nts
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,