Friends

a religious society. They are commonly called Quakers. The denomination had its rise in England about the middle of the seventeenth century, largely through the preaching of George Fox, who is considered the founder of the sect. At that time the Church of England persecuted all who did not conform to its worship. In 1656, according to the account of Fox, there were over 1,000 Friends in prison. Many died in prison; others were sold into slavery; others died from mob violence. The crimes of which they were accused were such as refusal to pay church tithes, to take oath in court, and to remove their hats. They disturbed the public peace by preaching in open places, and broke the Sabbath by traveling beyond the bounds of the parish to remote places of meeting. In 1656 two Quaker women came to New England. They were imprisoned and sent back. Others could not be deterred from coming. Although the Puritans had themselves been persecuted by the Church of England they were none the less indignant that the Quakers should follow them into their retirement in the New World and make trouble. Prejudice was so strong that men and women were stripped to the waist, tied at the cart's tail, and whipped publicly through the streets. Four Quakers, one of them a woman, were hanged on Boston Common. In spite of persecution, however, the Quakers increased throughout New England. In 1681 the colony of Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn, largely as a place of refuge for oppressed Friends. The population of Philadelphia still shows traces of the original Quaker stock. It has been called the Quaker City. At the present time the various societies of Friends number about 140,000 members. About four-fifths of these are in the United States. There are about 20,000 in England, Ireland, and Australia.

Plain living, sobriety in dress, industry, thrift, and shrewdness are the traditional characteristics of Friends. They decline to take oath, interpreting literally Christ's injunction, "Swear not at all." They do not believe in a paid ministry. Their meetings are conducted in silence unless someone feels impelled to deliver a message--to speak. Consistent Quakers refuse to perform military service. They speak of first day, second day, third day, etc., refusing to use the heathen names of the days of the week or of the month. Marriage is celebrated by the joining of hands in the presence of witnesses. No sacraments are celebrated. They believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and in communion of the soul with its Maker, but not in outward baptism and the Lord's Supper. The basis of their teaching is a belief that, in religious matters, each soul is illumined directly by the Holy Spirit and stands face to face with its Maker without need of priest or intermediator.