same. "Dear Wife, "And now Peter Fearon, my apprentice: fore named, again to Bristol, where we were Mark, and take good notice what I say to thee; greatly comforted in the Lord, in truth's proslay it to heart, and consider well now in my perity, with other of the brethren we met with absence. My true and unfeigned love is to there; where I wrote the following letter to thee, and I desire thy prosperity and welfare, my wife. in all which is good, both inwardly and outwardly; but first of all, and chiefly, in that "I received thine at Bristol, which was cause which appertains to the salvation of thy soul; of great refreshment and satisfaction unto me, the way whereof, the Lord, in his love, hath because of thy recovery from thy sickness, in some measure made manifest unto thee. which I should be glad to know doth continue. Therefore be watchful to walk in it; that is to I cannot give thee a certain account of my resay, take heed to the light of Christ Jesus in turn home at present. The day this letter was thee, the measure of the Spirit of Truth, written in Bristol, we set our faces towards which will lead thee into all truth, and out of our own country, having been to the end of all deceit, as thou dost obey and follow the our journey at this time, for anything we Whatever this pure light in thee know; but how long we may be in coming maketh manifest to be evil, and reproveth thee home I know not, for great is the work which for, depart thou from it; if it be that which the Lord hath to do, and is doing, and the lano eye can see, nor no one knows of, yet thou bourers are not many, considering the greatmust forsake it; wait and watch daily against ness thereof. Blessed are they that are faithit, in the light that makes it manifest, and thou ful therein, though ever so little; for if they wilt receive power to cast it off and depart continue unto the end, they shall not lose their from it. The light, which is Christ Jesus, the reward. Greatly doth the truth of our God way, the truth, and the life, teacheth to be prosper and increase, to the encouragement of sober and lowly-minded; our words to be few the faithful, and many are they who have a and savoury; gentle and easy to be entreated; not to be high-minded, but fear the living God good desire to know the way thereof, in most continually. This keeps the heart clean; and very large, peaceable, and quiet, almost everyplaces wherever we have come. Meetings are as it is abode in, low and humble in self-denial, where, and a great calm there now is; what and willing to take up and bear the daily cross; will be the end thereof, the Lord knoweth. and as this takes place in the heart, such there- We have had a sweet and precious time all by come to depart from iniquity. All things along in our journey, blessed be the Lord for that are reproved are made manifest by the the same, who hath been pleased to bless our light, and whatsoever makes manifest, is light; weak endeavours for the good of his people, and that which the light makes manifest to be and our great comfort and satisfaction in him. sin and evil, in word or action, thou must for"I am thy dear and loving husband, sake and deny thyself in; for this is the will "JOHN BANKS. and mind of the Lord, by his blessed Spirit; "Bristol, the Seventh and he that knows his master's will, and doth month, 1668." it not, according to the Scriptures of truth, must be beaten with many stripes. "As to things appertaining to thy work and service, be patient and content, and go quietly about thy business in the fear of God; and say not in thyself, I will think thou hast not done enough, for it is far from me so to think; only my desire is, if thou do ever so little, be careful to do it well. But, above all things, be truly willing and obedient unto thy mistress, for whatsoever thou dost to her, I take it as done to myself: and mind to carry thyself in love, and be a good example in my family, that so you may all live in love and unity together; in which the Lord preserve you all. "Thy loving master, "From Whitechapel in London, the 3d day of the Sixth month, 1668." "J. B. We travelled in the work and service of the Lord from London, through those counties be We travelled through the nation homeward, and at the end of six months from the time of our going forth, we got well there with sheaves in our bosoms, for our faithfulness in our Lord and Master's work, which we had freely and faithfully performed through the ability of his power; and we were very careful to give way one to the other in our testimony, that so we might be preserved in unity and fellowship together, as we were to the end of our journey: everlasting praises, honour, and glory be given unto the Lord alone, for he is eternally worthy! The length of this journey was twelve hundred and sixty-eight miles. I do not intend nor desire to make a great volume, or to give a full account of my journies in England, Scotland, and Ireland; but in as much brevity as I can, notice what may be most material. I have travelled and gone over sea between England, Scotland, and Ireland, twelve times, Whitehaven the third-day before, with intent and often not without great difficulty and dan-to take shipping there; and my dear wife, and ger of life by many tempestuous storms. several friends, went along with me; but the Yet I was never at any time above two nights together at sea, insomuch, that when I have taken shipping at Whitehaven, the seamen would be very desirous who should have me in their vessel; saying, I was the happiest man that ever they carried over sea, for they al-had power to command the wind and seas, ways got well along when they had me, though sometimes through great tempests. That God over all may have the praise of his own works, and the faithful be encouraged to rely upon the sufficiency of his power for ever, is the intent of my writing. wind that day was quite contrary, so that my wife and friends would have persuaded me to go home again, being ten miles, because the wind was not likely to serve. But I told them I could not then; I must rely upon him who even the Lord alone. They went home, and I went that evening to a vessel which was ready to go, and told the owner I was willing to go with him to Dublin; and I desired some of his men, if the wind was fair ere the morning, to call me at such a house. They answered, "Yes, with all their heart; but asked if I thought the wind would serve so soon, that was now so contrary?" I said, it was possible with the Lord that it might: for I had faith in the thing, according to what was revealed to me. With reverence, humility, and godly fear, I may say that my labours and travels in these nations, in preaching the everlasting Gospel in the demonstration of the Spirit, with which the Lord was pleased to attend me; though through many exercises, both without and within; perils at sea, robbers by land, bad About the dawning of the day, being fourthspirits and false brethren; yet notwithstanding day morning, one came calling aloud to me, all these, I hope, I may say without boasting, I to make haste and come soon, the wind was have been made instrumental to turn many fair, and the ship nearly ready to sail. We unto righteousness; a considerable number of had a ready passage; so that according to whom are yet alive to witness to the truth of my desire, I got to the meeting aforesaid on what I say. In my native county in Cumber- fifth-day, within half an hour after it was set; land, and also in many places elsewhere, it and a glorious heavenly meeting it was, where is well known to Friends, with what diligence many faithful brethren from all parts of the I laboured among them, in the work of the nation came; and the Lord's power was over Gospel, early and late, far and near, through all, and several living testimonies given, to much hardship to my body, in heat and cold; show forth the greatness and sufficiency thereand yet, through the strength and ability given of; wherefore we had cause of rejoicing in me of God, I was preserved in and through the prosperity of the Lord's work, and our all, having faith therein. And with all dili-unity and brotherly fellowship one with angence, when I was at home, I laboured with other. my hands, with honest endeavours and lawful employments, for the maintenance of my family. About the beginning of the year 1670, was the first time I went for Ireland, and our ancient friend John Tiffin, having drawings thither also, we took shipping at Whitehaven, and landed at Carrickfergus, in the North of that nation, for the North was most before us. And after we had visited meetings thoroughly, and were well satisfied in our service, we visited Friends along to Dublin, and thereabout; and having had good and refreshing times with Friends in that city and elsewhere, and being clear, we returned to our own country. It was not long until the Lord required of me to go to Ireland again; and in the third month, 1671, I was made willing to go, in obedience to the requirings of the Lord, and his presence was with me. My desire was to be at the Half-year's meeting at Dublin, which began the fifth-day of the week. I went to Next day, in the evening, as I was waiting upon the Lord, a great weight came upon my spirit, under which exercise I patiently abode, until it opened in me, that I was to go southward, to a place called Wicklow, though I knew it not then, being twenty-four miles south from Dublin, where no meeting of Friends before that time had been, that I could hear of, and only one or two friendly people in it. But before I went, I wrote the following letter to my wife: "Dear Wife, "That nearness of love I still feel in my heart towards thee, is beyond what I can express; yet I find an engagement upon me to show forth the same in some expressions at this time. It is in my heart to say unto thee, my dear, be stedfast in thy mind, and in the lowliness thereof watch and wait, to be preserved near to the Lord; so wilt thou feel thy peace and unity to increase with him and his people, and assuredly with me, thy husband: in whose work and service, which is weighty, I am concerned; and the prosperity thereof is become my chiefest joy and delight; and for which I am willing and in measure able, through the goodness of the Lord unto me, to spend and be spent-may he have the praise, honour, and glory returned to him, who is worthy for ever; whose the work is, and who is mighty by his own power, for carrying on the same. "My dear one, my daily cry and secret breathings are to the Lord for thee, that thou mayest be preserved in faithfulness to him, even to what thou knows of him, made manifest by his pure light in thee, by which the enemy, with all his cunning and subtilty, and reasoning which darkens, is discovered, and the outgoings of the mind judged; and the power received by waiting in the light, brings all things into good order, both within and without. "Be of good cheer, for my soul dearly loves thee, and in my heart thou art written not to be forgotten; together with our dear babes, whom it greatly tenders my heart to think of. The Lord preserve you all in the bosom of his love; who can be more to thee and thine than I ever can be: into his fatherly protection I commit thee, with myself and all that we enjoy, to be ordered and preserved. It is but reasonable he should have all offered up unto him: for what we are, and what we have, we are by him, and have received from him, that he may have the praise of all, who is eternally worthy, God blessed for ever. Amen. miles off, where a meeting had never been "So I rest thy loving husband, "Dublin in Ireland, the 22nd of the Accordingly I went on seventh-day, and two Friends with me, and gave word that I intended to have a meeting in that town next day, being the first-day of the week. The report going forth, that an English Quaker was come to preach, there was a mighty noise of it in the place, the people being stirred up by the priest. The governor, one Hammond, lived at the castle, a garrison of soldiers being kept there; and the priest laboured much with the governor aforehand, as I was told, to put me in prison. One of the friendly men I have mentioned, being a carpenter, was willing to let us have the benefit of his workhouse to meet in; there being several Friends and friendly people come out of the country: and as I was ready to go from the inn where we lodged, the landlady said to me, "For God's sake, go not along the street, for there is a guard of musketeers waiting at the cross to take you-I will show you a back way." I said, "I accept of thy love, but I must not go any private way, but along the town street; for I have a testimony to bear for the Lord in this town, in love to the souls of people." So by the time we were well seated in the place as aforesaid, before my mouth was opened, came a serjeant with "By this thou, with Friends, may know a halbert, and a guard of musketeers with that I am well every way, and have had com- him; and the serjeant said, I must go along fortable and good service among Friends and with him before the governor. I answered, friendly people in this city, where there is" What authority hast thou to take me? If great need of faithful labourers; yea, even thou hast a warrant so to do, I shall go." all over this nation; because many are in- He held out his halbert, and said, "This is quiring the way to Sion: wherefore God's my warrant." I said, "You need not have faithful servants are concerned to visit city come to us with your swords and guns, as and country, that the gathered may be estab- those who came against Christ with swords lished, and they that are not yet gathered, and staves; we are known to be a peaceable may be brought in. I came to this city on people: howbeit I shall go with thee." They the fifth-day, where we had a heavenly meet- took me to a house where the priest, his wife, ing, and on sixth-day evening, as I was wait- the governor, and his man, and some more ing upon the Lord, an exercise came upon my were collected. The priest being in a rage spirit and it opened in me that I was to go when I came in, said to the governor, "Sir, to a place southward to have a meeting next this is the deceiver; this is the deluder who first-day. I knew of no place where any is come from England, to delude people here; meeting had been kept; but the exercise re- I hope you will do justice, and execute the mained weighty upon me; so I inquired of Friends if they knew of any meeting kept that way next first-day; but none could tell me of any. At last I told William Edmondson of my exercise, and he named Wicklow to me, and an answer was in me, that that was the place I was to go to; being twenty-four VOL. II.-No. 1. law." The governor being pretty moderate, said nothing for some time; but walked to and fro, being in a large room; and the people in an uproar, pressed in at the door. I was willing to let the priest rage on a little, till he had vented himself, that he might be the more manifest to the people. At last, I said to him, 3 "Thou sayest I am a deceiver, and a deluder." He answered in fury, "So thou art; so thou art." But I said, "Have patience, and let thy moderation appear unto all men; and hear what I have to say, to clear myself from thy false accusation; for I shall not take thy assertion for proof: I have had patience to hear thee; art thou a minister of Christ ?" "Yes;" said he, "I am." I replied, " But if I prove thee a liar, as by the witness of this people thou art, in charging me with that of which thou canst bring no proof; thou art out of the doctrine of Christ, and so no minister of Christ, but of antichrist, and of thy father the devil; and therefore thou art the deceiver, and the deluder of the people." Upon this the priest's mouth was stopped, and he made to get out at the door; but the people were so thronged, he could not; then I turned to the people, "You hear," said I, "that your minister hath charged me without proof, that I am a deceiver and a deluder; did you ever see my face before? or did you ever hear me speak before now? Which of you, or who have I deceived or deluded?" But they were all silent: some more words I spoke, to manifest to the people, that their minister was no minister of Christ, according to the holy Scriptures; at which the priest cried out to the governor, "I pray you, sir, take him away; I hope you sent not for him to let him preach here." ernor, the priest, his wife said again to the governor, It was a blessed day for the Lord and his truth, for his heavenly power broke in upon many, and several were convinced, and received the truth in the love of it; and many made confession thereunto, and told the priest they were satisfied, by what they had heard me speak, that I was no such man as he said I was, and that we were not the people he had persuaded them to believe. The truth was cleared from his aspersions, by which the witness of God was reached in peoples' consciences, and they would not let the priest would dispute with me; he having boasted, that if he might but have the opportunity to manifest that deceiver, he would. The hour was set next morning by eight o'clock; and they agreed that I was to go to the priest's house, and the jailer with me, who said, before we did go, "I thank you, Mr. Banks, for the good sermon you have preached to us; for our minister never preached us such a one in his time; and I believe you are no such man as he said you were." All this time the governor was silent, and I declaring God's everlasting truth to the people. At last the priest's wife said to the gov-alone, till they got him to promise that he "I pray you, sir, let him not preach here; commit him to jail;" it being near by, and the jailer present. Then the governor spoke to me, in answer to the priest's wife's request, and said, "I am here in place to do justice, in executing the law, which you have broken, in coming to this town to keep an unlawful meeting and conventicle in the time of Divine service." I said, I knew no such service performed in the town, neither did I understand that I had broken any law. "How can it be, that I and my friends have broken the law, who were not found preaching, reading, praying, or performing any exercise that is looked upon to be worship to God; only we were met in a peaceable manner in silence, waiting upon, worshipping, and serving the Lord our God in spirit and in truth." "It is no matter," said the governor, "what you pretend; you were met, as before I have said, and I must commit you to jail. Jailor, take him away." A Friend, newly convinced, spoke some few words to the priest, about his accusing me falsely; and the priest's wife said, "Sir, commit that man too;" which he did. Another friendly man also speaking to Before the hour came the priest broke his word; for instead of staying to dispute with me, he made it his business timely in the morning to go to the sheriff, about two miles off, to tell him what a numerous meeting the jailer had suffered to be in the county jail, above stairs, such an one as never was in the county itself; and, said the priest, "I entreat you, sir, either take some course in time, or else I fear all the town of Wicklow will be Quakers, and then there will be no abiding. for me." A sober man being present, made it his business to come and tell me and the jailer; and that the sheriff said, if he had known it, the utmost door of the house should 66 have been shut against us all, and we kept meetings at Wicklow, I will let you go." I there till we had been delivered by due course answered, "I cannot do that; but if I do, if of law; and also said to the priest, "If the thou hast power so to do, thou mayest put me jailer, or any other, suffer the like again, come in prison again, and I believe I shall be as and inform me and I shall take a course with willing to suffer then, as now." So he set us them." When the news came to the jailer, all at liberty, and said to me, "God keep you who was a man of a pretty noble spirit, in the mind you are now in, for I think you “What,” said he, " have I been a jailer eight are in a good mind." So I took leave of him, years, and know not what belongs to my and said, "Governor, fare thee well; and in place? So that I have my prisoners when so saying, I truly desire thy welfare, both of there is occasion for them, I'll set my doors thy body and soul.” We came down with the open, and they shall go and come who will." jailer to his house, and I said to him, "Now And accordingly he did so, while I was there, we have our liberty, we may take our leave which was but three days, he keeping a pub- of thee." "Yes," said he, " and pay me my lic house. During the time I was there, as I fees." 'Fees," said I, "what is that?" "Oh," remember, except when I was in bed, I was said he, "it seems you never have been priscarcely one hour without some people coming soner before." Yes," said I, "I have." to see me, and discourse with me about the" And," said he, "did you never pay fees?" principles of religion; so that I was sorry for I answered, "No." He replied, "Well, being nothing, but that I had no longer time there, you are the first that ever I had in my custody the truth having prevailed so much upon the of your people, I will not keep you; because people, and begotten true love in them to it in so the governor is pleased to set you at liberty; little time. Everlasting praises unto the Lord but if any more of you come here, I will put alone, whose the work is, and by his own you in the dungeon, if you will not pay fees." power he is the carrier on and manager of it." Well," said I," we must leave that to what In a little time, the jailer, with some others time will bring forth." So he gave us our of the town, who persuaded him to it, when the priest had failed and broken his word, so that his own people even hissed at him, agreed to speak to the governor, to have me brought before him, and told him they did believe I was an honest man, and they would have him let me go out of prison. He bid the jailer bring me up next morning to his chamber, being the third-day, at eight of the clock, and he would examine me, seeing the priest had failed. Accordingly, with the two Friends committed with me, I was brought before him; and in great moderation the governor reasoned with me for about an hour, about our manner of meeting, and the worship of God, and what we believed concerning Christ, and of honour to men in authority; all which was cleared to his satisfaction. He confessed to the truth of what I spoke, and said he was satisfied with the answers I had given him, and asked what I would have him to do for me, being I was the first of our people he ever had to do with, he would willingly let me go, if he could be clear and answer the law. I told him it was my liberty I desired and prized; and I believed it was in his power to set me and my friends at liberty. He said, he believed well concerning me, and thought I was an honest man: so if I would promise him to appear at the assize or sessions, when there was occasion, or get any to do it for me, that he knew, I should have my liberty. I told him, I neither could do it myself, nor desire another to do it for "Well," said he, "if you will promise me you will never come to keep any more me. liberty, and we called for drink to give him, "The truth of our God is exceedingly precious, and very desirable-blessed be his name for evermore, who hath made us sensible of the same, to the gladdening of our hearts. I feel true unity with thee therein, and it is cause of comfort to me in all my travels and exercises for the Lord and his truth's sake, that thou drawest with me in true subjection, and with a willing mind under his yoke; to the end that his will may be done by us. Oh! that we may carefully keep here; for then surely great will be our reward, if we continue unto the end: for great is and shall be the reward of the faithful. Having been this day at a very large precious meeting, where many people besides Friends were present, I have not time to write what I would, and partly because of the haste of the bearer; but in a word, I am well, and |