It was by the favour of this king, a Hollander by birth, that the Quakers, so called, were tolerated a free people; so that now they saw fulfilled the truth of what some of their deceased friends had prophetically foretold, viz. That it should not be in the power of their enemies to root them out, but that God, in his own time, should work their deliverance.
Thus we have now seen from what weak beginnings they had their rise, and how they increased and became a great people against all opposition, of which at first there seemed little probability; as in the beginning of this history may be seen: and to look a little back, it may appear also, by a testimony of George Fox, published after his death, in the collection of his epistles, viz.
‘When the Lord first sent me forth in the year 1643, I was sent as an innocent lamb, and young in years, amongst men in the nature of wolves, dogs, bears, lions, and tigers, into the world, which the devil had made like a wilderness, no right way then found out of it. And I was sent to turn people from darkness to the light, which Christ, the second Adam, did enlighten them withal; that so they might see Christ, their way to God, with the Spirit of God, which he doth pour upon all flesh, that with it they might have an understanding, to know the things of God, and to know him, and his Son Jesus Christ, which is eternal life; and so might worship and serve the living God, their Maker and Creator, who takes care for all, who is Lord of all; and with the light and Spirit of God they might know the Scriptures, which were given forth from the spirit of God in the saints, and holy men and women of God.
‘And when many began to be turned to the light, which is the life in Christ, and the Spirit of God, which gave them an understanding, and had found the path of the just, the shining light; then did the wolves, dogs, dragons, bears, lions, tigers, wild beasts, and birds of prey, make a roaring, and a screeching noise against the lambs, sheep, doves, and children of Christ, and were ready to devour them and me, and to tear us to pieces. But the Lord’s arm and power did preserve me, though many times I was in danger of my life, and very often cast into dungeons and prisons, and hauled before magistrates. But all things did work together for good: and the more I was cast into outward prisons, the more people came out of their spiritual and inward prison through the preaching of the gospel. But the priests and professors were in such a great rage, and made the rude and profane people in such fury, that I could hardly walk in the streets, or go in the highways, but they were ready ofttimes to do me a mischief. But Christ, who hath all power in heaven and in the earth, did so restrain and limit them with his power, that my life was preserved; though many times I was near killed.
‘Oh, the burdens and travails that I went under! Often my life pressed down under the spirits of professors and teachers without life, and the profane! And besides, the troubles afterwards with backsliders, apostates, and false brethren, which were like so many Judas’s in betraying the truth, and God’s faithful and chosen seed, and causing the way of truth to be evil spoken of! but the Lord blasted, wasted, and confounded them, so that none did stand long; for the Lord did either destroy them, or bring them to nought, and his truth did flourish, and his people in it, to the praise of God, who is the revenger of his chosen.
G. F.’
G. Fox then, having in England been the first of the Quakers that preached and proclaimed Christ the light, which enlighteneth every man coming into the world, had in a short time, as we have seen in this history, notwithstanding all opposition, many adherents, whereby several others also began to publish that doctrine. And many of these first preachers were like sons of thunder; for they testifying of the light of Christ shining in the consciences of men, proclaimed, that the day of the Lord was dawned and should yet further break forth, to the destroying of the former buildings of human inventions and institutions; though not of that which had formerly been felt and enjoyed by true experience of the operations of the Spirit of God in people’s hearts. By their powerful way of preaching repentance, many were awakened out of the sleep of careless security, and came to see that their covering was too short, and that they were not covered with the true wedding garment: and many that had been of a rude life, came to be so touched to the heart by these zealous preachers, that crying out what shall we do to be saved? they were brought to repentance and conversion; and so from wild and rough, came to be sedate and sober. And as in the beginning many of these first preachers did run on like a mighty stream, and seemed fit to thresh and grind mountains and stones, and to hew down tall cedars, and wash away all opposition; so there were others also, who as sons of consolation, proclaimed glad tidings to the hungry and thirsty souls, many of which were in England about that time, insomuch that some said, Now the everlasting gospel is preached again. And it was indeed remarkable, that though these promulgators of the doctrine of the inward light shining in the hearts of men, were mean and illiterate, yet many people of note, not only such as were in magistracy, but also many preachers of several persuasions, were so touched at the heart by their lively preaching, that they not only received their doctrine, but came themselves in process of time, to be zealous publishers thereof, and thus a great crop was gathered; nay sometimes even men of great skill, and sharp wit, were deeply struck by plain and homely preaching; of whom,
Isaac Pennington, mentioned more than once in this history, was a signal instance, as may appear from a relation concerning himself, written with his own hand, and found among his papers after his death, wherein he speaks as followeth:
‘I have been a man of sorrow and affliction from my childhood, feeling the want of the Lord, and mourning after him; separated by him from the love, nature and spirit of this world, and turned in spirit towards him, almost ever since I could remember.