THE SECOND PROPOSITION
Concerning Immediate Revelation:
Seeing
"no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son revealeth
him" b; and seeing the revelation of the
Son is in and by the Spirit; therefore the testimony of the Spirit is that
alone by which the true knowledge of God hath been, is, and can be only
revealed; who, as by the moving of his own Spirit, he converted the chaos of
this world into that wonderful order wherein it was in the beginning and
created man a living soul to rule and govern it; so by the revelation of the
same Spirit he hath manifested himself all along unto the sons of men, both
patriarchs, prophets, and apostles; which revelations of God, by the Spirit,
whether by outward voices and appearances, dreams, or inward objective
manifestations in the heart, were of old the formal object of their faith, and
remain yet so to be; since the object of the saints' faith is the same in all
ages, though set forth under divers administrations. Moreover, these divine
inward revelations, which we make absolutely necessary for the building up of
true faith, neither do nor can ever contradict the outward testimony of the
Scriptures, or right and sound reason. Yet from hence it will not follow, that
these divine revelations are to be subjected to the examination, either of the
outward testimony of the Scriptures, or of the natural reason of man, as to a
more noble or certain rule or touchstone: for this divine revelation, and
inward illumination, is that which is evident and clear of itself, forcing, by
its own evidence and clearness, the well-disposed understanding to assent,
irresistibly moving the same thereunto; even as the common principles of
natural truths move and incline the mind to a natural assent: as, that the
whole is greater than its part; that two contradictory sayings cannot be both
true, or false: which is also manifest, according to our adversaries' principle
who (supposing the possibility of inward divine revelations) will nevertheless
confess with us, that neither Scripture nor sound reason will contradict it:
and yet it will not follow, according to them that the Scripture, or sound
reason, should be subjected to the examination of the divine revelations in the
heart.
Let’s dive into the Second Proposition from Barclay’s
Apology, which focuses on "Immediate Revelation." This is a key
Quaker idea, and Barclay builds on the First Proposition by explaining how we
come to know God. Here’s a clear breakdown and commentary:
Text Breakdown:
"Seeing 'no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he
to whom the Son revealeth him'": Barclay quotes Matthew 11:27, emphasizing
that only Jesus (the Son) truly knows God (the Father), and only those to whom
Jesus reveals God can know Him. This sets up the idea that knowledge of God isn’t
something humans can achieve on their own—it’s a gift from Christ.
"The revelation of the Son is in and by the
Spirit": Jesus reveals God through the Holy Spirit, not through external
means alone. This points to an inward, spiritual process rather than something
purely intellectual or physical.
"Therefore the testimony of the Spirit is that alone by
which the true knowledge of God hath been, is, and can be only revealed":
Here’s the core claim: the Spirit’s direct testimony (or revelation) is the
only way humans have ever truly known God—past, present, and future. Barclay
ties this to all of history, from creation to the patriarchs, prophets, and
apostles.
"Who, as by the moving of his own Spirit, he converted
the chaos of this world into that wonderful order…": Barclay connects this
to God’s act of creation, suggesting the same Spirit that ordered the universe
and gave life to humanity continues to reveal God to people throughout time.
"Which revelations of God, by the Spirit… were of old
the formal object of their faith, and remain yet so to be": Whether
through outward signs (voices, dreams) or inward experiences, these revelations
have always been the basis of faith, and they still are, even if the ways God
reveals Himself have varied across history ("divers
administrations").
"These divine inward revelations… neither do, nor can,
ever contradict the outward testimony of the Scriptures, or right and sound
reason": Barclay assures readers that true revelations from the Spirit
align with the Bible and human reason. This is a nod to his critics, showing he’s
not dismissing scripture or logic.
"Yet from hence it will not follow, that these divine
revelations are to be subjected to the examination… of the Scriptures, or of
the natural reason of man, as to a more noble or certain rule": Here’s the
twist: while revelations don’t contradict scripture or reason, they don’t need
to be judged by them either. The Spirit’s revelation is self-evident and
authoritative on its own.
"For this divine revelation, and inward illumination,
is that which is evident and clear of itself…": Like basic truths (e.g.,
"the whole is greater than its part"), the Spirit’s revelation
carries its own clarity and power, compelling belief without needing external
validation.
Commentary:
Barclay is defending the Quaker emphasis on immediate revelation—God speaking directly to individuals through the Holy Spirit, without intermediaries like priests or even the Bible as the ultimate authority. This was radical in his time, when most Christians saw scripture or church tradition as the final word. For Quakers, the "Inner Light" or Spirit within each person is the primary way God communicates, and it’s been that way since creation.
He’s careful to say this doesn’t mean scripture or reason are useless—they’re consistent with the Spirit’s voice—but they’re secondary. The Spirit’s revelation is like a light that shines so brightly it doesn’t need a lamp (scripture) or a mirror (reason) to prove it’s there. This reflects the Quaker practice of silent worship, where they wait for God to speak directly to their hearts.
Barclay also anticipates pushback. Critics might say, “If the Spirit is so clear, why do we need the Bible?” He counters that scripture supports the Spirit’s work but isn’t above it. Similarly, reason aligns with revelation but doesn’t rule it. This balance shows his effort to stay grounded in Christian tradition while elevating personal experience.
Key Takeaway:
The Second Proposition argues that true knowledge of God
comes from the Spirit’s direct, immediate revelation—not from books, logic, or
human teachers alone. It’s a bold claim about how faith works, rooted in the
Quaker trust in God’s ongoing, personal presence in every soul.