turn to him, so as to improve thy place and * station for his name. So wisheth, so prayeth, C thy faithful friend, and subject.

ROBERT BARCLAY.'

From Ury, the place of my pilgrimage,

in my native country of Scotland, the 25th of the month called November, in the year 1675.

For some years previous to the publication of the Apology, Friends and their adversaries had been engaged in controversy; and our author, from his retirement, had viewed the contest, and observed the misrepresentations of fact on which some of their adversaries' censures rested; as well as weighed the strength of the objections, which they brought against what they did not misrepresent. He therefore came forth more fully prepared to enter the lists himself. That he did so in a most able manner, the generally good reception of his book, when first published, and its uniform and continued reputation, down to the present

day, sufficiently demonstrate; and the important light in which it was viewed by those who were averse from the doctrines which it establishes, namely the stipendiary teachers, is evident from the number of them who endeavoured to controvert it.*

'

The next piece, in order of time,† published by ROBERT BARCLAY, is entitled, * Universal ́ Love considered, and established upon its right foundation: being a serious inquiry 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 re

quired: writ in the spirit of love and meek

* As Brown, Quakerism the pathway to Paganism ;' Bajerus, prof. of divinity at Jena; Holthusius, a preacher at Francfort; Reifer, a pastor at Hamburg; Keith, The Quakers' Standard Examined ;' Bennett, Confutation of Quakerism,' &c.

+ It is to be observed, that John Whiting's Catalogue of Friends' Books, pp. 5, 6, 7, is followed; not the series in Truth Triumphant.'

H

ness, for the removing of stumbling blocks. out of the way of the simple, by a lover of

the souls of all men.' The author first gives. an account of his own experience on the subject; and then endeavours to state and demonstrate the nature of Christian love and charity; their consistency with true zeal; and the distinction of the latter from false, persecuting, zeal. He then states his subject anew, as it respects the different divisions of Christians; showing that their conformity or want of conformity to universal love, is to be drawn from the nature of their principles, and not from the practice of particular persons among them. Thus much being premised, he examines the principles of several denominations, and finds them defective, and inconsistent with the prin ciple of universal love; as Papists, Protestants in general, and Socinians. Lastly, he lays down some principles of Christianity which perfectly agree with true universal love. The reader may easily suppose that these are the

principles held by Friends; and he will find the piece to be an able recommendation of these principles, and an exposition of them in an amiable light. An edition of this work was printed so late as 1800: but the first was in 1677, the year in which it was written, while its benevolent author was himself suffering from the want of universal love, being a prisoner at Aberdeen.

The books which were written in reply to the Apology, have already been noticed. One of these, namely, Quakerism the pathway

to Paganism, had been printed before the publication of the first English edition of the Apology; and was the means of prompting ROBERT BARCLAY to hasten that edition to the press, that the public might have the whole controversy before them. He afterwards thought proper to give his adversary's book a more particular answer; which was published in the year 1679, under the title of R. B's.

Apology for the true Christian divinity vindieated from John Brown's examination and "pretended confutation thereof, in his book called Quakerism the pathway to Paganism: ⚫ in which vindication, John Brown's many

gross perversions and abuses are discovered, and his furious and violent railings and revilings, soberly rebuked.' It is common in controverfy for authors to charge their opponents with railing; and the reader may think that our author, in his title page, has adopted the practice. He, however, makes good his charge, in his introduction; in which he says, 'Men use to be sober and moderate that write 'controversies, in the beginning at least, and "not seek to prepossess the reader with prejudice against their adversaries, until by the ⚫ strength of their reason they have proved them to deserve it; but this man is so full fraughted with malice, and so in love with railing, that he cannot forbear in the first page, where we have him calling us "Locusts, of whose