Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1835-09-03
THE EYfsTLE

/ he quarterly and monthly meetings O
Friends IN Great Britain, ireland, and else
where.
Dear Friends.-We consider IL to b,
cause Of humble thankfulness that w,
have been again permitted TO assemble
as a religious body. and TO conduct tn,
concerns of the Society in brotherl,
love. In the flowing OF this love W,
again address you, and tenderly salute
YOU all in the name Of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Epistles have been received, as in
former years, from our friends in Ire.
land and North America, which have
been very acceptable to this meeting;
and we have felt satisfaction in main
tanning friendly intercourse with oul
beloved distant brethren.
The sense which we have now been
permitted to enjoy Of the overshadow-
ing wing of Divine Goodness, has az
forded arenewed evidence that we are,
as church, built on that foundation
than which no other can be laid, which
is Jesus Christ.
Our forefathers in the truth were, as
we believe, remarkably visited with the
day-spring from on high; and under the
fresh and powerful influence Of the
Holy Ghost. were enabled to proclaim
among men, the purity and spirituality
Of the gospel of our redeemer.
They professed TO be instructed in
no new truths; they had nothing to add
10 the faith once delivered to the SAINTS,
they cordially acknowledged the d.
vine authority of the Holy Scriptures,
they were deeply versed in the con-
tents Of the sacred volumc-and they
openly confessed that whatsoever doc
trine or practice is contrary to its dec
larations must be accounted and reck-
oned dclusion of the devil" But it
was evidently their especial duty, in
the Christian church, to call away their
fellow men from dependence on out
ward forms, to invite their attention to
the witness Of God in their own boz
SONS and 10 set forth the immediate
and percePtible operations Of the Holy
Spirit.
II was given them to testify that
this Divine influence was to be expert
enced not only in connection with the
outward means of religious instructions,
but in the striving Of the spirit with a
dark and unregenerate world, and in
those gracious visitations to the mind Of
man, which are independent Of every
external circumstance.
Nothing could be more clear than
the testimony which they bore to the
eternal divinity of the Son of God, to
his coming in the flesh, and his pro-
pitiatory offering, on the cross, for the
sins OF the woodland they rejoiccd in
the benefits Of the Christian revelation,
by which these precious truths are
known TO mankind. They went forth
TO preach the gospel, under firm con-
viction that in consequence OF this one
sacrifice for sin, all men are placed in a
capacity of salvation. And they called
on their hearers to mind the light of the
Spirit of Christ, that they might be
thereby convinced of their transgres-
sions and led to living faith in that
precious blood through which alone we
can receive the forgiveness Of our sins,
and be made partakers of the blessed
hope of life everlasting.
We wish TO assure our dear friends,
every where. that we will retain the
same unalterable principles, and desire
to be enabled. under every variety Of
circumstances, steadily TO uphold them.
While we are anxious that all our
members should exercise a daily dill
gence in the perusal Of the sacred vo-
lume, we would earnestly invite them
10 wait and pray for that divine and inn
mediate teaching, which can alone eff
fectually illuminate its pages and IN
fold its contents TO the eye of the soul.
"For what man knoweth the things Of
a man, save the spirit Of man which is
in him' even so the things Of God
knoweth no man, but the Spirit Of
God" As this is our humble endea-
vor, the various features Of divine truth
will be gradually unfoldcd TO the seek
ing mind. We beseech you, dear
Friends, carefully to avoid all partial
and exclusive views Of religion, for these
have ever been found 20 be the nurse
Of error. The truth as Il is in Jesus
forms a perfect whole; its parts are not
20 be oOnirasted much less opposed TO
each other. They all consist in beau
IifuI harmony; they mus, be gratefully
accepted in their true completeness,
and applied with al diligence 10 their
practical purpose. That purpose Is the
renovation Of our fallen nature. and the
salvation Of our never-dying souls.
How precious is II 90 remember that
IN the prosecution Of this great object,
the humble Christian is strengthened,
By the indwelling Of the Holy Ghost,
for his race 81 righteousness, and y fur
nishcd with an infaliible inward guide
10 true holiness. The pride II his hesri
Is broken down By q power beyond his
ovn-his dispositions arc rcctihed--
and now be can listen 30 the still small
voice II Israers Shepherd, in the soul
which guides 10 the practice Of every
virtue. We beseecb you, dear friends,
not 10 rest satisfied with a mere notion
Of this blessed doctrine. bot 20 apply q