REVOLUTIONARY CHRISTIANITY 43 



conquered Ireland as it has never been conquered since ! 

 Think of how Francis conquered Italy and half Europe 

 besides ! And think again of how George Fox and his 

 followers conquered England. 



That George Fox and the Early Friends did not fully 

 realise all the implications of their gospel I readily 

 acknowledge^ but it is marvellous how much they did 

 realise. The Society of Friends which they founded" 

 is, in form at least, the most democratic Society the world 

 has ever known. In theory the Society of Friends is a 

 ** Theocracy ^'; but when the God who is worshipped is 

 immanent, not transcendant, a God in the heart of each 

 individual, even though that individual may deny Him, 

 then the Theocracy becomes more democratic than any 

 democracy that has yet been established. 



Many of the so-called '' peculiarities ** of Friends 

 were the implications of their democratic principles 

 applied to the needs of their day. Thus arose ** the 

 plain language ** which many of us still use in our 

 families. 



When Quakerism arose it was customary to use. 

 ** thee ** and ** thou ** to persons of inferior social 

 position, and to say ** you ** to persons of social standing. 

 But the early Friends refused to make social distinctions. 

 If all are Children of God, then all are equal in His 

 sight. Therefore they used the plain ** thee ** and 

 '' thou '* to all alike. 



For the same reason, they refused such titles as 

 ** Mr.*' and '' Mrs.*' and ** Sir '* which were reserved 

 for persons of social distinction. ' 



For the same reason they refused to doff the hat, 

 remaining covered in the presence of royalty. 



But not only did they refuse to make social dis- 

 tinctions ; in their religious organisation they refused to 

 make sex distinctions. From the first they recognised the 

 equality of the sexes. 



