{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_75559/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_75559","id":"gutenberg_75559","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/75559","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Biographies","Category: History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Fox, George, 1624-1691"],"text":"------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n                          Transcriber\u2019s Note:\n\nThis version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects.\nItalics are delimited with the \u2018_\u2019 character as _italic_.\n\nFootnotes have been moved to follow the paragraphs in which they are\nreferenced.\n\nMinor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please\nsee the transcriber\u2019s note at the end of this text for details regarding\nthe handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation.\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\n\n\n                       THE JOURNAL OF GEORGE FOX.\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n                             EIGHTH EDITION\n\n                                 OF THE\n\n                         JOURNAL OF GEORGE FOX.\n\n                         TWO VOLUMES, 5/- NET.\n\n        With Map, recently prepared to accompany same, 6/6 net.\n                 The Map separately, in case, 2/6 net.\n\n                                -------\n\n\u201cHis life well repays study. It is a rich mine, and every page of it\nseems to be solid gold. Books now-a-days are spun out, and you get\nlittle after reading much; but _The Journal of George Fox_ contains\ningots of gold\u2014things to be thought on and that will have to be thought\non month by month before you get at the bottom of them.\u201d\u2014CHARLES HADDON\nSPURGEON.\n\n                                -------\n\n                  LONDON: FRIENDS\u2019 TRACT ASSOCIATION.\n\n        Sold by HEADLEY BROTHERS, 14, Bishopsgate Without, E.C.\n\n\n                              THE JOURNAL\n\n                                   OF\n\n                              GEORGE FOX;\n\n                                BEING AN\n\n                           HISTORICAL ACCOUNT\n\n                                   OF\n\n                   HIS LIFE, TRAVELS, SUFFERINGS, AND\n                         CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCES.\n\n\n                            IN TWO VOLUMES.\n                                VOL. I.\n\n\n                                -------\n\n\n _THE EIGHTH (Bi-Centenary) EDITION, reprinted from stereotype plates,\n                  with revised and enlarged indexes._\n\n\n                                -------\n\n\n                                LONDON:\n                  =Friends\u2019 Tract Association;=\n                                SOLD BY\n                           HEADLEY BROTHERS,\n                  14, BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHOUT, E.C.\n                                 1901.\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\n\n\n                           HEADLEY BROTHERS,\n\n                               PRINTERS,\n\n                     LONDON; AND AT ASHFORD, KENT.\n\n\n\n\n                         NOTICE TO THE READER.\n\n                                -------\n\nThe present issue of _The Journal of George Fox_ has been printed from\nthe stereotype plates of the Eighth (Bi-Centenary) Edition, slightly\ncorrected, and has been furnished with additional particulars of\nprevious editions of _The Journal_ (see pp. 541-544) and with greatly\nenlarged Indexes.\n\nTo accompany this issue, a map has been prepared to show the places\nmentioned in _The Journal_, the spelling of the names being mostly taken\nfrom the First Edition. This work has necessitated a considerable amount\nof research and enquiry in order to identify some of the more obscure\nlocalities referred to by George Fox. It is hardly to be expected that\nthe positions of all these, after this lapse of time, will accord with\nthe judgment of all readers, but it is hoped that the map may promote\nthe intelligent perusal of these volumes.\n\n_The Journal_ may be obtained with or without the map (see advertisement\non page ii.).\n\n                                          NORMAN PENNEY,\n                                 _Hon. Sec. Friends\u2019 Tract Association_.\n\nLONDON, 1901.\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\n\n\n                              INTRODUCTION\n\n                         TO THE EIGHTH EDITION.\n\n\nThe following Eighth Edition of _The Journal of George Fox_, taken from\nthe Seventh Edition, as prepared by the late Wilson Armistead, of Leeds,\nhas been carefully read and collated with the original or First Edition\nof that Work. And the reader can be confidently assured, making due\nallowance for the translation or omission of a few obsolete expressions,\nthat the Work is now, in truth and substance, _the same_ as when it was\nfirst printed. A large number of corrections in the spelling of names,\nand of other chiefly clerical errors, have also been made, bringing all\ndown, so far as practicable, into harmony with the usage of the present\ndate in these respects.\n\n                                                     DANIEL PICKARD.\n\nLEEDS, 1891.\n\n\n\n\n                              INTRODUCTION\n\n                        TO THE SEVENTH EDITION.\n\n\n                                -------\n\n\nThe present re-issue of the _Journal of George Fox_ has, in a great\nmeasure, resulted from the concern of a Friend lately deceased, who was\nactively engaged in the last edition, and who provided a handsome sum\ntowards the further republication of this valuable Testimony to the\nTruth.\n\nAssisted by the above bequest, and prompted by the encouragement of many\nFriends, the Editor of this Seventh Edition of the Journal has\nendeavoured to increase the usefulness by issuing it in a manner\nconsiderably more adapted, than heretofore, for general usefulness, and\ncalculated, he hopes, to insure a still more extended circulation.\n\nIn printing from the last edition (which was collated with the first and\nthird) some further slight improvements in the style have been made, and\nredundancies omitted, with an occasional transposition in the\nconstruction of a sentence, or the omission or insertion of a word to\nimpart clearness to the sense of the author, care being taken in every\ninstance not in the least to misrepresent his meaning. In addition to\nthis, the work has now, for the first time, been divided into chapters;\na general table of contents has been supplied; and a considerable number\nof Notes, chiefly biographical and historical, have been added, which\nmust materially increase its interest.\n\nThough highly approved as a standard work, there is reason to believe\nthat the _Journal of George Fox_ has not obtained that attention which\nits real worth justly demands, even from the members of the Society\nwhich the author was so eminently instrumental in forming. Let those who\nhave not perused it be induced to make themselves acquainted with its\ncontents; and may those who are of ability, be stimulated to expend a\nportion of their means in promoting the circulation of a work recording\nthe labours of so eminent a servant of the Lord, concerning whom the\nfollowing character was given by one of his contemporaries\u2014not the less\ntruthful and applicable from having been often quoted\u2014that \u201cHe was\nindeed a heavenly-minded man, zealous for the name of the Lord, and\npreferred the honour of God before all things. He was valiant for the\nTruth, bold in asserting it, patient in suffering for it, unwearied in\nlabouring in it, steady in his testimony to it, immovable as a rock.\u201d\n\nThe many and important truths unfolded in this work, though conveyed in\na style not always suited to the taste of the present day, will, if\npatiently and seriously perused, amply compensate the reader, of\nwhatever denomination, for the time and attention he may bestow upon it.\nSir JAMES MACKINTOSH says, it \u201cIs one of the most extraordinary and\ninstructive narratives in the world, which no reader of competent\njudgment can peruse without revering the virtue of the writer;\u201d and\nCOLERIDGE in his _Biographia Literaria_ observes: \u201cThere exist folios on\nthe human understanding, and the nature of man, which would have a far\njuster claim to their high rank and celebrity, if, in the whole huge\nvolume, there could be found as much fulness of heart and intellect, as\nbursts forth in many a simple page of George Fox.\u201d\n\nIn every point of view, George Fox was a character of no ordinary rank.\nThough a stranger to the polish of human learning, he possessed a truly\nenlightened mind, connected with sound practical knowledge; and\nfearlessly inculcated, amongst persons of all ranks, sentiments and\nviews on various points, equally conducive to the immediate comfort, and\nto the amelioration and advancement of the various classes of civil\nsociety. These views, though then rejected by many as visionary, have\nsince met with very general acceptance, and in some cases have even\nobtained the favourable attention of government.\n\nBut what is of still more importance, he was well taught in the school\nof Christ. He was thoroughly versed in the Holy Scriptures, which, to\nuse his own expression, were \u201cvery precious\u201d to him, and he always held\nthem in high estimation. He firmly believed in the Son of God\u2014in the\natoning efficacy of his sacrifice upon the cross, and in all his offices\nand works both _for_ us, and _in_ us; and by obedience to the Light of\nLife, the illuminating, renovating power of the Holy Spirit\u2014to Christ in\nhis spiritual appearance, he realized in himself the benefits conferred\nupon mankind by the sufferings and death of the Saviour. By a variety of\npreparatory baptisms, he was, on the one hand, given to see the depths\nof Satan, and on the other, richly instructed in the mysteries of the\neverlasting kingdom of God. Thus trained and exercised he became\nabundantly furnished, and qualified to enter upon the arduous service,\nto which he believed himself Divinely called; and proved himself to be,\nas his _Journal_ largely testifies, \u201ca workman that needed not to be\nashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.\u201d\n\nContemplating the character of George Fox in this twofold light, the\nEditor may, in conclusion, say with his predecessors, that he \u201cindulges\na hope that the history of the author\u2019s life, written by his own hand,\nunfolding the energy and operation of that grace by which he was what he\nwas, will be found interesting to persons of every class, especially to\nthe really religious of whatever denomination, and still more peculiarly\nso to those who profess to believe in the same doctrines he was engaged\nso strenuously in preaching. To the promulgation of these doctrines he\nsteadily devoted upwards of forty years of his life\u2014a life which\nexhibited throughout \u2018an example of suffering affliction, and of\npatience;\u2019 evincing him to be, both in principle and in practice, a\ngenuine disciple of his crucified LORD\u2014a real CHRISTIAN.\u201d\n\n                                                                W.A.\n\nP.S.\u2014The Editor is also desirous of directing the special attention of\nthe reader to the admirable Preface to this work, by William Penn.\n\nLEEDS, 1852.\n\n                          CONTENTS OF VOL. I.\n\n                                                                   PAGE.\n\n THE PREFACE; Being a summary account of the divers dispensations\n   of God to men, from the beginning of the world to that of our\n   present age, by the ministry and testimony of his faithful\n   servant, George Fox, as an introduction to the ensuing Journal.  xix.\n\n\n CHAPTER I.\u20141624-1647.\u2014George Fox\u2019s birth and parentage\u2014his\n   gravity and piety in youth\u2014apprenticed to a shoemaker, who is\n   also a grazier, &c.\u2014his integrity in dealing\u2014refuses to drink\n   healths\u2014his exercises of mind commence\u2014he lives retired\u2014is\n   tempted to despair\u2014his sorrows continue for some years\u2014has a\n   sense of Christ\u2019s sufferings\u2014confutes a people who held women\n   to be devoid of souls\u2014begins to travel on Truth\u2019s account\u2014meets\n   with Elizabeth Hooton\u2014fasts often, and retires to solitary\n   places with his Bible\u2014his exercises intermit\u2014sees why none but\n   Christ could speak to his condition\u2014visits a woman who had\n   fasted twenty-two days\u2014first declares the Truth at Dukinfield\n   and Manchester\u2014preaches at a great meeting at Broughton\u2014his\n   troubles wear off, and he weeps for joy\u2014sees things which\n   cannot be uttered\u2014is reported to have a discerning\n   spirit\u2014overcomes his temptations through the power of Christ.       1\n\n\n CHAPTER II.\u20141648-1649.\u2014Begins to have great meetings\u2014at Mansfield\n   he is moved to pray\u2014the Lord\u2019s power so great the house is\n   shaken\u2014cannot pray in his own will\u2014a temptation besets him that\n   there is no God, which is dissipated by an inward voice\u2014he\n   afterwards disputes with and confounds some Atheists\u2014goes to\n   courts and steeple-houses, &c., to warn against oppression and\n   oaths\u2014reproves a notorious drunkard, who is reformed\u2014sees who\n   are the greatest deceivers\u2014shows how people read and understand\n   the Scriptures\u2014various mysteries are revealed to him\u2014he is sent\n   to turn people to the Inward Light, Spirit, and Grace, the\n   Divine Spirit which he infallibly knew would not\n   deceive\u2014priests and professors rage at these innovations\u2014he\n   cries for justice in courts and against various wrong\n   things\u2014denounces the trade of preaching\u2014is sent to preach\n   freely.                                                            23\n\n\n CHAPTER III.\u20141649-1650.\u2014George Fox is first imprisoned at\n   Nottingham, where the sheriff is convinced\u2014he is liberated and\n   quiets a distracted woman\u2014he is cruelly treated at\n   Mansfield-Woodhouse\u2014is taken before the magistrates at\n   Derby\u2014acknowledges that he is sanctified\u2014is temptingly asked if\n   he were Christ, which he denies, yet is committed for\n   blasphemy\u2014his mittimus to Derby prison\u2014writes to the priests of\n   Derby against preaching for hire, &c.\u2014also against\n   persecution\u2014to Barton and Bennet, justices, on the same\n   subject\u2014to Justice Bennet against covetousness\u2014to Justice\n   Barton, a preacher and a persecutor\u2014to the Mayor of Derby\n   against persecution and oppression\u2014to the court of Derby\n   against oaths and oppression\u2014to the bell-ringers of Derby\n   against vanities and worldly pleasures\u2014his jailer is\n   convinced\u2014Justice Bennet first gives Friends the name of\n   Quakers in derision\u2014writes to Friends and others, to open their\n   understandings, and to direct them to their true Teacher within\n   themselves\u2014to the convinced people, directing them to internal\n   silence and to true obedience\u2014an encouragement to the\n   faithful\u2014to the justices of Derby against persecution, thrice\n   repeated\u2014to the priests of Derby, on the same subject\u2014to the\n   justices of Derby, to prize their time, and to depart from\n   evil\u2014the like to Colonel Barton, justice, and warning of the\n   plagues and vengeance hanging over the oppressor.                  42\n\n\n CHAPTER IV.\u20141650-1651.\u2014A trooper visits George Fox from an inward\n   intimation\u2014declines a commission in the army, and is put in the\n   dungeon\u2014confutes one who denied Christ\u2019s outward appearance,\n   from whence a slander is raised against Friends\u2014testifies\n   against capital punishments for small matters\u2014writes for more\n   speedy justice to prisoners\u2014intercedes for the life of a young\n   woman, imprisoned for stealing, who is brought to the gallows,\n   but reprieved, and afterwards convinced\u2014again refuses to bear\n   arms, and is committed close prisoner\u2014writes to Barton and\n   Bennet, justices, against persecution\u2014addresses the convinced\n   and tender people against hirelings\u2014to the magistrates of Derby\n   against persecution, and foretelling his own enlargement and\n   their recompense\u2014is greatly exercised for the wickedness of\n   Derby\u2014sees the visitation of God\u2019s love pass away from the\n   town, and writes a lamentation over it\u2014a great judgment fell\n   upon the town\u2014he is liberated after a year\u2019s\n   imprisonment\u2014visits Lichfield\u2014preaches repentance through\n   Doncaster\u2014many dread \u201cthe man with leather breeches\u201d\u2014goes to\n   steeple-houses, as the apostles did to the temples, to bring\n   people off from them\u2014is denied entertainment, and ill-treated\n   at some places\u2014refuses to inform against his persecutors\u2014many\n   are convinced in Yorkshire, amongst others, Richard Farnsworth,\n   James Naylor, William Dewsbury, Justice Hotham, and Captain\n   Pursloe.                                                           67\n\n\n CHAPTER V.\u20141652.\u2014George Fox visits great men\u2019s houses, warning\n   them to repent\u2014is accused of calling himself Christ\u2014refutes the\n   charge, and tells the accuser that Judas\u2019s end would be his,\n   which shortly came to pass, hence a slander is raised against\n   Friends\u2014is stoned at Doncaster\u2014a scoffing priest made to\n   tremble at the Lord\u2019s power\u2014a slandering priest cut off in his\n   wickedness\u2014a murderous man seeks George Fox, but misses him\u2014he\n   lays in a wood all night\u2014the influence of one man or woman, who\n   lives in the same spirit that the prophets and apostles were\n   in, is to be felt within a circuit of ten miles\u2014George Fox\n   ascends Pendle Hill, whence he sees the place of a great\n   gathering of people\u2014on descending, refreshes himself at a\n   spring of water, having taken little sustenance for several\n   days\u2014foresees a great people in white raiment about Wensleydale\n   and Sedbergh\u2014a wicked man designs to injure him, but is\n   prevented\u2014many are convinced in Dent, and a meeting is settled\n   at Sedbergh, where he had seen a people in white\n   raiment\u2014preaches for several hours in the steeple-house yard\n   there\u2014preaches on a rock, near Firbank chapel, to 1,000 people\n   for three hours\u2014the family of Judge Fell convinced, and a\n   meeting settled at his house, and continued for forty\n   years\u2014preaches through Lancaster streets\u2014at a meeting of\n   priests at Ulverstone he speaks in great power, so that one of\n   them said, \u201cthe church shook\u201d\u2014disputes with priest\n   Lampitt\u2014Justice Sawrey is the first persecutor in the\n   north\u2014forty priests appear against George Fox at Lancaster\n   Sessions for speaking blasphemy; they are confounded, and he is\n   cleared of the charge\u2014James Naylor\u2019s account of George Fox\u2019s\n   trial at Lancaster Sessions\u2014priest Jackus is reproved from the\n   bench for his blasphemy\u2014these priests are reproved by the\n   populace\u2014Colonel West defends and protects George Fox against\n   the machinations of the priests, and the design of Judge\n   Windham, at the risk of losing his place.                         100\n\n\n CHAPTER VI.\u20141652-1653.\u2014George Fox is branded by the priests as a\n   witch\u2014writes to Justice Sawrey, prophesying of the judgments\n   impending over him\u2014warning to priest Lampitt\u2014exhortation to the\n   people of Ulverstone\u2014to the followers of Lampitt, against a\n   hireling ministry, &c.\u2014a rebuke to Adam Sands for his\n   wickedness\u2014to priest Tatham, against his hireling ministry and\n   his suing for tithes\u2014foretells the dissolution of the Long\n   Parliament\u2014fasts ten days\u2014James Milner and Richard Myer create\n   a schism, which is soon healed\u2014the latter is miraculously\n   healed of his lameness, but afterwards disobeys the Lord, and\n   dies not long after\u2014Anthony Pearson, an opposer, is\n   convinced\u2014the priests are shown to be Antichrist\u2014George Fox\n   preaches at John Wilkinson\u2019s steeple-house three\n   hours\u2014admonishes a professor _for praising him_\u2014reproves\n   Wilkinson for speaking against his conscience\u2014many hundreds are\n   convinced\u2014discerns an unclean spirit in a woman, and speaks\n   sharply to her\u2014the like of some other women\u2014speaks sharply to\n   an envious Baptist\u2014preaches in the steeple house at Carlisle,\n   where the Lord\u2019s power was such that the people\n   trembled\u2014committed to Carlisle prison as a blasphemer, heretic,\n   and seducer\u2014the priests who come to see him are exceedingly\n   rude\u2014Anthony Pearson\u2019s remonstrance to the Judges of assize\n   against the unjust imprisonment and detention of George Fox\u2014he\n   is put in the dungeon, a filthy place, where a woman is found\n   eaten to death with vermin\u2014here James Parnell visits him\u2014a\n   challenge to professors to declare their objections to George\n   Fox\u2019s ministry\u2014it being reported that George Fox was to die for\n   religion, the Little Parliament write to the sheriff respecting\n   him\u2014he himself expostulates with Justices Craston and Studholm\n   on their imprisoning him\u2014A. Pearson and the governor visit the\n   prison, blame the magistrates, require sureties of the jailer,\n   and put the under-jailer in the dungeon for his cruelty to\n   George Fox, who is soon after liberated\u2014George Fox has great\n   meetings, and _thousands_ are convinced\u2014visits Gilsland, a\n   noted country for thieving\u2014has a glorious meeting of many\n   thousands, near Langlands, on the top of a hill\u2014great\n   convincement in the six northern counties.                        145\n\n\n CHAPTER VII.\u20141653-1654.\u2014George Fox disputes most of the day with\n   priest Wilkinson\u2014Many Friends lose their business for declining\n   the world\u2019s salutations, but afterwards their tried\n   faithfulness and integrity procure them more than their\n   neighbours\u2014George Fox issues an address to Friends\n   everywhere\u2014two persecuting justices at Carlisle are cut off and\n   a third disgraced\u2014George Fox passes through Halifax, a rude\n   town of professors\u2014at Synderhill-Green, he has a mighty meeting\n   of some thousands, and there was a general convincement\u2014about\n   sixty ministers are now raised up in the north, to travel\n   towards the south, the east, and the west, in Truth\u2019s\n   service\u2014George Fox\u2019s address to Friends in the ministry\u2014Rice\n   Jones and many other false prophets rise up against friends and\n   are blasted\u2014a wicked man binds himself with an oath to kill\n   George Fox, but is prevented\u2014great convincement in\n   Lincolnshire\u2014at Swannington, George Fox has much controversy\n   with professors\u2014has a great dispute with priest Stevens and\n   seven other priests at Drayton\u2014his father being present was\n   convinced, and said, \u201cTruly I see he that will but stand to the\n   truth it will carry him out\u201d\u2014priest Stevens propagates lies\n   respecting George Fox, which the Lord swept away\u2014is taken\n   before Colonel Hacker, who sends him before the\n   Protector\u2014speaks prophetically to the Colonel\u2014has a friendly\n   conference with the Protector\u2014is dismissed by him very\n   friendly\u2014refuses his entertainment\u2014Captain Drury scoffs at\n   trembling, but is made to tremble in a remarkable manner\u2014George\n   Fox prays with some officers, who are greatly shaken by the\n   Lord\u2019s power\u2014priests and professors greatly disturbed because\n   many of the people are convinced, and moved to declare against\n   the rest.                                                         184\n\n\n CHAPTER VIII.\u20141654-1655.\u2014Address to professors of Christianity\n   against persecution\u2014to such as follow the world\u2019s fashions\u2014to\n   the Pope, and all kings, and rulers in Europe, against\n   persecution\u2014to the justices appointed for trying ministers of\n   religion, being a testimony against hireling ministers\u2014Samuel\n   Fisher and others are convinced at a meeting at Romney, where\n   the Lord\u2019s power is marvellously displayed\u2014a large meeting at\n   Coggeshall of about two thousand people, which lasted several\n   hours\u2014many reproaches are cast upon the truth, and lying,\n   slanderous books published, which are answered, and the truth\n   set over the gainsayers\u2014to those who scorn trembling and\n   quaking\u2014great rage is manifested against the truth and Friends,\n   and their plainness is contemned\u2014to the churches gathered into\n   outward forms, opening their state and warning of the woes\n   coming upon them\u2014to the Protector, respecting the imprisonment\n   of Friends for refusing to take oaths and pay tithes, &c.\u2014to\n   Friends to offer themselves to lie in prison for a brother or\n   sister\u2014an encouragement to Friends in their several exercises.    216\n\n\n CHAPTER IX.\u20141655-1656.\u2014Friends slandered by Presbyterians and\n   Independents, suffer much from them and the Baptists for\n   refusing to pay tithes\u2014the priests hunt after a fallen benefice\n   like crows after carrion\u2014great miracles wrought through\n   several\u2014an Independent preacher convinced, but relapses\u2014address\n   to the convinced in Ireland\u2014a sick woman at Baldock\n   restored\u2014George Fox parts and reconciles two furious\n   combatants\u2014to the seven parishes at the Land\u2019s End,\n   recommending attention to the Inward Light\u2014George Fox parts\n   with James Naylor, and has a presentiment of his fall\u2014Major\n   Ceely places George Fox and Edward Pyot under arrest\u2014they are\n   sent to Launceston jail\u2014put into Doomsdale, and suffer a long\n   and cruel imprisonment\u2014a paper against swearing\u2014Peter Ceely\u2019s\n   mittimus\u2014George Fox has great service in jail\u2014many are\n   convinced and opposers are confounded\u2014experiences some\n   remarkable preservations\u2014Edward Pyot writes an excellent letter\n   to Judge Glynne on the liberty of the subject, and on the\n   injustice and illegality of their imprisonment\u2014Truth spreads in\n   the west by the very means taken to prevent it\u2014exhortation and\n   warning to magistrates\u2014answer to the Exeter general warrant for\n   taking up and imprisoning Friends\u2014exhortation to Friends in the\n   ministry\u2014warning to priests and professors\u2014cruel jailer\n   imprisoned in Doomsdale, and further judgments upon him\n   follow\u2014a Friend offers to lie in prison instead of George\n   Fox\u2014Edward Pyot to Major General Desborough, in answer to his\n   conditional offer of liberty\u2014George Fox to the same\u2014he and his\n   Friends are soon after liberated.                                 250\n\n\n CHAPTER X.\u20141656-1657.\u2014Address to those who are given to pleasures\n   and wantonness\u2014to the bowlers in Castle-Green at\n   Launceston\u2014George Fox visits Friends imprisoned at Exeter,\n   amongst whom is James Naylor, who has apostatized, but\n   afterwards returned into the Truth\u2014at a meeting in the orchard\n   at Bristol about ten thousand persons are present\u2014Paul Gwin, a\n   rude Baptist, creates a disturbance, but is reproved and\n   silenced\u2014meeting of two or three thousand persons at N.\n   Crisp\u2019s\u2014Justice Stooks prevents the magistrates from\n   apprehending George Fox\u2014speaks to the Protector at Hyde Park,\n   who invites him to his house\u2014accordingly goes to Whitehall, and\n   speaks to the Protector about Friends\u2019 sufferings\u2014travels\n   through most parts of the nation after his liberation from\n   Launceston jail\u2014this year, 1656, there were seldom fewer than\n   one thousand Friends in prison\u2014to Friends on the schism of J.\n   Naylor\u2014to Friends to keep up their meetings\u2014on judging the\n   ministry, &c.\u2014an answer to a high-flown professor\u2014to\n   professors, priests, and teachers on immediate revelation and\n   universal grace, &c. &c.\u2014at Cardiff, George Fox sends word to\n   some who had run out that \u201cthe day of their visitation was\n   over\u201d\u2014at Brecknock, his companion, John-ap-John, preaches in\n   the streets\u2014at night, there is a great uproar, like that of\n   Diana\u2019s craftsmen\u2014at William Gandy\u2019s has a large meeting of two\n   or three thousand persons\u2014Cromwell proclaims a fast for rain,\n   and is told by George Fox that the drought was a sign of their\n   barrenness\u2014concerning the true fast and the false\u2014preaches\n   three hours at a great meeting in Radnorshire, and many are\n   convinced\u2014their horses are twice robbed of their oats\u2014from a\n   high hill sounds the day of the Lord, and foretells where God\n   would raise up a people to himself, which came to pass\u2014travels\n   through every county in Wales, where there is a brave people,\n   who sit under Christ\u2019s teaching\u2014has a large meeting on the top\n   of a hill near Liverpool\u2014at Manchester is taken into custody,\n   but soon released.                                                323\n\n CHAPTER XI.\u20141657.\u2014Exhortation to Friends to take heed to the\n   Light of Christ\u2014an expostulation with persecutors\u2014to Friends to\n   be valiant for the truth\u2014in parts of Cumberland the priests are\n   so forsaken that some steeple-houses stand empty\u2014John\n   Wilkinson, the priest, is so deserted, that he sets up a\n   meeting in his own house\u2014then a silent meeting, and at last\n   joins Friends, and becomes an able minister\u2014George Fox travels\n   into Scotland with Colonel Osburn and Robert Widders\u2014the latter\n   was a thundering man against the rottenness of the priests\u2019\n   hypocrisy and deceit\u2014Lady Hamilton is convinced\u2014the Scotch\n   priests raise the war-cry, and draw up their curses, which\n   George Fox answers\u2014they are in a rage and panic when he comes\n   there, thinking \u201cthat all was gone\u201d\u2014some Baptists, with their\n   logic and syllogisms, are confuted by George Fox\u2019s logic\u2014he is\n   banished from Scotland by the council, but disregards their\n   order\u2014George Fox and William Osburn are waylaid by thieves, who\n   are admonished by the former, and overawed by the Lord\u2019s\n   power\u2014the Highlanders run at them with pitchforks\u2014at Johnstons\n   they are banished the town\u2014on hearing that the council of\n   Edinburgh had issued warrants against him, George Fox goes\n   thither, and is not molested.                                     384\n\n\n CHAPTER XII.\u20141657-1659.\u2014George Fox journeys from Scotland to\n   England\u2014dissuades a person from setting up a college at Durham\n   to make ministers\u2014has a meeting with Rice Jones and his\n   people\u2014attends a general Yearly Meeting for the whole nation,\n   held at John Crook\u2019s, which continued three days\u2014address to\n   Friends in the ministry\u2014disputes with a Jesuit\u2014writes to Lady\n   Claypole\u2014writes to Cromwell respecting the fast on account of\n   persecution abroad, whilst there was much of it at home\u2014writes\n   a reproof to Parliament for their hypocrisy\u2014speaks to the\n   Protector in Hampton-Court Park about Friends\u2019 sufferings\u2014the\n   Protector invites Fox to his house\u2014he goes next day, but the\n   Protector being sick he does not see him\u2014the Protector died\n   soon after\u2014writes to encourage Friends to faithfulness\u2014has a\n   foresight of the King\u2019s restoration long before the event\n   occurred, as well as several others\u2014Friends are disseized of\n   their copyhold lands for refusing to swear\u2014cautions Friends to\n   avoid plots, &c.\u2014against bearing arms\u2014great places in the army\n   are offered to Friends, but invariably refused\u2014priest Townsend\n   fails to substantiate his charge of error and blasphemy against\n   George Fox, and is signally defeated\u2014George Fox\u2019s vision of the\n   city of London is realized\u2014he gives a final warning to those in\n   authority, before their overthrow.                                413\n\n\n CHAPTER XIII.\u20141659-1660.\u2014Address to the Cornish people,\n   respecting shipwrecks\u2014the soldiers at Bristol are punished for\n   disturbing Friends\u2019 meetings\u2014several thousands attend a general\n   meeting at Edward Pyot\u2019s\u2014General Monk also restrains his\n   soldiers\u2014great drunkenness at elections for Parliament-men\u2014the\n   Yearly Meeting is held at Balby\u2014and a general meeting of\n   discipline for several counties held at Skipton\u2014a Friend goes\n   naked (divested of the upper garments) through the town,\n   declaring truth, and is much abused\u2014general meeting at Arnside\n   for three counties\u2014George Fox is committed to Lancaster Castle\n   by Major Porter\u2014writes an answer to his mittimus\u2014Margaret Fell\n   writes to the magistrates thereon\u2014address on true\n   religion\u2014against persecution\u2014to Friends, on the change of\n   government\u2014to Charles II., exhorting him to exercise mercy and\n   forgiveness towards his enemies, and to restrain\n   profaneness\u2014the sheriff of Lancashire\u2019s return to George Fox\u2019s\n   writ of _Habeas Corpus_\u2014M. Fell and Ann Curtis speak to the\n   King on the subject\u2014the King orders his removal to London by\n   _Habeas Corpus_, and there sets him at liberty.                   456\n\n\n CHAPTER XIV.\u20141660-1662.\u2014George Fox writes an epistle of\n   consolation to Friends unjustly imprisoned in consequence of\n   the insurrection of the Fifth-Monarchy Men\u2014Friends\u2019 declaration\n   against war and plots\u2014John Perrot and Charles Bailie create a\n   schism\u2014some Friends in New England are put to death, a sense\n   whereof is given to George Fox at the time\u2014the King\u2019s mandamus\n   to the Governor of New England and others, to restrain them\n   from executing Friends\u2014the _Battledore_ is published, showing\n   by examples from thirty languages, that \u201cThou\u201d and \u201cThee\u201d are\n   proper to one person\u2014on true worship\u2014George Fox disputes with\n   some Jesuits, and with _all_ other sects\u2014John Perrot\u2019s heresy\n   condemned\u2014on judicial swearing\u2014George Fox and Richard\n   Hubberthorn write to the King, showing the number of Friends\n   imprisoned prior to, and during the first year of the\n   Restoration, and the number who died in prison during the\n   Commonwealth\u2014Thomas Sharman, jailer at Derby, convinced, and\n   writes to George Fox\u2014George Fox applies to Lord D\u2019Aubigny on\n   behalf of two Friends imprisoned in the Inquisition at Malta,\n   who procures their liberation\u2014the ground and rise of\n   persecution set forth\u2014great service at _Bristol_, where also he\n   has a vision\u2014visits Capt. Brown and his wife; the former had\n   fled from persecution, and was judged in himself, but\n   afterwards convinced\u2014George Fox and several others are arrested\n   by Lord Beaumont, and sent to Leicester jail\u2014they are suddenly\n   liberated\u2014to Friends on the death of Edward Burrough\u2014escapes\n   from persecutors\u2014Friends established on Christ, the Rock of\n   Ages.                                                             489\n\n\n\n\n                              THE PREFACE;\n\n                                 BEING\n\n            A SUMMARY ACCOUNT OF THE DIVERS DISPENSATIONS OF\n                              GOD TO MEN,\n\nFROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD TO THAT OF OUR PRESENT AGE, BY THE\n    MINISTRY AND TESTIMONY OF HIS FAITHFUL SERVANT, GEORGE FOX, AS AN\n    INTRODUCTION TO THE ENSUING JOURNAL.\n\n                                   BY\n\n                             WILLIAM PENN.\n\n\n         ------------------------------------------------------\n\n\nDivers have been the dispensations of God since the creation of the\nworld unto the sons of men; but the great end of all of them has been\nthe renown of his own excellent name in the creation and restoration of\nman: man, the emblem of himself, as a god on earth, and the glory of all\nhis works. The world began with innocency: all was then good that the\ngood God had made: and as he blessed the works of his hands, so their\nnatures and harmony magnified Him their Creator. Then the morning stars\nsang together for joy, and all parts of his works said Amen to his law;\nnot a jar in the whole frame, but man in paradise, the beasts in the\nfield, the fowl in the air, the fish in the sea, the lights in the\nheavens, the fruits of the earth; yea the air, the earth, the water, and\nfire worshipped, praised, and exalted his power, wisdom, and goodness! O\nholy sabbath! O holy day to the Lord.\n\nBut this happy state lasted not long: for man, the crown and glory of\nthe whole, being tempted to aspire above his place, unhappily yielded\nagainst command and duty, as well as interest and felicity; and so fell\nbelow it, lost the divine image, the wisdom, power, and purity he was\nmade in. By which, being no longer fit for paradise, he was expelled\nthat garden of God, his proper dwelling and residence, and was driven\nout, as a poor vagabond, from the presence of the Lord, to wander in the\nearth, the habitation of beasts.\n\nYet God that made him, had pity on him; for He seeing he was deceived,\nand that it was not of malice, or an original presumption in him, but\nthrough the subtilty of the serpent (that had first fallen from his own\nstate), and by the mediation of the woman, man\u2019s own nature and\ncompanion (whom the serpent had first deluded), in his infinite goodness\nand wisdom found out a way to repair the breach, recover the loss, and\nrestore fallen man again by a nobler and more excellent Adam, promised\nto be born of a woman; that as by means of a woman the evil one had\nprevailed upon man, by a woman also he should come into the world, who\nwould prevail against him and bruise his head, and deliver man from his\npower; and which, in a signal manner, by the dispensation of the Son of\nGod in the flesh, in the fulness of time, was personally and fully\naccomplished by him, and in him, as man\u2019s Saviour and Redeemer.\n\nBut his power was not limited, in the manifestation of it, to that time;\nfor both before and since his blessed manifestation in the flesh he has\nbeen the light and life, the rock and strength of all that ever feared\nGod: present with them in their temptations, he followed them in their\ntravels and afflictions, and supported and carried them through and over\nthe difficulties that have attended them in their earthly pilgrimage. By\nthis, Abel\u2019s heart excelled Cain\u2019s, Seth obtained the pre-eminence, and\nEnoch walked with God. It was this that strove with the old world, and\nwhich they rebelled against, and which sanctified and instructed Noah to\nsalvation.\n\nBut the outward dispensation that followed the benighted state of man,\nafter his fall, especially among the patriarchs, was generally that of\nangels; as the Scriptures of the Old Testament do in many places\nexpress, as to Abraham, Jacob, &c. The next was that of the law by\nMoses, which was also delivered by angels, as the apostle tells us. This\ndispensation was much outward, and suited to a low and servile state;\ncalled therefore that of a schoolmaster, to point out and prepare that\npeople to look and long for the Messiah, who would deliver them from the\nservitude of a ceremonious and imperfect dispensation, by knowing the\nrealities of those mysterious representations in themselves. In this\ntime the law was written on stone, the temple built with hands, attended\nwith an outward priesthood, and external rites and ceremonies, that were\nshadows of the good things that were to come, and were only to serve\ntill the Seed came, or the more excellent and general manifestation of\nChrist, to whom was the promise, and to all men only in him, in whom it\nwas Yea and Amen; even life from death, immortality and eternal life.\n\nThis the prophets foresaw, and comforted the believing Jews in the\ncertainty of it; which was the height of the Mosaical dispensation, and\nwhich ended in John\u2019s ministry, the forerunner of the Messiah, as John\u2019s\nwas finished in him, the fulness of all. And God, that at sundry times\nand in divers manners, had spoken to the fathers by his servants the\nprophets, spoke then by his Son Christ Jesus, \u201cwho is heir of all\nthings\u201d; being the gospel day, which is the dispensation of sonship;\nbringing in thereby a nearer testament and a better hope; even the\nbeginning of the glory of the latter days, and of the restitution of all\nthings; yea, the restoration of the kingdom unto Israel.\n\nNow, the Spirit, that was more sparingly communicated in former\ndispensations, began to be \u201cpoured forth upon all flesh,\u201d according to\nthe prophet Joel; and the light that shined in darkness, or but dimly\nbefore, the most gracious God caused to shine out of darkness: and the\nday-star began to arise in the hearts of believers, giving unto them the\nknowledge of God in the face (or appearance) of his Son Christ Jesus.\n\nNow, the poor in spirit, the meek, the true mourners, the hungry and\nthirsty after righteousness, the peace-makers, the pure in heart, the\nmerciful, and the persecuted, came more especially in remembrance before\nthe Lord, and were sought out and blessed by Israel\u2019s true Shepherd. Old\nJerusalem with her children grew out of date, and the New Jerusalem into\nrequest, the mother of the sons of the gospel day. Wherefore no more at\nOld Jerusalem, nor at the mountain of Samaria, will God be worshipped,\nabove other places; for, behold, he is declared and preached a Spirit,\nand he will be known as such, and worshipped in the Spirit and in the\nTruth. He will come nearer than of old time, and he will write his law\nin the heart, and put his fear and Spirit in the inward parts, according\nto his promise. Then signs, types, and shadows flew away, the day having\ndiscovered their insufficiency in not reaching to the inside of the cup,\nto the cleansing of the conscience; and all elementary services were\nexpired in and by Him that is the substance of all.\n\nAnd to this great and blessed end of the dispensation of the Son of God,\ndid the apostles testify, whom he had chosen and anointed by his Spirit,\nto turn the Jews from their prejudice and superstition, and the Gentiles\nfrom their vanity and idolatry, to Christ\u2019s Light and Spirit that shined\nin them; that they might be quickened from the sins and trespasses in\nwhich they were dead, to serve the living God in the newness of the\nSpirit of life, and walk as children of the light, and of the day, even\nthe day of holiness: for such \u201cput on Christ,\u201d the light of the world,\n\u201cand make no more provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.\u201d\nSo that the Light, Spirit, and Grace that comes by Christ, and appears\nin man, was what the apostles ministered from, and turned people\u2019s minds\nunto, and in which they gathered and built up the churches of Christ in\ntheir day. For which cause they advised them not to quench the Spirit,\nbut wait for the Spirit, and speak by the Spirit, and pray by the\nSpirit, and walk in the Spirit too, as that which approved them the\ntruly begotten children of God; \u201cborn, not of flesh and blood, or of the\nwill of man, but of the will of God;\u201d by doing his will, and denying\ntheir own; by drinking of Christ\u2019s cup, and being baptised with his\nbaptism of self-denial: the way and path that all the heirs of life have\ntrod to blessedness. But, alas! even in the apostles\u2019 days, those bright\nstars of the first magnitude of the Gospel light, some clouds,\nforetelling an eclipse of this primitive glory, began to appear, and\nseveral of them gave early caution of it to the Christians of their\ntime; that even then there was, and yet would be more and more, a\nfalling away from the power of godliness, and the purity of that\nspiritual dispensation, by such as sought to make a fair show in the\nflesh, but with whom the offence of the cross ceased; yet with this\ncomfortable conclusion, that they saw beyond it a more glorious time\nthan ever, to the true church. Their sight was true, and what they\nforetold to the churches, gathered by them in the name and power of\nJesus, came so to pass: for Christians degenerated apace into outsides,\nas days, and meats, and divers other ceremonies. And which was worse,\nthey fell into strife and contention about them, separating one from\nanother, then envying, and as they had power, persecuting one another,\nto the shame and scandal of their common Christianity, and grievous\nstumbling and offence to the heathen, among whom the Lord had so long\nand so marvellously preserved them. And having got at last the worldly\npower into their hands, by kings and emperors embracing the Christian\nprofession, they changed what they could, the kingdom of Christ, which\nis not of this world, into a worldly kingdom; or at least styled the\nworldly kingdom that was in their hands the kingdom of Christ, and so\nthey became worldly, and not true Christians. Then human inventions and\nnovelties, both in doctrine and worship, crowded fast into the church; a\ndoor being opened thereunto by the grossness and carnality that appeared\nthen among the generality of Christians; who had long since left the\nguidance of God\u2019s meek and heavenly Spirit, and given themselves up to\nsuperstition, will-worship, and voluntary humility. And as superstition\nis blind, so it is heady and furious; for all must stoop to its blind\nand boundless zeal, or perish by it: in the name of the Spirit,\npersecuting the very appearance of the Spirit of God in others, and\nopposing that in them which they resisted in themselves, viz., the\nLight, Grace, and Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ; but always under the\nnotion of innovation, heresy, schism, or some such plausible name.\nThough Christianity allows of no name or pretence whatever for\npersecuting any man for matters of mere religion; religion being in its\nvery nature, meek, gentle, and forbearing; and consists of faith, hope,\nand charity, which no persecutor can have, whilst he remains a\npersecutor; in that a man cannot believe well, or hope well, or have a\ncharitable or tender regard to another, whilst he would violate his mind\nor persecute his body for matters of faith or worship towards his God.\n\nThus the false church sprang up, and mounted the chair. But though she\nlost her nature, she would keep her good name of the Lamb\u2019s bride, the\ntrue church and mother of the faithful; constraining all to receive her\nmark, either in the forehead, or right hand, publicly or privately: but\nin deed and in truth she was Mystery, Babylon, the mother of harlots;\nmother of those that, with all their show and outside of religion, were\nadulterated and gone from the Spirit, nature, and life of Christ, and\ngrown vain, worldly, ambitious, covetous, cruel, &c., which are the\nfruits of the flesh, and not of the Spirit.\n\nNow it was that the true church fled into the wilderness, that is, from\nsuperstition and violence, to a retired, solitary, and lonely state;\nhidden, and as it were out of sight of men, though not out of the world:\nwhich shows that her wonted visibility was not essential to the being of\na true church in the judgment of the Holy Ghost; she being as true a\nchurch in the wilderness, though not as visible and lustrous, as when\nshe was in her former splendour of profession. In this state many\nattempts she made to return, but the waters were yet too high, and her\nway blocked up, and many of her excellent children, in several nations\nand centuries, fell by the cruelty of superstition, because they would\nnot fall from their faithfulness to the truth.\n\nThe last age did set some steps towards it, both as to doctrine,\nworship, and practice. But practice quickly failed, for wickedness\nflowed in a little time, as well among the professors of the\nReformation, as those they reformed from; so that by the fruits of\nconversation they were not to be distinguished. And the children of the\nreformers, if not the reformers themselves, betook themselves very early\nto earthly policy and power to uphold and carry on their reformation,\nthat had been begun with spiritual weapons; which I have often thought\nhas been one of the greatest reasons the Reformation made no better\nprogress, as to the life and soul of religion; for whilst the reformers\nwere lowly and spiritually minded, and trusted in God, and looked to\nhim, and lived in his fear, and consulted not with flesh and blood, nor\nsought deliverance in their own way, there were daily added to the\nchurch such as, one might reasonably say, should be saved. For they were\nnot so careful to be safe from persecution, as to be faithful under it,\nbeing more concerned to spread the truth by their faith and patience in\ntribulation, than to get the worldly power out of their hands, that\ninflicted their sufferings upon them; and it will be well if the Lord\nsuffer them not to fall by the very same way they took to stand. In\ndoctrine, they were in some things short; in other things, to avoid one\nextreme they ran into another; and for worship, there was, for the\ngenerality, more of man than of God. They owned the Spirit, Inspiration,\nand Revelation indeed, and grounded their separation and reformation\nupon the sense and understanding they received from it, in the reading\nof the Scriptures of Truth; and this was their plea, the Scripture was\nthe text, the Spirit the interpreter, and that to every one for himself.\nBut yet there was too much of human invention, tradition, and art, that\nremained both in praying and preaching, and of worldly authority and\nworldly greatness in their ministers, especially in this kingdom,\nSweden, Denmark, and some parts of Germany. God was therefore pleased\namong us, to shift from vessel to vessel: and the next remove humbled\nthe ministry, so that they were more strict in preaching, devout in\npraying, and zealous for keeping the Lord\u2019s day, and catechising\nchildren and servants, and repeating at home in their families what they\nhad heard in public.\n\nBut even as these grew into power, they were not only for whipping some\nout, but others into the temple; and they appeared rigid in their\nspirits, rather than severe in their lives, and more for a party than\nfor piety; which brought forth another people, that were yet more\nretired and select. They would not communicate at large, or in common\nwith others; but formed churches among themselves of such as could give\nsome account of their conversion, at least of very promising experiences\nof the work of God\u2019s grace upon their hearts, and under mutual\nagreements and covenants of fellowship they kept together. These people\nwere somewhat of a softer temper, and seemed to recommend religion by\nthe charms of its love, mercy, and goodness, rather than by the terrors\nof its judgments and punishments; by which the former party would have\nterrified people into religion.\n\nThey also allowed greater liberty to prophesy than those before them;\nfor they admitted any member to speak or pray, as well as their pastor\n(whom they always chose, and not the civil magistrate), if such found\nanything pressing upon them to either duty, even without the distinction\nof clergy or laity; persons of any trade, be it never so low and\nmechanical. But alas! even these people suffered great loss: for tasting\nof worldly empire, and the favour of princes, and the gain that ensued,\nthey degenerated but too much. For though they had cried down national\nchurches, and ministry, and maintenance too, some of them, when it was\ntheir own turn to be tried, fell under the weight of worldly honour and\nadvantage, got into profitable parsonages too much, and outlived and\ncontradicted their own principles: and which was yet worse, turned some\nof them absolute persecutors of other men for God\u2019s sake, that but so\nlately came themselves out of the furnace; which drove many a step\nfarther, and that was into the water\u2014another baptism, as believing they\nwere not scripturally baptized; and hoping to find that presence and\npower of God in submitting to that ordinance, which they desired and\nwanted.\n\nThese people made also profession of neglecting, if not renouncing, and\ncensuring, not only the necessity but use of all human learning as to\nthe ministry; and all other qualifications to it, besides the helps and\ngifts of the Spirit of God, and those natural and common to men; and for\na time they seemed like John of old, a burning and a shining light to\nother societies.\n\nThey were very diligent, plain, and serious, strong in Scripture, and\nbold in profession, bearing much reproach, and contradiction: but that\nwhich others fell by, proved their hurt. For worldly power spoiled them\ntoo; who had enough of it to try them, what they would do if they had\nmore; and they rested also too much upon their watery dispensation,\ninstead of passing on more fully to the fire and Holy Ghost, which was\nhis baptism, who came with a \u201cfan in his hand that he might thoroughly\n(and not in part only) purge his floor,\u201d and take away the dross and the\ntin of his people, and make a man finer than gold. Withal, they grew\nhigh, rough, and self-righteous, opposing further attainment; too much\nforgetting the day of their infancy and littleness, which gave them\nsomething of a real beauty; insomuch that many left them, and all\nvisible churches and societies, and wandered up and down, as sheep\nwithout a shepherd, and as doves without their mates; seeking their\nbeloved, but could not find Him (as their souls desired to know him)\nwhom their souls loved above their chiefest joy.\n\nThese people were called Seekers by some, and the Family of Love by\nothers; because, as they came to the knowledge of one another, they\nsometimes met together, not formally to pray or preach, at appointed\ntimes or places, in their own wills, as in times past they were\naccustomed to do; but waited together in silence, and as anything rose\nin any one of their minds that they thought savoured of a divine spring,\nso they sometimes spoke. But so it was, that some of them not keeping in\nhumility, and in the fear of God, after the abundance of revelation,\nwere exalted above measure; and for want of staying their minds in an\nhumble dependence upon Him that opened their understandings to see great\nthings in his law, they ran out in their own imaginations, and mixing\nthem with those divine openings, brought forth a monstrous birth, to the\nscandal of those that feared God, and waited daily in the temple not\nmade with hands, for the consolation of Israel; the Jew inward, and\ncircumcision in spirit.\n\nThis people obtained the name of Ranters, from their extravagant\ndiscourses and practices. For they interpreted Christ\u2019s fulfilling of\nthe law for us, to be a discharging of us from any obligation and duty\nthe law required, instead of the condemnation of the law for sins past,\nupon faith and repentance; and that now it was no sin to do that which\nbefore it was a sin to commit, the slavish fear of the law being taken\noff by Christ, and all things good that man did, if he did but do them\nwith the mind and persuasion that it was so. Insomuch that divers fell\ninto gross and enormous practices; pretending in excuse thereof that\nthey could, without evil, commit the same act which was sin in another\nto do; thereby distinguishing between the action and the evil of it, by\nthe direction of the mind, and intention in the doing of it. Which was\nto make sin superabound by the aboundings of grace, and to turn from the\ngrace of God into wantonness, a securer way of sinning than before; as\nif Christ came not to take away sin, but that we might sin more freely\nat his cost, and with less danger to ourselves. I say, this ensnared\ndivers, and brought them to an utter and lamentable loss, as to their\neternal state; and they grew very troublesome to the better sort of\npeople, and furnished the looser with an occasion to profane.\n\nIt was about that very same time, as you may see in the ensuing annals,\nthat the eternal, wise, and good God was pleased, in his infinite love,\nto honour and visit this benighted and bewildered nation with his\nglorious dayspring from on high; yea, with a most sure and certain sound\nof the Word of Light and Life, through the testimony of a chosen vessel,\nto an effectual and blessed purpose, can many thousands say, Glory be to\nthe name of the Lord for ever!\n\nFor as it reached the conscience and broke the heart, and brought many\nto a sense and search, so what people had been vainly seeking _without_,\nwith much pains and cost, they by this ministry found _within_; where it\nwas they wanted what they sought for, viz., the right way to peace with\nGod. For they were directed to the Light of Jesus Christ within them, as\nthe seed and leaven of the kingdom of God; near all, because _in_ all,\nand God\u2019s talent to all; a faithful and true witness and just monitor\n_in_ every bosom; the gift and grace of God to life and salvation, that\nappears to all, though few regard it. This, the traditional Christian,\nconceited of himself, and strong in his own will and righteousness, and\novercome with blind zeal and passion, either despised as a low and\ncommon thing, or opposed as a novelty, under many hard names or\nopprobrious terms; denying, in his ignorant and angry mind, any fresh\nmanifestation of God\u2019s power and Spirit in man in these days, though\nnever more needed to make true Christians: not unlike those Jews of old,\nthat rejected the Son of God at the very same time that they blindly\nprofessed to wait for the Messiah to come; because, alas, he appeared\nnot among them according to their carnal mind and expectation.\n\nThis brought forth many abusive books, which filled the greater sort\nwith envy, and lesser with rage, and made the way and progress of this\nblessed testimony strait and narrow indeed to those that received it.\nHowever, God owned his own work, and this testimony did effectually\nreach, gather, comfort, and establish, the weary and heavy laden, the\nhungry and thirsty, the poor and needy, the mournful and sick of many\nmaladies, that had spent all upon physicians of no value, and waited for\nrelief from heaven; help only from above: seeing, upon a serious trial\nof all things, nothing else would do but Christ himself, the light of\nhis countenance, a touch of his garment, and help from his hand, who\ncured the poor woman\u2019s issue, raised the centurion\u2019s servant, the\nwidow\u2019s son, the ruler\u2019s daughter, and Peter\u2019s mother; and like her,\nthey no sooner felt his power and efficacy upon their souls, than they\ngave up to obey him in a testimony to his power, and with resigned wills\nand faithful hearts, through all mockings, contradictions, beatings,\nprisons, and many other jeopardies that attended them for his blessed\nname\u2019s sake.\n\nAnd truly, they were very many and very great; so that in all human\nprobability they must have been swallowed up quick of the proud and\nboisterous waves that swelled and beat against them; but that the God of\nall their tender mercies was with them in his glorious authority, so\nthat the hills often fled and the mountains melted before the power that\nfilled them; working mightily for them, as well as in them, one ever\nfollowing the other. By which they saw plainly, to their exceeding great\nconfirmation and comfort, \u201cthat all things were possible with him with\nwhom they had to do.\u201d And that the more that which God required seemed\nto cross man\u2019s wisdom, and expose them to man\u2019s wrath, the more God\nappeared to help and carry them through all to his glory; insomuch that\nif ever any people could say in truth, \u201cThou art our sun and our shield,\nour rock and sanctuary, and by thee we have leaped over a wall, and by\nthee we have run through a troop, and by thee we have put the armies of\nthe aliens to flight,\u201d these people had right to say it. And as God had\ndelivered their souls of the wearisome burdens of sin and vanity, and\nenriched their poverty of spirit, and satisfied their great hunger and\nthirst after eternal righteousness, and filled them with the good things\nof his own house, and made them stewards of his manifold gifts; so they\nwent forth to all quarters of these nations, to declare to the\ninhabitants thereof, what God had done for them; what they had found,\nand where and how they had found it; viz., the way to peace with God;\ninviting them to come and see and taste for themselves, the truth of\nwhat they declared unto them.\n\nAnd as their testimony was to the principle of God in man, the precious\npearl and leaven of the kingdom, as the only blessed means appointed of\nGod to quicken, convince, and sanctify man; so they opened to them what\nit was in itself, and what it was given to them for; how they might know\nit from their own spirit, and that of the subtle appearance of the evil\none; and what it would do for all those, whose minds are turned off from\nthe vanity of the world and its lifeless ways and teachers, and adhere\nto this blessed light in themselves, which discovers and condemns sin in\nall its appearances, and shows how to overcome it, if minded and obeyed\nin its holy manifestations and convictions; giving power to such to\navoid and resist those things that do not please God, and to grow strong\nin love, faith, and good works; that so man, whom sin hath made as a\nwilderness, overrun with briars and thorns, might become as the garden\nof God, cultivated by his Divine power, and replenished with the most\nvirtuous and beautiful plants of God\u2019s own right hand planting, to his\neternal praise.\n\nBut these experimental preachers of glad tidings of God\u2019s truth and\nkingdom, could not run when they list, or pray or preach when they\npleased, but as Christ their Redeemer prepared and moved them by his own\nblessed Spirit, for which they waited in their services and meetings,\nand spoke as that gave them utterance, and which was as those having\nauthority, and not like the dreaming, dry, and formal Pharisees. And so\nit plainly appeared to the serious-minded, whose spiritual eye the Lord\nJesus had in any measure opened; so that to one was given the word of\nexhortation, to another the word of reproof, to another the word of\nconsolation, and all by the same Spirit and in the good order thereof,\nto the convincing and edifying of many.\n\nAnd truly they waxed strong and bold through faithfulness; and by the\npower and Spirit of the Lord Jesus became very fruitful; thousands, in a\nshort time, being turned to the Truth through their testimony in\nministry and sufferings, insomuch as in most counties, and many of the\nconsiderable towns of England, meetings were settled, and daily there\nwere added such as should be saved. For they were diligent to plant and\nto water, and the Lord blessed their labours with an exceeding great\nincrease; notwithstanding all the opposition made to their blessed\nprogress, by false rumours, calumnies, and bitter persecutions; not only\nfrom the powers of the earth, but from every one that listed to injure\nand abuse them; so that they seemed indeed to be as poor sheep appointed\nto the slaughter, and as a people killed all the day long.\n\nIt were fitter for a volume than a preface, but so much as to repeat the\ncontents of their cruel sufferings from professors as well as from\nprofane, and from magistrates as well as from the rabble, that it may\nwell be said of this abused and despised people, they went forth weeping\nand sowed in tears, bearing testimony to the precious seed, the seed of\nthe kingdom, which stands not in words, the finest, the highest that\nman\u2019s wit can use, but in power; the power of Christ Jesus, to whom God\nthe Father hath given all power in heaven and in earth, that he might\nrule angels above, and men below; who empowered them, as their work\nwitnesseth, by the many that were turned through their ministry from\ndarkness to the light, and out of the broad into the narrow way,\nbringing people to a weighty, serious, and godly conversation; the\npractice of that doctrine which they taught.\n\nAnd as without this secret Divine power there is no quickening and\nregenerating of dead souls, so the want of this generating and begetting\npower and life, is the cause of the little fruit that the many\nministries that have been, and are in the world, bring forth. O that\nboth ministers and people were sensible of this! My soul is often\ntroubled for them, and sorrow and mourning compass me about for their\nsakes. O that they were wise! O that they would consider, and lay to\nheart the things that truly and substantially make for their lasting\npeace!\n\nTwo things are to be briefly touched upon; the doctrine they taught, and\nthe example they led among the people. I have already touched upon their\nfundamental principle, which is as the corner-stone of their fabric; and\nto speak eminently and properly, their characteristic, or main\ndistinguishing point or principle, viz., the Light of Christ within, as\nGod\u2019s gift for man\u2019s salvation. This, I say, is as the root of the\ngoodly tree of doctrines that grew and branched out from it, which I\nshall now mention in their natural and experimental order.\n\nFirst, Repentance from dead works to serve the living God; which\ncomprehends three operations, first, a sight of sin; secondly, a sense\nand godly sorrow for it; thirdly, an amendment for the time to come.\nThis was the repentance they preached and pressed, and a natural result\nfrom the principle they turned all people unto. For of light came sight;\nand of sight came sense and sorrow; and of sense and sorrow came\namendment of life; which doctrine of repentance leads to justification;\nthat is, forgiveness of the sins that are past, through Christ, the\nalone propitiation; and to the sanctification or purgation of the soul\nfrom the defiling habits of sin present; which is justification in the\ncomplete sense of that word; comprehending both justification from the\nguilt of the sins that are past, as if they had never been committed,\nthrough the love and mercy of God in Christ Jesus; and the creature\u2019s\nbeing made inwardly just through the cleansing and sanctifying power and\nSpirit of Christ revealed in the soul which is commonly called\nsanctification.\n\nFrom hence sprang a second doctrine they were led to declare, as the\nmark of the prize of the high calling of all true Christians, viz.,\nperfection from sin, according to the Scriptures of Truth, which testify\nit to be the end of Christ\u2019s coming, the nature of his kingdom, and for\nwhich his Spirit was given. But they never held a perfection in wisdom\nand glory in this life, or from natural infirmities or death, as some\nhave with a weak or ill mind, imagined and insinuated against them.\n\nThis they called a redeemed state, regeneration, or the new birth;\nteaching everywhere, according to their foundation, that unless this\nwork were known, there was no inheriting of the kingdom of God.\n\nThird, to an acknowledgment of eternal rewards and punishments, as they\nhave good reason; for else of all people, certainly they must be the\nmost miserable; who for about forty years have been exceedingly great\nsufferers for their profession, and in some cases, treated worse than\nthe worst of men, yea, as the refuse and offscouring of all things.\n\nThis was the purport of their doctrine and ministry; which, for the most\npart, is what other professors of Christianity pretend to hold in words\nand forms, but not in the _power_ of godliness; that has been long lost\nby men\u2019s departing from that principle and Seed of Life that is in man,\nand which man has not regarded, but lost the sense of; and in and by\nwhich only he can be quickened in his mind to serve the living God in\nnewness of life. For as the life of religion was lost, and the\ngenerality lived and worshipped God after their own wills, and not after\nthe will of God, nor the mind of Christ, which stood in the works and\nfruits of the Holy Spirit; so that which they pressed, was not notion,\nbut experience, not formality, but godliness; as being sensible in\nthemselves, through the work of God\u2019s righteous judgments, that without\nholiness no man should ever see the Lord with comfort.\n\nBesides these doctrines, and out of them, as the larger branches, there\nsprang forth several particular doctrines, that did exemplify and\nfurther explain the truth and efficacy of the general doctrine before\nobserved, in their lives and examples. As,\n\nI. Communion and loving one another. This is a noted mark in the mouth\nof all sorts of people concerning them. \u201cThey will meet, they will help\nand stick one to another.\u201d Whence it is common to hear some say, \u201cLook\nhow the Quakers love and take care of one another.\u201d Others less moderate\nwill say, \u201cThe Quakers love none but themselves\u201d; and if loving one\nanother, and having an intimate communion in religion, and constant care\nto meet to worship God and help one another, be any mark of primitive\nChristianity, they had it, blessed be the Lord, in an ample manner.\n\nII. To love enemies. This they both taught and practised; for they did\nnot only refuse to be revenged for injuries done them, and condemned it\nas of an unchristian spirit, but they did freely forgive, yea, help and\nrelieve those that had been cruel to them, when it was in their power to\nhave been even with them; of which many and singular instances might be\ngiven; endeavouring, through patience, to overcome all injustice and\noppression, and preaching this doctrine as Christian for others to\nfollow.\n\nIII. The sufficiency of truth speaking, according to Christ\u2019s own form\nof words, of Yea, Yea, and Nay, Nay, among Christians without swearing,\nboth from Christ\u2019s express prohibition, \u201cSwear not at all,\u201d Matt. v.;\nand for that they being under the tie and bond of truth in themselves\nthere was both no necessity for an oath, and it would be a reproach to\ntheir Christian veracity to assure their truth by such an extraordinary\nway of speaking; but offering at the same time, to be punished to the\nfull, for false speaking, as others for perjury, if ever guilty of it;\nand hereby they exclude with all true, all false and profane swearing;\nfor which the land did and doth mourn, and the great God was and is not\na little offended with it.\n\nIV. Not fighting but suffering, is another testimony peculiar to this\npeople; they affirm that Christianity teacheth people \u201cto beat their\nswords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks, and to\nlearn war no more,\u201d so that the wolf may lie down with the lamb, and the\nlion with the calf, and nothing that destroys be entertained in the\nhearts of people; exhorting them to employ their zeal against sin, and\nturn their anger against Satan, and no longer war one against another;\nbecause all wars and fightings come of men\u2019s own hearts\u2019 lusts,\naccording to the apostle James, and not of the meek spirit of Christ\nJesus, who is captain of another warfare, and which is carried on with\nother weapons. Thus, as truth-speaking succeeded swearing, so faith and\ntruth succeeded fighting, in the doctrine and practice of this people.\nNor ought they for this to be obnoxious to civil government, since if\nthey cannot fight for it, neither can they fight against it; which is no\nmean security to the state; nor is it reasonable that people should be\nblamed for not doing more for others than they can do for themselves.\nAnd Christianity set aside, if the costs and fruits of war were well\nconsidered, peace, with its inconveniences, is generally preferable. But\nthough they were not for fighting, they were for submitting to\ngovernment; and that, not only for fear, but for conscience\u2019 sake, where\ngovernment doth not interfere with conscience; believing it to be an\nordinance of God, and where it is justly administered, a great benefit\nto mankind; though it has been their lot, through blind zeal in some,\nand interest in others, to have felt the strokes of it with greater\nweight and rigour than any other persuasion in this age; whilst they, of\nall others (religion set aside) have given the civil magistrate the\nleast occasion of trouble in the discharge of his office.\n\nV. Another part of the character of this people is, they refuse to pay\ntithes, or maintenance to a national ministry, and that for two reasons;\nthe one is, that they believe all compelled maintenance, even to gospel\nministers, to be unlawful, because expressly contrary to Christ\u2019s\ncommand, who said, \u201cFreely you have received, freely give;\u201d at least\nthat the maintenance of gospel ministers should be free, and not forced.\nThe other reason of their refusal is, because those ministers are not\ngospel ones, in that the Holy Ghost is not their foundation, but human\narts and parts; so that it is not matter of humour or sullenness, but\npure conscience towards God, that they cannot help to support national\nministries where they dwell, which are but too much and too visibly\nbecome ways of worldly advantage and preferment.\n\nVI. Not to respect persons, was another of their doctrines and\npractices, for which they were often buffeted and abused. They affirmed\nit to be sinful to give flattering titles, or to use vain gestures and\ncompliments of respect; though to virtue and authority they ever made a\ndifference, but after their plain and homely manner, yet sincere and\nsubstantial way; well remembering the example of Mordecai and Elihu, but\nmore especially the command of their Lord and Master Jesus Christ who\nforbade his followers to call men Rabbi, which implies lord and master,\nalso the fashionable greetings and salutations of those times; that so\nself-love and honour, to which the proud mind of man is incident, in his\nfallen estate, might not be indulged but rebuked.\n\nVII. They also used the plain language of Thou and Thee, to a single\nperson, whatever was his degree among men. And indeed the wisdom of God\nwas much seen, in bringing forth this people in so plain an appearance;\nfor it was a close and distinguishing test upon the spirit of those they\ncame among; showing their insides and what predominated, notwithstanding\ntheir high and great profession of religion. This, among the rest,\nsounded so harsh to many of them, and they took it so ill, that they\nwould say, \u201cThou me, thou my dog; if thou thouest me, I\u2019ll thou thy\nteeth down thy throat,\u201d forgetting the language they use to God in their\nown prayers, and the common style of the Scriptures, and that it is an\nabsolute and essential propriety of speech; and what good had their\nreligion done them, who were so sensibly touched with indignation for\nthe use of this plain, honest, and true speech?\n\nVIII. They recommended silence by their example, having very few words\nupon all occasions; they were at a word in dealing; nor could their\ncustomers with many words tempt them from it; having more regard to\ntruth than custom, to example than gain. They sought solitude; but when\nin company, they would neither use, nor willingly hear, unnecessary as\nwell as unlawful discourses; whereby they preserved their minds pure and\nundisturbed from unprofitable thoughts and diversions; nor could they\nhumour the custom of \u201cGood night, Good morrow, God speed;\u201d for they knew\nthe night was good, and the day was good, without wishing of either; and\nthat in the other expression, the holy name of God was too lightly and\nunthinkingly used, and therefore taken in vain. Besides, they were words\nand wishes of course, and are usually as little meant, as are love and\nservice in the custom of cap and knee; and superfluity in those, as well\nas in other things, was burdensome to them; and therefore they did not\nonly decline to use them, but found themselves often pressed to reprove\nthe practice.\n\nIX. For the same reason they forbore drinking to people, or pledging of\nthem, as the manner of the world is; a practice that is not only\nunnecessary, but they thought evil in the tendencies of it; being a\nprovocation to drinking more than did people good, as well as that it\nwas in itself vain and heathenish.\n\nX. Their way of marriage is peculiar to them; and is a distinguishing\npractice from all other societies professing Christianity. They say that\nmarriage is an ordinance of God, and that God only can rightly join man\nand woman in marriage. Therefore they use neither priest nor magistrate,\nbut the man and woman concerned, take each other as husband and wife, in\nthe presence of divers credible witnesses, \u201cpromising unto each other,\nwith God\u2019s assistance, to be loving and faithful in that relation, till\ndeath shall separate them.\u201d But, antecedent to all this, they first\npresent themselves to the Monthly Meeting for the affairs of the church,\nwhere they reside, there declaring their intentions to take one another\nas man and wife, if the said meeting have nothing material to object\nagainst it. They are constantly asked the necessary questions,[A] as in\ncase of parents, or guardians, if they have acquainted them with their\nintention, and have their consent, &c. In case it appears they proceeded\norderly, the meeting passes their proposal, and so records it in their\nmeeting book; and in case the woman is a widow and hath children, due\ncare is there taken, that provision also be made by her for the orphans\nbefore the said marriage; advising the parties concerned to appoint a\nconvenient time and place, and to give fitting notice to their\nrelations, and such friends and neighbours, as they desire should be the\nwitnesses of their marriage: where they take one another by the hand,\nand by name promising reciprocally after the manner before expressed. Of\nall which proceedings, a narrative, in the way of certificate, is made,\nto which the said parties first set their hands, thereby making it their\nact and deed; and then divers of the relations, spectators, and auditors\nset their names as witnesses of what they said and signed; which\ncertificate is afterward registered in the record belonging to the\nmeeting where the marriage is solemnized. Which regular method has been,\nas it deserves, adjudged in courts of law a good marriage where it has\nbeen disputed and contested, for want of the accustomed formality of\npriest and ring, &c., which ceremonies they have refused, not out of\nhumour, but conscience reasonably grounded, inasmuch as no Scripture\nexample tells us, that the priest had any other part of old time, than\nthat of a witness among the rest, before whom the Jews used to take one\nanother: and therefore this people look upon it as an imposition, to\nadvance the power and profits of the clergy. And for the use of the\nring, it is enough to say, that it was a heathenish and vain custom, and\nnever in practice among the people of God, Jews, or primitive\nChristians. The words of the usual form, as \u201cWith my body I thee\nworship,\u201d &c., are hardly defensible: in short, they are more careful,\nexact, and regular than any form now used, and it is free from the\ninconveniences other methods are attended with; their care and checks\nbeing so many, and such, that no clandestine marriages can be performed\namong them.\n\nXI. It may not be unfit to say something here of their births and\nburials, which make up so much of the pomp and solemnity of too many\ncalled Christians. For births, the parents name their own children,\nwhich is usually some days after they are born, and afterward sign a\ncertificate, for that purpose prepared, of the birth and name of the\nchild, or children, which is recorded in a proper book, in the Monthly\nMeeting, to which the parents belong; avoiding the accustomed ceremonies\nand festivals.\n\nXII. Their burials are performed with the same simplicity. If the corpse\nof the deceased be near any public meeting place, it is usually carried\nthither, for the more convenient reception of those that accompany it to\nthe ground they bury in, and it so falls out sometimes, that while the\nmeeting is gathering for the burial, some or other have a word of\nexhortation, for the sake of the people there met together: after which,\nthe body is borne away by the young men, or those that are of their\nneighbourhood, or that were most intimate with the deceased party: the\ncorpse being in a plain coffin, without any covering or furniture upon\nit. At the ground, they pause some time before they put the body into\nits grave, that if any there should have anything upon them to exhort\nthe people, they may not be disappointed, and that the relations may the\nmore retiredly and solemnly take their last leave of the corpse of their\ndeparted kindred, and the spectators have a sense of mortality, by the\noccasion then given them to reflect upon their own latter end. Otherwise\nthey have no set rites or ceremonies on those occasions; neither do the\nkindred of the deceased wear mourning, they looking upon it as a worldly\nceremony and piece of pomp; and that what mourning is fit for a\nChristian to have, at the departure of a beloved relation or friend,\nshould be worn in the mind, which is only sensible of the loss; and the\nlove they had to them, and remembrance of them, to be outwardly\nexpressed by a respect to their advice, and care of those they have left\nbehind them, and their love of that they loved. Which conduct of theirs,\nthough unmodish or unfashionable, leaves nothing of the substance of\nthings neglected or undone; and as they aim at no more, so that\nsimplicity of life is what they observe with great satisfaction, though\nit sometimes happens not to be without the mockeries of the vain world\nthey live in.\n\nThese things gave them a rough and disagreeable appearance with the\ngenerality; who thought them turners of the world upside down, as indeed\nin some sense they were: but in no other than that wherein Paul was so\ncharged, viz., to bring things back into their primitive and right order\nagain. For these, and such like practices of theirs, were not the result\nof humour, as some have fancied, but a fruit of inward sense, which God,\nthrough his fear, had begotten in them. They did not consider how to\ncontradict the world, or distinguish themselves; being none of their\nbusiness, as it was not their interest; no, it was not the result of\nconsultation, or a framed design to declare or recommend schism or\nnovelty. But God having given them a sight of themselves, they saw the\nwhole world in the same glass of truth; and sensibly discerned the\naffections and passions of men, and the rise and tendency of things;\nwhat gratified \u201cthe lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the\npride of life, which are not of the Father, but of the world.\u201d And from\nthence sprang, in that night of darkness and apostacy, which hath been\nover people, through their degeneration from the Light and Spirit of\nGod, these and many other vain customs; which are seen, by the heavenly\nday of Christ which dawns in the soul, to be, either wrong in their\noriginal, or, by time and abuse, hurtful in their practice. And though\nthese things seemed trivial to some, and rendered this people stingy and\nconceited in such persons\u2019 opinions; there was and is more in them than\nthey were aware of. It was not very easy to our primitive Friends to\nmake themselves sights and spectacles, and the scorn and derision of the\nworld; which they easily foresaw must be the consequence of so\nunfashionable a conversation in it. But herein was the wisdom of God\nseen in the foolishness of these things; first, that they discovered the\nsatisfaction and concern that people had in and for the fashions of this\nworld, notwithstanding their pretences to another; in that any\ndisappointment about them came so very near them, that the greatest\nhonesty, virtue, wisdom, and ability were unwelcome without them.\nSecondly, it seasonably and profitably divided conversation; for making\ntheir society uneasy to their relations and acquaintance, it gave them\nthe opportunity of more retirement and solitude, wherein they met with\nbetter company, even the Lord God, their Redeemer, and grew strong in\nhis love, power, and wisdom, and were thereby better qualified for his\nservice; and the success abundantly showed it: blessed be the name of\nthe Lord.\n\nAnd though they were not great and learned in the esteem of this world\n(for then they had not wanted followers upon their own credit and\nauthority), yet they were generally of the most sober of the several\npersuasions they were in, and of the most repute for religion; and many\nof them of good capacity, substance, and account among men.\n\nAnd also some among them neither wanted for parts, learning, nor estate;\nthough then, as of old, not many wise, nor noble, &c., were called, or\nat least received the heavenly call; because of the cross that attended\nthe profession of it in sincerity; but neither do parts or learning make\nmen the better Christians, though the better orators and disputants; and\nit is the ignorance of people about the divine gift that causes that\nvulgar and mischievous mistake. Theory and practice, expression and\nenjoyment; words and life; are two things. O! it is the penitent, the\nreformed, the lowly, the watchful, the self-denying and holy soul that\nis the Christian; and that frame is the fruit and work of the Spirit,\nwhich is the life of Jesus; whose life, though hid in God the Father, is\nshed abroad in the hearts of them that truly believe. O! that people did\nbut know this to cleanse them, to circumcise them, to quicken them, and\nto make them new creatures indeed; re-created, or re-generated after\nChrist Jesus unto good works; that they might live to God and not to\nthemselves; and offer up living prayers and living praises to the living\nGod, through his own living Spirit, in which he is only to be worshipped\nin this gospel day. O! that they that read me could but feel me; for my\nheart is affected with this merciful visitation of the Father of Lights\nand Spirits, to this poor nation, and the whole world, through the same\ntestimony. Why should the inhabitants thereof reject it? Why should they\nlose the blessed benefit of it? Why should they not turn to the Lord\nwith all their hearts, and say, from the heart, \u201cSpeak, Lord, for now\nthy poor servants hear? O! that thy will may be done, thy great, thy\ngood and holy will, in earth as it is in heaven: do it in us, do it upon\nus, do what thou wilt with us, for we are thine and desire to glorify\nthee our Creator, both for that, and because thou art our Redeemer; for\nthou art redeeming us from the earth; from the vanities and pollutions\nof it, to be a peculiar people unto thee.\u201d O! this were a brave day for\nEngland, if so she could say in truth. But alas, the case is otherwise,\nfor which some of thine inhabitants, O land of my nativity I have\nmourned over thee with bitter wailing and lamentation. Their heads have\nbeen indeed as waters, and their eyes as fountains of tears, because of\nthy transgression and stiffneckedness; because thou wilt not hear and\nfear, and return to the Rock, even thy Rock, O England! from whence thou\nwert hewn. But be thou warned, O land of great profession, to receive\nhim into thy heart; behold at that door it is, he hath stood so long\nknocking, but thou wilt yet have none of him. O! be thou awakened, lest\nJerusalem\u2019s judgments do swiftly overtake thee, because of Jerusalem\u2019s\nsins that abound in thee. For she abounded in formality, but made void\nthe weighty things of God\u2019s law, as thou daily doest.\n\nShe withstood the Son of God in the flesh, and thou resistest the Son of\nGod in the Spirit. He would have gathered her as a hen gathereth her\nchickens under her wings, and she would not; so would he have gathered\nthee out of thy lifeless profession, and have brought thee to inherit\nsubstance, to have known his power and kingdom, for which he often\nknocked within by his grace and Spirit, and without, by his servants and\nwitnesses; but thou wouldst not be gathered. On the contrary, as\nJerusalem of old persecuted the manifestation of the Son of God in the\nflesh, and crucified him, and whipped and imprisoned his servants; so\nhast thou, O land, crucified to thyself afresh the Lord of life and\nglory, and done despite to his Spirit of grace; slighting the fatherly\nvisitation, and persecuting the blessed dispensers of it by thy laws and\nmagistrates; though they have early and late pleaded with thee in the\npower and Spirit of the Lord; in love and meekness, that thou mightest\nknow the Lord and serve him, and become the glory of all lands.\n\nBut thou hast evilly entreated and requited them. Thou hast set at\nnaught all their counsel, and wouldst have none of their reproof, as\nthou shouldst have done. Their appearance was too strait, and their\nqualifications were too mean for thee to receive them; like the Jews of\nold, that cried, \u201cIs not this the carpenter\u2019s son, and are not his\nbrethren among us; which of the scribes, of the learned, (the orthodox)\nbelieve in him?\u201d prophesying their fall in a year or two, and making and\nexecuting severe laws to bring it to pass; by endeavouring to terrify\nthem out of their holy way, or destroying them for abiding faithful to\nit. But thou hast seen how many governments that rose against them, and\ndetermined their downfall, have been overturned and extinguished, and\nthat they are still preserved, and become a great and a considerable\npeople among the middle sort of thy numerous inhabitants. And\nnotwithstanding the many difficulties, without and within, which they\nhave laboured under, since the Lord God Eternal first gathered them,\nthey are an increasing people, the Lord still adding unto them, in\ndivers parts, such as shall be saved, if they persevere to the end. And\nto thee were they, and are they lifted up as a standard, and as a city\nset upon a hill, and to the nations round about thee, that in their\nlight thou mayest come to see light, even in Christ Jesus, the Light of\nthe world; and therefore thy Light, and Life too, if thou wouldst but\nturn from thy many evil ways, and receive and obey it. For in the \u201cLight\nof the Lamb, must the nations of them that are saved walk,\u201d as the\nScriptures testify.\n\nRemember, O nation of great profession! how the Lord has waited upon\nthee since the days of reformation, and the many mercies and judgments\nwith which he has pleaded with thee; awake and arise out of thy deep\nsleep, and yet hear his Word in thy heart, that thou mayest live.\n\nLet not this thy day of visitation pass over thy head, nor neglect thou\nso great salvation as is this which is come to thy house, O England! For\nwhy shouldst thou die, O land that God desires to bless? Be assured it\nis He that has been in the midst of this people, in the midst of thee,\nand no delusion, as thy mistaken teachers have made thee believe. And\nthis thou shalt find by their marks and fruits, if thou wilt consider\nthem in the spirit of moderation.\n\nI. They were changed men themselves before they went about to change\nothers. Their hearts were rent as well as their garments; and they knew\nthe power and work of God upon them. And this was seen by the great\nalteration it made, and their stricter course of life, and more godly\nconversation, that immediately followed upon it.\n\nII. They went not forth, or preached in their own time and will, but in\nthe will of God, and spoke not their own studied matter, but as they\nwere opened and moved of his Spirit, with which they were well\nacquainted in their own conversion; which cannot be expressed to carnal\nmen so as to give them any intelligible account; for to such it is as\nChrist said, \u201clike the blowing of the wind, which no man knows whence it\ncometh, or whither it goeth;\u201d yet this proof and seal went along with\ntheir ministry, that many were turned from their lifeless professions,\nand the evil of their ways, to the knowledge of God, and a holy life, as\nthousands can witness. And as they freely received what they had to say\nfrom the Lord, so they freely administered it to others.\n\nIII. The bent and stress of their ministry was conversion to God,\nregeneration, and holiness; not schemes of doctrines and verbal creeds,\nor new forms of worship; but a leaving off in religion, the superfluous,\nand reducing the ceremonious and formal part, and pressing earnestly the\nsubstantial, the necessary and profitable part; as all upon a serious\nreflection must and do acknowledge.\n\nIV. They directed people to a principle by which all that they asserted,\npreached and exhorted others to, might be wrought in them, and known to\nthem, through experience, to be true; which is a high and distinguishing\nmark of the truth of their ministry; both that they knew what they said,\nand were not afraid of coming to the test. For as they were bold from\ncertainty, so they required conformity upon no human authority, but upon\nconviction, and the conviction of this principle, which they asserted\nwas in them that they preached unto, and unto that they directed them,\nthat they might examine and prove the reality of those things which they\nhad affirmed of it, and its manifestation and work in man. And this is\nmore than many ministries in the world pretend to. They declare of\nreligion, say many things true in words, of God, Christ, and the Spirit,\nof holiness and heaven; that all men should repent and mend their lives,\nor they will go to hell, &c. But which of them all pretend to speak of\ntheir own knowledge and experience; or ever directed men to a divine\nprinciple or agent, placed of God in man, to help him; and how to know\nit, and wait to feel its power to work that good and acceptable will of\nGod in them?\n\nSome of them indeed have spoken of the Spirit and the operations of it\nto sanctification, and the performance of worship to God; but _where_\nand _how_ to find it, and wait in it to perform this duty, was yet as a\nmystery reserved for this further degree of reformation. So that this\npeople did not only in words more than equally press repentance,\nconversion, and holiness, but did it knowingly and experimentally; and\ndirected those to whom they preached to a sufficient principle, and told\nthem where it is, and by what tokens they might know it, and which way\nthey might experience the power and efficacy of it to their soul\u2019s\nhappiness; which is more than theory and speculation, upon which most\nother ministries depend; for here is certainty,\u2014a bottom upon which man\nmay boldly appear before God in the great day of account.\n\nV. They reached to the inward state and condition of people, which is an\nevidence of the virtue of their principle, and of their ministering from\nit, and not from their own imaginations, glosses, or comments upon\nScripture. For nothing reaches the heart, but what is from the heart, or\npierces the conscience, but what comes from a living conscience:\ninsomuch that as it hath often happened, where people have under secrecy\nrevealed their state or condition to some choice friends for advice or\nease, they have been so particularly directed in the ministry of this\npeople, that they have challenged their friends with discovering their\nsecrets, and telling the preachers their cases. Yea, the very thoughts\nand purposes of the hearts of many have been so plainly detected, that\nthey have, like Nathaniel, cried, out of this inward appearance of\nChrist, \u201cThou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel.\u201d And\nthose that have embraced this divine principle have found this mark of\nits truth and divinity (that the woman of Samaria did of Christ when in\nthe flesh, to be the Messiah, viz.), \u201cit had told them all that ever\nthey had done;\u201d shown them their insides, the most inward secrets of\ntheir hearts; and laid judgment to the line and righteousness to the\nplummet; of which thousands can at this day give in their witness. So\nthat nothing has been affirmed by this people of the power and virtue of\nthis heavenly principle, that such as have turned to it have not found\ntrue, and more; and that one half had not been told to them of what they\nhave seen of the power, purity, wisdom, mercy, and goodness of God\nherein.\n\nVI. The accomplishments with which this principle fitted, even some of\nthe meanest of this people, for their work and service; furnishing some\nof them with an extraordinary understanding in divine things, and an\nadmirable fluency and taking way of expression, which gave occasion to\nsome to wonder, saying of them, as of their Master, \u201cIs not this such a\nmechanic\u2019s son? how came he by this learning?\u201d As from thence others\ntook occasion to suspect and insinuate they were Jesuits in disguise,\nwho have had the reputation of learned men for an age past, though there\nwas not the least ground of truth for any such reflection.\n\nVII. They came forth, low, and despised, and hated, as the primitive\nChristians did, and not by the help of worldly wisdom or power, as\nformer reformations in part did: but in all things, it may be said, this\npeople were brought forth in the cross, in a contradiction to the ways,\nworships, fashions, and customs of this world; yea, against wind and\ntide, that so no flesh might glory before God.\n\nVIII. They could have no design to themselves in this work, thus to\nexpose themselves to scorn and abuse, to spend and be spent; leaving\nwife and children, house and land, and all that can be accounted dear to\nmen, with their lives in their hands, being daily in jeopardy, to\ndeclare this primitive message, revived in their spirits by the good\nSpirit and power of God, viz., \u201cThat God is light, and in him is no\ndarkness at all; and that he has sent his Son a light into the world to\nenlighten all men in order to salvation; and that they that say they\nhave fellowship with God and are his children and people, and yet walk\nin darkness, viz., in disobedience to the light in their consciences,\nand after the vanity of this world, lie, and do not the truth. But that\nall such as love the light, and bring their deeds to it, and walk in the\nlight, as God is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son should\ncleanse them from all sin.\u201d\n\nIX. Their known great constancy and patience in suffering for their\ntestimony, in all the branches of it, and that, sometimes unto death, by\nbeatings, bruisings, long and crowded imprisonments, and noisome\ndungeons. Four of them in New England dying by the hands of the\nexecutioner, purely for preaching amongst that people; besides\nbanishments and excessive plunders and sequestrations of their goods and\nestates, almost in all parts, not easily to be expressed, and less to be\nendured, but by those that have the support of a good and glorious\ncause: refusing deliverance by any indirect ways or means, as often as\nit was offered to them.\n\nX. That they did not only not show any disposition to revenge, when it\nwas at any time in their power, but forgave their cruel enemies; showing\nmercy to those that had none for them.\n\nXI. Their plainness with those in authority; not unlike the ancient\nprophets, not fearing to tell them to their faces of their private and\npublic sins; and their prophecies to them of their afflictions and\ndownfall, when in the top of their glory: also of some national\njudgments, as of the plague, and fire of London, in express terms, and\nlikewise particular ones to divers persecutors, which accordingly\novertook them, and which were very remarkable in the places where they\ndwelt, and in time they may be made public for the glory of God.\n\nThus, reader, thou seest this people in their rise, principles,\nministry, and progress, both their general and particular testimony, by\nwhich thou mayest be informed how and upon what foot they sprung, and\nbecame so considerable a people. It remains next that I show also their\ncare, conduct, and discipline, as a Christian and reformed Society, that\nthey might be found living up to their own principles and profession.\nAnd this, the rather, because they have hardly suffered more in their\ncharacter from the unjust charge of error, than by the false imputation\nof disorder; which calumny indeed has not failed to follow all the true\nsteps that were ever made to reformation, and under which reproach none\nsuffered more than the primitive Christians themselves, that were the\nhonour of Christianity, and the great lights and examples of their own\nand succeeding ages.\n\nThis people increasing daily, both in town and country, a holy care fell\nupon some of the elders among them, for the benefit and service of the\nchurch. And the first business in their view, after the example of the\nprimitive saints, was the exercise of charity; to supply the necessities\nof the poor, and answer the like occasions. Wherefore collections were\nearly and liberally made for that and divers other services in the\nchurch, and entrusted with faithful men, fearing God, and of good\nreport, who were not weary in well-doing; adding often of their own, in\nlarge proportions, which they never brought to account, or desired\nshould be known, much less restored to them, that none might want, nor\nany service be retarded or disappointed.\n\nThey were also very careful that every one that belonged to them,\nanswered their profession in their behaviour among men upon all\noccasions; that they lived peaceably, and were in all things good\nexamples. They found themselves engaged to record their sufferings and\nservices; and in case of marriage, which they could not perform in the\nusual methods of the nation, but among themselves, they took care that\nall things were clear between the parties and all others. And it was\nrare then, that any one entertained such inclinations to a person on\nthat account, till he or she had communicated it secretly to some very\nweighty and eminent friends among them, that they might have a sense of\nthe matter; looking to the counsel and unity of their brethren as of\ngreat moment to them. But because the charge of the poor, the number of\norphans, marriages, sufferings, and other matters multiplied, and that\nit was good that the churches were in some way and method of proceeding\nin such affairs among them, to the end they might the better correspond\nupon occasion, where a member of one meeting might have to do with one\nof another; it pleased the Lord, in his wisdom and goodness, to open the\nunderstanding of the first instrument of this dispensation of life,\nabout a good and orderly way of proceeding; and he felt a holy concern\nto visit the churches in person throughout this nation, to begin and\nestablish it among them; and by his epistles the like was done in other\nnations and provinces abroad; which he also afterwards visited, and\nhelped in that service, as shall be observed when I come to speak of\nhim.\n\nNow the care, conduct, and discipline I have been speaking of, and which\nare now practised among this people, are as followeth:\u2014\n\nThis godly elder, in every county where he travelled, exhorted them,\nthat some out of every meeting of worship, should meet together once in\nthe month, to confer about the wants and occasions of the church. And as\nthe case required, so those monthly meetings were fewer or more in\nnumber in every respective county; four or six meetings of worship\nusually making one monthly meeting of business. And accordingly the\nbrethren met him from place to place, and began the said meetings, viz.,\nfor the Poor; Orphans; Orderly Walking; Integrity to their Profession;\nBirths, Marriages, Burials, Sufferings, &c. And that these monthly\nmeetings should, in each county, make up one quarterly meeting, where\nthe most zealous and eminent friends of the county should assemble to\ncommunicate, advise, and help one another, especially when any business\nseemed difficult, or a monthly meeting was tender of determining a\nmatter.\n\nAlso these quarterly meetings should digest the reports of the monthly\nmeetings, and prepare one for the county, against the yearly meeting, in\nwhich the quarterly meetings resolve, which is held yearly in London;\nwhere the churches in this nation and other nations[1] and provinces\nmeet, by chosen members of their respective counties, both mutually to\ncommunicate their church affairs, and to advise, and be advised in any\ndepending case to edification; also to provide a requisite stock for the\ndischarge of general expenses for general services in the church, not\nneedful to be here particularized.\n\nFootnote 1:\n\n  At present (1891), there are eleven Yearly Meetings on the American\n  continent also, in association with each other, and with that of\n  London.\n\nAt these meetings any of the members of the churches may come if they\nplease, and speak their minds freely, in the fear of God, to any matter;\nbut the mind of each meeting therein represented is chiefly understood,\nas to particular cases, in the sense delivered by the persons deputed or\nchosen for that purpose.\n\nDuring their yearly meeting, to which their other meetings refer in\ntheir order and resolve themselves, care is taken by a select number,\nfor that service chosen by the general assembly, to draw up the\nminutes[2] of the said meeting, upon the several matters that have been\nunder consideration therein, to the end that the respective quarterly\nand monthly meetings may be informed of all proceedings, together with a\ngeneral exhortation to holiness, unity, and charity. Of all which\nproceedings in yearly, quarterly, and monthly meetings, due record is\nkept by some one appointed for that service, or that hath voluntarily\nundertaken it. These meetings are opened, and usually concluded, in\ntheir solemn waiting upon God, who is sometimes graciously pleased to\nanswer them with as signal evidences of his love and presence, as in any\nof their meetings for worship.\n\nFootnote 2:\n\n  This is not now quite correct. A committee still draws up the General\n  Epistle; but the minutes of the transactions of the meeting are made\n  as matters occur during its several sittings.\n\nIt is further to be noted, that in these solemn assemblies for the\nchurch\u2019s service, there is no one who presides among them after the\nmanner of the assemblies of other people; Christ only being their\npresident, as he is pleased to appear in life and wisdom in any one or\nmore of them, to whom, whatever be their capacity or degree, the rest\nadhere with a firm unity, not of authority but conviction, which is the\ndivine authority and way of Christ\u2019s power and Spirit in his people:\nmaking good his blessed promise, \u201cthat he would be in the midst of his,\nwhere and whenever they were met together in his name, even to the end\nof the world.\u201d So be it.\n\nNow it may be expected, I should here set down what sort of authority is\nexercised by this people, upon such members of their society, as\ncorrespond not in their lives with their profession, and that are\nrefractory to this good and wholesome order settled among them; and the\nrather, because they have not wanted their reproach and suffering from\nsome tongues, upon this occasion, in a plentiful manner.\n\nThe power they exercise is such as Christ has given to his own people,\nto the end of the world, in the persons of his disciples, viz., \u201cto\noversee, exhort, reprove,\u201d and after long suffering and waiting upon the\ndisobedient and refractory, \u201cto disown them, as any more of their\ncommunion, or that they will any longer stand charged in the sight and\njudgment of God or men, with their conversation or behaviour as one of\nthem until they repent.\u201d The subject matter about which this authority,\nin any of the foregoing branches of it, is exercised, is first, in\nrelation to common and general practice; and secondly, about those\nthings that more strictly refer to their own character and profession,\nand distinguish them from all other professors of Christianity; avoiding\ntwo extremes upon which many split, viz., persecution and libertinism;\nthat is, a coercive power to whip people into the temple; that such as\nwill not conform, though against faith and conscience, shall be punished\nin their persons or estates; or leaving all loose and at large, as to\npractice, unaccountable to all but God and the magistrate. To which\nhurtful extreme nothing has more contributed than the abuse of church\npower, by such as suffer their passions and private interests to prevail\nwith them to carry it to outward force and corporal punishment\u2014a\npractice they have been taught to dislike, by their extreme sufferings,\nas well as their known principle for an universal liberty of conscience.\n\nOn the other hand, they equally dislike an independency in society, an\nunaccountableness in practice and conversation to the terms of their own\ncommunion, and to those that are the members of it. They distinguish\nbetween imposing any practice that immediately regards faith or worship\n(which is never to be done, nor suffered, or submitted unto), and\nrequiring Christian compliance with those methods that only respect\nchurch-business in its more civil part and concern, and that regard the\ndiscreet and orderly maintenance of the character of the society, as a\nsober and religious community. In short, what is for the promotion of\nholiness and charity, that men may practice what they profess, live up\nto their own principles, and not be at liberty to give the lie to their\nown profession, without rebuke, is their use and limit of church power.\nThey compel none to them, but oblige those that are of them to walk\nsuitably, or they are denied by them; that is all the mark they set upon\nthem, and the power they exercise, or judge a Christian society can\nexercise, upon those that are the members of it.\n\nThe way of their proceeding against one who has lapsed or transgressed\nis this. He is visited by some of them, and the matter of fact laid home\nto him, be it any evil practice against known and general virtue, or any\nbranch of their particular testimony, which he, in common, professeth\nwith them. They labour with him in much love and zeal for the good of\nhis soul, the honour of God, and reputation of their profession, to own\nhis fault and condemn it, in as ample a manner as the evil or scandal\nwas given by him; which, for the most part, is performed by some written\ntestimony under the party\u2019s hand; and if it so happen that the party\nproves refractory, and is not willing to clear the truth they profess\nfrom the reproach of his or her evil-doing or unfaithfulness, they,\nafter repeated entreaties and due waiting for a token of repentance,\ngive forth a paper to disown such a fact, and the party offending;\nrecording the same as a testimony of their care for the honour of the\ntruth they profess.\n\nAnd if such shall clear their profession and themselves, by sincere\nacknowledgment of their fault, and godly sorrow for so doing, they are\nreceived and looked upon again as members of their communion. For as\nGod, so his true people, upbraid no man after repentance.\n\nThis is the account I had to give of the people of God called Quakers,\nas to their rise, appearance, principles, and practices, in this age of\nthe world, both with respect to their faith and worship, discipline and\nconversation. And I judge it very proper in this place, because it is to\npreface the Journal of the first blessed and glorious instrument of this\nwork, and for a testimony to him in his singular qualifications and\nservices, in which he abundantly excelled in this day, and which are\nworthy to be set forth as an example to all succeeding times; to the\nglory of the most high God, and for a just memorial to that worthy and\nexcellent man, his faithful servant and apostle to this generation of\nthe world.\n\nI am now come to the third head or branch of my Preface, viz., the\ninstrumental author. For it is natural for some to say, Well, here is\nthe people and work, but where and who was the man, the instrument? he\nthat in this age was sent to begin this work and people? I shall, as God\nshall enable me, declare who and what he was, not only by report of\nothers, but from my own long and most inward converse, and intimate\nknowledge of him; for which my soul blesseth God, as it hath often done;\nand I doubt not, that by the time I have discharged myself of this part\nof my Preface, my serious readers will believe I had good cause so to\ndo.\n\nThe blessed instrument of this work in this day of God, of whom I am now\nabout to write, was GEORGE FOX, distinguished from another of that name,\nby that other\u2019s addition of Younger to his name in all his writings; not\nthat he was so in years, but that he was so in the truth; but he was\nalso a worthy man, witness, and servant of God in his time.\n\nBut this George Fox was born in Leicestershire, about the year 1624. He\ndescended of honest and sufficient parents, who endeavoured to bring him\nup, as they did the rest of their children, in the way and worship of\nthe nation; especially his mother, who was a woman accomplished above\nmost of her degree in the place where she lived. But from a child he\nappeared of another frame of mind than the rest of his brethren; being\nmore religious, inward, still, solid, and observing, beyond his years,\nas the answers he would give, and the questions he would put upon\noccasion, manifested to the astonishment of those that heard him,\nespecially in divine things.\n\nHis mother taking notice of his singular temper, and the gravity,\nwisdom, and piety that very early shined through him, refusing childish\nand vain sports and company, when very young, she was tender and\nindulgent over him, so that from her he met with little difficulty. As\nto his employment, he was brought up in country business: and as he took\nmost delight in sheep, so he was very skilful in them; an employment\nthat very well suited his mind in several respects, both from its\ninnocency and solitude; and was a just figure of his after ministry and\nservice.\n\nI shall not break in upon his own account, which is by much the best\nthat can be given, and therefore desire, what I can, to avoid saying any\nthing of what is said already, as to the particular passages of his\ncoming forth; but, in general, when he was somewhat above twenty, he\nleft his friends, and visited the most retired and religious people in\nthose parts; and some there were in this nation, who waited for the\nconsolation of Israel night and day; as Zacharias, Anna, and good old\nSimeon did of old time. To these he was sent, and these he sought out in\nthe neighbouring counties, and among them he sojourned till his more\nample ministry came upon him. At this time he taught, and was an example\nof silence, endeavouring to bring them from self-performances,\ntestifying and turning to the Light of Christ within them, and\nencouraging them to wait in patience to feel the power of it to stir in\ntheir hearts, that their knowledge and worship of God might stand in the\npower of an endless life, which was to be found in the Light, as it was\nobeyed in the manifestation of it in man. \u201cFor in the Word was Life, and\nthat Life is the Light of men,\u201d Life in the Word, Light in men\u2014and Life\nin men too, as the Light is obeyed; the children of the Light living in\nthe Life of the Word, by which the Word begets them again to God, which\nis the regeneration and new birth, without which there is no coming unto\nthe kingdom of God; and which, whoever comes to, is greater than John,\nthat is, than John\u2019s dispensation, which was not that of the kingdom,\nbut the consummation of the legal, and forerunning of the gospel\ndispensation. Accordingly, several meetings were gathered in those\nparts; and thus his time was employed for some years.\n\nIn 1652, he being in his usual retirement to the Lord upon a very high\nmountain, in some of the higher parts of Yorkshire, as I take it, his\nmind exercised towards the Lord, he had a vision of the great work of\nGod in the earth, and of the way that he was to go forth to begin it. He\nsaw people as thick as motes in the sun, that should in time be brought\nhome to the Lord; that there might be but one shepherd and one sheepfold\nin all the earth. There his eye was directed northward, beholding a\ngreat people that should receive him and his message in those parts.\nUpon this mountain he was moved of the Lord to sound forth his great and\nnotable day, as if he had been in a great auditory, and from thence went\nnorth, as the Lord had shown him; and in every place where he came, if\nnot before he came to it, he had his particular exercise and service\nshown to him, so that the Lord was his leader indeed; for it was not in\nvain that he travelled, God in most places sealing his commission with\nthe convincement of some of all sorts, as well publicans as sober\nprofessors of religion. Some of the first and most eminent of them which\nare at rest, were Richard Farnsworth, James Naylor, William Dewsbury,\nFrancis Howgill, Edward Burrough, John Camm, John Audland, Richard\nHubberthorn, T. Taylor, John Aldam, T. Holmes, Alexander Parker, William\nSimpson, William Caton, John Stubbs, Robert Widders, John Burnyeat,\nRobert Lodge, Thomas Salthouse, and many more worthies, that cannot be\nwell here named, together with divers yet living of the first and great\nconvincement, who, after the knowledge of God\u2019s purging judgments in\nthemselves, and some time of waiting in silence upon him, to feel and\nreceive power from on high to speak in his name (which none else rightly\ncan, though they may use the same words), felt the divine motions, and\nwere frequently drawn forth, especially to visit the public assemblies,\nto reprove, inform, and exhort them; sometimes in markets, fairs,\nstreets, and by the highway-side, calling people to repentance, and to\nturn to the Lord with their hearts as well as their mouths; directing\nthem to the Light of Christ within them, to see, examine, and consider\ntheir ways by, and to eschew the evil, and do the good and acceptable\nwill of God. They suffered great hardships for this their love and\ngoodwill, being often put in the stocks, stoned, beaten, whipped, and\nimprisoned, though honest men and of good report where they lived, that\nhad left wives and children, and houses and lands, to visit them with a\nliving call to repentance. And though the priests generally set\nthemselves to oppose them, and write against them, and insinuated most\nfalse and scandalous stories to defame them, stirring up the magistrates\nto suppress them, especially in those northern parts; yet God was\npleased so to fill them with his living power, and give them such an\nopen door of utterance in his service, that there was a mighty\nconvincement over those parts.\n\nAnd through the tender and singular indulgence of Judge Bradshaw and\nJudge Fell, who were wont to go that circuit in the infancy of things,\nthe priests were never able to gain the point they laboured for, which\nwas to have proceeded to blood, and, if possible, Herod-like, by a cruel\nexercise of the civil power, to have cut them off and rooted them out of\nthe country. Especially Judge Fell, who was not only a check to their\nrage in the course of legal proceedings, but otherwise upon occasion,\nand finally countenanced this people; for his wife receiving the truth\nwith the first, it had that influence upon his spirit, being a just and\nwise man, and seeing in his own wife and family a full confutation of\nall the popular clamours against the way of truth, that he covered them\nwhat he could, and freely opened his doors, and gave up his house to his\nwife and her friends, not valuing the reproach of ignorant or\nevil-minded people, which I here mention to his and her honour, and\nwhich will be, I believe, an honour and a blessing to such of their name\nand family, as shall be found in that tenderness, humility, love, and\nzeal for the truth and people of the Lord.\n\nThat house was for some years at first, till the truth had opened its\nway in the southern parts of this island, an eminent receptacle of this\npeople. Others of good note and substance in those northern counties,\nhad also opened their houses with their hearts, to the many publishers,\nthat in a short time the Lord had raised to declare his salvation to the\npeople, and where meetings of the Lord\u2019s messengers were frequently\nheld, to communicate their services and exercises, and comfort and edify\none another in their blessed ministry.\n\nBut lest this may be thought a digression, having touched upon this\nbefore, I return to this excellent man; and for his personal qualities,\nboth natural, moral, and divine, as they appeared in his converse with\nhis brethren, and in the church of God, take as follows:\u2014\n\nI. He was a man that God endued with a clear and wonderful depth, a\ndiscerner of others\u2019 spirits, and very much a master of his own. And\nthough the side of his understanding which lay next to the world, and\nespecially the expression of it, might sound uncouth and unfashionable\nto nice ears, his matter was nevertheless very profound; and would not\nonly bear to be often considered, but the more it was so, the more\nweighty and instructing it appeared. And as abruptly and brokenly as\nsometimes his sentences would fall from him, about divine things, it is\nwell known they were often as texts to many fairer declarations. And\nindeed it showed, beyond all contradiction, that God sent him; that no\narts or parts had any share in the matter or manner of his ministry; and\nthat so many great, excellent, and necessary truths as he came forth to\npreach to mankind, had therefore nothing of man\u2019s wit or wisdom to\nrecommend them; so that as to man he was an original, being no man\u2019s\ncopy. And his ministry and writings show they are from one that was not\ntaught of man, nor had learned what he said by study. Nor were they\nnotional or speculative, but sensible and practical truths, tending to\nconversion and regeneration, and the setting up of the kingdom of God in\nthe hearts of men; and the way of it was his work. So that I have many\ntimes been overcome in myself, and been made to say, with my Lord and\nMaster upon the like occasion; \u201cI thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven\nand earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent of\nthis world, and revealed them to babes.\u201d For many times hath my soul\nbowed in an humble thankfulness to the Lord, that he did not choose any\nof the wise and learned of this world to be the first messenger, in our\nage, of his blessed truth to men; but that he took one that was not of\nhigh degree, or elegant speech, or learned after the way of this world,\nthat his message and work he sent him to do, might come with less\nsuspicion or jealousy of human wisdom and interest, and with more force\nand clearness upon the consciences of those that sincerely sought the\nway of truth in the love of it. I say, beholding with the eye of my\nmind, which the God of heaven had opened in me, the marks of God\u2019s\nfinger and hand visibly, in this testimony, from the clearness of the\nprinciple, the power and efficacy of it, in the exemplary sobriety,\nplainness, zeal, steadiness, humility, gravity, punctuality, charity,\nand circumspect care in the government of church affairs, which shined\nin his and their life and testimony that God employed in this work, it\ngreatly confirmed me that it was of God, and engaged my soul in a deep\nlove, fear, reverence, and thankfulness for his love and mercy therein\nto mankind; in which mind I remain, and shall, I hope, to the end of my\ndays.\n\nII. In his testimony or ministry, he much laboured to open truth to the\npeople\u2019s understandings, and to bottom them upon the principle and\nprincipal, Christ Jesus, the Light of the world, that by bringing them\nto something that was of God in themselves, they might the better know\nand judge of him and themselves.\n\nIII. He had an extraordinary gift in opening the Scriptures. He would go\nto the marrow of things, and show the mind, harmony, and fulfilling of\nthem with much plainness, and to great comfort and edification.\n\nIV. The mystery of the first and second Adam, of the fall and\nrestoration, of the law and gospel, of shadows and substance, of the\nservant\u2019s and Son\u2019s state, and the fulfilling of the Scriptures in\nChrist, and by Christ, the true Light, in all that are his through the\nobedience of faith, were much of the substance and drift of his\ntestimonies. In all which he was witnessed to be of God, being sensibly\nfelt to speak that which he had received of Christ, and which was his\nown experience, in that which never errs nor fails.\n\nV. But above all he excelled in prayer. The inwardness and weight of his\nspirit, the reverence and solemnity of his address and behaviour, and\nthe fewness and fulness of his words, have often struck, even strangers,\nwith admiration, as they used to reach others with consolation. The most\nawful, living, reverent frame I ever felt or beheld, I must say, was his\nin prayer. And truly it was a testimony he knew and lived nearer to the\nLord than other men; for they that know Him most, will see most reason\nto approach him with reverence and fear.\n\nVI. He was of an innocent life, no busy-body, nor self-seeker, neither\ntouchy nor critical; what fell from him was very inoffensive if, not\nvery edifying. So meek, contented, modest, easy, steady, tender, it was\na pleasure to be in his company. He exercised no authority but over\nevil, and that everywhere and in all; but with love, compassion, and\nlong-suffering. A most merciful man, as ready to forgive, as unapt to\ntake or give an offence. Thousands can truly say, he was of an excellent\nspirit and savour among them, and because thereof, the most excellent\nspirits loved him with an unfeigned and unfading love.\n\nVII. He was an incessant labourer; for in his younger time, before his\nmany great and deep sufferings and travels had enfeebled his body for\nitinerant services, he laboured much in the word, and doctrine, and\ndiscipline in England, Scotland, and Ireland, turning many to God, and\nconfirming those that were convinced of the truth, and settling good\norder as to church affairs among them. And towards the conclusion of his\ntravelling services, between the years 1671 and 1677, he visited the\nchurches of Christ in the plantations in America, and in the United\nProvinces, and Germany, as his following Journal relates, to the\nconvincement and consolation of many. After that time he chiefly resided\nin and about the city of London; and besides the services of his\nministry, which were frequent and serviceable, he wrote much, both to\nthem that are within, and those that are without, the communion. But the\ncare he took of the affairs of the church in general was very great.\n\nVIII. He was often where the records of the affairs of the church are\nkept, and the letters from the many meetings of God\u2019s people over all\nthe world, where settled, come upon occasions; which letters he had read\nto him, and communicated them to the meeting that is weekly[3] held\nthere for such services; and he would be sure to stir them up to\ndischarge them, especially in suffering cases, showing great sympathy\nand compassion upon all such occasions, carefully looking into the\nrespective cases, and endeavouring speedy relief, according to the\nnature of them. So that the churches, or any of the suffering members\nthereof, were sure not to be forgotten or delayed in their desires, if\nhe were there.\n\nFootnote 3:\n\n  Called the Meeting for Sufferings, and now held monthly, except\n  exigencies require more frequent sittings.\n\nIX. As he was unwearied, so he was undaunted in his services for God and\nhis people; he was no more to be moved to fear than to wrath. His\nbehaviour at Derby, Lichfield, Appleby, before Oliver Cromwell, at\nLaunceston, Scarborough, Worcester, and Westminster-Hall, with many\nother places and exercises, did abundantly evidence it to his enemies as\nwell as his friends.\n\nBut as in the primitive times, some rose up against the blessed apostles\nof our Lord Jesus Christ, even from among those that they had turned to\nthe hope of the gospel, who became their greatest trouble; so this man\nof God had his share of suffering from some that were convinced by him,\nwho through prejudice or mistake ran against him, as one that sought\ndominion over conscience; because he pressed by his presence or\nepistles, a ready and zealous compliance with such good and wholesome\nthings as tended to an orderly conversation about the affairs of the\nchurch, and in their walking before men. That which contributed much to\nthis ill work, was, in some, a begrudging of this meek man the love and\nesteem he had and deserved in the hearts of the people; and weakness in\nothers, that were taken with their groundless suggestions of imposition\nand blind obedience.\n\nThey would have had every man independent; that as he had the principle\nin himself, he should only stand and fall to that, and nobody else; not\nconsidering that the principle is one in all; and though the measure of\nlight or grace might differ, yet the nature of it was the same; and\nbeing so, they struck at the spiritual unity, which a people, guided by\nthe same principle, are naturally led into; so that what is evil to one,\nis so to all, and what is virtuous, honest, and of good report to one,\nis so to all, from the sense and savour of the one universal principle\nwhich is common to all, and, which the disaffected also profess to be,\nthe root of all true Christian fellowship, and that Spirit into which\nthe people of God drink, and come to be spiritually-minded, and of one\nheart and one soul.\n\nSome weakly mistook good order in the government of church affairs, for\ndiscipline in worship, and that it was so pressed or recommended by him\nand other brethren. And they were ready to reflect the same things that\nDissenters had very reasonably objected upon the national churches, that\nhave coercively pressed conformity to their respective creeds and\nworships. Whereas these things related wholly to conversation, and the\noutward (and as I may say) civil part of the church, that men should\nwalk up to the principles of their belief, and not be wanting in care\nand charity. But though some have stumbled and fallen through mistakes,\nand an unreasonable obstinacy, even to a prejudice; yet, blessed be God,\nthe generality have returned to their first love, and seen the work of\nthe enemy, that loses no opportunity or advantage by which he may check\nor hinder the work of God, disquiet the peace of his church, and chill\nthe love of his people to the truth and one to another; and there is\nhope of divers of the few that are yet at a distance.\n\nIn all these occasions, though there was no person the discontented\nstruck so sharply at as this good man, he bore all their weakness and\nprejudice, and returned not reflection for reflection; but forgave them\ntheir weak and bitter speeches, praying for them that they might have a\nsense of their hurt, see the subtilty of the enemy to rend and divide,\nand return into their first love that thought no ill.\n\nAnd truly, I must say, that though God had visibly clothed him with a\ndivine preference and authority, and indeed his very presence expressed\na religious majesty, yet he never abused it; but held his place in the\nchurch of God with great meekness, and a most engaging humility and\nmoderation. For upon all occasions, like his blessed Master, he was a\nservant to all; holding and exercising his eldership, in the invisible\npower that had gathered them, with reverence to the Head and care over\nthe body; and was received only in that spirit and power of Christ, as\nthe first and chief elder in this age; who, as he was therefore worthy\nof double honour, so for the same reason it was given by the faithful of\nthis day; because his authority was inward and not outward, and that he\ngot it and kept it by the love of God, and power of an endless life. I\nwrite my knowledge and not report, and my witness is true, having been\nwith him for weeks and months together on divers occasions, and those of\nthe nearest and most exercising nature, and that by night and by day, by\nsea and by land, in this and in foreign countries: and I can say I never\nsaw him out of his place, or not a match for every service or occasion.\nFor in all things he acquitted himself like a man, yea, a strong man, a\nnew and heavenly-minded man; a divine and a naturalist, and all of God\nAlmighty\u2019s making. I have been surprised at his questions and answers in\nnatural things; that whilst he was ignorant of useless and sophistical\nscience, he had in him the foundation of useful and commendable\nknowledge, and cherished it everywhere. Civil, beyond all forms of\nbreeding, in his behaviour; very temperate, eating little, and sleeping\nless, though a bulky person.\n\nThus he lived and sojourned among us: and as he lived, so he died;\nfeeling the same eternal power, that had raised and preserved him, in\nhis last moments. So full of assurance was he, that he triumphed over\ndeath; and so even in his spirit to the last, as if death were hardly\nworth notice or a mention; recommending to some with him, the despatch\nand dispersion of an epistle, just before written to the churches of\nChrist throughout the world, and his own books; but above all, Friends,\nand, of all Friends, those in Ireland and America, twice over saying,\n\u201cMind poor Friends in Ireland and America.\u201d\n\nAnd to some that came in and inquired how he found himself, he answered,\n\u201cNever heed, the Lord\u2019s power is over all weakness and death; the Seed\nreigns, blessed be the Lord:\u201d which was about four or five hours before\nhis departure out of this world. He was at the great meeting near\nLombard Street on the first day of the week, and it was the third\nfollowing, about ten at night, when he left us, being at the house of\nHenry Goldney at the same court. In a good old age he went, after having\nlived to see his children\u2019s children, to many generations, in the truth.\nHe had the comfort of a short illness, and the blessing of a clear sense\nto the last; and we may truly say, with a man of God of old, that \u201cbeing\ndead, he yet speaketh;\u201d and though absent in body, he is present in\nspirit; neither time nor place being able to interrupt the communion of\nsaints, or dissolve the fellowship of the spirits of the just. His works\npraise him, because they are to the praise of Him that wrought by him;\nfor which his memorial is, and shall be blessed. I have done, as to this\npart of my Preface, when I have left this short epitaph to his name:\n\u201cMany sons have done virtuously in this day; but, dear George, thou\nexcellest them all.\u201d\n\nAnd now, Friends, you that profess to walk in the way this blessed man\nwas sent of God to turn us into, suffer, I beseech you, the word of\nexhortation, as well fathers as children, and elders as young men. The\nglory of this day, and foundation of the hope that has not made us\nashamed since we were a people, you know, is that blessed principle of\nLight and Life of Christ which we profess, and direct all people to, as\nthe great instrument and agent of man\u2019s conversion to God. It was by\nthis we were first touched, and effectually enlightened as to our inward\nstate, which put us upon the consideration of our latter end, causing us\nto set the Lord before our eyes, and to number our days, that we might\napply our hearts to wisdom. In that day we judged not after the sight of\nthe eye, or after the hearing of the ear; but according to the light and\nsense this blessed principle gave us, we judged and acted in reference\nto things and persons, ourselves and others, yea, towards God our Maker.\nFor being quickened by it in our inward man, we could easily discern the\ndifference of things; and feel what was right and what was wrong, and\nwhat was fit and what not, both in reference to religious and civil\nconcerns. That being the ground of the fellowship of all saints, it was\nin that our fellowship stood. In this we desired to have a sense one of\nanother, and acted towards one another, and all men, in love,\nfaithfulness, and fear.\n\nIn the feeling of the motions of this principle we drew near to the\nLord, and waited to be prepared by it, that we might feel those drawings\nand movings before we approached the Lord in prayer, or opened our\nmouths in ministry. And in our beginning and ending with this, stood our\ncomfort, service, and edification. And as we ran faster, or fell short,\nwe made burdens for ourselves to bear; our service finding in ourselves\na rebuke instead of an acceptance, and in lieu of \u201cWell done,\u201d \u201cWho hath\nrequired this at your hands?\u201d In that day we were an exercised people;\nour very countenances and deportment declared it.\n\nCare for others was then much upon us, as well as for ourselves,\nespecially the young convinced. Often had we the burden of the word of\nthe Lord to our neighbours, relations, and acquaintance; and sometimes\nstrangers also. We were in travail for one another\u2019s preservation; not\nseeking but shunning occasions of any coldness or misunderstanding,\ntreating one another as those that believed and felt God present; which\nkept our conversation innocent, serious, and weighty, guarding ourselves\nagainst the cares and friendships of the world. We held the truth in the\nspirit of it, and not in our own spirits, or after our own wills and\naffections. These were bowed and brought into subjection, insomuch that\nit was visible to them that knew us. We did not think ourselves at our\nown disposal, to go where we list, or say or do what we list, or when we\nlist. Our liberty stood in the liberty of the Spirit of Truth; and no\npleasure, no profit, no fear, no favour, could draw us from this\nretired, strict and watchful frame. We were so far from seeking\noccasions of company, that, we avoided them what we could, pursuing our\nown business with moderation, instead of meddling with other people\u2019s\nunnecessarily.\n\nOur words were few and savoury, our looks composed and weighty, and our\nwhole deportment very observable. True it is, that this retired and\nstrict sort of life from the liberty of the conversation of the world,\nexposed us to the censures of many, as humourists, conceited and\nself-righteous persons, &c.; but it was our preservation from many\nsnares, to which others were continually exposed from the prevalency of\nthe lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, that\nwanted no occasions or temptations to excite them abroad in the converse\nof the world.\n\nI cannot forget the humility and chaste zeal of that day. O how constant\nat meetings, how retired in them, how firm to Truth\u2019s life, as well as\nTruth\u2019s principles! and how entire and united in our communion, as\nindeed became those that profess One Head, even Christ Jesus the Lord!\n\nThis being the testimony and example the man of God before mentioned was\nsent to declare and leave amongst us, and we having embraced the same as\nthe merciful visitation of God to us, the word of exhortation at this\ntime is, that we continue to be found in the way of this testimony with\nall zeal and integrity, and so much the more, by how much the day\ndraweth near.\n\nAnd first, as to you, my beloved and much honoured brethren in Christ,\nthat are in the exercise of the ministry: Oh, feel Life in your\nministry! Let Life be your commission, your well-spring and treasury on\nall such occasions, else, you will know, there can be no begetting to\nGod, since nothing can quicken or make people alive to God, but the Life\nof God: and it must be a ministry in and from Life, that enlivens any\npeople to God. We have seen the fruit of all other ministries, by the\nfew that are turned from the evil of their ways. It is not our parts or\nmemory, the repetition of former openings in our own will and time, that\nwill do God\u2019s work. A dry, doctrinal ministry, however sound in words,\ncan reach but the ear, and is but a dream at the best. There is another\nsoundness, that is soundest of all, viz., Christ the power of God. This\nis the key of David, that opens and none shuts, and shuts, and none can\nopen; as the oil to the lamp, and the soul to the body, so is that to\nthe best of words: which made Christ to say, \u201cMy words they are spirit,\nand they are life;\u201d that is, they are from life and therefore they make\nyou alive, that receive them. If the disciples that had lived with Jesus\nwere to stay at Jerusalem till they received it, so must we wait to\nreceive before we minister, if we will turn people from darkness to\nlight, and from Satan\u2019s power to God.\n\nI fervently bow my knees to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,\nthat you may always be like-minded, that you may ever wait reverently\nfor the coming and opening of the Word of Life, and attend upon it in\nyour ministry and service, that you may serve God in his Spirit. And be\nit little, or be it much, it is well; for much is not too much, and the\nleast is enough, if from the motion of God\u2019s Spirit; and without it\nverily, ever so little is too much, because to no profit.\n\nFor it is the spirit of the Lord immediately, or through the ministry of\nhis servants, that teacheth his people to profit; and to be sure, so far\nas we take him along with us in our services, so far we are profitable,\nand no farther. For if it be the Lord that must work all things in us,\nand for our own salvation, much more is it the Lord, that must work in\nus, for the conversion of others. If therefore it was once a cross to us\nto speak, though the Lord required it at our hands, let it never be so\nto be silent, when he does not.\n\nIt is one of the most dreadful sayings in the book of God, that \u201che that\nadds to the words of the prophecy of this book, God will add the plagues\nwritten in this book.\u201d To keep back the counsel of God is as terrible;\nfor \u201che that takes away from the words of the prophecy of this book, God\nshall take away his part out of the book of life.\u201d And truly, it has\ngreat caution in it to those that use the name of the Lord, to be well\nassured that the Lord speaks, that they may not be found of the number\nof those that add to the words of the testimony of prophecy, which the\nLord giveth them to bear; nor yet to mince or diminish the same, both\nbeing so very offensive to God.\n\nWherefore, brethren, let us be careful neither to out-go our Guide, nor\nyet loiter behind him; since he that makes haste may miss his way, and\nhe that stays behind, lose his Guide: for even those that have received\nthe word of the Lord, had need wait for wisdom, that they may see how to\ndivide the word aright; which plainly implieth, that it is possible for\none that hath received the word of the Lord, to miss in the division and\napplication of it, which must come from an impatiency of spirit, and a\nself-working, which makes an unsound and dangerous mixture; and will\nhardly beget a right-minded, living people to God.\n\nI am earnest in this, above all other considerations, as to public\nbrethren, well knowing how much it concerns the present and future\nstate, and preservation of the church of Christ Jesus, that has been\ngathered and built up by a living and powerful minister, that the\nministry be held, preserved, and continued in the manifestations,\nmotions, and supplies, of the same life and power, from time to time.\n\nAnd wherever it is observed that any one does minister more from gifts\nand parts than life and power, though they have an enlightened and\ndoctrinal understanding, let them in time be advised and admonished for\ntheir preservation, because insensibly such will come to depend upon a\nself-sufficiency; to forsake Christ the living Fountain, and to hew out\nunto themselves cisterns that will hold no living waters; and by degrees\ndraw others from waiting upon the gift of God in themselves, and to feel\nit in others, in order to their strength and refreshment, to wait upon\nthem, and to turn from God to man again, and so to make shipwreck of the\nfaith once delivered to the saints, and of a good conscience towards\nGod; which are only kept by that Divine gift of life, that begat the\none, and awakened and sanctified the other in the beginning.\n\nNor is it enough that we have known the Divine gift, and in it have\nreached to the spirits in prison, and been the instruments of the\nconvincing of others of the way of God, if we keep not as low and poor\nin ourselves, and as depending upon the Lord as ever; since no memory,\nno repetitions of former openings, revelations, or enjoyments, will\nbring a soul to God, or afford bread to the hungry, or water to the\nthirsty, unless life go with what we say; and that must be waited for.\n\nO that we may have no other fountain, treasury or dependence! that none\nmay presume at any rate to act of themselves for God; because they have\nlong acted from God; that we may not supply want of waiting with our own\nwisdom, or think that we may take less care, and more liberty in\nspeaking, than formerly; and that where we do not feel the Lord by his\npower to open us and enlarge us, whatever be the expectation of the\npeople, or has been our customary supply and character, we may not\nexceed or fill up the time with our own.\n\nI hope we shall ever remember who it was that said, \u201cOf yourselves you\ncan do nothing;\u201d our sufficiency is in Him. And if we are not to speak\nour own words, or take thought what we shall say to men in our defence,\nwhen exposed for our testimony, surely we ought to speak none of our own\nwords, or take thought what we shall say in our testimony and ministry\nin the name of the Lord to the souls of the people; for then of all\ntimes, and of all other occasions, should it be fulfilled in us, \u201cfor it\nis not you that speak, but the Spirit of my Father that speaketh in\nyou.\u201d\n\nAnd indeed, the ministry of the Spirit must and does keep its analogy\nand agreement with the birth of the Spirit; that as no man can inherit\nthe kingdom of God unless he be born of the Spirit, so no ministry can\nbeget a soul to God but that which is from the Spirit. For this, as I\nsaid before, the disciples waited before they went forth; and in this\nour elder brethren, and messengers of God in our day, waited, visited,\nand reached to us. And having begun in the Spirit, let none ever hope or\nseek to be made perfect in the flesh. For what is the flesh to the\nSpirit, or the chaff to the wheat? And if we keep in the Spirit, we\nshall keep in the unity of it, which is the ground of true fellowship.\nFor by drinking into that one Spirit, we are made one people to God, and\nby it we are continued in the unity of the faith, and the bond of peace.\nNo envying, no bitterness, no strife, can have place with us. We shall\nwatch always for good, and not for evil, over one another and rejoice\nexceedingly and not begrudge one another\u2019s increase in the riches of the\ngrace with which God replenisheth his faithful servants.\n\nAnd, brethren, as to you is committed the dispensation of the oracles of\nGod, which give you frequent opportunities, and great place with the\npeople among whom you travel, I beseech you that you would not think it\nsufficient to declare the word of life in their assemblies, however\nedifying and comfortable such opportunities may be to you and them. But,\nas was the practice of the man of God before mentioned, in great\nmeasure, when among us, inquire the state of the several churches you\nvisit; who among them are afflicted or sick, who are tempted, and if any\nare unfaithful or obstinate; and endeavour to issue those things in the\nwisdom and power of God, which will be a glorious crown upon your\nministry. As that prepares your way in the hearts of the people to\nreceive you as men of God, so it gives you credit with them to do them\ngood by your advice in other respects. The afflicted will be comforted\nby you; the tempted, strengthened; the sick, refreshed; the unfaithful,\nconvicted and restored; and such as are obstinate, softened and fitted\nfor reconciliation: which is clenching the nail, and applying and\nfastening the general testimony by that particular care of the several\nbranches of it, in reference to them more immediately concerned in it.\n\nFor though good and wise men, and elders too, may reside in such places,\nwho are of worth and importance in the general, and in other places; yet\nit does not always follow, that they may have the room they deserve in\nthe hearts of the people they live among; or some particular occasion\nmay make it unfit for him or them to use that authority. But you that\ntravel as God\u2019s messengers, if they receive you in the greater, shall\nthey refuse you in the less? And if they own the general testimony, can\nthey withstand the particular application of it in their own cases? Thus\nye will show yourselves workmen indeed, and carry your business before\nyou to the praise of His name that hath called you from darkness to\nlight, that you might turn others from Satan\u2019s power unto God and his\nkingdom, which is _within_. And O that there were more of such faithful\nlabourers in the vineyard of the Lord!\u2014Never more need since the day of\nGod.\n\nWherefore I cannot but cry and call aloud to you, that have been long\nprofessors of the truth, and know the truth in the convincing power of\nit, and have had a sober conversation among men, yet content yourselves\nonly to know truth for yourselves, to go to meetings, and exercise an\nordinary charity in the church, and an honest behaviour in the world,\nand limit yourselves within those bounds; feeling little or no concern\nupon your spirits for the glory of the Lord in the prosperity of his\ntruth in the earth, more than to be glad that others succeed in such\nservice. Arise ye in the name and power of the Lord Jesus! Behold how\nwhite the fields are unto harvest, in this and other nations, and how\nfew able and faithful labourers there are to work therein! Your country\nfolks, neighbours, and kindred, want to know the Lord and his truth, and\nto walk in it. Does nothing lie at your door upon their account? Search\nand see, and lose no time, I beseech you, for the Lord is at hand. I do\nnot judge you, there is one that judgeth all men, and his judgment is\ntrue. You have mightily increased in your outward substance; may you\nequally increase in your inward riches, and do good with both, while you\nhave a day to do good. Your enemies would once have taken what you had\nfrom you, for his name\u2019s sake, in whom you have believed; wherefore he\nhas given you much of the world in the face of your enemies. But, O let\nit be your servant and not your master\u2014your diversion rather than your\nbusiness! Let the Lord be chiefly in your eye, and ponder your ways, and\nsee if God has nothing more for you to do; and if you find yourselves\nshort in your account with him, then wait for his preparation, and be\nready to receive the word of command, and be not weary of well-doing,\nwhen you have put your hand to the plough; and assuredly you shall reap\n(if you faint not) the fruit of your heavenly labour in God\u2019s\neverlasting kingdom.\n\nAnd you, young convinced ones, be you entreated, and exhorted to a\ndiligent and chaste waiting upon God, in the way of his blessed\nmanifestation and appearance of himself to you. Look not out, but\nwithin. Let not another\u2019s liberty be your snare. Neither act by\nimitation, but sense and feeling of God\u2019s power in yourselves. Crush not\nthe tender buddings of it in your souls, nor overrun in your desires,\nand warmness of affections, the holy and gentle motions of it. Remember\nit is a still voice that speaks to us in this day, and that it is not to\nbe heard in the noises and hurries of the mind; but it is distinctly\nunderstood in a retired frame. Jesus loved and chose solitudes; often\ngoing to mountains, to gardens, and sea-sides, to avoid crowds and\nhurries, to show his disciples it was good to be solitary, and sit loose\nto the world. Two enemies lie near your states, imagination and liberty;\nbut the plain, practical, living, holy truth, that has convinced you,\nwill preserve you, if you mind it in yourselves, and bring all thoughts,\nimaginations, and affections to the test of it, to see if they are\nwrought in God, or of the enemy, or your ownselves. So will a true\ntaste, discerning, and judgment, be preserved to you, of what you should\ndo and leave undone. And in your diligence and faithfulness in this way\nyou will come to inherit substance: and Christ, the eternal wisdom, will\nfill your treasury. And when you are converted, as well as convinced,\nthen confirm your brethren, and be ready to every good word and work,\nthat the Lord shall call you to; that you may be to his praise, who has\nchosen you to be partakers, with the saints in light, of a kingdom that\ncannot be shaken, an inheritance incorruptible, in eternal habitations.\n\nAnd now, as for you that are the children of God\u2019s people, a great\nconcern is upon my spirit for your good; and often are my knees bowed to\nthe God of your fathers for you, that you may come to be partakers of\nthe same divine life and power, that has been the glory of this day;\nthat a generation you may be to God, a holy nation and a peculiar\npeople, zealous of good works, when all our heads are laid in the dust.\nO you young men and women, let it not suffice you, that you are the\nchildren of the people of the Lord! you must also be born again, if you\nwill inherit the kingdom of God. Your fathers are but such after the\nflesh, and could but beget you in the likeness of the first Adam; but\nyou must be begotten into the likeness of the second Adam by a spiritual\ngeneration. And therefore look carefully about you, O ye children of the\nchildren of God! consider your standing, and see what you are in\nrelation to this divine kindred, family, and birth. Have you obeyed the\nLight, and received and walked in the Spirit, that is the incorruptible\nSeed of the Word and kingdom of God, of which you must be born again?\nGod is no respecter of persons. The father cannot save or answer for the\nchild, or the child for the father, but \u201cin the sin thou sinnest, thou\nshalt die; and in the righteousness thou doest, through Jesus Christ,\nthou shalt live;\u201d for it is the willing and obedient that shall eat the\ngood of the land. Be not deceived, God is not mocked; such as all\nnations and people sow, such they shall reap at the hand of the just\nGod. And then your many and great privileges, above the children of\nother people, will add weight in the scale against you, if you choose\nnot the way of the Lord. For you have had line upon line, and precept\nupon precept, and not only good doctrine, but good example; and which is\nmore, you have been turned to, and acquainted with, a principle in\nyourselves, which others have been ignorant of; and you know, you may be\nas good as you please, without the fear of frowns and blows, or being\nturned out of doors and forsaken of father and mother for God\u2019s sake,\nand his holy religion, as has been the case of some of your fathers, in\nthe day they first entered into this holy path. If you, after hearing\nand seeing the wonders that God has wrought in the deliverance and\npreservation of them, through a sea of troubles, and the manifold\ntemporal, as well as spiritual blessings, that he has filled them with,\nin the sight of their enemies, should neglect and turn your backs upon\nso great and so near a salvation, you would not only be most ungrateful\nchildren to God and them, but must expect that God will call the\nchildren of those that knew him not, to take the crown out of your\nhands, and that your lot will be a dreadful judgment at the hand of the\nLord. But O, that it may never be so with any of you! The Lord forbid,\nsaith my soul.\n\nWherefore, O ye young men and women, look to the rock of your fathers!\nchoose the God of your fathers. There is no other God but he; no other\nLight but his; no other grace but his, nor Spirit but his, to convince\nyou, quicken, and comfort you: to lead, guide, and preserve you to God\u2019s\neverlasting kingdom. So will you be possessors, as well as professors,\nof the truth; embracing it not only by education, but judgment and\nconviction, from a sense begotten in your souls, through the operation\nof the eternal Spirit and power of God in your hearts, by which you may\ncome to be the seed of Abraham through faith, and the circumcision not\nmade with hands, and so heirs of the promise made to the fathers of an\nincorruptible crown; that (as I said before) a generation you may be to\nGod, holding up the profession of the blessed truth in the life and\npower of it. For formality in religion is nauseous to God and good men;\nand the more so, where any form or appearance has been new and peculiar,\nand begun and practised upon a principle, with an uncommon zeal and\nstrictness. Therefore, I say, for you to fall flat and formal, and\ncontinue the profession, without that salt and savour, by which it is\ncome to obtain a good report among men, is not to answer God\u2019s love, nor\nyour parents\u2019 care, nor the mind of truth in yourselves, nor in those\nthat are without; who, though they will not obey the truth, have sight\nand sense enough to see if they do, that make a profession of it. For\nwhere the divine virtue of it is not felt in the soul, and waited for,\nand lived in, imperfections will quickly break out, and show themselves,\nand detect the unfaithfulness of such persons, and that their insides\nare not seasoned with the nature of that holy principle which they\nprofess.\n\nWherefore, dear children, let me entreat you to shut your eyes at the\ntemptations and allurements of this low and perishing world, and not\nsuffer your affections to be captivated by those lusts and vanities that\nyour fathers, for truth\u2019s sake, long since turned their backs upon. But\nas you believe it to be the truth, receive it into your hearts, that you\nmay become the children of God; so that it may never be said of you, as\nthe Evangelist writes of the Jews of his time, that Christ, the true\nLight, \u201ccame to his own, but his own received him not; but to as many as\nreceived him, to them he gave power to become the children of God; which\nwere born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will\nof man, but of God.\u201d A most close and comprehensive passage to this\noccasion. You exactly and peculiarly answer to those professing Jews, in\nthat you bear the name of God\u2019s people, by being the children and\nwearing the form of God\u2019s people; so that he, by his light in you, may\nbe said to come to his own, and if you obey it not, but turn your back\nupon it, and walk after the vanities of your minds, you will be of those\nthat receive him not, which, I pray God, may never be your case and\njudgment; but that you may be thoroughly sensible of the many and great\nobligations you lie under to the Lord for his love, and to your parents\nfor their care; and with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your\nstrength, turn to the Lord, to his gift and Spirit in you, and hear his\nvoice, and obey it, that you may seal to the testimony of your fathers,\nby the truth and evidence of your own experience; that your children\u2019s\nchildren may bless you, and the Lord for you, as those that delivered a\nfaithful example, as well as record of the truth of God unto them. So\nwill the grey hairs of your dear parents yet alive, go down to the grave\nwith joy, to see you the posterity of truth, as well as theirs, and that\nnot only their nature but spirit shall live in you when they are gone.\n\nI shall conclude this Preface with a few words to those that are not of\nour communion, into whose hands this may come; especially those of our\nown nation.\n\nFriends, as you are the sons and daughters of Adam, and my brethren\nafter the flesh, many and earnest have been my desires and prayers to\nGod on your behalf, that you may come to know your Creator to be your\nRedeemer and Restorer to the image that, through sin, you have lost, by\nthe power and Spirit of his Son Jesus Christ, whom he hath given for the\nlight and life of the world. And O that you who are called Christians,\nwould receive him into your heart! for there it is you want him, and at\nthat door he stands knocking, that you should let him in, but you do not\nopen to him; you are full of other guests, so that a manger is his lot\namong you now, as well as of old. Yet you are full of profession, as\nwere the Jews when he came among them, who knew him not, but rejected\nand evilly entreated him. So that if you come not to the possession and\nexperience of what you profess, all your formality in religion will\nstand you in no stead in the day of God\u2019s judgment.\n\nI beseech you ponder with yourselves your eternal condition, and see\nwhat title, what ground and foundation you have for your Christianity;\nif more than a profession, and an historical belief of the gospel. Have\nyou known the baptism of fire, and the Holy Ghost, and the fan of Christ\nthat winnows away the chaff,\u2014the carnal lusts and affections?\u2014that\ndivine leaven of the kingdom, that, being received, leavens the whole\nlump of man, sanctifying him throughout, in body, soul, and spirit? If\nthis be not the ground of your confidence, you are in a miserable state.\n\nYou will say, perhaps, that though you are sinners, and live in the\ndaily commission of sin, and are not sanctified, as I have been\nspeaking, yet you have faith in Christ, who has borne the curse for you,\nand in him you are complete by faith; his righteousness being imputed to\nyou.\n\nBut, my friends, let me entreat you not to deceive yourselves in so\nimportant a point, as is that of your immortal souls. If you have _true_\nfaith in Christ, your faith will make you clean, it will sanctify you:\nfor the saints\u2019 faith was their victory. By this they overcame sin\nwithin, and sinful men without. And if thou art in Christ, thou walkest\nnot after the flesh, but after the Spirit, whose fruits are manifest.\nYea, thou art a new creature, new made, new fashioned after God\u2019s will\nand mould; old things are done away, and, behold, all things are become\nnew; new love, desires, will, affections, and practices. It is not any\nlonger thou that livest, thou disobedient, carnal, worldly one; but it\nis Christ that liveth in thee; and to live is Christ, and to die is thy\neternal gain; because thou art assured, that \u201cthy corruptible shall put\non incorruption, and thy mortal immortality:\u201d and that thou hast a\nglorious house, eternal in the heavens, that will never wax old or pass\naway. All this follows being in Christ, as the sensation of heat follows\nfire, and light the sun.\n\nTherefore have a care how you presume to rely upon such a notion, as\nthat you are in Christ, whilst in your old fallen nature. For what\ncommunion hath light with darkness, or Christ with Belial? Hear what the\nbeloved disciple tells you; \u201cIf we say we have fellowship with God, and\nwalk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.\u201d That is, if we go on in\na sinful way, are captivated by our carnal affections, and are not\nconverted to God, we walk in darkness, and cannot possibly have any\nfellowship with God. Christ clothes them with his righteousness, that\nreceive his grace in their hearts, and deny themselves, and take up his\ncross daily, and follow him. Christ\u2019s righteousness makes men inwardly\nholy, of holy minds, wills, and practices. It is nevertheless Christ\u2019s,\nbecause we have it; for it is ours, not by nature, but by faith and\nadoption. It is the gift of God. But still, though not ours, as of or\nfrom ourselves, for in that sense it is Christ\u2019s, for it is of and from\nhim; yet it is ours, and must be ours in possession, efficacy, and\nenjoyment, to do us any good, or Christ\u2019s righteousness will profit us\nnothing. It was after this manner, that he was made to the primitive\nChristians, righteousness, sanctification, justification, and\nredemption; and if ever you will have the comfort, kernel, and marrow of\nthe Christian religion, thus you must come to learn and obtain it.\n\nNow, my friends, by what you have read, and will read in what follows,\nyou may perceive that God has visited a poor people among you with this\nsaving knowledge and testimony; whom he has upheld and increased to this\nday, notwithstanding the fierce opposition they have met withal. Despise\nnot the meanness of this appearance; it was, and yet is (we know) a day\nof small things, and of small account with too many; and many hard and\nill names are given to it; but it is of God; it came from Him because it\nleads to Him. This we know, but we cannot make another know it, as we\nknow it, unless he will take the same way to know it that we took. The\nworld talks of God; but what do they do? They pray for power, but reject\nthe principle in which it is. If you would know God, and worship and\nserve God as you should do, you must come to the means he has ordained\nand given for that purpose. Some seek it in books, some in learned men,\nbut what they look for is _in themselves_, yet they overlook it. The\nvoice is too still, the Seed too small, and the Light shineth in\ndarkness. They are abroad, and so cannot divide the spoil; but the woman\nthat lost her silver, found it at home, after she had lighted her candle\nand swept her house. Do you so too, and you shall find what Pilate\nwanted to know, viz., Truth.\n\nThe Light of Christ within, who is the Light of the world (and so a\nlight to you, that tells you the truth of your condition), leads all\nthat take heed unto it, out of darkness into God\u2019s marvellous light; for\nlight grows upon the obedient. It is sown for the righteous, and their\nway is a shining light, that shines forth more and more to the perfect\nday.\n\nWherefore, O friends, turn in, turn in, I beseech you! Where is the\npoison, there is the antidote; there you want Christ, and there you must\nfind him; and, blessed be God, there you may find him. \u201cSeek and you\nshall find,\u201d I testify for God; but then you must seek aright, with your\nwhole heart, as men that seek for their lives, yea, for their eternal\nlives; diligently, humbly, patiently, as those that can taste no\npleasure, comfort, or satisfaction in anything else, unless you find him\nwhom your souls want, and desire to know and love above all. O, it is a\ntravail, a spiritual travail! let the carnal, profane world think and\nsay as it will. And through this path you must walk to the city of God,\nthat has eternal foundations, if ever you will come there.\n\nAnd what does this blessed Light do for you? 1. It sets all your sins in\norder before you; it detects the spirit of this world in all its baits\nand allurements, and shows how man came to fall from God, and the fallen\nestate he is in. 2. It begets a sense and sorrow, in such as believe in\nit, for this fearful lapse. You will then see Him distinctly whom you\nhave pierced, and all the blows and wounds you have given him by your\ndisobedience; and how you have made him to serve with your sins, and you\nwill weep and mourn for it, and your sorrow will be a godly sorrow. 3.\nAfter this it will bring you to the holy watch, to take care that you do\nso no more, that the enemy surprise you not again. Then thoughts as well\nas words and works, will come to judgment, which is the way of holiness,\nin which the redeemed of the Lord do walk. Here you will come to love\nGod above all, and your neighbours as yourselves. Nothing hurts, nothing\nharms, nothing makes afraid on this holy mountain; now you come to be\nChrist\u2019s indeed, for you are his in nature and spirit, and not your own.\nAnd when you are thus Christ\u2019s, then Christ is yours, and not before;\nand here communion with the Father and with the Son you will know, and\nthe efficacy of the blood of cleansing, even the blood of Jesus Christ,\nthat immaculate Lamb, which speaketh better things than the blood of\nAbel, and which cleanseth from all sin the consciences of those that,\nthrough the living faith, come to be sprinkled with it from dead works\nto serve the living God.\n\nTo conclude; behold the testimony and doctrine of the people called\nQuakers! Behold their practice and discipline! and behold the blessed\nman and men that were sent of God in this excellent work and service!\nall which will be more particularly expressed in the ensuing annals of\nthe man of God; which I do heartily recommend to my reader\u2019s most\nserious perusal, and beseech Almighty God, that his blessing may go\nalong with it, to the convincing of many, as yet strangers to this holy\ndispensation, and also to the edification of the church of God in\ngeneral; who, for his manifold and repeated mercies and blessings to his\npeople, in this day of his great love, is worthy ever to have the glory,\nhonour, thanksgiving, and renown; and be it rendered and ascribed, with\nfear and reverence, through Him in whom he is well pleased, his beloved\nSon and Lamb, our Light and Life, that sits with him upon the throne,\nworld without end. Amen,\n\nSays one whom God has long since mercifully favoured with his fatherly\n    visitation, and who was not disobedient to the heavenly vision and\n    call; to whom the way of Truth is more lovely and precious than\n    ever, and who knowing the beauty and benefit of it above all worldly\n    treasure, has chosen it for his chiefest joy; and therefore\n    recommends it to thy love and choice, because he is with great\n    sincerity and affection thy soul\u2019s friend,\n\n                                                       WILLIAM PENN.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n              -------------------------------------------\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[For the testimonies respecting George Fox, which were here inserted in\n    former editions of this work, see Appendix at the conclusion of Vol.\n    II.]\n\n\n                         JOURNAL OF GEORGE FOX.\n\n\n                         ---------------------\n\n                               CHAPTER I.\n\n1624-1647.\u2014George Fox\u2019s birth and parentage\u2014his gravity and piety in\n    youth. Apprenticed to a shoemaker, who is also a grazier, &c.\u2014his\n    integrity in dealing. Refuses to drink healths\u2014his exercises of mind\n    commence\u2014he lives retired\u2014is tempted to despair. His sorrows\n    continue for some years\u2014has a sense of Christ\u2019s sufferings. Confutes\n    a people who held women to be devoid of souls\u2014begins to travel on\n    Truth\u2019s account\u2014meets with Elizabeth Hooton\u2014fasts often, and retires\n    to solitary places with his Bible\u2014his exercises intermit. Sees why\n    none but Christ could speak to his condition. Visits a woman who had\n    fasted twenty-two days\u2014first declares the Truth at Dukinfield and\n    Manchester. Preaches at a great meeting at Broughton. His troubles\n    wear off, and he weeps for joy\u2014sees things which cannot be\n    uttered\u2014is reported to have a discerning spirit\u2014overcomes his\n    temptations through the power of Christ.\n\n\nThat all may know the dealings of the Lord with me, and the various\nexercises, trials, and troubles through which he led me, in order to\nprepare and fit me for the work unto which he had appointed me, and may\nthereby be drawn to admire and glorify his infinite wisdom and goodness,\nI think fit (before I proceed to set forth my public travels in the\nservice of Truth), briefly to mention how it was with me in my youth,\nand how the work of the Lord was begun, and gradually carried on in me,\neven from my childhood.\n\nI was born in the month called July, 1624, at DRAYTON-IN-THE-CLAY, in\nLEICESTERSHIRE. My father\u2019s name was Christopher Fox: he was by\nprofession a weaver, an honest man; and there was a seed of God in him.\nThe neighbours called him Righteous Christer. My mother was an upright\nwoman; her maiden name was Mary Lago, of the family of the Lagos, and of\nthe stock of the martyrs.\n\nIn my very young years I had a gravity and stayedness of mind and\nspirit, not usual in children; insomuch, that when I saw old men behave\nlightly and wantonly towards each other, I had a dislike thereof raised\nin my heart, and said within myself, \u201cIf ever I come to be a man, surely\nI shall not do so, nor be so wanton.\u201d\n\nWhen I came to eleven years of age, I knew pureness and righteousness;\nfor while a child I was taught how to walk to be kept pure. The Lord\ntaught me to be faithful in all things, and to act faithfully two ways,\nviz., inwardly to God, and outwardly to man; and to keep to Yea and Nay\nin all things. For the Lord showed me, that though the people of the\nworld have mouths full of deceit, and changeable words, yet I was to\nkeep to Yea and Nay in all things; and that my words should be few and\nsavoury, seasoned with grace; and that I might not eat and drink to make\nmyself wanton, but for health, using the creatures in their service, as\nservants in their places, to the glory of Him that created them; they\nbeing in their covenant, and I being brought up into the covenant, as\nsanctified by the Word which was in the beginning, by which all things\nare upheld; wherein is unity with the creation.\n\nBut people being strangers to the covenant of life with God, they eat\nand drink to make themselves wanton with the creatures, wasting them\nupon their own lusts, and living in all filthiness, loving foul ways,\nand devouring the creation; and all this in the world, in the pollutions\nthereof, without God: therefore I was to shun all such.\n\nAfterwards, as I grew up, my relations thought to make me a priest; but\nothers persuaded to the contrary: whereupon I was put to a man, a\nshoemaker by trade, but who dealt in wool, and was a grazier, and sold\ncattle; and a great deal went through my hands. While I was with him, he\nwas blessed; but after I left him he broke, and came to nothing. I never\nwronged man or woman in all that time; for the Lord\u2019s power was with me,\nand over me to preserve me. While I was in that service, I used in my\ndealings the word Verily, and it was a common saying among people that\nknew me, \u201cIf George says Verily, there is no altering him.\u201d When boys\nand rude people would laugh at me, I let them alone, and went my way;\nbut people had generally a love to me for my innocency and honesty.\n\nWhen I came towards nineteen years of age, being upon business at a\nfair, one of my cousins, whose name was Bradford, a professor, and\nhaving another professor with him, came to me and asked me to drink part\nof a jug of beer with them, and I, being thirsty, went in with them; for\nI loved any that had a sense of good, or that sought after the Lord.\nWhen we had drunk each a glass, they began to drink healths, calling for\nmore, and agreeing together, that he that would not drink should pay\nall. I was grieved that any who made profession of religion, should do\nso. They grieved me very much, having never had such a thing put to me\nbefore, by any sort of people; wherefore I rose up to go, and putting my\nhand into my pocket, laid a groat on the table before them, and said,\n\u201cIf it be so, I will leave you.\u201d So I went away; and when I had done\nwhat business I had to do, I returned home, but did not go to bed that\nnight, nor could I sleep, but sometimes walked up and down, and\nsometimes prayed and cried to the Lord, who said unto me, \u201cThou seest\nhow young people go together into vanity, and old people into the earth;\nthou must forsake all, both young and old, and keep out of all, and be\nas a stranger unto all.\u201d\n\nThen at the command of God, on the ninth day of the seventh month, 1643,\nI left my relations, and broke off all familiarity or fellowship with\nold or young. I passed to LUTTERWORTH, where I stayed some time; and\nthence to NORTHAMPTON, where also I made some stay: then to\nNEWPORT-PAGNELL, whence, after I had stayed a while, I went to BARNET,\nin the fourth month, called June,[4] in 1644. As I thus travelled\nthrough the country, professors took notice and sought to be acquainted\nwith me; but I was afraid of them, for I was sensible they did not\npossess what they professed.\n\nFootnote 4:\n\n  Old Style.\n\nNow during the time that I was at BARNET, a strong temptation to despair\ncame upon me. Then I saw how Christ was tempted, and mighty troubles I\nwas in; sometimes I kept myself retired in my chamber, and often walked\nsolitary in the chace, to wait upon the Lord. I wondered why these\nthings should come to me; and I looked upon myself and said, \u201cWas I ever\nso before?\u201d Then I thought, because I had forsaken my relations, I had\ndone amiss against them; so I was brought to call to my mind all the\ntime that I had spent, and to consider whether I had wronged any. But\ntemptations grew more and more, and I was tempted almost to despair; and\nwhen Satan could not effect his design upon me that way, he laid snares\nfor me, and baits to draw me to commit some sin, whereby he might take\nadvantage to bring me to despair. I was about twenty years of age when\nthese exercises came upon me; and I continued in that condition some\nyears, in great trouble, and fain would have put it from me. I went to\nmany a priest to look for comfort, but found no comfort from them.\n\nFrom BARNET I went to LONDON, where I took a lodging, and was under\ngreat misery and trouble there; for I looked upon the great professors\nof the city, and I saw all was dark and under the chain of darkness. I\nhad an uncle there, one Pickering, a Baptist (and they were tender\nthen,) yet I could not impart my mind to him, nor join with them; for I\nsaw all, young and old, where they were. Some tender people would have\nhad me stay, but I was fearful, and returned homewards into\nLEICESTERSHIRE again, having a regard upon my mind unto my parents and\nrelations, lest I should grieve them; who, I understood, were troubled\nat my absence.\n\nWhen I was come down into Leicestershire, my relations would have had me\nmarry, but I told them I was but a lad, and I must get wisdom. Others\nwould have had me into the auxiliary band among the soldiery, but I\nrefused; and I was grieved that they proffered such things to me, being\na tender youth. Then I went to COVENTRY, where I took a chamber for a\nwhile at a professor\u2019s house, till people began to be acquainted with\nme; for there were many tender people in that town. After some time I\nwent into my own country again, and was there about a year, in great\nsorrows and troubles, and walked many nights by myself.\n\nThen the priest of DRAYTON, the town of my birth, whose name was\nNathaniel Stevens, came often to me, and I went often to him; and\nanother priest sometimes came with him; and they would give place to me\nto hear me, and I would ask them questions, and reason with them. And\nthis priest Stevens asked me a question, viz., Why Christ cried out upon\nthe cross, \u201cMy God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?\u201d and why he said,\n\u201cIf it be possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not my will, but\nthine be done?\u201d I told him that at that time the sins of all mankind\nwere upon Him, and their iniquities and transgressions with which He was\nwounded, which He was to bear, and to be an offering for, as He was man,\nbut He died not as He was God; and so, in that He died for all men, and\ntasted death for every man, He was an offering for the sins of the whole\nworld. This I spoke, being at that time in a measure sensible of\nChrist\u2019s sufferings, and what He went through. And the priest said, \u201cIt\nwas a very good, full answer, and such a one as he had not heard.\u201d At\nthat time he would applaud and speak highly of me to others; and what I\nsaid in discourse to him on the week-days, he would preach on the\nfirst-days; for which I did not like him. This priest afterwards became\nmy great persecutor.\n\nAfter this I went to another ancient priest at MANCETTER, in\nWarwickshire, and reasoned with him about the ground of despair and\ntemptations; but he was ignorant of my condition; he bade me take\ntobacco and sing psalms. Tobacco was a thing I did not love, and psalms\nI was not in a state to sing; I could not sing. Then he bid me come\nagain, and he would tell me many things; but when I came he was angry\nand pettish, for my former words had displeased him. He told my\ntroubles, sorrows, and griefs to his servants; which grieved me that I\nhad opened my mind to such a one. I saw they were all miserable\ncomforters; and this brought my troubles more upon me. Then I heard of a\npriest living about TAMWORTH, who was accounted an experienced man, and\nI went seven miles to him; but I found him only like an empty hollow\ncask. I heard also of one called Dr. Cradock, of COVENTRY, and went to\nhim. I asked him the ground of temptations and despair, and how troubles\ncame to be wrought in man? He asked me, Who was Christ\u2019s father and\nmother? I told him, Mary was his mother, and that he was supposed to be\nthe son of Joseph, but he was the Son of God. Now, as we were walking\ntogether in his garden, the alley being narrow, I chanced, in turning,\nto set my foot on the side of a bed, at which the man was in a rage, as\nif his house had been on fire. Thus all our discourse was lost, and I\nwent away in sorrow, worse than I was when I came. I thought them\nmiserable comforters, and saw they were all as nothing to me; for they\ncould not reach my condition. After this I went to another, one Macham,\na priest in high account. He would needs give me some physic, and I was\nto have been let blood; but they could not get one drop of blood from\nme, either in arms or head (though they endeavoured to do so,) my body\nbeing as it were, dried up with sorrows, grief and troubles, which were\nso great upon me that I could have wished I had never been born, or that\nI had been born blind, that I might never have seen wickedness or\nvanity; and deaf, that I might never have heard vain and wicked words,\nor the Lord\u2019s name blasphemed. When the time called Christmas came,\nwhile others were feasting and sporting themselves, I looked out poor\nwidows from house to house, and gave them some money. When I was invited\nto marriages (as I sometimes was,) I went to none at all, but the next\nday, or soon after, I would go and visit them; and if they were poor, I\ngave them some money; for I had wherewith both to keep myself from being\nchargeable to others, and to administer something to the necessities of\nthose who were in need.\n\nAbout the beginning of the year 1646, as I was going to COVENTRY, and\napproaching towards the gate, a consideration arose in me, how it was\nsaid that \u201call Christians are believers, both Protestants and Papists;\u201d\nand the Lord opened to me that, if all were believers, then they were\nall born of God, and passed from death to life, and that none were true\nbelievers but such; and though others said they were believers, yet they\nwere not. At another time, as I was walking in a field on a first-day\nmorning, the Lord opened to me, \u201cthat being bred at Oxford or Cambridge\nwas not enough to fit and qualify men to be ministers of Christ;\u201d and I\nwondered at it, because it was the common belief of people. But I saw it\nclearly as the Lord opened it to me, and was satisfied, and admired the\ngoodness of the Lord who had opened this thing unto me that morning.\nThis struck at priest Stevens\u2019 ministry, namely, \u201cthat to be bred at\nOxford or Cambridge was not enough to make a man fit to be a minister of\nChrist.\u201d So that which opened in me, I saw struck at the priest\u2019s\nministry. But my relations were much troubled that I would not go with\nthem to hear the priest; for I would get into the orchards, or the\nfields, with my Bible by myself. I asked them, Did not the apostle say\nto believers, that \u201cthey needed no man to teach them, but as the\nanointing teacheth them?\u201d And though they knew this was Scripture, and\nthat it was true, yet they were grieved because I could not be subject\nin this matter, to go to hear the priest with them. I saw that to be a\ntrue believer was another thing than they looked upon it to be; and I\nsaw that being bred at Oxford or Cambridge did not qualify or fit a man\nto be a minister of Christ: what then should I follow such for? So\nneither these, nor any of the Dissenting people, could I join with, but\nwas as a stranger to all, relying wholly upon the Lord Jesus Christ.\n\nAt another time it was opened in me, \u201cThat God, who made the world, did\nnot dwell in temples made with hands.\u201d This at first seemed a strange\nword, because both priests and people used to call their temples or\nchurches, dreadful places, holy ground, and the temples of God. But the\nLord showed me clearly, that he did not dwell in these temples which men\nhad commanded and set up, but in people\u2019s hearts: for both Stephen and\nthe apostle Paul bore testimony, that he did not dwell in temples made\nwith hands, not even in that which he had once commanded to be built,\nsince he put an end to it; but that his people were his temple, and he\ndwelt in them. This opened in me as I walked in the fields to my\nrelations\u2019 house. When I came there, they told me that Nathaniel\nStevens, the priest, had been there, and told them \u201che was afraid of me,\nfor going after new lights.\u201d I smiled in myself, knowing what the Lord\nhad opened in me concerning him and his brethren; but I told not my\nrelations, who though they saw beyond the priests, yet they went to hear\nthem, and were grieved because I would not go also. But I brought them\nScriptures, and told them, there was an anointing within man to teach\nhim, and that the Lord would teach his people himself. I had also great\nopenings concerning the things written in the Revelations; and when I\nspoke of them, the priests and professors would say that was a sealed\nbook, and would have kept me out of it: but I told them, Christ could\nopen the seals, and that they were the nearest things to us; for the\nEpistles were written to the saints that lived in former ages, but the\nRevelations were written of things to come.\n\nAfter this, I met with a sort of people that held women have no souls,\n(adding in a light manner,) no more than a goose. But I reproved them,\nand told them that was not right; for Mary said, \u201cMy soul doth magnify\nthe Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.\u201d\n\nRemoving to another place, I came among a people that relied much on\ndreams. I told them, except they could distinguish between dream and\ndream, they would confound all together; for there were three sorts of\ndreams; multitude of business sometimes caused dreams; and there were\nwhisperings of Satan in man in the night-season; and there were\nspeakings of God to man in dreams. But these people came out of these\nthings, and at last became Friends.\n\nNow though I had great openings, yet great trouble and temptation came\nmany times upon me; so that when it was day, I wished for night, and\nwhen it was night, I wished for day: and by reason of the openings I had\nin my troubles, I could say as David said, \u201cDay unto day uttereth\nspeech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.\u201d When I had openings,\nthey answered one another, and answered the Scriptures; for I had great\nopenings of the Scriptures: and when I was in troubles, one trouble also\nanswered to another.\n\nAbout the beginning of the year 1647, I was moved of the Lord to go into\nDERBYSHIRE, where I met with some friendly people, and had many\ndiscourses with them. Then passing further into the PEAK-COUNTRY, I met\nwith more friendly people, and with some in empty, high notions.\nTravelling on through some parts of LEICESTERSHIRE and into\nNOTTINGHAMSHIRE, I met with a tender people, and a very tender woman,\nwhose name was Elizabeth Hooton;[5] and with these I had some meetings\nand discourses. But my troubles continued, and I was often under great\ntemptations; I fasted much, and walked abroad in solitary places many\ndays, and often took my Bible, and went and sat in hollow trees and\nlonesome places till night came on; and frequently, in the night, walked\nmournfully about by myself: for I was a man of sorrows in the times of\nthe first workings of the Lord in me.\n\nFootnote 5:\n\n  Elizabeth Hooton was born at Nottingham about the year 1600; was the\n  wife of a person who occupied a respectable position in society. In\n  1647, when George Fox first met with her, she formed one of a company\n  of serious persons, who occasionally met together. Little is known of\n  her, but \u201cthe meetings and discourses\u201d she had with George Fox appear\n  to have been the means of convincing her of the spiritual views of\n  Friends. Sewell says in 1650\u2014\u201cFrom a true experience of the Lord\u2019s\n  work in man, she felt herself moved publicly to preach the way of\n  salvation to others.\u201d She was therefore not only the first of her sex,\n  but the second individual who appeared in the character of a minister\n  amongst the newly-gathered society. The preaching of women was not at\n  this period considered singular, several being thus engaged among the\n  various religious sects then in England. Elizabeth Hooton had not long\n  publicly testified as a minister, before her sincerity and\n  faithfulness were tested by persecution. Besides suffering in other\n  ways, she endured several imprisonments, sometimes for months\n  together. As a gospel minister, she stood high in the estimation of\n  her friends, and in advanced life performed two religious visits to\n  America and the West Indies, the latter of which occupied her several\n  years. She was one who travelled with George Fox amongst the West\n  India Islands, as related elsewhere in these volumes, being suddenly\n  taken ill in Jamaica, where she died the day following, aged about 71\n  years, a minister 21 years.\n\nDuring all this time I was never joined in profession of religion with\nany, but gave myself up to the Lord, having forsaken all evil company,\nand taken leave of father and mother, and all other relations, and\ntravelled up and down as a stranger in the earth, which way the Lord\ninclined my heart; taking a chamber to myself in the town where I came,\nand tarrying sometimes a month, more or less, in a place; for I durst\nnot stay long in any place, being afraid both of professor and profane,\nlest, being a tender young man, I should be hurt by conversing much with\neither. For which reason I kept myself much as a stranger, seeking\nheavenly wisdom and getting knowledge from the Lord; and was brought off\nfrom outward things, to rely wholly on the Lord alone. Though my\nexercises and troubles were very great, yet were they not so continual\nbut that I had some intermissions, and was sometimes brought into such a\nheavenly joy, that I thought I had been in Abraham\u2019s bosom. As I cannot\ndeclare the misery I was in, it was so great and heavy upon me; so\nneither can I set forth the mercies of God unto me in all my misery. O,\nthe everlasting love of God to my soul, when I was in great distress!\nwhen my troubles and torments were great, then was his love exceedingly\ngreat. \u201cThou, Lord, makest a fruitful field a barren wilderness, and a\nbarren wilderness a fruitful field; thou bringest down and settest up;\nthou killest and makest alive; all honour and glory be to thee, O Lord\nof glory; the knowledge of thee in the Spirit, is life; but that\nknowledge which is fleshly, works death.\u201d While there is this knowledge\nin the flesh, deceit and self-will conform to anything, and will say\nyes, yes, to that it doth not know. The knowledge which the world hath\nof what the prophets and apostles spoke, is a fleshly knowledge; and the\napostates from the life, in which the prophets and apostles were, have\ngotten their words, the Holy Scriptures, in a form, but not in their\nlife nor Spirit that gave them forth. So they all lie in confusion, and\nare making provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof; but not\nto fulfil the law and command of Christ in his power and Spirit: this,\nthey say, they cannot do; but to fulfil the lusts of the flesh, that\nthey can do with delight.\n\nNow after I had received that opening from the Lord, that \u201cto be bred at\nOxford or Cambridge was not sufficient to fit a man to be a minister of\nChrist,\u201d I regarded the priests less, and looked more after the\nDissenting people. Among them I saw there was some tenderness; and many\nof them came afterwards to be convinced, for they had some openings. But\nas I had forsaken the priests, so I left the separate preachers also,\nand those esteemed the most experienced people; for I saw there was none\namong them all that could speak to my condition. When all my hopes in\nthem and in all men were gone, so that I had nothing outwardly to help\nme, nor could I tell what to do; then, O! then I heard a voice which\nsaid, \u201cThere is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy\ncondition;\u201d and when I heard it, my heart did leap for joy. Then the\nLord let me see why there was none upon the earth that could speak to my\ncondition, namely, that I might give him all the glory; for all are\nconcluded under sin, and shut up in unbelief, as I had been, that Jesus\nChrist might have the pre-eminence, who enlightens, and gives grace, and\nfaith, and power. Thus when God doth work, who shall hinder it? and this\nI knew experimentally. My desires after the Lord grew stronger, and zeal\nin the pure knowledge of God, and of Christ alone, without the help of\nany man, book, or writing. For though I read the Scriptures that spoke\nof Christ and of God; yet I knew him not, but by revelation, as he who\nhath the key did open, and as the Father of Life drew me to his Son by\nhis Spirit. Then the Lord gently led me along, and let me see his love,\nwhich was endless and eternal, surpassing all the knowledge that men\nhave in the natural state, or can obtain from history or books; and that\nlove let me see myself, as I was without him. I was afraid of all\ncompany, for I saw them perfectly where they were, through the love of\nGod, which let me see myself. I had not fellowship with any people,\npriests, or professors, or any sort of separated people, but with\nChrist, who hath the key, and opened the door of Light and Life unto me.\nI was afraid of all carnal talk and talkers, for I could see nothing but\ncorruptions, and the life lay under the burthen of corruptions. When I\nmyself was in the deep, shut up under all, I could not believe that I\nshould ever overcome; my troubles, my sorrows, and my temptations were\nso great, that I thought many times I should have despaired, I was so\ntempted. But when Christ opened to me, how he was tempted by the same\ndevil, and overcame him and bruised his head, and that through him and\nhis power, light, grace, and Spirit, I should overcome also, I had\nconfidence in him; so he it was that opened to me, when I was shut up,\nand had no hope nor faith. Christ, who had enlightened me, gave me his\nlight to believe in; he gave me hope, which he himself revealed in me,\nand he gave me his Spirit and grace, which I found sufficient in the\ndeeps and in weakness. Thus, in the deepest miseries, and in the\ngreatest sorrows and temptations, that many times beset me, the Lord in\nhis mercy did keep me. I found that there were two thirsts in me; the\none after the creatures, to get help and strength there; and the other\nafter the Lord, the Creator, and his Son Jesus Christ. I saw all the\nworld could do me no good; if I had had a king\u2019s diet, palace, and\nattendance, all would have been as nothing; for nothing gave me comfort,\nbut the Lord by his power. I saw professors, priests, and people, were\nwhole and at ease in that condition which was my misery; and they loved\nthat which I would have been rid of. But the Lord stayed my desires upon\nhimself, from whom came my help, and my care was cast upon him alone.\nTherefore, all wait patiently upon the Lord, whatsoever condition you be\nin; wait in the grace and truth that comes by Jesus: for if ye so do,\nthere is a promise to you, and the Lord God will fulfil it in you.\nBlessed are all they that do indeed hunger and thirst after\nrighteousness, they shall be satisfied with it. I have found it so,\npraised be the Lord who filleth with it, and satisfieth the desires of\nthe hungry soul. O let the house of the spiritual Israel say, \u201cHis mercy\nendureth for ever!\u201d It is the great love of God to make a wilderness of\nthat which is pleasant to the outward eye and fleshly mind; and to make\na fruitful field of a barren wilderness. This is the great work of God.\nBut while people\u2019s minds run in the earthly, after the creatures and\nchangeable things, changeable ways and religions, and changeable,\nuncertain teachers, their minds are in bondage, they are brittle and\nchangeable, tossed up and down with windy doctrines and thoughts, and\nnotions and things; their minds being out of the unchangeable truth in\nthe inward parts, the Light of Jesus Christ, which would keep them to\nthe unchangeable. He is the way to the Father; and in all my troubles he\npreserved me by his Spirit and power; praised be his holy name for ever!\n\nAgain I heard a voice which said, \u201cThou serpent! thou dost seek to\ndestroy the life, but canst not; for the sword which keepeth the tree of\nlife shall destroy thee.\u201d So Christ, the Word of God, that bruised the\nhead of the serpent, the destroyer, preserved me; my inward mind being\njoined to his good Seed, that bruised the head of this serpent, the\ndestroyer. This inward life sprung up in me, to answer all the opposing\nprofessors and priests, and brought Scriptures to my memory to refute\nthem with.\n\nAt another time I saw the great love of God, and I was filled with\nadmiration at the infinitude of it; I saw what was cast out from God,\nand what entered into God\u2019s kingdom; and how by Jesus, the opener of the\ndoor, with his heavenly key, the entrance was given; and I saw death,\nhow it had passed upon all men, and oppressed the seed of God, in man,\nand in me; and how I in the seed came forth, and what the promise was\nto. Yet it was so with me, that there seemed to be two pleading in me;\nquestionings arose in my mind about gifts and prophecies; and I was\ntempted again to despair, as if I had sinned against the Holy Ghost. I\nwas in great perplexity and trouble for many days; yet I gave up myself\nto the Lord still.\n\nOne day when I had been walking solitarily abroad, and was come home, I\nwas wrapped up in the love of God, so that I could not but admire the\ngreatness of his love. While I was in that condition it was opened unto\nme by the eternal Light and Power, and I saw clearly therein, \u201cthat all\nwas done, and to be done, in and by Christ; and how he conquers and\ndestroys this tempter, the Devil, and all his works, and is above him;\nand that all these troubles were good for me, and temptations for the\ntrial of my faith, which Christ had given me.\u201d The Lord opened me, that\nI saw through all these troubles and temptations; my living faith was\nraised, that I saw all was done by Christ, the Life, and my belief was\nin Him. When at any time my condition was veiled, my secret belief was\nstayed firm, and hope underneath held me, as an anchor in the bottom of\nthe sea, and anchored my immortal soul to its Bishop, causing it to swim\nabove the sea, the world, where all the raging waves, foul weather,\ntempests, and temptations are. But, O! then did I see my troubles,\ntrials, and temptations more clearly than ever I had done. As the light\nappeared, all appeared that is out of the light; darkness, death,\ntemptations, the unrighteous, the ungodly; all was manifest and seen in\nthe light. After this, a pure fire appeared in me: then I saw how he sat\nas a refiner\u2019s fire and as fullers\u2019 soap;\u2014then the spiritual discerning\ncame into me, by which I did discern my own thoughts, groans, and sighs;\nand what it was that veiled me, and what it was that opened me. That\nwhich could not abide in the patience, nor endure the fire, in the light\nI found it to be the groans of the flesh, that could not give up to the\nwill of God, which had veiled me; and that could not be patient in all\ntrials, troubles, and perplexities;\u2014could not give up self to die by the\ncross, the power of God, that the living and quickened might follow him;\nand that that which would cloud and veil from the presence of\nChrist\u2014that which the sword of the Spirit cuts down, and which must die,\nmight not be kept alive. I discerned also the groans of the Spirit,\nwhich opened me, and made intercession to God; in which Spirit is the\ntrue waiting upon God, for the redemption of the body and of the whole\ncreation. By this Spirit, in which the true sighing is, I saw over the\nfalse sighings and groanings. By this invisible Spirit I discerned all\nthe false hearing, the false seeing, and the false smelling which was\nabove the Spirit, quenching and grieving it; and that all they that were\nthere, were in confusion and deceit, where the false asking and praying\nis, in deceit, in that nature and tongue that takes God\u2019s holy name in\nvain, wallows in the Egyptian sea, and asketh, but hath not; for they\nhate his light and resist the Holy Ghost; turn grace into wantonness,\nand rebel against the Spirit; and are erred from the faith they should\nask in, and from the Spirit they should pray by. He that knoweth these\nthings in the true Spirit, can witness them. The divine light of Christ\nmanifesteth all things; the spiritual fire trieth all things, and\nsevereth all things. Several things did I then see as the Lord opened\nthem to me; for he showed me that which can live in his holy refining\nfire, and that can live to God under his law. He made me sensible how\nthe law and the prophets were until John; and how the least in the\neverlasting kingdom of God is greater than John.\n\nThe pure and perfect law of God is over the flesh, to keep it and its\nworks, which are not perfect, under, by the perfect law; and the law of\nGod that is perfect, answers the perfect principle of God in every one.\nThis law the Jews, and the prophets, and John were to perform and do.\nNone know the giver of this law but by the Spirit of God; neither can\nany truly read it, or hear its voice, but by the Spirit of God; he that\ncan receive it, let him. John, who was the greatest prophet that was\nborn of a woman, did bear witness to the light, which Christ, the great\nheavenly prophet, hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world\nwithal; that they might believe in it, and become the children of light,\nand so have the light of life, and not come into condemnation. For the\ntrue belief stands in the light that condemns all evil, and the Devil,\nwho is the prince of darkness, and would draw out of the light into\ncondemnation. They that walk in this light, come to the mountain of the\nhouse of God, established above all mountains, and to God\u2019s teaching,\nwho will teach them his ways. These things were opened to me in the\nlight.\n\nI saw also the mountains burning up, and the rubbish; the rough and\ncrooked ways and places, made smooth and plain, that the Lord might come\ninto his tabernacle. These things are to be found in man\u2019s heart. But to\nspeak of these things being within, seemed strange to the rough, and\ncrooked, and mountainous ones. Yet the Lord saith, \u201cO Earth, hear the\nword of the Lord!\u201d The law of the Spirit crosseth the fleshly mind,\nspirit, and will, which lives in disobedience, and doth not keep within\nthe law of the Spirit. I saw this law was the pure love of God, which\nwas upon me, and which I must go through though I was troubled while I\nwas under it; for I could not be dead to the law, but through the law\nwhich did judge and condemn that which is to be condemned. I saw many\ntalked of the law, who had never known the law to be their schoolmaster;\nand many talked of the gospel of Christ, who had never known life and\nimmortality brought to light in them by it. You that have been under\nthat schoolmaster, and the condemnation of it, know these things; for\nthough the Lord in that day opened these things unto me in secret, they\nhave since been published by his eternal Spirit, as on the house top.\nAnd as you are brought into the law, and through the law to be dead to\nit, and witness the righteousness of the law fulfilled in you, you will\nafterwards come to know what it is to be brought into the faith, and\nthrough faith from under the law; and abiding in the faith, which Christ\nis the author of, you will have peace and access to God. But if ye look\nout from the faith, and from that which would keep you in the victory,\nand look after fleshly things or words, you will be brought into bondage\nto flesh again, and to the law, which takes hold upon the flesh and sin,\nand worketh wrath, and the works of the flesh will appear again. The law\nof God takes hold upon the law of sin and death; but the law of faith,\nor the law of the Spirit of life, which is the love of God, and which\ncomes by Jesus (who is the end of the law for righteousness\u2019 sake,)\nmakes free from the law of sin and death. This law of life\nfleshly-minded men do not know; yet they will tempt you, to draw you\nfrom the Spirit into the flesh, and so into bondage.\n\nTherefore ye, who know the love of God, and the law of his Spirit, and\nthe freedom that is in Jesus Christ, stand fast in him, in that divine\nfaith which he is the author of in you; and be not entangled with the\nyoke of bondage. For the ministry of Christ Jesus, and his teaching,\nbring into liberty and freedom; but the ministry that is of man, and by\nman, and which stands in the will of man, bringeth into bondage, and\nunder the shadow of death and darkness. Therefore none can be ministers\nof Christ Jesus but in the eternal Spirit, which was before the\nScriptures were given forth; for if they have not his Spirit, they are\nnone of his. Though they may have his light to condemn them that hate\nit, yet they can never bring any into unity and fellowship in the\nSpirit, except they be in it; for the Seed of God is a burdensome stone\nto the selfish, fleshly, earthly will, which reigns in its own knowledge\nand understanding that must perish, and in its wisdom that is devilish.\nAnd the Spirit of God is grieved, and vexed, and quenched with that\nwhich brings into the fleshly bondage; and that which wars against the\nSpirit of God, must be mortified by it; for the flesh lusteth against\nthe Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the\none to the other. The flesh would have its liberty, and the Spirit would\nhave its liberty; but the Spirit is to have its liberty and not the\nflesh. If therefore ye quench the Spirit, and join to the flesh, and be\nservants of it, then ye are judged and tormented by the Spirit; but if\nye join to the Spirit and serve God in it, ye have liberty and victory\nover the flesh and its works. Therefore keep in the daily cross, the\npower of God, by which you may witness all that to be crucified which is\ncontrary to the will of God, and which shall not come into his kingdom.\nThese things are here mentioned and opened for information, exhortation,\nand comfort to others, as the Lord opened them unto me in that day. In\nthat day I wondered that the children of Israel should murmur for water\nand victuals, for I could have fasted long without murmuring or minding\nvictuals. But I was judged at other times, that I was not contented to\nbe sometimes without the water and bread of life, that I might learn to\nknow how to want, and how to abound.\n\nI heard of a woman in LANCASHIRE, that had fasted two and twenty days,\nand I travelled to see her; but when I came to her I saw that she was\nunder a temptation. When I had spoken to her what I had from the Lord, I\nleft her, her father being one high in profession. Passing on, I went\namong the professors at DUKINFIELD and MANCHESTER, where I stayed a\nwhile, and declared truth among them. There were some convinced, who\nreceived the Lord\u2019s teaching, by which they were confirmed and stood in\nthe truth. But the professors were in a rage, all pleading for sin and\nimperfection, and could not endure to hear talk of perfection, and of a\nholy and sinless life. But the Lord\u2019s power was over all; though they\nwere chained under darkness and sin, which they pleaded for, and\nquenched the tender thing in them.\n\nAbout this time there was a great meeting of the Baptists, at BROUGHTON,\nin Leicestershire, with some that had separated from them; and people of\nother notions went thither, and I went also. Not many of the Baptists\ncame, but many others were there. The Lord opened my mouth, and the\neverlasting truth was declared amongst them, and the power of the Lord\nwas over them all. For in that day the Lord\u2019s power began to spring, and\nI had great openings in the Scriptures. Several were convinced in those\nparts, and were turned from darkness to light, from the power of Satan\nunto God; and many were raised up to praise God. When I reasoned with\nprofessors and other people, some became convinced.\n\nI was still under great temptations sometimes, and my inward sufferings\nwere heavy; but I could find none to open my condition to but the Lord\nalone, unto whom I cried night and day. I went back into\nNOTTINGHAMSHIRE, and there the Lord showed me that the natures of those\nthings, which were hurtful without, were within, in the hearts and minds\nof wicked men. The natures of dogs, swine, vipers, of Sodom and Egypt,\nPharaoh, Cain, Ishmael, Esau, &c.; the natures of these I saw within,\nthough people had been looking without. I cried to the Lord, saying,\n\u201cWhy should I be thus, seeing I was never addicted to commit those\nevils?\u201d and the Lord answered, \u201cThat it was needful I should have a\nsense of all conditions, how else should I speak to all conditions?\u201d and\nin this I saw the infinite love of God. I saw also, that there was an\nocean of darkness and death; but an infinite ocean of light and love,\nwhich flowed over the ocean of darkness. In that also I saw the infinite\nlove of God, and I had great openings.\n\nAnd as I was walking by the steeple-house,[6] in MANSFIELD, the Lord\nsaid unto me, \u201cThat which people trample upon, must be thy food.\u201d And as\nthe Lord spoke he opened it to me, that people and professors trampled\nupon the life, even the life of Christ; they fed upon words, and fed one\nanother with words; but they trampled upon the life; trampled underfoot\nthe blood of the Son of God, which blood was my life, and lived in their\nairy notions, talking of him. It seemed strange to me at first, that I\nshould feed on that which the high professors trampled upon; but the\nLord opened it clearly to me by his eternal Spirit and Power.\n\nFootnote 6:\n\n  The term \u201csteeplehouse\u201d occurs not unfrequently in this _Journal_, and\n  in the early writings and records of Friends. Though it may sound\n  harsh, and appear to savour of the scurrility and intolerance of that\n  zealous age, yet this, or any other mode of speech adopted by Friends,\n  was by no means taken up for the purpose of opprobrium, but rather\n  significantly to discover the little veneration or distinction they\n  could show for these buildings more than others; believing that the\n  Almighty is equally present everywhere, to bless and to sanctify every\n  place and everything to those that walk uprightly on the earth, his\n  footstool.\n\n  One of the chief points of George Fox\u2019s ministry was to overturn that\n  insidious reverence for names and things which is too frequently\n  substituted for the worship that is \u201cin spirit and in truth.\u201d Few\n  instances more distinctly exhibit this sort of covert idolatry, than\n  the general notion of _sanctity_ which is attached to the building\n  called a \u201c_church_.\u201d The word \u201cchurch\u201d is, in the Holy Scriptures,\n  never applied to an outward temple or building, but to a company of\n  believers, whether generally or particularly. The use of this term\n  appears to have crept in among Christians, and with it a superstitious\n  consecration of those places, as possessing some latent quality not\n  affecting other works of art or nature. To this Stephen the martyr\n  evidently alluded when he said, \u201cHowbeit the Most High dwelleth not in\n  temples made with hands,\u201d &c., Acts vii. 48. Clemens of Alexandria\n  says, \u201cNot the place, but the congregation of the elect, I call a\n  church,\u201d Stromat. vii., 715 B.\n\nThen came people from far and near to see me; but I was fearful of being\ndrawn out by them; yet I was made to speak, and open things to them.\nThere was one Brown, who had great prophecies and sights of me upon his\ndeath-bed. He spoke openly of what I should be made instrumental by the\nLord to bring forth. And of others he spoke, that they should come to\nnothing, which was fulfilled on some, who then were something in show.\nWhen this man was buried, a great work of the Lord fell upon me, to the\nadmiration of many, who thought I had been dead; and many came to see me\nfor about fourteen days. I was very much altered in countenance and\nperson, as if my body had been new moulded or changed. While I was in\nthat condition, I had a sense and discerning given me by the Lord,\nthrough which I saw plainly, that when many people talked of God and of\nChrist, &c., the serpent spoke in them; but this was hard to be borne.\nYet the work of the Lord went on in some, and my sorrows and troubles\nbegan to wear off, and tears of joy dropped from me, so that I could\nhave wept night and day with tears of joy to the Lord, in humility and\nbrokenness of heart. I saw into that which was without end, and things\nwhich cannot be uttered, and of the greatness and infinitude of the love\nof God, which cannot be expressed by words. For I had been brought\nthrough the very ocean of darkness and death, and through and over the\npower of Satan, by the eternal, glorious power of Christ; even through\nthat darkness was I brought, which covered over all the world, and which\nchained down all, and shut up all in death. The same eternal power of\nGod, which brought me through these things, was that which afterwards\nshook the nations, priests, professors, and people. Then could I say I\nhad been in spiritual Babylon, Sodom, Egypt, and the grave; but by the\neternal power of God I was come out of it, and was brought over it, and\nthe power of it, into the power of Christ. I saw the harvest white, and\nthe seed of God lying thick in the ground, as ever did wheat that was\nsown outwardly, and none to gather it; for this I mourned with tears. A\nreport went abroad of me that I was a young man that had a discerning\nspirit; whereupon many came to me, from far and near, professors,\npriests, and people. The Lord\u2019s power broke forth; and I had great\nopenings and prophecies; and spoke unto them of the things of God, which\nthey heard with attention and silence, and went away, and spread the\nfame thereof. Then came the tempter, and set upon me again, charging me,\nthat I had sinned against the Holy Ghost; but I could not tell in what.\nThen Paul\u2019s condition came before me, how, after he had been taken up\ninto the third heavens, and seen things not lawful to be uttered, a\nmessenger of Satan was sent to buffet him. Thus, by the power of Christ,\nI got over that temptation also.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER II.\n\n1648-1649.\u2014Begins to have great meetings\u2014at Mansfield he is moved to\n    pray\u2014the Lord\u2019s power so great the house is shaken\u2014cannot pray in\n    his own will\u2014a temptation besets him that there is no God, which is\n    dissipated by an inward voice\u2014he afterwards disputes with and\n    confounds some Atheists\u2014goes to courts and steeple-houses, &c., to\n    warn against oppression and oaths\u2014reproves a notorious drunkard, who\n    is reformed\u2014sees who are the greatest deceivers\u2014shows how people\n    read and understand the Scriptures\u2014various mysteries are revealed to\n    him\u2014he is sent to turn people to the Inward Light, Spirit, and\n    Grace, the Divine Spirit which he infallibly knew would not\n    deceive\u2014priests and professors rage at these innovations\u2014he cries\n    for justice in courts and against various wrong things\u2014denounces the\n    trade of preaching\u2014is sent to preach freely.\n\nIn the year 1648, as I was sitting in a friend\u2019s house in\nNottinghamshire (for by this time the power of God had opened the hearts\nof some to receive the word of life and reconciliation,) I saw there was\na great crack to go throughout the earth, and a great smoke to go as the\ncrack went; and that after the crack there should be a great shaking:\nthis was the earth in people\u2019s hearts, which was to be shaken before the\nseed of God was raised out of the earth. And it was so; for the Lord\u2019s\npower began to shake them, and great meetings we begun to have, and a\nmighty power and work of God there was amongst people, to the\nastonishment of both people and priests.\n\nAnd there was a meeting of priests and professors at a justice\u2019s house,\nand I went among them. Here they discoursed how Paul said, \u201cHe had not\nknown sin, but by the law, which said, Thou shalt not lust:\u201d and they\nheld that to be spoken of the outward law. But I told them, Paul spoke\nthat after he was convinced; for he had the outward law before, and was\nbrought up in it, when he was in the lust of persecution; but this was\nthe law of God in his mind, which he served, and which the law in his\nmembers warred against; for that which he thought had been life to him,\nproved death. So the more sober of the priests and professors yielded,\nand consented that it was not the outward law, but the inward, which\nshowed the inward lust which Paul spoke of after he was convinced: for\nthe outward law took hold upon the outward action; but the inward law\nupon the inward lust.\n\nAfter this I went again to MANSFIELD, where was a great meeting of\nprofessors and people; here I was moved to pray; and the Lord\u2019s power\nwas so great, that the house seemed to be shaken. When I had done, some\nof the professors said it was now as in the days of the apostles, when\nthe house was shaken where they were. After I had prayed, one of the\nprofessors would pray, which brought deadness and a veil over them: and\nothers of the professors were grieved at him and told him, it was a\ntemptation upon him. Then he came to me, and desired that I would pray\nagain; but I could not pray in man\u2019s will.\n\nSoon after there was another great meeting of professors, and a captain,\nwhose name was Amor Stoddard, came in. They were discoursing of the\nblood of Christ; and as they were discoursing of it, I saw, through the\nimmediate opening of the Invisible Spirit, the blood of Christ. And I\ncried out among them, and said, \u201cDo ye not see the blood of Christ? See\nit in your hearts, to sprinkle your hearts and consciences from dead\nworks, to serve the living God:\u201d for I saw it, the blood of the New\nCovenant, how it came into the heart. This startled the professors, who\nwould have the blood only without them, and not in them. But Captain\nStoddard was reached, and said, \u201cLet the youth speak; hear the youth\nspeak;\u201d when he saw they endeavoured to bear me down with many words.\n\nThere was also a company of priests, that were looked upon to be tender;\none of their names was Kellett; and several people that were tender,\nwent to hear them. I was moved to go after them, and bid them mind the\nLord\u2019s teaching in their inward parts. That priest Kellett was against\nparsonages then; but afterwards he got a great one, and turned a\npersecutor.\n\nNow, after I had had some service in these parts, I went through\nDERBYSHIRE into my own county, LEICESTERSHIRE, again, and several tender\npeople were convinced. Passing thence, I met with a great company of\nprofessors in WARWICKSHIRE, who were praying, and expounding the\nScriptures in the fields. They gave the Bible to me, and I opened it on\nthe fifth of Matthew, where Christ expounded the law; and I opened the\ninward state to them, and the outward state; upon which they fell into a\nfierce contention, and so parted; but the Lord\u2019s power got ground.\n\nThen I heard of a great meeting to be at LEICESTER, for a dispute,\nwherein Presbyterians, Independents, Baptists, and Common-prayer-men\nwere said to be all concerned. The meeting was in a steeple-house; and\nthither I was moved by the Lord God to go, and be amongst them. I heard\ntheir discourse and reasonings, some being in pews, and the priest in\nthe pulpit; abundance of people being gathered together. At last one\nwoman asked a question out of Peter, What that birth was, viz., a being\nborn again of incorruptible seed, by the Word of God, that liveth and\nabideth for ever? And the priest said to her, \u201cI permit not a woman to\nspeak in the church;\u201d though he had before given liberty for any to\nspeak. Whereupon I was wrapped up, as in a rapture, in the Lord\u2019s power;\nand I stepped up and asked the priest, \u201cDost thou call this (the\nsteeple-house) a church? Or dost thou call this mixed multitude a\nchurch?\u201d For the woman asking a question, he ought to have answered it,\nhaving given liberty for any to speak. But, instead of answering me, he\nasked me what a church was? I told him, \u201cThe church was the pillar and\nground of truth, made up of living stones, living members, a spiritual\nhousehold, which Christ was the head of: but he was not the head of a\nmixed multitude, or of an old house made up of lime, stones, and wood.\u201d\nThis set them all on fire: the priest came down out of his pulpit, and\nothers out of their pews, and the dispute there was marred. But I went\nto a great inn, and there disputed the thing with the priests and\nprofessors of all sorts; and they were all on a fire. But I maintained\nthe true church, and the true head thereof, over the heads of them all,\ntill they all gave out and fled away. One man seemed loving, and\nappeared for a while to join with me; but he soon turned against me, and\njoined with a priest, in pleading for infants\u2019 baptism, though he\nhimself had been a Baptist before; and so left me alone. Howbeit, there\nwere several convinced that day; and the woman that asked the question\nwas convinced, and her family; and the Lord\u2019s power and glory shone over\nall.\n\nAfter this I returned into Nottinghamshire, and went into the VALE OF\nBEAVOR. As I went, I preached repentance to the people; and there were\nmany convinced in the Vale of Beavor, in many towns; for I stayed some\nweeks amongst them. One morning, as I was sitting by the fire, a great\ncloud came over me, and a temptation beset me; but I sat still. And it\nwas said, \u201cAll things come by nature;\u201d and the elements and stars came\nover me, so that I was in a manner quite clouded with it. But as I sat\nstill, and silent, the people of the house perceived nothing. And as I\nsat still under it, and let it alone, a living hope arose in me, and a\ntrue voice, which said, \u201cThere _is_ a living God who made all things.\u201d\nAnd immediately the cloud and temptation vanished away, and life rose\nover it all; my heart was glad, and I praised the living God. After some\ntime, I met with some people who had a notion that there was no God, but\nthat all things came by nature. I had a great dispute with them, and\noverturned them, and made some of them confess that there is a living\nGod. Then I saw that it was good that I had gone through that exercise.\nWe had great meetings in those parts, for the power of the Lord broke\nthrough in that part of the country. Returning into NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, I\nfound there a company of shattered Baptists, and others; and the Lord\u2019s\npower wrought mightily, and gathered many of them. Afterwards I went to\nMANSFIELD and thereaway, where the Lord\u2019s power was wonderfully\nmanifested both at Mansfield and other neighbouring towns. In Derbyshire\nthe mighty power of God wrought in a wonderful manner. At EATON, a town\nnear Derby, there was a meeting of Friends, where there was such a\nmighty power of God that they were greatly shaken, and many mouths were\nopened in the power of the Lord God. Many were moved by the Lord to go\nto steeple-houses, to the priests and to the people, to declare the\neverlasting truth unto them.\n\nAt a certain time, when I was at MANSFIELD, there was a sitting of the\njustices about hiring of servants; and it was upon me from the Lord to\ngo and speak to the justices, that they should not oppress the servants\nin their wages. So I walked towards the inn where they sat; but finding\na company of fiddlers there, I did not go in, but thought to come in the\nmorning, when I might have a more serious opportunity to discourse with\nthem, not thinking that a seasonable time. But when I came again in the\nmorning, they were gone, and I was struck even blind, that I could not\nsee. I inquired of the innkeeper where the justices were to sit that\nday; and he told me, at a town eight miles off. My sight began to come\nto me again; and I went and ran thitherward as fast as I could. When I\nwas come to the house where they were, and many servants with them, I\nexhorted the justices not to oppress the servants in their wages, but to\ndo that which was right and just to them; and I exhorted the servants to\ndo their duties, and serve honestly, &c. They all received my\nexhortation kindly; for I was moved of the Lord therein.\n\nMoreover, I was moved to go to several courts and steeple-houses at\nMansfield, and other places, to warn them to leave off oppression and\noaths, and to turn from deceit to the Lord, and do justly. Particularly\nat Mansfield, after I had been at a court there, I was moved to go and\nspeak to one of the most wicked men in the country, one who was a common\ndrunkard, a noted whore-master, and a rhyme-maker; and I reproved him in\nthe dread of the mighty God, for his evil courses. When I had done\nspeaking, and left him, he came after me, and told me, that he was so\nsmitten when I spoke to him, that he had scarcely any strength left in\nhim. So this man was convinced, and turned from his wickedness, and\nremained an honest, sober man, to the astonishment of the people who had\nknown him before. Thus the work of the Lord went forward, and many were\nturned from the darkness to the light, within the compass of these three\nyears, 1646, 1647, and 1648. Divers meetings of Friends, in several\nplaces, were then gathered to God\u2019s teaching, by his light, Spirit, and\npower; for the Lord\u2019s power broke forth more and more, wonderfully.\n\nNow was I come up in Spirit through the flaming sword, into the paradise\nof God. All things were new; and all the creation gave another smell\nunto me than before, beyond what words can utter. I knew nothing but\npureness, and innocency, and righteousness, being renewed into the image\nof God by Christ Jesus, to the state of Adam, which he was in before he\nfell. The creation was opened to me; and it was showed me how all things\nhad their names given them, according to their nature and virtue. I was\nat a stand in my mind, whether I should practise physic for the good of\nmankind, seeing the nature and virtues of things were so opened to me by\nthe Lord. But I was immediately taken up in Spirit, to see into another\nor more steadfast state than Adam\u2019s innocency, even into a state in\nChrist Jesus, that should never fall. And the Lord showed me that such\nas were faithful to him, in the power and light of Christ, should come\nup into that state in which Adam was before he fell; in which the\nadmirable works of creation, and the virtues thereof, may be known,\nthrough the openings of that divine Word of wisdom and power, by which\nthey were made. Great things did the Lord lead me into, and wonderful\ndepths were opened unto me, beyond what can by words be declared; but as\npeople come into subjection to the Spirit of God, and grow up in the\nimage and power of the Almighty, they may receive the Word of Wisdom,\nthat opens all things, and come to know the hidden unity in the Eternal\nBeing.\n\nThus I travelled on in the Lord\u2019s service, as the Lord led me. And when\nI came to NOTTINGHAM, the mighty power of God was there among Friends.\nFrom thence I went to CLAWSON in Leicestershire, in the VALE of BEAVOR,\nand the mighty power of God was there also, in several towns and\nvillages where Friends were gathered. While I was there, the Lord opened\nto me three things, relating to those three great professions in the\nworld, physic, divinity (so called), and law. He showed me that the\nphysicians were out of the wisdom of God, by which the creatures were\nmade; and so knew not their virtues, because they were out of the Word\nof Wisdom; by which they were made. He showed me that the priests were\nout of the true faith, which Christ is the author of; the faith which\npurifies and gives victory, and brings people to have access to God, by\nwhich they please God; which mystery of faith is held in a pure\nconscience. He showed me also, that the lawyers were out of the equity,\nand out of the true justice, and out of the law of God, which went over\nthe first transgression, and over all sin, and answered the Spirit of\nGod, that was grieved and transgressed in man. And that these three, the\nphysicians, the priests, and the lawyers, ruled the world out of the\nwisdom, out of the faith, and out of the equity and law of God; the one\npretending the cure of the body, the other the cure of the soul, and the\nthird the property of the people. But I saw they were all out of wisdom,\nout of the faith, out of the equity and perfect law of God. And as the\nLord opened these things unto me, I felt his power went forth over all,\nby which all might be reformed, if they would receive and bow unto it.\nThe priests might be reformed, and brought into the true faith, which\nwas the gift of God. The lawyers might be reformed, and brought into the\nlaw of God, which answers that of God, which is transgressed, in every\none, and brings to love one\u2019s neighbour as himself. This lets man see,\nif he wrongs his neighbour he wrongs himself; and this teaches him to do\nunto others as he would they should do unto him. The physicians might be\nreformed, and brought into the wisdom of God, by which all things were\nmade and created; that they might receive a right knowledge of them, and\nunderstand their virtues, which the Word of Wisdom, by which they were\nmade and are upheld, hath given them. Abundance was opened concerning\nthese things; how all lay out of the wisdom of God, and out of the\nrighteousness and holiness that man at the first was made in. But as all\nbelieve in the light, and walk in the light, which Christ hath\nenlightened every man that cometh into the world withal, and so become\nchildren of the light, and of the day of Christ; in his day all things\nare seen, visible and invisible, by the divine light of Christ, the\nspiritual, heavenly man, by whom all things were made and created.\n\nThen I saw concerning the priests, that although they stood in deceit,\nand acted by the dark power, which both they and their people were kept\nunder; yet they were not the greatest deceivers spoken of in the\nScriptures; for these were not come so far as many of them had come. But\nthe Lord opened to me who the greatest deceivers were, and how far they\nmight come; even such as came as far as Cain, to hear the voice of God;\nand such as came out of Egypt, and through the Red Sea, and to praise\nGod on the banks of the sea-shore; such as could speak by experience of\nGod\u2019s miracles and wonders; such as were come as far as Korah and\nDathan, and their company; such as were come as far as Balaam, who could\nspeak the word of the Lord, who heard his voice and knew it, and knew\nhis Spirit, and could see the star of Jacob, and the goodliness of\nIsrael\u2019s tent; the second birth, which no enchantment could prevail\nagainst: these that could speak so much of their experiences of God, and\nyet turned from the Spirit and the Word, and went into the gainsaying;\nthese were, and would be, the great deceivers, far beyond the priests.\nLikewise among the Christians, such as should preach in Christ\u2019s name,\nand should work miracles, cast out devils, and go as far as a Cain, a\nKorah, and a Balaam, in the gospel times, these were and would be the\ngreat deceivers. They that could speak some experiences of Christ and\nGod, but lived not in the life: these were they that led the world after\nthem, who got the form of godliness, but denied the power; who inwardly\nravened from the Spirit, and brought people into the form, but\npersecuted them that were in the power, as Cain did; and ran greedily\nafter the error of Balaam, through covetousness, loving the wages of\nunrighteousness, as Balaam did. These followers of Cain, Korah, and\nBalaam have brought the world, since the apostles\u2019 days, to be like a\nsea. And such as these, I saw, might deceive now, as they had in former\nages: but it is impossible for them to deceive the elect, who are chosen\nin Christ, who was before the world began, and before the deceiver was;\nthough others may be deceived in their openings and prophecies, not\nkeeping their minds to the Lord Jesus Christ, who doth open and reveal\nto his.\n\nI saw the state of those, both priests and people, who, in reading the\nScriptures, cry out much against Cain, Esau, and Judas, and other wicked\nmen of former times, mentioned in the Holy Scriptures; but do not see\nthe nature of Cain, of Esau, of Judas, and those others, in themselves.\nThese said, it was they, they, they, that were the bad people; putting\nit off from themselves: but when some of these came, with the light and\nSpirit of truth, to see into themselves, then they came to say, I, I, I,\nit is I myself that have been the Ishmael, and the Esau, &c. For then\nthey came to see the nature of wild Ishmael in themselves; the nature of\nCain, of Esau, of Korah, of Balaam, and of the son of perdition in\nthemselves, sitting above all that is called God in them. Thus I saw it\nwas the fallen man that was got up into the Scriptures, and was finding\nfault with those before mentioned; and, with the backsliding Jews,\ncalling them the sturdy oaks, and tall cedars, and fat bulls of Bashan,\nwild heifers, vipers, serpents, &c.; and charging them that it was they\nthat closed their eyes, and stopped their ears, and hardened their\nhearts, and were dull of hearing: that it was they that hated the light\nand rebelled against it; that quenched the Spirit, and vexed, and\ngrieved it; that walked despitefully against the Spirit of grace, and\nturned the grace of God into wantonness; and that it was they that\nresisted the Holy Ghost, that got the form of godliness, and turned\nagainst the power: and they were the inwardly ravening wolves, that had\ngot the sheep\u2019s clothing; they were the wells without water, and clouds\nwithout rain, and trees without fruit, &c. But when these, who were so\nmuch taken up with finding fault with others, and thought themselves\nclear from these things, came to look into themselves, and with the\nlight of Christ thoroughly to search themselves, they might see enough\nof this in themselves; and then the cry could not be, it is he, or they,\nas before; but I and we are found in these conditions.\n\nI saw also, how people read the Scriptures without a right sense of\nthem, and without duly applying them to their own states. For, when they\nread that death reigned from Adam to Moses; that the law and the\nprophets were until John; and that the least in the kingdom is greater\nthan John; they read these things and applied them to others, but they\ndid not turn in to find the truth of these things in themselves. As\nthese things came to be opened in me, I saw death reigned over them from\nAdam to Moses; from the entrance into transgression, till they came to\nthe ministration of condemnation, which restrains people from sin that\nbrings death. Then, when the ministration of Moses is passed through,\nthe ministry of the prophets comes to be read and understood, which\nreaches through the figures, types, and shadows unto John, the greatest\nprophet born of a woman; whose ministration prepares the way of the\nLord, by bringing down the exalted mountains, and making straight paths.\nAnd as this ministration is passed through, an entrance comes to be\nknown into the everlasting kingdom. Thus I saw plainly that none could\nread Moses aright, without Moses\u2019 spirit, by which Moses saw how man was\nin the image of God in Paradise, and how he fell, how death came over\nhim, and how all men have been under this death. I saw how Moses\nreceived the pure law, that went over all transgressors; and how the\nclean beasts, which were figures and types, were offered up, when the\npeople were come into the righteous law that went over the first\ntransgression. Both Moses and the prophets saw through the types and\nfigures and beyond them, and saw Christ, the great prophet, that was to\ncome to fulfil them. I saw that none could read John\u2019s words aright, and\nwith a true understanding of them, but in and with the same divine\nSpirit by which John spoke them; and by his burning, shining light,\nwhich is sent from God. For by that Spirit their crooked natures might\nbe made straight, and their rough natures smooth, and the exacter and\nviolent doer in them might be cast out; and they that had been\nhypocrites might come to bring forth fruits meet for repentance, and\ntheir mountain of sin and earthliness might be laid low, and their\nvalley exalted in them, that there might be a way prepared for the Lord\nin them: then the least of the kingdom is greater than John. But all\nmust first know the voice crying in the wilderness, in their hearts,\nwhich through transgression, were become a wilderness. Thus I saw it was\nan easy matter to say death reigned from Adam to Moses; and that the law\nand the prophets were until John; and that the least in the kingdom is\ngreater than John; but none could know _how_ death reigned from Adam to\nMoses, &c., but by the same Holy Spirit that Moses, the prophets, and\nJohn were in. They could not know the spiritual meaning of Moses\u2019, the\nprophets\u2019, and John\u2019s words, nor see their path and travels, much less\nsee through them, and to the end of them into the kingdom, unless they\nhad the Spirit and light of Jesus; nor could they know the words of\nChrist, and of his apostles, without his Spirit. But as man comes\nthrough by the Spirit and power of God, to Christ, who fulfils the\ntypes, figures, shadows, promises, and prophecies that were of him, and\nis led by the Holy Ghost into the truth and substance of the Scriptures,\nsitting down in him who is the author and end of them; then are they\nread, and understood with profit and great delight.\n\nMoreover, when I was brought up into his image in righteousness and\nholiness, and into the paradise of God, He let me see how Adam was made\na living soul: and also the stature of Christ, the mystery that had been\nhid from ages and generations; which things are hard to be uttered and\ncannot be borne by many. For, of all the sects in Christendom (so\ncalled) that I discoursed withal, I found none that could bear to be\ntold that any should come to Adam\u2019s perfection, into the image of God,\nthat righteousness and holiness that Adam was in before he fell; to be\nclear and pure without sin, as he was. Therefore how should they be able\nto bear being told that any should grow up to the measure of the stature\nof the fulness of Christ, when they cannot bear to hear that any should\ncome, whilst upon earth, into the same power and Spirit that the\nprophets and apostles were in? Though it is a certain truth, that none\ncan understand their writings aright, without the same Spirit by which\nthey were written.\n\nNow the Lord God opened to me by his invisible power, \u201cthat every man\nwas enlightened by the divine light of Christ;\u201d and I saw it shine\nthrough all; and that they that believed in it came out of condemnation\nto the light of life, and became the children of it; but they that hated\nit, and did not believe in it, were condemned by it, though they made a\nprofession of Christ. This I saw in the pure openings of the light,\nwithout the help of any man; neither did I then know where to find it in\nthe Scriptures, though afterwards, searching the Scriptures, I found it.\nFor I saw in that Light and Spirit which was before the Scriptures were\ngiven forth, and which led the holy men of God to give them forth, that\nall must come to that Spirit, if they would know God, or Christ, or the\nScriptures aright, which they that gave them forth were led and taught\nby.\n\nBut I observed a dulness and drowsy heaviness upon people, which I\nwondered at: for sometimes when I would set myself to sleep, my mind\nwent over all to the beginning, in that which is from everlasting to\neverlasting. I saw death was to pass over this sleepy heavy state; and I\ntold people they must come to witness death to that sleepy, heavy\nnature, and a cross to it in the power of God, that their minds and\nhearts might be on things above.\n\nOn a certain time, as I was walking in the fields, the Lord said unto\nme: \u201cThy name is written in the Lamb\u2019s book of life, which was before\nthe foundation of the world;\u201d and, as the Lord spoke it, I believed, and\nsaw it in the new birth. Then, some time after, the Lord commanded me to\ngo abroad into the world, which was like a briery thorny wilderness; and\nwhen I came, in the Lord\u2019s mighty power, with the word of life into the\nworld, the world swelled, and made a noise like the great raging waves\nof the sea. Priests and professors, magistrates and people, were all\nlike a sea, when I came to proclaim the day of the Lord amongst them,\nand to preach repentance to them.\n\nI was sent to turn people from darkness to the light, that they might\nreceive Christ Jesus: for, to as many as should receive him in his\nlight, I saw that he would give power to become the sons of God; which I\nhad obtained by receiving Christ. I was to direct people to the Spirit,\nthat gave forth the Scriptures, by which they might be led into all\ntruth, and so up to Christ and God, as they had been who gave them\nforth. I was to turn them to the grace of God, and to the truth in the\nheart, which came by Jesus; that by this grace they might be taught,\nwhich would bring them salvation, that their hearts might be established\nby it, and their words might be seasoned, and all might come to know\ntheir salvation nigh. I saw that Christ died for all men, and was a\npropitiation for all; and enlightened all men and women with his divine\nand saving light; and that none could be a true believer, but who\nbelieved in it. I saw that the grace of God, which bringeth salvation,\nhad appeared to all men, and that the manifestation of the Spirit of God\nwas given to every man, to profit withal. These things I did not see by\nthe help of man, nor by the letter, though they are written in the\nletter, but I saw them in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by his\nimmediate Spirit and power, as did the holy men of God, by whom the Holy\nScriptures were written. Yet I had no slight esteem of the holy\nScriptures, but they were very precious to me, for I was in that Spirit\nby which they were given forth: and what the Lord opened in me, I\nafterwards found was agreeable to them. I could speak much of these\nthings, and many volumes might be written, but all would prove too short\nto set forth the infinite love, wisdom, and power of God, in preparing,\nfitting, and furnishing me for the service he had appointed me to;\nletting me see the depths of Satan on the one hand, and opening to me,\non the other hand, the divine mysteries of His own everlasting kingdom.\n\nNow, when the Lord God and his son Jesus Christ sent me forth into the\nworld, to preach his everlasting gospel and kingdom, I was glad that I\nwas commanded to turn people to that inward light, Spirit, and grace, by\nwhich all might know their salvation, and their way to God; even that\nDivine Spirit which would lead them into all truth, and which I\ninfallibly knew would never deceive any.\n\nBut with and by this divine power and Spirit of God, and the light of\nJesus, I was to bring people off from all their own ways, to Christ, the\nnew and living way; and from their churches, which men had made and\ngathered, to the church in God, the general assembly written in heaven\nwhich Christ is the head of: and off from the world\u2019s, teachers, made by\nmen, to learn of Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life, of\nwhom the Father said, \u201cThis is my beloved Son, hear ye him;\u201d and off\nfrom all the world\u2019s worships, to know the Spirit of Truth in the inward\nparts, and to be led thereby; that in it they might worship the Father\nof spirits, who seeks such to worship him; which Spirit they that\nworshipped not in, knew not what they worshipped. And I was to bring\npeople off from all the world\u2019s religions, which are vain; that they\nmight know the pure religion, might visit the fatherless, the widows,\nand the strangers, and keep themselves from the spots of the world; then\nthere would not be so many beggars, the sight of whom often grieved my\nheart, as it denoted so much hard-heartedness amongst them that\nprofessed the name of Christ. I was to bring them off from all the\nworld\u2019s fellowships, and prayings, and singings, which stood in forms\nwithout power; that their fellowship might be in the Holy Ghost, and in\nthe Eternal Spirit of God; that they might pray in the Holy Ghost, and\nsing in the Spirit, and with the grace that comes by Jesus; making\nmelody in their hearts to the Lord, who hath sent his beloved Son to be\ntheir Saviour, and caused his heavenly sun to shine upon all the world,\nand through them all, and his heavenly rain to fall upon the just and\nthe unjust (as his outward rain doth fall, and his outward sun doth\nshine on all), which is God\u2019s unspeakable love to the world. I was to\nbring people off from Jewish ceremonies, and from heathenish fables, and\nfrom men\u2019s inventions and windy doctrines, by which they blew the people\nabout this way and the other way, from sect to sect; and from all their\nbeggarly rudiments, with their schools and colleges for making ministers\nof Christ, who are indeed ministers of their own making, but not of\nChrist\u2019s; and from all their images and crosses, and sprinkling of\ninfants, with all their holy days (so called) and all their vain\ntraditions, which they had instituted since the apostles\u2019 days, which\nthe Lord\u2019s power was against: in the dread and authority of which, I was\nmoved to declare against them all, and against all that preached and not\nfreely, as being such as had not received freely from Christ.\n\nMoreover, when the Lord sent me forth into the world, he forbade me to\nput off my hat to any, high or low; and I was required to Thee and Thou\nall men and women, without any respect to rich or poor, great or small.\nAnd as I travelled up and down, I was not to bid people Good morrow or\nGood evening; neither might I bow or scrape with my leg to any one; and\nthis made the sects and professions to rage. But the Lord\u2019s power\ncarried me over all to his glory, and many came to be turned to God in a\nlittle time; for the heavenly day of the Lord sprung from on high, and\nbroke forth apace, by the light of which many came to see where they\nwere.\n\nBut O! the rage that then was in the priests, magistrates, professors,\nand people of all sorts; but especially in priests and professors! for,\nthough Thou, to a single person, was according to their own learning,\ntheir accidence, and grammar rules, and according to the Bible, yet they\ncould not bear to hear it: and as to the hat-honour, because I could not\nput off my hat to them, it set them all into a rage. But the Lord showed\nme that it was an honour below, which he would lay in the dust, and\nstain;\u2014an honour which proud flesh looked for, but sought not the honour\nwhich came from God only;\u2014an honour invented by men in the fall, and in\nthe alienation from God, who were offended if it were not given them;\nand yet they would be looked upon as saints, church-members and great\nChristians: but Christ saith, \u201cHow can ye believe, who receive honour\none of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?\u201d \u201cAnd\nI (saith Christ) receive not honour of men:\u201d showing that men have an\nhonour, which men will receive and give; but Christ will have none of\nit. This is the honour which Christ will not receive, and which must be\nlaid in the dust. O! the rage and scorn, the heat and fury that arose!\nO! the blows, punchings, beatings, and imprisonments that we underwent,\nfor not putting off our hats to men! for that soon tried all men\u2019s\npatience and sobriety what it was. Some had their hats violently plucked\noff and thrown away, so that they quite lost them. The bad language and\nevil usage we received on this account are hard to be expressed, besides\nthe danger we were sometimes in, of losing our lives for this matter,\nand that by the great professors of Christianity, who thereby evinced\nthat they were not true believers. And though it was but a small thing\nin the eye of man, yet a wonderful confusion it brought among all\nprofessors and priests; but, blessed be the Lord, many came to see the\nvanity of that custom of putting off the hat to men, and felt the weight\nof Truth\u2019s testimony against it.\n\nAbout this time I was sorely exercised in going to their courts to cry\nfor justice, and in speaking and writing to judges and justices to do\njustly; in warning such as kept public-houses for entertainment, that\nthey should not let people have more drink than would do them good; and\nin testifying against their wakes or feasts, may-games, sports, plays,\nand shows, which trained up people to vanity and looseness, and led them\nfrom the fear of God; and the days they had set forth for holy-days were\nusually the times wherein they most dishonoured God by these things.[7]\nIn fairs, also, and in markets, I was made to declare against their\ndeceitful merchandise, cheating, and cozening; warning all to deal\njustly, to speak the truth, to let their yea be yea, and their nay be\nnay; and to do unto others as they would have others do unto them;\nforewarning them of the great and terrible day of the Lord, which would\ncome upon them all. I was moved also to cry against all sorts of music,\nand against the mountebanks playing tricks on their stages, for they\nburthened the pure life, and stirred up people\u2019s minds to vanity. I was\nmuch exercised, too, with school-masters and school-mistresses, warning\nthem to teach their children sobriety in the fear of the Lord, that they\nmight not be nursed and trained up in lightness, vanity, and wantonness.\nLikewise I was made to warn masters and mistresses, fathers and mothers\nin private families, to take care that their children and servants might\nbe trained up in the fear of the Lord; and that they themselves should\nbe therein examples and patterns of sobriety and virtue to them. For I\nsaw that as the Jews were to teach their children the law of God and the\nold covenant, and to train them up in it, and their servants, yea, the\nvery strangers were to keep the Sabbath amongst them, and be\ncircumcised, before they might eat of their sacrifices; so all\nChristians, and all that made a profession of Christianity, ought to\ntrain up their children and servants in the new covenant of light,\nChrist Jesus, who is God\u2019s salvation to the ends of the earth, that all\nmay know their salvation: and they ought to train them up in the law of\nlife, the law of the Spirit, the law of love and of faith; that they\nmight be made free from the law of sin and death. And all Christians\nought to be circumcised by the Spirit, which puts off the body of the\nsins of the flesh, that they may come to eat of the heavenly sacrifice,\nChrist Jesus, that true spiritual food, which none can rightly feed upon\nbut they that are circumcised by the Spirit. Likewise, I was exercised\nabout the star-gazers, who drew people\u2019s minds from Christ, the bright\nand the morning star; and from the Sun of righteousness, by whom the\nsun, and moon, and stars, and all things else were made, who is the\nwisdom of God, and from whom the right knowledge of all things is\nreceived.\n\nFootnote 7:\n\n  By a royal proclamation of James I., issued in 1618 (for Lancashire),\n  these pastimes were made lawful recreations for the First-day of the\n  week, provided they did not interfere with the times appointed for\n  worship. Many of the clergy at first refused to promulgate the\n  proclamation, though by so doing they acted contrary to their\n  canonical obedience, and laid themselves open to penalties. In the\n  seventh year of Charles I., this proclamation, at the instigation of\n  Archbishop Laud, was revived, and extended to the whole nation, and\n  was enjoined to be published and advocated from the pulpit by all\n  ministers, to their disgrace. By the revival of this offensive\n  proclamation, these disorderly revels had arrived to such a height of\n  licentious depravity, that some well-disposed justices, in the county\n  of Somerset, petitioned the judges on the western circuit, Sir Thomas\n  Richardson, Lord Chief Justice, and Baron Denham, to suppress them.\n  For so doing, they were summoned before the King and Council, by\n  Archbishop Laud, for illegally interfering with the ecclesiastical\n  jurisdiction, and the council rescinded the prohibitions, and\n  cashiered the judges.\u2014(See Fuller\u2019s _Church Hist._, Book x., p. 74:\n  and Book xi., p. 147).\n\nBut the earthly spirit of the priests wounded my life; and when I heard\nthe bell toll to call people together to the steeple-house, it struck at\nmy life; for it was just like a market-bell, to gather people together,\nthat the priest might set forth his ware to sale. O! the vast sums of\nmoney that are gotten by the trade they make of selling the Scriptures,\nand by their preaching, from the highest bishop to the lowest priest!\nWhat one trade else in the world is comparable to it? notwithstanding\nthe Scriptures were given forth freely, and Christ commanded his\nministers to preach freely, and the prophets and apostles denounced\njudgment against all covetous hirelings and diviners for money. But in\nthis free Spirit of the Lord Jesus was I sent forth to declare the Word\nof life and reconciliation freely, that all might come to Christ, who\ngives freely, and who renews up into the image of God, which man and\nwoman were in before they fell, that they might sit down in heavenly\nplaces in Christ Jesus.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER III.\n\n1649-1650\u2014George Fox is first imprisoned at Nottingham, where the\n    Sheriff is convinced\u2014he is liberated and quiets a distracted\n    woman\u2014he is cruelly treated at Mansfield-Woodhouse\u2014is taken before\n    the magistrates at Derby\u2014acknowledges that he is sanctified\u2014is\n    temptingly asked if he were Christ, which he denies, yet is\n    committed for blasphemy\u2014his mittimus to Derby prison\u2014writes to the\n    priests at Derby against preaching for hire, &c.\u2014also against\n    persecution\u2014to Barton and Bennet, justices, on the same subject\u2014to\n    Justice Bennet against covetousness\u2014to Justice Barton, a preacher\n    and a persecutor\u2014to the Mayor of Derby against persecution and\n    oppression\u2014to the court of Derby against oaths and oppression\u2014to the\n    bell-ringers of Derby against vanities and worldly pleasures\u2014his\n    jailer is convinced\u2014Justice Bennet first gives Friends the name of\n    Quakers in derision\u2014writes to Friends and others, to open their\n    understandings, and to direct them to their true Teacher within\n    themselves\u2014to the convinced people, directing them to internal\n    silence and to true obedience\u2014an encouragement to the faithful\u2014to\n    the justices of Derby against persecution, thrice repeated\u2014to the\n    priests of Derby, on the same subject\u2014to the justices of Derby, to\n    prize their time, and to depart from evil\u2014the like to Colonel\n    Barton, justice, and warning of the plagues and vengeance hanging\n    over the oppressor.\n\n\nNow as I went towards NOTTINGHAM on a First-day in the morning, with\nFriends to a meeting there, when I came on the top of a hill in sight of\nthe town, I espied the great steeple-house; and the Lord said unto me,\n\u201cthou must go cry against yonder great idol, and against the worshippers\ntherein.\u201d I said nothing of this to the Friends that were with me, but\nwent on with them to the meeting, where the mighty power of the Lord was\namongst us; in which I left Friends sitting in the meeting, and I went\naway to the steeple-house. When I came there, all the people looked like\nfallow-ground, and the priest (like a great lump of earth) stood in his\npulpit above. He took for his text these words of Peter, \u201cWe have also a\nmore sure Word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as\nunto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the\nday-star arise in your hearts.\u201d And he told the people that this was the\nScriptures, by which they were to try all doctrines, religions, and\nopinions. Now the Lord\u2019s power was so mighty upon me, and so strong in\nme, that I could not hold, but was made to cry out and say, \u201cO no, it is\nnot the Scriptures;\u201d and I told them what it was, namely, the Holy\nSpirit, by which the holy men of God gave forth the Scriptures, whereby\nopinions, religions, and judgments were to be tried; for it led into all\ntruth, and so gave the knowledge of all truth. The Jews had the\nScriptures, and yet resisted the Holy Ghost, and rejected Christ, the\nbright morning-star. They persecuted Christ and his apostles, and took\nupon them to try their doctrines by the Scriptures, but erred in\njudgment, and did not try them aright, because they tried without the\nHoly Ghost. As I spoke thus amongst them, the officers came and took me\naway, and put me into a nasty, stinking prison; the smell whereof got so\ninto my nose and throat, that it very much annoyed me.\n\nBut that day the Lord\u2019s power sounded so in their ears, that they were\namazed at the voice; and could not get it out of their ears for some\ntime after, they were so reached by the Lord\u2019s power in the\nsteeple-house. At night they took me before the mayor, aldermen, and\nsheriffs of the town; and when I was brought before them, the mayor was\nin a peevish, fretful temper, but the Lord\u2019s power allayed him. They\nexamined me at large; and I told them how the Lord had moved me to come.\nAfter some discourse between them and me, they sent me back to prison\nagain; but some time after the head sheriff, whose name was John\nReckless, sent for me to his house. When I came in, his wife met me in\nthe hall, and said, \u201cSalvation is come to our house.\u201d She took me by the\nhand, and was much wrought upon by the power of the Lord God; and her\nhusband, and children, and servants were much changed, for the power of\nthe Lord wrought upon them. I lodged at the sheriff\u2019s, and great\nmeetings we had in his house. Some persons of considerable condition in\nthe world came to them, and the Lord\u2019s power appeared eminently amongst\nthem. This sheriff sent for the other sheriff, and for a woman they had\nhad dealings with in the way of trade; and he told her before the other\nsheriff, that they had wronged her in their dealings with her (for the\nother sheriff and he were partners), and that they ought to make her\nrestitution. This he spoke cheerfully; but the other sheriff denied it;\nand the woman said she knew nothing of it. But the friendly sheriff said\nit was so, and that the other knew it well enough; and having discovered\nthe matter, and acknowledged the wrong done by them, he made restitution\nto the woman, and exhorted the other sheriff to do the like.\n\nThe Lord\u2019s power was with this friendly sheriff, and wrought a mighty\nchange in him, and great openings he had. The next market-day, as he was\nwalking with me in the chamber, in his slippers, he said, \u201cI must go\ninto the market, and preach repentance to the people;\u201d and accordingly\nhe went into the market, and into several streets, and preached\nrepentance to the people. Several others also in the town were moved to\nspeak to the mayor and magistrates, and to the people, exhorting them to\nrepent. Hereupon the magistrates grew very angry, and sent for me from\nthe Sheriff\u2019s house, and committed me to the common prison. When the\nassize came on, there was one moved to come and offer up himself for me,\nbody for body; yea, life also: but when I should have been brought\nbefore the judge, the sheriff\u2019s man being somewhat long in fetching me\nto the sessions-house, the judge was risen before I came. At which I\nunderstood the judge was somewhat offended, and said, \u201che would have\nadmonished the youth, if he had been brought before him;\u201d for I was then\nimprisoned by the name of A YOUTH. So I was returned to prison again,\nand put into the common jail. The Lord\u2019s power was great among Friends;\nbut the people began to be very rude; wherefore the governor of the\ncastle sent down soldiers, and dispersed them; and after that they were\nquiet. But both priests and people were astonished at the wonderful\npower that broke forth; and several of the priests were made tender, and\nsome did confess to the power of the Lord.\n\nNow, after I was released from Nottingham jail, where I had been kept\nprisoner some time, I travelled as before, in the work of the Lord.\nComing to MANSFIELD-WOODHOUSE, there was a distracted woman under a\ndoctor\u2019s hand, with her hair loose all about her ears. He was about to\nbleed her, she being first bound, and many people being about her,\nholding her by violence; but he could get no blood from her. I desired\nthem to unbind her, and let her alone, for they could not touch the\nspirit in her, by which she was tormented. So they unbound her; and I\nwas moved to speak to her, and in the name of the Lord to bid her be\nquiet and still; and she was so. The Lord\u2019s power settled her mind, and\nshe mended; and afterwards she received the truth, and continued in it\nto her death. The Lord\u2019s name was honoured; to whom the glory of all his\nworks belongs. Many great and wonderful things were wrought by the\nheavenly power in those days; for the Lord made bare his omnipotent arm,\nand manifested his power to the astonishment of many, by the healing\nvirtue whereof many have been delivered from great infirmities, and the\ndevils were made subject through his name; of which particular instances\nmight be given, beyond what this unbelieving age is able to receive or\nbear. But blessed for ever be the name of the Lord, and everlastingly\nhonoured, and over all exalted and magnified be the arm of his glorious\npower, by which he hath wrought gloriously; let the honour and praise of\nall his works be ascribed to him alone.\n\nNow while I was at Mansfield-Woodhouse, I was moved to go to the\nsteeple-house there, and declare the truth to the priest and people; but\nthe people fell upon me in great rage, struck me down, and almost\nstifled and smothered me; and I was cruelly beaten and bruised by them\nwith their hands, Bibles, and sticks. Then they haled me out, though I\nwas hardly able to stand, and put me into the stocks, where I sat some\nhours; and they brought dog-whips and horse-whips, threatening to whip\nme. After some time they had me before the magistrate, at a knight\u2019s\nhouse, where were many great persons; who, seeing how evilly I had been\nused, after much threatening, set me at liberty. But the rude people\nstoned me out of the town, for preaching the word of life to them. I was\nscarcely able to move or stand, by reason of the ill-usage I had\nreceived; yet with considerable effort I got about a mile from the town,\nand then I met with some people who gave me something to comfort me,\nbecause I was inwardly bruised; but the Lord\u2019s power soon healed me\nagain. That day some people were convinced of the Lord\u2019s truth, and\nturned to his teaching, at which I rejoiced.\n\nThen I went into LEICESTERSHIRE, several Friends accompanying me. There\nwere some Baptists in that country whom I desired to see and speak with,\nbecause they were separated from the public worship. So one Oates, who\nwas one of their chief teachers, and others of the heads of them, with\nseveral others of their company, came to meet us at BARROW; and there we\ndiscoursed with them. One of them said, \u201cWhat was not of faith was sin.\u201d\nWhereupon I asked them, What faith was? and how it was wrought in man?\nBut they turned off from that, and spoke of their baptism in water. Then\nI asked them, Whether their mountain of sin was brought down and laid\nlow in them? and their rough and crooked ways made smooth and straight\nin them? for they looked upon that Scripture as meaning outward\nmountains and ways. But I told them they must find them in their own\nhearts; which they seemed to wonder at. We asked them who baptized John\nthe Baptist? and who baptized Peter, John, and the rest of the Apostles?\nand put them to prove by Scripture that these were baptized in water;\nbut they were silent. Then I asked them, \u201cSeeing Judas, who betrayed\nChrist, and was called the Son of Perdition, had hanged himself, what\nSon of Perdition was that which Paul spoke of, that sat in the temple of\nGod, exalted above all that is called God? and what temple of God that\nwas in which this Son of Perdition sat? and whether he, that betrays\nChrist within in himself, be not one in nature with that Judas, that\nbetrayed Christ without?\u201d But they could not tell what to make of this,\nnor what to say to it. So after some discourse we parted; and some of\nthem were loving to us. On the First-day following we came to BAGWORTH,\nand went to a steeple-house, where some Friends were got in; and the\npeople locked them in, and themselves too, with the priest. But after\nthe priest had done, they opened the door, and we went in also, and had\na service for the Lord amongst them. Afterwards we had a meeting in the\ntown, amongst several people that were in high notions.\n\nPassing from thence, I heard of a people that were in prison in COVENTRY\nfor religion. And as I walked towards the jail, the word of the Lord\ncame to me saying, \u201cMY LOVE WAS ALWAYS TO THEE, AND THOU ART IN MY\nLOVE.\u201d And I was ravished with the sense of the love of God, and greatly\nstrengthened in my inward man. But when I came into the jail, where the\nprisoners were, a great power of darkness struck at me, and I sat still,\nhaving my spirit gathered into the love of God. At last these prisoners\nbegan to rant, and vapour, and blaspheme, at which my soul was greatly\ngrieved. They said they were God; but that we could not bear such\nthings. When they were calm, I stood up and asked them whether they did\nsuch things by motion, or from Scripture; and they said, from Scripture.\nA Bible being at hand, I asked them to point out that Scripture; and\nthey showed me the place where the sheet was let down to Peter, and it\nwas said to him, what was sanctified he should not call common or\nunclean. When I had showed them that that Scripture proved nothing for\ntheir purpose, they brought another, which spoke of God\u2019s reconciling\nall things to himself, things in heaven, and things in earth. I told\nthem I owned that Scripture also, but showed them that that was nothing\nto their purpose either. Then seeing they said they were God, I asked\nthem, if they knew whether it would rain to-morrow? they said they could\nnot tell. I told them, God could tell. Again, I asked them, if they\nthought they should be always in that condition, or should change? and\nthey answered they could not tell. Then said I unto them, God can tell,\nand God doth not change. You say you are God; and yet you cannot tell\nwhether you shall change or not. So they were confounded, and quite\nbrought down for the time. After I had reproved them for their\nblasphemous expressions, I went away; for I perceived they were Ranters.\nI had met with none before; and I admired the goodness of the Lord in\nappearing so unto me before I went amongst them. Not long after this,\none of these Ranters, whose name was Joseph Salmon, put forth a paper,\nor book of recantation; upon which they were set at liberty.\n\nFrom Coventry I went to ATHERSTONE; and it being their lecture-day, I\nwas moved to go to their chapel to speak to the priests and people. They\nwere generally pretty quiet; only some few raged, and would have had my\nrelations to have me bound. I declared largely to them how that God was\ncome to teach his people himself, and to bring them off from all their\nman-made teachers to hear his Son. Some were convinced there.\n\nThen I went to MARKET-BOSWORTH, and there was a lecture there also. He\nthat preached that day was Nathaniel Stevens, who was priest of the town\nwhere I was born. He raged much when I spoke to him and to the people,\nand told them I was mad. He had said before, to one Colonel Purfoy, that\nthere was never such a plant bred in England; and he bid the people not\nto hear me. So the people, being stirred up by this deceitful priest,\nfell upon us, and stoned us out of the town; yet they did not do us much\nhurt. Howbeit, some people were made loving that day, and others were\nconfirmed, seeing the rage of both priests and professors; and some\ncried out, that the priest durst not stand to prove his ministry.\n\nAs I travelled through markets, fairs, and divers places, I saw death\nand darkness in all people, where the power of the Lord God had not\nshaken them. As I was passing on in Leicestershire, I came to TWY-CROSS,\nwhere there were excise-men. I was moved of the Lord to go to them, and\nwarn them to take heed of oppressing the poor; and people were much\naffected with it. There was in that town a great man, that had long lain\nsick, and was given up by the physicians; and some Friends in the town\ndesired me to go to see him. I went up to him in his chamber, and spoke\nthe word of life to him, and was moved to pray by him; and the Lord was\nentreated, and restored him to health. But when I was come down stairs,\ninto a lower room, and was speaking to the servants, and to some people\nthat were there, a serving-man of his came raving out of another room,\nwith a naked rapier in his hand, and set it just to my side. I looked\nsteadfastly on him, and said, \u201cAlack for thee, poor creature! what wilt\nthou do with thy carnal weapon; it is no more to me than a straw.\u201d The\nstanders-by were much troubled, and he went away in a rage, and full of\nwrath. But when the news of it came to his master, he turned him out of\nhis service. Thus the Lord\u2019s power preserved me, and raised up the weak\nman, who afterwards was very loving to Friends; and when I came to that\ntown again, both he and his wife came to see me.\n\nAfter this I was moved to go into Derbyshire, where the mighty power of\nGod was among Friends. And I went to CHESTERFIELD, where one Britland\nwas priest. He saw beyond the common sort of priests, for he had been\npartly convinced, and had spoken much on behalf of Truth, before he was\npriest there; but when the priest of that town died, he got the\nparsonage, and choked himself with it. I was moved to speak to him and\nthe people in the great love of God, that they might come off from all\nmen\u2019s teaching unto God\u2019s teaching; and he was not able to gainsay. But\nthey had me before the Mayor, and threatened to send me, with some\nothers, to the House of Correction; and kept us in custody till it was\nlate in the night. Then the officers, with the watchmen, put us out of\nthe town, leaving us to shift as we could. So I bent my course toward\nDerby, having a friend or two with me. In our way we met with many\nprofessors; and at KIDSEY-PARK many were convinced.\n\nThen coming to DERBY, I lay at a doctor\u2019s house, whose wife was\nconvinced; and so were several more in the town. As I was walking in my\nchamber, the [steeple-house] bell rung, and it struck at my life at the\nvery hearing of it; so I asked the woman of the house what the bell rung\nfor? She said there was to be a great lecture there that day, and many\nof the officers of the army, and priests, and preachers were to be\nthere, and a colonel, that was a preacher. Then was I moved of the Lord\nto go up to them; and when they had done I spoke to them what the Lord\ncommanded me, and they were pretty quiet. But there came an officer and\ntook me by the hand, and said I must go before the magistrates, and the\nother two that were with me. It was about the first hour after noon that\nwe came before them. They asked me, Why we came thither; I said, God\nmoved us so to do; and I told them, \u201cGod dwells not in temples made with\nhands.\u201d I told them also, All their preaching, baptism, and sacrifices\nwould never sanctify them; and bid them look unto Christ in them, and\nnot unto men; for it is Christ that sanctifies. Then they ran into many\nwords; but I told them they were not to dispute of God and Christ, but\nto obey him. The power of God thundered amongst them, and they flew like\nchaff before it. They put me in and out of the room often, hurrying me\nbackward and forward; for they were from the first hour till the ninth\nat night in examining me. Sometimes they would tell me, in a deriding\nmanner, that I was taken up in raptures. At last they asked me, Whether\nI was sanctified? I answered, Yes; for I was in the paradise of God.\nThen they asked me, If I had no sin? I answered, \u201cChrist, my Saviour,\nhas taken away my sin, and in him there is no sin.\u201d They asked, How we\nknew that Christ did abide in us? I said, By his Spirit, that he has\ngiven us. They temptingly asked, If any of us were Christ? I answered,\nNay, we were nothing, Christ is all. They said, If a man steal, is it no\nsin? I answered, All unrighteousness is sin. So when they had wearied\nthemselves in examining me, they committed me and one other man to the\nHouse of Correction in Derby for six months, as blasphemers; as appears\nby the following mittimus:\u2014\n\n      _To the Master of the House of Correction in Derby, greeting._\n\n  \u201cWe have sent you herewithal the bodies of George Fox, late of\n  Mansfield, in the county of Nottingham, and John Fretwell, late of\n  Stainsby, in the county of Derby, husbandman, brought before us this\n  present day, and charged with the avowed uttering and broaching of\n  divers blasphemous opinions contrary to a late Act of Parliament,\n  which, upon their examination before us, they have confessed. These\n  are therefore to require you forthwith, upon sight thereof, to receive\n  them, the said George Fox and John Fretwell, into your custody, and\n  them therein safely to keep during the space of six months, without\n  bail or mainprize, or until they shall find sufficient security to be\n  of good behaviour, or be thence delivered by order from ourselves.\n  Hereof you are not to fail. Given under our hands and seals this 30th\n  day of October, 1650.\n\n                                                      GER. BENNETT,\n                                                      NATH. BARTON.\u201d\n\nNow did the priests bestir themselves in their pulpits to preach up sin\nfor term of life; and much of their work was to plead for it; so that\npeople said, never was the like heard. After some time, he that was\ncommitted with me, not standing faithful to his testimony, got in with\nthe jailer, and by him made way to the justice to have leave to go to\nsee his mother; and so got his liberty. It was then reported, that he\nsaid I had bewitched and deceived him; but my spirit was strengthened\nwhen he was gone. The priests and professors, the justices and the\njailer, were all in a great rage against me. The jailer watched my words\nand actions, and would often ask me questions to ensnare me; and\nsometimes asked me such silly questions as, Whether the door was latched\nor not? thinking to draw some sudden, unadvised answer from me, whence\nhe might take advantage to charge sin upon me; but I was kept watchful\nand chaste, so that they could get no advantage of me, which they\nwondered at.\n\nNot long after my commitment, I was moved to write both to the priests\nand magistrates of Derby. And first to the priests.\n\n  \u201cO friends, I was sent unto you to tell you, that if you had received\n  the gospel freely, you would minister it freely without money or\n  price: but you make a trade and sale of what the prophets and the\n  apostles have spoken; and so you corrupt the truth. And you are the\n  men that lead silly women captive, who are ever learning, and never\n  able to come to the knowledge of the truth; you have a form of\n  godliness, but you deny the power. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood\n  Moses, so do you resist the truth, being men of corrupt minds,\n  reprobate concerning the faith. But you shall proceed no further; for\n  your folly shall be made manifest to all men as theirs was. Moreover,\n  the Lord sent me to tell you, that he doth look for fruits. You asked\n  me, if Scripture was my rule? but it is not your rule, to rule your\n  lives by, but to talk of in words. You are the men that live in\n  pleasures, pride, and wantonness, in fulness of bread, and abundance\n  of idleness: see if this be not the sin of Sodom. Lot received the\n  angels, but Sodom was envious. You show forth the vain nature; you\n  stand in the steps of them that crucified MY SAVIOUR, and mocked him;\n  you are their children; you show forth their fruit. They had the chief\n  place in the assemblies, and so have you; they loved to be called\n  Rabbi, and so do you.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nI wrote to the magistrates who committed me to this effect:\u2014\n\n        \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cI am forced, in tender love unto your souls, to write unto you, and\n  beseech you to consider what you do, and what the commands of God call\n  for. He requires justice and mercy, to break every yoke, and to let\n  the oppressed go free. But who calleth for justice, or loveth mercy,\n  or contendeth for the truth? Is not judgment turned backward, and doth\n  not justice stand afar off? Is not truth silenced in the streets, or\n  can equity enter? And do not they that depart from evil make\n  themselves a prey? Oh! consider what ye do in time, and take heed whom\n  ye imprison; for the magistrate is set for the punishment of\n  evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well. Now, I entreat\n  you, in time take heed what you do; for surely the Lord will come, and\n  will make manifest both the builders and the work. If it be of man, it\n  will fail; but if it be of God, nothing will overthrow it. Therefore I\n  desire and pray, that you would take heed, and beware what you do,\n  lest ye be found fighters against God.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nNow, after I had thus far cleared my conscience to them, I waited in\nholy patience, leaving the event to God, in whose will I stood. After\nsome time I was moved to write again to the justices that had committed\nme, to lay their evils before them, that they might repent. One of them,\nNathaniel Barton, was a colonel, a justice, and a preacher.\n\n        \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cYou spoke of the good old way which the prophet spoke of; but the\n  prophet cried against the abominations which you hold up. Had you the\n  power of God, ye would not persecute the good way. He that spoke of\n  the good way was set in the stocks. The people cried, \u2018Away with him\n  to the stocks,\u2019 for speaking the truth. Ah! foolish people, who have\n  eyes and see not, ears and hear not, without understanding! \u2018Fear ye\n  not me,\u2019 saith the Lord, \u2018and will ye not tremble at my presence?\u2019 O\n  your pride and abominations are odious in the eyes of God! You that\n  are preachers have the chief place in the assemblies, and are called\n  of men, Master. Such were and are against my Saviour and Maker: they\n  shut up the kingdom of heaven from men, and neither go in themselves,\n  nor suffer others. Therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation,\n  who have their places, and walk in their steps. You may say, if you\n  had been in the days of the prophets, or Christ, you would not have\n  persecuted them; wherefore be ye witnesses against yourselves, that ye\n  are the children of them, seeing ye now persecute the way of truth. O\n  consider, there is a true judge, that will give every one of you a\n  reward according to your works. O mind where you are, you that hold up\n  the abominations which the true prophet cried against! O come down,\n  and sit in the dust! The Lord is coming with power, and he will throw\n  down every one that is lifted up, that he alone may be exalted.\u201d\n\nAs I had thus written unto them jointly, so, after some time, I wrote to\neach of them by himself. To Justice Bennet thus:\u2014\n\n  \u201cFRIEND,\n\n  \u201cThou that dost profess God and Christ in words, see how thou\n  followest him. To take off burthens, to visit them that are in\n  prison, to show mercy, clothe thy own flesh, and deal thy bread to\n  the hungry; these are God\u2019s commandments. To relieve the fatherless,\n  and to visit the widows in their afflictions, and to keep thyself\n  unspotted of the world; this is pure religion before God. But if\n  thou dost profess Christ, and follow covetousness, and greediness,\n  and earthly-mindedness, thou deniest him in life, and deceivest\n  thyself and others, and takest him for a cloak. Woe be to you,\n  greedy and rich men; weep and howl, for your misery that shall come.\n  Take heed of covetousness and extortion; God doth forbid that. Woe\n  be to the man that coveteth an evil covetousness, that he may set\n  his nest on high, and cover himself with thick clay. O! do not love\n  that which God forbids. His servant thou art, whom thou dost obey,\n  whether it be of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness.\n  Think of Lazarus and Dives; the one fared sumptuously every day, the\n  other was a beggar. See if thou be not Dives: be not deceived, God\n  is not mocked with vain words; evil communication corrupteth good\n  manners; awake to righteousness, and sin not.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nThat to Justice Barton was in these words:\u2014\n\n        \u201cFRIEND,\n\n  \u201cThou that preachest Christ, and the Scriptures in words, when any\n  come to follow that which thou hast spoken of, and to live the life of\n  the Scriptures, then they that speak the Scriptures, but do not lead\n  their lives according thereunto, persecute them that do. Mind the\n  prophets, and Jesus Christ, and his apostles, and all the holy men of\n  God; what they spoke was from the life; but they that had not the\n  life, but the words, persecuted and imprisoned them that lived in the\n  life, which those had backslidden from.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nHaving written to the justices and to the priests, it was upon me to\nwrite to the Mayor of Derby also; who, though he did not sign the\nmittimus, had a hand with the rest in sending me to prison. To him I\nwrote after this manner:\u2014\n\n  \u201cFRIEND,\n\n  \u201cThou art set in place to do justice; but, in imprisoning my body,\n  thou hast done contrary to justice, according to your own law. O take\n  heed of pleasing men more than God, for that is the way of the Scribes\n  and Pharisees; they sought the praise of men more than God. Remember\n  who said, \u2018I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in; I was in prison,\n  and ye visited Me not.\u2019 O friend, thy envy is not against me, but\n  against the power of truth. I had no envy to you, but love. O take\n  heed of oppression, \u2018for the day of the Lord is coming, that shall\n  burn as an oven; and all the proud, and all that do wickedly, shall be\n  as stubble; and the day that cometh, shall burn them up, saith the\n  Lord of Hosts; it shall leave them neither root nor branch.\u2019 O friend,\n  if the love of God were in thee, thou wouldst love the truth, hear the\n  truth spoken, and not imprison unjustly. The love of God beareth, and\n  suffereth, and envieth no man. If the love of God had broken your\n  hearts, you would show mercy; but you show forth what ruleth you.\n  Every tree doth show forth its fruit; you do show forth your fruits\n  openly. For drunkenness, swearing, pride, and vanity, rule among you,\n  from the teacher to the people. O friend, mercy, and true judgment,\n  and justice, are cried for in your streets! Oppression,\n  unmercifulness, cruelty, hatred, pride, pleasures, wantonness, and\n  fulness, are in your streets; but the poor are not regarded. O! take\n  heed: \u2018Woe be to the crown of pride! Woe be to them that drink wine in\n  bowls, and the poor is ready to perish.\u2019 O! remember Lazarus and\n  Dives! One fared deliciously every day, and the other was a beggar. O\n  friend, mind these things, for they are near; and see whether thou be\n  not in Dives\u2019 state.\u201d\n\nI wrote also to the court at Derby thus:\u2014\n\n  \u201cI am moved to write unto you, to take heed of oppressing the poor in\n  your courts, or laying burthens upon poor people, which they cannot\n  bear; and of imposing false oaths, or making them to take oaths which\n  they cannot perform. The Lord saith, \u2018I will come near to judgment,\n  and will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the false\n  swearers, and against the idolaters, and against those that oppress\n  widows and fatherless.\u2019 Therefore take heed of all these things\n  betimes. The Lord\u2019s judgments are all true and righteous; and he\n  delighteth in mercy. So love mercy, dear people, and consider in\n  time.\u201d\n\nLikewise to the ringers of the bells in the steeple-house, called St.\nPeter\u2019s, in Derby, I sent these few lines:\u2014\n\n  \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cTake heed of pleasures, and prize your time now, while you have it,\n  and do not spend it in pleasures or earthliness. The time may come,\n  that you will say you had time, when it is past. Therefore look at the\n  love of God now, while you have time; for it bringeth to loathe all\n  vanities and worldly pleasures. O consider! Time is precious. Fear\n  God, and rejoice in him, who hath made heaven and earth.\u201d\n\nWhile I was in prison, divers professors came to discourse with me; and\nI had a sense, before they spoke, that they came to plead for sin and\nimperfection. I asked them, Whether they were believers and had faith?\nand they said, Yes. I asked them, In whom? and they said, In Christ. I\nreplied, If ye are true believers in Christ, you are passed from death\nto life; and if passed from death, then from sin that bringeth death.\nAnd if your faith be true, it will give you victory over sin and the\ndevil, purify your hearts and consciences (for the true faith is held in\na pure conscience,) and bring you to please God, and give you access to\nhim again. But they could not endure to hear of purity, and of victory\nover sin and the devil; for they said they could not believe that any\ncould be free from sin on this side the grave. I bid them give over\nbabbling about the Scriptures, which were holy men\u2019s words, whilst they\npleaded for unholiness.\n\nAt another time a company of professors came, and they also began to\nplead for sin. I asked them, Whether they had hope? and they said, Yes:\nGod forbid but we should have hope. I asked them, What hope is it that\nyou have? Is Christ in you the hope of your glory? Doth it purify you,\nas he is pure? But they could not abide to hear of being made pure here.\nThen I bid them forbear talking of the Scriptures, which were holy men\u2019s\nwords. For the holy men, that wrote the Scriptures, pleaded for holiness\nin heart, life, and conversation here; but since you plead for impurity\nand sin, which is of the devil, what have you to do with the holy men\u2019s\nwords?\n\nNow the keeper of the prison, being a high professor, was greatly\nenraged against me, and spoke very wickedly of me: but it pleased the\nLord one day to strike him so, that he was in great trouble and under\ngreat terror of mind. As I was walking in my chamber I heard a doleful\nnoise; and standing still, I heard him say to his wife, \u201cWife, I have\nseen the day of judgment, and I saw George there, and I was afraid of\nhim, because I had done him so much wrong, and spoken so much against\nhim to the ministers and professors, and to the justices, and in taverns\nand ale-houses.\u201d After this, towards the evening, he came up into my\nchamber, and said to me, \u201cI have been as a lion against you; but now I\ncome like a lamb, and like the jailer that came to Paul and Silas\ntrembling.\u201d And he desired that he might lodge with me; I told him that\nI was in his power, he might do what he would: but he said nay, he would\nhave my leave, and he could desire to be always with me, but not to have\nme as a prisoner; and he said \u201che had been plagued, and his house had\nbeen plagued for my sake.\u201d So I suffered him to lodge with me; and then\nhe told me all his heart, and said he believed what I had said of the\ntrue faith and hope to be true; and he wondered that the other man that\nwas put into prison with me did not stand to it; and said, \u201cThat man was\nnot right, but I was an honest man.\u201d He confessed also to me, that at\nthose times when I had asked him to let me go forth to speak the word of\nthe Lord to the people, and he had refused to let me, and I had laid the\nweight thereof upon him, that he used to be under great trouble, amazed,\nand almost distracted for some time after; and in such a condition that\nhe had little strength left him. When the morning came, he rose, and\nwent to the justices, and told them, \u201cthat he and his house had been\nplagued for my sake:\u201d and one of the justices replied (as he reported to\nme), that the plagues were on them too for keeping me. This was Justice\nBennet of Derby, who was the first that called us Quakers, because I bid\nthem tremble at the word of the Lord. This was in the year 1650.[8]\n\nFootnote 8:\n\n  The designation \u201cQuakers,\u201d which was at first applied in scorn, has\n  ever since been used by the world to distinguish Friends from other\n  professors of religion. The first use of the term in the records of\n  Parliament, occurs in the journals of the House of Commons in 1654.\n\nAfter this the justices gave leave that I should have liberty to walk a\nmile. I perceived their end, and told the jailer if they would show me\nhow far a mile was, I might walk it sometimes; for I believed they\nthought I would go away. And the jailer confessed afterwards, that they\ndid it with that intent, to have me escape, to ease them of their\nplague; but I told him I was not of that spirit.\n\nThis jailer had a sister, a sickly young woman. She came up into my\nchamber to visit me; and after she had stayed some time, and I had\nspoken the words of truth to her, she went down, and told them that \u201cwe\nwere an innocent people, and did none any hurt, but did good to all,\neven to them that hated us;\u201d and she desired them to use kindness\ntowards me.\n\nAs my restraint prevented my travelling about, to declare and spread\ntruth through the country, it came upon me to write a paper, and send it\nforth to be spread abroad both amongst Friends and other tender people,\nfor the opening of their understandings in the way of truth, and\ndirecting them to the true teacher in themselves. It was as follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cThe Lord doth show unto man his thoughts, and discovereth all the\n  secret workings in man. A man may be brought to see his evil thoughts,\n  running mind, and vain imaginations, and may strive to keep them down,\n  and to keep his mind in; but he cannot overcome them, nor keep his\n  mind within, to the Lord. In this state and condition submit to the\n  Spirit of the Lord, which discovers them, and which will bring to wait\n  upon him, and destroy them. Therefore stand in the faith of the Lord\n  Jesus Christ, who is the author of the true faith, and mind him; for\n  he will discover the root of lusts, evil thoughts, and vain\n  imaginations, and how they are begotten, conceived, and bred; then how\n  they are brought forth, and how every evil member doth work. He will\n  discover every principle from its own nature and root.\n\n  \u201cSo mind the faith of Christ, and the anointing which is in you, to be\n  taught by it, which will discover all workings in you; and as he\n  teacheth you, so obey and forsake; else you will not grow up in the\n  faith, nor in the life of Christ, where the love of God is received.\n  Now love begetteth love, its own nature and image: and when mercy and\n  truth meet, what joy there is! Mercy triumphs in judgment; and love\n  and mercy bear the judgment of the world, in patience. That which\n  cannot bear the world\u2019s judgment is not the love of God; for love\n  beareth all things, and is above the world\u2019s judgment: for the world\u2019s\n  judgment is but foolishness. And though it be the world\u2019s judgment and\n  practice to cast all the world\u2019s filthiness that is among themselves\n  upon the saints, yet their judgment is false.\n\n  \u201cNow the chaste virgins follow Christ, the Lamb that takes away the\n  sins of the world; but they that are of that spirit which is not\n  chaste, will not follow Christ the Lamb in his steps, but are\n  disobedient to him in his commands. So the fleshly mind doth mind the\n  flesh, and talketh of the flesh! its knowledge is fleshly and not\n  spiritual; and savours of death and not of the Spirit of life. Some\n  men have the nature of swine wallowing in the mire. Some the nature of\n  dogs to bite both the sheep and one another. Some of lions, to tear,\n  devour, and destroy. Some of wolves, to tear and devour the lambs and\n  sheep of Christ; and some men have the nature of the serpent (that old\n  adversary), to sting, envenom, and poison. \u2018He that hath an ear to\n  hear, let him hear,\u2019 and learn these things within himself. Some men\n  have the natures of other beasts and creatures, minding nothing but\n  earthly and visible things, and feeding without the fear of God. Some\n  have the nature of a horse, to prance and vapour in their strength,\n  and to be swift in doing evil; and some have the nature of tall,\n  sturdy oaks, to flourish and spread in wisdom and strength; who are\n  strong in evil, which must perish and come to the fire. Thus the evil\n  is but one in all, but worketh many ways; and whatsoever a man\u2019s or\n  woman\u2019s nature is addicted to, that is outward, the evil one will fit\n  him with that, and will please his nature and appetite to keep his\n  mind in his inventions, and in the creatures from the Creator.\n\n  \u201cO! therefore let not the mind go forth from God; for if it do, it\n  will be stained, venomed, and corrupted. If the mind go forth from the\n  Lord it is hard to bring it in again; therefore take heed of the\n  enemy, and keep in the faith of Christ. O! therefore mind that which\n  is eternal and invisible, and him who is the Creator and Mover of all\n  things; for the things that are made are not made of things that do\n  appear; for the visible covereth the invisible sight in you. But as\n  the Lord who is invisible, opens you by his invisible Power and\n  Spirit, and brings down the carnal mind in you, so the invisible and\n  immortal things are brought to light in you. O! therefore you, that\n  know the light, walk in the light! for there are children of darkness,\n  that will talk of the light and of the truth, and not walk in it. The\n  children of the light love the light, and walk in the light; but the\n  children of darkness walk in darkness, and hate the light; and in\n  these the earthly lust, and the carnal mind choke the seed of faith;\n  and this bringeth oppression on the seed and death over themselves. O!\n  therefore, mind the pure Spirit of the everlasting God, which will\n  teach you to use the creatures in their right place, and which judgeth\n  the evil. \u2018To Thee, O God, be all glory and honour, who art Lord of\n  all, visible and invisible! To Thee be all praise, who bringest out of\n  the deep, to Thyself; O powerful God who art worthy of all glory!\u2019 For\n  the Lord, who created all, and gives life and strength to all, is over\n  all, and merciful to all. \u2018So Thou who hast made all, and art overall,\n  to Thee be all glory! In Thee is my strength, my refreshment, and\n  life, my joy and my gladness, my rejoicing and glorying for evermore!\u2019\n  To live and walk in the Spirit of God is joy, and peace, and life; but\n  the mind going forth into the creatures, or into any visible things\n  from the Lord, this bringeth death. Now when the mind is got into the\n  flesh and into death, the accuser gets within, and the law of sin and\n  death gets into the flesh. Then the life suffers under the law of sin\n  and death; and then there is straitness and failings. For then the\n  good is shut up, and the self-righteousness is exalted. Then man doth\n  work in the outward law, though he cannot justify himself by the law\n  but is condemned by the light; for he cannot get out of that state,\n  but by abiding in the light, resting in the mercy of God and believing\n  in him, from whom all mercy flows. For there is peace in resting in\n  the Lord Jesus. This is the narrow way that leads to him, the life;\n  but few will abide in it; keep therefore in the innocency, and be\n  obedient to the faith in him; and take heed of conforming to the\n  world, and of reasoning with flesh and blood, for that bringeth\n  disobedience; and then imaginations and questionings arise to draw\n  from obedience to the truth of Christ. But the obedience of faith\n  destroyeth imaginations and questionings, and all the temptations in\n  the flesh, and buffetings, and lookings forth, and fetching up things\n  that are past. By not keeping in the life and light, and not crossing\n  the corrupt will by the power of God, the evil nature grows up in man,\n  and then burdens will come, and man will be stained with that nature.\n  But Esau\u2019s mountains shall be laid waste, and become a wilderness,\n  where the dragons lie: but Jacob, the second birth, shall be fruitful,\n  and shall arise. For Esau is hated, and must not be lord; but Jacob,\n  the second birth, which is perfect and plain, shall be lord; for he is\n  beloved of God.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nI wrote another paper about the same time, and sent it forth amongst the\nconvinced people as follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cThe LORD IS KING over all the earth! Therefore, all people, praise\n  and glorify your King in true obedience, in uprightness, and in the\n  beauty of holiness. O! consider, in the true obedience, the Lord is\n  known, and an understanding from him is received. Mark and consider in\n  silence, in lowliness of mind, and thou wilt hear the Lord speak unto\n  thee in thy mind. His voice is sweet and pleasant; his sheep hear his\n  voice, and they will not hearken to another. When they hear his voice,\n  they rejoice and are obedient; they also sing for joy. O, their hearts\n  are filled with everlasting triumph! They sing, and praise the eternal\n  God in Sion; their joy man shall never take from them. Glory to the\n  Lord God for evermore!\u201d\n\nBut many that had been convinced of the truth, turned aside, because of\nthe persecution that arose; whereupon I wrote a few lines for the\ncomfort and encouragement of the faithful, thus:\u2014\n\n  \u201cCome, ye blessed of the Lord, and rejoice together! keep in unity and\n  oneness of spirit; triumph above the world! be joyful in the Lord,\n  reigning above the world, and above all things that draw from the\n  Lord; that in clearness, righteousness, pureness, and joy, you may be\n  preserved to the Lord. O hear! O hearken to the call of the Lord! Come\n  out of the world and keep out of it for evermore! Come, sing together,\n  ye righteous ones, the song of the Lord, the song of the Lamb; which\n  none can learn, but they who are redeemed from the earth, and from the\n  world.\u201d\n\nWhile I was in the House of Correction, my relations came to see me; and\nbeing troubled for my imprisonment, they went to the justices that cast\nme into prison, and desired to have me home with them; offering to be\nbound in one hundred pounds, and others of Derby with them in fifty\npounds each, that I should come no more thither to declare against the\npriests. So I was had up before the justices; and because I would not\nconsent, that they, or any should be bound for me (for I was innocent\nfrom any ill behaviour, and had spoken the word of life and truth unto\nthem,) Justice Bennet rose up in a rage; and as I was kneeling down to\npray to the Lord to forgive him, he ran upon me, and struck me with both\nhis hands, crying, \u201cAway with him, jailer, take him away, jailer.\u201d\nWhereupon I was had again to prison, and there kept, until the time of\nmy commitment for six months was expired. But I had now the liberty of\nwalking a mile by myself, which I made use of, as I felt freedom.\nSometimes I went into the market, and streets, and warned the people to\nrepent of their wickedness; and so returned to prison again. And there\nbeing persons of several sorts of religion in the prison, I sometimes\nwent and visited them in their meetings on first-days.\n\nAfter I had been before the justices, and they had required sureties for\nmy good behaviour (which I could not consent should be given, to blemish\nmy innocency,) it came upon me to write to the justices again; which I\ndid as follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cSee what it is in you that doth imprison; see, who is head in you;\n  and see, if something do not accuse you? Consider, you must be brought\n  to judgment. Think of Lazarus and Dives; the one fared sumptuously\n  every day, the other was a beggar. Now you have time, prize it, while\n  you have it. Would you have me to be bound to my good behaviour? I am\n  bound to my good behaviour; and cry for good behaviour of all people,\n  to turn from the vanities and pleasures, the oppression and deceits,\n  of this world; and there will come a time that you shall know it.\n  Therefore take heed of pleasures, and deceits, and pride; and look not\n  at man, but at the Lord; for \u2018Look unto me, all ye ends of the earth,\n  and be ye saved,\u2019 saith the Lord.\u201d\n\nSome little time after I wrote to them again:\u2014\n\n  \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cWould you have me to be bound to my good behaviour from drunkenness,\n  or swearing, or fighting, or adultery, and the like? The Lord hath\n  redeemed me from all these things; and the love of God hath brought me\n  to loathe all wantonness, blessed be His name! Drunkards, and\n  fighters, and swearers, have their liberty without bonds; and you lay\n  your law upon me, whom neither you, nor any other can justly accuse of\n  these things; praised be the Lord! I can look to no man for my\n  liberty, but to the Lord alone, who hath all men\u2019s hearts in his\n  hand.\u201d\n\nAnd after some time, not finding my spirit clear of them, I wrote to\nthem again, as follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cHad you known who sent me to you, ye would have received me; for the\n  Lord sent me to warn you of the woes that are coming upon you; and to\n  bid you look at the Lord, and not at man. But when I told you my\n  experience, what the Lord had done for me, then your hearts were\n  hardened, and you sent me to prison, where you have kept me many\n  weeks. If the love of God had broken your hearts, then would ye see\n  what ye have done; you would not have imprisoned me, had not my Father\n  suffered you; and by his power I shall be loosed; for he openeth and\n  shutteth; to him be all glory! In what have I misbehaved myself, that\n  any should be bound for me? All men\u2019s words will do me no good, nor\n  their bonds either, to keep my heart, if I had not a guide _within_,\n  to keep me in the upright life to God. But I believe in the Lord, that\n  through his strength and power, I shall be preserved from ungodliness\n  and worldly lusts. The Scripture saith, \u2018receive strangers,\u2019 but you\n  imprison such. As you are in authority, take heed of oppression and\n  oaths, of injustice, and gifts or rewards, for God doth loathe all\n  such. But love mercy, and true judgment, and justice, for that the\n  Lord delights in. I do not write with hatred to you; but to keep my\n  conscience clear; take heed how you spend your time.\u201d\n\nI was moved also to write again to the priests of Derby:\u2014\n\n  \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cYou profess to be the ministers of Jesus Christ in words, but you\n  show by your fruits what your ministry is. Every tree shows its fruit:\n  the ministry of Jesus Christ is in mercy and love, to loose them that\n  are bound, to bring out of bondage, and to let them that are in\n  captivity go free. Where is your example, if the Scriptures be your\n  rule, to imprison for religion? Have you any command for it from\n  Christ? If that were in you, which you profess, you would walk in\n  their steps, who wrote the Scriptures. \u2018But he is not a Jew who is one\n  outwardly, whose praise is of men; but he is a Jew who is one\n  inwardly, whose praise is of God.\u2019 But if you build upon the prophets\n  and apostles in words, and pervert their life, remember the woes which\n  Jesus Christ spoke against such. They that spoke the prophets\u2019 words,\n  but denied Christ, they professed a Christ to come; but had they known\n  him they would not have crucified him. The saints, whom the love of\n  God did change, were brought thereby to walk in love and mercy; for he\n  that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God. But where envy, pride, and\n  hatred rule, the nature of the world rules, and not the nature of\n  Jesus Christ. I write with no hatred to you; but that you may weigh\n  yourselves, and see how you pass your time.\u201d\n\nThus having cleared my conscience to the priests, it was not long before\na concern came upon me to write again to the Justices, which I did as\nfollows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cI am moved to warn you to take heed of giving way to your own wills.\n  Love the cross; and satisfy not your own minds in the flesh; but prize\n  your time, while you have it, and walk up to that you know, in\n  obedience to God; then you shall not be condemned for that you know\n  not; but for that you do know, and do not obey. Consider betimes,\n  weigh yourselves, and see where you are, and whom you serve. For if ye\n  blaspheme God, and take his name in vain; if ye swear and lie; if ye\n  give way to envy and hatred, to covetousness and greediness, to\n  pleasures and wantonness, or any other vices, be assured that ye do\n  serve the Devil. But if ye fear the Lord, and serve him, you will\n  loathe all these things. He that loveth God, will not blaspheme his\n  name; but where there is opposing God, and serving the Devil, that\n  profession is sad and miserable. O prize your time, and do not love\n  that which God forbids; lying, wrath, malice, envy, hatred,\n  greediness, covetousness, oppression, gluttony, drunkenness, whoredom,\n  and all unrighteousness God doth forbid. So consider, and be not\n  deceived; \u2018Evil communication corrupts good manners.\u2019 Be not deceived,\n  God will not be mocked with vain words; the wrath of God is revealed\n  from heaven against all ungodliness. Therefore obey that which\n  convinces you of all evil, and tells you that you should do no evil;\n  it will lead you to repentance, and keep you in the fear of the Lord.\n  O look at the mercies of God, and prize them, and do not turn them\n  into wantonness. O eye the Lord, and not earthly things!\u201d\n\nBesides this, I wrote the following to Colonel Barton, who was both a\njustice and a preacher, as was hinted before:\u2014\n\n  \u201cFRIEND,\n\n  \u201cDo not cloak and cover thyself; there is a God, who knoweth thy\n  heart, and will uncover thee; he seeth thy way. \u2018Woe be to him that\n  covereth, and not with My Spirit,\u2019 saith the Lord. Dost thou do\n  contrary to the law, and then put it from thee? Mercy and true\n  judgment thou neglectest; look what was spoken against such. My\n  Saviour said to such, \u2018I was sick and in prison, and ye visited Me\n  not; I was hungry, and ye fed Me not; I was a stranger, and ye took Me\n  not in.\u2019 And when they said, \u2018When saw we Thee in prison, and did not\n  come to Thee,\u2019 &c., he replied, \u2018Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of\n  these little ones, ye did it not to Me.\u2019 Thou hast imprisoned me for\n  bearing witness to the life and power of truth, and yet thou\n  professest to be a minister of Christ; but if Christ had sent thee,\n  thou wouldst bring out of prison, and out of bondage, and wouldst\n  receive strangers. Thou hast been wanton upon earth, thou hast lived\n  plenteously, and nourished thy heart, as in a day of slaughter; thou\n  hast killed the Just. O look where thou art, and how thou hast spent\n  thy time! O remember thyself, and now, whilst thou hast time, prize\n  it. Do not slight the free mercy, or despise the long-suffering of\n  God, which is great salvation; but mind that in thee which doth\n  convince, and would not let thee swear, nor lie, nor take God\u2019s name\n  in vain. Thou knowest thou shouldst do none of these things; thou hast\n  learned that which will condemn thee; therefore obey the light, which\n  doth convince thee, forsake thy sins, and look at the mercies of God;\n  and prize his love in sparing thee till now. The Lord saith, \u2018Look\n  unto me all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved; cease from man,\n  whose breath is in his nostrils.\u2019 Prize thy time, and see whom thou\n  servest; for his servant thou art whom thou dost obey, whether of sin\n  unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness. If thou serve God, and\n  fear him, thou wilt not blaspheme his name, or curse, or swear, or\n  take his name in vain, or follow pleasures and wantonness, whoredom,\n  and drunkenness, or wrath, or malice, or revenge, or rashness, or\n  headiness, pride or gluttony, greediness, oppression, or covetousness,\n  or foolish jestings, or vain songs. God doth forbid these things, and\n  all unrighteousness. If thou profess God, and act any of these things,\n  thou takest him for a cloak, and servest the Devil. Consider with\n  thyself, and do not love that which God hateth. He that loveth God,\n  keepeth his commandments. The Devil will tell thee, it is a hard thing\n  to keep God\u2019s commandments; but it is an easy thing to keep the\n  Devil\u2019s commandments, and to live in all unrighteousness and\n  ungodliness, turning the grace of God into wantonness. But let the\n  unrighteous man forsake his ways, and turn unto me, saith the Lord,\n  and I will have mercy. \u2018Turn ye, why will ye die?\u2019 saith the Lord.\n\n  \u201cHowl, ye great ones, for the plagues are pouring out upon you! Howl,\n  ye oppressors, for recompense and vengeance is coming upon you! Woe\n  unto them that covetously join one house to another; and bring one\n  field so nigh unto another that the poor can get no more ground, and\n  that ye may dwell upon the earth alone; these things are in the ears\n  of the Lord of Hosts. Woe unto him that covetously getteth evil-gotten\n  goods into his house, that he may set his nest on high, to escape from\n  the power of evil.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER IV.\n\n1650-1651.\u2014A trooper visits George Fox from an inward\n    intimation\u2014declines a commission in the army, and is put in the\n    dungeon\u2014confutes one who denied Christ\u2019s outward appearance, from\n    whence a slander is raised against Friends\u2014testifies against capital\n    punishments for small matters\u2014writes for more speedy justice to\n    prisoners\u2014intercedes for the life of a young woman, imprisoned for\n    stealing, who is brought to the gallows but reprieved, and\n    afterwards convinced\u2014again refuses to bear arms, and is committed\n    close prisoner\u2014writes to Barton and Bennet, justices, against\n    persecution\u2014addresses the convinced and tender people against\n    hirelings\u2014to the magistrates of Derby against persecution, and\n    foretelling his own enlargement and their recompense\u2014is greatly\n    exercised for the wickedness of Derby\u2014sees the visitation of God\u2019s\n    love pass away from the town, and writes a lamentation over it\u2014a\n    great judgment fell upon the town\u2014he is liberated after a year\u2019s\n    imprisonment\u2014visits Lichfield\u2014preaches repentance through\n    Doncaster\u2014many dread \u201cthe man with leather breeches\u201d\u2014goes to\n    steeple-houses, as the apostles did to the temples, to bring people\n    off from them\u2014is denied entertainment, and ill-treated at some\n    places\u2014refuses to inform against his persecutors\u2014many are convinced\n    in Yorkshire, amongst others, Richard Farnsworth, James Naylor,\n    William Dewsbury, Justice Hotham, and Captain Pursloe.\n\n\nWhile I was yet in the House of Correction, there came unto me a\ntrooper, and said, as he was sitting in the steeple-house, hearing the\npriest, exceeding great trouble came upon him; and the voice of the Lord\ncame to him saying, \u201cDost thou not know that my servant is in prison? Go\nto him for direction.\u201d So I spoke to his condition, and his\nunderstanding was opened. I told him, that which showed him his sins,\nand troubled him for them, would show him his salvation; for he that\nshows a man his sin, is the same that takes it away. While I was\nspeaking to him, the Lord\u2019s power opened him, so that he began to have a\ngood understanding in the Lord\u2019s truth, and to be sensible of God\u2019s\nmercies; and began to speak boldly in his quarters amongst the soldiers,\nand to others, concerning truth (for the Scriptures were very much\nopened to him), insomuch that he said, \u201chis colonel was as blind as\nNebuchadnezzar, to cast the servant of the Lord into prison.\u201d Upon this\nhis colonel had a spite against him; and at Worcester fight, the year\nafter, when the two armies were lying near one another, two came out of\nthe king\u2019s army, and challenged any two of the Parliament army to fight\nwith them; his colonel made choice of him and another to answer the\nchallenge. And when in the encounter his companion was slain, he drove\nboth his enemies within musket-shot out of the town, without firing a\npistol at them. This, when he returned, he told me with his own mouth.\nBut, when the fight was over, he saw the deceit and hypocrisy of the\nofficers; and being sensible how wonderfully the Lord had preserved him,\nand seeing also to the end of fighting, he laid down his arms.\n\nNow the time of my commitment to the house of correction being nearly\nended, and there being many new soldiers raised, the commissioners would\nhave made me captain over them; and the soldiers said they would have\nnone but me.[9] So the keeper of the house of correction was commanded\nto bring me before the commissioners and soldiers in the market-place;\nand there they offered me that preferment, as they called it, asking me,\nif I would not take up arms for the Commonwealth against Charles Stuart?\nI told them, I knew from whence all wars arose, even from the lust,\naccording to James\u2019s doctrine; and that I lived in the virtue of that\nlife and power that took away the occasion of all wars. But they courted\nme to accept their offer, and thought I did but compliment them. But I\ntold them, I was come into the covenant of peace, which was before wars\nand strifes were. They said, they offered it in love and kindness to me,\nbecause of my virtue; and such like flattering words they used. But I\ntold them, if that was their love and kindness, I trampled it under my\nfeet. Then their rage got up, and they said, \u201cTake him away, jailer, and\nput him into the dungeon amongst the rogues and felons.\u201d So I was had\naway and put into a lousy, stinking place, without any bed, amongst\nthirty felons, where I was kept almost half a year, unless it were at\ntimes; for they would sometimes let me walk in the garden, having a\nbelief that I would not go away. Now when they had got me into Derby\ndungeon, it was the belief and saying of people that I should never come\nout; but I had faith in God, and believed I should be delivered in his\ntime; for the Lord had said to me before, that I was not to be removed\nfrom that place yet, being set there for a service which he had for me\nto do.\n\nFootnote 9:\n\n  The English nation at this period was much engrossed with the great\n  subjects of religion and politics, and both were mingled together in\n  strange conjunction. The chief rulers of the Commonwealth, more\n  especially Oliver Cromwell, had contrived to interweave their own\n  views on spiritual matters into the minds of the soldiers; who, in\n  those days, commonly united, with the profession of arms, the\n  profession also of Christianity. The unsettled state of the country\n  caused them to be stationed in considerable numbers in most of the\n  principal towns of the north, and several of them had made\n  acquaintance with George Fox during his imprisonment, and were so much\n  impressed in his favour, that it appears they were desirous, as the\n  time of his release drew near, to engage him in the capacity of their\n  captain.\n\nAfter it was noised abroad that I was in Derby dungeon, my relations\ncame to see me again; and they were much troubled that I should be in\nprison; for they looked upon it to be a great shame to them for me to be\nimprisoned for religion; and some thought I was mad, because I advocated\npurity, and righteousness, and perfection.\n\nAmong others that came to see, and discourse with me, was a person from\nNottingham, a soldier, that had been a Baptist (as I understood), and\nwith him came several others. In discourse he said to me, \u201cYour faith\nstands in a man that died at Jerusalem, and there was never any such\nthing.\u201d I was exceedingly grieved to hear him say so; and I said to him,\n\u201cHow! did not Christ suffer without the gates of Jerusalem through the\nprofessing Jews, and chief priests, and Pilate?\u201d And he denied that ever\nChrist suffered there outwardly. Then I asked him whether there were not\nchief priests, and Jews, and Pilate there outwardly? and when he could\nnot deny that, then I told him, as certainly as there was a chief\npriest, and Jews, and Pilate there outwardly, so certainly was Christ\npersecuted by them, and did suffer there outwardly under them. Yet from\nthis man\u2019s words was a slander raised upon us, that the Quakers denied\nChrist that suffered and died at Jerusalem; which was all utterly false,\nand the least thought of it never entered our hearts; but it was a mere\nslander cast upon us, and occasioned by this person\u2019s words. The same\nperson also said, that never any of the prophets, or apostles, or holy\nmen of God, suffered any thing outwardly; but all their sufferings were\ninward. But I instanced to him how many of them suffered, and by whom\nthey suffered: and so was the power of the Lord brought over his wicked\nimaginations.\n\nThere came also another company to me, that pretended they were triers\nof spirits; I asked them what was the first step to peace, and what it\nwas by which a man might see his salvation? and they were presently up\nin the airy mind, and said I was mad. Thus they came to try spirits, who\ndid not know themselves, nor their own spirits.\n\nIn this time of my imprisonment, I was exceedingly exercised about the\nproceedings of the judges and magistrates in their courts of judicature.\nI was moved to write to the judges concerning their putting men to death\nfor cattle, and money, and small matters; and to show them how contrary\nit was to the law of God in old time; for I was under great suffering in\nmy spirit because of it, and under the very sense of death; but standing\nin the will of God, a heavenly breathing arose in my soul to the Lord.\nThen did I see the heavens opened, and I rejoiced, and gave glory to\nGod. So I wrote to the judges as follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cI am moved to write unto you to take heed of putting men to death for\n  stealing cattle or money &c.; for thieves in the old time were to make\n  restitution; and if they had not wherewith, they were to be sold for\n  their theft. Mind the laws of God in the Scriptures, and the Spirit\n  that gave them forth; let them be your rule in executing judgment; and\n  show mercy, that you may receive mercy from God, the judge of all.\n  Take heed of gifts and rewards, and of pride; for God doth forbid\n  them; they blind the eyes of the wise. I do not write to give liberty\n  to sin; God hath forbidden it; but that you should judge according to\n  his laws, and show mercy: for he delighteth in true judgment and in\n  mercy. I beseech you to mind these things, and prize your time, now\n  you have it: fear God, and serve him; for he is a consuming fire.\u201d\n\nBesides this, I wrote another letter to the judges, to this effect:\u2014\n\n  \u201cI am moved to write unto you that ye do true justice to every man;\n  and see that none be oppressed, or wronged, or any oaths imposed; for\n  the land mourneth because of oaths, and adulteries, and sorceries, and\n  drunkenness, and profaneness. O consider, ye that are men set in\n  authority: be moderate, and in lowliness consider these things. Show\n  mercy to the fatherless, to the widows, and to the poor; and take heed\n  of rewards or gifts, for they blind the eyes of the wise; the Lord\n  doth loathe all such. Love mercy and true judgment, justice, and\n  righteousness, for the Lord delighteth therein. Consider these things\n  in time, and take heed how ye spend your time. Now ye have time, prize\n  it, and show mercy, that ye may receive mercy from the Lord; for he is\n  coming to try all things, and will plead with all flesh, as by fire.\u201d\n\nMoreover I laid before the judges what a hurtful thing it was, that\nprisoners should lie so long in jail; showing how they learned\nwickedness one of another in talking of their bad deeds: and therefore\nspeedy justice should be done. For I was a tender youth, and dwelt in\nthe fear of God, and being grieved to hear their bad language, I was\noften made to reprove them for their wicked words, and evil conduct\ntowards each other. People admired that I was so preserved and kept; for\nthey could never catch a word or action from me, to make any thing of\nagainst me, all the time I was there; for the Lord\u2019s infinite power\nupheld and preserved me all that time; to him be praises and glory for\never!\n\nWhile I was here in prison, there was a young woman in the jail for\nrobbing her master of some money. When she was to be tried for her life,\nI wrote to the judge and to the jury about her, showing them how it was\ncontrary to the law of God in old time to put people to death for\nstealing, and moving them to show mercy. Yet she was condemned to die,\nand a grave was made for her; and at the time appointed she was carried\nforth to execution. Then I wrote a few words, warning all people to\nbeware of greediness or covetousness, for it leads from God; and\nexhorting all to fear the Lord, to avoid all earthly lusts, and to prize\ntheir time while they have it: this I gave to be read at the gallows.\nAnd though they had her upon the ladder, with a cloth bound over her\nface, ready to be turned off, yet they did not put her to death, but\nbrought her back again to prison: and in the prison she afterwards came\nto be convinced of God\u2019s everlasting truth.\n\nThere was also in the jail, while I was there, a prisoner, a wicked,\nungodly man, who was a reputed conjuror. He threatened how he would talk\nwith me, and what he would do to me; but he never had power to open his\nmouth to me. And once the jailer and he falling out, he threatened that\nhe would raise the Devil, and break his house down, so that he made the\njailer afraid. Then I was moved of the Lord to go in his power, and\nrebuke him, and say unto him, \u201cCome let us see what thou canst do; do\nThy worst;\u201d and I told him the Devil was raised high enough in him\nalready, but the power of God chained him down: so he slunk away from\nme.\n\nNow the time of Worcester fight coming on, Justice Bennet sent the\nconstables to press me for a soldier, seeing I would not voluntarily\naccept of a command. I told them that I was brought off from outward\nwars. They came down again to give me press-money, but I would take\nnone. Then I was brought up to Sergeant Holes, kept there awhile, and\nthen taken down again. After a while the constables fetched me up again,\nand brought me before the commissioners, who said I should go for a\nsoldier; but I told them that I was dead to it. They said I was alive. I\ntold them, where envy and hatred are, there is confusion. They offered\nme money twice, but I would not take it: then they were angry, and\ncommitted me close prisoner, without bail or mainprize. Whereupon I\nwrote to them again, directing my letter to Colonel Barton (who was a\npreacher), and the rest that were concerned in my commitment. I wrote\nthus:\u2014\n\n  \u201cYou who are without Christ, and yet use the words which he and his\n  saints have spoken; consider, neither he nor His apostles did ever\n  imprison any; but my Saviour is merciful even to the unmerciful and\n  rebellious. He brings out of prison and bondage; but men, while the\n  carnal mind rules, oppress and imprison. My Saviour saith, \u2018Love your\n  enemies, and do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that\n  despitefully use you and persecute you;\u2019 for the love of God doth not\n  persecute any, but loveth all where it dwelleth. \u2018He that hateth his\n  brother is a murderer.\u2019 You profess to be Christians, and one of you a\n  minister of Jesus Christ; yet you have imprisoned me, who am a servant\n  of Jesus Christ. The apostles never imprisoned any, but were\n  imprisoned themselves. Take heed of speaking of Christ in words, and\n  denying him in life and power. O friends, the imprisoning of my body\n  is to satisfy your wills; but take heed of giving way to your wills,\n  for that will hurt you. If the love of God had broken your hearts, ye\n  would not have imprisoned me; but my love is to you, as to all my\n  fellow-creatures; and that you may weigh yourselves, and see how you\n  stand, is this written.\u201d\n\nAbout this time I was moved to give forth the following, to go amongst\nthe convinced and tender people, to manifest the deceits of the world,\nand how the priests have deceived the people:\u2014\n\n_To all you that love the Lord Jesus Christ with a pure and naked heart,\nand the generation of the righteous._\n\n  \u201cChrist was ever hated; and the righteous for his sake. Mind who they\n  were that did ever hate them: he that was born after the flesh did\n  persecute him that was born after the Spirit; and so it is now. Mind\n  who were the chiefest against Christ; even the great, learned men, the\n  heads of the people, rulers and teachers, that professed the law and\n  the prophets, and looked for Christ. They looked for an outwardly\n  glorious Christ, to hold up their outward glory; but Christ spoke\n  against the works of the world, and against the priests, and scribes,\n  and Pharisees, and their hypocritical profession. He that is a\n  stranger to Christ, is a hireling; but the servants of Jesus Christ\n  are free men. The false teachers always laid burdens upon the people;\n  and the true servants of the Lord spoke against them. Jeremiah spoke\n  against hirelings, and said, It was a horrible thing; What will ye do\n  in the end? for the people and priests were given to covetousness.\n  Paul spoke against such as made gain upon the people; and exhorted the\n  saints to turn away from such as were covetous men and proud, such as\n  loved pleasures more than God\u2014such as had a form of godliness, but\n  denied the power thereof; \u2018for of this sort,\u2019 said he, \u2018are they that\n  creep into houses, and lead captive silly women, who are ever\n  learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth; men of\n  corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith; and as Jannes and\n  Jambres withstood Moses, so,\u2019 said he, \u2018do these resist the truth; but\n  they shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be made manifest\n  unto all men.\u2019 Moses forsook honours and pleasures which he might have\n  enjoyed. The apostle in his time saw this corruption entering, which\n  now is spread over the world, of having a form of godliness, but\n  denying the power. Ask any of your teachers whether you may ever\n  overcome your corruptions or sins? None of them believe that; but, \u2018as\n  long as man is here, he must,\u2019 they say, \u2018carry about with him the\n  body of sin.\u2019 Thus pride is kept up, and that honour and mastership,\n  which Christ denied, and all unrighteousness; yet multitudes of\n  teachers! heaps of teachers! the golden cup full of abominations! Paul\n  did not preach for wages, but laboured with his hands, that he might\n  be an example to all them that follow him. O people, see who follow\n  Paul! The prophet Jeremiah said, \u2018The prophets prophesy falsely, and\n  the priests bear rule by their means;\u2019 but now the priests bear rule\n  by the means they get from the people: take away their means, and they\n  will bear rule over you no longer. They are such as, the apostle said,\n  \u2018intruded into those things which they never saw, being vainly puffed\n  up with a fleshly mind;\u2019 and as the Scriptures declare of some of old,\n  \u2018They go in the way of Cain, who was a murderer, and in the way of\n  Balaam, who coveted the wages of unrighteousness.\u2019 The prophet Micah\n  also cried against the judges that judged for reward, and the priests\n  that taught for hire, and the prophets that prophesied for money; and\n  yet leaned on the Lord, saying, \u2018Is not the Lord amongst us? Gifts\n  blind the eyes of the wise.\u2019 The gift of God was never purchased with\n  money. All the holy servants of God did ever cry against deceit; and\n  where the Lord hath manifested his love, they do loathe it, and that\n  nature which holdeth it up.\u201d\n\nAgain a concern came upon me to write to the magistrates of Derby; which\nI did as follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cI desire you to consider in time whom ye do imprison; for the\n  magistrate is set for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise\n  of them that do well. But when the Lord doth send his messengers unto\n  you, to warn you of the woes that will come upon you, except you\n  repent, then you persecute them, and put them in prison; and say, \u2018We\n  have a law, and by our law we may do it.\u2019 For you indeed justify\n  yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts. He will not be\n  worshipped with your forms and professions, and shows of religion.\n  Therefore consider, ye that talk of God, how ye are subject to him;\n  for they are his children that do his will. What doth the Lord require\n  of you but to do justice, to love and show mercy, to walk humbly with\n  him, and to help the widows and fatherless to their right? But instead\n  thereof ye oppress the poor. Do not your judges judge for rewards, and\n  your priests teach for hire? The time is coming, that he who seeth all\n  things, will discover all your secrets: and know this assuredly, the\n  Lord will deliver his servants out of your hands, and he will\n  recompense all your unjust dealings towards his people. I desire you\n  to consider of these things; search the Scriptures, and see whether\n  any of the people of God did ever imprison any for religion. They were\n  themselves imprisoned. I desire you to consider, that it is written,\n  \u2018When the church is met together, ye may all prophesy one by one, that\n  all may learn, and all may be comforted;\u2019 and then, \u2018if anything be\n  revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.\u2019\n  Thus it was in the true church; and thus it ought to be now. But it is\n  not so in your assemblies; he that teaches for hire may speak, and\n  none may contradict him. Again, consider the liberty that was given to\n  the apostles, even among the unbelieving Jews; when after the reading\n  of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue said unto\n  them, \u2018Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the\n  people, say on.\u2019 I desire you to consider in stillness, and strive not\n  against the Lord; for he is stronger than you. Though ye hold his\n  people fast for a time, yet when he cometh, he will make known who are\n  his; for his coming is like the refiner\u2019s fire and like fuller\u2019s soap.\n  Then the stone that is set at nought by you builders, shall be the\n  headstone of the corner. O friends, lay these things to heart, and let\n  them not seem light things to you. I write to you in love, to mind the\n  laws of God and your own souls, and to do as the holy men of God did.\u201d\n\nGreat was my exercise and travail in spirit, during my imprisonment\nhere, because of the wickedness that was in this town; for though some\nwere convinced, yet the generality were a hardened people; and I saw the\nvisitation of God\u2019s love pass away from them. I mourned over them; and\nit came upon me to give forth the following lamentation for them:\u2014\n\n  \u201cO Derby! as the waters run away when the flood-gates are up, so doth\n  the visitation of God\u2019s love pass away from thee, O Derby! Therefore\n  look where thou art, and how thou art grounded; and consider, before\n  thou art utterly forsaken. The Lord moved me twice, before I came to\n  cry against the deceits and vanities that are in thee, and to warn all\n  to look at the Lord, and not at man. The woe is against the crown of\n  pride; the woe is against drunkenness and vain pleasures, and against\n  them that make a profession of religion in words, yet are high and\n  lofty in mind, and live in oppression and envy. O Derby! thy\n  profession and preaching stink before the Lord. Ye profess a Sabbath\n  in words, and meet together, dressing yourselves in fine apparel; you\n  uphold pride. Thy women go with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes,\n  &c., which the true prophet of old cried against. Your assemblies are\n  odious, and an abomination to the Lord: pride is set up, and bowed\n  down to; covetousness abounds; and he that doeth wickedly is honoured:\n  so deceit bears with deceit; and yet they profess Christ in words. O\n  the deceit that is within thee! it doth even break my heart to see how\n  God is dishonoured in thee, O Derby!\u201d\n\nAfter I had seen the visitation of God\u2019s love pass away from this place,\nI knew that my imprisonment here would not continue long; but I saw that\nwhen the Lord should bring me forth, it would be as the letting of a\nlion out of a den amongst the wild beasts of the forest. For all\nprofessions stood in a beastly spirit and nature, pleading for sin, and\nfor the body of sin and imperfection, as long as they lived. They all\nraged, and ran against the life and Spirit which gave forth the\nScriptures, which they professed in words. And so it was, as will appear\nhereafter.\n\nThere was a great judgment upon the town, and the magistrates were\nuneasy about me; but they could not agree what to do with me. One while\nthey would have me sent up to the parliament; another while they would\nhave banished me to Ireland. At first they called me a deceiver, and a\nseducer, and a blasphemer; afterwards, when God had brought his plagues\nupon them, they said I was an honest, virtuous man. But their good\nreport or bad report, their well speaking or ill speaking, was nothing\nto me; for the one did not lift me up, nor the other cast me down:\npraised be the Lord! At length they were made to turn me out of jail,\nabout the beginning of Winter, in the year 1651, after I had been a\nprisoner in Derby almost a year, six months in the House of Correction,\nand the rest of the time in the common jail and dungeon.\n\nThus being set at liberty again, I went on, as before, in the work of\nthe Lord, passing through the country, first, into my own country of\nLEICESTERSHIRE, and had meetings as I went; and the Lord\u2019s Spirit and\npower accompanied me. Afterwards I went near to BURTON-ON-TRENT, where\nsome were convinced; and so to BUSHEL-HOUSE, where I had a meeting. I\nwent up into the country, where there were friendly people; yet an\noutrageous wicked professor had an intent to do me a mischief, but the\nLord prevented him. Blessed be the Lord!\n\nAs I was walking along with several Friends, I lifted up my head and saw\nthree steeple-house spires, and they struck at my life. I asked them\nwhat place that was? and they said, LICHFIELD. Immediately the word of\nthe Lord came to me that I must go thither. Being come to the house we\nwere going to, I wished the Friends that were with me, to walk into the\nhouse, saying nothing to them whither I was to go. As soon as they were\ngone, I stepped away, and went by my eye over hedge and ditch, till I\ncame within a mile of Lichfield; where, in a great field, there were\nshepherds keeping their sheep. Then I was commanded by the Lord to pull\noff my shoes. I stood still, for it was Winter; and the word of the Lord\nwas like a fire in me. So I put off my shoes, and left them with the\nshepherds; and the poor shepherds trembled and were astonished. Then I\nwalked on about a mile, and as soon as I was within the city, the word\nof the Lord came to me again, saying, \u201cCry, Woe unto the bloody city of\nLichfield.\u201d So I went up and down the streets, crying with a loud voice,\n\u201cWOE TO THE BLOODY CITY OF LICHFIELD!\u201d It being market-day, I went into\nthe market-place, and to and fro in the several parts of it, and made\nstands, crying as before, \u201cWOE TO THE BLOODY CITY OF LICHFIELD!\u201d And no\none laid hands on me; but as I went thus crying through the streets,\nthere seemed to me to be a channel of blood running down the streets,\nand the market-place appeared like a pool of blood. When I had declared\nwhat was upon me, and felt myself clear, I went out of the town in\npeace; and returning to the shepherds, gave them some money, and took my\nshoes of them again. But the fire of the Lord was so in my feet, and all\nover me, that I did not matter to put on my shoes any more, and was at a\nstand whether I should or not, till I felt freedom from the Lord so to\ndo; and then, after I had washed my feet, I put on my shoes again. After\nthis a deep consideration came upon me, why, or for what reason, I\nshould be sent to cry against that city, and call it THE BLOODY CITY.\nFor though the parliament had the minster one while, and the king\nanother, and much blood had been shed in the town, during the wars\nbetween them, yet that was no more than had befallen many other places.\nBut afterwards I came to understand, that in the Emperor Dioclesian\u2019s\ntime, a thousand Christians were martyred in Lichfield. So I was to go,\nwithout my shoes, through the channel of their blood, and into the pool\nof their blood in the market-place, that I might raise up the memorial\nof the blood of those martyrs which had been shed above a thousand years\nbefore, and lay cold in their streets. So the sense of this blood was\nupon me, and I obeyed the word of the Lord. Ancient records testify how\nmany of the Christian Britons suffered there. Much I could write of the\nsense I had of the blood of the martyrs that hath been shed in this\nnation for the name of Christ, both under the ten persecutions and\nsince; but I leave it to the Lord, and to His book, out of which all\nshall be judged; for His book is a most certain record, and His Spirit a\ntrue recorder.\n\nThen I passed up and down through the countries, having meetings amongst\nfriendly people in many places; but my relations were offended at me.\nAfter some time I returned into Nottinghamshire, to MANSFIELD, and went\ninto Derbyshire, visiting Friends. Then passing into Yorkshire, I\npreached repentance through DONCASTER, and several other places; and\nafter came to BALBY, where Richard Farnsworth[10] and some others were\nconvinced. So travelling through several places, preaching repentance,\nand the word of life to the people, I came into the parts about\nWAKEFIELD, where James Naylor lived; he and Thomas Goodyear came to me,\nand were both convinced, and received the truth. William Dewsbury[11]\nalso and his wife, with many more, came to me, who were convinced, and\nreceived the truth.\n\nFootnote 10:\n\n  Richard Farnsworth became an eminent minister, and many were turned to\n  God by him. He was mighty in discourses with priests and professors,\n  and laboured much in the gospel. He was twelve months imprisoned at\n  Banbury in 1655, and after great sufferings and persecutions, he\n  finished his testimony in London, in 1666. A short time before his\n  death, sitting up in bed, he spoke in as much power and strength of\n  spirit as he had done at any time in his health, testifying that he\n  was filled with the love of God more than he was able to express. He\n  published many small works in defence of truth.\n\nFootnote 11:\n\n  William Dewsbury, often mentioned in this Journal, became a valiant\n  minister of the gospel, travelling extensively in its advocacy.\n  Whiting says, \u201che was an extraordinary man many ways, and I thought as\n  exact a pattern of a perfect man as ever I knew.\u201d His health became\n  impaired through the sharp persecutions he passed through, consisting\n  of many long imprisonments, beatings, and bruisings. In 1688, going up\n  to London to visit the brethren, he was taken ill of a distemper\n  contracted in prison. Returning home, he died shortly after, leaving a\n  heavenly testimony behind him, expressed about a week before he died.\n  This, with other information, is recorded in _Piety Promoted_, vol.\n  i., pp. 163-168, and further particulars in Whiting\u2019s _Memoirs_, p.\n  25, and at pp. 376-387. His works were published in 1 vol. quarto, in\n  1689.\n\nFrom thence I passed through the country towards Captain Pursloe\u2019s house\nby SELBY, and visited John Leek, who had been to visit me in Derby\nprison, and was convinced. I had a horse, but was fain to leave him, not\nknowing what to do with him; for I was moved to go to many great houses,\nto admonish and exhort the people to turn to the Lord. Thus passing on,\nI was moved of the Lord to go to BEVERLEY steeple-house, which was then\na place of high profession; and being very wet with rain, I went first\nto an inn, and as soon as I came to the door, a young woman of the house\ncame to the door, and said, \u201cWhat, is it you? come in,\u201d as if she had\nknown me before; for the Lord\u2019s power bowed their hearts. So I refreshed\nmyself and went to bed; and in the morning, my clothes being still wet,\nI got ready, and having paid for what I had had in the inn, I went up to\nthe steeple-house, where was a man preaching. When he had done, I was\nmoved to speak to him, and to the people, in the mighty power of God,\nand turned them to their teacher, Christ Jesus. The power of the Lord\nwas so strong, that it struck a mighty dread amongst the people. The\nmayor came and spoke a few words to me; but none of them had any power\nto meddle with me. So I passed away out of the town, and in the\nafternoon went to another steeple-house about two miles off. When the\npriest had done, I was moved to speak to him, and to the people very\nlargely, showing them the way of life and truth, and the ground of\nelection and reprobation. The priest said, he was but a child, and could\nnot dispute with me; I told him I did not come to dispute, but to hold\nforth the word of life and truth unto them, that they might all know the\none Seed, which the promise of God was to, both in the male and in the\nfemale. Here the people were very loving, and would have had me come\nagain on a week-day, and preach among them; but I directed them to their\nteacher, Christ Jesus, and so passed away.\n\nThe next day I went to CRANSWICK, to Captain Pursloe\u2019s, who accompanied\nme to Justice Hotham\u2019s. This Justice Hotham was a tender man, one that\nhad some experience of God\u2019s workings in his heart. After some discourse\nwith him of the things of God, he took me into his closet; where,\nsitting together, he told me he had known that principle these ten\nyears, and was glad that the Lord did now publish it abroad to the\npeople. After a while there came a priest to visit him, with whom also I\nhad some discourse concerning Truth. But his mouth was quickly stopped,\nfor he was nothing but a notionist, and not in possession of what he\ntalked of.\n\nWhile I was here, there came a great woman of Beverley to speak to\nJustice Hotham about some business; and in discourse she told him, that\nthe last Sabbath-day (as she called it) there came an angel or spirit\ninto the church at Beverley, and spoke the wonderful things of God, to\nthe astonishment of all that were there; and when it had done, it passed\naway, and they did not know whence it came, nor whither it went; but it\nastonished all, both priests, professors, and magistrates of the town.\nThis relation Justice Hotham gave me afterwards, and then I gave him an\naccount how I had been that day at Beverley steeple-house, and had\ndeclared truth to the priest and the people there. There were in the\ncountry thereabouts some noted priests and doctors, with whom Justice\nHotham was acquainted. He would fain have them speak with me, and\noffered to send for them, under pretence of some business he had with\nthem, but I wished him not to do so.\n\nWhen the First-day of the week was come, Justice Hotham walked out with\nme into the field; and Captain Pursloe coming up after us, Justice\nHotham left us and returned home, but Captain Pursloe went with me into\nthe steeple-house. When the priest had done, I spoke both to priest and\npeople; declared to them the word of life and truth, and directed them\nwhere they might find their teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ. Some were\nconvinced, received the truth, and stand fast in it; and have a fine\nmeeting to this day.\n\nIn the afternoon I went to another steeple-house about three miles off,\nwhere preached a great high-priest, called a doctor, one of them whom\nJustice Hotham would have sent for to speak with me. I went into the\nsteeple-house, and stayed till the priest had done. The words which he\ntook for his text were these, \u201cHo, every one that thirsteth, come ye to\nthe waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat, yea come,\nbuy wine and milk without money and without price.\u201d Then was I moved of\nthe Lord to say unto him, \u201cCome down, thou deceiver; dost thou bid\npeople come freely, and take of the water of life freely, and yet thou\ntakest three hundred pounds a-year of them, for preaching the Scriptures\nto them. Mayest thou not blush for shame? Did the prophet Isaiah, and\nChrist do so, who spoke the words, and gave them forth freely? Did not\nChrist say to his ministers, whom he sent to preach, \u2018Freely ye have\nreceived, freely give?\u2019\u201d The priest, like a man amazed, hastened away.\nAfter he had left his flock, I had as much time as I could desire to\nspeak to the people; and I directed them from the darkness to the light,\nand to the grace of God, that would teach them, and bring them\nsalvation; to the Spirit of God in their inward parts, which would be a\nfree teacher unto them.\n\nHaving cleared myself amongst the people, I returned to Justice Hotham\u2019s\nhouse that night, who, when I came in, took me in his arms, and said his\nhouse was my house, for he was exceedingly glad at the work of the Lord,\nand that his power was revealed. Then he told me why he went not with me\nto the steeple-house in the morning, and what reasonings he had in\nhimself about it; for he thought, if he had gone with me to the\nsteeple-house, the officers would have put me to him; and then he should\nhave been so put to it, that he should not have known what to do. But he\nwas glad, he said, when Captain Pursloe came up to go with me; yet\nneither of them was dressed, nor had his band about his neck. It was a\nstrange thing then to see a man come into a steeple-house without a\nband; yet Captain Pursloe went in with me without his band, the Lord\u2019s\npower and truth had so affected him that he minded it not.\n\nFrom hence I passed on through the country, and came at night to an inn\nwhere was a company of rude people. I bid the woman of the house, if she\nhad any meat, to bring me some; but because I said Thee and Thou to her\nshe looked strangely on me. Then I asked her if she had any milk; and\nshe said, No. I was sensible she spoke falsely, and being willing to try\nher further, I asked her if she had any cream; she denied that she had\nany. Now there stood a churn in the room, and a little boy playing about\nit, put his hands into it, and pulled it down, and threw all the cream\non the floor before my eyes. Thus was the woman manifested to be a liar.\nShe was amazed, and blessed herself, and taking up the child, whipped it\nsorely; but I reproved her for her lying and deceit. After the Lord had\nthus discovered her deceit and perverseness, I walked out of the house,\nand went away till I came to a stack of hay, and lay in the hay-stack\nthat night in rain and snow, it being but three days before the time\ncalled Christmas.\n\nThe next day I came into YORK, where were several people that were very\ntender. Upon the First-day of the week following, I was commanded of the\nLord to go to the great minster, and speak to the priest Bowles and his\nhearers in their great cathedral. Accordingly I went: and when the\npriest had done, I told them I had something from the Lord God to speak\nto the priest and people. \u201cThen say on quickly,\u201d said a professor that\nwas among them, for it was frost and snow, and very cold weather. Then I\ntold them, This was the word of the Lord God unto them, that they lived\nin words; but God Almighty looked for fruits amongst them. As soon as\nthe words were out of my mouth, they hurried me out, and threw me down\nthe steps; but I got up again without hurt, and went to my lodgings.\nSeveral were convinced there: for the very groans that arose from the\nweight and oppression that was upon the Spirit of God in me, would open\npeople, and strike them, and make them confess that the groans which\nbroke forth through me did reach them: for my life was burthened with\ntheir profession without possession, and words without fruit. After I\nhad done my present service in York, and several were convinced there,\nreceived the truth of God, and were turned to his teaching, I passed out\nof York, and looking towards Cleveland, I saw there was a people that\nhad tasted of the power of God. I saw then there was a seed in that\ncountry, and that God had an humble people there.\n\nPassing onwards that night, a Papist overtook me, and talked to me of\nhis religion, and of their meetings; and I let him speak all that was in\nhis mind. That night I stayed at an ale-house. The next morning I was\nmoved of the Lord to speak the word of the Lord to this Papist. So I\nwent to his house, and declared against his religion, and all their\nsuperstitious ways; and told him that God was come to teach his people\nhimself. This put the Papist into such a rage, that he could not then\nendure to stay in his own house.\n\nThe next day I came to BURRABY, where a priest and several friendly\npeople met together. Many of the people were convinced, and have\ncontinued faithful ever since; and there is a great meeting of Friends\nin that town. The priest also was forced to confess to the truth, though\nhe came not into it.\n\nThe day following I went into CLEVELAND, amongst those people that had\ntasted of the power of God. They had formerly had great meetings, but\nwere then all shattered to pieces, and the heads of them turned Ranters.\nI told them that after they had had such meetings, they did not wait\nupon God to feel His power, to gather their minds inward, that they\nmight feel His presence and power amongst them in their meetings, to sit\ndown therein, and wait upon Him; for they had spoken themselves dry;\nthey had spent their portions, and not living in that which they spoke\nof, they were now become dry. They had some kind of meetings still; but\nthey took tobacco and drank ale in their meetings, and were grown light\nand loose. But my message unto them from the Lord was, That they should\nall come together again, and wait to feel the Lord\u2019s power and Spirit in\nthemselves, to gather them to Christ, that they might be taught of Him\nwho says, \u201cLearn of me.\u201d For when they had declared that which the Lord\nhad opened to them, then the people were to receive it; and both the\nspeakers and hearers were to live in that themselves. But when these had\nno more to declare, but went to seek forms without life, that made\nthemselves dry and barren, and the people also; and from thence came all\ntheir loss: for the Lord renews His mercies and His strength to them\nthat wait upon Him. The heads of these people came to nothing: but most\nof them came to be convinced, and received God\u2019s everlasting truth, and\ncontinue a meeting to this day, sitting under the teaching of the Lord\nJesus Christ their Saviour.\n\nUpon the First-day of the next week, the word of the Lord came to me to\ngo to the steeple-house there, which I did. When the priest had done I\nspoke the truth to him and the people, and directed them to their\nteacher within, Christ Jesus, their free teacher, that had bought them.\nThe priest came to me, and I had a little discourse with him; but he was\nsoon stopped, and silent. Then being clear of the place, I passed away,\nhaving had several meetings amongst those people.\n\nThough at this time the snow was very deep, I kept travelling; and going\nthrough the country, came to a market-town, where I met with many\nprofessors, with whom I had much reasoning. I asked them many questions,\nwhich they were not able to answer; saying, they had never had such deep\nquestions put to them in all their lives.\n\nFrom them I went to STAITHES, where also I met with many professors, and\nsome Ranters. I had large meetings amongst them, and a great\nconvincement there was. Many received the truth; amongst whom, one was a\nman of an hundred years of age; another was a chief constable; and a\nthird was a priest, whose name was Philip Scafe. Him the Lord, by his\nfree Spirit, did afterwards make a free minister of his free gospel.\n\nThe priest of this town was a lofty one, who much oppressed the people\nfor his tithes. If they went a-fishing many leagues off, he would make\nthem pay the tithe-money of what they made of their fish, though they\ncaught them at a great distance, and carried them as far as Yarmouth to\nsell. I was moved to go to the steeple-house there, to declare the\ntruth, and expose the priest. When I had spoken to him, and laid his\noppression of the people before him, he fled away. The chief of the\nparish were very light and vain; so after I had spoken the word of life\nto them, I turned away from them, because they did not receive it, and\nleft them. But the word of the Lord, which I had declared amongst them,\nremained with some of them; so that at night some of the heads of the\nparish came to me, and most of them were convinced and satisfied, and\nconfessed to the truth. Thus the truth began to spread in that country,\nand great meetings we had; at which the priest began to rage, and the\nRanters to be stirred; and they sent word that they would have a dispute\nwith me, both the oppressing priest, and the leader of the Ranters. A\nday was fixed, and the Ranter came with his company; and another priest,\na Scotchman, came; but not the oppressing priest of Staithes. Philip\nScafe, who had been a priest, and was convinced, was with me; and a\ngreat number of people met. When we were settled, the Ranter, whose name\nwas T. Bushel, told me he had had a vision of me; that I was sitting in\na great chair, and that he was to come and put off his hat, and bow down\nto the ground before me; and he did so; and many other flattering words\nhe spoke. I told him it was his own figure, and said unto him, \u201cRepent,\nthou beast.\u201d He said it was jealousy in me to say so. Then I asked him\nthe ground of jealousy, and how it came to be bred in man? and the\nnature of a beast, what made it, and how it was bred in man? For I saw\nhim directly in the nature of the beast; and therefore I wished to know\nof him how that nature came to be bred in him? I told him he should give\nme an account of the things done in the body, before we came to\ndiscourse of things done out of the body. So I stopped his mouth, and\nall his fellow Ranters were silenced; for he was the head of them. Then\nI called for the oppressing priest, but he came not; only the Scotch\npriest came, whose mouth was soon stopped with a very few words; he\nbeing out of the life of what he professed. Then I had a good\nopportunity with the people. I laid open the Ranters, ranking them with\nthe old Ranters in Sodom. The priests I manifested to be of the same\nstamp with their fellow-hirelings, the false prophets of old, and the\npriests that then bore rule over the people by their means, seeking for\ntheir gain from their quarter, divining for money, and teaching for\nfilthy lucre. I brought all the prophets, and Christ, and the apostles,\nover the heads of the priests, showing how the prophets, Christ, and the\napostles had long since discovered them by their marks and fruits. Then\nI directed the people to their inward teacher, Christ Jesus their\nSaviour; and I preached up Christ in the hearts of His people, when all\nthese mountains were laid low. The people were all quiet, and the\ngainsayers\u2019 mouths were stopped; for though they broiled inwardly, yet\nthe power bound them down, that they could not break out.\n\nAfter the meeting, this Scotch priest desired me to walk with him on the\ntop of the cliffs; whereupon I called a brother-in-law of his, who was\nin some measure convinced, and desired him to go with me, telling him I\ndesired to have somebody by to hear what was said, lest the priest, when\nI was gone, should report anything of me which I did not say. We went\ntogether; and as we walked, the priest asked me many things concerning\nthe light, and concerning the soul; to all which I answered him fully.\nWhen he had done questioning, we parted, and he went his way; and\nmeeting with Philip Scafe, he broke his cane against the ground in\nmadness, and said, if ever he met with me again, he would have my life,\nor I should have his; adding that he would give his head, if I was not\nknocked down within a month. By this, Friends suspected that his intent\nwas, in desiring me to walk with him alone, either to thrust me down\nfrom off the cliff, or to do me some other mischief; and that when he\nsaw himself frustrated in that, by my having one with me, it made him\nrage. I feared neither his prophecies nor his threats; for I feared God\nAlmighty. But some Friends, through their affection for me, feared much\nthat this priest would do me some mischief, or set on others to do it.\nYet after some years this very Scotch priest, and his wife also, came to\nbe convinced of the truth; and about twelve years after this I was at\ntheir house.\n\nAfter this, there came another priest to a meeting where I was, one that\nwas in repute above all the priests in the country. As I was speaking in\nthe meeting, that the gospel was the power of God, and how it brought\nlife and immortality to light in men, and was turning people from\ndarkness to the light, this high-flown priest said the gospel was\nmortal. I told him, the true minister said, the gospel was the power of\nGod, and would he make the power of God mortal? Upon that the other\npriest, Philip Scafe, that was convinced, and had felt the immortal\npower of God in himself, took him up and reproved him; so a great\ndispute arose between them: the convinced priest holding that the gospel\nwas immortal, and the other priest that it was mortal. But the Lord\u2019s\npower was too hard for this opposing priest, and stopped his mouth; and\nmany people were convinced, seeing the darkness that was in the opposing\npriest, and the light that was in the convinced priest.\n\nThen another priest sent to have a dispute with me, and Friends went\nwith me to the house where he was; but when he understood we were come,\nhe slipped out of the house, and hid himself under a hedge. The people\nwent to seek him, and found him, but could not get him to come to us.\nThen I went to a steeple-house hard by, where the priest and people were\nin a great rage: this priest had threatened Friends what he would do;\nbut when I came he fled; for the Lord\u2019s power came over him and them.\nYea, the Lord\u2019s everlasting power was over the world, and reached to the\nhearts of people, and made both priests and professors tremble. It shook\nthe earthly and airy spirit, in which they held their profession of\nreligion and worship, so that it was a dreadful thing unto them, when it\nwas told them, \u201cThe man in leather breeches is come.\u201d[12] At the hearing\nthereof the priests, in many places would get out of the way; they were\nso struck with the dread of the eternal power of God; and fear surprised\nthe hypocrites.\n\nFootnote 12:\n\n  The leathern garments worn by George Fox were chosen by him for their\n  simplicity and durability; and though they often subjected their\n  wearer to ridicule and abuse, he had no motive beyond the\n  above-mentioned for choosing such a garb. Many persons have been\n  amused, if not offended at him for having worn such a dress when he\n  was a young man. In those days leathern garments were not so singular\n  as some suppose. It was a well authenticated fact, that an eminent\n  merchant of the city of London, about 150 years ago, travelled on foot\n  from Newcastle, in search of a livelihood, clad in a _coat of\n  leather_. He opened a warehouse in London for the sale of heavy\n  articles of iron, which were manufactured in the neighbourhood of\n  Newcastle. In a few years he became prosperous, accumulated a large\n  fortune, and ranked with the magnates of the city, sharing in all the\n  civic honours of the corporation. The firm which he established still\n  continues to conduct a flourishing business, at a warehouse in Thames\n  Street, which is familiarly known in the trade by \u201cThe Leathern\n  Doublet;\u201d a representation of the founder\u2019s original dress being fixed\n  as a sign in front of the building.\n\nFrom this place we passed to WHITBY and SCARBOROUGH, where we had some\nservices for the Lord; there are large meetings settled there since.\nFrom thence I passed over the WOLDS to MALTON, where we had great\nmeetings; as we had also at the towns thereabouts. At one town a priest\nsent me a challenge to dispute with me; but when I came, he would not\ncome forth; so I had a good opportunity with the people, and the Lord\u2019s\npower came over them. One, who had been a wild, drunken man, was so\nreached therewith, that he came to me as lowly as a lamb; though he and\nhis companions had before sent for drink, to make the rude people drunk,\non purpose that they might abuse us. When I found the priest would not\ncome forth, I was moved to go to the steeple-house; the priest was\nconfounded, and the Lord\u2019s power came over all.\n\nOn the First-day following, came one of the highest Independent\nprofessors, a woman, who had let in such a prejudice against me, that\nshe said before she came, she could willingly go to see me hanged: but\nwhen she came, she was convinced, and remains a Friend.\n\nThen I turned to MALTON again, and very great meetings there were; to\nwhich more people would have come, but durst not for fear of their\nrelations; for it was thought a strange thing then to preach in houses,\nand not go to the church, as they called it; so that I was much desired\nto go and speak in the steeple-houses. One of the priests wrote to me,\nand invited me to preach in the steeple-house, calling me his brother.\nAnother priest, a noted man, kept a lecture there. Now the Lord had\nshowed me, while I was in Derby prison, that I should speak in\nsteeple-houses, to gather people from thence; and a concern sometimes\nwould come upon my mind about the pulpits that the priests lolled in.\nFor the steeple-houses and pulpits were offensive to my mind, because\nboth priests and people called them the house of God, and idolized them;\nreckoning that God dwelt there in the outward house. Whereas they should\nhave looked for God and Christ to dwell in their hearts, and their\nbodies to be made the temples of God; for the apostle said, \u201cGod\ndwelleth not in temples made with hands:\u201d but by reason of the people\u2019s\nidolizing those places, it was counted a heinous thing to declare\nagainst them. When I came into the steeple-house, there were not above\neleven hearers, and the priest was preaching to them. But after it was\nknown in the town that I was in the steeple-house, it was soon filled\nwith people. When the priest that preached that day had done, he sent\nthe other priest that had invited me thither, to bring me up into the\npulpit; but I sent word to him, that I needed not to go into the pulpit.\nThen he sent to me again, desiring me to go up into it; for, he said, it\nwas a better place, and there I might be seen of the people. I sent him\nword again, I could be seen and heard well enough where I was; and that\nI came not there to hold up such places, nor their maintenance and\ntrade. Upon my saying so, they began to be angry, and said, \u201cthese false\nprophets were to come in the last times.\u201d Their saying so grieved many\nof the people; and some began to murmur at it. Whereupon I stood up, and\ndesired all to be quiet; and stepping upon a high seat, I declared unto\nthem the marks of the false prophets, and showed that they were already\ncome; and set the true prophets, and Christ, and His apostles over them;\nand manifested these to be out of the steps of the true prophets, and of\nChrist and His apostles. I directed the people to their inward teacher,\nChrist Jesus, who would turn them from darkness to the light. And having\nopened divers Scriptures to them, I directed them to the Spirit of God\nin themselves, by which they might come to Him, and by which they might\nalso come to know who the false prophets were. So having had a large\nopportunity among them, I departed in peace.\n\nAfter some time, I came to PICKERING, where in the steeple-house the\njustices held their sessions, Justice Robinson being chairman. I had a\nmeeting in the school-house at the same time; and abundance of priests\nand professors came to it, asking questions, which were answered to\ntheir satisfaction. It being sessions-time, four chief constables and\nmany other people were convinced that day; and word was carried to\nJustice Robinson that his priest was overthrown and convinced, whom he\nhad a love to, more than to all the priests besides. After the meeting,\nwe went to an inn. Justice Robinson\u2019s priest was very lowly and loving,\nand would have paid for my dinner, but I would by no means suffer it.\nThen he offered that I should have his steeple-house to preach in, but I\nrefused it, and told him and the people, that I came to bring them off\nfrom such things to Christ.\n\nThe next morning I went with the four chief constables, and others, to\nvisit Justice Robinson, who met me at his chamber door. I told him I\ncould not honour him with man\u2019s honour. He said he did not look for it.\nSo I went into his chamber, and opened to him the state of the false\nprophets, and of the true prophets; and set the true prophets, and\nChrist, and the apostles over the other; and directed his mind to Christ\nhis teacher. I opened to him the parables, and how election and\nreprobation stood; as that reprobation stood in the first birth, and\nelection stood in the second birth. I showed also what the promise of\nGod was to, and what the judgment of God was against, He confessed to it\nall; and was so opened with the truth, that when another justice that\nwas present, made some little opposition, he informed him. At our\nparting, he said it was very well that I exercised that gift, which God\nhad given me. He took the chief constables aside, and would have given\nthem some money for me, saying, he would not have me at any charge in\ntheir country; but they told him that they could not persuade me to take\nany; and so accepting his kindness, I refused his money.\n\nFrom thence I passed up into the country, and the priest that called me\nbrother (in whose school-house I had the meeting at Pickering,) went\nalong with me. When we came into a town to bait, the bells rang. I asked\nwhat they rang for: and they said, for me to preach in the\nsteeple-house. After some time I felt drawings that way; and as I walked\nto the steeple-house, I saw the people were gathered together in the\nyard. The old priest would have had me to go into the steeple-house; but\nI said, it was no matter. It was something strange to the people, that I\nwould not go into that which they called the house of God. I stood up in\nthe steeple-house yard, and declared to the people, that I came not to\nhold up their idol temples, nor their priests, nor their tithes, nor\ntheir augmentations, nor their priests\u2019 wages, nor their Jewish and\nheathenish ceremonies and traditions (for I denied all these,) and told\nthem that that piece of ground was no more holy than another piece of\nground. I showed them that the apostles\u2019 going into the Jews\u2019 synagogues\nand temples, which God had commanded, was to bring people off from that\ntemple, and those synagogues, and from the offerings, and tithes, and\ncovetous priests of that time; that such as came to be convinced of the\ntruth, and converted to it, and believed in Jesus Christ, whom the\napostles preached, met together afterwards in dwelling-houses; and that\nall who preach Christ, the Word of life, ought to preach freely, as the\napostles did, and as He had commanded. So I was sent of the Lord God of\nheaven and earth to preach freely, and to bring people off from these\noutward temples made with hands, which God dwelleth not in; that they\nmight know their bodies to become the temples of God and of Christ: and\nto draw people off from all their superstitious ceremonies, and Jewish\nand heathenish customs, traditions, and doctrines of men; and from all\nthe world\u2019s hireling teachers, that take tithes and great wages,\npreaching for hire, and divining for money, whom God and Christ never\nsent, as themselves confess, when they say they never heard God\u2019s voice,\nnor Christ\u2019s voice. Therefore I exhorted the people to come off from all\nthese things, and directed them to the Spirit and grace of God in\nthemselves, and to the light of Jesus in their own hearts, that they\nmight come to know Christ, their free teacher, to bring them salvation,\nand to open the Scriptures to them. Thus the Lord gave me a good\nopportunity amongst them to open things largely unto them. All was\nquiet, and many were convinced; blessed be the Lord!\n\nI passed on to another town, where there was another great meeting, the\nold priest before mentioned going along with me; and there came\nprofessors of several sorts to it. I sat on a haystack, and spoke\nnothing for some hours; for I was to famish them from words. The\nprofessors would ever and anon be speaking to the old priest, and asking\nhim when I would begin, and when I would speak. He bade them wait; and\ntold them, that the people waited upon Christ a long while before he\nspoke. At last I was moved of the Lord to speak; and they were struck by\nthe Lord\u2019s power; the word of life reached to them, and there was a\ngeneral convincement amongst them.\n\nFrom hence I passed on, the old priest being still with me, and several\nothers. As we went along, some people called to him, and said, \u201cMr.\nBoyes, we owe you some money for tithes, pray come and take it.\u201d But he\nthrew up his hands, and said he had enough, he would have none of it;\nthey might keep it; and he praised the Lord he had enough.\n\nAt length we came to this old priest\u2019s steeple-house in the MOORS; and\nwhen we were come into it, he went before me, and held open the pulpit\ndoor; but I told him I should not go into it. This steeple-house was\nvery much painted. I told him and the people, that the painted beast had\na painted house. Then I opened to them the rise of all those houses, and\ntheir superstitious ways; showing them, that as the end of the apostles\u2019\ngoing into the temple and synagogues, which God had commanded, was not\nto hold them up, but to bring the people to Christ, the substance; so\nthe end of my coming there, was not to hold up these temples, priests,\nand tithes, which God had never commanded, but to bring themselves off\nfrom all these things, to Christ the substance. I showed them the true\nworship, which Christ had set up; and distinguished Christ the true way\nfrom all the false ways, opening the parables to them, and turning them\nfrom darkness to the true light, that by it they might see themselves,\ntheir sins, and Christ their Saviour; that believing in Him, they might\nbe saved from their sins.\n\nAfter this we went to one Birdet\u2019s house, where I had a great meeting,\nand this old priest accompanied me still, leaving his steeple-house; for\nhe had been looked upon as a famous priest, above Common-Prayer-men, and\nPresbyters, and Independents too. Before he was convinced, he went\nsometimes into their steeple-houses and preached; for he had been a\nzealous man in his way. And when they complained of him to Justice\nHotham, he bid them distrain his horse for travelling on the Lord\u2019s day\n(as he called it); but Hotham did that only to put them off, for he knew\nthe priest used no horse, but travelled on foot.\n\nNow I came towards CRANSWICK, to Captain Pursloe\u2019s and Justice Hotham\u2019s,\nwho received me kindly, being glad that the Lord\u2019s power had so\nappeared; that truth was spread, and so many had received it; and that\nJustice Robinson was so civil. Justice Hotham said, If God had not\nraised up this principle of light and life, which I preached, the nation\nhad been overrun with Ranterism, and all the justices in the nation\ncould not have stopped it with all their laws; because (said he) they\nwould have said as we said, and done as we commanded, and yet have kept\ntheir own principle still. But this principle of truth, said he,\noverthrows their principle, and the root and ground thereof; and\ntherefore, he was glad the Lord had raised up this principle of life and\ntruth.\n\nFrom thence I travelled up to HOLDERNESS, and came to a justice\u2019s house,\nwhose name was Pearson, where there was a very tender woman, that\nbelieved in the truth, and was so affected therewith, that she said she\ncould have left all and have followed me.\n\nThence I went to ORAM, to one George Hartis\u2019s, where many of that town\nwere convinced. On the First-day I was moved to go into the\nsteeple-house, where the priest had got another to help him; and many\nprofessors and contenders were assembled together. But the Lord\u2019s power\nwas over all; the priests fled away, and much good service I had for the\nLord amongst the people. Some of those great professors were convinced,\nand became honest, faithful Friends, being men of account in the place.\n\nThe next day, Friends and friendly people having left me, I travelled\nalone, declaring the day of the Lord amongst people in the towns where I\ncame, and warning them to repent. One day, I came towards night into a\ntown called PATRINGTON; and as I walked along the town, I warned both\npriest and people (for the priest was in the street) to repent and turn\nto the Lord. It grew dark before I came to the end of the town; and a\nmultitude of people gathered about me, to whom I declared the word of\nlife. When I had cleared myself, I went to an inn, and desired them to\nlet me have a lodging; but they would not. Then I desired them to let me\nhave a little meat, or milk, and I would pay them for it; but they would\nnot. So I walked out of the town, and a company of fellows followed me,\nand asked me, what news? I bid them repent, and fear the Lord. After I\nhad gone some distance, I came to another house, and desired the people\nto let me have a little meat and drink, and lodging for my money; but\nthey denied me. Then I went to another house, and desired the same; but\nthey refused me also. By this time it was grown so dark, that I could\nnot see the highway; but I discerned a ditch, and got a little water and\nrefreshed myself. Then I got over the ditch, and being weary with\ntravelling, sat down among the furze-bushes till it was day. About break\nof day I got up and passed over the fields. A man came after me with a\ngreat pike-staff, and went along with me to a town; and he raised the\ntown upon me, with the constable and chief constable, before the sun was\nup. I declared God\u2019s everlasting truth amongst them, warning them of the\nday of the Lord, that was coming upon all sin and wickedness; and\nexhorted them to repent. But they seized me, and had me back to\nPatrington, about three miles, guarding me with pikes, staves, and\nhalberds.\n\nNow when I was come back to Patrington, all the town was in an uproar,\nand the priest and people were consulting together; so I had another\nopportunity to declare the word of life amongst them, and warn them to\nrepent. At last a professor, a tender man, called me into his house, and\nthere I took a little milk and bread, not having eaten for some days\nbefore. Then they guarded me about nine miles to a justice. When I was\ncome near his house, a man came riding after us, and asked me whether I\nwas the man that was apprehended? I asked him wherefore he asked? He\nsaid, for no hurt; and I told him I was; so he rode away to the justice\nbefore us. The men that guarded me said, It was well if the justice was\nnot drunk, before we got to him; for he used to be drunk early. When I\nwas brought in before him, because I did not put off my hat, and said\nThou to him, he asked the man that rode thither before me, whether I was\nnot mazed or fond; but the man told him, no, it was my principle. Then I\nwarned him to repent, and come to the light, which Christ had\nenlightened him with, that by it he might see all his evil words and\nactions; and to return to Christ Jesus whilst he had time; and that\nwhilst he had time, he should prize it. \u201cAy, ay,\u201d said he, \u201cthe light\nthat is spoken of in the third of John.\u201d I desired him that he would\nmind it and obey it. As I admonished him, I laid my hand upon him, and\nhe was brought down by the power of the Lord; and all the watchmen stood\namazed. Then he took me into a little parlour with the other man, and\ndesired to see what I had in my pockets, of letters or intelligence. I\nplucked out my linen, and showed him that I had no letters. He said, He\nis not a vagrant by his linen; and then he set me at liberty. I went\nback to Patrington, with the man that had ridden before me to the\njustice; for he lived at Patrington. When I came there, he would have\nhad me have a meeting at the Cross; but I said, it was no matter, his\nhouse would serve. He desired me to go to bed, or lie down upon a bed;\nwhich he did, that they might say, they had seen me in a bed, or upon a\nbed; for a report had been raised that I would not lie on any bed,\nbecause at that time I lay many times out of doors. Now when the\nFirst-day of the week was come, I went to the steeple-house, and\ndeclared the truth to the priest and people; and the people did not\nmolest me, for the power of God was come over them. Presently after I\nhad a great meeting at the man\u2019s house where I lay, and many were\nconvinced of the Lord\u2019s everlasting truth, who stand faithful witnesses\nof it to this day. They were exceedingly grieved that they did not\nreceive me, nor give me lodging, when I was there before.\n\nFrom hence I travelled through the country, even to the furthest part\nthereof, warning people, in towns and villages, to repent, and directing\nthem to Christ Jesus, their teacher.\n\nOn the First-day of the week I came to one Colonel Overton\u2019s house, and\nhad a great meeting of the prime of the people of that country; where\nmany things were opened out of the Scriptures, which they had never\nheard before. Many were convinced, and received the word of life, and\nwere settled in the truth of God.\n\nThen I returned to PATRINGTON again, and visited those Friends that were\nconvinced there; by whom I understood that a tailor, and some wild\nblades in that town, had occasioned my being carried before the justice.\nThe tailor came to ask my forgiveness, fearing I would complain of him.\nThe constables also were afraid, lest I should trouble them. But I\nforgave them all, and warned them to turn to the Lord, and to amend\ntheir lives. Now that which made them the more afraid was this: when I\nwas in the steeple-house at Oram not long before, there came a\nprofessor, who gave me a push on the breast in the steeple-house, and\nbid me get out of the church. \u201cAlas, poor man!\u201d said I, \u201cdost thou call\nthe steeple-house the church? The church is the people, whom God hath\npurchased with His blood, and not the house.\u201d It happened that Justice\nHotham came to hear of this man\u2019s abuse, sent his warrant for him, and\nbound him over to the sessions; so affected was he with the truth, and\nso zealous to keep the peace. And indeed this Justice Hotham had asked\nme before, whether any people had meddled with me, or abused me; but I\nwas not at liberty to tell him anything of that kind, but was to forgive\nall.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAPTER V.\n\n1652.\u2014George Fox visits great men\u2019s houses, warning them to repent\u2014is\n    accused of calling himself Christ\u2014refutes the charge, and tells the\n    accuser that Judas\u2019s end would he his, which shortly came to pass;\n    hence a slander is raised against Friends\u2014is stoned at Doncaster\u2014a\n    scoffing priest made to tremble at the Lord\u2019s power\u2014a slandering\n    priest cut off in his wickedness\u2014a murderous man seeks George Fox,\n    but misses him\u2014he lays in a wood all night\u2014the influence of one man\n    or woman, who lives in the same spirit that the prophets and\n    apostles were in, is to be felt within a circuit of ten miles\u2014George\n    Fox ascends Pendle Hill, whence he sees the place of a great\n    gathering of people\u2014on descending, refreshes himself at a spring of\n    water, having taken little sustenance for several days\u2014foresees a\n    great people in white raiment about Wensleydale and Sedbergh\u2014a\n    wicked man designs to injure him, but is prevented\u2014many are\n    convinced in Dent, and a meeting is settled at Sedbergh, where he\n    had seen a people in white raiment\u2014preaches for several hours in the\n    steeple-house yard there\u2014preaches on a rock, near Firbank chapel, to\n    1,000 people, for three hours\u2014the family of Judge Fell convinced,\n    and a meeting settled at his house, and continued for forty\n    years\u2014preaches through Lancaster streets\u2014at a meeting of priests at\n    Ulverstone he speaks in great power, so that one of them said, \u201cthe\n    church shook\u201d\u2014disputes with priest Lampitt\u2014Justice Sawrey is the\n    first persecutor in the north\u2014forty priests appear against George\n    Fox at Lancaster Sessions for speaking blasphemy; they are\n    confounded, and he is cleared of the charge\u2014James Naylor\u2019s account\n    of George Fox\u2019s trial at Lancaster Sessions\u2014priest Jackus is\n    reproved from the bench for his blasphemy\u2014these priests are reproved\n    by the populace\u2014Col. West defends and protects George Fox against\n    the machinations of the priests, and the design of Judge Windham, at\n    the risk of losing his place.\n\n\nFrom PATRINGTON I went to several great men\u2019s houses, warning them to\nrepent. Some received me lovingly, and some slighted me. Thus I passed\non, and at night came to another town, where I desired lodging and meat,\nand I would pay for it; but they would not lodge me, except I would go\nto the constable, which was the custom (they said) of all lodgers at\ninns, if strangers. I told them I should not go; for that custom was for\nsuspicious persons, but I was an innocent man. After I had warned them\nto repent, declared unto them the day of their visitation, and directed\nthem to the light of Christ and Spirit of God, that they might come to\nknow salvation, I passed away; and the people were something tendered,\nand troubled afterwards. When it grew dark, I spied a hay-stack, and\nwent and sat under it all night, till morning.\n\nThe next day I passed into HULL, admonishing and warning people, as I\nwent, to turn to Christ Jesus that they might receive salvation. That\nnight I got a lodging, but was very sore with travelling on foot so far.\n\nAfterwards I came to BALBY, and visited Friends up and down in those\nparts; and then passed into the edge of NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, visiting\nFriends there; and so into LINCOLNSHIRE, and visited Friends there. And\non the First-day of the week I went to a steeple-house on this side of\nTrent; and in the afternoon to one on the other side of the Trent,\ndeclaring the word of life to the people, and directing them to their\nteacher, Christ Jesus, who died for them that they might hear him, and\nreceive salvation by him. Then I went further into the country, and had\nseveral meetings. To one meeting came a great man, and a priest and many\nprofessors; but the Lord\u2019s power came over them all, and they went their\nways peaceably. There came a man to that meeting, who had been at one\nbefore, and raised a false accusation against me, and made a noise up\nand down the country, reporting that I had said I was Christ; which was\nutterly false.\n\nAnd when I came to GAINSBOROUGH, where a Friend had been declaring truth\nin the market, the town and market-people were all in an uproar. I went\ninto a friendly man\u2019s house, and the people rushed in after me; so that\nthe house was filled with professors, disputers, and rude people. This\nfalse accuser came in, and charged me openly before all the people, that\nI had said, I was Christ, and he had got witnesses to prove it. This set\nthe people into such a rage, that they had much to do to keep their\nhands off me. Then I was moved of the Lord God to stand up on the table,\nand, in the eternal power of God, to tell the people \u201cThat Christ was\n_in them_, except they were reprobates; and that it was Christ the\neternal power of God, that spoke in me at that time unto them; not that\nI was Christ.\u201d And the people were generally satisfied, except himself,\na professor, and his own false-witnesses. I called the accuser Judas,\nand was moved to tell him, that Judas\u2019s end would be his; and that that\nwas the word of the Lord and of Christ, through me, to him. So the\nLord\u2019s power came over all, and quieted the minds of the people, and\nthey departed in peace. But this Judas went away, and shortly after\nhanged himself, and a stake was driven into his grave. Afterwards the\nwicked priests raised a scandal upon us, and reported that a Quaker had\nhanged himself in Lincolnshire, and had a stake driven through him. This\nfalsehood they printed to the nation, adding sin to sin; which the truth\nand we were clear of: for he was no more a Quaker than the priest that\nprinted it, but was one of their own people. But notwithstanding this\nwicked slander, by which the adversary designed to defame us, and turn\npeople\u2019s minds against the truth we held forth, many in Lincolnshire\nreceived the gospel, being convinced of the Lord\u2019s everlasting truth,\nand sat down therein under the Lord\u2019s heavenly teaching.\n\nAfter this I passed, in the Lord\u2019s power, into YORKSHIRE, came to\nWARMSWORTH, and went to the steeple-house in the forenoon,[13] but they\nshut the door against me; yet after a while they let in Thomas Aldam,\nand then shut it again; and the priest fell upon him, asking him\nquestions. At last they opened the door, and I went in. As soon as I was\nin the priest\u2019s sight, he discontinued preaching, though I said nothing\nto him, and asked me, \u201cWhat have you to say!\u201d and presently cried out,\n\u201cCome, come, I will prove them false prophets, in Matthew;\u201d but he was\nso confounded, he could not find the chapter. Then he fell on me, asking\nme many questions, and I stood still all this while, not saying anything\namongst them. At last I said, \u201cSeeing here are so many questions asked,\nI may answer them.\u201d But as soon as I began to speak, the people\nviolently rushed upon me, and thrust me out of the steeple-house again,\nand locked the door on me. As soon as they had done their service, and\nwere come forth, the people ran upon me, and knocked me sorely with\ntheir staves, threw clods and stones at me, and abused me much; the\npriest also, being in a great rage, laid violent hands on me himself.\nBut I warned them and him of the terrible day of the Lord, and exhorted\nthem to repent, and turn to Christ. Being filled with the Lord\u2019s\nrefreshing power, I was not sensible of much hurt I had received by\ntheir blows. In the afternoon I went to another steeple-house, but the\npriest had done before I got thither; so I preached repentance to the\npeople that were left, and directed them to their inward teacher, Jesus\nChrist.\n\nFootnote 13:\n\n  The circumstance of Friends entering the public places of worship in\n  the times of the Commonwealth, is one which has been much\n  misunderstood, and greatly misrepresented. For these acts of\n  dedication they have been calumniated as disturbers of religious\n  congregations, and as outraging the peace and order of the churches.\n  This estimate, doubtless, has been formed with reference to usages of\n  more modern date; but to decide upon the conduct of Friends in this\n  particular, from a consideration of present circumstances, would be\n  exceedingly erroneous. In preaching in the national places of worship,\n  they did but avail themselves of a common liberty, in a period of\n  extraordinary excitement on religious things. There were numerous\n  other religious meetings held in those times, but into none of these\n  did Friends obtrude themselves. Some probably will argue, that the\n  fact of their being so severely punished for persisting in this\n  practice, may be adduced in support of its irregularity; but it may be\n  answered, that the preaching of Friends almost everywhere, at that\n  time, whether in steeple-houses or private houses, in-doors or out of\n  doors, equally called down the rigour of ecclesiastical vengeance. It\n  was not, in fact, because Friends preached in these places so much as\n  for what they preached that they suffered. When George Fox was\n  committed to Derby prison in 1650, after preaching in the\n  steeple-house at \u201ca great lecture,\u201d the mittimus states his offence\n  was, for \u201cuttering and broaching of divers blasphemous opinions.\u201d In\n  1659, Gilbert Latey went to Dunstan\u2019s steeple-house in the west, where\n  the noted Dr. Manton preached. At the conclusion of the sermon,\n  Gilbert Latey addressed the assembly relative to some errors in\n  Manton\u2019s sermon, for which he was seized by a constable and taken\n  before a magistrate; who, however, gave G. Latey leave to speak for\n  himself. The statement he made satisfied the justice, and he replied,\n  that he had heard the people called Quakers, were a sort of mad,\n  whimsical folks; \u201cbut,\u201d said he, \u201cfor this man, he talks very\n  rationally, and I think, for my part, you should not have brought him\n  before me.\u201d To which the constable replied, \u201cSir, I think so too.\u201d\n  This occurred eleven years after G. Fox first visited a steeple-house,\n  and, during that time, Friends had suffered very much for speaking in\n  them, yet now a magistrate declares, that speaking rationally after\n  the preacher had finished in a steeple-house, is not an offence for\n  which a man ought to be brought before him. But the ministry of\n  Friends struck at the very foundation of all hierarchical systems, and\n  the discovery of this circumstance prompted the priests to call in the\n  aid of the civil power, to suppress the promulgation of views so\n  opposed to ecclesiastical domination.\n\nFrom hence I went to BALBY, and so to DONCASTER, where I had formerly\npreached repentance on the market-day; which had made a noise and alarm\nin the country. On the First-day I went to the steeple-house, and after\nthe priest had done, I spoke to him and the people what the Lord had\ncommanded me; and they were in a great rage, hurried me out, threw me\ndown, and haled me before the magistrates. A long examination they made\nof me, and much work I had with them. They threatened my life if ever I\ncame there again; and that they would leave me to the mercy of the\npeople. Nevertheless, I declared truth amongst them, and directed them\nto the light of Christ in them; testifying unto them that \u201cGod was come\nto teach his people himself, whether they would hear or forbear.\u201d After\na while they put us out (for some Friends were with me) among the rude\nmultitude, and they stoned us down the street. An innkeeper, that was a\nbailiff, came and took us into his house; and they broke his head, that\nthe blood ran down his face, with the stones that they threw at us. We\nstayed a while in his house, and showed the more sober people the\npriest\u2019s fruits. Then we went to Balby, about a mile off, and the rude\npeople laid wait for us, and stoned us down the lane; but, blessed be\nthe Lord, we did not receive much hurt.\n\nThe next First-day I went to TICKHILL, whither the Friends of that side\ngathered together, and in the meeting a mighty brokenness by the power\nof God was amongst the people. I went out of the meeting, being moved of\nGod to go to the steeple-house; and when I came there, I found the\npriest and most of the chief of the parish together in the chancel. So I\nwent up to them, and began to speak; but they immediately fell upon me;\nand the clerk took up his Bible, as I was speaking, and struck me on the\nface with it, so that it gushed out with blood, and I bled exceedingly\nin the steeple-house. Then the people cried, \u201cLet us have him out of the\nchurch;\u201d and when they had got me out, they beat me exceedingly, and\nthrew me down, and over a hedge; and afterwards they dragged me through\na house into the street, stoning and beating me as they drew me along,\nso that I was besmeared all over with blood and dirt. They got my hat\nfrom me, which I never obtained again. Yet when I was got upon my legs\nagain, I declared to them the word of life, and showed them the fruits\nof their teacher, and how they dishonoured Christianity. After a while I\ngot into the meeting again amongst Friends; and the priest and people\ncoming by the house, I went forth with Friends into the yard, and there\nI spoke to the priest and people. The priest scoffed at us, and called\nus Quakers. But the Lord\u2019s power was so over them, and the word of life\nwas declared in such authority and dread to them, that the priest began\ntrembling himself; and one of the people said, \u201cLook how the priest\ntrembles and shakes, he is turned a Quaker also.\u201d When the meeting was\nover, Friends departed; and I went without my hat to BALBY, about seven\nor eight miles. Friends were much abused that day by the priest and his\npeople; insomuch that some moderate justices hearing of it, two or three\nof them came, and sat at the town, to hear and examine the business. And\nhe that had shed my blood was afraid of having his hand cut off, for\nstriking me in the church (as they called it;) but I forgave him, and\nwould not appear against him.\n\nIn the beginning of this year 1652 great rage got up in priests and\npeople, and in some of the magistrates of the West-Riding of Yorkshire,\nagainst the truth and Friends; insomuch that the priest of WARMSWORTH\nprocured a warrant from the justices against me and Thomas Aldam, to be\nexecuted in any part of the West-Riding of Yorkshire. At the same time I\nhad a vision of a bear and two great mastiff dogs; that I should pass by\nthem, and they should do me no hurt; and it proved so: for the constable\ntook Thomas Aldam and carried him to York. I went with Thomas Aldam\ntwenty miles towards York: and the constable had the warrant for me\nalso, and said, \u201che saw me, but he was loath to trouble men that were\nstrangers; but Thomas Aldam was his neighbour.\u201d So the Lord\u2019s power\nrestrained him, that he had not power to meddle with me. We came to\nLieutenant Roper\u2019s, where we had a great meeting of many considerable\nmen; and the truth was powerfully declared amongst them, and the\nScriptures wonderfully opened, and the parables and sayings of Christ\nwere expounded, and the state of the church in the apostles\u2019 days was\nplainly set forth, and the apostacy since from that state discovered.\nThe truth had great dominion that day, so that those great men that were\npresent did generally confess to it, saying, \u201cthey believed that this\nprinciple must go over the whole world.\u201d There were at this meeting\nJames Naylor, Thomas Goodyear,[14] and William Dewsbury, who had been\nconvinced the year before; and Richard Farnsworth also. And the\nconstable stayed with Thomas Aldam till the meeting was over, and then\nwent towards York prison; but did not meddle with me.\n\nFootnote 14:\n\n  Thomas Goodyear became a faithful minister, and suffered much\n  persecution and imprisonment. When in Oxford jail (for refusing to\n  swear), the jailer put irons on his legs, which being too small hurt\n  him, and besides other abuse, would not let him and other Friends have\n  straw to lie on. The jailer also told the other prisoners if they\n  wanted coats, they might take those of the Friends off their backs;\n  but one of the prisoners answered he would go naked first.\n\n  Thomas Goodyear was the author of \u201c_A Plain Testimony to the Ancient\n  Truth and Work of God_.\u201d He died at Selby, in 1693.\n\nFrom hence I went to WAKEFIELD; and on the First-day after, I went to a\nsteeple-house, where James Naylor had been a member of an Independent\nchurch; but upon his receiving truth, he was excommunicated. When I came\nin, and the priest had done, the people called upon me to come up to the\npriest, which I did; but when I began to declare the word of life to\nthem, and to lay open the deceit of the priest, they rushed upon me\nsuddenly, thrust me out at the other door, punching and beating me, and\ncried, \u201cLet us have him to the stocks.\u201d But the Lord\u2019s power restrained\nthem, that they were not suffered to put me in. So I passed away to the\nmeeting, where were a great many professors and friendly people\ngathered, and a great convincement there was that day; for the people\nwere mightily satisfied that they were directed to the Lord\u2019s teaching\n_in themselves_. Here we got some lodging; for four of us had lain under\na hedge the night before, there being then few Friends in that place.\n\nThe same day Richard Farnsworth went to another great steeple-house,\nbelonging to a high priest, and declared the word of truth unto the\npeople; and a great service he had amongst them; for the Lord\u2019s dread\nand power was mightily over all.\n\nThe priest of that church which James Naylor had been a member of, whose\nname was Marshall, raised many wicked slanders about me, as, \u201cthat I\ncarried bottles with me, and made people drink of them, which made them\nfollow me;\u201d and, \u201cthat I rode upon a great black horse, and was seen in\none country upon it in one hour, and at the same hour in another country\nthreescore miles off;\u201d and that I would give a fellow money to follow\nme, when I was on my black horse. With these lies he fed his people, to\nmake them think evil of the truth which I had declared amongst them. But\nby these lies he preached many of his hearers away from him; for I was\nthen travelling on foot, and had no horse at that time; which the people\ngenerally knew. The Lord soon after cut off this envious priest in his\nwickedness.\n\nAfter this I came to HIGH-TOWN, where dwelt a woman who had been\nconvinced a little before. We went to her house, and had a meeting; and\nthe people gathered together, and we declared the truth to them, and had\nsome service for the Lord amongst them; they passed away again\npeaceably. But there was a widow woman, named Green, who, being filled\nwith envy, went to one that was called a gentleman in the town, (who was\nreported to have killed two men and one woman,) and informed him against\nus, though he was no officer. The next morning we drew up some queries\nto be sent to the priest. When we had done, and were just going away,\nsome of the friendly people of the town came running up to the house\nwhere we were, and told us that this murdering man had sharpened a pike\nto stab us, and was coming up with his sword by his side. We were just\npassing away, and so missed him. But we were no sooner gone, than he\ncame to the house where we had been; and the people generally concluded\nif we had not been gone, he would have murdered some of us. That night\nwe lay in a wood, and were very wet, for it rained exceedingly. In the\nmorning I was moved to return to the town, when they gave us a full\nrelation of this wicked man.\n\nFrom hence we passed to BRADFORD, where we met with Richard Farnsworth\nagain, from whom we had parted a little before. When we came in, they\nset meat before us; but as I was going to eat, the word of the Lord came\nto me, saying, \u201cEat not the bread of such as have an evil eye.\u201d\nImmediately I arose from the table, and ate nothing. The woman of the\nhouse was a Baptist. After I had exhorted the family to turn to the Lord\nJesus Christ, and hearken to his teachings in their own hearts, we\ndeparted thence.\n\nAs we travelled through the country, preaching repentance to the people,\nwe came into a town on the market-day. There was a lecture there that\nday; and I went into the steeple-house, where were many priests,\nprofessors, and people. The priest that preached, took for his text\nthose words of Jeremiah, chap. v., ver. 31: \u201cMy people love to have it\nso,\u201d leaving out the foregoing words, viz., \u201cThe prophets prophesy\nfalsely, and the priests bear rule by their means.\u201d So I showed the\npeople his deceit, and directed them to Christ, the _true Teacher\nwithin_; declaring, \u201cthat God was come to teach his people himself, and\nto bring them off from all the world\u2019s teachers and hirelings, that they\nmight come to receive freely from him.\u201d Then warning them of the day of\nthe Lord, that was coming upon all flesh, I passed from thence without\nmuch opposition.\n\nAt night we came to a country place, where there was no public-house\nnear. The people desired us to stay all night; which we did, and had\ngood service for the Lord, declaring his truth amongst them.\n\nThe next day we passed on; for the Lord had said unto me, \u201cIf but one\nman or woman were raised up by His power, to stand and live in the same\nSpirit that the prophets and apostles were in, who gave forth the\nScriptures, that man or woman should shake all the country in their\nprofession for ten miles round.\u201d For people had the Scriptures, but not\nin that same light, and power, and Spirit, which they were in that gave\nforth the Scriptures; and so they neither knew God, nor Christ, nor the\nScriptures aright; nor had they unity one with another, being out of the\npower and Spirit of God. Therefore as we passed along we warned all\npeople, wherever we met them, of the day of the Lord that was coming\nupon them.\n\nAs we travelled we came near a very great hill, called PENDLE-HILL, and\nI was moved of the Lord to go up to the top of it; which I did with\ndifficulty, it was so very steep and high. When I was come to the top, I\nsaw the sea bordering upon Lancashire. From the top of this hill the\nLord let me see in what places he had a great people to be gathered. As\nI went down I found a spring of water in the side of the hill, with\nwhich I refreshed myself, having eaten or drunk but little for several\ndays before.[15]\n\nFootnote 15:\n\n  The spring here alluded to is called George Fox\u2019s Well to this day.\n\nAt night we came to an inn, and declared truth to the man of the house,\nand wrote a paper to the priests and professors, declaring \u201cthe day of\nthe Lord, and that Christ was come to teach people himself, by his power\nand Spirit in their hearts, and to bring people off from all the world\u2019s\nways and teachers, to his own free teaching, who had bought them, and\nwas the Saviour of all them that believed in Him.\u201d The man of the house\nspread the paper abroad, and was mightily affected with the truth. Here\nthe Lord opened unto me, and let me see a great people in white raiment\nby a river side, coming to the Lord; and the place that I saw them in\nwas about WENSLEYDALE and SEDBERGH.\n\nThe next day we travelled on, and at night got a little fern or brackens\nto put under us, and lay upon a common. Next morning we reached a town,\nwhere Richard Farnsworth parted from me; and then I travelled alone\nagain. I came up Wensleydale, and at the market-town in that Dale, there\nwas a lecture on the market-day. I went into the steeple-house; and\nafter the priest had done, I \u201cproclaimed the day of the Lord to the\npriest and people, warning them to turn from darkness to the light, and\nfrom the power of Satan unto God, that they might come to know God and\nChrist aright, and to receive his teaching, who teacheth freely.\u201d\nLargely and freely did I declare the word of life unto them, and had not\nmuch persecution there. Afterwards I passed up the Dales, warning people\nto fear God, and preaching the everlasting gospel to them.\n\nIn my way I came to a great house, where was a schoolmaster; and they\ngot me into the house. I asked them questions about their religion and\nworship; and afterwards I declared the truth to them. They had me into a\nparlour, and locked me in, pretending that I was a young man that was\nmad, and had run away from my relations: and that they would keep me\ntill they could send to them. But I soon convinced them of their\nmistake, and they let me forth, and would have had me to stay; but I was\nnot to stay there. Then having exhorted them to repentance, and directed\nthem to the light of Christ Jesus, that through it they might come unto\nhim and be saved, I passed from them, and came in the night to a little\nale-house on a common, where there was a company of rude fellows\ndrinking. Because I would not drink with them, they struck me with their\nclubs; but I reproved them, and brought them to be somewhat cooler; and\nthen I walked out of the house upon the common in the night. After some\ntime one of these drunken fellows came out, and would have come close up\nto me, pretending to whisper to me; but I perceived he had a knife; and\ntherefore I kept off him, and bid him repent, and fear God. So the Lord\nby His power preserved me from this wicked man; and he went into the\nhouse again. The next morning I went on through other Dales, warning and\nexhorting people everywhere as I passed, to repent and turn to the Lord:\nand several were convinced. At one house that I came to, the man of the\nhouse (whom I afterwards found to be a kinsman of John Blakelin\u2019s,)\nwould have given me money, but I would not receive it.\n\nAs I travelled through the Dales, I came to a man\u2019s house, whose name\nwas Tennant. I was moved to speak to the family, and declare God\u2019s\neverlasting truth to them; and as I was turning away from them, I was\nmoved to turn again, and speak to the man himself; and he was convinced,\nand his family, and lived and died in the truth. Thence I came to Major\nBousfield\u2019s, who received me, as did also several others; and some that\nwere then convinced have stood faithful ever since. I went also through\nGRISDALE, and several others of those Dales, in which some were\nconvinced. And I went into DENT, where many were convinced also. From\nMajor Bousfield\u2019s I came to Richard Robinson\u2019s, and declared the\neverlasting truth to him.\n\nThe next day I went to a meeting at Justice Benson\u2019s, where I met a\npeople that were separated from the public worship. This was the place I\nhad seen, where a people came forth in white raiment. A large meeting it\nwas, and the people were generally convinced, and continue a large\nmeeting still of Friends near Sedbergh; which was then first gathered\nthrough my ministry in the name of Jesus.\n\nIn the same week there was a great fair, at which servants used to be\nhired; and I declared the day of the Lord through the fair. After I had\ndone so, I went into the steeple-house yard, and many of the people of\nthe fair came thither to me, and abundance of priests and professors.\nThere \u201cI declared the everlasting truth of the Lord, and the word of\nlife for several hours, showing that the Lord was come to teach his\npeople himself, and to bring them off from all the world\u2019s ways and\nteachers, to Christ the true teacher, and the true way to God. I laid\nopen their teachers, showing that they were like them that were of old\ncondemned by the prophets, and by Christ, and by the apostles. I\nexhorted the people to come off from the temples made with hands; and\nwait to receive the Spirit of the Lord, that they might know themselves\nto be the temples of God.\u201d Not one of the priests had power to open his\nmouth against what I declared: but at last a captain said, \u201cWhy will you\nnot go into the church? this is not a fit place to preach in.\u201d I told\nhim, I denied their church. Then stood up one Francis Howgill, who was a\npreacher to a congregation: he had not seen me before, yet he undertook\nto answer that captain, and soon put him to silence. Then said Francis\nHowgill of me, \u201cThis man speaks with authority, and not as the scribes.\u201d\nAfter this I opened to the people, that that ground and house was no\nholier than another place; and that that house was not the church, but\nthe people, whom Christ is the head of. After a while the priests came\nup to me, and I warned them to repent. One of them said I was mad, and\nso they turned away. But many people were convinced there that day, and\nwere glad to hear the truth declared, and received it with joy. Amongst\nthese was one Captain Ward, who received the truth in the love of it,\nand lived and died in it.\n\nThe next First-day I came to FIRBANK CHAPEL, in Westmoreland, where\nFrancis Howgill, before named, and John Audland,[16] had been preaching\nin the morning. The chapel was full of people, so that many could not\nget in. Francis Howgill said, he thought I looked into the chapel, and\nhis spirit was ready to fail, the Lord\u2019s power did so surprise him; but\nI did not look in. They made haste, and had quickly done, and they and\nsome of the people went to dinner, but abundance stayed till they came\nagain. Now John Blakelin and others came to me, and desired me not to\nreprove them publicly; for they were not parish teachers, but pretty\ntender men. I could not tell them whether I should or not (though I had\nnot at that time any drawings to declare publicly against them), but I\nsaid they must leave me to the Lord\u2019s movings. While the others were\ngone to dinner, I went to a brook and got a little water; and then came\nand sat down on the top of a rock hard by the chapel. In the afternoon\nthe people gathered about me, with several of their preachers. It was\njudged there were above a thousand people; \u201camongst whom I declared\nGod\u2019s everlasting truth and word of life freely and largely, for about\nthe space of three hours, directing all to the Spirit of God _in\nthemselves_, that they might be turned from darkness to the light, and\nbelieve in it, that they might become the children of it; and might be\nturned from the power of Satan, which they had been under, unto God; and\nby the Spirit of truth might be led into all truth, and sensibly\nunderstand the words of the prophets, and of Christ, and of the\napostles; and might all come to know Christ to be their teacher, to\ninstruct them, their counsellor to direct them, their shepherd to feed\nthem, their bishop to oversee them, and their prophet to open divine\nmysteries to them; and might know their bodies to be prepared,\nsanctified, and made fit temples for God and Christ to dwell in.\u201d In the\nopenings of heavenly life, I explained unto them the prophets, and the\nfigures, and shadows, and directed them to Christ, the substance. Then I\nopened the parables and sayings of Christ, and things that had been long\nhid, showing the intent and scope of the apostles\u2019 writings, and that\ntheir epistles were written to the elect. When I had opened that state,\nI showed also the state of the apostacy since the apostles\u2019 days; that\nthe priests have got the Scriptures, but are not in that Spirit which\ngave them forth, and have put them into chapter and verse, to make a\ntrade of holy men\u2019s words; and that the teachers and priests now are\nfound in the steps of the false prophets, chief priests, scribes, and\nPharisees of old, and are such, as the true prophets, Christ, and his\napostles cried out against, and so are judged and condemned by the\nSpirit of the true prophets, and of Christ, and of his apostles; and\nthat none, who are in that Spirit, and guided by it now, can own them.\n\nFootnote 16:\n\n  Francis Howgill and John Audland were both religiously inclined, and\n  were convinced during the present year. They became eminent ministers,\n  travelling in the gospel, and suffering fines and imprisonments for\n  its sake, turning many to God. Howgill, for refusing to swear, was\n  sent to Appleby jail, the following sentence being passed against\n  him:\u2014\u201cYou are put out of the king\u2019s protection and the benefit of the\n  law: your lands are confiscated to the king during your life, and your\n  goods and chattels for ever; and you to be a prisoner during your\n  life.\u201d He praised God for the many sweet enjoyments and refreshments\n  he received on his prison bed, whereon he lay, freely forgiving all.\n  His end was in great peace, in 1668. See _Piety Promoted_, i. 64-67.\n\n  John Audland also laboured much in the gospel, for which he suffered\n  persecution and imprisonments. In his last sickness he was exceedingly\n  filled with high praises to God, being overcome with a sense of His\n  love and joy. When he grew weaker he was helped on his knees, and upon\n  his bed fervently supplicated the Lord on behalf of all His people\n  that \u201cthey might be preserved in the truth, out of the evil of the\n  world.\u201d See _Piety Promoted_, i., 41-44; and _Memoirs of F. Howgill_,\n  by James Backhouse.\n\nNow there were many old people, who went into the chapel and looked out\nat the windows, thinking it a strange thing to see a man preach on a\nhill, and not in their church, as they called it; whereupon \u201cI was moved\nto open to the people, that the steeple-house, and the ground whereon it\nstood, were no more holy than that mountain; and that those temples,\nwhich they called the dreadful houses of God, were not set up by the\ncommand of God and of Christ; nor their priests called, as Aaron\u2019s\npriesthood was; nor their tithes appointed by God, as those amongst the\nJews were; but that Christ was come, who ended both the temple and its\nworship, and the priests and their tithes; and that all should now\nhearken unto him; for he said, \u201cLearn of me;\u201d and God said of him, \u201cThis\nis my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him.\u201d I declared\nunto them that the Lord God had sent me to preach the everlasting gospel\nand word of life amongst them, and to bring them off from all these\ntemples, tithes, priests, and rudiments of the world, which had been\ninstituted since the apostles\u2019 days, and had been set up by such as had\nerred from the Spirit and power the apostles were in.\u201d Very largely was\nI opened at this meeting, and the Lord\u2019s convincing power accompanied my\nministry, and reached the hearts of the people, whereby many were\nconvinced; and all the teachers of that congregation (who were many,)\nwere convinced of God\u2019s everlasting truth.\n\nAfter the meeting was over I went to John Audland\u2019s, and from thence to\nPRESTON-PATRICK chapel, where a great meeting was appointed; to which I\nwent, and had a large opportunity amongst the people to preach the\neverlasting gospel, opening to them (as to others on the like occasion),\nthat the end of my coming into that place was, not to hold it up, no\nmore than the apostles\u2019 going into the Jewish synagogues and temple was,\nto uphold those; but to bring them off from all such things, as the\napostles brought the saints of old from off the Jewish temple and\nAaron\u2019s priesthood, that they might come to witness their bodies to be\nthe temples of God, and Christ in them to be their teacher.\n\nFrom this place I went to KENDAL, where a meeting was appointed in the\ntown-hall; in which I declared the word of life amongst the people,\nshowing them \u201chow they might come to the saving knowledge of Christ, and\nhave a right understanding of the Holy Scriptures, opening to them what\nit was that would lead them into the way of reconciliation with God, and\nwhat would be their condemnation.\u201d After the meeting I stayed a while in\nthe town; several were convinced there, and many appeared loving. One,\nwhose name was Cock, met me in the street, and would have given me a\nroll of tobacco, for people then were much given to smoking: I accepted\nhis love, but did not receive the tobacco.\n\nFrom thence I went to UNDERBARROW, to one Miles Bateman\u2019s; and several\npeople going along with me, great reasonings I had with them, especially\nwith Edward Burrough.[17] At night the priest and many professors came\nto the house, and much disputing I had with them. Supper being provided\nfor the priest and the rest of the company, I had not freedom to eat\nwith them, but told them, if they would appoint a meeting for the next\nday at the steeple-house, and acquaint the people with it, I might meet\nthem. They had a great deal of reasoning about it; some being for it,\nand some against it. In the morning I went out, after I had spoken again\nto them concerning the meeting; and as I walked upon a bank by the\nhouse, there were several poor people, travellers, asking relief, who I\nsaw were in necessity; and they gave them nothing, but said they were\ncheats. It grieved me to see such hard-heartedness amongst professors;\nso, when they were gone in to their breakfast, I ran after the poor\npeople about a quarter of a mile, and gave them some money. Meanwhile\nsome of them that were in the house, coming out again, and seeing me a\nquarter of a mile off, said I could not have gone so far in such an\ninstant, if I had not had wings. Hereupon the meeting was like to have\nbeen put by; for they were filled with such strange thoughts concerning\nme, that many of them were against having a meeting with me. I told them\nI ran after those poor people to give them some money, being grieved at\ntheir hard-heartedness, who gave them nothing. Then came Miles and\nStephen Hubbersty, who being more simple-hearted men, would have the\nmeeting held. So to the chapel I went, and the priest came. A great\nmeeting there was, and the way of life and salvation was opened; and\nafter a while the priest fled away. Many of Crook and Underbarrow were\nconvinced that day, received the word of life, and stood fast in it\nunder the teaching of Christ Jesus. After I had declared the truth to\nthem for some hours, and the meeting was ended, the chief-constable, and\nsome other professors fell to reasoning with me in the chapel-yard;\nwhereupon I took a Bible, and opened to them the Scriptures, and dealt\ntenderly with them, as one would do with a child. They that were in the\nlight of Christ, and Spirit of God, knew when I spoke Scripture, though\nI did not mention chapter and verse, after the priest\u2019s form unto them.\n\nFootnote 17:\n\n  Edward Burrough was a religious and promising young man, had left the\n  Episcopal church, for which he had been educated as a minister, and\n  joined the Presbyterians, with whom he was a preacher of great\n  account. After several discussions with George Fox, he became fully\n  convinced, and joined Friends, to the great displeasure of his parents\n  and relatives. He became a most active and zealous gospel labourer,\n  being both a great writer and a powerful and awakening preacher. In\n  1662, he was taken from a meeting in London, and for \u201ctestifying to\n  the name of the Lord Jesus,\u201d was committed to prison, where he lay\n  with above 100 of his friends imprisoned on the same account, being\n  shut up among felons in nasty places, so that, for want of room, many\n  of them sickened and died. Amongst these was Edward Burrough, whose\n  sickness increased daily. He was heard often in prayer, day and night,\n  not forgetting to intercede for his persecutors. The morning before he\n  died, he said, \u201cNow my soul and spirit is entered into its own being\n  with God, and this form of person must return from whence it was\n  taken.\u201d His works were collected and printed in 1672, and parts of\n  them have recently been re-published.\n\nFrom hence I went along with an aged man, whose heart the Lord had\nopened, and he invited me to his house; his name was James Dickinson; he\nwas convinced that day, received the truth, and lived and died in it.\n\nI came the next day to James Taylor\u2019s, of NEWTON in CARTMEL, in\nLANCASHIRE. And on the First-day of the week I went to the chapel, where\none priest Camelford used to preach; and after he had done I began to\nspeak the word of life to the people. But this priest was in such a\nrage, and was so peevish, that he had no patience to hear; but stirred\nup the rude multitude, who haled me out, struck and punched me, and\nthrew me headlong over a stone wall; yet, blessed be the Lord, his power\npreserved me. He that did this violence to me was a wicked man, one John\nKnipe, whom afterwards the Lord cut off. There was a youth in the\nchapel, writing after the priest; I was moved to speak to him, and he\ncame to be convinced, and received a part of the ministry of the gospel;\nhis name was John Braithwaite.\n\nThen I went up to an ale-house, to which many people resorted between\nthe time of their morning and afternoon preaching. I had much reasoning\nwith the people there, declaring to them, that \u201cGod was come to teach\nhis people Himself, and to bring them off from all false teachers, such\nas the prophets, Christ, and the apostles cried against.\u201d Many received\nthe word of life at that time, and abode in it.\n\nIn the afternoon I went about two or three miles to another\nsteeple-house or chapel, called LYNDAL. When the priest had done, I\nspoke to him and the people what the Lord commanded me; and there were\ngreat opposers; but afterwards they came to be convinced. After this I\nwent to one Captain Sands, who with his wife seemed somewhat affected\nwith truth; and if they could have held the world and truth together\nthey would have received it; but they were hypocrites, and he a very\nchaffy light man. Wherefore I reproved him for his lightness, and for\nhis jesting, telling him it was not seemly in a great professor, as he\nwas. He told me he had a son, who upon his death-bed had also reproved\nhim for it, and warned him of it. But he neither regarded the admonition\nof his dying son, nor the reproofs of God\u2019s Spirit in himself.\n\nFrom hence I went to ULVERSTONE, and so to SWARTHMORE to Judge Fell\u2019s;\nwhither came up one Lampitt, a priest, who was a high notionist. With\nhim I had much reasoning; for he talked of high notions and perfection,\nand thereby deceived the people. He would have owned me, but I could not\nown nor join with him, he was so full of filth. He said, he was above\nJohn; and made as though he knew all things. But I told him, \u201cDeath\nreigned from Adam to Moses, that he was under death, and knew not Moses,\nfor Moses saw the paradise of God; but he knew neither Moses nor the\nprophets, nor John.\u201d For that crooked and rough nature stood in him, and\nthe mountain of sin and corruption; and the way was not prepared in him\nfor the Lord. He confessed he had been under a cross in things; but now\nhe could sing psalms, and do anything: I told him, \u201cnow he could see a\nthief, and join hand in hand with him, but he could not preach Moses,\nnor the prophets, nor John, nor Christ, except he were in the same\nspirit that they were in.\u201d Margaret Fell had been absent in the\nday-time; and at night her children told her, that priest Lampitt and I\nhad disagreed; which somewhat troubled her, because she was in\nprofession with him; but he hid his dirty actions from them. At night we\nhad much reasoning, and I declared the truth to her and her family.\n\nThe next day Lampitt came again, and I had much discourse with him\nbefore Margaret Fell, who then clearly discerned the priest. A\nconvincement of the Lord\u2019s truth came upon her and her family. Soon\nafter a day was to be observed for a humiliation, and Margaret Fell\nasked me to go with her to the steeple-house at Ulverstone, for she was\nnot wholly come off from them; I replied, \u201cI must do as I am ordered by\nthe Lord.\u201d So I left her, and walked into the fields; and the word of\nthe Lord came to me, saying, \u201cGo to the steeple-house after them.\u201d When\nI came, Lampitt was singing with his people; but his spirit was so foul,\nand the matter they sung so unsuitable to their states, that after they\nhad done singing, I was moved of the Lord to speak to him and the\npeople. The word of the Lord to them was, \u201cHe is not a Jew that is one\noutwardly, but he is a Jew that is one inwardly, whose praise is not of\nman, but of God.\u201d Then, as the Lord opened further, I showed them, \u201cthat\nGod was come to teach His people by His Spirit, and to bring them off\nfrom all their old ways, religions, churches, and worships; for all\ntheir religions, worships, and ways, were but talking with other men\u2019s\nwords; but they were out of the life and Spirit which they were in who\ngave them forth.\u201d Then cried out one, called Justice Sawrey, \u201cTake him\naway;\u201d but Judge Fell\u2019s wife said to the officers, \u201cLet him alone, why\nmay not he speak as well as any other?\u201d Lampitt also, the priest, in\ndeceit said, \u201cLet him speak.\u201d So at length, when I had declared some\ntime, Justice Sawrey caused the constable to put me out; and then I\nspoke to the people in the grave-yard.\n\nThe First-day after, I was moved to go to ALDINGHAM steeple-house; and\nwhen the priest had done, I spoke to him; but he got away. Then I\ndeclared the word of life to the people, and warned them to turn to the\nLord.\n\nFrom thence I passed to RAMPSIDE, where was a chapel, in which Thomas\nLawson used to preach, who was an eminent priest. He very lovingly\nacquainted his people in the morning of my coming in the afternoon; by\nwhich means very many people were gathered together. When I came, I saw\nthere was no place so convenient as the chapel; so I went into it, and\nall was quiet. Thomas Lawson went not up into his pulpit, but left all\nthe time to me. The everlasting day of the eternal God was proclaimed\nthat day, and the everlasting truth was largely declared, which reached\nand entered into the hearts of people, and many received the truth in\nthe love of it. This priest came to be convinced, left his chapel, threw\noff his preaching for hire, and came to preach the Lord Jesus and his\nkingdom freely. After that some rude people cast scandals upon him, and\nthought to have done him a mischief; but he was preserved over all, grew\nin the wisdom of God mightily, and proved very serviceable in his place.\n\nI returned to Swarthmore again, and on the next First-day went to DALTON\nsteeple-house; where, after the priest had done, I declared the word of\nlife to the people, that they might be turned from darkness to light,\nand from the power of Satan to God, and might come off from their\nsuperstitious ways, and from their teachers made by man, to Christ, the\ntrue and living way, to be taught of him.\n\nFrom thence I went into the island of WALNEY; and after the priest had\ndone, I spoke to him, but he got away. Then I declared the truth to the\npeople, but they were rude. I went to speak with the priest at his\nhouse, but he would not be seen. The people said he went to hide himself\nin the haymow; and they went to look for him there, but could not find\nhim. Then they said he was gone to hide himself in the standing corn,\nbut they could not find him there either. So I went to James\nLancaster\u2019s, who was convinced in the island; and thence I returned to\nSWARTHMORE, where the Lord\u2019s power came upon Margaret Fell and her\ndaughter Sarah, and several others.\n\nThen I went to BAYCLIFF, where Leonard Fell was convinced, and became a\nminister of the everlasting gospel. Several others were convinced there,\nand came into obedience to the truth. Here the people said, they could\nnot dispute, and would fain have put some other to converse with me; but\nI bid them \u201cfear the Lord, and not in a light way talk of the Lord\u2019s\nwords, but put the things in practice.\u201d I directed them to the divine\nlight of Christ and his Spirit in their hearts, which would discover to\nthem all the evil thoughts, words and actions, they had thought, spoken,\nand acted; by which light they might see their sin, and also their\nSaviour, Christ Jesus, to save them from their sins. This, I told them,\n\u201cwas their first step to peace, even to stand still in the light that\nshowed them their sins and transgressions; by which they might come to\nsee how they were in the fall of old Adam, in darkness and death,\nstrangers to the covenant of promise, and without God in the world; and\nby the same light they might see Christ, that died for them, to be their\nRedeemer and Saviour, and their way to God.\u201d\n\nAfter this I went to a chapel beyond GLEASTON, which was built, but no\npriest had ever preached in it. Thither the country people came, and a\nquiet, peaceable meeting it was, in which the word of life was declared,\nand many were convinced of the truth about Gleaston.\n\nFrom thence I returned to SWARTHMORE. After I had stayed a few days, and\nmost of the family were convinced, I went again into Westmorland, where\npriest Lampitt had been amongst the professors on Kendal side, and had\nmightily incensed them against me; telling them I held many strange\nthings; I met with those he had so incensed, and sat up all night with\nthem at James Dickinson\u2019s, and answered all their objections. They were\nboth thoroughly satisfied with the truth that I had declared, and\ndissatisfied with him and his lies, so that he clearly lost the best of\nhis hearers and followers, who thus came to see his deceit, and forsook\nhim.\n\nI passed on to John Audland\u2019s and Gervase Benson\u2019s, and had great\nmeetings amongst those people that had been convinced before; then to\nJohn Blakelin\u2019s[18] and Richard Robinson\u2019s, and had mighty meetings\nthere; and so up towards GRISDALE.\n\nFootnote 18:\n\n  John Blakelin, mentioned elsewhere in this Journal, became a faithful\n  minister of the gospel, travelling much on truth\u2019s account, for which\n  he also suffered imprisonments, and great loss of goods. He died\n  without sigh or groan, in 1705, aged about 80. He expressed, in his\n  old age, \u201cthe comfort he had in the Lord\u2019s peace and presence with\n  him, that his day\u2019s work was nigh done, and his reward and rest with\n  God sure.\u201d See _Piety Promoted_, ii., 42-46.\n\nSoon after, Judge Fell being come home, Margaret Fell his wife sent to\nme, desiring me to return thither; and, feeling freedom from the Lord so\nto do, I went back to SWARTHMORE. I found the priests and professors,\nand that envious Justice Sawrey, had much incensed Judge Fell and\nCaptain Sands against the truth by their lies; but when I came to speak\nwith him, I answered all his objections; and so thoroughly satisfied him\nby the Scriptures, that he was convinced in his judgment. He asked me if\nI was that George Fox, whom Justice Robinson spoke so much in\ncommendation of amongst many of the parliament men. I told him, I had\nbeen with Justice Robinson, and with Justice Hotham in Yorkshire, who\nwere very civil and loving to me, and that they were convinced in their\njudgment by the Spirit of God, that the principle which I bore testimony\nto, was the truth, and they saw over and beyond the priests of the\nnation; so that they, and many others, were now come to be wiser than\ntheir teachers. After we had discoursed some time together, Judge Fell\nhimself was satisfied also, and came to see, by the openings of the\nSpirit of God in his heart, over all the priests and teachers of the\nworld, and did not go to hear them for some years before he died; for he\nknew it was the truth that I declared, and that Christ was the teacher\nof his people, and their Saviour. He sometimes wished that I were a\nwhile with Judge Bradshaw to discourse with him. There came to Judge\nFell\u2019s, Captain Sands before-mentioned, endeavouring to incense the\njudge against me; for he was an evil-minded man, and full of envy\nagainst me; and yet he could speak high things, and use the Scripture\nwords, and say, \u201cBehold, I make all things new.\u201d But I told him, then he\nmust have a new God, for his God was his belly. Besides him, came also\nthat envious justice, John Sawrey. I told him \u201chis heart was rotten, and\nhe was full of hypocrisy to the brim.\u201d Several other people also came,\nwhose states the Lord gave me a discerning of; and I spoke to their\nconditions. While I was in those parts, Richard Farnsworth and James\nNaylor came to see me and the family; and Judge Fell, being satisfied\nthat it was the way of truth, notwithstanding all their opposition,\nsuffered the meeting to be kept at his house; and a great meeting was\nsettled there in the Lord\u2019s power, which continued near forty years,\nuntil the year 1690, that a new meeting-house was erected near it.\n\nAfter I had stayed a while, and the meeting there was well settled, I\nwent to UNDERBARROW, where I had a great meeting. From thence to KELLET,\nand had a great meeting at Robert Widders\u2019s, to which several came from\nLancaster, and some from York; and many were convinced there. On the\nmarket-day I went to LANCASTER, and spoke through the market in the\ndreadful power of God, declaring the day of the Lord to the people, and\ncrying out against all their deceitful merchandise. I preached\nrighteousness and truth unto them, which they should all follow after,\nand walk and live in; directing them how and where they might find and\nreceive the Spirit of God to guide them thereinto. After I had cleared\nmyself in the market, I went to my lodging, whither several people came,\nand many were convinced, who have stood faithful to the truth.\n\nOn the First-day following, in the forenoon, I had a great meeting in\nthe street at Lancaster, amongst the soldiers and people, unto whom I\ndeclared the word of life, and the everlasting truth. I opened unto\nthem, \u201cthat all the traditions they had lived in, and all their worships\nand religions, and the profession they made of the Scriptures, were good\nfor nothing, while they lived out of the life and power which they were\nin who gave forth the Scriptures. I directed them to the light of\nChrist, the heavenly Man, and to the Spirit of God in their own hearts,\nthat they might come to be acquainted with God and with Christ, receive\nhim for their teacher, and know his kingdom set up in them.\u201d\n\nIn the afternoon I went to the steeple-house at Lancaster, and declared\nthe truth both to the priest and people; laying open before them the\ndeceits they lived in, and directing them to the power and Spirit of\nGod, which they wanted. But they haled me out, and stoned me along the\nstreet, till I came to John Lawson\u2019s house.\n\nAnother First-day I went to a steeple-house by the water side, where one\nWhitehead was priest, to whom, and to the people, I declared the truth\nin the dreadful power of God. There came to me a doctor, who was so full\nof envy, that he said he could find in his heart to run me through with\nhis rapier, though he should be hung for it the next day; yet this man\ncame afterwards to be convinced of the truth, so far as to be loving to\nFriends. Some people were convinced thereabouts, who willingly sat down\nunder the ministry of Christ their teacher: and a meeting was settled\nthere in the power of God, which has continued to this day.\n\nAfter this I returned into Westmorland, and spoke through KENDAL, on a\nmarket-day. So dreadful was the power of God upon me, that people flew\nlike chaff before me into their houses. I warned them of the mighty day\nof the Lord, and exhorted them to hearken to the voice of God in their\nown hearts, who was now come to teach his people Himself. When some\nopposed, many others took my part, insomuch that at last some of the\npeople fell to fighting about me; but I went and spoke to them, and they\nparted again. Several were convinced.\n\nOn the First-day after, I had a very large meeting in UNDERBARROW, at\nMiles Bateman\u2019s house, where I was moved to declare, \u201cthat all people in\nthe fall were gone from the image of God, righteousness, and holiness,\nand were become as wells without the water of life, as clouds without\nthe heavenly rain, as trees without the heavenly fruit, and were\ndegenerated into the nature of beasts, and of serpents, and of tall\ncedars, and of oaks, and of bulls, and of heifers: so that they might\nread the natures of these creatures within, as the prophet described\nthem to the people of old that were out of truth. I opened to them how\nsome were in the nature of dogs and swine, biting and rending; some in\nthe nature of briars, thistles, and thorns; some like the owls and\ndragons in the night; some like wild asses and horses, snuffing up the\nwind; and some like mountains and rocks, and crooked and rough ways.\nWherefore I exhorted them to read these things within, in their own\nnatures, as well as without; and that, when they read without of the\nwandering stars, they should look within, and see how they wandered from\nthe bright and morning star. And they should consider, that as the\nfallow ground in their fields must be ploughed up, before it would bear\nseed to them, so must the fallow ground of their hearts be ploughed up,\nbefore they could bear seed to God. Now all these names and things I\nshowed them, were spoken of, and to man and woman, since they fell from\nthe image of God; but as they come to be renewed again into the image of\nGod, they come out of the natures of these things, and so out of the\nnames thereof.\u201d Many more such things were declared to them, and they\nwere turned to the light of Christ, by which they might come to know\nChrist, to receive him, and to witness him to be their substance and\ntheir way, their salvation and true teacher. Many were convinced at that\ntime.\n\nAfter I had travelled up and down in those countries, and had had great\nmeetings, I came to SWARTHMORE again. And when I had visited Friends in\nthose parts, I heard of a great meeting the priests were to have at\nULVERSTONE, on a lecture-day. I went to it, and into the steeple-house\nin the dread and power of the Lord. When the priest had done, I spoke\namong them the word of the Lord, which was as a hammer, and as a fire\namongst them. And though Lampitt, the priest of the place, had been at\nvariance with most of the priests before, yet against the truth they all\njoined together. But the mighty power of the Lord was over all; and so\nwonderful was the appearance thereof, that priest Bennett said \u201cthe\nchurch shook,\u201d insomuch that he was afraid and trembled. And when he had\nspoken a few confused words, he hastened out, for fear it should fall on\nhis head. Many priests got together there; but they had no power as yet\nto persecute.\n\nWhen I had cleared my conscience towards them, I went up to SWARTHMORE\nagain, whither came four or five of the priests. Coming to discourse, I\nasked them, \u201cwhether any one of them could say he ever had the word of\nthe Lord to go and speak to such or such a people?\u201d None of them durst\nsay he had; but one of them burst out into a passion, and said, \u201che\ncould speak his experiences as well as I.\u201d I told him experience was one\nthing; but to receive and go with a message, and to have a word from the\nLord, as the prophets and apostles had and did, and as I had done to\nthem, this was another thing. And therefore I put it to them again,\n\u201ccould any of them say he had ever had a command or word from the Lord\nimmediately at any time?\u201d but none of them could say so. Then I told\nthem, the false prophets, the false apostles, and antichrists, could use\nthe words of the true prophets, the true apostles, and of Christ, and\nwould speak of other men\u2019s experiences, though they themselves never\nknew or heard the voice of God or Christ; and such as they might obtain\nthe good words and experiences of others; this puzzled them much, and\nlaid them open. At another time, when I was discoursing with several\npriests at Judge Fell\u2019s house, and he was by, I asked them the same\nquestion, \u201cwhether any of them ever heard the voice of God or Christ, to\nbid him go to such and such a people, to declare his word or message\nunto them?\u201d for any one, I told them, that could but read, might declare\nthe experiences of the prophets and apostles, which were recorded in the\nScriptures. Hereupon Thomas Taylor,[19] an ancient priest, did\ningenuously confess before Judge Fell, \u201cthat he had never heard the\nvoice of God, nor of Christ, to send him to any people, but he spoke his\nexperiences, and the experiences of the saints in former ages, and that\nhe preached.\u201d This very much confirmed Judge Fell in the persuasion he\nhad, \u201cthat the priests were wrong;\u201d for he had thought formerly, as the\ngenerality of people then did, \u201cthat they were sent from God.\u201d\n\nFootnote 19:\n\n  Thomas Taylor, born in 1616, was educated at Oxford University, and\n  became a preacher among the Puritans, at or near Skipton, and also at\n  Richmond. He discontinued preaching for hire, and joined Friends,\n  becoming a valiant minister of Christ. He also wrote much in support\n  of the truth. He suffered many imprisonments, but the Lord was with\n  him, and upheld him by his mighty power, in the hardships and\n  opposition he met with for truth\u2019s sake. He died in peace at Stafford,\n  in 1681.\n\nThomas Taylor was convinced at this time, and travelled with me into\nWestmorland. Coining to CROSSLAND steeple-house, we found the people\ngathered together; and the Lord opened Thomas Taylor\u2019s mouth (though he\nwas convinced but a day before), so that he declared amongst them, \u201chow\nhe had been before he was convinced;\u201d and like the good scribe that was\nconverted to the kingdom, he brought forth things new and old to the\npeople, and showed them how \u201cthe priests were out of the way;\u201d which\ntormented the priest. Some little discourse I had with them, but they\nfled away; and a precious meeting there was, wherein the Lord\u2019s power\nwas over all; and the people were directed to the Spirit of God, by\nwhich they might come to know God and Christ, and to understand the\nScriptures aright. After this I passed on, visiting Friends, and had\nvery large meetings in Westmorland.\n\nNow began the priests to rage more and more, and as much as they could,\nto stir up persecution. James Naylor and Francis Howgill were cast into\nprison in Appleby jail, at the instigation of the malicious priests;\nsome of whom prophesied \u201cthat within a month we should be all scattered\nagain, and come to nothing.\u201d But, blessed for ever be the worthy name of\nthe Lord, the work of the Lord went on and prospered. For about this\ntime John Audland, Francis Howgill, John Camm,[20] Edward Burrough,\nRichard Hubberthorn,[21] Miles Hubbersty, and Miles Halhead,[22] with\nseveral others, being endued with power from on high, came forth in the\nwork of the ministry, and approved themselves faithful labourers\ntherein, travelling up and down, and preaching the gospel freely; by\nmeans whereof multitudes were convinced, and many effectually turned to\nthe Lord. Amongst these, Christopher Taylor[23] was one, brother to\nThomas Taylor before-mentioned; and who had been a preacher to a people\nas well as his brother; but after they had received a knowledge of the\ntruth, they soon came into obedience thereunto, and left their preaching\nfor hire or rewards. And having received a part of the ministry of the\ngospel, they preached Christ freely; being often sent by the Lord to\ndeclare his word in steeple-houses and in markets; and great sufferers\nthey were.\n\nFootnote 20:\n\n  John Camm, after joining Friends, became an eminent minister,\n  travelling in the service of truth. He was a man of weak constitution,\n  but richly furnished with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, clear in\n  judgment, and a sharp reprover of wickedness. His ministry was deep\n  and weighty. Having an estate of his own, he suffered the spoiling of\n  his goods joyfully. He often called his children together, and\n  exhorted them to fear the Lord, and would wonderfully praise God for\n  his goodness, counting his bodily weakness a happiness, saying, \u201cHow\n  great a benefit do I enjoy beyond many, I have such a large time of\n  preparation for death, being daily dying, that I may live for ever\n  with my God, in that kingdom that is unspeakably full of glory. My\n  outward man daily wastes and moulders down, and draws towards its\n  place and centre; but my inward man revives and mounts upwards,\n  towards its place and habitation in the heavens.\u201d See _Piety\n  Promoted_, i., 3-6.\n\nFootnote 21:\n\n  Richard Hubberthorn, who is frequently mentioned in this _Journal_,\n  and whose name often occurs in the early part of the history of\n  Friends, became an able gospel minister, and patient sufferer for the\n  truth. He was a native of Lancashire, the only son of a yeoman of good\n  repute. In his youth he obtained a post in the Parliamentary army,\n  which, on his embracing the truth, he quitted, and testified publicly\n  against it; becoming a valiant soldier under the banner of the Prince\n  of peace. After passing through many inward probations, he became\n  qualified to direct others in their way to the kingdom of heaven, and\n  was one of the first of our Society who travelled in the work of the\n  ministry.\n\n  Richard Hubberthorn was a man of much meekness, humility, patience,\n  and brotherly kindness, clear in judgment, and quick of understanding;\n  and, although he was of low stature, and had an infirm constitution\n  and weak voice, he was a powerful and successful minister, and great\n  numbers were convinced by him, and brought over to the faith and\n  practice which he preached. He travelled in the exercise of his gift\n  nine years, and shared at different times in the sufferings to which\n  the early Friends were exposed. In 1662, he was violently haled from a\n  meeting in London, and taken before that implacable persecutor,\n  Alderman Brown, who, after abusing him with his own hands, committed\n  him to Newgate. Here the throng was so great, and the air so impure,\n  that he soon fell sick. His disorder increased upon him, and, within\n  two months from the time of his commitment, with an unclouded prospect\n  of a resting place \u201cwhere the wicked cease from troubling,\u201d he was\n  released by death. He wrote many treatises, which were collected and\n  published in 1 vol. quarto, in 1663.\n\nFootnote 22:\n\n  This is the only mention of Miles Halhead in this Journal. His name\n  occurs frequently in Sewell\u2019s _History_, from which it appears he\n  travelled largely and suffered much on Truth\u2019s account, being the\n  first of the Quakers imprisoned at Kendal.\n\nFootnote 23:\n\n  Christopher Taylor, after writing and preaching much on Truth\u2019s\n  account, removed to America about the year 1683, and died at\n  Philadelphia in 1686. See account of him in Whiting\u2019s _Memoirs_, pp.\n  352-55.\n\nAfter I had visited Friends in WESTMORLAND, I returned into LANCASHIRE,\nand went to ULVERSTONE, where W. Lampitt was priest; who, though he had\npreached of a people that should own the teachings of God, and had said,\n\u201cthat men and women should come to declare the gospel;\u201d yet afterwards,\nwhen it came to be fulfilled, he persecuted both it and them. To this\npriest\u2019s house I went, where abundance of priests and professors were\ngot together after their lecture, with whom I had great disputings\nconcerning Christ and the Scriptures; for they were loath to let their\ntrade go down, which they made of preaching Christ\u2019s, and the apostles\u2019\nand prophets\u2019 words. But the Lord\u2019s power went over the heads of them\nall, and his word of life was held forth amongst them; though many of\nthem were exceedingly envious and devilish. Yet after this many priests\nand professors came to me from far and near; of whom, they that were\ninnocent and simple-minded were satisfied, and went away refreshed; but\nthe fat and full were fed with judgment, and sent empty away: for that\nwas the word of the Lord to be divided to them.\n\nNow when meetings were set up, and we met in private houses, Lampitt the\npriest began to rage; and he said, \u201cwe forsook the temple, and went to\nJeroboam\u2019s calves\u2019 houses;\u201d so that many professors began to see how he\nhad declined from that which he had formerly held and preached. Hereupon\nthe case of Jeroboam\u2019s calves was opened to the professors, priests, and\npeople; and it was manifested unto them, \u201cthat their houses (which they\ncalled churches) were more like Jeroboam\u2019s calves\u2019 houses, even the old\nmass-houses which were set up in the darkness of Popery; and which they,\nwho called themselves Protestants, and professed to be more enlightened\nthan the Papists, did still hold up; although God had never commanded\nthem: whereas that temple, which God had commanded at Jerusalem, Christ\ncame to end the service of; and they that received and believed in him,\ntheir bodies came to be the temples of God, and of Christ, and of the\nHoly Ghost, to dwell in them, and to walk in them. And all such were\ngathered into the name of Jesus, whose name is above every name, and\nthere is no salvation by any other name under the whole heaven, but by\nthe name of Jesus. And they that were thus gathered met together in\nseveral dwelling-houses, which were not called the temple, nor the\nchurch; but their bodies were the temples of God, and the believers were\nthe church, which Christ was the head of. So that Christ was not called\nthe head of an old house, which was made by men\u2019s hands, neither did he\ncome to purchase and sanctify, and redeem with his blood, an old house,\nwhich they called their church, but the people of whom he is the head.\u201d\nMuch work I had in those days with priests and people, concerning their\nold mass-houses, which they called their churches; for the priests had\npersuaded the people that it was the house of God; whereas the apostle\nsays, \u201cwhose house we are,\u201d &c., Heb. iii. 6. So the people are God\u2019s\nhouse, in whom he dwells. And the apostle saith, \u201cChrist purchased his\nchurch with his own blood;\u201d and Christ calls his church his spouse, his\nbride, and the Lamb\u2019s wife; so that this title, church and spouse, was\nnot given to an old house, but to his people, the true believers.\n\nAfter this, on a lecture-day, I was moved to go to the steeple-house at\nULVERSTONE, where were abundance of professors, priests, and people. I\nwent up near to priest Lampitt, who was blustering on in his preaching;\nand after the Lord had opened my mouth to speak, John Sawrey the justice\ncame to me and said, \u201cif I would speak according to the Scriptures, I\nshould speak.\u201d I wondered at his speaking so to me, for I did speak\naccording to the Scriptures, and I told him, \u201cI should speak according\nto the Scriptures, and bring the Scriptures to prove what I had to say;\nfor I had something to speak to Lampitt and to them.\u201d Then he said, I\nshould not speak, contradicting himself who had said just before, \u201cI\nshould speak, if I would speak according to the Scriptures.\u201d The people\nwere quiet, and heard me gladly, until this Justice Sawrey (who was the\nfirst stirrer up of cruel persecution in the North) incensed them\nagainst me, and set them on to hale, beat, and bruise me. Suddenly the\npeople were in a rage, and fell upon me in the steeple-house before his\nface; knocked me down, kicked me, and trampled upon me; and so great was\nthe uproar, that some tumbled over their seats for fear. At last he came\nand took me from the people, led me out of the steeple-house, and put me\ninto the hands of the constables and other officers, bidding them whip\nme and put me out of the town. They led me about a quarter of a mile,\nsome taking hold of my collar, and some by my arms and shoulders, and\nshook and dragged me along. Many friendly people being come to the\nmarket, and some of them to the steeple house to hear me, divers of\nthese they knocked down also, and broke their heads, so that the blood\nran down from several of them; and Judge Fell\u2019s son running after, to\nsee what they would do with me, they threw him into a ditch of water,\nsome of them crying, \u201cknock the teeth out of his head.\u201d\n\nNow when they had haled me to the common moss-side, a multitude of\npeople following, the constables and other officers gave me some blows\nover my back with their willow-rods, and so thrust me among the rude\nmultitude, who, having furnished themselves, some with staves, some with\nhedge-stakes, and others with holm or holly-bushes, fell upon me, and\nbeat me on my head, arms, and shoulders, till they had deprived me of\nsense; so that I fell down upon the wet common. When I recovered again,\nand saw myself lying in a watery common, and the people standing about\nme, I lay still a little while; and the power of the Lord sprang through\nme, and the Eternal Refreshings refreshed me, so that I stood up again\nin the strengthening power of the Eternal God; and stretching out my\narms amongst them, I said with a loud voice, \u201cStrike again; here are my\narms, my head, and my cheeks.\u201d There was in the company a mason, a\nprofessor, but a rude fellow; he with his walking rule-staff gave me a\nblow with all his might, just over the back of my hand, as it was\nstretched out; with which blow my hand was so bruised, and my arm so\nbenumbed, that I could not draw it unto me again; so that some of the\npeople cried out, \u201che hath spoiled his hand for ever having the use of\nit any more.\u201d But I looked at it in the love of God (for I was in the\nlove of God to them all, that had persecuted me), and after a while the\nLord\u2019s power sprang through me again, and through my hand and arm, so\nthat in a moment I recovered strength in my hand and arm, in the sight\nof them all. Then they began to fall out among themselves, and some of\nthem came to me, and said, if I would give them money, they would secure\nme from the rest. But I was moved of the Lord to declare to them the\nword of life, and showed them their false Christianity, and the fruits\nof their priest\u2019s ministry; telling them they were more like heathens\nand Jews, than true Christians.\n\nThen was I moved of the Lord to come up again through the midst of the\npeople, and go into ULVERSTONE market. As I went, there met me a\nsoldier, with his sword by his side; \u201cSir,\u201d said he to me, \u201cI see you\nare a man, and I am ashamed and grieved that you should be thus abused;\u201d\nand he offered to assist me in what he could. But I told him the Lord\u2019s\npower was over all; so I walked through the people in the market, and\nnone of them had power to touch me then. But some of the market-people\nabusing some Friends in the market, I turned me about and saw this\nsoldier among them with his naked rapier, whereupon I ran in amongst\nthem, and catching hold of his hand that his rapier was in, I bid him\nput up his sword again, if he would go along with me; for I was willing\nto draw him out from the company, lest some mischief should be done. A\nfew days after seven men fell upon this soldier, and beat him cruelly,\nbecause he had taken part with Friends and me; for it was the manner of\nthe persecutors of that country, for twenty or forty people to run upon\none man. And they fell so upon Friends in many places, that they could\nhardly pass the highways, stoning, beating, and breaking their heads.\nWhen I came to SWARTHMORE, I found the friends there dressing the heads\nand hands of Friends and friendly people, which had been broken or hurt\nthat day by the professors and hearers of Lampitt, the priest. My body\nand arms were yellow, black, and blue, with the blows and bruises I\nreceived amongst them that day. Now began the priests to prophesy again,\nthat within half a year we should be all put down and gone.[24]\n\nFootnote 24:\n\n  The priests reckoned wrong in this, for, as Sewell justly observed, it\n  fared with the early Friends as with trees, which grow best when most\n  lopped. \u201cDuris ut ilex tonsa bipennibus, per damna, per c\u00e6des, ab\n  ipso, ducit opes animumque ferre.\u201d\n\n           \u201cAs by the lopping axe, the sturdy oak\n           Improves her shade, and thrives beneath the stroke:\n           Tho\u2019 present loss and wounds severe she feel,\n           She draws fresh vigour from the invading steel.\u201d\n\nAbout two weeks after this I went into WALNEY island, and James Naylor\nwent with me. We stayed one night at a little town on this side, called\nCOCKAN, and had a meeting there, where one was convinced. After a while\nthere came a man with a pistol, whereupon the people ran out of doors.\nHe called for me; and when I came out to him, he snapped his pistol at\nme, but it would not go off. This caused the people to make a great\nbustle about him; and some of them took hold of him, to prevent his\ndoing mischief; but I was moved in the Lord\u2019s power to speak to him; and\nhe was so struck by the power of the Lord, that he trembled for fear,\nand went and hid himself. Thus the Lord\u2019s power came over them all,\nthough there was a great rage in the country.\n\nNext morning I went over in a boat to James Lancaster\u2019s. As soon as I\ncame to land, there rushed out about forty men with staves, clubs, and\nfishing poles, who fell upon me, beating and punching me, and\nendeavouring to thrust me backward into the sea. When they had thrust me\nalmost into the sea, and I saw they would have knocked me down in it, I\nwent up into the midst of them; but they laid at me again, and knocked\nme down, and stunned me. When I came to myself, I looked up and saw\nJames Lancaster\u2019s wife throwing stones at my face, and her husband,\nJames Lancaster, was lying over me, to keep the blows and the stones off\nme. For the people had persuaded James Lancaster\u2019s wife that I had\nbewitched her husband; and had promised her, that if she would let them\nknow when I came hither, they would be my death. And having got\nknowledge of my coming, many of the town rose up in this manner with\nclubs and staves to kill me; but the Lord\u2019s power preserved me, that\nthey could not take away my life. At length I got up on my feet, but\nthey beat me down again into the boat; which James Lancaster observing,\nhe presently came into it, and set me over the water from them; but\nwhile we were on the water within their reach, they struck at us with\nlong poles and threw stones after us. By the time we were come to the\nother side, we saw them beating James Naylor; for whilst they had been\nbeating me, he walked up into a field, and they never minded him till I\nwas gone; then they fell upon him, and all their cry was, \u201cKill him,\nkill him.\u201d\n\nWhen I was come over to the town again, on the other side of the water,\nthe townsmen rose up with pitchforks, flails, and staves, to keep me out\nof the town, crying, \u201cKill him, knock him on the head, bring the cart,\nand carry him away to the churchyard.\u201d So after they had abused me, they\ndrove me some distance out of the town, and there left me. Then went\nJames Lancaster back to look after James Naylor; and I being now left\nalone, went to a ditch of water, and having washed myself (for they had\nbesmeared my face, hands, and clothes, with miry dirt), I walked about\nthree miles to Thomas Hutton\u2019s house, where lodged Thomas Lawson, the\npriest that was convinced. When I came in, I could hardly speak to them,\nI was so bruised; only I told them where I left James Naylor; so they\ntook each of them a horse, and went and brought him thither that night.\nThe next day Margaret Fell hearing of it, sent a horse for me; but so\nsore I was with bruises, I was not able to bear the shaking of the horse\nwithout much pain. When I was come to SWARTHMORE, Justice Sawrey, and\none Justice Thompson of Lancaster, granted a warrant against me; but\nJudge Fell coming home it was not served upon me; for he was out of the\ncountry all this time, that I was thus cruelly abused. When he came\nhome, he sent forth warrants into the isle of Walney, to apprehend all\nthose riotous persons; whereupon some of them fled the country. James\nLancaster\u2019s wife was afterwards convinced of the truth, and repented of\nthe evils she had done me; and so did others of those bitter persecutors\nalso; but the judgments of God fell upon some of them, and destruction\nis come upon many of them since. Judge Fell asked me to give him a\nrelation of my persecution; but I told him they could do no otherwise in\nthe spirit wherein they were, and that they manifested the fruits of\ntheir priest\u2019s ministry, and their profession and religion to be wrong.\nSo he told his wife I made light of it, and that I spoke of it as a man\nthat had not been concerned; for, indeed, the Lord\u2019s power healed me\nagain.\n\nAfter I was recovered, I went to YEALAND, where there was a great\nmeeting. In the evening there came a priest to the house, with a pistol\nin his hand, under pretence to light a pipe of tobacco. The maid of the\nhouse seeing the pistol told her master; who, clapping his hands on the\ndoor-posts, told him he should not come in there. While he stood there,\nkeeping the door-way, he looked up, and spied over the wall a company of\nmen coming, some armed with staves, and one with a musket. But the Lord\nGod prevented their bloody design; so that seeing themselves discovered,\nthey went their way, and did no harm.\n\nThe time for the sessions at LANCASTER being come, I went thither with\nJudge Fell; who on the way told me, he had never had such a matter\nbrought before him before, and he could not well tell what to do in the\nbusiness. I told him, when Paul was brought before the rulers, and the\nJews and priests came down to accuse him, and laid many false things to\nhis charge, Paul stood still all that while. And when they had done,\nFestus, the governor, and king Agrippa, beckoned to him to speak for\nhimself; which Paul did, and cleared himself of all those false\naccusations; so he might do with me. Being come to LANCASTER, Justice\nSawrey and Justice Thompson having granted a warrant to apprehend me,\nthough I was not apprehended by it, yet hearing of it, I appeared at the\nsessions; where there appeared against me about forty priests. These had\nchosen one Marshall, priest of Lancaster, to be their orator; and had\nprovided one young priest, and two priests\u2019 sons, to bear witness\nagainst me, who had sworn beforehand that I had spoken blasphemy. When\nthe justices were sat, they heard all that the priests and their\nwitnesses could say and charge against me; their orator Marshall,\nsitting by, and explaining their sayings for them; but the witnesses\nwere so confounded, that they discovered themselves to be false\nwitnesses; for when the court had examined one of them upon oath, and\nthen began to examine another, he was at such loss he could not answer\ndirectly, but said the other could say it. Which made the justices say\nto him, \u201chave you sworn it, and given it in already upon your oath, and\nnow say that he can say it? It seems you did not hear those words spoken\nyourself, though you have sworn it.\u201d\n\nThere were then in court several people who had been at that meeting,\nwherein the witnesses swore I spoke those blasphemous words, which the\npriests accused me of; and these being men of integrity and reputation\nin the country, declared and affirmed in court, that the oath, which the\nwitnesses had taken against me, was altogether false; and that no such\nwords as they had sworn against me, were spoken by me at that meeting.\nIndeed, most of the serious men of that part of the country, that were\nthen at the sessions, had been at that meeting, and had heard me both at\nthat and other meetings also. This was taken notice of by Colonel West,\nwho, being a justice of the peace, was then upon the bench; and having\nlong been weak in body, blessed the Lord, and said, \u201cthe Lord had healed\nhim that day;\u201d adding, that he never saw so many sober people and good\nfaces together in all his life. And then, turning himself to me, he said\nin the open sessions, \u201cGeorge, if thou hast anything to say to the\npeople, thou mayst freely declare it.\u201d I was moved of the Lord to speak;\nand as soon as I began, priest Marshall, the orator for the rest of the\npriests, went away. That which I was moved to declare was this: \u201cthat\nthe Holy Scriptures were given forth by the Spirit of God, and all\npeople must first come to the Spirit of God in themselves, by which they\nmight know God and Christ, of whom the prophets and the apostles learnt;\nand by the same Spirit know the Holy Scriptures; for as the Spirit of\nGod was in them that gave forth the Scriptures, so the same Spirit of\nGod must be in all them that come to understand the Scriptures; by which\nSpirit they might have fellowship with the Son, and with the Father, and\nwith the Scriptures, and with one another; and without this Spirit they\ncan know neither God nor Christ, nor the Scriptures, nor have right\nfellowship one with another.\u201d I had no sooner spoken these words, than\nabout half a dozen priests that stood behind me, burst out into a\npassion; and one of them, named Jackus, amongst other things that he\nspoke against the truth, said, that the Spirit and the letter were\ninseparable. I replied, \u201cthen every one that hath the letter hath the\nSpirit; and they might buy the Spirit with the letter of the\nScriptures.\u201d This plain discovery of darkness in the priest, moved Judge\nFell and Colonel West to reprove them openly, and tell them, that\naccording to that position they might carry the Spirit in their pockets,\nas they did the Scriptures. Upon this the priests being confounded and\nput to silence, rushed out in a rage against the justices, because they\ncould not have their bloody ends upon me. The justices, seeing the\nwitnesses did not agree, and perceiving that they were brought to answer\nthe priests\u2019 envy, and finding that all their evidences were not\nsufficient in law to make good their charge against me, discharged me.\nAnd after Judge Fell had spoken to Justice Sawrey and Justice Thompson\nconcerning the warrant they had given forth against me, and showed them\nthe errors thereof, he and Colonel West granted a supersedeas to stop\nthe execution of it.\n\nThus was I cleared in open sessions of all those lying accusations which\nthe malicious priests had laid to my charge; and multitudes of people\npraised God that day, for it was a joyful day to many. Justice\nBenson[25] of WESTMORLAND, was convinced; and Major Ripan, mayor of\nLANCASTER, also. It was a day of everlasting salvation to hundreds of\npeople; for the Lord Jesus Christ, the way to the Father, and the free\nteacher, was exalted and set up, and his everlasting gospel was preached\nand the word of eternal life was declared over the heads of the priests,\nand all such money-preachers. For the Lord opened many mouths that day\nto speak his word to the priests, and several friendly people and\nprofessors reproved the priests in their inns, and in the streets; so\nthat they fell, like an old rotten house; and the cry was among the\npeople, that the Quakers had got the day, and the priests were fallen.\nMany people were convinced that day, amongst whom was Thomas Briggs, who\nbefore had been averse to Friends and truth, insomuch that discoursing\nwith John Lawson, a Friend, concerning perfection, Thomas Briggs said to\nhim, \u201cdost thou hold perfection?\u201d at the same time lifting up his hand\nto give the Friend a box on the ear. But this Thomas Briggs, being\nconvinced of the truth that day, declared against his own priest,\nJackus; and afterwards became a faithful minister of the gospel, and\nstood so to the end of his days.[26]\n\nFootnote 25:\n\n  Gervase Benson, once a colonel in the army, and, at this date, a\n  Justice of the peace, appears, from the burial register of Friends, to\n  have been resident at Kendal. He died in 1679. In _Barclay\u2019s Letters,\n  &c., of Early Friends_, is a letter from him to George Fox and James\n  Naylor. It is dated at London, 11th Month, 29th, 1653. He appears to\n  have gone up to that city under a sense of duty. \u201cPray to the Lord for\n  me,\u201d he writes, \u201cthat I may be kept in all faithfulness, with boldness\n  to bear witness to the truth, against all deceits as they are made\n  manifest in me, to the praise of his free grace and love to me, which\n  I find daily flowing into my soul, to the refreshing thereof.\u201d\n\nFootnote 26:\n\n  Thomas Briggs, from being a persecutor and an opposer, became an\n  eminent minister amongst Friends, and his name occurs frequently in\n  Sewell\u2019s _History_, and in Whiting\u2019s _Memoirs_, to which the reader is\n  referred for some account of his labours. He was very instrumental in\n  turning men from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto\n  God. Not only did he suffer personally, by imprisonment and violence,\n  but was fined five times, for having meetings in his house, to the\n  extent of \u00a350. He travelled much in Wales, and other places, often\n  accompanying George Fox. He went with him to the West Indies in 1671.\n  A short time before his death, he wrote to George Fox, in which he\n  signified his perseverance in godliness. He bore \u201ca large testimony\n  the First-day before his decease,\u201d being aged about seventy-five; a\n  minister thirty-two years.\n\nWhen the sessions were over, James Naylor, who was present, gave a brief\naccount of the proceedings in a letter, which soon after he wrote to\nFriends; and which is here added for the reader\u2019s further satisfaction\nin this matter:\u2014\n\n  \u201cDear friends and brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ, my dear love unto\n  you all, desiring you may be kept steadfast in the Lord Jesus Christ,\n  and in the power of his love, boldly to witness forth the truth, as it\n  is revealed in you by the mighty working of the Father: to whom alone\n  be everlasting praise and honour for evermore! Dear friends, the Lord\n  doth much manifest his love and power in these parts. On the\n  Second-day of last week, my brother George and I were at Lancaster;\n  there were abundance of Friends from all parts: and a high sort, who\n  sided with the priests, giving out, they now hoped to see a stop put\n  to that great work which had gone on so fast, and with such power that\n  their kingdom is much shaken. We were called before Judge Fell,\n  Colonel West, Justice Sawrey, &c., to answer what was charged against\n  George. There were three witnesses to eight particulars, but they were\n  much confused in themselves; which gave much light to the truth;\n  whereby the justices did plainly see that it was envy; and they many\n  times told them so. One of the witnesses was a young priest, who\n  confessed he should not have meddled, had not another priest sent for\n  him, and set him to work. The other witnesses were two priests\u2019 sons:\n  it was proved there by many that heard one of them say, \u2018if he had\n  power he would make George deny his profession, and that he would take\n  away his life.\u2019 This was a single witness to one of the greatest\n  untruths that was charged against George; and the justices told him,\n  that they saw, because he could not take away his life, he went about\n  to take away his liberty. There was one priest chosen out of the whole\n  number, as an orator to plead against us; who spared no pains to show\n  forth his envy against the truth; and when he could not prevail, he\n  went down in a rage; and there came up a number of them into the room,\n  among whom was one Jackus. George was then speaking in the room, one\n  of the justices having desired him, if he had anything to say, he\n  would speak, at which priest Jackus was in such a rage, that he broke\n  forth into many high expressions against the truth spoken by my dear\n  brother George; amongst which this was one that the letter and the\n  Spirit were inseparable. Hereupon the justices stood up, and bid him\n  prove that, before he went any further. Then seeing himself caught, he\n  would have denied it; and when he could not get off so, the rest of\n  the priests would have helped him to a meaning for his words; but the\n  justices would admit no other meaning than the plain sense of the\n  words, and told him he had laid down a position, and it was fit he\n  should prove it; pressing the matter close upon him. Whereupon the\n  priests, being put to silence, went down in a greater rage than\n  before; and some of them, after they were gone down, being asked what\n  they had done, lied and said, they could not get into the room;\n  thereby to hide their shame, and keep the people in blindness. The\n  justices, Judge Fell and Colonel West, were much convinced of the\n  truth, and set up justice and equity; and have much silenced the rage\n  of the people. Many bitter spirits were at Lancaster to see the event,\n  but went home and cried the priests had lost the day: everlasting\n  praises be to him who fought the battle for us, who is our King for\n  ever! There were others called, whom the witnesses confessed were in\n  the room when the things charged on George were said to have been\n  spoken; but they all, as one man, denied that any such words were\n  spoken; which gave much light to the justices, and they durst rely on\n  what they witnessed; for they said they knew many of them to be honest\n  men.\n\n  \u201cThere was a warrant granted against us at Appleby; but Justice Benson\n  told them it was not according to law, and so it ceased. I hear he is\n  a faithful man in the truth. The priests began to preach against the\n  justices, and said, they were not to meddle in these things, but to\n  end controversy between neighbour and neighbour. They are not pleased\n  with the law, because it is not in the statute to imprison us, as the\n  priest that pleaded against us said. The justices bid him put it into\n  the statute, if he could; he said, it should want no will of his. They\n  are much afraid that they shall lose all; they are much discontented\n  in these parts; and some of them cry, all \u2018is gone.\u2019 Dear Friends,\n  dwell in patience, and wait upon the Lord, who will do his own work.\n  Look not at man, in the work; nor at man who opposeth the work; but\n  rest in the will of the Lord, that so ye may be furnished with\n  patience both to do and to suffer what ye shall be called unto; that\n  your end in all things may be his praise. Take up his cross freely,\n  which keeps low the fleshly man; that Christ may be set up and\n  honoured in all things, the light advanced in you and the judgment set\n  up, which must give sentence against all that opposeth the truth;\u2014that\n  the captivity may be led captive, and the prisoner set free to seek\n  the Lord;\u2014that righteousness may rule in you, and peace and joy may\n  dwell in you, wherein consisteth the kingdom of the Father; to whom be\n  all praise for ever! Dear friends meet often together, and take heed\n  of what exalteth itself above its brother; but keep low, and serve one\n  another in love for the Lord\u2019s sake. Let all Friends know how it is\n  with us, that God may have the praise of all.\u201d\n\n                                                               J. N.\n\n  Written from Kellet, the 30th\n     of the 8th Month, 1652.\n\nAt this time I was in a fast, and was not to eat until this work of God,\nwhich then lay weighty upon me, was accomplished. But the Lord\u2019s power\nwas wonderfully exalted, and gave truth and Friends dominion therein\nover all, to his glory. His gospel was freely preached that day, over\nthe heads of about forty hireling priests. I stayed two or three days\nafterwards in Lancaster, and had some meetings there; and the rude and\nbaser sort of people plotted together to draw me out of the house, and\nto throw me over LANCASTER bridge, but the Lord prevented them. Then\nthey invented another mischief, which was this: after a meeting at\nLancaster they brought down a distracted man, and another with him with\nbundles of birchen rods bound together like besoms, with which they\nwould have whipped me: but I was moved to speak to them in the Lord\u2019s\nmighty power, which chained down the distracted man, and the other also,\nand made them calm and quiet. Then I bid him throw his rods into the\nfire, and burn them; and he did so. Thus the Lord\u2019s power being over\nthem, they departed quietly.\n\nBut the priests, fretting to see themselves overthrown at the sessions\nat LANCASTER, got some of the envious justices to join with them; and,\nat the following assize at LANCASTER, informed Judge Windham against me.\nWhereupon the judge made a speech against me in open court; and\ncommanded Colonel West, who was clerk of the assize, to issue forth a\nwarrant for the apprehending of me: but Colonel West told the judge of\nmy innocency, and spoke boldly in my defence. Yet the judge commanded\nhim again, either to write a warrant, or go off from his seat: then he\ntold the judge plainly that he would not do it; but that he would offer\nup all his estate, and his body also, for me. Thus he stopped the judge;\nand the Lord\u2019s power came over all; so that the priests and justices\ncould not get their envy executed. That same night I came into\nLANCASTER, it being the assize time, and hearing of a warrant to be\ngiven out against me, I judged it better to show myself openly, than for\nmy adversaries to seek me. So I went to Judge Fell\u2019s and Colonel West\u2019s\nchambers. As soon as I came in they smiled on me; and Colonel West said,\n\u201cWhat! are you come into the dragon\u2019s mouth?\u201d I stayed in town till the\njudge went out of town; and I walked up and down the town, but no one\nmeddled with me, or questioned me. Thus the Lord\u2019s blessed power, which\nis over all, carried me through and over this exercise, gave dominion\nover his enemies, and enabled me to go on in his glorious work and\nservice for his great name\u2019s sake. For though the beast maketh war\nagainst the saints, yet the Lamb hath got, and will get, the victory.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER VI.\n\n1652-1653.\u2014George Fox is branded by the priests as a witch\u2014writes to\n    Justice Sawrey, prophesying of the judgments impending over\n    him\u2014warning to priest Lampitt\u2014exhortation to the people of\n    Ulverstone\u2014to the followers of Lampitt, against a hireling ministry,\n    &c.\u2014a rebuke to Adam Sands for his wickedness\u2014to priest Tatham,\n    against his hireling ministry and his suing for tithes\u2014foretells the\n    dissolution of the Long Parliament\u2014fasts ten days\u2014James Milner and\n    Richard Myer create a schism, which is soon healed\u2014the latter is\n    miraculously healed of his lameness, but afterwards disobeys the\n    Lord, and dies not long after\u2014Anthony Pearson, an opposer, is\n    convinced\u2014the priests are shown to be antichrist\u2014George Fox preaches\n    at John Wilkinson\u2019s steeple-house three hours\u2014admonishes a professor\n    _for praising him_\u2014reproves Wilkinson for speaking against his\n    conscience\u2014many hundreds are convinced\u2014discerns an unclean spirit in\n    a woman, and speaks sharply to her\u2014the like of some other\n    women\u2014speaks sharply to an envious Baptist\u2014preaches in the\n    steeple-house at Carlisle, where the Lord\u2019s power was such that the\n    people trembled\u2014committed to Carlisle prison as a blasphemer,\n    heretic, and seducer\u2014the priests who come to see him are exceedingly\n    rude\u2014Anthony Pearson\u2019s remonstrance to the Judges of assize against\n    the unjust imprisonment and detention of George Fox\u2014he is put in the\n    dungeon, a filthy place, where a woman is found eaten to death with\n    vermin\u2014here James Parnell visits him\u2014a challenge to professors to\n    declare their objections to George Fox\u2019s ministry\u2014it being reported\n    that George Fox was to die for religion, the Little Parliament write\n    to the sheriff respecting him\u2014he himself expostulates with Justices\n    Craston and Studholm on their imprisoning him\u2014A. Pearson and the\n    governor visit the prison, blame the magistrates, require sureties\n    of the jailer, and put the under-jailer in the dungeon for his\n    cruelty to George Fox, who is soon after liberated\u2014George Fox has\n    great meetings, and _thousands_ are convinced\u2014visits Gilsland, a\n    noted country for thieving\u2014has a glorious meeting of many thousands,\n    near Langlands, on the top of a hill\u2014great convincement in the six\n    northern counties.\n\n\nFrom LANCASTER I returned to Robert Widders\u2019s, and from thence I went to\nThomas Leper\u2019s to a meeting in the evening; and a very blessed meeting\nwe had there: after which I walked in the evening to Robert Widders\u2019s\nagain. No sooner was I gone, than there came a company of disguised men\nto Thomas Leper\u2019s, with swords and pistols; who, suddenly entering the\nhouse, put out the candles, and swung their swords about amongst the\npeople of the house, who held up the chairs before them to save\nthemselves from being cut and wounded. At length they drove all the\npeople out of the house, and then searched it for me; who, it seems, was\nthe only person they looked for: for they had laid wait before on the\nhighway, by which I should have gone had I rode to Robert Widders\u2019s. And\nnot meeting with me on the way, they thought to find me in the house,\nbut the Lord prevented them. Soon after I was come to Robert Widders\u2019s,\nsome Friends came from the town where Thomas Leper lived, and gave us a\nrelation of this wicked attempt: and they were afraid lest they should\ncome and search Robert Widders\u2019s house also for me, and do me a\nmischief; but the Lord restrained them that they came not. Though these\nmen were in disguise, the Friends perceived some of them to be\nFrenchmen, and supposed them to be servants belonging to one called Sir\nRobert Bindlas; for some of them had said, that in their nation they\nused to tie the Protestants to trees, and whip and destroy them. His\nservants used often to abuse Friends, both in their meetings, and going\nto and from them. They once took Richard Hubberthorn and several others\nout of one, and carried them a good way off into the fields; and there\nbound them, and left them bound in the Winter season. At another time,\none of his servants came to Francis Fleming\u2019s house, and thrust his\nnaked rapier in at the door and windows; but there being at the house a\nkinsman of Francis Fleming\u2019s, one who was not a Friend, he came with a\ncudgel in his hand, and bid the serving-man put up his rapier; which,\nwhen the other would not, but vapoured at him with it, and was rude, he\nknocked him down with his cudgel, and took his rapier from him; and had\nit not been for Friends, he would have run him through with it. So the\nFriends preserved the life of him that would have destroyed theirs.\n\nFrom Robert Widders\u2019s I went to visit Justice West, Richard Hubberthorn\naccompanying me. Not knowing the way, or the danger of the sands, we\nrode where, as we were afterwards told, no man ever rode before,\nswimming our horses over a very dangerous place. When we were come in,\nJustice West asked us if we did not see two men riding over the sands:\n\u201cI shall have their clothes anon,\u201d said he, \u201cfor they cannot escape\ndrowning, and I am the coroner.\u201d But when we told him that we were the\nmen, he was astonished, and wondered how we escaped drowning. Upon this\nthe envious priests and professors raised a slanderous report concerning\nme, that neither water could drown me, nor could they draw blood of me;\nand that therefore surely I was a witch; indeed, sometimes when they\nbeat me with great staves, they did not much draw my blood, though they\nbruised my body oftimes very sorely. But all these slanders were nothing\nto me with respect to myself, though I was concerned on the truth\u2019s\nbehalf, which I saw, they endeavoured by these means to prejudice people\nagainst; for I considered that their forefathers, the apostate Jews,\ncalled the master of the house Beelzebub; and these apostate Christians\nfrom the life and power of God, could do no less to his seed. But the\nLord\u2019s power carried me over their slanderous tongues, and their bloody\nmurderous spirits; who had the ground of witchcraft in themselves, which\nkept them from coming to God, and to Christ.\n\nHaving visited Justice West, I went to SWARTHMORE, visiting Friends; and\nthe Lord\u2019s power was over all the persecutors there. I was moved to\nwrite several letters to the magistrates, priests, and professors,\nthereabouts, who had raised persecution before; that which I sent to\nJustice Sawrey was after this manner:\u2014\n\n  \u201cFRIEND,\n\n  \u201cThou wast the first beginner of all the persecution in the North;\n  thou wast the beginner and the maker of the people tumultuous. Thou\n  wast the first stirrer of them up against the righteous seed, and\n  against the truth of God; the first strengthener of the hands of\n  evil-doers against the innocent and harmless; and thou shalt not\n  prosper. Thou wast the first stirrer up of strikers, stoners,\n  persecutors, stockers, mockers, and imprisoners in the North, and of\n  revilers, slanderers, railers, and false accusers. This was thy work,\n  and this thou stirredst up! so thy fruits declare thy spirit. Instead\n  of stirring up the pure mind in people, thou hast stirred up the\n  wicked, malicious, and envious, and taken hand with the wicked. Thou\n  hast made the people\u2019s minds envious up and down the country; this was\n  thy work. But God hath shortened thy days, and limited thee; hath set\n  thy bounds, and broken thy jaws; discovered thy religion to the simple\n  and babes, and brought thy deeds to light. How is thy habitation\n  fallen, and become the habitation of devils! How is thy beauty lost,\n  and thy glory withered! How hast thou showed thy end that thou hast\n  served God but with thy lips, thy heart being far from him, and thou\n  in hypocrisy! How hath the form of thy teaching declared itself to be\n  the mark of the false prophets, whose fruit declares itself! for by\n  their fruits they are known. How are the wise men turned backward!\n  View thy ways, and take notice with whom thou hast taken part. That of\n  God in thy conscience will tell thee; the Ancient of days will reprove\n  thee. How hath thy zeal appeared to be the blind zeal of a persecutor,\n  which Christ and his apostles forbade Christians to follow! How hast\n  thou strengthened the hands of evil-doers, and been a praise to them,\n  and not to them that do well! How like a madman and blind man, didst\n  thou turn thy sword backward against the saints, against whom there is\n  no law! How wilt thou be gnawed and burned one day, when thou shalt\n  feel the flame and have the plagues of God poured upon thee, and thou\n  begin to gnaw thy tongue for pain, because of the plagues! Thou shalt\n  have thy reward according to thy works. Thou canst not escape; the\n  Lord\u2019s righteous judgment will find thee out, and the witness of God\n  in thy conscience shall answer it. How hast thou caused the heathen to\n  blaspheme, gone on with the multitude to do evil, and joined hand and\n  hand with the wicked! How is thy latter end worse than thy beginning,\n  who art come with the dog to bite, and art turned as a wolf, to devour\n  the lambs! How hast thou discovered thyself to be a man more fit to be\n  kept in a place to be nurtured, than to be set in a place to nurture!\n  How wast thou exalted and puffed up with pride! and now art thou\n  fallen down with shame, that thou comest to be covered with that which\n  thou stirredst up and broughtest forth. Let not John Sawrey take the\n  words of God into his mouth till he be reformed; let him not take his\n  name into his mouth till he depart from iniquity; let not him and his\n  teacher make a profession of the saints\u2019 words, except they intend to\n  proclaim themselves hypocrites, whose lives are so contrary to the\n  lives of the saints; whose church hath made itself manifest to be a\n  cage of unclean birds. You, having a form of godliness, but not the\n  power, have made them that are in the power your derision, your\n  by-word, and talk at your feasts. Thy ill savour, John Sawrey, the\n  country about have smelled, and of thy unchristian carriage all that\n  fear God have been ashamed; and to them thou hast been a grief; in the\n  day of account thou shalt know it, even in the day of thy\n  condemnation. Thou wast mounted up, and hadst set thy nest on high,\n  but never gottest higher than the fowls of the air. Now thou art run\n  amongst the beast of prey, and art fallen into the earth; so that\n  earthliness and covetousness have swallowed thee up. Thy conceitedness\n  would not carry thee through, in whom was found the selfish principle,\n  which hath blinded thy eye. Thy back must be bowed down always; for\n  thy table is already become thy snare.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nThis Justice Sawrey, who was the first persecutor in that country, was\nafterwards drowned.\n\nI wrote also to William Lampitt, the priest of ULVERSTONE, thus:\u2014\n\n  \u201cThe word of the Lord to thee, O Lampitt! who art a deceiver,\n  surfeited and drunk with the earthly spirit, rambling up and down in\n  the Scriptures, and blending thy spirit amongst the saints\u2019\n  conditions; who hadst a prophecy, as thy father Balaam had, but art\n  erred from it, as thy father did; one whose fruit hath withered (of\n  which I am a witness,) and many who have known thy fruit, have seen\n  the end of it, that it is withered, and do see where thou art in the\n  blind world, a blind leader of the blind; as a beast wallowing and\n  tumbling in the earth, and in the lust; one that is erred from the\n  Spirit of the Lord, of old ordained for condemnation. Thou art in the\n  seat of the Pharisees, art called of men master, standest praying in\n  the synagogues, and hast the chief seat in the assemblies; a right\n  hypocrite in the steps of the Pharisees, and in the way of thy\n  fathers, the hypocrites, which our Lord Jesus Christ cried woe\n  against. Such with the light thou art seen to be, and by the light art\n  comprehended; which is thy condemnation, who hatest it, and will be so\n  eternally, except thou repent. To thee this is the word of God; for in\n  Christ\u2019s way thou art not, but in the Pharisees\u2019, as thou mayest read,\n  Matt, xxiii., and all that own Christ\u2019s words may see thee there.\n  Christ, who died at Jerusalem, cried woe against such as thou art; and\n  Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. The woe remains\n  upon thee, and from under it thou canst never come, but through\n  judgment, condemnation, and true repentance. To thee this is the word\n  of God; to that of God in thy conscience do I speak, which will\n  witness the truth of what I write, and will condemn thee. And when\n  thou art in thy torment (though now thou swellest in thy vanity, and\n  livest in wickedness,) remember thou wast warned in thy lifetime. When\n  the eternal condemnation is stretched over thee, thou shalt witness\n  this to be the word of the Lord God unto thee; and if ever thy eye\n  shall see repentance, thou wilt witness me to have been a friend of\n  thy soul.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nHaving thus cleared my conscience to the justice, and to the priest of\nULVERSTONE, who had raised the first persecution in that country, it was\nupon me to send this warning in writing to the people of ULVERSTONE in\ngeneral.\n\n  \u201cConsider, O people! who are within the parish of ULVERSTONE; I was\n  moved of the Lord to come into your public places to speak among you,\n  being sent of God to direct your minds to him, that you might know\n  where you might find your teacher; that your minds might be staid\n  alone upon God, and you might not gad abroad without you for a\n  teacher; for the Lord God alone will teach his people; and he is\n  coming to teach them, and to gather them from idols\u2019 temples, and from\n  the customary worships, which all the world is trained up in. God hath\n  given to every one of you a measure of his Spirit, according to your\n  capacity; liars, drunkards, whoremongers, and thieves, and who follow\n  filthy pleasures, you all have this measure in you. This is the\n  measure of the Spirit of God, that shows you sin, and evil, and\n  deceit; which lets you see that lying is sin; and theft, drunkenness,\n  and uncleanness, all to be the works of darkness. Therefore mind your\n  measure (for nothing that is unclean shall enter into the kingdom of\n  God), and prize your time while you have it, lest the time come that\n  you say with sorrow, we had time, but it is past. O! why will ye die?\n  why will ye choose your own ways? why will ye follow the course of the\n  world? and why will ye follow envy, malice, drunkenness, and foolish\n  pleasures? know ye not in your consciences that all these are evil and\n  sin? and that they who act such things, shall never enter into the\n  kingdom of God? O! that ye would consider, and see how you have spent\n  your time, and mind how ye do spend it, and observe whom you serve;\n  for \u2018the wages of sin is death.\u2019 Do not ye know, that whatsoever is\n  more than yea and nay, cometh of evil? O! ye drunkards, who live in\n  drunkenness, do ye think to escape the fire and the judgment of God?\n  Though ye swell in venom, and live in lust for a while, yet God will\n  find you out, and bring you to judgment.\n\n  \u201cTherefore love the light, which Christ hath enlightened you withal,\n  who saith, \u2018I am the light of the world,\u2019 and who doth enlighten every\n  one that cometh into the world. One loves the light, and brings his\n  works to the light and there is no occasion at all of stumbling; the\n  other hates the light, because his deeds are evil, and the light will\n  reprove him. Thou that hatest this light, thou hast it; thou knowest\n  that lying, drunkenness, swearing, whoredom, theft, all ungodliness,\n  and all unrighteousness, are evil. Christ Jesus hath given thee light\n  enough to let thee see these are evil. This light, if thou lovest it,\n  will teach thee holiness and righteousness, without which none shall\n  see God; but if thou hatest this light, it is thy condemnation. Thus\n  are Christ\u2019s words found to be true, and fulfilled among you; you that\n  hate this light, set up hirelings, and idols\u2019 temples, and such\n  priests as bear rule by their means; such shepherds as hold up such\n  things; who are called of men masters, and have the chiefest place in\n  the assemblies, whom Christ cried woe against, Matt, xxiii.; such as\n  go in the way of Cain in envy, and after the error of Balaam for\n  wages, gifts, and rewards; these have been your teachers; and these\n  you have held up. But they who love the light, are taught of God; and\n  the Lord is coming to teach his people himself, and to gather his own\n  from the hirelings, and from such as seek for their gain from their\n  quarter, and from such as bear rule by their means. The Lord is\n  opening the eyes of people, that they may see such as bear rule over\n  them. But all, whose are shut, are such as the prophet spoke of, that\n  \u2018have eyes and see not,\u2019 but are foolish, upholding such things.\n  Therefore, poor people, as ye love your own souls, consider the love\n  of God to your souls, while ye have time, and do not turn the grace of\n  God into wantonness. That which shows you ungodliness and worldly\n  lusts, should and would be your teacher, if ye would hearken to it;\n  for the saints of old witnessed the grace of God to be their teacher,\n  which taught them to live soberly and godly in this present world. Ye\n  that are not sober, this grace of God hath appeared unto you, but you\n  turn it into wantonness, and so set up teachers, who are not sober,\n  not holy, not godly. Here you are left without excuse, when the\n  righteous judgment of God shall be revealed upon all who live ungodly.\n  Therefore to the light in you I speak; and when the book of conscience\n  shall come to be opened, then shall you witness what I say to be true,\n  and you all shall be judged out of it. God Almighty direct your minds\n  (such of you especially who love honesty and sincerity,) that you may\n  receive mercy in the time of need. Your teacher is _within you_; look\n  not forth; it will teach you both lying in bed, and going abroad, to\n  shun all occasion of sin and evil.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nAs the foregoing was directed to all the inhabitants of ULVERSTONE in\ngeneral, so it was upon me to write also to those more particularly,\nthat most constantly followed W. Lampitt, the priest. To these I wrote\nthus:\u2014\n\n  \u201cThe word of the Lord God to all the people that follow priest\n  Lampitt, who is a blind guide. Ye are such as are turned from the\n  light of Christ within, which he hath enlightened you withal; ye are\n  such as follow that which Christ cried woe against, that go not in\n  Christ\u2019s way, but in the Pharisees\u2019 way, as ye may read, Matt. xxiii.,\n  which our Lord Jesus Christ cried woe against. He is the same\n  yesterday, to-day, and for ever; but him ye own not, while ye follow\n  such as he cried woe against; though under a colour ye make a\n  profession, and Lampitt, your priest, makes a trade of Christ\u2019s and\n  the saints\u2019 words, as his fathers, the Pharisees, made a profession of\n  the prophets\u2019 and of Moses\u2019s words. Woe was unto them who had not the\n  life, so woe is unto you who have not the life that gave forth the\n  Scriptures, as your fruits have made manifest. For when the Lord hath\n  moved some to come amongst you to preach the truth freely, you have\n  knocked them down, beat, and punched, and haled them out of your\n  assemblies. Such a people serve thee, O Lampitt, to make a prey upon,\n  and these are thy fruits. O! let shame, shame, strike thee and you all\n  in the faces, who make a profession of Christ\u2019s words, and yet are\n  stoners, and strikers, and mockers, and scoffers. Let all see, if this\n  be not a cage of unclean birds, spoken of in the Scriptures, by those\n  who had the life of the Scriptures. Such a company of people thou\n  deceivest, and feedest them with thy fancies; thou makest a trade of\n  the Scriptures, and takest them for thy cloak. But thou art manifest\n  to all the children of light; for that cloak will not cover thee; thy\n  skirts are seen, and thy nakedness appears. The Lord made one to go\n  naked among you, a figure of thy nakedness, and of your nakedness, and\n  as a sign amongst you, before your destruction cometh; that you might\n  see that you were naked, and not covered with the truth. To the light\n  in all your consciences I speak, which Christ Jesus doth enlighten you\n  withal. It will show you the time you have spent, and all the evil\n  deeds you have done in that time; who follow such a teacher, that acts\n  contrary to this light, and leads you into the ditch. When you are in\n  the ditch together, both teacher and people, remember ye were warned\n  in your lifetime. If ever your eyes come to see repentance, and you\n  obey the light of Jesus Christ in you, you will witness me to have\n  been a friend of your souls, and that I have sought your eternal good,\n  and written this in dear love to you. Then will you own your\n  condemnation; which you must all own, before you can come into that\n  blessed life, of which there is no end. But ye, who hate the light,\n  because your deeds are evil, this light is your condemnation. O! that\n  ye would love this light, and hearken to it! It would teach you, both\n  in your daily occupations, and as you lie upon your beds, and would\n  never let you speak a vain word. In loving it, you love Christ; in\n  hating it, you bring condemnation thereof upon yourselves. To you this\n  is the word of God, from under which you can never pass, nor ever\n  escape the terror of the Lord, in the state you are in, who hate the\n  light.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nAmongst the chief hearers and followers of this priest Lampitt of\nULVERSTONE, was one Adam Sands, who was a very wicked, false man, and\nwould have destroyed truth and its followers if he could. To him I was\nmoved to write thus:\u2014\n\n  \u201cADAM SANDS,\n\n  \u201cTo the light in thy conscience I appeal, thou child of the Devil,\n  thou enemy of righteousness; the Lord will strike thee down, though\n  now for a while in thy wickedness thou mayest reign. The plagues of\n  God are due to thee, who hardenest thyself in thy wickedness against\n  the pure truth of God. With the pure truth of God, which thou hast\n  resisted and persecuted, thou art to be thrashed down, which is\n  eternal, and doth comprehend thee; and with the light, which thou\n  despisest, thou art seen; and it is thy condemnation. Thou as one\n  brutish, and thy wife as an hypocrite, and you both as murderers of\n  the just, in that which is eternal, are seen and comprehended; and\n  your hearts searched, and tried, and condemned by the light. The light\n  in thy conscience will witness the truth of what I write to thee; and\n  will let thee see that thou art not born of God, but art from the\n  truth, in the beastly nature. If ever thy eye see repentance, thou\n  wilt witness me a friend of thy soul, and a seeker of thy eternal\n  good.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nThis Adam Sands afterwards died miserably.\n\nI was moved also to write to priest Tatham.\n\n  \u201cThe word of the Lord to thee, priest Tatham, who art found out of the\n  doctrine of Christ; having the chiefest place in the assembly, being\n  called of men, master, and standing praying in the synagogue in the\n  steps of the Pharisees, which our Lord Jesus Christ cried woe against.\n  In his way thou art not, but in the way of the scribes and Pharisees,\n  as thou mayest read, Matt. xxiii. There Christ\u2019s words judge thee, and\n  the Scriptures of truth condemn thee. For thou art such a one as sues\n  men at the law for tithes, and yet professest thyself to be a minister\n  of Christ; which Christ never empowered his to do; neither did any of\n  his apostles or ministers ever do so. Here I charge thee in the\n  presence of the living God, to be out of their doctrine; and that as\n  one of those evil beasts the Scripture speaks of, thou mindest earthly\n  things, which the life of the Scriptures is against. Thou art for\n  destruction in the state wherein thou standest; and it will be thy\n  portion eternally, if thou dost not repent. To that of God in thy\n  conscience I speak, which will witness the truth of what I say. Thou\n  goest in Cain\u2019s way, in envy, an enemy to God, and from the command of\n  God. Thou goest in Balaam\u2019s way, from the Spirit of God, for gifts and\n  rewards, the wages of unrighteousness. Thou son of Balaam, thou art\n  worse than thy father, for though he loved the wages of\n  unrighteousness, yet he durst not take them; but thou not only takest\n  them, but suest men at the law if they will not give them thee, which\n  no true minister of Jesus Christ ever did; therefore stop thy mouth\n  for ever, and never make mention of them, or profess thyself one of\n  them. With the light thou art seen and comprehended, who art light and\n  vain, and speakest a divination of thy own brain, and deceivest the\n  people. That in thy conscience will witness what I say, and will\n  condemn thee, who art one of those that bear rule by their means,\n  which the Lord sent Jeremiah to cry against, Jer. v.; and so thou\n  holdest up \u2018the horrible and filthy thing that is committed in the\n  land.\u2019 They that do not tremble at the word of the Lord, are the\n  foolish people that hold thee up; they are sottish children, and have\n  no understanding; they are wise to do evil, but not to do good, who\n  are deceived by thee. Thou art one of those that seek their gain from\n  their quarter; a greedy dumb dog, that never hath enough, as thy\n  practice makes manifest, which the Lord sent Isaiah to cry against,\n  Isa. lvi. 11, 12. And thou art such a one as the Lord sent Ezekiel to\n  cry against, who feedest of the fat, and clothest with the wool, and\n  makest a prey of the people. But the Lord is gathering his sheep from\n  thy mouth, that to thee they shall be a prey no longer. Thou enemy of\n  God, here this prophecy is fulfilled upon thee, Ezek. xxxiv., and thou\n  art one of them; I charge it upon thee in the presence of the living\n  God; a hireling thou art, and they that put not into thy mouth, thou\n  preparest war against them. Thou hatest the good, and lovest the evil,\n  which the Lord sent Micah to cry against, Mic. iii. Cover thy lips,\n  and stop thy mouth for ever, thou child of darkness; for with the\n  light thou art comprehended, and seen to be among them which the holy\n  men of God cried woe against; and by the Spirit of the Living God thou\n  art judged. In the light, which is thy condemnation, thou art\n  comprehended; thy race is seen, and thy compass known, who art out of\n  the commands of Christ, and out of the doctrine and life of the\n  apostles. Thou art proved and tried: to thee this is the word of the\n  Lord, to thee it shall be as a hammer, a fire, and a sword, and from\n  under it thou shalt never come, unless thou repent; who art with the\n  light to be condemned in that state wherein thou standest: and if ever\n  thy eye see repentance, this thy condemnation thou must own.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nI wrote also to \u2014\u2014 Burton, priest of SEDBERGH, much to the same purpose,\nhe being in the same evil ground, nature, and practice. Many other\nepistles also and papers, which are too many and large to be inserted in\nthis place, I wrote about that time, as the Lord moved me thereunto,\nwhich I sent among the priests, professors, and people of all sorts, for\nthe laying their evil ways open before them, that they might see and\nforsake them; and opening the way of truth unto them, that they might\ncome to walk therein.\n\nAfter I had cleared my conscience at that time to the priests and people\nnear SWARTHMORE, I went again into WESTMORLAND. A company of men with\npikes and staves laid wait for me at a bridge in the way, and they met\nwith some Friends, but missed me. Afterwards they came to the meeting\nwith their pikes and staves: but Justice Benson being there, and many\nconsiderable people besides, they were prevented from doing the mischief\nthey intended. So they went away in a great rage, without hurting any\none.\n\nI went from the meeting to GRAYRIGG, and had a meeting there at\nAlexander Dixon\u2019s house, to which the priest (who was a Baptist, and a\nchapel priest,) came to oppose; but the Lord confounded him by his\npower. Some of the priest\u2019s people tumbled down some milk-pails which\nstood upon the side of the house, which was much crowded; whereupon the\npriest, after he and his company were gone away, raised a slander, \u201cthat\nthe Devil frightened him, and took away a side of the house while he was\nin the meeting.\u201d And though this was a known falsehood, yet it served\nthe priests and professors to feed on for a while; and so shameless they\nwere, that they printed and published it.\n\nAnother time this priest came to a meeting, and fell to jangling. First\nhe said, \u201cthe Scriptures were the word of God.\u201d I told him they were the\nwords of God, but were not Christ, who is the Word; and bid him prove by\nScripture what he said. Then he said it was not the Scripture that was\nthe Word; and, setting his foot upon the Bible, he said it was but\ncopies bound up together. Many unsavoury words came from him, but after\nhe was gone we had a blessed meeting, and the Lord\u2019s power and presence\nwas preciously manifested and felt amongst us. Soon after he sent me a\nchallenge to meet me at KENDAL. I sent him word he need not go so far as\nKENDAL, for I would meet him in his own parish. The hour being fixed, we\nmet, and abundance of rude people gathered together, besides the\nbaptized people who were his own Members; and they had intended to do\nmischief, but God prevented them. When we were met, I declared the day\nof the Lord to them, and directed them to Christ Jesus. Then the priest\nout with his Bible, and said it was the word of God. I told him it was\nthe words of God, but not God, the Word. His answer was, he would prove\nthe Scriptures to be the word before all the people. I let him go on,\nhaving a man there that could take down in writing both what he said,\nand what I said. When he could not prove it (for I kept him to Scripture\nproof, chapter and verse for it,) the people gnashed their teeth for\nanger, and said he would have me anon; but in going about to prove that\none error, he ran into many. And when at length he saw he could not\nprove it, then he said he would prove it to be a God: so he toiled\nhimself afresh, till he perspired again, but could not prove what he had\naffirmed. And he and his company were full of wrath; for I kept his\nassertions on the head of him and them all, and told them I owned what\nthe Scriptures said of themselves, namely, that they were the words of\nGod, but Christ was the Word. So the Lord\u2019s power came over all, and\nthey being confounded went away. The Lord disappointed their mischievous\nintentions against me, and Friends were established in Christ; and many\nof the priest\u2019s followers saw the folly of their teacher.\n\nAfter this, priest Bennet, of CARTMEL, sent a challenge to dispute with\nme. Hereupon I came to his steeple-house on a First-day, and found him\npreaching. When he had done, I spoke to him and his people; but the\npriest would not stand the trial, but went his way. After he was gone, I\nhad much discourse with the people; and when I was come out into the\nsteeple-house yard, and was discoursing further with the professors, and\ndeclaring truth unto them, one of them set his foot behind me, and two\nof them ran against my breast, and threw me down backwards against a\ngrave-stone, wickedly and maliciously seeking to hurt me; but I got up\nagain, and was moved of the Lord to speak to them. Then I went up to the\npriest\u2019s house, and desired him to come forth that I might discourse\nwith him, seeing he had challenged me; but he would not be seen. So the\nLord\u2019s power came over them all, which was greatly manifested at that\ntime. Amongst the priest\u2019s hearers was one Richard Roper, one of the\nbitterest professors the priest had: he was very fierce and hot in his\ncontention; but afterwards he came to be convinced of God\u2019s eternal\ntruth, became a minister thereof, and continued faithful to his death.\n\nIt was now about the beginning of the year 1653, when I returned to\nSWARTHMORE; and going to a meeting at GLEASTON, a professor challenged a\ndispute with me. I went to the house where he was, and called him to\ncome forth; but the Lord\u2019s power was over him, so that he durst not\nmeddle. Then I departed thence, and visited the meetings of Friends in\nLANCASHIRE, and came back to SWARTHMORE. Great openings I had from the\nLord, not only of divine and spiritual matters, but also of outward\nthings, relating to the civil government. For being one day in\nSwarthmore-hall, when Judge Fell and Justice Benson were talking of the\nnews, and of the parliament then sitting, which was called the Long\nParliament, I was moved to tell them, that before that day two weeks the\nParliament should be broken up, and the speaker plucked out of his\nchair. And that day two weeks Justice Benson coming thither again, told\nJudge Fell, that now he saw George was a true prophet; for Oliver had\nbroken up the parliament.\n\nAbout this time I was in a fast for about ten days, my spirit being\ngreatly exercised on truth\u2019s account; for James Milner and Richard Myer\nwent out into imaginations, and a company followed them. This James\nMilner and some of his company, had true openings at first; but getting\ninto pride and exaltation of spirit, they ran out from truth. I was sent\nfor to them, and was moved of the Lord to go, and show them their\noutgoings: and they were brought to see their folly, and condemned it,\nand came into the way of truth again. After some time I went to a\nmeeting at ARNSIDE, where Richard Myer was, who had been long lame of\none of his arms. I was moved of the Lord to say unto him, amongst all\nthe people, \u201cStand up on thy legs\u201d (for he was sitting down): and he\nstood up, and stretched out his arm that had been lame a long time, and\nsaid, \u201cBe it known unto you, all people, that this day I am healed.\u201d Yet\nhis parents could hardly believe it; but after the meeting was done,\nthey had him aside, took off his doublet, and then saw it was true. He\ncame soon after to Swarthmore meeting, and then declared how that the\nLord had healed him. Yet after this the Lord commanded him to go to York\nwith a message from him, but he disobeyed the Lord; and the Lord struck\nhim again, so that he died about three-quarters of a year after.\n\nNow were great threatenings given forth in CUMBERLAND, that if ever I\ncame there again, they would take away my life. When I heard it I was\ndrawn to go into CUMBERLAND, and went to Miles Wennington\u2019s, in the same\nparish from which those threatenings came; but they had not power to\ntouch me.\n\nAbout this time Anthony Pearson was convinced, who had been an opposer\nof Friends.[27] He came over to SWARTHMORE; and I being then at Colonel\nWest\u2019s, they sent for me. Colonel West said, \u201cGo, George, for it may be\ngreat service to the man.\u201d So I went, and the Lord\u2019s power reached him.\n\nFootnote 27:\n\n  Justice Pearson, who \u201cwas convinced as he sat on the bench,\u201d became\n  the author of an approved work, _The Great Case of Tithes_. A striking\n  letter from him, dated in 1653, respecting his religious state, is\n  inserted in _Letters of Early Friends_, pages 10-12.\n\nAbout this time also the Lord opened several mouths to declare the truth\nto priests and people, so that many were cast into prison. I went again\ninto CUMBERLAND, and Anthony Pearson and his wife, and several Friends,\nwent with me to BOOTLE, where Anthony Pearson left me, and went to\nCarlisle sessions; for he was a Justice of the peace in three counties.\nOn a First-day I went into the steeple-house at BOOTLE; and when the\npriest had done, I began to speak. But the people were exceeding rude,\nand struck and beat me in the yard: one gave me a very great blow over\nmy wrist, so that the people thought he had broken my hand to pieces.\nThe constable was very desirous to keep the peace, and would have set\nsome of them by the heels that struck me, if I would have given way to\nit. After my service amongst them was over, I went to Joseph Nicholson\u2019s\nhouse,[28] and the constable went a little way with us, to keep off the\nrude multitude. In the afternoon I went again; and then the priest had\ngot another priest, that came from LONDON, and was highly accounted of,\nto help him. Before I went in to the steeple-house, I sat a little upon\nthe Cross, and Friends with me; but the Friends were moved to go into\nthe steeple-house, and I went in after them. The London priest was\npreaching; who gathered up all the Scriptures he could think of, that\nspoke of false prophets, and antichrists, and deceivers, and threw them\nupon us; but when he had done I recollected all those Scriptures, and\nbrought them back upon himself. Then the people fell upon me in a rude\nmanner; but the constable charged them to keep the peace, and so made\nthem quiet again.\n\nFootnote 28:\n\n  Joseph Nicholson was one of those who, with his wife, suffered in the\n  New England persecution, being imprisoned there and laid in irons. He\n  was also immured within the walls of Dover Castle in 1661. See\n  Bowden\u2019s _History of Friends in America_, vol. i., pp. 203-206, and\n  268, &c.\n\nThen the priest began to rage, and said I must not speak there, I told\nhim he had his hour-glass, by which he had preached, and he having done,\nthe time was free for me, as well as for him, for he was but a stranger\nthere himself. So I opened the Scriptures to them, and let them see\n\u201cthat those Scriptures, that spoke of the false prophets, and\nantichrists, and deceivers, described them and their generation, and\nbelonged to them who were found walking in their steps, and bringing\nforth their fruits; and not unto us, who were not guilty of such\nthings.\u201d I manifested to them, that they were out of the steps of the\ntrue prophets and apostles; and showed them clearly, by the fruits and\nmarks, that it was they of whom those Scriptures spoke, and not we. And\nI declared the truth, and the word of life to the people, and directed\nthem to Christ their Teacher. All was quiet while I was speaking; but\nwhen I had done, and was come out, the priests were both of them in such\na rage, that they foamed at the mouth for anger against me. The priest\nof the place made an oration to the people in the steeple-house yard,\nand said, \u201cThis man hath gotten all the honest men and women in\nLANCASHIRE to him; and now,\u201d said he, \u201che comes here to do the same.\u201d\nThen said I unto him, \u201cWhat wilt thou have left? and what have the\npriests left them, but such as themselves? For if it be the honest that\nreceive the truth, and are turned to Christ, then it must be the\ndishonest that follow thee, and such as thou art.\u201d Some also of the\npriest\u2019s people began to plead for their priest, and for tithes; but I\ntold them it were better for them to plead for Christ, who had ended the\ntithing-priesthood and tithes, and had sent forth his ministers to give\nfreely, as they had received freely. So the Lord\u2019s power came over them\nall, put them to silence, and restrained the rude people, that they\ncould not do the mischief they intended. When I came down again to\nJoseph Nicholson\u2019s house, I saw a great hole in my coat, which was cut\nwith a knife, but it was not cut through my doubtlet, for the Lord had\nprevented their mischief. And the next day a rude wicked man would have\ndone violence to a Friend, but the Lord\u2019s power stopped him.\n\nNow was I moved to send James Lancaster to appoint a meeting at John\nWilkinson\u2019s steeple-house near COCKERMOUTH, who was a preacher in great\nrepute, and had three parishes under him; wherefore I stayed at\nMILLOM-IN-BOOTLE till he came back again. In the meantime some of those\ncalled the gentry of the country had formed a plot against me, and had\ngiven a little boy a rapier, to do me mischief with it. They came with\nthe boy to Joseph Nicholson\u2019s house to seek me; but the Lord had so\nordered it, that I was gone into the fields. They met with James\nLancaster, but did not much abuse him; and not finding me in the house,\nafter a while they went away again. So I walked up and down in the\nfields that night, and did not go to bed, as very often I used to do.\n\nThe next day we came to the steeple-house, where James Lancaster had\nappointed the meeting. There were at this meeting twelve soldiers and\ntheir wives, who were come thither from CARLISLE; and the country people\ncame in, as if it had been to a fair. I lay at a house a short distance\nfrom the place, so that many Friends were there before me. When I came,\nI found James Lancaster speaking under a yew tree; which was so full of\npeople that I feared they would break it down. I looked about for a\nplace to stand upon, to speak to the people; for they lay all up and\ndown like people at a leaguer. After I was discovered, a professor came\nto me, and asked, if I would go into the church; seeing no place\nconvenient to speak to the people from, I told him, \u201cYes;\u201d whereupon the\npeople rushed in; so that when I came in, the house and even the pulpit\nwas so full of people, that I had much ado to get in; and they that\ncould not get in, stood about the walls. When the people were settled, I\nstood up on a seat; and the Lord opened my mouth \u201cto declare his\neverlasting truth, and his everlasting day; and to lay open all their\nteachers, their rudiments, traditions, and inventions, that they had\nbeen in, in the night of apostacy since the apostles\u2019 days. I turned\nthem to Christ the true teacher, and to the true spiritual worship;\ndirecting them where to find the Spirit and truth, that they might\nworship God therein. I opened Christ\u2019s parables unto them, and directed\nthem to the Spirit of God in themselves, that would open the Scriptures\nunto them. And I showed them, how all might come to know their Saviour,\nand sit under his teaching;\u2014might come to be heirs of the kingdom of\nGod, and know both the voice of God and of Christ, by which they might\ndiscover all the false shepherds and teachers they had been under; and\nbe gathered to the true shepherd, priest, bishop, and prophet, Christ\nJesus, whom God commanded all to hear.\u201d So when I had largely declared\nthe word of life unto them, for about three hours, I walked from amongst\nthe people, and they passed away very well satisfied.\n\nAmong the rest a professor followed me, praising and commending me; but\nhis words were like a thistle to me. At last I turned about, and bid him\n\u201cfear the Lord:\u201d whereupon priest Larkham, of COCKERMOUTH (for several\npriests were got together on the way who came after the meeting was\nover,) said to me, \u201cSir, why do you judge so; you must not judge.\u201d But I\nturned to him and said, \u201cFriend, dost not thou discern an exhortation\nfrom a judgment? I admonished him to fear God; and dost thou say I judge\nhim?\u201d So this priest and I falling into discourse, I manifested him to\nbe amongst the false prophets and covetous hirelings. And several people\nbeing moved to speak to him, he and two others of the priests soon got\naway. When they were gone, John Wilkinson, who was preacher of that\nparish, and of two other parishes in CUMBERLAND, began to dispute\nagainst his own conscience for several hours, till the people generally\nturned against him; for he thought to have tired me out, but the Lord\u2019s\npower tired him out, and the Lord\u2019s truth came over him and them all.\nMany hundreds were convinced that day, and received the Lord Jesus\nChrist, and his free teaching, with gladness; of whom some have died in\nthe truth, and many stand faithful witnesses thereof. The soldiers also\nwere convinced, and their wives, and continued with me till First-day.\n\nOn First-day I went to the steeple-house at COCKERMOUTH, where priest\nLarkham lived. When he had done, I began to speak, and the people began\nto be rude; but the soldiers told them we had broken no law, and they\nbecame quiet. Then I turned to the priest, and laid him open among the\nfalse prophets and hirelings; at which word the priest went his way, and\nsaid, \u201cHe calls me hireling;\u201d which was true enough, and all the people\nknew it. Then some of the great men of the town came to me, and said,\n\u201cSir, we have no learned men to dispute with you.\u201d I told them I came\nnot to dispute, but to show the way of salvation to them, the way of\neverlasting life. I declared largely the way of life and truth, and\ndirected them to Christ their Teacher, who had died for them, and bought\nthem with his blood.\n\nWhen I had done, I went about two miles to another great steeple-house\nof John Wilkinson\u2019s, called BRIGHAM; where the people, having been at\nthe other meeting, were mightily affected, and would have put my horse\ninto the steeple-house yard; but I said, \u201cNo, the priest claims that;\ntake him to an inn.\u201d When I came into the steeple-house yard, I saw the\npeople coming in great companies, as to a fair; and abundance were\nalready gathered in the lanes, and about the steeple-house. I was very\nthirsty, and walked about a quarter of a mile to a brook, where I got\nsome water, and refreshed myself. As I came up again, I met Wilkinson,\nwho as I passed by him said, \u201cSir, will you preach to-day? If you will,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cI will not oppose you in word or thought.\u201d I replied, \u201cOppose\nif thou wilt; I have something to speak to the people.\u201d \u201cAnd,\u201d said I,\n\u201cthou carriedst thyself foolishly the other day, and spoke against thy\nconscience and reason; insomuch that thy hearers cried out against\nthee.\u201d So I left him, and went on; for he saw it was in vain to oppose,\nthe people were so affected with the Lord\u2019s truth. When I came into the\nsteeple-house yard, a professor came to me, and asked if I would not go\ninto the church as he called it. And I seeing no convenient place to\nstand to speak to the people from, went in, and stood up on a seat after\nthey were settled. The priest came in also, but did not go up to his\npulpit.\n\nThe Lord opened my mouth, and I declared his everlasting truth, and word\nof life to the people; \u201cdirecting them to the spirit of God in\nthemselves, by which they might know God and Christ, and the Scriptures,\nand come to have heavenly fellowship in the Spirit. I declared to them,\nthat every one that cometh into the world, was enlightened by Christ the\nlife; by which light they might see their sins, and Christ, who was come\nto save them from their sins, and died for them. And, if they came to\nwalk in this light, they might therein see Christ to be the author of\ntheir faith, and the finisher thereof; their Shepherd to feed them,\ntheir Priest to teach them, and their great Prophet to open divine\nmysteries unto them, and to be always present with them. I explained\nalso unto them, in the openings of the Lord, the first covenant,\nexplaining to them the types, and the substance of those figures; and so\nbringing them on to Christ, the new covenant. I also manifested unto\nthem, that there had been a night of apostacy since the apostles\u2019 days;\nbut that now the everlasting gospel was preached again, which brought\nlife and immortality to light; and the day of the Lord was come, and\nChrist was come to teach his people himself by his light, grace, power,\nand Spirit.\u201d A fine opportunity the Lord gave me to preach truth among\nthe people that day for about three hours; and all was quiet. Many\nhundreds were convinced; and some of them praised God and said, \u201cNow we\nknow the first step to peace.\u201d The preacher also said privately to some\nof his hearers, that I had broken them and overthrown them.\n\nAfter this I went to a village, and many people accompanied me. As I was\nsitting in a house full of people, declaring the word of life unto them,\nI cast mine eye upon a woman, and discerned an unclean spirit in her.\nAnd I was moved of the Lord to speak sharply to her, and told her she\nwas a witch [under the influence of an unclean spirit]; whereupon she\nwent out of the room. Now, I being a stranger there, and knowing nothing\nof the woman outwardly, the people wondered at it, and told me\nafterwards that I had discovered a great thing; for all the country\nlooked upon her to be a witch. The Lord had given me a spirit of\ndiscerning, by which I many times saw the states and conditions of\npeople, and could try their spirits. For not long before, as I was going\nto a meeting, I saw some women in a field, and I discerned them to be\nwitches; and I was moved to go out of my way into the field to them, and\ndeclare unto them their conditions. At another time there came such an\none into Swarthmore-hall in the meeting time; and I was moved to speak\nsharply to her, and told her she was a witch [under the power of an evil\nspirit]; and the people said afterwards she was generally accounted so.\nThere came also at another time another woman, and stood at a distance\nfrom me, and I cast mine eye upon her, and said, \u201cthou hast been a\nharlot;\u201d for I perfectly saw the condition and life of the woman. The\nwoman answered and said, many could tell her of her outward sins, but\nnone could tell her of her inward. Then I told her her heart was not\nright before the Lord, and that from the inward came the outward. This\nwoman came afterwards to be convinced of God\u2019s truth, and became a\nFriend.\n\nFrom the aforesaid village we came up to Thomas Bewley\u2019s, near CALDBECK;\nand from thence, having had some service for the Lord there, I passed to\na town, where I had a meeting at the Cross; and all was pretty quiet.\nWhen I had declared the truth unto them, and directed them to Christ\ntheir teacher, some received the truth. We had another meeting upon the\nborders, in a steeple-house yard, to which many professors and\ncontenders came; but the Lord\u2019s power was over all; and when the word of\nlife had been declared amongst them, some received the truth there also.\n\nFrom thence we came to CARLISLE, and the pastor of the Baptists, with\nmost of his hearers, came to me to the abbey, where I had a meeting, and\ndeclared the word of life amongst them; and many of the Baptists, and of\nthe soldiers, were convinced. After the meeting, the pastor of the\nBaptists, a high notionist, and a flashy man, came to me, and asked me,\n\u201cwhat must be damned;\u201d I was moved immediately to tell him, \u201cthat which\nspoke in him was to be damned.\u201d This stopped his mouth; and the witness\nof God was raised up in him. I opened to him the states of election and\nreprobation, so that he said he never heard the like in his life. He\nalso came afterwards to be convinced.\n\nThen I went up to the castle among the soldiers, who beat a drum, and\ncalled the garrison together. I preached the truth amongst them,\n\u201cdirecting them to the Lord Jesus Christ to be their teacher, and to the\nmeasure of his Spirit in themselves, by which they might be turned from\nthe darkness to the light, and from the power of Satan unto God. I\nwarned them all, that they should do no violence to any man, but should\nshow forth a Christian life; telling them, that he who was to be their\nteacher, would be their condemner, if they were disobedient to him.\u201d So\nI left them, having no opposition from any of them except the sergeants,\nwho afterwards came to be convinced.\n\nOn the market-day I went up into the market, to the market-cross. Now\nthe magistrates had both threatened and sent their serjeants; and the\nmagistrates\u2019 wives had said that if I came there, they would pluck the\nhair off my head; and that the serjeants should take me up.\nNevertheless, I obeyed the Lord God, and went upon the Cross, and there\ndeclared unto them, that the day of the Lord was coming upon all their\ndeceitful ways and doings, and deceitful merchandize; and that they\nshould put away all cozening and cheating, and keep to yea and nay, and\nspeak the truth one to another; so the truth and the power of God was\nset over them. After I had declared the word of life to the people, the\nthrong became so great that the serjeants could not get to me, nor the\nmagistrates\u2019 wives come at me, I passed away quietly. Many people and\nsoldiers came to me, and some Baptists, that were bitter contenders;\namongst whom one of their deacons, being an envious man, and finding the\nLord\u2019s power was over them, cried out for very anger. Whereupon I set my\neyes upon him, and spoke sharply to him in the power of the Lord; and he\ncried, \u201cDo not pierce me so with thy eyes; keep thy eyes off me.\u201d\n\nOn the First-day following I went into the steeple-house; and after the\npriest had done, I preached the truth to the people, and declared the\nword of life amongst them. The priest got away, and the magistrates\ndesired me to go out of the steeple-house. But I still declared the way\nof the Lord unto them, and told them, \u201cI came to speak the word of life\nand salvation from the Lord amongst them.\u201d The power of the Lord was\ndreadful amongst them in the steeple-house, so that the people trembled\nand shook, and they thought the steeple-house shook: and some of them\nfeared it would fall down on their heads. The magistrates\u2019 wives were in\na rage, and strove mightily to be at me: but the soldiers and friendly\npeople stood thick about me. At length the rude people of the city rose,\nand came with staves and stones into the steeple-house, crying, \u201cDown\nwith these round-headed rogues;\u201d and they threw stones. Whereupon the\ngovernor sent a file or two of musketeers into the steeple-house, to\nappease the tumult, and commanded all the other soldiers out. So those\nsoldiers took me by the hand in a friendly manner, and said they would\nhave me along with them. When we came forth into the street, the city\nwas in an uproar, and the governor came down; and some of those soldiers\nwere put in prison for standing by me, and for me, against the\ntown\u2019s-people. A lieutenant, that had been convinced, came, and brought\nme to his house, where there was a Baptists\u2019 meeting, and thither came\nFriends also, and we had a very quiet meeting; they heard the word of\nlife gladly, and many received it.\n\nThe next day, the justices and magistrates of the town being gathered in\nthe townhall, they granted a warrant against me, and sent for me to come\nbefore them. I was then gone to a Baptist\u2019s house; but hearing of it, I\nwent up to the hall to them, where many rude people were; some of whom\nhad sworn strange, false things against me. I had much discourse with\nthe magistrates, wherein I laid open the fruits of their priests\u2019\npreaching, and showed them how void they were of Christianity; and that,\nthough they were such great professors (for they were Independents and\nPresbyterians,) they were without the possession of that which they\nprofessed. After a large examination they committed me to prison as a\nblasphemer, a heretic, and a seducer; though they could not justly\ncharge any such thing against me. The jail at CARLISLE had two jailers,\nan upper and an under, who looked like two great bear-wards. Now when I\nwas brought in, the upper jailer had me up into a great chamber, and\ntold me, I should have what I would in that room. But I told him, he\nshould not expect any money from me, for I would neither lie in any of\nhis beds, nor eat any of his victuals. Then he put me into another room;\nwhere after a while, I got something to lie upon. There I lay till the\nassizes came; and then all the talk was, that I was to be hanged. The\nhigh sheriff, whose name was Wilfred Lawson, stirred them much up to\ntake away my life; and said, he would guard me to my execution himself.\nThey were in a great rage, and set three musketeers for a guard upon me;\none at my chamber door, another at the stairs\u2019 foot, and a third at the\nstreet door; and they would let none come at me, except one sometimes,\nto bring me some necessary things. At night they would bring up priests\nto me, sometimes as late as the tenth hour; who were exceedingly rude\nand devilish. There was a company of bitter Scotch priests,\nPresbyterians, made up of envy and malice, who were not fit to speak of\nthe things of God, they were so foul-mouthed; but the Lord, by his\npower, gave me dominion over them all, and I let them see both their\nfruits and their spirits. Great ladies also (as they were called) came\nto see the man that they said was to die. Now, while both the judge,\njustices, and sheriff, were contriving together how they might put me to\ndeath, the Lord disappointed their design by an unexpected way; for the\njudge\u2019s clerk (as I was informed,) started a question among them, which\nconfounded all their counsels; so that after that they had not power to\ncall me before the judge.\n\nAnthony Pearson being then in Carlisle, and perceiving that they did not\nintend to bring me, as was expected, upon my trial, wrote a letter to\nthe judges, directed as follows:\u2014\n\n    TO THE JUDGES OF ASSIZE AND JAIL-DELIVERY FOR THE NORTHERN PARTS,\n                           SITTING AT CARLISLE.\n\n  \u201cYou are raised up to do righteousness and justice, and sent forth to\n  punish him that doth evil, and to encourage him that doth well, and to\n  set the oppressed free. I am therefore moved to lay before you the\n  condition of George Fox, whom the magistrates of this city have cast\n  into prison, for words that he is accused to have spoken, which they\n  call blasphemy. He was sent to the jail, till he should be delivered\n  by due course of law; and it was expected he should have been\n  proceeded against in the common-law court at this assizes. The\n  informations against him were delivered into court; and the act allows\n  and appoints that way of trial. How hardly and unchristianly he hath\n  been hitherto dealt with, I shall not now mention; but you may\n  consider, that nothing he is accused of is nice and difficult. And, to\n  my knowledge, he utterly abhors and detests every particular, which by\n  the act against blasphemous opinions, is appointed to be punished; and\n  differs as much from those people against whom the law was made, as\n  light from darkness. Though he is committed, judgment is not given\n  against him; nor have his accusers been face to face, to affirm before\n  him what they have informed against him; nor was he heard as to the\n  particulars of their accusations; nor doth it appear, that any word\n  they charge against him, is within the act. But, indeed, I could not\n  yet so much as see the information, no, not in court, though I desired\n  it, both of the clerk of the assizes and of the magistrates\u2019 clerk;\n  nor hath he had a copy of them. This is very hard; and that he should\n  be so closely restrained, that his friends may not speak with him, I\n  know no law nor reason for. I do therefore claim for him a due and\n  lawful hearing, and that he may have a copy of his charge, and freedom\n  to answer for himself; and that rather before you, than to be left to\n  the rulers of this town, who are not competent judges of blasphemy, as\n  by their mittimus appears; who have committed him upon an act of\n  parliament, and mention words as spoken by him at his examination,\n  which are not within the act, and which he utterly denies. The words\n  mentioned in the mittimus he denies to have spoken; and hath neither\n  professed nor avowed them.\u201d\n\n                                                    ANTHONY PEARSON.\n\nNotwithstanding this letter, the judges were resolved not to suffer me\nto be brought before them; but reviling and scoffing at me behind my\nback, left me to the magistrates of the town; giving them what\nencouragement they could to exercise their cruelty upon me. Whereupon\n(though I had been kept up so close in the jailer\u2019s house that Friends\nwere not suffered to visit me, and Colonel Benson and Justice Pearson\nwere denied to see me,) the next day, after the judges were gone out of\ntown, an order was sent to the jailer to put me down into the dungeon\namong the moss-troopers,[29] thieves, and murderers, which accordingly\nhe did. A filthy nasty place it was, where men and women were put\ntogether in a very uncivil manner, and not even a house of convenience\nto it; and the prisoners so lousy that one woman was almost eaten to\ndeath with lice. Yet, as bad as the place was, the prisoners were all\nmade very loving and subject to me; and some of them were convinced of\nthe truth, as the publicans and harlots were of old; so that they were\nable to confound any priest, that might come to the grates to dispute.\nBut the jailer was very cruel, and the under-jailer very abusive to me\nand to Friends that came to see me; for he would beat Friends with a\ngreat cudgel, that did but come to the window to look in upon me. I\ncould get up to the grate, where sometimes I took in my meat; at which\nthe jailer was often offended. One time he came in a great rage, and\nbeat me with a great cudgel, though I was not at the grate at that time;\nand as he beat me, he cried, \u201cCome out of the window,\u201d though I was then\nfar enough from it. While he struck me, I was made to sing in the Lord\u2019s\npower; and that made him rage the more. Then he fetched a fiddler, and\nbrought him in where I was, and set him to play, thinking to vex me\nthereby; but while he played, I was moved in the everlasting power of\nthe Lord God to sing; and my voice drowned the noise of the fiddle, and\nstruck and confounded them, and made them give over fiddling and go\ntheir way.\n\nFootnote 29:\n\n  Moss-troopers were the remnant of a kind of freebooters, who infested\n  the borders of England and Scotland in feudal times, making incursions\n  on each other, less for the purpose of contention in arms, than for\n  committing depredations on cattle and property.\n\nJustice Benson\u2019s wife was moved of the Lord to come to visit me, and to\neat no meat but what she ate with me at the bars of the dungeon window.\nShe was afterwards herself imprisoned at YORK, when she was great with\nchild, for speaking to a priest; and was kept in prison, and not\nsuffered to go out, when the time of her travail was come; so she was\ndelivered of her child in the prison. She was an honest, tender woman,\nand continued faithful to the truth until she died.\n\nWhilst I was in the dungeon at CARLISLE, James Parnell, a little lad of\nabout sixteen years of age, came to see me, and was convinced. And the\nLord quickly made him a powerful minister of the word of life, and many\nwere turned to Christ by him, though he lived not long: for, travelling\ninto ESSEX, in the work of the ministry, in the year 1655, he was\ncommitted to COLCHESTER castle, where he endured very great hardships\nand sufferings; being put by the cruel jailer into a hole in the castle\nwall, called the oven, so high from the ground, that he went up to it by\na ladder; which being six feet too short, he was obliged to climb from\nthe ladder to the hole by a rope that was fastened above. And when\nFriends would have given him a cord and a basket, to draw up his\nvictuals in, the inhuman jailer would not suffer them, but forced him to\ngo down and up by that short ladder and rope, to fetch his victuals,\n(which for a long time he did), or else he might have famished in the\nhole. At length, his limbs being much benumbed with lying in that place,\nyet being constrained to go down to take up some victuals, as he came up\nthe ladder again with his victuals in one hand, and caught at the rope\nwith the other, he missed the rope, and fell down from a very great\nheight upon the stones; by which fall he was exceedingly wounded in his\nhead and arms, and his body was so much bruised, that he died in a short\ntime after.[30] When he was dead, the wicked professors, to cover their\nown cruelty, wrote a book of him, and said, \u201che fasted himself to\ndeath;\u201d which was an abominable falsehood, and was manifested so to be\nby another book, which was written in answer to that, and was called\n\u201cThe Lamb\u2019s Defence against Lies.\u201d\n\nFootnote 30:\n\n  James Parnell, according to the historian Sewell, was trained up in\n  the schools of literature. Though young, he became a valiant soldier\n  of the Lamb;\n\n                \u201cIn age a stripling, but in service old;\u201d\n\n  and died a true martyr in a dungeon\u2019s gloom. Particulars of his\n  barbarous treatment, and consequent death in jail, may be found in\n  Sewell\u2019s _History_, vol. i., under date 1655; and fuller information\n  in his _Life_ by Callaway. In Barclay\u2019s _Letters of early Friends_ is\n  one from James Parnell written from Colchester Castle, wherein he\n  says, \u201cThey have laboured to make my bonds grievous, but my strength\n  the Philistines know not: I am kept and nourished in the midst of mine\n  enemies; glory be to God the Highest, who hath counted me worthy to\n  bear the bonds of the gospel.\u201d\n\nNow when I saw that I was not likely to be brought to a public hearing\nand trial (although I had before answered in writing, the particular\nmatters charged against me, at the time of my first examination and\ncommitment), I was moved to send the following paper, as a public\nchallenge to all those that belied the truth and me behind my back, to\ncome forth and make good their charge:\u2014\n\n  \u201cIf any in Westmorland, or Cumberland, or elsewhere, that profess\n  Christianity, and pretend to love God and Christ, are not satisfied\n  concerning the things of God, which I, who am called George Fox, have\n  spoken and declared, let them declare and publish their\n  dissatisfaction in writing, and not back-bite, nor lie, nor persecute,\n  in secret: this I demand of you all in the presence of the living God,\n  as ye will answer it to him. For the exaltation of the truth, and the\n  confounding of deceit, is this given forth. To that of God in your\n  consciences I speak; declare or write your dissatisfaction to any of\n  them, whom you call Quakers, that truth may be exalted, and all may\n  come to the light, with which Christ has enlightened every one that\n  cometh into the world: that nothing may be hid in darkness, in\n  prisons, holes, or corners, but that all things may be brought to the\n  light of Christ, and by the light of Christ may be tried. This am I\n  moved of the Lord to write, and send forth to be set upon the\n  market-crosses in Westmorland, and elsewhere. To the light of Christ\n  in you I speak, that none of you may speak evil of the things of God,\n  which you know not; nor act contrary to the light, that gave forth the\n  Scriptures; lest you be found fighters against God, and the hand of\n  the Lord be turned against you.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nWhile I thus lay in the dungeon at CARLISLE, the report raised at the\ntime of the assize, \u201cthat I should be put to death,\u201d was gone far and\nnear; insomuch that the parliament then sitting (which, I think, was\ncalled the Little Parliament), hearing, that a young man at CARLISLE was\nto die for religion, caused a letter to be sent to the sheriff and\nmagistrates concerning me. About the same time I wrote also to the\njustices at CARLISLE, that had cast me into prison, and that persecuted\nFriends at the instigation of the priests for tithes; expostulating the\nmatter with them thus:\u2014\n\n  \u201cFRIENDS, THOMAS CRASTON AND CUTHBERT STUDHOLM.\n\n  \u201cYour noise is gone up to London before the sober people. What\n  imprisoning, what gagging, what havoc and spoiling of the goods of\n  people have you made within these few years! Unlike men; as though you\n  had never read the Scriptures, or had not minded them! Is this the end\n  of Carlisle\u2019s religion? is this the end of your ministry; and is this\n  the end of your church, and of your profession of Christianity? You\n  have shamed it by your folly, your madness, and blind zeal. Was it not\n  always the work of the blind guides, watchmen, leaders, and false\n  prophets, to prepare war against them that would not put into their\n  mouths? And have not you been the priests\u2019 pack-horses, and\n  executioners? When they spur you up to bear the sword against the\n  just, do not you run on against the creatures, that cannot hold up\n  such as the Scriptures did always testify against? Yet will you lift\n  up your unholy hands, and call upon God with your polluted lips, and\n  pretend a fast, who are full of strife and debate. Did your hearts\n  never burn within you? Did you never come to question your conditions?\n  Are you wholly given up to do the Devil\u2019s lusts, to persecute? Where\n  is your loving of enemies? Where is your entertaining of strangers?\n  Where is your overcoming evil with good? Where are your teachers that\n  can stop the mouths of gainsayers, and can convince gainsayers and\n  such as oppose themselves? Have you no ministers of the Spirit, no\n  soldiers with spiritual weapons displaying Christ\u2019s colours? But all\n  the dragon\u2019s, the murderer\u2019s, the persecutor\u2019s arm of flesh; Cain\u2019s\n  weapons, chief priests taking counsel; Judas and the multitude with\n  swords and staves; Sodom\u2019s company raging about Lot\u2019s house; like the\n  priests and princes against Jeremiah; like the dragon, beast, and\n  great whore, and the false church, which John saw, should cast into\n  prison, and kill, and persecute? Whose weapons are you bearing? Doth\n  not the false church make merchandise of cattle, corn, wine, and oil,\n  even to the very souls of men? And hath not all this been since the\n  true church went into the wilderness? Read Revelations the xiith, with\n  the xviiith: do you not read and see what a spirit you are of, and\n  what a bottomless pit you are in? And have not you dishonoured the\n  place of justice and authority? What! turned your sword backward like\n  madmen, who are a praise to the evil-doer, and would be a terror to\n  the good, with all force and might to stop the way of justice! Doth\n  not the Lord, think you, behold your actions? How many have you\n  wronged? how many have you imprisoned and persecuted, and put out of\n  your synagogues? Are you they that must fulfil the prophecy of Christ,\n  Matt. xxiii. John xvi.?\n\n  \u201cRead the Scriptures, and see how unlike you are to the prophets,\n  Christ, and his apostles; and what a visage you have, like unto them\n  that persecuted the prophets, Christ, and the apostles. You are found\n  in their steps, wrestling with flesh and blood, and not with\n  principalities, and powers, and spiritual wickedness, and your\n  teachers imprisoning and persecuting for outward things, you being\n  their executioners; the like whereof hath not been in all the nations.\n  The havoc that hath been made, the spoiling of the goods of people,\n  taking away their oxen and fatted beeves, their sheep, corn, wool, and\n  household goods, and giving them to the priests, that have done no\n  work for them; more like moss-troopers than ministers of the gospel,\n  they take them from Friends; sueing them in your courts, and fining\n  them because they will not break the commands of Christ; that is,\n  because they will not swear. Thus you act against them that do not\n  lift up a hand against you; and as much as you turn against them you\n  turn against Christ. But he is risen that will plead their cause, and\n  you cannot be hid; for your works are come to light, and the end of\n  your ministry is seen, what it is for\u2014for means. You have dishonoured\n  the truth, the gospel, and are they that make it chargeable. You have\n  lost your glory. You have dishonoured yourselves. Persecution was ever\n  blind and mad. Read the apostle, what he saith of himself, when he was\n  in your nature. Exaltation and pride, and your lifting up yourselves,\n  hath brought you to this; not being humble, not doing justice, not\n  loving mercy. When such as have been beaten and bruised by your rude\n  company, to whom you are a praise and encouragement, have come, and\n  laid things before you, that you might do justice, preserve and keep\n  peace, you, knowing they could not swear, have put an oath to them.\n  This hath been your trick and cover, that ye might not do justice to\n  the just; but by this means you have gone on still further to\n  encourage the evil-doer. But the Lord sees your hearts! If ye were not\n  men past feeling, ye would fear and tremble before the God of the\n  whole earth, who is risen and will stain your glory, mar your pride,\n  deface your beauty, and lay it in the dust. Though for a time you may\n  swell in your pride, glory in your shame, and make a mock of God\u2019s\n  messengers, who for reproving sin in the gate, are become your prey,\n  you will feel the heavy hand of God, and his judgments at the last.\n\n  \u201cThis is from a lover of the truth, and of righteousness, and of your\n  souls; but a witness against all such as make a trade of the\n  prophets\u2019, Christ\u2019s, and the Apostles\u2019 words, and are found in the\n  steps of them that persecuted the prophets\u2019, Christ\u2019s, and the\n  Apostles\u2019 life; who will persecute them, that will not hold you up,\n  and put into your mouths, and give you means. Tithes were before the\n  law, and tithes were in the law; but tithes, since the days of the\n  apostles, have been only since the false church got up. Now Christ,\n  who is come to end the law, and to end war, redeems men out of the\n  tenths, and out of the nines also. The redeemed of the Lord shall\n  reign upon the earth, and know the election, which was before the\n  world began. Since the days of the apostles, tithes have been set up\n  by the Papists, and by them that went forth from the apostles into the\n  world; so set up by the false church, that made merchandise of people,\n  since the true church went into the wilderness. But now is the\n  judgment of the great whore come, and the beast and false prophet, the\n  old dragon, shall be taken and cast in the fire, and the Lamb and his\n  saints shall have the victory. Now is Christ come, who will make war\n  in righteousness, and destroy with the sword of his mouth all these\n  inventors and inventions, that have got up, and been set up since the\n  days of the apostles, and since the true church went into the\n  wilderness. And the everlasting gospel, which is the power of God,\n  shall be preached again to all nations, and kindreds and tongues, in\n  this the Lamb\u2019s day, before whom you shall appear to judgment. You\n  have no way to escape. For He hath appeared, who is \u2018the First and the\n  Last, the beginning and the ending, the Alpha and the Omega; He that\n  was dead, is alive again, and lives for evermore!\u2019\u201d\n\nI mentioned before that Gervase Benson and Anthony Pearson, though they\nhad been justices of the peace, were not permitted to come to me in the\nprison; whereupon they jointly wrote a letter to the magistrates,\npriests, and people at CARLISLE, concerning my imprisonment; which was\nthus:\u2014\n\n  \u201cHim, who is called George Fox, who is persecuted by rulers and\n  magistrates, by justices, by priests, and by people, and who suffers\n  imprisonment of his body at this present, as a blasphemer, and a\n  heretic, and a seducer, him do we witness, who in measure are made\n  partakers of the same life, that lives in him, to be a minister of the\n  eternal Word of God, by whom the everlasting gospel is preached; by\n  the powerful preaching whereof the eternal Father of the saints hath\n  opened the blind eyes, hath unstopped the deaf ears, hath let the\n  oppressed go free, and hath raised up the dead out of the graves.\n  Christ is now preached in and among the saints, the same that ever he\n  was; and because his heavenly image is borne up in this his faithful\n  servant, therefore doth fallen man (rulers, priests, and people)\n  persecute him. Because he lives up out of the fall, and testifies\n  against the works of the world, that the deeds thereof are evil, he\n  suffers by you magistrates; not as an evil-doer. For thus it was ever,\n  where the seed of God was kept in prison under the cursed nature, that\n  nature sought to imprison them in whom it was raised. The Lord will\n  make him to you as a burdensome stone; for the sword of the spirit of\n  the Almighty is put into the hands of the saints, which shall wound\n  all the wicked, and shall not be put up till it hath cut down all\n  corrupt judges, justices, magistrates, priests, and professors; till\n  he hath brought his wonderful thing to pass in the earth; which is to\n  make new heavens and a new earth, wherein shall dwell righteousness;\n  which now he is about to do. Therefore fear the Lord God Almighty, ye\n  judges, justices, commanders, priests, and people; ye that forget God,\n  suddenly will the Lord come, and destroy you with utter destruction,\n  and will sweep your names out of the earth, and will restore his\n  people judges, as at the first, and counsellors, as at the beginning.\n  And all persecutors shall partake of the plagues of the whore, who\n  hath made the kings of the earth and the great men drunk with the wine\n  of her fornications, and hath drunk the blood of the saints; and\n  therefore shall you be partakers of her plagues.\n\n  \u201cWe are not suffered to see our friend in prison, whom we witness to\n  be a messenger of the living God. Now all people, consider whether\n  this be according to law, or from the wicked, perverse, envious will\n  of the envious rulers and magistrates, who are of the same generation\n  that persecuted Jesus Christ; for, said he, \u2018as they have done to me,\n  so will they do to you.\u2019 And as he took the love, the kindness, and\n  service that was showed and performed to any of his afflicted ones in\n  their sufferings and distress, as done unto himself, so the injuries\n  and wrongs that were done by any to any of his little ones, he\n  resented, as done unto himself also. Therefore you, who are so far\n  from visiting him yourselves in his suffering servant, that ye will\n  not suffer his brethren to visit him, ye must depart, ye workers of\n  iniquity, into the lake that burns with fire. The Lord is coming to\n  thrash the mountains, and will beat them to dust; and all corrupt\n  rulers, corrupt officers, and corrupt laws, the Lord will take\n  vengeance on, by which the tender consciences of his people are\n  oppressed. He will give his people his law, and will judge his people\n  himself, not according to the sight of the eye, and hearing of the\n  ear, but with righteousness, and with equity. Now are your hearts made\n  manifest to be full of envy against the living truth of God, which is\n  made manifest in his people, who are contemned and dispised of the\n  world, and scornfully called Quakers. You are worse than the heathens,\n  that put Paul in prison, for none of his friends or acquaintance were\n  hindered to come to him by them; therefore they shall be witnesses\n  against you. Ye are made manifest to the saints, to be of the same\n  generation that put Christ to death, and that put the apostles in\n  prison on the same pretence that you act under, in calling truth\n  error, and the ministers of God blasphemers, as they did. But the day\n  is dreadful and terrible, that shall come upon you, ye evil\n  magistrates, priests and people, who profess the truth in words\n  outwardly, and yet persecute the power of truth, and them that stand\n  in and for the truth. While ye have time prize it, and remember what\n  is written, Isa. liv. 17.\u201d\n\n                                                    GERVASE BENSON.\n                                                    ANTHONY PEARSON.\n\nNot long after this, the Lord\u2019s power came over the justices, and they\nwere made to set me at liberty. But some time previous, the governor,\nand Anthony Pearson, came down into the dungeon to see the place where I\nwas kept, and understand what usage I had. They found the place so bad,\nand the savour so ill, that they cried shame on the magistrates for\nsuffering the jailer to do such things. They called for the jailers into\nthe dungeon, and required them to find sureties for their good\nbehaviour; and the under-jailer who had been such a cruel fellow, they\nput into the dungeon with me, amongst the moss-troopers.\n\nAfter I was set at liberty, I went to Thomas Bewley\u2019s, where came a\nBaptist teacher to oppose me; but he was convinced. Robert Widders being\nwith me, was moved to go to CALDBECK steeple-house, and the Baptist\nteacher went along with him the same day. The people fell upon them, and\nalmost killed Robert Widders; and took the Baptist\u2019s sword from him and\nbeat him sorely. This Baptist had the inheritance of an impropriation of\ntithes; and he went home, and gave it up freely. Robert Widders was sent\nto CARLISLE jail, where having lain a while, he was set at liberty\nagain.[31] William Dewsbury also went to another steeple-house hard by,\nand the people almost killed him, they beat him so; but the Lord\u2019s power\nwas over all, and healed him again. In that day many Friends went into\nthe steeple-houses, to declare the truth to the priests and people, and\ngreat sufferings they underwent; but the Lord\u2019s power sustained them.\n\nFootnote 31:\n\n  Robert Widders is often mentioned in this Journal, having travelled\n  with George Fox in Scotland, as also in many parts of America. They\n  went through great perils by sea and land, in the wilderness and in\n  woods, in danger of wild beasts; yet through all the Lord supported\n  him, and kept him faithful to the end. He was valiant for God\u2019s truth,\n  establishing many in the faith. He was a great sufferer from\n  persecutors; once, at Caldbeck, he was thrown down on the ground, and\n  kicked and beaten so cruelly, that blood gushed out of his mouth, and\n  he was supposed to be dead. At Lamplugh, his clothes were torn on his\n  back, and the hair from off his head; and at Bishop-Auckland, he was\n  stoned and sorely bruised. His cattle, corn, and household goods were\n  also swept away by wholesale, yet he was not at all dejected or\n  concerned, knowing well for what he suffered. He was much resigned\n  during his last sickness, often saying on his death-bed, \u201chis heart\n  was filled with the love of God;\u201d and he departed this life in great\n  peace in 1686, aged sixty-eight years.\n\nNow I went into the country, and had mighty great meetings. The\neverlasting gospel and word of life flourished, and thousands were\nturned to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to his teaching. Several that had\ntaken tithes, as impropriators, denied the receiving of them any longer,\nand delivered them up freely to the parishioners. Passing into\nWESTMORLAND, I had many great meetings. At STRICKLAND-HEAD I had a large\nmeeting, where a justice of peace out of Bishoprick, whose name was\nHenry Draper, came, and many contenders were there. The priests and\nmagistrates were in a great rage against me in WESTMORLAND, and had a\nwarrant to apprehend me, which they renewed from time to time, for a\nlong time; yet the Lord did not suffer them to serve it upon me. I\ntravelled on amongst Friends, visiting the meetings till I came to\nSWARTHMORE, where I heard that the Baptists and professors in Scotland\nhad sent to have a dispute with me. I sent them word, that I would meet\nthem in CUMBERLAND, at Thomas Bewley\u2019s house, whither accordingly I\nwent, but none of them came.\n\nSome dangers at this time I underwent in my travels; for at one time, as\nwe were passing from a meeting, and going through WIGTON on a\nmarket-day, the people of the town had set a guard with pitch-forks; and\nalthough some of their own neighbours were with us, they kept us out of\nthe town, and would not let us pass through it, under the pretence of\npreventing the sickness; though there was no occasion for any such\nthing. However, they fell upon us, and had like to have spoiled us and\nour horses; but the Lord restrained them, that they did not much hurt;\nand we passed away. Another time, as I was passing between two Friends\u2019\nhouses, some rude fellows lay in wait in a lane, and exceedingly stoned\nand abused us; but at last, through the Lord\u2019s assistance, we got\nthrough them, and had not much hurt. But this showed the fruits of the\npriest\u2019s teaching, which shamed their profession of Christianity.\n\nAfter I had visited Friends in that county, I went through the county\ninto DURHAM, having large meetings by the way. A very large one I had at\nAnthony Pearson\u2019s, where many were convinced. From thence I passed\nthrough NORTHUMBERLAND to DERWENT-WATER, where there were great\nmeetings; and the priests threatened that they would come, but none\ncame. The everlasting word of life was freely preached, and freely\nreceived; and many hundreds were turned to Christ, their teacher.\n\nIn NORTHUMBERLAND many came to dispute, of whom some pleaded against\nperfection: unto whom I declared, \u201cthat Adam and Eve were perfect before\nthey fell; and all that God made was perfect; and that the imperfection\ncame by the Devil, and the fall; but Christ, that came to destroy the\nDevil, said, \u2018Be ye perfect.\u2019\u201d One of the professors alleged that Job\nsaid, \u201cShall mortal man be more pure than his Maker? The heavens are not\nclean in his sight. God charged his angels with folly.\u201d But I showed him\nhis mistake, and let him see, \u201cthat it was not Job that said so, but one\nof those that contended against Job; for Job stood for perfection, and\nheld his integrity: and they were called miserable comforters.\u201d Then\nthese professors said, the outward body was the body of death and sin. I\nshowed them their mistake in that also; for \u201cAdam and Eve had each of\nthem an outward body, before the body of death and sin got into them;\nand that man and woman will have bodies, when the body of sin and death\nis put off again; when they are renewed up into the image of God again\nby Christ Jesus, which they were in before they fell.\u201d So they ceased at\nthat time from opposing further; and glorious meetings we had in the\nLord\u2019s power.\n\nThen we passed on to HEXHAM, where we had a great meeting at the top of\na hill. The priest threatened he would come, and oppose us, but he came\nnot; so that all was quiet; and the everlasting day, and renowned truth\nof the ever-living God was sounded over those dark countries, and his\nSon exalted over all. It was proclaimed amongst the people that \u201cthe day\nwas now come, wherein all that made a profession of the Son of God,\nmight receive him; and that to as many as would receive him, he would\ngive power to become the sons of God, as he had done to me.\u201d And it was\nfurther declared, that \u201che that had the Son of God, had life eternal;\nbut that he that had not the Son of God (though he professed all the\nScriptures, from the first of Genesis to the last of the Revelations),\nhad not life.\u201d After all were directed to the light of Christ, by which\nthey might see him and receive him, and know where their true teacher\nwas, and the everlasting truth had been largely declared amongst them,\nwe passed away through HEXHAM peaceably, and came to GILSLAND, a country\nnoted for thieving.\n\nHere a Friend seeing the priest, went to speak to him; whereupon the\nlatter came down to our inn, and the town\u2019s-people gathered about us.\nThe priest said, he would prove us deceivers out of the Bible, but could\nfind no Scripture for his purpose. Then he went into the inn; and after\na while came out again, and brought some broken sentences of Scripture,\nthat mention \u201cthe doctrines and commandments of men, &c., and, touch\nnot, taste not, &c., for they perish with the using.\u201d All which, poor\nman! was his own condition; whereas we were persecuted, because we would\nnot taste, nor touch, nor handle their doctrines and traditions, which\nwe knew perished with the using. I asked him what he called the\nsteeple-house? \u201cO,\u201d said he, \u201cthe dreadful house of God, the temple of\nGod.\u201d Then I showed him, and the poor dark people, that their bodies\nshould be the temples of God; and that Christ never commanded these\ntemples, but ended that temple at Jerusalem, which God had commanded.\nWhile I was speaking, the priest got away; and afterwards the people\nappeared as if they feared we would take their purses, or steal their\nhorses; judging us like themselves, who are naturally given to thieving.\n\nThe next day we came through the country into CUMBERLAND again, where we\nhad a general meeting of many thousands of people at the top of a hill\nnear LANGLANDS. A glorious and heavenly meeting it was; for the glory of\nthe Lord did shine over all; and there were as many as one could well\nspeak over, the multitude was so great. Their eyes were fixed on Christ\ntheir teacher; and they came to sit under their own vine; insomuch that\nFrancis Howgill, coming afterwards to visit them, found they had no need\nof words; for they were sitting under their teacher Christ Jesus; in the\nsense whereof, he sat down amongst them, without speaking anything. A\ngreat convincement there was in CUMBERLAND, DURHAM, NORTHUMBERLAND,\nWESTMORLAND, LANCASHIRE, and YORKSHIRE; and the plants of God grew, and\nflourished, the heavenly rain descending, and God\u2019s glory shining upon\nthem, so that many mouths were opened by the Lord to his praise; yea, to\nbabes and sucklings he ordained strength.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER VII.\n\n1653-1654.\u2014George Fox disputes most of the day with priest\n    Wilkinson\u2014many Friends lose their business for declining the world\u2019s\n    salutations, but afterwards their tried faithfulness and integrity\n    procure them more than their neighbours\u2014George Fox issues an address\n    to Friends everywhere\u2014two persecuting justices at Carlisle are cut\n    off, and a third disgraced\u2014George Fox passes through Halifax, a rude\n    town of professors\u2014at Synderhill-Green he has a mighty meeting of\n    some thousands, and there was a general convincement\u2014about sixty\n    ministers are now raised up in the north, to travel towards the\n    south, the east, and the west, in Truth\u2019s service\u2014George Fox\u2019s\n    address to Friends in the ministry\u2014Rice Jones and many other false\n    prophets rise up against Friends and are blasted\u2014a wicked man binds\n    himself with an oath to kill George Fox, but is prevented\u2014great\n    convincement in Lincolnshire\u2014at Swannington George Fox has much\n    controversy with professors\u2014has a great dispute with priest Stevens,\n    and seven other priests at Drayton\u2014his father being present was\n    convinced, and said, \u201cTruly I see he that will but stand to the\n    truth, it will carry him out\u201d\u2014Priest Stevens propagates lies\n    respecting George Fox, which the Lord swept away\u2014is taken before\n    Colonel Hacker, who sends him to the Protector\u2014speaks prophetically\n    to the Colonel\u2014has a friendly conference with the Protector\u2014is\n    dismissed by him very friendly\u2014refuses his entertainment\u2014Captain\n    Drury scoffs at trembling, but is made to tremble in a remarkable\n    manner\u2014George Fox prays with some officers, who are greatly shaken\n    by the Lord\u2019s power\u2014priests and professors greatly disturbed because\n    many of their people are convinced, and moved to declare against the\n    rest.\n\n\nAfter my release from CARLISLE prison, I was moved to go to priest\nWilkinson\u2019s steeple-house again at BRIGHAM; and being got in before him,\nwhen he came in, I was declaring the truth to the people, though they\nwere but few; for the most and the best of his hearers were turned to\nChrist\u2019s free teaching; and we had a meeting of Friends hard by, where\nThomas Stubbs was declaring the word of life amongst them. As soon as\nthe priest came in, he opposed me; and there we stayed most part of the\nday; for when I began, he opposed me; so if any law was broken, he broke\nit. When his people would be haling me out, I manifested his fruits to\nbe such, as Christ spoke of, when he said, \u201cthey shall hale you out of\ntheir synagogues;\u201d and then he would be ashamed, and they would let me\nalone. There he stood till it was almost night, jangling and opposing\nme, and would not go to his dinner; for he thought to weary me out. But\nat last, the Lord\u2019s power and truth came so over him, that he packed\naway with his people. When he was gone, I went to the meeting of\nFriends, who were turned to the Lord, and by his power established on\nChrist, the rock and foundation of the true prophets and apostles, but\nnot of the false.\n\nAbout this time the priests and professors fell to prophesying against\nus afresh. They had said long before, that we should be destroyed within\na month; and after that, they prolonged the time to half-a-year; but\nthat time being long expired, and we mightily increased in number, they\nnow gave forth, that we would eat out one another. For often after\nmeetings, many tender people having a great way to go, tarried at\nFriends\u2019 houses by the way, and sometimes more than there were beds to\nlodge in; so that some have lain on the hay-mows; hereupon Cain\u2019s fear\npossessed the professors and world\u2019s people. For they were afraid, that\nwhen we had eaten one another out, we would all come to be maintained by\nthe parishes, and be chargeable to them. But after a while, when they\nsaw that the Lord blessed and increased Friends, as he did Abraham, both\nin the field and in the basket, at their goings forth, and comings in,\nat their risings up and lyings down, and that all things prospered with\nthem; then they saw the falseness of all their prophesies against us;\nand that it was in vain to curse, where God had blessed.\n\nAt the first convincement, when Friends could not put off their hats to\npeople, or say You to a single person, but Thou and Thee;\u2014when they\ncould not bow, or use flattering words in salutations, or adopt the\nfashions and customs of the world, many Friends, that were tradesmen of\nseveral sorts, lost their customers at first; for the people were shy of\nthem, and would not trade with them; so that for a time some Friends\ncould hardly get money enough to buy bread. But afterwards, when people\ncame to have experience of Friends\u2019 honesty and faithfulness, and found\nthat their yea was yea, and their nay was nay; that they kept to a word\nin their dealings, and that they would not cozen and cheat them; but\nthat if they sent a child to their shops for anything, they were as well\nused as if they had come themselves; the lives and conversation of\nFriends did preach, and reached to the witness of God in the people.\nThen things altered so, that all the inquiry was, \u201cwhere is there a\ndraper, or shopkeeper, or tailor, or shoemaker, or any other tradesman,\nthat is a Quaker?\u201d Insomuch that Friends had more trade than many of\ntheir neighbours, and if there was any trading, they had a great part of\nit. Then the envious professors altered their note, and began to cry\nout, \u201cif we let these Quakers alone, they will take the trade of the\nnation out of our hands.\u201d This has been the Lord\u2019s doing to and for his\npeople! which my desire is, that all, who profess his holy truth, may be\nkept truly sensible of, and that all may be preserved, in and by his\npower and Spirit, faithful to God and man; first to God, in obeying him\nin all things; and then in doing unto all men, that which is just and\nrighteous, to all men and women, in all things, that they have to do or\ndeal with them in; that the Lord God may be glorified in their\npractising truth, holiness, godliness, and righteousness, amongst people\nin all their lives and conversation.\n\nFriends being now grown very numerous in the northern parts of the\nnation, and many young-convinced ones coming daily in among us, I was\nmoved of the Lord to write the following epistle, and send it forth\namongst them, in order to stir up the pure mind, and raise a holy care\nand watchfulness in them over themselves, and one another, for the\nhonour of truth:\u2014\n\n  \u201c_To you all, Friends everywhere, scattered abroad_.\n\n  \u201cIn the measure of the life of God, wait for wisdom from God, even\n  from him, from whom it comes. And all ye, who are children of God,\n  wait for living food from the living God, to be nourished up to\n  eternal life, from the one fountain, from whence life comes; that ye\n  may all be guided and walk in order; servants in your places, young\n  men and women in your places, and rulers of families; that every one,\n  in your respective places, may adorn the truth, in the measure of it.\n  With it let your minds be kept up to the Lord Jesus, from whom it\n  comes, that ye may be a sweet savour to God, and in wisdom ye may all\n  be ordered and ruled;\u2014that a crown and a glory ye may be one to\n  another in the Lord. And that no strife, bitterness, or self-will, may\n  appear amongst you; but with the Light, in which is unity, all these\n  may be condemned. And that every one in particular, may see to, and\n  take care of, the ordering and ruling of his own family; that in\n  righteousness and wisdom it may be governed, the fear and dread of the\n  Lord being set in every one\u2019s heart; that the secrets of the Lord\n  every one may come to receive; that stewards of his grace you may come\n  to be, to dispense it to every one as they have need; and so in\n  savouring and right discerning you may all be kept; that nothing, that\n  is contrary to the pure life of God, may be brought forth in you, or\n  among you; but all that is contrary to it, may be judged by it; so\n  that in light, in life, and love, ye may all live, and all that is\n  contrary to the light, and life, and love, may be brought to judgment,\n  and by that light condemned. And that no fruitless trees be among you;\n  but all cut down and condemned by the light, and cast into the fire;\n  so that every one may bear and bring forth fruit unto God, and grow\n  fruitful in his knowledge, and in his wisdom; and that none may appear\n  in words beyond what they are in the life, that gave forth the words.\n  Here none shall be as the untimely figs; none shall be of those trees\n  whose fruit withers; such go in Cain\u2019s way, from the light, and by it\n  are condemned.\n\n  \u201cLet none amongst you boast yourselves above your measure; for if you\n  do, out of God\u2019s kingdom you are excluded; for in that boasting part\n  gets up the pride, and the strife, which is contrary to the light,\n  that leads to the kingdom of God, and gives an entrance thereinto, and\n  an understanding to know the things that belong to the kingdom of God.\n  There the light and life of man every one receives, even Him who was,\n  before the world was, by whom it was made, who is the righteousness of\n  God, and his wisdom; to whom all glory, honour, thanks, and praise\n  belong, who is God blessed for ever. Let no image or likeness be made;\n  but wait in the light, which will bring condemnation on that part that\n  would make the images; for that prisons the just. So to the lust yield\n  not the eye, nor the flesh; for the pride of life stands in that which\n  keeps out the love of the Father; and upon which his judgments and\n  wrath remain, where the love of the world is sought after, and a crown\n  that is mortal. In this ground the evil enters, which is cursed; which\n  brings forth briars and thorns, where death reigns, and tribulation\n  and anguish are upon every soul, and the Egyptian tongue is heard; all\n  which is by the light condemned. There the earth is, which must be\n  removed; by the light it is seen, and by the power it is removed, and\n  out of its place it is shaken; to which the thunders utter their\n  voices, before the mysteries of God be opened, and Jesus revealed.\n  Therefore all ye whose minds are turned to this light, wait upon the\n  Lord Jesus for the crown that is immortal, and that fadeth not away.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\n  \u201cThis is to be sent amongst all Friends in the truth, the flock of\n  God, to be read at their meetings.\u201d\n\nWhile Friends abode in the northern parts, a priest of WREXHAM, in\nWales, whose name was Morgan Floyd, having heard reports concerning us,\nsent two of his congregation into the North to inquire concerning us, to\ntry us, and bring him an account of us. But when these triers came down\namongst us, the power of the Lord overcame them, and they were both\nconvinced of the truth. So they stayed some time with us, and then\nreturned to Wales; where afterwards one of them departed from his\nconvincement; but the other, whose name was John-ap-John, abode in the\ntruth, and received a part in the ministry, in which he continued\nfaithful.\n\nNow were the priests greatly disturbed at NEWCASTLE, at KENDAL, and in\nmost of the northern counties. There being one Gilpin, that had\nsometimes come amongst us at KENDAL, and soon run out from the truth\ninto vain imaginations, the priests made what evil use they could of him\nagainst us; but the Lord\u2019s power confounded them all. And the Lord God\ncut off two of the persecuting justices at CARLISLE; and the other,\nafter a time, was turned out of his place, and left the town.\n\nAbout this time the oath or engagement to OLIVER CROMWELL, was tendered\nto the soldiers; many of whom were disbanded, because, in obedience to\nChrist, they could not swear. John Stubbs was one, who was convinced\nwhen I was in CARLISLE prison, and became a good soldier in the Lamb\u2019s\nwar, and a faithful minister of Christ Jesus, travelling much in the\nservice of the Lord in Holland, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Egypt, and\nAmerica. And the Lord\u2019s power preserved him out of the hands of the\nPapists, though many times he was in great danger of the Inquisition.\nBut some of the soldiers who had been convinced, but had not come into\nobedience to the truth, took Cromwell\u2019s oath; and going afterwards into\nScotland, and coming before a garrison there, the garrison thinking they\nhad been enemies, fired at them, and killed many of them; which was a\nsad judgment.\n\nWhen the churches were settled in the North, and Friends were sat down\nunder Christ\u2019s teaching, and the glory of the Lord shone over them, I\npassed from SWARTHMORE to LANCASTER (about the beginning of the year\n1654,) and so through the counties, visiting Friends till I came to\nSYNDERHILL-GREEN,[32] where a meeting was appointed three weeks before;\nleaving the North fresh and green, under Christ their teacher. But\nbefore I came to SYNDERHILL-GREEN, we passed through HALIFAX, a rude\ntown of professors, and came to one, Thomas Taylor\u2019s, who had been a\ncaptain, where we met with some janglers; but the Lord\u2019s power was over\nall; for I travelled in the motion of God\u2019s power. When I came to\nSYNDERHILL-GREEN, there was a mighty meeting, some thousands of people\n(as it was supposed). Many persons of note were there, as captains and\nother officers; and there was a general convincement; for the Lord\u2019s\npower and truth was over all, and there was no opposition.\n\nFootnote 32:\n\n  Near Handsworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire.\n\nAbout this time did the Lord move upon the spirits of many, whom he had\nraised up, and sent forth to labour in his vineyard, to travel\nsouthwards, and spread themselves, in the service of the gospel, to the\neastern, southern, and western parts of the nation; as Francis Howgill\nand Edward Burrough to LONDON; John Camm and John Audland to BRISTOL;\nRichard Hubberthorn and George Whitehead[33] towards NORWICH; Thomas\nHolmes[34] into Wales, and others different ways; for above sixty\nministers had the Lord raised up, and now sent abroad out of the North\ncountry. The sense of their service being very weighty upon me, I was\nmoved to give forth the following paper:\u2014\n\n        \u201c_To Friends in the Ministry._\n\n  \u201cAll Friends everywhere, Know the Seed of God, which bruiseth the seed\n  of the serpent, and is above the seed of the serpent; which Seed sins\n  not, but bruiseth the serpent\u2019s head, that doth sin, and tempts to\n  sin; which Seed God\u2019s promise and God\u2019s blessing is to; and which is\n  one in the male and in the female. Where it is head, and hath bruised\n  the head of the other, to the beginning you are come; and the younger\n  is known, and he that is servant to the younger. And the promise of\n  God, which is to the Seed, is fulfilled and fulfilling; the Scriptures\n  come to be opened and owned; the flesh of Christ known, who took upon\n  him the seed of Abraham according to the flesh; and the everlasting\n  priesthood known, the everlasting covenant. Christ takes upon him the\n  seed of Abraham, and is a priest after the order of Melchizedek;\n  without father, without mother, without beginning of days (mark) or\n  end of life; this is the priest that ever lives; the covenant of life,\n  of light and peace. And the everlasting offering here is known once\n  for all, which offering overthrows that nature which offered; out of\n  which the priesthood arose, that could not continue by reason of\n  death. And here is the other offering known, the everlasting offering\n  which perfects for ever them that are sanctified; which offering\n  blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances, triumphs over them, and\n  ascends above all principalities and powers.\n\n  \u201cNow he that hath the Spirit of Jesus, sees this; and here is the love\n  of God received, that doth not rejoice in iniquity, but leads to\n  repent of it. This is the word of the Lord God to you all, Friends\n  everywhere scattered abroad, Know the power of God in one another, and\n  in that rejoice; for then you rejoice in the cross of Christ, who is\n  not of the world; which cross is the power of God to all them that are\n  saved. You, that know the power, and feel the power, you feel the\n  cross of Christ, you feel the gospel, which is the power of God unto\n  salvation to every one that believeth. Now, he that believes in the\n  light, believes in the everlasting covenant, in the one offering;\n  comes to the life of the prophets and Moses; comes to see Christ the\n  hope, the mystery, which hope perisheth not, but lets you see the hope\n  that perisheth, which is not that mystery; and the expectation in that\n  perishing hope fades. Where this never-failing hope is witnessed, the\n  Lord comes to be sanctified in the heart, and you come to the\n  beginning, to Christ the hope, which perisheth not; but the other\n  hope, and the other expectation perisheth. So all of you, know the\n  perishing of the other, and the failing of the expectation therein;\n  and know that which perisheth not; that you may be ready to give a\n  reason of this hope with meekness and fear, to every man that asketh\n  you. Christ the hope, the mystery, that perisheth not; the end of all\n  perishing things, the end of all changeable things, the end of the\n  decaying covenant, the end of that which waxeth old and doth decay;\n  the end of the first covenant, of Moses, and of the prophets; the\n  righteousness of God, Christ Jesus the Son; his throne ye will know,\n  heirs with him ye will be; who makes his children kings and priests to\n  him, and brings them to know his throne and his power.\n\n  \u201cThere is no justification out of the light, out of Christ;\n  justification is in the light in Christ; here is the doer of the will\n  of God, here is the entering into the kingdom. He that believes in the\n  light, becomes a child of light; and here the wisdom is received that\n  is justified of her children. Here believing in the light, you shall\n  not abide in darkness, but shall have the light of life; and come\n  every one to witness the light that shines in your hearts, which light\n  will give you the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the\n  face of Jesus Christ. With which light you will see him reign, who is\n  the prince of life and of peace; which light turns from him, that is\n  out of the truth, and abode not in it; where the true peace is not.\n\n  \u201cFriends, be not hasty; for he that believes in the light, makes not\n  haste. Here the grace is received, by which you come to be saved; the\n  election is known, which obtains the promise; the will is seen that\n  wills; the mind is known that runs and obtains not, but stops and\n  becomes dull. Now, that with the light being seen, and judged, and\n  stopped, the patience is here known which obtains the crown, and the\n  immortality is come to light. So all they now that act contrary to the\n  light, and do not believe in it, do not come to justification. And,\n  all Friends, if you go from the light, from wanting to have the\n  promise of God fulfilled to the Seed, whereby you may know Christ to\n  reign, you thereby bring on yourselves changeable garments, and come\n  to wear the changeable garments, and the strange flesh, which leads to\n  adultery, which the law goes upon, which shuts out of the kingdom: and\n  out of this will doth proceed the work or building, that is for the\n  fire; whereby you may come to suffer loss. Therefore love the light,\n  which doth condemn that, and receive the power from the Lord, with\n  which you stand over that, and condemn it: feeling and seeing that\n  which gives you the victory over the world, and to see out of time, to\n  before time.\n\n  \u201cAgain Friends, know Abraham, that must obey the voice of Sarah, that\n  bears seed; which casts forth the bondwoman and her son: do not go\n  forth, there will the wildness lodge. Know that which bears the wild\n  son, and its mother, who is not Sarah; for the promise is to the Seed,\n  not of many, but one, which seed is Christ: and this Seed now you come\n  to witness stands above all, yea, on the head of the serpent. And so\n  all, as I said before, who come to feel and witness this, come to the\n  beginning; and this to all the seed of God, the church, that it you\n  all may come to know, where there is no blemish, nor spot, nor\n  wrinkle, nor any such thing. This is that which is purchased by the\n  blood of Jesus, and to the Father presented out of all that defiles;\n  which is the pillar and ground of truth. None come to this, but such\n  as come to the light of Christ, who purchased this church. They who go\n  from the light are shut out and condemned, though they profess all the\n  Scriptures declared from it. Therefore walk in the light, that you may\n  have fellowship with the Son, and with the Father; and come all to\n  witness his image, his power, and his law, which is his light; which\n  hath converted your souls, and brought them to submit to the higher\n  power, above that which is out of the truth: that you may know here\n  the mercy and truth, and the faith that works by love, which Christ is\n  the author of, who lighteth every one of you; which faith gives the\n  victory. Now that which gives the victory is perfect; and that which\n  the ministers of God received from God, is that which is perfect; and\n  that which they are to minister is for the perfecting of the saints,\n  till they all come in the unity of the faith unto a perfect man. This\n  is the word of the Lord God to you all; every one in the measure of\n  life wait, that with it all your minds may be guided up to the Father\n  of life, the Father of Spirits; to receive power from him, and wisdom,\n  that with it you may be ordered to his glory; to whom be all glory for\n  ever! All keep in the light and life, that judgeth down that which is\n  contrary to the light and life. So the Lord God Almighty be with you\n  all. And keep your meetings everywhere, being guided by that of God;\n  by that you may see the Lord God among you, even him who lighteth\n  every man that cometh into the world: by whom the world was made; that\n  men, who are come into the world, might believe. He that believeth\n  not, the light condemns him: he that believeth, cometh out of\n  condemnation. So this light, which lighteth every man that cometh into\n  the world, and which they that hate it stumble at, is the light of\n  men.\n\n  \u201cAll Friends, that speak in public, see that it be in the life of God;\n  for that begets to God: the fruits of that shall never wither. This\n  sows to the Spirit, which is in prison, and of the Spirit reaps life;\n  and the other sows to the flesh, and of the flesh reaps corruption.\n  And this you may see all the world over, amongst these seeds-men, what\n  may be reaped in the field, that is, the world. Therefore in the\n  Spirit of the Lord God wait, which cuts down and casts out all this,\n  the root and branches of it. In that wait to receive power, and the\n  Lord God Almighty preserve you in it; whereby you may come to feel the\n  light, that comprehends time and the world, and fathoms it; which,\n  believed in, gives you victory over the world. And here the power of\n  the Lord is received, which subdues all the contrary, and puts off the\n  garments that will stain and pollute. With this light you come to\n  reach the light in every man, which Christ enlightens every man that\n  cometh into the world withal: and here the things of Christ come to be\n  known, and the voice of Christ heard. Therefore keep in the light, the\n  covenant of peace, and walk in the covenant of life.\n\n  \u201cThere is that which maketh merry over the witness of God; and there\n  is that which maketh merry in the Lord; which rejoiceth over that\n  which hath made merry over it: of that take notice, you who are in the\n  light. Such the Lord doth beautify, whose trust is in his strength:\n  and the Lord doth see such, and them that are in his light. But such\n  as are from the light, whose eyes are after their abominations and\n  idols, their eyes are to be blinded; and their beautiful idols, and\n  their abominations to be destroyed, and by the light condemned, which\n  they have made from the life, in their own strength; which with the\n  light is seen, and overthrown by the power of God. \u2018If you can change\n  my covenant,\u2019 saith the Lord, \u2018which keeps the day in its season, and\n  the night in its season (mark, my covenant, the light); if you can\n  change this, then may you change the covenant of God with his seed.\u2019\n\n  \u201cSo all Friends, that are turned to the light, which cometh from him,\n  by whom the world was made, who was, before it was made, Christ Jesus,\n  the Saviour of your souls; abide in the light, and you will see your\n  salvation to be walls and bulwarks against that, which the light\n  discovers to be contrary to it. Waiting in the light, you will receive\n  the power of God, which is the gospel of peace; that you may be shod\n  with it, and know that in one another, which raiseth up the seed of\n  God, sets it over the world and the earth, and crucifies the\n  affections and lusts: then the truth comes to reign, which is the\n  girdle.\u201d\n\n                                                                G.F.\n\nFootnote 33:\n\n  George Whitehead, who was convinced when about seventeen years old,\n  became a valiant minister for about sixty-eight years, till the time\n  of his decease, which took place, in great peace, after an illness of\n  some weeks. He waited, patiently resigned to the will of God, desiring\n  to be dissolved and be with Christ; saying, \u201che felt the sting of\n  death to be taken away.\u201d He was a preacher of the gospel in life and\n  power, and turned many from darkness to light, being a chief\n  instrument in gathering a people to the Lord in and about Norwich. At\n  one meeting he had in those parts, it is recorded that \u201cnearly the\n  whole congregation was convinced by the mighty power of God, through\n  his lively and piercing testimony and prayer.\u201d He suffered great\n  hardships, long and sore imprisonments, and severe whipping for his\n  testimony to the truth, much of which is recorded in his published\n  Journal, with his travels and other services, to which the reader is\n  referred.\n\nFootnote 34:\n\n  Thomas Holmes was serviceable in his day and generation, suffering\n  imprisonment on Truth\u2019s account. In 1656, he was in jail, at Chester,\n  with seven or eight other Friends. Some of his services in Wales are\n  related, in a letter from him (probably to George Fox,) in Barclay\u2019s\n  _Letters of Early Friends_, p. 222.\n\nAbout this time Rice Jones of NOTTINGHAM (who had been a Baptist, and\nwas turned Ranter,) and his company, began to prophesy against me,\ngiving out, that I was then at the highest, and that after that time I\nshould fall down as fast. He sent a bundle of railing papers from\nNOTTINGHAM to MANSFIELD, CLAWSON, and the towns thereabouts, judging\nFriends for declaring the truth in the markets and in steeple-houses;\nwhich papers I answered. But his and his company\u2019s prophecies came upon\nthemselves; for soon after they fell to pieces, and many of his\nfollowers became Friends, and continued so. And through the Lord\u2019s\nblessed power, truth and Friends have increased, and do increase in the\nincrease of God: and I, by the same power, have been and am preserved,\nand kept in the everlasting Seed, that never fell, nor changes. But Rice\nJones took the oaths that were put to him, and so disobeyed the command\nof Christ. Many such false prophets have risen up against me, but the\nLord hath blasted them, and will blast all who rise against the blessed\nSeed, and me in that. My confidence is in the Lord; for I saw their end,\nand how the Lord would confound them, before he sent me forth.\n\nI was now at SYNDERHILL-GREEN, where I had had a large meeting in the\ndaytime; and at night we had a great meeting again in Thomas Stacey\u2019s\nhouse; for people came from far, and could not soon depart. The high\nsheriff of the county told Captain Bradford, that he intended to come up\nwith half a dozen of his troopers to the meeting; but the Lord prevented\nhim. When I had attended some meetings thereabouts, I travelled up and\ndown in YORKSHIRE, as far as HOLDERNESS, and to the land\u2019s end that way,\nvisiting Friends and the churches of Christ; which were finely settled\nunder Christ\u2019s teaching. At length I came to Captain Bradford\u2019s house,\nwhither many Ranters came from YORK to wrangle; but they were confounded\nand stopped. Thither came also she who was called the Lady Montague, who\nwas then convinced, and lived and died in the truth.\n\nThen I came again to Thomas Taylor\u2019s, within three miles of HALIFAX,\nwhere was a meeting of about two hundred people; amongst which were many\nrude people, and divers butchers, several of whom had bound themselves\nwith an oath before they came out, that they would kill me (as I was\ntold); one of those butchers had been accused of killing a man and a\nwoman. They came in a very rude manner, and made a great disturbance in\nthe meeting. The meeting being in a field, Thomas Taylor stood up, and\nsaid unto them, \u201cIf you will be civil, you may stay, but if not, I\ncharge you to be gone from off my ground.\u201d But they were the worse, and\nsaid they would make it like a common; and they yelled, and made a\nnoise, as if they had been at a bear-baiting. They thrust Friends up and\ndown; and Friends being peaceable, the Lord\u2019s power came over them.\nSeveral times they thrust me off from the place I stood on, by the\ncrowding of the people together against me; but still I was moved of the\nLord to stand up again, as I was thrust down. At last I was moved of the\nLord to say unto them, \u201cif they would discourse of the things of God,\nlet them come up to me one by one; and if they had anything to say or to\nobject, I would answer them all, one after another;\u201d but they were all\nsilent, and had nothing to say. And then the Lord\u2019s power came so over\nthem all, and answered the witness of God in them, that they were bound\nby the power of God; and a glorious, powerful meeting we had, and his\npower went over all, and the minds of the people were turned by the\nSpirit of God in them to God, and to Christ their teacher. The powerful\nword of life was largely declared that day; and in the life and power of\nGod we broke up our meeting; and that rude company went their way to\nHALIFAX. The people asked them, why they did not kill me, according to\nthe oath they had sworn; and they maliciously answered, that I had so\nbewitched them, that they could not do it. Thus was the devil chained at\nthat time. Friends told me, that they used to come at other times, and\nbe very rude; and sometimes break their stools and seats, and make\nfrightful work amongst them; but the Lord\u2019s power had now bound them.\n\nShortly after this, the butcher, that had been accused of killing a man\nand a woman before, and who was one of them that had then bound himself\nby an oath to kill me, killed another man, and was sent to YORK jail.\nAnother of those rude butchers, who had also sworn to kill me, having\naccustomed himself to thrust his tongue out of his mouth, in derision of\nFriends, when they passed by him, had it so swollen out of his mouth,\nthat he could never draw it in again, but died so. Several strange and\nsudden judgments came upon many of these conspirators against me, which\nwould be too large here to declare. God\u2019s vengeance from heaven came\nupon the blood-thirsty, who sought after blood; for all such spirits I\nlaid before the Lord, and left them to him to deal with them, who is\nstronger than all; in whose power I was preserved, and carried on to do\nhis work. The Lord hath raised a fine people in these parts, whom he\nhath drawn to Christ, and gathered in his name; who feel Christ amongst\nthem, and sit under his teaching.\n\nAfter this I came to BALBY; from whence several Friends went with me\ninto LINCOLNSHIRE; of whom some went to the steeple-houses, and some to\nprivate meetings. There came to the meeting where I was, the sheriff of\nLINCOLN, and several with him, who made great contention and jangling\nfor a time. But at length the Lord\u2019s power struck him, that he was\nconvinced of the truth, and received the word of life, as did several\nothers also that had opposed, and continued among Friends till they\ndied. Great meetings there were, and a large convincement in those\nparts. Many were turned to the Lord Jesus, and came to sit under his\nteaching; leaving their priests, and their superstitious ways; and the\nday of the Lord flourished over all. Amongst them that came to our\nmeetings in that country, was one called Sir Richard Wrey, who was\nconvinced; as was also his brother, and his brother\u2019s wife, who abode in\nthe truth, and died therein, though he afterwards ran out.\n\nHaving visited these countries, I came into DERBYSHIRE; the sheriff of\nLINCOLN, who was lately convinced, being with me. In one meeting we had\nsome opposition, but the Lord\u2019s glorious power gave dominion over all.\nAt night there came a company of bailiffs and serving-men, and called me\nout. I went out to them, having some Friends with me. They were\nexceedingly rude and violent; for they had plotted together, and\nintended to carry me away with them in the dark of the evening by force:\nand then to do me a mischief; but the Lord\u2019s power went over them, and\nchained them, so that they could not effect their design; and at last\nthey went away. The next day, Thomas Aldam understanding that the\nserving-men belonged to one called a knight, who lived not far off, went\nto his house, and laid before him the bad conduct of his servants. The\nknight rebuked them, and did not allow of their evil carriage towards\nus.\n\nAfter this we came into NOTTINGHAMSHIRE to SKEGBY, where we had a great\nmeeting of divers sorts of people: and the Lord\u2019s power went over them,\nand all was quiet. The people were turned to the Spirit of God, by which\nmany came to receive his power, and to sit under the teaching of Christ,\ntheir Saviour. A great people the Lord hath in those parts.\n\nI passed towards KIDSLEY PARK, where came many Ranters; but the Lord\u2019s\npower checked them. From thence I went into the PEAK COUNTRY towards\nThomas Hammersley\u2019s, where came the Ranters of that country, and many\nhigh professors. The Ranters opposed me, and began swearing. When I\nreproved them for it, they would bring Scripture for it, and said,\nAbraham, and Jacob, and Joseph swore; and the priests, Moses, the\nprophets, and the angels swore. Then I told them, \u201cI confessed all these\ndid so, as the Scripture records; but, said I, Christ (who said, \u2018Before\nAbraham was, I am\u2019) saith, \u2018Swear not at all.\u2019 And Christ ends the\nprophets, and the old priesthood, and the dispensation of Moses, and\nreigns over the house of Jacob and of Joseph; and he says, \u2018Swear not at\nall.\u2019 And God, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world,\nsaith, \u2018Let all the angels of God worship him,\u2019 to wit, Christ Jesus,\nwho saith, \u2018Swear not at all.\u2019 And as for the plea that men make for\nswearing to end their strife, Christ, who says, \u2018Swear not at all,\u2019\ndestroys the Devil and his works, who is the author of strife, for that\nis one of his works. And God said, \u2018This is my beloved Son, in whom I am\nwell pleased; hear ye him.\u2019 So the Son is to be heard, who forbids\nswearing. And the apostle James, who heard the Son of God, followed him,\nand preached him, forbids all oaths, James v. 12.\u201d So the Lord\u2019s power\nwent over them: and his Son and his doctrine was set over them. The word\nof life was fully and richly preached, and many were convinced that day.\nThis Thomas Hammersley being summoned to serve upon a jury, was admitted\nto serve without an oath; and when he, as foreman of the jury, brought\nin the verdict, the judge declared, \u201cthat he had been a judge many\nyears, but never heard a more upright verdict than that Quaker had then\nbrought in.\u201d Much might be written of things of this nature, which time\nwould fail to declare. But the Lord\u2019s blessed power and truth was\nexalted over all, who is worthy of all praise and glory for ever!\n\nTravelling through DERBYSHIRE, I visited Friends till I came to\nSWANNINGTON, in LEICESTERSHIRE, where there was a general meeting, to\nwhich many Ranters, Baptists, and other professors came; for great\ncontests there had been with them, and with the priests in that town. To\nthis meeting several Friends came from various parts, as John Audland,\nFrancis Howgill, and Edward Pyot from BRISTOL, and Edward Burrough from\nLONDON; and several were convinced in those parts. The Ranters made a\ndisturbance, and were very rude, but at last the Lord\u2019s power came over\nthem, and they were confounded. The next day Jacob Bottomley, a great\nRanter, came from LEICESTER; but the Lord\u2019s power stopped him, and came\nover them all. There came a priest too, but he also was confounded by\nthe mighty power of the Lord. About this time the priests, Baptists,\nRanters, and other professors, were very rude, and stirred up the rude\npeople against us. We sent to the Ranters to come forth, and try their\nGod. Abundance of them came, who were very rude, and sung, and whistled,\nand danced; but the Lord\u2019s power so confounded them, that many of them\ncame to be convinced.\n\nAfter this I went to TWYCROSS, whither came some Ranters, who sung and\ndanced before me. But I was moved in the dread of the Lord to reprove\nthem; and the Lord\u2019s power came over them, so that some of them were\nconvinced, and received the Spirit of God; and are become a fine people,\nliving and walking soberly in the truth of Christ. I went to Anthony\nBrickley\u2019s in WARWICKSHIRE, where there was a great meeting; several\nBaptists and other people came and jangled; but the Lord\u2019s power came\nover them.\n\nThen I went to DRAYTON in LEICESTERSHIRE to visit my relations. As soon\nas I was come in, Nathaniel Stephens the priest, having got another\npriest, and given notice to the country, sent to me to come to them, as\nthey could not do anything till I came. Having been three years away\nfrom my relations, I knew nothing of their design. But at last I went\ninto the steeple-house yard, where the two priests were; and they had\ngathered abundance of people. When I came there, they would have me go\ninto the steeple-house. I asked them what I should do there; and they\nsaid, Mr. Stephens could not bear the cold. I told them he might bear it\nas well as I. At last we went into a great hall, Richard Farnsworth\nbeing with me; and a great dispute we had with these priests, concerning\ntheir practices, how contrary they were to Christ and his apostles. The\npriests would know where tithes were forbidden or ended. I showed them\nout of the seventh chapter to the Hebrews, \u201cthat not only tithes but the\npriesthood that took tithes, was ended; and the law was ended and\ndisannulled, by which the priesthood was made, and tithes were commanded\nto be paid.\u201d Then the priests stirred up the people to some lightness\nand rudeness. I had known Stephens from a child, therefore I laid open\nhis condition, and the manner of his preaching; and \u201chow that he, like\nthe rest of the priests, did apply the promises to the first birth,\nwhich must die. But I showed that the promises were to the Seed, not to\nthe many seeds, but to one Seed, Christ; who was one in male and female;\nfor all were to be born again before they could enter into the kingdom\nof God.\u201d Then he said, I must not judge so: but I told him, \u201che that was\nspiritual judged all things.\u201d Then he confessed that that was a full\nScripture; \u201cbut, neighbours,\u201d said he, \u201cthis is the business; George Fox\nis come to the light of the sun, and now he thinks to put out my\nstar-light.\u201d I told him, \u201cI would not quench the least measure of God in\nany, much less put out his star-light, if it were true star-light\u2014light\nfrom the morning star.\u201d But I told him, \u201cif he had anything from Christ\nor God, he ought to speak it freely, and not take tithes from the people\nfor preaching, seeing Christ commanded his ministers to give freely, as\nthey had received freely.\u201d So I charged him to preach no more for\ntithes, or any hire. But he said he would not yield to that. After a\nwhile the people began to be vain and rude; so we broke up; yet some\nwere made loving to the truth that day. Before we parted, I told them\nthat, if the Lord would, I intended to be at the town again that day\nweek.\n\nIn the interim I went into the country, and had meetings, and came\nthither again that day week. Against that time this priest had got seven\npriests to help him: for priest Stephens had given notice at a lecture\non a market-day at ATHERSTONE, that such a day there would be a meeting\nand a dispute with me. I knew nothing of it; but had only said, I should\nbe in town that day week again. These eight priests had gathered several\nhundreds of people, even most of the country thereabouts, and they would\nhave had me into the steeple-house; but I would not go in, but got on a\nhill and there spoke to them and the people. There were with me Thomas\nTaylor, who had been a priest, James Parnell, and several other Friends.\nThe priests thought that day to trample down truth; but the truth came\nover them. Then they grew light, and the people rude; and the priests\nwould not stand trial with me; but would be contending here and there a\nlittle, with one Friend or other. At last one of the priests brought his\nson to dispute with me; but his mouth was soon stopped. When he could\nnot tell how to answer, he would ask his father: and his father was\nconfounded also, when he came to answer for his son. So, after they had\ntoiled themselves, they went away in a rage to priest Stephens\u2019 house to\ndrink. As they went away, I said, \u201cI never came to a place where so many\npriests together would not stand the trial with me.\u201d Whereupon they and\nsome of their wives came about me, laid hold of me, and fawningly said,\n\u201cwhat might I have been, if it had not been for the Quakers!\u201d Then they\nbegan to push Friends to and fro, to thrust them from me, and to pluck\nme to themselves. After a while several lusty fellows came, took me up\nin their arms, and carried me into the steeple-house porch, intending to\ncarry me into the steeple-house by force; but the door being locked,\nthey fell down on a heap, having me under them. As soon as I could, I\ngot up from under them, and went to the hill again: then they took me\nfrom that place to the steeple-house wall, and set me on something like\na footstool; and all the priests being come back, stood under with the\npeople. The priests cried, \u201cCome, to argument, to argument:\u201d I said, \u201cI\ndenied all their voices, for they were the voices of hirelings and\nstrangers.\u201d And they cried, \u201cProve it, prove it.\u201d Then I directed them\nto the tenth of John, where they might see what Christ said of such; he\ndeclared, \u201che was the true shepherd that laid down his life for his\nsheep, and his sheep heard his voice, and followed him; but the hireling\nwould fly, when the wolf came, because he was a hireling.\u201d I offered to\nprove that they were such hirelings. Then the priests plucked me off\nfrom the stool again; and they themselves got all upon footstools under\nthe steeple-house wall.\n\nThen I felt the mighty power of God arise over all, and told them, \u201cif\nthey would but give audience, and hear me quietly, I would show them by\nthe Scriptures, why I denied those eight priests or teachers, that stood\nbefore me; and all the hireling teachers of the world whatsoever; and I\nwould give them Scriptures for what I said.\u201d Whereupon both priests and\npeople consented. Then I showed them out of the prophets Isaiah,\nJeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Malachi, and others, that they were in the\nsteps of such as God sent his true prophets to cry against; for, said I,\n\u201cYou are such as the prophet Jeremiah cried against, chap. v. when he\nsaid, \u2018The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their\nmeans;\u2019 which he called an astonishing and horrible thing. You are such\nas they that used their tongues and said, Thus saith the Lord, when the\nLord never spoke to them: and such as followed their own spirits, and\nsaw nothing; but spoke forth a divination of their own brain; and by\ntheir lies and their lightness had caused the people to err, Jer. xiv.\nYou are such as they were, that sought for their gain from their\nquarter; that were as greedy, dumb dogs, that could never have enough,\nwhom the Lord sent his prophet Isaiah to cry against, Isaiah lvi. You\nare such, as they were, who taught for handfuls of barley, and pieces of\nbread; who sewed pillows under people\u2019s arm-holes, that they might lie\nsoft in their sins, Ezek. xiii. You are such as they that taught for the\nfleece, and the wool, and made a prey of the people, Ezek. xxxiv. But\nthe Lord is gathering his sheep from your mouths, and from off your\nbarren mountains; and is bringing them to Christ, the one Shepherd, whom\nhe hath set over his flocks; as by his prophet Ezekiel he then declared\nhe would do. You are such as they that divined for money, and preached\nfor hire; and if a man did not put into their mouths, they prepared war\nagainst him, as the prophet Micah complained, chap. iii.\u201d Thus I went\nthrough the prophets, too largely to be here repeated. Then coming to\nthe New Testament, I showed from thence, \u201cthat they were like the chief\npriests, and scribes, and Pharisees of old, such as Christ cried woe\nagainst, Matt, xxiii. And that they were such false apostles, as the\ntrue apostles cried against, such as taught for filthy lucre; such\nantichrists and deceivers, as they cried against, that minded earthly\nthings, and served not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own bellies: for\nthey that served Christ gave freely, and preached freely, as he\ncommanded them. But they that will not preach without hire, tithes, or\noutward means, serve their own bellies, and not Christ; and through the\ngood words of the Scriptures, and feigned words of their own, they made\nmerchandise of the people then, as (said I) ye do now.\u201d\n\nSo when I had largely quoted the Scriptures, and showed them, wherein\nthey were like the Pharisees, loving to be called of men masters, and to\ngo in long robes, and to stand praying in the synagogues, and to have\nthe uppermost rooms at feasts, and the like; and when I had thrown them\nout in the sight of the people amongst the false prophets, deceivers,\nscribes, and Pharisees, and showed at large, how such as they were\njudged and condemned by the true prophets, by Christ, and by the\napostles, \u201cI directed them to the light of Christ Jesus, who enlightens\nevery man that cometh into the world; that by it they might see, whether\nthese things were not true, as had been spoken.\u201d When I appealed to that\nof God in their consciences, the light of Christ Jesus in them, they\ncould not bear to hear of it; they were all quiet till then; but then a\nprofessor said, \u201cGeorge, what! wilt thou never have done?\u201d I told him, I\nshould have done shortly. So I went on a little longer, and cleared\nmyself of them in the Lord\u2019s power. When I had done, all the priests and\npeople stood silent for a time: at last one of the priests said, they\nwould read the Scriptures that I had quoted. I told them, with all my\nheart. They began to read the 23rd of Jeremiah, and there they saw the\nmarks of the false prophets, that he cried against. When they had read a\nverse or two, I said, \u201cTake notice, people:\u201d but the priests said, \u201cHold\nthy tongue, George.\u201d I bid them read the whole chapter throughout; for\nit was all against them: then they stopped, and would read no further;\nbut asked me a question. I told them, I would answer their question, the\nmatter being first granted that I had charged them with, viz., that they\nwere false prophets, false teachers, antichrists, and deceivers, such as\nthe true prophets, Christ, and the apostles cried against. A professor\nsaid Nay to that; but I said, \u201cYea; for you leaving the matter, and\ngoing to another thing, seem to consent to the proof of the former\ncharge.\u201d Then I answered their question, which was this; Seeing those\nfalse prophets were adulterated, whether I did judge Stephens to be an\nadulterer? To which I answered, he was adulterated from God in his\npractice, like those false prophets and the Jews. They would not stand\nto vindicate him, but broke up the meeting. Then the priests whispered\ntogether; and priest Stephens came to me, and desired that my father and\nbrother and I might go aside with him, that he might speak to me in\nprivate; and the rest of the priests should keep the people from coming\nto us. I was very loath to go aside with him; but the people cried, \u201cGo,\nGeorge; do, George, go aside with him.\u201d I was afraid, if I did not go,\nthey would say, I was disobedient to my parents; so I went, and the rest\nof the priests were to keep the people off; but they could not, for the\npeople being willing to hear, drew close to us. I asked the priest what\nhe had to say; and he said, \u201cif he was out of the way, I should pray for\nhim: and if I was out of the way he would pray for me: and he would give\nme a form of words to pray for him by.\u201d I replied, \u201cIt seems thou dost\nnot know whether thou art in the right way, or not; neither dost thou\nknow whether I am in the right way, or not; but I know that I am in the\neverlasting way, Christ Jesus, which thou art out of. And thou wouldest\ngive me a form of words to pray by, and yet thou deniest the Common\nPrayer-Book to pray by, as well as I; and I deny thy form of words, as\nwell as it. If thou wouldst have me pray for thee by a form of words, is\nnot this to deny the apostle\u2019s doctrine and practice of praying by the\nSpirit, as it gave words and utterance?\u201d Here the people fell a\nlaughing: but I was moved to speak more to him. And when I had cleared\nmyself to him and them, we parted, after I had told them, that I should\n(God willing) be in the town that day week again. So the priests packed\naway, and many people were convinced; for the Lord\u2019s power came over\nall. Though they thought to have confounded truth that day, many were\nconvinced of it; and many that were convinced before, were by that day\u2019s\nwork confirmed in the truth, and abode in it; and a great shake it gave\nto the priests. My father, though he was a hearer and follower of the\npriest, was so well satisfied, that he struck his cane upon the ground,\nand said, \u201cTruly, I see, he that will but stand to the truth, it will\ncarry him out.\u201d\n\nI passed about in the country till that day week, and then came again;\nfor we had appointed a meeting at my relations\u2019 house. Now priest\nStephens having had notice beforehand thereof, had got another priest to\nhim; and they had a company of troopers with them, and sent for me to\ncome to them. But I sent them word our meeting was appointed, and they\nmight come to it, if they would. The priests came not; but the troopers\ncame, and many rude people. They had laid their plot, that the troopers\nshould take every one\u2019s name, and then command them to go home; and such\nas would not go, they should take, and carry them away with them.\nAccordingly they began, and took several names, charging them to go\nhome; but when they came to take my name, my relations told them, I was\nat home already: so they could not take me away that time. Nevertheless\nthey took my name: but the Lord\u2019s power was over them, and they went\naway, both professors and troopers, crossed and vexed, because they\nobtained not their end. But several were convinced that day, and admired\nthe love and power of God. This was that priest Stephens, who once said\nof me, \u201cnever was such a plant bred in England:\u201d yet afterwards he\nreported, \u201cthat I was carried up into the clouds, and found again full\nof gold and silver;\u201d and many lies, and false reports he raised\nrespecting me: but the Lord swept them all away. The reason why I would\nnot go into their steeple-house was, because I was to bear my testimony\nagainst it, and to bring all off from such places, to the Spirit of God;\nthat they might know their bodies to be the temples of the Holy Ghost;\nand to bring them off from all the hireling teachers, to Christ their\nfree teacher, who died for them, and purchased them with his blood.\n\nAfter this I went into the country, and had several meetings, and came\nto SWANNINGTON, where the soldiers came again; but the meeting was\nquiet, the Lord\u2019s power was over all, and the soldiers did not\ninterfere. Then I went to LEICESTER, and then to WHETSTONE. There came\nabout seventeen troopers of Colonel Hacker\u2019s regiment, with his marshal,\nand took me up before the meeting, though Friends were beginning to\ngather together; for there were several Friends come from various parts.\nI told the marshal, \u201che might let all the Friends go, I would answer for\nthem all;\u201d so he took me, and let them go, except Alexander Parker, who\nwent with me.[35] At night they had me before Colonel Hacker, his major,\nand captains, a great company of them; and much discourse we had about\nthe priests, and meetings, for at this time there was a rumour of a plot\nagainst Oliver Cromwell. Much reasoning I had with them about the light\nof Christ, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world.\nColonel Hacker asked, whether it was not this light of Christ that made\nJudas betray his master, and afterwards led him to hang himself? I told\nhim, \u201cNo; that was the spirit of darkness, which hated Christ and his\nlight.\u201d Then Colonel Hacker said, I might go home, and keep there, and\nnot go abroad to meetings. I told him, \u201cI was an innocent man, free from\nplots, and denied all such work.\u201d His son Needham said, \u201cFather, this\nman hath reigned too long, it is time to have him cut off.\u201d I asked him,\n\u201cFor what? what had I done? or whom had I wronged from a child? for I\nwas bred and born in that country, and who could accuse me of any evil\nfrom a child?\u201d Then Colonel Hacker asked me again, if I would go home,\nand stay there? I told him, \u201cif I should promise him that, it would\nmanifest that I was guilty of something, to go home, and make my home a\nprison; and if I went to meetings, they would say, I broke their order.\u201d\nI told them, \u201cI should go to meetings, as the Lord should order me, and\ntherefore could not submit to their requirings;\u201d but I said, \u201cwe were a\npeaceable people.\u201d \u201cWell then,\u201d said Colonel Hacker, \u201cI will send you to\nmy Lord Protector, by Captain Drury, one of his life-guards.\u201d\n\nFootnote 35:\n\n  \u201cAlexander Parker,\u201d says Whiting, \u201cwas an eminent servant of God, and\n  minister of Jesus Christ; born near Bolton, in Lancashire,\n  well-educated, and had a gentleman-like carriage and deportment, for I\n  knew him well.\u201d He travelled extensively in the service of the gospel,\n  often in company with George Fox, being frequently mentioned in this\n  Journal. He suffered fines, imprisonments, and persecution, being once\n  pulled down as he was preaching in London, and fined for it \u00a320. He\n  died in great peace in 1689, having written many books and epistles,\n  in which, though being dead, he yet speaketh.\n\nThat night I was kept a prisoner at the Marshalsea; and the next morning\nby six o\u2019clock, I was delivered to Captain Drury. I desired he would let\nme speak with Colonel Hacker before I went, and he had me to his\nbed-side. Colonel Hacker set upon me presently again, to go home and\nkeep no more meetings. I told him, \u201cI could not submit to that, but must\nhave my liberty to serve God and go to meetings.\u201d \u201cThen,\u201d said he, \u201cyou\nmust go before the Protector.\u201d \u201cWhereupon I kneeled by his bedside, and\nbesought the Lord to forgive him, for he was as Pilate, though he would\nwash his hands; and when the day of his misery and trial should come\nupon him, I bid him then remember what I had said to him. But he was\nstirred up, and set on by priest Stephens, and the other priests and\nprofessors, wherein their envy and baseness was manifest; who, when they\ncould not overcome me by disputes and arguments, nor resist the Spirit\nof the Lord that was in me, then they got soldiers to take me up.\n\nAfterwards, when this Colonel Hacker was in prison in LONDON, a day or\ntwo before he was executed, he was put in mind of what he had done\nagainst the innocent; and he remembered it, and confessed to it to\nMargaret Fell, saying he knew well whom she meant; and he had a trouble\nupon him for it. So his son, who told his father I had reigned too long,\nand that it was time to have me cut off, might observe how his father\nwas cut off afterwards, he being hanged at TYBURN.\n\nNow was I carried up a prisoner by Captain Drury from LEICESTER; and\nwhen we came to HARBOROUGH, he asked me, if I would go home and stay a\nfortnight? \u201cI should have my liberty,\u201d he said, \u201cif I would not go to,\nnor keep meetings.\u201d I told him, \u201cI could not promise any such thing.\u201d\nSeveral times upon the road did he ask, and try me after the same\nmanner, and still I gave him the same answers. So he brought me to\nLONDON, and lodged me at the Mermaid over-against the Mews at\nCHARING-CROSS. As we travelled, I was moved of the Lord to warn people\nat the inns and places, where I came, of the day of the Lord that was\ncoming upon them. William Dewsbury and Marmaduke Storr being in prison\nat NORTHAMPTON, he let me go and visit them.\n\nAfter Captain Drury had lodged me at the Mermaid, he left me there, and\nwent to give the Protector an account of me. When he came to me again,\nhe told me, the Protector required that I should promise not to take up\na carnal sword or weapon against him or the government, as it then was,\nand I should write it in what words I saw good, and set my hand to it. I\nsaid little in reply to Captain Drury. But the next morning I was moved\nof the Lord to write a paper to the Protector, Oliver Cromwell; \u201cWherein\nI did in the presence of the Lord God declare, that I denied the wearing\nor drawing of a carnal sword, or any other outward weapon, against him\nor any man: and that I was sent of God to stand a witness against all\nviolence, and against the works of darkness; and to turn people from\ndarkness to light; and to bring them from the causes of war and\nfighting, to the peaceable gospel, and from being evil-doers, which the\nmagistrates\u2019 swords should be a terror to.\u201d When I had written what the\nLord had given me to write, I set my name to it, and gave it to Captain\nDrury to hand to Oliver Cromwell, which he did.\n\nAfter some time Captain Drury brought me before the Protector himself at\nWHITEHALL. It was in a morning, before he was dressed, and one Harvey,\nwho had come a little among Friends, but was disobedient, waited upon\nhim. When I came in, I was moved to say, \u201cPeace be in this house; and I\nexhorted him to keep in the fear of God, that he might receive wisdom\nfrom Him, that by it he might be directed, and order all things under\nhis hand to God\u2019s glory.\u201d I spoke much to him of truth, and much\ndiscourse I had with him about religion; wherein he carried himself very\nmoderately. But, he said, we quarrelled with priests, whom he called\nministers. I told him, \u201cI did not quarrel with them, but they quarrelled\nwith me and my friends.\u201d \u201cBut,\u201d said I, \u201cif we own the prophets, Christ,\nand the apostles, we cannot hold up such teachers, prophets, and\nshepherds, as the prophets, Christ, and the apostles declared against;\nbut we must declare against them by the same power and Spirit.\u201d Then I\nshowed him, \u201cthat the prophets, Christ, and the apostles declared\nfreely, and against them that did not declare freely; such as preached\nfor filthy lucre, and divined for money, and preached for hire, and were\ncovetous and greedy, that can never have enough; and that they that have\nthe same Spirit, that Christ, and the prophets, and the apostles had,\ncould not but declare against all such now, as they did then.\u201d As I\nspoke, he several times said, it was very good, and it was truth. I told\nhim, \u201cthat all Christendom (so called) possessed the Scriptures, but\nwanted the power and Spirit that they had, who gave forth the\nScriptures, and that was the reason they were not in fellowship with the\nSon, nor with the Father, nor with the Scriptures, nor one with\nanother.\u201d\n\nMany more words I had with him, but people coming in, I drew a little\nback; and as I was turning, he caught me by the hand, and with tears in\nhis eyes, said, \u201cCome again to my house, for if thou and I were but an\nhour a day together, we should be nearer one to the other;\u201d adding that\nhe wished me no more ill than he did his own soul. I told him, \u201cif he\ndid, he wronged his own soul;\u201d and I bid him \u201chearken to God\u2019s voice,\nthat he might stand in His counsel and obey it; and if he did so, that\nwould keep him from hardness of heart; but if he did not hear God\u2019s\nvoice, his heart would be hardened.\u201d He said, it was true. Then I went\nout; and when Captain Drury came out after me, he told me, \u201chis lord\nProtector said, I was at liberty, and might go whither I would.\u201d Then I\nwas brought into a great hall, where the Protector\u2019s gentlemen were to\ndine; and I asked them, what they brought me thither for? they said, it\nwas by the Protector\u2019s order, that I might dine with them. I bid them\nlet the Protector know, I would not eat of his bread, nor drink of his\ndrink. When he heard this, he said, \u201cNow I see there is a people risen\nand come up, that I cannot win either with gifts, honours, offices, or\nplaces; but all other sects and people I can.\u201d It was told him again,\n\u201cthat we had forsaken our own, and were not likely to look for such\nthings from him.\u201d\n\nBeing set at liberty I went to the inn again, where Captain Drury had at\nfirst lodged me. This Captain Drury, though he sometimes carried fairly,\nwas an enemy to me and to truth, and opposed it; and when professors\ncame to me (while I was under his custody,) and he was by, he would\nscoff at trembling, and call us Quakers, as the Independents and\nPresbyterians had nick-named us before. But afterwards he once came to\nme, and told me, that, as he was lying on his bed to rest himself in the\nday-time, a sudden trembling seized on him, that his joints knocked\ntogether, and his body shook so that he could not rise from his bed; he\nwas so shaken, that he had not strength enough left to rise. But he felt\nthe power of the Lord was upon him, and he fell off his bed, and cried\nto the Lord, and said, he never would speak against the Quakers more, or\nsuch as trembled at the word of God.\n\nDuring the time I was prisoner at CHARING-CROSS, there came abundance to\nsee me, people of almost all sorts, priests, professors, officers of the\narmy, &c. And one time a company of officers being with me, desired me\nto pray with them. I sat still, with my mind retired to the Lord. At\nlast I felt the power and Spirit of God move in me, and the Lord\u2019s power\ndid so shake and shatter them, that they wondered, though they did not\nlive in it.\n\nAmong those that came to see me, was one Colonel Packer, with several of\nhis officers; and while they were with me, came in one Cobb, and a great\ncompany of Ranters with him. The Ranters began to call for drink and\ntobacco; but I desired them to forbear it in my room, telling them, if\nthey had such a desire for it, they might go into another room. One of\nthem cried, \u201call is ours;\u201d and another said, \u201call is well.\u201d I replied,\n\u201chow is all well, while thou art so peevish, and envious, and crabbed?\u201d\nfor I saw he was of a peevish nature. I spoke to their conditions, and\nthey were sensible of it, and looked upon one another, wondering.\n\nThen Colonel Packer began to talk with a light, chaffy mind, concerning\nGod, and Christ, and the Scriptures; it was a great grief to my soul and\nspirit, when I heard him talk so lightly; so that I told him, \u201che was\ntoo light to talk of the things of God, for he did not know the solidity\nof a man.\u201d Thereupon the officers raged, and said, would I say so of\ntheir colonel. This Packer was a Baptist, and he and the Ranters bowed\nand scraped to one another very much; for it was the manner of the\nRanters to be exceedingly complimental (as they call it), so that Packer\nbid them give over their compliments; but I told them, \u201cthey were fit to\ngo together, for they were both of one spirit.\u201d\n\nThis Colonel Packer lived at THEOBALDS near WALTHAM, and was made a\njustice of peace. He set up a great meeting of the Baptists at THEOBALDS\nPARK; for he and some other officers had purchased it. They were\nexceedingly high, and railed against Friends and truth, and threatened\nto apprehend me with their warrants if ever I came there. Yet after I\nwas set at liberty, I was moved of the Lord God to go down to THEOBALDS,\nand appoint a meeting hard by them; to which many of his people came,\nand divers of his hearers were convinced of the way of truth, and\nreceived Christ, the free teacher, and came off from him; and that made\nhim rage the more. But the Lord\u2019s power came over him, so that he had\nnot power to meddle with me. Then I went to WALTHAM close by him, and\nhad a meeting there; but the people were very rude, and gathered about\nthe house and broke the windows. Whereupon I went out to them, with the\nBible in my hand, and desired them to come in; and told them, \u201cI would\nshow them Scripture both for our principles and practices.\u201d And when I\nhad done so, I showed them also, \u201cthat their teachers were in the steps\nof such, as the prophets, and Christ, and the apostles testified\nagainst.\u201d Then I directed them to the Light of Christ, and Spirit of God\nin their own hearts, that by it they might come to know their free\nteacher, the Lord Jesus Christ. The meeting being ended, they went away\nquieted and satisfied, and a meeting has since been settled in that\ntown. But this was some time after I was set at liberty by Oliver\nCromwell.\n\nWhen I came from WHITEHALL to the Mermaid at CHARING-CROSS, I stayed not\nlong there; but went into the city of LONDON, where we had great and\npowerful meetings; so great were the throngs of people, that I could\nhardly get to and from the meetings for the crowds; and the truth spread\nexceedingly. Thomas Aldam and Robert Craven, who had been sheriff of\nLINCOLN, and many Friends, came up to LONDON after me; but Alexander\nParker abode with me.\n\nAfter a while I went to WHITEHALL again, and was moved \u201cto declare the\nday of the Lord amongst them, and that the Lord was come to teach his\npeople himself;\u201d so I preached truth both to the officers, and to them\nthat were called Oliver\u2019s gentlemen, who were of his guard. But a priest\nopposed, while I was declaring the word of the Lord amongst them; for\nOliver had several priests about him, of which this was his news-monger;\nan envious priest, and a light, scornful, chaffy man. I bid him repent;\nand he put it in his newspaper the next week, that I had been at\nWHITEHALL, and had bid a godly minister there repent. When I went\nthither again, I met with him; and abundance of people gathered about\nme. I manifested the priest to be a liar in several things that he had\naffirmed; and so he was silenced. He put in the news, that I wore silver\nbuttons, which was false, for they were but alchymy. Afterwards he said\nin the news, that I hung ribands on people\u2019s arms, which made them\nfollow me; this was another of his lies, for I never wore or used\nribands in my life. Three Friends went to examine this priest, that gave\nforth this false intelligence, and to know of him where he had that\ninformation. He said, it was a woman that told him so; and if they would\ncome again, he would tell them her name. When they returned, he said it\nwas a man, but would not mention his name then; but if they would come\nagain, he would tell them his name, and where he lived. They went the\nthird time, and then he would not say who told him; but offered, if I\nwould give it under my hand, that there was no such thing, he would put\nthat into the news. Thereupon the Friends carried it to him under my\nhand; but when they came, he broke his promise, and would not insert it;\nbut was in a rage, and threatened them with the constable. This was the\ndeceitful doing of this forger of lies; which he spread over all the\nnation in the news, to render truth odious, and to put evil into\npeople\u2019s minds against Friends and truth; of which a more large account\nmay be seen in a book printed soon after this time, for the clearing of\nFriends and truth from the slanders, lies, and false reports raised and\ncast upon them. These priests, the news-mongers, were of the Independent\nsect, like those in LEICESTER; but the Lord\u2019s power came over all their\nlies, and swept them away; and many came to see the naughtiness of these\npriests. The God of Heaven carried me over all in his power, and his\nblessed power went over the nation: insomuch, that many Friends about\nthis time were moved to go up and down, to sound forth the everlasting\ngospel in most parts of it, and also in SCOTLAND: and the glory of the\nLord was felt over all to his everlasting praise. A great convincement\nthere was in LONDON, and some in the Protector\u2019s house and family; I\nwent to see him again, but could not get access to him, the officers\nwere grown so rude.\n\nThe Presbyterians, Independents, and Baptists, were greatly disturbed;\nfor many of their people turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, and sat down\nunder his teachings: they received his power, and felt it in their\nhearts: and then they were moved of the Lord to declare against the rest\nof them.\n\nI appointed a meeting in the fields near ACTON, in which the word of\nlife, the saving truth, was declared freely. The Lord\u2019s power was\neminently manifested, and his blessed day exalted over all.\n\n\n\n\n                             CHAPTER VIII.\n\n1654-1655.\u2014Address to professors of Christianity against persecution\u2014to\n    such as follow the world\u2019s fashions\u2014to the Pope, and all kings, and\n    rulers in Europe, against persecution\u2014to the justices appointed for\n    trying ministers of religion, being a testimony against hireling\n    ministers\u2014Samuel Fisher and others are convinced at a meeting at\n    Romney, where the Lord\u2019s power is marvellously displayed\u2014a large\n    meeting at Coggeshall of about two thousand people, which lasted\n    several hours\u2014many reproaches are cast upon the truth, and lying\n    slanderous books published, which are answered, and the truth set\n    over the gainsayers\u2014to those who scorn trembling and quaking\u2014great\n    rage is manifested against the truth and Friends, and their\n    plainness is contemned\u2014to the churches gathered into outward forms,\n    opening their state and warning of the woes coming upon them\u2014to the\n    Protector, respecting the imprisonment of Friends for refusing to\n    take oaths and pay tithes, &c.\u2014to Friends, to offer themselves to\n    lie in prison for a brother or sister\u2014an encouragement to Friends in\n    their several exercises.\n\n\nAbout this time I was moved to write a paper, and send it among the\nprofessors; as follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201c_To all professors of Christianity._\n\n  \u201cAll they that professed Jesus Christ in words, and yet heard him not\n  when he was come, said, he was a deceiver and a devil. The chief\n  priests called him so. The Jews said, \u2018He hath a devil, and is mad;\n  why do ye hear him?\u2019 But others said, \u2018These are not the words of him\n  that hath a devil: can a devil open the eyes of the blind?\u2019 The Jews\n  then doubted, whether he was the Christ or not; and so all, like the\n  Jews, in the knowledge, in the notion, that profess Christ without\n  only, where Christ is risen within, do not own him, but doubt of him;\n  though Christ is the same now and for ever. Jesus Christ said, \u2018I and\n  my Father are one;\u2019 then the Jews took up stones to stone him. And\n  where Jesus Christ is now spiritually come and made manifest, such as\n  are Christians in outward profession only, have the same hard hearts\n  inwardly now, as the Jews had then; and cast stones at him where he is\n  risen. Jesus said, \u2018For which of these good works do ye stone me?\u2019 The\n  Jews answered, \u2018For thy good works we stone thee not; but for\n  blasphemy, in that thou being a man, makest thyself God.\u2019 Jesus\n  answered them, \u2018Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?\n  and the Scripture cannot be broken. Say ye of him, whom the Father\n  hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I\n  said, I am the Son of God?\u2019 The Jews said to him, \u2018Say we not well,\n  that thou hast a devil?\u2019 Jesus answered, \u2018I honour my Father, and ye\n  dishonour me.\u2019 And they that were in the synagogue rose up, and thrust\n  him out of the city; and took him up to the edge of the hill whereon\n  their city was built, to cast him down headlong. The pharisees said of\n  him, \u2018He casteth out devils, by the prince of devils.\u2019 Jesus Christ\n  was called a glutton and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and\n  sinners; but wisdom is justified of her children. The officers, when\n  the high-priests and pharisees asked them, \u2018Why have ye not brought\n  him?\u2019 said, \u2018Never man spake like this man.\u2019 The Pharisees said, \u2018Are\n  ye also deceived? Do any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believe on\n  him?\u2019 but this people, which know not the law, are accursed. Nicodemus\n  (he that came unto Jesus by night), said unto them, \u2018Doth our law\n  judge any man, before it hear him?\u2019 When Stephen confessed Jesus, the\n  substance of all figures and types, and was brought before the chief\n  priests to his trial, he told them, \u2018The Most High dwelleth not in\n  temples made with hands:\u2019 and brought the prophets\u2019 words to witness,\n  and told them they were stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in heart and\n  ears, and always resisted the Holy Ghost, as their fathers had done.\n  Stephen was full of the Holy Ghost, and said he saw Jesus, and they\n  ran upon him and stoned him to death, as he was calling upon the Lord.\n  When Paul confessed Jesus Christ and his resurrection, Festus said he\n  was mad. When Paul preached the resurrection, some mocked; the Jews\n  persuaded the people, and they stoned him, and drew him out of the\n  city, thinking he had been dead. They stirred up the Gentiles to make\n  their minds evil-affected towards the brethren. They stirred up the\n  devout and honourable women, and the chief of the city, and raised\n  persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their\n  coasts; and there was an assault made both of the Gentiles and of the\n  Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully and to stone them. In\n  like manner all in the nature of those Jews now, whose religion stands\n  in notions, stir up the rulers, and ignorant people, and incense them\n  against Jesus Christ, to stone all with one consent, in whom he is\n  risen. This is, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, and the\n  blindness of the people discovered.\n\n  \u201cThe same power now is made manifest, and doth overturn the world, as\n  did then overturn the world, to the exalting of the Lord, and to the\n  pulling down of the kingdom of Satan and of this world, and setting up\n  his own kingdom, to his everlasting praise. The Lord is now exalting\n  himself, and throwing down man\u2019s self. The proud one\u2019s head is aloft,\n  fearing he should lose his pride and his crown. The priests incense\n  the ignorant people, for fear their trade should go down; and the\n  professors show forth what is in them, being full of rage; which\n  proves that Jesus Christ, the substance, is not there; but a stony\n  heart to stone the precious, where it is risen. The carnal mind feeds\n  upon the outward letter; earth feeds upon earth; and that vineyard is\n  not dressed, but is full of briars and nettles; and ravenous beasts,\n  swine and dogs, wolves and lions, and all venomous creatures lodge in\n  that habitation. That house is foul and is not swept. These are the\n  persecutors of the just, enemies of the truth, and of Christ;\n  blasphemers of God and his truth. These call upon God with their lips,\n  but their hearts are far from him. These feed on lies, priests and\n  people. These incense the people, and stir up envy; for it begets its\n  own, one like itself. These are as the waves of the sea, foaming out\n  their own shame. These have double eyes, whose bodies are full of\n  darkness. These paint themselves with the prophets\u2019, with Christ\u2019s,\n  and with the apostles\u2019 words most fair. Whited walls ye are; painted\n  sepulchres; murderers of the just. Your eyes, your minds, your hearts\n  are double. Ye flatterers, repent and turn from your carnal ends, who\n  are full of mischief, pretending God and godliness, taking him for\n  your cloak; but he will uncover you, and he hath uncovered you to his\n  children. He will make you bare, discover your secrets, and take off\n  your crown; he will take away your mantle and your veil, and strip you\n  of your clothing, that your nakedness may appear, and how you sit\n  deceiving the nations. Your abomination and your falseness is now made\n  manifest to them, who are of God; who in his power triumph over you,\n  rejoice over you, the beast, the dragon, the false prophet, the\n  seducer, the hypocrite, the mother of all harlots. Now thou must have\n  thy cup double, give it to her double.\n\n  \u201cSing over her, ye righteous ones, sing over them all ye saints;\n  triumph in glory, triumph over deceit; sing the song of the Lamb,\n  triumph over the world; spread the truth abroad. Come ye captive ones\n  out of prison, and rejoice with one accord, for the joyful days are\n  coming. Let us be glad and rejoice for ever! singleness of heart is\n  come, pureness of heart is come, joy and gladness is come. The\n  glorious God is exalting himself: truth hath been talked of, but now\n  it is possessed. Christ hath been talked of; but now he is come and is\n  possessed. The glory hath been talked of; but now it is possessed, and\n  the glory of man is defacing. The Son of God hath been talked of; but\n  now he is come, and hath given us understanding. Unity hath been\n  talked of; but now it is come. Virgins have been talked of; but now\n  they are come with oil in their lamps. He will be glorified alone.\n\n  \u201cWhere pride is thrown down, earth and the fleshly will is thrown\n  down, and the pure is raised up; there alone is the Lord exalted. Let\n  the heavens bow down to him, and the earth reel to and fro, and\n  stagger up and down. The Lord is setting up his throne and his crown,\n  and throwing down the crown of man, and he alone will be glorified; to\n  whom be all honour and glory, all praises and all thanks! Who gives\n  his children wisdom and strength, knowledge and virtue, power and\n  riches, blessings and durable substance; an eye to discern, and an ear\n  to hear things singly; and brings down the pride of man\u2019s heart, and\n  turns the wicked out of the kingdom. The righteous inherit\n  righteousness; the pure, pureness; the holy, holiness. Praises,\n  praises be to the Lord, whose glory now shines, whose day is broken\n  forth; which is hid from the world, hid from all worldly-wise ones,\n  and from all the prudent of this world; hid from the fowls of the air,\n  hid from all vultures\u2019 eyes, all venomous beasts, all liars, all dogs,\n  and all swine. But to them that fear his name, the secrets of the Lord\n  are made manifest, the treasures of wisdom are opened, and the fulness\n  of knowledge: for thou, O Lord, dost make thyself manifest to thy\n  children.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nMy spirit was greatly burdened to see the pride, that existed in the\nnation, even among professors; and in the sense thereof I was moved to\ngive forth the following paper, directed\u2014\n\n  \u201c_To such as follow the World\u2019s Fashions._\n\n  \u201cWhat a world is this! how doth the devil garnish himself! and how\n  obedient are people to do his will and mind! They are altogether so\n  carried away with fooleries and vanities, both men and women, that\n  they have lost the hidden man of the heart, and the meek and quiet\n  spirit; which with the Lord is of great price. They have lost the\n  adorning of Sarah; they are putting on gold and gay apparel; women\n  plaiting the hair, men and women powdering it; making their backs look\n  like bags of meal. They look so strange, that they can scarce look at\n  one another, they are so lifted up in pride. Pride is flown up into\n  their head, and hath so lifted them up, that they snuff up, like wild\n  asses; like Ephraim, they feed upon wind; and are like wild heifers,\n  who feed upon the mountains. Pride hath puffed up every one of them:\n  they are out of the fear of God, men and women, young and old; one\n  puffs up another. They must be in the fashion of the world, else they\n  are not in esteem; else they shall not be respected, if they have not\n  gold or silver upon their backs, or if the hair be not powdered. But\n  if he have store of ribands hanging about his waist, and at his knees,\n  and in his hat, of divers colours, red, white, black, or yellow, and\n  his hair be powdered, then he is a brave man; then he is accepted, he\n  is no Quaker, because he has ribands on his back, and front, and\n  knees, and his hair powdered. This is the array of the world. But is\n  not this from the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, or the pride\n  of life?\n\n  \u201cLikewise the women having their gold, their patches on their faces,\n  noses, cheeks, foreheads; having their rings on their fingers, wearing\n  gold, having their cuffs double, under and above, like unto a butcher\n  with his white sleeves; having their ribands tied about their hands,\n  and three or four gold laces about their clothes; this is no Quaker,\n  say they. This attire pleaseth the world: and if they cannot get these\n  things, they are discontented. But this is not the attire of Sarah,\n  whose adorning was the hidden man of the heart, the ornament of a\n  quiet and meek spirit. This is the adorning of the heathen, not of the\n  apostle, nor of the saints, whose adorning was, not wearing of gold,\n  nor plaiting of hair, but a meek and quiet spirit; which was and is of\n  great price with the Lord. Here was the sobriety and good ornament,\n  which was accepted of the Lord. This was Paul\u2019s exhortation and\n  preaching; but we see, the talkers of Paul\u2019s words live out of Paul\u2019s\n  command, and out of the example of Sarah; and are found in the steps\n  of the great heathen, who comes to examine the apostles in his\n  gorgeous apparel.\n\n  \u201cNow, are not these, that have got their ribands hanging about their\n  arms, hands, back, waists, knees, hats, like unto fiddlers\u2019 boys? This\n  shows that you are got into the basest and most contemptible life, who\n  are in the fashion of the fiddler\u2019s boys and stage-players, quite out\n  of the paths and steps of solid men; and in the very steps and paths\n  of the wild heads, who give themselves up to every invention and\n  vanity of the world that appears, and are inventing how to get it upon\n  their backs, heads, feet, and legs, and say, if it be out of the\n  fashion it is nothing worth. Are not these the spoilers of the\n  creation, who have the fat and the best of it, and waste and destroy\n  it? Do not these cumber God\u2019s earth? Let that of God in all\n  consciences answer, and those who are in the wisdom, judge. And\n  further, if one get a pair of trousers like a coat, and hang them\n  about with points, and up almost to the middle, a pair of double cuffs\n  upon his hands, and a feather in his cap, here is a gentleman; bow\n  before him, put off your hats, get a company of fiddlers, a set of\n  music, and women to dance. This is a brave fellow. Up in the chamber;\n  up in the chamber without, and up in the chamber within. Are these\n  your fine Christians? Yea, say they, they are Christians.\n\n  \u201cBut, say the serious people, they are out of Christ\u2019s life, and out\n  of the apostles\u2019 command, and out of the saints\u2019 ornament. And to see\n  such as are before described, as are in the fashions of the world\n  before-mentioned, a company of them playing at bowls, or at tables, or\n  at shuffle-board; or each taking his horse, that has bunches of\n  ribands on his head, as the rider has on his own (who, perhaps, has a\n  ring in his ear too) and so go to horse-racing, to spoil the\n  creatures; O, these are gentlemen indeed, these are bred up gentlemen,\n  these are brave fellows, and they must take their recreation; for\n  pleasures are lawful. These in their sports set up their shouts, like\n  wild asses. They are like the kine or beasts, when they are put to\n  grass, lowing when they are full. Here is the glorying of those before\n  mentioned; but it is in the flesh, not in the Lord. These are bad\n  Christians, and show that they are gluttoned with the creatures, and\n  then the flesh rejoiceth. Here is bad breeding of youth and young\n  women, who are carried away with the vanities of the mind in their own\n  inventions, pride, arrogancy, lust, gluttony, uncleanness. They eat\n  and drink, and rise up to the play. This is the generation which God\n  is not well-pleased with; for their eyes are full of adultery, and\n  cannot cease from evil. These be they that live in pleasures upon\n  earth; these be they who are dead while they live; who glory not in\n  the Lord, but in the flesh. These be they that are out of the life,\n  that the Scriptures were given forth from; who live in the fashions\n  and vanities of the world, out of truth\u2019s adorning, in the devil\u2019s\n  adorning (who is out of the truth); and not in the adorning of the\n  Lord, which is a meek and quiet spirit, which is with the Lord of\n  great price. But this ornament and this adorning is not put on by them\n  that adorn themselves, and have the ornament of him that is out of the\n  truth. That is not accepted with the Lord, which is accepted in their\n  eye.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nMoreover it came upon me about this time from the Lord, to write a short\npaper and send forth, as an exhortation and warning to the Pope, and all\nkings and rulers in EUROPE; as follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cYe heads, and rulers, kings, and nobles of all sorts, be not bitter,\n  nor hasty in persecuting the lambs of Christ, neither turn yourself\n  against the visitation of God, and his tender love and mercies from on\n  high, who sent to visit you; lest the Lord\u2019s hand, arm, and power,\n  take hold swiftly upon you; which is now stretched over the world. It\n  is turned against kings, and shall turn wise men backward, and will\n  bring their crowns to the dust, and lay them low and level with the\n  earth. The Lord will be king, who gives crowns to whomsoever obey his\n  will. This is the age wherein the Lord God of heaven and earth is\n  staining the pride of man, and defacing his glory. You that profess\n  Christ, and do not love your enemies, but on the contrary shut up and\n  imprison those who are his friends; these are marks that you are out\n  of his life, and do not love Christ, who do not the things he\n  commands. The day of the Lord\u2019s wrath is kindling, and his fire is\n  going forth to burn up the wicked; which will leave neither root nor\n  branch. They that have lost their habitation with God, are out of the\n  Spirit, that gave forth the Scriptures, and from the light that Jesus\n  Christ hath enlightened them withal; and so from the true foundation.\n  Therefore be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slower to persecute:\n  for the Lord is bringing his people to himself, from all the world\u2019s\n  ways, to Christ the way; and from all the world\u2019s churches, to the\n  church which is in God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; and from\n  all the world\u2019s teachers, to teach his people himself by his Spirit;\n  from all the world\u2019s images, into the image of himself; and from their\n  likeness into his own likeness; and from all the world\u2019s crosses of\n  stone or wood, into his power, which is the cross of Christ. For all\n  these images, crosses, and likenesses are among them, that are\n  apostatized from the image of God, the power of God, the cross of\n  Christ, which now fathoms the world, and is throwing down that which\n  is contrary to it; which power of God never changes.\n\n  \u201cLet this go to the kings of France, and of Spain, and to the Pope,\n  for them to prove all things, and to hold that which is good. And\n  first to prove, that they have not quenched the Spirit: for the mighty\n  day of the Lord is come, and coming upon all wickedness, and\n  ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men, who will plead with all flesh\n  by fire and by sword. And the truth, the crown of glory, and the\n  sceptre of righteousness over all shall be exalted; which shall answer\n  that of God in every one upon the earth, though they be from it.\n  Christ is come a light into the world, and doth enlighten every one\n  that cometh into the world; that all through him might believe. He\n  that feeleth the light that Christ hath enlightened him withal, he\n  feeleth Christ in his mind, and the cross of Christ, which is the\n  power of God; he shall not need to have a cross of wood or stone, to\n  put him in mind of Christ, or of his cross, which is the power of God\n  manifest in the inward parts.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nBesides this I was moved to write a letter to the Protector, to warn him\nof the mighty work the Lord hath to do in the nations, and of the\nshaking of them; and to beware of his own wit, craft, subtilty, and\npolicy, or seeking any by-ends to himself.\n\nThere was about this time an order for the trying of ministers (so\ncalled), and for approving, or ejecting them out of their places or\nbenefices; whereupon I wrote a paper to the justices, and other\ncommissioners, who were appointed to that work, as follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cYou that are justices, and in commission to try ministers, who have\n  so long been in the vineyard of God, see whether they be such as are\n  mentioned in the Scriptures, whom the prophets, Christ, and the\n  apostles, disapproved of. And if they be such as they disapproved, see\n  how ye can stand approved in the sight of God, to let such go into his\n  vineyard, and approve of them who will admire your persons, because of\n  advantage, and if you do not give them advantage, they will not admire\n  your persons. Such Jude speaks of. See if they be not such as teach\n  for filthy lucre, for the love of money, covetous, such as love\n  themselves, who have a form of godliness, but deny the power; from\n  such the apostles bid to \u2018turn away.\u2019 The apostle said their mouths\n  should be stopped, who served not the Lord Jesus, but their own\n  bellies, being evil, who mind earthly things. Paul gave Timothy a\n  description to try ministers by; he said, \u2018they must not be covetous,\n  nor given to wine, nor filthy lucre, nor novices; lest being lifted up\n  into pride, they fall into the condemnation of the devil:\u2019 these he\n  was to try and prove without partiality. Now take heed of approving\n  such as he disapproved; for since the apostles\u2019 days such as he\n  disapproved have had their liberty; and they have told us, the tongues\n  were their original, and that they were orthodox men; and that the\n  steeple-house, with a cross on the top of it, was the church (the\n  Papist\u2019s mass-house, you may look on the top of it, and see the sign).\n  But the Scriptures tell us, \u2018all the earth was of one language before\n  the building of Babel;\u2019 and when Pilate crucified Christ, he set the\n  tongues, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, over his head. And John tells us,\n  that the beast had power over the tongues, kindreds, and nations; and\n  that the whore sits upon the tongues, of whose cup all nations have\n  drunk, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her.\n  John also said the tongues are waters.\n\n  \u201cChrist gives marks to his disciples, and to the multitude, how to try\n  such as these that you are to try. They are called of men, master;\n  they love the chiefest seat in the assemblies; they are sayers but not\n  doers; and, said he, they shall put you out of the synagogues. Seven\n  woes he denounced against them, and so disapproved them. Christ said,\n  false prophets should come; and John saw they were come; for they went\n  forth from them, and the world since hath gone after them. But Babylon\n  must be confounded, the mother of harlots; and the Devil must be\n  taken; and with him the beast, and the false prophet must be cast into\n  the lake of fire; for the Lamb and his saints over all must reign, and\n  have the victory. The Lord God sent his prophets of old, to cry\n  against the shepherds that sought for the fleece, Ezek. xxxiv., and to\n  cry against such shepherds as seek for their gain from their quarter,\n  and never have enough, Isa. v. 6; and to cry against the prophets that\n  prophesied falsely, and the priests that bore rule by their means;\n  which was the filthy and horrible thing, Jer. v. And if you would\n  forbear to give them means, you would see how long they would bear\n  rule.\n\n  \u201cThere was in old time a storehouse for the fatherless, strangers, and\n  widows, to come to and be filled; and they did not prosper then who\n  did not bring their tithes to the storehouse. But did not Christ put\n  an end to that priesthood, tithes, temple, and priests? And doth not\n  the apostle say, that the priesthood is changed, the law is changed,\n  and the commandment disannulled? Might not they have pleaded the law\n  of God that gave them tithes? Have ever any of the priests prospered\n  that take tithes since, by the law of man? Was not the first author of\n  them, since Christ\u2019s time, the Pope, or some of his church? Did the\n  apostles cast men into prison for tithes, as your ministers do now? As\n  instance; Ralph Hollingworth, priest of Phillingham, for petty tithes,\n  not exceeding six shillings, has cast into Lincoln prison a poor\n  thatcher, named Thomas Bromby; where he has been about eight and\n  thirty weeks, and still remains a prisoner. And the priest petitioned\n  the judge that the poor man might not labour in the city, to get a\n  little money towards his maintenance in prison. Is this a good savour\n  amongst you, that are in commission to choose ministers? Is this glad\n  tidings, to cast into prison a man that is not his hearer, because he\n  could not put into his mouth? Can such as are in the fear of God, and\n  in his wisdom, own such things?\n\n  \u201cThe ministers of Christ are to plant a vineyard, and then eat of the\n  fruit; to plough, sow, and thrash, and get the corn; and then let them\n  reap; but not cast them into prison for whom they do no work. Christ,\n  when he sent forth his ministers, bid them give freely, as they had\n  received freely; and into what city or town soever they came, inquire\n  who were worthy and there abide; and what they set before you, said\n  he, that eat. And when these came back again to Christ, and he asked\n  them if they wanted anything, they said No. They did not go to a town,\n  and call the people together, to know how much they might have by the\n  year, as these that are in the apostacy do now. The apostle said,\n  \u2018have I not power to eat and to drink?\u2019 But he did not say, to take\n  tithes, Easter-reckonings, Midsummer-dues, augmentations, and great\n  sums of money; but \u2018have I not power to eat and to drink?\u2019 Yet he did\n  not use that power among the Corinthians. But they that are\n  apostatized from him, will take tithes, great sums of money,\n  Easter-reckonings, and Midsummer-dues; and cast them into prison that\n  will not give it them, whom they do no work for. The ox\u2019s mouth must\n  not be muzzled that treads out the corn; but see if the corn be\n  trodden out in you, and the wheat be in the garner. This is from a\n  lover of your souls, and one that desires your eternal good.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nAfter I had made some stay in the city of LONDON, and cleared myself of\nwhat service lay upon me at that time there, I was moved of the Lord to\ngo down into BEDFORDSHIRE to John Crook\u2019s house, at LUTON, where there\nwas a great meeting, and people generally convinced of the Lord\u2019s truth.\nWhen I was come thither, John Crook told me that next day several of\nthose that were called the gentlemen of the country, would come to dine\nwith him and to discourse with me. They came, and I declared to them\nGod\u2019s eternal truth. Several Friends went to the steeple-houses that\nday. And there was a meeting in the country, which Alexander Parker went\nto; and towards the middle of the day it came upon me to go to it,\nthough it was several miles off. John Crook went with me. When we\narrived, there was one \u2014\u2014 Gritton, who had been a Baptist, but was got\nhigher than they, and called himself a trier of spirits. He told people\ntheir fortunes, and pretended to discover to them when their goods were\nstolen or houses broken up, who the persons were that did it; by which\nhe had got into the affections of many people thereabouts. This man was\nin that meeting, speaking, and making a hideous noise over the\nyoung-convinced Friends, when I came in; and he bid Alexander Parker\ngive a reason of his hope. Alexander Parker told him, Christ was his\nhope; but because he did not answer him so soon as he expected, he\nboastingly cried, \u201chis mouth is stopped.\u201d Then Gritton directed his\nspeech to me, for I stood still and heard him express many things, which\nwere not agreeable to Scripture. I asked him, whether he could make\nthose things out by Scripture which he had spoken, and he said, Yes,\nyes. Then I bid the people take out their Bibles to search the places he\nshould quote for proof of his assertions; but he could not make good by\nScripture that which he had said. So he was ashamed and fled out of the\nhouse, and his people were generally convinced: for his spirit was\ndiscovered, and he came no more amongst them. When his people were\nconvinced and settled in God\u2019s truth, they gave forth a book against\nhim, and denied his spirit and his false discoveries. Many were turned\nto Christ Jesus that day, and came to sit under his teaching; insomuch\nthat the judges were in a great rage, and many of the magistrates in\nBEDFORDSHIRE, because there were so many turned from the hireling\npriests to the Lord Jesus Christ\u2019s free teaching. But John Crook[36] was\nkept by the power of the Lord; yet he was discharged from being a\njustice.\n\nFootnote 36:\n\n  John Crook was a Justice of the Peace, and a man of note in the county\n  of Bedford. He became an eminent preacher of the gospel, in which he\n  laboured extensively, and many were the seals of his ministry. He\n  suffered many imprisonments, which he bore with patience, as also his\n  bodily infirmities, often expressing the inward joy and peace he had\n  with the Lord. He died in 1699, in the eighty-second year of his age,\n  having been a minister about forty-four years, and his writings were\n  published in 1701, entitled, _The Design of Christianity testified in\n  the Books, Epistles, and MSS. of John Crook_.\n\nAfter some time I returned to LONDON again, where Friends were finely\nestablished in the truth, and great comings-in there were. About this\ntime several Friends went beyond sea to declare the everlasting truth of\nGod. When I had stayed a while in the city, I went into KENT. When we\ncame to ROCHESTER, there was a guard kept to examine passengers, but we\npassed by, and were not stopped. So I went to CRANBROOK, where there was\na great meeting; several soldiers were at it, and many were turned to\nthe Lord that day. After the meeting, some of the soldiers were somewhat\nrude, but the Lord\u2019s power came over them. Thomas Howsigoe, an\nIndependent preacher, who lived near CRANBROOK, was convinced, and\nbecame a faithful minister for the Lord Jesus. Some Friends had\ntravelled into KENT before, as John Stubbs and William Caton, and the\npriests and professors had stirred up the magistrates at MAIDSTONE to\nwhip them, for declaring God\u2019s truth unto them; as may be seen at large\nin the Journal of William Caton\u2019s life. Captain Dunk was also convinced\nin KENT. He went with me to RYE, where we had a meeting; to which the\nMayor and officers, and several captains came. They took down what I\nsaid in writing, which I was well pleased with. All was quiet, and the\npeople affected with the truth.\n\nFrom RYE I went to ROMNEY, where, the people having had notice of my\ncoming some time before, there was a very large meeting. Thither came\nSamuel Fisher, an eminent preacher among the Baptists, who had had a\nparsonage reputed worth about two hundred pounds a year, which for\nconscience sake he had given up. There was also the pastor of the\nBaptists, and abundance of their people. The power of the Lord was so\nmightily over the meeting, that many were reached thereby, and one\ngreatly shaken, and the life sprung up in many. One of the pastors of\nthe Baptists, being amazed at the work of the Lord\u2019s power, bid one of\nour friends that was so wrought upon, have a good conscience; whereupon\nI was moved of the Lord to bid him take heed of hypocrisy and deceit;\nand he was silent. A great convincement there was that day; many were\nturned from darkness to the divine light of Christ, and came to see\ntheir teachers\u2019 errors, and to sit under the Lord Jesus Christ\u2019s\nteaching, to know him their way, and the covenant of light, which God\nhad given to be their salvation; and they were brought to the one\nbaptism, and to the one baptizer, Christ Jesus. When the meeting was\nover, Samuel Fisher\u2019s wife said, \u201cNow we may discern this day between\nflesh and spirit, and distinguish spiritual teaching from fleshly.\u201d The\npeople were generally well satisfied with what had been declared; but\nthe two Baptist teachers and their company, when they were gone from the\nmeeting, fell to reasoning amongst the people. Samuel Fisher, with many\nothers, reasoned for the word of life, which had been declared that day;\nand the other pastor and his party reasoned against it; so it divided\nthem asunder, and cut them in the midst. A friend came and told me, that\nthe Baptists were disputing one with another; and desired me to go up to\nthem; but I said \u201clet them alone, the Lord will divide them; and they\nthat reason for truth, will be too hard for the other;\u201d and so it was.\nSamuel Fisher received the truth in the love of it, became a faithful\nminister, preached Christ freely, and laboured much in the service of\nthe Lord, being moved to go and declare the word of life at Dunkirk and\nin Holland, and in divers parts of Italy, as Leghorn, and Rome itself;\nyet the Lord preserved him and his companion John Stubbs, out of their\nInquisitions.[37]\n\nFootnote 37:\n\n  Sewell states that Samuel Fisher and John Stubbs, when at Rome,\n  conversed with some of the cardinals, and testified against Popish\n  superstitions. They also spread books among the friars, some of whom\n  expressed their contents to be true; but, said they, if we should\n  acknowledge this publicly, we might expect to be burned for it.\n\n  Whiting records the death of Samuel Fisher in 1665. \u201cOther Friends,\u201d\n  he says, \u201cwere transported; and many died in Newgate, and on\n  shipboard, in order to transportation, to the number of 122, in\n  London, Westminster, and Southwark; particularly Samuel Fisher, &c.,\n  faithful ministers and labourers in the work of the Lord, taken at\n  meetings died in the White Lion prison, Southwark, 1665, in the time\n  of the pestilence [plague], which began in the time of the persecution\n  of Friends under the Conventicle Act, as a signal token of the Lord\u2019s\n  displeasure. It broke out first in a house next to that of the first\n  man that was banished, who lived to return to London, and died at a\n  great age.\u201d\n\nFrom ROMNEY I passed to DOVER, and had a meeting, where several were\nconvinced. Near DOVER a governor and his wife were convinced, who had\nbeen Baptists; and the Baptists thereabouts were much offended, and grew\nvery envious; but the Lord\u2019s power came over all. Luke Howard of DOVER\nwas convinced some time before, and became a faithful minister of\nChrist.[38]\n\nFootnote 38:\n\n  For some account of Luke Howard, see _Piety Promoted_, Part ix. He was\n  several times imprisoned; once in Dover Castle, for sixteen months,\n  for going to meetings. At this time, he employed six men in his trade,\n  but was obliged to shut up his shop for six months. He obtained the\n  use of an entry to the prison grate, where meat was drawn up with a\n  cord, and he worked a little there. He suffered another long\n  confinement in 1684. Speaking of his imprisonments, he says, \u201cI had\n  perfect peace, joy, and content in it all; the Lord made it good unto\n  me, both within and without.\u201d\n\nReturning from DOVER I went to CANTERBURY, where a few honest-hearted\npeople were turned to the Lord, who sat down under Christ\u2019s teaching.\nThence I passed to CRANBROOK again, where I had a great meeting. A\nfriend went to the steeple-house, and was cast into prison; but the\nLord\u2019s power was manifested, and his truth spread.\n\nFrom thence I passed into SUSSEX, and lodged near HORSHAM, where there\nwas a great meeting, and many were convinced. Also at STEYNING we had a\ngreat meeting in the market house, and several were convinced; for the\nLord\u2019s power was with us. I had several meetings in the neighbourhood;\nand among the rest, one was appointed at a great man\u2019s house, and he and\nhis son went to fetch several priests that had threatened to come and\ndispute. But none of them came; for the Lord\u2019s power was mighty in us; a\nglorious meeting we had. The man of the house and his son were vexed,\nbecause none of the priests would come. So the hearts of people were\nopened by the Spirit of God, and they were turned from the hirelings to\nChrist Jesus their shepherd, who had purchased them without money, and\nwould feed them without money or price. Many that came, expecting to\nhear a dispute, were convinced; amongst whom Nicholas Beard was one.[39]\n\nFootnote 39:\n\n  Nicholas Beard was an early seeker of the Lord in his youth, and would\n  often travel many miles to hear the best reputed teachers of the\n  times. He became a faithful minister of Christ, and a large sufferer\n  for his sake. For one year\u2019s tithes he had taken from him twelve oxen,\n  six cows, and one bull, which were sold for \u00a3111 5s., but worth more.\n  For worshipping God, and refusing to swear or bear arms, he was\n  prosecuted on the statute for \u00a320 a month, and underwent imprisonment\n  several years, and loss of goods to more than \u00a31,000. Yet it pleased\n  the Lord to support and bless him and a large family, so that on his\n  deathbed he was heard to say, \u201cO Lord, my soul blesseth thee, and all\n  that is within me magnifieth thy holy name!\u201d He often desired to\n  depart and be with Christ, and died in great peace, in 1702, aged\n  eighty, a minister about thirty years.\n\nThus the Lord\u2019s power came over all, and his day many came to see. There\nwere abundance of Ranters in those parts, and professors that had been\nso loose in their lives, that they began to be weary of it and had\nthought to go into Scotland to live privately. But the Lord\u2019s net caught\nthem, and their understandings were opened by his light, Spirit, and\npower, through which they came to receive the truth, and to be settled\nupon the Lord; and so became very sober men, and good friends in the\ntruth. Great blessing and praising of the Lord there was amongst them,\nand great admiration in the country.\n\nOut of SUSSEX I travelled to READING, where I found a few that were\nconvinced of the way of the Lord. There I stayed till First-day, and had\na meeting in George Lamboll\u2019s orchard; and a great part of the town came\nto it. A glorious meeting it proved; a great convincement there was, and\nthe people were mightily satisfied. Thither came two of Judge Fell\u2019s\ndaughters to me, and George Bishop, of BRISTOL, with his sword by his\nside, for he was a captain.[40] After the meeting many Baptists and\nRanters came privately, reasoning and discoursing; but the Lord\u2019s power\ncame over them. The Ranters pleaded, that God made the Devil; I denied\nit, and told them, \u201cI was come into the power of God, the seed Christ,\nwhich was before the Devil was, and bruised the head of him; and he\nbecame a Devil by going out of truth, and so became a murderer and a\ndestroyer. So I showed them that God did not make the Devil; for God is\na God of truth, and he made all things good, and blessed them; but God\ndid not bless the Devil. And the Devil is bad, and was a liar and a\nmurderer from the beginning, and spoke of himself and not from God.\u201d And\nso the truth stopped them, and bound them, and came over all the highest\nnotions in the nation, and confounded them. For by the power of the Lord\nGod I was manifest, and sought to be made manifest to the Spirit of God\nin all; that by it (which they vexed, and quenched, and grieved,) they\nmight be turned to God; as many were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ by\nthe Holy Spirit, and were come to sit under his teaching.\n\nFootnote 40:\n\n  This Captain Bishop, who is mentioned as wearing his sword, soon\n  discontinued it, being convinced, and joining Friends. He was the\n  author of _An Account of the Persecution in New England_, and he\n  issued a prophetic warning to the King and Parliament, in 1664, for\n  banishing Friends, which was fulfilled. See _Sewell\u2019s History_; Index.\n\nAfter this meeting at READING I passed up to LONDON, where I stayed a\nwhile, and had large meetings, then into ESSEX, and came to COGGESHALL,\nwhere was a meeting of about two thousand people, as it was supposed,\nwhich lasted several hours, and a glorious meeting it was; for the word\nof life was freely declared, and people were turned to the Lord Jesus\nChrist, their teacher and their Saviour, the way, the truth, and the\nlife.\n\nOn the sixth day of that week I had a meeting near COLCHESTER, to which\nmany professors and the Independent teachers came. After I had done\nspeaking, and was stepped down from the place on which I stood, one of\nthe Independent teachers began to make a jangling; which Amor Stoddart\nperceiving, said to me, Stand up again, George, for I was going away,\nand did not at first hear them. But when I heard the jangling\nIndependent, I stood up again; and after a while the Lord\u2019s power came\nover him and his company; and they were confounded, and the Lord\u2019s truth\nwent over all. A great flock of sheep hath the Lord Jesus Christ in that\ncountry, that feed in his pastures of life. On the First-day following\nwe had a very large meeting, near COLCHESTER, wherein the Lord\u2019s power\nwas eminently manifested, and the people were very well satisfied; for\nthey were turned to Christ\u2019s free teaching, and received it gladly. Many\nof these people had been of the stock of the martyrs.\n\nAs I passed through COLCHESTER, I went to visit James Parnel in prison,\nbut the cruel jailer would hardly let us come in, or stay with him. Very\ncruel they were to him; the jailer\u2019s wife threatened to have his blood;\nand in that jail they destroyed him, as the reader may see in a book\nprinted soon after his death, giving an account of his life and death;\nand also in an epistle printed with his collected books and writings.\n\nFrom COLCHESTER I went to IPSWICH, where we had a little meeting, and\nvery rude; but the Lord\u2019s power came over them. After the meeting I\nsaid, \u201cif any had a desire to hear further, they might come to the inn;\u201d\nand there came in a company of rude butchers, that had abused Friends;\nbut the Lord\u2019s power so chained them that they could not do mischief.\nThen I wrote a paper, and gave it forth to the town, \u201cwarning them of\nthe day of the Lord, that they might repent of the evils they lived in;\ndirecting them to Christ, their teacher, and way; and exhorting them to\nforsake their hireling teachers.\u201d\n\nWe passed from IPSWICH to MENDLESHAM, in SUFFOLK, where Robert Duncan\nlived. There we had a large quiet meeting, and the Lord\u2019s power was\npreciously felt amongst us. Then we passed to a meeting at Captain\nLawrence\u2019s in NORFOLK; where, it was supposed, were above a thousand\npeople; and all was quiet. Many persons of note were present, and a\ngreat convincement there was; for they were turned to Christ, their way\nand their teacher, and many of them received him, and sat down under\nhim, their vine. Here we parted with Amor Stoddart and some other\nFriends, who intended to meet us again in HUNTINGDONSHIRE.\n\nAbout two in the morning we took horse for NORWICH, where Christopher\nAtkins had run out, and brought dishonour upon the blessed truth and\nname of the Lord. But he had been denied by Friends; and afterwards he\ngave forth a paper of condemnation of his sin and evil. We came to\nYARMOUTH, and there stayed a while; where there was a Friend, Thomas\nBond, in prison for the truth of Christ. There we had some service; and\nsome were turned to the Lord in that town. From thence we rode to\nanother town, about twenty miles off, where were many tender people; and\nI was moved of the Lord to speak to them, as I sat on my horse, in\nseveral places as I passed along.\n\nWe went to another town about five miles from thence, and set up our\nhorses at an inn, Richard Hubberthorn and I having travelled five and\nforty miles that day. There were some friendly people in the town; and\nwe had a tender, broken meeting amongst them, in the Lord\u2019s power, to\nhis praise. We bid the hostler have our horses ready by three in the\nmorning; for we intended to ride to LYNN, about three and thirty miles,\nnext morning. But when we were in bed at our inn, about eleven at night,\nthe constable and officers came, with a great rabble of people, into the\ninn, and said they were come with a hue and cry from a justice of peace,\nthat lived near the town about five miles off, where I had spoken to the\npeople in the streets, as I rode along, to search for two horsemen, that\nrode upon gray horses, and in gray clothes; a house having been broken\nup on the Seventh-day before at night. We told them \u201cwe were honest,\ninnocent men, and abhorred such things;\u201d yet they apprehended us, and\nset a guard with halberts and pikes upon us that night; making some of\nthose friendly people, with others, to watch us. Next morning we were up\nbetimes, and the constable with his guard carried us before a justice of\npeace about five miles off. We took two or three of the sufficient men\nof the town with us, who had been with us at the great meeting at\nCaptain Lawrence\u2019s, and could testify that we lay both the Seventh-day\nnight, and the First-day night, at Captain Lawrence\u2019s; and it was the\nSeventh-day night that they said the house was broken up.\n\nThe reader is to be informed, that during the time that I was a prisoner\nat the Mermaid at CHARING CROSS, this Captain Lawrence brought several\nIndependent justices to see me there, with whom I had much discourse;\nwhich they took offence at. For they pleaded for imperfection, and to\nsin as long as they lived; but did not like to hear of Christ teaching\nhis people himself, and making people as clear, whilst here upon the\nearth, as Adam and Eve were before they fell. These justices had plotted\ntogether this mischief against me in the country, pretending a house was\nbroken up; that they might send their hue and cry after me. They were\nvexed also, and troubled, to hear of the great meeting at John\nLawrence\u2019s aforesaid; for a colonel was convinced there that day, who\nlived and died in the truth. But Providence so ordered, that the\nconstable carried us to a justice about five miles onward in our way\ntowards LYNN, who was not an Independent justice, as the rest were.\n\nWhen we were brought before him, he began to be angry, because we did\nnot put off our hats to him. I told him, I had been before the\nProtector, and he was not offended at my hat; and why should he be\noffended at it, who was but one of his servants? Then he read the hue\nand cry; and I told him, \u201cthat that night, wherein the house was said to\nbe broken up, we were at Captain Lawrence\u2019s house; and that we had\nseveral men present who could testify the truth thereof.\u201d Thereupon the\njustice, having examined us and them said \u201che believed we were not the\nmen that had broken the house; but he was sorry,\u201d he said, \u201cthat he had\nno more against us.\u201d We told him, \u201che ought not to be sorry for not\nhaving evil against us; but rather to be glad; for to rejoice, when he\ngot evil against people, as for housebreaking, or the like, was not a\ngood mind in him.\u201d It was a good while yet, before he could resolve,\nwhether to let us go, or send us to prison; and the wicked constable\nstirred him up against us, telling him, \u201cwe had good horses, and that if\nit pleased him, he would carry us to NORWICH jail.\u201d But we took hold of\nthe justice\u2019s confession, that \u201che believed we were not the men that had\nbroken the house;\u201d and after we had admonished him to fear the Lord in\nhis day, the Lord\u2019s power came over him, so that he let us go; so their\nsnare was broken. A great people were afterwards gathered to the Lord in\nthat town, where I was moved to speak to them in the street; and from\nwhence the hue and cry came.\n\nBeing set at liberty, we travelled to LYNN; where we arrived about three\nin the afternoon. Having set up our horses, we met with Joseph Fuce,[41]\nwho was an ensign; and we wished him to speak to as many of the people\nof the town as he could that feared God; and to the captains and\nofficers to come together; which he did. We had a very glorious meeting\namongst them, and turned them to the Spirit of God, by which they might\nknow God and Christ, and understand the Scriptures; and so learn of God\nand of Christ, as the prophets and apostles did. Many were convinced\nthere; and a fine meeting there is, of them that are come off from the\nhirelings\u2019 teaching, and sit under the teaching of the Lord Jesus\nChrist.\n\nFootnote 41:\n\n  Joseph Fuce was one of those faithful ministers who died in White Lion\n  prison, Southwark, in 1665, during the time of the plague.\n\nLYNN being then a garrison, we desired Joseph Fuce to get us the gate\nopened by three next morning, for we had forty miles to ride next day.\nBy that means getting out early, we came next day by eleven or twelve to\nSUTTON, near the Isle of Ely, where Amor Stoddart, and the Friends with\nhim, met us again. A multitude of people was gathered there, and no less\nthan four priests. The priest of the town made a great jangle; but the\nLord\u2019s power so confounded him, that he went away: the other three\nstayed; and one of them was convinced. One of the other two, whilst I\nwas speaking, came to lean upon me; but I bid him sit down, seeing he\nwas so slothful. A great convincement there was that day; and many\nhundreds were turned from the darkness to the light, from the power of\nSatan unto God, and from the spirit of error to the Spirit of truth, to\nbe led thereby into all truth. People came to this meeting from\nHUNTINGDON, and beyond; and the mayor\u2019s wife of CAMBRIDGE was there\nalso. A glorious meeting it was, and many were settled under Christ\u2019s\nteaching, and knew him, their Shepherd, to feed them; for the word of\nlife was freely declared, and gladly received by them. The meeting ended\nin the power of the Lord, and in peace; and after it I walked out and\nwent into a garden; where I had not been long, before a Friend came to\nme, and told me several justices were come to break up the meeting. But\nmany of the people were gone away; so they missed of their design: and\nafter they had stayed a while, they went away also, in a fret.\n\nThat evening I passed to CAMBRIDGE. When I came into the town, the\nscholars hearing of me, were up, and were exceedingly rude. I kept on my\nhorse\u2019s back, and rode through them in the Lord\u2019s power; but they\nunhorsed Amor Stoddart before he could get to the inn. When we were in\nthe inn, they were so rude in the courts, and in the streets, that\nminers, colliers, and carters could never be ruder. The people of the\nhouse asked us \u201cwhat we would have for supper.\u201d \u201cSupper!\u201d said I, \u201cwere\nit not that the Lord\u2019s power is over them, these rude scholars look as\nif they would pluck us in pieces, and make a supper of us.\u201d They knew I\nwas so against the trade of preaching, which they were there as\napprentices to learn, that they raged as much as ever Diana\u2019s craftsmen\ndid against Paul. At this place John Crook met us. When it was within\nnight, the mayor of the town, being friendly, came and fetched me to his\nhouse; and as we walked through the streets, there was a bustle in the\ntown; but they did not know me, it being darkish. They were in a rage,\nnot only against me, but against the mayor also; so that he was almost\nafraid to walk the streets with me, for the tumult. We sent for the\nfriendly people, and had a fine meeting there in the power of God: and I\nstayed there all night. Next morning, having ordered our horses to be\nready by six, we passed peaceably out of town; and the destroyers were\ndisappointed; for they thought I would have stayed longer, and intended\nto do us mischief; but our passing away early in the morning frustrated\ntheir evil purposes against us.\n\nThen we rode to BISHOP-STORTFORD, where some were convinced: and so to\nHERTFORD, where also there were some convinced; and where there is now a\nlarge meeting. From thence we returned to LONDON, where Friends received\nus gladly; the Lord\u2019s power having carried us through many snares and\ndangers. Great service we had for the Lord; for many hundreds were\nbrought to sit under the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, their\nSaviour, and to praise the Lord through him. James Naylor also was come\nup to London; and Richard Hubberthorn and I stayed some time in the\ncity, visiting Friends and answering gainsayers; for we had great\ndisputes with professors of all sorts. Many reproaches they cast upon\ntruth; and lying slanderous books they gave forth against us: but we\nanswered them all, cleared God\u2019s truth, and set it over them; and the\nLord\u2019s power was over all.\n\nAmongst other services for the Lord, which then lay upon me in the city,\nI was moved to give forth a paper which is as follows:\u2014\n\n          _To Those that Made a Scorn of Trembling and Quaking._\n\n  \u201cThe word of the Lord to all you that scorn trembling, and quaking;\n  who scoff at, scorn, stone, and belch forth oaths against, those who\n  are trembling and quaking; threatening them, and beating them.\n  Strangers ye are to all the apostles and prophets; and are of the\n  generation that stoned them, and mocked them in those ages. Ye are the\n  scoffers of whom they spoke, that are come in the last times. Be ye\n  witnesses against yourselves. To the light in all your consciences I\n  speak, that with it you may see yourselves to be out of the life of\n  the holy men of God.\n\n  \u201cMoses, who was judge over all Israel, trembled, feared, and quaked:\n  when the Lord said unto him, \u2018I am the God of Abraham, the God of\n  Isaac, and the God of Jacob, then Moses trembled, and durst not\n  behold.\u2019 This, which makes to tremble now, ye teachers and people\n  scoff at, and scorn them in your streets who witness the power of the\n  Lord. Moses forsook the pleasures of the world, which he might have\n  enjoyed for a season. He might have been called the son of Pharaoh\u2019s\n  daughter; he refused it, and forsook Pharaoh\u2019s house; yet was no\n  vagabond. David, a king, trembled; he was mocked; they made songs on\n  him; they wagged their heads at him. Will you profess David\u2019s words,\n  and Moses\u2019s words, who are in the generation of your fathers, mockers,\n  scoffers, wonderers, and despisers, who are to perish? O blush! be\n  ashamed of all your profession, and be confounded! Job trembled, his\n  flesh trembled, and they mocked him: so do you now mock them in whom\n  the same power of God is made manifest; and yet you profess Job\u2019s\n  words. O deceitful hypocrites! will ye not own Scripture? O shame!\n  never profess Scripture words, and deny the power, which, according to\n  Scripture, makes the keepers of the house to tremble, and the strong\n  man to bow himself. These things both priests, magistrates, and people\n  scoff at; but with the power ye are judged, and by the power and life\n  condemned.\n\n  \u201cThe prophet Jeremiah trembled, he shook, his bones quaked, he reeled\n  to and fro, like a drunken man, when he saw the deceits of the priests\n  and prophets, who were turned from the way of God; they were not\n  ashamed, neither could they blush. Such were gone from the light; and\n  such were they that ruled over the people. But he was brought to cry,\n  O foolish people! that had eyes, and could not see; that had ears, and\n  could not hear; that did not fear the Lord, and tremble at his\n  presence, who placed the sands for bounds to the sea, by a perpetual\n  decree, that the waves thereof cannot pass! And he said, \u2018A horrible\n  thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the\n  priests bear rule by their means. Shall not I visit for these things,\n  saith the Lord? Shall not my soul be avenged upon such a nation as\n  this?\u2019 They were such as did not tremble at the word of the Lord;\n  therefore he called them a foolish people. Hear all ye the word of the\n  Lord, ye foolish people, who scorn trembling and quaking. Give over\n  professing the prophet Jeremiah\u2019s words, and making a trade of them;\n  for with his words you are judged to be among the scoffers, scorners,\n  and stockers. For he was stocked by your generation; and you now stock\n  them that tremble at the word of the Lord, at the power of the mighty\n  God, which raises up the seed of God, and throws down the earth which\n  hath kept it down. So, you who are in the fall where death reigneth,\n  who are enemies of the truth, despising the power of God, as those of\n  your generation ever did, woe and misery is your portion, except you\n  speedily repent.\n\n  \u201cIsaiah saith, \u2018Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his\n  word.\u2019 Again, \u2018To this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and\n  of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.\u2019 Isa. lxv. 2. \u2018Your\n  brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name\u2019s sake, said,\n  Let the Lord be glorified; but he shall appear to your joy, and they\n  shall be ashamed.\u2019 Isa. lxvi. 5. Now all ye scoffers and scorners,\n  that despise trembling, you regard not the word of the Lord; they are\n  not regarded by you, that tremble at the word; who are regarded by the\n  Lord: therefore you are contrary to Isaiah\u2019s words. Profess him and\n  his words no more, for shame, nor make a trade of his words, ye that\n  seek for your gain from your quarter, ye greedy, dumb dogs, that never\n  have enough; ye are they that despise trembling; ye are such as Isaiah\n  cried against, who himself witnessed trembling. Here therefore be ye\n  witnesses against yourselves, that with the light in your consciences\n  ye may see ye are out of the prophet Isaiah\u2019s spirit, and are haters\n  of them that tremble, whom the Lord regards; such you regard not, but\n  hate and persecute, mock and rail against them. It is manifest that\n  you walk in the steps of your forefathers, that persecuted the\n  prophets.\n\n  \u201cHabakkuk, the prophet of the Lord, trembled. And Joel, the prophet of\n  the Lord, said, \u2018Blow the trumpet in Zion, and let all the inhabitants\n  of the earth tremble: the people shall tremble, and all faces shall\n  gather blackness, and the people shall be much pained.\u2019 And now this\n  trembling is witnessed by the power of the Lord. This power of the\n  Lord is come; the trumpet is sounding; the earth is shaking, the\n  inhabitants of the earth are trembling; the dead are arising, and the\n  living are praising God; the world is raging, and the scoffers are\n  scorning; and they that witness trembling and quaking wrought in them\n  by the power of the Lord, can scarcely pass up and down the streets,\n  but with stones and blows, fists and sticks, or dogs set at them; or\n  they are pursued with mockings and reproaches. Thus you vent forth\n  your malice against them that witness the power of the Lord, as the\n  prophets did; who are come to the broken heart and contrite spirit,\n  who tremble at the word of the Lord, and whom the Lord regards: these\n  you stone and stock, and set your dogs at; these you scoff and scorn,\n  these you revile and reproach; but these reproaches are our riches;\n  praised be the Lord who hath given us power over them. If you see one,\n  as Habakkuk, whose \u2018lips quivered,\u2019 whose \u2018belly shook,\u2019 who said,\n  \u2018rottenness was entered into his bones,\u2019 and who \u2018trembled in\n  himself;\u2019 if you see such a one in this condition now, ye say, he is\n  bewitched. Here again you show yourselves strangers to that power, to\n  that life, that was in the prophet: therefore, for shame, never make a\n  profession of his words, nor a trade of his words; nor of Joel\u2019s, who\n  witnessed trembling, which ye scorn and scoff at. Ye proud scoffers\n  and scorners, misery, misery is your end, except you speedily repent.\n\n  \u201cDaniel, a servant of the most high God, trembled; his strength and\n  his breath were gone; he was imprisoned, he was hated, he was\n  persecuted. They laid baits and snares for him, in whom the Holy\n  Spirit of God was. Now for shame, you that make a profession of\n  Daniel\u2019s words, give over your profession; priests and people, who\n  scorn and scoff at trembling, with the light you are seen to be out of\n  Daniel\u2019s life, and by the same power you are judged, at which you\n  scorn and scoff. Here again be ye witnesses against yourselves, that\n  ye are scorners and scoffers against the truth; and with the Scripture\n  ye are judged to be contrary to the life of the holy men of God.\n\n  \u201cPaul, a minister of God, made, by the will of God, a messenger of the\n  Lord Jesus, a vessel of the Lord, to carry his name abroad into\n  several nations, trembled: and when the dark, blind world, having got\n  some of his words and epistles, you teachers make a trade of them, and\n  obtain great sums of money by it, and so destroy souls for dishonest\n  gain: making a trade of his words, and of the rest of the apostles\u2019\n  and prophets\u2019, and of Christ\u2019s words, but denying the Spirit and life\n  that they were guided by; and that power which shook the flesh and the\n  earth, which the apostle witnessed, who said, when he came among the\n  Corinthians, that \u2018he was with them in weakness, and in fear, and in\n  much trembling,\u2019 that their faith might not stand in the wisdom of\n  men, but in the power of God; in that power which made him to tremble.\n  This power it is that the world, and all the scoffing teachers, scoff\n  at and scorn in your towns, in your villages, in your assemblies, in\n  your ale-houses. For shame, lay aside all your profession of the\n  apostle\u2019s words and conditions! Some of them that scoff at this power,\n  call it the power of the devil. Some persecute, stone and stock,\n  imprison and whip them, in whom that power is made manifest, and load\n  them with reproaches, as not worthy to walk on the earth; hated and\n  persecuted, as the off-scouring of all things. Here you may see you\n  are in the steps of your forefathers, who persecuted the apostles, and\n  acted so against them, stocked them, mocked them, imprisoned them,\n  stoned them, whipped them, haled them out of the synagogues,\n  reproached them, and shamefully entreated them. Do not you here fulfil\n  the Scripture, and Christ\u2019s saying, who said, \u2018If they kill you, they\n  will think they do God service?\u2019 Yet you make a profession of Christ\u2019s\n  words, of the prophets\u2019 and apostles\u2019 words, and call yourselves\n  churches, and ministers of the gospel. I charge you, in the presence\n  of the living God, to be silent who act such things! Mind the light in\n  your consciences, ye scoffers and scorners, which Christ hath\n  enlightened you withal: that with it ye may see yourselves, what ye\n  act, and what ye have acted; for they who act such things shall not\n  inherit the kingdom of God: all such things are by the light\n  condemned.\n\n  \u201cYou who have come to witness trembling and quaking, the powers of the\n  earth to be shaken, the lustful nature to be destroyed, the scorning\n  and scoffing nature judged by the light; wait in it to receive power\n  from him who shakes the earth. That power we own, and our faith stands\n  in it, which all the world scoffs at; the lofty ones, the proud, the\n  presumptuous, who live in presumption, and yet make a profession of\n  the Scriptures, as your fathers the Pharisees did, who were painted\n  sepulchres and serpents; and as the scribes did, who had the chiefest\n  place in the assemblies, stood praying in the synagogues, and were\n  called of men masters, which Christ cried woe against. These are not\n  come so far as the trembling of devils, who believed and trembled. Let\n  that judge you. The light and life of the Scripture is seen and made\n  manifest, and with it all you scoffers and scorners, all you\n  persecutors and railers are seen.\n\n  \u201cTake warning, all ye powers of the earth, how ye persecute them whom\n  the world nickname and call Quakers, who dwell in the eternal power of\n  God; lest the hand of the Lord be turned against you, and ye be all\n  cut off. To you this is the word of God. Fear and tremble, and take\n  warning! for this is the man whom the Lord doth regard, who trembles\n  at his word; whom you, who are of the world, scoff and scorn, stock,\n  persecute, and imprison. Here ye may see ye are contrary to God and to\n  the prophets; and are such as hate what the Lord regards; which we,\n  whom the world scorns and call Quakers, own. We exalt and honour that\n  power, that makes the devils tremble, shakes the earth, and throws\n  down the loftiness and the haughtiness of man; which makes the beasts\n  of the field to tremble, and the earth to reel to and fro; which\n  cleaves the earth asunder, and overturneth the world. This power we\n  own, and honour, and preach; but all scoffers and persecutors, railers\n  and scorners, stockers and whippers, we deny by that power which\n  throweth down all that nature; seeing that all who act such things,\n  without repentance, shall not inherit the kingdom of God, but are for\n  destruction.\n\n  \u201cRejoice, all ye righteous ones, who are persecuted for righteousness\u2019\n  sake; for great is your reward in heaven. Rejoice ye that suffer for\n  well doing; for ye shall not lose your reward. Wait in the light, that\n  you may grow up in the life that gave forth the Scriptures; that with\n  it you may see the saints\u2019 conditions, and all that which they\n  testified against; and there with it ye will see the state of those\n  that reproached and scoffed at them; that mocked and persecuted them;\n  that whipped and stocked them, and haled them out of the synagogues\n  before magistrates. To you, who are in the same light and life, the\n  same things do they now; that they may fill up the measure of their\n  fathers. With the light now they are seen, where the light, and life,\n  and power of God is made manifest; for as they did unto them, so they\n  will do unto you. Here is our joy; the Scripture is fulfilled, and\n  fulfilling; and with the light, which was before the world was, which\n  is now made manifest in the children of light, they see the world, and\n  comprehend it, and the actions of it; for he that loves the world, and\n  turns from the light, is an enemy to God; he turneth into wickedness;\n  for the whole world lieth in wickedness. He who turns from the light,\n  turns into the works of evil, which the light of Christ testifies\n  against; and by this light, where it is made manifest, all the works\n  of the world are seen and made manifest.\u201d\n\n                                                                G.F.\n\n  This is to go abroad among the scattered\n       ones, and among the world.\n\nGreat was the rage and enmity of professors, as well as profane, against\nthe truth and people of God at this time; and great the contempt and\ndisdain they showed of Friends\u2019 plainness. Wherefore I was moved to\nwrite the following, and sent it forth:\u2014\n\n     _An Epistle to Churches gathered into outward forms, upon the\n                                earth._\n\n  \u201cAll ye churches gathered into outward forms upon the earth, the Son\n  of God is come to reign; he will tread and trample, will shake and\n  make you quiver, you that are found out of his light, without his life\n  and power. His day hath appeared; mortar and clay will you be found.\n  Breaking, shaking, and quaking are coming among you! your high\n  building is to be laid desolate; your professed liberty shall be your\n  bondage; the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it. Tremble, ye\n  hypocrites, ye notionists! the fenced cities shall be laid desolate,\n  the fruitful fields shall become a wilderness; your false joy shall\n  become your heaviness; the time of weeping and desolation draweth\n  nigh! Come, ye witty ones, see how ye can stand before the Almighty,\n  who is now come to plead with you; you will fall like leaves, and\n  wither like weeds! Come, you that have boasted of my name, saith the\n  Lord, and have gloried in the flesh, ye shall fade like a flower; who\n  have slain my witness yet boast of my words, which have been as a song\n  unto you. Come, ye novelists, who love novelties, changeable suits of\n  apparel, who are in the fashions, outward and inward, putting on one\n  thing this day, and another the other day. \u2018I will strip thee,\u2019 saith\n  the Lord, \u2018I will make thee bare, I will make thee naked, and thou\n  shalt know that I am the Lord.\u2019\n\n  \u201c\u2018What! hast thou professed the prophets\u2019 words? hast thou professed\n  the apostles\u2019 words, and my Son\u2019s words; hast thou covered thyself\n  with their expressions? thinkest thou not that I see thee out of my\n  life? thinkest thou, thou witty one, to hide thyself where none can\n  see thee? thinkest thou, if thou fliest to the uttermost parts of the\n  earth, that I am not there? Is not the earth mine, and the fulness of\n  it, saith the Lord?\u2019 Come, all ye that have trusted in your own\n  conceited notions, and knowledge, and wisdom, who were never yet out\n  of the earth, and the lusts of it; never yet got the load of thick\n  clay off you; never were out of the drunken spirit, whose imperfection\n  appears, which must be come upon as a potter\u2019s vessel; broken\n  cisterns; ye that have been made wise in your own conceit, wise in\n  your own eyes, in which pride hath lifted you up, and not the\n  humility; you must be abased. You have run on, every one after his own\n  invention; every man hath done the thing that was right in his own\n  eyes, that which pleased himself. This hath been the course of people\n  upon earth. Ye have run on without a king, without Christ, the light\n  of the world, which hath enlightened every one that is come into the\n  world. But now is truth risen, now are your fruits withering.\n\n  \u201cAnd you that are fortified, and have fortified your strong houses,\n  called your churches, make ye your cords strong, the Lord will break\n  you asunder, ye that are gathering in, and ye that are gathered. For\n  the Lord is risen to scatter you; his witness is risen in the hearts\n  of his people, they will not be fed with dead words, nor with that\n  which dies of itself; nor will they be satisfied with the husks which\n  the swine feed upon. All ye priests in the nation, and teachers, that\n  now stand against the light, your envy shows that ye are in Cain\u2019s\n  way; your greediness shows that ye are in Balaam\u2019s way; your standing\n  against the light which hath enlightened every man that cometh into\n  the world, doth manifest that you are in Korah\u2019s way, that spoke the\n  great high words of vanity; ye whose consciences are seared as with a\n  hot iron, whose judgment doth not linger, whose damnation doth not\n  slumber, who serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, but your own bellies;\n  who are the evil beasts spoken of, which have destroyed many families,\n  taken away their cattle, their horses, their goods, even their\n  household goods; destroyed many poor men, even whole families, taking\n  their whole estates from them whom you do no work for. O! the grievous\n  actions that are done by you, the ministers of unrighteousness; whose\n  fruits declare to the whole nation that you are the devil\u2019s\n  messengers! your actions declare it; your taking tithes,\n  augmentations, treble damages, Midsummer-dues (as ye call them), of\n  them ye do no work for, nor minister to.\n\n  \u201cAll ye powers of the earth, beware of holding such up as are\n  unrighteous. Let not the words of the unrighteous overcome you, lest\n  God, the righteous judge of heaven and earth, take hold upon you;\n  whose judgment is according to that of God in you, which will let you\n  see when you transgress. Come you proud and lofty ones, who have not\n  considered the handy-works of the Lord, but have destroyed them; nor\n  have regarded the way of the Lord, but have had plenty of the\n  creatures, and have therewith fattened yourselves, and forgotten the\n  Lord and his way: O let shame cover your faces here upon earth! Come\n  ye that are given to pleasures, and spend your time in sports, and\n  idleness, and fulness; your fruits declare the sins of Sodom; yet you\n  will talk of my name, and of my saints\u2019 words. \u2018But I behold you afar\n  off,\u2019 saith the Lord; you are proud and lofty; you are evil patterns,\n  bad examples, full, rich, and idle; who say others are idle, that\n  cannot maintain your lusts. O! the unrighteous balances that are among\n  people! O! the iniquity in measuring! O! the oppression in ruling and\n  governing! Because of these things my hand shall come upon you, saith\n  the Lord. For the oppression is entered into the ears of the Lord, who\n  gives rest to the wearied, to the burthened, to the oppressed; who\n  feeds the hungry, and clothes the naked; who brings the mighty from\n  their seats, beats the lofty to the ground, and makes the haughty\n  bend.\n\n  \u201cCome, saith the Lord, ye mockers, scorners, and rebellious ones,\n  light and wild people, vain and heady; you have had your day of joy,\n  you have scoffed, you have mocked and derided my messengers and my\n  ambassadors, who have preached in your streets, and cried in your\n  synagogues and temples; a day of trembling and lamentation shall come\n  upon you, when you are not aware. I will take away your pride and your\n  height; I will shake you as a leaf, and bring you to be as men\n  distracted. I will distract you, and make you that you shall not trust\n  one another in the earth, who have joined hand in hand against my\n  servants in the truth. I will smite you with terrors, and bring fear\n  upon you; the cup of my indignation and fury shall you drink. Where\n  will you appear when repentance is hid from your eyes, when profane\n  Esau, your father, is set before you, and Ishmael and Cain, wild and\n  envious, whose fruits declare the stock?\n\n  \u201cCome, ye proud priests, who have eaten up the fat of the nation, who\n  by violence have taken other men\u2019s goods, whose envy hath slain many,\n  whose wickedness and darkness hath abounded, and whose unrighteousness\n  daily appears; your fruits every day declare it, in summoning up by\n  writs and subp\u0153nas from most parts of the nation for wages and\n  tithes, such as you do no work for. O abominable unrighteousness! how\n  is the state of man lost, that they do not take these things to heart\n  to feel them! what havoc is made in most parts of the nation with\n  such! And all ye priests and teachers, who are railing and brawling in\n  the pulpit, setting people at variance one against another, haters and\n  hateful, provoking people to hate one another, here is the seed of\n  enmity seen, which you have sown and are sowing, whose seed must he\n  bruised by the seed of the woman, which above your heads is set.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nThis year came out the oath of abjuration, by which many Friends\nsuffered; and several went to speak to the Protector about it; but he\nbegan to harden. And sufferings increasing upon Friends, by reason that\nenvious magistrates made use of that oath as a snare to catch Friends\nin, who, they knew, could not swear at all; I was moved to write to the\nProtector, as follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cThe magistrate is not to bear the sword in vain, who ought to be a\n  terror to evil-doers; but as the magistrate that doth bear the sword\n  in vain, is not a terror to evil-doers, so he is not a praise to them\n  that do well. Now hath God raised up a people by his power, whom\n  people, priests, and magistrates, who are out of the fear of God,\n  scornfully call Quakers, who cry against drunkenness (for drunkards\n  destroy God\u2019s creatures), and against oaths (for because of oaths the\n  land mourns), and these drunkards and swearers, to whom the\n  magistrate\u2019s sword should be a terror, are, we see, at liberty; but\n  for crying against such, many are cast into prison; as also for\n  testifying against their pride and filthiness, their deceitful\n  merchandise in markets, their cozening and their cheating, their\n  excess and naughtiness, their playing at bowls and shuffle boards, at\n  cards and at dice, and their other vain and wanton pleasures. They who\n  live in pleasures are dead while they live; and they who live in\n  wantonness kill the just. This we know by the Spirit of God, which\n  gave forth the Scriptures, which the Father has given to us, and hath\n  placed his righteous law in our hearts; which law is a terror to\n  evil-doers, and answers that which is of God in every man\u2019s\n  conscience. They who act contrary to the measure of God\u2019s Spirit in\n  every man\u2019s conscience, cast the law of God behind their backs, and\n  walk despitefully against the Spirit of grace. The magistrate\u2019s sword,\n  we see, is borne in vain, whilst the evil-doers are at liberty to do\n  evil; and they that cry against such, are for so doing punished by the\n  magistrate, who hath turned his sword backward against the Lord. Now\n  the wicked one fenceth himself, and persecutes the innocent as\n  vagabonds and wanderers, for crying against sin, and against\n  unrighteousness and ungodliness openly, in the markets and in the\n  highways; or as railers, because they tell them what judgment will\n  come upon them that follow such practices. Here they that depart from\n  iniquity are become a prey, and few lay it to heart. But God will\n  thrash the mountains, beat the hills, cleave the rocks, and cast into\n  his press, which is trodden without the city, and will bathe his sword\n  in the blood of the wicked and unrighteous. You that have drunk the\n  cup of abominations, a hard cup have you had to drink; you are the\n  enemies of God, and of you he will be avenged.\n\n  \u201cNow ye, in whom something of God is remaining, consider; If the sword\n  was not borne in vain, but turned against the evil-doers, then the\n  righteous would not suffer, and be cast into holes, dungeons, corners,\n  prisons, and houses of correction, as peace-breakers, for testifying\n  against sin openly, as they are commanded of the Lord, and against the\n  covetousness of the priests, and their false worships; who exact money\n  of poor people, whom they do no work for. O! where will you appear in\n  the day of the Lord? or how will you stand in the day of his righteous\n  judgment? How many jails and houses of correction are now made places\n  to put the lambs of Christ in, for following him, and obeying his\n  commands, which are too numerous to mention. The royal law of Christ,\n  \u2018to do as ye would be done by,\u2019 is trodden down under foot; so that\n  men can profess him in words, but crucify him wheresoever he appears,\n  and cast him into prison, as the talkers of him always did in the\n  generations and ages past. The labourers, whom God, the master of the\n  harvest, hath sent into his vineyard, do the chief of the priests, and\n  the rulers now take counsel together against, to cast them into\n  prison: and here are the fruits of priests, and people, and rulers,\n  without the fear of God. The day is come and coming, that every man\u2019s\n  work doth appear and shall appear; glory be to the Lord God for ever.\n  So see, and consider the days you have spent, and do spend; for this\n  is your day of visitation. Many have suffered great fines, because\n  they could not swear, but obey Christ\u2019s doctrine, who saith, \u2018Swear\n  not at all:\u2019 and are made a prey upon for abiding in the command of\n  Christ. Many are cast into prison because they cannot take the oath of\n  abjuration, though they denied all that is abjured in it; and by that\n  means many of the messengers and ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ\n  are cast into prison because they will not swear, nor go out of\n  Christ\u2019s command.\n\n  \u201cTherefore, O man, consider; to the measure of the life of God in thee\n  I speak. Many also lie in jails, because they cannot pay the priest\u2019s\n  tithes; many have their goods spoiled, and treble damages taken of\n  them; and many are whipped and beaten in the house of correction,\n  without breach of any law. These things are done in thy name, in order\n  to protect them in these actions. If men fearing God bore the sword,\n  if covetousness were hated, and men of courage for God were set up,\n  then they would be a terror to evil-doers, and a praise to them that\n  do well; and not cause them to suffer. Here equity would be heard in\n  our land, and righteousness would stand up and take place; which\n  giveth not place to the unrighteous, but judgeth it. To the measure of\n  God\u2019s Spirit in thee I speak, that thou mayest consider, and come to\n  rule for God; that thou mayest answer that which is of God in every\n  man\u2019s conscience; for this is that, which bringeth to honour all men\n  in the Lord. Therefore consider for whom thou dost rule, that thou\n  mayest come to receive power from God to rule for him; and all that is\n  contrary to God may by his light be condemned.\n\n  \u201cFrom a lover of thy soul, who desires thy eternal good.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nBut sufferings and imprisonments continuing and increasing, and the\nProtector (under whose name they were inflicted,) hardening himself\nagainst the complaints that were made to him, I was moved to issue the\nfollowing amongst Friends, to bring the weight of their sufferings more\nheavy upon the heads of the persecutors:\u2014\n\n  \u201cWho is moved by the power of the Lord to offer himself to the justice\n  for his brother or sister, that lies in prison, and to go lie there in\n  their stead, that his brother or sister may come out of prison, and so\n  offer his life for his brother or sister? Where any lie in prison for\n  tithes, witnessing the priesthood changed, that took tithes, and the\n  unchangeable priesthood come; if any brother in the light, who\n  witnesseth a change of the old priesthood that took tithes, and a\n  disannulling of the commandment for tithes, be moved of the Lord to go\n  to the priest or impropriator, to offer himself to lie in prison for\n  his brother, and to lay down his life, that he may come forth, he may\n  cheerfully do it, and heap up coals of fire upon the head of the\n  adversary of God. Likewise where any suffer for the truth by them who\n  are in the untruth, if any Friends be moved of the Lord to go to the\n  magistrate, judge, general, or protector, and offer up themselves to\n  lay down their lives for the brethren; as Christ hath laid down his\n  life for you, so lay down your lives one for another. Here you may go\n  over the heads of the persecutors, and reach the witness of God in\n  all. And this shall rest a judgment upon them all for ever, and be\n  witnessed to by that which is of God in their consciences. Given forth\n  from the Spirit of the Lord through\n\n                                                              G. F.\u201d\n\nBesides this, I wrote also a short epistle to Friends, as an\nencouragement to them in their several exercises; which was as follows:\u2014\n\n        \u201cMY DEAR FRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cIn the power of the everlasting God, which comprehends the power of\n  darkness, and all temptation, and that which comes out of it, in this\n  power of God dwell. It will bring and keep you to the Word in the\n  beginning; it will keep you up to the life, to feed thereupon, in\n  which you are over the power of darkness, and in which you will find\n  and feel dominion and life. And that will let you see, before the\n  tempter was, and over him; and into that the tempter cannot come; for\n  the power and truth he is out of. Therefore in that life dwell, in\n  which you will know dominion; and let your faith be in the power, and\n  over the weakness and temptations, and look not at them: but in the\n  light and power of God look at the Lord\u2019s strength, which will be made\n  perfect in your weakest state. In all temptations look at the grace of\n  God to bring your salvation, which is your teacher to teach you: for\n  when you look or hearken to the temptations, you go from your teacher,\n  the grace of God; and so are darkened in going from that teacher, the\n  grace of God, which is sufficient in all temptations, to lead out of\n  them, and to keep over them.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER IX.\n\n1655-1656.\u2014Friends slandered by Presbyterians and Independents, suffer\n    much from them and the Baptists for refusing to pay tithes\u2014the\n    priests hunt after a fallen benefice like crows after carrion\u2014great\n    miracles wrought through several\u2014an Independent preacher convinced,\n    but relapses\u2014address to the convinced in Ireland\u2014a sick woman at\n    Baldock restored\u2014George Fox parts and reconciles two furious\n    combatants\u2014to the seven parishes at the Land\u2019s End, recommending\n    attention to the Inward Light\u2014George Fox parts with James Naylor,\n    and has a presentiment of his fall\u2014Major Ceely places George Fox and\n    Edward Pyot under arrest\u2014they are sent to Launceston jail\u2014put into\n    Doomsdale, and suffer a long and cruel imprisonment\u2014a paper against\n    swearing\u2014Peter Ceely\u2019s mittimus\u2014George Fox has great service in\n    jail\u2014many are convinced, and opposers are confounded\u2014experiences\n    some remarkable preservations\u2014Edward Pyot writes an excellent letter\n    to Judge Glynne on the liberty of the subject, and on the injustice\n    and illegality of their imprisonment\u2014Truth spreads in the west by\n    the very means taken to prevent it\u2014exhortation and warning to\n    magistrates\u2014answer to the Exeter general warrant for taking up and\n    imprisoning Friends\u2014exhortation to Friends in the ministry\u2014warning\n    to priests and professors\u2014cruel jailer imprisoned in Doomsdale, and\n    further judgments upon him follow\u2014a Friend offers to lie in prison\n    instead of George Fox\u2014Edward Pyot to Major-General Desborough, in\n    answer to his conditional offer of liberty\u2014George Fox to the same\u2014he\n    and his Friends are soon after liberated.\n\n\nAfter clearing myself of those services for the Lord, which lay upon me\nin LONDON, I passed into BEDFORDSHIRE and NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. At\nWELLINGBOROUGH, I had a great meeting, in which the Lord\u2019s everlasting\npower and truth was over all; and many in that country were turned to\nthe Lord. Great rage was amongst the professors, for the wicked priests,\nPresbyterians, and Independents, falsely reported \u201cthat we carried\nbottles about with us, which we gave people to drink of; which made them\nfollow us:\u201d but the Power, and Spirit, and Truth of God kept Friends\nover the rage of the people. Great spoiling also there was of Friends\u2019\ngoods for tithes, by the Independent and Presbyterian priests, and some\nBaptist priests, that had got into the steeple-houses.\n\nFrom WELLINGBOROUGH I went into LEICESTERSHIRE, where Colonel Hacker had\nthreatened that if I came there he would imprison me again, though the\nProtector had set me at liberty: but when I was come to WHETSTONE, (the\nmeeting from which he took me before,) all was quiet there. Colonel\nHacker\u2019s wife, and his marshal came to the meeting, and were convinced:\nfor the glorious powerful day of the Lord was exalted over all, and many\nwere convinced that day. There were at that meeting two justices of the\npeace, that came out of Wales, whose names were Peter Price and Walter\nJenkin; who came both to be ministers of Christ.\n\nI went from thence to SILEBY, to William Smith\u2019s, where was a great\nmeeting, to which several Baptists came; one of them, a Baptist teacher,\nwas convinced, and came to sit under the Lord\u2019s teaching by his Spirit\nand power. This Baptist said, he had baptized thirty in a day.\n\nFrom thence I went to DRAYTON, my native town, where so many priests and\nprofessors had formerly gathered together against me; but now not a\npriest or professor appeared. I asked some of my relations where all the\npriests and professors were? They said, the priest of NUN-EATON was\ndead, and eight or nine of them were seeking to get his benefice. \u201cThey\nwill let you alone now,\u201d said they, \u201cfor they are like a company of\ncrows, when a sheep is dead, they all gather together to pull out the\npuddings; so do the priests for a fallen benefice.\u201d These were some of\ntheir own hearers that said so of them; but they had spent their venom\nagainst me, and the Lord delivered me by his power out of their snares.\n\nThen I went to BADDESLEY, where was a great meeting. Many came far to\nit; and were convinced and turned to the Lord; who came under Christ\u2019s\nteaching, and were settled upon him, their foundation and their rock.\n\nFrom thence I passed into NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, and had large meetings there;\nand into DERBYSHIRE, where the Lord\u2019s power came over all; and many were\nturned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, and\ncame to receive the Holy Ghost. Great miracles were wrought in many\nplaces by the power of the Lord through several.\n\nIn DERBYSHIRE James Naylor met me, and told me, seven or eight priests\nhad challenged him to a dispute. I had a travail in my spirit for him,\nand the Lord answered me, and I was moved to bid him go on, and God\nAlmighty would be with him, and give him the victory in His power. And\nthe Lord did so; insomuch that the people saw the priests were foiled,\nand they cried, \u201ca Nailer, a Nailer hath confuted them all.\u201d After the\ndispute, he came to me again, praising the Lord. Thus was the Lord\u2019s day\nproclaimed and set over all their heads, and people began to see the\napostacy and slavery they had been under to their hireling teachers for\nmeans; and they came to know their teacher, the Lord Jesus, who had\npurchased them, and made their peace between God and them. While we were\nhere, Friends came out of YORKSHIRE to see us, and were glad of the\nprosperity of truth.\n\nAfter this I passed into WARWICKSHIRE, through Friends, visiting their\nmeetings; and so into WORCESTERSHIRE. I had a meeting at BIRMINGHAM, as\nI went, where several were convinced and turned to the Lord. At length I\ncame to one Cole\u2019s house in WORCESTERSHIRE, near CHATTAN. This Cole had\ngiven an Independent preacher a meeting-place, and the Independent came\nto be convinced, and after he was convinced he laid aside his preaching;\nwhereupon the old man\u2014\u2014 Cole gave him a hundred pounds a-year. I had a\nmeeting there, and a very great one it was, insomuch that the\nmeeting-place would not hold the people: and many were turned to the\nLord that day. Afterwards, when the time of trials came, this\nIndependent did not stand to that which had convinced him, but turned\nback, whereupon the old man took away his hundred pounds a-year from him\nagain. But Cole himself died in God\u2019s truth.\n\nI heard that at EVESHAM the magistrates had cast several Friends into\nprison; and that, hearing of my coming, they made a pair of high stocks.\nI sent for Edward Pittaway, a Friend that lived near EVESHAM, and asked\nhim the truth of the thing; and he said it was so. I went that night\nwith him to EVESHAM, and in the evening we had a large, precious\nmeeting, wherein Friends and people were refreshed with the word of\nlife, and with the power of the Lord. Next morning I rode to one of the\nprisons, and visited Friends there, and encouraged them. Then I rode to\nthe other prison, where there were several prisoners; and amongst them\nwas Humphrey Smith,[42] who had been a priest, but was now become a free\nminister of Christ. When I had visited the Friends at both prisons, and\nwas turned away from the prison to go out of town, I espied the\nmagistrates coming to seize me. But the Lord frustrated their intent,\nthe innocent escaped their snare, and God\u2019s blessed power came over them\nall. But exceedingly rude and envious were the priests and professors\nabout this time in those parts.\n\nFootnote 42:\n\n  Humphrey Smith became an able gospel minister, turning many to\n  righteousness. He had a vision of the destruction of London by fire,\n  six years before it happened, which vision he made known as a warning\n  to the people to repent. (See _Piety Promoted_, vol. i. p. 39 and his\n  published works). He had also a clear foresight of his own sufferings\n  and death thereby. He died a prisoner for the testimony of Jesus in\n  Winchester jail, in 1663, where he fell ill after a year\u2019s\n  imprisonment. Whilst he was very ill in prison, he said, \u201cMy heart is\n  filled with the power of God;\u201d and then added, \u201cIt is good for a man\n  at such a time as this, to have the Lord to be his friend.\u201d Near his\n  departure, he prayed earnestly, saying, \u201cHear me, O Lord, uphold and\n  preserve me. I know that my Redeemer liveth: Thou art strong and\n  mighty, O Lord;\u201d and prayed \u201cthat the Lord would deliver His people\n  from their cruel oppressors\u201d; and for those who had been convinced by\n  him, \u201cthat the Lord would be their teacher.\u201d\n\nI went from EVESHAM to WORCESTER, and had a precious meeting there, and\nquiet. But after it, as we came down the street towards our inn, some of\nthe professors fell to discourse with Friends, and were like to have\nmade a tumult in the city. As we went into the inn, they all cluttered\ninto the yard; but I went among them, and got them quieted. Next day I\nwalked into the town, and had much discourse with some of the\nprofessors, concerning Christ and the way of truth. One of them denied\nthat Christ was of Abraham, according to the flesh, and that he was\ndeclared to be the Son of God, according to the Spirit; but I proved\nfrom Rom. i. that he was of the seed of Abraham, being made of the seed\nof David according to the flesh; and that according to the Spirit he was\ndeclared to be the Son of God. Afterwards I wrote a paper concerning it.\n\nFrom WORCESTER we went to TEWKESBURY, where in the evening we had a\ngreat meeting; to which came the priest of the town with a great rabble\nof rude people. He boasted, that he would see whether he or I should\nhave the victory. \u201cI turned the people to the divine light, which\nChrist, the heavenly and spiritual man, enlighteneth them withal; that\nwith that light they might see their sins, and that they were in death\nand darkness, and without God in the world; and that with the same light\nthey might also see Christ from whom it comes, their Saviour and\nRedeemer, who shed his blood and died for them, and who is the way to\nGod, the truth, and the life.\u201d Here the priest began to rage against the\nLight, and denied it; for neither priest nor professor could endure to\nhear the Light spoken of. So the priest having railed at the Light went\naway, and left his rude company amongst us; but the Lord\u2019s power came\nover them, though mischief was in their hearts.\n\nLeaving TEWKESBURY, we came to WARWICK, where in the evening we had a\nmeeting at a widow\u2019s house, with many sober people. A precious meeting\nwe had in the Lord\u2019s power, and several were convinced and turned to the\nLord. After it, as I was walking out, a Baptist in the company began to\njangle; and the bailiff of the town with his officers came in, and said,\n\u201cWhat do these people here at this time of night?\u201d So he secured John\nCrook, Amor Stoddart, Gerrard Roberts,[43] and myself, but we had leave\nto go to our inn, and to be forth-coming in the morning. Next morning\nmany rude people came to the inn, and into our chambers, desperate\nfellows; but the Lord\u2019s power gave us dominion over them. Gerrard\nRoberts and John Crook went up to the bailiff to speak with him, and to\nknow what he had to say to us. He said we might go our ways, for he had\nlittle to say to us. As we rode out of town, it lay upon me to ride to\nhis house to let him know, \u201cthat the Protector having given forth an\ninstrument of government, in which liberty of conscience was granted, it\nwas very strange that, contrary to that instrument of government, he\nwould trouble peaceable people that feared God.\u201d The Friends went with\nme, but the rude people gathered about us with stones; and one of them\ntook hold of my horse\u2019s bridle and broke it; but the horse drawing back\nthrew him under him. Though the bailiff saw this, yet he did not stop,\nnor so much as rebuke the rude multitude, so that it was much we were\nnot slain or hurt in the streets; for the people threw stones, and\nstruck at us, as we rode along the town.\n\nFootnote 43:\n\n  Gerrard Roberts, a merchant of London, was one of the most active\n  members of the Society in making the needful arrangements for the\n  visits of its ministers to foreign parts.\n\nWhen we were quite out of the town, I told Friends, \u201cit was upon me from\nthe Lord, that I must go back into it again; and if anyone of them felt\nanything upon him from the Lord, he might follow me, and the rest that\ndid not, might go on to DUN-COW.\u201d So I passed up through the market in\nthe dreadful power of God, declaring the word of life to them, and John\nCrook followed me. Some struck at me; but the Lord\u2019s power was over\nthem, and gave me dominion over all. I showed them their unworthiness of\nthe name of Christians, and the unworthiness of their teachers who had\nnot brought them into more sobriety; and what a shame they were to\nChristianity!\n\nHaving cleared myself, I turned back out of the town again, and passed\nto COVENTRY; where we found the people closed up with darkness. I went\nto a professor\u2019s house that I had formerly been at, and he was drunk,\nwhich grieved my soul so, that I did not go into any house in the town;\nbut rode into some of the streets, and into the market-place. I felt the\npower of the Lord God was over the town.\n\nThen I went on to DUN-COW, and had a meeting there in the evening, and\nsome were turned to the Lord by his Spirit, as also at WARWICK and\nTEWKESBURY. We lay at DUN-COW that night, and there we met with John\nCamm, a faithful minister of the everlasting gospel. In the morning\nthere gathered a rude company of priests and people, who behaved more\nlike beasts than men; for some of them came riding on horseback into the\nroom where we were; but the Lord gave us dominion over them.\n\nFrom thence we passed into LEICESTERSHIRE, where we had a great meeting\nat the place where I had been taken formerly; and after that we came to\nBADDESLEY in WARWICKSHIRE. Here William Edmundson,[44] a Friend who\nlived in Ireland, having some drawings upon his spirit to come over into\nEngland to see me, met with me; by whom I wrote to the few Friends then\nconvinced in the north of Ireland, as follows:\u2014\n\n        \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cIn that which convinced you, wait; that you may have that removed you\n  are convinced of. And all my dear Friends, dwell in the life, and\n  love, and power, and wisdom of God, in unity one with another, and\n  with God; and the peace and wisdom of God fill all your hearts, that\n  nothing may rule in you but the life, which stands in the Lord God.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nFootnote 44:\n\n  William Edmundson was the first person who publicly espoused the\n  principles of Friends in Ireland. He was some time a soldier in\n  Cromwell\u2019s army, but the strivings of the Holy Spirit drew him out of\n  the corruptions of the world, to a nearer acquaintance with God. He\n  left the army, and joined the people called Quakers, though they were\n  much spoken against. His life and property were given up to the\n  service of the gospel, and many were his trials and sufferings on its\n  account, which he bore with exemplary patience. During the civil wars,\n  he had on one occasion twenty of his cows driven away from him. His\n  house was also beset by some hundreds of banditti, and the shots they\n  fired into the house were heard at two miles\u2019 distance. After it was\n  plundered and burned, himself and two sons were led away prisoners,\n  bareheaded, and barefooted, and nearly naked, except they gave William\n  Edmundson an old blanket of his own to wrap about him.\n\n  After a toilsome night, journeying through bushes, rough stones, mire,\n  and water knee-deep, they were taken to a wood, and after a mock show\n  of justice, condemned to death; the young men to be hanged, and their\n  father, in compliment to his courage, to be shot. Though death was no\n  terror to this pious man, he expostulated with his persecutors;\n  reminding them of his services in behalf of their countryfolk. Several\n  of them confessed they knew him to be an honest man; yet justice and\n  mercy were disregarded, and they prepared to execute their purpose.\n  The youths were hoodwinked, in order to hang them; and two firelocks\n  made ready to shoot their father, whom they were about to hoodwink\n  also; but he told them they need not, for he could look them in the\n  face, and was not afraid to die.\n\n  At this juncture arrived a lieutenant, a brother of one whose life\n  William Edmundson had saved, when the English soldiers were about to\n  hang him. Thus the Lord interposed and would not suffer them to take\n  their lives. The officer released the prisoners from death, but did\n  not restore them to liberty, taking them to Athlone, not from a\n  grateful sense of remembered services, but from a hope of preferment\n  thereby. On entering the town, the high sheriff, soldiers, and rabble,\n  gave them abusive language; and their lives were endangered, had not a\n  lieutenant of the Irish army who recognised William Edmundson,\n  declared aloud his knowledge of him, and of his worth, and thus\n  quieted the tumult. They were then brought to the Irish colonel,\n  before whom he appeared, wrapped in his blanket. Though the colonel\n  was personally acquainted with him, he did not, in these\n  circumstances, know him; but when he said, I am old William Edmundson,\n  the colonel rose, and with tears in his eyes, expressed his sorrow to\n  see him in that condition. After reprimanding the lieutenant, he\n  committed them to the care of one of his captains, sent them food and\n  money, and they met with better treatment.\n\n  Great sufferings was it the lot of this faithful man to endure; who\n  was unwearied in his Master\u2019s service for upwards of fifty years of\n  his life, counting nothing too near or dear to part with, or too great\n  to suffer, if he could but win Christ and the souls of his fellow-men.\n  Yet in these and many other great exercises and straits, the Lord\u2019s\n  arm and generous providence, says he, have preserved and supported me.\n  He spared not himself, even to old age, in performing travels and\n  services as a gospel minister, beyond the ordinary course of nature,\n  often saying the Lord was his song and his strength, and had carried\n  him through many and various exercises and perils. As a fixed star in\n  the firmament of God\u2019s power did he continue to hold his integrity to\n  the last, being enabled to say, \u201cO death! where is thy sting? O grave!\n  where is thy victory?\u201d\n\nWhen these few lines were read amongst the Friends in Ireland at their\nmeeting, the power of the Lord came upon all in the room.\n\nFrom Baddesley we passed to SWANINGTON and HIGHAM, and so into\nNorthamptonshire and Bedfordshire, having great meetings; and many were\nturned to the Lord by his power and Spirit. When we came to BALDOCK in\nHertfordshire, I asked, if there was nothing in that town, no\nprofession; and it was answered me, there were some Baptists and a\nBaptist woman sick. John Rush of Bedfordshire went with me to visit her.\nWhen we came in, there were many tender people about her. They told me\nshe was not a woman for this world, but if I had anything to comfort her\nconcerning the world to come, I might speak to her. I was moved of the\nLord God to speak to her; and the Lord raised her up again to the\nastonishment of the town and country. This Baptist woman and her\nhusband, whose name was Baldock, came to be convinced, and many hundreds\nof people have met at their house since. Great meetings and\nconvincements were in those parts afterwards; many received the word of\nlife, and sat down under the teaching of Christ, their Saviour.\n\nWhen we had visited this sick woman, we returned to our inn, where were\ntwo desperate fellows fighting so furiously, that none durst come nigh\nto part them. But I was moved, in the Lord\u2019s power, to go to them; and\nwhen I had loosed their hands, I held one of them by one hand, and the\nother by the other, showed them the evil of their doings, and reconciled\nthem one to the other, and they were so loving and thankful to me, that\npeople admired at it.[45]\n\nFootnote 45:\n\n  The circumstance above related is reminding of a somewhat similar one\n  recorded of Edward Burrough.\n\n  \u201cAt London,\u201d says Sewell the historian, \u201cthere is a custom in\n  summer-time, when the evening approaches, and tradesmen leave off\n  working, that many lusty fellows meet in the fields, to try their\n  skill and strength in wrestling, where generally a multitude of people\n  stand gazing in a ring.\n\n  \u201cNow it so fell out, that Edward Burrough passed by the place where\n  they were wrestling, and standing still among the spectators, saw how\n  a strong and dexterous fellow had already thrown three others, and was\n  waiting for a fourth champion, if any durst venture to enter the\n  lists. At length, none being bold enough to try, Edward Burrough\n  stepped into the ring, which was commonly made up of all sorts of\n  people; and having looked upon the wrestler with a serious\n  countenance, the man was not a little surprised, instead of an airy\n  antagonist, to meet with a grave and awful young man; and all stood\n  amazed as it were at this sight, eagerly expecting what would be the\n  issue of this combat. But it was quite another fight Edward Burrough\n  aimed at. For having already fought against spiritual wickedness, that\n  had once prevailed over him, and having overcome in measure, by the\n  grace of God, he now endeavoured also to fight against it in others,\n  and to turn them from the evil of their ways. With this intention, he\n  began very seriously to speak to the bystanders, and that with such a\n  heart-piercing power, that he was heard by the mixed multitude, with\n  no less attention than admiration; for his speech tended to turn them\n  from darkness to the light, and from the power of Satan unto God. To\n  effect this, he laboured with convincing words, showing how God had\n  not left himself without a witness, but had given to man a measure of\n  his grace, and enlightened every one with the light of Christ.\n\n  \u201cThus zealously he preached; and though many might look upon this as a\n  novelty, yet it was of such effect, that some were convinced of the\n  truth; for Burrough was a breaker of stony hearts, and therefore by a\n  certain author not unjustly called \u2018a son of thunder;\u2019 though he\n  omitted not in due season to speak a word of consolation to those that\n  were of a broken heart, and of a contrite spirit.\u201d\n\nFrom thence I passed to MARKET-STREET, where God had a people, and\nthrough ALBAN\u2019S to LONDON, where Friends were glad of the prosperity of\ntruth, and the manifestation of the Lord\u2019s glorious power which had\ndelivered us, and carried us through many dangers and difficulties. I\nalso rejoiced to find truth prosper in the city, and all things well\namongst friends there. Only there was one John Toldervey, who had been\nconvinced of truth, and run out from it, and the envious priests took\noccasion from thence to write a wicked book against Friends, which they\nstuffed with many lies, to render truth and Friends odious. They\nentitled their book, \u201c_The Foot out of the Snare_.\u201d But this poor man\ncame to see his folly and returned, condemned his backsliding, answered\nthe priest\u2019s book, and exposed all their lies and wickedness. Thus the\nLord\u2019s power came over them, and his everlasting Seed reigned, and\nreigns to this day.\n\nNow after I had tarried some time in London, and had visited Friends in\ntheir meetings, I went out of town, leaving James Naylor in the city. As\nI passed from him I cast my eyes upon him, and a fear struck me\nconcerning him; but I went away, and rode down to RYEGATE in Surrey,\nwhere I had a little meeting. There the Friends told me of one Thomas\nMoore, a justice of peace, that lived not far from Ryegate, a friendly,\nmoderate man; I went to visit him at his house, and he came to be a\nserviceable man in truth.\n\nWe passed on to Thomas Patching\u2019s, of Binscombe in Godalming, where we\nhad a meeting, to which several Friends came from London, and John\nBolton and his wife came on foot in frost and snow. After this we went\ntowards HORSHAM-PARK; and having visited Friends, passed on to ARUNDEL\nand CHICHESTER, where we had meetings. At Chichester many professors\ncame in, and made some jangling, but the Lord\u2019s power was over them. The\nwoman of the house where the meeting was, though convinced of truth, yet\nnot keeping her mind close to that which convinced her, fell in love\nwith a man of the world, who was there that time. When I knew it, I took\nher aside, and was moved to speak to her, and to pray for her; but a\nlight thing got up in her mind, and she slighted it. Afterwards she\nmarried the man, and soon after went distracted; for he was greatly in\ndebt, and she greatly disappointed. Then was I sent for to her, and the\nLord was entreated, raised her up again, and settled her mind by his\npower. Afterwards her husband died; and she acknowledged the just\njudgments of God were come upon her, for slighting the exhortation and\ncounsel I had given her.\n\nAfter we left Chichester, we travelled to PORTSMOUTH. There the soldiers\nhad us to the governor\u2019s house. After some examination, the Lord\u2019s power\ncame over them, and we were set at liberty, and had a meeting in the\ntown. After which we came to RINGWOOD, where in the evening we had a\nmeeting, at which several were convinced, and turned to the Spirit of\nthe Lord, and to the teaching of Christ Jesus, their Saviour.\n\nFrom Ringwood we came to POOLE; and having set up our horses at an inn,\nwe sent into the town to inquire for such as feared the Lord, and such\nas were worthy; and had a meeting with several sober people. William\nBaily, a Baptist teacher, was convinced there at that time.[46] The\npeople received the truth in the inward parts, and were turned to the\nLord Jesus Christ, their rock and foundation, their teacher and Saviour;\nand there is become a great gathering in the name of Jesus of a very\ntender people, who continue under Christ\u2019s teaching.\n\nFootnote 46:\n\n  William Bailey (or Bayley), whose writings were published in one\n  volume, 4to, in 1676, and of whom there is a brief account in _Piety\n  Promoted_, vol. i., p. 83, is stated to have been \u201cmighty in the\n  Scriptures,\u201d and not only a believer and preacher of the word of\n  faith, but a sufferer for the same. On one occasion, he was thrown\n  down and dragged upon the ground by the hair of his head, his\n  persecutors endeavouring to rend and break asunder his jaws, so that\n  the ground whereon he lay was besmeared with his blood. As if this\n  butchering had not been enough to make him a sacrifice, a heavy man\n  stamped on his breast with his feet, endeavouring to beat the breath\n  out of his body. When this persecutor had done his pleasure, he told\n  the jailer to take him away and put him in some nasty hole, for his\n  entertainment and cure.\n\n  William Bailey, being master of a ship, often crossed the mighty\n  waters for the maintenance of his family, and many beyond the seas\n  were comforted by his ministry. He was taken ill at sea on his return\n  from visiting Friends in Barbadoes, and died on board the _Samuel_ of\n  London, in latitude 46\u00b0 36\u00b4 N. He died in great peace, as if he had\n  fallen asleep, exhorting those around him to fear God.\n\nWe went also to SOUTHAMPTON and had a meeting; several were convinced\nthere also. Edward Pyot of Bristol travelled with me all this western\njourney.\n\nFrom thence we went to DORCHESTER, and alighted at an inn, a Baptist\u2019s\nhouse; we sent into the town to the Baptists, to let us have their\nmeeting-house to meet in, and to invite the sober people to the meeting;\nbut they denied it us. We sent to them again, to know why they would\ndeny us their meeting-house; so the thing was noised in the town. Then\nwe sent them word, if they would not let us come to their house, they,\nor any people that feared God, might come to our inn, if they pleased.\nThey were in a great rage; and their teacher and many of them came up,\nand slapped their Bibles on the table. I asked them, why they were so\nangry; were they angry with the Bible? But they fell into a discourse\nabout their water-baptism. I asked them, whether they could say, they\nwere sent of God to baptise people, as John was; and whether they had\nthe same Spirit and power that the apostles had? They said, they had\nnot. Then I asked them, how many powers there are; whether there are any\nmore than the power of God, and the power of the devil? They said, there\nwas not any other power than those two. Then said I, \u201cif you have not\nthe power of God that the apostles had, then you act by the power of the\ndevil.\u201d Many sober people were present, who said, \u201cthey have thrown\nthemselves on their backs.\u201d Many substantial people were convinced that\nnight; a precious service we had there for the Lord, and his power came\nover all. Next morning, as we were passing away, the Baptists, being in\na rage, began to shake the dust off their feet after us. \u201cWhat,\u201d said I,\n\u201cin the power of darkness! We, who are in the power of God, shake off\nthe dust of our feet against you.\u201d\n\nLeaving Dorchester, we came to WEYMOUTH; where also we enquired after\nthe sober people; and about fourscore of them gathered together at a\npriest\u2019s house. Most of them received the word of life, and were turned\nto their teacher Christ Jesus, who had enlightened them with his divine\nlight, by which they might see their sins, and him who saveth from sin.\nA blessed meeting we had with them of several hours, and they received\nthe truth in the love of it, with gladness of heart. The state of their\nteachers and the apostacy was opened to them; and the state of the\napostles, and of the church in their days; and the state of the law, and\nof the prophets before Christ, and how Christ came to fulfil them; how\nhe was their teacher in the apostles\u2019 days, and how he was come now to\nteach his people himself by his power and Spirit. All was quiet, the\nmeeting broke up peaceably, and the people were very loving; and a\nmeeting is continued in that town to this day. Many are added to them;\nand some that had been Ranters came to own the truth, and to live very\nsoberly.\n\nThere was a captain of horse in the town, who sent to me, and would fain\nhave had me to stay longer; but I was not to stay. He and his man rode\nout of town with me about seven miles, Edward Pyot also being with me.\nThis captain was the fattest, merriest man, the most cheerful, and the\nmost given to laughter, that ever I met with; insomuch that I was\nseveral times moved to speak in the dreadful power of the Lord to him;\nand yet it was become so customary to him, that he would presently laugh\nat anything he saw. But I still admonished him to come to sobriety,\nsincerity, and the fear of the Lord. We staid at an inn that night; and\nin the morning I was moved to speak to him again, when he parted from\nus. Next time I saw him, he told me, that when I spoke to him at\nparting, the power of the Lord so struck him, that before he got home he\nwas serious enough, and had discontinued his laughing. He afterwards was\nconvinced, and became a serious and good man, and died in the truth.\n\nParting from him we went to HONITON; and at our inn inquired what people\nthere were in the town that feared God, and sent for them. There came to\nus some of the Particular Baptists, with whom we had much reasoning. I\ntold them, \u201cthey held their doctrine of particular election in Esau\u2019s,\nCain\u2019s, and Ishmael\u2019s nature; not in Jacob, the second birth; but they\nmust be born again, before they could enter the kingdom of God. And that\nas the promise of God was to the Seed, not as many, but as one, which is\nChrist; so the election stands _in Christ_; and they must be such as\nwalk in his light, grace, Spirit, and truth.\u201d\n\nFrom thence we passed to TOPSHAM, and stayed over the First-day; but the\ninnkeeper and his people were rude. Next morning we gave forth some\nqueries to the priests and professors; whereupon some rude professors\ncame into our inn; and had we not gone when we did, they would have\nstopped us. I wore a girdle, which through forgetfulness I left behind\nme at the inn, and afterwards sent to the innkeeper for, but he would\nnot let me have it again. Afterwards, when he was tormented in his mind\nabout it, he took it and burnt it, lest he should be bewitched by it, as\nhe said; yet when he had burnt it, he was more tormented than before.\nSome, notwithstanding the rudeness of the place, were convinced; and a\nmeeting was afterwards settled in that town, which has continued ever\nsince.\n\nAfter this we passed to TOTNESS, a dark town. We lodged at an inn, and\nat night Edward Pyot was sick, but the Lord\u2019s power healed him, so that\nnext day we got to KINGSBRIDGE, and at our inn inquired for the sober\npeople of the town. They directed us to Nicholas Tripe and his wife, and\nwe went to their house. They sent for the priest, with whom we had some\ndiscourse; but he being confounded, quickly left us. Nicholas Tripe and\nhis wife were convinced; and there is since a good meeting of Friends in\nthat country. In the evening we returned to our inn; and there being\nmany people drinking in the house, I was moved of the Lord to go amongst\nthem, and to direct them to the light, which Christ, the heavenly Man,\nhad enlightened them withal; by which they might see all their evil\nways, words, and deeds, and by the same light they might also see Jesus\nChrist their Saviour. The innkeeper stood uneasy, seeing it hindered his\nguests from drinking; and as soon as the last words were out of my\nmouth, he snatched up the candle, and said, \u201cCome, here is a light for\nyou to go into your chamber.\u201d Next morning, when he was cool, I\nrepresented to him \u201cwhat an uncivil thing it was for him to do so;\u201d then\nwarning him of the day of the Lord, we got ready and passed away.\n\nWe came next day to PLYMOUTH, and after having refreshed ourselves at\nour inn, we went to Robert Cary\u2019s house, where we had a very precious\nmeeting. At this meeting was one Elizabeth Trelawny, daughter to a\nbaronet; she being somewhat dull of hearing came close to me, and placed\nher ear very near me while I spoke; and she was convinced. After the\nmeeting some jangling Baptists came in, but the Lord\u2019s power came over\nthem, and Elizabeth Trelawney gave testimony thereto. A fine meeting was\nsettled there in the Lord\u2019s power, which has continued ever since; where\nmany faithful Friends have been convinced.\n\nFrom thence we passed into CORNWALL, and came to an inn in the parish of\nMENHENIOT. At night we had a meeting at Edward Hancock\u2019s house, to which\ncame one Thomas Mounce, and a priest, with many people. We made the\npriest confess he was a minister made and maintained by the state; and\nhe was confounded and went his way; but many of the people stayed. I\ndirected them to the \u201clight of Christ, by which they might see their\nsins, and their Saviour Christ Jesus, the way to God, and their Mediator\nto make peace between God and them; their Shepherd to feed them, and\ntheir Prophet to teach them. I directed them also to the Spirit of God\nin themselves, by which they might know the Scriptures, and be led into\nall truth; by which they might know God, and in it have unity one with\nanother.\u201d Many were convinced at that time, and came under Christ\u2019s\nteaching, and there are fine gatherings in the name of Jesus in those\nparts at this day.\n\nWe travelled thence through PENRYN to HELSTON; but could not obtain\nknowledge of any sober people, through the badness of the innkeepers. At\nlength we came to a village where some Baptists and sober people lived,\nwith whom we had some discourse; and some of them were brought to\nconfess, that they stumbled at the light of Christ. They would have had\nus to stay with them, but we passed thence to MARKET-JEW (Marazion); and\nhaving taken up our lodging at an inn, we went out over-night to inquire\nfor such as feared the Lord. Next morning the mayor and aldermen\ngathered together, with the high-sheriff of the county; and they sent\nfirst the constables to bid us come before them. We asked them for their\nwarrant, and they saying they had none, we told them we should not go\nalong with them without. Upon the return of the constables without us,\nthey sent their serjeants, and we asked them for their warrant. They\nsaid, they had none; but they told us, the mayor and aldermen stayed for\nus. We told them, the mayor and his company did not well to trouble us\nin our inn, and we should not go with them without a warrant. So they\nwent away and came again; and when we asked them for their warrant, one\nof them pulled his mace from under his cloak; we asked them whether this\nwas their custom to molest and trouble strangers in their inns and\nlodgings? After some time Edward Pyot went to the mayor and aldermen,\nand had much discourse with them; but the Lord\u2019s power gave him dominion\nover them all. When he had returned, several of the officers came to us,\nand we laid before them the incivility and unworthiness of their conduct\ntowards us, who were the servants of the Lord God, thus to stop and\ntrouble us in our lodgings; and what an unchristian act it was. Before\nwe left the town I wrote a paper, to be sent to the seven parishes at\nthe Land\u2019s End. A copy of which follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cThe mighty day of the Lord is come, and coming, wherein all hearts\n  shall be made manifest, and the secrets of everyone\u2019s heart shall be\n  revealed by the light of Jesus, who lighteth every man that cometh\n  into the world, that all men through him might believe, and that the\n  world might have life through him, who saith, \u2018Learn of me,\u2019 and of\n  whom God saith, \u2018This is my beloved Son, hear ye him.\u2019 Christ is come\n  to teach his people himself; and everyone that will not hear this\n  Prophet, which God hath raised up, and which Moses spoke of, when he\n  said, \u2018Like unto me will God raise you up a Prophet, him shall you\n  hear;\u2019 every one (I say) that will not hear this Prophet, is to be cut\n  off. They that despised Moses\u2019s law, died under the hand of two or\n  three witnesses; but how much greater punishment will come upon them\n  that neglect this great salvation, Christ Jesus, who saith, \u2018Learn of\n  me: I am the way, the truth, and the life;\u2019 who lighteth every man\n  that cometh into the world: and by His light lets him see his evil\n  ways and his evil deeds. But if you hate this light, and go on in\n  evil, this light will be your condemnation. Therefore, now ye have\n  time, prize it; for this is the day of your visitation, and salvation\n  offered to you. Every one of you hath a light from Christ, which lets\n  you see you should not lie, nor do wrong to any, nor swear, nor curse,\n  nor take God\u2019s name in vain, nor steal. It is the light that shows you\n  these evil deeds; which if you love, and come unto it and follow it,\n  will lead you to Christ, who is the way to the Father, from whom it\n  comes; where no unrighteousness enters, nor ungodliness. If you hate\n  this light, it will be your condemnation; but if you love it and come\n  to it, you will come to Christ; and it will bring you off from all the\n  world\u2019s teachers and ways, to learn of Christ, and will preserve you\n  from the evils of the world, and all the deceivers in it.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nThis paper a Friend who was then with me had; and when we were gone\nthree or four miles from Market-Jew towards the west, he meeting with a\nman upon the road, gave him a copy of the paper. This man proved to be a\nservant to one Peter Ceely, major in the army, and a justice of peace in\nthat county; and he riding before us to a place called St. Ives, showed\nthe paper to his master, Major Ceely. When we came to IVES, Edward\nPyot\u2019s horse having cast a shoe, we stayed to have it set; and while he\nwas getting his horse shod, I walked down to the sea-side. When I\nreturned I found the town in an uproar; and they were hailing Edward\nPyot and the other Friend before Major Ceely. I followed them into the\njustice\u2019s house, though they did not lay hands upon me. When we came in,\nthe house was full of rude people; whereupon I asked whether there were\nnot an officer among them to keep the people civil? Major Ceely said, he\nwas a magistrate. I told him, \u201che should show forth gravity and sobriety\nthen, and use his authority to keep the people civil; for I never saw\nany people ruder: the Indians were more like Christians than they.\u201d\nAfter a while they brought forth the paper aforesaid, and asked whether\nI would own it? I said, yes. Then he tendered the oath of abjuration to\nus; whereupon I put my hand in my pocket and drew forth the answer to\nit, which had been given to the Protector. After I had given him that,\nhe examined us severally, one by one. He had with him a silly, young\npriest, who asked us many frivolous questions; and amongst the rest he\ndesired to cut my hair, which then was pretty long; but I was not to cut\nit though many times many were offended at it. I told them, \u201cI had no\npride in it, and it was not of my own putting on.\u201d At length the justice\nput us under a guard of soldiers, who were hard and wild, like the\njustice himself; nevertheless \u201cwe warned the people of the day of the\nLord, and declared the truth to them.\u201d The next day he sent us, guarded\nby a party of horse with swords and pistols, to REDRUTH.\n\nOn First-day the soldiers would have taken us away; but we told them it\nwas their Sabbath, and it was not usual to travel on that day. Several\nof the town\u2019s-people gathered about us, and whilst I held the soldiers\nin discourse, Edward Pyot spoke to the people; and afterwards he held\nthe soldiers in discourse whilst I spoke to the people; and in the mean\ntime the other Friend got out the back way, and went to the\nsteeple-house to speak to the priest and people. The people were\nexceedingly desperate, in a mighty rage against him, and abused him. The\nsoldiers also missing him, were in a great rage, ready to kill us; but I\ndeclared the day of the Lord, and the word of eternal life to the people\nthat gathered about us. In the afternoon the soldiers were resolved to\nhave us away, so we took horse. When we were got to the town\u2019s-end, I\nwas moved of the Lord to go back again, to speak to the old man of the\nhouse; the soldiers drew out their pistols, and swore I should not go\nback. I heeded them not, but rode back, and they rode after me. I\ncleared myself to the old man and the people, and then returned with\nthem, and reproved them for being so rude and violent.\n\nAt night we were brought to a town called Smethick then, but since\nFALMOUTH. It being the evening of the First-day, there came to our inn\nthe chief constable of the place, and many sober people, some of whom\nbegan to inquire concerning us. We told them we were prisoners for\ntruth\u2019s sake; and much discourse we had with them concerning the things\nof God. They were very sober and loving to us. Some were convinced and\nstood faithful ever after.\n\nAfter the constable and these people were gone, other people came in,\nwho were also very civil, and went away very loving. When all were gone\nwe went to our chamber to go to bed, and about eleven o\u2019clock Edward\nPyot said, \u201cI will shut the door, it may be some may come to do us some\nmischief.\u201d Afterwards we understood that Captain Keat, who commanded the\nparty, had purposed to do us some mischief that night; but the door\nbeing bolted he missed his design. Next morning Captain Keat brought a\nkinsman of his, a rude, wicked man, and put him into the room, he\nhimself standing without. The evil-minded man walking huffing up and\ndown the room, I bid him fear the Lord; whereupon he ran upon me, struck\nme with both his hands; and placing his leg behind me, would have fain\nthrown me down, but he could not for I stood stiff and still, and let\nhim strike. As I looked towards the door, I saw Captain Keat look on and\nsee his kinsman thus beat and abuse me. Whereupon I said, \u201cKeat, dost\nthou allow this?\u201d and he said, he did; \u201cIs this manly or civil,\u201d said I,\n\u201cto have us under a guard and put a man to abuse and beat us? is this\nmanly, civil, or christian?\u201d I desired one of our friends to send for\nthe constables, and they came. Then I desired the captain to let the\nconstables see his warrant or order, by which he was to carry us; which\nhe did; and his warrant was to conduct us safe to Captain Fox, governor\nof Pendennis Castle; and if the governor should not be at home, he was\nto convey us to Launceston jail. I told him, he had broken his order\nconcerning us; for we, who were his prisoners, were to be safely\nconducted, but he had brought a man to beat and abuse us; so he having\nbroken his order, I wished the constable to keep the warrant.\nAccordingly he did, and told the soldiers they might go, for he would\ntake charge of the prisoners; and if it cost twenty shillings in charges\nto carry us up, they should not have the warrant again. I showed the\nsoldiers the baseness of their carriage towards us; and they walked up\nand down the house, being pitifully blank and down. The constables went\nto the castle, and told the officers what they had done. The officers\nshowed great dislike of Captain Keat\u2019s base carriage towards us; and\ntold the constables that Major-General Desborough was coming to Bodmin,\nand that we should meet him; and it was likely he would free us.\nMeanwhile our old guard of soldiers came by way of entreaty to us, and\npromised that they would be civil to us, if we would go with them. Thus\nthe morning was spent till it was about eleven o\u2019clock; and then upon\nthe soldiers\u2019 entreaty, and promise to be more civil, the constables\ngave them the order again, and we went with them. Great was the civility\nand courtesy of the constables and people of that town towards us, who\nkindly entertained us; and the Lord rewarded them with his truth; for\nmany of them have since been convinced thereof, and are gathered into\nthe name of Jesus, and sit under Christ, their teacher and Saviour.\n\nCaptain Keat, who commanded our guard, understanding that Captain Fox,\nwho was the governor of Pendennis Castle, was gone to meet Major-General\nDesborough, did not take us thither; but went with us directly to\nBodmin. We met Major-General Desborough on the way; the captain of his\ntroop that rode before him, knew me, and said, \u201cO, Mr. Fox, what do you\nhere?\u201d I replied, \u201cI am a prisoner.\u201d \u201cAlack,\u201d said he, \u201cfor what?\u201d I\ntold him, \u201cI was taken up as I was travelling.\u201d \u201cThen,\u201d said he, \u201cI will\nspeak to my lord, and he will set you at liberty.\u201d So he came from the\nhead of his troop, rode up to the coach, and spoke to the major-general.\nWe also told him how we were taken. He began to speak against the light\nof Christ, for which I reproved him; then he told the soldiers they\nmight carry us to Launceston; for he could not stay to talk with us,\nlest his horses should take cold.\n\nSo to BODMIN we were conveyed that night; and when we were come to our\ninn, Captain Keat, who was in before us, put me into a room, and went\nhis way. When I was come in, there stood a man with a naked rapier in\nhis hand. Whereupon I turned out again, called for Captain Keat, and\nsaid unto him, \u201cWhat now, Keat, what trick hast thou played now, to put\nme into a room where there is a man with his naked rapier? what is thy\nend in this?\u201d \u201cO,\u201d said he, \u201cpray hold your tongue; for if you speak to\nthis man, we cannot all rule him, he is so devilish.\u201d \u201cThen,\u201d said I,\n\u201cdost thou put me into a room where there is such a man with a naked\nrapier, that thou sayest you cannot rule him? what an unworthy, base\ntrick is this! and to put me singly into this room from the rest of my\nfriends, that were my fellow prisoners with me!\u201d Thus his plot was\ndiscovered, and the mischief they intended was prevented. Afterwards we\ngot another room, where we were together all night; and in the evening\nwe declared the truth to the people; but they were hardened and dark\npeople. The soldiers also, notwithstanding their fair promises, were\nvery rude and wicked to us again, and sat up drinking and roaring all\nnight.\n\nNext day we were brought to LAUNCESTON, where Captain Keat delivered us\nto the jailer. Now was there no friend, nor friendly people near us; and\nthe people of the town were dark and hardened. The jailer required us to\npay seven shillings a-week for our horse-meat, and seven for our diet a\npiece. But after some time several sober people came to see us, and some\nof the town were convinced; and many friendly people out of several\nparts of the country, came to visit us, and were convinced. Then arose a\ngreat rage among the professors and priests against us; and they said,\nthis people Thou and Thee all men without respect, and they will not put\noff their hats, nor bow the knee to any man: this made them fret. But,\nsaid they, we shall see, when the assize comes, whether they will dare\nto Thou and Thee the judge, and keep on their hats before him. They\nexpected we should be hanged at the assize. But all this was little to\nus; for we saw how God would stain the world\u2019s honour and glory, and\nwere commanded not to seek that honour, nor give it; but we knew the\nhonour that comes from God only, and sought that.\n\nIt was nine weeks from the time of our commitment to the assizes, to\nwhich abundance of people came from far and near to hear the trial of\nthe Quakers. Captain Bradden lay with his troop of horse there, whose\nsoldiers and the sheriff\u2019s men guarded us up to the court through the\nmultitude of people that filled the streets; and much ado they had to\nget us through them. Besides, the doors and windows were filled with\npeople looking out upon us. When we were brought into the court, we\nstood some time with our hats on, and all was quiet; and I was moved to\nsay, \u201cPeace be amongst you!\u201d Judge Glynne, a Welchman, then chief\njustice of England, said to the jailer, \u201cwhat be these you have brought\nhere into the court?\u201d \u201cPrisoners, my Lord,\u201d said he. \u201cWhy do you not put\noff your hats?\u201d said the judge to us: we said nothing. \u201cPut off your\nhats,\u201d said the judge again. Still we said nothing. Then said the judge,\n\u201cThe court commands you to put off your hats.\u201d Then I spoke, and said,\n\u201cWhere did ever any magistrate, king, or judge, from Moses to Daniel,\ncommand any to put off their hats, when they came before them in their\ncourts, either amongst the Jews, the people of God, or amongst the\nheathens? and if the law of England doth command any such thing, show me\nthat law either written or printed.\u201d Then the judge grew very angry, and\nsaid, \u201cI do not carry my law-books on my back.\u201d \u201cBut,\u201d said I, \u201ctell me\nwhere it is printed in any statute-book, that I may read it.\u201d Then said\nthe judge, \u201cTake him away, prevaricator! I\u2019ll _jerk_ him.\u201d So they took\nus away, and put us among the thieves. Presently after he calls to the\njailer, \u201cBring them up again.\u201d \u201cCome,\u201d said he, \u201cwhere had they hats\nfrom Moses to Daniel; come, answer me: I have you fast now,\u201d said he. I\nreplied, \u201cThou mayest read in the third of Daniel, that the three\nchildren were cast into the fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s command,\nwith their coats, their hose, and their hats on.\u201d This plain instance\nstopped him: so that not having any thing else to say to the point, he\ncried again, \u201cTake them away, jailer.\u201d Accordingly we were taken away,\nand thrust in among the thieves, where we were kept a great while; and\nthen, without being called again, the sheriff\u2019s men and the troopers\nmade way for us (but we were almost spent) to get through the crowd of\npeople, and guarded us to the prison again, a multitude of people\nfollowing us, with whom we had much discourse and reasoning at the jail.\nWe had some good books to set forth our principles, and to inform people\nof the truth: which the judge and justices hearing of, they sent Captain\nBradden for them, who came into the jail to us, and violently took our\nbooks from us, some out of Edward Pyot\u2019s hands, and carried them away;\nso we never got them again.\n\nIn the afternoon we were had up again into the court by the jailer and\nsheriff\u2019s men, and troopers, who had a mighty toil to get us through the\ncrowd of people. When we were in the court, waiting to be called, I\nseeing both the jurymen, and such a multitude of others swearing, it\ngrieved my life, that such as professed Christianity should so openly\ndisobey and break the command of Christ and the apostle. And I was moved\nof the Lord to give forth a paper against swearing, which I had about\nme, to the grand and petty juries; which was as follows:\u2014\n\n                         \u201c_Concerning Swearing._\n\n  \u201cTake heed of giving people oaths to swear: for Christ our Lord and\n  Master saith, \u2018Swear not at all; but let your communications be yea\n  yea, and nay nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.\u2019\n  If any man was to suffer death, it must be by the hand of two or three\n  witnesses; and the hands of the witnesses were to be first put upon\n  him, to put him to death. And the apostle James saith, \u2018My brethren,\n  above all things swear not, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by\n  any other oath, lest ye fall into condemnation.\u2019 Hence you may see,\n  those that swear fall into condemnation, and are out of Christ\u2019s and\n  the apostle\u2019s doctrine. Therefore, every one of you having a light\n  from Christ, who saith, \u2018I am the light of the world,\u2019 and doth\n  enlighten every man that cometh into the world; who also saith, \u2018Learn\n  of me,\u2019 whose doctrine is, not to swear; and the apostle\u2019s doctrine\n  is, not to swear; \u2018let your yea be yea, and your nay be nay, in all\n  your communications; for whatsoever is more, cometh of evil.\u2019 Then,\n  they that go into more than yea and nay, go into evil, and are out of\n  the doctrine of Christ.\n\n  \u201cNow, if you say, \u2018that the oath was the end of controversy and\n  strife,\u2019 they who are in strife, are out of Christ\u2019s doctrine; for he\n  is the covenant of peace: and they who are in it, are in the covenant\n  of peace. And the apostle brings that but as an example: as, men\n  swearing by the greater; and the oath was the end of controversy and\n  strife among men; and said, verily, men swear by the greater: but God\n  could not find a greater, but swears by himself, concerning Christ;\n  who, when he was come, taught not to swear at all. So such as are in\n  him, and follow him, cannot but abide in his doctrine.\n\n  \u201cIf you say, \u2018they swore under the law, and under the prophets,\u2019\n  Christ is the end of the law, and of the prophets, to every one that\n  believeth for righteousness\u2019 sake. Now mark; if you believe, \u2018I am the\n  light of the world, which doth enlighten every man that cometh into\n  the world,\u2019 saith Christ, by whom it was made; and every man of you\n  that is come into the world is enlightened with a light that comes\n  from Christ, by whom the world was made, that all of you through him\n  might believe; that is the end for which he doth enlighten you. Now if\n  you do believe in the light, as Christ commands, and saith, \u2018believe\n  in the light, that you may be children of light,\u2019 you believe in\n  Christ, and come to learn of him who is the way to the Father. This is\n  the light which shows the evil actions you have all acted, the ungodly\n  deeds you have committed, and all the ungodly speeches you have\n  spoken; and all your oaths, cursed speaking, and ungodly actions. Now\n  if you attend to this light, it will let you see all that you have\n  done contrary to it; and loving it, it will turn you from your evil\n  deeds, evil actions, evil ways, evil words, to Christ, who is not of\n  the world; who is the light which lighteth every man that cometh into\n  the world;\u2014who testifies against the world, that the deeds thereof are\n  evil. So doth the light in every man, that he hath received from him,\n  testify against his works and deeds that are evil, that they are\n  contrary to the light; and each shall give an account at the day of\n  judgment for every idle word that is spoken. This light shall bring\n  every tongue to confess, yea, and every knee to bow at the name of\n  Jesus; in which light, if you believe, you shall not come into\n  condemnation, but come to Christ, who is not of the world;\u2014to him by\n  whom it was made; but if you believe not in the light, this, the\n  light, is your condemnation, saith Christ.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nThis paper passing among them from the jury to the justices, they\npresented it to the judge; so that when we were called before the judge,\nhe bade the clerk give me that paper; and then asked me, \u201cwhether that\nseditious paper was mine;\u201d I told him, \u201cIf they would read it up in open\ncourt, that I might hear it, if it was mine I would own it, and stand by\nit.\u201d He would have had me to take it, and look upon it in my own hand;\nbut \u201cI again desired that it might be read, that all the country might\nhear it, and judge whether there was any sedition in it or not; for if\nthere were I was willing to suffer for it.\u201d At last the clerk of the\nassize read it with an audible voice, that all the people might hear it:\nand when he had done, I told them, \u201cit was my paper; I would own it; and\nso might they too, except they would deny the Scripture: for was not\nthis Scripture language, and the words and commands of Christ, and the\napostle, which all true Christians ought to obey?\u201d Then they let fall\nthat subject; and the judge fell upon us about our hats again, bidding\nthe jailer take them off, which he did, and gave them to us; and we put\nthem on again. Then we asked the judge and the justices, what we had\nlain in prison for these nine weeks, seeing they now objected nothing to\nus but about our hats; and as for putting off our hats, I told them,\nthat was the honour which God would lay in the dust, though they made so\nmuch to do about it; the honour which is of men, and which men seek one\nof another, and is the mark of unbelievers. For \u201chow can ye believe,\u201d\nsaith Christ, \u201cwho receive honour one of another, and seek not the\nhonour that cometh from God only?\u201d and Christ saith, \u201cI receive not\nhonour from men;\u201d and all true Christians should be of his mind.\n\nThen the judge began to make a great speech, how he represented the lord\nProtector\u2019s person; who had made him lord chief justice of England, and\nsent him to come that circuit, &c. We desired him then, that he would do\nus justice for our false imprisonment, which we had suffered nine weeks\nwrongfully. But instead of that, they brought in an indictment, that\nthey had framed against us; so strange a thing, and so full of lies,\nthat I thought it had been against some of the thieves; that we came \u201cby\nforce and arms, and in a hostile manner into the court;\u201d who were\nbrought, as aforesaid. I told them, \u201cit was false:\u201d and still we cried\nfor justice for our false imprisonment, being taken up in our journey\nwithout cause by Major Ceely. Then Peter Ceely spoke to the judge, and\nsaid, \u201cMay it please you, my lord, this man (pointing to me), went aside\nwith me, and told me how serviceable I might be for his design; that he\ncould raise forty thousand men at an hour\u2019s warning, and involve the\nnation in blood, and so bring in King Charles. I would have aided him\nout of the country, but he would not go. If it please you, my lord, I\nhave a witness to swear it.\u201d So he called upon his witness; but the\njudge not being forward to examine the witness, I desired that he would\nbe pleased to let my mittimus be read in the face of the court and\ncountry, in which my crime was signified, for which I was sent to\nprison. The judge said, \u201cit should not be read;\u201d I said, \u201cit ought to\nbe, seeing it concerned my liberty and my life.\u201d The judge said again,\n\u201cIt shall not be read;\u201d but I said, \u201cit ought to be read; for if I have\ndone anything worthy of death, or of bonds, let all the country know\nit.\u201d Then seeing they would not read it, I spoke to one of my\nfellow-prisoners, \u201cThou hast a copy of it, read it up,\u201d said I. \u201cIt\nshall not be read,\u201d said the judge; \u201cJailer,\u201d said he, \u201ctake him away, I\nwill see whether he or I shall be master.\u201d So I was taken away; and a\nwhile after called for again. I still cried to have my mittimus read;\nfor that signified the cause of my commitment: wherefore I again spoke\nto the friend, my fellow prisoner, to read it. He did read it, and the\njudge, justices, and whole court were silent; for the people were eager\nto hear it. It was as follows:\u2014\n\n_Peter Ceely, one of the Justices of the Peace of this County, to the\n    Keeper of His Highness\u2019s jail at Launceston, or his lawful Deputy in\n    that behalf, Greeting_:\u2014\n\n  \u201cI send you herewithal by the bearers hereof, the bodies of Edward\n  Pyot of Bristol, and George Fox of Drayton-in-the-Clay, in\n  Leicestershire, and William Salt of London, which they pretend to be\n  the places of their habitations, who go under the notion of Quakers\n  and acknowledge themselves to be such; who have spread several papers\n  tending to the disturbance of the public peace, and cannot render any\n  lawful cause of coming into these parts, being persons altogether\n  unknown, and having no pass for their travelling up and down the\n  country, and refusing to give sureties of their good behaviour,\n  according to the law in that behalf provided; and refuse to take the\n  oath of abjuration, &c. These are therefore, in the name of his\n  Highness the lord Protector, to will and command you, that when the\n  bodies of said Edward Pyot, George Fox, and William Salt, shall be\n  unto you brought, you them receive, and in his highness\u2019s prison\n  aforesaid you safely keep them, until by due course of law they shall\n  be delivered. Hereof fail you not, as you will answer the contrary at\n  your perils. Given under my hand and seal, at St. Ives, the eighteenth\n  day of January, 1665.\u201d\n\n                                                           P. CEELY.\n\nWhen it was read I spoke thus to the judge and justices: \u201cThou that\nsayest thou art chief justice of England, and you justices know, that if\nI had put in sureties, I might have gone whither I pleased; and have\ncarried on the design (if I had had one), which Major Ceely hath charged\nme with: and if I had spoken those words to him, which he hath here\ndeclared, judge ye, whether bail or mainprize could have been taken in\nthat case.\u201d Then, turning my speech to Major Ceely, I said, \u201cWhen or\nwhere did I take thee aside? Was not thy house full of rude people, and\nthou as rude as any of them at our examination: so that I asked for a\nconstable or some other officer, to keep the people civil? But if thou\nart my accuser, why sittest thou on the bench? This is not a place for\nthee to sit in; for accusers do not use to sit with the judge: thou\noughtest to come down, and stand by me, and look me in the face.\nBesides, I would ask the judge and justices whether or not Major Ceely\nis not guilty of this treason, which he charges against me, in\nconcealing it so long as he hath done? Does he understand his place\neither as a soldier or a justice of the peace? For he tells you here,\nthat I went aside with him, and told him what a design I had in hand,\nand how serviceable he might be for my design: that I could raise forty\nthousand men in an hour\u2019s time, and bring in King Charles, and involve\nthe nation in blood. He saith, moreover, he would have aided me out of\nthe country, but I would not go; and therefore he committed me to prison\nfor want of sureties for the good behaviour, as the mittimus declares.\nNow do not you see plainly that Major Ceely is guilty of this plot and\ntreason that he talks of, and hath made himself a party to it, by\ndesiring me to go out of the country, and demanding bail of me, and not\ncharging me with this pretended treason till now, nor discovering it?\nBut I deny and abhor his words, and am innocent of his devilish design.\u201d\nSo that business was let fall: for the judge saw clearly enough, that\ninstead of ensnaring me, he had ensnared himself.\n\nMajor Ceely then got up again and said, \u201cIf it please you, my lord, to\nhear me: this man struck me, and gave me such a blow, as I never had in\nmy life.\u201d At this I smiled in my heart, and said, \u201cMajor Ceely, thou art\na justice of peace, and a major of a troop of horse, and tells the judge\nhere in the face of the court and country, that I (who am a prisoner)\nstruck thee, and gave thee such a blow, as thou never hadst the like in\nthy life? What! art thou not ashamed? Prithee, Major Ceely?\u201d said I,\n\u201cwhere did I strike thee? and who is thy witness for that? who was by?\u201d\nHe said it was in the Castle-Green, and that Captain Bradden was\nstanding by, when I struck him. \u201cI desired the judge to let him produce\nhis witness for that, and I called again upon Major Ceely to come down\nfrom off the bench, telling him, it was not fit that the accuser should\nsit as judge over the accused.\u201d When I called again for his witnesses,\nhe said Captain Bradden was his witness. Then, I said, \u201cSpeak, Captain\nBradden, didst thou see me give him such a blow, and strike him, as he\nsaith?\u201d Captain Bradden made no answer; but bowed his head towards me. I\ndesired him to speak up, if he knew any such thing: but he only bowed\nhis head again. \u201cNay,\u201d said I, \u201cspeak up, and let the court and country\nhear, and let not bowing of the head serve the turn. If I have done so,\nlet the law be inflicted on me; I fear not sufferings, nor death itself,\nfor I am an innocent man concerning all this charge.\u201d But Captain\nBradden never testified to it: and the judge finding those snares would\nnot hold, cried, \u201cTake him away, jailer:\u201d and then, when we were taken\naway, he fined us twenty marks a-piece for not putting off our hats; and\nto be kept in prison till we paid it: so he sent us back to the jail.\n\nAt night Captain Bradden came to see us, and seven or eight justices\nwith him, who were very civil to us, and told us, they believed neither\nthe judge nor any in the court gave credit to the charges which Major\nCeely had brought forward against me in the face of the country. And\nCaptain Bradden said, Major Ceely had an intent to take away my life if\nhe could have got another witness. \u201cBut,\u201d said I, \u201cCaptain Bradden, why\ndidst not thou witness for me, or against me, seeing Major Ceely\nproduced thee for a witness, that thou saw me strike him; and when I\ndesired thee to speak either for me or against me, according to what\nthou saw or knew, thou wouldst not speak.\u201d \u201cWhy,\u201d said he, \u201cwhen Major\nCeely and I came by you, as you were walking in the Castle-Green, he put\noff his hat to you, and said, \u2018How do you do, Mr. Fox? Your servant,\nSir.\u2019 Then you said to him, \u2018Major Ceely, take heed of hypocrisy, and of\na rotten heart: for when came I to be thy master, and thou my servant?\nDo servants cast their masters into prison?\u2019 This was the great blow he\nmeant you gave him.\u201d Then I called to mind that they walked by us, and\nthat he spoke so to me, and I to him; which hypocrisy and\nrotten-heartedness he manifested openly, when he complained of this to\nthe judge in open court, and in the face of the country; and would have\nmade them all believe, that I struck him outwardly with my hand.\n\nNow we were kept in prison, and many came from far and near, to see us;\nof whom some were people of account in the world; for the report of our\ntrial was spread abroad, and our boldness and innocency in our answers\nto the judge and court were talked of in town and country. Among others\ncame Humphrey Lower to visit us, a grave, sober, old man, who had been a\njustice of peace; he was very sorry we should lie in prison; telling us\nhow serviceable we might be if we were at liberty. We reasoned with him\nconcerning swearing; and having acquainted him how they tendered the\noath of abjuration to us, as a snare, because they knew we could not\nswear, we showed him that no people could be serviceable to God, if they\ndisobeyed the command of Christ; and that they that imprisoned us for\nthe hat-honour, which was of men, and which men sought for, prisoned the\ngood, and vexed and grieved the spirit of God in themselves, which\nshould have turned their minds to God. So we turned him to the Spirit of\nGod in his heart, and to the light of Christ Jesus; and he was\nthoroughly convinced, and continued so to his death, and became very\nserviceable, to us.[47]\n\nFootnote 47:\n\n  Humphrey Lower, who resided near Bodmin, in Cornwall, was an\n  influential magistrate, his name appearing as such in the history of\n  the county, under Charles I. He could, however, say with Paul, \u201cWhat\n  things were gain unto me, those I counted loss for Christ.\u201d In 1658,\n  for not attending the national worship, and refusing to enter into\n  bond to appear at the assizes, on a presentment made against him by\n  the constable of the parish, H. Lower was, on his non-appearance,\n  committed, notwithstanding his age and high character, to Launceston\n  jail, where he continued till the assizes; and then was put forth\n  without examination or trial, or any satisfaction for such rough\n  treatment. In 1660, he was sent for by a warrant, to appear before two\n  justices at Wadebridge, when one of them, Roscarrock, tendered him the\n  oath of supremacy; and for his refusing to take it, a mittimus was\n  made out and subscribed by him and two other magistrates, who acted\n  very unwillingly. Thereupon he was again sent to Launceston jail,\n  where he remained about two weeks, and then was freed by Sir J.\n  Coryton and E. Hearle. It is stated that H. Lower, when himself in the\n  commission of the peace, had more obliged the said Roscarrock than any\n  other man, by doing him many singular offices of justice and courtesy.\n  The return was a very ungrateful one.\n\n  G. Fox mentions large and satisfactory meetings held at his house in\n  1663 and 1668, and says that he continued serviceable till his death,\n  the date of which event is not recorded.\n\nThere came also to see us one Colonel Rouse, a justice of peace, with a\ngreat company with him. He was as full of words and talk as ever I heard\nany man in my life, so that there was no speaking to him. At length I\nasked him, \u201cwhether he had ever been at school, and knew what belonged\nto questions and answers;\u201d (this I said to stop him.) \u201cAt school!\u201d said\nhe, \u201cYes.\u201d \u201cAt school!\u201d said the soldiers; \u201cdoth he say so to our\ncolonel, that is a scholar?\u201d Then said I, \u201cIf he be so, let him be\nstill, and receive answers to what he hath said.\u201d Then I was moved to\nspeak the word of life to him in God\u2019s dreadful power; which came so\nover him that he could not open his mouth: his face swelled and was red\nlike a turkey; his lips moved, and he mumbled something; but the people\nthought he would have fallen down. I stepped to him, and he said he was\nnever so in his life before: for the Lord\u2019s power stopped the evil power\nin him; so that he was almost choked. The man was ever after very loving\nto Friends, and not so full of airy words to us; though he was full of\npride; but the Lord\u2019s power came over him, and the rest that were with\nhim.\n\nAnother time there came an officer of the army, a very malicious, bitter\nprofessor, whom I had known in London. He was full of his airy talk\nalso, and spoke slightingly of the light of Christ, and against the\ntruth, and against the Spirit of God being in men, as it was in the\napostles\u2019 days; till the power of God that bound the evil in him, had\nalmost choked him as it did Colonel Rouse: for he was so full of evil\nthat he could not speak, but blubbered and stuttered. But from the time\nthat the Lord\u2019s power struck him, and came over him, he was ever after\nmore loving to us.\n\nThe assize being over, and we settled in prison upon such a commitment,\nthat we were not likely to be soon released, we discontinued giving the\njailer seven shillings a-week each for our horses, and seven for\nourselves; and sent our horses out into the country. Upon which he grew\nvery wicked and devilish; and put us down into Doomsdale, a nasty,\nstinking place, where they put murderers, after they were condemned. The\nplace was so noisome, that it was observed few that went in ever came\nout again in health. There was no house of office in it; and the\nexcrements of the prisoners that from time to time had been left there,\nhad not been carried out (as we were told) for many years. So that it\nwas all like mire, and in some places to the top of the shoes in water\nand urine; and he would not let us cleanse it, nor suffer us to have\nbeds or straw to lie on. At night some friendly people of the town\nbrought us a candle and a little straw, and we burnt some of it to take\naway the stink. The thieves lay over our heads, and the head jailer in a\nroom by them, over us also. It seems the smoke went up into the jailer\u2019s\nroom; which put him into such a rage, that he took the pots of\nexcrements of the thieves, and poured them through a hole upon our heads\nin Doomsdale; whereby we were so bespattered, that we could not touch\nourselves or one another. And the stink increased upon us, so that what\nwith that, and what with smoke, we had nearly been choked and smothered.\nWe had the stink under our feet before, but now we had it on our heads\nand backs also; and he having quenched our straw with the filth he\npoured down, had made a great smother in the place. Moreover he railed\nat us most hideously, calling us hatchet-faced dogs, and such strange\nnames as we had never heard. In this manner were we fain to stand all\nnight, for we could not sit down, the place was so full of filthy\nexcrements.[48] A great while he kept us in this manner, before he would\nlet us cleanse it, or suffer us to have any victuals brought in but what\nwe had through the grate. Once a girl brought us a little meat, and he\narrested her for breaking his house, and sued her in the town-court for\nbreaking the prison. Much trouble he put her to, whereby others were so\ndiscouraged, that we had much to do to get water or victuals. Near this\ntime we sent for a young woman, Ann Downer, from London, that could\nwrite, and take things well in short-hand, to buy and dress our meat for\nus, which she was very willing to do, it being also upon her spirit to\ncome to us in the love of God; and she was very serviceable to us.\n\nFootnote 48:\n\n  We who live in the 19th century, when the impartial administration of\n  justice extends to all ranks of society, and when the accommodations\n  of our prisons are so vigilantly looked into, can scarcely credit that\n  respectable Englishmen should be subjected to such gross abuse in\n  pestilential dungeons. But the early annals of Friends abound with\n  similar cases, many of them still more aggravated. Take the following\n  example:\u2014\n\n  During the close imprisonment of Friends at Aberdeen, Patrick\n  Livingstone often preached to the people through the prison windows,\n  exhorting the people to fear God. This practice was highly displeasing\n  to the magistrates. They, therefore, sought to prevent it, by causing\n  some of them to be separated from the rest of their companions, and\n  violently thrust into a close-vaulted cell, on the top of the jail,\n  called the \u201ciron-house,\u201d where the worst of felons and murderers were\n  usually confined. They had neither light nor air, except through a\n  long hole in a thick wall, which had a double grating of iron on the\n  outside and another within. Here they were kept night and day, in the\n  heat of the summer of 1678, when the filthiness of the place, and the\n  corruption of the air so closely pent-up, produced a multitude of\n  worms, called _white maggots_ and _other vermin_, which swarmed about\n  even upon their beds and victuals, and manifestly tended to the\n  extreme danger of their health and lives.\n\nThis head-jailer, we were informed, had been a thief, and was branded in\nthe hand and in the shoulder: his wife, too, had been branded in the\nhand. The under-jailer had been branded in the hand and shoulder; and\nhis wife in the hand also. Colonel Bennet, who was a Baptist teacher,\nhaving purchased the jail and lands belonging to the castle, had placed\nthis head-jailer therein. The prisoners, and some wild people, talked of\nspirits that haunted Doomsdale, and how many had died in it; thinking\nperhaps to terrify us therewith. But I told them, that if all the\nspirits and devils in hell were there, I was over them in the power of\nGod, and feared no such thing; for Christ, our priest, would sanctify\nthe walls and the house to us, he who bruised the head of the devil. The\npriest was to cleanse the plague out of the walls of the house under the\nlaw, which Christ, our priest, ended; who sanctifies both inwardly and\noutwardly the walls of the house, the walls of the heart, and all things\nto his people.\n\nBy this time the general quarter-sessions drew nigh; and the jailer\nstill carrying himself basely and wickedly towards us, we drew up our\nsuffering case, and sent it to the sessions at Bodmin. On reading of\nwhich the justices gave order, \u201cthat Doomsdale door should be opened and\nthat we should have liberty to cleanse it, and to buy our meat in the\ntown.\u201d We also sent a copy of our sufferings to the Protector, setting\nforth how we were taken and committed by Major Ceely; and abused by\nCaptain Keat as aforesaid, and the rest in order. The Protector sent\ndown an order to Captain Fox, governor of Pendennis Castle, to examine\nthe matter about the soldiers abusing us, and striking me. There were at\nthat time many of the gentry of the country at the castle; and Captain\nKeat\u2019s kinsman, that struck me, was sent for before them, and much\nthreatened. They told him, \u201cthat if I should change my principle, I\nmight take the extremity of the law against him, and might recover sound\ndamages of him.\u201d Captain Keat also was checked, for suffering the\nprisoners under his charge to be abused. This was of great service in\nthe country; for afterwards Friends might have spoken in any market or\nsteeple-house thereabouts, and none would meddle with them.\n\nI understood that Hugh Peters, one of the Protector\u2019s chaplains, told\nhim they could not do George Fox a greater service for the spreading of\nhis principles in Cornwall, than to imprison him there. And indeed my\nimprisonment there was of the Lord, and for his service in those parts;\nfor after the assizes were over, and it was known we were likely to\ncontinue prisoners, several Friends from most parts of the nation came\ninto the country to visit us. Those parts of the West were very dark\ncountries at that time; but the Lord\u2019s light and truth broke forth,\nshone over all, and many were turned from darkness to light, and from\nSatan\u2019s power unto God. Many were moved to go to the steeple-houses; and\nseveral were sent to prison to us; and a great convincement began in the\ncountry. For now we had liberty to come out and to walk in the\nCastle-Green; and many came to us on first-days, to whom we declared the\nword of life. Great service we had among them, and many were turned to\nGod, up and down the country; but great rage got up in the priests and\nprofessors against the truth and us. One of the envious professors had\ncollected many Scripture sentences, to prove that we ought to put off\nour hats to the people; and he invited the town of Launceston to come\ninto the castle-yard to hear him read them: amongst other instances that\nhe there brought, one was, that Saul bowed to the witch of Endor. When\nhe had done, we got a little liberty to speak; and we showed both him\nand the people, \u201cthat Saul was gone from God, and had disobeyed God,\nlike them, when he went to the witch of Endor: that neither the\nprophets, nor Christ, nor the apostles ever taught people to bow to a\nwitch.\u201d The man went away with his rude people; but some stayed with us,\nand we showed them that this was not gospel instruction, to teach people\nto bow to a witch. For now people began to be affected with the truth,\nand the devil\u2019s rage increased; so that we were often in great danger.\n\nOne time there came a soldier to us; and whilst one of our friends was\nadmonishing and exhorting him to sobriety, &c., I saw him begin to draw\nhis sword. Whereupon I stepped to him, and told him what a shame it was\nto offer to draw his sword upon a naked man, and a prisoner; and how\nunfit and unworthy he was to carry such a weapon; and that if he should\nhave offered such a thing to some men, they would have taken his sword\nfrom him, and have broken it to pieces. So he was ashamed, and went his\nway; and the Lord\u2019s power preserved us.\n\nAnother time, about eleven at night, the jailer being half drunk, came\nand told me he had got a man now to dispute with me (this was when we\nhad leave to go a little into the town.) As soon as he spoke these\nwords, I felt there was mischief intended to my body. All that night and\nthe next day, I lay down on a grass-plat to slumber, and I felt\nsomething still about my body; and I started up and struck at it in the\npower of the Lord, and yet still it was about my body. Then I arose and\nwalked into the Castle-Green, and the under-keeper came to me, and told\nme there was a maid would speak with me in the prison. I felt a snare in\nhis words too, therefore I went not into the prison, but to the grate,\nand looking in, I saw a man that was lately brought to prison for being\na conjurer, and he had a knife in his hand. I spoke to him, and he\nthreatened to cut my chaps; but being within the jail, he could not come\nat me. This was the jailer\u2019s great disputant. I went soon after into the\njailer\u2019s house, and found him at breakfast; and he had then got his\nconjurer out with him. I told the jailer his plot was discovered. Then\nhe got up from the table, and cast his napkin away in a rage; and I left\nthem and went away to my chamber; for at this time we were out of\nDoomsdale. At the time the jailer had said the dispute should be, I went\ndown and walked in the court (the place appointed) till about eleven,\nbut nobody came. Then I went up to my chamber again, and after a while I\nheard one call for me. I stepped to the stairs\u2019 head, and there I saw\nthe jailer\u2019s wife upon the stairs, and the conjuror at the bottom of the\nstairs, holding his hand behind his back and in a great rage. I asked\nhim, \u201cMan, what hast thou in thy hand behind thy back? Pluck thy hand\nbefore thee,\u201d said I; \u201clet us see thy hand, and what thou hast in it.\u201d\nThen in a rage he plucked forth his hand with a naked knife in it. I\nshowed the jailer\u2019s wife the wicked design of her husband and herself\nagainst me; for this was the man they they had brought to dispute of the\nthings of God. But the Lord discovered their plot, and prevented their\nevil design; they both raged, and the conjuror threatened. Then I was\nmoved to speak sharply to him in the dreadful power of the Lord, which\nbound him down, so that he never after durst appear before me to speak\nto me. I saw it was the Lord alone that preserved me out of their bloody\nhands; for the devil had a great enmity to me, and stirred up his\ninstruments to seek my hurt. But the Lord prevented them; and my heart\nwas filled with thanksgivings and praises unto him.\n\nNow while I was exercised with people of divers sorts, that came some\nout of good will to visit us, some out of an envious, carping mind to\nwrangle and dispute, and some out of curiosity to see us, Edward Pyot,\nwho before his convincement had been a captain in the army, and had a\ngood understanding in the laws and rights of the people, being sensible\nof the injustice and envy of Judge Glynne to us at our trial, and\nwilling to lay the weight thereof upon him, and make him sensible\nthereof also, wrote an epistle to him on behalf of us all, thus:\u2014\n\n               \u201c_To John Glynne, Chief Justice of England._\n\n        \u201cFRIEND,\n\n  \u201cWe are free men of England, free born; our rights and liberties are\n  according to law, and ought to be defended by it: and therefore with\n  thee, by whose hand we have so long suffered, and still suffer, let us\n  reason a little plainly concerning thy proceedings against us, whether\n  they have been according to law, and agreeable to thy duty and office,\n  as chief minister of the law, or justice of England. And in meekness\n  and lowliness abide, that the witness of God in thy conscience may be\n  heard to speak and judge in this matter, for thou and we must all\n  appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that everyone may receive\n  according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Therefore,\n  friend, in moderation and soberness, weigh what is herein laid before\n  thee.\n\n  \u201cIn the afternoon, before we were brought before thee at the assize at\n  Launceston, thou didst cause many scores of our books to be violently\n  taken from us by armed men without due process of law; which being\n  perused to see if anything in them could be found to be laid to our\n  charge, who were innocent men, and then upon our legal issue, thou\n  hast detained from us to this very day. Now our books are our goods,\n  and our goods are our property; and our liberty is to have and enjoy\n  our property; and of our liberty and property the law is the defence,\n  which saith, \u2018No free man shall be disseized of his freehold,\n  liberties, or free customs, &c., nor any way otherwise destroyed: and\n  we shall not pass upon him, but by lawful judgment of his peers, or by\n  the law of the land.\u2019 Magna Charta, cap. 29. Now friend, consider, is\n  not the taking away of a man\u2019s goods violently, by force of arms, as\n  aforesaid, contrary to the law of the land? Is not the keeping of them\n  so taken away, a disseizing him of his property, and a destroying of\n  it and his liberty, yea, his very being, so far as the invading of the\n  guard the law sets about him, is in order thereunto? Calls not the law\n  this, a destroying of a man? Is there any more than one common guard\n  or defence to property, liberty, and life, viz. the law? And can this\n  guard be broken on the former (viz. property and liberty), and the\n  latter (viz. life,) be sure? Doth not he that makes an invasion upon a\n  man\u2019s property and liberty (which he doth, who, contrary to law, which\n  is the guard, acts against either,) make an invasion upon a man\u2019s\n  life; since that which is the guard of the one, is also of the other?\n  If a penny, or a penny\u2019s-worth, be taken from a man contrary to law,\n  may not by the same rule all that a man hath be taken away? If the\n  bond of the law be broken upon a man\u2019s property, may it not on the\n  same ground be broken upon his person? And by the same reason, as it\n  is broken on one man, may it not be broken upon all, since the\n  liberty, and property, and beings of all men under a government are\n  relative, a communion of wealth, as the members in the body, but one\n  guard and defence to all, the law? One man cannot be injured therein,\n  but it redounds to all. Are not such things in order to the subversion\n  and dissolution of government? Where there is no law, what is become\n  of government? And of what value is the law made, when the ministers\n  thereof break it at pleasure upon men\u2019s properties, liberties, and\n  persons? Canst thou clear thyself of these things, as to us? To that\n  of God in thy conscience, which is just, do I speak. Hast thou acted\n  like a minister, the chief minister, of the law, who hast taken our\n  goods, and yet detainest them, without so much as going by lawful\n  warrant, grounded upon due information, which in this our case thou\n  couldst not have; for none had perused them, whereby to give thee\n  information? Shouldst thou exercise violence and force of arms on\n  prisoners\u2019 goods, in their prison-chamber, instead of proceeding\n  orderly and legally, which thy place calls upon thee, above any man,\n  to tender, defend, and maintain against wrong, and to preserve entire\n  the guard of every man\u2019s being, liberty, life, and livelihood?\n  Shouldst thou, whose duty it is to punish the wrong-doer, do wrong\n  thyself? who ought to see that the law is kept and observed, break the\n  law, and turn aside the due administration thereof? Surely from thee,\n  considering thou art chief justice of England, other things were\n  expected, both by us and by the people of this nation.\n\n  \u201cAnd when we were brought before thee, and stood upon our legal issue,\n  and no accuser or accusation came in against us, as to what we had\n  been wrongfully imprisoned, and in prison detained for nine weeks,\n  shouldst not thou have caused us to be acquitted by proclamation?\n  Saith not the law so? Oughtest thou not to have examined the cause of\n  our commitment? And there not appearing a lawful cause, oughtest thou\n  not to have discharged us? Is it not the substance of thy office and\n  duty, to do justice according to the law and custom of England? Is not\n  this the end of the administration of the law? of the general assizes?\n  of the jail delivery? of the judges going the circuits? Hast not thou\n  by doing otherwise, acted contrary to all these, and to Magna Charta?\n  which, cap. 29, saith, \u2018We shall sell to no man, we shall deny or\n  defer to no man, either justice or right.\u2019 Hast thou not both deferred\n  and denied to us, who had been so long oppressed, this justice and\n  right? And when of thee justice we demanded, saidst thou not, \u2018If we\n  would be uncovered, thou wouldst hear us, and do us justice?\u2019\u2014\u2018We\n  shall sell to no man, we shall deny or defer to no man, either justice\n  or right,\u2019 saith Magna Charta, as aforesaid. Again, \u2018We have commanded\n  all our justices, that they shall henceforth do even law, and\n  execution of right to all our subjects, rich and poor, without having\n  regard to any man\u2019s person; and without letting to do right for any\n  letters or commandments, which may come to them from us, or from any\n  other, or by any other cause, &c., upon pain to be at our will, body,\n  lands, and goods, to do therewith as shall please us, in case they do\n  contrary,\u2019 saith Stat. 20. Edw. III. cap. 1. Again, \u2018Ye shall swear\n  that ye shall do even law and execution of right to all, rich and\n  poor, without having regard to any person; and that ye deny to no man\n  common right by the king\u2019s letters, or other man\u2019s, nor for any other\n  cause. And in case any letter come to you contrary to the law, that ye\n  do nothing by such letter, but certify the king thereof, and go forth\n  to do the law notwithstanding those letters. And in case ye be from\n  henceforth found in default in any of the points aforesaid, ye shall\n  be at the king\u2019s will of body, lands, and goods, thereof to be done,\n  as shall please him,\u2019 saith the oath, appointed by the statute to be\n  taken by all the judges, Stat. 18. Edw. III. But none of these nor any\n  other law hath such an expression or condition in it as this, viz.,\n  \u2018provided he will put off his hat to you, or be uncovered:\u2019 nor doth\n  the law of God so say, or that your persons be respected; but the\n  contrary. From whence then comes this new law, \u2018If ye will be\n  uncovered I will hear you, and do you justice?\u2019 This hearing complaint\n  of wrong, this doing of justice, upon condition, wherein lies the\n  equity and reasonableness of that? When were these fundamental laws\n  repealed, which were the issue of much blood and war; to uphold which\n  cost the miseries and blood of the late wars, that we shall now be\n  heard, as to right, and have justice done us but upon condition, and\n  that too such a trifling one as putting off the hat? Doth thy saying\n  so, who art commanded, as aforesaid, repeal them, and make them of\n  none effect, and all the miseries undergone, and the blood shed for\n  them of old, and of late years? Whether it be so or not indeed, and to\n  the nation, thou hast made it so to us, to whom thou hast denied the\n  justice of our liberty (when we were before thee, and no accuser, nor\n  accusation came in against us,) and the hearing of the wrong done to\n  us, who are innocent, and the doing us right. And bonds hast thou\n  cast, and continued upon us until this day, under an unreasonable and\n  cruel jailer, for not performing that thy condition, for\n  conscience-sake. But thinkest thou that this thine own conditional\n  justice maketh void the law? or can it do so? or absolve thee before\n  God or man? or acquit the penalty mentioned in the laws aforesaid?\n  unto which hast thou not consented and sworn? viz., \u2018And in case ye be\n  from henceforth found in default, in any of the points aforesaid, ye\n  shall be at the king\u2019s will, of body, lands, and goods, thereof to be\n  done as shall please him.\u2019 And is not thy saying, \u2018If ye will be\n  uncovered (or put off your hats), I will hear you, and do you\n  justice;\u2019 and because we could not put them off for conscience-sake,\n  thy denying us justice, and refusing to hear us, as to wrong, who had\n  so unjustly suffered, a default in thee against the very essence of\n  those laws, yea, and overthrow thereof, for which thing\u2019s sake (being\n  of the highest importance to the well-being of men), so just, so\n  equal, so necessary, those laws were made, and all the provisions\n  therein? To make a default in any one point of which provisions,\n  exposeth to the said penalty. Dost not thou by this time see where\n  thou art? Art thou sure thou shalt never be made to understand and\n  feel the justice thereof? Is thy seat so high, and thy fence so great,\n  and art thou so certain of thy time and station, above all that have\n  gone before thee, whom justice hath cut down, and given them their\n  due, that thou shalt never be called to an account, nor with its long\n  and sure stroke be reached? Deceive not thyself, God is come nearer to\n  judgment than the workers of iniquity in this age imagine; who\n  persecute and evil-entreat those that witness the just and Holy One,\n  for their witnessing of him who is come to reign for ever and ever.\n  Saith he not, he will be a swift witness against the false swearers?\n  God is not mocked.\n\n  \u201cSurely, friend, that must needs be a very great offence which\n  deprives a man of justice, of being heard as to wrong, of the benefit\n  of the law, and of those laws afore-rehearsed; to defend the justice\n  and equity of which a man hath adventured his blood and all that is\n  dear to him. But to stand covered (or with the hat on), in conscience\n  to the command of the Lord, is made by thee such an offence (which is\n  none in law), and rendered upon us (who are innocent, serving the\n  living God), effectual to deny us justice, though the laws of God, and\n  of man, and the oath, equity and reason, say the contrary, and on it\n  pronounce such a penalty. \u2018If ye will be uncovered (uncovered, saidst\n  thou), I will hear you, and do you justice;\u2019 but justice we had not,\n  nor were we heard, because Jesus Christ, who is the higher power, the\n  lawgiver of his people, in our consciences commanded us not to respect\n  persons, whom we choose to obey rather than man. And for our obedience\n  unto him hast thou cast us into prison, and continued us there till\n  this very day, having showed us neither law for it, nor Scripture, nor\n  instances of either, nor example of heathens nor others.\n\n  \u201cFriend, come down to that of God, that is just in thee, and consider,\n  was ever such a thing as this heard of in this nation? what is become\n  of seriousness, of true judgment, and of righteousness? An unrighteous\n  man, standing before thee with his hat off, shall be heard; but an\n  innocent man, appearing with his hat on in conscience to the Lord,\n  shall neither be heard nor have justice. Is not this regarding of\n  persons contrary to the laws aforesaid, and the oath and the law of\n  God? Understand and judge: Did we not own authority and government\n  oftentimes before the court? Didst not thou say in the court, thou\n  wast glad to hear so much from us of our owning magistracy? Pleaded we\n  not to the indictment, though it was such a new-found one as England\n  never heard of before? Came we not when thou sent for us? Went we not\n  when thou bade us go? And are we not still prisoners at thy command\n  and at thy will? If the hat had been such an offence to thee, couldst\n  not thou have caused it to be taken off, when thou heard us so often\n  declare, we could not do it in conscience to the commands of the Lord,\n  and that for that cause we forbore it, not in contempt of thee or of\n  authority, nor in disrespect to thine, or any man\u2019s person (for we\n  said, we honoured all men in the Lord, and owned authority, which was\n  a terror to evildoers, and a praise to them that do well; and our\n  souls were subject to the higher powers for conscience-sake): as thou\n  caused them to be taken off, and to be kept so, when thou called the\n  jury to find us transgressors without a law?\n\n  \u201cWhat ado hast thou made to take away the righteousness of the\n  righteous from him, and to cause us to suffer further, whom thou knew\n  to have been so long wrongfully in prison contrary to law? Is not\n  liberty of conscience a natural right? Had there been a law in this\n  case, and we bound up in our consciences that we could not have obeyed\n  it, was not liberty of conscience there to take place? For where the\n  law saith not against, there needs no plea of liberty of conscience;\n  but the law have we not offended, yet in thy will hast thou caused,\n  and dost thou yet cause us to suffer for our consciences, where the\n  law requires no such thing; and yet for liberty of conscience hath all\n  the blood been spilt, and the miseries of the late wars undergone, and\n  (as the Protector saith,) this government undertakes to preserve it;\n  and a natural right, he saith, it is; and he that would have it, he\n  saith, ought to give it. And if it be a natural right, as is\n  undeniable, then to attempt to force it, or to punish a man for not\n  doing contrary to it, is to act against nature; which, as it is\n  unreasonable, so it is the same as to offer violence to a man\u2019s life.\n  And what an offence that is in the law thou knowest; and how, by the\n  common law of England, all acts, agreements, and laws, that are\n  against nature, are mere nullities; and all the judges cannot make one\n  case to be law that is against nature. But put the case, had our\n  standing with our hats on been an offence in law, and we wilfully, and\n  in contempt, and not out of conscience had stood so (which we deny as\n  aforesaid), yet that is not a ground wherefore we should be denied\n  justice, or be heard as to the wrong done to us. \u2018If ye will not\n  offend in one case, I will do you justice in another;\u2019 this is not the\n  language of the law, or of justice, which distributes to everyone\n  right; justice to whom justice is due, punishment to whom punishment\n  is due. A man who does wrong may also have wrong done to him; shall he\n  not have right wherein he is wronged, unless he right him whom he hath\n  wronged? The law saith not so; but the wrong-doer is to suffer, and\n  the sufferer of wrong to be righted. Is not to do otherwise a denying,\n  letting, or stopping of even law and execution of justice, and a\n  bringing under the penalties aforesaid? Mind and consider.\n\n  \u201cAnd shouldst thou have accused, when no witness appeared against us,\n  as in the particulars of striking Peter Ceely, and dispersing books\n  (as thou saidst) against magistracy and ministry, with which thou\n  didst falsely accuse one of us? Saith not the law, \u2018the judge ought\n  not to be the accuser?\u2019 much less a false accuser? And wast not thou\n  such a one, in affirming, that he dispersed books against magistracy\n  and ministry, when as the books were violently taken out of our\n  chamber (as hath been said,) undispersed by him, or any of us? Nor\n  didst thou make it appear in one particular, wherein those books thou\n  didst so violently cause to be taken away, were against magistracy or\n  ministry? or gave one instance, or reply, when he denied what thou\n  charged therein, and spoke to thee to bring forth those books and make\n  thy charge appear. Is not the sword of the magistrate of God to pass\n  upon such evil-doing? And according to the administration of the law,\n  ought not accusations to be by way of indictment, wherein the offence\n  is to be charged, and the law expressed against which it is? Can there\n  be an issue without an indictment? Or can an indictment be found\n  before proof be made of the offence charged therein? And hast thou not\n  herein acted contrary to the law and the administration thereof, and\n  thy duty as a judge? What just cause of offence gave George Fox to\n  thee, when, upon thy producing a paper concerning swearing, sent by\n  him (as thou said) to the grand jury, and requiring him to say,\n  whether it was his handwriting? he answered, \u2018read it up before the\n  country, and when he heard it read, if it were his, he would own it?\u2019\n  Is it not equal, and according to law, that what a man is charged with\n  before the country, should be read in the hearing of him and of the\n  country? When a paper is delivered out of a man\u2019s hand, alterations\n  may be made in it to his prejudice, which, on a sudden looking over\n  it, may not presently be discerned, but by hearing it read up, may be\n  better understood, whether any such alterations have been made\n  therein? Couldst thou in justice have expected or required him to do\n  otherwise? Considering also, that he was not insensible how much he\n  had suffered already, being innocent, and what endeavours were used to\n  cause him further to suffer? Was not what he said, as aforesaid, a\n  plain and single answer, and sufficient in the law? Though (as hath\n  been demonstrated) thou didst act contrary to law, and to thy office,\n  in being his accuser therein, and producing the paper against him. And\n  his liberty it was, whether he would have made thee any answer at all,\n  to what thou didst exhibit, or demand, out of the due course of law;\n  for to the law answer is to be made, not to thy will. Wherefore then\n  wast thou so filled with rage and fury at his reply? Calmly, and in\n  the fear of the Lord, consider, wherefore didst thou revile him,\n  particularly with the reproachful names of juggler and prevaricator?\n  Wherein did he juggle? wherein did he prevaricate? Wherefore didst\n  thou use such threatening language, and such menacings to him and us,\n  saying, thou wouldst _ferk_ us, with such like? Doth not the law\n  forbid reviling, and rage, and fury, threatening, and menacing of\n  prisoners? Soberly mind, is this to act like a judge or a man? Is not\n  this transgression? Is not the sword of the magistrate of God to pass\n  on this as evil-doing, which the righteous law condemns, and the\n  higher power is against, which judgeth for God?\n\n  \u201cTake heed what ye do, for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who\n  is with you in the judgment. \u2018Wherefore now, let the fear of the Lord\n  be upon you; take heed, and do it: for there is no iniquity with the\n  Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts,\u2019 said\n  Jehoshaphat to the judges of Judah. Pride and fury, passion and rage,\n  reviling and threatening, are not the Lord\u2019s; these, and the principle\n  out of which they spring, are for judgment, and must come under the\n  sword of the magistrate of God; and it is of an ill savour, especially\n  such an expression, as to threaten to _ferk_ us. Is not such a saying\n  more becoming a schoolmaster with his rod and ferula in his hand, than\n  thee, who art the chief justice of the nation, who sittest in the\n  highest seat of judgment, who ought to give a good example, and so to\n  judge that others may hear and fear? Weigh it soberly and consider,\n  doth not threatening language demonstrate an inequality, and\n  partiality in him, who sits as judge? Is it not a deterring of a\n  prisoner from standing to, and pleading the innocency of his cause?\n  Provides not the law against it? Saith it not, that irons and all\n  other bonds shall be taken from the prisoner, that he may plead\n  without fear, and with such freedom of spirit, as if he were not a\n  prisoner? But when he, who is to judge according to the law, shall\n  beforehand threaten and menace the prisoner contrary to the law, how\n  can the mind of the prisoner be free to plead his innocency before\n  him? or expect equal judgment from him who, before he hears him,\n  threatens what he will do unto him? Is not this the case between thee\n  and us? Is not this the measure we have received at thy hands? Hast\n  thou herein dealt according to law? or to thy duty? or as thou wouldst\n  be done unto? Let that of God in thy conscience judge.\n\n  \u201cAnd didst thou not say, there was a law for putting off the hat, and\n  that thou wouldst show a law? and didst not thou often so express\n  thyself? But didst thou produce any law, or show where that law might\n  be found? or any judicial precedent, or in what king\u2019s reign, when we\n  so often desired it of thee, having never heard of, nor known any such\n  law, by which thou didst judge us? Was not what we demanded of thee\n  reasonable and just? Was that a savoury answer, and according to law,\n  which thou gave us, viz., \u2018I am not to carry the law-books at my back,\n  up and down the country; I am not to instruct you?\u2019 Was ever such an\n  expression heard before these days to come out of a judge\u2019s mouth? Is\n  he not to be of counsel in the law for the prisoner, and to instruct\n  him therein? Is it not for this cause that the prisoner, in many\n  cases, is not allowed counsel by the law? In all courts of justice in\n  this nation, has it not been known so to have been? And to the\n  prisoner has not this been often declared when he demanded counsel,\n  alleging his ignorance in the law, by reason of which his cause might\n  miscarry, though it were righteous, viz., \u2018the court is of counsel for\n  you\u2019? Ought not he that judgeth in the law, to be expert in the law?\n  Couldst thou not tell by what act of parliament it was made, or by\n  what judicial precedent, or in what king\u2019s reign, or when it was\n  adjudged so by the common law (which are all the grounds the law of\n  England has), had there been such a law, though the words of the law\n  thou couldst not remember? Surely, to inform the prisoner when he\n  desired it, especially as to a law which was never heard of, by which\n  he proceeds to judge him, that he may know what law it is by which he\n  is to be judged, becomes him who judgeth for God; for so the law was\n  read to the Jews by which they were to be judged, yea, every\n  Sabbath-day; this was the commandment of the Lord. But instead thereof\n  to say, \u2018I am not to carry the law-books at my back up and down the\n  country; I am not to instruct you:\u2019 to say, \u2018there is a law,\u2019 and to\n  say, \u2018thou wilt show it,\u2019 and yet not to show it, nor to tell where it\n  is to be found; consider whether it be consistent with truth or\n  justice?\n\n  \u201cHave not thy whole proceedings against us made it evidently appear,\n  that thy desire was to cause us to suffer, not to deliver us, who,\n  being innocent, suffered; to have us aspersed and reproached before\n  the country, not to have our innocency cleared and vindicated? Doth\n  not thy taking away our books as aforesaid, and perusing them in such\n  haste before our trial, and accusing us with something, which thou\n  said was contained in them, make it to appear, that matter was sought\n  out of them, wherewithal to charge us, when the Et Cetera warrant\n  would not stand in law, by which we stood committed, and were then\n  upon our delivery, according to due course of law? Doth it not further\n  appear, by thy refusing to take from our hands a copy of the strange\n  Et Cetera warrant, by which we were committed, and of the paper for\n  which we were apprehended, to read it or cause it to be read, that so\n  our long sufferings by reason of both might be looked into, and\n  weighed in the law, whether just or righteous, and the country might\n  as well see our innocency and sufferings without a cause, and the\n  manner of dealing with us as to hear such reports as went of us, as\n  great offenders, when we called upon thee often so to do, and which\n  thou ought to have done, and said, thou would do, but did it not; or\n  so much as take notice before the country that we had been falsely\n  imprisoned, and had wrongfully suffered? But what might asperse and\n  charge us, thou brought in thyself, contrary to law, and called to\n  have us charged therewith. Is not this further manifest, in that thou\n  didst cause us on a sudden to be withdrawn, and the petty jury to be\n  called in with their verdict, whereupon Peter Ceely\u2019s falsely accusing\n  George Fox with telling him privately of a design, and persuading him\n  to join therein, it was by G. Fox made so clear to be a manifest\n  falsehood, and so plainly to be perceived, that the cause of our\n  sufferings was not any evil we had done, or law that we had\n  transgressed, but malice and wickedness?\n\n  \u201cAnd is it not abundantly clear from thy not permitting us to answer,\n  and clear ourselves of the many foul slanders charged upon us in the\n  new-found indictment, of which no proof was made; but when we were\n  answering thereunto, and clearing ourselves thereof, thou didst stop\n  us, saying, \u2018thou minded not those things, but only the putting off\n  the hat\u2019 when as, before the country, the new-found indictment,\n  charged us with those things, and the petty jury brought in their\n  verdict, \u2018guilty of the trespasses and contempts mentioned therein;\u2019\n  of which (except as to the hat) not one witness or evidence was\n  produced; and as to the hat, not any law, or judicial precedent, upon\n  the transgression of which all legal indictments are only to be\n  grounded? Now the law seeks not for causes whereby to make the\n  innocent suffer, but helps him to right who suffers wrong, relieves\n  the oppressed, and searches out the matter, whether that, of which a\n  man stands accused, be so or not, seeking judgment, and hastening\n  righteousness; and it saith, \u2018the innocent and the righteous slay thou\n  not.\u2019 But whether thou hast done so to us, or the contrary, let the\n  witness of God in thee search and judge, as these thy fruits do also\n  make manifest.\n\n  \u201cAnd, friend, consider how abominably wicked, and how highly to be\n  abhorred, denied, and witnessed against, and how contrary to the laws\n  such a proceeding is, to charge a man with many offences in an\n  indictment, which they who draw the indictment, they who prosecute,\n  and they who find the bill, know to be false, and to be inserted\n  purposely to reproach and wound his good name, whom with some small\n  matter which they can prove, they charge and indict; as is the common\n  practice at this day. Prove but one particular charge in the\n  indictment, and it must stand (say they) for a true bill, though there\n  be ever so many falsehoods therein, purposely to wrong him, who is\n  maliciously prosecuted: this is known to the judges, and almost every\n  man who has to do with, and attends, their courts. How contrary is\n  this to the end and righteousness of the law, which clears the\n  innocent, and condemns the guilty, and condemns not the righteous with\n  the wicked! Much it is cried out against; but what reformation is\n  there thereof? How else shall clerks of assize, and other clerks of\n  courts, fill up their bags (out of which perhaps their master must\n  have a secret consideration), and be heightened in pride and\n  impudence; that even in open court they take upon them to check and\n  revile men; men without reproof, when a few lines might serve instead\n  of a hundred? How else shall the spirit that is in men, that lusteth\n  unto envy, malice, strife, and contention, be cherished and nourished\n  to feed the lawyers, and dependents on courts, with the bread of men\u2019s\n  children, and the ruin of their families, to maintain their long suits\n  and malicious contentions! For a judge to say, \u2018I mind not these\n  things; I will not hear you clear yourselves of what you are falsely\n  accused: one thing I mind in your charge, the rest are but matter of\n  form, set there to render you such wicked men before the country, as\n  the thing that is to be proved against you is not sufficient to make\n  out.\u2019\n\n  \u201cO! abominable wickedness, and perverting of the righteous end of the\n  law, which is so careful and tender of every man\u2019s peace and\n  innocency. How is the law in the administration thereof adulterated by\n  lawyers, as the Scriptures are mangled by priests! And that which was\n  made to preserve the righteous, and to punish the wicked, perverted to\n  the punishing of the righteous, and the preserving of the wicked! An\n  eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth; life for life; burning for\n  burning; wound for wound; a stripe for a stripe; he that accuseth a\n  man falsely to suffer the same as he should have suffered, who was\n  falsely accused, if he had been guilty; this saith the righteous law\n  of God, which is agreeable to that of God, in every man\u2019s conscience.\n  Are not such forms of iniquity to be denied, which are so contrary to\n  the law of God, and man? which serve for gendering strife, and\n  kindling contention? and of this nature was not that, with which thou\n  didst cause us to be indicted? and this form didst thou not uphold, in\n  not permitting us to answer to the many foul slanders therein; saying,\n  \u2018Those things thou mindest not.\u2019 Will not the wrath of God be revealed\n  from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who\n  hold the truth in unrighteousness; who are so far from the power of\n  godliness, that they have not the form, but the form of iniquity,\n  which is set and held up, instead of, and as a law, to overthrow and\n  destroy the righteousness of the righteous, and so to shut him up, as\n  by the law he can never get out? Is not the cry, thinkest thou, gone\n  up? \u2018It is time for thee to set to thine hand, O Lord, for thine\n  enemies have made void thy law!\u2019 Draws not the hour nigh? Fills not up\n  the measure of iniquity apace? Surely the day is coming, and\n  hasteneth. Ye have been warned from the presence, and by the mouth of\n  the Lord; and clear will he be when he cometh to judgment, and upright\n  when he giveth sentence. That of God in every one of your consciences\n  shall so to him bear witness and confess, and your mouths shall be\n  stopped, and before your Judge shall ye be silent, when he shall\n  divide you your portion, and render unto you according to your deeds.\n  Therefore, whilst thou hast time, prize it, and repent: for verily\n  \u2018Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour\n  before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall\n  call to the heavens from above, and to the earth that he may judge his\n  people; and the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is\n  judge himself. Consider this, ye that forget God, lest he tear you in\n  pieces, and there be none to deliver.\u2019\n\n  \u201cAnd, friend, shouldst thou have given judgment against us (wherein\n  thou didst fine us twenty marks a-piece, and imprisonment till\n  payment), without causing us, being prisoners, to be brought before\n  thee, to hear the judgment, and to move what we had to say in arrest\n  of judgment? Is not this contrary to the law, as is manifest to those\n  who understand the proceedings thereof? Is not the prisoner to be\n  called before judgment be given? and is not the indictment to be read?\n  and the verdict thereupon? And is not liberty to be given him to move\n  in arrest of judgment? And if it be a just exception in the law, ought\n  not there to be an arrest of judgment? For the indictment may not be\n  drawn up according to law, and may be wrong placed, and the offence\n  charged therein may not be a crime in law; or the jury may have been\n  corrupted, or menaced, or set on by some of the justices; with other\n  particulars, which are known to be legal and just exceptions. And the\n  judgment ought to be in the prisoner\u2019s hearing, not behind his back,\n  as if the judge were so conscious of the error thereof, that he dare\n  not give it to the face of the prisoner. But these privileges of the\n  law, this justice, we (who had so long and so greatly suffered\n  contrary to law), received not, nor could have at thy hands; no, not\n  so much as a copy or sight of that long and new-found indictment\n  (which in England was never heard of before, nor that the matter\n  contained therein was an offence in law, nor ever was there any law,\n  or judicial precedent, that made it so); though two friends of ours in\n  our names and our behalf, that night, next day, and day following,\n  often desired it of the clerk of the assize, his assistants, and\n  servants; but they could not have it, nor so much liberty as to see\n  it. And it is likely not unknown or unperceived by thee, that, had we\n  been called, as we ought to have been, or known when it was to be\n  given, three or four words might have been a sufficient, legal arrest,\n  of the judgment given on that new-found indictment, and the verdict\n  thereupon.\n\n  \u201cTherefore, as our liberties, who are innocent, have not (in thy\n  account) been worth the minding, and esteemed fit for nothing but to\n  be trampled under foot, and destroyed, so, if we find fault with what\n  thou hast done, thou hast taken care that no door be left open to us\n  in the law, but a writ of error; the consideration whereof, and the\n  judgment to be given thereon, is to be had only where thyself art\n  chief; of whom such complaint is to be made, and the error assigned\n  for the reverse of thy judgment. And what the fruit of that may be\n  well expected to be, by what we have already mentioned, as having\n  received at thy hands, thou hast given us to understand. And here thou\n  mayest think thou hast made thyself secure, and sufficiently barred up\n  our way of relief, against whom (though thou knew we had done nothing\n  contrary to the law, or worthy of bonds, much less of the bonds and\n  sufferings we had sustained): thou hast proceeded as has been\n  rehearsed: notwithstanding that thou art (as are all the judges of the\n  nation) entrusted, not with a legislative power, but to administer\n  justice, and to do even law and execution of right to all, high and\n  low, rich and poor, without having regard to any man\u2019s person; and art\n  sworn so to do, as has been said: and wherein thou dost contrary art\n  liable to punishment, as ceasing from being a judge, and becoming a\n  wrong-doer, and an oppressor; which what it is to be, many of thy\n  predecessors have understood, some by death, others by fine and\n  imprisonment. And of this thou mayest not be ignorant, that to deny a\n  prisoner any of the privileges the law allows him, is to deny him\n  justice, to try him in an arbitrary way, to rob him of that liberty\n  which the law gives him, which is his inheritance as a free man; to do\n  which is in effect to subvert the fundamental laws and government of\n  England, and to introduce an arbitrary and tyrannical government\n  against law; which is treason by the common law; and treasons by the\n  common law are not taken away by the statutes of 25 Edw. III. 1 Henry\n  IV. 1, 2, m. See O. St. Johns, now chief justice of the common pleas,\n  his argument against Strafford, fol. 65, in the case.\n\n  \u201cThese things we have laid before thee in all plainness, that (with\n  the light of Jesus Christ, who lighteth every one that cometh into the\n  world, a measure of which thou hast, which showeth the evil, and\n  reproveth thee for sin, for which thou must be accountable,) thou\n  mayest consider and see what thou hast done against the innocent; that\n  shame may overtake thee, and thou mayest turn unto the Lord, who now\n  calleth thee to repentance by his servants, whom, for witnessing his\n  living truth in them, thou hast cast into, and yet continues under,\n  cruel bonds and sufferings.\u201d\n\n                                                          EDW. PYOT.\n\n  From the Jail in Launceston, the 14th\n      day of the 5th Month, 1656.\n\nBy this letter the reader may observe how contrary to law we were made\nto suffer; but the Lord, who saw the integrity of our hearts to him, and\nknew the innocency of our cause, was with us in our sufferings, bore up\nour spirits, and made them easy to us; and gave us opportunities of\npublishing his name and truth amongst the people; so that several of the\ntown came to be convinced, and many were made loving to us. Friends from\nmany parts came to visit us; amongst whom were two out of Wales, who had\nbeen justices of peace. Also Judge Haggert\u2019s wife, of Bristol, who was\nconvinced, with several of her children; and her husband was very kind\nand serviceable to Friends, and had a love to God\u2019s people, which he\nretained to his death.\n\nNow in Cornwall, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, and Somersetshire, truth began\nto spread mightily, and many were turned to Christ Jesus and his free\nteaching; for many Friends that came to visit us, were drawn forth to\ndeclare the truth in those counties; which made the priests and\nprofessors rage, and they stirred up the magistrates to ensnare Friends.\nThey placed watches in the streets and highways, on pretence of taking\nup all suspicious persons; under which colour they stopped and took up\nthe Friends that travelled in and through those counties, coming to\nvisit us in prison; which they did, that they might not pass up and down\nin the Lord\u2019s service. But that by which they thought to stop the truth,\nwas the means of spreading it so much the more; for then Friends were\nfrequently moved to speak to one constable, and to the other officer,\nand to the justices they were brought before; and this caused the truth\nto spread the more amongst them in all their parishes. And when Friends\ngot among the watches, it would be a fortnight or three weeks before\nthey could get out of them again; for no sooner had one constable taken\nthem and carried them before the justices, and they had discharged them,\nthan another would take them up, and carry them before other justices;\nwhich put the country to much needless trouble and charges.\n\nAs Thomas Rawlinson was coming out of the north to visit us, a constable\nin Devonshire took him up, and at night took twenty shillings out of his\npocket; and after being thus robbed, he was cast into Exeter jail. They\ncast Henry Pollexfen also into prison in Devonshire for being a Jesuit,\nwho had been a justice of peace for nearly forty years before. Many\nFriends were cruelly beaten by them; nay, some clothiers that were going\nto the mill with their cloth, and others about their occupations, were\ntaken up and whipped, though men of about eighty or a hundred pounds a\nyear, and not above four or five miles from their families.\n\nThe mayor of Launceston, too, was a very wicked man, for he took up all\nhe could get, and cast them into prison; and he would search substantial\ngrave women, their petticoats and their head-clothes. A young man having\ncome to see us, who came not through the town, I drew up all the gross,\ninhuman, and unchristian actions of the mayor (for his carriage was more\nlike a heathen than a Christian,) to him I gave it, and bid him seal it\nup, and go out again the back way; and then come into the town through\nthe gates. He did so; and the watch took him up, and carried him before\nthe mayor, who presently searched his pockets and found the letter,\nwherein he saw all his actions characterized. This shamed him so, that\nfrom that time he meddled little with the servants of the Lord.\n\nNow from the sense I had of the snare that was laid, and mischief\nintended, in setting up those watches at the time to stop and take up\nFriends, it came upon me to give forth the following, as\u2014\n\n            \u201c_An Exhortation and Warning to the Magistrates._\n\n  \u201cAll ye powers of the earth, Christ is come to reign, and is among\n  you, and ye know him not; who doth enlighten every one of you, that ye\n  all through him might believe in him, who is the light, who treads the\n  wine-press alone without the city, and whose feet are upon it.\n  Therefore see all, and examine with the light, what ye are ripe for;\n  for the press is ready for you.\n\n  \u201cBefore honour is humility. You that would have honour before ye have\n  humility (mark, before ye have humility), are ye not as the heathen\n  are? Ye would have honour before ye have humility; did not all the\n  persecutors that ever were upon the earth want this humility? They\n  wanted the honour, and yet would have the honour before they had the\n  humility, and had learned that. So ye that are out of the humility,\n  are out of the honour; and ye are not to have the honour, who have not\n  the humility; for before honour is humility; mark, before it.\n\n  \u201cNow ye pretend liberty of conscience; yet one shall not carry a\n  letter to a friend, nor men visit their friends, nor prisoners, nor\n  carry a book about them, either for their own use, or for their\n  friends. Men shall not see their friends; but watches are set up to\n  catch and stop them; and these must be well-armed men too, against an\n  innocent people, that have not so much as a stick in their hands, who\n  are in scorn called Quakers. Yet by such as set up these watches is\n  pretended liberty of conscience; who take up them, whose consciences\n  are exercised towards God and men, who worship God in their way, which\n  is the truth; which they that are out of the light call heresy. Now\n  these set up the watches against them, whom they in scorn call\n  Quakers, because they confess and witness the true light, that\n  lighteth every one that cometh into the world, amongst people, as they\n  pass through the country, or among their friends. This is the\n  dangerous doctrine which watchmen are set up against, to subdue error,\n  as they call it, which is the light that doth enlighten every man that\n  cometh into the world\u2014Him, by whom the world was made; who was\n  glorified with the Father before the world began. For those whom they\n  in scorn call Quakers, have they set their watches, able men,\n  well-armed; to take up such as bear this testimony either in words,\n  books, or letters. So that is the light you hate, which enlightens\n  every man that cometh into the world; and these that witness to this\n  light you put in prison; and after you have imprisoned them, you set\n  your watches to take up all that go to visit them, and imprison them\n  also; so that by setting up your watches, ye would stop all relief\n  from coming to prisoners.\n\n  \u201cTherefore this is the word of the Lord God to you, and a charge to\n  you all, in the presence of the living God of heaven and earth; every\n  man of you being enlightened with a light that cometh from Christ, the\n  Saviour of people\u2019s souls; to this light, all take heed, that with it\n  you may see Christ, from whom the light cometh, to be your Saviour, by\n  whom the world was made, who saith, \u2018Learn of me.\u2019 But if ye hate this\n  light, ye hate Christ, who doth enlighten you all, that through him\n  (who is the light) you might believe. But not believing in, nor\n  bringing your deeds to the light, which will make them manifest and\n  reprove them, this is your condemnation, even the light. Remember, you\n  are warned in your life-time, for this light is your way to salvation,\n  if you walk in it; and your condemnation, if you reject and hate it.\n  You can never come to Christ, the Second Priest, unless you come to\n  the light, which the Second Priest hath enlightened you withal. So ye\n  that come not to the light, ye go to the priests that take tithes, as\n  did the first priesthood: and hale out of your synagogues and temples\n  (as some call them), as that priesthood did that took tithes; which\n  they that were of the second priesthood did not. Was there ever such a\n  generation! or did ever such a generation of men appear, as in this\n  age, who are so full of madness, envy, and persecution, that they\n  stand up in watches, with weapons against the truth, to persecute it,\n  as the towns and countries do declare; which rings as Sodom, and like\n  Gomorrah! And this hath its liberty, and truth is stood against; and\n  to reprove sin is accounted a breach of the peace, as they say who are\n  out of the truth, and set up their watches against it.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nBesides this general warning, there coming to my hand a copy of a\nwarrant issued from the Exeter sessions, in express terms, \u201cfor\napprehending all Quakers,\u201d wherein truth and Friends were reproached and\nvilified, I was moved to write an answer thereunto, and send it abroad,\nfor clearing truth and Friends from the slanders therein cast upon them,\nand to manifest the wickedness of that persecuting spirit from whence it\nproceeded; which was after this manner:\u2014\n\n  \u201cWhereas a warrant was granted last sessions, held at Exeter, on the\n  eighteenth day of the fifth month, 1656, which warrant is \u2018for\n  apprehending and taking up all such as are Quakers, or call themselves\n  Quakers, or go under the notion of Quakers; and is directed to the\n  chief constables, to be sent by them to the petty constables,\n  requiring them to set watches, able men with bills, to take up all\n  such Quakers as aforesaid.\u2019 And whereas in your said warrant, you\n  speak of the Quakers spreading seditious books and papers; I answer,\n  They whom ye in scorn call Quakers, have no seditious books or papers:\n  but their books are against sedition, and seditious men, and seditious\n  books, and seditious teachers, and seditious ways. Thus ye have\n  numbered them, who are honest, godly, and holy men, that fear God,\n  amongst beggars, rogues, and vagabonds; thus putting no difference\n  between the precious and the vile. You are not fit to judge, who have\n  set up your bills, and armed your men, to stand up together in battle\n  against innocent people, the lambs of Christ, who have not lifted up a\n  hand against you. But if ye were sensible of the state of your own\n  country, your cities, your towns, your villages, how the cry of them\n  is like Gomorrah, and the ring like Sodom, and the sound like the old\n  world, where all flesh had corrupted its way, which God overthrew with\n  the flood;\u2014if you did consider this with yourselves, you would find\n  something to turn the sword against, and not against the lambs of\n  Christ;\u2014you would not make a mock of the innocent, that stand a\n  witness against all sin and unrighteousness in your towns and\n  steeple-houses.\n\n  \u201cNoah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, was grieved\n  with the filthy conversation of the wicked; so are we now. So likewise\n  just Lot was grieved with their unmerciful deeds, and the filthy\n  conversation of Sodom. And were not these hated of the world, and of\n  them that lived in filthiness? And whereas you speak of those, whom\n  you in scorn call Quakers, that they are a grief to those whom you\n  call pious and religious people, and their religion. To such as are in\n  the religion that is vain, whose tongues are not bridled, I believe\n  the Quakers are a grief; but they are not a grief to such as are in\n  the pure religion, which keepeth unspotted from the world; which sets\n  not up bills, nor watches, to maintain it by the world; for they are\n  not of the world who are in the pure religion, which keeps them\n  unspotted of the world; mark, the \u2018pure religion, which keeps\n  unspotted of the world.\u2019 But to such as are in the religion that is\n  not pure, who have a form of godliness, and not the power\u2014to such as\n  you call pious, the truth itself was always a grief; and so it is in\n  this age. And now your fruits appear, the end of your religion and\n  profession, and what you possess; but you are in the error, and have\n  been but in the profession, out of the possession of the Spirit, who\n  are not in the Spirit of truth. For where did that ever set stints and\n  bounds, and number the just and innocent with the wicked? But the\n  wicked set stints, and bounds, and limits to the just, and number them\n  among the wicked; yea, they spoke all manner of evil of them, as ye\n  are doing now of us. Nay, according as it was foretold in the\n  Scripture, such as tremble at the word of God, you cast out and hate,\n  you that have your temple-worship.\n\n  \u201cYou say, the Quakers come to disturb you in your churches (as you\n  call them,) was it not the practice of the apostles to go into the\n  synagogues and temples, to witness against the priesthood that took\n  tithes, and was it not the practice of the Jews to hale them out,\n  persecute and stone them, that witnessed Christ the second priest, and\n  went to bring people off from the first priesthood? Was it not the\n  practice of the prophets, to go and cry against the high places? And\n  was it not the practice of the Jews, when they were backslidden, and\n  of the heathen, to imprison and persecute the prophets, and send after\n  them into other countries? And is this not the practice of you now,\n  who are holding up your high places, which the Papists erected, which\n  ye now call your churches; where ye beat and persecute? What kind of\n  religious people are you, that are filled with so much madness? Did\n  not Paul confess he was mad, while he was in your practice, haling,\n  beating, imprisoning, putting out of the synagogues, having his\n  authority from the chief priests? And are not the chief priests the\n  cause of this? Was there ever such a cry made in any age past, as\n  there is now in the pulpits, railing against an innocent people, whom\n  in scorn ye call Quakers, who lift not up a hand against you; but who\n  are indeed the pious, that are of the pure religion, who fear God,\n  worship him in Spirit and in truth, and cannot join with you in your\n  religion? And do not the ministers of God say, that the Scriptures are\n  a declaration, which you call the word? Do you not rob Christ of his\n  title, and of his honour, and give it to the letter, and show\n  yourselves out of the doctrine of the ministers of God, who call the\n  Scriptures by the name of writings and treatises, and declarations;\n  and who said, Christ\u2019s name is called the Word of God? Are not you\n  here in the error you speak of, which is your common talk among you?\n  There was talk among some of you of your gospel-shining; doth your\n  gospel which you profess persecute? Did ever any of them, that did\n  possess it, cast into prison and not suffer others to go to visit\n  them? Are you like Christians in this, or like heathens, who set\n  bounds and watches over the land, that they should not pass to visit\n  them that are in prison? Was ever the like heard in any age? Search\n  and see, if you have not outstripped them all in your watches, in your\n  persecution, and imprisonments. O! never talk, that we are a grief to\n  them that are in the pure religion.\n\n  \u201cAnd whereas in your warrant we are represented as disaffected to\n  government; I say, the law, which is a terror to the evil-doer, we\n  own, the higher power to which the soul must be subject; but we deny\n  the evil-doer, the malicious man reigning, and the envious man seeking\n  for his prey, whose envy is against the innocent; who raiseth up the\n  country against honest men, and so becomes a trouble to the country,\n  in raising them up to take the innocent; but that we leave to the Lord\n  to judge. Your false accusations of heresy and blasphemy we deny. You\n  should have laid them down in particulars, that people might have seen\n  them, and not have slandered us behind our backs. The law saith, the\n  crime should be mentioned in the warrant. Then for your saying, \u2018we\n  deny the godly ministers to be a true ministry of Christ,\u2019 that is\n  false; for we say, that the godly ministers are the ministers of\n  Christ. But which of your ministers dare say, that they are truly\n  godly? And your charging us with seducing many weak people, is false\n  also; we seduce none; but you, that deny the light, which lighteth\n  every man that cometh into the world, are seduced from the anointing\n  which should teach you; and if ye would be taught by it, ye would not\n  need that any man should teach you. But such as are taught by the\n  anointing, which abideth in them, and deny man\u2019s teaching, these ye\n  call seducers, quite contrary to John\u2019s doctrine, 1 John ii. 26, 27.\n  You speak quite contrary to him; that which is truth, ye call\n  seducing; and that which he calls seducing, you call truth; read the\n  latter part of the chapter.\n\n  \u201cBeware, I warn you all from the Lord God of glory, set not any bound\n  against him; stint him not; limit not the Holy One of Israel; for the\n  Lord is rising in power and great glory, who will rule the nations\n  with a rod of iron, which to him are but as the drop of a bucket. He\n  that measures the waters in the hollow of his hand, will dash the\n  nations together as a potter\u2019s vessel. And know, you that are found in\n  this his day blaspheming his work, that God hath brought forth,\n  calling it blasphemy, fighting against it, setting up your carnal\n  weapons, making your bonds strong; God will break asunder that which\n  your carnal policy hath invented, and which by your carnal weapons ye\n  would uphold; and make you to know there is a God in heaven, who\n  carries his lambs in his arms, which are come among wolves, and are\n  ready to be torn in pieces in every place, yea, in your\n  steeple-houses; where people have appeared without reason, and natural\n  affection.\n\n  \u201cTherefore all ye petty constables, sheriffs, and justices, take\n  warning; take heed what ye do against the lambs of Christ; for Christ\n  is come, and coming, who will give to every one of you a reward\n  according to your works, you who have the letter, which speaks of\n  Christ; but now ye are persecuting that which the Scripture speaks of;\n  as your fruits make manifest. Therefore every one, sheriffs, justices,\n  constables, &c., consider what ye do possess, and what a profession ye\n  are now in, that all these carnal weapons are now set up against the\n  innocent, yea, against the truth; which shows that ye have not the\n  spiritual weapons, and that ye want the counsel of Gamaliel, yea, ye\n  want the counsel of such a man among you, who said, \u2018Let the apostles\n  alone; if it be of God it will stand; if it be not, it will come to\n  nought.\u2019 But ye may see yourselves on the contrary, in the spirit of\n  them that came with Judas, with swords and staves from the chief\n  priests against Christ; still it is against Christ, where he is made\n  manifest. Paul (while Saul) went against him, though he professed a\n  Christ that was to come; and the Jews professed a Christ that was to\n  come; yet Paul persecuted him, where he was manifested in his saints.\n  So ye profess a Christ that is come, but persecute him where he is\n  manifest. You that have the letter, the high places, the synagogues,\n  you persecute him, where he is made manifest in his saints, as the\n  Jews did. They who were in the letter, out of the life, persecuted\n  them that were in the life of that which they profess in the letter;\n  so now do you persecute them that are in the life, and are yourselves\n  strangers to it, as your fruits make appear. You have numbered the\n  people of God amongst transgressors; but have you imprisoned any of\n  the rogues and transgressors you speak of? You have imprisoned the\n  innocent, and let the others go free.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nWhen I had sent abroad the foregoing, so great a sense came upon me of\nthe veil of darkness that was over the priests and professors of\nChristianity, that I was moved to give forth the following, as an\nawakening warning to them:\u2014\n\n  \u201cBlindness hath happened to the professed Christians of the letter\n  now-a-days, as blindness happened to the Jews, who professed the\n  letter, but owned not the life which the letter speaks of; as the\n  Christians now, to whom this blindness hath happened, who profess the\n  Scripture, but own not the life, which the Scripture speaks of. For\n  against the life the Jews stood, who professed the letter of the\n  Scripture, but they were blind; they gathered counsel against the\n  life; they were in an uproar when the babe was born in Bethlehem,\n  Herod and all the chief priests. And Herod sought to destroy all the\n  young children in Bethlehem, yet missed the babe; Herod, that fox,\n  though he put John to death. You may here see how the literal\n  professors stood up, not for the truth, but quite against it.\n  Furthermore, the chief priests consulted together how they might take\n  Jesus by subtilty, and put him to death; mark, by their subtilty. The\n  professors of a Christ that was to come, preached of a Messiah, of a\n  Christ, of a Saviour; but denied the life, when he was made manifest.\n  The chief priests, when they were assembled with the elders, and had\n  taken counsel, gave large money unto the soldiers, to declare that\n  \u2018his disciples came by night, and stole him away.\u2019 Likewise in the\n  day, when the children of Israel were in Egypt, and they with their\n  children began to spread and multiply, \u2018Come,\u2019 said the Egyptians,\n  \u2018let us deal wisely with them to afflict them, and tax them;\u2019 which\n  held, until the Lord overthrew their oppressors, and brought out his\n  seed by his mighty power from under the oppressor, and exalted his Son\n  above all, though the heathen raged, and the people imagined vain\n  things. He made his power known, that all might see that there was no\n  God upon the earth but himself. This power now hath brought forth the\n  work of the Lord! Many who are turned to Christ, the light, have\n  received the power of God, and are thereby become the sons of God.\n\n  \u201cNow this birth, that is born of God, are all the powers of the world\n  joined together to crucify; to put to death those Jews in the Spirit,\n  as they put Christ to death in the flesh formerly. This is the birth\n  that all the wicked world is enraged against; against this they set\n  their watches,\u2014this birth, brought forth by the Mighty God of Jacob,\n  who rides upon the high places of the earth. This is the birth that\n  the professed Christians without the life in our days rage against,\n  and lay out all their wisdom about. Are not the chief priests and wise\n  men of the earth consulting together how they may destroy this birth?\n  Is not this the birth, that is banished out of your hearts, you that\n  profess the Scripture, and are talkers of it, but do not own the light\n  and life which the Scripture speaks of, as the Jews would not; and so\n  you will not have Christ to reign over you, as they would not? Do you\n  not hale out of your synagogues, and before magistrates? Do you not\n  herein fulfil Christ\u2019s words, who said to his disciples, They should\n  be haled out of the synagogues, and before rulers? Do you not\n  persecute them from city to city? Do you not almost fill your prisons\n  with them? And now set your watches, that none may visit them, whom ye\n  have put into prison? Is not this an unchristian spirit? How can you\n  for shame say you are upholders of truth? Or how can you for shame say\n  that truth hath been professed among you? Yet we grant that you have\n  talked of it. And how can you for shame say the gospel shines among\n  you, when you will not own the life of it; when you call it error, and\n  the evil seed? Yea, the very truth, the very life of truth ye have\n  blasphemed against now, as the Jews did against Christ, calling him a\n  devil; you now call it error, and the evil seed, and stand up against\n  it, and turn the sword against it. As in the days of the Jews, it was\n  the Jews outward in the flesh, not the Jews in the Spirit, who turned\n  the sword against Christ; so in these days it is those Christians who\n  profess the Scripture, but are out of the Life of it. And is it not a\n  shame to all the ministers of the Gospel (as they are called,) that\n  they can find no better way to maintain that which they call the truth\n  and their Gospel, than by carnal weapons, stocks and prisons, whips,\n  watches, and wards, and powers of the earth? Were these the apostles\u2019\n  weapons? Carnal watches and wards, stocks and prisons, and haling out\n  of the synagogues, when they came to speak? Judge yourselves, what an\n  antichristian spirit you have. Never talk of defending truth with that\n  which is against truth. For are you not setting up the rabble of the\n  world against it? Do they not join with you with swords and staves\n  against it? Is this the life of Christians? Is not this the life of\n  error, and of the evil seedsman?\n\n  \u201cSurely, ye would find work enough, if ye were in the fear of the\n  Lord, to turn your swords against profaneness, the oaths and\n  wickedness that are in your streets and highways. How do they ring\n  like Sodom, and give a sound like Gomorrah! But these are become a\n  prey in this your age, that reprove in your gates sin, wickedness, and\n  profaneness; they are become your by-word. Against them your councils\n  are gathered, them you cast into prison, and hale out of your\n  synagogues; and cast them likewise into prison that write and speak\n  against it, and set your guards to stop and hinder any from visiting\n  them whom you cast into prison, and give them the names of vagabonds\n  and wanderers. Was ever the like heard, in the days of the heathen,\n  against the apostles who witnessed the gospel? Did they set guards and\n  watches in every town, in every city, to take the disciples, the\n  brethren, the believers, that heard that the apostles were cast into\n  prison, and came to see what they wanted? Show ye not as much rage and\n  fury now in your age, as was in those in that age? And how can you\n  talk of the gospel, and of defending the gospel, when you are setting\n  guards and watches against it, and are defending that which stands\n  against it; and the lambs of Christ are almost torn to pieces amongst\n  you, who are like wolves? for the Lord hath now sent his lambs amongst\n  wolves. Have not you professed the words of Christ, of the prophets\n  and apostles, as the Jews had long professed the Scriptures, the words\n  of Moses and of the prophets, that prophesied of Christ that was to\n  come, and stood against him when he was come? as you do in this day of\n  his reign, in this day of his glorious gospel, who are persecuting the\n  messengers of it, imprisoning them, persecuting them in your streets\n  and highways; and are setting up your watches against them, who bring\n  you the glad tidings of peace to your souls, whose feet are beautiful\n  on the top of the mountains; mark, on the top of the mountains, that\n  against which the mountains rage and swell. But God will make them\n  melt; the sun is risen, which will make them melt. God will cleave the\n  rocks and mountains asunder, and make the hills to bow perpetually;\n  for his Son he will exalt, and his glory he will give to HIM and not\n  to another.\n\n  \u201cTherefore be awakened, ye rulers of the earth, and take counsel of\n  the Lord; take not counsel together against him. Make not your bonds\n  strong; set not yourselves in battle against him, for ye will be found\n  but as briars and thorns before him, which the fire shall consume.\n  Therefore be awakened, all ye talkers of the Scripture, that gather\n  yourselves together by your multitudes and meetings, and have had your\n  teachers; but not having the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures,\n  the Lord God of glory, the Father of spirits, will scatter you. All\n  your bonds will not hold you together, who are out of the Spirit,\n  which is the bond of peace. The thrashing instrument is gone forth,\n  which will beat the hills to pieces. Sion is risen to thrash. Out of\n  the holy mountain is the trumpet sounded. Stand not up against the\n  Lord; for all nations are with the Lord as the drop of a bucket. He\n  that measures the waters in the hollow of his hand, and weighs the\n  earth in scales, the Lord of hosts is his name, who is now risen and\n  rising to plead the cause of the innocent; who is exalting his Son,\n  and bringing his sheep to him. Now are they seen and known that feed\n  upon wind, that are lifted up, given up to believe lies; who report,\n  and say, \u2018Report, and we will report it.\u2019 Now are they seen who have a\n  form of godliness, but deny the power; so Christ is denied, the power\n  itself is denied; for Christ is the power of God. And the power being\n  denied by you, that have a form of godliness, that have the words of\n  the Scriptures, the gospel is denied; for the gospel is the power of\n  God. Thus it is among you, that have the knowledge and wisdom that is\n  sensual, earthly, and devilish. Doth it not appear so? Let your jails\n  and watches witness your fruits in every town. Your wisdom is earthly,\n  sensual, and devilish; you have a knowledge and wisdom, but not that\n  which is from above; for that is pure and gentle, so is not your\n  knowledge; but to know Christ is life eternal. Now your fruits have\n  manifested that you are not of this; and so out of the power of God,\n  which is the cross of Christ; for you are found in the world, out of\n  the power of God, out of the cross of Christ, persecuting. So that\n  which doth persecute, and send forth writings and decrees to stop all,\n  and take up all, and set watches, and prepare bonds to stint the Lord;\n  to imprison and persecute, and suffer none to go to visit them; this\n  shows you are not Christians, but stand against a Christian\u2019s life,\n  which brings to love enemies.\n\n  \u201cWhere is your heaping up coals of fire; your love to your enemies;\n  who are thus persecuting your friends? \u2018He came to his own, and his\n  own received him not;\u2019 here is a turning of the sword against the\n  just. Do you show here a Christian\u2019s life, or yourselves Christians,\n  who are filling your jails with Christians in Spirit, you that are in\n  the letter (in shadows), as the Jews in the letter put the Jews in the\n  Spirit into prison? Is not this the fruit in our days of the\n  Christians in the letter, to put the Christians in the Spirit into\n  prison? Doth not this show that your decrees, which you have sent\n  forth, proceed from death, who thus act against the life, and them\n  that are in it; which the Scriptures were given forth from? Is it not\n  here as it was with Saul, when he went to persecute, to hale to\n  prison, and bind all that he could find calling upon that name, who\n  were Christians in the life, the Spirit, such as you are now\n  persecuting, because they are in the life, though you profess their\n  words? Are not your decrees gone forth from the same spirit of envy,\n  against the same Spirit of Christ they were in? Is it not manifest to\n  all that fear God, and to the sober-minded and honest-hearted people\n  that see your practices, your decrees, your letters, to stop, to\n  molest, to hinder, to imprison them that are moved of the Lord to do\n  his will, or to go to visit prisoners whom you have imprisoned? Doth\n  this show you to have a spirit like Paul, yea or nay? or are you not\n  quite contrary, like unto them that persecuted Paul? The day hath\n  declared it.\n\n  \u201cTo that of God in you all I speak, which shall witness it at the last\n  day,\u2014the day of judgment. Persecution was blind in all ages; and\n  madness and folly led it: yet persecution got always a form or\n  pretence of godliness,\u2014a talk of religion, as in the days of Moses, of\n  Jeremiah, of Christ, and of the apostles. \u2018Come,\u2019 saith the council,\n  \u2018let us crush them while they are young, they have almost overspread\n  the nation in every corner.\u2019 This is as much as to say, \u2018Let us put\n  this birth to death, as Pharaoh and Herod did the children.\u2019 But the\n  Lord caused his truth the more to spread. For you may read, what\n  numbers came out of Egypt! and what multitudes followed Christ!\n  Therefore, with consideration read these lines, and not with fury. Let\n  not foolishness appear; but consider in humility the paths you go in,\n  what spirit you are of, and what the end of your conversation is; for\n  in love to your souls I write, that in the day of your visitation you\n  may consider it.\n\n  \u201cFrom him who loveth righteousness, and the establishing of it, and\n  truth, peace, and faith, which is by Christ Jesus (Mercy and peace be\n  multiplied among such!) but a witness against all hypocrites, and all\n  who have a profession, but live out of the possession, in an\n  hypocritical religion, in the lusts and fashions of the world, having\n  a form of godliness, but standing against the power with might and\n  main, sword and staff. Which things declare your conversation and\n  practices to be out of Christ\u2019s life, against the gospel practice, and\n  contrary to the manner and order of the saints.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nWe continued in prison till the next assize; before which time divers\nFriends, both men and women, were sent to prison, that had been taken up\nby the watches. When the assize came on, several of these were called\nbefore the judge, and indicted; and though the jailer brought them into\ncourt, yet they indicted them, that they came in \u201cby force of arms and\nin an hostile manner;\u201d and the judge fined them, because they would not\nput off their hats. But we were not called before the judges any more.\n\nGreat work we had, and service for the Lord, both between the assizes\nand after, amongst professors and people of all sorts; for many came to\nsee us and to reason with us. Elizabeth Trelawny of Plymouth (who was\nthe daughter of a baronet) being convinced (as was formerly mentioned,)\nthe priests and professors, and some great persons of her kindred were\nexasperated, and wrote letters to her. She being a wise and tender\nwoman, and fearing to give them any advantage, sent their letters to me;\nand I answered them, and returned them to her again, for her to answer.\nWhich she did: till growing in the power, and Spirit, and wisdom of God,\nshe came herself to be able to answer the wisest priest and professor of\nthem all; and had a dominion over them in the truth, through the power\nof the Lord, by which she was kept faithful to her death.\n\nWhile I was in prison here, the Baptists and Fifth-monarchy-men\nprophesied, \u201cThat this year Christ should come, and reign upon earth a\nthousand years.\u201d And they looked upon this reign to be outward; when he\nwas come inwardly in the hearts of his people, to reign and rule there,\nand these professors would not thus receive him. So they failed in their\nprophecy and expectation, and had not the possession of him. But Christ\n_is_ come, and doth dwell in the hearts of his people, and reign there.\nThousands, at the door of whose hearts he hath been knocking, have\nopened to him; and he is come in, and doth sup with them and they with\nhim; the heavenly supper with the heavenly and spiritual man. So many of\nthese Baptist and Monarchy-people became the greatest enemies to the\npossessors of Christ; but he reigns in the hearts of his saints over all\ntheir envy.\n\nAt the assize divers justices came to us and were pretty civil, and\nreasoned of the things of God soberly, expressing a pity towards us.\nCaptain Fox, governor of Pendennis Castle, came and looked me in the\nface, and said not a word; but went to his company, and told them, \u201che\nnever saw a simpler man in his life.\u201d I called after him, and said,\n\u201cStay, we will see who is the simpler man.\u201d But he went his way; a light\nchaffy man.\n\nThomas Lower[49] also came to visit us, and offered us money, which we\nrefused; accepting his love nevertheless. He asked us many questions\nconcerning our denying the Scriptures to be the word of God; and\nconcerning the sacraments and such like; to all which he received\nsatisfaction. I spoke particularly to him and he afterwards said, \u201cmy\nwords were as a flash of lightning, they ran so through him.\u201d He said,\n\u201che never met with such men in his life; for they knew the thoughts of\nhis heart, and were as the wise master-builders of the assemblies, that\nfastened their words like nails.\u201d He came to be convinced of the truth,\nand remains a Friend to this day. When he came home to his aunt\nHambley\u2019s, where he then lived, and made report to her concerning us,\nshe, with her sister Grace Billing, hearing the report of truth, came to\nvisit us in prison, and was convinced also. Great sufferings and\nspoiling of goods both he and his aunt have undergone for the truth\u2019s\nsake.\n\nFootnote 49:\n\n  Thomas Lower was son-in-law to Judge Fell, having married his daughter\n  Mary.\n\nAbout this time I was moved to give forth the following exhortation to\nFriends in the ministry:\u2014\n\n        \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cIn the power of life and wisdom, and dread of the Lord God of life,\n  and heaven, and earth, dwell, that in the wisdom of God over all ye\n  may be preserved, and be a terror to all the adversaries of God, and a\n  dread, answering that of God in them all, spreading the truth abroad,\n  awakening the witness, confounding deceit, gathering out of\n  transgression into the life, the covenant of light and peace with God.\n  Let all nations hear the sound by word or writing. Spare no place,\n  spare no tongue nor pen; but be obedient to the Lord God; go through\n  the work; be valiant for the truth upon earth; and tread and trample\n  upon all that is contrary. Ye have the power, do not abuse it; and\n  strength and presence of the Lord, eye it, and the wisdom; that with\n  it you may all be ordered to the glory of the Lord God. Keep in the\n  dominion; keep in the power over all deceit; tread over them in that\n  which lets you see to the world\u2019s end, and the uttermost parts of the\n  earth. Reign and rule with Christ, whose sceptre and throne are now\n  set up, whose dominion is over all to the ends of the earth; whose\n  dominion is an everlasting dominion; whose throne is an everlasting\n  throne; whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; and whose power is\n  above all powers. Therefore this is the word of the Lord God to you\n  all: keep in the wisdom of God, that spreads over all the earth; the\n  wisdom of the creation, that is pure, from above, not destructive. For\n  now shall salvation go out of Zion, to judge the mount of Esau: and\n  now shall the law go forth from Jerusalem, to answer the principle of\n  God in all; to hew down all inventors and inventions. For all the\n  princes of the earth are but as air to the power of the Lord God,\n  which you are in, and have tasted of: therefore live in it; this is\n  the word of the Lord God to you all, do not abuse it; keep down and\n  low; and take heed of false joys, that will change.\n\n  \u201cBring all into the worship of God. Plough up the fallow ground.\n  Thrash and get out the corn; that the seed, the wheat, may be gathered\n  into the barn; that to the beginning all people may come\u2014to Christ,\n  who was, before the world was made. For the chaff is come upon the\n  wheat by transgression; he that treads it out, is out of\n  transgression, and fathoms transgression; puts a difference between\n  the precious and the vile; and can pick out the wheat from the tares,\n  and gather into the garner: so brings to the lively hope, the immortal\n  soul into God, out of which it came. None worship God but who come to\n  the principle of God, which they have transgressed. None are ploughed\n  up but he who comes to the principle of God in him, that he hath\n  transgressed. Then he doth service to God; then is the planting and\n  the watering; and the increase from God cometh. So the ministers of\n  the Spirit must minister to the Spirit that is in prison, which hath\n  been in captivity in every one; that with the Spirit of Christ, people\n  may be led out of captivity up to God, the Father of Spirits, do\n  service to him, and have unity with him, with the Scriptures, and one\n  with another. This is the word of the Lord God to you all, and a\n  charge to you all in the presence of the living God; be patterns, be\n  examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you\n  come; that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of\n  people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the\n  world, answering that of God in every one; whereby in them ye may be a\n  blessing, and make the witness of God, in them to bless you: then to\n  the Lord God you will be a sweet savour, and a blessing.\n\n  \u201cSpare no deceit. Lay the sword upon it; go over it; keep yourselves\n  clear of the blood of all men, either by word, or writing; and keep\n  yourselves clean, that you may stand, in your throne, and everyone\n  have his lot, and stand in the lot in the Ancient of Days. The\n  blessing of the Lord be with you, and keep you over all the idolatrous\n  worships and worshippers. Let them know the living God; for teachings,\n  churches, worships, set up by man\u2019s earthly understanding, knowledge,\n  and will, must be thrown down by the power of the Lord God. All this\n  must be overthrown by that which gave forth Scripture; and who are in\n  that, reign over it all: that is the word of the Lord God to you all.\n  In that is God worshipped, that brings to declare his will; and brings\n  to the church in God, the ground and pillar of truth: for now has the\n  mighty day of the Lord appeared, and the arrows of the Almighty are\n  gone forth, which shall stick in the hearts of the wicked. Now will I\n  arise, saith the Lord God Almighty, to trample and thunder down\n  deceit, which hath long reigned, and stained the earth: now will I\n  have my glory out of every one. The Lord God Almighty over all in his\n  strength and power keep you, to his glory, that you may come to answer\n  that of God in every one.\n\n  \u201cProclaim the mighty day of the Lord of fire and sword, who will be\n  worshipped in spirit and in truth; and keep in the life and power of\n  the Lord God, that the inhabitants of the earth may tremble before\n  you; that the Lord\u2019s power and majesty may be admired among the\n  hypocrites and heathens, and ye in the wisdom, dread, life, terror,\n  and dominion preserved to his glory: that nothing may rule or reign,\n  but power and life itself; and in the wisdom of God ye may be\n  preserved in it. This is the word of the Lord God to you all. The call\n  is now out of transgression; the Spirit bids, \u2018come.\u2019 The call is now\n  from all false worships and gods, and from all inventions and dead\n  works, to serve the living God. The call is to repentance, to\n  amendment of life, whereby righteousness may be brought forth; which\n  shall go throughout the earth. Therefore ye that are chosen and\n  faithful, who are with the Lamb, go through your work faithfully, and\n  in the strength and power of the Lord: and be obedient to the power;\n  for that will save you out of the hands of unreasonable men, and\n  preserve you over the world to himself. Hereby you may live in the\n  kingdom, that stands in power, which hath no end; where glory and life\n  is.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nAfter the assizes, the sheriff, with some soldiers, came to guard a\nwoman to execution, that was sentenced to die; and we had much discourse\nwith them. One of them wickedly said, that \u201cChrist was as passionate a\nman as any that lived upon the earth;\u201d for which we rebuked him. Another\ntime we asked the jailer what doings there were at the sessions; and he\nsaid, \u201cSmall matters: only about thirty for bastardy.\u201d We thought it\nvery strange, that they who professed themselves Christians should make\nsmall matters of such things. But this jailer was very bad himself; I\noften admonished him to sobriety; but he abused people that came to\nvisit us. Edward Pyot had a cheese sent him from BRISTOL by his wife;\nand the jailer took it from him, and carried it to the mayor, to search\nit for treasonable letters, as he said; and though they found no treason\nin the cheese, they kept it from us. This jailer might have been rich if\nhe had carried himself civilly; but he sought his own ruin; which soon\nafter came upon him; for the next year he was turned out of his place,\nand for some wickedness cast into the jail himself; and there begged of\nour Friends. And for some unruliness in his conduct, he was, by the\nsucceeding jailer, put into Doomsdale, locked in irons, and beaten; and\nbid to \u201cremember how he had abused those good men, whom he had wickedly,\nwithout any cause, cast into that nasty dungeon;\u201d and told, \u201cthat now he\ndeservedly should suffer for his wickedness; and the same measure he had\nmeted to others, should be meted out to himself.\u201d He became very poor,\nand died in prison; and his wife and family came to misery.\n\nWhile I was in prison in LAUNCESTON, a friend went to Oliver Cromwell,\nand offered himself, body for body, to lie in Doomsdale in my stead; if\nhe would take him, and let me have liberty. Which thing so struck him,\nthat he said to his great men and council, \u201cWhich of you would do so\nmuch for me if I were in the same condition?\u201d And though he did not\naccept of the Friend\u2019s offer, but said, \u201che could not do it, for that it\nwas contrary to law;\u201d yet the truth thereby came mightily over him. A\ngood while after this he sent down Major-General Desborough, pretending\nto set us at liberty. When he came, he offered us our liberty, if we\nwould say, \u201cwe would go home, and preach no more;\u201d but we could not\npromise him. Then he urged, that we should promise \u201cto go home, if the\nLord permitted;\u201d whereupon Edward Pyot wrote him the following letter:\u2014\n\n                     \u201c_To Major-General Desborough._\n\n        \u201cFRIEND,\n\n  \u201cThough much might be said as to the liberty of Englishmen to travel\n  in any part of the nation of England, it being as the Englishman\u2019s\n  house by the law, and he to be protected in any part of it; and if he\n  transgress the law, the penalty upon the transgressor is to be\n  inflicted. And as to the liberty of conscience, which is a natural\n  right, and a fundamental; the exercise of it, by those who profess\n  faith in God by Jesus Christ, is to be protected; as by the instrument\n  of government appears, though they differ in doctrine, worship, and\n  discipline; provided the liberty extend not to Popery, to prelacy, nor\n  to licentiousness. Where these rights, which are the price of much\n  blood and treasure in the late wars, are denied us, our liberty is\n  infringed. Yet in the power of God over all, by which all are to be\n  ruled, are we, and in it dwell, and by it alone are guided to do the\n  will of God; whose will is free; and we, in the freedom of his will,\n  walk by the power, either as it commands or permits, without any\n  condition or enforcement thereunto by men; but as the power moves\n  either by command or permission. And although we cannot covenant or\n  condition to go forth of these parts, or to do this or that thing, if\n  the Lord permit (for that were to do the will of man by God\u2019s\n  permission,) yet it is probable we may pass forth from these parts in\n  the liberty of the will of God, as we may be severally moved, guided\n  by the pure power, and not of necessity. We, who were first committed,\n  were passing homewards when we were apprehended; and, as far as I\n  know, we might pass, if the prison doors were commanded to be opened,\n  and we freed of our bonds. Should we stay, if the Lord commands us to\n  go; or should we go, if the Lord commands us to stay; or having no\n  command to stay, but being permitted to pass from hence, the pure\n  power moving thereto, and yet we stay; or go, when as before commanded\n  to stay; we should then be wanderers indeed; for such are wanderers,\n  who wander out from the will and power of God, abroad, at large, in\n  their own wills and earthly minds. And so, in the fear of the Lord\n  God, well weigh and consider, with the just weight and just balance,\n  that justice thou mayest do to the just and innocent in prison.\u201d\n\n                                                        EDWARD PYOT.\n\nSome time having elapsed after the foregoing was delivered him, and he\nnot giving any order for our discharge, I also wrote to him, as\nfollows:\u2014\n\n                     \u201c_To Major-General Desborough._\n\n        \u201cFRIEND,\n\n  \u201cWe who are in the power of God, the ruler and upholder of all things,\n  who know and dwell in his power, to it we must be obedient; which\n  brings us to stand out all men\u2019s wills, unlimited. To say, \u2018we will,\n  if the Lord permit,\u2019 in a case of buying and selling to get gain, if\n  the intent be so to do, may be done; but we standing in the power of\n  God to do his will, and to stand out of man\u2019s will, if man propose,\n  \u2018we shall have our liberty if we will say we will go to our outward\n  home, if the Lord permit, or if it will be the will of God;\u2019 and\n  because we cannot say these words in this case, shall not have our\n  liberty, when we know that the will of God is, we shall \u2018go to speak\n  at some other place;\u2019 here we cannot say these words truly. For to\n  say, \u2018we will go to our outward habitation, if it be according to the\n  will of God,\u2019 when we know the will of God is otherwise, we cannot\n  speak so truly and clearly. Neither can any man say so to him, that\n  requires it of him; who stands in the power, and knows the power of\n  God to lead him, according to God\u2019s will, when it leads him to another\n  place than his outward home. But the Son of God, who came to do, and\n  did, the will of God, had no place whereon to lay his head; and the\n  apostles, and many of the followers of Christ, had no certain\n  dwelling-place. Now, if these should have been restrained, because\n  they could not say, they would go to their outward homes, if it were\n  the will of God, when they knew it was the will of God they should\n  not; and they could not do the will of God in doing so; and therefore\n  could not speak those words to satisfy man\u2019s mind and will, would not\n  such restraint have been evil? Abraham could not do the will of God,\n  but in going from his native country; and those who are of faith are\n  of Abraham, of whom Christ came according to the flesh. Now, if you\n  allege, \u2018this is to let all loose, and at liberty to idleness,\u2019 I say,\n  no; such as are in the power of God, who do the will of God, come to\n  receive his wisdom, by which all his creatures were created; and by\n  which they are used to his glory. This I shall say; whoever are moved\n  by the Lord God of glory and power, to go to their outward\n  habitations, such of us may go to our outward homes, and there be\n  diligent in serving the Lord, that they may be a blessing from the\n  Lord God in their generation; diligently serving him in life and\n  doctrine, in manners, in conversation, in all things. And those of us\n  who are moved of the Lord to go to any other place, we standing in his\n  will, and being moved by his power, which comprehends all things, and\n  is not to be limited, we shall do his will, as we are commanded to do.\n\n  \u201cSo the Lord God open your understandings, that you may see this great\n  power of the Lord, which he is now manifesting among his children in\n  this his day; that ye may not withstand it in our Friends, that are\n  come into the power of God, and to God, and know him by whom the world\n  was made; by whom all things were created that were created; and there\n  was not anything made, but what was made for him, and to him, and by\n  him; who is the power of God, and doth enlighten every man that cometh\n  into the world. Friends being come to this light, which cometh from\n  Christ, and having received power from him, by whom all things were\n  created, who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him, who is\n  the wisdom of God, we have received wisdom and power from him; by\n  which the Lord doth give us to know how to use and order the creatures\n  to the glory of him who is the creator of all things. Friends here are\n  taught of the Lord to be diligent, serving him; and who come into the\n  life, the Scriptures were given forth from, are given up to serve the\n  Lord; and of this I have in all your consciences a witness. So, if\n  thou open the prison door, we shall not stay there. If thou send a\n  liberate, and set us free, we shall not stay in prison; for Israel is\n  to go out free, whose freedom is purchased by the power of God, and\n  the blood of Jesus. But who goeth out of the power of God, loseth his\n  freedom.\n\n                                                        \u201cGEORGE FOX,\n\n        \u201cThe 13th of the 6th         And the rest who are sufferers for\n            Month, 1656.\u201d              the truth in Launceston jail.\u201d\n\nAfter this Major Desborough came to the Castle-Green, and played at\nbowls with the justices and others. Several Friends were moved to go,\nand admonish them not to spend their time so vainly; desiring them to\nconsider, that \u201cthough they professed themselves to be Christians, yet\nthey gave themselves up to their pleasures, and kept the servants of God\nmeanwhile in prison;\u201d and telling them, \u201cthe Lord would plead with them,\nand visit them for such things.\u201d But notwithstanding what was written or\nsaid to him, he went away, and left us in prison. We understood\nafterwards, that he left the business to Colonel Bennet, who had the\ncommand of the jail. For sometime after Bennet would have set us at\nliberty, if we would have paid his jailer\u2019s fees. But we told him, \u201cwe\ncould give the jailer no fees, for we were innocent sufferers; and how\ncould they expect fees of us, who had suffered so long wrongfully?\u201d\nAfter a while Colonel Bennet coming to town, sent for us to an inn, and\ninsisted again upon fees, which we refused. At last the power of the\nLord came so over him, that he freely set us at liberty on the 13th day\nof the seventh month, 1656. We had been prisoners nine weeks at the\nfirst assize, called the Lent-assize, which was in the spring of the\nyear.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAPTER X.\n\n1656-1657.\u2014Address to those who are given to pleasures and wantonness\u2014to\n    the bowlers in the Castle-Green at Launceston\u2014George Fox visits\n    Friends imprisoned at Exeter, amongst whom is James Naylor, who has\n    apostatized, but afterwards returned into the Truth\u2014at a meeting in\n    the orchard at Bristol about 10,000 persons are present\u2014Paul Gwin, a\n    rude Baptist, creates a disturbance, but is reproved and\n    silenced\u2014meeting of two or three thousand persons at N.\n    Crisp\u2019s\u2014Justice Stooks prevents the magistrates from apprehending\n    George Fox\u2014speaks to the protector at Hyde-park, who invites him to\n    his house\u2014accordingly goes to Whitehall, and speaks to the Protector\n    about Friends\u2019 sufferings\u2014travels through most parts of the nation\n    after his liberation from Launceston jail\u2014this year, 1656, there\n    were seldom fewer than one thousand Friends in prison\u2014to Friends, on\n    the schism of J. Naylor\u2014to Friends, to keep up their meetings\u2014on\n    judging the ministry, &c.\u2014an answer to a high-flown professor\u2014to\n    professors, priests, and teachers, on immediate revelation and\n    universal grace, &c., &c.\u2014at Cardiff, George Fox sends word to some\n    who had run out that \u201cthe day of their visitation was over\u201d\u2014at\n    Brecknock, his companion, John-ap-John, preaches in the streets\u2014at\n    night there is a great uproar, like that of Diana\u2019s craftsmen\u2014at\n    William Gandy\u2019s has a large meeting of two or three thousand\n    persons\u2014Cromwell proclaims a fast for rain, and is told by George\n    Fox that the drought was a sign of their barrenness\u2014concerning the\n    true fast and the false\u2014preaches three hours at a great meeting in\n    Radnorshire, and many are convinced\u2014their horses are twice robbed of\n    their oats\u2014from a high hill sounds the day of the Lord, and\n    foretells where God would raise up a people to himself, which came\n    to pass\u2014travels through every county in Wales, where there is a\n    brave people, who sit under Christ\u2019s teaching\u2014has a large meeting on\n    the top of a hill near Liverpool\u2014at Manchester is taken into\n    custody, but soon released.\n\n\nObserving, while I was a prisoner at LAUNCESTON, how much the people\n(especially they who are called the gentry) were addicted to pleasures\nand vain recreations, I was moved, before I left the place, to give\nforth several papers as a warning to them, and all that so misspend\ntheir time. One of which was thus directed:\u2014\n\n    \u201cTHIS IS TO GO ABROAD AMONG THEM WHO ARE GIVEN TO PLEASURES AND\n                              WANTONNESS.\n\n  \u201cThe sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were pride, fulness of bread, and\n  abundance of idleness. Their filthy conversation vexed the righteous\n  soul of just Lot day by day, and they would not take warning; on whom\n  God therefore sent fire, and turned them into ashes. And in spiritual\n  Sodom and Egypt was our Lord Jesus Christ crucified; and it is\n  written, \u2018The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to\n  play; with whom God was not well pleased; and there fell three and\n  twenty thousand in one day.\u2019 These the apostle commanded the saints\n  they should not follow; for these things happened to them for\n  examples, and are written for our admonition. God spared not the old\n  world; but reserving Noah, a preacher of righteousness, brought the\n  flood upon the world of the ungodly, making them an example to all\n  that after should live ungodly. Mark, ye ungodly ones, who are as\n  natural brute beasts, who speak great swelling words of vanity,\n  alluring through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, as\n  they that count it pleasure to riot in the day-time, sporting\n  yourselves with your own deceivings; ye shall receive the reward of\n  unrighteousness. Ye are as dogs and swine turned to the vomit, and\n  wallowing in the mire, speaking evil of things that ye know not; and\n  unless ye repent, ye shall utterly perish in your own corruptions. Ye\n  have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have\n  nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter: ye have condemned and\n  killed the just, and he doth not resist you. Go to, weep and howl, for\n  the misery that is coming upon you. She that liveth in pleasures, is\n  dead while she liveth. God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah,\n  making them an example to all those that after should live ungodly, in\n  the wicked, filthy conversation: mark, here is your example. Hear\n  this, ye that are given to pleasures, and read your examples.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nAnother paper, upon my taking notice of the bowlers that came to sport\nthemselves in the Castle-Green, was as follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cThe word of the Lord to all you vain and idle-minded people, who are\n  lovers of sports, pleasures, foolish exercises, and recreations, as\n  you call them; consider of your ways, what it is you are doing. Was\n  this the end of your creation? Did God make all things for you, and\n  you to serve your lusts and pleasures? Did not the Lord make all\n  things for you, and you for himself, to fear and worship him in spirit\n  and in truth, in righteousness and true holiness? But where is your\n  service of God, so long as your hearts run after lusts and pleasures?\n  Ye cannot serve God, and the foolish pleasures of the world, as\n  bowling, drinking, hunting, hawking, and the like: if these have your\n  hearts, God will not have your lips: consider, for it is true.\n  Therefore from the Lord must you all witness woe and misery,\n  tribulation and wrath, who continue in the love and practice of your\n  vain sports, lusts, and pleasures. Now is the day, when all everywhere\n  are exhorted to repentance. O foolish people, wicked and slow of heart\n  to believe the threatenings of the great Jehovah against the wicked!\n  What will ye do in the day of the Lord\u2019s fierce wrath, that makes\n  haste to come upon the world of ungodly men! What good have your\n  foolish sports and delights done you now they are past? Or what good\n  will they do you, when the Lord calls for your souls?\n\n  \u201cTherefore all now awake from sleep, and see where you are: and let\n  the light of Jesus Christ, that shines in every one of your\n  consciences, search you thoroughly; and it will let you clearly see,\n  for all your profession of God, Christ, and the Scriptures, you are\n  ignorant of them, and enemies to them all, and your own souls also:\n  and being found living in pleasures, you are dead while you live.\n  Therefore doth the Lord by many messengers forewarn you, and call you\n  to repentance and deep humiliation, that you may forsake the evil of\n  your doings, own this day of your visitation, and while you have time,\n  prize it; lest the things which belong to your peace be hid from your\n  eyes, for your disobedience and rebellion against the Holy One. And\n  then had it been good that you never had been born. Repent, for the\n  kingdom of heaven is at hand: again I say, repent!\u201d\n\n                                     Given forth in LAUNCESTON Jail,\n                                            in Cornwall.\n\n  To the Bowlers in the Green.\n\nBeing released from our imprisonment we got horses and rode towards\nHumphrey Lower\u2019s, and met him on the road. He told us, \u201cHe was much\ntroubled in his mind concerning us, and could not rest at home, but was\ngoing to Colonel Bennet to seek our liberty.\u201d When we told him, \u201cwe were\nset at liberty, and were going to his house,\u201d he was exceedingly glad.\nTo his house we went, and had a fine precious meeting; many were\nconvinced, and turned by the Spirit of the Lord to the Lord Jesus\nChrist\u2019s teaching.\n\nFrom his house we went to Loveday Hambley\u2019s, where we also had a fine\nlarge meeting. The Lord\u2019s power was over all; many were convinced there\nalso, and turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, their teacher.\n\nAfter we had tarried there two or three days, we came to Thomas\nMouncey\u2019s, where we had a general meeting for the whole county; which,\nbeing very large, was held in his orchard. Friends from Plymouth were\nthere, and from many places. The Lord\u2019s power was over all; and a great\nconvincement there was in many parts of the county. Their watches were\ndown, and all was plain and open; for the Lord had let me see, before I\nwas set at liberty, that he would make all the country plain before us.\nThomas and Ann Curtis, with an alderman of Reading, who was convinced,\nhad come to Launceston to see us while I was a prisoner: and when Ann,\nand the other man returned, Thomas Curtis stayed behind in CORNWALL, and\nhad good service for the Lord at that time.[50]\n\nFootnote 50:\n\n  Thomas Curtis became a faithful minister, and sufferer for Christ\u2019s\n  sake. In 1666, he is mentioned in a letter from Alexander Parker to\n  Margaret Fell as being a prisoner with thirty-two or thirty-three\n  others. His wife, Ann Curtis, was a daughter of a sheriff of Bristol.\n  See a letter of T. Curtis to George Fox, in _Letters of Early\n  Friends_, p. 240.\n\nFrom Thomas Mouncey\u2019s we passed to LAUNCESTON again, and visited that\nlittle remnant of Friends that had been raised up there while we were in\nprison; and the Lord\u2019s plants grew finely, and were established on\nChrist, their rock and foundation. As we were going out of town again,\nthe constable of Launceston came running to us with the cheese that had\nbeen taken from Edward Pyot; which they had kept from us all this while,\nand were tormented with it. But being now set at liberty, we would not\nreceive it.\n\nFrom Launceston we came to OKINGTON [Oakhampton], and lodged at an inn,\nwhich the mayor of the town kept. He had stopped and taken up several\nFriends, but was very civil to us; and was convinced in his judgment.\n\nFrom thence we came to EXETER, where many Friends were in prison; and\namongst the rest James Naylor. For a little before we were set at\nliberty, James had run out into imaginations, and a company with him:\nwhich raised up a great darkness in the nation.[51] He came to Bristol,\nand made a disturbance there: and from thence he was coming to\nLaunceston to see me; but was stopped by the way, and imprisoned at\nExeter; as were also several others; one of whom, an honest tender man,\ndied in prison there, whose blood lieth on the heads of his persecutors.\n\nFootnote 51:\n\n  James Naylor was a monument of human frailty. His gift in the ministry\n  was eminent; his experience in divine things truly great. He fell\n  through unwatchfulness, but was restored through deep sufferings and\n  unfeigned repentance. His own writings are the most clear and lively\n  description of the various dispensations he underwent; some of them\n  deserve to be transmitted to the latest posterity. His address to his\n  brethren bespeaks the real repentance of his heart; in that he says,\n  \u201cMy heart is broken this day for the offence I have occasioned to\n  God\u2019s truth and people,\u2014I beseech you, forgive wherein I evilly\n  requited your love in that day. God knows my sorrow for it!\u201d &c. A few\n  hours before his death, he spoke in the presence of several witnesses\n  the following remarkable words:\u2014\n\n  \u201cThere is a spirit which I feel, that delights to do no evil, nor to\n  revenge any wrong; but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy\n  its own in the end. Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention,\n  and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or whatever is of a\n  nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end of all temptations; as\n  it bears no evil in itself, so it conceives none in thought to any\n  other. If it be betrayed, it bears it; for its ground and spring is\n  the mercy and forgiveness of God. Its crown is meekness; its life is\n  everlasting love unfeigned. It takes its kingdom with entreaty, and\n  not with contention, and keeps it by lowliness of mind. In God alone\n  it can rejoice, though none else regard it, or can own its life. It is\n  conceived in sorrow, and brought forth without any to pity it; nor\n  doth it murmur at grief and oppression. It never rejoiceth, but\n  through sufferings; for with the world\u2019s joy it is murdered. I found\n  it alone; being forsaken. I have fellowship therein with those who\n  lived in dens and desolate places in the earth; who through death\n  obtained this resurrection, and eternal, holy life!\u201d\n\n  Such was the end of James Naylor; who, in his forty-fourth year,\n  \u201cchastened, but not killed\u2014cast down, but not destroyed\u201d\u2014through much\n  tribulation, entered, we may humbly hope, \u201cinto the kingdom of\n  God.\u201d\u2014(For full particulars, see his Life by Joseph Gurney Bevan.)\n\nThe night we came to EXETER, I spoke with James Naylor; for I saw he was\nout and wrong: and so was his company. Next day, being First-day, we\nwent to visit the prisoners, and had a meeting with them in the prison;\nbut James Naylor and some of them could not stay the meeting. There came\na corporal of horse into the meeting, and was convinced, and remained a\nvery good Friend. The next day I spoke to James Naylor again; and he\nslighted what I said, and was dark, and much out; yet he would have come\nand kissed me. But I said, \u201csince he had turned against the power of\nGod, I could not receive his show of kindness;\u201d the Lord moved me to\nslight him, and to set the power of God over him. So after I had been\nwarring with the world, there was now a wicked spirit risen up amongst\nFriends to war against. I admonished him and his company. When he was\ncome to London, his resisting the power of God in me, and the truth that\nwas declared to him by me, became one of his greatest burdens. But he\ncame to see his out-going, and to condemn it; and after some time he\nreturned to truth again; as in the printed account of his repentance,\ncondemnation, and recovery, may be more fully seen.\n\nWe passed from Exeter through COLLUMPTON and TAUNTON, visiting Friends;\nand had meetings amongst them. From thence we came to PUDDIMORE, to\nWilliam Beaton\u2019s; where on the First-day we had a very large meeting. A\ngreat convincement there was all through that country; many meetings we\nhad, and the Lord\u2019s power was over all; many were turned, by the power\nand Spirit of God, to the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for them, and came\nto sit under his free teaching.\n\nFrom thence we went to John Dander\u2019s, where we had another precious\nmeeting. The Lord\u2019s power was over all, and many were convinced of God\u2019s\neternal truth. Contention was raised by professors and Baptists in some\nplaces, but the Lord\u2019s power came over them. From thence we came to\nEdward Pyot\u2019s house near BRISTOL. It was the Seventh-day at night that\nwe came thither; and it was quickly noised over the town that I was\ncome. I had never been there before.\n\nOn First-day morning I went to the meeting in Broadmead at BRISTOL;\nwhich was large and quiet. Notice was given of a meeting to be in the\nafternoon in the orchard. There was at Bristol a rude Baptist, named\nPaul Gwin, who had before made great disturbance in our meetings, being\nencouraged and set on by the mayor, who, it was reported, would\nsometimes give him his dinner to encourage him. Such multitudes of rude\npeople he gathered after him, that it was thought there had been\nsometimes ten thousand people at our meeting in the orchard. As I was\ngoing into the orchard the people told me, that Paul Gwin, the rude\njangling Baptist, was going to the meeting. \u201cI bid them never heed, it\nwas nothing to me who went to it.\u201d\n\nWhen I was come into the orchard, I stood upon the stone that Friends\nused to stand on when they spoke; and I was moved of the Lord to put off\nmy hat, and to stand a pretty while, and let the people look at me; for\nsome thousands of people were there. While I thus stood silent, this\nrude Baptist began to find fault with my hair; but I said nothing to\nhim. Then he ran on into words; and at last, \u201cYe wise men of Bristol,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cI strange at you, that you will stand here, and hear a man\nspeak and affirm that which he cannot make good.\u201d Then the Lord opened\nmy mouth (for as yet I had not spoken a word), and I asked the people,\n\u201cwhether they ever heard me speak; or ever saw me before:\u201d and I bid\nthem \u201ctake notice what kind of man this was amongst them that should so\nimpudently say, that I spoke and affirmed that which I could not make\ngood; and yet neither he nor they had ever heard me or seen me before.\nTherefore that was a lying, envious, malicious spirit, that spoke in\nhim; and it was of the Devil, and not of God. I charged him in the dread\nand power of the Lord to be silent: and the mighty power of God came\nover him, and all his company. Then a glorious, peaceable meeting we\nhad, and the word of life was divided amongst them; and they were turned\nfrom the darkness to the light,\u2014to Jesus their Saviour. The Scriptures\nwere largely opened to them; and the traditions, rudiments, ways, and\ndoctrines of men were laid open before the people; and they were turned\nto the light of Christ, that with it they might see them, and see him to\nlead them out of them. I opened also to them the types, figures, and\nshadows of Christ in the time of the law; and showed them that Christ\nwas come, and had ended the types, shadows, tithes, and oaths, and put\ndown swearing; and had set up yea and nay instead of it, and a free\nministry; for he was now come to teach people himself, and his heavenly\nday was springing from on high.\u201d For many hours did I declare the word\nof life amongst them in the eternal power of God, that by him they might\ncome up into the beginning, and be reconciled to him. And having turned\nthem to the Spirit of God in themselves, that would lead into all truth,\nI was moved to pray in the mighty power of God; and the Lord\u2019s power\ncame over all. When I had done, this fellow began to babble again; and\nJohn Audland was moved to bid him repent, and fear God. So his own\npeople and followers being ashamed of him, he passed away, and never\ncame again to disturb the meeting. The meeting broke up quietly, and the\nLord\u2019s power and glory shone over all: a blessed day it was, and the\nLord had the praise. After a while this Paul Gwin went beyond the seas;\nmany years after I met with him again at Barbadoes: of which in its\nplace.\n\nFrom Bristol we returned to Edward Pyot\u2019s, where we had a great meeting.\nThe Lord\u2019s power was over all, truth was declared and spread abroad, and\nmany were turned to Christ Jesus, their life, their prophet to teach\nthem, their shepherd to feed them, and their bishop to oversee them,\nAfter the meeting, I had reasoning with some professors; and the Lord\u2019s\ntruth and power came over them.\n\nFrom Edward Pyot\u2019s we passed to SLAUGHTERFORD, where we had a very large\nmeeting (Edward Pyot and another Friend being still with me); great\nturning of people there was to the Lord Jesus Christ, their teacher; and\npeople were glad that they were brought to know their way, their free\nteacher, and their Saviour, Christ Jesus.\n\nThe First-day following we went to Nathaniel Crisp\u2019s house, who had been\na justice of peace in WILTSHIRE, where it was supposed there were\nbetween two and three thousand people at a meeting; and all was quiet.\nThe mighty power of God was manifest, and people were turned to the\ngrace and truth in their hearts, that came by Jesus Christ, which taught\nthem to deny all ungodliness and worldly lust, and to live soberly and\ngodly in this present world; so that every man and woman might know the\ngrace of God, which had appeared to all men, and which was saving, and\nsufficient to bring their salvation. This teacher, the grace of God,\nwould teach them how to live, what to do, and what to deny; it would\nseason their words, and establish their hearts. This was a free teacher\nto every one of them; that they might come to be heirs of this grace,\nand of Christ, by whom it came; who hath ended the prophets, and the\npriests that took tithes, and the Jewish temple. And as for the hireling\npriests that take tithes now, and their temples (which priests were made\nat schools and colleges of man\u2019s setting up, and not by Christ), they,\nwith all their inventions, were to be denied. For the apostles denied\nthe true priesthood and temple, which God had commanded, after Christ\nhad put an end thereto. The Scriptures, and the truths therein\ncontained, were largely opened, and the people turned to the Spirit of\nGod in their hearts; that by it they might be led into all truth, and\nunderstand the Scriptures, and know God and Christ, and come to have\nunity with them, and one with another in the same Spirit. They went away\ngenerally satisfied, and were glad that they were turned to Christ\nJesus, their teacher and Saviour.\n\nNext day we went to MARLBOROUGH, where we had a little meeting. The\nsessions being held that day, they were about to grant a warrant to send\nfor me; but one Justice Stooks being at the sessions, stopped them,\ntelling them there was a meeting at his house yesterday, at which there\nwere several thousands. So the warrant was stopped, and the meeting was\nquiet; and several received Christ Jesus their teacher, came into the\nnew covenant, and abode in it.\n\nFrom hence we went to NEWBURY, where we had a large, blessed meeting,\nand several were convinced. Then we passed to READING, where we had a\nlarge, precious meeting in the Lord\u2019s power, amongst the plants of God.\nMany of the people came in, and were reached, and added to the meeting.\nAll was quiet, and the Lord\u2019s power was over all. We went next to\nKINGSTON-ON-THAMES, where a few came in to us that were turned to the\nLord Jesus Christ: but it is since become a larger meeting.\n\nLeaving Kingston, we rode to LONDON. When we came near Hyde Park, we saw\na great concourse of people, and looking towards them, espied the\nProtector coming in his coach. Whereupon I rode to his coach-side; and\nsome of his life-guards would have put me away, but he forbade them. So\nI rode by with him, \u201cdeclaring what the Lord gave me to say to him of\nhis condition, and of the sufferings of Friends in the nation; showing\nhim, how contrary this persecution was to Christ and his apostles, and\nto Christianity.\u201d When we arrived at James\u2019s Park-gate, I left him; and\nat parting he desired me to come to his house. Next day, one of his\nwife\u2019s maids, whose name was Mary Saunders, came to me at my lodging,\nand told me her master came to her, and said he would tell her some good\nnews. When she asked him what it was, he told her, George Fox was come\nto town. She replied that was good news indeed (for she had received\ntruth,) but she said, she could hardly believe him, till he told her how\nI met him, and rode from Hyde Park to James\u2019s Park with him.\n\nAfter a little time Edward Pyot and I went to WHITEHALL: and when we\ncame before him, Dr. Owen, vice-chancellor of Oxford, was with him. We\nwere moved to speak to Oliver Cromwell concerning the sufferings of\nFriends, and laid them before him; and directed him to the light of\nChrist, who enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world. He said\nit was a natural light; but we \u201cshowed him the contrary, and manifested\nthat it was divine and spiritual, proceeding from Christ, the spiritual\nand heavenly man; and that which was called the _life_ in Christ the\nWord, was called the _light_ in us.\u201d The power of the Lord God arose in\nme, and I was moved in it \u201cto bid him lay down his crown at the feet of\nJesus.\u201d Several times I spoke to him to the same effect. Now I was\nstanding by the table, and he came and sat upon the table\u2019s side by me,\nand said he would be as high as I was; and so continued speaking against\nthe light of Christ Jesus; and went away in a light manner. But the\nLord\u2019s power came over him, so that when he came to his wife and other\ncompany, he said, \u201cI never parted so from them before;\u201d for he was\njudged in himself.\n\nAfter he had left us, as we were going out, many great persons came\nabout us; and one of them began to speak against the light, and against\nthe truth; and I was made to slight him, for speaking so lightly of the\nthings of God. Whereupon, one of them told me he was the Major-General\nof Northamptonshire. \u201cWhat!\u201d said I, \u201cour old persecutor, that has\npersecuted and sent so many of our friends to prison, and is a shame to\nChristianity and religion! I am glad I have met with thee,\u201d said I. So I\nwas moved to speak sharply to him of his unchristian carriage, and he\nslunk away: for he had been a cruel persecutor in Northamptonshire.\n\nNow, after I had visited the meetings of Friends in and about LONDON, I\nwent into BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, and Edward Pyot with me; and in several\nplaces in that county many received the truth. Great meetings we had,\nand the Lord\u2019s power was eminently manifested. I passed through\nNorthamptonshire and Nottinghamshire, into LINCOLNSHIRE. After having\nhad several meetings in Lincolnshire, I had at last a meeting where two\nknights, one called Sir Richard Wrey, and the other Sir John Wrey, with\ntheir wives, were at the meeting. One of their wives was convinced,\nreceived the truth, and died in it. When the meeting was over we passed\naway; and it being evening, and dark, a company of wild serving-men\nencompassed me about, with intent (as I apprehended) to do me some\nmischief. But I spoke aloud to them, and asked, \u201cWhat are ye?\nhighwaymen?\u201d Whereupon some Friends and friendly people that were\nbehind, came up to us, and knew some of them. So I reproved them for\ntheir uncivil and rude carriage, and exhorted them to fear God; and the\nLord\u2019s power came over them, and stopped their mischievous design:\nblessed be his name for ever!\n\nThen I turned into HUNTINGDONSHIRE: and the mayor of HUNTINGDON came to\nvisit me, and was very loving, and his wife received the truth.\n\nThence I passed into CAMBRIDGESHIRE, and the Fen-country, where I had\nmany meetings, and the Lord\u2019s truth spread. Robert Craven (who had been\nsheriff of Lincoln) and Amor Stoddart, and Alexander Parker were with\nme. We went to CROWLAND, a very rude place; for the townspeople were\ncollected at the inn we went to, and were half drunk, both priest and\npeople. I reproved them for their drunkenness, and warned them of the\nday of the Lord, that was coming upon all the wicked; exhorting them to\nleave their drunkenness, and turn to the Lord in time. Whilst I was thus\nspeaking to them, and showing the priest the fruits of his ministry, he\nand the clerk broke out into a rage, and got up the tongs and\nfire-shovel to us; so that had not the Lord\u2019s power preserved us, we\nmight have been murdered amongst them. Yet, for all their rudeness and\nviolence, some received the truth then, and have stood in it ever since.\n\nThence we passed to BOSTON, where most of the chief of the town came to\nour inn, and the people seemed much satisfied. But there was a raging\nman in the yard, and Robert Craven was moved to speak to him, and told\nhim he shamed Christianity, which with some few other words so stopped\nthe man, that he went away quiet. Some were convinced there also.\n\nThus we had large meetings up and down, for I travelled into Yorkshire,\nand returned out of Holderness, over Humber, visiting Friends; and then\nreturning into Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, and\nWARWICKSHIRE, among Friends, I had a meeting at EDGE-HILL. There came to\nit Ranters, Baptists, and several sorts of rude people; for I had sent\nword about three weeks before to have a meeting there, so that hundreds\nof people were gathered thither, and many Friends came far to it. The\nLord\u2019s everlasting truth and word of life reached over all; the rude and\nunruly spirits were chained down; and many that day were turned to the\nLord Jesus Christ, by his power and Spirit, and came to sit under his\nblessed, free teaching, and to be fed with his eternal, heavenly food.\nAll was peaceable; the people passed quietly away, and some of them said\nit was a mighty, powerful meeting; for the presence of the Lord was\nfelt, and his power and Spirit amongst them.\n\nFrom hence I passed to WARWICK and to BAGLEY, having precious meetings;\nand then in GLOUCESTERSHIRE, and so to OXFORD, where the scholars were\nvery rude; but the Lord\u2019s power came over them. Great meetings we had up\nand down as we travelled. Then I went to Colonel Grimes\u2019s, where there\nwas a very large meeting; and thence to Nathaniel Crisp\u2019s, where came\nanother justice to the meeting, who was also convinced. At CIRENCESTER\nwe had a meeting which is since much increased; and so we came to\nEVESHAM again, where I met John Camm.\n\nThus having travelled over most part of the nation, I returned to LONDON\nagain, having cleared myself of that which lay upon me from the Lord.\nFor after I was released out of Launceston jail, I was moved of the Lord\nto travel over the nation, the truth being now spread, and finely\nplanted in most places, that I might answer and remove out of the minds\nof people some objections, which the envious priests and professors had\nraised and spread abroad concerning us. For what Christ said of false\nprophets and antichrists coming in the last days, they applied to us;\nand said, We were they.\n\n  Therefore was I moved to open this through the nation, and to show\n  \u201cThat they who said we were the false prophets, antichrists, and\n  deceivers, that should come in the last days, were indeed themselves\n  they. For when Christ told his disciples in the viith and xxivth of\n  Matthew, that false prophets and antichrists should come in the last\n  times, and (if it were possible) should deceive the very elect; he\n  said, \u2018By their fruits ye shall know them;\u2019 for they should be\n  inwardly ravening wolves, having the sheep\u2019s clothing. \u2018And,\u2019 said he,\n  \u2018do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?\u2019 as much as to\n  say, their nature and spirit should be like a thorn, or like a\n  thistle. And he bid his disciples not go after them. But before the\n  disciples were deceased, the antichrists, false prophets, and\n  deceivers were come. For John in his first epistle said, \u2018Little\n  children, it is the last time; and as ye have heard that antichrist\n  shall come, even now there are many antichrists, whereby we know that\n  it is the last time.\u2019 So here, as Christ said to his disciples they\n  should come, the disciples saw they were come; as may be seen at large\n  in Peter, Jude, John, and other places of Scripture; \u2018whereby,\u2019 says\n  John, \u2018we know it is the last time.\u2019 And this last time began above\n  sixteen hundred years since. John said, \u2018they went out from us;\u2019 the\n  false prophets, antichrists, seducers, and deceivers, went out from\n  the church; \u2018but you,\u2019 said he, to the church, \u2018have an anointing,\n  which abideth in you; and you need not that any man teach you, but as\n  the same anointing teacheth you of all things; and as it hath taught\n  you, ye shall abide in him.\u2019 Christ said to his disciples, \u2018Go not\n  after them, for they are inwardly ravening wolves;\u2019 and John exhorts\n  the saints to the anointing within them; and the rest of the apostles\n  exhort the churches to the grace, the light, the truth, the Spirit,\n  the word of faith, and to Christ in their hearts, the hope of glory.\n  Christ told the saints that the Spirit of truth, the Holy Ghost,\n  should be their leader into all truth; and Jude exhorts the church to\n  \u2018pray in the Holy Ghost,\u2019 and \u2018to be built up in their most holy\n  faith,\u2019 which Christ was the author of. Christ, by his servant John,\n  \u2018exhorted the seven churches to hear what the Spirit said to the\n  churches,\u2019 and this was an inward, spiritual hearing. Christ says, the\n  inwardly ravening wolves should have the sheep\u2019s clothing. Paul speaks\n  of some in his time, that had \u2018a form of godliness, but denied the\n  power.\u2019 John said, \u2018they went out from us.\u2019 Jude said, they go in\n  Cain\u2019s way, and in Balaam\u2019s, and Corah\u2019s way. By all which it may be\n  clearly seen, that the false prophets and antichrists, which Christ\n  foretold should come, the apostles saw were come; and in their day it\n  was the last time; and these went forth from them into the world, and\n  the world went after them. These were the foremen, the leaders of the\n  world, that brought them into a form of godliness, but inwardly\n  ravened from the power and Spirit. These have the sheep\u2019s clothing,\n  the words of Christ, of the prophets, and of the apostles; but are\n  inwardly ravened from the power and Spirit that they were in, who gave\n  forth the Scriptures. These have made up the beast and the whore!\n  These have got the dragon\u2019s power, the murdering, destroying,\n  persecuting power! and these are they that the world wonders after!\n  These have drunk the blood of the martyrs, prophets, and saints, and\n  persecuted the true church into the wilderness! These have set up the\n  false compelling worships, and have drunk the blood of the saints,\n  that will not drink of their cup! These have made the cage for the\n  unclean birds, that have their several unclean notes in their cage;\n  which cage is made up by the power of darkness, and uncleanness; and\n  the birds of the cage deny the Holy Ghost, and the power of God, which\n  the apostles were in, is to be now manifested in the saints!\n\n  \u201cThus since Christ said, the false prophets and antichrists should\n  come, and the apostle said, they were come, the beast\u2019s and the\n  dragon\u2019s worship hath been set up; and the whore is got up with her\n  false prophets, and her cage hath been made, and all the nations have\n  drunk of her cup of fornication; the blood of the martyrs and saints\n  they have drunk, and the true church hath fled into the wilderness;\n  and all this since the apostles\u2019 days. Yet the blind deceivers, the\n  antichrists, and false prophets of our age, would make us and people\n  believe, that the false prophets, antichrists, and deceivers are come\n  but now, though John and other of the apostles tell us they were come\n  above sixteen hundred years ago. And ye may see what work and\n  confusion they have made in the world; how much blood these Cains have\n  drunk that went in Cain\u2019s way; which blood cries to God for vengeance\n  upon Christendom! And how these Balaams that have erred from the power\n  and Spirit which the apostles were in, have coveted after other men\u2019s\n  estates, the many jails, courts, and spoilings of goods will bear\n  witness. And how the Corahs have gainsayed the life, power, and\n  Spirit, which the apostles and true church were in, and the free\n  teaching of Christ and his apostles, and the work of their ministry,\n  which was \u2018to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus,\u2019 hath been\n  evident.\n\n  \u201cTherefore in the name and power of the Lord Jesus was I sent to\n  preach again the everlasting gospel, which had been preached before\n  unto Abraham, and in the apostles\u2019 days; which was to go over all\n  nations, and be preached to every creature. For as the apostacy hath\n  gone over all nations since the apostles\u2019 days, so that the nations\n  are become as waters, unstable, being gone from Christ the foundation;\n  so must the gospel, the power of God, go over all nations again. We\n  find the false prophets, anti-christs, deceivers, whore, false church,\n  beast, and his worship in the dragon\u2019s power, have got up in the times\n  between the apostles and us. For Christ said, \u2018they should come;\u2019 and\n  the apostles saw \u2018they were come,\u2019 and coming in their days; and that\n  they went forth from them, and the world went after them. And now hath\n  the Lord raised us up beyond them, and set us over them in the\n  everlasting gospel, the power of God; that as all have been darkened\n  by the beast, whore, false prophets, and antichrists, so the\n  everlasting gospel may be preached again by us to all nations, and to\n  every creature, which will bring life and immortality to light in\n  them, that they may see over the devil and his false prophets,\n  antichrists, seducers, and deceivers, and over the whore and beast,\n  and to that which was before they were. This message of the glorious\n  everlasting gospel was I sent forth to declare and publish, and\n  thousands by it are turned to God, having received it; and are come\n  into subjection to it, and into the holy order of it. And since I have\n  declared this message in this part of the world, and in America, and\n  have written books on the same, to spread it universally abroad; the\n  blind prophets, preachers, and deceivers, have given over telling us\n  the false prophets should \u2018come in the last times;\u2019 for a great light\n  is sprung up, and shines over their heads; so that every child in\n  truth sees the folly of their sayings.\n\n  \u201cThen they raised other objections against us, and invented shifts to\n  save themselves from truth\u2019s stroke. For when we blamed them for\n  taking tithes, which came from the tribe of Levi, and were set up here\n  by the Romish church, they would plead, \u2018that Christ told the scribes\n  and Pharisees they ought to pay tithes of mint, anise, and cummin,\n  though they had neglected the weightier matters;\u2019 and that Christ\n  said, \u2018the scribes and pharisees sat in Moses\u2019s seat, therefore all\n  that they bid you do, that do and observe.\u2019 And when we told them they\n  were envious, persecuting priests, they would reply, that \u2018some\n  preached Christ of envy, and some of contention, and some of\n  good-will.\u2019 Now these Scriptures, and such like they would bring to\n  darken the minds of their hearers, and to persuade them and us, \u2018that\n  we ought to do as they say, though they themselves were like the\n  Pharisees; and that we should rejoice when envious men and men of\n  strife preached Christ; and that we should give them the tithes, as\n  the Jews did to the tribe of Levi.\u2019 These were fair glosses; here was\n  a great heap of husks, but no kernel. Now this was their blindness;\n  for the Levitical priesthood Christ hath ended, and disannulled the\n  commandment that gave them tithes, and the law, by which those priests\n  were made. Christ did not come after that order, neither did he send\n  forth his ministers after that order; for those of that order were to\n  take tithes for their maintenance; but his ministers he sent forth\n  _freely_. And as for hearing that the Pharisees, and the Jews paid\n  tithes of mint, anise, and cummin, that was before Christ was\n  sacrificed and offered up; the Jews were then to do the law, and\n  perform their offerings and sacrifices, which the Jewish priests\n  taught them. But after Christ was offered up, he bid them then, \u2018go\n  into all nations and preach the gospel; and lo,\u2019 said he, \u2018I will be\n  with you to the end of the world;\u2019 and in another place he saith, \u2018I\n  will be _in_ you.\u2019 So he did not bid them go to hear the Pharisees\n  then, and pay tithe of mint, anise, and cummin then; but \u2018Go preach\n  the gospel, and believe in the Lord Jesus, and be saved, and receive\n  the gospel,\u2019 which would bring people off from the Jews, the tithes,\n  the Levitical law, and the offerings thereof, to Christ, the one\n  Offering, made once for them all. O what work had the apostle with\n  both the Galatians and the Romans, to bring them off the law to the\n  faith in Christ!\n\n  \u201cAnd as for the apostle\u2019s saying, \u2018Some preached Christ of envy and\n  strife,\u2019 &c., that was at the first spreading of Christ\u2019s name abroad,\n  when they were in danger not only to be cast out of the synagogues,\n  but to be stoned to death, that confessed the name of Jesus, as may be\n  seen by the uproars that were among the Jews and Diana\u2019s worshippers\n  at the preaching of Christ. So the apostle might well rejoice, if the\n  envious, and men of strife and contention did preach Christ at that\n  time, though they thought thereby to add affliction to his bonds; but\n  afterward, when Christ\u2019s name was spread abroad, and many had got a\n  form of godliness, but denied the power thereof, envious, proud,\n  contentious men, men of strife, covetous teachers for filthy lucre,\n  the apostles commanded the saints to turn from, and not have any\n  fellowship with them. And the deacons and ministers were first to be\n  proved, to see if they were in the power of godliness, and the Holy\n  Ghost made them overseers and preachers. So it may be seen how the\n  priests have abused these Scriptures for their own ends, and have\n  wrested them to their own destruction, to justify envious, contentious\n  men, and men of strife. Whereas the apostle says, \u2018the man of God must\n  be patient, and apt to teach;\u2019 and they were to follow Christ as they\n  had him for their example. The apostle indeed was very tender to\n  people, while he saw them walk in simplicity; as in the case of them\n  that were scrupulous about meats and days; but when the apostle saw\n  that some drew them into the observation of days, and to settle in\n  such things, he then reproves them sharply, and asks them, \u2018who had\n  bewitched them?\u2019 So in the case of marrying he was tender, lest their\n  minds should be drawn from the Lord\u2019s joining; but when they came to\n  forbid marriage, and to set up rules for meats and drinks, he called\n  it \u2018a doctrine of devils,\u2019 and an \u2018erring from the true faith.\u2019 So\n  also he was tender concerning circumcision, and in tenderness suffered\n  some to be circumcised; but when he saw they went to make a sect\n  thereby, and set up circumcision as a standing practice, he told them\n  plainly, \u2018if they were circumcised, Christ would profit them nothing.\u2019\n  In like manner he was tender concerning baptizing with water; but when\n  he saw they began to make sects about it, some crying up Paul, others\n  Apollos, he judged them, and called them carnal, and thanks God he had\n  baptised no more, but such and such; declaring plainly, that \u2018he was\n  sent to preach the gospel, and not to baptize;\u2019 and brought them to\n  the one baptism by the one Spirit, into the one body, which Christ,\n  the spiritual man, is the head of; and exhorted the church \u2018all to\n  drink into that one Spirit.\u2019 For he set up in the church one faith,\n  which Christ was the author of; and one baptism, which was that of the\n  Spirit, into the one body; and one Lord Jesus Christ, the spiritual\n  baptizer, whom John said should come after him. And further the\n  apostle declared, that they who worshipped and served God in the\n  Spirit, were of the circumcision of the Spirit, which was not made\n  with hands; by which \u2018the body of the sins of the flesh was put off;\u2019\n  which circumcision Christ is the minister of.\n\n  \u201cAnother great objection they had, \u2018That the Quakers denied the\n  sacrament (as they called it) of bread and wine, which,\u2019 they said,\n  \u2018they were to take, and do in remembrance of Christ to the end of the\n  world.\u2019 Much work we had with the priests and professors about this,\n  and the several modes of receiving it in Christendom, so called; for\n  some take it kneeling, and some sitting; but none of them all, that\n  ever I could find, take it as the disciples took it. For they took it\n  in a chamber, after supper; but these generally take it before dinner:\n  and some say, after the priest hath blessed it, it is \u2018Christ\u2019s body.\u2019\n  But as to the matter, Christ said, \u2018Do this in remembrance of me.\u2019 He\n  did not tell them how often they should do it, or how long; neither\n  did he enjoin them to do it always, as long as they lived, or that all\n  believers in him should do it to the world\u2019s end.\n\n  \u201cThe apostle Paul, who was not converted till after Christ\u2019s death,\n  tells the Corinthians, that he had received of the Lord that which he\n  delivered unto them concerning this matter: and he relates Christ\u2019s\n  words concerning the cup thus; \u2018This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in\n  remembrance of me;\u2019 and himself adds, \u2018For [as often as] ye eat this\n  bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord\u2019s death till he come.\u2019\n  So according to what the apostle here delivers, neither Christ nor he\n  enjoined people to do this always; but leave it to their liberty [as\n  oft as ye drink it, &c.]. Now the Jews used to take a cup, and to\n  break bread, and divide it among them in their feasts; as may be seen\n  in the Jewish Antiquities: so that the breaking of bread, and drinking\n  of wine, were Jewish rites, which were not to last always. They also\n  baptised with water; which made it not seem a strange thing to them\n  when John the Baptist came with his decreasing ministration of\n  water-baptism. But as to the bread and wine, after the disciples had\n  taken it, some of them questioned whether Jesus was the Christ; for\n  some of them said, after he was crucified, \u2018We trusted that it had\n  been he which should have redeemed Israel,\u2019 &c. And though the\n  Corinthians had the bread and wine, and were baptized in water, the\n  apostle told them they were \u2018reprobates, if Christ was not in them;\u2019\n  and bid them \u2018examine themselves.\u2019 And as the apostle said, \u2018As oft as\n  ye do eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show forth the Lord\u2019s\n  death [till he come:\u2019] so Christ had said before, that he \u2018was the\n  bread of life, which came down from heaven;\u2019 and that \u2018he would come\n  and dwell in them;\u2019 which the apostles did witness fulfilled; and\n  exhorted others to seek for that which comes down from above; but the\n  outward bread and wine, and water, are not from above, but from below.\n\n  \u201cNow ye that eat and drink this outward bread and wine in remembrance\n  of Christ\u2019s death, and have your fellowships in that, will ye come no\n  nearer to Christ\u2019s death, than to take bread and wine in remembrance\n  of it? After ye have eaten in remembrance of his death, ye must come\n  _into his death_, and _die with him_, as the apostles did, if ye will\n  _live with him_. This is a nearer and further advanced state, to be\n  with him in the fellowship of his death, than only to take bread and\n  wine in remembrance of his death. You must have fellowship with Christ\n  in his sufferings: if ye will reign with him, ye must suffer with him;\n  if ye will live with him, ye must die with him; and if ye die with\n  him, ye must be buried with him: and being buried with him in the true\n  baptism, ye also rise with him. Then having suffered with him, died\n  with him, and been buried with him, if ye are risen with Christ, \u2018seek\n  those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand\n  of God.\u2019 Eat the bread which comes down from above, which is not\n  outward bread; and drink the cup of salvation which he gives in his\n  kingdom, which is not outward wine. And then there will not be a\n  looking at the things that are seen (as outward bread and wine, and\n  water are:) for, as says the apostle, \u2018The things that are seen are\n  temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal.\u2019\n\n  \u201cSo here are many states and conditions to be gone through, before\n  people come to see and partake of that, which \u2018cometh down from\n  above.\u2019 For first, there was a taking of the outward bread and wine in\n  remembrance of Christ\u2019s death: this was temporary, and not of\n  necessity, but at their liberty; as oft as ye do it, &c. Secondly,\n  there must be a coming into his death, a suffering with Christ; and\n  this is of necessity to salvation, and not temporary, but continual:\n  there must be a dying daily. Thirdly, a being buried with Christ.\n  Fourthly, a rising with Christ. Fifthly, after they are risen with\n  Christ, then a seeking those things which are above; a seeking the\n  bread that comes down from heaven, a feeding on and having fellowship\n  in that. For outward bread, wine, and water, are from below, visible\n  and temporal: but saith the apostle, \u2018We look not at things that are\n  seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that\n  are not seen are eternal.\u2019 So the fellowship that stands in the use of\n  bread, wine, water, circumcision, outward temple, and things seen,\n  will have an end: but the fellowship which stands in the gospel, the\n  power of God, which was before the Devil was, and which brings life\n  and immortality to light, by which people may see over the Devil, that\n  has darkened them; this fellowship is eternal, and will stand. And all\n  that are in it seek that which is heavenly and eternal, which comes\n  down from above, and are settled in the eternal mystery of the\n  fellowship of the gospel, which is hid from all eyes, that look only\n  at visible things. The apostle told the Corinthians, who were in\n  disorder about water, bread and wine, that he desired to know nothing\n  amongst them but Jesus Christ, and him crucified.\u201d\n\nThus were the objections, which the priests and professors had raised\nagainst Friends, answered and cleared; and the stumbling-blocks, which\nthey had laid in the way of the weak, removed. And as things were thus\nopened, people came to see over them and through them, and to have their\nminds settled upon the Lord Jesus Christ, their free teacher: which was\nthe service for which I was moved to travel over the nation after my\nimprisonment in LAUNCESTON jail. In this year the Lord\u2019s truth was\nfinely planted over the nation, and many thousands were turned to the\nLord; insomuch that there were seldom fewer than one thousand in prison\nin this nation for truth\u2019s testimony; some for tithes, some for going to\nthe steeple-houses, some for contempts (as they called them), some for\nnot swearing, and others for not putting off their hats, &c.\n\nNow after I had visited most parts of the nation, and was come to LONDON\nagain, finding that evil spirit at work, which had drawn J. N. and his\nfollowers out from truth, to run Friends into heats about him, I wrote a\nshort epistle to Friends, as follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cTo all the elect seed of God called Quakers, where the death is\n  brought into the death, and the elder is servant to the younger, and\n  the elect is known, which cannot be deceived, but obtains victory.\n  This is the word of the Lord God to you all: Go not forth to the\n  aggravating part, to strive with it out of the power of God; lest ye\n  hurt yourselves, and run into the same nature, out of the life. For\n  patience must get the victory; and to answer that of God in every one,\n  it must bring every one to it, to bring them from the contrary. Let\n  your moderation, and temperance, and patience be known unto all men in\n  the Seed of God. For that which reacheth to the aggravating part\n  without life, sets up the aggravating part, and breeds confusion; and\n  hath a life in outward strife, but reacheth not to the witness of God\n  in every one, through which they might come into peace and covenant\n  with God, and fellowship one with another. Therefore that which\n  reacheth this witness of God in yourselves, and in others, is the life\n  and light; which will out-last all, is over all, and will overcome\n  all. And therefore in the Seed of life live, which bruiseth the Seed\n  of death.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nI also wrote another short epistle to Friends, to encourage them to keep\nup their meetings in the Lord\u2019s power; of which epistle a copy here\nfollows:\u2014\n\n        \u201cDEAR FRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cKeep your meetings in the power of the Lord, which is over all that\n  is in the fall and must have an end. Therefore be wise in the wisdom\n  of God, which is from above, by which all things were made and\n  created; that that may be justified among you, and you all kept in the\n  solid life, which was before death was; and in the light, which was\n  before the darkness was with all its works. In which light and life ye\n  all may feel, and have the heavenly unity and peace, possessing the\n  gospel fellowship, that is everlasting: which was before that, which\n  doth not last for ever; and will remain when that is gone. For the\n  gospel being the power of God, is pure and everlasting. Know it to be\n  your portion: in which is stability, and life, and immortality,\n  shining over that which darkens the mortal. So be faithful every one\n  to God, in your measures of his power and life, that ye may answer\n  God\u2019s love and mercy to you, as obedient children of the Most High;\n  dwelling in love, unity, and peace, and in innocency of heart towards\n  one another; that God may be glorified in you, and you kept faithful\n  witnesses for him, and valiant for the truth on earth. God Almighty\n  preserve you all to his glory, that ye may feel his blessing among\n  you, and be possessors thereof.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nAbout this time many mouths were opened in our meetings, to declare the\ngoodness of the Lord, and some that were young and tender in the truth\nwould sometimes utter a few words in thanksgiving and praises to God.\nThat no disorder might arise from this in our meetings, I was moved to\nwrite an epistle to Friends, by way of advice in that matter. And thus\nit was:\u2014\n\n  \u201cAll my dear friends in the noble Seed of God, who have known his\n  power, life, and presence among you, let it be your joy to hear or see\n  the springs of life break forth in any; through which ye may have all\n  unity in the same, feeling life and power. And above all things, take\n  heed of judging any one openly in your meetings, except they be openly\n  profane or rebellious, such as be out of the truth; that by the power,\n  life, and wisdom ye may stand over them, and by it answer the witness\n  of God in the world, that such, whom ye bear your testimony against,\n  are none of you: that therein the truth may stand clear and single.\n  But such as are tender, if they should be moved to bubble forth a few\n  words, and speak in the Seed and Lamb\u2019s power, suffer and bear that;\n  that is, the tender. And if they should go beyond their measure, bear\n  it in the meeting for peace and order\u2019s sake, and that the spirits of\n  the world be not moved against you. But when the meeting is done, if\n  any be moved to speak to them, between you and them, one or two of\n  you, that feel it in the life, do it in the love and wisdom that is\n  pure and gentle from above: for love is that which edifies, bears all\n  things, suffers long, and fulfils the law. In this ye have order and\n  edification, ye have wisdom to preserve you all wise and in patience;\n  which takes away the occasion of stumbling the weak, and the occasion\n  of the spirits of the world to get up: but in the royal Seed, the\n  heavy stone, ye keep down all that is wrong; and by it answer that of\n  God in all. For ye will hear, see, and feel the power of God\n  preaching, as your faith is all in it (when ye do not hear words,) to\n  bind, to chain, to limit, to frustrate; that nothing shall rise, nor\n  come forth but what is in the power: with that ye will hold back, and\n  with that ye will let up, and open every spring, plant, and spark; in\n  which will be your joy and refreshment in the power of God.\n\n  \u201cNow that ye know the power of God, and are come to it, which is the\n  cross of Christ, that crucifies you to the state that Adam and Eve\n  were in, in the fall, and so to the world, by this power of God ye\n  come to see the state they were in before they fell; which power of\n  God is the cross, in which stands the everlasting glory; which brings\n  up into the righteousness, holiness, and image of God, and crucifies\n  to the unrighteousness, unholiness, and image of Satan, that Adam and\n  Eve, and their sons and daughters, are in, in the fall. Through this\n  power of God, ye come to see the state they were in before they fell;\n  yea, I say, and to a higher state, to the Seed Christ, the second\n  Adam, by whom all things were made. For man hath been driven from God:\n  all Adam and Eve\u2019s sons and daughters, being in the state of the fall\n  in the earth, are driven from God. But it is said, the Church is in\n  God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: so they who come to the\n  church, which is in God the Father of Christ, must come to God again:\n  and so out of the state that Adam and his children are in, in the\n  fall, out of the image of God, of righteousness and holiness, and they\n  must come into the righteousness, true holiness, and image of God; and\n  so out of the earth whither man hath been driven, when they come to\n  the church which is in God. The way to this, is Christ, the Light, the\n  Life, the Truth, the Saviour, the Redeemer, the Sanctifier, and the\n  Justifier; in and through whose power, light and life, conversion,\n  regeneration, and translation are known from death to life, from\n  darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God again. These are\n  members of the true church, who know the work of regeneration in the\n  operation and feeling of it; and being come to be members of the\n  church in God, they are indeed members one of another in the power of\n  God, which was before the power of darkness was. So they that come to\n  the church that is in God and Christ, must come out of the state that\n  Adam was in, in the fall, driven from God, to know the state that he\n  was in before he fell. But they that live in the state that Adam was\n  in, in the fall, and cannot believe a possibility of coming into the\n  state he was in before he fell, come not to the church which is in\n  God; but are far from that, and are not passed from death to life; but\n  are enemies to the cross of Christ, which is the power of God. For\n  they mind earthly things, and serve not Christ, nor love the power,\n  which should bring them up to the state that Adam was in before he\n  fell, and crucify them to the state that man is in in the fall; that\n  through this power they might see to the beginning, the power that man\n  was in before the heavenly image, and holiness, and righteousness was\n  lost; by which power they might come to know the Seed, Christ, which\n  brings out of the old things, and makes all things new; in which life\n  eternal is felt. For all the poorness, emptiness, and barrenness is in\n  the state that man is in, in the fall, out of God\u2019s power; by which\n  power he is made rich, and hath strength again; which power is the\n  cross, in which the mystery of the fellowship stands: and in which is\n  the true glorying, which crucifies to all other gloryings.\n\n  \u201cAnd, Friends, though ye may have been convinced, and tasted of the\n  power, and felt the light; yet afterwards ye may feel a winter storm,\n  tempest and hail, frost and cold, and temptation in the wilderness. Be\n  patient and still in the power, and in the light, that doth convince\n  you, to keep your minds to God; in that be quiet, that ye may come to\n  the summer, that your flight be not in the winter. For if ye sit still\n  in the patience, which overcomes in the power of God, there will be no\n  flying. The husbandman after he hath sowed his seed, is patient. And\n  by the power, being kept in the patience, ye will come by the light to\n  see through, and feel over winter storms and tempests, and all the\n  coldness, barrenness, and emptiness: and the same light and power will\n  go over the tempter\u2019s head; which power and light was before he was.\n  So standing still in the light, ye will see your salvation, ye will\n  see the Lord\u2019s strength, feel the small rain, and the fresh springs,\n  your minds being kept low in the power and light; for that which is\n  out of the power lifts up. But in the power and light ye will feel\n  God, revealing his secrets, inspiring your minds, and his gifts coming\n  in unto you: through which your hearts will be filled with God\u2019s love,\n  and praises to him that lives for evermore: for in his light and power\n  his blessing is received. So in that, the eternal power of the Lord\n  Jesus Christ preserve and keep you! Live every one in the power of\n  God, that ye may all come to be heirs of that, and know it to be your\n  portion; even the Kingdom, that hath no end, and the endless life,\n  which the Seed is heir of. Feel that set over all, which hath the\n  promise and blessing of God for ever.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nAbout this time I received some lines from a high professor, concerning\nthe way of Christ, to which I returned the following answer:\u2014\n\n        \u201cFRIEND,\n\n  \u201cIt is not circumstances we contend about, but the way of Christ and\n  his light, which are but one; though the world hath imagined many\n  ways, and all out of the light; which by the light are condemned. He\n  who preached this light, said, \u2018He that knoweth God, heareth us; he\n  that is not of God heareth us not: hereby know we the Spirit of Truth,\n  and the spirit of error.\u2019 It is the same now, with them that know the\n  truth; though the whole world lies in wickedness. All dispensations\n  and differences, that are not one in the light we deny; and by the\n  light, that was before separation, do we see them to be\n  self-separations in the sensual, having not the Spirit. Their fruits\n  and end are weighed in the even balance, and found to be in the dark,\n  the lo-here, and lo-there thou tellest of. The presence of Christ is\n  not with them, though the blind see it not; who see not with the pure\n  eye which is single; but with the many eyes which lead into the many\n  ways. Nor are any the people of God, but they who are baptised into\n  this principle of light; by which all the faithful servants of the\n  Lord were ever guided in all ages, since the apostacy, and before. For\n  the apostacy are and is from the light; and all that oppose the light\n  was apostates. They who contest against the truth, are enemies to it,\n  and are not actuated by the Spirit; but have another way than the\n  light. All such are in the world, its words, fashions, and customs,\n  though of several forms, as to their worship; yet all under the god of\n  this world, opposing the light and appearance of Christ, which should\n  lead out from under his power, of what form soever they are: yet are\n  they all joined against the light. All these are of the world; and\n  fighting against them who are not of the world, but are gathered and\n  gathering out of it; and so it ever was against the people of God,\n  under what name soever.\n\n  \u201cThey only are saints by calling, who are called into the light; and\n  sons of Sion, who vary not from the light, to which the Spirit is\n  promised, which is not tied to any forms out of the light; wherein all\n  inherit who are co-heirs with Christ; which many talk of, who inherit\n  the earthly instead of the heavenly. And whereas thou speakest of\n  Christ and his apostles clothing themselves with the sayings and words\n  of the prophets; and of their being your example in so doing; I say,\n  wolves will take the sheep\u2019s clothing; but the light and life finds\n  them out, and judges (not by their stolen words, but) by their works.\n  Nor did Christ cover himself with any words, but what were fulfilled\n  in him; neither do any of Christ\u2019s boast in other men\u2019s lines made\n  ready without them: to which rule if ye be obedient, fewer words and\n  more life will be seen among you. Then ye will not count it straitness\n  to silence the flesh, and hear what he saith, who speaks peace, \u2018that\n  his people turn no more to folly.\u2019 If ye once know that what is stolen\n  must be restored fourfold, the mouth of the false prophet will be\n  stopped, which builds up in deceit, but not in righteousness.\n\n  \u201cAnd whereas thou sayest, \u2018The Spirit of truth affords nothing but\n  endless varieties;\u2019 I say, the Spirit of truth thou knowest not: for\n  the Spirit of truth said, \u2018there is but one thing needful;\u2019 and to\n  speak the same thing again, is safe for the hearers. But that spirit,\n  which affords nothing but endless varieties, is not the Spirit of\n  truth; but is gone out into curious notions: and the number of his\n  names and colours is read nowhere, but in the unity of the Spirit of\n  truth. All others call truth deceit, and deceit truth, as the blind,\n  that opposed the light, ever did; who are ever learning endless\n  varieties, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, nor\n  to an end of their labours: but when they are out of one form, get\n  into another; so long as they can find a green tree without. Thus ye\n  are kept at work all your life, and to the grave in sorrow, as the\n  dumb priests, thou tellest of, have been before you: only ye have got\n  a finer image, but less life. And thou, whose teaching hath no end,\n  art in the horse-mill thou speakest of. I have read the epistles of\n  Timothy, and to the Hebrews; and there I find the duty of all\n  believers is, to see the law of the new covenant written in the heart,\n  whereby all may know God, from the least to the greatest. I know the\n  Holy Scriptures are profitable for the man of God; but what is that to\n  the man of sin, to the first-born, who is out of the light, and being\n  unstable and unlearned, wrests them to his own destruction; but to the\n  life cannot come?\n\n  \u201cAnd for your two ordinances thou speakest of, I say, upon the same\n  account ye deny the priests of the world therein, we deny you; being\n  both of you not only out of the life, but out of the form too. That\n  command, Matt. xxviii. 19, ye never had, nor its power; which was, \u2018to\n  baptize into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.\u2019 What Paul\n  received of the Lord, that body, and that bread, ye know as little,\n  but what ye have found in the chapter; nor the coming of Christ\n  either, who cannot believe his light. And whereas thou speakest of\n  preaching Christ of envy, and pleadest for it; I say, such preachers\n  we have enough of in these days. What else art thou doing, who sayest,\n  Paul was sent to baptize; though Paul says he was not: and so thou\n  wouldst prove him a liar, if any would believe thee before him. Thou\n  sayest also, \u2018for ought thou knowest, he might baptize thousands.\u2019\n  Thou mightest as easily have said millions, and as soon have proved\n  it. Thou mayest say the same of circumcision also, and on the same\n  ground.\n\n  \u201cAs for the signs that followed those that believed, which thou sayest\n  are ceased; I say, they who cannot receive the light cannot see the\n  signs, nor could believe them if they should see them to carp at; no\n  more than formerly they could do, who opposed the light in former\n  ages. They cannot properly be said to cease to such, who never had\n  them; but have only heard or read, that others long ago had them. But\n  that the power, and signs, and presence of God is not the same that\n  ever it was, in the measure, wherein he is received in the light, that\n  I deny; and declare it to be false, and from a spirit that knows not\n  God, nor his power.\n\n  \u201cAnd as for the gospel foundation thou speakest of, I say, it is to be\n  laid again in all the world. Ye never were on it, since the man of sin\n  set up his forms without power. Till ye can own the light of Christ,\n  which the saints preached, and their life and practice; for shame\n  cease to talk of their foundation, or glorious work, or quakings and\n  tremblings, which are the saints\u2019 experiences, which the world knows\n  not, nor can own: though ye cannot read that ever any came aright to\n  declare how they knew God, or received his word, without them. In thy\n  exhortation thou biddest me \u2018love Christ, wheresoever I see him:\u2019 but\n  hadst thou told me where one might come to see him, or how one might\n  know him, thou hadst showed more of a Christian in that, than in all\n  thou hast spoken. But it seems, ye are not all of one mind: some of\n  you say, \u2018he is gone, and will be no more seen, till doomsday;\u2019 but if\n  ever ye come to see Christ to your comfort, while ye oppose his light,\n  then God hath not spoken by me. This thou shalt remember, when thy\n  time thou hast spent.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nGreat opposition did the priests and professors make about this time\nagainst the light of Christ Jesus, denying it to be universally given;\nand against the pouring forth of the Spirit, and sons and daughters\nprophesying thereby. Much they laboured to darken the minds of people,\nthat they might keep them still in a dependence on their teaching.\nWherefore I was moved of the Lord to give forth the following lines, for\nthe opening of the minds and understandings of people, and to manifest\nthe blindness and darkness of their teachers:\u2014\n\n  \u201cTo all you professors, priests, and teachers, who are in darkness,\n  and know not the Spirit in prison, nor the light that shines in\n  darkness, and which the darkness doth not comprehend; but are the\n  infidels, whom the god of the world hath blinded, and to whom the\n  gospel is hid. For though ye have the four books, yet the gospel is\n  hid to you; who are now wondering at the work of God, and do not\n  believe that Christ hath enlightened every one that cometh into the\n  world. I offer you some Scriptures to read, which will prove your\n  spirits, and try them, how contrary they are to the apostles\u2019 spirit,\n  the Spirit of Christ and of the saints. Christ went and \u2018preached to\n  the spirits in prison,\u2019 1 Pet. iii. 19. He that readeth, let him\n  understand, whether this was a measure of the Spirit, yea or nay, or\n  the Spirit without measure, which he ministered to? \u2018For he whom God\n  hath sent, speaketh the words of God; for God giveth not the Spirit by\n  measure unto him,\u2019 John iii. 34. Here Christ had not the Spirit given\n  to him by measure. The apostle said, \u2018We will not boast of things\n  without (or beyond) our measure.\u2019 2 Cor. x. 13. So here was measure,\n  and not by measure. Christ, who received not the Spirit by measure,\n  told his disciples he would \u2018send them the Comforter, the Spirit of\n  Truth, that should guide them into all truth: for he should not speak\n  of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he\n  will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall\n  receive of mine, and show it unto you,\u2019 John xvi. 13, 14. Mind, read,\n  and learn; the Comforter shall receive of mine, saith Christ, and\n  shall show it unto you: who hath the measure, receives of his who hath\n  not by measure. The Comforter, when he comes, is to \u2018reprove the world\n  of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment,\u2019 ver. 8. Now all mind\n  the great work of God: the Spirit of Truth, which leads the saints\n  into all truth, which receives of Christ\u2019s, and shows it unto the\n  disciples, who are in the measure, he shall reprove the world of sin,\n  because they do not believe, &c. The Comforter, whom Christ will send,\n  takes of his, and shows it to the disciples; the same reproves the\n  world. Mind now, whether this be a measure, yea or nay, which comes\n  from him, who received not the Spirit by measure. He that leads the\n  believer into all truth, reproves the unbeliever in the world, of sin,\n  of righteousness, and of judgment; so he that is led into all truth,\n  sees that which is reproved, by the Spirit of Truth that leads him.\n  Now Christ saith, \u2018He shall take of mine, and show it unto you.\u2019 Is\n  this a measure, yea or nay, from him to whom God gave the Spirit not\n  by measure?\n\n  \u201cAgain, the Lord said, both by his prophet, Joel ii. 28, and his\n  apostle, Acts ii. 17, 18, \u2018It shall come to pass in the last days, I\n  will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, your sons and your\n  daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your\n  old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants, and handmaidens, I\n  will pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.\u2019\n  Look, ye deceivers: here the Lord saith, he will pour out of his\n  Spirit; mark the word, OF the Lord\u2019s Spirit upon all flesh. What!\n  young men, old men, sons and daughters, and maidens, all these to have\n  the Spirit of God poured forth upon them? Here, say they, these deny\n  the means then: nay, that is the means. And the great and notable day\n  of the Lord is coming, wherein it shall come to pass, that whosoever\n  shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. The God of the\n  spirits of all flesh is known; \u2018And,\u2019 saith the apostle, who would not\n  boast of things beyond his measure, \u2018that which may be known of God is\n  manifest _in_ them; for God hath showed it unto them,\u2019 Rom. i. 19. By\n  this which was of God manifest in them, they knew covetousness,\n  maliciousness, murder, deceit, and ungodliness; and knew that the\n  judgments of God were upon such things; and that they were worthy of\n  death not only that did the same, but who had pleasure in them that\n  did them. Therefore said the apostle, \u2018the wrath of God is revealed\n  from heaven against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men,\u2019 &c.\n  Now this of God manifest in them, which God showed unto them, by which\n  they know unrighteousness, and God\u2019s judgments thereupon, and that\n  they which commit such things are worthy of death; whether this be a\n  measure, yea or nay, which is of God, and which he hath showed to\n  them? What was that in them that \u2018did by nature the things contained\n  in the law, which showed the work of the law written in their heart,\u2019\n  Rom. ii. 14, 15? Mark, \u2018written!\u2019 Shall not this judge them that have\n  the outward law, but are out of the life of it? The apostle saith,\n  \u2018the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit\n  withal,\u2019 1 Cor. xii. 7. There are diversities of gifts, but the same\n  Spirit; but \u2018the manifestation of it is given to every man to profit\n  withal.\u2019 Mark, \u2018to one is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom; to\n  another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by\n  the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;\n  to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another\n  discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another\n  the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the\n  self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.\u2019 Mark\n  that, to every man severally as he will.\n\n  \u201cAgain, the apostle saith, \u2018the grace of God that bringeth salvation,\n  hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and\n  worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this\n  present world,\u2019 Tit. ii. 11, 12. Now ye, that turn this grace which\n  bringeth salvation, into lasciviousness, deny it, and say, that which\n  teacheth the saints, who by grace are saved, hath not appeared to all\n  men. Jude saith, \u2018Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his\n  saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are\n  ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have\n  committed, and of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have\n  spoken against him,\u2019 ver. 15. Here mark again; him that cometh with\n  ten thousands of his saints, to convince all of their ungodly deeds\n  and hard speeches; here it is, ALL of their ungodly deeds, and ALL of\n  their hard speeches; none left out, but ALL to be convinced and\n  judged, the world reproved by him who comes with ten thousands of his\n  saints, and will reign, and be king and judge. And have not ye all\n  something in you, that doth reprove you for your hard speeches, and\n  your ungodly deeds, the ungodliest of you all, who live in your hard\n  speeches against him, and his light and spiritual appearance in his\n  people?\n\n  \u201cAgain, the apostle, writing to the Gentiles, saith, \u2018But unto every\n  one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of\n  Christ,\u2019 Eph. iv. 7. Now mark, here is the measure of the gift of\n  Christ, \u2018who lighteth every man that cometh into the world,\u2019 John i.\n  9, \u2018that all men through him might believe. He that believeth on him\n  is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned, &c. And this\n  is the condemnation, that light is come into the world,\u2019 &c., John\n  iii. 18, 19. Now every man that cometh into the world being\n  enlightened, one loves it, and brings his deeds to the light, that\n  with the light he may see whether they be wrought in God; the other\n  hates the light, \u2018because his deeds are evil;\u2019 and he will not bring\n  his deeds to the light, because he knows the light will reprove him.\n  So he that hates the light, wherewith Christ hath enlightened him,\n  knows the light will reprove him for his evil deeds; and, therefore,\n  he will not come to the light.\n\n  \u201cAgain, the Lord by his prophet said concerning Christ, \u2018I will give\n  him for a light to the Gentiles, that he may be my salvation to the\n  ends of the earth,\u2019 Isa. xliv. 6. And what is that, which the children\n  that walk \u2018according to the course of this world, according to the\n  prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the\n  children of disobedience,\u2019 Eph. ii. 2, are disobedient to? Mark, and\n  read for yourselves, who being disobedient, walk according to the\n  course of the world, according to the power of the prince of the air;\n  mark, I say, what it is that all such are disobedient to? He that hath\n  an ear, let him hear. The apostle saith to the Colossians, \u2018the wrath\n  of God cometh upon the children of disobedience,\u2019 Col. iii. 6. Come,\n  ye professors, let us see, is not this something of God that is\n  disobeyed? Is it not that which is of God manifest in them, which God\n  hath shown them, which lets them see God\u2019s judgments are upon such,\n  when they act unrighteously? Is not this the measure of God (mark),\n  the Spirit that is in prison? and the Spirit of God that is grieved?\n\n  \u201cAnd ye professors, come, let us read the parable of the talents, and\n  reckon with you, and see who it is that hath hid the Lord\u2019s money in\n  the earth? Come, ye that have gained, enter ye into your master\u2019s joy.\n  Go, thou that hast hid the Lord\u2019s money in the earth, into utter\n  darkness; \u2018take it from him, and give it to him that hath;\u2019 every man\n  shall have his reward. For the Lord hath given \u2018to every man according\n  to his several ability,\u2019 Matt. xxv. 15; mark that, \u2018to every man\n  according to his several ability?\u2019 read this, if you can. Now is the\n  Lord coming to call every man severally to account, to whom he hath\n  given severally according to his ability. Now the wicked and slothful\n  servant, who hid the Lord\u2019s money in the earth, will be found out; and\n  the Lord\u2019s money will be taken from him, although he hath hidden it.\n  To him the Lord\u2019s commands have been grievous; but to us they are not,\n  who love God and keep his commandments. \u2018And,\u2019 saith the apostle to\n  the Romans, \u2018I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that\n  is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to\n  think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man\n  the measure of faith,\u2019 Rom. xii. 3. Read and mark, here is a measure\n  of faith.\n\n  \u201c\u2018And,\u2019 said another apostle, \u2018as everyone hath received the gift,\n  even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the\n  manifold grace of God,\u2019 1 Pet. iv. 10, \u2018For the grace of God hath\n  appeared unto all men.\u2019 The good stewards can give their account with\n  joy; but ye bad stewards, that turn the grace of God into\n  lasciviousness, now ye will be reckoned withal; now ye shall have your\n  reward. \u2018But,\u2019 say the world, \u2018must every one minister as he hath\n  received the gift?\u2019 \u2018Yea,\u2019 say I, \u2018but let him speak as the oracles of\n  God; and let him do it as of the ability which God giveth,\u2019 ver. 11.\n  John in the Revelation saith, \u2018They were judged every man according to\n  his works,\u2019 Rev. xx. 13. Christ saith, \u2018every idle word that men shall\n  speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment,\u2019 Matt.\n  xii. 36. So \u2018ye, that name the name of Christ depart from iniquity,\u2019 2\n  Tim. ii. 19. \u2018The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father,\n  with his angels; and then he shall reward every one according to his\n  works,\u2019 Matt. xvi. 27. He who is gone into a far country, and hath\n  given the talents to every one of you, according to your several\n  ability, \u2018will render to every man according to his deeds,\u2019 Rom. ii.\n  6. \u2018And further I say unto you, if any man have not the Spirit of\n  Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead\n  because of sin, but the Spirit is life, because of righteousness,\u2019\n  Rom. viii. 9, 10. So let the light which cometh from Christ examine;\n  for the Lord is appearing. Ye that have received according to your\n  ability, smite not your fellow-servant; and think not that the Lord\n  delayeth the time of his coming. Be not as they that said, \u2018Let us eat\n  and drink, for to-morrow we shall die.\u2019\n\n  \u201cThe apostle tells the Ephesians, that unto him \u2018this grace was\n  given\u2014to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which\n  from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all\n  things by Jesus Christ,\u2019 Eph. iii. 9. Read and understand every one\n  with the light which comes from Christ, the mystery, which will be\n  your condemnation, if ye believe not in it. This is to all, who\n  stumble at the work of the Spirit of God, the manifestation of it,\n  \u2018which is given to every man, to profit withal.\u2019 Come, ye professors,\n  who stumble at it; let us read the parables. \u2018A sower went forth to\n  sow; and some seed fell on the highway ground, and some on stony\n  ground, and some on thorny ground; the Seed is the Word, the Son of\n  Man is the seedsman. He that hath an ear, let him hear,\u2019 Matt. xiii.\n  Now look, all ye professors, what ground ye are? and what ye have\n  brought forth? and whether the wicked seedsman hath not got his seed\n  into your ground? \u2018He that hath an ear, let him hear.\u2019 And come, read\n  another parable, of the householder, hiring labourers to go into the\n  vineyard, and agreeing with every man for a penny, Matt. xx. Every man\n  is to have his penny, the last that went in, as well as the first; and\n  the last shall be first, and the first shall be last; for many are\n  called but few are chosen. He that hath an ear, let him hear.\u2019 There\n  is a promise spoken to Cain, that if he did well he should be\n  accepted, Gen. iv. 7. And Esau had a birthright, but despised it. Yet\n  it is \u2018not of him that willeth,\u2019 Rom. ix. 16; \u2018but by grace ye are\n  saved,\u2019 Eph. ii. 8. And stand still, and see your salvation, Exod.\n  xiv. 13. And ye that are children of light, put on the armour of\n  light, that ye may come into the \u2018unity of the faith, and of the\n  knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of\n  the stature of the fulness of Christ; that henceforth ye be no more\n  children tossed to and fro,\u2019 Eph. iv. 13.\n\n  \u201cAnd the Lord said, he would make a new covenant, by \u2018writing his law\n  in people\u2019s hearts, and putting his Spirit in their inward parts;\u2019\n  whereby they should all come to know the Lord\u2014Him by whom the world\n  was made. Now every one of you, mind the law written in your hearts,\n  and this Spirit put in your inward parts, that it need not be said to\n  you, \u2018know the Lord;\u2019 but that ye may witness the promise of God\n  fulfilled in you. \u2018But,\u2019 say the world, and professors, \u2018if every one\n  must come to witness the law of God written in their hearts, and the\n  Spirit put in the inward parts, what must we do with all our\n  teachers?\u2019 As we come to witness that, we need not any man to teach us\n  to know the Lord, having his law written in our hearts, and his Spirit\n  put in our inward parts. This is the covenant of life, the everlasting\n  covenant, which decays not, nor changes; and here is the way to the\n  Father, without which no man cometh unto the Father.\n\n  \u201cAnd here is the everlasting priesthood, the end of the old\n  priesthood, whose lips were to preserve knowledge; but now, saith\n  Christ, \u2018Learn of me;\u2019 who is the high-priest of the new priesthood.\n  \u2018And,\u2019 saith the apostle, \u2018that ye may grow up in the knowledge of\n  Jesus Christ, in whom are hid the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.\u2019\n  So we are brought off from the old priesthood that changed, to Christ,\n  to the new priesthood, that changeth not; and off from the first\n  covenant, that doth decay, to the everlasting covenant that doth not\n  decay, Christ Jesus, the covenant of Light, from whom every one of you\n  have a light, that ye might believe in the covenant of Light. If ye\n  believe not, ye are condemned; for light is come into the world, and\n  men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. \u2018I\n  am come a light into the world,\u2019 saith Christ, \u2018that whosoever\n  believeth in me, should not abide in darkness, but have the light of\n  life,\u2019 John xii., 46. And, \u2018believe in the light, that ye may be\n  children of the light.\u2019 But ye who do not believe in the light, but\n  hate it, because it manifests your deeds to be evil, ye are they that\n  are condemned by the light.\n\n  \u201cTherefore, while ye have time, prize it; seek the Lord while he may\n  be found, and call upon him while he is near; lest he say, \u2018time is\n  past;\u2019 for the rich glutton\u2019s time was past. Therefore, while time is\n  not quite past, consider, search yourselves, and see if ye be not they\n  that hate the light; and so are builders that stumble at the\n  corner-stone; for they that hated the light, and did not believe in\n  the light, did so in ages past. \u2018I am the light of the world,\u2019 saith\n  Christ, \u2018who enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world;\u2019 and\n  he also saith, \u2018learn of me;\u2019 and of him God saith, \u2018this is my\n  beloved Son, hear ye him.\u2019 Here is your teacher. But ye that hate the\n  light, do not learn of Christ, and will not have him to be your king,\n  to reign over you;\u2014Him, to whom all power in heaven and earth is\n  given, who bears his government upon his shoulders, who is now come to\n  reign; who lighteth every man that cometh into the world, and will\n  give to every man a reward, according to his works, whether they be\n  good or evil. So every man, with the light that comes from Christ,\n  will see his deeds, both he that hates it, and he that loves it. And\n  he that will not bring his deeds to the light, because it will reprove\n  him, that is his condemnation; and he shall have a reward according to\n  his deeds. For the Lord is come to reckon with you. He looks for\n  fruits; now the axe is laid to your root, and every tree of you that\n  bears not good fruit, must be hewn down, and cast into the fire.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nHaving stayed some time in LONDON, and visited the meetings of Friends\nin and about the city, and cleared myself of what services the Lord had\nat that time laid upon me there, I travelled into KENT, SUSSEX, and\nSURREY, visiting Friends, amongst whom I had great meetings; and many\ntimes met with opposition from Baptists and other jangling professors;\nbut the Lord\u2019s power went over them.\n\nWe staid one night at FARNHAM, where we had a little meeting, and the\npeople were exceedingly rude; but at last the Lord\u2019s power came over\nthem. After it we went to our inn, and gave notice that any that feared\nGod might come to us: and there came abundance of rude people, the\nmagistrates of the town also, and some professors. I declared the truth\nunto them; and those of the people that behaved rudely, the magistrates\nput out of the room. When they were gone there came another rude company\nof professors and some of the chief of the town. They called for faggots\nand drink, though we forbade them; and were as rude a people as ever I\nmet with. The Lord\u2019s power chained them that they had not power to do us\nany mischief; but when they went away, they left all their faggots and\nbeer which they had called for into the room, for us to pay for in the\nmorning. We showed the innkeeper what an unworthy thing it was, but he\ntold us, \u201cwe must pay it,\u201d and we did. Before we left the town I wrote a\npaper to the magistrates and heads of the town, and to the priest,\nshowing them and him how he had taught his people, and laying before\nthem their rude and uncivil conduct to strangers that sought their good.\n\nLeaving that place we came to BASINGSTOKE, a very rude town; where they\nhad formerly very much abused Friends. There I had a meeting in the\nevening, which was quiet for the Lord\u2019s power chained the unruly. At the\nclose of it I was moved to put off my hat, and pray to the Lord to open\ntheir understandings; upon which they raised a report, that, \u201cI put off\nmy hat to them, and bid them good-night,\u201d which was never in my heart.\nAfter the meeting, when we came to our inn, I sent for the innkeeper (as\nI used to do,) and he came into the room to us, and showed himself a\nvery rude man. I admonished him to be sober and fear the Lord; but he\ncalled for faggots and a pint of wine, and drank it off himself; then\ncalled for another, and called up half a dozen men into our chamber.\nThereupon I bid him go out of the chamber, and told him he should not\ndrink there, for we sent for him up to speak to him concerning his\neternal good. He was exceedingly mad, rude, and drunk. When he continued\nhis rudeness, and would not be gone, I told him the chamber was mine for\nthe time I lodged in it, and called for the key. Then he went away in\ngreat rage. In the morning he would not be seen; but I told his wife of\nhis unchristian and rude behaviour towards us.\n\nAfter this we came to BRIDPORT, having meetings in the way. We went to\nan inn, and sent into the town for such as feared God; and there came a\nshopkeeper, a professor, and put off his hat to us, and seeing we did\nnot the same to him again, but said Thou and Thee to him, he told us,\n\u201che was not of our religion;\u201d and after some discourse with him he went\naway. Then he went and stirred up the priest and magistrates against us,\nand after a while sent to the inn to desire us to come to his house, for\nthere were some that would speak with us, he said. Thomas Curtis was\nwith me, and he went to the man\u2019s house; where, when he came, the man\nhad laid a snare for him, for he had got the priest and magistrate\nthither, and they boasted much that they had caught George Fox, taking\nhim for me. When they perceived their mistake, they were in great rage;\nyet the Lord\u2019s power came over them, so that they let him go again.\nMeanwhile I had an opportunity of speaking to some sober people that\ncame to the inn. When Thomas was come back, and we were passing out of\nthe town, some of them came to us, and said, \u201cthe officers were coming\nto fetch me;\u201d but the Lord\u2019s power came over them all, so that they had\nnot power to touch me. There were some convinced in the town, who were\nturned to the Lord, and have stood faithful in their testimony to the\ntruth ever since, and a fine meeting there is there.\n\nPassing hence we visited PORTSMOUTH and POOLE, where we had glorious\nmeetings; and many were turned to the Lord. At RINGWOOD we had a large\ngeneral meeting, where the Lord\u2019s power was over all. At WEYMOUTH we had\na meeting; and thence came through DORCHESTER to LYME, where the inn we\nwent to was taken up with mountebanks, so that there was hardly any room\nfor us or our horses. In the evening we drew up some queries concerning\nthe ground of all diseases, and the natures and virtues of medicinal\nthings, and sent them to the mountebanks; letting them know, \u201cif they\nwould not answer them, we would stick them on the cross next day.\u201d This\nbrought them down, and made them cool, for they could not answer them;\nbut in the morning they reasoned a little with us. We left the queries\nwith some friendly people, that were convinced in the town, to stick\nupon the market-cross. The Lord\u2019s power reached some of the sober people\nin that place, who were turned by the Light and Spirit of Christ to his\nfree teaching.\n\nWe then travelled to EXETER; and at the sign of the Seven Stars, an inn\nat the bridge foot, had a general meeting of Friends out of Cornwall and\nDevonshire; to which came Humphrey Lower, Thomas Lower, and John\nEllis[52] from the Land\u2019s End, Henry Pollexfen, and Friends from\nPlymouth, Elizabeth Trelawny, and divers other Friends. A blessed\nheavenly meeting we had, and the Lord\u2019s everlasting power came over all,\nin which I saw and said, \u201cthat the Lord\u2019s power had surrounded this\nnation round about, as with a wall and bulwark, and his seed reached\nfrom sea to sea.\u201d Friends were established in the everlasting Seed of\nlife, Christ Jesus, their life, rock, teacher and shepherd.\n\nFootnote 52:\n\n  John Ellis, who is only twice mentioned in this journal, was an able\n  gospel minister, preaching in the authority of divine life, to the\n  reaching of God\u2019s witness in many hearts. His doctrine was sound,\n  flowing from the living fountain and divine spring of life and\n  heavenly wisdom. His preaching was full of reproof and caution, but in\n  that meekness which made it edifying. Whilst tender of the good in\n  all, he was terrible against the workers of iniquity. He was a man of\n  great kindness, a visitor of the widows and fatherless in their\n  distress, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, according to his\n  ability. He laboured greatly in the gospel in several counties, often\n  saying, \u201cHis Father\u2019s business must not be neglected, or done\n  negligently.\u201d As he was travelling in the service of Truth, he was\n  taken ill, and died in great peace in 1707 saying, \u201cI am ready, for I\n  have a sure foundation.\u201d\n\nNext morning Major Blackmore sent soldiers to apprehend me; but I was\ngone before they came. As I was riding up the street, I saw the officers\ngoing down; so the Lord crossed them in their design, and Friends passed\naway peaceably and quietly. The soldiers examined some Friends after I\nwas gone, \u201cwhat they did there;\u201d but when they told them they were in\ntheir inn, and had business in the city, they went away without meddling\nany further with them.\n\nFrom EXETER I took meetings as I went, till I came to BRISTOL, and was\nat the meeting there. After which I did not stay in the town, but passed\ninto Wales, and had a meeting at the Slone. Thence going to CARDIFF, a\njustice of the peace sent to me, desiring I would come with half a dozen\nof my friends to his house. So I took a friend or two, and went up to\nhim, and he and his wife received us very civilly. The next day we had a\nmeeting at Cardiff in the town-hall, and that justice sent about\nseventeen of his family to the meeting. There came some disturbers, but\nthe Lord\u2019s power was over them, and many were turned to the Lord. To\nsome that had run out with James Naylor, and did not come to meetings, I\nsent word, that \u201cthe day of their visitation was over,\u201d and they never\nprospered after.\n\nWe travelled from Cardiff to SWANSEA, where we had a blessed meeting;\nand a meeting was settled there in the name of Jesus. In our way thither\nwe passed over in a boat, with the high-sheriff of the county, and next\nday I went to speak with him, but he would not admit me.\n\nWe went to another meeting in the country, where the Lord\u2019s presence was\nmuch with us. Thence to a great man\u2019s house, who received us very\nlovingly; but next morning he would not be seen; one that in the mean\ntime had come to him, had so estranged him, that we could not get to\nspeak with him again.\n\nWe still passed on through the countries, having meetings and gathering\npeople, in the name of Christ, to Him their heavenly teacher, till we\ncame to BRECKNOCK; where we set up our horses at an inn. There went with\nme Thomas Holmes and John-ap-John, who was moved of the Lord to speak in\nthe streets. I walked out a little into the fields, and when I came in\nagain, the town was in an uproar. When I came into the chamber in the\ninn, it was full of people, and they were speaking in Welsh; I desired\nthem to speak in English, which they did, and much discourse we had.\nAfter a while they went away; but towards night the magistrates gathered\ntogether in the streets, with a multitude of people, and they bid them\nshout, and gathered up the town; so that for about two hours together,\nthere was such a noise, that the like we had not heard; and the\nmagistrates set them on to shout again, when they had given over. We\nthought it looked like the uproar, which we read was amongst Diana\u2019s\ncraftsmen. This tumult continued till night; and if the Lord\u2019s power had\nnot limited them, they seemed likely to have pulled down the house, and\nus to pieces.\n\nAt night, the woman of the house would have had us go to supper in\nanother room, but we discerning her plot, refused. Then she would have\nhad half a dozen men come into the room to us, under pretence of\ndiscoursing with us. We told her, no persons should come into our room\nthat night, neither would we go to them. Then she said, we should sup in\nanother room; but we told her we would have no supper, if not in our own\nroom. At length, when she saw she could not get us out, she brought up\nour supper in a great rage. So she and they were crossed in their\ndesign, for they had an intent to do us mischief; but the Lord God\nprevented them. Next morning I wrote a paper to the town concerning\ntheir unchristian conduct, showing the fruits of their priests and\nmagistrates; and as I passed out of the town I spoke to the people, and\ntold them, they were a shame to Christianity and religion.\n\nFrom this place we went to a great meeting in a steeple-house yard,\nwhere was a priest, and Walter Jenkin, who had been a justice, and\nanother justice. A blessed glorious meeting we had. There being many\nprofessors, I was moved of the Lord to open the Scriptures to them, and\nto answer their objections (for I knew them very well;) and to turn them\nto Christ, who had enlightened them; with which light they might see the\nsins and trespasses they had been dead in, and their Saviour, who came\nto redeem them out of them, who was to be their way to God, the truth\nand the life to them, and their priest made higher than the heavens, so\nthat they might come to sit under his teaching. A peaceable meeting we\nhad; many were convinced and settled in the truth that day. After it, I\nwent with Walter Jenkin to the other justice\u2019s house; and he said to me,\n\u201cYou have this day given great satisfaction to the people, and answered\nall the objections that were in their minds.\u201d For the people had the\nScriptures, but were not turned to the Spirit, which should let them see\nthat, which gave them forth, the Spirit of God, which is the key to open\nthem.\n\nFrom hence we passed to Richard Hamborow\u2019s, at PONTEMOIL, where was a\ngreat meeting; to which came another justice of peace, and several great\npeople, whose understandings were opened by the Lord\u2019s Spirit and power,\nand they were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, from whence it came. A\ngreat convincement there was; a large meeting was gathered in those\nparts, and settled in the name of Jesus.\n\nAfter this we returned to England, and came to SHREWSBURY, where we had\na great meeting, and visited Friends all over the countries in their\nmeetings, till we came to William Gandy\u2019s, in CHESHIRE, where we had a\nmeeting of between two and three thousand people, as it was thought; and\nthe everlasting word of life was held forth, and received that day. A\nblessed meeting it was, for Friends were settled by the power of God\nupon Christ Jesus, the rock and foundation.\n\nAt this time there was a great drought; and after this general meeting\nwas ended, there fell so great a rain, that Friends said, they thought\nwe could not travel, the waters would be so risen. But I believed the\nrain had not extended so far, as they had come that day to the meeting.\nNext day in the afternoon, when we turned back into some parts of Wales\nagain, the roads were dusty, and no rain had fallen there.\n\nWhen Oliver Cromwell sent forth a proclamation for a fast throughout the\nnation, for rain, when there was a very great drought, it was observed,\nthat as far as truth had spread in the north, there were pleasant\nshowers and rain enough, when in the south, in many places, they were\nalmost spoiled for want of rain. At that time I was moved to write an\nanswer to the Protector\u2019s proclamation, wherein I told him, \u201cif he had\ncome to own God\u2019s truth, he should have had rain; and that drought was a\nsign unto them of their barrenness, and want of the water of life.\u201d\nAbout the same time was written the following paper, to distinguish\nbetween true and false fasts:\u2014\n\n               \u201c_Concerning the true Fast and the false._\n\n  \u201cTo all you that are keeping fasts, who \u2018smite with the fist of\n  wickedness, and fast for strife and debate;\u2019 against you hath a voice\n  cried aloud, like a trumpet, that you may come to know the true fast,\n  which is accepted; and the fast, which is in the strife and the\n  debate, and smiting with the fists of wickedness; which fast is not\n  required of the Lord. \u2018Behold, in the day of your fast, you find\n  pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold (mark, take notice), ye\n  fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness;\n  ye shall not fast, as ye do this day, to make your voice heard on\n  high. Is it such a fast, that I have chosen, saith the Lord, a day for\n  a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush,\n  and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a\n  fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?\u2019\n\n  \u201cConsider all you that fast, see, if it be not \u2018hanging down the head\n  for a day, like a bulrush;\u2019 and fasting for \u2018strife and debate,\u2019 and\n  to \u2018smite with the fists of wickedness, to make your voice be heard on\n  high?\u2019 But this fast is not accepted of the Lord: but that which leads\n  you from strife, from debate, from wickedness; which is not to \u2018bow\n  down the head, as a bulrush for a day,\u2019 and yet live in exacting and\n  pleasure; this is not accepted of the Lord: but that which separates\n  from all these before-mentioned. That which separates from\n  \u2018wickedness, debate, strife, pleasures, smiting with the fist of\n  wickedness,\u2019 brings to know the true fast, which \u2018breaks the bonds of\n  iniquity, and deals bread to the hungry; brings the poor that are cast\n  out to his own house, and when he sees any naked, he covers them, and\n  hides not himself from his own flesh.\u2019 Here is the true fast, which\n  separates from them, where the bonds of iniquity are standing, and the\n  heavy burthens of the oppressed remaining, and the yoke not broken;\n  who deal not bread to the hungry, and bring not the poor to their own\n  house; who see the naked, but let him go unclothed, and hide\n  themselves from their own flesh. Yet such will make their voice to be\n  heard on high, as Christ speaks of the Pharisees, who \u2018sounded a\n  trumpet before them, and disfigured their faces,\u2019 to appear to men to\n  fast; but the bonds of iniquity were standing, strife and debate were\n  standing, striking with the fists of wickedness standing; these made\n  their voice heard on high, who had their reward.\n\n  \u201cBut that which brings to the true fast, which appears not to men to\n  fast, but unto the Father \u2018who seeth in secret; the Father that seeth\n  in secret, shall reward this openly.\u2019 This fast separates from the\n  Pharisees\u2019 fast, and them that bow the head for a day, like a bulrush.\n  This is it which brings \u2018to deal bread to the hungry, and clothe thine\n  own flesh when thou seest them naked; to bring the poor to thine\n  house, and to loose the bonds of wickedness;\u2019 mark, this is the fast;\n  and \u2018to undo every heavy burthen (mark again), and to let the\n  oppressed go free;\u2019 this is the fast: and \u2018to break every yoke.\u2019 When\n  thou observest this fast, \u2018then shall thy light break forth as the\n  morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily, and thy\n  righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy\n  rere-ward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt\n  cry, and he shall say, Here I am: if thou take away from the midst of\n  thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;\n  and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted\n  soul, then shall thy light arise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as\n  the noon-day.\u2019 The light brings to know this fast; and walking in it\n  this fast is kept; and he that believeth in the light, abides not in\n  darkness. And again; \u2018the Lord shall guide thee continually, and\n  satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be\n  like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail\n  not,\u2019 Isa. lviii. 11. These are they that are guided by the light\n  which comes from Christ, where the springs are.\n\n  \u201cAnd again; \u2018they that shall be of thee (that keep this fast,) shall\n  build the old waste places, and thou shalt raise up the foundations of\n  many generations; and thou shalt be called The repairer of the breach,\n  The restorer of the paths to dwell in,\u2019 Isa. lviii. 12. Now that which\n  gives to see the foundations of many generations, is the light which\n  separates from all, which is out of the light: and they that go out of\n  the light, though they may pretend a fast, and bow down the head for a\n  time, yet they are far from this fast, that doth raise up the\n  foundations of many generations, and is the repairer of the breach,\n  and restorer of the paths to dwell in. That which doth give to see\n  these foundations of many generations, and these breaches that are to\n  be repaired and restored, and paths to dwell in, is the light which\n  brings to know the true fast; and where this fast is known, which is\n  from wickedness, debate, strife, pleasures, from exacting, from the\n  voice that is heard on high, from the speaking of vanity, from the\n  bonds of iniquity, which breaks every yoke, and lets the oppressed go\n  free; here the health grows; here the morning is known, and\n  righteousness goes forth; the glory of the Lord is the rere-ward, and\n  the light riseth; the soul is drawn out to the hungry, and satisfies\n  the afflicted soul; and the springs of living water are known and\n  felt. The waters fail not here; the Lord guides continually, and the\n  foundations of many generations come to be seen and raised up: The\n  repairer of breaches is here witnessed, The restorer of paths to dwell\n  in.\n\n  \u201cBut all such as are out of the light which the prophets were in, with\n  which they saw Christ, and such as are in fasts, where was strife,\n  wickedness, debate, and bowing down the head like a bulrush for a day,\n  lifting their voice on high, and the bonds of wickedness yet standing,\n  and the burthens unloosed, and the oppressed not let go free, and the\n  yoke not broken, the nakedness not clothed, the bread not dealt to the\n  hungry, and these foundations of many generations not raised up; until\n  these things before-mentioned, be broken down,\u2014on such the light\n  breaks not forth as the morning, and the Lord hears them not. Such\n  have their reward; their iniquities have separated them from their\n  God, their sins have hid his face from them, that he will not hear:\n  their hands are defiled with blood, and their fingers with iniquity,\n  whose lips have spoken lies, and tongues muttered perverseness. \u2018None\n  calleth for justice, nor do any plead for truth; they trust in vanity,\n  and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. They\n  hatch cockatrice-eggs, and weave the spider\u2019s web: he that eateth of\n  their eggs, dies; and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper:\n  their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover\n  themselves with their works.\u2019 Observe; \u2018their works are works of\n  iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands: their feet run to\n  do evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts\n  are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths;\n  the way of peace they know not, and there is no judgment in their\n  doings. They have made them a crooked path; whosoever goeth therein\n  shall not know peace:\u2019 mark; such go from the light, therefore is\n  judgment far off; neither doth justice overtake. Here is obscurity,\n  walking in darkness; groping like blind men, as though they had no\n  eyes, and stumbling at noon-day in desolate places, like blind men.\n  Here is the roaring like bears, and mourning sorely like doves; here\n  judgment is looked for, but there is none, and salvation is put far\n  off: for the light is denied, which gives to see it. But here are the\n  multiplying of transgression, and their sins testifying against them;\n  the transgression that was within them, and their iniquities, which\n  they knew in transgressing and lying against the Lord, speaking the\n  things they should not, when they knew by that of God in them, that\n  they should not speak it. So departing from the way of God, speaking\n  oppression, revolting, conceiving and uttering forth from the heart\n  words of falsehood; here judgment is turned away backward, and justice\n  stands afar off; truth is fallen in the streets, and equity cannot\n  enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil makes\n  himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him. These are such\n  as are in the fast, which God doth not accept; not in the true fast,\n  whose \u2018light breaks forth as the morning:\u2019 but these are such as are\n  in the false fast, who grope, like blind men.\n\n  \u201cThat which gives to know the true fast, and the false fast, is the\n  Light, which gives the eye to see each fast, where the true judgment\n  is, and the iniquity standeth not, nor the transgressor, nor the\n  speaker of lies; but that is judged and condemned with the Light,\n  which makes it manifest. And when they who are in this fast call upon\n  the Lord, the Lord will answer them, Here am I. Here truth is pleaded\n  for, and falsehood flies away.\n\n  \u201cBut they who are out of this fast, in the perverseness, whose tongues\n  utter perverse things, who are stumbling and groping like blind men,\n  out of the light, in the iniquity which separates from God, who hides\n  his face from them that he will not hear;\u2014these going from the light,\n  go from the Lord and his face. So this is it which must be fasted\n  from; for it separates from God; and here comes the reward openly,\n  which condemns all that is contrary to the light; injustice, iniquity,\n  transgression, vanity, and that which bringeth forth mischief, which\n  hatcheth the cockatrice-eggs, and weaves the spider\u2019s web: he that\n  eateth of these eggs dies. Mark, \u2018that which is crushed breaks out\n  into a viper;\u2019 mark again, \u2018their webs shall not become garments,\n  neither shall they cover themselves with their works of vanity; acts\n  of violence are in their hands.\u2019 This is all out of the light, in the\n  wickedness. \u2018Their feet run to do evil, and they make haste to shed\n  innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of vanity; wasting and\n  destruction are in their path.\u2019 This is all far from the light. Again,\n  \u2018the way of peace they know not, there is no judgment in their goings;\n  they have made them crooked paths, whosoever go therein, shall not\n  know peace.\u2019 Mark; who go in their way, that know not the way of\n  peace, shall they know peace? \u2018Whose path is crooked, where there is\n  no judgment in their goings;\u2019 take notice, \u2018no judgment in their\n  goings;\u2019 this is all from the light, which manifesteth that which is\n  to be judged; where the covenant of peace is known, where all that\n  which is contrary to it is kept out. All who live in those things\n  contrary to the light, in the false fast, stumbling and groping like\n  blind men, may mark their path, and behold their reward. They that are\n  in the true fast, are separated from all these; from their words and\n  actions, their fruits, and their fast: but of those whose fast breaks\n  the bonds of iniquity, whom the Lord hears, and to whom righteousness\n  springs forth, and goes before them, the glory of the Lord is the\n  rere-ward.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nWe passed into Wales through MONTGOMERYSHIRE, and so into RADNORSHIRE,\nwhere there was a meeting like a leaguer, for multitudes. I walked a\nlittle aside, whilst the people were gathering; and there came to me\nJohn-ap-John, a Welshman, whom I desired to go to the people; and if he\nhad anything upon him from the Lord to them, he might speak to them in\nWelsh, and thereby gather them more together. Then came Morgan\nWatkins[53] to me, who was then become loving to Friends, and said, \u201cthe\npeople lie like a leaguer, and the gentry of the country are come in.\u201d I\nbid him go up also, and leave me, for I had a great travail upon me for\nthe salvation of the people. When they were well gathered, I went into\nthe meeting, and stood upon a chair about three hours. I stood a while\nbefore I began to speak; after some time I felt the power of the Lord go\nover the whole assembly; and his everlasting life and truth shone over\nall. The Scriptures were opened to them, and their objections answered.\nThey were directed to the light of Christ, the heavenly man; that by it\nthey might all see their sins, and Christ Jesus to be their Saviour,\ntheir Redeemer, their Mediator, and come to feed on him, the bread of\nlife from heaven. Many were turned to the Lord Jesus, and his free\nteaching that day; and all were bowed down under the power of God; so\nthat though the multitude was so great, that many sat on horseback to\nhear, there was no opposition. A priest who sat with his wife on\nhorseback, heard attentively, and made no objection. The people parted\npeaceably and quietly, with great satisfaction; many of them saying they\nnever heard such a sermon before, or the Scriptures so opened. For the\nnew covenant was opened, and the old, and the nature and terms of each;\nand the parables were explained. The state of the church in the\napostles\u2019 days was set forth, and the apostacy laid open; and the free\nteaching of Christ and the apostles was set over the hireling teachers;\nand the Lord had the praise of all, for many were turned to him that\nday.\n\nFootnote 53:\n\n  Morgan Watkins, who is only mentioned in this place, became a sufferer\n  for the truth. About eight years from the above date, we find him in\n  the Gatehouse prison, near Westminster abbey, with nineteen others on\n  the same account, being committed by warrant from the Duke of\n  Albemarle, \u201cfor being at a meeting in St. John\u2019s.\u201d This was during the\n  time the plague visited London. In Barclay\u2019s _Letters of Early\n  Friends_, are two from Morgan Watkins, one of them dated from the\n  Gatehouse prison, in which he says, \u201cBlessed be His name who hath kept\n  me, and nineteen more in this close place, all in health, above these\n  five weeks; notwithstanding three have been buried out of this prison\n  of the sickness.\u2014Good is the hand of the Lord to his own, whose death\n  is gain.\u201d\n\n  In a letter written about three months after the above, he mentions\n  the release of himself and Friends, and adds, \u201cI have been weak since\n  I came out into the air, but through the great love of my God, I am\n  wonderfully preserved, to the praise of his name. But the two\n  imprisonments in Newgate, and the one at the Gatehouse, have much\n  weakened my body, in which I have had several battles with death; but\n  the power of my God arising, gave me dominion over the distemper and\n  weakness of the flesh. The day was dreadful to all flesh, and few were\n  able to abide it, and stand in the judgment; but the Lord was very\n  merciful to the remnant of his people, and his blessed seed is arising\n  in many.\u201d\n\nI went back thence to LEOMINSTER, where was a great meeting in a field;\nmany hundreds of people being gathered together. There were about six\ncongregational preachers and priests among them; and Thomas Taylor, who\nhad been a priest, but was now become a minister of Christ, was with me.\nI stood up, and declared about three hours; and none of the priests were\nable to open their mouths in opposition; the Lord\u2019s power and truth so\nreached them, and bound them down. At length one priest went off about a\nbow-shot from me, drew several of the people after him, and began to\npreach to them. So I kept our meeting, and he kept his. After a while\nThomas Taylor was moved to go and speak to him; and he gave over; and\nhe, and the people he had drawn off, came to us again; and the Lord\u2019s\npower went over them all. At last a Baptist, that was convinced, said,\n\u201cWhere\u2019s priest Tombs? how chance he doth not come out?\u201d This Tombs was\npriest of Leominster. Hereupon some went and told the priest; who came\nwith the bailiffs and other officers of the town. When he was come, they\nset him upon a stool over against me. Now I was speaking of the\nheavenly, divine light of Christ, with which he \u201cenlightens every one\nthat cometh into the world, to give them the knowledge of the glory of\nGod in the face of Christ Jesus their Saviour.\u201d When priest Tombs heard\nthis, he cried out, \u201cThat is a natural light, and a made light.\u201d Then I\ndesired the people to take out their Bibles; and I asked the priest\nwhether he affirmed that that was a created, natural, made light, which\nJohn, a man that was sent from God, did bear witness to, and spoke of,\nwhen he said, \u201cIn him (to wit, in the Word) was life, and that life was\nthe light of men,\u201d John i. 4. \u201cDost thou affirm and mean,\u201d said I, \u201cthat\nthis light here spoken of, was a created, natural, made light?\u201d And he\nsaid, \u201cYes.\u201d Then I showed by the Scriptures, that the natural, created,\nmade light, is the outward light in the outward firmament, proceeding\nfrom the sun, moon, and stars. \u201cAnd dost thou affirm,\u201d said I, \u201cthat God\nsent John to bear witness to the light of the sun, moon, and stars?\u201d\nThen said he, \u201cDid I say so?\u201d I replied, \u201cDidst thou not say it was a\nnatural, created, made light, that John bore witness unto? If thou dost\nnot like thy words, take them again and mend them.\u201d Then he said, \u201cThat\nlight which I spoke of, was a natural, created light.\u201d I told him, \u201che\nhad not at all mended his cause; for that light which I spoke of, was\nthe very same that John was sent of God to bear witness to, which was\nthe life in the Word, by which all the natural lights, as sun, moon, and\nstars, were made. \u2018In him (to wit, the Word) was life, and that life was\nthe light of men.\u2019\u201d So I directed the people to turn to the place in\ntheir Bibles, and recited to them the words of John, how that \u2018In the\nbeginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.\nThe same was in the beginning with God; all things were made by him, and\nwithout him was not anything made, that was made. (So all natural,\ncreated lights were made by Christ the Word.) In him was life, and the\nlife was the light of men; and that was the true light, which lighteth\nevery man that cometh into the world.\u2019 And Christ saith of himself, John\nviii. 12, \u201cI am the light of the world;\u201d and bids them \u201cbelieve in the\nlight,\u201d John xii. 36. And God said of him by the prophet Isaiah, chap.\nxlix. 6, \u201cI will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou\nmayest be my salvation to the ends of the earth.\u201d So Christ in his light\nis saving. And the apostle said, \u201cThe light which shined in their\nhearts, was to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God\nin the face of Jesus Christ;\u201d and that was their \u201ctreasure in their\nearthen vessels,\u201d 2 Cor. iv. 6, 7.\n\nWhen I had thus opened the matter to the people, the priest cried to the\nmagistrates, \u201cTake this man away, or else I shall not speak any more.\u201d\n\u201cBut,\u201d said I, \u201cPriest Tombs, deceive not thyself, thou art not in thy\npulpit now, nor in thy old mass-house; but we are in the fields.\u201d So he\nwas shuffling to be gone; and Thomas Taylor stood up, and undertook to\nmake out our principle by Christ\u2019s parable concerning the sower, Matt.\nxiii. Then said the priest, \u201cLet that man speak, and not the other.\u201d So\nhe got into a little jangling for a while; till the Lord\u2019s power stopped\nand confounded him. Afterwards a Friend stood up and told him, how he\nhad sued him for tithe eggs, and other Friends for other tithes; for he\nwas an Anabaptist preacher, and yet had a parsonage at Leominster, and\nhad several journeymen under him. He said \u201che had a wife, and he had a\nconcubine; and his wife was the baptized people, and his concubine was\nthe world.\u201d But the Lord\u2019s power came over him and them all, and the\neverlasting truth was declared that day; and many were turned by it to\nthe Lord Jesus Christ their teacher and way to God. Of great service\nthat meeting was in those parts. Next day Thomas Taylor went to this\npriest, and reasoned with him; and overcame him by the power of the\nWord.\n\nFrom this place I travelled on in Wales, having several meetings, till I\ncame to TENBY; where, as I rode up the street, a justice of peace came\nout of his house, desired me to alight, and stay at his house; and I did\nso. On First-day the mayor and his wife, and several of the chief of the\ntown, came in about ten o\u2019clock, and stayed all the time of the meeting.\nA glorious one it was. John-ap-John being then with me, left it, and\nwent to the steeple-house; and the governor cast him into prison. On the\nSecond-day morning the governor sent one of his officers to the\njustice\u2019s house to fetch me; which grieved the mayor and the justice;\nfor they were both with me in the justice\u2019s house when the officer came.\nSo the mayor and the justice went up to the governor before me; and a\nwhile after I went up with the officer. When I came in, I said, \u201cPeace\nbe unto this house.\u201d And before the governor could examine me, I asked\nhim why he cast my friend into prison. He said, \u201cFor standing with his\nhat on in the church.\u201d I said, \u201cHad not the priest two caps on his head,\na black one and a white one? Cut off the brims of the hat, and then my\nfriend would have but one, and the brims of the hat were but to defend\nhim from weather.\u201d \u201cThese are frivolous things,\u201d said the governor. \u201cWhy\nthen,\u201d said I, \u201cdost thou cast my friend into prison for such frivolous\nthings?\u201d Then he asked me, whether I owned election and reprobation;\n\u201cYes,\u201d said I, \u201cand thou art in the reprobation.\u201d At that he was in a\nrage, and said he would send me to prison till I proved it; but I told\nhim I would prove that quickly, if he would confess truth. Then I asked\nhim, whether wrath, fury, rage, and persecution, were not marks of\nreprobation; for he that was born of the flesh, persecuted him that was\nborn of the Spirit; but Christ and his disciples never persecuted nor\nimprisoned any. Then he fairly confessed that he had too much wrath,\nhaste and passion in him. I told him Esau was up in him, the first\nbirth, not Jacob, the second birth. The Lord\u2019s power so reached and came\nover him, that he confessed to truth; and the other justice came, and\nshook me kindly by the hand.\n\nAs I was passing away, I was moved to speak to the governor again, and\nhe invited me to dine with him, and set my friend at liberty. I went\nback to the other justice\u2019s house; and after some time the mayor and his\nwife, and the justice and his wife, and divers other Friends of the\ntown, went about half a mile out of town with us, to the water-side,\nwhen we went away; and there, when we parted from them, I was moved of\nthe Lord to kneel down with them; and pray to the Lord to preserve them.\nSo after I had recommended them to the Lord Jesus Christ, their Saviour\nand free teacher, we passed away in the Lord\u2019s power, and the Lord had\nthe glory. A meeting continues in that town to this day.\n\nWe travelled to Pembrokeshire, and in PEMBROKE had some service for the\nLord. Thence we passed to HAVERFORD-WEST, where we had a great meeting,\nand all was quiet. The Lord\u2019s power came over all, and many were settled\nin the new covenant, Christ Jesus, and built upon him, their rock and\nfoundation; and they stand a precious meeting to this day. Next day,\nbeing their fair-day, we passed through it, and sounded the day of the\nLord, and his everlasting truth amongst them.\n\nAfter this we came into another county, and at noon came into a great\nmarket-town, and went into several inns, before we could get any meat\nfor our horses. At last we came to one where we got some. Then\nJohn-ap-John being with me, went and spoke through the town, declaring\nthe truth to the people; and when he came to me again, he said he\nthought all the town were as people asleep. After a while he was moved\nto go and declare truth in the streets again; then the town was all in\nan uproar, and cast him into prison. Presently after, several of the\nchief of the town came, with others, to the inn where I was, and said,\n\u201cThey have cast your man into prison.\u201d \u201cFor what?\u201d said I, \u201cHe preached\nin our streets,\u201d said they. Then I asked them, \u201cWhat did he say? had he\nreproved some of the drunkards and swearers, and warned them to repent,\nand leave off their evil doings, and turn to the Lord?\u201d I asked them,\nwho cast him into prison? They said, the high-sheriff and justices, and\nthe mayor. I asked their names, and whether they understood themselves?\nand whether that was their conduct to travellers that passed through\ntheir town, and strangers that admonished and exhorted them to fear the\nLord, and reproved sin in their gates? These went back, and told the\nofficers what I said; and after a while they brought down John-ap-John,\nguarded with halberts, in order to put him out of the town. Being at the\ninn door, I bid the officers take their hands off him. They said, \u2018the\nmayor and justices had commanded them to put him out of town.\u2019 I told\nthem I would talk with their mayor and justices, concerning their\nuncivil and unchristian carriage towards him. So I spoke to John to go\nlook after the horses, and get them ready, and charged the officers not\nto touch him. And after I had declared the truth to them, and showed\nthem the fruits of their priests, and their incivility and\nunchristian-like carriage, they left us. They were a kind of\nIndependents; but a very wicked town, and false. We bid the innkeeper\ngive our horses a peck of oats; and no sooner had we turned our backs,\nthan the oats were stolen from our horses. After we had refreshed\nourselves a little, and were ready, we took horse, and rode up to the\ninn, where the mayor, sheriff, and justices were. I called to speak with\nthem, and asked them why they had imprisoned John-ap-John, and kept him\nin prison two or three hours? But they would not answer me a word; they\nonly looked out at the windows upon me. So I showed them how unchristian\ntheir carriage was to strangers and travellers, and manifested the\nfruits of their teachers; and I declared the truth unto them, and warned\nthem of the day of the Lord, that was coming upon all evildoers; and the\nLord\u2019s power came over them, that they looked ashamed; but not a word\ncould I get from them in answer. So when I had warned them to repent,\nand turn to the Lord, we passed away; and at night came to a little inn,\nvery poor, but very cheap; for our own provision and our two horses,\ncost but eightpence; but the horses would not eat their oats. We\ndeclared the truth to the people of the place, and sounded the day of\nthe Lord through the countries.\n\nThence, we came to a great town, and went to an inn. Edward Edwards went\ninto the market, and declared the truth amongst the people; and they\nfollowed him to the inn, and filled the yard, and were exceedingly rude;\nyet good service we had for the Lord amongst them; for the life of\nChristianity and the power of it tormented their chaffy spirits, and\ncame over them, so that some were reached and convinced; and the Lord\u2019s\npower came over all. The magistrates were bound; they had no power to\nmeddle with us.\n\nAfter this we came to another great town on a market-day; and\nJohn-ap-John declared the everlasting truth through the streets, and\nproclaimed the day of the Lord amongst them. In the evening many people\ngathered about the inn; and some of them, being drunk, would fain have\nhad us into the street again; but seeing their design, I told them, if\nthere were any that feared God, and desired to hear the truth, they\nmight come into our inn; or else we might have a meeting with them next\nmorning. Some service for the Lord we had amongst them, both over night\nand in the morning; and though the people were hard to receive the\ntruth, yet the seed was sown; and thereabouts the Lord hath a people\ngathered to himself. In that inn also I turned but my back to the man\nthat was giving oats to my horse; and looking round again, I observed he\nwas filling his pockets with the provender. A wicked, thievish people,\nto rob the poor dumb creature of his food. I would rather they had\nrobbed me.\n\nLeaving this town and travelling on, a great man overtook us on the way,\nand he purposed (as he told us afterwards) to take us up at the next\ntown for highwaymen. But before we came to the town, I was moved of the\nLord to speak to him. What I spoke reached to the witness of God in the\nman, who was so affected therewith, that he had us to his house, and\nentertained us very civilly. He and his wife desired us to give them\nsome Scriptures, both for proof of our principles and against the\npriests. We were glad of the service, and furnished them with Scriptures\nenough; and he wrote them down, and was convinced of the truth, both by\nthe Spirit of God in his own heart, and by the Scriptures, which were a\nconfirmation to him. Afterwards he set us on our journey, and as we\ntravelled we came to a hill, which the people of the country say, is two\nor three miles high; from the side of this hill I could see a great way.\nAnd I was moved to set my face several ways, and to sound the day of the\nLord there; and I told John-ap-John (a faithful Welsh minister) in what\nplaces God would raise up a people to himself, to sit under his own\nteaching. Those places he took note of, and a great people have since\nbeen raised up there. The like I have been moved to do in many other\nrude places; and yet I have been moved to declare the Lord had a seed in\nthose parts, and afterwards there have been a brave people raised up in\nthe covenant of God, and gathered in the name of Jesus; where they have\nsalvation and free teaching.\n\nFrom this hill we came to DOLGELLY, and went to an inn. John-ap-John\ndeclared through the streets, and the town\u2019s people rose and gathered\nabout him. There being two Independent priests in the town, they came\nout and discoursed with him together. I went up to them, and finding\nthem speaking in Welsh, I asked them, \u201cwhat was the subject they spoke\nupon, and why they were not more moderate, and spoke not one by one? For\nthe things of God,\u201d I told them, \u201cwere weighty, and they should speak of\nthem with fear and reverence.\u201d Then I desired them to speak in English,\nthat I might discourse with them, and they did so. They affirmed, \u201cthat\nthe light which John came to bear witness of, was a created, natural,\nmade light.\u201d But I took the Bible, and showed them (as I had done to\nothers before,) \u201cthat the natural lights, which were made and created,\nwere the sun, moon, and stars; but this light, which John bare witness\nto, and which he called \u2018the true light, that lighteth every man that\ncometh into the world,\u2019 is the life in Christ the Word, by which all\nthings were made and created. The same that is called the life in\nChrist, is called the light in man; and this is a heavenly divine light,\nwhich lets men see their evil words and deeds, shows them all their\nsins, and, if they would attend unto it, would bring them to Christ,\nfrom whom it comes, that they might know him to save them from their\nsin, and to blot it out. This light, I told them, shone in the darkness\nof their hearts, and the darkness in them could not comprehend it; but\nin those hearts where God had commanded it to shine out of darkness, it\ngave unto such the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Christ\nJesus their Saviour. Then I opened the Scriptures largely to them, and\nturned them to the Spirit of God in their hearts, which would reveal the\nmysteries in the Scriptures to them, and would lead them into all truth\nas they became subject thereunto. I directed them to that which would\ngive everyone of them the knowledge of Christ, who died for them, that\nhe might be their way to God, and make peace between God and them.\u201d\n\nThe people were attentive, and I spoke to John-ap-John to stand up and\nspeak it in Welsh to them, which he did; and they generally received it,\nand with hands lifted up blessed and praised God. The priests\u2019 mouths\nwere stopped, so that they were quiet all the while, for I had brought\nthem to be sober at the first, by telling them that, \u201cwhen they speak of\nthe things of God and of Christ, they should speak with fear and\nreverence.\u201d Thus the meeting broke up in peace in the street, and many\nof the people accompanied us to our inn, and rejoiced in the truth that\nhad been declared unto them; that they were turned to the light and\nSpirit in themselves, by which they might see their sin, and know\nsalvation from it. When we went out of the town, the people were so\naffected, that they lifted up their hands, and blessed the Lord for our\ncoming. A precious seed the Lord hath thereaway, and many people in\nthose parts are since gathered to the Lord Jesus Christ, to sit down\nunder his free teaching; and they have suffered much for him.\n\nFrom hence we passed to CAERNARVON, a city like a castle. When we had\nput up our horses at an inn, and refreshed ourselves, John-ap-John went\nforth, and spoke through the streets; which were so strait and short,\nthat one might stand in the midst of the town and see both the gates. I\nfollowed him, and a multitude of people were soon gathered; amongst whom\na very dark priest began to babble; but his mouth was soon stopped. When\nJohn had cleared himself, I declared the word of life amongst the\npeople; directing them to \u201cthe light of Christ in their hearts, that by\nit they might see all their own ways, religions, and teachers, and might\ncome off from them all, to Christ, the true and living way, and the free\nteacher.\u201d Some of them were rude, but the greater part were civil, and\ntold us they had heard how we had been persecuted and abused in many\nplaces, but they would not do so to us there. I commended their\nmoderation and sobriety, and warned them of \u201cthe day of the Lord, that\nwas coming upon all sin and wickedness;\u201d testifying unto them, \u201cthat\nChrist was now come to teach his people himself, by his Spirit and by\nhis power.\u201d\n\nFrom hence we went to BEAUMARIS; a town wherein John-ap-John had\nformerly been preacher. After we had put up our horses at an inn, John\nwent forth and spoke through the street: and there being a garrison in\nthe town, they took him and put him into prison. The innkeeper\u2019s wife\ncame and told me that the governor and magistrates were sending for me\nto commit me to prison also. I told her, they had done more than they\ncould answer already; and had acted contrary to Christianity in\nimprisoning him for reproving sin in their streets and for declaring the\ntruth. Soon after came other friendly people, and told me, if I went out\ninto the street they would imprison me also; and therefore they desired\nme to keep at the inn. Upon this I was moved to go and walk up and down\nthe streets; and told the people, \u201cwhat an uncivil and unchristian thing\nthey had done, in casting my friend into prison.\u201d And, they being high\nprofessors, I asked them, \u201cif this was the entertainment they had for\nstrangers; if they would willingly be so served themselves; and whether\nthey, who looked upon the Scriptures to be their rule, had any example\ntherein from Christ or his apostles, for what they had done?\u201d So after a\nwhile they set John-ap-John at liberty.\n\nNext day, being market-day, we were to cross a great water: and not far\nfrom the place where we were to take boat, many of the market-people\ndrew to us; amongst whom we had good service for the Lord, \u201cdeclaring\nthe word of life and everlasting truth unto them, and proclaiming the\nday of the Lord amongst them, which was coming upon all wickedness; and\ndirecting them to the light of Christ, which he, the heavenly man, had\nenlightened them with; by which they might see all their sins, and false\nways, religions, worships, and teachers: and by the same light might see\nChrist Jesus, who was come to save them, and lead them to God.\u201d After\nthe Lord\u2019s truth had been declared to them in the power of God, and\nChrist the free teacher set over all the hireling teachers, I bid\nJohn-ap-John get his horse into the boat, which was then ready. But\nthere being a company of wild gentlemen, as they called them, got into\nit, whom we found very rude, and far from gentleness, they, with others,\nkept his horse out of the boat. I rode to the boat\u2019s side and spoke to\nthem, showing them \u201cwhat unmanly and unchristian conduct it was; and\ntold them they showed an unworthy spirit, below Christianity or\nhumanity.\u201d As I spoke, I leaped my horse into the boat amongst them,\nthinking John\u2019s horse would have followed, when he had seen mine go in\nbefore him; but the water being deep, John could not get his horse into\nthe boat. Wherefore I leaped out again on horseback into the water, and\nstayed with John on that side till the boat returned. There we tarried\nfrom eleven in the forenoon, to two in the afternoon, before the boat\ncame to fetch us; and then we had forty-two miles to ride that evening:\nand when we had paid for our passage, we had but one groat left between\nus in money. We rode about sixteen miles, and then got a little hay for\nour horses. Setting forward again, we came in the night to a little\nale-house, where we intended to stay and bait; but finding we could have\nneither oats nor hay there, we travelled on all night; and about five in\nthe morning got to a place within six miles of WREXHAM; where that day\nwe met with many Friends, and had a glorious meeting; and the Lord\u2019s\neverlasting power and truth was over all: and a meeting is continued\nthere to this day. Very weary we were with travelling so hard up and\ndown in Wales; and in many places we found it difficult to get meat\neither for our horses or ourselves.\n\nNext day we passed thence into FLINTSHIRE, sounding the day of the Lord\nthrough the towns; and came into WREXHAM at night. Here many of Floyd\u2019s\npeople came to us; but very rude, wild, and airy they were, and little\nsense of truth they had: yet some were convinced in that town. Next\nmorning one called a lady sent for me, who kept a preacher in her house.\nI went, but found both her and her preacher very light and airy; too\nlight to receive the weighty things of God. In her lightness she came\nand asked me, if she should cut my hair: but I was moved to reprove her,\nand bid her cut down the corruptions in herself with the sword of the\nSpirit of God. So after I had admonished her to be more grave and sober,\nwe passed away: and afterwards in her frothy mind, she made her boast\nthat \u201cshe came behind me and cut off the curl of my hair;\u201d but she spoke\nfalsely.\n\nFrom Wrexham we came to CHESTER; and being the fair time, we stayed a\nwhile, and visited Friends. For I had travelled through every county in\nWales, preaching the everlasting gospel of Christ; and a brave people\nthere is now, who have received it, and sit under Christ\u2019s teaching. But\nbefore I left Wales, I wrote to the magistrates of BEAUMARIS concerning\nthe imprisoning of John-ap-John; letting them see their conditions, and\nthe fruits of their Christianity, and of their teachers. Afterwards I\nmet with some of them near LONDON; but oh how ashamed they were of their\naction!\n\nFrom CHESTER we came to LIVERPOOL, where was at that time a fair also.\nAs I rode through the fair, there stood a Friend upon the cross,\ndeclaring the truth to the people: who seeing me ride by, and knowing I\nhad appointed a meeting next day upon a hill not far off, gave notice to\nthe people \u201cthat George Fox, the servant of the Lord, would have a\nmeeting next day upon such hill; and if any feared the Lord, they might\ncome and hear him declare the word of life to them.\u201d We went that night\nto Richard Cubban\u2019s, who himself was convinced, though not his wife; but\nat that time she became convinced also.\n\nNext day we went to the meeting on the top of the hill, which was very\nlarge. Some rude people with a priest\u2019s wife came, and made a noise for\na while, but the Lord\u2019s power came over them, the meeting became quiet,\nand the truth of God was declared amongst them. Many were that day\nsettled upon the rock and foundation, Christ Jesus, and under his\nteaching; who made peace between God and them.\n\nWe had a small meeting with a few Friends and people at MALPAS. Thence\nwe came to another place, where we had another meeting. There came a\nbailiff with a sword, and was rude; but the Lord\u2019s power came over him,\nand Friends were established in the truth.\n\nThence we came to MANCHESTER; and the sessions being there that day,\nmany rude people were come out of the country. In the meeting they threw\nat me coals, clods, stones, and water; yet the Lord\u2019s power bore me up\nover them, that they could not strike me down. At last, when they saw\nthey could not prevail by throwing water, stones, and dirt at me, they\nwent and informed the justices in the sessions; who thereupon sent\nofficers to fetch me before them. The officers came in while I was\ndeclaring the word of life to the people, and plucked me down, and haled\nme up into their court. When I came there, all the court was in disorder\nand noise. Wherefore I asked where were the magistrates that they did\nnot keep the people civil? Some of the justices said they were\nmagistrates. I asked them, why then did they not appease the people, and\nkeep them sober? for one cried, \u201cI\u2019ll swear,\u201d and another cried, \u201cI\u2019ll\nswear.\u201d I declared to the justices how we were abused in our meeting by\nthe rude people who threw stones, and clods, dirt, and water; and how I\nwas haled out of the meeting, and brought thither, contrary to the\ninstrument of government, which said, \u201cnone shall be molested in their\nmeetings that professed God, and owned the Lord Jesus Christ;\u201d which I\ndid. So the truth came over them, that when one of the rude fellows\ncried \u201che would swear,\u201d one of the justices checked him, saying \u201cwhat\nwill you swear? hold your tongue.\u201d At last they bid the constable take\nme to my lodging; and there be secured till morning, till they sent for\nme again. So the constable had me to my lodging; and as we went the\npeople were exceedingly rude; but I let them see \u201cthe fruits of their\nteachers, and how they shamed Christianity, and dishonoured the name of\nJesus, which they professed.\u201d At night we went to a justice\u2019s house in\nthe town, who was pretty moderate; and I had much discourse with him.\nNext morning we sent to the constable to know if he had anything more to\nsay to us. And he sent us word \u201che had nothing to say to us, but that we\nmight go whither we would.\u201d The Lord hath since raised up a people to\nstand for his name and truth in that town over those chaffy professors.\n\nWe passed from Manchester, having many precious meetings in several\nplaces, till we came to PRESTON; between which and Lancaster I had a\ngeneral meeting: from which I went to LANCASTER. There at our inn I met\nwith Colonel West, who was very glad to see me: who meeting with Judge\nFell, told him I was mightily grown in the truth; when indeed he was\ncome nearer to the truth, and so could better discern it.\n\nWe came from Lancaster to Robert Widders\u2019s. On the First-day after I had\na general meeting near SAND-SIDE, of Friends of WESTMORLAND and\nLANCASHIRE, when the Lord\u2019s everlasting power was over all; in which the\nword of eternal life was declared, and Friends were settled upon the\nfoundation, Christ Jesus, under his free teaching; and many were\nconvinced, and turned to the Lord.\n\nNext day I came over the Sands to SWARTHMORE, where Friends were glad to\nsee me. I stayed there two First-days, visiting Friends in their\nmeetings thereaways. They rejoiced with me in the goodness of the Lord,\nwho by his eternal power had carried me through, and over many\ndifficulties and dangers in his service: to him be the praise for ever!\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER XI.\n\n1657.\u2014Exhortation to Friends to take heed to the Light of Christ\u2014an\n    expostulation with persecutors\u2014to Friends to be valiant for the\n    truth\u2014in parts of Cumberland the priests are so forsaken that some\n    steeple-houses stand empty\u2014John Wilkinson, the priest, is so\n    deserted, that he sets up a meeting in his own house\u2014then a silent\n    meeting, and at last joins Friends, and becomes an able\n    minister\u2014George Fox travels into Scotland with Col. Osborn and\n    Robert Widders\u2014the latter was a thundering man against the\n    rottenness of the priests\u2019 hypocrisy and deceit\u2014Lady Hamilton is\n    convinced\u2014the Scotch priests raise the war-cry, and draw up their\n    curses, which George Fox answers\u2014they are in a rage and panic when\n    he comes there, thinking \u201cthat all was gone\u201d\u2014some Baptists, with\n    their logic and syllogisms, are confuted by George Fox\u2019s logic\u2014he is\n    banished Scotland by the council, but disregards their order\u2014George\n    Fox and William Osburn are waylaid by thieves, who are admonished by\n    the former, and overawed by the Lord\u2019s power\u2014the Highlanders run at\n    them with pitchforks\u2014at Johnstons they are banished the town\u2014on\n    hearing that the council of Edinburgh had issued warrants against\n    him, George Fox goes thither, and is not molested.\n\n\nHaving got a little respite from travel, I was moved to write an epistle\nto Friends, as follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cAll Friends of the Lord everywhere, whose minds are turned in towards\n  the Lord, take heed to the light within you, which is the light of\n  Christ; which, as ye love it, will call your minds inward, that are\n  abroad in the creatures: so your minds may be renewed by it, and\n  turned to God in this which is pure, to worship the living God, the\n  Lord of Hosts over all the creatures. That which calls your minds out\n  of the lusts of the world, will call them out of the affections and\n  desires, and turn you to set your affections above. That which calls\n  the mind out of the world, will give judgment upon the world\u2019s\n  affections and lusts, and is the same that calls out your minds from\n  the world\u2019s teachers, and the creatures, to have your minds renewed.\n  There is your obedience known and found; there the image of God is\n  renewed in you; and ye come to grow up in it. That which calls your\n  minds out of the earth, turns them towards God, where the pure Babe is\n  born of the virgin; and the Babe\u2019s food is known, the children\u2019s\n  bread, which comes from the living God, and nourishes up to eternal\n  life. These babes and children receive their wisdom from above, from\n  the pure living God, and not from the earthly one: for that is trodden\n  under foot with such. All who hate this light, whose minds are abroad\n  in the creatures, in the earth, and in the image of the devil, get the\n  words of the saints, that received their wisdom from above, into the\n  old nature, and their corrupted minds. Such are murderers of the just,\n  enemies to the cross of Christ, in whom the prince of the air lodgeth:\n  sons of perdition, betrayers of the just.\n\n  \u201cTherefore take heed to that light, which is oppressed with that\n  nature; which light, as it arises, shall condemn all that cursed\n  nature, shall turn it out, and shut it out of the house; and so ye\n  will come to see the candle lighted, and the house sweeping and swept.\n  Then the pure pearl ariseth; then the eternal God is exalted. The same\n  light that calls in your minds out of the world, turns them to God,\n  the Father of lights. Here in the pure mind is the pure God waited\n  upon for wisdom from above; the pure God is seen night and day; and\n  the eternal peace, of which there is no end, enjoyed. People may have\n  openings, and yet their minds go into the lusts of the flesh; but\n  there the affections are not mortified. Therefore hearken to that, and\n  take heed to that, which calls your minds out of the affections and\n  lusts of the world, to have them renewed. The same will turn your\n  minds to God; the same light will set your affections above, and bring\n  you to wait for the pure wisdom of God from on high, that it may be\n  justified in you.\n\n  \u201cWait all in that, which calls in your minds, and turns them to God;\n  here is the true cross. That mind shall feed upon nothing that is\n  earthly; but be kept in the pure light of God up to God, to feed upon\n  the living food, which comes from the living God. The Lord God\n  Almighty be with you all, dear babes, and keep you all in his strength\n  and power to his glory, over all the world\u2014you whose minds are called\n  out of it, and turned to God, to worship the Creator, and serve him,\n  and not the creature. The light of God, which calls the mind out of\n  the creatures, and turns it to God, brings into a being of endless joy\n  and peace. Here is always a seeing God present, which is not known to\n  the world, whose hearts are in the creatures, whose knowledge is in\n  the flesh, whose minds are not renewed.\n\n  \u201cTherefore all Friends, the Seed of God mind and dwell in, to reign\n  over the unjust: and the power of the Lord dwell in, to keep you clear\n  in your understandings, that the Seed of God may reign in you all;\u2014the\n  Seed of God, which is but one in all, which is Christ in the male and\n  in the female, which the promise is to. Wait upon the Lord for the\n  just to reign over the unjust, and for the Seed of God to reign over\n  the seed of the serpent, and be the head; and that all that is mortal\n  may die; for out of that will rise presumption. So fare ye well, and\n  God Almighty bless, and guide, and keep you in his wisdom.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nAbout this time Friends, that were moved of the Lord to go to the\nsteeple-houses and markets, to reprove sin, and warn people of the day\nof the Lord, suffered much hardship from rude people, and also from the\nmagistrates; being commonly pulled down, buffeted, beaten, and\nfrequently sent to prison. Wherefore I was moved to give forth the\nfollowing expostulation, to be spread amongst people, to show them, how\ncontrary they acted therein to the apostles\u2019 doctrine and practice, and\nto bring them to more moderation. Thus it was:\u2014\n\n  \u201cIs it not better for you, that have cast into prison the servants and\n  children of the Lord God, for speaking as they are moved, in\n  steeple-houses or markets? Is it not better, I say, for you to try all\n  things, and hold fast that which is good? Is it not of more honour and\n  credit, to prove all things, and try all things, than to pluck down in\n  the steeple-houses, and pull off the hair of their heads, and cast\n  them into prison? Is this an honour to your truth and gospel you\n  profess? Doth it not show that ye are out of the truth, and are not\n  ready to instruct the gainsayers? Hath not the Lord said, \u2018He will\n  pour out of his Spirit upon all flesh, and his sons and his daughters\n  shall prophesy; old men shall dream dreams, and young men see visions;\n  and on his handmaids he will pour forth of his Spirit?\u2019 Was not this\n  prophecy in past ages stood against by the wise learned men in their\n  own wisdom, and by the synagogue teachers? Were not those haled out of\n  the synagogues and temple, who witnessed the Spirit poured forth upon\n  them? Doth not this show, that ye have not the pourings forth of this\n  Spirit upon you, who fill the jails with so many sons and daughters,\n  and hold up such teachers as are bred up in learning at Oxford and\n  Cambridge, and are made by the will of man? Doth not this show, that\n  ye, who are bred up there, who are made teachers by the will of man,\n  and who persecute for prophesying, are strangers to the Spirit that is\n  \u2018poured forth upon sons and daughters,\u2019 by which Spirit they come to\n  \u2018minister to the spirits that are in prison?\u2019 The Lord hath a\n  controversy with you, who are found prisoning and persecuting such as\n  the Lord hath poured forth of his Spirit upon. Do not your fruits\n  show, in all the nation where ye come; in towns, cities, villages, and\n  countries, that ye are the seedsmen made by the will of man, who sow\n  to the flesh, of which nothing but corruption is reaped? Ye are looked\n  upon, and your fruits, and that which may be gathered, is seen by all\n  that are in the light, as they pass through your countries, towns,\n  cities, and villages, that ye are all the seedsmen that have sown to\n  the flesh. Mark, and of this take notice, ye who are of that birth\n  that is born of the flesh, sow to your own, persecuting him that is\n  born of the Spirit. Such as sow to the Spirit, and of the Spirit reap\n  life eternal, ye cast into prison. Do ye not hale out of the\n  synagogues, persecute and beat in them, and knock down? Are not these\n  the works of the flesh? Have not many been almost murdered and\n  smothered in your synagogues? Have not some been haled out of them,\n  for but looking at the priest, and after cast into prison? Doth not\n  all this make manifest what spirit ye are of, and your fruits to be of\n  the flesh? What pleasures and sports in every town are to be seen\n  among your flocks, that sow to the flesh and are born of it!\n\n  \u201cWhereas the ministers of the Spirit cried against such, as \u2018sported\n  in the day-time;\u2019 such as \u2018ate and drank, and rose up to play;\u2019 such\n  as lived wantonly upon earth in pleasures; such as lived in fulness of\n  bread and idleness; such as defile the flesh: such did God overthrow\n  and destroy, and set them forth as examples to all them that after\n  should live ungodly. But are not the fruits of this reaped in every\n  town? Cannot we hence see, that here is sowing to the flesh? Again,\n  what scorning and scoffing, what mocking, derision, and strife! What\n  oaths and drunkenness, uncleanness and cursed speaking! What lust and\n  pride are seen in the streets! These fruits we see are reaped to the\n  flesh. So here we see the seedsman, him that sows to this flesh, of\n  which nothing but corruption is reaped; as the countries, towns,\n  cities, and villages make manifest. But the ministers of the Spirit,\n  who sow to the Spirit, come to reap eternal life. These discern the\n  other seedsman, who sows to the flesh, and of the flesh reaps\n  corruption. For the day hath manifested each seedsman, and what is\n  reaped from each is seen; glory be to the Lord God for ever! The\n  ministers of the Spirit, who are born of the Spirit, sons and\n  daughters, who have the Spirit poured forth upon them, and witness the\n  promise of God fulfilled in them, by the Spirit of God preach and\n  minister to the Spirit in prison in every one, in the sight of God,\n  the Father of Spirits. God\u2019s hand is turned against you all, that have\n  destroyed God\u2019s creatures upon your lust. God\u2019s hand is turned against\n  you that have wronged by unjust dealing, defrauded, and oppressed the\n  poor, and respected the persons of the proud (such as are in gay\n  apparel); and lend not your ear to the cry of the poor. The Lord\u2019s\n  hand is turned against you, and his righteous judgment and justice\n  upon you will be accomplished and repaid: who shall have a reward,\n  every one according to his works.\n\n  \u201cO! the abomination, the hypocritical profession that is upon the\n  earth, where God and Christ, faith, hope, the Holy Spirit, and truth\n  are professed; but the fear of God, and the faith that purifies and\n  gives victory over the world, are not lived in! Doth it not appear,\n  that the wisdom that rules in all those, whom the seedsman that sows\n  to the flesh, sows for, and who are born of the flesh, is from below,\n  earthly, sensual, and devilish; that their understanding is brutish,\n  and their knowledge natural, as the brute beasts? For men and women in\n  that state, have not patience to speak one to the other of the\n  Scriptures, without much corruption and flesh appearing, yet they have\n  a feigned humility, a will-worship, and righteousness of self; but\n  they own not the light, which \u2018lighteth every man that cometh into the\n  world,\u2019 Christ Jesus, the righteousness of God; which being owned,\n  self, and the righteousness of self, come to be denied. Here is the\n  humility that is contrary to the light, that is from below and\n  feigned: here is the wisdom that is earthly, sensual, and devilish;\n  for people can scarce speak one to another, without destroying one\n  another, prisoning and persecuting one another, when they speak of the\n  Scriptures. Now, this is the devilish wisdom, murdering and\n  destroying: this is not the wisdom that is from above, which is pure\n  and peaceable; gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good\n  fruits. Here all may read each seedsman, which hath each wisdom. He\n  that sows to the flesh, and is born of that, hath the wisdom that is\n  earthly, sensual, and devilish; he that sows to the Spirit, a minister\n  of the Spirit, hath the wisdom from above, which is pure, peaceable,\n  gentle, and easy to be entreated;\u2014the wisdom by which all things were\n  made and created. Now is each wisdom discovered, and each seedsman;\n  the day, which is the light, hath discovered them.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nI was also moved to give forth the following epistle to Friends, to stir\nthem up to be bold and valiant for the truth, and to encourage them in\ntheir sufferings for it:\u2014\n\n  \u201cAll Friends and brethren everywhere, now is the day of your trial,\n  now is the time for you to be valiant, and to see that the testimony\n  of the Lord doth not fall. Now is the day for the exercise of your\n  gifts, of your patience, and of your faith. Now is the time to be\n  armed with patience, with the light, with righteousness, and with the\n  helmet of salvation. Now is the trial of the slothful servant, who\n  hides his talent, and will judge Christ hard. Now, happy are they that\n  can say, \u2018the earth is the Lord\u2019s and the fulness thereof, and he\n  gives the increase;\u2019 and therefore, who takes it from you? Is it not\n  the Lord still that suffers it? For the Lord can try you as he did\n  Job, whom he made rich, whom he made poor, and whom he made rich\n  again; who still kept his integrity in all conditions. Learn Paul\u2019s\n  lesson, \u2018in all states to be content;\u2019 and have his faith, that\n  \u2018nothing is able to separate us from the love of God, which we have in\n  Christ Jesus.\u2019 Therefore be rich in life, and in grace, which will\n  endure, ye who are heirs of life, and born of the womb of eternity,\n  that noble birth, that cannot stoop to that which is born in sin, and\n  conceived in iniquity; who are better bred and born; whose religion is\n  from God, above all the religions that are from below; and who walk by\n  faith, by that which God hath given you, and not by that which men\n  make, who walk by sight, from the Mass-Book to the Directory. Such are\n  subject to stumble and fall, who walk by sight and not by faith.\n\n  \u201cTherefore mind him that destroys the original of sin, the devil and\n  his works, and cuts off the entail of Satan, viz., sin; who would have\n  by entail an inheritance of sin in men and women from generation to\n  generation, and pleads for it by all his lawyers and counsellors. For\n  though the law, which made nothing perfect, did not cut it off; yet\n  Christ being come destroys the devil and his works, and cuts off the\n  entail of sin. This angers all the devil\u2019s lawyers and counsellors,\n  that Satan shall not hold sin by entail in thy garden, in thy field,\n  in thy temple, thy tabernacle. So keep your tabernacles, that there ye\n  may see the glory of the Lord appear at the doors thereof. And be\n  faithful; for ye see, what the worthies and valiants of the Lord\n  attained unto by faith. Enoch by faith was translated. Noah by faith\n  was preserved over the waters in his ark. Abraham by faith forsook his\n  father\u2019s house and religion, and all the religions of the world. Isaac\n  and Jacob by faith followed his steps. See also how Samuel, with other\n  of the Lord\u2019s prophets, and David, by faith were preserved to God,\n  over God\u2019s enemies! Daniel and the three children by faith escaped the\n  lions and the fire, and preserved their worship clean, and by it were\n  kept over the worships of the world. The apostles by faith travelled\n  up and down the world, were preserved from all the religions of the\n  world, and held forth the pure religion to the dark world, which they\n  had received from God; and likewise their fellowship was received from\n  above, which is in the gospel that is everlasting. In this, neither\n  powers, principalities, nor thrones, dominions nor angels, things\n  present, nor things to come, nor heights, nor depths, nor death,\n  mockings, nor spoiling of goods, nor prisons, nor fetters, were able\n  to separate them from the love of God, which they had in Christ Jesus.\n\n  \u201cAnd Friends, \u2018quench not the Spirit, nor despise prophesying,\u2019 where\n  it moves; neither hinder the babes and sucklings from crying Hosanna;\n  for out of their mouths will God ordain strength. There were some in\n  Christ\u2019s day that were against such, whom he reproved; and there were\n  some in Moses\u2019s day, who would have stopped the prophets in the camp,\n  whom Moses reproved, and said, by way of encouragement to them, \u2018Would\n  God, that all the Lord\u2019s people were prophets!\u2019 So I say now to you.\n  Therefore ye, that stop it in yourselves, do not quench it in others,\n  neither in babe nor suckling; for the Lord hears the cries of the\n  needy, and the sighs and groans of the poor. Judge not that, nor the\n  sighs and groans of the Spirit, which cannot be uttered, lest ye judge\n  prayer; for prayer as well lies in sighs and groans to the Lord as\n  otherwise. Let not the sons and daughters, nor the hand-maidens be\n  stopped in their prophesyings, nor the young men in their visions, nor\n  the old men in their dreams; but let the Lord be glorified in and\n  through all, who is over all, God blessed for ever! So every one may\n  improve his talents, every one exercise his gifts, and every one speak\n  as the Spirit gives him utterance. Thus every one may minister as he\n  hath received the grace, as a good steward to him that hath given it\n  him; so that all plants may bud and bring forth fruit to the glory of\n  God; \u2018for the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every one to\n  profit withal.\u2019\n\n  \u201cSee, that every one hath profited in heavenly things: male and\n  female, look into your own vineyards, and see what fruit ye bear to\n  God; look into your own houses, see how they are decked and trimmed,\n  and see what odours, myrrh, and frankincense ye have therein, and what\n  a smell and savour ye have to ascend to God, that he may be glorified.\n  Bring all your deeds to the light, which ye are taught to believe in\n  by Christ, your Head, the heavenly Man; and see how they are wrought\n  in God. Every male and female, let Christ dwell in your hearts by\n  faith, and let your mouths be opened to the glory of God the Father,\n  that he may rule and reign in you. We must not have Christ Jesus, the\n  Lord of life, put any more in a stable, amongst the horses and asses;\n  but he must now have the best chamber, the heart, and the rude,\n  debauched spirit must be turned out. Therefore let Him reign, whose\n  right it is, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, by which ye call him\n  Lord, in which ye pray, and have comfort and fellowship with the\n  Father and with the Son. Therefore know the triumph in it, and in God\n  and his power (which the devil is out of), and in the seed, which is\n  first and last, the beginning and ending, the top and cornerstone; in\n  which is my love to you, and in which I rest\u2014\n\n                                                 Your friend, G. F.\u201d\n\n  \u201c_Postscript_\u2014And, Friends, be careful how ye set your feet among the\n  tender plants, that are springing up out of God\u2019s earth; lest ye tread\n  upon them, hurt, bruise, or crush them in God\u2019s vineyard.\u201d\n\nAfter I had tarried two First-days at Swarthmore, and had visited\nFriends in their meetings thereabouts, I passed into WESTMORLAND, in the\nsame work, till I came to John Audland\u2019s, where there was a general\nmeeting. The night before I had a vision of a desperate creature, that\nwas coming to destroy me, but I got victory over it. And next day in\nmeeting-time came one Otway, with some rude fellows. He rode round about\nthe meeting with his sword or rapier, and would fain have got in through\nthe Friends to me; but the meeting being great, the Friends stood close,\nso that he could not easily come at me. When he had rode about several\ntimes raging, and found he could not get in, being limited by the Lord\u2019s\npower, he went away. It was a glorious meeting, ended peaceably, and the\nLord\u2019s everlasting power came over all. This wild man went home, became\ndistracted, and not long after died. I sent a paper to John Blaykling to\nread to him, while he lay ill, showing him his wickedness; and he\nacknowledged something of it.\n\nFrom hence, I went through KENDAL, where a warrant had long lain to\napprehend me; and the constables seeing me, ran to fetch their warrant,\nas I was riding through the town; but before they could come with it, I\nwas gone past, and so escaped their hands.\n\nI travelled northwards, visiting Friends\u2019 meetings, till I came to\nSTRICKLAND-HEAD, where I had a great meeting. Most of the gentry of that\ncountry being gathered to a horse-race, not far from the meeting, I was\nmoved to go and declare the truth unto them; and a chief-constable, that\nwas there, also admonished them. Our meeting was quiet, and the Lord was\nwith us; and by his word and power, Friends were settled in the eternal\ntruth.\n\nFrom hence we passed into CUMBERLAND, where we had many precious living\nmeetings. After we had travelled to GILSLAND, and had a meeting there,\nwe came to CARLISLE, where they used to put Friends out of the town; but\nthere came a great flood while we were there, that they could not put us\nout; so we had a meeting there on First-day. After which we passed to\nABBEY-HOLM, and had a little meeting there. This is a place, where I\ntold Friends long before, a great people would come forth to the Lord;\nwhich hath since come to pass, and a large meeting is gathered to the\nLord in those parts.\n\nI passed hence to a general meeting at LANGLANDS in Cumberland, which\nwas very large; for most of the people had so forsaken the priests, that\nthe steeple-houses in some places stood empty. And John Wilkinson,[54] a\npreacher, I have often named before, who had three steeple-houses, had\nso few hearers left, that, giving over preaching in them, he first set\nup a meeting in his house, and preached there to them that were left.\nAfterwards he set up a silent meeting (like Friends,) to which came a\nfew; for most of his hearers were come to Friends. Thus he held on till\nhe had not past half a dozen left; the rest still forsaking him, and\ncoming to Friends. At last, when he had so very few left, he would come\nto Pardshaw Crag (where Friends had a meeting of several hundreds of\npeople, who were all come to sit under the Lord Jesus Christ\u2019s\nteaching,) and he would walk about the meeting on First-days, like a man\nthat went about the commons to look for sheep. During this time I came\nto PARDSHAW CRAG meeting, and he with three or four of his followers,\nthat were yet left to him, came to the meeting that day, and were all\nthoroughly convinced. After the meeting, Wilkinson asked me two or three\nquestions, which I answered him to his satisfaction; and from that time\nhe came amongst Friends, became an able minister, preached the gospel\nfreely, and turned many to Christ\u2019s free teaching. And after he had\ncontinued many years in the free ministry of Jesus, he died in 1675.\n\nFootnote 54:\n\n  This was not the same John Wilkinson who joined with Storey in\n  creating a schism in the Society.\n\nI had for some time felt drawings on my spirit to go into SCOTLAND; and\nhad sent to Colonel William Osburn of Scotland, desiring him to come and\nmeet me; and he, with some others, came out of Scotland to this meeting.\nAfter the meeting was over (which, he said, was the most glorious one he\never saw in his life,) I passed with him and his company into Scotland;\nhaving Robert Widders with me, a thundering man against hypocrisy,\ndeceit, and the rottenness of the priests.\n\nThe first night we came into Scotland we lodged at an inn. The innkeeper\ntold us, an Earl lived about a quarter of a mile off, who had a desire\nto see me; and had left word at his house, that if ever I came into\nScotland, he should send him word. He told us there were three\ndrawbridges to his house, and that it would be nine o\u2019clock before the\nthird bridge was drawn. Finding we had time in the evening, we walked to\nhis house. He received us very lovingly; and said, he would have gone\nwith us on our journey, but he was previously engaged to go to a\nfuneral. After we had spent some time with him, we parted very friendly,\nand returned to our inn. Next morning we travelled on, and passing\nthrough DUMFRIES came to DOUGLAS, where we met with some Friends; and\nthence passed to the HEADS, where we had a blessed meeting in the name\nof Jesus, and felt him in the midst.\n\nLeaving Heads, we went to BADCOW, and had a meeting there; to which\nabundance of people came, and many were convinced; amongst whom was one,\ncalled a lady. From thence we passed towards the HIGHLANDS to William\nOsburn\u2019s house, where we gathered up the sufferings of Friends, and the\nprinciples of the Scotch priests, which may be seen in a book called\n_The Scotch Priests\u2019 Principles_.\n\nAfterwards we returned to Heads, Badcow, and GARSHORE, where the said\nLady Margaret Hambleton was convinced; who afterwards went to warn\nOliver Cromwell and Charles Fleetwood of the day of the Lord that was\ncoming upon them.\n\nOn First-day we had a great meeting, and several professors came to it.\nNow, the priests had frightened the people with the doctrine of election\nand reprobation, telling them \u201cthat God had ordained the greatest part\nof men and women for hell; and that, let them pray, or preach, or sing,\nor do what they could, it was all to no purpose, if they were ordained\nfor hell;\u2014that God had a certain number elected for heaven, let them do\nwhat they would, as David an adulterer, and Paul a persecutor, yet\nelected vessels for heaven. So the fault was not at all in the creature,\nless or more, but God had ordained it so.\u201d I was led to open to the\npeople the falseness and folly of their priests\u2019 doctrines, and showed\nhow they had abused those Scriptures they brought and quoted to them, as\nin Jude, and other places. For whereas they said, there was no fault at\nall in the creature, I showed them that they whom Jude speaks of, to\nwit, Cain, Korah, and Balaam, who, he says, were ordained of old to\ncondemnation, the fault was in them. For did not God warn Cain and\nBalaam, and put the question to Cain, \u201cIf thou doest well, shalt thou\nnot be accepted?\u201d And did not the Lord bring Korah out of Egypt and his\ncompany? yet did not he gainsay both God and his law, and his prophet\nMoses? Here people might see that there was a fault in Cain, Korah, and\nBalaam, and so there is in all that go in their ways. For if they who\nare called Christians, resist the gospel, as Korah did the law; if they\nerr from the Spirit of God, as Balaam did, and do evil, as Cain did, is\nnot here a fault? Which fault is in themselves, and is the cause of\ntheir reprobation, and not God. Doth not Christ say, \u201cGo, preach the\ngospel to all nations?\u201d Which is the gospel of salvation. He would not\nhave sent them into all nations, to preach the doctrine of salvation, if\nthe greatest part of men had been ordained for hell. Was not Christ a\npropitiation for the sins of the whole world, for those that become\nreprobates, as well as for the saints? He died for all men, the ungodly,\nas well as the godly, as the apostle bears witness, 2 Cor. v. 15; Rom.\nv. 6. And he \u201cenlightens every man that cometh into the world,\u201d that\nthrough him they might all believe. And Christ bids them believe in the\nlight; but all they that hate the light, which Christ bids all believe\nin, are reprobated.\n\nAgain, \u201cthe manifestation of the Spirit of God is given to every man, to\nprofit withal;\u201d but they that vex, quench and grieve it, are in the\nreprobation; and the fault is in them, as it is also in them that hate\nhis light. The apostle says, \u201cThe grace of God, which brings salvation,\nhath appeared unto all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and\nworldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this\npresent world,\u201d Tit. ii. 11, 12. Now when men and women live ungodly,\nand in the lusts of the world, turn this grace of God into wantonness,\nand walk despitefully against it, and so deny God, and the Lord Jesus\nChrist, that bought them; the fault is in all such as thus turn the\ngrace of God into wantonness, and walk despitefully against that which\nwould bring their salvation, and save them out of the reprobation. But\nthe priests, it seems, can see no fault in such as deny God, and the\nLord Jesus Christ, that hath bought them\u2014such as deny his light, which\nthey should believe in, and his grace, which should teach them to live\ngodly, and which should bring them their salvation. Now all that believe\nin the light of Christ, as he commands, are in the election, and sit\nunder the teaching of the grace of God which brings their salvation. But\nsuch as turn this grace into wantonness, are in the reprobation; and\nsuch as hate the light are in the condemnation. Therefore I exhorted all\nthe people to believe in the light, as Christ commands, and own the\ngrace of God, their free teacher; and it would assuredly bring them\ntheir salvation; for it is sufficient. Many other Scriptures were\nopened, concerning reprobation, and the eyes of the people were opened;\nand a spring of life rose up among them.\n\nThese things soon came to the priests\u2019 ears; for the people that sat\nunder their dark teachings, began to see light and to come into the\ncovenant of light. The noise was spread over Scotland, amongst the\npriests, that I was come thither; and a great cry was among them that\nall would be spoiled; for they said I had spoiled all the honest men and\nwomen in England already, so according to their account the worst was\nleft to them. Upon this they gathered great assemblies of priests\ntogether, and drew up a number of curses to be read in their several\nsteeple-houses, that all the people might say \u201cAmen\u201d to them. Some few\nof these I will here set down, the rest may be read in the book before\nmentioned, of _The Scotch Priests\u2019 Principles_.\n\n  The first was, \u201cCursed is he that saith, every man hath a light within\n  him sufficient to lead him to salvation; and let all the people say,\n  Amen.\u201d\n\n  The second, \u201cCursed is he that saith, faith is without sin; and let\n  all the people say, Amen.\u201d\n\n  The third, \u201cCursed is he that denieth the Sabbath day; and let all the\n  people say, Amen.\u201d[55]\n\nFootnote 55:\n\n  It is justly observed by a writer, not of the Society of Friends, that\n  these \u201cplace the Presbyterian Christianity of that day in a most\n  unfavourable light, and show how deeply it was imbued with a sour\n  persecuting spirit of Popery.\u201d\n\nIn this last they make the people curse themselves; for on the Sabbath\nday (which is the seventh-day of the week, which the Jews kept by the\ncommand of God to them), they kept markets and fairs, and so brought the\ncurse upon their own heads.\n\nAs to the first, concerning the light, Christ saith, \u201cBelieve in the\nlight, that ye may become children of the light;\u201d and \u201che that believeth\nshall be saved; he that believeth shall have everlasting life; he that\nbelieveth passes from death to life, and is grafted into Christ.\u201d And\n\u201cye do well,\u201d said the apostle, \u201cthat ye take heed unto the light that\nshines in the dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in\nyour hearts.\u201d So the light is sufficient to lead unto the day-star.\n\nAnd as concerning faith, it is the gift of God; and every gift of God is\npure. The faith, which Christ is the author of, is precious, divine, and\nwithout sin. This is the faith which gives victory over sin, and access\nto God; in which faith, they please God. But they are reprobates\nthemselves concerning this faith, and are in their dead faith, who\ncharge sin upon this faith, under pain of a curse; which faith gives\nvictory over their curse, and returns it into their own bowels.\n\nA company of Scots near BADCOW, challenged a dispute with some of our\nScotch Friends, for with me they would not dispute; so some of the\nScotch Friends met them at the market-place. The dispute was to be\nconcerning the Sabbath-day, and some other of their principles\nbefore-mentioned; and I having got their principles and assertions,\nshowed the Friends where they might easily be overthrown, and a Scotch\nFriend, a smith, overthrew them clearly.\n\nThere were two Independent churches in Scotland, in one of which many\nwere convinced; but the pastor of the other was in a great rage against\ntruth and Friends. They had their elders, who sometimes would exercise\ntheir gifts amongst the church-members, and were sometimes pretty\ntender; but their pastor speaking so much against the light and us, the\nfriends of Christ, he darkened his hearers, so that they grew blind, and\ndry, and lost their tenderness. He continued preaching against Friends,\nand against the light of Christ Jesus, calling it natural; at last one\nday in his preaching, he cursed the light, and fell down, as if dead, in\nhis pulpit. The people carried him out, and laid him upon a grave-stone,\nand poured strong waters into him, which brought him to life again; and\nthey carried him home, but he was mopish. After a while he stripped off\nhis clothes, put on a Scotch plaid, and went into the country amongst\nthe dairy-women. When he had stayed there about two weeks, he came home,\nand went into the pulpit again. Whereupon the people expected some great\nmanifestation or revelation from him; but, instead thereof, he began to\ntell them what entertainment he had met with; how one woman gave him\nskimmed-milk, another gave him buttermilk, and another gave him good\nmilk; so the people were fain to take him out of the pulpit again, and\ncarry him home. He that gave me this account was Andrew Robinson, one of\nhis chief hearers, who came afterwards to be convinced, and received the\ntruth. He said he never heard that he recovered his senses again. By\nthis people may see what came upon him that cursed the light; which\nLight is the Life in Christ, the Word; and it may be a warning to all\nothers, that speak evil against the Light of Christ.\n\nNow were the priests in such a rage, that they posted to Edinburgh to\nOliver Cromwell\u2019s council there, with petitions against me. The noise\nwas, \u201cthat all was gone;\u201d for several Friends were come out of England\nand spread over Scotland, sounding the day of the Lord, preaching the\neverlasting gospel of salvation, and turning people to Christ Jesus, who\ndied for them, that they might receive his free teaching. After I had\ngathered the principles of the Scotch priests, and the sufferings of\nFriends, and had seen the Friends in that part of Scotland settled, by\nthe Lord\u2019s power, upon Christ their foundation, I went to Edinburgh, and\nin the way came to LINLITHGOW; where, lodging at an inn, the innkeeper\u2019s\nwife, who was blind, received the word of life, and came under the\nteaching of Christ Jesus, her Saviour. At night there came in abundance\nof soldiers and some officers, with whom we had much discourse; some\nwere rude. One of the officers said, \u201che would obey the Turk\u2019s or\nPilate\u2019s command if they should command him to guard Christ to crucify\nhim.\u201d So far was he from all tenderness, or sense of the Spirit of\nChrist, that he would rather crucify the just, than suffer for or with\nthe just; whereas many officers and magistrates have lost their places,\nbefore they would turn against the Lord and his Just One.\n\nWhen I had stayed a while at EDINBURGH, I went to LEITH, where many\nofficers of the army came in with their wives, and many were convinced.\nAmong these Edward Billing\u2019s wife was one; she brought a great deal of\ncoral in her hand, and threw it on the table before me, to see whether I\nwould speak against it or not. I took no notice of it, but declared the\ntruth to her, and she was reached. There came in many Baptists, who were\nvery rude, but the Lord\u2019s power came over them, so that they went away\nconfounded. Then there came in another sort, and one of them said, \u201che\nwould dispute with me; and for argument\u2019s sake, would deny there was a\nGod.\u201d I told him, \u201che might be one of those fools that said in his\nheart, There is no God, but he should know him in the day of his\njudgment.\u201d So he went his way; and a precious time we had afterwards\nwith several people of account; and the Lord\u2019s power came over all.\nWilliam Osburn was with me. Colonel Lidcott\u2019s wife and William Welch\u2019s\nwife, and several of the officers themselves, were convinced. Edward\nBilling and his wife at that time lived apart; and she being reached by\ntruth, and become loving to Friends, we sent for her husband, who came;\nand the Lord\u2019s power reached unto them both, they joined in it, and\nagreed to live together in love and unity, as man and wife.\n\nAfter this we returned to EDINBURGH, where many thousands were gathered\ntogether, with abundance of priests among them, about burning a witch,\nand I was moved to declare the day of the Lord amongst them. When I had\ndone, I went to our meeting, whither many rude people and Baptists came.\nThe Baptists began to vaunt with their logic and syllogisms; but I was\nmoved in the Lord\u2019s power to thrash their chaffy, light minds; and\nshowed the people that, after that fallacious way of discoursing, they\nmight make white seem black, and black white; as, that because a cock\nhad two legs, and each of them had two legs, therefore they were all\ncocks. Thus they might turn anything into lightness and vanity; but it\nwas not the way of Christ or his apostles, to teach, speak, or reason,\nafter that manner. Hereupon those Baptists went their way, and after\nthey were gone, we had a blessed meeting in the Lord\u2019s power, which was\nover all.\n\nI mentioned before, that many of the Scotch priests, being greatly\ndisturbed at the spreading of truth, and the loss of their hearers\nthereby, were gone to Edinburgh, to petition the council against me.\nNow, when I came from the meeting to the inn where I lodged, an officer\nbelonging to the council brought me the following order:\u2014\n\n    \u201c_Thursday, the 8th of October, 1657, at his Highness\u2019s Council in\n                                Scotland._\n\n        ORDERED,\n\n  That George Fox do appear before the Council on Tuesday, the 13th of\n  October next, in the forenoon.\n\n                                  E. DOWNING, Clerk of the Council.\u201d\n\nWhen he had delivered me the order, he asked me, \u201cwhether I would appear\nor not?\u201d I did not tell him whether I would or not; but asked him \u201cif he\nhad not forged the order:\u201d he said, \u201cno, it was a real order from the\ncouncil, and he was sent, as their messenger, with it.\u201d When the time\ncame I appeared, and was conducted into a large room, where many great\npersons came and looked at me. After a while the door-keeper had me into\nthe council-chamber; and as I was going in, he took off my hat. I asked\nhim \u201cwhy he did so, and who was there, that I might not go in with my\nhat on?\u201d for I told him \u201cI had been before the Protector with it on.\u201d\nBut he hung it up, and had me in before them. When I had stood a while,\nand they had said nothing to me, I was moved of the Lord to say, \u201cPeace\nbe amongst you; wait in the fear of God, that ye may receive his wisdom\nfrom above, by which all things were made and created; that by it ye may\nall be ordered, and may order all things unto your hands to God\u2019s\nglory.\u201d They asked me, \u201cwhat was the occasion of my coming into that\nnation?\u201d I told them, \u201cI came to visit the seed of God, which had long\nlain in bondage under corruption; and the intent of my coming was, that\nall in the nation, that professed the Scriptures, the words of Christ,\nand of the prophets, and apostles, might come to the light, Spirit, and\npower, which they were in, who gave them forth; that so in and by the\nSpirit they might understand the Scriptures, know Christ and God aright,\nand have fellowship with them, and one with another.\u201d They asked me\n\u201cwhether I had any outward business there?\u201d I said, \u201cnay.\u201d Then they\nasked me how long I intended to stay in the country? I told them \u201cI\nshould say little to that; my time was not to be long, yet in my freedom\nin the Lord, I stood in the will of him that sent me.\u201d Then they bid me\nwithdraw, and the door-keeper took me by the hand, and led me forth. In\na little time they sent for me again, and told me, \u201cI must depart the\nnation of Scotland by that day seventh night.\u201d I asked them, \u201cwhy, what\nhad I done? What was my transgression, that they passed such a sentence\nupon me to depart out of the nation?\u201d They told me, \u201cthey would not\ndispute with me.\u201d Then I desired them \u201cto hear what I had to say to\nthem;\u201d but they said, \u201cthey would not hear me.\u201d I told them, Pharaoh\nheard Moses and Aaron, and yet he was a heathen and no Christian, and\nHerod heard John the Baptist; and they should not be worse than these.\nBut they cried, \u201cwithdraw, withdraw.\u201d Whereupon the door-keeper took me\nagain by the hand, and led me out. Then I returned to my inn, and\ncontinued still in Edinburgh, visiting Friends there and thereabouts,\nand strengthening them in the Lord. After a little time, I wrote a\nletter to the council, to lay before them their unchristian dealing in\nbanishing me, an innocent man, that sought their salvation and eternal\ngood; a copy of which letter here follows:\u2014\n\n                    \u201c_To the Council of Edinburgh._\n\n  \u201cYe that sit in council, and bring before your judgment-seat the\n  innocent, the just, without showing the least cause what evil I have\n  done, or convicting me of any breach of law; and afterward banish me\n  out of your nation and country, without telling me why, or what evil I\n  had done; though I told you, when ye asked me how long I would stay in\n  the nation, that my time was not long (I spoke it innocently), and yet\n  ye banish me. Will not all, think ye, that fear God, judge this to be\n  wickedness? Consider, did not they sit in council about Stephen, when\n  they stoned him to death? Did not they sit in council about Peter and\n  John, when they haled them out of the temple, and put them out of\n  their council for a little season, and took counsel together, and then\n  brought them in again and threatened them, and charged them to speak\n  no more in that name? Was not this to stop the truth from spreading in\n  that time? And had not the priests a hand in these things with the\n  magistrates? and in examining Stephen, when he was stoned to death?\n  Was not the council gathered together against Jesus Christ to put him\n  to death? and had not the chief priests a hand in it? When they go to\n  persecute the just, and crucify the just, do they not then neglect\n  judgment, and mercy, and justice, and the weighty matters of the law,\n  which is just? Was not the apostle Paul tossed up and down by the\n  priests and the rulers? Was not John the Baptist cast into prison? Are\n  not ye doing the same work, showing what spirit ye are of? Now do not\n  ye show the end of your profession, the end of your prayers, the end\n  of your religion, and the end of your teaching, who are now come to\n  banish the truth, and him that is come to declare it unto you? Doth\n  not this show that ye are but in the words, out of the life, of the\n  prophets, Christ, and his apostles? for they did not use such practice\n  as to banish any. How do ye receive strangers, which is a command of\n  God among the prophets, Christ, and the apostles? Some by that means\n  have entertained angels at unawares; but ye banish one that comes to\n  visit the Seed of God, and is not chargeable to any of you. Will not\n  all that fear God, look upon this to be spite and wickedness against\n  the truth? How are ye like to love enemies, that banish your friend?\n  How are ye like to do good to them that hate you, when ye do evil to\n  them that love you? How are ye like to heap coals of fire on their\n  heads that hate you, and to overcome evil with good, when ye banish\n  thus? Do ye not manifest to all that are in the truth, that ye have\n  not the Christian spirit? How did ye do justice to me, when ye could\n  not convict me of any evil, yet banish me? This shows that truth is\n  banished out of your hearts, and ye have taken part against the truth\n  with evil-doers; with the wicked, envious priests, and stoners,\n  strikers, and mockers in the streets; with these, ye that banish, have\n  taken part. Whereas ye should have been a terror to these, and a\n  praise to them that do well, and succourers of them that are in the\n  truth; then might ye have been a blessing to the nation; ye would not\n  have banished him that was moved of the Lord to visit the Seed of God,\n  and thereby have brought your names upon record, and made them to\n  stink in ages to come, among them that fear God. Were not the\n  magistrates stirred up in former ages to persecute or banish, by the\n  corrupt priests? and did not the corrupt priests stir up the rude\n  multitude against the just in other ages? Therefore are your streets\n  like Sodom and Gomorrah. Did not the Jews and the priests make the\n  Gentiles\u2019 minds envious against the apostles? Who were they that would\n  not have the prophet Amos to prophesy at the king\u2019s chapel; but bid\n  him fly his way? And when Jeremiah was put in the prison, in the\n  dungeon, and in the stocks, had not the priests a hand with the\n  princes in doing it? Now see all that were in this work of banishing,\n  prisoning, persecuting, whether they were not all out of the life of\n  Christ, the prophets, and apostles? To the witness of God in you all I\n  speak. Consider whether they were not always the blind magistrates,\n  who turned their sword backward, that knew not their friends from\n  their foes, and so hit their friends? Such magistrates were deceived\n  by flattery.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nWhen this was delivered, and read amongst them, some of them, I heard,\nwere troubled at what they had done, being made sensible that they would\nnot be so served themselves. But it was not long before they that\nbanished me, were banished themselves, or glad to get away; who would\nnot do good in the day when they had power, nor suffer others that\nwould.\n\nAfter I had spent some time among Friends at Edinburgh, and thereabouts,\nI passed to HEADS again, where Friends had been in great sufferings; for\nthe Presbyterian priests had excommunicated them, and given charge that\nnone should buy or sell, or eat or drink with them. So they could\nneither sell their commodities, nor buy what they wanted; which made it\ngo very hard with some of them; for if they had bought bread or other\nvictuals of any of their neighbours, the priests threatened them so with\ncurses, that they would run and fetch it from them again. But Colonel\nAshfield being a justice of peace in that country, put a stop to the\npriests\u2019 proceedings. This Colonel Ashfield was afterwards convinced\nhimself, had a meeting settled at his house, declared the truth, and\nlived and died in it.\n\nAfter I had visited Friends at Heads and thereaways, and had encouraged\nthem in the Lord, I went to GLASGOW, where a meeting was appointed; but\nnot one of the town came to it. As I went into the city, the guard at\nthe gates took me before the governor, who was a moderate man. Much\ndiscourse I had with him; but he was too light to receive the truth, yet\nhe set me at liberty; so I passed to the meeting. But seeing none of the\ntown\u2019s-people came, we declared truth through the town, and so passed\naway; and having visited Friends in their meetings thereabouts, returned\ntowards BADCOW. Several Friends declared truth in their steeple-houses,\nand the Lord\u2019s power was with them.\n\nOnce as I was going with William Osburn to his house, there lay a\ncompany of rude fellows by the way-side, hid under the hedges and in\nbushes. Seeing them, I asked him, \u201cwhat they were?\u201d \u201cO,\u201d said he, \u201cthey\nare thieves.\u201d Robert Widders, being moved to go and speak to a priest,\nwas left behind, intending to come after. So I said to William Osburn,\n\u201cI will stay here in this valley, and do thou go look after Robert\nWidders;\u201d but he was unwilling to go, being afraid to leave me there\nalone, because of those fellows, till I told him, \u201cI feared them not.\u201d\nThen I called to them, asking them, \u201cwhat they lay lurking there for,\u201d\nand I bid them come to me; but they were loath to come. I charged them\nto come up to me, or else it might be worse with them; then they came\ntrembling, for the dread of the Lord had struck them. I admonished them\nto be honest, and directed them to the light of Christ in their hearts,\nthat by it they might see what an evil it was to follow after theft and\nrobbery; and the power of the Lord came over them. I stayed there till\nWilliam Osburn and Robert Widders came up, and then we passed on\ntogether. But it is likely that, if we two had gone away before, they\nwould have robbed Robert Widders when he had come after alone, there\nbeing three or four of them.\n\nWe went to William Osburn\u2019s house, where we had a good opportunity to\ndeclare the truth to several people that came in. Then we went among the\nHighlanders, who were so devilish they had like to have spoiled us and\nour horses; for they ran at us with pitch-forks; but through the Lord\u2019s\ngoodness we escaped them, being preserved by his power.\n\nThence we passed to STIRLING, where the soldiers took us up, and had us\nto the main-guard. After a few words with the officers, the Lord\u2019s power\ncoming over them, we were set at liberty: but no meeting could we get\namongst them in the town, they were so closed up in darkness. Next\nmorning there came a man with a horse that was to run a race, and most\nof the town\u2019s-people and officers went to see it. As they came back from\nthe race, I had a brave opportunity to declare the day of the Lord, and\nhis word of life amongst them. Some confessed to it, and some opposed;\nbut the Lord\u2019s truth and power came over them all.\n\nLeaving Stirling, we came to BURNTISLAND, where I had two meetings at\none Captain Pool\u2019s house; one in the morning, the other in the\nafternoon. Whilst they went to dine, I walked to the seaside, not having\nfreedom to eat with them. Both he and his wife were convinced, and\nbecame good Friends afterwards, and several officers of the army came in\nand received the truth.\n\nWe passed thence through several other places, till we came to\nJOHNSTONS, where were several Baptists that were very bitter, and came\nin a rage to dispute with us: vain janglers and disputers indeed they\nwere. When they could not prevail by disputing, they went and informed\nthe governor against us; and next morning raised a whole company of\nfoot, and banished me, and Alexander Parker, also James Lancaster, and\nRobert Widders out of the town. As they guarded us through the town,\nJames Lancaster was moved to sing with a melodious sound in the power of\nGod; and I was moved to proclaim the day of the Lord, and preach the\neverlasting gospel to the people. For they generally came forth, so that\nthe streets were filled with them: and the soldiers were so ashamed that\nthey said, \u201cthey would rather have gone to Jamaica, than have guarded us\nso.\u201d But we were put into a boat with our horses, carried over the\nwater, and there left. The Baptists, who were the cause of our being put\nout of this town, were themselves, not long after, turned out of the\narmy; and he that was then governor was discarded also when the king\ncame in.\n\nBeing thus thrust out of Johnstons, we went to another market-town,\nwhere Edward Billing[56] and many soldiers quartered. We went to an inn,\nand desired to have a meeting in the town, that we might preach the\neverlasting gospel amongst them. The officers and soldiers said, we\nshould have it in the town-hall; but the Scotch magistrates in spite\nappointed a meeting there that day for the business of the town. When\nthe officers of the soldiery understood this, and perceived that it was\ndone in malice, they would have had us to go into the town-hall\nnevertheless. But we told them, \u201cby no means, for then the magistrates\nmight inform the governor against them, and say, they took the town-hall\nfrom them by force, when they were to do their town business therein.\u201d\nWe told them, \u201cwe would go to the market-place;\u201d they said, \u201cit was\nmarket-day;\u201d we replied, \u201cit was so much the better; for we would have\nall people to hear truth, and know our principles.\u201d Alexander Parker\nwent and stood upon the market-cross with a Bible in his hand, and\ndeclared the truth amongst the soldiers and market-people; but the\nScots, being a dark, carnal people, gave little heed, and hardly took\nnotice of what was said. After a while I was moved of the Lord to stand\nup at the cross, and declare with a loud voice the everlasting truth,\nand the day of the Lord that was coming upon all sin and wickedness.\nWhereupon the people came running out of the town-hall, and they\ngathered so together, that at last we had a large meeting; for they sat\nin the court only for a pretence, to hinder us from having the hall to\nmeet in. When the people were come away, the magistrates followed them.\nSome walked by, but some stayed and heard; and the Lord\u2019s power came\nover all, and kept all quiet. \u201cThe people were turned to the Lord Jesus\nChrist, who died for them, and had enlightened them, that with his light\nthey might see their evil deeds, be saved from their sins by him, and\ncome to know him to be their teacher. But if they would not receive\nChrist and own him, it was told them, that this light, which came from\nhim, would be their condemnation.\u201d\n\nFootnote 56:\n\n  Edward Billing was a faithful sufferer for the truth. Henry Fell, in a\n  letter to Margaret Fell, in 1660, mentions Friends being beat very\n  sore, and exceedingly abused in the streets. \u201cThey pulled me out of\n  meeting,\u201d he says, \u201cbeat me much, knocked me down in the street, and\n  tore all my coat. Edward Billing and his wife were much abused, he\n  especially.\u201d\n\n  Edward Billing was one of the three Friends, who, in 1659, appeared\n  before the bar of the House of Commons, to present an address\n  describing the sufferings of Friends, and signed by 164 of the\n  Society, wherein they make an offer of their own bodies, person for\n  person, to lie in prison instead of such of their brethren as were\n  then under confinement, and might be in danger of their lives through\n  extreme durance. (See _Letters of Early Friends_, pp. 62\u201368.) Although\n  little or no apparent effect appeared to be produced at the time in\n  the House from the above-mentioned appeal, it appears, from the\n  journals of the Commons in the month following, a committee was\n  appointed, \u201cto consider of the imprisonment of such persons who\n  continue committed for conscience sake, and how, and in what manner\n  they are, and continue committed, together with the whole cause\n  thereof, and how they may be discharged; and to report the same to the\n  Parliament.\u201d\n\nSeveral of them were made loving to us, especially the English people,\nand some came afterwards to be convinced. But there was a soldier that\nwas very envious against us; he hated both us and the truth, spoke evil\nof it, and very despitefully against the light of Christ Jesus, to which\nwe bore testimony. Mighty zealous he was for the priests and their\nhearers. As this man was hearing the priest, holding his hat before his\nface, while the priest prayed, one of the priest\u2019s hearers stabbed him\nto death; so he who had rejected the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ,\nand cried down the servants of the Lord, was murdered amongst them whom\nhe had so cried up, and by one of them.\n\nWe travelled from this town to LEITH, warning and exhorting people, as\nwe went, to turn to the Lord. At Leith the innkeeper told me, that the\ncouncil had granted warrants to apprehend me, \u201cbecause I was not gone\nout of the nation, after the seven days were expired, that they had\nordered me to depart in.\u201d Several friendly people also came and told me\nthe same; to whom I said, \u201cWhat do ye tell me of their warrants against\nme? if there were a cart-load of them I do not heed them, for the Lord\u2019s\npower is over them all.\u201d\n\nI went from Leith to EDINBURGH again, where they said the warrants of\nthe council were out against me. I went to the inn where I had lodged\nbefore, and no man offered to meddle with me. After I had visited\nFriends in the city, I desired those that travelled with me, to get\nready their horses in the morning, and we rode out of town together;\nthere were with me at that time, Thomas Rawlinson, Alexander Parker, and\nRobert Widders. When we were out of town they asked me, \u201cwhither I would\ngo?\u201d I told them it was upon me from the Lord to go back again to\nJohnstons (the town out of which we had been lately thrust,) to set the\npower of God and his truth over them also. Alexander Parker said, \u201che\nwould go along with me;\u201d and I wished the other two to stay at a town,\nabout three miles from Edinburgh, till we returned. Then Alexander and I\ngot over the water, about three miles across, and rode through the\ncountry; but in the afternoon, his horse being weak, and not able to\nhold up with mine, I put on and got into Johnstons just as they were\ndrawing up the bridges; the officers and soldiers never questioning me.\nI rode up the street to Captain Davenport\u2019s house, from which we had\nbeen banished. There were many officers with him; and when I came\namongst them, they lifted up their hands, wondering that I should come\nagain; but I told them, \u201cthe Lord God had sent me amongst them again;\u201d\nso they went their way. The Baptists sent me a letter, by way of\nchallenge, \u201cto discourse with me next day.\u201d I sent them word, \u201cI would\nmeet them at such a house, about half a mile out of the town, at such an\nhour.\u201d For I considered, if I should stay in town to discourse with\nthem, they might under pretence of discoursing with me, have raised men\nto put me out of the town again as they had done before. At the time\nappointed I went to the place, Captain Davenport and his son\naccompanying me, where I stayed some hours, but not one of them came.\nWhile I stayed there waiting for them, I saw Alexander Parker coming;\nwho not being able to reach the town, had lain out the night before; and\nI was exceedingly glad that we were met again.\n\nThis Captain Davenport was then loving to Friends; but afterwards coming\nmore into obedience to truth, he was turned out of his place for not\nputting off his hat, and for saying Thou and Thee to them.\n\nWhen we had waited beyond reasonable ground to expect any of them\ncoming, we departed; and Alexander Parker being moved to go again to the\ntown, where we had the meeting at the market-cross, I passed alone to\nLieutenant Foster\u2019s quarters, where I found several officers that were\nconvinced. From thence I went up to the town, where I had left the other\ntwo Friends, and we went back to EDINBURGH together.\n\nWhen we were come to the city, I bid Robert Widders follow me; and in\nthe dread and power of the Lord we came up to the first two sentries;\nand the Lord\u2019s power came so over them, that we passed by them without\nany examination. Then we rode up the street to the marketplace, by the\nmain-guard out at the gate by the third sentry, and so clear out at the\nsuburbs, and there came to an inn and set up our horses, it being the\nseventh-day of the week. Now I saw and felt that we had rode, as it\nwere, against the cannon\u2019s mouth, or the sword\u2019s point; but the Lord\u2019s\npower and immediate hand carried us over the heads of them all. Next day\nI went to the meeting in the city, Friends having notice that I would\nattend it. There came many officers and soldiers to it, and a glorious\nmeeting it was; the everlasting power of God was set over the nation,\nand his Son reigned in his glorious power. All was quiet, and no man\noffered to meddle with me. When the meeting was ended, and I had visited\nFriends, I came out of the city to my inn again; and next day, being the\nsecond day of the week, we set forward towards the borders of England.\n\nAs we travelled along the country I spied a steeple-house, and it struck\nat my life. I asked \u201cwhat steeple-house it was,\u201d and was answered that\nit was DUNBAR. When I came thither, and had put up at an inn, I walked\nto the steeple-house, having a friend or two with me. When we came into\nthe yard, one of the chief men of the town was walking there. I spoke to\none of the friends that were with me, to go to him and tell him, \u201cthat\nabout nine next morning there would be a meeting there of the people of\nGod called Quakers; of which we desired he would give notice to the\npeople of the town.\u201d He sent me word, that they were to have a lecture\nthere at nine; but that we might have our meeting there at eight, if we\nwould. We concluded so, and desired him to give notice of it.\nAccordingly in the morning both poor and rich came; and there being a\ncaptain of horse quartered in the town, he and his troopers came also,\nso that we had a large meeting; and a glorious one it was, the Lord\u2019s\npower being over all.\n\nAfter some time the priest came, and went into the steeple-house; but we\nbeing in the yard, most of the people stayed with us. Friends were so\nfull, and their voices so high in the power of God, that the priest\ncould do little in the steeple-house, but came quickly out again, stood\na while, and then went his way. I opened to the people, \u201cwhere they\nmight find Christ Jesus, turned them to the light, which he had\nenlightened them withal, that in the light they might see Christ, that\ndied for them, turn to him, and know him to be their Saviour and free\nteacher. I let them see, that all the teachers they had hitherto\nfollowed, were hirelings, who made the gospel chargeable; showed them\nthe wrong ways they had walked in, in the night of apostacy, directed\nthem to Christ, the new and living way to God; manifested unto them, how\nthey had lost the religion and worship which Christ set up in spirit and\ntruth, and had hitherto been in the religions and worships of men\u2019s\nmaking and setting up. After I had turned the people to the Spirit of\nGod, which led the holy men of God to give forth the Scriptures; and\nshowed them, that they must also come to receive, and be led by, the\nsame Spirit in themselves (a measure of which was given unto every one\nof them), if ever they came to know God and Christ, and the Scriptures\naright; perceiving the other Friends that were with me to be full of the\npower and word of the Lord, I stepped down, giving way for them to\ndeclare what they had from the Lord unto the people.\u201d\n\nTowards the latter end of the meeting some professors began to jangle;\nwhereupon I stood up again, and answered their questions, so that they\nseemed to be satisfied, and our meeting ended in the Lord\u2019s power, quiet\nand peaceable. This was the last meeting I had in Scotland; the truth\nand the power of God was set over that nation, and many, by the power\nand Spirit of God, were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, their Saviour\nand teacher, whose blood was shed for them; and there is since a great\nincrease, and great there will be in Scotland. For when first I set my\nhorse\u2019s feet upon Scottish ground, I felt the seed of God to sparkle\nabout me, like innumerable sparks of fire. Not but that there is\nabundance of thick, cloddy earth of hypocrisy and falseness above, and a\nbriery, brambly nature, which is to be burnt up with God\u2019s Word, and\nploughed up with his spiritual plough, before God\u2019s Seed brings forth\nheavenly and spiritual fruit to his glory. But the husbandman is to wait\nin patience.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER XII.\n\n1657-1659.\u2014George Fox journeys from Scotland to England\u2014dissuades a\n    person from setting up a college at Durham to make ministers\u2014has a\n    meeting with Rice Jones and his people\u2014attends a general Yearly\n    Meeting for the whole nation, held at John Crook\u2019s, which continued\n    three days\u2014address to Friends in the ministry\u2014disputes with a\n    Jesuit\u2014writes to Lady Claypole\u2014writes to Cromwell respecting the\n    fast on account of persecution abroad, whilst there was much of it\n    at home\u2014writes a reproof to Parliament for their hypocrisy\u2014speaks to\n    the Protector in Hampton-Court Park about Friends\u2019 sufferings\u2014the\n    Protector invites Fox to his house\u2014he goes next day, but the\n    Protector being sick he does not see him\u2014the Protector died soon\n    after\u2014writes to encourage Friends to faithfulness\u2014has a foresight of\n    the King\u2019s restoration long before the event occurred, as well as\n    several others\u2014Friends are disseized of their copyhold lands for\n    refusing to swear\u2014cautions Friends to avoid plots, &c.\u2014against\n    bearing arms\u2014great places in the army are offered to Friends, but\n    invariably refused\u2014priest Townsend fails to substantiate his charge\n    of error and blasphemy against George Fox, and is signally\n    defeated\u2014George Fox\u2019s vision of the city of London is realized\u2014he\n    gives a final warning to those in authority before their overthrow.\n\n\nFrom Dunbar we came to BERWICK, where we were questioned a little by the\nofficers: but the governor was loving towards us; and in the evening we\nhad a little meeting, in which the power of the Lord was manifested over\nall.\n\nLeaving Berwick, we came to MORPETH, and so through the country,\nvisiting Friends, to NEWCASTLE, where I had been once before. The\nNewcastle priests had written many books against us; and one Ledger, an\nalderman of the town, was very envious against truth and Friends. He and\nthe priests had said, \u201cthe Quakers would not come into any great towns,\nbut lived in the Fells, like butterflies.\u201d So I took Anthony Pearson\nwith me, and went to this Ledger, and several others of the aldermen,\n\u201cdesiring to have a meeting amongst them, seeing they had written so\nmany books against us, for we were now come, I told them, into their\ngreat town.\u201d But they would not allow we should have a meeting, neither\nwould they be spoken to withal, save only this Ledger and one other. I\nqueried, \u201chad they not called Friends butterflies, and said, we would\nnot come into any great towns? and now we were come into their town,\nthey would not hear us, though they had printed books against us; \u2018Who\nare the butterflies now?\u2019\u201d said I. Then Ledger began to plead for the\nSabbath-day; but I told him they kept markets and fairs on that which\nwas the Sabbath-day, for that was the seventh day of the week; whereas\nthat day, which the professed Christians now met on, and call their\nSabbath, is the first day of the week. As we could not have a public\nmeeting among them, we got a little one among Friends and friendly\npeople, at Gateshead; where a meeting is continued to this day, in the\nname of Jesus. As I was passing by the market-place, the power of the\nLord rose in me, \u201cto warn them of the day of the Lord, that was coming\nupon them.\u201d And not long after, all those priests of Newcastle and their\nprofession, were turned out, when the king came in.\n\nFrom Newcastle we travelled through the countries, having meetings and\nvisiting Friends as we went, in Northumberland and Durham. A very good\none we had at Lieutenant Dove\u2019s, where many were turned to the Lord and\nhis teaching. After the meeting I went to visit a justice of peace, a\nvery sober, loving man, who confessed to the truth.\n\nThence we came to DURHAM, where was a man come from London, to set up a\ncollege there, to make ministers of Christ, as they said. I went, with\nsome others, to reason with him, and to let him see, \u201cthat to teach men\nHebrew, Greek, and Latin, and the seven arts, which were all but the\nteachings of the natural man, was not the way to make them ministers of\nChrist. For the languages began at Babel; and to the Greeks, that spoke\nGreek, as their mother-tongue, the preaching of the cross of Christ was\nfoolishness; and to the Jews, that spoke Hebrew as their mother-tongue,\nChrist was a stumbling-block. The Romans, who had the Latin, persecuted\nthe Christians; and Pilate, one of the Roman governors, set Hebrew,\nGreek, and Latin over Christ, when he crucified him. So he might see the\nmany languages began at Babel, and they set them above Christ, the Word,\nwhen they crucified him. John the divine, who preached the Word, that\nwas in the beginning, said, \u2018that the beast and the whore have power\nover tongues and languages, and they are as waters.\u2019 Thus I told him he\nmight see, the whore and beast have power over the tongues and the many\nlanguages which are in mystery Babylon; for they began at Babel; and the\npersecutors of Christ Jesus set them over him, when he was crucified by\nthem; but he is risen above them all, who was before them all. \u2018Now,\u2019\nsaid I, to this man, \u2018dost thou think to make ministers of Christ by\nthese natural, confused languages, which sprung from Babel, are admired\nin Babylon, and set above Christ, the Life, by a persecutor?\u2019 O no!\u201d The\nman confessed to many of these things. Then we showed him further, \u201cthat\nChrist made his ministers himself, gave gifts unto them, and bid them\n\u2018pray to the Lord of the harvest, to send forth labourers.\u2019 And Peter\nand John, though unlearned and ignorant (as to school-learning) preached\nChrist Jesus, the Word, which was in the beginning, before Babel was.\nPaul also was made an apostle, not of man, nor by man, neither received\nhe the gospel from man, but from Jesus Christ, who is the same now, and\nso is his gospel, as it was at that day.\u201d When we had thus discoursed\nwith the man, he became very loving and tender; and, after he had\nconsidered further of it, declined to set up his college.\n\nFrom Durham we went to Anthony Pearson\u2019s: thence into CLEVELAND, passed\nthrough Yorkshire to the further end of HOLDERNESS, and had mighty\nmeetings, the Lord\u2019s power accompanying us.\n\nAfter we left Anthony Pearson\u2019s, we went by HULL and PONTEFRACT, to\nGeorge Watkinson\u2019s house, and visited most of the meetings in those\nparts, till we came to SCALE-HOUSE, and so to SWARTHMORE; the\neverlasting power and arm of God carrying us through and preserving us.\nAfter I had visited Friends thereaways, I passed into Yorkshire again,\nand Cheshire, and so through other counties into Derbyshire and\nNottinghamshire: glorious meetings we had, the Lord\u2019s presence being\nwith us.\n\nAt NOTTINGHAM I sent to Rice Jones, desiring him to make his people\nacquainted, that I had something to say to them from the Lord. He came\nand told me, \u201cmany of them lived in the country, and he could not tell\nhow to send to them.\u201d I told him, \u201che might acquaint those about the\ntown of it, and send to as many in the country as he could.\u201d Next day we\nmet at the castle, there being about fourscore people, to whom I\ndeclared the truth for about two hours; and the Lord\u2019s power was over\nthem all, so that they were not able to open their mouths in opposition.\nWhen I had done, one of them asked me a question, which I was loath to\nanswer, for I saw it might lead to dispute, and I was unwilling to go\ninto jangling, for some of the people were tender; yet I could not well\ntell how to escape it. Wherefore I answered the question, and was moved\nforthwith to speak to Rice Jones, and lay before him, \u201cthat he had been\nthe man that had scattered such as had been tender, and some that had\nbeen convinced, and had been led out of many vanities of the world,\nwhich he had formerly judged; but now he judged the power of God in\nthem, and they, being simple, turned to him; and so he and they were\nturned to be vainer than the world: for many of his followers were\nbecome the greatest foot-ball players and wrestlers in the country. I\ntold him, it was the serpent in him, that had scattered, and done hurt\nto such as were tender towards the Lord. Nevertheless, if he waited in\nthe fear of God, for the Seed of the woman, Christ Jesus, to bruise the\nserpent\u2019s head in him, that had scattered and done the hurt, he might\ncome to gather them again by this heavenly Seed; though it would be a\nhard work for him to gather them again out of those vanities he had led\nthem into.\u201d At this Rice Jones said, \u201cThou liest, it is not the Seed of\nthe woman that bruises the serpent\u2019s head.\u201d \u201cNo!\u201d said I, \u201cwhat is it\nthen?\u201d \u201cI say it is the law,\u201d said he. \u201cBut,\u201d said I, \u201cthe Scripture,\nspeaking of the Seed of the woman, saith, \u2018It shall bruise thy head, and\nthou shalt bruise his heel.\u2019 Now, hath the law an heel,\u201d said I, \u201cto be\nbruised?\u201d Then Rice Jones and all his company were at a stand, and I was\nmoved in the power of the Lord to speak to him, and say, \u201cThis Seed,\nJesus Christ, the Seed of the woman, which should bruise the serpent\u2019s\nhead, shall bruise thy head, and break you all to pieces.\u201d Thus did I\nleave on the heads of them the Seed, Christ; and not long after he and\nhis company scattered to pieces, several of whom came to be Friends, and\nstand to this day. Many of them had been convinced about eight years\nbefore, but had been led aside by this Rice Jones; for they denied the\ninward cross, the power of God, and so went into vanity.\n\nIt was about eight years since I had been formerly amongst them; in\nwhich time I was to pass over them, and by them, seeing they had\nslighted the Lord\u2019s truth and power, and the visitation of his love unto\nthem. But now I was moved to go to them again, and it was of great\nservice, for many of them were brought to the Lord Jesus Christ, and\nwere settled upon him, sitting down under his teaching and feeding,\nwhere they were kept fresh and green; and the others that would not be\ngathered to him, soon after withered. This was that Rice Jones who some\nyears before had said, \u201cI was then at the highest, and should fall.\u201d\nBut, poor man! he little thought how near his own fall was.\n\nWe left Nottingham, and went into WARWICKSHIRE, and thence passing\nthrough some parts of NORTHAMPTONSHIRE and LEICESTERSHIRE, visiting\nFriends, and having meetings with them as we travelled, came into\nBEDFORDSHIRE, where we had large gatherings in the name of Jesus. After\nsome time we came to John Crook\u2019s house, where a general YEARLY MEETING\nfor the whole nation was appointed to be held.[57] This meeting lasted\nthree days, and many Friends from most parts of the nation came to it;\nso that the inns and towns around were filled, for many thousands of\npeople were at it. And although there was some disturbance by rude\npeople that had run out from truth; yet the Lord\u2019s power came over all,\nand a glorious meeting it was. The everlasting gospel was preached, and\nmany received it, which brought life and immortality to light in them,\nand shined over all.\n\nFootnote 57:\n\n  The first Yearly Meeting of the Society appears to have been held in\n  1658, at Scalehouse, about three miles from Skipton. At that meeting\n  the subject of the visit of Friends \u201cbeyond the sea,\u201d claimed much\n  attention, and it was agreed to recommend a general collection in aid\n  of these gospel missions. An epistle was issued to that effect, and\n  the appeal was liberally responded to, and considering the value of\n  money at that period, a large amount was raised. The epistle, with\n  particulars of the collection and its disbursement, may be seen in\n  Bowden\u2019s _History of Friends in America_, vol. i., p. 58-60.\n\n  Yearly Meetings were held in different parts of England to the number\n  of twenty-six, at which were reported the number of prisoners; the\n  various sufferings on account of the Truth; those who died for it; and\n  the number of ministers deceased. The affairs of truth were also\n  considered, and the members of the church had blessed opportunities of\n  heavenly correspondence and fellowship, one with another. For full\n  particulars of the setting up of General and Yearly Meetings, and of\n  the institution and objects of the Discipline in the Society, see\n  _Letters, &c., of Early Friends_, part ii., pp. 275-353.\n\nI was moved by the power and Spirit of the Lord, to open unto them \u201cthe\npromise of God, that it was made to the Seed, not to seeds, as many, but\nto One, which Seed was Christ; and that all people, both male and\nfemale, should feel this Seed in them, which was heir of the promise;\nthat so they might all witness Christ in them, the hope of glory, the\nmystery, which had been hid from ages and generations, which was\nrevealed to the apostles, and is revealed again now, after this long\nnight of apostacy. So that all might come up into this Seed, Christ\nJesus, and walk in it, and sit down together in the heavenly places in\nChrist Jesus, who was the foundation of the prophets and apostles, and\nthe rock of ages; and is our foundation now. All sitting down in him,\nsit down in the substance, the first and the last, that changes not, the\nSeed that bruises the serpent\u2019s head, and was before he was; who ends\nall types, figures, and shadows, and is the substance of them all; in\nwhom there is no shadow.\u201d Now these things were upon me to open unto\nall, that they might mind and see what it is they sit down in.\n\n\u201cFor, First, They that sit down in Adam in the fall, sit down in misery,\nin death, in darkness, and corruption.\n\n\u201cSecondly, They that sit down in types, figures, and shadows, and under\nthe first priesthood, law, and covenant, sit down in that which must\nhave an end, and which made nothing perfect.\n\n\u201cThirdly, They that sit down in the apostacy, that hath got up since the\napostles\u2019 days, sit down in spiritual Sodom and Egypt, and are drinking\nof the whore\u2019s cup, under the beast\u2019s and dragon\u2019s power.\n\n\u201cFourthly, They that sit down in the state in which Adam was before he\nfell, sit down in that which may be fallen from; for he fell from that\nstate, though it was perfect.\n\n\u201cFifthly, They that sit down in the prophets, sit down in that which\nmust be fulfilled; and they that sit down in the fellowship of water,\nbread, and wine, these being temporal things, sit down in that which is\nshort of Christ, and of his baptism.\n\n\u201cSixthly, To sit down in a profession of all the Scriptures, from\nGenesis to Revelations, and not to be in the power and Spirit which they\nwere in, that gave them forth; that was to be turned away from, by them\nthat came into the power and Spirit which they were in that gave forth\nthe Scriptures.\n\n\u201cSeventhly, They that sit down in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, sit\ndown in him that never fell nor ever changed. Here is the safe sitting\nfor all his elect, his church, his spiritual members, of which he is the\nliving head, his living stones, the household of faith; of which house\nhe is the corner-stone, that stands and abides all weathers. \u2018For,\u2019 as\nthe apostle said, \u2018he hath quickened us, who were dead in sins and\ntrespasses, &c., and made us to sit together in heavenly places in\nChrist Jesus; that in ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of\nhis grace, in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ.\u2019 Now, the\nages are come, that his kindness and exceeding riches towards us through\nJesus Christ, are truly manifested in us, as in the apostles\u2019 days, even\nin us, who have been dead in sins and trespasses as they were, but now\nare quickened, and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ\nJesus, the First and the Last, by whom all things were created; who is\nascended above all, and is over all, and whose glorious presence is now\nknown. All that sit down here in Christ Jesus, see where all other\npeople sit, and in what.\n\n\u201cThe promise of God being to the Seed, which is one, Christ Jesus, every\nman and woman must come to witness this Seed, _Christ in them_, that\nthey may be heirs of the promise; and inheriting that, they will inherit\nsubstance. These things were largely declared of; the state of the\nchurch, the state of the false church since the apostles\u2019 days, opened;\nand how the true church fled into the wilderness; and the state of the\nfalse prophets, which Christ said should come, and John saw were come,\nand how all the world wondered after them; how they had filled the world\nwith false doctrines, ways, worships, and religions; and how the\neverlasting gospel was now preached again to all nations, kindreds,\ntongues, and people; for all they had drunk the whore\u2019s cup, and she was\nover them, and sat upon them. In this night of apostacy, the pure\nreligion and worship in Spirit, which was in the apostles\u2019 days, the way\nof life and living faith, and the power and Holy Ghost were lost; but\nnow they came to be set up again by Christ Jesus, his messengers and\nministers of the gospel, as in the apostles\u2019 days. For as Christ sent\nhis disciples to go and preach the gospel in all the world, and after\nthat the false prophets and antichrists went over the world, and\npreached their false doctrines and traditions, and heathenish and Jewish\nrudiments: so now again, the everlasting gospel must be preached to all\nnations, and to every creature, that they may come into the pure\nreligion, to worship God in Spirit and in truth, that they may know\nChrist Jesus, their way to God, and him to be the author of their faith,\nand receive the gospel from heaven, and not from men; in which gospel,\nreceived from heaven, is the heavenly fellowship, which is a mystery to\nall the fellowships in the world.\u201d Now after these things had been\nlargely opened, with many other things concerning Christ Jesus and his\nkingdom, and the people were turned to the divine light of Christ, and\nhis Spirit, by which they might come both to know God and Christ, and\nthe Scriptures, and to have fellowship with them, and one with another\nin the same Spirit, I was moved to declare and open many other things to\nthose Friends who had received a part of the ministry, concerning the\nexercise of their spiritual gifts in the church; which, being taken in\nwriting by one that was present, was after this manner:\u2014\n\n        \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cTake heed of destroying that which ye have begotten; for that which\n  destroys, goes out, and is the cast-away. And though that be true,\n  yea, and may be the pure truth which such a one speaks, yet if he doth\n  not remain in that, and live in that in his own particular, but goes\n  out, the same which he is gone out from, cometh over him. So that\n  which calms and cools the spirits, goes over the world, and brings to\n  the Father, to inherit the life eternal: and reaches to the spirits in\n  prison in all. Therefore in the living, immoveable word of the Lord\n  God dwell, and in the renown thereof; and remain on the foundation\n  that is pure, and that is sure: for whosoever goes out from the pure,\n  and ministers not in and from that, comes to an end, and doth not\n  remain; though he may have had a time, and may have been serviceable\n  for a time, while he lived in the thing.\n\n  \u201cTake heed of many words; what reacheth to the life, settles in the\n  life. That which cometh from the life, and is received from God,\n  reaches to the life, and settles others in the life: for the work is\n  not now as it was at first; the work now is, to settle and stay in the\n  life. For as Friends have been led to minister in the power, and the\n  power hath gone through, so that there hath grown an understanding\n  among both people of the world and Friends; so Friends must be kept in\n  the life which is pure, that with that they may answer the pure life\n  of God in others. If Friends do not live in the pure life which they\n  speak of, to answer the life in those they speak to, the other part\n  steps in; and so there comes up an outward acquaintance, and such let\n  that come over them. But as every one is kept living in the life of\n  God, over all that which is contrary, they are in their places; then\n  they do not lay hands on any suddenly, which is the danger now; for if\n  any one do, he may lose his discerning, and may lay hands on the wrong\n  part, and so let the deceit come too near him; and the deceit will\n  steal over, so that it will be a hard thing for him to overcome it.\n  There is no one who strikes his fellow-servants, but first he is gone\n  from the pure in his own particular; for when he goeth from the light\n  he is enlightened withal, then he strikes; and then he hath his\n  reward; the light which he is gone from, Christ, comes and gives him\n  his reward. This is the state of the evil servants; the boisterous,\n  the hasty, and rash, beget nothing to God; but the life, which doth\n  reach the life, is that which begets to God. When all are settled in\n  the life, they are in that which remains for ever: and what is\n  received there, is received from the Lord; and what one receiveth from\n  the Lord, he keepeth; and so he sitteth still, and cool, and quiet in\n  his own spirit, and gives it forth as he is moved; but to the harlots,\n  judgment.\n\n  \u201cFriends, this is the word of the Lord to you all, be watchful and\n  careful in all meetings ye come into; for where Friends are sitting\n  together in silence, they are many times gathered into their own\n  measures. When a man is come newly out of the world, from ministering\n  to the world\u2019s people, he cometh out of the mire; and then he had need\n  take heed that he be not rash. For now, when he comes into a silent\n  meeting, that is another state; then he must come, and feel his own\n  spirit, how it is, when he comes to them that sit silent. If he be\n  rash, they will judge him, that having been in the world, and amongst\n  the world, the heat is not yet off him. For he may come in the heat of\n  his spirit out of the world; whereas the others are still and cool;\n  and his condition in that not being agreeable to theirs, he may rather\n  do them hurt, by begetting them out of the cool state into the heating\n  state, if he be not in that which commands his own spirit, and gives\n  him to know it.\n\n  \u201cThere is a great danger too in travelling abroad in the world. The\n  same power that moves any to go forth, is that which must keep them.\n  For it is the greatest danger to go abroad, except a man be moved of\n  the Lord, and go in the power of the Lord; for then, he keeping in the\n  power, is kept by it in his journey, and in his work; and it will\n  enable him to answer the transgressed, and keep above the\n  transgressor. Every one feeling the danger to his own particular in\n  travelling abroad, there the pure fear of the Lord will be placed, and\n  kept in. Though they that travel may have openings when they are\n  abroad, to minister to others, yet, for their own particular growth,\n  they must dwell in the life which doth open; and that will keep down\n  that which would boast. For the minister comes into the death to that\n  which is in the death and in prison, and so returns up again into the\n  life, and into the power, and into the wisdom, to preserve him clean.\n\n  \u201cThis is the word of the Lord God to you all; feel that ye stand in\n  the presence of the Lord: for every man\u2019s word shall be his burden;\n  but the Word of the Lord is pure, and answers the pure in everyone.\n  The Word of the Lord is that which was in the beginning, and brings to\n  the beginning. It is a hammer, to beat down the transgressor (not the\n  transgressed), and as a fire to burn up that which is contrary to it.\n  Friends, come into that which is over all the spirits of the world,\n  fathoms all the spirits of the world, and stands in the patience; with\n  that, ye may see where others stand, and reach that which is of God in\n  everyone. Here is no strife, no contention, out of transgression; for\n  he that goeth into strife, and into contention, is from the pure\n  Spirit. For where any goeth into contention, if anything hath been\n  begotten by him before, then that contentious nature doth get a-head,\n  spoileth that which was begotten, and quencheth his own prophesying.\n  So if that which would arise into strife, be not subjected by the\n  power in the particular, that is dangerous.\n\n  \u201cIf any have a moving to any place, and have spoken what they were\n  moved of the Lord, let them return unto their habitation again, and\n  live in the pure life of God, and in the fear of the Lord; so will ye\n  be kept in the life\u2014in the solid and seasoned spirit, and preach as\n  well in life, as with words (for none must be light or wild). For the\n  Seed of God is weighty, brings to be solid, and leads into the wisdom\n  of God, by which the wisdom of the creation is known. But if that part\n  be up, which runs into imaginations, and that part be standing, in\n  which the imaginations come up, and the pure spirit be not thoroughly\n  come up to rule and reign, then that will run out, that will glory,\n  boast, and vapour; and so will such a one spoil that which opened to\n  him: this is for condemnation. Let every one mind that, which feels\n  through and commands his spirit, whereby every one may know what\n  spirit he is of; for he should first try his own spirit, and then he\n  may try others; he should first know his own spirit, and then he may\n  know others. Therefore that which doth command all these spirits,\n  where the heats and burnings come in and get up, in that wait, which\n  chains them down and cools: that is the elect, the heir of the promise\n  of God. For no hasty, rash, brittle spirits (though they have\n  prophecies) have held out, and gone through, they not being subjected\n  in the prophecy. The earthly will not abide, for it is brittle; and in\n  that state the ministry was another\u2019s, not the Son\u2019s; for the Son hath\n  life in himself, and the Son hath the power, which man being obedient\n  to, he may be serviceable; but if he go from the pure power, he falls,\n  and abuses it. Therefore let your faith stand in the pure power of the\n  Lord God, and do not abuse it; but let that search through, and work\n  through; and let every one stand in the power of the Lord, which\n  reacheth the seed of God; which is the heir of the promise of life\n  without end. Let none be hasty to speak; for ye have time enough, and\n  with an eye ye may reach the witness: neither let any be backward when\n  ye are moved; for that brings destruction.\n\n  \u201cNow, truth hath an honour in the hearts of those who are not Friends;\n  so that all Friends being kept in the truth, they are kept in the\n  honour, they are honourable, for that will honour them; but if any\n  lose the power, they lose the life, they lose their crown, they lose\n  their honour, they lose the cross, which should crucify them, and they\n  crucify the just; and by losing the power, the Lamb comes to be slain.\n  And as it is here, so will it be in other nations; for all Friends,\n  here and there, are as one family; the seed, the plants, they are as a\n  family. Now all being kept in that which subjects all, and keeps all\n  under, to wit, the Seed itself, the life itself, that is the heir of\n  the promise; that is the bond of peace; for there is the unity in the\n  Spirit with God, and with one another. For he that is kept in the\n  life, hears God, and sees man\u2019s condition; and with that he answers\n  the life in others, that hear God also; thus one Friend that is come\n  into that, comprehends the world. But that which Friends speak, they\n  must live in; so may they expect, that others may come into that which\n  they speak, to live in the same. For the power of the Lord God hath\n  been abused by some, and the worth of truth hath not been minded;\n  there hath been a trampling on, and marring with the feet, and that\n  abuseth the power. But now every Friend is to keep in the power, and\n  to take heed to it; for that must be kept down, which would trample\n  and mar with the feet, and the pure life and power of God is to be\n  lived in over that, that none with the feet may foul or mar, but every\n  one may be kept in the pure power and life of the Lord. Then the water\n  of life cometh in; then he that ministereth, drinketh himself, and\n  giveth others to drink.\n\n  \u201cWhen any shall be moved to go and speak in a steeple-house or market,\n  turn in to that which moves, and be obedient to it, that that which\n  would not go, may be kept down; for that which would not go, will be\n  apt to get up. And take heed on the other hand, that the lavishing\n  part do not get up, for it is a bad savour; therefore that must be\n  kept down, and be kept subject. Wait in the light of the Lord, that ye\n  may be all kept in the wisdom of God. For when the Seed is up in every\n  particular, there is no danger; but when there is an opening and\n  prophecy, and the power stirs before the seed comes up, then there is\n  something that will be apt to run out rashly; there is the danger, and\n  there must be the patience in the fear. For it is a weighty thing to\n  be in the work of the ministry of the Lord God, and to go forth in\n  that. It is not as a customary preaching; but it is to bring people to\n  the end of all outward preaching. For when ye have declared the truth\n  to the people, and they have received it, and are come into that which\n  ye speak of, the uttering of many words, and long declarations out of\n  the life, may beget them into a form. And if any should run on rashly\n  into words again, without the savour of life, then they that are come\n  into the thing that he spoke of, will judge him; whereby he may hurt\n  again that which he had raised up before. So Friends, ye must all come\n  into the thing that is spoken in the openings of the heavenly life\n  among you, and walk in the love of God, that ye may answer the thing\n  spoken to.\n\n  \u201cAnd take heed all of running into inordinate affections; for when\n  people come to own you, there is danger of the wrong part getting up.\n  There was a strife among the disciples of Christ, who should be the\n  greatest; Christ told them, \u2018The heathen exercise lordship, and have\n  dominion over one another; but it shall not be so among you.\u2019 For\n  Christ the Seed was to come up in every one of them; so then, where is\n  the greatest? for that part in the disciples which looked to be the\n  greatest, was the same that was in the Gentiles. But as any one comes\n  here, to live in the word that sanctified him, having the heart\n  sanctified, the tongue and lips sanctified, living in the word of\n  wisdom that makes clean the heart, and reconciles to God, all things\n  being upheld by the Word and power;\u2014as there is an abiding in the Word\n  of God, that upholds times and seasons, and gives all things increase,\n  and a dwelling in the Word of wisdom; if there be but two or three\n  agreed in this on earth, it shall be done for them in heaven. So in\n  this must all things be ordered by the Word of wisdom and power, that\n  upholds all things, the times and the seasons, that are in the\n  Father\u2019s hand, to the glory of God, whereby his blessing may be felt\n  among you; and this brings to the beginning. So this is the word of\n  the Lord God to you all, Keep down, keep low, that nothing may rule or\n  reign in you, but life itself.\n\n  \u201cNow, the power being lived in, the cross is lived in; and wherever\n  Friends come in this, they draw the power and the life over; they\n  leave a witness behind them, answering the witness of God in others.\n  And where this is lived in, there is no want of wisdom, of power, of\n  knowledge; but he that ministereth in this, seeth with the eye which\n  the Lord openeth in him, what is for the fire, and what for the sword,\n  what must be fed with judgment, and what be nourished. This brings all\n  down, and to be low, every one keeping to the power; for let a man get\n  up ever so high, yet he must come down again to the power, where he\n  left; what he went from, he must come down again to that. Before all\n  these wicked spirits be got down, which are rambling abroad, Friends\n  must have patience, must wait in patience, in the cool life; and he\n  who is in this, doing the work of the Lord, hath the tasting and the\n  feeling of the Lamb\u2019s power and authority. Therefore all Friends, keep\n  cool and quiet in the power of the Lord God; and all that is contrary\n  will be subjected; the Lamb hath the victory, in the Seed, through the\n  patience.\n\n  \u201cIf any have been moved to speak, and have quenched that which moved\n  them, let none such go forth afterwards into words, until they feel\n  the power arise and move them thereto again; for after the first\n  motion is quenched, the other part will be apt to get up; and if any\n  go forth in that, he goeth forth in his own, and the betrayer will\n  come into that. And all Friends, be careful not to meddle with the\n  powers of the earth; but keep out of all such things; and as ye keep\n  in the Lamb\u2019s authority, ye will answer that of God in them, and bring\n  them to do justice, which is the end of the law. Keep out of all\n  jangling; for all that are in the transgression, are out from the law\n  of love, but all that are in the law of love, come to the Lamb\u2019s\n  power, in the Lamb\u2019s authority, who is the end of the law outward. For\n  the law being added because of transgression, Christ, who was\n  glorified with the Father, before the world began, is the end of the\n  law, bringing them that live in the law of life, to live over all\n  transgression; which every one must feel in himself.\u201d\n\nMore was then spoken to many of these particulars, which was not taken\nat large as delivered.\n\nAfter this meeting was over, and most of the Friends were gone away, as\nI was walking in John Crook\u2019s garden, there came a party of horse, with\na constable to seize me. I heard them ask \u201cwho was in the house,\u201d and\nsomebody answered, \u201cI was there.\u201d They said, \u201cI was the man they looked\nfor;\u201d and went forthwith into the house, where they had many words with\nJohn Crook, and some few Friends that were with him. But the Lord\u2019s\npower so confounded them, that they never came into the garden to look\nfor me, but went their way in a rage. When I came into the house,\nFriends were very glad to see them so confounded, and that I had escaped\nthem. Next day I passed thence, and after I had visited Friends in\nseveral places as I went, came to LONDON, the Lord\u2019s power accompanying\nme, and bearing me up in his service.\n\nI had not been long in London, before I heard that a Jesuit, who came\nover with an ambassador from Spain, had challenged all the Quakers to\ndispute with them at the Earl of Newport\u2019s house:[58] whereupon Friends\nlet him know that some would meet him. Then he sent us word \u201che would\nmeet with twelve of the wisest and most learned men we had:\u201d a while\nafter he sent us word \u201che would meet with but six;\u201d and after that, he\nsent us word again, \u201che would have but three to come.\u201d We hastened what\nwe could, lest, after all his great boast, he should put it quite off at\nlast. When we were come to the house, I bid Nicholas Bond and Edward\nBurrough go up, and enter into discourse with him; and I would walk a\nwhile in the yard, and then come up after them. I advised them to state\nthis question to him, Whether or not the church of Rome, as it now\nstood, was not degenerated from the true church, which was in the\nprimitive times, from the life and doctrine, and from the power and\nSpirit that they were in? They stated the question accordingly; and the\nJesuit affirmed, \u201cthat the church of Rome now was in the virginity and\npurity of the primitive church.\u201d By this time I was come to them. Then\nwe asked him, \u201cwhether they had the Holy Ghost poured out upon them, as\nthe apostles had?\u201d He said, \u201cNo.\u201d \u201cThen,\u201d said I, \u201cif ye have not the\nsame Holy Ghost poured forth upon you, and the same power and Spirit\nthat the apostles had, then ye are degenerated from the power and Spirit\nwhich the primitive church was in.\u201d There needed little more to be said\nto that.\n\nFootnote 58:\n\n  The Earl of Newport, it would appear, was very favourably inclined\n  towards Friends. In a letter from E. Burrough to F. Howgill, 4th of\n  7th Month [9th Month] 1658, he observes, \u201cThis night, at Woodcock\u2019s,\n  at the meeting, was the Earl of Newport; he is truly loving to us.\u201d In\n  the same letter, E. Burrough says, \u201cTruth spreads and grows. The Earl\n  of Pembroke has been with us; there is a principle of God stirring in\n  him.\u201d\n\nThen I asked him, \u201cwhat Scripture they had for setting up cloisters for\nnuns, abbeys and monasteries for men, for all their several orders; and\nfor their praying by beads, and to images; for making crosses, for\nforbidding meats and marriages, and for putting people to death for\nreligion? If,\u201d said I, \u201cye are in the practice of the primitive church,\nin its purity and virginity, then let us see by Scriptures, wherever\nthey practised any such things.\u201d (For it was agreed on both hands, that\nwe should make good by Scriptures what we said.) Then he told us of a\nwritten word, and an unwritten word. I asked him \u201cwhat he called his\nunwritten word:\u201d he said, \u201cThe written word is the Scriptures, and the\nunwritten word is that which the apostles spoke by word of mouth;\nwhich,\u201d said he, \u201care all those traditions that we practise.\u201d I bid him\nprove that by Scripture. Then he brought the Scripture, where the\napostle says (2 Thess. ii. 5), \u201cWhen I was with you, I told you these\nthings.\u201d \u201cThat is,\u201d said he, \u201cI told you of nunneries, and monasteries,\nand of putting to death for religion, and of praying by beads, and to\nimages, and all the rest of the practices of the church of Rome, which,\u201d\nhe said, \u201cwas the unwritten word of the apostles, which they told then,\nand have since been continued down by tradition unto these times.\u201d Then\n\u201cI desired him to read that Scripture again, that he might see how he\nhad perverted the apostle\u2019s words; for that which he there tells the\nThessalonians \u2018he had told them before,\u2019 is not an unwritten word, but\nis there written down, namely, that the man of sin, the son of\nperdition, shall be revealed, before that great and terrible day of\nChrist, which he was writing of, should come: so this was not telling\nthem any of those things that the church of Rome practises. In like\nmanner the apostle, in the third chapter of that epistle, tells the\nchurch of some disorderly persons, he heard were amongst them,\nbusy-bodies, who did not work at all; concerning whom he had commanded\nthem by his unwritten word, when he was among them, that if any would\nnot work, neither should he eat; which now he commands them again in his\nwritten word in this epistle, 2 Thess. iii. So this Scripture afforded\nno proof for their invented traditions; and he had no other\nScripture-proof to offer.\u201d Therefore I told him, \u201cthis was another\ndegeneration of their church into such inventions and traditions as the\napostles and primitive saints never practised.\u201d\n\nAfter this he came to his sacrament of the altar, beginning at the\npaschal-lamb, and the shew-bread; and so came to the words of Christ,\n\u201cThis is my body,\u201d and to what the apostle wrote of it to the\nCorinthians; concluding, \u201cthat after the priest had consecrated the\nbread and wine, it was immortal and divine, and he that received it,\nreceived the whole Christ.\u201d I followed him through the Scriptures he\nbrought, till I came to Christ\u2019s words and the apostle\u2019s; and I showed\nhim \u201cthat the same apostle told the Corinthians, after they had taken\nbread and wine in remembrance of Christ\u2019s death, that they were\nreprobates, if Christ was not _in_ them: but if the bread they ate was\nChrist, he must of necessity be in them, after they had eaten it.\nBesides, if this bread and this wine, which the Corinthians ate and\ndrank, was Christ\u2019s body, then how hath Christ a body in heaven?\u201d I\nobserved to him also, \u201cthat both the disciples at the supper, and the\nCorinthians afterwards, were to eat the bread, and drink the wine in\n\u2018remembrance of Christ,\u2019 and to show forth his death, till he come;\nwhich plainly proves, the bread and wine which they took was not his\nbody. For if it had been his real body that they ate, then he had been\ncome, and was then there present; and it had been improper to have done\nsuch a thing in remembrance of him, if he had been then present with\nthem; as he must have been, if that bread and wine, which they ate and\ndrank, had been his real body.\u201d Then as to those words of Christ, \u201cThis\nis my body,\u201d I told him Christ calls himself a vine, and a door, and is\ncalled in Scripture a rock; \u201cIs Christ therefore an outward rock, door,\nor vine?\u201d \u201cO\u201d said the Jesuit, \u201cthose words are to be interpreted:\u201d\n\u201cSo,\u201d said I, \u201care those words of Christ, \u2018this is my body.\u2019\u201d\n\nNow having stopped his mouth as to argument, I made the Jesuit a\nproposal thus: \u201cThat seeing,\u201d he said \u201cthe bread and wine was immortal\nand divine, and the very Christ, and that whosoever received it,\nreceived the whole Christ; let a meeting be appointed between some of\nthem (whom the Pope and his cardinals should appoint) and some of us;\nand let a bottle of wine and a loaf of bread be brought, and divided\neach into two parts, and let them consecrate which of those parts they\nwould. And then set the consecrated and the unconsecrated bread and wine\nin a safe place, with a sure watch upon it, and let trial thus be made,\nWhether the consecrated bread and wine would not lose its goodness, and\nthe bread grow dry and mouldy, and the wine turn dead and sour, as well\nand as soon as that which was unconsecrated. By this means, said I, the\ntruth of this matter may be made manifest. And if the consecrated bread\nand wine change not, but retain their savour and goodness, this may be a\nmeans to draw many to your church: if they change, decay, and lose their\ngoodness, then ought you to confess, and forsake your error, and shed no\nmore blood about it: for much blood hath been shed about these things,\nas in Queen Mary\u2019s days.\u201d To this the Jesuit made this reply: \u201cTake,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201ca piece of new cloth, and cut it into two pieces, and make two\ngarments of it; and put one of them upon king David\u2019s back, and the\nother upon a beggar\u2019s, and the one garment shall wear away as well as\nthe other.\u201d \u201cIs this thy answer?\u201d said I; \u201cYes,\u201d said he. \u201cThen,\u201d said\nI, \u201cby this the company may all be satisfied that your consecrated bread\nand wine is not Christ. Have ye told people so long that the consecrated\nbread and wine was immortal and divine, and that it was the very and\nreal body and blood of Christ, and dost thou now say it will wear away,\nor decay, as well as the other? I must tell thee, Christ remains the\nsame to-day as yesterday, and never decays! but is the saints\u2019 heavenly\nfood in all generations, through which they have life.\u201d He replied no\nmore to this, being willing to let it fall; for the people that were\npresent saw his error, and that he could not defend it.\n\nThen I asked him \u201cwhy their church persecuted and put people to death\nfor religion.\u201d He replied, \u201cit was not the church that did it, but the\nmagistrates.\u201d I asked him \u201cwhether those magistrates were not counted\nand called believers and Christians.\u201d He said, \u201cYes:\u201d \u201cWhy then,\u201d said\nI, \u201care they not members of your church?\u201d \u201cYes,\u201d said he. Then I left it\nto the people to judge from his own concessions, whether the church of\nRome doth not persecute, and put people to death for religion. Thus we\nparted; and his subtilty was comprehended by simplicity.\n\nDuring the time I was at London, many services lay upon me; for it was a\ntime of much suffering. I was moved to write to Oliver Cromwell, and lay\nbefore him the sufferings of Friends, both in this nation and in\nIreland. There was also a rumour about this time of making Cromwell\nking: whereupon I was moved to go to him, and warned him against it, and\nof divers dangers; which, if he did not avoid, \u201che would bring a shame\nand ruin upon himself and his posterity.\u201d He seemed to take well what I\nsaid to him, and thanked me: yet afterwards I was moved to write to him\nmore fully concerning that matter.\n\nAbout this time the Lady Claypole[59] (so called) was sick and much\ntroubled in mind, and could receive no comfort from any that came to\nher; which when I heard of, I was moved to write to her the following\nletter:\u2014\n\n        \u201cFRIEND,\n\n  \u201cBe still and cool in thy own mind and spirit from thy own thoughts,\n  and then thou wilt feel the principle of God to turn thy mind to the\n  Lord, from whom cometh life; whereby thou mayest receive his strength\n  and power to allay all storms, and tempests. That is it which works up\n  into patience, innocency, soberness, into stillness, staidness,\n  quietness up to God, with his power. Therefore mind; that is the word\n  of the Lord God unto thee, that thou mayest feel the authority of God,\n  and thy faith in that, to work down that which troubles thee; for that\n  is it which keeps peace, and brings up the witness in thee, which hath\n  been transgressed, to feel after God with his power and life, who is a\n  God of order and peace. When thou art in the transgression of the life\n  of God in thy own particular, the mind flies up in the air, the\n  creature is led into the night, nature goes out of its course, an old\n  garment goes on, and an uppermost clothing; and thy nature being led\n  out of its course, it comes to be all on fire, in the transgression;\n  and that defaceth the glory of the first body. Therefore be still a\n  while from thy own thoughts, searching, seeking, desires, and\n  imaginations, and be staid in the principle of God in thee, that it\n  may raise thy mind up to God, and stay it upon God, and thou wilt find\n  strength from him, and find him to be a God at hand, a present help in\n  the time of trouble, and of need. And thou being come to the principle\n  of God, which hath been transgressed, it will keep thee humble; and\n  the humble, God will teach his way, which is peace, and such he doth\n  exalt. Now as the principle of God in thee hath been transgressed,\n  come to it, that it may keep thy mind down low to the Lord God; and\n  deny thyself; for from thy own will, that is, the earthly, thou must\n  be kept. Then thou wilt feel the power of God, which will bring nature\n  into its course, and give thee to see the glory of the first body.\n  There the wisdom of God will be received, which is Christ, by which\n  all things were made and created, and thou wilt thereby be preserved\n  and ordered to God\u2019s glory. There thou wilt come to receive and feel\n  the physician of value, who clothes people in their right mind,\n  whereby they may serve God, and do his will. For all distractions,\n  unruliness, and confusion are in the transgression; which\n  transgression must be brought down, before the principle of God, which\n  hath been transgressed against, be lifted up: whereby the mind may be\n  seasoned, and stilled, and a right understanding of the Lord may be\n  received; whereby his blessings enter, and are felt, over all that is\n  contrary, in the power of the Lord God, which raises up the principle\n  of God within, gives a feeling after God, and in time gives dominion.\n  Therefore, keep in the fear of the Lord God; that is the word of the\n  Lord unto thee. For all these things happen to thee for thy good, and\n  for the good of those concerned for thee, to make you know yourselves,\n  and your own weakness, and that ye may know the Lord\u2019s strength and\n  power, and may trust in him.\n\n  \u201cLet the time that is past be sufficient to every one, who in anything\n  hath been lifted up in transgression out of the power of the Lord; for\n  he can bring down and abase the mighty, and lay them in the dust of\n  the earth. Therefore, all keep low in his fear, that thereby ye may\n  receive the secrets of God and his wisdom, may know the shadow of the\n  Almighty, and sit under it, in all tempests, and storms, and heats.\n  For God is at hand, and the Most High rules in the children of men.\n  This then is the word of the Lord God unto you all; whatever\n  temptations, distractions, confusions, the light doth make manifest\n  and discover, do not look at these temptations, confusions,\n  corruptions; but look at the light, which discovers them, and makes\n  them manifest; and with the same light you may feel over them, to\n  receive power to stand against them. The same light which lets you see\n  sin and transgression, will let you see the covenant of God, which\n  blots out your sin and transgression, which gives victory and dominion\n  over it, and brings into covenant with God. For looking down at sin,\n  and corruption, and distraction, ye are swallowed up in it: but\n  looking at the light, which discovers them, ye will see over them.\n  That will give victory; and ye will find grace and strength: there is\n  the first step to peace. That will bring salvation; by it ye may see\n  to the beginning, and the \u2018glory that was with the Father before the\n  world began;\u2019 and so come to know the Seed of God, which is the heir\n  of the promise of God, and of the world which hath no end; which\n  bruises the head of the serpent, who stops people from coming to God.\n  That ye may feel the power of an endless life, the power of God, which\n  is immortal; which brings the immortal soul up to the immortal God, in\n  whom it doth rejoice. So in the name and power of the Lord Jesus\n  Christ, God Almighty strengthen thee.\u201d\n\n                                                                G.F.\n\nFootnote 59:\n\n  Lady Claypole was the favourite daughter of Oliver Cromwell, who\n  deeply felt her loss, for she died shortly after the period of\n  receiving the letter George Fox addressed to her. Nor was it long\n  before Oliver himself followed her; both he and his daughter dying in\n  the same year.\n\nWhen the foregoing paper was read to Lady Claypole, she said, it staid\nher mind for the present. Afterwards many Friends got copies of it, both\nin England and Ireland, and read it to people that were troubled in\nmind; and it was made useful for the settling of the minds of several.\n\nAbout this time came forth a declaration from Oliver Cromwell, the\nProtector, for a collection towards the relief of divers Protestant\nChurches, driven out of Poland; and of twenty Protestant families,\ndriven out of the confines of Bohemia. And there having been a like\ndeclaration published some time before, to invite the nation to a day of\nsolemn fasting and humiliation, in order to a contribution being made\nfor the suffering Protestants of the valleys of Lucerne, Angrona, &c.,\nwho were persecuted by the Duke of Savoy, I was moved to write to the\nProtector and chief magistrates on this occasion, both to show them the\nnature of a true fast (such as God requires and accepts,) and to make\nthem sensible of their injustice and self-condemnation, in blaming the\nPapists for persecuting the Protestants abroad, while they themselves,\ncalling themselves Protestants, were at the same time persecuting their\nProtestant neighbours and friends at home. That which I wrote to them\nwas after this manner:\u2014\n\n\u201c_To the Heads and Governors of this Nation, who have put forth a\n  declaration for keeping a day of solemn Fasting and Humiliation, for\n  the persecution (as you say) of divers people beyond the seas,\n  professing the Reformed religion, which, ye say, hath been transmitted\n  unto them from their ancestors_.\n\n  \u201cA profession of the Reformed religion may be transmitted to\n  generations, and so holden by tradition; and in that, wherein the\n  profession and tradition are holden, is the day of humiliation kept;\n  which stands in the will of man. This is not the fast that the Lord\n  requires, \u2018to bow down the head like a bulrush for a day,\u2019 and the day\n  following be in the same condition that they were the day before. To\n  the light of Christ Jesus in your consciences do I speak, which\n  testifieth for God every day, and witnesseth against all sin and\n  persecution; which measure of God, if ye be guided by it, doth not\n  limit God to a day, but leads to the fast which the Lord requires,\n  which is, \u2018To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy\n  burdens, to break every yoke, and to let the oppressed go free.\u2019 Isa.\n  lviii. 6, 7. This is the fast that the Lord requires; and this stands\n  not in the transmission of times, nor in the traditions of men; but in\n  that which was before times were, which leads out of time, and shall\n  be when time shall be no more. These that teach for doctrine the\n  commandments of men, are they that ever persecuted the life and power\n  when it came.\n\n  \u201cAnd whereas ye mention a decree or edict that was made against the\n  said persecuted Protestants, all such decrees proceed from the ground\n  of the Pope\u2019s religion and supremacy, and therein stands his tyranny\n  and cruelty, acted in that will, which is in that nature which\n  exerciseth lordship over one another (as ye may read, Mark x. 42; Luke\n  xxii. 25), as all the heathen do, and ever did; and in the heathenish\n  nature is all the tyranny and persecution exercised, by them that are\n  out of the obedience to the light of Christ Jesus, which is the guide\n  and leader of all who are tender of that of God in the conscience. But\n  they who are not led by this, know not what it is to suffer for\n  conscience\u2019 sake. Now, whereas ye take into your consideration the sad\n  persecution, tyranny, and cruelty, exercised upon them, whom ye call\n  your Protestant brethren, and contribute to administer to their wants\n  outwardly; this is good in its place, and we approve it; and see it\n  good to administer to the necessities of others, and to do good to\n  all: and we who are sufferers by a law derived from the Pope, are\n  willing to join and to contribute with you to their outward\n  necessities. For \u2018the earth is the Lord\u2019s, and the fulness thereof;\u2019\n  who is good and gracious to all, willing that all should be saved, and\n  come to the knowledge of the truth.\n\n  \u201cBut in the meantime, while ye are doing this, and taking notice of\n  others\u2019 cruelty, tyranny, and persecution, turn your eye upon\n  yourselves, and see what ye are doing at home. To the light of Christ\n  Jesus in all your consciences I speak, which cannot lie, nor err, nor\n  bear false witness; but which bears witness for God, and cries for\n  equity, justice, and righteousness to be executed. See what ye are\n  doing, who profess the Scriptures, which were given forth by the\n  saints in light, who dwelt in the light, and in the life of them. For\n  them who now witness the same light, life, and power, that gave forth\n  the Scriptures, which ye in words profess, ye persecute;\u2014them ye hale\n  out of your synagogues and markets;\u2014beat, stock, and imprison. Now let\n  that of God in your consciences, which is just, righteous, and equal,\n  examine and try, whether ye have any example or precedent to exercise\n  this persecution, which now many in this nation suffer under, who are\n  a people harmless and innocent, walking in obedience towards God and\n  man.\n\n  \u201cAnd though ye account the way of truth they walk in, heresy, yet\n  therein do they exercise themselves, to have always \u2018a conscience void\n  of offence towards God and man,\u2019 as ye may read the saints of old did\n  (Acts xxiv. 14, 15, 16); wronging no man, neither giving any just\n  cause of offence; only being obedient to the commands of the Lord, to\n  declare, as they are moved by the Holy Ghost; and standing for the\n  testimony of a good conscience, speaking the truth in Christ, their\n  consciences bearing them witness that they lie not; for this do they\n  suffer under you, who in words profess the same thing for which they\n  suffer. Now see if any age or generation did ever persecute as ye do;\n  for ye profess Christ Jesus, who reveals the Father, and persecute\n  them that witness the revelation of the Father by Christ Jesus unto\n  them. Ye profess Christ Jesus, who is \u2018the light of the world, that\n  enlightens every man that cometh into the world;\u2019 yet persecute them\n  that bear witness and give testimony to this light. Ye profess that\n  the Word is become flesh, yet persecute them that witness it so. Ye\n  profess that whosoever confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the\n  flesh, is an anti-christ; yet persecute them that do confess him come\n  in the flesh, and call them antichrists and deceivers. Ye profess that\n  the kingdom of Christ is come; yet persecute them that witness it\n  come. Ye profess Christ Jesus, the resurrection and the life; yet\n  persecute them that witness him to be so.\n\n  \u201cIf ye say, \u2018How shall we know that these people, who say they witness\n  these things, do so, or not?\u2019 I answer, Turn your minds to the light,\n  which Christ Jesus hath enlightened you withal, which is one in all;\n  and if ye walk in the light, ye shall have the light of life; then ye\n  will know and see what ye have done, who have persecuted the Lord of\n  glory (in his people) in whom is life, and the life is the light of\n  men. To no other touchstone shall we turn you, than into your own\n  consciences; there shall ye find the truth of what we have declared\n  unto you, and of what we bear testimony to, according to the holy\n  Scriptures. When the books of consciences are opened, and all judged\n  out of them, then shall ye witness us to be of God, and our testimony\n  to be true. Though now ye may stop your ears, and harden your hearts,\n  while it is called to-day; but then ye shall know what ye have done,\n  and against whom ye have transgressed;\u2014then ye will see that no\n  persecutors, in any age or generation before you, ever transgressed\n  against that light, and measure of God made manifest, in such manner\n  as ye have done. For though Christ and the apostles were persecuted in\n  their times, the Jews, for the most part, did not know that he was the\n  Christ, when he came, notwithstanding they had the Scriptures, which\n  prophesied of him; neither did they believe that he was risen again,\n  when the apostles preached his resurrection. But ye say, \u2018ye believe\n  he is come; ye believe his resurrection;\u2019 yet ye persecute those that\n  witness him come in the flesh, those that are buried with him in\n  baptism, that are conformable to his death, and know the power of his\n  resurrection; these ye persecute, hale before magistrates, and suffer\n  to be beaten in your synagogues; these ye cause to be whipped, and\n  stocked, shamefully entreated, and cast into prison; as many jails in\n  this nation at this day testify to your faces. Therefore honestly\n  consider what ye are doing, while ye are taking notice of others\u2019\n  cruelties, lest ye overlook your own. There is some difference in many\n  things, between the Popish religion and that which ye call the\n  Protestant, but in this persecution of yours there is no difference;\n  for ye will confess that the foundation of your religion is grounded\n  upon the Scriptures; yet ye are persecuting them that are in the same\n  life which they were in, who gave forth the Scriptures, yourselves\n  being the meanwhile under a profession of the words they spoke; and\n  this ye shall one day witness. So ye have a profession and form, and\n  persecute them that are in the possession, life, and power.\n\n  \u201cTherefore know assuredly that ye must come to judgment; for he is\n  made manifest, to whom all judgment is committed. Therefore to the\n  light of Christ Jesus in your own consciences, which searcheth and\n  trieth you, turn your minds; stand still, and wait there to receive\n  the righteous law, which is according to that of God in the\n  conscience, which is now rising, and is bearing witness against all\n  ungodliness and unrighteousness of men; and they whom ye persecute are\n  manifest to God, and that of God in all consciences shall bear witness\n  for us, that we are of God; this ye shall one day witness, whether ye\n  will hear or forbear. Our rejoicing is in the testimony of our\n  consciences, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly\n  wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the\n  world; not handling the word of God deceitfully, but in the\n  manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man\u2019s\n  conscience in the sight of God; and if our gospel be hid, it is hid to\n  them that are lost. For witnessing the holding of the mystery of faith\n  in a pure conscience, do we suffer, and are subject for conscience\u2019\n  sake.\n\n  \u201cThis is thankworthy, if a man, for conscience\u2019 sake, endure griefs\n  and sufferings wrongfully. In this is our joy and rejoicing, having a\n  good conscience, that whereas we are evil spoken of, as evil-doers,\n  they may be ashamed that falsely accuse our good conversation in\n  Christ; which is not only the putting away of the filth of the flesh,\n  but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of\n  Jesus Christ. This we witness made manifest (eternal praises to the\n  living God!) and bear testimony to that which spoke it in the apostle\n  in life and power. Therefore do we bear witness and testify against\n  those, who, being in a form and profession of it, persecute the life\n  and power. To the eternal light of Christ Jesus, the searcher and\n  trier of all hearts, turn your minds, and see what ye are doing; lest\n  ye overturn your foundation, whereon ye pretend to stand, while ye are\n  professing the Scriptures, and persecuting the life, light, and power,\n  which they were in who gave them forth. For the stone, cut out of the\n  mountains without hands, is now striking at the feet of the image, the\n  profession, which is set up, and stands in the will of man. Now is\n  that made manifest unto which all must answer; all must appear before\n  the judgment-seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done\n  in the body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or\n  bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we\n  are made manifest unto God, and shall be made manifest in all your\n  consciences, which ye shall witness.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nDivers times, both in the time of the Long Parliament, and of the\nProtector (so called) and of the Committee of Safety, when they\nproclaimed fasts, I was moved to write to them, and tell them, their\nfasts were like unto Jezebel\u2019s; for commonly, when they proclaimed\nfasts, there was some mischief contrived against us. I knew their fasts\nwere for strife and debate, to smite with the fist of wickedness; as the\nNew England professors soon after did, who, before they put our Friends\nto death, proclaimed a fast also.\n\nNow it was a time of great sufferings; and many Friends being in\nprisons, many other Friends were moved to go to the parliament, to offer\nup themselves to lie in the same dungeon, where their friends lay, that\nthey that were in prison might go out, and not perish in the stinking\njails. This we did in love to God and our brethren, that they might not\ndie in prison; and in love to those that cast them in, that they might\nnot bring innocent blood upon their own heads; which we knew would cry\nto the Lord, and bring his wrath, vengeance, and plagues upon them. But\nlittle favour could we find from those professing parliaments; instead\nthereof they would rage, and sometimes threaten those Friends that thus\nattended them, that they would whip them, and send them home. Then\ncommonly soon after the Lord would turn them out, and send them home;\nwho had not a heart to do good in the day of their power. But they went\nnot off without being forewarned, for I was moved to write to them, in\ntheir several turns, as I did to the Long Parliament, unto whom I\ndeclared, before they were broken up, that \u201cthick darkness was coming\nover them all, even a day of darkness that should be felt.\u201d\n\nAnd because the parliament that now sat was made up mostly of high\nprofessors, who, pretending to be more religious than others, were\nindeed greater persecutors of them that were truly religious, I was\nmoved to send them the following lines, as a reproof of their\nhypocrisy:\u2014\n\n  \u201cO Friends, do not cloak and cover yourselves; there is a God that\n  knoweth your hearts, and that will uncover you. He seeth your way.\n  \u2018Woe be to him that covereth, but not with my Spirit, saith the Lord.\u2019\n  Do ye act contrary to the law, and then put it from you? Mercy and\n  true judgment ye neglect. Look, what was spoken against such: my\n  Saviour spoke against such: \u2018I was sick, and ye visited me not; I was\n  hungry, and ye fed me not; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; I\n  was in prison, and ye visited me not.\u2019 But they said, \u2018When saw we\n  thee in prison, and did not come to thee?\u2019 \u2018Inasmuch as ye did it not\n  unto one of these little ones, ye did it not unto me.\u2019 Friends, ye\n  imprison them that are in the life and power of truth, and yet profess\n  to be the ministers of Christ. But if Christ had sent you, ye would\n  bring out of prison, and bondage, and receive strangers. Ye have lived\n  in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your\n  hearts, as in a day of slaughter; ye have condemned, and killed the\n  just, and he doth not resist you.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nAfter this, as I was going out of town, having two Friends with me, when\nwe were little more than a mile out of the city, there met us two\ntroopers belonging to Colonel Hacker\u2019s regiment, who took me, and the\nFriends that were with me, and brought us back to the Mews, and there\nkept us prisoners. But the Lord\u2019s power was so over them, that they did\nnot take us before any officer; but shortly after set us at liberty\nagain.\n\nThe same day, taking boat, I went to KINGSTON, and thence to HAMPTON\nCOURT, to speak with the Protector about the sufferings of Friends. I\nmet him riding into Hampton-Court Park, and before I came to him, as he\nrode at the head of his life-guard, I saw and felt a waft (or\napparition) of death go forth against him; and when I came to him, he\nlooked like a dead man. After I had laid the sufferings of Friends\nbefore him, and had warned him, according as I was moved to speak to\nhim, he bid me come to his house. So I returned to Kingston, and next\nday went to Hampton Court, to speak further with him. But when I came,\nhe was sick, and \u2014\u2014 Harvey, who was one that waited on him, told me the\ndoctors were not willing I should speak with him. So I passed away, and\nnever saw him more.\n\nFrom Kingston I went to Isaac Penington\u2019s, in BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, where I\nhad appointed a meeting, and the Lord\u2019s truth and power were preciously\nmanifested amongst us. After I had visited Friends in those parts, I\nreturned to LONDON, and soon after went into ESSEX, where I had not been\nlong before I heard that the Protector was dead, and his son Richard\nmade Protector in his room. Whereupon I came up to LONDON again.\n\nBefore this time the church-faith (so called) was given forth, which was\nsaid to have been made at the Savoy in eleven days\u2019 time. I got a copy\nbefore it was published, and wrote an answer to it; and when their book\nof church-faith was sold in the streets, my answer to it was sold also.\nThis angered some of the parliament-men, so that one of them told me,\n\u201cthey must have me to Smithfield.\u201d I told him, \u201cI was above their fires,\nand feared them not.\u201d And reasoning with him, I wished him to consider,\n\u201cHad all people been without a faith these sixteen hundred years, that\nnow the priests must make them one? Did not the apostle say, that Jesus\nwas the author and finisher of their faith? And since Christ Jesus was\nthe author of the apostles\u2019 faith, of the church\u2019s faith in primitive\ntimes, and of the martyrs\u2019 faith, should not all people look unto him to\nbe the author and finisher of their faith, and not to the priests?\u201d Much\nwork we had about the priest-made faith; for they called us\nhouse-creepers, leading silly women captive, because we met in houses,\nand would not hold up their priests and temples, which they had made and\nset up. I told them, that it was they who led silly women captive, and\ncrept into houses, who kept people always learning under them, who were\ncovetous, and had a form of godliness, but denied the power and Spirit\nwhich the apostles were in. Such began to creep in the apostles\u2019 days;\nbut now they had got the magistrates on their side, who upheld those\nhouses for them, which they had crept into, their temples, with their\ntithes: whereas the apostles brought people off even from that temple,\nand those tithes and offerings, which God had for a time commanded. And\nthe apostles met in several private houses, being to preach the gospel\nto all nations; which they did freely, as Christ had commanded them.\nThus do we, who bring people off from these priests, temples, and tithes\nwhich God never commanded, to meet in houses, or on mountains, as the\nsaints of old did, who were gathered in the name of Jesus, Christ being\ntheir Prophet, Priest, and Shepherd.\n\nMajor Wiggan, a very envious man, was present, yet he bridled himself\nbefore the parliament-men, and some others that were there in company.\nHe took upon him to make a speech, and said, \u201cChrist had taken away the\nguilt of sin, but had left the power of sin remaining in us.\u201d I told\nhim, that was strange doctrine, for Christ came to destroy the devil and\nhis works, and the power of sin, and so to cleanse men from sin.\n\nSo Major Wiggan\u2019s mouth was stopped at that time. But next day, desiring\nto speak with me again, I took a friend or two with me, and went to him.\nThen he vented much passion and rage, beyond the bounds of a Christian\nor moral man; whereupon I reproved him; and having brought the Lord\u2019s\npower over him, and let him see what condition he was in, I left him.\n\nAfter some time I passed out of London, and had a meeting at Sergeant\nBirkhead\u2019s at TWICKENHAM, to which many people came, and some of\nconsiderable quality in the world. A glorious meeting it was, wherein\nthe Scriptures were largely and clearly opened, and Christ exalted above\nall, to the great satisfaction of the hearers.\n\nBut there was great persecution in many places, both by imprisoning and\nbreaking up of meetings. At a meeting about seven miles from London, the\nrude people usually came out of several parishes round about, to abuse\nFriends, and often beat and bruised them exceedingly. One day they\nabused about eighty Friends, who went to that meeting out of London,\ntearing their coats and cloaks off their backs, and throwing them into\nditches and ponds; and when they had besmeared them with dirt, they said\nthey looked like witches. The next First-day, I was moved of the Lord to\ngo to that meeting, though I was then very weak. When I came there, I\nbid Friends bring a table, and set it in the field, where they used to\nmeet, to stand upon. According to their wonted course, the rude people\ncame. Having a Bible in my hand, I showed them their and their priests\u2019\nand teachers\u2019 fruits: and the people became ashamed, and were quiet. I\nopened the Scriptures to them, and our principles agreeing therewith; I\nturned the people from darkness to the light of Christ and his Spirit,\nby which they might understand the Scriptures, see themselves and their\nsins, and know Christ Jesus to be their Saviour. So the meeting ended\nquietly, and the Lord\u2019s power came over all to his glory. But it was a\ntime of great sufferings; for besides the imprisonments (through which\nmany died) our meetings were greatly disturbed. They have thrown rotten\neggs and wild-fire into our meetings, and have brought in drums beating,\nand kettles, to make noises with, that the truth might not be heard; and\namong these, the priests were as rude as any: as may be seen in the book\nof the fighting priests, wherein a list is given of some of them that\nhad actually beaten and abused Friends.\n\nMany also of our Friends were brought up to LONDON, prisoners, to be\ntried before the committee; where Henry Vane,[60] being Chairman, would\nnot suffer Friends to come in, except they would put off their hats: but\nat last the Lord\u2019s power came over him, so that, through the mediation\nof others, they were admitted. Many of us having been imprisoned upon\ncontempts (as they called them) for not putting off our hats, it was not\na likely thing that Friends, who had suffered so long for it from\nothers, should put off their hats to him. But the Lord\u2019s power came over\nthem all, and wrought so, that several Friends were set at liberty by\nthem. Now inasmuch as sufferings grew very sharp, I was moved of the\nLord to write a few lines and send amongst Friends, to encourage them to\ngo on faithfully and boldly, through the exercises of the day; of which\na copy here follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cMY dear Friends, wherever scattered abroad, in prison or out of\n  prison; fear not, because of the reports of sufferings; let not the\n  evil spies of the good land make you afraid, if they tell you the\n  walls are high, and there are Anakims in the land; for at the blowing\n  of the rams\u2019 horns did the walls of Jericho fall; and they that\n  brought the evil report, perished in the wilderness. But dwell ye in\n  the faith, patience, and hope, having the Word of Life to keep you,\n  which is beyond the law; and having the oath of God, his covenant,\n  Christ Jesus, which divides the waters asunder, and makes them to run\n  all on heaps; in that stand: and ye will see all things work together\n  for good to them that love God. In that triumph, when sufferings come,\n  whatever they may be. Your faith, your shield, your helmet, your\n  armour you have on; ye are ready to skip over a mountain, a wall, or a\n  hill, and to walk through the deep waters, though they be as heaps\n  upon heaps. The evil spies of the good land may preach up hardness;\n  but Caleb, which signifies a heart, and Joshua, a Saviour, triumph\n  over all.\u201d\n\n                                                                G.F.\n\nFootnote 60:\n\n  Vane was a conspicuous character at this period. He was strongly\n  attached to a republican government, and opposed Cromwell in his\n  progress towards assuming the reins of government as protector. He was\n  said to be one of the leaders of the Independents. Bishop Burnet, the\n  historian, says of him:\u2014\u201cThough he set up a form of religion in a way\n  of his own, yet it consisted rather in a withdrawing from all other\n  forms, than in any new or particular forms and opinions; from which he\n  and his party were called Seekers, and seemed to wait for some new and\n  clearer manifestations.\u201d James Naylor, in a letter to Margaret Fell,\n  speaks of Vane as \u201cvery loving to Friends, but drunk with\n  imaginations.\u201d\n\nAfter a while I went to READING, where I was under great sufferings and\nexercises, and in great travail of spirit for about ten weeks. For I saw\nthere was great confusion and distraction amongst the people, and that\nthe powers were plucking each other to pieces. And I saw how many were\ndestroying the simplicity, and betraying the truth. Much hypocrisy,\ndeceit, and strife, was got uppermost in the people, so that they were\nready to sheath their swords in one another\u2019s bowels. There had been a\ntenderness in many of them formerly, when they were low, but when they\nwere got up, had killed and taken possession, they came to be as bad as\nothers; so that we had much to do with them about our hats, and saying\nThou and Thee to them. They turned their profession of patience and\nmoderation into rage and madness; and many of them were like distracted\nmen for this hat-honour. For they had hardened themselves by persecuting\nthe innocent, and were at this time crucifying the Seed, Christ, both in\nthemselves and others; till at last they fell to biting and devouring\none another, until they were consumed one of another; who had turned\nagainst, and judged, that which God had wrought in them, and showed unto\nthem. So shortly after, God overthrew them, and turned them upside down,\nand brought the king over them, who were often surmising that the\nQuakers met together to bring in King Charles, whereas, Friends did not\nconcern themselves with the outward powers, or government. But at last\nthe Lord brought him in, and many of them when they saw he would be\nbrought in, voted for bringing him in. So with heart and voice praise\nthe name of the Lord, to whom it doth belong; who over all hath the\nsupremacy, and who will rock the nations, for he is over them.\n\nI had a sight and sense of the king\u2019s return a good while before, and so\nhad some others. I wrote to Oliver several times, and let him know that\nwhile he was persecuting God\u2019s people, they whom he accounted his\nenemies were preparing to come upon him. When some forward spirits that\ncame amongst us, would have bought Somerset-house, that we might have\nmeetings in it, I forbade them to do so; for I then foresaw the king\u2019s\ncoming in again. Besides, there came a woman to me in the Strand, who\nhad a prophecy concerning King Charles\u2019s coming in, three years before\nhe came: and she told me, she must go to him to declare it. I advised\nher to wait upon the Lord, and keep it to herself; for if it should be\nknown that she went on such a message, they would look upon it to be\ntreason; but she said, she must go, and tell him, that he should be\nbrought into England again. I saw her prophecy was true, and that a\ngreat stroke must come upon them in power; for they that had then got\npossession were so exceeding high, and such great persecution was acted\nby them, who called themselves saints, that they would take from Friends\ntheir copyhold lands, because they could not swear in their courts.\n\nSometimes when we laid these sufferings before Oliver Cromwell, he would\nnot believe it. Wherefore Thomas Aldam[61] and Anthony Pearson were\nmoved to go through all the jails in England, and to get copies of\nFriends\u2019 commitments under the jailer\u2019s hands, that they might lay the\nweight of their sufferings upon Oliver Cromwell. And when he would not\ngive order for the releasing of them, Thomas Aldam was moved to take his\ncap from off his head, and to rend it in pieces before him, and to say\nunto him, \u201cSo shall thy government be rent from thee and thy house.\u201d\n\nFootnote 61:\n\n  Thomas Aldam died in 1660, and as this is the last mention of him in\n  this journal, the following particulars may be added:\u2014He resided at\n  Warmsworth, in Yorkshire, and was convinced by George Fox, in 1651,\n  having been previously a great follower of the priests and teachers of\n  the times. But his hungering and thirsting soul not being satisfied\n  amongst them, he left them, and having received the Truth, became\n  valiant for the same, giving up his strength and substance to serve\n  the Lord. Many beatings, reproaches, imprisonments, much spoiling of\n  goods and other sufferings he endured, for Christ\u2019s sake. He was one\n  of the first called a Quaker imprisoned in York castle, in 1652, where\n  he was kept two years and six months, not being suffered once to go\n  home, nor permitted to see his wife, children, or relatives, when they\n  went to visit him. He was also fined during that imprisonment \u00a340, at\n  the assize, for appearing before the judge with his hat on, and saying\n  thee and thou to him. During the same imprisonment for tithes, he was\n  sued at law for treble damages, his property being taken to the value\n  of \u00a342, not leaving one cow to give milk for his young children and\n  family. Many other sufferings did he undergo, which made him have a\n  tender sympathy for others who were sufferers for the Truth, whose\n  cause he often pleaded. He wrote several small works in defence of\n  Truth, and his son, Thomas Aldam, who was also a faithful minister,\n  published a testimony concerning him, in 1690. See _Piety Promoted_,\n  vol. i., pp. 25-28; vol. iii., p 58.\n\nAnother Friend also, a woman, was moved to go to the parliament (that\nwas envious against Friends) with a pitcher in her hand, which she broke\ninto pieces before them, and told them, \u201cso should they be broken to\npieces:\u201d which came to pass shortly after.\n\nAnd in my great suffering and travail of spirit for the nation, being\ngrievously burdened with their hypocrisy, treachery, and falsehood, I\nsaw God would bring that over them, which they had been above; and that\nall must be brought down to that which convinced them, before they could\nget over that bad spirit within and without: for it is the pure,\ninvisible Spirit, that doth and only can work down all deceit in people.\n\nWhile I was under that sore travail at Reading, by reason of grief and\nsorrow of mind, and the great exercise that was upon my spirit, my\ncountenance was altered, and I looked poor and thin; and there came a\ncompany of unclean spirits to me, and told me, \u201cthe plagues of God were\nupon me.\u201d I told them, it was the same spirit spoke that in them, that\nsaid so of Christ, when he was stricken and smitten; they hid their face\nfrom him. But when I had travailed with the witness of God, which they\nhad quenched, and had got through with it, and over all that hypocrisy\nwhich the outside professors were run into, and saw how that would be\nbrought down, and turned under, and that life would rise over it, I came\nto have ease, and the light, power, and Spirit shone over all. And then\nhaving recovered, and got through my travails and sufferings, my body\nand face swelled, when I came abroad into the air; and then the bad\nspirits said, \u201cI was grown fat,\u201d and they envied at that also. So I saw,\nthat no condition nor state would please that spirit of theirs. But the\nLord preserved me by his power and Spirit through and over all, and in\nhis power I came to LONDON again.\n\nNow was there a great pother made about the image or effigy of Oliver\nCromwell lying in state; men standing and sounding with trumpets over\nhis image, after he was dead. At this my spirit was greatly grieved, and\nthe Lord, I found, was highly offended. Then did I write the following\nlines, and sent among them, to reprove their wickedness, and warn them\nto repent:\u2014\n\n  \u201cO friends, what are ye doing! What mean ye to sound before an image!\n  Will not all sober people think ye are like madmen? O, how am I\n  grieved with your abominations! O, how am I wearied! My soul is\n  wearied with you, saith the Lord: will I not be avenged of you, think\n  ye, for your abominations? O, how have ye plucked down and set up! How\n  are your hearts made whole, and not rent! How are ye turned to\n  fooleries! Which things in times past, ye stood over. How have ye left\n  my dread, saith the Lord! Fear therefore, and repent, lest the snare\n  and the pit take you all. The great day of the Lord is come upon all\n  your abominations; the swift hand of the Lord is turned against them.\n  The sober people in these nations stand amazed at your doings, and are\n  ashamed, as if ye would bring in Popery.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nAbout this time great stirs were in the nation, the minds of people\nbeing unsettled. Much plotting and contriving there was by the several\nfactions, to carry on their several interests. And a great care being\nupon me, lest any young or ignorant people, that might sometimes come\namongst us, should be drawn into that snare, I was moved to give forth\nthe following epistle as a warning unto all such:\u2014\n\n  \u201cAll Friends, everywhere, keep out of plots and bustling, and the arm\n  of flesh; for all these are amongst Adam\u2019s sons in the fall, where\n  they are destroying men\u2019s lives like dogs, beasts, and swine, goring,\n  rending, and biting one another, destroying one another, and wrestling\n  with flesh and blood. Whence arise wars and killing but from the\n  lusts? Now all this is in Adam in the fall, out of Adam that never\n  fell, in whom there is peace and life. Ye are called to peace,\n  therefore follow it; and that peace is in Christ, not in Adam in the\n  fall. All that pretend to fight for Christ, are deceived; for his\n  kingdom is not of this world, therefore his servants do not fight.\n  Fighters are not of Christ\u2019s kingdom, but are without Christ\u2019s\n  kingdom; his kingdom stands in peace and righteousness, but fighters\n  are in the lust; and all that would destroy men\u2019s lives, are not of\n  Christ\u2019s mind, who came to save men\u2019s lives. Christ\u2019s kingdom is not\n  of this world; it is peaceable: and all that are in strife, are not of\n  his kingdom. All that pretend to fight for the Gospel, are deceived;\n  for the gospel is the power of God, which was before the devil, or\n  fall of man was; and the gospel of peace was before fighting was.\n  Therefore they that pretend fighting, are ignorant of the gospel; and\n  all that talk of fighting for Sion, are in darkness; for Sion needs no\n  such helpers. All such as profess themselves to be ministers of\n  Christ, or Christians, and go about to beat down the whore with\n  outward, carnal weapons, the flesh and the whore are got up in\n  themselves, and they are in a blind zeal; for the whore got up by the\n  inward ravening from the Spirit of God; and the beating down thereof,\n  must be by the inward stroke of the sword of the Spirit within. All\n  such as pretend Christ Jesus, and confess him, and yet run into the\n  use of carnal weapons, wrestling with flesh and blood, throw away the\n  spiritual weapons. They that would be wrestlers with flesh and blood,\n  throw away Christ\u2019s doctrine; the flesh is got up in them, and they\n  are weary of their sufferings. Such as would revenge themselves, are\n  out of Christ\u2019s doctrine. Such as being stricken on one cheek, would\n  not turn the other, are out of Christ\u2019s doctrine: and such as do not\n  love one another, nor love enemies, are out of Christ\u2019s doctrine.\n\n  \u201cTherefore, ye that are heirs of the blessings of God, which were\n  before the curse and the fall were, come to inherit your portions; and\n  ye that are heirs of the gospel of peace, which was before the devil\n  was, live in the gospel of peace, seeking the peace of all men, and\n  the good of all men; and live in Christ, who came to save men\u2019s lives,\n  out of Adam in the fall, where they destroy men\u2019s lives, and live not\n  in Christ. The Jews\u2019 sword outwardly, by which they cut down the\n  heathen, was a type of the Spirit of God within, which cuts down the\n  heathenish nature within. So live in the peaceable kingdom of Christ\n  Jesus. Live in the peace of God, and not in the lusts, from whence\n  wars arise. Live in Christ the Prince of Peace, the way of God, who is\n  the second Adam, that never fell; but live not in Adam in the fall, in\n  the destruction, where they destroy one another. Therefore come out of\n  Adam in the fall, into the Adam that never fell. Live in love and\n  peace with all men; keep out of all the bustlings in the world; meddle\n  not with the powers of the earth; but mind the kingdom, the way of\n  peace. Ye that are heirs of grace, heirs of the kingdom, heirs of the\n  gospel, heirs of salvation, saints of the Most High, and children of\n  God, whose conversation is in heaven, that is above the combustions of\n  the earth; let your conversation preach to all men, and your innocent\n  lives, that they who speak evil of you, beholding your godly\n  conversation, may glorify your Father which is in heaven.\n\n  \u201cAll Friends everywhere, this I charge you, which is the word of the\n  Lord God unto you all, \u2018Live in peace, in Christ the way of peace,\u2019\n  and therein seek the peace of all men, and no man\u2019s hurt. In Adam in\n  the fall, is no peace; but in Adam out of the fall, is peace: so, ye\n  being in Adam which never fell, it is love that overcomes, and not\n  hatred with hatred, nor strife with strife. Therefore live all in the\n  peaceable life, doing good to all men, and seeking the good and\n  welfare of all men.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nNot long after this, George Booth rose in arms in Cheshire, and Lambert\nwent against him. At which time some foolish, rash spirits, that came\nsometimes amongst us, were ready to take up arms; but I was moved of the\nLord to warn and forbid them, and they were quiet. In the time of the\nCommittee of Safety (so called), we were invited by them to take up\narms, and great places and commands were offered some of us; but we\ndenied them all, and declared against it both by word and writing;\ntestifying that our weapons and armour were not carnal, but spiritual.\nAnd lest any that came amongst us, should be drawn into that snare, it\ncame upon me from the Lord, to write a few lines on that occasion, and\nsend them forth, as a caution to all amongst us. Of which this is a\ncopy:\n\n  \u201cAll Friends everywhere, take heed to keep out of the powers of the\n  earth, that run into wars and fightings, which make not for peace, but\n  destroy it; such will not have the kingdom. And, Friends, take heed of\n  joining with this or the other, or meddling with any, or being busy\n  with other men\u2019s matters; but mind the Lord, his power, and his\n  service. Let Friends keep out of other men\u2019s matters, and keep in that\n  which answers the witness in them all, out of the man\u2019s part, where\n  they must expect wars and dishonour. Friends everywhere, dwell in your\n  own, in the power of the Lord God, to keep your minds up to the Lord\n  God, from falling down to the strength of Egypt, or going thither for\n  strength, after ye are come out of it, like the children of Israel\n  after they were come out of outward Egypt. But dwell in the power of\n  the Lord God, that ye may keep over all the powers of the earth,\n  amongst whom the just hand of God is come; for they have turned\n  against the just, disobeyed the just, in their own particulars, and so\n  gone on in one against the just; therefore the just sets them one\n  against another. Now he that goes to help among them, is astray from\n  the just in himself, in the unstaid state, and doth not know, by the\n  All-seeing Eye (that beholdeth,) him that recompenseth and rewardeth,\n  and lives not in the hand, in the power, that mangles and overturns,\n  which vexeth the transgressors, that come to be blind, and zealous for\n  they do not know what. Therefore keep in peace, and in the love and\n  power of God, and in unity and love one to another, lest any go out,\n  and fall with the uncircumcised: that is, they that are from the\n  Spirit in themselves, and they that go from it, go into the pit\n  together. Therefore stand (it is the word of the Lord God to you all)\n  in the fear and dread of the Lord God, his power, life, light, seed,\n  and wisdom, by which ye may take away the occasion of wars, and so\n  know a kingdom which hath no end, and fight for that with spiritual\n  weapons, which takes away the occasion of the carnal; and there gather\n  men to war, as many as ye can, and set up as many as ye can with these\n  weapons.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nAfter I had stayed some time in London, and had visited Friends\u2019\nmeetings there and thereabouts, and the Lord\u2019s power was set over all, I\ntravelled into the counties again, passing through ESSEX and SUFFOLK\ninto NORFOLK, visiting Friends, till I came to NORWICH, where we had a\nmeeting about the time called Christmas. The Mayor of Norwich, having\ngot previous notice of the meeting I intended to have there, granted a\nwarrant to apprehend me. When I was come thither, and heard of the\nwarrant, I sent some friends to the mayor to reason with him about it.\nHis answer was, the soldiers should not meet; and did we think to meet?\nHe would have us to go and meet without the city, for he said, the\ntown\u2019s-people were so rude that he could hardly order them, and he\nfeared that our meeting would make tumults in the town. But our friends\ntold him we were a peaceable people, and that he ought to keep the\npeace; for we could not but meet to worship God, as our manner was. So\nhe became moderate, and did not send his officers to the meeting. A\nlarge one it was, and abundance of rude people came, with an intent to\ndo mischief; but the Lord\u2019s power came over them, so that they were\nchained by it, though several priests were there, and professors and\nRanters.\n\nAmong the priests, one whose name was Townsend, stood up and cried,\n\u201cError, blasphemy, and an ungodly meeting!\u201d I bid him not burden himself\nwith that which he could not make good; and I asked him what was our\nerror and blasphemy; for I told him, he should make good his words\nbefore I had done with him, or be shamed. As for an ungodly meeting, I\nsaid, I believed there were many people there that feared God, and\ntherefore it was both unchristian and uncivil in him, to charge civil,\ngodly people with an ungodly meeting. He said, my error and blasphemy\nwas, in that I said, that people must wait upon God by his power and\nSpirit, and feel his presence when they did not speak words. I asked him\nthen, whether the apostles and holy men of God did not hear God speak to\nthem in their silence, before they spoke forth the Scripture, and before\nit was written? He replied, Yes, David and the prophets heard God,\nbefore they penned the Scriptures, and felt his presence in silence\nbefore they spoke them forth. Then said I, All people take notice, he\nsaid this was error and blasphemy in me to say these words; and now he\nhath confessed, it is no more than the holy men of God in former times\nwitnessed. So I showed them that as the holy men of God who gave forth\nthe Scripture as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, heard and learned of\nGod, before they spoke them forth; so must they all hearken and hear\nwhat the Spirit saith, which will lead them into all truth, that they\nmay know God and Christ, and may understand the Scriptures. O, said the\npriest, this is not that George Fox I would speak withal; this is a\nsubtle man, said he. So the Lord\u2019s power came over all, and the rude\npeople were made moderate, and were reached by it; and some professors\nthat were there, called to the priests, saying, \u201cprove the blasphemy and\nerrors which ye have charged them with; ye have spoken much against them\nbehind their backs, but nothing ye can prove now (said they) to their\nfaces.\u201d But the priest began to get away; whereupon I told him, we had\nmany things to charge him withal, therefore let him set a time and place\nto answer them; which he did and went his way. A glorious day this was,\nfor truth came over all, and people were turned to God by his power and\nSpirit, and to the Lord Jesus Christ, their free teacher, who was\nexalted over all. And as we passed away, people\u2019s hearts were generally\nfilled with love towards us; yea, the ruder sort of them desired another\nmeeting, for the evil intentions they had against us were thrown out of\ntheir hearts. At night I passed out of town to a Friends\u2019 house, and\nthence to Colonel Dennis\u2019s, where we had a great meeting; and afterwards\ntravelled on, visiting Friends in NORFOLK, HUNTINGDONSHIRE, and\nCAMBRIDGESHIRE. But George Whitehead and Richard Hubberthorn stayed\nabout Norwich to meet the priest, who was soon confounded, the Lord\u2019s\npower came so over him.\n\nAfter I had travelled through many counties in the Lord\u2019s service, and\nmany were convinced, notwithstanding the people in some places were very\nrude, I returned to LONDON, when General Monk was come up thither, and\nthe gates and posts of the city were pulling down. Long before this I\nhad a vision, wherein I saw the city lie in heaps and the gates down;\nand it was then represented to me, just as I saw it several years after,\nlying in heaps, when it was burned.\n\nDivers times, both by word and writing, had I forewarned the several\npowers, both in Oliver\u2019s time and after, of the day of recompense that\nwas coming upon them; but they rejecting counsel, and slighting those\nvisitations of love to them, I was moved now, before they were quite\noverturned, to lay their backsliding, hypocrisy, and treacherous dealing\nbefore them, thus:\n\n  \u201cFRIENDS, now are the prophecies fulfilled and fulfilling upon you,\n  which have been spoken to you by the people of God in your courts,\n  steeple-houses, towns, cities, markets, highways, and at your feasts,\n  when ye were in your pleasures, and puffed up, that ye would neither\n  hear God nor man; when ye were in your height of authority, though\n  raised up from a mean state, none might come nigh you without bowing,\n  or the respect of persons, for ye were in the world\u2019s way,\n  compliments, and fashions, which, for conscience\u2019 sake towards God\n  they could not go into, being redeemed therefrom; therefore they were\n  hated by you for that cause. But how are ye brought low, who exalted\n  yourselves above your brethren, and threw the just and harmless from\n  among you, until at last God hath thrown you out; and when ye cast the\n  innocent from among you, then ye fell to biting one another until ye\n  were consumed one of another. And so the day is come upon you, which\n  before was told you, though ye would not believe it. And are not your\n  hearts so hardened, that ye will hardly yet believe, though ready to\n  go into captivity? Was it not told you, when ye spilt the blood of the\n  innocent in your steeple-houses, markets, highways, and cities, yea,\n  and even in your courts also, because they said the word \u2018Thou\u2019 to\n  you, and could not put off their hats to you, that if something did\n  not arise up amongst yourselves, to avenge the blood of the innocent,\n  there would come something from beyond the seas, which lay reserved\n  there, which being brought by the arm of God, the arm of flesh and\n  strongest mountain cannot withstand? Yet ye would not consider,\n  regard, or hear; but cried, peace, peace, and feasted yourselves, and\n  sat down in the spoil of your enemies, being treacherous both to God\n  and man; and who will trust you now? Have ye not made covenants and\n  oaths? and broken covenants and oaths between God and man, and made\n  the nations breakers both of covenants and oaths; so that nothing but\n  hypocrisy, rottenness, and falsehood under fair pretence, was amongst\n  you?\n\n  \u201cWhen ye pretended to set up the old cause, it was but yourselves; for\n  which ye long stuck to sober people, who saw ye would do no good. But\n  it was a joy for any of you to get up into authority, that ye might\n  have praise, honour, and respect; and they that were in the\n  self-denial were a derision to you, from amongst whom that was\n  banished. Thus ye became the nation\u2019s masters, and not servants;\n  whereas the greatest of all should be the servants of all. But there\n  ye lost your authority, not considering your estates, from whence ye\n  were, and to what end God had raised you up; but forgot the Lord, and\n  quenched that which was good in yourselves, and persecuted them that\n  lived in it; and so are grown so gross and perverse, that at last ye\n  are fit for neither God nor man. Have not ye called the Quakers the\n  fanatic people, and the giddy heads? But whither now are ye giddying?\n  into Cain\u2019s city Nod, which signifies fugitive, or wandering? Have not\n  ye persecuted and imprisoned to death such as God had respect to, and\n  is now reproving you for their sakes, by them whom ye have hated? Were\n  not many amongst you cut off for your persecution, and yet the rest of\n  you would not take warning? Was there not a book of examples sent out\n  unto you, of what sudden and strange deaths happened to the\n  persecutors of the innocent; and yet ye would not take warning, until\n  the overflowing scourge is now coming upon you. Are not ye they that\n  have killed like Cain, who have killed about your sacrifice, and\n  mingled the blood of the innocent with it? Hath not God now vagabonded\n  you, that ye should become a curse upon the earth, who have persecuted\n  Friends to death? Did not the blood of the righteous cry out of the\n  ground for vengeance? And will not the blood of the righteous be\n  required? Could ye think that the Lord would let you sit always with\n  bloody hands and fists of wickedness? Ah! what is become of all your\n  feasts and your fasts, the prayers and blessings of your priests?\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                             CHAPTER XIII.\n\n1659-1660.\u2014Address to the Cornish people, respecting shipwrecks\u2014the\n    soldiers at Bristol are punished for disturbing Friends\u2019\n    meetings\u2014several thousands attend a general meeting at Edward\n    Pyot\u2019s\u2014General Monk also restrains his soldiers\u2014great drunkenness at\n    elections for Parliament-men\u2014the Yearly Meeting is held at Balby\u2014and\n    a general meeting of discipline for several counties held at\n    Skipton\u2014a Friend goes naked (divested of the upper garments) through\n    the town, declaring Truth, and is much abused\u2014general meeting at\n    Arnside for three counties\u2014George Fox is committed to Lancaster\n    Castle by Major Porter\u2014writes an answer to his mittimus\u2014Margaret\n    Fell writes to the magistrates thereon\u2014address on true\n    religion\u2014against persecution\u2014to Friends, on the change of\n    government\u2014to Charles II., exhorting him to exercise mercy and\n    forgiveness towards his enemies, and to restrain profaneness\u2014the\n    Sheriff of Lancashire\u2019s return to George Fox\u2019s writ of _Habeas\n    Corpus_\u2014M. Fell and Ann Curtis speak to the King on the subject\u2014the\n    King orders his removal to London by Habeas Corpus, and there sets\n    him at liberty.\n\n\nBeing now clear of the City of London, and finding my spirit drawn to\nvisit Friends in the western parts of England, passing first into SURREY\nand SUSSEX, I came to a great town where there was a large meeting, to\nwhich several Friends from Reading came, and a blessed one it was. The\npriest of the town was in a great rage, but did not come out of his\nhouse; wherefore, hearing him make a great noise in his house, as we\nwere passing from the meeting, we bid him come out into the street, and\nwe would discourse with him; but he would not. So the Lord\u2019s power being\nover all, Friends were refreshed therein. Thence I went to another\nmarket-town, where in the evening we had a precious meeting, and the\nfresh sense of the presence of the Lord was sweetly felt amongst us.\nThen turning into HAMPSHIRE and DORSETSHIRE, I went to RINGWOOD and\nPOOLE, visiting Friends in the Lord\u2019s power, and had great meetings\namongst them.\n\nAt DORCHESTER we had a great meeting in the evening at our inn, which\nmany soldiers attended, and were pretty civil. But the constables and\nofficers of the town came, under pretence to look for a Jesuit, whose\nhead (they said) was shaved; and they would have all put off their hats,\nor they would take them off, to look for the Jesuit\u2019s shaven crown. So\nthey took off my hat (for I was the man they aimed at,) and looked very\nnarrowly, but not finding any bald or shaven place on my head they went\naway with shame; and the soldiers, and other sober people, were greatly\noffended with them. But it was of good service for the Lord, and all\nthings wrought together for good; for it affected the people; and after\nthe officers were gone, we had a fine meeting, and people were turned to\nthe Lord Jesus Christ, their teacher, who had bought them, and would\nreconcile them to God.\n\nThence we passed into SOMERSETSHIRE, where the Presbyterians and other\nprofessors were very wicked, and often disturbed Friends\u2019 meetings. One\ntime especially (as we were then informed) there was a very wicked man,\nwhom they got to come to the Quakers\u2019 meeting; this man put a bear\u2019s\nskin on his back, and undertook with that to play pranks in the meeting.\nAccordingly, setting himself just opposite to the Friend that was\nspeaking, he lolled his tongue out of his mouth, having his bear\u2019s skin\non his back, and so made sport to his wicked followers, and caused a\ngreat disturbance in the meeting. But an eminent judgment overtook him,\nand his punishment slumbered not; for as he went back from the meeting,\nthere was a bull-baiting in the way which he stayed to see; and coming\nwithin the bull\u2019s reach, he struck his horn under the man\u2019s chin into\nhis throat, and struck his tongue out of his mouth, so that it hung\nlolling out, as he had used it before, in derision in the meeting. And\nthe bull\u2019s horn running up into the man\u2019s head, he swung him about upon\nhis horn in a most remarkable and fearful manner. Thus he that came to\ndo mischief amongst God\u2019s people, was mischiefed himself; and well would\nit be, if such apparent examples of Divine vengeance, would teach others\nto beware.[62]\n\nFootnote 62:\n\n  Many were the judgments which overtook the persecutors of the Early\n  Friends, as related in their journals, and the histories of the\n  Society. The following occurred in Scotland, as related in Jaffray\u2019s\n  diary:\u2014\u201cJames Skene, who was generally known by the name of \u2018White\n  James,\u2019 to distinguish him from a very abusive and wicked man of the\n  same name, called \u2018Black James,\u2019 took great delight in inventing\n  malicious slanders against Friends. On one occasion, whilst he was\n  repeating some wicked verses, which he had composed on purpose to\n  defame a worthy and innocent person, he was in that instant suddenly\n  struck down as one dead, and was for some time deprived of his senses.\n  When he recovered, he acknowledged the just judgment of God upon him,\n  confessed the offence he had committed against this innocent people,\n  and gave proof of repentance by ever after abstaining from such\n  practices.\u201d\n\nWe travelled through SOMERSETSHIRE and DEVONSHIRE, till we came to\nPLYMOUTH, and so into CORNWALL, visiting the meetings of Friends to the\nLand\u2019s End. Many precious and blessed meetings we had all along as we\nwent, wherein they that were convinced were established, and many others\nwere added to them. At the LAND\u2019S END, there was an honest fisherman\nconvinced, who became a faithful minister of Christ; I took notice of\nhim to Friends, and told them, \u201cHe was like Peter.\u201d[63]\n\nFootnote 63:\n\n  The honest fisherman mentioned here was Nicholas Jose, who was a great\n  sufferer for Christ\u2019s sake, both in loss of goods and imprisonments in\n  Launceston Jail, Pendennis Castle, and other places; indeed scarcely a\n  year passed over without his being called on to suffer severely in\n  some way or other for the testimony of a good conscience. He was\n  imprisoned with twenty-four other Friends, about the year 1682, and\n  continued in confinement till 1685. For an interesting account of this\n  worthy man, see _Select Miscellanies_ vol. iv., 250-255.\n\nWhile I was in Cornwall, there were great shipwrecks about the Land\u2019s\nEnd. Now it was the custom of that country, that at such a time both\nrich and poor went out, to get as much of the wreck as they could, not\ncaring to save the people\u2019s lives; and in some places, they call\nshipwrecks, God\u2019s grace. These things troubled me; it grieved my spirit\nto hear of such unchristian actions, considering how far they were below\nthe heathen at Melita, who received Paul, made him a fire, and were\ncourteous towards him, and them that had suffered shipwreck with him.\nWherefore I was moved to write a paper, and send it to all the parishes,\npriests, and magistrates, to reprove them for such greedy actions, and\nto warn and exhort them that, if they could assist to save people\u2019s\nlives, and preserve their ships and goods, they should use their\ndiligence therein; and consider, if it had been their own condition,\nthey would judge it hard if they should be upon a wreck, and people\nshould strive to get what they could get from them, and not regard their\nlives. A copy of this paper here follows:\u2014\n\n        \u201cFRIENDS AND PEOPLE,\n\n  \u201cTake heed of greediness and covetousness, for that is idolatry; and\n  the idolater must not enter into the kingdom of God. Take heed of\n  drunkenness, oaths, and cursings, for such are destroyers of the\n  creation, and make it to groan. Lay aside all fighting, quarrelling,\n  brawling, and evil speakings, which are the works of the flesh, and\n  not of the Spirit; for they who follow such things are not likely to\n  inherit the kingdom of God. Put away all corrupt words, which are\n  unsavoury, and misnaming one another; for ye must give an account of\n  every idle word. Lay aside all profession and religion that is vain;\n  and come to the possession, and the pure religion, which is to visit\n  the fatherless, the widow, and the stranger, and receive them; for\n  some thereby may entertain angels, or the servants of the Lord\n  unawares, as Paul was entertained after the shipwreck at Melita. Do\n  not take people\u2019s goods from them by force out of their ships,\n  seamen\u2019s or other\u2019s, neither covet ye them; but rather endeavour to\n  preserve their lives, and their goods for them; for that shows a\n  spirit of compassion, and the spirit of a Christian. But if ye be\n  greedy and covetous of other men\u2019s goods, not mattering what becomes\n  of the men, would ye be served so yourselves? If ye should have a ship\n  cast away in other places, and the people should come to tear the\n  goods and ship in pieces, not regarding to save the men\u2019s lives, but\n  be ready to fight one with another for your goods, do not ye believe\n  such goods would become a curse to them? And may ye not as surely\n  believe, such kind of actions will become a curse unto you? When the\n  spoil of one ship\u2019s goods is idly spent, and consumed upon the lusts,\n  in ale-houses, taverns, and otherwise, then ye gape for another. Is\n  this to \u2018do as ye would be done by,\u2019 which is the law and the\n  prophets?\n\n  \u201cTherefore, priest Hull, are these thy fruits? What dost thou take\n  people\u2019s labour and goods for? Hast thou taught them no better manners\n  and conversation, who are so brutish and heathenish? Now all such\n  things we judge in whomsoever. But if any Friend, or others, preserve\n  men\u2019s lives, and endeavour to save their goods and estates, and\n  restore what they can of a wreck to the owners; if they consider such\n  for their labour, doing in that case unto them what they would have\n  done unto themselves, that we approve. And if they buy or sell, and do\n  not make a prey, that is allowed of still, in the way of \u2018doing as ye\n  would be done by,\u2019 keeping to the law and to the prophets: that is, if\n  ye should be wrecked in another country, ye would have other people to\n  save your lives and goods, and have your goods restored to you again,\n  and you would commend them for so doing. All that do otherwise, that\n  wait for a wreck, and get the goods for themselves, not regarding the\n  lives of the men: but if any of them escape drowning, let them go\n  begging up and down the country; and if any escape with a little,\n  sometimes rob them of it;\u2014all that do so, are not for preserving the\n  creation, but for destroying it; and those goods which are so gotten,\n  shall be a curse, a plague, and a judgment to them, and the judgments\n  of God will follow them for acting such things; the witness in your\n  consciences shall answer it. Therefore, all ye who have done such\n  things, \u2018do so no more lest a worse thing come unto you.\u2019 But that\n  which is good, do; preserve men\u2019s lives and estates, and labour to\n  restore the loss and breach; that the Lord requires. Be not like a\n  company of greedy dogs, and worse than heathens, as if ye had never\n  heard of God, nor Christ, nor the Scriptures, nor pure religion.\n\n  \u201cAnd priest Hull, have people spent their money upon thee, for that\n  which is no bread? for a thing of nought, that thou hast such fruits?\n  All such teachers we utterly deny as make a trade of the Scriptures,\n  which are given forth from the Spirit of God, that they may be\n  believed, read, and practised, and that Christ, whom they testify of,\n  may be enjoyed. We own Christ, and are come off from all your\n  steeple-houses, which were the old mass-houses; for there are their\n  bad fruits harboured. Come to the Church which is in God (1 Thess.\n  i.), and to the light which Christ Jesus hath enlightened you withal,\n  which shows you all your ungodly words, ungodly thoughts, and ungodly\n  actions. This will be your teacher, if ye love it; your condemnation\n  if ye hate it; for the mighty day of the Lord is coming upon all\n  wickedness and ungodliness; therefore lay aside your whoredoms and\n  fornications.\n\n  \u201cAnd ye magistrates who are to do justice, think ye not that the hand\n  of the Lord God is against you, and that his judgments will come upon\n  you, who do not look after these things and stop them with the law,\n  which is, \u2018to do unto all men, as they would have done unto them,\u2019\n  whereby ye might be good savour in your country? Is not the law to\n  preserve men\u2019s lives and estates, \u2018doing unto all men, as they would\n  that men should do unto them?\u2019 For all men would have their lives and\n  estates preserved; therefore, should not ye preserve others, and not\n  suffer them to be devoured and destroyed? The evil of these things\n  will lie upon you, both priests and magistrates.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\n  \u201d_Postscript._\u2014All dear Friends who fear the Lord, keep out of the\n  ravenous world\u2019s spirit, which leads to destroy, and which is out of\n  the wisdom of God. When ships are wrecked, do not run to destroy and\n  make havoc of ship and goods with the world; but to save the men, and\n  the goods for them, and so deny yourselves, \u2018and do unto them, as ye\n  would that they should do unto you.\u2019\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nThis paper had good service among the people; and Friends have\nendeavoured much to save the lives of the crews in times of wrecks, and\nto preserve the ships and goods for them. And when some that have\nsuffered shipwreck, have been almost dead and starved, Friends have\ntaken them to their houses, to succour and recover them; which is an act\nto be practised by all true Christians.\n\nI had many precious, blessed, living meetings in Cornwall, several\neminent people being convinced in that county, whom neither priests nor\nmagistrates, by spoiling goods or imprisonments, could make to forsake\ntheir Shepherd, the Lord Jesus, who bought them; and all Friends, who\nwere turned to Christ, their Teacher and Saviour, being settled in peace\nand quietness upon him, their foundation, we left them to the Lord Jesus\nChrist\u2019s teaching and ordering, fresh and green. Thomas Lower, who had\naccompanied me through all that county, brought me over Horse-bridge\ninto DEVONSHIRE again; and after several meetings there, we came into\nSOMERSETSHIRE, where we had divers large and peaceable meetings; and so\npassed through the county, visiting Friends, till we came to BRISTOL.\n\nI entered BRISTOL on the seventh day of the week. The day before, the\nsoldiers came with their muskets into the meeting, and were exceedingly\nrude, beating and striking Friends with them, and drove them out of the\norchard in a great rage, threatening what they would do, if Friends came\nthere again. For the mayor and the commander of the soldiers had, it\nseems, combined together to make a disturbance amongst Friends. When\nFriends told me what a rage there was in the town, how they were\nthreatened by the mayor and soldiers, and how unruly the soldiers had\nbeen the day before, I sent for several Friends, as George Bishop,\nThomas Gouldney, Thomas Speed, and Edward Pyot, and desired them to go\nto the mayor and aldermen, and request them, seeing he and they had\nbroken up our meetings, to let Friends have the town-hall to meet in;\nand for the use of it Friends would give them twenty pounds a-year, to\nbe distributed amongst the poor; and when the mayor and aldermen had\nbusiness to do in it, Friends would not meet in it, but only on\nFirst-days. These Friends were astonished at this, and said the mayor\nand aldermen would think that they were mad. I said, nay; for this would\nbe a considerable benefit to the poor. And it was upon me from the Lord\nto bid them go. At last they consented, and went, though in the cross to\ntheir own wills. When they had laid the thing before the mayor, he said,\n\u201cfor his part he could consent to it, but he was but one:\u201d and he told\nFriends of another great hall they might have, but that they did not\naccept, it being inconvenient. So Friends came away, leaving the mayor\nin a very loving frame towards them; for they felt the Lord\u2019s power had\ncome over him. When they came back, I spoke to them to go also to the\ncolonel that commanded the soldiers, and lay before him the rude conduct\nof his soldiers, how they came armed amongst innocent people, who were\nwaiting upon, and worshipping the Lord; but they were backward to go to\nhim.\n\nNext morning, being first day, we went to the meeting in the orchard,\nwhere the soldiers had so lately been so rude. After I had declared the\ntruth some time in the meeting, there came in many rude soldiers and\npeople, some with drawn swords. The innkeepers had made some of them\ndrunk; and one had bound himself with an oath, to cut down and kill the\nman that spoke. He came pressing in, through all the crowd of people, to\nwithin two yards of me, and stopped at those four Friends before\nmentioned (who should have gone to the colonel as I would have had\nthem,) and began jangling with them. Suddenly I saw his sword was put up\nand gone: for the Lord\u2019s power came over all, and chained him with the\nrest. We had a blessed meeting, and the Lord\u2019s everlasting power and\npresence was felt amongst us. On the day following, the four Friends\nwent and spoke with the colonel, and he sent for the soldiers, and cut\nand slashed some of them before the Friends\u2019 faces; which when I heard\nof I blamed the Friends for letting him do so, and also that they did\nnot go on the seventh day, as I would have had them, which might have\nprevented this cutting of the soldiers, and the trouble they gave at our\nmeeting. But thus the Lord\u2019s power came over all those persecuting,\nbloody minds, and the meeting there was held in peace for a good while\nafter without disturbance.\n\nI had then also a general meeting at Edward Pyot\u2019s, near Bristol, at\nwhich it was supposed were several thousands; for besides Friends from\nmany parts thereabouts, some of the Baptists and Independents, with\ntheir teachers, came to it, and many of the sober people of Bristol;\ninsomuch that the people that stayed behind said, \u201cthe city looked\nnaked,\u201d so many were gone out of it to this meeting. It was very quiet,\nmany glorious truths were opened to the people, and the Lord Jesus\nChrist was set up, who was the end of all figures and shadows of the\nlaw, and the first covenant. It was declared to the people that all\nfigures and shadows were given to man, after he fell; and that all the\nrudiments and inventions of men, which have been set up in Christendom,\nmany of which were Jewish and heathenish, were not set up by the command\nof Christ; and all images and likenesses man has made to himself, or for\nhimself, whether of things in heaven or things in earth, have been since\nhe lost the image and likeness of God, which God made him in. But now\nChrist is come to redeem, translate, convert, and regenerate man out of\nall these things that he hath set up in the fall, out of the true types,\nfigures, and shadows also, and out of death and darkness, into the\nlight, life, and image of God again, which man and woman were in before\nthey fell. Therefore all now should come, and all might come to receive,\nChrist Jesus, the substance, by his light, Spirit, grace, and faith; and\nshould live and walk in him, the Redeemer and Saviour.\n\nAnd as we had much work with priests and professors, who pleaded for\nimperfection, I was opened to declare and manifest unto them, that Adam\nand Eve were perfect before they fell; and God saw that all that he had\nmade, was good, and he blessed it. But imperfection came in by the fall,\nthrough man and woman\u2019s hearkening to the devil, who was out of truth.\nAnd though the law made nothing perfect, yet it made way for the\nbringing in of the better hope, which hope is Christ, who destroys the\ndevil and his works, that made man and woman imperfect. Christ saith to\nhis disciples, \u201cBe ye perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect:\u201d\nand he, who himself was perfect, comes to make man and woman perfect\nagain, and brings them again to the state which God made them in. So he\nis the maker up of the breach, and the peace between God and man.\n\nThat this might the better be understood by the lowest capacities, I\nused a comparison of two old people, that had their house broken down by\nan enemy, so that they, with all their children, were liable to all\nstorms and tempests. And there came some to them that pretended to be\nworkmen, and offered to build up their house again, if they would give\nthem so much a-year: but when they had got their money, they left their\nhouse as they found it. After this manner came a second, third, fourth,\nfifth, and sixth, each with his several pretence, to build up the old\nhouse, and each got the people\u2019s money; and then cried, \u201cthey could not\nrear up the house, nor could the breach be made up; for there is no\nperfection here, cry they; the house can never be perfectly built up\nagain in this life;\u201d though they had taken the people\u2019s money for the\ndoing of it. For all the sect-masters in Christendom (so called) have\npretended to build up Adam and Eve\u2019s fallen house, and when they have\ngot people\u2019s money, they tell them the work cannot be perfectly done\nhere; and so their house lies as it did. But I told the people, Christ\nwas come to do it freely, who, by one offering, hath perfected for ever\nall them that are sanctified, and renews them into the image of God,\nwhich man and woman were in before they fell, and makes man and woman\u2019s\nhouse as perfect again as God made them at the first: and this, Christ,\nthe heavenly man, doth freely. Therefore all are to look unto him, and\nall that have received him, are to walk in him, the life, the substance,\nthe first and the last, the rock of ages, and foundation of many\ngenerations. Largely were these, and many other things, opened and\ndeclared unto the people, the word of life was preached, which doth live\nand abide; and all were exhorted to hear and obey that which liveth and\nabideth, that by it all might be born again of the immortal Seed, and\nfeed on the milk of the Word. A glorious meeting there was, wherein the\nLord\u2019s everlasting Seed, Christ Jesus, was set over all, and Friends\nparted in the power and Spirit of the Lord, in peace and in his truth,\nthat is over all.\n\nAbout this time the soldiers under General Monk\u2019s command were rude and\ntroublesome at Friends\u2019 meetings in many places, whereof complaint being\nmade to him, he gave forth the following order, which somewhat\nrestrained them:\u2014\n\n                             \u201c_St. James\u2019s, the 9th of March, 1659._\n\n  \u201cI do require all officers and soldiers to forbear to disturb the\n  peaceable meetings of the Quakers, they doing nothing prejudicial to\n  the Parliament or Commonwealth of England.\n\n                                                      \u201cGEORGE MONK.\u201d\n\nAfter the meeting at Edward Pyot\u2019s I passed to OLVESTON, to NAILSWORTH,\nand to Nathaniel Crisp\u2019s; where there was a large meeting, and several\nsoldiers at it, but quiet. From thence we passed to GLOUCESTER, visiting\nmeetings. In Gloucester we had a peaceable meeting, though the town was\nvery rude, and divided; for one part of the soldiers were for the king,\nand another for the parliament. As I passed out of the town, over the\nbridge, Edward Pyot being with me, the soldiers there said, \u201cthey were\nfor the king;\u201d but after we were past them, and they understood it was\nI, they were in a great rage that I had escaped them, and said, \u201chad\nthey known it had been I, they would have shot me with hail-shot, rather\nthan I should have escaped them.\u201d But the Lord prevented their devilish\ndesign, and brought me safe to Colonel Grimes\u2019s house, where we had a\nlarge general meeting, and the Lord\u2019s truth and power was set over all;\nFriends were established upon the Rock, and settled under the Lord Jesus\nChrist\u2019s teaching.\n\nWe passed thence to TEWKESBURY, and so to WORCESTER, visiting Friends in\ntheir meetings as we went. And in all my time I never saw the like\ndrunkenness as in the towns, for they had been choosing parliament-men.\nAt Worcester the Lord\u2019s truth was set over all, people were finely\nsettled therein, and Friends praised the Lord; nay, I saw the very earth\nrejoiced. Yet great fears and troubles were in many people, and a\nlooking for the king\u2019s coming in, and all things being altered. They\nwould ask me what I thought of times and things. I told them the Lord\u2019s\npower was over all, and his light shone over all; that fear would take\nhold only on the hypocrites, such as had not been faithful to God, and\non our persecutors. For in my travail and sufferings at Reading, when\npeople were at a stand, and could not tell what might come in, and who\nmight rule, I told them the Lord\u2019s power was over all (for I had\ntravelled through in it), and his day shined, whosoever should come in;\nand whether the king came in or not, all would be well to them that\nloved the Lord, and were faithful to him. Therefore I bid all Friends\nfear none but the Lord, and keep in his power that was over all.\n\nFrom Worcester I visited Friends in their meetings, till I came to\nBADDESLEY, and thence I went to DRAYTON, in Leicestershire, to visit my\nrelations. While there, one Burton, a justice, hearing I had a good\nhorse, sent a warrant to search for me and my horse; but I was gone\nbefore they came; and so he missed of his wicked end. I passed on to\nTWY-CROSS, SWANNINGTON, and DERBY, where I visited Friends, and found my\nold jailer amongst them, who had formerly kept me in the house of\ncorrection there, now convinced of the truth, which I then suffered\nunder him for.\n\nPassing into Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, I came to SYNDERHILL-GREEN,\nvisiting Friends through all those parts in their meetings, and so on to\nBALBY in Yorkshire, where our Yearly Meeting at that time was held in a\ngreat orchard of John Killam\u2019s, where it was supposed some thousands of\npeople and Friends were gathered together. In the morning I heard that a\ntroop of horse was sent from York, to break up our meeting, and that the\nmilitia, newly raised, was to join them. I went into the meeting, and\nstood up on a great stool, and after I had spoken some time, two\ntrumpeters came up, sounding their trumpets near me, and the captain of\nthe troop cried, \u201cDivide to the right and left, and make way;\u201d then they\nrode up to me. I was declaring the everlasting truth, and word of life,\nin the mighty power of the Lord. The captain bid me \u201ccome down, for he\nwas come to disperse our meeting.\u201d After some time I told him they all\nknew we were a peaceable people, and used to have such great meetings;\nbut if he apprehended that we met in a hostile way, I desired him to\nmake search among us, and if he found either sword or pistol about any\nthere, let such suffer. He told me, \u201che must see us dispersed, for he\ncame all night on purpose to disperse us.\u201d I asked him, \u201cwhat honour it\nwould be to him, to ride with swords and pistols amongst so many unarmed\nmen and women as there were?\u201d If he would be still and quiet, our\nmeeting probably might not continue above two or three hours; and when\nit was done, as we came peaceably together, so we should part; for he\nmight perceive the meeting was so large, that all the country\nthereabouts could not entertain them, but that they intended to depart\ntowards their homes at night. He said \u201che could not stay to see the\nmeeting ended, but must disperse them before he went.\u201d I desired him\nthen, if he himself could not stay, that he would let a dozen of his\nsoldiers stay, and see the order and peaceableness of our meeting. He\nsaid, \u201che would permit us an hour\u2019s time;\u201d and left half a dozen\nsoldiers with us. Then he went away with his troop, and Friends of the\nhouse gave the soldiers that stayed, and their horses, some meat. When\nthe captain was gone, the soldiers that were left told us, \u201cwe might\nstay till night if we would.\u201d But we stayed but about three hours after,\nand had a glorious, powerful meeting; for the presence of the living God\nwas manifest amongst us; the Seed, Christ, was set over all, and Friends\nwere built upon him, the foundation, and settled under his glorious,\nheavenly teaching.\n\nAfter the meeting, Friends passed away in peace, greatly refreshed with\nthe presence of the Lord, and filled with joy and gladness, that the\nLord\u2019s power had given them such dominion. Many of the militia soldiers\nstayed also, and were much vexed that the captain and troopers had not\nbroken up our meeting, and cursed them. It was reported that they\nintended to do us some mischief that day; but the troopers, instead of\nassisting them, were rather assistant to us, in not joining with them,\nas they expected, but preventing them from doing the mischief they\ndesigned. Yet this captain was a desperate man, for it was he that had\nsaid to me in Scotland, that \u201che would obey his superior\u2019s commands; and\nif it were to crucify Christ he would do it; or execute the great Turk\u2019s\ncommands against the Christians, if he were under him.\u201d So that it was\nan eminent power of the Lord, which chained both him and his troopers,\nand those envious militia-soldiers also, who went away, not having power\nto hurt any of us, nor to break up our meeting.\n\nNext day we had a heavenly meeting at WARMSWORTH, of Friends in the\nministry and several others; and then Friends parted. As they passed\nthrough the country, several were taken up. For the day that our first\nmeeting was held on, Lambert was routed, and it made great confusion in\nthe country; but Friends were not kept long in prison at that time. As I\nwent to this meeting at Balby, there came several to me at Skegby in\nNottinghamshire, that were then going to be soldiers under Lambert, and\nwould have bought my horse of me; and because I would not sell him, they\nwere in a great rage against me, using many threatening words; but I\ntold them, \u201cGod would confound and scatter them;\u201d and within two or\nthree days after, they were scattered indeed.\n\nFrom Warmsworth, I passed in the Lord\u2019s power to BARTON-ABBEY, [Monk\nBretton] where I had a great meeting; and thence to Thomas Taylor\u2019s, and\nso to SKIPTON, where there was a general meeting of men Friends out of\nmany counties, concerning the affairs of the church.[64] A Friend went\nnaked [divested of the upper garments] through the town, declaring\ntruth, and he was much beaten. Some others also came to me all bloody.\nAs I walked in the street, a desperate fellow had an intent to do me a\nmischief; but he was prevented, and our meeting was quiet. To this\nmeeting came many Friends out of most parts of the nation; for it was\nabout business relating to the church, both in this nation and beyond\nthe seas.\n\nFootnote 64:\n\n  General Meetings and Yearly Meetings appear to have been somewhat\n  similar in their character. They were held in various parts. The first\n  of which we have any account took place at Swannington, in\n  Leicestershire, in 1654.\n\nSeveral years before, when I was in the North, I was moved to recommend\nthe setting up of this meeting for that service; for many Friends\nsuffered in divers parts of the nation, their goods were taken from them\ncontrary to the law, and they understood not how to help themselves, or\nwhere to seek redress. But after this meeting was set up, several\nFriends who had been magistrates, and others that understood something\nof the law, came thither, and were able to inform Friends, and to assist\nthem in gathering up the sufferings, that they might be laid before the\njustices, judges, or Parliament. This meeting had stood several years,\nand divers justices and captains had come to break it up; but when they\nunderstood the business Friends met about, and saw their books and\naccounts of collections for relief of the poor, how we took care one\ncounty to help another, and to help our friends beyond the seas, and\nprovide for our poor, that none of them should be chargeable to their\nparishes, &c., the justices and officers confessed we did their work,\nand passed away peaceably and lovingly, commending Friends\u2019 practice.\nSometimes there would come two hundred of the poor of other people, and\nwait there till the meeting was done (for all the country knew we met\nabout the poor,) and after the meeting, Friends would send to the bakers\nfor bread, and give every one of these poor people a loaf, how many\nsoever there were of them; for we were taught to \u201cdo good unto all;\nthough especially to the household of faith.\u201d\n\nAfter this meeting I visited Friends in their meetings, till I came to\nLANCASTER; whence I went to Robert Widders\u2019s, and so to ARNSIDE, where I\nhad a general meeting for all the Friends in Westmorland, Cumberland,\nand Lancashire. It was quiet and peaceable, and the living presence of\nthe Lord was amongst us. I went back with Robert Widders; and Friends\nall passed away, fresh in the life and power of Christ, in which they\nhad dominion, being settled upon him, the heavenly rock and foundation.\nAfter the meeting, there came several rude fellows, serving-men,\nbelonging to one called Sir George Middleton, a justice that lived near,\nto make some disturbance, as it was thought. The meeting being ended,\nthey did nothing there; but lighting on three women Friends going from\nit, they set upon them with impudent scoffs, and one of them carried\nhimself very abusively and immodestly towards them. The same man abused\nother Friends also, and was so outrageous that he would have cut them\nwith an axe; but was restrained by some of his fellows. Another time the\nsame man set upon six Friends that were going to meeting, at Yealand,\nand beat and abused them very much, so that he bruised their faces, and\nshed much of their blood, wounding them very sore, one of them in\nseveral parts of his body; yet they lifted not up a hand against him,\nbut gave him their backs and their cheeks to beat.\n\nFrom Robert Widders\u2019s I went next day to SWARTHMORE, Francis Howgill and\nThomas Curtis being with me. I had not been long there before Henry\nPorter, a justice, sent a warrant by the chief constable and three petty\nconstables to apprehend me. I had a sense of this beforehand; and being\nin the parlour with Richard Richardson and Margaret Fell, her servants\ncame, and told her there were some come to search the house for arms;\nand they went up into the chambers under that pretence. It came upon me\nto go out to them; and as I was going by some of them, I spoke to them;\nwhereupon they asked me my name. I readily told them my name; and then\nthey laid hold on me, saying, \u201cI was the man they looked for,\u201d and led\nme away to ULVERSTONE. They kept me all night at the constable\u2019s house,\nand set a guard of fifteen or sixteen men to watch me; some of whom sat\nin the chimney, for fear I should go up it; such dark imaginations\npossessed them. They were very rude and uncivil, and would neither\nsuffer me to speak to Friends, nor suffer them to bring me necessaries;\nbut with violence thrust them out, and kept a strong guard upon me. Very\nwicked and rude they were, and a great noise they made about me. One of\nthe constables, whose name was Ashburnham, said, \u201cHe did not think a\nthousand men could have taken me.\u201d Another of the constables, whose name\nwas Mount, a very wicked man, said, \u201cHe would have served Judge Fell\nhimself so, if he had been alive, and he had had a warrant for him.\u201d\n\nNext morning, about six, I was putting on my boots and spurs to go with\nthem before some justice; but they pulled off the latter, took my knife\nout of my pocket, and hastened me away along the town, with a party of\nhorse and abundance of people, not suffering me to stay till my own\nhorse came down. When I was gone about a quarter of a mile with them,\nsome Friends, with Margaret Fell and her children, came towards me; and\nthen a great party of horse gathered about me in a mad rage and fury,\ncrying out, \u201cWill they rescue him? Will they rescue him?\u201d Whereupon I\nsaid unto them, \u201cHere is my hair, here is my back, here are my cheeks,\nstrike on!\u201d With these words their heat was a little assuaged. Then they\nbrought a little horse, and two of them took up one of my legs, and put\nmy foot in the stirrup, and two or three lifting over my other leg, set\nme upon it behind the saddle, and so led the horse by the halter; but I\nhad nothing to hold by. When they were come some distance out of the\ntown, they beat the little horse, and made him kick and gallop;\nwhereupon I slipped off him, and told them, \u201cThey should not abuse the\ncreature.\u201d They were much enraged at my getting off, and took me by the\nlegs and feet, and set me upon the same horse, behind the saddle again;\nand so led it about two miles, till they came to a great water called\nthe CARTER-FORD. By this time my own horse was come to us, and the water\nbeing deep, and their little horse scarcely able to carry me through,\nthey let me get upon my own, through the persuasion of some of their own\ncompany, leading him through the water. One wicked fellow kneeled down,\nand lifting up his hands, blessed God, that I was taken. When I was come\nover the Sands, I told them I heard I had liberty to choose what justice\nI would go before; but Mount and the other constables cried, \u201cNo, I\nshould not.\u201d Then they led me to LANCASTER, about fourteen miles, and a\ngreat triumph they thought to have had; but as they led me, I was moved\n\u201cto sing praises to the Lord, in his triumphing power over all.\u201d\n\nWhen I was come to Lancaster, the spirits of the people being mightily\nup, I stood and looked earnestly upon them; and they cried, \u201cLook at his\neyes!\u201d After a while I spoke to them; and then they were pretty sober.\nThen came a young man, and took me to his house; and after a little time\nthe officers had me to Major Porter\u2019s, the justice, and who had sent\nforth the warrant against me; he had several others with him. When I\ncame in, I said, \u201cPeace be amongst you.\u201d Porter asked me, \u201cWhy I came\ndown into the country that troublesome time?\u201d I told him, \u201cTo visit my\nbrethren.\u201d \u201cThen,\u201d said he, \u201cyou have great meetings up and down.\u201d I\ntold him though we had, our meetings were known throughout the nation to\nbe peaceable, and we were a peaceable people. He said, \u201cWe saw the devil\nin people\u2019s faces.\u201d I told him, \u201cIf I saw a drunkard, or a swearer, or a\npeevish, heady man, I could not say I saw the Spirit of God in him.\u201d And\nI asked him, \u201cIf he could see the Spirit of God?\u201d He said, \u201cWe cried\nagainst their ministers.\u201d I told him, while we were as Saul, sitting\nunder the priests, and running up and down with their packets of\nletters, we were never called pestilent fellows, nor makers of sects;\nbut when we were come to exercise our consciences towards God and man,\nwe were called pestilent fellows, as Paul was. He said, we could express\nourselves well enough, and he would not dispute with me; but he would\nrestrain me. I desired to know, \u201cfor what, and by whose order he sent\nhis warrant for me;\u201d and I complained to him of the abuse of the\nconstables and other officers, after they had taken me, and in their\nbringing me thither. He would not take notice of that, but told me, \u201cHe\nhad an order, but would not let me see it; for he would not reveal the\nking\u2019s secrets;\u201d and besides, \u201ca prisoner,\u201d he said, \u201cwas not to see for\nwhat he was committed.\u201d I told him, that was not reason; for how should\nhe make his defence then? I said, \u201cI ought to have a copy of it;\u201d but he\nsaid, \u201cThere was a judge once that fined a man for letting a prisoner\nhave a copy of his mittimus; and,\u201d said he, \u201cI have an old clerk, though\nI am a young justice.\u201d Then he called to his clerk, saying, \u201cIs it not\nready yet? Bring it,\u201d meaning the mittimus; but it not being ready, he\nsaid to me, \u201cI was a disturber of the nation.\u201d I told him, I had been a\nblessing to the nation, in and through the Lord\u2019s power and truth, and\nthe Spirit of God in all consciences would answer it.\n\nThen he charged me as \u201can enemy to the king; that I endeavoured to raise\na new war, and imbrue the nation in blood again.\u201d I told him, I had\nnever learned the postures of war, but was clear and innocent as a child\nconcerning those things, and therefore was bold. Then came the clerk\nwith the mittimus, and the jailer was sent for, and commanded to take\nand put me into the Dark-house, and to let none come to me; but keep me\nthere a close prisoner, till I should be delivered by the king or\nparliament. Then the justice asked the constables where my horse was;\n\u201cfor I hear,\u201d said he, \u201cthat he has a good horse; have ye brought it?\u201d I\ntold him where my horse was, but he did not meddle with him. As they\ntook me to the jail, the constable gave me my knife again, and then\nasked me to give it him; but I told him, nay, he had not been so civil\nto me. So they put me into the jail, and the under-jailer, one Hardy, a\nvery wicked man, was exceedingly rude and cruel, and many times would\nnot let me have meat brought in, but as I could get it under the door.\nMany people came to look at me, some in great rage, and very uncivil and\nrude. Once there came two young priests, and very abusive they were; the\nworst of people could not be worse. Amongst those that came in this\nmanner, old Preston\u2019s wife, of Holker, was one. She used many abusive\nwords, telling me, \u201cMy tongue should be cut out,\u201d and that \u201cI should be\nhanged;\u201d showing me the gallows. But the Lord God cut her off, and she\ndied in a miserable condition.\n\nBeing now a close prisoner in the common jail at Lancaster, I desired\nThomas Cummins and Thomas Green to go to the jailer, and desire of him a\ncopy of my mittimus, that I might know what I stood committed for. They\nwent; and the jailer answered, \u201che could not give a copy of it, for\nanother had been fined for so doing:\u201d but he gave them liberty to read\nit over. To the best of their remembrance the matters therein charged\nagainst me were, \u201cthat I was a person generally suspected to be a common\ndisturber of the peace of the nation, an enemy to the king, and a chief\nupholder of the Quakers\u2019 sect; and that, together with others of my\nfanatic opinion, I have of late endeavoured to raise insurrections in\nthese parts of the country, and to embroil the whole kingdom in blood.\nWherefore the jailer was commanded to keep me in safe custody, until I\nshould be released by order of the king and parliament.\u201d\n\nWhen I had thus got the heads of the charge contained in the mittimus, I\nwrote a plain answer, in vindication of my innocency in each particular;\nas follows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cI am a prisoner at Lancaster, committed by Justice Porter. A copy of\n  the mittimus I cannot get, but such expressions I am told are in it,\n  as are very untrue; as \u2018that I am generally suspected to be a common\n  disturber of the nation\u2019s peace, an enemy to the king, and that I,\n  with others, endeavour to raise insurrections to embroil the nation in\n  blood;\u2019 all of which is utterly false, and I do, in every part\n  thereof, deny it. for I am not a person generally suspected to be a\n  disturber of the nation\u2019s peace, nor have I given any cause for such\n  suspicion; for through the nation I have been tried for these things\n  formerly. In the days of Oliver, I was taken up on pretence of raising\n  arms against him, which was also false; for I meddled not with raising\n  arms at all. Yet I was then carried up a prisoner to London, and\n  brought before him; when I cleared myself, and denied the drawing of a\n  carnal weapon against him, or any man upon the earth; for my weapons\n  are spiritual, which take away the occasion of war, and lead into\n  peace. Upon my declaring this to Oliver, I was set at liberty by him.\n\n  \u201cAfter this I was taken, and sent to prison by Major Ceely in\n  Cornwall, who, when I was brought before the judge, informed against\n  me, \u2018that I took him aside, and told him, that I could raise forty\n  thousand men in an hour\u2019s time, to involve the nation in blood, and\n  bring in King Charles.\u2019 This also was utterly false, and a lie of his\n  own inventing, as was then proved upon him: for I never spoke any such\n  word to him. I never was found in any plot; I never took any\n  engagement or oath; nor ever learned war-postures. As those were false\n  charges against me then, so are these now, which come from Major\n  Porter, who is lately appointed to be justice, but wanted power\n  formerly to exercise his cruelty against us; which is but the\n  wickedness of the old enemy. The peace of the nation I am not a\n  disturber of, nor ever was; but seek the peace of it, and of all men,\n  and stand for all nations\u2019 peace, and all men\u2019s peace upon the earth,\n  and wish all knew my innocency in these things.\n\n  \u201cAnd whereas Major Porter says, \u2018I am an enemy to the king:\u2019 this is\n  false; for my love is to him and to all men, though they be enemies to\n  God, to themselves, and to me. And I can say, it is of the Lord that\n  he is come in, to bring down many unrighteously set up; of which I had\n  a sight three years before he came in. It is much he should say I am\n  an enemy to the king, for I have no reason so to be, he having done\n  nothing against me. But I have been often imprisoned and persecuted\n  these eleven or twelve years by them that have been against both the\n  king and his father, even the party that Porter was made a major by,\n  and bore arms for; but not by them that were for the king. I was never\n  an enemy to the king, nor to any man\u2019s person upon the earth. I am in\n  the love that fulfils the law, which thinks no evil, but loves even\n  enemies, and would have the king saved, and come to the knowledge of\n  the truth, and be brought into the fear of the Lord, to receive his\n  wisdom from above, by which all things were made and created; that\n  with that wisdom he may order all things to the glory of God.\n\n  \u201cWhereas he calls me, \u2018a chief upholder of the Quakers\u2019 sect.\u2019 I\n  answer: the Quakers are not a sect, but are in the power of God, which\n  was before sects were; they witness the election before the world\n  began, and are come to live in the life, which the prophets and\n  apostles lived in, who gave forth the Scriptures; therefore are we\n  hated by envious, wrathful, wicked, and persecuting men. But God is\n  the upholder of us all by his mighty power, and preserves us from the\n  wrath of the wicked, that would swallow us up.\n\n  \u201cAnd whereas he says, \u2018that I, together with others of my fanatic\n  opinion, as he calls it, have of late endeavoured to raise\n  insurrections, and to embroil the whole kingdom in blood:\u2019 I say this\n  is altogether false; to these things I am as a child, and know nothing\n  of them. The postures of war I never learned: my weapons are spiritual\n  and not carnal: for with carnal weapons I do not fight: I am a\n  follower of him who said, \u2018My kingdom is not of this world.\u2019 And\n  though these lies and slanders are raised upon me, I deny the drawing\n  of any carnal weapon against the king or parliament, or any man upon\n  earth; for I am come to the end of the law, \u2018to love enemies, and\n  wrestle not with flesh and blood;\u2019 but am in that which saves men\u2019s\n  lives. A witness I am against all murderers, plotters, and all such as\n  would \u2018imbrue the nation in blood;\u2019 for it is not in my heart to have\n  any man\u2019s life destroyed. And as for the word fanatic, which signifies\n  furious, foolish, mad, &c., he might have considered himself, before\n  he had used that word, and have learned the humility which goes before\n  honour. We are not furious, foolish, or mad; but through patience and\n  meekness have borne lies and slanders, and persecutions many years,\n  and have undergone great sufferings. The spiritual man that wrestles\n  not with flesh and blood, and the Spirit that reproves sin in the\n  gate, which is the Spirit of truth, wisdom, and sound judgment; this\n  is not mad, foolish, furious, which fanatic signifies; but all are of\n  a mad, furious, foolish spirit, that wrestle with flesh and blood,\n  with carnal weapons, in their furiousness, foolishness, and rage. This\n  is not the Spirit of God, but of error, that persecutes in a mad,\n  blind zeal, like Nebuchadnezzar and Saul.\n\n  \u201cNow, inasmuch as I am ordered to be kept prisoner, till I be\n  delivered by order from the king or parliament, therefore have I\n  written these things to be laid before you, the king and parliament,\n  that ye may consider of them before ye act anything therein; that ye\n  may weigh, in the wisdom of God, the intent and end of men\u2019s spirits,\n  lest ye act the thing that will bring the hand of the Lord upon you,\n  and against you, as many have done before, who have been in authority,\n  whom God hath overthrown; in whom we trust, whom we fear and cry unto\n  day and night;\u2014who hath heard us, doth, and will hear us, and avenge\n  our cause. For much innocent blood has been shed; and many have been\n  persecuted to death by such as have been in authority before you, whom\n  God hath vomited out, because they turned against the just. Therefore\n  consider your standing, now that ye have the day, and receive this as\n  a warning of love to you.\n\n    \u201cFrom an innocent sufferer in bonds, and close prisoner in Lancaster\n      Castle, called\n\n                                                       \u201cGEORGE FOX.\u201d\n\nUpon my being taken and forcibly carried away from Margaret Fell\u2019s\nhouse, and charged with things of so high a nature, she was\nconcerned, looking upon it to be an injury offered to herself.\nWhereupon she wrote the following lines, and distributed them:\u2014\n\n      _\u201cTo all Magistrates, concerning the wrong taking up, and\n               imprisoning of George Fox at Lancaster._\n\n  \u201cI do inform the governors of this nation, that Henry Porter,\n  mayor of Lancaster, sent a warrant, with four constables, to my\n  house, for which he had no authority or order. They searched my\n  house, and apprehended George Fox in it, who was not guilty of the\n  breach of any law, or of any offence against any in the nation.\n  After they had taken him, and brought him before the said Henry\n  Porter, bail was offered, what he would demand, for his\n  appearance, to answer what could be laid to his charge; but he\n  (contrary to law, if he had taken him lawfully) refused to accept\n  of any bail, and put him in close prison. After he was in prison,\n  a copy of his mittimus was demanded, which ought not to be denied\n  to any prisoner, so that he may see what is laid to his charge;\n  but it was denied him: a copy he could not have, they were\n  suffered only to read it over. Every thing that was there charged\n  against him was utterly false; he was not guilty of any one charge\n  in it, as will be proved and manifested to the nation. Let the\n  governors consider it. I am concerned in this thing, inasmuch as\n  he was apprehended in my house; and if he be guilty, I am too. So\n  I desire to have this searched out.\n\n                                                    \u201cMARGARET FELL.\u201d\n\nAfter this Margaret Fell determined to go to London, to speak with\nthe king about my being taken, and to show him the manner of it, and\nthe unjust dealing and evil usage I had received. When Justice\nPorter heard of this, he vapoured, that he would go and meet her in\nthe gap. But when he came before the king, having been a zealous man\nfor the parliament against the king, several of the courtiers spoke\nto him concerning his plundering their houses; so that he quickly\nhad enough of the court, and soon returned into the country.\nMeanwhile the jailer seemed very fearful, and said, he was afraid\nMajor Porter would hang him, because he had not put me in the\nDark-house. But when the jailer waited on him, after his return from\nLondon, he was very blank and down, and asked, \u201chow I did,\u201d\npretending he would find a way to set me at liberty. But having\novershot himself in his mittimus, by ordering me \u201cto be kept a\nprisoner till I should be delivered by the king or parliament,\u201d he\nhad put it out of his power to release me if he would. He was the\nmore down also upon reading a letter which I sent him; for when he\nwas in the height of his rage and threats against me, and thought to\ningratiate himself into the king\u2019s favour by imprisoning me, I was\nmoved to write to him, and put him in mind, \u201chow fierce he had been\nagainst the king and his party, though now he would be thought\nzealous for the king.\u201d Among other things in my letter, I called to\nhis remembrance, that when he held Lancaster Castle for the\nparliament against the king, he was so rough and fierce against\nthose that favoured the king, that he said, \u201che would leave them\nneither dog nor cat, if they did not bring him provision to the\ncastle.\u201d I asked him also, \u201cwhose great buck\u2019s horns those were,\nthat were in his house; and where he had both them and the wainscot\nfrom that he ceiled his house withal; had he them not from Hornby\nCastle?\u201d\n\nAbout this time Ann Curtis, of Reading, came to see me; and\nunderstanding how I stood committed, it was upon her also to go to\nthe king about it. Her father, who had been sheriff of Bristol, had\nbeen hung near his own door for endeavouring to bring in the king;\non which consideration she had some hopes the king might hear her on\nmy behalf. Accordingly, when she returned to London, she and\nMargaret Fell went to the king together, who, when he understood\nwhose daughter she was, received her kindly. And her request to him\nbeing \u201cto send for me up, and hear the cause himself,\u201d he promised\nher he would, and commanded his secretary to send down an order for\nbringing me up. But when they came to the secretary for the order,\nhe, being no friend to us, said, \u201cit was not in his power; he must\nact according to law, and I must be brought up by an _habeas corpus_\nbefore the judges.\u201d So he wrote to the judge of the King\u2019s Bench,\nsignifying that it was the king\u2019s pleasure, that I should be sent up\nby an _habeas corpus_. Accordingly a writ was sent down, and\ndelivered to the sheriff; but because it was directed to the\nchancellor of Lancaster, the sheriff put it off to him; on the other\nhand, the chancellor would not make the warrant upon it, but said\nthe sheriff must do that. At length both chancellor and sheriff were\ngot together; but being both enemies to truth, they sought occasion\nfor delay, and found, they said, an error in the writ, which was,\nthat being directed to the chancellor, it stated, \u201cGeorge Fox in\nprison under _your_ custody,\u201d whereas the prison I was in was not,\nthey said, in the chancellor\u2019s custody, but in the sheriff\u2019s; so the\nword _your_ should have been _his_. On this they returned the writ\nto London, only to have that one word altered. When it was altered,\nand brought down again, the sheriff refused to carry me up, unless I\nwould seal a writing to him, and become bound to pay for the\nsealing, and the charge of carrying me up; which I refused, telling\nthem I would not seal anything to them, nor be bound. So the matter\nrested a while, and I continued in prison.\n\nMeanwhile the assize came on; but as there was a writ for removing\nme up, I was not brought before the judge. At the assize many people\ncame to see me; and I was moved to speak out of the jail window to\nthem, and show them \u201chow uncertain their religion was; and that\nevery sort, when uppermost, had persecuted the rest. When Popery was\nuppermost, people had been persecuted for not following the mass;\nand they who then held up the mass cried, \u2018It was the higher power,\nand people must be subject to the higher power.\u2019 Afterwards, they\nthat set up the Common Prayer persecuted others for not following\nthat; saying, \u2018It was the higher power then also, and we must be\nsubject to that.\u2019 Since that, the Presbyterians and Independents\ncried each of them, \u2018We must be subject to the higher power, and\nsubmit to the directory of the one, and the church-faith of the\nother.\u2019 Thus all, like the apostate Jews, have cried, \u2018Help, men of\nIsrael, against the true Christians.\u2019 So people might see, how\nuncertain they are of their religions. But I directed them to Christ\nJesus, that they might be built upon him, the rock and foundation,\nthat changeth not.\u201d Much on this wise I declared to them, and they\nwere very quiet and very attentive.\n\nAfterwards I gave forth a paper concerning True Religion, as\nfollows:\n\n  \u201cTrue Religion is the true rule, and right way of serving God; a\n  pure stream of righteousness, flowing from the image of God; the\n  life and power of God planted in the heart and mind by the law of\n  life, which bringeth the soul, mind, spirit, and body to be\n  conformable to God, the Father of spirits, and to Christ; so that\n  they come to have fellowship with the Father and the Son, and with\n  all his holy angels and saints. This religion is from above, pure\n  and undefiled before God, leads to visit the fatherless, widows,\n  and strangers, and keeps from the spots of the world. This\n  religion is above all the defiled, spotted religions in the world,\n  that keep not their professors from defilement, but leave them\n  impure, below, and spotted; whose fatherless, and widows, and\n  strangers beg up and down the streets.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nSoon after I gave forth a paper against persecution as follows:\n\n  \u201cThe Papists, Common-Prayer-men, Presbyterians, Independents, and\n  Baptists persecute one another about their own inventions, their\n  mass, common-prayer, directory, and church-faith, which they have\n  made, and framed, and not for the truth; for they know not what\n  spirit they are of, who persecute, and would have men\u2019s lives\n  destroyed about church-worship and religion, as saith Christ; who\n  also said, \u2018He came not to destroy men\u2019s lives, but to save them.\u2019\n  Now we cannot trust our bodies, souls, or spirits into the hands\n  of those that know not what spirit they are of, but will persecute\n  and destroy men\u2019s lives, and not save them; they know not what\n  spirit they are of themselves, therefore they are not fit to be\n  trusted with others. They would destroy by a law, as the disciples\n  once would have done by prayer, who would have commanded \u2018fire to\n  come down from heaven\u2019 to destroy them that would not receive\n  Christ. But Christ rebuked them, and told them they did not know\n  what spirit they were of. If they did not know what spirit they\n  were of, do these who have persecuted about church and religion\n  since the apostles\u2019 days, who would compel men\u2019s bodies, goods,\n  lives, souls, and estates, into their hands by a law, or make them\n  suffer? Those that destroy men\u2019s lives are not the ministers of\n  Christ, the Saviour; and seeing they know not what spirit they are\n  of, the lives, bodies, and souls of men are not to be trusted in\n  their hands. And ye that persecute shall have no resurrection to\n  life with God, except ye repent. But they that know what spirit\n  they are of themselves, are in the unrebukable zeal, and by the\n  spirit of God they offer up their spirits, souls, and bodies to\n  the Lord, which are his, to keep them.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nWhilst I was kept in Lancaster jail, I was moved to give forth the\nfollowing paper, \u201cfor staying the minds of any such as might be\nhurried or troubled about the change of government\u201d:\u2014\n\n  \u201cALL FRIENDS, let the dread and majesty of God fill you! And as\n  concerning the changing of times and governments, let not that\n  trouble any of you; for God hath a mighty work and hand therein.\n  He will yet change again, until that come up, which must reign; in\n  vain shall powers and armies withstand the Lord, for his\n  determined work shall come to pass. But it is just with the Lord\n  that what is now come up should be so, and he will be served by\n  it. Therefore let none murmur, nor distrust God; for he will\n  provoke many to zeal against unrighteousness, and for\n  righteousness, through things which are suffered now to work for a\n  season; yea many, whose zeal was even dead, shall revive again,\n  shall see their backslidings, and bewail them bitterly. For God\n  shall thunder from heaven, and break forth in a mighty noise; his\n  enemies shall be astonished, the workers of iniquity confounded,\n  and all that have not the garment of righteousness shall be amazed\n  at the mighty and strange work of the Lord, which shall be\n  certainly brought to pass. But, my babes, look ye not out, but be\n  still in the light of the Lamb; and he shall fight for you. The\n  Almighty Hand, which must break and divide your enemies, and take\n  away peace from them, preserve and keep you whole, in unity and\n  peace with itself, and one with another. Amen.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nI was moved also to write to the king, to \u201cexhort him to exercise\nmercy and forgiveness towards his enemies, and to warn him to\nrestrain the profaneness and looseness that had got up in the nation\non his return.\u201d It was thus:\u2014\n\n                           \u201c_To the King._\n\n        \u201cKING CHARLES,\n\n  \u201cThou earnest not into this nation by sword, nor by victory of\n  war, but by the power of the Lord. Now if thou live not in it,\n  thou wilt not prosper. If the Lord hath showed thee mercy and\n  forgiven thee, and thou dost not show mercy and forgiveness, the\n  Lord God will not hear thy prayers, nor them that pray for thee.\n  If thou stop not persecution and persecutors, and take away all\n  laws that hold up persecution about religion; if thou persist in\n  them, and uphold persecution, that will make thee as blind as\n  those that have gone before thee; for persecution hath always\n  blinded those that have gone into it. Such, God by his power\n  overthrows, doth his valiant acts upon, and bringeth salvation to\n  his oppressed ones. If thou bear the sword in vain, and let\n  drunkenness, oaths, plays, may-games, with such like abominations\n  and vanities be encouraged or go unpunished, as setting up\n  may-poles, with the image of the crown on the top of them, &c.,\n  the nations will quickly turn like Sodom and Gomorrah, and be as\n  bad as the old world, who grieved the Lord until he overthrew\n  them; and so he will you, if these things be not suppressed.\n  Hardly was there so much wickedness at liberty before, as there is\n  at this day, as though there was no terror nor sword of\n  magistracy; which doth not grace the government, nor is a praise\n  to them that do well. Our prayers are for them that are in\n  authority, that under them we may live a godly life, in which we\n  have peace, and that we may not be brought into ungodliness by\n  them. Hear, and consider, and do good in thy time, whilst thou\n  hast power; be merciful and forgive; this is the way to overcome,\n  and obtain the kingdom of Christ.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nIt was long before the sheriff would yield to remove me to London,\nunless I would seal a bond to him, and bear their charges; which I\nstill refused to do. Then they consulted how to convey me, and first\nconcluded to send up a party of horse with me. I told them, \u201cIf I\nwere such a man as they had represented me to be, they had need send\na troop or two of horse to guard me.\u201d When they considered what a\ncharge it would be to them to send up a party of horse with me, they\naltered their purpose, and concluded to send me up guarded only by\nthe jailer and some bailiffs. But, upon further consideration, they\nfound that would be a great charge to them also, and therefore sent\nfor me to the jailer\u2019s house, and told me, if I would put in bail,\nthat I would be in London such a day of the term, I should have\nleave to go up with some of my own friends. I told them I would\nneither put in bail, nor give one piece of silver to the jailer; for\nI was an innocent man, and they had imprisoned me wrongfully, and\nlaid a false charge upon me. Nevertheless, I said, if they would let\nme go up with one or two of my friends to bear me company, I might\ngo up, and be in London such a day, if the Lord should permit; and\nif they desired it, I, or any of my friends that went with me, would\ncarry up their charge against myself. At last, when they saw they\ncould do no otherwise with me, the sheriff yielded, consenting that\nI should come up with some of my friends, without any other\nengagement than my word, to appear before the judges at London, such\na day of the term if the Lord should permit.\n\nWhereupon I was let out of prison, and went to SWARTHMORE, where I\nstayed two or three days, and then to LANCASTER again, and so to\nPRESTON, having meetings amongst friends, till I came into CHESHIRE\nto William Gandy\u2019s, where there was a large meeting out of doors,\nthe house not being sufficient to contain it. That day the Lord\u2019s\neverlasting Seed was set over all, and Friends were turned to it,\nwho is the Heir of the Promise. Thence I came into STAFFORDSHIRE and\nWARWICKSHIRE, to Anthony Bickliff\u2019s; and at NUNEATON, at the house\nof a priest\u2019s widow, we had a blessed meeting, wherein the\neverlasting Word of Life was powerfully declared, and many settled\nin it. Then travelling on, visiting Friends\u2019 meetings, in about\nthree weeks of my coming out of prison, I reached LONDON, Richard\nHubberthorn and Robert Widders being with me.\n\nWhen we came to Charing-Cross, multitudes of people were gathered\ntogether to see the burning of the bowels of some of the old king\u2019s\njudges, who had been hung, drawn, and quartered.\n\nWe went next morning to judge Mallet\u2019s chamber, who was putting on\nhis red gown, to go sit upon some more of the king\u2019s judges. He was\nvery peevish and froward, and said I might come another time. We\nwent again to his chamber, when Judge Foster was with him, who was\ncalled the lord chief justice of England. With me was one called\nEsquire Marsh, who was one of the bedchamber to the king, When we\nhad delivered to the judges the charge that was against me, and they\nhad read to those words, \u201cthat I and my friends were embroiling the\nnation in blood,\u201d &c., they struck their hands on the table.\nWhereupon I told them, \u201cI was the man whom that charge was against,\nbut I was as innocent of any such thing as a new-born child, and had\nbrought it up myself; and some of my friends came up with me without\nany guard.\u201d As yet they had not minded my hat, but now seeing it on,\nthey said, \u201cWhat, did I stand with my hat on!\u201d I told them I did not\nso in contempt of them. They then commanded it to be taken off; and\nwhen they called for the marshal of the King\u2019s Bench, they said to\nhim, \u201cYou must take this man and secure him; but let him have a\nchamber, and not put him amongst the prisoners.\u201d \u201cMy lord,\u201d said the\nmarshal, \u201cI have no chamber to put him into; my house is so full I\ncannot tell where to provide a room for him, but amongst the\nprisoners.\u201d \u201cNay,\u201d said the judge, \u201cyou must not put him amongst the\nprisoners.\u201d But when he still answered, he had no other place to put\nme in, Judge Foster said to me, \u201cWill you appear to-morrow about ten\no\u2019clock at the King\u2019s Bench bar in Westminster Hall?\u201d I said, \u201cYes,\nif the Lord give me strength.\u201d Then said Judge Foster to the other\njudge, \u201cIf he says yes, and promises it, you may take his word;\u201d so\nI was dismissed.\n\nNext day I appeared at the King\u2019s Bench bar at the hour appointed,\nRobert Widders, Richard Hubberthorn, and Esquire Marsh going with\nme. I was brought into the middle of the court; and as soon as I\ncame in, was moved to look round, and turning to the people, said,\n\u201cPeace be among you;\u201d and the power of the Lord sprang over the\ncourt. The charge against me was read openly. The people were\nmoderate, and the judges cool and loving; and the Lord\u2019s mercy was\nto them. But when they came to that part which said, \u201cthat I and my\nfriends were embroiling the nation in blood, and raising a new war,\nand that I was an enemy to the king,\u201d &c., they lifted up their\nhands. Then, stretching out my arms, I said, \u201cI am the man whom that\ncharge is against; but I am as innocent as a child concerning the\ncharge, and have never learned any war postures. And,\u201d said I, \u201cdo\nye think that if I and my friends had been such men as the charge\ndeclares, that I would have brought it up myself against myself? Or\nthat I should have been suffered to come up with only one or two of\nmy friends with me? Had I been such a man as this charge sets forth,\nI had need to have been guarded with a troop or two of horse. But\nthe sheriff and magistrates of Lancashire thought fit to let me and\nmy friends come up with it ourselves, nearly two hundred miles,\nwithout any guard at all; which, ye may be sure, they would not have\ndone, had they looked upon me to be such a man.\u201d Then the judge\nasked me, whether it should be filed, or what I would do with it. I\nanswered, \u201cYe are judges, and able, I hope, to judge in this matter,\ntherefore do with it what ye will; for I am the man these charges\nare against, and here ye see, I have brought them up myself; do ye\nwhat ye will with them, I leave it to you.\u201d Then Judge Twisden\nbeginning to speak some angry words, I appealed to Judge Foster and\nJudge Mallet, who had heard me over-night. Whereupon they said,\n\u201cThey did not accuse me, for they had nothing against me.\u201d Then\nstood up Esquire Marsh, who was of the king\u2019s bedchamber, and told\nthe judges, \u201cIt was the king\u2019s pleasure, that I should be set at\nliberty, seeing no accuser came up against me.\u201d They asked me,\n\u201cWhether I would put it to the king and council?\u201d I said, \u201cYes, with\na good will.\u201d Thereupon they sent the sheriff\u2019s return, which he\nmade to the writ of _habeas corpus_, containing the matter charged\nagainst me in the mittimus, to the king, that he might see for what\nI was committed. The return of the sheriff of Lancaster was thus:\u2014\n\n  \u201cBy virtue of his Majesty\u2019s writ, to me directed, and hereunto\n  annexed, I certify, that before the receipt of the said writ,\n  George Fox, in the said writ mentioned, was committed to his\n  Majesty\u2019s jail at the castle of Lancaster, in my custody, by a\n  warrant from Henry Porter, Esq., one of his Majesty\u2019s justices of\n  peace within the county palatine aforesaid, bearing date the fifth\n  of June now last past; for that he, the said George Fox, was\n  generally suspected to be a common disturber of the peace of this\n  nation, an enemy to our sovereign lord the king, and a chief\n  upholder of the Quakers\u2019 sect; and that he, together with others\n  of his fanatic opinion, have of late endeavoured to make\n  insurrections in these parts of the country, and to embroil the\n  whole kingdom in blood. And this is the cause of his taking and\n  detaining. Nevertheless, the body of the said George Fox I have\n  ready before Thomas Mallet, knight, one of his Majesty\u2019s justices,\n  assigned to hold pleas before his Majesty, at his chamber in\n  Serjeant\u2019s Inn, in Fleet-street, to do and receive those things\n  which his Majesty\u2019s said justice shall determine concerning him in\n  this behalf, as by the aforesaid writ is required.\n\n                                   \u2018GEORGE CHETHAM, Esq., Sheriff.\u2019\u201d\n\nOn perusal of this, and consideration of the whole matter, the king,\nbeing satisfied of my innocency, commanded his secretary to send an\norder to Judge Mallet for my release; which he did, thus:\u2014\n\n  \u201cIt is his Majesty\u2019s pleasure, that you give order for releasing,\n  and setting at full liberty, the person of George Fox, late a\n  prisoner in Lancaster jail, and commanded hither by an _habeas\n  corpus_. And this signification of his Majesty\u2019s pleasure shall be\n  your sufficient warrant. Dated at Whitehall, the 24th of October,\n  1660.\n\n                                                  \u201cEDWARD NICHOLAS.\u201d\n\n       For Sir Thomas Mallet, Knight,\n  one of the Justices of the King\u2019s Bench.\n\nWhen this order was delivered, Judge Mallet forthwith sent his\nwarrant to the marshal of the King\u2019s Bench for my release, as\nfollows:\u2014\n\n  \u201cBy virtue of a warrant, which this morning I have received from\n  the Right Hon. Sir Edward Nicholas, Knight, one of his Majesty\u2019s\n  principal secretaries, for the releasing and setting at liberty of\n  George Fox, late a prisoner in Lancaster jail, and from thence\n  brought hither by _habeas corpus_, and yesterday committed unto\n  your custody; I do hereby require you accordingly to release and\n  set the said prisoner, George Fox, at liberty; for which this\n  shall be your warrant and discharge. Given under my hand, the 25th\n  day of October, in the year of our Lord God, 1660.\n\n                                                    \u201cTHOMAS MALLET.\u201d\n\n     To Sir John Lenthal, Knight,\n  Marshal of the King\u2019s Bench, or his deputy.\n\nThus, after being a prisoner more than twenty weeks, I was freely\nset at liberty by the king\u2019s command, the Lord\u2019s power having\nwonderfully wrought for the clearing of my innocency; Porter, who\ncommitted me, not daring to appear to make good the charge he had\nfalsely suggested against me.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER XIV.\n\n1660-1662.\u2014George Fox writes an epistle of consolation to Friends\n    unjustly imprisoned in consequence of the insurrection of the\n    Fifth-Monarchy Men\u2014Friends\u2019 declaration against war and\n    plots\u2014John Perrot and Charles Bailey create a schism\u2014some\n    Friends in New England are put to death, a sense whereof is\n    given to George Fox at the time\u2014the King\u2019s mandamus to the\n    Governor of New England and others, to restrain them from\n    executing Friends\u2014the _Battledore_ is published, showing, by\n    examples from thirty languages, that \u201cThou\u201d and \u201cThee\u201d are\n    proper to one person\u2014on true worship\u2014George Fox disputes with\n    some Jesuits, and with _all_ other sects\u2014John Perrot\u2019s heresy\n    condemned\u2014on judicial swearing\u2014George Fox and Richard\n    Hubberthorn write to the King, showing the number of Friends\n    imprisoned prior to, and during the first year of, the\n    Restoration, and the number who died in prison during the\n    Commonwealth\u2014Thomas Sharman, jailer at Derby, convinced, and\n    writes to George Fox\u2014George Fox applies to Lord D\u2019Aubigny on\n    behalf of two Friends imprisoned in the Inquisition at Malta,\n    who procures their liberation\u2014the ground and rise of persecution\n    set forth\u2014great service at _Bristol_, where also he has a\n    vision\u2014visits Captain Brown and his wife; the former had lied\n    from persecution, and was judged in himself, but afterwards\n    convinced\u2014George Fox and several others are arrested by Lord\n    Beaumont, and sent to Leicester jail\u2014they are suddenly\n    liberated\u2014to Friends on the death of Edward Burrough\u2014escapes\n    from persecutors\u2014Friends established on Christ, the Rock of\n    Ages.\n\n\nWhen it was known I was discharged from Lancaster Castle, a company\nof envious, wicked spirits were troubled, and terror took hold of\nJustice Porter; for he was afraid I would take advantage of the law\nagainst him for my wrong imprisonment, and thereby undo him, his\nwife, and children. Indeed I was pressed by some in authority to\nmake him and the rest examples; but I said, \u201cI should leave them to\nthe Lord; if the Lord forgave them, I should not trouble myself with\nthem.\u201d\n\nNow did I see the end of the travail which I had had in my sore\nexercise at Reading; for the everlasting power of the Lord was over\nall, and his blessed truth, life, and light shone over the nation,\nand great and glorious meetings we had, and very quiet; and many\nflocked in unto the truth. Richard Hubberthorn had been with the\nking, who said, \u201cNone should molest us, so long as we lived\npeaceably,\u201d and promised this to us upon the word of a king, telling\nhim we might make use of his promise.[65] Some Friends also were\nadmitted into the House of Lords, and had liberty to declare their\nreasons, why they could not pay tithes, swear, or go to the\nsteeple-house worship, or join with others in worship, and they\nheard them moderately. And there being about seven hundred Friends\nin prison in the nation, who had been committed under Oliver\u2019s and\nRichard\u2019s government, upon contempts (as they call them), when the\nking came in, he set them all at liberty. There seemed at that time\nan inclination and intention in the government to grant Friends\u2019\nliberty, because they were sensible that we had suffered as well as\nthey under the former powers. But still, when anything was going\nforward in order thereto, some dirty spirits or other, that would\nseem to be for us, threw something in the way to stop it.\n\nFootnote 65:\n\n  Some interesting particulars of what passed during Richard\n  Hubberthorn\u2019s interview with the king are related in Sewell\u2019s\n  _History_, for which see the index of that work.\n\nIt was said, there was an instrument drawn up for confirming our\nliberty, and that it only wanted signing; when, suddenly, that\nwicked attempt of the Fifth-monarchy-people broke out, and put the\ncity and nation in an uproar. This was on a First-day night, and\nvery glorious meetings we had had that day, wherein the Lord\u2019s truth\nshone over all, and his power was exalted above all; but about\nmidnight, or soon after, the drums beat, and the cry was, \u201cArm,\nArm!\u201d I got up out of bed, and in the morning took boat, and landing\nat Whitehall-stairs, walked through Whitehall. They looked strangely\nat me there, but I passed through them, and went to Pall-Mall, where\ndivers Friends came to me, though it had now become dangerous\npassing the streets; for by this time, the city and suburbs were up\nin arms, and exceedingly rude the people and soldiers were; insomuch\nthat Henry Fell,[66] going to a Friend\u2019s house, the soldiers knocked\nhim down, and he would have been killed, had not the Duke of York\ncome by. Great mischief was done in the city this week; and when the\nnext First-day came, as Friends went to their meetings, many were\ntaken prisoners.\n\nFootnote 66:\n\n  Henry Fell was an eminent minister in the Society. In 1656 and\n  1658 he visited the West India isles. During the first visit, he\n  was absent from home about a year. From 1659 to 1662, he was\n  mostly engaged in gospel labours in England, and from this period\n  we lose all trace of him. He is mentioned in Whiting\u2019s Catalogue\n  as having died in America. His home was in Lancashire, and there\n  is reason to believe he was a near relative of Judge Fell. He\n  appears to have received an education considerably above most of\n  his day. Some of his letters are given in Bowden\u2019s _History of\n  Friends in America_, and in Barclay\u2019s _Letters of Early Friends_.\n\nI stayed at Pall-Mall, intending to be at the meeting there; but on\nthe Seventh-day night, a company of troopers came and knocked at the\ndoor. The servant letting them in, they rushed into the house, and\nlaid hold of me; and there being amongst them one that had served\nunder the parliament, he put his hand to my pocket, and asked,\n\u201cwhether I had any pistols?\u201d I told him he knew I did not carry\npistols, why therefore ask such a question of me, whom he knew to be\na peaceable man? Others of the soldiers ran into the chambers, and\nthere found in bed Esquire Marsh, who, though he was one of the\nking\u2019s bedchamber, out of his love to me, came and lodged where I\ndid. When they came down again, they said, \u201cWhy should we take this\nman away with us? We will let him alone.\u201d \u201cO,\u201d said the parliament\nsoldier, \u201che is one of the heads, and a chief ringleader.\u201d Upon this\nthe soldiers were taking me away, but Esquire Marsh hearing of it,\nsent for him that commanded the party, and desired him to let me\nalone, for he would see me forthcoming in the morning.\n\nIn the morning before they could fetch me, and before the meeting\nwas gathered, there came a company of foot soldiers to the house and\none of them drawing his sword, held it over my head. I asked him,\n\u201cwhy he drew his sword at an unarmed man?\u201d at which his fellows\nbeing ashamed, bid him put up his sword. These foot soldiers took me\naway to Whitehall, before the troopers came for me. As I was going\nout, several friends were coming in to the meeting, whose boldness\nand cheerfulness I commended, and encouraged them to persevere\ntherein. When I was brought to Whitehall, the soldiers and people\nwere exceedingly rude, yet I declared truth to them; but some great\npersons coming by, who were very full of envy, \u201cWhat,\u201d said they,\n\u201cdo ye let him preach? Put him into such a place, where he may not\nstir.\u201d So into that place they put me, and the soldiers watched over\nme. I told them, though they could confine my body and shut that up,\nyet they could not stop the Word of Life. Some came and asked me,\n\u201cWhat I was?\u201d I told them, \u201cA preacher of righteousness.\u201d After I\nhad been kept there two or three hours, Esquire Marsh spoke to Lord\nGerrard, and he came and bid them set me at liberty. The marshal,\nwhen I was discharged, demanded fees. I told him I could not give\nhim any, neither was it our practice; and asked him how he could\ndemand fees of me, who was innocent.\n\nThen I went through the guards, the Lord\u2019s power being over them;\nand after I had declared truth to the soldiers, I went up the\nstreets with two Irish colonels that came from Whitehall, to an inn,\nwhere many Friends were at that time prisoners under a guard. I\ndesired these colonels to speak to the guard to let me go in to\nvisit my friends, that were prisoners there; but they would not.\nThen I stepped to the sentry, and desired him to let me go up; and\nhe did so. While I was there, the soldiers went to Pall-Mall again\nto search for me there; but not finding me, they turned towards the\ninn, and bid all come out that were not prisoners; so they went out.\nBut I asked the soldiers that were within, \u201cWhether I might not stay\nthere a while with my friends?\u201d They said, \u201cYes.\u201d I stayed, and so\nescaped their hands again. Towards night I went to Pall-Mall, to see\nhow it was with the Friends there; and after I had stayed a while, I\nwent up into the city. Great rifling of houses there was at this\ntime to search for people. I went to a private friend\u2019s house, and\nRichard Hubberthorn was with me. There we drew up a declaration\nagainst plots and fightings, to be presented to the king and\ncouncil; but when finished, and sent to print, it was taken in the\npress.\n\nOn this insurrection of the Fifth-monarchy men, great havoc was made\nboth in city and country, so that it was dangerous for sober people\nto stir abroad for several weeks after; men or women could hardly go\nup and down the streets to buy provisions for their families without\nbeing abused. In the country they dragged men and women out of their\nhouses, and some sick men out of their beds by the legs. Nay, one\nman in a fever, the soldiers dragged out of bed to prison, and when\nhe was brought there he died. His name was Thomas Pachyn.\n\nMargaret Fell went to the king, and told him what sad work there was\nin the city and nation, and showed him we were an innocent,\npeaceable people, and that we must keep our meetings as heretofore,\nwhatever we suffered; but that it concerned him to see that peace\nwas kept, that no innocent blood might be shed. The prisons were now\neverywhere filled with Friends, and others, in the city and country,\nand the posts were so laid for the searching of letters, that none\ncould pass unsearched. We heard of several thousands of our Friends\nbeing cast into prison in several parts of the nation, and Margaret\nFell carried an account of them to the king and council. Next week\nwe had an account of several thousands more being cast into prison;\nand she went and laid them also before the king and council. They\nwondered how we could have such intelligence, having given strict\ncharge for the intercepting of all letters: but the Lord so ordered\nit, that we had an account, notwithstanding all their stoppings.\n\nIn the deep sense I had of the grievous suffering Friends underwent,\nand of their innocency towards God and man, I was moved to send the\nfollowing epistle to them, as a word of consolation, and advised\nthem to send up an account of their sufferings:\u2014\n\n        \u201cMY DEAR FRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cIn the immortal seed of God, which will plead its own\n  innocency, who are inheritors of an everlasting kingdom that is\n  incorruptible, and of a world and riches that fade not away,\n  peace and mercy be multiplied amongst you in all your\n  sufferings; whose backs were not unready, but your hair and\n  cheeks prepared; who never feared suffering, knowing it is your\n  portion in the world, from the foundation of which the Lamb was\n  slain, who reigns in his glory, which he had with his Father\n  before the world began. He is your rock in all floods and waves,\n  upon which ye can stand safe, with a cheerful countenance,\n  beholding the Lord God of the whole earth on your side. So in\n  the Seed of God, which was before the unrighteous world, in\n  which sufferings are, live and feed; wherein the Bread of Life\n  is felt, and no cause to complain of hunger or cold. Friends, I\n  would have you all, that are or have been lately in prison, to\n  send up an account of your sufferings, and how things are\n  amongst you, that it may be delivered to the king and his\n  council; for things are pretty well here after the storm.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\n  London, the 28th of the 11th Month, 1660.\n\nHaving lost our former declaration in the press, we hastily drew up\nanother against plots and fighting, got it printed, and sent some\ncopies to the king and council; others were sold in the streets, and\nat the Exchange. Which declaration was some years after reprinted,\nand is as follows:\u2014\n\n    _A Declaration from the harmless and innocent people of God,\n  called Quakers, against all sedition, plotters, and fighters in\n  the world: for removing the ground of jealousy and suspicion from\n  magistrates and people concerning wars and fightings._\n\n   Presented to the King upon the 21st day of the 11th Month, 1660.\n\n  \u201cOur principle is, and our practices have always been, to seek\n  peace and ensue it; to follow after righteousness and the\n  knowledge of God; seeking the good and welfare, and doing that\n  which tends to the peace of all. We know that wars and fightings\n  proceed from the lusts of men, as James iv. 1-3, out of which the\n  Lord hath redeemed us, and so out of the occasion of war. The\n  occasion of war, and war itself (wherein envious men, who are\n  lovers of themselves more than lovers of God, lust, kill, and\n  desire to have men\u2019s lives or estates) ariseth from lust. All\n  bloody principles and practices, as to our own particulars, we\n  utterly deny; with all outward wars and strife, and fightings with\n  outward weapons, for any end, or under any pretence whatsoever;\n  this is our testimony to the whole world.\n\n  \u201cAnd whereas it is objected:\n\n  \u201cBut although you now say \u2018that you cannot fight, nor take up arms\n  at all, yet if the Spirit move you, then you will change your\n  principle, and you will sell your coat, and buy a sword, and fight\n  for the kingdom of Christ.\u2019\n\n  \u201cTo this we answer, Christ said to Peter, \u2018Put up thy sword in his\n  place;\u2019 though he had said before, he that had no sword might sell\n  his coat and buy one (to the fulfilling of the law and the\n  Scripture), yet after, when he had bid him put it up, he said, \u2018he\n  that taketh the sword, shall perish with the sword.\u2019 And further,\n  Christ said to Pilate, \u2018Thinkest thou, that I cannot now pray to\n  my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions\n  of angels?\u2019 And this might satisfy Peter, Luke xxii. 36, after he\n  had put up his sword, when he said to him, \u2018He that took it,\n  should perish with it;\u2019 which satisfieth us, Matt. xxvi. 51-53.\n  And in the Revelation, it is said, \u2018He that kills with the sword,\n  shall perish with the sword; and here is the faith and the\n  patience of the saints.\u2019 And so Christ\u2019s kingdom is not of this\n  world, therefore do not his servants fight, as he told Pilate, the\n  magistrate, who crucified him. And did they not look upon Christ\n  as a raiser of sedition? and did not he pray, \u2018Forgive them?\u2019 But\n  thus it is that we are numbered amongst transgressors, and\n  fighters, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.\n\n  \u201cThat the Spirit of Christ, by which we are guided, is not\n  changeable, so as once to command us from a thing as evil, and\n  again to move unto it; and we certainly know, and testify to the\n  world, that the Spirit of Christ, which leads us into all truth,\n  will never move us to fight and war against any man with outward\n  weapons, neither for the kingdom of Christ, nor for the kingdoms\n  of this world.\n\n  \u201cFirst, Because the kingdom of Christ God will exalt, according to\n  his promise, and cause it to grow and flourish in righteousness;\n  \u2018not by might, nor by power (of outward sword), but by my Spirit,\n  saith the Lord,\u2019 Zech. iv. 6. So those that use any weapon to\n  fight for Christ, or for the establishing of his kingdom or\n  government,\u2014their spirit, principle, and practice we deny.\n\n  \u201cSecondly, We do earnestly desire and wait, that, by the Word of\n  God\u2019s power, and its effectual operation in the hearts of men, the\n  kingdoms of this world may become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of\n  his Christ; that he may rule and reign in men by his Spirit and\n  truth; that thereby all people, out of every profession, may be\n  brought into love and unity with God, and one with another; and\n  that they may all come to witness the prophet\u2019s words, who said,\n  \u2018Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they\n  learn war any more,\u2019 Isa. ii. 4., Mic. iv. 3.\n\n  \u201cSo we, whom the Lord hath called into the obedience of his truth,\n  have denied wars and fightings, and cannot more learn them. This\n  is a certain testimony unto all the world, of the truth of our\n  hearts in this particular, that as God persuadeth every man\u2019s\n  heart to believe, so they may receive it. For we have not, as some\n  others, gone about with cunningly-devised fables, nor have we ever\n  denied in practice what we have professed in principle; but in\n  sincerity and truth, and by the word of God, have we laboured to\n  manifest unto all men, that both we and our ways might be\n  witnessed in the hearts of all.\n\n  \u201cAnd whereas all manner of evil hath been falsely spoken of us, we\n  hereby speak the plain truth of our hearts, to take away the\n  occasion of that offence; that so being innocent, we may not\n  suffer for other men\u2019s offences, nor be made a prey of by the\n  wills of men for that of which we were never guilty; but in the\n  uprightness of our hearts we may, under the power ordained of God\n  for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that\n  do well, live a peaceable and godly life, in all godliness and\n  honesty. For although we have always suffered, and do now more\n  abundantly suffer, yet we know that it is for righteousness\u2019 sake;\n  \u2018for our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our consciences, that\n  in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by\n  the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world,\u2019 2\n  Cor. i. 12, which for us is a witness for the convincing of our\n  enemies. For this we can say to all the world, we have wronged no\n  man, we have used no force nor violence against any man: we have\n  been found in no plots, nor guilty of sedition. When we have been\n  wronged, we have not sought to revenge ourselves; we have not made\n  resistance against authority; but wherein we could not obey for\n  conscience\u2019 sake, we have suffered the most of any people in the\n  nation. We have been counted as sheep for the slaughter,\n  persecuted and despised, beaten, stoned, wounded, stocked,\n  whipped, imprisoned, haled out of synagogues, cast into dungeons\n  and noisome vaults, where many have died in bonds, shut up from\n  our friends, denied needful sustenance for many days together,\n  with other the like cruelties.\n\n  \u201cAnd the cause of all these sufferings is not for any evil, but\n  for things relating to the worship of our God, and in obedience to\n  his requirings. For which cause we shall freely give up our bodies\n  a sacrifice, rather than disobey the Lord: for we know, as the\n  Lord hath kept us innocent, so he will plead our cause, when there\n  is none in the earth to plead it. So we, in obedience unto his\n  truth, do not love our lives unto death, that we may do his will,\n  and wrong no man in our generation, but seek the good and peace of\n  all men. He who hath commanded us that we shall not swear at all,\n  Matt. v. 34, hath also commanded us that we shall not kill, Matt.\n  v.; so that we can neither kill men, nor swear for or against\n  them. This is both our principle and practice, and has been from\n  the beginning; so that if we suffer, as suspected to take up arms,\n  or make war against any, it is without any ground from us; for it\n  neither is, nor ever was in our hearts, since we owned the truth\n  of God; neither shall we ever do it, because it is contrary to the\n  Spirit of Christ, his doctrine, and the practices of his apostles;\n  even contrary to him, for whom we suffer all things, and endure\n  all things.\n\n  \u201cAnd whereas men come against us with clubs, staves, drawn swords,\n  pistols cocked, and beat, cut, and abuse us, yet we never resisted\n  them; but to them our hair, backs, and cheeks, have been ready. It\n  is not an honour to manhood or nobility to run upon harmless\n  people, who lift not up a hand against them, with arms and\n  weapons.\n\n  \u201cTherefore consider these things, ye men of understanding; for\n  plotters, raisers of insurrections, tumultuous ones, and fighters,\n  running with swords, clubs, staves, and pistols, one against\n  another; these, we say, are of the world, and have their\n  foundation from this unrighteous world, from the foundation of\n  which the Lamb hath been slain; which Lamb hath redeemed us from\n  this unrighteous world, and we are not of it, but are heirs of a\n  world of which there is no end, and of a kingdom where no\n  corruptible thing enters. Our weapons are spiritual, and not\n  carnal, yet mighty through God, to the pulling down of the\n  strongholds of sin and Satan, who is the author of wars, fighting,\n  murder, and plots. Our swords are broken into ploughshares, and\n  spears into pruning-hooks, as prophesied of in Micah iv. Therefore\n  we cannot learn war any more, neither rise up against nation or\n  kingdom with outward weapons, though you have numbered us amongst\n  the transgressors and plotters. The Lord knows our innocency\n  herein, and will plead our cause with all people upon earth, at\n  the day of their judgment, when all men shall have a reward\n  according to their works.\n\n  \u201cTherefore in love we warn you for your soul\u2019s good, not to wrong\n  the innocent, nor the babes of Christ, which he hath in his hand,\n  which he cares for as the apple of his eye; neither seek to\n  destroy the heritage of God, nor turn your swords backward upon\n  such as the law was not made for, i.e., the righteous: but for\n  sinners and transgressors, to keep them down. For those are not\n  peacemakers, nor lovers of enemies, neither can they overcome evil\n  with good, who wrong them that are friends to you and all men, and\n  wish your good, and the good of all people on the earth. If you\n  oppress us, as they did the children of Israel in Egypt, and if\n  you oppress us as they did when Christ was born, and as they did\n  the Christians in the primitive times; we can say, \u2018The Lord\n  forgive you;\u2019 and leave the Lord to deal with you, and not revenge\n  ourselves. If you say, as the council said to Peter and John,\n  \u2018speak no more in that name;\u2019 and if you serve us, as they served\n  the three children spoken of in Daniel, God is the same that ever\n  he was, that lives for ever and ever, who hath the innocent in his\n  arms.\n\n  \u201cO, Friends! offend not the Lord and his little ones, neither\n  afflict his people; but consider and be moderate. Do not run on\n  hastily, but consider mercy, justice, and judgment; that is the\n  way for you to prosper, and obtain favour of the Lord. Our\n  meetings were stopped and broken up in the days of Oliver, under\n  pretence of plotting against him; in the days of the Committee of\n  Safety we were looked upon as plotters to bring in King Charles;\n  and now our peaceable meetings are termed seditious. O! that men\n  should lose their reason, and go contrary to their own conscience;\n  knowing that we have suffered all things, and have been accounted\n  plotters from the beginning, though we have declared against them\n  both by word of mouth and printing, and are clear from any such\n  thing! We have suffered all along, because we would not take up\n  carnal weapons to fight, and are thus made a prey, because we are\n  the innocent lambs of Christ, and cannot avenge ourselves! These\n  things are left on your hearts to consider; but we are out of all\n  those things, in the patience of the saints; and we know, as\n  Christ said, \u2018He that takes the sword, shall perish with the\n  sword;\u2019 Matt. xxvi. 52; Rev. xiii. 10.\n\n      \u201cThis is given forth from the people called Quakers, to\n      satisfy the king and his council, and all those that have any\n      jealousy concerning us, that all occasion of suspicion may be\n      taken away, and our innocency cleared.\u201d\n\n        \u201c_Postscript._\u2014Though we are numbered amongst transgressors,\n  and have been given up to rude, merciless men, by whom our\n  meetings are broken up, in which we edified one another in our\n  holy faith, and prayed together to the Lord that lives for ever,\n  yet he is our pleader in this day. The Lord saith, \u2018They that\n  feared his name spoke often together\u2019 (as in Malachi); which were\n  as his jewels. For this cause, and no evil-doing, are we cast into\n  holes, dungeons, houses of correction, prisons (neither old nor\n  young being spared, men nor women), and made a prey of in the\n  sight of all nations, under the pretence of being seditious, &c.,\n  so that all rude people run upon us to take possession. For which\n  we say, \u2018The Lord forgive them that have thus done to us;\u2019 who\n  doth, and will enable us to suffer; and never shall we lift up\n  hand against any that thus use us; but desire the Lord may have\n  mercy upon them, that they may consider what they have done. For\n  how is it possible for them to requite us for the wrong they have\n  done to us? Who to all nations have sounded us abroad as\n  seditious, who were never found plotters against any, since we\n  knew the life and power of Jesus Christ manifested in us, who hath\n  redeemed us from the world, all works of darkness, and plotters\n  therein, by which we know the election, before the world began. So\n  we say, the Lord have mercy upon our enemies and forgive them, for\n  what they have done unto us!\n\n  \u201cO! do as ye would be done by; do unto all men as you would have\n  them do unto you; for this is the law and the prophets.\n\n  \u201cAll plots, insurrections, and riotous meetings we deny, knowing\n  them to be of the devil, the murderer; which we in Christ, who was\n  before they were, triumph over. And all wars and fightings with\n  carnal weapons we deny, who have the sword of the Spirit; and all\n  that wrong us, we leave to the Lord. This is to clear our\n  innocency from the aspersion cast upon us, that we are seditious\n  or plotters.\u201d\n\n                      _Added in the reprinting._\n\n            \u201cCOURTEOUS READER,\n\n  \u201cThis was our testimony above twenty years ago; since then we have\n  not been found acting contrary to it, nor ever shall; for the\n  truth, that is our guide, is unchangeable. This is now reprinted\n  to the men of this age, many of whom were then children, and doth\n  stand as our certain testimony against all plotting and fighting\n  with carnal weapons. And if any by departing from the truth should\n  do so, this is our testimony in the truth against them, and will\n  stand over them, and the truth will be clear of them.\u201d\n\nThis declaration somewhat cleared the dark air that was over the\ncity and country. And soon after the king gave forth a proclamation,\n\u201cThat no soldiers should search any house without a constable.\u201d But\nthe jails were still full, many thousands of Friends being in\nprison; which mischief was occasioned by the wicked rising of the\nFifth-monarchy-men. But when those that were taken came to be\nexecuted, they did us the justice to clear us openly from having any\nhand in or knowledge of their plot. After that, the king being\ncontinually importuned thereunto, issued a declaration, \u201cThat\nFriends should be set at liberty without paying fees.\u201d But great\nlabour, travail, and pains were taken, before this was obtained; for\nThomas Moor and Margaret Fell went often to the king about it.[67]\n\nFootnote 67:\n\n  Among the Swarthmore collection of MSS. has been found a narrative\n  of an interview Thomas Moore had with the king, which has been\n  printed in _Letters of Early Friends_, p. 92, to which the reader\n  is referred. It is endorsed by George Fox thus:\u2014\u201cWhat the king\n  said to T. Moor, 1600, 14th of 10th month.\u201d It will be remembered\n  Thomas Moor was formerly a justice of the peace, and was convinced\n  by George Fox, as related at page 260 in this volume.\n\nMuch blood was shed this year, many of the late king\u2019s judges being\nhung, drawn, and quartered. Amongst them that so suffered, Colonel\nHacker was one, who sent me prisoner from Leicester to London in\nOliver\u2019s time, of which an account is given before. A sad day it\nwas, and a repaying of blood with blood. For in the time of Oliver\nCromwell, when several men were put to death by him, being hung,\ndrawn, and quartered, for pretended treasons, I felt from the Lord\nGod, that their blood would be required; and I said as much then to\nseveral. And now upon the king\u2019s return, when several that had been\nagainst him were put to death, as the others that were for him had\nbeen before by Oliver, this was sad work, destroying people contrary\nto the nature of Christians, who have the nature of lambs and sheep.\nBut there was a secret hand in bringing this day upon that\nhypocritical generation of professors, who, being got into power,\ngrew proud, haughty, and cruel beyond others, and persecuted the\npeople of God without pity.\n\nTherefore when Friends were under cruel persecutions and sufferings\nin the Commonwealth\u2019s time, I was moved of the Lord to write to\nFriends to draw up accounts of their sufferings, and lay them before\nthe justices at their sessions; and if they would not do justice,\nthen to lay them before the judges at the assize; and if they would\nnot do justice, then to lay them before the parliament, the\nprotector and his council, that they might all see what was done\nunder their government; and if they would not do justice, then to\nlay it before the Lord, who would hear the cries of the oppressed,\nand of the widows and fatherless whom they had made so. For that\nwhich we suffered for, and for which our goods were spoiled, was our\nobedience to the Lord in his Power and in his Spirit, who was able\nto help and to succour, and we had no helper in the earth but him.\nAnd he heard the cries of his people, and brought an overflowing\nscourge over the heads of all our persecutors, which brought a\ndread, and a fear amongst and on them all: so that those who had\nnicknamed us (who are the children of light) and in scorn called us\nQuakers, the Lord made to quake; and many of them would have been\nglad to have hid themselves amongst us; and some of them, through\nthe distress that came upon them, did at length come to confess to\nthe truth. O! the daily reproaches, revilings, and beatings we\nunderwent amongst them, even in the highways, because we could not\nput off our hats to them, and for saying Thou and Thee to them! O!\nthe havoc and spoil the priests made of our goods, because we could\nnot put into their mouths and give them tithes; besides casting into\nprisons, and laying great fines upon us, because we could not swear!\nBut for all these things did the Lord God plead with them. Yet some\nwere so hardened in their wickedness, that when they were turned out\nof their places and offices, they said, \u201cIf they had power, they\nwould do the same again.\u201d And when this day of overturning was come\nupon them, they said, \u201cIt was all on account of us.\u201d Wherefore I was\nmoved to write to them, and ask them, \u201cDid we ever resist them when\nthey took away our ploughs and plough-gears, our carts and horses,\nour corn and cattle, our kettles and platters from us, whipped us,\nset us in the stocks, and cast us into prison, and all this only for\nserving and worshipping God in spirit and truth, and because we\ncould not conform to their religions, manners, customs, and\nfashions? Did we ever resist them? Did we not give them our backs to\nbeat, and our cheeks to pull off the hair, and our faces to spit on?\nHad not their priests, that prompted them on to such work, pulled\nthem with themselves into the ditch? Why then would they say, \u2018It\nwas all on account of us,\u2019 when it was owing to themselves and their\npriests, their blind prophets, that followed their own spirits, and\ncould foresee nothing of these times and things that were come upon\nthem, which we had long forewarned them of, as Jeremiah and Christ\nhad forewarned Jerusalem. They had thought to weary us out, and undo\nus, but they undid themselves. Whereas we could praise God,\nnotwithstanding all their plundering of us, that we had a platter, a\nhorse, and plough still.\u201d\n\nMany ways were these professors warned, by word, by writing, and by\nsigns; but they would believe none, till it was too late. William\nSympson[68] was moved of the Lord to go, several times for three\nyears, naked and barefoot before them, as a sign unto them, in\nmarkets, courts, towns, cities, to priests\u2019 and great men\u2019s houses,\ntelling them, \u201cSo should they be stripped naked, as he was\nstripped!\u201d And sometimes he was moved to put on sackcloth, and\nbesmear his face, and tell them, \u201cSo would the Lord God besmear all\ntheir religion, as he was besmeared.\u201d Great sufferings did that poor\nman undergo, sore whippings with horse-whips and coach-whips on his\nbare body, grievous stonings and imprisonments, in three years\u2019\ntime, before the king came in, that they might have taken warning;\nbut they would not: they rewarded his love with cruel usage. Only\nthe Mayor of Cambridge did nobly to him, for he put his gown about\nhim, and took him into his house.\n\nFootnote 68:\n\n  This is probably the Friend of whom there is some account in\n  _Piety Promoted_, vol. ii., p. 71. He was born in Lancashire, and\n  receiving the Truth, became a faithful minister of it, for which\n  he was often imprisoned, and underwent cruel and hard sufferings.\n  In 1670, he went to Barbadoes with John Burnyeat, to preach the\n  gospel in that island, but after having some service there, he was\n  taken ill of a fever, during which he felt great peace and\n  consolation of spirit, and signified \u201che should die.\u201d He was often\n  praising and glorifying God after this manner: \u201cO! all that is\n  within me praise and magnify the Lord God, who is worthy for ever\n  of all glory; everlasting praises to the God of my life, who only\n  is worthy, and lives over all, and is above all, God blessed for\n  ever. Amen.\u201d He died in much peace and quietness.\n\nAnother Friend, Robert Huntingdon, was moved of the Lord to go into\nCarlisle steeple-house, with a white sheet about him, amongst the\ngreat Presbyterians and Independents there, to show them that the\nsurplice was coming up again: and he put a halter about his neck, to\nshow them that a halter was coming upon them; which was fulfilled\nupon some of our persecutors not long after.\n\nAnother, Richard Sale, living near Chester, being constable of the\nplace where he lived, had a Friend sent to him with a pass, whom\nthose wicked professors had taken up for a vagabond, because he\ntravelled in the work of the ministry; and this constable being\nconvinced by the Friend that was thus brought to him, gave him his\npass and liberty, and was afterwards himself cast into prison. After\nthis, on a lecture-day, Richard Sale was moved to go to the\nsteeple-house, in the time of their worship, and carry to those\npersecuting priests and people, a lantern and candle, as a figure of\ntheir darkness; but they cruelly abused him, and like dark\nprofessors as they were, put him into their prison called\nLittle-Ease; and so squeezed his body therein, that not long after\nhe died.[69]\n\nFootnote 69:\n\n  Richard Sale, the constable who became convinced, was an undaunted\n  reprover of vice. The place in which he lost his life, called\n  \u201cLittle Ease,\u201d is described to have been \u201ca hole hewed out in a\n  rock; the breadth across, seventeen inches; from the back to the\n  inside of the great door, at the top, seven inches; at the\n  shoulders, eight inches; at the breast, nine inches and a half;\n  from the top to the bottom, one yard and a half, with a device to\n  lessen the height, as they are minded to torment the persons put\n  in, by drawboards which shoot over the two sides to a yard height,\n  or thereabout.\u201d\n\n  Into this place was Richard Sale put several times, in 1656-1657,\n  for three, four, five and eight hours together. Being corpulent,\n  it required the strength of four men to thrust him in. In doing\n  which they crushed him till the blood gushed out of his mouth and\n  nose. He survived the last torture but two months, and died\n  imputing his death to the cruelty of his persecutors.\n\n  In this place they tormented many of those who were induced, with,\n  Christian courage, to reprove the vices, either of ministers,\n  magistrates, or people. Richard Costrop, for preaching repentance\n  in the streets, was put in Little Ease till next day, and then, by\n  the Mayor, sent to Bridewell. Thomas Yarwood, who, as the Mayor\n  and Aldermen were going to a customary feast, with music playing\n  before them, dared to remind them wherein real Christianity stood,\n  viz., _in true holiness and the fear of the Lord_, was sent to\n  Little Ease, and kept there five hours; by which he, being but a\n  weak sickly man was much bruised and hurt. William Sympson,\n  attempting, in Christian love, to exhort the people, after their\n  public preacher had ended his sermon, was first put in the stocks,\n  and afterwards kept in Little Ease nine hours. When, next morning,\n  he complained to the Mayor of his cruel usage, he was sent again\n  to the same place, after the Sheriff, in the Mayor\u2019s presence, had\n  struck him in the face, so that he bled very much. Edward Morgan,\n  complaining to the Mayor against a drunken fellow who had grossly\n  abused him, was sent to Little Ease for not putting off his hat\n  when he made that complaint, and the drunkard went unpunished; as\n  did also a servant who had robbed his master, a Friend, the master\n  being, by this same magistrate, imprisoned eleven weeks, because\n  he would not swear to the fact of the robbery.\n\nMany warnings of many sorts were Friends moved, in the power of the\nLord, to give to that generation; which they not only rejected, but\nabused Friends, calling us giddy-headed Quakers; but God brought his\njudgments upon those persecuting priests and magistrates. For when\nthe king came in, most of them were turned out of their places and\nbenefices, and the spoilers were spoiled: and then we could ask\nthem, \u201cWho were the giddy heads now?\u201d Then many confessed we had\nbeen true prophets to the nation, and said, \u201cHad we cried against\nsome priests only, they should have liked us then; but crying\nagainst all made them dislike us.\u201d But now they saw those priests,\nwhich were then looked upon to be the best, were as bad as the rest.\nFor indeed, some of those that were counted the most eminent, were\nthe bitterest and greatest stirrers up of the magistrates to\npersecution; and it was a judgment upon them to be denied the free\nliberty of their consciences when the king came in, because when\nthey were uppermost, they would not have liberty of conscience\ngranted to others. One Hewes, of Plymouth, a priest of great note in\nOliver\u2019s days, when some liberty was granted, prayed \u201cthat God would\nput it into the hearts of the chief magistrates of the nation, to\nremove this cursed toleration.\u201d Others prayed against it under the\nname of Intolerable Toleration. But a while after when the king was\ncome in and priest Hewes turned out of his great benefice for not\nconforming to the Common Prayer, a Friend of Plymouth meeting with\nhim, asked, \u201cWhether he would account toleration accursed now?\u201d and\n\u201cwhether he would not now be glad of a toleration?\u201d To which the\npriest returned no answer save by the shaking of his head. But as\nstiff as these men were then against toleration, it is well known\nmany of them petitioned the king for toleration, and for\nmeeting-places, and paid for licenses too. But to return to the\npresent time, the latter end of the year 1660 and beginning of 1661.\n\nAlthough those Friends that had been imprisoned on the rising of the\nMonarchy-men were set at liberty, meetings were much disturbed, and\ngreat sufferings Friends underwent. For besides what was done by\nofficers and soldiers, many wild fellows and rude people often came\nin. There came one time, when I was at Pall Mall, an ambassador with\na company of Irishmen and rude fellows; the meeting was over before\nthey came, and I was gone up into a chamber, where I heard one of\nthem say, \u201cHe would kill all the Quakers.\u201d I went down to him, and\nwas moved in the power of the Lord to speak to him. I told him, \u201cThe\nlaw said, \u2018an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth;\u2019 but thou\nthreatenest to kill all the Quakers, though they have done thee no\nhurt. But,\u201d said I, \u201cHere is gospel for thee: here is my hair, here\nis my cheek, and here is my shoulder,\u201d turning it to him. This came\nso over him, that he and his companions stood as men amazed, and\nsaid, if that was our principle, and if we were as we said, they\nnever saw the like in their lives. I told them, what I was in words,\nI was the same in life. Then the ambassador, who had stood without,\ncame in: for he said that Irish colonel was such a desperate man,\nthat he durst not come in with him, for fear he should do us some\nmischief; but truth came over him, and he carried himself lovingly\ntowards us; as also did the ambassador; for the Lord\u2019s power was\nover them all.\n\nAt Mile-End, Friends were kept out of their meeting-place by\nsoldiers, but they stood nobly in the truth, valiant for the Lord\u2019s\nname; and at last the truth gave them dominion.\n\nAbout this time we had an account that John Love, a Friend, that was\nmoved to go and bear testimony against the idolatry of the Papists,\nwas dead in prison at Rome: it was suspected he was privately put to\ndeath in prison. John Perrot was also a prisoner there, and being\nreleased came over again; but after his arrival here, he with\nCharles Baily and others, turned aside from the unity of Friends and\ntruth. Whereupon I was moved to issue a paper, declaring how the\nLord would blast him and his followers, if they did not repent and\nreturn; and that they should wither like the grass on the housetop,\nwhich many of them did; but others returned and repented.\n\nAlso before this time we received account from New England, \u201cthat\nthe government there had made a law to banish the Quakers out of\ntheir colonies, upon pain of death, in case they returned; and that\nseveral Friends, having been so banished, and returning, were taken,\nand actually hung; and that many more were in prison, in danger of\nthe like sentence being executed upon them.\u201d[70] When those were put\nto death, I was in prison at Lancaster, and had a perfect sense of\ntheir sufferings, as though it had been myself, and as though the\nhalter had been put about my own neck; though we had not at that\ntime heard of it.\n\nFootnote 70:\n\n  The persecution of the Quakers in New England, by the Puritans and\n  Independents, who had themselves fled from home to enjoy religious\n  liberty, forms a dreadful story, the very recital of which is\n  revolting to humanity. Some they caused to have their ears cut\n  off; and, amongst many other cruelties, which would fill a volume,\n  they ordered three Quaker women to be stripped to the waist, and\n  flogged through eleven towns, a distance of eighty miles, in all\n  the severity of frost and snow. But, as if this was not enough,\n  they actually hanged three men and one woman for Christ\u2019s sake,\n  who all acquitted themselves, at their awful exit, with that\n  firmness and submission which a Christian martyr is enabled to\n  sustain at such an hour of nature\u2019s extremity, giving full proof\n  of their sincerity and trust in the goodness and support of Him,\n  who had called them to make a public profession of his name before\n  a wicked and perverse generation. Their names were\u2014William\n  Robinson, Marmaduke Stevenson, William Leddra, and Mary Dyer.\n\n  On the day appointed for the execution of these innocent victims,\n  they were led to the gallows by military officers, accompanied by\n  a band of about 200 armed men, besides many horsemen\u2014a measure\n  which plainly indicated that some fear of popular indignation was\n  apprehended; and, that no appeal might be made to the feelings of\n  the multitude, a drummer was appointed to march before the\n  condemned persons, to beat the drum, especially when any of them\n  attempted to speak.\n\n  Glorious signs of heavenly joy and gladness were visible in the\n  countenances of these holy martyrs, who walked hand in hand to the\n  place where they were to suffer. \u201cThis is to me an hour of the\n  greatest joy,\u201d exclaimed Mary Dyer; adding, that no eye could see,\n  no ear could hear, no tongue could utter, no heart could\n  understand, the sweet refreshings of the Spirit of the Lord which\n  she then felt.\n\n  Being come to the ladder, and having taken leave of each other\n  with tender affection, they yielded up their lives into the hands\n  of their enemies, Robinson\u2019s last words being, \u201cI suffer for\n  Christ, in whom I live, and for whom I die;\u201d and those of\n  Stevenson, \u201cThis day shall we be at rest with the Lord.\u201d William\n  Leddra, patiently submitting himself whilst the executioner put\n  the halter round his neck, said, \u201cI commit my righteous cause unto\n  thee, O God;\u201d and, as he was turned off, died with these words,\n  \u201cLord Jesus, receive my spirit!\u201d When Mary Dyer ascended the\n  ladder, she was told by some of the standers-by that even now, if\n  she would obey them, she might come down and save her life. But\n  this magnanimous sufferer shrank not from her doom, well knowing\n  in whom, and for whom she was about to die; she contentedly laid\n  down her life, saying, \u201cIn obedience to the will of the Lord, I\n  abide faithful unto death.\u201d\n\n       \u201cWe too, have had our martyrs. Such wert thou,\n         Illustrious woman! though the starry crown\n       Of martyrdom has sat on many a brow,\n         In the world\u2019s eye, of far more wide renown.\n\n       Yet the same spirit graced thy fameless end,\n         Which shone in Latimer and his compeers;\n       Upon whose hallowed memories still attend\n         Manhood\u2019s warm reverence, childhood\u2019s guileless tears.\n\n       Well did they win them; may they keep them long!\n         Their names require not praise obscure as mine,\n       Nor does my muse their cherish\u2019d memories wrong,\n         By this imperfect aim to honour thine.\n\n       Heroic martyr of a sect despised!\n         Thy name and memory to my heart are dear:\n       Thy fearless zeal (in artless childhood prized)\n         The lapse of years has taught me to revere.\n\n       Thy Christian worth demands no poet\u2019s lay,\n         Historian\u2019s pen, nor sculptor\u2019s boasted art;\n       What could the proudest tribute these can pay\n         To thy immortal spirit, now impart?\n\n       Yet seems it like a sacred debt to give\n         The brief memorial thou mayst well supply;\n       Whose life display\u2019d how Christians ought to live,\n         Whose death\u2014how Christian martyrs calmly die.\u201d\n\n  For further particulars of the New England persecution, the reader\n  is referred to Sewell\u2019s _History_; Bowden\u2019s _History of Friends in\n  America_; Kelty\u2019s _Early Days in the Society of Friends_;\n  Hodgson\u2019s _Historical Memoirs, &c._\n\nBut as soon as we heard of it, Edward Burrough went to the king, and\ntold him, \u201cThere was a vein of innocent blood opened in his\ndominions, which, if it were not stopped, would overrun all.\u201d To\nwhich the king replied, \u201cBut I will stop that vein.\u201d Edward Burrough\nsaid, \u201cThen do it speedily, for we do not know how many may soon be\nput to death.\u201d The king answered, \u201cAs speedily as ye will. Call,\u201d\nsaid he to some present, \u201cthe secretary, and I will do it\npresently.\u201d The secretary being called, a mandamus was forthwith\ngranted. A day or two after, Edward Burrough going again to the\nking, to desire the matter might be expedited, the king said, \u201cHe\nhad no occasion at present to send a ship thither, but if we would\nsend one, we might do it as soon as we chose.\u201d Edward Burrough then\nasked the king, \u201cif it would please him to grant his deputation to\none called a Quaker, to carry the mandamus to New England?\u201d He said,\n\u201cYes, to whom ye will.\u201d Whereupon E. B. named Samuel Shattock, who\nbeing an inhabitant of New England, was banished by their law, to be\nhung if he came again; and to him the deputation was granted. Then\nhe sent for Ralph Goldsmith, an honest Friend, who was master of a\ngood ship, and agreed with him for \u00a3300, goods or no goods, to sail\nin ten days. He forthwith prepared to set sail, and, with a\nprosperous gale, in about six weeks arrived before the town of\nBoston, in New England, upon a First-day morning. Many passengers\nwent with him, both of New and Old England, Friends, whom the Lord\nmoved to go to bear testimony against those bloody persecutors, who\nhad exceeded all the world in that age in their persecutions.\n\nThe townsmen at Boston seeing a ship come into the bay with English\ncolours, soon came on board, and asked for the captain. Ralph\nGoldsmith told them, he was the commander. They asked him, if he had\nany letters? He said, \u201cYes.\u201d They asked, if he would deliver them?\nHe said, \u201cNo, not to-day.\u201d So they went on shore, and reported there\nwas a ship full of Quakers, and that Samuel Shattock was among them,\nwho, they knew, was, by their law, to be put to death, for coming\nagain after banishment; but they knew not his errand, nor his\nauthority.\n\nSo all being kept close that day, and none of the ship\u2019s company\nsuffered to land, next morning, Samuel Shattock, the king\u2019s deputy,\nand Ralph Goldsmith, the commander of the vessel, went on shore; and\nsending back to the ship the men that landed them, they two went\nthrough the town to the governor\u2019s (John Endicott\u2019s) door, and\nknocked. He sent out a man to know their business. They sent him\nword, their business was from the king of England, and they would\ndeliver their message to none but the governor himself. They were\nthen admitted, and the governor came to them; and having received\nthe deputation and the mandamus, he put off his hat, and looked upon\nthem. Then going out, he bid the Friends follow him. He went to the\ndeputy-governor, and after a short consultation, came out to the\nFriends, and said, \u201cWe shall obey his Majesty\u2019s commands.\u201d After\nthis the master gave liberty to the passengers to land; and\npresently the noise of the business flew about the town, and the\nFriends of the town and the passengers of the ship met together, to\noffer up their praises and thanksgivings to God, who had so\nwonderfully delivered them from the teeth of the devourer. While\nthey were thus met, a poor Friend came in, who, being sentenced by\ntheir bloody law to die, had lain some time in irons, expecting\nexecution. This added to their joy, and caused them to lift up their\nhearts in high praises to God, who is worthy for ever to have the\npraise, the glory, and the honour; for he only is able to deliver,\nto save, and to support all that sincerely put their trust in him.\n\nHere follows a copy of the mandamus:\u2014\n\n          \u201cCHARLES R.\n\n  \u201cTrusty and well beloved, we greet you well. Having been informed\n  that several of our subjects amongst you, called Quakers, have\n  been and are imprisoned by you, whereof some have been executed,\n  and others, as hath been represented unto us, are in danger to\n  undergo the like, we have thought fit to signify our pleasure in\n  that behalf for the future; and do hereby require, that if there\n  be any of those people called Quakers amongst you, now already\n  condemned to suffer death or other corporal punishment, or that\n  are imprisoned, and obnoxious to the like condemnation, you are to\n  forbear to proceed any further therein; but that you forthwith\n  send the said persons, whether condemned or imprisoned, over into\n  this our kingdom of England, together with the respective crimes\n  or offences laid to their charge: to the end such course may be\n  taken with them here, as shall be agreeable to our laws and their\n  demerits. And for so doing, these our letters shall be your\n  sufficient warrant and discharge. Given at our Court at Whitehall,\n  the 9th day of September, 1661, in the thirteenth year of our\n  reign.\u201d\n\n  Subscribed: \u201cTo our trusty and well beloved John Endicott, Esq.,\n    and to all and every other the governor or governors of our\n    plantations of New England, and of all the colonies thereunto\n    belonging, that now are, or hereafter shall be: and to all and\n    every the ministers and officers of our plantations and colonies\n    whatsoever, within the continent of New England.\n\n                                          \u201cBy his Majesty\u2019s command.\n                                                  \u201cWILLIAM MORRIS.\u201d\n\nSome time after this several New England magistrates came over, with\none of their priests. We had several discourses with them concerning\ntheir murdering our Friends, the servants of the Lord; but they were\nashamed to stand to their bloody actions. On one of these occasions\nI asked Simon Broadstreet, one of the New England magistrates,\n\u201cWhether he had not a hand in putting to death those four servants\nof God, whom they hung for being Quakers only, as they had nicknamed\nthem?\u201d He confessed he had. I then asked him and the rest of his\nassociates that were present, \u201cWhether they would acknowledge\nthemselves to be subject to the laws of England; and if they did, by\nwhat laws they had put our Friends to death?\u201d They said, \u201cThey were\nsubject to the laws of England; and had put our Friends to death by\nthe same law that the Jesuits were put to death in England.\u201d I asked\nthem then, \u201cWhether they believed those Friends of ours, whom they\nhad put to death, were Jesuits or jesuitically affected?\u201d They said,\nnay. \u201cThen,\u201d said I, \u201cye have murdered them, if ye have put them to\ndeath by the law that Jesuits are put to death here in England, and\nyet confess they were no Jesuits. By this it plainly appears ye have\nput them to death in your own wills, without any law.\u201d Then Simon\nBroadstreet, finding himself and his company ensnared by their own\nwords, asked, \u201cDid we come to catch them?\u201d I told them, they had\ncaught themselves, and they might justly be questioned for their\nlives; and if the father of William Robinson, one of them that were\nput to death, were in town, it was probable he would question them,\nand bring their lives into jeopardy. Here they began to excuse\nthemselves, saying, \u201cThere was no persecution now amongst them:\u201d but\nnext morning we had letters from New England, giving us account that\nour Friends were persecuted there afresh. We went again, and showed\nthem our letters, which put them both to silence and to shame; and\nin great fear they seemed to be, lest someone should call them to\naccount, and prosecute them for their lives, especially Simon\nBroadstreet; for he had at first, before so many witnesses,\nconfessed he had a hand in putting our Friends to death, that he\ncould not get off from it; though he afterwards through fear\nshuffled, and would have unsaid it again. After this, he and the\nrest soon returned to New England again.\n\nI went also to Governor Winthrop, and discoursed with him on these\nmatters; he assured me, \u201cHe had no hand in putting our Friends to\ndeath, or in any way persecuting them; but was one of them that\nprotested against it.\u201d These stingy persecutors of New England were\na people that fled thither out of Old England, from the persecution\nof the bishops here; but when they had got power into their own\nhands, they so far exceeded the bishops in severity and cruelty,\nthat whereas the bishops had made them pay twelve pence a Sunday (so\ncalled) for not coming to their worship here, they imposed a fine of\nfive shillings a-day upon such as should not conform to their\nwill-worship there; and spoiled the goods of Friends that could not\n(for conscience\u2019 sake) pay it. Besides, many they imprisoned, divers\nthey whipped, and that most cruelly; of some they cut off the ears,\nand some they hanged; as the books of Friends\u2019 sufferings in New\nEngland largely show, particularly that written by George Bishop, of\nBristol, entitled, _New England Judged_. Some of the old royalists\nwere earnest with Friends to prosecute them, but we told them, we\nleft them to the Lord, to whom vengeance belongeth, and he would\nrepay it. And the judgments of God have since fallen heavy on them;\nfor the Indians have been raised up against them, and have cut off\nmany of them.\n\nAbout this time I lost a very good book, being taken in the\nprinter\u2019s hands; it was a useful teaching work, containing the\nsignification and explanation of names, parables, types, and figures\nin the Scriptures. They who took it were so affected with it, that\nthey were loth to destroy it; but thinking to make a great advantage\nof it, they would have let us have it again, if we would have given\nthem a great sum of money for it; which we were not free to do.\n\nBefore this, while I was a prisoner in Lancaster castle, the book\ncalled _The Battledore_ was published, which was written to show,\nthat in all languages Thou and Thee is the proper and usual form of\nspeech to a single person; and You to more than one. This was set\nforth in examples or instances taken from the Scriptures, and books\nof teaching, in about thirty languages. J. Stubbs and Benjamin Furly\ntook great pains in compiling it, which I set them upon; and some\nthings I added to it. When it was finished, copies were presented to\nthe king and his council, to the bishops of Canterbury and London,\nand to the two universities one each; and many purchased them. The\nking said, it was the proper language of all nations; and the bishop\nof Canterbury, being asked what he thought of it, was at a stand,\nand could not tell what to say to it. For it did so inform and\nconvince people, that few afterwards were so rugged toward us, for\nsaying Thou and Thee to a single person, for which before they were\nexceedingly fierce against us. Thou and Thee was a sore cut to proud\nflesh, and them that sought self-honour, who, though they would say\nit to God and Christ, could not endure to have it said to\nthemselves. So that we were often beaten and abused, and sometimes\nin danger of our lives, for using those words to some proud men, who\nwould say, \u201cWhat! you ill-bred clown, do you Thou me?\u201d as though\nChristian breeding consisted in saying You to one; which is contrary\nto all their grammars and teaching books, by which they instruct\ntheir youth.\n\nNow the bishops and priests being busy and eager to set up their\nform of worship, and compel all to come to it, I was moved to give\nforth the following paper, to open _the nature of the true worship_,\nwhich Christ set up, and which God accepts:\u2014\n\n  \u201cChrist\u2019s worship is free in the Spirit to all men; and such as\n  worship in Spirit and in truth, are they whom God seeks to worship\n  him; for he is the God of truth, and is a Spirit, and the God of\n  the spirits of all flesh. He hath given to all nations of men and\n  women breath and life, to live, and move, and have their being in\n  him: and hath put into them an immortal soul. So all are to be\n  temples for him to dwell in; and they that defile his temple will\n  he destroy. Now as the outward Jews, while they had their outward\n  temple at Jerusalem, were to go up thither to worship (which\n  temple God hath long since thrown down, and destroyed that\n  Jerusalem, the vision of peace; and cast off the Jews and their\n  worship; and instead thereof hath set up his gospel-worship in the\n  Spirit and in the truth), so now all are to worship in Spirit and\n  in truth. This is a free worship; for where the Spirit of the Lord\n  is, and ruleth, there is liberty; the fruits of the Spirit are\n  seen, and will manifest themselves; and the Spirit is not to be\n  limited, but lived and walked in, that its fruits may appear. The\n  tares are such as hang upon the wheat, and thereby draw it down to\n  the earth; yet the tares and the wheat must grow together, till\n  the harvest, lest they that take upon them to pluck up the tares,\n  should pluck up the wheat with the tares. The tares are such as\n  worship not God in Spirit and in truth; but grieve the Spirit, vex\n  and quench it in themselves, and walk not in the truth; yet will\n  hang about the wheat, the true worshippers in the Spirit and in\n  the truth.\n\n  \u201cChrist\u2019s church was never established by blood, nor held up by\n  prisons: neither was the foundation of it laid by carnal-weaponed\n  men, nor is it preserved by such. But when men departed from the\n  Spirit and truth, they took up carnal weapons to maintain their\n  outward forms, and yet they cannot preserve them with their carnal\n  weapons; for one plucketh down another\u2019s form with his outward\n  weapons. And this work hath been among nominal Christians, since\n  they lost the Spirit, and spiritual weapons, and the true worship\n  which Christ set up, that is in Spirit and in truth, which they\n  that worship in, are over all the tares. All that would be\n  plucking up the tares are forbidden by Christ, who hath all power\n  in heaven and earth given to him; for the tares and the wheat must\n  grow together till the harvest, as Christ hath commanded. The\n  stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the\n  whole earth; now, if the stone fill the whole earth, all nations\n  must be temples for the stone. All that say they travail for the\n  seed, and yet bring forth nothing but a birth of strife,\n  contention, and confusion, their fruit shows their travail to be\n  wrong; for by the fruit, the end of every one\u2019s work is seen, of\n  what sort it is.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nAbout this time many Papists and Jesuits began to fawn upon Friends,\nand talked where they came, that of all sects the Quakers were the\nbest and most self-denying people; and said, \u201cIt was a great pity\nthey did not return to the holy mother church.\u201d Thus they made a\nbuzz among the people, and said, \u201cThey would willingly discourse\nwith Friends.\u201d But Friends were loth to meddle with them, because\nthey were Jesuits, looking upon it to be both dangerous and\nscandalous. But when I understood it, I said to Friends, \u201cLet us\ndiscourse with them, be they what they will.\u201d So a time being\nappointed at Gerrard Roberts\u2019s house, there came two of them like\ncourtiers. When we were met together, they asked our names, which we\ntold them; but we did not ask their names, for we understood they\nwere called Papists, and they knew we were called Quakers. I asked\nthem the same question that I had formerly asked a Jesuit, namely,\n\u201cWhether the church of Rome was not degenerated from the primitive\nchurch, from the Spirit, power, and practice, of the apostles\u2019\ntimes?\u201d He to whom I put this question being subtle, said, \u201cHe would\nnot answer it.\u201d I asked him, \u201cWhy?\u201d But he would show no reason. His\ncompanion said, he would answer me; and said, \u201cThey were not\ndegenerated from the primitive church times.\u201d I asked the other,\nwhether he was of the same mind? He said, \u201cYes.\u201d Then I told them\nthat for better understanding one another, and that there might be\nno mistake, I would repeat my question over again after this manner,\n\u201cWhether the church of Rome now was in the same purity, practice,\npower, and Spirit, that the church in the apostles\u2019 time was in?\u201d\nWhen they saw we would be exact with them, they flew off, and denied\nthat, saying, \u201cIt was presumption in any to say, they had the same\npower and spirit that the apostles had.\u201d \u201cBut I told them, it was\npresumption in them to meddle with the words of Christ and his\napostles, and make people believe they succeeded the apostles, and\nyet be forced to confess they were not in the same power and Spirit\nthe apostles were in. This,\u201d said I, \u201cis a spirit of presumption,\nand rebuked by the apostles\u2019 Spirit.\u201d I showed them how different\ntheir fruits and practices were from those of the apostles.\n\nThen one of them said, \u201cYe are a company of dreamers.\u201d \u201cNay,\u201d said I,\n\u201cye are the filthy dreamers, who dream ye are the apostles successors;\nand yet confess ye have not the same power and Spirit they were in. And\nare not they defilers of the flesh, who say, \u2018It is presumption in any\nto say, they have the same power and Spirit the apostles had?\u2019 Now,\u201d\nsaid I, \u201cif ye have not the same power and Spirit the apostles had,\nthen it is manifest that ye are led by another power and spirit than\nthe apostles and primitive church were led by.\u201d Then I began to tell\nthem how that evil spirit, which they were led by, had led them to pray\nby beads and to images; to set up nunneries, friaries, and monasteries,\nand to put people to death for religion; and this practice of theirs, I\nshowed them, was below the law, and far short of the gospel, in which\nis liberty. They were soon weary of this discourse, went away, and gave\na charge, as we heard, to the Papists, \u201cThat they should not dispute\nwith us, or read any of our books;\u201d so we were rid of them. But we had\nreasonings with all the other sects as Presbyterians, Independents,\nSeekers, Baptists, Episcopalians, Socinians, Brownists, Lutherans,\nCalvinists, Arminians, Fifth-monarchy-men, Familists, Muggletonians and\nRanters; none of which would affirm they had the same power and Spirit\nthe apostles had, and were in; so in that power and Spirit the Lord\ngave us dominion over them all.\n\nAs for the Fifth-monarchy men, I was moved to give forth a paper, to\nmanifest their error to them; for they looked for Christ\u2019s personal\ncoming in an outward form and manner, and fixed the time to the year\n1666; at which time some of them prepared themselves when it\nthundered and rained, thinking Christ was then come to set up his\nkingdom; and they imagined they were to kill the whore without them.\nBut I told them the whore was alive in them, and was not burned with\nGod\u2019s fire, nor judged in them with the same power and Spirit the\napostles were in. And their looking for Christ\u2019s coming outwardly to\nset up his kingdom, was like the Pharisees\u2019 \u201cLo here\u201d and \u201cLo\nthere.\u201d But Christ was come, and had set up his kingdom above\nsixteen hundred years ago (according to Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s dream and\nDaniel\u2019s prophecy), and he had dashed to pieces the four monarchies,\nthe great image, with its head of gold, breast and arms of silver,\nbelly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet part of iron and\npart of clay; and they were all blown away with God\u2019s wind, as the\nchaff in the summer thrashing-floor. And when Christ was on earth,\nhe said, \u201cHis kingdom was not of this world:\u201d if it had been, his\nservants would have fought, but it was not; therefore his servants\ndid not fight. Therefore all the Fifth-monarchy-men, that are\nfighters with carnal weapons, are none of Christ\u2019s servants, but the\nbeast\u2019s and the whore\u2019s. Christ said, \u201cAll power in heaven and in\nearth is given to me:\u201d so then his kingdom was set up above sixteen\nhundred years ago, and he reigns. \u201cAnd we see Jesus Christ reign,\u201d\nsaid the apostle; and he shall reign till all things be put under\nhis feet; though all things are not yet put under his feet, nor\nsubdued.\n\nThis year several Friends were moved to go beyond the seas, to\npublish Truth in foreign countries. John Stubbs, and Henry Fell, and\nRichard Costrop were moved to go towards China and Prester John\u2019s\ncountry; but no masters of ships would carry them. With much ado\nthey got a warrant from the king; but the East India Company found\nways to avoid it, and masters of their ships would not carry them.\nThen they went into Holland, hoping to get passage there, but none\ncould they get there either. Then John Stubbs and Henry Fell took\nshipping for Alexandria in Egypt, intending to go by the caravans\nfrom thence. Meanwhile Daniel Baker being to go to Smyrna, drew\nRichard Costrop,[71] contrary to his own freedom, to go along with\nhim, and in the passage Richard falling sick, Daniel Baker left him\nso in the ship, where he died: but that hard-hearted man afterwards\nlost his own condition.\n\nFootnote 71:\n\n  This Richard Costrop (or Scostrop) was born in 1628. He was\n  originally a sore persecutor of Friends, but becoming convinced of\n  the soundness of their principles, he at length joined the\n  Society, and preached the faith which once he destroyed,\n  travelling for this object into various parts of Europe. he seems\n  to have been chiefly instrumental in establishing the meeting at\n  Scalehouse. He appears to have been a man of some estate, but left\n  all, and spent his days in the service of the gospel. In a\n  document issued by Friends of Settle Monthly Meeting in 1704, it\n  is said of him, \u201chis memory is sweet this day among the brethren.\u201d\n  See _Life, &c., of William and Alice Ellis_, by James Backhouse,\n  pp. 278, 279, &c.\n\nJohn Stubbs and Henry Fell reached Alexandria; but they had not been\nthere long before the English consul banished them: yet before they\ncame away, they dispersed many books and papers, for opening the\nprinciples and way of truth to the Turks and Grecians. They gave the\nbook called, _The Pope\u2019s Strength Broken_, to an old friar, for him\nto give or send to the Pope; which when the friar had perused, he\nplaced his hand on his breast, and confessed, \u201cWhat was written\ntherein was truth; but\u201d said he, \u201cif I should confess it openly,\nthey would burn me.\u201d John Stubbs and Henry Fell, not being suffered\nto go further, returned to England, and came to London again. John\nhad a vision that the English and Dutch, who had joined together not\nto carry them, would fall out one with the other; and so it came to\npass.\n\nHaving now stayed in London some time, I felt drawings to visit\nFriends in Essex. So I went down to COLCHESTER, where I had very\nlarge meetings; and thence to COGGESHALL; not far from which a\npriest was convinced, and I had a meeting at his house. Travelling a\nlittle up and down in those parts, and visiting Friends in their\nmeetings, I returned pretty quickly to LONDON, where I found great\nservice for the Lord; for a large door was opened, many flocked in\nto our meetings, and the Lord\u2019s truth spread mightily this year.\n\nYet Friends had great travail and sore labour, the rude people\nhaving been so heightened by the Monarchy-men\u2019s rising a little\nbefore. But the Lord\u2019s power was over all, and in it Friends had\ndominion; though we had not only those sufferings without, but\nsufferings within also, by John Perrot and his company; who, giving\nheed to a spirit of delusion, sought to introduce among Friends that\nevil and uncomely practice of \u201ckeeping on the hat in time of public\nprayers.\u201d Friends had spoken to him and many of his followers about\nit, and I had written to them concerning it; but he and some others\nrather strengthened themselves against us.[72] Wherefore feeling the\njudgment of truth rise against it, I gave forth the following as a\nwarning to all that were concerned therein:\u2014\n\n  \u201cWhosoever is tainted with this spirit of John Perrot, it will\n  perish. Mark his and their end, who are turned into those outward\n  things and janglings about them, and that which is not savoury;\n  all which is for perpetual judgment\u2014is to be swept and cleansed\n  out of the camp of God\u2019s elect. This is to that spirit, that is\n  gone into jangling about that which is below (the rotten principle\n  of the old Ranters)\u2014gone from the invisible power of God, in which\n  is the everlasting fellowship; and thus many who now clamour and\n  speak against them that are in the power of God, are become like\n  the untimely figs, and like the corn on the house-top. O!\n  consider! the light and power of God goes over you all, and leaves\n  you in the fretting nature, out of the unity which is in the\n  everlasting light, life, and power of God. Consider this, before\n  the day be gone from you; and take heed, that your memorial be not\n  rooted out from among the righteous.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nFootnote 72:\n\n  John Perrot was one who at this time caused great distress and\n  trouble to the faithful members of the Society, from giving way to\n  self-importance and extravagant notions. For particulars, the\n  reader is referred to Sewell\u2019s _History_; and to Hodgson\u2019s\n  _Historical Memoirs_.\n\n  Whilst the Society kept steadily pursuing its path, and increasing\n  in numbers, notwithstanding the persecutions to which its members\n  were everywhere subjected, it was not to be expected that every\n  individual who was found within its precincts should have been\n  rightly prepared for the station which he might have assumed. It\n  would have been indeed remarkable, if, in the multitude of those\n  who went forth in that day of zeal, in the service of the\n  ministry, there had not been instances of men who had taken upon\n  them (perhaps mistakenly) the office of a gospel minister, without\n  waiting for the preparation and the call. And it would have been\n  still more surprising if such forward spirits had proved firm in\n  the day of outward trial, or of inward fascinations and snares of\n  the enemy.\n\nAmong the exercises and troubles Friends had from without, one was\nregarding Friends\u2019 marriages, which sometimes were called in\nquestion. This year there was a cause tried at the assize at\nNottingham concerning one. The case was thus. Some years before, two\nFriends were joined together in marriage amongst Friends, and lived\ntogether as man and wife about two years. Then the man died, leaving\nhis wife with child, and an estate in lands of copyhold. When the\nwoman was delivered, the jury presented the child heir to its\nfather\u2019s lands, and accordingly the child was admitted; afterwards\nanother Friend married the widow. After that, a man that was near of\nkin to her former husband, brought his action against the Friend\nthat had last married her, endeavouring to dispossess them, and\ndeprive the child of the inheritance, and to possess himself thereof\nas next heir to the woman\u2019s first husband. To effect this, he\nendeavoured to prove the child illegitimate, alleging, \u201cthe marriage\nwas not according to law.\u201d In opening the cause, the plaintiff\u2019s\ncounsel used unseemly words concerning Friends, saying, \u201cThat they\nwent together like brute beasts,\u201d with other ill expressions. After\nthe counsels on both sides had pleaded, the judge (viz., Judge\nArcher) took the matter in hand, and opened it to the jury, telling\nthem, that \u201cThere was a marriage in Paradise when Adam took Eve, and\nEve took Adam; and that it was the consent of the parties that made\na marriage. As for the Quakers,\u201d he said, \u201che did not know their\nopinions, but he did not believe they went together as brute beasts,\nas had been said of them, but as Christians and therefore he\nbelieved the marriage was lawful, and the child lawful heir.\u201d And\nthe better to satisfy the jury, he brought them a case to this\npurpose:\u2014\u201cA man that was weak of body, and kept his bed, had a\ndesire in that condition to marry, and declared before witnesses\nthat he took such a woman to be his wife, and the woman declared\nthat she took that man to be her husband. This marriage was\nafterwards called in question; and (as the judge said) all the\nbishops at that time concluded it to be a lawful marriage.\u201d Hereupon\nthe jury gave in their verdict for the Friend\u2019s child, against the\nman that would have deprived it of its inheritance.\n\nAbout this time the oaths of allegiance and supremacy were tendered\nto Friends, as a snare, because it was known we could not swear, and\nthereupon many were imprisoned, and divers premunired. Upon that\noccasion Friends published in print \u201c_The grounds and reasons why\nthey refused to swear_;\u201d besides which I was moved to issue these\nfew lines, to be given to the magistrates:\u2014\n\n  \u201cThe world saith, \u2018Kiss the book;\u2019 but the book saith, \u2018Kiss the\n  Son, lest he be angry.\u2019 And the Son saith, \u2018Swear not at all,\u2019 but\n  keep to Yea and Nay in all your communications; for whatsoever is\n  more than this cometh of evil. Again, the world saith, \u2018Lay your\n  hand on the book,\u2019 but the book saith, \u2018Handle the word;\u2019 and the\n  word saith, \u2018Handle not the traditions,\u2019 nor the inventions, nor\n  the rudiments of the world. And God saith, \u2018This is my beloved\n  Son, hear Him,\u2019 who is the life, the truth, the light, and the way\n  to God.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nNow their being very many Friends in prison in the nation, Richard\nHubberthorn and I drew up paper concerning them,[73] and got it\ndelivered to the king, that he might understand how we were dealt\nwith by his officers. It was directed thus:\u2014\n\n                           \u201c_For the King._\n\n        \u201cFRIEND,\n\n  \u201cWho art the chief ruler of these dominions, here is a list of\n  some of the sufferings of the people of God, in scorn called\n  Quakers, that have suffered under the changeable powers before\n  thee, by whom there have been imprisoned, and under whom there\n  have suffered for good conscience\u2019 sake, and for bearing testimony\n  to the truth as it is in Jesus, \u2018three thousand one hundred and\n  seventy-three persons,\u2019 and there lie yet in prison in the name of\n  the Commonwealth \u2018seventy-three persons,\u2019 that we know of. And\n  there died in prison in the time of the Commonwealth, and of\n  Oliver and Richard, the protectors, through cruel and hard\n  imprisonments, upon nasty straw, and in dungeons, \u2018thirty-two\n  persons.\u2019 There have been also imprisoned in thy name, since thy\n  arrival, by such as thought to ingratiate themselves thereby with\n  thee, \u2018three thousand, sixty and eight persons.\u2019 Besides this, our\n  meetings are daily broken up by men with clubs and arms, though we\n  meet peaceably, according to the practice of God\u2019s people in the\n  primitive times, and our Friends are thrown into waters, and trod\n  upon, till the very blood gushes out of them; the number of which\n  abuses can hardly be uttered.\n\n  \u201cNow this we would have of thee, to set them at liberty that lie\n  in prison in the names of the Commonwealth, and of the two\n  Protectors, and them that lie in thy own name, for speaking the\n  truth, and for good conscience\u2019 sake, who have not lifted up a\n  hand against thee or any man; and that the meetings of our\n  Friends, who meet peaceably together in the fear of God, to\n  worship him, may not be broken up by rude people, with their\n  clubs, swords, and staves. One of the greatest things that we have\n  suffered for formerly, was, because we could not swear to the\n  Protectors and all the changeable governments; and now we are\n  imprisoned because we cannot take the oath of allegiance. Now, if\n  our yea be not yea, and nay, nay, to thee, and to all men upon the\n  earth, let us suffer as much for breaking that, as others do for\n  breaking an oath. We have suffered these many years, both in lives\n  and estates, under these changeable governments, because we cannot\n  swear, but obey Christ\u2019s doctrine, who commands, \u2018we should not\n  swear at all\u2019 (Matt. v. James v.), and this we seal with our lives\n  and estates, with our yea and nay, according to the doctrine of\n  Christ. Hearken to these things, and so consider them in the\n  wisdom of God, that by it such actions may be stopped; thou that\n  hast the government and mayest do it. We desire that all that are\n  in prison may be set at liberty, and that for the time to come\n  they may not be imprisoned for conscience and for truth\u2019s sake;\n  and if thou question the innocency of their sufferings, let them\n  and their accusers be brought up before thee, and we shall produce\n  a more particular and full account of their sufferings if\n  required.\u201d\n\n                                                       G.F. and R.H.\n\nFootnote 73:\n\n  About this time persecution was very hot, and from estimates\n  deduced from documents of the period, it is probable that, in 1661\n  or 1662, there were no less than 4,500 Friends in prison, in\n  England and Wales, at one time, for meeting to worship God,\n  refusing to swear, &c. And in such prisons too! They who would\n  know what the miseries of prisoners have been in England, let them\n  read Sewell\u2019s _History_, which exhibits such a scene of savage\n  persecution on the one hand, and firmness and patience in\n  suffering on the other, as is not easily paralleled. Little known\n  as these things are, it will hardly be credited now, that to such\n  a length was hatred carried against the Quakers, that few of them,\n  except those below the cognizance of the magistrates, were not in\n  prison, at one time or other, for their religious faith.\n\n  The interruption of family ties, the breaking up of households,\n  the loss to many of all means of support, were hard and cruel\n  sufferings for conscience\u2019 sake, but they were grievously\n  aggravated at this period by the damp and filthy condition of the\n  prisons, holes, and dungeons in which the sufferers were confined,\n  as well as by their very crowded condition. And to all these\n  circumstances of trial, must be added those of personal abuse,\n  fines, distraints, and, it may strictly be said, of wholesale\n  robberies they endured. Some died of the beatings which they\n  received in the breaking up of their meetings, and many from the\n  filthy and close state of the prisons, in some of which they were\n  so closely packed that they had to take it by turns to stand up,\n  whilst others sat or lay down. They were also often overrun with\n  lice and other vermin.\n\nI mentioned before, that in the year 1650, I was kept prisoner six\nmonths in the house of correction at Derby, and that the keeper of\nthe prison, a cruel man, and one that had dealt very wickedly\ntowards me, was smitten in himself, the plagues and terrors of the\nLord falling upon him because thereof (p. 57.). This man, being\nafterwards convinced of truth, wrote me the following letter:\u2014\n\n        \u201cDEAR FRIEND,\n\n  \u201cHaving such a convenient messenger, I could do no less than give\n  thee an account of my present condition, remembering, that in the\n  first awakening of me to a sense of life, and of the inward\n  principle, God was pleased to make use of thee as an instrument.\n  So that sometimes I am taken with admiration that it should come\n  by such a means as it did; that is to say, that providence should\n  order thee to be my prisoner, to give me my first real sight of\n  the truth. It makes me many times think of the jailer\u2019s conversion\n  by the apostles. O happy George Fox! that first breathed that\n  breath of life within the walls of my habitation! Notwithstanding\n  my outward losses are since that time such, that I am become\n  nothing in the world, yet I hope I shall find that all these light\n  afflictions, which are but for a moment, will work for me a far\n  more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. They have taken all\n  from me, and now, instead of keeping a prison, I am rather waiting\n  the time when I shall become a prisoner myself. Pray for me, that\n  my faith fail not, but that I may hold out unto death, that I may\n  receive a crown of life. I earnestly desire to hear from thee, and\n  of thy condition, which would very much rejoice me. Not having\n  else at present but my kind love unto thee, and all Christian\n  Friends with thee, in haste, I rest, thine, in Christ Jesus,\n\n                                                    THOMAS SHARMAN.\u201d\n\n  Derby, 22nd of 4th Month, 1662.\n\nThere were two of our friends in prison in the Inquisition at Malta,\nboth women; Katherine Evans and Sarah Chevers.[74] I was told that\none called the Lord D\u2019Aubigny [a Roman Catholic priest], could\nprocure their liberty, so I went to him; and having informed him\nconcerning their imprisonment, desired him to write to the\nmagistrates there for their release. He readily promised he would;\nand, \u201cif I would come again within a month, he would tell me of\ntheir discharge.\u201d I went again about that time, and he said, \u201che\nthought his letters had miscarried, because he had received no\nanswer.\u201d But he promised he would write again, and he did so; and\nthey were both set at liberty.\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 74:\n\n  Katherine Evans and Sarah Chevers suffered a dreadful confinement\n  for about four years in the Inquisition at Malta, of which a full\n  account has been published. A more condensed one may be seen in\n  _Select Miscellanies_, v. p. 50-68.\n\n            \u201c\u2014\u2014These ministers of Christ did leave\n            Their homes in England, faithfully to bear\n            The Saviour\u2019s message into Eastern lands;\n            And here, at Malta, they were seized upon\n            By bigoted intolerance, and shut\n            Within this fearful engine of the Pope.\n            Priests and inquisitors assail them there,\n            And urge the claims of Popery. The rack\n            And cruel deaths are threatened; and again\n            Sweet liberty is offered, as the price\n            Of their apostacy. All, all in vain!\n              For years these tender women have been thus\n            Victims of cruelty. At times apart,\n            Confined in gloomy, solitary cells.\n            But all these efforts to convert them failed;\n            The inquisition had not power enough\n            To shake their faith and confidence in Him,\n            Whose holy presence anciently was seen\n            To save his children from devouring flames;\n            He from this furnace of affliction brought\n            These persecuted women, who came forth\n            Out of the burning, with no smell of fire\n            Upon their garments, and again they trod\n            Their native land, rejoicing.\u201d\n\n  Some idea of the sufferings of these poor creatures may be formed\n  from the fact of their _often lying down before the crevice of\n  their prison-door, to inhale what air could be obtained from it_.\n  In this state their skin was parched, the hair fell off their\n  heads, and, they frequently fainted; and, in moments when the\n  strength and glory of the Divine presence was not so feelingly\n  experienced as at others, it cannot occasion surprise that,\n  through human weakness, they wished for death; their distress\n  sometimes being such, that when it was day they longed for night,\n  and yet when night came it was only to prompt the constant sigh\n  for returning light. Yet the heavenly content which, on the whole,\n  was the portion of these sufferers for Christ\u2019s sake, in this dark\n  and cloudy day, was remarkable. One of them, in writing to her\n  relatives in England, says, \u201cWe are witnesses that the Lord can\n  provide a table in the wilderness, both spiritual and temporal. In\n  all our afflictions and miseries, the Lord remembered mercy, and\n  did not leave nor forsake us, nor suffer his faithfulness to fail;\n  but caused the sweet drops of his mercy to distil upon us, and the\n  brightness of his glorious countenance to shine into our hearts.\u201d\n\n  The other of these suffering captives writes that she could not,\n  by pen and paper, set forth the extent of the love of God to her\n  soul, in fulfilling his gracious promises to her in the\n  wilderness. They were indeed enabled to \u201csing the Lord\u2019s song in a\n  strange land;\u201d and in the midst of heaviness, \u201ctheir mouths were\n  often filled with laughter, and their tongues with joy,\u201d being\n  strong in the faith, giving praises and glory to God.\n\n  The following, composed by them in the Inquisition, affords a view\n  of the motives and abilities of these devoted women:\u2014\n\n                \u201cIn prisons strong, and dungeons deep,\n                To God alone we cry and weep;\n                Our sorrows none can learn nor read,\n                But those that in our path do tread.\n                  But he whose beauty shineth bright,\n                Who turneth darkness into light,\n                Makes cedars bow, and oaks to bend,\n                To him that\u2019s sent to the same end;\n                He is a fountain pure and clear,\n                His crystal streams run far and near\n                To cleanse all those that come to him\n                For to be healed of their sin:\n                All them that patiently abide,\n                And never swerve nor go aside,\n                The Lord will free them out of all\n                Bondage, captivity, and thrall.\u201d\n\n  It was not in the Inquisition only that these women suffered, but\n  much also in England. In 1657, Katherine Evans was stripped, and\n  tied to a whipping-post in the market-place at Salisbury, and\n  there whipped, for exhorting the people to repentance. Her\n  husband, a man of property, also suffered several imprisonments,\n  and at last died in prison for obeying our Saviour\u2019s command,\n  \u201cSwear not at all.\u201d\n\n-----\n\nWith this great man I had much reasoning about religion, and he\nconfessed that \u201cChrist hath enlightened every man that cometh into\nthe world, with his spiritual light; that he tasted death for every\nman; that the grace of God, which brings salvation, hath appeared to\nall men, and that it would teach them and bring their salvation, if\nthey obeyed it.\u201d Then I asked him, \u201cwhat would they (the Papists) do\nwith all their relics and images, if they should own and believe in\nthis light, and receive the grace to teach and bring their\nsalvation?\u201d He said, \u201cthose things were but policies, to keep people\nin subjection.\u201d He was very free in discourse; I never heard a\nPapist confess so much as he did.\n\nThough several about the court began to grow loving to Friends, yet\npersecution was very hot, and several Friends died in prison.\nWhereupon I gave forth a little paper _concerning the grounds and\nrise of persecution_; which was thus:\u2014\n\n  \u201cAll the sufferings of the people of God in all ages were, because\n  they could not join in the national religions and worships, which\n  men had made and set up; and because they would not forsake God\u2019s\n  religion and his worship, which he had set up. You may see through\n  all chronicles and histories, that the priests joined with the\n  powers of the nation; the magistrates, soothsayers, and\n  fortune-tellers, all united against the people of God, and\n  imagined vain things against them in their councils. When the Jews\n  did wickedly, they turned against Moses; and when the Jewish kings\n  transgressed the law of God, they persecuted the prophets, as may\n  be seen in the prophets\u2019 writings. When Christ, the substance,\n  came, the Jews persecuted Christ, his apostles, and disciples. And\n  when the Jews had not power enough of themselves to persecute\n  answerably to their wills, they got the heathen Gentiles to help\n  them against Christ, and against his apostles and disciples, who\n  were in the Spirit and power of Christ.\u201d\n\n                                                               G. F.\n\nAfter I had made some stay in London, and had cleared myself of\nthose services that at that time lay upon me there, I went into the\ncountry, having with me Alexander Parker and John Stubbs. We\ntravelled through the country, visiting Friends\u2019 meetings, till we\ncame to BRISTOL. There we understood the officers were likely to\ncome and break up the meeting. Yet on First-day we went to the\nmeeting at Broadmead, and Alexander Parker standing up first, while\nhe was speaking the officers came and took him away. After he was\ngone, I stood up, and declared the everlasting truth of the Lord God\nin his eternal power, which came over all; the meeting was quiet the\nrest of the time, and broke up peaceably. I tarried till the\nFirst-day following, visiting Friends, and being visited by them.\n\nOn First-day morning several Friends came to Edward Pyot\u2019s house\n(where I lay the night before,) and used great endeavours to\npersuade me not to go to the meeting that day, for the magistrates,\nthey said, had threatened to take me, and had raised the trained\nbands. I wished them to go to the meeting, not telling them what I\nintended to do; but I told Edward Pyot I intended to go, and he sent\nhis son to show me the way from his house by the fields. As I went I\nmet divers Friends who were coming to me to prevent my going, and\ndid what they could to stop me. \u201cWhat!\u201d said one, \u201cwilt thou go into\nthe mouth of the beast?\u201d \u201cWilt thou go into the mouth of the\ndragon?\u201d said another. I put them by and went on. When I came to the\nmeeting, Margaret Thomas was speaking; and when she had done, I\nstood up. I saw a concern and fear upon Friends for me; but the\npower of the Lord, in which I declared, soon struck the fear out of\nthem; life sprang, and a glorious heavenly meeting we had. After I\nhad cleared myself of what was upon me from the Lord to the meeting,\nI was moved to pray; and after that to stand up again, and tell\nFriends, \u201cNow they might see there was a God in Israel that could\ndeliver.\u201d A very large meeting this was, and very hot; but truth was\nover all, the life was exalted, which carried through all, and the\nmeeting broke up in peace. The officers and soldiers had been\nbreaking up another meeting, which had taken up their time, so that\nour meeting was ended before they came. But I understood afterwards\nthey were in a great rage, because they had missed me; for they were\nheard to say one to another before, \u201cI\u2019ll warrant we shall have\nhim;\u201d but the Lord prevented them.\n\nI went from the meeting to Joan Hily\u2019s, where many Friends came to\nsee me, rejoicing and blessing God for our deliverance. In the\nevening I had a fine fresh meeting among Friends at a Friend\u2019s house\nover the water, where we were much refreshed in the Lord. After this\nI stayed most part of that week in Bristol, and at Edward Pyot\u2019s.\nEdward was brought so low and weak with an ague, that when I first\ncame, he was looked upon as a dying man; but it pleased the Lord to\nraise him up again, so that before I went away, his ague left him,\nand he was finely well.\n\nHaving been two First-days together at the meeting at Broadmead, and\nfeeling my spirit clear of Bristol, I went next First-day to a\nmeeting in the country not far distant. And after the meeting, some\nFriends from Bristol told me, that the soldiers that day had beset\nthe meeting house round at Bristol, and then went up, saying, \u201cthey\nwould be sure to have me now;\u201d but when they came, and found me not\nthere, they were in a great rage, and kept the Friends in the\nmeeting-house most part of the day, before they would let them go\nhome; and queried of them, which way I was gone, and how they might\nsend after me; \u201cfor the mayor,\u201d they said, \u201cwould fain have spoken\nwith me.\u201d I had a vision of a great mastiff dog, that would have\nbitten me, but I put one hand above his jaws, and the other hand\nbelow, and tore his jaws in pieces. So the Lord by his power tore\ntheir power to pieces, and made way for me to escape them.\n\nThen I passed through the country, visiting Friends in WILTSHIRE and\nBERKSHIRE, till I came to LONDON, having great meetings amongst\nFriends as I went. The Lord\u2019s power was over all, and a blessed time\nit was for the spreading of his glorious truth. It was indeed his\nimmediate hand and power that preserved me out of their hands at\nBristol, and over the heads of all our persecutors; and the Lord\nalone is worthy of all the glory, who did uphold and preserve for\nhis name and truth\u2019s sake.\n\nAt London I did not stay long, being drawn in spirit to visit\nFriends northward, as far as LEICESTERSHIRE, John Stubbs being with\nme. So we travelled, having meetings amongst Friends as we went; at\nSKEGBY we had a great one. Thence passing on, we came to a place\ncalled BARNET-HILLS, where lived Captain Brown, a Baptist, whose\nwife was convinced of truth. This Captain Brown, after the act for\nbreaking up meetings came forth, being afraid lest his wife should\ngo to meetings, and be cast into prison, left his house at Barrow,\nand took one on these hills, saying, \u201chis wife should not go to\nprison.\u201d And this being a free place, many, both priests and others,\ngot thither as well as he, But he who would neither stand to truth\nhimself, nor suffer his wife, was, in this place where he thought to\nbe safe, found out by the Lord, whose hand fell heavy upon him for\nhis unfaithfulness; so that he was sorely plagued, and grievously\njudged in himself for flying, and drawing his wife into that private\nplace. We went to see his wife, and being come into the house, I\nasked him, \u201chow he did?\u201d \u201cHow do I?\u201d said he, \u201cthe plagues and\nvengeance of God are upon me, a runagate, a Cain as I am. God may\nlook for a witness for me, and such as me; for if all were not more\nfaithful than I, God would have no witness left in the earth.\u201d In\nthis condition he lived on bread and water, and thought it was too\ngood for him. At length he returned again with his wife to his own\nhouse at Barrow, where he afterwards came to be convinced of God\u2019s\neternal truth, and died in it. A little before his death he said,\n\u201cthough he had not borne a testimony for truth in his life, he would\nbear a testimony in his death, and would be buried in his orchard;\u201d\nand he was so. He was an example to all the flying Baptists in the\ntime of persecution, who could not bear persecution themselves, yet\npersecuted us when they had power.\n\nFrom Barnet-Hills we came to SWANNINGTON in LEICESTERSHIRE, where\nWilliam Smith and some other Friends came to me; but they went away\ntowards night, leaving me at a Friend\u2019s house in Swannington. At\nnight, as I was sitting in the hall, speaking to a widow woman and\nher daughter, there came one called Lord Beaumont with a company of\nsoldiers, who, slapping their swords on the door, rushed into the\nhouse with swords and pistols in their hands, crying, \u201cPut out the\ncandles, and make fast the doors.\u201d Then they seized upon the friends\nin the house, and asked, \u201cif there were no more about the house?\u201d\nThe Friends told them, there was one man more in the hall. There\nwere some Friends out of Derbyshire, one of whom was named Thomas\nFauks; and this Lord Beaumont, after he had asked all their names,\nbid his man set down that man\u2019s name Thomas Fox; but the Friend\nsaid, his name was not Fox, but Fauks. In the meantime some of the\nsoldiers came, and brought me out of the hall to him. He asked me my\nname; I told him, my name was George Fox, and that I was well known\nby that name. \u201cAy,\u201d said he, \u201cyou are known all the world over.\u201d I\nsaid, \u201cI was known for no hurt, but for good.\u201d Then he put his hand\ninto my pockets to search them, and pulled out my comb-case, and\nafterwards commanded one of his officers to search further for\nletters, as he pretended. I told him, I was no letter-carrier, and\nasked him, Why he came amongst a peaceable people with swords and\npistols, without a constable, contrary to the king\u2019s proclamation,\nand to the late act? For he could not say there was a meeting, I\nbeing only talking with a poor widow woman and her daughter. By\nreasoning thus with them, he came somewhat down; yet sending for the\nconstables, he gave them charge of us, and to bring us before him\nnext morning. Accordingly the constables set a watch of the\ntown\u2019s-people upon us that night, and had us next morning to his\nhouse, about a mile from Swannington.\n\nWhen we came before him, he told us \u201cwe met contrary to the act.\u201d I\ndesired him to show us the act. \u201cWhy,\u201d says he, \u201cyou have it in your\npocket.\u201d I told him, he did not find us in a meeting. Then he asked\nus, \u201cwhether we would take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy?\u201d I\ntold him, I never took any oath in my life, nor engagement, nor\ncovenant. Yet still he would force the oath upon us. I desired him\nto show us the oath, that we might see whether we were the persons\nit was to be tendered to, and whether it was not for the discovery\nof Popish recusants. At length he brought a little book; but we\ncalled for the statute-book. He would not show us that, but caused a\nmittimus to be made, which mentioned, \u201cthat we were to have had a\nmeeting.\u201d With this he delivered us to the constables to convey us\nto Leicester jail. But when they had brought us back to Swannington,\nbeing harvest time, it was hard to get anybody to go with us; for\nthe people were loath to go with their neighbours to prison,\nespecially in such a busy time. They would have given us our\nmittimus, to carry it ourselves to the jail; for it had been usual\nfor constables to give Friends their own mittimuses (for they durst\ntrust Friends,) and they have gone themselves with them to the\njailer. But we told them, though our Friends had sometimes done so,\nyet we would not take this mittimus, but some of them should go with\nus to the jail. At last they hired a poor labouring man to go with\nus, who was loath to go, though hired. So we rode to LEICESTER,\nbeing five in number; some carried their Bibles open in their hands,\ndeclaring the truth to the people, as we rode, in the fields, and\nthrough the towns, and telling them, \u201cwe were prisoners of the Lord\nJesus Christ, going to suffer bonds for his name and truth\u2019s sake.\u201d\nOne woman Friend carried her wheel on her lap to spin on in prison;\nand the people were mightily affected.\n\nAt Leicester we went to an inn. The master of the house seemed\ntroubled that we should go to the prison; and being himself in\ncommission, he sent for lawyers in the town to advise with, and\nwould have taken up the mittimus, and kept us in his own house, and\nnot have let us go into the jail. But I told Friends, it would be a\ngreat charge to lie at an inn; and many Friends and people would be\ncoming to visit us, and it might he hard for him to bear our having\nmeetings in his house besides, we had many Friends in the prison\nalready, and we had rather be with them. So we let the man know that\nwe were sensible of his kindness, and to prison we went: the poor\nman that brought us thither, delivering both the mittimus and us to\nthe jailer. This jailer had been a very wicked, cruel man. Six or\nseven Friends being in prison before we came, he had taken some\noccasion to quarrel with them, and thrust them into the dungeon\namongst the felons, where there was hardly room for them to lie\ndown. We stayed all that day in the prison-yard, and desired the\njailer to let us have some straw. He surlily answered, \u201cyou do not\nlook like men that would lie on straw.\u201d After a while, William\nSmith, a Friend, came to me, and he being acquainted in the house, I\nasked him, \u201cwhat rooms there were in it, and what rooms Friends had\nusually been put into, before they were put into the dungeon?\u201d I\nasked him also, Whether the jailer or his wife was master? He said,\nThe wife was master; and though she was lame, and sat mostly in her\nchair, being only able to go on crutches, yet she would beat her\nhusband when he came within her reach, if he did not do as she would\nhave him. I considered, probably, many Friends might come to visit\nus, and that if we had a room to ourselves, it would be better for\nthem to speak to me, and me to them, as there should be occasion.\nWherefore I desired William Smith to go speak with the woman, and\nacquaint her, if she would let us have a room, suffer our Friends to\ncome out of the dungeon, and leave it to us to give her what we\nwould, it might be better for her. He went, and after some reasoning\nwith her, she consented; and we were had into a room. Then we were\ntold, that the jailer would not suffer us to have any drink out of\nthe town into the prison, but that what beer we drank, we must take\nof him. I told them I would remedy that, for we would get a pail of\nwater and a little wormwood once a day, and that might serve us; so\nwe should have none of his beer, and the water he could not deny us.\n\nBefore we came, when the few Friends that were prisoners there, met\ntogether on First-days, if any of them was moved to pray to the\nLord, the jailer would come up with his quarter-staff in his hand,\nand his mastiff dog at his heels, and pluck them down by the hair of\nthe head, and strike them with his staff; but when he struck\nFriends, the mastiff dog, instead of falling upon them, would take\nthe staff out of his hand. When the First-day came, I spoke to one\nof my fellow prisoners, to carry a stool and set it in the yard, and\ngive notice to the debtors and felons, that there would be a meeting\nin the yard, and they that would hear the word of the Lord declared\nmight come thither. So the debtors and prisoners gathered in the\nyard, and we went down, and had a very precious meeting, the jailer\nnot meddling. Thus every First-day we had a meeting as long as we\nstayed in prison; and several came in out of the town and country.\nMany were convinced, and some received the Lord\u2019s truth there, who\nhave stood faithful witnesses for it ever since.\n\nWhen the sessions came, we were brought before the justices, with\nmany more Friends sent to prison whilst we were there, to the number\nof about twenty. Being brought into the court, the jailer put us\ninto the place where the thieves were put, and then some of the\njustices began to tender the oaths of allegiance and supremacy to\nus. I told them, I never took any oath in my life, and they knew we\ncould not swear, because Christ and his apostle forbade it;\ntherefore they put it but as a snare to us. We told them, if they\ncould prove, that after Christ and the apostle had forbid swearing,\nthey did ever command Christians to swear, then we would take these\noaths; otherwise we were resolved to obey Christ\u2019s command and the\napostle\u2019s exhortation. They said, \u201cwe must take the oath, that we\nmight manifest our allegiance to the king.\u201d I told them, I had been\nformerly sent up a prisoner by Colonel Hacker, from that town to\nLondon, under pretence that I held meetings to plot to bring in King\nCharles. I also desired them to read our mittimus, which set forth\nthe cause of our commitment to be, that \u201cwe were to have had a\nmeeting;\u201d and I said, Lord Beaumont could not by that act send us to\njail, unless we had been taken at a meeting, and found to be such\npersons as the act speaks of; therefore we desired they would read\nthe mittimus, and see how wrongfully we were imprisoned. They would\nnot take notice of the mittimus, but called a jury, and indicted us\nfor refusing to take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy. When the\njury was sworn and instructed, as they were going out, one that had\nbeen an alderman of the city, spoke to them, and bid them, \u201chave a\ngood conscience;\u201d and one of the jury, being a peevish man, told the\njustices, there was one affronted the jury; whereupon they called\nhim up, and tendered him the oath also, and he took it.\n\nWhile we were standing where the thieves used to stand, a cut-purse\nhad his hand in several Friends\u2019 pockets. Friends declared it to the\njustices, and showed them the man. They called him up before them,\nand upon examination he could not deny it; yet they set him at\nliberty.[75]\n\nFootnote 75:\n\n  Cases similar to the above are not rare in the early history of\n  the Society; even thieves being allowed to escape, whilst the\n  party robbed, being unwilling to swear to the known fact, have\n  been made to suffer. In 1660, the following occurrence took place\n  at Reading assizes:\u2014Henry Hodges, a poor smith, lost three cows,\n  which were found in the possession of the thief who stole them, he\n  was brought to trial, and Hodges appeared to claim his cows. The\n  judge told him they must be proved on oath before he could have\n  them again. He replied that he could not swear for conscience\n  sake. The judge said if any of his neighbours would swear they\n  were his, they should be returned to him; upon which one of his\n  neighbours took his oath, and the judge promised that they should\n  be returned. Thus far, the proceedings appeared just and equal,\n  but many thought the judge too rigorous, when, having observed the\n  sincerity and tenderness of the poor man\u2019s conscience, who could\n  not swear in a case of his own property, he caused the oath of\n  allegiance to be tendered him in court; and, for his refusing to\n  take it, sent him to jail.\u2014(Besse.)\n\nIt was not long before the jury returned, and brought us in guilty;\nand then, after some words the justices whispered together, and bid\nthe jailer take us down to prison again; but the Lord\u2019s power was\nover them and his everlasting truth, which we declared boldly\namongst them. There being a great concourse of people, most of them\nfollowed us; so that the cryer and bailiffs were fain to call the\npeople back again to the court. We declared the truth as we went\ndown the streets all along till we came to the jail, the streets\nbeing full of people. When we were in our chamber again, after some\ntime the jailer came to us, and desired all to go forth that were\nnot prisoners. When they were gone, he said, \u201cGentlemen, it is the\ncourt\u2019s pleasure that ye all should be set at liberty, except those\nthat are in for tithes; and you know, there are fees due to me; but\nI shall leave it to you to give to me what you will.\u201d\n\nThus we were all set at liberty suddenly, and passed everyone into\nhis service. Leonard Fell stayed with me, and we two went again to\nSWANNINGTON. I had a letter from Lord Hastings, who hearing of my\nimprisonment, had written from London to the justices of the\nsessions to set me at liberty. I had not delivered this letter to\nthe justices, but whether they had any knowledge of his mind from\nany other hand, which made them discharge us so suddenly, I know\nnot. But this letter I carried to Lord Beaumont who had sent us to\nprison; and when he had broken it open and read it, he seemed much\ntroubled; but at last came a little lower; yet threatened us, if we\nhad any more meetings at Swannington, he would break them up and\nsend us to prison again. But notwithstanding his threats we went to\nSwannington, and had a meeting with Friends there, and he neither\ncame, nor sent to break it up.\n\nFrom Swannington we went to TWY-CROSS, where that great man formerly\nmentioned, whom the Lord God raised up from his sickness, in the\nyear 1649 (and whose serving-man came at me with a drawn sword to do\nme a mischief,) and his wife came to see me. Thence we travelled\nthrough WARWICKSHIRE, where we had brave meetings; and into\nNORTHAMPTONSHIRE and BEDFORDSHIRE, visiting Friends till we came to\nLONDON.\n\nI stayed not long in London, but went into ESSEX, and so into\nNORFOLK, having great meetings. At NORWICH, when I came to Captain\nLawrence\u2019s,[76] there was a great threatening of disturbance; but\nthe meeting was quiet. Passing thence to SUTTON, and so into\nCAMBRIDGESHIRE, I heard of Edward Burrough\u2019s decease. And being\nsensible how great a grief and exercise it would be to Friends to\npart with him, I wrote the following lines for the staying and\nsettling of their minds;\u2014\n\n        \u201cFRIENDS,\n\n  \u201cBe still and quiet in your own conditions, and settle in the Seed\n  of God that doth not change, that in that ye may feel dear E.B.\n  among you in the Seed, in which and by which he begat you to God,\n  with whom he is; and that in the Seed ye may all see and feel him,\n  in which is the unity with him in the life: and so enjoy him in\n  the life that doth not change, which is invisible.\u201d\n\n                                                                G.F.\n\nFootnote 76:\n\n  This Captain Lawrence, who has been mentioned before, was a man of\n  some note in the days of the Commonwealth. After he joined\n  Friends, he became a faithful sufferer for Christ. In 1660, with\n  his brother, Joseph Lawrence, and George Whitehead, he was\n  imprisoned in Norwich castle, in a small narrow cell called the\n  Vice, where they endured much hardship. In speaking of this\n  imprisonment, George Whitehead says, \u201cI remember one morning,\n  Joseph Lawrence, after his pleasant manner, said to his brother\n  John, \u2018O, Captain Lawrence, I have seen the day thou wouldst not\n  have lain there!\u2019\u201d\n\nThence I passed to LITTLE PORT and the ISLE OF ELY; where the\nex-mayor with his wife, and the wife of the then mayor of\nCambridge, came to the meeting. Travelling into LINCOLNSHIRE and\nHUNTINGDONSHIRE, I came to Thomas Parnell\u2019s, where the mayor of\nHuntingdon came to see me, and was very loving. Thence I came into\nthe FEN-COUNTY, where we had large and quiet meetings. While I was\nin that country, there came so great a flood that it was dangerous\nto go out, yet we did get out, and went to LYNN, where we had a\nblessed meeting.\n\nNext morning I went to visit some prisoners there; and then back to\nthe inn, and took horse. As I was riding out of the yard, the\nofficers came to search the inn for me. I knew nothing of it then,\nonly I felt a great burden come upon me as I rode out of the town,\ntill without the gates. When some Friends that came after, overtook\nme, they told me, that the officers had been searching for me in the\ninn, as soon as I was gone out of the yard. So by the good hand of\nthe Lord, I escaped their cruel hands. After this we passed through\nthe countries, visiting Friends in their meetings.\n\nThe Lord\u2019s power carried us over persecuting spirits, and through\nmany dangers; his truth spread and grew, and Friends were\nestablished therein; praises and glory to his name for ever.\n\n                           END OF VOL. I.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n       HEADLEY BROTHERS, PRINTERS, LONDON AND ASHFORD, KENT.\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n                         Transcriber\u2019s Note\n\nThe handling of hyphenation of compound words across line breaks is\ngoverned by the frequency with which they are hyphenated midline.\n\n\u2018Steeple-house\u2019 is nearly always hyphenated in midline, and the few\noutliers that were not have been corrected. The exceptions are where\n\u2018steeplehouse\u2019 occurs in the editorial apparatus. See footnote 6,\nand (arguably) in the parenthetical phrase at 25.28.\n\nAs one can see from the list below, the printer was not consistent\nin the use of the opening quote mark in long, multi-paragraph\npassages. There were also a number of occasions where a closing\nquote mark either was missing or illogically added. On rarer\noccasions, a single quote was employed matching a double quote (and\nvice versa). These have been added where missing, emoved where they\nwere deemed spurious, and corrected where appropriate:\n\n61.15 [\u201c]The (added); 63.3 saved,[\u2019] (added); 75.1 wise.[\u2019] (added);\n142.5 [\u201c]There (added); 150.20 [\u2018/\u201c]Consider (added); 198.33\nhim,[\u2019](added); 208.9 order.[\u201d](added); 210.14 [\u201c]But (added); 217.8\nme.[\u2019] (added); 217.47 [\u201c]The (added); 218.41 [\u201c]Sing (added);\n219.48 [\u201c]Where (added); 220.36 [\u201c]Now (added); 221.11 [\u201c]But\n(added); 224.13 [\u201c]Christ (added); 224.35 [\u201c]There (added); 232.29\ninn;[\u201d] (added); 281.8 [\u201c]doth (added); 288.21 land.[\u201d/\u2019]\n(replaced); 297.2 therein;[\u2019] (added) 298.2 [\u201c]O! abominable\n(added); 305.13 [\u201c]Noah, (added); 305.44 [\u201c]You say (added); 307.21\n[\u201c]Beware,(added); 307.38 [\u201c]Therefore (added); 309.19 [\u201c]Now\n(added); 379.24 God.[\u201d] (added); 336.30 church;[\u2019] (removed); 353.6\nworld,[\u2019] (added); 367.28 peace.[\u201d/\u2019](replaced); 368.43 many.[\u201d]\n(added); 374.10 town.[\u2019] (added); 405.5 [\u201c]I will (added); 411.6\nwould.[\u201d] (added); 416.14 could.[\u201d] (added); 430.8 [\u201c/\u2018]remembrance\n(replaced); 486.21 myself?[\u201d] (removed); 507.1 them.[\u201d] (added);\n522.11 [\u201c/\u2018]three (replaced); 522.17 persons.[\u201d/\u2019] (replaced);\n526.10 it.[\u201d] (added).\n\nThe word \u2018chace\u2019 at 4.8, is likely an obsolete spelling of \u2018chase\u2019,\nwhich refers to a large wooded estate.\n\nA quotation beginning at line 114.1 (\u201camongst whom I declared...)\nhas no closing mark. The voice seems to shift on line 114.15 (..to\ndwell in.\u201d). and the closing mark was added there.\n\nA quoted passage ending on p. 122 most likely should have been\nopened at 121.32 (\u201cwas their first step to peace...), and an opening\nquote was added.\n\nA sentence beginning at 208.22 (\u201cWhereupon I kneeled...)and ending\nat 208.26, (...what I had said to him.\u201d) seems an error. It does not\nseem to be part of the dialogue and the surrounding quote marks have\nbeen removed.\n\nA lonely closing quote appears at 421.12 (...fellowships in the\nworld.\u201d) A logical point for this quote to open is on the previous\npage at 420.19 ([\u201c]The promise of God...). Judging by the context,\nthe paragraph is a continuation of the previous quoted passage.\n\nThe word \u2018throughly\u2019 (xxv.2) is likely an obsolete spelling of\n\u2018thoroughly\u2019.\n\nOther errors, deemed most likely to be the printer\u2019s, have been\ncorrected, and are noted here. The references are to the page and\nline in the original.\n\n  xviii.13 to Charles II.[./,] exhorting him              Replaced.\n  xx.22    and instructed Noah to salvation[.]            Added.\n  xxvii.3  their exceeding great co[m/n]firmation         Replaced.\n  25.17    steeple[-]house                                Inserted.\n  56.37    Doth it [d/p]urify you                         Inverted.\n  93.5     to preach in the steeple-house[.]              Added.\n  142.21   in all things may [h/b]e his praise.           Replaced.\n  142.44   plotted tog[e]ther to draw                     Inserted.\n  147.30   who had raised pers[e]cution before            Inserted.\n  151.28   Matt, xxiii.[,];                               Removed.\n  164.28   with the Lord\u2019s truth[,/.]                     Replaced.\n  176.13   ye would[ would] fear and tremble              Removed.\n  178.25   who are contemned and dispised                 _Sic._\n  179.40   in great pea[e/c]e in 1686                     Replaced.\n  210.25   could not but declare[t] agains[t]             Deleted/Added.\n  222.43   and unrighteou[s]ness of men                   Inserted.\n  258.1    SWANINGTON an[d] HIGHAM                        Added.\n  261.28   On[e] one occasion                             Removed.\n  283.39   and the corr[r]uption                          Removed.\n  287.8    against me[,];                                 Removed.\n  352.16   given to every man to profit withal[,/.]\u2019      Replaced.\n  407.34   pp. 62[\u2013]68.                                   Added.\n  490.8    steeple[-]house                                Inserted.\n  412.17   brings fo[r]th heavenly and spiritual fruit    Inserted.\n  480.30   continued in prison[.]                         Added.\n  508.25   childhood\u2019s guileless tears[.]                 Added.\n  535.28   yet threaten[en]ed us                          Removed.","title":"The journal of George Fox, vol. 1 of 2 : $b Being an historical account of his life, travels, sufferings, and Christian experiences.","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":250004}