t
they should have been sent there at that juncture. His forefathers, he
said, had been settled there many years, and had hitherto enjoyed liberty
of conscience; but now he feared they were about to be deprived of that
privilege. Before the Friends left Berlenburg, he called at their inn with
several more of his society; he appeared to be a truly pious man, and
looked, they say, exactly like a _good old Friend_. He declared
himself to be fully convinced of the value of silent worship, but said
that their people in general were not prepared to adopt it; however they
rejected outward baptism, and the use of the bread and wine, and refused
to bear arms. He had been many times summoned before the magistrates to be
examined upon his religious belief. On one of these occasions the Landrath
asked why he did not take the bread and wine, and why he did not have his
children baptised. He answered that if he was to conform to these
ceremonies it would be as though he had received a sealed letter in which
nothing was written. He and his people were solicitous with the Friends to
have a meeting with them; but the minds of John Yeardley and his
companions were pre-occupied with a desire first to see the New
Separatists, who were then under persecution, and they did not think it
proper to accede to the request.

In reply to a message which they sent to some of the new society, they
received, through a young woman (for the men were afraid to come to the
inn), a pressing invitation to visit some of them who lived in a retired
spot called Schellershammer, not far distant. They immediately accepted
the invitation. The road, which was impassable for a carriage, was covered
with mud and water. They were received into a very humble dwelling by a
pious young man and his family, with whom also they found some of the New
Separatists from Schwartzenau. On. sitting down with this company the
restraining presence of the Lord was felt, under which they remained for
some time in silence. Then the poor people opened to them their situation
with humility and freedom. The young man above-mentioned had just drawn up
a statement of their religious principles, which had been sent to the
authorities. This statement he showed to the Friends, as also a letter to
the King of Prussia, which had been prepared by one of their ministers,
but which, from its lofty assumption of prophetic authority, they could
not approve. These people called their ministers, _Instr