This book is a combination of two separate publications by William Penn, one being his book Primitive Christianity Revived (first published in 1696), and the other, A Brief Account of the Rise and Progress of the People Called Quakers, which originally served as the introduction to the Journal of George Fox (published in 1694) but was later printed separately. The two publications overlapped in their scope, both dealing (in various degrees) with the rise of the Society of Friends, and the distinct principles and practices of this people, and it was thought that these short books could be combined and interwoven in such a way as to present the reader with a more thorough presentation of these subjects than either publication could do individually. In attempting to do this, I have taken a degree of editorial liberty-removing repetition, adding short segues between sections, and moving paragraphs around to where they seemed to fit best. I have also attempted to carefully and conscientiously modernize and sometimes re-word Penn's archaic (albeit beautiful) language, adding an occasional Scripture reference or a phrase of my own with the aim of greater clarity. My objective was not simply to republish the works of William Penn; all of his original publications still exist and are available through many online sources. My goal was to present the present-day seeker of truth with a readable and heart-impacting account of what God did in the early Society of Friends, which is the same that He desires to do in the hearts and lives of every modern Christian.
This book is a combination of two separate publications by William Penn, one being his book Primitive Christianity Revived (first published in 1696), and the other, A Brief Account of the Rise and Progress of the People Called Quakers, which originally served as the introduction to the Journal of George Fox (published in 1694) but was later printed separately. The two publications overlapped in their scope, both dealing (in various degrees) with the rise of the Society of Friends, and the distinct principles and practices of this people, and it was thought that these short books could be combined and interwoven in such a way as to present the reader with a more thorough presentation of these subjects than either publication could do individually. In attempting to do this, I have taken a degree of editorial liberty-removing repetition, adding short segues between sections, and moving paragraphs around to where they seemed to fit best. I have also attempted to carefully and conscientiously modernize and sometimes re-word Penn's archaic (albeit beautiful) language, adding an occasional Scripture reference or a phrase of my own with the aim of greater clarity. My objective was not simply to republish the works of William Penn; all of his original publications still exist and are available through many online sources. My goal was to present the present-day seeker of truth with a readable and heart-impacting account of what God did in the early Society of Friends, which is the same that He desires to do in the hearts and lives of every modern Christian.
