will be the last, who said, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end; and he will tread down satan shortly, and all his agents of mischief. He has promised to bruise the serpent's head, which daily is fulfilling by the dominion of his power and holy Spirit, over hell, death, and the grave, and every foul, unclean, quibbling spirit; for these are appointed for the fire of wrath and judgment, whose end is to kill and destroy, and make rents and breaches among God's people, where it gets an entrance, of which I warn Friends to beware. It is one of the devil's last shifts, to appear in the name of light, and ancient power and truth as it was in the beginning; a transformation to cover his dark power and spirit, which creeps cunningly in the dark, to deceive the simple.

men's meetings, and the holy order therein practised, and the good effects thereby brought forth; which tend to set up truth and righte ousness, and sweep out all deceit, hypocrisy, uncleanness, and false liberty, that the house may be made clean throughout, and a godly care held that it be kept so. This disquiets that wicked spirit, and it rages in some of its instruments, though it appears in others more subtilly, being not content with the liberty the truth allows, and with the order it hath set up, there being not room enough for their wills and sensual wisdom.

"The Lord in his love, and by his light, hath clearly given me to see its way, that it leads to the chambers of death and of hell, and he hath delivered my soul from its snare, who once was in danger to be taken by it, when men's and women's meetings were first set up, by entering into reasoning with it; and this is the way it gathers strength, and draws a veil over the mind of the simple.

"Wherefore rejoice thou, O my soul, and praise the Lord with all his ransomed ones, because he, by his glorious power, is treading down satan, and the redeemed of the Most High shall rejoice, and sing praises unto him who sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for evermore. ·

"But he will not now be called the devil, he will be called God; he will not be called an adversary, but he will be called a friend, by those who are his subjects, though under another pretence: for if any call him otherwise, then he rageth in his instruments; but we must tell him plainly, he is the old liar, the same that deceived Adam and Eve, and the greatest enemy and adversary the Lord, his truth, and people have at this day; and they who take part with this evil spirit, and suffer it to rule in their hearts, so that by its strength "And let none say, Who is able to make they become open opposers, these are also war with the beast, and the number of his great enemies to the Lord, his truth, and peo-name, but live by faith; and let your faith ple; but no weapon formed against them shall prosper.

stand in the sufficiency of God's power, as those who in the victory and dominion of it can say, Who is able to make war with the Lamb and his followers, for the Lamb must have the victory, and the crown shall be set upon the heads of all those who continue unto the end; the weapons of whose warfare are not carnal but spiritual, and mighty through God, to whom be the glory and honour for ever.

"But endless glory to the true and living God! this subtle serpent with all his wiles, cunning and subtlety, in the pure light is seen and discovered in all his wicked works and workers, and cunning contrivances: and that power is risen in the hearts of all who keep faithful and close to it, which will tread him down, and preserve in the pure unity and "Dear Friends everywhere, to whose hands Gospel-fellowship which stand in the Spirit this may come, give ear to the advice of your and in the Truth. But this wicked spirit hath brother; as the Lord hath done for my soul, no share in it, that would make breaches and every one beware and take heed of touching, rents, and let in the wild beasts of the field to tasting, or handling this spirit, or entering devour God's heritage, and so scatter abroad into reasoning with it, lest thereby you be the sheep of his pasture, and drive them back overcome. I say as one who have a necessity again into spiritual Sodom and Egypt, where upon me to warn you in the name of the the Lord of life and glory is crucified and Lord; take heed and beware of the spirit, slain, and made merry over. This spirit is that bringeth forth these evil fruits, and works not of the Father but of the world, and will such bad effects, though under a fair pretence, lead into looseness, lightness, and false liberty, lest you be betrayed and beguiled thereby, as where it gets an entrance. This subtle spirit the serpent beguiled Eve; but keep your zeal, hath induced too many, through its cunning retain your integrity and first love for the craftiness, to slight men and women's meet- Lord, his truth and people. Beware and take ings, and the power of God by which they heed of giving way to that mind which would were set up, and are more and more estab- cause you to forsake the assembling of yourlished, which would bind this separating, di-selves together amongst God's people, or to viding spirit, so that it cannot abide it, to wit, slight or make a light matter of men's and wothe power and authority of the men's and women's meetings; but be faithful, careful, and

diligent in keeping all your meetings in the cause his work prospers both in city and name and power of God, first-day and week-country. The Lord be with thee and thine, and day, and men's and women's meetings; and comfort and refresh thy soul in the assemblies cry not, My business, my business, my work of his people; with whom meet as often as and my trade, when you should go and wait thou canst, first-day and week-day, with the upon and worship, or do any service for the rest of the family, for thou knowest it was alLord; but mind the Lord's work and business, ways my care when present; wherefore I did and live by faith, and you will have time rise early, and sit up late, and worked and enough to do your own; lest your love be so laboured with all diligence, that the same much to perishing things, that you be not might be effected according to the desire of found worthy of Christ Jesus; to whom let my heart; and that through diligence in lawevery soul be subject in all things, who is ful business, with the blessing of the Lord, I worthy of glory and honour for ever. Amen. might also provide for and maintain thee with "JOHN BANKS. the children, in decent and comely order, according to truth and my ability.

"Moorgate, in Cumberland, the 16th day of the Seventh month, 1678."

And according to what the Lord required of me herein, I was wrought into a willingness to go forth into several counties in this nation, to bear my testimony against this spirit, and such as were actuated by it. I went with fear and trembling, yet the Lord furnished me with power sufficient, to perform what he required of me, though my exercises were great, both in body and spirit. Whilst at the Yearly Meeting at London I wrote the following letter to my wife:

"Dear Wife,

"Thou art truly so unto me, as near as bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; this is the Lord's own doing; we are forever engaged to return the praise and glory unto him, who hath blessed us and our offspring, who grow up as tender plants before him, which makes my heart and soul tender, to consider the great love and favour of God to us herein. My love is with thee and thine, and my life in the truth reacheth unto you, though I be thus separated from you; and the supplication of my soul is to the Lord for you, that your faith and patience may increase more and more, that in hope you may be confirmed against all the reasonings of the enemy, and may for ever trust in the Lord and the sufficiency of his power, which thou knowest, my dear, hath never failed us, nor ever will, as we continue unto the end, in the faith of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

"And as this was my care and concern when present, I can do no less than put thee in mind of those things though absent; not being unmindful of thy affairs and concerns as to the outward, in which I still sympathize with thee. This I hope the Lord as he has done, through faith and patience, and using diligence, will make easy unto thee; for Lord has been wanting. But on the other we have no cause to look back and say, The hand, he hath withheld nothing from us, that he has seen we stood in need of, as therewith we have been content; endless glory unto him who lives for ever!

"As to our Yearly Meeting; Oh! how did the Lord's power overshadow us, and his pure love and life run as a stream amongst us, with the pouring forth of his Spirit upon us in a plentiful manner; in subjection to whose holy Spirit, we were made willing to speak and declare, one by one, of the great work of God; confirming and establishing one another therein, in all faithfulness. And this was in such subjection, and holy order, very many brethren being present, that my heart breaks into tenderness when I think of it; yea, such was the glorious appearance of God amongst us in our meetings, both of men and women, that the contrary spirit was never once able to lift up its head, for the power of God was over all; so that we were made to joy and rejoice before him, in returning praise, honour and glory unto him, who is worthy for ever; who is carrying on his own work in order to perfect it, and none can let nor hinder, though they may oppose.

66

"And as the Lord hath been pleased to work thee into a true willingness to give me Notwithstanding the great noise of wars, up into his service, expect me not again before all the meetings I have been in here were I have performed it; for the will of the Lord full, peaceable, and quiet; even so full that cannot be done, but in the cross to ours. I not many houses could contain them, though have great cause to magnify the name of the it is supposed some will hold between two and Lord for ever, who hath not only called me into his work and service, but is pleased to furnish me with wisdom and ability every way to perform what he requires, according to my measure. Let us then praise the Lord, be

three thousand. Here is encouragement for all the Lord's people to go on their way rejoicing, for the Lord our God is with us; and in faith and patience to say, Come what may come, thy will O God, be done! for all things

work together for good to them that love Thee unto the end; unto which the Lord preserve us all: Amen!

"I intend, if the Lord will, to go from hence to-morrow, and travel towards Bristol, and it may be one month ere I come there. I travelled hard to come here one week before the Yearly Meeting, which tended to clear me the sooner of this city.

"And now, my dear Children, "Mind the fear of the Lord, every one of you, who can see a difference between good and evil; and be careful to do that which is good; so shall you be preserved out of that which is evil. Be sober and quiet, and take heed to every word your mother saith, as though I were there and spoke it, for she tells you for your good, what she would have you to do.

"Be mindful to read as often in your books as you have opportunities, together with the Holy Scriptures, which is the book of books. "And you my servants, James and Mary, my love is to you, with a great desire and care in my heart, that you may dwell together in love and unity in the fear of God; and walk as becomes the truth, which the Lord in his love hath given you a knowledge of, in which I truly desire your growth and increase, as if you were my children; then all things will be well.

"Farewell my dear wife, children, and servants. 66 JOHN BANKS.

"London, the 16th of the Fourth

month, 1679."

service to Friends, and continues a solid weighty man in the work of the ministry, both at home and abroad.

Oh! great was the exercise I travailed under many times, both in body and spirit; for the weight and wickedness of the separate spirit bore hard upon me, but the Lord's power chained and limited it. I had little benefit either of meat or sleep, especially in Wiltshire; for they who were of it followed me from meeting to meeting.

The following etter I wrote to my daughter, after she was placed at service in London, in the year 1682.

"Sarah Banks, my eldest daughter, "Thou hast been near and dear to me ever since the day thou wast born, with a godly care as a tender father, that thou mightest be nourished up in thy young and tender years for thy preservation; with many desires in my heart to Almighty God, that as thou grewest in years, he would be pleased to make thee sensible and give thee an understanding of those things which make for thy everlasting peace, and the salvation of thy soul in the kingdom of glory, when time here shall be no more.

"And now, dear child, the Lord having thus far answered my desires, and enabled me to perform my care towards thee; I have a further concern upon my mind for the good of thy soul; which as thou art truly mindful of will tend to thy good, and will never hinder thee of anything that is really needful for thee.

"First of all I would put thee in mind, that God, according to his Divine Wisdom and Providence, gave thee life and breath, which From thence I proceeded in my journey thou oughtest to prize and value as mercies, westward; but my greatest exercise was in amongst many more thou hast received from Westmoreland, and at Hartford, as I came up him; and thou art also come to an underto London, and afterward at Reading, Wy-standing in some degree, how to behave thycombe, Charlcote, Bristol, and through Wilt-self as a child of God, by the light and grace shire, where I had fifteen meetings in three of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he hath placed weeks, at all which meetings there were many in the secret of thy heart, for a teacher to of these unruly separate-spirited people, though thee in all things. My concern now is to stir none of them had power to oppose me; yet thee up unto this by way of remembrance; to after most meetings would be greatly enraged be faithful and obedient to its requirings, against me behind my back, and threaten whether more or less. what they would do at the next meeting, but never had power to open a mouth in meeting to oppose; for it pleased the Lord to be with me in a wonderful manner; to his praise and glory I speak it with reverence and humility before him; for my testimony was as a flame of fire among briars and thorns, as many of God's people could witness.

"This light and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, teacheth thee thy duty towards God, to thy parents, and to all men and women. It first teaches thee, to fear and love God, and to wait upon, worship, and serve him with all thy mind and strength, that he alone by his Spirit, manifested in and through Jesus Christ, may be thy chiefest love and delight. My companion, Christopher Story, was a It will teach thee as thou art watchful, to deny help and comfort to me, though little con- all ungodliness and worldly lusts, to take pleacerned in that exercise; yet he greatly sym-sure and delight in meeting with God's people, pathized with me in spirit, and had a good to worship him in spirit and truth; so that

thou mayest come more and more to have unity and fellowship with his faithful children, according to thy measure.

"This pure light of the Son of God, teaches thee to be lowly minded, sober and watchful over thy words, carriage, and behaviour, in thy life and conversation, and to choose such for thy companions; and not those, who though they profess the truth, are light, wanton, and high-minded, and follow the fashions of the world; and tattling, and tale-bearing, and meddling with other men's and women's matters which do not concern them. Be sure thou be found only in what concerns thee, and well becomes thy place, being a servant.

"This is the way to grow in grace and saving knowledge, and to have the comely adorning, which is the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price; and is better than costly attire. This is the way to be beloved of God, and his people, to grow up a good woman, and to make a blessed and happy end. This blessed way and course of life, my soul desires for thee, my dear child, that thou mayest carefully live and keep in it, to the end of thy days. Amen.

This year I went to Ireland again, from whence I wrote the following letter to my

wife:

"Dear Wife,

"In that which openeth my heart to the Lord, and maketh me truly tender before him, am I at this time enlarged in tenderness towards thee, with our dear children and servants, desiring to the Lord, that by the same power thy heart may be kept open in tenderness before him, that thou mayest increase more and more; that so we may have a sense one of the other, of our growing up together by the living virtue that springs out of the root which bears us; for as our habitation and dwelling is here, though our work and service be not one, because of the diversity of the gifts given us, yet we grow up together as do all the faithful in Christ Jesus.

"The Lord preserve thee in his fear, and guide thee in his wisdom, that thou mayest be a good example before thy children and servants, being careful to train them up in the same fear, to walk as becomes truth in all things; always having a tender regard over them, chiefly for the good of their souls, as well as their bodies; for many opportunities in mercy thou hast, wherein thou mayest do good unto them, which I have not. So, my dear, be concerned for their good as they grow up in understanding, for they are quick and apprehensive enough (as many children in this age are), who can quickly see if they be indulged in anything which they ought not to have; and if we thus indulge them, we lose our dominion and authority over them. Let our care be to reach to and have the answer of the witness of God in them, even the witness of his gracious Spirit, which most of them have a sense of, by which they know what they should do, and what they should not; and as this comes up in them and is minded, it will make good children of them: and much lies in what examples we are before them.

"The light of Jesus Christ, which thus teaches thee thy duty towards God, will also teach thee thy duty towards all men, women, servants, and children; especially now in thy place where thou art a servant. It will teach thee to be faithful, willing, and obedient to thy master and mistress, in all things which are meet and convenient; to be careful that nothing waste under thy hand, which is committed to thy trust, nor otherwise; and to watch with an eye for good over all in the family. If anything else appear, tell it not abroad to any whereby it may cause dissension; but first tell the party in love, for so wouldest thou be dealt with. This is according to the righteous law of God, which is light, that teaches to do unto all as we would be done unto; and when anything happens "Wherefore I am still more and more conamiss with thyself, and thou art spoken to and cerned in my mind how to behave myself toreproved for it, as Paul's counsel to Timothy wards them, to the end I may be found clear concerning servants was, I exhort thee in ten- of my charge and duty concerning them, esderness, murmur not, nor answer again, ex-pecially for the good of their souls. The Lord cept it be to say it shall be amended.

hath richly blessed us with them as manifold mercies; but still there remains a great care and concern on our parts to be performed; for want of which, I clearly see that many children who might bring honour to God, his truth, and their parents are, on the contrary, a dishonour to all, though they may have great possessions in the earth, and fulness, ease and great preferment as it is called: but being lost from the Truth, what serves it all for, though many look too much at that, and neglect the

The

weightier matters, which ought to be the great-to Christ's command I could not put in my est part of their concern. answer upon oath to his bill. On the same "And now, dear children, you may under-day that I was taken to prison, there came stand our care and concern for you; therefore twelve men with a warrant from George you that are come to this understanding, I ad- Fletcher, and distrained and took away seven monish you as a tender father, in the love of pounds ten shillings worth of my goods, for God, that you would put on this good resolu- part of a fine of twenty pounds for a Friend tion, and say, How ought I to behave myself in the ministry, who spoke in our meetingin all things, both in word and deed, carriage house at Pardsay-Crag, it being in the time and behaviour, as an obedient child, both to of the penal act against conventicles. my dear father and mother, who have such a goods were sold by him, or his order; and so care for my good and preservation every way; much more taken from other Friends for the and now especially to my mother, my father said fine, as amounted to thirty-five pounds. being absent? And in order that you may all My imprisonment continued seven years, be such, now to her, and to me when I am wanting three months, when I was freed by present, be ye all subject and condescending King William's Act of Grace. one unto another; live in love, quietness, and good-will one towards another; and be soberminded in the fear of God, and keep out of all company but such as is sober.

"And by no means be idle at any time, but give yourselves to some good employment, such as your body and understanding is able to perform, with a willing and ready mind to be assistant to your mother in her concerns, and be careful to mind your books when you have time for it. Read the holy Scriptures, and Friends' books, and be diligent in your course and order to keep to meetings, weekday as well as first-day, that so the work of your hands may be made more easy, sweet and comfortable unto you; that God over all, for all his blessings and mercies, may have the praise, honour and glory; who is eternally worthy.

"Peter Fearon, who was my servant seven years, is now my acceptable companion in the work of the Gospel.

Mount Melick in Ireland, the 23d of the Fourth month, 1682."

Here follows a true relation of the abuses and hard usage that I with some of my fellow-prisoners, have suffered from the jailer, George Lancake, and the turnkey, Alexander Richardson, for no other cause than worshipping God in our prison-house; and in obedience unto the Lord, speaking in his name, in exhortation and prayer; and sometimes by way of warning, that I was constrained to give to people as they passed by our prison-window from their worship and at other times, to turn to the Lord by a speedy repentance, and amendment of their ways.

On the 20th day of the fifth month, 1684, a little before the time of our meeting, there being five more Friends prisoners with me, the jailer said to me, that except I would promise him not to preach that day, he would take me away. I answered, that I could not make him any such promise, neither did I know before the time came that I should preach. Then," said he, "I have prepared another place for thee." He took me by my arm, and led me along, and put me in a noisome, smokey room, under which they brewed, A relation of my imprisonment in the city of Car- and locked me in; where I remained three lisle in Cumberland, for six years and nine days and two nights, without any bed. So months, because for conscience sake I could not there, the turnkey came and opened the door, the first-day in the evening after I was put pay tithes demanded by George Fletcher, of and said, his master sent him to bid me come Hutton hall, in the aforesaid county; a justice forth and go to my friends; but I answered, of peace, so called, but a great persecutor of "Go tell thy master I shall not come forth God's people, by imprisonment and spoiling of of this place to another, until he fetch me their goods; and at the time of my commit- himself who put me here." He went and ment, all that he pretended was his due was told him; and the jailer bid his man tell me but eight shillings and six-pence, which show-again, that I should stay there until I roteth his hard-heartedness and oppression.

ted before he would fetch me; but I took no notice of that, knowing well what I did.. In the beginning of the second month of There were several prisoners in his house for the year 1684, I was committed to prison at debt, who had wastefully spent most of their the suit of the said George Fletcher, impro- estates, who said, "the Quaker saith he will priator, because for conscience sake I could not come forth till you fetch him," meaning not but bear my testimony against that great the jailer, "and you say he shall stay there oppression of tithes; being first subponed, till he rot before you will do it; we will see and afterwards arrested, because in obedience who will get the victory."