T H E H I S T O RY O F T H E S O C I E T Y O F F R I E N D S A M E RI C A . B Y J A M E S B O W D E N . Whatso ever is b orn of God o ve rcom eth th e world and this is th e victory that o e rco m e th th e worl d e en our fa th . v , v i h o i h e th a o vercom e th th e wor d b ut h e th e h t e W s t l , at b lieve t th at Je sus is h — S on of Go d 1 J H N . 4 5. O v , V O L . I . L O N D O N STREET WIT O T CH ARLES 5 B ISH OPSGATE H U . GILPIN, , P E E R F A C . To inve stigate th e rise and t o trace th e pro gre ss o f a particular se ctio n o f th e re ligio us co mmunity is an int e e o e e e e e e t o eo e r sting bj ct, and wh n it has r f r nc a p pl such th e o e o f rie o e e e so as S ci ty F nds , wh s principl s and practic s pro min e ntly distinguish th e m am o ng o th e rs o f th e Christian e th e e e o f s ur u e o e e e n nam , int r st uch a p s it b c m s gr atly e h th e hanc d . T e de sign o f th e fo llo wing sh e e ts is t o re co rd o o f i e o e A er — a o e hist ry th s p pl in m ica, c untry in which th y e xp e rie nc e d th e e xtre m e s o f e ntir e fr e e do m o f co nscie nc e o n th e o n e e e i o e e o o n th e hand, and cru l r l gi us p rs cuti n o e th r . The re e xist at th e pre se nt tim e o n th e N o rth Am e rican co ntin e nt n e arly six hundre d distinct religio us asse mblie s o f th e o e o f rie e e o e th e e o e e i S ci ty F nds, scatt r d v r r gi n xt nd ng o M e th e o t o th e o i fr m Canada and ain in n rth, Car l nas and e e e e th e o u o m e o o n th e T nn ss in S th , and fr its citi s and p rts A t o th e o e e o f th e . e e tlantic, c untri s lying w st Mississippi Th s co mp o se in all s eve n se parate and inde p e nd e nt Ye arly M e et o th e e e o - fifth s o f th e o e ings, and f rm in aggr gat f ur wh l Th e o numb e r o f this p eo ple in th e w o rld . c nside ratio n o f this fact is calculate d th e re fo re to e xcite an inquiry such as e e that t o which this wo rk is d vo t d . PRE FA C E . r e n o o e e o o o f th e a e It is t u , that inc nsid rabl p rti ns valu bl o r e o o f e we Go e re e e e t o t h e hist i s b th S l and ugh, hav f r nc f Th e o e e o e e s o e e . e pr c ding Fri nds in Am rica d tails, h w v r, which th e se fu rnish are co nfine d principally t o th e suffe rings o f f e r N e w E so m e o their e arly m mb e rs o ministe rs in ngland, and t o transactio ns o f t h e S o cie ty within th e limits o f Pe nn th e e e o e e sylvania and J rseys . Th e pre s nt w rk mbrac s a e e t o e o o f much wid r fi ld, and aims xhibit a distinct hist ry e ach individual Ye arly M e e ting o f Fr ie nds in A m e rica fro m s o t its ri e d wn o a p e rio d c o mparatively re c e nt . Th e n ew and unpublishe d mate rials r e latin g t o th e S o cie ty o f e th e we e o un e o Fri nds in st rn w rld, which, d r many fav ur able circumstance s th e w rite r has be e n e nable d t o co lle ct o o o u e o n o e o f th e A o e e fr m vari us s rc s b th sid s tlantic, t g th r with an e asy acce ss t o num e ro us printe d wo rks o f ancie nt te o f e e e i e th e da and gr at s carcity, hav plac d w thin his r ach m e ans o f e ffe cting th e o bj e ct t o a much large r ext e nt than h e o ul o c d have anticipate d . And h e re h e de sire s t o ackn w ' le dge th e kind and valuable assistance which h e has de rive d o o m m e e th e e e b th fr tings and individuals, in r adin ss with e e o him t o e e e o . which th y hav all w d acc ss M S S , including s m tho usands o f le tt e rs o f e arly Frie nds ; with o th e r imp o rtant o i o e o f o e e hist r cal d cum nts m r r ce nt dat e . i th e o o f th e o e o f e In study ng hist ry S ci ty Fri nds, it has e e t o th e o o t o e t h e app ar d auth r imp rtant, rightly und rstand re ligio u s characte r and co nditio n o f th e p o p u latio n am o ngst o ur o s h e which e arly Frie nds ar s e . With thi Vie w t e chapt r o n th e disco ve ry an d co lo nizatio n o f N o rth Am e ri ca has b e e n o e o o e e e e o e intr duc d , and th ugh s m what xt nd d, it is h p d that e i e e its d tails w ll no t b e co nsid r d inappro priat e . It h ad b e e n int e nde d als o t o acco m pany this w o rk with an P RE FAC E . intro d ucto ry e ssay o n th e vario us disp e nsatio ns o f Divine o e e t o m an t o o e th e e e e e o f Pr vid nc , and n tic r markabl s ri s e e e for th e o ev nts, by which way was gradually pr par d intr ductio n int o th e w o rld o f th e re ligio n o f o ur L o rd and o e e t o e e e o f th e S avi ur J sus Christ, as w ll as giv a bri f Vi w histo ry o f th e Chr istian church do wn t o th e tim e o f Ge o rge Fo x as o e o o f . e t o b e o e ; but, bs rvati ns this kind app ar m r e t o e e o o f e e e n o t e e suit d a g n ral hist ry Fri nds, th y hav b n n e o o e e ri e e o e i tro duc d int this m r r st ct d w o rk .