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The Christian Progress
of George Whitehead
Part XI Continued
Site Editor's Comments: George Whitehead, more than any other Quaker, had interfaced with three previous kings of England, as related in previous sections of this writing. He had many meetings with King Charles II, countless meetings with King James II, and several with King William III. There is no record of his royal meetings in the twelve-year rule of Queen Anne. Whitehead was imminently successful in his meetings with previous kings; speaking with great knowledge of law and the record of persecutions of Quakers, while maintaining respect, humility, kindness, love, and tolerance. He never warned or accused any king of being irresponsible or even tardy in fulfilling past promises, but was a true Christian statesman. His pleas and meetings with the kings of the past were remarkably and consistently successful, to the favor of the Quakers and dissidents in general. Upon the accession to the throne by King George, a German from Hanover, the Quakers were most interested in assuring him of their goodwill and love towards him; and of course preventing his misunderstanding of their intent, which might lead to the return of persecutions. So it was natural for their senior statesman, George Whitehead, now an ancient 78 years of age, to perform the welcome address. As usual his words were filled with kindness, humility, love, and respect; but as always, purposed to promoting toleration of the Quaker faith.
Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
Speeches and Addresses to King George by George Whitehead
On the 3rd day of the eighth month , 1714, the people called Quakers presented
A congratulatory address to king George, upon his accession to the crown, which being
read to and graciously accepted by the king,
George Whitehead made a speech to this
effect:
You are welcome to us, King George. We heartily wish you health and happiness, and to your son the Prince also. King William
the third was a happy instrument in putting
stop to persecution, by promoting tolerance, which being intended
for uniting the king’s Protestant subjects, in interest and affection, has so far that effect, as to make them more kind to one another, even among the differing persuasions, than they were when persecution was afoot. We desire the king may have further knowledge of us and our innocence; and that to live a peaceable and quiet life, in all godliness and honesty is according to our principle and practice.
George Whitehead having thus spoken, his
name was asked; to which he answered, "George Whitehead." And having it upon his
mind to see the prince also, and intimating his desire to a lord who was gentleman to the
Prince's bed-chamber, he proceeded to the Prince's quarters. Thus George Whitehead, with some of his friends, were granted access, and were introduced
by one of the Prince's gentlemen into a waiting chamber where the Prince met them; and then George Whitehead spoke to him, the substance of which speech was as follows:
We take it as a favor that we are thus admitted to see the Prince of Wales, and are
truly very glad to see you. Having delivered our address to the King, your royal father, and desiring to give yourself a visit, in true love we very heartily wish health and happiness to you both; and that if it should please God you should survive your father and
come to the throne, that you may enjoy tranquility and peace.
I am persuaded, that if the King, your father, and yourself, do stand for toleration, for
liberty of conscience to be kept inviolable, God will stand by you.
May King Solomon's choice of wisdom be your choice, with holy Job’s integrity and
compassion to the oppressed; and the state of the righteous ruler commended by King David, that is: 'He that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God; and he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises, even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear
shining after rain.'"
This speech was favorably heard by the prince.
In the year 1715, after the breaking out of
that unnatural rebellion, which was suppressed
by the King's forces at Preston; George
Whitehead, accompanied by his friend John
Butcher, having obtained an admission to the
King's presence, presented to him a paper, a
copy of which, found among the author's
manuscripts, since his decease, we here insert:
A few words in true love to King George,
humbly presented.
Seeing our most gracious God has been
pleased, by his overruling power and providence,
to give you a free and peaceable accession
to the throne of these kingdoms. Oh let your
trust and confidence be in the same divine Power,
and your eye to that light and grace thereby
given you, and the Lord will, no doubt, confound
your foes, and disperse and expel that dark
cloud and spirit of rebellion that is risen up
against you and your lawful government, constituted for the defense and support of our just liberties and properties, religious and civil,
against popery and slavery.
Your Christian principle for liberty to tender consciences being maintained and stood
by, against persecution, the pillar of popery, the Lord will stand by and defend you and you royal offspring; for surely mercy and
truth preserves the King, and his throne is
upheld by mercy. Remember what the
Spirit of the Lord spoke by King David in his
last words: "He that rules over men, must
be just, ruling in the fear of God, and he shall
be as the light of the morning, even a morning
without clouds."
The Lord, the God of hosts be your defense,
your guide and counselor, and replenish
your heart with his wisdom, by which kings
reign and princes decree justice; for in that
wisdom, true dominion stands.
That you, O King, may be a blessing
in the hand of the Lord, to these nations, and
enjoy a safe, a peaceable and prosperous
reign in this life, and a crown of righteousness
in that to come, is the hearty prayer of
an ancient servant of Jesus Christ, and a
truly loving and faithful subject.
George Whitehead
In the month called May, 1716, the people
called Quakers, at their yearly meeting in
London, drew up an address, and presented
it to the king, testifying their loyalty, and
expressing their sense of the signal providence
of God in confounding the late black conspiracy;
at the presenting of which address,
George Whitehead made a previous speech to
the king, signifying:
"That in their annual assembly, held for
the religious concerns of their Society, endeavoring
to promote and put in practice the
duties of religion professed by them, the sense
of the great deliverance had such a weight
upon their minds, that they were willing
to express it in an address to King George, whom
God by his providence had brought here, and
preserved, so that he could well say, he was
George, by the grace of God, King of Great
Britain, et. al. And that as men carried that
saying stamped on the money in their pockets,
so it was to be wished it might be imprinted
in the hearts of the subjects."
Although now above eighty years of age,
and feeble in body, he nevertheless continued
to bear his testimony in the public assemblies, to
the virtue and excellence of that divine grace,
which had supported him from his
youth upward, imparting in most sensible expressions, such choice fruits of his own experiences, that an attentive hearer could not
depart without edification. And even in meetings about
church affairs, where sometimes a diversity of
sentiments might arise, he would express his
thoughts with a convincing force and solid reasoning, which was no less admirable than the unspotted
integrity of his gray hairs was honorable.
He wrote in the latter part of his time,
several small treatises, particularly one in the
eighty-sixth year of his age, entitled, An Epistle to our Christian Friends, called Quakers, &c., which being already in print, we
refer thereto.
Sustained by the consciousness of a well
led life, he passed the last infirmities of age
with Christian patience and resignation, and,
on the 8th day of the month called March,
1722-3, died the best of deaths; for as Cicero,
in the person of Cato the elder, excellently
expresses it:
“The best end of a man's
life is, when the understanding and other
senses remaining entire, nature takes in pieces
her own work, which she herself did put together.... Whatever is according
to nature, is to be accounted good;
and, what is more natural than for old men
to die; a thing, which happens also to young
men, notwithstanding nature's opposition and
reluctance. Young men therefore, seem to
me to die, like as a fierce flame is quenched
by abundance of water; but old men, as
when a fire being spent, goes out of its own
accord, without compulsion: and as apples,
while green, are plucked from the trees by
force, but, when ripe, fall of themselves; so
violence bereaves young men of life, maturity
the aged: which indeed to me is so delightful,
that as I approach nearer to death, I think I see the land, and after a tedious voyage I am
at last making to my port."
Site Editor's Comment: Before the concluding testimonies, the greatest testimony is first.
From the Word of the Lord within, regarding his son and servant, George Whitehead:
'And many were convinced by this extraordinary and powerful partisan.'
[It is interesting to note the Lord's use of the descriptive word partisan -
the definition of which is a fervent and even militant proponent of a cause.
As George Whitehead surely was, a fervent, magnificent soldier of Truth for 71 years,
under the command of his eternal King and Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.]
We shall conclude with the character given
him after his decease, in two testimonies, the
one written by Richard Claridge, his intimate
friend and acquaintance, who survived him
but a few weeks; the other by the friends of
the monthly meeting at Devonshire house,
London, in whose neighborhood he had been
an inhabitant many years.
Richard Claridge’s Testimony concerning George Whitehead
"George Whitehead was one whom the
Lord had highly dignified in his day, calling
him about the sixteenth year of his age, to
the acknowledgment of the blessed truth,
and about the eighteenth, to bear a public testimony to it, in which testimony the Lord preserved him faithful until the end of his day,
which was on the 8th of the first month,
(Julian calendar) called March, 1722, being about eighty-seven
years of age.
The Lord had bestowed on him such a
measure of his divine gifts of faith, wisdom,
judgment, understanding, self denial, patience,
love, meekness, utterance, and other graces of the spirit, that he was an instrument in his hand to open the blind eyes, and turn men
from darkness to light, and from the power
of Satan to God.
And as it pleased the Lord to make him an
able minister of the New Testament, so his
speech and his preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that our
faith should not stand in the wisdom of men,
but in the power of God; 1 Cor 2: 4-5; so
that when he spoke, he spoke as the oracles of God; and when he ministered, he
did it as of the ability which God gives; 1 Pet 4:11.
He was not as many who peddle the word
of God for profit, but as of sincerity. As of God in the sight of God, he spoke in Christ;
2 Cor 2:17.
His ministry was a sound and living ministry, and many yet living have a testimony
of it in their hearts and consciences.
He was an eloquent man, and mighty in
the Scriptures, and fervent in the spirit; Acts 18:24-25.
A good man, and full of the Holy Ghost,
and of faith, and many people were added unto
the Lord; Acts 11:24.
He was an elder, whom the Lord had anointed unto the spiritual and evangelical ministry, raised up among many others, near the
first breaking forth of this gospel day, after a
long night of apostasy, which had overspread
this and other nations with gross darkness, in
matters relating to Christianity.
And though bonds and afflictions attended
him, yet none of these things moved him,
neither did he count his life dear to himself,
so that he might finish his course with joy
and the ministry he had received of the Lord
Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of
God; Acts 20:23-24.
For having this ministry, as he had received mercy, he fainted not; but renounced the
hidden things of dishonesty; not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth,
commending himself to every man's conscience in the sight of God; 2 Cor 4:1-2.
Richard Claridge
The Testimony of Devonshire House monthly
meeting.
A short account and testimony concerning
our dear and worthy friend,
GEORGE WHITEHEAD
Our ancient worthy friends, who in the
morning of this gospel day, were about the
same time sent forth to declare the truth, with
this our deceased friend, are now most of
them gone to their rest; yet the generality of
friends of middle age may have had a long knowledge of him, and of his gravity, wisdom and abilities, beyond many in the church
of Christ; but for the sake of the younger
friends, that have not had that knowledge, and
for the encouragement of those in faithfulness,
that are, or may be convinced of the blessed
truth, or receive a gift of the ministry, we of
the monthly meeting of Devonshire house,
of which he was a very eminent member,
about the space of fifty years, esteem ourselves
engaged to give in this our short account and
testimony concerning him.
We find he was born at Sun-rigg, in the
parish of Orton, in the county of Westmoreland, about the year 1636, of honest parents,
who gave him an education in grammar learning.
At or about the fourteenth year of his age, when some friends, by the mighty power
of God, were gathered to be a people, the Lord
was pleased to visit him, and by the testimony
of truth, he was reached unto and convinced
of the necessity of an inward and spiritual
work to be known and wrought upon the
souls of men; and of the emptiness and in a
sufficiency of outward show and formality, out of the life and power. In the year 1654,
and the eighteenth year of his age, the Lord
sent him forth to preach the everlasting gospel
in life and power; and having passed through
York, Lincoln and Cambridge, he had some
service in his journey, and traveling on foot,
came a youth into Norfolk and Suffolk, where
he visited some few meetings of friends, and
steeple-houses, and meetings of sober believers; at one of which, near a whole meeting
was convinced, by the mighty power of God,
through his lively and piercing testimony and
prayer.
He continued some months in Norfolk and
about Norwich, where having meetings, he
preached the everlasting gospel, and thereby
turned many from darkness to light, and from
the power of sin and Satan, unto God and
his power; that people might not continue in
empty forms and shadows, but come to the
life and substance of true religion; and to
know Christ their true Teacher and Leader.
Great was his service, labor and travel
in those counties, by which many were reached, convinced, and established in the
blessed truth; and some raised up to bear a
public testimony to it. But he suffered
great opposition, hardships, long and sore imprisonments,
and severe whippings, for his testimony to the truth, in those his tender years,
although few now remain who were living
witnesses thereof; yet by a journal of his
own writing, which we desire may be printed,
the same will more largely appear; and the
perusal of which, we hope, may be edifying and serviceable to the present and succeeding
generations. We would not be too particular
in relating his suffering, imprisonments, services and travels, throughout most parts of this nation, but proceed to say something of our own
experience, and that knowledge we had
of him, and of his eminent services and great
concern for the peace and prosperity of the
church of Christ everywhere, during his
long stay with us in this city.
We may say, he was one whom the Lord
had fitly qualified and prepared by his divine power
and Holy Spirit, for that work to which he was called; and by which he was
made one of the most able ministers of the
gospel in our day. He was largely experienced
of the work of God, and deep mysteries of the
heavenly kingdom, and was frequently opened
in meetings to declare of, and unfold the
same, in the clear demonstration of the Spirit
and power, dividing the word aright, opening
and convincing the understandings of many,
who were unacquainted with the way and
work of truth; and comforting, confirming,
and establishing the people and children of the
Lord, in their journey towards Zion.
He was not only a zealous contender for,
and asserter of the true faith and doctrine of
our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, in a sound
and intelligible testimony, but also was valiant
and skillful in the defense of it, against adversaries and opposers of the same; and one,
who through a long course of many days,
was careful to adorn the doctrine of our holy profession
by a circumspect life and godly
conversation, in which the fruits of the spirit:
love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, did eminently shine forth through him,
to the praise and glory of God.
Being thus qualified, and of a meek and
peaceable disposition, he was had in good
esteem among most sorts of people that
were acquainted with him; which tended
much to the opening his way in his public service for truth and frequent solicitations unto several kings and Parliaments,
bishops and great men, of our land, for the
relief and release of his suffering friends and
brethren, under sore persecutions and hard
imprisonments, and for liberty of conscience,
and also for relief in the case of oaths. In
these labors of love and eminent services
among other brethren, this our dear friend was
principally exercised, and the Lord was
with him, and made way for him in the hearts
of the rulers of the land; so that his faithful
labor was often crowned with success, to the
comforting and rejoicing of the hearts of many
suffering brethren.
He was a good example to the flock, in his diligent frequenting of first and week-day
meetings for public worship, and other meetings for the service of truth, so long as his
ability of body remained; willing to take
all opportunities for publishing and promoting the truth; zealous to support good order
and discipline in the church of Christ. And
as he was not suddenly for taking hold of
any, as he was as exemplary in not being
forward to cast any out in whom there appeared anything that was good, always
desiring to encourage the good in all, condescending to the weak, but admonishing the
faulty in the spirit of meekness and wisdom,
that they might be preserved in love to truth,
and come into the unity of the one Spirit,
which is the bond of peace.
We may truly say, he was a tender father
in the church, and as such was of great compassion, sympathizing with friends under affliction, whether in body or mind; a diligent
visitor of the sick, and laboring to comfort
the mourning soul; careful to prevent, and
diligent in composing differences.
Dear friends, much more we might say on
the behalf of this our dear deceased friend,
an elder worthy of double honor; but it is
not with us to give large formal praises of the
dead; we have rather chosen to give but short
hints of some of the Christian virtues and
qualifications he was endued with, believing
there is a witness in the hearts of many yet
remaining, that testifies for him and his
faithful labors and service in his day; desiring the Lord may raise up many, in the place
of this and other worthy elders, some of whom have lately been removed from us, and we
believe, taken into mansions of glory, in the
kingdom of God.
It pleased the Lord to visit this our dear
friend, with some severe pains and weakness
of body, so that he was disabled for some
weeks from getting to meetings, but he often
expressed his desires for the welfare of the
church of Christ, and that friends might live
in love and unity.
He continued in a patient, resigned frame
of mind to the will of God, waiting for his
great change, rather desiring to be dissolved
and be with Christ, saying, the sting of death
was taken away. He expressed a little before
his departure, that he had a renewed sight or
remembrance of his labors and travels that
he had gone through from his first convincement; he looked upon them with abundance
of comfort and satisfaction, and admired how
the presence of the Lord had attended and
carried him through them all.
He departed this life in great peace and
quiet, the 8th day of the first month, 1722-3,
about the eighty-seventh year of his age; and we firmly believe he died in the Lord, and is now at rest from his labors, and his works go with him.
He was a minister of the gospel about seventy years, and was buried on the 13th of the first month Friend’s burial grounds, among many of his ancient brethren, next to George Fox; his burial was attended by a very large number or friends and others.
Signed on behalf of the monthly meeting, at the Devonshire house, the 15th day of the third month, 1723, by:
William Mackett, William Hodgson,
Theodore Eccleston, John Lee,
John Knight, Joseph Rossell,
Lascells Metcalf, John West,
Arnold Frowd, Samuel Mackerness,
William Price, Caleb Hughes,
John Belch, Miles Walker,
Benjamin Sanchey, Jonathan Stevens,
Robert Plumstead, Samuel Bowley,
John Baker, Samuel Scott,
Jonathan Scarth, John Hayton,
Thomas Edes, George Fossick,
John Lunn, Joseph North,
Thomas Broadbank, William Dodd,
Peter Exton, Elizabeth Fossick,
Richard Price, Richard How,
Richard Lea, Herman Hingsberg,
Thomas Crawley, Thomas Mayleigh,
James Lambert, William Teaguij,
Josiah Knight, Benjamin Bealing.
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