Friends, extending in a continuous line through its whole
history.
One of the objects which has prompted to the publi-
cation of these extracts, has been to present to those of
the Society of Friends who are not familiar with our
literature, a few precious germs of truth herein con-
tained, with the view of inducing such to acquaint them-
selves more with the writings of our accredited authors.
Ours is a portion of the Christian Church which has
borne an unusual share of suffering and persecution; but
through this great fight of affliction it is sweet to ob-
serve the firm and faithful testimony that our prede-
cessors maintained to the spirituality and simplicity of
the Gospel dispensation. Should not we, then, their
children, feel a responsibility resting upon us to uphold
with prayerful zeal these important truths?
I cannot refrain from giving just here the pertinent
and concise language of William Dewsbury, an ancient
Friend, in regard to the rise of this people. He says:
"We are not persons that have shot up out of the old
root into another appearance, as one sect has done out
of another, till many are come up one after another, the
ground still remaining out of which they all grew;
but
that very ground hath been shaking, destroyed and is
destroying, removed and is removing in us."
I take this opportunity of acknowledging my gratitude
to my Christian brethren, throughout the land, for their
uniform expressions of encouragement and sympathy
thus extended.