A N 
 
 ACCOUNT 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 Convincement, Exercifes, 
 Services, and Travels, 
 
 OF THAT 
 
 Ancient Servant of the Lord, 
 
 Richard Davies. 
 
 WITH 
 
 Some Relation of Ancient Friends, 
 and the Spreading of 'Truth in 
 North-Wales, &c. 
 
 The THIRD EDITION. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed and Sold by MARY HINDE, 
 at N 2, George-Yard^ Lombard- 
 Sir eet 9 1771.
 
 "7 7 /
 
 THE 
 
 TESTIMONY 
 
 AND 
 
 Account of George Whitehead, con- 
 cerning RICHARD DAVIES, and 
 his Miniftry. 
 
 IN a true and living Remembrance of 
 this our dear Brother, ancient and 
 faithful Servant and Minifter of Jefus 
 Chrift, Richard Davies, and of that dear 
 and brotherly Love which remained be- 
 tween us, and which he had to all faith- 
 ful Friends and Brethren in Chrift j I am 
 concern'd to give this brief Teftimony, 
 in Commemoration of him, his Lite, 
 and faithful Gofpel-miniftry. 
 
 He was not only a Profeffbr of the 
 Name, Power, and Spirit of our blefied 
 Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, but a!fo 
 made a Partaker of Chrift in Spirit, Life, 
 and Converfation : A plain, meek, and 
 humble Man of Integrity ; a Man fear- 
 ing God, and hating Iniquity ; a Man 
 fanctified by the holy Spirit, unto un- 
 A 2 feigned
 
 G. Whitehead'j Teftimony 
 
 feigned and conftant Love el his Bre- 
 thren in Chrift ; a Man found in Faith, in 
 Patience, and Charity; of a found M : \ d 
 and Judgment, being endues with the 
 Spirit of Love : He was a Preacner of 
 Chrift and his Righteouinefs, in his Con- 
 verfation as well as in Doclrine and Mi- 
 niftry, wherein he was exemplary ro the 
 Believers, &c. He was given up to fcrve 
 the Truth and Friends ; and being o; a 
 tender Spirit, did truly fympathize with 
 the Sufferers for the fame, and ufed his 
 induftrious Endeavours for their Relit-/, 
 where he could have an Intereftor Place 
 with fuch as had Power. 
 
 His Teftimony and Miniftry was evan- 
 gelical, plain, and found ; not in Words 
 of Man's VVifdom, but in the Demon- 
 ftration and plain Evidence of the holy 
 Spirit and Power of Chrift ; being a iMi- 
 nifter of the Spirit, and of the New Tefta- 
 ment ; the New Covenant Difpenfation, 
 which ftands not in legal Shadows, Types, 
 outward Signs or Figures, but in the 
 Gofpcl-life and Subftance, even in Chrift 
 Jefus i in whom all the Shadows, and 
 Difptnfations thereof, are ended. 
 
 And this our dear Brother having tra- 
 velled through and beyond thofe outward 
 Pifpenfutions, Shadows, and Vails ; and 
 underftanding
 
 concerning Richard Davies. 
 
 underftanding their Ceflation, Removal, 
 and End, in and by Chrift Jefus, his 
 Suite rings and Death; and more efpecial- 
 ]y by his i-iward and fpiritual Appear- 
 ance, Difpeniation, and Work in his 
 Heart and Sou! ; whereby he was made 
 ferfible of the Power of (Thrift's Refur- 
 rcclion, as being one riien with him : By 
 the Brightness and Glory of whole Day, 
 the Shadows naturally vanifh and rife 
 away ; as .this ihith;'ul Minifter of Chriil 
 was Witnds, with many more o 
 Brethren, who were and are Partakers (,i 
 the inward and fpirirual Revelation of 
 the Myftcry of Cnrilt, and of the Glory 
 of his Day. 
 
 And as this Gofpel-minifler did fee ant! 
 partake or the enduring Subftance, and 
 End of all vanifhing Shadows, and car- 
 nal Ordinances; he well knew, that nei- 
 ther John's Baptifm with Water, nor any 
 outward Wafhings therewith, though once 
 commanded, could ever fandtify, or waih 
 the Infide from Sin and Pollution, or 
 fprinkle and purify the Conference, or 
 make a true Cbrifliatt ; much lefs can 
 fprinkling Infants, which God never com- 
 manded : But Cbrift's fpiritual Baptifm, 
 and Wafliing of Regeneration by the 
 Water of Life, which is the One Bap- 
 A 3 tifm,
 
 G. Whitehead'i Teftimony 
 
 tifm, i. e. the Baptifm of the Spirit ; 
 this is the only laving Baptifm, as our 
 faid deceafed Brother hath teftified, .ac- 
 eording to holy Scripture. 
 . He alfo likewife teftified, That out- 
 ward Bread and Wine cannot feed nor 
 nourifh the immortal Soul, or inward 
 Man, any more than the legal Pafibver, 
 but only the Body, or outward Man : 
 But Chrift, the living Bread, the Bread 
 of Life which comes down from Hea- 
 ven ; and the Cup of Bleffing, which he 
 gives to his fpiritual ^Communicants ; he 
 being that fpiritual Meat and Drink, 
 which all his fpiritual Ifrael partake of, 
 in this his Gofpel-day, to their great 
 Refrefhment and Comfort, in the fpiri- 
 tual Communion, and comfortable Fel- 
 Jowfhip of his holy Spirit. And to this 
 our dear Friend's Miniftry tended to 
 bring People, that they might not reft 
 in lirelefs Shadows, but come to know 
 and inherit eternal Life and Subftarce in 
 Chrift Jefus, which all that truly love 
 him mail partake of and poffc-fs. 
 
 Ancl I am fully perfwaded, That as 
 this' our dear and well-beloved Friend and 
 Brother lived and died in the Faith, in 
 our blefted Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, 
 and in true Union and Communion with 
 
 his
 
 concerning Richard Davies. 
 
 his Church and People here on Earth, fo 
 I believe he is eternally blefied, and at 
 Reft in his heavenly Kingdom ; where 
 all the faithful in Chrift fhall meet in the 
 great and general Aflembly of (Thrift's 
 triumphant Church, and enjoy glorious 
 and everlafting Communion in the hea- 
 venly Kingdom of Glory and Peace ; 
 which fhall be the blefled Eftate and In- 
 heritance of all, who continue faithful in 
 true Love and Unity, in the Grace of 
 God, while here on Earth, unto the End 
 of their Days. 
 
 London, the loth 
 of the twelfth (7 TT7 
 
 Month, 1709. rr< i 
 
 A 4 A SHORT
 
 A SHORT 
 
 TESTIMONY 
 
 CONCERNING 
 
 My dear and loving Father RICHARD 
 DAVIES, whom God in his Mercy 
 took to himfelf] the 22d of the jirft 
 Month, 1707-8. He being about 
 jeventy-tivo Tear s and eleven Months 
 eld. 
 
 I CAN truly fay, he was a dear and 
 tender Father to me in my young 
 Years ; and as I grew up, I had a Senfe 
 of his great Love and Care over me, and 
 it feized my Heart, fo that I often pray- 
 ed to God, that he would keep me from 
 offending fo good a Father. And when I 
 was capable of travelling with him, he 
 ufually took me along with him, in his 
 Journeys to London and el fc where -, many 
 were the good Opportunities that we had 
 in travelling together, and vifiting Friends 
 -at their Meetings. 
 
 And
 
 Tace Endon her T'eftimony, &c. 
 
 And as his Care was to me, fo was it 
 over mine aifo, which makes our Lofs 
 the greater -, but I am fatisfied it is his 
 great Gain. Oh ! how often and fervent 
 would he pray to the Almighty, that his 
 Children might become the Children of 
 the Lord, and that he might keep us 
 from the Allurements and Defilements of 
 this wicked World ; and we hope, the 
 Lord will anfwer his Petitions en our 
 Behalf. 
 
 My dear Father was ferviceable to mofb 
 Sorts of People, Rich and Poor, in the 
 Country where he lived, and in other 
 Places. He was ready to give his Ad- 
 vice and Couniel freely, both in Things 
 relating to the Law and the Gofpel ; and 
 he had much Place and Intereft withfeve- 
 ral great Perfons, and what he requefted 
 of them, was generally granted him. 
 And I may fay it to the Praile of ihe 
 Lord, he was well refpc<5t:d by moft Sorts 
 of People, and a Lois of him is known. 
 amonglt them. 
 
 He was very ready to ferve the W idow 
 and Fatherlefs, in what lay in his Power i 
 and many were his Labo;,: uveis 
 
 of Love : But now he is ceafet 4 . 
 them all, and I queftion not but he ?> 
 gone to his eternal Reft with Go 
 
 A 5 ever.
 
 Tace Endon her 
 
 ever. It is my Defire, that we may 
 prize the great Goodnefs and Lcving- 
 kihdnefs of the Lord, in fparing of -him 
 fo long unto us, for he had been but a 
 weakly Man in Body thefe late Years. 
 
 About the tenth Month, 1688, my 
 dear Father was very fick and weak, fo 
 that moil that faw him, thought he would 
 not recover ; but the Lord, in his tender 
 Mercy, fo order'd that our dear Friends 
 Robert Barrow, and Robert Haydock^ 
 came into thefe Parts to vifit Friends, 
 and they came to our Houfe at Wclcb- 
 Pod* and had a Meeting tlvre \ and as 
 they were parting with my Father, they 
 had it in their Hearts to pray, and they 
 carneftly interceded with the Lord, That 
 it might ft and good with his Will, to fpare 
 him again unto us j for we were then a 
 ibrrowful Family. Afterwards, I re- 
 member very well, Rcbcrt Barrow fpoke, 
 i.iivi to my Father, Dear Richard, 
 /;-/ a vsr-j weak Mm in the Sight of 
 tbo/e th.it jee ibee, and not likely to live 
 Hours, as to the natural Mr.rfs 
 -, but the Lord has given it me at 
 this Time to believe ', I Jhall fee thee at cur 
 : : % at London. When I 
 . thefe Words, it was joyful News 
 to me, ar.d "it proved very true ; the 
 
 Lord
 
 concerning her Father, R. D. 
 
 Lord in his wonderful Mercy and Lov- 
 ing- kindnrfs, reftored him to his Health, 
 and next Spring he went to the Ye rly- 
 meeting at London, where alfo Robert 
 Barrow was, and glad to fee my Father 
 there. This was all the Lord's Doings, 
 and his Works they are marvellous in our 
 Eyes. 
 
 Much might be faid ; but my Defire 
 is, that as our ancient Friends, Fathers 
 and Mothers in Ifrael, have borne the Bur- 
 then in the Heat of the Day, through 
 many Tribulations and Afflictions, and 
 now have refted from their Labours, 
 and their Works follow them, and their 
 Memorial is blefled for evermore ; fo we 
 alfb who are leu, may walk in the Foot- 
 lit ps of the Flock, and tread in the Path 
 they have trod in. It is, as to the out- 
 ward, an eafy Way now, to what our 
 Aneients had, but the Adverfary of our 
 immortal Souls is the lame, he is unwea- 
 ried ; therefore we ought to be very care- 
 ful, and double our Diligence, to be fo- 
 ber and watchful, and cry inceflantly to 
 the Lord God of our Fathers, that he 
 may be our God, and enable us to walk 
 worthy of all his Mercies and Bldfings 
 every Way, for they are many. 
 
 A 6 Now
 
 Tace Endon her Teftimony 
 
 Now I mall give fome Account of my 
 dear Father's Departure. He was taken 
 ill on the fixth D.iy of the Week, being 
 the i pth of the firft Month, 1707-8. On 
 Firft-day following, he fent for fome 
 Friends of Dolobran Meeting, and feve- 
 ral of them came to him, and had a 
 Meeting with him in his Bed-chamber -, 
 he defired Friends to pray to the Lord, 
 That he might have an eafy Pajfi'-ge add- 
 ing, That the fervent Prayers of the Rigb- 
 teous 9 the Lord would have a Regard un- 
 to. And his Time being come, he de- 
 parted this Life, as it were in a Sleep, 
 it being about the 9th Hour in the Fore- 
 noon, the 22d of the firft Month, 1707-8. 
 On the 25th following, his Body was 
 accompanied with a considerable Number 
 of Friends, and People, to the Buryirg- 
 place, near his own Houfe at Cloddieco- 
 chion^ and ihere decently interr'd. 
 
 And now it is my Defire, that all of 
 us who have had fuch good Examples by 
 our Parents, may follow them in Purity 
 and Holinefs ; fo that we may be fuch 
 good Patterns to our Offspring, that 
 when we lay down our Heads, and leave 
 this Natural Lite, they may have Caufe 
 to praife and glorify the Lord on our 
 Account, as muny of us can fay, we have 
 
 bad
 
 concerning her Father, R. D. 
 
 bad for our worthy Parents that are gone. 
 And if we continue in Well-doing, and 
 in the Fear of the Lord, there is no 
 Queftion but we fhall die in his Favour, 
 which I defire may be the Lot of the 
 whole Heritage of God. 
 
 Cloddiecochion, the 
 
 27th of the fuft 
 
 Month, 1708. 
 
 A TESTI-
 
 A 
 
 TESTIMONY 
 
 FROM 
 
 Friends and Brethren of the Qiiar- 
 terly- Meeting for Monfgomery- 
 fhire, Shropshire, and Merioneth- 
 fhire, held at Dolobran in Mont- 
 gomery (hire, the 2$tb of the ele- 
 venth Month, 1708, concerning 
 our ancient, houourable Friend 
 and Elder, RICHARD DAVIES. 
 
 HE wa" one of the firfl of Friends in 
 thefe Parts, who received the bid- 
 led Truth in the Love of it , and he la- 
 boured much in the Morning and Heat 
 of the Day. 
 
 He and his Wife were very hearty, 
 loving, and ready to entertain Friends, 
 their Hearts -and Houfe being very open 
 "in that Refpect ; and they were very help- 
 ful and ferviceable to Friends in this 
 Country, who were Prifoners on Truth's 
 
 Account
 
 A Teftlmony from Friends, &c. 
 
 Account in Welch Pool> the Place where 
 they then lived, when there were but 
 few other Friends of Ability to affifb 
 them -, until the Lord railed up feveral 
 eminent Inftruments in thefe Parts, who 
 were ferviccable wkh them. 
 
 Our faid Friend was wife and prudent. 
 He had a good Underftanding and Capa- 
 city , a Man or great Experience , and 
 was very willing to advife and counfel 
 any in Things relating to the Gofpel, and 
 alfo to outward Affairs. 
 
 And as he was difcreet in his Conduct 
 among Meh, the Lord gave him great 
 Place and Favour with feveral Perfons 
 of Note, with whom he had often good 
 Service for Truth and Friends. 
 
 The Lord bleffcd him with a good 
 Gift in the Miniftry, and he was made 
 an able Minifter or the Gofpel ; found in 
 Judgment, and well received by moft 
 People who heard him. 
 
 He travelled pretty much in divers 
 Parts on Truth's Service, efpecially in his 
 younger Years, and had good Service in 
 many Places where his Lot was caft, both 
 at Home and Abroad; he was often at 
 London, where he was well efteemed by 
 many of our Elders and Brethren. 
 
 He
 
 A Teftimony from Friends of 
 
 He lived to a good old Age, and was 
 favour'd with a fliort Sicknefs at laft. 
 Some O- us were with him the Day be- 
 fore his Departure ; he feemed fenfible 
 that his End was near approaching, and 
 appeared as one that was waiting lor the 
 fame. He departed this Life the 22d of 
 the firft Month, 1707-8, in the feventy- 
 third Year of his Age-, and we believe 
 he is at Reft with the Lord, together 
 with many more of the faithful Followers 
 of the Lamb. 
 
 We fhall not enlarge much farther, but 
 refer to the enfuing Account of his La- 
 bours, Travels, and Services for Truth 
 and Friends on feveral Occafions, which 
 contains a general Relation of the moft 
 remarkable Occurrences and Paflages of 
 his Lire, which was written by himfelf 
 not long before his Deceale. 
 
 And we earneftly dtfire that all, who 
 make Profefiion of the glorious Truth 
 with us, may really know a working out 
 ir Salvation wiib Fear and Trembling; 
 and that they may faithfully improve 
 their Talents in their Age and Time, and 
 truly follow the Examples of the faithful 
 Eiders and Servants of the Lord in all 
 Things wherein they followed Chrift ; 
 that we may give our Account at laft 
 
 with
 
 the Quarterly-Meeting, &c. 
 
 with Joy, and receive an eternal Reward 
 with the faithful Children of the Lord, 
 when Time in this World to us will be 
 no more. 
 
 So, BleJJed are tie Dead which die in 
 the Lord, from henceforth ; yea, faith the 
 Spirit, that they may reft from their La- 
 bours, and their Works do follow them, 
 Rev. xiv, 13. 
 
 Signed on Behalf of the faid Meeting, 
 by us, 
 
 Charles Lloyd, 
 Owen Roberts, 
 Rowland Owen, 
 William Reynolds, 
 Robert Vaughan, 
 Humphry Owen, 
 Robert Griffithes, 
 Jacob En don, 
 John Simpfin, 
 Owen Lewis, 
 Tbo. Cadwaladfr, 
 Richard Lewis, 
 John Richards^ 
 Ellis Lewis, 
 
 William Ofborn, 
 Thomas Oliver, 
 Jofeph Davies, 
 Richard Evans, 
 Edward Ellis, 
 William Soles, 
 Richard Bembow, 
 Griffith Owen, 
 Richard Ruff, 
 John Roberts, 
 Julius Palmer, 
 John Kelfall, 
 Amos Davies. 
 
 THE
 
 THE 
 
 TESTIMONY 
 
 O F 
 
 Rowland Owen, concerning bis dear 
 Friend RICHARD DAVIES, of 
 Cloddiecochion, lately deceafed. 
 
 A Weighty Confideration came upon 
 my Mind, in a Senfe how the Al- 
 mighty God, in his unfpeakable and un- 
 fearchable Wifdom,. wno diicerneth the 
 States and Conditions of the Sons and 
 Daughters of Men, maketh Choice of 
 Ibme, and calleth them from among their 
 Neighbours and Relations, to be fervice- 
 able unto him ; amongft whom our dear 
 Friend Richard Dailies was called early, 
 in the Day of God's Vifitation, to ferve 
 him, and he gave up in Obedience to 
 the Lord, and took up the Crofs in a 
 Time or great Perlccution, &V. 
 
 The Lord made him willing and obe- 
 dient, in thofe Days, to' go Abroad with 
 a publick Teftimony for the Truth, and 
 
 moved
 
 Rowland Owen'j Teftimony. 
 
 moved him to come to our County of 
 Merioneth/hire^ when fome of us were 
 very young in Years ; and it pleafed the 
 Lord to make him inftrumentaj in his 
 Hand to bring glad Tidings to our Ears, 
 and his Teftimony was fweet and com- 
 fortable, to the edifying and tendering of 
 our Hearts and Souls ; many of us loved 
 him exceedingly, and that Love remain- 
 ed between him and us till the End of 
 his Days. He was tender and careful 
 over us, and a Nourimer and Strength- 
 ener of fome of us in our fpiritual Exer- 
 cifes, and was ready toaflift the Weak and 
 Feeble, and willing to pive a Helping- 
 hand, Counfel and Admonition to Friends, 
 and others, that had any Dtfires to fervc 
 the Lord. 
 
 O the wonderful Wifdom and Love 
 of God ! who called him, and many 
 others in thofe Days, and prepared and 
 qua) i lied them for the great Work he had 
 to do, and ftrengthened them to tread the 
 Way be. ore us, that were weak and fee- 
 ble : O how flrong, bold, and valiant 
 Inftruments did the Lord God prepare, 
 to begin to ftrike at the great Image of 
 Pride, LLughtineis. &c. that was then, 
 and yet is in the World ! Indeed their 
 Memorial is worthy to be recorded, that 
 
 Ages
 
 Rowland Owen'j Teftlmwy. 
 
 Ages yet to come might fee what the 
 Lord hath done for his faithful Onts, 
 who g-.ive up their Lives, and all they 
 had, on Truth's Account. 
 
 I was acquainted with our faid Friend 
 for about forty Years, and Lean fay or a 
 Truth, That his Service was great in the 
 Church of (Thrift, efpecially in Tim. s of 
 Perfecution , he hiving much Imereil 
 with the Magiftrates, and them in Au- 
 thority in thofe Days. And his Houfe 
 was very open to entertain Friends, to 
 the utmoft of his Ability > and the Lord 
 blefled him. 
 
 The Lord, out of his Treafur^ of 
 Grace, eminently endued him to bear a 
 found and feafonable Teftimony, when 
 great Aflemblies and Multitudes of Peo- 
 ple were gathered together ; and he had 
 a fkilful Hand to adminifter unto them 
 the Way of Truth, and to open it to 
 their Underftandings ; which many Times 
 gave them great Satisfaction, and they 
 were made to fpeak well of Truth and 
 its Followers. O the deep Senfe that re- 
 mains upon me, of the great Want we 
 have of the Service of fuch as he was ! 
 The Lord, who in his Mercy qualified 
 and fitted him, is able to prepare and 
 raife up other faithful Labourers. 
 
 It
 
 Rowland Owen'* Tefttmny. 
 
 It affects me, when I remember] his 
 Gravity and grey Hairs, his manly Pre- 
 fer.ce, and lovely Countenance, efpecially 
 whrn he flood up in a Meeting. Now 
 be. hah fir.imed his Courfe, and, I. believe, 
 h tit done his Day's- work, and is gone 
 to his eternal Reft. 
 
 Much more might be faid on his Behalf, 
 but I defire that none may miftake me, I 
 am nct'giving Honour to Man, that is but 
 Duftand Afhes; but that all might fee 
 how Almighty God doth beftow his fpiri- 
 tual Gifts upon thofe that he reqtiireth Ser- 
 vice at their Hands. And it is our Duty, as 
 our Saviour Jefus (Thrift advifed his be- 
 loved Difcipies, To pray to the Lord of 
 the Harveft (which Harveft is great) that 
 he would jend forth more, faithful Labourer 3 
 into his Harve/F, that Mankind might be 
 
 fathered into the inward PoffHIion and 
 ubltance of Cbriftianity, which many 
 outwardly profels ; that the God of all 
 our Mercies, and his beloved Son Jefus 
 Chrift, may have all s the Glory and 
 Thankfgiving, to whom it belongs, not 
 only now, but henceforth for ever, and 
 for evermore. Amen. 
 
 ROWLAND OWEN. 
 
 AN
 
 [ I] 
 
 A N 
 
 ACCOUNT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Convincementj Fxercifes, 
 Services, and Travels, 
 
 OF THAT 
 
 Ancient Servant of the LORD, 
 
 RICHARD DAVIES. 
 
 I Was born in the Year 1635, in the 
 Town of Welch-Pool, in Montgo- 
 mery Jhire y in North-Wales^ of honeft 
 Parents, that had a fmall Eftate there : 
 I was brought up in a little Learning, and 
 in the Religion and Difcipline of the 
 Church of England. When I came to 
 be about twelve or thirteen Years of Age, 
 the Lord put his Fear in my Heart, that 
 I came to a Consideration, if JJbould die, 
 
 what
 
 what would become of my Soul, 'if I 
 lived after the Way that fome of my 
 Companions did ? And it came into my 
 Heart to leave them ; and I was inclined 
 to go and hear Sermons, and followed 
 the bcft of thofe Sort of People, that I 
 did believe feared the Lord, which I 
 then thought were the Independent Peo- 
 ple, efpecially one Vavafor Powell, who 
 was a very zealous Man in his Day and 
 Time -, he took much Pains and Labour 
 to gather a People into that Perfwafion, 
 and many were gathered in thefe Parts 
 to that Way ; and I followed them 
 from one Parifh to another, and from one 
 Meeting to another, writing their Ser- 
 mons, and in Time I came to repeat 
 them to the People i and there, being 
 cxercifed in the hiftorical Part of the 
 Scriptures, I could fpeak and talk of 
 them, fo that thofe People came to fpeak 
 well of me, and this did not a little puff 
 me up , fo that I was not fo ferious as I 
 ftiould have been, to get eternal Lire by 
 Chrift Jeius, who is the Life himfelf, 
 who faid to the Jews, John v. 39, 40. 
 Search^ or yefearcb, the Scriptures, for in 
 them ye think to have eternal Life, and they 
 are they which teftify of me : And ye will 
 not come to me, that yt might have Life. 
 
 We
 
 [3 1 
 
 We were diligent in fearching the 
 Scriptures, which was good in its Place -, 
 but the main Matter and Subftance of 
 pure Religion, is the Enjoyment of eter- 
 nal Life to the Soul from Chrift. 
 
 About the fourteenth Year of my Age, 
 my Father intended to put me Appren- 
 tice to a Shop-keeper, where I was for a 
 Trial : But I faw that the Converfation 
 of my intended Matter was not right r 
 and that the Fear of the Lord was not 
 there. I was afraid, if I mould continue 
 there, that the little Love and Zeal I had 
 to God and Goodnefs, would be choak'd 
 and quench'd in me, and the Love and 
 Pleafure of the World would get up 
 again, fo I mould be in Danger of grow- 
 ing worfe than ever -, and being under 
 thefe ferious Confiderations, I heartily 
 pray'd toGod with Tendernefs and Tears, 
 what he put in my Heart to pray for, 
 viz. That / might be delivered from that 
 Place where I was intended to be bound an 
 Apprentice^ and that I might jpend my 
 Time ivilb and among them that feared th: 
 Lord, and thought upon his Name ; and 
 the Lord heard my Prayers, and in a 
 little Time I was fcnt for away from that 
 Place. 
 
 B After
 
 [4 ] 
 
 After this Iftaid at Home fome Time, 
 and continued in that little Well-doing I 
 had known, keeping Company with fo- 
 ber and honeft People ; I delighted to 
 read the Scriptures, and to go to the In- 
 dependent Meetings. And after fome 
 Time, I heard of a Man that profeffed 
 the fame Religion, who was very zealous 
 for a Time in going to Meeting, and 
 performing that which we call Family 
 Duties, and there, with the Confent of 
 my Parents, I bound myfelf an Appren- 
 tice to him, whofe Name was Evan 
 Jvnes, a Felt-maker, in the Parim of 
 Lanfair^ in Montgomer^jhire -, and we 
 wenr together to Meetings, I writing and 
 repeating Sermons, and performing that 
 Cuftom that was among us, in praying 
 in our own Will and Time, till we were 
 become fo dead and formal, carnal and 
 airy, many loofe Words and Actions 
 growing up amongft us, that I was gone 
 out of Conceit with myfelf, and our 
 formal Religion ; there being fomething 
 in me, that reproved me for my Vanity ; 
 and when I arofe from my Prayers, be- 
 ing fome Time in a weighty ponderous 
 Condition, I fawthat there was fomething 
 that gave me no true Peace nor Comfort 
 inwardly to. my Soul, becaufe there re- 
 mained
 
 t 5] 
 
 mained a fecret Pride and Self- exaltation 
 in mod, if not all, oar formal Perform- 
 ances. 
 
 In this State and Condition, I knew 
 not what to do ; when neither writing, 
 repeating Sermons, reading of the Scrip- 
 tures, and other good Books, and fome- 
 times expounding of them to the beft of 
 my Under/landing, afforded me any 
 Comfort, I was at a Lofs, and knew 
 not what Way to take, that I might 
 have Peace and Comfort in my Per- 
 formances. Hitherto I knew not the 
 holy Spirit of the Lord, as I ought to 
 have done, to be my Leader and Guide 
 into all Things that were neceffary to my 
 eternal Salvation. 
 
 Upon a certain Time we had a Meet- 
 ing at Hugh David's, a Tenant of Charles 
 Lloyds of Dolobran, where one of 
 our Independent Teachers, who was a 
 great Scripturian, was preaching, and I 
 writ after him - t and in his Sermon he 
 faid, 'The Time would come, thai there 
 would be no Need of the Scripture, any 
 more than another Book : At which I very 
 much ftumbled , and after the Meeting I 
 afked him, IVhm would that Time be ? 
 He faid, When the Lord woiJd make a 
 new Covenant with his People, as is faid 
 B 2 in
 
 [6 ] 
 
 m Jerenfab xrfi. 33, 34'. I will make a 
 new Covenant with the Houfe of Ifrael ; 
 after thofe Days, faith the Lord, I Kill 
 put my Law in their inward Parts, and 
 write it in their Hearts, and will be their 
 God, and they /hall be my People. And, 
 they Jhall teach no more every Man his 
 Neighbour, and every Man his Brother, 
 faying, Know the Lord : for they Jhall all 
 know me, from the leaft of them to (he 
 greatefl of them, faith the Lord', for 1 
 will forgive their Iniquity, and I will re- 
 member their Sin no more. It feems that 
 lie knew not that Day come then, though 
 he was a great Preacher. I thought it 
 would then be a happy Day, when God 
 would be the Teacher of his People him- 
 felf; that we need not teach every Man 
 his Neghbour, or his Brother, faying, 
 Know ye the Lord , but that we fhould 
 all know him, from the leaft to the 
 greateft. This Day we knew not then, for 
 all our Preaching and long Prayers , tho* 
 the Lord did then beget true Hunger- 
 ings and Thirftings in our Souls after 
 him. We haH great Love and Zeal, and 
 defi *ed the Knowledge or the Truth, as 
 it was in Jcfus. Sometime 1 have faid, 
 This was but like Jacob's Dream, when 
 he awoke and faid, Surely the Lord is in 
 
 this
 
 f 7 I 
 
 this Phce, and I knew it not. And indeed 
 we knew not the Lord, as we ought to 
 have done -, namely,, by his Light, Grace, 
 and Spirit filming in our Hearts, to give 
 us the Light of the Knowledge of the 
 Son of God, which Knowledge keeps a 
 Man meek and humble; and fuch are 
 not puffed up in a vain Mind, to leek 
 after thofe Things that are too high for 
 them, as too many are climbing up that 
 Way, which is not the Way to God the 
 Father ; the Way to the Father, is the 
 Way of Holinefs and Purity, and Humi- 
 lity, without which no Man mail fee the 
 Lord, nor enjoy his Prefence to their 
 Comfort. 
 
 About this Time, being in the Year 
 1656, our Minifters told us, That there 
 was a Sort of People come up in the 
 North, called Quakers, that were a Peo- 
 
 Ele of a ftrange Pofture, and Principles ; 
 tying, That it was the la/I Days and 
 Times that Chrift fpoke of in the xxivth 
 of Matthew^ Many fhall come in my Name > 
 and deceive man^, ver. 5. For there /hail 
 arife falfe Cbrifts, and felfe Prophet s, and 
 (hall /hew great Signs and Wonders', info- 
 much that, if it were -pojfible, they fljalL 
 deceive the very Eleff. This Sort of Peo- 
 ple called Quakers, were much preached 
 B 3 againft;
 
 [ 8] 
 
 againft ; they told us they were the falfe 
 Prophets, &V. that they denied the Scrip- 
 tures, and all Ordinances, and a!fo deni- 
 ed the very Chrift that bought them. 
 They were reprefented to us to be fuch a 
 dangerous Sort of People, that we were 
 afraid of any who had the Name of a 
 uaker t left we fhould be deceived by 
 them. Hitherto they had not been in 
 thefe Parts of the Country, neither did 
 we know what were the Principles held 
 cut by themfelves ; but only fuch as were 
 reported, though falfly, unto us by our 
 Preachers and others-, which kept us in 
 Blindnefs, and from making farther En- 
 quiry, and trying all Things, and holding 
 f aft that which is good, according to the 
 "Apoftle's Advice, i Thef. v, 21. 
 
 Now about the Year 1657, there 
 came a poor Man in a mean Habic to 
 my Matter's Houfe, named Morgan 
 Ei' an, cf South-Wales, he had met with 
 the People called Quakers in his Travels, 
 and was convinced of the Truth. This 
 poor Man difcourfed with my Matter 
 about the Principles of Truth, and I 
 being in the Shop about my Calling, my 
 Miftrefs came and faid, Why do you not 
 go out to help your Mafter ? For there is a 
 Quaker at the Door that hath put him to 
 
 Sileme.
 
 Silence. I hearing this, made hafte, and 
 rook my Bible under my Arm, and put 
 on what Courage I could to'difpute witi> 
 that poor Man, but he proved too hard 
 tor us all : When i went to them, they 
 were upon the Words Tkee and Thou -, but 
 I very peremptorily afkcd him, What 
 Command he had to fpeak Thee and Tb&u ? 
 For I did acknowledge to hi-m, that it 
 was the Language of "God 'to Ad&in^ and 
 the Language of the Scripture ; but, 
 laid I, that is not enough ior us now in 
 this Day, we muft have a Command for 
 it. To which he anfwered, Hold faf 
 the Form of found Words, izhkb tbou baft 
 beard of me. ' 1 nfked him, Whether that 
 w.is Scriptijre ? He afked me', fPbeibcr 1 
 KOi-.ld deny it ? I told him, He was to 
 prove ir. Then 'he took the Bible out 
 of my Hand, and he turned to 2 Tim, i. 
 13. which he read, and told me, that 
 Hold fa/I there, was a Command ; which 
 I knew very well, both the Scripture and 
 the Command : But to prove him far- 
 ther, I defired him to read a little more 
 of that Chapter, both backward and 
 forward, which he freely did, and aflced 
 me, Why I did require that 'of him? I 
 told him, That we heard the 
 
 denied the Scripture, and that they would 
 'B 4 no:
 
 [ 10] 
 
 not read them, tie faid, 'There was many 
 falfe Reports of them. And truly when 
 he read the Scripture fo readily, I con- 
 cluded in myfelf", that what was reported 
 of them, was not true ^ and he law that 
 he had reached to the Witnefs of God in 
 me. Then he exhorted me to take Heed 
 to that Light that fhined in my Heart, 
 and did fhew me my vain Thoughts, and 
 reprove me in fecret for every idle Word 
 and Action ; faying, That that was the 
 true Light, that lighteth every Man that 
 cometh into the World , and in that Light, 
 I fhould fee more Light, and that would 
 open the Scriptures to me, and that I 
 fhould receive a Meafure of the fame 
 Spirit that gave them forth : And farther, 
 he told me, It was the mere fare Word of 
 Prophecy , unto which 1 did well, 'if 1 took 
 "heed as unto a Light that Jhinetb in a dark 
 Plact, until the Day dawn, and the Day- 
 Jtar a rife in your Hearts. 2 Peter i. 19. 
 And he fpoke much of the inward Work, 
 and the Operation of God's holy Spirit 
 upon the Soul , recommending me to 
 the Grace of God, that bringeth Salvation, 
 teaching us, that denying Ungodlinefs and 
 worldly Lujls, we jhould live foberly, righ- 
 teoujly, and godly in this -prefent . World, 
 Tit/ii. ii, 12. And fo he departed 
 
 from
 
 [ II ] 
 
 from our Houfe, and I fet him a little 
 along on his Way. 
 
 Now when I came back from him, the 
 Consideration of his Words took faft hold 
 on me, that I could not go from under 
 them ; and the more I waited in that 
 Light that he recommended me to, the 
 more my former Peace, and that in which 
 I formerly took Comfort in, was broken , 
 and herein I came to fee, that our ter- 
 mer Building could not (land, for we 
 built upon that which the Apoftle called 
 Wood^ Hay, and Stubble. Here I came 
 to a Lofs of all my former Knowledge ; 
 and my former Performances prov'd but 
 a fandy Foundation. Then I did, with 
 much Humility and Poverty of Spirit:,, 
 beg of Almighty God, that I might 
 build upon that Rock, that the true 
 Church of Chrift was built upon, that the 
 Gates of Hell might not prevail againft. 
 me. 
 
 But for all this, I was yet afraid of 
 being deceived by the Quakers ; yet 
 where to go outwardly for Advice and 
 Counfel I knew not. For I faw that my 
 former Teachers were upon a fandy Foun- 
 dation. So I defired that the God of 
 Abraham, IJaac, and Jacob ', would be 
 my Teacher and Inftru&or ; for I believed 
 B 5 that
 
 [12 ] 
 
 that the Prophecy of the Prophets would 
 be fulfilled, and that the Lord would 
 make a new Covenant with his People 
 now, as he did promife by the Mouth of 
 the Prophet Jeremiah, xxxi. 31, 32, 33, 
 34. Beheld, the Days come , faith the Lord, 
 that I will make a new Covenant with the 
 Houfe of Ifrael, and with the Houje of 
 Judah , not according to the Covenant that 
 I made with their Fathers, in the Day that 
 I took them by the Hand to bring them out 
 of the Land of Egypt, which my Covenant 
 they brake, although livas an Hujband un- 
 to them, faith the Lord : But this (hall 
 be the Covenant that I will make with the 
 Houfe of Ifrael. After thofe Days, faith 
 the Lord, 1 will -put mv Law in their in- 
 ward Parts, and write it in their Hearty 
 and Kill be their God, and they Jhall be my 
 People. And they Jhall teach no more every 
 Man his Neighbour, and every Man his 
 Brother, faying, Know ye the Lord : For 
 tbey Jhall all know me, from the leaft of 
 them, unto the gredtefl of them, faitb the 
 Lord: For I wit I forgive their Iniquity, and 
 livill remember their Sin no more. 
 
 Thefe and the Jikc precious Promifes 
 I was made willing co take hold on, and 
 waited lor the Fulfilling of them in my- 
 Jclr, und of" that which Chriil faid to the
 
 Jews A John vi. 45. // is. written m the 
 Prophets, Aud they /ball be all taught of 
 God. Every Man therefore . that hath 
 beard, and hath leartfd of the Father , 
 cometh unto me. He that cometh unto 
 Chrift Jefus the Light, that lighteth 
 every Man that cometh into the World, 
 tho' their Sins a-nd their Iniquities be 
 great, they (hall .in no wife be caft out. 
 And it is (aid, And all thy Children /ball 
 be taught of the Linl, ami great Jhall be 
 the Peace. ff thy Children, Ifaiah liv. 13. 
 When I came to know a little of the 
 Teachings of the .Lord, I took my Leave 
 of all my former formal Teachers, and 
 many Times went to the Woods and 
 other By-places, where none might ice 
 me, to wait upon the Lord, where I 
 .was much broken, and tendered by the 
 .Power of GQC!. And though I did begin 
 to fee a little of .myfelf, and fomething 
 of the Goodnefs of God, yet ftill I was 
 afraid flf' being deceived, for I had read 
 and heard that Satan himfelf is tramforr^d 
 into an Angel of Light, % Cor. jti. 14. 
 .And left this Man mould be asjhe fame 
 Apo&le iid, in vcr. i*? v .Fct\.Jucb are 
 falje -Apo^le^ deceitful ^orker^ iranj- 
 , forming the?nfelves inlo ihe Afoflle s of(. 
 of the Lord that, {. ini^! 
 
 B 6 ' 'this
 
 [ H] 
 
 this poor Man once again, for I knew 
 not where to ice the Face of any cali'd a 
 Friend ; and it pleafed God that he came 
 again that Way, and I defired of my 
 Matter and Miftrefs to give him Lodg- 
 ing, and that he might be with me, to 
 which they confented. Then I queried 
 of him their Way of Worfhip, and con- 
 cerning thofe two great Ordinances, fo 
 called, that we fo much relied upon, viz. 
 the Bread and Wine, and Baflifm, and 
 the Scripture, to know what was their 
 Judgment of them ; to which he gave 
 me fome Satisfaction. In the Morning 
 I parted with him, and to the bed of my 
 Knowledge, I faw him no more for feve- 
 ral Years. 
 
 In all this Time I ftill kept my Re- 
 tirement in the Wood, or fome other 
 private Place ; and there in my waiting, 
 J defired of the Lord, that I might be 
 farther fatisfied by himfelf, as to thofe 
 Things -, Firft, Whether the Scriptures 
 were the Word of God, as was faid and 
 preached unto us they were, and the 
 Way to Life and Salvation ? Then the 
 firft Chapter of John came under my fc- 
 rious Confideration in my Meditation, 
 wh : ch faid, In the Beginningwas the Word, 
 ..ind the Word was with God, and tbe 
 
 Word
 
 [ is) 
 
 Word was God, the fame was in the Bt- 
 
 finning with God. All Things were madt 
 y him, and without him was not any Thing, 
 made^ that was made. In him was Life 9 
 and the Life was the Light of Men ; and 
 the Light Jhineth in Darknefs, and the 
 Darknefs comprehended it not. I confi- 
 der'd that the Word was in the Beginning 
 with God the Father, and that no Part of 
 the Scriptures were written, until Mofes* 
 who we underftand was the firll Writer of 
 thofe Scriptures we have ; the Apoflle 
 tells us here, that the Law was given by 
 Mofes,^/ Grace and Truth came by Jefus 
 Chrift : In this Word there was Life ; 
 Paul tells us, that the Letter killetb^ but 
 the Spirit giveth Life -, now this Life is 
 the Light of Men, and the Word was 
 before the Scriptures were wrtten. By 
 this we may fee the Word oi God is Chrift 
 Jefus, that was with the Father before 
 the World began, without him there was 
 net any Thing made thai was made. The 
 Hiftory that Mofes gives us, is faid to be 
 written about 3000 Years a* ter the Crea- 
 tion of ihe World, there ore the Scrip- 
 tures cannot properly be the Word of 
 God. 
 
 I, with many more, was under that 
 Miftake that the Jews were in, who 
 
 thought
 
 thought they might have eternal Life fn 
 the Scriptures ; Chrift faith, John v. 39. 
 Search, or ye fearch, the Scriptures, for 
 in them ye think ye have eternal Life, and 
 they are I hey ivhicb teftify of me ; and ye 
 l&ill not come to me that ye might have Life. 
 As he is the Lire, fo he is the Way to 
 the Father ; 1 am the IVa^, ar.d the Truth, 
 and the Life : No Man comeib u>ilc the Fa- 
 ther but by me, John xiv. 6. As for 
 the Scriptures, I was a great Lover, and 
 a great Reader of them, and took greai 
 Pltafure in fearching of them, thinking 
 that would make me wife unto Salvation, 
 as Paul faid to Timothy, And that from a 
 Child thou baft known the Scriptures, which 
 are able to make thee wife unto Salvation ^ 
 through Faith, which is in Cbrift Jefus, 
 2 Tim. iii. 15. This main Thing was 
 wanting ; the true and faving Faith -, which 
 is, the Gift or God. // is by Grace .-f 
 are j.Tved through tahh, not of onrfelves, 
 it is the Gift of God, Eph. ii. 8. So it 
 is the Grace of God that brings Salvation, 
 and not the .bare hiftorical Knowledge of 
 the Scriptures. Too many take a great 
 deal of Pride in a literal Knowledge of 
 them -, fome for their Gain and Profit ; 
 others take Plealure in them, by wrefting 
 them to vindicate their falfe and errone- 
 ous
 
 t '71 
 
 ous Opinions, that gender to Strife and 
 Contention, and take little or no Notice 
 of that meek, holy, lovely Spirit of Life 
 that gave them forth, for they are of no 
 private Interpretation ; But holy Men of 
 God fpake them as 'they were 'moved by the 
 Holy Gboft, 2 Pet. i. 20, 21. 
 
 Men may have a great literal Know- 
 ledge of the Scriptures, and yet remain 
 in Error, becaufe they know them not, 
 as they ought to do, nor the Power that 
 was in the holy Men that gave them forth j 
 io I may fay, as Chrift faid to the Jews, 
 TQU err t not knowing the Scriptures^ wr 
 the Po-jver of God> Mat. xxii. 29. So 
 thit which gives the true Knowledge of 
 God, and a right Understanding of the 
 Scriptures, is the Spirit of God ; and I 
 may f,iy with the Apoftle, For God who 
 commanded the Light to foine out of Dark- 
 nefS) hath fbined h >:<ur Hearts^ to giv? ibe 
 Light of the Knowledge ffibe Glory 'of GW, 
 in the Face of Jcfus Chrift > 2 Cor. iv. 6. 
 And as Men and Women come to mind 
 this Ligl t, that is, the Spirit of God, 
 and to obey it, they mall come to the 
 Comfort of the Scriptures, as the (i-.me 
 Apodle fays, For wbatfoever Things were 
 &..'"?.? aforetime^ were written for our 
 Learning \ that we through Patience and 
 
 Comfort
 
 I i8] 
 
 Comfort of the Scriptures, might have Hope. 
 Rom, xv. 4. 
 
 And being under a ferious Confidera- 
 tion of what I read in the Scripture, be- 
 lieving the Spirit of the Lord to be the 
 Interpreter thereof; thofe great Myfte- 
 ries that were hid from Ages and Genera^ 
 tions, and are hid now in this our Age 
 from many, are come to be revealed by 
 the Spirit of God,, and if any would have 
 Comfort in reading the Scriptures, they 
 muft wait in that Meafure of the Spirit^ 
 which God hath given them, which is the 
 only Key that opens them to the Under- 
 ftanding of thofe that are truly confcien- 
 tious in the reading of them ; and tho* 
 I read them formerly, as many do now, 
 without a true Senfe and a due Confidera- 
 tion, yet now I can blefs God for them, 
 and have great Comfort in the reading of 
 them i they being no more as a fcaled 
 Book unto me,? and many more, who 
 wait for the Affiftance of God*s holy Spi- 
 rit, in all their Duties and Performances 
 that the Lord requires of them, for with- 
 out him we know we can do nothing that 
 is pleafing unto him : though formerly 
 we ran, incur own Time and Wills, to 
 preach and pray, not having fuch a due 
 Regard to the leading and moving of the 
 
 Spirit
 
 C 19] 
 
 Spirit of the Lord ; yet, I blefs God, 
 it is not fo now. Many Times, when I 
 did arife from my Knees in a formal 
 Way of Prayer, a Reproof was very 
 near me, Who required this at tby Hands ? 
 Jt is Sparks of tby own kindling. I was 
 afraid, that I fiiould lie down in Sorrow, 
 as was faid to fome by the Lord, in Jfaiab 
 
 But as to this Head, I fhall briefly 
 conclude, though much more might be 
 faid to the Honour of the holy Scrip- 
 tures ; but this is my Defire, that they 
 that read them, may come to that which 
 will give them a right Underftanding 
 thereof: For there is a Spirit in Man, and 
 the Infpiration of the Almighty giveth them 
 Under (landing, Jobxxxii. 8. 
 
 Then, as concerning Water-Baptifm, 
 which I had under Con fi deration, tho* 
 I was no Admirer of it, being not of the 
 Perfwafion of Re-baptizing. Thofe that 
 were Independents, were not ib much at 
 firft for Re-baptizing ; but afterward it 
 prevailed more among them in thefe 
 Parts, when one Henry Jeffy came here- 
 'aways. And about that Time it was, 
 that I came from among them. 
 
 I had much Reafoning and various 
 Confutations in my Mind concerning
 
 THr, and the Bread and Wine. And 
 when I was latisfied, as to thole weighty 
 Concerns, I thought L might reft there, 
 and keep my old Cuftoms, and Fafhions, 
 and Language ; but that vvouM no: do, 
 I had no^Peace therein ; God mewed me 
 the Cuftoms of the Nation were vain, and 
 our Language not according to the Lan- 
 guage of God's People, recorded' in the 
 Scriptures of Truth. So- 1 made a con- 
 fcientious Search into this Matter -alfo. 
 "Where I found the great Creator of 
 Heaven and Earth, who by .the Word 
 of his Power made ail Things therein. 
 Created Man in his own Image, In ths 
 Irnsge of God created- he b\m^:. Male and 
 Female created he them. And-. Cod blcfled 
 and gave them Qominton over all 
 that be hjd r-eattc( on the Earth ; 
 e Natnes to them. And God 
 took him ^ and put , him w, -the Garden, of 
 Eden, to drejs it and to keep it. And the 
 i<ord commanded ttye. Man r faying ^ Of 
 every Tree of the Garden than mayfl freely 
 e&t^ Gen. ii. 15, : 6. This is the firft 
 Thou to Man, that I read of in the Scrip- 
 ture ; and the great Creator faid, 
 tfhing that he bad wade, was very 
 Gen. i. 31. and hjs Language to 
 was very ^good and pure. Then again, 
 
 when
 
 [21 ] 
 
 when Adam tranfgrcffed the Law and 
 Commandment of Go.d, the Lord called 
 unto Adam, and faid unto him, Where 
 an thou ? And he faid, 1 heard thy Voice 
 in the Garden, and I was afraid, because 
 I was naked, Gen. iii. 9, 10. Here was 
 the Language of God to Man, and the 
 Language of Man to God. And in the 
 fearching of the Scriptures, I found that 
 all the holy Men of God ufed that Lan- 
 guage, and Chrift taught his Difciples to 
 pray in that Language ; Our Father 
 which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy 
 Name, thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done 
 on Earth as it is in Heaven JA?&. vi. And 
 withal, I knew a little Grammar, and 
 how that it was improper to fay Vos [You] 
 to one fingle Perfon, inftead of 1"u 
 [Thou.J And though the Learned in 
 cur Nation fpoke it, yet I thought Cbrif- 
 tiam mould not ufe it, but mould take 
 the Spirit of God, according to the Scrip- 
 ture, to be their Rule, and not to follow 
 the confufed Language of the Heathens ; 
 for the Lord, by the Mouth of his Pro- 
 phet, commanded his People, Learn not 
 the Way of the Heathen ; for the Cttfloms 
 of the People are vain, Jer. x. 2, 3. ' I 
 alfo believed, that. the Lord would re- 
 turn to his People a pure Language in 
 
 thefe
 
 theie Days, as was promifed in the Days 
 of old concerning Ifrael : Then, when 
 they returned to the Lord, he would 
 bring them out of their Captivity : For 
 then, faith the Lord, will I turn to the 
 People a pure Language, that they may all 
 call upon the Name of ths Lord to Jerve 
 him with one Confent, Ztph. iii. 9. 
 
 Thus I was conlcientioufly concern'd to 
 fpeak the pure Language of Ihee and 
 Thou to every one, without Refpecl of 
 Perfons , which was a great Crofs to me, 
 though it feems to fome but as a weak 
 and fooJilh Thing , yec when the Lord 
 Jays the iNectfiity of fpeaking the Truth 
 to all, in that Language that God and 
 all his Servants ufed, it comes to be of a 
 greater Weight, than many light airy 
 People think it is. The Sayings of Chrift 
 came to my Mind, when he faid, Who- 
 foever will be my Difciple, let him deny 
 bimjelfi and take up bis Crojs daily, and 
 follow me, Luke ix. 23. He doth not 
 fay \itjhQuld do it, but let him do it, im- 
 peratively , which was a Command, viz. 
 That we mould deny ourfehes* and follow. 
 him: See alfo Mat.xvi. 24. And more- 
 over it is faid, He that taketh not bis Crofs, 
 and folloiveth after me, is not worthy of 
 me, Mat. x. 38. 
 
 This
 
 This Nerfflity being laid upon me, I 
 fpoke to my Matter in tnat Dialed* , he 
 was not ofrended at it, becaufe he was 
 convinced of the Truth of it, and that 
 it ought to be fpoken to every one ; but 
 when I gave it to my Miftrefs, me took 
 a Stick and gave me fuch a Blow upon 
 my bare Head, that made it fwell and 
 fore for a confiderable Time ; me was 
 fo diilurbed at it, that me fwore Jbe 
 would kill me, though Jbe /hould be bang' d 
 for me ; the Enemy had fo poffefs'd her, 
 that me was quite out of order; tho* 
 beibretime me very feldom, if ever, gave 
 roe an angry Word. But I confidered, 
 that the Enmity was between the two 
 Seeds, and that that which was born after 
 the Fte/hj did perfecutt him that was born 
 after the Spirit. I being well fatisfied of 
 the Truth in myfelf, remembred Chrift's 
 Words, He thai lovetb Father or Mother 
 more than me, is not worthy of me, 
 and he that loveth Son or Daughter more 
 than me, is not worthy of me ; and he 
 that findelh his Lift, Jhall lo/e it ; and he 
 that lofeth his Life for my Sake> Jhall find 
 it, Mat. x. 37, 39. 
 
 The Almighty God put it in my Heart 
 to confider the Coft, and that through 
 Tribulation J was to enter the. Kingdom 
 
 of
 
 of Heaven ; and I was faithful in this 
 Teftimony that I had to bear. I was 
 much encouraged to go on in that ilrait 
 and narrow Way, that God fhewed me 
 I was to walk in. I alfo confidered the 
 Saying of Chrift, Wbofoever doth not bear 
 bis Croft, and come after me, cannot be 
 my Difciple. Again, Which of you intend- 
 ing to build a Tower, fittetb not downfirft^ 
 andcountetb the Coft, whether he hath fuf- 
 fcient to finifJj it ? Left haply after be hath 
 laid the Four Nation, and is not able tofinijh 
 it, all -that teboid it begin to mock him, fay- 
 ing, rfbis Man began to build, but was 
 not able to fiwb, Lukexiv. 27, 28,29, 
 
 3- 
 
 This Confideration was weighty with 
 
 me, left I fhould begin to take up the 
 Crofs, and to walk in this Way, and 
 fhould not be able to hold out to the End ; 
 firft, becaufe of the Temptation of Sa- 
 tan, the Luftof the Flefh,.and the finful 
 Cuftoms and Fafhions of this World, 
 which were very prevalent , and the 
 Weight and Burthen that was upon me 
 was great, having none in the Country 
 to be an Help to me in the Time of my 
 Exercife, but the .Lord alone, that hath 
 promifed to be with his People in all their 
 Troubles and Exercifes, and that he 
 
 would
 
 1*5 ] 
 
 would not leave them nor forfake them. 
 I was very ready and willing to take 
 hold of his Promifes ; and my Prayers 
 unto him were, That he would enable me 
 to go through all Things that he required. 
 I was fenfioie, that without the Afiiftance 
 of his holy Spirit, I could not perform 
 that Service wmch he required of me. 
 
 I was now firft called a Quaker, bc- 
 caufe I fa id to .u (ingle Perfon Thee and 
 Thou, and kept on my Hat, and did not 
 go after the Cuftoms and Fafhionsof the 
 World, that other Profeflfors Jived and 
 walked in Though fome of them would 
 complain of their Formalities, and were 
 weary of the Fafhions of the World ; 
 yet they did not take up their Crofs, and 
 leave them. 
 
 The Rage of my Miftrefs was not yet 
 abated, though me had nothing againft 
 me, but not conforming ; to the corrupt 
 Language, and vain Cuftom of the 
 World: For I laboured to keep a Con- 
 fcience void of Offence, both towards 
 God and Men -, I did my Work and Ser- 
 vice honeftly and juftly, mt with Eye- 
 fervice^ as Men-pleafers* but in Singlenefi 
 of Heart, as the Servant of Chrift, doing 
 the Will of God from the Heart, Ephef. 
 vi. 5, 6, andver. 8. Knowing that -what' 
 
 Joever
 
 [26 ] 
 
 foever good Thing any Man doth, the fatne 
 Jhall be receive of the Lord^ whether be 
 be bond or fret. 
 
 In thus doing, I had great Comfort 
 from the Lord, and did receive from 
 him Jiving Satisfaction and Encourage- 
 ment to go on in my Way ; remembring 
 that Scripture, that faith, The Righteous 
 Jhall hold on his Way, and be that hath 
 clean Hands Jhall be ftronger andjlronger % 
 Job xvii. 9. I might fay alfo with Job, 
 But he knowetb the Way that I take, when 
 he hath tried me, I Jhall come forth as Gold - 9 
 my Foot hath held his Steps ; his Way have 
 I kept, and not declined ; neither have 1 
 gone back from the Commandment of his 
 Lip* : I have ejleemed the Words of his 
 Mouth, more than my necej/ary Food, Job 
 xxiii. 10, 11,12. The Lord kept me, 
 and his People, very meek and low in 
 our Minds, in a Self -deny ing Spirit; 
 we waited for the living Word, that 
 came with a living Voice, from him that 
 fpeaks from Heaven to us by his Spirit ; 
 fo that he gave us to difcern between the 
 Voice of Wifdom, and the Voice of the 
 ' ftrange Woman, which is the Voice of 
 the Fltfli, and the Luft thereof; and the 
 Jiving Voice is the Voice of Cbrift in us 
 the Hope of Glory ; which Voice we 
 
 efteemed
 
 efteemed more than our neceflary Food. 
 For obeying this Voice, we came to be 
 mocked and derided , and theyfpoke all 
 manner of Evil againfl us, and bated us for 
 his Name's Jake, Mat. x. 22. I remenf- 
 bered what Chrift hath told us in Luke xxi. 
 1 2, They Jh all lay their Hands on you, and 
 perfecute you, delivering you up to the Syna- 
 gogues, ami into Prijons^ being brought be- 
 fore Kings and Rulers for my Name's-fake : 
 And it jhall return to yen for a Teftimony. 
 Settle it therefore in your Hearts^ not to 
 meditate before what ye Jhall anfwer ; for 
 I will give you a Mouth and Wifdom^ which 
 all your Ad-verfaries Jhall not be able td 
 gainfay, nor rejtft, Luke xxi. 13, 14, 
 
 J 5- 
 
 Thefe and the like Afflictions I wai 
 to meet with, if I truly and faithfully 
 followed the Lord Jefus Chrift j there- 
 fore I laboured to put on the whole 
 Armour of Light, that I might be 
 able to withftand the fiery Darts of 
 the wicked one, who fought to weaken 
 my Faith, and to perfwade me of the 
 Hardnefs, Streightnefs, and Narrovvnds 
 of the Way, that I fhould not be able 
 to hold out to the End, feeing there 
 was not any in this Country to help and 
 flffift me j but the fiery Darts of the 
 C Enemy
 
 [28 ] 
 
 Enemy that I felt, came more by his Ser- 
 vants than otherwife. Very prevalent he 
 was in this poor milled Woman, my 
 Miflrefs, who was perfwaded by him to 
 kill me y and ftied innocent Blood ; and 
 one Time, when fhe thought it a fit Op- 
 portunity to execute her Will and Cruelty, 
 Jhe fell into a great Rage, and I was 
 freely given up to die that Hour by her ; 
 but the Lord was pleated to accept of 
 my Free-will Offering, and I may fay 
 with the Apoflle, That I accounted not my 
 Life dear to myfelf y tbat 1 might fini/h my 
 Ccurfe with Joy. And the Lord alone 
 appeared ibr my Deliverance, and made 
 her more moderate the reft of my Servi- 
 tude, it being fomewhat leis than two 
 Years ; and after I went away, the Lord 
 vifited her with a fharp Fit of Sicknefs, 
 in which Time fhe fpoke to her Hufband 
 and them that were with her, that Jhe 
 thought fie JJjould not die till flj'c had afk\i 
 vie Forgivenej}) and defired them to fend 
 to me if it were at London ; and fo they 
 did : I could freely forgive her, for that 
 I had done long fince, and I prayed to 
 my heavenly Father that he might for- 
 give her alfo. I fent to her, and it pieafed 
 God to touch her with a Senle of his 
 J-ove, and lengthened her Days, me 
 
 conieffing
 
 [ 29 ] 
 
 confefling oftentimes the Wrong fhe had 
 done to an honeft careful young Man, as 
 fhe hid I had been, who minded her and 
 her Hufband's inward and outward Good, 
 more than they did themfelves. It pleafed 
 God to order it fo, that flie had a Vifit 
 from me, before fhe went out of this 
 World, and very comfortable and acr 
 ceptable it was to her ; and in a little 
 Time me ended her Days in Peace, and 
 was buried in Friends Burying-Place, 
 near Dolgelle in Merioneth/hire. 
 
 About this Time, 1657, it was the 
 great Talk of the Country that I was be- 
 come a Quaker. My parents were much 
 concerned about me. I was informed that 
 the Prieft of Welch-pool, W. Lang ford, 
 went to them and told them, that I was 
 gone difiraRed, and that they Jbould jet 
 for fame learned Mm to come to -mt 
 and reftore me to my Senfes. I had not 
 been yet with my Father nor Mother, but 
 waited for Freenefs and Clearncfs in my. 
 felf, and then I went to fee them, and 
 in my Way I vifited an old Friend of 
 mine, a Profeffor, and had a little- Op- , 
 portunicy to fpeak to him of the Things 
 of God, and his Goodnefs to me, and 4 
 young Man, called David Daiies, was 
 then convinced of the Truth > this was 
 
 C 2 Oil
 
 [ 30 ] 
 
 cm a Seventh-day, in the Afternoon ; 
 and when I was clear there, I went to 
 Welch-Pod to my Parents. It wai a 
 Trouble to them, to fee that I did not, 
 as formerly, go down upon my Knees to 
 afk their Bldfing, and bow to them, and 
 take off my Hat. My Father foon turn'd 
 his Back upon me. I had heard of his Dif- 
 pleafure, and that he had faid, he would 
 leave me nothing j fey ing to my Rela- 
 tions, that they thought 'to have had Com- 
 fort of me, but now they expefted none, but 
 that I would go up and dovjn the Country, 
 crying, Repent! Repent! Now if my 
 Father fliould have caft me off upon fuch 
 an Account, I was well perfwaded it was 
 for (Thrift's and the Gofpf 1's Sake. I re- 
 membered David's Condition, when he 
 Cud, Hide not thy Face far from me, put 
 not thy Servant away in Anger : Thou haft 
 been my Help, leave me net, neither for- 
 fake me, O God of my Salvation , wlcn 
 my Father and my Mother forfake me, 
 then the Lord will take me up : 'leach me 
 thy ^ay, O Lord, and lead me in a plain 
 Path, bee a life of mine Enemies, Pfal. xxvii. 
 9, ic, ii. 
 
 At length my Mother came tenderly 
 to me, and took a View oi' me, looking 
 on my Face, and fhe faw that I was her 
 
 Child,
 
 r 3' ;J 
 
 Child, and that I was not, as they faid* 
 bewitched, or transformed into fome 
 other Likenefs , which was reported of 
 Quakers then, and that they bewitched 
 People to their Religion, &?c. Thus 
 they deceived them and many others, 
 with fuch ftrange Stories, and we were 
 accounted, with the Apoftles, Deceivers,, 
 yet true. And when I difcourfed with 
 her out of the Scriptures, her Heart was 
 much tendered and affected with the 
 Goodnefs of God towards me , fhe went 
 to fee for my Father, and when fhe found 
 him, faid unto him, Be of good Comfort? 
 our Son is not as was reported of him, we 
 hoe to have Comfort of him yet. 
 
 But when my Father came to his 
 Houfe, he fpoke not much to me that 
 Night. The next Day, being the Firft- 
 day of the Week, when I heard the Bells 
 ring, it came upon me to go to the Stee- 
 ple- houfe, to vifit that Prieft that had 
 told my Father, I was gone diftrafted, &c. 
 and when he was at his Worfhip, I went 
 to our own Seat to my Father , (there 
 was no Common-Prayer read then to the 
 People, as Part of their Worfhip in thofe 
 Days) there I fate flill till he had , done, 
 and when he had done what he had then 
 to fay, I flood up and told him, That he 
 C 3 might
 
 1 3* J 
 
 might do well to flay, and make good the 
 fdlfe Dotfrine, that he had preached that 
 Day, if he could-, and if I was diftrafted, 
 as he reported, that he might labour to re- 
 jlore me to my right Senfes again. But I 
 fpoke but a little while, e're I was taken 
 away to Prilbn, with the young Man be- 
 ibre-mentioned, that came to fee for me, 
 and found me in the Steeple- houfe, fo 
 both of us were taken > there we were 
 Prifoners that Night, in which Time 
 many far and near came to fee us, expect- 
 ing that we were fome delormed Crea- 
 tures. God gave me a feafonable Exhort- 
 ation to them, to fear the Lord, and in- 
 deed to cry Repent, Repent, for the King- 
 dom of Hei.i'uen was at Hand ; Jetting 
 them know, that we were God's Work- 
 man/hip, created anew in Chrift Jefus ; 
 with much more to that Effect. I fpoke 
 to them from the Scripture, which was 
 much to their Satisfaction, and vye praifed 
 God, that kept us in his Fear and Coun- 
 fel. 
 
 We were committed to Priibn on that 
 Law, made in Oliver's Days, that none 
 were to fpeak to the Prieft or Preachers, 
 neither at their H'orfljip, nor coming and 
 going. The next Morning we were had 
 before the chief Magi ftra&e of the Town 
 
 of
 
 [33 ] 
 
 of Welch-Pool, and after fomc Difcourfc 
 with him, it feemed good to him to dif- 
 chargc us, for he could find nothing juftly 
 to accufe us of, except concerning thff 
 Law of our God, 
 
 So we went to our Homes, the young 
 Man to his Father's, and I to my Matter's ; 
 he fuffered much Violence by his Father, 
 in regard that he could not conform him- 
 felf to that dry, dead, and formal Pray- 
 ing that his Father ufe'd j his Father rofe 
 from off his Knees when he was at Prayer, 
 and took a Staff, and did violently beat 
 his Son, and againft natural Aflfe&ion; 
 he took a Lock and Chain, and chained 
 him out of Doors in a cold frofty Night. 
 Thus our Sufferings began to increafe, 
 for the Teftimony of our Confciences to- 
 wards God ; but blefled be the Name of 
 the Lord, who preferred his People that 
 trufted in him, faith my Soul. 
 
 A little after this I came to hear, that 
 fome of the People that were called Qiia- 
 ken, were at Shreiq/bttry. in the County of 
 Salop t being diftant from the Place of 
 my Abode, about eighteen Miles ; I 
 waited for an Opportunity to go to fee 
 them, and the Way of their Worfhip, for 
 asyet I had not feen any of them, but that 
 one poor Man before mentioned. When 
 C 4 the
 
 [34] 
 
 the Time called Cbriftmas came, my 
 Mailer's Work being fomewhat over for 
 a-while, I got leave to go fo far. I went 
 firft to the Houfe of John Millington^ 
 where many friends reforted, and they 
 of the Town came to fee me in great 
 Love and Tendernefs, and much Broken- 
 nefs of Heart was among us, though but 
 few Words. We waited to fee! the Lord 
 among us, in all our Comings together. 
 W hen the Firft-day of the Week came, 
 we went to a Meeting at W. Panis, at the 
 Wild-Ccp, where we had a filent Meeting, 
 and though it was filent from Words, yec 
 the Word of the Lord God was among 
 us, it was as a Hammer and a Fire, ic 
 was {harper than any two-edged Sword, 
 it pierced through our inward Parts, it 
 melted and brought us into Tears, that 
 there was fcarcely a dry Eye among us ; 
 the Lord's blefied Power over-fhadowed 
 our Meeting, and I could have faid, that 
 Cod alone was Mafter of that dffemU'j. 
 The next Day as I was preparing home- 
 wards, having had a conficierable Time 
 with Friends there, and being much 
 comforted with the Goodnefs of God, 
 and unfeigned Love of the Brethren, we 
 heard that John ap Jchn was come to 
 Town, and was to have a Meeting there ; 
 
 I (laid
 
 [35] 
 
 I ftaid that Meeting, where I heard the 
 firft Friend, that was called a Quaker, 
 preach in a Meeting, and when I heard 
 him, I thought he fpoke as one having 
 Authority, and not as the Scribes, his. 
 Words were fo found and piercing. 
 
 After this Meeting at Shreivjlury, I 
 came home to my Matter's Houfe, where 
 I was under many Confederations, and 
 efpecialiy that of Chrift's Words, Te 
 are the Light of the World. A City 
 that is Jet on an Hill, cannot be hid. Nei- 
 ther do Men light a Candle, and put it un- 
 der a Bu/hel, but on a Candleftick , and it 
 gi'ueth Light unto all that are in the Hcufe. 
 Let your Light fo Jhine before Men, thai 
 they may fee your good IVorks, and glorify 
 \cur Father -which is in Heaven, Mat. v, 
 14, 15, 1 6. 
 
 I was fenfible that Gcd had opened my 
 Underitanding, and lighted my Candle, 
 and given me a Senfe and Feeling of my 
 own State and Condition, how that I had 
 been in Darknefs, and under the Region 
 and Shadow of Death -, and God having 
 mewed Mercy and Kindnefs unto me, in 
 calling of me from this great Darknefe 
 to the marvellous Light of his dear Son 
 Chrift Jefus, that is, the Light of the 
 World, thai enligbteneth every Man tbat 
 C 5 ccmetb
 
 [36 ] 
 
 cometh into the World-, I was "made will- 
 ing not to hide my Candle as it were un- 
 der a Buihel, or to hide my Talent in 
 the Earth ; but in the Love of God, I 
 was made willing to let that Light, 
 which he pleafed by his Grace to enlight- 
 en me withal, mine before Men, that 
 they might come to glorify their heavenly 
 Father, which is in Heaven^ Mat. v. 16. 
 
 The next publick Service that the 
 Lord required of me, was to go and give 
 my Teftimony for him, and to warn a 
 Company of People to think of their 
 latter End, who were met to dance and 
 to play, at that they called a Merry- 
 righl) not far from my Matter's Houfe. 
 When I came within the Room where 
 they were dancing, the Fidler ceaied 
 playing, and they dancing \ I declared 
 the Word of the Lord among them. 
 That which was chiefly before me, was 
 that of Job , They fend forth their little 
 cnes like a Flock, and their Children dance. 
 They take the 'Timbrel and Harp, and re- 
 joice at the Sound of the Organ. They fyend 
 their Days in Mirth, and in a Moment go 
 down to the Grave, Job xxi. n, 12, 13. 
 *When I had difcharged myfelf of what 
 lay upon me, I parted in Love and Peace 
 from them, and they thanked me for my 
 
 good
 
 [37 I 
 
 good Exhortation, and fome of them 
 came to fet me Home. 
 
 About this Time, 1658, I heard of 
 one, that was called a Quaker^ who was 
 come from Ireland to Llanvilling^ x 
 Town in this County of Montgomery, and 
 in the Love of God I went upon the Firft- 
 day of the Week to vifit him, where we 
 had a comfortable refrefhing Meeting 
 together, and the Lord's Prefence was 
 with us, though we were Strangers one 
 to another, as to the outward, yet we 
 had Fellowfliip and Unity one with ano- 
 ther in the inward Life of Righteoufneis-, 
 his Name was Roger Pritchard, He tar- 
 ried not long there, but went back again 
 to Ireland ; though it was faid, he came 
 to thefe Parts with an Intention to ftay 
 here, and to bear his Teftimony for God 
 in this dark Corner of North -Wales ; but 
 he not being faithful to God, who fent 
 him here, as he was going back he fuF- 
 fered great Loffcs by Sea, and lofb his 
 good Condition alfo, and turned back to 
 the Vanities of the World, which was a 
 great Sorrow and Exercife to me : But 
 the Lord vifited him again, as may be 
 feen hereafter. Thus I was left alone- 
 again. 
 
 C 6 Icon-
 
 [38 ] 
 
 I continued, as the Lord made way 
 for me, to vifit thofe in whom I found 
 any Inclination to the Things that were 
 good, and there was one William Davifs 
 convinced of the Truth with me, I was 
 alfo made willing to vifit the Independent 
 Meeting, and thofe People that I for- 
 merly belonged to, that were a feparate 
 People, gathered together chiefly by Va- 
 v.ijor Powell, before-mentioned, a zea- 
 lous Man in his Day. But when Truth 
 broke forth in this Country, I bting the 
 firft that came to receive it in thefe Parts, 
 did feparate rnyfelf from them, in Love 
 to that blefifed Truth that I received, and 
 it became my true Teacher. So Vavafor 
 Powell proved angry, and preached much 
 againft the Quakers, their Way and Prin- 
 ciples-, 1 hearing this, Came to a Place 
 called Cloddiecochion, near Welch-Pool, 
 to their Meeting, expecting to find him 
 there ; but he was not there. John Grif- 
 fitkfSt a Juftice of the Peace in thofe 
 Days, was preaching there. When I 
 came in among thtm, they feemed un- 
 eafy -, and when I had an Opportunity, 
 I bore a Tcftimony for God, and his Son 
 (Thrift Jefus, his Way, Truth, and Peo- 
 ple, which they preached againft. When 
 I had done what i had to fay, he went 
 
 on,
 
 f 39] 
 
 on again ; and when I found fomething 
 more upon my Spirit to declare among 
 them, this John Griffithes commanded to 
 take me away ; and a near Relation of 
 mine, that owned the Houfe, took me 
 in his Arms, and led me out of the 
 Houfe through the Fold, and through a 
 Gate that opened to the Common, and 
 Ihut the Gate after me. There I fate un- 
 der an Afh-tree, weeping and mourning 
 to fee the Blindnefs, Darknefs, and Hard- 
 nefs of Heart, Pride, and Haughtinefs,. 
 that were come over a People who once 
 were loving, kind, and humble in Spirit. 
 As I fate weightily under a ferious Confi- 
 dtration, what and when would be the 
 End of thefe Formalities and Hardnefs 
 of Heart, I prayed to the Lord for 
 them. And the Word of the Lord came 
 to me, That though they put me out of their 
 Houfe t yet in Time they would come to own 
 'Truth, and that Houfe /hould le a Meet- 
 ing-place for Friends. Of this, a farther 
 Account may be feen hereaiter. So I 
 wenc away, well fatisfied with the Love 
 and Goodnefs of God to me that Day, 
 in giving me Comfort and Confolation, 
 for my Tears of Sorrow and Affliction, 
 that i met with a little before j and I re- 
 membered the Saying of the Apoftle, 
 
 Hcb.
 
 [40] 
 
 Heb. xii. ii. Now no Chaining for the 
 prefent feemetb to be joyous, but. grievous ; 
 neverthelefs, afterward ityieldeth the 'peace- 
 able Fruit of Right eoufnefs^ unto them "which 
 are exercifed thereby. 
 
 After this, I ftill waited to know the 
 Will and Counfel of God, and that he 
 might dired me in my Way, and order 
 my Steps in this my fpiritual Travail ; 
 for I had none to look unto, but to him 
 alone, who w5s all-fufficient to carry on 
 the Work which he had begun, tho' often 
 by weak, poor, mean, and contempts 
 ble Inftruments in the Eyes of the World. 
 Well might I lay with the Apoftle, But 
 God hath chojen the fooli/h Things of the 
 World, to confound the wije ; and God 
 hath chofen the weak Things of the World, 
 to confound the Things which are mighty \ 
 and bafe Tiings of the World, and Things 
 which are defpifed, hath God chofen, yea y 
 and Things which are not, to bring to nought 
 Things that are, i Cor. i. 27, 28. 
 
 About this Time I went to vifit fome 
 young Men, my former Companions in 
 Profeflion of Religion j two or three of 
 them were convinced, and received the 
 Truth. When we were come to the 
 Number of four,, it was with me, that 
 we ought to meet together in the Name of 
 
 the
 
 the Lord; for T remembered the Promife 
 of Chrift, \\ho laid, Where two or three 
 are gathered (ogether in my Name, there 
 am I in the Midft of them, Mat. xviii. 
 20. 
 
 So we all agreed to meet together, but 
 none of us had a Houfe of his own to 
 meet in. We determined therefore to 
 meet upon a Hill in a Common as near 
 as we could, for the Conveniency of each 
 other, we living fome Miles diftant one 
 from another. There we met in Silence, 
 to the Wonder of the Country. When 
 the Rain and Weather beat upon us on 
 one Side of the Hill, we went to the 
 other Side. We were not free to go in- 
 to any Neighbour's Inclofures, for they 
 were fo blind, dark, and ignorant, that 
 they look'd upon us as Witches, and 
 would go away from us, fome crofting 
 themfelves with their Hands about their 
 Fore- heads and Faces. 
 
 Thus we continued for fome Time, 
 till two of them left me , one of them 
 was put Apprentice by Friends to Wil- 
 liam Shewen, of London. The other 
 young Man was a Soldier in Oliver 
 Cromwell's Days, and he got as foon as 
 he could, to be cifbanded, fo he went to 
 hire) and lived among Friends. 
 The
 
 [42] 
 
 The third was one William Davies, that 
 lived hard by me, and we met together 
 for fome Time ; but one Time he ftaid 
 longer than ufual, and a foul dark Spirit 
 poflefled him, fo that the little Time we 
 were together, was not comiortable to 
 me , and when we had broke up the 
 Meeting, by way of Difcourfe, he afk'd 
 me, How 1 did think we Jktuld ftand in 
 the Face of a whole Country ? I anfwered 
 him with great Zeal ; The Serpent, the 
 Serpent, the fame that beguiled the Wo- 
 man in Paradife^ hath beguiled thee;- 
 thou wilt not be able to Hand. And 
 while we were yet difcourfing, I law my 
 Matter coming, who was alfo convinced, 
 but was not faithful to that good Spirit, 
 that convinced him of the Truth, and 
 mewed him what he ought to do, but 
 did it not, yet he continued loving to 
 Friends, and frequented their Meetings 
 to hia latter End. As I looked back, 
 . 1 law him coming towards us, with two 
 Women following him, the one was his 
 "Wife, my cruel Miftrefs, the other 'was 
 his Sifter ; they both had Staves in their 
 Hands, and when they came unto us,, 
 the Sifter began to beat her Brother my 
 Mafter, and my Miftrefs fct a beating of 
 W t Dalies. So his Trial carne very 
 
 quickly,
 
 C43 1 
 
 quickly, and W. Davies came no more 
 to meet with me, nor any other Friends, 
 for many Years ; yet he afterwards came 
 among Friends, and continued with them 
 to the End of his Days, and was buried 
 among them. It fo happened that I had 
 never a Blow among them, and if" I had 
 received any, I had learn'd of Chrift Jefus 
 my Lord and Mafter, to fuffer patiently 
 for his Name's- fake, and not to depart 
 from him, though my Trials, Tempta- 
 tions, and Afflictions were not a few ; fo 
 that I might fay v/ith the Apoflle, But 
 none of thefe Things move me, neither count 
 I my Life dear unto myfelf, fo that I might 
 fimjh my Courfe with Joy ^ Acts xx. 24. 
 a Cor. iv. 17. Mat. x. 37, 38, 39. 
 
 Thefe young Men going away thus, I 
 was left alone again, but ftill 1 kept 
 waiting upon the Lord, to know his 
 "Will and good Pleafure concerning me ; 
 and when the Time of my Apprenticeship 
 was over, I found ^Freedom to go to 
 London^ to vifit Friends there, which was 
 in the Year, 1650-9. And rinding many 
 good and living Friends there, I fettled 
 to my Trade, being a Felt-maker, and 
 very well latisfied I was, that I could go 
 to Meetings, and follow my Bufinefs. 
 When any thing would come to my 
 
 Mind,
 
 [44] 
 
 Mind, of this my native Country, barren 
 and uninhabited with Friends and Truth, 
 I endeavoured to fliut it out, and to keep 
 where I was, and- 1 did what I could ; 
 but all my fair Pretences and Reafonings 
 would not do, difobedient to the Lord I 
 was, and Trouble, and Sorrow, and 
 Judgment from the Lord oimeupon me, 
 for not obeying his Command, to go to 
 my own Country to (land a Witnefs for 
 him there. In this my Difobedience, I 
 continued till I loft his Prefence, and lie 
 fmote me with Trouble within, and l\ii;i 
 in my Bones, that I could not work nor 
 labour. In this Time Friends of London 
 were very kind and careful of me, and 
 would freely have adminiflred unto me, 
 but I was not willing to accept of any 
 Thing from them, fo long as I had of 
 my own. My Pain of Body and Spirit 
 increafed upon me, till at lad I was forced 
 to bow to the Will of the great God, 
 who was too ftrong for me -, and reafon- 
 ing with him one Night, upon the Bed 
 of my Sorrows, he (hewed me clearly, 
 that / was to go to my own Country ; and 
 I was made willing to give up to go, if 
 he would be pleafed to let me know his 
 Will and Pleafure by this Sign and To- 
 ken, that be would remove my Pain. I 
 
 alfo
 
 [45] 
 
 alfo reafoned with him thus, That I was 
 alone, like a Pelican in the Wildernels, 
 or a Sparrow on a Houfe-top. The Lord 
 ftill commanded me to go, fhewing that he 
 would provide an Help-meet for me. And 
 when I had made a Covenant with the 
 Lord to go, immediately my Pain was 
 removed, and I had Peace and Quietnefs 
 of M ind and Spirit. I arofe next Morn- 
 ing, and went to my Work ; and when 
 thofe tender Friends, that had a Regard 
 for me in my Sicknefs, came to fee me 
 that Morning, I was gone to Work ; 
 which was to their Admiration. 
 
 So the Lord gave me a little Time, 
 and he alone provided an Help- meet for 
 me , for I prayed unto him, That me 
 might be of his own providing, for ic 
 was not yet manifeft to me where fhe 
 was, or who me was. But one Time as 
 I was at Horfelydown Meeting in South- 
 wark, I heard a Woman- Friend open her 
 Mouth, by way of Teftimony, againft 
 an evil ranting Spirit, that did oppofe 
 Friends much in thofe Days. It came to 
 me from the Lord, That that Woman 
 was to be my Wife, and to go with me 
 to the Country, and to be an Help-meet 
 for me. After Meeting I drew fomewhat 
 rear to her, but fpoke nothing, nor took 
 
 any
 
 1 46 ] 
 
 any Acquaintance with her, nor did I 
 know when, or where I mould fee her 
 again. I was very willing to let the 
 Lord order it as it feemed bcft to himfelf, 
 and therein I was eafy ; and in Time the 
 Lord brought us acquainted one with ano- 
 ther, and me conkfcd that me had fome 
 Sight of the lame Thing, that I had 
 feen concerning her. So after feme Time 
 we parted, and I was freely refigned to 
 the Will of God ; and when we came 
 together again, I told her, If the Lord 
 did order her to be my Wife, me mud 
 come with me to a ftrange Country, 
 where there were no Friends, but what 
 God in Time might call and^ guher to 
 himfelf. Upon a little Confi deration fhe 
 faid, If the Lord mould order it fo, me 
 muft go with her Hufband, though it 
 were to the Wildernefs , and being fome- 
 what fenfible of the Workings of God 
 upon her Spirit, in this Matter, fhe was 
 willing to condefcend in her Mind to 
 what he wrought in her : But by hearken- 
 ing to one who had not well weighed the 
 Matter, me became difobedient to what 
 God had revealed to her; which brought 
 great Sorrow and Trouble upon her. I 
 went to fee her in this poor Condition, 
 an.4 I retted fadsfied with the Will of 
 
 God
 
 [47l 
 
 God in this Concern, being freely refign- 
 ed, if the Lord had wrought the fame 
 Thing in her, as was in me, to receive 
 her as his Gift to me ; and after fomc 
 Time, we waiting upon the Lord toge- 
 ther, me arofe, and declared before me, 
 and the other Friend who had begot 
 Doubts and Reafonings in her Mind, 
 That in the Name and Power of God 
 me conferred to be my Wiie, and to go 
 along with me, whither the Lord mould 
 order us j and I faid, In the Pear of the 
 Lord, I receive thee as the Gift of God 
 to me. So I rcfted fatisfied in the Will 
 of God, for a farther Accomplimment 
 of it. 
 
 Under a weighty Confideration, which 
 Way to take each other in Marriage, we 
 concluded to lay our Proceedings before 
 our Eiders, and efpeciaily our ancient 
 Friend George Fox ; (People in thofe 
 Days were married by a Prieft, or before 
 a Jullice) aod 1 told G. Fox t we thought 
 to take each other in a Pub! ick Meeting ; 
 fo he dcfired the Lord to be with us. 
 And when we law our Clearnefs in the 
 Lord, we went -o ; .he Snail Meeting, in 
 tfcwer-ftreet* London, in the Morning ; 
 and in th Afternoon to Horjelydown, 
 Soutfaoark, and in that Meeting, being 
 
 the
 
 [48 ] 
 
 the 26th of the fourth Month, 1659, 
 in the Prefence of God, and that Affem- 
 bly, we took each other to be Man and 
 Wife. 
 
 God alone knew our Innocency and 
 Integrity in going together. It was not' 
 for Gold nor Silver, nor any outward 
 Thing , but to be ferviceable to him in 
 our Age and Generation, and to ftand 
 Witneffes for him and his blefied Truth, 
 where he fhould fend us. I might fay 
 with 'Tobias, Thou madeft Adam, and 
 gaveft him Eve bis Wife* for a Helper 
 and a Slay; of them came Mankind. Thou 
 haft faid,' // is not good that Man Jhould be 
 alone, let us make him an Aid like himfelf, 
 Tobit viii. 6, 7. 
 
 Soon after, in the Lord's Time, we 
 made what Hafte we could to come to 
 the Country, where we believed the Lord 
 would have us to be, and we faid, O Lord, 
 if thou wilt go with us in our Wa\, and 
 give us Bread to eat, and Raiment to put 
 on, then, Lord, tbou Jhalt be our God ; 
 and the Lord was with us in all our Jour- 
 ney, and gave unto us his fweet and 
 comfortable Prefence. 
 
 Soon alter we came to Welch-Pool, 
 thofe Profeflbrs, who had been and were 
 in great Power, began to be faint-heart- 
 ed,
 
 [49 ] 
 
 ed, becaufe of the Report of bringing 
 in King Charles the fecond ; which in a 
 little Time was accomplifhed, and thofe 
 that were in great Pomp, were brought 
 to Prifcn -themfelves. And I was had 
 before the firft Juftices that were made in 
 thefe Parts by the Authority of King 
 Charles the fecond, in the Year 1660, 
 notwithftanding I was a Prifoner to the 
 Magiftrate of the Town. When I went 
 up before them, many of the People of 
 the Town followed me, to fee what 
 would become of me, and to what Pri- 
 fon they would fend me, or what Punifli- 
 ment they would inflict upon me. But 
 the Lord was with me, and 1 feared not 
 Man, whofe Breath is in his Noflrils, 
 but the living X3od, whom I defired to 
 obey in all Things. When I was come 
 into the Room, it being in the Night, 
 the High-Sheriff, Colonel Moftyn, and 
 the Juftices, flood as People in Amaze, 
 to fee me come with my Hat on my Head 
 amongfl them, arid fpoke not one Word 
 to me for fbme Time. In a little while, 
 I afk'd them, Whether they fen for me 
 there ? They faid, They did. One of 
 the Justices afked me, Where 1 had that 
 new Way * and flrangs Religion ? I an- 
 fwer'd him, It was the good old Way 
 
 that
 
 that the Prophets and Servants of God 
 lived and walked in ; and that Way I 
 had found, and defired to walk in it all 
 my Days. That Juftice was peevifh, and 
 laid, 1 think the Man is mad -, I think we 
 muft have him whipt -, though I anfwered 
 them according to Scripture, yet they 
 were ignorant of it. They demanded of 
 me to take the Oath of Allegiance and Su- 
 premacy : I told them, That my Lord 
 and Mailer Chrift Jefus, and his Apoftle 
 James, commanded me, not to fivear at 
 all. They had a Prieft with them, who 
 took upon him to queftion me. The fii ft 
 Thing he afked me, was, Which was 
 Jirfti Reafon or Scripture ? I told him, 
 Reafon was before Scripture ; God made 
 Man a reafonable Creature^ in his own 
 Image : and the firft Part of the Scrip- 
 tures now extant, was writ by Mofes : 
 The Apoftle tells us, That the Law came 
 by Mofes, but Grace and Truth came by 
 Jefus Cbrifl. I farther told them, That 
 holy Men of God gave them forth as they 
 were moved by the Holy Gboft. As to 
 this, they Itemed to be fatisfied. But 
 the Prieft put fome enfnaring Queftions 
 to me , and when I perceived it, I afked 
 the Juftices, What that Man was? Whe- 
 ther he was a Juftice of the Peace, or 
 
 not?
 
 not? And, Whether he was not a Prieft? 
 They faid, They look'd upon him to be a fit- 
 ter Man than them/elves to difcourfe with 
 me about Religion. I told them, I thought 
 he was as the High-Prieft among the 
 ws^ who put eninaring Queftions to 
 Chrift, when he was brought before them, 
 to feek to make him an Offender ; and 
 turned myfelf to the Juftices, and de 
 fired them to take Notice of that Man 4 
 who laid thofe enfnaring Queftions, to 
 Peek to make me an Offender. Then the 
 Prieft left me, and the Juftices afked me, 
 feeing I would not take the Oaths, IVhe- 
 tber I would give Bail ? And faid, They 
 would take my Father's Bail for my good 
 Behaviour. I told them, My Caufe was 
 uft, and I was innocent, and would give 
 them no Bail, for Truth binds me to my 
 2jood Behaviour. Then the High-She- 
 riff, a very fair Man, told me, / was a 
 ftrange Man y an~d of a ftrange Perfwafion, 
 to come "with my Hat uax my Head among 
 them, and would not take the Oaths, nor 
 live Rail. Tou know^ faid he, that Paul 
 'aid to Feftus, Noble Ftftus. 1 told him, 
 That Paul had tried FejluSj but I had 
 not as yet tried him , and it might be, 
 that I might fpeak of him, Noble Sheriff. 
 Upon this they were moft of them vtrry 
 D pleafanc.
 
 1 52 ] 
 
 pleafant. He afked me, Whim I did know 
 there? There were feveral Juftices my 
 Relations prefent, who very well knew 
 me, but 1 made mention of none of 
 them , but told him, I knew the Chief' 
 Magiftrate of the Town, Charles Jones, 
 whofe Prifoner I. was. Then they called 
 for him, and afked him, Whether he 
 knew me ? He faid, He did very well, 
 for I was born and bred in the Town 
 among them, and was a very honed young 
 Man all along ; but, faid he, what De- 
 vil he hath now, I know not. They 
 afked him, Whether I "joas his Prifoner ? 
 He faid, I was. Then, laid the Juftices, 
 take him again to your Cuftody. As I was 
 going out of the Room, I told them, 
 That I brought a good Hat on my Head 
 there, but was going away without it, 
 for fome of the bafcr Sort had convey'd 
 it away, but the Juftices made diligent 
 Search about it ; io it was brought me 
 again, and put upon my Head, and they 
 parted with me very iriendly, and the 
 Town Magiftrate took me a little iicm 
 them, and bid me go Hvme to my Wi;e 
 and Family. Mpny oi the Inhabitants of 
 the Town accompanied me Hon-e,} -ait- 
 ing God in their Way for my Deliverance, 
 or feveral Things were thru;:r.:d a^ ^ 
 
 me;
 
 [ 53 ] . 
 
 me ; but, bleffed be God, Truth was 
 over all and had Dominion ; and the 
 Witnefs of God was reached in many of 
 them, and the High-Sheriff continued 
 loving and kind to Friends, and ready to 
 ferve them in what he could all his Life- 
 time, asalfo was his Deputy-Sheriff, and 
 feveral other of the Juftices. 
 
 About the third Month, 1660, many 
 of thofe Profeflbrs, Captains, Lieutenants 
 and Soldiers, that were in Arms in Oli- 
 ver's and Richard Cromwell's Days, were 
 put in Prifon in the Town of Montgomery. 
 My Wi.Ss and I did forefee, that IJbould 
 befenttbereto them, though I never was 
 a Soldier, nor bore any Arms, for either 
 Side. And in a little Time, there came 
 a Troop of Horfe for me, to bring me 
 to Prifon. My Relations offered to give 
 Bail for me, but it was not accepted. 
 So I went to acquaint my Wife of it, and 
 to make myfelf ready to go with them. 
 One of the Sddiers came up Stairs after 
 me, with a Piftoi and naked Sword, and 
 my Wi> railing herll-lf up, ar.d fitting 
 in Bed, being delivered but" three Days 
 before of her firil Child, (he faid, Dear 
 Hit/land^ be faithful to God, whatever 
 becomes of me. The Soldier flying her, 
 retreated back. So I went down to the 
 D 2 Troop
 
 t 54] 
 
 Troop of Horfe (landing in the Street 
 before my Houfe. There was among 
 them one bad Man, that run away in my 
 Father's Debt, threatned to compel me 
 to follow his Horfe's Heels on Foot 
 many Miles. But by this Time feveral 
 of the Aldermen, and others of the 
 Town, were gathered together in the 
 Street, who defired this Man, and others 
 -of the Troop, to let me alone for that 
 Time, and they would engage Body for 
 Body, that I mould be in Prifon next 
 Morning ; but they could not prevail. 
 At length fome of the Aldermen fell into 
 a Rage, and bid them, meddle with me if 
 they durft ; and bid me go to my Houfe, 
 which I was not willing to do, for great 
 Fear came upon me, left there fhould 
 be a Quarrjl among them concerning 
 my Going or Staying. But one or two 
 of the Aldermen, being more confi- 
 derate than the reft, defired their Pa- 
 tience till the Captain might be fpoken 
 with, who was then in Town. He foon 
 granted that I fliould flay at Home that 
 Night, and be in Montgomery Prifon 
 next Morning, and was ungry at that 
 bad Man for his Incivility towards the 
 Aldermen that interceded for me; 
 ibr the Captain knew I was a peace- 
 able
 
 1 55] 
 
 able Man, and never concerned myfe"i 
 in fighting tor one Side or other. When 
 the Troop had their Orders, they went on 
 their Way ; and I praifed God in the 
 Multitude or" his Mercies, that there was 
 not Blood fhcd that Day ;. ior many of 
 the young Men of the Town, with the 
 Aldermen, were gather'd together with- 
 Clubs and Staves, faying, What fhould a 
 Town's-born Child be Jo abufed by juch a 
 bad Fellow as that was-, before- mentioned : 
 My Heart often trembled within me, left 
 any thing mould fall amifs in this Tu- 
 mult ; and I defired them o/ten, before 
 they went to the Captain, that I might 
 go along with them towards my Pri- 
 fon. 
 
 So that Night I ftaid at Home, and next 
 Morning took my Journey towards my 
 Prifon at Montgomery. I avoided the Houle 
 of my Uncle, a. Juftice of the Peace in this 
 County, near my Way, and Brother- in- 
 Law to this Captain, left he mould flop 
 me from going to Prifon. So I went 
 there myfelf alone, and told the MarfhaJ, 
 John Mafon^ that I was come a Prifoner , 
 and he took me up to an upper Garret 
 for my Lodging, but I had the Liberty 
 of the Houfe, as well as other Prifoners, 
 there being many Prejbyterians^ Indepen- 
 D 3
 
 1 56 ] 
 
 <k/j, and Baptifls, who were formerly 
 my great Acquintance ; but now they 
 appeared very ftrange, and would not 
 difcourfe with me. I confidered the Rea- 
 Jbn, and was informed, that thefe old 
 formal Church-members of Profeffors 
 had agreed among themfelves that they 
 would not difcourfe with me, nor receive 
 any Books from me, left the moft ferious 
 inward Cbriftians amongft them fhould 
 turn Quakers. But in a little Time their 
 Orders and Covenants were broken, and 
 I was moved to go to their Meeting, 
 fometimes ha%'ing little to fay among 
 them, but a Sigh or a Groan, and a Tra- 
 vail in my Spirit for them, which did 
 often put them out of Order in their 
 Preaching and Praying i and as the Lord 
 would order it, I fpoke a few Words 
 among them. A Baptift was con- 
 vinced there, and came to meet with me 
 in my Room. Cadwalader Edwards alfo 
 was convinced, and came up with us to 
 meet in the Prifon; and then Difcourfings 
 and Difpuits began between them and 
 me. I wrote a few Lines to fend Home 
 to my Wife, but knew not by whom to 
 fend it, for it was very hard to fend any 
 Papers out of Prifon ; the Marfhal, or 
 Jailer, would examine and fearch fuch as 
 
 came
 
 f 57 ] 
 
 came in, or went out for Letters. Aa 
 old Friend, an Acquaintance of mine, 
 came to viiit her Friends and Brethren 
 the Profeffbrs, in Prifon, whom I dt fired 
 to carry that Letter to my Wife, as me 
 went through our Town of Weltb-Pm^ 
 to her Home ; me was afraid to meddJe 
 with it ; partly for Fear of the Jailer, 
 and alfo left me mould offend her Bre- 
 thren there. I dcfired her not to be afraid, 
 for I would read it to her firft, and the 
 Jailer might fee it if he p'eafed ; ar d 
 after I had read it to her, me was ter/- 
 jderly affected, turned to her Brethren 
 again, and laid, Surely tbefe People ?;// 
 never tome to us, but we muft go to them. 
 Some Time after, through much Trou- 
 ble and Affliction, me came to receive 
 the Truth, to live in it, and obey it , 
 her Name was Margaret Bowen, Wife, 
 of Jobn Bowen, of Collfryn, and Mother 
 to Peter Bowen, in Martins le Grand, 
 London. 
 
 In a little Time my Service was over 
 among thofe Profeflbrs in that Prifon, 
 and the Lord made Way for my En- 
 largement. In about two Weeks I came 
 away, and left the reft of the Prifoners 
 there, where they continued a confider- 
 able Time. I was well fatisfted with the 
 D 4- Good-
 
 f 58 J 
 
 Goodnefs of Gcd, that I found his Pre- 
 fence, Life, and Power with me, a pre- 
 fent Htlp in the Time of Need, which 
 kept me low and humble, that I durft not 
 rejoice that Spirits were made fubjeft , 
 but rather rejoice, that I found my Name 
 written in Heaven. I came Home in 
 great Love and Peace to my Wife and 
 Fa'mily, and many of my loving Neigh- 
 bours rejoiced to fee me. 
 
 I continued about my Calling and 
 Bufinefs, and waited upon God to knovr 
 his Mind and Will concerning me. In 
 tnis Time I heard of an honeft old Wo- 
 man, who had received the Truth fome 
 Time before about Montgomery, her 
 N.ime was AnneHamon, Wife or Thomas 
 Hamon \ my Wife and I went to vific 
 her. 
 
 About the Year 1661, I went to a 
 Meeting at Edgemont> near Wem^ in 
 Sbrofjhire. Here our Friend William 
 Gibjbn and I were taken Prifoners, with 
 about 25 or 26 more, and fentto Shrewf- 
 biiry. We found the Temper of the 
 Jailer to be very cruel. He threatned us 
 with a great deal of Hardlhip, if we did 
 not eat of his Meat, drink of his Drink, 
 and lie on his Beds, and give him what 
 he demanded. We toid him, We were 
 
 the
 
 [ 59] 
 
 the King's Prifoners, and demanded a 
 free Prifon, and Straw to lie upon ; but 
 he in a Rage denied us that, and put us 
 in a little Room, where there was fcarce 
 Place for us to lie down. When Nighc 
 came, Sleep came upon us, we being 
 weary by travelling fo many Miles on 
 Foot, but we were made willing and able 
 to fuffer all Things ; fo that Night we 
 lay upon the Boards, and it was pleafant 
 unto us, being warm Weather, and about 
 the Time of Hay-harvcft. The nexc 
 Morning we were very frcfh and well,, 
 praifing God for his Mercies and Good- 
 nets to us, when the Jailer came to us, 
 and afk'd How we liked our Lodging, and 
 how wejlept ? We told him, We fkpt 
 in Peace or Confcience and Quit end's or 
 Mind, for we fuffered for Confcience- 
 fake towards God, and durft not break 
 the Command of Chrifl and the Apofllc,. 
 who commanded us not to fwear at all. 
 For our fuppofed Tranfgrefiion, was not 
 only for meeting together, but for refuf- 
 ing the Oaths of A llegiance and Supre- 
 macy. The Jailer being a very pafiionate 
 unconfiderate Man, would go out in the 
 Morning from his own Houfe, and not 
 come back till Night, and then returned 
 fo drunken, that he could hardly fpeak or 
 D 5 - iUnd.
 
 [6o] 
 
 ftand. The next Nigh't when we went 
 to lie down, the Room was fo little we 
 could not all lie at once. The next Morn- 
 ing we complained to the Jailer, that 
 there was not enough of Room for us all 
 to lie down, and defired him to let us 
 have a little Straw, but it would not be 
 granted us. By this Time the Friends of 
 the Town had Liberty to come to vifif 
 us, and to bring us in fome Provifion ; 
 and whf n the Door was opened for us to 
 go into another Room, there being a Bed- 
 ftead with Cords in that Room, William 
 Gibfon and I lay upon the Cords, and next 
 Morning we iound, that the print of the 
 Cords was not only in our Clothes, but in 
 our Skin alfo, fo that it had been cafier 
 for us to have lain upon the Beards, as we 
 tiki before. By this Time, having well 
 obfcrvcd the Jailer's Humour and Tem- 
 per, 1 began to be uneafy in jmyfelf to 
 let him alone ; fo I watched him in the 
 Mornirg upon his firft rifing, when he 
 came to the Court before our Prifon Door, 
 and began to difcourfe with him about 
 the Prifoners that lay in fuch Hardlhip. 
 1 told him, They werehoneft Men, and 
 moft of them Matters of Families, and 
 h^d good Reels to lie upon at Home, but 
 rxiw they were content lor Chrift's and 
 
 the
 
 f 61 ] 
 
 the Gofpel's Sake, to fuffer that Hard- 
 fhip. I defired him, to let them have 
 Liberty to go to their Friends in Town 
 at Night, and to come 'there in the 
 Morning, and if he would not be pleafed 
 to grant them a little Straw, then to let 
 them go lie in their own Beds ; which he 
 furlily denied, calling them a Company 
 of Rogues and Knaves, and fuch like 
 Terms. He afked me, What made ire 
 plead for them ? I told him, they were 
 my Friends. He anfvvered, Why your 
 Friends? You are no Quaker, ' are you ? I 
 fhicl, I am called a Quaker. He anlwered, 
 Ton d') not look like a Quaker ; and he 
 looked me in my Face, and on my Hands 
 and Body. I dtfired him, not to dif- 
 grace me fo, as to tell me, I was no 
 Quaker. Then he afked me, Where I 
 lived ? I told him, when I was at Home 
 I lived at Welch- Pod, and my Family 
 was there. But, (aid he, where are you 
 now ? I afked him, Whether he did not 
 know I was a Prifoner there with my 
 Friends ? And he afked me, Whether I 
 did lie upon the Boards with them ? I told 
 him, I did. He faid, he was forry for it i 
 but went away in Anger, being much ciii- 
 contented in himlelf". I did not fee him 
 till next Morning, at which Time I went 
 D 6 to
 
 [62 ] 
 
 to him again, and friendly difcourfed 
 with him , he faid, He enquired about me 
 in Town, and I might take the Liberty of 
 the Town. I acknowledged his Kindnels ; 
 but told him, it would be no Comfort to 
 me, to have the Liberty of the Town, 
 and leave my Friends and Brethren there. 
 HefaiJ, Then I might flay thdre with them. 
 So I did not 'Ice him till the next Morn- 
 ing, and then I went to him again. He 
 was fo crofs and ill-conditioned, he would 
 not fuffer any other Frier. d to fpeak to 
 him. IVilliam Gibfon did fo judge him 
 ior his \Yickednels, that he kept him 
 dole in a Room by himlclf. A r ter five 
 or fix Nights lying on the Boards, 1 pre- 
 vailed with him, that Friends might have 
 tl.e Liberty oi the Town in the N ight, 
 ar.d be there in- the Morning. So the 
 next Day he began to be more friendly 
 to us. After fome Days, I defired our 
 FYiend -John Millington to come with me 
 to the Jailer's Houfe, to fee whether we 
 could have Leave to go Flome till the 
 Affizt-s j but then it was not granted ; 
 but h - told me, If I f leafed, I might go 
 Home till then. I told him, he might 
 as iVcc'y let them go as me, for m oft of 
 them Iwed in the County, and 1 lived out 
 of the County i but no more could we 
 
 have
 
 [63 1 
 
 have that Time of him. I was uneafy in 
 myfelf (feeing I had got a Place in him) 
 to let him alone, and prefied for my 
 Friends farther Liberty. A little Time 
 afterwards, by ferious Arguments, as it 
 was Harveft Time, and hard for their 
 Wives, or fome of their Families, to come 
 with weekly Necefiaries for them, I, with 
 my Friend John Millington, prevailed with 
 him to let them go, and he took our Words 
 for our Appearance at the next Affize. 
 
 Through the Goodnefs of God, we 
 all returned together to Shrew/bury^ to 
 our Prifon before the Afiizes, and found 
 a great Alteration in the Jailer ; he was 
 very low and mournful. He had loft a 
 Prifbner, a Malefactor, and was to be 
 tried for his Life for his Efcape. He 
 was very loving and kind to us, and let 
 Friends go themfelves to Bridgenorth^ 
 about 14 Miles, where the Affizes was 
 then held ; and he defired me to flay with 
 him in his Affliction, and not be much 
 from him. He faid his Life was at Stake, 
 and if God and the Judge would fhevr 
 him any Mercy, he faid, it was upon our 
 Friends Account, and not for any De- 
 ferts that were in himfelf, for he confcffed 
 he had been too fevere to us , but not- 
 withftanding, faid he, you arc merciful 
 
 Men,
 
 r 6 4 ] 
 
 Men, and can forgive Wrongs and In- 
 
 juriv-s 
 
 When we came to Eridgenorlb> we 
 were pur in a 1-rge fpacious Room in the 
 Houfe of Correction, to be there in the 
 .Day-time, that we might be all together, 
 and ready when cail'd for ; but we had 
 Liberty of going in and out for Lodging, 
 and what Nec-faries we wanted , no 
 Keeper being over us, but what we fet 
 ourielves to Ic'ik to the Door, and that 
 too many Friends might not be out ac 
 once > and thole were not to ftay out too 
 long. We fcw it was convenient, that 
 Friends fliould go out by two and two, 
 to walk the Streets , for it was a ftrange 
 Thing to People to hear of Bakers. 
 Once it fell to my Lot to be at the Doer, 
 (though the Door was always open, that 
 fuch who would, might come and fee us ; 
 with feveral of whom we had Reaibnings 
 and Difputes about the Way of Truth 
 and Righteoufnefs) there came one, who 
 appeared fomething like a Gentleman, 
 and afk^d me, Whether be jnight fee the 
 Quakers ? I defired him to walk up along 
 with me, and he mo- ! \ l;:e them. When 
 I had brought hi;n up L o tnc Room where 
 Friends were w.. Iking, I told him, Thole 
 were they. He anfwered, *TbeJe be Chrii- 
 
 tians,
 
 [6 5 ] 
 
 tians, like ourfehes ; but izher" are the 
 Quakers? I told him, Thefe vicrc they 
 that were called Bakers. He iifked me, 
 Whether I was one of them ? I anfwered 
 him, I was one fo called. I had an Op- 
 portunity to declare to him the Way of 
 Truth, and that the Name of Quaker 
 was given to us in Scorn and Derifion ; 
 and he departed very friendly. Some 
 People were fo blind and dark in thofe 
 Days, that they Jook'd upon us to be 
 fome ft range Creatures, and not like other 
 Men and Women. They would gather 
 much about us in the Town, and we had 
 good Opportunities to fpeak of the 
 Things of God to them. But I was pretty 
 much with the Jailer, waiting when his 
 Trial would be/, and when it came, I 
 went with him, and itood fomewhat near 
 him, which he was very glad of. The 
 Jury cleared him, being not found guilty 
 of a wilful Efcape ; which was Gladnefs 
 to him, and Satisfaction to us. And when 
 the Affizes was near at an End, the Judge 
 returned us to one Juftice Holland^ ex- 
 cept William Gibjon^ to whom the Judge 
 put it, Whether he would go Home, if he 
 ivere difcbarged ? But he could not make 
 the Judge fuch a Promife as he required, 
 fo he was committed again to the fame 
 
 Prifon j
 
 [ 66] 
 
 Prifon ; but we were freely and friendly 
 difcharged, having had good Service in 
 that Town, and the Lord was with us, 
 and brought us fafe Home, to the Com- 
 fort of our Families and ourfelves ; and 
 we have Caufe to blefs and praife the 
 Name of the Lord for ever, for all his 
 Mercies and Goodnefs to us all along, in 
 the Time of our Afflictions and Perfe- 
 cutions. We could fay, Surely God is 
 good to Ifrael, and unto ail them that draw 
 nigh unto him with an upright Heart. 
 
 In the Year 1662, a farther Concern 
 came upon me about Meetings in this 
 Country. One that was convinced in the 
 Prilon of Montgomery^ when I was there, 
 viz. Cadwalader Edwards, who lived near 
 Dolobran, prom i fed mt that we fhould 
 have his Houfe to keep a Meeting in. I 
 went to know, whether he would pjr.'brm 
 his Promife, which he readily granted i 
 and I appointed the Day and Time with 
 him, which he gave Notice of to his 
 Neighbours thereabouts. I being deftitute 
 of a Friend to accompany me to the 
 Meeting, depended upon the Lord, that 
 he would provide a fuitabie Companion 
 to go with me. And my Wife going to 
 Shre-wflury^ I told her of the Meeting, 
 and defired her to fpeak to Friends there 
 
 of
 
 1 67] 
 
 of it, that if there was any publick Friend 
 there, he might come Home along with 
 her. There happen'd to be Richard Moor 9 
 of Salop, a worthy and faithful Labourer 
 in the Gofpel, who came along with her 
 to our He ufe in Welch-Pool. This was iri 
 the ninth Month, 1662. A Day or two 
 after, we went to the Meeting, where 
 came in Charles Lloyd, of Dolobran, who 
 was formerly in Com million of the Peace, 
 and had been in Election to be High- 
 Sheriff of that County, and alfo feveral 
 of his well-meaning Neighbours, fome of 
 them were Profefiors, belonging to the 
 fame People that I formerly belonged to. 
 The Lord was not wanting, but afforded 
 unto us his good Prefence ; Life and Pow- 
 er came from him, that reached to the 
 Hearts and Understandings of moft of 
 the People then prefent, who gave Tefti- 
 mony to the Truth, Life and Power of 
 God, that appeared with us that Time ; 
 and in the Love, Fear, and Life of Truth 
 we parted. 
 
 The next Morning we went to vifit 
 Charles Lloyd, of Dolobran, who tenderly 
 received us, and feveral that were at the 
 Meeting, came there that Day ; where 
 we had a fweet, comrortable, refrefliing 
 Time, in the Prefence of the Lord j as it 
 
 is
 
 [68 ] 
 
 is faid, In bis Prejence is Fulnefs of Jov, 
 and at bis Right Hand there are Ple.ijurcs 
 for ever mere > Pfil. xvi. 1 1. 
 
 The Report of this Meeting went 
 through the Country, iome laying, That 
 mod of that Side of tta Country were 
 turned Quakers. Whereupon divers were 
 fent for, before Edward Lord Herbert , 
 Baron ofCberbvry, to a Place where he 
 then lived, called UjJJin, about three 
 Miles from Dolobran. After fome Dif- 
 courfe with them, he fent them to Wdcb- 
 Pool to Prifon, for refuting to take the 
 Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy, 
 which they re;ufed, becaufe they could 
 not fwear at all ; they being about fix 
 fent together, viz. Charles Lloyd, Hugh 
 David, Richard David, Cadwalader Ed- 
 wards, Anne Lawrence, Sarah Wiljon^ 
 &c. where they were continued very clofe 
 Prifoners. 
 
 In a little Time were added Prifoners 
 to them, William Lewis, and Margaret 
 his Wife, who were Owners of the Houfe 
 at Cloddiecochiotiy before- mentioned, where 
 I was moved to go, about the Year 1 657, 
 to a Meeting of the Profeffors, after- 
 wards die Place of my Abode. This 
 William Lewi:, my near Relation, was 
 he that led me out 'of the Houfe to the 
 
 Common,
 
 [69 I 
 
 Common, and fhut the Gate againft me, 
 as before related, pag. 39. And thus 
 the Word of the Lord was fulfilled, that 
 came to me then, That thofe People Jhould 
 own and receive Truth, and that Houfe 
 fhould be a Meeting-houfe for us, which it 
 now is, and hath been thcfe forty Years. 
 
 The Oath of Allegiance and Suprema- 
 cy being tender'd to them, they could 
 not take it for Confcicnce-fake ; Swear- 
 ing at all being forbidden by Chrift, and 
 his Apoftle James ; fo they were fent to 
 Prifon, and continued Prifoners there. 
 Edward Evans alfo, an honeft fubftantial 
 Man, was committed to Prifon for the 
 feme fuppofed Offence, who was con- 
 vinced fome Time before j I having 
 had fome weighty Difcourfe with him 
 about the Things of God. He told me, 
 when he was in Prifon with favafor Po- 
 well, with many more of their Brethren 
 in Pool Jail, that Vcwafor leaning upon, 
 a Window of their Prifon that opened 
 to the Street, faw me and my dear Wife 
 pafs by, and faid, Behold Zacharias and 
 Elizabeth : // was faid of them, That they 
 walked in all the Commandments of God 
 blameltfs. This Edward Evans, and 
 fome others of the Prifoners, looking out 
 through the Window, faw us two called
 
 Quakers, that he and others a little be- 
 fore had preached feverely againft. They 
 looked upon it, that the Lord had forced 
 him to give that Teftimony of us, and 
 icveral of them, as Edward Evans faid, 
 were convinced by that Teftimony of 
 his concerning us ; and in fome Time 
 after came to live in Obedience to the 
 Truth, and fuffer'd for it. 
 
 Thefe Prifoners were kept very clofe, 
 fome of them were fubftantial Freehold- 
 ers, who were put in a dirty nafty Place 
 near the Stable and Houfe of Office, be- 
 ing a low Room ; the Felons and lother 
 Malefactors in a Chamber over Head, 
 their Chamber-pots and Excrements, &V. 
 often falling upon them. Charles Lloyd, 
 who was a littie before in Commiffion of 
 the Peace, was put in a little fmoaky 
 Room, and did lie upon a little Straw 
 himfelf for a confiderable Time j and at 
 length his tender Wife Elizabeth, that 
 was of a confiderable Family, (Daughter 
 of Sampfon Lori, near Pembroke, in South 
 Wales) was made willing to lie upon 
 Straw with her dear and tender Hufband. 
 And thir. they both, with the reft of 
 Friends, did rather cbufe to Juffer Afflitfion 
 with the People of Ged, than to enjoy the 
 Pleajures of Sin for a Seafon. 
 
 Iftaid
 
 f 7> 1 
 
 I ibid at Home with them for fomt 
 Time, keeping our Meetings in Prifon ; 
 but at length the Jailer had ftricr. Charge 
 to keep me from among them, alledging, 
 that I Itrengthen'd them in their Way and 
 Principles ; and when the Jailer.kept me 
 out, I went to a Neighbour's Back-yard, 
 having Leave of him to fee them, and 
 fpeak with them. 
 
 The Sufferings of Friends being now 
 very great, and ftill increafing, they fent 
 the following Paper to the Quarter-Sef- 
 fions held at Montgomery. 
 
 To the Juftices and Magiftrates of this 
 County of Montgomery. 
 
 FOrafmuch as it is not unknown 
 to you, That we, who by the 
 Scorners'oi this World (that know not 
 God) are called Quakers, are detained 
 and kept clofe Pnloners, only for the 
 Tcftimony of a good Confcience to- 
 wards God and Man, our Friends not 
 being fuffer'd to vifu us, tho' Drunk- 
 ards, Liars, Tnieves, and Robbers, are 
 aoc debarr'd of their Friends Admit- 
 
 ' tance
 
 [?*] 
 
 < tance to them. This unheard-of Cru- 
 c city, were enough itfelf to eftablifh us 
 
 * in our Ways, if they were never fo er- 
 
 * roneous, as you fay. This we are per- 
 ' fwaded in our Hearts, that never did 
 Chrilt, nor any of his Apoftles, ufe 
 
 * this, or any other Way of Cruelty, or 
 
 * Perfrcution, to convince any of their 
 ' Errors, but contrary wife, by found 
 
 * Doctrine, and good Converfition, and 
 ' doing unto others, as they would they 
 c Jhould do unto them , for that was the 
 
 * Rule that Chrift left to true Cbri/ltans. 
 
 * Now confider, in the Sobernefs of 
 your Hearts and Spirits, that if you 
 
 * were in our Condition, would not you 
 defire your Enlargement ? And feeing 
 
 * it is the King's Clemency, in a Dcclara- 
 
 * tion bearing Date the 26th Day of 
 
 * December, 1662, wherein he fays, He 
 ' is glad to lay hold on this Occafion, to re- 
 
 * eftablifh and renew unto all bis Subfe&s 
 
 * concerned in tho/e Premiss, indulged by 
 
 * a true T&ukmtcfs of Cwfcience. This 
 
 < Affurance and Confirmation of his Pro- 
 mife made at Breda, upon the Word 
 
 * of a King, viz. 
 
 ' We do declare all Liberty to tender 
 Conscience*, c.nd thai no Man (hall be 
 di/quieted, or called in quejiion for Dif- 
 
 4 ferences
 
 [73 ] 
 
 * fircnces of Opinions in Matters of Re- 
 4 ligion. And moreover, he faith, in 
 
 * the fame Declaration ; As for what cvn- 
 4 cerns the Penalties upon tkofe, who living 
 4 peaceably, do not conform theretinto thro* 
 4 Scruple and Tendernefs of mifguutedCon- 
 
 * fciences, but modejll-^ without Scandal, 
 4 "perform their Devotions in their own 
 4 Way. We underftand by thtfe Words, 
 4 viz. That it is his Fatherly Care, to -pub- 
 4 lijb this his Declaration, to (lop and pre- 
 
 * vent all other a filing, according to for- 
 ' mer Afts made againft Liberty of tender 
 
 * Confciences. And we hope that you 
 ' will be as favourable to us, your Neigh- 
 ' bours, (feeing Power is committed to 
 ' your Hands) as the King, being chief 
 4 Magiftrate, is unto his Subjects. Thcfe 
 
 * Things have we feen fit and convenient 
 4 to lay before you, that you may un- 
 4 derttand, we are not ignorant of the 
 
 * King's Clemency towards "us. And we 
 
 * (whofe Names are underwritten) do 
 4 wait the fulfilling and performing this 
 
 * one other Word more of a King, by 
 ' you who profefs yourfdves to be his 
 ' Obedient and Loyal Su'-jects. Not- 
 ' withftanding all which tormer Words 
 
 * and Promifes of the King, the Supream 
 ' Magiitrate, we have been perfecuted 
 
 ' more
 
 [74] 
 
 * more by you, his inferior Magiftrates 
 ' in this County, than in many other 
 ' Counties. And farther, that you may 
 ' be left without Excufe for that, if you 
 ' do perfecute us, it is without any Caufe 
 4 from us, or any Order from the Su- 
 ' pream MagiftraLe, the King of Eng- 
 
 * land. If you do Juftice herein, the 
 ' Lord will blefs you ; if not, Sin will 
 
 * lie at your Door. 
 
 ' Thefe from your Friends, that de- 
 
 * fire the Good and Welfare of your Souls 
 
 * and Bodies, that have received the Spi- 
 rit of Meeknefs ; that can pray lor. 
 them that perfecute us, and defpite- 
 fully ufe us, who in Patience and Long- 
 ' fuffering are content to fubmit to the 
 
 * Will of God, who renders to every 
 c Man according to the Deeds done in 
 the Flefli.' 
 
 Humphry Wilfon, Sarah Wilfon, 
 
 Richard Davies, Margaret Lewis, 
 
 Edward Evans^ Catherine Evans, 
 
 Charles Lloyd, Anne Lawrence. 
 Hugb David, 
 William Ltwis, 
 
 The
 
 [75] 
 
 llje' foregoing Paper was fent to tie 
 Magiftrates at their Quarter-Selfiotis, held 
 at Montgomery, the Stb Day of the 
 eleventh Month, 1662. 
 
 A Copy of it alfo was fent to the Chief 
 Juftices at JLudlow by the Jailer, together 
 with another Paper directed to them. 
 
 A little Time after this I went to 
 Penllyn, near Bala^ in Merioneth/hire, to 
 vi fit fome Friends and tender Pro.efibrs 
 there, who received me kindly, and 
 there I fettled a Meeting among them, 
 in the Power of God ; and from thence 
 I came Home, where I fLiid but a little 
 while to vifit thefe Prifoners. Soon after 
 I went to the Houfe of Owen Lewis, at 
 Tydd^n y Gareg, near DdegeHe, in Meri- 
 oneth/hire, a Man that had been in Com- 
 miffion of the Peace in Oliver's Days, 
 and was newly come from Prifon from 
 Bala, who received me kindly, (he was 
 firft convinced by Thomas Briggs*) From 
 thence I went to Robert OCCY//S, of Doly- 
 cere, near Dolegelle, who had aifo been a 
 Juftice of Peiice, and a Commander in 
 Oliver's Time. He received me and my 
 Teftimony , as did alfo Owen Humphrey 
 of Lkuyngwril, near the Sea-fide in the 
 laid County, (who was a Juftice of the 
 E Peace
 
 [ 76 3 
 
 Peace in Oliver's Days) and his Father, 
 his Brothers Samuel and John Humphrey. 
 Thefe, with many more there, received 
 the Truth in the Love of it, and con- 
 tinued faithful, ferviceable Men in their 
 Country, kept Meetings in their Houfes, 
 and many were gathered to the Lord 
 among the Rocks and Mountains in thofe 
 Parts ; this was in the Year 1662. After 
 this Journey, the Lord brought me fafe 
 Home to my Wife and Family, to the 
 Comfort of Friends, and oge another 
 in the Lord. 
 
 Not long after this, 'Thomas Lloyd, 
 Brother to Charles Lio\d of Dolcbran, 
 hearing his Brother was 'in Prifon, came 
 irom Oxford to vifit him, having been 
 a Student there fevcral Years, (as alfo his 
 Brother Charles had been before him) 
 they told me, That the great Sufferings 
 of Friends, in that City of Oxford, by 
 the Magiftrates, and by the wild and un- 
 godJy Scholars, did work much upon 
 them i and they had fome iecret Love 
 for Friends then. So when Thomas Lloyd 
 came Home, being fome Time with 
 Friends in Prifon, and elfewhere, the 
 Lord opened his Understanding by his 
 Light, Life, and Power, and he received 
 the Truth and was obedient to it, took 
 
 up
 
 (77 ] 
 
 up his daily Crofs, and followed Jefus, 
 came to be his Difciple, was taught by 
 him, and went no more to Oxford for 
 Learning ; and I may fay with David, 
 The Lord made him wifer than all his for- 
 mer teachers. He (laid pretty much 
 at Home, and with his eldeft Brother 
 Charles Lloyd, and in thefe Parts. 
 
 The Jailer of Welch-Pool was very 
 cruel to Friends, and continued them in 
 that nafty Hole before-mentioned, till 
 Edward Evans fell fick, by reafon of the 
 Dampnefs and Unhealthinefsof the Room, 
 and died ; and the Jailer would not fuf- 
 fer us to have his Body to be buried, ex- 
 cept we would pay the Coroner, and fo 
 clear him, as if he had no Hand in his 
 Death , but at laft his Relations prevail- 
 ed, without a Coroner's Inqueft, arid 
 they took and buried him on an Hill, on 
 the Back-fide of the Steeple-houfe in 
 Welch Pool ; and it happened, as they 
 were digging the Grave, they found fome 
 Bones or a Man, and upon Enquiry in 
 fome old Records, it was faid, There 
 was an old Judge buried there ; and the 
 Name of tnat Place is called everfmce, 
 Judge's Hill. We had got no Burying- 
 Place of our own then, but were about 
 having one. 
 
 E 2 Thomas
 
 I 78] 
 
 Thomas Lloyd and I not being Prifon 
 ers now, though (except us two) moft 
 that were then convinced were Prifoners. 
 'The Report of fuch who were turned 
 Quaker S) being fpread Abroad, they 
 were loon fent for b'eibre a Magiftrate, 
 and the Oath of Allegiance and Supre- 
 macy was tendered both to Men and 
 Women , and they for Con fcience- fake 
 refilling ir, were lent to Prifon, in order 
 to \>t premumred. 
 
 My Friend Thomas Lloyd and I were 
 moved to go and vifit mcft of the Jul- 
 tices that had a Hand in committing 
 Friends to Prifo.i ; we began at the iar- 
 thtfl Juftice towards Muchynlleth, arid 
 came clown to Edward Lord Herbert, 
 B.iron of Cher bury, at LlyJ/in aforefaid, 
 who had committed Charles Ltojd, and 
 j^veral other Friends , we underftood on 
 .the Way, that he was at a Bowling green, 
 ;ind fcveral with him, near a Place called 
 the Cann-Ojjice, near the Highway- fide, 
 And not far :rom Ll\ffm^ where we be- 
 Jieldthern bowling. We confidered with 
 each other, which way to take, there 
 being a pee vim Prisft, the laid Lord's 
 Chaplain, with them j fo I afked 'Thomas 
 1^,'oyd, Whether he would engage the 
 ^rieft in Difcourfe, or ^go to the faici 
 
 Lord ;
 
 [ 79 
 
 I ord , which he chofe, and got into the 1 
 Green leaiurly towards him, where moft 
 of them knew 'Thomas > but he went not 
 in their complementing Pofture. He 
 (laid there but a little while,' and they 
 broke up their Game, and while he dif- 
 courfed with the Lord Herbert, \ dif- 
 courfed a little with the Pritft. Lord Her- 
 bert coming towards the Pritft and me, 
 hs (aid to the Fried, Mr. Jones, ivbat 
 have you got there? He anfwerecl, A 
 Quaker^ and Habsrdaflier or Hats, that 
 Jives in Welch Pool Oh! laid Lord Her- 
 berty I thought, he was fitch an one, be 
 keeps lis Hdtfofaft ufcv the Block. Then 
 he intending and preparing to come down 
 a great ftecp Ditch, I ftepped down to- 
 lend him my Hand to help him ; ano- 
 ther Prieft would have ftepped between 
 me and him, but Lord Herbert reibfed 
 the Prieft*s Help -, and flopping a little, 
 (aid to the Prieft, Here is a Brother that 
 Hands by will fay, The Blind leads the 
 Blind, and both will fall into the Ditch : 
 The Prieft was fo drunk, that he could 
 not (land by himfclr. This Lord being 
 a very big fat Man, took my Help to- 
 come down, fo we went along with him 
 towards his own Houfe at L/v$?/;, laying 
 the Sufferings of our Friends beiore him, 
 E 3 and
 
 1 80] 
 
 and that their Sufferings were, for their 
 Confciences-fake towards God. He gave 
 us no Grant then for their Enlargement, 
 but we heard that he fent private fnftruc- 
 tions, and they had more Liberty. The 
 Jailer had an empty Houfe at the End 
 of the Town, and there he let Friends go, 
 which was a fweet convenient Place near 
 the Fields, without any Keeper over 
 them, and they had the Liberty of the 
 Town, and to go where they pleafed, 
 except to their own Houfes. 
 
 So Charles Lloyd took a Houfe in Town, 
 for him and his Family to live in i and 
 we kept our Meetings in that Houfe of 
 the Jailer's aforefaid, for feveral Years. 
 Moft of Friends by this Time being un- 
 der a Premunire, many Friends came 
 from feveral Places to vifit them, and 
 thofe that were convinced towards Ma- 
 cbynlletb, V/ill\am Evans, and feveral 
 ethers of that End of the County, (who 
 were formerly Independents) were fent 
 here to Prifon upon the fame Account, 
 refufing to take the Oaths of Allegiance 
 and Supremacy. Peter Price allb, a 
 worthy Man of Rndnorjhire^ was fent to 
 this Prifon -, he had been in Com million 
 of the Peace in Oliver's Days , he, with 
 feveral others with him, were committed 
 
 by
 
 f 8' ] 
 
 by the Juftices of this County, to the 
 Houfe of Correction in Welch- Pool, for 
 three Months, as Vagrants, becaufe they 
 came out of their own County Radnor- 
 (Inre, adjoining to this County of Mont- 
 Corner "\fhir ?, where they remained the three 
 Months ; but they had the Liberty of the 
 Town, and to go to Meetings with the 
 reft of the Pri loners. Other Friends, that 
 lived in and about the Town, met with 
 them in Prifon, and confiderable Meet- 
 ings we had in that Houfe. 
 
 A little ar'tcrthis, 'Thomas Ellis, called 
 a. Deacon in the Independent Congregation, 
 was convinced , a Man of great Efteem. 
 among them, and fo he was alfo after- 
 wards amongft us. He came to my Houfe 
 to vifit the Prifoners, his former fellow 
 Church Members, and mewed me a Let- 
 ter that came to him from their Miniftcr 
 Vavafor Powell, lamenting the deplorable 
 Condition and Danger they were in ac 
 that Time ; faying, 'That the Chriflians 
 ivere in great Danger to be fplii between tw& 
 Rocks, that was, the World andQ. (mean- 
 ing the Quakers) But the worjt, (aid he, 
 is Q. But the Lord had opened Thomas 
 //;/s Underftanding, and given him a 
 Sight of their Decay and Formalities : 
 Some Years before the Lord did break in 
 E 4 among
 
 arr.org them, to the convincing of many 
 of them , for Ibomas told me, That 
 there came two Women Friends among 
 them, in the Time 01 their breaking of 
 their Bread, (I fuppofe it was before I 
 came from London) and when they had 
 the Motion of Truth upon them, they 
 opened their Mouths in the Name of the 
 Lord, in much Fear and Humility ; 
 fo that the Independent Elders Itood flill 
 and gave the Women Leave to fpeak 
 what they had to fay to the- People ; then 
 the Profeflors went on again with their 
 Bufinefs, and after fome Time the Friends 
 fpoke again ; and then they commanded 
 them to be taken away, but none Was 
 very ready to do it. Then their Mi- 
 ni fter yavafcr Powell call'J, Brother ///';, 
 rake them away. Thomas Ellis tcld me, 
 flue he remembered Chrift wa* not hafty 
 in pafnng Sentence upon the Woman, 
 that the Jews brought before him in the 
 die of Adultery ; But be jiooped dcvon^ 
 SKil wcte li-itb his Finger v.por. the Ground, 
 ds tboitgb he beard them rsA. So "7". Ellis 
 told me, He was not willing to tak^ 
 them away, till they had iully cleared 
 rhemfelves, of what was upon them to 
 deliver among them ; but at hit they 
 called to him again, and bij him take 
 
 them
 
 [ 83 J 
 
 them away. Then he arofe from among 
 the Company and went to them, and de- 
 fired them to go with him to the next 
 Room, for he had fomething to fay to 
 them, and the Friends went readily with 
 him , then he told them on this wife : 
 Friends, you fee how we are met together 
 bere ; we are like the Prodigal, who w-js 
 [tending bis Portion, and we have a little yet 
 undent ; and when we have fpent all, we 
 mitft return to our heavenly Father^ and 
 ccme to you ai:d your- 1 1* ay. The Friends 
 went away v, <Ji fatis.fied. I have made 
 - much Enquiry who thefe Friends were, 
 and from whence they came, but could 
 r.ot certainly learn who they were. As 
 for our Friend Tbo>rtd> Ellis, the Lord 
 Hefted him, anil pound his Spirit upon 
 him, and gave him Parr or the Mipiftry, 
 and he became a faithful Labourer ar:;t 
 ferviceable Man among us'; and at !tn'it;r 
 he was made a Prifoner he re at Wdcb- Pod. 
 About the Year 1 t 6 1, our Friend y.;/,v, s 
 Parkesczme from the North, hearing that 
 fome of his Acquaintance and fellow 
 Church Members owned Truth , he came 
 to give them a Vifit in the Love of God, 
 and alfo to vifit thofe Independents he for- 
 merly walked among that were not con- 
 vinced -, and he lei t a Paper with me to 
 deliver to them, which was thu? : 
 
 K 5 A La.
 
 84 
 
 A Lamentation and Warning from the 
 Lord God, in the Love of Chrift Jefus^ 
 unto all the Profejfors in North- Wales, 
 efpedally thoje about Wrexham in Den- 
 b'ghfhire, and Welch- Pool in Mont- 
 gomeryfhire, whom formerly I have 
 known, and walked with, in a Follow- 
 Jbip andWorfoip, till the Lord awake rid 
 me cut of Sleep, and operfd in me an 
 Rar to hear his Voice, which cry*d, 
 Come out from amongft them, and 
 
 , be thou ieparate ; touch no unclean 
 Thing, and I will receive thee. 
 
 ' Friends^ 
 ' TT Ear and lend an Ear, O ye Pro- 
 
 * J["J ifffors of Wrexham and Welcb- 
 4 Pool* and all the Places and Towns 
 4 adjacent thereunto, who have been 
 1 called Churches of Chrijl, and Members 
 
 * of his Body, and Followers of the Lamb. 
 
 * I am come in my Father's Name to 
 
 * vifit you, and in Bowels of his Love, 
 4 in this the Day of your Calamity and 
 
 * Adverfity, have I vifited many of 
 
 * you, in Obedience to his Command, 
 who lint me in his Name and Fear into 
 
 1 thefe
 
 f 85] 
 
 thefe Parts, chiefly for your Sakes at 
 'this Time, that you might hear, and 
 come to rear him, whole Voice hath 
 (haken the Earth, and removed it out 
 of its Place j and he is making the 
 Keepers of the Houfe to tremble, and 
 he hath bound the ftrong Man in many, 
 that was armed, and formerly kept the 
 Houfe, then all was at Peace , but a 
 ftronger than he is rifen, and maniftfi: 
 in the Hearts of Thoufinds, even Chrift: 
 Jefus, the Light of the World, who 
 enlighteneth every cne that cometh in- 
 to the World, th.it all in him, and 
 through him, might believe. He is 
 dividing the Spoil, and fpoiling Prin- 
 cipalities and Powers ; and they whole 
 Eyes come to fee him the Lord of 
 Hofts, come to be undone. When 
 Mofes law the Appearance of the Lord, 
 he did exceedingly fear and tpake. It 
 was he that made Halakkuk tremble, 
 and his Lips to quiver. And wholo- 
 ever comes to know Chrift, muft know 
 him through Death, be baptized into- 
 his Death, and fuffer with him, before 
 they come to live and reign with him. 
 They muft repent of all their Wicked- 
 nefs, and turn from ir, before they can 
 come to be allured of Reft and Peace. 
 E 6 Let
 
 [86 ] 
 
 4 Let none think, God will wink at their 
 
 * \Vickedneis, a- he did in the Times of 
 4 Ignorance ; for now he is leaving nil 
 ' without Excufe, and calling every Man 
 4 to repent. The Light is ri!en, that ma- 
 
 * r, Letts Sin and Hypocrify in them that 
 hold Truth in Unrighteoufnefs. It is 
 4 not the Name of being called Church- 
 members* willfcrve any of your Turns. 
 
 4 O ye ProicfTurs of all Sorts, from 
 
 * the higheil to the lowed, from the 
 4 richcft to the poortft ! I am moved 
 4 of the Lord God to warn you, that 
 4 while you have Time and Space, you 
 4 may be redeemed out of all Evil ; and 
 4 that you might come cut from amongft 
 
 * Evil-doers, and fo be faved from the 
 
 * Wrath and Dcftruflion that will over- 
 4 take the \VorkcrsofIniquity, who re- 
 4 pent not of their evil Deeds, to give 
 ' God the Glory ; and with the Whirl- 
 
 * wind of his Wrath, he will vex you in 
 4 his fore Diipleafure. O ye ProiciTors 
 4 or Chrift, and the Apoitles Words ! 
 4 who are not come to his Lite, nor to 
 4 be of the lame Mind that he was of, 
 s who endured .the Contradiction of Sin- 
 4 ners, and was made perfect through 
 4 Sufferings , whom the Apoftles bore 
 
 * Toftimony to, and (uttered for ; being 
 
 4 of
 
 of the lame Mind, they did not fhrink 
 nor bow, nor let go their Teftimony, 
 when Perfecution arofe becaufc of the 
 VVord , bat they over-came by the 
 Blood o." the Lamb, and by the Word 
 of his Ttftimony, which they hetd ; 
 and they loved not their Lives unto 
 Death Are you all fo blind, that you 
 cannot fee yourfclves to be out of the 
 Light and Image of Chrift, and out of 
 their Practice, who followed him and 
 confeflid him, and did not deny him 
 before Men ; neither did they change 
 their Religion, as the Powers of the 
 Earth changed. For whatfoever the 
 Powers of the Earth countenanced, or 
 dilcountenanced, they matter'd not, who 
 were of the true Church that is in God, 
 the Father of our Lord Jcfus Chrift, 
 the Pillar and Ground of Truth ; but 
 that which God made maniieft to be 
 his Will, that they did ; and tho' they 
 were charged, by the Powers that were 
 then, to fpeak no more in his Name, 
 yet they fpoke in his Name, and did 
 not deny his Name. 
 Dare you fay, That you are Saints, 
 and of this Church of Chrift, and yec 
 live in the Breach of his Command- 
 ments, who faid, Swear not at all; as
 
 r 
 
 :n amcrgft 
 
 v'-^hl Othi :'S 
 
 to do ? D^[. Land mourn be- 
 
 cauff of Swearing ? Are rot fuch like 
 tht Scribes and i'harilees, who would 
 not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 
 themfelves, nor fufter them that would 
 to enter in ? Are not fuch now fhutnng 
 up the Kingdom of Heaven againft 
 Men ? And muft not the Woes from the 
 Lord be pronounced againft them? 
 Yea, affuredly, and will overtake them ; 
 Pain mail fuddenly come upon them, 
 as on a travailing Woman, and they 
 mall not efcape it. The Lord is come 
 to deliver his People out of the Teeth 
 of thefe Devourers, who with good 
 Words and fair Speeches have deceived 
 the Hearts of fome more fimple and 
 hontft amongft you, and made Mcr- 
 chandife of them, by promifing you 
 Peace, while you are in your wicked 
 Ways and Works , which the true Pro- 
 phets and Apoftles of old, whom the 
 Lord fent, could not do , neither can 
 they, who are of the fame Defcent, 
 royal Seed, and OfT-fpring now , they 
 know, there is no Peace to be fpoken 
 to any, while they are in their wicked 
 Ways, drinking up Iniquity as the Ox 
 < drinkcth
 
 drinketh Water. Oh ! my Heart is 
 broken within me, and I cannot but 
 take up a Lamentation for you, who 
 have been efteemed beautiful, and the 
 Glory of many that have been called 
 Churches, to fee you carried away 
 captive, by the Prince of the Power 
 of the Air, that ruleth in the Child- 
 ren of Difobedience ; and that you 
 fhould be yet lying under the Bond- 
 age of Corruption, and in Sin, the 
 Wages whereof is Death ; out of the 
 glorious Liberty of the Sons of God ; 
 and that Death mould reign over you, 
 fubjecling you to the Power of the 
 Enemy ; and you are taken captive by 
 him at his Will, loaden with Sins, and 
 Jed away with divers Lufts, like the 
 filly Women, fpoken of in the Scriptures 
 of Truth, that were ever learning, and 
 never able to come to the Knowledge of the 
 Truth, but refift i-t -, and fo err in your 
 Minds, not knowing the Scriptures, 
 nor the Power of God, tho* you talk of 
 them. If you knew the. Scriptures, and 
 the Pcwer of God, which brings into 
 the Life of them, you would witnefs 
 the Ability the Saints in former Times 
 had, and now the Saints of the mod 
 High have, to Hand over the Powers 
 
 1 of
 
 [ 9 ) 
 
 of Darknefs, Hell and Death ; then 
 you would come to that which cannot 
 be flu ken, nor the Gates of Hell pre- 
 vail againft. But have not the Powers 
 of Darknefs prevailed againft you, 
 overcome you, and made you bow to 
 their Will, and to their Laws, that 
 would bind the Conference, and hinder 
 its lull Liberty ? 
 
 ' On! confitk-r ferioufly, and weigh in 
 the Coolnefs of your Spirits, and in the 
 Fear of the Lord, what you have done , 
 whether you have not received the 
 Bead's Mark, either in your Foreheads, 
 or in your Hands ? Have you not 
 fainted in the Day of Advcrfity ? Have 
 you not let go the Profeffion of ycir 
 Faith, and wavered in your Minds ? 
 Have you not licked up your old Vo- 
 mits a^ain ? Are you not wallowing in 
 the Filth of Iniquity, and in your fltfh- 
 ly Minds, walking in Senfuality and in 
 the carnal Mind, which is Enmity 
 againft God ? Is it not Death to be car- 
 nally-minded ? Are they not in Death, 
 that are in the carnal Mind r It is rot 
 (Irange to me, if I find fuch an Hn- 
 rnity , becaufe I expect no other from 
 natur.il Men, who perceive not the 
 Things of the Spirit. You have re- 
 
 * je<fkd
 
 rejected the chief Corner-done, which 
 is laid in Sion for a. Foundation, and 
 have not believed in the Light of the 
 W r orld, who is become the Head-ftone 
 in God's Building and Husbandry, and 
 of the Church that is pure, without 
 Spot or Wrinkle, which is in God the 
 Father of our Lord Jcfus Chrift, the 
 Pillar and Ground of Truth. This is 
 the City fought out, not forfaken. This 
 is the- Habitation of God through the 
 Spirit, the Stones whertof are laid with 
 fair Colours, the Foundation of Saphire, 
 and all the Borders of pleafant Stones. 
 Such being redeemed out of Sin, and 
 from under the Bondage of Corruption, 
 cannot plead for it, as ibme, look'd up- 
 on amongft you more than others, do ; 
 and would endeavour to' make you be- 
 lieve, that the Prophet Ifaiab was al- 
 ways a Man of unclean Lips , but that 
 was before he was undone, and while 
 the Woe was upon him. Ah, brutifh 
 is that Spir;: that would imagine, that 
 our God mould make ufe of a Man to 
 do fo much for his Name and Honour, 
 as IJhiai did, and yet continue a Man 
 of unclean Lips. This I teftiiy, That 
 Ifaidb's Iniquity was taken atoay, and 
 hii, Sirs purged out. Such manileft 
 
 1 them-
 
 1 92 ] 
 
 themfclves to be ignorant of (Thrift's 
 Death and Manifefhtions, which is to 
 take away Sin, and in him is no Sin. 
 All that come to believe in his Light, 
 and to walk in it, have Fellowfhip one 
 with another, and the Blood of Jefus 
 Chrift cleanfeth them from all Sin. 
 Such come by him to be made free from 
 Sin, and Servants to Righteoufnefs , 
 not of Sin ; for Sin and Iniquity comes 
 to be done away; and then God beholds 
 no Iniquity in Jacob, nor Tranfgrefilon 
 in Ifrael i and to fuch is given the 
 Tongue of the Learned, to fpeak a 
 Word in due Seafon to the Weary. 
 Such come to know the pure Lan- 
 guage, which the Lord promifed to 
 turn to his People. Such fet a Watch 
 before their Mouths, and have a Bridle 
 for their Tongue. Now fome plead 
 for Uncleannels, becaufe the Prophet 
 faid, He was a Man of unclean Lips, 
 before he was touched with the lively 
 Coal) and before his Iniquity was done 
 away, and his Sins purged out ; and al- 
 furedly one Day you mail all know, 
 that this is a i'alfe Cover, too narrow to 
 cover yourfelves with, who break the 
 Commands of Chrift, and teach others 
 fo to do j and that put your Hands to 
 
 4 the
 
 C93 ] 
 
 the Plough, and look back , fo that 
 you are not fit for the Kingdom of 
 Heaven. You are filled with your 
 own Ways, wicked Devices, and falfe 
 Covers you get to cover yourfelves 
 withal , but all your falfe Coverings 
 will prove too narrow ; and your Beds 
 of Eafe, and falfe Refts, which you 
 think to ftretch yourfelves upon, too 
 fhort $ and no Reft or Peace there fhall 
 you have, but you lhall all yet be far- 
 ther tried, and your Folly be made 
 more maniteft; and all the falfe Covers, 
 all Profefibrs out of the Life and Power 
 of God have been covered with, fhall 
 be pluck'd off; yea, all that are cover- 
 ed, and not with the Spirit of the Lord. 
 The Woe is to them who are adding 
 Sin to Sin, and are not come to Clean- 
 nefs of Heart, or Cleannels of Lips ; 
 and as long as you are in the Unclean- 
 nefs, and the Deft of you as a Briar 
 pleading for it, blufh for Shame ! Re- 
 linquifh the Title of Church member jhip+ 
 till yon come to tread in the Steps of 
 Chrift, and obey him ; for his Servants 
 ye are, to whom ye obey. Deceive your- 
 felves no longer with the Name of 
 Chrijliam only, but come to the Na- 
 ture, to witnefs the firft old Nature and 
 
 Birth
 
 [941 
 
 Birth (lain, and brought under j which 
 you all mult do, before ever you come 
 to know the new Nature, or Birth that 
 is or" the Spirit ; for that which is born 
 of FJefli, that is Fiem , and that which 
 is born of the Spirit, that is Spirit. If 
 any Man bs in Chrift, he is a new 
 Creature ; old Things are paffed away, 
 and all Things are become new. The 
 Church of Chrift is made up of living 
 Stones, fquared and hewed into Order, 
 compleat together, made a ipiritual 
 Houfhold, purged, warned, and made 
 white, and the Filth of the Flefh done 
 away. Such come to be Veflels of Ho- 
 nour, fit for the Matter's Uic ; receive 
 of the heavenly Treafure into the earthen 
 Veflel ; and out of the Abundance of 
 the Treafury of the Heart, bring forth 
 good Things. With the Heart, Man 
 believeth unto Righteoufnefs , and with 
 the Mouch, Conreffion is made unto 
 Salvation. 
 
 ' So every one come to him that fearch- 
 eth the Heart, trieth the Reins, and 
 will reward every one according to their 
 Works, or Deeds done in the Body, 
 whet! .or they be Good or Evil ; for the 
 Lord God will be no longer mocked, 
 fuch as you fow you muft reap ; he will 
 
 * no
 
 ! 95 ] 
 
 no longer bear your Iu!t and blind Ser- 
 vice, and dead Worihips, out of the 
 Life and Power or God. Your Hypo- 
 crify and DifTimuLuion is feen 'by the 
 Spirit of Truth, that leads and guides 
 into all Truth, which you fhalJ one 
 Day know is now driving with you, us 
 it did w'iih them before the Flood; yet 
 (hall not always drive with Men. It 
 faith, Who reqinreth tbefe Things at your 
 Hands ? And do you think God is 
 plea fed, or will now be fcrved with the 
 dry, dead, and airy Service and \Ycr- 
 fhips? I tell you nay; the Light of 
 the glorious Gofpcl is manifed, and the 
 Pearl of great Price is iour.d, and many 
 have fold, and parted with all which 
 was mod dear to them, and which they 
 mod delighted in, to buy it ; and they 
 who come to believe in Chnft Jefus the 
 Light, the Way, the Tiuth, the Life, 
 and to walk in the Light, they (tumble 
 not, nor dagger at the Promifes ; but 
 come to have Life in themfelves, and 
 their Minds, Words, and Actions, are 
 feafoncd. They are the Salt of tbe 
 Earth, a Cit\ fet on a Hill, that cannot 
 be bid, and their Lights fhine fo before 
 Men, that they who are not wilfully 
 blind, may fee their good Works, and 
 
 * godly
 
 [ 96] 
 
 godly Converfation coupled with Fear ; 
 a nd they that walk in the Light, as be is 
 in the Light ^ have Fellowfloip one with 
 another, and the Blood of Chrift they 
 witnefs, cleanfing them from all Sin. So 
 if ever you come to know God aright, 
 you muft turn to the Light that re- 
 proves you for Evil, For the Reproof 
 of Injlruffion is the Wa\ to Life ; and 
 they that hate that which reproves 
 them for their evil Deeds, and fets their 
 Sins in Order before them, abide in the 
 Chambers of Death, and know not 
 Reft, Life, and Peace for their Souls. 
 Now as you come to the Light, and 
 wait in the Light which comes from 
 Chrift, all your Sins will be fet in 
 Order before you, and it will mew you 
 all that ever you did ; as you mail one 
 Day know, to your Woe and Mifery, 
 if you continue rejecting him. This is 
 he in whom we believe, and of whom 
 the Prophets and Apoftles bore witnefs, 
 whofe Name is better than every Name, 
 unto which every Knee muft bow, and 
 every Tongue confefs ; and every 
 Tongue that would rife up in Judg- 
 ment againft him, (hall be condemned, 
 and fhall fail before him. 
 
 Therefore
 
 [ 97 1 
 
 * Therefore beware, and take heed 
 what you do ; repent of all your evil 
 D^eds, of all your hard Speeches which 
 you have uttered againft him, and his 
 glorious Appearance in his Suns and 
 Daughters, in this the Day 01 iiis Pow- 
 er, wherein he hath made many wi ling 
 to ollow him wherefbever he goeth, 
 even through many Tribulations, who 
 have waflied their Robes in the Blood 
 oi the Lamb : When you deny him, 
 and will jollow him no farther, than 
 it will make with your Peace in the 
 World, and Enjoyment of your Plea- 
 fures, and keep the Friendfhip and 
 Favour of the World, which none 
 ever did, but who were adulterated 
 from the Life of God, and turned 
 againft the pure Spirit or. God in thern- 
 lelves i and this mail you know. 
 4 So whether you will hear or forbear, 
 in this I mall have Peace. My Re- 
 ward is with God, in that I have dif- 
 charged my Duty, and warned you be- 
 fore your Day be quite over, before 
 the Lord leave off ftretching forth his 
 Hand, who knows and fearches the 
 Hearts of all Men , who knows my 
 Love towards you all, and to that 
 which is pure of him, which never 
 ' confented
 
 [ 93 ] 
 
 confented to Sin, in all your Con- 
 fciences-, even to that, and nothing dfc, 
 
 can I, or defire I, to be made manifeft. 
 I believe there is a Seed to be brought 
 forth from amongft you, which niui't 
 be gathered into the true Fold of ever- 
 lafting Rtft and Peace -, for which 
 Seed's- fake I- travail Night and Day, 
 waiting for its Redemption and Reftor- 
 ation, who am your Friend, who feek' 
 not yours, but you , that you might 
 come to know in this your Day, the 
 Things that concern your evcrlufting 
 Peace, Comfort, and true Settlement, 
 (upon that Rock that cannot befliaken, 
 nor the Gates of Htel! ever prevail 
 againft) before they be hidden irom 
 your Eyes. Knowing the Terrors of 
 the Lord, and the W rath that is to be 
 reveal'd irom Heaven againft all that 
 hold Truth in Unrighteoufnels ; and 
 hiving obtain'd Mercy from the Lord, 
 and in his Name, the ftrong Tower, 
 hid myfelf, I cannot but perfwade all 
 to come into the fame , and being in a 
 deep Scnfe of the Lov ing- kind ntfs or 
 the Lord, and what he hath done for 
 my Soul, fince I walked with you, and 
 was efteem'd one of you, too large here 
 to relate *, neither indeed ajii I able to 
 4 demonftrate
 
 [ 99] 
 
 demonftratethe Loving-kindnefs of the 
 Lord, in the Vifitation of his pure 
 Love, in turning me from Darknefs, 
 (which I muft confefs, all the Time I 
 was with you, I walked in) into his 
 marvellous Light, and from the Power 
 of Satan, unto God. He hath made 
 me to feel and witnefs his Power, where- 
 in, through his good Will towards me, 
 I have found the Ability to perform 
 and to do the Good, that when I was 
 amongft you I defired to do ; and 1 ike- 
 wife, to refift the Evil that I would 
 not do. This is the Lord's own Do- 
 ings, and it is marvellous in my Eyes ; 
 and I defire never to forget the Lord's 
 great Love to me, and powerful effec- 
 tual working in me, 'To will and to do 9 
 of his own good Pleafure. I defire not 
 to eat my Morfel alone ; but that all 
 may come to tafte and lee how good 
 the Lord is. Great and marvellous are 
 his Works, juft and true are all his 
 Ways, he waits to be gracious, and 
 there is no Want to them that fear the 
 Lord. He never forfakes, nor- doth 
 with-hold any good Thing from them 
 that walk uprightly. 
 So, Friends, while you have Time, 
 prize it, and put not the Day of the 
 F < Lord
 
 Lord far from you, for the Lord is 
 . not flack concerning his Promife, as 
 fome Men count Slacknefs ; but his 
 : long Suffering is not for any toperifh, 
 but that all mould come to Repentance. 
 Now is the Day that every Man's 
 Works muft be tried, and every Man's 
 Faith and Love to God will be tried. 
 Now is the Day that many great Profef- 
 fors make Shipwreck of their Faith, 
 and of a good Confcience, and fome 
 that formerly feemed fomewhat tender 
 and honeft amongft you, are grown fot- 
 tifh and brutilh, and their Underftand- 
 ing darkened, through the Ignorance 
 that is in them. The God of this World 
 hath blinded the Eyes of many great 
 Profeffors, by keeping them from the 
 Light, by which they might fee their 
 Ways, and the Works which they are 
 doing, out of the Light, in the Blind- 
 nefs which hath happened to them ; 
 but if you would come to the Light, 
 which is pure, of God in you, then 
 would ye receive Power to perform the 
 acceptable Will, and Requirings of the 
 Lord, which that you may come to 
 know and do, is the Defire of your 
 Friend, that feeks not yours but you ; 
 and defires your everlafting Peace and 
 * Happinefs,
 
 [ 101 ] 
 
 Happinefs, who formerly was known, 
 4 and efteemed of, as a Brother amongft 
 < you, by the Name of 
 
 Wrexham, the gth 
 
 of the firft Month, JAMES PARKES.' 
 
 1662. J 
 
 Several Friends, both from the North 
 
 nd South of England, were drawn to vifit 
 
 thefe Friends in Prifon, and many fweet 
 
 nd comfortable Epiftles were written to 
 
 them. 
 
 There was a great Convincement in 
 the Year 1662, in thefe two Counties, 
 viz. Montgomer^jhire, and Merioneth- 
 fbire ; and as Meetings increafed, feveral 
 Kriends came -into Welch-Pool, where our 
 Meeting was kept in that Houfe that 
 was their Prifon. The Magiftrates and 
 Prieft were difcontented, fome faying, 
 lhat there came as many to the Meeling, as 
 went to their V/orflrip at the Church, as 
 they call'd it. 
 
 So the Magiftrates were refolved to 
 come and break up our Meeting, and 
 one Firft-day they came, viz. Thomas 
 Corbet, a Counfellor and a Juftice of 
 Peace in this County, together with the 
 two Bailiffs of the Town, the Serjeants 
 F 2 at
 
 at Mace and under Officers. When they 
 came into the Meeting, 1 was at Prayer, 
 and they were indifferently civil till 1 had 
 concluded, and then began to take our 
 Names. When they had done, my Wife 
 oiled to Juftice 'Corbet , and told him, 
 They had not taken the Names of ali 
 that were at the Meeting , he afked her, 
 Who was untaken? And me put her 
 Child towards him, about a Quarter old. 
 He faid, That was under Age. She an- 
 fwered, We are all as inr.ccent from plot- 
 ting, contriving, or thinking any Harm 
 to any Man, as this little Child : Which 
 fmote much this Thomas Corbet, and feve- 
 ral others prefent. They committed me 
 to one Serjeant's Houfe ; and Thomas 
 Lloyd, Brother to Charles Lloyd, and 
 Samuel Lloyd, (Son to Samuel Lloyd of 
 Dudfcn, in the County of Salop, eldeft 
 Brother to John and David Lloyd, of Lon- 
 don, and Edward Lloyd of Rrijfal) to the 
 other Serjeant's Houie. When the Ser- 
 jeant, whofe Houfe I was committed to, 
 was come from the Steeple-houfe, he 
 turned me OIK, and bid me go Home, I 
 fhould not (lay there. So I went firft to 
 lee my Friends the old Prifoners, who 
 were kept, for a little Time, moreclofe, 
 and we were not fuffered to go to them ; 
 
 they
 
 t '03 ] 
 
 they were veny glad to fee me, and 1 
 was refremed alfo to Ice" them, though 
 we could not go to one another. In a 
 Jittle Time I went to fee the other two 
 Prifoners, that were at the other Ser-- 
 jeant's Houfe, and the Serjeant let then* 
 come Home with me. 
 
 On Second-day following it came in- 
 my Mind, that the Magiftrates would try 
 us with an Offer, to pafs by that whicl* 
 they called a TrfnjgreJJion^ upon Condi- 
 tion that we would go to the Steeple- 
 houfe to their Worfliip the next Firft-day 
 following i which I told to Friends. 
 
 On Third-day following, Juftice Cor~ 
 bet, and the two Bailiffs that had commit- 
 ted us to Prifon, fent for us before them.. 
 So we went, Thomas Lloyd, Samuel Lloyd, 
 and myfelf. After fome Difcourfe with 
 them, they prcpofed to us, That if we- 
 would go to Church^ and hear divine Ser- 
 vice> as they call'd it, we fhould be dif~ 
 charged. I told them, When I was Jaft 
 there, they turned me out of their Church, 
 and if I mould make any Promife to go- 
 there, it may be they would do the like 
 by me again. Juftice Corbet faid, He 
 would engage I Jhould not be turned cut, 
 Then I told them, 1 knew nothing to the 
 contrary, but that 1 would come there.. 
 F 3 Juftice
 
 [ 104 J 
 
 Juftice Corbet feem'd to be- fatisfy'd-, but 
 one of the Bailiffs faid, Mr. Corbet , do you 
 think that the old Quaker will come to 
 Church, except it be todifturbour Mini- 
 fler ? Corbet afked me again, Whether I 
 would difturb the Minifter ? I told him, If 
 God mould put fomething in my Heart 
 to fpeak to the People, I hope they would 
 not impofe upon me to hold my Peace. 
 He faid, God forbid they fhould do fo! 
 Then I told him, I hoped I Ihould per- 
 form what I promifed to do ; and fo 
 they difcharged us. Now none was un- 
 der an Engagement to go to the Steeple- 
 houfe but myfelf, and the Report went 
 about, that the old Quaker would go to 
 Church. 
 
 When Firft-day came, and the Bells 
 began to ring, the other two Friends, 
 viz. Thomas Lloyd, and Samuel Lloyd^ 
 came to me, and faid, We think ive muft 
 go with I bee to the Steeple-houfe. When 
 the People went to the Steeple-houfe, I 
 took my 'Bible under my Arm, and went 
 to Juftice Corbel's Houfe, (that was but 
 a few Doors from my Houfe) to let him 
 fee I was going, and I afked him, Whe- 
 ther he was coming ? He faid, He -was 
 not difpofed to come that Day, but he would 
 fend, his Man to fee that we fhould not be 
 
 affronted.
 
 f 105 ] 
 
 affronted. So the two Friends and I went 
 to my own Pew, that was oppofite to the 
 Pulpit. There was but the Curate to read 
 the Common- Prayer, and their Service to 
 them that Morning : There was a great 
 Multitude of People ; fome foid, there 
 were fome that had not been at their 
 Church feveral Years before. So nothing 
 was laid upon us to (peak to the People, 
 till he had done. Then I ftood up, and 
 faid to the People, / fuppofe you are not 
 ignorant of the Gaitje of our coming here 
 this Day, which was thus : The Mugiflrates 
 df the Town came to our Meeting, and they 
 found us upon our Knees, fraying to Al- 
 mighty God. They were civil while we 
 were at Prayer, and when- we bad done, 
 they took our Names, and committed us three 
 to Prifon, mo ft of the reft that were at the 
 Meeting were Prif oners before. And the 
 Magijlrates told us, If we would come to 
 Church, we fhould be difcharged , and 
 now you Jee we are come, according to their 
 Deftre. But 1 find that your Prieft is not 
 here, and now I would have you to inform 
 him, that I fay, 
 
 i. If he proves this to be the true Church 
 of Chriji ; 
 
 F 4 2. And
 
 1 106 J 
 
 fe. And that he is a true Mini/I cr of 
 Cbrijl ; 
 
 3. And that his Maintenance is a. Gcf- 
 f el- Maintenance , 
 
 4. And this Wor/hip of yours to be the 
 true Worfm-p of God ; 
 
 Then we will be of your Religion, and 
 come again to you. 
 
 But if he proves not this, then we mttft 
 conclude, 
 
 1 . Tour Church to be a falje Church j 
 
 2. And he to be no true Minijler of 
 Cbrift ; 
 
 3. 'That his Maintenance is no Go/pel* 
 Maintenance ; 
 
 4. 'That your Worflnp is not the trut 
 Worjhip of God. 
 
 All the People were very civil and or- 
 derly, and heard me a confiderable while 
 in the Steeple-houfe. When I had done, 
 Thomas Lloyd fpoke a few very feafonable 
 Words to the People. And the People 
 faid, If Mr. Langford (which was the 
 Prieft's Name) will not prove us to be the 
 true CJjurch of Cbrift, and our Worjhip to 
 be the true Worjhip, then we will pay him 
 no more Tithes ; for what Richard Da- 
 vies fa'ul t he proved cut of the Bible ; for, 
 you fee, he had the Bible in his Hand all the 
 whih. So for that Time we parted. 
 
 When
 
 io 7 1 
 
 When the Bells rang again for them to 
 go to their Evening Service, it lay upon 
 me to go there again, and the aforefaid 
 Friends went along with me , where the 
 old High-prieft was, who made a long 
 Sermon, till we were all uneafy ; but I 
 delired the Friends to bear all Things 
 patiently. When the Pried had done, he 
 was going away ; and I ftep'd up in my 
 Scat, and defired him to ftay, for I had 
 fbmetbing to fay to bim ; which was the 
 fame as aforefaid. When he heard my 
 Queries, and what I had to fry, he turned 
 his Back and went away, and gave us no- 
 Anfwer. Then I fa id, Behold the Hireling 
 flseib, becaufe he is an Hireling. Some of 
 the People* (laid, and fome went with- 
 him, but all diflatisfied, that he would 
 not prove them to be the true Church of 
 Chrift, &rc. I had a good Opportunity to 
 fpeak to the People more at largt in the 
 Grave-yard ; the Lord's Prefencej Life, 
 and Power was with us, bit lit d be the 
 Name of the Lord for ever, who doth not 
 forfake his People that truft in him. 
 
 When we came Home, Juftice Corbet' 
 fent for us again to him. He met us in 
 his Court, and faid v He. "was forry lb.it' 
 Mr. Langford was fo uncivil, that he ul.i 
 not anfwer our -Queries , wbicb, he thought, 
 F 5 fc.vzi
 
 [ loS ] 
 
 was very reafonable. In a little Time, 
 many of the Neighbours were gathered 
 together in the Street, and in his Court 
 we had a good Opportunity to reafon with 
 him, and to open 10 the People, and de- 
 clare to them the Way and Means to ob- 
 tain the Kingdom of Heaven ; and he 
 was fo moderate, that one of the Neigh- 
 bours fiid to him, Mr. Corbet, we think 
 you will be a Quaker too, His Anfwer 
 was, 1 wifli I were a Quaker in my Life 
 and Converfativn. Towards the End of 
 our Difcourfe, he dtfired me. to give him 
 my Queries in Writing, that Mr. Lang- 
 ford might anfwer them , For, faid he, it 
 may be he was not prepared to anfwer you 
 tben> but be may anfwer tbcm in Writing. 
 I told him, That was but a private Way 
 of anfwering ; but if he was not prepared 
 then, I told him, we would give him the 
 Meeting next Firft-day at the Steeple- 
 houfe, or in the Town-hall, upon a Mar- 
 ket-day. PJe faid, // was 'very fair. 
 
 Counfellor Corbet was very friendly and 
 loving to us, ,and did no more perfecute 
 us to his Dying-day , but did us all the 
 Good he could in all the Courts of Judi- 
 cature where he was concerned. 
 
 As for this Prieft, William Langfcrd, 
 many Friends were moved to go to him 
 
 to
 
 f 109 ] 
 
 to the Steeple-houfe in the Time of his 
 Service, to declare to him and the Peo- 
 ple, what they had to lay from the Lord ; 
 and when the Magiftrates have committed 
 fome of them to Prifon on that Account, 
 when their Service was over, this Prieft 
 hath got them to be releafed. 
 
 Some Time after this, he fent the Clerk 
 of the Parim to me for Eafter- Reckon- 
 ings. I afked the Clerk, Whether his 
 Matter did expect any Thing of me, 
 that had nothing irom him ? and bid him 
 tell his Mailer, I would come to reckon 
 with him by and by. So the Ckrk went 
 his Way. And in a little Time I made 
 myfelf ready. When I went to him, 
 there were a pretty m.iny People with 
 him. I told him, his Clerk had been 
 with me from him, for that which he 
 called Eafter-Rtckomngs, and I was 
 come to reckon with him. If he could 
 make it appear that I owed him any Thing, 
 I would pay him, and I expected the fame 
 from him. He faid, I owed him for fe- 
 deral Tears for the Sacrament. 1 afk'd 
 him, What he meaned by the Word Sa- 
 cramenty for I found no fuch Word in the 
 Scripture ? He faid, // meaned the Bread 
 and Wine which was ufed in the Church. 
 I told him, I received none of him, and 
 F 6 there-
 
 [ no ] 
 
 therefore not liable to pay. He anfwered 
 again, Why then you might come to Church 
 and receive it. I told him, I did not be- 
 lieve that Church was the true Church of 
 Chrift ; and I did not believe, that he 
 was a true Minifter of Chrift, commif- 
 fioned by him to break the Bread, and 
 give it to the People, much lefs to fell it, 
 or tike Money for it of the People j for 
 I did not read in all the Scripture, that 
 the true Minifters of Chrift did take 
 Money of the Peop'e for that Bread they 
 delivered unto them. He faid then, That 
 the Labourer was worthy cf bis Hire ; and 
 under the La%v it was faid, Thou JJjalt not 
 muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treadetb 
 cut the Corn. I told him, He trod out 
 no Corn for me ; and though he was an 
 Hireling, yet I never hired him. 
 
 The People coming thick to pay him 
 ibr the Bread and Wine, I afk'd him, 
 How in Confcience he could take fo 
 much Money for fo little Bread and Wine ? 
 It being, I fuppofe, about ten Pence for 
 Man and Wire. I afk'd him, What 
 Scripture he had for it ? and defired him 
 to prove his P raft ice by Scripture. He 
 afk'd me, What Scripture I had to eat 
 Flummery? I told him, I had Scripture 
 to eat it i Paul faid to Timothy, For every 
 
 Creature
 
 [ III ] 
 
 Creature of God is good, and nothing to be 
 refufedy if it be received with Thankfgiving : 
 For it isfanftified by the Word of God and 
 Prayer^ i Tim. iv. 4, 5. His Com- 
 municants who were prefent, were much 
 diffatisfted that he had no better Anfwer 
 and Proof for his Practice. So I defired 
 the People to take Notice, that he could 
 not make it appear by Scripture, that I 
 owed him any Thing ; but I told them, 
 that he owed me fome Money, and I 
 defired him to pay it me -, which he did. 
 So we parted fairly. We have a Saying, 
 That even, or often Reckonings make long 
 Friends. He was very friendly afterwards, 
 and never fent to me more for Eafter- 
 Reckonings. And as for the Tithe, in 
 Time of Harvefl, he charged his Ser- 
 vants to take from me no more than their 
 Due, nor fo much. I was inform'd he 
 mould fay, He knew not why he Jhould 
 take any Thing from me, feeing I had no- 
 thing from him. He lived here among 
 us many Years, a good Neighbour i and 
 though in the Time of great Perfecution, 
 yet he had no Hand in perfecuting any of 
 us. 
 
 We have Caufe to blefs the Lord, who 
 carried us through all our Services and 
 Exercifes, in the Time of our Weaknefs ; 
 
 and
 
 and though we were little and low in our 
 own Eyes, the Lord did not leave us > 
 blefied be his holy Name for ever. 
 
 About the Year 1663 or 1 1664, I went 
 to London, and found fome there feparated 
 from that Love and Unity, which I for- 
 merly law them in , joining in that Spirit 
 with John Perrot, who was newly come 
 from Prifon at Rome to London, as it was 
 faid, with much feeming Humility and 
 Lowlincfs of Mind. A confiderable Com- 
 pany joined together with him, where 
 they had me among them for a little 
 Time. The Tendency of that Spirit 
 was, to fpeak Evil of Friends that bore 
 the Burthen and Heat of the Day, and fo 
 to cry out againft Friends as dead and 
 formal. They expected a more glorious 
 Difpenfction, than had been yet known 
 among Friends ; and they kept on their 
 Hats in Time of Prayer. I was but a 
 little while among them, till a Vail of 
 Darknefs came over me, and under that 
 Vail, I came to have a light Efteem for 
 my dear and ancient Friend George Fox, 
 and fome others, who had been near and 
 dear to me. But it pleafcd the Lord to 
 rend that Vail of Darknefs, and caufe 
 the Light of his Countenance to fhine 
 again upon me ; whereby I came to fee 
 
 the
 
 [ "3 1 
 
 the doleful Place I was led into, by a 
 Spirit that tended to nothing elfe but 
 Self-exaltation^ and (under a Pretence of 
 Humility and Self-denial) Breach of that 
 Unity, Love, and Fellowlhip, that for- 
 merly we had together, and the good 
 Efteem we had one of another in the Lord. 
 Children we were of one Father, efteem- 
 ing one another above ourfelves in the 
 Lord. There was no Jar or Contention 
 among us then, but all dwelt together in 
 Love and Unity, and in the Fellowfhip 
 of that blefied Gofpel of Peace, Life and 
 Salvation. 
 
 At my Return Home from London, 
 I was foon taken to the fame Prifon with 
 my Friends in Welch- Pool ; and a little 
 before I came among them to Prifon, the 
 Under-Jailer dreamed, That he had in 
 his Fold a Flock of Sheep, and that he 
 was wreftling to get in one Ram among 
 the Sheep, but could not get him in ; but 
 when I came to Prifon, he faid to my 
 Friend Charles Lloyd, Now I have got 
 the old Ram in among tie Sheep. But the 
 Jailer turned me out that Night to my 
 Wife and Family ; and though I had the 
 Name of a Prifoner, ana'was/>m#ffjW, 
 as the reft of my Friends and Brethren 
 were for feveral Years, yet I was not kept 
 clofe Prifoner. This
 
 This was a Time when moft travel- 
 ling Friends were taken up Prifoners, and 
 though I was a Prifoner, yet it lay upon 
 me to get Liberty to go and vifit Friend?, 
 in feveral Counties of England and ff^ales. 
 So I followed my good Guide, that fhew- 
 ed me what to do. I went to the Jailer, 
 and told him, I had an Occafion to go out 
 a little while, and I could not go without 
 acquainting him of it, becaufe I was his 
 Prifoner. He faid, / warrant you will 
 go to preach fame "where or other, and then 
 you will be taken to Prifon ; and what Jh all 
 I do then, faid he : I told him, That if I 
 was taken Prifoner, 1 wou'd fend to him 
 where I was, and he might fend for me if 
 he pleafed ; fo he bid me have a Care of 
 myjelf. 
 
 In a little Time, in the Love of God, I 
 took my Leave here of my Friends and 
 Family, and committed myfelf to the 
 Protection of the Almighty. I went to 
 Shrew/bury^ and fo to Werccfterjbire, where 
 I had good Service for the Lord v fo to 
 Tewkejbury, where I was never before.. 
 An ancient Woman Friend followed my 
 Horfe,and before I had put up at the Inn, 
 me was with me, and very cordially faid, 
 She bad a Senfe upon her, that 1 was 
 one of her heavenly Father's Children, I 
 
 went
 
 t "5 ] 
 
 went in and rcfrefhed me a little, and 
 alked her, Whether me thought I might 
 have a Meeting with Friends that Even- 
 ing. She readily faid, She would acquaint 
 Friends of it j and after me had gone a 
 little Way out of the Inn, Ihe returned 
 again, and defired to know my Name, that 
 ftje might acquaint Friends cf it. I was 
 itreightened in myfelf to give her my 
 Name, tho' I knew not the Caufe then ; 
 but I defired her to go in the Name of 
 the Lord, and if I came in the Name of 
 the Lord, they would receive me. So me 
 went, and came again, and told me, / 
 might have a Meeting; which was ap- 
 pointed to be at Sufan Smitbin's j and a 
 blefled heavenly Meeting we had, and the 
 Lord gave to us our expected End ; there 
 were leveral Profeffors at the Meeting. 
 Some came to me next Morning, and dif- 
 courfed friendly with me about the Things, 
 of God. 
 
 From thence I went through Gloucef- 
 ter/hire, where I had good Meetings, and 
 fo to Briftol. When I was clear of Briftol, 
 the Lord having bleffed me, and pre- 
 ferved me fo far in my Journey, I fet 
 forward towards Pembrokcflrirf. I tra- 
 velled without any Companion but the 
 Lord alone, who was with me all along 
 
 in
 
 [ "6 ] 
 
 in my Journey ; he was my Helper and 
 Preferver. So I came to the Houfe of 
 our Friend Lewis Davies, who gladly re- 
 ceived me in the Lord. Staying there 
 fome Time, they lent me a Horfe to go 
 to a Meeting at Redjlone, and I left my 
 own Horfe behind me, thinking he might 
 reft for fome Days after my hard Riding. 
 When I came to the Place, the Meeting 
 was out of Doors, there being no Houfe, 
 that I knew of, that could contain the 
 Multitude of People. When we came to 
 the Meeting, Meredith Edward^ whom 
 Friends judged unfit to preach theGdfpel, 
 had the Confidence to fpeak to the Peo- 
 ple, till they were weary of him, and thofc 
 that were fenfible were burthened by him ; 
 after fome Time there ftood up a Friend 
 and filenced him. I fate as a Stranger 
 among them. The Lord was with us, 
 his good Prefence was our Comfort and 
 Satisfaction ; and after fome Time I had 
 an Opportunity to open to the People, 
 thofe Things that belong to their eternal 
 Salvation ; and having concluded the 
 Meeting in Prayer, this Man, M. Ed- 
 wards^ arbrefaid, ftood up again and 
 preached to the People, and I turned my 
 Back and came away, and the Friends, 
 with mod Part of the People, followed 
 
 me.
 
 [ "7 ] 
 
 me. As I was coming out; a Friend 
 came and told me, There were two Sol- 
 diers, (I underftood afterwards, they 
 were the two Sons of .a Prieft) that had 
 brought - my Horfe there fome Miles. 
 When I faw my Horfe, I drew nigh to 
 them, and afked them, Who brought 
 my Horfe there ? They afked me, Whe- 
 ther I was the Man that came from Briftol ? 
 I faid I was ; Then, faid they,jyo are the 
 Man we look for. I afked them, By 
 what Authority they came, or what War- 
 rant they had ? And they mewed me their 
 Swords and Piftols. I told them, fuch 
 Warrants Highwaymen had. Then I 
 afked them, How they durft venture fo, 
 among fuch a Company? They faid, 
 They knew we were peaceable Men, and 
 would not refift ; otherwife, they would 
 have brought greater Force. I told Friends, 
 We were not bound to obey them, and 
 defired Friends to part, and leave only two 
 or three with me ; but Friends Love was 
 fo great to me, that they kept moftly in a 
 Body about me. So I defired the Friend, 
 to take my Saddle and Bridle, that was 
 upon the Friend's Horfe that I rid to the 
 Meeting on, and put them upon my 
 own Horfe ; fo I got upon my Horfe, 
 and bid them, Lay their Hands off my 
 
 Horfe,
 
 Horfe, for I feared not their Swords nor 
 Piftols , but if they had a Warrant from 
 any Juftice of Peace, or lawful Magi- 
 ftrate within the County, I would obey 
 it. Then they let my Horfe go, and I 
 turned a little afide, and law them lay 
 hold of the other Man, M. Edwards ; I 
 could not call him a Friend,, becaufe he 
 was not guided by a right Spirit ; and I 
 turned myfelf to them again, and told 
 them, That if any Juftice of Peace, or 
 any lawful Magiftrate within the County, 
 had any thing to fay to me that came 
 from Brijlol^ they mould hear of me at 
 the Houfe of William Bateman, in Haver- 
 ford-weft. I told them, My Bufinefs would 
 require fome Stay in the Country ; fo 
 they let us go pretty friendly , and I had 
 feveral brave Meetings in Haver/ord-weft, 
 and other Places in the County. The 
 laft I had was at Ponchifon among the 
 Welch ; they having Notice of a Welch- 
 man coming to keep a Meeting in thofe 
 Parts, many came to that Meeting, and 
 good Service I had for the Lord, his 
 Truth being declared in their own Lan- 
 guage to them. We had the Meeting 
 out of Doors, and I ftood with my Back 
 towards Thomas Simmon's Wall of his 
 Houfe. I was young and ftrong, and 
 
 my
 
 [ "9 1 
 
 my Voice was heard to the Steeple-houfe, 
 and moft of them came out to hear me ; 
 and very few came out with the Prieft 
 when he had done. When the Prieft law 
 fuch a Multitude, he was moved to Paf- 
 fion, and would have had the Conftable 
 take me down. It was reported, fome 
 laid to the Prieft, They would not take 
 me down, for 1 preached Chrift and the 
 Gofpel to them, and they would have 
 him come and learn of me himfelf. I 
 was informed, that the Prieft's Wife and 
 two of his Daughters were at the Meet- 
 ing, and were very loving and tender, 
 and came to be convinced of the Truth. 
 The Lord was not wanting to us ; his 
 Life, Powtr, and good Prelence was with 
 us, and that Meeting was the laft I had 
 in Pembroke [hire at that Time. The 
 Friends of that County were very loving 
 and careful of Friends, that came from 
 far to vifit them. They dwelt in Love 
 and Unity among themlelves. My S.er- 
 vke was weighty upon me, being myfelf 
 only, without a Companion ; the Lord 
 alone, that knew the Integrity of my 
 Heart, was my Comfort, Support, , and 
 exceeding great Reward. As ior M. Ed- 
 wards, the two Men before-mentioned, 
 .took him before a Juftice ; the Juftice 
 
 would
 
 would have been moderate to him, and 
 would have fhewed him Kindnefs, but he, 
 by his ungoverned Temper, provoked 
 the Juftice to Paffion, fo that he com- 
 mitted him to the Houfe of Correction 
 as a Vagrant for three Months, to the 
 great Trouble of Friends. 
 
 I was informed that the Juftices and 
 Magiftrates of that County, were gene- 
 rally very moderate in the harddt Times 
 of Perfecution. From Ponchifon I took 
 my Leave of Friends in Peinbrokefbire^^ 
 and came pretty directly Home, biefied 
 be the Name of the Lord, to the Com- 
 fort of my Wife and Family, and thofc 
 Friends that were Prifoners , and the Jail- 
 er was well fatisfied that I came to my 
 Prifon, without farther Trouble to him ; 
 there were feveral taken Prifoners, at 
 thofe Meetings I was at, but the Lord 
 prefer ved and delivered me, bleffcd be 
 his holy Name for ever. 
 
 I was but a little Time at Home, e're 
 John WhitebGufe, a Follower ot'Jobn Per- 
 rot, came and had a Meeting at my Houfe 
 in Welcb-Pool. I happen'd not to be at 
 the Beginning of the Meeting, but came 
 before it was concluded, and found he 
 had fown an evil Seed, and that feme 
 of our Friends had received it ; who foon 
 
 after
 
 after joined with that corrupt Spirit, 
 which led them to have a light Efteem ot" 
 their Brethren, which was a great Ex- 
 ercife to many honeft Friends, and efpe- 
 cially to my Wife and me , and we were 
 ready to fay, Hath the Lord fen f us her?^ 
 to be inflrumenlal for the gathering of a 
 People in this Country, and hath he juffered 
 the Enemy to fcatter them in their Imagina- 
 tions. But fome Time after, the Lord 
 fatisfied me, That thofe who were fim- 
 ple-hearted among them, fhould be re- 
 flored again into a more fettled Condition 
 than they had formerly known ; and I 
 believed in the Word of the Lord. And 
 in Time, the Lord broke in among them, 
 and opened the Underftanding of fome of 
 them, and they began to reafon among 
 themfelves, and faw that they were in 
 Darknefs \ fo that moftof them were re- 
 ftored again into their firft Love, and 
 lived and died faithful to Truth, except 
 Cadwalader Edwards, who continued in 
 Stubbornnefs and Hardnefs of Heart, and 
 endeavoured to hurt fuch who were fim- 
 ple-hearted. I was moved to give forth 
 a Paper againft him and all his vain Ima- 
 ginations. The following Paper was 
 like wife fent to him from Friends. 
 
 WE
 
 [ 122 ] 
 
 WE whofe Names are here under- 
 written, are thofe that them haft 
 been feeking to intinuate thy corrupt 
 Principles into ; and alfo are thofe that 
 teftify againft that fcducing Spirit that 
 thou art gone into v and moft of us do 
 know the Terror and Judgment of the 
 Lord, for receiving that Spirit ; and 
 we do exhort all, that they touch not, 
 nor tafte of it, left they be feparated 
 from the Lord and his People, and fo 
 come under the Judgment of the Lord, 
 as we have done ; and we have all feen 
 the hurtful Effects of that Spirit, and 
 in the Fear of the Lord, we do deny the 
 fame, and them that be joined to it.' 
 
 Charles Lloyd, 
 Richard Evan, 
 Owen Jones, 
 Watkin David, 
 William Lewis, 
 
 Elizabeth Lloyd, 
 Face Davies, 
 Ann Lawrence, 
 Katherine Jones, 
 
 Evan Thomas, 
 Evan Davies, 
 John Reefe, 
 Richard Davies, 
 Thomas Hammons. 
 
 Sibil Jones, 
 Katherine Evans, 
 Ann Hall, 
 Sarah Wilfon. 
 
 1668.
 
 [ "3 } 
 
 l66S. This being read in our Month- 
 ly-meeting for Worfhip, the Lord was 
 pleafed to afford us his fweet Prefence, 
 and his Power melted, tender'd and mol- 
 lified our Hearts, and caufed us to praile 
 the Lord, tor his great Goodneis and 
 Mercy to us, in bringing us out of that 
 Darknefs that came over us, by giving 
 Heed unto the feducing Spirit of John 
 Perrot, John Whitehouje, and Cad-walader 
 Edwards. And now the Lord having 
 reftored us again, we did praife his holy 
 Name for the fame ; and Friends were 
 careful afterwards of receiving any Spirit 
 that might tend to the Breach of Love 
 and Unity among us. Many other Friends 
 brought in their Teftimonies againft chat 
 Spirit ; among the reft, one came from 
 our Friend Thomas Ellis, who had been 
 particularly warned by me, in the Fear oif 
 the Lord, not to touch nor meddle with 
 that Spirit, though it came with much 
 feeming Humility, left he mould fuffer 
 thereby j which he did, to his great Sor- 
 row, and he let out in his Paper, and faid, 
 This have I fuffer ed for my mungrel Mo- 
 deration: But bleffed be the Lord, he was 
 fweetly reftored again to his former Love 
 and Integrity, to the great Comfort or 
 himfelf and Brethren. 
 
 G As
 
 As to John Perrot^ John Whitfboufe, 
 tnd * Cadwalader Edwards, they turned 
 .their Backs upon God and his Truth, and 
 followed the Devices of their own Hearts 
 and Imaginations. 
 
 About this Time, there being a Meet- 
 ing of Friends gather'd at dberyftwitb in 
 .Cardiganjhire^ moft of them were fent to 
 Prifon to Cardigan^ and our Friend Tho- 
 mas Ellis was taken Prifor.er with them. 
 Having the Sufferings or thefe young ; con- 
 .vinced Friends under Confideration, I 
 found much Love in my Heart towards 
 -them, even fo as to go to the Magidrates 
 of the County, to oifer myfclf a Prifoner 
 inftcad of my Friend and Brother Thomas 
 Ellis, and fome others, that they might 
 go Home to vifit their femilks. I ac- 
 quainted my \Vife of my Exercife, which 
 came pretty clofe to her i but foe likewife, 
 in Love, after a little Confi.ieration, gave 
 me up for that Service. So in a ftw Days 
 
 1 took 
 
 * He became afterward^ very bad, and ungod- 
 ly in his Life and Converfation, and died in the 
 Fleet-Prifon at London, being theie for Debt ; 
 yet near his End, he feem'd to repent of his 
 .wicked Life, and told fome, ' That they who 
 ' were preferred faithful among the People called 
 4 Quakers, would be happy, and that they were 
 ' the People of God.'
 
 I took my Journey, and went firft to 
 Thomas Ellis' 's Houfe, to vi fit his Wife 
 and Family, before I went farther ; his 
 Houfc being about 24 Miles from Welch- 
 Pool^ and not far out of my Way towards 
 Cardigan/hire. There I very unexpectedly 
 met T. Ellis himfelf at Home ; he told 
 me, they were all dilcharged out of Pri- 
 fon. Thus I faw it was the good Will and 
 Pleafure of my heavenly Father to accept 
 of my FYee-will Offering inftead of the 
 Deed j and my Friend '/. Ellis and his 
 Wife were fenfible of my Love and 
 Kindnefs to them therein. 
 
 And now my Service being farther for 
 Pembrokejhirct T. Ellis was willing to ac- 
 company me in my Journey ; and we 
 went to Aberyjlwitb % to vifit thofe Friends 
 there, where we had a pretty large Meet- 
 ing the Firft-day in the Morning, and 
 there came one Thomas Price, Brother to 
 Sir Richard Price^ of Gogorddan^ who 
 took us all Prifoners, and committed us 
 to the Town-prifon. That Evening we 
 had a Meeting in the Houfe where we 
 were Prifoners. Many of the Town's 
 People, fome of them Perfons of Ac- 
 count, were at the Meeting that Even- 
 ing. I declared the Word of the Lord to 
 them in Welcb^ and mewed them the 
 G 2 \V?./
 
 [ 126 ] 
 
 Way to the Kingdom of Heaven. A 
 fweet comfortable Meeting we had, and 
 great Satisfaction it was to them that were 
 tiiere. 
 
 T-hat Night a weighty Confideration 
 came upon -me, about thofe young con- 
 vinced Friends fhat were fo lately dif- 
 charged of their Impriforment, becaufe 
 tiiey were like to go fo quickly to Prifon 
 again. So I afked Counfel of the Lord, 
 What we might do for, and in Behalf of 
 thefe young and tender Friends ? And be- 
 ing under great Exerrife in my Spirit, 
 earneftly praying to God, that he might 
 make fome Way for their Enlargement 
 that Time, it came in my Mind to write 
 to the chief Magistrate Sir Richard Price, 
 and to give him an Account of my Jour- 
 ney fo far, and that my Friend T. Ellis 
 .and my felt" intended for Pembrckejhire, 
 and reding with our Friends, and having 
 a Meeting with them that Day, were 
 taken Priloners by his Brother Thomas 
 Price , and if it was his Pleafure to fend 
 us to Prifon to Cardigan^ that he would 
 be fo kind, as leave his Neighbours at 
 Home, and accept of my Friend Thomas 
 Ellis and me, as Prifoners inftead of them 
 all. To this Effect I wrote to him, and 
 fent it next Morning ; but he fent me no 
 
 Anfwer,
 
 [ "7 ] 
 
 Anfwer. But the High- Con ftable cams 
 to us, and told us, We muft all prepare 
 to go to Cardigan Town, where the 
 County Jail was kept. So Friends freely 
 and heartily prepar'd themfelves to go. 
 \Vhen the Time of our going was come, 
 they tenderly taking their Leaves of their 
 Wives, Children and Neighbours, (for 
 feme of their Neighbours tame a little 
 Way to fee them out of Town) the Con- 
 ftable ftopp'd, and bid all go Home, ex- 
 cept Thomas Ellis and me ; for it feems 
 the High-Conftable had private Orders 
 not to go with them, but to do as I de- 
 lircd in my Letter. Thus the Lord did 
 try thofe tender Friends, and alfo deliver- 
 ed them. 
 
 The Con ftable had Inftructions to bring 
 us to the Quarter-Sefiions, then held at 
 Llandbedar^ and not to Cardigan. When 
 we came there, the Juftices being upon 
 the Bench, we were had before them ; 
 fome of them were formerly acquainted 
 with Tbo. Ellis, he having been in Autho- 
 rity, and according to his Place, fome- 
 what fharp againft Offenders. The Juf- 
 tices were very moderate to him ; but the 
 Clerk of the Peace was very peevifh and- 
 froward. I afk'd the Juftices, Whether 
 that Man, that queftioned my Friend, was 
 G g a J uft ice
 
 1 128 ] 
 
 a Juftice of the Peace ? They told me, 
 He was not Then I told them, We were 
 not bound to anfwer him ; but if they 
 would give me Leave, I would give them 
 a juft Account of my Bufinefs in that 
 County, and upon what Account we were 
 lent there before them , and they defired 
 me to fpeak on. I told them I was at my 
 own Houfe, with my Wife and Family, 
 in Welch -Pool, in Montgomery jhirey and 
 hearing that my Friend ffcmas Ellis , and 
 other of my Friends, were in Prifon in 
 this County of Cardigan^ for a confidera- 
 ble Time, it was with me to come to the 
 Magiftrates of this County, to offer my- 
 felf a Prifoner, that my Friend Thomas 
 Ellis , and the reft of them, might go for 
 a little while to vifit their Families ; in 
 order thereunto, I came as far as my Friend 
 Thomas Ellis his Houfe, where I found 
 him at Home with his Wife and Family. 
 And they being difcharged of their Jm- 
 prifonment, I had a farther Concern up- 
 on me to go to Pembroke/hire ; my Friend 
 Thomas Ellis, being not willing I mould 
 go alone, accompanied me. We came 
 to dbertflwitbi to reft there the Fir ft- day 
 of the Week, and had a Meeting wi^i 
 our Friends, fo were taken Prifontrs, and 
 lent here to you, and now defire to know 
 
 your
 
 [ I2 9 3 
 
 your Pleafure. The Juftices anfwered^ 
 // was great Love indeed, that caufed me 
 to come to offer myfelf a Prifoner upon fucb 
 an Account ; and they were forry that Sir 
 Richard Price gave us that Trouble to fend 
 i(S there: And fo they difcharged us. 
 And the Court being filent, I had an Op- 
 portunity to declare the Word of the Lord 
 among them. Very ftill and attentive 
 they were, as if I had been in a Meeting. 
 I commended their great Moderation,- 
 and in the Love of God we parted with- 
 them. The Deputy -Sheriff, and the 
 High-Conftable that brought us there, 
 came out of the Court and treated us very 
 civilly, and would have beftow'd on us 
 the beft that the Town could afford, but 
 we were fparing of taking any Thing of 
 them. I was informed, that the Deputy- 
 Sheriff and the High-Conftable were con- 
 vinced, and very loving to Friends all 
 along. I know not of any that were im- 
 prifoned in that County afterwards. The 
 Lord was with us, and he had a Regard 
 to the Integrity of our Hearts, and he 
 alone pleaded our Caufe, and was with 
 us in our Services, 
 
 Then we took Horfe and left the Town, 
 
 and went towards Pembroke/lire, till we 
 
 came to Cardigan, about 24 Miles. We 
 
 G 4 met
 
 r 3* ) 
 
 met with fome Hard/hip on the Way^ 
 having little or no Reirefhmenr till we 
 came here, where we had Very good En- 
 tertainment for ourfelves and Horfes ; 
 and irom thenc^we had a Friend for our 
 Guide tQVtardsPdtttcbi/oA in PembrokcJhifCt 
 but we were benighted, and it rained ; 
 our Guide loft his Way, and we wan- 
 der'd up and down among the Peat or 
 Turf- pits, and other dangerous Places, 
 but the Lord preferved us out of them all. 
 At length we came to Pontcbifon^ but it 
 being dark, we did not know the Houfe 
 where our Friend, that we intended to go 
 to, Jived ; but I fpoke to our Guide to 
 fee where the Steeple- houfe Door was, 
 and he brought us to it ; then I told them, 
 the Friend's Houfe was oppofite to it j 
 for I remember'd when I had a Meeting 
 there, my Back was againft the Wall of 
 the Houfe, and my Face towards the 
 Steeple-houfe Door. So we went for- 
 wards, and found the Houfe. I defired 
 57*. Ellis to call and tell them, That there 
 were fome Friends that had loft their 
 Way, and defired to have Lodging there 
 that Night. They bsing in Bed, anfwer- 
 ed, They thought that no good Friends were 
 cut at that Time of the Night. T. Ellis 
 reafoned a little with them, but (till they 
 
 were
 
 [ '3' I 
 
 were not willing to rife and let us in. A-f 
 hit I call'd to the Friend, whofe Name 
 was Thomas Simmons, and to his Wife, 
 and defired them to rife and let us come 
 in. He afk'd me, Who was there ? I 
 told him in Welch^ Richard Davies was 
 there. What, fliid he, Richard Davies of 
 Welch- Pool ? I told them, I was the Man. 
 Thereupon the tender loving Friends 
 haftily came down and let us into -their 
 Houfe, and v?e were fatisfied in the Love 
 of God This being the firft Journey 
 that Thomas Ellis made to Pembrokefljirj^ 
 iince he was convinced. 
 
 Hence we went to Haverfordweft, and 
 fo through all the Meetings in that Coun- 
 ty, till we came to Pome hi/on again, and 
 had a Meeting there, where there ciinii 
 many Friends, both Welch and Englljh^ 
 fo that the Houfe could not contain us, 
 and we had the Meeting out of Doors in 
 the Street, and I declared the Word of 
 the Lord to them, both in Welch and 
 Englijh. 
 
 As we came to Pembroke/hire, we wenr 
 to a BaptijVs Houfe, and the Woman oi 
 th? Houfe being loving and tender, pro- 
 mifed we fhould have a Meeting among 
 the Baptfls there. We a'fo appointed a 
 Meeting at New:aft!e in Ca'rmartbenftare \ 
 G 5 p**
 
 [ 13* ] 
 
 Peregrine Mufgrave^ James Lewis, and 
 feveral other Friends accompanied us to 
 the Meeting at Nr&caftlc. The Magi- 
 ftrates of the Town were very civil, and 
 feveral of them came to the Meeting. 
 The Weight and Service of the Meeting 
 by chiefly upon me , for though our 
 Friend T. Ellis was reckoned a Deacon, 
 and an eminent Preacher among the In- 
 dependents, yet his Mouth was but vtry 
 little opened as yet by Way of Tcftimony 
 among Friends. He was an underftand- 
 ing Man in the Things of God, and was 
 not hafty to offer his Offering, till he 
 found a very weighty Concern on him. 
 As I was declaring to the People in the 
 Welch Language, I flood oppofite to a 
 great Window that opened to the Street, 
 and there was an evil-minded Man in the 
 Street that had a long Fowling-piece, 
 who put the Mouth of it through the 
 Window and fwore, That if I would {peak 
 another Wvrdf I was a dead Man. But 
 blefTed be God, I was kept in that which 
 was above the Fear of Man,, and the Lord 
 kept me in Dominion over all. There 
 were two Women fitting in the Window, 
 and the Moutht>f the Gun came between 
 them both ; one of them feeing the Gun, 
 turned her Back upon it, and fold in IVelcb^ 
 
 when
 
 f 133] 
 
 when the Man threatened as before, 
 die myfelffirfl. And there was one in the 
 Meeting, went to this Man and took the 
 Gun away from him, and that wicked 
 Man came into the Meeting, and was 
 pretty quiet there, The Lord's good 
 Prefence was with us, a good Meeting 
 we had, and I may fay, They that trujl 
 in the Lord, are as Mount Sion, that can- 
 not be removed. And as it was faid of old, 
 As the Hills were round about Jerufalem, 
 Jo is the Lord round about his People, to be 
 a prefent Help to them in every needful Time. 
 Here Pembroke/hire Friends and we 
 parted, and it being fomewhat late, the 
 Meeting having held long, we travelled 
 all Night over fome doleful Hills, in- 
 tending to ba at the Baptift Meeting next 
 Day, which we had appointed, as before- 
 mentioned. It was by Computation about 
 24 Miles. In this Time we had H:de 
 Refrefhment for ourfelves or Horfes -, but 
 when we came there, we had no Meet- 
 ing. The Woman of the Houfe laid, 
 That the Magistrates had beard of it, and 
 charged them, we fhould havs no Meeting 
 there. So the flavim Fear of Man cams 
 over them. The Woman feemed to be 
 forrowful, and would have given us fome 
 Victuals , but I told her, We did ru t 
 G- 6 travel
 
 ['34 ] 
 
 travel fo hard, to come there for her 
 Meat and Drink, but in the Love of 
 God, for the Good of their Souls. 
 
 So here my Friend and Companion 
 Vhomas Ellis and I parted i he went home- 
 wards, and I went that Night to William 
 ap Pugh^ Houfe, a poor Friend, who 
 had a confiderable Company of fmall 
 Children. I lay on a little Straw upon a 
 Hurdle of Rods. When the Morning 
 appeared, I took a Bit of a Cake and a 
 Cup of clean Water, and William ap Fagh 
 and I took our Journey towards Radi.tr- 
 Jhire^ 'which was about 20 Miles, mofrly 
 over great Hills ; and when I came there, 
 J Itaid a little while among Friends. Af- 
 terwards, I haftened home to my Family i 
 and when I was come there, Margaret 
 fatten brought my little Girl to me, and 
 faid, Here is a Child the Lord bath given 
 tkee \ me had been fick near unto Death. 
 When I was under my Exercife in Pem- 
 brokejhire, one told me, My Child was 
 deadend my Wife not like to recover ; which 
 was matter of Sorrow to me ; and I turn- 
 ed a little afide from Friends, and the 
 Lord fatisfied me, that neither my Wife 
 nor Child were dead. When I came 
 Home, they told me, my Child had been 
 as it were railed from Death to Life : 
 
 Blcffed
 
 1 135] 
 
 Blefied be the Lord that reftored her, 
 and preferved my Family, and we were 
 comforted in the Lord. 
 
 After this Journey, I ftaid a con- 
 fiderable Time at Home with my Fa- 
 mily and Friends, our Meetings were 
 pretty much (applied with travelling 
 Friends, efpecially from the North of 
 England , and though we were Prifoners, 
 yet we had our Liberty to go to Meetings 
 Abroad. We had a confiderable large 
 Meeting at Cloddiecocbion, (the Place of 
 my Abode) near Welch- Pool t there was 
 at our Meeting, John ap Jchn t and James 
 Adamfoitt a North- country Friend ; but 
 the Magiftrat.es of Pool, it being in the 
 Limits of their Corporation, came and 
 broke up our Meeting, and took us Pri- 
 foners. We old Prifoners went to the 
 County-prifon, and the* reft to the Cor- 
 poration -prifon. I took my Friend John 
 ap John by the Hand, and told him, He 
 muft come to Prifon with me ; fo feveral 
 of us went together, and when the Hurry 
 was over with them, they let us, who 
 were old Prifoners, go to Prifon alone. 
 Then I difcharged our Friend John ap 
 John> and told him, He mould be my 
 Prifoner no longer. He ftaid a little while 
 with us, and then went homewards. The 
 
 Jailer
 
 [ 136] 
 
 Jailer was friendly to us, and after a 
 while, I went to the Magiftrates, and 
 got them all releafed that Night, except 
 James Adamfcn. The Magiftrates of the 
 County gave ftridl Charge, that if any 
 North-country Quakers came that Way, 
 they fhould be fecured ; and I had a great 
 Care upon me, to get them difcharged as 
 foon as might be , for I knew there was 
 a great Concern upon them, to vifit the 
 Churches of Chrift, wherefoever God 
 fent them. So when I faw a convenient 
 Time, I went to the Serjeant of the 
 Town, and afked him, By what Autho- 
 rity v he kept my Friend there a Pri- 
 foner , and. Whether he had a Commit- 
 ment upon him ? and he told me, No. 
 Then I defired him to let him come with 
 me, and I would anfwer for him ; fo the 
 Friend came to my Houfe, and Friends 
 and I concluded together, to let him go 
 to Sbrewfbur^ which was about i 2 Miles 
 from Welch- Pool-, and 1 defired him to 
 ftay there till he mould hear frcm me. 
 
 The AfTizes being there a few Days 
 after, the chief Magiflrate of Pool went, 
 and I went alfo. And as my Friend James 
 Adamfon and I were walking under the 
 Hall at Sbre-wjbur\* we met the Magi ft rate 
 of Welch-Pool^ to whom James was a Pri- 
 
 foncr r
 
 foner. He feem'd a little angry, becaufe 
 I fent the Prifoner away, and afk'd me, 
 How I could anfwer it ? For, fa id he, we 
 fent to the Lord Herbert of Cherbury, for 
 a Commitment upon him. I told him, 
 They had kept him too long without a 
 Commitment, which they could not legal- 
 ly anfwer. Now he knew not that the 
 Prifoner was with me, fo I afked him, 
 after fome Difcourfe, What he would 
 give me for a Sight of the Prifoner ? He 
 confidered, and afk'd me, Whether the 
 Man that was with me^ was not his Pri- 
 foner ? I told him, he was, for I knew 
 that he was then out of his Liberty. So 
 he faid to the Friend, Your Friend bath 
 done you and me a Kindnefs -, and I fee, if 
 there bad been Occafion, you would have 
 come again , fo he parted very friendly 
 with us. 
 
 Inthefe Times the Oath of Allegiance 
 and Supremacy was tendered to moft 
 Friends that came into the County, if they 
 were taken, and fuch were committed to 
 Prifon, for not taking it, till the next 
 Aflizts, and then premunired ; and then 
 little Hopes of their being releafed "from 
 their Imprifonment ; and it came to be a 
 Saying, that when any Quakers were 
 
 taken
 
 [ '3*1 
 
 taken Prifoners in Mcnlgomer^Jhire* There 
 would be no End of their Imprisonment. 
 
 About the Year 1669, my ancient, 
 well-beloved, and dear Companion. 'John 
 ap John, and I took our Journey tor 
 Sotttb-Walef, to vifit our Friends and Bre- 
 thren in thofe Parts. We went firft into 
 RadnorJJoire^ where we had feveral good 
 Meetings. We gave timely Notice be- 
 fore-hand, where we appointed the Meet- 
 ings and feveral Friends and other Peo- 
 ple came from Hereford/hire to meet us at 
 the lower End of the County of Radhor y 
 where we had a fweet living Meeting, 
 and the Power of the Lord tendered the 
 Hearts of many. We declared the Word 
 of the Lord both in Welch and Enghjh. 
 My Friend John ap John was very found' 
 and intelligible in the tl'elcb Language. 
 He deferved the Right-hand of Fellovv- 
 fhip, for he was my Elder, and the firft 
 Friend that I heard declare in a Meeting 
 in the Englijh Tongue ; and though he 
 was not perfect in that Language, yet he 
 had the Tongue of the Learned, to fuch 
 who were fpiritual. When that Meeting 
 was ended in Radnorjhire, we both with- 
 drew a little afide from Friends, being 
 bowed beiore the Lord, in a Senfe of his 
 GoOtfaefsamongft us. Alter a little while, 
 
 I turned
 
 t '39 ] 
 
 1 turned my Face towards the Friends, 
 and faw a Man coming towards me with 
 much Brokennefs and Tears ; and when 
 he came to me, he took me in his Arms 
 and held me there. I was very tender of 
 him, though I knew him not. He 
 afked me, Whether I did not know him ? 
 I told him, I did not j tho* I faid, I could 
 remember fomething of him. He faid, 
 He had Caufe to remember me. When I 
 look'd upon him again, I afked him, 
 Whether he was not Roger Pricbard? 
 He faid, He was the Man that had gone 
 aftray. And I was glad, yea, very glad, 
 that the loft Sheep was found, and that 
 he came to know the true Shepherd and 
 his Voice in himfelf,and he followed him, 
 and went not aftray again, as he did be- 
 fore. He accompanied us to feveral 
 Meetings in that County, and in Man- 
 incutbfoire. As we were parting with 
 him, John ap John told him, He had 
 come rar out of his Way with us. He 
 anfwered, We bad put him in his right fray 
 again, and he hoped he fhould keep in it. 
 
 We went through Monmouth/hire, and 
 Glamorgan/hire, vifuing Friends We had 
 a good Meeting at Stilly, and at Sivanzy 
 in GLvnorganJhire ; where we met with 
 fome French Britons. We could under* 
 
 food
 
 t HO ] 
 
 ftand fomething of their Language. We 
 found they were pafiionate among them- 
 felves. 
 
 From thence we palled to Carmartloen- 
 /hire. We had a Meeting at Cardiff, and 
 lodged at Jobn Mayo's, his Wife Elizabeth 
 was a nurfing Mother to Friends in the 
 Beginning. At Cardiff, John ap John fuf- 
 fered great Persecution, and in other Parts 
 of that Country, before I was convinced ; 
 I fuppofe he might be Prifoner there in 
 1653, or 1654. 
 
 We went thence towards Pembroke/Jure, 
 where we had feveral good Meetings, and 
 the Lord was with us. Then we came 
 homewards ; and before we parted with 
 Roger Pricbardy we appointed a Meeting 
 at his Houfe, which was in Almeley-Woo- 
 ton. The Lord helped us on in our Jour- 
 ney, and we came there according to 
 the Time appointed, and a large, fweet, 
 comfortable Meeting we had i I know 
 not that any Meeting had been there be- 
 fore. I appointed another Meeting to be 
 there , and in a few Weeks alter my Re- 
 turn Home, I went accordingly. The 
 Concern of that Part of the Country in 
 Hereford/hire was much upon me, and I 
 was often there , and when the People of 
 that Village faw me come, ' they would 
 
 fay
 
 t '4' ] 
 
 fay to one another, Come, let us go to 
 Mr. Prichard'j,/0r we jhall have Prayers 
 there to Night ; and the Houfe hath been 
 loon near full of People. A comfortable 
 Time we ufed to have together, and 
 many were gathered to the Lord in thofe 
 Parts. As for Roger Prichard, the Lord 
 blefled him in his Balket and in his Store, 
 and his Heart and Houfe was open to 
 Friends, and he built a fine Meeting- houie 
 at his own Charge, and alfo gave a Bury- 
 ing- place, and fettled both upon Friends 
 for that Service, and lived and died in 
 Love and Favour with God, and in Unity 
 with his Brethren. Say to the Righteous^ 
 it /hall go well with them. 
 
 About this Time I was pretty much at 
 Home, and the Enemy and Adverfary 
 of the Growth and Profperity of Truth 
 in thefe Part?, ftirr'd up an Informer 
 againft us, one John David, alias Pugh, 
 a Weaver, a Tenant to the Jailer. We 
 had our Meeting in an upper Room in 
 the Prifon, and the faid Informer dwelt 
 below. Once, as he was coming by my 
 Barns where my Cattle were, he faid to 
 fome of my Neighbours, Thefe Cattle are 
 all mine. They afked him, How they 
 were his ? He faid, Richard Davies had 
 preached three Times this Day, and that 
 
 by
 
 r '4* ] 
 
 by the Laws there is 60 /. on the Preacher 
 for the fame. By this it was noifed abroad 
 in the Town, that I was like to be un- 
 done. My Neighbours feem'd to be con- 
 cerned, and one or" the Aldermen, a Re- 
 lation of mine, came chidingly to me, 
 and afked me, Whether 1 had a Mind to 
 ruin my Wife and Family ? Could I not 
 leave my Preaching, when I knew the Laws 
 were fo fevere againft us? I told him, I 
 could not, when the Lord required it of 
 me. I defired him to let the Informer 
 alone, and lee him take his Courfe. He 
 laid, He would not. But, faid he, 1 will 
 tell thee what I will do , 1 will take bin* 
 along with me to Severn- fide, andwbet my 
 Knife very /harp, and 1 will cut off one of 
 the Rogue's Ears ; and if ever he informs 
 agaittfl thee again, I will cut off the ether. 
 I earneftly defired him to let him alone ; 
 but he and his Neighbours were fo enrag- 
 ed againft him, that 1 was airaid they 
 would have done him fome Mifchief. 
 
 This Imormer was a Weaver by Trade, 
 and the Neighbours took their Work a- 
 way from him, fo that his Children went 
 foon after a begging, many of the Town 
 telling them, Their Father had got a new 
 rich Trade in hand, and that they need 
 not give them any Thinff. So the poor 
 
 Children
 
 [ 143 ] 
 
 Children fuffered very much ; but my 
 Wife did not with- hold her Hand of 
 Charity from them. 
 
 One Time I had my Boots on ready to 
 go out -, the Jailer, this Informer's Land- 
 lord, feeing him come up the Street to- 
 wards my Houfe, I being in the Street, 
 he faid to the Informer, Mr. Informer^ 
 you fee Richard Davies is going out to 
 preach fome where To-day, I advife you 
 to look diligently after your Bufinefs, and 
 find him out. If you will not inform 
 againft him, I will inform againft you. 
 You have got a good Trade in hand, and 
 if you do this great Service for the King, 
 you muft needs have either Dohbran, or 
 Coedcowrid, for your Pains: The one 
 was the Manfion-houfe, and the other the 
 Jointer-houfe that belonged to my Friend 
 Charles Lloyd, and his .Anceftors. Thus 
 ifae Jailer jeer'd him, and the poor In- 
 former travell'd great Part of that Day, 
 from one Friend's Houfe to another, to fee 
 for me, till he came to Dolobran, where 
 we were met upon the Church Affairs. 
 As we were coming from the Meeting, I 
 met him at the Door, and difcourfed a 
 little with him. He told us, that he was 
 going tor a Warrant againft us to Edward 
 Lord Herbert. I felt the Power of God 
 
 was
 
 I 144 ] 
 
 was over him, and Truth reFgned among 
 us. He went to the faid Lord, and de- 
 fired a Warrant againft the Quakers. Lord 
 Herbert afked him, What did the Quakers 
 do? He faid, They preached. He queri- 
 ed of him, Where did they preach? He 
 told him, They preached at his Houfe, 
 which was their Prifon. Lord Herbert 
 anfwered, Let them preach there as long us 
 they will, what have 1 to Jay to them ? But 
 the Intormer told him, They met at Clod- 
 diecochion. He afked him, Whether thsfe 
 there were not Prifoners ? He anfwered, 
 They were. Then faid Lord Herbert, 
 What do they do at Cloddiecochion ? Dv 
 they -preach there ? He faid, No ; their 
 Way was to fit down, and to look one 
 upon another. He anfwered, Thou art 
 but a Fosl ; the Quakers are a loving Peo- 
 ple ; they went to i)ifit their Children, and 
 to eat Bread and Cheefe with them. 9 
 So Lord Herbert took his Cane, and 
 went from him with his Gentleman to 
 walk in his Park. The Informer followed 
 them, and fpoke again to him, and faid, 
 Will you be pleafed to grant me a War- 
 rant againft the Quakers? He afked him, 
 Who Jent him there for a Warrant ? He 
 faid, Dr. Davies. (This was the Prieft of 
 Welch-Pool, a quiet Man, and no Perlecu- 
 
 tor.)
 
 [ H5 ] 
 
 tor.) Lord Herbert afked him again, 
 Whether he had a Letter from him ? The 
 Informer laid, No, he thought his Word 
 might bcfufficient to getaWarrant againfl 
 the Quakers. Upon this, Lord Herbert 
 with Indignation, it is thought, would 
 have fpoiPd him, had not his Gentleman 
 interpos'd. He faid to him, Is it not fuf- 
 fcient to pit my peaceable Neighbours in 
 Prifon? Muft I give a Warrant to make 
 fitch a Rogue as this is rich, by ruining them 
 and their Families? So the Informer re- 
 turned Home; and as I was going by his 
 Houfe, he defired me to walk in, for he 
 had fomething to fay to me. I went in 
 with him, and he faid to me, I am forry 
 1 did you fo much Wrong, for I intend- 
 ed much Evil againft you. I was put on 
 to be an Informer, which proved to be 
 mine and my Children's Ruin ; for my 
 Neighbours took their Work from me, 
 and when my Children went to their 
 Poors, they would icarce give them any 
 Thing to relieve them. And now I de- 
 fire you to pray to God to iorgive me ; 
 and I pray you to forgive me alfo ; for 
 I think moft of our Bifhops are Papijts* 
 and there is no Truft to be put in them. 
 I defired him to have a Care what he laid, 
 and not lay the^ Fault there \ for it was 
 
 the
 
 [ '46 ] 
 
 the Enemy, the Adverfary, the Devil, that 
 begot that covetous Mind in him, againft 
 his peaceable Neighbours. I defired the 
 Lord to jorgive him ; and as for me and 
 my Friends, we would forgive him ; and 
 I defired him to go his Way, and to do fo 
 no more. So he never inform'd againft 
 us afterwards. 
 
 Thus the Lord helped and preferved us 
 through great Hardmips and Difficulties. 
 There was nothing taken from us at this 
 Time, upon this Informer's Account. 
 
 About the Year 1675, we heard there 
 was a fevere Perfecution by Informers in 
 Merioneth/hire, efpecially in Penllyn, near 
 Eala\ in which Time our Meetings did 
 increafe there, and many People came to 
 them. A Concern Jay upon my Friend 
 Charles Lloyd and me to vifit thofe Meet- 
 ings, where we had a Meeting on the 
 Firft-day of the Week at Cadwalader 
 Thomas**, called Wern-fawr. There was 
 Abundance of People, more than the 
 Houfe could hold. Two Informers came 
 in, and ftaid all the Meeting-Time ; and 
 after Charles Lloyd and I had cleared our- 
 feJvesby way of Teftimony, the People's 
 Understandings were very much opened 
 in the Things of God, and the Way to 
 his Kingdom, in the Welch Language, in 
 
 which
 
 I '47 ] 
 
 I concluded the Meeting, the : Lord 
 owning of us with his great Power and 
 Prefence, to our great Comfort, and the 
 Satisfaction of the Auditory. The two 
 Informers kneeled upon their Knees with 
 us, while I was at Prayer, and one of 
 them, call'd Robert Evans, did exceed- 
 ingly tremble ; and when I had concluded 
 the Meeting, the faid R. Evans took a 
 Paper out ot his Pocket, and Hood be- 
 fore us with much Trembling and Shak- 
 ing, and could fay nothing to us, but a 
 Warrant, a Warrant, a Warrant. Frit nds 
 flood quiet in the PofTefTion of that Lire 
 and Power that God had blefied them 
 withal that Day, and we faid nothing to 
 him, nor he to us, which was aim-oil an 
 Amazement to the Spectators; lor he 
 was a fpiteful envious Man, that had 
 |done much Spoil upon Friends in thofe 
 Parts. At laft I afked him, What he 
 had there ? He told me, He had a War- 
 rant. I dtfired him to Jet us fee it. HJ 
 was not willing we mould fee it , but laid, 
 If we did come a little farther on our Wa^, 
 we Jhould fee it. We told Friends, we 
 were not bound to follow him, and dclired 
 Friends to depart to their own Habitations. 
 But our loving tender-hearted Friends 
 would not -part with us. Charles L!o\,l 
 H a;.d
 
 and I had a great Mind to fee -what t"hc 
 Tenor of his Warrant was, and who the 
 Juftices were that did fign it. So we 
 went along with him to the Houfe, where 
 he faid we mould fee it ; but the Man of 
 -the Houfe not being within, he was ftill 
 Joth we fhould fee it. We told him, He 
 fhould have it fare again, and at lad he 
 Jet us fee it : And we law that Colonel 
 Price of Rbiwlas, and Colonel Saltfluty 
 of Rug> had granted it. We went that 
 Night to John Tbomafs of Jj,aethgjcn, and 
 were concerned to go and vifit thefe Juf- 
 tices. In the firft place we went to fee 
 whether we could fpeak wkh Price of 
 Rhiwlas., to lay the Sufferings of Friends, 
 that were his Neighbours and Tenants, 
 .before him, for many of them were his 
 Tenants ; but we could not fee him, tho* 
 \ve heard he was at Home. Thence we 
 went to Ritgy where this Colonel Salijlury 
 lived ; and we enquired, before we came 
 to the Houfe, Whether he was at Home: 1 
 Some told us, He was : But when we came 
 there, they perceived we were thofe Peo- 
 ple called Quakers, by our Habit and 
 Language, and he being confcious to 
 himielf what he had done, and what Spoil 
 was made upon Friends Goods, would 
 not admit us to fpeak with him. We de- 
 fired
 
 [ '49 1 
 
 fired one of -his Servants to acquaint him, 
 That we had come a great Way to vifit 
 our fuffering Friends in that County , and 
 my Friend Charles Lloyd bid him tell 
 him who he was ; for it feems he was his 
 Relation, and an old School-fellow. From 
 thence we went to John ap Jobii's, near 
 Wrexham, in 'Denbigh/hire, and vifited 
 Friends there j and then came Home to 
 our Families, where we found all Things 
 \vell , and the Lord was wkh us in our 
 Journey. 
 
 Some Time after this, it lay upon me 
 to go and vifit Friends in London. I went 
 to fee the Lord Powis and his Lady, who 
 dwelt then at London, they were my par- 
 ticular Friends; and acquainted them 
 with the Sufferings of our Friends in 
 Merioneth/hire, by Informers upon the 
 late Aft. They afked me, Which way 
 they might be helpful to Friends ? I told 
 them, If they would be pleafed to get a 
 few Lines from their Brother the Duke of 
 Beauford, then Lord- Prefident of Wales, 
 to Colonel Price of Rhiwlas, I did not 
 queftion but that would modemre them 
 very much : For the faid Colonel wasnon 
 in the main a Perfecutor, but was put on 
 by fome peeviih Clergymen, fo called. 
 In a little Time they got his Letter for 
 H 2 *ne.
 
 [ 'JO ] 
 
 .-me, with his own Seal thereon, but not 
 Jeal'd up'; the Tenor of it vras thus: 
 &>, / have ftopp'd the Complaint of bis 
 Majejlfs Subjects, called Quakers, from 
 coming before the Council-board^ concerning 
 jbe fever e Profecution of the Penal Laws 
 .againft them. So when I had this Letter, 
 J made what Hafte I could down into the 
 .Country, and.gave.it to a Friend and Re- 
 lation of Colonel Pr/Vc's, -who delivered 
 ,;t into his own Hand. It had good Ef- 
 fecl ; the Lord was pleafed thereby to (lop 
 ...the Rage and Ruin that was intended 
 againft Friends in that County. The 
 Juftices of the Peace called the Informer 
 -io.an Account for what he had done to, 
 ..and taken from Friends, but he could not 
 .;mke up his Acrount. The moderate 
 .Juftices follow'd him fo clofe, in Behalf 
 ;of the King, that he was near ruin'd and 
 ,undone thereby. <So it pleafed God, that 
 Jiimfelf fe.il into the Snare and Evil that 
 Jie intended againft his Neighbours. 
 
 Some Time afterwards, one Price, 
 Prieft of Uanvaicr^ in Meriondhfoirc^ 
 /was fevere againft P>iends for Tithes, and 
 .fome Friends came down to me to IVdcb- 
 Pooly with an Account thereof. 1 con- 
 iidered his Proceeding upon a Quo minus 
 the Exchequer, and caufed an At- 
 torney
 
 [ 5 J 
 
 torney to appear for the Friends, .and he, ' 
 in a few Terms, brought me a Writ or. 
 Charges a^ainft the Pneft. When I had 
 it-, I was in a great Straight what to do 
 with it; for 1 knew if the Prieft- was' 
 taken upon it, it wouiii exalperate him 
 againft Friends. I font for Ibme of thcle 
 Friends to be at our Quarterly- meet ing 
 at Dolobran, which they belonged to. 1 
 told them what my Judgment was in the 
 Matter; and that though there wasa \VrK 
 of Cofts obtained againft the Pried, yrc 
 it was not expedient to have it executed, 
 I told them, I thought it would bemoft, 
 convenient for them, to take the Wri r , 
 (hew it to the Deputy-Sheriff, and tell 
 him the whole Cafe , but to take Care 
 that the W 7 rit mould not be left wiih him ; 
 tvhich was well approved of, and the 
 Friends did accordingly, and kept rh? 
 Writ. The Deputy-Sheriff knew what 
 would be for the Advantage of Friends, 
 and was ready to do what he could for 
 them. So he blazed it Abroad, that the 
 Quakers had got a Writ againft the Pried, 
 and the poor Prieft was afraid of coming 
 to the Steeple-houfe for feveral Days, to 
 perform his Service, till he imployed fome 
 Body to come to Friends to make an 
 End of the Matter -, and I never heard 
 H 3- thai-'
 
 C 15-2 ] 
 
 that he troubled Friends again for Tithe,, 
 while he was there. 
 
 About that Time that I was at London 
 to vifit Friends, there fprung up a new 
 Informer, whofe Name was David Mau- 
 rice^ he lived at a Place called Pen-y-fawt, 
 in Denbigh/hire^ and was newly made a 
 Juftice of the Peace of the County of 
 Montgomery. He that recommended him 
 informed that he was a fober Man, and 
 not given to Perfecution , but foon after 
 he had his Commifiion, he appeared to 
 be a great Perfecutor, not only of our 
 Friends, but of other DifTenters alfo. 
 
 The faid David Maurice, upon the 7th- 
 Day of the firft Month, called March, 
 1674-5, came into a Meeting at Clod- 
 diecocbion, with about 14 or 15 Perfons, 
 moft of them armed, where afmall Num- 
 ber of our Friends were waitingin Silence 
 upon the Lord. He requefting us to de- 
 part , our Friend Thomas Lloyd requefted 
 of him, a quarter of an Hour's Time 
 before our being difperfed, which he rea- 
 dily granted, and he with his Followers 
 lite amongft us. 'Thomas Lloyd uttered 
 a few Words, by way of defining the 
 true Religion, and what the true Wor- 
 i-hip was , all which David Maurice ap- 
 proved of as found, and according to the 
 
 Doftrine
 
 [ '53 I 
 
 Doclrine of the Church of England ; ye 
 lotwithftanding, he fined T. Lloyd 20 /. 
 for preaching, though he was no Magi- 
 ftnue of the Corporation, and he -fined 1 - 
 the Houfe 20 /. and 5 j. a-piece for the 
 Hearers. And on the i6th of the fourth 
 Month 1675, he caufcd to be driven- 
 from Thomas Llojd, four Cows and a- 
 Mare, all worth about i6/. by t\\o or 
 bis Servants, one of them being his Clerk v 
 and the other his Tenant, and no Officer 
 of the Corporation, nor of the Parifh. 
 nor of that Allotment of the Hundred*, 
 in Place with them. Thefe were lurking 
 near the Ground about two Hours before 
 Day, and drove away the Cattle before 
 Sun-rife, and they were brought out of 
 the County into his own Demains. 
 
 The fame Day about the Dawning 
 thereof, the faid Drivers, by a Warrant: 
 from the faid David Maurice^ rudely 
 broke through a Neighbour's Fields, to 
 the Grounds of Thomas Lewis, of Clod- 
 diecoch'wn, and drove from him fix Cows, 
 two Oxen, and two Heifers ; alledging 
 for his Offence, that the faid T. Lewis 
 iuffered a Meeting to be at his Houfe, 
 though the faid Bwld Maurice was at 
 that Meeting himfelf, and not only al- 
 ii 4 lowed
 
 1 154 ] 
 
 lowed of the Time, but approved what 
 %vas fpoken there. 
 
 About the fame Time, Charles Lloyd, 
 of Dzhbran* .had ten young BcaHs taken 
 from him r by John Jones, of Golynog, an 
 Attorney at Law, who was that Year 
 Overfeer of the Poor of the Parifh of 
 Myvod, together with the Petty Confta- 
 ble, &c. upon a Warrant from the faid 
 David Maurice, the only Informer and 
 bufy Juftice upon this mercenary Act 
 in our Borders, for preaching at Cloddic- 
 ccchion, within the Liberties of Welch- 
 Pool, the i4thofthefirft Month, 1674-5, 
 though the faid Charles Lloyd was not at 
 that Place that Day, nor many Days be- 
 fore or after, at any Meeting. David 
 Jones of Branyartb, for being a Hearer at 
 the faid Meeting at Cloddiecochion, had a 
 brals Pan, for his own proper Fines, 
 taken from him, and one Cow for the 
 pretended Inability of others convicted, 
 upon a Warrant from the faid David 
 Maurice, of Pen-y-bont. But nothing 
 was taken from me, though 'my Family 
 was at the Meeting,. and 1 lived within 
 the Limits of the Corporation. 
 
 I being at this Time in London, and 
 my Service there pretty much in the Time . 
 jof the laid hard Persecution, my dear 
 
 Friend
 
 [ '55 I 
 
 Friend Charles Lloyd fent me up a full 
 and large Account of the Sufferings or. 
 Friends there, by this wicked Informer 
 Dr.iiid Maurice ; and when I had read and 
 con fidered thdn, I' was under a great 
 Conficteration, what Way to take to pre- 
 vent the farrheY intended Mifchief of this 
 Min v and f laid their innocent and faith- 
 ful Sufferings in ftcret before the great 
 Gdll of Hciven, who hath the Hearts of 
 all Vlen in his Hand, and may order them- : 
 as fcemeth good to him. 
 
 After this, when the Time of the Quar- 
 ter-Seffions was come, the Clerk of the 
 Peace told the Cou-rr,- lie bad 'fccftved'Neix) 
 Commiffions ; which being read, and this 
 ty. Maurice being then prefer. t, and find- 
 ing himlV'f left out, he fill inio a great - 
 R;ige and Pafilon. 
 
 In a little Tim ', \\\t f.iid D. A/.'.vr.v^ 
 went ro Lothhti, and was put into Com- 
 miffion again; but bring made High- 
 Sheriff of the County this Year, he coui-.i ' 
 not afl as a Juflice of die Peace; 1 
 fc-U into a great R.ie, lor that' the faid 
 Office w.is like to be chargeable ro hm-i. 
 So that Year we had Peace and (^ 'il 1 - 
 nefs ; and when his Sheriff- (Rip whsovi::-, 
 I.- v,\\* coming through a Brtfok. nilic-.i 
 C'\vh-Htv.jf?at Pf!.~ 1 
 II' -
 
 [ 156] 
 
 and it was fuppofed his Horfe threw him, 
 and he was carried down into the River 
 Tannat a confiderable Way, and there 
 miferably perimed. Thus the Lord help- 
 ed us through all our Afflictions and 
 Troubles ; and we fee, That they that 
 truft in the Lord, /hall -not be confounded, 
 but are as Mount Sion, that cannot be re- 
 moved ; and as the Hills be round about 
 Jerufalem, fo is the Lord round about bis 
 People , bieffed and praifed be his holy 
 Name for ever and evermore, faith my 
 Soul. 
 
 In the latter End of the Year 1 674, I 
 wenttovifit my ancient dear Friend George 
 Fox, who was a Prifoner in Worcefter ; I 
 paffed through Hereford/hire, and had 
 fome Meetings theic. I ftaid with my 
 Friend George Fox ior fome Time. He 
 told me how he was taken Prifoner, and 
 that he was indicted for refufing the Oath 
 of Allegiance j that he had been twice re- 
 ir,oved by an Habeas Corpus to London ; 
 that he had his Trial there, and no Error, 
 being found in his Indictment*, he was 
 returned back again to his Prifon at Wor- 
 cejier, As he was opening his Cafe to 
 me, I thought there might be fufficient 
 Errors found in his Indictment, to get 
 him difcharged. I told him of a Coun- 
 
 fdlor.
 
 f 157 ] 
 
 fellor, Thomas Corbet^ a Friend of mine,, 
 then in London, who was very excellent 
 in rinding out Errors ; fo after fome Con- 
 fideration, he fent next Poft for an Habeas 
 Corpus, which came down in a little Time, 
 and the Sheriff was ferved with it ; fo 
 we let forward, G. Fcx went in the Coach 
 with the Sheriff and Clerk of the Peace 
 of lorceftei\ and I rid on my Horfc 
 along .with the Coach, and no other Friend i 
 with us. 
 
 We came to 'London the 8th of the 
 twelfth Month, and when we came there,, 
 fevenil Friends much admired, that he 
 ihould be removed up again ; for he was. 
 iomething private in the Matter. He 
 defired the Friends, who had the Man- 
 agement of the Bu find's before, to lee 
 me have a Copy of the Record, which.- 
 was pretty difficult to be had ; for fc ve- 
 nd thought it w.is to little or no Purpofe 
 But G. Fox was not fuisfied till I had it. 
 1 had acquainted Councilor Corbet of the 
 whole Cafe, as far as \ could under ftand 
 ir, before I could Tec a Copy of the Re- 
 cord i and about the tenth Hour in the 
 Night, IV'dliam Mead came with me to > 
 Councilor Cwbet with it. Whrn he had' 
 read it, lie laid, There luera federal m.i- 
 ttrial &;ro-n in if. ; which put J7. Mead. 
 
 1:1-6, tO
 
 to a Confederation, how that could be -, 
 and he defired the Counfelior to fhew him 
 one Error. The Counfelior fhtw'd him 
 feveral Errors. IF. Mead fcem'd to won- 
 der, that fuch great Errors could not 
 have been found out by other Council. 
 
 The next Morning, being the i ith of 
 the twelfth Month, we went to Court,, 
 where fome other Counfellors moved firft 
 on G. Fox's Behalf, and they were pretty 
 clofe upon fome Things, but they knew 
 not o; any Errors in the Indictment. Alt 
 this while CounfeJlor Corbet was filent. 
 Councilor Walcoit was againft G. Fcx r 
 and fearing left they fhould- find fome 
 Errors in the Indictment, he moved,. 
 That the Oath fhould be tender'd again 
 to G. F(.x. Upon which, Counfelior 
 Corbet flood up and moved, That there 
 i-'fls no Imprifcnment in Cafe o/ r Premunire 
 \Vhereupon the Chief Juftice Hales faid, 
 Mr. Corbet, you fhould have come fcon- 
 cr, at the Beginning of the Term with 
 that Plea. He anfwcred, We could not 
 get a Copy of the Return, and of the In- 
 diflmcnt. The Judge replied, Youfhou!d 
 have told us, and we would have forced 
 them to have made a Return fooner. 
 Then laid Judge Wild, Mr. Corbet, you 
 s.i<> up .n g r:eral Terms; and if it be fo 
 
 as
 
 [ '59 ] 
 
 as you fay, we have committed many 
 Errors at the Old-Bailey and in other 
 Courts. Corbet was pofitive, That by Law 
 they cculd not imprijon upon a Premunire. 
 The Judge (aid, There is Summons in 
 the Statute. Yes, fuid Corbet, but Sum- 
 mons is not Imprifonment ; for Summons is 
 in order to a 'Trial. Well, faid the Judge, 
 we muft have Time to look in our Books, 
 and confult the Statutes : So the Hearing 
 was put off till the next Day. As we 
 were going out of Weftwnfter Hall, fome 
 Friends were much troubled, that the 
 Welch Counfellor mould ftart fuch a Flea, 
 contrary to the Opinion of the Judges, 
 and all the Counfellors ; and fome of 
 them faid,. They thought G. Fox would 
 have been difcharged, if the Coun- 
 fellor had not put in that Plea. But ho- 1 
 neft plain G. Fox faid, He had a fine Trial, 
 and was chearful in his Spirit. I defired 
 Friends to have a little Patience, for I 
 thought the Welch Counfellor would ftand 
 upon his own Legs. So I went to the 
 Hall again, and ftaid for Counfellor Cor- 
 bet till the Court was up ; and when I 
 found him, I told him, He had ftarted 
 that which many thought he could not 
 make good ; and if fo, it would be a Re- 
 flection upon me, and the Welch Coun- 
 fellor,
 
 fellor, as they called him. He defired 
 me to bring him that Evening another 
 Copy of the Record, befides what he 
 had. So I got one, and went with it to 
 him ; and he writ in the Margent fome- 
 thing in French, and gave it me again, 
 and defired me to go with it to Thomas 
 Rudyard, who was an Attorney in London, 
 for G. Fox, and deHre him to deliver it 
 that Night to Judge Hala, and he would 
 take the other himfelf to Judge Wild \ 
 and then he thought there would be little 
 Difcourfe of that Matter more : And fo 
 it happen'd. For, 
 
 The next Day they chofe rather to I ft 
 that Plea fall, and begin with the Errors 
 of the Indictment ; and when they came 
 to be opened, they were fo many and fo 
 grofs, that the Judges were all of Opi- 
 nion,- the Indictment was quaflAl and 
 void,, and that G. Fox ought to have his 
 Liberty. Upon which Proclamation was 
 made, That if any had any Thing to fky 
 againft George PCX, let them come forth 
 and they mail be heard, othervvife he is 
 difcharged. And fo he was fet at Liberty. 
 
 Counfellor Corbet, who pleaded this 
 Caufe, got great Fame by it ; for many 
 of the Lawyers told him, He had brought 
 that to Light, which had no: been known 
 
 before, ,
 
 [ :6r ] 
 
 before, as to the not impnfoning upon a 
 Premunire. And after the Trial, a 
 Judge faid to him, Tou have attained a 
 great deal of Honour ', by pleading George 
 Fox'; Caufe fo in Court. 
 
 As we were coming out of the Court, 
 I had an Opportunity to fpeak to fomeof 
 London, and to blame them for their Un- 
 belief ; becaufe they could not believe, 
 that any Good could come from that Plea. 
 I was then of a Mind, and dill am, that 
 the Hand of the Lord was in it, more 
 than the Wit and Cunning of Man ; for 
 that Trial put an End to all the Premu- 
 mres in the Nation. Our Friends, in this 
 County of Montgomery, were moft of us 
 under a Sentence of Premiimre for many 
 Years. Our Friend Charles Lloyd was 
 not fuffer'd to fee his own Houfe for fe- 
 veral Years, although it was but five 
 Miles from Welch-Pool, where he was 
 kept a Prifoner. And as for myfelf, I 
 had the Name of being a Prifoner on the 
 fame Account for about feven Years, but 
 was not kept clofe Prifoner in all that 
 Time, but had my Freedom and Liberty 
 to be at London , and in other Places of 
 the Nation, as my Service was, and as the 
 Lord made Way for me. In this Time I 
 vifited Friends pretty much in their Suf- 
 ferings. So
 
 [ 1*1 
 
 So, Good is the Lord, -arid good is bis 
 Word, and worthy is be to be praifed by all 
 that know him, from henceforth and forever. 
 
 1677. Some Years after this Trial of 
 G. Fox at London, Councilor WalcoU, 
 who was a Counfcllor againft him, was 
 made Judge or three Counties in Nortb- 
 Wdltti viz. Merioneth/hire^ Carnarvan- 
 Jhtre y and Anglefsy. He began his Circirit 
 in Bala in Merioneth/hire. He caufed fe- 
 veral Friends to be brought before h'rrn, 
 and tender'd them the Oath of Allegiance' 
 and Supremacy. He did not intend to 
 proceed againft them by Premunire> but 
 laid, The Refufal of thofe Oaths was 
 High Treafon, and he would proceed 
 againft them upon that Statute for their 
 Lives the next Affizes i threatning that 
 the Men fhouid be hanged, and the Wo- 
 men burned. He was a wicked, hard- 
 hearted Man, and intended much Mil- 
 chief to Friends, if the Lord had not pre- 
 vented him. So Friends of that County 
 acquainted us here of the whole Proceed- 
 ings in that Affair. It being the Time 
 that the Parliament was fitting, Friends^ 
 concluded, that our Friend Tbo. Lloyd 
 fhould go up to London immediately, and 
 we defined him to advife with Coun- 
 
 IVllor '
 
 iellor Corbet, what to do in the Matter, 
 who was then in London. When Coun- 
 fellor Corbet heard of the Bufmefs, he 
 was much concerned, for he was very 
 well acquainted with this IValcott, and 
 faid, By that way they might try us all, 
 if Popery came up again \ for they have, 
 faid he, the \\r\tDe Hczretico Comburendo 
 in force, which was executed in Queen 
 Mary's Days, for the burning of Here* 
 ticks, which was not repealed to this Day. 
 So Counfellor Corbet and Thomas Lloyd . 
 went to the Parliament-houfe, and ac- 
 quainted feveral Parliament-men of it, 
 and that Seffions it was repealed ; and 
 Judge Walcott was fpoken to in London^ 
 and our Friends were no farther profecut- 
 ed, but had their Liberty ; and blefTed 
 be the Lord, Friends had great Peace 
 and Quietnefs in that County for a con- 
 fiderable Time afterwards. In a few 
 Years Judge Walcott died, fo there was 
 an End of that Perfecutor. 
 
 In the Year 1677, our Friend -John 
 Rurnyeat came to give us a Vifit in Wales, 
 and had a Meeting at Machynltelh T in 
 Montgomery/hire, where appeared an In- 
 former, Oliver Maurice of Drain Llwy- 
 dion^ in Merioneth/hire ^ and caufed a Dif- 
 turbance, and went afterwards to#5/00*> 
 
 Pgk,
 
 Pugb, of Ma-tbafern, near Macbynlletb^ a 
 Juftice of the Peace for this County, (he 
 was one of them that had his Commifiion 
 when D. Maurice was turned out, as be- 
 fore related, pag. 155.) who granted 
 him a Warrant ; and himfelf, together 
 with his Bailiff and a Conftable, meet- 
 ing John Burnyeat and Thomas Ellis upon 
 the Road, flopp'd them and feiz'd their 
 Horfes with their Saddles and Bridles, 
 fo that they were conftrain'd to travel on 
 Foot. J. Bur ny cat's Mare died within 
 an Hour and an half after Seizure, and 
 fho. Ellis's Horfe died in the Informer's 
 Hands in half a Year's Time ; in which 
 Time alfo a Diftemper infected moft of 
 his Cattle, whereby he fuffered very great 
 Lofs : The faid Juftice likewife fined 
 feveral other Friends at the fame Time, 
 tho' they lived in another Country. Tho- 
 mas Ellis difpatched a Meflenger to me 
 at Welch- Pooly being about 22 Miles. 
 The next Day the Lord Powis being at 
 Home at his Caftle of Po-zvis, I went to 
 him, and acquainted him thereof; and 
 when he heard it, he was very forry. I 
 defired of him, that he would grant me 
 that Favour to make ufe of his Name, 
 That he had heard fuch and fuch Things 
 concerning the beforefaid Juftice. Not 
 
 only
 
 J 
 
 only fo, faid he, but let Mr. Edmund 
 Lloyd (this was a neighbouring Juftice, 
 no Perfecutor) write to him> and tell 
 him, that 1 am angry with him forfttfh 
 Proceedings. So I went tojmy Friend, that 
 ether Juftice, and got him to write a few 
 Lines to the laid W. Pugh. So he wrote 
 effectually to him, and I fent it away by 
 Night ; by which Means the reft of the- 
 Fines were ftopp'd. But John Burnyeafs 
 Mare was dead, as before related. 
 
 Some Time after, there was in this 
 County of Montgomery one Hughes, a 
 Prieft, in the Parifh of Hirnant> where 
 lived a Friend, an honeft Man, whole 
 Name was John Rhydderch> who could not 
 pay Tithe for Confcience-fake. This 
 Prieft brought feveral Actions againft him 
 out of the County-Court for Tithe ; the 
 Sheriff's Bailiffs drove away feveral of his 
 Cattle, for Judgment had out of the 
 County-Court. Our Friend being well 
 acquainted with the Deputy-Sheriff, ac- 
 quainted him of the Errors of the Pro- 
 ceedings in the County- Court ; and the 
 Sheriff ordered the Bailiffs to return the 
 Friend his Cattle again : So the Prieft 
 was in a great Fret that he loft all 
 that Charge. After that, he order'd the 
 Friend to be fued at Ludlow Court, which 
 
 was
 
 was for the Marches of Wales. This 
 Court was a great Yoke and Bondage to 
 Friends in this Dominion -, for all Aniwers 
 wtre to be given uponOith in that Court, - 
 which Friends could notdoiorConfcience- 
 iake. This Prieft followed the Friend 
 with one Contempt aiter another, till it 
 came to a Writ of Rebellion. We let him 
 go c^t as "far as he could go, till the Friend 
 was ready to be taken , our Attorney 
 gave us an Account of it, and 1 defired 
 the Friend to go to a Friend's Houfe in 
 Sbropjhire, which was out of the Jurif- 
 diclion of that Court, and ftay there till 
 he fliould hear from me. I fent to London 
 to John Lloyd, Brother to Charles Lloyd, 
 of Dolobran, who belonged to the Chan- 
 cery-Office, and he fent me down a Pro- 
 hibition, and I fent to ferve the Prieft and 
 his Attorney with it. The Prieft fell into 
 a- very great Rage, and his Attorney 
 came to him for feven Pounds Charge 
 that he laid out for him, but the Prieft 
 would not pay him ; fo the Attorney fued 
 him, and got Judgment againft him, fo 
 that the poor Prieft could not go to per- 
 form his wonted Service for fome Time. 
 Soon after which the Prieft died, and I 
 know not whether the Attorney had one 
 Penny of his Money i and that Friend 
 
 was
 
 was never troubled afcer on Account of 
 that Suit. 
 
 Our Friend Charles L?oyd y of Dolobrax, 
 was. fued for Tithe at the great Affizes 
 held for this, County of Montgomery, by 
 the Ear) of Cajllemain Impropriator, and 
 Ra ndal Davies* \Vicar of Myvod, the Pa- 
 rifh that our Frieod Charles Lloyd lived 
 in; we were fatisfied .it was a Court of 
 Record, and they might fue for treble 
 Damage for not paying Titbe -, fo we 
 concluded to go with a Copy of their. De- 
 claration to Counfellor Corbet, who Jived 
 then at Welch-Pool, and when he read it, 
 he laid he would demur to it. I afked him, 
 Whether he could demur in the Cafe of 
 Tithes? He f.iid, he would maintain a De- 
 murrer to that Declaration. So when the 
 Court fat, he acquainted the Judge, that 
 be would demur to that Declaration. The 
 Judge faid, Demur in the Cafe of Tithe-? 
 TeSj in this .Cafe, faid he. The Judge 
 afked him, Whether he would demur fpe- 
 cial or general ? Corbet faid, When we join 
 in Demurrer you may know. So they 
 join'd in Demurrer \ and when it came 
 .lobe argued, he fhewed his Caufe of 
 Demurrer. So the Judge and the Court 
 were convinced of the Error, and they 
 .paid Coft, and mended the Declaration, 
 
 and
 
 T '68 ] 
 
 and next Affixes they obtained Judgment 
 upon Nibil dicit. So Charles Lloyd's Cat- 
 tle were driven for treble Damage ; but 
 the Prieft was fo perplexed, and put to 
 Charge and Trouble, that I do not know 
 he ever fued any Friend for Tithe again. 
 
 Alter this, I went to London to the 
 Yearly-meeting, and continued there fome 
 Time, in and about the City, and fo 
 came leifurely down through feveral 
 Meetings, vifiting Friends. A while 
 after I came Home, Thomas Ellis, and 
 James Halliday, came to our Town -, I 
 told James, It was well done of him to 
 give us a Vifit in thefe Parts of" 'Wales. 
 They fuid, They came to vifit us againft 
 their Wills. I afked them, Whether they 
 were Prifoners ? They faid, They were : 
 And loon after came other Friends with 
 them. I took them along with me to my 
 Houfe to refrefh themfelves. They told 
 me, James Halliday came from London to 
 South-Wales, intending to take Shipping 
 there for Ireland, to be at the Half- year's 
 Meeting , but the Wind proving con- 
 trary, he was neceflitated to come for 
 North-Wales to Holybead, and having a 
 Meeting in this County near Llanidlos, 
 they were taken Prifoners and fined by 
 Evan Glyn, a Juftice of the Peace, and 
 
 lent
 
 fent here. I was very much concerned 
 for James Halliday, that he fliould be 
 ffopp'd in thefe Parts, and hindered of his 
 Service. So next Morning about two 
 of the Clock, I took Horfeand went to 
 this Juftice's Father-in-Law, Juftice 
 Devereux, and found him at a Village 
 .three Miles from Welch-Pool He afked 
 me, What was the Matter ? I told him. 
 That hisSon-in-Law Glyn had committed 
 fome of our Friends to Prifon to Welch- 
 Pool^ and fined them allb; and I toid 
 him, I thought by the Law, that no 
 Man was to fuffcr twice for the fame fup- 
 pofed Tranfgrefiion. He gave his Son- 
 in-Law hard Language, and defired me 
 to fee fome Way to get them off, I went 
 to a neighbouring Jutlice, and got James 
 Halliday a Difcharge, and brought it 
 with me that Morning ; fo we haftened 
 him away with a Guide towards Hdyhead^ 
 and I was informed, he had a good and 
 quick Pafiage, and got in Time to 
 the Half-year's Meeting in Ireland^ as 
 he intended. 
 
 For Thomas Ellis, and the reft of the 
 Friends, the Jailer took our Words, that 
 they fliould be forth coming at the next 
 Quarter- SefTions, at which Time Charles 
 Lloyd and myfelf attended the Court, and 
 
 went
 
 [ '7 ] 
 
 went to the 1 Clerk of the Peace, and de- 
 fired him to call our Friends firft, which 
 he did. The Friends being all at the 
 Bar, no Profecutor appearing againft 
 them, (Juftice G/\ being not then come 
 to Town) they Were Ibcn difcharged, 
 without demanding any Fees ; and after 
 Friends had refrefhed themfelves in 
 Town, they went homewards, fomc of 
 them towards Radnor/hire^ and thofe that 
 went towards Llanidlo!, met Juftice G/y, 
 who had committed them, going towards 
 the Quarter- SefTions. He fpoke to them, 
 and they told him they were difcharged. 
 He feemed not to be lorry for it, for he 
 was not a Perfecutor in the bottom, but 
 was put on by a peevifh proud informing 
 Prieft, and 1'knownot that ever he did 
 the like again. 
 
 I went to London to the Yearly-meet- 
 ing in 1 68 i. Perfecution'was very fevere 
 upon friends in the City, and elfewhere 
 in thofe Parfs ; at which Meeting it Jay 
 upon my Mind to move for a Yearly- 
 meeting in Wales, and after fome Con- 
 fideration about it, it was left to Friends 
 in Wales, to appoint their firft Yearly- 
 meeting, as in the Wifdom of God they 
 fhould fee meet, at their Half-year's 
 Meeting, held at Swanzey, the 28th of 
 
 the
 
 1 17 ] 
 
 -the feventh Month. An Account of 
 which, my Friend 'Thomas Ellis lent me 
 to London, as followeth : 
 
 Dear Friend, R. DA VIES. 
 
 TN the Love of God is my Remembrance 
 of thee at this Time, with many vtkers 
 of the like-minded* in and about the City, 
 and efpecially thofe who from the Beginning 
 have been and ftill are moft exercifed under 
 the gloKious Weight of the Care and Con- 
 cerns of the Church of Chrift ; the Remem- 
 brance of 'whom hath divers Times, and 
 especially of late, as at this prefent^ wrought 
 both Eyes to 'Tears, and Hearts to Tender- 
 nefs. Although I was difappointed in my 
 Expectation of feeing tbee here, at this Half- 
 year's Meeting, yet thy Letter to John ap 
 John, coming Jo feafonably, did jo anfwer 
 for thee, that it was both Joy and Refre/h- 
 'ment to many of us. We had a full Meet- 
 ing of Friends from moft Parts of Wales ; 
 man}' having come upon the Account of the 
 Yearly-meeting, which was concluded to be 
 at Haveribrdweft, the fecond Day of the 
 Week^ called Eafter-week,/0r the follow- 
 ing Tear. Here were E. Edwards, John 
 ap John, W. Players, Francis Lea, Philip 
 Leonard, and Richard Walter, -who had 
 I Teftimomes,
 
 [ '72 ] 
 
 Tejtiviomes, and many otbcr Friends befides 
 from other remote ParL\ all zealous for the 
 Tearly meeting. We had Meetings here 
 the three iaji Days . 
 
 Th\ Friend and 'Brother* 
 
 ' 
 Swanzey, the 2 8th 
 
 cf the feventh THOMAS ELLIS. 
 
 Month, 1681. 
 
 About the Year 1680, or 1681, came 
 Dr. William Lloyd, late of Mirrifc-s in 
 London, to be Bifhop or this Diocefs, call- 
 ed St. Afapb. Pcrfeeucion was very fharp 
 and fevere in feveral Places about this 
 Time, upon Account of Excommunication. 
 and the Statute of 20 /. a Month. But 
 this new Bifhop thought to take a more 
 mild Way to work, by Ibmmoningali Sorts 
 of Diffenters to difcourle with him, and 
 to feek to perfwade them to turn to the 
 Church of England. Among the reft, 
 when he came to Welch- Pool in his Vifi- 
 tation, he fc-nt for us. Charles Llcyd, 
 Thomas Lloyd, and my lelf fought to fp^-ak* 
 with him, but 1 was that Day bound ior 
 London, fo could nor, but my Friends 
 Itaid till they had an Opportunity with 
 him , and my Friend Charles Uo-Jd gave 
 me an Account afterwards, ot what palT- 
 
 cd
 
 [ 173 1 
 
 ed between them, which was to this 
 Effect: 
 
 That the Bifhop was much difpleafed 
 that I was abfent ; and when he was told of 
 my urgent Occafion to go, ajid my Stay on 
 purpofe fomeTime to (ee him, he faid, His 
 Bufinefi wasgreatsr, whatever my Bufmefs 
 was. That Day they difcourfed with 
 him, his Chaplains, and other Clergy, fo 
 called, from about Two in the Afternoon, 
 till Two in the Morning. Afterwards 
 they difcourfed with him two Days at 
 Lladviliing. The lirft Day from about 
 Two in the Afternoon till Night ; and 
 the nfxt Day, from about Ten in the 
 Morning, till an Hour in the Night, pub- 
 lickly in the Town-hall. The firft Day 
 at Pool, our Friends Charles Lloyd and 
 Thomas Lloyd gave their Reafons of Se- 
 paration. In none of the three Days 
 would the Bifhop and his Clergy defen \ 
 their own Principles, or refute ours ; buc 
 only held the three Days on the general 
 Principles of Chriftendom^ and the Apo- 
 itles Examples of WSater-baptifm^nd. once 
 a fmall Touch at the Bread and IVine* 
 Thomas Lloyd held the lad Day, our Rea- 
 fons why we feparated from the Church 
 of England -, which were, 
 
 I 2 i. Becaufe
 
 t '74 ] 
 
 i. Becaufe their Worjhip^ was not a 
 
 2. Becaufe their Miniftry, was no Gof- 
 ple Mixiftry. 
 
 3. Becaufe their Ordinances, were no 
 -Gofpel Ordinances. 
 
 But they would not join with him to 
 
 prove any of them, though often follicit- 
 
 ed thereunto , Friends being Sufferers, 
 
 muft fubmit to ali Difadvantages : For 
 
 they had not any Notice before-hand of 
 
 ivhat Matters they mould argue till they 
 
 .came to the Place of Difpute, and the 
 
 lad Day they forced Thomas Llo-^d to 
 
 about twenty-eight Syllogifms, all writ- 
 
 ten down as they difputed, to be anfwer- 
 
 ed extempore ; and the Bifhop faid, He 
 
 did not expect fo much could be faid by 
 
 any on that Subject, on fo little Warning. 
 
 And he faid, That he expected not to 
 
 find fo much Civility from the Quakers ; 
 
 he highly commended Thomas Lloyd^ and 
 
 jour Friends came off with them very well, 
 
 They had alfo much Difcourfe with the 
 
 Chancellor, and one Henry Dodwell^ and 
 
 with the Dean of Bangor^ afterwards 
 
 Bilhop of Hereford, very learned Men, 
 
 who were alfo at the faid Difpute, with 
 
 many of the Clergy of the Diocefs, with 
 
 birie Juftices of the Peace, Deputy-Lieu- 
 
 tenants
 
 [ '7* 1 
 
 tenants of the County, and a great Cctfu 
 courfe of People, in the Town-hall afore- 
 faid, in Llanvilling. Several of the Clergy ,> 
 with whom I afterwards difcourfed, feenl- 
 ed not well fatisfied with that Difpute j- 
 for they faid, They thought the Validity 
 of Water-baptiftn^ was much weakened 
 thereby; and feveral noted Men that 
 were prefent, faid, They thought there 
 eould not have been Ib much faid againfi 
 Watcr-ba$tffm as had been laid there. 
 It was agreed, by Confent of all Parties 
 concerned, that the Difpute mould not 
 be printed. 
 
 I (laid a pretty while in London ; and 
 when the Lord made Way for me, I took- 
 my Leave of the City- Friends, Jetting 
 them underftand, that I Was preparing 
 Homewards, intending for my Prifon 4 
 upon the Writ De Excommunicate Capien- 
 do y that was out againft me and our 
 Friends, and other DiiTenters in this Dio- 
 cefs call'd St. Afafk. A little Time be- 
 fore I came out of the City, there came 
 two or three grave Citizens, I fuppofe or 
 the Independent Congregation, and told 
 me. They were come to let me know, 
 that there was a Writ De Excommunicate 
 Capiendo out againft me, and there was 
 one of their Friends already in Prifon on 
 I 3 the
 
 [ 1 7 6 ] 
 
 the fame Writ in our County, and if I 
 would contribute with them, they faid, 
 they knew how to make it void. I told 
 them, I knew that there was a Writ out 
 againft me , and I did alfo know there 
 \vas a Friend of theirs, one Richard Trol- 
 lus, in Prilbn in Welcb-Pool^ on that Writ. 
 I told them I thought they might make 
 the Writ void, but I would contribute 
 nothing towards it -, for I told them, I 
 would haften Home as foon as I could, 
 and goto Prifon if required, They faid, 
 They were fatisfied I had other Reafons 
 why I would not make the Writ void, 
 a:ui dtfircd me to be free with them, and 
 tell them my Reafons. I told them, I 
 thought they might make that Wric 
 void with a great deal of Charges ; but 
 faid I, how will you prevent the Bifhop 
 from coming on again with another Writ 
 which you cannot make void? If there 
 be any Error in their Proceedings in this, 
 no Doubt but the Bifhop and Chancellor 
 will mend it in the next. And whether 
 do you think it is better for me to go to 
 Prifon on a falfe Wrir, cr en a Writ that 
 you can find no Error in ? I laid, if I go 
 to Prifon. on this erroneous Writ, and the 
 Sheriff or Jailer gives me my Liberty, the 
 Bifhop or the Chancellor cannot juftly fue 
 
 them.
 
 them. Thefe Men went away well fatif- 
 fied with the Reafons I gave them, and I 
 know of no Money they fpent to make 
 the Writ void. 
 
 I acquainted my Friend Wittwm Penn, 
 and fome Friends, that I intended to give 
 Bifhop Llo\d a Vifit before I went to Pri- 
 fon, if the'Loird.pleafed to make way lor 
 me. So my Friend W. Penn, the Morn- 
 ing before I came out of the City, fent 
 me a Letter from, the Lord Hide- to the 
 Bifliop, with his Coat of Arms on it, un- 
 feai*d-. I took my Journey, and the Lord 
 brought me fafe Home, to the Comfort 
 of my Family and Friends, who were 
 afraid I had been detained; from coming 
 Home. 
 
 The nex Morning I fet out to fee the 
 Bifliop without Interruption , tho* the 
 Sheriff, George Mercer > was very envious 
 to . Friends, yet I efcaped his Hands at 
 this Time. I went to my Friend Tho. 
 //A- *<?*$, who lived in Caerwys in Flint- 
 . not far frc-m tlie -Bifl^op's Palace, 
 and he went with mp. When we came 
 there, -the Bifhop's Secretary came to the 
 Gate. I afk'd him* Whether the Bifhop 
 was with in ? He faid, be was \ and allced 
 .me, Who would fpeak nilb him ? I told 
 .him, That .J&cbjrd Davits would fpeak 
 I 4 with
 
 [ 17* J 
 
 wkh him. ttlat, faid he, *f Welch- Pool? 
 Yes-, faid I. What, faid the Secretary, 
 my Lord Bijhop ! Bifhop, as it fignifies an 
 Overfeer, faid I, I am ; but Lord Bifhop 
 I deny. So the Bifhop fent for us in, and 
 there were feveral Clergymen with him, 
 among the reft, the Dean of Bangor, be- 
 lore-mentioned. The Biftiop feem'd to 
 be duTatisfied, that I was not with them 
 at the Difpute at Llanvilling: We went 
 foon to difpute about Water-baptifm j 
 I told them, 1'here was one Lord, wit 
 Faith, and one Baptifm ; and that Bap- 
 rifm was neceflary to Salvation ; and that 
 Water-baptifm, which was John's Bap- 
 tifm, Avas to continue and remain but for 
 a Seafon. So this, and fuch-like Dii"- 
 courfe, held us till it was late that Night; 
 and then 1 went -to my Friend's Houfe, 
 with an Order to be there again in the 
 'Morning. I came in the Morning, and 
 we diiputed upon the fame Subject. I 
 faid, If one Ihould grant what they de- 
 fired, viz. that Water- bapt if m was ne- 
 ceflary to Salvation, which I would not, 
 "Where fhould they have an Adminiftrator, 
 feeing Paul fays exprefly, He was not 
 fent to baptize, but to preach the Go/pel i 
 and thanked God, that he baptized none, 
 except fuch and fuch ? i Cor. i. 14, 17. 
 
 And
 
 [ '79 1 
 
 And Peter ) who baptized many, carae- 
 fo to fee the Invalidity of Water-bapnim, 
 that he faid, By Baptifm we are fayed, not 
 the putting away of the Filth of the Flejb, 
 (outward Water could do no farther) but 
 the Anfwer of a good Conscience towards God, 
 by the Refurreclion of Jefus Cbri/l, i Pet. 
 iii. 21. They went from 'this to their" 
 Ordination, I put them to prove, who' 
 fent them to baptize ? The Dean told me, 
 Such an one ordained him ; and fo named 
 from one to another. I told him, I-- 
 thought I Ihould fend him to Rome for " 
 their Succeffion and Ordination. They 
 laid, 2es, the Ordination might be good,- 
 though it cams from Rome. He brought 
 a Companion ; - as, Suppife a Malefaftor 
 I'jas condemned to die, and a Reprieve 
 was obtained, and it came down by the 
 Hang-man* s Hand- y and tho' it came fo, 
 yet, laid he, the Pardon was good: Then, 
 laid I, your Ordination comes not by ' 
 the Spirit and Power of God. This Re- - 
 turn made them fomewhat uneafy ; and : 
 the Time being pretty far fpent, I was 
 willing to be difchurged, having been - 
 there part of three Days. 
 
 I told the Bifhopof good old Dj:vV/,who * 
 faid, Pfiil. xxv i. 6. I witt wafo My H.vich 
 in /'7/;<?: <f '.TV, /,'!:>; will I cwnpafs thy 
 I 5 Alietr,
 
 God-, that with the Voice of 
 I may pubtijb and tell of all 
 thy ponderous Works. Then I faid to the 
 Bifhop, Thou canft not fay, thou wilt 
 warn thy Hands in Innocency, nor com- 
 pals the Altar of God, while thy Writs 
 remain againft fo many innocent People, 
 willing to faffer till Death, for the Tefti- 
 mony of their Confciences towards God. 
 And' I faid, Bifhop Lloyd, if I go to Pri- 
 fon upon this Account, I fhall have more 
 Peace there, than thou (halt have in thy 
 Palace. I alfo faid, Suppofe another Prince 
 fhould arife, that would impofe fome- 
 thing upon thee, that thou couldft not do 
 for Confcience-fake, What wouldft thou 
 do? He fa id, Then I will go to Penfylva- 
 nia aljo\ for at that Time many Friends 
 were about going there. Then it came 
 clearly to me, and I faid to the Bifhop, 
 Though thy Head be grey, yet thou 
 mayft live to fee Liberty of Confcience 
 in England ; though, as to outward Ap- 
 pearance, it feemed to be very far from 
 it at that Time. 
 
 The Bifhop called for Pen and Ink, 
 and faid, He would write to the Chancellor 
 for my Liberty ; but I told him, I was 
 not fatisftcd for myfelf to be at Liberty, 
 and my Friends in Prifon. So he wrote 
 
 to
 
 to the Chancellor to fufytnd the Execution 
 of the Writ, ' \Yheri he'lv-d done, he read 
 the Letter to me, and I owned his Kind- 
 nefs to us ail therein. Then I took Lord 
 Hide's Letter out of my Pocket, and 
 gave ic him. When he law the Super- 
 fcription, and knew from whence it was, 
 he afked me, How 1 came by it ? I told 
 him, As I was coming out of London, 
 intending for Priion, a Friend of mine 
 brought me that Letter the fame Morn- 
 ing that I left the City. When he had 
 read it, he faid, He hoped 1 was fa- 
 tisfied that he had granted m? the Contents 
 of that Letter. \ told him, I was fo, and 
 I hoped he would have his Reward for 
 his Well-doing. 
 
 Then I was difmiffed, had Leave to 
 come Home, and brought a Letter to 
 John Edwards, Chancellor, a p?evifh 
 Man againft Friends, who lived at Lla- 
 nytnynecb* about eight Miles from Welch- 
 Pad. When he received the Letter, he did 
 according to the Bifhop's Order, and thofe 
 Friends in the Diocefs, that were concerned 
 therein, were not molefted nor troubled oh 
 that Account any more ; and the Friends 
 that were' in Prifon before, were dif- 
 chafged. We have great Caafe to bids 
 "and praife the Lord, for all his Mercies, 
 I 6 Kind-
 
 Kindneffts, and Deliverances to us; for 
 hitherto he hath been our Eben-ezer ; that 
 is, the Lord bath helped us. i Sam. vii,. 
 
 12. 
 
 In the Beginning of the Year 1682, 
 my dear Friend Charles Lloyd, and I 
 went to vifit Friends in Herefordshire, 
 Worcefterjhire, &c. and came through 
 their Meetings to London, before the 
 Yearly-meeting. I acquainted my Friends 
 George Wbitebead and W. Perm, that I 
 intended to go to Lord Hide, to acknow- 
 ledge his Kindnefs for his Letter, on my 
 Behalf, to B imop Lloyd. George White 
 bead faid, There was fome Service to be 
 done for our fuffering Friends in Briftol, 
 and it was thought convenient, that three 
 of the City, and three of the Country, 
 fhould go with the faid Sufferings, and 
 dtfire the Kindnefs of Lord Hide to pre- 
 i'ent them to the King. The three Friends 
 tor the Country, were Charles Lloyd, Tho- 
 mas Wynne, and myfelf; for the Cky, 
 Gsorge Wbitebead, Alexander Parker, and 
 one more. Our Friend G. Whitehead told 
 me, That our Countryman Sir Lionel 
 Jenkin, Secretary of State, was fo crofs- 
 ond ill humour'd, that when the King 
 was inclin'd to Moderation and Tender- 
 ntfs to fuffering Friends, he often ftopp'd 
 
 and
 
 I. '*r 1 
 
 and hinder*d the Relief intended them. 
 When we went to Whitehall, we waited a 
 Jong Time before we could fpeak with 
 them, they being upon a Committee a 
 confiderable Time ; but we had fent in 
 by the Door-keeper, to acquaint Lord 
 Hide, that we were there \ and in Time 
 they fent for us in. The Secretary look'd 
 grim upon us. I went to Lord Hide, and 
 acknowledged his Kindnefs, for his Let- 
 ter on my Behalf to the Bifhop. He 
 told me, that I mould tell the Bifhop, 
 there would be Liberty of Conference in 
 England. I told him, I did fay fo j and 
 did believe it wou'd be fo in God's Time. 
 Secretary Jenkins fpoke in a fcornful 
 Manner, and afked me, What was Welch 
 for a Quaker? I anfwered him, Crynwr, 
 Crynwyr ; it being the fingular and plu- 
 ral Number. But the Secretary faid, We 
 bad no Welch for it, for there were m 
 Quakers in tbe Romans Days. My 
 Friend Charles Lloyd anfwered, If thou 
 didit afk my Friend the. Queftion aright, 
 he hatn anfwer'd thee right ; for there is 
 Englijb, Welch, Latin, Greek, and He* 
 brew for a Quaker. So the Secretary faid, 
 Sir, I underfland Welch pretty well, and 
 Englifli, and Latin, and Greek ; but if 
 ywgo to your Hebrew, / know not what 
 
 ft
 
 [ i8 4 ] 
 
 to. fay to you. I left my Friend C. 
 to engage with thispeevim Country man, 
 and presented Lord Hide with a long Lift 
 of the Names of Men, Women, and 
 Children, in their feveral Prifons at Bri- 
 fiol. I defired him to be fo kind as to 
 prefent their Sufferings to the King, which 
 he faid he would -, and our Friend George 
 Whitehead fpoke farther to him. Then 
 I turned to the Secretary, who directed 
 his Words to me, and fpoke to him thus 
 in Welch : 
 
 Mae yn ddrwg gennif^ fod v;i s Hilio- 
 gactb yr ben Frittaxiaid , yr rha't ydder- 
 byniodd y GrefaddGrifiianogol yn gyntaf yn 
 Loeger , yn erbyn \r rbaifydd givcdider- 
 byn y wir Griftianogol Grefyddyr a&r bon. 
 The Engli/h is thus : 
 
 * I am forry that one of the Stock of 
 the ancient Bnlons, who firft received 
 the Cbri/iiau Faith in England, fhould 
 ' be againft thofe who have received the 
 true Cbriftian Faith in this Day.' 
 
 He replied, He was not againft our 
 Friends ; but, he faid, our Friends gave 
 their fates for the Election of Parliament- 
 men that were again fl the King's Inter eft. 
 I told him, It was our Birth-right, as 
 we were Freeholders and BurgefFes, to 
 elect Men qualified to ferveboth the King 
 
 and
 
 [ 1*5 ] 
 
 and Country ; but how they were ccr- 
 rupted, when they came within thefe 
 Walls, I knew not, The Secretary 
 would have engaged iarther with me in a 
 Difpute about Religion. I told him, 
 He was an ancient Man, and that they 
 had been a long Time there upon their 
 Bufmefs, and if he would be pleafed to 
 difmifs us then, and appoint what Time 
 we fhould fome Morning wait upon him, 
 we would, if he pleafed, fpend an Hour 
 or two with him in Difcourfe about Re- 
 ligion. Upon which he toek off his Hat, 
 and thanked me kindly for my Civility j 
 but we heard no more of him about the 
 Difpute. Upon the whole, our Friend 
 G. Whitehead told me, He was more 
 moderate to Friends afterwards, than he 
 had been before. The Number of Pri- 
 foners, in the Lift delivered to Lord Hide> 
 to be prefented to the King, amounted to, 
 in both Prifons, one hundred thirty and 
 nine ; of which there were eighteen aged 
 Women, from fixty and upwards, and 
 eight Children. In the latter End of the 
 Lift it was faid, Bleffed are the Merciful^ 
 for they jhall obtain Mercy. 
 
 I had my feveral Exercifes this Year, 
 1682, in London, both from falfe Bre- 
 thren, and otherwife. Once I was at the 
 
 Bull
 
 [ '86-] 
 
 Bull and Mouth Meeting, and there were 
 in the Gallery feveral troublefome People^ 
 and none of our Miniftring Brethren in 
 true Unity with us, but George Whitebead 
 and William Gibfon. The Gallery being 
 pretty full, one of them feem'd to 
 ftrive to keep me our, and our Friends 
 G. tfTxttbaid and IV. Gibfon perceiving 
 it, made Way for me to come up to 
 them ; another of them had been fpeak - 
 ing long in the Meeting, and had made 
 many weary of him. I was under great 
 Concern in my Spirit for the Honour and 
 Exaltation of the Name of the Lord, and 
 his Truth, and the Eafe of many that 
 were under Weights and Burthens ; yet 
 for Quietnefs-fake, I filently bore the 
 Weight and Exercife that was upon me, 
 till he had done. Then my Mouth wag 
 opened in the Name and Power of God, 
 who had Companion on his afflicted Seed, 
 aad caufed the Light and Life of his 
 Countenance to overlhadow the Meeting, 
 to the Comfort and great Satisfaction' of 
 the Faithful. 
 
 I was made to detect the falfe Doctrine, 
 which one of them had delivered to the 
 'People, v/z. That the Children of God 
 are deftrcyed for Want of Knowledge. I 
 told the 'People, That the Children .of 
 
 God
 
 God in thefe Days, were the Children of 
 the New Covenant , and the Covenant 
 that he makes with them is, That tbey 
 foall know him, from the leajl tothegreateft ; 
 and the true Knowledge of God to his 
 People in thefe Days, is Life eternal, John 
 xvii. 3. Though IJrael of old were de- 
 ftroyed for want of Knowledge, becaufe 
 they forgot the God of their Fathers, that 
 brought them out of the Land of Egypt, 
 and cut of the Houfe of Bondage, info- 
 much that the Lord complained of them, 
 and faid, 1"he Ox knowetb bis Owner ; and 
 the Aft bis Majler's Crib, but my People 
 know not me, Ifa. i. 3. And elfewhere 
 it is faid, They have forgotten me Days 
 without Number. Thele were thofe Apo- 
 . ftates, that the Lord complained, Jer. 
 ii. 13, had committed two Evils ; they 
 had forfaken him^ the Fountain of living 
 Waters, and hewed them out Cifterns % 
 broken Citterns, that could bold no Waler* 
 Thefe were fuch as the Apoftle faid, Wben 
 they knew God, they glorified him not as 
 God, neither were thankful i but became 
 vain in their Imaginations > and their fooli/b 
 Heart was darkened: For this Cauje, God 
 gave them up unto vile Affeftions, and. a 
 reprobate Mind, Rom..i. 21. And the 
 Apoftates in our Days, faid I, have for- 
 got
 
 [ ,88 ] 
 
 got the God thatfirft made them acquaint- 
 ed in meafure with him , fo having loit 
 the Senfe of his Goodnefs, have feparated 
 thcmfelves from the Love and Unity or 
 the Brethren , but the Children of God, 
 who are faithful to the Meafure of the 
 Grace of God in themfelves, know it to 
 be their Teacher and Leader into all 
 Truth. -Thefe are not deftroyed for want 
 of Knowledge, though the World. knovv 
 him not. There are Apoftates in oar 
 Age, who have loft the true Knowledge 
 of him , but the Saint3 in Ligh* have and 
 remain in the true Knowledge of him, 
 being guided by the Spirit of Truth, 
 whom the World cannot receive, bccaufe 
 it feeth him not, neither knoweth him ; 
 But ye know hfof, for be dwelletb "with you^ 
 4ndjhall-be in you, John xiv. 17. 
 
 When I had thus eafed my Spirit, a 
 Concern came upon our Friend and Bro- 
 ther, George Whilehead, 'and he fweetly 
 concluded the Meeting in Prayer. 
 
 A r ter this I was pretty 'well cleared 6f 
 the City, and -was willing to draw home- 
 wards. Next Firft-day 1 came to Jcr- 
 d&n's in hittkng&sififtfo*) where wfe had a 
 bleffed Meeting ;' then 1 had one at Chff- 
 bam\ from thence I went to RocertJoneSs 
 near Trhg. Thence I went to the- Quar- 
 terly-
 
 [ 189 J 
 
 terly-meeting at Wcfton-Tttrfeld, not far 
 from dyk/bttryi where it opened in me, 
 To advife Friends, to keep to thofe Rules 
 and Methods agreed on among us, in oar 
 Men's and Women's Meetings. As I 
 was declaring, came in an oppbfite Party ; 
 however I went on, and (hewed them, 
 how it was agreed among the Apoilles, 
 to fend chofen Men, endued with the 
 Holy Ghoft, to fet up good Order and 
 Method among them. I delivered unto 
 them, That it feemed good to the Holy 
 Ghcft, and to us alfo, to let up our Men's 
 and Women's Meetings, that the - Care 
 and Concern of the Church of Chriit 
 might be upon holy, felt-denying Men 
 and Women, who might take Care of 
 the Fatherlefs and Widows in their Afflic- 
 tions, and keep themfelves unfpotted 
 from the World ; which the Apoftle 
 James fays, is Pure Religion, and unde- 
 f.led before God, Jam. i. 27. And that 
 the Care of all, both Poor, Strangers, 
 and Prifonersin Affliction, might be care- 
 fully and tenderly look'd after, and fup- 
 plied according to their Neceflities; and 
 that the Minifters of Chrift in this Day, 
 m'ght take the Counfel of the Apoftle, 
 whoiaid, dfls xx. 2#. Take heed there- 
 fore unto yturfehesy and io all the Flock ,
 
 which the Holy Ghojl hath made you 
 * to feed the Church of Gcd r 
 which be hath ^ur chafed 'with' his own 
 Blood. 
 
 When Fhad enrled what I had to fay 
 from the Lord among Friends, one of 
 the Party ftood up, and fpoke fomething 
 by way of Reflection, upon what I then 
 delivered. When he had done, our Friend 
 Thomas Ellwood propofed to the Meeting, 
 that all fhould fit down, and wait to feel 
 the Power of God among us,, and let that 
 decide, whether I did fpeak in the Name 
 and Power of God among them this Day : 
 To which the Meeting agreed, and all 
 were fiJent. After which feveral Friends 
 as they were rnov*d by the Lord, gave 
 tenderly their Teftimony, That what was 
 delivered that Day, was in the Name 
 and Power of God, and that his Prefence 
 was with us ; as honeft Robert Jones, and 
 Richard Baker -, who loved the Lord artd 
 his blefied Truth with all their Hearts, 
 and feveral others prefent in that Meeting. 
 There ftood up a young Man that I knew 
 not, whofe Heart was affected, and much 
 broken in Spirit,, and kid on this wife : 
 Xbcre is a Man come this Day amongfl us, 
 I know not from whence he came, nor where 
 be goes j but this I am fatisfied, the Lord
 
 1 191 ] 
 
 fent him bert, and bis Power and Prefcnce 
 with him, and bis Tejlimony for the God 
 cf Truth. I enquired afterwards, who 
 that young Man was ? They faid, he was 
 one John Thornton. Upcn thi one of 
 the Party broke in violently and diforder- 
 Jy againit what had been agreed upon a- 
 mong us before the Meeting had fully 
 cleared themfelves, and ftnifhed their 
 Teftimonies: But it proved greatly to 
 his Difhonour and Difgrace, lo that he 
 was made manifefl to thofe that adhered 
 to him. The Meeting held from about 
 ten in the Morning, till (as they thought) 
 ten or eleven at Night. But blefled be 
 the Lord, that doth not leave his People 
 without a Witnefs to himfelf ; and he is 
 th-j Preferver and Defender of all his 
 People that wait upon him. They that 
 truft in him are as Mount Sion, that can- 
 not be removed. 
 
 After this, I made what Hade I could 
 Home, taking Meetings in my Way ; 
 at Banbury. and the Country about, and 
 Part of Worcefterfoire. So, blefled be the 
 Lord, I came fate Home to my Wife 
 and Friends, where I found all Things 
 well ; blefled be his Name for ever. 
 
 In the Year 1683, I went again to 
 London, to the Yearly-meeting, and (laid 
 
 there
 
 there fame Time, after moft of the Coun- 
 try Friends were gone out of the City. I 
 was engaged one Firft-day for Weftminfter 
 Meeting, and there was no miniftering 
 Friend prcfem but myfelf. Several 
 weighty Matters opened in me at that 
 Meeting , as, concerning the Church of 
 Chrift, What it was, and on what it was 
 built ? I laid, Some be of the J udgment, 
 that the Church of Chrift is built upon 
 Peter \ and I opened to the Underttand- 
 ing of the People ibmething of what is 
 written rin the i6th Chapter of Matthew. 
 I fhewed them, That which icveaicd un- 
 to Peter, that Chrift was the Son cf God t 
 was a Manifestation oi the Spirit of God 
 in Peter , for it is faid, Mat. xi. 27. No 
 Man knowetb the Son but the Father , nei- 
 ther knoweth any Man the Father^ fave 
 the Son, and he to wbowjoever the Son will 
 reveal him. God revealed unto Peier^ 
 That Chrift was the Son of God ; and he 
 is the only Rock that his Church is built 
 upon," the Rock of Ages, the Foundation 
 of many Generations, that the Gates of 
 Hell never prevail'd againft. But the 
 Gates of Hell prevail'd againft Peter, 
 when he denied his Lord and Mafter in 
 the Time of his Sufferings ; and there- 
 fore he was not like to be the Rock which 
 
 Chrift
 
 [ '93 ] 
 
 Chrift built his Church on: If is faid, 
 i Cor. x. 4. For they drank of that Spiri- 
 tual Rock' that folk-wed -them ; and that 
 Rock mas Chrift So Chriit is the Rock, 
 the iure Foundation that his Church is 
 built upon. , Peter frith, i Pet. ii. 5, 6, 
 &c. Ye alfjy as lively Si ones, are Wilt up 
 a Spiritual Hoiife.. w holy Pr left hoed, to 
 offer up fpiritual Sacrifices, accent-able to 
 God, by Jejus Chrift. And in verf. .8, 
 he acknowledged Chrift to be the Rock. 
 Paul faith, i 'Tim. iii. 15. That the Houfe 
 of God* the Church of the living God, is 
 the Pillar and Ground of the Truth. "I 'his, 
 faid I, may inform the Blind and Ignorant 
 of this Age, that Lime and Stone, and 
 Temples that are made with Hands, are 
 not, as they fiy, the Church of Chiift, 
 and the Houfe of God ; for God du-eltetb 
 not in c Templer made with Hands, as faith 
 the Prophet,.- Ifai. Ixvi. j. and the Mar- 
 tyr Stephen, Acts vii. 48, 49. Thus I 
 was concerned to declare the Tru h in 
 that Meeting, with much more to the 
 fame Effect. Alter Meeting, I went 
 with lome Friends; towards 'he City ; and 
 as we were going along the Strand^ the 
 Queen was coming from her Chapel, and 
 fome of her Life-guard were very rude, 
 and with theStavesthey had in their Hands, 
 
 they
 
 t '94 ] 
 
 they did knock and beat Friends that had 
 their Hats on, all along as they came. I 
 received a Blow upon my Head, fo that 
 itfwell'd, and was fore for a confiderable 
 Time. But, -blcfled be the Lord, in all 
 our Exercifes and Afflictions, his Life, 
 Power, and Prefence bore us up in the 
 midfl of them all ; Praifes be to his pure 
 .and holy Name for ever. 
 
 Before I came out of London, we met 
 with more Exercifes and Troubles. One 
 Firft-day in the Morning, -I was not well, 
 .and could not go to the Meeting, nor 
 fcarcely get out of my Bed ; but when 
 the Time of our Afternoon Meeting 
 ame, it lay upon me to go to the Bull 
 and Mouth) ; and I told Job Bolton, with 
 whom I lodged, that I muft go to the 
 faid Meeting. He reafon'd with me ; 
 but I told him I would go fo far as I 
 could i and 4ie faid, He would go with 
 me. As we went through the Paflage to 
 go in, I heard a Yoke, that I was fatif- 
 iy'd was not the Voice of a true Shep- 
 herd ; the Meeting being already ga- 
 ther'd, and many People there. When 
 I went up to the Gallery, one was preach- 
 ing of Perfection, who faid, Be ye per- 
 ftfl, as your heavenly Father uperfieff, 
 &c. I ftaid to hear him but a very little 
 
 while,
 
 [ '95 1 
 
 v/hile, till I ftood up and judg'd him, 
 and told the People, That the Kingdom of 
 'Cod (food not in Word^ but in Power, 
 Right eoujnefs and Holinefs. Then this 
 Man went in a Rage out of the Meeting, 
 and a confiderable Company followed 
 him 5 and a Friend or two went "after 
 them as far as Fleet-Jlreet, to fee where 
 they were going , and one of the Com- 
 pany faw the Friend, and defired him 
 not to follow them too clofe, left they 
 fhould do him a Difkindriefs. We heard 
 afterwards, there was a Wager laid, that 
 this Man, who fome faid was a Jefmt^ 
 would preach in the Quakers Meeting, 
 and that he fhould not be difcover'd -, 
 and had he gone without Reproof, they 
 would fay, That a Jefuit preached in the 
 Quakers Meeting, and they could not 
 difcern him. But it was reported in 
 many Places in the City, that he was de- 
 tecled in the Quakers Meeting, and he. 
 could not abide there. We have Cauie 
 to bkfs the Lord for his Goodnefs to h:s 
 People, that gives them a difcerning Spi- 
 rit, to judge between Good and Evil, 
 and between thofe th.it ferve God in 
 Truth and Righteoufnefs, and all deceit- 
 ful Hypocrites, who are to be judged and 
 condemned by the -Word of his Power. 
 K In
 
 -In the Beginning of the Year 1685, 
 .King Charles died, and King James came 
 to the Throne, and the Statute of 20 /. 
 fer Month, for abfenting from the pub- 
 lick Worihip, which I fuppofe was made 
 againft the Pafifts in .Queen Elizabeth's 
 JDajjs, had been and was very much put 
 in force again-ft our Friends, whereby 
 many of them were aimofl ruined ; the 
 ^Sheriffs and their Bailiffs perfecuted them 
 /o feverely, and did make fuch a Puey 
 of them, that fome worth many Hun- 
 .dreds, were made fo deftitute, they had 
 Scarcely a Bed to lie upon, but were rob- 
 bed of all. When rJCing James came to 
 .be fettled upon the Throne, our dear 
 JFYiend G.^bitebfad^ who always was 
 ( much concerned for the Sufferings of 
 .Friendship and down in the Nation, and 
 who did not Jpare himfelf to vifit King 
 and Parliaments, and all others, where 
 he thought he could get Relief for his 
 buffering Brethren, went to King Janus^ 
 and laid the prefcnt Condition of fuffer- 
 ing Friends before him. After fome 
 'Confideration, the King told h^rn, That 
 .what concerned him', or came to him of 
 .jthofe Fines, he very freely and readily 
 would remit. Upon which an Order was 
 granted^ to fufpend the Rigour of their 
 
 Perfe-
 
 1 197 ] 
 
 Perfections, But it feems, when It came 
 out, the Raman Catholic ks took the Ad- 
 vantage of it to themfelves ; which was 
 fome Surprize to Friends, who had la- 
 boured in that Service. George Wbite- 
 bead hea'ring I was in the City, came to 
 me, and told me the whole Bufinefs ; and 
 understanding that I had Interefl with the 
 Earl of PowiSj who was great with the 
 Xing, he thought it might be of Service 
 if I would go along with him to the 
 Earl. 
 
 Next Morning my Friend G. WUte- 
 bead and I went to the Earl of Powifs 
 in Lincoln's- Inn-Fields. When he under- 
 Itood I was come in, he very foon came 
 to me , and when I had ended my Coun- 
 try Bufinefs with him, I told him, I 
 wanted a little of his Advice, in a Cafe 
 wherein our Friends were great Sufferers, 
 by a Law that was made againft them, 
 and that we were feverely whipp'd upon 
 their Backs, by the Statute of 20 /. per 
 Month, for not coming to hear that 
 which is called Divine Service. I told 
 him, that a Friend of ours had waited 
 upon the King, and had told him the 
 whole Scate of Things, and that the 
 King was very ready to relieve us in what 
 he could, arid that an Order was granted 
 K 2 to
 
 ; 
 
 to that Purpofei but it feerned his 
 Friends had taken the Benefit of it, and 
 excluded us, &c. I defir'd his Advice, 
 whether we fhould proceed farther in it, 
 or no ? He anfwer'd, By all means ; for, 
 laid he, I will tell you, that there was 
 taken from our Friends in Lancajhire, 
 8oco/. upon this Statute, and the King 
 and myfelf went to fee, h'ow much o, this 
 Money came into the Exchequer. When 
 we faw it, it appeared that the King was 
 in Debt to that Account about 2 8 /. and 
 all the reft gone. I dtfircd him, feeing 
 it was his Advice that we fhould go on, 
 and not be difcouraged, that he would be 
 pleated to grant, that a Friend of mine 
 might come in and fpeak with him, who 
 was more able to give him an Account of 
 this BuTinefs than myfelf, and who had 
 been with the King to get Relief in this 
 Matter j for G. Whitehead ftaid all this 
 while in an adjacent Room ; fo he bid 
 me bring him up to him. When George 
 came, he opened the Matter fully to him. 
 When he thoroughly untlerftood the Mat- 
 ter, he foon got himfelf ready, called ior 
 his Coach, and bid me come to him at 
 an appointed Time ; and he brought an 
 abfolute Order from the King, to flop 
 all Proceedings by Sheriffs and Bailiffs 
 
 upon
 
 [ *99 1 
 
 upon that Account in the Nation. In a. 
 fhort Time, the Rage, Envy, and 
 Cruelty of fuch devouring Men were 
 flopt, and I know not that any have 
 been troubled, or fuffered fince upon- 
 that Statute. Bleficd beGod, that hears 
 the Cries of the Poor, Fatherkfs, an 1 
 Widows, and fends Relief to the Af- 
 flicted in his own due Time. I muft 
 fay, that the Earl of Powis an i his 
 Countefs were very ready and willing 
 arall Times to do our Friends any Kind- 
 nefs that lay in their Way, and to help 
 them out of their Troubles and Afflic- 
 tions ; and I an-, r.p: to believe they d> { ! 
 it confcieritioufly, for there were many 
 of our Friends in fevcral of their Lord- 
 fhips hereaways, and the Earl never fu/- 
 fered any of us to be fined for not appear- 
 ing in any of his Courts upon Juries, or 
 any other Way or Manner. 
 
 In the Year 1688, it feemed good to 
 King James to publifh a Declaration for 
 Liberty of Cor.jcience, and order'd the 
 Bifhops to fend it to their feveral Dio- 
 ceiTes, that it might be read. S-'ven of 
 them would not read it, Bifhop Lloyd- 
 afbrefaid, was one of them, therefore they 
 were committed to the Tower. Then I 
 remembered that which I fpoke to the 
 K 3 Bifhop
 
 I 2oa ] 
 
 Bifliop at his Palace in the Year i6Bi r 
 when I queried of him, What if another 
 Prince Jhould arife, that would impofefome- 
 ibing upon him, that he could not do for 
 Conscience- fake? And that Year, when at 
 J^ondon-^ I went to vifit him in his Trou- 
 bles ; and he faid to me, / often thought 
 tfycurWordS) and I could wi/h I were in 
 Penfylvania now myfelf. He told me the 
 Reafon why they could not read the De- 
 claration, faying, It was arbitrary^ and 
 not according to Law, and that it was a 
 Matter of Gonfcience to them ; and 
 others were to have their Liberty by it,, 
 ^cfidrs Prolefiant DifTenters. He told 
 me alfo, That they were put on to do 
 thofe Things which they had done againft. 
 Diffcnters ; but when I told him of it 
 before, he could not believe it, till it 
 came thus upon them. I had acquainted 
 him formerly, that I had read a Sermon 
 that was preach'd, to prove the Church 
 of Rome to be a falfe Church j becaufe 
 fhe was a fcrfecuting Church ; and now, 
 faid I, the Members of the Church of 
 Rome puts you on, not only to perfecute 
 upon the Penal Laws that were made, 
 againft Dij/enters, but by thofe Laws alia, 
 that were made againft Popijh Rtcujants \ 
 and by the fame Argument may we and 
 
 thev
 
 [ 201 ] 
 
 they fay, The Church of England is a 
 falfe Church^ becaufe it is a perjecttting- 
 Church. The Bifhop faid, They did 
 not confider, nor know it then, as they 
 did now. Ftook my Leave of him, and 
 he kindly acknowledged my Vifit , and 
 after fome Time they were releafed. 
 
 Afterwards" the Bifhop came to IVelcl 
 Pcrolj in the Afiize-Week, and in the: 
 Evening fent for me to the High-She- 
 rift's Houfe j there being with him m'oft 
 of the Juftices, and Deputy-Lieutenants 
 of the County, with many of the Clergy, 
 who were very civil to me. The'Bimop 
 told them, That he had fent for me, and - 
 that he was more beholding to me, than' 
 all the Men in the Diocefs, for I came to 
 vifit him in his Troubles; and hedefired 
 of them to do me all the Kmdnefs they 
 could, and he would take it as done to ' 
 himfelf. When Supper was over, the 
 Bifhop and the High- Sheriff,- Edward' 
 Vanghan, of Llangedwirt) took me into a' 
 private Room with them, and we dif- 
 courfed a little about the Times. There 
 was fome Report of the Coming in of 
 the Prince of Orange,, and in a little 
 Time I had an Account that the Prince 
 was landed, which was great Satisfaiftion 
 to the Bifhop; for'he faid. Some profe- 
 K'4- cmed
 
 [ 202 J 
 
 euted'.him very clofe for his Life. And 
 when the Prince of Orange was made 
 King of England, &c. and Liberty of. 
 Confcience was cftablifhed by Law, he and 
 others were well fatisfied with it. 
 
 And now I think it worthy to take 
 Notice of the feveral Kindneffes, upon 
 Acconnt of our fuffering Friends, I re- 
 ceived from this Bifhop Lloyd, in his 
 feveral DiocefTes -, for as we record the 
 Hard-heartednefs and Cruelty we have 
 found from unmerciful perfccutirg Bi- 
 fhons and Clergy, and how many they 
 have made poor, Widows, and Fathtr- 
 itfs, I think it is Juftice and Equity in us 
 to record all the Mercy, Tendernefs, and 
 Companion, we find from thofe that are 
 conlcientiousand charitable among them: 
 For In fiance ; 
 
 Bimop Lloyd being at a Vifitation in 
 LlturviUitig, in this County of Montgome- 
 ry, four peevifli Men, Church-wardens 
 of Welch-Pool, did intend to profecute 
 my Son-in-law Jacob Endcn^ for not pay- 
 ing towards the Repairs ot their Wor- 
 fhip-houfe. I went with my Son-in-law, 
 and waited on the Bifhop, and told him 
 the Cafe. He very quickly called the 
 Church- wardens, and told them, There 
 was an Act of Parliament, ordering a 
 
 more
 
 more eafy Way, and with lefs Charge, to 
 recover by Diftrefs, than to drive to Ex- 
 communications. He enquired for the 
 Act, which I gave him ; and he turned 
 to that Claufe, read it to the Wardens, 
 faying, That he himfelf drew that Claufe 
 in the- Aft ; and told them, how they 
 ought to go to the Juftices for a War- 
 rant-, but, faid he, why will you go to 
 the Charge of a Warrant ? Cannot yon 
 go and .take a Pewter Dim., or force 
 other Thing, near the Value ; I. warrant" 
 they will never fue you for it :. For, faid' 
 he, we mud do unto them, as we would: 
 be done unto, if we were in their Condi- 
 tion : So'hc quickly difpatched them; 
 Then I told him, I was come moreover 
 in the Behalf or a Prifoner on the fame 
 Account, whofe Name was Richard' Da- 
 vies, near Ruabon^ in Denbigbflyire , and: 
 he adviied me to go to tta Chancellor 
 Dr. Wynne, whom I mould find, he laid, 
 a very fair Man , fo he called him to u y . 
 and left us together; and I took my' 
 Leave of the BiHiop, acknowledging iili ' 
 Kindnefs. When I had fully dilcourieJ 
 the Chancellor about the Prilbm-r, [ 
 found him very fair-, and in a- little" 
 Time after, I heard my Frkn.i R Da-'* 
 vies was difcharged , and. feveral KS-M!- 
 K 5 neik-3--
 
 [ 204 ] 
 
 nefies I have had of the Chancellor fince/ 
 "When the faid Wardens came Home, 
 they reported what Favour I had with 
 the Bifhop, and were troubled thereat ; 
 but neither myfelf nor Son-in-law were 
 ever after troubled about thofe Repairs 
 of their Worftiip-houfe. 
 
 Another Time, when I was going to 
 bondon, and vifiting Friends in my Way, 
 I call'd at Timothy Burbercugb's, at Aino 
 on the ///'//, in Nortbamptonjhire, where I" 
 UEdtrftood he was gone to Prifon. I 
 enquired the Gaufe of his Imprifonment, 
 and his Wife told me, The Pried of the 
 Parilh had left their frnali Tithes, and 
 other Tithes* till he thought they aw 
 mounted to a confiderable Value ; and 
 {hen he came and took away near all that 
 they had, and fent him to Northampton 
 Jail, where he had been lor fome Time. 
 1 took a Memorandum of it, and when I 
 went to Lor.don^ . I. thought of the AfHic-. 
 tions and Exercife of my poor Brother. 
 My old Friend BiirYop Lloyd being then 
 at London^ I went to his Lodgings at> 
 ffbitebcJl, and I muft fay, he was very 
 ready to come to me. After fome Dif- 
 courie, I laid the diftrtfied Cafe of my 
 Friend T. Rurlerougb before him. He 
 anfwercd, He did not know what to do 
 
 in
 
 f 205 ] 
 
 in it, the Prieft of Aim was a Stranger; 
 to him, and out of his Diocefs. 1 told 1 
 him, If he would be. pleated to write a 
 few Lines to the Bifhop of Peterborough? ' 
 for it was in that Diocefs, I "fa id, he 
 might peradventure write a few Lines to 
 the Pried of /fino; to be more moderate " 
 and confcientious, in not takirig -more 
 than the Value of that which he called ' 
 his Due, -and calling the poor Man front ' 
 his Family into Prifon alfo. The Cafe 
 ! left with the Bifhop, and he took Care 
 to' fend it ' to the BimOp of Peterborough,-- 
 who fenHrto the Prieft of Aino\ and. 
 Bifhop Lloyd fent the Prieft's Anfwer, 
 with a Letter from the Bifhop of Peter- 
 borough to himfelf, -in a Letter of' his to 
 me near Welch-Pool , , which I -took as a 
 great Kindnefs and Favour from hirtt - 
 
 Not long after this, I Went to London 
 again, and called at my 'Friend < T. Bur- 
 berougb's, where I found hini at Home, " 
 being releafed ; he told me the Pricft had 
 funt an Order for him to come Hdme ; '" 
 and that he came to reafon and difcoifrfe 
 with him. It fcems he was not To unkind 
 as he had been formerly. 
 
 In the Year 1 700, there was a confi- 
 
 dcrable Suffering on Friends in fforcefter- 
 
 an Account of which was given 
 
 K 6 me
 
 r 206 ] 
 
 me by my Friend Edward Bourne, of 
 Worcefter, who defired me to ufe my In- 
 rereft with Bifhop Lloyd for the Relief 
 oi John Fowler , and his Mother-in-law, 
 the Widow Banbury t who was a Pri- 
 foner for Tithe in the out County- Prifon 
 in Worceflcr^ and he fent me their whole 
 Cafe. When I underftood it, I found a 
 Concern upon me to make what Hafte I 
 could to the Bifhop, who was then at his 
 Palace at Hartlebury, a few Miles from 
 Bewdley. I conlidered alfo, what a great 
 Sufferer our Friend William Sankey had 
 been by one Vermn^ a cruel ungodly 
 Prieft of the Parifh he lived in, who had 
 caft him into Prifon, when he had five 
 or fix final I Children, and his Wife lately 
 dead. He feveral Times took from him 
 more than treble the Value of his pretend- 
 ed Due for Tithe. From Bewdley 1 went 
 to William Sankef^ and told him I was to 
 go to the Bifhop, and defired him to go 
 with me. In the Morning we went toge- 
 ther I enquired for the Bifhop's Secre- 
 tary, francis Evr f ns, who very lovingly 
 came to us, brought us in, and faid, 
 He would acquaint his Lord that I was 
 ihere ; and in a little Time the Bifhop 
 came to us. And after fome Difcourfe, 
 I told the Bifhop, I was not only come 
 
 to
 
 to give him a Vifit, but I was come pur- 
 pofely from Home, in Behalf of iome 
 Friends of mine, who futfer'd for Tithe 
 in that Country ; . and that I was inform- . 
 ed, there had been three committed to 
 Worcefter Jail by one Kerry, the Prieft of 
 Tredington, and that two of them were 
 releafed, and the third remains a Prifoner. 
 Releafed, faid he, How are they releafcd ? 
 I told him, By the Hand of their great 
 Creator. It feems then, faid he, they 
 are dead ; and the fame Man, faid I, 
 doth profecute the Widow of one of 
 them, viz. William Banbury's^ and hath 
 already put her into your Court, for that 
 which her Hufband fuffered and died for ; 
 and we reckon, that in common Law, 
 when the Prifoner dies in Prifon, the 
 Proiecution ceafes. I do not know, faid 
 he, but the Debt may be paid, but the 
 Charges are not ; and I know not what 
 to do witn that Man, for I hear he is a 
 very covetous Man, and I have no Pow- 
 er over him, but once in three Years. 
 I was lately in my Vifitation there, and* 
 had I known this then, I might have i 
 done your Friends fome Kindnefs. I 
 faid, If thou wilt be fo kind as to write : 
 a few Lines to him, and let him know 
 what Complaint is made to thee of him, 
 
 and
 
 [ a**] 
 
 arid hotrthou^art informed, that two of 
 the three which he fent to Prifon are 
 dead; I d0 not queftion but it might 
 ftop^his Rage and fevere Profecution a- 
 gainft the poor Widow; if not be a 
 Means to releafe the other Prifoner. So 
 he bid his Secretary take Notice of it, 
 and put him in Mind to' write to him. 
 Then I told him of the Sufferings of 
 William Sankey; who was there prefent, 
 and defired him to give my Friend leave 
 to open the-Cafe himfelf to him, -which 
 he did; and when he told how 'cruel the 
 (aid Vernon had been to him, in catting- 
 him into Jail, his Wife being dead, and 
 le^t five or fix imail Children , and 
 he told him, that he had taken from him 
 Goods worth about ill. for about 3 or 
 4 /. Demand for Tithe , and about 1 2 
 or 14 /. worth/ of Sheep, for the like 
 Demand at another Time \ and feveral 
 other" Cruel ties he had done him by this 
 ufcconfcionable Vernon. The Biihop tak- 
 ing it into Confideration, caus'd his Se- 
 cretary <to draw an Order for him to come 
 there with his Accounts, that was due to 
 him from W, Sankey^ and what he had 
 taken from W. Sankey towards that Ac- 
 count ; and he gave the Order to IftUiam- 
 Sankey to deliver to the Frieft, anddefir- 
 
 cd
 
 t 
 
 ed' William to be there the Day appofated^ . 
 with the Prieft. I' was intorm'd, the' 
 Pried went the Day before to the Bimop, 
 and W. Sdnkeywent the Day appointed ; 
 and I was iniorm'd that the Bimopfhould 
 fay, There was no Help icr what was 
 paft, but he would take Care he fhould 
 do fo no more to William Sankey. I heard 
 Twice that Time, he hath taken it in 
 Kind from him, with more Moderation 
 than before ; and that the Bifhop was fc 
 kind to W\ Sankey ever fince. 
 
 John Fowler, one of the three before 
 mentioned, (Robert Grimes, and W. Ban- 
 bury being dead) wasdifcharged , and as 
 for the Widow Banbttry's Cafe, who was 
 feverely profecutedby the Prieft, intend- 
 ing to get it to an Excommunication, 
 that was ftopp'd, and me was troubled 
 no more. 
 
 Before I parted with the Bifhop, I told ' 
 him, There was a Friend of ours, Wit- 
 Ham Cattril, that kept School at Worcef- 
 ter, who was proftcuted very clofe by 
 fome, for keeping School without a Li-- 
 cenfe, and they did intend to bring him 
 under an Excommunicate Capiendo, and if 
 he was not pkaitd to be kind to him, * 
 they would put him to all the Charge 
 and Trouble they could. The Biihop 
 
 bid
 
 [ 210 ] 
 
 bid his Secretary take Care about it. So 
 all that I requefred of the Bimop at that - 
 Time, was frienclly and kindly granted 
 me, and Care was token that they were 
 not troubled nor molefted on thefe Ac- 
 counts. Then the Bifhop order'd us ta 
 dine there that Day, and we parted 
 friendly and lovingly with him ; and he 
 dcfired me, when I came that Way, not 
 to be ftrange to him. From thence I 
 went to Worcefier, and gave Friends an 
 Account of my Succeis with the Biihop. 
 I ilaid with them a little while, and then 
 went to Bromydrdi and had a Meeting 
 fhtrei fo I went through Part of Here- 
 jM-djlire, to Lenifter. And I can blefs 
 and praife the Name of the Lord, who 
 u-.-s with me all along , in my Journey, 
 ,:nd brought me fate Home to my Wife 
 and Family , and when I gave them an . 
 Account of my Jcurney, they praifed 
 tiie Lord with me, who had been my 
 Preferver and Defender. 
 
 In a little Time after, I went for l.on- 
 don y and being at the Meeting about 
 Friends Sufferings, there was mentioned 
 the .Sufferings ot" Friends in Lander 
 Caftle, by the Dean and Chapter of 
 Jfonejler, and they had been there for 
 ieveral Years, though Friends had made 
 
 Intereft
 
 Intereft to get them off, and Friends at 
 IVorcfJIer ufed their Intereft with the 
 Chancellor, who Teemed to be very 
 kind to them ; yet for all that, they 
 could not have them difcharged. When 
 I came from London, I went to the Bi- 
 fhop at Worcefler. He was very free 
 with me, and in. a little Time the Chan- 
 cellor came to us, and the Bifhop 'gave 
 me to uhderftand, who he was. I told 
 them, I was glad to fee them both to- 
 gether ; and faid, When I was lately in 
 London^ we had the Sufferings of our. 
 Friends in Ldnca/hire before us, for a 
 fniall Mattel^ of Tjthe, aiiedged to be- 
 long to the Dean and Chapter of IVor- 
 cefer\ and I told -the BifliQp, . that I 
 thought the Chancellor was not a Stran- 
 ger to it ; for I had heard, he had been 
 often follicited on their Behalf. The 
 Chancellor told him, He did underfland 
 it, and that thefe Men were there for a 
 fmall inconfiderable Matter -,. and faid, 
 he was forry that, thofe Men died in Wor- 
 cefter, becaufe in Confcience they could 
 not pay that little Tithe to the Pried of 
 T'redinglQn^ .and he was afraid thefe Men 
 would die there alfo, except fome Way 
 was found, out for their Relcafe. The 
 Bifhop a'fked, How long they had been 
 
 there ?
 
 there? I think the Chancellor faid, four 1 ' 
 Or five Years. The Bifhop faid, dif: 
 charge them,;difcharge them ; and order'd 
 them to be difcharged, without paying 
 any Fees. After a 'little Time, I parted' 
 with the Bifhop and Chancellor, and 
 acknowledged their Kindnefs. I went 
 to Friends in the City of Worce/ltr, and 
 told WiRiam Par doe what Succefs I had 
 with the Bifhop, defired them to wait on 
 the Chancellor to get' the Order, that 
 it might be fent fpeedily ; and in a little- 
 Time I heard they were difcharged. 
 
 ffitbet -to v Reader ', tbou baft bad a fart 
 Relation ofjome of the Labours and Ser- 
 vices of our ancient and honourable 
 Friend Richard Dairies, from bis own 
 Account , ti'bicb be jini/hed a little before 
 bis Dec safe : ' It retnains, therefore^ to 
 give feme Account of bis laft Tear's 
 Travels, &c. together with tbe Time 
 and Manner of bis Departure, &c. 
 
 IN the Year 1 702 , he went to London, 
 his Daughter Tace Endon accompany- 
 ing him, and (laid in and about the Cky 
 feveral Weeks, vifiting Friends in their 
 
 Meetings,
 
 [ 3 I' 
 
 Meetings, and had many good and com- 
 fortable Opportunities among them. He, 
 together with eleven Friends more, were 
 appointed by the Yearly-meeting to go 
 to the Queen at Windfor^ with an Ac- 
 knowledgment from Friends for the Con- 
 tinuation of their Liberty and Protection 1 
 under her Government ; at which Time 
 he in particular fpoke to the Queen. 
 When he was clear of thofe Parts, he 
 returned homewards, and came through 
 Wwcefter^ where he went to vifit his old 
 Friend Bifhop /0jJ, who was glad to fee 
 him. That wa the laft Time they faw- 
 each other. 
 
 After his Return Home, he often vi- 
 fited fome neighbouring Meetings,- and 
 was at the Yearly. meeting of Wales the 
 Spring following. 
 
 About the latter End of the third 
 Month, 1704, he went up to London 
 again to the Yearly- meeting, his- Grand - 
 fon David Endon attending^ him. He. 
 vifited Friends as he palled through 
 Stoiverbridge y Banbury, Aylejbur-j^ &c. 
 and (laid in and about the City for near 
 two Months, being fomething weak and 
 field y. When he was clear of the City, 
 he returned pretty diredlly Home, and 
 came well to his Family. 
 
 In
 
 In the Beginning of" the Year 1705, he 
 met with Tome Excrcife , ior on the ift 
 of the third Month, his dear and honed 
 Wife died, who had been very tender 
 and careful over him, and a Woman 
 very ferviceable to Friends and Truth in 
 many Refpects. She was a plain, upright, 
 and honeft-hearted Woman ; one that 
 loved Truth in Simplicity. She left a 
 good Report behind her, after they had 
 lived together about Forty-fix Years. 
 
 In the firft Month, 1706, he was at 
 the Yearly-meeting of l^ales, at Llamd- 
 los, in Montgomery fmre, being the laft 
 Yea r]y-n ice tiny he w:-s ar in ii'\r.:s. On 
 the i ^th of the'fecond Month following, 
 he took his Journey, with his Grandfon 
 D. E. towards Briflol. He had a Meet- 
 ing at Lemfler^ and at Rofs in Htreford- 
 foire^ and ; thence went 'to Briftol y and 
 lodged at Charles Harford\ Jun. where 
 he vifited Friends at their Yearly-meet- 
 ing, andjftaid about a 'Week; and on 
 the 3oth of the fe'cond Month, fet for- 
 ward towards London^ and came to'Frencb- 
 bay, and had a Meeting there. The 
 i ft of the third Month he had a Meeting 
 a.tSjdlmry in Gloucefterjbire\ the 5th at 
 Cirencefler ; the Sth at Oxford, being the 
 Firft-day of the Week, where many 
 
 of
 
 of the Scholars came in, and were rude 
 for Tome Time ; but after our Friend 
 Richard Dames had fpoke a while in the 
 Meeting, they became more fober ; fome 
 of them fate down, and ftaid til] the Con- 
 clufion of the Meeting; and Friendstook 
 Notice that the Meeting was much more 
 quiet than ufual. From thence he went 
 to Henley ', and had a Meeting there ; and 
 fo to Windfor^ where he had a Meeting ; 
 thence he went to London, and lodged at 
 his Friend and Kinfman's Tbomas Lloyd's. 
 He attended the Yearly-meeting, and 
 ftaid in and about the City,, vifiting 
 Friends at their Meetings, until the i9th 
 of the fourth Month ; at which Time he 
 returned homewards, and had a Meeting 
 the 2ift at Che/ham* where William 
 Eingiey was; the 22d they had a Meet- 
 ing at Ayhjbury ; and went thence to their 
 Yearly- meeting at Banbury, where were 
 many Friends from divers Parts. The 
 28th he came to Worcefter^ William Bing- 
 ley (till accompanying him, where they 
 had a Meeting. The 3Oth he went to 
 Droitwich, and had a Meeting: there. 
 The ift of the fifth Month he had a 
 Meeting at Bromfgrove ; the 2d at Bir- 
 mirigha?n^ and lodged at John Pemberton's j 
 the 4th he went to the Quarterly- meet- 
 ing
 
 f 
 
 iing at Woherbampton, and -patted thence 
 to Stowerbridge, and lodged at Ambrose 
 Crowley's : And Ib upon the 9th of the 
 .fifth Month, 1706, ,he returned fafe 
 Home to his Family at Cloddiecochwn, 
 iiear Welch- Pool, having been away near 
 three Months. 
 
 After this Journey he continued moft- 
 ly at Home, in his ufual Health, and 
 vifited feveral neighbouring Meetings. 
 In the latter End of the 8th Month, he 
 was at the Burial of an ancient Woman 
 Friend, Anne 'Thom&s, in Salop, and at 
 feveral other Burials near Home -, at 
 which Times he often had very good Ser- 
 vice, and People would hear him gladly^ 
 for he had a folid and grave Delivery, 
 and was wife and found in his Matter, 
 .which was very taking with mod People* 
 
 His laft Sicknefs was very mort ; for 
 <on the fixth Day of the Week he was at 
 .Welch-Pool, and finding himfelf not well, 
 went Home, and the next Day kept the 
 Houfe. On Firfl>day following, feveral 
 Friends went to fee him from Dolobran 
 Meeting, and had a little Opportunity 
 to wait together upon the Lord with him. 
 He fpoke very little to any, and his Pain 
 continuing upon him ; the next Day, be- 
 ing the azd of the firft Month, 1707-8, 
 
 about
 
 [ "7 3 
 
 about the. ninth Hour in the Morning, he 
 quietly departed this Liie, being in the 
 Seventy-third Year of his Age. 
 
 The 25th, being the Day appointed 
 for his Burial, many friends irom divers 
 Parts, and other People, met at his 
 Houfeat Cloddiecocbivn, and his Body was 
 born by them to the Grave-yard, near 
 his own Houfe, and there decently in- 
 terr*d near his Wife's Grave. In the 
 Grave-yard there was held a folemn 
 Meeting, and federal Teftimonies were 
 born, in the Power and Life of Truth, 
 to the general Satisfaftion of the People. 
 
 / N I S.
 
 Boob Printed a fid Sold by M A R v H I N D E , 
 at N 2, in George- yard, Lombard- 
 flreet, LONDON. 
 
 X "I O Crofs, No Crown : A Dif- 
 i%| courfe fhewing the Nature and 
 Difcipline of the Holy Crofs of Chrift ; 
 and that the Denial of Self, and daily 
 bearing of Chrift's Crofs, is the alone 
 Way to the Reft and Kingdom of God. 
 To which is added, the living and dying 
 Teftimonies of divers Perfons of Fame 
 and Learning, in Favour of the Virtue 
 and Temperance recommended in this 
 Treatife. By William Penn. The Eleventh 
 Edition, on a larger Letter than the for- 
 mer, Price bound 4 s. 
 
 A Collection of Teftimonies concern- 
 ing feveral Minifters of the Gofpel, a- 
 mongft the People called Quakers, de- 
 ceafed ; with fome of their laft Expref- 
 fions and Exhortations. Octavo, Price 
 bound 3j. 
 
 An Account of the Life, Service, and 
 Sufferings ot an early Servant and Mi- 
 nifter of Jefus Chrift, Jofepb Coale, col- 
 lected out of his own Writings. Price 
 bound i s. 
 
 Reflections and Maxims relating to the 
 Conduct of Human Life. In two Parts. 
 By William Penn. Price bound- 1 s. 6 d.
 
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