[21: THOMAS SHILLITOE'S TESTIMONY AGAINST THE WRITINGS OF JOSEPH JOHN GURNEY,
DELIVERED BY HIM THREE DAYS BEFORE HIS DECEASE, TAKEN DOWN FROM HIS LIPS
BY ----- -----, PAGES 344-346.]]
John Wilbur
Wilbur, John. A Narrative and Exposition of the Late Proceedings
of New England Yearly Meeting, With Some of its Subordinate Meetings &
Their committees, in Relation to the Doctrinal Controversy Now Existing
in the Society of Friends: Prefaced by a Concise View of the Church, Showing
the Occasion of its Apostacy, both Under the Former and Present Dispensations,
With an Appendix. Edited from Record Kept, From Time to Time, of Those
Proceedings, and Interspersed With Occasional Remarks and Observations.
Addressed to the Members of the Said Yearly Meeting. New York: Piercy
& Reed, Printers, 1854, pages 277-325.(All italics added by
J.W. for emphasis. All words supplied in [Square Brackets] by J.W.
Page numbers from original publication by -pds in {Set Brackets.}
This Document is on The
Quaker Writings Home Page.
"Thomas Shillitoe said, this testimony rested on his mind, and he must
have it committed to paper, as he found his peace consisted in so doing,
(addressing ----- -----.) Thou wilt want a great deal of time and patience
to hear what I have got to say, and it must bc faithfulIv delivered, for
I am afraid at a future day it will devolve heavy upon thy shoulders. It
is extraordinary that thou shouldst have come in at this juncture, for
I have been wanting my son-in-law to come in and put down what I am now
better satisfied should be received by thee from my mouth: And I therefore
declare, unequivocally against the generality of the writings of Joseph
John Gurney, as being non-Quaker principles, not sound Quaker principles,
but Episcopalian ones; and they have done great mischief in our Society,
and the Society will go gradually {p. 345} down if it yields to the further
circulation of that part of his works Which they have in their power to
suppress; this is my firm belief. I have labored under the weight
of it for the last twelve months, beyond what human nature is able to support,
and the committee of the Morning Meeting which passed that last work, (Gurney's
Peculiarities, with a new title) must be willing to come forward to be
sufficiently humble to acknqwledge their error. And the meeting for Sufferings
must also be willing to remove its authority in allowing it to be given
away to those not of our Society. I declare the author is an Episcopalian,
not a Quaker. I apprehend Joseph John Gurney is no Quaker in principle.
Episcopalian views were imbibed from his education and still remain with
him. I love the man for the work's sake, so far as it goes, but he has
never been emptied from vessel to vessel, and from sieve to sieve, nor
known the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and of fire to cleanse the floor of
his heart from his Episcopalian notions. He has spread a linsey woolsey
garment over our members; but in a future day it will be stripped off,
it will be too short for them, as they will be without Jesus Christ the
Lord. This is my dying testimony, and I must sign it. If I had been faithful
I should have expressed it inthe last Yearly Meeting of ministers and elders,
(1836,) but I hope I shall be forgiven. Oh Lord, accept me with the best
I have.
I have letters from America which confirm me in the truths of every
part of what I now state. I believe there is not an individual member of
our Society in England, Scotland and Ireland, more willing to do good than
Joseph John Gurney, but willingness is no qualification. This is my dying
testimony to Quaker views, especially as to the ministry; what was anti-christ
in George Fox's days is anti-christ now. The clergy of this country, to
a man, every one of them, are anti-Christ so long {p. 346} as they wear
the gowns and receive the pay, and continue builtling up the people in
the relicts of popery, which the church of England left behind: it would
not do to speak of a man doing a great deal for a little pay, and call
him a minister of Christ. It is a grievous thing that any minister in our
Society should so speak. They are anti-Christ still, since they lead the
pcople from Christ, and yet I love some of them for the work's sake, so
far as they go.
The writer was a neighbor of Thomas Shillitoe, and came in unexpected:
he does not entertain the views Thonms Shillitoe did. Thomas Shillitoe's
daughter and grand-daughter were present at the time the above was delivered."
A few copies have been circulated here (England,) the Friend was so
remarkable in his day for honest simplicity, and his dying testimony so
striking and correct; I have transcribed it for thy perusal, though to
thee unknown, the narrative also is very scarce. Truth needs to fear no
exposure. Error can't too soon be detected, the day calls for unflinching
integrity.