Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The History of the Rise, Increase, and Progress, of the Christian People Called Quakers, Vol. 1 of 2: Intermixed With Several Remarkable Occurrences
Yet for all that, it is true, that men fearing God, may mistake, and through ignorance do something, which others not. Without reason might judge not commendable. Also it may happen that some again, from a godly fear, have omitted what others, no less pious, would not have scrupled. And though some among the Quakers, in the begin ning of their rise, for fear of transgressing Christ's command, Be not ye called Rabbi, for one is your Master, even Christ, speaking to per sons ih authority, called them by the name of Friend; yet others of the same persuasion have not therefore thought themselves bound to refuse to magistrates their distinguishing titles of magistracy. Nay, if any, for some special reason, may not have given a full or direct an swer to a query, yet others of the same society have not looked upon this as a pattern to imitate. For the most eminent valiants among this people in the beginning, were not men of note or learning, though of great courage: insomuch that their immoveable steadfastness some times so exasperated their enemies, that their fear of doing or omitting any thing which they judged would displease God, often hath been stamped with the odious denomination of stubbornness and stiffnecked ness; but they have borne this patiently, believing that it was their duty to persevere immoveably in minding their Christian profession, and in frequenting their religious assemblies. And that such a steadfastness was the duty of a Christian, seems also to have been the judgment of the authors of the confession of faith of the reformed churches in the Netherlands, Art. Xxviii. Where it is said, that it is the office or duty of all believers, to separate themselves according to the word of God, from those that are not of the church; and to join to this congregation, in what place soever God hath placed them, though the. Magistrates and edicts of princes were against it; and that death or any corporeal punishment was annexed to it.
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