source.

it to be, of all others, the purest and sublimest It is that spring, they conceive, to good action, and of course to exalted character, in which man can have none but a passive concern. It is neither hereditary nor factitious. It can neither be perpetuated in generation by the father to the child, nor be given by human art. It is considered by them as the great and distinguishing mark of their calling. Neither dress, nor language, nor peculiar customs, constitute the Quaker, but the spiritual knowledge which he possesses. Hence all pious men may be said to have belonged to this Society. Hence the Patriarchs were Quakers; that is, because they professed to be led by the Spirit of God. Hence the Apostles and primitive Christians were Quakers. Hence the virtuous among the Heathens, who knew nothing of Christianity, were Quakers also. (Hence Socrates may be ranked in profession with the members of this community. He believed in the agency of the Divine Spirit. It was said of him, "that he had the guide of his life within him; that this Spirit furnished him with divine knowledge; and that it often impelled him to address and exhort the people." Justin the Martyr had no scruple in calling both Socrates and Heraclitus Christians, though they lived long before Christ; "for all such as these," says he, "who lived according to the Divine Word within them, and which Word was in all men, were Christians." Hence also, since the introduction of Christianity, many of our own countrymen have been Quakers, though undistinguished by the exterior mark of dress or

language. Among these we may reckon the great and venerable Milton./ His works are full of the sentiments of Quakerism.* And hence, in other countries and in other ages, there have been men, who might be called Quakers, though the word Quakerism was unknown to them.

But independently of the agency of the Spirit of God, which the individuals of this Society thus consider to be the purest cause of a good life and character, we may reckon a subordinate cause, which may be artificial, and within the contrivance and wisdom of man. When the early Quakers met together as a religious body, though they consisted of spiritually-minded men, they resolved on a system of discipline, which should be followed by those who became members with them. This discipline we have already seen. We have seen how it attempts to secure obedience to Christian precepts; how it marks its offences; how it takes cognisance of them when committed; how it tries to reclaim and save:-how, in short, by endeavouring to keep up the members of the Society to a good life, it becomes instrumental in the production or preservation of a good character.

From hence it will appear that the virtue of the Quakers, and of course their character, may be dis

* Milton considered the Spirit of God as a Divine teacher: he maintained also that the Scriptures were not to be spiritually understood but by the means of this Spirit. He believed also, that human learning was not necessary for the qualification of a Minister of the Gospel. And he wrote an Essay against Tithes.

sources.

tinguished into two kinds, as arising from two It may arise from spiritual knowledge on the one hand, or from their discipline on the other. That, which arises from the first, will be a perfect virtue. It will produce activity in excellence. That, which arises from the second, will be inferior and sluggish. But, however it may be subject to this lower estimation, it will always be able to produce for those, who have it, a certain degree of moral reputation in the opinion of the world.

These distinctions having been made as to the sources of virtuous character, there will be no difficulty in showing that the world has not been deceived in the point in question. For if it be admitted that the Divine Spirit, by means of its agency on the heart of man, is really a cause of virtuous character, it will then be but reasonable to suppose that the Quakers, who lay themselves open for its reception more than others, both by frequent private retirements, and by their peculiar mode of public worship, should bear at least as fair a reputation as others on account of the purity of their lives. But the discipline, which is unquestionably a guardian of morals, is peculiar to themselves. Virtue is therefore kept up in the Society by an extraordinary cause, or by a cause, which does not act among many other bodies of men. It ought therefore to be expected, while this extraordinary cause exists, that an extraordinary result should follow; or that more will be kept apparently virtuous among the Quakers, in proportion to their numbers, than

among those, where no such discipline can be found; or, in other words, that whenever the Quakers are compared with those of the world at large, they will obtain the reputation of a Moral People.

CHAPTER III.

SECTION I.

Particular traits in the Quaker-character-the first of these is benevolence-this includes good-will to man in his temporal capacity—Reasons why the world has bestowed this trait upon the members of this Society-Probability of its existence-from their ignorance of many of the degrading diversions of the world—from their great tenet on war -from their discipline, which inculcates equality -and watchfulness over morals-and from their doctrine, that man is the temple of the Holy Spi

rit.

OF the good traits in the Quaker-character, which may be called particular, I shall first notice that of Benevolence. This benevolence will include, first, good-will to man in his temporal capacity, or a tender feeling for him, as a fellow-creature in the varied situations of his life.*

* The reader must be aware that all the members do not partake of this good part of the character. That the generality do, I

The epithet of Benevolent has been long given to this Society. Indeed I know of no point, where the judgment of the world has been called forth, in which it has been more unanimous than in the acknowledgment of this particular trait, as a part of the Quaker-character.

The reasons for the application of this epithet to the Society may be various.

It has been long known, that as the early Christians called each other Brethren, and loved each other as such, so there runs through the whole Society a system of similar love,-their affection for one another having been long proverbial.

It has been long known, again, that as the early Christians extended their benevolence out of the pale of their own community to others, who lived around them, so the Quakers manifest a similar disposition towards their countrymen at large. In matters of private distress, where persons of a different religious denomination have been the objects, and where such objects have been worthy, their purses have been generally open, and they have generally given as largely, in proportion to their abilities, as other people. To public charities in their respective places of residence they have generally administered their proper share. But, of late years, as they have mixed more with the world, this character has become more conspicuous, or better

believe. That all ought to partake of it, I know; because their principles, as will be clearly seen, lead to such a character. They, therefore, who do not, will see their own deficiency, or how much they have yet to attain, before they can become Quakers.