would be deemed exceptionable. But J. W. insisted on reading these extracts, in order that the committee might know how unsound his doctrines were, (believing that his defence rested upon their demerits,) but the committee appeared exceedingly unwilling to allow the reading of them, and the dilemma in which they were now placed, apparently drew from D. B., one of their number, the expression, "I acknowledge that some of J. J. Gurney's writings are very unsound." But for

this imprudence, D. B. was immediately jogged by J. M., one of his colleagues who sat near him, and who dissented from his concession, by saying, “I should not have said so."

Finally they utterly refused to hear his defence or the reading of the extracts from Gurney's doctrines, and gave him very little opportunity of any oral vindication of himself in relation to the charges brought against him, by reason of their own claims upon the time; freely and in close succession bestowing upon him their censures, and demanding from him immediate concessions, accompanied with the advice "to stay at home and to be quiet." And so this interview ended.

Thus being denied a full, and fair personal hearing which truth and justice always allows, even to the greatest offenders, John Wilbur resorted to pen, ink and paper; and through this medium addressed T. A., the first named of the committee, with whom he had heretofore stood in the relation of great intimacy; which address is further on.

To this letter, both himself and his colleages declined altogether to make any reply, or to attempt a refutation in writing; yet they did not fail to resort to personal declamation and high sounding words in an interview which they called for in the early part of the Yearly Meeting at at Newport, 1840, with an evident design to alarm him; and to induce him to condemn, not only the course

which he had taken, but also the letter which he had written to them. And because he hesitated, conscientiously doing so, cast upon him many reproaches, and the epithet of stubbornness, and a disposition to resist his friends and the good order of society. They also now denied the intimation in the letter, that one of their number had said that some of J. J. Gurney's doctrines were very unsound. And D. B. himself denied ever saying any such thing. And they further declared that no one would know by reading the letter, any thing about what transpired at their meeting at Greenwich.

At a second interview, during the same Yearly Meeting, they read to him a paper, which, as they said, was from a friend who felt much concern for him; but at the same time withheld from him the name of the writer, as well as the document itself; proceedings which he thought reflected no great honor upon the writer or the presenters thereof. But its contents were not such as to give any uneasiness to him whom it was evidently designed to

annoy.

During these interviews, in which the committee evinced much excitement, J. W. was favored to endure their reproaches and revilings without reviling again; and to make no concession or compromise of principle.

In justice to one of the committee, Andrew Nichols, (since deceased) a fellow member with J. W., of the same Monthly Meeting, it ought to be said, that he was a minister of sound principles; and that he was named incidentally on the committee. He was, whilst living, of singular service to J. W., and to the good cause which he was concerned to support. He saw the letter in question, read and approved its contents; and of its being forwarded to the committee, previously thereto.

The fourth meeting of the committee, with some additions to their number, was held at Portsmouth,

R. I., and J. W. was cited again to meet with them, to which he acceded.

The committee now attempted reading extracts from his letter to them, against which they were intending to join issue; but he objected to their reading extracts from his letter without first reading the whole letter, and the more, because a number of the committee now present had never become acquainted with its contents, except by hearsay; and because also, T. A., one of their number, had told him that he had placed upon it, with pen and ink, the inscription of falsehood. J. Wilbur's arguments for either reading the whole letter, or else for not reading the extracts from it, though strongly opposed by some, finally prevailed.

After the letter was read, some attempts were made, (though feeble) to read extracts from it, in order for refutation, but in this course they proceeded not far; inasmuch as J. W. now called for their objections in writing, both to the course which he had taken in the first place, and to the letter itself, distinctly and severally giving their reasons for such objections.

This seemed to throw the committee into considerable disorder; after which their proceedings were irregular and desultory. At one time they would declaim against his making a defence against his friends; and at another time they would accuse him of having taken false premises in his letter: and again D. B. came forward in a denial of saying at Greenwich, "that some of J. J. G.'s writings were very unsound," (Why need he, for the saying was very true,) and attempted to change the ground, by now adopting this version of it, to wit, "For argument sake I will admit that some of J. J. G.'s writings are very unsound." And J. M., the one who jogged him at Greenwich, and remarked, "I should not have said so," now responded to the truth of D. B.'s present version of it, and said, I remember

these were D.'s expressions. Why then, asked J. W., did thou jog D. at Greenwich and say, "I should not have said so?" But before this query, to which J. M. made no reply, several of the committee had endorsed his present statement of it.

Finally, as Andrew Nichols had said nothing to this disputed point, they called on him to testify in regard to it: and though a diffident man, he did say to David, the words which thou hast now prefixed, were not prefixed at Greenwich, thy words. then were, "I acknowledge that some of the doctrines of J. J. Gurney are very unsound." And so ended this part of the discussion.

After having been together near four hours, they began to talk of what course should be taken, inasmuch as the object of their meeting had not been attained. Two of the committee proposed to burn the papers and drop the subject altogether; but others hesitated. J. Wilbur had complained of the injustice and severity of their charges thrown out against him—of the aspersion of falsehood endorsed upon his letter, saying, that he had never, in speaking of them, or of J. J. Gurney, made use of such language. In answer to which T. A. said, "I don't think that John Wilbur meant to say any thing in that letter which was untrue." J. W., after resuming his request to be furnished with their complaint in writing, withdrew in order to remove all embarrassment from their deliberations.

From this time J. W. heard nothing of the intentions of the committee until the holding of the select Quarterly Meeting at Sommerset, in the 11th month following, wherein his sufferings were by no means inconsiderable in consequence of their bringing the case to view before that meeting; but silence was believed to be his lot and ground of safety. After meeting, he was called upon to meet them that afternoon at 3 o'clock; but not feeling ready in his own mind therefor; and having other

good reasons therefor, he declined an interview on that day, but informed them that he would wait on them the next day, or at any future time, as they would best like. Accordingly he was notified the next day, after Quarterly Meeting, to meet them on the following morning at the Boarding School at Providence, to which he agreed, and met them there accordingly on 6th day, morning, the 6th of 11th month, to wit, six men and two women. And after a short pause R. G. rose and said, that passing over J. W.'s speaking of a friend travelling in the ministry to his disadvantage, they would proceed to read such passages from his letter as were not satisfactory to the committee, and so proceeded to read them. To which objections J. W. now felt at liberty to make some remarks and to reply somewhat in course; but withal again claiming the right of being put in possession of their objections on paper.

With a view of sustaining their charge of falsehood against his letter they had taken the ground at a former interview, that their censure of him was not for objecting to Jos. J. Gurney's doctrines, but for speaking against J. J. Gurney himself. But, nevertheless, their first and prominent charge against him at the first interview, was that he had "spread long lists of extracts from Jos. J. Gurney's doctrines. It is true, that when at that interview, J. W. attempted to justify his having done so, by showing the unsoundness of those doctrines, they feigned to make shift, in order to avoid the exposure of them even among themselves, to let go the complaint, which they had thus emphatically preferred against him,— and attempting to discriminate between the man and his doctrines, to make their charge against him for objections to the man only. Which latter charge they never could, nor can they ever substantiate, and consequently by this wily contrivance to shift their hold, their whole fabric falls to the ground.