Bickliff's and at Non-Eaton at a Priest's Widow's House we had a blessed Meeting wherein the everlasting Word of Life was powerfully declared and many settled in it Then Travelling on again through the Countries visiting Friends Meetings as I went in about three Weeks time from my coming out of Prison London I came to London Richard Huberthorn and Robert Withers being with me When we came to Charing-Cross there were Multitudes of People gathered together to see the Burning of the Bowels of some of them that had been the Old King's Judges and had been hanged drawn and quartered We went next Morning to Judge Mallet's Chamber who was putting on his Red Gown to go sit upon some more of the King's Judges He was then very peevish and froward and said I might come another time We went another time to his Chamber and then there was with him Judge Foster who was called the Lord Chief Justice of England With me was one called Esquire Marsh who was one of the Bed-Chamber to the King When we had delivered to the Judges the Charge that was against me and they had read to those Words That I and my Friends were Imbroiling the Nation in Blood c. they struck their Hands on the Table Whereupon I told them 1660. London I was the Man whom that Charge was against but I was as Innocent of any such thing as a new-born Child and had brought it up my self and some of my Friends came up with me without any Guard As yet they had not minded my Hat but now seeing my Hat on they said What did I stand with my Hat on I told them I did not stand so in any Contempt to them Then they commanded one to take it off And when they had called for the Marshal of the King's-Bench they said to him You must take this Man and secure him but you must let him have a Chamber and not put him amongst the Prisoners My Lord said the Marshal I have no Chamber to put him into my House is so full that I cannot tell where to provide a Room for him but amongst the Prisoners Nay said the Judges you must not put him amongst the Prisoners But when he still answered He had no other place to put me in Judge Foster said to me Will you appear to morrow about Ten of the Clock at the King's Bench-Bar in Westminster-Hall I said Yes if the Lord give me Strength Then said Judge Foster to the other Judge If he say Yes and promises it you may take his Word So I was dismissed for that time And next day I appeared at the King's Bench-Bar at the hour appointed Robert Withers King's-Bench-Bar Richard Huberthorn and that Esquire Marsh before named going with me I was brought into the middle of the Court and as soon as I was come in I was moved to look about and turning to the People said Peace be among you and the Power of the Lord sprang over the Court The Charge against me was read openly the People were moderate and the Judges cool and loving and the Lord's Mercy was to them But when they came to that part of it which said That I and my Friends were Imbroiling the Nation in Blood and raising a new War and that I was an Enemy to the King c. they lifted up their hands Then stretching out my Arms I said I am the the Man whom that Charge is against but I am as Innocent as a Child concerning the Charge and have never learned any War-Postures And said I do ye think that if I and my Friends had been such Men as the Charge declares that I would have Brought it up my self against my self Or that I should have beed suffered to come up with only one or two of my Friends with me For had I been such a Man as this Charge sets forth I had need have been guarded up with a Troop or two of Horse But the Sheriff and Magistrate of Lancashire had thought fit to let me and my Friends come up with it our selves almost two hundred Miles without any Guard at all which ye may be sure they would not have done if they had looked upon me to be such a Man Then the Judge asked me Whether it should be Filed or what I would do with it I answered Ye are Judges and able I hope to Judge in this matter therefore do with it what ye will for I am the Man these Charges are against and here ye see I have brought them up my self Do ye what ye will with them I leave it to you Then Judge Twisden beginning to speak some angry Words I appealed to Judge Foster and Judge Mallet who had heard me over-night Whereupon they said They did not accuse me for tney had nothing against me Then stood up he that was called Esquire Marsh who was of the King's Bed-Chamber and told the Judges It was the King's Pleasure that I should be set at Liberty seeing no Accuser came up against me 1660. King's Bench-Bar Then they asked me Whether I would put it to the King and Council I said Yes with a good Will Thereupon they sent the Sheriff's Return which he made to the Writ of Habeas Corpus containing the matter charged against me in the Mittimus to the King that he might see for what I was Committed Now the Return of the Sheriff of Lancaster was thus BY Vertue of his Majesty's Writ to me directed and hereunto annexed I certifie that before the Receipt of the said Writ George Fox in the said Writ mentioned was committed to his Majesties Jail at the Castle of Lancaster in my Custody by a Warrant from Henry Porter Esq one of his Majesty's Justices of Peace within the County Palatine aforesaid bearing Date the Fifth of June now last past for that he the said George Fox was generally suspected to be a common Disturber of the Peace of this Nation an Enemy to our Sovereign Lord the King and a chief Vpholder of the Quakers Sect and that he together with others of his Fanatick Opinion have of late endeavoured to make Insurrections in these parts of the Country and to Imbroil the whole Kingdom in Blood And this is the Cause of his taking and detaining Nevertheless the Body of the said George Fox I have ready before Thomas Mallet Knight one of his Majesty's Justices assigned to hold Pleas before his said Majesty at his Chamber in Sergeants Inn in Fleetstreet to do and receive those things which his Majesties said Justice shall determin concerning him in this behalf as by the aforesaid Writ is required GEORGE CHETHAM Esq Sheriff Upon Perusal of this and Consideration of the whole matter the King being satisfied of my Innocency commanded his Secretary to send an Order to Judge Mallet for my Release which the Secretary did thus IT is his Majesty's Pleasure That you give Order for the Releasing and setting at full Liberty the Person of George Fox late a
the Meeting some Professors began to jangle Whereupon I stood up again and answered their Questions so that they seemed to be satisfied and our Meeting ended in the Lord's Power quiet and peaceable This was the last Meeting I had in Scotland And the Truth and the Power of God was set over that Nation and many by the Power and Spirit of God were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ their Saviour and Teacher whose Blood was shed for them And since there is a great Increase 1657. Scotland Dunbar and great there will be in Scotland For when first I set my Horses Feet upon the Scottish Ground I felt the Seed of God to sparkle about me like innumerable Sparks of Fire Not but that there is Abundance of thick Cloddy Earth of Hypocrisy and Falseness that is a top and a briary brambly Nature which is to be burnt up with God's Word and plowed up with his Spiritual Plow before God's Seed brings forth heavenly and spiritual Fruit to his glory But the Husbandman is to wait in Patience From Dunbar we came to Berwick Northumberland Berwick where we were questioned a little by the Officers but the Governour was loving towards us and in the Evening we had a little Meeting in which the Power of the Lord was manifested over all Leaving Berwick we came to Morpeth and so through the Country Morpeth Newcastle visiting Friends to New-castle where I had been once before For the Newcastle-Priests had written many Books against us and one Ledger an Alderman of the Town was very envious against Truth and Friends He and the Priests had said The Quakers would not come into any great Towns but lived in the Fells like Butterflies So I took Anthony Pearson with me and went to this Ledger and several others of the Aldermen desiring to have a Meeting amongst them seeing they had written so many Books against us for we were now come I told them into their great Town But they would not yield we should have a Meeting neither would they be spoken withal save only this Ledger and one other I told them Had they not called Friends Butterflies and said We would not come into any great Towns And now we were come into their Town they would not come at us though they had printed Books against us Who are the Butterflies now said I Then Ledger began to plead for the Sabbath-day but I told him They kept Markets and Fairs on that which was the Sabbath-day for that was the seventh day of the Week whereas that Day which the professed Christians now Meet on and call their Sabbath is the First day of the Week So when we could not have a publick Meeting among them we got a little Meeting among Friends and friendly People at the Gate-side where a Meeting is continued to this day in the Name of Jesus As I was passing away by the Market-place the Power of the Lord rose in me To warn them of the Day of the Lord that was coming upon them And not long after all those Priests of Newcastle and their Profession were turned out when the King came in From New-Castle we travelled through the Countries Northumberland Bishoprick having Meetings and visiting Friends as we went in Northumberland and Bishoprick and a very good Meeting we had at Lieutenant Dove's where many were turned to the Lord and his Teaching After the Meeting I went to visit a Justice of Peace a very sober loving Man and he confessed to the Truth From thence we came to Durham Durham where was a Man come down from London to set up a Colledge there to make Ministers of Christ as they said I went with some others to reason with the Man and to let him see That to teach Men Hebrew Greek and Latin and the Seven Arts which was all but the Teachings of the Natural Man was not the Way to make them Ministers of Christ For the Languages began at Babel 1657. Durham and to the Greeks that spake Greek as their Mother-Tongue the Preaching of the Cross of Christ was foolishness and to the Jews that spake Hebrew as their Mother-Tongue Christ was a Stumbling-block And as for the Romans who had the Latin and Italian they persecuted the Christians and Pilat one of the Roman Governours set Hebrew Greek and Latin a top of Christ when he Crucified him So he might see the many Languages began at Babel and they set them a top of Christ the Word when they Crucified him And John the Divine who preached the Word that was in the beginning said That the Beast and the Whore have Power over Tongues and Languages and they are as Waters Thus I told him he might see the Whore and Beast have Power over the Tongues and the many Languages which are in Mystery Babylon for they began at Babel and the Persecutors of Christ Jesus set them over him when he was Crucified by them but he is Risen over them all who was before them all Now said I to this Man Dost thou think to make Ministers of Christ by these natural confused Languages which sprang from Babel are admired in Babylon and set a top of Christ the Life by a Persecutor Oh no! So the Man confest to many of these things Then we shewed him further That Christ made his Ministers himself and gave Gifts unto them and bid them Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth Labourers And Peter and John though unlearned and ignorant as to School-learning preached Christ Jesus the Word which was in the beginning before Babel was Paul also was made an Apostle not of Man nor by Man neither received he the Gospel from Man but from Jesus Christ who is the same now and so is his Gospel as it was at that Day When we had thus Discoursed with the Man he became very loving and tender and after he had considered further of it he never set up his Colledge Cleveland Yorkshire Holderness Hull Pomfret From Durham we went to Anthony Pearson's and from thence into Cleaveland and so passed through Yorkshire to the further End of Holderness and had mighty Meetings the Lord's Power accompanying us After we parted from Anthony Pearson's we went by Hull and Pomfret through the Countries to George Watkinson's House and visited most of the Meetings all up and down in these Parts Scalehouse Swarthmore till we came to Scale-house and so on to Swarthmore the everlasting Power and Arm of God carrying us through and preserving us After I had visited Friends up and down there-aways Yorkshire Cheshire Derbishire Nottinghamshire Nottingham I passed through the Countries into Yorkshire again and into Cheshire and so through other Counties into Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and glorious Meetings we had the Lord's Presence being with us At Nottingham I sent to Rice Jones desiring him To make his People acquainted that I had something to say to them from the Lord. He came and told
me that Question and I told them No for all that God made was good and was blest so was not the Devil And he was called a Serpent before he was called a Devil and an Adversary and then he had the Title of Devil given to him And afterward he was called a Dragon because he was a Destroyer The Devil abode not iâ— the Truth and by departing from the Truth he became a Devil and so the Jews when they went out of the Truth were said to be of the Devil and were called Serpents Now there is no Promise of God to the Devil that ever he shall return into Truth again but to Man and Woman who have been deceived by him the Promise of God is that The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's Head shall break his Power and Strength to pieces Now when these things were opened more at large to the satisfaction of Friends those Two who had let up the Spirit of that Ranting Woman were judged by the Truth and one of them viz. Joseph Hellen run quite out from Truth and was denied by Friends But George Bewly was recovered and came afterwards to be serviceable to Truth We passed from Loveday Hambley's to Francis Hodges Falmouth Penryn Helstone near Falmouth and Penryn where we had a large Meeting and from thence we went to Helstone that Night where some Friends came to visit us and the next day we passed to Thomas Teage's where we had another large Meeting at which many were Convinced for I was led to open the state of the Church in the Primitive Times and the state of the Church in the Wilderness and the state of the False Church that was got up since and to shew that now the Everlasting Gospel was preached again over the Head of the Whore Beast and false Prophets and Antichrists which had got up since the Apostles days and now the Everlasting Gospel was received and receiving which brought Life and Immortality to Light that they might see over the Devil that had darkned them And the People received the Gospel and the Word of Life gladly and a glorious blessed Meeting we had for the exalting the Lord's everlasting Truth and his Name After the Meeting was done I walked out and as I was coming in again I heard a Noise in the Court and coming nearer I found the Man of the House speaking to the Tinners and others of the World's People and telling them It was the Everlasting Truth that had been declared there that day and the People generally confessed to it From thence we passed to the Land's End to John Ellis's house Lands End where we had a precious Meeting and there was a Fisherman one Nicholas Jose that was Convinced and he spake in Meetings and declared the Truth amongst the People and the Lord's Power was over all I was glad that the Lord had raised up his Standard in those dark parts of the Nation where since there is a fine Meeting of honest-hearted Friends and many there are come to sit under Christ's Teaching and a great People the Lord will have in that Country From thence we returned to Redruth and the next day to Truro Redruth Truro where we had a Meeting Next Morning some of the Chief of the Town desired to speak with me and I went to them amongst whom was Col. Rouse 1663. Truro A great deal of Discourse I had with them concerning the things of God and in their Reasoning they said The Gospel was the Four Books of Matthew Mark Luke and John and they called it Natural But I told them the Gospel was the Power of God which was preached before Matthew Mark Luke and John or any of them were printed or written And it was preached to Every Creature of which a great part might never see nor hear of those Four Books so that Every Creature was to obey the Power of God for Christ the Spiritual Man would Judge the World according to the Gospel that is according to his Invisible Power When they heard this they could not gain-say for the Truth came over them So I directed them to their Teacher the Grace of God and shewed them the Sufficiency of it which would teach them how to live and what to deny and being obeyed would bring them their Salvation And so to that Grace I recommended them and left them Then returned we through the Country visiting Friends and had Meetings at Humphrey Lower's again and at Thomas Mount's And afterwards at George Hawkins at Stoke we had a large Meeting Stoke to which Friends came from Lanceston and several other places and a living precious Meeting it was in which the Lord's Presence and Power was richly manifested amongst us and I left Friends there under the Lord Jesus Christ's Teaching Example In Cornwall I was Informed that there was one Col. Robinson a very wicked Man who after the King came in was made a Justice of the Peace and became a Cruel Persecutor of our Friends of whom he sent many to Prison And hearing that they had some little Liberty through the Favour of the Jailer to come home sometimes to visit their Wives and Children he made a great Complaint thereof to the Judge at the Assize against the Jailer Whereupon the Jailer was fined an Hundred Marks and Friends were kept very strictly up for a while After he was come home from the Assize he sent to a Neighbouring Justice to desire them to go a Fanatick-hunting with him So on the Day that he intended and was prepared to go a Fanatick-hunting he sent his Man about with his Horses and walked himself on Foot from his Dwelling-House to a Tenement that he had where his Cows and Dairy were kept and where his Servants were then milking When he came there he asked for his Bull and the Maid-Servants said They had shut him into the Field because he was Vnruly amongst the Kine and hindred their Milking Then went he into the Field to his Bull and having formerly accustomed himself to play with the Bull he began to fence at him with his Staff as he used to do But the Bull snufft at him and passed a little back and then turning upon him again ran fiercely at him and struck his Horn into his Thigh and heaving him upon his Horn threw him over his Back and so tore up his Thigh to his Belly And when he came to the Ground again he gored him with his Horns and would run them into the Ground in his Rage and Violence and roared and licked up his Master's Blood The Maid-Servant hearing her Master Cry out came running into the Field and came to the Bull and took him by the Horns to pull him off from her Master The Bull without hurting her put her gently by with his Horns but still fell to goring of him 1663. Cornwal and licking up his Blood Then she ran and got some Work-men that were at Work not
the Lord God that he hath a People in this Nation that seeks the Good of all Men upon the Face of the Earth For we have the Mind of the Lord Jesus Christ that desires not the Death of a Sinner but the Salvation and Good of all Blessed be the Name of the Lord our God for ever G. F. While I continued at Enfield a sense came upon me of an Hurt that sometimes hap'ned by Persons coming under the Profession of Truth out of one Country into another to take an Husband or Wife amongst Friends where they were Strangers and it was not known whether they were Clear and Orderly or no. And it Opened in me to recommend the following Method unto Friends for preventing such Inconveniences Whereupon I writ the following Lines ALL Friends that do Marry whether they be Men or Women if they come out of another Nation Island Plantation or County let them bring a Certificate from the Men's-Meeting of that County Nation Island or Plantation from which they come to the Men's Meeting where they do propound their Intention of Marriage for the Men's-Meeting being made up of the Faithful this will stop all bad and raw Spirits from Roving up and down And then when any come with a Certificate or Letter of Recommendation from one Men's-Meeting to another one is refreshed by another and can set their Hands and Hearts to the thing and this will take away a great deal of Trouble And then what ye have to say to them in the Power of God in Admonishing and Instructing them ye are left to the Power and Spirit of God to do it and to let them know the Duty of Marriage and what it is that there may be an Vnity and a Concord in the Spirit and Power and Light and Wisdom of God throughout all the Men's-Meetings in the whole World in One in the Life Let Copies of this be sent to every County and Nation and Island where Friends are that so all things may be kept holy and pure and righteous in Vnity and Peace and God over all may be glorified among you his Lot his People and Inheritance who are his Adopted Sons and Daughters and Heirs of his Life So no more but my Love in that which changeth not The 14th of the First Month 1670 1. G. F. When I had recovered so much Strength that I could Walk a little up and down I went from Enfield to Gerrard Roberts's again and from thence to the Womens School at Shacklewell and so to London Shacklewell London Grac. Meet to the Meeting at Gracious-Street where though I was yet but Weak yet the Lord's Power upheld and enabled me to Declare his Eternal Word of Life And about this time I was moved to pray to the Lord as followeth O Lord God Almighty 1670. London Prosper Truth and Preserve Justice and Equity in the Land and bring down all Injustice and Iniquity Oppression and Falshood and Cruelty and Vnmercifulness in the Land and that Mercy and Righteousness may flourish And O Lord God! Establish and set up Verity and Preserve it in the Land And bring down in the Land all Debauchery and Vice and Whoredoms and Fornication and this Raping Spirit which causeth and leadeth People to have no Esteem of Thee O God! nor their own Souls or Bodies nor of Christianity Modesty or Humanity And O Lord Put it in the Magistrates Hearts to bring down all this Vngodliness and Violence and Cruelty Prophaness Cursing and Swearing and to put down all these Whore-houses and Play-houses which do Corrupt Youth and People and lead them from the Kingdom of God where no Vnclean Thing can Enter neither shall come but such Works lead People to Hell And the Lord in Mercy bring down all these things in the Nation to stop thy Wrath O God! from coming on the Land This Prayer was writ the 17th Day at Night of the 2d Month 1671. G. F. I mentioned before that upon the Notice I received of my Wife 's being had to Prison again I sent two of her Daughters to the King and they procured his Order to the Sheriff of Lancashire for her Discharge But though I expected she would have been set at Liberty thereby 1671. London yet this Violent Storm of Persecution coming suddenly on upon it the Persecutors there did not Release her but found means to hold her still in Prison But now the Persecution a little ceasing I was moved to speak to Martha Fisher and another Woman-Friend to go to the King about her Liberty They went in the Faith and in the Lord's Power and the Lord gave them Favour with the King so that he granted a Discharge under the Broad-Seal to Clear both her and her Estate after she had been Ten Years a Prisoner and Premunired The like whereof was scarce to be heard in England I sent down the Discharge forthwith by a Friend by whom also I writ to her both to Inform her how to get it delivered to the Justices and also to Acquaint her that it was upon me from the Lord to go beyond the Seas to visit the Plantations in America and therefore desired her to hasten up to London as soon as she could conveniently after she had obtained her Liberty because the Ship was then fitting for the Voyage In the mean time I got down to Kingston Kingston and staid at John Rous his House till my Wife came up and then I began to prepare for the Voyage But the Yearly Meeting being near at hand London-Yea Meet I tarried till that was over A very large Meeting it was for many Friends came up to it from all parts of the Nation and a very precious Meeting it was for the Lord's Power was over all and his glorious everlastingly-renowned Seed of Life was exalted above all Now after this Meeting was over and I had finished my Services for the Lord here in England the Ship also and the Friends that intended to go with me being ready I went down to Graves-end on the 12th day of the Sixth Month my Wife and several Friends accompanying me to the Downs We went from Wapping in a Barge to the Ship Wapping which lay a little below Graves-end and there we found the Friends Gravesend that were bound for the Voyage with me who went down to the Ship the Night before Their Names were Thomas Brigges William Edmundson John Rouse John Stubbs Solomon Eccles James Lancaster John Cartwright Robert Widders George Pattison John Hull Elizabeth Hooton and Eliz. Miers The Vessel we were to go in was a Yatch and it was called The Industry the Master's Name was Thomas Forster and the number of Passengers about Fifty I lay that Night on Board but most of the Friends lay at Graves end Early next morning the Passengers and those Friends that intended to accompany us to the Downs being come on Board we took our Leave in great Tenderness of those Friends that came with
World John 18.36 And Christ is the Image of the Invisible God the First-born of every Creature For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist Col. 1.15 16 17. Here ye may see All things Consist by Jesus Christ and all things were Created by Christ and for him whether they be things in Heaven or things in Earth visible or invisible they were Created by him and for him yea Thrones Dominions or Principalities or Powers these were all created by him and for him So Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 And the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Chap. 1.5 And out of his Mouth goes a sharp Sword with which he shall smite the Nations and he shall rule them with a Rod of Iron As the Vessel of a Potter shall they be dashed in pieces who do not obey him who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords This is Christ by whom all things were made who doth rule the Nations who saith I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the Ending the First and the Last So he is over all Nations and above them all Now we must understand this Rod of Iron by which Christ who is the First and Last doth rule the Nations is a Figurative Speech of Christ who is Ascended into Heaven and is at the right hand of God yet all Power in Heaven and Earth is given unto him and All things were created by him and for him So then they are Christ's and he hath power over all things for all are his So as the Scripture saith By me Kings Reign and Princes decree Justice Prov. 8.15 But if they abuse his Power and do not do Justice as is decreed by Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the First and the Last they must feel and know the weight of his Rod of Iron by which he will rule such as abuse his Power and do not do Justice that is decreed by him who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth given to him and rules in the Kingdoms of Men. Kingston the 11th Month 1687. G. F. Several other things I writ while I was now at Kingston for my Spirit being continually exercised towards God I had many precious Openings of Divine Matters and divers places of Scripture both in the Old Testament and in the New relating to a state of Regeneration and Sanctification c. were brought to my remembrance by the holy Spirit some of which I committed to writing and were as followeth THey that Touched the dead were unclean and were to be cleansed by the Water of Purification Numb 19. And they which touch the dead Doctrines or Faiths and let them in burden the pure and defile and make themselves unclean until the Spring of the Water of the Word do arise and wash and cleanse them for all the Dead in Adam in the Fall are Vnclean and they must be washed by Christ in his Blood and Water of Life who quickeneth and makes alive A Dwarf might not come near to Offer upon God's Altar but he might eat ot the holy Bread that he might grow Levit. 21.20 c. So the New-born Babes may eat of the Milk of the Word that they may grow thereby and increase And he that had any Blemish might not come near to Offer upon God's Altar neither might any thing be Offered upon God's Altar that had any Blemish or was Vnclean Lev. 21. And it is said The Vngodly shall not stand in the Judgment nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous Psal 1.5 But God standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty Psal 82.1 The Camp of God was to be kept Clean and Holy All that which was unclean or defiled was to be kept out of God's Camp in the Old Testament And in the New Testament all that is defiled and unclean must be kept out of God's Kingdom the new and heavenly Jerusalem that is from above All was to pass through the Fire even of those things that would bear the Fire and to be purified by Fire and Water before the People might come into God's Camp Numb 31. So all must be Circumcised and Baptised with the Holy Ghost and with Fire and be cleansed with the Blood of Christ and washed with the Water of the Word before they come into the Kingdom of God and into heavenly Jerusalem The Apostle Paul saith We know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God an House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our House which is from Heaven that mortality might be swallowed up of life 2 Cor. 5.1 2 4. Here is WE in the Earthly House of this Tabernacle which We are they that have received Christ and are become the Sons of God and New Creatures and Children of the Light that do believe in Christ's Light who have an Eternal House in the Heavens where Mortality is swallowed up of Life in which House from Heaven they will not groan And Peter said I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me 2 Pet. 1.13 14. So Peter knew he must put off this Tabernacle shortly but as long as he was in it he did stir up the Saints to their duty in holiness that they might remember it after he was deceased The Apostle Paul saith The first Man is of the Earth Earthly mark Earthly 1 Cor. 15.47 And as we have born the Image of the Earthy we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly mark the Heavenly ver 49. And We have this Treasure in earthen Vessels c. 2 Cor. 4.7 And I live said he yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 who is the Life of all God's People And Christ said to the Jews That the Dead are raised even Moses shewed at the Bush when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob for he is not the God of the Dead but of the Living for all live unto him Luke 20.37 38. So None of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord. Whether we live therefore or die we are the Lord 's For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14.7 8 9. For all died in Adam and Christ by the Grace of God tasted death for every Man that they might come out of the death in Adam to
the Year 1653. George's drawings was into Cumberland by Milholm Lampley Embleton and Brigham Pardsey and Cockermouth where at or near Embleton he had a Dispute with some Priests as Larkham and Benson but chiefly with John Wilkinson a Preacher at Embleton and Brigham who after was Convinced and owned the Truth and was a serviceable Minister both in England Ireland and Scotland And then he went to Coldbeck and several places till he came to Carlisle and went to their Steeple-house And they beat and abused him and had him before the Magistrates who Examined him The third Imprisonment and put him in Prison there in the Common-Goal among the Thieves And at the Assizes one Anthony Pearson who had been a Justice of Peace and was Convinced at Appleby when he was upon the Bench by James Naylor and Francis Howgil who were then Prisoners there and brought before him so Anthony Pearson spake to the Justices at Carlisle he being acquainted with them having married his Wife out of Cumberland and after a while they Released him And after he went into several parts in Cumberland and many were Convinced and owned the Truth and he gathered and settled Meetings there amongst them and up and down in several Parts there in the North. And in the Year 1654. he went Southward to his own Country of Leicestershire visiting Friends And then Colonel Hacker sent him to Oliver Cromwel The fourth Imprisonment and after his being kept Prisoner a while he was brought before Oliver and was Released And then he stayed a while visiting Friends in London and the Meetings therein and so passed Westward to Bristol and visited Friends there and after went into Cornwal where they put him in Prison at Launceston The fifth Imprisonment and one Edward Pyot with him where he had a bad long Imprisonment And when he was Released he passed into many parts in that County of Cornwal and settled Meetings there And then he Travelled thorow many Counties visiting Friends and settling Meetings all along and so came into the North and to Swarthmore and to Cumberland And so for Scotland he passed in the Year 1657. and there went with him Robert Widders James Lancaster John Grave and others And he Travelled thorow many places in that Nation as Douglas Heads Hambleton Glascow and to Edenborough where they took him and carried him before General Monk and the Council and Examined him and asked him his Business into that Nation who Answered He came to visit the Seed of God And after they had threatned him and charged him to depart their Nation of Scotland they let him go And then he went to Linlithgow and Sterling and Johnstons and many places visiting the People and several were Convinced And after he had stayed a pretty while and settled some Meetings he returned into Northumberland and into the Bishoprick of Durham visiting Friends and settling Meetings as he went and then returned back again to Swarthmore and stayed amongst Friends a while and so returned South again And in 1658. Judge Fell died And in 1660. he came out of the South into the North and had a Great General Meeting about Balby in Yorkshire and so came on visiting Friends in many places till he came to Swarthmore again And King Charles then being come in the Justices sent out Warrants The sixth Imprisonment and took him at Swarthmore charging him in their Warrants That he drew away the King 's Liege People to the endangering the embruing the Nation in Blood and sent him Prisoner to Lancaster-Castle And I having a Great Family and he being taken in my House I was moved of the Lord to go to the King at Whitehall and took with me a Declaration and an Information of our Principles And a long time and much ado I had to get to him But at last when I got to him I told him If he was Guilty of those things I was Guilty for he was taken in my House And I gave him the Paper of our Principles and desired that he would set him at Liberty as he had promised That none should suffer for tender Consciences and we were of tender Consciences and desired nothing but the Liberty of our Consciences And then with much ado after he had been kept Prisoner near half a Year at Lancaster we got a Habeas Corpus and Removed him to the King's Bench where he was Released And then would I gladly have come home to my great Family but was bound in my Spirit and could not have Freedom to get away for a whole Year And the King had promised me several times that we should have our Liberty And then the Monarchy-Men rose and then came the Great and General Imprisonment of Friends the Nation thorow And so could I not have Freedom nor Liberty to come home till we had got a General Proclamation for all our Friends Liberty and then I had Freedom and Peace to come home And in 1663. he came North again and to Swarthmore And then they sent out Warrants and took him again and had him to Holcrof before the Justices and tendered him the Oath of Allegiance and sent him Prisoner to Lancaster-Castle The seventh Imprisonment And about a Month after the Justices sent for me also out of my House and tendered me the Oath and sent me Prisoner to Lancaster And the next Assizes they tendered the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy to us again both and Premunired me But they had missed the Date and other things in his Indictment and so it was quasht but they tendered him the Oath again and kept him Prisoner a Year and an half at Lancaster-Castle And then they sent him to Scarborough-Castle in Yorkshire where they kept him Prisoner close under the Soldiers much of a Year and an half so that a Friend could scarcely have spoken to him yet after that it pleased the Lord that he was Released But I continued in Prison and a Prisoner four years at that time And an Order was procured from the Council whereby I was set at Liberty And in that time I went down into Cornwall with my Son and Daughter Lower and came back by London to the Yearly Meeting and there I met with him again And then he told me The time was drawing on towards our Marriage but he might first go into Ireland The eithth Imprisonment And a little before this time was he Prisoner in his own Country at Leicester for a while and then Released And so into Ireland he went and I went into Kent and Suffex and came back to London again And afterward I went to the West towards Bristol in 1669. and there I stay'd till he came over from Ireland And then it was Eleven years after my former Husband's Decease And in Ireland he had had a great Service for the Lord and his Eternal Truth amongst Friends and many People there but escaped many Dangers and Times of being taken Prisoner they having
him How Did nor Christ suffer without the Gates of Jerusalem through the Professing Jews and Chief Priests and Pilate And he denied that ever Christ suffered there outwardly Then I asked him Whether there were not Chief Priests and Jews and Pilat there outwardly And when he could not deny that then I told him As certainly as there was a Chief Priest and Jews and Pilat there outwardly so certainly was Christ persecuted by them and did suffer there outwardly under them Yet from this Man's Words was a Slander raised upon us That the Quakers should deny Christ that suffered and died at Jerusalem Which was all utterly false and the least Thought of it never entred our Hearts but it was a meer Slander cast upon us and occasioned by this Person 's Words The same Person also said That never any of the Prophets nor Apostles nor Holy Men of God suffered any thing Outwardly but all their DunSufferings were Inward 1651. Darby-Dungeon But I instanced to him many of the Prophets and Apostles how they suffered and by whom they suffered And so was the Power of the Lord brought over his wicked Imaginations and Whimsies There came also another Company to me that pretended They were Triers of Spirits And I asked them What was the first Step to Peace And what it was by which a Man might see his Salvation And they were presently up in the airy Mind and said I was Mad. Thus they came to Try Spirits who did not know themselves nor their own Spirits In this Time of my Imprisonment I was exceedingly exercised about the Proceedings of the Judges and Magistrates in their Courts of Judicature And I was moved to write to the Judges concerning their putting Men to Death for Cattel and Money and small Matters and to shew them how Contrary it was to the Law of God in old Time for I was under great Suffering in my Spirit because of it and under the very Sense of Death but standing in the Will of God an heavenly Breathing arose in my Soul to the Lord. Then did I see the Heavens opened and I rejoiced and gave Glory to God So I writ to the Judges as followeth I Am moved to write unto you to take heed of putting Men to Death for stealing Cattel or Money c. for the Thieves in the old Time were to make Restitution and if they had not wherewith they were to be sold for their Theft Mind the Laws of God in the Scriptures and the Spirit that gave them forth and let them be your Rule in executing Judgment And shew Mercy that you may receive Mercy from God the Judge of all And take heed of Gifts and Rewards and of Pride for God doth forbid them and they do blind the Eyes of the Wise I do not write to give liberty to Sin God hath forbidden it But that you should Judge according to his Laws and shew Mercy For he delighteth in true Judgment and in Mercy I beseech you to mind these Things and prize your Time now you have it and Fear God and Serve him for he is a Consuming Fire Besides this I writ another Letter to the JUDGES to this effect I Am moved to write unto you That ye do true Justice to every Man and see that none be Oppressed nor Wronged nor no Oaths Imposed for the Land mourneth because of Oaths and Adulteries and Sorceries and Drunkenness and Prophaneness O Consider ye that be Men set in Authority Be moderate and in Lowliness Consider these things Shew Mercy to the Fatherless and to the Widoâ—s and to the Poor And take heed of Rewards or Gifts for they do blind the Eyes of the Wise The Lord doth loath all such Love Mercy and true Judgment Justice and Righteousness for the Lord delighteth in such Consider these Things in Time and take heed how ye do spend your Time Now ye have Time prize it and shew Mercy that ye may receive Mercy from the Lord For he is coming to Try all Things and will plead with all Flesh as by Fire Moreover I laid before the Judges what an hurtful thing it was that Prisoners should lie so long in Jail shewing how that they learned Badness one of another in talking of their bad Deeds and therefore speedy Justice should be done For I was a tender Youth and dwelt in the Fear of God and I was grieved to hear their bad Language and was often made to reprove them for their wicked Words and evil Carriage towards each other And People did admire that I was so preserved and Kept for they could never catch a Word or Action from me to make any thing of against me all the time that I was there For the Lord 's Infinite Power upheld and preserved me all that time to him be Praises and Glory for ever Now while I was here in Prison there was a young-Woman in the Jail for Robbing her Master of some Money and when she was to be Tried for her Life I writ to the Judge and to the Jury about her shewing them How contrary it was to the Law of God in old Time to put People to Death for Stealing and moving them to shew Mercy Yet she was Condemned to die and a Grave was made for her and at the Time appointed she was carried forth to Execution Then I writ a few Words Warning all People to beware of Greediness or Covetousness for it leads from God but that all should Fear the Lord and avoid all Earthly Lusts and prize their Time while they have it This I gave to be read at the Gallows And though they had her upon the Ladder with a Cloath bound over her Face ready to be turned off yet they did not put her to Death but brought her back again to Prison And in the Prison she afterwards came to be Convinced of God's Everlasting Truth There was also in the Jail while I was there a Prisoner a Wicked Vngodly Man who was reputed a Conjurer and he threatned how he would talk with me and what he would do to me but he never had Power to open his Mouth to me And on a time the Jailer and he falling out he threatned the Jailer That he would Raise the Devil and break his House down so that he made the Jailer afraid Then I was moved of the Lord to go in his Power and Rebuke him in it and to say unto him Come let 's see what thou canst do and do thy worst And I told him The Devil was Raised high enough in him already but the Power of God Chained him down So he sluâ—k away and went from me Now the Time of Worcester-Fight coming on Justice Bennet sent the Constables to press me for a Souldier seeing I would not voluntarily accept of a Command And I told them That I was brought off from outward Wars They came down again to give me Press-Money but I would take none Then I was brought up to Sergeant Holes and kept
their way and did no harm Lancaster The time for the Sessions at Lancaster being come I went to Lancaster with Judge Fell who on the way told me He had never had such a Matter brought before him before and he could not well tell what to do in the Business I told him when Paul was brought before the Rulers and the Jews and Priests came down to Accuse him and laid many false things to his Charge Paul stood still all that while And when they had done Festus the Governour and King Agrippa beckned to him to speak for himself which Paul did and cleared himself of all those false Accusations And so he might do by me Being come to Lancaster and Justice Sawrey and Justice Thompson having granted a Warrant to apprehend me though I was not apprehended by it Lancaster Sessions yet hearing of it I appeared at the Sessions where there appeared against me about Forty Priests These had chosen one Marshal Priest of Lancaster to be their Orator and had provided one young Priest and two Priests Sons to bear Witness against me who had sworn before-hand that I had spoken Blasphemy When the Justices were set they heard all that the Priests and their Witnesses could say and charge against me their Orator Marshal sitting by and explaining their Sayings for them But the Witnesses were so Confounded that they discovered themselves to be false Witnesses For when the Court had Examined one of the Witnesses upon Oath 1652. Lancaster Sessions and then began to Examin another of them he was at such loss he could not Answer directly but said the other could say it Which made the Justices say to him Have you sworn it and given it in already upon your Oath and now say That he can say it It seems you did not hear those words spoken your self though you have sworn it There were then in Court several People who had been at that Meeting wherein the Witnesses swore I spake those blasphemous Words which the Priests accused me of and these being Men of Integrity and Reputation in the Country did declare and affirm in Court That the Oath which the Witnesses had taken against me was altogether false and that no such Words as they had sworn against me were spoken by me at that Meeting For indeed most of the serious Men of that side of the County that were then at the Sessions had been at that Meeting and had heard me both at that Meeting and at other Meetings also This was taken notice of by Colonel VVest who being a Justice of the Peace was then upon the Bench and having long been weak in Body blessed the Lord and said The Lord had healed him that day adding That he never saw so many sober People and good Faces together in all his Life And then turning himself to me he said in the open Sessions George If thou hast any thing to say to the People thou may'st freely declare it And I was moved of the Lord to speak and as soon as I began Priest Marshal the Orator for the rest of the Priests went his way That which I was moved to declare was this That the Holy Scriptures were given forth by the Spirit of God and all People must first come to the Spirit of God in themselves by which they might know God and Christ of whom the Prophets and the Apostles learnt and by the same Spirit know the Holy Scriptures for as the Spirit of God was in them that gave forth the Scriptures so the same Spirit of God must be in all them that come to know and understand the Scriptures By which Spirit they might have Fellowship with the Son and with the Father and with the Scriptures and with one another And without this Spirit they can know neither God nor Christ nor the Scriptures nor have right Fellowship one with another I had no sooner spoken these Words but about half a dozen Priests that stood behind my Back burst out into a passion and one of them whose Name was Jackus amongst other things that he spake against the Truth said That the Spirit and the Letter were inseparable I replied Then every one that hath the Letter hath the Spirit and they might buy the Spirit with the Letter of the Scriptures This plain discovery of Darkness in the Priest moved Judge Fell and Colonel VVest to Reprove them openly and tell them That according to that Position they might carry the Spirit in their Pockets as they did the Scriptures Upon this the Priests being Confounded and put to silence rusht out in a Rage against the Justices because they could not have their bloody Ends upon me So the Justices seeing the Witnesses did not agree and perceiving that they were brought to Answer the Priests Envy and finding that all their Evidences were not sufficient in Law to make good their Charge against me they discharged me And after Judge Fell had spoken to Justice Sawrey and Justice Thompson concerning the VVarrant they had given forth against me and shewed them the Errors thereof He and Colonel West granted a Supersedeas to stop the Execution thereof Thus was I cleared in open Sessions of all those lying Accusations which the malicious Priests had laid to my Charge And Multitudes of People praised God that day for it was a joyful Day to many There was Justice Benson out of Westmorland who was Convinced and Major Ripan that was Mayor of the Town of Lancaster who was Convinced also It was a day of Everlasting Salvation to hundreds of People for the Lord Jesus Christ the Way to the Father and the free Teacher was exalted and set up and his Everlasting Gospel was preached and the Word of Eternal Life was declared over the heads of the Priests and all such Money-Preachers For the Lord opened many Mouths that Day to speak his Word to the Priests and several friendly People and Professors reproved the Priests in their Inns and in the Streets so that they fell like an old rotten House and the Cry was among the People That the Quakers had got the day and the Priests were fallen Many People were Convinced that day amongst whom Thomas Briggs was one who before had been averse from Friends and Truth insomuch that discoursing on a time with John Lawson a Friend concerning Perfection Thomas Briggs said to him Dost thou hold Perfection and therewithal lift up his Hand to have given the Friend a Box on the Ear. But this Thomas Briggs being Convinced of the Truth that day declared against his own Priest Jackus and afterwards became a faithful Minister of the Gospel and stood so to the End of his Days When the Sessions were over James Naylor who was present thereat gave a brief Account of the Proceedings thereof in a Letter which soon after he writ to Friends which is here added for the Reader 's further satisfaction in this Matter DEar Friends and Brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ my
dear Love unto you all desiring you may be kept stedfast in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the power of his Love boldly to witness forth the Truth as it is revealed in you by the mighty working of the Father To him alone be everlasting Praise and Honour for evermore Dear Friends the Lord doth much manifest his Love and Power in these Parts Upon the second day of the last Week my Brother George and I were at Lancaster There were abundance of Friends from all parts and a great sort which sided with the Priests giving out They now hoped to see a stop put to that great Work which had gone on so fast and with such Power that their Kingdom is much shaken We were called before Judge Fell Colonel West Justice Sawrey c. to Answer what was charged against George There were Three Witnesses to Eight Particulars but they were much Confused in themselves which gave much Light to the Truth whereby the Justices did plainly see that it was Envy and they divers times told them so One of the Witnesses was a young Priest who Confessed He had not meddled had not another Priest sent for him and set him on Work The other VVitnesses were two Priests Sons It was proved there by many that heard one of them say If he had power he would make George deny his Profession and that he would take away his Life This was a single VVitness to one of the greatest Vntruths that was charged against George And the Justices told him That they saw because he could not take away his Life he went about to take away his Liberty There was one Priest chosen out of the whole number as an Orator to plead against us who spared no pains to shew forth his Envy against the Truth And when he could not prevail he went down in a Rage and there came up a Pack of them into the Room among whom was one Jacus George was then speaking in the Room one of the Justices having wished him if he had any thing to say he would speak at which the said Priest Jacus was in such a Rage that he brake forth into many high Expressions against the Truth spoken by my dear Brother George amongst which this was one That the Letter and the Spirit were inseparable Hereupon the Justices stood up and bid him prove that before he went any further Then he seeing himself caught would have denied it and when he could not get off so the rest of the Priests would have helped him to a Meaning for his VVords But the Justices would admit no other Meaning than the plain sense of the VVords but told him He had laid down a Position and it was fit he should prove it pressing the Matter close upon him Whereupon the Priests being put to silence went down in a greater Rage than before and some of them after they were gone down being asked what they had done Lyed and said They could not get into the Room thereby to hide their Shame and keep the People in blindness The Justices Judge Fell and Colonel VVest were much Convinced of the Truth and did set up Justice and Equity and have much silenced the Rage of the People Many bitter Spirits were at Lancaster to see the Event but went home and cried The Priests had lost the day Everlasting Praises be to him who fought the Batttel for us who is our King for ever There were Others called who the VVitnesses confessed were in the Room when the things charged on George were said to have been spoken but they all as one Man denied that any such Words were spoken Which gave much Light to the Justices and they durst trust what they witnessed for they said they knew many of them to be honest Men. There was a VVarrant granted out against us at Appleby but Justice Benson told them It was not according to Law and so it ceased As I hear he is a faithful Man to the Truth The Priests began to preach against the Justices and said They were not to meddle in these things but to end Controversy betwixt Neighbour and Neighbour They are not pleased with the Law because it is not in the Statute to Imprison us as the Priest that pleaded against us said The Justices bid him Go put it into the Statute if he could he said It should want no will of his They are much afraid that they shall loose all They are much discontented in these parts and some of them cry All is gone Dear Friends dwell in Patience and wait upon the Lord who will do his own VVork Look not at Man in the VVork nor at Man who opposeth the VVork but rest in the Will of the Lord that so ye may be furnished with Patience both to do and to suffer what ye shall be called unto that your End in all things may be his Praise And take up his Cross freely which keeps low the fleshly Man that Christ may be set up and honoured in all things and so the Light advanced in you and the Judgment set up which must give Sentence against all that opposeth the Truth That the Captivity may be led Captive and the Prisoner set free to seek the Lord that Righteousness may rule in you and Peace and Joy may dwell in you wherein consisteth the Kingdom of the Father to whom be all Praise for ever Dear Friends Meet often together and take heed of what Exalteth it self above its Brother but keep low and serve one another in Love for the Lord's sake Let all Friends know how it is with us that God may have the Praise of all Written from Kellet the 30th Day of the 8th Month 1652. J. N. At this Time I was in a Fast and was not to Eat until this Work of God which then lay weighty upon me was accomplished But the Lord's Power was wonderfully set over all and gave Truth and Friends Dominion therein over all to his Glory And his Gospel was freely preached that Day over the Heads of about Forty Hireling-Priests I stayed Two or Three Days afterwards in Lancaster and had some Meetings there And the rude and baser sort of People plotted together to have drawn me out of the House and to have thrown me over Lancaster-Bridge but the Lord prevented them Then they invented another Mischief which was this After a Meeting at Lancaster they brought down a distracted Man and another with him with Bundles of Birchen-Rods bound together like Besoms with which they should have whipped me But I was moved to speak to them iâ— the Lord 's mighty Power which chained down the distracted Man and the other also and made them calm and quiet Then I biâ— him throw his Rods into the Fire and burn them and he did so Thus the Lord's Power being over them they departed quietly But the Priests fretting to see themselves overthrown at the Sessions at Lancaster got some of the Envious Justices to join with them and at the
And in case ye be from henceforth found in default in any of the Points aforesaid ye shall be at the King 's Will of Body Lands and Goods thereof to be done as shall please him Saith the Oath appointed by the Statute to be taken by all the Judges Stat. 18. Edw. 3. But none of these nor none other Law hath such an Expression or Condition in it as this viz. Provided he will put off his Hat to you or be Vncovered Nor doth the Law of God so say or that your Persons be respected but the contrary From whence then comes this New Law If ye will be uncovered I will hear you and do you Justice This hearing Complaint of Wrong this doing of Justice Vpon Condition wherein lies the Equity and the Reasonableness of that When were these Fundamental Laws Repealed which were the Issue of much Blood and War which to uphold cost the Miseries and Blood of the late Wars that we shall now be heard as to Right and have Justice done us but upon Condition and that too such a Trifling one as the Putting off the Hat Doth thy saying so who art Commanded as aforesaid Repeal them and make them of none Effect and all the Miserie 's undergone and the Blood shed for them of old and of late Years Whether it be so or no indeed and to the Nation thou hast made it so to Vs to whom thou hast denied the Justice of our Liberty when we were before thee and no Accuser nor Accusation came in against us and the Hearing of the Wrong done to us who are Innocent and the Doing us Right And Bonds hast thou cast and continued upon us until this Day under an Vnreasonable and Cruel Gaoler for not performing That thy Condition for Conscience sake But thinkest thou that this thine own Conditional Justice maketh void the Law or can it do so or absolve thee before God or Man or acquit the Penalty mentioned in the Laws aforesaid unto which hast thou not Consented and Sworn viz. And in case ye be from henceforth found in Default in any of the points aforesaid ye shall be at the King 's Will of Body Lands and Goods thereof to be done as shall please him And is not Thy Saying If ye will be uncovered or put off your Hats I will hear you and do you Justice and because we could not put them off for Conscience-sake Thy denying us Justice and refusing to hear us as to Wrong who had so unjustly suffered a Default in thee against the very Essence of those Laws yea an Overthrow thereof for which things sake being of the highest Importance to the well-being of Men so just so equal so necessary those Laws were made and all the Provisions therein To make a Default in any one Point of which Provisions exposeth to the said Penalty Dost not thou by this time see where thou art Art thou sure thou shalt never be made to understand and feel the Justice thereof Is thy Seat so high and thy Fence so great and art thou so certain of thy Time and Station above all that have gone before thee whom Justice hath Cut down and given them their due that thou shalt never be called to an Account nor with its long and sure stroke be reached Deceive not thy self God is come nearer to Judgment than the Workers of Iniquity in this Age Imagin who persecute and evil-intreat those that witness the Just and Holy One for their Witnessing of him who is come to Reign for ever and ever Saith he not he will be a swift Witness against the false Swearers God is not mocked Surely Friend that must needs be a very great Offence which deprives a Man of Justice of being heard as to Wrong of the Benefit of the Law and of those Laws afore-rehearsed to defend the Justice and Equity of which a Man hath adventured his Blood and all that is Dear to him But to stand Covered or with the Hat on in Conscience to the Command of the Lord is made by thee such an Offence which is none in Law and rendered upon us who are Innocent serving the Living God effectual to deny us Justice though the Laws of God and of Man and the Oath and Equity and Reason saith the Contrary and on it pronounceth such a Penalty If ye will be Vncovered Vncovered said'st thou I will hear you and do you Justice But Justice we had not nor were we heard because Jesus Christ who is the Higher Power the Law-giver of his People in our Consciences Commanded us not to Respect Persons whom to Obey we chuse rather than Man And for our Obedience unto him hast thou cast us into Prison and continuest us there till this very Day having shewed us neither Law for it nor Scripture nor Instances of either nor Example of Heathens or others Friend Come down to that of God that is Just in thee and Consider was ever such a thing as this heard of in this Nation What 's become of Seriousness of true Judgment and of Righteousness An unrighteous Man standing before thee with his Hat off shall be heard but an Innocent Man appearing with his Hat on in Conscience to the Lord shall neither be heard nor have Justice Is not this regarding of Persons contrary to the Laws aforesaid and the Oath and the Law of God Understand and Judge Did we not own Authority and Government oftentimes before the Court Didst not Thou say in the Court Thou wast glad to hear so much from us of our owning Magistracy Pleaded we not to the Indictment though it was such a new-found One as England never heard of before Came we not when thou sentest for us Went we not when thou bid'st us go And are we not still Prisoners at thy Command and at thy Will If the Hat had been such an Offence to thee Could'st not thou have caused it to have been taken off when thou heard'st us so often declare we could not do it in Conscience to the Commands of the Lord and that for that Cause we forbore it not in Contempt of thee or of Authority nor in Disrespect to thine or any Man's Person For we said We honoured all Men in the Lord and owned Authority which was a Terror to Evil-Doers and a Praise to them that do well And our Souls were subject to the Higher Powers for Conscience-sake as thou caused'st them to be taken off and to be kept so when thou called'st the Jury to find us Transgressors without a Law What ado hast thou made to take away the Righteousnesâ— of the Righteous from him and to cause us to suffer further whom thou knewest to have been so long wrongfully in Prison contrary to Law Is not Liberty of Conscience a Natural Right Had there been a Law in this Case and we bound up in our Consciences that we could not have obeyed it was not Liberty of Conscience there to take place For where the Law saith not against there
the Spirit of God He said We cry'd against their Ministers I told him While we were as Saul sitting under the Priests and running up and down with their Packets of Letters we were never called Pestilent Fellows nor Makers of Sects but when we were come to exercise our Consciences towards God and Man then we were called Pestilent Fellows as Paul was He said We could Express our selves well enough and he would not Dispute with me but he would restrain me I deslred to know for what and by whose Order he sent forth his Warrant for me And I complained to him of the Abuse of the Constables and other Officers to me after they had taken me and in their bringing me thither He would not take notice of that but told me He had an Order but would not let me see it for he would not reveal the King 's Secrets he said And besides A Prisoner he said was not to see for what he was Committed I told him That was not Reason For how should he make his Defence then I said I ought to have a Copy of it 1660. Lancaster But he said there was a Judge once that fined one for letting a Prisoner have a Copy of his Mittimus And said he I have an Old Clerk though I am a young Justice Then he called to his Clerk saying Is it not ready yet Bring it meaning the Mittimus But it not being ready he told me I was a Disturber of the Nation I told him I had been a Blessing to the Nation in and through the Lord's Power and Truth and the Spirit of God in all Consciences would answer it Then he charged me to be an Enemy to the King that I endeavoured to raise a new War and imbrue the Nation in Blood again I told him I had never learned the Postures of War but was Clear and Innocent as a Child concerning those things and therefore was bold Then came the Clerk with the Mittimus and the Goaler was sent for and commanded to take me and put me into the Dark-House and to let none come at me but to keep me there a Close Prisoner until I should be delivered by the King or Parliament Then the Justice asked the Constables where my Horse was For I hear said he that he hath a good Horse have ye brought his Horse I told him where my Horse was but he did not meddle with him As they had me to the Jail the Constable gave me my Knife again and then asked me to give it him But I told him Nay he had not been so civil to me So they put me into the Jail and the Under-Goaler one Hardy a very wicked Man was exceeding Rude and Cruel and many times would not let me have Meat brought in but as I could get it under the Door Many of the World's People came to look at me some in great Rage and very uncivil and rude One time there came Two Young Priests and very abusive and rude they were the worst of People could not be worse Amongst those that came in this manner old Preston of Howker his Wife was one and she used many abusive Words to me telling me my Tongue should be cut out and that I should he hanged shewing me the Gallows But the Lord God Cut her off and she died in a miserable Condition Lancaster Jail Being now a Close Prisoner in the Common Jail at Lancaster I desired Two Friends Thomas Cummings and Tho. Green to go to the Goaler and desire of him a Copy of my Mittimus that I might know what I stood Committed for They went and the Goaler answered them He could not give a Copy of it for another had been Fined for so doing but he gave them liberty to read it over And to the best of their remembrance the Matters therein charged against me were That I was a Person generally suspected to be a common Disturber of the Peace of the Nation an Enemy to the King and a chief Vpholder of the Quakers Sect And that I together with others of my Fanatick Opinion have of late endeavoured to raise Insurrections in these parts of the Country and to imbroil the whole Kingdom in Blood Wherefore the Goaler was commanded to keep me in safe Custody till I should be released by Order from the King and Parliament When I had thus gotten the Heads of the Charge contained in the Mittimus by which I stood committed I writ a plain down-right Answer in Vindication of my Innocency to each Particular as followeth I am a Prisoner at Lancaster committed by Justice Porter 1660. Lancaster Jail A Copy of the Mittimus I cannot get but such like Expressions I am told are in it which are very untrue As that I am generally supected to be a common Disturber of the Nations Peace an Enemy to the King and that I with others should endeavour to raise Insurrections to imbroil the Nation in Blood All which is utterly false and I do in every part thereof deny it For I am not a Person generally suspected to be a Disturber of the Nations Peace nor have given any Cause for any such Suspicion For through the Nation I have been tried of these things formerly In the days of Oliver I was taken up on pretence of Raising Arms against him which was also false for I medled not with Raising Arms at all Yet I was then carried up Prisoner to London and kept Prisoner till I was brought before him and then I cleared my self and denied the drawing of a Carnal Weapon against him or any Man upon the Earth For my Weapons are Spiritual which take away the occasion of War and lead into Peace And upon my declaring this to Oliver I was set at liberty by him After this I was taken and sent to Prison by Major Ceely in Cornwall who when I was brought before the Judge informed against me That I took him aside and told him that I could raise Forty Thousand Men in an hours time to involve the Nation in Blood and bring in King Charles This also was utterly false and a Lie of his own inventing as was then proved upon him For I never spake any such Word to him I never was found in any Plot I never took any Engagement or Oath nor ever learned War-Postures And as those were False Charges against me then so are these which come from Major Porter now who is lately appointed to be Justice but wanted Power formerly to exercise his Cruelty against us Which is but the Wickedness of the Old Enemy For the Peace of the Nation I am not a Disturber of nor ever was but seek the Peace of it and of all Men and stand for all Nations Peace and all Men's Peace upon the Earth and wish that all Nations and Men knew my Innocency in these things And whereas Major Porter saith I am an Enemy to the King this is false For my Love is to him and to all Men
though they be Enemies to God to themselves and to me And I can say It is of the Lord that he is come in to bring down many unrighteously set up of which I had a Sight Three Years before he came in It is much he should say I am an Enemy to the King for I have no reason so to be he having done nothing against me But I have been often Imprisoned and Persecuted these Eleven or Twelve Years by them that have been against both the King and his Father even the Party that Porter was made a Major by and bore Arms for but not by them that were for the King I was never an Enemy to the King nor to any Man's Person upon the Earth but I am in the Love that fulfils the Law which thinks no Evil but loves even Enemies and would have the King saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth and be brought into the Fear of the Lord to receive his Wisdom from above by which all things were made and created that with that Wisdom he may order all things to the Glory of God by whom they were Created Whereas he calleth me A Chief Vpholder of the Quakers Sect. I Answer The Quakers are not a Sect but are in the Power of God which was before Sects were and witness the Election before the World began and are come to live in the Life which the Prophets and Apostles lived in who gave forth the Scriptures Therefore are we hated by envious wrathful wicked and persecuting Men. But God is the Vpholder of us all by his mighty Power and preserves us from the Wrath of the Wicked that would swallow us up And whereas he saith That I together with others of my Fanatick Opinion as he calls it have of late endeavoured to raise Insurrections and to imbroil the whole Kingdom in Blood I say this is altogether false to these things I am as a Child and know nothing of them The Postures of War I never learned My Weapons are Spiritual and not Carnal for with Carnal Weapons I do not fight I am a Follower of him who said My Kingdom is not of this World And though these Lies and Slanders are raised upon me I deny drawing of any Carnal Weapon against the King or Parliament or any Man upon the Earth For I am come to the end of the Law To love Enemies and wrestle not with Flesh and Blood but am in that which saves Men's Lives And a Witness I am against all Murderers Plotters and all such as would Imbrue the Nation in Blood for it is not in my Heart to have any Man's Life destroyed And as for the Word Fanatick which signifies furious foolish mad c. He might have considered himself before he had used that Word and have learned the Humility which goes before the Honour For we are not furious foolish or Mad but through Patience and Meekness have born Lies and Slanders and Persecutions many Years and undergone great Sufferings The Spiritual Man that wrestles not with Flesh and Blood and the Spirit that reproves Sin in the Gate which is the Spirit of Truth Wisdom and sound Judgment this is not mad foolish furious which Fanatick signifies But all are of a mad furious foolish Spirit that wrestle with Flesh and Blood with Carnal Weapons in their Furiousness Foolishness and Rage This is not the Spirit of God but of Error that persecutes in a mad blind Zeal like Nebuchadnezer and Saul Now inasmuch as I am ordered to be kept Prisoner till I be delivered by Order from the King or Parliament therefore have I written these things to be laid before you the King and Parliament that ye may Consider of them before ye act any thing therein that ye may weigh in the Wisdom of God the Intent and End of Men's Spirits lest ye act the thing that will bring the hand of the Lord upon you and against you as many have done before you who have been in Authority whom God hath overthrown in whom we trust whom we fear and cry unto Day and Night Who hath heard us and doth hear us and will hear us and avenge our Cause For much Innocent Blood hath been shed and many have been persecuted to Death by such as have been in Authority before you whom God hath vomited out because they turned against the Just Therefore consider your Standing now that ye have the Day 1660. Lancaster-Castle and receive this as a Warning of Love to you From the Innocent a Sufferer in Bonds and close Prisoner in Lancaster-Castle called GEORGE FOX Upon my being taken and forcibly carried away from Margaret Fell's House and charged with things of so high a Nature she was concerned as looking upon it to be an Injury offered to her Whereupon she writ the following Lines and sent them abroad directed thus To all Magistrates concerning the wrong taking up and Imprisoning of George Fox at Lancaster I Do Inform the Governours of this Nation that Henry Porter Major of Lancaster sent a Warrant with Four Constables to my House for which he had no Authority nor Order They searched my House and apprehended George Fox in it who was not guilty of the Breach of any Law or of any Offence against any in the Nation After they had taken him and brought him before the said Henry Porter there was Bail offered what he would demand for his Appearance to Answer what could be laid to his Charge But he contrary to Law if he had taken him lawfully denied to accept of any Bail and clapt him up in Close Prison After he was in Prison a Copy of his Mittimus was demanded which ought not to be denied to any Prisoner that so he may see what is laid to his Charge But it was denied him a Copy he could not have only they were suffered to read it over And every thing that was there charged against him was utterly false he was not guilty of any one Charge in it as will be proved and manifested to the Nation So let the Governours consider of it I am concerned in this thing inasmuch as he was apprehended in my House and if he be guilty I am so too So I desire to have this searched out MARGARET FELL After this Margaret Fell determined to go to London to speak with the King about my being taken and to shew him the manner of it and the Vnjust Dealing and Evil Vsage I had received Which when Justice Porter heard of he vapoured that he would go and meet her in the Gap But when he came before the King he having been a Zealous Man for the Parliament against the King several of the Courtiers spake to him concerning his plundering of their Houses So that he had quickly enough of the Court and soon returned into the Country Mean while the Jailer seemed very fearful and said he was afraid Major Porter would hang him because he had not put me in the Dark-House But when
not long at this time in London but went into Essex and so into the East and to Norfolk having great Meetings At Norwich when I came to Capt. Lawrence's there was great Threatning of Disturbance but the Meeting was quiet Passing from thence to Sutton and so into Cambridgeshire there I heard of Edward Burrough's Decease And being sensible how great a Grief and Exercise it would be to Friends to part with him I writ the following Lines to Friends for the staying and settling of their Minds Friends BE still and quiet in your own Conditions and settled in the Seed of God that doth not Change that in that ye may feel Dear E. B. among you in the Seed in which and by which he begat you to God with whom he is and that in the Seed ye may all see and feel him in which is the Vnity with him in the Life And so Enjoy him in the Life that doth not Change which is Invisible G. F. From thence I passed to Little-Port and the Isle of Ely where he Isle of Ely Little-port that had been the Major with his Wife and the Wife of the then present Major of Cambridge came to the Meeting So travelling on into Lincolnshire and Huntingtonshire I came to Thomas Parnel's Lincolnshire Huntingtonshire Fen-Country where the Major of Huntington came to see me and was very loving From thence passing on I came into the Fen-Country where we had large and quiet Meetings While I was in that Country there came so great a Flood that it was dangerous to get out yet we did get out and went to Lyn where we had a blessed Meeting Lyn. Next Morning I went to visit some Prisoners there and then went back to the Inn and took Horse And as I was riding out of the Yard the Officers it seems came to search the Inn for me I knew nothing of it then only I felt a great Burden come upon me as I rid out of the Town till I was got without their Gates and when some Friends that came after overtook me they told me that the Officers had been searching for me in the Inn as soon as I was gone out of the Yard So by the good Hand of the Lord I escaped their Cruel Hands After this we passed through the Countries visiting Friends in their Meetings And the Lord's Power carried us over the Persecuting Spirits and through many Dangers and his Truth spread and grew and Friends were established therein Praises and Glory to his Name for ever And so having pass'd through Norfolk Suffolk Essex and Hertfordshire Norfolk Suffolk Essex Hertfordshire London Kent Ashford Cranbrook Tenterden we came to London again where I staid a while visiting Friends in their Meetings which were very large and the Lord's Power was over all After some time I left the City again and travelled into Kent having Thomas Briggs with me and we went to Ashford where we had a quiet and a very blessed Meeting and on the First-Day we had a very good and peaceable Meeting at Cranbrook Then we went to Tenterden and had a Meeting there 1663. Tenderden to which many Friends came from several parts and many of the World's People came in and were reached by Truth When the Meeting was done I walked with Thomas Briggs into a Close while our Horses were got ready and turning my Head I spied a Captain coming and a great Company of Souldiers with lighted Matches and Muskets Some of the Souldiers came to Thomas and me and said We must go to their Captain and when they had brought us before him he asked Where was George Fox Which was he I said I am the Man Then he came to me and was somewhat struck and said I will secure you among the Souldiers So he called for the Souldiers to take me and then he took Thomas Briggs and the Man of the House and many more but the Power of the Lord was mightily over him and them all Then he came to me again and said I must go along with him to the Town and he carried himself pretty civilly bidding the Souldiers bring the rest after As we walked I asked him Why they did thus for I had not seen so much ado a great while and I bid him be Civil to his Neighbours who were peaceable When we were come to the Town they had us to an Inn that was the Jailer's House and after a while the Major of the Town and this Captain and the Lieutenant who were Justices came together and Examined me Why I came thither to make a Disturbance I told them I did not come to make a Disturbance neither had I made any Disturbance since I came They said There was a Law which was against the Quakers Meetings made only against them I told them I knew no such Law Then they brought forth the Act that was made against Quakers and others I told them That was against such as were a Terror to the King's Subjects and were Enemies and held dangerous Principles to the Government and therefore that was not against us for we held Truth and our Principles were not dangerous to the Government and our Meetings were peaceable as they knew who knew their Neighbours were a peaceable People They told me I was an Enemy to the King I told them We loved all People and were Enemies to none and that I for my own part had been cast into Darby-Dungeon many years ago about the time of Worcester-Fight because I would not take up Arms against him and that I was afterward brought up by Col. Hacker to London as a Plotter to bring in King Charles and was kept Prisoner at London till I was set at liberty by Oliver They asked me Whether I was Imprisoned in the time of the Insurrection I said Yes I had been Imprisoned then and since that also and had been set at Liberty by the King 's own Command So I opened the Act to them and shewed them the King 's late Declaration and gave them the Examples of other Justices and told them also what the House of Lords had said of it I spake also to them concerning their own Conditions Exhorting them to live in the Fear of God and to be tender towards their Neighbours that feared God and to mind God's Wisdom by which all things were made and created that they might come to receive it and be ordered by it and by it order all things to God's Glory They demanded Bond of us for our Appearance at the Sessions but we pleading our Innocency refused to give Bond. Then they would have had us promise to come no more there But we kept clear of that also When they saw they could not bring us to their Terms they told us We should see they were civil to us for it was the Mayor 's Pleasure we should all be set at liberty I told them Their Civility was Noble and so we parted Then leaving Tenterden we went
to Prison some for Meeting to Worship God and soâ—â—e for not Swearing so that the Prison was very full And many of them being poor Men that had nothing to maintain their Families by but their Labour which now they were taken off from several of their Wives went to the Justices that had committed their Husbands to Jail and told them 1663. Lancaster Prison If they kept their Husband 's in Jail for nothing but the Truth of Christ and for good Conscience-sake they would bring their Children t them to be maintained A mighty Power of the Lord rose in Friends and gave them great Boldness so that they spake much to the Justices Friends also that were Prisoners writ unto the Justices laying the Weight of their Sufferings upon them and shewing them both their Injustice and waâ—t of Pity and Compassion towards their poor Neighbours whom they knew to be honest consciencious and peaceable People that in tenderness of Conscience could not take any Oath yet they sent them to Prison for refusing to take the Oath of Allegiance Though several of them who were Imprisoned on that Account were known to be Men that had served the King in his Wars and had hazarded their Lives in the Field in his Cause and had suffered great Hardships with the loss of much Blood for him and had always stood faithful to him from First to Last and had never received any Pay for their Service and to be thus requited for all their Faithful Services and Sufferings and that by them that pretended to be the King's Friends was hard unkind and ungrateful Dealing At length the Justices being continually attended with Complaints of Grievances released some of the Friends that were Prisoners but kept divers of them still in Prison Amongst those that were then in Prison there were Four Friends Prisoners for Tithes who were sent to Prison at the Suit of the Countess of Derby so called and had lain there then near Two Years and an half One of these whose Name was Oliver Atherton being a Man of a Weakly Constitution was through his long and hard Imprisonment in a cold raw unwholsom place brought so low and weak in his Body that there appeared no hopes of his Recovery or Life unless he might be removed from thence Wherefore a Letter was written on behalf of the said Oliver Atherton to the said Countess and sent by his Son Godfrey Atherton wherein was laid before her the Reasons why he and the rest could not pay Tithes because if they did they should deny Christ come in the Flesh who by his coming had put an end to Tithes and to the Priesthood to which they had been given and to the Commandment by which they had been paid under the Law And his Weak Condition of Body was also laid before her and the apparent likelyhood of his Death if she did continue to hold him there that she might be moved to Pity and Compassion and also warned not to draw the Guilt of his Innocent Blood upon her self But when his Son went to her with his Father's Letter a Servant of hers abused him and pluck'd off his Cap and threw it away and put him out of the Gate Nevertheless the Letter was delivered into her own hand but she shut out all Pity and Tenderness and continued him in Prison till Death So when his Son came back to his Father in Prison and told him as he lay on his Dying-Bed that the Countess denied his Liberty he only said She hath been the Cause of shedding much Blood but this will be the heaviest Blood that ever she spilt and soon after he died Then Friends having his Body delivered to them to bury as they carried it from the Prison to Ormskirk the Parish wherein he had lived they stuck up Papers upon the Crosses at Garstang Preston and other Towns through which they passed with this Inscription This is Oliver Atherton of Ormskirk-Parish persecuted to Death by the Countess of Derby for good Conscience sake towards God and Christ because he could not give her Tithes c. Setting forth at large the Reasons of his refusing to pay Tithes the Length of his Imprisonment the Hardships he underwent her hard-heartedness towards him and the manner of his Death After his Death Richard Cubban another of the said Countess her Prisoners for Tithe writ a large Letter to her on behalf of himself and his other Fellow-Prisoners at her Suit laying their Innocency before her And that it was not out of Wilfulness Stubbornness or Covetousness that they refused to pay her Tithes but purely in good Conscience towards God and Christ and letting her know that if she should be suffered to keep them there till they every one died there as she had done their Fellow-Sufferer Oliver Atherton yet they could not yield to pay her And therefore desired her to consider their Case in a Christian Spirit and not bring their Blood upon her self also But she would not shew any Pity or Compassion towards them who had now suffered hard Imprisonment about two Years and an half under her but instead thereof she sent to the Town of Garstang and threatned to complain to the King and Council and bring them into trouble for suffering the Paper concerning Oliver Atherton 's Death to be stuck upon their Cross The Rage that she express'd made the People take the more notice of it and some of them said The Quakers had given her a Bone to pick. But she that regarded not the Life of an Innocent Sufferer for Christ lived not long after her self For That day three Weeks that Oliver Atherton 's Body was carried through Ormskirk to be buried she died and her Body was carried dead that day Seven Weeks through the same Town to her Burying Place And thus the Lord pursued the hard-hearted Persecutor Lancaster Assize As for me I was kept to the Assize and then Judge Turner and Judge Twisden coming that Circuit I was brought before Judge Twisden on the 14th day of the Month called March in the latter end of the Year 1663. When I was set up to the Bar I said Peace be amongst you all The Judge lookt upon me and said What! do you come into the Court with your Hat on Upon which Words the Jailer taking it off I said ' The Hat is not the Honour that comes from God Then said the Judge to me Will you take the Oath of Allegiance George Fox I said I never took any Oath in my Life nor any Covenant or Engagement Well said he will you Swear or no I answered I am a Christian and Christ commands me not to swear and so does the Apostle James likewise and whether I should obey God or Man do thou Judge I ask you again said he Whether you will Swear or no I answered again I am neither Turk Jew nor Heathen but a Christian and should shew forth Christianity And I asked him If he did not know that
accept any man's Person neither let me give flattering Titles unto Man for I know not to give flattering Titles in so doing my Maker would soon take me away Job 32. Job did not say Sirrah hold thy Tongue nor gave him any unsavoury Expression Then for the Words of David and Solomon and other Kings and Officers see in the Books of the Kings and Chronicles the Savoury Language that they gave to them that were brought before them Nay though Shimei cursed David the King yet neither did David then or afterward nor Solomon when he caused him to be put to Death give him any reproachful Language or so much as call him Sirrah 2 Sam. 16. and 1 Kings 2. Read the Prophecies of Isaiah and Micha Jeremiah Ezekiel and the rest of the Prophets who Prophesied to several Peoples and against Rulers Kings and Magistrates yet where can it be found that they had any bad Language given them as Sirrah or the like by any Ruler either of the Jews or Heathens Nay though Jeremiah was cast into the Prison and into the Dungeon yet there was no such Word as Sirrah or Knave given to him Jer. 37. Then for the Words and Carriage of the Heathens When Abraham was brought before Abimelech who was a King he gave Abraham no unsavoury Expressions Gen. 20. And when Isaac came before Abimelech he gave him no taunting Language neither Gen. 26. When Joseph was cast into Prison and that in Egypt we do not read that he had any railing Language given him Gen. 39. Neither did Pharaoh when Moses and Aaron went before him give them bad Language as Sirrah Knave or the like When Nebuchadnezzar Sentenced the Three Children to the Fiery Furnace there was no such Language given them as Sirrah Knave Rascal but called them by the Names they were known by Dan. 3. And when Daniel was brought before King Darius and sentenced to be cast into the Lions Den he had no such Ill Names given him as many give now who call those Heathen Rulers but themselves Christians If ye look into the New Testament there in the Parable of the Wedding-Supper the King that came to view his Guests did not say unto him that was found without a Wedding-Garment Sirrah how camest thou in hither but Friend how camest thou in hither c. though he was one that was to be bound hand and foot and cast into utter Darkness Matth. 22. Nay when Judas had betrayed his Master Christ Jesus the Lord of Life and had sold him to the Priests Christ did not call him Sirrah when he came to apprehend him but Friend Matth. 26.50 Stephen in his Examination Sentence and Death had no such reproachful Word given him as Sirrah or Knave Acts 6. 7. Chapt. When the Apostles Peter and John were brought before the High-Priest and Rulers of the Jews and commanded not to preach in the Name of Jesus Acts 4. they were not called Sirrah or Knaves nor had any such Ill Names given them And when Paul and Silas were cast into Prison by the Magistrates there was no such Word given them in their Examination nor in their Sentence Acts 16. They called them Men not Rogues Sirrahs nor Knaves And when the Magistrates had done contrary to Law they feared So ye may see how short of this Example many are that call themselves Christian Rulers who are not afraid to cast Innocent People into Prison and give them Ill Names besides below both Jews and Heathens When the Vproar was at Ephesus about Diana's Shrine Demetrius who bore great Sway among the Crafts-men did not call Paul Sirrah but called him by his Right Name Paul Acts 19. And when Paul was brought Prisoner before the High-Priest Ananias and the Council of the Jews and told them He had lived in all good Conscience towards God until that day though they who professed the Scriptures but lived out of the Life of them could not abide to hear of Living in a good Conscience as Professors of the Scriptures now that live not in the Life cannot abide to hear of living in a good Conscience now-a-days But Ananias caused Paul to be smitten on the Mouth yet he did not call him Knave nor Sirrah Acts 23. The Apostate-Jews indeed who though they professed Scripture were out of the Life thereof and had rejected Christ in their accusing Paul before the Roman Magistrates did once call him a Pestilent Fellow Acts 24. as the Accusing Professors who live out of the Life will sometimes call us now But Felix gave Paul no such Language neither did Festus nor King Agrippa in all their Examinations of him give Paul any such Words as Sirrah Rascal Knave or the like but heard him patiently So now Christians may see through all the Scriptures that when any Persons were brought before Rulers Kings or Magistrates whether Jews or Heathen they did not use to call them Evil Names as Sirrah Rascal Knave and the like they had no such foul-mouth'd Language in their Courts Nor did they use to say to them Sirrah put off your Hat Now ye that profess Christianity and say the Scripture is your Rule may see that more Corrupt Words proceed out of your Mouths than either out of the Jews or Heathens if ye will Try your Practice by the Scriptures And doth not the Apostle tell you that no Corrupt Communication should proceed out of your Mouths and that your Words should be gracious Now I query Where and whence ye that call your selves Christians have got all these bad Words and Names seeing neither God nor Christ nor the Prophets nor the Judges nor Kings nor Rulers ever gave any such Names so far as appears by Scripture either amongst the Heathens Jews or Christians G. F. Before the next Assizes came there was a Quarter-Sessions holden at Lancaster by the Justices To which though we were not brought yet I put Friends upon drawing up an Account of their Sufferings and laying them before the Justices in their open Sessions For Friends had suffered deeply by Fines and Distresses the Bayliffs and Officers making great Havock and Spoil of their Goods But no Redress was made And because some Evil-minded Magistrates would be telling us sometimes of the late Plot in the North we gave forth the following Paper to stop their Mouths and to clear Truth and Friends therefrom Which was as followeth A Testimony from us the People of God whom the World call Quakers To all the Magistrates and Officers of what sort soever from the Highest to the Lowest WE are peaceable and seek the Peace and Good and Welfare of all Men and Women upon the Earth as in our Lives and peaceable Carriages is manifested and we desire the Eternal Good and Welfare of all and their Souls everlasting Peace We are Heirs of the Blessing before the Curse was and of the Power of God before the Devil was and before the Fall of Man We are Heirs of the Gospel of Peace which is the
again to hear the Sentence And Margaret Fell being called first to the Bar she had some Counsels to plead who found many Errors in her Indictment Whereupon after the Judge had acknowledged them she was set by Then the Judge asked What they could say to mine Now I was not willing to let any Man plead for me but to speak to it my self And indeed though Margaret had some that pleaded for her yet she spake as much her self as she would But before I came to the Bar I was moved in my Spirit to pray That God would confound their Wickedness and Envy and set his Truth over all and exalt his Seed And the Lord heard and answered and did Confound them in their Proceedings against me And though they had most Envy against me yet the most-gross Errors were found in my Indictment Now I having put by others from pleading for me the Judge asked me What I had to say why he should not pass Sentence upon me I told him I was no Lawyer but I had much to say if he would but have Patience to hear At that he laughed and others laughed also and said Come what have you to say He can say nothing ' Yes said I I have much to say have but the Patience to hear me Then I asked him Whether the Oath was to be tendred to the King's Subjects or to the Subjects of Forreign Princes He said To the Subjects of this Realm Then said I Look the Indictment and ye may see that ye have left out the Word Subject so not having named me in the Indictment as a Subject ye cannot Premunire me for not taking the Oath Then they looked the Statute and the Indictment and saw that it was as I said and the Judge confessed it was an Error I told him I had something else to stop his Judgment And I desired him to look What day the Indictment said the Oath was tendered to me at the Sessions there They lookt and said It was the Eleventh day of January What Day of the Week was that Session held on said I On a Tuesday said they Then said I Look your Almanacks and see whether there was any Sessions held at Lancaster on the Eleventh Day of January so called So they looked and found that the Eleventh day was the Day called Monday and that the Sessions was on the day called Tuesday which was the Twelfth day of that Month. Look ye now said I ye have Indicted me for refusing the Oath in the Quarter-Sessions held at Lancaster on the Eleventh Day of January last and the Justices have Sworn that they tendered me the Oath in open Sessions here that day and the Jury upon their Oaths have found me Guilty thereupon and yet ye see there was no Session held in Lancaster that day Then the Judge to have covered the matter asked Whether the Sessions did not begin on the Eleventh day But some in the Court Answered No The Session held but one day and that was the Twelfth Then the Judge said This was a great Mistake and an Error Some of the Justices were in a great Rage at this and were ready to have gone off the Bench and stampt and said Who hath done this Some body hath done it on purpose and a great Heat was amongst them Then said I Are not the Justices here that have Sworn to this Indictment forsworn Men in the face of the Country But this is not all said I I have more yet to offer why Sentence should not be given against me Then I asked ' In what Year of the King the last Assize here was holden which was in the Month called March last And the Judge said It was in the Sixteenth Year of the King But said I the Indictment says It was in the Fifteenth Year and they looked and found it so This also was acknowledged to be another Error But then they were all in a Fret again both Judge and Justices and could not tell what to say For the Judge had sworn the Officers of the Court that the Oath was tendered to me at the Assize mentioned in the Indictment ' Now said I Is not the Court here forsworn also who have sworn that the Oath was tendered to me at the Assize holden here in the Fifteenth Year of the King when-as it was in his Sixteenth Year and so they have sworn a whole Year false The Judge bid them Look whether Margaret Fell 's Indictment was so or no And they lookt and found it was not so I told the Judge I had more yet to offer to stop Sentence And I asked him ' Whether All the Oath ought to be put into the Indictment or no Yes said he it ought to be All put in Then said I ' Compare the Indictment with the Oath and there thou may'st see these Words viz. or by any Authority derived or pretended to be derived from him or his Sea left out of the Indictment which is a principal part of the Oath And in another place the Words Heirs and Successors are left out The Judge did acknowledge these also to be great Errors But said I I have not yet done I have yet something further to alledg Nay said the Judge I have enough you need say no more If said I thou hast enough I desire nothing but Law and Justice at thy hands for I don't look for Mercy You must have Justice said he and you shall have Law Then I asked Am I at Liberty and free from all that ever hath been done against me in this matter Yes said the Judge You are free from all that hath been done against you But then starting up in a Rage he said I can put the Oath to any man here and I will tender you the Oath again I told him He had Examples enough yesterday of Swearing and False-swearing both in the Justices and in the Jury For I saw before mine Eyes that both Justices and Jury had forsworn themselves The Judge asked me If I would take the Oath I bid him Do me Justice for my false Imprisonment all this while For what had I been Imprisoned so long for And I told him I ought to be set at Liberty You are at Liberty said he but I will put the Oath to you again Then I turned me about and said All People take notice this is a Snare for I ought to be set free from the Jailer and from this Court But the Judge cried Give him the Book and the Sheriff and the Justices cried Give him the Book Then the Power of Darkness rose up in them like a Mountain and a Clerk lift up a Book to me I stood still and said If it be a Bible give it me into my hand Yes yes said the Judge and Justices give it him into his hand So I took it and lookt in it and said ' I see it is a Bible I am glad of it Now he had caused the Jury to be called and they stood by for
after they had brought in their former Verdict he would not dismiss them though they desired it but told them He could not dismiss them yet for he should have business for them and therefore they must attend and be ready when they were called And when he said so I felt his Intent that if I was freed he would come on again So I looked him in the Face and the Witness of God started up in him and made him blush when he looked at me again for he saw that I saw him Nevertheless hardening himself he caused the Oath to be read to me the Jury standing by And when it was read he asked me Whether I would take the Oath or no Then said I Ye have given me a Book here to kiss and to swear on and this Book which ye have given me to kiss says Kiss the Son and the Son says in this Book Swear not at all and so says also the Apostle James Now said I I say as the Book says and yet ye Imprison me How chance ye do not Imprison the Book for saying so How comes it that the Book is at Liberty amongst you which bids me not swear and yet ye Imprison me for doing as the Book bids me Why don't ye Imprison the Book Now as I was speaking this to them and held up the Bible open in my hand to shew them the place in the Book where Christ forbid swearing they pluckt the Book out of my hand again and the Judge said Nay but we will Imprison George Fox Yet this got abroad over all the Country as a By word That they gave me a Book to swear on that commanded me Not to swear at all and that the Bible was at Liberty and I in Prison for doing as the Bible said Now when the Judge still urged me to Swear I told him I never took Oath Covenant nor Engagement in my Life but my Yea or Nay was more binding to me than an Oath was to many others For had they not had Experience how little Men regarded an Oath and how they had Sworn one way and then another and how the Justices and Court had forsworn themselves now And I told him I was a Man of a tender Conscience and if they had any sense of a tender Conscience they would consider that it was in Obedience to Christ's Command that I could not Swear But said I if any of you can Convince me that after Christ and the Apostle had commanded not to swear they did alter that Command and commanded Christians to swear then ye shall see I will swear And there being many Priests by I said If ye cannot do it let your Priests stand up and do it But not one of the Priests made any Answer O said the Judge all the World cannot Convince you No said I how is it like the World should Convince me for the whole World lies in Wickedness but bring out your Spiritual Men as ye call them to Convince me Then the Sheriff said and the Judge said the same That the Angel swore in the Revelations I replied When God bringeth in his First-begotten Son into the World he saith Let all the Angels of God Worship him and he saith Swear not at all Nay said the Judge I will not dispute Then I spake to the Jury telling them It was for Christ's sake that I could not swear and therefore I warned them not to act contrary to that of God in their Consciences for before his Judgment-seat they must all be brought And I told them that as for Plots and Persecution for Religion and Popery I do deny them in my Heart for I am a Christian and shall shew forth Christianity amongst you this day And it is for Christ's Doctrine I stand More Words I had both with the Judge and Jury before the Jailer took me away In the Afternoon I was brought up again and put among the Thieves a pretty while where I stood with my Hat on till at length the Jailer took it off Then the Jury having found this New Indictment against me for not taking the Oath I was called to the Bar And the Judge asked me What I would say for my self I bid them Read the Indictment for I would not Answer to that which I did not hear The Clerk read it and as he read the Judge said Take heed it be not false again but he read it but in such a manner that I could hardly understand what he read But when he had done the Judge asked me What I said to the Indictment I told him At once hearing so large a Writing read and that at such a distance that I could not distinctly hear all the parts of it I could not well tell what to say to it but if he would let me have a Copy of it and give me time to consider of it I should Answer it This put them to a little stand but after a while the Judge asked me What time I would have I said 'Till the next Assize But said he What Plea will ye now make Are you Guilty or Not Guilty I said I am Not Guilty at all of denying Swearing obstinately and wilfully and as for those things mentioned in the Oath as Jesuitical Plots and Forreign Powers I utterly deny them in my Heart and if I could take any Oath I should take that but I never took any Oath in all my Life The Judge said I said well But said he The King is sworn the Parliament is sworn I am sworn and the Justices are sworn and the Law is preserved by Oaths I told him They had had sufficient Experience of Men's Swearing and he had seen how the Justices and Jury had sworn wrong the other day And if he had read in the Book of Martyrs how many of the Martyrs had refused to Swear both within the time of the Ten Persecutions and in Bishop Bonner's days he might see that to deny Swearing in Obedience to Christ's Command was no new thing Then he said He wisht the Laws were otherwise I said Our Yea is Yea and our Nay is Nay and if we transgress our Yea and our Nay let us suffer as they do or should do that Swear falsely And this I told him we had offered to the King and the King said It was reasonable So after some further Discourse had passed Lancaster Prison they committed me to Prison again there to lie till the next Assize and Col. Kirby gave order to the Jailer To keep me Close and suffer no Flesh alive to come at me for I was not fit he said to be discoursed with by Men. Then was I put up into a smoky Tower where the Smoke of the other Prisoners came up so thick that it stood as Dew upon the Walls and sometimes the Smoke would be so thick that I could hardly see the Candle when it burned and I being locked under Three Locks the Vnder-Jailer when the Smoke was great would hardly be
passing on through the Country I had a great Meeting near Malton and another large Meeting near Hull from which I went to a place called Holdendike Near Hull Holdendike As we went into the Town the Watch-men questioned me and those that were with me but they not having any Warrant to stay us we went on by them and they in a Rage threatned they would search us out I went to the House of one that was called the Lady Mountague and there I lodged that Night and several Friends came thither to Visit me Next Morning being up betimes I walked out into the Orchard and saw a Man about Sun-rising go into the House in a great Cloak 1666. L. Mountague He stay'd not long but came soon out again and went away not seeing me I felt something strike at my Life and went into the House where I found the Maid-Servant affrighted and trembling and she told me That Man had a Naked Rapier under his Cloak By which I perceived he came with an Intent to have done Mischief but the Lord prevented him From this place passing through the Country I visited Friends till I came to York York where we had a large Meeting After the Meeting I went to visit Justice Robinson an ancient Justice of the Peace who had been very loving to me and Friends from the beginning There was at this time a Priest with him and he told me It was said of us that we loved none but our selves I told him We loved all Mankind as they were God's Creation and as they were Children of Adam and Eve by Generation and we loved the Brotherhood in the Holy Ghost This stopt him so that after some other Discourse we parted friendly and we passed away About this time I had written a Book Intituled Fear God and Honour the King In which I shewed That none could rightly Fear God and Honour the King but they that departed from Sin and Evil This Book did much affect the Souldiers and most People Now having visited Friends at York we passed thence to a Market-Town G Watkinson where we had a Meeting at one George Watkinson's who formerly had been a Justice A glorious blessed Meeting it was and very large and the Seed of Life was set over all But we had been troubled to have got into this Town had not Providence made way for us for the Watch-men stood ready to stop us but there being a Man riding just before us the Watch-men questioned him first and perceiving that he was a Justice of Peace they let him pass and we riding close after him by that means we escaped T. Tailor From this place we passed to Thomas Taylor 's who had formerly been a Captain where we had a precious Meeting Hard by Thomas Taylor 's there lived one called a Knight who was much displeased when he heard I was like to be Released out of Prison and threatned That if the King set me at Liberty he would send me to Prison again the next day But though I had this Meeting so near him yet the Lord's Power stopt him from meddling and our Meeting was quiet Col. Kirby also who had been the Chief Means of my Imprisonment at Lancaster and Scarborough-Castles when he heard I was set at Liberty got another Order for the Taking me up and said He would ride his Horse Forty Miles to take me and would give Forty Pounds to have me taken Yet a while after I came so near him as to have a Meeting within Two Miles of him and then was he struck with the Gout and kept his Bed so that it was thought he would have died From Thomas Taylor 's I passed through the Country visiting Friends Sinderhill-Green till I came to Synderhill-Green where I had a large and General Meeting The Priest of the place hearing of it he sent the Constable to the Justices for a Warrant and they rid their Horses so hard that they almost spoiled them But the notice they had being short and the way long the Meeting was ended before they came I heard not of them till I was going out of the House after Meeting was over and then a Friend came to me and told me 1666. Sinderhill-Green They were searching another House for we which was the House I was then going to As I went along the Closes towards it I met the Constables and Wardens and the Justice's Clerk with them so I passed through them and they looked at me and I went to the House that they had been searching I hus the Devil and the Priest lost their Design for the Lord's Power bound them and preserved me over them and Friends parted and all escaped them And the Officers went away as they came for the Lord God had frustrated their Design praised be his Name for ever After this I went into Darbyshire where I had a large Meeting Darbyshire And some Friends were apprehensive of the Constables coming in for they had had a great Persecution in those parts but our Meeting was quiet There was a Justice of Peace in that Country had taken away much of Friend's Goods whereupon one Ellen Fretwell had made her Appeal to the Sessions and the rest of the Justices granted her her Goods again and spake to that persecuting Justice That he should not do so any more And she was moved to speak to that Justice and to Warn him whereupon he bid her Come and sit down on the Bench. Ay said she If I may perswade you to do Justice to the Country I will sit down with you No said he then you shall not and bid her Get her out of the Court But as she was gong out she was moved of the Lord to turn again and say She should be there when he should not After the Sessions were ended he got amongst some of his Persecuting Companions and said They would get some more of the Quakers Goods if the Devil did not raise up that Woman to hinder them So he went home and drove away her Brother's Oxen for going to Meetings and then another Woman a Friend of Chesterfield whose Name was Susan Frith was moved of the Lord to tell him That if he continued on in his persecuting of the Innocent the Lord would execute his Plagues upon him Soon after which this Justice whose Name was Clark fell distracted and was bound with Ropes ☜ but he gnawed the Ropes in pieces and had like to have spoiled his Maid for he fell upon her and bit her so that they were fain to put an Iron Instrument into his Mouth to wrest his Teeth out of her Flesh And afterwards he died distracted This Relation I had from Ellen Fretwel her self I travelled out of Darbyshire into Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire Skegby Mans field and had a large Meeting at Skegby and from thence went to Mansfield where also I had a Meeting and thence went to another Town where there was a
blamed us for leaving them and each of them said Theirs was the right-Reformed-Church But I said if we could own any outward City or Place to be the Mother Church we should own outward Jerusalem where the Gospel was first preached by Christ himself and the Apostles where Christ suffered where the great Conversion to Christianity by Peter was where were the Types Figures and Shadows which Christ ended and where Christ commanded his Disciples To wait until they were endued with Power from high So if any outward place deserved to be called the Mother that was the place where the first great Conversion to Christianity was But the Apostle saith Gal. 4.25 26. Jerusalem which now is in Bondage with her Children But Jerusalem which is above is free which is the Mother of us all For it is written Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not break forth and cry thou that travailest not for the Desolate hath many more Children than she that hath an Husband ver 27. Now this we do see that Jerusalem below which was the highest Place of Worship and all that be like her in Profession without Possession have more Children than the Free Woman that hath an Husband which is Jerusalem that is above the Mother of us all that be true Christians So the Apostle doth not say Outward Jerusalem was the Mother though the first and great Conversion to Christianity was there And therefore there is less Reason for the Title Mother to be given to Rome or to any other outward Place or City by the Children of Jerusalem that is above and free and they are not Jerusalem's Children that is above and free who give â—he Title of Mother either to outward Jerusalem or to Roâ—â— or to any other Place or Sect of People And though this Title Mother hath been given to Places and Sects amongst and by the degenerate Christians yet we say still as the Apostle said of Old Jerusalem that is above is the Mother of us all and we can own no other neither outward Jerusalem nor Rome nor any Sect of People for our Mother but Jerusalem which is above which is free the Mother of us all that are born again and become true Believers in the Light and who are grafted into Christ the Heavenly Vine For all who are born again of the Immortal Seed by the Word of God which lives and abides for ever feed upon the Milk of the Word the Breasts of Life and grow by it in Life and cannot acknowledge any other to be their Mother but Jerusalem which is above Oh! said Esq Marsh to the Papist You do not know this man If he would but come to Church now and then he would be a Brave Man After some other Discourse together I went aside with this Justice Marsh into another Room to speak with him concerning Friends for he was a Justice of Peace for Middlesex and being a Courtier the other Justices put much of the Management of matters upon him Now when we Two were alone together he told me He was in a streight how to Act between us and some other Dissenters For said he You cannot Swear and the Independents Baptists and Fifth-Monarchy-People say also They cannot Swear and therefore said he how shall I know how to distinguish betwixt you and them seeing they and you all say It is for Conscience sake that you cannot Swear Then said I I will shew thee how to distinguish For they or most of them thou speakest of can and do Swear in some Cases but we cannot Swear in any Case If a Man should steal their Cows or Horses and thou should'st ask them whether they would Swear they were theirs Many of them would readily do it But if thou try our Friends they cannot Swear for their own Goods Therefore when thou puttest the Oath of Allegiance to any of them ask them Whether they can Swear in any other case as for their Cow or Horse Which if they be really of us they cannot do though they can bear Witness to the Truth Hereupon I gave him a Relation of a Trial in Barkshire which was thus A Thief stole Two Beasts from a Friend of ours the Thief was taken and cast into Prison and the Friend appeared against him at the Assizes But some body having Informed the Judge that the Man that Prosecuted was a Quaker and could not Swear the Judge before he heard what the Friend could say said Is he a Quaker And will he not Swear Then tender him the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy So he cast the Friend into Prison and Premunired him and let the Thief go at Liberty that had stolen his Goods When I had related this Case Justice Marsh said That Judge was a wicked Man But said I If we could Swear in any Case we would take the Oath of Allegiance to the King who is to preserve the Laws that preserve every man in his Estate Whereas others that can Swear in some cases to preserve a part of their Estates if they be robbed will not take this Oath to the King who is to preserve them in their whole Estates and Bodies also So that thou may'st easily distinguish and put a difference betwixt us and other People This Justice Marsh was afterwards very serviceable to Friends in this and other Cases for he kept several both Friends and others from being premunired in those parts where he was a Justice And when Friends have been brought before him in the times of Persecution he set many of them at Liberty And when he could not avoid sending to Prison he sent some for a few Hours or for a Night At length he went to the King and told him He had sent some of us to Prison contrary to his Conscience and he could not do so any more Wherefore he removed his Family from Lime-house where he lived and took Lodgings near James's Park He told the King That if he would be pleased to give Liberty of Conscience that would quiet and settle all for then none could have any pretence to be uneasie And indeed he was a very serviceable man to Truth and Friends in his day We had great Service at London this year and the Lord's Truth came over all and many that had been out from Truth came in again this Year Confessing and Condemning their former Outgoings Now after I had stay'd some time in London I went forth into the Countries again visiting Friends in Surry and Sussex Surry Sussex and in other places that way and afterwards travelled Northward having Leonard Fell with me We visited Friends till we came to Warwick Warwick where many Friends were in Prison and we had a Meeting in the Town After that I passed from thence to Birmingham and to Badgely Birmingham Badgely At Badgely I had a large Meeting After which I passed through the Country visiting Friends till I came to Nottingham Nottingham where on the first day we had a precious
into the Court of the King's-Bench and sate there among the Lawyers almost an Hour till the Judges came in When the Judges came in the Sheriff took off my Hat and after a while I was called and the Lord's Presence was with me and his Power I felt was over all I stood and heard the King's Attorney whose Name was Jâ—nes who indeed spake notably on my behalf as did also another Counsellor after him and the Judges who were Three were all very moderate not casting any reflecting Words at me So I stood still in the Power and Spirit of the Lord seeing how the Lord was at Work and the Earth was helping the Woman 1673. London King's-Bench-Bar But when they had done I applied my self to the Chief Justice desiring That I might speak and he said I might Then I related the Cause of our Journey the Manner of our being Taken and Committed and the Time of our Imprisonment until the Sessions with a brief Account of our Trial at the Sessions and what I had offered to the Justices then as a Declaration that I could make or sign instead of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy When I had done the Chief Justice said I was to be turned over to the King's-Bench and the Sheriff of Worcester to be discharged of me He said also That they would consider farther of it and if they found any Errour in the Record or in the Justices Proceedings I should be set at Liberty So a Tipstaff was called to take me into Custody and he delivered me to the Keeper of the King's Bench who let me go to a Friend's House where I lodged and appoâ—nted to meet me at Edward Man's in Bishopsgate-Street next Day But after this Justice Parker or some other of my Adversaries moved the Court That I might be sent back to Worcester Whereupon another Day was appointed for another Hearing and they had Four Counsels that pleaded against me and there was one George Stroud a Counsellor that pleaded for me and was pleading before I was brought into the Court but they bore him down King's-Bench-Bar and prevailed with the Judges to give Judgment That I should be sent down to Worcester-Sessions Only they told me I might put in Bail to Appear at the Sessions and to be of the good Behaviour in the mean time But I told them I was never in Ill Behaviour in my Life and that they the Four Judges might as well put the Oath to me there as send me to Worcester to be ensnared by the Justices in their putting the Oath to me and then premuniring me who never took Oath in my Life But I told them if I brake my Yea or Nay I was content to suffer the same Penalty which they should that break their Oaths This Alteration of the Judges Minds in my Case proceeded as was thought from some false Informations that my Adversary Justice Parker had given against me For between the times of my former Appearance and this he had spread abroad a very false and malicious Story viz. That there were many substantial men with me out of several parts of the Nation when he took me and that we had a Design or Plot in hand and that Thomas Lower stayed with me in Prison long after he was set at Liberty to carry on our Design This was spoken in the Parliament-House insomuch that if I had not been brought up to London when I was I had been stopped at Worcester and Thomas had been Recommitted with me But although these Lies were easily disproved and laid open to Parker's Shame yet would not the Judges alter their last Sentence but remanded me to Worcester-Jail only this Favour was granted that I might go down my own Way and at my own Leisure provided I would be without fail there by the Assize which was to begin on the Second Day of the Second Month next following So I stayed in and about London till toward the latter End of the First Month 1674 and then went down leisurely for I was not able to abide hasty and hard Travel Worcester and came into Worcester on the last Day of the First Month 1674 being the Day before the Judges came to Town 1674. Worcester Jail On the Second Day of the Second Month I was brought from the Jail to an Inn near the Hall that I might be in Readiness if I should be called But not being called that Day the Jailer came to me at Night and told me I might go home meaning to the Jail Whereupon Gerrard Roberts of London being with me he and I walked down together to the Jail without any Keeper Next Day being brought up again they set a little Boy of about eleven Years old to be my Keeper I came to understand that Justice Parker and the Clark of the Peace had gived Order that I should not be put into the Calendar that so I might not be brought before the Judge Wherefore I got the Judge's Son to move in Court That I might be called And thereupon I was called Worcester Assizes and brought up to the Bar before Judge Turner my old Adversary who had tendered me the Oaths and Premunired me once before at Lancaster After Silence made he asked me What I did desire I answered My Liberty according to Justice He said I lay upon the Oath and asked If I would take it I desired he would hear the Manner of my being Taken and Committed and he being silent I gave him an Account thereof at large as is before set down letting him also know ' That since my Imprisonment I had understood that my Mother who was an Ancient Tender Woman and had desired to see me before she died hearing that I was stopped and imprisoned in my Journey so that I was not likely to come to see her it struck her so that she died soon after which was a very hard thing to me When I had done speaking he again asked me To take the Oaths I told him I could not take any Oath for Conscience-sake and I did believe he and they all knew in their Consciences that it was for Conscience-sake I could not Swear at all But I did declare amongst them what I could say and what I could sign in owning of the King 's Right to the Government and in denying the Pope and his pretended Power and all Plotters Plots and Conspiracies against the Government Some thought the Judge had a mind to have set me at Liberty for he saw they had nothing Justly against me but Parker who Committed me endeavoured to incense him against me telling him That I was a Ring-leader that many of the Nation followed me and he knew not what it might come to with many more envious Words which some that stood near took notice of who also observed that the Judge gave him never a Word in Answer to it However the Judge willing to ease himself referred me and my Case to the Sessions
nor of the Form for I was against the Pope and Popery and did acknowledge and should set my Hand to that Then the Judge told the Jury what they should say and what they should do and what they should write on the Back-side of the Indictment and as he said they did But before the Jury gave in their Verdict I spake to them and told them That it was for Christ's sake and in Obedience to his and his Apostle's Command that I could not swear and therefore said I take heed what ye do for before his Judgment-Seat ye shall all be brought The Judge said This is Canting a base Word I said If to Confess Christ our Lord and Saviour and to obey his Command be called Canting by a Judge of a Court it is to little purpose for me to say more among you Yet ye shall see that I am a Christian and shall shew forth Christianity and my Innocency shall be manifest So the Jailer led me out of the Court and the People were generally Tender like as if they had been in a Meeting Soon after I was brought in again and the Jury found the Bill against me which I Traversed and then I was asked to put in Bail till the next Sessions and the Jailer's Son offered to be bound for me But I stopped him and warned Friends not to meddle for I told them ' There was a Snare in that Yet I told the Justices that I could promise to Appear if the Lord gave Health and Strength and I were at Liberty Some of the Justices were loving and would have stopped the rest from Indicting me or putting the Oath to me but Judge Street who was the Chair-man said He must go according to Law So I was sent back to Prison again Worcester Prison yet within two Hours after through the Moderation of some of the Justices I had Liberty given me to go at large till next Quarter-Sessions These moderate Justices it was said desired Justice Parker to write to the King for my Liberty or for a Noli prosequi as they called it because they were satisfied I was not such a dangerous Person as I had been represented and this it was said he promised them to do but did it not After I had gotten a Copy of the Indictment against me I went up to London visiting Friends as I went And when I came there London some that were Earnest to get me out of the Hands of those Envious Justices that sought to Premunire me at Worcester would needs be tampering again to bring me before the Judges of the King's-Bench Whereupon I was brought again by an Habeas Corpus before them King's-Bench-Bar And I tendred them a Paper in which was contained what I could say instead of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy as followeth THis I do in the Truth and in the Presence of God declare that King Charles the Second is lawful King of this Realm and of all other his Dominions and that he was brought in and set up King over this Realm by the Power of God and I have nothing but Love and Good Will to him and all his Subjects and desire his Prosperity and Eternal Good And I do utterly abhor and deny the Pope's Power and Supremacy and all his Superstitions and Idolatrous Inventions and do affirm that he hath no Power to Absolve Sin And I do abhor and detest his Murthering of Princes or other People by Plots or Contrivances And likewise I do deny all Plots and Contrivances and Plotters and Contrivers against the King and his Subjects knowing them to be the Works of Darkness and the Fruits of an Evil Spirit and against the Peace of the Kingdom and not from the Spirit of God the Fruit of which is Love I dare not take an Oath because it is forbidden by Christ and the Apostle but if I break my Yea or Nay then let me suffer the same Penalty as they that break their Oaths George Fox But the Business being so far proceeded in at Worcester they would not meddle in it but left me as I was to Appear again before the Justices at the next General Quarter-Sessions at Worcester 1674. London Yearly-Meeting Mean while the Yearly Meeting of Friends came on at which through the Liberty granted me till the Sessions I was present and exceeding glorious the Meetings were beyond Expression blessed be the Lord. After the Yearly Meeting was over and Friends out of the Countries were pretty generally returned home Worcester I set forward again for Worcester the Sessions drawing on which were held in the Fifth Month. And when I was called to the Bar Worcester Sessions and the Indictment read some Scruple arising among the Jury concerning it the Judge of the Court who was Justice Street caused the Oaths to be read and tendred to me again I told him I came now to Trie the Traverse of my Indictment and that his tendring me the Oaths a-new was a new Snare Then I desired him to Answer me a Question or two and I asked him Whether the Oaths were to be tendred to the King's Subjects or to the Subjects of Foreign Princes He said To the Subjects of this Realm Then said I You have not named me a Subject in the Indictment and therefore have not brought me within the Statute The Judge cried Read the Oath to him I said I require Justice Again I asked him Whether the Sessions ought not to have been holden for the King and the Body of the County He said Yes Then said I You have there left the King out of the Indictment how then can you proceed upon this Indictment to a Trial between the King and me seeing the King is left out He said The King was in before But I told him ' The King's Name being left out here was a great Error in the Indictment and sufficient as I was informed to quash it Besides I told him that I was Committed by the Name of George Fox of London but now I was Indicted by the Name of George Fox of Tredington in the County of Worcester And I wished the Jury to consider how they could find me Guilty upon that Indictment seeing I was not of the Place in the Indictment mentioned The Judge did not deny but there were Errors in the Indictment but said I might take my Remedy in their proper place I answered Ye know we are a People that suffer all things and bear all things and therefore ye thus use us because we cannot revenge our selves but we leave our Cause to the Lord. The Judge said The Oath hath been tendered to you several times and we will have some Satisfaction from you concerning the Oath I offered them the same Declaration instead of the Oath which I had offered to the Judges above but it would not be accepted Then I desired to know Seeing they put the Oath a-new to me whether the Indictment was quashed or no Instead
punishing Sin in the Kingdom neither then need Kings or Princes fear any of their Subjects if they all walked in the Spirit of Christ For the Fruits of the Spirit are Love Righteousness Goodness Temperance c. And if all that profess themselves Christians did walk in the Spirit of Christ and by it did mortifie Sin and Evil it would be a great Ease to the Magistrates and Rulers and would free them from a great deal of Trouble For it would lead all Men and Women To do unto all others as they would have others do unto them and so the Royal Law of Liberty would be fulfilled For if all that are called Christians did walk in the Spirit of Christ by it to have the Evil Spirit and its Fruits mortified and cut down in them then not being led by the Evil Spirit but by the good Spirit of Christ the Fruits of the good Spirit would appear in all Men and Women for as People are led by the good Spirit of Christ it leads them out of Sin and Evil which the Magistrate's Sword takes hold upon and so would be an Ease to the Magistrates But as People err from this good Spirit of Christ and follow the Evil Spirit which leads them into Sin and Evil that Spirit brings the Magistrate into a great deal of Trouble to Execute the Law upon the Sinners and Transgressors of the good Spirit That Spirit that leads People from all manner of Sin and Evil is one with the Magistrate's Power and with the righteous Law for the Law being added because of Transgression that Spirit that leads out of Transgression must needs be One with that Law that is against Transgressors So that Spirit that leads out of Transgression is the good Spirit of Christ and is One with the Magistrates in the Higher Power and owns it and them But that Spirit that leads into Transgression is the bad Spirit and is against the Law and against the Magistrates and makes them a great deal of Troublesome Work Now the Manifestation of the good Spirit is given to every Man to profit withall and no Man can profit in the Things of God but by the Spirit of God which brings to deny all Sin and Evil. It is said of Israel Nehem. 9. The Lord gave them his good Spirit to instruct them yet they rebelled against it But if all People did mind this Manifestation of the Spirit which God hath given to instruct them it would lead them to forsake all manner of Sin and Evil Enmity Hatred Malice and all manner of Vnrighteousness and Vngodliness and to mortifie it And then in the Spirit of Christ they would have Fellowship and Vnity which is the Bond of Peace and then would Love and Peace which are the Fruits of the good Spirit flow among all them that are called Christians Now we are a People who in Tenderness of Conscience to the Command of Christ and of his Apostle cannot Swear for we are commanded in Matth. 5. and James 5. to keep to Yea and Nay and not to Swear at all not by Heaven nor by Earth nor by any other Oath lest we go into Evil and fall into Condemnation The Words of Christ are these Ye have heard that it hath been said by or to them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths These were true and solemn Oaths which they who made ought to perform in Old Time But these Christ and his Apostle forbids in the Gospel-times as well as false and vain Oaths Now if we could take any Oath at all we could take the Oath of Allegiance as knowing that King Charles was by the Power of God brought into England and set up King of England c. over the Heads of our Old Persecutors And as for the Pope's Supremacy we do utterly deny it But Christ and the Apostle having commanded us Not to Swear but to keep to Yea and Nay we dare not break their Commands and therefore many have put the Oaths to us as a Snare that they might make a Prey of us So our denying to Swear is not in Wilfulness Stubbornness or Contempt but only in Obedience to the Command of Christ and his Apostle And we are content if we break our Yea and Nay to suffer the same Penalty as they should that break their Oaths We desire therefore that the King would take this into his Consideration and how long we have Suffered in this Case This is from one who desires the Eternal Good and Prosperity of the King and of all his Subjects in the Lord Jesus Christ. G. F. About this time I had a fit of Sickness which brought me very low and weak in my Body and I continued so a pretty while insomuch that some Friends began to doubt of my Recovery and I seemed to my self to be amongst the Graves and dead Corpses Yet the Invisible Power did secretly support me and conveyed refreshing Strength into me even when I was so Weak that I was almost Speechless And one Night as I was lying awake upon my Bed in the Glory of the Lord which was over all it was said unto me That the Lord had a great Deal more Work for me to do for him before he took me to himself Endeavours were used to get me Released at least for a Time till I was grown stronger but the Way of Effecting it proving difficult and tedious for the King was not willing to Release me by any other way than a Pardon being told he could not Legally do it and I was not willing 〈◊〉 be Released by a Pardon which he would readily have given me because I did not look upon that way as agreeable with the Innocency of my Cause a Friend one Edward Pitway having Occasion to speak with Justice Parker upon some other Business desired him to give Order to the Jailer That in regard of my Weakness I might have Liberty to go out of the Jail into the City Whereupon Justice Parker wrote the following Letter to the Jailer and sent it to the Friend to deliver Mr. Harris I Have beeen much importuned by some Friends to George Fox to write to you I am informed by them that he is in a very weak Condition and very much Indisposed What lawful Favour you can do for the Benefit of the Air for his Health pray shew him I suppose the next Term they will make Application to the King I am Sir Your loving Friend HENRY PARKER Evesham the 8th of Octob. 1674. After this my Wife went to London and spake with the King laying before him my long and unjust Imprisonment with the Manner of my being taken and the Justices Proceedings against me in tendring me the Oath as a Snare whereby they had Premunired me so that I being now his Prisoner it was in his Power and at his Pleasure to Release which she desired The King spake kindly to her and referr'd her to the Lord-Keeper to
Gospel-Order and it belongs to them Then take your Possessions and Practise in it and be not Talkers only but Live and Walk in the Gospel the Power of God which is the Authority of your Meetings Swarthmore the 28th of the Third Month 1676. G. F. Read at the Yearly Meeting in London the 17th of the Third Month 1676. During this time also I Collected together as many as I could of the Epistles I had written in former Years to Friends I made a Collection too of the several Papers that I had written to O. Cromwel and his Son Richard in the time of their Protectorships and to the Parliaments and Magistrates that were in their times And after I had gathered them together I Collected also the Papers I had written to King Charles the Second since his Return and to his Council and Parliaments and the Justices or other Magistrates under him I made also another Collection of Certificates which I had received from divers Governours of Places Judges Justices Parliament-Men and others for the Clearing of me from many Slanders which the Envious Priests and Professors both here and beyond the Seas had cast upon me And this I did for the Truth's-sake as knowing that their Design in Slandering me was to defame the Truth published by me and hinder thereby if they could the Spreading thereof amongst the People Besides these I made Two Books of Collections the one was A List or Catalogue of the Names of those Friends who went first forth out of the North of England when Truth first brake forth there to proclaim the Day of the Lord through this Nation The other was of the Names of those Friends that went first forth to Preach the Gospel in other Nations Countries and Places and in what Years and to what Parts they went I made also another Collection in Two Books one of Epistles and Letters from Friends and others on several Occasions to me The other of Letters of mine to Friends and others I writ also a Book of the Types and Figures of Christ with their Significations and many other things which will be of Service to Truth and Friends in times to come I took notice also of those who had run out from Truth and drawn others out after them and turned against Truth and Friends at several times since the First Breaking forth of Truth in this latter Age and what became of them noting particularly the Repentance and Return of such of them as came back to Truth again But some ran quite out and never returned again but were Cut off in their Gainsaying and Rebellion for the Word and Power of God hath blasted and is blasting them and the Holy Seed hath ground and is grinding them to pieces And this I have observed that they who have been Convinced and have not lived and walked in the Truth have been the Worst Enemies to the Truth and done most Hurt amongst Friends in the Truth and to others And in these I have seen fulfilled what the Lord did long since shew me That such should be greater Deceivers than all the Priests and Professors For such as came as far as Cain and Balaam and Corah and Dathan and could preach Christ and say They had preached in his Name and such as came to be Apostles and had tasted of the Power of Christ and then turned from it such could yet speak their Old Experiences and have the good Words like Corah and Balaam but not keeping in the Life and Truth such Deceived the Hearts of the Simple both then and now and such come to be of the Devil who abode not in the Truth as Cain and and all the Jews that abode not in the Truth were For though Cain did Sacrifice to God and did talk with God and the Jews could talk of Abraham Moses and the Prophets yet Christ told them They were of their Father the Devil In like manner though they who are called Christians can talk of Christ and use his and his Apostles and Disciples Words yet not abiding in the Truth and Power and Spirit that the Apostles were in they are of the Devil out of Truth and do his Work And so are all these that have been Convinced of God's Eternal Truth since it sprang up in this Nation that have not abode in the Light and in the Spirit and Power of Christ Jesus but have turned against the Power and have opposed the Work thereof though they may retain their former Experiences and be able to speak many good Words yet not living in the Life and Power that gave them those Experiences they live in the Power of Darkness which is of the Devil and by the Light and Truth both he and they are Condemned and must own their Condemnations if ever they come to Truth again For to Resist the Heavenly Power and to oppose the Workings and Divine Manifestations thereof through any is not a light Matter And as I had been moved of the Lord to travel in his Power round about this Nation and in other Parts to preach the Everlasting Gospel and to declare the Word of Life which was in the Beginning through many Imprisonments Hardships Sufferings and Trials so I was afterwards moved to Travel in the same Heavenly Power about the Nation again and to write to such Places where I came not to recommend unto Friends the setting up of the Quarterly and Monthly Meetings in all Counties for the looking after the Poor and taking Care for Orderly Proceedings in Marriages and other matters relating to the Church of Christ Though some Meetings for this end were settled in the North of England in the Year 1653. And after this also Truth still spreading further over the Nation and Friends encreasing in number I was moved by the same Eternal Power to recommend the setting up the Womens-Meetings also that all both Male and Female that had received the Gospel the Word of Eternal Life might come into the Order of the Gospel brought forth by the Power of God and might act for God in the Power and therein do Business and Service for him in his Church All the Faithful must labour in God's Vineyard they being his Hired Servants and he having given them the Earnest of his Spirit For a Master that hires a Servant and gives him the Earnest of his Hire expects he should do his Work after he knows his Will in the outward Creation So all God's Prople that be of the new Creation and have received the Earnest of his Spirit ought to labour with by and in his Spirit Power and Grace and Faith in the Light in God's Vineyard that they may have their Wages every one Male and Female when they have done God's Work and Business in his Day which is Eternal Life But none can labour in his Vineyard and do his Work and Will but as they walk in the Heavenly Divine Light Grace and Spirit of Christ which is hath been and is my Travel and
Oaths we have been Convicted for an unknown Preacher when the Preacher hath been both known and fined And also in their swearing such Persons to have been at such a Meeting such a day when indeed they whom they have so sworn against have not been at that Meeting that day By which proceedings several Families of the King 's peaceable Subjects are like to be ruined if there be not a speedy stop put thereunto Therefore we do both hope and desire that you who are the King's Justices for the time to come when any Informers shall come to any of you with an Information against any of us will Summon such as are Accused to Appear before you and hear us and our Accusers face to face that so none for the time to come may suffer for that they are not guilty of For Pilate the Governour heard Christ and his Accusers face to face before he Condemned him John 19. And the Council and Chief Priests heard Stephen and his Accusers with the Witnesses that were brought against him face to face before they Condemned him Acts 7. The Roman Captain heard Paul and his Accusers face to face Acts 23. And Felix the Governour heard Paul and Ananias the High Priest and the Elders that accused Paul face to face Acts 24. And when the High Priests and Chief of the Jews accused Paul to Festus he heard Paul and his Accusers and them that witnessed against him face to face Acts 25. Doth the Law of God or did the Roman Law or doth the Law of the Land judge any man before he and his Accusers and they that Witness against him be heard face to face This somewhat moderated the Justices and after this several Friends that had been Illegally prosecuted and fined entred their Appeals upon Trial whereof they were Acquitted and the Informers Cast which was a great discouragement to the Informers and some Relief to Friends A little before the time came for the Chusing new Sheriffs for the City they who stood to be Chosen desiring our Friends to give their Voices for them I writ a few Lines tending to discover what Spirit they were of and how they stood affected to true Liberty and it was by way of Inquiry thus DO any here in London who stand to be Chosen Sheriffs own That Christ that was Crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem to be the Light of the World that doth Inlighten every Man that cometh into the World who saith Believe in the Light that ye may become Children of the Light And is any of you against persecuting People for their Religion and Worship of God in Spirit and Truth as Christ commandeth For Christ said I am not of this World nor my Kingdom And therefore he doth not uphold his spiritual Worship and pure Religion with worldly and carnal Weapons And Christ said Swear not at all And his Apostle James saith the same But will not you force us to swear and so to break Christ's and his Apostle's Commands in putting Oaths to us And Christ saith to his Apostles Freely ye have received freely give Will not you force us to give Tithes and Maintenance to such Teachers as we know God hath not sent Shall we be free to serve and worship God and keep his and his Son's Commands if we give our Voices freely for you for we are unwilling to give our Voices for such as will Imprison and persecute us and spoil our Goods But whatever they were that stood to be Chosen I observed there was a Heat and Strife in the Spirits of the People that were to Choose wherefore I writ a few Lines to be spread amongst them directed thus To the People who are Choosing Sheriffs in London People ALL keep in the gentle and peaceable Wisdom of God which is above that that is earthly sensual and devillish And live in that Love of God that is not puffed up nor is unseemly which envieth not but beareth and endureth all things And in this Love ye will seek the good and peace of all men and the hurt of no man Keep out of all heats and be not hot-headed but be cool and gentle that your Christian Moderation may appear to all men for the Lord is at hand who beholds all mens words thoughts and actions and will reward every one according to their works And what every man soweth that shall he reap Now had I some Inclination to have gone into the Country to a Meeting But hearing that there would be a Bussle at our Meetings and feeling a great disquietness in Peoples spirits in the City about Choosing Sheriffs it was upon me to stay in the City and go to the Meeting in Gracious-street upon the First-day of the Week William Penn went with me and spake in the Meeting Grac-Meâ—â— and while he was declaring the Truth to the People a Constable came in with his great Staff and bid him give over and come down but William Penn held on declaring Truth in the Power of God After a while the Constable drew back and when William Penn had done I stood up and declared to the People the Everlasting Gospel which was preached in the Apostles days and to Abraham and which the Church in the Apostles days did receive and came to be Heirs of This Gospel I declared was sent from Heaven by the holy Ghost in the Apostles days and is so now and was not of man neither by man but by the Revelation of the Holy Ghost And now this Gospel is preached again as John saw and said it should be to all Nations Tongues and Peoples and all People now are to hear Christ the Prophet in this his Gospel of the New Covenant For as Moses said Like unto me will God raise up a Prophet and him shall ye hear in all things so said I this Prophet Christ is come and all the Jews in spirit the true believing Christians in the Light who have the Law of God written in their hearts and put into their minds are to hear Christ in his Gospel New Testament and New Covenant which is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus who bruises the Serpent's head which is the head of Enmity and makes free from the Law of Sin and Death And I shewed that all whom Christ quickens and makes alive he makes them to sit together in the heavenly places in himself So that they do not wander up and down like the Fool 's eye in the Corners of the Earth nor are their Eyes abroad in the World to sit down in the World 's invented Seats of Religion but they sit together in him as the Saints did in the Apostles days and so Christ was and is their Treasure of Wisdom Life Knowledge and Salvation Now as I was thus speaking two Constables came in with their great Staves and bid me give over speaking and come down But I feeling the Power of the Lord with me spake on therein both to the Constables
The Constable still called upon me to Come down and at length pluckt me down and bid another Man with a Staff Take me and carry me to Prison That Man had me to another Officer's house who was more Civil and after a while they brought in Four Friends more whom they had taken I was very Weary and in a great Sweat and several Friends hearing where I was came to me in the Constable's house but I bid them all go their ways lest the Constables and Informers should stop them After a while the Constables had us almost a Mile to a Justice who was a fierce passionate Man who after he had asked me my Name and his Clerk had taken it down in writing upon the Constable's informing him That I preached in the Meeting said in an angry manner Do not you know that it is contrary to the King 's Laws to preach in such Conventicles contrary to the Liturgy of the Church of England There was present one Shad a wicked Informer who was said to have broken Gaol at Coventry and to have been burnt in the hand at London who hearing the Justice speak so to me stept up to him and told him That he had Convicted them on the Act of the 22d of King Charles the Second What! You Convict them said the Justice Yes said Shad I have Convicted them and you must Convict them too upon that Act. With that the Justice was Angry with him and said You Teach me What are you I 'le Convict them of a Riot The Informer hearing that and seeing the Justice Angry went away in a Fret and so he was disappointed of his purpose I thought he would have sworn some body against me whereupon I said Let no man swear against me for it is my Principle Not to swear and therefore I would not have any man Swear against me The Justice thereupon asked me If I did not preach in the Meeting I told him I did Confess what God and Christ had done for my Soul and did praise God and I thought I might have done that in the Streets and in all Places viz. Praise God and Confess Christ Jesus and this I was not ashamed to Confess Neither was this contrary to the Liturgy of the Church of England The Justice said The Laws were against such Meetings as were contrary to the Liturgy of the Church of England I said I knew no such Laws against our Meetings but if he did mean that Act that was made against such as did Meet to Plot and Contrive and raise Insurrections against the King we were no such People but did abhor all such Actions and did bear true Love and Good-will to the King and to all Men upon the Earth The Justice then asked me If I had been in Orders I told him No. Then he took his Law-books and searched for Laws against us bidding his Clerk take the Names of the rest the mean time But when he could find no other Law against us the Clerk sware the Constable against us Some of the Friends bid the Constable Take heed what he swore lest he were perjured for he took them in the Entry and not in the Meeting Yet the Constable being an Ill Man swore That they were in the Meeting However the Justice said Seeing there was but one Witness he would discharge the rest but he would send me to Newgate and I might preach there he said I asked him If it stood with his Conscience to send me to Newgate for praising God and for Confessing Christ Jesus He cried Conscience Conscience but I felt my words toucht his Conscience He bid the Constable Take me away and he would make a Mittimus to send me to Prison when he had dined I told him I desired his peace and the good of his Family and that they might be kept in the fear of the Lord So I passed away And as we went the Constable took some Friends word that I should come to his house the next Morning by the ' eighth hour Accordingly I did go with those Friends and then the Constable told us That he went to the Justice for the Mittimus after he had dined and the Justice bid him Come again after the Evening-Service which he did and then the Justice told him He might let me go So said the Constable you are discharged I blamed the Constable for turning Informer and swearing against us and he said He would do so no more Next day the Justice meeting with Gilbert Laty asked him If he would pay Twenty pounds for George Fox 's Fine He said No. Then said the Justice I am disappointed for being but a Lodger I cannot come by his Fine and he having been brought before me and being of ability himself I cannot lay his Fine on any other After I was discharged I went up into the City And the same Week the Sessions coming on where many Friends were concerned some as Prisoners and some on Trials of Appeals upon the Conventicle-Act I went to a Friend's house not far off that I might be in readiness to Assist those Friends with Counsel or otherwise as occasion should offer and I found Service in it But as my Spirit was concerned on behalf of Friends with respect to their outward Sufferings by the Persecutors without so an Exercise also came weightily upon me at this time in the sense I had of the Mischievous Working of that Adulterated Spiritâ— which being gone out from the heavenly Vnity and having drawn out some that profest Truth into Enmity and Opposition against Friends endeavoured to trouble the Church of Christ with their janglings and contention And as a further discovery of the working of that seducing Spirit and a Warning to all Friends to beware of it I was moved to write the following Epistle directed thus To all the Elect Faithful Called and Chosen of God who are the Flock and Heritage of God who have been acquainted with the Dealings of the Lord and have kept your habitations in his Life Power and Truth being built upon the holy and heavenly Rock and Foundation Christ Jesus who was the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles which Foundation stands sure MAny Foundations have been laid since the Apostles days by such as have gone from Christ the true and sure Foundation and their Foundations have proved rotten and come to nought and they themselves have come to Loss And many since the day of Christ and the Truth hath appeared in this Nation have come out and have had some Openings and Sights and come among us for a time and then gone out from us again who have been the Comers and Goers like such as were in the Apostles days Such have had an outward Profession of the Truth and such have gone from the true Foundation Christ Jesus and so from the heavenly Society and Unity of the Saints in Light And then they set up Foundations of their own and having a Form of Godliness but out of the
222* 267* Anne 269 B. BAiley Charles 241 Bailey William 172 361 Baker Daniel 248 Baker Nathaniel 479 Ball Nathaniel 316. 479 Richard 429 Barclay Robert 407. 433-435 446 Barnes William 327. 332 Barwick Grace 307 Bateman Miles 76. 82 Bathurst Charles 532 Bates Nathaniel 376 Baxe Richard 342 Beard Nicholas 151 Beaton William 221* 266 Bennet Col. Just 37. 41. 187 217* 219* Benson Just 73. 80. 90 91. 101. 103. 111. 116 117. his Wife 112. Francis 270 Beaumont Lord 255. 258 Bewley Thomas 108. 118 George 262. 263. 270 Bicliff Anthony 226 Billing Grace 212* 272* Edward 272* 277* Bindlas Robert Esq 93 Bingley William 520 521 Birdet 64 Birkenhead Sir John 304 Birkhead Serj. 197 Birkhead Abraham 374 Bishop George 152. 210. 244 Blackmore Major 245* Blaykling John 74. 80. 267. 269. 423 Bolton John and Wife 171 Bond Thomas 153 Nicholas 286* Bonner Bishop 293 Booth George 202 Bottomley Jacob 131 Bousfield Major 73 Bradden Capt. 179 180. 184. 185 Bradford Capt. 128 Bradshaw Judge 80 Brassey Nathaniel 519 Brathwait John 77 Brickley Anthony 131 Brigges Thomas 90. 259 260. 265. 327. 332. 341. 349. 356 357. 361 Britland see Priest Broadstreet Simon 243 244 Bromley Thomas 148 Brown Capt. 254. John 316 Bryerley James 430 Bushel Thomas Ranter 59 Burnyeate John 363 364. 367 368. 432 Burrough Edward 76. 84. 124. 131. 286* 241 242. 259 Burton Just 213 C. CAm John 84. 124. 170. 225* Thomas 423 Cannon Richard 396 Canterbury Bishop 245 Cartwright John 349. 357. 361. 364. 366-369 382 Cary Robert 174 Caton William 150. 594 Ceely Peter Just Major 176. 182-184 187. 219 Chamberlain Col. 352 CHARLES II. King 225. 228 229. 238. 241-243 245-248 250 272. 277. 279 280. 325. 336. 349. 402. 404 405 CHARLES I. 226. 460 461 Charles Thomas 430 Chetham George Sheriff 228 Chevers Sarah 252 Claessen Dirick 452 Clark Just 309 Clause John Holl. 433. 438 439. 444. 446. 463. 521. 594 Claypoole Lady 189 James 503 504 Coale William Amer. 374 Hezekiah 456 Cob Francis Esq 298. 303. 326 Cob Ranter 139 Cock 76 Colburn Capt. of Amer. 380 Cole 167 168 Colonel of Bristol 210 Conway Lady 457 Cooper Edward 430 Corbet Thomas 405 406 Costrop Richard 248 Cotton Arthur 304 Covel Richard 383 Countess of Derby 275 Cradock Dr. of Coventry 4. 301 Craven Robert 224* 225* 129. 140 Crips Nathaniel 222* 225* 310. 315. 456 457 Craston Thomas Just 114 Cromwel Oliver 136-138 169. 187. 214* 223* 224* 269* 288* 190. 194-196 392. 448 Richard 196. 229. 418. 199 200. 204. 229. 238 Crook John 149 150. 169. 282* 286* 457 Crosland Jordan 298. 300. 305 Crouch Edward 469 Crowder Dr. 393 Cubban Richard 259* 276 Cubham Richard 282 Cummings Thomas 218 Curtis Thomas and Anne 220* 244* Thomas 216. Anne 222 D DAndy John 222* 266 Darcy Abigail 314 Davenport Capt. 279 Davis Richard 405 Dennis Col. 204 Desborow Maj. Gen. 178. 214*-217* Dewes Col. Amer. 375 Dickinson James 77. 80 Dilger Emanuel of Dantzick 595 Dirick Niesson Gertrade 434. 446. 451-453 Dixon Alexander 102 Dodgson Constable 306 Doily Bray 388. 389 Dove Lieut. 281 * Downer Anne 186 187 Dowes Sybrand of Friezl 439. 444 Drakes John 352 Draper Henry 269 Drury Capt. 136-138 Dry Thomas 311. Widow 343 Duisbury William and Wife 54. 118. 137. 430. 457. 479 Duncon Robert 153. 432 E. EAston Nicholas Governour 366 Eccles Solomon 349. 361 362 379 Edmundson William 170. 349. 356. 361. 364. 369. 379 John of Maryl 372 373 Edwards Edward 255* Elizabeth Princess of Herwerden 435. 438 Ellis John 245 * 263 Ellwood Thomas 455 456 Elson John 406. 479 Endicot John of New Engl. 242 243 Evans Catharine 252 F. FAirfax Widow 301 Farnsworth Richard 54. 70 71. 80. 131 Fauks Thomas 255 Faulconbridge Lord 300 Fell Judge 77. 80. 83. 88. 90 91. 103. 261* his Son 85 Margaret 78. 88. 216. 221 222. 231. 238. 262. 266. 271. 273. 278. 289. 295. 312. 334. 336. 346 384. 387. 389. 402. 404. 407. 423 428 Daughters 152 Henry 230. 248 Leonard 79. 258. 262. 269-271 312. 325. 407. 423. 430 Mary 262 Rachel 387. 389. 423 Sarah 262. 336. 407 Susan 407 Fisher Samuel and Wife 150 151 Martha 349 Fleetwood Charles 269* Fleming Daniel Just 270. 273. 278-181 306 Fletcher 270 Floyd Charles 312 Forstall Richard 351 352 Forster Thomas 349 Foster Judge 226 227 Lieut. 279* Widow 511 Fox Christoph Mary 1. 390. 396 George 46. 48 49 192 Fox John 332 333. 336 337. 429 Capt. 178. 211 * Fraterus of Dantzick 295 Frecheville Lord 297 298 Fretwell Ellen 309 Ralph 356. Samuel 429 Frith Susan 309 Frizbey James 374 Frondenberg Abraham of Harlem 522 Frouzen Wilbert of Rotterd 520 Frye 262 Fuce Joseph 154 155 Furly Benjamin 245. 433. 435. 453 519 John 432 433 G. GAdecken of Dantzig 595 Gamboll Thomas 430 Gandy Will. 247* 226. 332. 407 Garland Wid. 296 Gaul Alderm of Rotterd 520 Geary John Amer. 379 380 General of Denmark 453 Gerard Lord 230 Gibbs Henry 312 Gilpin 123 Glyn Judge 179-185 189* 200* Goldsmith Ralph 242 Goodyear Thomas â—â— 54 Governour of Barbados 356. 361 of Carlisle 117 of Carolina 376 of Jamaica 362 of Mevis 357 Gouldney Tho. 210. Henry 613 Gray Richard 520 Green Wid. 71. Thomas 218 Grimes Coll. 225* 213 Gratton John 470 Gritton 149 Gwin Paul 221* 222* H. HAcker Coll. 136 137. 166. 195. 238. 260. 272 Haistings Lord 258 Hales Chief Just 405 406 Haley Wid. 430. 479 Halford John 388 389 Halhead Miles 84 Hambleton Margaret 269* Hambley Loveday 212* 219* 262 263. 319 Hamberry Richard 247* 316 Hammersley Thomas 130. 311 Hancock Edward 174 Harding John 570 Hardy 218 Harris George 319 Jailer 404 Hartiss George 64 Hartshorn Richard 365. 370 Harvey 137. 195 Harwood Robert 372 Hawkings George 264 Hellen Joseph 262 263 Hendricks Peter 451. 463. 594 Elizabeth 523. 594. 596 Hill John 442. 444 Hodges Francis 263 Hodgson Doctor 272 Peter 307 Holder Christopher 370 Holmes Thomas 124. 246* Holstein Duke 441. 523-527 Hookes Ellis 304 Hotham Just 55. 64. 66. 80. 326 Howard Luke 151 Howgil Francis 74. 83 84. 120. 124. 131. 216 Howsigoe Thomas 150 Hubberthorn Richard 84. 93. 124. 153. 156. 204. 226 227. 229. 231 250 Hubbersty Miles 76. 84 Steph. 76 Hull John 349 Hunter 297. 306 Huntington Robert 239 Hutchinson Hugh 269 Jam. 33â— Hutton Eliz. 7. 349. 361 362 Thomas 87 J. JAckson Henry 326 Jacobs Hessel Friezl 438. 445 Jay John 368. 370 Jenkins Walt. 167. 246* 247* 314 Jews 441. 453. 559 560 Indian Emperor 364. 372. 382 Empress 382 King 365. 375. 377. 379. 382 Priest called Pawaw or Bawaw 377 Captain ibid. John ap John 123. 240. 251 * 253 259 Johnson Richard 332 Jones Rice 127 128. 281** 282* James Just Amer. 381 the King's Attorney 394 Jose Nicholas 207. 263 Justices in Wales 245* 253* 254* 281* K. KEat Capt. 177-179 187 Keith Geo. and Wife 433-435 452-454 521. Geo. 407 Kellet Priest 15 Killam John 213 King of Poland 458-463 538 541. 594 595 Kirby William Col. 270