*

have satisfied any one, not overgrown with envy; which yet John Raunce revives again, and also about his burial, &c. All which appears to be nothing but John Raunce's rancor, which seeing he has made so much ado about, out of his inveterate malice to Thomas Ellwood, under pretence of friendship to his father, but to be sure hatred to the son; and as Thomas Ellwood says, if this be the effect of his friendship, he should not desire to be numbered among his friends. To set which in a clear light, I shall here set down his vindication in his own words, because it bears some analogy to his relation of the former part of his life, viz. page 20 of the Fair Examination.

'Tis well known to many, that my father was possessed of a good estate; and they that knew him well, knew also that he had the spending of it himself. How he spent it becomes not me to speak; he was my father, to whom I sowed and always paid respect and honour, while living; and whose frailty, being dead, I desire to cover. It is enough for me to say, I did not help him to spend his estate, nor was I much chargeable to him, after I was capable of shifting for myself. And when it pleased the Lord to visit me with the saving knowledge of his truth, and bring me under the visible characters of the profession thereof, (which was about the 20th year of my age). my father expressing a dislike to me on that account, by degrees withdrew his care of me, not making any provision for my main

tenance, save the giving me such of his household goods as he could spare, upon his giving over house-keeping; though he had then a plentiful estate remaining. When after

wards he sold his estate, I had no part at all of the money.' [Though upon his marriage he promised both him and his intended wife, to do something considerable for them, yet after they were married he refused to give them any thing; and so far withdrew himself, that he would not let him know where he lodged.] 'Notwithstanding this,' says Thomas Ellwood, 'he would sometimes come to my house, which was always open and free to him, to come when he pleased, and to tarry as long as he pleased. Whenever he came he was well habited, both for linen and woollen, and made no appearance of want, other than such as may befal any man, to have his money fall short on a journey; upon which occasion, when he had, as he said, been longer from home than he expected, or when, being here, he had a mind to go further than at his coming forth he intended, he has divers times asked me to lend him money, which I always did, and never asked him for it again. And to the best of my remembrance it was not above two weeks before his last sickness, that he had been at my house, and had money of me on that account. As soon as I heard of his illness, I hastened to him, and took the best care of him I could during his life; and after his death defrayed the charge of his sick

ness and burial, and repaid to my sister that money she had sent him before I knew of his illness. I could say more on this subject than I intend, or at present think fit, but I forbear, and commit my innocent cause to the Lord, not doubting, but that as I am clear in his sight from any undutifulness or unkindness towards my father, so he will clear mine innocency in the hearts of his people, and of all unprejudiced persons.'

This I hope will satisfy the reader of Thomas Ellwood's carriage towards his father, which we are beholden to John Raunce for, or else perhaps we might never have had this account, which one would think envy itself should not be able to cavil at: yet after this, John Raunce being restless, trumpt up another story, answered by Thomas Ellwood in his postscript to that book; which we shall meet with again hereafter, on another occasion; and therefore I shall say no more of it here.

Here ends his controversy with the sepa rates; in which I must needs say, he acquit ted himself as an ingenuous man, a christian, and a fair opponent. And now to come to something more pleasant. Our dear Friend George Fox dying in the eleventh month, 1690, and leaving behind him an excellent journal of his travels and sufferings, our friend Thomas Ellwood, (as nobody fitter) about this time, was at the pains of transcribing it, and fitting it for the press. (A laborious work.) Which was printed next year in a large folio;

to which Thomas Ellwood prefixed a notable account concerning him, which is the only single testimony printed with it; except his wife's, Margaret Fox's, and an excellent pre... face by William Penn.

1694. But now a new scene opens; for George Keith, who had known better things than most opposers that ever rose up against. truth and Friends, having been a Quaker, and a preacher among them, near thirty years, and had wrote many books in vindication of truth and Friends; but now falling out, and differing with some of his brethren in Pennsylvania, whither he went some years before, because he could not have his own way in every thing, came over with some of his party, full fraught with contention against the yearly-meeting, 1694. Which difference coming before the meeting, by some letters from beyond sea, which were read in course in the meeting; whereupon George Keith desired to be heard; which, after the other business of the meeting was over, Friends condescended to for seve ral days, to hear him and his party; and Samuel Jennings, &c. on the other side; in hopes to have reconciled the difference before it went any further; but as the prophet (Hos. vii. 1.) said, When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, &c. which may be applied to him; for the more endeavours were used to reconcile him to his brethren, the more his deceit appeared; and the more tenderness any shewed towards

him, the more perverse he was in turning it to a wrong use, and strengthening himself in hist opposition. There was no holding what would away, as the proverb is, resolved he was for a breach, by opposing Friends more and more, till he ran himself quite out from among them. Which our Friend Thomas Ellwood observ. ing the bent and tendency of, not only in the yearly-meeting, but after; and how he endeayoured to make divisions among Friends, to divide the heritage of God. He took up his pen again, and wrote an excellent epistle to Friends; briefly commemorating the gracious dealings of the Lord with them; and warning them to beware of that spirit of contention and division, which hath appeared of late in George Keith, &c. which he addresses to Friends, thus:

Dear Friends, whom the Lord hath called with an holy calling; and who, through faithfulness to the heavenly call, are become the chosen of the Lord. It is in my heart, in the openings of the love of God, to send these few lines amongst you, as a salutation of true and hearty love unto you; and in the tender. ing sense of the Lord's unspeakable goodness. unto us; which at this time rests with an affecting weight, upon my spirit, briefly to commemorate the gracious dealings of the Lord with us, since we have been a people.' Which he commemorates as follows.

Great and manifold have been the mercies of our God unto his people, in this his day,