It cannot be expected that such an unsettled people should have an uniform system of rational principles. Their first and chief design, if they had any, was to reduce all revealed religion to allegory; and because some had laid too great stress upon rites and ceremonies, these would have neither order nor regularity, nor stated seasons of worship, but all must arise from the inward impulse of their spirits. Agreeable to this rule, they declared against all sorts of clergy, or settled ministers; against people's assembling in steeple houses; against fixed times of public devotion, and consequently against the observation of the sabbath. Their own meetings were occasional, and when they met, one or another spake as they were moved from within, and sometimes they departed without any one's being moved to speak at all. the reader, and to fix a reproach on an innocent people? Is it becoming the candor and dignity of an historian, by recording, to appear to give them a sanction? As to the case in hand, Mr. Baxter, on whose authority Mr. Neal speaks, though he was a great and excellent man, was not entirely exempt from the influence of prejudice and credulity. In general, stories to the discredit of a new, despised and hated sect are, often, eagerly adopted and spread with circumstances of aggravation. So it happened to the first christians. This has befallen the methodists in our own times. And the quakers, being particular objects of priestly indignation, had reason to complain of this. They were often confounded with an ephemeron sect, whose principles were totally in compatible with theirs, called ranters, and whose practices outraged all decency and order, An active preacher amongst the quakers, Mr. Edward Burroughs, and the celebrated Barclay, wrote against the practices of these people. Gough's History, vol. i. p. 128-9, note: and vol. iii. p. 15. Ed. This is not accurate, or is applicable only to the infancy of the sect, For, though they did not esteem one house more holy than another, and believed all times equally the Lord's, and that all days should be sabbaths or times of continual rest and abstinence from evil; yet as soon as their numbers were sufficient for the purpose, they held fixed and regular meetings for worship, particularly on the first day of the week, which they chose as more convenient, because more generally accepted than any other. In 1654, meetings were settled in many places in the north, and also in the city of London, which were held in private houses, till the body growing too large to be accommodated in them, a house known by the name of" Bull-and-Mouth, in Martin's-Le-Grand" near Aldersgate-street, was hired for a meeting-house. And no body of christians were more open, steady, and regular, than they have been in their public associations for worship or discipline. Sewel's Histo Fy, p. 80, 84. Gough's Hist. vol. i. p. 144 and 509. Ed. The doctrines they delivered were as vague and uncertain as the principle from which they acted. They denied the holy scriptures to be the only rule of their faith, calling it a dead tetter, and maintaining that every man had a light within himself, which was a sufficient rule. They denied the received doctrine of the trinity and incarnation. They disowned the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper; nay, some of them proceded so far as to deny a Christ without them; or at least, to place more of their dependence upon a Christ within. They spake little or nothing (says Mr. Baxter*) about the depravity of nature; about the covenant of grace; about pardon of sin and reconciliation with God; or about moral duties.† But the dis The account which Mr. Neal gives of the sentiments and practices of the quakers in this and the preceding paragraph, is not drawn up with the accuracy and precision, not to say, candor, which should mark the historic page. It has too much the appearance of the loose, desultory representation, which those who had not investigated their prineiples, nor looked into their writings, would exhibit of this sect. It is, I think, introduced at an improper place, in too early a period of their history; when Mr. Neal himself has related only what concerned George Fox, and before his followers were formed into a body. At that time it was not to be expected, that their principles should be made into a system; and their doctrines being delivered as the assertions of individuals only, and deriving their completion from their different tastes. capacities, and views, wou'd to the public eye wear the aspect of variety and uncertainty. But long before Mr. Neal wrote, their principles had assumed a systematic form. Penn had published his key, and Robert Barclay his "Catechism and Confession of Faith," and that elaborate work his "Apology." The propositions illustrated and defended in this treatise exhibit a concise view of the chief prineiples of the quakers; and that they may speak for themselves we will give them in the Appendix No xii. ED. * Baxter, p. 77. + This quotation is not correct. Mr. Baxter's words, concerning the strain of their preaching, are these. "They speak much for the dwelling and working of the spirit in us; bat little of justification, and the pardon of sin, and our reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ." Here is nothing said about their neglecting to insist on "moral duties." The great object of Fox's zeal, we are told, was a heavenly temper. and a life of righteousness: and his endeavors to propagate true religion and righteousness were not confined to public or private meetings, but exerted in other places as occasion offered; particularly, in courts of judicature, to admonish to justice, and caution against oppression : In markets, to recommend truth, candor, and fair dealings, and to bear his testimony against fraud and deceitful merchandise: At publie turbance they gave to the public religion for a course of years was so insufferable, that the magistrates could not avoid punishing them as disturbers of the peace; though of late they are become a more sober and inoffensive peo ple; and by the wisdom of their managers, have formed themselves into a sort of body politic, and are in general very worthy members of society. [Though Mr. Neal, here and in the sequel of his histo ry, calls that body of christians, of whom he has written in the preceding pages, QUAKERS; and this is the denomination by which they are, to the present day, distinguished from other religious societies; yet it should be noticed, that, as this name was given them in scorn, they do not as sume it, but through necessity and for distinction's sake. The name which they adopt amongst themselves, and by which they speak of their own party, is that of Friends. A title undoubtedly to be preferred, as conveying no ludicrous idea in it, and expressive of union, affection, and a common interest. In the use of this term they think themselves sanctioned by the example of the primitive christians; as Acts xxvii. 3; where it is said, that "Julius, the centurion, courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto the friends:" pros tous philous: and 3 John 14, The friends, oi philoi, salute thee, and greet the friends, tous philous, by name."‡ About this time arose a sect, not noticed by Mr. Neal, called Muggletonians, from their founder Lodowick Muggleton, who was by trade a taylor. Mr. Granger calls houses of entertainment, to warn against indulging intemperance, by supplying their guests with more liquor than would do them good: At schools and in private families, to exhort to the training up of children and servants to sobriety, in the fear of their Maker; to testify against vain sports, plays, and shows, as tending to draw people into vanity and libertinism, and from that state of circumspection and attentive consideration, wherein our salvation is to be wrought out, forewarning all of the great day of account for all the deeds done in the body. This was certainly insisting on moral duties, and bringing home the principles of righteousness to the various circumstances of human life, with much propriety and energy. Gough's History, vol. i. p. 67, 75. Ed. Sewel's History, p. 696. him a notorious schismatic. His pretentions were, that he and one John Reeves were the two witnesses spoken of Rev. xi. 3; and though the latter died soon after, the former still advanced his claims to a prophetic character; asserting, in a paper which he published, "that he was the chief judge in the world, in passing sentence of eternal death and damnation upon the souls and bodies of men : that in obedience to his commission he had already cursed and damned many hundreds to all eternity: that, in doing this, he went by as certain a rule as the judges of the land do when they pass sentence according to law: and that not infinite spirit of Christ, nor any God, could or should be able to deliver from his sentence and curse." Richard Farnsworth, a convert of George Fox, and an active, intelligent minister amongst the quakers, remonstrated with Muggleton, from the press, on the profaneness and criminality of these extravagant claims, but without effect. He is also said to have regarded himself as above ordinances every kind, not excepting prayer and preaching: to have rejected creeds and all church-discipline and authority; and to have acknowledged but one person in the godhead. He met with followers, who recorded many of his prophecies but incurred the pillory and six months imprisonment by his writings, which were burnt by the common hangman. He died March 12, 1697, 8, aged 90.||] of Sewel's History of the quakers, p. 899, 400; and Granger's History of England, vol. iv. p. 209, 10. VOL. IV. CHAP. II. From the Coronation of King CHARLES II. in Scotland, to the Protectorship of OLIVER CROMWELL. 1651. THE coronation of king Charles by the Scots, which had been deferred hitherto, being now thought necessary to give life to their cause, was solemnized at Scone on New-years-day 1651, with as much magnificence as their circumstances would admit ;§ when his majesty took the following oath: "I Charles, king of Great-Britain, France, and Ireland, do assure and declare by my solemn oath, in the presence of Almighty God, the searcher of all hearts, my allowance and approbation of the national covenant, and of the solemn league and covenant; and faithfully oblige myself to prosecute the ends thereof in my station and calling; and that I myself and successors, shall consent and agree to all the acts of parliament enjoining the national covenant, and the solemn league and covenant, and fully establish presbyterian government, the directory of worship, confession of faith, and catechisms, in the kingdom of Scotland, as they are approved by the general assembly of this kirk, and parliament of this kingdom; and that I will give my royal assent to all acts of parliament passed, or to be passed, enjoining the same in my other dominions; and that I shall observe these in my own practice and family, and shall never make opposition to any of these, or endeavor any change thereof." This oath was annexed to the covenant itself, drawn up in a fair roll of parchment, and subscribed by him in the presence of the nobility and gentry.* His majesty also signed a declaration, in which he acknowledged the sin of his father in marrying into an idol S The ceremonial of this coronation is given at length by Dr. Grey, vol. iii. p. 111-124. ED. * Oldmixon's History of the Stuarts, p. 391. |