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retain the children in membership . If these children , unchristened , arvive at mature age , and be subpoenaed as evidence , in what form is their testimony to be taken ? They generally , perhaps , make no profession of Quakerism . Is the book of the
Evangelists handed to them > They never were baptized after the example of Jesus and the other primitive Christians . They were not christened , or sprinkled , like the babies of those
Christians who have rejected baptism and adopted rantism . But they m ^ y say we are Quakers , and bring * twenty Quakers , who pay scot and lot 9 to satisfy the court . Ce nest pas Tembarfas . Their affirmation will be
received . The followingis the supposed case : These said Quakers by inheritance , like others of the same description , beaux or belles of the fashion of the day , who help to make up the outwardly motley assembly , called a meeting of worship , may have
absented themselves from such meetings of worship a certain number of times in succession ( par parenthcse , they may stay away as long as they please from meetings of business , where all the affairs of their society are
transacted , and where attendance might , with some sort of decency , have been required ) , they may have been united in marriage by a priest , or they may have paid him tithes ; on any of which considerations they may have been disowned to-day by the society .
Tomorrow they appear in court , on a subpoena . Yesterday they were accredited Quakers ; their affirmation would have been received . Now Richard Phillips might , perhaps , attempt to prevent their affirmation from being received : he might say they are
no Quakers . Perhaps , however , the judge might have reason to conclude that they were , bond fide , Quakers , however little appearance of the sect might appear about their persons . The kissing of a book they might consider a piece of idolatry . This would be Quakerism . Not being the original
record , they might doubt the accuracy of the transcription - , must doubt the accuracy of the translation of the learned priests who interpreted it to the modern nations , tongues , &c . who now receive it ; would not dare to way '' It is the truth . " This would be Quakerism . With all their gaiety
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and levity of appearance , the charitable conclusion- of the judge would be correct : but if the judge were in opposition to them , to prove as dogmatical , or as positive , as Richard Phillips ; if he were to conclude they
are no Quakers ; would the litigant parties in the case , would the cause of justice be deprived of their evidence ? Would they be still further degraded by the law s of their country than they were while in membership with the association of their sect , whose
testimony in criminal cases is of no avail ? Voila la question , J . W .
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Sir , Aug . 9 , 1817 . HAVE met with a MS . almost 9 O I years old , an extract from which will display the variety of conjectures , drawn from the prophecies , which , according to a common remark , were not designed to make their readers
prophets . The MS . is dated May the 8 th , 1728 , and is entitled , " Mr , Bedford ' s Computation of Prophetic Scriptures , guessing at Times of Fulfilment of , or a probable Conjecture of the same . " This Computation extends to " Anno Christi , 3014 , or thereabouts , '' when
the rapt Coujecrurer sees " errors , immoralities and disturbances arise , and those other particulars which are mentioned as forerunners of the end of the world . " I shall confine my quotations
to the Conjectureds expectations respecting the period , which has now passed , from the date of the MS . I omit the profusion of texts which , as appears by the events , he so inaccurately expounded .
** 1729- This year are terrible battles , with much effusion of blood j all Europe in confusion , and dismal apprehensions . One of the ten kingdoms falls , and a reformation from Popery immediately follows , which is the fatal blow to the Antichristian hierarchy .
" 173 O . The first vial is poured out upon the enemies of the Church of Ood . C « ermany is reformed , not with much effusion of blood , but by a discovery of vile practices of the Romish Church .
" 1731 . The second vial is poured out . Spain is reformed with much effusion pf blood , and probably by a revolution in those kingdoms .
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Mr . Bedford ' s Computation of Prophetic Scripture . 587
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1817, page 587, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2469/page/15/
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