L. Laity and clergy, 218. Marriage, 53, 54, 165, 353. Mediation of Christ, &c., 67, 78, 85, 413. Ministers, Gospel, their work, 62; qualification, Morality not to be relied on, 360. Naylor, James, 257. N. 0. Oldham, James, remarkably pious man, 419. Spirit of Truth, false pretences to it, 62; John Steel, John, his testimony against Wilkinson and Oxley, Joseph, address to his children, 415; life Stirredge, Elizabeth, the life of, 184; testimony to and travels, 416; convincement, 419; re- P. Parents, advice to, 53, 290, 355, 358, 377, 395. Perrott, John, 264. King Charles, 192; visits justices met to T. Waln, Nicholas, his first appearance in the min- War in Ireland, 130, 366. itation at a Friends' meeting, 319; tra- A JOURNAL OF THE LABOURS, TRAVELS, AND SUFFERINGS OF THAT FAITHFUL MINISTER OF JESUS CHRIST, JOHN BANK S. born about 163 8 dem! Charles: Friendly Reader, PREFACE. THE labours of the servants of God ought always to be precious in the eyes of his people; and for that reason the very fragments of their services are to be gathered up for edification. It is this which induces us to exhibit the following pages to public view, as well as the hope that it may please God to make them profitable to such as seriously peruse them. We have always found the Lord ready to second the services of his worthies upon the spirits of their readers; not suffering that which is his own to go without a voucher in every conscience; I mean those divine truths which it has pleased him to reveal by his own blessed Spirit; without which no man can rightly perceive the things of God, or be spiritually-minded, which is life and peace. This indeed is the only saving evidence of heavenly truths; which made that excellent apostle say, "We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lieth in wickedness." In that day, true religion and undefiled before God and the Father, consisted in visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and keeping unspotted from the world: not merely a godly tradition, of what others have enjoyed, but the experimental enjoyment and knowledge thereof, by the operation of the Divine power in their own hearts, which makes the inward Jew and accomplished Christian, whose praise is not of men but of God. Such are Christians of Christ's making, who can say with the apostle, "It is not we that live, but Christ that liveth in us;" dying daily to self, and VOL. II.-No. 1. rising up, through faith in the Son of God, to newness of life. Here formality bows to reality; memory to feeling, letter to spirit, and form to power; which brings to the regeneration, without which no man can inherit the kingdom of God; and by which he is enabled in every state to cry Abba, Father. Thou wilt see a great deal of this in the following author's writings; and that he rightly began with a just distinction between true wisdom and the fame of wisdom; what was of God, and taught of God, and what was of man and taught by man-which last at best is but a sandy foundation for religion to be built upon, or rather the faith and hope of man in reference to religion, and salvation by it. Oh! that none who make profession of the dispensation of the Spirit, may build beside the work of Jesus Christ in their own souls, in reference to his prophetical, priestly, and kingly offices. For God his Father gave him, as a tried stone, elect and precious, to build by and upon; in which great and glorious truth, we do most humbly beseech the Almighty, who is the God of the spirits of all flesh, the Father of lights and spirits, to ground and establish all his visited and convinced ones, that so they may grow up unto a holy house and building to the Lord. So shall purity, peace, and charity abound in the house and sanctuary which he hath pitched, and not man. As to this worthy man, the author of the following treatises, I may say, his memorial is blessed, having known him above forty-four years. He was a heavenly minister of experi 1 mental religion, of a sound judgment and pious practice, valiant for truth upon the earth, and ready to serve all in the love and peace of the Gospel. He was among the first in Cumberland who received the glad tidings of it; and then readily gave up, with other brethren, to declare unto others what God had done for their souls. Thus I first met him, and as I received his testimony through its savour of life, so I was kindly encouraged by him in the belief of the blessed doctrine of the light, spirit, grace, and truth of Christ in the inward parts; reproving, instructing, reforming, and redeeming those souls from the evil of the world, who were obedient thereunto. He was a means of strength to my soul, in the early days of my convincement, together with his dear and faithful brother and fellow-traveller, John Wilkinson, of Cumberland, formerly a very zealous and able Independent minister. Before I take my leave of thee, reader, let me advise thee to hold thy religion in the Spirit, whether thou prays, praisest, or ministers to others; go forth in the ability God giveth thee; presume not to awaken thy beloved before his time; be not thy own in thy performances, but the Lord's, and thou shalt not hold the truth in unrighteousness, as too many do, but according to the oracle of God, who will never leave nor forsake them who will take counsel of him; which that all God's people may do, is, and hath long been, the earnest desire and fervent supplication of their and thy faithful friend in the Lord Jesus Christ, WILLIAM Penn. London, the 23d of the Twelfth month, 1711. TESTIMONIES CONCERNING JOHN BANKS. JOHN WHITING'S Testimony concerning JOHN ways loved its messengers for its sake, as I did BANKS. SINCE it pleased the Lord, in his infinite love, to cause his day to dawn and his truth to break forth in this nation of England, even in an acceptable time, when many were seeking the Lord, and wandering like sheep without a shepherd upon the barren mountains of lifeless profession, seeking rest but finding none; many messengers have been raised up, and sent forth to publish the glad tidings of the Gospel, and to turn people from darkness to light, that they might find rest to their souls; many of whom, especially of the first rank, are fallen asleep. Among these our dear friend John Banks, the author of the following papers, was early raised and sent forth with the word of life, and was a faithful labourer in his day, who gave up himself for the spreading of truth, spending and being spent in the service of the Gospel, for gathering people to the knowledge of the truth, in which he was made an effectual instrument to many, in this and other nations, particularly Scotland and Ireland. Since the Lord was pleased to give me the knowledge of his truth, to which my education by religious parents was a good help, I al the author of the ensuing papers for his sound and savoury testimony, which ministered grace. He divided the word aright, to the hearers. according to their several states and conditions, of which he had a good discerning, and could speak a word in season accordingly; like a good scribe instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, who bringeth forth of his treasure things new and old. He was also one that ruled well, not only his own family, but in the church of God. I knew him above thirty years, from his coming into the county of Somerset, in the year 1677; and could then, though but a young man, set my seal to the truth of his ministry, and witnessed the efficacy of it. It was with demonstration of the spirit and power; he being endued from on high, to preach the everlasting Gospel of life and salvation. I have often been comforted in meetings with him since, especially about the time of his coming to settle in the county of Somerset. One of the last duties we owe to the memory of such who have laboured among us in word and doctrine, and for their works' sake have been worthy of double honour, is to publish their memoirs, as occasion offers, after their decease; in which, I confess, I have often been comforted, as commemorating the worthy and noble acts of the Lord done by them, and his goodness, mercies, and providences in preserving them, and carrying them over all opposition of men of perverse minds, and the persecutions and sufferings which have attended them for their testimony, and which have not been few in these latter days. This has always been the lot of truth and its witnesses, and was the lot of the author of this book. The following journal and collection of his writings were sent to me by him in his life-time, with a desire that I, and J. Field, should take the care of publishing them after his decease, which we have carefully done. I have been comforted in reading them, by the sound, solid, serious matter contained in them, which 1 doubt not will have a witness in the consciences of all who read them in the fear of God. In them he being dead yet speaketh, whose memorial still lives and will live among the faithful in a lively remembrance of him. I truly loved him for his sincerity and uprightness, being a faithful man to the testimony of Truth, and concerned for good order in the church of Christ, against disorderly walkers, and to keep things clean in Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, from all that would defile or break the love and unity. When he grew weak in body, that he could not travel as in time past, though he got to several meetings beyond expectation but a little while before his death, yet his care for the church was not lessened, that all things might be kept well; and at last having served his generation according to the will of God, he fell asleep and died in the faith and full assurance of a blessed immortality and eternal life. He laid down his head in peace with the Lord, in a good old age, and full of days, aged about seventy-four, and is entered into the fruition and reward of his labours, and his works follow him. He was one upon whom the Lord poured forth of his holy Spirit, and gave a large gift thereof to serve him. The Lord's love is universal to all; he would have none to perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved; and for that end he gives gifts to men, to make them instrumental in his hand, to bring the sons of men to have faith in his only Son the Lord Jesus Christ, "who is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Our dear friend was early called into the work of the ministry, and was faithful to improve his gift; and the Lord made him useful in his hand, and many are the seals of his ministry who yet remain in this county, who are witnesses of the power that was effectually with him, to the convincing of many. He was a faithful minister of the everlasting Gospel, and given up to preach it freely, and labour faithfully in the work thereof; and went through great hardships, and travelled much both by sea and land, in Ireland, Scotland, and in this nation, and most of all in this county, where he laboured night and day for the gathering of people to God, and for the settling of those who were gathered. He was one of good discernment, and was often opened by the Spirit of Truth, to speak to peoples' states, and had an answer from God's witness in their hearts, so that many were convinced by him. He was instrumental to gather several meetings in this county; being an incessant labourer in the Lord's work, both in body and mind; rising up early, and lying down late, and freely given up to spend and be spent ; and we sincerely desire that we who had the benefit of his labour, may be kept in true fear and walk worthy of all the Lord's mercies, to his glory, and our salvation. His ministry was powerful and piercing, ministering judgment upon the transgressor, yet filled with consolation to the sincere hearted, so that he was both beloved and feared by many. His memory lives amongst the righte ous; and we doubt not but he is entered into rest. It was not only given him to believe, but to suffer for the testimony of God; in which he was preserved firm and true, to the stripping of his goods by the Conventicle Act, public sale being made of what he had; yet the Lord bore him up over all, that he was as one of the stakes of Sion, that could not be moved. He was afterwards in prison at Carlisle for his testimony; yet retained his integrity, and stood faithful, and the Lord was with him, and gave him courage still to stand firm in his testimony against tithes and the hireling priests, not only in word, but in deed and in truth. In the time of the Conventicle Act, he kept close to meetings, so that the informers concluded, whoever were not, he would be there; insomuch that they ventured to inform against him, whether they saw him, or not; and thereby laid a snare for themselves; and swore he was preaching on Pardshaw Crag, when he was gone in the service of the Gospel into Ireland, and was taken prisoner in Wicklow; which was proved against them, and they were forced to fly the country, and both came to miserable ends. He had great service at that time, for many were convinced of the truth at the meeting in which he was taken prisoner. We might say more on this subject; yet the bent of our minds is not to attribute anything to him, or to any man, but to the Lord's power, which raised him up and made him what he was, to his honour and the peace and benefit of the church; desiring that we who yet remain may keep in true fear and humility, following the Lord Jesus in the way of self-denial, that we may so run as to obtain the crown of immortal glory. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." both by the convincement of some, and the Aglionbye, the 25th of the CHRISTOPHER STORY'S Testimony concerning As the labours, travels, and exercises of our dear friend John Banks were great, both in doing and in suffering for the name of the Lord, I shall here give a relation of some part of them, where I was present with him. The first time I saw him was at a meeting at John Iveston's, of Jerishtown in Cumberland, in the latter end of the year 1672, or about the beginning of the year 1673, where there were many Friends and other people. It was a good meeting, to the confirming of those who had lately received the truth in the love of it; and convincing others of the right way of the Lord. The next meeting he had in our parts was at Edward Atkinson's of Masthorne. A great meeting it was, and many received the truth in the love of it, and lived and died in it. Others were so reached, that though they never took the profession of the truth upon them, yet they often manifested their love to truth and Friends, to their dying day. He was a faithful minister of Christ in this his glorious Gospel day, after that long and dark night of apostacy, which had spread itself over the nations, in which many were made drunk with the cup of fornication. After it had pleased the eternal, wise God to open his understanding, and to let him see his own state and condition, and reveal his Son in him, he was made willing to give up freely to the heavenly and inward appearance of Christ Jesus, the hope of glory. And as he was obedient thereunto, he was intrusted with a large gift of the ministry, in which he grew, and was made powerful in it, to the turning of many unto the right way of the Lord; who were convinced of the evil of their ways, and turned unto Jesus Christ, their free teacher; and were made to bless the Lord on his behalf, that it should please the Lord to send him amongst them who had sat in darkness, and under the region of the shadow of death. He was skilful in dividing of the word aright, having milk for babes, and stronger meat for those of riper age. I knew him well, and truly loved and honoured a settled meeting. He was serviceable amongst him, for he was worthy of double honour, as one that ruled well in the church of Christ. As he was bold in asserting the truth, so he was valiant in suffering for it, both by imprisonment, and in spoiling of his goods. When at liberty, he travelled much in divers parts of this nation, also in Ireland and Scotland; and in many places where it was my lot to In the year 1679, our dear friend going to follow him, I found of the fruits of his labours; the Yearly Meeting at London, for the county, So effectually was the love of God manifested in that meeting, that many tears were shed by some for joy that the Gospel of glad tiding was so preached, and by others, in a sense of godly sorrow for their mis-spent time. He had several meetings afterward, nearer to the borders of Scotland; and one at Parkrigg, in which several were convinced by him, and others being added, it is now become us in word and doctrine, and very exemplary in life and conversation, so that I greatly loved him. He had also a share in government, and the care of the churches was upon him, that they who professed the truth might walk answerably in their lives and conversations. |