INDEX TO VOL. II. A. ADDRESS of John Banks to those who knew the 468. Atonement, 279. B. Banishment of Friends, 275. 66. William Dewsbury, 287; death of his E. Edmundson, William, his life, 84; convincement, Education, 53, 290, 409. Epistle to the flock, 64; of George Fox to Friends Everhard, Barbara, singular instance of the power F. Faith, nature and effects of, 56; in Christ, 66, 73. Fashions, &c., 51, 53, 403, 409. H. Dewsbury, Williaın, life of, 213; birth, 221; no Hayes, Alice, 68; her convincement, 70, 71, 72; Hireling ministry, 281. K. L. Laity and clergy, 218. M. Marriage, 53, 54, 165, 353. Mediation of Christ, &c., 67, 78, 85, 413. Ministers, Gospel, their work, 62; qualification, Morality not to be relied on, 360. Naylor, James, 257. N. O. Oldham, James, remarkably pious man, 419. and travels, 416; convincement, 419; re- P. Parents, advice to, 53, 290, 355, 358, 377, 395. Perrott, John, 264. Slaves, 463. Spirit of Truth, false pretences to it, 62; John Steel, John, his testimony against Wilkinson and King Charles, 192; visits justices met to Waln, Nicholas, his first appearance in the min- War in Ireland, 130, 366. itation at a Friends' meeting, 319; tra- A JOURNAL OF THE LABOURS, TRAVELS, AND SUFFERINGS OF THAT FAITHFUL MINISTER OF JESUS CHRIST, JOHN BANK S. Friendly Reader, PREFACE. THE labours of the servants of God ought always to be precious in the eyes of his people; and for that reason the very fragments of their services are to be gathered up for edification. It is this which induces us to exhibit the following pages to public view, as well as the hope that it may please God to make them profitable to such as seriously peruse them. We have always found the Lord ready to second the services of his worthies upon the spirits of their readers; not suffering that which is his own to go without a voucher in every conscience; I mean those divine truths which it has pleased him to reveal by his own blessed Spirit; without which no man can rightly perceive the things of God, or be spiritually-minded, which is life and peace. This indeed is the only saving evidence of heavenly truths; which made that excellent apostle say, "We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lieth in wickedness." In that day, true religion and undefiled before God and the Father, consisted in visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and keeping unspotted from the world: not merely a godly tradition, of what others have enjoyed, but the experimental enjoyment and knowledge thereof, by the operation of the Divine power in their own hearts, which makes the inward Jew and accomplished Christian, whose praise is not of men but of God. Such are Christians of Christ's making, who can say with the apostle, "It is not we that live, but Christ that liveth in us;" dying daily to self, and VOL. II.-No. 1. rising up, through faith in the Son of God, to newness of life. Here formality bows to reality; memory to feeling, letter to spirit, and form to power; which brings to the regeneration, without which no man can inherit the kingdom of God; and by which he is enabled in every state to cry Abba, Father. Thou wilt see a great deal of this in the following author's writings; and that he rightly began with a just distinction between true wisdom and the fame of wisdom; what was of God, and taught of God, and what was of man and taught by man-which last at best is but a sandy foundation for religion to be built upon, or rather the faith and hope of man in reference to religion, and salvation by it. Oh! that none who make profession of the dispensation of the Spirit, may build beside the work of Jesus Christ in their own souls, in reference to his prophetical, priestly, and kingly offices. For God his Father gave him, as a tried stone, elect and precious, to build by and upon; in which great and glorious truth, we do most humbly beseech the Almighty, who is the God of the spirits of all flesh, the Father of lights and spirits, to ground and establish all his visited and convinced ones, that so they may grow up unto a holy house and building to the Lord. So shall purity, peace, and charity abound in the house and sanctuary which he hath pitched, and not man. As to this worthy man, the author of the following treatises, I may say, his memorial is blessed, having known him above forty-four years. He was a heavenly minister of experi 1 mental religion, of a sound judgment and pious practice, valiant for truth upon the earth, and ready to serve all in the love and peace of the Gospel. He was among the first in Cumber-me advise thee to hold thy religion in the land who received the glad tidings of it; and then readily gave up, with other brethren, to declare unto others what God had done for their souls. Thus I first met him, and as I received his testimony through its savour of life, so I was kindly encouraged by him in the belief of the blessed doctrine of the light, spirit, grace, and truth of Christ in the inward parts; reproving, instructing, reforming, and redeeming those souls from the evil of the world, who were obedient thereunto. He was a means of strength to my soul, in the early days of my convincement, together with his dear and faithful brother and fellow-traveller, John Wilkinson, of Cumberland, formerly a very zealous and able Independent minister. Before I take my leave of thee, reader, let Spirit, whether thou prays, praisest, or ministers to others; go forth in the ability God giveth thee; presume not to awaken thy beloved before his time; be not thy own in thy performances, but the Lord's, and thou shalt not hold the truth in unrighteousness, as too many do, but according to the oracle of God, who will never leave nor forsake them who will take counsel of him; which that all God's people may do, is, and hath long been, the earnest desire and fervent supplication of their and thy faithful friend in the Lord Jesus Christ, WILLIAM PENN. London, the 23d of the Twelfth month, 1711. TESTIMONIES CONCERNING JOHN BANKS. JOHN WHITING'S Testimony concerning JOHN ways loved its messengers for its sake, as I did BANKS. SINCE it pleased the Lord, in his infinite love, to cause his day to dawn and his truth to break forth in this nation of England, even in an acceptable time, when many were seeking the Lord, and wandering like sheep without a shepherd upon the barren mountains of lifeless profession, seeking rest but finding none; many messengers have been raised up, and sent forth to publish the glad tidings of the Gospel, and to turn people from darkness to light, that they might find rest to their souls; many of whom, especially of the first rank, are fallen asleep. Among these our dear friend John Banks, the author of the following papers, was early raised and sent forth with the word of life, and was a faithful labourer in his day, who gave up himself for the spreading of truth, spending and being spent in the service of the Gospel, for gathering people to the knowledge of the truth, in which he was made an effectual instrument to many, in this and other nations, particularly Scotland and Ireland. Since the Lord was pleased to give me the knowledge of his truth, to which my education by religious parents was a good help, I al the author of the ensuing papers for his sound and savoury testimony, which ministered grace to the hearers. He divided the word aright, according to their several states and conditions, of which he had a good discerning, and could speak a word in season accordingly; like a good scribe instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, who bringeth forth of his treasure things new and old. He was also one that ruled well, not only his own family, but in the church of God. I knew him above thirty years, from his coming into the county of Somerset, in the year 1677; and could then, though but a young man, set my seal to the truth of his ministry, and witnessed the efficacy of it. It was with demonstration of the spirit and power; he being endued from on high, to preach the everlasting Gospel of life and salvation. I have often been comforted in meetings with him since, especially about the time of his coming to settle in the county of Somerset. One of the last duties we owe to the memory of such who have laboured among us in word and doctrine, and for their works' sake have been worthy of double honour, is to publish their memoirs, as occasion offers, after their |