apostles to go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?" I answered, "Yes, with some restrictions and observations now to be noted, we do." He continued to interrogate; "Do you believe that the apostles of Christ did go and preach and baptize, according to this command?" I answered, as before, yes. "Then," said he, "how can you be Christians, or disciples of Christ, who deny this baptism, and do not at all practise it?" Then I asked him if he did believe, and those of his communion, that the Lord Jesus, at that time, thereby instituted water baptism? He answered, they did believe that Christ by these words, at that time, instituted water baptism. Then I answered, "That if those were not Christians who declined the use of water baptism, I would prove that neither himself, nor the pope, nor any of his communion, are Christians, not being baptized at all in the practice of what Christ commanded or instituted at that time, as followeth : "John the Baptist being commanded by the Word of God to baptize the Jews in water, foretold them of another Baptizer much preferable to himself, and of a baptism excelling his, being of another nature, and more powerful and efficacious, even with the Holy Ghost and fire. This baptizer is Christ; who, having been circumcised, in obedience to the ordinance of the law of Moses, under which, as man, he was born into this world, and fulfilled, in his own person, all the righteousness thereof, according to the prophets, he was also baptized of John with water; thereby not only submitting to that dispensation, as an ordinance of God for the time being, but also fulfilling all righteousness in his own person; that being declared from heaven to be the Son of God, he might, from thenceforth, through the divine anointing poured upon him above all his brethren, and without measure, be the Dispenser of all righteousness and truth unto all generations. From thenceforth he preached repentance to the Jews, as John did, and by his disciples, but not in his own person, baptized likewise with water, as an intermediate dispensation between the law and the gospel. But with this difference, John baptized for a time without directing the subjects of his baptism to any certain object of faith, saying they must believe in one that was to come after him, for he did not then know that Jesus was the Christ. But the disciples of Christ, as also John, from the time of the baptism of Jesus, having believed in him as he is the Messiah, preached not only repentance, but also that Jesus is the Christ and Saviour promised of God unto Israel; and consequently directed them unto him as the true object of their faith, and baptised in his name, and by his authority whilst yet present with them. Yet water baptism is but water baptism, whether administered by Christ himself, or by any other he may command; nor did John, or the disciples of Christ, administer water baptism in that day to any but the Jews, or the proselytes among them. "But after Christ had been crucified and arisen from the dead, a little before he ascended into heaven, he said unto the eleven, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, &c. Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned. And being assembled together with them, he commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem; but wait for the promise of the Father, which ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence. But ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. And teaching them all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.' "1st; The Lord Jesus declares his own power, and sufficient authority to institute this baptism; All power in heaven and in earth.' 2ndly; The extent of it, 'To all nations; to preach the gospel to all the world, thereby discipling or initiating all that believe and obey, into the divine nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The act of baptizing is chiefly by preaching in the power and wisdom of the Spirit of Christ, and sometimes by laying on of the hands of his ministers, as moved thereunto by the same Spirit. 3rdly; The advantage to be reaped by believing their message, and being baptized with this bap tism, They shall be saved;' which salvation cannot be imputed to water baptism. 4thly; The judgment denounced against such as would not believe the message of his ministers and witnesses, thus qualified and sent; 'They shall be damned.' 5thly; The apostles themselves were not to enter upon that work, nor could they perform it, notwithstanding this verbal command from his own mouth, but under the immediate influence of the Holy Ghost, and by his power only; being no other than the Spirit of Christ promised to them before he was crucified. 6thly; It was not water baptism; for that he here contradistin "As to those instances from whence thou seems to collect that the apostles baptized with water after the effusion of the Holy Ghost upon them; that was only a continuance of the same water baptism they had been in the practice of in John's time, and not from that command and mission, Mat. xxviii. 19. as to the continuance of water baptism in the church unto this day, that is a great mistake: for first, I observe what water baptism is in the act of it; that is, a going into water, and being washed and dipped therein, and not rantised or sprinkled only. And secondly, note also, that the water baptism administered in the apostles' days, was always only in the name of the Lord Jesus, and not in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; which shows it was not from that command, Mat. xxviii. 19, for then they would have pursued these terms of institution; which they never did, by any thing I can find in all the Scriptures. "I say again, that if those are not Christians who are not under the administration of water baptism, then you yourselves are no Christians, having been out of the practice, even of that water baptism, for many generations; inventing to yourselves sprinkling of infants, never commanded by Christ, nor practised by his apostles, which is no baptism at all, but rantism; and is an error from both the mode and subjects of baptism. And therefore you only profane and take in vain that holy name, in which you exercise this your own invention." guisheth from the baptism of the Holy Ghost, therefore they have not, nor can they profit and ascribes it to John, saying, John truly the people, but mislead them. baptized with water,' as a thing already over, at least in point of obligation; and then the baptism of the Holy Ghost alone is here appointed; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.' Here water baptism was already over, or near an end, and the Spirit's baptism not yet actually commenced, but only promised; and very soon after took place accordingly. 7thly; This baptism is such as cannot be performed without the immediate power of the Holy Ghost; and accordingly he is here mentioned to that end. It cannot be water baptism, because any man can baptize with water without the Holy Ghost; and all mankind who now use it do so, without any influence at all of the Holy Ghost, or any command from him to that purpose, if at all they have any real knowledge of him. 8thly; And since no power on earth can give this qualification but Christ alone; and no man can be a true witness unto him, be his minister, or preach him and his gospel, but by the power and influence of the Spirit of Christ, immediately upon him in the time of preaching; and that they only who are so qualified by him, have right or power to preach the gospel, and that in all parts of the world, they ought not to be hindered or molested by any earthly power. And such as do obstruct them, are opposers of the work of him who hath all power, and shall surely suffer by that power, in this or another world, or in both, if they do not, in due time repent in this. 9thly; The matter and substance of their teachings, after having borne witness to himself and his sufferings, All things whatsoever he had before commanded them.' First, the old commandment, which they had heard from the beginning, viz: the righteousness of the moral law, briefly expressed in these words, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God This being on the seventh-day night, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, now very late, I took leave, and proposing to and thy neighbour as thyself.' And secondly, go to rest, the gentleman of the house would the new and gospel commandment, that they not suffer a servant to attend me to my chamshould love one another, as the true and ber, but went himself; and when there, he told certain characteristic of their discipleship. me, that he had never heard those things so 10thly; In this gospel, and this practice, he explained before; that he was very glad of promised to be with them and all those who the occasion; and that he was of the same should succeed them in this faith and practice, mind with me therein; that he would gladly go to the end of the world. So that as his true with me in the morning to hear Mr. Penn, but ministers can do nothing without him, yet, as that my brother and sister had not been at his he is always with them, they are, by him en-house before, since their marriage, and it would abled to do all things, whatsoever it pleaseth look as if he neglected them if he should go him to work in or by them, or require of with me. "Besides," said he, "this person them. And whosoever set themselves at work, with whom you discoursed, is a priest, whom pretending to exercise any ordinance of Christ, I keep in my house, and I know he would without his Spirit and power sensibly with take it ill if I should go to your meeting, and them, they are antichrists and impostors; and leave our own devotion." VOL. X.—No. 3. Upon this the priest was totally silent; and knowing him bound, I challenged him three times before the company, to answer me on that subject if he could; and yet he did not, nor said any thing at all on any other subject that night. 11 A relation of mine happening to be there, men, whilst they are in the high-way to ruin and knowing the way, we set forward early and lose their own; but were now made next morning for Cashel; where we arrived manifest, and would yet be more so, and before the meeting was gathered, to which the people redeemed from under their heavy came a great multitude of people of all notions yoke. and ranks. The meeting being set, the mayor of the town, with constables, &c., came, by direction of the bishop of the place, and in the king's name, commanded us to disperse, though he could not get into the body of the meeting for the throng. The mayor did not relish this, but could not come at me for the crowd; and William Penn, who was not yet come into the meeting, sending to speak with him in a chamber near by, he went immediately; for I believe he was weary of that office, which had been imposed upon him by the bishop of Cashel against his own inclination. honour of God, and the comfort of his people. John Vaughton having been preaching in the meeting, turned to the mayor and said, that he, with some others of our Friends, had William Penn treated him with the respect been admitted into the king's presence on a due to his office, but desired him to retire, and certain occasion, before he came from Eng- let the bishop know that he would see him at land; and the king was pleased to ask if we his own house after the meeting was over, dehad full liberty in all his dominions to exer- siring the bishop's patience till then; and the cise our religion, without molestation? And mayor did so accordingly. Then William Penn we, not knowing any thing to the contrary, came into the meeting, for he had been writ answered, that through the good providence of ing letters of importance whilst the meeting the Almighty, who had placed the king on the was not fully gathered; which was so large throne, and the king's kind indulgence, we at last that the greatest part could not get in. had now more liberty than before; for which The Lord favoured us that day with his good we were thankful to God and the king. To presence, fitting every instrument for the work which the king was pleased to reply, That if required; and the people were generally sat any did disturb us in the exercise of our reli-isfied with what they heard and felt, to the gious liberties, make it known to him, and he would provide for us therein, and protect us. And here thou disturbs our meeting, and commands us in the king's name, to disperse, as if we were transgressors. But whether we should obey thee without law, or believe the king's word, and accept of his royal protection according to law, let all that hear judge. The people did not seem to be concerned at the mayor's appearance in this manner, but kept their places. Then I stood up and spoke among them such things as I believed my duty at that time; and in the mean time, the mayor reached over the half space from an entry or passage, where he stood in his accoutrements, with cap and sword, to take me by the arm, to pull me down, or haul me out of the place; but he missed his catch, and I went on. Near the conclusion of what I said, I remarked to the people, that The bishop could not maintain what he had the high priests, scribes and pharisees of old, done, but treated William Penn friendly, and were the greatest enemies of Christ and his told him, "That he went that morning to apostles and disciples; and that generally, church to perform his office of preaching, as where mischief appeared in any nation pro- usual, and when there, he had no body to fesssing religion, that set of men, in every preach to but the mayor, church-wardens, form, were at the bottom of it; and so it is some of the constables, and the walls, the still to this day. They would ever ride man- people being all gone to your meeting; which, kind, and rule over them as property to them-I confess," said the bishop, "made me a little selves, and of them serve their own lusts of angry, and I sent the mayor and constables self-love, pride, envy, and domination, covet- with that message, in hope, by that means, to ousness, wealth, and power, under a false have a greater auditory; though I have no pretence of serving God; and as if, by divine ill will to you, or those of your profession." authority from the Lord, they were appointed After some tokens of mutual respect they to take the care and cure of the souls of other parted in seeming friendship; but the bishop The meeting being ended, William Penn took two or three ancient Friends of that country with him, and went to the bishop; and after an interchange of some tokens of civil respect, each in his own mode, he expostulated with him concerning that transaction, in sending the mayor to the meeting in that manner, as above; and told him, it looked a little extraordinary, as the king's dominions and the laws were then stated, and a general liberty granted to all his subjects, and nothing new there that day, being the usual time and place of our meeting, unless it were that he himself was there, which might excite the curiosity of the people to see what sort of a creature he was, since, one way or another, he had been represented as some monster, or uncommon thing, to be gazed at. had another design. The Friends present with them at this interview, related to us this passage when they returned to our company. The bishop recollecting, when the hot fit was over, what noise such an action might make in the nation, that such a meeting should be so disturbed by his command, and which could not be justified, unless the meeting had been attended with some extraordinary and unlawful circumstances, wrote to the earl of Galloway and the other lord justices of Ireland, and informed them, though unduly, "That Mr. Penn and the Quakers had gathered together in that place, that day, such a vast multitude of people, and so many armed Papists, that it struck a terror into him and the town; and not knowing what might be the consequence of such an appearance, he had sent the mayor and other magistrates to disperse them; but seeing they had taken no notice of him, or the civil powers there, he thought it his duty to lay the matter before their lordships, that such remedy might be applied, as in their wisdom they might think proper, to obviate the danger and ill consequences of such assemblies." From Cashel, William Penn, John Everot, and I, went towards Cork, taking meetings in our way, the other Friends pursuing their visit in other parts of the nation, as it laid before them. When we came there, William Penn went to see the lords justices, who had a very great friendship for him, and were got there before us; and after mutual salutations were interchanged, the earl of Galloway gave the bishop of Cashel's letter to William Penn to read; which, when done, he related all the particulars to them; telling them, that he did not see any armed persons there, unless here and there a gentleman might have a sword, as usual; but knew nothing of what religion they were. And then the earl said of the bishop, "Old dotard! why should he make all this to do on such a common occasion ?" And that was all this forward man got for his misrepresentation of us. which being finished, I returned to London on the 5th of the eighth month, preserved through all dangers, and in peace; to the sole praise of Him who liveth and reigneth, and is worthy of all adoration and glory for ever and ever. Amen. I now turned my face towards America, and think proper to go back in point of time, in order to relate how my concern for that part of the world began in me and increased. In the year 1693, towards the latter end of autumn, as I was riding alone in an evening in Cumberland, the power of divine truth moved upon my mind, and my heart was greatly tendered before the Lord; and the Word of the Lord opened in me, saying, " Behold, my visitation cometh over the western parts of the world, towards the sun-setting in the time of winter." And I was greatly comforted in the words of his holiness. From henceforth I was often tendered in spirit, in remembrance of the western world, in a sense of the love and visitation of God to a people there, whom I had never seen; which was more and more renewed and settled upon my mind, and frequent tenderings and brokenness of heart, under the holy influence of the divine presence, until the year 1695; when at the house of our friend John Whiting, at Wrenton, in the county of Somerset, upon a visit to Friends in those parts with Aaron Atkinson, looking upon a map of the world, especially upon the south-westerly parts from England, the power of the Lord suddenly seized my soul, and his love melted me into a flood of tears. But hitherto I knew not that the call of the Lord was to me to visit those parts; though, from henceforth, I began to be afraid of it. the day of glad tidings more and more among them. Upon which the power of divine life moved sensibly in my heart, and the concern, secretly begotten in my soul, now began to appear; and after that great heaviness and fear came over me. In the time of the yearly meeting at London, in the Bull and Mouth, Aaron Atkinson being concerned in prayer, among other petitions to the Lord, prayed for the western countries, and places beyond the seas, that the Lord would please to send forth his minWe staid at Cork and those parts, hav-isters in the power of his Word, to publish ing meetings there and in the country, till the 19th day of the sixth month; and then set sail in the Jane of London, and landed at Minehead on the 21st day of the same, in good health, and in peace; for which we were thankful to the Lord and giver of all our mercies. That night we lodged at Thomas Holway's, having had a meeting there that evening, and we had another next day; and from thence we went to Bristol, where I lodged at William Penn's, and staid some weeks, till he had finished his answer to the bishop of Cork's book. I assited in transcribing his sheets, searching the Scriptures, &c., The same day, after the meeting, several Cumberland Friends and others being together after dinner, some of those countries being mentioned by one of the company, the Word of Life moved powerfully in my soul, with open assurance of the call of the Lord to me to visit some of the American countries. I was exceedingly broken, to the tendering also of most of the Friends there, yet I was silent as to the particular matter, being willing to conceal it as long as I could, since no time was then fixed when I should move forward therein. And being young and weak in the exercise of the ministry, and having no opin. ion of my own abilities of any kind, I urged it before the Lord as a reasonable plea, as I thought, against it at that time. At London I remained for some time, and entered into some writing business for necessary subsistence; but before the year ended I suffered much in spirit, by reason of my confinement thereby. But, though loath to leave all, for it was no less than life, and all that was near and dear in the world, yet, finding my concern remain and increase, I yielded at length, in the secret of my mind, to answer the call of the Lord to that part of the world. Here it may be regular to mention my companion, Roger Gill, and how we came to be concerned together in this work and service of the gospel. Sometime about the first month in this year, before I went into Ireland, we being together at a meeting at the Park, in Southwark, and each of us having had some service there, I found my mind very free and open towards him, and discovered something of my concern to him for America, as we went together into the city; and asked him if he knew of any ministering Friend concerned for those parts, for I wanted a companion. To which, being silent for some time, he replied, "It is now long since I was first concerned that way, and the last night, in my sleep, was as if making all things ready for my voyage." To which I replied, "Is it no more but a dream yet?" And so we left it for that time. Afterward, going to a meeting at Enfield, he overtook me in the way; and we having some more discourse on that subject, he told me it would be the seventh month at soonest before he could be ready; for he had his wife and family to put in a way of living, not knowing whether ever he might see them any more. We had not much more discourse of it at that time, and soon after I set forward for Ireland, as before related. At my return to London from Ireland, Roger Gill was waiting at my lodging for me, and said, he had made some progress for America for the thing abiding with him, he had acted in all things as though we had fixed the time before I went to Ireland. After I had visited some meetings in London, I became greatly laden and concerned in spirit, and pressed to move forward on my intended voyage; and hearing of a Friend that was to sail in a short time for Virginia, viz: William Cant, commander of the Provi dence of London, my companion and I went together on board, to view the ship and ac commodations: at which time, being retired in my mind as we sat in the round-house, the divine love and life of the Lord Jesus moved gently in my soul, and sweetly comforted my heart; whereby I was confirmed in my calling and undertaking: so that for that time all the loads and weights were removed. Having made our concern known to the brethren at the morning meeting, London, they encouraged us; and provision being made, both by the body of Friends and many particulars, of every thing needful for our voyage and journey, on the 10th day of the ninth month, 1698, in the evening, we went on board near Deptford, in the river Thames, accompanied by several of our dear friends and brethren. Being together in the great cabin, the good presence of the Lord commanded deep and inward silence before him, and the Comforter of the just brake in upon us by his irresistible power, and greatly tendered us together in his heavenly love, whereby we were melted into many tears. Glorious was his appearance, to the humbling of us all, and the admi ration of some there who did not understand it. In this condition we remained for a con siderable season, and then William Penn was concerned in prayer, for the good and preservation of all, and more especially for us then about to leave them; with thanksgiving also for all the favours of God, and for that holy and precious enjoyment, as an addition to his many former blessings. When he had finished, the Lord repeated his own holy effusion of divine soul-melting love upon the silent weeping assembly, to the full confirmation of us more immediately concerned, and further evidence to the brethren of the truth of our calling. In this love unfeigned, and tender condition of soul, we embraced each other to our mutual satis faction; for the same powerful love of truth that makes us loath to depart from the friends and brethren of our native land, drawing us to remote parts of the world, and remaining in our hearts, gives courage and strength to leave all, and follow the Lord wheresoever he will. We looked after them so long as we could see them; not with minds to go backwards, or with any desire now to return, but in the comfort of divine love; which neither distance of place, or number of years, shall ever be able to obstruct or deface, as we keep true to the Lord in ourselves. We did not arrive at Gravesend till the 12th of the month, and next morning took |