ing of their people, and a quarterly lecture in that place next day to the inhabitants of seven townships, and all their ministers. We took notice of it, and it appeared to be right for us to attend this meeting, which we accordingly did, and had an opportunity, though not without difficulty, of speaking something to the people after the minister had concluded his sermon. But not being easy, we went in the afternoon to a house in the town where the ministers were met, and being received courteously, we sat down and soon entered into conversation with them on several subjects.

In the conclusion of our discourse, addressing myself more particularly to the people present, I told them: "That by using infant baptism, they were only in the practice of a relick of popery, instead of an ordinance of Christ: for the antichristian church of Rome, imagining children to have original sin, and that something should be done to clear them of it, they thought upon water baptism as the effectual means, which accordingly they administered: but afterwards they declined baptism and substituted sprinkling, first to sick or weakly children, and by degrees to children in general. And to their new invention, they added several superstitious and ridiculous actions and ceremonies they appointed godfathers and god

mothers; the priest breathes in the child's face, signs him on the breast and forehead with the sign of the cross, but without any remaining mark, puts salt in bis mouth, and spittle upon his ears and nostrils, and asks him, (though he understands nothing.) if he will renounce the devil and all his pomps; anoints him with oil on the head, shoulders, and breast; and gives him a white chrysom, and puts a hallowed candle in his hand.

"And the effects they ascribe to all this are, first, it makes the subjects thereof children of God, and remits both original and actual sin. Secondly, it infuseth justifying grace into the soul, with habits of faith, hope, and charity, and all supernatural gifts and virtues. Thirdly, it makes a spiritual mark or character in the soul, which shall remain for ever, either to their great joy in heaven or confusion in hell. But when the Lutherans and Episcopalians in England reformed from Rome, they laid aside the superstitious part, except godfathers, godmothers, and the sign of the cross on the forehead, which they still retain; and ascribe the like effects to their act of sprinkling. And when your predecessors, the Presbyterians and Independents in England, reformed and dissented from them, they rejected the sign of the cross, godfathers, godmothers, and forms of prayer used by the

Church of England, as popery and superstition : but their eyes being but once touched, they saw men as trees: not perceiving that sprinkling of infants is popery, an antichristian invention as well as the other; which remaining unreformed by your first reformers, hath passed unto you of this present age by tradition, still unreformed."

After some further close conversation, the invisible power of the Divine everlasting Truth of God being over all, we took them kindly by the hands, and they us, with mutual good wishes on both sides; and so we parted with them in friendship, and in great peace in the Lord; to whom be the honour now and for

ever.

Section VFF.

Continuation of his religious visit in America from the fifth month, 1699.—Christ dwelling in his people.—The gentiles doing by nature the things contained in the law.—Their Instructor the Spirit of Christ.—New England law for a forced maintenance of preachers.-Yellow fever in Philadelphia.

We went from Fairfield by Milford to Newhaven, where alighting for refreshment, I had a concern to pray before we ate; which several persons in the house took notice of, to the advantage of our profession; they, as many others, having been misinformed, that we never prayed or gave thanks on such occasions. After using endeavours to have a meeting in this place, but without success, the magistrate not favouring it, we proceeded on our journey to Rhode Island and Boston; near which, on a green, we observed a pair of gallows; and being told that was the place where several of our Friends had suffered death for the Truth, and had been there thrown into a hole, we rode a little out of the way to see it; and as we sat on horseback by the pit, we were drawn into right silence, by the awful yet life-giving presence of the Lord; which there graciously visited us together, and

raised our minds, though in deep humility, over that evil spirit which murdered our Friends.

From Boston we went to Lynn, Salem, and Hampton; here we had a meeting among a considerable number of young convinced Friends, who had embraced the Truth, for the most part by the Gospel ministry of Jonathan Taylor, who had been in those parts some time before us; and the Lord gave us a comfortable season among them and others there assembled. Next day we went to Dover, and from thence to Salisbury and Salem, returning to Hampton, and had a pretty large meeting; the sum of my testimony being against that "drowsy, lukewarm, indifferent spirit, which had overtaken some; with an exhortation to the old convinced, not to rest in that condition, lest they might lose their crowns and become stumbling blocks in the way of the weak then under convincement: and to the young, that they should mind the Lord alone; and that if they should espy any thing amiss in any one, who had for a long or short time professed the Truth, either in conversation or in meetings; whether in the vanity of one or indifference of the other; or in coming to meeting, or negligence when in them, they should not look out at the failings of others, but to the Lord for help; to whom we must all