gence to his suffering brethren were early held out to him. He was soon admitted to terms of apparent intimacy, and was believed to possess such influence, that two hundred suppliants were often seen at his gates, imploring his intercession with the king. That it really was great, appears from his obtaining a promise of pardon for his friend, Mr. Locke, which that illustrious man declined, because he thought that the acceptance would have been a confession of criminality. He appears, in 1679, by his influence on James, when in Scotland, to have obtained the release of all the Scotch Quakers who were imprisoned, and he obtained the release of many hundred Quaker prisoners in England, as well as letters from Lord Sunderland to the lord lieutenants in England, for favour to his persuasion, several months before the declaration of indulgence. It was no wonder that he should be gained over by this power of doing good. The very occupations in which he was engaged, brought daily before his mind the general evils of intolerance and the sufferings of his own unfortunate brethren." "It cannot be doubted that he believed the king's object to be, universal liberty in religion, and nothing farther. His own sincere piety taught him to consider religious liberty as unspeakably the highest of human privileges, and he was too just not to be desirous of bestowing on all other men, that which he most earnestly sought for himself. He who refused to employ force in the most just defence, felt a singular abhorrence of its exertion to prevent good men from following the dictates of their conscience." p. 289. Previous to this period, William Penn had written and suffered much in defence of liberty of conscience, and it was to be expected that when thousands of his friends were suffering imprisonment and spoliation by merciless informers and magistrates, he would eagerly embrace the relief afforded by the king's indulgence, without a very profound investigation of the disputed point of royal prerogative, or the secret motives which influenced the crown. tresses who are faithful Friends and well qualified, be encouraged in all counties, cities, great towns, or other places where there may be need; and that care be taken that poor Friends' children may freely partake of such education as may tend to their benefit and advantage, in order to apprenticeship." From that period to the present time, the subject has frequently been earnestly enjoined on the attention of Friends, and large sums expended in founding seminaries for their youth. Soon after the settlement of Philadelphia, William Penn founded a grammar-school for Greek and Latin, and incorporated a board of education, which is still in operation, under the title of "The Overseers of the Public School founded by charter, in the town and county of Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania," with a corporate seal bearing this inscription: "Good instruction is better than riches." It would not be practicable in this brief sketch, to do justice to other members of the Society, who aided in carrying out the liberal views which we have endeavoured to portray. It is sufficient to remark, that those views were the general characteristics of the Society, and some of them peculiar to it. For a long period they maintained many of them singlehanded and in opposition to the general voice of the community. That their faithful labours in these great works of Christian benevolence, have contributed to bring them to their present condition, cannot be denied; nor yet that the principles of the Society of Friends, and the practices consequent upon them, are eminently calculated to promote the religious and moral improvement of mankind, and to augment the sum of human happiness. It is no less the privilege and interest, than it is the duty of Christians to be diligent in the use of those means which a merciful Providence has placed within their reach, for attaining a correct knowledge of the principles and practices of our holy religion. If we have a proper sense of the shortness and uncertainty of life, of our responsibility as accountable and immortal beings, and of Another subject which claimed the early at- the vast importance of the concerns which retention of George Fox, was the promotion of late to the salvation of the soul, we shall not useful learning. He recommended the estab- rest satisfied, without a careful inquiry into lishment of two boarding-schools, which were the truth of those doctrines and precepts, by accordingly opened, one for boys and the other which we profess to regulate our conduct, and for girls. Although the Society has always to build our hopes of future happiness, in at contended that human learning was not an es- world that will never have an end. We shall sential requisite for the ministry of the Gospel, frequently ponder the inspired pages of Holy yet it has, from a very early period, been care-Writ, as the divinely authorized record of the ful to provide for its members the benefits of Christian religion, and raise our hearts in aseducation. The following recommendation pirations to our heavenly Father for the light was issued by the Yearly Meeting, as early as the year 1695, viz.: "Advised, that school masters and mis of his Holy Spirit, to illumine our darkness, and give us a saving knowledge of the Truth as it is in Jesus. Nor will it be less interest ing to us, to trace out the result of these prin- course, rather than take the trouble of impar ciples, as exhibited in the examples of those tial investigation, that it is not surprising the who have gone before us.-To inquire what terms enthusiasts, fanatics, Jesuits, and others fruits of holiness they produced in their con- of similar or more odious import, should have duct and conversation, what support they de- been freely bestowed on Friends, and credited rived from them, amid the trials inseparable by too many. Those who have not had the from mortal existence, and what consolation opportunity, or who have disliked the task of and hope they yielded in the hours of disease ascertaining their real belief, and whose imand of death. If, in the course of our re-pressions have been chiefly derived from carisearches, we discover that they were remark-catures, drawn by persons whose object and able for their justice, their integrity, their interest it is to place them in the wrong, could meekness and humility-were patient under scarcely fail to form opinions unfavourable to suffering, even when wrongfully inflicted; them as a body, however they might respect zealously devoted to the cause of Christ, and the piety and sincerity of individual members. cheerfully given up to spend their time and Nor would it be surprising if the frequent and substance for its advancement; "blameless confident reiteration of grave, though unjust, and harmless, in the midst of a crooked and charges, should have the effect to awaken perverse generation, amongst whom they shone doubts even in the minds of the uninformed as lights in the world," we may be assured members themselves; to lessen their esteem that the tree whence these fruits of the Gos- for those devoted Christians, who were the inpel sprung could not be evil. The faith which struments, divinely fitted and made use of, in showed itself by such works of righteousness founding the Society; and to induce the apmust be that by which the saints of old "ob- prehension that the way, and the people, thus tained a good report," and which was their "everywhere spoken against," must indeed victory. If we follow them to the chamber have little claims to Christianity. of sickness and to the bed of death, witness It may not be inappropriate to remind the the tranquillity and composure of their spirits; reader, that the Son of God himself was "set their humble, yet steadfast, reliance on the for a sign that should be spoken against ;" and mercy of God, through Christ Jesus; their such has been the lot of his Church, from the peace and joy in believing; and their hope earliest periods of its existence. Had the profull of immortality and eternal life, we shall pagation of the Gospel in the days of the aposnot only derive the strongest evidence of the tles depended on the estimation in which they soundness of their Christian belief, but, in ad- were held by the wise, the learned, and powmiration of its blessed and happy effects, beerful of this world, or on the report which incited to follow them, as they followed Christ. they gave of its character and design, it must Differing, as Friends do, in some points, have made little progress; but there were many from their fellow-professors of the Christian others beside the Bereans, who were more noname, construing the requisitions of the Gos-ble than to be influenced by such means, and pel with especial reference to the spiritual na- who searched for themselves "whether these ture of true religion, and its non-conformity things were so." to the fashion of "the world which lieth in Happily for the Society, it has nothing to wickedness," their peculiarities in doctrine, fear from investigation conducted in the spirit manners, and phraseology, have, ever since of candor and fairness. The various accusatheir first rise, subjected them to greater or tions against it, have been fearlessly met and less degrees of misrepresentation and obloquy. refuted; and, of those who may entertain For, although they have uniformly appealed doubts respecting the soundness of its faith, it to the Holy Scriptures, as the standard and asks a calm and dispassionate attention to its test of all their doctrines and practices, freely authorized vindications, and to its official derejecting whatever should be proved to be in-clarations of faith. Whatever ambiguity may consistent with their Divine Testimony, yet, hang over the essays of some of its writers, either through ignorance, or prejudice, or the arising either from the heat of controversy, force of sectarian attachments, their repeated the redundant and loose phraseology of the declarations have been disregarded or pervert-times, or from unduly pressing an argument, ed, in order to represent them as slighting in order to discredit the premises of an antagthose Sacred Writings, and their principles as onist, by exposing the consequences deducible scarcely deserving the name of Christian. from them; the declarations of faith and the It is often more easy to disparage the char- official acts of the Society, prove conclusively, acter of an opponent, by loading him with that on the points where they have been most opprobrious epithets, than to refute his posi- questioned, their views are clear and Scriptions by sound and solid arguments; and tural. The records of the Society also show mankind are generally so prone to adopt this a long list of worthies, whose dying hours and sayings bear ample testimony that the princi- He who finds that he has little relish for seriples in which they had lived, and by which ous things, and that it is difficult to fix his they endeavoured to regulate their actions, did not fail them in the near prospect of death and eternity; but administered all that support, consolation, and animating hope, which give to the death-bed of the Christian its peculiar interest. It is especially obligatory on the members to be conversant in these matters. Ignorance of them, where the means of information are accessible, is discreditable, if not culpable. We should be prepared to give to every one that asketh us, a reason for our faith and hope. If the things which belong to our peace have a due place in our affections, we shall meditate with pleasure on the experience of those who have trodden the path of virtue before us. The fervour of our piety, the strength of our attachment to religious truth, will be promoted by frequently perusing their excellent writings, and dwelling in serious contemplation on the bright example they have left us, adorned with the Christian graces, and inviting us to follow in their footsteps. To whatever department of human pursuit we direct our attention, we perceive that men delight in the productions of congenial minds. attention upon them, may safely infer that his heart is not right in the sight of God, nor its aspirations directed toward the kingdom of heaven. The religious man delights to dwell on those things which concern the salvation of his soul. He feels a lively interest in the saints and holy men who have entered the celestial city before him; and as he contemplates their blameless walk, their faith and patience under trials, their simple obedience and dedication, and above all, the blessed animating hope of an eternal inheritance, which shed a bright radiance around their dying beds, his whole soul kindles with desire to arise and gird himself anew for the journey, and with increased diligence and ardour, to press toward the mark for the prize of his high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Beside the authorities mentioned in the course of the Introductory Remarks, the Editors are indebted to Hume's History of England, Neale's History of the Puritans, Gough's History of Friends, Clarendon's History of the Rebellion. VOL. I.-No. 1. 4 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF GEORGE FOX. It would seem improper to enter on the publication of other works, until some notice had been taken of GEORGE Fox, the founder of the Society. As his Journal has recently been stereotyped, and an edition of it circulated, the Editors thought it not necessary to reprint it, at present. They have therefore prepared a short memoir of this eminent man, for the purpose of bringing into view his remarkable life and character, and exhibiting, succinctly, the rise of the Society, its principles and discipline. GEORGE FOX was born in the month called July, old style, now the fifth month, in the year 1624, at Drayton in the Clay, Leicestershire, England, which appears to be the same as is now called Fenny Drayton.* His parents were Christopher and Mary Fox, who, though in humble circumstances, were highly esteemed by their neighbours for piety and uprightness. His father was a weaver, and was called Righteous Christer, in consequence of the strictness and sobriety of his life. Both he and his wife endeavoured to bring up their children in an exemplary manner, according to the religion of the Episcopal Church, to which they belonged. But it suited neither their circumstances nor situation in life, to give their children much learning, and George enjoyed no other literary advantages than those of a plain English education. From a child he was of a religious and observing turn of mind; and such were the gravity and innocency of his spirit, that his relations were desirous he should be educated for the ministry. His mother taking notice of his serious temper, and of his piety and stability, was very watchful and tender over him; endeavouring to cherish his religious impressions and to strengthen him in good resolutions. When very young, he refused to join in vain and childish sports, or to mingle in the company of rude or irreligious persons; and when he saw any behaving themselves lightly, it excited sorrow, and occasioned him to say within himself, "If ever I come to be a man, surely I shall not do so; nor be so wanton." "While I was a child," says he, "I was taught how to walk so as to be kept pure. The Lord taught me to be faithful in all things; to act faithfully two ways, viz., inwardly to God, and outwardly to man, and to keep to yea and nay in all things. For the Lord showed me, though the people of the world have mouths full of deceit and change. able words, that I was to keep to yea and nay in all things; that my words should be few and savoury, seasoned with grace, and that I might not eat and drink to make myself wanton, but for health, using the creatures in their service, as servants in their places, to the glory of Him that created them." Some of his relations objecting to his being *This sketch of the life of George Fox is chiefly made a priest, he was apprenticed to a shoecompiled from his Journal, of which, Sir James Macintosh says, it is "one of the most extraordi- maker, who also dealt in wool. George's nary and instructive narratives in the world-business was principally in the fields, tending which no reader of competent judgment can pe- the flocks of sheep, an employment well suited ruse without revering the virtue of the writer." to his retiring and contemplative disposition, |