To the latter, in a profligate age, where the
fashions were still raging from without, and making an inroad upon the
minds and morals of individuals, some cautions were necessary for the
preservation of their innocence in such a storm. For these were the
reverse of their parents. Young, in point of age, they were Quakers by
name, before they could become Quakers in spirit. Robert Barclay
therefore, and William Penn, kept alive the subject of dress, which
George Fox had been the first to notice in the society. They followed
him on his scriptural ground. They repeated the arguments, that
extravagant dress manifested an earthly spirit, and that it was
productive of vanity and pride. But they strengthened the case by adding
arguments of their own. Among these I may notice, that they considered
what were the objects of dress. They reduced these to two, to decency,
and comfort, in which latter idea was included protection from the
varied inclemencies of the weather. Every thing therefore beyond these
they considered as superfluous. Of course all ornaments would become
censurable, and all unreasonable changes indefensible, upon such a
system.
These discussions, however, on this subject never occasioned the more
ancient Quakers to make any alteration in their dress, for they
continued as when they had come into the society, to be a plain people.
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