A persuasive to unity ...

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M f LIBRA It Y OF CONGfimfH 11 '•/,/. J^"

Contents

PAGK.

Universal Love appearing in and through man reconciled unto, and in Unity with God, considered and testified unto as the greatest gift of God to men. By Joseph Bancroft, ...... 13

Universal Love considered and established upon its right foundation, being a serious enquiry how far Charity may and ought to be extended towards persons of different judgments in matters of Religion, and whose principles among the several sects of Christians do most naturally lead to that due moderation required. Written in the Spirit of love and meekness, for the removing of stumbling-blocks out of the way of the simple ; by a lover of the souls of all men, Robert Barclay, . . 61

Preface

In the love with which I feel my mind covered to the cause of Jesus Christ, and to my beloved fellow-creatures without respect of persons, which has obliged me to the present essay to gain their attention for the purpose of mutual edification, I would bespeak the patient, careful reading of all that is herein put before them ; desiring each one to look to the Spirit of the Lord for the gift of understanding in that which is propounded ; and not to burden the creature with too earnest an effort on its own part ; as if the power of understanding were not the gift of God received in faith daily, but were inherent in man without the breath of Life, and himself capable fully to understand all things at first mention of them: whereas, the growth of that capacity is to be waited for in all things both natural and spiritual ; and is conferred upon man as in a seed, and is increased by growth to appear first as a blade, by dressing and keeping, even in the good ground ; by watchfulness and care that an enemy does not sow evil seed when men sleep, and the w r atch is not kept up ; and so tares begin to grow, and the growth of good is checked and the understanding darkened, and edification obstructed. Therefore, wait upon the Lord, the Spirit of good, for a good understanding and a well disposed mind towards that for which

PREFACE.

tliv attention is solicited : and recur to it again and aiii as thou finds thy mind bo disposed, In the U-av f anything that may be for edification to the house of God : which building is of considerate men above that which is admirable in the ox and the ii^s ; for (Jod has set man over the works of His hand- for " them M to have dominion over all in the place wherein He lias put him. The consideration of which purpose and commission to every member

in itfl own place in the body, lv.niiivth that the

spirits of the prophets be subject to the prophets, or

to the same spirit in every fellow member; Beeing

that which groweth of the good Beed in any of them

[uireth purging, and is submitted to that which is

Over those works in every man, tor the mutual

oomfori of the whole, and the glory oi the great Eead of all. So that, dear reader, both for my

d and comfort, and for our mutual edification,

and that of the whdt body, it is needful that thOM

be considerate, patiently watchful and prayerful, and shew thyself "an braelite indeed in whom is no guile/ 1 like Nathaniel; one doing the work of the one good seed of Abraham, the Friend of God, whether as a child, as a young man, as a strong man.

as an elder, in Christ Jesus,who is the full growth of the manifestation ^\' that One only.good seed.

I have frit it best for me to reprint what Robert Barclay wrote respecting Universal Love, True Christian Worship, and True Christian Discipline

bout abridgment, notwithstanding thatthe circumstances in which men at this time, particularly in the Knitcd States of America, are placed, may r to render parts of what he has written not

VII

needful now to recur to : ye1 even now, in relation to there is enough lefl of thai which Li is

desirable Bhould be removed ou1 of the way, to make it well to revive the whole as he pu1 it before his contemporaries : that we may be stimulated to diligence in endeavoring the repair of that which has n broken down and greatly impaired, and is needful to our defence and comfort if we would be as a city compact together: that the work which he prophesied of, and which we see in measure^grown according to promise, may be fulfilled ; to the glory of God in the good of his creatures, and the perfection of men in the stature of the Church of Jesus Christ, which can only have place as men stand in true testimony, as they did in that he wrote, "the good fruits and effects which daily abound to the household of faith, in the government the Lord is establishing among us, doth more and more commend it unto us ; and confirmeth our hearts in the certain belief of that, which we can confidently testify in good conscience, that God hath led us hereunto by his Spirit : and we see the hand of the Lord herein, which in due time will yet more appear ; that as through our faithful testimony in the hand of the Lord, that anti-christian and apostatized generation, the National Ministry hath received a deadly blow by our discovering and witnessing against their forced maintenance, and tithes, against which we have testified by many cruel sufferings of all kinds, as our chronicles shall make known to generations to come, so that their kingdom, in the hearts of thousands, begins to totter and lose its strength, and shall assuredly fall to the ground, through truth's

\in PREFi

prevailing in the earth ; bo on the other hand do we, by coming to righteousness and innocency, weaken the strength of their kingdom, who judge for rewards, as well as such as preach for hire, and by not ministering occasions to those, who have Leaped ap riches, and lived in excess, lust and riot; by feeding and preying upon the iniquities and contentions of the people. For aa truth and righteousness prevails in the earth, by our faithful witnessing and keeping to it, the nations shall come to be eased and disburdened of that deceitful tribe of lawyers, (as well as priests) who by their many tricks, and endless intricacies, have rendered justice, in their method, burdensome to honest men, and seek not so much to put an end, as to foment controversies and contention-, that they themselves may be still fed and upheld, and their trade kept up. Whereas by truth's propagation, as many of these controversies will die by men's coming to be less contentious, so when any difference ariseth, the saints giving judgment, without gif) or reward, or running into the tricks and endless labyrinths of the lawyers, will soon compose

them. Ami this is that we are persuaded, the Lord U bringing about in our day, though many do not, and many will not see it; because it is indeed in a way different and contrary to man's wisdom, who

are now despising Christ in his inward appearance,

i" Cause of the meanness of it, as the Jews of old did him in his outward. Yet notwithstanding there were some then that did witness, and could not be

rileut, hut mU8< testify that he was come; even so

nowape there thousands, that can set to their seal,

that he hath now again the second time appeared,

1\ and is appearing in ten thousands of bis saints; in and among whom (as a first fruits of many more that shall be gathered) he is restoring the golden b and bringing them into the holy order and government of his own Son, who is ruling, and to rate in the midst of them, setting forth the counsellors as at the beginning, and judges as at the first; and establishing truth, mercy, righteousness, and judgment again in the earth. Amen. Hallelujah I" e pp. l } o7-8.) As men are preserved standing together patiently and faithfully in Buffering for and in the true worship of God, and preserved from divisions amongst themselves, and in that agreement in which is ability to wrestle in prayer all night with the angel of God's presence until the break of day, and the blessing is received wherein the name is changed, and the people of God appear in saved persons, and one nation in salvation, nothing can divide their meetings for worship and discipline, held in the " patience of Jesus, to serve and worship him, with sufferings, ignominies, calumnies and reproaches " as set forth in Robert Barclay's testimony respecting their meetings : see Articles xiii.and xiv. For the people of God do not hold meetings for the worship of Him to the exclusion of any desiring to be ITis worshippers, but for the invitation of all nun publicly to unite therein; that they may enjoy and possess the blessings of His spiritual government : " even as Jesus Christ, the author thereof, did enjoy and possess his spiritual kingdom, while oppressed, persecuted, and rejected of men; and as, in despite of the malice and rage of the devil, he spoiled princU paV ties and piowers, triumphing over them, and through thai had ttu power of death, thai is,

: so also all hifl followers both run and do

p him, not only without the arm of flesh to

protect them, but even when oppressed. For their

;> bein| tual^ is by the power of the Spirit

defended and maintained; but such worships as are

!, and consist in carnal and outward ceremot* and . need a carnal and outward arm to

protect and defend them, else they cannot stand and

Ind as from hence have sprung

up ail tho s and bloodshed among Chris*

each by the arm of flush endeavored to defend and protect their own way and worship; 9 ' e p. l IT) so will the now divided people of God called Friends (or Quakers by the world) while remaining without an open testimony against such divi- . defend each his own, and seek to impeach his neighbor's position; notwithstanding they have been rcifully preserved by the salt of good, in parts of rm in their meetings for worship and discipline : which form in division, and without the power and life, hath little to invite men to admire it, or rejoice in it: and hence almost every win

a of this profession dwindle, and it is

difficult to keep them up. Nothing can make them

ally inviting hut the power of lave and unity:

8(3 I"' Gtod, who hath SO salted the divided

parts and pr< parts in form, that there is

nothing wanted to bring them together and make of them a living army for the work and purpose of k - the V >rm< r of all things/ 3 hut to take heed to the •wand cease, every man, from his own

will and work, not their live- unto the death;

PRBF l<

but hating these, that newness of life may be received in tlir power of Love and Light, which is the power of God; thai would make us One people of God, ancl renew our meetings together, bo thai we cannot conceive of the comfort of them; which would make them so inviting thai there would be no need lor any contrivances of men for that purpose. For whal more delectable feasl ran men propose for themse] than that which is to 1>< i enjoyed in meeting together in the love of God, and the substance of things hoped for, which change not, but are eternal ; and are ever worthy to be waited for jointly by all men in themselves, where that which may be known of I is manifest. Come then, and let us MEET and REJOICE together in acceptable worship to God, and in care towards each other.

The Lord hath laid it upon me to put forth these writings for the consideration of all men; and has engaged me to offer my person, time, and strength to meet with my beloved fellow-creatures in waiting upon Him for the discovery, and manifestation in the flesh, of the Way in which this good Cause may be glorified through us all.

JOSEPH BANCROFT.

Wilmington, Dkl., 12th mo. 11th, 1873,

UNIVERSAL LOVE,

APPEARING IX \vi) THBOUGB MAN RECONCILED UNTO,

AM) IX UNITY WITH GOD, CONSIDERED AND

TESTIFIED UNTO AS THE GREATEST GIFT

OF GOD TO MEN.

Universal love is that without which men cannot profitably meet together for the worship of God; neither for the proper and needful exercise of godly care or discipline to the help one of another ; n<nbe joined together in meetings; in which joining of men consists that manifestation of God in the flesh which is the body of Jesus Christ in substance, the Church of the living God : wherein " abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three ; but the greatest of these is charity."

By receiving grace, which is charity, (John iii. 16, 17,) or possessing faith, men understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God (Heb. xi. 3), and are drawn to worship Him ; by experience in which worship, hope is wrought (Rom. v. 4); and men are thereby drawn to work together for mutual good; which is mutually enjoyed in charity. Without charity there can be no joining of men in one body of living members (1 Cor. xiii. 2), shewing forth the fullness of the Godhead in joined members, or bodily (as in Jesus Christ of Nazareth); which one body u is the image of the invisible God."

1 I \ PBBS1 \hvi-: TO UNITY.

It | 1 God, aboul two centuries past, to raise

op a people id whom Be restored the primitive g pel power and testimonies of the Truth in a remarkjree and manner; who bore witness ther< Buffering, and by many Bound testimonies jiven forth for the gaining and instruoq of those who spoke against and persecuted them, as not knowing either them or the Truth of which they witness* ft ; as well as forthe strengthening of the weak, and reclaiming and restoring of pt not their first love.

My birth was amongst this people, and of pious parents who were careful to bring up those under their direction in a religious life and conversation consistent with their Christian profession; and my education until my majority was amongst that p<

in England, where I was not exposed to any contention such as at different times had some place amongst them before my time. After I was twentyre it was my lot to come to the United pica, where within the compass of iladelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends, I was induced into an unhappy condition amongst them, which had place in consequence of an apprehension with many of them that there was a declension from rod dn.trine in some. This conviction caused h a course t<> be adopted to put a stop thereto as ghl by others not proper or justifiable; and ntion amongst them became so sharp that in 1827, about three years after my coming amongst them, they separated into two parts.

M v lot fd] with the larger part, who took the initiative step in the division ; claiming not to have dennvBu a I i

viated from sound dod rine, and to have taken thai

step only to avoid contention. By thifl course and

claim they saw no cause to Bel forth any statement

doctrine, other than that they were in unity with

writings to that time approved by the Society, and

had no new doctrine to promulgate : and they with-

heldfrom any dealing with those from whom they

parted, either on account of beliefs, or because

their disciplinary action, which they had consider* d

grievous pa to justify themselves in withdrawing

m their meetings and Betting up meetings separate

from them.

The other part, as was reasonably to be expected in such ease, to justify their charges of unsound-

ss, not only set forth in print that which they considered sound, but they set forth their charges against those who had withdrawn from them, and who generally denied such charges when applied to personally ; and they proceeded summarily to treat with and disown them individually on account of their owning and uniting with the Yearly Meeting set up, as was alleged, for peace sake; although those thus disowning such, confessed themselves not averse to the separation on the same behalf.

I trust I have written no word here which will hurt a cicatrized wound, being desirous only to set forth that my Maker has dealt with me so as to prepare me for the work which I apprehend lie requires at my hand amongst my honored and beloved fellow-creatures, before He takes me hence to be seen of them no more.

I am now fully seventy years of age; I have walked amongst you, dearly beloved and longed for, ever

16 I l-i.hsi A8IVI tO i M

sin.-f thai time in much Berious thoughtfhlness eonour condition, and the ofience which is pre- I to tender minds in the world by the want of which La manifest in us while yet wo claim to be Friends, and in the language of conduct, I.. | aoh other too much as enemies, in that

continue to meet apart, and to believe respecting ■h other, that the obstacles preventing our meeting together are not with ourselves, but with our neighbors : which keeps those who do so, still in the porn of charging one another with wrong, and as being enemies and no1 Friends, as each continues to claim for himself. And this obtains without any open effort on the part of either, to come to judgment, and thereby to reconciliation with each other. Oh! how jealous should we be of ourselves while this is bo. There must be something wrong or titing with both in Buch a ease: and it is not rear able to Buppbse that it attaches to one part only, while neither Beeks openly to be reconciled.

When I reflect how divine wisdom and goodness has dealt with and exercised me in mind and circumstances since my coming amongst this people for whom particularly He has thus engaged me, I am amazed in thankful acknowledgment thereof I have been kept in constant exercise of mind on this »imt, and in a care so to walk as not to bring any reproach ^n cur holy profession, and in no respect to increase on my own part the feeling of division

from any. Ami such lias heen the extension of infinite mercy, that T know not that any man can justly bring any thing to my charge in breach ^£ either the first or the b< cond commandment, so that i FIVERS \L LOVB, APPEARING. 17

I love those before whom this may come, as my own

il.

I well remember my observation in 1827 that there was no one raised up to stand before the people with the testimony that the Friend could not be

divided and have a place in the sight of the world as

a living creature : which truth my mind was pointed to, though T was not required or qualified conspicuously to declare it as now, and during several years past In so much that when the division impended

in New York Yearly Meeting after having taken place in Philadelphia, there was a desire clung about me tint Elias Hicks, before the crisis came there, might be given to see that men should not divide from each other on account of opinions, nor teach them for doctrine ; and to offer himself an offering to prevent it ; saying, this must not be, rather put me out of the way, and let me stand aside, than to divide from one another on my account : and I mourned that he did not do so.

This trouble and controversy amongst the people called Friends differed from any that came before it, in the want or absence of such testimony bearers. There w^as no open testimony that the contention must be ended by suffering and ceasing to contend without love, which ever has been the way of saved men; and not by dividing the Friend's body and continuing the contention in the parts, which will be done as long as the division has place in men who do not seek to be reconciled, as it is at this day. In all previous difficulties amongst them, that which had the substance of the Friend warned the poople against contending for cjnnions out of love, and to the

18 A PBB8UABIVB 10 I

in of] • r : whi< h if red

at it by contending earn-

■ the faith >n love to all men universally.

And this good le the heavenly kingdom

am them never ceased its operation on bucIi

>ns in those who did i » from it, endeavor-

_■ to draw closer together all who abode its virtuo

rk, an«l anited in Beeking for the return and re-

bu< fa as went away from its influence,

and y< tinned to make profession of it, and

Lined ! ailed by their good name. And such

was the blessing attending their labor and testimony

that many who had been misled were brought back

] we have no account that this godly care towards those who were the obje<

Of it ( 1 ><> long as there Wen- any left who

desired to hear the name of Friend and claimed to hold the nee oi it in b< ts and divisions

□ from men, in self-will and opinion-; wherein it.

he vir ' the Friend could

appear in them : and the; ame entirely wasted,

and the na amongst them.

Th< b Iness of God hath, exercised mo from a m that which my parents testified of to icient teacher and preserver from harm : hich knowledge and understanding and preservation - in the time of trial and division previ and after l s -7:) and that thi may 1 no others again that testithe unity of the Friend with Jesus Christ which h a bo much lost, and re, nor proclaimed amongst the

DNIVKBfi it i.«»\ i:, a rri: \ k ix«;. 10

i call all men to it: more especially

in the lir>t place, those who have claim to the name by having the tuna which belongs to it in meetings

for worship and discipline, and by having a part in other precious testimonies which arc not entirely laid

waste; hut which hold in preservation, as salt, a remnant of every part, though in much weakness because of divisions.

Oh! how marvellous is the goodness and mercy of God in preserving this divided people to the pro-

don of the principles of the Truth which attends them of His mercy, notwithstanding their backsliding and want of due sensibility towards Him, through weakness of love to Him and one to another. It often appears to me that there is no greater mercy left upon record of His dealings with any people. Xeither can this be duly recorded by this people, unless they will repent and be gathered: for unless they will be so, He will more and more waste them ; and they will lose the preserving influence which attends the precious gifts wdiich He bestowed upon them through the faithfulness of their fathers, and confirms unto them in meetings for worship and discipline in that good form which may be lost by them; but cannot grow, be progressed, or be established amongst men out of supreme love to God : and which gifts have not been conferred upon any other people; and never can be received and carried out in that goodness towards men which He designs they should enjoy, only as men become worthy of them through suffering with Christ, and are made partakers of the divine nature through love and regeneration.

20 A PERSUASIVE TO UN]

T know of no evidences of the love, cond< ion,

and good will ol God to man greater than is shewn in men who keep the testimonies committed to His Friends concerning the universality of His grace, and the operation of it through men who hold meet- > wait upon and worship Him, without respect of persons under One Head; establishing them in thai to each other which constrains them in a

holy care, whereby they are governed as one body without any other moderator, chairman, or director ;

that their me< tings, as the members of them are preserved in subordination to their One Head and in

Menial, are models of order and of every lovely adornment, and encouraging to the use of every good and perfect gift diversely administered to the body through different members; Bhewing forth a meek and condescending spirit, and a preservation

in that which M good and seemly, and out of that

whicb is unseemly, selfish, and corrupt, such as seldom attends any other meetings of men; causing

those to marvel at it who are strangers to their governing Head, and the adorable Cause of such a ring.

In the solemn sense which has been given to mc of th danger and temptation there ia amongst

those professing to be Friends who are not sufficiently aware of their own inability of themselves

ry good word and work, and their need of

tire dependence upon the power of God in tin* flesh (His Son Jesus Christ) for preservation, to de-

: from this simple waiting upon Him in their meetings \'<>r worship, and set up in them something of their own plannio interest the people and

UNIVBRSAL IPPBARIfl 21

draw thei ach meetings; and also in their vari-

i meetings for the transaction of Bucfa busio they are interested in, to depart from an open acknowledgment of their dependence upon the Head of the Church, or the c Elected and joined memb of him in the meetings, so as to appoint on* 1 or more from amongst themselves as chairman or ditorof the services; and I apart services for

certain men in their own wills, an 1 times for particular purposea according to the will of man, and to an exclusion of regard to the drawings of the Head of Jesus Christ unto any member or members in him who is His own image and perfect likeness in and through man's flesh: and also under an humbling sense oi' thankfulness which has been o-iven me in witnessing, in the different meetings of Friends who are divided, the wonderful mercy and goodness of God to us in sealing upon our minds a sense of our loss therein-, and of our great unworthiness in our sad condition to represent His Son, and to be witnesses of fas coming in the flesh who declares his Father, while there is such an exhibition of the weakness of love to one another that we are constrained to meet in profession of his name with our earthly bodies denying one another, and not sufficiently in the denial of self: I say, with my senses quickened of God in acknowledgment of Jlis wonderful goodness in thus dealing with a weak and a backsliding people, so as to know that I am not alone in the contemplation of His mercy, but that He hath many witnesses of it who are unknown one to another because of division, T am constrained to entreat all to lay aside our own wills before God and

22 A P I NITV.

h other, and thia e^ i Icnce of having done

. that to //' and seek to m

r in \\\< name: wherein having become far reasonable men, Be would help as to come to judgmenl before him to whom all judgment is committed of hie Father ; and in whom it must abide as the Head of the One body (the Church by baptism into Jesus Christ's death), in which the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily ; made and proved to be of that fruit-bearing of good, which is of One

only; according to the true and unchangeable testimony of Jesua Christ (Matt xix. 17), "there is none good but One, that is God."

Oli! if these meetings were but of two, and that by the seeking of one of them to the other, through i1h> drawing and indwelling of the Father and the Son, in any neighborhood, with this testimony held enly hv them, how would this prevail in the Lord's time; entering in, and finding a pL amongBl the sorrowing disciples by its own life even when th« k doors of outward or self-defence are shut, (John xx. 19,) and proving their membership in the body of Jesus Christ by the marks of suffering in themselves through violence by rejectionin the divided parts : shewing that they had come out of the where sin had buried them, and out of Babylon whose people did not own them; and stood in the world to be made known to men by heavenly fruit-bearing amongst them in the world ; whose inhabitants distinguish things as they come to abide by the manifestation <>\' light, and know that they do no1 gather grapes ^\' thorns, nor figs of thistle • man who comes out of Babylon has no W

UHIVBRSAL aiti:\i:i\ 23

( ii from any men in the world, bul only ou1

of the conftision which gives her the name by p

pie apoD whom it la written by the Truth : it ia not