 
 strong-holds; casting (Jown imaginations, and every 
 high thing that exalteth itself against the know- 
 ledge of God, and bringing into captivity every 
 
19 
 
 thought to the obedience of Christ." 2 Cor. x. 
 3, 4, 5. 
 
 I fervently wish that the author had been, 
 and all others were who now call themselves Chris- 
 tians, of the same mind with this apostle, instead 
 of pleading for the lawfulness of war under the 
 gospel, and thereby encouraging the powers of 
 the earth to oppose and destroy one another, 
 then might we happily see the spirit of love and 
 universal good-will spread itself over professed 
 Christendom, "nation would no more lift up 
 sword against nation, nor learn war any more." 
 
 With respect to the gospel doctrine against 
 oaths, it appears clear if we consider the passage, 
 Matt. v. 33, 34, with its context, that Christ 
 meant not thereby, " to forbid profane swearing 
 in common conversation only," as this writer 
 asserts, but that His design was, that His follow- 
 ers should not swear at all: because He first refers 
 to the law of Moses, wherein oaths were both 
 allowed and enjoined for the confirmation of the 
 truth on solemn occasions, and for a binding 
 obligation in case of vows : " ye have heard that it 
 
20 
 hath been said by them of old time, thou shalt 
 not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the 
 Lord thine oath ; but I say unto you, swear not 
 at all, &c." It therefore plainly appears, that the 
 swearing He here forbids is of that kind which 
 was allowed by the law ; otherwise it would have 
 been improper to have made such a reference: 
 but the law never allowed profane swearing ; 
 therefore Christ could not intend to forbid profane 
 oaths only. 
 
 The design of Christ appears to me to be, 
 that by reason of the excellency and power of 
 the Spirit of truth, whereby He would influence 
 his faithful followers, they should no longer 
 continue under the Mosaic law in this respect; 
 but should let their yea be yea, and their nay 
 nay, as followers of Him who is the truth itself, 
 and who solemnly declares that whatsoever is more 
 than these, (that is yea and nay) cometh of evil ; 
 as if He had said, all oaths and every thing that is 
 more than a plain declaration of truth in words, 
 (as yea and nay) arise from the corruption of fallen 
 nature, and it is My gracious purpose to restore to 
 purity and truth, all those who believe in me. 
 
21 
 
 It appears that the author intended this 
 work to be as a mould, wherein the judgments of 
 young students who are intended for the ministry, 
 might be formed and furnished with speculative 
 knowledge, and titted for service. This intention 
 appears to me not agreeable to the ancient plan 
 and design of the Gospel, nor likely to produce 
 a ministery consistent with the simplicity of the 
 truth as it is in Jesus. For it evidently appears 
 both by the example and doctrine of Christ and 
 his apostles, that the call of God, through the 
 Holy Spirit, is the foundation of the gospel minis- 
 try ; and that it is not the province of men to set 
 themselves or their children apart, to engage in 
 that work, upon any supposed qualifications in 
 nature, or acquirements by learning ; but that the 
 Lord of the harvest only, should send forth 
 labourers into His harvest ; and all that Christians 
 are commanded to do in this affair, is, to pray 
 for the same. 
 
 We find that the Author of our holy religion, 
 when he chose His disciples, made choice of those 
 of low rank, and generally unlearned men, in order 
 that the gifts He intended to bestow upon them, 
 
22 
 
 might plainly appear to be neither of man, nor 
 by man, but of God alone ; and thereby might 
 shine more clearly to His glory. And although 
 the apostle Paul was greatly accomplished in 
 learning, yet he makes it no part of his 'qualifi- 
 cation as a minister; but humbly declares that 
 Christ sent him to preach the gospel, " not with 
 wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should 
 be made of none effect ;" nor " with excellency 
 of speech/' nor " with enticing words of man's 
 wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of 
 power :" and this is the reason he gives for it, 
 that the believer's faith should not stand in the 
 wisdom of man, but in the power of God. 
 
 The apostle tells us, that when the Son of God 
 had finished the work he came to accomplish on 
 earth; "He ascended up on high, led captivity 
 captive, and gave gifts to men :" and that " he 
 gave some apostles, some prophets, some evan- 
 gelists, some pastors and teachers ; for the 
 perfecting of the saints, for the work of the 
 ministry, and for the edifying of the body of 
 Christ:" thereby shewing, both the great love 
 and care, which the Holy head exercised towards 
 
23 
 
 His body ; and also, that the true spring of gospel 
 ministry, from the highest to the lowest, must 
 be in the Divine gift. 
 
 Can we suppose, that Christ is so changeable 
 in himself, or in His love to his people, that He 
 should favour them with the precious gift, the 
 Holy Spirit, for a season, (perhaps an age or two 
 in the primitive times,) to be a leader and guide 
 to all believers, and a living Fountain or spring of 
 ministry amongst them; and should afterwards so 
 far withdraw this gift, as to leave His church 
 under a necessity to set up academies and schools, 
 in order to qualify with learning and speculative 
 knowledge, to supply the want of this gift? Does 
 not this intimate, that we apprehend He has 
 either adopted a new mode of raising up ministers 
 in His church, or that His love is waxed cold 
 towards His people, and that, of His own accord, 
 He has left them very much exposed to the 
 guidance of natural wisdom ; either of which 
 would be a high reflection on Him, who is perfect 
 in wisdom, and unchangable in love. But we 
 have not so learned Christ. 
 
24 
 
 1 freely acknowledge my esteem for human 
 learning in its place, but where any appear as 
 ministers of the gospel, who evidence by their 
 conduct, that they run in their own wills, or in 
 the wills of others; setting up their natural 
 accomplishments, instead of the Divine gift, 
 declaring that they have not freely received and 
 therefore cannot " freely give ;" these bear not 
 the marks of the Lord Jesus, nor dare my soul 
 receive such as His ministers, however consist- 
 ently with the truth of the gospel they may speak 
 in many respects ; but wheresoever the Great 
 Master calls any into His service, He qualifies 
 them for the work, clothing them with evidences 
 that they come not in their own will, but in obe- 
 dience to His call ; having received their gift at 
 His hand, and ministering freely of the ability He 
 giveth ; such as these my soul can receive and 
 unite with, desiring that as every one has re- 
 ceived the gift, he may minister the same as a 
 good steward of the manifold grace of God. 
 
 That some change should happen with respect 
 to miracles, and other things peculiar to the first 
 publishing of the gospel, is very evident from the 
 
25 
 
 Scripture testimony : but that so great a change 
 should take place, as to overturn the primitive 
 foundation laid by Christ, even the inspiration of 
 the Holy Spirit, whereupon the believers rested, 
 and from which the ministry proceeded, and that 
 something arising from nature, should be substi- 
 tuted, appears not consistent with the honour of 
 the Gospel ; for, if admitted as such, the Gospel 
 would, in my view, be reduced, as to the ground 
 of its ministry, much below the law ; whereas, the 
 new covenant is prophesied of as excelling the 
 old, with regard to the plentiful effusion of the 
 Spirit 
 
 The great Redeemer informs us the love of 
 
 God to man was very great, even as a tender 
 
 father to his offspring ; and thus he reasons with 
 
 fallen man, " If ye, being evil, know how to give 
 
 good gifts to your children, how much more shall 
 
 your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to them 
 
 that ask Him." In a sense of this love, my soul 
 
 has often been humbled before Him, and a pospect 
 
 opened to my mind ; that if the professors of 
 
 Christianity would bow their minds, and feel after 
 
 the Holy Spirit, they would find it manifested in 
 c 
 
26 
 
 the secret of their hearts, as a precious pearl or 
 treasure hid in a field. The promise is, " they 
 that seek shall find," and having found the pearl 
 of great price, they would know it to arise as a 
 teacher and witness in themselves ; which as it 
 was attended to in faith, would open their under- 
 standings, lead them forward in the saving 
 knowledge of God, and finally bring salvation to 
 the soul, 
 
 In this the people would witness a passing 
 from death to life, from a state of nature to a state 
 of grace ; the church would come up out of the 
 wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved, and not on 
 the arm of flesh ; and the great Master would 
 favour His family with gifted servants ; a living 
 ministry would spring up amongst them ; and 
 although there might be a diversity of gifts from 
 the one Spirit, yet all would tend to direct the 
 minds of the people unto God, and "to the Word 
 of His grace." Thus judges would be restored as 
 at the first, and " counsellors as at the beginning:" 
 Sion would shake herself from the dust of the 
 earth, and put on her "beautiful garments" as 
 in the days of old. 
 
27 
 
 Under a full conviction of these things, and 
 of the necessity of such a reformation, I and 
 many others, have found it our interest and duty, 
 to separate ourselves from other professors ; and 
 having received Christ as our King, Priest, and 
 Prophet, we are engaged to wait upon God in 
 solemn silence in our assemblies, that we may feel 
 the great King of saints to sway His righteous 
 sceptre in our minds ; the great High Priest of 
 our profession, to apply his atonement and inter- 
 cession to our souls; and to know Him as a prophet 
 to teach us by His grace and good Spirit : yet if 
 He see meet to engage any of His servants and 
 ministers, to speak to the people in His name, or 
 prepare in their hearts a supplication or sacrifice 
 of praise ; these things we accept as proceeding 
 from Him through instruments, for the edification 
 and comfort of His people. 
 
 Now having been favoured through the 
 
 abundant mercy of God in Christ, to see into the 
 
 nature and design of His Gospel, and in my small 
 
 measure to experience something of its blessed 
 
 effects, and my understanding having been opened 
 
 to behold the beautiful order of his house, the 
 c2 
 
28 
 humble and dependent situation of his servants 
 and ministers, both in their formation, and in the 
 progress of their work; I dare not give counte- 
 nance to any thing which appears as an addition 
 to the gospel plan, or looks like an attempt to 
 improve what the all-wise and perfect hand of God 
 hath established. 
 
 The above hints I throw before thy view, 
 without any desire to promote controversy; and, 
 with due respect, remain thy friend, 
 
 James Brandwood. 
 
 Extract of a Letter, dated 12th Mo. 18th, 1787, addressed to a 
 Friend during a religious visit, to the principality of Wales, in 
 company with James Birch. 
 
 " On our way we passed through a small town 
 called Barmath, where we felt a powerful flow 
 of Divine love towards the people ; and having 
 duly weighed the matter that evening, we found 
 our minds engaged in Gospel love to appoint a 
 Meeting in the said town the day following, to 
 
29 
 
 which many of the town's people came, and were 
 serious and attentive ; it was a precious time of 
 favour, and my mind was somewhat uncommonly 
 opened and enlarged in pure love to the people, 
 in some observations on the conduct of Noah's 
 descendants ; who not having faith in the Divine 
 covenant and promise, consulted in their own 
 fallen wisdom, and set about in their own strength 
 to save themselves by building a city and a tower, 
 whose top might reach to Heaven, which so far 
 displeased God, that he confounded their lan- 
 guage, and thus their project miscarried ; observ- 
 ing to the people, that although this outward 
 building was thus stopped, the account was left 
 on record for our instruction, and appears to 
 contain a true representation of all the religions 
 in the world, which are not grounded in a living 
 faith, and experience of the Divine covenant 
 and promise of salvation through Christ ; but 
 which being built up in the will, wisdom and 
 strength, of the fallen creature, could not be 
 well pleasing to God, nor answer the purpose of 
 salvation to man, which is of God alone. 
 
 " I was led to declare that, like the children 
 c 3 
 
30 
 
 of Noah, in the former part of my life, I had 
 been a Babel builder, engaged in a high profession 
 of religion, in which I thought to be my own 
 saviour, consulting and working in my own will, 
 wisdom, and strength ; that I had gathered and 
 formed doctrines, and made bricks, and building 
 and cementing them together by human reason, 
 which I used for mortar, raised a structure of 
 mere opinion which I vainly called faith, and 
 thought thereby to reach to Heaven and take it 
 by the violence and strength of my own hands ; 
 but when it pleased the Lord in mercy to con- 
 found me, in and by the visitation of the glorious 
 Light of Christ revealed in my soul, my building 
 was not only stopped, but the very foundations 
 being shaken by his mighty power, down came 
 all my building to the ground. Much more was 
 communicated, which time will not admit me 
 now to mention." 
 
 To a Unitarian Minister, 
 
 Edgworth, 10th Mo. 10, 1791. 
 
 After long delay, occasioned by many other 
 engagements, I have now found opportunity in 
 
31 
 
 part to peruse the books thou sentest me, and 
 herewith return them, acknowledging thy kind- 
 ness ; I have read them, I hope, with candour and 
 openness of mind, and have paid particular 
 attention to the pages thou pointedst out. As I 
 apprehend thou wilt incline to know my sentiments 
 concerning them, I think proper to inform thee 
 as followeth. 
 
 The author of the * Observations on Man' 
 appears to me to be a very learned person, well 
 stocked with philosophick knowledge, and an acute 
 reasoner : his observations contain many things, 
 especially in the first volume, where he treats of 
 sensation, the generation and association of ideas, 
 and the formation and exercise of our mental 
 power, which I could approve, if he had confined 
 his views to our understanding of natural things. 
 But as he seems to extend his views to things of 
 a divine and spiritual nature, with intent to 
 exclude both the possibility and necessity of the 
 immediate revelation of the Holy Spirit to the 
 mind of man, his observations do not meet with 
 my full approbation; because such a sentiment 
 appears so contrary to many concurring evidences 
 
32 
 
 in Scripture, and my own experience. Notwith- 
 standing all that I have found in his observations, 
 I yet see a necessity to preserve a distinction, 
 between the means of attaining the knowledge of 
 things natural and spiritual, agreeably to the 
 doctrine of the apostle, 1 Cor. ii. 7, 8, I), 
 10, 11, 12, " we speak the wisdom of God in a 
 mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God 
 ordained before the world unto our glory : which 
 none of the princes of this world knew : for had 
 they known it, they would not have crucified 
 the Lord of glory. But as it is written, " eye 
 hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered 
 into the heart of man, the things which God hath 
 prepared for them that love Him. But God 
 hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the 
 Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things 
 of God. For what man knoweth the things of 
 a man, save the spirit of man which is in him I 
 even so the things of God knoweth no man, but 
 the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not 
 the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of 
 God; that we might know the things that are 
 freely given us of God. Which things also we 
 speak, not in the words which man's wisdom 
 
33 
 
 teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth ; 
 comparing spiritural things with spiritual." 
 
 I have also read with close attention , 
 
 on the doctrine of Divine influence on the human 
 mind, which on the whole I very much disapprove; 
 for though some of his writings on other subjects, 
 appear to me very agreeable to truth, yet on this 
 subject, he seems like one who speaks whereof 
 he does not know ; who runs at uncertainties, and 
 fights like one who beats the air ; for I see no 
 execution done, nor any proposition proved ; and 
 I must confess, that I admire the explanation 
 which Jesus gave to his disciples, of the Parable 
 of the Sower, much more than this author's 
 sermon on that subject. 
 
 He attempts to explain this parable of Christ, 
 in such a manner, as would make it militate 
 against His express promise to His followers. 
 When it was expedient that he should leave them, 
 as to His personal appearance, He says, John xiv. 
 15, 16, 17, 18, " If ye love Me, keep My 
 commandments ; and I will pray the Father, 
 and He shall give you another Comforter, that He 
 
34 
 
 may abide with you for ever : even the Spirit of 
 truth ; whom the world cannot receive, because 
 it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him ; but ye 
 know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall 
 be in you. I will not leave you comfortless : I 
 will come to you." 
 
 The author's design in this discourse appears 
 to be, to endeavour to persuade men, that, seeing 
 the Divine Being has vouchsafed to favour some 
 part of mankind with the Holy Scriptures, and 
 some men are engaged, or take upon them to 
 explain these writings to the people; therefore, 
 notwithstanding He has in those very writings, 
 promised the. gift and continuance of His Spirit 
 in some measure to mankind in general, and to 
 believers in a more eminent degree ; yet, we are not 
 now to expect that he will fulfil this promise unto 
 us, because it doth not agree with this author's 
 notions of the Divine wisdom and rectitude, that 
 God should convey instruction to men, both by 
 application to their natural senses, and the inspi- 
 ration of His Holy Spirit. However, as the 
 author does not produce any Scripture evidence, 
 either by way of declaration, that it was the 
 
35 
 
 Divine intention to withdraw His gift, and wholly 
 to take away the influence of His Spirit from 
 mankind ; or by way of prophecy, that in the latter 
 ages of the w r orld this should be the case; 
 therefore, his attempt to limit and bound Divine 
 favours to men, by what he deems the rules of 
 right reason, must fall to the ground ; because 
 the apostle tells us, "that the foolishness of God 
 is wiser than the wisdom of men." And I still 
 believe, according to the Scriptures, that the 
 Divine promises are not yea and nay (that is, first 
 one thing and then another) but yea and amen 
 for ever. 
 
 The beloved disciple tells us, in the intro- 
 duction to his gospel, that " He (Christ) came 
 unto His own, and His own received Him not : 
 but as many as received Him, to them gave He 
 power to become the sons of God, even to them 
 that believe on His name : which were born, not 
 of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the 
 will of man, but of God." By this it appears, 
 that all the powers of human nature, both bodily 
 and mental, are incapable of producing this birth; 
 and that it is the immediate work of God. Again, 
 
36 
 
 we find Christ conversing with Nicodemus, and 
 further explaining the means by which this new 
 birth could alone be effected, and enforcing its 
 necessity, saying, " Verily, verily, I say unto 
 thee, except a man be born of water and of the 
 Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 
 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that 
 which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Again, we 
 find the apostle declaring on the behalf of himself 
 and his fellow-believers, who had experienced 
 this birth or change, by what means it was accom- 
 plished : saying, "Not by works of righteousness 
 which we have done, but according to His mercy 
 He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and 
 the renewing of the Holy Ghost ; which He shed 
 on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our 
 Saviour." By these and many other concurring 
 passages of Scripture, it clearly appears, that 
 the work of sanctification, by which men come 
 to be made fit for the service of Christ Jesus, 
 whilst in His church militant on earth, and 
 prepared for the inheritance of glory hereafter, 
 is a work of the Divine Spirit: and therefore, to 
 labour to weaken men's faith in the immediate 
 influence thereof, appears like an attempt to 
 
37 
 
 take away the key of the kingdom of heaven. 
 But the promises of Him who cannot lie, still 
 remain firm and immoveable : and the believers 
 have the witness in themselves, the Spirit of God 
 bearing witness with their spirits, that they are 
 the children of God. 
 
 In thy letter to me, thou complainest of my 
 manner of quoting scripture, saying, " In the 
 way in which thou quotest thy texts, I think I 
 could prove any thing from the Bible," and that, 
 " the Methodists, Independants, and others, who 
 rely on their memory, rather than on their un- 
 derstanding, and who have studied the Scriptures 
 rather in concordances, than in the Bible itself, 
 detach and sever sentences from their connexions 
 as thou didst." What others may do in some 
 cases, I know not, and therefore must not judge; 
 but with respect to myself I can say, it is my 
 f desire to be preserved from any such practice; 
 and as it happens, I have no concordance. My 
 usual method is to read the Bible itself, and 
 often to peruse whole epistles, or several para- 
 graphs at one time ; in order that I may more 
 clearly discover the intention of the writers, and 
 
 D 
 
38 
 
 what point of doctrine they intended to illustrate 
 or establish. Sometimes I compare different 
 english translations, and one evangelist with 
 another, where they relate the same facts differ- 
 ently, both as to the words and actions of Christ, 
 the better to gather what He intended thereby. In 
 perusing the parables contained in Scripture, it 
 appears to me proper, first to seek out the inten- 
 tion for which they were spoken, then to mark 
 out those particular parts of the parable which 
 most strongly enforce the subject, giving them 
 the chief weight; and to consider the other parts 
 thereof, as intended to fill up the narrative. 
 
 Thou askest in thy letter, if the Bible " is a 
 complete revelation," and sayst, " if it be, of 
 what use is the Spirit now ?" To this I answer, 
 that I have not found in the Scriptures, that they 
 declare (either directly or indirectly) themselves 
 to be a complete revelation, and intended by the 
 Divine will, to supersede the influence of the 
 Holy Spirit. Nor doth it appear to me from the 
 nature of these Sacred writings, nor the manner 
 in which they have been given forth, that it ever 
 was, or now is intended by the Giver of all good, 
 
39 
 
 that they should be considered in that light. 
 Although I would be careful not to exalt 
 them higher than in the Divine providence they 
 were intended to be. Yet I esteem them very 
 highly, and believe with the apostle Peter, that, 
 " prophecy came not in old time by the will of 
 man : but holy men of God spake as they were 
 moved by the Holy Ghost," and, with Paul, that 
 the Scriptures are " profitable for doctrine, for 
 reproof, for correction, for instruction in righte- 
 ousness, that the man of God may be perfect, 
 thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 
 
 Thou further sayst in thy letter, " the tenor 
 
 of the old and new Testament is the grand rule." 
 
 This is a saying I have often heard from persons 
 
 with whom I have conversed ; when I have quoted 
 
 passages of Scripture to refute their assertions, 
 
 they have pleaded for a general sense, arising 
 
 as they said from the tenor of the Scriptures, 
 
 without attempting to produce any particular parts 
 
 of those writings to prove the tenor or general 
 
 sense ; which in my view amounts to nothing : 
 
 because no general sense can be ascertained, but 
 
 by a summary of particular evidences. 
 d2 
 
40 
 
 I am no despiser of human learning as thou 
 seemest to suppose ; I esteem it an excellent 
 thing, and very profitable to men, if kept in its 
 due place : and in some cases where learned 
 persons have devoted themselves to the promotion 
 of truth, they have been highly useful, especially 
 in translating the Scriptures. But when I see 
 human learning set up as an essential qualification 
 and preparation for the ministry of the gospel, 
 and see persons trained up in learning, on purpose 
 to introduce them into the office of ministers of 
 Christ; such practice appears like an encroach- 
 ment upon the office and dignity of Christ, as the 
 King of saints, and Holy Head of His church, in 
 the choosing, calling, and qualifying of His own 
 officers and ministers ; which is so abundantly 
 witnessed to in the Scriptures: and I fear this 
 custom has also had a strong tendency to induce 
 some to set up a title to that office and station, 
 whom the Lord never called nor sent ; and who 
 thus pervert the right order of the gospel. 
 
 Since we were together at , I have often 
 
 remembered thee with no small esteem, particu- 
 larly for the candour and freedom which thou 
 
41 
 
 manifestedst towards me, then a stranger. And 
 I now feel this wish for thee as for myself, that 
 thy mind may stand open to the clear convictions 
 of truth, from whatever source or by whatever 
 means they may arise ; that thou mayst be 
 willing to be whatsoever the Lord would have 
 thee to be, without regarding either the applause 
 or frowns of men; and above all, that thou mayst 
 be favoured with a true sight and sense of thy 
 state, as it is in the Divine sight : so that by a 
 deep humiliation under the forming hand of God, 
 thou mayst know as the apostle did, that what 
 thou art, thou art by his grace. In which well- 
 wishing I conclude, and remain thy friend 
 
 James Brandwood. 
 
 To the same, 
 
 Edgworth, 1th Mo. 7, 1792. 
 
 Thy letter of the 22nd of last month, I duly 
 
 received, together with the books; both which I 
 
 accept as a renewed token of thy friendship and 
 
 regard : and although the letter in my view, 
 v 3 
 
42 
 
 appears to contain many things much short of 
 the pure gospel truth, and some things repugnant 
 thereto, yet as I have no doubt they are the real 
 sentiments of thy mind, which I hope is yet 
 seeking after truth, I am not discouraged, but 
 my solicitude is increased for thy welfare and 
 improvement in religious knowledge and expe- 
 rience ; for which desirable object I take the 
 liberty, in Christian love, to communicate some 
 remarks that have arisen in my mind upon the 
 perusal thereof. 
 
 In the first page of thy letter, thou speakst 
 of this religious improvement, saying, "whatever 
 be the supernatural influence of the Divine Spirit, 
 I think thou wilt not deny, that men of learning, 
 of knowledge, of wisdom, of experience, of 
 reflection, of thought, are the best fitted to 
 promote the religious improvement of mankind. 
 If they have the Spirit, the wiser they are, the 
 more useful are they likely to be." It gives me 
 pleasure to see that thou dost not wholly overlook 
 the Spirit, but givest it the first place in the 
 course of thy words : although it is but with 
 doubtful expressions, yet it indicates to me, that 
 
43 
 
 thou hast not wholly lost sight of that Fountain 
 from which all true and profitable learning, that 
 tends to religious improvement must spring; 
 without the sanctifying influence of which, 
 learning will intoxicate ; knowledge will puff up ; 
 wisdom will be earthly and sensual ; experience, 
 dead and fruitless ; reflection and thought, un- 
 profitable and vain. I agree w T ith thee, that 
 human learning doth not merely consist in the 
 knowledge of the languages, but in the acquire- 
 ment of all the wisdom, which man, by natural 
 means, can obtain ; and although the Scriptures 
 inform us, that, "the natural man receives not the 
 things of the Spirit of God ;" yet, I do believe, 
 that if the mind be sanctified and guided by the 
 Holy Spirit, human learning may be of use in 
 explaining, applying, and enforcing, the doctrines 
 of the Holy Scriptures ; but for want of this, 
 we may with sorrow observe, as great a diversity 
 in religious sentiments among the learned, as 
 among the unlearned part of mankind. 
 
 Thou next sayst, " I plead not for any 
 particular order of men ; I think a brown coat as 
 respectable as a black one; I admire not the 
 
44 
 
 distinctions of dress, which, fashion has made, 
 which superstition has consecrated :" adding, 
 "perhaps I may think, that by complying in things 
 of small consequence, an influenee is secured in 
 things of the greatest importance." Upon which 
 I may observe to thee, that seeing Divine good- 
 ness has so far favoured thee in opening thy 
 understanding, to see that the peculiar dresses of 
 those, who take upon them the trade of preaching, 
 are the offspring of vain fashion and superstition ; 
 I feel a wish for thee, that thou mayst not despise 
 the day of small things, nor account any thing 
 small which God either forbids or commands ; but 
 by faithfulness in the little, mayst be made ruler 
 over more. And that, in the midst of all thy 
 reasonings, thou mayst not act even contrary to 
 reason, by supposing, that by the compliance 
 with some evil, great good may come : for, be 
 assured, as it is in the nature of things for like 
 to beget its like, so that which springs from 
 superstition, can only tend to nurse up people's 
 minds in the same. 
 
 Thou next declarest thyself "fully persuaded, 
 that every one who understands the Gospel, has 
 
45 
 
 authority to teach it, and is criminal if he doth 
 not." I think I have good cause to believe the 
 contrary, and that the Christian ministry has a more 
 sacred foundation. For all Christian ministers, 
 according to the language of Scripture, must be 
 the messengers and servants of Christ; labourers 
 in His harvest and vineyard : and therefore must 
 be called, engaged, commissioned and directed 
 by, and receive their wages from Him, agreeably 
 both to the true order and nature of things, and 
 the testimony of the Scriptures. For, when 
 Christ observed to His disciples, that the harvest 
 was plenteous, and the labourers but few, He 
 does not direct, that all who understood and 
 could perform harvest work, should come and 
 labour therein, but He said, "pray ye therefore 
 the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth 
 labourers into His harvest." Again, He com- 
 manded His disciples to tarry at Jerusalem, until 
 they were endued with power from on high : and 
 a little before His ascension, further said to them; 
 " Ye shall receive power after that the Holy 
 Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses 
 unto Me, both in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in 
 Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." 
 
46 
 
 We find that Paul and Timothy declared to 
 the church at Corinth, and to all the Saints in 
 Achaia, saying; "Not that we are sufficient of 
 ourselves, to think any thing as of ourselves, but 
 our sufficiency is of God : who also hath made 
 us able ministers of the new Testament ; not of 
 the letter, but of the spirit ; for the letter killeth, 
 but the spirit giveth life." Paul also compares 
 the church of Christ to a human body, consisting 
 of many members, which members have different 
 offices. But thy assertion as above, would make 
 the church to be a monstrous body, all mouth and 
 no ears ; against which Paul thus reasons with 
 the Corinthians. " If the whole body were an 
 eye, where were the hearing ? If the whole were 
 hearing, where were the smelling ? But now 
 hath God set the members every one of them in 
 the body, as it hath pleased Him." Thus we see, 
 the Lord doth not leave the members of His 
 church to choose their places and offices, not to 
 presume upon their supposed understanding of 
 the gospel, to teach it; for undoubtedly the 
 ministerial office under the gospel, is as sacred 
 as the office of the priesthood under the law ; 
 concerning which it is written, " that no man 
 
47 
 
 taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is 
 called of God, as was Aaron." 
 
 In thy fourth page thou sayst, " I think 
 thou canst not reasonably expect a summary of 
 particular evidences, against the doctrine of the 
 miraculous influence of the Divine upon the 
 human spirit, it is sufficient to examine the 
 passages, produced in support of the doctrine ; 
 they who deny, need only disprove." I should 
 indeed have expected thee to produce such a 
 summary from the scriptures, but that 1 never 
 could find any thing of that sort therein ; and 
 therefore it would be very unreasonable to expect 
 impossibilities. And although in some cases of 
 dispute, it may be sufficient to disprove, by 
 clearly shewing from the context, that the passages 
 produced in support of a doctrine, were spoken 
 or written with another intent and meaning; 
 which if it was done completely, would amount 
 to as full a decision of the matter in dispute, as 
 a summary of evidence to the contrary from the 
 same authority. But I do not perceive by thy 
 letter, that thou hast done so, but slightly slips 
 over many of the Scripture evidences I produced 
 
48 
 in support of the doctrine of the influence 
 of the Holy Spirit, by intimating, that the word 
 spirit is in some places used, and to be under- 
 stood in a lower and different signification; and 
 that thou judgest the word spirit has this meaning, 
 in some of the passages I produced in evidence, 
 without attempting to shew from their context 
 that this is the case. 
 
 I freely acknowledge as I have done before, 
 that the word which we read in Scripture for spirit, 
 in the original, signifies breath or wind, and is 
 used as a figurative expression ; and also, that 
 the word spirit, in some places of the Scriptures 
 is used in the senses thou allegest, but that gives 
 no licence to understand it in those senses, in 
 passages wherein the context clearly shews to 
 the contrary; for instance, Paul saith to the 
 Thessalonians, " I pray God your whole spirit 
 and soul and body be preserved blameless," 
 whereby I understand temper, soul, and body. 
 And to the Corinthians he writes, " Glorify God 
 in your body and in your spirit which are His : by 
 which I understand body and soul. These and 
 many other passages, which might be produced, 
 
49 
 
 clearly shew, that the word spirit is used for the 
 soul, and even for the temper of man, as thou 
 allegest. 
 
 But let us take a view of some of those 
 passages which give evidence to the said doctrine, 
 and see by their context, whether the word spirit 
 does not require to be there understood in a 
 higher and different meaning. First, we read, 
 that on the last day of the Jewish feast, Jesus 
 stood and cried, " If any man thirst, let him come 
 unto Me and drink, he that believeth on Me, as 
 the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall 
 flow rivers of living water," which the evangelist 
 tells us, "this spake He of the Spirit, which they 
 that believe on Him should receive : for the Holy 
 Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not 
 yet glorified." When He had informed His dis- 
 ciples, that He should go away from them, as to 
 His bodily presence, and of the troubles and 
 persecutions which would attend them ; by which 
 He perceived that sorrow had filled their hearts ; 
 He was graciously pleased, for their encourage- 
 ment, to renew His promise, that the Holy Ghost 
 should be given, saying, "Nevertheless, I tell 
 
50 
 
 you the truth ; it is expedient for you that I go 
 away : for if I go not away, the Comforter will 
 not come unto you ; but if I depart, I will send 
 Him unto you. And when He is come, He will 
 reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, 
 and of judgement: of sin, because they believe 
 not on Me; of righteousness, because I go to My 
 Father and ye see Me no more; and of judgement, 
 because the prince of this world is judged. I 
 have yet many things to say unto you, but ye 
 cannot bear them now : howbeit, when He, the 
 Spirit of truth, is come, He shall guide you into 
 all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but 
 whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak : 
 and He will shew you things to come. He shall 
 glorify Me ; for He shall receive of Mine, and 
 shall shew it. unto you." Again, when He had 
 forwarned them, that they should even be brought 
 before governors and kings for His sake, and 
 for a testimony against them, He says, "when 
 they deliver you up, take no thought how or what 
 you shall speak, for it shall be given you in that 
 same hour what ye shall speak ; for it is not ye that 
 speak, but the Spirit of your Father which 
 speaketh in you." When He made comparison of 
 
51 
 
 a vine and its branches, under the care of the 
 
 husbandman; in order to instruct His followers 
 
 in the nature of that connexion, union, and de- 
 
 pendance in which they must stand and be unto 
 
 Him their Holy Head, in their incumbent duty 
 
 to be fruitful in good works, and in the support 
 
 of his ministry and testimony amongst men ; in 
 
 order to make them fully sensible of the means 
 
 whereby such union should be preserved, and 
 
 such good fruits brought forth, He said, " when 
 
 the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you 
 
 from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which 
 
 proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of 
 
 Me. And ye also shall bear witness, because 
 
 ye have been with Me from the beginning." At 
 
 another time He said to His followers, "I will 
 
 pray the Father and He shall give you another 
 
 Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever ; 
 
 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot 
 
 receive, because it seeth Him not, neither 
 
 knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth 
 
 with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave 
 
 you comfortless, I will come to you. Yet a 
 
 little while, and the world seeth Me no more: 
 
 but ye see Me ; because I live, ye shall live also. 
 E 2 
 
52 
 
 At that day ye shall know, that I am in My 
 Father, and you in Me, and I in you." 
 
 I have been the more full and particular in 
 quoting the above passages, lest by referring 
 to the text, thou mightest too slightly pass over 
 any of the necessary parts and connexions, (as 
 thou thinkest some others are apt to do,) desiring 
 that thou wilt seriously consider every part, and 
 the strong connexion throughout the whole : and 
 then I hope thou wilt be enabled to see, that 
 something more is meant and intended by the 
 Spirit of truth, the Comforter here promised, 
 than, as thou sayst in thy letter, " a personifica- 
 tion of the influence of the Divine providence, 
 in the Christian religion." For how can we 
 suppose, the natural influence of the Christian 
 religion could so far affect the unbelievers, who, 
 in a preceding quotation, are called the world ; 
 many of whom do not so much as know any of the 
 leading principles of Christianity, as to reprove 
 them of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement. 
 But if God pour forth His Spirit in some measure 
 upon all flesh, according to His promise ; and 
 thereby as with the linger of His own hand, 
 
53 
 
 write His law in their hearts, we may easily 
 conceive how men, even in the darkest parts of 
 the world, may be thereby reproved, and even 
 convinced of sin, of the nature and necessity of 
 righteousness, and know judgement to pass over 
 their minds, for transgression against His Royal 
 law. 
 
 I wish thee also to observe, that the thing 
 promised in the aforementioned pages, is spoken 
 of as a thing distinct from the minds of men, and 
 expressed by the appellations, He and Him ; 
 and the subjects to whom the promise is made, 
 and on whom it should have effect, are expressed 
 by the terms, ye, you, the world, &c. : which 
 clearly shews and preserves the distinction between 
 the thing promised to be given, and the subjects 
 to whom it should be given, and upon whom it 
 should operate. 
 
 Much might be advanced in favour of this 
 
 doctrine, from other parts of the Scriptures, and 
 
 particularly from the apostolic writings, where 
 
 they to whom these promises were made, declared 
 
 from their own experience, and the experience 
 e3 
 
54 
 of their fellow believers, the fulfilling of these 
 promises, and the blessed effects thereof; both 
 with respect to their sanctification, preservation 
 in holiness, and their direction and assistance in 
 the discharge of their ministry, and other duties 
 in life : but that I may not swell my letter beyond 
 due bounds, I shall only refer thee to some places 
 for thy perusal at leisure ; hoping that when thou 
 observest the concurrence of their experience, 
 with the promises of their great Lord and Master, 
 it may excite thy mind to seek after the same for 
 thyself. For the promise was not only to the 
 apostles and primitive believers, but unto them, 
 and to their children, and to all that were afar 
 off, (either with respect to distance of situation 
 or time;) whom the Lord God shall call. " Lo I 
 am with you always to the end of the world." See 
 Rom. v. 5, 8, 11, 13, 14, 26. 1 Cor. vi. 11,— ii. 
 9, 10, 11, 12. 1 Cor. xii. 13. Eph. iii. 16. 
 Eph. i. 13, 14. Gal. iv. 6. Tit. iii. 5, 6. 
 1 John, ii, 20, 27. 1 Peter i. 10, 11, 12. 
 
 Thou remarkest, "that much is said of the 
 powers communicated to the church at Corinth," 
 and sayst, "I am disposed to conclude they 
 
55 
 
 were then proved to be too great a treasure to be 
 intrusted to mortals in general, who would be 
 very apt to misapply and abuse them." 
 
 I think we should be very careful, not to find 
 fault with that plan, which infinite wisdom hath 
 seen meet to adopt and pursue, for the furtherance 
 of the gospel, and the edification of His people. 
 I do not observe, that when Paul wrote to the 
 church at Corinth upon this subject, he in the 
 least called in question, the reality of these great 
 spiritual gifts, or remarked them as any thing 
 out of the common plan of other Christian churches 
 at that day : but only labours to convince them, 
 that as these gifts proceeded from the Divine 
 Being, who is a God of order, and not of con- 
 fusion, so they should be careful to exercise His 
 gifts in that comely order which is consistent with 
 His nature, the honour of His cause, and the 
 edification of His church. For instance, he says, 
 " let the prophets speak two or three, and let 
 the others judge : if any thing be revealed to 
 another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. 
 For ye may all prophecy one by one, that all may 
 learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits 
 
56 
 
 of the prophets are subject to the prophets ; for 
 God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, 
 as in all the churches of the saints." By this I 
 understand, that in the church at Corinth, there 
 were many prophets and teachers, and that they 
 spoke from an immediate revelation; and that he 
 here cautions them, that if any thing should be 
 revealed or opened in the mind of one, whilst 
 another was speaking, he ought not in any for- 
 wardness of his own spirit, to deliver it imme- 
 diately whilst the other was speaking, but to wait 
 in patience till the first had ceased; so that all 
 improper forwardness in their own spirits might 
 be kept down, and in subjection to the sacred 
 work, office, and dignity of the prophets. 
 
 Thou intimatest as thy sentiment, "that the 
 influence of the Spirit upon the apostles, at the 
 day of Pentecost, only gave them a knowledge 
 of the different languages of those to whom they 
 were to preach the gospel." I am free to acknow- 
 ledge myself of a contrary sentiment; because it is 
 observed on that occasion, that they not only spoke 
 their several languages, but that they declared 
 the wonderful works of God ; and that Peter, who 
 
57 
 
 appears to have been the most eminently engaged 
 in the ministry at the time, bore such a testimony 
 in the demonstration of the spirit and of power, 
 that the like effects of a sermon, have not appeared 
 since that time. 
 
 Thou sayst, " I am far from saying, that the 
 Bible contains a complete revelation, but I do 
 seriously think, it contains all the revelation 
 which men have ever received," 
 
 It appears to me far more consistent with the 
 goodness and wisdom of God, to allow of an 
 immediate revelation of His Spirit to guide into 
 all truth, than to suppose that He, whose works 
 are perfect, should only favour men with a reve- 
 lation that is incomplete. And also seeing there 
 were more than two thousand years from the 
 creation to the time of Moses, who wrote the 
 first part of the Scriptures, in which time, 
 and particularly before the flood, it is said that 
 the wickedness of men was very great, which 
 necessarily implies, that the Divine will was so 
 far revealed to them, as related to their duty, 
 otherwise their actions could not have been deemed 
 
58 
 wicked ; for where no law is made known, there 
 can be no transgression. And it is intimated in 
 Scripture history, that the Holy Spirit strove with 
 them ; and that Noah was a preacher of righte- 
 ousness to them. 
 
 With respect to the inspiration of those who 
 wrote the Scriptures, as thou hast touched on 
 that subject, I am free also to communicate my 
 sentiments thereon. I view Divine inspiration, 
 as given to men in different measures and degrees, 
 much in the same manner as some distinguished it 
 by these three terms ; viz. Plenary, Objective, 
 and Superintendent inspiration. From the first, 
 1 believe the doctrinal parts of Scripture have 
 chiefly proceeded ; from the objective inspiration, 
 I believe the prophetical parts (especially those 
 contained in the old Testament) have had their 
 origin, by objects being in a spiritual and miracu- 
 lous manner presented to the view of the mind : 
 and the gospels and other historical parts of the 
 new Testament, I believe to be written under 
 superintendent inspiration; whereby the memory 
 and understanding of the Penmen were revived 
 and strengthened, and superintended and guarded 
 
59 
 
 from running into error, as to the sense and 
 meaning of the matter in hand, but still left at 
 liberty to express the sense and meaning* in words 
 agreeably to their own style and method; which, 
 to me accounts for the variations amongst the 
 evangelists. I can truly say, I desire that thou 
 mayst be preserved, on the one hand from 
 embracing error, and on the other, from dealing 
 in the false traffic of unfelt truth; and from 
 soaring too high in speculation ; and that thou 
 mayst know salvation through Christ, " who of 
 God is made" unto His people, " Wisdom, 
 Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption," 
 is the desire of thy friend, 
 
 James Brandwood. 
 
60 
 
 Letter of Admonition, to a Ftiend. 
 
 Edgworth, 3rd Mo. 13, 1792. 
 
 The great kindness wherewith thou hast 
 treated me for many years past, calls loudly upon 
 me, not only to acknowledge the obligation, but 
 also to attempt such acts of friendship as are in 
 the way of my duty, and lie in my power; and 
 although I am not in a situation which enables me 
 to return the kindness in the same way, yet 
 according to my apprehensions of duty, both to 
 the Father of all our mercies, and to thee, T 
 feel something to communicate, which, as it 
 comes in true friendship, mixed with that love 
 which is without dissimulation, I hope thou wilt 
 accept and duly weigh it in the same. 
 
 As I supposed thou wouldst be gone to 
 Lancaster when I came to our Monthly Meeting, 
 I thought it best to write what was on my mind, 
 and leave it for thee on thy return. I have for 
 some time past and especially of late, felt a grow- 
 ing painful concern of mind on thy account, 
 arising from an apprehension that thou art 
 
61 
 
 greatly departed from that tenderness of spirit, 
 and that inward attention of mind to the instruc- 
 tions and sanctifying operations of Divine grace, 
 wherewith I have reason to believe, thy soul hath 
 been highly favoured in days that are past; and 
 that thou art turned aside from that path of 
 humility, seriousness and sobriety of life, which 
 it is the duty of all to walk in; and by which 
 every believer in Christ should adorn his holy 
 profession. 
 
 1 may also inform thee, that the last time I 
 
 was at ■ , three friends, well-wishers to 
 
 thee, each of them, separately, spoke to me, ex- 
 pressing their concern on thy account; I did not 
 enquire, nor did they appear to be disposed to 
 speak of particular matters of conduct which gave 
 them concern, (except that one of them mentioned 
 something of improper conduct at .) 
 
 Since I was last at thy house, I have often 
 
 considered thy case and situation ; and there have 
 
 appeared to me four things, as principal causes of 
 
 hurt to thy mind, and which I earnestly desire 
 
 thou wilt consider and carefully watch against. 
 F 
 
62 
 
 First, an aspiration of mind to appear in the 
 genteel ranks of life, and to have authority in the 
 world, which I believe has led thee into some 
 unprofitable pursuits, such as shooting, &c. which 
 have not only gratified and strengthened the in- 
 clination to appear as a gentleman, but which 
 I believe has a certain tendency to harden the 
 heart; and also wastes much precious time, which 
 might be employed to good and valuable purposes, 
 especially in such a large and growing family as 
 thine ; it also sometimes opens a door to get 
 acquaintance, and become familiar with such, 
 whose company and conversation is of a hurtful 
 nature. 
 
 The second is an eagerness for company, 
 and a hasty attachment to persons before due 
 trial of them; this, I believe, has tended to 
 entangle thee with those, whose allurements have 
 insensibly drawn thee into great levity, and some- 
 times into intemperance. 
 
 The third is an undue freedom in the use of 
 strong liquors, which is injurious to the body, 
 discomposes and benumbs the mind, and has 
 
63 
 
 also a strong tendency to ensnare in many other 
 evils, and in particular, I think it has been a 
 means of drawing unprofitable company to seek to 
 associate with thee, both when from home, and at 
 thy own house, to the great disquietude of thy 
 family. 
 
 The fourth is an irreverent and unguarded 
 liberty in making quotations from, and remarks 
 upon the Holy Scriptures, in common conversa- 
 tion ; nay, even censuring some matters men- 
 tioned therein, and marked with Divine appro- 
 bation ; which practice I believe has a tendency 
 to darken and bewilder thy mind, and greatly to 
 unfit it for receiving profit in religious meetings, 
 and also is of hurtful consequence to others ; and 
 I am afraid will be greatly injurious to thy children 
 and family, by weakening their esteem for the 
 Sacred writings, and other serious subjects per- 
 taining to the Christian religion. 
 
 I earnestly desire that for thy own soul's 
 
 safety and salvation, — for the preservation and 
 
 good of thy children, — for the comfort of thy near 
 
 relations and friends, — for the honour of God and 
 f2 
 
64 
 
 the prosperity of His cause, thou wilt bow thy 
 mind in humility to wait for the appearance of 
 Divine Grace, that, by the light thereof, thou 
 mayst clearly see whether these things are so ; 
 and whilst the day of mercy is lengthened out, 
 be instructed and enabled to " live soberly, righ- 
 teously, and godly in this present world ;" that so 
 thou mayst be restored to a state of fitness for 
 Christian society whilst here, and be prepared 
 for happiness for ever hereafter ; which is the 
 fervent prayer of thy friend, 
 
 James Brandwood. 
 
 To a Person formerly a Unitarian Minister, and who subsequently 
 became a Member of the Society of Friends. 
 
 Edgworth, 8th Mo. 1, 1/91. 
 
 In a measure of that love which has hereto- 
 fore united us, I salute thee, having often had 
 thee in remembrance since we parted, with fervent 
 desires for thy preservation, growth, and esta- 
 blishment in the pure Christian truth. 
 
 My desire is not so much for thy increase in 
 speculative knowledge, as that thou mayst dwell 
 
65 
 
 in the valley of humility, where the Heavenly 
 dew rests long and preserves the mind in a tender 
 state : there thou wilt experience the forming 
 power of that hand which " makes all things new,'* 
 and brings the believing soul into child-like sim- 
 plicity, dependence, and obedience, which makes 
 meet for the Kingdom of Heaven. I feel much 
 sympathy and concern for thee, in considering the 
 conflicts thou wilt probably have to pass through, 
 in a situation where there are but few outward 
 helpers. But, my dear friend, be not dismayed, 
 either by the distant prospect, the near approach, 
 or even with the real experience of trials and suf- 
 ferings ; because, strong is that arm which is 
 stretched out for thy salvation: and as thou abidest 
 in His love who has visited thee, He both can 
 and will make all things work together for thy 
 good. Gold is tried in the fire, and thereby 
 brought to a state of standard purity, fit to receive 
 the impression of the king's image ; but the trial 
 of a Christian's faith, in the preparation of the 
 soul, to bear the heavenly image of the King of 
 kings, and to inherit glory, is far more precious 
 than that of gold, though it may pass seven times 
 through the fire. Think it not strange, therefore, 
 f3 
 
66 
 if thou meetst with many and great trials, for the 
 Lord will have a tried people, both for their own 
 necessary refinement, and the manifestation of His 
 power and glory to the world. 
 
 Experience hath taught me that sufferings tend 
 to empty us of self-love and self-sufficiency, strip 
 us of our own righteousness and carnal wisdom, 
 and lead or rather drive us to an entire depend- 
 ance upon Him who of God is made Righteous- 
 ness, Sanctification, and Redemption, to his faith- 
 ful people ; and although I have not so far attained 
 as some of those bright morning stars, who could 
 say, they gloried in tribulation, yet have I been 
 so much inured to sufferings and affliction, that 
 they are become like my proper element ; and I 
 have learned,. that patiently to abide under them 
 has been profitable. 
 
 I hope thou art favoured to see more and 
 more clearly, that the real work of religion is an 
 inward, heart-felt work, and that it is a vain thing 
 to look for salvation from the barren hills and 
 mountains of high notion, speculation, and empty 
 profession. 
 
67 
 I often feel thankful that thou hast been 
 strengthened so far to give up to the Heavenly 
 visitation, and break off from the friendships of 
 a delusive world; and earnestly desire that thou 
 mayst yield obedience to every clear disco- 
 very of duty, though in ever so small things to 
 human appearance, by which thy mind will be 
 prepared for further and greater discoveries of 
 the Divine will, thine eye will be preserved clear, 
 and favoured with light to discover the baits and 
 snares of the enemy. 
 
 James Brandwood. 
 
 To the same. 
 
 Edgworth, 1st Mo. 15, 1792. 
 
 Although in my letter to thee, I did not 
 request an answer, yet, as it is now long since I 
 heard directly from thee, I am desirous to know 
 how thou farest ; for I may assure thee, that thy 
 welfare in every respect lies near to my heart, and 
 of late thou hast been often the subject of my 
 thoughts ; therefore, feeling my mind at this time 
 measurably covered with that love which flows 
 
68 
 from the Fountain of all good, I salute thee with 
 these lines. As the love of God is shed abroad in 
 our hearts, it raiseth our affections to Him who 
 first loved us, and also extends our love to those 
 especially, who we believe are begotten of Him. 
 I am fully satisfied that thou hast been singularly 
 visited, by the movings of this heavenly love, 
 which love proceeds from Him in whom is ever- 
 lasting strength, who has broken down the gates 
 of brass, and burst the bars of iron asunder, in 
 order to open the prison doors, and free thy cap- 
 tive soul from that state of bondage in which thou 
 wast formerly held and entangled. O mayst thou 
 stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ maketh 
 free ; and prize this thy visitation, as " the accept- 
 able year of the Lord," when the Lion of the tribe 
 of Judah arose in his saving strength for thy 
 deliverance, and opened thine ear to hear His 
 voice, who saith " to the prisoners, go ye forth, 
 and to them that are in darkness, show yourselves.' 7 
 
 Mayst thou be deeply humbled under His 
 purifying hand, and know Him not only to take 
 off thy fetters, but also thy prison garments, and 
 wask thee with pure water; that so he may clothe 
 
69 
 
 thee with innocence, wisdom, and strength, and 
 lead thee forth in that path which is cast up for 
 his ransomed ones to walk in. The Lord spake 
 by His servant the prophet, saying, " I will bring 
 the blind by a way that they know not, I will lead 
 them in paths that they have not known, I will 
 make darkness light before them, and crooked 
 things straight : these things will I do unto them, 
 and not forsake them." If the great Shepherd of 
 Israel should lead thee in a very strait path, 
 as he hath done many others, be not thereby dis- 
 couraged, nor stumble at his cross ; because it is 
 necessary for thy refinement : but look unto Him 
 who has visited thy soul, who has been the author 
 and alone is able to be the finisher of thy faith. 
 " Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that 
 leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it;" 
 but it is only strait and narrow to that corrupt 
 part in us which must be mortified and put off, to 
 make us meet for the kingdom of Heaven. 
 
 The Lord spake by the prophet, for the 
 encouragement of His children in all succeeding 
 times, " Fear not, for I have redeemed thee ; I 
 have called thee by thy name, thou art Mine. 
 
70 
 
 When thou passest through the waters, I will be 
 with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not 
 overflow thee : when thou walkest through the 
 fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the 
 flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy 
 God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour." 
 When Jesus was about to leave His followers, as 
 to His bodily presence, for their encouragement 
 in the Christian warfare He left them this pro- 
 mise, " Lo ! I am with you always ; even to the 
 end of the World ;" and His beloved disciple, who 
 no doubt had an experience of its fulfilment, writes 
 thus, for the encouragement of the faithful in try- 
 ing seasons, " Greater is He that is in you, than 
 he that is in the World." 
 
 The victory which the great Captain of our 
 Salvation gives to His faithful people, is often 
 through patient suffering. And I can say, from 
 my own small experience, that the Lord has 
 sometimes removed mountains of opposition, and 
 made a way where there seemed to be no way ; 
 at other times I have known that where there 
 seemed to be a way open, walls of opposition 
 have been permitted to arise : yet this I have to 
 
71 
 
 acknowledge, that both these dispensations have 
 been in mercy and perfect wisdom, for the exer- 
 cise of my faith, and that I might be made more 
 deeply sensible, that, without the assistance of 
 the great Master, I could do nothing. 
 
 James Brandwood. 
 
 To the same. 
 
 Bertenshaw, 6th Mo. 25, 1792. 
 
 Thy last letter to me was, indeed, very ac- 
 ceptable ; because it bears the evidence of love, 
 and contains an account of thy perseverance in 
 the humble path of truth. 
 
 It is also pleasant to hear that thou hast 
 begun to keep a school : an employment suitable 
 to our abilities and taste, if kept in moderation, 
 is salutary both to body and mind. I am espe- 
 cially pleased to find that amidst all thy employ- 
 ment, thou adherest to the practice of self-denial; 
 by this thou wilt be well grounded in the first 
 rudiments of the School of Christ. Men may 
 
72 
 
 take up and bear something like the cross of 
 Christ, and appear to practice a good degree of 
 righteousness of life ; yet, if self is not denied 
 and mortified through the power of Divine grace, 
 it will arise into dominion, and have its ascend- 
 ency even in their best things. Although I should 
 greatly rejoice to see thy enlargement in the 
 Lord's way and time; yet I also rejoice to observe 
 thy deep wading and close exercise of mind in 
 thy present situation, believing that the Lord will 
 thereby lay thy foundations more deep and sure 
 upon that Rock whereon he buildeth His church ; 
 and on the perusal of thy late letter, I had in 
 remembrance that gracious declaration, " O thou 
 afflicted, tossed with tempests, and not comforted, 
 behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and 
 lay thy foundations with sapphires : and I will 
 make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of 
 carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones." 
 " Behold/' the Lord saith, " I lay in Zion for a 
 foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious 
 corner-stone, a sure foundation ; he that believeth 
 shall not make haste. Judgement I will also lay 
 to the line, and righteousness to the plummet; 
 and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, 
 
73 
 
 and waters shall overflow the hiding place. Thus 
 the great Master-builder of His church redeems 
 Zion with judgement, and all her converts with 
 righteousness ; yet the " bruised reed shall he not 
 break, and the smoaking flax shall he not quench : 
 he shall bring forth judgement unto truth, and not 
 fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgement 
 in the earth, and the Isles shall wait for His law." 
 
 It has often been the supplication of my soul 
 on thy account, that thou mightst be effectually 
 humbled under the operation of that hand which 
 creates anew in Jesus Christ ; and of latter time, 
 when I have looked towards thee, and considered 
 the gracious dealings of Divine love in thy visita- 
 tion, I have often had in remembrance the case of 
 the blind man at Bethsaida, who was brought by 
 others to Jesus ; how Jesus took him by the hand, 
 and led him out of the town, how He anointed 
 his eyes once, whereby He gave him sight, though 
 not clear and perfect ; " he then saw men as trees 
 walking," but upon the second anointing, he saw 
 more perfectly, and clearly discerned men as men. 
 
 But my dear friend, though the old inhabi- 
 
 G 
 
74 
 tants of the land may appear numerous and potent, 
 be not discouraged ; only be careful to abide in 
 faith, in patience, and obedience to thy Holy 
 Leader, and thou wilt be enabled, though by 
 little and little, to drive them out and possess 
 the promised inheritance. 
 
 The hint contained in thy letter, about pro- 
 posing thyself for membership in our society, doth 
 not at all surprize me, because I well know the 
 strong draft of that love which leads to such a 
 union. It is good in all such important undertak- 
 ings, to weigh things well and count the cost. I 
 have known some who, through giving way to too 
 much eagerness of mind, have made such an appli- 
 cation too soon ; some of them have been accepted 
 and others refused ; but their minds not being 
 duly prepared it has tended to their hurt. I have 
 also seen some others, who through a mean opinion 
 of themselves, have let in so much discourage- 
 ment, that they have kept at a distance from the 
 society ; — they have lost strength, and getting into 
 a state of ease and supineness, have never come 
 forward agreeably to the gracious design in their 
 visitation. But, my dear friend, attend closely to 
 
75 
 
 the teaching of the Holy Spirit in thy own mind, 
 and to the advice of solid and judicious friends 
 with whom thou mayst converse on that subject ; 
 be watchful also over thyself, that thou dost not 
 take any offence from seeming discouragement; 
 nor, on the other hand, be unduly influenced by 
 any apparent kindness; and I hope thou wilt find 
 such a concurrence between the voice of the 
 Spirit and the Bride, that thou will be rightly 
 directed in this important concern. 
 
 I fiud something to rest with me whilst I 
 am writing, which I seem most easy to mention to 
 thee, as cautionary advice, before I conclude ; 
 not because I see any bias in thy mind, which 
 seems to make it particularly necessary ; but not 
 being wholly ignorant either of human weakness, 
 or of the devices of the adversary, in much love 
 I point out to thee a rock, whereon, some con- 
 vinced persons have appeared to me to split: 
 <viz.) when by the power of Divine Grace, they 
 have been brought to a good degree of reforma- 
 tion of life, the adversary of man's peace, not 
 being able to prevail in his attempts to lead them 
 
 into open evil, has been successful in causing 
 g2 
 
76 
 
 them to watch for faults in others : thus, their minds 
 have been drawn from their own proper exercise, 
 and not having attained to true humility of soul, 
 a rash and censorious zeal hath arisen and pre- 
 vailed in them, which has darkened their minds, 
 hindered their growth, and tended to shut up 
 their way in the minds of faithful friends, and 
 even sometimes caused disquiet in the Society. 
 May others' harms make us beware, and mayst 
 thou be watchful, and above all things " study to 
 be quiet, and do thy own business." 
 
 But my dear friend, whatever be thy em- 
 ployment, be watchful against carnal reasoning 
 and worldly fears, which enslave the mind and 
 work death; and endeavour to live in faith, and 
 lean upon the breast of the Beloved, who has 
 visited thy Soul. 
 
 James Brandwood. 
 
77 
 
 To the same. 
 
 Edgworth, 6th Mo. 27, 1793. 
 
 Thine of the 6th instant I duly received, the 
 
 contents whereof are indeed very moving, both with 
 
 respect to the awful and sudden change that has 
 
 taken place in thy family, and also touching the 
 
 reflections that have passed in thy own mind on the 
 
 occasion : on both which accounts, I feel a near svm- 
 
 pathy with thee, and in a sense of His love who has 
 
 often shewed me " wonders in the deep," and out 
 
 of darkness brought forth light, a desire and hope 
 
 arise in my heart, that so far as sorrow covers thy 
 
 mind under the present dispensation of Providence, 
 
 that which is of a godly sort and tendeth unto life, 
 
 may and will have the ascendency over all worldly 
 
 sorrow. And I think I have the right authority to 
 
 revive in thy remembrance this language, " Blessed 
 
 are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." 
 
 May thy faith and patience be strengthened, to wait 
 
 upon the Lord. Let thine eye be singly turned to 
 
 the Father of Mercies, who, though He see meet 
 
 to permit affliction and trials to come upon His 
 g3 
 
78 
 people, doth not afflict willingly ; but His eye is 
 still over them for good, and as they abide in His 
 love, He both can and will make all these things to 
 work together for that blessed end, loosening 
 their minds from earthly enjoyments, and bringing 
 them nearer to himself, 
 
 I have been favoured with tolerable health for 
 several months, but often much stripped of that 
 comfortable sense of Divine goodness, which 
 makes glad the heritage of God, and which, I am 
 apt to think, many others more fully enjoy. We 
 are not called to live by sight and enjoyment, but 
 often times by faith, the evidence of things not 
 seen, the shield that defends the soul from as- 
 saults, and supports in pinching seasons. O this 
 precious Divine gift ! mayst thou and I be careful 
 to look to that Source from whence it springs ; 
 then, every where, and in all the varied dispen- 
 sations of Providence and in grace shall we be 
 instructed, and learn how to abound without 
 exaltation, how to suffer need without repining, 
 and find a place of rest and support, in the arms 
 of that love, which, when shed abroad in our 
 hearts, unites us to our Holy Head, and extends its 
 
79 
 
 influence amongst the members of the body, 
 though outwardly separate one from another. 
 In a measure whereof I salute thee, and, with 
 dear affection, remain thy friend, 
 
 James Brandwood, 
 
 Extract of a Letter to a Clergyman of the Church of England. 
 
 Turton, 1st Mo. 1, 1823. 
 
 It has been much on my mind during some 
 weeks, to communicate to thee some of my 
 thoughts, as unto one whom I love ; hoping thou 
 wilt excuse my freedom in so doing. 
 
 Since I last saw thee, I have often been led 
 to consider the gracious dispensation of the 
 gospel of life and salvation through Jesus Christ ; 
 and in considering the source, the nature, the 
 design, and blessed effects thereof, m it has ap- 
 peared to me wonderful, and that the prophet 
 speaking of Christ, might well say, " His name 
 shall be called Wonderful." 
 
 When we consider the greatness of that 
 
80 
 
 love towards man, even in his fallen and degene- 
 rate state, which was in the Divine mind ; and 
 that it was from the overflowings of this Fountain, 
 that the gospel dispensation had its origin, — when 
 we consider the spirituality of its nature, and the 
 pardoning love of God to man, through Jesus 
 Christ, His life, doctrines, sufferings and death, 
 and the gift of the Holy Spirit, and all to ac- 
 complish man's salvation. Oh ! when my mind 
 has been led to consider this, I have said, well 
 might the angels sing upon the occasion of the 
 birth of Christ, " Glory to God in the highest, 
 on earth peace, good will towards men." 
 
 As the source of this dispensation was 
 Divine love, it could not be intended to produce 
 any other effects, than such as are agreeable to 
 its own nature, a return of love from man to God, 
 and amongst men, love one towards another. 
 We find such were its blessed effects in the 
 primitive times of Christianity ; The apostle John 
 declares, "We love him because He first loved 
 us ;" and again, " we know that we have passed 
 from death unto life, because we love the brethren/' 
 and Christ enjoins his followers, not only to love 
 

 
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 ERRATUM. 
 
 Page 54, line 18, read thus:— . 
 
 Rom. v. 5. Rom. viii. 11, 13, 14 26. 
 

81 
 
 one another, but even their enemies and persecu- 
 tors. From which we must learn, that all things 
 contrary to the spirit of love, though practiced by 
 many professing Christianity, are rather evidences 
 that they are not His true followers, only bearing 
 the name, but not possessing the true spirit and 
 nature of Christianity. I have also considered, 
 that the same prophet who was favoured to see 
 that the Saviour's name should be called Won- 
 derful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the ever- 
 lasting Father, and Prince of Peace, was also 
 given to see, that His visage should be more 
 marred than that of any man ; which phophetic 
 declaration appears to me, to have been abun- 
 dantly verified, both in His sufferings when per- 
 sonally upon earth, and in the conduct of many of 
 those, who have taken upon them His Holy 
 name.* 
 
 James Brandwood. 
 
 • Written in his 84th year. 
 
 HENRY SMITH, PRINTER, MANCHESTER,