dence.

1698. feveral travelling Friends. From the Inland we went over to the Main, and had a large Meeting on first Day, at a Place called Greenwich. It was thought there were about five Hundred People, and many of them were tender. We went over the fame Night to the Ifland; and after feveral open Times with Friends and others on Rhode Island, about twelve Friends of Warwick that Inland went with me to Warwick and Providence and Provi- Yearly-meetings, in our Friend Borden's Boat. We fet Sail about Noon, and having but little Wind, it was late in the Night before we got there, and very dark, infomuch that we could neither fee nor know one another, but only by our Speech, and the Darknefs occafioned us to run our Veffel against the Rocks; but at last we got on Shore (with our Horses) and after going over a very dirty Slough, we entered a difmal Wilderness; fo that thefe Difficulties occafioned our not getting to the Friend's Houfe till the next Day, which, being the laft in the Week, we had a Meeting; and on the firft Day we had a large and fatisfactory Meeting. Many of us were fo united in the Love of God, that it was hard for us to part one from another.

Bofion. SalemHampton.

From Providence I went to Bofton and Salem, where I had Meetings, and from thence to Hampton. In those Parts God Almighty hath shortned the Power of Perfecutors, and hath brought his righteous Judgments upon them for their Unrighteousness. Oh! that NewEngland's Profeffors might live in the Senfe of the fame, and repent. I being a Stranger and Traveller, could not but obferve the barbarous and unchristianlike Welcome I had into Boston, the Metropolis of New-England. Ob! what pity (faid one) it was, that all of your Society were not banged with the other Four! In the Eastern Part of New-England God hath a Seed left of his People.

From

Marmaduke Stevenfon, William Robinson, Mary Dyer, and William Leddra, who were put to Death in 1659 and 1660.

From thence I returned in order to get a Paf- 1698. fage to the Ifle of Nantucket; and from a Place called Cubnet, we failed over to the faid Ifland in about ten Hours, where we tarried feveral Days, and had Five Meetings. The People did generally acknowledge to the Truth, and many of them were tender-hearted. Some of the Antient People said, Nantucket. That it was never known that fo many People were together on the Island at once. After the first Meeting was over, one asked the Minifter (fo called) Whether we might have a Meeting at his Houfe. He faid with a good Will, We might. This Minifter had fome Dif courfe with me, and afked, What induced me to come bitber, being fuch a young Man. I told him that I had no other View in coming there, than the Good of Souls, and that I could fay with the Apoftle, that a Neceffity was laid upon me, and Wo would be to me if I did not preach the Gospel. Then faid he, I wish you would preach at my Houfe in GOD's Name. So next Day we had a Meeting at his Houfe; and on the first Day we had the largest Meeting that we had on the Ifland. It was thought there were about two Hundred People. The Lord in his Power did make his Truth known to the Praise of his Name. Oh! how was my Soul concerned for that People! The Lord Jefus did open my Heart to them, and theirs to him: They were alfo loving and kind to us. The chief Magiftrate of the Inland defired that I would have a Meeting at his House, there being no fettled Meeting of Friends before I came; and after Meeting he difputed about Religion, with me. I thought we were both but poor Difputants; and I cannot remember all that pafs'd between us, but that in the Clofe of our Difpute, he faid, I disputed with your Friends in Barbadoes, and they told me, That we must eat the fpiritual Flesh, and drink the Spiritual Blood of Chrift: And, faid the Governor, Did ever any one hear of fuch Flesh and Blood; for

is

1698. is it not a Contradiction in Nature, that Fleh and Blood Should be fpiritual? O furely, faid I, the Governor hath forgot himself; for what Flesh and Blood was that which Chrift faid, Except ye eat my Flefb, and drink my Blood, ye have no Life in you. Why, faid he, I don't think they were to gnaw it from his Arms and Shoulders. Then I told him, he had anfwer'd himself. Thus our Dispute ended. [And from that Time forward they have continued a Meeting, and there is now a Meeting-house, and a Yearly Meeting for Worfhip, is a growing Meeting to this Day, and feveral ablick Friends are raised up amongst them, who preach the Gospel of Chrift freely.]

Bofion.
Lyna.
Salem,

• Isle of Shoals.

At this Time a Friend was convinced, whofe Name was Starbuck, who became very ferviceable, and lived and died an eminent Minifter of Chrift on that Island. Several Scores of them came and accompanied us to the Water Side; and when we embarked on board our Sloop, they defired that I would come and vifit them again. So I recommended them to the Grace of our Lord Jefus, and we parted in great Love and Tenderness. In the Evening of the next Day we got to the Main Land, where we were gladly received. Now it was in my Heart again to visit the Eastern Parts of New-England before I left America; therefore I went to Bofton Yearlymeeting, thence to Lynn and Salem, where we had a fweet comfortable Time; likewife to the Yearly-meeting at Dover, and so to Piscataway, where we had feveral Meetings, which were profitable Opportunities to many. From Pifcataway, James Goodbridge and I went over to the Inle of Shoals; we had with us a Churchmember of the Prefbyterians, whofe Brother invited her over with us to the faid Island, to the Meeting which was at his Houfe; and while he was talking with her in the Yard or Garden, I saw a Bible, and took it, and read therein. When the came into the House the asked me, What I did with that Book? I told her, If she was offended I would lay it down. No, No, faid the,

don't

don't think to come off fo, for you difown or deny that 1698. Book. I told her, She was mistaken; and asked, Who told her fo? Why, faid the, our Minister in bis Pulpit. I replied, That it was a great Abuse upon us, for I had been trained up from my Childhood in the Reading and Belief of the Scriptures, and my Father and Mother were Friends (that is, Quakers.) She willing to try me further, faid, Did your Father and Mother fuffer you to read the Bible when you were a little Boy? Yes, faid I, and gave me Correction when I was not fo willing to read therein as they would have me. Then, faid he, Our Minister has bely'd you; and fince you fay fo, if it pleafe God, I will go and hear you. She went with us to Meeting; and after it was over (going Home) one afked her, How he would anfer it to their Minifter, for going to Meeting. She replied, It was a Truth fhe had beard, and he would Stand by it through the Grace of Christ, and need not be afbamed of it (though we are of ourselves but poor weak Creatures.) This Woman was fober and religious, and one of good Report. By the foregoing we may fee how Slanders flow from fome Pulpits; the more is the Shame and Pity! We went on, and preached the Gospel of our Lord Jefus Chrift in that Ability he gave us, with which the People were affected, and would have had us tarried longer, but we could not (although they much importuned us) because we had appointed a Meeting at Oyfter River. After we had had several Meetings about Pifcataway and Dover, we went to Hampton, where we had Meetings; and at Hampton. Salisbury, we had a large open Meeting, as it was fuppos'd, of about three Hundred People (which was at this Time accounted a great Concourse of People thereabouts ;) alfo at Jamaica and Haverill we had Meetings, and from thence went to Salem and Lynn again, where we had good Service for Truth, and then to Bofton, and had a Meeting at the Meeting-house, and another at a Friends House in the Evening, at which

there

Dover.

Boston.

fet.

Connecti.

cut.

*

1698. there were many People. From Boston I went to vifit Friends about Cape-Cod, till I came again to RhodeInland. By the Way I met with Aaron Atkinson, who was on a Vifit to Friends in New-England. I had several good Opportunities, and powerful Meetings, in those Parts, and Truth wrought a Tenderness in divers at Rhode-Ifland. The Prefence of him, who faid, Where two or three are met in my Name, there am I in the midst of them, being fenfibly witneffed by many; for he was with us of a Truth. From thence I went Narragan round the Narraganset Country, and had Meetings at feveral Places, and was accompanied by John Rodman and William Beackly, thro' Connecticut to Long-Ifland, which is accounted two Hundred Miles. We had one Meeting by the Way, in which Chrift was preached to them, as he is the Light of the World, at a Place where we were told there never was a Friend's Meeting before. I came to Long-Ifland about two Weeks before the General Meeting, and vifited Friends in feveral Places on this Inland, as at Hampstead, Jerufalem, Jerico, and Bethpage, where there were large Meetings, and much Opennefs among the People, and some were convinced. We had a Meeting at a Place called Matinicock, where I met with fome of the People called Ranters, who difturbed our Meeting. I may fay as the Apoftle Paul (only altering Ephefus to Matinicok) that I fought with Beafts there; and thence I travelled to New-York, where we had two Meetings; from thence we went to the Jerseys, and there we had several serviceable Meetings that were large; and fo to Penfylua Penfylvania, where there are many very large Meetings of Friends, and the Lord is with his People there, and profpereth them fpiritually and temporally. Here I met with my dear Friend, William Ellis. From Philadelphia, Richard Gove (of that City) and I travelled to Maryland, and visited Friends on the Weftern Shore, and from thence to Virginia. In Virginia, near James's River, I met with an aged Friend whofe

Long Inland.

Now
York.

Ferfeys.

nia.

Virginia.

Name