Founder of Quakerism
George Fox
1624–1691
The founder of the Religious Society of Friends, whose Journal is the seminal text of Quaker spirituality. Fox's powerful message of the "Inner Light" transformed England and America.
Explore Fox's works →
Friends Illuminated Quaker Classics Made Readable
Discover the writings of George Fox, Thomas Ellwood, Isaac Penington, and the First Publishers of Truth — modernized for contemporary readers while preserving their original power and authenticity.
Featured Authors
The voices that shaped the Quaker movement
Reader to Milton
Thomas Ellwood
1639–1713
A poet, writer, and intimate friend of George Fox. Ellwood's autobiography gives us a rare personal glimpse into the early Quaker movement and Fox's ministry.
Explore Ellwood's works →
First Publisher of Truth
Edward Burrough
1634–1663
One of the "First Publishers of Truth," a brilliant young minister who died in prison at age 29. His powerful defenses of Quakerism established the movement's public voice.
Explore Burrough's works →
Mystical Theologian
Isaac Penington
1616–1679
A former Anglican who found Quakerism through deep personal seeking. His letters and writings are among the most spiritually profound in the Quaker tradition.
Explore Penington's works →Available Now
Modernized editions, meticulously prepared
Complete
The Journal of George Fox
The unabridged, modernized edition of the founder's seminal autobiography—over 1,200 pages restored in flowing contemporary English.
Vol 1 of 7
Complete Works of Edward Burrough, Vol. 1
The first volume of this important First Publisher's writings, modernized with extensive footnotes.
Vol 2 of 7
Complete Works of Edward Burrough, Vol. 2
Continues Burrough's collected letters, treatises, and defenses of the Quaker faith.
Vol 3 of 7
Complete Works of Edward Burrough, Vol. 3
Includes important epistles to Charles II and theological treatises on the nature of true religion.
Our PromiseFaithful to the Original.
Faithful to the Original.
Readable for Today.
Every Friends Illuminated edition undergoes a rigorous modernization process. We preserve the author's voice and theological precision while making the text accessible to modern readers.
- Original vocabulary preserved — archaic terms kept with context
- Modern spelling & punctuation — 17th-century quirks removed
- Sentence structure clarified — long periods broken for readability
- Historical annotations — unfamiliar references explained
- Complete, unabridged texts — nothing omitted, nothing simplified
Original (1670s)
"And the Lord did let me see into a deep ocean, and the deceit of all flesh, and the falseness of the world's ways, and I saw that the whole world did lie in wickedness..."
Friends Illuminated
"And the Lord let me see into a deep ocean of deceit—how all flesh deceives, how false are the world's ways. I saw that the whole world lies in wickedness..."
The Quaker Story
1640 — 1720: From persecution to establishment
1647
Fox's Vision
1652
First Publishers
1656
Nayler Crisis
1689
Toleration Act
1718
Death of Penn