into many temptations, of which I had a great share; and then for taking me by the hand, and leading me in his way, and also opened my spiritual eye, that I might see the way which led towards his glorious kingdom; and for preserving me to this very day alive in his testimony; and all his manifold mercies, which are in my view at this time. In the remembrance of them my heart is truly bowed, and with hearty thanksgiving, do return unto my heavenly Father all glory, and honour, and praise. Everlasting renown be given unto my God, and our dear Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus, who is sitting upon his throne, judging in righteousness, and swaying his sceptre in holiness; who is worthy for ever to be feared, honoured and obeyed, saith my soul, at this time, and for evermore, Amen.

And now my dear children, it further lives in my heart, to leave some of the testimonies that the Lord was pleased to lay upon me in that time of great suffering in Bristol, and near to it.

In the year 1680, I was greatly concerned to go to the mayor at Bristol, with this testimony, on their session's day in the morning, waiting at his door for his rising from his bed. I met with him going through one of his rooms, before he was fully ready, and said unto him, "The God of heaven and earth hath constrained me this night and morning to come unto thee with this testimony; therefore do not lay it by thee, as a thing not worth thy minding; but read it, and well weigh and consider what is written therein; for could I have been clear in the sight of God in not coming, I had not been here this day."

Which Testimony was as followeth : "THIS is to the mayor, aldermen and officers of all sorts, and all who have a hand in persecuting the righteous servants of the most high God, called Quakers, who are dear unto the Lord, as the apple of his eye; and the Lord hath said in the Scriptures of truth, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.' Now consider you people of all sorts, who have the Scriptures of truth so frequently amongst you: O! do you make such ill use of them, as not to take notice what is written therein; surely they were given forth for a better purpose; for the Lord our God, who is full of compassion, and bowels of love towards the work of his own hands, hath in the riches of his love provided a way wherein people might escape his wrath and fierce vengeance. The Lord hath placed a measure of his good spirit in your hearts, that never consented to sin; which, if you give up to be guided by it, will make you happy forever. It would teach you to do unto

all men, as you would all men should do unto you. This is a good lesson for you to learn, and would make you honourable in the sight of the nations, and beautify you in the sight of the people. Then there would be no rending, tearing or devouring, neither making havock, nor spoiling of our goods; no imprisoning of the servants of the most high God, for the answer of a good conscience; no beating and throwing of the ancient and feeble, because they cannot so hastily go out of the way, as your hasty wills would have them. O! the God of heaven will plead for these things, and a day of reckoning will the great and mighty Jehovah, who is the God of the whole earth, call for. And dreadful will he be in his pleading. Oh! who will be able to stand before him, who is like a devouring fire; and all the wicked, and all that forget God, shall be as stubble before him, saith the Scriptures of truth.

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"O ye rulers, and people of all sorts, read the Scriptures, and see what became of the persecutors in days past, for they were written and left upon record for the comfort of them that live the life of them, and for warning of the wicked and ungodly. Consider Dives in the days of his health, how he fared sumptuously every day, and considered not poor Lazarus, that begged at his gate. Oh! how hard-hearted was he? But what became of him? And what a dreadful place of torment is prepared for the wicked and for the ungod ly, wherein they are made to cry out, when it is too late, for one drop of water to cool their tongues, and it shall not be granted them. Therefore for the Lord's sake, and for your own souls' sake, repent, lest you perish to all eternity. Wherefore the call of the Lord is once more sounded in thee, O city of Bristol, and to the inhabitants thereof. Oh, repent, repent before it be too late, and break off thy sins by true repentance, and thy transgres sion by showing mercy: plead the cause of the innocent, and let the oppressed go free, and be not worse than they of old, who cried, Help, O men of Israel, &c.' There is a company of rude boys, and rabble of the basest sort, with the officers, thronging in amongst us, pressing us together without mercy; and the officers themselves taking us by the arms, and throwing us along, until we can hardly recover ourselves; and pulling off the men's hats, throwing them from them in great fury, and haling to prison many in a day. Oh, be ashamed, ye rulers, and all who have a hand in this work; and tremble before the great and terrible God that made you, and gave you breath, and being: for he is able to dash you in pieces like a potter's vessel, and to take away your breath, and to lay you as

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dead men before him. Therefore consider, your children's, and be not patterns of cruelty before it be too late; before the days of your to succeeding generations: leave not your calamity come upon you, and the arrows names upon record for such ungodly actions, of the Almighty stick fast in you, and there and unchristian-like dealings, as persecuting will be none to help you, nor to deliver out of your honest neighbours for keeping their conhis hands; for the Lord will assuredly visit sciences void of offence towards God, and all this nation, for the treachery and cursed oaths, men; for it is because we fear the great God pride and oppression of many therein, whose of heaven and earth who made us, and gave sins have reached unto heaven. It is the de- us our breath and being, and durst not betray termination of the great God of heaven and our Lord and Master, as Judas did in his day; earth, to send his destroying angel amongst and mark what became of him. I say, bethem, and thin them; great will be your sor-cause we durst not deny the Lord, nor wrong row, pain and perplexity, terror, amazement our own souls, therefore are we sufferers and vexation of spirit. Alas! for the day this day under your cruelty. The just and will be great-who shall be able to stand in it, but the pure in heart and they that have made the Lord Jehovah their choice, and love him above all things, as well in times of peace as in times of distress; such shall dwell with the Lord forever.

righteous God of heaven and earth, will one day plead with all people, and not one shall escape from his tribunal scat, without a just recompense of reward for their deeds done in their life time. He is no respecter of persons, he regardeth not the rich more than the poor, he is just in all his judgments, and equal in his ways; ever blessed and honoured be his worthy name and his honourable truth, saith my soul, for ever, and for evermore, Amen.

"And now, O you magistrates, consider what you are doing; and you that are fathers of children, dishonour not your grey hairs so much, as to be found encouraging such ungodly actions. Oh! consider your places and wherefore the Lord created you; "These things have been weighty upon my it was to serve him, and not to serve sin, nor spirit, and for the clearing of my conscience uncleanness. And wherefore did the Lord have I written them, desiring your moderation our God, who is rich in mercy, ordain means, may appear, and that noble spirit may arise or a way whereby men might escape the in you, which was in them of old, who, Tried snare, but that he would have all to do well, all things, and held fast that which was good.' and live in his favour for ever. Be you all However it be, whether you will hear or forawakened this day, and aroused up, and sleep bear, I shall be clear in the sight of my God, not in security, for destruction is near if you who said to his servant in the days of old, do not speedily repent. Consider the Sodom-If thou warn the wicked, and they turn not ites of old, how they were toiling, and nothing from their wickedness, yet thou hast delivered would satisfy them, but the servants of the thy soul, but his blood shall be upon his own most high God, whom he had sent to warn head.' ELIZABETH STirredge.” them; and instead of being warned by them, they the more provoked the just and holy It further liveth with me to leave a rela God, who willeth not the death of sinners, tion of our suffering, trials and imprisonment but had rather they would return and live. in the year 1683. If it may fall to any of Therefore hath he sent his servants early and your lots to suffer for truth's testimony, or for late to warn the people; that by taking warn- the answer of a good conscience in any case ing they might escape the wrath of the most whatever, I mean in things relating to the high God, that all are liable to fall into, who answer of a good conscience towards God, are adding sin unto sin. And truly I know which you may be assured to meet with durnothing more likely to draw down the ven- ing the time of your pilgrimage here; I have geance of God, than to use his children this testimony to bear for the living God, and cruelly, and to make them groan under his everlasting mercies, that amongst the many their oppression, as Pharaoh did in his day, blessings and favours and deliverances that we until their groans pierced the ears of the have been made partakers of from year to Lord, and he said, 'I have heard the groan-year, for these seven and thirty years; of ings of my people, and I am come down to deliver them.' And truly our God is as great in power, and as mighty to deliver at this day, as he was in that day. And if you do thus go on, as you have already done, your days will be shortened, and you shall not prosper. Therefore, consider it in time, I entreat you, as you tender the good of your own souls, and VOL. II.--No. 6.

which, blessed be the name and power of our God, he hath made me a living witness, and an enjoyer of his blessed truth-amongst all the seasons of his love, this was the greatest of mercies unto me. For the God of heaven and earth was with us at our down-lying and up-rising; and whilst we slept he kept us, and when we awaked he was present with us; the

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right hand of his power upheld us; his good spirit sustained us, and made hard things easy to us, and bitter things sweet. When we awaked in the night season, spiritual groans ascended unto Him; and in the morning light, living thanksgiving and high praises were returned unto him that liveth for evermore; who was the God and Father of all our mercies and blessings, and gave us strength, courage and boldness to stand faithful to our testimony, to the praise of the Lord. The terror of evil times did not affright us, though our enemies determined our ruin and destruction, and pleased themselves in afflicting us.

were we come into the yard, but the power of the Lord came upon me, and made me tremble, so that I could hardly stand on my feet; but taking hold on a Friend who was near me, I said, "There is a day coming, in which the God of heaven and earth will be too strong for the stout hearted amongst you: therefore repent, and amend your lives, while you have a day and time; for as the tree falls, so it lieth, and as death leaves, judgment finds, for there is no repentance in the grave. There fore hasten, hasten to repentance, and amendment of life; for the great God of heaven and earth will thin this nation, for the people are The manner of our going to prison, and by This, and much more I said, for my heart was too many who are sinning against the Lord."

whom we were persecuted.

ROBERT CROSS, priest of the parish of Chew-magna, in the county of Somerset, whither we removed some time before, and where we then dwelt, was a great persecutor twenty years before; but having left it for some years, began afresh with us, his rage being renewed against Friends, for their faithfulness to the Lord, and his blessed truth. He was greatly offended; but against me in particular, to that degree, that he said, "If he could but live to see me ruined, and my husband for my sake, he cared not if he died next day." That which enraged him against me was this; being with a neighbour who lay very weak, on her death-bed, and several of the said priest's congregation being present, I had to testify of a day of mortality to them, which accordingly fell out to three or four in two weeks time, and was taken notice of; the priest being told of it, was enraged, and made use of several instruments for carrying on his cruel work. He sent to the neighbour ing justice, and threatened him, that it should cost him an hundred pounds, if he did not put the king's laws in execution against the Quakers, as the justice told me himself, upon a time when they took me from a burial, and had me before them; the manner of which comes up before me at this time.

opened, and my spirit greatly enlarged by the power of the Lord, and drawn forth in love towards the people. I saw the tears running down many faces, and many said, they would never be again as they had been. The officer standing by me with a warrant in his pocket, trembled exceedingly, and could hardly open the warrant without rending it, crying, “Oh! that I had been twenty miles from my habitation, that I had not had a hand in this work; pray do not take it ill of me, for I am forced to it; you must go with me before the jus tices, but I wish I had been farther off, then I had had no hand in troubling you; pray do not be angry with me." I said, "Do not be troubled so much, I am not offended, I will go with thee."

When we came before the justices, one of them was greatly enraged against me; and said, "You are an old prophetess, I know you of old;" he might well say so, for he was one of those that I bore a testimony amongst ten years before. He greatly threatened me, and said, "I should go to prison, and he would ruin my husband; but where is he? He careth little for you, I will warrant you, else he would have come with you, and not have suffered you to be sent to prison by yourself. You are a troublesome woman, parson Cross com. plains of you; you scatter his flock, and have At the burial of a daughter of one profess- done him more injury than all the Quakers ing truth, I had a testimony to the people, ever did; you made an oration at the daughand many of the priest's company being there, ter's grave the last week, and now at the fait greatly offended him. The next week after, ther's also: you shall certainly go to prison, the father of this young woman dying also, that shall be the least I will do to you." Thus the day of his burial happened on the very he went on in an outrageous manner, and I day that several justices were met at their stood before him, looking steadfastly upon petty sessions, near the burying-place of him, and did not answer one word in this Friends. They sent a warrant, with some officers, into our burying-yard, to bring away preacher and hearers, if any one took upon them to preach, there being a great concourse of people, many coming in with the officers, to see what they would do to us; and a very great company with the corpse. No sooner

time; but he continued, and said, "You are a subtle woman; your tongue is at liberty when you are with your conventicle; but you are dumb, now you are come before us, I will send you to prison." I said, "I am not so much affrighted at a prison, as thou thinkest I am; but if thou send me to prison, and

his neighbours; seeing the other so furious, said, "Let us come to the matter in hand: this woman was at a burial, and there are many religions in the world, and all have their way to bury their dead, and we cannot hinder them. Officer, let us know the truth of the matter, was this a conventicle, or no? If it was, there must be a place prepared for her to stand up over the people to preach; was it so?"

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No, Sir," said the officer. "What then stood she on ?"

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Nothing but the earth of the grave." "And what said she?"

"I never heard the like in all my life," said he; "she said there was a day coming, in which the God of heaven and earth would be too strong for the stout-hearted amongst us; and proclaimed a day of mortality amongst us, and warned us to repent and amend our lives; surely it made my heart tremble."

shorten my days, because of my weakness, Yes verily, a day of reckoning will the great thou wilt but bring innocent blood upon thy God of heaven and earth call for, and terrible head, and that will cry aloud for vengeance." will it be to all the workers of iniquity." He said to me, "Why do you break the Then the other justice who sat by, and had king's laws then? And why do you not go to forborne meddling all this time, being a modechurch? You are running headlong into Pope-rate man, who was not forward in persecuting ry." "I deny the Pope," said I," and his actions." "Do you love the king?" said he, “Yes,” said I. "Why do you not obey his law then?" said he. "I have broken no law this day;" said I. "I was at a burial, and it is no breach of law to bury our dead." “Well,” said he, "you say you have broken no law, will you keep the king's law for the time to come, and leave off holding conventicles and preaching?" "So far as the king's laws do not wrong my conscience,” said I, "I will keep them, but I will not wrong my con science for the king, nor any man else; and I do not know whether ever the Lord may open my mouth again; but if he do, and unloose my tongue to speak, I shall not keep silent." 66 So, you can talk now, when you please; but," said he to them that sat by him, "she will be dumb again by and by." I will ask her one question that shall make her dumb again. "Well, you say you have not broken the king's laws, you were but at a burial, but I will warrant you held a conventicle amongst the people at John Hall's house, before you brought him forth; what say you to that?" I did not presently answer him, until he said again, "Why don't you answer? I knew she would be dumb." Then I answered, "I am no informer, Judas was an informer, when he betrayed his master." Then he looked on those who were by him, and said, "I tell you these Quakers are the subtlest people that we have to do with, there is no dealing with them; one while they will not speak at all, and another while give such cross answers as this; I protest I will send her to prison." He called the clerk to make my mittimus, and the officer was called for; then he raged at him, and said, "You silly fellow, you have let all the men go, and have brought a troublesome woman here to trouble us; you should have brought two or three rich men to have paid for all the conventicle." Sir, I did not know them, said he. "No, I will make you swear you do not know them; give him the book; make him kiss the book."

The poor man was so scared at it, that he cried, "Pray Sir, don't you do it, I cannot swear."

Then I looked on the justices, and said, "My soul is grieved to see how you oppress men's spirits, in forcing them to wrong their consciences; do you not think that the just and righteous God will visit for these things?

"How! What a woman make your heart to tremble?"

"Yes Sir, and I had no power to touch her, until she had said all she had in her heart to say."

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How," said the angry justice, "You silly fellow, you an officer, and had a severe war. rant in your pocket, to bring away preacher and hearers, and you let her say all she had to say; you are not fit to be the king's offi cer; send him away to prison."

Then the moderate justice went out of the room, and sent one to desire me to go out also; I was not forward to go, for that honest confession of the poor man, did me more good, as I thought, than my release at that time. The justice returning in again, said, "Pray neighbour Stirredge go home about your business." So I returned to my habitation again, and had the peace of the Lord in my bosom; everlasting praises be given to the Lord our God.

This wicked priest, after the burial, went from house to house, and threatened the peo ple, that it should cost them five pounds a piece for going to hear the Quakers. Some being frightened at his threatening, asked him forgiveness: others said they would go again. But still he continued his rage, for nothing would content him but our ruin. He had sent the officers to our meeting, who dealt roughly with us, by pulling and throwing, and threatening; all which did not content him; but as he was preaching in his pulpit,

he fell down as dead, whilst the words were in his mouth; as many of the hearers then present, declared unto me that they thought he would never have drawn breath again. But after a great ado, and all means used that they could, he recovered a little. The people said, we hope it will be a warning to him to leave off persecuting his neighbours. But it was not, for he was heard to say, "That if he could but live to accomplish that work he had begun, he did not care if he died presently." Seeing his neighbours not forward in answering his will, he sent to Bristol for John Hellier, with more of his confederates, who was the great persecutor at Bristol, whom he thought did his work to the full. They came with many officers, into our meeting at Chew-magna, five miles from Bristol, where we were solemnly met together to wait upon the great God of heaven and earth; rushed in amongst us, arrested us all in the king's name, and left a guard upon us, then went to the priest's house to dinner, and staid near two hours. In which time, we had our meeting peaceably, wherein we enjoyed the presence of the Lord, to our souls' comfort, who never failed his children in a needful hour, but always gave them strength suitable to the day; everlasting honour be given to his holy name.

After they had fed to the full, and drank abundance, they brought with them faggots of wood from the priest's, with a hatchet and a great axe, and commanded the people to assist them. So they mustered up their force as they came along; and the people seeing what posture they were in, cried out, "What are you going to do?" "Blow up the house, and burn the Quakers," said they. Then they threw down their wood at the meeting-house door, and cried out, "Set fire on them, blow up the house." The people cried out, "it will burn our houses that are near, and you will not be so wicked as to burn the people, will you?" Then they came in, in a violent manner, and laid hands on the children, threatening to burn them; bringing some out, they said, "We will make them a warning to all others, and make them repent that ever they were Quakers."

"But where is your teacher?" I said again, "Let him come and see the fruit of his labour; this is his flock, and this is your sabbath day's work, let him come and behold the fruits of his labour, and see if he will not be ashamed of it." Then they forced us in again, and John Helliar caused his man to make our mittimus, and himself committed us to Ivelchester jail, where we were cruelly used, as is after related.

John Helliar being the principal man in this work, our head-borough asked him, what he should do with us? He replied, "Have them away to prison presently." The day being far spent, and the journey long, it being twenty-two miles to the county jail, he asked John Helliar how we should go? For here are many women who cannot travel on foot. He answered, "I will press some carts to haul them along." I said, "We are not ashamed to be carted for the testimony of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ."

So they returned to the priest, and told him they had done his work effectually, for we were all committed to prison. He put off his hat, and thanked them, and said, "It would add years to his life; now he should live in peace." But take notice how short his days were. The head-borough, on the morrow morning, went and told him he must provide horses to carry the Quakers to prison. He answered, "The devil should have us first." He asked what he should do to get us thither? "Drive them along like hogs," said the priest. The officer was our neighbour, a moderate man, and what he did was sorely against his will. He came from the priest's house, to ours, and told us what he said. So before we were carried to prison, the priest was walking in the steeple-house yard, where he had a great deal of foolish discourse with some boys who were there at play, too tedious to mention. But the last words were, "He bid one of the boys take a halter and hang himself:" and then he fell down dead. His family being called, brought forth a chair and other things necessary, and lifted him therein and used all means they could to restore him, there being Then they laid hands on us, hauling and many people about him; some crying out, dragging us along, beating some with a cane, "Don't you disturb the old man, but let him and hewing off the legs of the forms, and go quietly;" "aye," said others, "let him detaking other forms by the two ends, threw the part in peace and don't you disturb him, that Friends backwards that sat thereon; often his neighbours, the Quakers, may abide at calling to our neighbours to aid them. Some home, and not go to prison." Some of the of them replied, "We cannot work on the neighbours came into our shop, and said, sabbath day." So they continued until they "Now you may abide at home, for Mr. Cross had wearied themselves; then bringing us all is fallen down dead in the church-yard." And out into the street amongst many people, I said unto them, "Where is your teacher?" "What is that to you," some replied, "you shall be sure to suffer, if the rest do not."

he was going mad before, said the mother of one of the boys, for he bid my boy take a halter and hang himself. Lord have mercy upon me! What wicked counsel was that of a