The "Key" was first published in 1692 and over the centuries has appeared in at least twenty editions. It has been translated into French, Norwegian, Danish, Welsh and German, and along with William Penn's "Rise and Progress of the People Called Quakers" has been one of the most widely-known introductions to the Society of Friends. In preparing it for this publication, the editors have endeavored to preserve the author's style, while somewhat modernizing spelling and language, and reducing length without impairing the content. This was accomplished mainly by omission of the polemical exhortations—for the early Friends were earnest to evangelize even those most strongly opposed to them.

Written in the first place for those who misunderstood the Society of Friends in its beginnings, the "Key," which still seems clear and meaningful, may, we feel, now have a message for Friends also, reminding all of what we properly are and what we are not. In a complex period of rapid changes, in which new patterns of religious thought and practice are appearing, and when the emphasis is on the practical side of putting historic principles into action, rather than on the deeper inward or contemplative aspect of Christian belief, it may be strengthening to review these fundamental concepts. It may help to give a fresh perspective on the past and on the present, and on the prospect for the future and bring a renewed and renewing awareness of the eternal immediacy of that Fountain of Light which alone nourishes and sustains our outward endeavors and gives true life and significance to them.

James Deand
Edmund Goerke
Editors