CHAP. XX.

1678 to 1684-His services in London.-Goes by Herts, Warwickshire, &c. to Swarthmore.-Continues there above a year.—Writes an Epistle to the Yearly Meeting in London.-Leaves Swarthmore, and goes by York shire, &c. to London.-Attends the Yearly Meeting there.-At Kingston writes to the Great Turk, and to the King of Algiers.-Visits Friends in Surrey and Sussex.-Returns to London.—In a Suit for Tithes, the Judges are surprized at his liberal conduct to his Wife and her children.-Makes excursions to the country, returning to London.-Again visits Holland, and returns to England.

WHEN George Fox arrived in London, the Parliament was sitting; and he united with other Friends, in applying for relief for those, who were suffering under laws made against Popish recusants. In about two weeks, the yearly meeting came on. This meeting appears to have been very comfortable and refreshing to Friends, who were nearly united to each other in gospel love and fellowship; and no spirit of opposition manifested itself amongst them. They had also comfortable accounts from Friends in different parts of Europe and America; of all which he gives a particular account in a letter to his wife, written soon after this yearly meeting.

But though the yearly meeting was thus satisfactory, George suffered much in his spirit, on account of a prevailing disposition, in many, to depart from the simplicity and purity of their profession, and particularly to oppose the excellent discipline established in the society; for whose sake he published a paper "for undeceiving the deceived, and opening the understandings of the weak in this matter." It contains many sound observations and arguments, and had probably a good effect; though many of those who were settled in their opposition, did not profit by it.

During his residence in London at this time, the Parliament sat again; and he was again engaged in endeavouring to procure redress for his suffering Friends, to which many of the Members were much inclined; but other engagements prevented any thing being done at that time.

Having finished his services in the city, for the present, he went to Hertford, where he spent several days, and had much religious service of various kinds. From Hertford he went by Rabley Heath, Stevenage, Baldock, Hitchin, and Ashwell, into Bedfordshire, having meetings at all those places. In Bedfordshire he had many meetings, and much service in the cause of his Master; and then passed into Huntingdonshire. At Ives,

in this county, he was met by his friend George Whitehead; and they travelled together into Northamptonshire and Leicestershire. They parted at Great Bowden; and George Fox continued in this county, having meetings at Saddington, Wigston, Knighton, Leicester, Sileby, and Swanington. In these places he found a great disposition to receive his ministry, and was led to open

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many weighty and excellent truths" to the people. While he was at Leicester, he visited his Friends who were in prison for their religious testimonies; encouraging them to faithfulness and patience under their sufferings. He also endeavoured to interest the jailer in their favour, advising him to treat them with kindness and all reasonable indulgence.

From Warwickshire he went into Staffordshire; where he had many open meetings, tending to gather those to whom he ministered, into a feeling of gospel truth, and to establish others therein. After spending some time in this county, he went into Derbyshire, where he visited his friend John Gratton, at his own house at Monyash; from which place he went into Yorkshire; and, after spending about two weeks in that county, he travelled into Lancashire and Westmoreland, having a precious meeting at Arnside, in the latter county. From this place he went to Swarthmore; where,

at their meeting the next day, he had a sweet opportunity with Friends, their hearts being opened in the love of God, and his blessed life flowing amongst them."

In the course of his late journey, he had written and published several papers and epistles; and now, settling down at Swarthmore for a considerable time, he employed himself much in writing epistles to his Friends, on various occasions; in which he manifested his fatherly care for them; stirring them up to love and good works, and to an upright zeal for the promotion of truth and righteousness upon the earth. The following extracts from an epistle to the yearly meeting in 1679, will show the excellent spirit which continued to prevail, in this devoted servant of Jesus Christ: "The world expects more from Friends than from other people, because you profess more. Therefore you should be more just than others in your words and dealings; more righteous, holy, and pure in your lives and conversations; so that your lives and conversations may preach.And, dear Friends, strive to excel one another in virtue, that ye may grow in love, that excellent way, which unites all to Christ and God. Stand up for God's glory, and mind that which concerns the Lord's honour, that, in no wise, his power may be abused, nor his name evil spoken of by any evil

talkers or walkers; but that, in all things, God may be honoured, and ye may glorify him in your bodies, souls and spirits, the little time ye have to live." This instructive epistle he concludes with these words: "My life and love is to you all, and among you all. The Lord God Almighty, by his mighty power, by which he has preserved his people unto this day, preserve and keep you all inhis power, and peaceable holy truth, in unity and fellowship one with another, and with the Son and Father. Amen."

Having continued above'a year at Swarthmore, he again found his mind drawn to travel southward; and leaving his family and friends here in the 1st month, 1679-80, he passed through some parts of Westmoreland and Lancashire, into Yorkshire; and came to the city of York at the time of the Assizes, during which the quarterly meeting was also held. Here he interested himself and others in the cause of their suffering Friends, now in prison here, whose case was laid before the Judges. He also personally visited his Friends in prison, and encouraged them in their trying situation. The quarterly meeting too afforded him an opportunity of strengthening his Friends, in the support of the good cause which they had espoused, and of opening to them such gospel truths, as might tend to build them up on their most holy