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At length, through the solicitation of Friends to some persons of influence there, he was released from confinement, and returned to England. And though he had come away without having accomplished the object of his mission, or so far as appears, having even seen the Pope, yet the exaggerated report of his sufferings abroad, and a great appearance of sanctity, gained him a sort of compassionate affection and esteem with weak minds; and his self-importance increased to such a degree, that he thought himself further enlightened than George Fox and the rest of his friends; and as an evidence of it, he maintained that the custom of putting off their hats in joining in public prayer, was only a piece of formality, and ought not to be practised. The next extravagance he adopted, was to let his beard grow, in which he was followed by several of his partisans. George Fox and the principal body of Friends, foreseeing the danger of the minds of the members being drawn off from attention to the necessary work of inward sanctification, into contention about outward observances of little or no importance, exerted their endeavors to prevent the spreading of the defection. This, however, went on for some years, till Perrot manifested more clearly, by the instability and enormity of his conduct, the error of his spirit and the depravity of his heart. He went to America, and was there led into fleshly liberties, fantastically putting on gaudy apparel, and wearing a sword; and under the pretence of being above forms, went so far at length as to reckon meeting for divine worship a form, and by his example and doctrine led many to forsake the assembling of themselves together. And after a time, having obtained some post under the government, he who had before professed that Christ had forbidden all swearing, is said to have rendered himself conspicuous, as a most rigid exactor of oaths.

Perrot's followers, as observed above, were not without

the faithful admonitions and warnings of their brethren. George Fox, ever alive to the welfare of the flock, felt it his duty to appoint a meeting in London with those who had been seduced into this separation, and also addressed them more than once by letter, endeavoring to restore them to a sound understanding, and to unity with the body; and through the divine blessing attending the labors of love extended by him and his friends, most of these people in England were at length recovered, acknowledged their error, and returned into the unity of the Society.

In America, the wild notions which Perrot had sown, continued in some places, for several years, to bear bitter fruit. John Burnyeat, in 1665, travelling in Virginia, found many who had been led astray into these fanciful notions. They had almost forsaken the practice of meeting for divine worship, scarcely assembling together once a year. Of course they lost ground in religion, which was manifested by a general backsliding. They had laid aside the plainness of their profession in dress and language, and were become loose and light in their conduct. The offence of the cross had ceased, and the power of godliness, as well as the form, was lost. So that John Burnyeat found it difficult to get a meeting with them. But he was not a man whose zeal was easily discouraged. When he saw their reluctance to grant him a public meeting, he did not leave them under their delusion, but sought private opportunities with them, to convince them of their mistakes, and to vindicate the principles and practice of the Society, in diligently meeting to wait together upon God, and endeavoring to walk before Him in all orderly conversation and sobriety, and to fulfil all their social and moral duties among mankind. By perseverance in repeated visits and conferences of this kind, he at length obtained a meeting with them; which being favored with the overshadowing of divine power, was very conducive to open the understandings of

several to perceive their error, and to the revival of more regard to their religious duties. And by the continuance of his gospel labors, and the renewed convictions of the Spirit of Truth in their hearts, many came in time to see through the wiles of the enemy, and to be again serviceable in the Society. Some years afterwards, returning to Virginia, he found an open door for his labors, and was successful in promoting among them the establishment of meetings for discipline, for the further help of those who had not yet been entirely reclaimed.

After this, travelling in New England, at Salem he met with the devastating effects of the same spirit. But patiently laboring among them, several had their consciences so awakened, as to let them also see their mistake, condemn it, and return into unity with the body.

CHAPTER XIX.

RISE OF THE SOCIETY IN SCOTLAND.

AVING traced the origin of the people called Qua

and

had now obtained on the continent of America and some of the West India islands, we may next turn our attention to the progress of pure, evangelical truth in Scotland.

There were scattered in various parts of that country, about the middle of the seventeenth century, pious individuals, who, weary and heavy-laden under a sense of their own manifold shortcomings, believed there was to be known a more purely spiritual way of worship and of life and conduct, than that to which they, or any with whose pro

fession they were acquainted, had attained. Being greatly burdened with the formality, superstition, and will-worship prevalent around them, under which the public preachers generally detained their hearers, these serious inquirers had separated from the several congregations of the people; and at length some of them began to meet together by themselves, waiting upon God in a holy silence and deep humility of soul, for ability to draw near to him in true spiritual worship. They were thus at times made sensible of the quickening virtue, power, and life of the Holy Spirit, enabling some of them to speak forth the praises of the Almighty, and from an inward experience of His goodness, to extend instrumentally a hand of help to others.

Such religious meetings appear to have been held at Drumbowy and Heads, in the south of Scotland, as early as the year 1653; and the first preachers thus raised up among them were William Osborne, a colonel in the army, Richard Rae and Alexander Hamilton. These meetings had been established a full year, before any in actual connection with Friends found them out and visited them. The feet of several gospel messengers were, however, soon turned in this direction, as Christopher Fell, George Wilson, John Grave, George Atkinson, Sarah Cheevers, and Catharine Evans. In 1654, Myles Halhead, and James Lancaster, and in 1655, William Caton, and John Stubbs, travelled into Scotland; and George Fox was at Edinburgh in 1657. James Nayler is supposed to have preached in some parts of Scotland as early as 1651; but he does not appear to have fallen in with the above-mentioned little flock. John Burnyeat was led to travel as far north as Aberdeen, in 1658, and met with some meetings of Friends; and in 1659, Stephen Crisp, of Essex, who had then recently come forth in the ministry, found it laid upon him by his Divine Master, "to go and bear witness to His name in Scotland, that high professing nation." "Oh!" says he, "how i

would have pleaded my own inability, the care of my family, my service in that particular meeting, and many more things; and all, that I might have been excused from this one thing. But after many reasonings, days and weeks by myself, I thought it best to speak of it to some of the faithful elders and ministers of the everlasting gospel, not knowing but they might discourage me; but they laid it upon me to be faithful. The winter drew nigh, and something [in my mind] would have deferred it till next summer; but the Lord showed me it was not to be my time, but his time. Then, I would have gone by sea; but the Lord withstood me, and showed me it must not be my way, but his way; and if I would be obedient, he would be with me and prosper my journey; otherwise his hand would strike me. So I gave up all, and with cheerfulness obeyed, went forth, and visited the churches of Christ. I quickly perceived that the Lord was with me;-my journey became joyful; —in every place, my testimony was owned, and divers were convinced of the everlasting Truth. I got into Scotland in the Ninth month, and travelled to and fro that winter, on foot, with cheerfulness-and in about five or six months time, was, by the good hand of God, brought home to my wife, and children, and relations; in all my journey having been sweetly accompanied with the presence of the Lord; and his power often filled my earthen vessel, and made my cup to overflow. Praises forever to his name! saith my soul."

The gospel messages of these and other zealous ministers, reached the consciences of many who heard them; yet with regard to Aberdeen and the district thereabouts, no open espousal of the principles of Friends took place, until William Dewsbury was drawn, towards the end of the year 1662, in love to these prepared and panting souls, to proclaim among them "the acceptable year of the Lord,” even deliverance from the bondage of corruption, by the law of

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