our Minds to return Home, which we did, being 1699. comforted in our Service, and bleffed the Name of the Lord.

After some few Months I acquainted my Wife and my Father, with her Father and Mother, that I thought it my Duty to go over and live in America. To which Propofal, my Father confented, tho' with Tenderness of Heart, confidering that I must be fo far feparated from him. I alfo laid it before the Monthly-meeting of Friends at Horfly-down, in Southwark (of which Meeting I was a Member) who confented to it (tho' fomewhat unwilling to part with us) and gave us their Certificate, to let our Brethren know that we were in Love and Unity with them, and walked according to our Profeffion. And when we were ready, and in order for going, we agreed for the Freight of our Goods and Servants, with John Snowden, and fhipped them on board the Jofiah, bound for Maryland. When the Ship was at Graves- Gravesend, end, and ready to fail, feveral of our dear Relations and Friends accompanied us to the Ship, on board of which we had a good Meeting, and took our folemn Leave of one another, as never expecting to fee each other any more in this World. It was a folemn Time indeed! We prayed for one another, and fo parted, our Ship failing that Evening, and we got to Margate-Road, where we anchor'd, and the Wind A great fprung up very fresh, and blew tempeftuoufly, fo Margate, that we broke our Cable, and loft our beft Bower- Road. Anchor, and drove violently towards the Goodwin Sands. We let go our Sheet-Anchor, and three more, which were all we had, but they did not stop her; upon which the Mafter ordered the Carpenters to ftand by the Main-maft, with their Axes upon their Shoulders, and when he gave the Word, then they were to cut the Maft. The People in the Ship (there being divers Paffengers) were in a great Confternation, expecting nothing but Death: But for my Part, being exceedingly

Storm in

1699. exceedingly Sea-fick, and having been in many Storms, I was not fo much furprized with this, the . Sailors fometimes making a great Noife when there is but little Danger; but there was more Danger than I was aware of, as appeared afterwards. One of the Paffengers came weeping, and faid, Our Cafe was very bad. The Doctor alfo came in the fame Manner; and cry'd, Ob! Mr. Chalkley, we are all dead Men! Then I thought with myself, I would go out on Deck, and fee what the Matter was; and when on Deck, I went to the Pilot, who had the Lead in his Hand, and he founded, and cry'd out, Lord bave Mercy upon us! fhe is gone, fhe is gone, fhe is gone! by which I perceiv'd that we were very near the Goodwin Sands, on which many Ships have been loft with all their Crews. In this Senfe of Danger I fent for the Paffengers into the Cabbin, and told them that I thought it would be well for us to fit ftill together, and look unto, and wait upon God, to fee what he would please to do for us; that, if Death came, we might meet him in as good a Frame of Mind as we could, and that we might not be furprized beyond Measure And as we were thus compofed in our Minds, a Concern came upon my dear Wife, and she prayed to God, the Father, in the living Power and Senfe of his Son; and he heard from his holy Habitation, and answered the Prayer; for immediately after the Wind abated, and our Anchors held us. This was a great Deliverance, which is not to be forgotten. When we faw the long'd-for Morning, we were very near the Sands, and the Sea ran prodigioufly high, and broke upon them mightily, fo that we were forced to leave our Cables and Anchors, and make the best of our Way to Deal, as well as we could. One of the Owners being on Shore, and seeing us in Diftrefs, fent off a Cable and Anchor to us; and we anchored before Deal with our new Cable and Anchor, and fent a Boat for our other Anchors and

Cables,

Capes of

Cables, when it was Calm, which brought them to 1700. us. And after we had supply'd ourselves with what we wanted, we put to Sea again, and had fair Winds till we got as far as the Western-Ilands, where Captain Western Cant being in Company with us, he fpoke with our Islands, Captain in the Evening, and the two Captains concluded it would be ftormy that Night, which happened accordingly. They took in their Sails, and we all but our Mainfail; notwithstanding which, the Storm was fuch, that we loft our Main-maft, fprung the Head of our Fore-maft, and broke our Crois-jackyard, and thus lay rowling upon the Sea for about two Weeks: The Ship Bristol Merchant coming by in that Time, lent us a fpare Top-maft, of which we made a Main-maft, and a Top-maft of our Top-gallantmast, and so refitted out as well as we could, and had a pretty good Paffage afterwards. We were about eight Weeks from the Lands-End to the Capes of Virginia. Virginia; had Meetings twice a Week on board, and they helped to stay our Minds on our Maker, tho' our Bodies were toffed to and again on the mighty Waters. We went on Shore at Patuxent River, and went by Maryland. Land to Herring-Bay, where I, my Wife and Family, tarried that Winter; and I, with my three Servants, followed my Calling. In the Spring we tranfported ourselves, our Goods, and Servants, from 1701. Maryland to Penfylvania, where we intended to fettle t when we came from our native Country. At Phila Philadel delphia I bought a Lot of Ground upon the River Delaware, and there I followed my Calling that Summer, and in the Fall I had an inward Call to vifit Friends in Barbadoes, which I propofed to our Monthly-meeting, and they certified on my Behalf, that they had Unity with me in my Propofal, Converfation and Miniftry: So I took Ship at Philadelphia (about the 20th of the 7th Month, 1701) on board the Abrabam, Street, Commander, and was about a Month on our Voyage; Jofab Langdale was with

me:

phia.

Barbadoes.

Bermudas,

1701. me. We had feveral good Meetings in the Ship to our Satisfaction; and were well received, and had many Meetings at Barbadoes, which were often very large and open, and fome of the People loving and tender. We had feveral Meetings at Bridge-Town, Speight's-Town, the Spring, and the Thickets, and at Pumkin-Hill; and after being there about fix Weeks, we went in a Sloop to Bermudas, where we found but very few Friends, yet had Meetings in feveral Places, and at the Houfes of fome People who were not of our Profeffion; and the longer we tarried, the larger our Meetings were; and many began to be affected, and fpoke well of us and our Devotion, but fome were disturbed, and fpoke to the Governor to break up our Meeting (which at the Defire of one of the Inhabitants we had appointed at his Houfe) upon which he fent Orders by one of his Colonels to break up our Meeting, which troubled divers fober People. After this I met with the Governor at the House of one Judge Stafford; and he being a moderate Man, we had the following Discourse, viz.

Gov. How do you like our Country? We are but a little Spot in the Sea.

T. C. I like it well for its moderate Climate. If the People were moderate alfo, it would be well.

Gov. Doth it answer your End in coming?

T. C. My End in coming, was to vifit the People in Chriftian Love.

Gov. Do you think the People will be brought

over?

T. C. If they are brought to Truth and Righteoufnefs, it will be well with them. That is the End of our coming.

Gov. If you had acquainted me with your Defign, when first you came, you had done well. It was your Duty.

T. C. If we had known the Governor's Will herein, or that thou wouldst have fpoken with us, we should

have readily have anfwered it: But knowing nothing 1701. of it, we could not tell but that it might be taken for Rudeness in us, confidering our homely Way and Manner of addreffing fuch Men.

Gov. Then your Defign in coming here was to preach. Had you no other End?

T. C. Yes. As we found a Concern upon us to preach, and a Defire in the People to hear.

Gov. Why don't you tarry with them? That looks ftrange. Here the People are affected with you, and you go away and leave them: Upon my Word I blame you for that.

T. C. We don't direct them to Man, but to the Lord Jefus Chrift, their Teacher, and Bifhop of their Souls. And why fhould our leaving them look ftrange to the Governor? For it was the Practice of the Apostles of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and his own Practice and Command to his Followers. And further the Apostles (which Word fignifies Ambaffadors or Meffengers) fay, Follow us, as we are Followers of Christ. And they travelled up and down the World, preaching the Gofpel; and that our great Lord himself had not whereon to lay his Head.

Gov. The Apoftles were infpired Men: Infpired by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel. I fuppofe you don't pretend to be infpired.

7. C. Every true Chriftian ought to pray for the Pouring out of the holy Spirit, or holy Ghost upon him. The Church of England alfo prays for it, the Receiving of which is Infpiration.

*

Gov. Your Reasons being grounded on Scripture, you are well grounded; for no Man can deny the Scriptures. Then you fay you are infpired?

T. C. I hope I am. I

neftness.

pray for it with great Ear

Gov. Then it is but afk, and have, you think.

* Of which Church the Governor was a Member.

T. C.