that these peculiar Men come not thither to meet with the Lord, and to
wait for the inward Motions and Operations of his Spirit; and so to
pray as they feel the Spirit to breathe _through_ them, and _in_ them;
and to preach, as they find themselves actuated and moved by God’s
Spirit, and as he gives Utterance, so as to speak a Word in Season to
refresh weary Souls, and as the present Condition and State of the
People’s Hearts require; suffering God by his Spirit both to prepare
People’s Hearts, and also give the Preacher to speak what may be fit
and seasonable for them: But he (viz. _the Preacher_) hath hammered
together in his Closet, according to his own Will, by his human Wisdom
and Literature, and by stealing the Words of Truth from the Letter
of the Scriptures, and patching together other Men’s Writings and
Observations, so much as will hold him speaking an Hour, while the
Glass runs; [Sidenote: Priests _preach by Hap-hazard their studied
Sermons._] and without waiting or feeling the inward Influence of the
Spirit of God, he declaims that by Hap-hazard, whether it be fit or
seasonable for the People’s Condition, or not; and when he has ended
his Sermon, he saith his Prayer also in his own Will; and so _there
is an End of the Business_. Which _customary Worship_, as it is no
Ways acceptable to God, so how unfruitful it is, and unprofitable to
those that are found in it, the present Condition of the Nations doth
sufficiently declare. It appears then, that we are not against _set
Times_ for Worship, as _Arnoldus_ against this Proposition, _Sect.
45_. no less impertinently allegeth; offering needlesly to prove that
which is not denied: Only these Times being appointed for outward
Conveniency, we may not therefore think with the _Papists_, that these
Days are _holy_, and lead People into a superstitious Observation of
them; being persuaded that _all Days are alike holy in the Sight of
God_. [Sidenote: _Whether Days are holy._] And although it be not my
present Purpose to make a long Digression concerning the Debates among
_Protestants_ about the _first Day of the Week_, commonly called the
_Lord’s Day_, yet forasmuch as it comes fitly in here, I shall briefly
signify our Sense thereof.
§. IV. [Sidenote: _Of the _First Day_ of the _Week_, commonly called
the _Lord’s Day.] We, not seeing any Ground in Scripture for it,
cannot be so superstitious as to believe, that either the _Jewish
Sabbath_ now continues, or that the _first Day_ of the _Week_ is the
_Anti-type_ thereof, or the true _Christian Sabbath_; which with
_Calvin_ we believe to have a more _spiritual Sense_: And therefore
we know no moral Obligation by the _fourth Command_, or elsewhere, to
keep the _first Day of the Week_ more than any other, or any Holiness
inherent in it. But _First_, forasmuch as it is necessary that there
be some Time set apart for the Saints to meet together to wait upon
God; and that _Secondly_, it is fit at some Times they be freed from
their other outward Affairs; and that _Thirdly_, Reason and Equity
doth allow that Servants and Beasts have some Time allowed them to be
eased from their continual Labour; and that _Fourthly_, it appears
that the Apostles and Primitive Christians did use the _first Day of
the Week_ for these Purposes; we find ourselves sufficiently moved
for these Causes to do so also, without superstitiously straining the
Scriptures for another Reason: Which, that it is not to be there found,
many _Protestants_, yea, _Calvin_ himself, upon the _fourth Command_,
hath abundantly evinced. And though we therefore meet, and abstain
from working upon this _Day_, yet doth not that hinder us from having
_Meetings_ also for _Worship_ at other Times.
§. V. _Thirdly_, Though according to the Knowledge of God, revealed
unto us by the Spirit, through that more _full Dispensation of Light_
which we believe the Lord hath brought about in this Day, we judge
it our Duty to hold forth that pure and spiritual Worship which is
acceptable to God, and answerable to the Testimony of Christ and his
Apostles, and likewise to testify against and deny not only manifest
Superstition and Idolatry, but also all formal Will-worship, which
stands not in the Power of God; [Sidenote: _The _Worship_ in the
Apostasy._] yet, I say, we do not deny the whole Worship of all those
that have borne the Name of _Christians_ even in the Apostasy, as if
God had never heard their Prayers, nor accepted any of them: God forbid
we should be so void of Charity! The latter Part of the Proposition
sheweth the Contrary. And as we would not be so _absurd_ on the one
Hand to conclude, because of the Errors and Darkness that many were
covered and surrounded with in _Babylon_, that none of their Prayers
were heard or accepted of God, so will we not be so _unwary_ on the
other, as to conclude, that because God heard and pitied them, so we
ought to continue in these Errors and Darkness, and not come out of
_Babylon_, when it is by God discovered unto us. [Sidenote: _The Popish
Mass or Vespers._] The _Popish Mass_ and _Vespers_ I do believe to be,
as to the Matter of them, _abominable Idolatry_ and _Superstition_,
and so also believe the _Protestants_; yet will neither _I_ or
_they_ affirm, that in the Darkness of _Popery_ no Upright-hearted
Men, though zealous in these Abominations, have been heard of God,
or accepted of him: [Sidenote: Bernard _and_ Bonaventure, Taulerus,
Tho. à Kempis, _have tasted of the Love of God._] Who can deny, but
that both _Bernard_ and _Bonaventure, Taulerus, Thomas à Kempis,_
and divers others have both known and tasted of the Love of God, and
felt the Power and Virtue of God’s Spirit working with them for their
Salvation? And yet ought we not to forsake and deny those Superstitions
which they were found in? The _Calvinistical Presbyterians_ do much
upbraid (and I say not without Reason) the Formality and Deadness of
the _Episcopalian_ and _Lutheran Liturgies_; [Sidenote: _The Bishops
Liturgy._] and yet, as they will not deny but there have been some good
Men among them, so neither dare they refuse, but that when that good
Step was brought in by them, of turning the publick Prayers into the
vulgar Tongues, though continued in a _Liturgy_, it was acceptable to
God, and sometimes accompanied with his Power and Presence: Yet will
not the _Presbyterians_ have it from thence concluded, that the _Common
Prayers_ should still continue; so likewise, though we should confess,
that, through the Mercy and wonderful Condescension of God, there have
been upright in Heart, both among _Papists_ and _Protestants_, yet can
we not therefore approve of their Way in the General, or not go on to
the upholding of that _spiritual Worship_, which the Lord is calling
all to, and so to the testifying against whatsoever stands in the Way
of it.
§. VI. [Sidenote: _Assemblies of Worship in Publick described._]
_Fourthly_, To come then to the _State of the Controversy_, as to the
_publick Worship_, we judge it the Duty of all to be diligent in the
Assembling of themselves together (and what we have been, and are, in
this Matter, our Enemies in _Great Britain_, who have used all Means
to hinder our assembling together to worship God, may bear Witness)
and when assembled, the great Work of one and all ought to be to wait
upon God; and returning out of their own Thoughts and Imaginations, to
feel the Lord’s Presence, and know a _Gathering into his Name_ indeed,
where he is _in the Midst_, according to his Promise. And as every
one is thus gathered, and so met together inwardly in their Spirits,
as well as outwardly in their Persons, there the secret Power and
Virtue of Life is known to refresh the Soul, and the pure Motions and
Breathings of God’s Spirit are felt to arise; from which, as Words of
Declaration, Prayers or Praises arise, the acceptable Worship is known,
which edifies the Church, and is well-pleasing to God. And no Man
here limits the Spirit of God, nor bringeth forth his own conned and
gathered Stuff; but every one puts that forth which the Lord puts into
their Hearts: And it is uttered forth not in Man’s Will and Wisdom,
but _in the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit, and of Power_.
[Sidenote: _Its glorious _Dispensation.] Yea, though there be not a
Word spoken, yet is the true spiritual Worship performed, and the Body
of Christ edified; yea, it may, and hath often fallen out among us,
that divers Meetings have past without one Word; and yet our Souls have
been greatly edified and refreshed, and our Hearts wonderfully overcome
with the secret Sense of God’s Power and Spirit, which without Words
hath been ministered from one Vessel to another. This is indeed strange
and incredible to the mere natural and carnally-minded Man, who will be
apt to judge all Time lost where there is not something spoken that is
obvious to the outward Senses; and therefore I shall insist a little
upon this Subject, as one that can speak from a certain Experience, and
not by mere Hearsay, of this wonderful and glorious Dispensation; which
hath so much the more of the Wisdom and Glory of God in it, as it is
contrary to the Nature of Man’s Spirit, Will, and Wisdom.
§. VII. [Sidenote: _The silent waiting upon God obtained._] As there
can be nothing more opposite to the natural Will and Wisdom of Man than
this _silent Waiting upon God_, so neither can it be obtained, nor
rightly comprehended by Man, but as he layeth down his own Wisdom and
Will, so as to be content to be throughly subject to God. And therefore
it was not preached, nor can be so practised, but by such as find no
outward Ceremony, no Observations, no Words, yea, not the best and
purest Words, even the Words of Scripture, able to satisfy their weary
and afflicted Souls: Because where all these may be, the Life, Power,
and Virtue, which make such Things effectual, may be wanting. Such, I
say, were necessitated to cease from all Externals, and to be silent
before the Lord; and [97]being directed to that inward Principle of
_Life_ and _Light_ in themselves, as the most excellent Teacher, which
_can never be removed into a Corner_, came thereby to be taught to wait
upon God in the Measure of _Life_ and _Grace_ received from him, and to
cease from their own forward Words and Actings, in the natural Willing
and Comprehension, and feel after this inward Seed of Life; that, as
it moveth, they may move with it, and be actuated by its Power, and
influenced, whether to pray, preach or sing. And so from this Principle
of Man’s being silent, and not acting in the Things of God of himself,
until thus actuated by God’s _Light_ and _Grace in the Heart_, did
naturally spring that Manner of sitting silent together, and waiting
together upon the Lord. For many thus principled, meeting together
in the pure Fear of the Lord, did not apply themselves presently to
speak, pray, or sing, _&c._ being afraid to be found acting forwardly
in their own Wills, but each made it their Work to retire inwardly to
the Measure of Grace in themselves, not being only silent as to Words,
but even abstaining from all their own Thoughts, Imaginations and
Desires; so watching in a holy Dependence upon the Lord, and meeting
together not only outwardly in one Place, [Sidenote: _What it is to
meet in _Jesus_ Name._] but thus inwardly in _one Spirit_, and in _one
Name of Jesus_, which is his Power and Virtue, they come thereby to
enjoy and feel the Arisings of this Life, which, as it prevails in each
Particular, becomes as a Flood of Refreshment, and overspreads the
whole Meeting: For Man, and Man’s Part and Wisdom, being denied and
chained down in every Individual, and God exalted, and his Grace in
Dominion in the Heart, thus his _Name_ comes to be _one_ in _all_, and
his Glory breaks forth, and covers all; and there is such a holy Awe
and Reverence upon every Soul, that if the natural Part should arise
in any, or the wise Part, or what is not one with the Life, it would
presently be chained down, and judged out. And when any are, through
the Breaking forth of this Power, constrained to utter a Sentence of
Exhortation or Praise, or to breathe to the Lord in Prayer, then all
are sensible of it; for the same Life in them answers to it, [98]_as
in Water Face answereth to Face_. This is that _divine_ and _spiritual
Worship_, which the World neither knoweth nor understandeth, which
the _Vulture_’s Eye seeth not into. [Sidenote: _Advantages of _silent
Meetings.] Yet many and great are the Advantages which my Soul,
with many others, hath tasted of hereby, and which would be found of
all such as would seriously apply themselves hereunto: For, when
People are gathered thus together, not merely to hear Men, nor depend
upon them, but [99]_all are inwardly taught to stay their Minds upon
the Lord, and wait for his Appearance in their Hearts_; thereby the
forward Working of the Spirit of Man is stayed and hindered from mixing
itself with the Worship of God; and the Form of this Worship is so
naked and void of all outward and worldly Splendor, that all Occasion
for Man’s Wisdom to be exercised in that Superstition and Idolatry
hath no Lodging here; and so there being also an inward Quietness and
Retiredness of Mind, the _Witness of God_ ariseth _in the Heart_, and
the _Light of Christ_ shineth, whereby the Soul cometh to see its own
Condition. And there being many joined together in the same Work,
there is an inward Travail and Wrestling; and also, as the Measure of
Grace is abode in, an Overcoming of the Power and Spirit of Darkness;
and thus we are often greatly strengthened and renewed in the Spirits
of our Minds without a Word, and we enjoy and possess the [100]_holy
Fellowship_ and _Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ_, by which
our inward Man is nourished and fed; which makes us not to dote upon
outward _Water_, and _Bread_ and _Wine_, in our spiritual Things. Now
as many thus gathered together grow up in the Strength, Power, and
Virtue of Truth, and as Truth comes thus to have Victory and Dominion
in their Souls, then they receive an Utterance, and speak steadily to
the Edification of their Brethren, and the _pure Life_ hath a free
Passage through them, and what is thus spoken edifieth the Body indeed.
[Sidenote: _Speaking to Edification._] Such is the evident Certainty
of that divine Strength that is communicated by thus meeting together,
and waiting in Silence upon God, that sometimes when one hath come in
that hath been unwatchful and wandering in his Mind, or suddenly out
of the Hurry of outward Business, and so not inwardly gathered with
the rest, so soon as he retires himself inwardly, this Power being in
a good Measure raised in the whole Meeting, will suddenly lay Hold
upon his Spirit, and wonderfully help to raise up the Good in him,
and beget him into the Sense of the same Power, to the Melting and
Warming of his Heart; even as the Warmth would take Hold upon a Man
that is cold coming into a Stove, or as a Flame will lay Hold upon
some little combustible Matter being near unto it. Yea, if it fall out
that several met together be straying in their Minds, though outwardly
silent, and so wandering from the Measure of Grace in themselves
(which through the Working of the Enemy, and Negligence of some, may
fall out) if either one come in, or may be in, who is watchful, and in
whom the _Life_ is raised in a great Measure, as that one keeps his
Place, he will feel a secret Travail for the rest in a Sympathy with
the _Seed_ which is oppressed in the other, and kept from arising by
their Thoughts and Wanderings; [Sidenote: _A secret Travail one for
another in silent Meetings_.] and as such a faithful one waits in the
_Light_, and keeps in this _divine Work_, God oftentimes answers the
secret Travail and Breathings of his own _Seed_ through such a one, so
that the rest will find themselves _secretly smitten_ without Words,
and that one will be as a _Midwife_ through the secret Travails of his
Soul to bring forth the Life in them, just as a little Water thrown
into a Pump brings up the rest, whereby Life will come to be raised in
all, and the vain Imaginations brought down; and such a one is felt by
the rest to minister Life unto them without Words. Yea, sometimes when
there is not a Word in the Meeting, but all are silently waiting, if
one come in that is rude and wicked, and in whom the Power of Darkness
prevaileth much, perhaps with an Intention to mock or do Mischief, if
the whole Meeting be gathered into the _Life_, and it be raised in a
good Measure, it will strike Terror into such an one, [Sidenote: _The
Mocker struck with_ Terror _when no Word is spoken_.] and he will
feel himself unable to resist; but by the secret Strength and Virtue
thereof, the Power of Darkness in him will be chained down: And if the
Day of his Visitation be not expired, it will reach to the Measure of
Grace in him, and raise it up to the Redeeming of his Soul. And this we
often bear Witness of, so that we have had frequent Occasion in this
Respect, since God hath gathered us to be a People, to renew this old
Saying of many, [101]_Is _Saul_ also among the Prophets?_ For not a
few have come to be convinced of the Truth after this Manner, of which
I myself, in Part, am a true Witness, who not by Strength of Arguments,
or by a particular Disquisition of each Doctrine, and Convincement
of my Understanding thereby, came to receive and bear Witness of the
Truth, but by being secretly reached by this _Life_; [Sidenote: _The
true Convincement._] for when I came into the _silent Assemblies_ of
God’s People, I felt a _secret Power_ among them, which touched my
Heart, and as I gave Way unto it, I found the Evil weakening in me, and
the Good raised up, and so I became thus knit and united unto them,
hungering more and more after the Increase of this Power and Life,
whereby I might feel myself perfectly redeemed. And indeed this is the
surest Way to become a _Christian_, to whom afterwards the Knowledge
and Understanding of _Principles_ will not be wanting, but will grow up
so much as is needful, as the natural Fruit of this good Root, and such
a Knowledge will not be _barren_ nor _unfruitful_. After this Manner
we desire therefore all that come among us to be proselyted, knowing
that though Thousands should be convinced in their Understanding of
all the _Truths_ we maintain, yet if they were not sensible of this
_inward Life_, and their Souls not changed from Unrighteousness to
Righteousness, they could add nothing to us. [Sidenote: 1 Cor. 6. 17.
_The Life of Righteousness doth join us to the Lord._] For this is that
_Cement_ whereby we are joined _as to the Lord_, so to one another,
and without this none can worship with us. Yea, if such should come
among us, and from that Understanding and Convincement they have of the
_Truth_, speak ever so true Things, and utter them forth with ever so
much Excellency of Speech, if this _Life_ were wanting, it would not
edify us at all, but be as _sounding Brass, or a tinkling Cymbal_, 1
Cor. xiii. 1.
[97] Isa. 30. 20.
[98] Prov. 27. 19.
[99] Isa. 10. 20. _and_ 26. 3.
[100] Ephes. 4. 3.
[101] 1 Sam. 10. 12.
§. VIII. [Sidenote: _Our Work and Worship in our Meetings._] Our
_Work_ then and _Worship_ is, when we meet together, for every one to
_watch and wait upon God in themselves_, and to be _gathered_ from all
Visibles thereunto. And as every one is thus stated, they come to find
the _Good_ arise over the _Evil_, and the _Pure_ over the _Impure_, in
which God reveals himself, and draweth near to every Individual, and so
he is in the Midst in the General, whereby each not only partakes of
the particular Refreshment and Strength which comes from the Good in
himself, but is a Sharer in the whole Body, as being a living Member of
the Body, having a joint Fellowship and Communion with all. And as this
Worship is stedfastly preached and kept to, it becomes easy, though it
be very hard at first to the natural Man, whose roving Imaginations
and running worldly Desires are not so easily brought to Silence. And
therefore the Lord Often-times, when any turn towards him, and have
true Desires thus to Wait upon him, and find great Difficulty through
the Unstayedness of their Minds, doth in Condescension and Compassion
cause his Power to break forth in a more strong and powerful Manner.
And when the Mind sinks down, and waits for the Appearance of _Life_,
and that the Power of Darkness in the Soul wrestles and works against
it, then the good Seed, as it ariseth, will be found to work as Physick
in the Soul, especially if such a weak one be in the Assembly of divers
others in whom the Life is arisen in greater Dominion, and through
the contrary Workings of the Power of Darkness there will be found an
inward Striving in the Soul as really in the Mystery as ever _Esau_
and _Jacob_ strove in _Rebecca_’s Womb. [Sidenote: Esau _and_ Jacob
_strove in _Rebecca_’s Womb._] And from this inward Travail, while
the _Darkness_ seeks to obscure the _Light_, and the _Light_ breaks
through the _Darkness_, which it always will do, if the Soul gives not
its Strength to the Darkness, there will be such a painful Travail
found in the Soul, that will even work upon the outward Man, so that
Often-times, through the Working thereof, the Body will be greatly
shaken, and many Groans, and Sighs, and Tears, even as the Pangs of
a Woman in Travail, will lay hold upon it; yea, and this not only as
to one, but when the Enemy, who when the _Children of God_ assemble
together is not wanting to be present, to see if he can let their
Comfort, hath prevailed in any Measure in a whole Meeting, and strongly
worketh against it by spreading and propagating his dark Power, and by
drawing out the Minds of such as are met from the Life in them, as they
come to be sensible of this Power of his that works against them, and
to wrestle with it by the _Armour of Light_, [Sidenote: _The Travail
crowned with a victorious Song._] sometimes the Power of God will break
forth into a whole Meeting, and there will be such an inward Travail,
while each is seeking to overcome the Evil in themselves, that by the
strong contrary Workings of these opposite Powers, like the Going of
two contrary Tides, every Individual will be strongly exercised as in a
Day of Battle, and thereby Trembling and a Motion of Body will be upon
most, if not upon all, which, as the Power of Truth prevails, will from
Pangs and Groans end with a _sweet Sound of Thanksgiving_ and _Praise_.
[Sidenote: _The Name of _Quakers_ whence it sprung._] And from this
the Name of _Quakers_, i. e. _Tremblers_, was first reproachfully cast
upon us; which though it be none of our Choosing, yet in this Respect
we are not ashamed of it, but have rather Reason to rejoice therefore,
even that we are sensible of this Power that hath oftentimes laid hold
of our Adversaries, and made them yield unto us, and join with us,
and confess to the Truth, before they had any distinct or discursive
Knowledge of our _Doctrines_, so that sometimes many at one Meeting
have been thus convinced: And this Power would sometimes also reach to
and wonderfully work even in little Children, to the Admiration and
Astonishment of many.