312 FOTHERGILL AND PENNSYLVANIA CHAP. 



small fraction of it, they were compelled to retire ; and 

 that the struggle to fulfil their duties had led to some 

 obscuring of the issues, and consequent evasions. The 

 sons of Zeruiah became too strong for them ; moreover, 

 it was contrary to the principle of democracy that the 

 leaders of a minority, even though elected by the free 

 suffrages of their fellows, should continue to direct the 

 government. The Quaker experiment was no failure. 

 It may yet point the way to future leaders of men when 

 the Christian consciousness becomes more enlightened. 



Regarded as a phase in the history of Quakerism, the 

 Pennsylvanian rule shows this faith in active and vigorous 

 exercise over a considerable course of years. Derived 

 from the second generation of the society, whilst it was 

 still fresh and living, the community of enterprising men 

 was planted under free conditions : it grew and prospered, 

 and governed itself. When the actual rule passed over 

 to others, a sort of virtual ascendancy was still enjoyed 

 by the Friends, derived from their long standing in the 

 province and their wealth. This led to the uprising of a 

 party of opposition, radical as it was called, which finally 

 overcame them, and had the principal control of the 

 government at the time of the revolution. At that 

 period, as we shall see, the American Quakers shrunk 

 back from actively espousing the cause of independence. 

 And thus it came to pass that the society withdrew into 

 itself, and passed into a phase of quietism and formalism, 

 following in this the example as well as the emphatic 

 precept of the English brethren. It lived its own life 

 apart, active only in works of philanthropy, of which 

 the century-long contest with slavery was not the least. 

 The quietist phase was later in coming than in the home 

 country, but when it came it was more profound, and it 

 lasted longer. Many fine men and women indeed arose 

 among the Pennsylvanian Friends, and upheld during 

 their even course a pure testimony against the evils of 

 the world. But their restricted life, and a deficiency of 

 scriptural instruction for the young, left them ill prepared 

 to resist the disintegrating force of religious strife which 



