The bulk of Quaker literature falls into two main groups: (1) The voluminous writings of the early Quakers—journals, epistles, doctrinal works, and controversial matter—most of which were issued under the censorship of a body of Friends meeting in London, while a large mass of unprinted manuscripts and transcripts of manuscripts, admirably classified and indexed, is available at the headquarters of the Society, Devonshire House, Bishopsgate, whose library contains also the largest collection of books relating to the Society; (2) the modern output of history, commentary, expository, apology, and evangelistic writing.

Most of the printed works of George Fox have been collected in the eight volumes of the Philadelphia edition. A considerable quantity is still in manuscript. The Cambridge edition of his Journal is particularly interesting in having been printed unaltered from the original manuscript. It is incomplete, and is best supplemented by the bi-centenary edition (see Bibliography).