This John Crook had been a man of note in the world, not only because
he had been a justice of peace, as hath been said in due place, but
also because he was a man of good intellects; and yet his zeal for
what he believed to be truth, was such, that he became willing to bear
the reproach of the world, that so he might enjoy peace with God. But
though he was a man of learning, yet most of the first preachers of
the doctrine held forth by those called Quakers, were people of small
account in the world; but yet they were so powerful in their preaching,
that many thereby were turned to true godliness.
Some have been reached by the sayings of dying penitents; for there
have been remarkable instances of young people sprung from honest
parents, who having walked in the broad way, did very earnestly bewail
their outgoings on a dying bed, and then declared, that if it pleased
God, to raise them up again, they would not, as before, be ashamed of
the despised way of the Quakers, nor fear any mockings or persecution,
but that they would serve the Lord, in uprightness, and with all their
heart. These thus repenting with tears for their transgressions,
have experienced after great agonies, that God wills not the death
of sinners, but that they should repent, and so live in everlasting
happiness.
Of several such like cases, I will only mention one, viz. that of a
young maid at London, called Susanna Whitrow, whose mother was of
the society of the Quakers, but not her father. On her dying bed she
complained exceedingly of her rebellion and vain behaviour: ‘Ah,’
said she to her mother, ‘how often hast thou said, the Lord would
plead with us: now the day is come. Pride and disobedience were my
cursed fruits, which I brought forth when I was a hearer in the public
church. How often have I adorned myself as fine in their fashion as
I could make me; yet they despised my dress, and said, ‘How like a
tawdry have you dressed yourself; you are not at all in the mode.’
Then coming home on the Sabbath-day, I went immediately up into my
chamber, and locking the door, I altered all my laces, and so went
to their worship in the afternoon, dressed in their mode, and then I
pleased them.’ At another time she said, ‘O that I might have a little
time longer to go into the country, and walk in the woods to seek the
Lord. O what matter for fine houses and silk apparel: O remember him
that sat on the ground, and wore a garment without a seam, our blessed
holy Lord, who went up to the mountains to pray, and withdrew himself
into gardens and desolate places. I have done nothing for the Lord,
but he hath done all for me: therefore I desire to live, that I might
live an holy and righteous life, that my conversation might be in
heaven, though my body be here on earth. How would I then invite and
warn others, not to spend their precious time in adorning themselves
like Jezebel, patching and painting, and curling their hair. O the
Christian life is quite another thing: we must not give ourselves the
liberty to think our own thoughts, much less to act such abominations.’
Several days she was in a strong wrestling and conflict of spirit, and
in fervent prayer to God, so that when somebody was for removing her
head a little, she refusing it, said, ‘I would not suffer a thought to
wander; if I move, I shall be drawn off my watch, and then the temper
will prevail.’ Continuing in this conflict, she conceived at length
hopes of forgiveness; and being thus strengthened by mercy, she said
to the Lord, ‘O what can my soul say of thy power: when I sought thee,
but could not find thee; I knocked hard, but none did open: for my
sins stood like mountains, that I could not come near thee: I would
fain have prayed to thee, but could not. Thus I lay several days and
nights struggling for life, but could find none: and I said, “There is
no mercy for me:” then I said, “I will never leave thee; if I perish,
I will perish here; I will never cease crying unto thee.” And then
I heard a voice say, “Jacob wrestled all night before he obtained
the blessing.” Oh then thy word, O Lord, was strong to my soul: then
my stony heart was broken to pieces, and the spirit of prayer and
supplication was poured upon me. And now I can sing as David did, of
mercy, and of judgment: “Unto thee, O Lord, will I sing, with a rent
heart, and with my mouth in the dust will I sing praises to thee, my
blessed Saviour.”’ In this frame she endeavoured to continue, and
once she prayed for her father, called Robert Whitrow, part of which
prayer was as followeth: ‘O Lord, remember not his offences, let me
bear them; let it be easy to him; make his friends to be enemies to
him, that thou mayest have mercy upon him. His temptations are great;
Lord, carry him through; O let him not perish with the world; do thou
support him over this world. Shall a little dirt of this world draw
away his mind: O Lord, let his mind be set on things above; fix his
mind upon thee.’ Thus fervently this young maid prayed for her father,
herself now having attained a full assurance of her salvation, so that
she once said to the Lord, ‘O thou beloved of my soul, what shall I say
of thee, for thou art too wonderful for me: O praises be unto thee.’
And afterward perceiving that her end was approaching, she said to her
mother, ‘I must lay down this body, the Lord will not trust me longer
in this present wicked world: happy am I: my Saviour, my soul loves
thee dearly; thy love is better than wine: my Saviour, my holy One, how
glorious art thou: I have seen thy glory; I am overcome with thy sweet
countenance; O how lovely art thou! My heart is ravished with the
sweet smiles of thy glorious countenance. O, come away, come away, why
dost thou stay? I am ready, I am ready.’ Then she lay some time very
still, and so departed this life without sigh or groan: which was about
the year 1677.
Such like dying persons have been the means sometimes to stir up
others to true godliness, whereby they came to be joined with the
people called Quakers; and though these in time came to be very
numerous, yet at first there were but few labourers in the ministry
of the word. But these recommending one another to give diligent heed
to the word of God in the heart, and to mind that as their teacher,
did often meet together and keep assemblies, sitting down with such
a deep retiredness of mind, being turned inward to God, that tears
trickled down their cheeks, to the astonishment of many that looked
upon them, some of which, only by beholding this retiredness, came
to be so effectually reached, that they also joined with them, and
frequented their meetings. In the mean while many of these became more
and more confirmed in their minds by this silent exercise, and their
understandings came to be so opened, that in process of time they
became apt and fit instruments to exhort others to godliness: and among
these several women also found it their duty to preach the gospel.
There have been many who were very averse to the Quakers, and yet came
to join with them in the faith; as among others, Christopher Bacon,
in Somersetshire, who, about the year 1656, coming into a meeting,
not with intention to be edified there, but rather to scoff, and to
fetch his wife from thence, who went thither against his mind, was
so reached by the lively exhortation he heard, that he was not only
convinced of the truth preached there, but in time became a zealous
preacher of it himself, and was valiant in sufferings. Once being
taken up at a meeting in Glastonbury, and brought before bishop Mew,
at Wells, who called him a rebel, for meeting contrary to the king’s
laws, Christopher having formerly been a soldier for the king, said
to him, ‘Dost thou call me rebel: I would have thee to know, that I
have ventured my life for the king in the field, when such as thou lay
behind hedges.’ By this he stopped the bishop’s mouth, who did not
expect such an answer, and therefore was willing to be rid of him.
The like instance of an unexpected conversion, was seen also in William
Gibson, whom I knew well, and who at the time of the civil wars, being
a soldier at Carlisle, he and three others having heard that a Quakers’
meeting was appointed in that city, they agreed to go thither and abuse
the preacher, whose name was Thomas Holmes; but Gibson hearing him
powerfully declare the truth, was so affected by his testimony, that he
stepped in near him, to defend him, if any should have offered to abuse
him: and he himself afterwards came to be a zealous preacher of that
truth he had been at unawares convinced of.
To these instances I may add that of a certain trumpeter, who coming
into a Quakers’ meeting, began in an insolent manner to sound his
trumpet, thereby to drown the voice of him that preached: but this had
a contrary effect, and stirred up the zeal of the preacher the more,
so that he went on as if none disturbed him. The trumpeter at length,
to recover his breath, was fain to cease blowing; but being still
governed by an evil spirit, after some intermission began to sound
again; but whatever he did, he was not able to divert the preacher from
his discourse, though he hindered the auditory from hearing what was
spoken. Thus he wearied himself so much that he was forced to rest
again for respiration: whereby in spite of his evil will, he came to
hear what the preacher spoke, which was so piercing, that the trumpeter
came to be deeply affected with it, and bursting into tears, confessed
his crime, and came to be a true penitent: a remarkable evidence of the
truth of that saying of the apostle, “So then, it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.”
Among these, who contrary to their intent entered into communion with
the Quakers, so called, may be reckoned also Anthony Pearson, the
justice, of whom in this history it hath been mentioned, that he was
so reached by G. Fox, at Swarthmore, that he came to be one of his
followers; which though true, yet it was before that time that he was
in some respect convinced of the doctrine maintained by the people
called Quakers: which happened to be by James Nayler, who upon an
indictment of blasphemy, appearing at the sessions at Appleby, in the
month called January, 1652, found the said justice Pearson sitting
there on the bench as one of his persecutors: who asking him several
questions received such pertinent answers from J. Nayler, that in a
great degree he was convinced of the truth held by J. Nayler and his
friends.
By what hath been related here may be seen how unexpectedly some
entered into society with the Quakers, so called; more instances of
which might be produced if needful; since I have known such, who
being naturally of a boisterous temper, yet were so struck with the
terror of the Lord, that they came to be of such a quiet spirit,
and harmless behaviour, that as formerly they could not suffer the
least provocation, so now they bore all revilings and mockings with
an even and undisturbed mind; because the fear of God had made such
deep impression upon them, that they were careful lest by an angry or
impetuous deportment they should sin against him. And thus continuing
to live in fear, and a reverential awe, they improved in true
godliness; insomuch that by their pious lives they preached as well
as others with words. After this manner the number of their society
increased; but then grievous sufferings ensued; for the priests could
not endure to see that their hearers left them; the furious mob was
spurred on, and among the magistrates there were many, who, being of a
fierce temper, used all their strength to root out the professors of
the light, (as they were called at first,) and to suppress and stifle
their doctrine; but all proved in vain, as appears abundantly from
this history; although there were hardly any prisons in England, where
some of these people were not shut up; besides the spoil of goods, and
cruel whippings that befel some of them. Yet all this they bore with a
more than ordinary courage, without making resistance, how great soever
their number was; and notwithstanding many of them had been valiant
soldiers, who often had slain their enemies in the field, without
regarding danger.
In the consideration of this undaunted steadfastness, it hath seemed
to me, that there have been some such among this people, whose talent
was valiantly to endure persecution for a good cause; and who perhaps
in ease would not have been such good Christians as they proved to be
under these sufferings; resembling the camomile in this, which the
more it is depressed or rubbed, the better it grows, and yields the
stronger scent. Being then thus oppressed, they found themselves under
a necessity of continuing vigilant and watchful; and, according to king
Solomon’s advice, to keep their hearts with all diligence. This made
them love what they judged to be truth, more than their lives, and it
caused them to be careful, lest that should come over them which the
church of Ephesus was threatened with, because she had left her first
love, viz. the removing of her candlestick out of its place. Thus their
mutual love increased, and their own lives they valued not, when the
grieving of their consciences stood in competition with it.
Having thus passed through many adversities, with an unwearied and
lasting patience, and being become a great people, known by the name of
Quakers, they were at length, by the generous clemency of king William
III. and the favour of the Parliament, declared to be a society, who
should henceforth be tolerated in the kingdom as Protestant dissenters,
with liberty to perform their religious worship in public without
disturbance.