ADVERTISEMENT.

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I. THE

HE Reader is defired to excuse the diverfity of ftyle that occurs in different parts of this work; for which it is hoped the following reafons will fufficiently apologize 1t. The foregoing part of the Hiftory to the year 1700, having been compiled for the most part by the perfon mentioned in the title-page, it was deemed most expedient to publish it in his own words; and 2dly, in order that the genuine fenfe of the authors, of divers narrations and epiftles, might be faithfully conveyed to pofterity, their own words are alfo retained in their native fimplicity.

JI. Order of time, with refpect to the accounts of the convincement and fervices of many eminent minifters and elders, hath not been always obferved, because of the compiler's defign to place these things together in one view, with the teftimonies, or characters given of them at their deceafe, where this could be conveniently

done.

III. It is but doing juftice to many other worthy minifters and elders, of whom nothing in particular is related in the following Hiftory, to acknowledge that their memoirs are as honourable as thofe of whom particular accounts have been given, and their fervices oftentimes were as great, although partly through the great modefty of the perfons concerned, and partly through the neglect of others, no record was preferved of them,

THE

RISE AND PROGRESS

OF THE PEOPLE CALLED

QUAKERS,

IN

IRELAND.

CHAPTER I.

From the first appearance of this People in Ireland, to the fettlement of church-difcipline among them in the year 1669; wherein is given an account of the firft miniftring Friends who vifited Ireland, and their labours in the gofpel; (and particularly of William Edmundfon); of the fufferings and hardships they underwent; the effects of their labours in the convincement of many; and the firft fettlement of particular meetings, and of provincial, monthly and national meetings.

Ir feemed good to a half year's meeting affembled in Dublin, in the Third month 1700, that a faithful narrative should be preferved and tranfmitted to future generations, of what great things the Lord had done for a people within the compafs of forty-five years then paft, and not out of the memory of fome elders then living. Accordingly fuch a narrative was by their advice compiled, being collected from divers authentick papers and certificates, from whence the following account was drawn by Thomas Wight, of

Cork, a worthy elder, whofe character is given in due course of time in the following history.

It is true, William Sewel did, in the year 1722, publish a general history of this people, who (in his own words) began to take heed to a divine conviction in the confcience, and preached unto others the doctrine of an inward light wherewith Chrift had enlightened man, and in the latter end of the time of king Charles I. began to increase in number, and became a separate fociety among men, diftinguished by the fcornful appellation of Quakers,' for an account of whofe particular doctrines the reader is referred to Barclay's Apology.

The prefent undertaking may therefore perhaps be prejudged by fome as fuperfluous: nevertheless, as divers occurrences have happened peculiar to Ireland, both before the year 1700 when the aforefaid Thomas Wight finished his account, and through a feries of years to the prefent time, and fuch as feemed worthy of obfervation as matters of inftruction and edification, the collections of Thomas Wight have been revifed and improved by fome important additions, particularly of feveral epiftles, teftimonies, or characters, of divers eminent minifters and elders, together with a minute and faithful account of their fpiritual experiences, and of the various fteps which the divine wisdom led them through, in their pursuit of everlasting happiness, taken from their own writings, and fome other matters of fact, tending to give unto thofe of the prefent age a true idea of the fpirit and difpofition of their predec. ffors, and of the prefent fpiritual fituation of the fociety, with which view the hiftory is continued down to the prefent time: and moreover, as neither Sewel nor any author I am acquainted with, hath, as yet, given fuch a minute and circumftantial account of the Chriftian difcipline exercised among this people as either the fubject, or its importance and usefulness feem to demand.

William Edmundfon, born at Little Mufgrove in Weftmoreland, in the year 1627, having received Truth in the love of it, and obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful, was made inftrumental for gathering and convincing fome (by declaring what God had done for his foul) before any other miniftring friends came out of England in the meffage of the gospel, of whom as alfo of his own inward exercifes, trials and fufferings, he kept an account in writing, which we fhall therefore in the firft place fubjoin with his own words, viz.

It pleafed the Lord in my youthful days to bring me often to a confideration of my foul's happiness, and when I was in the army in Scotland under Oliver Cromwell, matters relating to my falvation came more clofe upon me; for the Lord was vifiting me, and ftriving with me both in judgments and mercies. In the year 1651, I came out of Scotland into England, and being in Derbyshire where the name of a people called Quakers was much talked of, and one George Fox to be the ring-leader of them; various reports went abroad concerning them, fome for good, and many for evil; but my heart was drawn towards them for good.

Now about this time I married and left the army, and was about to fettle in Derbyshire: in the interim my brother John Edmundfon being then a foldier in Ireland, came over into England to vifit his relations, and perfuaded me to go and live in Ireland: my wife being willing, we prepared for it, and taking with us one fervant, fome neceffaries, and merchants' goods, we landed in Dublin, where I was strongly importuned to fettle; trading being then very brisk, and houfes upon eafy terms, it being not long after the plague; but I was prevented by a fecret hand that I did not then know, which preferved me from the deceitfulness of riches; with which, if I had given way to this temptation, I had according to all probability,

been laden as with thick clay, and thereby been hindered from the Lord's fervice, as fome others are.

So from Dublin we went into the North, and took a house in Antrim, and my brother lived with us, for the troop he belonged to,. quartered in and about that place: I foon fold off my goods and went for England to buy more'; and going into the North, understanding George Fox and James Naylor (of whom I had heard) were come into thofe parts, I was glad of that opportunity, and went to a place where was James Naylor, who fpoke of the things of God's kingdom, and work of regeneration; and though his words were not many, they were powerful, and reached God's witnefs in me, that had long ftrove with me, and my heart being then opened, as the Lord opened the heart of Lydia, I knew it to be the truth, and received it in the love of it; for I had longed after it, and was ready for the Lord's harveft. Things appeared so plain, and concurred with fo many Scriptures, which were brought to my remembrance, that I thought all that heard it declared, must needs confefs it was the very truth. In a very few days the Lord's prayer mightily feized on me, and hedged up my former way, and I was under great exercise of fpirit on many accounts; fo when I had done my bufinefs in England, I intended by God's permiffion again for Ireland, bound for Carrickfergus, or near it, and at fea the Lord's hand was heavy on me, and great wrestlings and conflicts of spirit I had; under which exercifes I landed at Carrickfergus ; it was fomething late in the afternoon, yet I rode twelve miles to Antrim, where my wife and aforefaid brother were. He meeting me at the door appeared with his ufual falutation, but the Lord's power fo feized on me that I could not. join in it, and I was broken into many tears. We went in, and fat down, and I was mightily exercifed under the fenfe of the Lord's power, which begat in me a true godly forrow,