After a labour of more than five and twenty years, this history at
length appears in public view; to the compiling of which I was induced
from the consideration that the rise and increase of that religious
society, which in this work I have given a circumstantial account of,
is indeed so rare and wonderful a thing, that I think few will be met
with in modern histories, which in the like respect may be compared
therewith; because the Quakers, so called, are become a great people,
under such heavy oppression as is herein after mentioned: and that not
by any human power, or making resistance, but merely by an harmless
deportment, and the exercising of patience; for bearing arms and
resisting the wicked by fighting, they always have counted unlawful,
and contrary to the doctrine of our Saviour. Thus they who had no king,
prince, nor potentate to protect them; and who in the beginning had
not among themselves any man of renown or literature, but relying on
their integrity, and trusting to God alone; have at length triumphed
over the malice of their opposers, by suffering, (which rose to that
degree that it was at the expense of the lives of many of them,) under
violent oppression from high and low, and the opposition of learned and
unlearned.
All this after much search, being found out by assiduous diligence,
appeared so wonderful to me, that I resolved to give a relation
thereof, notwithstanding the great labour I soon perceived this work
required. To this may be added, that when I considered that several
authors, both Germans and others, had published books and accounts of
this people stuffed with gross untruths, I was the more spurred on
thereby to set down in due order, for my countrymen’s sake, what I
knew of the matter; for it seems indeed to be of small advantage that
when any thing is well known to us, we keep that knowledge only to
ourselves,[1] without imparting it to others.
[1] Scire tuum nihil est, nisi te scire hoc sciat alter.--_Pers.
Sat._ 1.
Now how difficult soever I found it, yet having made a beginning,
I resolved to go on; and so I did, though often stopped by several
accidents, and also other work: for during this labour I have not only
translated several bulky books into Dutch, besides Rennet’s Antiquities
of Rome, but also composed several treatises of moment, and among these
my great dictionary, English and Low Dutch. And notwithstanding all
these impediments, I continually resumed this work by intervals so
often, that I have written it almost thrice to make it complete; for
doubting of somethings, and finding others defective, it made me write
to England for better information; which having gotten at length, after
much pains and long writing, I was several times obliged to lay aside
part of my former description and make a new one; which happened so
often, that had I not been supported by an unwearied application, the
difficulty of the labour, which had been much greater in Holland, than
if I had composed the work in England, would have made me give it over.
But I went on, and so finished this history in that form as it now
appears.
And I am not without thoughts, that I was prepared to be instrumental
for such a work as this: for several remarkable things I have made use
of, I had noted down before ever I thought of composing such a history;
and even in my young years, when I was in England, I copied out from
manuscripts several pieces and letters, which are inserted in this
history: it may be hardly to be found elsewhere.
At the first sight perhaps some will be ready to think that I might
have superseded this labour, since the learned world hath long ago seen
a book written by Gerard Croese, with the title of Historia Quakeriana.
But be it known to the reader, that though the author got the chief
contents thereof from me, yet that relation which he gives of the rise
and progress of the Quakers, is very imperfect and defective; and that
he presumed to relate things of which he had no true knowledge. I gave
him indeed many things in writing, but not all I had collected; besides
having since that time written to my acquaintance in England, I got
narratives of many remarkable occurrences given forth in print there,
and many authentic pieces in manuscript. Now though this collection
was, as Ovid calls the chaos, ‘_Rudis indigestaque moles_,’ ‘a rude
undigested heap;’ yet from thence, and from my own collection of
matters known to me, I have compiled the greatest part of this history:
but as to the life and transactions of G. Fox, who is largely treated
in this work, I took them chiefly from his journal; and the greatest
part of other occurrences, or the lives and transactions of others, I
have taken from the works of deceased authors; and out of abundance of
small books published in print not long after the things happened, and
not contradicted by whatever I could learn.
Thus I have endeavoured to assert nothing but what I had good authority
for; which in regard of some circumstances, would have been yet far
more difficult after the expiration of some years: for now time gave
opportunity to be informed of many things, which some ancient people
had yet remembrance of, and which after their decease perhaps would
have been buried in oblivion.
I cannot well omit here publicly to acknowledge the signal kindness
and diligence of my well-beloved and much esteemed friend Theodore
Ecclestone, of London, who hath furnished me with abundance of
materials, not only very useful, but also absolutely necessary for
the compiling of this work: from him I had intelligence on that
account, and have exchanged a multitude of letters. And thus by a long
continued correspondence I came to be acquainted with many things and
circumstances, which after some years might have been more difficult to
obtain.
Add to this, that I have described several things well known to me,
which few besides myself within these thirty or forty years had better
knowledge of. I have also mentioned several remarkable cases, which
I noted down from the mouths of credible persons who have been dead
many years, and thought not that at any time I should have published
them in print. In the meanwhile I took account of what seemed to me
worthy to be left upon record, and collected a great quantity of books,
wherein many occurrences mentioned in this history were related. Of
such kind of relations and accounts I have made use of, without taking
from thence all that was remarkable; for it hath not been for want of
matter that this history hath not run out further, since I could have
made it thrice as big, if I had been minded so to do. But as I was
unwilling to extend my work any further than my strength and health
in all probability should permit, so I would not glut my reader with
many things of one and the same nature: but have endeavoured by variety
of matter, to quicken his appetite; and therefore have intermixed the
serious part sometimes with a facetious accident.
Yet I have not thought myself bound to take notice of every odd case
that may have happened among the Quakers, so called: for there have
conversed among them such who acted some particular things that were
not approved of by those of that society. And if any one, swayed by
human passion, commits any excess which is disapproved of by his
fellow members of the church, such an act may not be duly imputed to
the people he makes profession with. Among such particulars may be
reckoned the case of one Hester Biddle, which Croese makes mention
of about the end of his history. For though it was told him from the
relation she gave of it at Amsterdam, not with any intention that he
should publish it, yet this was a particular case which she herself
must be responsible for; since experience hath taught that imagination
sometimes works so powerfully on the mind, that one thinks himself
obliged to do a thing which were better left undone.
Yet for all that, it is true, that men fearing God, may mistake, and
through ignorance do something, which others not without reason might
judge not commendable. Also it may happen that some again, from a godly
fear, have omitted what others, no less pious, would not have scrupled.
And though some among the Quakers, in the beginning of their rise, for
fear of transgressing Christ’s command, “Be not ye called Rabbi, for
one is your Master, even Christ,” speaking to persons in authority,
called them by the name of Friend; yet others of the same persuasion
have not therefore thought themselves bound to refuse to magistrates
their distinguishing titles of magistracy. Nay, if any, for some
special reason, may not have given a full or direct answer to a query,
yet others of the same society have not looked upon this as a pattern
to imitate. For the most eminent valiants among this people in the
beginning, were not men of note or learning, though of great courage:
insomuch that their immoveable steadfastness sometimes so exasperated
their enemies, that their fear of doing or omitting any thing which
they judged would displease God, often hath been stamped with the
odious denomination of stubbornness and stiffneckedness; but they have
borne this patiently, believing that it was their duty to persevere
immoveably in minding their Christian profession, and in frequenting
their religious assemblies. And that such a steadfastness was the duty
of a Christian, seems also to have been the judgment of the authors of
the confession of faith of the reformed churches in the Netherlands,
Art. xxviii. where it is said, that it is the office or duty of all
believers, to separate themselves according to the word of God, from
those that are not of the church; and to join to this congregation,
in what place soever God hath placed them, though the magistrates and
edicts of princes were against it; and that death or any corporeal
punishment was annexed to it.
It is true, there have been such among the Quakers, who were exceeding
bold in representing to their enemies their evil behaviour and
deportment; but this hath been a peculiar talent of pious men, of
whom examples are extant in the book of martyrs, viz. that some of
them in very plain terms told their persecutors of their wickedness.
Very remarkable in that respect is the speech of John Molleus, who
about the year 1653, being prisoner at Rome, without any dissimulation
exposed to public view the wicked lives of the cardinals and bishops,
who were ordered by the pope to examine him. The like boldness appears
also in the letter of Hans van Ovendam, to the magistrates of Ghent in
Flanders, as may be seen in the Mirror of Martyrs of the Baptists; from
whence it appears, that the Quakers have not been the only people who
have told their persecutors very boldly of their wicked deportment and
cruelty.
It cannot be denied that there have been at times among this society
some people of an odd behaviour, who in process of time embraced
strange opinions and perverse notions; but that is no new thing, since
this hath happened also among those of other persuasions, though none
of these would allow that this was the consequence or effect of their
doctrine. We find in Sacred Writ, that even in the primitive Christian
church there were apostates; either such as maintained strange
doctrine, as the Nicholatians; or such who finding the straight way too
narrow for them, left it, and like Demas, falling in love again with
the world, entered into the broad way. And therefore it can now, no
more than then, be argued from thence, that the exorbitancies to which
some launched out, were the effects of the doctrine they forsook.
Since in this history some predictions are also mentioned, and some
biassed by prejudice will perhaps look upon them as frivolous,
imagining that the Quakers pretend to have the spirit of prophecy; I
will answer to this, that though among thousands of them there may have
been one that prophetically foretold a thing, which afterwards truly,
happened; yet others of that society presumed to have that gift no
more than to have that of being a preacher; and are not called to that
work. There must be antecessors and leaders in the religious economy,
as well as in the politic state; for if every one not qualified should
assume the office of governing, things would soon run into confusion.
Now though some have had this false conceit, that to be able to predict
future things was a quality the Quakers attributed to themselves; as
proceeding from their doctrine, that Christians ought to be led by the
Spirit of God; yet this is a very sinister and preposterous conceit;
for what they say concerning the leading and guiding of the Spirit of
God, is agreeable with the doctrine of the apostle, who saith, “As many
as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” And this
was also the doctrine of the first reformers. What must we think then
of those who will not be led by this spirit, but call this doctrine by
the odious denomination of enthusiasm? The same apostle tells us also,
“If any have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his.” And he saith
also, “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit
withal.” But from thence it doth in no wise follow that the spirit
of prophecy is given to every one; neither that although it might
please God to reveal to one a thing which yet was to come, such an one
therefore was endued with such a prophetical spirit, that he was able
at any time to predict future things.
If this position be true, then those of other persuasions might also
lay claim to that prerogative; because among them sometimes there have
been pious men who predicted remarkable things, which afterwards really
happened; as among the rest, James Usher, archbishop of Armagh, and
primate of Ireland, who foretold the rebellion in Ireland forty years
before it came to pass; besides the intestine war and miseries that
befel England, and other things that were fulfilled: which leads us not
to reject as frivolous his prediction of the dreadful persecution that
would fall upon all the Protestant churches by the Papists; for though
one of his friends once objected to him, that since Great Britain and
Ireland had already suffered so deeply, there was reason to hope that
the judgments of God in respect of these kingdoms might have been past;
yet he replied to it, ‘Fool not yourselves with such hopes, for I tell
you all you have yet seen hath been but the beginning of sorrows, to
what is yet to come upon the Protestant churches of Christ, who will
ere long fall under a sharper persecution than ever yet hath been upon
them. And therefore look you be not found in the outward court, but
a worshipper in the temple before the altar: for Christ will measure
all those that profess his name, and call themselves his people; and
the outward worshippers he will leave out, to be trodden down by the
Gentiles. The outward court is the formal Christian, whose religion
lies in performing the outside duties of Christianity, without having
an inward life and power of faith and love, uniting them to Christ:
and these God will leave to be trodden down and swept away by the
Gentiles. But the worshippers within the temple and before the altar,
are those who indeed worship God in spirit and in truth: whose souls
are made his temples, and he is honoured and adored in the most inward
thoughts of their hearts; and they sacrifice their lusts and vile
affections, yea, and their own wills to him; and these God will hide
in the hollow of his hand, and under the shadow of his wings. And
this shall be the great difference between this last, and all the
other preceding persecutions; for in the former the most eminent and
spiritual ministers and Christians did generally suffer most, and were
most violently fallen upon; but in this last persecution these shall
be preserved by God as a seed to partake of that glory which shall
immediately follow and come upon the church, as soon as ever this storm
shall be over; for as it shall be the sharpest, so it shall be the
shortest persecution of them all, and shall only take away the gross
hypocrites and formal professors; but the true spiritual believers
shall be preserved till the calamity be over past.’
If any now-a-days should speak at this rate, it is credible that many
who think themselves to be good Christians, would decry this as mere
enthusiasm. But the said bishop is still in such great repute with the
learned, and hath obtained such an high esteem by his writings, that
his words are likely to be of more weight with many, than those of
other pious men. And therefore I was willing to renew them, and revive
his memory, if perhaps this might make some impression upon the minds
of any: for this is a certain truth, that no outward performances will
avail any, if they do not worship God in spirit and in truth; for such
worshippers God seeks, according to what our Saviour himself said;
besides, that “not every one that saith to him, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven:” nay, when many in that day will say to
him, “Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?” He will say to them,
“I never knew you; depart from me ye that work iniquity.”
As the many singular cases related in this history will afford no
unpleasing entertainment to curious readers, so they will be found also
instructive; for we shall not only meet with instances of true piety
and love to one’s neighbour, and of saints triumphing on their death
beds, and also with remarkable examples of sinners truly penitent at
the hour of death; but we may also find here abundance of proofs of
a peaceable behaviour: for the Quakers, so called, have not plotted
against the government, nor meddled with treasonable practices or
rebellions; and how much soever they were oppressed, yet they always
were quiet, and never made any resistance; but with an harmless
patience they have borne their most heavy oppressions and injuries, and
so at length overcame: for to be subject to magistracy hath always been
one of their principles; and that they were really dutiful subjects,
they have showed at all times, by paying obedience to the higher power,
in all they could do with a good conscience. And when any thing was
required of them, which from a reverential respect to God they durst
not do, or omit; they have showed their obedience by suffering, without
making any resistance, or joining with others who were inclined thereto.
Now though many have made it their business to represent them in odious
colours, and to write great untruths concerning them; nay, to fasten
doctrines upon them which they never approved, and that not a few of
the learned have contended against them with their pens; yet among
these there have also been such, who though they never joined with, yet
gave a good account and favourable testimony concerning them, as may
be seen in Richard Claridge’s answer to a book of Edward Cockson, page
266, and seq. And at Amsterdam in Holland, many years ago, a learned
man published a book called, Lucerna super Candelabrum, wherein he
very eminently defended the doctrine of the inward light; and this
book was published in Dutch, and afterwards also into English, with
the title of The Light upon the Candlestick: and since the name of
William Ames, a zealous preacher among the Quakers, was placed upon the
title, many have believed him to be the author of that book, because
his doctrine of the divine and inward light was so effectually asserted
therein. That he approved the contents of the book I know; but I know
also that it never proceeded from his pen. And many years afterwards
it was published under the name of one Peter Balling as the author,
though there were those who fathered it upon Adam Boreel, because it
is found printed in Latin among his Scripta Postuma. And this opinion
is not altogether improbable, for among his works are found also some
other writings that contain several positions asserted by the Quakers;
besides, he and some other of the collegians, and among these also
Dr. Galenus Abrahamson, were so effectually convinced of the doctrine
preached by William Ames when he first came to Amsterdam, that they
approved of it; though afterwards from a misapprehension they opposed
it. Now if we presuppose that Adam Boreel was the author of the said
Latin book, Peter Balling might be the translator thereof into Dutch;
for that it was originally written in Latin seems to me very probable.
But however this be, it appears plainly, that the author would not
publicly be known; for the title seemed designedly composed so that the
readers should believe W. Ames to be the author of it, viz. The Light
on the Candlestick, serving for Illustration of the principal matters
in the Book called, The Mysteries of the Kingdom of God, &c. against
Galenus Abrahamson and his Assenters, treated of, and written by W.
Ames. And this name stood in capital letters underneath, in such a
manner as the name of an author is usually placed upon a title; though
the publisher meant no more but that W. Ames was the author of the book
called, The Mysteries of the Kingdom of God. And there was no printer’s
name added to it, but only, Printed for the author, 1662.
Now though I cannot tell certainly who was the author, yet I have
thought fit, since the said book is not easily to be got in Latin, to
insert it in the appendix of this history; from whence it may appear,
as well as from the writings of some others, that there have been such
as either commended the Quakers, or defended their doctrine, though
they themselves never could resolve to join with them publicly.
But notwithstanding all this, there have been others, who, to render
the deportment and carriage of the Quakers suspected and odious, have
been ready to represent their honest behaviour and religious life as
Pharisaical righteousness; although Christ and his apostles earnestly
recommended such a life. Pray, what mean these words of our Saviour,
“Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect;”
but that we ought to endeavour, to the utmost of our power, to lead
a virtuous and godly life? when those that heard the apostle Peter
preach, were thereby pricked in their hearts, and said, “Men and
Brethren, what shall we do?” he answered, “Repent.” And at another
time, “Repent, ye, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out.” The apostle Paul saith, “Be not conformed to this world, but
be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” And the apostle
Peter, agreeable to this, saith, “As obedient children, not fashioning
yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance; but as
he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation;” all which clearly implieth, that a Christian ought to
be very strict and careful in his conversation; and of this judgment
were also the first reformers: and that Archbishop Tillotson was also
of the same mind appears from many passages that are to be found in his
sermons.
But though the Quakers have endeavoured to make their life and
conversation agree with their Christian profession, yet this hath
raised envy, grudge, and malice against them: and among the clergy
there have been such, who, to render them odious, did not stick to
represent them as disguised Papists, notwithstanding these were none of
their meanest enemies. For, after a due reflection and consideration,
it hath seemed to me, that when king Charles the second was on the
throne, the Romanists, and such among the church of England as favoured
them, were the chief promoters of persecution. And these, to pursue
their wicked ends, would not proceed according to law, in the trials
of the imprisoned Quakers; but they continually strove to introduce
an arbitrary power, and so, from time to time, they did not omit to
prosecute the Quakers severely: thinking that, when they were once
suppressed, the other dissenters must fall of necessity, though they
were not for non-resistance. But Providence acted very remarkably; for,
when a popish prince afterwards would introduce liberty of conscience,
the eyes of the most moderate maintainers of the church of England came
to be so opened, that, in the reign of King William III. they promoted
a general liberty of conscience, by which the people called Quakers
at length obtained liberty to perform their public worship without
molestation.
Thus far the limits of this history are extended; and being arrived
there, I did not think myself bound to enlarge any further; what
follows being no more than an overplus.
I have related nothing in this work but what I believed to be
unquestionably true: for what seemed doubtful to me, I rather chose to
pass by; having never been of so credulous a temper, as easily to take
things on trust, without due examination: for we often see that high
soaring imaginations make people believe things that are far from being
true. But for all that, we ought not to reject as untrue every thing
that appears strange or unusual; since experience convinceth us of the
contrary, viz. that sometimes we have seen a thing which, if we had
not beheld with our own eyes, we could hardly have believed. Wherefore
I would not reject as untrue what was extraordinary or unusual, when
it was told me by credible persons, or confirmed by eye-witnesses.
And therefore, though my reader may meet with some very singular
occurrences, yet this is true, that I have endeavoured to the utmost to
relate nothing but what, after a nice inquiry, seemed to me to be true,
or at least very probable. And yet I have silently passed over some
cases which I did not question to be true, lest any might think me too
credulous.
As to the transactions of state affairs, I have taken them mostly from
the history of the rebellion and the civil wars in England, written by
Edward Earl of Clarendon, and from the memoirs of Edward Ludlow. Yet
some few things relating to state affairs, that have not been mentioned
by them, nor in any other public history that I know of, I thought
worthy to be delivered to posterity by my pen.
For my style, I know it is but indifferent: I do not pretend to
elegancy in the English tongue; for, being a foreigner, and never
having been in England but about the space of ten months, and that
near fifty years ago, it ought not to be expected that I should write
English so well as Dutch, my native language. If therefore my pen
hath sometimes been guilty of a Belgicism, I beg excuse of my reader.
And since my absence hath hindered me from correcting the printer’s
mistakes, either in omissions or other errors, such faults I do not
think myself responsible for, because I have been fain to trust the
oversight and correction of my work to others, who may have been more
liable to let errors escape than myself should have been. This I hope
will suffice to excuse me with discreet persons.
What the envious may judge of this work I little care for, well
knowing that the most eminent authors have been exposed to envy, and
been obnoxious to the censures of pedantic critics. Whatever any may
think, this I am well assured of, that my chief scope hath been by the
relation of many unusual occurrences, not only to delight my reader but
also to lead him to virtue. If I may be so happy as to have contributed
thereto, I shall think my pains well rewarded; and if not, I shall
have at least this satisfaction, that according to my ability, I have
endeavoured to be beneficial to others, and to edify my fellow-mortals
in that which is good; which I cannot but think to be well pleasing to
God. And if I have performed any thing that is good, the honour and
glory thereof belongs to him, who is the Giver of all good gifts; and
it is from Him alone I have received all my ability to do any good
thing. Thus concluding, I wish the reader discretion, and an impartial
judgment.