Concerning the resurrection, their belief is orthodox, and agreeable with the testimonies of the holy Scriptures: but because they judge it to be very improper to say that we shall rise again with the same numerical bodies we now have, their opposers have falsely accused them, as such who deny the resurrection; though they fully believe this saying of the apostle, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” And as to the qualities of the bodies wherewith we shall arise, he saith, “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body:” “For,” saith the same apostle, “our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself,” And therefore they have counted it more safe, not to determine with what kind of bodies we shall be raised, provided we have a firm belief that there is to be a resurrection of the dead: for from such a determination many difficulties may arise, which otherwise are avoided; and therefore they have also said to their antagonists, ‘Christ’s resurrection is indeed an argument for our resurrection; but would it be valid from thence thus to argue: because Christ’s body, which was without sin, and was not corrupted in the grave, was raised the same it was buried; therefore our bodies, which admit of corruption, must also be raised the same they are buried?’ Nay, by insisting stiffly on this point, we fall into many difficulties: who will venture to say, that when people die, and are buried about the age of ninety years, their bodies in the resurrection shall be the same decrepid bodies they were when buried; and that unborn children dying, shall be raised with such small bodies as they had then? To shun therefore such kind of absurdities, they think it better not to suffer human wit to expatiate too far, since the apostle saith, “Mind not high things;” and adviseth every man, “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.”
Now as to church government, both for looking to the orderly conversation of the members, and for taking care of the poor, and of indigent widows and orphans, and also for making inquiry into marriages solemnized among them, they have particular meetings, either weekly, or every two weeks, or monthly, according to the greatness of the churches. They have also quarterly meetings in every county, where matters are brought that cannot well be adjusted in the particular meetings. To these meetings come not only the ministers and elders, but also other members, that are known to be of sober conversation; and what is agreed upon there, is entered into a book belonging to the meeting. Besides these meetings a general annual assembly is kept at London in the Whitsun week,[110] so called; not for any superstitious observation the Quakers have for that more than at any other time, but because that season of year best suits the general accommodation.
[110] It has since been fixed to be held on the second day immediately following the third First day in the fifth month.
To this yearly meeting, which sometimes lasteth four, or five, or more days, are admitted such as are sent from all churches of that society in the world, to give an account of the state of the particular churches; which from some places is done only by writing; and from that meeting is sent a general epistle to all the churches, which commonly is printed; and sometimes particular epistles are sent also to the respective churches. By which it may be known every year, in what condition the churches are: and in the said epistle generally is recommended a godly life and conversation, and due care about the education of children. If it happens that the poor any where are in want, then that is supplied by others who have in store, or sometimes by an extraordinary collection.
As to the denomination by which they are distinguished from other religious societies, it is, as is well known, Quakers; but since that name was given them in scorn, as hath been said in due place, they do not assume it any further than for distinction-sake from others; but the name whereby they call one another is that of friends. And herein they have the example of primitive Christians, as may be seen Acts xxvii. 3. where it is said, that Julius the centurion courteously intreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto[111] the friends, (for so the Greek hath it,) to refresh himself, and 3 Epist. John 14. we read, ‘The friends salute thee; and greet the friends by name.’ Now this name of Friends is so common among the Quakers in England, that others also know them, and sometimes call them by that name.
[111] [Greek: Προς τους Φιλους: Pros tous Philous] and [Greek: ὁι Φιλοι: hoi Philoi], which is not his friends, or our friends, as it is rendered, but the friends.
1705-1707.
It was, as I find, in the year 1705, that Anna, the late wife of Thomas Camm, deceased in a great age; and having already made mention of her by the name of Anne Audland, I will say something more of her before I describe her exit. She was daughter of Richard Newby, in the parish of Kendal in Westmoreland, being born in the year 1627, and well educated; and being come to maturity, she conversed much with the most religious people of that time. About the year 1650, she was married to John Audland, and in the beginning of 1652, they both were by the ministry of G. Fox, convinced of that truth he preached; and in the next year they began to preach that doctrine to others; for which in the following year she was committed to prison in the town of Aukland in the county of Durham, where she had opportunity to speak to the people through the window; which she did so pathetically, that several were affected with her testimony; and after being released, she travelled up and down the country, and had good service; but not long after, she was again committed to prison on an accusation of having spoken blasphemy, for which she was tried at Banbury in Oxfordshire; the indictment drawn up against her containing that she had said, God did not live: whereas that which she said was, that true words might be a lie in the mouth of some that spoke them, alleging for truth the saying of the prophet Jeremiah v. 2. “Though they say the Lord liveth, surely they swear falsely.” The judge before whom she appeared, behaved himself moderately, and observing how wisely she answered to his questions with a modest boldness, proposed the matter to the jury thus; ‘That she acknowledged the Lord her God and Redeemer to live, and that there were gods of the heathen that were dead gods.’ Some of the justices upon the bench, who sought her destruction, perceiving they should not obtain their end, for it had been divulged that she should be burnt, went off to influence the jury, and bias them; which had this effect, that they brought her in guilty of misdemeanor: which made one present say, it was illegal to indict her for one fact, and to bring her in guilty of another; since they ought to have found her either guilty or not guilty upon the matter of fact charged in the indictment. The judge, though he had carried himself discreetly, had a mind however somewhat to please the justices that were her enemies; and therefore at her refusal to give bond for her good behaviour, she was sent to prison again; though he was heard to say, that she ought to have been discharged. And the prison whither she was sent was a nasty place, several steps under ground; on the side whereof was a common sewer, which sometimes stunk very much, and frogs and toads crawled in the room. Here she was kept about eight months, but showed herself content, being persuaded that it was for the Lord’s sake she thus suffered.
Her husband, John Audland, died, as hath been said before, about the beginning of the year 1664, and two years after she was married to Thomas Camm, a minister also of the gospel. She lived very retiredly, and spent much time in solitariness, and was almost daily exercised in reading the holy Scriptures, and other edifying books. Her husband suffered imprisonment three years, at Kendal, and about six years, at Appleby; insomuch that she came to be well acquainted with adversities: but by all these she was the more spurred on to advance in true piety; and was a very remarkable teacher in the church, having an extraordinary gift to declare the truth. And yet she was very modest and humble, insomuch that how full soever she was of matter, she rarely appeared to preach in large meetings, where she knew there were men qualified for that service; and she was grieved when she perceived any of her sex to be too forward on such occasions; and therefore she advised them to be cautious, though she did not omit to encourage the good in all, and endeavoured not to quench the Spirit in any. Thus she continued in a virtuous life to the end of her days. At Bristol she once fell so sick, that it was thought she was nigh death; and then she exhorted those that stood by, to prize their time, and to prepare for their latter end, as God said she, hath inclined me to do, so that I enjoy unspeakable peace here, with full assurance of eternal rest and felicity in the world to come.
But she recovered from this sickness; and when her dying hour came, which was in her dwelling place near Kendal, she was not less prepared, but said, ‘I bless the Lord I am prepared for my change. I am full of assurance of eternal salvation, and a crown of glory, through my dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’ Many other excellent sayings she uttered during the time of her sickness; and when she drew near her end, some of her friends asking her, whether she knew them, ‘Yes,’ said she, ‘I know you every one. I have my understanding as clear as ever: for how should it be otherwise, since my peace is made with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. I have no disturbance in mind, therefore is my understanding and judgment so good and clear; but to lie under affliction of body and mind, to feel pinching pangs of body even to death, and to want peace with God; O that would be intolerable to bear!‘ She advised her husband to quit himself of the cumber of the things of this world, after her death, that he might with the more freedom attend the ministry of the gospel, and, said she, ‘Warn all, but especially the rich, to keep low, and not to be high-minded: for humility and holiness is the badge of our profession.’ A little before her departure, some fainting fits taking her, she revived again, and said, ‘I was glad, thinking I was going to my eternal rest, without disturbance. I have both a sight and earnest of eternal rest with God in the world to come.’ A little after she said, ‘Methinks I grow weak and cold. My hands and feet are grown very cold, yet my heart is very strong. I must meet with sharper pangs than I have yet felt—This pain is hard to flesh and blood, but must be endured a little time; ease and eternal rest is at hand; I am glad I see death so near me.’ A little after, seeing her friends weep, she said, ‘Be not concerned, for all is well: I have only death to encounter, and the sting of it is wholly taken away: the grave hath no victory, and my soul is ascending above all sorrow and pains. So let me go freely to my heavenly mansion, disturb me not in my passage. My friends, go to the meeting; let me not hinder the Lord’s business, but let it be the chief, and by you all done faithfully, that at the end ye may receive your reward; for mine is sure. I have not been negligent, my day’s work is done.’ Feeling afterwards her pains increasing, she prayed the Lord to help her through the agony of death; and a little after she said, ‘O my God, O my God, thou hast not forsaken me, blessed be thy name for ever. O my blessed Saviour, that suffered for me and all mankind, great pains in thy holy body upon the cross, remember me thy poor handmaid in this my great bodily affliction. My trust is in thee, my hope is only in thee, my dear Lord. O come, come dear Lord Jesus, come quickly, receive my soul, to thee I yield it up, help me now in my bitter pangs.’ Then her husband prayed to God, that he would be pleased to make her passage easy. And she had no more such pangs, but drew her breath shorter by degrees, and said little more, but that it was good to leave all to the Lord. And so she slept in the Lord the 30th of November, 1705, in the 79th year of her age. Thus Anne Camm departed this life, and her husband said afterwards that he counted it a great blessing to have had her to wife: for she was indeed a very excellent woman, and therefore I have described her latter end thus circumstantially.