These distinctions having been made as to the sources of virtuous character, there will be no difficulty in shewing, that the world has not been deceived in the point in question.  For if it be admitted that the Divine Spirit, by means of its agency on the heart of man, is really a cause of virtuous character, it will then be but reasonable to suppose, that the Quakers, who lay themselves open for its reception more than others, both by frequent private retirements, and by their peculiar mode of public worship, should bear at least as fair a reputation as others, on account of the purity of their lives.  But the discipline, which is unquestionably a guardian of morals, is peculiar to themselves.  Virtue therefore is kept up among the Quakers by an extraordinary cause, or by a cause which does not act among many other bodies of men.  It ought therefore to be expected, while this extraordinary cause exists, that an extraordinary result should follow, or that more will be kept apparently virtuous among the Quakers, in proportion to their numbers, than among those where no such discipline can be found, or, in other words, that, whenever the Quakers are compared with those of the world at large, they will obtain the reputation of a moral people.

CHAP.  III.

SECT.  I.

Particular traits in the Quaker character—­The first of these is benevolence—­This includes good will to man in his temporal capacity—­Reasons why the world has bestowed this trait upon the Quakers—­Probability of its existence—­from their ignorance of many degrading diversions of the world—­from their great tenet on war—­from their discipline which inculcates equality—­and watchfulness over morals—­and from their doctrine that man is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

[33]Of the good traits in the Quaker character, which may be called particular, I shall first notice that of benevolence.  This benevolence will include, first, good will to man in his temporal capacity, or a tender feeling for him as a fellow creature in the varied situations of his life.

[Footnote 33:  The reader must be aware, that all Quakers do not partake of this good part of the character.  That the generality do, I believe.  That all ought to do, I know, because their principles, as will be clearly seen, lead to such a character.  Those, therefore, who do not, will see their own deficiency, or how much they have yet to attain, before they can become Quakers.]

The epithet of benevolent has been long given to this society.  Indeed I know of no point, where the judgment of the world has been called forth, in which it has been more unanimous, than in the acknowledgment of this particular trait, as a part of the Quaker character.

The reasons for the application of this epithet to the society, may be various.

It has been long known, that as the early Christians called each other brethren, and loved each other as such, so there runs through the whole society of the Quakers a system of similar love, their affection for one another having been long proverbial.