Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/309

No. 98] down, (which some would have made a Judgment upon him;) but the Priest being a brisk nimble Man, kept upon his Back, and had no Harm, but rode hastily out of the Crowd, and went off.

Opposition this Priest and the others made, being for the most part confident and notoriously false Assertions and Charges, without any Proof, exposed him and themselves to the just Censure of the People, and rather confirmed them in the Truth of what we had delivered, than hurt the Cause of Truth ; which we, in some Measure of the Wisdom and Power of it, had defended against them. . ..

of those Opposers raised some fresh Cavils about Womens' Preaching ; which I having answered for the Sake of the Auditory, and he raising new Cavils about Matters of small Consequence, I rebuked him sharply as an unworthy, unruly Spirit, and neglected him.

having shown more Gentleness to several others, and answered them fully, all ended, with the Day, to the Honour of Truth, and our great Satisfaction.

next Day proving rainy, (as I said before) and several of us staying there most part of the Day till the Evening, we were divinely comforted together in the Love of ; in which we had many tender Seasons together, as at other Times and Places ; to the Praise of his great Name, who is  worthy for ever.

Friends who came with me, ''viz. Jacob Moral, Henry Dow and his Wife, Lydia Norton, Thomas Dow, and some others, departing, I went, at the Request of John Keeser'', (a young Man who had not been long convinced) with him to the Priest of that Town, (a most imbittered Enemy to the Way of Truth, and all that walk therein in this Dispensation) who had desired to speak with him about his dissenting from him and the common Presbyterian Way.

our first Entrance into the House, this Priest look'd very surly, haughty, and ill-natur'd, and, in an imperious Gesture, bid us sit down, which we did; and John Keeser told him, "He had heard he desired to speak with him, and was now come to know the Matter." Then he began and said, "John, I have had a-mind to speak with you a long Time, to know your Reasons for neglecting the publick Worship, and deserting me, who have Charge over you, to follow the Errors of the Quakers ; who deny Salvation by, and follow their Light within : But I could not meet with you, though I came to your House on purpose."

John Keeser replied, "I heard of it, and am now come to hear what thou hast to say." Then said the Priest, "You are a perverse Fellow;