Note 23 — ON THE MEANING OF THE WORD RELIGION; HOW, AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE, SO MANY RELIGIONS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED INTO THE WORLD.
Reading edition
Op. adv. Jorin. 1. II. chap. viii.—“In indication of their refusal to take an oath, the Society of Friends quote the words of Christ, “Swear not at all;” unaware, or overlooking, that this expression is descriptive of a state of social perfection, when the word of a man will be as good as his oath. Many others of Christ’s precepts besides this are unobserved by Christians, such as ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth,’ ‘Give to every one that asketh, and from him that would borrow of you turn not thou away.’ The morality of Christ is a beau ideal so far from being realized, that there is not even a similitude of it in the Christian world. The Quakers who vauntingly obey this precept regarding oaths, has no hesitation in breaking the other precepts respecting the hoarding of money, and refusing to give it away.”—Translator’s Note. ↑