But the Quakers are never
baptised. They have no belief that water-baptism can make a christian,
or that it is any true mark of membership with the christian church.
Hence a man's christian name is called by them his first name, because
it is the first of the two, or of any other number of names, that may
belong to him.
The Quakers, on meeting a person, never say "good morrow," because all
days are equally good. Nor in parting with a person at night, do they
say "good evening," for a similar reason, but they make use of the
expression of "farewell."
I might proceed, till I made a little vocabulary of Quaker-expressions;
but this is not necessary, and it is not at all consistent with my
design. I shall therefore only observe, that it is expected of Quakers,
that they should use the language of the society; that they should
substitute thou for you; that they should discard all flattering titles
and expressions; and that they should adopt the numerical, instead of
the heathen names, of the days and months. George Fox gave the example
himself in all these instances. Those of the society, who depart from
this usage, are said by the Quakers to depart from "the plain language."
SECT. IV.
_Great objections by the world against the preceding alterations by the
Quakers--first against the use of thou for you--you said to be no longer
a mark of flattery--the use of it is said to be connected often with
false Grammar--Custom said to give it, like a noun of number, a singular
as well as plural Meaning--Consideration of these objections.
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