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tion 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 staid that night. Thence we passed over the 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.

us.

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 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 passageboat, 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, Johnap-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 OLDSTONE; 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

PORTSHEAD, 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." G. F.

Minchead in Somersetshire, 22d of 4th Month, 1668.

Next day several Friends of Minehead accompanied us as far as BARNSTAPLE and APPLEDON 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."

After a precious mecting at Appledon among some faithful Friends there, we passed to STRATTON, and stayed at an inn all night. Next day we rode to Humphrey Lower's, where we had a very precious meeting; and next day to TRURO; visiting Friends till we came to the LAND'S-END. Then coming up by the south part of that county, we visited Friends till

we came to TREGANGEEVES, where at Loveday Hambley's we had a general meeting for all the county; in which the monthly meetings were settled in the Lord's power, and in the blessed order of the gospel; that all who were faithful might admonish and exhort such as walked not according to the gospel; that so the house of God might be kept clean, and righteousness might run down, and all unrighteousness be swept away. Several that had run out, were brought to condemn what they had done amiss; and through repentance came in again.

Being clear of the county of CORNWALL, we came into DEVONSHIRE, and had a meeting amongst Friends at PLYMOUTH. Whence passing to Richard Brown's, we came to the widow Phillips's, where we had some men Friends from all the meetings together; and there the men's monthly meetings were settled in the heavenly order of the gospel, the power of God; which answered the witness of God in all. There was a great noise of a troop of horse coming to disturb our meeting; but the Lord's power prevented it, and preserved us in peace and safety.

After things were well settled, and the meeting over, we came to KING'S-BRIDGE, and visited Friends there. Then leaving Friends in those parts well settled in the power of God, we passed to TOPSHAM, and MEMBURY, visiting Friends, and having many meetings in the way, till we came to ILCHESTER in SOMERSETSHIRE. Here we had a general men's meeting, and therein settled the men's monthly meetings for that county in the Lord's everlasting power; and Friends being refreshed and comforted in the Lord's power, and established upon Christ, their rock and foundation, we passed to PUDDIMOOR; where, at William Beaton's, we had a blessed meeting, and all was quiet; though the constables had threatened before.

When we had visited most of the meetings in Somersetshire, we passed into DORSETSHIRE to George Harris's house, where we had a large men's meeting. There all the men's monthly meetings for that county were settled in the glorious order of the gospel, that all in the power of God might "seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away; cherish the good, and reprove the evil."

Then we came to SOUTHAMPTON, where we had a large meeting on First-day. Thence we went to Captain Reeves's, where the general men's meeting for Hampshire was appointed; to which some of all the county came, and a blessed time we had. There the men's monthly meetings for that county were settled in the order of the gospel, which had brought life and immortality to light in them. But there came a rude company of Ranters, who had opposed and disturbed our meetings much. One of the women had lain with a man, who declared it at the market-cross, and gloried in his wickedness. A company of these lewd people lived together at a house hard by the place where our meeting was. I went to it, and told them of their wickedness. The man of the house said, "Why! did I make so strange of that ?" Another of them said, "It was to stumble me. I told them, "their wickedness should not stumble me, for I was above it." And I was moved of the Lord to tell them, "that the plagues and judg ments of God would overtake them, and come upon them.". After

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wards they went up and down the country, till at last they were cast into Winchester jail, where the man that had lain with the woman stabbed the jailer, but not mortally. And after they were let out of jail, this fellow that had stabbed the jailer hung himself; the woman also had like to have cut a child's throat, as we were informed. These people had formerly lived about London; and when the city was fired, they prophesied, "that all the rest of London should be burnt within fourteen days," and hastened out of town. Though they were Ranters, great opposers of Friends, and disturbers of our meetings, yet in the country where they came, some people that did not know them, would be apt to say they were Quakers. Wherefore I was moved of the Lord to write a paper, to be dispersed among the magistrates and people of Hampshire, to clear Friends and truth of these lewd people and their wicked actions.

After the men's monthly meetings in those parts were settled, and the Lord's blessed power was over all, we went to a town where we had a meeting with Friends. Thence we came to FARNHAM, where we met many Friends, it being the market-day. We had many precious meetings up and down that country. Friends in those parts had formerly been plundered, and their goods much spoiled, both for tithes, and for going to meetings; but the Lord's power at this time preserved both them and us from falling into the persecutor's hands.

We passed thence, and had a general men's meeting at a Friend's house in SURREY, who had been plundered so extremely, that he had scarcely a cow, horse, or swine, left. The constables threatened to come and break up our meeting, but the Lord restrained them. At this meeting the men's monthly meetings were settled in the authority of the heavenly power. After we had visited Friends in that county, and had many large and precious gatherings, we passed to a Friend's house in SUSSEX, where the general meeting for the men Friends of that county was appointed to be held; and thither came several Friends from London to visit us. We had

a blessed meeting; and the men's monthly meetings for that county were then settled in the Lord's eternal power. There were at that time great threatenings of disturbance; but the meeting was quiet. We had several large meetings in that county, though Friends were then in great sufferings there, and many in prison. I was sent for to visit a Friend that was sick, and went to see those that were prisoners. There was danger of my being apprehended; but I went in the faith of God's power, and thereby the Lord preserved me in safety.

Having visited Friends through the country, we passed into KENT, where, after we had been at several meetings, we had a general meeting for the men Friends of that county. There also the men's monthly meetings for that county were settled in the power of God, and established in the order of the gospel, for all the heirs of it to enter into their services, and care in the church for the glory of God. Friends rejoiced in the order of the gospel, and were glad of the settlement thereof, which is not of man nor by man. After this I visited Friends in their meetings in KENT; and when I had cleared myself of the Lord's service in that county, I came up to LONDON.

Thus were the men's monthly meetings settled through the nation; for I had been in Berkshire before, where most of the ancient Friends of that county were in prison; and when I had informed them of the service of these monthly meetings, they were settled amongst them also. The quarterly meetings were generally settled before. I wrote also into Ireland by faithful Friends, and into Scotland, Holland, Barbadoes, and several parts of America, advising Friends to settle their men's monthly meetings in those countries. For they had their general quarterly meetings before; but now that truth was increased amongst them, they should settle those men's monthly meetings in the power and Spirit of God, that first convinced them. Since these meetings have been settled, and all the faithful in the power of God, who are heirs of the gospel, have met together in the power of God, which is the authority of them, to perform service to the Lord therein, many mouths have been opened in thanksgivings and praise, and many have blessed the Lord God, that ever he sent me forth in this service; yea, with tears have many praised the Lord. For now all coming to have a concern and care for God's honour and glory, that his name be not blasphemed, which they profess; and to see that all who profess the truth, walk in the truth, in righteousness, and in holiness, which becomes the house of God, and that all order their conversation aright, that they may see the salvation of God; all having this care upon them for God's glory, and being exercised in his holy Power and Spirit, in the order of the heavenly life and gospel of Jesus, they may all see and know, possess and partake of, the government of Christ, of the increase of which there is to be no end. Thus the Lord's everlasting renown and praise are set up in every one's heart that is faithful; so that we can say, the gospel order established amongst us, is not of man, nor by man, but of and by Jesus Christ, in and through the Holy Ghost. This order of the gospel, which is not of man, nor by man, but from Christ, the heavenly man, is above all the orders of men in the fall, whether Jews, Gentiles, or apostatized Christians, and will remain when they are gone. For the power of God, which is the everlasting gospel, was before the devil was, and will be and remain for ever. And as the everlasting gospel was preached in the apostles' days to all nations, that all nations might come into the order of it, through the divine power, which brings life and immortality to light, that they who are heirs of it, might inherit the power and authority of it; so now, since all nations have drunk the whore's cup, and all the world hath worshipped the beast (but they whose names are written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, who have worshipped God in spirit and in truth, as Christ commanded), the everlasting gospel is to be, and is, preached again, as John the divine foresaw it should, to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people. This everlasting gospel torments the whore, and makes her and the beast to rage, even the beast that hath power over the tongues, which are called the original, to order them, by which they make divines, as they call them. But all that receive the gospel, the power of God, which brings life and immortality to light, come to see over the beast, devil, whore, and false prophet, that darkened them and all their worships and orders, and come to be heirs of the gospel, the power of God, which

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