George Fox denied the refurrection of the dead. I told him, George Fox did own a refurrection according to Scripture, as we do; but because he and our friends thought it not fafe to recede from plain Scripture, nor to comply with the way many people have of expreffing it, which we think to be too grofs and carnal, viz. that the fame body shall rife, therefore they have afferted we ́ deny the refurrection: The Apostle faith, That which thou foweft, thou foweft not that body that fhall be, for it is fown in corruption, raised in incorruption, fown a natural, raised a spiritual body; with much more that might be added: and how much fuch a change maketh a difference between the prefent and the future in the refurrection, between the natural and spiritual, corruption and incorruption, I know not of any finite creature that is able truly to determine; and therefore I think it is not confiftent with charity, nor true wisdom, to differ about fuch things which exceed our comprehenfion. He allowed it to be better to let them alone. We parted very friendly, and friends were glad of the opportunity, he having the character of being a great fcholar and a wife man; but from all that paffed, they believed he gained no advantage: however he behaved well; and before we parted, I told him, I thought the greatest reason why some think us refined was this, That formerly people were fo prejudiced, that' whatever was printed or faid against us, our principles, practice, and doctrines, was generally received and believed, believed, though never fo much disguised or covered with fuch dreffes as might render us more odious, and were by many taken for the standard of our belief and practice; but of late the light hath more appeared, and many are grown better difpofed towards us, and like wife men, not willing to be impofed upon any longer, have fearched for themselves into the state of the controverfy between us and our oppofers; and our writings, upon perufal, appearing fo clear and different from what the books of those who opposed us charged upon us, caused many who read them with a good defign, and were willing to be fet right, to say, We were reformed, and not the people that we had been. The prieft faid, He thought there might be much owing to that I told him, It was undeniable, that there must be a great difference between our principles, doctrines, and converfations, truly stated and fet forth in their proper light, and when they were misreprefented, fometimes with all the art and implacable malice that men were capable of: and this has been the way our adversaries have treated us, almoft in every thing we have believed, faid, or writ, although it was very agreeable to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Teftament. We returned back to Salem, Lynn, and Boston, and vifited friends in our way, and at Rhode-Ifland, LongIfland, and New-York; and we had many good meetings and fome large in the Jerseys, where I had fome difcourfe with a juftice of the peace about Water Baptifm, Baptifm, but he did not hold it long before he gave up; and I had another at Allen's town with a Prefeyterian, which held for fome hours, about Water Baptifm, and concerning Election and Reprobation, and he alfo foon gave up as to the firft; but when he began about Election and Reprobation, I said, I thought it was the most pernicious doctrine that ever was broached in the world, it did fo oppose the very nature of God, and his defign of creating man, which, with all his other works, he pronounced good and blessed; and that man, as the crown and glory of all his works which he had created, fhould be defigned for the most miserable end, was unaccountable; I urged many Scriptures against that doctrine, as also the confufion they were in about it, as that of their Weftminster confeffion of faith, wherein they fay, That the decree is fo certain and definite, that one cannot be added to the number of the elect, or diminifhed from the number of the reprobate; and yet you tell us, That God has ordained the means to effect his ends: I then faid, this fuppofition of a decree for the means, as well as the end, feems intended to make the priests and their fervice neceffary; but yet if they cannot alter the decree, what benefit or advantage can there be to men by their services or performance? I hope none will think that a fervice to mankind, to ftrengthen or confirm that decree if it were in their power to do it, which I am satisfied it is not; because no fuch decree was made, or is in being; the oppofite appearing by plain scripture (which he owned when I urged urged it) to wit, that the fall of Adam did affect all; and upon the parity of reafon, the Coming of Chrift did reach as far; because, as in Adam all die, fo in Chrift fhall all be made alive; he tafted death for every man, was a propitiation for the fins of all; and where then wilt thou find a people that is not included? But if thou canst find in, and prove by plain fcripture, that there is fuch a people not included in thefe general affertions, that Chrift came to fave, fhew me who they are. Thefe and much more I urged against that doctrine, and he with many others appeared much fatisfied, and we parted friendly. He came next day feveral miles to a meeting which I had appointed; the man was counted a wife and fober man, and was under fome convincement, and behaved well. From thence we went to Pennsylvania, and had many good meetings in that part, and being clear and willing to return, I took leave of friends in a loving and tender frame of fpirit, and embarked on board a fhip, whereof Samuel Flower was mafter, the 1st of the third month 1733, at Philadelphia, and arrived at Bristol the 18th of the fourth month following, and was glad we got fafe to England, having been feven weeks in our paffage: I got home on the 6th of the fixth month, and was truly thankful to the Lord, who had preferved me in these long travels and labours of love, through many difficulties; but the Lord's Lord's power is fufficient to bear up and carry through all, renowned be his worthy name over all, now and for ever. Amen. A remarkable DELIVERANCE which happened to me, being omitted in its proper place, I think fit to infert here, which was as follows: it In the year 1718, and the twelfth month, whenJohn Dodgson was vifiting friends in our parts, he lodged with me, and I went with him and his brother-in-law Peter Buck, to be their guide to Whitby, and ftaid their first-day's meeting, and fecond-day's preparative meeting; and on the thirdday I went on with friends towards Scarborough, to have the better road home, there having fallen 'a great deal of fnow while we were at Whitby, so that was looked upon impracticable for me to return the fame way home that I came, it being a moorish bad way but in our way back, within a mile or little more from Scarborough, we came to a brook, which by reason of the exceffive rain and fnow was higher than ever I had feen it, fo that when we came to ridethrough it, Henry Levins, our guide, firft adventured in, being mounted upon a very ftrong large horse, and got over with fome difficulty, and I followed him but when I came about the middle of the fording place, it took my mare off her feet, and fomething |