not only precarious, but regarded by the religious 
association 
to 
which 
he 
belonged, 
3S 
adverse 
to 
their 
tenets, 
by 
being 
only 
ornamental ; 
and 
he 
W35 
anxious, 
OH 
his 
son's 
account 
and 
his 
QWI1: 
to 
avoid 
those 
animadversions to which he 
WHS 
exposed 
bY 
the 
freedom 
he 
had 
hitherto 
granted 
to 
the 
predilections 
of 
Benjamin. 
therefore, 
consulted 
several 
of 
his neighbours on 
the 
subject ; 
and 
H 
meeting 
of 
the 
Society 
of 
Friends 
in 
the 
vicinity 
WEIS 
called, 
to 
consider, 
S011. 
publicly, what ought to be the destiny of his 
The 
assembly 
met 
in 
the Meeting-house 
near Springfield, and after much debate, approach- 
ing 
to 
altercation, 
IIIZLH 
of 
the 
name 
of 
John 
Williamson 
rose, 
a very extraordi- 
and delivered 
nary speech upon the subject. 
much 
He was 
spected by all present, for the purity and integrity 
of 
his 
life, 
and 
en oyed 
great 
in fiuence 
in 
his 
sphere 
on account of 
the superiority of 
his natu- 
wisdom, 
ral 
ands 
as a public preacher among the 
Friends, possessed an astonishing gift of convincing 
eloquence. 
Mr. West and his 
He pointed to old 
wife, 
and 
expatiated 
on the blameless 
reputation 
which they had so long maintained, and merited so