194 ENGLAND, 



Mr. Whitfield, thought that the form of ecclesiastical worship, and 

 prayers, whether taken from a common-prayer book or poured forth 

 extempore, were matters of indifference : he therefore made use of 

 both these methods. His followers are rigid observers of the doc- 

 trinal articles of the church of England, and profess themselves to 

 be Calvinists. Mr. Whitfield died in the year 1770 ; but the places 

 of worship, erected by him near London, are still frequented by per- 

 sons of the same principles ; and they profess a great respect for his 

 memory. Mr. Wesley and his followers separated from Mr. Whit- 

 field in consequence of their rejection of the Calvinistic doctrine of 

 predestination. He erected a very large place of public worship 

 near Moorfields, and had under him a considerable number of sub- 

 ordinate preachers, who submitted to their leader very implicitly^ 

 propagated his opinions, and made proselytes throughout the king- 

 dom with great industry. After a very long life, spent in the most 

 strenuous endeavours to do good, and having been blest in reform- 

 ing the morals of thousands of the lower ranks of society, he died 

 in 1791. 



There are also a variety of subordinate sects (some of whom are 

 from Scotland, particularly the Sandemanians) who have their sepa- 

 rate followers, but very few at London and other places in England. 

 Of late years a sect called Swedenborgians has arisen, who derive 

 their name from baron Swedenborg, a native of Sweden, whose 

 reveries they have adopted. They resolve the scriptures almost 

 entirely into allegory, and deal in a mysticism not easily explained. 



The Quakers are a religious sect which took its rise about the 

 middle of the 17th century. They believe in the immediate influence 

 of the Divine Spirit, and reject all forms in worship, even the sacra- 

 ments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. They declare against 

 oaths and war, abiding literally by Christ's positive injunction, 

 " Swear not at all." They disuse the names of the months and days 

 of the week, as being given in honour of the false gods of the hea- 

 thens ; and the custom of speaking to a single person in the plural 

 number, as having arisen from motives of adulation. They declare 

 it their decided judgment that it is contrary to the Gospel to sue 

 each other at law; and they enjoin all to end their differences by 

 speedy and impartial arbitration according to rules laid down. If 

 any refuse to adopt this mode, or, having adopted it, to submit to 

 the award, it is the rule of the society that such be disowned. 



It is well known that William Penn, one of this society, founded 

 the province of Pennsylvania, and introduced therein a plan of civil 

 and religious liberty, particularly of the latter, at that time unex- 

 ampled. The government of the pr-ovince was at first, and for many 

 years, chiefly in the hands of the quakers ; but as persons of other 

 persuasions increased, and became partakers of power, they grew 

 uneasy at the pacific plan of the quakers : and at length succeeding to 

 establish such modes of defence for their country as did not accord 

 with the principles of the latter, these gradually withdrew them- 

 selves from active employments of the state. For some time pre- 

 vious to the late revolution, few of them were found in any other 

 station than that of private citizens; and, during its progress, their 

 refusing to arm exposed them to much suffering, by distraints levied 

 on them, in order to procure their quota in support of the war. 



Many families in England still profess the Roman-catholic religion, 

 and its exercise is under very mild and gentle restrictions. Though 



