par

Chrift gathered together by God, not only into the belief of the principles of truth, but alfo into the power, life and fpirit of Chrift, the fpirit of God is the orderer, ruler and governor; as in each ticular, fo in the general. And when they affemble together, to wait upon God, and to worfhip and adore him; then fuch as the fpirit fets apart for the miniftry, by its divine power and influence, opening their mouths and giving them to exhort, reprove and instruct with virtue and power; thefe are thus of God ordained and admitted into the miniftry; and their brethren cannot but hear them, and receive them, and alfo honour them for their works fake. And fo this is not monopolifed to a certain kind of men, as the Clergy (who are to that purpose educated and brought up, as other carnal artifts) and the reft to be defpifed as Laicks; but it is left to the free gift of God to choofe any whom he feeth meet thereunto, whether rich or poor, fervant or mafter, young or old, yea, male or female. And fuch as have this call verify the gofpel, by preaching not in fpeech only, but also in power, and in the holy ghoft, and in much fuinefs; and cannot but be received and heard by the sheep of Chrift."

William Penn, in his account of the rife and pro- see W. grefs of this people, printed among his literary Penn's rife works, further obferves:- And as God had de- and prolivered their fouls of the wearifome burden of fin Quakers. and vanity, and enriched their poverty of fpirit, 1694and fatisfied their great hunger and thirst after eter

nal

and information among mankind, even, in religious affairs; (which is plainly manifested in the labours and literary works of this very author, R. Barclay, and divers others of that fociety) as well as in the common outward concerns of life, and thofe things, for which they are adequate and fuitable: and therefore, they had fchools and feminaries of learning among them, for the acquifition thereof, and other useful fciences, as other people have. But their excluding literature, or fchool-learning, from being abfolutely neceffary in divinity, according to the Chriftian lyltem; and the great harm, which they believed and declared the general perverfion, or mifufe thereof, had produced in Chriftendom, occafioned divers of them to be fo fevere on the fubject, that many, from thence, have mistakenly fuppofed, they entirely difapproved of human learning in every refpect.

grefs of the

'The manner and

purport of their

nal righteoufnefs, and filled them with the good things of his own house, and made them ftewards of his many-fold gifts; fo they went forth to all quarters of these nations, to declare to the inhabitants thereof what God had done for them; what they had found, and where and how they had found it, viz. the way to peace with God; inviting all to come and fee and taste, for themselves, the truth of what they declared unto them."

"And as their teftimony was to the principle of God in man, the precious pearl and leaven of the kingdom, as the only bleffed means, appointed of God, preaching. to quicken, convince and fanctify men; fo they opened to them what it was in itself, and what it was given to them for: how they might know it from their own spirit and that of the fubtil appearance of the evil one: and what it would do for those, whofe minds fhould be turned off from the vanity of the world, and its lifelefs ways and teachers, and adhere to this blessed light in themselves, which discovers and condemns fin, in all its appearances, and fhows how to overcome it, if minded and obeyed in its holy manifeftations and convictions; giving power to fuch, to avoid and refift thofe things, that do not please God, and to grow strong in love, faith and good works: that fo man, whom fin hath made a wilderness, over-run with briars and thorns, might become as the garden of God, cultivated by his divine power, and replenished with the most virtuous and beautiful plants of God's own right hand planting, to his eternal praise."

They could "But these experimental preachers of glad tidings, not pray & of God's truth and kingdom, could not run when when they they lift, nor pray or preach when they pleased, pleafed, &c. but, as Chrift, their redeemer, prepared and mov

preach

ed them, by his own bleffed fpirit; for which they waited in their fervices and meetings, and spoke as that gave them utterance; and which was, as thofe having authority, and not like the dreaming, dry

and

and formal Pharifees. And fo it plainly appeared to the serious minded, whofe fpiritual eye the Lord Jefus had, in any measure, opened: fo that to one was given the word of reproof, to another the word of exhortation, to another the word of confolation, and all by the fame fpirit, and in the good order thereof, to the convincing and edifying of many."

"And truly (faith W. Penn) they waxed strong and bold, through faithfulnefs; and by the power and spirit of the Lord Jefus became very fruitful; thousands, in a fhort time, being turned to the truth, in the inward parts, through their teftimony, in miniftry and fufferings; infomuch as, in most countries, and many of the confiderable towns of England, meetings were fettled, and daily were added fuch as fhould be faved, for they were diligent to plant and to water; and the Lord blessed their labours with an exceeding great increafe; notwithstanding all the oppofition, made to their bleffed progrefs by the false rumours, calumnies and bitter perfecutions; not only from the powers of the earth, but from every one that lifted to injure and abuse them: fo that they feemed, indeed, to be as poor fheep appointed to the flaughter and as a people, killed all the day long."-" So ."-" So many and cruel were the fufferings of this people on a religious fufferings account, and, in part, recorded in their writings, in 2 of which they endured from profeffors, as well as from Beffe, &c. profane, and from magiftrates, as well as the rabble, that it may be truly faid of this abufed and defpifed people, they went forth weeping, and fowed in tears, bearing teftimony to the precious feed, even, the feed of the kingdom, which stands not in words, the fineft, the higheft, that man's wit can ufe, but in power; the power of Christ Jefus, to whom God the Father, hath given all power, in heaven and in earth; that he might rule angels above, and men below; who empowered them, as their work witneffeth, by the many, that were turn

See their

in vols.

ed,

W. Penn on

fters and miniftry,

&c.

ed, through their miniftry, from darkness to light, and out of the broad into the narrow way of life and peace; bringing people to a weighty, ferious and God-like converfation, the practice of that doctrine, which they taught."

Of their minifters and miniftry, W. Penn Speaks as follows:

૮.

I. They were changed men themselves before their mini- they went abroad to change others. Their hearts wer? rent, as well as their garments; and they knew the power and work of God upon them. And this was feen by the great alteration it made; and their ftricter courfe of life, and more godly converfation, that immediately followed upon it."

2. "They went not forth to preach in their own time, or will, but in the will of God; and spoke not their own ftudied matter, but as they were opened and moved of his fpirit; with which they were well acquainted, in their own converfion; which cannot be expreffed to carnal men, so as to give them any intelligible account; for to fuch it is as Chrift faid, like the blowing of the wind, which no man knows whence it cometh, or whither it goeth.Yet this proof and zeal went along with their miniftry, that many were turned from their lifelefs profeffions, and the evil of their ways, to an inward and experimental knowledge of God, and an holy life as thousands can witnefs. And as they freely received, what they had to say, from the Lord, fo they freely adminiftered it to others.". Barclay's (And, as R. Barclay further obferves on the subapology, ject)" they coveted no man's filver, gold nor apparel; fought no man's goods; but fought them, and the falvation of their fouls: whofe hands fupplied their own neceflities, working honeftly for bread, for themfelves and families. And if, at any time, they were called of God, fo as the work of the Lord hindered them from the work of their trades, they took what was freely given them by

&c.

fuch,

fuch, to whom they had communicated spirituals, and having food and raiment, were therewith con

tent.

"The bent and ftrefs of their miniftry (con3. tinues W. Penn) was converfion to God, regeneration and holiness. Not schemes of doctrines, and verbal creeds, or new forms of worship; but a leaving off, in religion, the fuperfluous, and reducing the ceremonies, and formal part, and preffing earnestly, the fubftantial, the neceffary and profitable part,

to the foul.

4 "They directed people to a principle in themfelves, though not of themselves, by which all, that they afferted, preached and exhorted others to, might be wrought in them, and known to them, through experience, to be true: which is an high and distinguishing mark of the truth of their miniftry, both that they knew what they faid, and were not afraid of coming to the teft: for, as they were bold from certainty, fo they required conformity upon no human authority, but upon conviction of this principle; which they afferted was in them, that they preached unto; and unto that they directed them, that they might examine and prove the reality of these things, which they had affirmed of it, as to its manifestation, and work in man. And this is more than the many minifters in the world pretend to."-" Thus this people did not only in words, more than equally with others, prefs repentance, converfion and holiness, but over and above did it knowingly and experimentally; and directed those, to whom they preached, to a fufficient principle; and told them where it was, and by what tokens they might know it, and which way they might experience the power and efficacy of it, to their fouls' happinefs; which is more than theory and fpeculation; upon which most other ministers depend: for here is certainty; a bottom upon which man may boldly appear before God, in the great day of account.