A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume 1: Taken from a View of the Education and Discipline, Social Manners, Civil and Political Economy, Religious Principles and Character, of the Society of FriendsClarkson, Thomas
Religion
A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume 1: Taken from a View of the Education and Discipline, Social Manners, Civil and Political Economy, Religious Principles and Character, of the Society of Friends
Clarkson, Thomas
Society of Friends
He introduced also into his system of dicipline privileges in favour of
women, which marked his sense of justice, and the strength and
liberality of his mind. The men he considered undoubtedly as the heads
of the church, and from whom all laws concerning it ought to issue. But
he did not deny women on that account any power, which he thought it
would be proper for them to hold. He believed them to be capable of
great usefulness, and therefore admitted them to the honour of being, in
his own society, of nearly equal importance with the men.--In the
general duty, imposed upon members, of watching over one another, he
laid it upon the women, to be particularly careful in observing the
morals of those of then own sex. He gave them also meetings for
dicipline of their own, with the power, of recording their own
transactions, so that women were to act among courts or meetings of
women, as men among those of men. There was also to be no office in the
society belonging to the men, but he advised there should be a
corresponding one belonging to the women. By this new and impartial step
he raised the women of his own community beyond the level of women in
others, and laid the foundation of that improved strength of intellect,
dignity of mind, capability of business, and habit of humane offices,
which are so conspicuous among Female-Quakers at the present day.
With respect to the numerous offices, belonging to the discipline, he
laid it down as a principle, that the persons, who were to fill them,
were to have no other emolument or reward, than that, which a faithful
discharge of them would bring to their own consciences.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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