FRIENDS’

REVIEW. 595

 

cost to other countries that glory may be pur-
chased : the Christian, on the contrary, loves
his country, and would make any sacrifice for
her true honor and advancement; whilst at the
same time he embraces the doctrine of universal
brotherhood, and mourns over the sufferings and
sorrows of his fellowman, regardless of color or
of clime. And such is the force of habit and
association, that I believe it to be impossible for
any sincere and Christian young man to make
common cause with a company of volunteers,
and not have both his moral and his religious
standard greatly deteriorated.

Let any minister, class-leader, or reflecting
member of a Christian church, but carefully
watch the career of such an one as I have de-
scribed, and I feel certain he could arrive at but
one conclusion.

The gaudy and pompous processions to our
parish churches, with music and military pa-
rade, when the occasion assumes all the char-
acter of a gala day on the Continent, rather
than the quiet and devotion of aa English Sab-
bath—the ostentation and display, so little in
keeping with the humility and reverence of true
worship, offer, in my view, a striking illustration
of what I have advanced: and yet I grieve to
know that ancient ministers in a church, de-
scribed by an eminent divine as exemplifying
to so large an extent “ Christianity in earnest,’
and which has been instrumental in conveying
the message of peace and good will to thousands
of the neglected and the outcast of the land—
that these have not hesitated to recommend their
members to join a volunteer corps, with the as-
surance that had they been young men they
would have set the example. The sentiments
promulgated by the press of this country, as
those which should animate the British soldier,
would find their counterpart in Homer or in
Virgil: how these would comport with those of
Wesley, of Cowper, or of Watts, we need not
stop to enquire. .

(To be concluded.)

 

For Friends’ Review.
NOTICES OF DAVID COOPER. rp
NO. Ix.

Karly in the year 1776, Samuel Allinson pub-
lished his folio compilation of the Laws of New
Jersey; a work attended with great labor and
accomplished in the most ereditable and satis-
factory manner. No collection of New Jersey
Laws had been made since the year 1761. A
large portion of these had become obsolete, and
many repealed. The Pamphlet Laws had been
from year to year published in small editions,
‘coming into the hands of only a few persons,
and a complete set’ was rarely seen. It had be-
come difficult to know what law was, and jury-
men, magistrates, sometimes even judges were
liable to be confused and imposed upon by dog-
matic attornies. Great pains were taken by 8. A.

 

to methodize the contents and to facilitate a refer-
ence to every part, by tables, &c. In most cases,
the titles alone were given of private, disallowed,
expired, obsolete and repealed acts; sections of
like character were alsoomitted. To insure ac-
curacy, his compilations were made directly
from the journals of the House of Representa-
tives down to Ist mo. 14th, 1776. The Con-
stitution of New Jersey, adopted in Provincial
Congress in the same year, two days previous to
the Declaration of Independence, recognizes and
adopts this work in the following provision :

“That all the laws of this province contained
in the edition lately published by Mr. Allinson,
shall be, and continue in full force, until altered
by the Legislature of this colony, (such only ex-
cepted as are incompatible with this charter,) and
shall be, according as heretofore, regarded in all
respects by all civil officers and others, the good -
people of this province.”

The preface to this volume is a valuable, moral
and political treatise, replete with hints that
might now be profitably pondered by members
of Legislative bodies.

David Cooper’s intimate friend, a most cherish-
ed correspondent, having now become his son-in-
law, and closely blended with his personal his-
tory, the reader may pardon a brief episode in
this memoir, more fully to introduce him.

Samuel Allinson’s license as attorney bears
date “November 8th, 1770.” Although a
member of the Society of Friends, he had not
been restricted to a course of consistency as such.
Just at this important crisis in bis personal his-
tory, he became the subjectof powerful religious
convictions, and found himself required to ap-
pear as a fool for Christ’s sake. His conflict of
mind involved him in a fit of sickness, and, could —
he have made his election, he would have pre-
ferred the loss of life, to the humiliating test of
obedience. On the occasion of his first appear-
ance at the bar, he for the first time assumed
the characteristic garb of a Friend. His old
associates regarded him with surprise and sup-
pressed ridicule; but with inherent Christian
manliness he maintained his dignity, and thus
permitted no man to despise him; and the very
thing that appeared so humiliating was made the
means of protection in various directions, and of
rendering his position more easy and comfortable.
I well remember, more than thirty years ago,
hearing an aged citizen of Philadelphia boast
that at the time of his debut he walked to
court behind 8. A. and carried his books. On
this occasion his antagonist pleader was his old
preceptor, Judge Kinsey. This was the first of
Samuel Allinson’s uninterrupted series of suc-
cesses, and when Judge Kinsey was twitted with _
having reared a bird to peck out his eyes, he re-
sponded that he was proud of having trained a
pupil who could successfully compete with him. —
Six months after his admission to the bar, he
received his commission as Surrogate. One year