dragged out one by one from their places. And even where their meeting-houses were totally destroyed by the magistrates, they sometimes met the next meeting-day and worshipped publicly on the ruins, notwithstanding they knew that they were subject by so doing to fines, and scourges, and confinements, and banishments; and that, like many others of their members who had been persecuted, they might die in prison.

This courage of the early Quakers has descended, as far as circumstances will allow us to judge, to their posterity, or to those who profess the same faith. For happily, on account of the superior knowledge which has been diffused among us since those times, and on account of the progress of the benign influence of Christianity, both of which may be supposed to have produced among the members of our legislature a spirit of liberality in religion, neither the same trials, nor the same number of them, can be afforded for the courage of the modern Quakers, as were afforded for that of the Quakers of former days. But as far as there are trials, the former exhibit courage proportioned to their weight. This has been

already

already conspicuous in the bearing of their testimony, either in those cases where they run the hazard of suffering by opposing the customs of the world, or where, by refusing a compliance with legal demands, which they believe to be antichristian, they actually suffer. Nor are these sufferings often slight, when we consider that they may be made, even in these days of toleration, to consist of confinement, as the law now stands, for years, and it may happen even for life, in prison.

This trait of courage in life, which has been attached to the character of the Quakers, is the genuine offspring of the trait of "The bearing of their Testimony." For by their testimony it becomes their religion to suffer, rather than comply with many of the laws and customs of the land. But every time they get through their sufferings, if they suffer conscientiously, they gain a victory which gives them courage to look other sufferings in the face, and to bid defiance to other persecutions.

This trait is generated, again, by all those circumstances which have been enumerated as producing the quality of independence of

mind; and it is promoted, again, by the peculiar customs of the Society. For a Quaker is a singular object among his countrymen. His dress, his language, and his customs mark him. One person looks at him. Another, perhaps, derides him. He must summon resolution, or he cannot stir out of doors and be comfortable. Resolution, once summoned, begets resolution again, till at length he acquires habits superior to the looks, and frowns, and ridicule of the world.

SECTION II.

The trait of courage includes also Courage in Death -this trait probable-from the lives which the Quakers lead-and from circumstances connected with their religious faith.

THIS trait of courage includes also Courage in Death; or it belongs to the character of the Quakers that they show great indifference with respect to death, or that they possess great intrepidity when sensible of the approach of it.

I shall do no more on this subject than state what may be the causes of this trait.

The

The dissolution of all our vital organs, and of the cessation to be, so that we move no longer upon the face of the earth, and that our places know us no more; or the idea of being swept away suddenly into eternal oblivion, and of being as though we had never been, cannot fail of itself of producing awful sensations upon our minds. But still more awful will these be, where men believe in a future state; and where, believing in future rewards and punishments, they contemplate what may be their allotment in eternity. There are considerations, however, which have been found to support men even under these awful reflections, and to enable them to meet with intrepidity their approaching end.

It may certainly be admitted, that in proportion as we cling to the things of the world, we shall be less willing to leave them; which may induce an appearance of fear with respect to departing out of life; and that, in proportion as we deny the world and its pleasures, or mortify the affections of the flesh, we shall be more willing to exchange our earthly for spiritual enjoyments; which

may

may induce an appearance of courage with respect to death.

It may be admitted, again, that in proportion as we have filled our moral stations in life-that is, as we have done justly, and loved mercy, and this not only with respect to our fellow-creature man, but to the different creatures of God-there will be a conscious rectitude within us, which will supply us with courage when we believe ourselves called upon to leave them.

It may be admitted, again, that in proportion as we have endeavoured to follow the Divine commands as contained in the Sacred Writings, and as we have followed these, through faith, fearless of the opinions and persecutions of men, so as to have become sufferers for the Truth, we shall have less fear, or more courage, when we suppose the hour of our dissolution to be approaching.

Now, without making any invidious comparisons, I think it will follow from hence,→ when we consider the Quakers to be persons of acknowledged moral character; when we know that they deny themselves, for the sake of becoming purer beings, the ordinary plea

sures