but mixed with comfort in his tender mercies. My wife and brother fat quiet, with no fmall admiration at the change; (this was in the year 1653.) Now I came to the entry of my goods which was no fmali exercife to get through, becaufe at the custom-house an oath would be required, and when they required it of me, I told them I could not fwear; for Chrift had forbidden it. This was a strange thing to them, not having met with the like before; my deportment, and fpeech in ufing the words Thee and Thou to them, and not putting off my hat was very offenfive; but the Lord ftrengthened me, and my mind was towards him, which enabled me to ftand in the cross, and defpife the fhame, and fo according to my fmall measure, I ftood in my teftimony for his truth, by which I got through that exercife, and received my goods and came home, By this time great difcourfes were about the Quakers; and I was yet under great exercife of fpirit, the Lord's hand being mighty upon me in his judgments, yet, as I faid before, mixed with his mercies, and my pain and trouble increafed as a woman's in travail bringing forth ber first-born; and in the night feafon I wished for morning, and when the morning came, my travail and hard labour ceafed not, and then I wished for night again, that my bed might give me ease; thus was I like one toffed, and afflicted in this fpiritual warfare, wherein I could find none that could fpeak a word of comfort, that had trod in this ftrait path. Many profeffors came to jangle and contend, and fpake evil of the way to truth, which added trouble to my wounded heart, and broken fpirit, but it wrought for good, for it raised difcourfes far and near what a people there was, and of their ways, manners, and behaviour; which fettled fo in the minds of fober people, that it put them upon an inquiry into the principles and faith of them.

Now was my name much talked of abroad, and

one Miles Bousfield called a major, who had received fome convincement in England by George Fox, came foon away upon it into Ireland, and being about that part of the country I lived in, and hearing of me, and the great exercise of confcience I was in, came to fee me, but it happened I was from home: he fpoke much of religion, and the work of the inner man to my wife, and how glad he would be of my company, &c. When I came home, my wife informing me of him, and his discourse, I was very glad; for I would have gone far to find an experienced friend that could have informed or helped me in my great ftraits; for I faw my own poverty, and weakness, and the enemy as a ftrong man armed making war within and without: fo I rode to fee major Bousfield twelve miles, and abode with him all night. He talked much of the work of God in man; spoke well of the way of truth, and of George Fox, and James Naylor, and exhorted me to be cheerful and merry, and not to be caft down with thofe troubles, for it was the enemy's work to drive me into despair; for I had the tokens of God's love, and he would love me to the end, and nothing in me could hinder his work, &c. I gave attention to his words, being low, and dejected in my fpirit; his words anfwered me in that which pleafed felf; for fomething in me would have enjoyed the Lord without bearing his righteous judgments, or living in the daily crofs of Chrift and this I found major Bousfield was a franger to, but made me eafy over God's witness in my confcience, and healed my hurt too faft; for in a few days after I left him, it broke out again, the Lord's hand pursuing me, in whofe light I faw and felt fomething yet in me that withstood the work of God, which must be flain and crucified by the Lord's judgments, and the daily crofs of Chrift Jefus. Then my wound was opened, and I faw there was no phyfician but the Lord alone, and I alfo faw where

Bousfield was, and all of that fpirit; that they took up their reft and fatisfaction in a talk and notion of religion, without the true cross of Christ, that should · mortify their lufts, wills, and vile affections, and crucify them to the world, and the world unto them, being at ease in a form of godlinefs without the real work of the power.' So far William Edmundfon.

In the beginning of the year 1654, Miles Halhead, James Lancaster, and Miles Bateman, plain men, came out of England with a teftimony for truth, on which account they had fome fervice with the chief rulers and officers of the army: they made little ftay, but went into the North, and took fhipping at Belfast for England again.

At that time William Edmundfon was removing his habitation from Antrim to Lurgan, and foon after his brother came and dwelt with him, and a meeting was kept at his houfe in Lurgan, which was the first fettled meeting of the people called Quakers in Ireland. This meeting was but fmall at first, but as their minds were kept inward, waiting in ftillness upon God, they felt his prefence to comfort and ftrengthen them in time of great forrow and weaknefs, and their number increased; for the name of Friends and fame of truth did fpread, and divers fober people that fought after the knowledge of God joined with them, as William Soulden and his wife, John Hendryn, William Lynas, and feveral others: and the Lord was pleased to give William Edmundfon a part in the word and teftimony of his kingdom and gofpel of falvation, which he laboured in according to his measure in much weaknefs and fear. was moved to go to the publick worship-house belonging to Lurgan, to declare truth in the time of their worship, and was much beaten there by colonel Stewart; but his teftimony reached the hearts of fome, particularly Mark Wright and Mark Sawyer,

He

who followed him out of the faid worship-house, and joined with friends.

The next friend that came out of England was John Tiffin, who came and fat with the above-mentioned friends in their meeting, and did fometimes fpeak a few comfortable and edifying words among them: William Edmundfon and he travelled together to several places, and had good fervice for truth, and difcourfed and had difputes with profeffors, and many began to listen to them and inquire into their faith and principles, and truth began to fpread, though through great oppofition; for now the priests and people began to be alarmed and in a rage, and Friends were expofed to great fufferings upon feveral obvious accounts; particularly, as the teftimony of truth was against all hireling teachers, and their forced maintenance, thefe made it their business to incenfe the magiftrates and rulers against Friends as holding damnable doctrines, led away with the delufions of fatan, &c. and their confcientious fcrupling to fwear, in obedience to Chrift's command, Swear not at all, was a strange thing to the people, as was alfo the use of the plain and proper fpeech of Thou and Thee to a single perfon, and refusing to take off their hats, as being a teftimony of honour and refpect due to Almighty God only; and few could fuffer these things, but frequently on thefe accounts treated them with abufive words, and fometimes with blows or throwing ftones. The keeping to one price in felling of goods and to the firft demand without

*Thefe practices of theirs were not the refult of humour, or of framed defign to declare or recommend fchifm or novelty, or to diftinguish themselves as a party from others: but God having given them a fight of themTelves, they faw the whole world in the fame glafs of truth, and fenfibly difcerned the affections and paflions of men, and the rife and tendency of things. See Penn's Rife and Progrefs of the People called Quakers. And in a Treatife of the fame author entituled No CROSS No CROWN, thefe matters are difcuffed at large, and particularly the true honous excel lently distinguished from the vain and worldly.

abatement, was alfo a great ftumbling-block to moft, and made them decline dealing with them for fome time, until they faw into the juftice thereof. But to return to John Tiffin.

*

He and William Edmundfon went to Belfast (a town of great profeffion) where there was but one of all the inns and publick houses that would lodge them; here John Tiffin lodged, and often endeavoured to get an entrance for truth in that town, but they refifted, shutting their ears, doors and hearts against the publishers thereof. † Near this town there dwelt one Laythes, who promifed to let them have a meeting at his house, but through fome flavish fear failed of his promife and difappointed them; yet this did not hinder them, viz. John Tiffin, Wm. Edmundfon, &c. from holding a meeting in the open air; for there being a little way from the faid Laythes's houfe three lanes ends that met, they fat down and kept their meeting there, and were a wonder to the people who came about them; and fomething was fpoken to direct their minds to God's Spirit in their own hearts. These exercises, though in much weakness and fear, fpread the name and fame of truth, and occafioned many honeft people to inquire after it, and fome were added to the meeting at Lurgan. John Tiffin having fpent five or fix weeks with friends, returned for England.

Thus at the beginning, was the way ftrait and difficult, but yet truth gained ground and prevailed, and the number of friends increafed, and they had a godly care over, their words and actions, that they might give no occafion to the adverfaries of truth, who were many; but as friends kept low in the fear of the Lord, they were preserved and God's witness in the people was reached; of which it may not be impertinent to mention one inftance, viz. John Shaw