The William Rogers, “Christian Quaker”, Project … The Revenant Remnant

The Book: “The Christian Quaker Distinguished from the Apostate and Innovator in Five Parts” by William Rogers written in 1680.

Introduction:

Around twenty-six years from the beginning (1650s) of the Quaker Gathering, a disunity happened (around 1670ish) amongst the founding Quakers. George Fox, and William Penn, among other founding Quakers, sought to introduce or re-establish adherence to “indispensable” outward rules and institutional structures. In essence, they wished to introduce outward institutional structure to the Quaker Gathering. Other founding Quakers, John Wilkinson, John Story, and William Rogers, among others, spoke out against the imposition of outward forms over against the Quaker Gathering because they were led out of such bondage to outward imposition in the form of Protestantism and Catholicism. They held to the sufficiency of immediate and direct guidance of the inward Light itself within their conscience to rule and guide the people of the Gathering.

I am currently working to create an electronic version (not a facsimile) of the whole of William Rogers historical documentation of what is called the Wilkinson/Story Schism amongst the founding Quakers. I also wish create a paraphrased version of the text along with notes and extensive quotations from relevant sources documents of those who spoke against Wilkinson and Story. My appreciation for Rogers’ treatise is considerable because his historical documentation of the schism from the side of those founding Quakers who were concerned over the establishment of “indispensable outward forms over against the immediate and direct guidance of the inward Light in the conscience” means we are not dependent on the characterizations of their thoughts by those founding Quakers who supported the establishment of outward forms over against the Quaker Gathering.

It is my intention to create an interaction between the extractions from Rogers’ treatise and the accompanying relevant source materials from those of the introduced Foxonian Tradition. I hope to produce interactive media content that allows both side to speak for themselves with my own thoughts interspersed. I also hope the content will inspire others to root around in the source material. It is also my intention to bring about awareness of Rogers’ treatise among Quakers and to be a part of broadening its readership.

While, it is not my intention to suggest one side was right and one side was wrong and that people should follow one side or the other. Personally, as one who does know the sufficiency of the direct and immediate experience of the inward Light anchoring my conscious and informing my conscience, I am partial to the testimony that Rogers shares of those founding Quakers who said, in the face of those other founding Quakers who introduced outward forms into the Quakers Gathering, “We were taught to follow the Light in our consciences, and not the Orders of Men, and that we will not have Man to rule over us.” (Source: William Rogers, “Christian Quaker” Third Part, page 43.) It is exciting that those founding Quakers who held to the sufficiency of the Light in their consciences are of the Revenant Remnant that existed alongside, but not of, the establishment of Foxonian Traditional forms and this Revenant Remnant still exists today.

Below is a Summary and Discussion of the highlighted extraction presented for your perusal. There is a link that will carry you over to the text of the quotation itself along with an accompanying paraphrase for those who find reading the original text difficult. I encourage those who find the text difficult to read to read the paraphrased version and then read the original text. This extract is particularly compelling as it explores (among other things) the imposition of outward forms on the early Quaker Gathering, the nature of the FIrst and Second Covenant, the nature of the Second Coming of Christ, the nature of Gospel Order. You will find links to extended extracts from Robert Barclay and William Penn as representative of the position and reason for the introduction of Outward Order amongst the early Quakers in their own words.

If any errors are found, please let me know so they are corrected.

Summary and Discussion of extract from Part Three of William Rogers Treatise - pages 24-29

This discussion will outline and expand upon each paragraph from the extracted section.

• Paragraph One

• Topics

• The Practice of Outward Order for Discipline Being Embraced

  • Rogers argues that, while this adherence to outward order may be gaining strength in the Quaker Gathering, many of those outward orders and practices have no biblical basis. He uses as an example: “The Form of Proceedings in Marriages, wherein the Scriptures are wholly silent, as to the Primitive Christians.

  • No Biblical Basis For the Outward Orders and Practices many Quakers were being drawn into.

  • Rogers argues here that the specific forms that many founding Quakers wished to establish concerning marriage were not specifically indicated in scripture or used by the Apostles. Like Women’s Meetings to oversee marriage in the Quaker Gathering and that it was not the way of Quakers to establish outward forms were the scriptures were silent.

  • Quakers do not  aspire to outward Tradition in cases where scripture is silent.

    • While the “Papists” (Roman Catholics) aspire to outward traditional forms to fill in those areas where scripture is silent, Quakers do not because they have direct access to God’s Law through inward experience of the Spirit of Christ. “Out of Conscience to God” Quakers restrain from such aspiring to Tradition. There is no need for the establishment of outward tradition.

    • Quakers have disputed with many people over the esteeming of outward ordinances, traditions, and practices, such as Water-Baptism.

      • Subtopic: Rogers here concedes that adherence to outward practices may be “permitted for a season, by reason of the weakness of the People.” The nature of the “weakness” seems to be a need for outward forms. That is, some people are needful of interaction with representations to approach God in a worshipful posture.

• Paragraph Two

• Topics

• Robert Barclay and the establishment of Outward Order

  • Rogers says he knows of no place in the scriptures where the word order is used to represent outward government that the Church of Christ establishes over itself.

• The Order of the Gospel (Gospel Order)

  • Rogers explains that, contrary to past, of late, some people had begun speaking of Gospel Order as the establishment of outward prescriptions and order; and endeavor to introduce this, seemingly foreign, embracement of outward forms into the Quaker Gathering and quotes Robert Barclay as one person doing so: “ Truth and Faith we have been, and are in the Lord’s Hands building up. “ I quote a larger section from Barclay’s “Anarchy of the Ranters …” for context.

  • “And for that end therefore, in the second Place, this Order reacheth the taking up and composing of the Differences as to outward things which may fall out betwixt Friend and Friend  for such Things may fall out through the Intricacies of divers Affairs, where neither hath any positive Intention to injure and defraud his Neighbor, as in many Cases might be instanced. Or if through the Workings and Temptations of him, whose Work is to beset the Faithful, and People of the Lord, and to engender, so far as he can, Strife and Division among them, any should step aside, as to offer to wrong or prejudice his Neighbor; we do boldly aver, as a. People gathered together by the Lord unto the fame Faith, and distinguished from all others by our Joint-Testimony and Sufferings, that we have Power and Authority to decide and remove these Things among ourselves, without going to others to seek Redress. And this in itself hath so much Reason, (that I cannot tell,) if any that are not wholly prejudice or obstinate, can blame it. For if we be of one Mind concerning Faith and Religion, and that be our Joint-Interest to bring all others unto the same Truth with us, as supposing them to be wrong, what Confidence can we have to think of reclaiming them, if the Truth we profess have not Efficacy, as to reconcile us among ourselves in the Matters of this World ? If we be forced to go out to others for Equity and Justice, because we cannot find it' among ourselves, how can we expect to invite them to come among us, when such Virtues, as which still accompany the Truth, are necessarily suppos'd to be wanting? Should we affirm otherwise, it were to destroy the Truth and Faith, we have been and are in the Lord's Hand building up : And indeed the Spirit and Practice of such as oppose us herein, hath no less Tendency”

    • The above quote is from section five of Barclay’s “Anarchy of the Ranters …” Section five addresses how far outward established church government extends over outward temporal affairs like care of widow, orphans, the poor, etc. Barclay begins this section with the words: I shall begin with that, which gave the first rise for this Order among the Apostles; and I do verily believe, might have been among the first Occasions that gave the like among us, and that is, the Care of the Poor, of Widows, and Orphans.

  • Barclay then write one page later:

  • “Moreover we see, though they were at that Time all filled with the Spirit, yet there was something -wanting before this good Order was established. There was a Murmuring that some Widows were neglected in the daily Ministration ; and we must not suppose, the Apostles went about to remedy this Evil, that was creeping into the Church, without the Counsel of God by his Spirit, or that this Remedy they were led to, was stepping into Apostasy ; neither can it be so said of us, we proceeding upon the like Occasion.”

  • The essence of the disunity between those who wished to establish outward order over against the Church of Christ and those who stood against such establishment of outward order and government had nothing to do with care for the poor, widows, and Orphans. Each side was in agreement over helping those in need. The disunity was over one group wishing to introduce the establishment of outward centralized institutional control (Yearly Meeting) over how each Meeting will go about helping those in need under the oversight of outward institution of quarterly and yearly meetings. Other Quakers called foul, saying, such centralized control trampled over the prerogative of Christ to guide each individual and Meeting to help people in need in the Light itself guiding their conscience. This was particularly agitating to those who wished to establish outward centralized control over the Gathering. Things really derailed, when the establishment forces (Fox, Barclay, Penn, etc.) further argued that the outward order they were introducing into the Gathering was directed by God. So that, if your conscience did not see the need for these specific outward forms, you should comply with them out of deference to the consciences of those through whom God was speaking. In other words, they were arguing against the very nature of the original Quaker experience when they argued that they were led directly by the leading of the inward Light itself and that, in the Light,  Protestant and Catholic outward forms were of no value. In essence, Fox and others were leading the Quaker Gathering out of their experience of the direct guidance of the inward Light itself and back into the very adherence to outward forms and teachers that, by the power and experience of the inward Light guiding them directly, they had left behind. It is telling that Penn argues, in his “A Brief Examination of Spiritual Liberty” (follow this link to a larger extract and more context)  “ …. I warn all, that they take Heed of a flight and obstinate Mind, and that they have a Care how they give Way to the Outcry of some, falsely entitled, Liberty of Conscience against Imposition, &c. for the End thereof is to lead back again, and give Ease to the carnal Mind.” Both sides engage in a very compelling argumentative tool; that of using or twisting the other’s words against their opponent. So, in response to those who argued that the establishment forces were leading the Quaker Gathering back into identity with outward forms Penn argues that those who rested in the Light itself guiding their conscience were leading back again into the carnal mind. This argument is still used against those of us who, by the power of the inward impulse, no longer anchor our conscious and conscience in outward forms. However, in this case, Penn has completely indicted his own position. It is the nature of the carnal mind to adhere to and anchor the conscious and conscience in outward or representational forms. To argue Liberty of Conscience over the imposition of outward or representational forms as leading back into outward forms (carnal mind) is to completely undermine the basic testimony of the Quaker Gathering from its inception and completely misrepresents those whose conscious and conscience know the sufficiency of the inward Light to anchor and guide . In order to excuse their leading the Gathering back into adherence to outward order they had to undermine the unique nature of their original testimony.

• Paragraph Three

• Topics

• The Power of God is the Order of the Gospel

  • The Order of the Gospel is not established by people. It is established by the power of God, which is Christ. The power of God establishes Gospel Order.

  • No outward rules, principles, traditions, creeds, teachers, priests, ministers, institutions, establish Gospel Order. Even though outward representational forms may be in accord with Gospel Order, they are not Gospel Order.

  • If outward forms are aspired to as Gospel Order, then those who do so are aspiring to put outward forms and teachers in place of the power of God itself.

• Paragraph Four

• Topics

  • We are instruments in the hands of God to build up one another in Christ

  • No human being has the power or ability to establish God’s power.

  • The Order of the Gospel is the Power of God

  • No outward form is the Gospel Order

  • To attempt to establish Gospel Order through outward forms is the same as attempting to establish the Power of God itself through conformity to outward forms, tradition, creeds, practices, and institutions.

• Paragraph Five

• Topics

• The First Covenant

  • The First Covenant was outward and the mind of God manifested to people through the lips of Priests. The First Covenant consisted of many outward ordinances and practices which were imposed on people from outside of themselves.

• The Second Covenant

  • The Second Covenant is inward. Under the Second Covenant the mind and will of God is manifested in his people through the revelation of his Spirit. There is no excuse, under the Second Covenant, for anyone to establish outward orders under the pretense of being led by God to establish Gospel Order because what we know of God is manifested within us. There is no need establish anything without us to represent Gospel Order. If the Spirit of Truth leads into all truth, then those who aspire to lead people by of an outwardly established Gospel Order are little better than thieves. If the Law is written in the heart and no obedience is acceptable with the Lord than an obedience that comes through the inward impulse drawing us to his Spirit in ourselves, then there is no need for outward forms to rule over the conscience. Obedience to outward orders established by people and institutions and outside inward conviction within the conscience is as unacceptable to the Lord as was the offering of swines flesh under the First Covenant.

    • It is sealed in the hearts of all Quakers that no outward practices under the government of Christ are acceptable to the Lord except those that are evidenced within the conscious and conscience of each individual answering to that measure of Truth within themselves.

• Paragraph Six

• Topics

• Beware of the outward Traditions of Men. There are no outward traditions of God.

  • Paul, writing to the Colossians says: “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, Rooted and built up in him, established in the Faith,” Col. 2:6,7.

  • And then in the very next verse he writes: “Beware lest any man spoil you, through the Traditions of men, according to the Rudiments of the World, and not after Christ.”

  • If Paul had intended to suggest that the practice of the Church is to establish Outward Indispensable Orders relating to the consciences of believers; If he had really intended that people should follow the outward decrees, precepts, Sentences, Decisive Judgement, or Traditions of any Church, then he would not have cautioned his readers to beware of being spoiled by the Traditions of Men etc. without further cautioning that he did not mean the commands, sentences, decrees, or traditions of the Church itself.

    • Outward Orders are not the Church of Christ

    • It is not agreeable to Truth for any person and group of people to attempt an establishment of Outward Indispensable Orders, Rules, and Decrees, relating to matters of Conscience under the new Covenant, as the Orders, Rules, and Decrees, of the Church of Christ.

• Paragraph Seven

• Topics

  • If Christ were in need of assistance to establish his Government, how is it that temporal man could establish the government of Christ which is never ending. Christ is not in need of assistance to help establish his government.

  • The Second Coming of Christ has happened and is happening.

    • Consider the place and nature of the second appearance of Christ that has happened and that many expect and wait to happen. The People of the Lord called Quakers knew the Truth from the beginning and preached, received, and believed that his Second Appearance has happened and is expected and waited for in the hearts of men and women. The nature and place of his appearance is by his Spirit in us. This has been often testified to from the beginning of the Quaker Gathering in opposition to those who have been looking for his Second Coming is some Outward Bodily Appearance, to reign as Lord and King.

• Paragraph Eight

• Topics

  • The notion that Christ’s second coming will be an outward bodily appearance is in alignment with those who seek to establish outward government as Christ’s government.

  • The experience of Christ’s second coming as an inward experience that has happened and is happening aligns with those who know Christ’s inward governance in their conscious and conscience.

    • If the second coming has happened, or is being expectantly waited upon, there is no need for outward forms, traditions, institutions etc. The inwardly and directly intuited Christ replaces them all. That is, if it truly is that Christ has and is coming again in the hearts and conscience of people then the looking out for an outward bodily appearance denies Christ and his activity and relationship with people now and in present time.

• Paragraph Nine

• Topics

• Christ’s government has no end.

  • Because of this, it is curious why many people aspire to consider how far Christ’s government extends in the lives or conscience of human beings, and where outward governance begins as Robert Barclay does in his “Anarchy of the Ranters.”

• Paragraph Ten

• Topics

  • The aspiration to establish outward forms to govern the Quaker Gathering suggests a spirit that would limit the never ending government of the inward Christ in the conscience by imposing representative forms over against the prerogative of Christ.

In an interesting twist, Rogers here goes out of his way to say that he is not suggesting Barclay or others who are introducing outward forms into the Quaker Gathering, believe anything other than they are instruments in the hands of God. However, (You just knew there was a qualifier coming.) he says there is no basis (under the second Covenant) for the notion that God will use people to establish outward indispensable orders, rules, or creeds, to determine or measure whether other people are under the government of Christ. This is an essential difference those founding Quakers who trusted completely in the inward working of the directly experience of the Light itself to rule, guide, and govern, the Gathering and those who did not have complete faith in the inward Christ to govern the gathering and set out to introduce outward forms, traditions, and practices to also govern. It is important here to keep in mind that those who did not have faith in the sufficiency of the directly experienced inward Presence to govern did not just see themselves as “imposing” an outward form because, they as Robert Barclay argues, there are people who God speaks to and tells them to establish outward forms, practices, and institutions (as Moses). These people are inspired by God and should be given deference. Barclay also argues that if you do not give deference to those who say their outward forms are God given, then you are going against God (I’ll just leave you to your own conscience on that argument). With this, many in the Quaker gathering had come full circle and were now aspiring to the same Church governance as the Protestant and Catholic forms the Quaker Gathering had been led out of.  It doesn’t take much to imagine the trouble many founding Quakers had with those other founding Quakers who were introducing outward forms of government over against the inward Gospel Order of Christ.