A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume 3   By: Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846)

TAKEN FROM A VIEW OF THE EDUCATION AND DISCIPLINE, SOCIAL MANNERS, CIVIL AND POLITICAL ECONOMY, RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES AND CHARACTER, OF THE

Society of Friends

BY THOMAS CLARKSON, M.A.

AUTHOR OF SEVERAL ESSAYS ON THE SLAVE TRADE.

VOL. III.

CONTENTS OF THE THIRD VOLUME.

GREAT TENETS.

CHAPTER I.

Civil government Governors have no right to interfere in matters of religion Nor are the governed bound to obey, where their consciences are oppressed by doing it but they are to be willing to suffer the penalties annexed to their disobedience and they are on no account to resist them by force of arms,

CHAPTER II.

Oaths Christians are not to take civil oaths Reasons of the Quakers for their disuse of them,

CHAPTER III.

SECT. I. War Unlawful for Christians to fight Scriptural passages in support of this tenet Answers to these and replies,

SECT. II. These passages supported by the opinions and practice of the early Christians,

SECT. III. Objection to the motive assigned for this practice Reply to this objection Motive confirmed,

SECT. IV. Conduct of the early Christians further examined While Christianity continued pure, they held it unlawful to fight As it became less pure, their scruples against it declined As it became corrupt, they ceased,

SECT. V. Reflections of the author on the foregoing subject Supposed conversation with a superior being in another region New arguments from thence,

SECT. VI. Subject further considered Erroneous conceptions of those who argue in favor of the necessity of war This necessary only where the policy of the world is pursued Nature of this policy But not necessary where men act on the policy of the Gospel,

SECT. VII. This doctrine confirmed by historical cases,

SECT. VIII. Final examination of the subject,

CHAPTER IV.

SECT. I. Maintenance of a Gospel ministry Quakers hold it unlawful to pay their own ministers, or those of any other denomination, for their Gospel labours Scriptural passages and historical facts relative to this doctrine,

SECT. II. Additional reasons against the payment of those of another denomination, as collected from a history of tithes,

SECT. III. A more particular statement of these reasons,

CHARACTER.

CHAPTER I.

Character of the Quakers Difficulties in the proper estimation of character These removable in the present case,

CHAPTER II. Character general or particular General is that of a moral people,

CHAPTER III.

SECT. I. Character particular First of the particular traits is benevolence to man in his temporal capacity,

SECT. II. Second is benevolence to man in his religious capacity,

SECT. III. Third is benevolence, or a tender feeling for the brute creation,

CHAPTER IV.

Fourth is complacency of mind and manners,

CHAPTER V.

Fifth is, that they do not sacrifice their consciences, as a body of Christians, where they believe a compliance with any law or custom to be wrong,

CHAPTER VI.

Sixth is, that in political affairs they reason upon principle, and not upon consequences,

CHAPTER VII.

Seventh is independence of mind,

CHAPTER VIII.

SECT. I. Eighth is courage in life,

SECT. II. Ninth is courage in death,

CHAPTER IX.

Tenth is punctuality to words and engagements,

CHAPTER X.

Imperfect traits These are either intellectually or morally defective First of these is a deficiency in literature and science, when compared with other people,

CHAPTER XI.

Second is superstition Distinctions on this subject,

CHAPTER XII.

Third is obstinacy No foundation for this trait,

CHAPTER XIII.

SECT. I. Fourth is a money getting spirit This spirit seldom chargeable with avarice,

SECT. II. Practicable methods suggested for the extirpation of it,

CHAPTER XIV.