poseth what he does not understand, though the were baptized, as he called it?" He answernecessary truths of the gospel. That is a true ed, No. "What then," said I, “makes the saying, "the natural man receiveth not the difference?" Then after a pause of silence, things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolish- he replied, "that they were all damned." I ness unto him; neither can he know them, be- asked him why he thought so? He answered, cause they are spiritually discerned; much less is" because they cannot believe in Christ." I rehe capable in the time of anger, when he is not plied, " neither can they commit sin; nor can reasonable; nor is it prudent to discourse with they believe who are baptized and saved, as him on such subjects at such times. Yet thy first answer implies, though thou hast rewhen an opposer, though a little warm, keeps ceded from it since." Then said he, "they within reasonable bounds, he may be convinced sinned in Adam." I answered, "That as in of his mistakes, and yet not publicly own it, Adam all die, even so in Christ shall [the because of his imaginary honour; for, being same] all be made alive." But, said he in reputation for a man of understanding, again," they cannot believe in Christ." Then parts and ability, and perhaps a teacher, in said I," dost thou not believe, that many ages his way, he is ashamed to be overcome before and nations of people fell under some disadan auditory, or own the truth to be on the other vantages by Adam's sin, who never heard of side; yet it may be reasonable to discourse him outwardly?" He said, Yes. Then said with such an one, and profitable to the audi- I, "Why may not they, through the boundence, though himself may have the least share. less mercy and goodness of God, maniBut this I have ever endeavoured in such fested by Christ, have the advantage by the cases, to part with every opposer in as much death and works of Christ, who never heard friendship as could be obtained, that, if possible, no rancour might remain. If I had not known that the invisible power of Truth was over the people at that time, considering their former enmity against us and the truth, I had run a great risk (humanly speaking) of personal injury by some of them; but, through divine goodness both to them and me, I did not observe a frown on any brow, or hard word from any, save only one before mentioned. For which, unto the only, true God and Saviour, be dominion and praises now and for ever. Amen. And now, to return to my further progress in my journey and travels: of him outwardly?" To this he was silent. I went on and preached to the auditory, (some others being present)" that where there is no law, there is no transgression;' and little chil dren, being incapable of any law but that of nature, which they cannot break, conse quently they cannot sin. And that though, for some time under the law and first covenant with the Jews, the sins of the fathers were to be visited upon the children, not for ever, but only unto the third and fourth generation; not such as loved God, but such as hated him; upon which a proverb arose among the people, that the fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's Next day I went to Scituate, and their meet- teeth are set on edge;' but this proverb ing being on the 26th at Nantasket, I was was to cease, and was annulled of God, there; where some strangers came in and as by the testimony of two of his great prowere sober, and the Lord gave us a comfort-phets, by whom it is written, in the name of able meeting. On the 27th of the second month I had a meeting appointed at Scituate; where came a young man from Connecticut, who took some exceptions against what I said in the meeting, about infants, and their salvation by Christ, and about baptism; and, as we rode towards Edward Wanton's, one told me of it; and I desired the same person to tell the young man, (being a Presbyterian or Independent) "that if he pleased to go to the house of our friend with us, I would endeavour to satisfy him ;" and he did so. There I told him, "I understood he was not satisfied with something I had said in the meeting concerning infants; and therefore asked him what he believed concerning them?" He said, "he believed they were all damned who died unbaptised." Then I asked him, "if he believed all of them were saved that the Lord: first, by Jeremiah, [606 years before Christ] who saith In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge; but every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.' And this was to be under the new covenant, come by the Lord Jesus Christ, now in force. Secondly, by Ezekiel, [about 112 years after] who hath it much more at large, thus, "What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine, as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine; the soul that sinneth, it shall die.' And there are many conditions in this eigh is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment.' Again; Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy; but I say unto you, love your enemies.' Now, seeing anger without a cause, and hatred to enemies, is the cause of killing, and both condemned; and love, which is contrary thereto, recommended and commanded, then they, who believe and obey this doctrine, cannot kill any; not even enemies. It is not therefore lawful to us, who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and obey his doctrine, in hopes of eternal life in his kingdom, which is not of this world, to go to war, lest we should forfeit our portion in him, and become unworthy of life in him, by disobedience to his manifest will under the dispensation of his gospel." teenth chapter of Ezekiel, respecting the life them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and and death of the righteous and wicked, and whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the the changes which may happen to both, from judgment: But I say unto you, that whosoever state to state, by their own acts, or omission of known duties, from which little children are exempted; and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the new covenant, hath suffered for them, with all mankind, and declared them innocent, by taking them in his arms, blessing them, and saying, that of such is the kingdom of heaven.' And the apostle saith, That sin was in the world before the law, but it was not imputed; so that, though there be a seed of sin in children, which in time may spring up, unto which, if they join by any sinful act, as mankind commonly and universally do, they are thereby brought under the law, or power of sin; not by the transgression of Adam, the common father of all after the flesh, but by their own, as Adam was. Yet, until children be capable of the knowledge of good and evil, by the law of the new covenant of light and grace, sin is not imputed; and there being nothing to condemn them until they have sinned, consequently they are all saved; and therefore sprinkling them under the bare words, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,' without the power, is a profanation of that Holy Name, though under pretence to take away original sin, and save them: which is an act of great I urged again the prophecy, "They shall ignorance, or wilful supererogation; to no pur- beat their swords into plough-shares," &c. pose, but to bring honour and gain to proud, "That day," said he, "is not come; for covetous, imposing priests; and is no ordi- you see many nations are at war at this nance of Christ, but an antichristian forgery, and Popish relic." After this the young man was silent on the subject; but confessed he now believed there could not be any little children in hell, but that all of them are saved; and he parted with us in a very friendly manner. Next day I went to Boston, and the day following, being the first-day of the week, had a small meeting there; and, on the 29th, arrived a sloop from Bristol, near Rhode-Island, with John Smith and Thomas Macomber, before mentioned: and they had leave of the governor to come to us to Daniel Zachary's; where they remained as long as I was there. The governor answered, "That he was no disputant about religion; but to tell you the truth," said he, "seeing the judges have given such a judgment, I cannot tell how to dispense with it; especially now in the time of war, when every body thinks there is so much need of help, and just cause of war." time." I replied, "That proves, that though the dispensation of peace is come in point of time, yet those who are in wars are not in the life or doctrine of Christ, but in the first and fallen nature; but this dispensation is effectually begun in some, and will go on, and over all in time, and whatever it may be to you who have not embraced it, though offered unto you, it is not lawful for us to whom it is come, to fight. We desire, therefore, we may not be required to fight, but left to our Christian liberty, to do, or forbear, as we are persuaded in our consciences is best, and most suitable to the doctrine and practice of our great Lord, Master and Example, the Captain of our salvation, who came into the world, not to destroy the lives of mankind, but to save them." On the first of the third month, being the third of the week, Daniel Zachary, Samuel Collins of Lynn, and I went to the governor, Colonel Dudley, and requested him to release our friends. He received us respectfully, and seem. Then said the governor, "It would be beted to lament that we should expose ourselves ter if all were so; but if I should release to such sufferings. I answered, "that it was your friends, I should be much blamed by the not in our own wills, but in obedience to the country, who have formerly been very hard doctrine of Christ, who said unto his disciples, upon me as well as upon you: but I enExcept your righteousness shall exceed the deavour to forget it, and so would I have righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you." ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of I answered, "We have no enmity against heaven: Ye have heard, that it was said by that people for any thing they have formerly, VOL. X.-No. 5. 21 done or now do to us; but rather desire theying there, which was very full of sober people, might be brought into a condition of forgiveness by amendment." And added, that since the judges had given judgment otherwise than the law directs, and execution was already performed further than their own law reaches, or can support them in, it was in the governor's power, as I apprehended, to release the the young men. both from Boston and Charlestown: the blessed Truth was over all, and many doctrines were opened to general satisfaction. Infant rantism was discovered to be upon a false foundation: that the ancestors of that people in New England were once a religious people, according to the degree of manifestation and refor mation that then was: that they left their Then said he, "You may have remedy by native country and its advantages, for the law, if you are wronged." "But," said I, liberty of their consciences in matters of re"we sue for favour and justice at the foun-ligion and worship of God; but that some tain-head in this country, and not to be at the among them quickly degenerated, though trouble, delay, and expense to send to Eng- others, I believed, being faithful to what they land about it; and the justices were told at knew, held their integrity, and were entered the same time, and Colonel Byfield, chief jus-into rest. But that many in this generation tice, in particular, before sentence, that this was more than the law could justify them in, he having told us what he intended; and these being poor men, had not wherewithal to appeal from court to court, in a legal procedure, which would be very chargeable; and besides, what remedy could be expected from men, who had acted arbitrarily and contrary to their own laws already. We therefore desire their release." The governor replied to the like effect as before, "That the country would be about his ears if he should do that; but," said he, "it is a harmless thing to work at the castle; they need not fight there." "But," said 1, "that is an erection for war, and we cannot be active in such works as may be thought necessary there." And so, finding nothing could be done at that time, we fell into some discourse on other subjects, and he invited me to dinner with him, which I excused, and so we parted; and we returned to Daniel Zachary's house, and there I wrote to the governor, inclosing a copy of the judgment of the court, with some remarks thereon. To this letter we had no answer whilst I staid, but we heard that the governor had given an order the day before, that the young men should be taken to the castle, though himself had told us he had not given any order at all for bringing them from Bristol; but the captain who brought them from thence would not have any hand in taking them to the castle, nor any thing more to do with them. So that they were at Boston when I went thence, on the fifth-day following, and at liberty, on their own words to be ready upon call. This afternoon we had a meeting at Boston, where came several of the town's people, and many boys, who were exceedingly rude, but reprehended by some of the older. The meeting was indifferently well, things being intelligibly cleared on several subjects. On the 2nd of the third month we had another meet have only the image and outside of the religion of their ancestors, without the virtue and life which many of them were in possession of, and enjoyed. I then exhorted them to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, in the dispensation of divine light and life, which is clear from all types, shadows, and symbols, for as their ancestors lived in the dawning of the day, they did not see plainly, but as it were men as trees; and therefore had retained a Popish invention and relic instead of an ordinance of Christ, viz: sprinkling of infants; which is as much Popery, and as much without Scripture foundation as god-fathers and the sign of the cross. After which I observed a distinction between the dispensations of God to the Jews and Gentiles, though by the same Saviour. Under all which they were exceedingly patient and attentive, many of them looking surprised and amazed at the opening of things; Truth having great authority over the people at that time. It was by much the best meeting I ever was at there, or in all New England before. On the 3rd we had a meeting at Charlestown, over the Sound; to which came several people from Boston, who had been at the meeting there. This meeting was not so large as the other, being a much smaller town, but very open and well, and several people of both sexes took us kindly by the hands, and departed in a very solid manner. That afternoon we went to Lynn with Samuel Collins, where we staid that night and next day, and on the seventh of the week, the fishermen being usually more at home on that day, we had a meeting at Marblehead, where there is not a Friend; the meeting was pretty large, and the people sober. The creation of man, his first state of innocence, his fall, present state of nature, and restoration by Christ the second Adam, were subjects of the testimony; and the divine Truth had good dominion over the people, who, after the meeting, were loving, and be haved rather with respect than light cheerful-face with a hatchet, or a bullet from the gun ness or familiarity. That evening we return-of a merciless savage; who, from wrongs reed to Lynn. On the 5th we had a meeting there, where things opened to the state of a convinced professing people, and the danger of sitting down in any form of religion and worship, without the life and power, as well in our meetings as others; for there is either life or death, truth or error, in every form or outward appearance of religion: and where Christ appears in the midst of an assembly, there is life; and where he doth not appear in any degree, death reigns and God is not worshipped. On the 7th of the month, being the third of the week, we were at a marriage at Salem, which had been delayed sometime on purpose; but the day proving very rainy and stormy, the meeting was not so large as otherwise it might have been; but several of the people of both sexes being there, were generally sober, and some broken in heart. ceived, as they too justly say, from the professors of Christ in New England, are to this day enraged, sparing neither age nor sex. The people in those parts, at this time, were generally in garrisons in the night-time; and some professing Truth also went into the same with their guns, and some without them. But the faithful and true, trusting in the Lord, used neither gun nor garrison, sword, buckler, or spear; the Lord alone being their strong tower and place of refuge and defence, and great was their peace, safety, and comfort in him. That evening I had as great peace as at any time in my travels before; many things were opened suiting the states of the meetings and people. On the 13th we had a meeting at Salisbury, where there was a garrison in part of the town, but I had not liberty in myself to lodge near it; but after some dispute with a townsman, brother-in-law to a priest, returned late in the evening to Henry Dow's, a place of as much seeming danger as any, being within pistol-shot of a great swamp and thicket, where Indians formerly inhabited, and there sword, nor any weapon of war, but truth, faith, the fear of God, and love in a humble and resigned mind; and there I rested with consolation. At Salem I remained until the 9th, and being the day of their monthly meeting, it was large; several of the people being there, were well satisfied with the testimony of Truth therein. The next day we had a meeting at Ipswich, where there are no Friends; I lodged, where there was neither gun nor it was large, several of the people tendered, and generally satisfied, some of them giving particular demonstrations of it. The meeting being ended, I stood up and said to the people, that perhaps some things might not have been well understood, and doubts might remain; but if any were dissatisfied with any thing which had been said, or doubtful in any point, I would do my best to explain matters to them. But none appearing we departed in peace, and went to Newbury, and night coming on, I would have tarried there till the morning, but there was no provender to be had for my horse, so that I went with some Salisbury Friends to Henry Dow's, and lodged. Several persons having been killed a little before by the Indians, I found the people in those parts under great fear and danger, and the weight of their condition came heavy The mother of Henry Dow's wife being a Friend of a blameless life, and living in this same house with them, let in reasonings against their continuing in a place of so much apparent danger, and frequently urged them to remove into the town where the garrison was, that they might lodge there in the night for more safety, as many others, and some Friends, did. This her daughter could never be free to do, believing that if they should let in any slavish fear, or distrust the protection of the Lord, some very hard thing would befall them. At length her mother said to her, that if she could say she had the mind of the Lord against it, being a minister, though young, she would rest satisfied; Henry Dow gave notice in the neighbour- but nothing less than that could balance ra. hood of my being come, and of the meeting tional fears in so obvious danger. But the to be next day at the house of Thomas young woman being modest and prudent, Nichols, in the upper part of the town. It durst not assume positively to place her averwas a tender meeting, the minds of the peo- sion to their removal so high; but at length ple being low for fear of the Indians, their she and her husband complied with the mocruel enemies, and by reason of the great ther, and they removed to the town, to a distress many were in otherwise on that occa- house near the garrison, where the young sion. It was a dismal time indeed in those parts; for no man knew, when the sun set, that ever it would arise upon him any more; or, lying down to sleep, but his first waking might be in eternity, by a salutation in the upon me. woman was constantly troubled with fears of the Indians, though, while at the house by the swamp, she was free from it, and quiet. But the mother, having left some small things in the house by the swamp, and going early in the morning to fetch them, was killed enemy. When the town was alarmed, the young woman concluded her mother was slain; it was not by shot, but a blow on the head. She did not go into the garrison, but took one of her children in each hand, and went with them into a swamp or thicket full of reeds, near the place, where all her tormenting fear left her, and she was then greatly comforted and strengthened in the presence of the Lord, and confirmed in her thoughts, that they should not have left their house; after which she returned to her house by the garrison with her children. The loss of the mother was much lamented by the son and daughter, and others; but, as soon as her body was interred, they went back with their little children to the same place by the swamp, where I lodged with them when they gave me this relation. On the 14th of the third month we had a a meeting at an inn in Newbury. There are not many Friends there, but the meeting was very large, and several persons much broken under the testimony of Truth. On the 15th we had a meeting at Hampton, at the house of Joseph Chase, where we had the company of several of the people, and the truths of the gospel were largely opened; but some of them were very senseless, scoffing and foolish, and yet several others were sober, still, and attentive, and the Lord gave us a good time. ceived it with pleasure, and some of them, after the meeting was over, expressed their great satisfaction with what had passed, and all ended in great consolation. Three Friends from Dover were at this meeting, who went with me the next day, about sixteen miles, through dismal swamps and thickets. But the good providence of the Almighty preserved us, and we arrived at Dover, and that night lodged with Thomas Whitehouse, from under the protection of the garrison, which was my choice every where. On the 18th, being the seventh of the week, was the monthly meeting at Dover, where we were comforted together in the Truth. The meeting there on first-day was pretty large, considering the great danger the people thought themselves in by coming; the high-ways and paths being often ambuscaded by the Indian enemy, who would creep under hedges and fences to get a shot at a man; many truths were opened there to general satisfaction, and it was a good meeting. On the 20th, accompanied by some of the most steady and concerned Friends of the place, we went to visit several others at their houses, and among the rest, Peter Varney, a substantial Friend, at a house he had a little way in the woods, and much in danger of the enemy. We were all under the weight of things, and especially myself, under the consideration that if I should appoint meetings at places in the woods, and any person happened to be killed or hurt in coming to, or going from, them, great blame might be cast upon me as accessory to it, if not the cause, and the way of Truth likewise be reflected upon by my means. We had very few words, and none needless, among us; and I could not see my way concerning any meetings. In this state of mind, this saying presented itself before me, "He that walketh in darkness know. eth not whither he goeth; but to him who walketh in the light, there is no occasion of stumbling." And when this entered, every doubt and fear vanished, my mind was clear, Next day we were at their monthly meet- my countenance cheered, and the same in. ing, where many were tendered in the time visible Power reached the company likewise, of worship, which being over, we went upon so that they were all cheered up, and we were the business of the meeting, which was very in one mind. Then I saw my way clear to small; for it was but of late, when Thomas appoint meetings for the week, with their con Thomson was there, that they had any meet currence, at several places where formerly ing of discipline, the elder people being of an they had been; all reasonings from the appa old separate sort, and against it; but the dis- rent danger of the times being fully silenced cipline and order being now settled, the young-in my mind, and I had no further doubt about er and more living are generally zealous for it. On going to dinner, we were favoured of it. I had many things to say touching the the Lord with a very full and open season of necessity of order in the church, and the his divine goodness, to the glory of his great great advantage and safety of it to Christian name. And the meetings were appointed ac society; so that some opposite spirits were cordingly; viz; fretted, but the generality of the meeting re On the 21st at Dover; on the 22nd at |