An Apology for the True Christian Divinity
by Robert Barclay
Robert Barclay (1648-1690) was an early convert to Quakerism.[1] He spent most of his life’s work spreading and defending those beliefs. His work did not come without a price—he was imprisoned numerous times.[2] His An Apology for the True Christian Divinity: Being an Explanation and Vindication of the Principles and Doctrines of the People called Quakers is the definitive statement and defense of Quakerism.[3] Barclay’s theological background allowed him to articulate and defend it in terms that non-Quakers could understand.[4] Barclay first wrote and published Apology in Latin in 1676; he later translated and republished it in English in 1678.[5] Apology has been described as "one of the most impressive theological writings of the [seventeenth] century ... It is impressive in style; grave, logical, and often marked by the eloquence of lofty moral convictions."[6] Beyond this significant contribution to Quakerism, Barclay was also the Governor of East Jersey, now part of the State of New Jersey, from 1682 to 1688.[7]
Bibliographic Information
Author: Robert Barclay.
Title: An Apology for the True Christian Divinity: Being an Explanation and Vindication of the Principles and Doctrines of the People called Quakers.
Published: Birmingham: Printed by John Baskerville, 1765.
Edition: Eighth edition in English; [12], [II]-XIII, [2], 504, [16] pages.
Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library
Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy
Bound in contemporary calf and very neatly re-backed in matching leather with gilt-decorated spine. Purchased from Argosy Book Store.
See this book in William & Mary's online catalog.
External Links
References
- ↑ Gordon DesBrisay, “Barclay, Robert, of Ury (1648–1690)” in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004- ), accessed October 2, 2013. (Subscription required for access).
- ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Robert Barclay," accessed October 02, 2013, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/53083/Robert-Barclay.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Robert Barclay, An Apology for the True Christian Divinity, ed. Licia Kuenning (Farmington: 2002), iii.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ "Barclay, Robert," in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography ed. Leslie Stephen (New York: Macmillan and Co., 1885), 169.
- ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Robert Barclay."
