A QUAKER'S MEETING.
Flood-gateofthedeeperheart!
Offspringofaheavenlykind!
Frostothemouth,andthawothemind!
Secrecysconfident,andhe
Whomakesreligionmystery!
Admirationsspeakingsttongue!
Leave,thydesertshadesamong,
Reverendhermitshallowedcells,
Whereretireddevotiondwells!
Withthyenthusiasmse,
Seizeourtongues,andstrikeusdumb!*
[Footnote]*From"Poemsofallsorts,"byRichardFleckno,1653.
_________
Reader,wouldstthouknowwhattruepeaceandquietmean;wouldstthoufindarefugefromthenoisesandclamoursofthemultitude;wouldstthouenjoyatoncesolitudeandsociety;wouldstthoupossessthedepthofthyownspiritinstillness,withoutbeingshutoutfromtheconsolatoryfacesofthyspecies;wouldstthoubealone,andyetacpanied;solitary,yetnotdesolate;singular,yetnotwithoutsometokeeptheeincountenance;aunitinaggregate;asimpleinposite:——ewithmeintoaQuakersMeeting.
Dostthoulovesilencedeepasthat"beforethewindsweremade?"gonotoutintothewilderness,descendnotintotheprofunditiesoftheearth;shutnotupthycasements;norpourwaxintothelittlecellsofthyears,withlittle-faithdself-mistrustingUlysses——RetirewithmeintoaQuakersMeeting.
Foramantorefrainevenfromgoodwords,andtoholdhispeace,itismendable;butforamultitude,itisgreatmastery.
Whatisthestillnessofthedesert,paredwiththisplace?whattheunmunicatingmutenessoffishes?——herethegoddessreignsandrevels——"Boreas,andCesias,andArgestesloud,"donotwiththeirinter-confoundinguproarsmoreaugmentthebrawl——northewavesoftheblownBalticwiththeirclubbedsounds——thantheiropposite(Silencehersacredself)ismultipliedandrenderedmoreintensebynumbers,andbysympathy.Shetoohathherdeeps,thatcalluntodeeps.Negationitselfhathapositivemoreandless;andclosedeyeswouldseemtoobscurethegreatobscurityofmidnight.
Therearewounds,whichanimperfectsolitudecannotheal.ByimperfectImeanthatwhichamanenjoyethbyhimself.Theperfectisthatwhichhecansometimesattainincrowds,butnowheresoabsolutelyasinaQuakersMeeting.Thosefirsthermitsdidcertainlyunderstandthisprinciple,whentheyretiredintoEgyptiansolitudes,notsingly,butinshoals,toenjoyoneanotherswantofconversation.TheCarthusianisboundtohisbrethrenbythisagreeingspiritofinmunicativeness.Insecularoccasions,whatsopleasantastobereadingabookthroughalongwinterevening,withafriendsittingby——say,awife——he,orshe,too,(ifthatbeprobable),readinganother,withoutinterruption,ororalmunication?——cantherebenosympathywithoutthegabbleofwords?——awaywiththisinhuman,shy,single,shade-and-cavern-hauntingsolitariness.Giveme,MasterZimmerman,asympatheticsolitude.
Topacealoneinthecloisters,orsideaislesofsomecathedral,time-stricken;
Orunderhangingmountains,
Orbythefalloffountains;
isbutavulgarluxury,paredwiththatwhichthoseenjoy,whoetogetherforthepurposesofmoreplete,abstractedsolitude.Thisistheloneliness"tobefelt."——TheAbbeyChurchofWestminsterhathnothingsosolemn,sospirit-soothing,asthenakedwallsandbenchesofaQuakersMeeting.Herearenotombs,noinscriptions,——
sands,ignoblethings,
Droptfromtheruinedsidesofkings——
buthereissomething,whichthrowsAntiquityherselfintothefore-ground——Silence——theeldestofthings——languageofoldNight——primitiveDiscourser——towhichtheinsolentdecaysofmoulderinggrandeurhavebutarrivedbyaviolent,and,aswemaysay,unnaturalprogression.
Howreverendistheviewofthesehushedheads,
Lookingtranquillity!
Nothing-plotting,nought-caballing,unmischievoussynod!convocationwithoutintrigue!parliamentwithoutdebate!whatalessondostthoureadtocouncil,andtoconsistory——ifmypentreatofyoulightly——ashaplyitwillwander——yetmyspirithaththewisdomofyourcustom,whensittingamongyouindeepestpeace,whichsomeout-wellingtearswouldratherconfirmthandisturb,Ihaverevertedtothetimesofyourbeginnings,andthesowingsoftheseedbyFoxandDewesbury——Ihavewitnessedthat,whichbroughtbeforemyeyesyourheroictranquillity,inflexibletotherudejestsandseriousviolencesoftheinsolentsoldiery,republicanorroyalist,senttomolestyou——foryesatebetwixtthefiresoftwopersecutions,theout-castandoff-scoweringofchurchandpresbytery——haveseenthereelingsea-ruffian,whohadwanderedintoyourreceptacle,withtheavowedintentionofdisturbingyourquiet,fromtheveryspiritoftheplacereceiveinamomentanewheart,andpresentlysitamongyeasalambamidstlambs.AndIrememberedPennbeforehisaccusers,andFoxinthebail-dock,wherehewasliftedupinspirit,ashetellsus,and"theJudgeandtheJurybecameasdeadmenunderhisfeet."
Reader,ifyouarenotacquaintedwithit,Iwouldremendtoyou,aboveallchurch-narratives,toreadSewelsHistoryoftheQuakers.Itisinfolio,andistheabstractofthejournalsofFox,andtheprimitiveFriends.ItisfarmoreedifyingandaffectingthananythingyouwillreadofWesleyandhiscolleagues.Hereisnothingtostaggeryou,nothingtomakeyoumistrust,nosuspicionofalloy,nodropordregoftheworldlyorambitiousspirit.Youwillherereadthetruestoryofthatmuch-injured,ridiculedman(whoperhapshathbeenaby-wordinyourmouth,)——JamesNaylor:whatdreadfulsufferings,withwhatpatience,heenduredeventotheboringthroughofhistonguewithred-hotironswithoutamurmur;andwithwhatstrengthofmind,whenthedelusionhehadfalleninto,whichtheystigmatisedforblasphemy,hadgiven-waytoclearerthoughts,hecouldrenouncehiserror,inastrainofthebeautifullesthumility,yetkeephisfirstgrounds,andbeaQuakerstill——sodifferentfromthepracticeofyourmonconvertsfromenthusiasm,who,whentheyapostatize,apostatizeall,andthinktheycannevergetfarenoughfromthesocietyoftheirformererrors,eventotherenunciationofsomesavingtruths,withwhichtheyhadbeenmingled,notimplicated.
GettheWritingsofJohnWoolmanbyheart;andlovetheearlyQuakers.
Howfarthefollowersofthesegoodmeninourdayshavekepttotheprimitivespirit,orinwhatproportiontheyhavesubstitutedformalityforit,theJudgeofSpiritscanalonedetermine.Ihaveseenfacesintheirassemblies,uponwhichthedovesatevisiblybrooding.OthersagainIhavewatched,whenmythoughtsshouldhavebeenbetterengaged,inwhichIcouldpossiblydetectnothingbutablankinanity.Butquietwasinall,andthedispositiontounanimity,andtheabsenceofthefiercecontroversialworkings——IfthespiritualpretensionstheQuakershaveabated,atleasttheymakefewpretences.Hypocritestheycertainlyarenot,intheirpreaching.Itisseldomindeedthatyoushallseeonegetupamongstthemtoholdforth.Onlynowandthenatrembling,female,generallyancient,voiceisheard——youcannotguessfromwhatpartofthemeetingitproceeds——withalow,buzzing.,musicalsound,layingoutafewwordswhich"shethoughtmightsuittheconditionofsomepresent,"withaquakingdiffidence,whichleavesnopossibilityofsupposingthatanythingoffemalevanitywasmixedup,wherethetonesweresofulloftenderness,andarestrainingmodesty——Themen,forwhatIobserved,speakseldomer.
Onceonly,anditwassomeyearsago,IwitnessedasampleoftheoldFoxianorgasm.Itwasamanofgiantstature,who,asWordsworthphrasesit,mighthavedanced"fromheadtofootequiptinironmail."Hisframewasofirontoo.Buthewasmalleable.Isawhimshakealloverwiththespirit——Idarenotsay,ofdelusion.Thestrivingsoftheoutermanwereunutterable——heseemednottospeak,buttobespokenfrom.Isawthestrongmanboweddown,andhiskneestofail——hisjointsallseemedloosening——itwasafiguretosetoffagainstPaulPreaching——thewordsheutteredwerefew,andsound——hewasevidentlyresistinghiswill——keepingdownhisownword-wisdomwithmoremightyeffort,thantheworldsoratorsstrainfortheirs."HehadbeenaWitinhisyouth,"hetoldus,withexpressionsofasoberremorse.Anditwasnottilllongaftertheimpressionhadbeguntowearaway,thatIwasenabled,withsomethinglikeasmile,torecallthestrikingincongruityoftheconfusion——understandingtheterminitsworldlyacceptation——withtheframeandphysiognomyofthepersonbeforeme.HisbrowwouldhavescaredawaytheLevities——theJocosRisusque——fasterthantheLovesfledthefaceofDisatEnna——Bywit,eveninhisyouth,Iwillbeswornheunderstoodsomethingfarwithinthelimitsofanallowableliberty.
MorefrequentlytheMeetingisbrokenupwithoutawordhavingbeenspoken.Butthemindhasbeenfed.Yougoawaywithasermon,notmadewithhands.YouhavebeeninthemildercavernsofTrophonius;orasinsomeden,wherethatfiercestandsavagestofallwildcreatures,theTongue,thatunrulymember,hasstrangelylaintiedupandcaptive.Youhavebathedwithstillness.whenthespiritissorefretted,eventiredtosicknessofthejanglings,andnonsense-noisesoftheworld,whatabalmandasolaceitis,togoandseatyourself,foraquiethalfhour,uponsomeundisputedcornerofabench,amongthegentleQuakers!
Theirgarbandstillnessconjoined,presentanuniformity,tranquilandherd-like——asinthepasture——"fortyfeedinglikeone."-
TheverygarmentsofaQuakerseemincapableofreceivingasoil;andcleanlinessinthemtobesomethingmorethantheabsenceofitscontrary.EveryQuakeressisalily;andwhentheyeupinbandstotheirWhitsun-conferences,whiteningtheeasterlystreetsofthemetropolis,fromallpartsoftheUnitedKingdom,theyshowliketroopsoftheShiningOnes.