INTRODUCTION.
[P. 7] The Society of Friends, who were in derision called Quakers, because
they exhorted their persecutors to fear and tremble at the Word of God, appeared
in the seventeenth century. At that time there were many in England who were
not satisfied with the opinions and forms of Worship which were held by the
different religious societies. It appeared to them that the Life and Spirit
of Christianity were much wanting, and that many formal obligations, which
were connected with the various systems of Worship, were introduced and stood
in the place of the substance. Hence they may be considered as waiting and
looking for some further and more confident ground of faith than they conceived
was to be met with among the professors of Christianity. George Fox was one
of this description: and being early in Life awakened to see the sinful state
of the world, he had many serious considerations excited in his mind; these
he cherished, and was gradually brought to understand the nature and design
of the Gospel dispensation. It would exceed the bounds allotted to this work,
to give the history of this plain but able advocate of vital religion. The
reader may be readily acquainted with it by recurring to his own [P. 8]
account contained in a Journal of his Life, which he has left behind
him. Early after he came forth in the ministry, many embraced the Truth to
which he pointed, and a Society was formed in England, who were known to
each other by the name of Friends.
Many were the persecutions and sufferings to which this community was exposed.
An account of them may be read either in Sewel's or Gough's history. A
fundamental and primary object in the infancy of the Society was to turn
the attention of the people from outward forms and dependencies to the Light
of Christ in themselves. This they confidently maintained was universal;
that every man was enlightened by it; and that until the rational creation
should conform to it, their claim to true religion had no solid foundation
in Christianity. When they became distinguished, many accusations were raised
against them, in order to prejudice their religious profession in the view
of others. Such accusations were usually met by suitable explanations. In
the course of these occurrences, there occasionally appeared reasons for
their dissent from others, but as such reasons were spread among controversial
writings, no regular system or concentrated profession of their belief had
as yet appeared. These circumstances continued until Robert Barclay, enlightened,
as we believe, by the Light of Christ, discovered the necessity for a remedy;
hence he was impressed with a [P. 9] concern to communicate to the world
his ideas and judgment of the true Christian principles and doctrines of
the infant Society, of which he was a member; and accordingly published the
work usually known by the name of Barclay's Apology. This book the
Society of Friends approve. In it the reader may find a full and ample account
of their belief concerning the Christian religion and the duties which it
enjoins. But the Apology being more especially adapted, in some
particulars, to the time in which it was written, and also requiring a very
attentive examination of all its relations and dependencies, in order fully
to comprehend the views of its author; it is therefore a work which we have
reason to believe is at this day not so generally and deliberately read as
we could wish. A work more concise, and, as far as possible, adapted to the
same purpose, it is believed might be useful to many of our young people,
and the means of information to such as are strangers to the Society of Friends.
Under these considerations an attempt is made to give a summary of our
profession. From the nature of the subjects which will be treated upon, some
reasonings may be expected; but generally the plan will be to state the belief
of the Society, and to show the correspondence of such belief with the meaning
and doctrine of the Holy Scriptures. The author will not be confined from
occasionally entering upon controverted points, and that because he believes
it will be unavoidable. The Society of Friends are known to [P. 10] differ
in their profession, in various particulars, from others; and in stating
to others their doctrines and belief, he will necessarily have to show, in
some instances, the reasons for such difference. This will be done not with
a view to oppose any class of Christian professors, but wholly in conformity
with the nature of the task he has undertaken.
Next: The Christian's Belief.