of the abolition of the slave-trade; for if others had put their
shoulders to the wheel equally with them on the occasion, one of the
greatest causes of human misery, and moral evil, that was ever known in
the world, had been long ago annihilated, nor can I conceal, that I have
a regard for men, of whom it is a just feature in their character, that,
whenever they can be brought to argue upon political subjects, they
reason upon principle, and not upon consequences; for if this mode of
reasoning had been adopted by others, but particularly by men in exalted
stations, policy had given way to moral justice, and there had been but
little public wickedness in the world. But though I am confessedly
partial to the Quakers on account of their hospitality to me, and on
account of the good traits in their moral character, I am not so much
so, as to be blind to their imperfections. Quakerism is of itself a pure
system, and, if followed closely, will lead towards purity and
perfection; but I know well that all, who profess it, are not Quakers.
The deviation therefore of their practice from their profession, and
their frailties and imperfections, I shall uniformly lay open to them,
wherever I believe them to exist. And this I shall do, not because I
wish to avoid the charge of partiality, but from a belief, that it is my
duty to do it.

The society, of which I am to speak, are called[2] Quakers by the world,
but are known to each other by the name of friends, a beautiful
appellation, and characteristic of the relation, which man, under the
christian dispensation, ought uniformly to bear to man.

[Footnote 2: Justice Bennet of Derby gave the society the name of
Quakers in the year 1650, because the founder of it ordered him, and
those present with him, to tremble at the word of the Lord.]