Although the term Quaker was popular at the time, the official, formal name is the Religious Society of Friends. The movement arose in the mid-17th century in England. By the time John Cunningham first wrote this work in 1867, interest and believers in the faith had spread around the world.

Author Cuthbert Butler argued,
“There is probably no more misused word…than ‘mysticism.’ It has come to be applied to many things of many kinds: to theosophy and Christian science; to spiritualism and clairvoyance; to demonology and witchcraft; to occultism and magic; to weird psychical experiences, if only they have some religious colour; to revelations and visions; to other-worldliness, or even mere dreaminess and impracticability in the affairs of life; to poetry and painting and music of which the motif is unobvious and vague.” Butler explains that in the Latin Church, the word commonly applied was ‘contemplation’ not ‘mysticism.’

by William Hodgson Purchase William Hodgson Jr. was born on May 24th, 1804 in England. His father was a Unitarian minister, but after hearing from a Quaker, Thomas Scattergood, he converted and joined the Society of Friends. Hodgson Jr. relocated to Philadelphia in 1827, where he would go on to marry his wife, Elizabeth Richardson… Continue reading Select Historical Memoirs of the Religious Society of Friends, Commonly Called Quakers: Being a Succinct Account of Their Character and Course During the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries

by Religious Society of Friends Purchase The Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain was known as the London Yearly Meeting until 1995. It was a place for Friends to come together from across the United Kingdom, held in various places across England, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales. The tradition… Continue reading Extracts From the Minutes and Epistles of the Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Held in London

by Subhadra Bhikshu Purchase Subhadra Bhikshu, also known as Friedrich Albert Oswald Zimmermann, was born in 1852 in Degerlach. He was a journalist, a writer and a Buddhist. Bhikshu wrote this work to offer insight on Buddhism, aimed at primarily European audiences. As he wrote in the preface of Buddhism, “a doctrine free from dogma… Continue reading A Buddhist Catechism: An Outline of the Doctrine of the Buddha Gotama in the Form of Question and Answer

by Charles Evans Purchase When introducing his work, Charles Evans wrote the following, “The motive that has prompted the preparation of the present work, has been the hope that, by thus bringing the substance of the principal parts of the narratives of other writers into a more condensed form, the members of the religious Society… Continue reading Friends in the Seventeenth Century

by Edward Carpenter Purchase Edward Carpenter was born on August 29, 1844, and was considered a pioneering force in advocating for gay rights, animal rights, against pollution and for vegetarianism. He was a philosopher, writer and anthologist. As a child, he was praised for his academic and musical talents. Carpenter attended Trinity Hall, Cambridge where… Continue reading A Visit to a Gñani: From Adam’s Peak to Elephanta

by George L. Harrison Purchase William Penn was born in London, England, on October 14, 1644, and would become many things, including a father, husband, legal and religious figure. He is most well known for founding the state of Pennsylvania. Penn was born into a family of wealth and political power, and as such, he… Continue reading The Remains of William Penn: Pennsylvania’s Plea, the Mission to England, Visit to the Grave, Letters, Etc

by Thomas Woody PhD Purchase Born on September 3, 1891, in Thorntown, Indiana, to a Quaker family. Woody would remain in Indiana for his B.A., which he obtained from Indiana University. Later he could go on to earn his PhD in 1918 from Columbia University. Woody wrote a great deal about Quakers, formally known as… Continue reading Early Quaker Education in Pennsylvania

by William Beck and Thomas Frederick Ball Purchase The London Friends’ Meetings is a significant expansion on a lecture given by William Beck in 1856, “The London Friends’ Meeting-houses and Their Associations.” Co-author, Thomas Frederick Ball spent a great time doing research in minute-books and other holdings of the Friends in London. The records offer… Continue reading The London Friends’ Meetings

by John Russell Hayes Purchase John Russell Hayes (1866-1945) was a Quaker educator, poet, and worked as a librarian for Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. He was born in 1866, to William and Rachel Hayes, a family of Quaker farmers. Hayes spent much of his time on his family’s farm, which was located near the Brandywine… Continue reading Old Quaker Meeting-Houses