At length these causes of
prevention ceased. But when, after this, the subject recurred, I did not
seem to have the industry and perseverance, though I had still the
inclination left, for the undertaking. Time, however, continued to steal
on, till at length I began to be apprehensive, but more particularly
within the last two years, that, if I were to delay my work much longer,
I might not live to begin it at all. This consideration operated upon
me. But I was forcibly struck by another, namely, that, if I were not to
put my hand to the task, the Quakers would probably continue to be as
little known to their fellow-citizens, as they are at present. For I did
not see who was ever to give a full and satisfactory account of them. It
is true indeed, that there are works, written by Quakers, from which a
certain portion of their history, and an abstract of their religious
principles, might be collected; but none, from whence their living
manners could be taken. It is true also that others, of other religious
denominations, have written concerning them; but of those authors, who
have mentioned them in the course of their respective writings, not one,
to my knowledge, has given a correct account of them. It would be
tedious to dwell on the errors of Mosheim, or of Formey, or of Hume, or
on those to be found in many of the modern periodical[1] publications.
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