fire in the woods hard by, and lay there that night. His said acquaintance hearing where he lodged, and, afterwards meeting the Menonist, told him of it; adding, he should have been heartily welcome at his house; and from their acquaintance in former time, wondered at his conduct in that case: the Menonist replied, ever since I lodged by the field, I have wanted an opportunity to speak with thee. The matter was, I intended to have come to thy house for entertainment, but seeing the slaves at their work, and observing the manner of their dress, I had no liking to come to partake with thee; he then admonished him to use them with more humanity; and added, as I lay by the fire that night, I thought that as I was a man of substance, thou wouldst have received me freely; but if I had been as poor as one of thy slaves, and had no power to help myself, I should have received from thy hand no kinder usage than they. Hence I was at three meetings in my way; and so I went home, under a humbling sense of the gracious dealings of the Lord with me, in preserving me through many trials and afflictions in my journey. I was out about two months, and travelled about eleven hundred and fifty miles. CHAPTER V. Considerations on the payment of a tax, laid for carrying on the war against the Indians.-Some notes on Thomas á Kempis and John Huss.Meetings of the committee of the yearly meeting at Philadelphia.—The present circumstances of Friends in Pennsylvania and New Jersey very different from those of our predecessors.-The draughting for the militia in New Jersey to serve in the army; with some observations on the state of the members of our society at that time.-His visit to Friends in Pennsylvania, accompanied by Benjamin Jones.-Proceedings at the monthly, quarterly, and yearly meetings, in Philadelphia, respecting those who keep slaves. A few years past, money being made current in our province for carrying on wars, and to be called in again by taxes laid on the inhabitants, my mind was often affected with the thoughts of paying such taxes; and I believe it right for me to preserve a memorandum concerning it. I was told, that Friends in England frequently paid taxes, when the money was applied to such purposes. I had conversation with several noted Friends on the subject, who all favoured the payment of such taxes, some of whom I preferred before myself, and this made me easier for a time, yet there was in the depths of my mind, a scruple which I never could get over; and, at certain times, I was greatly distressed on that account. I all along believed that there were some upright-hearted men, who paid such taxes; but could not see that their example was a sufficient reason for me to do so, while I believed that the Spirit of Truth required of me, as an individual to suffer patiently the distress of goods, rather than pay actively. I have been informed that Thomas á Kempis lived and died in the profession of the Roman Catholic religion; and reading his writings, I have believed him to be a man of a true Christian spirit; as fully so, as many who died martyrs because they could not join with some superstitions in that church. All true Christians are of the same spirit, but their gifts are diverse; Jesus Christ appointing to each one his peculiar office, agreeable to his infinite wisdom. John Huss contended against the errors crept into the church, in opposition to the council of Constance; which the historian reports to have consisted of some thousand persons. He modestly vindicated the cause which he believed was right; and though his language and conduct towards his judges appear to have been respectful yet he never could be moved from the principles settled in his mind. To use his own words; "This I most humbly require and desire of you all, even for his sake who is the God of us all, that I be not compelled to the thing which my conscience doth repugn or strive against." And again, in his answer to the emperor; "I refuse nothing, most noble emperor, whatsoever the council shall decree or determine upon me, only this one thing I except, that I do not offend God and my conscience." Fox's Acts and Monuments, page 233. At length, rather than act contrary to that which he believed the Lord required of him, he chose to suffer death by fire. Thomas á Kempis, without disputing against the articles then generally agreed to, appears to have laboured, by a pious example as well as by preaching and writing, to promote virtue, and the inward spiritual religion: and I believe they were both sincere hearted followers of Christ. True charity is an excellent virtue; and sincerely to labour for their good, whose belief, in all points doth not agree with ours, is a happy state. To refuse the active payment of a tax which our society generally paid was exceedingly disagreeable; but to do a thing contrary to my conscience, appeared yet more dreadful. When this exercise came upon me, I knew of none under the like difficulty; and, in my distress, I besought the Lord to enable me to give up all, that so I might follow Him wheresoever He was pleased to lead me. And under this exercise I went to our yearly meeting at Philadelphia, in the year 1755; at which a committee was appointed of some from each quarter, to correspond with the meeting for sufferings in London; and another to visit our monthly and quarterly meeting; and after their appointment, before the last adjournment of the meeting, it was agreed in the meeting that these two committees should meet together in Friends' school house in the city, at a time then concluded on, to consider some things in which the cause of truth was concerned; and these committees meeting together, had a weighty conference in the fear of the Lord; at which time I perceived there were many Friends under a scruple like that before mentioned."* From As scrupling to pay a tax on account of the application, hath seldom been heard of heretofore, even amongst men of integrity, who have steadily borne their testimony against outward wars in their time; I may here note some things which have occurred to my mind, as I have been inwardly exercised on that account. the steady opposition which faithful Friends, in early times, made to wrong things then approved of, they were hated and persecuted by men living in the spirit of this world; and suffering with firmness, they were made a blessing to the church, and the work prospered. It equally concerns men, in every age, to take heed to their own spirit and in comparing their situation with ours, it looks to me there was less danger of their being infected with the spirit of this world in paying such taxes, than there is of us now. They had little or no share in civil government; and many of them declared they were, through the power of God, separated from the spirit in which wars were; and being afflicted by the rulers on account of their testimony, there was less likelihood of uniting in spirit with * Christians refused to pay taxes to support heathen temples. See Primitive Christianity, part III, page 327. |