TT30 A SiHORT ACCOUNT OF THE PEOPLE CALLED U A K E R S- t Their RISE, RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES and SETTLEMENT in AMERICA. Moftly collefted from different AUTHORS, for the information of all ferious INQUIRERS^ particularly FOREIGNERS. THE THIRD EDITION. BY ANTHONT BENEZET. PHILADELPHIA: Printed by ENOCH STORY, at his Printing-Office, iu Strawberry- Alley, oppofite Trotter's Alley* MDCCLXXXIII, A Short ACCOUN7? of the People cal led Qu A K R s , their Rife, Religious Principles and Settlement In' AM RICA, moftly collected from divers Authors, for die Information of all ferious En quirers, particularly Foreigners. THESE people were firft diftinguifhed by the name of Quakers in England, a- bout the middle of the laft century. George Fox was the principal inftrument of gather ing them into a religious fociety. His out ward employment while young, was chiefly in the care of ilieep, and from his infancy being of a grave, folid, obferving turn of mind, was early reitrained from the follies incident to youth ; folicitous, above all things, to obtain the favour of GOD, and to avoid every thing which either the fcrip- tures or the inward principle of Divine Grace taught him to believe was oflfenfivc to him ; though in fo doing many corrupt praxrHces, which cuftom had familiarized to the Profeffors of Chriftianity, prefented themfelves as obftacles in his way, which for a time occaiioned him much anxiety, left his own particular profpect ihould mif- lead him; but as he retained an inflexible integrity, he gained experience by the things that ( 4 ) that he.-fuffercd f an.d;as his underilanding wasgradually'illuihin^ted, he received fatis- fa^tioh/'h>;tb: i. 27. that is agreeable to the prornife made ( i4 ) made to the fathers, that all (hall know him (i. e. the Lord) from the Icatt of them tothegreateft." Jer. xxxi. 33- put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God and they (hall be my people." The Quakers hold that this law ot truth, this tcft of virtue and vice is not hid from any part of mankind; but that every man born into the world, is enlightned by it: The ferious and well difpoiedHeathens, in different ages and nations, have, under v: rious appellations, expreffed their lenhbuit) of the exigence and efficacy of this Divine Principle, this law of God written in the heart/to deliver from that corruption.undcr which they laboured. Socrates, Plato, Se- neca, Epiftetus and feveral others ot the philofophers called their difciples to an at tention to its diaates. Thefe doubtlefs were fome of thofe virtuous Heathens commen ded in the fcriptures, Rom. ii. 14- : ^ h * tho' they had not," inftrumentally,beeu taught the law, yet from a conformity to this inward principle of divine inteUigence, -" do by nature the things contained in the law, were a law unto themielv-es which ' ffavs the Apoftle) ihew the work of ti. law written in their hearts,"* this the* maintain to be a light of God's own nature ; * Rom. u, ( 15 ) " the Life of him being the light of men. John i. 4. And therefore fuperior to and diftiruft from the mere light of our natural faculties, becaufe it doth not properly ap pertain to men as fallen creatures ; but is the gift of God, fuperadded to them, thro' Je- fus Chriit, for their information and affift> ance, in purfuing after thofe things which relate to the favour of God and their eter nal Salvation. Hence the Quakers hold it as a fundamental doftrine, that whofoevcr will carefully and ferioufly turn into him- felf, with a iincere deiire to know and prac tice his duty, will not fail to find there a Sufficient director, a ray from the fountain of light, illuminating his underftanding and afliiling him to diftinguifli good from evil. As faith the Prophet, < He hath fhewed the w O man what is good, and what doth the ' Lord require of thee; but to do juftly 4 and to love mercy, and to walk humbly ' with thy God.' Mich. vi. 8. They are pcrfuaded that as many as reiift not this light, in whatever part of the world they live, or of what mode of religious pro- feilion they may be, it produce th holinefs, nghicouiriefs, purity and other fruits ac-r cep table to God, agreeable to the declara tion made by the Apoftle Peter, after he had been at the houfe of Cornelius, ( of a 4 truth ( 16 ) 4 truth I perceive that God is no refpe&er 4 of perlbns; but in every nation, he that 4 feareth him, and worketh righteoufnefs > * is accepted with him.' A&s x. 34, 35. * Yet fhall not thy teachers be removed in- 4 to a corner any more, but thine eyes fhall 4 fee thy teachers ; and thine ears fhall hear * a word behind the faying, This is the way 4 walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right 4 hand, and when ye turn to the left/ Ifai?vh xxx. 20. 21. They efteem the Scriptures of the old and new Teftament above all other writings, be lieving them to be given by Divine Infpira- tion, as a rule of faith and practice, in fub- ordination to the light and fpirit of God, which is the primary rule that much de pends on the fcriptures being judged of un der the influence of the fame Divine Spirit which gave them forth ; that otherwife, in the hands of men actuated by their corrupt propenlities, they may and have been ufed as a pretext for doing many things abhor rent to the nature and fpirit of the gofpeL Witnefs thofe terrible perfecutions which a falfe zeal, joined to a wrong conilruftion of the fcripture, have occafioned. They de cline to call them the word of God, as be ing a denomination properly attributed to Chrilt alone ; and they are the more fcrupu- lous ( '7 \ laus in this refpeft, becaufe people are apt to be hereby led to think that if they have the fcriptures, they have ail that is neceffary to falvation, and Ipok for no further Word or Light. ON W A R. THE Quakers abfolutely declare againft being concerned in the deftru'ftion of their fellow men, who equally with them- felves are the objects of favlng grace ; hence they can take no part in war, being per- fuaded that all wars Hand in oppolition to the intent and nature of the gofpel : War being the fad effeft of the fall of man ; a fall from meeknefs, purity and love, into fenfuality, pride revenge and wrath. The apollle James, Chap. 4th, hath ftated the queftion with refpect to the caufe of war, fo as to preclude all difficulty and doubt about it: '' From whence come wars and fight- " ings among you, come they not hence, " even of your lufts." James iv. i. The e- vident fruits of a fpiiit contrary to the fpi- rit of Chrill, oppolite both in its nature and effects to the pure religion he hath called men to the practice of; wherefore they are convinced that the followers of the meek and peaceable Jefus, ought to take no part C in in war; but rather to labour in the ability received from the bleffed Mediator, to re concile men unto God and one unto another. " Bleffed (faith our merciful Saviour) are " the meek for they fhall inherit the ear:h: " Bleffed are the peace makers for they " fhall be called the children of God," Mat. v. 5. g. They will enjoy that peace of God which paffeth all human understanding- And the Apoftle fpeaking of the believers adds, *' Tho' we walk in the fiefh, we do not '* war after the flefh, for the weapons of '* our warfare are not carnal." 2 Cor. x. 3. 4. They look upon the golpel of Jefus Chrift to be an eminent difplay of divine be nignity and love to mankind; that the foil of God took upon him flelh and fiiffered,' and died to deftroy that enmity which thro' fin had prevailed over the whole human race, and to reltore unto fallen man the firft life of purity and love; ".leaving us (faith " the apoftle) an example that ye fhould to be an ufurpation not in the Icail warrant ed by, but contrary to Icripture, under the gofpel, which they are in conference obliged to \vithftand They affert that afflongft the many mif- takcn practices which have been introduced and correfpond not with the voice of Chrift the only Shepherd of the Soul, none ap pears more oppoied to the meek and hum ble, felf- denying ftate of the gofpel,- than the practice of thole '* Who teach for hire 4i and divine for money," Micah iii. 1 1. v/ho are generally ready fe to prepare war ( ' againft thofe who put not into their Mouths/' Cap* iii. 5. and arrogate to them- fclves, that they, by virtue of their feveral ordinations arc the only guides and Ihep- herds of all Chriftians, v/ho are to receive the gofpel from their lips, in contradiction to the promife made to the believers, "That " alllhould know the Lord from the leaft " to the greateft. Heb. Viii. n. Notwithftandiiig the teftimony of the Quakers is againit thofe preachers, among the different denominations, that labour in their own will, who preaeh for hire and di vine vine for money, yet they refped fuch a~ mong them who are men fearing God and hating covetoufnefs, and have engaged in that weighty fervice from an apprehenfion of duty, nor do they deny that the fpirit of Grace fometimes condefcends to co-operate with the religious labours of fuch: Never- thejefs they cannot clireft the fearchers after truth to the miniflry of any man, but tq the immediate teaching of the word nigh " in the heart/' even the Spirit of God, which is the only infallible teacher, the pri mary adequate rule of faith and practice, which will lead thofe who attend to its dic-^ tates intq the knowledge of tnith and righteoufhefs. And as there is a general difpenfation of Divine Grace, alike to male and female, who in fcripture are declared to be all one in Chrift, they admit that women have a like call to the miniftry as the roe.n, and are m^ide equally partakers of the fame enlarge ment of Spirit, peculiar to the gofpei times; as was clearly prophelied by the prophet Joel and confirmed by the ap.oftlePe\ r, at the time of pentecoit, viz. " That God " would pour out of his Spirit upon all flcfh 4 " and their fons and their daughters fhould " ( pi'ophefy and on my iervants and on i; my f ' my handr-maids will I pour out, in thole ?' days, of my Spirit, and they fnall pro- " phefy," Aas ii. 17, 18. the apoftle Paul, alfo, gives directions to both fexes, how they ^re to behave themfelves in their publick praying, or prophefying, both which iignify fpeaking unto men to exhortationand.com- 'fort. Whence it may be fafely concluded, that the prohibition that apoftle lays on a, woman's fpeaking, of which fuch a handle is made to deprive the church of fo great a benefit, was only intended as a check to the unwarrantable aftivity of fome women, at ]that peculiar time, and by no means in con- tradiftion to what himfelf had faid in con firmation of the fore-mentioned prophefy. On BAPTISM and the SUPPER. ft* x * '' THE Quakers being convinced that no outward practice can give apofTeffion in the kingdom of God, but it is folely the renovation of heart called in fcripture the New Creature, that can juffly entitle us to the appellation of Children of God, agree able to the apofllc's doctrine, '* That the tf kingdom of God is not meat and drink; " butrigiiteoufnefs, and peace and joy in. cc the Holy Ghoit," Rom. xiv. 17, they fee ( 29 ) fee no neceffity for continuing the ufe of water baptiim, and the outward (upper in the church, efteeming thefe to have been ufed only as figures pointing to the fub- (lance, and abftraftedly coniidered of no greater avail than Walhing the feet, circum- ciiiori or any Jewifli rite to the renovation of mind \ye ftapd in need of; yet believe there are thofe who ufe thefe figns in uprightnefs, and that the Lord, who refpeds the diipofi- tion of the mind more than any outward circumftance, condefcends to favour fuch with the bleffing of peace : They agree that fome of the apoflles ufed water-bap tifm, in the infant (late of the church, while the jewifh part of the believers remained under fpmc attachment to the preceeding (liadowy difpenfation of the law; but we may obferve that Paul the apoftle of the Gentiles,, who " was not under thofe prejudices fays, " that ',' Chrift fent him not to baptize, but to *' preach the Gofpel/' i Cor. i. 17. and de clares the baptizing power of the Holy Ghoft to be an effeutial means of admifiion into the church of Chrift, " For, (fays he) < concerned in the fup- port of this infamous traffick; and have alfo enjoined all their members who have any of thefe oppreffed people in pofleffion, that they fhould, without delay, fet them at li berty; and directed that foch who refufed to comply with this injunction, fhall be con iidered as no longer in fellowship with them and to have renounced their right of mem- berfhip. And having alfo obferved the ma ny difadvantages thefe afflifted people la bour under in point of education and other- wife ( 35 ) wife, a tender care has taken place to pro mote their, inftruftion in fchool learning, and alfo their religious and temporal wel fare, in order to qualify them for becoming reputable members of fociety. Their DISCIPLINE and OECONOMY. RELIGIOUS fociety in its fimpleft form, being an agreement of its members to watch over each other for good, as in this lapfed ftate of exiftence, we are iubjcft to many weakneffes and (land in need of the care and counfel one of another; hence dif- cipline, for the well government of fuch a fociety becomes neceffary. Thus where a number of this people are fettled in a neigh bourhood and belong to one eftabliihed meeting for worfhip, if any individual falls into indigent circumftanccs, when iuch cafe becomes known, relief isadminiftered; or if any member walk diforderly, or a report is fpread to his difadvantage, that perfon of the fociety who firft obferves or hears there of, is enjoined privately to admonifh him, carefully avoiding a difclofure of the matter to a third perfon, until repeated trials to re claim him prove ineffectual. He is then to take a judicious perfon with him, and if their ( 36 ) their united endeavours prove alfo fraitlefs, his cafe is made known to the overfeers, of which there are generally one or more in each particular meeting; whole bufmefs it is to fee that the order and rules of the fo- ciety are obferved, and who after vifiting the offender and finding him irreclaimable, firft apprize him of their intention and then lay his cafe before the elders, overfeers and other members of the meeting he belongs to, where if none are inclined to vifit him ag^in, it is carried forward to the monthly meeting, which is a meeting generally made up of the members of feveral fuch particu lar meetings as lie contiguous to it; here a committee is commonly deputed to ufe fur ther endeavours to convince and regain the offender; but if after repeatedly vifiting and waiting upon him a proper time, no (ignof Amendment is reported, that meeting pro ceeds to teftify its difapprobation of his con- duft, and that he has thereby excluded him- felf from a right of memberihip in the fo- ciety ? This teftification it is ufual to deliver him a copy of, and inform him of his right of appeal from their judgment, to the quar terly meeting, which confifts of the mem bers who conftitute the monthly meetings within each county ; and from the quarterly meetings ( 37 ) meeting appeals alfo lie to the yearly meet ing, which is a collection of all the quarterly- meetings; here appeals are finally deter mined; rules for the government of the fo- ciety are agreed on; with fuch advices as from time to time appear neceffary. The Quakers refufal to unite in any thing of a warlike nature,, which proceeds from a conviction that every meafure which tends to the deftraftion of mankind is inconfiftcnt with the nature of theGofpel; their refufing to join in publick rejoicing for luccefles ob^ tained in war; their denying to fwear in a~ ny cafe; to pay tythes, or to contribute to to the fupport of the national miniilry; as well as their nonconformity to the common modes of addrefs, &c. have fiibjefted them to much obloquy and many grievous faffer- ings which neverthelefs have been much mitigated by the indulgence different go vernments have extended to them,, convin ced by their patient fufferings, that their profeffion of confcientious fcruples were fin-* cere, and that nothing dangerous to civil fociety could be apprehended from a people who utterly difclaimed the ufe of arms, or of being in any wife concerned in foment ing diviiions or civil commotions, and who think it their duty to contribute their endea vours ( 38 ) vours fcfr the peace and welfare of every country where their lots are call, and arc willing chearfully to comply with every juft requiiition, for the fupport of the civil order of government, not inconfiftent with what they apprehend is their duty to God. They are careful to minifter to the neceffities of thofe among them whofe circumftances call for relief, not fuffering any of their mem bers to become a publick charge; they moreover chearfully pay their equal affcff- ment with others, for the fupport of the general poor. Nor have any other people manifefled a greater clefire and willingnefs to promote the welfare of civil fociety, by their liberality in contributing to the relief of the poor, and in attention to the care of them ; and in the management of thofe in- ftitutions which have been eftablifhed for the benefit of the community at large : For a. coniidcrablc number of years many of them were concerned with others in the le- giflative and executive part of civil govern ment, wherein they manifeftecl a firm at tachment to the conftitutional rights of the people ; but as acting in thefo itations was attended with fnares and temptations, itwas the concern of their yearly-meeting to ex cite iuch to a watchful care againil deviating from their chriftian, peaceable principles ; and C 39 ) and at length as the inhabitants became nu merous, by emigrations from Europe and otherwife, and the holding public offices was attended with greater difficulty, fervices i being required which interfered more im mediately with their religious principles, the yearly meeting advifed their members to withdraw therefrom, perceiving that the feeking or accepting of offices in legiflation or magiftracy was dangerous and frequently injurious to the individuals in a religious fenfe ; more especially when fought for and accepted for the fake of the profits, emolu ments and worldly honours annexed to them, tending to debafe the mind to the odious bondage of ambition and avarice. If upon obferving the conduct of many who profefs themfelves members of this re ligious fociety, any fliould be offended at the great deviation which appears in the practice of fuch from their principles as fet forth in the foregoing account, they are de- fired to conlider the frailty and corruption of the human heart in its fallen ftatc ; its natural biafs and attachment to the world, to its delights, its friendfhip and honours, and remember how repugnant thefe pro- penlities are to the precepts and felf-deny- ing example left us by our Lord ; that the neceffary (40 ) neccffary change of heart which the gofpcl propofes, is not gained by birth, but muft be purchafed by iubmiffion to, and an hum ble abiding under the crofsof Chrift, "Then " laid Jefus unto his difciples > If any man " will come after me, let him deny himfelf " and take up his crofs and follow me." Matt. xvi. 24. When this is duly weighed, it will not appear ftrange if the inftances of defection are many; it was early the cafe a- mongft the believers in the primitive ages of chriltianity, v/hen they grew numerous and hath been the cafe in all religious focieties iince that time. Neverthelefs it is great caufe of encouragement to the upright enquirer, that a large number of thofe people are mer cifully preserved, in an eminent degree faithful to their firft principles and docTtrinc and upright in their life and converfation, who are living monuments of the effiacy and all fufficient grace of God as witneffesforhim and for his truth and righteoufnefs on earth. They who are deiirous of more full in formation refpefting the doftrine and prin ciples of this people, are referred to the writings of Robert Barclay, William Penn, George Whitehead and others by whom they are fully fet forth as alfo of late times by Jo- fephPhipps. THE END. 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED LOAN DEPT. 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