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
He visited the Court, for the first time since his father's death, to
plead for George Fox's liberty. It was an errand on which for the next
fifteen years he was often to go. He seems to have had a wonderful
power of drawing out the best side of the royal brothers; and no nobler
sight can be pictured than the courtly Friend, hating the court for its
worldliness and sin, but frequenting it to speak bold words of truth
or gentle pleas for mercy; feeling that his influence there was a
trust not to be neglected, but wielding it with constant watchfulness
and wonderful self-control. Meanwhile, writing and preaching were
not forgotten. Amongst other engagements, he had, in 1675, a public
discussion with good Robert Baxter, of which, unfortunately, very few
details are preserved. Perhaps, the most competent and charitable
opponent of Friends at this time was Dr. Henry More. The combined
wit and seriousness of Penn's pamphlets overcame his dislike to
controversy, and led him to go carefully through the discussion which
he had had with John Faldo. He was also at this time in communication
with George Keith, then, perhaps, the most learned defender of the
doctrine of Immediate Revelation. The intercourse led to mutual regard
and respect. "If thou happen to see Henry More," writes George Keith
to Robert Barclay, when the latter was in London, "remember my dear
love to him. Notwithstanding of his mistakes, I would have Friends be
very loving and tender to him, as indeed I find a great love to him in
my heart. But as for his paper I see no difficulties in it at all to
weaken in me anything I have written to him."
Before proceeding to speak of the great work of Penn's life, the
founding of Pennsylvania, we must anticipate a little to refer to his
manifold labours for his own religious Society. His well-balanced
nature found no difficulty in rightly blending the sacred and the
secular. Whilst electioneering for Sidney, whilst gathering facts and
making business arrangements for New Jersey, or taking interest in
the Royal Society, his religious life was still full and fervent. At
the time that he was living at Worminghurst, almost overwhelmed with
business, we are told that his spirit was so warm and eager, that when
the Friends assembled for worship, he could hardly wait to reach his
seat before beginning to pour forth the fulness of his soul.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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