of many of its formularies, has, no doubt, in past times, done much to
increase its living influence and usefulness, but recent events have
shown how large a portion of its clergy instead of going forward in the
work of the Reformation, are rather desirous of retrograde movement, and
of approximating, if not of entirely returning to the errors of Rome.
Such, we ought ever to bear in mind, is the natural tendency of man, and
so prone is he, even when raised by the True Light to a perception of the
things which are most excellent, to sink again into the grovelling habits
of his own dark nature.

We come now to the threshold of our own religious history, and shall
endeavour to answer, in substance at least, the queries with which we
commenced the present inquiry. It was certainly an extraordinary period
of our national religious history, in which the Society of Friends
arose--a time in which old foundations were shaken, and an earnest
inquiry excited in many minds after the way of truth and of real peace to
the soul. We think that it is not assuming, to express our belief, that
a remarkable extension of spiritual light and energy was extended to the
people of England, in that day, when George Fox, and his early
associates, went forth through the length and breadth of the land, and
found so extraordinary a preparation for their service in the hearts of
their fellow-countrymen.

The first preachers knew a being made Christians themselves, before they
went forth to call others to Christ--what a deep sense of sin and of its
hatefulness in the sight of God--what earnestness, or rather agonizing in
prayer--what joy in the sense of the true knowledge of Christ, and of
communion with him in Spirit--what subsequent watchfulness and reliance
upon him in every step of their course--what zeal in making known the
truth which they had found, and what constancy in suffering for it, yea