deep loneliness seems at times entirely to overshadow us, yet there is a sad pleasure in living over again in memory the life of one whose example was ever a strengthening and animating influence, and which is still a living presence, a gentle mention to those who are left to battle on with the duties and conflicts of life. Such is the memory of the dear and venerable man whose name is given above. "A distant friend in writing of his death says: 'He was a noble specimen of an old man-such an one as I venerate with a kind of holy enthusiasm. To me there is something grand and beautiful in witnessing such rare specimens of manhood sink peacefully into the grave. He who has lived out a whole long life of moral purity and practical uprightness, having not only been a practical, but a thinking and a speaking man; who has cultivated his mental powers as well as his moral, and having also proved himself superior to the blind fanaticism of sect and bigotry, now bravely and willingly meets death with a firm faith in the future, and all its unknown mysteries, leaving this life in a calm and happy spirit, with all his faculties yet active, and loving all mankind. I say it is a subject of beautiful thought to me, a great privilege to witness the last moments of and I should have felt it such a man.' "Another friend says: 'I am sorry to hear that our good friend, Jonathan Lamborn is gone! We have nothing left but his bright example, but that is much, indeed. As a man and a citizen, he had no superior. Though he lived as nearly without a fault as any person I ever knew, he was remarkably charitable for the faults of others. He was bold and firm in maintaining what he believed to be the true and the right, yet his heart was full of compassion for the weak and erring.' "Though he lived to a good old age, and we had all reason to suppose that he must soon pass away, yet his loss creates a vacuum which cannot be filled. In every relation of life he was a model man; and especially near the end of his career did he present a spectacle which for patience and fortitude and calm dignity, in view of the grim monster, I have never seen equaled. His memory should ever be fondly cherished, for he taught us how to live and how to die.' "In both instances this is the testimony of those who knew him well, who were familiar with his daily life, with his quiet home virtues, and in these it was that the greatest excellence of his character consisted. "He was ever ready to aid in any philanthropic movement; was constantly making some effort for the good of his fellow-beings; but the trait of character which was in him really the most valuable, and that, indeed, which is most rarely found among men, was his exceeding goodness in the minor matters of life; that in his intercourse with those around him, in the most minute particular, he was invariably just; and the reward of the just must be his portion. "He walked in the dark world in the mild, Still guidance of the light; In tearful tenderness a child, A strong mau in the right. "Oh, friend! Oh, brother! not in vain Thy if so calm and true; The silver dropping of the rain, The fall of summer dew. "With weary hand, yet steadfast will, Thy Master found thee sowing still, The following was written by Jonathan Lamborn and printed in the Delaware Free Press: "Being at Wilmington Monthly Meeting on the 4th instant, and seeing the situation of that Meeting, led me to look back at the difficulties that have been introduced into the Society of Friends within a few years past, and to examine their causes. The effects are plain and easily seen, and are extensively felt. But what was the cause? is a question that has been frequently asked, and has been answered by many; some attributing it to one cause, and some to another. My opinion is, it originated in the Society in consequence of an uneasiness with the doctrines preached by Elias Hicks; and as that uneasiness became developed it brought forth its opposite-as unity with its testimonies; hence as one party became zealous in endeavoring to suppress such doctrines being disseminated, the other became as zealous in the support of the individual or individuals who believed it their duty to promulgate them. Then the power each party possessed was brought into operation, and a division of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and its constituent branches took place. Individuals attached themselves to the party they felt best satisfied with, both as respected doctrines and practice; some with more and some less understanding of the real nature of the division. I for one, with the little understanding I was furnished, thought best of the doctrines and practice of the side with which I went; hence have been disowned by the other side. "Some of my reasons for thus deciding were: because I believe the doctrines disseminated by them, together with their practice, were in advance, and best calculated to exalt the truth and promote the happiness of mankind. One prominent feature was to examine for ourselves and act from conviction, taking nothing upon trust from books or the opinions of others, without being convinced of the truth for ourselves. Free investigation was recommended, and I think has been adopted more extensively than for a number of years previous. The result seems to have been that it has been extended too far, in the opinion of some, and they think it has led to dangerous tenets; others are of a different opinion, and think those doctrines, if lived up to, are calculated to promote the salvation of man and advance the Redeemer's kingdom, in accordance with the testimony that of the increase of His government there shall never be an end-no stopping place for the improvement of the human species. "Now these are the views I understood to have prevailed about the time of the division; but it appears these views are not allowed to prevail now in the Monthly Meeting of Wilmington, or a part of the Monthly Meeting and a large committee of Concord Quarter; and if it should extend to the Quarterly and Yearly Meeting, and the principles be adopted, that a minority, or the weighty part of a meeting, shall carry measures in opposition to the other part, instead of the unity or a submission being waited for, then it appears that the Yearly Meeting will be in the same situation it was in before the division. Growing, too, out of the very same causes that produced it then, viz.: one portion of the Society bearing testimony against the disseminating of doctrines which they believe go to undermine the fundamental principles of Christianity. "Now what are we to do in such a state of things? Go on, divide and sub-divide as a Society, or go back? Because it appears clear to me that if it was right to support the doctrine promulgated by those called Hicksites, and borne testimony against by the Orthodox, it is right to tolerate the doctrine that may now be thought infidel by a portion of the Society. "Let it be understood that I am not now come to a decisive judgment in the case as what may be right for me in the future; but having been a reader and an examiner of the different productions previous to the division and since, weighing them as well as I have been capable, together with the practice of both parties, the result has been to produce a belief that there is no stopping place between the Orthodox and Free Enquirers; and that if the Free Enquirers are in the wrong as to the dissemination of their views as calculated to retard the progress and promotion of truth and righteousness, and, consequently, the happiness of man, then are and have been the Hicksites (so called) wrong in laying the foundation for it. "My sentiments as expressed in the Monthly Meeting at Wilmington, from which I received an unfriendly rebuke from William Gibbons, were the best I was furnished with at that time; be they right or wrong, I hope to stand open to conviction, but at present I see no other way for me but to tolerate the Free Enquirers as members of our Society, or conclude the Orthodox are right in bearing testimony against us as promoters of it. "Now if Wilmington Monthly Meeting proceed to disown Benjamin Webb (103), against the consent of many of his friends, and the Quarterly and Yearly Meeting confirm the judgment, the Yearly Meeting will be to a certain extent in the same situation it was in when it could no longer harmonize in conducting its business. "It may be said by some, there are other and more proper channels through which to communicate my thoughts on the subject, than a public paper. I considered that subject, and am aware that it has not been customary for Friends thus to appear, until of later years, and mostly over fictitious signatures, which I am not satisfied to do." UPPER OXFORD, Third month 8th, 1831. "After reflecting on the circumstances of my sending an essay for the public press, I have felt no uneasiness on account of taking that step, although I am sensible of my deficiency as a writer; so much so as scarcely to be able to find language to convey my views. In my last I discovered where I might be misunderstood, in stating that the testimony against the doctrines of Elias Hicks produced its opposite-a unity with them. What I intended to convey was that it produced its opposite-a testimony of unity with those doctrines; and as not having come to a decisive judgment as to what may be right for me in the future may also be misunderstood, my position is that I believe we all ought to stand open to what may be manifested to be right, and act in accordance with its teachings, as it is an every-day teacher that will not lead astray. It has been proved and has not failed, as all others have. Even the best of men and books have all fallen far short of this teacher, which man finds within him, furnished by the Author of his being, and which is inseparable from him, which if obeyed, will keep in subjection and proper order all those propensities and powers of the animal, and instruct and lead to do good to all in a feeling of its own begetting, consisting of love, mercy and justice. "We find the animal, which has no law higher, will prey upon its fellow-animal, and deprive it of its share of food, unless prohibited by man, for whose use the animals are designed; so with man when he suffers himself to act by the force of his animal passions and powers, instead of exercising his reasonable faculties in obeying and acting in accordance with the law in his mind, which leads into truth and but of error, because it is truth, and, if obeyed, will lead into conduct correspondent with its own nature. It is always near us, for we find it in us, and we cannot find it anywhere else; for if we go to ascending or descending in order to bring it from above or beneath we get lost in the search, and lay hold of some substitute-some favorite doctrine-call it a fundamental and build upon it—very likely some lifeless form; and then it follows, of course, that we condemn as in error all who do not come up to our standard; hence the bond of union, which is the only cement of any society, is broken, and why? Because we have forsaken that internal fountain that contains living water-virtue, charity, love-in short, goodness, and hewn out broken cisterns that will not hold this pure, undefiled virtue. Does it not appear to be the situation of all the different sects of professors, in a society capacity, from the Roman Catholics to the Society of Friends? "But if this inexhaustable fountain of the love of God-love of good, of virtue, of truth and righteousness-was lived in, waited upon and exercised by, there would be no differing about opinions; although we might be far from uniformity, we should judge by fruits only, and hold man accountable to his fellow-man for his actions only, leaving opinions to the test and scrutiny of investigation. "When is persecution for religion to cease if we are not to tolerate what we consider error of opinion? All mankind are liable to err, and all have erred in a greater or less degree; and when we take erroneous ground how apt are we to increase the evil by supporting that ground even at the expense of the privilege of others, instead of candidly acknowledging our error, and getting to the place where we missed it, and diminish as much as possible the evil occasioned by our wrong step; especially when the effects are so obvious, even to the disturbing and destroying the bond of union in a large body of people, professing to act and harmonize for the good of themselves and those around them. This appears to me to be the effect produced and growing out of publication of the exposition of modern scepticism, if the author believed it right to publish it; and others thought it right to assist in supporting it. Surely reason could teach us to suppose those on whom some very unpleasant reflections were cast in that production should have the same privilege, publicly to examine its contents, and expose what they might think were inconsistencies contained in it, and let the people judge of both. "It appears likely that the time is coming when the foundation of the Society of Friends will be shaken to its centre, and that it will no longer be permitted, under a cloak of high profession to remain unnoticed by the public, by keeping things hid within its own boundaries, which are incompati ble with the general good; for that which is done in secret shall be proclaimed on the house-top. "While the Society of Friends was alive to its testimonies against war, slavery, priestcraft, oaths, lotteries, pride, luxury, etc., it prospered and was a blessing not only to its members, but the good effects extended beyond the pale of the Society; then the light within was the fundamental principle, and it was considered important that its members so mind the light as to be convinced of the consistency of those testimonies with truth, and that the support of them would be of great good to mankind. "But when these testimonies began to be less supported, and the attention turned towards the supporting the, order and discipline and adopting some fundamental doctrines (or a creed), and the strength in a degree thrown away upon minor things, the light began to grow dim, its influence as a Society became weak, its strength diminished as to the promotion of good or truth, but strong in zeal against those who do not bow to the image set up. Under such circumstances as these is it any wonder that the foundation upon which such materials are built should be shaken, especially when the contrary of all this is professed? "Much has been said and much continues to be said on these subjects. I therefore think I may leave the columns of the Free Press for more able writers; recommending that all who undertake to write for the public, cultivate a spirit of charity and love, and then the productions will evince it. I leave the reader to judge of my motives, as I desire not to promote or support any party; and I think I feel no disposition to do it, but simply promote that kind of feeling and conduct which I believe if lived in and practiced would produce a saved state from evil or would be a saved state; and then God or goodness would be its temple-the heart of man; and there, also, would be the kingdom of heaven, or happiness. And here in this state the good would flow, from vessel to vessel, and go to ameliorate and better the condition of the human family.". UPPER OXFORD, Fourth month 15th, 1831. Letter from Elizabeth Lamborn (64). CHAMPAIGN, OHIO, March 11th, 1843. Dear Brother and Sister-I take my pen in hand this afternoon to communicate to you a part of what has transpired since I last wrote or heard from you. It seems almost an age since we left New Garden. It is a true sentence, that procrastination is the thief of time; but still, fast as it flies, it brings its troubles. Oh! my dear brother and sister, how can I command this brass pen in my hand to relate our loss! Our dear Elizabeth, as a bright bud just opening to our eyes, and a support in our declining years, is now a silent sleeper. All her interesting ways, her enticing talk, were very impressively felt by me every day and hour; I was so lifted up in her; she was such a healthy, good-looking, feeling child; she was interesting to her father; she liked to go with him a hunting. But, Oh! how soon our hopes were blasted. The Giver of all good and perfect gifts thought her too precious to live in this sinful world Then why should I grieve-but I hope the Lord will pardon me and help me to prepare to meet her in that mansion of endless bliss, where parting will be no more. Indeed, I fear you will not be able to read this, for my pen is so thick, and writing on my knee, but hope to be excused. We cannot see what there is to hinder thee and sister Rachel from coming out to the west and making us a visit; indeed it would |