neither in filence, as filence; but in an holy dependance of the mind upon God: from which dependance filence neceffarily follows, in the first place, until words can be brought forth, which are from God's fpirit. And God is not wanting to move, in his children, to bring forth words of exhortation, or prayer, when it is needful; fo that of the many gatherings and meetings of fuch as are convinced of the truth, there is fcarce any, in which God raiseth not up fome or other, to minister to his brethren; that there are few meetings, that are altogether filent."-" 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 fenfible of it; for the fame life in them anfwers to it, as, in water, face anfwereth to face."-" And there being many joined together in the fame work, there is an inward travail and wreftling; and alfo, as the measure of grace is abode in, an overcoming of the power and fpirit of darkness (in the mind:) and thus we are often greatly ftrengthened and renewed in the fpirits of our minds, without a word, and we enjoy and poffefs the holy fellowfhip and communion of the body and blood of Chrift; by which our inward man is nourished and fed; which makes us not to dote upon outward water, and bread and wine, in our fpiritual things."-"This is that divine and fpiritual worship, which the world' neither knoweth nor understandeth, which the vulture's eye feeth not into." And its excellency is fuch, that it can neither be ftopped, intercepted nor counterfeited by the malice, or power of men or devils, as all others can."

As that, which is neceffary to make a man a Chriftian, fo as without it he cannot be truly one, of their muft confequently be much more neceffary to make ministry. a man a minister of Christianity, (feeing the one is a degree above the other, and has it included in it) fo this people accordingly maintained that, as the

inward call, power and virtue of the spirit of God is indifpenfably neceffary to make a man a true Chriftian, so it must of confequence be much more fo, for the qualification of the miniftry; without which they believe none can poffibly be a true minister of Barclay's the new teftament; infomuch that they affert," that apology. not only in a general apoftacy it is needful men be extraordinarily called, and raifed up by the fpirit of God; but that, even when feveral affemblies, or churches, are gathered by the power of God, (not only into the belief of the principles of truth, fo as to deny errors and herefies, but alfo into the life, fpirit and power of Christianity, fo as to be the body and house of Christ indeed, and a fit spouse for him) that he, who gathers them, doth also, for the preferving them in a lively, fresh and powerful condition, raise up, and move, among them, by the inward immediate operation of his own fpirit, minifters and teachers, to inftruct, teach and watch The qualifi- over them: who being thus called, are manifeft in cation, call, the hearts of their brethren; and their call is thus their mini- verified in them; who, by the feeling of that life and power, that paffeth through them, being inwardly builded up, by them daily, in the most holy faith, become the feals of their apostleship. And this is anfwerable to the faying of the apostle Paul: "fince ye feek a proof of Christ's fpeaking in me, which to you-wards is not weak, but is mighty in you."-"So this is that, which gives a true, fubftantial call and title to a minifter; and not of the bare name: And to fuch minifters we think the outward ceremony of ordination, or laying on of hands, not neceffary:"-neither are the outward qualifications of letter-learning, and school divinity abfolutely requifite:"*" But, in a true church of Chrift

and title of

fters.

*Though they held, as above, a fpiritual teaching and inftruction, in the mind, most suitable, reasonable, adequate and neceffary to a fpiritual See R. B's. intelligence in religion, yet they never meant thereby that natural science writings, and the knowledge of languages and literature, &c. were not useful, as the proper means, or medium, of communicating external knowledge and

&c,

par

Christ gathered together by God, not only into the belief of the principles of truth, but also into the power, life and spirit of Chrift, the spirit of God is the orderer, ruler and governor; as in each. ticular, fo in the general. And when they affemble together, to wait upon God, and to worship and adore him; then fuch as the fpirit sets apart for the miniftry, by its divine power and influence, opening their mouths and giving them to exhort, reprove and instruct with virtue and power; these are thus of God ordained and admitted into the miniftry; and their brethren cannot but hear them, and receive them, and alfo honour them for their works fake. And fo this is not monopolised to a certain kind of men, as the Clergy (who are to that purpose educated and brought up, as other carnal artists) and the reft to be defpifed as Laicks; but it is left to the free gift of God to choose any whom he feeth meet thereunto, whether rich or poor, fervant or mafter, young or old, yea, male or female. And fuch as have this call verify the gofpel, by preaching not in fpeech only, but also in power, and in the holy ghost, and in much fulness; and cannot but be received and heard by the Sheep of Chrift.'

William Penn, in his account of the rife and pro- See W. grefs of this people, printed among his literary Penn's rife works, further obferves:-" And as God had de- and progrefs of the livered their fouls of the wearifome burden of fin Quakers. and vanity, and enriched their poverty of fpirit, 1694. and fatisfied their great hunger and thirst after eter

nal

and information among mankind, even, in religious affairs; (which is plainly manifefted in the labours and literary works of this very author, R. Barclay, and divers others of that fociety) as well as in the common outward concerns of life, and those things, for which they are adequate and suitable: and therefore, they had schools and feminaries of learning among them, for the acquifition thereof, and other ufeful fciences, as other people have. But their excluding literature, or school-learning, from being abfolutely neceffary in divinity, according to the Christian systen; and the great harm, which they believed and declared the general perverfion, or misuse thereof, had produced in Chriftendom, occafioned divers of them to be so severe on the subject, that many, from thence, have mistakenly fuppofed, they entirely difapproved of human learning in every respect.

3

The manner and

their

nal righteoufnefs, and filled them with the good things of his own house, and made them ftewards of his many-fold gifts; fo they went forth to all quarters of these nations, to declare to the inhabitants thereof what God had done for them; what they had found, and where and how they had found. it, viz. the way to peace with God; inviting all to come and fee and taste, for themselves, the truth of what they declared unto them."

"And as their teftimony was to the principle of God in man, the precious pearl and leaven of the kingpurport of dom, as the only bleffed means, appointed of God, preaching. to quicken, convince and fanctify men; fo they opened to them what it was in itself, and what it was given to them for: how they might know it from their own spirit and that of the fubtil appearance of the evil one: and what it would do for thofe, whofe minds fhould be turned off from the vanity of the world, and its lifelefs ways and teachers, and adhere to this bleffed light in themselves, which difcovers and condemns fin, in all its appearances, and fhows how to overcome it, if minded and obeyed in its holy manifeftations and convictions; giving power to fuch, to avoid and refift thofe things, that do not please God, and to grow ftrong in love, faith and good works: that fo man, whom fin hath made a wilderness, over-run with briars and thorns, might become as the garden of God, cultivated by his divine power, and replenished with the most virtuous and beautiful plants of God's own right hand planting, to his eternal praife."

They could "But thefe experimental preachers of glad tidings, not pray & of God's truth and kingdom, could not run when preach when they they lift, nor pray or preach when they pleafed, pleafed, &c. but, as Chrift, their redeemer, prepared and mov

ed them, by his own bleffed fpirit; for which they waited in their fervices and meetings, and spoke as that gave them utterance; and which was, as those having authority, and not like the dreaming, dry

and

and formal Pharifees. And fo it plainly appeared to the serious minded, whofe fpiritual eye the Lord Jefus had, in any measure, opened: fo that to one was given the word of reproof, to another the word of exhortation, to another the word of confolation, and all by the fame Spirit, and in the good order thereof, to the convincing and edifying of many."

"And truly (faith W. Penn) they waxed strong and bold, through faithfulness; and by the power and spirit of the Lord Jefus became very fruitful; thousands, in a fhort time, being turned to the truth, in the inward parts, through their teftimony, in miniftry and fufferings; infomuch as, in most countries, and many of the confiderable towns of England, meetings were fettled, and daily were added fuch as fhould be faved, for they were diligent to plant and to water; and the Lord blessed their labours with an exceeding great increafe; notwithstanding all the oppofition, made to their bleffed progrefs by the falfe rumours, calumnies and bitter perfecutions; not only from the powers of the earth, but from every one that lifted to injure and abuse them: fo that they feemed, indeed, to be as poor fheep appointed to the flaughter and as a people, killed all the day long."-" So many and cruel were the fufferings of this people on a religious fufferings account, and, in part, recorded in their writings, in 2 vols. which they endured from profeffors, as well as from Beffe, & profane, and from magiftrates, as well as the rabble, that it may be truly faid of this abused and defpifed people, they went forth weeping, and fowed in tears, bearing teftimony to the precious feed, even, the feed of the kingdom, which stands not in words, the finest, the highest, that man's wit can ufe, but in power; the power of Christ Jefus, to whom God the Father, hath given all power, in heaven and in earth; that he might rule angels above, and men below; who empowered them, as their work witneffeth, by the many, that were turn

See their

ed,