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CHAP. III.

1687-1699.

Visit to Friends in Ireland-and in several parts of England-Some occurrences in his own County (Cumberland)-Journey to Scotland -Ill treatment at Glasgow-Visit to Friends in the Western and Southern parts of England -Further services; much of which not particularly noticed-An Epistle to Friends.

IN the year 1687 I travelled into Ireland to visit Friends it was in the beginning of their troubles that happened in king James's reign, a dismal time, few nights passed where I went but houses were broken open, and English and Scots plundered by the native Irish. The dark power they were under was a load to my spirit, and my greatest concern of mind was to bring Friends to the enjoyment of that which man could not give or take from them; that though the fruit of the olive should fail, and the earth not yield her increase, nor any flock be in the fold, yet they might joy in the Lord, and rejoice in the God of their salvation. When I was clear, I returned home, and found my family well.

In the year 1689, John Bowsted and I travelled through Lancashire, Cheshire, Staffordshire,

and Gloucestershire, to Bristol, having had many meetings in divers places, and found great openness both amongst Friends and other people.

After we were clear of Bristol, and had visited Friends in many places, we travelled through Wiltshire, and visited most of the meetings in our way, by Reading and Windsor, to London. Finding great openness in and about that city, when we had visited the meetings there, and were clear, we took meetings on our way, toward Banbury, and a great openness there was amongst people in divers parts in that country; and coming towards Birmingham and Wolverhampton, we parted, and J. Bowsted travelling into Wales to visit friends, I went home.

About this time, George Story, whom I mentioned before priest of the parish, hired a curate, and went away, and was a chaplain in king William's army, when they went for Ireland, and afterwards became dean of Carrickfergus. He was kind to Friends; and though he had a demand of tithe on a great many of us, for several years, yet rather than he would cast us, into prison, he went without it to this day.

Now truth having appeared, and the understandings of many being opened by the Divine light thereof, we were led out of many customs and practices, which we saw were attended with bad or disorderly consequences; and amongst the rest, a custom generally practised by people

appearing to oppose good order in the church; for which the Lord shall have all the praise.

Our meeting-house being too little, and a part of our friends living three or four miles northward, beyond the river Line, which being difficult to get over, having neither boat nor bridge, with consent of friends, they established a meeting among themselves, in the winter, and after some time built themselves a meeting-house to meet in, except that once every month they met with us at cur meeting-house at Sikeside, and also on the week days.

In the year 1691 I travelled into Scotland, and Thomas Blair with me. I had it in my mind to go and see a few friends at Glasgow, for at that time there was no settled meeting there. We travelled to Edinburgh, and so to the north, and back again into the west. Coming to Gartshore, after the meeting, I acquainted Friends that I had in my mind to go to Glasgow and visit the few Friends there, and inquired if any Friend would go along with me; but some excusing themselves, and I being resolved beforehand, said if none of them would go, yet I would, and coming there I found the people so barbarous, that I did not think there had been any such in the three nations. I felt a little of it as I came towards Gartshore, and set my face westward: I thought I felt a great cloud of darkness, yet having travelled several

times through Scotland, and been in many places, both in England and Ireland, I did not think they would have been so cruel as they proved. James Milner and John Milner both went with us to Glasgow, where, putting up our horses at an inn, we sent for our friend John Hewstown, and told him we were come to see them, and inquired if we could have a little time with Friends; but his wife being no Friend, and the people very cruel, she was not willing any meeting should be in their house; whereupon our friend John Neile, having a child not well, we went thither, and being retired a little, something opened upon my mind to speak. After I had said a little, on a sudden people came rushing into the house, in a rude manner, as the following account will show, and stoned us out of their town, with great severity. We went that night to Hugh Wood's of Hamilton, with a great deal of peace and comfort in our own particulars. There we wrote the following account, and called it “A Looking-glass for the Inhabitants of the Town of Glasgow."

"The 4th day of the 4th Month, 1691. "A LOOKING-GLASS for the Inhabitants of the Town of GLASGOW.

"WE, Christopher Story and Thomas Blair, being drawn from our outward habitations in

the county of Cumberland, to visit Friends in Scotland, were in the pure love of God drawn to Glasgow. John Miller, of Garthshore, and James Miller, of Hamilton, in the same love, and in the freedom of their spirits, went along with us, and meeting with our friend John Hewstown, we went to visit our friend John Neile and his wife, they having a child not well; and after we had waited a little together upon the Lord, to feel his power and enjoy his presence, we can safely say the Lord was near us, so that I was made willing, and in obedience to the Lord's requirings, spoke of the great joy and comfort that was received in the Lord's presence, nothing more desiring than this, that all people might be sensible of the goodness of God held forth unto mankind, in and through his Son Christ Jesus; also exhorting the people to turn unto the Lord, and believe in the light, that manifests sin and evil, showing unto all, according to plain Scripture, that it was sin in all ages, that separated between man and his Maker, and it was iniquity that withheld good things from him, &c.

"For this cause and no other given by us, many cried with great bitterness against us, surrounding the house about, knocking at the windows, women as well as men, with great fury, saying, "Pull him out, pull him out," seeming as if they would have torn us; but others of

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