ford/h.

1667. would put up their Bibles, and fall to Eating. The Bailiff found them out, and came in among them, Here and faid; Their Bread and Cheefe fhould not cover them, but he would have their Speakers. They cried What then would become of their Wives and Children? But he took their Speakers, and kept them a while. This the Bailiff told our Friend Peter Toung, and faid ; They were the verieft Hypocrites, that ever made a Profeffion of Religion.

The like Contrivance they had in other places. For there was one Pocock at London, that married Abigail Darcy, who was called a Lady and the being Convinc'd of Truth, I went to his Houfe to fee her. This Pocock had been one of the Triers of the Priefts and being an high Presbyterian, and envious against us; he ufed to call our Friends HoufeCreepers. Now I going to vifit his Wife, and he being prefent, fhe faid to me; I have fomething to Speak to thee against my Husband. Nay, faid I, thou muft not speak against thy Husband. Tes, faid fhe, but I muft in this Cafe. The laft Firft-Day, faid fhe, He and his Priefts and People, the Presbyterians, met, and they had Candles and Tobacco-Pipes, and Bread and Cheefe, and Cold Meat on the Table; and they agreed before-hand, that if the Officers should come in upon them, then they would leave their Preaching and Praying, and would fall to their Cold Meat.

Oh, faid I to him, is not this a Shame to you, who Perfecu⚫ted and Imprisoned us, and spoiled our Goods, because we would not follow you, and be of your Religion, and called us Houfe-Creepers; and now ye do not ftand to your own Religion your felves! Did ye ever find our Meetings ftufft with Bread and Cheefe, and Tobacco-pipes? Or did ye ever read in the Scriptures of any fuch Practice among the Saints? Why, faid the Old Man, We must be as Wife, as Serpents. Then faid I, This is the Serpent's Wisdom indeed. But who, faid I, would ever have thought, that you Presbyterians and Independents, who perfecuted and imprifoned others, and spoiled

fordjh.

their Goods, and whipped fuch, as would not follow 1667. your Religion, fhould now flinch your felves, and not dare to ftand to, and own your own Religion; Here but cover it with Tobacco-pipes, Flaggons of Drink, Cold Meat and Bread and Cheefe! But this, and fuch like deceitful Practices, I understood afterwards, were too Common amongst them in times of Perfecution.

Now after we had Travelled through Hereford- Monfhire, and Meetings were well fettled there, we paf- mouth. fed into Monmouthshire, where I had feveral bleffed Meetings; and at Walter Jenkins, who had been a Juftice of the Peace, we had a large Meeting, where were fome Convinced: This Meeting was quiet. But at another Meeting that we had before this, there came the Bailiff of the Hundred, almoft drunk; pretending, he was to take up the Speakers. There was a mighty Power of God in the Meeting; fo that, although he raged, the Power of the Lord limited him, that he could not break up the Meeting. When the Meeting was over, I ftaid a while, and he ftaid alfo: but after fome time I fpake to him; and fo passed quietly away. At Night fome rude People came, and fhot off a Musket against the Houfe; but did not hurt any body. Thus the Lord's Power came over. all, and chained down the unruly Spirits, fo that we efcaped them; and came to Rofs that Night, and had Rofs. a Meeting there at James Merrick's.

After this we came into Gloucestershire, and had a Glouce General Mens-Meeting at Nathaniel Crips's Houfe,where all the Monthly Meetings were fettled in the Lord's Everlasting Power; and the Heirs of Salvation were exhorted to take their Poffeffions of the Gofpel, the Power of God, which was and is the Authority of their Meetings. Many bleffed Meetings we had up and down in that Country, before we came to Bri- Briftol. ftol, whither alfo we went: And after we had had feveral powerful Meetings there, the Mens and Womens-Meetings were fettled there also.

1667. Now as I was lying in Bed at Bristol, the Word of the Lord came to me, that I muft go back to London. Bristol. Next Morning Alexander Parker, and several others came to me,and I asked them, What they felt? They in like manner asked me, What was upon me? I told them, I felt, I muft return to London and they faid, the fame was upon them. So we gave up to return to London for which Way the Lord moved and led us, thither we went in his Power. WhereWilh. fore leaving Bristol, we paffed into Wiltshire, and eftablished the Mens Monthly-Meetings in the Lord's Power there; and then paffed through the Countries, London. vifiting Friends, till we came to London.

After we had vifited Friends in the City, and had faid there a while, I was moved to exhort them, to bring all their Marriages to the Mens and WomensMeetings, that they might lay them before the Faithful there; that fo Care might be taken to prevent those Disorders, that had been committed by fome. For many had gone together in Marriage contrary to their Relations minds; and fome young, raw People, that came among us, had mixed with the World: and Widows had married, and had not made Provifion for their Children by their former Husbands, before their Second Marriage. And although I had given forth a Paper concerning Marriages about the Year 1653, when Truth was but little fpread over the Nation; Advifing Friends who might be concerned in that Cafe, That they might lay it before the Faithful in time, before any thing were Con⚫cluded; and afterward publish it in the end of a Meeting, or in a Market (as they were moved thereto.) And when all things were found clear, they being free from all others, and their Relations fatisfied, then they might appoint a Meeting on purpose, for the taking of each other; in the Prefence of at leaft Twelve Faithful Witneffes. Yet thefe Directions not being obferved, and Truth being now more fpread over the Nation, it was therefore Ordered by the fame Power and Spirit of God, That Marriages fhould be

'laid before the Mens Monthly and Quarterly Meet- 1667. ings, or as the Meetings were then eftablished; that • Friends might fee, that the Relations of thofe, that London." 'proceeded to Marriage, were fatisfied, and that the • Parties were clear from all others, and that Widows 'had made Provifion for their Firft Husband's Chil'dren, before they Married again and what else 'was needful to be inquired into; that fo all things might be kept clean and pure, and done in Righ'teousness to the Glory of God. And afterwards it was Ordered in the fame Wisdom of God, That if ' either of the Parties that intended to Marry, came out of another Nation, County, or Monthly Meeting, they should bring a Certificate from the Monthly Meeting, to which they belong'd; for fatisfa'ction of the Monthly Meeting, before which they came to lay their Intentions of Marriage.

Now after these things, with many other Services for God,were fet in Order, and fettled in the Churches in the City, I paffed out of London, in the Leadings of the Lord's Power, into the Country again and going into Hertfordshire, after I had vifited Friends 1ertthere, and the Men's Monthly Meetings were fettled there, I paffed on as far as Baldock, where I had a Baldock. great Meeting of many forts of People. Then returning towards London by Waltham, I advised the walth. fetting up of a School there for Teaching Boys; and alfo a Women's-School to be fet up at Shacklewell for ShackleInftructing Girls and Young Maidens, in whatsoever things were Civil and Ufeful in the Creation.

well.

hamsh.

Thus, after I had had feveral precious Meetings in the Country, I came to London again, where I ftaid London. a while in the Work and Service of the Lord; and then went down into Buckinghamshire, where I had Bucking many precious Meetings. And at John Brown's of Wefton near Aylsbury, fome of the Men-Friends of each wefton. Meeting being gathered together, the Men's MonthlyMeetings for that County were eftablished amongst them alfo, in the Order of the Gospel, the Power of God; and the Power of the Lord confirmed it in all

that

Shire.

near Ban

1667. that felt it, and they came thereby to fee and feel, that the Power of God was the Authority of their Welton. Meetings. Then after the Monthly Meetings were fettled there in the Order of the Gofpel, and upon Oxford the Foundation Chrift Jefus, I paffed on into OxfordNorth Shire, and went to Nathaniel Ball's at North-Newton Newton, near Banbury,who was a Friend in the Miniftry. And bury. there being a General Meeting, where fome of all the Meetings were prefent, the Monthly-Meetings for that County were then fettled in the Power of God; and Friends were very glad of them for they came into their Services in the Church, and to take Care for God's Glory. After this Meeting we paffed through Glouce the Country, vifiting Friends, till we came into Gloucefterfhire and vifiting Friends through that CounMon- ty alfo, we travelled on, till we came into Monmouthmouthfh fhire, to one Richard Hambery's; where meeting with

ferfh.

Hills.

fome of all the Meetings of that County, the Monthly Meetings were fettled there alfo in the Lord's Power, that all in it might take Care of God's Glory, and Admonish and Exhort fuch, as did not walk, as became the Gospel. And indeed, these Meetings did make a great Reformation amongst People, infomuch as the very Juftices took notice of the Ufefulness and Service thereof.

When we went from Richard Hambery's, he and his Wife accompanied us a Day's Journey through the Country, vifiting Friends; till we came to a WidowOver the Woman's, where we lay that Night: and from thence paffed over the Hills next day, vifiting Friends, and declaring the Truth to People, till we came to another Widow-Woman's Houfe; where we had a Meeting. The Woman of the Houfe could not fpeak Englih; yet fhe praised the Lord for fending us over those Hills, to come and vifit them.

We travelled on through the Country, till we came Swanzey. to Swanzey; where on the First Day we had a large and precious Meeting, the Lord's Prefence being eminently amongst us. On a Week-Day afterwards we had a General Meeting beyond Swanzey, of Men

L-Beyond

Swanzey.

Friends,