mine the support of this testimony, and thus lead
those who profess to be the children of the Light, back into a
dependence upon forms, out of which their forefathers in the Truth
were brought by that remarkable outpouring of grace and spiritual
power which marked the rise of Friends as a distinct people.

The fundamental doctrine declared by our Saviour, when He said, "It is
the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing," was steadily
kept in view by George Fox and his fellow laborers. They clearly saw
that Christ had ended the Jewish law, with its outward and ceremonial
observances, and had introduced a spiritual dispensation, under which
He, by his heavenly and eternal Light or Spirit, was to be the Leader,
Guide and Helper of his people; that all was now to be done in and by
Him; and that this was especially true of religious worship, which
depends upon the enlightening, quickening power of his Holy Spirit.

All confidence in the flesh,--in the natural abilities of man,--was
removed; and they were taught to distinguish between that which is of
man and that which is of God,--between that stirring up of the natural
feelings which can be produced by the skilful use of outward means,
such as music, pictorial representations and architectural grace and
grandeur; and that solemn covering of the heart which is a fruit and
an evidence of the extension of Divine help and power.

Hence these divinely enlightened men and women laid aside the forms in
which they had been educated, and which many of them had sincerely and
zealously practised, and, in their private retirements before the
Lord, and when they assembled for the performance of public worship,
they sat in silence before Him, seeking to draw near in spirit, in
living exercise of mind, that they might feel the arising of his
power, and be enabled to offer acceptable worship.

As that power arose in any, and under its influence, they were led to
utter words of prayer or praise to the Almighty, or exhortation to
their fellow believers; they were comforted or edified in proportion
as they could feel the Spirit bearing witness to the life that
accompanied the vocal expressions. Thus their dependence was not
placed on man, but on the Spirit that quickeneth.

There was no desire to limit the operation of the Spirit, or to lay
down any rule which would prohibit in times of worship any act which
truly proceeded from its motions; but there was a jealous care that