By B. RHODES,
Author of "John Bright, Statesman and Orator," &c.
With Introduction by J. STOUGHTON, D.D.,
Author of "Ecclesiastical History of England,""Life of William Penn," &c., &c.
"They pleaded only for broad, unfettered, spiritual Christianity."—J. J. Gurney. Memoirs, vol. ii, p. 27.
PHILADELPHIA:
HENRY LONGSTRETH,
No. 723 Sansom Street.
1886.
I have been requested by the Author of this Volume towrite a few introductory lines; with that request Icheerfully comply. Having read the proof sheets, I cantestify to the diligence, care, and ability, with which thework has been executed. The perusal has been to me veryinteresting and very pleasant; and I have felt much satisfactionat finding that the historical conclusions here presentedare, in general, coincident with my own.
It might be supposed that a book of this limited size,and intended for popular circulation, would be based chiefly,if not entirely, on the larger and best known biographiesand histories relative to the men and the period described.But this is by no means the case. I find in these pagesnumerous signs of original research, and abundant evidencethat the writer has formed an independent judgment of thequestions coming before him in his enquiries. He has hadaccess to some unpublished correspondence, of which hehas made good use. Fourteen letters, not printed before,are laid under contribution, and they add much to thevalue of the volume.
Mr. Rhodes has evidently much sympathy with the lifeand labours of the early Quakers; and not being a memberof that Society, he is free to judge impartially of certainpoints in their singular history. That judgment he haswisely exercised. I am fully persuaded in my own mind[Pg iv]that Quakerism was a salutary reaction against the formalities,and the hard theological systematising of the age;that it called attention to forgotten truths; and that itsexcitements, though clouded by some smoke, yet burntwith fire from heaven; also I quite concur with the writerin thinking that the Society of Friends have still a placefor good amongst religious agencies at work in this nineteenthcentury. May they have grace successfully toaccomplish their mission!
I may add, that whilst all three of these biographicalsketches are valuable contributions to our ecclesiastical literature,the last, which treats of Robert Barclay, is thefullest, most original, and best of all.
JOHN STOUGHTON.
The demand of this busy age is for small books, containingthe pith and marrow of important subjects. As regards mysubject, I have endeavoured to meet this demand. I hopethat the volume supplies at once sketches of three leadersin early Quaker history, and an informal manual of therise and tenets of the Society.
A few years ago, I was led to re-examine the journal