and poignant suffering, unjustly inflicted, have rarely been exhibited to the world; and nothing less than the marvellous extension of Almighty Power could have sustained and carried them through it all, to the peaceful enjoyment of that liberty of conscience, for which they nobly contended. Their conduct furnishes the strongest evidence of sincere and devoted attachment to the cause of Christ. It proves that they were true men, earnestly engaged in seeking after truth; while the Divine support they experienced, and the brightness with which they were enabled to hold forth, in their example, the Christian virtues, are no inconsiderable testimonies of the favour of that God whom they delighted to serve.

The character of the founders of the Society has not been duly appreciated, even by many of their successors in religious profession. We look back to the age in which they lived, as one of comparative ignorance; and tracing the improvements which have since been made in the arts, and in literature and the sciences, as well as the liberal views of civil and religious liberty which now generally obtain, we are apt to undervalue the wisdom and attainments of our ancestors. But our opinion respecting them will change when we discover how far they were in advance of the times in which they flourished,-that though many of them possessed but few of the advantages of literary instruction, yet their minds, enlightened by the influences of the Spirit of Truth, and expanded by Christian benevolence, were prepared to perceive and to promulgate those great moral and religious truths which are considered the peculiar ornament and glory of the present age.

One of the earliest subjects of concern to George Fox, was the want of moderation and temperance in eating and drinking. "The Lord showed me," says he, "that I might not eat and drink to make myself wanton, but for health, using the creatures as servants, in their places, to the glory of Him that created them." He also observes, that he was engaged "in warning such as kept public houses for entertainment, that they should not let people have more drink than would do them good," and in crying against the sin of drunkenness; setting an example of remarkable abstinence in his manner of life. The testimony thus early and zealously enforced has ever since been maintained, and from that period to the present, Friends, as a body, have been a Temperance Society.

No less clear were his views in regard to speaking the truth on all occasions, without the use of an oath. "The Lord showed me," says he, "that though the people of the world have mouths full of deceit and changeable words, yet I was to keep to yea and nay in all things, and that my words should be few and savoury,

seasoned with grace;"-"warning all to deal justly, to speak the truth, to let their yea be yea and their nay nay, and to do unto others as they would have others do unto them;"- -"that Christ commanded, Swear not at all; and God, when he bringeth the first begotten into the world, saith, Let all the angels of God worship Him, even Christ Jesus, who saith, Swear not at all. As for the plea, that men make for swearing, viz., to end their strife, Christ, who forbids swearing, destroys the devil and his works, who is the author of strife."

The uniform and consistent example of the first Friends, in respect to a scrupulous adherence to their word, as men of truth, and to strict uprightness in all their dealings, soon gained them a high reputation for those virtues. Their objection to the use of oaths cost them much suffering, but their faithfulness at length triumphed over opposition, and their conscientious scruple was recognized and tolerated by an act of Parliament. Since that period, a striking change has been wrought in public opinion, scarcely one in five taking the oath in our courts of judicature. By a late act of Parliament, nearly all oaths, excepting those of judicial character, are dispensed with in England, by which it is computed nearly a thousand oaths per day will be spared.

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The benevolent and enlightened mind of George Fox was deeply affected with the sanguinary character of the penal code of Great Britain, and believing that the benign spirit of the gospel would lead to save men's lives rather than to destroy them, he was engaged to write to the judges and others in authority, concerning their putting to death for small matters, and to show them how contrary it was to the law of God in old time; for," says he, "I was under great suffering in my spirit because of it." In an address "to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England," setting forth a number of particulars" for taking away oppressive laws, &.," he says, "Let no one be put to death for [stealing] cattle, or money, or any outward thing-but let them restore; and mind the law of God, which is equity and measurable, agreeable to the offence.”

This is perhaps the earliest account extant of any proposal for lessening the frequency of capital punishments.

The amiable and pacific principles which produced these views in the founder of the Society, gave rise to corresponding feelings in the minds of other members. William Penn, in framing the laws of Pennsylvania, mitigated considerably the harshness of the English code, and it is a well known fact, that Friends have always been the advocates of a mild system of punishment, coupled with penitentiary regulations.

In the improvement of prisons and prison discipline they also took the lead.

Being frequently confined for his conscientious adherence to the precepts of Christ and his apostles, he had an opportunity of seeing the wretched condition of the jails in England, and of witnessing the demoralizing effects of associating the novice in crime with the hardened offender. His tender feelings were quickly awakened on this interesting subject, and when about twenty-six years of age he published a paper, showing "what a hurtful thing it was for prisoners to lie so long in jail, and how they learned wickedness one of another, in talking of their bad deeds;" and inciting the judges of courts to the prompt administration of law, that the prisoners might as quickly as practicable be removed from the influence of such corrupting examples. In the address to the Parliament, before quoted, he says, "Let none be goalers that are drunkards, swearers, or oppressors of the people; but such as may be good examples to the prisoners. And let none lie long in jail, for that is the way to spoil people, and to make more thieves; for there they learn wickedness together." Again, he says, "Let all jails be in wholesome places, that the prisoners may not lie in the filth, and straw like chaff, &c.;" and after mentioning some of the nuisances then existing in prisons, he adds, "Let these things be mended."

There are several other recommendations, which bespeak the liberality and correctness of his views; such as the following, viz.:

"Let all the laws in England be brought into a known tongue." Many of them, as well as the proceedings of courts, were then in the Latin language.

"Let no swearer, nor curser, nor drunkard, bear any office whatever, nor be put in any place."

"Let none keep alehouses or taverns but those who fear God; that will not let the creatures of God be destroyed by drunken

ness.

"Let no man keep an alehouse or tavern, that keeps bowls, shuffle-boards, or fiddlers, or dice, or cards."

"Let neither beggar, nor blind people, nor fatherless, nor widows, nor cripples, go begging up and down the streets; but that a house may be provided for them all, and also meat, that there may be never a beggar among you."

"And let all this wearing of gold lace and costly attire be ended, and clothe the naked and feed the hungry with the superfluity. And turn not your ear away from the cry of the poor."

About the time that George Fox attained his twenty-sixth year, considerable efforts were made to induce him to join the parliament army, and a captaincy over a band of newly-raised troops was offered to him. But his religious opinions would not permit him to take up arms in any cause. The ruling principle of his life

was "peace on earth and good will to men.' ." He whose commands he esteemed of paramount authority, directed his followers to "love their enemies;" to do good to those who hated them, and to pray for those who despitefully used and evilly entreated them. He had none of that sophistry which could reconcile the horrors of the battle field, the anger, the revenge, and the cruelty which reign there, with these benevolent precepts. The simple acceptance of revealed truth, was strongly marked in the character of the primitive Quakers. They sought not to evade or fritter away the strict and positive injunctions of Holy Writ, because they came in collision with popular opionion, or thwarted the wayward inclinations of the human heart. "I told them," says George Fox, when speaking of the above-mentioned circumstance, “that I knew from whence all wars arose, even from the lusts, according to James' doctrine, and that I lived in the virtue of that life and power that took away the occasion of all wars. Yet they courted me to accept the offer, and thought I did but compliment them. But I told them I was come into the covenant of peace, which was before wars and strifes." Persuasion not effecting their object, they threw him into the common jail, where he lay for six months, but without shaking his constancy.

When Sir George Booth afterward rose in favour of the king, the Committee of Safety solicited Friends to enrol and join the army, offering important posts and commands to some of them. But neither the sharpness of their sufferings on one hand, nor prospects of honours or preferment on the other, could induce them to violate their Christian testimony in favour of universal peace; and to the present day it has been steadily maintained, at no inconsiderable sacrifice both of liberty and estate.

The situation of the African race, and of the Indian nations in America, claimed much of his attention and sympathy. One of his first engagements among his friends, after reaching Barbadoes, was to hold a meeting of conference, in which, among other directions, he enjoined them "to train their negroes up in the fear of God, that all might come to the knowledge of the Lord, and that, with Joshua, every master of a family might say, 'as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' I desired also that they would cause their overseers to deal mildly and gently with their negroes, and not use cruelty toward them, as the manner of some hath been and is, and that after certain years of servitude, they should make them free." In one of his epistles, he expresses the sentiment that "liberty is the right of all men," and on many occasions he evinced a strong solicitude that the benefits of a religious education should be extended to them, as being equally interested with others, in that salvation which was purchased for us by the Saviour's death.

His mind, expanded by Christian benevolence, reached forth in desire for the salvation of all mankind. So exceedingly precious did he esteem the glad tidings of the gospel, and so adapted to the wants of man in every situation, that he not only preached Christ crucified, to the slaves and Indians, while in America, but urged upon his brethren the same duty. "All Friends, everywhere," says he, in one of his epistles, "who have Indians or Blacks, are to preach the gospel to them and other servants, if you be true Christians." "And also you must instruct and teach your Indians and Negroes, and all others, that Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man, and gave himself a ransom for all men, to be testified in due time, and is the propitiation, not for the sins of Christians only, but for the sins of the whole world." Again, he observes, "Do not neglect your family meetings among your whites and negroes; but do your diligence and duty to God and them." In another epistle to his friends, he directs them to go among the Indians, and get the chiefs to assemble their people, in order that they may declare to them God's free salvation through Jesus Christ the Lord.

The same enlarged views are evinced by the letters he wrote to some Friends, who, in pursuing a seafaring life had been carried captive to the coast of Africa. He advises them to acquire a knowledge of the language spoken in the places where they were situated, in order that they might be able to preach to the inhabitants the glad tidings of redemption through a crucified Saviour, and to translate works which would tend to promote Christian knowledge.

Nor was this Christian concern for the promulgation of the gospel confined to George Fox. William Penn, in his frequent intercourse with the Indians, took especial care not only to teach them Christianity by precept, but, by a just, liberal and blameless conduct and example, to prepare their minds for the reception of its sublime truths. Ministers of the Society, at different periods, travelled into remote countries, without the least prospect of temporal reward, in order to declare unto others that free salvation, of which, through the mercy of God, they were made partakers.

In advocating the cause of religious and civil liberty, the Society of Friends has always stood conspicuous. During a protracted period of persecution and suffering, they nobly refused to sacrifice their conscientious scruples, maintaining a patient but firm and unyielding opposition to the arbitrary intolerance and cruelty of those in power. Their steadfastness and boldness in suffering, not only relieved other dissenters from the sharpness of persecution, but tended to prepare the way for those more correct views of toleration which subsequently obtained.

Baxter, though not favourably disposed towards Friends, bears