"To be a clergyman, and all that is compassionate and virtuous, ought to be the same thing"

In this quote, Samuel Richardson is stressing the importance of compassion and virtue in the function of a clergyman. He recommends that these qualities must be inseparable from the duties of a clergyman, implying that one can not really meet their function without possessing these characteristics. Richardson may be recommending that a clergyman's main task is to reveal compassion and lead a virtuous life, rather than just performing spiritual routines. This quote highlights the moral obligation that includes being a clergyman and the expectation for them to embody these qualities. It likewise works as a pointer that being a clergyman is not simply an occupation, however a lifestyle that requires compassion and virtue.