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was finished, he returned to England, and laid down the body at London in great peace, finging praises to the Lord on his death-bed: whereof a more minute account may be seen in the first part of Piety Pro

moted.

The county of Wicklow, which had been formerly vifited by Thomas Loe and John Edwards, was this year, 1669, vifited again by J. Haydock and fome other friends, who had good fervice; Thomas Trafford, the Penroses and fome others being convinced; and fome time after a meeting was fettled at Thomas Trafford's houfe at Garrymore; but the faid Thomas removing to Wicklow, fome time after, it pleased the Lord to give him a fhare in the miniftry, and the meeting was kept there.

This year (1669) alfo came over from England in the service of truth John Kilburne, who had good fuccefs, and Roger Roberts particularly was convinced by his ministry.

The fame year alfo was memorable for the arrival of that eminent minifter and elder in the church, George Fox, who together with Robert Lodge, James Lancaster, Thomas Briggs, and John Stubbs, landed at Dublin, and had a large meeting there on a weekday, and thence paffed on to other parts, and had great fervice both among friends and other people.

After the conclufion of one of their meetings fome Papists who had been prefent, were angry and raged much whereof when George Fox heard, he fent for one of them, but he refufed to come to him, whereupon George fent a challenge to him with all the friars, monks, priests, and jefuits to come forth and try their god and their chrift, which they had made of their bread and wine, but no anfwer could he got from them, wherefore he told them they were worse than the priests of Baal: for Baal's priefts tried their wooden god, but thefe durft not try their god of

bread and wine, and Baal's priests did not eat their god as they did, and then make another.*

George Fox in his journal gives the following account of this vifit:

The priests and magiftrates were envious, but the Lord difappointed their counfels, and gave us many fweet and bleffed opportunities to vifit friends and fpread truth in that nation. Meetings were large, friends coming to them far and near: many were reached, and convinced and gathered to the truth, and friends greatly refrefhed. Oh the brokennefs that was among them in the flowings of life! fo that in the power and fpirit of the Lord many together broke out into finging with audible + voices.' t

The faid George Fox had a fingular gift in church difcipline, and having in the year 1667 recommended the fetting up of monthly meetings throughout England, he in the year 1668 wrote to Ireland and other countries, advising friends to fettle the like meetings there alfo, and afterwards vifited thofe countries in perfon, (and particularly this kingdom this year) and affifted them in fettling their men and women's meetings, and at Dublin he recommended the holding their men and women's meetings every two weeks, which hath been continued ever fince; and the general meetings, confifting of fome from each province, were concluded to be held half-yearly, on the Third and Ninth months, the first appointed meeting of which fort was in the Third month, 1670, and this fettlement remains unto this day.

In those early days there was little more done at thofe general meetings than collecting the fufferings of friends for confcience fake, and making a record thereof with the causes alledged, and by whose order

This fact may serve abundantly to manifeft the abfurdity of a scandal which fome would affix on the original Quakers, as having been Jefuits in difgnife, as it likewife fhews that they are one with other found Protestants, in renouncing the idolatry of the church of Rome.

+ See George tox's Journal.

Altered to a yearly meeting in 1193.

and on whofe account; and if any friends were in prifon, to endeavour to make proper application for their release.

But in procefs of time many other weighty affairs, refpecting good order and difcipline in the church, became the fubjects of their confideration in thefe meetings; and indeed friends of this nation became justly confpicuous by their zeal and diligence in the exercife hereof, and the fame good spirit led both them and their brethren in England into the fame wholesome rules fo excellent in themselves, and fo highly conducive to the prefervation of a Chriftian community.

But to return to George Fox; after he had travelled over feveral parts of the nation and vifited friends in their meetings for bufinefs as well as worfhip, and recommended the fettlement of meetings of difcipline as above, and had anfwered feveral papers and writings from monks, friars, and Protestant priests (who were enraged against him) he, with Robert Lodge, Thomas Briggs, &c. returned for England, parting with friends in much tenderness and brokennefs in the fenfe of the heavenly life and powerthat was manifested among them.

This year (1669) also Solomon Eccles was put into prifon at Galway, by an occafion fomewhat extraordinary. His zeal was fo great that what he judged evil he oppofed with the hazard of his life, an inftance of which occurred in a strange action he performed in a chapel of the Papifts without the faid town of Galway, where he went naked above his waist with a chafingdifh of coals and burning brimstone upon his head, and entered the chapel, when all the people were on their knees praying to their idol, and fpoke as followeth : Woe to thefe idolatrous worshippers: God hath fent me this day to warn you and to fhew you what will be your portion except you repent;

* Or images.

which when he had done, he went away to the town, where he was presently made a prisoner.*

Another tranfaction of the faid Solomon Eccles recorded by the fame hiftorian, A. D. 1670, and a memorable inftance of his zeal against time-ferving, was as follows: the faid Solomon going into the cathedral at Cork, found there Benjamin Crofs. preaching in a furplice, who having formerly been a Prefbyterian preacher in Dorsetshire, had there faid, that he had rather go to the stake and be burnt, than put on a furplice. This priest (now become a turncoat for gain) having finifhed his fermon and concluded with a prayer, Solomon Eccles declared that the prayer of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, and knowing the deceitfulness of the faid prieft, and that he was an apoftate, added these words: What shall be done to the man that makes fhipwreck of a good confcience?" For this he was taken ánd commited to prifon by the mayor, where being kept ten days, he was accused as a vagabond, and, without examination, whipped through the streets of Cork, from north-gate to fouth-gate, and, having received about ninety ftripes, was expelled.

Befides the above-mentioned, feveral other friends alfo this year vifited this nation in the fervice of truth, viz. Thomas Janny and John Abraham; and John Burnyeat landed here a third time and had bleffed fervice in Dublin, and other parts of the nation; and thus by the bleffing of the Lord upon the labours of his minifters, many in divers parts of the nation were convinced of the truth, and joined with friends,

This year (1669) alfo Anthony Sharp came from England and fettled in Dublin, who was very ferviceable in many refpects to friends, and after fome time received a gift in the miniftry. See the teftimony concerning him A. D. 17c6.

* Sewel's Hiftory,

THE

RISE AND PROGRESS

OF THE PEOPLE CALLED

QUAKERS,

IN

IRELAND.

CHAPTER II.

From the fettlement of Church-difcipline to the end of the troubles under King James II. The progress and increafe of Friends in a state of fuffering. Their peculiar zeal and steadiness in keeping up their Meetings for Divine worship in a time of perfecution whilst other diffenters fled. The State of Friends under King James II. and their wonderful prefervation during the troubles. Summary accounts of the lives, characters, and Chriftian experiences of divers of their eminent minifters interspersed.

SUFFERINGS ftill attended friends, on divers accounts, particularly for bearing their teflimony against the antichriftian oppreffion of tithes, for refufing to fwear, for not obferving the days called holy-days, and frequently for mere meeting together peaceably to worship God, on which account they fuffered imprisonment and fines.

William Penn, who was here this year, did fre quently vifit his friends in prison, and hold meetings with them, omitting no opportunity he had with those in authority to folicit on their behalf; and as the

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