Editing Robert Barclay (section)

===Joining the Society of Friends===
In 1667, however, he followed the example of his father, and joined the recently formed Religious Society of Friends<ref name="EB1911"/> after returning to Scotland. Soon afterwards he began to write in defence of the movement, by publishing in 1670 ''Truth cleared of Calumnies'', and a ''Catechism and Confession of Faith'' (1673). In 1670 he had married another Quaker, [[Christian Mollison]] (c.1651–1722), daughter of Gilbert Mollison of [[Aberdeen, Scotland|Aberdeen]]. They had seven children: three sons (Robert, David and John) and four daughters (Patience, Catherine, Christian and Jean).<ref>Christian Barclay: see ODNB article by
Gordon DesBrisay, 'Barclay, Robert, of Ury (1648–1690)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/1347], accessed 3 December 2007. and - for children: P. G. M. Dickson, 'Barclay, David (1682–1769)’, rev., Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/37149, accessed 10 Aug 2008]</ref><ref>Through his son David, Robert Barclay was the 4x great grandfather of the artist [[Robert Polhill Bevan]]</ref>

The essential view which Barclay maintained was that all people can be illuminated by the [[Inner light|Inward Light of Christ]] "which is the author of the Scriptures and will lead them into all truth". His works have often been reprinted.  He was an ardent theological student, a man of warm feelings and considerable mental powers, and he soon came prominently forward as the leading apologist of the new doctrine, winning his spurs in a controversy with one William Mitchell. The publication of fifteen ''Theses Theologiae'' (1676) led to a public discussion in [[Aberdeen, Scotland|Aberdeen]], each side claiming a victory. The most prominent of the ''Theses'' was that bearing on immediate revelation, in which the superiority of the Inward Light of Christ to reason or scripture is sharply stated.<ref name="EB1911"/> He was noted as a strong supporter of [[George Fox]] in the controversies that beset Quakers in the 1670s. His greatest work, ''[[An Apology for the True Christian Divinity]]'', was published in [[Latin]] at [[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 English in 1678, and is claimed to be "one of the most impressive theological writings of the century".<ref name="EB1911"/><ref>"one of the most impressive theological writings of the century and often marked by the eloquence of lofty moral convictions'."  said by Leslie Stephen, according to ''The age of Dryden'' by Richard Garnett, on Googlebooks [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ep5LD1m3IssC&dq=%22one+of+the+most+impressive+theological+writings+of+the+century%22&pg=PA226  p226.]</ref>

The ''Apology'', however, failed to arrest the persecution to which the Quakers were exposed, and Barclay himself, on returning from Europe, where he travelled extensively (once with [[William Penn]] and [[George Fox]]), and had several interviews with [[Elisabeth of Bohemia, Princess Palatine|Elisabeth, Princess Palatine]], was several times thrown into prison, but soon regained his liberty, and was in the enjoyment of Court favour.