meetings in that colony; and came to Long Island, where we had meetings to the satisfaction of ourselves and Friends. From Long Island, after we were clear of the service and exercise of the work of the ministry, and had visited Friends' meetings as we travelled, and in many places found openness among the people who were not of our profession, who sometimes came in great numbers to our meetings, and several were convinced in a good degree, and many comforted, strengthened, and edified, in Christ our Lord, we came to Philadelphia, the place of our habitation. Let his name, saith my soul, have the praise of all his works forever.

After being at home some time, I visited Friends' meetings in our county, and several parts of New Jersey, Maryland, and the lower counties on Delaware. At Jones' I appointed a meeting at a publichouse near the court-house. General notice being given thereof, there came one Crawford, a

priest, with many of his hearers, and in the beginning of the meeting he read a sermon, as they called it, which was a transcript of the works of some of our adversaries, which we desired to have from them to answer. They said, "If I would answer it myself, I should have it." I told them I should, if they would let me have it; but though they promised it, they did not perform, but were worse than their word. We heard them read it patiently, and after they had done, had our meeting. The auditory was large, and most of the magistrates were at it. The priest's read

ing, and my testimony, occasioned this meeting to hold long; after which, as we were getting on horseback, the priest cried out among the people, "That he did not think we would go away so sneakingly." We having twenty miles to ride that night, and he near his home, and having the advantage in that respect, some thought it made him the bolder, for he let me get on horseback before he uttered that expression. I told him to challenge was enough to set a coward to work, and we were no cowards; for he knew we could venture our lives for our religion, which I questioned whether he would do for his. I dismounted, and he having the bible open in his hand, I being near him, chanced, against my will and knowledge, to touch it with my foot. "Look you, gentlemen," says he, "he tramples the Word of God under his feet!" For which gross abuse his own hearers openly rebuked him, and put him to shame. Then he said, "He would prove us no ministers of Christ." I bid him prove himself one, and he would do the business. "Well," says he, "how shall we know who are Christ's ministers?" Why," said I, “art thou willing to be tried by Christ's rule, for he hath given us a plain rule to know them by." "What is that rule? Let us hear it," says he. "It is short, but full, namely, 'By their fruits you shall know them; for men do not gather grapes of thorns, nor figs of thistles' wherefore by their fruits they are known." "I deny it," says Priest Crawford,- for that was the name he went by here, he going by another elsewhere,

-"that they are known by their fruits." I answered, "Then thou deniest the plain and naked truth of Christ." So I called aloud to the people to take notice what a blind guide they had; and indeed he was wicked, as well as blind, and his fruits not good; which may make one suppose that he was not willing to be tried by his fruits. For soon after, news came that he had a wife in England, and as he had another here, his fruits were wicked with a witness; and according to Christ's doctrine, no good could spring from his ministry, therefore he proved himself by his evil deeds to be no minister of Jesus Christ. Near the aforesaid place we got a meeting settled, which is called Little-creek Meeting; and about the same time a meeting was established, and a meeting-house built at Duck creek. The people in those parts about this time began mightily to see through the formal preachy ing of such as preach for money, who love the hidid though they do not love to be called hirelings.

mv

CHAPTER III.

1706-1710.

Opposition by a Priest and Lawyer- Visits to West Indies and Europe-Arrival at Barbadoes-Religious Labors - Privateer-Jamaica-Travels through England-Holland - Wm. Sewel-Friesland- Germany-Rough Travelling-Return to England - London Yearly Meeting- Embarks for Philadelphia - Arrives at Home.

IN the year 1706, having some concerns in the province of Maryland, I had divers meetings as I travelled on the road, as at Nottingham, Elk river, hiorth-east, Susquehanna, Bush and Gun-powder opeers; at some of which places I do not know that he se had been any meeting before. At one of these meetings were one Edwards a priest, and a lawyer, the attorney-general, and several justices of the peace. The priest was angry, and said, "It was an unlawful assembly, the house not being licensed by law." The justices told him, "That he and his people being there to hear, if any unwarrantable or false doctrine was preached, he had a fair opportunity to lay it open before all the people." So they desired him to hear patiently and quietly. He seemed to like the proposition, and sat down by me. We had not sat down long before I stood up, and spoke to the people a con

siderable time. The lawyer sat opposite to me, and took what I said in short-hand, for about half an hour; but growing weary, he laid down his pen, and took out of his pocket a bottle of liquor, or spirits, and said, "Come, friend, here is to thee (or you); you have spoken a great while, you need something to refresh you." I made a stop, and said to the people, 'Here is your minister, and here is some of the fruits of his ministry, of which he and all sober people may be ashamed." And then went on again without any opposition till I had done; but afterwards they were in a rage, and threatened what they would do to me, if ever I came there again to have a meeting. But I told them, if they had power to take our lives from us, they were not dear to us for the sake of Christ and his gospel; and that we did not regard their threatenings. I desired the lawyer to give me a copy of what he had written; he went about it, but did not do it; neither was he candid in penning my words; for several of the people then present bore witness that he had not written it verbatim, or truly taken the sense of what I spoke. I charged him to be just, otherwise he had many witnesses against him; at which the priest bent his fist, and held it up to me, but did not strike me, and away they went in a fret. Soon after we had another meeting at the same place, which was large and quiet. The man of the house being an attorney at law, had got his house licensed, and though the priest and lawyer threatened hard, they came not.