F R I E N J). 
46 
it to be onr duty, when atTembled for that purpofe, to 
wait in filence, to have a true fight of our coiidition be- 
flowed upon us ; believing even a fingle figh, arifing from 
Inch a fenl'e of our infirmities, and of the need we have 
of divine help, to be more acceptable to God, than any 
pierforpiances, however fpecious, which originate in the 
will of man. Rom. viii. 26. 
“ As that which is needful for a man’s own diredlion, 
and for his acceptance with God, muff be eminently 
fo, to enable him to be iielpful to others, we be¬ 
lieve the renewed afiifiance of the light and power of 
Chrift to be indifpenfably necelfary for all true minifiry ; 
and that this holy influence is not at our command, or to 
be procured by fliidy j but is the free gift of God to chofen 
and devoted fervants. Hence arifes our teftimony againfl: 
preaching for hire ; and hence our confcientious refufal 
to fiipport Inch minifters as receive wages by tithes or 
other means. As we dare not encourage any minirtry but 
that which we believe to fpring from the influence of 
the Holy Spirit; fo neither dare we attempt to reflrain 
this minirtry to perfons of any condition in life, or to the 
male fex alone; but, as male and female are one in Chrift, 
we hold it proper tliat fuch of the female fex as we be¬ 
lieve to be endued with a right qualification for the mi¬ 
nirtry, fliould exercife their gifts for the general edifica. 
iion of the church : and this liberty we efteem a peculiar 
mark of the gofpel difpenlation, as foretold by the pro¬ 
phet Joel, chap. ii. 2S, 29; and noticed by the apoltle 
Peter, ABs, ii. 16, 17. 
“There are two ceremonies in ufe amongft moft pro- 
feffors of the Chrirtian name ; vvater-baptifm, and what 
is termed the Lord’s fupper. The firft is efteemed the 
means of initiating into the church of Chrirt ; the latter, 
of maintaining communion with him. But as we have 
been convinced that nothing fliortof his redeeming power 
inwardly revealed can fet the foul free from the thraldom 
of fin ; by this power alone we believe falvation to be 
effetrted. We hold that, as there is oiie Lord, and one 
faith, fo his bapiijm is.one-, Eph. iv. 5. th.at nothing fhort 
of it can make us mentbers of his myftical body ; and 
that the baptifm with water, adminilfered by his fore¬ 
runner John, belonged, as John confelfed, to an inferior 
and dccrcaiing dilpenfation. Jolin, \\\. 30. With reipcdt 
to the other rite, we believe that communion between 
Chiift and his church is not maintained by that, nor any 
other, cxter.'i.il performance ; but only by a real partici¬ 
pation of his divine nature through faith; rPctcr, i. 4. 
that this is the fupper alluded to in the Revelation, 
Behold I Jtand at the door, and knock. If any man hear my 
voice, and open the door, I zuill came in to him, and will Jup 
with him, and he with me-, Rcv.\\\. 20. and that where the 
fubftaiice is attained, it is unnecelfary to attend to the 
fhadow, which doth not confer grace ; and concerning 
whith opinions fo different, and animofities fo violent, 
have arifen. 
“ Now as we thus believe that the grace of God, 
wliich comes by Jefus Chrirt, is alone fufficient for falva¬ 
tion, we can neither admit tiiat it is conferred on a few 
otilj^, whilrt: others are left without it; nor, thus afl'erting 
its univerfality, can we limit its operation to a partial 
c|eanfing of the foul from (in even in this life. We en¬ 
tertain worthier notions-of the power and goodnefs of 
our Heavenly Father, and believe that he doth vouchlafe 
to affift the obedient to experience a total furrender of the 
natural will to the guidance of his pure unerring fpirit, 
Matt. V. 48 ; through whofe renewed affirtance they are 
enabled to bring forth fruits unto holinefs, and to ftand 
perfedf in their prefent rank. Eph. iv. 13. Col. iv. 12. 
“With refpeft to oaths, we abide literally by Chrift’s 
pofitive injundtion, Swear not at all. Matt. v. 34. delivered 
in bis fermon on the mount ; from which allb, from our 
Lord’s example, and from the correfpondent conviftions 
of his fpirit in onr hearts, we are confirmed in the belief, 
that wars and fightings are, in their origin and effects, 
Utterly repugnant to the gofpel; which rtill . breathes 
peace and good-will to men. Mattk. v. 39-44. xxvi. 52, 
53. xxii. 51. 'John,y.v\\\. tr. We are alfo clearly 
of the judgment, that if the benevolence of the gofpel 
were generally prevalent in th.e minds of men, it would 
prevent them from opprefling, much more enflaving^ 
their brethren, (of whatever colour or complexion ;) for 
whom, as for thernfelves, Chrirt died: and would even 
influence their treatment of the brute creation, which 
would no longer groan the viflims of their avarice, and 
of their falle ideas of pleafure. 
“ Some of our tenets have, in former times, fubjetSted 
our friends to much fufi'ering from government; though 
our principles are a fecurity to it; as they inculcate fub- 
miflion to the laws in all cafes wherein confcience is not 
violated. But we hold, that as Chrift’s kingdom is not 
of this world, it is not the bufinefs of the civil magiftrate 
to interfere in matters of religion. We therefore think, 
pcrfecution, even in the fmalleft degree, unwarrantable. 
“ We think neceflary that thofe who are admitted into 
member(hip with us, fliould be previoufly convinced of 
thofe doctrines which we deem ell'ential ; yet we require 
no formal fubfeription to any articles, either as the con¬ 
dition of meraberfliip, or to qualify for the fervice of the 
church. We prefer the judging of men by their fruits, 
in a dependance on the aid of him, who, by his prophet, 
hath promifed to be a fpirit of judgment to him that fittetk 
in judgment. Ifai.y.x.v\\\. 6 . Without this there is a dan¬ 
ger of receiving numbers into outward communion, with¬ 
out any addition to that fpiritual flieepfold, wliereof our 
blefled Lord declared himfelf to be both the door and the 
fiepherd ; that is, of fuch as know his voice, and follow 
him in the paths of obedience.” John,-a. 7-11. 
If we date the origin of this people from the time that 
George Fox, who is generally reckoned the firft quaker, 
publicly preached their doCfrines, we muft fix it in or 
about the year 1647. Fox w'as then about twenty-three 
years of age. He had been from his childhood of a caft 
fo ferious, that his mother had wiflied him to be educated 
for the minirtry. He was, as well as feveral of his moft 
early adherents, an illiterate man, although very well 
read in the Bible, which he quoted on all occalions with 
great readinefs. He has been deferibed as melancholy 
and enthufiartic ; but fome of his converfations preferved 
in his journal feem to contradict the former artertion : 
the latter will always be repeated, or at lead believed, by 
thofe who deny the quaker doCtrine before-mentioned, of 
the immediate and indifpenfable agency of Chrift’s fpirit 
on the human mind. He has been charged with magni¬ 
fying his own attainments, his miffion, and the union in 
which he believed himfelf to be with the divine nature, 
in terms of extravagance if not of blafphemy : however, 
from the latter charge he may at leaft be cleared in the 
inrtances which are adduced from fuch of his writings as 
are extant in the original editions. George Fox led a 
life of almoft inceftant exertion until the year 1690, when 
he died poirefted of the love and elfeem of the body, 
then fully eftablilhed ; which he had feen arife from the 
principles he had publiftied forty-three years before. 
See Fox, vol.vii. p. 633. 
A people fo fingular, fo different in their cuftoms 
from the reft of the nation; and above all, fo oppofed to 
the generally-received notions concerning worlhip and 
miniliry, foon attraCfed the notice and oppofition of fuch 
whofe tenets they oppugned, and of none more, nor with 
more inconvenience to thernfelves, than of the minifters. 
It was not long, however, before perfons, above the vuH 
gar rank in rtation and learning, became converts to their 
doctrines. About the years 1632, 1653, and 1654, Francis 
Howgill and Thomas Lawfon, both minifters in tlie North 
of England, Anthony Pearfon, a juftice of the peace in 
Weftmorland, John Stubbs, a man (killed in Greek and 
oriental languages, and George Whitehead and William 
Caton, perfons employed in the tuition ot youth, were 
convinced of the doCfrines of Fox ; and not only lo, but 
foon became preachers thernfelves. Many others, nearly 
at 
