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.
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.
[Page 3] 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 [Page 4] 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 [Page 5] 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 a Mittimus to send me to Prison, and in that time, my Companion, and Brother, John Braythwait, which was with me, was speaking without upon the staires: So they brought him also, and [Page 6] committed us both together to Prison, where we were a Month; and they would have had us to promise to have gone out of the Town, and not to have come again; our answer to them was, we could not yield to any such thing: and they were vexed, and grieved, and wished they had Whipped us, and let us go at the first; and so they released us, and let us go. In that time, there were many People convinced up and down thereaway; so the Lords work hath prospered, Blessed and Praised be his Name for evermore.
In Yarmouth, I was moved of the Lord to go through the Town, up and down in the streets, to proclaim the mighty terrible Day of the Lord God, that all might repent and fear him that made Heaven and Earth, and the Fountain of the great Deep; and a great Multitude of rude People did follow after me, and the mighty power of the Lord God was strong upon me, and the word of the Lord was sharper than a two edged Sword; and I turned my Face about to them, and fear smote them, that they ran away: And after a little time, one called an Officer, came and took hold upon me, and did lead me very gently; and I did declare to the People while he did lead me on, that I had a very good time to clear my self, and he brought me before the Magistrate, who ordered him to put me out of the Town; and when he had so done, I went by the Water side, and got a Boat, and came into the Town another way, and had a Meeting among Friends, and went away in Peace: And in several Towns, and Markets, I was moved to declare to People, of the mighty and terrible day of the Lord, that was appearing; and the Lords everlasting power that did move in me, to go to declare the Message of the Lord did preserve me and uphold me, and many times delivered me out of the hands of them that had an intent to have destroyed me. For in a Town that is called Lin, I was moved of the Lord to go through the Streets, to warn People to Repent and Turn to the Lord, and as I was going in the streets and declaring, they set a mighty Dog upon me, one of the greatest that ever I saw. And when the Dog came to me, he did fawn upon me: as he would do to his Master; and I laid my hand upon his back, so the power that Created all things bound the Dogs nature; and I received no harm by him. [Page 7] And as I was declaring, and going over a Bridge, a Company of wicked People combined themselves together, to throw me down into the Water; but the Lord God of my life, who sent me, and was with me, put it into the heart of an Officer that was there present, and prevented them; that I went on in the service that the Lord required of me, and cleared my self: and so came away in much peace. And thus it was with me in Olivers days, that I have gone through four or five Towns in a day, to warn People to Repent and turn to the Lord, that the Lord might be clear, and I might be clear of the Blood of all Men; So blessed be the Lord God who preserved me from the Mouth of the Dog. And sometimes Swords have been drawn against me, and Axes, that they cut wood withal, have been taken up to hew me in pieces, and that which they intended to do, they could not do; and thus by the mighty power of the Lord, I was preserved: Blessed and praised be his Name for evermore; and several who have heard my Voice, who have not seen my Face, have confessed since that a power did reach them, and they were convinced by the power, and brought into the Truth, by which I know my labour in the Lord hath not been in vain. And it was upon me to go through most part of Wales to declare the mighty, and terrible day of the Lord God of power; and in a Town called Clanzous, as I was so declaring, many People were attentive a pretty time, till the Constable came forth and stirred up the People, and Cryed out, Kill him, Kill him; and they did throw stones upon me that were so great, that I did admire they did not kill us; but so mighty was the power of the Lord, that they were as a Nut or a Bean to my thinking. The Constable himself took hold upon my Coat, with an intent to have pulled me down under his Feet; and my Coat did Rent: and he got the one half, and the other did hang about my Neck, and one that was with me, said, let us flee for our Lives; and it rose up in me, that I might fight the Lords Battle and not flee. And I turned again upon him in the dread of the Lord, you must give an account for this daies work; and one Man came with the half of my Coat, and desired me to take it again, for he was smitten inwardly, for that which they had done; and I put off the other part that was [Page 8] about my Neck, and left it with them, to be a Witness against them, and afterward they sowed it together, and sent it to a Friends House. I was moved of the Lord to go through Cardiff for a sign, I got up in the Morning, and went out of a Friends House, with my Coat upon me till I came into the Street, and when I came there, I let my Coat fall down, and so went naked up and down through the Streets; and this was the Message that the Lord put into my Mouth, to declare unto them, which was a Town of great Profession; Thus must you be stripped of all your Profession, that are not found in the Life of Righteousness: and I went through a Steeple-House where People were gathered to Worship, and the power and dread of the Lord God that was upon me, did so smite them, that I did not hear them say a word against me; and truly when I was Naked in the streets, the Burden was taken off me: that I said in my self, Oh, how easy am I now! it is good to obey the voice of the Lord; so in several places in Wales, did I declare the Message of the Lord, as formerly Mentioned. And in Windsor was I moved of the Lord God, to declare of the mighty and terrible day of the Lord God of Power; that is appearing against all the workers of iniquity, that they might turn and repent while they have space and time; and they were very wicked, and many stones with mire and dirt were thrown at us; and Isaac Peningtons Coat was much dirted with the throwing, but I passed to and fro in the streets twice, and received no harm: Blessed be the Lord God for evermore. In the time of the Committee of Safety after Olivers days, I was moved of the Lord to go to the Committee of Safety, to tell them the mind and will of the Lord, what he would have them to do: and when I came to the Door, the Door-keeper said, I should not come in there; and there was an Embassador come from a far Country, and he was admitted to come in, but the Lords Messenger they would not let come in, but shut the Door against me; and so it was in me from the Lord. You shut the Lords Messenger out of Door, and we will shut you out also: And so to clear my self, I was glad to go to them one by one as I could find them, to declare the Lords Message unto them, whether they would hear, or forbear; that is, if they would take away the Law by which Tythes was [Page 9] upheld, by which Law the People of God had suffered greatly, and make good their promise; the Lord would let them see a way by which they might go on and prosper, and if they did not, they should all be turned out, which came to pass in a little time afterwards. And the word of the Lord came to me, that I must go through the streets of London, and preach Repentance: and that the Lord God of power would overturn, and overturn, till it come to him whose right it is; and through that great City, the most part of it the Lord did carry me with his mighty power that I received no hurt; and as I came back again in Cheapside, the word of the Lord came unto me, that Nineve repented at the preaching of Jonah, and the Lord spared Nineve; and except London repent, God would destroy it. All these my Travels and Exercises with many more were in Olivers daies, and soon after: Also in those daies, as I was travelling in the South Parts, it was upon me to set a Paper upon the Door of the Steeple-house to bear a Testimony against the Priest, and I did so. And as I was going by a House, it was in me the Priest was in that House; and as I was gone a little past it, I said to my Brother John Braythwait, there is a Priest in that House, and I must return back again to speak to him; and I went to the Door and knocked, and the Man of the House came to the Door, and I said, Friend, wilt thou let me come into thy House, and he was willing to let me in; and I went up to the Chimney Corner, where I found the Priest sitting: and charged him in the Name of the Lord to give over deceiving the People for dishonest gain; the Man of the House was grieved and took me by the Shoulder and put me out, and I said, Friend, thou gavest me leave to come in; when I was in the Street, the power of the Lord was upon me, and I left my voice, and rung the Gospel Bell among them, and many People came; and so I bear my Testimony against the Priest, and directed People to their Teacher within. So in much peace and ease, I went on my journey; so to the Lord God, and to his power be the Glory, and Honour, and Praise, for ever whose right hand and power is known that brings mighty things to pass.
Jonathan Chapham a Priest in Norfolk, I was moved to go to bear Testimony against at his House, he came out of his Door [Page 10] and would not speak to me; and ser his Dog upon me: and his Dog would not bite me, and he turned in again as a Man grieved; and thus the Hireling fled like an Hireling.
As I was coming out of Wales in Shrowsbury, at the time the Monarchy Men rose at London, I was taken by the Souldiers and brought before Justices, who proferred me the Oath, and because I could not Swear contrary to the Command of Christ, they made a Mittimus and sent me and another Friend to Prison; and the Jayler being very wicked, put me and another Friend into a Dungeon, where they put Persons Condemned to die; and we could get nothing to lie on but a little Pease Straw; and there I remained ten weeks: But the Lord was very good to me, and other Friends that were in Prison at that time; for his presence did so fill our hearts, though it was a Noisome place, that I could truly say it is good being here: for the Lord is with us. And though they kept us very close, and would hardly let any come to see us, the word of the Lord came to me, thou shalt be delivered▪ out of this place, and go and declare my Name among the People, but thou must go into Prison again: and at the ten weeks end, before the releasement came for all Friends from the King, the Justice that did commit us, asked me, if I would promise never to take Arms up against the King? I said, I am a Witness of the Day that the Prophet spoke of; saying, They shall beat their Swords into Plow shares, and their Spears into Pruning hooks, and they shall learn War no more; for I have learned of Christ Jesus to do to all Men, as I would have them do to me. And he said, get as many into that mind as you can: And He, and his Wife, had a good Esteem for Friends, for she was there that time; and he had a desire to have a Quaker to be his Miller, and he got one: And when the Turn-Coat Justice would have sent Friends to Prison, he was very favourable to them, and would take their word to appear when they were sent for; He was one of them they call the Royalists, and one of the Deputy Lieutenants in Shropshire, his name was Thornes: And I travelled up and down in Staffordshire among Friends, as I was moved of the Lord, and then returned again towards Wales; and in Herefordshire, I had a Meeting at one Nicholas Dyers, where we had a Pretious Meeting; and the Power of the Lord and [Page 11] his Presence was much manifest with us; and a Priest dwelling near thereby, heard of our Meeting: and got a Lieutenant with his Souldiers to come and break up our Meeting; and they came in when I was at Prayer on my Knees to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, and commanded me to give over, and set a Pistol to my Breast: The Lord prevented them that it would not do that which they intended, and I continued in Prayer till they stopped my Mouth with a Pair of Gloves. So they haled us out, and carryed us to Hereford City before a Justice there; who made a Mittimus and sent twelve of us to Prison, where we remained twelve weeks till the Assizes; and the Goaler was very wicked at the first, and would not let us have the Priviledge of the House of Easement, and kept us close in a Cock-loft for a time: but he was exceedingly tormented and confessed he could have no Peace; and then he let us have liberty to walk in the Garden▪ and then his Son and Daughter were convinced, and he became very loving to me: 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 comm [...]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 [Page 12] 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.
[Page 13] 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;So he was seventy five Years Old when he wrote this. 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 [Page 14] Glory to him, and give over Worshipping the Beast, and Worship him that made Heaven and Earth, and the Fountains of the great Deep; So he Laboured in the Gospel of Christ Jesus 37 Years. 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 50l. In Cheshire for worshipping God. 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,
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 [Page 15] 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; Namptwhich in Cheshire.so with my Dear love to all my Dear Friends, to Dear John Elson and his wife, where I lay, I rest
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 [Page 17] 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.
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 [Page 18] Refreshed with him at that juncture of time, and he bore Testimony for the Truth a full hour or more on the first day before he departed, which was on the 4th day after; which is all from
NOw concerning our Dear Friend and Brother in the Lord Thomas Briggs, who travelled in the Service and Work of God above thirty years; and bore Witness both of Christs Sufferings, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension: and to the pure Religion that keeps from the Spots of the World, and to the Worship of God that Christ set up in the Spirit and Truth; and had a zeal for the living God against all Loosness, and Debauchery, and Deceit, and Hypocricy, and all unrighteousness, and Ungodliness, and Profaneness; and such as made a profession of God and Christ, and did not walk according to their Profession; and was zealous for a pure holy life against all Profaneness, in Professors, and Profane: and could not sow Pillows under the Arm-holes of Hypocricys, Apostates, Backsliders, Disemblers, and Flatterers, with their fair Speeches, that had got a form of Godliness, but denied the power thereof, for such to lie soft upon. But from such he always turned away, according to the Apostles Doctrine; and gave Gods Judgment upon them that such might not deceive the Simple, being an upright hearted Man for God and Christ, and his pure holy Truth; and sounded, and declared the pure holy day of Christ, in whose day no workers of the Night, nor Darkness, cometh without Repentance; and he preached Christ in his days in most Countrys in England, and Wales, and in Ireland, and in Bardados, and some of the Cariby Islands; and was faithful to the end in the service and work of Christ, and finished his service for the Lord in Cheshire, where he dyed in the Lord, and his works follow him. Being a Man of a Blameless life and Conversation, which preached to people as well as his Doctrine of Salvation; who turned many from the Darkness to the Light, and from the power of Satan to God. [Page 19] And likewise turned many from their vain Conversation to the Spirit of Grace that brought their Salvation, and so to serve God in newness of Life, and Spirit; and to walk in the new and living way Christ Jesus, in whom they have peace with God. He was a Man that went through great Sufferings, and Imprisonments, and Afflictions; Especially in the other Powers Days, and since▪ for I have seen the Butchers, and the Tanners set their Masty Dogs at him, when he bath declared to them the Truth of Christ at Salisbury in Suffolk; and the Lord chained up the Dogs Mouths that never a one fastened upon him; and the outward professors have been worse then the outward Dogs against him: But none of all these things could separate him from the Love of God which he had in Christ Jesus, who esteemed the reward of Righteousness in Christ Jesus his Crown of life above all, his Afflictions and Sufferings who loved the Lord Jesus Christ and his Son, and was valiant for his name and pretious truth upon the Earth; who laid down his head in peace, and is entered into Christ Jesus his everlasting rest▪ in whom he hath peace with God. And so blessed are they that die in the Lord as this Faithful Servant of the Lord hath done.
NOw as in Relation to Thomas Briggs deceased, before he was convinced of Gods blessed Truth, he was in the Notion of outward Profession amongst the Presbiterians and Independants without life and power; but after the Lord opened his understanding, he came to see the emptiness of it; and the Lord brought him very low, and bowed him by his power, and made him subject unto his will and mind: and he was obedient to the Lord as a Child unto a Father, and the Lord gave unto him his good Spirit to inable him in his service, and to clear his Conscience at Steeple-houses, and Market Places to them and all People: and then they rose up in great Rage against him, as the Jews did against Paul; he was a Man of [Page 20] Sorrows, and was in several Prisons and fastings often, yet he gave Bread to the Hungry, Milk unto the Babes, and stronger Meat to them that were of ripers years; he had still in the word and Doctrine of Christ Jesus, who made him a Minister of Righteousness, Peace, and Good Will: He was a man for Peace among his Brethren, a true Labourer in the work of the Lord, and did continue to the end steadfast in the Faith without wavering; and he rejoyced to see the increase of Labourers in the Vine-yard of the Lord, he brought up his Children to be good servants, who were not accused of Riot nor of ill Carriage; and when they grew to riper age, they marryed with equal Yoak fellows and partners in the Truth and grace of God, and he hath left them a blessing behind him, and a good example he was to them; and to the Flock and Family of God.
In life and Conversation, in Sufferings, and Afflictions, whom the Lord was with, and bore him up in all his Tryals, and now hath taken him unto himself, where no unclean thing can come, to rest from all his Labours and his works follow him, for a sweet savour hath he left behind him, as many can testify, who hath been refreshed and comforted by him: and a good report he had of them that were without; for his life was pure and harmless, and they are blessed that follow the Lord in Faithfulness and Truth as he did, to receive a Kingdom that is Eternal and never fades away, as the Lord in his Love hath made him partaker of.