A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume 1 | Page 3

length these causes of
prevention ceased. But when, after this, the subject recurred, I did not
seem to have the industry and perseverance, though I had still the

inclination left, for the undertaking. Time, however, continued to steal
on, till at length I began to be apprehensive, but more particularly
within the last two years, that, if I were to delay my work much longer,
I might not live to begin it at all. This consideration operated upon me.
But I was forcibly struck by another, namely, that, if I were not to put
my hand to the task, the Quakers would probably continue to be as little
known to their fellow-citizens, as they are at present. For I did not see
who was ever to give a full and satisfactory account of them. It is true
indeed, that there are works, written by Quakers, from which a certain
portion of their history, and an abstract of their religious principles,
might be collected; but none, from whence their living manners could
be taken. It is true also that others, of other religious denominations,
have written concerning them; but of those authors, who have
mentioned them in the course of their respective writings, not one, to
my knowledge, has given a correct account of them. It would be
tedious to dwell on the errors of Mosheim, or of Formey, or of Hume,
or on those to be found in many of the modern periodical[1]
publications. It seemed, therefore, from the circumstance of my
familiar intercourse with the Quakers, that it devolved upon me
particularly to write their history. And I was the more confirmed in my
opinion, because, in looking forward, I was never able to foresee the
time when any other cause would equally, with that of the slave-trade,
bring any other person, who was not of the society, into such habits of
friendship with the Quakers, as that he should obtain an equal degree of
knowledge concerning them with myself. By this new consideration I
was more than ordinarily stimulated, and I began my work.
[Footnote 1: I must except Dr. Toulmin's revision of Neal's history of
the Puritans. One or two publications have appeared since, written, in a
liberal spirit, but they are confined principally to the religious
principles of the Quakers.]
It is not improbable but some may imagine from the account already
given, that this work will be a partial one, or that it will lean, more than
it ought to do, in favour of the Quakers. I do not pretend to say, that I
shall be utterly able to divest myself of all undue influence, which their
attention towards me may have produced, or that I shall be utterly
unbiased, when I consider them as fellow-labourers in the work of the
abolition of the slave-trade; for if others had put their shoulders to the

wheel equally with them on the occasion, one of the greatest causes of
human misery, and moral evil, that was ever known in the world, had
been long ago annihilated, nor can I conceal, that I have a regard for
men, of whom it is a just feature in their character, that, whenever they
can be brought to argue upon political subjects, they reason upon
principle, and not upon consequences; for if this mode of reasoning had
been adopted by others, but particularly by men in exalted stations,
policy had given way to moral justice, and there had been but little
public wickedness in the world. But though I am confessedly partial to
the Quakers on account of their hospitality to me, and on account of the
good traits in their moral character, I am not so much so, as to be blind
to their imperfections. Quakerism is of itself a pure system, and, if
followed closely, will lead towards purity and perfection; but I know
well that all, who profess it, are not Quakers. The deviation therefore of
their practice from their profession, and their frailties and imperfections,
I shall uniformly lay open to them, wherever I believe them to exist.
And this I shall do, not because I wish to avoid the charge of partiality,
but from a belief, that it is my duty to do it.
The society, of which I am to speak, are called[2] Quakers by the world,
but are known to each other by the name of friends, a beautiful
appellation, and characteristic of the relation, which man, under the
christian dispensation, ought uniformly to bear to man.
[Footnote 2: Justice Bennet of Derby gave the society the name of
Quakers in the year 1650, because the founder of it ordered him, and
those present with him, to tremble at the word of the Lord.]
The Founder of the society was George Fox He was born of