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Show u. 7· 4· Leeuwarden. Wiewart. 'Ihe A v T H o R's L l f E. VoL. I. . Love which overconzet1J the World,. t~at n D_;.- t11e TVor!d to tl1ee. So m tbd l d b U tbit!Jtr tblft 1·eceive 1t mto tiJelr vine, and from Above, a~ -rhea et . b Tbu Companions, and aU tbe refl of Hearu, [take my Leave OJ . .,~. , ee, Wll J that City known tom, remmmng Ha<liogon, t~th •f rle Thy Faithful Friend, and the Lord':vDI!'- ?thM111u.&, 1677. Labourer, · • H I took Boat for Lr.euw~crJen, Next Morning about tht,Fdurt~• 'Ju';.,ith G. F. went with me. G. F. J. ClaiiJ who had been at re enc :J'tl t D d Amflerdam j. T. a~d T. R. with P. H. returned !hat ndyh~o~~rthse Meeting about Ten; At LeeuwatrJen we came about Nme, a g fc 1 being there (as in which we enjoyed with Peace and Refr7fhme~t, evera other Places) that were never aJ ~ M~eungfbec h-de~ur felves with Food, we The Meeting being done, an avmg re r~ f h F mily of the SoiiUr-took Waggon tor Witwrt: gle Manfionfi~~~h e i~ be~n~ ft~ong upon my Spirit dyku, where ].d~ ~aba res omp?nY reI five and as we were walkirg to give them a Vtht. We got thtther ybout M , of that Company who over a Field t.o the Ha~fe£ WJ met hap 0ft~~ a:d Anna Maria Scbu;mans. conducted us tn. I a!k.d or. von t c a ' eceived us very civilly: Ivon prefently came With hiS Co·Paftof,; t~ey. ~A M s objeaing her HoWever they feerned Illy of letting me pea w~t hem 'in ·Mind how unWeaknefs, Age, taking Phyfick, f:h. .But putung tb J de Labadre, their handfomely I was ufed at Berwerdcn Stx Years a~o, ·r{ him and his People,. i~~~~d ~~0~0~ht~l~~i ~~: fu~~a;t tt~~r~~~fe~~1;1c~~ptied, and we!lt in to let her know that fuch a Perfon defired to ~peak WH~ her, an1dq~ckly d defiring me to come in. But forefeemg my T1me wou t?O {h~~:nf~r' my Me!fage, the SuLn bdei~g near ~ttitngi ~~~~~d~i~imT~~a~nf~~ Miles of unknown Way to our o gtng, on 00 ' . h ' d"l would give me an Opportunity the next Morning, w_htch tF e.Y rdiy '~ac~~; r d · h So I took my Leave of them, who 10 a nen ~r~~ ~1~s·a tittle on our Way. That Night a Gre.ar Weig~t UJIZI upon 1111. t{;Ji~ ~;dn~ e~~dci:nt~~r: s~~~~~~~~n~ i"~~U"J;fv~"~ c;::is~:;;;o~:Oif amdng them, however, I fhould cleat my Confcience, and my eace ou reft wirh me. d ,. c 1 w'th me So The next Morning I returned to them, an J • • a ong 1 h · Hi foon as we came, we were brought into .A.M. S's. Chamber,; w ere a o \vas with her, One of the Three Somerdykes. . • y fA This .A. JH. S. afofefaid, is an .Ancient Mard, above Stxty . ears o ~ of great Note and Fame for Learning, in Languages and PhtlJf1phf,y, ab· hath obtained a confiderable Place among the moft Learned en a t '1 ..A e. The Somerdyk.u are Daughters to a Noble.man of the Hague, eoplc 0~ rear Breeding and Inheritances. Thefe, wtth feveral ~ther ~erfons, bei~g affected with the Zealous Declamation of J. de Labadre, agamft the dead and formal Churches of the World, and awakened to feek after a more S iritual Fellowfhip and Society, feparated themfelves from the common C~lvinijl Churches, and followed him 1t1 the Way of a Refinrd Independency: They are a ferious, plain Peop~e, and :u~ come nearer .t<? Fnen_ds, 35 ~~ Silence in Meetings, Women·Spea!ung, Prea.cbmg by t1Jc Sptrtt, Plamnefs • Garb and F11rnrt11re in rheir Houfes. Wtth thefe Two we had the Com1 any' of the Two Paflors, and a DoCl:or of.PfJy}ic~. After fome Silence, p ropofCd this Queftion to them: What wat 1t that md11ccd them to feparalj ]rom tbe Common Way they formerly lived in? I defircd them t~at they f1.!~11;. be pleafed to be p!trin tmd open with "!e! m t~ t_he Gro~t_nd oftbetr SeparatJO ' for I came 11ot to Cavil, but in a Chriflzan Spmt to be _mjormed. b d"ls Upon this Ivon the Chief Paftor, gave us the Hdl:ory of ]. de La a 1 d Education ; how he was bred among the ]ifuiu, a~d deferted. the_m, a;,. embraced the Protej/ant Religion; and finally, of hlS Greor Dijfowfa!ith • VoL. I. The AuTHdli's LIFE. with the Proteflt111t Churchu of France. and that if God Would not give · i67]. them a Purer Church, they Three would fit down by themfflto., refolving ~_, never more;: to mix themfelves among the Babylonijh Affemblies of the World. Adding feveral folemn Appeals concerning the Simplicity and Integrity of their Hearts in thefe Things. /von having done, A. M.S. began in this Manner: I find my feif cohflrained ~o add a fhort Teflimony. She told 111 of her former Life, of her P!eaj11re tn Learntng, and her Love to the Rebgion fbe Wal bro11ght up in; but con~ee d jhe _knew Rot GOD or CHRIST tr11ly aU thr~t Whit~. .!lnd though rom a Cht!d God had vijired her or Times, yet jhe never ft!t J11cb a Power ul Stroke, tU by the Mi11if/ry of J. de Labadie. She Jaw her Learning ro he Vanity, and her Religion li!te a Body of Death: She refo!ved to defpife the Shame, defert her former Way of Living and .Acquaintance, add to join berfe!f witb this Little Family, that wm retired 011t of rhe World, among whom jhe dejired to be /o11nd a Living Sacrifice, offer'd up entirely to the Lord. She fpoke in a very Serious and Broken Senfe, not without Some Trembling. Thefe are but rbon Hints of what fhe faid. After lhe had done, One of the Somerdykes began, in a very reverent and weighty Frame ofMind, and in a Senfe that very well fuited her Contempt of the World: She told us how often rbe had mourned from her Young Years, becaufe the did not know the Lord as f'he defired, often faying wirhin her felf, if God would make known to me Hi.r Way, I would rra111ple upon · aU the Pride and Glory of the World. She earneftly e;rpreft the frequent An· guiih of Spirit fhe had becaufe of the Deadnefs and Formality of the Chri- • fiians fhe was bred among, fayi_n_B: to her felf, 0 the Pride, 0 the Luflr, 0 · the Vain PleafJJrtr in which Chrijtianr Live ! Can tbi.r be the Way ro Heaven ? Is this the Way to Glory? .Are tbife ·FoYOUJtrr of Chrifi? 0 }lti! 0 God Whc,., i.r Tby Little Flock? Where is Thy Little Family that wiU Live inrirelj to Thee, that will foUorv Thee? Make me One of that N11mhcr, .And when rhe Scrva_nt of t he Lor~, J. de LJbldle came into Holland, J, amon_s others, bad a C11rrojity ro_ h~ar btm; and among {evera/ others war deeply ajjelled hy bim. He fpoke the very Thoughts of my Heart: Mt~hougbt my Heart wa1 pricMd when I beard him; nltd I rifo/ved hy the Grace of God, to abandon aU tb~ Glory and Pride of this World, to be One of thofe that jhould {et down with him ilf a Separation from the Vain and Dead R!or.fo.ips uf rbir World. I count my f elf H1ppy that I ever met with him, and t befe Pafiors, who Jeck I!Ot them} elver, hut the Lo.t~ : . .A'!d we fire a Fanii!y tbar live together in Love, of One Soul and One Spmr, mrrre!y g1ven up ro ferve th1 Lord; and thit i.r the Greatejl Joy in the World. After her du Lignon, the other Pallor, gave us alfo an Account of bis Irt4 ducement ro embrace .J. de Labadie, but not fa lively: Afrer him the Do(! or •f Phyjick, that had been bred for a Priefr, (but voluntarily refufed. that .Calling) expreft himfelf after this Manner: 1 call aifo hear my Te/hmony m the Preftnce of God, that tbtl I lived in a.r much R. eputarion at rbe Univerfity, m ant of my CoDeag11tr or Ompaniont, and wo pcOreputed for Sobriety and Honejfy, yet lnever,e/r fuch a Living Senfe of God, tU when I benrd the Servont of rbe Lor J. de Labadie: Adding, Tht .fir/l Day I heard him, I Wal fo flruck and ajfelled, that 1 can triiiJ fay, through the good Grace of God, and the Condu[f of rhe Holy Spirit, it wq.~ ro me tU the Day of my ~al_vation ; ~e did .fo LivJngly ttJucb my Heart wirh a &.,Ye of the True Cbriflran Worjhrp: Vfon wh1ch 1 forfook the Univeljiry, nnd refolved to he one of this Fftf!li/y; and this I can fay in the Fear of t!lr Lord. P. !von concludeth, This is what we have to fay CO!Uern;ng the TVorR of God amongft 11.1. 1 All this while I minded not fo much their Words, as I felr and had Unity with a Meafure of Divine Senfe that was upon them. Cerrainly the Lord bath been amongft them J yea, I had a Uving Senfe in my Heart· that fame~ what of the Breath of Life had breathed upon them J and though they Wer~ In great Mixtures, yet that God's Love was towards them. * N 2 After |
