vine Spirit. It was said of
him, "that he had the guide of his life within him; that this spirit
furnished him with divine knowledge; and that it often impelled him to
address and exhort the people." Justin the Martyr had no scruple in
calling both Socrates and Heraclitus Christians, though they lived long
before Christ; "for all such as these, says he, who lived according to
the divine word within them, and which word was in all men, were
Christians." Hence also, since the introduction of Christianity, many of
our own countrymen have been Quakers, though undistinguished by the
exterior marks of dress or language. Among these we may reckon the great
and venerable Milton. His works are full of the sentiments of[32]
Quakerism. And hence, in other countries and in other ages, there have
been men, who might be called Quakers, though the word Quakerism was
unknown.

[Footnote 32: Milton not only considered the Spirit of God as a divine
teacher, but that the scriptures were not to be spiritually understood
but by the means of this spirit. He believed also, that human learning
was not necessary for the qualification of a minister of the Gospel.
And he wrote an essay against tithes.]

But independently of the agency of the Spirit of God, which the Quakers
thus consider to be the purest cause of a good life and character, we
may reckon a subordinate cause, which may be artificial, and within the
contrivance and wisdom of man. When the early Quakers met together as a
religious body, though they consisted of spiritually minded men, they
resolved on a system of discipline, which should be followed by those
who became members of the society. This discipline we have already seen.
We have seen how it attempts to secure obedience to Christian precepts.
How it marks its offences. How it takes cognizance of them when
committed. How it tries to reclaim and save. How, in short, by
endeavouring to keep up the members of the society to a good life, it
becomes instrumental in the production or preservation of a good
character.

From hence it will appear, that the virtue of the Quakers, and of course
that their character may be distinguished into two kinds, as arising
from two sources. It may arise from spiritual knowledge on the one hand,
or from their discipline on the other. That which arises from the first,
will be a perfect virtue. It will produce activity in excellence. That
which arises from the second, will be inferior and sluggish.