An Apology for the True Christian Divinity

455 Pages·2009·2.35 MB·English

An Apology
for the
True Christian Divinity
by
Robert Barclay
first published in 1678

16 Huber St.
Glenside, PA 19038
[email protected] Peter D. Sippel
120 East Street Rd., G3O4
Warminster, PA 18974
[email protected]

www.qhpress.org
2002

Contents
Editor's Introduction [p. iii]
Glossary [p. vii]

Unto Charles II, King of Great Britain [p. 1]
Unto the Friendly Reader [p. 7]
Theses Theologicae [p. 8]
The First Proposition: Concerning the True Foundation of Knowledge [p. 19]
The Second Proposition: Concerning Immediate Revelation [p. 21]
The Third Proposition: Concerning the Scriptures [p. 62]
The Fourth Proposition: Concerning the Condition of Man in the Fall [p. 84]
The Fifth and Sixth Propositions: Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ,
and also the Saving and Spiritual Light wherewith every man is enlightened [p.
96]
The Seventh Proposition: Concerning Justification [p. 167]
The Eighth Proposition: Concerning Perfection [p. 205]
The Ninth Proposition: Concerning Perseverance, and the Possibility of Falling
from Grace [p. 223]
The Tenth Proposition: Concerning the Ministry [p. 230]
The Eleventh Proposition: Concerning Worship [p. 289]
The Twelfth Proposition: Concerning Baptism [p. 343]
The Thirteenth Proposition: Concerning the Communion, or participation of the
Body and Blood of Christ [p. 373]
The Fourteenth Proposition: Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate in
Matters purely Religious and pertaining to the Conscience [p. 407]
The Fifteenth Proposition: Concerning Salutations and Recreations, &c. [p. 429]
The Conclusion [p. 479]
Passages of Scripture Occurring in this Book [p. 481]
A Table of Authors that are Cited in this Book [p. 487]
A Table of the Chief Things [p. 489]
Appendix: An Examination of a Book Entitled Barclay's Apology in Modern
English, edited by Dean Freiday [p. 505]

Editor's Introduction
Robert Barclay (16481690) wrote his classic exposition and defense of
Quakerism in Latin and published it in 1676 as Theologiæ Vere Christianæ
Apologia. He then translated his own book into English. The Apology has since
been reprinted over 60 times and translated into several other languages.

Barclay's education enabled him to understand academic theology. Most early
Quaker publicists used a distinctive Quaker vocabulary which was often
misunderstood by educated theologians, whom the Quakers misunderstood in
turn. Thus in early debate literature, Friends and their opponents often talked
past each other, taking the same words in different senses. Barclay bridges this
gap, defending Quaker usage while clearly explaining it for the benefit of those
who were accustomed to a different vocabulary.

This is not to say that the theological differences between Quakers and other
sects were mere differences of vocabulary. There were doctrinal differences of
substance; and most of Barclay's effort is directed at defending Quaker doctrine
and showing its superiority, in logic and faithfulness to Scripture, to competing
doctrines of his time, especially those of Calvinism. His ability to do this
effectively is greatly enhanced by his having a good understanding of the
competing theologies, as well as by his ability to surmount the verbal barrier.

The Apology was frequently reprinted throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.
Suddenly, early in the 20th century, the printings ceased. The last printing of the
full text, so far as we have been able to learn, was in 1908 in Philadelphia.1

In conversations among Peter Sippel, Edsel Burdge, and Friends at Glenside
Meeting (PA), it was agreed that this important Quaker classic should again be
made available. An electronic text produced with a scanner from a 1789 edition
was provided to Peter Sippel by Raymond Ayoub. Edsel Burdge offered to
compare this text with a 1690 edition of Truth Triumphant (a collection of
Barclay's works). Enough differences in wording were found in the first several
pages to convince us that one edition of the Apology was not necessarily the
same as another. Desiring to stick to Barclay's own words we decided to use the
earliest English language edition (1678), which is believed to have been printed
in Aberdeen, Scotland, though the volume does not say so. A second, apparently
later 1678 edition, believed to have been printed in London, was also consulted
in cases of obscurity in the microfilm of the Aberdeen text.

Peter Sippel proofread the scanned text against the Aberdeen edition, corrected
it, and emailed it to Licia Kuenning, who formatted it, made further corrections,
and printed it out: Charlotte Kuenning then proofread the printout twice, line by
line, against the Aberdeen edition, also checking the Scripture citations for
accuracy in chapter/verse numbers, since these are often misprinted in old
Quaker books. Larry Kuenning checked Barclay's Greek, Hebrew and Latin words
and helped to locate Scripture texts and to identify the occasional English
archaism. Licia then implemented their corrections and reproofread the resulting
document on the screen.

The only things we have modernized are spelling, capitalization, italicization,
punctuation. and the names of authors cited. Barclay's English is modern English.
A brief glossary is provided on page vii of words that have changed their
meaning; the very few words that have dropped out of use are footnoted at
places in the text.

Not all of Barclay's italics have been preserved. He used italics more than would
be normal in a modern book. He also used italics for quotations (direct and
indirect). We have substituted quotation marks in these cases, although this has
the disadvantage that their use in this volume does not always conform to
modern conventions for the use of quotation marks (i.e., they appear around
passages that are not precise direct quotes). There does not seem to have been
any exact equivalent, in 1678, to modern quotation marks.

This volume contains two types of footnotes: the marginal notes of the Aberdeen
edition (marked by raised letters, a, b, etc.), and our own editorial notes
(marked with raised numbers, 1, 2, etc.) defining archaic words and noting
passages that later editors significantly altered from the first edition.

[In the print edition the editorial notes are marked with asterisks, *, and the
lettered notes begin with a on each page instead of continuing in a single
sequence throughout each chapter as they do here.]

The indexes are Barclay's, but we have changed his Latinized author names to
the forms they are better known by today, and realphabetized accordingly.
In addition to the persons above named, thanks are due to the librarians at
Westminster Theological Seminary (Glenside, PA) who provided us with
microfilms of the two 1678 editions, and to the many Friends in Quaker email
discussion groups, especially those known as QuakerG and QText, for their
encouragement as the work progressed.

A few months after printing the Apology we placed it online at the website,
www.qhpress.org, where many other historic Quaker writings can be found,
including Barclay's earlier work, A Catechism and Confession of Faith.

Comments on the Concept of "Modern English"
Linguists distinguish three periods in the history of the English language: Old
English or Anglo Saxon, used c450c1150; Middle English, used c11501475; and
Modern English, used since 1475. Modern English is generally within the reach of
today's readers. Middle English, such as that written by Chaucer, usually requires
some special training to be fully understood; and Old English, such as that in
Beowulf, is a foreign language to the large majority of us.

Anything written by a Quaker is well within the Modern period. The difficulties of
some early Quaker writings are due less to archaism in the language than to the
fact that the ideas and controversies of their time are not widely understood
today. Added to this is the fact that early Quakers had an idiosyncratic
vocabulary, not all of which has survived in the Society of Friends. The
theological vocabulary of other churches, being more widely used, has survived
better; which is one reason why Barclay, who knew this vocabulary and wrote for
those who used it, is one of the easiest of 17thcentury Quaker writers for
modern people to read. Another reason for his understandability is the logical
structure of his thought.

Being of the generation whose early religious teachers used the King James
Bible, I find the English of the 17th century as much a part of my native
language as anything I can read on the Internet (an understatement). To those
who think that 17thcentury English is difficult, I can only urge that they read it
until it isn't difficult any more.2 Not to do so is to incur a great loss of our
cultural heritage, for not only were the major documents of more than one
religious tradition written in the 17th century but the phraseology of the King
James Version is all over the literature of four centuries, not only in religious
works but also in poetry, legal documents, expressions of philosophical or
political ideas, and even romantic fiction.

When wellintentioned editors try to modernize old writings, thinking to make
them more accessible to contemporary readers, there can be some regrettable
consequences. One of these is to reinforce the idea that the original texts are too
difficult. Since the original texts will never all be modernized the effect can be to
make a great many other books less accessible by scaring people away from
them. An even more serious hazard results from the fact that often it is the
ideas, rather than the words themselves, that have become difficult. The
modernizer may unwittingly alter the ideas in trying to modernize the language.
This has in fact happened in every case that I know of where a modern editor
has tried to paraphrase an early Quaker text.

When readers of an old text find something in it that is obscure to them, they
may realize that they don't understand it, look into it, and thereby increase their
historical knowledge. But readers of a modernized version that seems smooth
and clear have no way of knowing which passages are not accurate
representations of the author's thought. Not knowing where the problems are,
they don't investigate them, and instead absorb historical errors.

This is in no way to disparage modern English translations of the Bible. The Bible
was not written in English: those who don't know Greek and Hebrew must read it
in some translation, and modern translations may be best for understanding
what the authors said, especially when the translators take into account
advances in textual scholarship and in the study of ancient Greek and Hebrew.
But the King James Version should be read as well not because it is needed for
understanding the Bible, but because it is needed for understanding the many
writers of English literature who quoted it.

English was Robert Barclay's native language. He knew how to say what he
meant in English, and his own words are still the best words for understanding
him.

Licia Kuenning
editor

1Since then, a few very abridged versions have been published, and a book
called Barclay's Apology in Modern English, edited by Dean Freiday. The latter
leaves out a great deal of what Barclay wrote and contains numerous errors in
rendering Barclay's meaning: a fuller critique of it can be found in an Appendix to
this volume.

2Do not be afraid of the oldfashioned verb endings, eth and est. The suffix eth is
thirdperson singular, and est is secondperson singular: but you don't even need
to know that. You can just ignore these endings, as they do not change the
meaning of the verbs.
Glossary of some words whose most common meaning today is different from
their meaning at some places in the Apology. Some of these words are, at other
places, used in their presentday sense: this must be determined from context:

accident: trait
acted (as a participle): motivated, moved
admirable: strange, astonishing
answer: correspond, agree
comprehend: include
day: period of time (not necessarily a calendar day)
divine(s) (n): theologian(s)
divinity: theology
doctor: highly educated person
elementary: physical
experimentally: by experience
figure (n): figurative representation, symbol
formally: really (only in certain technical theological contexts)
immediate: without mediation
juggling: trickery
lawful: possible to be done without sin
let (v): prevent
let (n): obstacle
outside: superficial
outward: visible, material
own: acknowledge, approve
part(s): skill(s)
particular (n): an individual
pretend: claim
probation: proof
professor: one who claims to be religious
sometimes: at one time in the past
talent: an ancient unit of money
typify: prefigure, symbolize
use (v): to practice habitually or customarily
vain: useless
want: lack
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AN APOLOGY
FOR THE
TRUE CHRISTIAN DIVINITY
AS THE SAME IS HELD FORTH AND PREACHED
BY THE PEOPLE, CALLED, IN SCORN
QUAKERS
BEING A FULL EXPLANATION AND VINDICATION OF THEIR
Principles and Doctrines
BY MANY ARGUMENTS DEDUCED FROM SCRIPTURE AND RIGHT REASON AND THE
TESTIMONIES OF FAMOUS AUTHORS BOTH ANCIENT AND MODERN
WITH A FULL ANSWER TO THE STRONGEST OBJECTIONS USUALLY MADE AGAINST
THEM
PRESENTED TO THE KING
Written and published in Latin, for the information of strangers, by
ROBERT BARCLAY
And now put into our own language, for the benefit of his countrymen
Acts 24:14 After the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my
fathers; believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets.
Titus 2:1114 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all
men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed
hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Who
gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
1 Thess. 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Printed in the Year 1678

Unto Charles the Second
King of Great Britain
and the Dominions thereunto belonging
ROBERT BARCLAY
A Servant of Jesus Christ, called of God to the dispensation of the
Gospel now again revealed; and, after a long and dark night of
apostasy, commanded to be preached to all nations, wisheth health
and salvation.
As the condition of kings and princes puts them in a station more obvious to the
view and observation of the world than that of other men, of whom, as Cicero
observes, neither any word or action can be obscure; so are those kings, during
whose appearance upon the stage of this world it pleaseth the great King of
kings singularly to make known unto men the wonderful steps of his
unsearchable providence, more signally observed and their lives and actions
more diligently remarked and inquired into by posterity; especially if those things
be such as not only relate to the outward transactions of this world but also are
signalized by the manifestation or revelation of the knowledge of God in matters
spiritual and religious. These are the things that rendered the lives of Cyrus,
Augustus Caesar, and Constantine the Great in former time, and of Charles the
Fifth and some other modern princes in these last ages, so considerable.
But among all these transactions which it hath pleased God to permit for the
glory of his power and the manifestation of his wisdom and providence, no age
furnisheth us with things so strange and marvelous, whether with respect to
matters civil or religious, as these that have fallen out within the compass of thy
time; who, though thou be not yet arrived at the fiftieth year of thy age, hast yet
been a witness of stranger things than many ages before produced. So that
whether we respect those various troubles wherein thou foundest thyself
engaged while scarce got out of thy infancy; the many different afflictions
wherewith men of thy circumstances are often unacquainted; the strange and
unparalleled fortune that befell thy father; thy own narrow escape and
banishment following thereupon, with the great improbability of thy ever
returning (at least without very much pains and tedious combattings); or finally
the incapacity thou wert under to accomplish such a design; considering the
strength of those who had possessed themselves of thy throne and the terror
they had inflicted upon foreign states; and yet that after all this thou shouldst be
restored without stroke of sword, the help or assistance of foreign states, or the
contrivance and work of human policy; all these do sufficiently declare that it is
the Lord's doing, which, as it is marvelous in our eyes, so it will justly be a
matter of wonder and astonishment to generations to come and may sufficiently
serve, if rightly observed, to confute and confound that atheism wherewith this
age doth so much abound.
As the vindication of the liberty of conscience (which thy father, by giving way to
the importunate clamours of the clergy, the answering and fulfilling of whose
unrighteous wills has often proved hurtful and pernicious to princes, sought in
some part to restrain) was a great occasion of these troubles and revolutions; so
the pretense of conscience was that which carried it on and brought it to that
pitch it came to. And though no doubt some that were engaged in that work
designed good things, at least in the beginning, albeit always wrong in the
manner they took to accomplish it, viz. by carnal weapons; yet so soon as they
had tasted the sweet of the possessions of them they had turned out, they
quickly began to do those things themselves for which they had accused others.
For their hands were found full of oppression, and "they hated the reproofs of
instruction, which is the way of life"; and they evilly entreated the messengers of
the Lord and caused to beat and imprison his prophets and persecuted his
people, whom he had called and gathered out from among them, whom he had
made to "beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruninghooks,"
and not to learn carnal war any more: but he raised them up and armed them
with spiritual weapons, even with his own Spirit and power, whereby they
testified in the streets and highways and public markets and synagogues against
the pride, vanity, lusts, and hypocrisy of that generation who were righteous in
their own eyes, though often cruelly entreated therefor; and they faithfully
prophesied and foretold them of their judgment and downfall which came upon
them, as by several warnings and epistles delivered to Oliver and Richard
Cromwell, the Parliament, and other then powers yet upon record, doth appear.
And after it pleased God to restore thee, what oppressions, what banishments
and evil entreatings they have met with by men pretending thy authority and
cloaking their mischief with thy name, is known to most men in this island;
especially in England, where there is scarce a prison that hath not been filled
with them nor a judge before whom they not have been haled; though they
could never yet be found guilty of anything that might deserve that usage.
Therefore the sense of their innocency did no doubt greatly contribute to move
thee, three years ago, to cause some hundreds of them to be set at liberty: for
indeed their sufferings are singular, and obviously distinguishable from all the
rest of such as live under thee in these two respects.
First, in that among all the plots contrived by others against thee since thy return
into Britain, there never was any, owned of that people, found or known to be
guilty, though many of them have been taken and imprisoned upon such kind of
jealousies, but were always found innocent and harmless as became the
followers of Christ; not coveting after nor contending for the kingdoms of this
world, but "subject to every ordinance of man for conscience sake."
Secondly, in that in the hottest times of persecution and the most violent
prosecutions of those laws made against meetings, being clothed with
innocency, they have boldly stood to their testimony for God without creeping
into holes or corners or once hiding themselves, as all other dissenters have
done; but daily met, according to their custom, in the public places appointed for
that end; so that none of thy officers can say of them that they have surprised
them in a corner, overtaken them in a private conventicle, or catched them
lurking in their secret chambers; nor needed they to send out spies to get them,
whom they were sure daily to find in their open assemblies, testifying for God
and his Truth. By which those that have an eye to see may observe their
Christian patience and courage, constancy and suffering, joined in one, more
than in any other people that differ from them or oppose them. And yet in the
midst of those troubles thou canst bear witness that as on the one part they
never sought to detract from thee or to render thee and thy government odious
to the people by nameless and scandalous pamphlets and libels; so on the other
hand they have not spared to admonish, exhort, and reprove thee and have
faithfully discharged their consciences towards thee without flattering words, as
ever the true prophets in ancient times used to do to those kings and princes
under whose power violence and oppression was acted.
And albeit it is evident by experience to be most agreeable both to divine Truth
and human policy to allow everyone to serve God according to their consciences,
nevertheless those other sects, who for the most part durst not peep out in the
times of persecution, while these innocent people stood bold and faithful, do now
combine in a joint confederacy (notwithstanding all the former janglings and
contention among themselves) to render us odious; seeking unjustly to wrest our