is within the light; and all that are within the light, are within the city; the gates whereof stand open all the day (for there is no night there,) that all may come in. Christ's blood being shed for every man, he tasted death for every man, and enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world; and his grace, that brings salvation, having appeared to all men, there is no place or language where his voice may not be heard. The christians in the primitive times were called by Christ' a city set upon a hill;' they were also called the light of the world,' and the salt of the earth;' but when christians lost the light, salt, and power of God, they came to be trodden under foot, like unsavoury salt. Even as the Jews, who while they kept the law of God were preserved above all nations, but when they turned their backs on God and his law, they were trodden under foot of other nations: so Adam and Eve, while they obeyed God, were kept in his image and in the paradise of God, in dominion over all the works of his hands; but when they disobeyed God, they lost the image of God, the righteousness and holiness in which they were made; they lost their dominion, were driven out of paradise, and so fell under the dark power of satan, and came under the chains of darkness. But the promise of God was, 'that the seed of the woman, Christ Jesus, should bruise the serpent's head,' should break his power and authority, which had led into captivity, and had held man therein. So Christ, who is the first and last, sets man free, and is the resurrection of the just and unjust, the judge of the quick and dead; and they that are in him are invested with everlasting rest and peace, out of all the labours, travails, and miseries of Adam in the fall. So he is sufficient. and of ability to restore man up into the state that he was in before he fell; and not into that state only, but up into that state also that never fell, even to himself.

I had also in this time a great exercise and travail of spirit upon me, concerning the powers and rulers of these nations, from the sense I had of the many tender visitations and faithful warnings that had been given them, and of their great abuse thereof, who had refused to hear, and had rejected the counsel of the Lord. And though I knew Friends would be clear of their blood, yet I could not but mourn over them, and give forth these few lines concerning them:

'We have given them a visitation, have faithfully warned them, have declared to them our innocency and uprightness, and that we never did any hurt to the king, nor to any of his people. We have nothing in our hearts but love and good-will to him and his people; and desire their eternal welfare. But if they will not hear, the day of judgment, sorrow, torment, misery, and sudden destruction will come from the Lord upon them, that have been the cause of the sufferings of many thou

sands of simple, innocent, harmless people, that have done them no hurt, nor have had any ill will towards him or them; but have desired their eternal good, for the eternal truth's sake. Destruction will come upon them that turn the sword backward. Therefore, do not blind your eyes, the Lord will bring swift destruction and misery upon you. Surely he will do it, and relieve his innocent people, who have groaned for deliverance from under your oppression, and have also groaned for your deliverance out of wickedness. Blessed be the Lord God, that he hath a people in this nation that seek the good of all men upon the face of the earth; for we have the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ, that desires not the death of a sinner, but the salvation and good of all. Blessed be the name of the Lord our God for ever!

G. F.'

While I continued at Enfield, a sense came upon me of a hurt, that sometimes happened by persons coming under the profession of truth out of one country into another, to take a husband or wife amongst Friends, where they were strangers, and it was not known whether they were clear and orderly or no. And it opened in me to recommend the following method to Friends, for preventing such inconveniences.

ALL Friends that marry, whether men or women, if they come out of another nation, island, plantation, or county, let them bring a certificate from the men's meeting of that county, nation, island, or plantation from which they come, to the men's meeting where they propose their intention of marriage. For the men's meeting being made up of the faithful, this will stop all bad and raw spirits from roving up and down. When any come with a certificate or letter of recommendation from one men's meeting to another, one is refreshed by another, and can set their hands and hearts to the thing. This will prevent a great deal of trouble. And then, when ye have to say to them in the power of God, in admonishing and instructing them, ye are left to the power and spirit of God to do it, and to let them know the duty of marriage, and what it is; that there may be unity and concord in the spirit, and power, light, and wisdom of God, throughout all the men's meetings in the whole world, in one, in the life. Let copies of this be sent to every county, nation, and island, where Friends are, that all things may be kept holy, pure, and righteous, in unity and peace, and God over all may be glorified among you, his lot, his people, and inheritance, his adopted sons and daughters, and heirs of his life. So no more, but my love in that which changeth not. G. F.

The 14th of the 1st month, 1670-1.'

When I had recovered, so that I could walk a little up and down, I went from Enfield to Gerard Roberts' again, and from thence to the women's school at Shacklewell, and so to the meeting at Gracechurchstreet, London; where, though I was yet but weak, the Lord's power upheld and enabled me to declare his eternal word of life.

About this time I was moved to pray to the Lord, as followeth:

'O LORD God Almighty! prosper truth, and preserve justice and equity in the land! and bring down all injustice, iniquity, oppression, falsehood, cruelty, and unmercifulness in the land, that mercy and righteousness may flourish!

And O Lord God! set up and establish verity, and preserve it in the land! Bring down in the land all debauchery, vice, whoredoms, fornication, and this raping spirit, which causeth and leadeth people to have no esteem of thee, O God! nor their own souls or bodies, nor of christianity, modesty, or humanity!

'O Lord! put it in the magistrates' hearts to bring down all this ungodliness, violence, cruelty, profaneness, cursing and swearing! and to put down all those whorehouses and playhouses, which corrupt youth and people, and lead them from thy kingdom, where no unclean thing can enter, neither shall come! such works lead people to hell. Lord, in mercy bring down all these things in the nation, to stop thy wrath, O God! from coming on the land!

'This prayer was wrote the 17th

of the 2d month, 1671.'

G. F.

I mentioned before, that, upon notice received of my wife's being had to prison again, I sent two of her daughters to the king, and they procured his order to the sheriff of Lancashire for her discharge. But though I expected she would have been set at liberty thereby, yet this violent storm of persecution coming suddenly on, the persecutors there found means to hold her still in prison. But now the persecution a little ceasing, I was moved to speak to Martha Fisher, and another woman Friend, to go to the king about her liberty. They went in the faith, and in the Lord's power; and he gave them favour with the king, so that he granted a discharge under the broad seal, to clear both her and her estate after she had been ten years a prisoner, and premunired; the like whereof was scarce to be heard in England. I sent down the discharge forthwith by a Friend; by whom also I wrote to her, to inform her how to get it delivered to the justices, and also to acquaint her, that it was upon me from the Lord to go beyond sea, to visit the plantations in America, and therefore desired her to hasten to London, as soon as she could conveniently after she had obtained her liberty, because the ship VOL. II.

14

was then fitting for the voyage. In the meantime I got to Kingston, and staid at John Rouse's till my wife came up, and then began to prepare for the voyage. But the Yearly Meeting being near at hand, I tarried till that was over. Many Friends came up to it from all parts of the nation, and a very large and precious meeting it was; for the Lord's power was over all, and his glorious, everlastingly renowned seed of life was exalted above all.

After this meeting was over, and I had finished my services for the Lord in England, the ship, and the Friends that intended to go with me, being ready, I went to Gravesend the 12th of the 6th month. The Friends that were bound for the voyage with me went down to the ship the night before. Their names were, Thomas Briggs, William Edmundson, John Rouse, John Stubbs, Solomon Eccles, James Lancaster, John Cartwright, Robert Widders, George Pattison, John Hull, Elizabeth Hooten, and Elizabeth Miers. The vessel we were to go in was a yacht, called the Industry, the master's name Thomas Forster, and the number of passengers about fifty. I lay that night on board; but most of the Friends lay at Gravesend. Early next morning, the passengers, and those Friends that intended to accompany us to the Downs, being come on board, we took our leave in great tenderness of those that came with us to Gravesend only, and set sail about six in the morning for the Downs. Having a fair wind, we outsailed all the ships that were outward bound, and got thither by the evening. Some of us went ashore that night, and lodged at Deal; where we understood an officer had orders from the governor to take our names in writing, which he did the next morning, though we told him they had been taken at Gravesend. In the afternoon, the wind serving, I took leave of my wife and the other Friends, and went on board. Before we could set sail, there being two of the king's frigates riding in the Downs, the captain of one of them sent his press-master on board us, who took off three of our seamen. This had certainly delayed, if not wholly prevented our voyage, had not the captain of the other frigate, being informed of the leakiness of our vessel, and the length of our voyage, in compassion and much civility, spared us two of his men. Before this was over, an officer of the custom house came on board to peruse packets and get fees, so that we were kept from sailing till about sunset; during which stop, a very considerable number of merchantmen, outward bound, were got several leagues before us. Being clear we set sail in the evening, and by next morning overtook part of that fleet about the height of Dover. We soon reached the rest, and in a little time left them all behind us; for our yacht was counted a very swift sailer. But she was very leaky, so that the seamen and some of the passengers did for the most part pump day and night. One day they observed that in two hours' time she sucked in sixteen inches of water in the well.

When we had been about three weeks at sea, one afternoon we spied a vessel about four leagues astern of us. Our master said, it was a Sallee man of war, and he seemed to give us chase. Our master said, 'Come, let us go to supper, and when it grows dark, we shall lose him.' This he spoke to pacify the passengers, some of whom began to be very apprehensive of the danger. But Friends were well satisfied having faith in God, and no fear upon their spirits. When the sun was down, I saw the ship out of my cabin making towards us. When it grew dark, we altered our course to miss her; but she altered also, and gained upon us. At night the master and others came into my cabin, and asked me, 'What they should do?' I told them, I was no mariner;' and asked them, 'What they thought was best to do?' they said, 'There were but two ways, either to outrun him, or tack about and hold the same course we were going before.' I told them, 'If he were a thief, they might be sure he would tack about too; and as for outrunning him, it was to no purpose to talk of that, for they saw he sailed faster than we,' they asked me again, What they should do?' For,' they said, if the mariners had taken Paul's counsel, they had not come to the damage they did.' I answered, It was a trial of faith, therefore, the Lord was to be waited on for counsel.' So retiring in spirit, the Lord showed me, That his life and power was placed between us and the ship that pursued us.' I told this to the master and the rest, and that the best way was to tack about and steer our right course. I wished them also to put out all their candles, but that they steered by, and to speak to all the passengers to be still and quiet. About the 11th hour in the night the watch called, and said, 'They were just upon us.' That disquieted some of the passengers; whereupon I sat up in my cabin, and looking through the porthole, the moon being not quite down, I saw them very near us. I was getting up to go out of the cabin; but remembering the word of the Lord, 'That his life and power was placed between us and them,' I lay down again. The master and some of the seamen came again, and asked me, If they might not steer such a point?' I told them, They might do as they would.' By this time the moon was gone quite down, a fresh gale arose, and the Lord hid us from them; and we sailed briskly on, and saw them no more. The next day, being the first day of the week, we had a public meeting in the ship, as we usually had on that day throughout the voyage, and the Lord's presence was greatly among us, I desired the people, To mind the mercies of the Lord, who had delivered them; for they might have been all in the Turks' hands by that time, had not the Lord's hand saved them,' About a week after, the master and some of the seamen endeavoured to persuade the passengers, it was not a Turkish pirate that chased us, but a merchantman going to the Canaries. When I heard of it, I asked them, 'Why then did they