to it, and bear the turning of the Father's hand. Thou art situated in a part where too few wise and judicious helpers are to be found; the life of the people seems to be in words, and the tempter works to confirm them in their barren state; and nothing seems more likely to bring this about than a noisy, floating ministry; and so the deceivableness of unrighteousness works, in the hearer and in the preacher, and the blind lead the blind. O that thy mind may be induced to ponder deeply, in the light, thy whole state, and be stirred up to wait for the Lord in the way of his judgment-then wilt thou take from the noise of the harp; but judgment will run down as a river, and more inward peace and right knowledge of straight stepping onwards towards the holy city, possess thy mind. I was exceedingly distressed for thee at Appleby; the more sensibly so, as I am assured it was my proper place to have appeared at that time in prayer; the door of holy, humble access being sensibly and livingly set open before me; and what added to my affliction was, the pain thou gave to sensible Friends, by thy justifying that appearance, and seeming very stiff and high, whereby thou hast greatly suffered in the esteem of the sensible part of the body of Friends. I must be thus plain and honest to acquit myself; and earnestly request thee to study to be quiet, and mind thy own business, that therein thou may be helped to get out of thy present state, which appears to me to be much bewildered, and arise in the Lord's time, as his workmanship, formed to his praise, and in the true line of his service. I am not destitute of hope for thee; and may it be confirmed by thy careful return to the day of small things, that thence thou may be helped to be, and to act, for thy own peace, the church's help and the Lord's honour. Thy true well-wisher, SAMUEL FOTHERGILL. are as additional motives to bemoan our loss; but as they were prepared for a resting place beyond the limits of sorrow and calamity, the inducement to grief may be wisely considered as its alleviation. The debt of nature must be paid; we are but sojourners in a world of probation and exercise, and ought not to repine if it pleaseth the Author of all wisdom and mercy to bring to a glorious rest by a shorter path than a long succession of painful, weary steps through weakness and afflic tion, that often fill the cup of advanced years. I know there are in the present case circumstances that aggravate the loss; a family of young children stripped of an affectionate mother, of a prudent Christian to instruct their tender minds in the ways of religion and virtue, and of a good example to walk before them, and lead them in the road to happiness. But there is an all-sufficient Hand of power, able and willing to guard and protect them in every state. And the offspring of the righteous share in its gracious offers, in a particular manner. I remember, with great warmth, some of the last expressions of my honourable mother to her afflicted husband, respecting him, her children, and herself. "Thou wilt be blessed, they will be cared for, and there is a place provided for me. They are not left under the tuition of a father, like too many now a days, who will neglect their true interests, but of one who, knowing from whence every good comes, will seek to the gracious, all-sufficient Father, for himself and for his children." Thou hast largely partaken of afflictions; many have been thy bitter cups; and, this added, in the decline of life, must be exceedingly painful. But I beseech thee, dear friend, to remember who it was that delivered in the sixth trouble, and rest in humble hope that he will not forsake in the seventh. My brother and sister unite in near sympathy with thee and thy children. SAMUEL FOTHERGILL. SAMUEL FOTHERGILL TO ANN PAYTON. * London, Eleventh month 13th, 1761. SAMUEL FOTHERGILL TO MARY PEMBERTON. Warrington, Second month 26th, 1762. My mind hath deeply partaken with thee and thy children, upon the present affecting circumstance, the removal of thy daughter.ship is lively and fresh upon my spirit towards A warmth of sincere affection and friend The breach of such a tender connexion cannot fail of producing deep sorrow, in a mind thee, and every branch of the family; and I less susceptible of tender impressions than think I can safely and solemnly say, I have thine; and when we reflect upon the amiable, accompanied thee in thy deep distress, with endearing qualities of deceased relations, they * Ann Payton, of Dudley, died Eleventh month 1st, 1774, aged 91. Her daughter, here mentioned, was Hannah, the wife of William Young, of Leominster; she died Tenth month 30th, 1761. wood and the gall; a secret, silent partaking sympathy and a participation of the wormwith thee and the family, hath accompanied me in my solitude; I know not how to say, but I know how to feel. I hope the billows are rolled over in a great degree and the peaceful voice of Him who rules the ocean, distinctly heard to bound its waves; and may the calming presence of the Prince of peace be experienced to prevail. O, the benefit of a hiding place from the storm, and protection in the hour of severe conflict. The yearly meeting at Bolton, mentioned in the preceding letter, was large, and attended by many valuable ministers, and a great number of sober inquiring people, to whom much was communicated, in gospel authority, to their comfort and instruction. From Bolton, Samuel Fothergill, in company with Catharine Payton and several other Friends, went to the yearly meeting for Wales, held this year at Bala. This also was a large and favoured meeting. The warm, animated sentiments of tender friendship and Christian fellowship I often feel towards thee and thy husband, tell me the ardour of friendship I felt at our parting, about five years ago, is not abated; a series of employments of various kinds have demanded my attention and stopped the channel of correspondence sometimes, but not de- SAMUEL FOTHERGILL TO CATHARINE PAYTON. stroyed or impaired the bonds of union. I Warrington, Sixth month, 1762. am, through mercy, favoured with tolerably good health, employment in my Master's cause, and a good degree of qualification is extended in the needful time; herein I have cause to be most humbly thankful, that my Master hath called me into some part of his service, and furnished proportionable peace and strength. My weakness is great, my buffetings many, but the Lord is my strength, my sun, and my shield; of whom then shall I be afraid? Few successive hours have elapsed for several weeks past, in which thou hast been out of my remembrance, with the affection and tenderness which accompanies friendship, of the genuine kind, and earnest wishes for thy preservation and sure establishment upon the rock against which the gates of hell can never prevail. For myself I pray for it, even from the bottom of my soul, for I never had greater need. It is a comfort, when we are I am often solicitous in my mind about encouraged to remember the sufficiency and your children; I remember them with a ten- unchangeableness of the universal Father, der affection, and run from one to another who views us in every probation, and comwith a degree of solicitude, as if I viewed a passionately regards us, when destitute of race of youth connected to me in the ties of every other helper, and perhaps receiving the nearest natural alliance. How are they? are bitter cup, when we might hope for some allethey thy comfort, as far as religion and vir-viation of sorrow; but what shall we say of tue in offspring can be so to anxious parents? Oh, how grateful to me, how comfortable to thee and their dear father, how honourable to themselves might they become, if suitably humbled to seek and abide under the fashioning Hand, which alone makes vessels of sanctification and honour! What becomes of dear Charley? doth the softness and delicacy of tender years remain with him, and give reason to hope advance in years and piety will be proportionate to each other? Salute them all in my name; for my heart and eyes overflow in strong petitions and desires for every durable blessing to attend them, their parents, and the whole family. Perhaps it will be acceptable to thy husband to know a visitation of divine virtue hath, by its own immediate operation, wrought to the convincement of several in the neighbourhood of Bolton, whence the family of the Pembertons, I suppose, derive their origin; and that our Northern yearly meeting for the four counties of Chester, Lancaster, Westmoreland and Cumberland, is to be held there in the fourth month next. the Lord Almighty, but just and true are all one, my wife's indisposition, the other, a want of that evidence of duty which was in measure necessary to encourage me to appoint a meeting. Indeed, such has been the situation of my mind as sometimes to induce me to cry in secret, with holy Job-"My days are extinct, the graves are ready for me." For some beneficial end hath a series of hidden distress attended me; I only beg it may promote my sanctification. I was pleased to meet thy brother in London; I hope his mind is rightly baptized, at times, for his own and the Society's help; may he be blessed with sedate stability, and produce in patience, the peaceable fruits of righteousness. Several persons have come to our meetings since the meeting at Bolton, and from some account several are fully convinced, and would sit down with Dear friend, thine in every Christian ser- Friends if there was any meeting therevice, VOL. IX.-No. 7. SAMUEL FOTHERGILL. abouts. The like account I had from Bala, by a tender spirited young man, who called 31 upon me a few days ago; thus, I verily believe, the Lord's work is going forward. O may it possess the gates of his enemies, and effectually lay waste as well as smite all the corners of Moab. SAMUEL FOTHERGILL. The yearly meeting held in London, in 1760, had appointed a committee to pay a visit to the quarterly and other meetings throughout the nation. Samuel Fothergill was one of that committee, and upon him, with Jonathan Raine, Isaac Wilson, and William Rathbone, devolved, in 1762, the important duty of performing this service in Ireland. They embarked in the eighth month, and were closely engaged, for nearly three months, in a general visit to the meetings for worship and discipline throughout that country. SAMUEL FOTHERGILL TO HIS SISTER. At Robert Lecky's, Kilnock, Tenth month, 1762. Being detained a week later than we expected in England, hath rendered it necessary for us to be at meeting or on horseback, and frequently both every day except two, for fifty days successively, in order to finish our visit before the National meeting in Dublin. However, we have occasion to confess, with thankful hearts, that hitherto we have been remarkably and eminently helped to prosecute the object of our journey, and help every way hath been graciously extended to us, and health also, in such a degree as to render the journey practicable (though at times painful) to me; the other friends are well...... The state of the church is painful in many places. I think there is not a great decrease of number since I was first here, eighteen years ago, but most of the valuable ministers and elders are gone off the stage, and few, very few, are raised to fill their places, or even attempt it. But it hath been a renewed and eminent visitation of divine favour, from which I hope some effectual service will accrue to individuals, if not to the general. Our labour hath been close, searching, and salutary, and in the precious unction of divine love, at once to inform the judgment, and reach the oppressed seed. The living have unity with us, and the more distant part of the Society seem to approve of our labour, and see its intention and tendency. May the Lord of the heritage arise, and have mercy upon it. Dublin, tenth month 9th.-We arrived here this evening; yesterday was the monthly meeting at Carlow, which was very large, and a time, I hope, never to be forgotten by many besides myself. We came to worthy Abraham Shackleton's last night; he met us at Carlow, and I hope will accompany us on our whole visit. The monthly meeting for this city is to be held to-morrow, and is likely to be very large. I quietly hope in His aid who hath hitherto been our gracious helper. A copy of Friends' Address to the King, was put into my hand this evening; it is pleasing to Friends here, and I think it a good one, but hope Friends will be cautious of making our incense to the throne too cheap. SAMUEL FOThergill. Except the foregoing, there does not appear to be any letter extant, written during this visit to Ireland; but of the latter part of it, and of the labours of Samuel Fothergill in particular, an account was drawn up by Elizabeth, wife of Richard Shackleton, of Ballitore, an abridgement of which is here inserted. 1762, tenth month 8th.-Our friend Samuel Fothergill, with others, visited the monthly meeting held at Carlow. In the meeting for worship he was largely engaged in testimony, setting forth the doctrines of Christianity, and the foundation of it, at much length, for the information of those differing in name from us (for true religion is the same in all ;) saying, that as we were a people who almost everywhere had been spoken against, sometimes through ignorance, and sometimes, he was afraid, through malevolence, he was willing to inform them what principles we held, and what our belief was concerning the fundamentals of Christianity; and that it was not being men of literature, nor of any natural or acquired ability as men and creatures, that could procure to us that substantial religion that would stand by us beyond the grave, by assisting us to renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world; but our humbly depending upon that sufficiency which is of God: ...... He said he was sensible that many were prevented from coming to partake of the inestimable blessing of peace and serenity of soul by that monster, shame, so that they cannot bear ridicule from their acquaintance, which must be their lot if they are bent to live a Christian life. But the cross being as foolishness, and a stone of stumbling, men remain in darkness and ignorance, and answer not the end of their creation, and are prevented from coming to the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and to virtue. This, he acknowledged, had been the case with himself in the early part of his life, when he lived in as loose and forgetful a manner as perhaps any present, though often convicted in the strength renewed in Him; and if we were secret of his soul for his folly. But shame concerned thus to wait for it, we should not would not allow him to submit to be account-let trivial things prevent our attendance; and ed a fool, for he had extended pretty far in our conduct and behaviour when there would notion and speculation, and endeavoured to be becoming, and if the spirit of heaviness procure some knowledge in literature, but came over us, we should labour diligently to was made sensible it would avail nothing in overcome it. But some men he thought there that which pertains to life and godliness, were, too big to enter in at the strait gate, and through the knowledge of Him who has too great to be religious; and others too lazy called us to glory and virtue. And as de- to walk in the narrow way; but such are far struction from God was a terror to him, be- from the little child's state, of whom is the cause of his highness and majesty, he could kingdom. He enlarged upon the love and not endure, he was enabled in measure to unity which ought to subsist between breconquer this shame, and submit to that power thren, and how cautious they ought to be of that could cleanse his heart, for which un- saying anything detracting one of anothermerited favour, all within him worshipped of saying, "Report, and we will report it;" and praised Him that lives for ever. And and how great ought to be the care on the having happily experienced the advantage of minds of Friends, lest at any time they joining with wisdom's call, he was earnest in should be led to speak in any way to lessen inviting others to join with it. For wisdom has any elder, minister, or overseer, or any others, extended and builded her house, and hewn before their children, and of what hurtful conher seven pillars, which he compared to the sequence such conduct might be to the youth, virtues to which the apostle exhorts and calls in fixing prejudices in their minds that could the believers, when he says, Add to your faith not be easily removed. So he would have virtue, &c. And if we come thus to obey the Friends keep to that wisdom which is from call of wisdom, we shall dwell in a quiet above, and then that implacable disposition habitation, in a covert from the storm in times would be removed, which insists upon whatof trial, when afflictions roll upon us, for ever it thinks right, saying, "I will have these we must expect on this side the grave. rigid justice; I will be paid to the uttermost He addressed himself particularly to those of farthing;" and not giving up anything for our own profession, and much desired that peace's sake. He much desired that all such we might be as lights in the world. feelings might not have any place, and that The meeting for worship being over, he none might give way to such a spirit of rewith courtesy acknowledged the favour done sentment, but be willing to suffer, and be to us by those of other societies giving us losers, rather than to contend; this was the their company, and their having behaved in true way to live in peace. To enforce this, so becoming a manner; and informed them he mentioned an instance of two persons bethat as we had now some particulars to in- tween whom a strong friendship had existed, quire into relative to our own Society only, but a misunderstanding arose, and was carhe requested that those who were not of us, ried to a great length; it continued some would, without taking offence, be pleased to years, till at last, he who thought himself the withdraw, excepting that those who had at injured person, and who was the accused, to any time been members amongst us might the hurt of his character, went to the other remain on this particular occasion, so that party, who was in much heat, and said, "My they were not of scandalous lives, or notori- innocence supports me; take it to thyself; I ously bad. Afterwards, he described the na- will leave the decision to the great day; let ture of their visit; that they came not as the just Judge decide between us, only let severe censurers or rigid inquisitors, neither there be peace between thee and me." to lord it over the heritage; but in love, and so melted the heart of the party addressed, in order to help and assist; and gave a close that he said there should be no difference becaution that such overseers as were to an- tween them; and from that time peace was swer the queries, should consider well what restored, and a true friendship, which conthey were going about, and give such an- tinued to the end of their lives. swers as were just; adding, that those in such offices ought to be men of truth. This He expressed an earnest desire that parents, and such as have the charge of children and The first query being read, and an answer their education, might endeavour, by example given by one from each meeting, he spoke and precept, to train them up in a godly conupon it in his usual powerful manner, show-versation, and prevent them conforming to ing the necessity of the great duty of attend- the world and its customs, but have them ing meetings for the worship of that Being to kept in a plainness of speech and deportment, whom we owe all, in order to have our out of superfluity in dress, which would be a means of preserving them out of unsuitable further than many apprehended; and cautioncompany, to which a conformity to the fashions and customs of the world would much subject them. ed the young men that they ought to be punctual in their engagements, and not, as too many do, ungenerously endeavour to draw out, or engage the affections of young women, without having serious intentions towards them-this he accounted robbery. Concerning the care that should be taken to prevent young people joining in marriage contrary to our rules, he spoke persuasively to the youth, exhorting them in all such engagements to seek for the counsel of best Wisdom, and to follow its instructions, and to endeavour to have the best Guest present with them; to invite him, so that he might cause the water, which might sometimes be as the bitter waters of Marah, to be turned into wine, and sweeten the bitter cups of affliction that might be their thus to begin, he considered was the way to lay a foundation for social comfort and domestic happiness. He spoke of the concern which had been upon his mind for several years past to pay a visit to this nation; and now as they went along from place to place, they had seen the situation of the various ranks amongst us, and they had beheld with sorrow that too generally we had not come forward, as it was intended we should-neither the elders, the middle aged, nor the youth. But still there was a living seed left, who were in measure He earnestly exhorted the rising youth not to give way to the foolish customs of the world, nor to let their minds be entangled by such things. He said he could well remember the tender care of one of the best of fathers, when he would take one child on one knee, and another upon the other, with others standing before him; how he bestowed upon them his tender and suitable counsel; and though he could not recollect the words, he could well remember the tears that fell from the cheeks of his venerable father upon theirs. He was much concerned that the elder branches of families of children should help their religious parents in taking care of the younger, by ex-lots, through the various changes of life; and ample and by precept, and mentioned an instance of care in one nearly related to him; what concern he had for those who were younger, and how he laboured for their good; and after finishing his labours, how that worthy youth was called to give up his charge, and enter into that rest prepared for him, and finished his course about the twelfth year of his age.* He would have all be encouraged to go on in a godly conversation, and shun destructive pride in all its appearances, for it is grounded in ignorance, and the want of a right knowledge and due consideration of what we are poor dust and ashes. Some preserved clean; and although the glory of parents, he believed, were careful to provide for their families, and to teach them frugality, &c.; but he would recommend them to be also frugal of time, which is so precious that few know its value until it is too late. This he illustrated, by relating the case of a young man whom he had been with, at or near the time of his being called to give an account of how he had spent his days, and who would then have given all he was worth in the world, and he had large possessions, to have had a short time allowed him; so well did he know, at that trying moment, the value of time, which but a few days before he had been insensible of. He wished the youth might prize it, for time is short, and death is awful, and that parents might not only be diligent in making a good use of it, but also teach their children to be frugal of that, as well as of their outward substance, and so to endeavour to conduct themselves, that when inquisition is made for blood, they may stand clear before the just Judge. He spoke of Friends being just in their dealings, and punctual in fulfilling their engagements. He thought that justice extended *His brother William Fothergill. the Lord had moved to the threshold of the door, and to the mountain hard by, yet it was not wholly departed from us, but the shout of a King was still amongst us, and we were not forsaken; and for this his heart was made thankful. 12th. At Edenbury, in the meeting of discipline, he again enlarged on the education of youth, and how parents ought, by example and precept, to train up their children in a godly conversation, and what an indispensable duty it is, especially upon mothers, who have frequent opportunities to form the minds of their children, while the father might be engaged in the arduous duties of business abroad; and mentioned the great pains taken by the benighted inhabitants of this nation to instruct their children in superstition; and that we, who are called from darkness to light should not be destitute of the form and power, but be diligent, by example and precept, to train them up in a godly conversation; also in preventing destructive books from being read; and he laid before the youth, the nature and evil tendency of reading such books; as also of following the fantastic fashions that are in the world-such things introduce into improper company, and the friendship of the |