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ROBERT BARCLAY (1648-1690)

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Originally appearing in Volume V03, Page 395 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ROBERT See also:BARCLAY (1648-1690)  , one of the most eminent writers belonging to the Society of See also:Friends, or See also:Quakers, was See also:born in 1648 at Gordonstown in Morayshire . His See also:father had served under Gustavus See also:Adolphus, and pursued a somewhat tortuous course through the troubles of the See also:civil See also:war . See also:Robert was sent to finish his See also:education in See also:Paris, and it appears he was at one See also:time inclined to accept the See also:Roman See also:Catholic faith . In 1667, however, he followed the example of his father, and joined the recently formed Society of Friends . In 167o he married a Quaker See also:lady, See also:Christian Mollison of See also:Aberdeen . He was an ardent theological student, a See also:man of warm feelings and considerable See also:mental See also:powers,, and he soon came prominently forward as the leading apologist of the new See also:doctrine, winning his spurs in a controversy with one See also:William See also:Mitchell . The publication of fifteen Theses Theologiae (1676) led to a public discussion in Aberdeen, each See also:side claiming a victory . The most prominent of the Theses was that bearing on immediate See also:revelation, in which the superiority of this inner See also:light to See also:reason or scripture is sharply stated . His greatest See also:work, An See also:Apology for the True Christian Divinity, was published in Latin at See also:Amsterdam in 1676, and was an elaborate statement of the grounds for holding certain fundamental positions laid down in the Theses . It was translated by its author into See also:English in 1678, and is " one of the most impressive theological writings of the See also:century." It breathes a large tolerance and is still perhaps the most important manifesto of the Quaker Society . See also:Barclay experienced to some extent the persecutions inflicted on the new society, and was several times thrown into See also:prison . He travelled extensively in See also:Europe (once with See also:Penn and See also:George See also:Fox), and had several interviews with See also:Elizabeth, princess See also:palatine .

In later years he had much See also:

influence with See also:James II., who as See also:duke of See also:York had given to twelve members of the society a patent of the See also:province of See also:East New See also:Jersey, Barclay being made See also:governor (1682-88) . He is said to have visited James with a view to making terms of See also:accommodation with William of See also:Orange, whose arrival was then imminent . He died on the 3rd of 9ctober 169o .

End of Article: ROBERT BARCLAY (1648-1690)
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