Yetthebattlethatcostthemmostwoundswasprobablythatwhichtheyfoughtindefenseoftheirownrighttosocialveracityandsincerityintheirthee-ingandthou-ing，innotdoffingthehatorgivingtitlesofrespect。ItwaslaidonGeorgeFoxthattheseconventionalcustomswerealieandasham，andthewholebodyofhisfollowersthereuponrenouncedthem，asasacrificetotruth，andsothattheiractsandthespirittheyprofessedmightbemoreinaccord。
“WhentheLordsentmeintotheworld。”saysFoxinhisJournal，“heforbademetoputoffmyhattoany，highorlow：andIwasrequiredto’thee’and’thou’allmenandwomen，withoutanyrespecttorichorpoor，greatorsmall。AndasItraveledupanddown，IwasnottobidpeopleGood-morningorGood-evening，neithermightIboworscrapewithmylegtoanyone。Thismadethesectsandprofessionsrage。Oh！theragethatwasinthepriests，magistrates，professors，andpeopleofallsorts：andespeciallyinpriestsandprofessors：forthough’thou’toasinglepersonwasaccordingtotheiraccidenceandgrammarrules，andaccordingtotheBible，yettheycouldnotbeartohearit：
andbecauseIcouldnotputoffmyhattothem，itsetthemallintoarage……Oh！thescorn，heat，andfurythatarose！Oh！
theblows，punchings，beatings，andimprisonmentsthatweunderwentfornotputtingoffourhatstomen！Somehadtheirhatsviolentlypluckedoffandthrownaway，sothattheyquitelostthem。Thebadlanguageandevilusagewereceivedonthisaccountishardtobeexpressed，besidesthedangerweweresometimesinoflosingourlivesforthismatter，andthatbythegreatprofessorsofChristianity，whotherebydiscoveredtheywerenottruebelievers。Andthoughitwasbutasmallthingintheeyeofman，yetawonderfulconfusionitbroughtamongallprofessorsandpriests：but，blessedbetheLord，manycametoseethevanityofthatcustomofputtingoffhatstomen，andfelttheweightofTruth’stestimonyagainstit。”
IntheautobiographyofThomasElwood，anearlyQuaker，whoatonetimewassecretarytoJohnMilton，wefindanexquisitelyquaintandcandidaccountofthetrialsheunderwentbothathomeandabroad，infollowingFox’scanonsofsincerity。Theanecdotesaretoolengthyforcitation；butElwoodsetsdownhismanneroffeelingaboutthesethingsinashorterpassage，whichIwillquoteasacharacteristicutteranceofspiritualsensibility：——
“Bythisdivinelight，then。”saysElwood，“IsawthatthoughI
hadnottheevilofthecommonuncleanliness，debauchery，profaneness，andpollutionsoftheworldtoputaway，becauseI
had，throughthegreatgoodnessofGodandacivileducation，beenpreservedoutofthosegrosserevils，yetIhadmanyotherevilstoputawayandtoceasefrom；someofwhichwerenotbytheworld，whichliesinwickedness(IJohnv。19)，accountedevils，butbythelightofChristweremademanifesttometobeevils，andassuchcondemnedinme。
“Asparticularlythosefruitsandeffectsofpridethatdiscoverthemselvesinthevanityandsuperfluityofapparel；whichItooktoomuchdelightin。ThisevilofmydoingsIwasrequiredtoputawayandceasefrom；andjudgmentlayuponmetillIdidso。
“Itookofffrommyapparelthoseunnecessarytrimmingsoflace，ribbons，anduselessbuttons，whichhadnorealservice，butweresetononlyforthatwhichwasbymistakecalledornament；andI
ceasedtowearrings。
“Again，thegivingofflatteringtitlestomenbetweenwhomandmetherewasnotanyrelationtowhichsuchtitlescouldbepretendedtobelong。ThiswasanevilIhadbeenmuchaddictedto，andwasaccountedareadyartistin；thereforethisevilalsowasIrequiredtoputawayandceasefrom。SothatthenceforwardIdurstnotsay，Sir，Master，MyLord，Madam(orMyDame)；orsayYourServanttoanyonetowhomIdidnotstandintherealrelationofaservant，whichIhadneverdonetoany。
“Again，respectofpersons，inuncoveringtheheadandbowingthekneeorbodyinsalutation，wasapracticeIhadbeenmuchintheuseof；andthis，beingoneofthevaincustomsoftheworld，introducedbythespiritoftheworld，insteadofthetruehonorwhichthisisafalserepresentationof，andusedindeceitasatokenofrespectbypersonsonetoanother，whobearnorealrespectonetoanother；andbesidesthis，beingatypeandaproperemblemofthatdivinehonorwhichalloughttopaytoAlmightyGod，andwhichallofallsorts，whotakeuponthemtheChristianname，appearinwhentheyoffertheirprayerstohim，andthereforeshouldnotbegiventomen；——IfoundthistobeoneofthoseevilswhichIhadbeentoolongdoing；thereforeIwasnowrequiredtoputitawayandceasefromit。
“Again，thecorruptandunsoundformofspeakinginthepluralnumbertoasingleperson，YOUtoone，insteadofTHOU，contrarytothepure，plain，andsinglelanguageoftruth，THOUtoone，andYOUtomorethanone，whichhadalwaysbeenusedbyGodtomen，andmentoGod，aswellasonetoanother，fromtheoldestrecordoftimetillcorruptmen，forcorruptends，inlaterandcorrupttimes，toflatter，fawn，andworkuponthecorruptnatureinmen，broughtinthatfalseandsenselesswayofspeakingyoutoone，whichhassincecorruptedthemodernlanguages，andhathgreatlydebasedthespiritsanddepravedthemannersofmen；——thisevilcustomIhadbeenasforwardinasothers，andthisIwasnowcalledoutofandrequiredtoceasefrom。
“Theseandmanymoreevilcustomswhichhadsprungupinthenightofdarknessandgeneralapostasyfromthetruthandtruereligionwerenow，bytheinshiningofthispurerayofdivinelightinmyconscience，graduallydiscoveredtometobewhatI
oughttoceasefrom，shun，andstandawitnessagainst。”[176]
[176]TheHistoryofThomasElwood，writtenbyHimself，London，1885，pp。32-34
TheseearlyQuakerswerePuritansindeed。Theslightestinconsistencybetweenprofessionanddeedjarredsomeofthemtoactiveprotest。JohnWoolmanwritesinhisdiary：——
“InthesejourneysIhavebeenwheremuchclothhathbeendyed；
andhaveatsundrytimeswalkedovergroundwheremuchoftheirdyestuffshasdrainedaway。Thishathproducedalonginginmymindthatpeoplemightcomeintocleannessofspirit，cleannessofperson，andcleannessabouttheirhousesandgarments。Dyesbeinginventedpartlytopleasetheeye，andpartlytohidedirt，Ihavefeltinthisweakstate，whentravelingindirtiness，andaffectedwithunwholesomescents，astrongdesirethatthenatureofdyeingclothtohidedirtmaybemorefullyconsidered。
“Washingourgarmentstokeepthemsweetiscleanly，butitistheoppositetorealcleanlinesstohidedirtinthem。Throughgivingwaytohidingdirtinourgarmentsaspiritwhichwouldconcealthatwhichisdisagreeableisstrengthened。Realcleanlinessbecomethaholypeople；buthidingthatwhichisnotcleanbycoloringourgarmentsseemscontrarytothesweetnessofsincerity。Throughsomesortsofdyesclothisrenderedlessuseful。Andifthevalueofdyestuffs，andexpenseofdyeing，andthedamagedonetocloth，werealladdedtogether，andthatcostappliedtokeepingallsweetandclean，howmuchmorewouldrealcleanlinessprevail。
“Thinkingoftenonthesethings，theuseofhatsandgarmentsdyedwithadyehurtfultothem，andwearingmoreclothesinsummerthanareuseful，grewmoreuneasytome；believingthemtobecustomswhichhavenottheirfoundationinpurewisdom。Theapprehensionofbeingsingularfrommybelovedfriendswasastraituponme；andthusIcontinuedintheuseofsomethings，contrarytomyjudgment，aboutninemonths。ThenIthoughtofgettingahatthenaturalcolorofthefur，buttheapprehensionofbeinglookeduponasoneaffectingsingularityfeltuneasytome。OnthisaccountIwasundercloseexerciseofmindinthetimeofourgeneralspringmeetingin1762，greatlydesiringtoberightlydirected；when，beingdeeplybowedinspiritbeforetheLord，IwasmadewillingtosubmittowhatIapprehendedwasrequiredofme；andwhenIreturnedhome，gotahatofthenaturalcolorofthefur。
“Inattendingmeetings，thissingularitywasatrialtome，andmoreespeciallyatthistime，aswhitehatswereusedbysomewhowerefondoffollowingthechangeablemodesofdress，andassomefriends，whoknewnotfromwhatmotivesIworeit，grewshyofme，Ifeltmywayforatimeshutupintheexerciseoftheministry。Somefriendswereapprehensivethatmywearingsuchahatsavoredofanaffectedsingularity：thosewhospokewithmeinafriendlyway，Igenerallyinformedinafewwords，thatI
believedmywearingitwasnotinmyownwill。”
Whenthecravingformoralconsistencyandpurityisdevelopedtothisdegree，thesubjectmaywellfindtheouterworldtoofullofshockstodwellin，andcanunifyhislifeandkeephissoulunspottedonlybywithdrawingfromit。Thatlawwhichimpelstheartisttoachieveharmonyinhiscompositionbysimplydroppingoutwhateverjars，orsuggestsadiscord，rulesalsointhespirituallife。Toomit，saysStevenson，istheoneartinliterature：“IfIknewhowtoomit，Ishouldasknootherknowledge。”Andlife，whenfullofdisorderandslacknessandvaguesuperfluity，cannomorehavewhatwecallcharacterthanliteraturecanhaveitundersimilarconditions。Somonasteriesandcommunitiesofsympatheticdevoteesopentheirdoors，andintheirchangelessorder，characterizedbyomissionsquiteasmuchasconstitutedofactions，theholy-mindedpersonfindsthatinnersmoothnessandcleannesswhichitistorturetohimtofeelviolatedateveryturnbythediscordancyandbrutalityofsecularexistence。
Thatthescrupulosityofpuritymaybecarriedtoafantasticextrememustbeadmitted。InthisitresemblesAsceticism，towhichfurthersymptomofsaintlinesswehadbetterturnnext。
Theadjective“ascetic“isappliedtoconductoriginatingondiversepsychologicallevels，whichImightaswellbeginbydistinguishingfromoneanother。
1。Asceticismmaybeamereexpressionoforganichardihood，disgustedwithtoomuchease。
2。Temperanceinmeatanddrink，simplicityofapparel，chastity，andnon-pamperingofthebodygenerally，maybefruitsoftheloveofpurity，shockedbywhateversavorsofthesensual。
3。Theymayalsobefruitsoflove，thatis，theymayappealtothesubjectinthelightofsacrificeswhichheishappyinmakingtotheDeitywhomheacknowledges。
4。Again，asceticmortificationsandtormentsmaybeduetopessimisticfeelingsabouttheself，combinedwiththeologicalbeliefsconcerningexpiation。Thedevoteemayfeelthatheisbuyinghimselffree，orescapingworsesufferingshereafter，bydoingpenancenow。
5。Inpsychopathicpersons，mortificationsmaybeenteredonirrationally，byasortofobsessionorfixedideawhichcomesasachallengeandmustbeworkedoff，becauseonlythusdoesthesubjectgethisinteriorconsciousnessfeelingrightagain。
6。Finally，asceticexercisesmayinrarerinstancesbepromptedbygenuineperversionsofthebodilysensibility，inconsequenceofwhichnormallypain-givingstimuliareactuallyfeltaspleasures。
Iwilltrytogiveaninstanceundereachoftheseheadsinturn；
butitisnoteasytogetthempure，forincasespronouncedenoughtobeimmediatelyclassedasascetic，severaloftheassignedmotivesusuallyworktogether。Moreover，beforecitinganyexamplesatall，Imustinviteyoutosomegeneralpsychologicalconsiderationswhichapplytoallofthemalike。
AstrangemoraltransformationhaswithinthepastcenturysweptoverourWesternworld。Wenolongerthinkthatwearecalledontofacephysicalpainwithequanimity。Itisnotexpectedofamanthatheshouldeitherendureitorinflictmuchofit，andtolistentotherecitalofcasesofitmakesourfleshcreepmorallyaswellasphysically。Thewayinwhichourancestorslookeduponpainasaneternalingredientoftheworld’sorder，andbothcausedandsuffereditasamatter-of-courseportionoftheirday’swork，fillsuswithamazement。Wewonderthatanyhumanbeingscouldhavebeensocallous。TheresultofthishistoricalterationisthatevenintheMotherChurchherself，whereasceticdisciplinehassuchafixedtraditionalprestigeasafactorofmerit，ithaslargelycomeintodesuetude，ifnotdiscredit。Abelieverwhoflagellatesor“macerates“himselftodayarousesmorewonderandfearthanemulation。ManyCatholicwriterswhoadmitthatthetimeshavechangedinthisrespectdosoresignedly；andevenaddthatperhapsitisaswellnottowastefeelingsinregrettingthematter，fortoreturntotheheroiccorporealdisciplineofancientdaysmightbeanextravagance。
Wheretoseektheeasyandthepleasantseemsinstinctive——andinstinctiveitappearstobeinman；anydeliberatetendencytopursuethehardandpainfulassuchandfortheirownsakesmightwellstrikeoneaspurelyabnormal。Nevertheless，inmoderatedegreesitisnaturalandevenusualtohumannaturetocourtthearduous。Itisonlytheextrememanifestationsofthetendencythatcanberegardedasaparadox。
