a rational construction of general obedience. The situation may be painful, and doubtless you have felt it; but you must and will, on the general principle of submission to government, pay and submit! -Neither do I see how you can continue your customary censure and excommunication of those who, in active obedience, pay the specific demands for raising the militia! Any shades of difference which you may attempt to define, in favour of paying the new assessed taxes, you will henceforward so attempt with small satisfaction to yourselves; and in the estimation of other men, the most accustomed to reason correctly on general matters of importance, your arguments to that point must utterly fail. Permit me, therefore, briefly to repeat, and urge, for your consideration, what my leading reflections were mainly intended to impress, that, as you must find yourselves involved in augmented inconsistency, by now imposing on your own members, as you have done, your society laws, relative to tithes ; you would wisely relax from that unnecessary, unhappy, and I wish I could not truly say, unchristian severity: a severity which you cannot, without the most glaring absurdity, continue to prosecute, and which all you have written, or attempted to say, in the style of rational argument, is wholly insufficient to palliate!"* If "inconsistency of practice" is to be the standard to judge of the principles of religion, (to say nothing here of the conscience,) I might query, if"all hostilities, whether offensive or defensive, are Vide the Recorder, &c. &c. p. 109-111. believed by the Christian Quaker to be in direct opposition to the express commands of Christ," can the contribution to the support of war by the voluntary payment of any tax levied for that express purpose, be regarded in any other light than as a dereliction of one of the most important and distinguished testimonies of your society? But I find several friends have been under considerable exercise of mind, from a desire to bear their testimony faithfully against the having any concern in, or giving any countenance to the promotion of war. "This difficulty (it is said) was so strongly felt by some persons in the more affluent ranks, that they had believed it right for them to discontinue keeping their carriages, rather than, by a payment of the tax imposed on them, contribute so largely to the support of war; and this, for the sake of an article which might perhaps be regarded as a luxury," and pride too. (Vide "A Narrative of events that have lately taken place in Ireland, among the society called Quakers," &c. p. 85.)* In a note at p. 52, (see also 91, 92) I intimated a desire to resume my remarks, if possible, on the saints "taking up their carriages." I shall not enter on the merit or demerit of the saints above laying down their carriages; it may suffice to observe here, that they not only "were aware that if the precepts of Christ were thus to be interpreted in the present instance, the occurrence of other instances might require a similiar conduct; and either privation or suffering would necessarily be the result;" but feeling also "the great importance of the pure principles of peace and love, which they believed to be essentially characteristic of the gospel of Christ, they were upright, desirous, that no privation or suffering might deter them from maintaining a conduct consistent with that testimony which they believed themselves called upon to support." (lbid.) If S But if "inconsisteucy of practice" may be urged on one occasion, by parity of reason it may be urged on another: and if "reason" is allowed to have some weight or influence in one point of doctrine, it ought to have its due force in another. Upon this ground did your primitive worthies establish many of what you now call grand tenets of religion. For instance, The same "brief reason" for refusing the taking off their hats to men, would hold equally good in not following "the frivolous," vain, and superfluous trades and occupations in life, viz. "Because it lifts this principle was acted upon by one and all of "the members of this society," there would be no room for that complaint of "inconsistency of practice." But as it respects "the taking up of carriages," &c. a few remarks may suffice. That there should be an increased desire to ride in carriages, is not to be wondered at, but that a minister of the gospel should look for this, or even urge it upon a mis-translated passage in the Acts of the apostles (chap. xxi. 15) is what I should not expect. If the word "carriage," rightly translated in this place, should be "baggage," (as the expositors of the grand folio Christ. Family Bible have it,) and which "probably went (or was sent) by sea, when the apostle went before;" the moderu professing minister ought to be content to walk, or at most to travel in a hired carriage. And I cannot help observing here, happy I think is that land, and blessed is that people who can hire a carriage when necessity or moderate pleasure requires one. It might not be amiss here to remind those who are desirous of taking up their "equipage," of an anecdote related by Dr. Paget of his friend Milton. It is said an offer was made to Milton (as well as to Thurlow) of holding the same place of secretary under the king (Charles II) which he had discharged with so much integrity and ability under Cromwell; he persist up that in man which God will destroy. It is suitable for that nature which is of the earth, and feeds it it is pleasing to the fleshly; and that which is an enemy to the flesh, cannot give it that which feedeth and pleaseth it. If we should please men, we could not be the servants of Jesus Christ." Isaac Penington's Works, p. 219, vol. I. I find some conscientious dissenters excuse themselves for taking off the hat, when in other public places (churches) of worship, during service," by * Vide a dissent from the Church of England, &c. by M. Twogood, (on White's Letter, 3.) p. 54. ed in refusing it; but on his wife's pressing his compliance, "Thou art in the right," says he; "You, as other women, would ride in your coach; for me, my aim is to live and die an honest man!" (Vide Life of Milton, prefixed to his Paradise Lost, p.40.) A noble example this of a worthy commonwealth man. Blush, ye modern hunters of fame, and of grandeur! Take this patriot (and statesman) for example, (in this instance at least,) and live and die honest men ! But a word of consolation to my poor fellow-labourers, (mechanics, and others.) If we cannot "roll in hired carriages," (though the sacred tie of relatives and friends might demand it,) and, travelling through the different parts of the country, view the stupendous works of God in nature ;-the fruitful fields, as well as the barren heath; the lofty mountains, and the wide ocean; let us take up, at least, that mutual carriage,”---love, "love towards God, and our neighbour as ourselves,"-yea, those triumphant chariots, or "stage carriages,"-humility, obedience, and faith; in patient sufferings! "A christian (says Tertullian) never thinks himself so fine, never so illustrious as at the stake, with fire and faggot about him; he then is in his triumphal chariot, going to heaven in state!. Eusebius tells us it was a most charming sight to behold the martyrs in prison, to see how their misery became them, how they adorned their fet urging that they do it "purely as a civil, not at all as a religious" act. But if this is not done purely as "a religious" act, it is a flattering "civil complement" at best; or at least, is an evident mark of religious hypocrisy and dissimulation. Taking off the hat, like "dropping a curtesy," however "civil," "gracefully," and "politely done," savours of bowing to men, which took place from a slavish fear possessing some which led them to set up their gods; and to usurp the place of God, over their brethren. "Bowing the knee," like "taking of the hat," (which I consider one and the same thing) is " a religious act," and due only to God, however the vain ters, and that they looked as captivating in chains, as a bride in all her glories at the day of marriage. (Vide Eus. His. Ec. lib. 5. c. 1. p. 160.) "Here then we see a christian triumph, the true spirit of the first ages;" and indeed I should be very sorry to "interpose any cold criticisms, that my readers might not be interrupted, but go off with a full impression, with all the fire and devotion of the writer," (Vide Apologies of Justin, Tertullian, &c. by Wm. Reeves, p. 383, 384, v. 1.) I say, if we caunot call up to view the extensive and variegated scenery of nature, let us retire in our own minds, and enjoy those heavenly delights which solitude and a quiet life only afford; and "whether spring array herself in her splendid robe; or summer scorch us with her sultry heats; or autumn pour forth her exuberant stores; or winter send us to our habitations;" still we may be admirers of nature's God; "To mark the mighty hand, That ever busy, wheels the silent spheres; Works in the secret deep, shoots streaming thence Flings from the sun directs the flaming day; |