§. XIII.
III. The Worship of the Quakers not stopt or interrupted by Men or Devils. Thirdly, The Excellency of this Worship doth appear, in that it can neither be stopt nor interrupted by the Malice of Men or Devils, as all others can. Now Interruptions and Stoppings of Worship may be understood in a twofold Respect, either as we are hindered from meeting, as being outwardly by Violence separated one from another; or when permitted to meet together, as we are interrupted by the Tumult, Noise, and Confusion which such as are malicious may use to molest or distract us. Now in both these Respects, this Worship doth greatly surpass all others: For how far soever People be separate or hindered from coming together, yet as every one is inwardly gathered to the Measure of Life in himself, there is a secret Unity and Fellowship enjoyed, which the Devil and all his Instruments can never break or hinder. But, Secondly, It doth as well appear, as to those Molestations which occur, when we are met together, what Advantage this true and spiritual Worship gives us beyond all others; seeing in Despite of a thousand Interruptions and Abuses, one of which were sufficient to have stopt all other Sorts of Christians, we have been able, through the Nature of this Worship, to keep it uninterrupted as to God, and also at the same Time to shew forth an Example of our Christian Patience towards all, even oftentimes to the Reaching and Convincing of our Opposers. For there is no Sort of Worship used by others which can subsist (though they be permitted to meet) unless they be either authorized and protected by the Magistrate, or defend themselves with the Arm of Flesh: But we at the same Time exercise Worship towards God, and also patiently bear the Reproaches and Ignominies which Christ prophesied should be so incident and frequent to Christians. The Worship of the Papists soon interrupted.For how can the Papists say their Mass, if there be any there to disturb and interrupt them? Do but take away the Mass-book, the Chalice, the Host, or the Priest’s Garments, yea, do but spill the Water, or the Wine, or blow out the Candles (a Thing quickly done) and the whole Business is marred, and no Sacrifice can be offered. The Protestants the like, and Anabaptists.Take from the Lutherans or Episcopalians their Liturgy or Common-Prayer-Book, and no Service can be said. Remove from the Calvinists, Arminians, Socinians, Independents, or Anabaptists, the Pulpit, the Bible, and the Hour-glass, or make but such a Noise as the Voice of the Preacher cannot be heard, or disturb him but so before he come, or strip him of his Bible or his Books, and he must be dumb: For they all think it an Heresy to wait to speak as the Spirit of God giveth Utterance; and thus easily their whole Worship may be marred. But when People meet together, and their Worship consisteth not in such outward Acts, and they depend not upon any one’s Speaking, but merely sit down to wait upon God, and to be gathered out of all Visibles, and to feel the Lord in Spirit, none of these Things can hinder them, of which we may say of a Truth, We are sensible Witnesses. The Sufferings of the Quakers for their religious Meetings.For when the Magistrates, stirred up by the Malice and Envy of our Opposers, have used all Means possible (and yet in vain) to deter us from meeting together, and that openly and publickly in our own hired Houses for that Purpose, both Death, Banishments, Imprisonments, Finings, Beatings, Whippings, and other such devilish Inventions, have proved ineffectual to terrify us from our holy Assemblies. And we having, I say, thus oftentimes purchased our Liberty to meet, by deep Sufferings, our Opposers have then taken another Way, by turning in upon us the worst and wickedest People, yea, the very Off-scourings of Men, who by all manner of inhuman, beastly, and brutish Behaviour, have sought to provoke us, weary us, and molest us, but in vain. It would be almost incredible to declare, and indeed a Shame, that among Men pretending to be Christians, it should be mentioned, what Things of this Kind Men’s Eyes have seen, and I myself, with others, have shared of in Suffering! There they have often beaten us, and cast Water and Dirt upon us; there they have danced, leaped, sung, and spoken all manner of profane and ungodly Words; offered Violence and shameful Behaviour to grave Women and Virgins; jeered, mocked and scoffed, asking us, If the Spirit was not yet come? And much more, which were tedious here to relate: And all this while we have been seriously and silently sitting together, and waiting upon the Lord. So that by these Things our inward and spiritual Fellowship with God, and one with another, in the pure Life of Righteousness, hath not been hindered. But on the contrary, the Lord knowing our Sufferings and Reproaches for his Testimony’s Sake, hath caused his Power and Glory more to abound among us, and hath mightily refreshed us by the Sense of his Love, which hath filled our Souls; and so much the rather, as we found ourselves gathered into the Name of the Lord, which is the [105]strong Tower of the Righteous; whereby we felt ourselves sheltered from receiving any inward Hurt through their Malice: And also that he had delivered us from that vain Name and Profession of Christianity, under which our Opposers were not ashamed to bring forth those bitter and cursed Fruits. Yea, sometimes in the Midst of this Tumult and Opposition, God would powerfully move some or other of us by his Spirit, both to testify of that Joy, which notwithstanding their Malice we enjoyed, and powerfully to declare, in the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit, against their Folly and Wickedness; so as the Power of Truth hath brought them to some Measure of Quietness and Stillness, and stopt the impetuous Streams of their Fury and Madness: The Rod of Moses divided the Sea: The Spirit maketh Way through the raging Waves.That even as of old Moses by his Rod divided the Waves of the Red Sea, that the Israelites might pass; so God hath thus by his Spirit made a Way for us in the Midst of this raging Wickedness, peaceably to enjoy and possess him, and accomplish our Worship to him: So that sometimes upon such Occasions several of our Opposers and Interrupters have hereby been convinced of the Truth, and gathered from being Persecutors to be Sufferers with us. What brutish Pranks did not that young Fry of the Clergy commit?And let it not be forgotten, but let it be inscribed and abide for a constant Remembrance of the Thing, that in these beastly and brutish Pranks, used to molest us in our spiritual Meetings, none have been more busy than the young Students of the Universities, who were learning Philosophy and Divinity (so called) and many of them preparing themselves for the Ministry. Should we commit to Writing all the Abominations committed in this Respect by the young Fry of the Clergy, it would make no small Volume; as the Churches of Christ, gathered into his pure Worship in Oxford and Cambridge in England, and Edinburgh and Aberdeen in Scotland, where the Universities are, can well bear Witness.
[105] Prov. 18. 10.