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Robert Barclay’s work is an apologetic treatise defending the doctrines of the Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, in the late seventeenth‑century. The book opens with a fervent address to a “Faithful Friend,” invoking the virtues of Quaker believers, faithfulness, patience, honesty, and plainness, and contrasting their simple, unlearned condition with the contempt of the learned world. Barclay declares his purpose not to flatter but to proclaim the “Truth” he believes God has placed in his spirit, offering a series of propositions that aim to explain and vindicate Quaker theology against the accusations of folly and madness leveled by their opponents. The introductory passage sets a tone of earnest persuasion, positioning the text as both a defense of a marginalized religious community and a call for the reader to consider the consonance of Quaker principles with Scripture, reason, and divine revelation.
The voice is unmistakably that of a devout, self‑identified “Quaker” writing in a highly rhetorical, sermonic style characteristic of late‑1700s religious polemic. Barclay’s language is ornate, laden with biblical allusion, and deliberately contrasts the humility of his own “plain” approach with the pretensions of the scholarly clergy. Readers interested in early modern religious history, the development of dissenting Protestant thought, or the intellectual arguments surrounding the Quaker movement will find this work rewarding. It also appeals to those who enjoy dense theological argumentation and historical insight into how a marginalized sect articulated its identity against the dominant ecclesiastical establishments of the time.
The opening · free to read
Thou knowest, and hast experienced their Faithfulness towards their God, their Patience in Suffering, their Peaceableness towards the King, their Honesty, Plainness and Integrity in their faithful Warnings and Testimonies to Thee; and if Thou wilt allow Thyself so much Time as to read this, Thou mayest find how consonant their Principles are both to Scripture, Truth, and right Reason. The Simplicity of their Behaviour, the Generality of their Condition, as being poor Men and illiterate; the Manner of their Procedure, being without the Wisdom and Policy of this World, hath made many conclude them Fools and Mad-men, and neglect them, as not being capable of Reason. But though it be to them as their Crown, thus to be esteemed of the Wise, the Great, and Learned of this World, and tho’ they rejoice to be accounted Fools for Christ’s Sake; yet of late some, even such who in the World’s Account are esteemed both Wise and Learned, begin to judge otherwise of them, and find, that they hold forth Things very agreeable both to Scripture, Reason, and true Learning.
As it is inconsistent with the Truth I bear, so it is far from me to use this Epistle as an Engine to flatter Thee, the usual Design of such Works; and therefore I can neither Dedicate it to Thee, nor crave Thy Patronage, as if thereby I might have more Confidence to present it to the World, or be more hopeful of its Success. To God alone I owe what I have, and that more immediately in Matters spiritual; and therefore to Him alone, and to the Service of His Truth, I dedicate whatever Work He brings forth in me; to whom only the Praise and Honour appertain, whose Truth needs not the Patronage of worldly Princes; His Arm and Power being that alone by which it is propagated, established and confirmed. But I found it upon my Spirit to take Occasion to present this Book unto Thee; that as Thou hast been often warned by several of that People, who are Inhabitants of England; so Thou may’st not want a seasonable Advertisement from a Member of Thy ancient Kingdom of Scotland; and that Thou may’st know, which I hope Thou wilt have no Reason to be troubled at, that God is raising up and increasing that People in this Nation. And the Nations shall also hereby know, that the Truth we profess is not a Work of Darkness, nor propagated by Stealth; and that we are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, because we know it to be the Power of God unto Salvation; and that we are no Ways so inconsistent with Government, nor such Disturbers of the Peace, as our Enemies, by traducing us, have sought to make the World believe we are: For which to Thee I dare appeal, as a Witness of our Peaceableness and Christian Patience.
Generations to come shall not more admire that singular Step of Divine Providence, in Restoring Thee to Thy Throne, without outward Bloodshed, than they shall admire the Increase and Progress of this Truth, without all outward Help, and against so great Opposition; which shall be none of the least Things rendering Thy Memory remarkable. God hath done great Things for Thee; He hath sufficiently shewn Thee, that it is by Him Princes rule, and that He can pull down and set up at His Pleasure. He hath often faithfully warned Thee by His Servants, since He restored Thee to Thy Royal Dignity, that Thy Heart might not wax wanton against Him, to forget His Mercies and Providences towards Thee; whereby He might permit Thee to be soothed up, and lulled asleep in Thy Sins, by the Flattering of Court-parasites, who, by their Fawning, are the Ruin of many Princes.
There is no King in the World, who can so experimentally testify of God’s Providence and Goodness; neither is there any, who rules so many free People, so many true Christians: Which Thing renders Thy Government more Honourable, Thyself more Considerable, than the Accession of many Nations, filled with slavish and superstitious Souls.
Thou hast tasted of Prosperity and Adversity; Thou knowest what it is to be banished Thy native Country, to be over-ruled, as well as to rule, and sit upon the Throne; and being oppressed, Thou hast Reason to know how hateful the Oppressor is both to God and Man: If after all these Warnings and Advertisements, Thou dost not turn unto the Lord with all Thy Heart, but forget Him, who remembered Thee in Thy Distress, and give up Thyself to follow Lust and Vanity; surely great will be Thy Condemnation.
Against which Snare, as well as the Temptation of those, that may or do feed Thee, and prompt Thee to Evil, the most excellent and prevalent Remedy will be, to apply Thyself to that Light of Christ, which shineth in Thy Conscience, which neither can, nor will flatter Thee, nor suffer Thee to be at Ease in Thy Sins; but doth and will deal plainly and faithfully with Thee, as those that are Followers thereof have also done.
GOD Almighty, who hath so signally hitherto visited Thee with His Love, so touch and reach Thy Heart, ere the Day of Thy Visitation be expired, that Thou mayest effectually Turn to Him, so as to improve Thy Place and Station for His Name. So wisheth, so prayeth,
In this Respect it seemed to me not fit to spare my Pains and Labour; and therefore, being actuated by the same Divine Spirit, and the like Intention of propagating the Truth, by which I published the Propositions themselves, I judged it meet to explain them somewhat more largely at this Time, and defend them by certain Arguments.
_Perhaps my Method of Writing may seem not only different, but even contrary, to that which is commonly used by the Men called Divines, with which I am not concerned: Inasmuch as I confess myself to be not only no Imitator and Admirer of the School-men, but an Opposer and Despiser of them as such, by whose Labour I judge the Christian Religion to be so far from being bettered, that it is rather destroyed. Neither have I sought to accommodate this my Work to itching Ears, who desire rather to comprehend in their Heads the sublime Notions of Truth, than to embrace it in their Hearts: For what I have written comes more from my Heart than from my Head; what I have heard with the Ears of my Soul, and seen with my inward Eyes, and my Hands have handled of the Word of Life, and what hath been inwardly manifested to me of the Things of God, that do I declare; not so much regarding the Eloquence and Excellency of Speech, as desiring to demonstrate the Efficacy and Operation of Truth; and if I err sometimes in the former, it is no great Matter; for I act not here the Grammarian, or the Orator, but the Christian; and therefore in this I have followed the certain Rule of the Divine Light, and of the_ Holy Scriptures.
_And to make an End; What I have written, is written not to feed the Wisdom and Knowledge, or rather vain Pride of this World, but to starve and oppose it, as the little Preface prefixed to the Propositions doth shew; which, with the Title of them, is as followeth._
THESES THEOLOGICÆ.
TO THE CLERGY, OF WHAT SORT SOEVER, Unto whose Hands these may come; BUT MORE PARTICULARLY
To the DOCTORS, PROFESSORS, and STUDENTS of Divinity, in the Universities and Schools of Great Britain, whether Prelatical, Presbyterian, or any other;
A Servant of the LORD GOD, and one of those who in Derision are called QUAKERS, wisheth unfeigned Repentance, unto the Acknowledgment of the Truth.
Seeing the Height of all Happiness is placed in the true Knowledge of God ([1]_This is Life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent_) the true and right understanding of this Foundation and Ground of Knowledge is that which is most necessary to be known and believed in the first Place.
[1] John 17. 3.
The Second Proposition.
Concerning IMMEDIATE REVELATION.
Seeing [2]_no Man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son revealeth him_; and seeing the Revelation of the Son is in and by the Spirit; therefore the Testimony of the Spirit is that alone by which the true Knowledge of God hath been, is, and can be only revealed; who as, by the moving of his own Spirit, he converted the Chaos of this World into that wonderful Order wherein it was in the Beginning, and created Man a living Soul, to rule and govern it, so by the Revelation of the same Spirit he hath manifested himself all along unto the Sons of Men, both Patriarchs, Prophets and Apostles; which Revelations of God by the Spirit, whether by outward Voices and Appearances, Dreams, or inward objective Manifestations in the Heart, were of old the formal Object of their Faith, and remain yet so to be; since the Object of the Saints’ Faith is the same in all Ages, though set forth under divers Administrations. Moreover, these divine inward Revelations, which we make absolutely necessary for the building up of true Faith, neither do nor can ever contradict the outward Testimony of the Scriptures, or right and sound Reason. Yet from hence it will not follow, that these divine Revelations are to be subjected to the Examination, either of the outward Testimony of the Scriptures, or of the natural Reason of Man, as to a more noble or certain Rule or Touchstone: For this divine Revelation, and inward Illumination, is that which is evident and clear of itself; forcing, by its own Evidence and Clearness, the well-disposed Understanding to assent, irresistibly moving the same thereunto; even as the common Principles of natural Truths move and incline the Mind to a natural Assent: As, That the Whole is greater than its Part; That two contradictory Sayings cannot be both true, nor both false: Which is also manifest, according to our Adversaries Principle, who (supposing the Possibility of inward divine Revelations) will nevertheless confess with us, that neither Scripture nor sound Reason will contradict it: And yet it will not follow, according to them, that the Scripture, or sound Reason, should be subjected to the Examination of the divine Revelations in the Heart.
[2] Mat. 11. 27.
The Third Proposition.
Concerning the SCRIPTURES.
From these Revelations of the Spirit of God to the Saints, have proceeded the Scriptures of Truth, which contain, 1. A faithful historical Account of the Actings of God’s People in divers Ages, with many singular and remarkable Providences attending them. 2. A prophetical Account of several Things, whereof some are already past, and some yet to come. 3. A full and ample Account of all the chief Principles of the Doctrine of Christ, held forth in divers precious Declarations, Exhortations and Sentences, which, by the moving of God’s Spirit, were at several Times, and upon sundry Occasions, spoken and written unto some Churches and their Pastors: Nevertheless, because they are only a Declaration of the Fountain, and not the Fountain itself, therefore they are not to be esteemed the principal Ground of all Truth and Knowledge, nor yet the adequate primary Rule of Faith and Manners. Nevertheless, as that which giveth a true and faithful Testimony of the first Foundation, they are and may be esteemed a secondary Rule, subordinate to the Spirit, from which they have all their Excellency and Certainty; for as by the inward Testimony of the Spirit we do alone truly know them; so they testify, that [3]the Spirit is that Guide by which the Saints are led into all Truth: Therefore, according to the Scriptures, the Spirit is the first and principal Leader. And seeing we do therefore receive and believe the Scriptures, because they proceeded from the Spirit; therefore also the Spirit is more originally and principally the Rule, according to that received Maxim in the Schools, Propter quod unumquodque est tale, illud ipsum est magis tale. Englished thus: That for which a Thing is such, that Thing itself is more such.
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