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Show An Old Philanthropist We can only find space for a few of Philly Carpenter's peculiarities of opinion and behavior. He was always denouncing something of which he disapproved. One day he preached a sermon in which he declared that hanging and war were "murdering by proxy." He would not allow the use wine in any form, and suppressed it in the Sacrament. He inveighed against luxury, and thought it inconsistent to accept a silver ? presented as a testimonial. Smoking he particularly disliked, and circulated a tract called "Don't Poison MY Air." He was as zealous an Abolitionist as he was a peace at any price was, and thinking every legal oath sinful, he refused to take one. He became a vegetarian and half-starved himself. He insisted on bathing, winter and summer alike, in an open canal, and many droll stories were told at his expense. A dinner was on one occasion given to the Lancashire militia, and Philip Carpenter protested in the local newspaper: "Such expenditure cannot be reconciled with Christian sobriety, as so well explained by Bishop J. Taylor in his ‘Holy Living.' Let the Warrington people who dined the officers at the Lion last Tuesday remember that to honor those who teach the trade of man killing they have guzzled and drunk in one evening the cost of a Ragged School for a whole year." He was accustomed to set temperance words to bacchanalian tunes, and on one occasion was asked to led a glee party his copy of "Mynbeer van Du?ch.' He refused, on the ground that he could not consistently allow the singing of the original words, and that his version, We sober men are met again To ring in cheerful measure, would hardly be acceptable to a Christmas party. A few weeks later he met the gentleman who had asked for the song, and told him: "After you had left me I could not rest to think that I had in my house something that I could not lend to a friend. I went to my music and turned it over till I found the glee. I then went to the fire and burned it." Some thieves one day broke into his house and stole silver spoons and other articles. He issued a handbill in which, after giving particulars of his loss, he was good enough to say: "I hereby give notice that I offer no reward for the discovery of the said Parties. If for no other reason, because I have incurred ? loss already. If, however the Parties should be discovered (unreadable) and to prosecute them. 1. Because my evidence would not be received in a Court of Justice unless I swear, which I am forbidden by our Lord to do (Matt v., 34) 2. Because I believe that transporting the said Parties or sending them to jail would make them worse than they are, and I am forbidden to recompense evil for evil (Rom. XIL, 17?) and 3. Because that would be a very strange way of showing the forgiveness which I am bound to exercise (Matt. VI., 15)." He concludes by asking "the said Parties" to give him "an opportunity of conversing with them." but the invitation was not accepted. - The A? |