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of that ancient Love which firft united our Society 1724. together, and in which, in Times of cruel Perfecution, fome freely offered to fuffer the Imprisonment of their Bodies to obtain the Liberty of their Friends in Confinement. From thence we travelled to Amboy, Amboy. and fo over to Staten-Ifland. The Day being very hot, and the Evening cold, I got a fevere Cold, which I did not get clear of for about two Weeks, notwithstanding which, I went to Meetings, though ill in Body. The first Meeting I had on Long-Island, was at Flushing, on a Firft-day: A comfortable Flushing.

Musketto

Cove

Meeting it was! in which was closely preffed, the Taking up the Crofs of Chrift, by all who defire to be his Difciples, and that without it we could not be true Chriftians. From Flushing we went to Musketto Co Cove, and had a Meeting there on Third-day, which was large, and to general Satisfaction, and fome were there that were newly convinced. I feeing the Openness of the Meeting, advised Friends to build a Meeting-house there, which they approved of. On Fourth-day we had a Meeting at Westbury, and on Westbury.. Fifth-day at Cowneck. From Cowneck I went to the Cowneck. South-fide of the Island, and had a Meeting at Captain Hicks's. The Neighbours, who were not of our Rockway. Society, came generally to this Meeting, and they were preffingly exhorted to come to Chrift, and the Way opened unto them. It was a good Time, and I thought a Time of Love to us all, though before the Meeting I was exceedingly fhut up in myfelf, fo that the Meeting was very beneficial to me, among the reft, to see how the Lord could work by his Power, and unlock the Soul, as in a Moment, as he did for my poor Soul at Times. O may I, with Chrift's Followers and Minifters, ever depend upon him, is my Petition! From Rockway (for fo is the Place called) we went to Westbury, and had a very large Meeting on a First-day; and, as I was informed, fome were convinced there that Day. From hence I went

Fofter's

Flushing
Huntington.

1724. to a Place called Fofter's Meadows, where we had a large Meeting in one Duefbury's Barn. After this I Meadows. Went over to the Main Land, and had a Meeting at a Wefichefer. Place called Weftchefter. From thence we went to Flushing, and had a large Meeting on a Fifth-day of the Week, in which the right training up of Children, and careful Education of Youth, was zealously recommended. From Flushing I went to Huntington, where fome were lately convinced of the Principle of Truth as it is in Chrift Jefus, fome of whom were excommunicated by the Prefbyterians, with whom they had formerly join'd. We had a pretty large Meeting in a Friend's Earn, where one Prieft Prime oppofed me, as he allo had my Friend Benjamin Kid fome Time before, of which, by Letter, I gave an Account to my dear Friends Thomas Lightfoot and Renjamin Kid, defiring them (in their Return from New-England) to have an Evening-meeting there. The Grounds of this Prieft's Cavilling, or Difpute, was that I had declared, That it is the Light of Chrift, or his Spirit, which convinceth the World of Sin, and not a natural Light, or the Light of a natural Confcience; from whence he took Occafion to charge me with denying a natural Confcience; the Falfhood of which I charg'd upon him before the Auditory, and defired him, if he had any Thing on his Mind, to write it to me, to which I promis'd to return him an Answer.

From Huntington I went to the General-meeting of New town. Friends held at New-town, which was fo large that the Meeting-houfe could not contain the People, and the Weather being exrreme hot, the People without Doors were fome of them uneafy, and went to and fro; but thofe that were in the House, and fo near as they could hear, were very attentive, and as far as I could learn, New-York, generally fatisfied. Our next Meeting was at NewYork, which was the quieteft Meeting I ever had there ; and thofe few Friends at New-York, and fome that were there from Long-Iland, parted with us in the

Love of Chrift, and in the Fellowship of his bleffed 1724.
Gofpel; and fo I travelled homewards, having good
Satisfaction in vifiting my Friends; and when I came
Home, I found my dear Wife and Children in Health, Frankfort.
for which I blefs God.

After this Journey I kept to Meetings at and about Home as ufual, and was at the Fifth-day-meeting in Philadelphia, when Samuel Preston was married to Mar- Philadel garet Langdale (the Widow of my dear Friend and phia. Fellow-traveller Jofiah Langdale :) The Meeting was large, and the Parable of the Virgins, and the Bridegrooms's Coming at Midnight, was opened, with an Exhortation to the People to be ready against that Hour, and that they fhould take Care to have the holy Oil of divine Grace in their Hearts.

After this Meeting I had fome Affairs which called me into Chefter-County, and on the Road my Horfe Chestergave a fudden and violent Start out of the Path, and County. threw me down, and before I could get up again, he ftruck my Face, and on my Right Eye with his Foot, being newly fhod, which ftunn'd me for the prefent; but as foon as I opened that Eye which was unhurt, I perceiv'd that I lay on my Back, under my Horfe's Belly, with my Head between his fore Feet. He ftood ftill, and I got on my Hands and Knees, the Blood streaming out of my Nofe and right Eye, and while I was bleeding, a Man and Woman came by, and ftay'd till I had done bleeding, and faw me mounted on my Horse again. I went forward, being about two Miles from the Houfe I intended to go to, and after riding about a Mile, I met with a Friend that knew me, and was furprised to see me fo bloody, and went with me to Randal Mayling's, (a faithful honest Friend, who was upwards of eighty Years of Age, and had fuffered much for his Profeffion of the Truth in his younger Years) where feveral tender-hearted, motherly Women dreffed my wounded Eye. I was truly thankful to the Lord for his Providence towards me in this Deliverance, among many others, which he

1724. in his Goodness hath vouchfafed to me. I ftay'd at this Friend's Houfe three Nights, and mended apace, and the Friend accompanied me to my House at Frankfort, where my loving Wife, with fome Surprize, received me very affectionately; and thro' her Care and continual Application, I recovered, that I could fee pretty well with Spectacles, which I was obliged to ufe for fome Months. Such Accidents plainly fhew us the Neceffity of preparing for fudden Death, as we know not when, or bow, we may go off the Stage of this Life.

On the 25th of the Fifth Month, I received a Letter from a Perfon in the County of Burlington, relating to Water-Baptifm, to which I made Anfwer as follows:

TH

THY Lines I received laft Night, in the Perufing of which, there was a Christian Love in my Heart towards thee, tho' unknown by Face, and I have much Freedom of Mind to answer thine, according to thy Request, and my fmall Ability. First then, We are near in Sentiments to each other in the grand Chriftian Principle of faving Religion, ⚫ which is the Work of the holy Spirit of Chrift upon the Soul, for that is the Baptifm which is Chrift's, and is truly faving, and abfolutely neceffary to Salvation; Chrift's Baptifm being but one, which is with the holy Ghoft, and with fpiritual Fire or Water; John's being the Element, or Figure; and CHRIST's being the Spirit, Power, and Divine Subftance, and is to be with the Church of Christ, and with his true Miniflers to the End of the World. Secondly, In Anfwer to thy Query, Was WaterBaptifm (that is, the Element) not commanded by • Christ himself, in Matth. xxviii. 19? I anfwer, I believe not. My Reafon is this, because the holy Ghoft, or Spirit, is mentioned in the Text, or that Command, in exprefs Words, and Water is not; ⚫ and therefore we omit going into outward Water,

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⚫ and for other Reasons as followeth. Thirdly, That Thirdly, That 1724. • Water-Baptism, which was John's, was practised by the Apostles, is true; but it was not practifed by Chrift, who, no doubt, would have done it if it had been abfolutely neceffary; for he difdained not to wash his Difciples Feet, a much more defpicable Office than that of the Baptifmal Ceremony: So because Chrift did not himself practice it, nor, as we conceive, commanded us to go into < material Water, we therefore forbear it. Fourthly, That the Apoft les did baptize with Water, we deny ' not; and that they were circumcised, and did circumcife, is alfo undeniable. Now, muft we circumcife because the Apoft les did, and were themselves circumcifed? Confider that carefully, and I hope that will give thee fome Sight or Light into, or concerning the Difpenfation of Water - Baptifm, which was John's Baptifm, and was glorious in its Day and Difpenfation, in pointing at Chrift's Baptism, until it came, which was the Subftance, and was with fpiritual Fire, and fpiritual Water, and will continue for ever. To Chrift, and his Baptifm, I heartily direct thee for further Inftruction, in whom is Light, and that Light is the Life of Men, •or Life, and that Life the Light of Men.

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And further, I would write a little of my own Thoughts concerning Water - Baptifm, and on ⚫ fome Texts of Scripture, being Chrift's own Words, viz. He that believeth, and is baptized, fhall be faved, and be that believeth not, fhall be damned, or condemned, Mark xvi. 16. Now this must needs ⚫ be understood of the Spirit's Baptifm; for it would be abfurd to say, or believe, that all who are baptized with the Element of Water, are faved, or all who are not baptized with Water, are damn'd; therefore it is the Spirit's Baptifm, that all profeffing Christianity ought to come unto to witnefs Salvation. Again, Chrift says, Except a Man be born of • Water,

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