The History of the Christian People Called Quakers

1716

This death seemed not a little to have altered the measures of the Pretender; nevertheless in the beginning of the year 1716, he came over from France to Scotland, in hopes to make an inroad from thence into England, but his attempt miscarried, and his forces were discomfited by those of the king. The common opinion was, that he chiefly relied on assistance from France; but that was denied him by that court, though he seemed to have reckoned upon it. He also lingered some time in Great Britain, after his forces were defeated; but seeing no way to invade the throne he aimed at, he returned at length to France, which kingdom he hath been fain to depart since, to the joy of many inhabitants of England; for it was thought that the rebels being deprived of their chief, the disturbance would be at an end.

This rebellion being thus happily quenched, induced the inhabitants of Great Britain to congratulate the king with addresses; and these congratulations being become so general, the people called Quakers were not wanting to prepare also an address, to testify their loyalty; and to express their joy for the quelling of the rebellion; and therefore in their yearly meeting they drew up an address, which they presented to the king on the last day of the month called May, being introduced by the earl of Manchester, one of the gentlemen of the king’s bed-chamber, when G. Whitehead said in substance:

That in their annual assembly held for the religious concerns of their society, endeavouring to promote and put in practice the duties of religion professed by them, the sense of the great deliverance had such a weight upon their minds, that they were willing to express it in an address to king George, whom God by his providence had brought hither and preserved, so that he could well say, he was George, by the grace of God, king of Great Britain, &c. And that as men carried that saying stamped on the money in their pockets, so it was to be wished it might be imprinted in the hearts of the subjects.

Hereupon the address was presented, and read to the king, being as followeth:

To GEORGE, King of Great Britain, &c.

The humble Address of the People called Quakers, from their yearly meeting in London, the 26th day of the Third month, called May, 1716.

‘May it please the King,

‘We thy faithful and peaceable subjects, being met in this our annual assembly, do hold ourselves obliged, in point of principle and gratitude, rather than by formal and frequent addresses, humbly and openly to acknowledge the manifold blessings and kind providences of God, which have attended these kingdoms ever since thy happy accession to the throne.

’And as our religion effectually enjoins us obedience to the supreme authority, so it is with great satisfaction that we pay it to a prince, whose justice, clemency, and moderation, cannot but endear, and firmly unite the hearts and affections of all his true Protestant subjects.

‘We are therefore sorrowfully affected with the unhappiness of those our countrymen, who have so little gratitude or goodness, as to be uneasy under so just and mild an administration; nor can we reflect on the late unjust and unnatural rebellion, without concluding the promoters thereof, and actors therein, were men infatuated, and hurried by such an evil spirit, as would lay waste and destroy both the civil and religious liberties of these Protestant nations.

’And as God, the Lord of Hosts, hath most signally appeared to the confounding that Black Conspiracy, so we pray his good Providence may always attend the king’s councils and undertakings, to the establishing his throne in righteousness and peace, and making his house a sure house.

‘Permit us therefore, great prince, to lay hold of this opportunity to approach thy royal presence with our hearty thanks to the king and his great council, for all the privileges and liberties we enjoy. To behold a prince upon the throne, solicitous for the ease and happiness of his people, beyond any other views, so heightens our satisfaction and joy, that we want words to express our full sense thereof. And therefore we can do no less than assure the king, that as it is our duty to demean ourselves towards the king’s person and government with all faithful obedience, so we are determined by divine assistance, devoutly and heartily to pray the God and father of all our mercies to vouchsafe unto the king, a long, peaceable, and prosperous reign; and that when it shall please the Almighty to remove from us so precious a life, by taking it to himself, there may not want a branch of the royal family endowed with wisdom and virtue to fill the throne, till time shall be no more.’

To this address the king was pleased to give this gracious answer.

‘I thank you for the assurance of duty and affection to my person and government, contained in this address; and you may always depend upon my protection.’

Thus we again see a prince on the throne, who solemnly assureth the Quakers, so called, of his protection; so that now they enjoy the due liberty of subjects that behave themselves peaceably and dutifully under the government set over them, in like manner as other inhabitants of Great Britain: and therefore they have not neglected to exhort one another to show their thankfulness to Almighty God, and to pray for the king, as it hath been intimated already, that this was recommended in one of the epistles of their yearly meeting. Now since mention hath several times been made in this history of those epistles of the annual assembly to the particular churches, I have thought fit to insert here one of them, viz. that of the year 1717, which is as followeth: