Extract from a Letter of John Dickinson

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER OF JOHN DICKINSON, 1799 9 John Warder made several trips to this country in connection with his business, but in 1795 he settled permanently in Philadelphia, and in connection with his sons, established an importing house at the southwest corner of Delaware Avenue and Race Street. He died Fifth month 7th, 1828, at the age of seventy-seven, and was buried in the Friends' Western Burial Ground at Sixteenth and Race Streets. It is recorded that on his death-bed he enjoined upon his sons not to withdraw the prize-money from the English trustees for their own use. John and Ann Warder had ten children, and their descendants are numerous, many of whom are well known to a number of the readers of the Bulletin. Among John Warder's grandchildren are our Philadelphia Friends, John W. and Joel Cadbury, and in the next generation Richard T. Cadbury, Dr. William W. Cadbury, and Henry J. Cadbury of Haverford College. EXTRACT FROM A LETTER OF JOHN DICKINSON.1 In answer to the letter alluded to, I soon received one from him [John Dickinson] , a part whereof I here insert for thine and thy companions perusal, as it shows some of his sentiments. " Happiness is not the growth of any particular spot of the Earth, like the Sun it would enlighten & revive every climate, if the passions & affections of mankind, inordinately excited, those mental fogs, did not so frequently & extensively intercept the pure rays of uncreated Light, perpetually flowing from their Eternal & inexhaustible Fountain. When, when shall we frail Mortals grow wiser & better! How slow, how reluctant are our steps, when Truth & humanity in clear & gentle accents call us out from 1 The above note is part of a postscript to a letter written by James Bringhurst from Tiverton, Rhode Island, to Elizabeth Coggeshall, then visiting in England. The letter itself was printed in the Bulletin, Vol. 5, p. 60. The date is, Tiverton, Rhode Island 8* of io01 mo 1799. For this extract the Bulletin is indebted to M. Ethel Crawshaw. of London. ioBULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL SOCIETY. the ways of supposed interest! Fatal error! As if any thing could be for our interest, that is displeasing in the sight of the infinitely Holy Being, who bestow'd upon us our Existence & all the faculties combined with it. " What a remarkable instance of Intellectual darkness is mentioned in thy letter, a Person of large understanding & many good qualities holding numbers of his fellow man, at this time in severe Bondage. I fear that thy opinion is too favorable to me, in imagining that any efforts of mine could be of use on that occasion. I know by experience the horrid infatuation: almost miraculously I escaped out of the thick clay & the lurid atmosphere , & was in that instance favor'd to turn my back on the Tents of Abomination. May men more & more perceive the blessings of mercifulness, etc."John Dickinson. A REMONSTRANCE FROM BURLINGTON QUARTERLY MEETING, 1732, WITH REMARKS THEREON.1 ffrom our Quarterly Meeting held at Burlington the 28o1 of ye 6 month 1732 To our Yearly Meeting to be held at Burlington in the 7th month [9th month New Style] next— The ffriends appointed by our sd Quarti. Meeting as Representatives to attend ye servis of ye Yearly Meeting are as vnder : Dan11 Smith, Ebinezer Large, Johnathn Wright, John Redman, Caleb Raper, Nathan1 Cripps, Edward Barton, Isaac Hornor, Wm Morris, Wm Murfi, Abr™. ffarington, Richard ffrench, John Sykes, Gervas Pharo, Mordica Andrews, Junr— The Reports ffrom our Severall Month : Meetings Concerning the State amounts to this, that in the generali ffriends are in love & vnity and first day and Week Day Meetings pretty well kept vp and attended and a Care and a Concern is on the Minds 1 From original in Library of Haverford College. ...