Fox, this modern patriarch, spoke thus to a juftice of peace, before a large affembly of people. Friend, take care what thou doft: God will foon punish thee for perfecuting his faints. This magiftrate being one who befotted himself every day with bad beer and brandy, died of an apoplexy two days after, the moment he had fign'd a mittimus for imprisoning fome Quakers. The fudden death with which this justice was feiz'd, was not afcrib'd to his intemperance, but was univerfally look'd upon as the effect of the holy man's predictions; fo that this accident made more converts to Quakerifm, than a thousand fermons, and as many shaking fits cou'd have done. Oliver, finding them increase daily, was defirous of bringing them over to his party; and for that purpose attempted to bribe them by money. However, they were incorruptible, which made him one day declare, that this religion was the only one he had ever met with that had refifted the charms of gold. THE Quakers were feveral times perfecuted under Charles the fecond, not upon a religious account, but for refufing to pay the tythes, for Thee-ing and Thou-ing the magiftrates, and for refufing to take the oaths enacted by the laws. AT AT laft Robert Barclay, a native of Scotland, prefented to the king, in 1675, his Apology for the Quakers, a work as well drawn up as the fubject could poffibly admit. The dedication to Charles the fe-· cond is not fill'd with mean, flattering encomiums, but abounds with bold touches in favour of truth, and with the wifeft counfels. "Thou haft tafted," fays he to the king at the close of his epiftle dedicatory, "of profperity and adverfity; thou know"eft what it is to be banish'd thy native "country; to be over-rul'd as well as "to rule, and fit upon the throne; and being oppreffed, thou haft reafon to "know how hateful the oppreffor is both "to God and man: If, after all these "warnings and advertisements, thou doft "not turn unto the Lord with all thy "heart but forget him who remembred "thee in thy distress, and give up thy felf "to follow luft and vanity, furely great "will be thy condemnation. .. "AGAINST which fnare, as well as "the temptation of thofe, that may or do “feed thee, and prompt thee to evil, the "most excellent and prevalent remedy "will be, to apply thy felf to that light "of Christ, which fhineth in thy con"fcience, which neither can nor will flat"ter thee, nor suffer thee to be at ease in thy fins; but doth and will deal plainly "and "and faithfully with thee, as those that "are followers thereof have plainly done. -Thy faithful friend and fubject, Ro66 BERT BARCLAY." A more furprizing circumftance is, that this epistle, written by a private man of no figure, was so happy in its effects as to put a stop to the perfecution. LET LETTER IV. ΟΝ ΤΗΕ QUAKERS. A * BOUT this time arose the illustrious William Pen, who eftablish'd the power of the Quakers in America, and would have made them appear venerable in the eyes of the Europeans, were it poffible for mankind to refpect virtue, when reveal'd in a ridiculous light. He was the only fon of viceadmiral Pen, favourite to the duke of York, afterwards king James the fecond. WILLIAM PEN, at twenty years of age, happening to meet with at Quaker. in Cork, whom he had known at Oxford, this man made a profelyte of him; and William being a sprightly youth, and naturally eloquent, having a winning afpect, and a very engaging carriage, he foon gain'd over fome of his intimates. He carried matters fo far, that he formed, by infenfible degrees, a fociety of young Quakers, who met at his houfe; fo that he was at the head of a fect when a little above twenty. BEING return'd, after his leaving Cork, to the vice-admiral his father, instead of falling upon his knees to afk him bleffing, he went up to him with his hat on, and faid, Friend, I'm very glad to fee thee in good health. The vice-admiral imagin'd his fon to be crazy; but foon finding he was turn'd Quaker, he employ'd all the methods that prudence could fuggeft, to engage him to behave and act like other people. The youth made no other answer to his father, than by exhorting him to turn Quaker alfo. At laft his father confin'd himself to this fingle requeft, viz. that he fhou'd wait upon the king and the duke of York with his hat under his arm, and shou'd not Thee and Thou them. William answer'd, that he could not do these things for conscience fake; which exafperated his father to fuch a degree, that he turned him out of doors. Young Pen gave God thanks, for permitting him to fuffer fo early in his caufe; after which he went into the city, where he held forth *, and made a great number of converts. THE church of England clergy found their congregations dwindle away daily; and Pen being young, handsome, and of a graceful ftature, the court, as well as the city ladies, flock'd very devoutly to his * About 1668, and the 24th year |