CHAPTER II (3)

After we had travelled through Herefordshire, and meetings were well settled there, we passed into Monmouthshire,Monmouthshire, where I had several blessed meetings; and at Walter Jenkins’s, who had been a justice of the peace, we had a large gathering, where some were convinced; this meeting was quiet. But to one before this, came the bailiff of the hundred, almost drunk, pretending he was to take up the speakers. There was a mighty power of God in the meeting, so that, although he raged, the power of the Lord limited him, that he could not break it up. When it was over, I stayed awhile, and he stayed also. After some time I spoke to him, and so passed quietly away. At night some rude people came, and shot off a musket against the house, but did not hurt anybody. Thus the Lord’s power came over all, and chained down the unruly spirits, so that we escaped them. We came to Ross that night, and had a meeting at James Merrick’s.

After this we came into Gloucestershire and had a general men’s meeting at Nathaniel Crisp’s house, where all the monthly meetings were settled in the Lord’s everlasting power; and the heirs of salvation were exhorted to take their possessions in the gospel, the power of God, which was and is the authority of their meetings. Many blessed gatherings we had up and down in that county, before we came to Bristol. And after several powerful meetings there, the men’s and women’s meetings were settled there also.

As I was in bed at Bristol, the word of the Lord came to me, that I must go back to London. Next morning Alexander Parker and several others came to me: I asked them, “what they felt?” They in like manner asked me, “what was upon me?” I told them, “I felt I must return to London.” They said, “the same was upon them.” So we gave up to return to London; for whatever way the Lord moved and led us, thither we went in his power. Leaving Bristol, we passed into Wiltshire, and established the men’s monthly meetings in the Lord’s power there; and visited Friends till we came to London.

After we had visited Friends in the city, I was moved to exhort them to bring all their marriages to the men’s and women’s meetings, that they might lay them before the faithful; that care might be taken to prevent those disorders that had been committed by some. For many had married contrary to their relations’ minds; and some young, raw people that came amongst us, had mixed with the world. Widows had married without making provision for their children by their former husbands, before their second marriage. Yet I had given forth a paper concerning marriages about the year 1653, when truth was but little spread over the nation; advising Friends who might be concerned in that case, “that they might lay it before the faithful in time, before anything was concluded, and afterwards publish it in the end of a meeting, or in a market, as they were moved thereto. And when all things were found clear, they being free from all others and their relations satisfied, they might appoint a meeting on purpose for the taking of each other, in the presence of at least twelve faithful witnesses.” Yet these directions not being observed, and truth being now more spread over the nation, it was therefore ordered, by the same power and Spirit of God, “that marriages should be laid before the men’s monthly and quarterly meetings, or as the meetings were then established; that Friends might see that the relations of those that proceeded to marriage, were satisfied; that the parties were clear from all others; and that widows had made provision for their first husband’s children, before they married again; and what else was needful to be inquired into; that all things might be kept clean and pure, and be done in righteousness to the glory of God.” Afterwards it was ordered, in the same wisdom of God, “that if either of the parties, that intended to marry, came out of another nation, county, or monthly meeting, they should bring a certificate from the monthly meeting to which they belonged; for the satisfaction of the monthly meeting before which they came to lay their intentions of marriage.”[16]

These things, with many other services for God, being set in order, and settled in the churches in the city, I passed out of London, in the leadings of the Lord’s power into Hertfordshire. After I had visited Friends, and the men’s monthly meetings were settled there, I had a great meeting at Baldock, of many sorts of people. Then returning towards London by Waltham, I advised the setting up of a school there for teaching boys; and also a girls’ school at Shacklewell, for instructing them in whatsoever things were civil and useful in the creation.[17]

After I had had several precious meetings in the country, I came to London again, where I stayed a while in the work and service of the Lord; and then went into Buckinghamshire, where I had many precious meetings. At John Brown’s, of Weston near Aylesbury, some of the men Friends of each meeting being gathered together, the men’s monthly meetings for that county were established, in the order of the gospel, the power of God; and the power of the Lord confirmed it in all that felt it, and they came thereby to see and feel, that the power of God was the authority of their meetings. Then after the monthly meetings were settled there in the order of the gospel, and upon the foundation of Christ Jesus, I went to Nathaniel Ball’s, at North Newton near Banbury, in Oxfordshire, who was a Friend in the ministry. And there being a general meeting, where some from all the meetings were present, the monthly meetings for that county, were then settled in the power of God; and Friends were very glad of them; for they came into their services in the church, to take care for God’s glory. After this meeting, we passed into Gloucestershire, visiting Friends, till we came into Monmouthshire, to Richard Hambery’s; where meeting with some from all the meetings of that county, the monthly meetings were settled there also in the Lord’s power, that all might take care of God’s glory, and admonish and exhort such as did not walk as became the gospel. And indeed these meetings made a great reformation amongst people, insomuch that the justices took notice of their usefulness.

Richard Hambery and his wife accompanied us a day’s journey visiting Friends, till we came to a widow’s house, where we stayed that night. Thence we passed over thethe hills next day, visiting Friends and declaring truth to the people, till we came to another widow’s, where we had a meeting. She could not speak English, yet she praised the Lord for sending us to visit them.

We travelled till we came to Swansea, where on the First-day we had a large and precious meeting, the Lord’s presence being eminently amongst us. On a week day afterwards we had a general meeting beyond Swansea, of men Friends from Swansea, Tenby, Haverfordwest, and other places; and there the monthly meetings were settled in gospel order, and received by Friends in the power of the Lord; and the Lord’s truth was over all.

From hence we endeavoured to go by water into Cornwall, and returned through Swansea to Mumbles, thinking to get passage there, but the captain deceived us; for though he had promised to carry us, yet when we came he would not. We went to another place where there was a passage-boat, into which we got our horses; but some rude men in the boat (though called gentlemen) threatened to pistol the master, if he took us in, who, being afraid of them, turned our horses out again; which put us out of hopes of getting over that way. Wherefore turning back into the country, we stayed up all night, and about two in the morning took horse, and travelled till we came near Cardiff, where we stayed one night. The next day we came to Newport; and it being market-day there, several Friends came to us with whom we sat a while; and after a refreshing season together we parted from them, and went on our way.

Beyond this market-town we overtook a man, who lingered on the way, as if he stayed for somebody; but when we came up to him, he rode along with us, and asked us many questions. At length meeting with two others, who seemed to be pages to some great persons, he made acquaintance with them, and I heard him tell them he would stop us, and take us up. We rode on; being in our way; and when he came to us, and would have stopped us, I told him, “none ought to stop us on the king’s highway, for it was as free for us as for them;” and I was moved to exhort him to fear the Lord. Then he galloped away before us; and I perceived his intent was to stop us at Shipton in Wales, which was a garrison town, through which we were to pass. When we were come to Shipton, John-ap-John being with me, we walked down the hill into the town leading our horses. It being the market-day there, several Friends met us, and would have had us to an inn. But we were not to go into any inn; so we walked directly through the town over the bridge, and then we were out of the limits of that town. Thus the Lord’s everlasting arm and power preserved us, and carried us on in his work and service.

The next First-day we had a large meeting in the Forest of Dean; and all was quiet. Next day we passed over the water to Olveston; where, after we had visited Friends, we came again to William Yeoman’s house, at Irb’s Court in Somersetshire. From thence we went to a meeting at Portishead, whither several Friends from Bristol came to us. After this we went further up into the country, and had several large meetings; and the Lord’s living presence was with us, supporting and refreshing us in our labour and travel in his service.

We came to a place near Minehead, where we had a general meeting of the men Friends in Somersetshire. There came also a cheat, whom some friendly people would have had me to take along with me. I saw he was a cheat; and therefore bid them bring him to me, and see whether he could look me in the face. Some were ready to think I was too hard towards him, because I would not let him go along with me; but when they brought him to me, he was not able to look me in the face, but looked hither and thither; for he was indeed a cheat, and had cheated a priest by pretending to be a minister; he had got the priest’s suit and went away with it.

After the meeting we passed to Minehead, where we tarried. In the night I had an exercise upon me, from a sense of a dark spirit, working and striving to get up to disturb the church of Christ. Next morning I was moved to write a few lines to Friends as a warning thereof, as follows:—

“Dear Friends,

“Live in the power of the Lord God, in his Seed that is set over all, and is over all trials that you may have with the dark spirit, which would be owned in its actings, and thrust itself amongst you; which is not come as yet: but in the power of the Lord God, and his Seed, keep over it, and bring it to condemnation. For I felt a kind of dark spirit thrusting itself up towards you, and heaving up last night; but you may keep it down with the power of God, that the witness may arise to condemn its actings, so far as it hath spread its dark works, before it have any admittance. So no more, but my love in the Seed of God, which changeth not.”

Minehead in Somersetshire, 22nd of 4th Month, 1668.

Next day several Friends of Minehead accompanied us as far as Barnstaple and Appledore in Devonshire, where we had a meeting. Barnstaple had been a bloody, persecuting town. There were two men Friends of that place, who had been a great while at sea; and coming home to visit their relations, one of them having a wife and children, the mayor of the town sent for them, under pretence to converse with them; and he put the oaths of allegiance and supremacy to them. Because they could not swear, he sent them to Exeter jail, where Judge Archer premunired them, and kept them till one of them died in prison. When I heard of this, I was moved to write a letter to Judge Archer, and another to the mayor of Barnstaple, laying their wicked and unchristian actions upon their heads, and letting them know, “that the blood of that man would be required at their hands.”