There is a calling which is seldom followed by itself:  I mean the furnishing of funerals, or the serving of the pall.  This is generally in the hands of Cabinet-makers, or of Upholsterers, or of woollen-drapers.  Now if any Quaker should be found in any of these occupations, and if he should unite with these that of serving the pall, he would be considered by such an union, as following an objectionable trade.  For the Quakers having discarded all the pomp, and parade, and dress, connected with funerals, from their own practice, and this upon moral principles, it is insisted upon, that they ought not to be accessary to the promotion of such ceremonials among others.

The trade of a printer, or bookseller, when exercised by a Quaker, has not escaped the animadversions of the world.  A distinction, however, must be made here.  They who condemn this calling, can never do it justly, but in supposed cases.  They must suppose, for example, that the persons in question follow these callings generally, or that they do not make an exception with respect to the printing or selling of such books as may convey poison to the morals of those who read them.

A Quaker-tailor is considered as a character, which cannot consistently exist.  But a similar distinction must be made here as in a former case.  The world cannot mean that if a Quaker confines himself to the making of clothes for his own society, he is reproachable for so doing; but only if he makes clothes for every one without distinction, following, as he is ordered, all the varying fashions of the world.

A Quaker-hatter is looked upon in the same light as a Quaker-tailor.  But here a distinction suggests itself again.  If he make only plain and useful hats for the community and for other Quakers, it cannot be understood that he is acting inconsistently with his religious profession.  The charge can only lie against him, where he furnishes the hat with the gold and the silver-lace, or the lady’s riding-hat with its ornaments, or the military hat with its lace, cockade, and plumes.  In this case he will be considered as censurable by many, because he will be looked upon as a dealer in the superfluities condemned by his own religion.

The last occupation I shall notice is that of a silversmith.  And here the censure will depend upon a contingency also.  If a Quaker confines himself to the selling of plain silver articles for use, little objection can be raised against his employ.  But if, in addition to this, he sells goldheaded canes, trinkets, rings, ear-rings, bracelets, jewels, and other ornaments of the person, he will be considered as chargeable with the same inconsistency as the follower of the former trade.