[APPENDIX: "MIGHT IT NOT BE BEST TO LEAVE
US."]
A letter of THOMAS KITE to JOSEPH JOHN GURNEY, Regarding His
Preaching in Philadelphia, ca. 1839-1840.
Memoirs and Letter of Thomas Kite, A Minister of the Gospel in the
Society of Friends. Prepared by his Family. Philadelphia: Friends' Book
Store, 1883, pages 252-253.
This is The Quaker Homiletics Online Anthology, Part Three: The 19th Century
I have at different times taken occasion to express to thee my uneasiness with
thy writings as containing sentiments not in unison with the doctrines of our
early Friends; I have thought I perceived at least a tendency towards the same
views in thy public preaching. My motive in writing now is, to desire thee
calmly to consider what has been the effect of thy writings, and more
particularly of thy present visit, on our Society in this country. Thou found us
generally in unity. That unity, to a great extent has been broken; and I believe
thy coming amongst us, under the accompany, circumstances, has been the
principal cause, and the means of producing that extensive distress which, within
the last three years, has overspread many parts of the this land. Some members
appear to have been inclined embrace thy views; others consider them fraught
with danger to the best interests of the Society; hence a conflict of feeling has
occurred, which partiality, prejudice, misconception other causes have probably
contributed to heighten. If thou hast been the occasion of this sorrowful state of
things, might it not be best to leave us, that without any fresh cause of
uneasiness administered, we may have leisure to feel after our situation, make
explanations to each other, and endeavor to seek for the healing balm of Gilead.
I would tenderly entreat thee to turn thy attention and humbly wait for the
discoveries of that Light which makes manifest, that thus thy own state and
condition may be discovered by thee, and through the mercy of a gracious God,
the enemy in all his transformations may be detected and cast out, and thou,
being brought rely on Him alone who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, may be
brought into, and preserved in fellowship with his living members. If this should
be thy happy experience, I believe secret and open acknowledgment will be
called for from thee, because of the offence given to many little ones who
believe in the Lord Jesus, not only as to his outward appearance, and all that he
did and suffered for us in the flesh, but also as to his inward and spiritual
appearance as the true Light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the
world, and the only principle of Divine Life to the soul.