Chapter VIII (3)

“Now concerning persecuting, imprisoning, and banishing God’s
people, in whom Christ is manifest, and dwells in their hearts;
doth not Christ tell you, that in so doing you imprison him? Then
do you not banish him, and persecute him out of your cities and
corporations? And how can you enter into, and have a share in his
kingdom, though you may profess him in words? Are not such to go
into everlasting punishment, that do not visit Christ in prison?
Then what will become of you that banish and imprison him, where
he is manifest in his members, and suffer them not to meet
together to enjoy him amongst them, according to his promise?
Therefore you, that will not let Christ reign in his people, and
have his liberty in them, in your cities and countries, to
exercise his offices, you will not have your liberty in heaven.
You that will not let Christ reign in your hearts, nor suffer him
to reign in his people here upon the earth, in this world, in your
kingdoms;—you will not reign with Christ in heaven in his kingdom,
nor in the world without end.

“You, that banish the truth out of your cities or countries, or
its people for its sake, banish the truth and Christ out of your
hearts from ruling there; so you yourselves are not the temples of
God. When you have banished Christ and his truth out of your own
hearts, you banish such in whom he rules out of your estates and
country, then see what judgments the Lord doth bring upon you,
when you are left to yourselves; yea, fears and troubles, one
judgment after another, come upon you; you are even filled with
them. But the banished, the sufferers for truth and Christ’s sake,
have a peaceable habitation in the truth, which the devil is out
of, and cannot get into; which habitation will outlast all the
habitations of the wicked and persecutors, though they be ever so
full of words without life and truth. The life and the truth will
outlast all airy notions, and Christ, the Lamb and patient Seed,
will overcome the devourer and the unpatient seed; and they that
have the garment, the righteousness of Christ, which is the fine
linen, will find it to outlast all the rags and inventions of men.
For Christ saith to his learners, ‘Be of good cheer, I have
overcome the world,’ the persecuting world. He said also to his
disciples, ‘If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before
it hated you.’ Therefore let all that profess themselves
Christians lay aside persecution about religion, churches, or
worship, fasting or praying days; for you have no command from
Christ and his apostles to persecute any. Christ, who is the King
of kings and Lord of lords, when they called him a deceiver, and
blasphemed him, and said, ‘He had a devil,’ did not persecute any
of them for it, nor force or compel any to hear and believe him,
nor the apostles after him; but he bade them, that would have been
plucking up the tares, ‘Let the tares and wheat grow together
until the harvest.’ So you have no command from Christ or his
apostles to persecute, imprison, banish, or spoil the goods of
any, for matter of pure conscience and religion, worship, faith,
and church, in the gospel-times.”

G.F.

Harlingen in Friesland, the 11th of the 6th Month, 1677.

After some time George Keith and William Penn came back from Germany to Amsterdam, and had a dispute with one Galenus Abrahams (one of the most noted Baptists in Holland), at which many professors were present; but not having time to finish the dispute then, they met again two days after, and the Baptist was much confounded, and truth gained ground.[47] Between these two disputes we had a very great meeting at Friends’ meeting-place, at which many hundreds of people were, and some of high rank in the world’s account. An earl, a lord, and divers other eminent persons, were present, who all behaved themselves very civilly. But when the meeting was ended, some priests began to make opposition; which, when William Penn understood, he stood up again, and answered them to the great satisfaction of the people, who were much affected with the several testimonies they had heard declared. After the meeting several of them came to Gertrude’s, where we were, with whom George Keith had much discourse in Latin.

Having now finished our service at Amsterdam, we took leave of the Friends there, and passed by waggon to LEYDEN, about twenty-five miles; where we stayed a day or two, seeking out and visiting some tender people we heard of there. We met with a German, who was partly convinced. He informed us of an eminent man that was inquiring after truth. Some sought him out, and visited him, and found him a serious man; I also spoke to him, and he owned the truth. William Penn and Benjamin Furly went to visit another great man, that lived a little out of Leyden, who, they said, had been general to the King of Denmark’s forces. He and his wife were very loving to them, and heard the truth with joy.

From Leyden we went to the HAGUE, where the Prince of Orange kept his court; and we visited one of the judges of Holland, with whom we had pretty much discourse. He was a wise, tender man, and put many objections and queries to us; which when we had answered, he was satisfied, and parted with us in much love. Leaving the Hague, we went to DELFT, and thence to ROTTERDAM that night, where we stayed some days, and had several meetings. While I was here I gave forth a book for the Jews; with whom, when I was at Amsterdam, I had a desire to have some discourse, but they would not. Here also I reviewed several other books and papers which I had given forth before, and which were now transcribed.

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Footnote 43:

Elizabeth, Princess of the Rhine, was the eldest daughter of
Frederick V., Elector Palatine, and King of Bohemia—her mother
being a daughter of king James I. of England. This excellent
princess is spoken of as a woman of great amiability and religious
character. She possessed only a small territory; but she governed
with great judgment, and attention to the happiness of her
subjects. She made it a rule to hear, one day in the week, all
such causes as were brought before her. On these occasions, her
wisdom, justice, and moderation were very conspicuous. She
frequently remitted forfeitures, in cases where the parties were
poor, or in any respect worthy of favour. It was remarkable that
she often introduced religious considerations, as motives to
persuade the contending parties to harmony and peace. She was
greatly beloved and respected by her subjects; and also by many
persons of learning and virtue not resident in her dominions; for
she patronised men of this character, whatever their country or
their religious profession.

The respect in which this exemplary Christian held Friends and
their principles, was unreservedly expressed in her letters to
individuals connected with the English court; and her good offices
were more than once exerted to preserve this persecuted people
from the penalties of those laws which interdicted the exercise of
public worship in conventicles, as all meeting-houses were then
denominated. William Penn and Robert Barclay paid her two visits.
She received them with great openness, and was much affected by
the interview which, on the second visit, took place, as is
related by William Penn. They went from Amsterdam to Herwerden,
the residence of the Princess and of her intimate acquaintance,
Anna Maria, Countess de Hornes, who dwelt much in her house, and
was, as well as herself, a woman seeking after the best things,
and a favourer of such (says Penn) as separate themselves from the
world for the sake of righteousness.

The visitors were welcomed by the Princess and her friend the day
after their arrival, and were invited to dine with them. They held
a religious meeting together, which was so satisfactory that the
Princess desired another might be appointed, at which several
persons were present. William Penn thus speaks of it:—“The eternal
word showed itself as a hammer this day; yea, sharper than a
two-edged sword, dividing asunder between the soul and the spirit,
between the joints and the marrow. Let my right hand forget its
cunning, and my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, when I
shall forget the loving-kindness of the Lord, and the sure mercies
of our God, to us that day.” The following day they paid two
visits at this little court; and the day after, which was the
first of the week, they held a meeting there, appointed by the
direction of the Princess, which several others attended besides
those of her household. Of this meeting W. Penn says: “The
quickening power and life of Jesus wrought and reached them; and
virtue from him, in whom dwelleth the Godhead bodily, went forth.”
After this meeting, which was held late in the evening, the
visitors took their leave, but not before they had been witnesses
of the tender disposition of mind of the Princess; who, attempting
to set forth her sense of the power and presence of God prevalent
among them, could not proceed, but turned herself to the window,
and said, “My heart is full, I cannot speak to you.” W. Penn, on
another occasion, says, “I cannot forget her last words when I
took my leave of her: ‘Let me desire you to remember me, though I
live at so great a distance, and you should never see me more. I
thank you for this good time. Be assured, though my condition
subjects me to divers temptations, yet my soul has strong desires
after the best things.’”

The Princess Elizabeth lived to the age of 60, departing this life
in 1680, as much lamented, as she had been beloved, by her people.

Footnote 44:

This being the last mention of Robert Barclay in these volumes,
the following brief particulars may interest the reader who is not
already acquainted with his history. He was the son of Colonel
David Barclay, descended from the Barclays of Mathers, an ancient
and honourable Scotch family, and of Katharine Gordon, from the
Gordons of the house of the Duke of Gordon. He was born at
Edinburgh in 1648, educated in France, and returned to Scotland in
1664. His father having joined the despised Quakers, Robert
Barclay, though uninfluenced by him, soon followed his example,
and came forth a zealous witness for the truth, receiving a gift
in the ministry, in which he laboured to bring others to God. He
was much exercised in controversy, from the many contradictions
that fell upon truth, and upon him for its sake. He published
several works in defence of the principles he had espoused, which
he believed to be those of the New Testament, as promulgated by
Christ and his apostles. His chief work was his _Apology for the
True Christian Divinity_, which has gone through many editions,
and remains uncontrovertible.

In common with the early Friends, Robert Barclay suffered
imprisonments and ill-usage, which he bore with exemplary
patience. He travelled extensively to spread the gospel of Christ,
for he loved the truth above all the world; not ashamed of it
before men, but bold and able in maintaining it, sound in
judgment, strong in argument, of a pleasant disposition, yet solid
and exemplary in his conversation. He was a learned man, a good
Christian, an able minister, a tender and careful father, and a
good and kind neighbour and friend. His last illness was short.
James Dickenson of Cumberland, in his journey in Scotland,
visiting him when on his deathbed, as he sat by him, the Lord’s
power and presence bowed their hearts together, and Robert Barclay
was sweetly melted in the sense of God’s love, and, with tears,
expressed his love to all faithful brethren in England; and adding
a message of love to dear George Fox, he said, “God is good still,
and though I am under great weight of sickness and weakness as to
my body, yet my peace flows, and this I know, whatever exercises
may be permitted to come upon me, it shall tend to God’s glory and
my salvation, and in that I rest.”

He died at his own house, at Ury, in Scotland, in 1690, aged
forty-two, leaving behind him four sons and three daughters.

Footnote 45:

These ambassadors were deputies from the King of France, the
United Netherlands, and several other potentates of Europe, who
met to consult the peace of Christendom. George Fox’s _Epistle_ to
them was translated and printed in Latin. Robert Barclay also
wrote a treatise in Latin, which was addressed and presented to
each of the ambassadors, with a copy of his principal work, _An
Apology for the True Christian Divinity_. In the former, Barclay
strongly urged them to promote the good work for which they were
assembled, pointing out the true causes of war, and its
incompatibility with Christian principles. Before the year ended,
a peace was concluded.

Footnote 46:

William Penn also addressed the Council and Senate of the city of
Embden, relative to the sufferings of Friends there. Though these
appeals did not procure any immediate relief, yet, in about ten
years after, Friends enjoyed perfect liberty there.—See Sewell’s
_History_, vol. ii., 420-425.

Footnote 47:

It appears that Galenus Abrahams asserted that nobody in the
present day could be accepted as a messenger of God, unless he
confirmed his doctrine by miracles.—See Sewell’s _History_, vol.
ii., 366-368.