ance, then, is it, that each one of us should give the closest attendance upon those things, that obviously make for our own peace of mind, and individual progress in the life of Christ; rather than presume, in such a case as that before us, to define the precise line of testimony that may or may not be meted out to another; especially where the uniform tenor of conduct and conversation, must be allowed to place that man in very near connexion with his own Master, to whom he must, even in this life, either stand or fall.

But to bring to a close these digressive reflections. In the general history of this period, there are circumstances recorded, which strongly mark the decrepid state of vital religion and sound scriptural morality, then existing as well in England as in Scotland; and it is not surprising, that such wisdom and mercy as. rules or overrules all things here below, should raise up remarkable instruments, to effect his own beneficent ends,-by restoring safe paths to walk in, by improving the tone of piety, and thus renewing this portion of the face of his earth. There was surely great occasion for these to be men of plain, uncompromising stamp, that they might effectually do the work assigned, as it were, to thresh the very mountains, to break up the tough and rugged ground, and in other respects, as they might be commissioned, prepare anew the way of the Lord.

The public labourers raised up in this corner of the vineyard, on which our attention is more exclusively fixed, may be said to have been by no means few in number, in proportion to that of the members generally; and especially considering the small extent

district over which Friends were distributed. Nor did the Lord of the vineyard spare to assign them instrumental help in good measure from other quarters; the records of their meetings often stating the names of numerous visiters from England, whom the love of Christ and love to souls, constrained to pass up and down among the flock, confirming their spirit in

these times of trial. On one occasion, it would seem, that at a meeting for worship, such as usually was held introductory to the consideration of their church affairs, the showers of doctrine were so largely dispensed, as to occupy nearly the space of seven hours, and thus to preclude for that time the transaction of all other appointed business.

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As a city that is compact together," or rather as a besieged people within it, vigilance and alacrity, with united cooperation for the safety and for the welfare one of another, sometimes pleasingly shone forth at these meetings, as well as zeal for the spread of the dominion of grace and truth. When, in a particular case, there had transpired some "appearance of a breach and separation" in one or more of their number, the others speedily and simultaneously met with the party, all exceptions were thoroughly heard, and "a plain reckoning" ensued; after which, as the record states, " to the praise of the Lord's free goodness and mercy to his poor people, all differences were taken away, with much brokenness and tenderness of heart, in embracing each other: for which blessed opportunity, Friends publicly and jointly, in his own Spirit aud life, returned praises to the Lord." Such a successful illustration of the true labour of love, in the spirit of meekness and of wisdom, is not held up as one peculiarly confined to that generation;-by no means; rather as an additional encouraging proof of the preciousness of brotherly admonition, order, and concord in the body of Christ.

So, with regard to the promotion of the cause of Christianity, and the furtherance of those that were looking towards Zion, with faces thitherward turned, it is pleasing to find many instances, where Friends, in the line of unreserved dedication, have held themselves open, with all readiness, to entertain and give way to clear intimations of their duty in these respects. Hence we find a minister in good estimation, George Gray, of Caskieben, about eight miles from

Aberdeen, informing Friends at their Monthly Meeting, of a people in his neighbourhood, who thirsted after the assemblies of this despised Society, although they could not as yet "well digest silent meetings;" and what he desired was, that Friends would consider their case, "that if so be, the Lord may be pleased to move some Friends [of Aberdeen] to come thither;" a meeting having, as he informed them, been already appointed to be held twice in the month at John Glennie's at Colliehill Mill on that account.

Connected with this last remark, is another cir cumstance worthy of preservation, as follows: "John Forbes, merchant in Ellon, having left the preachers and public meetings there, and come into the midmonthly meetings, showed Friends, that he had been before the Kirk Sessions, being cited for forsaking their ordinances, as they call them; and that he had asserted their minister to be no minister of Christ, neither these ordinances those of Christ's; upon which he was cited to the Presbytery of Ellon: and withal, having read a paper he had drawn, with which Friends have good union, wherein many pertinent Scriptures were cited for several points of our testimony against the common doctrine of the nation— Friends thought fit to go to Ellon next First-day, and keep a meeting in his house." Accordingly, “R. Barclay, G. Keith, D. Falconer, T. Mercer, A. Harper, J. Cowie, T. Milne, J. Skene, A. Somervill, and A. Skene went all to Ellon, and kept a meeting in John Forbes' house from half hour to twelve till the fourth hour in the afternoon; where we had a good meeting, the people not only filling the room, but flocking about the door and windows, which were purposely opened unto them." About one month after this, John Forbes is requested on behalf of Friends, to look out for some more convenient place for the congregation who assemble at his house every First-day, one half of their number not being able, it is said, to gain admittance.

CHAPTER VI.

1672: The "Clergy" and Magistrates of 'Aberdeen, further incensed against this people, procure the demolition of the walls of their burial-ground, and the disinterment of their dead-Letter of William 1Dewsbury John Swintoune and Robert Barclay imprisoned at Montrose, together with some Friends at that place, for holding a meeting: their. Address to the Magistrates-1673: Andrew Jaffray <convinced, and several more—the Provost and Magistrates of Aberdeen strenuously importune the King's Council against the "Quakers”—they are examined and fined-Hugh Neilson's disappoint›ment of the fines, by a proclamation of the Government—death of Alexander Jaffray-his wife's convincement and death.

IN a preceding page, allusion was made to the defective state of moral and religious feeling, so variously developed in the history of the times now under notice. In connexion with this subject, one sad illustration is here to be introduced, of the length to which men may be carried, when they release themselves from the obligations of Christianity and a civilized

state.

About the beginning of the year 1672, several persons both in Aberdeen and its vicinity, withdrawing from the religion established by law, the public preachers of the city were so incensed as to procure, by their influence with the magistrates, the pulling down and demolishing the walls of a burial-ground, which the people called Quakers had purchased with their own money; and wherein a child of Thomas Milne had been a few days before interred. The body of this child, after three days' interment, was, by order of the provost and bailies, taken out of the ground, and carried to a village called Futtee, or Foot of Dee, where they had a grave made for it. But a rumour being raised by some malicious persons, as if Friends had, to deceive the magistrates, taken out the child's body, and filled the coffin with somewhat else, they

ordered the coffin to be broken open; in doing which, the corpse was injured, and actually was made to bleed though so long dead. In the same year in which this piece of wanton inhumanity was acted, an unusual mortality is stated to have taken place among the children of that place, such as had not occurred in the memory of any person then resident there. The very next day after the raising of the body of this child, it so happened, that John Scott, one of those magistrates who had been the most active instrument in this affair, had his own favourite grandchild unintentionally killed by the servant, which occasioned much outcry of distress in that family. Going on in his usual course of wickedness, among similar acts, often causing the walls of the burial-place and premises to be pulled down, &c. he was, shortly after, suspended in his career by a fall which fractured his leg. They, nevertheless, continued to remove every corpse that was interred in the same ground; nor did the barbarous practice cease, till a representation being made to the King's Council, a secret check was given them, and this more than ordinary inhumanity put a stop to. See Appendix, Q.

In the latter part of this year, Alexander Skene produced at the Monthly Meeting a letter, addressed to Friends in Scotland, from William Dewsbury; the minister by whose instrumentality, it will be recollected, Alexander Jaffray and others at Aberdeen, were first induced more fully to adopt, as well as publicly to avow in that city, the principles of Friends. Without doubt, there were not any likely to appreciate such epistolary counsel more duly than these, who could regard the writer of it as their spiritual father, one that, to a certain extent, had in Christ Jesus begotten them through the gospel,-themselves also as his work in the Lord.-A copy of the letter is preserved, as follows.