though many of the new compositions come out for instrumental music
only, yet others come out entirely as vocal. These consist of songs sung
at our theatres, or at our public gardens, or at our other places of
public resort, and are afterwards printed with their music, and exposed
to sale. The words therefore, of these songs, as well as the music that
is attached to them, fall into the hands of the young amateur. Now as
such songs are not always chaste, or delicate, and as they frequently
contain such sentiments, as I have shewn the Quakers to disapprove, the
young musician, if a Quaker, might have his modestey frequently put to
the blush, or his delicacy frequently wounded, or his morality often
broken in upon, by their perusal. Hence, though instrumental music might
have no immoral tendency in itself, the Quakers have rejected it, among
other reasons, on account of its almost inseparable connection with
vocal.


SECT. V.

_Objection anticipated, that though the arguments, used by the Quakers
in the preceding chapters, are generally fair and positive, yet an
exceptionable one seems to have been introduced, by which it appears to
be inculcated, that the use of a thing ought to be abandoned on account
of its abuse--explanation of the distinction, made by the Quakers, in
the use of this argument_.


I purpose to stop for a while, and to make a distinction, which may now
become necessary, with respect to the use of what may appear to be a
Quaker principle of argument, before I proceed to a new subject.