Three Apostles of Quakerism: Popular Sketches of Fox, Penn and BarclayRhodes, Benjamin
History
Three Apostles of Quakerism: Popular Sketches of Fox, Penn and Barclay
Rhodes, Benjamin
Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690; Fox, George, 1624-1691; Penn, William, 1644-1718; Society of Friends
But finally let us appeal to the high authority of Carlyle, who
estimated truly the spirit and aim of Fox's life. There was much in
common between them in their sturdy love of truth and reality, leading
to a hearty hatred of empty forms and mere conventionalities. Both had
a striking directness of thought and purpose, going right to the heart
of things; an intense earnestness that did not stop nicely to weigh
words, but hit hard at all unrighteousness. There was in both a strong
sense of personal responsibility that made them indifferent what others
might think or do. Carlyle gives us in "Sartor Resartus" (Popular
edition, pp. 144, 5) a striking eulogium on George Fox, from which we
will select the following characteristic passage:--"Perhaps the most
remarkable incident in modern history is not the diet of Worms, still
less the Battle of Austerlitz, Waterloo, Peterloo, or any other battle;
but an incident passed carelessly over by most historians, and treated
with some degree of ridicule by others; namely, George Fox making to
himself a suit of leather. This man, the first of the Quakers, and
by trade a shoemaker, was one of those to whom, under ruder or purer
form, the divine idea of the universe is pleased to manifest itself;
and across all the hulls of ignorance and earthly degradation, shine
through in unspeakable awfulness, unspeakable beauty on their souls;
who therefore are rightly accounted prophets, God-possessed, or even
Gods, as in some periods it has chanced."
The length of these quotations needs some apology; but the influence
of the vigor and cleverness of Macaulay's caricature needs to be
counteracted; and the confidence with which he pronounces judgment will
doubtless lead many unwary readers to accept his opinion. It should at
least be known that men equally able, and more competent to estimate a
nature like Fox's, have admired his character and valued his work. But
after all the best testimony to his worth is contained in the devoted
life which we have been endeavouring to sketch.
WILLIAM PENN,
THE
FOUNDER OF PENNSYLVANIA.
PREFACE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Three Apostles of Quakerism: Popular Sketches of Fox, Penn and Barclay — John Shaqi
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