A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume 3: 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 3: 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
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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