important, and is not, I trust, in any measure dictated by a spirit of enmity against the particular church established by law in this country. On the contrary, we regard the members of that church with a friendly eye, and rejoice in the evident extension of true religion within her borders. For my own part, I consider it only justice to avow, that I know of few persons who are more generally free from useless prejudices, more zealous in the cause of religion, and more ready for every good word and work, than many serious and devoted ministers of the Anglican church. It may, moreover, be remarked, that some of them, whose labours of love are abundant, receive very small pecuniary stipends; and that others make a point of expending their whole parochial income, in relieving the necessities of their poor neighbours, and in promoting other objects of a benevolent nature.

ter.

To such individuals we might safely make our appeal respecting the practical excellence of those views which have been unfolded in the present chapWithout any fear of an answer in the negative, we might address to them the inquiry, whether they do not find that the sacrifice of their personal interest is a vast advantage to them in their ministerial labours: whether it is not a circumstance which gives great currency to the doctrine preached by them, that they derive little or no temporal advantage from preaching it, and that, in the promulgation of divine truth, they are known to be actuated by no other motives than a sense of religious duty, and an ardent love towards God and man? While, therefore, we encourage อ liberal and friendly feeling towards our fellow-Christians of every denomination--while we readily make allowances for the various circumstances and condi tions in which they are placed-it is certain that we cannot be too faithful in upholding our own testimony

ainst the paying and hiring of preachers. For, have not reason to believe that, the farther the church Christ on earth advances in her great career, the re generally will serious persons of other religious ofessions sympathize with our solicitude, that the atrivances of man may not be allowed to interfere th the work of God; that avarice, ambition, and fishness, may be for ever excluded from the motives ich lead Christians into the professed service of eir divine Master; and that the standard may be >re and more elevated, among believers, of such a nistry of the Gospel as shall be exclusively spiritual its origin, and absolutely free in its operation?

K

CHAPTER VIII.

ON THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN.

WHILE, by the bulk of the Christian world, the publick preaching and praying of women is strictly excluded, and it is even considered as an indisputable doctrine, that the duties which peculiarly appertain to their character and station in society, and the offices of the Christian preacher, are absolutely incompatible; Friends believe it right, freely and equally, to allow the ministry of both sexes. That this is, indeed, a necessary consequence of those sentiments respecting the ministry which I have already endeavoured to unfold, must be plain to the reflecting reader. Since we conceive, on the one hand, that all true ministry is uttered under the immediate influence of the Spirit of Christ-and since, on the other hand, we confess that the wind bloweth where it listeth-we cannot, reasonably, do otherwise than make way for the exercise of the gift by those persons, of every description, whom the Spirit may direct into the service, and whom the Great Head of the church may be pleased to appoint as his instruments, for the performance of his own work. It is, indeed, declared that "the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets;" and hence it may be inferred that, in the conduct of our gifts, we ought not to neglect the dictates of a

sound and enlightened discretion: but we believe that we must not limit the Holy One of Israel, or oppose to the counsels of Infinite Wisdom our own fallible and unauthorized determinations. We dare not say to the modest and pious female, "Thou shalt not declare the word of the Lord," when we believe that, from an infinitely higher authority, there is issued a directly opposite injunction, "Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak."

Now, that women are often led to proclaim the word of the Lord amongst us-that it is laid upon them as an indispensable duty-that they are, from time to time, constrained, under the influence of the Spirit, to rise up in our assemblies for worship, in order to instruct, exhort, convince, and console; or to kneel down and address the Most High, as the organs of the congregation; and further, that their services of this description are frequently accompanied with life and power, and greatly tend to the edification of their hearers are facts, the truth of which long experience has taught us; and which no persons, who are intimately acquainted with our Society, will be disposed to deny.

Nor is there any thing either astonishing or novel in this particular direction of the gifts of the Spirit. Nothing astonishing, because there is no respect of persons with God: the soul of the woman, in his sight, is as the soul of the man, and both are alike susceptible of the extraordinary as well as of the general influences of his Spirit. Nothing novel, because, in the sacred records of antiquity, there are found numerous examples of women, as well as of men, who were impelled to speak to others on matters of religion, by the direct and immediate visitations of the Holy Ghost. It was, doubtless, under such an influ

ence, that Miriam responded to the song of Moses; that Deborah uttered her psalm of triumph; that Hannah poured forth, in the temple, her acceptable thanksgivings; that Huldah prophesied to king Josiah and his officers; that the aged Anna spake of Christ "to all them that looked for redemption in Israel;" that Elizabeth addressed the mother of her Lord: and that Mary sang praises to her God and Saviour. Of the individuals now mentioned, Miriam, Deborah, and Hannah, are expressly denominated prophetesses. The wife of Isaiah was a prophetess; Isa. viii, 3. We read, also, of false prophetesses—a circumstance which affords an obvious indication that there were true prophetesses, who were the objects of their imitation, and from whom they were distinguished; Ezek. xiii, 17; Neh. vi, 15.

Among the early ministers of the Gospel dispensation, particular mention is made of the four daughters of Philip, who prophesied or preached; Acts xxi, 9; comp. xv, 32; I Cor. xiv, 3. The same office probably devolved, in a very eminent manner, on Priscilla, the wife of Aquila, to whom all the churches of the Gentiles gave thanks, and whom Paul expressly denominates his "helper," or, as in the Greek, his "fellowlabourer in Christ;" Rom. xvi, 3, 4; comp. Greek text of ver. 21; II Cor. viii, 23; Phil. ii, 25; I Thes. iii, 2. Again, on another occasion, the apostle speaks of the women who "laboured" with him " in the Gospel;" Phil. iv, 3. In order, however, to establish the point now under consideration, nothing further would be necessary than a reference to the history given, in the book of Acts, of that great day of Pentecost, when the Spirit was so abundantly poured forth on the disciples of the Lord Jesus. It is recorded, in that history, that when the men and women were collected together, to the number of about one hundred and twenty, they