Diary of Alexander Jaffray, Profost of Aberdeen

perienced, and many are witnesses of it,-which yet shall be more apparent to the world, as Truth takes place in the earth. But they greatly sin against this excellent rule, that, in time of persecution, do not profess their own way so much as they would, if it were otherwise; and yet, when they can get the magistrate upon their side, not only stretch their own liberty to the utmost, but seek to establish the same by denying it to others.

"But, of this excellent patience and sufferings, the witnesses of God in scorn called Quakers, have given a manifest proof. For, so soon as God revealed his Truth among them, without regard to all opposition, or what they might meet with, they went up and down as they were moved of the Lord, preaching and propagating the Truth in market-places, highways, streets, and public temples, though daily beaten, whipped, bruised, haled, and imprisoned therefore. And when there was any where a church or assembly gathered, they taught them to keep their meetings openly, and not to shut the door, nor do it by stealth; that all might know it, and who would might enter. And as, hereby, all just occasion of fear of plotting against the government was fully removed, so this their courage and faithfulness, in not giving over their meeting together(but more especially the presence and glory of God manifested in the meeting, being terrible to the consciences of the persecutors)-did so weary out the malice of their adversaries, that oftentimes they were forced to leave their work undone. For when they came to break up a meeting, they were [obliged] to take every individual out by force, they not being free to give up their liberty, by dissolving at their command: and when they were haled out, unless they were kept forth by violence, they presently returned peaceably to their place. Yea, when sometimes the magistrates have pulled down their meeting-houses, they have met the next day openly upon the rubbish; and so, by innocency kept their possession and ground, being properly their own, and their right to meet and worship God being not forfeited to any. So that, when armed men have come to dis

solve them, it was impossible for them to do it, unless they had killed every one; for they stood so close together, that no force could move any one to stir, until violently pulled down : so that, when the malice of their opposers stirred them to take shovels, and throw the rubbish upon them,-there they stood, unmoved; being willing, if the Lord should so permit, to have been there buried alive, witnessing for him. As this patient, but yet courageous way of suffering, made the persecutors' work very heavy and wearisome unto them; so the courage and patience of the sufferers, using no resistance, nor bringing any weapons to defend themselves, nor seeking any ways revenge upon such occasions, did secretly smite the hearts of the persecutors, and make their chariot wheels go on heavily. Thus, after much and many kind of sufferings thus patiently borne, which to rehearse would make a volume of itself; (which may in due time be published to the nations, for we have them upon record;) a kind of negative liberty has been obtained, so that, at present, for the most part we meet together without disturbance from the magistrate.

"But, on the contrary, most Protestants, when they have not the allowance and tolerance of the magistrate, meet only in secret, and hide their testimony; and if they be discovered, if there be any probability of making their escape by force, though it were by cutting off those that seek them out, they will do it whereby, they lose the glory of their sufferings, by not appearing as the innocent followers of Christ, nor having a testimony of their harmlessness in the hearts of their pursuers; -their fury by such resistance is the more kindled against them. As to the last part, of their resisting such as persecute them, they can lay claim to no precept from Christ, nor any example of him or his apostles approved." Apology, Prop. xiv. sect. 6.

A late writer on political rights and obligations, might well affirm, that "The Reformation prospered more by the resolute non-compliance of its supporters, than if all of them had provided themselves with swords and pistols." He adds, "The most severely persecuted body of Christians, which

this country has in later ages seen, was a body who never raised the arm of resistance. They wore out that iron rod of oppression, which the attrition of violence might have wetted into a weapon, that would have cut them off from the earth;-and they now reap the fair fruit of their principles, in the enjoyment of privileges from which others are still debarred." Essays on the Principles of Morality, &c. by Jonathan Dymond.

It is, then, to a recital of such circumstances as these, under which a small portion of this small class of Protestant dissenters, had their origin and became established in the north of Scotland, that my readers are now invited. However generally despised this class once were, however despicable they may still seem to many, and must always continue to be in the estimation of the thoughtless, the worldly, the profane,—and even in the opinion of those, who are the self-seeking and selfsatisfied professors of religion ;-there is, I believe, solid ground for the assumption, that the more they adhere to first principles, the more uniformly and conspicuously they will prove as salt that has not lost its savour,- -as a little leaven, that is calculated to diffuse its wholesome influence wherever distributed. Can any among the successors of such a people, be willingly indifferent with regard to the transactions of those times, when their predecessors, instructed and strengthened from on high, first broke through the host of impediments by which they were surrounded, and notwithstanding "a fight of afflictions," succeeded in rearing this standard of Truth among the nations? And, indeed, there are those "not of this fold," whose eyes have been truly anointed to see; so that they cannot but unite in the substance and general ground of that spiritual testimony, which has in a special manner been delivered to us. Some readers of this description, fully prepared to admire the unfoldings of heavenly light on the mind of Jaffray in the DIARY, may, it is hoped, be led to follow him further, and with increasing interest in the MEMOIRS; these will be qualified, with him and many others, to enter into the force of such an acknowledgment as the following." Indeed

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