SOCIETY OF FRIENDS, THE.
The Society of Friends arose in England about the middle of the seventeenth century. Though none of its doctrines can be called original, some of them had been almost lost sight of, some had been practically rejected by many branches of the Christian church, and they had not been pro claimed as a whole, since apostolic days, until George Fox set them forth. He is therefore; rightly called the founder of the society.
The early Friends accepted the fundamental doc trines as held by the great body of Christians, hut dwelt, far more than others, on the priesthood of all believers ; on the direct communication of the will of God to the individual ; and on the im mediate guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is upon these doctrines that most of the distinctive fea tures of the Society depend. Fox placed the whole life upon one plane—the loftiest aspira tions and the humblest duties to be alike governed by the same divine law.
(1) Has No Creed. The Society has at dif ferent times issued "declarations of faith," but has never adopted a creed.
The Friends hold that spiritual baptism and spiritual communion are alone essential, and that no rites were instituted by Christ ; that true wor ship is of the spirit, and that no ritual can take the place of the reality ; that by meeting in silence for the purpose of worship, the Spirit has op portimity to speak directly to the heart without human mediation, and to call upon whom he will to speak. or to pray vocally. 11 Misters are called and (nullified of God irrespective of sex, and the exercise of their gifts ,liould he independent of education or special training. though the for mer is not to he undervalued in itself. A minis ter is "recorded" as having, in the judgment of the church, "received a gift in the ministry," but there is no ordination or necessary relinquishment of other occupations. There may be. therefore. more than one minister in a congregation.
The Friends believe that oaths of any kind are contrary to the direct command of Christ, and that war is wholly opposed to the spirit of the Gospel. Simplicity in dress, and strict truthful
ness in language, arc deemed religious duties. Uniformity in dress, not thought of by the early Friends, was the product of a later age, and is now practically abandoned.
(2) Democratic. The organization is demo cratic; there is no division into clergy and laity. The executive body is the "monthly meeting ;" several of these form a "quarterly meeting," and several of these latter constitute a "yearly meet ing." which is the legislative body, from which there is no appeal. The bounds of a "yearly meet mg" are generally determined by geograph ical considerations. "Yearly meetings" are inde pendent, though there is at present a movement looking towards some sort of a union with limited legislative powers. There are also in many places sonic modifications in the manner of holding meet ings for worship.
(3) Missionary Attempts. The early Friends were full of missionary zeal, and Europe, Asia, Africa, and America were visited by them, George Fox himself coming to America in 1672. The first recorded visit to America was that of Ann Austin and Mary Fisher, who came from Barba does to Boston in 1656. The Puritans treated these Nvoinen shamefully, imprisoned them for five weeks, and sent them back. In spite of persecu tion and the death of four on the scaffold, on Boston Common, Friends kept coming to Massa chusetts, until their endurance and persistent faithfulness to what they believed to he their duty, won, not only in Massachusetts, but elsewhere in America, religious liberty for themselves and for all others. Of all the colonies, except the Jerseys and Pennsylvania, which were settled by \Villiam Penn and other Friends, Rhode Island alone at all times offered them a safe place of residence. Besides in New England. communities sprang up in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and New York.