teaching every where, according to their foundation, that unless this work was known, there was no inheriting the kingdom of God.

Thirdly, this leads to an acknowledgment of eternal rewards and punishments, as they have good reason; for else of all people, certainly they must be the most miserable, who for above forty years have been exceeding great sufferers for their profession, and in some cases treated worse than the worst of men, yea, as the refuse and off-scouring of all things.

This was the purport of their doctrine and ministry, which, for the most part, is what other professors of Christianity pretend to hold in words and forms, but not in the power of godliness, which, generally speaking, has been long lost by men's departing from that principle and seed of life that is in man, and which man has not regarded, but lost the sense of, and in and by which he can only be quickened in his mind to serve the living God in newness of life. For as the life of religion was lost, and the generality lived and worshipped God after their own wills, and not after the will of God, nor the mind of Christ, which stood in the works and fruits of the holy spirit; so that which they pressed was not notion but experience, nor formality but godliness; as being sensible in themselves, through the work of God's righteous judgments, that without holiness no man should ever see the Lord with comfort.

Besides these doctrines, and out of them as the larger branches, there sprang forth several particular doctrines, that did exemplify and further explain the truth and efficacy of the general doctrine before observed in their lives and examples. As,

I. Communion and loving one another. This is a noted mark in the mouth of all sorts of people concerning them: They will meet, they will help and stick one to another.' Whence it is common to hear some say, Look how the Quakers love and take care of one another.' Others less moderate will say, 'The Quakers love none but themselves.' And if loving one another, and having an intimate communion in religion, and constant care to meet to worship God and help one another, be any mark of primitive christianity, they had it, blessed be the Lord, in an ample manner.

II. To love enemies. This they both taught and practised; for they did not only refuse to be revenged for injuries done them, and condemned it as of an unchristian spirit, but they did freely forgive, yea, help and relieve, those that had been cruel to them, when it was in their power to have been even with them; of which many and singular instances might be given; endeavouring, through patience, to overcome all injustice and oppression, and preaching this doctrine as christian for others to follow.

III. The sufficiency of truth-speaking, according to Christ's own form of words, of yea, yea, and nay, nay, among Christians, without

swearing, both from Christ's express prohibition, 'swear not at all,' Matt. v. and for that they being under the tie and bond of truth in themselves, there was both no necessity for an oath, and it would be a reproach to their christian veracity to assure their truth by such an extraordinary way of speaking; but offering at the same time to be punished to the full for false speaking, as others for perjury, if ever guilty of it. And hereby they exclude, with all true, all false and profane swearing, for which the land did and doth mourn, and the great God was, and is not a little offended with it.

IV. Not fighting but suffering is another testimony peculiar to this people. They affirm that christianity teacheth people to beat their swords into plough shares, and their spears into pruning hooks, and to learn war no more, that so the wolf may lie down with the lamb, and the lion with the calf, and nothing that destroys be entertained in the hearts of people;' exhorting them to employ their zeal against sin, and turn their anger against satan, and no longer war one against another; because all wars and fightings come of men's own hearts' lusts, according to the apostle James, and not of the meek spirit of Christ Jesus, who is captain of another warfare, and which is carried on with other weapons. Thus, as truth-speaking succeeded swearing, so faith and patience succeeded fighting, in the doctrine and practice of this people. Nor ought they for this to be obnoxious to civil government, since if they cannot fight for it, neither can they fight against it, which is no mean security to any state; nor is it reasonable that people should be blamed for not doing more for others than they can do for themselves. And christianity set aside, if the costs and fruits of war were well considered, peace, with its inconveniences, is generally preferable. But though they were not for fighting, they were for submitting to government; and that not only for fear, but for conscience sake, where government doth not interfere with conscience, believing it to be an ordinance of God, and where it is justly administered, a great benefit to mankind: though it has been their lot, through blind zeal in some, and interest in others, to have felt the strokes of it with greater weight and rigour than any other persuasion in this age; whilst they, of all others, (religion set aside,) have given the civil magistrate the least occasion of trouble in the discharge of his office.

V. Another part of the character of this people is, they refuse to pay tithes, or maintainance to a national ministry, and that for two reasons: the one is, that they believe all compelled maintainance, even to gospel ministers, to be unlawful, because expressly contrary to Christ's command, who said, Freely you have received, freely give;' at least, that the maintainance of gospel ministers should be free and not forced. The other reason of their refusal is, because those minis

ters are not gospel ones, in that the holy ghost is not their foundation, but human arts and parts. So that it is not matter of humour or sullenness, but pure conscience towards God, that they cannot help to support national ministers where they dwell, which are but too much and too visibly become ways of worldly advantage and preferment.

VI. Not to respect persons, was another of their doctrines and practices, for which they were often buffeted and abused. They affirmed it to be sinful to give flattering titles, or to use vain gestures and compliments of respect; though to virtue and authority they ever made a difference, but after their plain and homely manner, yet sincere and substantial way, well remembering the example of Mordecai and Elihu, but more especially the command of their Lord and master Jesus Christ, who forbade his followers to call men rabbi, which implies Lord and master; also the fashionable greetings and salutations of those times, that so self-love and honour, to which the proud mind of man is incident, in his fallen estate, might not be indulged but rebuked.

VII. They also used the plain language of thou and thee to a single person, whatever was his degree among men. And indeed, the wisdom of God was much seen, in bringing forth this people in so plain an appearance; for it was a close and distinguishing test upon the spirits of those they came among; showing their insides and what predominated, notwithstanding their high and great profession of religion. This, among the rest, sounded so harsh to many of them, and they took it so ill, that they would say, 'Thou me! thou my dog? If thou thouest me, I'll thou thy teeth down thy throat;' forgetting the language they use to God in their own prayers, and the common style of the scriptures, and that it is an absolute and essential propriety of speech. And what good, alas! had their religion done them, who were so sensibly touched with indignity for the use of this plain, honest, and true speech?

VIII. They recommended silence by their example, having very few words upon all occasions. They were at a word in dealing; nor could their customers' many words tempt them from it; having more regard to truth than custom, to example than gain. They sought solitude; but when in company, they would neither use nor willingly hear unnecessary or unlawful discourses; whereby they preserved their minds pure and undisturbed from unprofitable thoughts and diversions; nor could they humour the custom of 'Good night, Good morrow, God speed; for they knew the night was good, and the day was good, without wishing of either; and that in the other expression, the holy name of God was too lightly and unthinkingly used, and therefore taken in vain. Besides they were words and wishes of course, and are

usually as little meant, as are love and service in the custom of cap and knee; and superfluity in those as well as in other things was burdensome to them, and therefore they did not only decline to use them, but found themselves often pressed to reprove the practice.

IX. For the same reason they forbore drinking to people, or pledging of them, as the manner of the world is: a practice that is not only unnecessary, but they thought evil in the tendencies of it; being a provocation to drinking more than did people good, as well as that it was in itself vain and heathenish.

X. Their way of marriage is peculiar to them, and shows a distinguishing care above other societies professing christianity. They say that marriage is an ordinance of God, and that God only can rightly join man and woman in marriage. Therefore they use neither priest nor magistrate, but the man and woman concerned take each other as husband and wife in the presence of divers credible witnesses, 'promising unto each other, with God's assistance, to be loving and faithful in that relation till death shall separate them.' But, antecedent to this, they first present themselves to the Monthly Meeting for the affairs of the church where they reside; there declaring their intentions to take one another as husband and wife, if the said meeting have nothing material to object against it. They are constantly asked the necessary questions, as in case of parents or guardians, if they have acquainted them with their intention, and have their consent, &c. The method of the meeting is to take a minute thereof, and to appoint proper persons to inquire of their conversation and clearness from all others, and whether they have discharged their duty to their parents or guardians, and make report thereof to the next Monthly Meeting; where the same parties are desired to give their attendance. In case it appears they have proceeded orderly, the meeting passes their proposal, and so records it in their meeting book. And in case the woman be a widow and hath children, due care is there taken, that provision also be made by her for the orphans before the said marriage; advising the parties concerned to appoint a convenient time and place, and to give fitting notice to their relations, and such friends and neighbours as they desire should be the witnesses of their marriage: where they take one another by the hand, and by name promising reciprocally love and fidelity after the manner before expressed. Of all which proceedings a narrative, in a way of certificate, is made, to which the said parties first set their hands, thereby making it their act and deed; and then divers of the relations, spectators, and auditors set their names as witnesses of what they said and signed. Which certificate is afterwards registered in the record belonging to the meeting where the marriage is solemnized. Which regular method has been, as it deserves, adjudged in courts of

law a good marriage, where it has been disputed and contested for want of the accustomed formality of priest and ring, &c. Which ceremonies they have refused, not out of humour, but conscience reasonably grounded, inasmuch as no scripture example tells us, that the priest had any other part of old time than that of a witness among the rest, before whom the Jews used to take one another: and therefore this people look upon it as an imposition to advance the power and profits of the clergy. And for the use of the ring, it is enough to say, that it was an heathen and vain custom, and never in practice among the people of God, Jews, or primitive Christians. The words of the usual form, as 'With my body I thee worship,' &c. are hardly defensible. In short, they are more careful, exact, and regular than any form now used, and it is free of the inconveniencies other methods are attended with their care and checks being so many, and such as no clandestine marriages can be performed among them.

XI. It may not be unfit to say something here of their births and burials, which make up so much of the pomp and solemnity of too many called Christians. For births, the parents name their own children, which is usually some days after they are born, in the presence of the midwife, (if she can be there,) and those that were at the birth, &c. who afterwards sign a certificate, for that purpose prepared, of the birth and name of the child or children, which is recorded in a proper book, in the Monthly Meeting, to which the parents belong; avoiding the accustomed ceremonies and festivals.

XII. Their burials are performed with the same simplicity. If the corpse of the deceased be near any public meeting place, it is usually carried thither, for the more convenient reception of those that accompany it to the ground they bury in; and it so falls out sometimes, that while the meeting is gathering for the burial some or other have a word of exhortation, for the sake of the people there met together. After which the body is borne away by the young men, or those that are of their neighbourhood, or that were most of the intimacy of the deceased party; the corpse being in a plain coffin, without any covering or furniture upon it. At the ground, they pause some time before they put the body into its grave, that if any one there should have any thing upon them to exhort the people, they may not be disappointed, and that the relations may the more retiredly and solemnly take their last leave of the corpse of their departed kindred, and the spectators have a sense of mortality, by the occasion then given them, to reflect upon their own later end. Otherwise, they have no set rites or ceremonies on those occasions; neither do the kindred of the deceased ever wear mourning; they looking upon it as a worldly ceremony, and piece of pomp; and that what mourning is fit for a christian to have at the