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and in other ages, there have been men who might be called Quakers, though the word Quakerism was unknown.

But independently of the agency of the Spirit of God, which the Quakers 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 spirituallyminded men, they resolved on a system of discipline which should be followed by those who became members of the Society. This We have discipline we have already seen. seen how it attempts to secure obedience to. Christian how it marks its of precepts; fences; 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 cha

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

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kinds, as arising from two sources. 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.

selves. Virtue is therefore kept up among the Quakers 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,

CHAP

CHAPTER III.

SECTION I.

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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 QuakersProbability 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 Spirit.

Or 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*.

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The reader must be aware that all Quakers do not partake of this good part of the character. That the generality do, I believe. That all ought to do, I know because

VOL. III.

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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 Quakercharacter.

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 of the Quakers 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 Society 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,

because their principles, as will be clearly seen, lead to such a character. Those, therefore, who do not, will see their own deficiency, or how much they have yet to attain, before they can become Quakers.

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