Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub
[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

THERE is no subject perpetually before our, chaffy: but so also is the husk of the cocoaeyes more imperfectly understood than Quakerism. There is a prevalent idea, amounting perhaps to a knowledge, that Quakers are a sect addicted to broad-brimmed hats, collarless coats, a peculiar phraseology, silent meetings, and the acquisition of money; propensities which rarely engender any better feeling than contempt; for the man who is too well-bred to express it in the same way cherishes the same feeling as the boy who hoots after the drab-garbed Quaker in the street. Nineteen-twentieths of our countrymen believe a Quaker to be infinitely inferior to themselves: to the brutal, he is an object of abuse; to the rude, of ridicule; to the supercilious, of contempt; to the kind-hearted, of pity: but all agree in looking down upon him as from some very decided elevation. It is difficult to dissipate feelings which flatter our self-esteem, and whatever places another permanently below us certainly administers to that quality: we are pleased to have an opportunity of despising, and often absolutely plume ourselves on despising, courteously and religiously, kindly and conscientiously.

nut, and of fifty other fruits. Now we have no more right to judge the Quaker than the cocoa-nut by its exterior alone: it is not only unfair to the object but unjust towards ourselves. Let us, however, pause for a moment over the husk itself, the quaintness, oddity, perhaps ugliness, of the costume, the mode of address, &c.: it should be distinctly understood, that these peculiarities are not of themselves considered in the light of good deeds, but often serve as a protection against evil deeds. The true Quaker has a decided objection to amalgamate with that world whose fashions and excesses he has conscientiously renounced; and these peculiarities act as a universally accepted apology for his not mingling in the scenes in which others can perceive no harm; races, hunting, theatres, balls, concerts, cards, drinks-occupations held to be almost necessary to people of the world, and, to use the most circumspect phraseology, tolerated by their religious instructors-are forbidden to the Quaker: from his youth upwards he is taught to avoid them. Abstinence from these indulgences is inculcated with the first We are willing to believe that this rela- lessons of religion; and intellect has no tive position between the Quaker and the sooner dawned than his moral education man of the world arises entirely from the begins. This abstinence from occupations fact already adduced, that Quakerism is common in the world has become so notoimperfectly understood: we see the husk, rious that the Quaker garb is a sufficient we taste it and find it unpalatable, bitter, apology for non-indulgence. It would be VOL. XII. No. I.

1

out of place at all public amusements; in all, ment, sprinkling of infants, bowing at the scenes of riot and intemperance; so that, name of Jesus," &c. But Queen Elizabeth, whatever the inclination, the Quaker, in whose memory as a Protestant Reformer is Quaker garb, dare not mingle in such com- so highly cherished by the Episcopalian pany. The husk, as we have termed it, Church, insisted on the re-introduction of worn under parental authority, thus becomes these observances, and took care that they a safeguard and protection to the young, should be rigidly enforced. The act of a protection even against inclination; for Conformity was passed in 1554, and by this we are not to suppose the youth of any sect all the Romish ceremonies which the Queen devoid of the taste for amusement which is or her advisers were pleased to continue, a characteristic of that period of our exist- became law, in opposition to the principles ence. In after years, the man has often to and entire spirit of the Reformation. This look back with gratitude on the protecting of course induced violent discontent; and power of that garb, and those peculiarities, very many of the true reformers refused to which he felt irksome as a youth; and see- comply, and formed small associations on ing the service they rendered to himself, he principles opposed to one or other of the inculcates their observance on his successors, prescribed forms. Hence arose those numeindeed, enforces it, so long as parental author- rous bodies of Dissenters, which, in the time ity endures. Thus, however much we may of Charles I., had become so powerful; and be inclined to dislike or censure these pecu- which, however they might differ on other liarities, we shall find it difficult to deny points, were unanimously agreed in denying their utility; and we shall also find that a the divine right of Bishops, and thus renportion of our feeling of contempt arose from dered themselves obnoxious to ecclesiastical an insufficiency of our own information. We authorities. But, amidst all the distaste for are ever too ready to smile at what we do certain forms and ceremonies, no sect vennot understand; and, in our journey through tured to proscribe them all; it was left for life, we often feel the smile of scorn dissi- George Fox to found a religion on the New pated by an enlarged power of comprehen- Testament alone; to dispense with all priestsion, and succeeded by respect, and perhaps craft, and priesthood, with all forms and even by admiration. While on the subject observances and ceremonies, and to declare of dress, we may further remark that the that worship was a spiritual act between Quaker garb is professedly a mere retention man and his Maker, a tribute to be offered of the usual costume of that period when independently of human assistance and unacQuakers were first associated as a body, and companied by any human inventions. Our a refusal to comply with the ever-changing author informs us thatvagaries of fashion. So much for the husk. We wish to place it in its true light, and to remove those erroneous impressions which result from mistaking it for the kernel.

"No reformer, prior to George Fox, had altogether rejected ceremonies in the performance of public worship, or the observance of any religious rite upon admittance into a community of memQuakerism may be said to date its exist- bership. But he, regarding worship alone in the ence from the preaching of Fox; prior to light of a spiritual act, between the heart of man and his Maker, instituted a worship of silent this some Quaker doctrines had been vague-waiting, and more particularly called upon his folly promulged, but, under the majestic and lowers to rely upon that measure of divine light energetic mind of Fox, they received form or grace which it has pleased God to place in the and character; they became distinct and hearts of all men for their edification, guidance, intelligible; so that to him alone must be and right understanding of his revealed law, proattributed the establishment of the sect. It vided they are willing to submit to its silent teachwill be recollected by all who are conver-ings. He considered that it is only by the free sant with the history of the Reformation, that the participators in that great movement aimed at a far more extensive subversion of the ceremonies of the Romish Church than they had the power to achieve; thus we find the more eminent of these reformers inveighing bitterly against certain observances, which, as they said, "plainly savor of popery." Among such objectionable observances are enumerated, "figured music and organs, the forms of sponsors, the use of the cross in baptism, kneeling at the sacra

operation of this divine principle that the heart becomes sanctified, and that, by it alone, men can become spiritually baptized into the Church of Christ, or can become spiritually partakers of the body and blood of our Saviour. Which inward and spiritual participation is the only true essential of these ceremonies, as practised by most of the Christian churches. Neither had any one, before this, called the attention of mankind so particularly to the marked distinction between the old law of Moses and the new law of the Gospel; pointing out that the former, with its ceremonies and ordinances, was expressly given to the Jews, and to them only; and, as St. Paul says, is to be

looked upon by us as a schoolmaster to prepare secration of churches and churchyards, all us for the better and more spiritual dispensation, forms of prayer, written sermons; all were which ended the old law, and in whose glad of no avail: churches themselves were sutidings the whole Gentile world are made partici: perfluous, and the sacredness of any edifice pators as well as the Jews. Nor had any one before endeavoured to establish a system of public declared a fable. This was atheism and worship of a nature so entirely spiritual, allowing treason in the eyes of the clergy, and of all of no prescribed act, either of prayer or of exhor-over whom their influence extended. tation. His object was to lead people back to the primitive simplicity and purity of the Gospel precepts, to which the superstitious ceremonies of the Romish Church were so glaringly opposed; to call them off from all dependence upon outward ceremonies, to that inward and spiritual religion by which alone they can know Christ to be their God and their Saviour; and to convince them that

the mere knowledge and belief of what Christ had done and suffered for them when personally upon earth, was not of itself sufficient to obtain this, without a further knowledge, through the Holy Spirit, of his righteous government in their hearts."

-p. 10.

The boldness with which Fox preached these doctrines is shown in his own "Journal," but there are other authentic sources of information, which bear ample testimony to the courage he displayed.

"When I heard the bell toll to call the people together in the steeple-house, it struck at my life, for it was like a market bell to gather people together, that the priest might set forth his wares for sale. Oh! the vast sums of money that are got by the trade they make of selling the Scriptures, and by their preaching, from the highest bishop to the lowest priest. What one trade in Since Christianity was first preached by the world is comparable to it? Notwithstanding the immediate followers of Christ, no such the Scriptures were given forth freely, Christ comdoctrine as this had ever been broached. manded his ministers to preach freely, and the Peter, Mahomet, Luther, Wycliffe, Calvin, all covetous hirelings and diviners for money. But prophets and apostles denounced judgment against Wesley, and the thousand minor powers in this free spirit of the Lord Jesus was I sent that have succeeded, all had their ceremo- forth to declare the word of life and reconciliation nies performed by priests; all looked on the freely, that all might come to Christ, who gives priest as a being whose offices were essen-freely, and renews up into the image of God, which tial to the safety of the soul. George Fox man and woman were in before they fell." ". alone, of all the world, repudiated priest-P. 46.

craft, and dared to deny the right of a huHere we are presented with the origin of man mediator between God and man. He the Quaker tenet against a paid clergy of acknowledged but one mediator; one whose any description; and from the doctrines of services were not to be doled out in pittan- their founder the Quakers conceive themces apportioned to the coin returned. It selves called upon to protest openly against therefore is not remarkable that the priest-such a ministration of the Gospel, as being hood of whatever denomination should rise contrary to the special injunctions of Christ, as one man against the Quaker, and de- and the practices of the apostles and early nounce him from the pulpit as an atheist Christian church. Hence, they refuse to and a traitor; an enemy alike to religion pay all tithes or church demands, patiently and to law. Such was the case; and when submitting to the legal penalties attached to we remember how vast, how subtle, how such refusals, and to the rapacity of their ramified, how extended is that power and enemies, who, in the early periods of the influence he attacked, we cannot wonder society, carried their plunder to so great that the Quaker was hunted from place to an excess as not only to involve many in place like a beast, was torn from his home total ruin, but also to subject them to long and family, was thrown into the most filthy and cruel imprisonments, which, in many dungeons, was flogged, maimed, crippled, cases of particular hardship, terminated in and murdered, merely on a false charge of death. Hence, in 1662, twenty died in difirreligion and disaffection, originating entirely ferent prisons in London, and seven more in the vengeance of a priesthood whose after their liberation, from their ill-treatoffices he declined, and with whose emolument. In 1664 twenty-five died, and in ments the spread of such opinions must of 1665, fifty-two more. The number which necessity interfere. The license for mar- perished in this way, throughout the whole riage, the marriage form, the churching of kingdom, amounted to three hundred and women, the sprinkling of infants, the admi-sixty-nine. nistration of the sacrament, the ceremony of It would be a subject of interesting inconfirmation, the funeral service, the con- quiry, but foreign to the objects of a literary review, whether the grand features of this

* Gal. iii. 24, 25.

a

ence.

out of place at all public amusements; in all, ment, sprinkling of infants, bowing at the scenes of riot and intemperance; so that, name of Jesus," &c. But Queen Elizabeth, whatever the inclination, the Quaker, in whose memory as a Protestant Reformer is Quaker garb, dare not mingle in such com- so highly cherished by the Episcopalian pany. The husk, as we have termed it, Church, insisted on the re-introduction of worn under parental authority, thus becomes these observances, and took care that they The act of a safeguard and protection to the young, should be rigidly enforced. a protection even against inclination; for Conformity was passed in 1554, and by this we are not to suppose the youth of any sect all the Romish ceremonies which the Queen devoid of the taste for amusement which is or her advisers were pleased to continue, characteristic of that period of our exist- became law, in opposition to the principles In after years, the man has often to and entire spirit of the Reformation. This look back with gratitude on the protecting of course induced violent discontent; and power of that garb, and those peculiarities, very many of the true reformers refused to which he felt irksome as a youth; and see- comply, and formed small associations on ing the service they rendered to himself, he principles opposed to one or other of the inculcates their observance on his successors, prescribed forms. Hence arose those numeindeed, enforces it, so long as parental author- rous bodies of Dissenters, which, in the time ity endures. Thus, however much we may of Charles I., had become so powerful; and be inclined to dislike or censure these pecu- which, however they might differ on other liarities, we shall find it difficult to deny points, were unanimously agreed in denying their utility; and we shall also find that a the divine right of Bishops, and thus renportion of our feeling of contempt arose from dered themselves obnoxious to ecclesiastical an insufficiency of our own information. We authorities. But, amidst all the distaste for are ever too ready to smile at what we do certain forms and ceremonies, no sect vennot understand; and, in our journey through tured to proscribe them all; it was left for life, we often feel the smile of scorn dissi- George Fox to found a religion on the New pated by an enlarged power of comprehen- Testament alone; to dispense with all priestsion, and succeeded by respect, and perhaps craft, and priesthood, with all forms and even by admiration. While on the subject observances and ceremonies, and to declare of dress, we may further remark that the that worship was a spiritual act between Quaker garb is professedly a mere retention man and his Maker, a tribute to be offered of the usual costume of that period when independently of human assistance and unacOur Quakers were first associated as a body, and companied by any human inventions. a refusal to comply with the ever-changing author informs us thatvagaries of fashion. So much for the husk. No reformer, prior to George Fox, had altoWe wish to place it in its true light, and together rejected ceremonies in the performance of remove those erroneous impressions which public worship, or the observance of any religious rite upon admittance into a community of memresult from mistaking it for the kernel. Quakerism may be said to date its exist- bership. But he, regarding worship alone in the ence from the preaching of Fox; prior to light of a spiritual act, between the heart of man and his Maker, instituted a worship of silent this some Quaker doctrines had been vague- waiting, and more particularly called upon his folly promulged, but, under the majestic and lowers to rely upon that measure of divine light energetic mind of Fox, they received form or grace which it has pleased God to place in the and character; they became distinct and hearts of all men for their edification, guidance, intelligible; so that to him alone must be and right understanding of his revealed law, provided they are willing to submit to its silent teachattributed the establishment of the sect. will be recollected by all who are conver-ings. He considered that it is only by the free sant with the history of the Reformation, that the participators in that great movement aimed at a far more extensive subversion of the ceremonies of the Romish Church than they had the power to achieve; thus we find the more eminent of these reformers inveighing bitterly against certain observances, which, as they said, "plainly savor of popery." Among such objectionable observances are enumerated, "figured music and organs, the forms of sponsors, the use of the cross in baptism, kneeling at the sacra

It

operation of this divine principle that the heart becomes sanctified, and that, by it alone, men can become spiritually baptized into the Church of Christ, or can become spiritually partakers of the body and blood of our Saviour. Which inward and spiritual participation is the only true essential of these ceremonies, as practised by most of the Christian churches. Neither had any one, before this, called the attention of mankind so particularly to the marked distinction between the old law of Moses and the new law of the Gospel; pointing out that the former, with its ceremonies and ordinances, was expressly given to the Jews, and to them only; and, as St. Paul says, is to be

1847.]

LIFE OF GEORGE FOX.

3

all

looked upon by us as a schoolmaster to prepare secration of churches and churchyards, us for the better and more spiritual dispensation, forms of prayer, written sermons; all were which ended the old law, and in whose glad of no avail: churches themselves were sutidings the whole Gentile world are made partici- perfluous, and the sacredness of any edifice declared a fable. This was atheism and pators as well as the Jews. Nor had any one before endeavoured to establish a system of public worship of a nature so entirely spiritual, allowing treason in the eyes of the clergy, and of all of no prescribed act, either of prayer or of exhor- over whom their influence extended. tation. His object was to lead people back to the primitive simplicity and purity of the Gospel precepts, to which the superstitious ceremonies of the Romish Church were so glaringly opposed; to call them off from all dependence upon outward ceremonies, to that inward and spiritual religion by which alone they can know Christ to be their God and their Saviour; and to convince them that the mere knowledge and belief of what Christ had done and suffered for them when personally upon earth, was not of itself sufficient to obtain this, without a further knowledge, through the Holy Spirit, of his righteous government in their hearts."

-p. 10.

Since Christianity was first preached by the immediate followers of Christ, no such doctrine as this had ever been broached.

The boldness with which Fox preached these doctrines is shown in his own "Journal," but there are other authentic sources of information, which bear ample testimony to the courage he displayed.

"When I heard the bell toll to call the peolife, for it was like a market bell to gather people ple together in the steeple-house, it struck at my for sale. Oh! the vast sums of money that are together, that the priest might set forth his wares tures, and by their preaching, from the highest got by the trade they make of selling the Scripbishop to the lowest priest. What one trade in the world is comparable to it? Notwithstanding the Scriptures were given forth freely, Christ commanded his ministers to preach freely, and the prophets and apostles denounced judgment against Peter, Mahomet, Luther, Wycliffe, Calvin, all covetous hirelings and diviners for money. But Wesley, and the thousand minor powers in this free spirit of the Lord Jesus was I sent that have succeeded, all had their ceremo- forth to declare the word of life and reconciliation nies performed by priests; all looked on the freely, that all might come to Christ, who gives priest as a being whose offices were essen-freely, and renews up into the image of God, which tial to the safety of the soul. George Fox man and woman were in before they fell."". alone, of all the world, repudiated priest- P. 46. Here we are presented with the origin of craft, and dared to deny the right of a huHe the Quaker tenet against a paid clergy of man mediator between God and man. any description; and from the doctrines of acknowledged but one mediator; one whose services were not to be doled out in pittan- their founder the Quakers conceive themces apportioned to the coin returned. It selves called upon to protest openly against therefore is not remarkable that the priest-such a ministration of the Gospel, as being hood of whatever denomination should rise contrary to the special injunctions of Christ, as one man against the Quaker, and de- and the practices of the apostles and early nounce him from the pulpit as an atheist Christian church. Hence, they refuse to and a traitor; an enemy alike to religion pay all tithes or church demands, patiently and to law. Such was the case; and when submitting to the legal penalties attached to we remember how vast, how subtle, how such refusals, and to the rapacity of their ramified, how extended is that power and enemies, who, in the early periods of the influence he attacked, we cannot wonder society, carried their plunder to so great that the Quaker was hunted from place to an excess as not only to involve many in place like a beast, was torn from his home total ruin, but also to subject them to long and family, was thrown into the most filthy and cruel imprisonments, which, in many dungeons, was flogged, maimed, crippled, cases of particular hardship, terminated in and murdered, merely on a false charge of death. Hence, in 1662, twenty died in difirreligion and disaffection, originating entirely ferent prisons in London, and seven more in the vengeance of a priesthood whose after their liberation, from their ill-treatIn 1664 twenty-five died, and in offices he declined, and with whose emolument. The number which 1665, fifty-two more. ments the spread of such opinions must of necessity interfere. The license for mar- perished in this way, throughout the whole riage, the marriage form, the churching of kingdom, amounted to three hundred and women, the sprinkling of infants, the admi-sixty-nine. It would be a subject of interesting innistration of the sacrament, the ceremony of confirmation, the funeral service, the con- quiry, but foreign to the objects of a literary review, whether the grand features of this

* Gal. iii. 24, 25.

« VorigeDoorgaan »