Chapter II
1666-1669.—George Fox visits a man above one hundred years old, who had been convinced—refutes a slander that Friends love none but themselves—has a meeting at Captain Taylor’s [at Brighouse], where a neighbouring knight threatens again to imprison him—comes to London, and finds the city in ruins as he had seen it in a vision some years before—is moved to recommend the setting up of monthly meetings to take care of God’s glory, and to admonish and exhort such as walk disorderly—travels through the nation for this purpose—meets with opposition in Huntingdonshire and Bedfordshire—when at Shrewsbury it was rumoured that “the great Quaker of England was come to town”—the hypocrisy of the Presbyterians detected—they and the Independents persecute when in power, but flinch in time of persecution by other powers—George Fox recommends certain regulations to be observed relative to Friends’ marriages—he also recommends the establishment of a school at Waltham for boys, and one at Shacklewell for girls—the meetings for discipline are the means of a great reformation among the people—George Fox discovers a cheat, writes a prophetic warning to Friends—monthly meetings settled throughout the nation—the order and good results thereof—George Fox disputes with a Papist—confers with Esquire Marsh (Justice), and shows him how to distinguish between Friends and other dissenters who refused the oath—Justice Marsh is afterwards very serviceable to Friends in screening them from suffering, and recommends the king to grant liberty of conscience—fourteen monthly meetings are settled in Yorkshire—Isaac Lindley to George Fox—when at Scarbro’ the governor presses George Fox to accept his hospitality—large and precious meetings.
Being now freed from my imprisonment in Scarbro’ castle, I went about three miles to a large general meeting at a Friend’s house, that had been a chief constable; and all was quiet and well. On the fourth day after, I returned to Scarbro’, and had a meeting in the town at Peter Hodgson’s house. To this came one called a lady, and several other great persons, also a young man, son to the bailiff of the town, who had been convinced, while I was there in prison. That lady (so called) came to me, and said, “I spoke against the ministers.” I told her, “such as the prophets and Christ declared against formerly, I declared against now.”
From hence I went to WHITBY; and, having visited Friends there, passed to BURLINGTON, where I had another meeting. Thence to ORAM, where I had another meeting: and thence to Marmaduke Storr’s, and had a large meeting at a constable’s house, on whom the Lord had wrought a great miracle.
Next day, two Friends being to take each other in marriage, there was a very great meeting, which I attended. I was moved to open to the people the state of our marriages, declaring how the people of God took one another in the assemblies of the elders, and that it was God who joined man and woman together before the fall. And though men had taken upon them to join in the fall, yet in the restoration it was God’s joining, that was the right and honourable marriage: but never any priest did marry any, that we read of in the Scriptures, from Genesis to the Revelations. Then I showed them the duty of man and wife, how they should serve God, being heirs of life and grace together.
I passed thence to Grace Barwick’s, where I had a general meeting, which was very large. I came next to Richard Shipton’s, where I had another meeting; and so to a priest’s house, whose wife was convinced, and himself grown very loving, and glad to see me. This was that priest, who, in the year 1651, threatened, “if ever he met me again, he would have my life, or I should have his;” and said, “he would lose his head, if I were not knocked down in a month.” But now he was partly convinced, and become very kind. I went from his house towards the sea, where several Friends came to visit me; and amongst others, Philip Scafe, who had formerly been a priest, but, having received the truth, was now become a preacher of Christ freely, and continued so.
Passing on, I called to see an ancient man, who was convinced of truth, and was above a hundred years old. Then I came to a Friend’s house, where I had a great meeting, and quiet. I had a great meeting near MALTON; and another large one near HULL; from which I went to HOWDEN-DYKE. As we went into the town, the watchmen questioned me and those that were with me; but not having any warrant to stay us, we passed by them, who in a rage threatened they would search us out. I went to the house of one called the Lady Montague, where I lodged that night; and several friends came to visit me. Next morning, being up early, I walked into the orchard, and saw a man about sunrise go into the house in a great cloak. He stayed not long; but came soon out again, and went away, not seeing me. I felt something strike at my life; and went into the house, where I found the maid-servant affrighted and trembling. She told me, “that man had a naked rapier under his cloak.” By which I perceived he came with an intent to do mischief, but the Lord prevented him.
I then visited Friends till I came to YORK, where we had a large meeting. After which I went to visit Justice Robinson, an ancient justice of the peace, who had been very loving to me and Friends from the beginning. There was a priest with him, who told me, “it was said of us, that we loved none but ourselves.” I told him, “we loved all mankind, as they were God’s creation, and as they were children of Adam and Eve by generation; and we loved the brotherhood in the Holy Ghost.” This stopped him. After some other discourse, we parted friendly, and passed away.
About this time I wrote a book, entitled Fear God, and Honour the King; in which I showed, “that none could rightly fear God, and honour the King, but they that departed from sin and evil.” This book affected the soldiers much, and most people.
Having visited Friends at YORK, we passed to a market town, where we had a meeting at George Watkinson’s, formerly a justice. A glorious, blessed meeting it was, and very large, and the Seed of life was set over all. We should have been troubled to get into this town, had not Providence made way for us; for the watchmen stood ready to stop us. But a man riding just before us, the watchmen questioned him first; and perceiving he was a justice of peace, they let him pass; and we riding close after him, by that means escaped.
From this place we passed to Thomas Taylor’s, formerly a captain, where we had a precious meeting. Hard by Thomas Taylor’s lived a knight, who was much displeased when he heard I was likely to be released out of prison; and threatened that, “if the king set me at liberty, he would send me to prison again the next day.” But though I had this meeting so near him, yet the Lord’s power stopped him from meddling, and the meeting was quiet. Colonel Kirby also, who had been the chief means of my imprisonment at Lancaster and Scarbro’ castles, when he heard I was set at liberty, got another order for taking me up; and said, “he would ride his horse forty miles to take me, and would give forty pounds to have me taken.” A while after I came so near as to have a meeting within two miles of him; he was then struck with the gout, and kept his bed, so that it was thought he would have died.
From Thomas Taylor’s I visited Friends till I came to SYNDERHILL-GREEN, where I had a large and general meeting. The priest of the place, hearing of it, sent the constable to the justices for a warrant, and they rode their horses so hard, that they almost spoiled them; but the notice they had being short, and the way long, the meeting was ended before they came. I did not hear of them till I was going out of the house, after meeting was over, and then a Friend came and told me, “they were searching another house for me, the one I was then going to.” As I went along the fields to it, I met the constables, wardens, and the justice’s clerk. I passed through them, they looked at me, and went to the house they had been searching. Thus they lost their design; for the Lord’s power bound them, and preserved me over them; and Friends parted, and all escaped them. The officers went away as they came; for the Lord had frustrated their design; praised be his name for ever.
After this I went to DERBYSHIRE, where I had a large meeting. Some Friends were apprehensive of the constables coming; for they had great persecution in those parts; but our meeting was quiet. A justice of peace in that county had taken away much of Friends’ goods; whereupon Ellen Fretwell had made her appeal to the sessions; and the rest of the justices granted her her goods again, and spoke to the persecuting justice, that he should not do so any more. She was moved to speak and warn him; whereupon he bid her, “come and sit down on the bench.” “Ay,” said she, “if I may persuade you to do justice to the country, I will sit down with you.” “No,” said he, “then you shall not; get out of the court.” As she was going out, she was moved of the Lord to turn again, and say, “she should be there, when he should not.” After the sessions were ended, he went home, and drove away her brother’s oxen, for going to meetings. Then Susan Frith, a Friend of Chesterfield, was moved of the Lord to tell him, that “if he continued in persecuting the innocent, the Lord would execute his plagues upon him.” Soon after which he fell distracted, and died in that state. This relation I had from Ellen Fretwell herself.
I travelled into NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, and had a large meeting at SKEGBY; from thence I went to MANSFIELD, where also I had a meeting; thence to another town, where there was a fair, at which I met with many Friends. Then passing through the forest in a very thundering and rainy day, I came to NOTTINGHAM. So great was the tempest many trees were torn up by the roots, and some people killed; but the Lord preserved us. On First-day following I had a large meeting in Nottingham, very quiet; Friends were come to sit under their teacher, the Grace of God, which brought them salvation, and were established upon the rock and foundation, Christ Jesus. After the meeting I went to visit the Friend who had been sheriff about the year 1649, whose prisoner I then was.
From Nottingham I passed into LEICESTERSHIRE and came to SILEBY, where we had a large, blessed meeting. After which I went to LEICESTER to visit the prisoners there, and then to John Penford’s, where we had a general meeting, large and precious. From thence I passed, visiting Friends and my relations, till I came to WARWICK, where having visited the prisoners, I passed to BADDESLEY, and had a precious meeting there. Then I travelled through NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, BEDFORDSHIRE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, and OXFORDSHIRE, visiting Friends in each county. In Oxfordshire the devil had laid a snare for me, but the Lord broke it; his power came over all, his blessed truth spread, and Friends were increased therein.
Thus after I had passed through many counties, visiting Friends, and had many large and precious meetings amongst them, I came to LONDON. But I was weak with lying almost three years in cruel and hard imprisonments; my joints and my body were so stiff and benumbed, that I could hardly get on my horse or bend my joints; nor could I well bear to be near the fire or to eat warm meat, I had been kept so long from it. Being come to London, I walked a little among the ruins, and took good notice of them. I saw the city lying, according as the word of the Lord came to me concerning it several years before.
After I had been a time in London, and visited Friends’ meetings through the city, I went into the country again, and had large meetings at KINGSTON, READING, and in WILTSHIRE, till I came to BRISTOL, where also I had many large meetings. Thomas Lower came thither out of Cornwall to meet me: and Friends were there from several parts of the nation, it being then the fair time. After I was clear of Bristol, I left that city and went to Nathaniel Crisp’s; and so through the country to LONDON again, having large meetings in the way, and all quiet, blessed be the Lord. Thus, though I was very weak, yet I travelled up and down in the service of the Lord, who enabled me to go through it.
About this time some, that had run out from truth and clashed against Friends, were reached unto by the power of the Lord, which came wonderfully over, and made them condemn and tear their papers of controversies to pieces. Several meetings we had with them, and the Lord’s everlasting power was over all, and set judgment on the head of that which had run out. In these meetings, which lasted whole days, several who had run out with John Perrot and others, came in again, and condemned that spirit which led them to keep on their hats, when Friends prayed, and when they themselves prayed. Some of them said, “that Friends were more righteous than they,” and that, “if Friends had not stood, they had been gone, and had fallen into perdition.” Thus the Lord’s power was wonderfully manifested, and came over all.
Then I was moved of the Lord to recommend the setting up of five monthly meetings of men and women in the city of London (besides the women’s meetings and the quarterly meetings,) to take care of God’s glory, and to admonish and exhort such as walked disorderly or carelessly, and not according to truth. For whereas Friends had had only quarterly meetings, now truth was spread, and Friends were grown more numerous, I was moved to recommend the setting up of monthly meetings throughout the nation.[14] And the Lord opened to me what I must do, and how the men’s and women’s monthly and quarterly meetings should be ordered and established in this and in other nations; and that I should write to those where I did not come, to do the same. After things were well settled at London, and the Lord’s truth, power, seed, and life reigned and shone over all in the city, I went into ESSEX. After the monthly meetings were settled in that county, I went into SUFFOLK and NORFOLK, Thomas Dry being with me. When we had visited Friends in those parts, and the monthly meetings were settled, we went into HUNTINGDONSHIRE, where we had very large and blessed gatherings; and though we met with some opposition, the Lord’s power came over all, and the monthly meetings were established there also. When we came into BEDFORDSHIRE, we had great opposition; but the Lord’s power came over it all. Afterwards we went into NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, where we had many precious gatherings, and the monthly meetings were settled there. Then passing into LINCOLNSHIRE we had a meeting of some men Friends of all the meetings in the county, at his house who had formerly been sheriff of Lincoln, and all was quiet. After this we passed over Trent into NOTTINGHAMSHIRE again, the ex-sheriff of Lincoln being with me, where we had some of all the meetings in that county together. Our meeting was glorious and peaceable; and many precious meetings we had in that county.
At that time William Smith was very weak and sick, and the constables and others had seized all his goods, to the very bed he lay upon, for truth’s sake. These officers threatened to break up our meeting; but the Lord’s power chained them, so that they had not power to meddle with us, blessed be his name. After it, I went to visit William Smith, and there were constables and others watching his corn and beasts, that none of them might be removed.[15]
Thence we passed to LEICESTERSHIRE and WARWICKSHIRE, where we had many blessed meetings. The order of the gospel was set up, and the men’s monthly meetings established in all those counties. Then we went into DERBYSHIRE, where we had several large and blessed meetings. In many places we were threatened by the officers, but, through the power of the Lord we escaped their hands. Leaving things well settled in Derbyshire, we travelled over the Peak hills, which were very cold (for it was then frost and snow), and came into STAFFORDSHIRE. At Thomas Hammersley’s we had a general men’s meeting; where things were well settled in the gospel order, and the monthly meetings established also. But I was so exceedingly weak, I was hardly able to get on or off my horse’s back; but my spirit being earnestly engaged in the work the Lord had concerned me in, and sent me forth about, I travelled on therein, notwithstanding the weakness of my body, having confidence in the Lord, that he would carry me through, as he did, by his power.
We came into CHESHIRE, where we had several blessed gatherings, and a general men’s meeting, wherein all the monthly meetings for that county were settled, according to the gospel order, in and by the power of God. After the meeting I passed away. But when the justices heard of it, they were very much troubled, that they had not come and broken it up, and taken me; but the Lord prevented them. After I had cleared myself there in the Lord’s service, I passed into LANCASHIRE, to William Barnes’s, near WARRINGTON, where met some of most of the meetings in that county; and there all the monthly meetings were established in gospel order. From thence I sent papers into WESTMORLAND by Leonard Fell and Robert Widders, and also into DURHAM, CLEVELAND, NORTHUMBERLAND, CUMBERLAND, and SCOTLAND, to exhort Friends to settle the monthly meetings in the Lord’s power in those places; which they did. So the Lord’s power came over all, and the heirs of it came to inherit it. For the authority of our meetings, is the power of God, the gospel, which brings life and immortality to light; that all may see over the devil that hath darkened them, and that all the heirs of the gospel may walk according to the gospel, and glorify God with their bodies, souls, and spirits, which are the Lord’s; for the order of the glorious gospel is not of man, nor by man. To this meeting in Lancashire, Margaret Fell, being a prisoner, got liberty to come, and went with me to Jane Milner’s in CHESHIRE, where we parted. I passed into SHROPSHIRE, and from thence into WALES, and had a large general men’s meeting at Charles Lloyd’s, where some opposers came in, but the Lord’s power brought them down.
Having gone through DENBIGHSHIRE and MONTGOMERYSHIRE we passed into MERIONETHSHIRE, where we had several blessed meetings; and then went to the sea-side, where we had a precious meeting. And Friends in these parts, being established on Christ, their foundation, and the monthly meetings settled in the power of God, we left Wales and returned into Shropshire, where the Friends of the country gathering together, the monthly meetings were established there also. Then coming into WORCESTERSHIRE, after many meetings amongst Friends in that county, we had a general men’s meeting at Henry Gibb’s house, at PASHUR, where also the monthly meetings were settled in gospel order.
The sessions were held that day in the town, and some Friends were concerned lest they should send officers to break up our meeting; but the Lord’s power restrained them, so that it was quiet; through which power we had dominion. I had several meetings amongst Friends in that county till I came to WORCESTER; and it being the fair time, we had a precious meeting there. There was then in Worcester one Major Wild, a persecuting man; and after I was gone out of town, some of his soldiers inquired after me; but having left Friends there settled in good order, we passed to DROITWICH, and thence to SHREWSBURY, where also we had a very precious meeting. The mayor hearing that I was in town, got the rest of the officers together, to consult what to do against me; for they said, “the great Quaker of England was come to town.” But when they were come together, the Lord confounded their counsels, so that, when some were for imprisoning me, others opposed it; and so being divided among themselves, I escaped their hands.
We went also into RADNORSHIRE, where we had many precious gatherings, and the monthly meetings were settled in the Lord’s power. As we came out of that county, staying a little at a market-town, a justice’s clerk and other rude fellows combined together to do us mischief on the road. They followed us out of town, and soon overtook us; but there being many market-people on the way, they were somewhat hindered from doing what they intended. Yet observing two of our company ride at some distance behind, they set upon them; and one of them drew his sword, and cut one of those two Friends, whose name was Richard Moor, Surgeon, of Shrewsbury. Meanwhile another of these rude fellows came galloping after me and the other Friend that was with me; and having to pass over a narrow bridge, in his eagerness to get before us he rode into the brook, and plunged his horse into a deep hole in the water. I saw the design, and stopped, desiring Friends to be patient, and give them no occasion. By this time Richard Moor came up to us, with the other Friend that was with him, who knew the men and their names. Then we rode on, and a little further met another man on foot much in liquor, with a naked sword in his hand. And not far beyond him we met two men and women, one of whom had his thumb cut off by the drunken man; for he, being in drink, attempted rudeness to one of the women; and this man withstanding him, and rescuing her, he drew his sword and cut off his thumb. Now this drunken man had a horse, which being loose, followed him some way behind. I rode after it, and having caught it, brought it to the man that had his thumb cut off; and bid him take the horse to the next justice of peace, by which means they might find out, and pursue the man that had wounded him.
On this occasion I wrote to the justices, and to the judge of the assize which was then at hand; and employed some Friends to carry it to the justices first. The justice to whom the clerk belonged, rebuked his clerk and the others also, for abusing us on the highway; so that they were glad to come and entreat Friends not to appear against them at the assize; which, on their submission and acknowledgment of their fault, was granted. This was of good service in the country, for it stopped many rude people, who before had been forward to abuse Friends.
We passed into HEREFORDSHIRE, where we had several blessed gatherings; and we had a general men’s meeting also, where all the monthly meetings were settled. There was about this time a proclamation against meetings; and as we came through Herefordshire, we were told of a great meeting there of the Presbyterians, who had engaged themselves to stand and give up all, rather than forsake their meetings. When they heard of this proclamation, the people came, but the priest was gone, and they were then at a loss. Then they met in Leominster privately, and provided bread, cheese, and drink in readiness, that if the officers should come, they might put up their Bibles and fall to eating. The bailiff found them out, and came in among them, and said, “their bread and cheese should not cover them, he would have their speakers.” They cried, “what then would become of their wives and children?” But he took their speakers and kept them awhile. This the bailiff told Peter Young, and said, “they were the veriest hypocrites that ever made a profession of religion.”
The like contrivance they had in other places. For there was one Pocock at London, that married Abigail Darcy, who was called a lady; and she being convinced of truth, I went to his house to see her. This Pocock had been one of the triers of the priests; and, being a high Presbyterian, and envious against us, he used to call our Friends house-creepers. He being present, she said to me, “I have something to speak to thee against my husband.” “Nay,” said I, “thou must not speak against thy husband.” “Yes,” said she, “but I must in this case. Last First-day,” said she, “he and his priests and people, the Presbyterians, met; they had candles and tobacco-pipes, bread, cheese, and cold meat on the table; and they agreed beforehand, that if the officers should come in upon them, then they would leave their preaching and praying, and fall to their cold meat.” “O,” said I to him, “is not this a shame to you, who persecuted and imprisoned us, and spoiled our goods, because we would not join you in your religion, and called us house-creepers, that now ye do not stand to your own religion yourselves? Did ye ever find our meetings stuffed with bread and cheese and tobacco-pipes? Or did you ever read in the Scriptures of any such practice among the saints?” “Why,” said the old man, “We must be as wise as serpents.” I replied, “this is the serpent’s wisdom indeed. But who would have thought that you Presbyterians and Independents, who persecuted and imprisoned others, spoiled their goods, and whipped such as would not follow your religion, should now flinch yourselves, and not dare to stand to your own religion, but cover it with tobacco-pipes, flagons of drink, cold meat, and bread and cheese!” But this, and such-like deceitful practices, I understood afterwards, were too common amongst them in times of persecution.
After we had travelled through Herefordshire, and meetings were well settled there, we passed into MONMOUTHSHIRE, where I had several blessed meetings; and at Walter Jenkins’s, who had been a justice of the peace, we had a large gathering, where some were convinced; this meeting was quiet. But to one before this, came the bailiff of the hundred, almost drunk, pretending he was to take up the speakers. There was a mighty power of God in the meeting, so that, although he raged, the power of the Lord limited him, that he could not break it up. When it was over, I stayed awhile, and he stayed also. After some time I spoke to him, and so passed quietly away. At night some rude people came, and shot off a musket against the house, but did not hurt anybody. Thus the Lord’s power came over all, and chained down the unruly spirits, so that we escaped them. We came to Ross that night, and had a meeting at James Merrick’s.
After this we came into GLOUCESTERSHIRE and had a general men’s meeting at Nathaniel Crisp’s house, where all the monthly meetings were settled in the Lord’s everlasting power; and the heirs of salvation were exhorted to take their possessions in the gospel, the power of God, which was and is the authority of their meetings. Many blessed gatherings we had up and down in that county, before we came to BRISTOL. And after several powerful meetings there, the men’s and women’s meetings were settled there also.
As I was in bed at Bristol, the word of the Lord came to me, that I must go back to London. Next morning Alexander Parker and several others came to me: I asked them, “what they felt?” They in like manner asked me, “what was upon me?” I told them, “I felt I must return to London.” They said, “the same was upon them.” So we gave up to return to London; for whatever way the Lord moved and led us, thither we went in his power. Leaving Bristol, we passed into WILTSHIRE, and established the men’s monthly meetings in the Lord’s power there; and visited Friends till we came to LONDON.
After we had visited Friends in the city, I was moved to exhort them to bring all their marriages to the men’s and women’s meetings, that they might lay them before the faithful; that care might be taken to prevent those disorders that had been committed by some. For many had married contrary to their relations’ minds; and some young, raw people that came amongst us, had mixed with the world. Widows had married without making provision for their children by their former husbands, before their second marriage. Yet I had given forth a paper concerning marriages about the year 1653, when truth was but little spread over the nation; advising Friends who might be concerned in that case, “that they might lay it before the faithful in time, before anything was concluded, and afterwards publish it in the end of a meeting, or in a market, as they were moved thereto. And when all things were found clear, they being free from all others and their relations satisfied, they might appoint a meeting on purpose for the taking of each other, in the presence of at least twelve faithful witnesses.” Yet these directions not being observed, and truth being now more spread over the nation, it was therefore ordered, by the same power and Spirit of God, “that marriages should be laid before the men’s monthly and quarterly meetings, or as the meetings were then established; that Friends might see that the relations of those that proceeded to marriage, were satisfied; that the parties were clear from all others; and that widows had made provision for their first husband’s children, before they married again; and what else was needful to be inquired into; that all things might be kept clean and pure, and be done in righteousness to the glory of God.” Afterwards it was ordered, in the same wisdom of God, “that if either of the parties, that intended to marry, came out of another nation, county, or monthly meeting, they should bring a certificate from the monthly meeting to which they belonged; for the satisfaction of the monthly meeting before which they came to lay their intentions of marriage.”[16]
These things, with many other services for God, being set in order, and settled in the churches in the city, I passed out of London, in the leadings of the Lord’s power into HERTFORDSHIRE. After I had visited Friends, and the men’s monthly meetings were settled there, I had a great meeting at BALDOCK, of many sorts of people. Then returning towards London by WALTHAM, I advised the setting up of a school there for teaching boys; and also a girls’ school at SHACKLEWELL, for instructing them in whatsoever things were civil and useful in the creation.[17]
After I had had several precious meetings in the country, I came to LONDON again, where I stayed a while in the work and service of the Lord; and then went into BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, where I had many precious meetings. At John Brown’s, of WESTON near Aylesbury, some of the men Friends of each meeting being gathered together, the men’s monthly meetings for that county were established, in the order of the gospel, the power of God; and the power of the Lord confirmed it in all that felt it, and they came thereby to see and feel, that the power of God was the authority of their meetings. Then after the monthly meetings were settled there in the order of the gospel, and upon the foundation of Christ Jesus, I went to Nathaniel Ball’s, at NORTH NEWTON near BANBURY, in Oxfordshire, who was a Friend in the ministry. And there being a general meeting, where some from all the meetings were present, the monthly meetings for that county, were then settled in the power of God; and Friends were very glad of them; for they came into their services in the church, to take care for God’s glory. After this meeting, we passed into GLOUCESTERSHIRE, visiting Friends, till we came into MONMOUTHSHIRE, to Richard Hambery’s; where meeting with some from all the meetings of that county, the monthly meetings were settled there also in the Lord’s power, that all might take care of God’s glory, and admonish and exhort such as did not walk as became the gospel. And indeed these meetings made a great reformation amongst people, insomuch that the justices took notice of their usefulness.
Richard Hambery and his wife accompanied us a day’s journey visiting Friends, till we came to a widow’s house, where we stayed that night. Thence we passed over the hills next day, visiting Friends and declaring truth to the people, till we came to another widow’s, where we had a meeting. She could not speak English, yet she praised the Lord for sending us to visit them.
We travelled till we came to SWANSEA, where on the First-day we had a large and precious meeting, the Lord’s presence being eminently amongst us. On a week day afterwards we had a general meeting beyond Swansea, of men Friends from Swansea, Tenby, Haverfordwest, and other places; and there the monthly meetings were settled in gospel order, and received by Friends in the power of the Lord; and the Lord’s truth was over all.
From hence we endeavoured to go by water into Cornwall, and returned through Swansea to MUMBLES, thinking to get passage there, but the captain deceived us; for though he had promised to carry us, yet when we came he would not. We went to another place where there was a passage-boat, into which we got our horses; but some rude men in the boat (though called gentlemen) threatened to pistol the master, if he took us in, who, being afraid of them, turned our horses out again; which put us out of hopes of getting over that way. Wherefore turning back into the country, we stayed up all night, and about two in the morning took horse, and travelled till we came near CARDIFF, where we stayed one night. The next day we came to NEWPORT; and it being market-day there, several Friends came to us with whom we sat a while; and after a refreshing season together we parted from them, and went on our way.
Beyond this market-town we overtook a man, who lingered on the way, as if he stayed for somebody; but when we came up to him, he rode along with us, and asked us many questions. At length meeting with two others, who seemed to be pages to some great persons, he made acquaintance with them, and I heard him tell them he would stop us, and take us up. We rode on; being in our way; and when he came to us, and would have stopped us, I told him, “none ought to stop us on the king’s highway, for it was as free for us as for them;” and I was moved to exhort him to fear the Lord. Then he galloped away before us; and I perceived his intent was to stop us at SHIPTON in Wales, which was a garrison town, through which we were to pass. When we were come to Shipton, John-ap-John being with me, we walked down the hill into the town leading our horses. It being the market-day there, several Friends met us, and would have had us to an inn. But we were not to go into any inn; so we walked directly through the town over the bridge, and then we were out of the limits of that town. Thus the Lord’s everlasting arm and power preserved us, and carried us on in his work and service.
The next First-day we had a large meeting in the FOREST OF DEAN; and all was quiet. Next day we passed over the water to OLVESTON; where, after we had visited Friends, we came again to William Yeoman’s house, at IRB’S COURT in Somersetshire. From thence we went to a meeting at PORTISHEAD, whither several Friends from Bristol came to us. After this we went further up into the country, and had several large meetings; and the Lord’s living presence was with us, supporting and refreshing us in our labour and travel in his service.
We came to a place near MINEHEAD, where we had a general meeting of the men Friends in Somersetshire. There came also a cheat, whom some friendly people would have had me to take along with me. I saw he was a cheat; and therefore bid them bring him to me, and see whether he could look me in the face. Some were ready to think I was too hard towards him, because I would not let him go along with me; but when they brought him to me, he was not able to look me in the face, but looked hither and thither; for he was indeed a cheat, and had cheated a priest by pretending to be a minister; he had got the priest’s suit and went away with it.
After the meeting we passed to MINEHEAD, where we tarried. In the night I had an exercise upon me, from a sense of a dark spirit, working and striving to get up to disturb the church of Christ. Next morning I was moved to write a few lines to Friends as a warning thereof, as follows:—
“DEAR FRIENDS,
“Live in the power of the Lord God, in his Seed that is set over all, and is over all trials that you may have with the dark spirit, which would be owned in its actings, and thrust itself amongst you; which is not come as yet: but in the power of the Lord God, and his Seed, keep over it, and bring it to condemnation. For I felt a kind of dark spirit thrusting itself up towards you, and heaving up last night; but you may keep it down with the power of God, that the witness may arise to condemn its actings, so far as it hath spread its dark works, before it have any admittance. So no more, but my love in the Seed of God, which changeth not.”
G.F.
Minehead in Somersetshire, 22nd of 4th Month, 1668.
Next day several Friends of Minehead accompanied us as far as BARNSTAPLE and APPLEDORE in DEVONSHIRE, where we had a meeting. Barnstaple had been a bloody, persecuting town. There were two men Friends of that place, who had been a great while at sea; and coming home to visit their relations, one of them having a wife and children, the mayor of the town sent for them, under pretence to converse with them; and he put the oaths of allegiance and supremacy to them. Because they could not swear, he sent them to Exeter jail, where Judge Archer premunired them, and kept them till one of them died in prison. When I heard of this, I was moved to write a letter to Judge Archer, and another to the mayor of Barnstaple, laying their wicked and unchristian actions upon their heads, and letting them know, “that the blood of that man would be required at their hands.”
After a precious meeting at Appledore among some faithful Friends there, we passed to STRATTON, and stayed at an inn all night. Next day we rode to Humphrey Lower’s, where we had a very precious meeting; and next day to TRURO; visiting Friends till we came to the LAND’S-END. Then coming up by the south part of that county, we visited Friends till we came to TREGANGEEVES, where at Loveday Hambley’s we had a general meeting for all the county; in which the monthly meetings were settled in the Lord’s power, and in the blessed order of the gospel; that all who were faithful might admonish and exhort such as walked not according to the gospel; that so the house of God might be kept clean, and righteousness might run down, and all unrighteousness be swept away. Several that had run out, were brought to condemn what they had done amiss; and through repentance came in again.
Being clear of the county of CORNWALL, we came into DEVONSHIRE, and had a meeting amongst Friends at PLYMOUTH. Whence passing to Richard Brown’s, we came to the widow Phillips’s, where we had some men Friends from all the meetings together; and there the men’s monthly meetings were settled in the heavenly order of the gospel, the power of God; which answered the witness of God in all. There was a great noise of a troop of horse coming to disturb our meeting; but the Lord’s power prevented it, and preserved us in peace and safety.
After things were well settled, and the meeting over, we came to KINGSBRIDGE, and visited Friends there. Then leaving Friends in those parts well settled in the power of God, we passed to TOPSHAM, and MEMBURY, visiting Friends, and having many meetings in the way, till we came to ILCHESTER in SOMERSETSHIRE. Here we had a general men’s meeting, and therein settled the men’s monthly meetings for that county in the Lord’s everlasting power; and Friends being refreshed and comforted in the Lord’s power, and established upon Christ, their rock and foundation, we passed to PUDDIMORE; where, at William Beaton’s, we had a blessed meeting, and all was quiet; though the constables had threatened before.
When we had visited most of the meetings in Somersetshire, we passed into DORSETSHIRE to George Harris’s house, where we had a large men’s meeting. There all the men’s monthly meetings for that county were settled in the glorious order of the gospel, that all in the power of God might “seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away; cherish the good, and reprove the evil.”
Then we came to SOUTHAMPTON, where we had a large meeting on First-day. Thence we went to Captain Reeves’s, where the general men’s meeting for Hampshire was appointed; to which some of all the county came, and a blessed time we had. There the men’s monthly meetings for that county were settled in the order of the gospel, which had brought life and immortality to light in them. But there came a rude company of Ranters, who had opposed and disturbed our meetings much. One of the women had lain with a man, who declared it at the market-cross, and gloried in his wickedness. A company of these lewd people lived together at a house hard by the place where our meeting was. I went to it, and told them of their wickedness. The man of the house said, “Why! did I make so strange of that?” Another of them said, “It was to stumble me.” I told them, “their wickedness should not stumble me, for I was above it.” And I was moved of the Lord to tell them, “that the plagues and judgments of God would overtake them, and come upon them.” Afterwards they went up and down the country, till at last they were cast into Winchester jail, where the man that had lain with the woman stabbed the jailer, but not mortally. And after they were let out of jail, this fellow that had stabbed the jailer hung himself; the woman had like to have cut a child’s throat, as we were informed. These people had formerly lived about London; and when the city was fired, they prophesied, “that all the rest of London should be burnt within fourteen days,” and hastened out of town. Though they were Ranters, great opposers of Friends, and disturbers of our meetings, yet in the country where they came, some people that did not know them, would be apt to say they were Quakers. Wherefore I was moved of the Lord to write a paper, to be dispersed among the magistrates and people of Hampshire, to clear Friends and truth of these lewd people and their wicked actions.
After the men’s monthly meetings in those parts were settled, and the Lord’s blessed power was over all, we went to a town where we had a meeting with Friends. Thence we came to Farnham, where we met many Friends, it being the market-day. We had many precious meetings up and down that country. Friends in those parts had formerly been plundered, and their goods much spoiled, both for tithes, and for going to meetings; but the Lord’s power at this time preserved both them and us from falling into the persecutor’s hands.
We passed thence, and had a general men’s meeting at a Friend’s house in SURREY, who had been plundered so extremely, that he had scarcely a cow, horse, or swine left. The constables threatened to come and break up our meeting, but the Lord restrained them. At this meeting the men’s monthly meetings were settled in the authority of the heavenly power. After we had visited Friends in that county, and had many large and precious gatherings, we passed to a Friend’s house in SUSSEX, where the general meeting for the men Friends of that county was appointed to be held; and thither came several Friends from London to visit us. We had a blessed meeting; and the men’s monthly meetings for that county were then settled in the Lord’s eternal power. There were at that time great threatenings of disturbance; but the meeting was quiet. We had several large meetings in that county, though Friends were then in great sufferings there, and many in prison. I was sent for to visit a Friend that was sick, and went to see those that were prisoners. There was danger of my being apprehended; but I went in the faith of God’s power, and thereby the Lord preserved me in safety.
Having visited Friends through the country, we passed into Kent, where, after we had been at several meetings, we had a general meeting for the men Friends of that county. There also the men’s monthly meetings for that county were settled in the power of God, and established in the order of the gospel, for all the heirs of it to enter into their services, and care in the church for the glory of God. Friends rejoiced in the order of the gospel, and were glad of the settlement thereof, which is not of man nor by man. After this I visited Friends in their meetings in KENT; and when I had cleared myself of the Lord’s service in that county, I came up to LONDON.
Thus were the men’s monthly meetings settled through the nation; for I had been in Berkshire before, where most of the ancient Friends of that county were in prison; and when I had informed them of the service of these monthly meetings, they were settled amongst them also. The quarterly meetings were generally settled before. I wrote also into Ireland by faithful Friends, and into Scotland, Holland, Barbadoes, and several parts of America, advising Friends to settle their men’s monthly meetings in those countries. For they had their general quarterly meetings before; but now that truth was increased amongst them, they should settle those men’s monthly meetings in the power and Spirit of God, that first convinced them.
Since these meetings have been settled, and all the faithful in the power of God, who are heirs of the gospel, have met together in the power of God, which is the authority of them, to perform service to the Lord therein, many mouths have been opened in thanksgivings and praise, and many have blessed the Lord God, that ever he sent me forth in this service; yea, with tears have many praised the Lord. For now all coming to have a concern and care for God’s honour and glory, that his name be not blasphemed, which they profess; and to see that all who profess the truth, walk in the truth, in righteousness, and in holiness, which becomes the house of God, and that all order their conversation aright, that they may see the salvation of God; all having this care upon them for God’s glory, and being exercised in his holy Power and Spirit, in the order of the heavenly life and gospel of Jesus, they may all see and know, possess and partake of, the government of Christ, of the increase of which there is to be no end. Thus the Lord’s everlasting renown and praise are set up in every one’s heart that is faithful; so that we can say, the gospel order established amongst us, is not of man, nor by man, but of and by Jesus Christ, in and through the Holy Ghost. This order of the gospel, which is not of man, nor by man, but from Christ, the heavenly man, is above all the orders of men in the fall, whether Jews, Gentiles, or apostatized Christians, and will remain when they are gone. For the power of God, which is the everlasting gospel, was before the devil was, and will be and remain for ever.
And as the everlasting gospel was preached in the apostles’ days to all nations, that all nations might come into the order of it, through the divine power, which brings life and immortality to light, that they who are heirs of it, might inherit the power and authority of it; so now, since all nations have drunk the whore’s cup, and all the world hath worshipped the beast (but they whose names are written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, who have worshipped God in Spirit and in truth, as Christ commanded), the everlasting gospel is to be, and is, preached again, as John the divine foresaw it should, to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people. This everlasting gospel torments the whore, and makes her and the beast to rage, even the beast that hath power over the tongues, which are called the original, to order them, by which they make divines, as they call them. But all that receive the gospel, the power of God, which brings life and immortality to light, come to see over the beast, devil, whore, and false prophet, that darkened them and all their worships and orders, and come to be heirs of the gospel, the power of God, which was before the beast, whore, false prophet, and devil were, and will be, when they are all gone and cast into the lake of fire. And they that are heirs of this power and of this gospel, inherit the power which is the authority of this order, and of our meetings. These come to possess the joyful order of the joyful gospel, the comfortable order of the comfortable gospel, the glorious order of the glorious gospel, and the everlasting order of the everlasting gospel, the power of God, which will last for ever, and will out-last all the orders of the devil, and that which is of men or by men. These shall see the government of Christ, who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him; and of the increase of his glorious, righteous, holy, just government, there is no end; but his government and his order will remain; for he who is the author of it, is the first and the last, the beginning and ending, the foundation of God, which over all stands sure, Christ Jesus, the Amen.
Being returned to LONDON, I stayed some time there, visiting Friends’ meetings in and about the city. While I was in London, I went one day to visit Esquire Marsh, who had showed much kindness both to me and to Friends; I happened to go when he was at dinner. He no sooner heard my name, than he sent for me up, and would have had me sit down with him to dinner; but I had not freedom to do so. Several great persons were at dinner with him; and he said to one of them who was a great Papist, “Here is a Quaker, whom you have not seen before.” The Papist asked me, “whether I owned the christening of children?” I told him, “there was no Scripture for any such practice.” “What,” said he, “not for christening children?” I said, “nay.” I told him, “the one baptism by the one Spirit into one body we owned; but to throw a little water on a child’s face, and say that was baptizing and christening it, there was no Scripture for that.” Then he asked me, “whether I owned the Catholic faith,” I said, “yes,” but added, that “neither the Pope nor the Papists were in that Catholic faith; for the true faith works by love, and purifies the heart, and if they were in that faith that gives victory, by which they might have access to God, they would not tell the people of a purgatory after they were dead.” So I undertook to prove that “neither Pope nor Papists that held a purgatory hereafter, were in the true faith; for the true, precious, divine faith, which Christ is the author of, gives victory over the devil and sin, that had separated man and woman from God. And if they, the Papists, were in the true faith, they would never use racks, prisons, and fines, to persecute and force others to their religion, that were not of their faith. This was not the practice of the apostles and primitive Christians, who witnessed and enjoyed the true faith of Christ; but it was the practice of the faithless Jews and Heathens so to do.
“But,” said I, “seeing thou art a great and leading man among the Papists, and hast been taught and bred up under the Pope, and seeing thou sayest, ‘there is no salvation but in your church,’ I desire to know of thee, what it is that doth bring salvation in your church?” He answered, “a good life.” “And nothing else?” said I. “Yes,” he said, “good works.” “And is this it that brings salvation in your church, a good life and good works? Is this your doctrine and principle?” said I. “Yes,” said he. “Then,” said I, “neither thou, nor the Pope, nor any of the Papists know what it is that brings salvation.” Then he asked me, what brought salvation in our church? I told him, “that which brought salvation to the church in the apostles’ days, the same brought salvation to us, and not another; namely, ‘the Grace of God,’ which, the Scripture says, brings salvation, and hath appeared to all men, which taught the saints then, and teaches us now. This Grace which brings salvation, teaches to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly. So it is not the good works nor the good life that brings salvation, but the Grace.” “What!” said the Papist, “doth this Grace that brings salvation, appear unto all men?” “Yes,” said I. “Then,” said he, “I deny that.” I replied, “all that deny that, are sect-makers, and are not in the universal faith, grace, and truth, which the apostles were in.”
Then he spoke to me about the mother church. I told him, “the several sects in Christendom had accused us, and said, ‘we forsook our mother-church.’ The Papists charged us with forsaking their church, saying, ‘Rome was the only mother-church.’ The Episcopalians taxed us with forsaking the old Protestant religion, alleging, ‘theirs was the reformed mother-church.’ The Presbyterians and Independents blamed us for leaving them, each of them pretending, ‘theirs was the right reformed church.’” But, I said “if we could own any outward city or place to be the mother-church, we should own Jerusalem, where the gospel was first preached by Christ himself and his apostles, where Christ suffered, where the great conversion to Christianity by Peter was, where were the types, figures, and shadows, which Christ ended, and where Christ commanded his disciples to ‘wait until they were endued with power from on high.’ If any outward place deserved to be called the mother, that was the place where the first great conversion to Christianity was. But the apostle saith, Gal. iv. 25-27, ‘Jerusalem, which now is, is in bondage with her children; but Jerusalem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all.’ For it is written, ‘Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.’ The apostle does not say, outward Jerusalem was the mother, though the first and great conversion to Christianity was there. And there is less reason for the title [mother] to be given to Rome, or to any other outward place or city, by the children of Jerusalem, that is above and free; neither are they Jerusalem’s children, that is above and free, who give the title of mother either to outward Jerusalem, to Rome, or to any other place or sect of people. And though this title [mother] hath been given to places and sects amongst and by the degenerate Christians, yet still we say, as the apostle said of old, ‘Jerusalem that is above, is the mother of us all.’ And we can own no other, neither outward Jerusalem nor Rome, nor any sect of people for our mother, but Jerusalem which is above, which is free, the mother of all that are born again, and are become true believers in the light, grafted in Christ, the heavenly Vine. For all who are born again of the immortal Seed, by the Word of God, which lives and abides for ever, feed upon the milk of the Word, the breasts of life, and grow by it in life, and cannot acknowledge any other to be their mother but Jerusalem which is above.” “O,” said Esquire Marsh to the Papist, “You do not know this man, if he would but come to church now and then, he would be a brave man.”
After some other discourse, I went aside with Justice Marsh into another room, to speak with him concerning Friends; for he was a justice of peace for Middlesex, and being a courtier, the other justices put much of the management of affairs upon him. He told me “he was in a strait how to act between us and some other Dissenters. For,” said he, “you cannot swear, and the Independents, Baptists, and Fifth-monarchy people say also they cannot swear; therefore,” said he, “how shall I know how to distinguish betwixt you and them, seeing they and you all say it is for conscience’ sake that you cannot swear?” I answered “I will show thee how to distinguish. They, or most of them, thou speakest of, can and do swear in some cases, but we cannot swear in any case. If a man should steal their cows and horses, and thou shouldst ask them whether they would swear they were theirs; many of them would readily do it. But if thou try our Friends, they cannot swear for their own goods. Therefore, when thou puttest the oath of allegiance to any of them, ask them, ‘whether they can swear in any other case, as for their cow or horse;’ which, if they be really of us, they cannot do, though they can bear witness to the truth.” Hereupon I gave him a relation of a trial in Berkshire, which was thus: A thief stole two beasts from a Friend of ours, the thief was taken and cast into prison, and the Friend appeared against him at the assizes. But somebody having informed the judge, that the prosecutor was a Quaker, and could not swear, the judge, before he heard what the Friend could say, said, “Is he a Quaker? and will he not swear? Then tender him the oaths of allegiance and supremacy.” So he cast the Friend into prison, and premunired him, and set the thief at liberty that had stolen his goods. Justice Marsh, said, “that judge was a wicked man.” “But,” said I, “if we could swear in any case, we would take the oath of allegiance to the king, who is to preserve the laws that are to support every man in his estate. Whereas others, that can swear in some cases to preserve a part of their estates, if they be robbed, will not take this oath to the king, who is to preserve them in their whole estates and bodies also. So that thou mayest easily distinguish, and put a difference between us and those people.” Justice Marsh was afterwards very serviceable to Friends in this and other cases; for he kept several, both Friends and others, from being premunired. When Friends were brought before him in time of persecution, he set many of them at liberty; and when he could not avoid sending to prison, he sent some for a few hours, or for a night. At length he went to the king, and told him, “he had sent some of us to prison contrary to his conscience, and he could not do so any more.” Wherefore he removed his family from Limehouse, where he lived, and took lodgings near St. James’s Park. He told the king that “if he would be pleased to give liberty of conscience, that would quiet and settle all; for then none could have any pretence to be uneasy.” And indeed he was a very serviceable man to truth and Friends in his day.
We had great service at London this year; the Lord’s truth came over all, and many that had gone out from truth came in again, confessing and condemning their outgoings. After I had stayed some time in London, I visited Friends in SURREY and SUSSEX, and in other places that way, and afterwards travelled northward, having Leonard Fell with me. We visited Friends till we came to WARWICK, where many were in prison; and we had a meeting in the town. I passed thence to BIRMINGHAM and BADDESLEY. At Baddesley I had a large meeting; after which I came to NOTTINGHAM, where on First-day we had a precious meeting, but not without danger of being apprehended, the constables having threatened to take up Friends.
I passed thence, visiting Friends, till I came to BALBY, and so to YORK, to the quarterly meeting; and a blessed time we had. Friends in Yorkshire had seven monthly meetings before; and they were so sensible of the service of them, that they desired to have seven more added to them, for truth was much spread in that county. So they were established; and now they have fourteen monthly meetings in that county.[18]
It being the assizes at York, I met with Justice Hotham, a well-wisher to Friends, who had been tender, and very kind to me from the first.
After I had finished my service for the Lord in York, I passed into the country. As I went a great burthen fell upon me, but I did not presently know the reason of it. I came to a meeting on First-day at Richard Shipton’s, which was very large, but there being one the same day at another place also, the priest of that place, being misinformed that I was to be there, got a warrant, and made great disturbance at that meeting; of which Isaac Lindley, who was there, gave me an account in the following letter:—
G.F.
“When thou went from York, the First-day after thou wast at Richard Shipton’s, that day I had appointed a meeting ten miles from York, where there had not been one before. But the priest and the constable got a warrant on the seventh day, and put thy name only in the warrant, for they had heard that thou wast to be there. They came with weapons and staves, and cried, ‘Where is Mr. Fox?’ over and over; many Friends being there, they concluded thou wast among them. But those raveners, being disappointed, plucked me down and abused me, and beat some Friends, and then took me before a magistrate, but he set me at liberty.”
ISAAC LINDLEY.
Then I visited Friends at WHITBY and SCARBRO’. When at Scarbro’, the governor hearing I was come, sent to invite me to his house, saying, “surely I would not be so unkind as not to come and see him and his wife.” After the meeting I went up to visit him, and he received me very courteously and lovingly.
Having visited most of the meetings in Yorkshire, the WOLDS, and HOLDERNESS, I came to Henry Jackson’s, where I had a great meeting. Thence to Thomas Taylor’s, and so to John Moor’s at ELDRETH, where we had a very large meeting; the Lord’s power and presence were eminently amongst us. Not far from this place lay Colonel Kirby, lame of the gout, who had threatened that “if ever I came near he would send me to prison again; and had bid forty pounds to any man that could take me;” as I was credibly informed.
After this I came into STAFFORDSHIRE, and CHESHIRE, where we had many large and precious meetings. I had a very large one at William Barnes’s house, about two miles from WARRINGTON; and though Colonel Kirby was out again, as violent in breaking up meetings as before, and was then at Warrington, the Lord did not suffer him to come to this meeting; and so we were preserved out of his hands.
-----
Footnote 14:
For some very interesting particulars respecting the setting up of Monthly and other disciplinary Meetings and their object, see Letters of Early Friends, pp. 288-292.
Footnote 15:
The William Smith mentioned here was originally pastor of an Independent congregation, living after the strictest manner of that people. He was convinced about the year 1658, and became a faithful labourer in the gospel. Many were turned to God by him, for he proved himself a minister of Jesus Christ, in labours, in travails, in watchings, necessities, and distresses, suffering much loss of goods and long and tedious imprisonments. For not paying tithes he was imprisoned twenty-one weeks among felons in Nottingham jail; and another time had the value of £42 taken from him, whilst he was in prison, for £7 demanded by the priest of Elton.
In the times of his frequent imprisonments, William Smith wrote several books, which were printed together in a folio volume in 1675, entitled Balm from Gilead, &c. When at liberty he travelled abroad strengthening the brethren, and though often visited by sickness, he was kept in patience and content, much of the power and presence of God appearing in him many times when he was in great weakness of body, to the admiration of beholders. During his last sickness, one evening, many Friends being in the room sitting in silence, he turned in his bed towards them, and plentifully declared of the love of God, by which they were much refreshed and tendered. He also testified of a large portion which he had in life eternal. Then he spoke to Friends “to be mindful of truth, and of their service therein, more than of their daily food; and so committed them to the grace of God.” The day before he died he called his children (six or seven), and tenderly exhorted them “to keep in the fear of God, and to love the truth, and God would be a father and portion to them.”
Footnote 16:
Some interesting documents, exhibiting the early care of the Society with regard to marriages, may be referred to in Letters, &c., of Early Friends, p. 259, 279, 283, &c. So early as 1659, at a meeting of Friends from four counties, an Epistle of Counsel and Advice was issued on this, and other subjects; recommending “that no marriage take place hastily or rashly; but in the fear of the Lord, and in the presence of many witnesses, according to Scripture example; that so no scandal or blemish may be laid upon the truth, but that all may be brought to the light; that a record in writing of the day, place, and year, be kept within the meeting where a marriage occurs, of which one or both are members; under which the witnesses may set their names.”
Footnote 17:
In the establishment of the schools at Waltham and at Shacklewell, at the suggestion of George Fox, we have evidence of his desire that a useful education should be imparted to youth. It is an error to suppose the early Friends depreciated human learning, and they must be exonerated from any such charge. They exhibited in their own persons, the practicability of the union of knowledge and virtue. While they were, many of them, eminent for their learning, they were distinguished for the piety of their lives. They were indeed the friends of both, but did not patronise the one to the prejudice and expulsion of the other. They always maintained (as Friends continue to do) that learning is not necessary to make a gospel minister, and here it is that many have mistaken their meaning.
Barclay, in his celebrated Apology, nowhere condemns the propriety, or usefulness of human learning, or denies it to be promotive of the temporal comforts of man. He says the knowledge of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, or of Logic and Philosophy, of Ethics or of Physics and Metaphysics, is not necessary. But mark his meaning. Not necessary to make a minister of the gospel. But where does he say that knowledge, which he himself possessed to such a considerable extent, was not necessary; or that it did not contribute to the innocent pleasures of life? What would have been the character of his own book, or what would have been its comparative value and usefulness, had he not been able to quote so many authors to his purpose in their original texts, or to have detected so many classical errors, introduced such apposite history, or to have drawn up his propositions with so much logical and mathematical clearness and precision; if he had not been among the first literary characters of his day?
William Penn was equally celebrated with Barclay as a scholar. His works afford abundant proof of his erudition, and of the high cultivation of his mind. Like the rest of his associates, he was no advocate for learning as a qualification for a minister of the gospel; but he was yet a friend to it, on the principle that it enlarged the understanding, and that it added to the innocent pleasures of the mind. He entreated his wife, in the beautiful letter he left her before he embarked on his first voyage to America, “not to be sparing of expense in procuring learning for his children; for that by such parsimony, all was lost that was saved.” And he recommended also, in the same letter, a mathematical and philosophical education.
Penn’s Secretary, James Logan, was also a patron of learning among the early Friends. He was a correspondent of Sir Hans Sloane and other literati of Europe, a contributor to Philosophical Transactions, and bequeathed his library, of 3000 vols. on arts and sciences in various languages, to the city of Philadelphia, with an endowment to preserve it for public use.
Thomas Ellwood, the companion of Milton, was so sensible of the disadvantages arising from a want of knowledge, that he revived his learning with great industry after he had become a Friend. “I mentioned before,” says he in his Journal, “that when I was a boy I made some progress in learning, and that I lost it all again before I came to be a man. Nor was I rightly sensible of my loss therein, till I came amongst Friends. But there I both saw my loss and lamented it, and applied myself with the utmost diligence at all leisure times to recover it. So false I found that charge to be, which in those times was cast as a reproach on the Society, that they despised and decried all human learning, because they denied it to be essentially necessary to a gospel ministry, which was one of the controversies of those times.” Ellwood’s friend, Isaac Penington, assisted him in this matter, and through his influence with Dr. Paget, procured him the means of improvement in becoming a reader to Milton.
Footnote 18:
The fourteen monthly meetings mentioned above as settled in Yorkshire so early as 1669, were York, Balby, Pontefract, Brighouse, Knaresbro’, Settle, Malton, Thirsk, Richmond, Guisbro’, Scarbro’, Kelk, Oustwick, and Elloughton.
Chapter III
1669-1671.—George Fox sails for Ireland in company with several other Friends—he there sends a challenge to the Popish priests to try their God, which is not accepted—he contrasts them with Baal’s priests—the authorities of Cork threaten him, and issue warrants for his apprehension—he rides publicly through the city, and is seen by the mayor but not molested—writes to Friends in the ministry there—discourses with professors on election and reprobation—returns to England—a report is spread that George Fox is turned Presbyterian, through a trick to obtain a congregation for John Fox, the Presbyterian, which however turns to the advantage of Friends—George Fox is married to Margaret Fell at Bristol—writes to the quarterly meetings about putting children apprentices—Margaret Fox is cast into prison—two of her daughters go to the king, and obtain a promise of their mother’s liberty—on the passing of the Conventicle Act, George Fox writes a declaration against seditious conventicles—writes to Friends to strengthen them in their trials—is apprehended at a meeting at Gracechurch Street—taken before the mayor, who discourses with him and sets him at liberty—visits Friends in Reading jail—undergoes great travail of spirit, loses his sight and hearing, and becomes as a sign—persecution becoming hot, some meeting-houses are pulled down, and Friends are much abused—George Fox endures great mental conflict—the faithfulness of Friends is said by some professors to have preserved the nation from debauchery—George Fox writes an encouraging letter to Friends—as persecution abates he recovers—writes a warning to the rulers of the nation—recommends certain regulations respecting marriage—writes a prayer.
Now was I moved of the Lord to go over into IRELAND to visit the seed of God in that nation. There went with me Robert Lodge, James Lancaster, Thomas Briggs, and John Stubbs. We waited near Liverpool for shipping and wind. After waiting some days, we sent James Lancaster to take passage, which he did, and brought word the ship was ready, and would take us in at Black Rock. We went thither on foot; and it being some distance, and the weather very hot, I was much spent with walking. When we arrived, the ship was not there; so we were obliged to go to the town, and take shipping. When we were on board, I said to the rest of my company, “Come, ye will triumph in the Lord, for we shall have fair wind and weather.” Many passengers in the ship were sick, but not one of our company. The captain and many of the passengers were very loving; and we being at sea on the first day of the week, I was moved to declare truth among them; whereupon the captain said to the passengers, “Here are things that you never heard in your lives.”
When we came before DUBLIN, we took boat and went ashore; and the earth and air smelt, methought, of the corruption of the nation, so that it yielded another smell to me than England did; which I imputed to the Popish massacres that had been committed, and the blood that had been spilt in it, from which a foulness ascended. We passed through among the officers of the customs four times, yet they did not search us; for they perceived what we were: some of them were so envious they did not care to look at us. We did not soon find Friends; but went to an inn, and sent out to inquire for some; who when they came to us were exceedingly glad of our coming, and received us with great joy. We stayed there the weekly meeting, which was a large one, and the power and life of God appeared greatly in it. Afterwards we passed to a province meeting, which lasted two days, there being one about the poor, and another meeting more general; in which a mighty power of the Lord appeared. Truth was livingly declared, and Friends were much refreshed therein.
Passing thence about four and twenty miles, we came to another place, where we had a very good refreshing meeting, but after it, some Papists that were there were angry, and raged very much. When I heard of it, I sent for one of them, who was a schoolmaster; but he would not come. Whereupon I sent a challenge to him, with all the friars and monks, priests and Jesuits, to come forth, and “try their God and their Christ, which they had made of bread and wine,” but no answer could I get from them. Wherefore I told them, “they were worse than the priests of Baal; for Baal’s priests tried their wooden god, but these durst not try their god of bread and wine; and Baal’s priests and people did not eat their god as these did, and then make another.”
We went to NEW GARDEN, where there was a great meeting. Thence we travelled on among Friends, till we came to BANDON BRIDGE and the LAND’S END, having many meetings as we went, in which the mighty power of the Lord was manifested, Friends were well refreshed, and many people were affected with the truth. At Bandon, the Mayor’s wife being herself convinced, desired her husband to come to the meeting; but he bid her, for her life, not to make known that I was at a meeting there.
He that was then Mayor of CORK was very envious against truth and Friends, and had many Friends in prison; and knowing that I was in the country, he had issued four warrants to take me; wherefore Friends were desirous that I might not ride through Cork. But being at Bandon, there appeared to me, in a vision, “a very ugly visaged man, of a black and dark look: my spirit struck at him in the power of God; and it seemed to me, that I rode over him with my horse, and my horse set his foot on the side of his face.” When I came down in the morning, I told a Friend that was with me, that the command of the Lord was to me to ride through Cork; but bade him tell no man. So we took horse, many Friends being with me; and when we came near the town, they would have showed me a way on the backside of the town; but I told them, my way was through the streets. Wherefore taking one of them along with me, whose name was Paul Morrice, to guide me through the town, I rode on; and as we rode through the market-place, and by the mayor’s door, he seeing me ride by, said, “there goes George Fox;” but he had not power to stop me. When we had passed through the sentinels, and were come over the bridge, we went to a Friend’s house and alighted. There the Friends told me what a rage was in the town, and how many warrants were granted to take me. While I was sitting there with Friends, I felt the evil spirit at work in the town, stirring up mischief against me; and I felt the power of the Lord strike at that evil spirit. By and by some other Friends coming in, told me, that it was over the town, and amongst the magistrates, that I was in the town. I said, “let the devil do his worst.” After a while, and Friends were refreshed one in another, and we travellers had refreshed ourselves, I called for my horse, and having a Friend to guide me, we went on our way. But great was the rage, that the mayor and others of Cork were in, that they had missed me; and great pains they afterwards took to take me, having their scouts abroad upon the roads, as I understood, to observe which way I went. Afterwards there was scarcely a public meeting I came to, but spies came to watch if I were there. And the envious magistrates and priests sent informations one to another concerning me, describing me by my hair, hat, clothes, and horse, so that when I was near a hundred miles from Cork, they had an account concerning me, and description of me, before I came amongst them.
One very envious magistrate, who was both a priest and a justice, got a warrant from the judge of the assize to apprehend me; which warrant was to go over all his circuit, which reached near a hundred miles. Yet the Lord disappointed all their counsels, and defeated all their designs against me; by his good hand of Providence preserved me out of all their snares, and gave us many sweet and blessed opportunities to visit Friends, and spread truth through that nation. For meetings were very large, Friends coming to them far and near; and other people flocking in. The powerful presence of the Lord was preciously felt with and amongst us; whereby many of the world were reached, convinced, and gathered to the truth; the Lord’s flock was increased, and Friends were greatly refreshed and comforted in feeling the love of God. O, the brokenness that was amongst them in the flowings of life! So that, in the power and Spirit of the Lord, many together broke out into singing, even with audible voices, making melody in their hearts.
At which time I was moved to declare as follows:—
To Friends in the Ministry.
“Sound, sound abroad, ye faithful servants of the Lord, and witnesses in his name, ye prophets of the Highest, and angels of the Lord! Sound ye all abroad in the world, to the awakening and raising of the dead, that they may be awakened, and raised up out of the grave, to hear the voice that is living. For the dead have long heard the dead, the blind have long wandered among the blind, and the deaf amongst the deaf. Therefore sound, ye servants, prophets, and angels of the Lord, ye trumpets of the Lord, that you may awaken the dead, and them that are asleep in their graves of sin, death and hell, sea and earth, and who lie in the tombs. Sound abroad, ye trumpets, and raise up the dead, that they may hear the voice of the Son of God, of the second Adam that never fell; the voice of the Light, and of the Life; the voice of the Power, and the voice of Truth; the voice of the Righteous, and of the Just. Sound ye the trumpets, the melodious sound abroad, that all the deaf ears may be opened to hear the pleasant sound of the trumpet to judgment and life, to condemnation and light.
“Sound your trumpets all abroad, ye angels of the Lord, sons and daughters, prophets of the Highest, that all who are dead and asleep in the graves—who have been long dreaming and slumbering, may be awakened, and hear the voice of the Lamb;—that all who have long heard the voice of the beast, may now hear the voice of the Bridegroom and the voice of the Bride;—that they may now hear the voice of the great Prophet and King—the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls. Sound, sound it all abroad, ye trumpets, among the dead in Adam; for Christ is come, the second Adam, that they might have life, yea have it abundantly. Awaken the dead, awaken the slumberers, the dreamers, them that are asleep, awaken them out of their graves, out of their tombs, out of their sepulchres, out of the seas! Sound abroad, ye trumpets that awaken the dead, that they may all hear the sound of it in the graves, and they that hear may live, and come to the Life, that is, the Son of God. He is risen from the dead; the grave could not hold nor contain him, neither could all the watchers of the earth, with all their guards, keep him therein. Sound, ye trumpets of the Lord, to all the seekers of the living among the dead, that he is risen from the dead; to all the seekers of the living among the dead, and in the graves that the watchers keep; he is not in the grave, he is risen; there is that under the grave of the watchers of the outward grave, which must be awakened and come to hear His voice, who is risen from the dead, that they may come to live. Therefore sound abroad, ye trumpets of the Lord, that the grave may give up her dead, and hell and the sea give up their dead; that all may come forth to judgment, to the judgment of the Lord before his throne, and have their sentence and reward according to their works.”
G. F.
To James Hutchinson’s in Ireland came many great persons, desiring to discourse with me about election and reprobation. I told them, “though they judged our principle foolish, it was too high for them, they could not with their wisdom comprehend it; therefore I would discourse with them according to their capacities. You say (said I), that God hath ordained the greatest part of men for hell, and that they were ordained so before the world began; for which your proof is in Jude. You say Esau was reprobated, and the Egyptians, and the stock of Ham. But Christ saith to his disciples, ‘Go, teach all nations,’ and ‘go into all nations and preach the gospel of life and salvation.’ Now, if they were to go to all nations, were they not to go to Ham’s stock and Esau’s stock; did not Christ die for all? then for the stock of Ham, of Esau, and the Egyptians. Doth not the Scripture say, ‘God would have all men to be saved?’ Mark, all men, then the stock of Esau and of Ham also. Doth not God say, ‘Egypt, my people?’ and that he would have an altar in Egypt? Isa. xix. Were there not many Christians formerly in Egypt? And doth not history say, that the Bishop of Alexandria would formerly have been Pope? And had not God a church in Babylon? I confess, ‘the word came to Jacob, and the statutes of Israel; the like was not to other nations.’ For the law of God was given to Israel; but the gospel was to be preached to all nations, and is to be preached. The gospel of peace and glad tidings is to all nations, ‘he that believes, is saved; but he that doth not believe, is condemned already;’ so the condemnation comes through unbelief. And whereas Jude speaks of some, that were of old ordained (or written of before) to condemnation, he doth not say, before the world began; but, ‘written of old,’ which may be referred to Moses’s writings, who wrote of those whom Jude mentions, namely, Cain, Korah, Balaam, and the angels that kept not their first estate. And such Christians as followed them in their way, and apostatized from the first state of Christianity, were and are ordained for condemnation by the light and truth, which they are gone from. And though the apostle speaks of God’s loving Jacob and hating Esau; yet he tells the believers, ‘we all were by nature children of wrath as well as others.’ This includes the stock of Jacob, of which the apostle himself and all believing Jews were. Thus both Jews and Gentiles were all concluded under sin, and so under condemnation, that God might have mercy upon all, through Jesus Christ. The election and choice stands in Christ; and ‘he that believes, is saved; and he that believes not, is condemned already.’ Jacob typifies the second birth, which God loved; and both Jews and Gentiles must be born again, before they can enter the kingdom of God. When you are born again, ye will know election and reprobation; for the election stands in Christ, the Seed, before the world began; but the reprobation lies in the evil seed, since the world began.” After this manner, but somewhat more largely, I discoursed with those great persons on this matter, and they confessed they had never heard so much before.
After I had travelled over Ireland, and had visited Friends in their meetings, as well for business as for worship, and had answered several papers and writings from monks, friars, and Protestant priests (for they all were in a rage against us, and endeavoured to stop the work of the Lord; and some Jesuits swore in the hearing of some of us, that we came to spread our principles in that nation, but we should not do it,) I returned to DUBLIN to take passage for England. When I had stayed the First-day meeting there (which was very large and precious,) a ship being ready and the wind serving, we took our leave of Friends, parting in much tenderness and brokenness, in the sense of the heavenly life and power, manifested amongst us. So having put our horses and necessaries on board in the morning, we went ourselves in the afternoon, many Friends accompanying us to the ship; and divers, both Friends and friendly people, came after us in boats when we were near a league at sea, their love drawing them, though not without danger. A good, weighty, and true people there is in that nation, sensible of the power of the Lord God and tender of his truth; and very good order they have in their meetings, for they stand up for righteousness and holiness, which dams up the way of wickedness. A precious visitation they had, and there is an excellent spirit in them, worthy to be visited. Many things more I could write of that nation, and of my travels in it, which would be large to mention particularly; but this I have thought good to signify, that the righteous may rejoice in the prosperity of truth.
James Lancaster, Robert Lodge, and Thomas Briggs came back with me; John Stubbs having further service there, stayed behind. We were two nights at sea; in one of which a mighty storm arose, that put the vessel in great danger. But I saw the power of God went over the winds and storms; he had them in his hand, and his power bound them. And the same power of the Lord God which carried us over, brought us back again; and in his life gave us dominion over all the evil spirits that opposed us there.
We landed at LIVERPOOL, and went to Richard Johnson’s. Whence departing the next day, we passed to William Barnes’s house, and so to William Gandy’s, visiting Friends, and having many precious meetings in LANCASHIRE and CHESHIRE. When we came into GLOUCESTERSHIRE, we met with a report at NAILSWORTH, which was spread about that country, “that George Fox was turned Presbyterian; that they had prepared a pulpit for him, and set it in a yard, and that there would be a thousand people there the next day to hear him.” I thought it strange that such a report should be raised of me; yet as we went further, from one Friend’s house to another, we met with the same. We passed by the yard where the pulpit was, and saw it, and went on to the place where Friends’ meeting was to be next day, and there we stayed that night. Next day, being First-day, we had a very large meeting, and the Lord’s power and presence were amongst us.
The occasion of this strange report (as I was informed) was this. There was one John Fox, a Presbyterian priest, who used to go about preaching; and some changing his name (as was reported) from John to George, gave out that George Fox had changed his religion, and was turned from a Quaker, to be a Presbyterian, and would preach at such a place such a day. This begot so great a curiosity in the people, that many went thither to hear this Quaker turned Presbyterian, who would not have gone to hear John Fox himself. By this means, it was reported, they had got together above a thousand people. But when they came there, and perceived they had a trick put upon them, and that he was a counterfeit George Fox, and understood that the real George Fox was hard by, several hundreds of them came to our meeting, and were sober and attentive. I directed them to the grace of God in themselves, which would teach them, and bring them salvation. When the meeting was over, some of the people said, “they liked George Fox the Quaker’s preaching better than George Fox the Presbyterian’s.” Thus, by my providential coming into those parts at that time, was this false report discovered; and shame came over the contrivers of it.
Not long after, this John Fox was complained of in the House of Commons, for “having a tumultuous meeting, in which treasonable words were spoken;” which (according to the best information I could get of it) was thus:—He had formerly been priest of Mansfield [Manningford?] in Wiltshire; and being put out of that place, was afterwards permitted by a Common-Prayer priest to preach sometimes in his steeple-house. At length this Presbyterian priest, presuming too far upon the parish priest’s former grant, began to be more bold than welcome, and attempted to preach there, whether the parish priest would or not. This caused a great bustle and contest in the steeple-house between the two priests, and their hearers, on each side; in which contest the Common-Prayer-Book was cut to pieces, and some treasonable words were spoken by some of the followers of John Fox. This was quickly put in the news: and some malicious Presbyterians caused it to be worded as if it had proceeded from George Fox, the Quaker, when I was above two hundred miles from the place where this bustle happened. When I heard of it, I soon procured certificates from some of the members of the House of Commons, who knew this John Fox, and gave it under their hands, that it was John Fox, who had formerly been parson at Mansfield in Wiltshire, that was complained of to the House of Commons, to be the chief ringleader in that unlawful assembly.
And indeed this John Fox discovered himself to be an ill man; for when some, who had been his followers, came to be convinced of truth, and thereupon left him, he came to some of their houses to talk with them about it, and they telling him, “he was in the steps of the false prophets, preaching for hire and filthy lucre, like them whom Christ cried woe against, and the apostles declared against, such as served not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own bellies; and telling him also, Christ said, ‘freely ye have received, freely give;’ and therefore he should not take money of people for preaching, especially now times were so hard;” he replied, “God bless preaching, for that brings in money, let times go how they will. Fill my belly with good victuals; and then call me false prophet, or what you will, and kick me about the house when ye have done if ye will.” This relation I had from a man and his wife, who had been formerly his hearers, and whom this John Fox, with others, caused deeply to suffer. For he and some other Presbyterian priests, using to resort to a widow-woman’s house, who had the impropriation, and took the tithes of the parish, she told them, there was a Quaker in that parish, that would not pay her tithes, and asked what she should do with him. They advised her “to send workmen to cut down and carry away his corn;” which she did, and thereby impoverished the man. But to proceed—
After this meeting in Gloucestershire was over, we travelled till we came to BRISTOL; where I met with Margaret Fell, who was come to visit her daughter Yeomans. I had seen from the Lord a considerable time before, that I should take Margaret Fell to be my wife. And when I first mentioned it to her, she felt the answer of Life from God thereunto. But though the Lord had opened this thing to me, yet I had not received a command from the Lord, for the accomplishing of it then. Wherefore I let the thing rest, and went on in the work and service of the Lord as before, according as he led me; travelling up and down in this nation and through Ireland. But now being at BRISTOL, and finding Margaret Fell there, it opened in me from the Lord that the thing should be accomplished. After we had discoursed the matter together, I told her, if “she also was satisfied with the accomplishing of it now, she should first send for her children;” which she did. When the rest of her daughters were come, I asked both them and her sons in law, “if they had anything against it, or for it;” and they all severally expressed their satisfaction therein. Then I asked Margaret, “if she had fulfilled and performed her husband’s will to her children.” She replied, “the children knew that.” Whereupon I asked them, “whether, if their mother married, they should not lose by it?” And I asked Margaret, “whether she had done anything in lieu of it, which might answer it to the children?” The children said, “she had answered it to them, and desired me to speak no more of it.” I told them, “I was plain, and would have all things done plainly; for I sought not any outward advantage to myself.” So after I had thus acquainted the children with it, our intention of marriage was laid before Friends, both privately and publicly, to their full satisfaction, many of whom gave testimony thereunto that it was of God. Afterwards, a meeting being appointed for the accomplishing thereof, in the meeting-house at Broad-Mead in Bristol, we took each other, the Lord joining us together in the honourable marriage, in the everlasting covenant and immortal Seed of life. In the sense whereof, living and weighty testimonies were borne thereunto by Friends, in the movings of the heavenly power which united us together. Then was a certificate relating both to the proceedings and the marriage, openly read, and signed by the relations, and by most of the ancient Friends of that city, besides many others from divers parts of the nation.[19]
We stayed about a week in Bristol, and then went together to OLVESTON; where taking leave of each other in the Lord, we parted, betaking ourselves to our several services, Margaret returning homewards to the north, and I passing on in the work of the Lord, as before. I travelled through WILTSHIRE, BERKSHIRE, OXFORDSHIRE, and BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, and so to LONDON, visiting Friends; in all which counties I had many large and precious meetings.
Being in LONDON, it came upon me to write to Friends throughout the nation, about “putting out poor children to trades.” Wherefore I sent the following epistle to the quarterly meetings of Friends in all counties:—
“MY DEAR FRIENDS,
“Let every quarterly meeting make inquiry through all the monthly and other meetings, to know all Friends that are widows, or others, that have children fit to put out to apprenticeships; so that once a quarter you may set forth an apprentice from your quarterly meeting; and so you may set forth four in a year in each county, or more, if there be occasion. This apprentice, when out of his time, may help his father or mother, and support the family that is decayed; and in so doing, all may come to live comfortably. This being done in your quarterly meetings, ye will have knowledge through the county in the monthly and particular meetings, of masters fit for them, and of such trades as their parents or you desire, or the children are most inclinable to. Thus being placed out with Friends, they may be trained up in truth; and by this means in the wisdom of God, you may preserve Friends’ children in the truth, and enable them to be a strength and help to their families, and nursers and preservers of their relations in their ancient days. Thus also things being ordered in the wisdom of God, you will take off a continual maintenance, and free yourselves from much cumber. For in the country, ye know, ye may set forth an apprentice for a little to several trades, as bricklayers, masons, carpenters, wheelwrights, plough-wrights, tailors, tanners, curriers, blacksmiths, shoemakers, nailers, butchers, weavers of linen and woollen, stuffs and serges, &c. And you may do well to have a stock in your quarterly meetings for that purpose. All that is given by any Friends at their decease (except it be given to some particular use, person, or meeting,) may be brought to the public stock for that purpose. This will be a way for the preserving of many that are poor among you, and it will be a way of making up poor families. In several counties it is practised already. Some quarterly meetings set forth two apprentices; and sometimes the children of others that are laid on the parish. You may bind them for fewer or more years, according to their capacities. In all these things the wisdom of God will teach you, by which ye may come to help the children of poor Friends, that they may come to support their families, and preserve them in the fear of God. So no more, but my love in the everlasting Seed, by which ye will have wisdom to order all things to the glory of God.”
G.F.
London, 1st of 11th Month, 1669.
I stayed not long in LONDON; but having visited Friends, and finding things there quiet and well, the Lord’s power being over all, I passed into ESSEX, and HERTFORDSHIRE, where I had many precious meetings. Intending to go as far as LEICESTERSHIRE, I wrote a letter to my wife, before I left London, to acquaint her therewith, that if she found it convenient to her she might meet me there. From Hertfordshire I turned into CAMBRIDGESHIRE, thence into HUNTINGDONSHIRE, and so into LEICESTERSHIRE; where, instead of meeting with my wife, I heard she was haled out of her house to Lancaster prison again, by an order obtained from the king and council, to fetch her back to prison upon the old premunire; though she had been discharged from that imprisonment by their order the year before. Wherefore, having visited Friends as far as Leicestershire, I returned by DERBYSHIRE into WARWICKSHIRE, and so to LONDON, having had many large and blessed meetings in the several counties I passed through, and been sweetly refreshed amongst Friends in my travels.
As soon as I reached LONDON, I hastened Mary Lower and Sarah Fell (two of my wife’s daughters) to the king, to acquaint him how their mother was dealt with, and see if they could obtain a full discharge for her, that she might enjoy her estate and liberty without molestation. This was somewhat difficult, but by diligent attendance, they at length obtained it; the king giving command to Sir John Otway, to signify his pleasure therein by letter to the sheriff, and others concerned therein in the country. Which letter Sarah Fell going down with her brother and sister Rous, carried with her to Lancaster; and by them I wrote to my wife as follows:—
“MY DEAR HEART IN THE TRUTH AND LIFE, THAT CHANGETH NOT,
“It was upon me that Mary Lower and Sarah should go to the king concerning thy imprisonment, and to Kirby, that the power of the Lord might appear over them all in thy deliverance. They went, and then they thought to come down; but it was upon me to stay them a little longer, that they might follow the business till it was effected; which it now is, and is here sent. The late declaration of mine hath been very serviceable, people being generally satisfied with it. So no more, but my love in the holy Seed.”
G.F.
The declaration here mentioned, was a printed sheet, written upon occasion of a new persecution stirred up. For by the time I was returned out of Leicestershire to London, a fresh storm was risen, occasioned (it was thought) by that tumultuous meeting in a steeple-house in Wiltshire or Gloucestershire, mentioned a little before (page 116); from which, it was said, some members of parliament took advantage to get an act passed against seditious conventicles;[20] which soon after came forth and was turned against us, who of all people were free from sedition and tumult. Whereupon I wrote a declaration, showing from the preamble and terms of the act, that we were not such a people, nor our meetings such as were described in that act. I wrote also another short paper on the occasion of that act against meetings, opening our case to the magistrates, as follows:—
“O Friends, consider this act, which limits us to five. Is this doing as ye would be done by? Would ye be so served yourselves? We own Christ Jesus as well as you, his coming, death, and resurrection; and if we be contrary-minded to you in some things, is not this the apostle’s exhortation, ‘to wait till God hath revealed it?’ Doth not he say, ‘what is not of faith, is sin’? Seeing we have not faith in things, which ye would have us to do, would it not be sin in us, if we should act contrary to our faith? Why should any man have power over another man’s faith, seeing Christ is the author of it? When the apostles preached in the name of Jesus, and great multitudes heard them, and the rulers forbade them to speak any more in that name, did not they bid them judge whether it were better to obey God or man? Would not this act have taken hold of the twelve apostles and seventy disciples; for they met often together? If there had been a law made then, that not above five should have met with Christ, would not that have been a hindering of him from meeting with his disciples? Do ye think that He, who is the wisdom of God, or his disciples, would have obeyed it? If such a law had been made in the apostles’ days, that not above five might meet together, who had been different-minded from either the Jews or the Gentiles, do ye think the churches of Christ at Corinth, Philippi, Ephesus, Thessalonica, or the rest of the gathered churches, would have obeyed it? O therefore consider! for we are Christians, and partake of the nature and life of Christ. Strive not to limit the Holy One; for God’s power cannot be limited, and is not to be quenched. Do unto all men as ye would have them do unto you; for that is the law and the prophets.”
“This is from those who wish you all well, and desire your everlasting good and prosperity, called Quakers; who seek the peace and good of all people, though they afflict us, and cause us to suffer.”
G. F.
As I had endeavoured to soften the magistrates, and to take off the sharpness of their edge in the execution of the act, so it was upon me to write a few lines to Friends “to strengthen and encourage them to stand fast in their testimony, and bear, with Christian patience and content, the suffering that was coming upon them.” This I did in the following epistle:—
“My dear Friends, Keep in the faith of God above all outward things, and in his power, that hath given you dominion over all. The same power of God is still with you to deliver you as formerly; for God and his power is the same; his Seed is over all, and before all; and will be, when that which makes to suffer, is gone. Be of good faith in that which changeth not; for whatsoever any do against the truth, it will come upon themselves, and fall as a millstone on their heads. If the Lord suffer you to be tried, let all be given up; and look at the Lord and his power, which is over the whole world, and will remain when the world is gone. In the Lord’s power and truth rejoice over that which makes to suffer, in the Seed, which was before it was; for the life, truth, and power of God is over all. All keep in that; and if ye suffer in that, it is to the Lord.
“Friends, the Lord hath blessed you in outward things; and now the Lord may try you, whether your minds be in outward things, or with the Lord that gave you them? Therefore keep in the Seed, by which all outward things were made, and which is over them all. What! shall not I pray, and speak to God, with my face towards heavenly Jerusalem, according to my wonted time? Let not any one’s Delilah shave his head, lest he lose his strength; neither rest in its lap, lest the Philistines be upon you. For your rest is in Christ Jesus; therefore rest not in anything else.”
G. F.
London, 12th of 2nd Month, 1670.
On the First-day after the act came in force, I went to the meeting at GRACECHURCH-STREET, where I expected the storm was most likely to begin. When I came there, I found the street full of people, and a guard set to keep Friends out of their meeting-house. I went to the other passage out of Lombard-street, where also I found a guard; but the court was full of people, and a Friend was speaking amongst them; but he did not speak long. When he had done, I stood up, and was moved to say, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against that which pricks thee. Then I showed that it is Saul’s nature, that persecutes still, and that they who persecute Christ in his members now, where he is made manifest, kick against that which pricks them. That it was the birth of the flesh that persecuted the birth born of the Spirit; and that it was the nature of dogs to tear and devour the sheep, but that we suffered as sheep that bite not again; for we were a peaceable people, and loved them that persecuted us.” After I had spoken a while to this effect, the constable came with an informer and soldiers; and as they pulled me down, I said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” The commander of the soldiers put me among the soldiers, and bid them secure me, saying to me, “You are the man I looked for.” They took also John Burnyeat and another Friend, and led us away first to the Exchange, and afterwards towards Moorfields.
As we went along the streets the people were very moderate; some of them laughed at the constable, and told him, “we would not run away.” The informer went with us unknown, till falling into discourse with one of the company, he said, “It would never be a good world till all people came to the good old religion that was two hundred years ago.” Whereupon I asked him, “Art thou a Papist? What! a Papist informer; for two hundred years ago there was no other religion but that of the Papists.” He saw he had ensnared himself, and was vexed at it; for as he went along the streets, I spoke often to him, and manifested what he was. When we were come to the mayor’s house, and were in the court-yard, several of the people that stood about, asked me, “how and for what I was taken?” I desired them to ask the informer, and also know what his name was; but he refused to tell his name. Whereupon one of the mayor’s officers looking out at a window, told him, “he should tell his name before he went away; for the lord mayor would know by what authority he intruded himself with soldiers into the execution of those laws which belonged to the civil magistrate to execute, and not to the military.” After this, he was eager to be gone; and went to the porter to be let out. One of the officers called to him, saying, “Have you brought people here to inform against, and now will you go away before my lord mayor comes?” Some called to the porter not to let him out; whereupon he forcibly pulled open the door, and slipped out. No sooner was he come into the street, than the people gave a shout, that made the street ring again, crying out, “a Papist informer! a Papist informer!” We desired the constable and soldiers to go and rescue him out of the people’s hands, fearing lest they should do him a mischief. They went, and brought him into the mayor’s entry, where they stayed a while; but when he went out again, the people received him with another shout. The soldiers were fain to go and rescue him once more, and they led him into a house in an alley, where they persuaded him to change his periwig, and so he got away unknown.
When the mayor came, we were brought into the room where he was, and some of his officers would have taken off our hats, which he perceiving, called to them, and bid them, “let us alone, and not meddle with our hats; for,” said he, “they are not yet brought before me in judicature.” So we stood by while he examined some Presbyterian and Baptist teachers; with whom he was somewhat sharp, and convicted them. After he had done with them, I was brought up to the table where he sat; and then the officers took off my hat; and the mayor said mildly to me, “Mr. Fox, you are an eminent man amongst those of your profession; pray, will you be instrumental to dissuade them from meeting in such great numbers? for, seeing Christ hath promised that where two or three are met in his name, he will be in the midst of them, and the king and parliament are graciously pleased to allow of four to meet together to worship God; why will not you be content to partake both of Christ’s promise to two or three, and the king’s indulgence to four?” I answered to this purpose: “Christ’s promise was not to discourage many from meeting together in his name, but to encourage the few, that the fewest might not forbear to meet, because of their fewness. But if Christ hath promised to manifest his presence in the midst of so small an assembly, where but two or three were gathered in his name, how much more would his presence abound where two or three hundred are gathered in his name? I wished him to consider, whether this act would not have taken hold of Christ, with his twelve apostles and seventy disciples, if it had been in their time, who used to meet often together, and that with great numbers? However, I told him this act did not concern us; for it was made against seditious meetings, of such as met, under colour and pretence of religion, ‘to contrive insurrections, as (the act says) late experience had shown;’ but we had been sufficiently tried and proved, and always found peaceable, and therefore he should do well to put a difference between the innocent and the guilty.” He said, “the act was made against meetings, and a worship not according to the liturgy.” I told him, “according to” was not the very same thing: and I asked him, “whether the liturgy was according to the Scriptures? and whether we might not read Scriptures, and speak Scriptures?” He said “Yes.” I told him, “this act took hold only of such, as met to plot and contrive insurrections, as late experience had shown; but they had never experienced that by us. Because thieves are sometimes on the road, must not honest men travel? And because plotters and contrivers have met to do mischief, must not an honest, peaceable people meet to do good? If we had been a people that met to plot and contrive insurrections, &c., we might have drawn ourselves into fours; for four might do more mischief in plotting than if there were four hundred, because four might speak out their minds more freely one to another than four hundred could. Therefore, we being innocent, and not the people this act concerns, we keep our meetings as we used to do: and, I said, I believed that he knew in his conscience we were innocent.” After some more discourse, he took our names and the places where we lodged, and at length, as the informer was gone, set us at liberty.
Being set at liberty, the Friends with me asked me “whither I would go?” I told them, “to Gracechurch Street meeting again, if it were not over.” When we came there, the people were generally gone; only some few stood at the gate. We went into Gerrard Roberts’s house; and from thence I sent out to know how the other meetings in the city were. I understood that at some of the meeting-places Friends were kept out; at others they were taken, but set at liberty again a few days after. A glorious time it was, for the Lord’s power came over all, and his everlasting truth got renown. For as fast as some that were speaking were taken down, others were moved of the Lord to stand up and speak, to the admiration of the people; and the more, because many Baptists and other sectaries left their public meetings, and came to see how the Quakers would stand. As for the informer aforesaid, he was so frightened, that there durst hardly any informer appear publicly again in London for some time after. But the mayor, whose name was Samuel Starling, though he carried himself smoothly towards us, proved afterwards a very great persecutor of our Friends, many of whom he cast into prison, as may be seen in the trials of W. Penn, W. Mead, and others, at the Old Bailey this year.[21]
After some time the heat of persecution in London began to abate, and meetings were quieter there. Being now clear of the city, I went to visit Friends in the country; and attended several meetings in MIDDLESEX, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, and OXFORDSHIRE, which were quiet, though in some places there was much threatening. At READING most of the Friends were in prison, and I went to visit them. When I had been a while with them, the Friends that were prisoners gathered together, and several other persons came in; so that I had a fine opportunity amongst them, and “declared the Word of Life, encouraging them in the truth; and they were refreshed in feeling the presence and power of the Lord amongst them.” When the meeting was ended, the jailer understanding that I was there, the Friends were concerned how to get me out safe again; for they feared lest he should stop me. But after I had stayed a while, and eaten with them, I went down stairs, and the jailer being at the door, I put my hand in my pocket, which he had such an eye to, hoping to get something from me, that he asked me no question. So I gave him something, and bade him “be kind and civil to my Friends in prison, whom I came to visit;” and he let me pass out without interruption. But soon after Isaac Penington coming to visit them, he stopped him, and caused him to be made a prisoner.[22]
Next morning I rode about fourteen miles to a meeting at BANGHURST in HAMPSHIRE, Thomas Briggs being with me. When we came into the parish, some sober people told us, that “the priest of the town was an envious man, and threatened us.” We went on to the meeting, which was large; and after some time Thomas Briggs stood up and spoke. It seems the priest had got a warrant, and sent the constables and other officers with it. They came to the house, stayed a while, and then went away again, without coming into the meeting; so we in the meeting did not know of their being there. After Thomas Briggs had done speaking, I was moved of the Lord to stand up, and declare the Word of Life to the people; and a precious meeting we had. When it was ended and risen, I heard a great clatter in the yard; and when we came out, the man of the house told us, “that the officers had been in the house before, but did not come into the meeting, going away without doing anything; and that now the priest in a great rage had sent them again, and his own servant with them.” But the meeting being ended before they came, they could do nothing. Thus the good providence of the Lord preserved us from the wicked design of the envious priest.
Thence we went to a Friend’s house on the edge of BERKSHIRE, where several Friends came to visit us. Afterwards we passed into SURREY, and had many precious meetings, till we came to Stephen Smith’s, near GUILDFORD, where great persecution had been, and very much property taken away from Friends for their meetings; and under great threatenings they were at that time; yet we had several blessed meetings thereabouts, and the Lord’s power was over all, in and by which we were preserved.
We went into SUSSEX, by Richard Baxe’s, where we had a large, precious, quiet meeting, though the constables had given out threatenings before. I had many more meetings in that county; and though there were some threatenings, they were peaceable; and Friends were refreshed, and established upon the foundation of God, that stands sure. When I had thoroughly visited SUSSEX, I went into KENT, and had many glorious and precious meetings in several parts of that county. I went to a meeting near DEAL, which was very large; and returning from thence to CANTERBURY, visited Friends there. I then passed into the ISLE OF SHEPPEY, where I stayed two or three days; and thither came Alexander Parker, George Whitehead, and John Rous to me.
Next day, finding my service for the Lord finished there, we passed towards ROCHESTER. On the way, as I was walking down a hill, a great weight and oppression fell upon my spirit; I got on my horse again, but the weight remained so that I was hardly able to ride. At length we came to Rochester, but I was much spent, being so extremely laden and burdened with the world’s spirits, that my life was oppressed under them. I got with difficulty to GRAVESEND, and lay at an inn there; but could hardly either eat or sleep. The next day John Rous and Alexander Parker went for London; and John Stubbs being come to me, we went over the ferry into ESSEX. We came to HORNCHURCH, where was a meeting on First-day. After it I rode with great uneasiness to STRATFORD, to a Friend’s house, whose name was Williams, and who had formerly been a captain. Here I lay exceedingly weak, and at last lost both hearing and sight. Several Friends came to me from London: and I told them, that “I should be as a sign to such as would not see, and such as would not hear the truth.” In this condition I continued some time. Several came about me; and though I could not see their persons, I felt and discerned their spirits, who were honest-hearted, and who were not. Divers Friends who practised physic, came to see me, and would have given me medicines, but I was not to meddle with any; for I was sensible I had a travail to go through; and therefore desired none but solid, weighty Friends might be about me. Under great sufferings and travails, sorrows and oppressions, I lay for several weeks, whereby I was brought so low and weak in body, that few thought I could live. Some that were with me went away, saying, “they would not see me die;” and it was reported both in London and in the country, that I was deceased; but I felt the Lord’s power inwardly supporting me. When they that were about me had given me up to die, I spoke to them to get a coach to carry me to Gerrard Roberts’s, about twelve miles off; for I found it was my place to go thither. I had now recovered a little glimmering sight, so that I could discern the people and fields as I went, and that was all. When I came to Gerrard’s, he was very weak: and I was moved to speak to him, and encourage him.
After I had stayed about three weeks there, it was with me to go to Enfield. Friends were afraid of my removing; but I told them I might safely go. When I had taken my leave of Gerrard, and was come to ENFIELD, I went first to visit Amor Stoddart, who lay very weak, and almost speechless. I was moved to tell him, “he had been faithful as a man, and faithful to God; and that the immortal seed of life was his crown.” Many more words I was moved to speak to him, though I was then so weak I was hardly able to stand; and within a few days after, Amor died. I went to the widow Dry’s at Enfield, where I lay all that winter, warring in spirit with the evil spirits of the world, that warred against truth and Friends. For there were great persecutions at this time; some meeting-houses were pulled down, and many were broken up by soldiers. Sometimes a troop of horse, or a company of foot came; and some broke their swords, carbines, muskets, and pikes, with beating Friends; and many they wounded, so that their blood lay in the streets. Amongst others that were active in this cruel persecution at London, my old adversary Colonel Kirby was one; who, with a company of foot, went to break up several meetings; and he would often enquire for me at the meetings he broke up. One time as he went over the water to Horsleydown, there happening some scuffle between some of his soldiers and some of the watermen, he bid his men “fire at them.” They did so, and killed some.
I was under great sufferings at this time, beyond what I have words to declare. For I was brought into the deep, and saw all the religions of the world, and people that lived in them, and the priests that held them up, who were as a company of men-eaters, eating up the people like bread, and gnawing the flesh from off their bones. But as for true religion and worship, and ministers of God, alack! I saw there were none amongst those of the world that pretended to it. For they that pretended to be the church, were but a company of men-eaters, men of cruel visages, and of long teeth; and, though they had cried against the men-eaters in America, I saw they were in the same nature. And as the great professing Jews did “eat up God’s people like bread,” and the false prophets and priests then preached peace to people, so long as they “put into their mouths and fed them;” but if they fed them not, they prepared war against them, “they ate their flesh off their bones, and chopped them as for the caldron;” so these that profess themselves Christians now (both priests and professors,) and are not in the same power and Spirit that Christ and the holy prophets and apostles were in, are in the same nature that the old professing Jews were in, and are men-eaters as well as they. These stirred up persecution and set the wicked informers to work; so that a Friend could hardly speak a few words in a private family, before they sat down to eat meat, but some were ready to inform against them. A particular instance of which I have heard as follows:—
At Droitwich, John Cartwright came to a Friend’s house, and being moved of the Lord to speak a few words before he sat down to supper, there came an informer, and stood hearkening under the window. When he had heard the Friend speak, hoping to get some gain to himself, he went and informed, and got a warrant to distrain his goods, under pretence that there was a meeting at his house; whereas there were none in the house at that time, but the Friend, the man of the house, his wife, and their maid-servant. But this evil-minded man, as he came back with his warrant in the night, fell off his horse, and broke his neck. So there was a wretched end of a wicked informer, who hoped to enrich himself by spoiling Friends; but the Lord prevented him, and cut him off in his wickedness.
Now, though it was a cruel, bloody, persecuting time, yet the Lord’s power went over all, and his everlasting Seed prevailed; and Friends were made to stand firm and faithful in the Lord’s power. Some sober people of other professions would say, “if Friends did not stand, the nation would run into debauchery.”
Though by reason of my weakness, I could not travel amongst Friends as I used to do, yet in the motion of life, I sent the following lines as an encouraging testimony to them:—
“MY DEAR FRIENDS,
“The Seed is above all. In it walk: in which ye all have life. Be not amazed at the weather; for always the just suffered by the unjust, but the just had the dominion. All along ye may see, by faith the mountains were subdued; and the rage of the wicked, and his fiery darts, were quenched. Though the waves and storms are high, yet your faith will keep you so as to swim above them; for they are but for a time, and the truth is without time. Therefore keep on the mountain of holiness, ye who are led to it by the light where nothing shall hurt. Do not think that anything will outlast the truth, which standeth sure; and is over that which is out of the truth; for the good will overcome the evil; the light, darkness; the life, death; virtue, vice; and righteousness, unrighteousness. The false prophet cannot overcome the true; but the true prophet, Christ, will overcome all the false. So be faithful, and live in that which doth not think the time long.”
G.F.
After some time it pleased the Lord to allay the heat of this violent persecution; and I felt in spirit an overcoming of the spirits of those men-eaters, that had stirred it up, and carried it on to that height of cruelty, though I was outwardly very weak. And I plainly felt, and those Friends that were with me, and that came to visit me, took notice, that as the persecution ceased, I came from under the travails and sufferings, that had lain with such weight upon me; so that towards the spring I began to recover, and to walk up and down, beyond the expectation of many, who did not think I could ever have gone abroad again.
Whilst I was under this spiritual suffering, the state of the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven, was opened to me; which some carnal-minded people had looked upon to be like an outward city dropped out of the elements. I saw the beauty and glory of it, the length, the breadth, and the height thereof, all in complete proportion. I saw, that all who are within the light of Christ, and in his faith, which he is the author of; and in the Spirit, the Holy Ghost, which Christ and the holy prophets and apostles were in; and within the grace, and truth, and power of God, which are the walls of the city;—such are within the city, are members of it, and have right to eat of the tree of life, which yields her fruit every month, and whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. But they that are out of the grace, truth, light, Spirit, and power of God; they who resist the Holy Ghost, quench, vex, and grieve the Spirit of God; who hate the light, turn the grace of God into wantonness, and do despite to the Spirit of Grace; they who have erred from the faith, and made shipwreck of it and of a good conscience, who abuse the power of God, and despise prophesying, revelation, and inspiration;—these are the dogs and unbelievers that are without the city. These make up the great city Babylon, confusion, and her cage, the power of darkness; and the evil spirit of error surrounds and covers them over. In this great city Babylon are the false prophets, in the false power and false spirit; the beast, in the dragon’s power, and the whore that is gone a whoring from the Spirit of God, and from Christ her husband. But the Lord’s power is over all this power of darkness, false prophets, and their worshippers, who are for the lake which burns with fire.
Many things more did I see concerning the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, which are hard to be uttered, and would be hard to be received. But, in short, this holy city is within the light, and all that are within the light, are within the city; the gates whereof stand open all the day (for there is no night there,) and all may come in. Christ’s blood being shed for every man, he tasted death for every man, and enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world; and his grace that brings salvation having appeared to all men, there is no place or language where his voice may not be heard. The Christians in the primitive times were called by Christ, “a city set upon a hill;” they were also called “the light of the world,” and “the salt of the earth;” but when Christians lose the light, and salt, and power of God, then they came to be trodden under foot, like unsavoury salt. Even as the Jews, who while they kept the law of God, were preserved above all nations; but when they turned their backs on God and his law, they were trodden under foot of other nations. Adam and Eve, while they obeyed God, were kept in his image and in the Paradise of God, in dominion over all the works of his hands; but when they disobeyed God, they lost his image, the righteousness and the holiness in which they were made; they lost their dominion, were driven out of paradise; and so fell under the dark power of Satan, and came under the chains of darkness. But the promise of God was, “that the Seed of the woman, Christ Jesus, should bruise the serpent’s head,”—should break his power and authority, which had led into captivity, and had held man therein. So Christ, who is the first and the last, sets man free, and is the resurrection of the just and unjust, the judge of the quick and dead; and they that are in him are invested with everlasting rest and peace, out of all the labours, and travails, and miseries of Adam in the fall. So he is sufficient and of ability to restore man into the state he was in before he fell; and not into that state only, but into that also that never fell, even to himself.
I had also in this time a great exercise and travail of spirit upon me, concerning the powers and rulers of these nations, from the sense I had of the many tender visitations and faithful warnings, that had been given them, and of their great abuse thereof, who had refused to hear, and rejected the counsel of the Lord. And though I knew Friends would be clear of their blood, yet I could not but mourn over them, and gave forth these few lines following concerning them:—
“We have given them a visitation, have faithfully warned them, have declared to them our innocency and uprightness, and that we never did any hurt to the king, nor to any of his people. We have nothing in our hearts but love and goodwill to him and his people, and desire their eternal welfare. But if they will not hear, the day of judgment and of sorrow, of torment, misery, and sudden destruction, will come from the Lord upon them, that have been the cause of the sufferings of many thousands of simple, innocent, harmless people that have done them no hurt, nor have had any ill-will towards him or them; but have desired their eternal good for the eternal truth’s sake. Destruction will come upon them that turn the sword backward. Therefore do not blind your eyes, the Lord will bring swift destruction and misery upon you; surely he will do it, and will relieve his innocent people; who have groaned for deliverance from under your oppression, and have also groaned for your deliverance out of wickedness. Blessed be the Lord God, that he hath a people in this nation, that seek the good of all men upon the face of the earth; for we have the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ, that desires not the death of a sinner, but the salvation and good of all. Blessed be the name of the Lord our God for ever.”
G. F.
While I continued at Enfield, a sense came upon me of a hurt that sometimes happened, by persons under the profession of truth coming out of one country into another, to take a husband or wife amongst Friends, where they were strangers, and it was not known whether they were clear and orderly, or not. And it opened in me to recommend the following method unto Friends for preventing such inconveniences:—
“All Friends that marry, whether they be men or women, if they come out of another nation, island, or county, let them bring a certificate from the men’s meeting of that county, nation, or island from which they came, to the men’s meeting where they propose their intention of marriage. For the men’s meeting being made up of the faithful, this will stop all wrong spirits from roving up and down. When any come with a certificate, or letter of recommendation from one men’s meeting to another, one is refreshed by another, and can set their hands and hearts to the thing. This will prevent a great deal of trouble. And then what ye have to say to them in the power of God, in admonishing and instructing them, ye are left to the power and Spirit of God to do it, and to let them know the duty of marriage, and what it is; that there may be unity and concord in the Spirit, and power, and light, and wisdom of God, throughout all the men’s meetings in the whole world, in one, in the life.
“Let copies of this be sent to every county, and nation, and island where Friends are, that so all things may be kept holy, and pure, and righteous, in unity and peace; and God over all may be glorified among you, his lot, his people and inheritance, who are his adopted sons and daughters, and heirs of his life. So no more, but my love in that which changeth not.”
G. F.
14th of 1st Month, 1670-1.
When I had recovered, so that I could walk a little, I went from Enfield to Gerrard Roberts’s again, and thence to the women’s school at SHACKLEWELL, and so to the meeting at Gracechurch Street, LONDON; where, though I was yet but weak, the Lord’s power upheld and enabled me to declare his eternal Word of life.
About this time I was moved to pray to the Lord as follows:—
“O Lord God Almighty! Prosper truth, and preserve justice and equity in the land! Bring down all injustice and iniquity, oppression and falsehood, cruelty and unmercifulness in the land; that mercy and righteousness may flourish!
“O Lord God! Set up and establish verity, and preserve it in the land! Bring down in the land all debauchery and vice, whoredoms and fornication, and this raping spirit, which causeth people to have no esteem of thee, O God! nor of their own souls or bodies; nor of Christianity, modesty, or humanity.
“O Lord! Put it in the magistrates’ hearts to bring down all this ungodliness, violence, and cruelty, profaneness, cursing, and swearing; and to put down all those lewd houses and play-houses, which corrupt youth and people, and lead them from thy kingdom, where no unclean thing can enter, neither shall come! Such works lead people to hell! Lord! In mercy bring down all these things in the nation, to stop thy wrath, O God! from coming on the land.”
G. F.
This Prayer was written at night, the 17th of the 2nd Month, 1671.
-----
Footnote 19:
The date of the marriage of George Fox and Margaret Fell, in the Bristol Register of Friends, is 27th of 8th Month, 1669.
Margaret Fell, it will be remembered, was the widow of Judge Fell of Swarthmore Hall. It is remarkable with what high esteem and Christian love this devoted woman appears to have been regarded by our early and most eminent Friends. She seems to have been generally acknowledged as a faithful nursing-mother of the flock; and she often addressed them, when in bonds or otherwise, with letters of consolation and encouragement. (See numerous letters to and from her in Barclay’s Letters, &c., of Early Friends). It is also probable she contributed largely from her means to the relief of their outward necessities. Having faithfully fulfilled her allotted labours, she died much beloved and lamented, at her own house at Swarthmore, in 1702, being near the eighty-eighth year of her age, and having survived George Fox about twelve years.
Some remarkable expressions of assured happiness fell from her lips during her last illness, if that could be called an illness, which was the decay of nature. At one time, under the meltings of heavenly love, she said, “Oh my sweet Lord! into thy holy bosom do I commit myself freely; not desiring to live in this troublesome, painful world—it is all nothing to me—for my Maker is my husband.” A little before her departure she called her daughter Rachel to her, saying, “Take me in thy arms”—after which she said, “I am in peace!”
Footnote 20:
The “Conventicle Act” so called, first passed in 1664, was renewed at the above time (1670), with increased rigour. The penalties were £5, or three months to the house of correction, for the first offence of attending a conventicle, if above sixteen years of age; £10, or six months, for the second; transportation for seven years for the third, with sequestration of estate, or distraint for the charges; and five years’ SLAVERY IN THE COLONIES, by contract between the sheriff and a purchaser, on being sent abroad, in defect of property to distrain upon; or out of which to pay £100 as a liberating fine. This fine to be repeated, and £100 added as oft as he should offend afterwards, or transportation, &c. (with death for returning), and the forfeiture of his life-interest in his estate.
Conventicles to be broken up by an armed force, under the direction of lieutenants of counties, sheriffs, &c. Even a femme covert could not escape; but must be redeemed by her husband, at the price of £40; or go to prison, or be transported with him. Nor could a peer of the realm: he must be fined £10 for the first offence, £20 for the second, and for the third, be tried by his peers. The fines to be levied by distress, by warrant of any two justices, or a chief magistrate.
The force of this Act was directed against the Quakers, by inserting, in the latter part of it, three sections, which brought their refusal to take an oath under its full penalties; and they suffered dreadfully through it! In the streets, or where they met to assert their religious rights, they were dragooned; in court they had oaths tendered, and were convicted under this Act upon their refusal.
“This Act,” says Besse, “was forthwith put into a rigorous execution, and many hungry informers [for the sake of their third of the penalties] made it their business to live upon the spoil and ruin of conscientious people.” Friends were great sufferers thereby, of the nature of which the reader may have some idea by reference to “Sufferings under the Conventicle Act;” Select Miscellanies, vol. iii., pp. 220-245.
Footnote 21:
The celebrated trial of Penn and Mead at the Old Bailey, above alluded to, may be seen at full length in Clarkson’s Life of Penn—“a trial which, for the good it has done to posterity, ought to be engraved on tablets of the most durable marble.” It was certainly one of those events which, in conjunction with others of a similar sort, by showing the inadequacy of punishment for religion to its supposed end, not only corrected and improved the notions of succeeding ages in this respect, but, by so doing, lessened the ravages of persecution, and the enmity between man and man. Nor ought posterity to be less grateful for it as a monument of the ferocity and corrupt usages of former times; for, contrasting these with the notions and customs of our own age, we see the improvement of our social and moral condition. Newgate is no longer the receptacle of innocent individuals suffering for conscience’ sake. In our courts of law we see an order, a decorum, and an administration of justice, unknown at the period of this memorable trial. Nor will the prospect be less grateful, if we quit the present for a moment, and direct our eyes to the future. We have the best reason to hope, on contemplating the signs of the times, that the day is approaching when the Christian religion, which is capable of cementing men in the strongest possible union, and for the noblest purposes, will be restored to its primitive purity, and made a blessing to all the dwellers upon the earth.
Footnote 22:
Isaac Penington has been mentioned before, but only cursorily, in the whole of this Journal; not often meeting with George Fox. But he was one of the most eminent, experienced, and beloved, of the Early Friends. He was well descended as to his worldly parentage, being the eldest son of Alderman Penington, who was two years successively Mayor of London, and a noted member of the Long Parliament. Born about the year 1617, he received a liberal education, having, according to Penn, “all the advantages the schools and universities of his own country could give, joined with the conversation of some of the most learned and considerable men of that time.”
From childhood, Isaac Penington was religiously inclined, and, in a paper written by himself, and found after his death amongst his writings, we have such a living portrait of a deeply-exercised mind, as demonstrates that godliness with him was indeed the “one thing needful.” “In the sense of my lost estate,” he writes, “I sought after the Lord; I read the Scriptures; I watched over mine own heart; and whatever I read in the Scriptures, as the way of God, to my understanding, I gave myself to the faithful practice of.” He became fully convinced of the principles of Friends, and joined that despised people—becoming a faithful sufferer for the cause of Christ.
“Early believers in the light of Truth Dwelt not at ease in Zion. They endured Conflicts and trials, and imprisonments. Even the humble Penington, whose mind Seemed purged and purified from dross Of human nature—who appeared as meek And harmless as an infant—was compelled To dwell in loathsome prisons.”
He was six times in jail, some of his imprisonments being long, yet borne with great quietness and constancy of mind. His first imprisonment was in Aylesbury jail in 1661 and 1662, being committed there for worshipping God in his own house. He was kept there seventeen weeks, great part of it in winter—in a cold and very incommodious room without a chimney, from which usage he contracted so severe an indisposition, that for several weeks after he was unable to turn himself in his bed.
In the sixty-third year of his age “he died as he lived, in the faith that overcomes the world.”
Chapter IV
1671-1672.—His wife being still detained a prisoner, George Fox puts two women Friends upon going to the king to procure her discharge, which he granted under the broad seal, to clear her person and estate after being a prisoner under premunire ten years—he sails for the plantations in America with several other Friends—chased by a Sallee man-of-war—the master in a strait asks advice of George Fox, who seeks counsel of the Lord, and is assured of their preservation—the event verifies the prediction—they land at Barbadoes after a seven weeks’ passage—a man in the island, who was greatly incensed against George Fox without just cause, and who had threatened his life, died a few days before his landing—is laid up for some weeks—writes to Friends in England—exhorts Friends to care and watchfulness in regard to marriages, keeping registers and records, providing burial grounds, &c.—to deal mildly with their negroes, and, after certain years of servitude, to set them free—writes a further exhortation to Friends in England—visits the governor, who is very kind—has many large meetings, and there is a great convincement; Colonel Lyne testifies how much Friends exalt Christ in all his offices beyond what he had ever heard—the priests rage, and try in vain to stir up persecution—there is much clamour and cavilling against Friends, and many slanders and false reports are issued, which George Fox answers in a paper addressed to the governor—the governor visits him—writes to his wife—sails for Jamaica, where he has many meetings, and many are convinced—Elizabeth Hooton dies there.
I mentioned before, that, upon the notice I received of my wife’s being imprisoned again, I sent two of her daughters to the king, and they procured his order to the sheriff of Lancashire, for her discharge. But though I expected she would be set at liberty thereby, this violent storm of persecution coming suddenly on, the persecutors there found means to hold her still in prison. But now the persecution a little ceasing, I was moved to speak to Martha Fisher and another woman Friend, to go to the king about her liberty. They went in faith, and in the Lord’s power, who gave them favour with the king, so that he granted a discharge under the broad-seal, to clear both her and her estate, after she had been ten years a prisoner, and premunired; the like whereof was scarcely to be heard of in England. I sent down the discharge forthwith by a Friend; by whom also I wrote to her, informing her how to get it delivered to the justices, and acquainting her that it was upon me from the Lord to go beyond the seas to visit America; and therefore desired her to hasten to London, as soon as she could conveniently, after she had obtained her liberty, because the ship was then fitting for the voyage. In the meantime I got to Kingston, and stayed at John Rous’s till my wife came up, and then I began to prepare for the voyage. But the Yearly Meeting being near at hand, I stayed till that was over. Many Friends came up to it from all parts of the nation, and a very large and precious meeting it was; for the Lord’s power was over all, and his glorious everlastingly-renowned Seed of life was exalted above all.
After this meeting was over, and I had finished my services for the Lord in England, the ship and the Friends that intended to go with me being ready, I went to GRAVESEND on the 12th of 6th month, my wife and several Friends accompanying me to the Downs. We went from Wapping in a barge to the ship, which lay a little below Gravesend, and there we found the Friends that were bound for the voyage with me, who had gone down to the ship the night before. Their names were Thomas Briggs, William Edmundson, John Rous, John Stubbs, Solomon Eccles, James Lancaster, John Cartwright, Robert Widders, George Pattison, John Hull, Elizabeth Hooton, and Elizabeth Miers. The vessel was a yacht, called the Industry; the captain’s name Thomas Forster, and the number of passengers about fifty. I lay that night on board, but most of the Friends at Gravesend.
Early next morning the passengers, and those Friends that intended to accompany us to the Downs, being come on board, we took our leave in great tenderness of those that came with us to Gravesend only, and set sail about six in the morning for the DOWNS. Having a fair wind, we out-sailed all the ships that were outward-bound, and got thither by evening. Some of us went ashore that night, and lodged at DEAL; where, we understood, an officer had orders from the governor to take our names in writing; which he did next morning, though we told him they had been taken at Gravesend. In the afternoon, the wind serving, I took leave of my wife and other Friends, and went on board. Before we could sail, there being two of the king’s frigates riding in the DOWNS, the captain of one of them sent his press-master on board us, who took three of our seamen. This would certainly have delayed, if not wholly prevented, our voyage, had not the captain of the other frigate, being informed of the leakiness of our vessel, and the length of our voyage, in compassion and much civility, spared us two of his own men. Before this was over, a custom-house officer came on board to peruse packets and get fees; so that we were kept from sailing till about sunset; during which delay a very considerable number of merchantmen, outward-bound, were got several leagues before us. Being clear, we set sail in the evening, and next morning overtook part of that fleet about the height of Dover. We soon reached the rest, and in a little time left them all behind; for our yacht was counted a very swift sailer. But she was very leaky, so that the seamen and some of the passengers did, for the most part, pump day and night. One day they observed, that in two hours’ time she sucked in sixteen inches of water in the well.
When we had been about three weeks at sea, one afternoon we spied a vessel about four leagues astern of us. Our master said it was a Sallee man-of-war, that seemed to give us chase. Our master said, “Come, let us go to supper, and when it grows dark we shall lose him.” This he spoke to please and pacify the passengers, some of whom began to be very apprehensive of the danger. But Friends were well satisfied in themselves, having faith in God, and no fear upon their spirits. When the sun was gone down, I saw the ship out of my cabin making towards us. When it grew dark, we altered our course to miss her; but she altered also, and gained upon us. At night the master and others came into my cabin, and asked me, “what they should do?” I told them, “I was no mariner;” and I asked them, “what they thought was best to do?” They said, “There were but two ways, either to outrun him, or to tack about, and hold the same course we were going before.” I told them, “if he were a thief, they might be sure he would tack about too; and as for outrunning him, it was to no purpose to talk of that, for they saw he sailed faster than we.” They asked me again “what they should do? for,” they said, “if the mariners had taken Paul’s counsel they had not come to the damage they did.” I answered, “it was a trial of faith, and therefore the Lord was to be waited on for counsel.” So retiring in spirit, the Lord showed me, “that his life and power was placed between us and the ship that pursued us.” I told this to the master and the rest, and that our best way was to tack about and steer our right course. I desired them also to put out all their candles, but the one they steered by, and to speak to all the passengers to be still and quiet. About eleven at night, the watch called and said, “they were just upon us.” That disquieted some of the passengers; whereupon I sat up in my cabin, and looking through the porthole, the moon being not quite down, I saw them very near us. I was getting up to go out of the cabin; but remembering the word of the Lord, “that his life and power was placed between us and them,” I lay down again. The master and some of the seamen came again and asked me, “if they might not steer such a point?” I told them, “they might do as they would.” By this time the moon was quite down, a fresh gale arose, and the Lord hid us from them; and we sailed briskly on and saw them no more. The next day, being the first day of the week, we had a public meeting in the ship, as we usually had on that day throughout the voyage, and the Lord’s presence was greatly among us. And I desired the people “to mind the mercies of the Lord, who had delivered them; for they might have been all in the Turks’ hands, by that time had not the Lord’s hand saved them.” About a week after, the master and some of the seamen endeavoured to persuade the passengers, that it was not a Turkish pirate that chased us, but a merchantman going to the Canaries. When I heard of it, I asked them, “Why then did they speak so to me? why did they trouble the passengers? and why did they tack about from him and alter their course?” I told them “they should take heed of slighting the mercies of God.”
Afterwards, while we were at Barbadoes, there came in a merchant from Sallee, and told the people, “that one of the Sallee men-of-war saw a monstrous yacht at sea, the greatest that ever he saw, and had her in chase, and was just upon her, but that there was a spirit in her that he could not take.” This confirmed us in the belief that it was a Sallee-man we saw make after us, and that it was the Lord that delivered us out of his hands.
I was not sea-sick during the voyage, as many of the Friends and other passengers were; but the many hurts and bruises I had formerly received, and the infirmities I had contracted in England by extreme cold and hardships, that I had undergone in many long and sore imprisonments, returned upon me at sea; so that I was very ill in my stomach and full of violent pains in my bones and limbs. This was after I had been at sea about a month. For about three weeks after I came first to sea, I perspired abundantly, chiefly my head, and my body broke out in pimples, and my legs and feet swelled extremely, so that my stockings and slippers could not be drawn on without difficulty and great pain. Suddenly the sweating ceased, so that when I came into the hot climate, where others perspired most freely, I could not perspire at all; but my flesh was hot, dry, and burning; and that which broke out in pimples, struck in again to my stomach and heart, so that I was very ill, and weak beyond expression. Thus I continued during the rest of the voyage, which was about a month; for we were above seven weeks at sea.
On the third of the eighth month, early in the morning, we discovered the Island of BARBADOES, but it was between nine and ten at night ere we came to anchor in CARLISLE BAY. We got on shore as soon as we could, and I, with some others, walked to a Friend’s house, a merchant, whose name was Richard Forstall, above a quarter of a mile from the bridge. But being very ill and weak, I was so tired with that little walk, that I was in a manner spent by the time I got thither. There I abode very ill for several days, and though they several times gave me things to make me perspire, they could not effect it. But what they gave me did rather parch and dry up my body, and made me probably worse than otherwise I might have been. Thus I continued about three weeks after I landed, having much pain in my bones, joints, and whole body, so that I could hardly get any rest; yet I was pretty cheerful, and my spirit kept above it all. Neither did my illness take me off from the service of truth, but both while I was at sea, and after I came to Barbadoes, before I was able to travel about, I gave forth several papers (having a Friend to write for me), some of which I sent by the first conveyance for England to be printed.
After I had rested three or four days at Richard Forstall’s, where many Friends came to visit me, John Rous[23] having borrowed a coach of Colonel Chamberlain, came to fetch me to his father, Thomas Rous’s house.[23] But it was late ere we could get thither, and little or no rest could I take that night. A few days after, Colonel Chamberlain, who had so kindly lent his coach, paid me a visit, and was very courteous towards me.
Soon after I came into the island, I was informed of a remarkable occurrence, wherein the justice of God did eminently appear. It was thus:—
There was a young man of Barbadoes, whose name was John Drakes, (a person of some note in the world’s account, but a common swearer and wicked man,) who, when in London, had a mind to marry a Friend’s daughter, left by her mother very young, and with a considerable portion, to the care and government of several Friends, whereof I was one. He made application to me, that he might have my consent to marry this young maid. I told him, “I was one of her overseers appointed by her mother, who was a widow, to take care of her; that if her mother had intended her for a match to any man of the world, she would have disposed of her accordingly; but she committed her to us, that she might be trained up in the fear of the Lord, and therefore I should betray the trust reposed in me, if I should consent that he who was out of the fear of God, should marry her; which I would not do.” When he saw that he could not obtain his desire, he returned to Barbadoes with great offence of mind against me, but without just cause. Afterwards, when he heard I was coming to Barbadoes, he swore desperately, and threatened, that “if he could possibly procure it, he would have me burned to death when I came there.” Which a Friend hearing, asked him, “what had I done to him, that he was so violent against me?” He would not answer, but said again, “I’ll have him burned.” Whereupon the Friend replied, “Do not march on too furiously, lest thou come too soon to thy journey’s end.” About ten days after, he was struck with a violent burning fever, of which he died; and by which his body was so scorched, that the people said, “it was as black as a coal.” Three days before I landed, his body was laid in the dust. This was taken notice of as a sad example.
While I continued so weak, that I could not go abroad to meetings, the other Friends that came over with me, bestirred themselves in the Lord’s work. The day but one after we landed, they had a great meeting at the bridge, and after that several others in different parts of the island; which alarmed the people of all sorts, so that many came to our meetings, and some of the chief rank. For they had got my name, understanding I was come upon the island, and expected to see me at those meetings, not knowing that I was unable to go abroad. And indeed, my weakness continued the longer on me, by reason that my spirit was much pressed down at first with the filth and dirt and unrighteousness of the people, which lay as a heavy weight and load upon me. But after I had been above a month upon the island, my spirit became somewhat easier, and I began to recover in some measure my health and strength, and to get abroad among Friends. In the meantime, having opportunity to send to England, I wrote to Friends there, to let them know how it was with me, as follows:—
“DEAR FRIENDS,
“I have been very weak these seven weeks past, and not able to write myself. My desire is to you and for you all, that ye may live in the fear of God, and in love one unto another, and be subject one to another in the fear of God. I have been weaker in my body than ever I was in my life that I remember, yea, my pains have been such as I cannot express; yet my heart and spirit is strong. I have hardly perspired these seven weeks past, though I am come into a very hot climate, where hardly any but are well nigh continually perspiring; but as for me, my old bruises, colds, numbness, and pains, struck inwardly, even to my very heart. So that I have taken little rest, and the chief things that were comfortable to my stomach, were a little water and powdered ginger; but now I begin to drink a little beer as well as water, and sometimes a little wine and water mixed. Great pains and travails I have felt, and in measure am under; but it is well, my life is over all. This island was to me as all on a fire ere I came to it, but now it is somewhat quenched and abated. I came in weakness amongst those that are strong, and have so continued; but now I am got a little cheery, and over it. Many Friends, and some considerable persons of the world, have been with me. I tired out my body much when amongst you in England; it is the Lord’s power that helps me; therefore I desire you all to prize the power of the Lord and his truth. I was but weak in body when I left you, after I had been in my great travail amongst you; but after that, it struck all back again into my body, which was not well settled after so sore travails in England. Then I was so tired at sea, that I could not rest, and have had little or no stomach a long time. Since I came into this island, my life hath been very much burthened; but I hope, if the Lord give me strength to manage his work, I shall work thoroughly, and bring things that have been out of course, into better order.
“So, dear Friends, live all in the peaceable truth, and in the love of it, serving the Lord in newness of life; for glorious things and precious truths have been manifested among you plentifully, and to you the riches of the kingdom have been handed. I have been almost a month in this island, but have not been able to go abroad or ride out; only very lately I rode out twice, a quarter of a mile at a time, which wearied me much. My love in the truth is to you all.”
G. F.
Because I was not well able to travel, the Friends of the island concluded to have their men’s and women’s meeting for the service of the church at Thomas Rous’s, where I lay; by which means I was present at each of their meetings, and had very good service for the Lord in both. For they had need of information in many things, divers disorders having crept in for want of care and watchfulness. I exhorted them, more especially at the men’s meeting, “to be watchful and careful with respect to marriages, to prevent Friends marrying in near kindreds, and also to prevent over-hasty proceedings towards second marriages, after the death of a former husband or wife; advising that a decent regard might be had in such cases to the memory of the deceased husband or wife.
“As to Friends’ children marrying too young, as at thirteen or fourteen years of age, I showed them the unfitness thereof, and the inconveniences and hurts that attend such childish marriages. I admonished them to purge the floor thoroughly, to sweep their houses very clean, that nothing might remain that would defile, and to take care that nothing be spoken, out of their meetings, to the blemishing or defaming one of another.
“Concerning the registering of marriages, births, and burials, I advised them to keep exact records of each in distinct books for that only use; and also to record in a book for that purpose, the condemnations of such as went out from truth into disorderly practices, and the repentance and restoration of such of them as returned again.
“I recommended to their care the providing of convenient burying-places for Friends, which in some parts were yet wanting. Some directions also I gave them concerning wills, and the ordering of legacies left by Friends for public uses, and other things relating to the affairs of the church.
“Then as to their blacks or negroes, I desired them to endeavour to train them up in the fear of God, those that were bought, and those born in their families, that all might come to the knowledge of the Lord; that so, with Joshua, every master of a family might say, ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ I desired them also that they would cause their overseers to deal mildly and gently with their negroes, and not use cruelty towards them, as the manner of some hath been and is; and that after certain years of servitude, they would make them free.”[24] Many sweet and precious things were opened in these meetings by the Spirit, and in the power of the Lord, to the edifying, confirming, and building up of Friends, both in the faith and holy order of the gospel.
After these meetings, the vessel bound for England not being gone, I was moved to write another epistle to Friends there, as follows:—
“Dear Friends and brethren, to whom is my love in that which never changeth, but remains in glory, which is over all, the top and corner-stone. In this all have peace and life, as ye dwell in the blessed Seed, wherein all is blessed, over that which brought the curse; where all shortness and narrowness of spirit, brittleness and peevishness are. Therefore keep the holy order of the gospel. Keep in this blessed Seed, where all may be preserved in temperance, patience, love, meekness, righteousness, holiness, and peace, in which the Lord may be seen amongst you, and no ways dishonoured, but glorified by you all. In all your meetings, in cities, towns, and countries, let righteousness flow among you, and the holy truth be uppermost; the pure Spirit your guide and leader, and the holy wisdom from above your orderer, which is gentle, and easy to be entreated. Keep in the religion that preserves from the spots of the world, which is pure and undefiled in God’s sight. Keep in the pure and holy worship, in which the pure and holy God is worshipped, to wit, in the Spirit and in the truth, which the devil is out of, who is the author of all unholiness and of that which dishonours God. Be tender of God’s glory, of his honour, and of his blessed and holy name, in which ye are gathered. All who profess the truth, see that ye walk in it, in righteousness, godliness, and holiness; for ‘holiness becomes the house of God, the household of faith.’ And that which becomes God’s house, God loves; for he loves righteousness—the ornament which becomes his house, and all his family. Therefore see that righteousness run down in all your assemblies, that it flow, to drive away all unrighteousness. This preserves your peace with God; for in righteousness, ye have all peace with the righteous God of Peace, and one with another.
“Everyone that bears the name of the Anointed, that high title of being a Christian, named after the Heavenly Man, see that ye be in the divine nature, made conformable unto his image, even the image of the Heavenly Divine Man, who was before that image which Adam and Eve got from Satan in the fall; so that in none of you that fallen image may appear, or be seen; but his image, and you made conformable unto him. Here translation is showed forth in life and conversation, not in words only; yea, and conversion and repentance, which is a change of the nature of the mind and of the heart, of the spirit and affections, which have been below, and come to be set above; and so receive the things that are from above, and have your conversation in heaven, not that conversation which is according to the power of the prince of the air, that now rules in the disobedient. So be faithful; this is the word of the Lord God unto you all. See that godliness and holiness, righteousness and truth, virtue, and the fruits of the good Spirit, flow over the bad and its fruits, that ye may answer that which is of God in all; for your heavenly Father is glorified in that ye bring forth much fruit. Therefore ye, who are plants of his planting, and his trees of righteousness, see that every tree be full of fruit.
“Keep in true humility, and in the true love of God, which doth edify his body; that the true nourishment from the head, the refreshings, and springs, and rivers of water, and bread of life, may be plenteously known and felt amongst you; that so praises may ascend unto God. Be faithful to the Lord God, and just and true in all your dealings and doings with men. Be not negligent in your men’s meetings to admonish, to exhort, and reprove in the spirit of love and of meekness; to seek that which is lost, and to bring back again that which hath been driven away. So let all minds and spirits, souls and hearts, be bended down under the yoke of Christ Jesus, the power of God.
“Much I could write, but am weak, and have been mostly so since I left you. Burthens and travails I have been under, and have gone through many ways; but it is well. The Lord Almighty knows my work, which he hath sent me forth to do by his everlasting arm and power; which is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be his holy name, which I am in, and in which my love is to you all.”
G. F.
After I was able to go about, and had been a little amongst Friends, I went to visit the governor; Lewis Morice, Thomas Rous, and some other Friends being with me. He received us very civilly, and treated us very kindly, making us dine with him; and keeping us most part of the day before he let us go away.
The same week I went to BRIDGE-TOWN. There was to be a general meeting of Friends that week; and the visit I had made to the governor, and the kind reception I had with him, being generally known to the officers, civil and military, many came to this meeting from most parts of the island, and those not of the meanest rank; several being judges or justices, colonels or captains; so that a very great meeting we had, both of Friends and others. The Lord’s blessed power was plentifully with us; and although I was somewhat straightened for time, three other Friends having spoken before me, yet the Lord opened things through me to the general and great satisfaction of them that were present. Colonel Lewis Morice came to this meeting, and with him a neighbour of his, a judge in the country, whose name was Ralph Fretwell; who was very well satisfied, and received the truth.
Paul Gwin, a jangling Baptist, came into the meeting, and asked me, “How I spelt Cain? and whether I had the same spirit as the apostles had?” I told him, “Yes.” And he bade the judge take notice of it. I told him, “He that had not a measure of the same Holy Ghost as the apostles had, was possessed with an unclean spirit.” And then he went his way.
I went home with Lewis Morice that night, being about nine or ten miles, going part of the way by boat, the rest on horseback. The place where his plantation was, I thought to be in the finest air of the island. The next day Thomas Briggs and William Edmundson came to see me, intending to leave the island the day following, to go on the Lord’s service to Antigua and Nevis. Lewis Morice went with them; at Antigua they had several good meetings, to which there was a great resort of people; and many were convinced. But when they went to Nevis, the governor, an old persecutor, sent soldiers on board the vessel, to stop them, and would not suffer them to land. Wherefore, after Friends of the place had been on board the vessel with them, and they had been sweetly refreshed together, feeling the Lord’s power and presence amongst them, they returned to Antigua; where having stayed a while longer, they came back again to Bardadoes, Thomas Briggs being weak and ill.
Of the other Friends that came over with me from England, James Lancaster, John Cartwright, and George Pattison, were gone some time before to Jamaica, and others to other places, so that few remained in Barbadoes with me. We had many great and precious meetings, both for worship and for the affairs of the church; to the former of which many other people came. At one of these meetings Colonel Lyne, a sober person, was so well satisfied with what I declared, that he said, “Now I can gainsay such as I have heard speak evil of you; who say, you do not own Christ, nor that he died; whereas I perceive you exalt Christ in all his offices beyond what I have ever heard before.”[25] This man, observing a person take in writing the heads of what I delivered, desired to have a copy of it; and stayed another day with us; so great a love was raised in him to the truth. Indeed, a very great convincement there was in most parts of the island; which made the priests and professors rage.
Our meetings were very large, and free from disturbance from the government, though the envious priests and some professors endeavoured to stir up the magistrates against us. When they found they could not prevail that way, some Baptists came to the meeting at the town, which was full of people of several ranks and qualities. A great company came with them; and they brought a slanderous paper, written by John Pennyman, with which they made a great noise. But the Lord gave me wisdom and utterance to answer their cavils; so that the auditory generally received satisfaction, and those quarrelsome professors lost ground. When they had wearied themselves with clamour, they went away; but the people staying, the meeting was continued; the things they cavilled about were further opened and cleared; and the life and power of God came over all. But the rage and envy in our adversaries did not cease; they endeavoured to defame Friends with many false and scandalous reports, which they spread abroad through the island. Whereupon we drew up a paper, to go forth in the name of the people called Quakers, for the clearing of truth and Friends from those false reports. It was directed thus:—
_“For the Governor of Barbadoes, with his Council and Assembly, and all others in power, both civil and military, in this Island; from the people called Quakers._
“Whereas many scandalous lies and slanders have been cast upon us, to render us odious; as that ‘We deny God, and Christ Jesus, and the Scriptures of truth,’ &c. This is to inform you, that all our books and declarations, which for these many years have been published to the world, clearly testify the contrary. Yet, for your satisfaction, we now plainly and sincerely declare, ‘that we do own and believe in God, the only wise, omnipotent, and everlasting God, the Creator of all things both in heaven and in earth, and the preserver of all that he hath made; who is God over all, blessed for ever; to whom be all honour and glory, dominion, praise, and thanksgiving, both now and for evermore!’
“And we own and believe in Jesus Christ, his beloved and only begotten Son, in whom he is well pleased; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins; who is the express image of the Invisible God, the first-born of every creature, by whom were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, principalities, or powers, all things were created by him. And we do own and believe that He was made a sacrifice for sin, who knew no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; that he was crucified for us in the flesh, without the gates of Jerusalem; and that he was buried, and rose again the third day by the power of his Father, for our justification; and that he ascended up into heaven, and now sitteth at the right hand of God. This Jesus, who was the foundation of the holy prophets and apostles, is our foundation; and we believe that there is no other foundation to be laid than that which is laid, even Christ Jesus; who tasted death for every man, shed his blood for all men, and is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world; according as John the Baptist testified of him, when he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.’ John i. 29. We believe that he alone is our Redeemer and Saviour, even the Captain of our Salvation, who saves us from sin, as well as from hell, and the wrath to come, and destroys the devil and his works; he is the Seed of the woman, that bruises the serpent’s head, to wit, Christ Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. He is (as the Scriptures of truth say of him,) our wisdom and righteousness, justification and redemption; neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we may be saved. It is he alone, who is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls; He is our Prophet, whom Moses long since testified of, saying, ‘A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto you; and it shall come to pass, that every soul that will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.’ Acts iii. 22, 23.
“He it is that is now come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true. He rules in our hearts by his law of love and of life, and makes us free from the law of sin and death. We have no life but by him; for he is the quickening Spirit, the second Adam, the Lord from heaven; by whose blood we are cleansed, and our consciences sprinkled from dead works to serve the living God. He is our Mediator, that makes peace and reconciliation between God offended and us offending, He being the oath of God, the new covenant of light, life, grace, and peace; the author and finisher of our faith. This Lord Jesus Christ, the heavenly Man, the Emmanuel, God with us, we all own and believe in; him whom the high-priest raged against, and said, he had spoken blasphemy; whom the priests and the elders of the Jews took counsel together against, and put to death; the same whom Judas betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, which the priests gave him as a reward for his treason, who also gave large money to the soldiers to broach a horrible lie, namely, ‘that his disciples came and stole him away by night, whilst they slept.’ After he was risen from the dead, the history of the Acts of the Apostles sets forth, how the chief priests and elders persecuted the disciples of this Jesus, for preaching Christ and his resurrection. This, we say, is that Lord Jesus Christ, whom we own to be our life and salvation.
“Concerning the Holy Scriptures, we do believe that they were given forth by the Holy Spirit of God, through the holy men of God, who (as the Scripture itself declares, 2 Pet. i. 21.) ‘spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ We believe they are to be read, believed, and fulfilled (He that fulfils them, is Christ;) and they are ‘profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works,’ 2 Tim. iii, 15, and are ‘able to make wise unto salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus.’ We believe that the Holy Scriptures are the words of God; for it is said, Ex. xx. 1, ‘God spake all these words, saying,’ &c., meaning the ten commandments given forth upon Mount Sinai. And in Rev. xxii. 18, saith John, ‘I testify to every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book: if any man addeth unto these, and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy’ (not the word,) &c. So in Luke i. 20, ‘Because thou believedst not my words.’ And in John v. 47; xv. 7; xiv. 23; and xii. 47. So that we call the Holy Scriptures, as Christ and the apostles called them, and holy men of God called them, viz., the words of God.
“Another slander which they have cast upon us is, ‘that we teach the negroes to rebel;’ a thing we utterly abhor in our hearts; the Lord knows it, who is the searcher of all hearts, and knows all things, and can testify for us, that this is a most abominable untruth. For that which we have spoken to them is, ‘to exhort and admonish them to be sober, and to fear God; to love their masters and mistresses, and to be faithful and diligent in their masters’ service and business; and then their masters and overseers would love them, and deal kindly and gently with them; also, that they should not beat their wives, nor the wives their husbands, neither should the men have many wives; that they should not steal, or be drunk,—should not commit adultery, or fornication,—should not curse, swear, lie, or give bad words to one another, or to any one else: for there is something in them that tells them, they should not practise these or any other evils. But if, notwithstanding, they should do them, then we let them know there are but two ways, the one that leads to heaven, where the righteous go; and the other that leads to hell, where the wicked and debauched, whoremongers and adulterers, murderers and liars go. To the one the Lord will say, ‘Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;’ but to the other he will say, ‘Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:’ so ‘the wicked go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.’ Matt. xxv.
“Consider, Friends, it is no transgression for a master of a family to instruct his family himself, or for some others to do it in his behalf; but rather it is a very great duty incumbent upon them. Abraham and Joshua did so: of the first the Lord said, Gen. xviii. 19, ‘I know that Abraham will command his children and his household after him; and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham the things that he hath spoken of him.’ And the latter said, Josh. xxiv. 15, ‘Choose ye this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ We declare that we esteem it a duty incumbent on us to pray with and for those in and belonging to our families, and to teach, instruct, and admonish them; this being a command of the Lord, disobedience whereunto will provoke his displeasure; as may be seen, Jer. x. 25, ‘Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not upon thy name.’ Now Negroes, Tawnies, Indians, make up a very great part of the families in this island; for whom an account will be required by him who comes to judge both quick and dead, at the great day of judgment, when everyone shall be ‘rewarded according to the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or whether they be evil:’ at that day, we say, of the resurrection both of the good and of the bad, of the just and of the unjust, when ‘the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe in that day.’ 2 Thess. i. 8, &c. See also 2 Pet. iii. 3, &c.”
This wicked slander (of our endeavouring to make the negroes rebel) our adversaries took occasion to raise, from our having had some meetings with and amongst the negroes; for both I and other Friends had several meetings with them in several plantations, wherein we exhorted them to justice, sobriety, temperance, chastity, and piety, and to be subject to their masters and governors; which was altogether contrary to what our envious adversaries maliciously suggested against us.
As I had been to visit the governor as soon as I was well able, after I came thither; and so when I was at Thomas Rous’s, the governor came to see me, carrying himself very courteously.
Having been three months or more in Barbadoes, and having visited Friends, thoroughly settled meetings, and despatched the service for which the Lord had brought me thither, I felt my spirit clear of that island, and found drawings to Jamaica. When I had communicated this to Friends, I acquainted the governor also, and divers of his council, that I intended shortly to leave the island and go to Jamaica. This I did, that as my coming thither was open and public, so my departure also might be. Before I left the island, I wrote the following letter to my wife; that she might understand both how it was with me, and how I proceeded in my travels:—
“MY DEAR HEART,
“To whom is my love, and to all the children in the Seed of Life that changeth not, but is over all; blessed be the Lord for ever. I have undergone great sufferings in my body and spirit, beyond words; but the God of heaven be praised, his truth is over all. I am now well; and, if the Lord permit, within a few days I pass from Barbadoes towards Jamaica; and I think to stay but little there. I desire that ye may be all kept free in the Seed of Life, out of all cumbrances. Friends are generally well. Remember me to Friends that enquire after me. So no more, but my love in the Seed and Life that changeth not.”
G.F.
Barbadoes, 6th of 11th Month, 1671.
I set sail from Barbadoes to Jamaica on the 8th of the 11th month, 1671; Robert Widders, William Edmundson, Solomon Eccles, and Elizabeth Hooton, going with me. Thomas Briggs and John Stubbs, remained in Barbadoes; with whom were John Rous and William Bailey. We had a quick and easy passage to JAMAICA, where we met with our Friends James Lancaster, John Cartwright, and George Pattison again, who had been labouring there in the service of truth; into which we forthwith entered with them, travelling up and down through the island, which is large; and a brave country it is, though the people are, many of them, debauched and wicked. We had much service. There was a great convincement, and many received the truth; some of whom were people of account in the world. We had many meetings there, which were large and very quiet. The people were civil to us, so that not a mouth was opened against us. I was twice with the governor, and some other magistrates, who all carried themselves lovingly towards me.
About a week after we landed in Jamaica, Elizabeth Hooton, a woman of great age, who had travelled much in truth’s service, and suffered much for it, departed this life. She was well the day before she died; and departed in peace, like a lamb, bearing testimony to truth at her departure.
When we had been about seven weeks in Jamaica, had brought Friends into pretty good order, and settled several meetings amongst them, we left Solomon Eccles there; the rest of us embarked for Maryland, leaving Friends and truth prosperous in Jamaica, the Lord’s power being over all, and his blessed Seed reigning.
Before I left Jamaica, I wrote another letter to my wife, as follows:—
“MY DEAR HEART,
“To whom is my love, and to the children, in that which changeth not, but is over all; and to all Friends in those parts. I have been in Jamaica about five weeks. Friends here are generally well; and there is a convincement: but things would be too large to write of. Sufferings in every place attend me; but the blessed Seed is over all: the great Lord be praised, who is Lord of sea and land, and of all things therein. We intend to pass from hence about the beginning of next month, towards Maryland if the Lord please. Dwell all of you in the Seed of God; in his truth I rest in love to you all.”
G.F.
Jamaica, 23rd of 12th Month, 1671.
-----
Footnote 23:
Thomas Rous was a wealthy sugar-planter of Barbadoes. John Rous was his son, and son-in-law to George Fox, having married his wife’s eldest daughter. John Rous visited New England as a gospel minister when a young man, and suffered whipping and imprisonment there. After his release from Boston jail in 1658, except a visit which he paid to the island of Nevis towards the close of that year, we lose all trace of him until his marriage with Margaret, eldest daughter of Judge Fell, at Swarthmore Hall, in 1662. After his marriage he settled in London, in which, and in its vicinity, he appears to have resided during the remainder of his life. But few particulars respecting him are preserved, except a visit to the county of Kent in 1670, accompanied by Alexander Parker and George Whitehead; and to Barbadoes the following year with George Fox, as related in this Journal. Besides this, and a visit to the counties of York and Durham in 1689, we know nothing of his gospel labours after he settled in England. In his will, dated from Kingston in Surrey in 1692, he describes himself as a merchant, and his property, which, it appears was considerable, lay chiefly in Barbadoes. It is singular no record of his death has been found, but as his will was proved in 1695, it probably took place in that year.
Footnote 24:
The interest of Friends in behalf of the Negro may be dated from the rise of the Society, at least from the time of their acquaintance with them at the above date. In proportion as intercourse was more frequently maintained with the distant colonies, and the abominations of Slavery were more generally known, Friends were more decided in their opposition to it. In 1727 the whole Society, at their Yearly Meeting in London, passed a general resolution: “That the importing of Negroes from their native country is not a commendable or allowable practice, and is therefore censured by this meeting.” At several subsequent meetings, through a series of years, minutes were passed to the same effect, but gradually increasing in strength. In 1758, the practice was declared to be in direct violation of the gospel rule, and Friends were warned carefully to avoid being in any way concerned in reaping the unrighteous profits arising from so iniquitous a practice. In 1761 all were disowned who persisted in a practice so repugnant to Christianity, and so reproachful to a Christian profession.
Clarkson, in alluding to this subject, observes, “I must beg leave to stop here for a moment, just to pay the Quakers a due tribute of respect for the proper estimation in which they have uniformly held these miserable outcasts of society. What a contrast does it afford to the sentiments of many others concerning them! How have we been compelled to prove, by a long chain of evidence, that Negroes have the same feelings and capacities as ourselves! How many, professing themselves enlightened, even now view them as of a different species. But by the Friends we have seen them uniformly represented, as persons ‘ransomed by one and the same Saviour,’ ‘as visited by one and the same light for salvation,’ and ‘as made equally for immortality as others.’ These practical views of mankind, as they are highly honourable to the members of this Society, so they afford a proof both of the reality and of the consistency of their religion.”
See Clarkson’s History of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, and Copley’s History of Slavery.
Footnote 25:
The faith of the early Friends in the divinity and offices of our Saviour being called in question by some, they boldly resented such an inference. From a work published by Samuel Crisp, in 1704, take the following extracts:—
“Our faith is, and always has been in that Christ, the Son of God, who, according to the flesh, was crucified without the gates of Jerusalem: He is the object of our faith, to the merit of whose death and passion, with the work of his Spirit in our hearts, we trust only for life and salvation; with his stripes we are healed.”
“As to what he (a libeller) says of our forcing ourselves to speak with a seeming reverence and respect of the outward Christ, his death and sufferings, I would hope that he knows better in his own conscience than thus to represent us. We bear a true reverence and respect to Jesus Christ, his death and sufferings, and can never be sufficiently thankful to him who was pleased to humble himself to death, even the death of the cross; that all that believe in him might, through the cross, be made heirs of life and immortality.”
For further elucidation of the soundness of the early Friends in their belief as to the divinity and offices of Christ, see Evans’ Exposition of the Faith of the Society of Friends, especially John Banks’ “Testimony concerning his faith in Christ,” and an “Essay drawn up by John Burnyeat and John Watson in 1688,” contained in the above-mentioned work.