SEC. X.-QUAKERS.

THE Quakers. owe their origin to George Fox, who was born in Leicestershire about the year 1624. It is reported of him, that in his youth he was of a particularly thoughtful temper, and loved to Origin. be by himself. At an early age he became apprentice to a shoemaker. While in this situation, he devoted himself with great diligence to the perusal of the Scriptures, and, as opportunity presented, was wont to exhort his fellow-shoemakers, from whom, however, he received no great encouragement. As he was one day walking alone in the fields, reflecting according to custom on the disorderly lives of men, and considering of the most proper means to reform them, for the glory of God, and their own temporal and eternal happiness; he thought he beard a voice from heaven, or rather he felt one of those sudden impulses, which the Quakers receive as special motions from the Holy Ghost. This impulse set before his eyes a lively representation of the corrupt and abandoned lives of men, from their cradle to extreme old age, at which time nothing is left to return to God, but weak and decayed senses, and a second childhood; exhorting him at the same time to retirement and an absolute separation from the general corruption of the world. This is the true epoch of Fox's vocation: considering that he had received a call from heaven, he lived in a closer retreat than before; he searched narrowly into the state of his conscience; retrenched whatever he found superfluous, and followed his trade no further than was necessary for his subsistence. He went about preaching from place to place, and boldly entered into disputes with divines and ministers, trusting solely to and being guided only by what he considered to be that divine voice, which interiorly speaks to the heart, and draws men as it pleases. This caused Fox to be looked upon as a seditious person; on which account he was seized at Nottingham, in 1649, and imprisoned. This first imprisonment occurred when he was twenty-five years of age. On being released from Nottingham jail, he preached in other places, where he was roughly handled by the mob for his eccentric behaviour, and the boldness with which he interrupted the ministers in their sermons. At Derby, he was shut up for six months in a house of correction; and when he came out of it, in order to be examined by Jeremy Bennet, a justice of the peace, the name of Quakers was given to him and his disciples, because, in his answers and public exhortations, he often said quaking and trembling were necessary dispositions to hear the word of God with profit.

Nottingham and Derby were not the only places in which Fox was punished on account of the very eccentric course he pursued; he had been cast into prison, and whipped in those towns; at other places he was put in the pillory, and underwent some punishments equally ignominious; he was often stoned or beaten almost to death: but he endured all those affronts according to the literal sense of the gospel precept; he desired the judges to order a second execution of the sentence pronounced against him; he presented his cheek and his back to those who had struck or whipped him; and in the midst of these temporal afflictions he rejoiced, and was comforted by the daily increase of the number of his adherents.

Cromwell was soon acquainted with Fox's reputation, and the progress of his sect: at first he despised them and their principles, not thinking a body of men, who preached and practised literally evangelical patience, who presented themselves to be beaten and abused, and who gloried in suffering for the love of God, could be of any use to him in the government of the state: but upon consideration, and perceiving how quickly that sect spread itself throughout the whole kingdom, his contempt turned to wonder. He employed the most pressing solicitations, he offered large sums of money to win over those enthusiasts to his interest, but without any success; they were above corruption, and behaved like worthy disciples of the gospel; and forced that tyrant to praise this new species of men, whom he could not engage to his party by either gifts or favours, which means he had tried upon all other sects without ever missing his aim.

The Quakers flattered themselves with the hope of enjoying some quiet at the restoration of Charles II., but refusing to take the oath of allegiance to that monarch, because in their opinion all oaths are forbidden, a grievous persecution was raised against them. While suffering these persecutions, they were considerably strengthened by the accession to their fraternity of the well-known William Penn, who, on account of his talents and ample fortune, soon acquired no small influence and reputation among them. About the same time, also, the persecution against them abating, they employed themselves in reducing their views to a more regular system, and in adopting rules according to which they were to govern themselves. These we shall briefly notice.

General

Both sexes have general meetings, which may be called classes, colloquies, and synods. In those assemblies, which are either provincial, and held every three months, or general, and called together every Meetings. year, censures are pronounced, ecclesiastical affairs reviewed, books examined, and the most material occurrences registered in their records. In England the Quakers' general meeting is fixed to the third day after Pentecost; not out of superstition, they say, as if they expected their deputies should be more particularly inspired at a time when the commemoration of the Holy Ghost's coming down upon the Apostles is celebrated, but solely out of a principle of regularity in meeting on a fixed day, and at a convenient season; and it is notorious that the Quakers keep no holydays, and solemnize no festival. The Holy Ghost, the spirit within, neither knows nor admits any such distinctions. Deputies from all the Quakers dispersed through the whole world meet at these assemblies; in which there is a secretary to register, or propose the matters to be debated, or copy out the decisions: but the Holy Ghost is the invisible president; and they do not admit of a visible one.

Their outward exercises of devotions consist in a profound contemplation, whilst some one of them, man or woman, rises up either with a

Public Devotions.

sedate and composed motion, or in a kind of transport, as if actuated by an irresistible power, and often with sighs, groans, and tears. This variety of behaviour is caused, as they say, by the impression of the spirit, which often dictates to the man or woman preacher, sermons two or three hours long, after a deep silence of an equal duration. This quietude, the Quakers say, disposes them to enter into

a serious consideration of the state of their own souls, into a deep meditation, by means of which the Spirit prepares to itself hidden ways to penetrate into their hearts: then it breaks forth in sermons and exhortations, or in prayer or psalmody: during which those who are not inspired to speak, remain in a state of recollection, examine themselves, and make a suitable application of what they hear to the circumstances in which they find their own souls. From that inward conflict of the spirit against the flesh; from the devil's furious assaults to keep the mastery, proceed sometimes those bodily motions, those shakings and tremblings with which many of them are seized. It not unfrequently happens that a meeting is concluded without any sermon, exhortation, or public prayer. Meditation, prayer, recollection, contemplation, and reading the Bible, are the chief devotions which the Quakers use at home; they are longer or shorter, more or less frequent, and alternately diversified, Private De- as the impulses prevail. Their children are brought up to votions, &c. those exercises from their infancy, have a very plain and modest education, without any ornaments, fine clothes, what is called a genteel behaviour, or endeavouring to please other men. The Quaker's dress is brown, or of some plain dark colour, somewhat like a waistcoat, without plaits on the sides, without buttons on the pockets or sleeves, their hats broad-brimmed and horizontal; all the politeness they aim at is an open, frank access, and natural easy conversation.

They keep no festivals, but may meet on any day; in England and Holland they meet regularly every Sunday: they neither pray nor speak, either in public or private, with a loud voice, but when, as

Time of worship. they affirm, the spirit within bids them. If this spirit do not move them, they are only to think at church, at table, at going to bed.

The Quakers place no great value on the knowledge of languages and learning, which although they do not think entirely useless, yet they say, Estimation of are not necessary for the ministry: they express a great knowledge,titles, contempt of philosophy and divinity, chiefly as taught in honours, &c. the schools, and esteem them no otherwise than as the inventions of Satan.

They likewise reject all titles of honour, either in the state or in the church, and have no regard to academical degrees. All these marks of distinction are only apt to set up so many masters, which the gospel expressly forbids, we being all equally brethren: they give the name of hirelings to Protestant clergymen, on account of the income they receive from the lands they possess, from tithes, salaries, or pensions. And according to their system, it is evident they cannot approve of a limitation in the number of ministers, nor of that function being appropriated to a particular order of men, since the spirit within is not and cannot be confined. Moreover, they think the number of pastors is too small to comply with all the duties required of them; and that there ought to be missionaries, who might, as amongst Catholics, labour without intermission for the propagation of the faith; and are of opinion, that the present behaviour of other Protestants in that particular paves the way for antichrist.

Duties, taxes, great salaries, and profits, all other means employed in

civil societies, to engage men to do their duty, and become useful members of the commonwealth, by the hope of considerable gains, seem odious and dangerous to the Quakers, as becoming only hirelings and slaves to avarice, not good citizens, or Christians, who ought to have their duty at heart.

Motion of the Spirit.

Amongst the Quakers the spirit is free, and does not submit to synods, nor to worldly learning, wisdom, or customs: this is one of the chief and most essential articles of their religion. All the members of the church may and ought to concur to the general good of the body; all may have the same helps from the Holy Ghost, and feel the same impressions of his power; all are animated and fed, like our bodily members, by the same efficacy and in the same manner; all by consequence ought to give a helping hand to the edification of the mystical body, as natural members contribute to the welfare of human bodies. This they apply to the evangelical ministry: the Spirit, say the Quakers, notifies by its impulse what is wanting to the church, and obliges those members upon whom he makes that impulse, to give a speedy help to the mystical body. If it should happen that out of laziness, neglect, or distraction, the person so moved should not be sensible of the impulse, or not give a due attention to the defects of which the members of the mystical body are guilty; then they ought to rouse themselves with new fervour, and by a perfect recollection make a trial of the gifts and power of the spirit of life. The call to pastoral functions essentially consists in this, it requires no pomp, no ceremony, no improvement of the mind, no preparation, no examination, nor any of the means used in other Christian societies, to provide churches with pastors and teachers. Yet if after this inward trial any one be moved and forcibly drawn by the Spirit to engage in the ministry, the ecclesiastical council must not omit the formality of examining whether the person so inspired be in reality fit for it, and ought to be admitted to that dignity; the importance of which, in regard to himself, and to the whole church, is strongly represented to him, in a speech or exhortation made to that end. This ceremony is sometimes accompanied by the letters of other churches and societies of Quakers, recommending such or such to that office. When installed, they are maintained by voluntary contributions only, without any settlement, contract, or previous agreement. Each Quaker contributes freely according to his power, and the minister is not to accept of their benevolence, further than is necessary for a sober and frugal maintenance; but if he be reduced to poverty for want of such contributions, it is lawful for him to leave the congregation which he served; he may even, according to their historian, shake the dust off his feet against that church, as Christ ordered his apostles to do against those who would not receive them.

Estimation of

The Quakers reject baptism and the Lord's Supper. The truth is, they look upon baptism as a Jewish ceremony, yet they are willing that other Christian societies should receive it as a token of regeBaptism, &c. neration, of initiation, or an introduction to Christianity. But they say, that in our holy and all spiritual religion, outward signs ought not to prevail upon duty, nor a wicked man be esteemed a Christian on account of his being baptized; whilst, for want of that ceremony, another man, who complies with all the Christian duties, is looked upon as a heathen. The true baptism of Christ, say they, is the

purifying of the soul, and that only can save men.

Their belief concerning the communion is also another stumbling-block; We have no communion, say they, but the union of hearts.

Marriage is contracted amongst them with as little ceremony as all their other duties are performed. Their youth are christianly instructed in whatever concerns that honourable state; they are admoMarriage. nished that it is of the highest importance, that it requires a serious and strict examination, and is not to be entered into without a nice choice, much reflection, and the approbation and consent of their parents. When after all this they persist in the resolution of marrying, they must give notice of their design to the ecclesiastical council, who make the usual inquiries, Whether they be qualified to marry? and have the consent of their parents? &c. Informations are likewise taken from those who are present, to know if no opposition be made to the marriage intended, and on the next Sunday following they publish a kind of ban. These preliminaries being over, the contract becomes valid amongst the Quakers in this form; the bride and bridegroom come to the assembly accompanied by their friends and relations whom they think fit to invite. There, in presence of the said friends and relations, they are desired to declare whether they love one another, whether they be mutually willing to have each other, and are resolved to help and assist each other. To these, and such other questions suitable to the occasion, the Quakers give, with all sincerity, the usual answers; which, with their mutual consent, are registered in a book kept for that purpose. The contracting parties set their names to it, as also the friends and relations, as witnesses; which being done, the new-married couple are dismissed. The disorders usually committed at weddings are, or ought to be, wholly unknown amongst Quakers. The body being, in their system, the vessel and garment of the soul, it must be maintained and kept with simplicity and modesty, without superfluity, or endeavouring to please the senses at the expense of the purity of the soul. Those marriages of the Quakers were heretofore deemed illegal in England; but they are now tolerated, and looked upon as valid and indissoluble contracts.

Their obsequies are without pomp, without funeral orations, all which, according to their notions, are as opposite to Christian simplicity, as the foolish diversions allowed by other Christians, at the celebration Funerals. of their marriages. Can anything be more extravagant, they say, than that the friends and relations of the deceased should, with a sorrowful countenance, follow his corpse, and accompany it to the grave in a mourning dress, and then come back to the house to drink, and sometimes get drunk in his honour? What contrary proceedings are these! is it not a mere comical farce to see their formal affected grief, seeming, in their long black cloaks, to shed tears for the loss of a parent or friend, of whose death they are heartily glad, for the sake of the riches he has bequeathed to them? All those abuses are avoided by the Quakers. They carry the dead to their burying-place, without attendance or mourning; and content themselves with a serious meditation on the frailty of human life, and mutually exhorting each other to the practice of virtue, and to a faithful imitation of the deceased, if his example were truly worthy of being followed.