A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume III (of 3) by Thomas Clarkson

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If men offend against the laws, they should be prevented from doing
injuries in future, but never by the punishment of the loss of life. The
reformation of a criminal, which includes a prevention of a repetition
of such injuries, is the great object to be regarded in the
jurisprudence of Christians.

In political matters there is no safe reasoning but upon principle. No
man is to do evil that good may come. The policy of the Gospel is never
to be deserted, whatever may be the policy of the world.

Trade is an employment, by means of which we are permitted to gain a
livelihood. But all trades are not lawful. Men are responsible, as
Christians, for engaging in those which are immoral, or far continuing
in those which they may carry on either to the moral detriment of
themselves or of others. Abstinence from hazardous enterprises by the
failure of which innocent persons might be injured, and honesty in
dealing, and punctuality to words and engagements, are essentials in
the prosecution of trade.

Having made observations on the customs, and brought to the view of the
reader some of the prominent principles of the Quakers, a third
advantage will arise from knowing the kind of character, which these in
conjunction will produce.

On this subject we might be permitted our conjectures. We might insist
upon the nature and immediate tendencies of these customs and
principles, and we might draw our conclusions from thence, or we might
state how they were likely to operate, so as probably not to be far from
the truth. But we are spared both the trouble of such a task, and are
relieved from the fear of having the accuracy of our conclusions
doubted. The Quaker character has been made up from the acknowledgments
of others. It has been shewn that they are a moral people; that they are
sober, and inoffensive, and quiet; that they are benevolent to man in
his religious and temporal capacity; that they are kind or
tender-hearted to animals; that they do not make sacrifices of their
consciences to others; that in political affairs they reason upon
principle; that they are punctual to their words and engagements; and
that they have independence of mind, and courage. Their character, as it
is defective, has been explained also. It has been probed, and tried by
a proper touchstone. Appearances have been separated from realities. The
result has been, that a deficiency in literature and science, and that
superstition, and that an undue eagerness after money, has been fixed
upon a portion of them. The two former, however, it is to be
recollected, are only intellectually defective traits, and maybe
remedied by knowledge. The latter, it is to be presumed, belongs rather
to individuals than to the society at large. But whatever drawbacks may
be made from the perfect by the imperfect qualities that have been
stated, there is a great preponderancy on the side of virtue. And where,
when we consider the evil propensities of our nature, and the difficulty
of keeping these in due order, are we to took for a fairer character?
That men, as individuals, may be more perfect, both in and out of the
society, is not to be denied. But where shall we find them purer as a
body? and where shall we find a faulty character, where the remedy is
more easily at hand?

The next advantage will be in seeing the manner of the operation of
these customs and principles, or how they act. To go over the whole
character of the Quakers with this view would be both tedious and
unnecessary. I shall therefore only select one or two parts of it for my
purpose. And first, how do these customs and principles produce
benevolence? I reply thus: The Quakers, in consequence of their
prohibitions against all public amusements, have never seen man in the
capacity of a hired buffoon or mimic, or as a purchasable plaything.
Hence they have never viewed him in a low and degrading light. In
consequence of their tenet on war, they have never viewed him as an
enemy. In consequence of their disciplinary principles, they have viewed
him as an equal. Hence it appears, that they have no prejudices against
him from causes which often weigh with others, either on account of
rank, or station, or many of the customs of the world. Now I conceive,
that the dereliction of prejudice against man is as necessary, as a
first measure, to the production of benevolence towards him, as the
dereliction of vice towards the production of virtue. We see then their
minds free from bias on this subject. But what is there on the other
side to operate actively towards the promotion of this trait? They view
man, in the first place, as the temple in which the Divinity may reside.
This procures him respect. Secondly, as a being for whose spiritual
welfare they ought to be solicitous. This produces a concern for him.
And thirdly, as a brother. This produces relationship. We see then the
ground cleared. We see all noxious weeds extirpated. We see good seed
sown in their places; that is, we see prejudices removed from the heart,
and we see the ideas of respect, concern, and relationship implanted in
it. Now it is impossible that these ideas, under these circumstances,
should not as naturally and immediately produce a general benevolence to
man, as common seeds, when all obstructive weeds are removed, should
produce their corresponding saplings or flowers.

How again are these customs and principles of the Quakers promotive of
independence of mind? I answer thus: There is a natural independence of
mind in man, but it is often broken and weakened. Some men injure it by
the solicitation and acceptance of honours, and pensions, and places;
others by flattery and falsehood; others by customs of obeisance; others
by their obedience to fashion. But the independence of mind of the
Quakers is not stunted in its growth by the chiding blasts of such
circumstances and habits. It is invigorated, on the other hand, by their
own laws. No servility is allowed either in word or gesture. Neither
that which is written, nor that which is uttered, is to please the
vanity of the persons addressed, or to imply services never intended to
be performed. The knee is not to be bent to any one. It is strengthened
again and made to shoot by their own maxims. Is it possible to be in the
habit of viewing all men as equal in privileges, and no one as superior
to another but by his virtue, and not to feel a disposition that must
support it? Can the maxim of never doing evil that good may come, when
called into exercise, do otherwise than cherish it? And can reasoning
upon principle have any other effect than that of being promotive of
its growth?

These then are the ways in which these customs and principles operate.
Now the advantage to be derived from seeing this manner of their
operation, consists in this: First, that we know to a certainty, that
they act towards the production of virtue. Knowing again what these
customs and principles are, we know those which we are bound to cherish.
We find also, that there are various springs which act upon the moral
constitution for the formation of character. We find some of these great
and powerful, and others inferior. This consideration should teach us
not to despise even those which are the least, if they have but a
tendency to promote our purity. For if the effect of any of them be only
small, a number of effects of little causes or springs, when added
together, may be as considerable as a large one. Of these again we
observe, that some are to be round where many would hardly have expected
them. This consideration should make us careful to look into all our
customs and principles, that we may not overlook any one which we may
retain for our moral good. And as we learn the lesson of becoming
vigilant to discover every good spring, and not to neglect the least of
these, however subtle its operation, so we learn the necessity of
vigilance to detect every spring or cause, and this even the least,
whether in our customs or our principles, if it should in its tendency
be promotive of vice.

And in the same manner we may argue with respect to other productions of
these customs and principles of the Quakers. As we have seen the latter
lead to character, so we have seen them lead to happiness. The manner of
their operation to this end has been also equally discernible. As we
value them because they produce the one, so we should value them because
they produce the other. We have seen also which of them to value. And we
should be studious to cherish the very least of these, as we should be
careful to discard the least of those which are productive of real and
merited unhappiness to the mind.

And now, having expended my observations on the tendencies of the
customs and principles of the Quakers, I shall conclude by expressing a
wish, that the work which I have written may be useful. I have a wish,
that it may be useful to those who may be called the world, by giving
them an insight into many excellent institutions, of which they were
before ignorant, but which may be worthy of their support and their
patronage. I have a wish also, that it may be useful to the Quakers
themselves, first, by letting them see how their own character may be
yet improved; and secondly, by preserving them, in some measure, both
from unbecoming remarks, and from harsh usage, on the part of their
fellow-citizens of a different denomination from themselves. For surely
when it is known, as I hope it is by this time, that they have moral and
religious grounds for their particularities, we shall no longer hear
their scruples branded with the name of follies and obstinacies, or see
magistrates treating them with a needless severity, but giving[58] them,
on the other hand, all the indulgences they can, consistently with the
execution of the laws. In proportion as this utility is produced, my
design will be answered in the production of the work, and I shall
receive pleasure in having written it. And this pleasure will be subject
only to one drawback, which will unavoidably arise in the present case;
for I cannot but regret that I have not had more time to bestow upon it,
or that some other person has not appeared, who possessing an equal
knowledge of the Quakers with myself, but better qualified in other
respects, might have employed his talents more to the advantage of the
subjects upon which I have treated in these volumes.

[Footnote 58: Some magistrates, much to their honour, treat them with
tenderness; and no people are more forward than the Quakers in
acknowledging any attention that may be shewn them, but particularly
where their religious scruples may be concerned.]

END OF THE THIRD VOLUME

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