FRIEND. 
at the fame time, having adopted the principles, betook 
themfelves to fpread the do6trine of the quakers, fo that 
previous to the reftoration of Charles II. tliey were a 
numerous body. 
Perfecution, the too common lot of diffent, and which 
the experience of former ages had not taught the people 
of that day to view as the nurfe of it, was early and vi- 
goroufly, although vainly, employed to overthrow them. 
During the commonwealth, imprifonment and (h ipeslVotu 
the magiflrate, each fometimes attended with circum- 
ftances of extraordinary feverity; and, from, the unre- 
ftrained rabble, other and various kinds of perfonal abufe, 
were the returns whicli their doftrines met with from 
their countrymen. After the reftoration, the oath of al- 
legiance coming fo much into ufe, it proved an addi¬ 
tional caufe of vexation to the quakers, w'ho fcrupled to 
fwear; and when other methods failed, was ufed as a 
trap whereby to fliut them up in prKons and purfue 
them to premunire. Laws alfo were made in this reign, 
particularly levelled againft them, the penalty of one of 
which was baniftiment. In thefe rigorous unjafures the 
king feemed rather to be led than to lead; and much of 
the refpite from perfecution which the quakers expe¬ 
rienced during his reign, feems to have arifen from his 
willingnefs to relieve. 
Their fufferings in England, however, great as they 
were, did not equal thofe which they underwent in Ame¬ 
rica, particularly in the province of Maftachuftetts, from 
a people who themfelves too had fled. In the former 
reign, from the fcourge of perfecution. Here, for a qua- 
ker to refide, would incur punifliment. The tender bo¬ 
dies even of women and girls were lacerated with ftripes, 
expofed to the rigours of a wintry climate, and fome¬ 
times denied food, except on the condition of a fubmiftlon 
to the perfecutor’s will, with which the perfecuted fcru¬ 
pled to comply. But thefe feverities did not intimidate 
the quakers, nor fatisfy the zealots who oppreffed them. 
In the next-place, therefore, they had recourfe to maim¬ 
ing, by cutting off the ears, a praffice they had learned 
by fuftering at home; but as this produced not the effedt 
they wiftied, the penalty of death was enadted for fuch 
quakers as ftiould return into the colony after baniftiment. 
In confequence of this law, two men, fametime after a 
woman, and next another man, were hanged at Bofton. 
At length one of the banilhed perfons, by name Samuel 
Shattock, came to England, and found means to prefer 
his complaints to king Charles. “ There is a vein of 
innocent blood (faid Burrough, an eminent and zealous 
quaker, to the king, on repreienting to him the cruelties 
of the colonifts) opened in thy dominions, which, if it 
be not ftopt, will overrun all.”—“But I will flop that 
vein,” laid Charles ; and without delay he ilfued an or¬ 
der to the New England governor, and appointed the ba- 
nilhed Shattock his deputy for its tranfmiflion to the co¬ 
lony. Thus the effufion of innocent blood was flopped, 
fo far as to prevent further capital punifliment ; but, not- 
withftanding the king’s prohibition, it long continued to 
be drawn by the fcourge. 
On the accellion of James II. the penal laws againft 
d'ilTenters, or rather the execution of them, was fuf- 
pended; and on that of William and Mary, they were 
tolerated by law; at the fame time to the affirmation 
®f the quakers was allowed, in many cafes, the legal 
force of an oath. 
The quakers, whom fome people would brand with the 
charge of fuperior obftinacy, and to whom others would 
allow the merit of firmer adherence to their principles 
than moft other men, ftill complain of their lufferings, 
although they do not now conftder themfelves as perfe¬ 
cuted. Confiftently with the fcruple mentioned in the 
account of their dodlrines, they retufe to pay tithes to 
the clergy ; and the laws for recovering them (liaving 
been made in times when oppofition to the clergy and fa- 
crilege were nearly lynonymous) being oppreflive in 
their operation, it is no extraordinary thing in the prefent 
I. 
47 
century for the cofts to exceed the demand, and for the 
doors of a prifon to be ftiut upon a confeientious quaker. 
Eafier means of recovery were provided in the reigns of 
William, and George I. but thefe laws are limited to 
tithes of fmall amount; and it is at the option of tlie 
claimant to ufe them, or have recourfe to the exchequer, 
or to the biffiop’s court : the ultimatum of w'hich laft is 
excommunication. 
The prefent reigning family of Great Britain has, as 
occafion offered, (hewn itfelf friendly to the quakers; 
and has received many public profeftions of its attach¬ 
ment. Tliis fociety is alfo now confidered by the go¬ 
vernment, and the legiftature, as an ufeful and valuable 
part of the community ; for, whilft their principles for¬ 
bid them to defend their country by the ufe of arms, 
the fame peaceful tenets, fo far as they prevail, infure 
her internal tranquillity. Although they fupport their 
ow’ii poor, they bear of courfe their proportion of the 
parochial affeffments ; and they may be faid to contribute 
to the profperity of the nation by their induftry and their 
morality. 
Meetings of this pe^ople are fcattered over Great Bri¬ 
tain, Ireland, and North America. The European con¬ 
tinent has alfo thofe who bear their name and own their 
dodlrine, and who are known to their tranfmarine bre¬ 
thren, although not all of them fully connefted wdth 
them in fociety, particularly the north.eaft parts of Ger¬ 
many, and the fouth of France. 
Tile yearly meeting for Great Britain is held in Lon¬ 
don; that for Pennfylvania and New Jerfey at Philadel¬ 
phia; and there are alfo on that continent five others, 
namely. New England, New York, Maryland, and Vir¬ 
ginia ; the two Carolinas with Georgia have the other. 
It will be generally thought that, although the writ¬ 
ings of the quakers are numerous, that fociety hath not 
produced many eminent authors. The moft celebrated 
are their apologift, Robert Barclay, of Urie in Scotland, 
who died in 1690; and William Penn, the founder of 
Pennfylvania, whofe deceafe was in 1718. Thofe who 
defire further information concerning the quakers’ prin¬ 
ciples, would do well to confult thefe writings; attd for- 
their hiftory, that by William Sewell, of which th.e edi¬ 
tion in 1800, and that by John Gough'in 1789, contain 
ample information. There has alfo been publithed in' 
tlie laft year (1805) a concife and clear account of 
their dotftrine, entitled The Principles of Religion as 
profeffed by the Society of Cliriftians called Qjyakers, by 
Henry Tuke. In the catalogue of their writers, it may 
alfo be proper to mention Benezet and Woolman, both 
inhtibitants of America, who took an early part in ex- 
pofing the iniquity of negro-ftavery, and the ftave-trade 
praftices, of whicit the quakers have been (trenuous op- 
pofers. Thofe ho defire only an outline of the qua¬ 
kers’ rife, progrefs, and tenets, may confult the Iiimmary 
before-mentioned, firft publiftied in; 1790, and leveral- 
times fince: and the quakers are in general very liberal 
in the diftribution of their books, for the information of 
thofe who will) to be acquainted with them. 
The name of quaker appears to have been given to 
this people by one Gervas Bennett, a juftice of tite peace 
in Derbyffiire, in 1650; at firft rather as a retort upon. 
George Fox, who had bid him quake or tremble at the 
word of the Lord ; but, fuiting v/ith the contempt in 
which they were then held, the appellation fpread and 
became general: neverthelefs, they themfelves give to 
each other the fimple appellation of FiXiends; by which 
name alfo they begin to be called by modern autliors. 
- 7 'e FRIEND, v", a. To favour; to befriend ; to coun¬ 
tenance; to fupport.—I know that we fiiall have him 
well to friend. Shahfpeare. 
When vice makes mercy, ruercy’s fo extended'. 
That, for the fault’s love, is th’ oft'ender friended, Skaitefp, 
“ Tell thy Friend thy fecret, and he’ll lay his foot on 
thy throat.” The Spanittfds fay, Dio tuo amigo tuo Jeereto^ 
