They were their deal ings. J. Rutty. are as truly confcientious to render to Cæfar the things that are Cafar's, as to fupport any other branch of our Chriftian teftimony."-And fo great was the importance of this affair with them, that an annual enquiry was regularly made through all parts of the British dominions, where they had members of fociety, whether the purport of thefe advices were duly put in practice, or not, and to enforce the fame. "It hath moreover been a well known, difat a word in tinguishing characteristic of this people, that anciently they did, from a religious principle, keep to a word, in buying and felling, and forbear that multiplicity of words, in making bargains; in which, how common foever among dealers, there wanteth not fin, as the wife man obferves, nor very often deceit."" For they were, (fays W. Penn) at a word in their dealing; nor could their. customers, with many words, tempt them from it, having more regard for truth, than custom; to example than gain.' 'They' refrained tain things the flave Fourthly, As their justice was very remarkable in their ftrict and conftant adherence to the laws not only respecting the government's dues, but in from cer- every other cafe, where their confciences, in referaccounted ence to things of a religious nature, were not affectlawful, as ed thereby; in which fituation nevertheless they trade, &c. were always paffive; fo were they very particularly diftinguishable for refraining from certain things, under the articles of trade, even, accounted lawful, or permitted by the laws of the land, where they lived, which they thought unchristian, or unjust; among which I find the trading in flaves; or the importation of negroes from their native country into other parts of the world, for flaves, was a practice ever highly cenfured, and a traffic never allowed among them, in Great Britain, though permitted and protected by the Legislature.* Sec Y. meeting minutes, in M. S. for 1727, &c. J. Rutty. Fifthly *It may be noted, that, though fome of this fociety, in America, in early time, when fervants were very scarce, or affiftance difficult to be fufe to fwear on a ny occafion, Fifthly, Their truth Speaking, and refusing to They refwear, on any occafion; ufing the plain and fimple affirmation and negative, inftead of an oath. "Another doctrine of theirs (fays W. Penn) was the fufficiency of truth-fpeaking, according to Chrift's own form of found words, of yea, yea; nay, nay, among Chriftians, without fwearing, both from Chrift's prohibition, to fwear not at all, Matt. v. and for, that they being under the tie and bond. of truth in themfelves, there was no neceffity for an oath; and it would be a reproach to their Chrif tian veracity to affure their truth by such an extraordinary way of speaking; fimple and uncompounded anfwers, as, yea and nay, (without affeverations, atteftations, or fupernatural vouchers) being most fuitable to evangelical righteoufnefs. But offering, at the fame time, to be punished to the full, for falfe fpeaking, as others for perjury, if ever guilty of it; and hereby they exclude with all true, all false and profane fwearing, for which the land did, and doth mourn; and the great God was, and is, not a little offended with it.” their tefti Sixthly, Their cheerfully and valiantly fuffering, Their valiboth in perfon and estate, from all ranks of people, antly fuffor their confcientious non-compliance with the fering for vulgar and unreasonable customs of the times, in mony. which they lived, without endeavouring any retaliation, when in their power; their fteady perfeverance, in patiently and paffively enduring, for a long got, in that country, inadvertently fell into the practice of purchafing thefe negro-flaves, after they were imported, and others receiving them by inheritance, &c. whereby formerly, in this part of the world, divers of them became poffeffed of these people:-Yet this unnatural traffic there has been fince, and is now, justly and entirely difapproved and forbidden among them, in all its branches:-A trade fo monstrous and abominable, fo unparallelled, both in ancient and modern history, all its circumstances, cruelty, and the whole manner of carrying it on, being impartially and duly confidered, that it feems unaccountable and aftonishing, that any nation, at least, pretending to justice and chriftianity, fhould countenance or tolerate fuch a practice, fuch an unnatural, and moft deteftable traffic!-Nay in its confequences, most manifeftly impo itic, as well as a moft pernicious, diabolical and inhuman bufinefs! both in its prefent operation and confequential effects, &c. R. Bar clay's apo logy, &c. long feries of years, the rigour of fuch laws, as either defignedly, or otherwife, affected their confciences, and were used to force, or compel, conformity, in religious matters; which they always diftinguished from civil affairs, fo abundantly demonftrate the Chriftian patience and fortitude of this people, that it would fill a large volume to fpecify only the principal, or at least, the common incidents of this nature, which have been confpicuous among them: therefore, referring to their own writings, for an account of them, I fhall only here infert what R. Barclay mentions, in fhort, on this point, in addreffing his apology for the true Chriftian Divinity, as held by this people, to king· Charles the fecond; who, after having hinted their hard and cruel fufferings, both under Cromwell and the parliament, and alfo after the king's restoration, fays," For indeed their fufferings are fingular and obviously diftinguifhable from all the reft of fuch as live under thee, in thefe two refpects." First, In that, among all the plots contrived by R. Barclay, others against thee, fince thy return into Britain, there never was any, owned by that people, found or known to be guilty (though many of them have been taken and imprisoned on fuch kind of jealoufies) but were always found innocent and harmless, as became the followers of Chrift; not coveting after, nor contending for, the kingdoms of this world, but fubject to every ordinance of man, for confcience fake." Secondly, In that, in the hottest times of perfecution, and the most violent prosecutions of those laws, made against meetings, being cloathed with innocency, they have boldly ftood to their teftimony for God, without creeping into holes, or corners, or once hiding themfelves, as all other diffenters have done; but daily met according to their custom, in the public places appointed for that end; fo that none of thy officers can fay of them, that they have furprised them in a corner, overtaken them in a private conventicle, or catched them lurking in their fecret chambers; nor needed they to send out fpies to get them, whom they were fure daily to find in their open affemblies, teflifying for God and his truth." 2. Under the fecond head of temperance and mo- Second deration, which were confpicuous through their head. whole conduct, it is not my design to enumerate every thing, practifed by them, which properly belongs to thefe virtues; but only, as before, principally to exhibit wherein they were diftinguishable from other people, in these respects. ming, First, Their difufe of all gaming, and vain sports; Their difas the frequenting of plays, horfe-races, &c. was ufe of ga a custom ftrictly and conftantly adhered to by them; fports, as being moft confiftent with a truly chriftian life; plays, &c. the use of these, and fimilar things, having, in their estimation, a manifeft and infallible tendency to draw away, and alienate the human mind from the most important object of true happinefs, as thus expreffed by R. Barclay, viz. "It will not be denied but that men ought to be more in love of God, than of any other thing; for we ought to love God above all things. Now it is plain, that men, who are taken up with love, whether it be of women, or of any other thing, if it hath taken a deep place in the heart, and poffefs the mind, it will be hard for the man fo in love, to drive out of his mind the perfon, or thing fo beloved; yea, in his eating, drinking and fleeping, his mind will always have a tendency that way; and in bufinefs, or recreations, however intent he be in it, there will be but a very short space of time permitted to pafs, but his mind will let fome ejaculation forth towards its beloved. And albeit fuch an one must be converfant in those things, that the care of this body, and fuch like things call for; R. Barclay, yet They a voided fuperfluity, &c. yet will he avoid, as death itself, to do those things that may offend the party fo beloved, or crofs his defign in obtaining the thing fo earnestly defired: though there may be fome fmall ufe in them, the great defign, which is chiefly in his eye, will fo balance him, that he will easily look over, and difpense with such petty neceffities, rather than endanger the lofs of the greater by them. Now, that men ought to be thus in love with God, and the life to come, none will deny; and the thing is apparent from thefe fcriptures, Matt. vi. 20. but lay up for yourfelves treasures in heaven. Col. iii. 2. fet your affections on things above, &c. and that this hath been the experience and attainment of some the scripture alfo declares, Pfalm lxiii. 1, 8. 2 Cor. v. 2.1 "And again, that thefe games, fports, plays, dancings, comedies, &c. do naturally tend to draw men from God's fear; to make them forget heaven, death and judgment; to fofter luft, vanity and wantonnefs; and therefore are most beloved, as well as ufed by fuch kind of perfons, experience abundantly fhews, and the most serious and confcientious, among all, will fcarcely deny; which if it be fo, the application is eafy.' Secondly, They avoided fuperfluity in the general course of their living; obferving fuch a temperate medium in the ufe of things, as they were fenfible conduced moft to a good ftate both of body and mind; which diftinguifhed them from others, not only in their eating and drinking, in their conversation and discourse, being generally of few words, but pertinent; but alfo in the furniture of their houfes, their apparel, or dress; and in their births, marriages and funerals; and not only fo but they even fometimes, condemned and disused what only had a tendency to excefs;--" Thus (fays W. not drink Penn, on the cuftom of drinking healths) they forbore drinking to people, or pledging of them, as the manner of the world is: a practice, that is They did healths, &c. not |