their own exceeding hurt; 'also,' said he, 'these men, in obedience to
the inward Voice that instructs them, strive to bring people off from
their formal man-made religions to the primitive purity of Christ's
religion, which consists not in rites and ceremonies, repeating of forms
of prayer, singing of hymns, and ringing of bells, but in a holy and
harmless life;' and he quoted many things out of the Sermon on the
Mount, 'which,' said he, 'the common run of Christians never dream of
obeying; but the poor Friends practise them most strictly.'

All this was most alluring to Andrew, for, as I have often noticed, he
detested nothing so much as false professions, and a show of goodness
where none was. I asked him curiously why the Friends behaved themselves
in such strange fashion in public places and churches; when he answered
me by referring to the bold speeches of ancient prophets in rebuke of
sin, and asked me if I could think that a man might now-a-days refuse to
carry God's message to sinners because it might bring him into bodily
peril? 'It were far worse,' said he, 'to disobey the Divine Voice, that
still small Voice that is heard by the restful soul, than to endure a
little pain at men's hands, or even the death of the body.' Well, I
could not wonder that he was charmed with such teachings, for while I
listened to him my own heart was moved strangely; but it evermore ended
with my resolving to keep to the opinions of my aunt and Mr. Truelocke;
I thought they were both too good to be far mistaken. But Andrew now
began to be often away from home, and he made no secret that he went to
meet with Westrop and other Friends, from whom he often had letters
also. He was never at West Fazeby on the Lord's Day; and Aunt Golding
and Althea also showed themselves mightily afflicted thereat.