Robert
Barclay (1643-1690), pioneering Scottish Quaker. A prominent member of the
Religious Society of Friends. Despite concluding his education at the
overwhelmingly Roman Catholic Scots College, Paris, then under the stewardship
of his uncle (also Robert Barclay), Quaker instead followed his father's example
and joined the Society of Friends in 1667.
An ardent and outspoken theological scholar, Robert Barclay began defending his
own faith in certain tracts during the early 1670s - including Truth cleared of
Calumnies (1670), and a Catechism and Confession of Faith (1673).
A Servant of Jesus Christ, called of God to the
dispensation of the Gospel now again revealed; and, after a long and dark night
of apostasy, commanded to be preached to all nations, wisheth health and
salvation.
As the condition of kings and princes puts them in a station more obvious to the
view and observation of the world than that of other men, of whom, as Cicero
observes, neither any word or action can be obscure; so are those kings, during
whose appearance upon the stage of this world it pleaseth the great King of
kings singularly to make known unto men the wonderful steps of his unsearchable
providence, more signally observed and their lives and actions more diligently
remarked and inquired into by posterity; especially if those things be such as
not only relate to the outward transactions of this world but also are
signalized by the manifestation or revelation of the knowledge of God in matters
spiritual and religious. These are the things that rendered the lives of Cyrus,
Augustus Caesar, and Constantine the Great in former time, and of Charles the
Fifth and some other modern princes in these last ages, so considerable.
But among all these transactions which it hath pleased God to permit for the
glory of his power and the manifestation of his wisdom and providence, no age
furnisheth us with things so strange and marvelous, whether with respect to
matters civil or religious, as these that have fallen out within the compass of
thy time; who, though thou be not yet arrived at the fiftieth year of thy age,
hast yet been a witness of stranger things than many ages before produced. So
that whether we respect those various troubles wherein thou foundest thyself
engaged while scarce got out of thy infancy; the many different afflictions
wherewith men of thy circumstances are often unacquainted; the strange and
unparalleled fortune that befell thy father; thy own narrow escape and
banishment following thereupon, with the great improbability of thy ever
returning (at least without very much pains andtediouscombattings);
or finally the incapacity thou wert under to accomplish such a design;
considering the strength of those who had possessed themselves of thy throne and
the terror they had inflicted upon foreign states; and yet that after all this
thou shouldst be restored without stroke of sword, the help or assistance of
foreign states, or the contrivance and work of human policy; all these do
sufficiently declare that it is the Lord's doing, which, as it is marvelous in
our eyes, so it will justly be a matter of wonder and astonishment to
generations to come and may sufficiently serve, if rightly observed, to confute
and confound that atheism wherewith this age doth so much abound.
As the vindication of the liberty of conscience (which thy father, by giving way
to the importunate clamours of the clergy, the answering and fulfilling of whose
unrighteous wills has often proved hurtful and pernicious to princes, sought in
some part to restrain) was a great occasion of these troubles and revolutions;
so the pretense of conscience was that which carried it on and brought it to
that pitch it came to. And though no doubt some that were engaged in that work
designed good things, at least in the beginning, albeit always wrong in the
manner they took to accomplish it,viz.by
carnal weapons; yet so soon as they had tasted the sweet of the possessions of
them they had turned out, they quickly began to do those things themselves for
which they had accused others. For their hands were found full of oppression,
and "they hated the reproofs of instruction, which is the way of life"; and they
evilly entreated the messengers of the Lord and caused to beat and imprison his
prophets and persecuted his people, whom he had called and gathered out from
among them, whom he had made to "beat their swords into plowshares and their
spears into pruning-hooks," and not to learn carnal war any more: but he raised
them up and armed them with spiritual weapons, even with his own Spirit and
power, whereby they testified in the streets and highways and public markets and
synagogues against the pride, vanity, lusts, and hypocrisy of that generation
who were righteous in their own eyes, though often cruelly entreated therefor;
and they faithfully prophesied and foretold them of their judgment and downfall
which came upon them, as by several warnings and epistles delivered to Oliver
and Richard Cromwell, the Parliament,andother
then powers yet upon record, doth appear.
And after it pleased God to restore thee, what oppressions, what banishments and
evil entreatings they have met with by men pretending thy authority and cloaking
their mischief with thy name, is known to most men in this island; especially in
England, where there is scarce a prison that hath not been filled with them nor
a judge before whom they not have been haled; though they could never yet be
found guilty of anything that might deserve that usage. Therefore the sense of
their innocency did no doubt greatly contribute to move thee, three years ago,
to cause some hundreds of them to be set at liberty: for indeed their sufferings
are singular, and obviously distinguishable from all the rest of such as live
under thee in these two respects.
First, in that among all the plots contrived by others against thee since thy
return into Britain, there never was any, owned of that people, found or known
to be guilty, though many of them have been taken and imprisoned upon such kind
of jealousies, but were always found innocent and harmless as became the
followers of Christ; not coveting after nor contending for the kingdoms of this
world, but "subject to every ordinance of man for conscience sake."
Secondly, in that in the hottest times of persecution and the most violent
prosecutions of those laws made against meetings, being clothed with innocency,
they have boldly stood to their testimony for God without creeping into holes or
corners or once hiding themselves, as all other dissenters have done; but daily
met, according to their custom, in the public places appointed for that end; so
that none of thy officers can say of them that they have surprised them in a
corner, overtaken them in a private conventicle, or catched them lurking in
their secret chambers; nor needed they to send out spies to get them, whom they
were sure daily to find in their open assemblies, testifying for God and his
Truth. By which those that have an eye to see may observe their Christian
patience and courage, constancy and suffering, joined in one, more than in any
other people that differ from them or oppose them. And yet in the midst of those
troubles thou canst bear witness that as on the one part they never sought to
detract from thee or to render thee and thy government odious to thepeopleby
nameless and scandalous pamphlets and libels; so on the other hand they have not
spared to admonish, exhort, and reprove thee and have faithfully discharged
their consciences towards thee without flattering words, as ever the true
prophets in ancient times used to do to those kings and princes under whose
power violence and oppression was acted.
And albeit it is evident by experience to be most agreeable both to divine Truth
and human policy to allow everyone to serve God according to their consciences,
nevertheless those other sects, who for the most part durst not peep out in the
times of persecution, while these innocent people stood bold and faithful, do
now combine in a joint confederacy (notwithstanding all the former janglings and
contention among themselves) to render us odious; seeking unjustly to wrest our
doctrine and words as if they were inconsistent both with Christianity and civil
society; so that to effectuate this their work of malice against us they have
not been ashamed to take the help and commend the labours of some invidious
Socinians against us. So do Herod and Pontius Pilate agree to crucify Christ.
But our practice, known to thee by good experience to be more consistent with
Christianity and civil society and the peace and welfare of this island than
that of those who thus accuse us, doth sufficiently guard us against this
calumny that we may indeed appeal to the testimony of thy conscience as a
witness for us in the face of the nations.
These things moved me to present the world with a brief but true account of this
people's principles in some short theological propositions; which, according to
the will of God, proving successful beyond my expectation to the satisfaction of
several and to the moving in many a desire of being further informed concerning
us, as being everywhere evil spoken of; and likewise meeting with public
opposition by some as such will always do so long as the devil "rules in the
children of disobedience"; I was thereby further engaged in the liberty of the
Lord to present to the world this Apology of the Truth held by those people:
which, because of thy interest in them and theirs in thee, as having first
appeared and mostly increased in these nations under thy rule, I make bold to
present unto thee.
Thouknowest and hast
experienced their faithfulness towards their God, their patience in suffering,
their peaceableness towards the king, their honesty, plainness and integrity in
their faithful warnings and testimonies to thee; and if thou wilt allow thyself
so much time as to read this thou mayest find how consonant their principles are
both to Scripture, Truth, and right reason. The simplicity of their behaviour,
the generality of their condition as being poor men and illiterate, the manner
of their procedure being without the wisdom and policy of this world, hath made
many conclude them fools and madmen and neglect them as not being capable of
reason. But though it be to them as their crown thus to be esteemed of the wise
and the great and learned of this world, and though they rejoice to be accounted
fools for Christ's sake, yet of late some, even such who in the world's account
are esteemed both wise and learned, begin to judge otherwise of them, and find
that they hold forth things very agreeable both to Scripture, reason, and true
learning.
As it is inconsistent with the Truth I bear, so it is far from me to use this
epistle as an engine to flatter thee, the usual design of such works; and
therefore I can neither dedicate it to thee nor crave thy patronage, as if
thereby I might have more confidence to present it to the world or be more
hopeful of its success. To God alone I owe what I have, and that more
immediately in matters spiritual; and therefore to him alone, and to the service
of his Truth, I dedicate whatever work he brings forth in me; to whom only the
praise and honor appertain, whose Truth needs not the patronage of worldly
princes, his arm and power being that alone by which it is propagated,
established, and confirmed. But I found it upon my spirit to take occasion to
present this book unto thee, that as thou hast been often warned by several of
that people who are inhabitants of England, so thou mayest not want a seasonable
advertisement from a member of thy ancient kingdom of Scotland, and that thou
mayest know (which I hope thou wilt have no reason to be troubled at) that God
is raising up and increasing that people in that nation. And the nations shall
also hereby know that the Truth we profess is not a work of darkness nor
propagated by stealth, and that we are "not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ"
because we know it to be "the power of God unto salvation"; andthatwe
are no ways so inconsistent with government, nor such disturbers of the peace,
as our enemies, by traducing us, have sought to make the world believe we are:
for what to thee I dare appeal as a witness of our peaceableness and Christian
patience.
Generations to come shall not more admire that singular step of Divine
Providence, in restoring thee to thy throne without outward bloodshed, than they
shall admire the increase and progress of this Truth without all outward help
and against so great opposition, which shall be none of the least things
rendering thy memory remarkable. God hath done great things for thee; he hath
sufficiently shown thee that it is by him princes rule, and that he can pull
down and set up at his pleasure. He hath often faithfully warned thee by his
servants, since he restored thee to thy royal dignity, that thy heart might not
wax wanton against him to forget his mercies and providence towards thee,
whereby he might permit thee to be soothed up and lulled asleep in thy sins by
the flattering of court-parasites, who by their fawning are the ruin of many
princes.
There is no king in the world, who can so experimentally testify of God's
providence and goodness; neither is there any who rules so many free people, so
many true Christians: which thing renders thy government more honorable, thyself
more considerable, than the accession of many nations filled with slavish and
superstitious souls.
Thou hast tasted of prosperity and adversity; thou knowest what it is to be
banished thy native country, to be overruled as well as to rule and sit upon the
throne; and being oppressed, thou hast reason to know how hateful the oppressor
is both to God and man. If after all these warnings and advertisements thou dost
not turn unto the Lord with all thy heart, but forget him who remembered thee in
thy distress and give up thyself to follow lust and vanity, surely great will be
thy condemnation.
Against which snare, as well as the temptation of those that may or do feed thee
and prompt thee to evil, the most excellent and prevalent remedy will be to
apply thyself to thatLight of
Christ, which shineth in thy conscience,which
neither can nor will flatter thee nor suffer thee to be at ease in thy sins, but
doth and will deal plainly and faithfully with thee as those that arefollowersthereof
have also done.
God Almighty, who hath so signally hitherto visited thee with his love, so
touch and reach thy heart, ere the day of thy visitation be expired, that thou
mayest effectually turn to him so as to improve thy place and station for his
name.So wisheth, so prayeth,
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