obedient thereunto. Here he was an ordinance of strength to my soul, in the early days of my convincement; together with his dear and faithful friend, brother, and fellow-traveller, John Wilkinson, of Cumberland, formerly a very zealous and able Independent minister. And as I hope this piece of labour of our ancient friend and brother, will find acceptance every where among God's people, so I hope it will be more especially acceptable in the North, where he began, and had his early services; and in the West, where they were witnesses of his care to preserve good order in the church. Now, reader, before I take my leave of thee, let me advise thee to hold thy religion in the Spirit, whether thou prays, praisest, or ministers to others; go forth in the ability God giveth thee; presume not to awaken thy beloved before his time; be not thy own in thy performances, but the Lord's, and thou shalt not hold the Truth in unrighteousness, as too many do, but according to the oracle of God, that will never leave nor forsake them that will take counsel at it; which that all God's people may do, is, and hath long been the earnest desire, and fervent supplication of theirs, and thy faithful friend in the Lord Jesus Christ. London, the 23d of the W. PENN. CHRISTOPHER STORY'S TESTIMONY CONCERNING JOHN BANKS. WHEREAS the labours, travels, and exercises of our dear friend John Banks, were divers ways, and in divers places, both in doing, and in suffering for the name of the Lord, I shall here give a relation of some part of his travels, labours, and sufferings, where I was present with him in our parts, and elsewhere. The first time that I saw him was at a meeting at John Iveston's, of Jerishtown in Cumberland, in the latter end of the year 1672, or about the beginning of the year 1673, where there were many Friends and people. A good meeting it was, to the confirming of those that had lately received the truth, in the love of it; and to the convincing of others, of the right way of the Lord. The next meeting he had in our parts was at Edward Atkinson's of Masthorne, and nearer to some part of Scotland. A great meeting it was, to the convincing of many, that received the truth in the love of it, and lived and died in it. And others were so reached, that though they never took the profession of the truth upon them, yet often manifested their love to Truth, and Friends, to their dying day. So effectually was the love of God manifested in that meeting, that many tears were shed for joy that the gospel of glad tiding was so preached. And others, in a sense of godly sorrow for their mis-spent time. Several meetings he had time after time, nearer and nearer unto the borders of Scotland; and among the rest, he had a large meeting at Parkrigg; and in this time, several were convinced by him in those parts, and others being added, it is now become a settled meeting. And as he was serviceable amongst us in word and doctrine, very exemplary he was in life and conversation, so that I greatly loved him. And as he was serviceable in turning many from darkness to light, the fruits of his ministry appeared so he had a share in government, and the care of the churches was upon him, with many others, that they who professed the truth, might walk answerably in their lives and conversations. And, in the year 1679, our dear friend John Banks, going to the Yearly Meeting at London, for the county, and it being my lot to be his companion at that time, we met at Strickland in Westmoreland; and visiting some meetings in Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and so to London; a good service he had in most places, and abundance of comfort and satisfaction I had in his company. And now he, whom I esteemed above many others, was a loving and a nursing father to me. After we had staid the time of the Yearly Meeting, and he pretty clear of the meetings of the city, we went for Windsor to a meeting, and so to High Wycombe, Reading, Newbury, Marlborough, Calne, Chippenham, and most of the meetings in those parts. It was a time of deep exercise to many faithful brethren, who kept their habitations in the Truth; for in most meetings of this part of the nation, there was a rending dividing spirit crept into the church, that many were made to say, 'Alas, we know not what way to turn, or what will be the end,' &c. I am a witness, with many more, some of whom are yet alive, of the deep travail and exercise of spirit that he went under, from meeting to meeting, for the seed's sake, that the innocent might be preserved from hurts and wounds, and that the spirit of separation that would divide in Jacob, and scatter in Israel, might be fully manifested. And though his exercises were such night and day, that almost meat and sleep was taken from him, yet the Lord so strengthened him in his inward man, that he was wonderfully enabled and borne up in his spirit, to confirm and build up the righteous in that most holy faith, that works by love, and to proclaim woe and judgment upon that spirit that had led into separation. And though in several places, and from place to place, they that were most in the separation, followed him from meeting to meeting, and bent their bows against him, waiting for an advantage, yet the Lord was pleased, for the honour of his own name, by his power, to preserve him, that he came away to the church's comfort and edification, and to his own peace. After this, we came to Bristol, and found faithful Friends, under great exercise of spirit and mind, by reason of a contentious spirit that some there were gone into; we visited meetings thereabouts, and when our friend was clear, and his service over, we came pretty direct for Cumberland. And as the labours and travels of this our dear friend were great and many, for the Truth's sake, which he was called to bear witness to, so he was also valiant in suffering for it, as appeared in his imprisonment in Carlisle. And it being my lot, with others of our meeting, to be committed to prison at that time, for our peaceable meeting together to wait upon the Lord, and to worship Him in Spirit and in truth; where we found our dear friend John Banks, and Thomas Hall, separated from the rest of Friends, who were prisoners, and put into a dark place, called the citadel, among the felons, something like a dungeon, where they could not see to work in a dark day, without candle light; and |