The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-02-28
The Faith of The Society Of Friends.

Howard M. Jenkins. (Regret wei
have not room for the entire article.
George, Fox the son of aweaver, him.
self q shoemaker and shepherd, was
born in 1924, and began his religious
labors somewhat earlier than looO.
The Friends or Quakers, an out
growth from the protestant move
ment, are found in Great Britain, tne
United States Canada and Australla.
Their actual membership is less than
10000. In America their is mem
bership somewhat less than 2, 600.
Truth must be weighed, not meas
ured. 1t does not depend on num-
Religion is simple and complex.
It is q practicle work, and not for-
mula Of doctrine or program OF rlt-
ual.
George Fox proposed to return to
=. He wished to call mankind
:, home. 1.-The Kingdom of God is
within you"
Seif.evident, selfproved, the Light
Within demands no confirmation by
bell. book or candle. Convicting and
convincing, it shines alike for prince
or pauper, for savent or savage, IN
palace or desert, on land or sea.
True .Quakerism, means both the
knowledge of God spiritually, and
the practicle manifestation of that
knowledge in this present life.
The conflict of early Quakerism
with the existing system of England,
social and religious, was necessarily
acute. The Friends proposed too
muoh,, and suffered accordingly.
Their reward for being two centuries
in advance of their time was to be
whipped, imprisoned, branded and
starved, and,-on the gallows of Bos'
ton on,-hanged.
Quakerism has been called the
consumate flower of Puritanism," but
no opposition was more harsh than
that which the Puritans generally
made. Though they We're langulsh-
ingin their horrible gaols for COM
mon cause, the Baptist tinker impris-
oned at Bedford had nothing but con-
demnation for the Quaker shoemaker
confined at Lancaster the pious and
courageous Bunyan, viewing the field
at q different and certainly narrow
angle, was one of Foxes most extreme
opponents. Bunyan saw the cross out
wardly, Fox embraced 1t inwardly.
The one wanted to be saved from hell,
the other to be preserved from sin.
As tile muezzin never tires, and nev-
er fails, but repeats unvaringly from
apeto age his summons to prayer, so
forever, while it lives, Quakerism IS
bound to cry to the churches, "Turn
within p' Turn within !" Is this war? ?
It is'peace. 1t is the appeal to the
common tie and common grUund OF
all religions.
AS, the Nineteenth Century closes,
in the discourse of many earnest and
spiritual evangelists is heard the very
thought Of Fox. .. .....>
THE FIRST FIVE PRINCIPLES OF
QUAKERIsM.
First.-The Supreme Being.-Recog-
milton and worship of God, the Crea-
ton and Ruler Of All, attributing to
him the supreme qualities of Goodness,
Love, and Mercy.
Second.-The Divine Immanence.
Believe that God, thus good, loving,
and merciful, directly reveals himself
to the precautions of man that his
light shines into our souls, if we ad-
NIT it, and becomes thus Goods gift
for mans salvation.
Third.-The Scriptures.-Confirm-
ing this immediate revelation OF the
Divine nature and purpose, the Scrip
lures record the visitations Of God to
the souls of men in past ages, and, in
the New Testament, present to US the
sublime and growing truths of Chris
tian dispensation.
Fourth.-The Divinity of Christ.
Convinced that the Divine nature,
the Christ Spirit, the Word (which
was in the beginning" dwelt in Jesus
in an unparalleled, ar. to our finite
perceptions, an immeasurable degree,
we regard him, las John G. Whittier
has. formulated it), as 1.-THE highest
possible manifestation of God in
man."
Fifth. The Christ Rule in Daily
Life.-Desiring guidance of the Divine
Spirit which was in Jesus, and en-
bracing, from the force of his example
andathrough inward confinement,
theinfiAite truth he illustrated and
and taught, Friends see it in the ideal
of q religious life and have striven to
make real his teachings,-the Spirit
not the Letter Reality, not Form :;
Love, not Hatred; Brotherly Kind
ness, not Oppression Moderation not
Excess Simplicity, not Ostentation !;
Sincerity. not Pretense; Truth, not
Deceit; Economy, not Waste; and
out of their sincere, if unprotected,
endeavors to guide their daily acts
by these Christian rules have logically
and directly come their testimonies.
and most, If not all, OF their "peculi-
arities.
No measure of severity and cruelty,
no shedding of blood or waste of treas
ure, have ever availed to bring about
an agreement upon doctrinal opin-
ions.
A unity of the spirit is, indeed, a
visible sign of the Quaker system.
A pure spiritual worship.
A free gospel ministry. Religious
liberty. A testimony against war and
oppression. A testimony against
oaths. A testimony against vain
fashions, corrupting amusements, and
fiattering titles.b The worship of the
Friends, in silence, without form or
ceremony or Encouragement nof ser
vices their rejection of professional
ministry, or sacred order their char
ity and tolerance as to the essentials
Of doctrine; and their several testi-
monies against war and oppression,
the taking of oaths, and the vanities
and corruptions of the world, are q
near and close revival of the primi-
tive church.
The Friends have never accepted or
observed the so-called Ordinances.