AN ACCOUNT OF SOME OF THE TRAUELS AND SUFFERINGS Of that Faithful Servant of the Lord Thomas Briggs And also several Testimonies concerning his Faithfulness to the LORD and Diligence in his Service till DEATH Revel 14. 13. Blessed are the Dead that die in the Lord that they may rest from their Labours and their Works follow them Printed in the Year 1685. An Account of some of the Travels and Sufferings of that Faithful Servant of the Lord Thomas Briggs IN my Youth and tender Years I sought after the Lord God of my Life with Weeping and Crying after him that I might know the way to everlasting Peace and Salvation and run up and down among those People called Ministers twenty years together in a Profession that was called Puritans who were the Ministers that were then called Puritans But they never could direct me to my teacher within which was the cause of my wanting Peace and Satisfaction to my immortal Soul and I went under many heavy Burdens because of my sin and iniquity that separated me from the God of my Life And in an acceptable time it pleased the Lord God to send his dear Servant George Fox into the North Country who was a Messenger of the everlasting Gospel of Peace and did direct me and others to the true light of Jesus Christ that doth lighten every Man that cometh into the World And I with many more did believe his Message and received and joined to the Light and in that which shined in a dark place I believed and waited And the mighty power of the Lord God did appear and was manifested in me and did shake terribly the Earthly part that was above the Seed in which I held the profession of God and Christ but did not know him and in that power of God that did shake the Earthly part the Lord God did give me faith to believe And so the judgments of the Lord God I felt to be come in me And I waited in the way of his Judgments in Patience on the Lord God and his power had brought down that which was for Judgement and the door of Mercy was opened and my understanding by the Light of Christ was opened and I saw all the Teachers of the World that were not sent of God that they were in the Scribes and Pharisees way And I was moved to bear a Testimony against them all and to go to Steeple Houses and to cry against them and to exhort People to turn from them to the true Light of Christ Jesus and to hearken to the Light of Christ within them that they might know the Lord to be their Teacher And I was commanded of the Lord to go from my House and dwelling Place to Manchester to Preach repentance to that Town that was high in Profession The Lords power and presence did wonderfully accompany me and these were the sum of the Words that I was moved to speak through the Town Repent Repent for the mighty terrible day of the Lord God of power is appearing wherein no worker of iniquity shall stand before him who is of a purer eye than to behold iniquity for he wills not the death of a Sinner and if ye repent and turn to him he will abundantly Pardon And this Message the Lord God did lay upon me to go through many Towns and Cities in England through Preston in Lancashire and Gaerstang and through many Villages and Places up and down thereaway the Lord God required me to go through Cambridge streets with the same Message among the Scholars that they might repent and turn to the Lord and also this was my message to them The Lord God was never known by all the Learning that is got at Cambridge and Oxford In Manchester I was moved to go to the Steeple-house to declare against the Priest and they haled me out and put me in a Dungeon on the top of their Bridge and when I was put into that hole the Lords power and presence did so fill my heart that I Sung for joy to the admiration of those that put me in And on the Morrow they brought me out before a Man called a Justice and he said I must go out of the Town I told him I had been without Victuals all that Night and a Piece of the other day and I had done nothing worthy of being thrust out of the Town and I told him that I was one that believed in the name of Jesus Christ and it were better for him that a Milstone were hanged about his Neck and that he were cast into the Sea then that he should offend one of the Little ones that believed in his Name He said if he knew that I were such a one he would not offend me for all the World the Lords blessed power and presence was with me and some of his Servants were convinced But to please the People he sent a Man with me and put me out of the Town over the Bridge and so left me and I followed him into the Town again and got a deal of Friends that were convinced to settle a Meeting in that Town And in Warrington in Lancashire I was moved to go to the Steeple-house with another Friend and the Friend spoke a few words after the Priest had done and his People fell upon us violently and many blows they laid upon us with all their strength but that the Lords power did support us we had been destroyed by them for many weighty blows they laid upon my head and I lost my hat and went above a mile bare headed to a meeting of Friends and this was the fruits of a Priest that was called an Independant who since the King came in is turned out of that Place And as I was going in my journey in Cheshire I was moved to speak to a Priest and he was full of Wrath and Indignation against me and one of his Hearers came behind me and with a mighty blow upon my Head he fell'd me down to the Ground and I got up again and I turned unto him my Face and gave it to the Smiter and he Smote me upon the Teeth that I gusht out and Bled exceedingly Then some People standing by cryed exceedingly against him and they were ashamed and fled away After some little time the Man that Smote me fell Sick and Dyed and upon his Death-Bed said Oh that I had not Smiten the Quaker And in Salisbury in Wiltshire I was moved to declare the terrible Day the mighty Day of the Lord God of Power and was carried on by his mighty Power to clear that which was upon me that they might Repent and turn to the Lord. And when I was got through most part of the Town an Officer came and took hold upon me and brought me before many called Justices who profered me the Oath and accused me to be a Jesuit and I said I could not Swear because Christ had commanded not to Swear at all so they made
For he found case in being so to me and said when I was released he would ask no fees And at the Assizes we were called before the Judge and the Power and Presence of the Lord was so with us that when the Judge examined us many times he would turn his Face another way and he set all Friends at Liberty but me and there I remained three weeks and I wrote to the Justice that did commit me to Prison for by him I was commâ—ted and I laid it upon him to release me and at the three weeks end he sent for me and I met him in the Street as I was going to his House and he looked cheerfully on me and I am perswaded the Lord did plead my cause with him and he demanded of me that if I would promise to come again at the Assizes I should have my Liberty And I said if I had my Health and Liberty I should appear again at the Assizes When the Assizes came I did appear and sent to him that I was come to answer what was laid against me he sent me word again there was nothing laid against me I might go which way I would so I went to the Goaler and he desired me that if I came into that Town I would call upon him and see him for he had a love for me and after that time the Goaler was very loving to Friends who had been very wicked before Blessed be the Lord God of Heaven and Earth for evermore who by his blessed power has made our Enemies become our Friends I with John Moon appointed a Meeting in Wiltshire near to the Vizes where many Friends and People of the World came to our Meeting and two Justices of Peace hearing of it came to our Meeting and broke it up and took the names of most part of Friends that were there and let them all go but John Moon and me and three other Friends and they took us to a House by our selves and examined us The one of the Justices was a Royalist and the other a Turn-Coat a deceitful Man they made a Mittimus to send us to the House of Correction for three Months and when they had done we who were Committed were filled with the Power and Presence of the Lord exceedingly and I said to the Justices Friends I am one that believes in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and better it were for you that a Milstone were hanged about your Neck and you be cast into the Sea than to offend one of the little ones that believe in his Name And so we went to the House of Correction and the Man that was the Master of it in a little time became exceeding loving and we had very many pretious Meetings while we were there and many Friends came to visit us And in that time the Justice that had been a Turn-Coat being a Parliament Man went up to London and as he returned home again he Dyed I never saw his Face more We did understand by their Speeches when they examined us that they did intend to profer us the Oath at the three Months end and so to continue us Prisoners but the Lord prevented them and so the keeper of the Prison according to the command of the Justices when the three Months were up sent to know what he should do with us the Man that was a Steward to that great Man who was a Royalist perswaded him to let us go for we were honest Men and through the mercy and goodness of the Lord their snare was broken and we were delivered Blessed be the Name the Lord God for evermore And since that time I have travelled and laboured in the Gospel of Jesus Christ in many parts of England and thrice through the most part of Ireland where I have found the blessed presence of the Lord to go along with me and have had a good service for the Lord. And also I went to the West Indies to Barbados with George Fox and other Friends and the power and presence of the Lord was largely manifest with us and over us and many were wonderfully refreshed and comforted and many turned from the Darkness to the Light and from the power of Satan to Christ And I and William Edmundson went down to Anlego where we had several pretious Meetings and many believed and received our Testimony with gladness of heart we also went down to Mevis to visit Friends in that Island and when we came there an Old Persecutor called Wheeler sent eight Souldiers aboard the Vessel to stop us from coming on Shore for many Friends of that place came to visit us and were refreshed abundantly though he was wicked to hinder us to come a shore to see Friends So we returned again to Anlego and had some Meetings there and then returned again to Barbades And I being long upon the Sea was very weak and few Friends did expect that I should live I was giving up freely to stand in the will of God for Life or Death and as I was waiting on the Lord one Morning in my Bed to know his Mind and Will the word of the Lord came to me and broke my heart in great tenderness and said to me lie low before me thou shalt not die in this Island but return to thine own Nation and there thou shalt lay down thy Head in Peace And thus the Lord hath dealt Mercifully and Bountifully with me in all my Travels and Labours in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus his power and presence hath attended and been with me Blessed and Praised and Magnified be his holy Name for evermore Amen IN the forty third year of my Age I was convinced and in the Year of our Lord God 1653. I was drawn out to go from my dwelling Place to declare the everlasting Gospel in most parts of this Nation and these were the words given unto me that John spoke in the Revelations saying The Angel flying in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach again saying fear God and give Glory to him and give over Worshipping the Beast and Worship him that made Heaven and Earth and the Fountains of the great Deep for the hour of his Judgment is come and coming upon all false ways and worship for God who is a Spirit will be worshipped in the Spirit and the Truth and such he hath sought and is seeking to worship him And this is that worship that will stand with Christ Jesus set up Sixteen hundred years ago when he reasoned with the Woman of Samaria saying Neither at this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem will the Father be Worshipped but true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth and in the power of the Lord was I carried on to declare the Truth through this Nation and other parts who preserved me and kept me in all my Travels by his mighty power to him be Glory Honour and Praise for ever and for evermore Amen
My House hath been fined five times by John Daniel called Justice upon the account of the Conventicle Act and goods taken to the value of 50 l. All the rest of my Sufferings are recorded among other Friends both Imprisonments for Tythe c. as may be seen in other Books not here inserted Thomas Briggs George Fox the 8 th of 7 th Month 1684. Dear Friend I Received a few lines from thee and I was very glad to hear from thee for in the remembrance of thee my heart hath often been refreshed and made glad when I called to remembrance those blessed opportunities and heavenly fellowship that we have had together in the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which can never be forgotten But remains as a Nail in a sure place Dear Friend though I have not written to thee yet thou hast often been fresh in my remembrance and many a time hath my Soul been sweetly refreshed in the remembrance of thee Oh blessed be the name of the Lord for ever that hath quickened us together for it was the blessed power of the Lord that quickened my Soul when I lay in Death which I believed in and by which I came to live and I have cause for ever to praise the Lord who sent thee to awaken me out of Adams Grave to hear the voice of his own Son in whom he is well pleased whose voice shoke terribly the Earth and caused the Keepers of the House to tremble and the graves Mouth was opened and the Dead came to hear the voice of the Son of God and believed in him and was made to confess at that time This is the power of that endless life that healed all manner of sickness and diseases so with the heart of Man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth confession is made unto Salvation this was that joyful day indeed of the Lord God which is never to be forgotten by me but to be had in everlasting Remembrance Praise thou the Lord O my Soul and all that is within praise and Magnify his holy Name and power for evermore Amen Amen faith my Soul So dear George in the blessed truth of God my dear love is to thee and I take my leave of thee not knowing that ever I shall see thy face more for I am grown Old and very weak not able to go nor ride not two Miles from my Daughters where I live near Namptwhich so with my Dear love to all my Dear Friends to Dear John Elson and his wife where I lay I rest thy loving Friend and Brother in the Truth Thomas Briggs UPon the 18th of the third Month 1685. A deep Consideration being upon my mind Concerning my late Father Thomas Briggs it sprung up in my heart on this wise Blessed be that Instrument of life by which my Father was convinced let his name shine for ever It was dear G. F. whom the Lord made instrumental in that blessed work of whose Ministry and Apostleship my deceased Father was a seal of whom it lives in my heart thus to say He was a Man of great Exercises in his days which he patiently went thorow he was brought forth in a time when much roughness and cruelty by the men of this World used against the Lords People a great share of it he met withal of which I am a witness for his servant in the beginning lying pretty much to the Steeple-house and Market-place the abuses he suffered were very great and too many to instance yet two particular things of which I was an eye witness are fresh in me to utter forth viz. One time being at a Steeple-house he suffered great abuses after which a Man took hold of a handful of the hair of his Head and having bound him did smite his head against a stone till the hair came off in his hand which my Father bore patiently and when the Man threw the handful of hair upon the ground my Father took it up in his hand and mildly said One hairs of my head shall not fall without my Fathers providence another time standing upon the uppermost step of Lancaster Cross publishing the truth to the People he was violently thrown down to the bottom and many exercises of the like nature he met withall in all which he was as one that gave his back to the Smiter and turned not his Face away from such as pulled off the hair He was a tender Father to me and the worst of his Children an instrument in Gods hand by whom we were convinced his wise circumspect walking was that which first reached me and with much tenderness and care watchings and many several breathings to the Lord for us he brought us up in the fear of God and we are sealers of his Ministry both as to Doctrin and God and he hath many sealers of his Apostleship and Ministry and this Testimony lives in my heart for him he was Father in all his House and Family he kept his integrity to the end and was frequent in exhortation to us his Children to love truth and live up to it the benefit of which exhortation we now receive Blessed be the Name of the Lord. The sence of this Godly care rests upon me to whom in a day of great exercises he was a true Prophet surely although he be removed and taken out of the World being gone to the Father to partake of endless Glory and everlasting joy all Sorrows being ended and tears wiped away and we have the want of him here and suffer the loss of such benefits as we had whilst conversant here together received by him as an instrument in Gods hand yet his life is with us and among us his memorial lives and shall never dye and since it hath pleased God to take him to himself in his good pleasure I do acquiesce in God being comforted believing and being satisfied that if I keep my integrity and be faithful to the end as he was I shall in the Lords time go to him and receive a crown of life with him which God of his infinite love grant to me and to his whole Israel Amen Sanky the 2d of the 2d Month 1685. Deborah Barrow Loving Friend John Hall The 2d of the 9th Month 1685. AS concerning our dear Friend Thomas Briggs he did powerfully declare in our Meeting on the first day and was as large in his Testimony as I had heard him for some time and I really believe it was very well with him only he confessed he was weak and said to his Daughter and others Be not afraid I am not so Ill as you think I am he was not well on the third day and departed on the fourth day after and went away like a Lamb. He powerfully Preached the word of God on the first day before which my Spirit had Unity with Exhorting Eriends to be faithful to God he was a faithful Man and my Soul was Refreshed with him at that juncture