A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume 1: Taken from a View of the Education and Discipline, Social Manners, Civil and Political Economy, Religious Principles and Character, of the Society of FriendsClarkson, Thomas
Religion
A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume 1: Taken from a View of the Education and Discipline, Social Manners, Civil and Political Economy, Religious Principles and Character, of the Society of Friends
Clarkson, Thomas
Society of Friends
In 1651, when he was set at liberty, he seems not to have been in the
least disheartened by the treatment he had received there, or at the
different places before mentioned, but to have resumed his travels, and
to have held religious meetings, as he went along. He had even the
boldness to go into Litchfield, because he imagined it to be his duty,
and, with his shoes off to pronounce with an audible voice in the
streets, and this on the market-day, a woe against that city. He
continued also to visit the churches, as he journeyed, in the time of
divine service, and to address the priests and the people publicly, as
he saw occasion, but not, as I observed before, till he believed the
service to be over. It does not appear, however, that he suffered any
interruption upon these occasions, in the course of the present year,
except at York-Minster; where, as he was beginning to preach after the
sermon, he was hurried out of it, and thrown down the steps by the
congregation, which was then breaking up. It appears that he had been
generally well received in the county of York, and that he had convinced
many.
In the year 1652, after having passed through the shires of Nottingham
and Lincoln, he came again into Yorkshire. Here, in the course of his
journey, he ascended Pendle-Hill. At the top of this he apprehended it
was opened to him, whither he was to direct his future steps, and that
he saw a great host of people, who were to be converted by him in the
course of his ministry. From this time we may consider him as having
received his commission full and complete in his own mind. For in the
vale of Beevor he conceived himself to have been informed of the various
doctrines, which it became his duty to teach, and, on this occasion, to
have had an insight of the places where he was to spread them.
To go over his life, even in the concise way, in which I have hitherto
attempted it, would be to swell this introduction into a volume. I shall
therefore, from this great period of his ministry, make only the
following simple statement concerning it.
He continued his labours, as a minister of the gospel, and even
preached, within two days of his death.
During this time he had settled meetings in most parts of the kingdom,
and had given to these the foundation of that beautiful system of
discipline, which I shall explain in this volume, and which exists among
the Quakers at the present day.
He had travelled over England, Scotland, and Wales. He had been in
Ireland. He had visited the British West-Indies, and America. He had
extended his travels to Holland, and part of Germany.
He had written, in this interval, several religious books, and had
addressed letters to kings, princes, magistrates, and people, as he felt
impressions on his mind, which convinced him, that it become his duty to
do it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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