A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume 1

A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume 1

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by Thomas Clarkson
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Title: A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume I (of 3)
Author: Thomas Clarkson
Release Date: March 4, 2005 [eBook #15260]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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A PORTRAITURE OF QUAKERISM, VOLUME I
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.
1806.

[Illustration: THOMAS CLARKSON, A.M.]

CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
INTRODUCTION
PREFATORY ARRANGEMENTS AND REMARKS

MORAL EDUCATION.

CHAPTER I.
_Amusements distinguishable into useful and hurtful--the latter specified and forbidden_.

CHAPTER II.
SECT. I.--_Games of chance forbidden--history of the origin of some of these_.
SECT. II.--_Forbidden as below the dignity of the intellect of man, and of his christian character_.
SECT. III.--_As producing an excitement of the passions, unfavourable to religious impressions--historical anecdotes of this excitement_.
SECT. IV.--_As tending to produce, by the introduction of habits of gaming, an alteration in the moral character_.

CHAPTER III.
SECT. I.--_Music forbidden--instrumental innocent in itself, but greatly abused--the use of it almost inseparable from its abuse at the present day_.
SECT. II.--_Quakers cannot learn instrumental on the usual motives of the world--nor consider it as a source of moral improvement, or of solid comfort to the mind--but are fearful that, if indulged in, it would interfere with the Christian duty of religious retirement_.
SECT III.--_Quakers cannot learn vocal, because, on account of its articulative powers, it is capable of becoming detrimental to morals--its tendency to this, as discoverable by an analysis of different classes of songs_.
SECT IV.--_The preceding the arguments of the early Quaker--but the new state of music has produced others--these explained_.
SECT V.--_An objection stated to the different arguments of the Quakers on this subject--their reply_.

CHAPTER IV.
SECT I.--_The Theatre forbidden--short history of its origin--and of its state and progress_.
SECT II.--_Manner of the drama objected to by the Quakers--as it personates the characters of others--and it professes to reform vice_.
SECT III.--_Contents of the drama objected to--as they hold our false sentiments--and weaken the sinews of morality_.
SECT IV.--_Theater considered by the Quakers to be injurious to the happiness of man, as it disqualifies him for the pleasure of religion_.
SECT V.--_To be injurious to the happiness of man, as it disqualifies him for domestic enjoyments_.
SECT VI.--Opinions of the early Christians on this subject.

CHAPTER V.
SECT. I.--_Dancing forbidden--light in which this subject has been viewed both by the ancients and the moderns--Quakers principally object to it, where it is connected with public assemblies--they conceive it productive, in this case, of a frivolous levity, and of an excitement of many of the evil passions_.
SECT. II--_These arguments of the Quakers, on dancing, examined in three supposed cases put to a moral philosopher_.
SECT. III.--_These arguments further elucidated by a display of the Ball-room_.

CHAPTER VI.
_Novels forbidden--considered by the Quakers as producing an affectation of knowledge--a romantic spirit--and a perverted morality_.

CHAPTER VII.
SECT. I--_Diversions of the field forbidden--general thoughtlessness upon this subject--sentiments of some of our best poets--law of the Quakers concerning it_.
SECT. II.--_Consistency of this law examined by the morality, which is inculcated by the Old Testament_.
SECT. III.--_Examined by the morality of the New--these employments, if resorted to as diversions, pronounced, in both cases, to be a breach of a moral law_.

CHAPTER VIII.
_Objections to the preceding system, which includes these different prohibitions, as a system of moral education_.

CHAPTER IX.
SECT. I.--Reply of the Quakers to these objections.
SECT. II.--Further reply of the Quakers on the same subject.
* * * * *
DISCIPLINE.

CHAPTER I.
SECT. I.--Outlines of the discipline of the Quakers.
SECT. II.--Manner of the administration of this discipline.
SECT. III.--_Charges usually brought against the administration of it--observations in answer in these charges_.
SECT. IV.--_The principles of this discipline applicable to the discipline of larger societies, or to the criminal codes of states--beautiful example in Pennsylvania_.

CHAPTER II.
_Monthly court or meeting of the Quakers for the purposes of their discipline--nature and manner of the business transacted there_.

CHAPTER III.
_Quarterly court or meeting for the same purposes--nature and manner of the business there_.

CHAPTER IV.
_Annual court or meeting for the same purposes--nature and manner of the business there--striking peculiarities in this manner--character of this discipline or government_.

CHAPTER V.
_Excommunication or disowning--nature of disowning as a punishment_.

PECULIAR CUSTOMS.

CHAPTER I.
SECT. I.--_Dress--extravagance of the dress of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries--plain manner in which the grave and religious were then habited--the Quakers sprang out of these_.
SECT. II.--_Quakers carried with them their plain dresses into their new society--extravagance of the world continuing, they