and his Marshal to the Meeting and were Convinced for the glorious powerful Day of the Lord was exalted over all and many were Convinced that day at that Meeting There were at that Meeting Two 1655. Whetston that came out of Wales who were Justices of Peace their Names were Peter Price and Walter Jenkin who came both to be Ministers of Christ I went from thence to Sileby to William Smith's Sileby where was a great Meeting to which several Baptists came and one of them a Baptist-Teacher was Convinced and came to sit under the Lord 's Teaching by his Spirit and Power This Baptist said he had Baptized Thirty in a day From thence I went to Drayton my Native Town Drayton where so many Priests and Professors had formerly gathered together against me but now never a Priest nor Professor did appear I asked some of my Relations Where were all the Priests and Professors now They said The Priest of Non-Eaton was dead and there were Eight or Nine of them seeking to get into his Benefice They will let you alone now said they for they are like a Company of Crows when a rotten Sheep is dead they all gather together to pull out the Puddings and so do the Priests for a fallen Benefice These were some of their own Hearers that said so of them But they had spent their Venom against me and the Lord delivered me by his Power out of their Snares Then I went to Badgley Badgley where there was a great Meeting from many parts many came far to it and many were Convinced and turned to the Lord And they that were Convinced came under Christ's Teaching and were settled upon him their Foundation and their Rock From thence I passed into Nottinghamshire Nottingham-shire Darbyshire and had large Meetings there and so into Darbyshire where the Lord's Power came over all and many were turned from the Darkness to the Light and from the Power of Satan unto God and came to receive the Holy Ghost And great Miracles were wrought in many Places by the Power of the Lord through several In Darbyshire James Nailer met me and told me Seven or Eight Priests had challenged him to a Dispute I had a Travel in my Spirit for him and the Lord answered me and I was moved to bid him Go on and God Almighty would be with him and give him the Victory in his Power And the Lord did so insomuch that the People saw the Priests were foiled and they cried A Nailer a Nailer hath confuted them all After the Dispute was over he came to me again praising the Lord. Thus was the Lord's Day proclaimed and set over all their Heads and People began to see the Apostacy and Slavery they had been under to their Hireling-Teachers for Means and they came to know their Teacher the Lord Jesus who had bought them and purchased them and made their Peace betwixt God and them While we were here Friends came out of Yorkshire to see us and were glad of the Prosperity of Truth After this I passed into Warwickshire through Friends Warwickshire Worcestershire Birmingham visiting their Meetings and so into Worcestershire and had a Meeting at Brummingham as I went where several were Convinced and turned to the Lord. At length I came to one Cole's House in Worcestershire near Chattan 1655. Near Chattan This Cole had given an Independent-Preacher a Meeting-place and the Independent came to be Convinced and after he was Convinced he laid aside his Preaching Whereupon the Old Man Cole gave him an hundred Pounds a Year I had a Meeting at that Meeting-place and a very great Meeting it was insomuch that the Meeting-place would not hold the People and many were turned to the Lord that day Afterwards when the time of Trials came this Independent did not stand to that which had Convinced him but turned back Whereupon the Old Man took away his 100 l. a Year from him again But this Old Man Cole himself died in God's Truth Now I heard that at Evesholme the Magistrates had cast several Friends into Prison in several Prisons and that hearing of my coming they made a pair of high Stocks So I sent for Edward Pittaway a Friend that lived near Evesholme and asked him the Truth of the thing and he said It was so Then I went that Night with him to Evesholme Evesholme and in the Evening we had a large precious Meeting wherein Friends and People were refreshed with the Word of Life and with the Power of the Lord. Next Morning I got up and rid to one of the Prisons and visited Friends there and encouraged them Then I rid to the other Prison where there were several Prisoners and amongst them one Friend that had been a Priest but was now become a free Minister of Christ his Name was Humphrey Smith So when I had visited the Friends at both Prisons and was turned away from the Prison to go out of Town I espied the Magistrates coming up the Town to have seized me in Prison But the Lord frustrated their Intents that the Innocent escaped their Snare and the Lord God's blessed Power came over them all But exceeding Rude and Envious were the Priests and Professors about this time in those Parts Worcester I went from Evesholme to Worcester and had a precious Meeting there and quiet But after the Meeting as we came down the Street towards our Inn some of the Professors fell to discourse with Friends and were like to have made a Tumult in the City and as we went into the Inn they all cluttered into the Yard but I went among them and got them quieted The next day I walked forth into the Town and had a great deal of Discourse with some of the Professors concerning Christ and the way of Truth One of them denied That Christ was of Abraham according to the Flesh and that he was declared to be the Son of God according to the Spirit But I proved from Rom. 1. that he was of the Seed of Abraham being made of the Seed of David according to the Flesh and that according to the Spirit he was declared to be the Son of God Afterwards I writ a Paper concerning it Tewksbury From Worcester we went to Tewksbury where in the Evening we had a great Meeting And there came in the Priest of the Town with a great Rabble of rude People and the Priest boasted That he would see whether he or I should have the Victory I turned the People to the Divine Light which Christ the heavenly and spiritual Man had enlightned them withal that with that Light they might see their Sins and that they were in Death and Darkness and without God in the World 1655. Tewksbury And with the same Light they might see Christ from whom it came their Saviour and Redeemer who had shed his Blood for them and died for them and who was the Way to God
cherish the Good and reprove the Evil. 1668. South-hampton Then having visited the Meetings of Friends through the Countries we came to South-hampton where we had a large Meeting on the First-Day of the Week And from thence we went to one Capt. Reeves where the General Men's-Meeting for Hampshire was appointed to which some of all the County came and a blessed Meeting we had There the Mens-Monthly-Meetings for that County were settled in the Order of the Gospel which had brought Life and Immortality to Light in them But there came a Rude Company who were run into Ranterism and had opposed and disturbed our Meetings much One of them had lain with a Man and the man that had lain with her declared it at the Market-Cross and gloried in his Wickedness These lewd People lived a Company of them together at a House hard by the place where our Meeting was Wherefore I went to the House and told them of their Wickedness but the Man of the House said Why Did I make so strange of that Another of them said It was to stumble me I told them Their Wickedness should not stumble me for I was above it And I was moved of the Lord God to tell them That the Plagues and Judgments of God would overtake them and come upon them Afterward they went up and down the Country till at last they were cast into Winchester-Jail where the Man that had lain with the Woman aforesaid stabbed the Jailer but not mortally And after they were let out of Jail this Fellow that had stabb'd the Jailer hang'd himself The Woman also had like to have Cut a Child's Throat as we were Informed These People had formerly lived about London and when the City was fired they Prophesied That all the rest of London should be burnt within Fourteen Days and hastned away out of Town Now though they were Ranters and were great Opposers of Friends and Disturbers of our Meetings yet in the Country where they came some of the People of the World that did not know them would be apt to say They were Quakers Wherefore I was moved of the Lord to write a Paper to be dispersed amongst the Magistrates and People of Hampshire to Clear Friends and Truth of these Lewd People and their Wicked Actions Now after the Mens-Monthly Meetings in those parts were settled and we had visited Friends and the Lord's blessed Power was over all we went to a Town where we had a Meeting with Friends And from thence we came to Farnham Farnham where we met many Friends it being the Market-Day and we had many precious Meetings up and down that Country Friends in those Countries had formerly been plundered and their Goods much spoiled both for Tithes and for going to Meetings but the Lord's Power at this time preserved both them and us from falling into the Persecutors Hands We passed from thence and had a General Mens-Meeting at a Friends House in Surrey Surry who had been plundered so extreamly that he had scarce a Cow Horse or Swine left The Constables threatned to come then and break up our Meeting but the Lord restrained them At this Meeting the Mens-Monthly-Meetings were settled in the Authority of the Heavenly Power And after we had visited Friends in that Country and had many large and precious Meetings among them we passed to a Friend's House in Sussex Sussex where the General Meeting for the Men Friends of that County was appointed to be held 1668. Sussex and thither came several Friends from London to visit us There we had a blessed Meeting and the Mens-Monthly-Meetings for that County were then settled in the Lord 's Eternal Power the Gospel of Salvation that all in it might keep to the Order of the Gospel There were at that time great Threatnings of Disturbance but the Meeting was quiet And afterward we passed from thence and had several large Meetings in that County though Friends were then in great Sufferings there and many in Prison I was sent for to visit a Friend that was sick and went to see Friends that were Prisoners and there was danger of my being apprehended but I went in the Faith of God's Power and thereby the Lord preserved me in Safety Having visited Friends through the Country we passed on into Kent where after we had been at several Meetings Kent we had a General Meeting for the Men-Friends of that County There also the Mens-Monthly Meetings for that County were settled in the Power of God and established in the Order of the Gospel for all the Heirs of it to enter into their Services and Care in the Church for the Glory of God And Friends Rejoiced in the Order of the Gospel and were glad of the Settlement thereof which is not of man nor by man After this Meeting was over I visited Friends in their Meetings up and down in Kent And when I had cleared my self of the Lord's Service in that County I came up to London Thus were the Mens-Monthly-Meetings settled through the Nation For I had been in Berkshire before where most of the Ancient Friends of that County were in Prison and when I had informed them of the Service of these Monthly-Meetings they were settled amongst them also And the Quarterly Meetings were generally settled before I writ also into Ireland by faithful Friends and into Scotland Holland Barbados and other parts of America advising Friends to settle their Mens-Monthly-Meetings in those Countries also For they had their General Quarterly Meetings before But now that Truth was Increased amongst them they should settle those Mens-Monthly-Meetings in the Power and Spirit of God that did at first Convince them And since the time these Meetings have been settled that all the Faithful in the Power of God who be Heirs of the Gospel have met together in the Power of God which is the Authority of them to perform Service to the Lord therein many Mouths have been opened in Thanksgivings and Praise and many have blest the Lord God that ever he did send me forth in this Service Yea with Tears have many praised the Lord. For now all coming to have a Concern and Care for God's Honour and Glory that his Name be not blasphemed which they do profess and to see that all who profess the Truth do walk in the Truth in Righteousness and in Holiness which becomes the House of God and that all order their Conversations aright that they may see the Salvation of God All having this Care upon them for God's Glory and being exercised in his holy Power and Spirit in the Order of the Heavenly Life and Gospel of Jesus here they may all see and know possess and partake of the Government of Christ of the Increase of which there is to be no end Thus the Lord 's everlasting Renown and Praise is set up in every one's Heart 1668. Kent that is faithful so that we can now say that the
Commissary's house and then taking Boat again we passed to Groningen Groningen the chief City of the Province of Groningland One of the Magistrates of that City came with us from Leuwarden with whom I had some discourse on the way and he was very loving We walked near Two Miles through the City and then took Boat for Delfziel and passing in the Evening Delfziel Appingdalen through a Town called Appingdalem where had been a great Horse-Fair that day there came many Officers rushing into the Boat and being somewhat in drink they were very Rude I spake to them exhorting them to fear the Lord and beware of Solomon 's vanities They were a sort of boisterous Fellows yet they were somewhat more Civil afterwards We landed at Delfziel about the Tenth hour at night having travelled much about Fifty English Miles that day We went to an Inn to Lodge and as we passed through the Guards they Examined John Claus whether I was not a Militia Souldier and when he had told them that I was not they let us pass peaceably on This City Delfziel stands on the River Eems over which we passed next day to the City Embden a Place Embden where Friends had been cruelly persecuted and from which they had been often banished I went to an Inn where I stay'd and dined with some men that understood English with whom I had a fine time and they were loving Mean while John Claus went with his Wife to her Fathers who lived in Embden whither after I had dined I went also understanding the old Man was desirous to see me In the Afternoon John Claus and I walked through the City to the place where the Wagon which he had hired was to meet us and while we tarried for it the Friends that were in the City came to the house where we were and there we had a little Meeting When the Meeting was over and the Wagon came not we sent to know the Reason and the Master of the Wagon sent us word that he durst not let his Wagon go for the Bishop of Munster's Souldiers were up in the Country and he was afraid they would take away his Horses So being disappointed of our passage we returned to John Claus his Father-in-law's house where I left him and went my self to my Inn at night We took Shipping next day and passed about Fifteen Miles upon the River Eems to a Market-Town in East-Friezland River Eems East-Friezland Leer Strikehuysen called Leer where lived a Friend that had been banished from Embden and when we had visited him we hired a Wagon in that Town and passed to a Garrison-Town called Strikehuysen where the Guards Examined us 1677. Deteren and then we went on to Deteren where hiring another Wagon we passed through the Country to another Garrison'd Town where we were very strictly Examined Apre From thence we passed unto Apre in the King of Denmark's Country where we lodged that night In our Travel this day we met the Earl of Oldenburgh going to the Treaty of Peace at Lembachie Next day hiring another Wagon we passed through the Country to the City Oldenburgh Oldenburgh lately a great and famous Place but then burnt down and but few houses left standing in it At this place we hired another Wagon and went through the Country to Delmenhurst Delmenhurst where after we had been Examined by the Guards we went to a Burger-Master's to lodge whose house was an Inn. And there being many People I declared the Way of Truth to him and them Warning them all of the Day of the Lord that was coming upon all Evil-doers Germany Bremen From hence we passed next day by Wagon to Bremen which is a stately City in Germany and from thence after a double Examination Overdelend Fisher-holder we went by Wagon to a Water called Overdelend and there took Boat to Fisher-holder Where finding pretty many People together I declared the Way of God to them and exhorted them to fear the Lord. There we took Wagon again and travelled in the Bishop of Munster's Country Munsterland Closterseven to a place called Closterseven and having no Inclination to stay there we got fresh Horses there intending to travel all night Accordingly we went out a little way but it quickly grew so dark and rained so hard that we thought it best to turn back again thither for our Wagon being open we had no defence against the Rain and our Cloaths were already wet with the Rain that had fallen for several days before So we went back to an Inn and got a little fresh Straw upon which we lay till about break of day and then set out in our Wagon again and travelled through the Country to the City of Buxtehude Buxtehude The People in the Bishop of Munster's Country were very dark and as we passed amongst them I preached Truth to them warning them of the Great and Notable Day of the Lord and exhorting them to soberness and to mind the good Spirit of God in themselves It was on the first-First-day of the Week that we went through this City Buxtehude and without the Walls was a great Fair of Sheep and Geese that day We stayed but a little to refresh our selves Hamborough and went on as fast as we could to Hamborough partly by Wagon and partly by Water We got to Hamborough time enough to get a Meeting there that Evening and a good and glorious Meeting it was There were at it amongst others a Baptist-Teacher and his Wife and a Great Man of Sweden and his Wife and all was quiet blessed be the Lord whose Power was Exalted over all Yet a dark hard place this is and the People are much shut up from Truth At Hamborough there was a Woman 1677. Hamborough that had spoken against me in John Perrot's time though she had never seen me till now and she had been troubled for it ever since and now was glad of an Opportunity to acknowledge her Fault which she very readily did and I did as readily and freely forgive her We stayed that night at Hamborough encouraging and strengthening the Friends there in the Testimony to the Truth and betimes next Morning we set forward towards Frederick stadt which is Two long days Journey from Hamborough We went the first-First-day to a Town called Elmshoorn where we baited Elmshoorn and then rode on through a Garrison-Town of the King of Denmark's and passing by the Monument of the Earl of Ransenny Rantzow Itzeho we came to the City of Itzeho where we lodged that night and I had some Service in the Evening among the People in the Inn whom I exhorted to soberness and to live in the Fear of the Lord. Next Morning setting out again we travelled to a Town called Hoghenhorn Hoghen-horn where we dined at an Inn with one of the Council of Frederick-stadt to whom and to the rest of the People
with us for Interpreters When this was concluded on William Bingley and Samuel Waldenfield took shipping for Friezland and Jacob Claus their Interpreter Alexander Parker and George Watts remained with me and we tarried a few days longer at Amsterdam where I had further Service And before I left Amsterdam I went to visit one Galenus Abrahams a Teacher of Chief Note among the Mennonites or Baptists I had been with him when I was in Holland about seven Years before and William Penn and George Keith had disputes with him then He was then very high and very shy so that he would not let me touch him nor look upon him by his good will but bid me Keep my Eyes off him for he said they pierced him But now he was very loving and tender and Confessed in some measure to Truth his Wife also and Daughter were tender and kind and we parted from them very lovingly Soon after this feeling our Spirits drawn towards Friezland Alexander Parker George Watts and I having John Claus of Amsterdam with us for our Interpreter took shipping at Amsterdam for Friezland and having sailed some Nine or Ten Leagues we left the Ship Friezland and travelled through Friezland sometimes by Boat sometimes by Wagon visiting Friends and tender People in the Towns and Villages where we came and having commonly one sometimes two Meetings in a day After we had been at Leuwarden Leuwarder Franeker Harlingen in West-Friezland we passed by Franeker to Harlingen in West-Friezland which was the furthest Place we went to that way And having been out six days from Amsterdam and had very good Service in that time in visiting Friends and publishing Truth amongst the People we took Ship at Harlingen for Amsterdam on the 26th of the fourth Month and arrived there that night Amsterdam The First-day following we were at the Meeting at Amsterdam which was very large and precious Many of the World's People were there and some of their Teachers some great Persons also and they seemed very attentive and a good opportunity we all had one after another to declare the Word of the Lord unto them and open the Way of Truth amongst them John Claus interpreting for us I tarried the next day at Amsterdam but George Watts went to a Burial at Harlem where many hundreds of People were amongst whom he had a good opportunity and came back at night to us 1684. Waterland-Osan-overton Lansmeer Amsterdam The day following we went by Boat to Osan-overton in Waterland and from thence in another small Boat about a League over a small River where we passed over and by above an hundred Bridges and so went to Lansmeer to a Friend's house whose name was Timon Peters and there we had a very good Meeting After which we returned to Amsterdam at Night and were at the Meeting there next day There were many at this Meeting besides Friends and among the rest the great Baptist-Teacher Galenus who was very attentive to the Testimony of the Truth and when the Meeting was done came and got me by the hand very lovingly Sardam Alkmaer We went next day by Boat to Alkmaer about eight Leagues from Amsterdam passing through Sardam the great Town of Ship-Carpenters and several other Towns in the way At Alkmaer which is a pretty City we stay'd and had a Meeting there next day at one William Williams his house There were besides Friends many very sober People at this Meeting who were very attentive to the Testimonies of Truth that were born both by Alexander Parker George Watts and my self John Claus being our Interpreter This was on the Sixth-day of the Week and on the seventh we returned to Amsterdam Amsterdam partly by Wagon partly by Draw-boat being willing to be at the Meeting at Amsterdam on the First-day because it was like to be the last Meeting we should have there Accordingly we were at it and a very large and open Meeting it was Many great Persons were at it some Earls we were told with their Attendants out of Germany very grave and sober and the everlasting Gospel was preached unto them After this Meeting we took our leave of the Friends of Amsterdam Harlem and the next morning departed thence to Harlem where we had a Meeting at a Friend's house whose name is Abraham Frondenberg There were great Numbers of People at this Meeting and of great Service it was And after the Meeting a Watch-maker of Amsterdam who with his Wife was come from Amsterdam to the Meeting desired to speak with me concerning Religion I had pretty much discourse with him and both he and his Wife were very Low and Tender and received with gladness what I spake to them and seemed well satisfied when they went away Roterdam Briel We went next day to Rotterdam where we tarried two Meetings and on the sixteenth day of the fifth Month went to the Briel to take Ship for England It was about the fourth hour in the Afternoon that we went on Board the Pacquet Boat of which one William Sherman was Master and set Sail from the Briel But when we had gone over the Maes about a League we cast Anchor at the place called The Pitt The Pitt because it is near unto the Sands and there we tarried till about the fourth hour next morning when having a pretty fair Wind and the Tide with us we weighed Anchor and by the fourth hour next day were got within five Leagues of Harwich over against Alborough-Castle but the Wind falling short and the Tide growing weak 1684. Harwich it was the first hour in the Afternoon before we came so near to Harwich that Boats could come to receive the Passengers and Goods There were on Board about forty Passengers in all of which some were English some Scots some Dutch some French some Spanish some Flemish and some Jews I spent a day with Friends at Harwich while Alexander Parker and George Watts went by water to visit Friends at Ipswich and returned at night Next morning early we all took Coach for Colchester and were at the Meeting there Colchester which was large and peaceable And after the Meeting and that we had refreshed our selves we travelled on to Witham Witham about Ten Miles on the Road towards London and lodged there that night Next day we went on towards London and William Mead meeting us on the way at Harestreet I went with him to his House Harestreet the other Friends going on for London Here being Weak with Travel and continual Exercise I spent some time to rest my self and recover my Health visiting in the mean time the Friends in that part of the Country as I was able to get abroad And when I was a little recovered I went from thence to Enfield Enfield visiting Friends there and thereabouts and so to Dolston to see the Widow Stot Dolston And from thence to London London there being
and about the City and cleared my self of what Services the Lord had at that time laid upon me there I left the Town and travelled into Kent Sussex and Surrey Kent Sussex Survey visiting Friends in those Counties amongst whom I had great Meetings and many times met with Opposition from Baptists and other jangling Professors but the Lord's Power went over them We lay one Night at Farnham where we had a little Meeting Farnham and the People were exceeding Rude But at last the Lord's Power came over them After Meeting we went to our Inn and gave notice That any that feared God might come to our Inn to us And there came abundance of rude People and the Magistrates of the Town also and some Professors I declared the Truth unto them and those of the People that behaved themselves rudely the Magistrates put out of the Room When they were gone there came up another Rude Company of Professors and some of the Chief of the Town and they called for Faggots and Drink though we forbad them and were as Rude a carriaged People as ever I met withal The Lord's Power chained them that they had not power to do us any Mischief but when they went away they left all their Faggots and Beer which they had called for into the Room for us to pay for in the Morning We shewed the Inn-keeper what an Vnworthy thing it was but he told us we must pay it and pay it we did And before we left the Town I writ a Paper to the Magistrates and Heads of the Town and to the Priest shewing them and him how he had taught his People 1656. Basingstoke and laying before them their rude and uncivil Carriage to Strangers that sought their good Then leaving that Place we came to Basingstoke a very Rude Town where they had formerly very much abused Friends There I had a Meeting in the Evening which was quiet for the Lord's Power chained the Vnruly At the Close of the Meeting I was moved to put off my Hat and to pray to the Lord to open their Vnderstandings upon which they raised a Report That I put off my Hat to them and bid them Good Night which was never in my Heart After the Meeting when we came to our Inn I sent for the Inn-keeper as I used to do and he came into the Room to us and shewed himself a very Rude Man I admonished him to be sober and fear the Lord but he called for Faggots and a pint of Wine and drank it off himself and then called for another and called up half a dozen men into our Chamber Thereupon I bid him go out of the Chamber and told him he should not drink there for we sent for him up to speak to him concerning his Eternal good And he was exceeding mad rude and drunk When he continued his Rudeness and would not be gone I told him The Chamber was mine for the Time I lodged in it and I called for the Key and then he went away in a great Rage In the Morning he would not be seen but I told his Wife of his Vnchristian and Rude Carriage towards us Bridport After this we passed through the Country till we came to Bridport having Meetings in the way We went to an Inn there and sent into the Town for such as feared God to come to us and there came a Shop-keeper a Professor and put off his Hat to us and seeing we did not the like to him again but said Thou and Thee to him he told us He was not of our Religion and after some discourse with him he went away his Wife who came with him being somewhat loving Then went he and stirred up the Priest and Magistrates against us and after a while sent to the Inn to us to desire us to come to his House for there were some would speak with us he said Thomas Curtis was then with me and he went down to the Man's House where when he came the Man had laid a snare for him for he had gotten the Priest and Magistrates thither and they boasted much that they had catched George Fox taking him for me When they perceived their Mistake they were in a great Rage yet the Lord's Power came over them so that they let him go again Mean while I had an Opportunity of speaking to some sober People that came to the Inn. And when Thomas was come back and we were passing out of the Town some of them came to us and said The Officers were coming to fetch me But the Lord's Power came over them all so that they had not power to touch me There were some Convinced in the Town that time who were turned to the Lord and have stood faithful in their Testimony to the Truth ever since and a fine Meeting there is there 1657. Portsm Pool Ringwood Weym Dorchester Passing from hence we visited Portsmouth and Pool where we had glorious Meetings and many were turned to the Lord. And at Ringwood we had a large general Meeting where the Lord's Power was over all And at Weymouth we had a Meeting and from thence came to Dorchester and so to Lime where the Inn we went to was taken up with Mountebanks 1657. Lime so that there was hardly any room for us or our horses In the Evening we drew up some Queries concerning the ground of all Diseases and the Natures and Vertues of Medicinable Creatures and sent them to the Mountebanks letting them know If they would not answer them we would stick them on the Cross next Day This brought them down and made them Cool for they could not answer them But in the Morning they reasoned a little with us And we left the Queries with some friendly People that were Convinced in the Town to stick upon the Market-Cross And the Lord's Power reached some of the sober People in that place who were turned by the Light and Spirit of Christ to his free Teaching Then traveled we on through the Country till we came to Exeter Exeter and there at the Sign of the Seven Stars an Inn at the Bridge-foot we had a general Meeting of Friends out of Cornwal and Devonshire to which came Humphry Lower and Thomas Lower and John Ellis from the Land's End and Henry Pollexfen and Friends from Plimouth Elizabeth Trelawny and divers other Friends A blessed heavenly Meeting we had and the Lord 's everlasting Power came over all in which I saw and said That the Lord's power had surrounded this Nation round about as with a Wall and Bulwark and his Seed reached from Sea to Sea And Friends were established in the everlasting Seed of Life Christ Jesus their Life Rock Teacher and Shepherd The next Morning after the Meeting Major Blackmore sent Souldiers to apprehend me but I was gone before they came and as I was riding up the Street I saw the Officers going down So the Wolf missed the Lamb
to get ready their Horses in the Morning and we rode out of Town together There were with me at that time Thomas Rawlinson Alexander Parker and Robert Widders When we were come out of Town they asked me Whether I would go I told them It was upon me from the Lord to go back again to Johnston the Town Johnstons out of which we had been lately thrust and to set the Power of God and his Truth over them also Alexander Parker said he would go along with me and I wisht the other Two to stay at a Town about three Miles from Edenborough till we returned Then Alexander Parker and I got over the Water Johnstons which was about three Miles over and rid on through the Country but in the Afternoon his Horse being weak and not able to hold up with mine I put on and got into Johnston's just as they were drawing up the Bridges the Officers and Souldiers never questioning me So I rid up the Street to Capt. Davenport's House from which House we had been banished before There were many Officers with him and when I came amongst them they lifted up their Hands admiring that I should come again but I told them The Lord God had sent me amongst them again So they went their Way And the Baptists sent me a Letter by way of Challenge That they would discourse with me the next day I sent them Word I would Meet them at such an House about half a Mile out of the Town at such an Hour For I considered if I should stay in Town to discourse with them they might under pretence of discoursing with me have raised Men to put me out of the Town again as they had done before At the Time appointed I went to the Place appointed Capt. Davenport and his Son accompanying me and there I stay'd some Hours but never a one of them came But while I stay'd there waiting for them I spied Alexander Parker coming who not being able to reach the Town had lain out the Night before and when I saw him I was exceeding glad that we were met again This Captain Davenport was then loving to Friends but afterwards coming more into the Obedience to Truth he was turned out of his Place for not putting off his Hat and for saying Thou and Thee to them Now when we had waited beyond reasonable Ground to expect any of their Coming we departed And Alexander Parker being moved to go again to the Town where we had the Meeting at the Market-Cross I passed alone through the Country to Lieutenant Foster's Quarters where there were several Officers that were Convinced From thence I went up to the Town where I had left the other two Friends and they and I went back to Edenborough together When we were come to the City I bid Robert Widders follow me and in the Dread and Power of the Lord we came up to the two first Sentries and the Lord's Power came so over them that we passed by them without any Examination Then we rode up the Street to the Market-place and by the Main-guard out at the Gate by the third Sentry and so clear out at the Suburbs and there came to an Inn and set up our Horses it being the seventh Day of the Week Now I saw and felt that we had rid as it were against the Canon's Mouth or the Sword 's Point but the Lord's Power and immediate Hand carried us over the Heads of them all Next day I went up to the Meeting in the City Friends having notice that I would be at it There came many Officers and Souldiers to it and a glorious Meeting it was and the Everlasting Power of God was set over the Nation and his Son reigned in his glorious Power and all was quiet and no Man offered to meddle with me 1657. Edenborough When the Meeting was ended and I had visited Friends I came out of the City to my Inn again and the next day being the second day of the Week we set forward through the Country towards the Borders of England As we travelled along the Country I spied a Steeple-house and it struck at my Life I asked what Steeple-house it was and was Answered Dunbar that it was Dunbar When I came thither and had set up at an Inn I walked up to the Steeple-house having a Friend or two with me When we came into the Steeple-house-yard one of the chief Men of the Town was walking there So I spake to one of the Friends that was with me To go to him and tell him that about the Ninth Hour next Morning there would be a Meeting there of the People of God called Quakers of which we desired he would give notice to the People of the Town He sent me Word That they were to have a Lecture there by the Ninth Hour but that we might have our Meeting there by the Eighth Hour if we would We concluded so and desired him to give Notice of it Accordingly in the Morning both Poor and Rich came And there being a Captain of Horse quartered in the Town He and his Troopers came also so that we had a large Meeting And a glorious Meeting it was the Lord's Power being set over all After some time the Priest came and went into the Steeple-house but we being in the Steeple-house-yard most of the People staid with us And Friends were so full and their Voices so high in the Power of God that the Priest could do little in the Steeple-house but came quickly out again and stood a while and then went his Way For after I had opened to the People Where they might find Christ Jesus having turned them to the Light which he had enlightned them withal that in the Light they might see Christ that died for them and turn to him and know him to be their Saviour and free Teacher and had let them see that all the Teachers they had hitherto followed were Hirelings who made the Gospel chargeable and had shewed them the wrong Ways they had walked in in the Night of Apostacy and had directed them to Christ the new and living Way to God and had manifested unto them how they had lost the Religion and Worship which Christ set up in Spirit and Truth and had hitherto been in the Religions and Worships of Mens making and setting up and after I had turned the People to the Spirit of God which led the holy Men of God to give forth the Scriptures and shewed them that they must also come to receive and be led by the same Spirit in themselves a Measure of which was given unto every one of them if ever they came to know God and Christ and the Scriptures aright perceiving the other Friends that were with me to be full of the Power and Word of the Lord I stepped down giving way for them to declare what they had from the Lord to say unto the People Towards the latter End of
your Markets in your Highways and Cities yea and even in your Courts also because they said the Word Thou to you and could not put off their Hats to you That if something did not arise up amongst your selves to avenge the Blood of the Innocent there would come something from beyond the Seas which lay reserved there which being brought by the Arm of God the Arm of Flesh and strongest Mountain cannot withstand Yet ye would not consider nor regard nor hear but cried Peace Peace and feasted your selves and sate down in the Spoil of your Enemies being Treacherous both to God and Man And who will trust you now Have ye not taken Covenants and Oaths And broken Covenants and Oaths betwixt God and Man and made the Nations Breakers both of Covenants and Oaths so that nothing but Hypocrisie and Rottenness and Falshood under fair Pretence was amongst you When ye pretended to set up the Old Cause it was but your selves for which ye long stunk to sober People who saw that no good ye would do But it was a Joy for any of you to get up into Authority that ye might have Praise and Honour and Respect and they that were in the Self-denial were a Derision to you from amongst whom that was banished Thus ye became the Nations Masters and not Servants whereas the Greatest of all should be the Servants of all But there ye lost your Authority not considering your Estates from whence ye were and to what end God had raised you up but forgot the Lord and quenched that which was Good in your selves and persecuted them that lived in it And so are grown so gross and perverse that at last ye are fit for neither God nor Man Have not ye used to call the Quakers the Fanatick People and the Giddy Heads But whither now are ye Giddying Into Cain's City Nod which signifies Fugitive or Wandring Have not ye Persecuted and Imprisoned to Death such as God had Respect to and is now Reproving you for their sakes by them whom ye have hated Were not many amongst you cut off for your Persecution and yet the rest of you would not take Warning Was there not a Book of Examples set out unto you of what sudden and strange Deaths happened upon the Persecutors of the Innocent And yet ye would not take Warning until the Overflowing Scourge is now coming upon you Are not ye They that have killed like Cain who have killed about your Sacrifice and mingled the Blood of the Innocent with it Hath not God now Vagabonded you that ye should become a Curse upon the Earth who have persecuted Friends to Death Did not the Blood of the Righteous cry out of the Ground for Vengeance And will not the Blood of the Righteous be required Could ye think that the Lord would let you sit always with Bloody Hands and Fists of Wickedness Ah! What 's become of all your Feasts and your Fasts the Prayers and Blessings of your Priests G. F. Being now clear of the City and finding my Spirit drawn to Visit Friends in the Western Parts of England I went out of Town and passing first into Surrey and Sussex Surrey Sussex came to a great Town where there was a large Meeting to which several Friends from Reading came and a blessed Meeting it was The Priest of the Town was in a great Rage but did not come out of his House wherefore hearing him make a great Noise in his House as we were passing from the Meeting we bid him Come out into the Street and we would discourse with him but he would not So the Lord's Power being over all Friends were refreshed in the Lord's Power and Truth From thence I went to another Market-Town where in the Evening we had a precious Meeting and the fresh Sense of the Presence of the Lord God was sweetly felt amongst us Hampshire Dorsetshire Ringwood Pool Then turning into Hampshire and Dorsetshire I went to Ringwood and Pool visiting Friends in the Lord's Power and had great Meetings amongst them Dorchester At Dorchester we had a great Meeting in the Evening at our Inn to which many Souldiers came and were pretty Civil But the Constables and Officers of the Town came under pretence to look for a Jesuite whose Head they said was shaved And they would have all to put off their Hats or else they would take them off to look for the Jesuit's shaven Crown So they took off my Hat for I was the Man they aimed at and they looked very narrowly but not finding any bald or shaven place on my Head they went away with shame and the Souldiers and other sober People were greatly offended with them But it was of good Service for the Lord and all things wrought together for good for it affected the People and after the Officers were gone we had a fine Meeting and People were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ their Teacher who had bought them and would reconcile them to God From thence we passed into Somersetshire where the Presbyterians and other Professors were very wicked and often used to disturb Friends Meetings Example One time especially as we were then informed there was a very wicked Man whom they had got to come to the Quakers Meeting This Man put a Bears-Skin on his Back and undertook with that to play Pranks in the Quakers Meeting Accordingly setting himself just opposite to the Friend that was speaking he Lolled his Tongue out of his Mouth having his Bears-Skin on his Back and so made sport to his Wicked Followers and caused a great Disturbance in the Meeting But an Eminent Judgment overtook him and his Punishmet slumbred not For as he went back from the Meeting there was a Bull-baiting in the way which he stayed to see and coming within the Bulls reach the Bull struck his Horn under the Man's Chin into his Throat and struck his Tongue out of his Mouth so that it hung Lolling out as he had used it before in Derision in the Meeting And the Bull 's Horn running up into the Man's Head he swung him about upon his Horn 1659. Example in a most remarkable and fearful manner Thus he that came to do Mischief amongst God's People was Mischieved himself and well would it be if such apparent Examples of Divine Vengeance would teach others to beware We travelled through Somersetshire and Devonshire Devonshire Plymouth Cornwall till we came to Plymouth and so went up into Cornwal visiting the Meetings of Friends till we came to Land's-End Many precious and blessed Meetings we had all along through the Countries as we went wherein they that were Convinc'd were established and many others were added to them At the Land's-End in Cornwal Lands End there was an honest Fisher-man Convinc'd who became a Faithful Minister of Christ I took notice of him to Friends and told them He was like Peter While I was in Cornwall there were great Ship-wracks about
after the Meeting returning to our other Company on the Road went on with them to William Penn's that Night which is Forty Miles from London Worminghurst I stay'd at Worminghurst about Three Weeks in which time John Burnyeat and I at such times as we were not amongst Friends in Meetings Answered a very envious and wicked Book which one Roger Williams a Priest of New-England or some Colony thereabouts had written against Truth and Friends When we had finished that Service we went with Stephen Smith who was there with us to his house at Warpledon in Surrey Surrey Warpledon where we had a large Meeting Friends thereaway had been exceedingly plundered about Two Months before on the Priest's account for they took from Stephen Smith Five Kine being all he had for about Fifty shillings Tithes From thence we went to Kingston Kingston London and so to London where I stay'd not long for it was upon me from the Lord to go into Holland to Visit Friends there and to preach the Gospel there and in some parts of Germany Wherefore setting things in Order for my Journey as fast as I could I took leave of Friends at London Essex Colchester and with several other Friends went down to Colchester in Essex in order to my Passage for Holland Next day being the First day of the Week I was at the publick Meeting of Friends there which was very large and peaceable and in the Evening I had another large Meeting but not so publick at John Furly's house where I lodged The day following was the Womens-Meeting there which also was very large and I was at that too Harwich From thence next day we passed to Harwich where Robert Duncon and several other Friends out of the Country came to see us and some from London came to us there that intended to go over with me The Packet-Boat in which we were to go not being ready we went to the Meeting in the Town and a precious Opportunity we had together for the Lord according to his wonted goodness by his over-coming refreshing Power opened many Mouths to declare his Everlasting Truth and to praise and glorifie him After the Meeting we returned to John Vandewall's where I had lodged and when the Boat was ready taking Leave of those Friends that had accompanied us thither and that met us there we that were bound for Holland went on Board about the 9th hour in the Evening on the 25th day of the 5th Month 1677. The Friends that then went over with me 1677. Harwich were William Penn Robert Barclay George Keith and his Wife John Furly and his Brother William Tailcoat George Watts and Isabel Yeomans who is one of my Wife's Daughters About the First hour in the Morning we weighed Anchor having a fair brisk Wind which by the next Morning brought us within sight of Holland Holland But that day proving very clear and calm we got forward but little till about the Fourth hour in the Afternoon when a fresh Gale arose which carried us within a League of Land Then being becalmed again we cast Anchor for that Night it being between the hours of Nine and Ten in the Evening But William Penn and Robert Barclay understanding that Benjamin Furly was come from Rotterdam to the Briel to meet us got two of the Boat-men to let down a small Boat that belonged to the Packet-Boat and Row them to shore but before they could get to shore the Gates were shut and there being no house without the Gate they were fain to lie in a Fisher's Boat all Night As soon as the Gates were opened in the Morning they went in and found Benjamin Furly with other Friends of Rotterdam that were come thither to receive us and they sent a Boat with three Young-men in it that lived with Benjamin Furly who brought us to the Briel Briel where the Friends received us with great Gladness We stay'd about Two hours at the Briel to refresh our selves and then took Boat with the Holland-Friends for Rotterdam Rotterdam where we arrived about the Eleventh hour that day which was the 28th of the Fifth Month 1677. I was very well this Voyage but some of the Friends were Sea-sick Yet a fine Passage we had and all came safe and well to Land blessed and praised be the Name of the Lord for ever The next day being the First day of the Week we had Two Meetings at Benjamin Furly's where many of the Towns People and some Officers came in and all were civil Benjamin Furly or John Claus a Friend of Amsterdam interpreted when any Friend declared I spent the next day in Visiting Friends there and the day following William Penn and I and some other of the Friends went towards Amsterdam Amsterdam with some Friends of that City who came to Rotterdam to Conduct us thither We took Boat in the Afternoon Ouerkirk Delft and passing by a Town called Ouerkirk we came to Delft through which we walked on foot and then took Boat again to Leyden Leyden where we lodged that Night at an Inn. This is counted six Dutch Miles from Rotterdam which are eighteen English Miles and five hours sail or Travel for our Boat was drawn by an Horse that went on the shore Next day taking Boat again we went to Harlem Harlem fourteen Miles from Leyden where we had appointed a Meeting which proved very large for many of the Town 's People came in and Two of their Preachers and the Lord gave us a blessed Opportunity not only with respect to Friends but to other sober People Baptists and other Professors that were there and the Meeting ended peaceably and well After Meeting we passed to Amsterdam 1677. Amsterdam accompanied by several Friends of that City and of Alkmaer some by Wagon some by Boat Next day was the Quarterly Meeting at Amsterdam to which came Friends from Harlem and Rotterdam and with them those Friends of our Company whom we had left behind at Rotterdam viz. Robert Barclay George Keith and his Wife c. The Meeting was at Gertrude Dirick Nieson's house and a very large and serviceable Meeting it was for both William Penn and I were drawn forth to open many things concerning the Order of the Gospel and to shew the benefit and service of Yearly Quarterly and Monthly Meetings of Men and Women We had another Meeting at Gertrude's the next day more publick and very large at which were Professors of several sorts unto whom the Way of Life and Salvation was largely and livingly opened which they hearkned very attentively to none making any Objection to what was declared In the Afternoon we had another Meeting in the same place but less and more private The day following we had a Meeting of Friends only wherein by Joint Agreement of Friends were settled several Meetings to wit Monthly Quarterly and a Yearly Meeting to be held at Amsterdam for
present I declared the Truth with which they seemed to be affected Then travelling on we came to a River called Eyder where we took Boat and so went to Frederick-stadt The River Eyder Frederick-stadt We went to a Friend's house there whose name is William Pauls where several Friends came to us for there is a pretty many Friends in that City and we had a fine refreshing Meeting together that Evening which made us forget our Weariness for we were indeed very weary having travelled hard those Two days and being Wet through our Cloaths having had much Rain in our Open Wagons But the Lord made all easie and good to us and we were well and glad to see Friends blessed be his holy name for ever This City is in the Duke of Holsteyn's Country Holstein who would have banished Friends out of the City and Country and did send to the Magistrates of the City to do it But they said they would lay down their Offices rather than they would do it inasmuch as Friends came to that City to enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences And not long after the Duke himself was banished out of that City by the King of Denmark but Friends do still enjoy their Liberty there and Truth and they are of good Report amongst the People both in City and Country On the First-day of the Week I had a Meeting here to which many People came and some rough Spirits but the Power of the Lord bound them down and the Seed of Life was set over all While I was here I had a Discourse with a Jew that was a Levite concerning the Coming of the Messiah and he was much confounded in what he said Yet he carried himself lovingly and Invited me to his house I went thither and there I discoursed with another Jew who shewed me their Talmud and many other Jewish Books but they are very dark and do not understand their own Prophets There was at this City a Baptist-Teacher who had reproached and belied Friends 1677. Frederickstadt wherefore John Claus went with Two Friends of the Town to the house where he lodged and cleared Truth and Friends from his Reproaches and laid his Lies and Slanders upon his own head to his shame Before we left this Place I had another Meeting with the Friends only wherein I laid before them the Usefulness and Benefit of a Monthly-Meeting for the looking after the Poor and taking care that Marriages and all other things relating to the Church were done and performed in an orderly Manner and the thing Answered the Witness of God in their Consciences so that they readily Consented and Agreed to have Monthly Meetings thence-forward amongst themselves that both Men and Women might look after and take care of the outward Concerns of the Church After this Meeting feeling my spirit clear of that place we took leave of Friends there whom we left in good Order and not intending to go further that way we turned back again for Hamborough When we had travelled one days Journey and came to an Inn at night to Lodge I inquired there whether there were any tender People in the Town that feared God or that had a mind to discourse of the things of God but the Inn keeper told me there were few such in that Town Next night we got to Hamborough Hamborough and having passed the Guards we went to a Friend's house being very Weary for we had been up those Two Mornings before the third hour and had travelled each day hard and late Here we met with John Hill an English Friend who had been travelling in Germany and being in a Ship bound for Amsterdam that waited for a Wind he had lain sick on board her about two weeks and now hearing that I was in the Country got off from the Ship and came hither to meet me and to go along with me The next day after we came to Hamborough we had a very good Meeting there and very peaceable After the Meeting I had Discourse with a Swede an Eminent man in his own Country who having been banished from thence upon the Account of his Religion was come to Hamborough and was at the Meeting I had there before And when I had done with him I had another Discourse wirh a Baptist concerning the Sacraments so called In both which I had good service having opportunity thereby to open Truth unto them Being clear of Hamborough we took our Leave of Friends there whom we left well And taking John Hill along with us we passed by Boat to a City in the Duke of Lunenbergh's Country Lunenburghs Country where after we were Examined by the Guards we were had to the Main-Guard and there Examined more strictly but after they found that we were not Souldiers they were Civil to us and let us pass In the Afternnoon we travelled by Wagon and the Waters being much out by reason of the great Rains that had fallen when it drew towards night we hired a Boy upon the Way to guide us through a great Water that we had to pass When we came to it the Water was so deep 1677. Lunenburghs Country before we could come at the Bridge that the Wagoner was fain to wade and I drove the Wagon But when we were come upon the Bridge the Horses brake part of it down and one of them fell into the Water the Wagon standing upon that part of the Bridge which remained unbroken and it was the Lord's mercy to us that the Wagon did not run into the Brook When they had got the Horse out he lay a while as if he had been dead but at length they got him up and put him to the Wagon again and laid the Planks right and then through the goodness of the Lord to us we got safe over After this we came to another Water which finding to be very deep and it being in the night we hired Two Men to help us through These men put Cords to the Wagon to hold it by that the force of the Water might not drive it beside the way But when we came into it the Stream was so strong that it took up one of the Horses off his legs and was carrying him down the Stream which I seeing called to the Wagoner to pluck him to him by his Reins which he did and the Horse recovered his Legs and so with much difficulty we got over the Bridge and went to Bormer-haven Bormer-haven the Town where the Wagoner lived It was the last day of the sixth Month that we escaped these dangers and it being about the eleventh hour in the night when we came in here we got some fresh straw and lay upon it till about the fourth hour in the Morning and then getting up we set forward again towards Bremen going part of the way by Wagon and part by Boat In the way I had good Opportunities to publish Truth among the People especially at a
Market-Town where we stay'd to Change our Passage where I declared the Truth to the People warning them of the Day of the Lord that was coming upon all Flesh and Exhorting them to Righteousness and telling them that God was come to Teach his People himself and that they should turn to the Lord and hearken to the Teachings of his Spirit in their own hearts At Bremen we were Examined as we usually were in Cities and garrison-Garrison-Towns and after that we went to an Inn Bremen and stay'd a while till another Wagon was provided to carry us further And here though I felt the Lord's Power was over the City and kept the wicked and unruly Spirits down yet my Spirit suffered much in this place for the Peoples sake When our Wagon was ready we left Bremen and travelled through the Country to Keby where we lodged at an Inn that night Keby and early next Morning set forth for Oldenburgh Oldenburgh which was a lamentable sight to see so great and brave a City burnt down We went to an Inn and though it was the First-day of the Week there were the Souldiers drinking and playing at Shovel-board and at those few Houses that were left the Shops were open and the People Trading one with another I was moved to speak to the People and declare the Truth among them and warn them of the Judgments of God And though they heard me quietly and were civil towards me yet I was burdened with their Wickedness 1677. Oldenburgh And many times in Mornings Noons and Nights at the Inns and on the Ways as I travelled I spake to the People preaching the Truth to them and warning them of the Day of the Lord and Exhorting them to turn to the Light and Spirit of God in themselves that thereby they might be led out of Evil. Next day passing through many great Waters we came at night to Leer Leer Embden and the day following to Embden where John Claus his Wife's Father lived at whose house when we went up into Germany we left a Young-man sick who travelled with me and used to write for me whom now at our Return we found pretty well recovered John Claus went to his Father-in-law's John Hill and I to an Inn where we dined and after dinner we went also to John Claus his Father's and had a good Meeting there in the Evening The day following we took shipping at Embden and passed to Delfziel Delfziel and went to an Inn where a Friend came to us that then lived in Delfziel having been often Banisht from Embden He was a Goldsmith by Trade and had an House and Shop in Embden and still as they banished him he went again Then they Imprisoned him and fed him with bread and water and at length took his Goods from him and Banished him his Wife and Children leaving them neither place to come to nor any thing to subsist on We Comforted and Encouraged him in the Lord Exhorting him to be faithful and stand stedfast in the Testimony committed to him And when we had taken our Leave of him Groningen we took Boat and passed the same day to Groningen where we met with Cornelius Andries a Friend that had also suffered much by Imprisonment and Banishment at Embden We went with him to his house and the next day we had a good Meeting in that City to which several Professors came and were very peaceable and attentive After Meeting we passed by Boat to Strobus Strobus Dockum Friezland Leuwarden and so to Dockum where we lodged that night at an Inn. And taking Boat again next morning we passed to Leuwarden the chief City of Friezland where I found my daughter Yeomans who was come from Amsterdam thither to meet me That day we had a precious Meeting there at Sybrand Dowe's house and after the Meeting I had some Discourse with some that were at the Meeting who had been formerly Convinced of Truth but were not come into Obedience to it We stayed there that night but John Hill left us and went that day to Harlingen and so to Amsterdam Next day we passed away by Boat down the River to the Lake of Hempen-Sarmer Hempen-Sarmer Lugmer Anderigo Whispool Gardick and thence by the Lake Lugmer and so to a Town called Anderigo from whence sailing through the Lake Whispool we came to a Town called Gardick It was within night when we came thither and we went and lodged at an Inn and the next day being the First-day of the Week we were at Friends-Meeting there which was very large many of the Towns-People coming in Amongst whom I declared the Truth in the Power of the Lord that was upon me which tendered the People and they were very sober 1677. Gardick After the Meeting we stayed but a little while to refresh our selves and then went to take Boat again but the People observing us gathered together at a Bridge where we were to pass and there I spake unto them again declaring the Way of Life and Salvation unto them and they were very Attentive and Civil We took Boat and went back that Evening to Leuwarden Leuwarden being 27 Miles but before we could get thither the Gates were shut and the Bridges drawn up so that we could not get into the City but were fain to lye in the Boat all night And the next Morning there having been a Man killed in the City that night it was late before the Gates were opened When we could get in we went to a Friend's house where we stay'd a while and then taking Boat again we passed through Franeker to Harlingen Franeker Harlingen to Hessel Jacobs where we found several Dutch Friends who were come to be at the Meeting there next day In the Evening William Penn came to us from Amsterdam who returning two or three days before out of Germany had been at a large Meeting at Amsterdam on the First-day and after Meeting understanding I was at Harlingen came thither to me The next day was the Monthly Meeting for the Men and Women to which we went and it was large and good And there it was Agreed upon amongst Friends That there should be a Meeting held there once a Month both for the Men and for the Women to take care of the outward Concerns of the Church In the Afternoon we had a publick Meeting to which came People of several sorts as Socinians Baptists Lutherans c. amongst which was a Doctor of Physick and a Priest And after I had declared the Truth a pretty large time to the People opening unto them the happy Estate that Man and Woman were in whilst they kept under God's Teaching and abode in the Paradise of God and on the other hand the Wo and Misery that came upon them when they went from God's Teaching and hearkning to the Serpent's Teaching transgressed God's Command and were driven out of the Paradise of God And then came
Idolatry of the Jews who forsook the Lord and compares them to an Harlot And in Chap. 8. ye may see the Destruction threatned against the Jews for their Impiety and Idolatry In Chap. 9. also the Distress and Captivity of the Jews is threatned for their sins and Idolatry And again they are reproved and threatned for their Impiety and Idolatry Hos 10. And this was for forsaking the Lord and his Way and following the ways of their own Inventions and the Ways of the Heathen And doth not Isaiah say That the Lord would visit Tyre and that she should commit Fornication with all the Kingdoms of the World upon the face of the Earth and therefore the Lord threatned Destruction upon her Chap. 23. And in Chap. 57. you may see how the Lord reproved the Jews for their Whorish Idolatry and said Vpon an high and lofty Mountain hast thou set thy Bed even thither wentest thou up to offer Sacrifices Thou hast enlarged thy Bed and made a Covenant with them thou lovedst their Bed where thou savest it This was a Joining to the Heathens Religions Altars and Sacrifices and a forsaking the Lord's Altar and Sacrifices which he commanded in the Law And therefore that was committing Whoredom with the Heathen and a going into their Beds from the Living God that made them And now in the New Testament God having poured his Spirit upon all Flesh that by his Spirit all might come to be a Royal Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices to God by Jesus Christ All that err from the Spirit of God and rebel against it they are not like to offer spiritual Sacrifices to God and such their Sacrifice God doth not accept no more than he did the Heathens and the Jews who rebelled against his good Spirit that he gave them to Instruct them And ye may see in the 17th 18th and 19th Chapters of the Revelation the Punishment of the great Whore Babylon the Mother of Harlots and the Victory of the Lamb and how he calleth God's People out of Babylon For in her was found the Blood of the Prophets and of the Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth But there ye may read her Judgment and her Downfal And this Whore are they that are whored from the Spirit of God and so from God and from his holy Worship in Spirit and Truth and from the pure undefiled Religion that keeps from the Spots of the World and from the new and living Way Christ Jesus and so are whored from the Spirit of God into false Religions Ways and Worships and so corrupted the Earth with her Abominations But her Judgment and Downfal is seen over whom Christ hath the Victory And the Marriage of the Lamb is come Glory to the Lord for ever And God's pure Religion and pure Worship in Spirit and Truth Christ hath set up as it was in the Apostles days Hallelujah G. F. London I soon returned to London but made no long stay there at this time my Body not being able to bear the Closeness of the City long together While I was in Town besides the usual Services of visiting Friends and taking care about their Sufferings to get them eased I Assisted the Friends of the City in distributing certain Sums of Money which our Friends of Ireland had charitably and very liberally raised and sent over hither for the Relief of their Brethren who suffered for the Testimony of a good Conscience here which Monies were distributed amongst poor suffering Friends in the several Counties in proportion according as we understood their Need. Before I left the City also I heard of a great Doctor that was lately come from Poland whom I invited to my Lodging and had a great deal of discourse with him And after I had informed my self by him of such things as I had a desire to know I writ a Letter to the King of Poland on behalf of Friends at Dantzick a Town belonging to him who had long been under grievous Sufferings A Copy whereof here follows To JOHN the Third King of Poland 1685. London Great Duke of Lithuania Russia and Prussia Defender of the City of Dantzick c. Concerning the Innocent and Afflicted People in scorn called Quakers who are now fed with Bread and Water in Bridewell of the aforesaid City under close Confinement where their Friends Wives and Children are hardly suffered to come to see them O King THE Magistrates of the City of Dantzick say That it is thy Order and Command that these Innocent and Afflicted People should suffer such Oppression Now this Punishment is Inflicted upon them only and alone because they come together in the Name of Jesus Christ their Redeemer and Saviour who died for their Sins and is risen from the dead for their Justification who is their Prophet whom God hath raised up like unto Moses whom they ought to hear in all things in this day of the Gospel and the New Covenant who went astray like scattered Sheep but now are returned to the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of their Souls 1 Pet. 2.25 Who has given his Life for his Sheep and they hear his Voice and follow him who leads them into his Pastures of Life John 10. And now O King I understand that thou openly professest Christianity and the great and mighty Name of Jesus Christ who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords To whom is given all Power in Heaven and in Earth who rules all Nations with a Rod of Iron Therefore O King it seems hard to us that any that openly confesses Christ Jesus yea the Magistrates of Dantzick do the same should Inflict those Punishments upon an Innocent and Harmless People by reason of their Tender Consciences only and alone because they come together to serve and worship the Eternal God who made them in Spirit and in Truth which worship Christ Jesus has set up Sixteen hundred years ago as we read in John 4.23 24. Therefore I beseech the King that he would Consider Whether Christ in the New Testament ever gave such a Command to his Apostles that they should shut up any in Prison and feed them with Bread and Water who was not Conformable in every particular to their Religion Faith and Worship Or where did the Apostles exercise such things in the true Church after Christ's Ascension For is not this the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles that Christ's Followers should Love their Enemies and pray for them that hate them and persecute and despitefully use them Matth. 5. And now Is it not a shame to Christendom among the Turks and others That one Christian should persecute another for the Doctrine of Faith Worship and Religion And they cannot prove that Christ ever gave them such a Command whom they profess to be their Lord and Master For Christ says that his Believers and Followers should love one another and by this they shall be known to be his Disciples And did not Christ
his People I desire you to Consider of these things and search the Scriptures and see whether any of the People of God did ever Imprison any for Religion but were themselves Imprisoned I desire you to Consider how it is written that when the Church is met together they may all Prophesy one by one that all may hear and all may learn and all may be comforted And then If any thing be Revealed to him that sitteth by let the first hold his Peace Thus it was in the true Church and thus it ought now to be But it is not so in your Assemblies but he that Teaches for Hire may speak and none may Contradict him Again Consider the Liberty that was given to the Apostles even among the unbelieving Jews when after the reading of the Law and the Prophets the Rulers of the Synagogue said unto them Ye Men and Brethren if ye have any Word of Exhortation for the People say on I desire you to Consider in Stilness and strive not against the Lord for he is stronger than you Though ye hold his People fast for a time yet when he cometh he will make known who are his for his Coming is like the Refiner's Fire and like Fuller's Sope. Then the Stone that is set at nought of you Builders shall be the Head-Stone of the Corner O Friends lay these things to Heaâ—t and let them nor seem light things to you I wrote unto you in Love to mind the Laws of God and your own Souls and do as the Holy Men of God did Great was the Exercise and Travel in Spirit that I went under during my Imprisonment here because of the Wickedness that was in this Town for though there were some Convinced there yet for the generality they were an hardened People And I saw the Visitation of God's Love pass away from them and I mourned over them And it came upon me to give forth the following Lines as a Lamentation for them O Darby As the Waters run away when the Flood-Gates are up so doth the Visitation of God's Love pass away from thee O Darby Therefore look where thou art and how thou art grounded and Consider before thou art utterly forsaken The Lord moved me Twice before I came to Cry against the Deceits and Vanities that are in thee and to warn all to look at the Lord and not at Man The Wo is against the Crown of Pride and the Wo is against Drunkenness and vain Pleasures and against them that make a Profession of Religion in Words and are high and lofty in Mind and live in Oppression and Envy O Darby thy Profession and Preaching stinks before the Lord. Ye do profess a Sabbath in Words and Meet together dressing your selves in fine Apparel and you uphold Pride Thy Women go with stretched-forth Necks and wanton Eyes c. which the true Prophet of old Cryed against Your Assemblies are odious and an Abomination to the Lord Pride is set up and bowed down to Covetousness abounds and he that doth wickedly is honoured So Deceit doth bear with Deceit and yet they profess Christ in Words O the Deceit that is within thee It doth even break my Heart to see how God is dishonoured in thee O Darby Now after that I had seen the Visitation of God's Love pass away from this Place I knew that my Imprisonment here would not continue long But I saw that when the Lord should bring me forth it would be as the letting of a Lion out of a Den amongst the Wild Beasts of the Forrest For all Professions stood in a Beastly Spirit and Nature pleading for Sin and for the Body of Sin and Imperfection as long as they lived And they all kick'd and yelled and roar'd and raged and ran against the Life and Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures which they professed in words And so it was as will appear hereafter There was a great Judgment upon the Town and the Magistrates were uneasie about me and could not agree what to do with me One while they would have sent me up to the Parliament another while they would have Banished me to Ireland At first they called me a Deceiver and a Seducer and a Blasphemer afterwards when God had brought his Plagues upon them then they said I was an Honest Vertuous Man But their good Report and bad Report their well-speaking or their ill-speaking was nothing to me for the one did not lift me up nor the other cast me down Praised be the Lord At length they were made to turn me out of Jail about the beginning of Winter in the Year 1651 after I had been a Prisoner in Darby almost a Year whereof Six Months in the House of Correction and the rest of the Time in the Common Jail and Dungeon Thus being set at Liberty again I went on as before in the Work of the Lord passing through the Country first into my own Country of Leicestershire and had Meetings as I went Leicestershire and the Lord's Spirit and Power accompanied me Afterwards I went near to Burton upon Trent where some were Convinced Burton upon Trent Bushel-House and so to Bushel-House where I had a Meeting And I went up into the Country where there were friendly People But there was an outragious wicked Professor who had an intent to have done me a Mischief but the Lord prevented him Blessed be the Lord And as I was walking along with several Friends I lifted up my Head and saw Three Steeple-house-Spires and they struck at my Life And I asked Friends What Place that was and they said Lichfield Lichfield Immediately the Word of the Lord came to me that I must go thither So being come to the House we were going to I wish'd Friends that were with me to walk into the House saying nothing to them whither I was to go And as soon as they were gone I stept away and went by my Eye over Hedge and Ditch till I came within a Mile of Lichfield where in a great Field there were Shepherds keeping their Sheep Then was I commanded by the Lord to pull off my Shoos And I stood still for it was Winter And the Word of the Lord was like a Fire in me So I put off my Shoos and left them with the Shepherds and the poor Shepherds trembled and were astonished Then I walked on about a Mile till I came into the City and as soon as I was got within the City the Word of the Lord came to me again saying Cry Wo unto the bloody City of Lichfield So I went up and down the Streets Crying with a loud Voice WO TO THE BLOODY CITY OF LICHFIELD And it being market-Market-Day I went into the Market-Place and to and fro in the several Parts of it and made stands Crying as before WO TO THE BLOODY CITY OF LICHFIELD And no one laid Hands on me But as I went thus Crying through the Streets there seemed to me to be a Channel
of Blood running down the Streets and the Market-Place appeared like a Pool of Blood Now when I had declared what was upon me and felt my self Clear I went out of the Town in Peace and returning to the Shepherds gave them some Money and took my Shoos of them again But the Fire of the Lord was so in my Feet and all over me 1651. Lichfield that I did not matter to put on my Shoos any more and was at a stand whether I should or no till I felt freedom from the Lord so to do and then after I had washed my Feet I put on my Shoes again After this a deep Consideration came upon me Why or for what reason I should be sent to Cry against that City and call it THE BLOODY CITY For though the Parliament had the Minster one while and the King another while and much Blood had been shed in the Town during the Wars between them yet that was no more than had befallen many other Places But afterwards I came to understand that in the Emperor Diocletian's Time a Thousand Christians were Martyred in Lichfield So I was to go without my Shoos through the Channel of their Blood and into the Pool of their Blood in the Market-Place that I might Raise up the Memorial of the Blood of those Martyrs which had been shed above a Thousand Years before and lay Cold in their Streets So the Sense of this Blood was upon me and I obeyed the Word of the Lord. Ancient Records testify how many of the Christian Britains suffered there And much I could write of the Sense I had of the Blood of the Martyrs that hath been shed in this Nation for the Name of Christ both under the Ten Persecutions and since but I leave it to the Lord and to his Book out of which all shall be Judged For his Book is a most certain true Record and his Spirit a true Recorder Then passed I up and down through the Countries having Meetings amongst friendly People in many Places But my Relations were offended at me Nottinghamshire Mansfield Darbyshire Yorkshire Doncaster Balby Wakefield So after some Time I came into Nottinghamshire again and to Mansfield and went into Darbyshire visiting Friends Then passing into Yorkshire I preached Repentance through Doncaster and several other Places and after came to Balby where Richard Farnsworth and several others were convinced So traveling through the Countries to several Places preaching Repentance and the Word of Life to the People I came into the Parts about Wakefield where James Naylor lived and he and Thomas Goodyear came to me and were both Convinced and received the Truth William Dewsbury also and his Wife with many more came to me who were Convinced and received the Truth From thence I passed through the Country towards Captain Pursloe's house by Selby Selby and visited one John Leek who had been to visit me in Darby-Prison and was Convinced I had an Horse but was fain to leave him not knowing what to do with him for I was moved to go to many great Houses to admonish and exhort the People to turn to the Lord Thus passing on Beverly I was moved of the Lord to go to Beverly-Steeple-house which was then a Place of high Profession And being very Wet with Rain I went first to an Inn and as soon as I came to the Door a Young-woman of the House came to the Door and said What! is it you Come in said she as if she had known me before for the Lord's Power bowed their Hearts So I refreshed my self and went to Bed And in the Morning my Cloaths being still wet I got ready and having paid for what I had had in the Inn I went up to the Steeple-house where was a Man preaching And when he had done I was moved to speak to him and to the People in the mighty Power of God and turned them to their Teacher Christ Jesus 1651. Yorkshire And the Power of the Lord was so strong that it struck a mighty Dread amongst the People And the Major came down to me and spake a few Words to me but none of them had any Power to meddle with me So I passed away out of the Town And in the Afternoon went to another Steeple-house about Two Miles off And when the Priest had done I was moved to speak to him and to the People very largely shewing them the Way of Life and Truth and the Ground of Election and Reprobation The Priest said he was but a Child and could not dispute with me I told him I did not come to dispute but to hold forth the Word of Life and Truth unto them that they might all know the One Seed which the Promise of God was to both in the Male and in the Female Here the People were very loving and would have had me come again on a Week-day and preach among them But I directed them to their Teacher Christ Jesus and so passed away and the next Day went to Crantsick Crantsick to Captain Pursloe's who accompanied me to Justice Hotham's This Justice Hotham was a pretty tender Man one that had had some Experiences of God's Workings in his Heart After I had had some Discourse with him of the things of God he took me into his Closet where sitting together he told me he had known that Principle these Ten Years and was glad that the Lord did now publish it abroad to the People After a while there came a Priest to visit him with whom also I had some Discourse concerning Truth But his Mouth was quickly stopt for he was nothing but a Notionist and not in Possession of what he talked of While I was here there came a Great Woman of Beverly to speak with Justice Hotham about some Business and in Discourse she told him That the last Sabbath-day as she called it there was an Angel or Spirit came into the Church at Beverly and spake the wonderful things of God to the astonishment of all that were there And when it had done it passed away and they did not know whence it came nor whither it went But it astonished all both Priest Professors and Magistrates of the Town This Relation Justice Hotham gave me afterwards and then I gave him an Account how I had been that Day at Beverly-Steeple-house and had declared Truth to the Priest and People there There was in the County thereabouts some Noted Priests and Doctors that Justice Hotham had acquaintance with and he would fain have them speak with me and offered to send for them under pretence of some Business he had with them but I wish'd him not to do so Now when the First Day of the Week was come Justice Hotham walked out with me into the Fields and then Captain Pursloe coming up after us Justice Hotham left us and returned home but Captain Pursloe went with me into the Steeple-house And when the Priest had done I spake to
forth into the Street the City was in an Vproar and the Governour came down and some of those Souldiers were put in Prison for standing by me and for me against the Towne People There was a Lieutenant that had been Convinced and he came and had me to his House where there was a Baptists-Meeting and thither came Friends also and we had a very quiet Meeting and they heard the VVord of Life gladly and many received it The next day the Justices and Magistrates of the Town being gathered together in the Town-hall they granted a VVarrant against me and sent for me to come before them I was then gone to a Baptist's House but hearing of it I went up to the Hall to them where many rude People were some of whom had sworn strange false Things against me I had a great deal of Discourse with the Magistrates wherein I laid open the Fruits of their Priest's Preaching and shewed them how Void they were of Christianity and that though they were such great Professors for they were Independents and Presbyterians they were without the Possession of that which they professed G. F. committed to Carlisle Prison So after a large Examination they Committed me to Prison as a Blasphemer an Heretick and a Seducer though they could not justly charge any such thing against me The Jail at Carlisle had Two Jailers an Vpper and an Vnder which looked like Two great Bear-wards Now when I was brought in the Vpper-Jailer had me up into a great Chamber and told me I should have what I would in that Room But I told him he should not expect any Money from me for I would neither lie in any of his Beds nor eat any of his Victuals Then he put me into another Room where after a while I got something to lie upon There I lay till the Assizes came Carlisle Assize and then all the Talk and Cry was that I was to be Hanged And the High-Sheriff whose Name was VVilfrey Lawson stirred them much up to take away my Life and said He would guard me to my Execution himself They were in a black dark Rage and set three Musketeers for Guard upon me one at my Chamber-door another at the Stairs-foot and a third at the Street-door and none they would let come at me except one sometimes to bring me some necessary things At Night they would bring up Priests to me sometimes as late as the Tenth Hour in the Night and they would be exceeding Rude and Divellish There were a Company of bitter Scotch Priests Presbyterians made up of Envy and Malice who were not fit to speak of the things of God they were so foul-mouthed But the Lord by his Power gave me dominion over them all and I let them see both their Fruits and their Spirits Great Ladies also as they were called came to see the Man that they said was to die Now while both the Judge Justices and Sheriff were contriving together how they might put me to death the Lord disappointed their Design by an unexpected way For the Judge's Clark as I was Informed started a Question among them which Confounded all their Counsels So that after that they had not Power to call me before the Judge Anthony Pearson being then in Carlisle and perceiving that they did not intend to bring me as was expected upon my Trial he writ a Letter to the Judges directed as followeth To the Judges of Assize and Jail-Delivery for the Northern Parts sitting at Carlisle 1653. Carlisle Assize YOV are raised up to do Righteousness and Justice and sent forth to punish him that doth Evil and to encourage him that doth well and to set the oppressed free I am therefore moved to lay before you the Condition of him who is called George Fox whom the Magistrates of this City have cast into Prison for Words that he is accused to have spoken which they call Blasphemy He was sent to the Jail till he should be delivered by due Course of Law and it was expected he should have been proceeded against in the Common Law-Course at this Assizes The Informations against him were delivered into Court and the Act allows and appoints that way of Trial. How hardly and unchristianly he hath been hitherto dealt with I shall not now mention but you may consider that nothing he is accused of is nice and difficult And to my Knowledge he utterly abhors and detests every Particular which by the Act against Blasphemous Opinions is appointed to be punished and differs as much from those People against whom the Law was made as Light from Darkness Though he be Committed Judgment is not given against him nor have his Accusers been face to face to affirm before him what they have Informed against him Nor was he heard as to the Particulars of their Accusations nor doth it appear that any Word they charge against him is within the Act. But indeed I could not yet so much as see the Information no not in Court though I desired it both of the Clark of the Assizes and of the Magistrates Clark nor hath he had a Copy of them This is very hard And that he should be so close restrained that his Friends may not speak with him I know no Law nor Reason for I do therefore claim for him a due and lawful Hearing and that he may have a Copy of his Charge and freedom to Answer for himself and that rather before you than to be left to the Rulers of this Town who are not competent Judges of Blasphemy as by their Mittimus appears who have Committed him upon an Act of Parliament and mention Words as spoken by him at his Examination which are not within the Act and which he utterly denies The Words mentioned in the Mittimus he denies to have spoken and hath neither professed nor avowed them Anthony Pearson But notwithstanding this Letter the Judges were resolved not to suffer me to be brought before them but reviling and Scoffing at me behind my back left me to the Magistrates of the Town giving them what Encouragement they could to Exercise their Cruelty upon me Whereupon though I had been kept up so close in the Jailer's House that Friends were not suffered to come at me and Colonel Benson and Justice Pearson were denied to see me yet the next Day after the Judges were gone out of Town an Order was sent to the Jailer to put me down into the Dungeon amongst the Moss-Troopers Carlisle Dungeon Thieves and Murtherers 1653. Carlisle Dungeon which accordingly he did A Filthy Nasty Place it was where Men and Women were put together in a very uncivil manner and never a House of Office to it And the Prisoners so lousy that one Woman was almost eaten to death with Lice Yet as bad as the Place was the Prisoners were all made very loving and subject to me and some of them were Convinced of the Truth as the Publicans and Harlots were of
Try and Prove without Partiality Now take heed of your Approving such as he disapproved for since the Apostles days such as he disapproved have had their Liberty and they have told us The Tongues were their Original and that they were Orthodox Men and that the Steeple-house with a Cross on the top of it was the Church the Papists Mass-house you may look on the Top of it and see the Sign But the Scriptures tell us All the Earth was of one Language before the Building of Babel And when Pilate crucified Christ he set the Tongues Hebrew Greek and Latin on the top of him And John tells us That the Beast had power over the Tongues Kindreds and Nations and that the Whore sits upon the Tongues of whose Cup all Nations have drunk and the Kings of the Earth have committed Fornication with her and John said The Tongues are Waters Christ gives marks to his Disciples and to the Multitude how to Try such as these that you are to Try They are called of Men Master they love the Chiefest Seat in the Assemblies they be Sayers but not Doers And said he They shall put you out of the Synagogues and seven Woes he denounced against them and so disapproved them Christ said False Prophets should come and John saw They were come for they went forth from them and since the World hath gone after them But Babylon must be confounded the Mother of Harlots and the Devil must be taken and with him the Beast and the false Prophet must be cast into the Lake of Fire for the Lamb and his Saints over all must reign and have the Victory The Lord God sent his Prophets of Old to cry against the Shepherds that sought for the Fleece Ezek. 34. and to cry against such Shepherds as seek for their Gain from their Quarter and never have enough Isa 5.6 and to cry against the Prophets that prophesied falsely and the Priests that bore rule by their Means which was the filthy and horrible thing Jer. 5. And if you would forbear to give them Means you would see how long they would bear Rule There was in the Old Time a Store-house for the Fatherless Strangers and Widows to come to and be filled and they did not prosper then who did not bring their Tithes to the Store-house But did not Christ put an end to that Priesthood Tithes Temple and Priests And doth not the Apostle say that the Priesthood is changed the Law is changed and the Commandment disannulled Might not they have pleaded the Law of God that gave them Tithes Have ever any of the Priests prospered that take Tithes since by the Law of Man Was not the first Author of them since Christ's time the Pope or some of his Church Did the Apostles cast Men into Prison for Tithes as your Ministers do now As Instance Ralph Hollingworth Priest of Phillingham for petty Tithes not exceeding six Shillings hath cast into Lincoln-Prison a poor Thatcher named Thomas Bromby where he hath been about Eight and Thirty Weeks and still remains a Prisoner And the Priest petitioned the Judge That the poor Man might not labour in the City to get a little Money towards his maintenance in Prison Is this a good Savour amongst you that are in Commission to chuse Ministers Is this glad Tidings to cast in Prison a Man that is not his Hearer because he could not put into his Mouth Can such as be in the fear of God and in his Wisdom own such things The Ministers of Christ are to plant a Vine-yard and then Eat of the Fruit to Plow Sow and Thresh and get the Corn and then let them Reap but not cast them into Prison for whom they do no Work Christ when he sent forth his Ministers bid them Give freely as they had Received freely and into what City or Town soever they came Inquire who were Worthy and there abide and what they set before you said He that Eat And when these came back again to Christ and he asked them If they wanted any thing They said No They did not go to a Town and call the People together to know How much they might have by the Year as these that are in the Apostacy do now The Apostle said Have I not power to Eat and to Drink But he did not say To take Tithes Easter-Reckonings Midsummer-Dues Augmentations and great Sums of Money But have I not power to Eat and to Drink 1655. London And yet he did not use that Power among the Corinthians But they that are Apostatized from him will take Tithes great Sums of Money Easter-Reckonings and Midsummer-Dues and cast them into Prison that will not give it them whom they do no work for The Oxe's Mouth must not be muzz'led that treads out the Corn But see if the Corn be trodden out in you and the VVheat be in the Garner This is from a Lover of your Souls and one that desires your Eternal Good G. F. Now after I had made some stay in the City of London and had given forth the several foregoing Papers and cleared my self of what Service lay upon me at that time there I was mov'd of the Lord to go down into Bedford-shire to John Crook's House Bedford-shire Luton where there was a great Meeting and People generally Convinced of the Lord's Truth When I was come thither John Crook told me that the next day several of those that were called the Gentlemen of the Country would come to dine with him and to discourse with me They came and I declared to them God's Eternal Truth Several Friends went to the Steeple-houses that day And there was a Meeting in the Country which Alexander Parker went to and towards the middle of the day it came upon me to go to it though it was several Miles from me John Crook went with me and when we came there there was one Gritton that had been a Baptist but he was gotten higher than they and called himself a Trier of Spirits He used to tell People their Fortunes and pretended to discover to People when their Goods were stollen or Houses broken up who the Persons were that did it by which he had gotten into the Affections of many People thereabout This Man was got into that Meeting and was speaking and making an hideous Noise over the Young-convinced Friends when I came in and he bid Alexander Parker give a reason of his Hope Alex. Parker told him Christ was his Hope but because he did not Answer him so soon as he expected he boastingly cried His Mouth is stopt Then this Gritton directed his Speech to me for I stood still and heard him and he spake many things which were not agreeable to Scripture I asked him Whether he could make those things out by Scripture which he had spoken and he said Yes yes Then I bid the People Take out their Bibles to search the Places he should quote for proof of his Assertions But he
the World scornfully calls Quakers But all Scoffers and Persecutors Railers and Scorners Stockers and Whippers we deny by that Power which throweth down all that Nature as seeing that all who act such things without Repentance shall not inherit the Kingdom of God but are for Destruction So Rejoice all ye Righteous ones who are persecuted for Righteousness sake for great is your Reward in Heaven Rejoice ye that suffer for Well-doing for ye shall not lose your Reward And wait you in the Light that you may grow up in the Life that gave forth the Scriptures that with it ye may see the Saints Conditions and with it ye may see all that which they testified against and there with it ye will see the state of those that did reproach and scoff them and did mock them and persecute them and did whip and stock them and haled them out of the Synagogues before Magistrates So to you who are in the same Light and Life the same things do they now that they may fill up the measure of their Fathers With the Light now they are seen where the Light and Life and Power of God is made manifest for as they did unto them so will they do unto you Here is our Joy and the Scripture is fulfilled and fulfilling and with the Light which was before the World was which is now made manifest in the Children of Light with it they see the World and comprehend it and the Actions of it for he that loves the World and turns from the Light is an Enemy to God he turneth into VVickedness for the whole VVorld lieth in VVickedness He who turns from the Light turns into the VVorks of Evil which the Light of Christ testifies against And by this Light where it is made manifest all the VVorks of the VVorld are seen and made manifest G. F. This is to go abroad among the scattered Ones and among the World Great was the Rage and Enmity of the People Professors as well as Prophane against the Truth and People of God at this time and great the Contempt and Disdain they shewed of Friends plainness Wherefore I was moved to write the following Paper and send it forth directed as An Epistle to gathered Churches into outward Forms upon the Earth ALL ye gathered Churches into outward Forms upon the Earth the Son of God is come to Reign and he will tread and trample and will shake and make you Quake and Quiver you that be found without his Life out of his Light and without his Power His Day hath appeared Morter and Clay will you be found Breaking and Shaking and Quaking is coming among you Your high Building is to be laid desolate your professed Liberty shall be your Bondage the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Tremble ye Hypocrites ye Notionists The fenced Cities shall be laid desolate the fruitful Fields shall become a VVilderness your false Joy shall become your Heaviness the time of VVeeping and Desolation draweth nigh Come ye witty Ones see how ye can stand before the Almighty who is now come to plead with you you 'll fall like Leaves and wither like VVeeds Come you that have boasted of my Name saith the Lord and have gloried in the Flesh ye shall fade like a Flower who have slain my VVitness yet boast of my VVords which have been as a Song unto you Come ye Novelty-Ones who love Novelties changeable Suits of Apparel who be in the Fashions outward and inward putting on one thing this day and another the other day I 'll strip thee saith the Lord I 'll make thee bare I 'll make thee naked and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. What! hast thou profest the Prophets words hast thou profest the Apostles words and my Son's words hast thou Covered thy self with their Expressions thinkest thou not that I see thee out of my Life thinkest thou thou witty One to hide thy self where none can see thee thinkest thou if thou fliest to the uttermost parts of the Earth that I am not there Is not the Earth mine and the fulness of it saith the Lord Come all ye that have trusted in your own conceited Notions and Knowledge and VVisdom who were never yet out of the Earth and the Lusts of it and never yet got the Load of thick Clay off you and never were out of the drunken Spirit whose Imperfection appears who must be come upon as a Potter's Vessel broken Cisterns and ye that have been made VVise in your own Conceit and wise in your own Eyes in which Pride hath lifted you up and not the Humility you must be Abased You have run on with every one after his own Invention and every Man hath done that thing that was right in his own Eyes and that which did please himself This hath been the Course of People upon Earth Ye have run on without a King without Christ the Light of the World which hath enlightened every one that is come into the World but now is Truth risen now are your Fruits withering And you that are fortified and have fortified your strong Houses called your Churches make you your Cords strong the Lord will break you asunder ye that are gathering in and ye that are gathered For the Lord is risen to scatter you his Witness is risen in the Hearts of his People they will not be fed with dead Words nor with that which dies of it self nor will they be satisfied with the Husk which the Swine seeds upon And all ye Priests in the Nation and Teachers that now stand against the Light your Envy shews that ye be in Cain's Way your Greediness shews that ye be in Balaam's Way your standing against the Light which hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world doth manifest that you are in Core's Way that spoke the great high Words of Vanity ye whose Consciences are seared as with an hot Iron whose Judgment doth not linger whose Damnation doth not slumber who serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but your own Bellies who are the Evil Beasts spoken of which have destroyed many Families taken away their Cattel their Horses their Goods even their Household-Goods destroyed many poor men even whole Families taking their whole Estates from them whom you do no Work for O! the grievous Actions that are seen done by you the Ministers of Vnrighteousness whose fruits declare to the whole Nation that you are the Devil's Messengers your Actions declare it your taking Tithes Augmentations treble Dammages Midsummer-Dues as ye call them of them ye do no Work for nor Minister to And all ye Powers of the Earth beware of holding such up that be Vnrighteous Let not the Words of the Vnrighteous overcome you lest the righteous Judge the righteous God the Judge of Heaven and Earth upon you take hold whose Judgment is according to that of God in you which will let you see when you Transgress Come you proud and lofty ones who
Friends were glad of the Prosperity of Truth and the manifestation of the Lord 's glorious Power that had delivered us and carried us through many dangers and difficulties and I was glad to find Truth prosper in the City and all things well amongst Friends there Only there was one man whose Name was John Toldervey that had been Convinced of Truth and run out from it and the envious Priests took occasion from thence to write a wicked Book against Friends which they stuffed with many Lies to render Truth and Friends odious in People's Eyes and Minds and they Intituled their Book The Foot out of the Snare But this poor man came to see his Folly and returned and Condemned his Back-sliding and answered the Priests Book and manifested all their Lies and Wickedness Thus the Lord's Power came over them and his Everlasting Seed reigned and reigns to this Day Now after I had tarried some time in London and had visited Friends in their Meetings there I went out of Town again leaving James Nayler in the City And as I passed from him I cast my Eyes upon him and a Fear struck into me concerning him But I went away and rode down to Rygate in Surrey Surrey Rygate where I had a little Meeting There the Friends told me of one Thomas Moore a Justice of Peace that lived not far from Rygate and was a friendly moderate man whereupon I went to visit him at his House and he came to be a serviceable man in Truth We passed on to one Thomas Pachin's where we had a Meeting unto which several Friends came from London and John Bolton and his Wife came thither on foot in frost and snow After we had parted with Friends there we went towards Horsham-park Horsham-park Arundel Chicester and having visited Friends there we passed on to Arundel and Câ—â—chester where we had Meetings At Chichester many Professors came in and some jangling they made but the Lord's Power was over them The Woman of the House where the Meeting was though she was Convincâ—d of Truth yet not keeping her Mind close to that which Convinced her she fell in love with a man of the World that was there that time When I knew it I took her aside and was moved to speak to her and to pray for her But a light thing got up in her Mind and she slighted it Afterwards she Married that man and soon after went distracted for the Man was greatly in Debt and she greatly disappointed Then was I sent for to her and the Lord was intreated and Raised her up again and settled her Mind by his Power And afterwards her Husband died and she acknowledged the just Judgments of God were come upon her for slighting the Exhortation and Counsel I had given her After we left Chichester we travelled on through the Countries till we came to Portsmouth Portsmouth There the Souldiers had us to the Governour 's House and after some Examination the Lord's Power came over them and we were set at Liberty and had a Meeting in the Town Ringwood After which we passed away and came to Ringwood where in the Evening we had a Meeting at which several were Convinced and turned to the Spirit of the Lord and to the Teaching of Christ Jesus their Saviour Pool From Ringwood we came to Pool and having set up our Horses at an Inn we sent into the Town to inquire for such as feared the Lord and such who were worthy and we had a Meeting there with several sober People And William Baily a Baptist-Teacher was convinced there at that time The People received the Truth in the inward Parts and were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ their Rock and Foundation their Teacher and Saviour And there is become a great Gathering in the Name of Jesus of a very tender People who continue under Christ's Teaching Southampton We went also to Southampton and had a Meeting there and several were Convinced there also Edward Pyot of Bristol travelled with me all this Western Journey Dorchester From thence we went to Dorchester and alighted at an Inn that was a Baptist's house And we sent into the Town to the Baptists to let us have their Meeting-house to meet in and to invite the sober People to the Meeting but they denied it us And we sent to them again to know Why they would deny us their Synagogue so the thing was noised in the Town Then we sent them Word If they would not let us come to their house They or any People that feared God might come to our Inn if they pleased But they were in a great Rage and their Teacher and many of them came up and they flapped their Bibles on the Table I asked them Why they were so Angry were they Angry with the Bible But they fell into a Discourse about their Water-Baptism I asked them Whether they could say they were sent of God to baptize People as John was And whether they had the same Spirit and Power that the Apostles had And they said They had not Then I asked them How many Powers there are Whether there are any more than the Power of God and the Power of the Devil And they said There was not any other Power than those Two Then said I If you have not the Power of God that the Apostles had then you act by the Power of the Devil There were many sober People present who said They have thrown themselves on their Backs Many substantial People were Convinced that Night and a precious Service we had there for the Lord and his Power came over all Next Morning as we were passing away the Baptists being in a Rage began to shake the Dust from off their Feet after us ' What said I in the Power of Darkness We who are in the Power of God shake off the Dust of our feet against you Thus leaving Dorchester we came to Weymouth 1655. Weymouth where also we inquired after the sober People and about four score of them gathered together at a Priest's House all very sober People and most of them received the Word of Life and were turned to their Teacher Christ Jesus who had enlightned them with his Divine Light by which they might see their Sins and him who saved them from their Sins A blessed Meeting we had with them and they received the Truth in the Love of it with gladness of Heart The Meeting held for several Hours and the state of their Teachers and the Apostacy was opened to them and the state of the Apostles and of the Church in their Days and the state of the Law and of the Prophets before Christ and how Christ came to fulfil them and how he was their Teacher in the Apostles Days and how he was come now to teach his People again himself by his Power and Spirit All was quiet and the Meeting brake up peaceably and the People were very loving and
Ye would have Honour before ye have Humility Did not all the Persecutors that ever were upon the Earth want this Humility And so they wanted the Honour and yet would have the Honour before they had the Humility and had learned that And so ye that be out of the Humility be out of the Honour and ye are not to have the Honour who have not the Humility for before Honour is Humility mark before it Now ye pretend Liberty of Conscience yet shall not one carry a Letter to a Friend nor Men visit their Friends nor visit Prisoners nor carry a Book about them either for their own Use or for their Friends and yet ye pretend Liberty of Conscience Men shall not see their Friends but Watches are set up against them to catch and stop them and these must be Well-armed Men too against an Innocent People that have not so much as a Stick in their Hâ—nds who are in scorn called Quakers And yet â—mâ—ng such as set up these Watches is pretended Liberty of Conscience who take up them whose Consciences are exercised towards God and Men who worship God in their Way which is the Truth which they that be out of the Light call Heresy Now these who set up the Watches against them whom they in scorn call Quakers it is Because they confess and witness the true Light that lighteth every one that cometh into the World amongst People as they pass through the Country or among their Friends This is the dangerous Doctrine which the Watchmen are set up against to subdue Error as they call it which is the Light that doth enlighten every Man that cometh into the World Hâ—m by whom the World was made who was glorified with the Father before the VVorld began For them whom they in scorn call Quakers have they set up their VVatches Able Men well-Armed to take up these that bear this Testimony either in VVords Books or Letters So that is the Light you hate that doth Enlighten every man that cometh into the VVorld and these that witness to this Light are they that you put in Prison And after you have Imprisoned them you set up your VVatches to take up all that go to Visit them and to Imprison them also So that by setting up your VVatches ye would stop all Relief from coming to Prisoners Therefore this is the VVord of the Lord God to you and a Charge to you all in the presence of the living Goâ— of Heaven and Earth Every Man of you being enlightned with a Light that cometh from Christ the Saviour of People's Souls from whom the Light cometh that enlightens you To the Light all take heed that with it you may all see Christ from whom the Light cometh you may all see him to be your Saviour by whom the VVorld was made who saith Learn of me But if ye hate this Light which Christ hath enlightned you withal ye hate Christ who doth Enlighten you all that you all through him who is the Light might believe But not believing in the Light nor bringing your Deeds to the Light which will make them manifest and reprove them this is your Condemnation even the Light Remember you are warned in your Life-time for this is your VVay to Salvation the Light if you walk in it And this is your Condemnation the Light if you reject and hate it And you can never come to Christ the Second Priest unless you come to the Light which the Second Priest hath enlightned you withal So ye that come not to the Light ye go to the Priests that take Tithes as did the First Priesthood and so hale out of your Synagogues and Temples as some call them as that Priesthood did that took Tithes which they that were of the Second Priesthood did not Was there ever such a Generation Or ever did such a Generation of Men appear as doth now in this Age who are so full of Madness Envy and Persecution that they stand up in VVatches with Bills and VVeapons against the Truth to persecute it as the Towns and Countries do declare which Rings as Sodom and like Gomorrah And this hath its Liberty and Truth is stood against And to Reprove Sin is accounted a Breach of the Peace as they say who be out of the Truth and set up their VVatches against it G. F. Besides this General VVarning there coming to my Hand a Copy of a VVarrant Issued out from the Sessions of Exon in express Terms For the apprehending of all Quakers wherein Truth and Friends were reproached and vilified I was moved to write an Answer thereunto and send it abroad for the Clearing of Truth and Friends from the Slanders therein cast upon them and to manifest the wickedness of that persecuting Spirit from whence it proceeded And that which I writ was after this manner WHereas there was a VVarrant granted forth the last Sessions holden at Exon on the Eighteenth Day of the Fifth Month 1656. which VVarrant is For the Apprehending and taking up all such as are Quakers or call themselves Quakers or go under the Notion of Quakers And is directed to the Chief-Constables to be sent by them to the Petty-Constables requiring them to set VVatches able Men with Bills to take up all such Quakers as aforesaid And whereas in your said VVarrant you speak of the Quakers spreading Seditious Books and Papers I Answer They whom ye in scorn call Quakers have no Seditious Books or Papers but their Books are against Sedition and Seditious Men and Seditious Books and Seditious Teachers and Seditious VVays And so ye have numbred them who are honest Men Godly Men holy Men Men that fear God among Beggars Rogues and Vagabonds Thus putting no Difference between the Precious and the Vile you are not fit to judge who have set up your Bills and armed your Men to stand up together in Battel against the Innocent People the Lambs of Christ which have not lifted up an Hand against you But if ye were sensible of the State of your own Country your Cities your Towns your Villages how the Cry of them is like Gomorrah and the Ring like Sodom and the Sound like the Old World where all Flesh had Corrupted its way which God overthrew with the Flood If you did this consider with your selves you would find something to turn the Sword against and not against the Lambs of Christ and not make a Mock upon the Innocent that stand a Witness against all Sin and Vnrighteousness in your Towns and Steeple-houses Noah the Eighth Person a Preacher of Righteousness was grieved with the filthy Conversation of the Wicked So are we now So likewise Just Lot was grieved with their unmerciful Deeds and the filthy Conversation of Sodom And were not these hated of the World and of them that lived in Filthiness And whereas you speak of those whom you in scorn call Quakers that they are a Grief to those whom you call Pious and Religious People and their
of the Synagogues when they came to speak Judge your selves what an Antichristian Spirit you have Never talk of defending Truth with that which is against Truth For are you not setting up the Rabble of the World against it Do they not Join with you with Swords and Staves against it And is this the Life of Christians Is not this the Life of Error and of the Evil Seeds-man Surely ye would find Work enough if ye were in the Fear of the Lord to turn your Swords against the Prophaneness the Oaths and Wickedness that is in your Streets and High-ways How do they ring like Sodom and give a sound like Gomorrah But they are become a Prey in this your Age that Reprove in your Gate Sin Wickedness and Prophaneness They are become your By-word Against them your Councils are gathered and them you cast into Prison and hale them out of your Synagogues and cast them likewise into Prison that write against it and speak against it and set your Guards to stop and hinder any from Visiting them whom you cast into Prison and give them the Names of Vagabonds and Wanderers Was ever the like heard in the days of the Heathen against the Apostles who witnessed the Gospel Did they set Guards and Watches in every Town in every City to take the Disciples the Brethren the Believers that heard that the Apostles were cast into Prison and came to see what they wanted Shew ye not as much Rage and Fury now in your Age as was in those that were in that Age And how can you talk of the Gospel and of defending the Gospel when you are setting Guards and Watches against it and are defending that which stands against it and the Lambs of Christ are almost torn to pieces amongst you who are like Wolves for the Lord hath now sent his Lambs amongst Wolves And have not you profest the words of Christ and of the Prophets and Apostles as the Jews had long profest the Scriptures the words of Moses and of the Prophets that prophesied of Christ that was to come and stood against him when he was come as you do in this Day of his Reign and in this Day of his glorious Gospel who are persecuting the Messengers of it imprisoning them persecuting them in your Streets and High-ways and now setting up your VVatches against them who bring you the glad Tidings of Peace to your Souls whose Feet are beautiful a Top of the Mountains Mark a Top of the Mountains that against which the Mountains rage and swell but God will make them to melt the Sun is risen which will make them to melt And God will cleave the Rocks and Mountains asunder and make the Hills to bow perpetually for his Son he will exalt and his Glory he will give to him and not to another Therefore be awakened ye Rulers of the Earth and take Counsel of the Lord and take not Counsel together against him Make not your Bonds strong and set not your selves in Battel against him for ye will be found but as Briers and Thorns before him which the Fire shall consume Therefore be awakened all ye that be Talkers of the Scripture and that gather your selves together by your Multitudes and Meetings and have had your Teachers but not having the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures the Lord God of Glory the Father of Spirits will scatter you all your Bonds will not hold you together who are out of the Spirit which is the Bond of Peace The Threshing Instrument is gone forth which will beat the Hills to pieces Sion is risen to Thresh out of the holy Mountain is the Trumpet sounded Stand not up against the Lord for all Nations are with the Lord as the Drop of a Bucket He that measures the VVaters in the hollow of his Hand and weighs the Earth in Scales the Lord of Hosts is his Name who is now risen and rising to plead the Cause of the Innocent who is exalting his Son and bringing his Sheep to him Now are they seen and known that feed upon wind that are lifted up given up to believe Lies who report and say Report and we will report it Now are they seen who have a Form of Godliness but the Power is denied by them so Christ is denied the Power it self is denied for Christ is the Power of God And the Power being denied by you that have a Form of Godliness that have the words of the Scriptures the Gospel is denied for the Gospel is the Power of God And thus it is among you that have the Knowledge and VVisdom that is sensual earthly and devilish Doth it not appear so Let your Gaols and VVatches witness your Fruits in every Town Your VVisdom is earthly sensual and Devillish so you have a Knowledge and VVisdom but not that which is from above for that is pure and gentle and so is not your knowledge But to know Christ is Life Eternal Now your Fruits have manifested that you are not of this and so out of the Power of God which is the Cross of Christ For you are found in the VVorld out of the Power of God out of the Cross of Christ persecuting So that which doth persecute and send forth VVritings and Decrees to stop all and take up all and set VVatches and prepare Bonds to stint the Lord to Imprison and persecute and suffer none to go to visit them This shews you are not Christians but stand against a Christian's Life which is to love your Enemies Where is your Heaping up Coles of Fire your Love to your Enemies who are thus persecuting your Friends He came to his own and his own received him not Here is a turning the Sword against the Just. Do you shew here a Christian's Life or your selves Christians who are filling your Gaols with the Christians in the Spirit you that be in the Letter in Shadows as the Jews in the Letter did put the Jews in the Spirit into Prison Is not this the Fruit in our Days of the Christians in the Letter to put the Christians in the Spirit into Prison And doth not this shew that your Decrees which you have sent forth proceed from Death who thus Act against the Life and them that be in it which the Scriptures were given forth from Is it not here as it was with Saul when he went to persecute to hale to Prison and bind all that he could find calling upon that Name who were Christians in the Life the Spirit such as now you are persecuting because they are in the Life though you profess their Words Are not your Decrees gone forth from the same Spirit of Envy against the same Spirit of Christ they were in Is it not manifest to all that fear God and to the sober-minded and honest-hearted People that see your Practices your Decrees your Letters to stop to molest to hinder to Imprison them that are moved of the Lord to do his Will or to go to
open your Understandings that you may see this great Power of the Lord which he is now manifesting among his Children in this his Day that ye may not withstand it in our Friends that are come into the Power of God and to God and know him by whom the world was made by whom all things were Created that were created and there was not any thing made of all that was made but what was made for him and to him and by him who is the Power of God who doth Enlighten every Man that cometh into the world Now our Friends being come to this Light which cometh from Christ and having received Power from him by whom all things were Created who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth given to him who is the wisdom of God we have received wisdom and power from him by which the Lord doth give us to know how to use and order the Creatures to the glory of him who is the Creator of all things So our Friends here are taught of the Lord to be diligent serving him and who come into the Life the Scriptures were given forth from are given up to serve the Lord And of this I have in all your Consciences a Witness So if thou open the Prison-Door we shall not stay there If thou send a Liberate and set us free we shall not stay in Prison for Israel is to go out free whose freedom is purchased by the Power of God and the Blood of Jesus But who goeth out of the Power of God loseth his Freedom The 13th of the 6th Month. 1656. George Fox and the rest who are Sufferers for the Truth in Lanceston-Gaol After this Major Desborow came to the Castle-green and there plaid at Bowles with the Justices and others And several Friends were moved to go to him and admonish him and them of their spending their Time so vainly bidding them Consider That though they professed themselves to be Christians yet they gave themselves up to their Pleasures and kept the Servants of God mean while in Prison and told them The Lord would plead with them and visit them for such things But notwithstanding what was writ or said unto him he went away and left us in prison Yet we understood afterwards that he left the Business to Colonel Bennet who had the Command of the Gaol For sometime after Bennet would have set us at Liberty if we would have paid his Gaoler's Fees But we told him We could give the Gaoler no Fees for we were innocent Sufferers and how could they expect Fees of us who had suffered so long wrongfully After a while this Colonel Bennet coming to Town sent for us to an Inn and insisted again upon Fees which we refused And at last the Power of the Lord came so over him that he freely set us at Liberty It was on the Thirteenth Day of the Seventh Month 1656. that we were set at Liberty and we had been Prisoners Nine Weeks at the first Assize called the Lent-Assize which was in the Spring of the Year Observing while I was here a Prisoner how much the People they especially who were called the Gentry were addicted and given to Pleasures and vain Recreations I was moved before I left the Place to give forth several Papers as a Warning unto them and unto all that so Mispend their Time One of which was thus directed This to go abroad among them who are given to Pleasures and Wantonness SOdom and Gomorrah their Sins were Pride Fulness of Bread and abundance of Idleness whose filthy Conversation vexed the righteous Soul of the Just Lot Day by Day and would not take Warning on whom God sent Fire and turned them into Ashes And in Spiritual Sodom and Egypt was our Lord Jesus Christ crucified And it is written The People sate down to eat and to drink and rose up to play with whom God was not well-pleased and there fell three and twenty thousand in one Day These the Apostle commanded the Saints that they should not follow for these things happened to them for Examples and are written for our Admonition And God spared not the Old World but reserving Noah a Preacher of Righteousness brought the Flood upon the World of the Ungodly making them an Example to all that after should live Vngodly Mark ye Vngodly ones who are as natural brute Beasts who speak great swelling Words of Vanity alluring through the Lusts of the Flesh through much Wantonness as they that count it Pleasure to Riot in the Day-time sporting your selves with your own deceivings ye shall receive the Reward of Vnrighteousness Ye are as Dogs and Swine turned to the Vomit and wallowing in the Mire speaking evil of things that ye know not and unless ye Repent ye shall utterly perish in your own Corruptions Ye have lived in Pleasure on the Earth and been wanton ye have nourished your Hearts as in a Day of Slaughter ye have condemned and killed the Just and he doth not resist you Go to Weep and Houl for the Misery that is coming upon you and she that liveth in Pleasures is dead while she liveth God condemned the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah making them an Example to all those that after should live Vngodly in the wicked filthy Conversation Mark here is your Example Hear this ye that are given to Pleasures and read your Examples G. F. Another Paper upon my taking Notice of the Bowlers that came to sport themselves in the Castle-green was as followeth THE VVord of the Lord to all you vain and idle-minded People who are Lovers of Sports Pleasures and foolish Exercises and Recreations as you call them Consider of your Ways what it is you are doing Was this the End of your Creation Did God make all things for you and you to serve your Lusts and Pleasures Did not the Lord make all things for you and you for himself to fear and worship him in Spirit and in Truth in Righteousness and true Holiness But where is your Service of God so long as your Hearts run after Lusts and Pleasures ye cannot serve God and the foolish Pleasures of the World as Bowling Drinking Hunting Hawking and the like If these have your Hearts God will not have your Lips Consider for 't is true Therefore from the Lord must you all witness VVo and Misery Tribulation and VVrath who continue in the Love and Practice of your vain Sports Lusts and Pleasures Now is the Day when all every-where are exhorted to Repentance O foolish People wicked and slow of Heart to believe the Threatnings of the Great Jehovah against the wicked What will you do in the Day of the Lord 's fierce wrath that makes haste to Come upon the world of ungodly Men And what good have your foolish Sports and Delights done you now they are past Or what good will they do you when the Lord calls for your Souls Therefore all now Awake from Sleep and see where you are And let the Light
and the Lord crossed them in their Design and Friends passed away peaceably and quietly The Souldiers examined some Friends after I was gone What they did there but when they told them They were in their Inn and had occasions and business in the City they passed away without meddling any further with them From Exeter I travelled through the Countries taking Meetings as I went till I came to Bristol and was at the Meeting there Bristol After the Meeting was done I did not stay in the Town but passed up into Wales and had a Meeting at the Slone WALES Slone Cardiff and so passed through the Country to Cardiff where a Justice of Peace sent to me desiring I would come up with half a dozen of my Friends to his House So I took a Friend or two and went up to him and he and his Wife received us very civilly The next Day we had a Meeting in Cardiff in the Town-Hall and that Justice sent about seventeen of his Family to the Meeting There came some disturbers but the Lord's Power was over them and many were turned to the Lord there There were some that had run out with James Naylor that did not come to Meetings to whom I sent Word That the Day of their Visitation was over and they never prospered after We travelled from Cardiff through the Country to Swanzey Swanzey where we had a blessed Meeting and a Meeting was settled there in the Name of Jesus In our way thither we passed over in a Passage-boat with the high-Sheriff of the County and the next Day I went to have spoken with him but he would not be spoken withal From thence we went to another Meeting in the Country where the Lord's Presence was much with us And from thence we went to a Great Man's House who received us very lovingly but the next Morning he would not be seen One that in the mean time came to him had so estranged him that we could not get to him to speak with him again he was so Changed and yet over-night was exceeding Loving We passed still on through the Countries having Meetings and gathering People in the Name of Christ to him their heavenly Teacher Brecknock till we came to Brecknock where we set up our Horses at an Inn. There went with me Thomas Holmes and John ap John who was moved of the Lord to speak in the Streets I walked out but a little into the Fields and when I came in again the Town was up in an Vproar When I came into the Chamber in the Inn it was full of People and they were speaking in Welch I desired them to speak in English and they did and much discourse we had After a while they went away But towards Night the Magistrates gathered together in the Streets with a multitude of People and they bid them shout and gathered up the Town So that for about Two Hours together there was such a Noise as the like we had not heard and the Magistrates set them on to shout again when they had given over We thought it looked like the Vproar which we read was amongst Diana's Handicrafts-Men This Tumult continued till it was within Night and if the Lord's Power had not limited them they seemed likely to have pulled down the House and us to pieces After it was Night the Woman of the House would have had us go to Supper in another Room but we discerning her Plot refused Then she would have had half a dozen Men come into the Room to us under pretence of discoursing with us but we told her That no Persons should come into our Room that Night neither would we go to them Then she told us we should sup in another Room but we told her we would have no Supper if we had it not in our own Room At length when she saw she could not get us out she brought up our Supper in a great Rage So She and They were crossed in their Design for they had an Intent to have done us Mischief but the Lord God prevented them Next Morning I writ a Paper to the Town concerning their Vnchristian Carriages shewing the Fruits of their Priests and Magistrates and as I passed out of the Town I spake to the People and told them They were a shame to Christianity and Religion From this Place we went to a great Meeting in a Steeple-house-yard where was a Priest and Walter Jenkin who had been a Justice and another Justice and a blessed glorious Meeting we had And there being many Professors I was moved of the Lord to open the Scriptures to them and to Answer the Objections which they stuck at in their Profession for I knew them very well and to turn them to Christ who had enlightned them with which Light they might see their Sins and Trespasses they had been dead in and their Saviour him that came to Redeem them out of them 1657. Brechnock who was to be their Way to God the Truth and the Life to them and their Priest made higher than the Heavens so that they might come to sit under his Teaching A peaceable Meeting we had and many were Convinced and settled in the Truth that day After the Meeting was over I went with Walter Jenkin to the other Justice's House and he said unto me You have this day given great satisfaction to the People and answered all the Objections that were in their Minds For the People had the Scriptures but they were not turned to the Spirit which should let them see that which gave them forth the Spirit of God which is the Key to open them From hence we passed to Pontamile to Richard Hamborow's Pontamile where was a great Meeting to which there came another Justice of Peace and several Great People whose Understandings were opened by the Lord's Spirit and Power and the Light of Jesus Christ and they came to be turned to the Lord Jesus Christ from whence it came A great Convincement there was and a large Meeting is gathered in those parts and settled in the Name of Jesus After this we returned back to England and came to Shrewsbury England Shrewsbury where we had a great Meeting and visited Friends all up and down the Countries in their Meetings till we came to William Gandy's in Cheshire Cheshire where we had a Meeting of between two and three thousand People as it was thought and the everlasting Word of Life was held forth and received that day A blessed Meeting it was for Friends were settled by the Power of God upon Christ Jesus the Rock and Foundation At this time there was a great Drought And after this general Meeting was ended there fell so great a Rain that Friends said they thought we could not Travel the Brooks and Waters would be so risen But I believed the Rain had gone so far as they had come that day to the Meeting And the next day in
to see the Candle lighted and the House sweeping and swept Then afterward the pure Pearl ariseth and then the Eternal God is exalted The same Light that calls in your minds out of the World that are abroad the same turns them to God the Father of Lights Here in the pure mind is the pure God waited upon for Wisdom from above and the pure God is seen Night and Day and the Eternal Peace of which there is no end enjoied People may have Openings and yet their minds go into the Lusts of the Flesh but there the Affections are not mortified Therefore hearken to that and take heed to that which calls your minds out of the Affections and Lusts of the World to have them renewed The same will turn your minds to God the same Light will set your Affections above and bring you to wait for the pure Wisdom of God from on high that it may be justified in you VVait all in that which calls in your minds and turns them to God Here is the true Cross that mind shall feed upon nothing that is earthly but be kept in the pure Light of God up to God to feed upon the living Food which comes from the living God So the Lord God Almighty be with you all Dear Babes and keep you all in his Strength and Power to his Glory over all the world ye whose minds are called out of it and turned to God to worship the Creator and serve him and not the Creature And the Light of God which calls the mind out of the Creatures and turns it to God brings into a Being of Endless Joy and Peace And here is alway a Seeing God present which is not known to the world whose minds are in the Creatures whose Knowledge is in the Flesh whose minds are not renewed Therefore all Friends the Seed of God mind and dwell in to reign over the Vnjust and the Power of the Lord dwell in to keep you clear in your Understandings that the Seed of God may reign in you all the Seed of God which is but one in all which is Christ in the male and in the female which the Promise is to VVait upon the Lord for the Just to reign over the Vnjust and for the Seed of God to reign over the Seed of the Serpent and be the Head and all that is mortal may die for out of that will rise Presumption So Fare ye well and God Almighty bless and guide and keep you in his VVisdom G. F. About this time Friends that were moved of the Lord to go to the Steeple-houses and Markets to reprove Sin and warn People of the Day of the Lord suffered much hardship from the rude People and also from the Magistrates being commonly pulled down buffeted and beaten and many Times sent to Prison Wherefore I was moved to give forth the following Paper to be spread abroad amongst People to shew them How contrary they acted therein to the Apostles Doctrine and Practice and to bring them to more moderation Thus it was IS it not better for you that have cast into Prison the Servants and Children of the Lord God for speaking as they are moved in Steeple-houses or Markets Is it not better I say for you to Try all things and hold fast that which is good Is it not of more Honour and Credit to prove all things and try all things than to pluck down in the Steeple-houses and pull off the Hair of their Heads and cast them into Prison Is this an Honour to your Truth and Gospel you profess Doth it not shew that ye be out of Truth and are not they that are ready to Instruct the Gainsayers Hath not the Lord said He will pour out of his Spirit upon all Flesh and his Sons and his Daughters shall prophesy and old Men shall dream Dreams and young Men see Visions and on his Hand-maids he will pour forth of his Spirit Was not this Prophecy in Ages past stood against by the Wise learned Men in their own Wisdom and by the Synagogue-Teachers And were not such haled out of the Synagogues and Temple who witnessed the Spirit poured forth upon them Doth not this shew that ye have not received the pourings forth of this Spirit upon you who fill the Gaols with so many Sons and Daughters and hold up such Teachers as are bred up in Learning at Oxford and Cambridge and are made by the Will of Man Doth not this shew that ye that are bred up there and are made Teachers by the Will of Man and do persecute for Prophesying are Strangers to the Spirit that is poured forth upon Sons and Daughters by which Spirit they come to minister to the Spirits that are in Prison The Lord hath a Controversy with you who are found prisonings and persecuting such as the Lord hath poured forth of his Spirit upon Do not all your Fruits shew in all the Nation where ye come in Towns Cities Villages and Countries that ye are the Seeds-men made by the Will of Man who to the Flesh do sow of which nothing but Corruption is reaped in Nations Countries Cities and Villages Ye are looked upon and your Fruits and that which may be gathered is seen by all that be in the Light as they pass through your Countries Towns Cities and Villages that ye are all the Seeds-men that have sown to the Flesh Mark and of this take ye Notice who are of that Birth that is born of the Flesh and so ye sow to your own persecuting him that is born of the Spirit who sows to the Spirit and of the Spirit reaps Life Eternal Such ye who sow to the Flesh cast into Prison Do ye not hale out of the Synagogues and persecute and beat in the Synagogues and knock down Are not these the Works of the Flesh Have not many been almost murdered and smothered in your Synagogues And have not some been haled out of your Synagogues for but looking at the Priest and after cast into Prison Doth not all this make manifest what Spirit ye are of and your Fruits to be of the Flesh What Pleasures and Sports in every Town are to be seen among your Flocks that sow to the flesh and are born of it Whereas the Ministers of the Spirit cried against such as sported in the day-time and such as ate and drank and rose up to play and such as lived wantonly upon Earth in Pleasures and such as lived in fulness of Bread and Idleness such as defile the Flesh such did God overthrow and destroy and set them forth as Examples to all them that after should live Vngodly But are not the Fruits of this reaped in every Town Cannot we from hence see that here is sowing to the flesh Again what Scorning Scoffing Mocking Derision and Strife What Oaths Drunkenness Vncleanness and cursed Speaking What Lust and Pride is seen in the Streets These fruits we see are reaped of the flesh So here we see the
we perswade Men but we are made manifest unto God and shall be made manifest in all your Consciences which ye shall witness G. F. Divers times both in the time of the Long Parliament and of the Protector so called and of the Committee of Safety when they proclaimed Fasts I was moved to write to them and tell them their Fasts were like unto Jesabels For commonly when they proclaimed Fasts there was some Mischief contrived against us And I knew their Fasts were for Strife and Debate to smite with the Fist of Wickedness as the New-England-Professors soon after did who before they put our Friends to Death proclaimed a Fast also Now was it a time of great Suffering and many Friends being in Prisons many other Friends were moved to go to the Parliament to offer up themselves to lie in the same Dungeons where their Friends lay that they that were in Prison might go forth and not perish in the stinking Dungeons and Goals And this we did in Love to God and our Brethren that they might not die in Prison and in love to them that cast them in that they might not bring Innocent Blood upon their own Heads which we knew would cry to the Lord and bring his Wrath Vengeance and Plagues upon them But little Favour could we find from those Professing Parliaments but instead thereof they would be in a Rage and sometimes threaten those Friends that thus attended them that they would whip them and send them home Then commonly soon after the Lord would turn them out and send them home who had not an Heart to do good in the Day of their Power But they went not off without being forewarned For I was moved to write to them in their several turns as I did to the Long-Parliament unto whom I declared before they were broken up That thick Darkness was coming over them all even a Day of Darkness that should be felt And because the Parliament that now sate was made up mostly of high Professors who pretending to be more Religious than others were indeed greater Persecutors of them that were truly Religious I was moved to send them the following Lines as a Reproof of their Hypocrisie O Friends do not cloak and Cover your selves There is a God that knoweth your Hearts and that will Vncover you He seeth your way Wo be to him that Covereth but not with my Spirit saith the Lord. Do ye do contrary to the Law and then put it from you Mercy and true Judgment ye neglect Look what was spoken against such My Saviour spake against such I was sick and ye visited me not I was hungry and ye fed me not I was a Stranger and ye took me not in I was in Prison and ye visited me not But they said When saw we thee in Prison and did not come to thee Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these Little Ones ye did it not unto me Friends ye Prison them that be in the Life and Power of Truth and yet profess to be the Ministers of Christ But if Christ had sent you ye would bring out of Prison and out of Bondage and receive Strangers Ye have lived in Pleasure on the Earth and been Wanton ye have nourished your Hearts as in a Day of Slaughter Ye have condemned and killed the Just and he doth not Resist you G. F. After this as I was going out of Town having two Friends with me when we were gone little more than a Mile out of the City there met us Two Troopers belonging to Col. Hacker's Regiment and they took me and the Friends that were with me and brought us back to the Mews and there kept us Prisoners a little while But the Lord's Power was so over them that they did not have us before any Officer but after a while set us at liberty again The same Day taking Boat I went down to Kingston Kingston and from thence went afterward toward Hampton-Court Hampton-Court to speak with the Protector about the Sufferings of Friends I met him Riding into Hampton-Court-Park and before I came at him as he rode in the Head of his Life-guard I saw and felt a Waft or Apparition of Death go forth against him and when I came to him he look'd like a dead Man After I had laid the Sufferings of Friends before him and had warned him according as I was moved to speak to him he bid me come to his House So I went back to Kingston and the next day went up to Hampton-Court again to have spoken further with him But when I came he was sick and Harvey who was one that waited on him told me The Doctors were not willing I should come in to speak with him So I passed away and never saw him any more 1658. Bucks London Essex From Kingston I went to Isaac Penington's in Buckinghamshire where I had appointed a Meeting and the Lord's Truth and Power was preciously manifested amongst us After I had Visited Friends in those parts I returned to London And soon after went into Essex where I had not been long before I heard that the Protector was dead and his Son Richard made Protector in his Room Whereupon I came up to London again London And before this time the Church-Faith so called was given forth which was said to be made at the Savoy in Eleven Days time I got a Copy of it before it was published and writ an Answer to it And when their Book of Church-Faith was sold up and down the Streets my Answer to it was sold also This angred some of the Parliament-Men so that one of them told me They must have me to Smithfield I told him I was over their Fires and feared them not And reasoning with him I wish'd him to consider Had all People been without a Faith these Sixteen hundred Years that now the Priests must make them one Did not the Apostle say that Jesus was the Author and Finisher of their Faith And since Christ Jesus was the Author of the Apostles Faith and of the Churches Faith in the Primitive Times and of the Martyrs Faith should not all People look unto him to be the Author and Finisher of their Faith and not unto the Priests A great deal of work we had about the Priests made Faith For they called us House-creepers leading silly Women Captive because We Met in Houses and would not hold up their Priests and Temples which they had made and set up But I told them that it was they that Led silly Women Captive and Crept into Houses who kept People always Learning under them who were Covetous and had got a Form of Godliness but denied the Power and Spirit which the Apostles were in Such began to Creep in the Apostles Days but now they had got the Magistrates on their side who upheld those Houses for them which they had Crept into their Temples with their Tithes Whereas the Apostles brought People off
so know a Kingdom which hath no end and fight for that with Spiritual Weapons which takes away the occasion of the Carnal and there gather Men to War as many as ye can and set up as many as ye can with these Weapons G. F. Now after I had staid some time in London and had visited Friends Meetings there and there-abouts and the Lord's Power was set over all I travelled into the Countries again Essex Suffolk Norfolk Norwich passing through Essex and Suffolk into Norfolk visiting Friends till I came to Norwich where we had a Meeting about the time called Christmas The Mayor of Norwich having got notice before-hand of the Meeting I intended to have there granted out a Warrant to apprehend me Wherefore when I was come thither and heard of the Warrant I sent some Friends to the Mayor to Reason with him about it His Answer was The Souldiers should not Meet and did We think to Meet He would have had us gone out and Met without the City For he said the Towns-People were so rude that he could hardly order them and he feared that our Meeting would make Tumults in the Town But our Friends told him we were a peaceable People and that he ought to keep the Peace for we could not but Meet to Worship God as our manner was So he became pretty moderate and did not send his Officers to the Meeting A large Meeting it was and abundance of rude People came with an intent to have done Mischief But the Lord's Power came over them so that they were Chained by it though several Priests were there and Professors and Ranters Among the Priests one whose Name was Townsend stood up and Cryed Error Blasphemy and an Vngodly Meeting I bad him not burden himself with that which he could not make good and I asked him what was our Error and Blasphemy For I told him he should make good his Words before I had done with him or be shamed As for an Vngodly Meeting I said I did believe there were many People there that feared God and therefore it was both Unchristian and Uncivil in him to charge Civil Godly People with an Vngodly Meeting He said My Error and Blasphemy was in that I said that People must wait upon God by his Power and Spirit and feel his Presence when they did not speak Words I asked him then Whether the Apostles and Holy Men of God did not hear God speak to them in their Silence before they spake forth the Scripture and before it was written He replied Yes David and the Prophets did hear God before they did Pen the Scriptures and felt his Presence in Silence before they spake them forth Then said I All People take notice he said this was Error and Blasphemy in me to say these Words and now he hath confessed it is no more than the Holy Men of God in former times witnessed So I shewed the People that as the Holy Men of God who gave forth the Scriptures as they were moved by the Holy Ghost did hear and learn of God before they spake them forth So must They all hearken and hear what the Spirit saith which will lead them into all Truth that they may know God and Christ 1659. Norwich and may understand the Scriptures O said the Priest this is not that George Fox I would speak withal this is a subtile Man said he So the Lord's Power came over all and the rude People were made moderate and were reached by it and some Professors that were there called to the Priests saying Prove the Blasphemy and Errors which ye have charged them with Ye have spoken much against them behind their Backs but nothing ye can prove now said they to their Faces But the Priest began to get away Whereupon I told him we had many things to charge him withal therefore let him set a time and place to answer them which he did and went his ways A glorious Day this was For Truth came over all and People were turned to God by his Power and Spirit and to the Lord Jesus Christ their free Teacher who was Exalted over all And as we passed away generally Peoples Hearts were filled with Love towards us yea the Ruder sort of them desired another Meeting For the evil Intentions that they had against us were thrown out of their Hearts At Night I passed out of Town to a Friend's House Col. Dennis and from thence to Col. Dennis's where we had a great Meeting And afterwards travelled on through the Countries visiting Friends up and down in Norfolk Norfollk Hunts. Cambridgeshire Huntingtonshire and Cambridgeshire But George Whitehead and Richard Huberthorn staid about Norwich to meet the Priest who was soon Confounded and down the Lord's Power came so over him After I had travelled through many Countries in the Lord's Service and many were Convinced notwithstanding that in some places the People were very Rude I returned to London again when General Monk was come up thither London and the Gates and Posts of the City were pulling down Long before this I had a Vision wherein I saw the City lie in heaps and the Gates down and it was then reprepresented to me just as I saw it several Years after lying in heaps when it was burned Divers times had I both by Word and Writing forewarned the several Powers both in Oliver's time and after of the Day of Recompence that was coming upon them But they rejecting Counsel and slighting those Visitations of Love to them I was moved now before they were quite overturned to lay their Back-sliding Hypocrisie and Treacherous Dealing before them thus Friends Now are the Prophecies fulfilled and fulfilling upon you which have been spoken to you by the People of God in your Courts in your Steeple-houses in your Towns Cities Markets Highways and at your Feasts when ye were in your Pleasures and puffed up that ye would neither hear God nor Man when ye were in your Highness and Height of Authority though raised up from a mean State none might come nigh you without bowing or the Respect of Persons for ye were in the World's Way Complements and Fashions which for Conscience sake towards God they could not go into being redeemed there from Therefore they were by you hated for that Cause But how are ye to be brought Low who Exalted your selves above your Brethren and threw the Just and Harmless less from among you until at last God hath thrown you out 1658. London And when ye cast the Innocent from among you then ye fell a biting one another until ye were Consumed one of another And so the Day is come upon you which before to you was told though before ye would not believe it And are not yet your Hearts so hardned that ye will hardly yet believe though ready to go into Captivity Was it not told you when ye spilt the Blood of the Innocent in your Steeple houses in
occasion Wherefore I desired William Smith to go speak with the Woman and let her know if she would let us have a Room and let our Friends come up out of the Dungeon and leave it to us and them to give her what we would it might be better for her He went and after some reasoning with her she consented and we were had into a Room Then we were told that the Jailer would not suffer us to fetch any Drink out of the Town into the Prison but that what Beer we drank we must take of him I told them I would remedy that if they would for we would get a Pale of Water and a little Wormwood once a day and that might serve us So we should have none of his Beer and the Water he could not deny us Before we came there when those few Friends that were Prisoners there did Meet together on the First-Days if any of them was moved to pray to the Lord the Jailer would come up with his great Quarter-staff in his Hand and his Mastiff-Dog at his Heels and would pluck them down by the Hair of the Head and strike them with his Staff but when he struck Friends the Mastiff-Dog instead of falling upon Friends would take the Staff out of his Hand Now when the First-Day came after we came in I spake to one of my Fellow-Prisoners to carry down a Stool and set it in the Yard and give notice to the Debtors and Fellons that there would be a Meeting in the Yard and they that would hear the Word of the Lord declared might come thither So the Debtors and Prisoners went into the Yard and we went down and had a very precious Meeting the Jailer not meddling Thus every first-First-Day we had a Meeting there as long as we stay'd in Prison and several came in out of the City and Country and many were Convinced and some received the Lord's Truth there who stood faithful Witnesses for it ever since When the Sessions came we were had up before the Justices Leicester Sessions with many more Friends that were sent to Prison whilst we were there to the number of about Twenty Being brought into the Court the Jailer put us into the Place where the Thieves were put and then some of the Justices began to tender the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy to us I told them I never took any Oath in my Life and they knew we could not Swear because Christ and his Apostle forbad it and therefore they put it but as a Snare to us But we told them if they could prove that after Christ and the Apostle had forbid Swearing they did ever command Christians to Swear then we would take these Oaths otherwise we were resolved to obey Christ's Command and the Apostle's Exhortation They said We must take the Oath that we might manifest our Allegiance to the King I told them I had been formerly sent up a Prisoner by Col. Hacker from that Town to London under pretence that I held Meetings to plot to bring in King Charles I also desired them to read our Mittimus which set forth the Cause of our Commitment to be that we were To have a Meeting and I said he that was called Lord Beaumont could not by that Act send us to Jail unless we had been taken at a Meeting and found to be such Persons as the Act speaks of therefore we desired they would read the Mittimus 1662. Leicester Sessions and see how wrongfully we were Imprisoned They would not take notice of the Mittimus but called a Jury and Indicted us for Refusing to take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy When the Jury was Sworn and Instructed as they were going out one that had been an Alderman of the City spake to them and bid them Have a good Conscience and one of the Jury being a peevish Man told the Justices There was One affronted the Jury Whereupon they called him up and tendred him the Oath also and he took it While we were standing in the Place where the Thieves used to stand there was a Cut-Purse had his Hand in several Friends Pockets and Friends declared it to the Justices and shewed them the Man They called him up before them and upon Examination he could not deny it yet they set him at Liberty It was not long before the Jury Returned and brought us in Guilty and then after some Words the Justices Whispered together and bid the Jailer take us down to Prison again But the Lord's Power was over them and his Everlasting Truth which we declared boldly amongst them And there being a great Concourse of People most of them followed us so that the Cryer and Bayliffs were sain to call the People back again to the Court We declared the Truth as we went down the Streets all along Leicester Jail till we came to the Jail the Streets being full of People When we were in our Chamber again after some time the Jailer came to us and desired all to go forth that were not Prisoners And when they were gone he said Gentlemen it is the Court's Pleasure that ye should all be set at liberty except those that are in for Tithes and you know there are Fees due to me but I shall leave it to you to give me what you will Thus were we all set at Liberty on a sudden And being thus set at Liberty the rest passed every one into their Services only Leonard Fell being come thither stay'd with me and we two went again to Swanington Swanington I had a Letter from him they called the Lord Hastings who hearing of my Imprisonment had written from London to the Justices at the Sessions to set me at Liberty Now I had not delivered this Letter to the Justices but whether they had any knowledge of his Mind from any other hand which made them discharge us so suddenly I know not But this Letter I carried to him called the Lord Beaumont who had sent us to Prison and when he had broken it open and read it he seemed much troubled but at last came a little lower yet threatned us if we had any more Meetings at Swanington he would break them up and send us to Prison again But notwithstanding his Threats we went to Swanington and had a Meeting with Friends there and he came not nor sent not to break it up From Swanington we passed through the Country and came to a Place called Twy-Cross Twy-Cross where that Great Man formerly mentioned whom the Lord God had raised up from his Sickness in the Year 1649 and whose Serving-man came at me with a Drawn Sword to have done me a Mischief He and his Wife came to see me From thence we travelled through Warwickshire Warwickshire where we had brave Meetings and so into Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire visiting Friends 1662. Northamptonshire Bedfordshire London Essex Norfolk Norwich Sutton Cambridgeshire till we came to London I stay'd
out of the Truth for the Good will Overcome the Evil and the Light Darkness and the Life Death and Vertue Vice and Righteousness Vnrighteousness The False Prophet cannot overcome the True but the True Prophet Christ will overcome all the False So be Faithful and live in that which doth not think the time long G. F. But after some time it pleased the Lord to allay the Heat of this Violent Persecution and I felt in Spirit an overcoming of the Spirits of those Men-Eaters that had stirred it up and carried it on to that Height of Cruelty though I was outwardly very Weak And I plainly felt and those Friends that were with me and that came to Visit me saw and took notice that as the Persecution Ceased I came from under the Travels and Sufferings that had lain with such Weight upon me So that towards the Spring I began to Recover and to walk up and down beyond the Expectation of many who did not think I could ever have gone abroad again I had been so exceeding Weak through the Travel and Exercise that was upon my Spirit Whilst I was under this Spiritual Travel and Suffering the State of the City New Jerusalem which comes down out of Heaven was opened to me which some Carnal-minded People had looked upon to be like an outward City or Town that had dropt out of the Elements But I saw the Beauty and Glory of it the Length the Breadth and the Height thereof all in Compleat Proportion And I saw that all who are within the Light of Christ and in his Faith which he is the Author of and in the Spirit the Holy Ghost which Christ and the Holy Prophets and Apostles were in and within the Grace and Truth and within the Power of God that was before the Devil was which was the Walls of the City such are within the City such are Members of this City and have right to Eat of the Tree of Life which yields her Fruit every Month and whose Leaves are for the healing of the Nations But they that are out of the Grace out of the Truth out of the Light Spirit and Power of God such as Resist the Holy Ghost quench vex and grieve the Spirit of God and hate the Light and turn the Grace of God into Wantonness and do Despight to the Spirit of Grace such as have erred from the Faith and made Ship-wrack of it and of a Good Conscience and abuse the Power of God and despise Prophesying Revelation and Inspiration these are the Dogs and Vnbelievers that are without the City And these make up the great City Babylon Confusion and her Cage the Power of Darkness and the Evil Spirit of Error surround and cover them over And in this great City Babylon are the False Prophets in the false Power and false Spirit and the Beast in the Dragon's Power and the Whore that is gone a Whoring from the Spirit of God and from Christ her Husband But the Lord's Power is over all this Power of Darkness Cage Whore Beast Dragon False Prophets and their Worshippers who are for the Lake which burns with Fire Many things more did I see concerning the Heavenly City the New Jerusalem which are hard to be uttered and would be hard to be received But in short This Holy City is within the Light and all that are within the Light are within the City the Gates whereof stand open all the Day for there is no Night there that all may come in and Christ's Blood being shed for every Man and he tasted Death for every Man and enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World and his Grace that brings Salvation having appeared to all Men there is no Place or Language but there his Voice may be heard The Christians in the Primitive Times were called by Christ A City set upon an Hill and they were also called The Light of the World and The Salt of the Earth But when the Christians lost the Light and Salt and Power of God then they came to be trodden under foot like unsavoury Salt Even as the Jews who while they kept the Law of God were kept above all Nations but when they turned their Backs on God and his Law then were they trodden under foot of other Nations So Adam and Eve while they obeyed God were kept in his Image and in the Paradise of God in Dominion over all the Works of God's Hands but when they disobeyed God they lost the Image of God the Righteousness and the Holiness in which they were made they lost their Dominion and were driven out of Paradise and so fell under the dark Power of Satan and came under the Chains of Darkness But the Promise of God was That the Seed of the Woman Christ Jesus should bruise the Serpents Head should break his Power and Authority which had led into Captivity and had held Man in it So Christ who is the First and Last sets Man free and is the Resurrection of the Just and Vnjust the Judge of the Quick and Dead and they that are in him are invested with everlasting Rest and Peace out of all the Labours and Travels and Miseries of Adam in the Fall So he is sufficient and of Ability to Restore Man up into the State that Man was in before he fell and not into that State only but up into that State also that never fell even to himself I had also in this time a great Exercise and Travel of Spirit upon me concerning the Powers and Rulers of these Nations from the sense I had of the many tender Visitations and faithful Warnings that had been given them and of their great Abuse thereof who had refused to hear and had rejected the Counsel of the Lord. And though I knew Friends would be Clear of their Blood yet I could not but Mourn over them and gave forth these few Lines following concerning them WE have given them a Visitation and have faithfully Warned them and have declared to them our Innocency and Vprightness and that we never did any Hurt to the King nor to any of his People We have nothing in our Hearts but Love and Good-will to him and his People and desire their Eternal Welfare But if they will not hear then the Day of Judgment and of Sorrow of Torment and Misery and sudden Destruction will come from the Lord upon them that have been the Cause of the Sufferings of many Thousands simple innocent harmless People that have done them no hurt nor have had any Ill Will towards him or them but have desired their Eternal Good for the Eternal Truth 's sake Destruction will come upon them that turn the Sword backward Therefore do not blind your Eyes the Lord will bring swift Destruction and Misery upon you Surely he will do it and will relieve his Innocent People who have groaned for Deliverance from under your Oppression and have also groaned for your Deliverance out of Wickedness Blessed be
got a little Cheary and over it Many Friends and some considerable Persons of the World have been with me I tired out my Body much when amongst you in England it is the Lord's Power that helps me Therefore I desire you all to prize the Power of the Lord and his Truth I was but a Weak Man in Body when I came away from you after I had been in my great Travel amongst you but after that it struck all back again into my Body which was not well settled after so sore Travels in England And then was I so tired at Sea that I could not rest and have had little or no Stomach a long time Since I came into this Island my Life hath been very much burdened But I hope if the Lord give me Strength to manage his Work I shall work throughly and bring things that have been out of Course into better Order So Dear Friends live all in the peaceable Truth and in the Love of it serving the Lord in Newness of Life For glorious Things and precious Truths have been manifested among you plentifully and to you the Riches of the Kingdom have been reached I have been almost a Month in this Island but have not been able to go abroad or ride out only very lately I rid out twice a Quarter of a Mile at a time which wearied me much and almost tired me My Love in the Truth is to you all G. F. Now because I was not yet well able to Travel the Friends of the Island concluded to have their Men's-Meeting and their Womens-Meeting for the Service of the Church at Thomas Rous's where I lay by which means I was present amongst them at each of their Meetings and had very good Service for the Lord in both For they had need of Information in many things and divers Disorders were crept in for want of Care and Watchfulness Wherefore I exhorted them more especially at the Mens-Meeting to be watchful and careful with respect to Marriages to prevent Friends Marrying in near Kindreds and also to prevent over-hasty proceedings toward Second Marriages after the Death of a former Husband or Wife advising that a decent Regard were had in such Cases to the Memory of the Deceased Husband or Wife And as to Friends Children marrying too young as at Thirteen or Fourteen Years of Age I shewed them the Unfitness thereof and the Inconveniences and Hurts that attend such Childish Marriages And I admonished them all to purge the Floor throughly and to sweep their Houses very clean that nothing might remain that would defile And that all should take care that nothing be spoken out of their Meetings to the blemishing or defaming one of another Likewise concerning Registring of Marriages Births and Burials I advised them to keep Exact Records of each in distinct Books for that only use and also to Record in a Book for that purpose the Condemnations of such as went out from Truth into Disorderly Practices and the Repentance and Restoration of such of them as returned again Also I recommended to their Care the providing of convenient Burying Places for Friends which in some parts were yet wanting Some Directions also I gave them concerning Wills and the Ordering of Legacies left by Friends for publick Vses and other things relating to the Affairs of the Church Then as to their Blacks or Negro's I desired them to endeavour to train them up in the Fear of God as well them that were bought with their Money as them that were born in their Families that all might come to the Knowledge of the Lord that so with Joshua they might every Master of a Family say As for me and my House we will serve the Lord. I desired them also that they would cause their Overseers to deal mildly and gently with their Negro's and not use Cruelty towards them as the manner of some hath been and is And that after certain Years of Servitude they would make them free Many sweet and precious things were opened in these Meetings by the Spirit and in the Power of the Lord to the edifying confirming and building up of Friends both in the Faith and holy Order of the Gospel After these Meetings were over the Vessel that was bound for England not being yet gone I was moved to write another Epistle to Friends there the Copy whereof here follows DEar Friends and Brethren to whom is my Love in that which never changeth but remains in Glory which is over all the Top and Corner-stone In this all have Peace and Life as ye dwell in the blessed Seed wherein all is blest over that which brought the Curse where all Shortness and Narrowness of Spirit is and Brittleness and Peevishness is Therefore keep the Holy Order of the Gospel and keep in this blessed Seed where all may be kept in Temperance in Patience in Love in Meekness in Righteousness and Holiness and in Peace in which the Lord may be seen amongst you and no ways dishonoured but glorified by you all And so in all your Meetings in Cities Towns and Countries Mens-Meetings Womens-Meetings and others let Righteousness slow among you and the Holy Truth be uppermost and the pure Spirit your Guide and Leader and the holy Wisdom your Orderer that is pure and gentle and from above and easie to be entreated So keep in the Religion that keeps from the Spots of the World which is pure and undefiled in God's Sight And keep in the pure and holy Worship in which the pure and holy God is worshipped to wit in the Spirit and in the Truth which the Devil is out of who is the Author of all Vnholiness and of dishonouring of God So be all tender of God's Glory and tender of his Honour and of his blessed and holy Name in which ye are gathered And all who do profess the Truth see that ye Walk in it and in Righteousness and Godliness and Holiness For Holiness becomes the House of God the Houshold of Faith And that which becomes God's House God loves for he loves Righteousness and that is the Ornament which becomes his House and all his Family Therefore see that Righteousness do run down in all your Assemblies and that it flow to drive away all the Vnrighteousness This preserves your Peace with God for in Righteousness ye have all Peace with the righteous God of Peace and one with another And so every one that bears the Name of the Anointed that high Title of being a Christian named after the Heavenly Man see that ye be in the Divine Nature and made conformable unto his Image even the Image of the Heavenly Divine Man who was before that Image which Adam and Eve got in the Fall from the Devil So that in none of you that fallen Image may appear or be seen but his Image and you made Conformable unto him Here Translation is shewed forth in Life and Conversation not in Words only yea and Conversion and Repentance which
God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son Thus they that come to be renewed up again into the Divine Heavenly Image in which Man was at first made will know the same God that was the First Teacher of Adam and Eve in Paradise to speak to them now by his Son who changes not Glory be to his Name for ever Many deep and precious Things were opened in those Meetings by the Eternal Spirit which searcheth and revealeth the deep Things of God And after I had finished my Service for the Lord in that City I departed thence into Glocestershire Glocestershire where we had many large and precious Meetings and the Lord 's Everlasting Power flowed over all From Glocestershire I passed into Wiltshire Wiltshire where also we had many blessed Meetings Slattenford At Slattenford in Wiltshire we had a very good Meeting though we met there with much Opposition from some who had set themselves against Womens-Meetings which I was moved of the Lord to recommend to Friends for the Benefit and Advantage of the Church of Christ That the faithful Women who were called to the Belief of the Truth The Service of Womens-Meetings being made Partakers of the same precious Faith and Heirs of the same everlasting Gospel of Life and Salvation as the Men are might in like manner come into the Possession and Practice of the Gospel-Order and therein be Meet-helps unto the Men in the Restoration in the Service of Truth in the Affairs of the Church as they are outwardly in outward and civil or temporal things That so all the Family of God Women as well as Men might know possess perform and discharge their Offices and Services in the House of God whereby the Poor might be the better looked after and taken care of the Younger sort instructed informed and taught in the Way of God the loose and disorderly reproved and admonished in the Fear of the Lord the Clearness of Persons propounding Marriage more closely and strictly enquired into in the Wisdom of God and all the Members of the Spiritual Body the Church might watch over and be helpful to each other in Love But after these Opposers had run into much Contention and Wrangling the Power of the Lord struck down one of the Chief of them so that his Spirit sunk and he came to be sensible of the Evil he had done in opposing God's Heavenly Power and confessed his Error before Friends and afterwards gave forth a Paper of Condemnation wherein he declared 1673. Slattenford That he did wilfully oppose although I often warned him to take heed until the Fire of the Lord did burn within him and he saw the Angel of the Lord with his Sword drawn in his Hand ready to cut him off c. Notwithstanding the Opposition was made at the Meeting yet a very good and serviceable Meeting it was for occasion was thereby administred to Answer their Objections and Cavils and to open the Services of Women in and for the Church And at this Meeting the Womens-Meetings for that County were established in the blessed Power of God After this I went to Marlborough and had a Meeting there Marlborough to which some of the Magistrates came and were civil and moderate Then passing on to Bartholomew Maylin's I had a very precious Meeting there and from thence went a little beyond Ore Ore where we had a blessed Meeting and very large as we had also soon after upon the Border of Hampshire Then turning into Oxfordshire Hampshire Oxfordshire Reading Buckinghamshire we visited Friends there and then went to Reading where we had a large Meeting and from thence passing into Buckinghamshire had many precious Meetings in that County After which we went upwards visiting Friends till we came to Kingston upon Thames Kingston upon Thames where my Wife and her Daughter Rachel met me I made no long stay at Kingston but went to London where I found London the Baptists and Socinians with some Old Apostates were grown very Rude having printed many Books against us So that I had a great Travel in the Lord's Power before I could get clear of that City But blessed be the Lord his Power came over them all and all their lying wicked scandalous Books were answered Then after a while Essex Middlesex I made a short Journey into some parts of Essex and Middlesex visiting Friends at their Meetings and their Children at their Schools and returned soon again to London London And after I had had some Service there among Friends I went down to Kingston Kingston and from thence to Stephen Smith's in Surrey Surrey where was a very large Meeting many Hundreds of People being at it I staid in those parts till I had cleared my self of the Service the Lord had given me to do there and then returned by Kingston to London Kingston London whither I felt my Spirit drawn having heard that many Friends were had before the Magistrates and divers Imprisoned both at London and in other Cities and Towns in the Nation for opening their Shop-windows upon Holy-days and Fast-days as they were called and for bearing Testimony against all such Observations of Days Which Friends could not but do knowing that the true Christians did not observe the Jews Holy-days in the Apostles times neither could we observe the Heathens and Papists Holy days so called which have been set up amongst those that are called Christians since the Apostles days For we were redeemed out of Days by Christ Jesus and brought into the Day which hath sprung from on high and are come into him who is Lord of the Jewish Sabbath and the Substance of the Jews Signs Now after I had staid some time in London labouring for some Relief and Ease to Friends in this Case I took Leave of Friends there and went into the Country with my Wife and her Daughter Rachel to Hendon in Middlesex 1673. Middlesex Hendon Hertfordshire Rickmansworth Aylesbury Oxfordshire Adderbury and from thence to William Penn's at Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire whither Thomas Lower who married another of my Wife's Daughters came to us the next Day to accompany us in our Journey Northward After we had visited Friends thereabouts we passed to a Friend's House near Aylesbury and from thence to Bray Doily's at Adderbury in Oxfordshire where on the First Day we had a large and precious Meeting and Truth being well spread and Friends in those parts much increased in number two or three new Meetings were then set up thereabouts Now at Night as I was sitting at Supper I felt I was Taken yet I said nothing to any body of it then But getting out next Morning we travelled through the Country into Worcestershire Worcestershire Tredington Parish Armscot and went to John Halford's House at Armscot in Tredington-Parish where we had a very large and precious Meeting in his Barn the Lord 's
Men and Women that be Heirs of this Power of God it is their Possession and Portion and they are to labour in their Possession and Portion and to do God Almighty's business and Service in the Possession of the Power of God the Gospel which is a Joyful Glorious Everlasting Order And here is the Authority of our Men and Women's Meetings and other Meetings in the Name of Jesus the Gospel of Christ the Power of God which is not of Man nor by Man and in this they are all to Meet and to Worship God and by this they are all to act and in this Power they have all Fellowship a Joyful Fellowship a Joyful and Comfortable Assembly And so this is the Day in the Eternal Light that all are to take their Possessions of the Gospel and its Order that Power of God which they are Heirs of And all the Faithful Men and Women in every Country City and Nation whose Faith stands in the Power of God the Gospel of Christ and have received this Gospel and are in the Possession of this Gospel the Power of God they have all Right to the Power in these Meetings for they be Heirs of the Power which is the Authority of the Mens and Womens-Meetings So here is God's Choice and not Man's by his Power of his Heirs and they have all Freedom in this Gospel the Power of God to go to the Meetings the Men to the Mens and the Women to the Womens for they are Heirs of the Power which Power is the Gospel not of Man nor by Man but from Heaven sent by the Holy Ghost and received in the Holy Ghost which hath brought Life and Immortality to Light in them and they see over Enmity and before it was by the Light and the Life and Immortality which is brought to Light in them So the Devil the Author of Enmity cannot get into this Authority and Power nor Order nor Fellowship of the Gospel nor Life nor Light nor the Fellowship in the Holy Spirit nor into the Vnity of the Faith which gives Victory over him that hath separated Man from God by which Faith they have Access to God and into the Vnity of this Faith the Serpent cannot come nor into the Worship of God in Spirit and Truth into this Worship the Devil cannot come nor any Enmity So I say that the Serpent the Devil is out of the Fellowship of the Gospel out of the Vnity of the Faith and out of the Order of the Gospel and out of the Worship in Spirit and Truth And they that be in this be in Vnity over him And therefore as I said before let every one's Faith stand in the Power of God the Glorious Gospel and all to walk as becomes the Gospel and the Order of it and as every one hath received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him and let him be their Lord and Orderer For they that do preach the Gospel of Christ Jesus it is to the Intent that all might come to be Heirs of the Gospel and into the Possession of it and to be Heirs of Christ and of his Government the Encrease of which there is no end who is over all in his Righteousness and over all in his Light Life Power and Dominion And therefore know one another in his Power his Gospel which is the Authority of your Meetings And know one another in Christ Jesus who is able to restore Man out of the State of the Fall into the Image of God as he was in before he fell and into that Power and Dominion that Man had before he fell and into himself that never fell where they shall go no more forth And here is the Rock and Foundation of God that stands sure And Friends be Tender to the Tender Principle of God in all and shun the Occasion of Vain Disputes and Janglings both amongst your selves and others for that many times is like a blustering Wind that hurts and bruises the tender Buds and Plants For the World though they have the Words yet they be out of the Life and the Apostle's Disputing with them were to bring them to the Life And those Disputes that were amongst the Christians about Genealogies and Circumcision and the Law and Meats and Drinks and Days those came to be the worst sort of Disputers whom the Apostles Judged for such destroyed People from the Faith And therefore did the Apostles exhort the Churches That every ones Faith should stand in the Power of God and to Look at Jesus which was the Author of it and there every Graft stands in Christ the Vine quiet where no blustring Storms could hurt them and there is the Safety And there all are of one Mind one Faith one Soul one Spirit Baptized into one Body with the one Spirit and made all to drink into one Spirit one Church one Head that is Heavenly and Spiritual one Faith in this Head Christ who is the Author of it and hath the Glory of it one Lord to order all who is the Baptizer into this one Body So Christ hath the Glory of this Faith out of every Man and Woman and God through him hath his Glory the Creator of all in his Power the Gospel that hath brought Life and Immortality to Light in them and their Faith standing in it they know the Immortal God and Serve and Worship him in his Spirit and in his Truth by which they are made God's free Men and Women from him that is out of the Truth And now Friends all you that have been Ancient Labourers and have known the Dealings of the Lord these Twenty Years more or less as I have often said to you to draw up what you can of that which the Lord hath carried you through by his Power the Passages and Sufferings and how by the Lord ye have been supported from the first So that the Lord may be Exalted by his Power now and in the Ages to come who hath been the only Support Defence and Stay or his People all along over all to himself to whom be all Glory and Praise for ever and ever Amen Who deserves it in his Church throughout all Ages from his living Members who return the Praise to the living God who lives and reigns over all blessed for ever who is the Life and Strength and Health and Length of the Days of all his People And therefore let there be no Boasting but in the Lord and in his Power and Kingdom and that keeps all in the Humility And Friends In the Lord's Power and Truth what Good you can do for Friends that be in Prison or Sufferers as to the Informing of them or helping of them Every one bend your selves to the Lord's Power and Spirit to do his Will and his Business and in that all will have a fellow-Feeling of one anothers Conditions in Bonds or in what Trials and Tribulations soever you will have a fellow-Feeling one of another having one Head and one
and made them appear at the Sessions where he asked them many ensnaring Questions for he knew not how to Convict them because he had no Proof against them When he saw his Questions did not Catch them 1677. â—urrowby he told them He had heard that George Fox was at a large Meeting with them and they all sate Silent and none spake in the Meeting This false Story he cunningly feigned thinking thereby to have drawn out some of the Friends to have contradicted him and have said That I had spoken in the Meeting that so he mâ—ght have Convicted them upon their own Confession and have Fined them But Friends standing in the Wisdom of God did not Answer him according to his Desire and so escaped his Snare But two other Friends that came out of Ireland and were at this Meeting having a Meeting that Evening about three Miles off this Evil-minded Justice got Information thereof and Fined Friends and plundered them very sorely for it I went from Burrowby to Isaac Lindley's calling upon Friends on the Way as I went And having Robert Lodge and some other Friends with me York from thence next Day we passed to York and the Day following being the First Day of the Week I was at Friends Meeting in York which was large and peaceable The Second day also I staid in York and had two Meetings with Friends at John Taylor 's from whence I writ unto my Wife to let her know how it was with me as followeth Dear Heart TO whom is my Love and to thy Daughters and to all Friends that enquire after me My Desires are that ye all may be preserved in the Lord 's Everlasting Seed in whom ye all will have Life and Peace and Dominion and Settlement in the Everlasting Home or Dwelling in the House built upon the Foundation of God In the Power of the Lord I am brought to York having had many Meetings in the Way The Way was many times deep and bad with Snow that our Horses sometimes were down and we were not able to ride and sometimes we had great Storms and Rain but by the Power of the Lord I went through all At Scarhouse there was a very large Meeting and another at Burrowby to which Friends came out of Cleaveland and Bishoprick and many other Meetings we have had At York Yesterday we had a very large Meeting exceeding thronged Friends being at it from many parts and all quiet and Friends well satisfied Oh! the Glory of the Lord shined over all And this Day we had a large Mens and Womens-Meeting many Friends both Men and Women being come out of the Country and all was quiet And this Evening we are to have the Mens and Womens-Meeting of the Friends of the City John Whitehead is here with Robert Lodge and others Friends are mighty glad above Measure So I am in my Holy Element and holy Work in the Lord Glory to his Name for ever To Morrow I intend to go out of the City towards Todcaster though I cannot Ride as in days past yet praised be the Lord that I can Travel so well as I do So with my Love in the Fountain of Life in which as ye all abide ye will have Refreshment of Life that by it ye may grow and gather Eternal Strength to serve the Lord and be satisfied So to the God of all Power who is All-sufficient to preserve you I commit you all to his Ordering York the 16th of the Second Month 1677. G. F. Leaving York I travelled on through Yorkshire 1677. Yorkshire Todcaster Nottingly Doncaster Balby Ballowfield visiting Friends at Todcaster Nottingly Doncaster and so on to Balby having Meetings as I went At Balby I stayed the First-day-Meeting and went next day to Thomas Stacy's at Ballowfield where in the Evening I had a Meeting to compose some difference that had happened between some that professed Truth and they were Reconciled From thence next day I came to Stainsby in Derbyshire Darbyshire Stainsby in which County I had formerly lived some time about the first breaking forth of Truth Here I had a good Meeting with Friends and afterward passed to Skegby in Nottinghamshire and from thence to Nottingham Nottinghamshire Skegby Nottingham to John Reckless his house who being one of the Sheriffs of Nottingham when I first declared Truth in that Town and was Imprisoned for it took me out of Prison into his own house and kept me there till the Mayor and the rest of the Magistrates of the Town took me away from him and sent me to the Prison again At which time this John Reckless was Convinced and abode in the Truth ever after Now I had a Meeting with Friends at his house that Evening after I came thither and another the next day in Friends publick Meeting-house which was peaceable and well I went from thence the day following to John Fox's at Wymes-would in Leicestershire where I had a Meeting that Evening Leicestershire Wymes would Sileby and went next day to William Smith's at Sileby where it being the First-day of the Week we had a very large Meeting for besides Friends that came from several places the Town 's People hearing that I was there came many of them to the Meeting Leicester and heard the Truth declared gladly Next day I went to Leicester where finding many Friends come out of the Country to be at the Horse-fair there next day I had a very good Meeting with them that Night and had another Meeting next Evening after the Fair was over at William Wells his house at Knighton Knighton Swanington about a Mile from Leicester from whence next day I passed to Swanington where I had formerly been taken Prisoner and had a Meeting there from thence went to Samuel Fretwell's at Hartshorn in Derbyshire where I had a Meeting also Derbyshire Hartshorn Warwickshire Badgely And then went through the Country to Henry Sidon's at Badgely in Warwickshire and stayed the Meeting there which it being the First-day of the Week was very large and peaceable notwithstanding that a Justice who lived not far off had threatned that he would come and break it up After Meeting having stay'd a while with Friends I went in the Evening to Richard Baal's of Whittington where several Friends came to visit me Whittington Hartshill Next day I went to Nathaniel Newton's at Hartshill where several Friends met me with whom I had good Service After this I passed on visiting Friends in divers places till I came to Dingley Dingley where a Meeting was appointed before which was very large and Truth was largely opened to the People The Meeting was peaceable and quiet and the People generally Sober saving that while I was declaring and shewing how that Christendom so called was gone from the pure Religion that is undefiled c. One Man rushed out in a furious manner and said I deny that 1677. Warwickshire Adingworth
from men and to receive the Gospel from him and their Vnction from him the Word and as they receive him they declare him freely as his Command was to his Disciples and is so still to the Learners and Receivers of him For he Lord God and his Son Jesus Christ is come to teach his People and to bring them from all the Worlds Ways to Christ the Way the Truth and the Life who is the Way to the Father and from all the Worlds Teachers and Speakers to him the Speaker and Teacher as Hebr. 1.1 and from all the Worlds Worshippers to worship God in the Spirit and in the Truth which the Devil the Destroyer is out of which Worship Christ set up above Sixteen hundred years ago when he put down the Jews Worship at the Temple at Jerusalem and the Worship at the Mountain where Jacob's Well was and to bring People from all the World's Religions which they have made since the Apostles days to the Religion that was set up by Christ and his Apostles which is Pure and Undefiled before God and keeps from the Spots of the World And to bring them out of all the Worlds Churches and Fellowships that they have made and set up since the Apostles days to the Church that is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Thess 1.1 and to bring to the Unity and Fellowship in the holy Spirit that doth mortifie and circumcise and baptise to plunge down Sin and Corruption that has got up in Man and Woman by Transgression and in this holy Spirit there is a holy Fellowship and Unity yea it is the Bond of the Prince of Princes and King of Kings and Lord of Lords Peace which heavenly Peace all the true Christians are to maintain with Spiritual Weapons not with Carnal And now my Friend the holy Men of God did speak forth the Scriptures as they were moved by the holy Ghost and all Christendom are on heaps about those Scriptures because they are not led by the same holy Ghost as they were that gave forth the Scriptures which holy Ghost they must come to in themselves and be led by if they come into All the Truth of them and to have the Comfort of God and Christ and Them For none can call Jesus Lord but by the holy Ghost and all they that do call Christ Lord without the holy Ghost take his Name in vain And likewise all that name his Name are to depart from Iniquity then they name his Name with Reverence in Truth and Righteousness And O therefore feel the Grace and Truth in thy heart that is come by Jesus Christ which is a Teacher that will teach thee how to live and what to deny and it will establish thy heart and season thy words and bring thy Salvation and will be a Teacher unto thee at all times and by it thou may'st Receive Christ from whence it comes and as many as Receive him to them he gives power not only to stand against sin and evil but to become the Sons of God if Sons then Heirs of a Life and a World and Kingdom that is Everlasting without end and of the Eternal Riches and Treasures thereof So in haste with my Love in the Lord Jesus Christ that has tasted death for every man and bruises the Serpents head that has been betwixt Man and God that through Christ Man may come to God again and so can praise God through Jesus Christ the Amen who is the spiritual and heavenly Rock and Foundation for all God's People to build upon to the praise and glory of God who is over all blessed for Evermore Amsterdam the 7th of 6th Month 1677. George Fox POSTSCRIPT THE Bearer hereof is a Daughter-in-law of mine that comes with Gertrude Dirick Nieson and George Keith's Wife to give thee a Visit G. F. The Princess Elizabeth her Answer to the aforesaid LETTER Dear Friend I Cannot but have a tender Love to those that love the Lord Jesus Christ and to whom it is given not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him Therefore your Letter and your Friends Visit have been both very welcome to me I shall follow their and your Counsel as far as God will afford me Light and Unction Remaining still Hertfort the 30th of August 1677. Your loving Friend ELIZABETH Buyckslote Purmerent Next day John Claus and I took Boat and passed to Buyckslote and thence to Purmerent where having stayed awhile and refreshed our selves at an Inn we went by Wagon through the Country to Alcmaer Alcmaer about Thirty Miles from Amsterdam We went to a Friend's house there whose name was Willem Willems where I had a Meeting that night I had also another Meeting there next day which was larger for several Professors came to the Meeting and all was quiet and well When the Meeting was done I went and visited some Friends and then taking Boat Hoorn North-Holland passed-by several places to Hoorn which is counted the chief City in North-Holland We lodged at an Inn there that night and taking Wagon again early next Morning we passed through the Country to Enckhuysen Enckhuysen Friezland Workum where we took Ship for Friezland and landing in the Afternoon at Workum took Wagon there again and rode along upon the high Bank of the Friezen Seas till we met Two Friends coming with a Wagon to meet us Mackum with whom discharging our Wagon at Mackum a Village hard by we went Harlingen in their Wagon to Harlingen the chief Sea-port-Town in Friezland We went to a Friend's house whose Name was Hessel Jacobs whither several Friends came to Visit us that night Next day we went among the Friends of the place and Visited them and I wrote a Paper directed To all them that persecute Friends for not observing their Fast-day The day following was the First-day of the Week and Friends had a Meeting there to which we went and many Professors came to it I declared the Everlasting Gospel amongst them John Claus interpreting and they were all very Civil and heard attentively and when the Meeting was done departed peaceably without making any Opposition After Meeting I went to Hessel Jacobs his house again whither after a while came a Calvinist to ask me some Questions which I answered to his satisfaction and he departed friendly Soon after he was gone a Preacher of the Collegians came to discourse with me 1677. Harlingen and he seemed well satisfied also and we parted lovingly That Evening I had another Meeting with the Friends there and next Morning when we had taken our Leave of them we passed to Leuwarden the chief City in Friezland Leuwarden and lodged that night at a Friend's house there whose Name was Sybrand Dowes Next Morning early taking Boat we passed to Dockum Dockum Strobus and walking through the City took Boat again to Strobus which is the utmost part of Friezland There we baited at a
at Finchcomb where were several of the Opposit Spirit who it was thought Intended to have made some disturbance amongst Friends but the Lord's Power was over and kept them down and good Service for the Lord we had at that Meeting We returned from Finchcomb to Nailsworth again Nailsworth and had another very precious Meeting there to which Friends came from the several Meetings thereabouts which made it very large also We went from Nailsworth on the First day of the First Month 1677 8 and travelled through the Country visiting Friends and having many Meetings amongst them at Cirencester Crown-Allins Cirencester Crown-Allins Cheltonham Stoke-Orchard Tewksbury c. Worcester Parshow Evesham Warwickshire Ragley Cheltonham Stoke-Orchard Tewksbury c. so went to Worcester where I had formerly suffered Imprisonment above a Year for the Truth 's sake and Friends rejoiced greatly to see me there again Here I stay'd several days and had many very precious Meetings in the City and much Service amongst Friends After which travelling through the Country I had Meetings at Parshow and Evesham and then struck to Ragley in Warwickshire to visit her that was called the Lady Conway who I understood was very desirous to see me and whom I found tender and loving and willing to have detained me longer than I had freedom to stay About Two miles from hence I had Two Meetings at a Friend's house whose name was John Stangley Stratford Lamcoat Armscott Oxfordshire Sibbard North-Newton Banbury Adderbury c. Buckinghamshire Long-Crendon Ilmer Mendle Weston Cholsberry Chesham c. Hartfordshire Charlewood Watford Hempsted Market-street Bedfordshire Luton Albans South-Mims Barnet Hendon London whither William Dewsbury came to me and stay'd with me about half a day Afterwards I visited Friends in their Meetings thereabouts at Stratford Lamcoat and Armscott from whence it was that I was sent Prisoner to Worcester in the Year 1673 and thence passed into Oxfordshire visiting Friends and having Meetings at Sibbard North-Newton Banbury Adderbury c. Then visiting Friends through Buckinghamshire at Long-Crendon Ilmer Mendle Weston Cholsberry Chesham c. having several Meetings amongst them I came to Isaac Pennington's where I stay'd a few days And then turning into Hartfordshire visited Friends at Charlewood Watford Hempstead and Market-street at which places I had Meetings with Friends From Market-street I went in the Morning to Luton in Bedfordshire to see John Crook with whom I spent good part of the day and went towards Evening to Albans where I lay that night at an Inn. And visiting Friends at South-Mims and at Barnet and Hendon where I had Meetings I came to London on the Eighth day of the Third Month. And it being the Fourth-day of the Week I went to Gracious-street-Meeting which was peaceable and well and many Friends not knowing I was come to Town were very Joyful to see me there and the Lord was present with us refreshing us with his living Vertue blessed be his holy Name The Parliament was sitting when I came to Town and Friends having laid their Sufferings before them were Waiting on them for Relief against the Laws made against Popish Recusants which they knew we were not though some malicious Magistrates took Advantages against us 1678. London to prosecute us in several parts of the Nation upon those Statutes So Friends being Attending on that Service when I came I Joined with them therein and some probability there was that something might have been obtained towards Friends Ease and Relief in that Case many of the Parliament-men being tender and loving towards us as believing we were much mis-represented by our Adversaries But when I went down one Morning with George Whitehead to the Parliament-house to Attend upon them on Friends hehalf on a sudden they were Prorogued though but for a short time Yearly Meeting About two weeks after I came to London the Yearly Meeting began to which Friends came up out of most parts of the Nation and a glorious heavenly Meeting we had Oh the Glory Majesty Love Life Wisdom and Vnity that was amongst us the Power reigned over all and many Testimonies were born therein against that ungodly Spirit which sought to make Rents and Divisions amongst the Lord's People but not one Mouth was opened amongst us in its defence or on its behalf Good and Comfortable Accounts also we had for the most part from Friends in other Countries of which I find a brief Account in a Letter which soon after I writ to my Wife the Copy whereof here follows Dear Heart TO whom is my Love in the Everlasting Seed of Life that reigns over all Great Meetings here have been and the Lord's Power hath been stirring through all the like hath not been And the Lord hath in his Power knit Friends wonderfully together and the glorious Presence of the Lord did appear among Friends And now the Meetings are over blessed be the Lord in quietness and peace From Holland I hear that things are well there Some Friends are gone that way to be at their Yearly Meeting at Amsterdam At Embden Friends that were banished are gotten into the City again At Dantzick Friends are in Prison and the Magistrates threatned them with harder Imprisonment but the next day the Lutherans rose and plucked down or defaced the Popish Monastery so they have work enough among themselves The King of Poland did receive my Letter and read it himself and Friends have since printed it in High-Dutch By Letters from the Half-yearly-Meeting in Ireland I hear that they be all in Love there And at Barbados Friends are in quietness and their Meetings settled in peace At Antego also and Nevis Truth prospers and Friends have their Meetings orderly and well Likewise in New-England and other places things concerning Truth and Friends are well and in those places the Mens and Womens-Meetings are settled blessed be the Lord. So keep in God's Power and Seed that is over all in whom ye all have Life and Salvation for the Lord reigns over all in his Glory and in his Kingdom Glory to his Name for ever Amen So in haste with my Love to you all and to all Friends London the 26th of the 3d Month 1678. G. F. The Letter to the King of Poland before mentioned is as followeth To Johannes III. KING of Poland c. O King WE desire thy Prosperity both in this Life and that which is to come And we desire that we may have our Christian Liberty to Serve and Worship God under thy Dominion For our Principle leads us not to do any thing prejudicial to the King or his People For we are a People that do exercise a good Conscience towards God through his holy Spirit and in it do serve and worship and honour him and towards Men in the things that be equal and just doing to them as we would have them do unto us and looking unto Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith which Faith
de Bemise Disp fol. 71. Irenaeus affirmed That all forcing of Conscience though it was but a forbidding of the Exercise which is esteemed by one or another to be necessary to Salvation is in no wise right nor fitting He also affirmed That through the diversity of Religions the Kingdom should not be brought into any disturbance Constantius the Emperour said That it was enough that he preserved the Vnity of the Faith that he might be excusable before the Judgment-seat of God and that he would leave every one to his own Vnderstanding according to the Account he will give before the Judgment-seat of Christ Here-to may we stir up People said he not Compel them beseech them to come into the Unity of the Christians but to do Violence to them we will not in any wise Sebast Frank Chron. fol. 127. Augustinus said Some disturbed the Peace of the Church while they went about to root out the Tares before their time and through this Error of Blindness said he are they themselves separated so much the more from being united unto Christ Retnaldus testified That he who with Imprisoning and Persecuting seeketh to spread the Gospel and greaseth his hands with Blood shall much rather be looked upon for a wild Hunter than a Preacher or a Defender of the Christian Religion I have for a long season determined said Henry the IV. K. of France in his Speech to the Parliament 1599. to Reform the Church which without Peace said he I cannot do and it is impossible to Reform or Convert People by Violence I am King as a Shepherd said he and will not shed the Blood of my Sheep but will gather them through the Mildness and Goodness of a King and not through the Power of Tyranny and I will give them that are of the Reformed Religion right Liberty to live and dwell free without being examined perplexed molested or compelled to any thing contrary to their Consciences for they shall have the free Exercise of their Religion c. Vid. Chron. Van de Underg 2. deel p. 1514. Ennius said Wisdom is driven out when the Matter is acted by Force And therefore the best of Men and most glorious of Princes were always ready to give Toleration Euseb in his Second Book of the Life of Constantine reports these words of the Emperour Let them which err with Joy receive the like fruition of Peace and Quietness with the Faithful sith the restoring of Communication and Society may bring them into the right Way of Truth let none give Molestation to any let every one do as he determines in his Mind And indeed there is great reason for Princes to give Toleration to disagreeing Persons whose Opinions cannot by fair means be altered for if the Persons be Confident they will serve God according to their Perswasions and if they be publickly prohibited they will privately Convene and then all those Inconveniencies and Mischiefs which are Arguments against the permission of Conventicles are Arguments for the publick permissions of differing Religions c. they being restrained and made miserable endears the discontented Persons mutually and makes more hearty and dangerous Confederations The like Counsel in the Divisions of Germany at the first Reformation was thought reasonable by the Emperour Ferdinand and his excellent Son Maximilian for they had observed that Violence did exasperate was unblest unsuccessful and unreasonable and therefore they made Decrees of Toleration The Duke of Savoy repenting of his War undertaken for Religion against the Piedmontans promised them Toleration and was as good as his Word Also it is remarkable that till the time of Justinian the Emperour Anno Domini 525. the Catholicks and Novatians had Churches indifferently permitted even in Rome it self And Paul preached the Kingdom of God teaching those things which concerned the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence and no man forbad him and this he did for the space of two years in his own hired house at Rome and received all that came to him NOW O KING seeing these Noble Testimonies concerning Liberty of Conscience of Kings Emperours and others and the Liberty that Paul had at Rome in the days of the Heathen-Emperour our desire is that we may have the same Liberty at Dantzick to Meet together in our own hired Houses which cannot be any prejudice either to the King and the City of Dantzick for us to meet together to wait upon the Lord and pray unto him and to serve and worship him in Spirit and Truth in our own hired Houses seeing our Principle leads us to hurt no Man but to Love our Enemies and to pray for them yea them that do persecute us And therefore O King Consider and the City of Dantzick would you not think it hard for others to force you from your Religion to another contrary to your Consciences And if it be so that you would think it hard to you then do you unto others as you would have them do unto you do not you that unto others which you would not have men do unto you for that is the Royal Law which ought to be obeyed And so in Love to thy Immortal Soul and for thy Eternal Good this is written G. F. POST-SCRIPT BLessed be the Merciful for they shall obtain Mercy And remember O King Justin Martyr's two Apologies to the Roman Emperours in the Defence of the persecuted Christians and that notable Apology which was written by Tertullian upon the same Subject which are not only for the Christian Religion but against all Persecution for Religion Dear Peter Hendricks and John Claus and J. Rawlins and all the rest of Friends in Amsterdam Friezland and Rotterdam to whom is my Love in the Seed of Life that 's over all I Received thy Letter with a Letter from Dantzick I have written something to you to the King of Poland which you may translate into High-Dutch and send it to Friends there to give it to the King or you may print it after it be delivered in Manuscript which may be serviceable to other Princes So in haste with my Love And the Lord God Almighty over all give you dominion in his Eternal Power and in it over all preserve you and keep you to his Glory that you may answer that of God in all People Amen London the 13th of 9th Month 1677. George Fox I continued yet in and about London some Weeks the Parliament sitting again and Friends Attending upon them to get some Redress of our Sufferings which about this time were very great and heavy upon many Friends in divers parts of the Nation they being very unduly prosecuted upon the Statutes made against Popish Recusants Though our Persecutors could not but know that Friends were utterly against Popery having born Testimony against it in Word and Writing and suffered under it But though many of the Members of Parliament in either House were kind to Friends and willing to have done something for their Ease yet having much
business upon them they were hindred from doing the good they would so that the Sufferings upon Friends were Continued But that which added much to the Grief and Exercise of Friends was that some who made a Profession of the same Truth with us being gone from the Simplicity of the Gospel into a fleshly Liberty and labouring to draw others after them did Oppose the Order and Discipline which God by his Power had set up and established in his Church and made a great noise and clamour against Prescriptions Whereby they easily drew after them such as were loosly Inclined and desired a broader Way than the Path of Truth to walk in Some also that were more simple but young in Truth or weak in Judgment were apt to be betrayed by them not knowing the Depths of Satan in these Wiles For whose sakes I was moved to write the following Paper for the undeceiving the Deceived and the opening the Understandings of the Weak in this matter ALL you that do deny Prescriptions without distinction you may as well deny all the Scriptures which were given forth by the Power and Spirit of God For do not they prescribe how men should Walk both to God and Man both in the Old Testament and in the New Yea from the very first Promise of Christ in Genesis what People ought to believe and trust in and all along till ye come to the Prophets Did not the Lord prescribe to his People both by the Fathers and then by his Prophets did he not prescribe to the People how they should Walk though they turned against the Prophets in the Old Covenant for declaring or prescribing to them the Way how they might Walk to please God and keep in favour with him And then after in the days of Christ did not he prescribe and teach how People should walk and believe And after him the Apostles did not they prescribe unto People how they might come to believe and receive the Gospel and the Kingdom of God directing unto that which would give them the Knowledge of God and how they should walk in the New-Covenant in the days of the Gospel and by what way they should come to the holy City And did not the Apostles send forth their Decrees by faithful Chosen Men them that had hazarded their Lives for Christ's sake to the Churches by which they were established And so you that deny Prescriptions given forth by the Power and Spirit of God do thereby oppose the Spirit that gave them forth in all the holy Men of God And were there not some all along in the days of Moses and in the days of the Prophets and in the days of Christ and in the days of his Apostles who did withstand that which they gave forth from the Spirit of God And hath there not been the same since the days of the Apostles And how many have risen since Truth appeared to oppose the Order which stands in the Power and Spirit of God who are but in the same Spirit which hath opposed the Spirit of God all along from the beginning And see what Names or Titles the Spirit of God gave that Opposing Spirit in the Old Covenant and also in the New which is the same now as was for after the Lord had given forth the Old Covenant there were some among themselves that did Oppose which were worse than publick Enemies And likewise after in the days of the New Covenant in the Gospel-times you may see what sort did Oppose both Christ and the Apostles after they came to some Sights of the Truth and how they turned against Christ and his Apostles And see what Liberty they pleaded for and ran into in the Apostles days who could not abide the Cross the Yoke of Jesus And therefore we see the same rough and high Spirit cries now for Liberty which the Power and Spirit of Christ cannot give and cries Imposition and yet is Imposing and cries Liberty of Conscience and yet is opposing Liberty of Conscience And cries against Prescriptions and yet is prescribing both in Words and Writing So with the Everlasting Power and Spirit of God this Spirit is fathomed its Rise Beginning and End and it is Judged And this Spirit cries We must not judge Conscience we must not judge Matters of Faith and we must not judge the Spirits nor Religions c. Yes They that be in the pure Spirit and Power of God which the Apostles were in they Judge of Conscience whether it be a seared Conscience or a tender Conscience They Judge of Faith whether it be a dead one or a living one They Judge of Religion whether it be vain or pure or undefiled They Judge of Spirits and try them whether they be of God or no They Judge of Hope whether it be of Hypocrites or the true Hope that purifies even as God is pure They Judge of Belief whether it be that which is born of God and overcometh the World or that which runs into the Spirit of the World which lusts to Envy and doth not overcome the World And they Judge of Worships whether they be Will-worships and the Worship of the Beast and Dragon or the Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth They Judge of Angels whether they be fallen or them that keep their Habitation And they Judge the World that grieves and quenches the Spirit and hates the Light and turns the Grace of God into wantonness and resists the Holy Ghost They Judge of the Hearts Ears and Lips which are Circumcised and which are Uncircumcised They Judge of Ministers and Apostles and Messengers whether they be of Satan or of Christ They judge of Differences in outward things in the Church or elsewhere yea the least Member of the Church hath Power to Judge of such things having the One true Measure and true Weight to weigh things and measure things withal without respect to Persons And this Judgment is given and all these things are done by the same Power and Spirit the Apostles were in And also such can Judge of Election and Reprobation and who keep their Habitation and who not And who are Jews and who are of the Synagogue of Satan And who are in the Doctrine of Christ and who are in the Doctrines of Devils And who prescribes and declares things from the Power and Spirit of God to preserve all in the Power and Spirit of God and who prescribes and declares things from a loose Spirit to let all loose from under the Yoke of Christ the Power of God into Loosness and Liberty And likewise can Judge and Discern who brings People into the Possession of the Gospel of Light and Life over Death and Darkness and into the Truth where the Devil cannot get in and who brings them into the Possession of Death and Darkness out of the glorious Liberty of the Gospel and of Jesus Christ and his Faith and Truth and Spirit and Light and Grace For there is no true Liberty but in
one another in Vertue and in that Love that doth bear all things and doth edifie the Body of Christ the Body of the second Adam For the Body of old Adam in the Fall is full of Malice Envy and Vice And therefore you that are called out of Old Adam in the Fall and have put on Christ the second Adam that never fell Walk in him who is the Treasure of Life Wisdom and Knowledge in whom ye have peace with God who is the First and Last the Beginning and the Ending So let all be gathered up to God into him who reconcileth all things in one both things in Heaven and things in the Earth who is the faithful and true Witness both in Male and Female And in him sit down who is above the subtle Foxes in their holes and the Fowls of the Air in their nests I say sit down in Christ who hath no place among them to lay his head he is your rest So in him is my Love to you all London the 20th of the 11th Month 1682. G. F. It was not long after this that I received an Account by Letter from some Friends that were Prisoners in Denby in Wales by which I understood that many Friends there were under great Sufferings for the Testimony of a good Conscience In the tender sense whereof I was moved in the Love of God to Visit them with a few Lines as a Word of Consolation to them in their Sufferings and of Exhortation to stand fast in the Testimony committed to them And that which I writ was thus DEar suffering Lambs for the Name and Command of Jesus Be valiant for his Truth and faithful and ye will feel the Presence of Christ with you And look at him who suffered for you and hath bought you and will feed you who saith Be of good Comfort I have overcome the World who destroys the Devil and his Works and bruises the Serpent's head I say Look at Christ who is your Sanctuary in whom ye have rest and peace To you it is given not only to believe but to suffer for his Name 's sake And they that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer Persecution by the ungodly Professors of Christ Jesus who live out of him And therefore be valiant for God's Truth upon the Earth and look above that Spirit that makes you suffer up to Christ who was before it was and will be when it is gone Consider all the Prophets Christ and the Apostles who suffered and were persecuted but they never persecuted them as true men but as Deceivers and yet true And Christ is the same to day as he was yesterday a Rock and Foundation for your Age and Generation for you to build upon I have written concerning you after I heard your Letter to Friends in Cheshire to Visit you understanding that you belong to their Quarterly Meeting And therefore I desire that some Friends of your County would go and lay your suffering Condition before the Monthly or Quarterly Meeting in Cheshire I have written likewise to Richard Davis that some of that side may go and visit you and see how your Condition is So my Love is to you in the Lord who is your alone Support London the 27th of the 11th Month 1682. G. F. Now because the Magistrates were many of them unwilling to have Fines laid upon Meeting-houses they kept Friends out in many places setting Officers and Guards of Soldiers at the Doors and Passages And yet sometimes Friends were fined for Speaking or Praying though it were abroad One first-First-day it was upon me to go to Devonshire-house-Meeting in the Afternoon Dev. Meet and because I had heard Friends were kept out there that Morning as they were that Day at most Meetings about the City I went somewhat the sooner and got into the Yard before the Soldiers came to guard the Passages but the Constables were got there before me and stood in the Door-way with their Staves I asked them to let me go in They said They could not nor durst not for they were commanded the contrary and were sorry for it I told them I would not press upon them so I stood by and they were very Civil I stood till I was weary and then one gave me a Stool to sit down on and after a while the Power of the Lord began to spring up among Friends and one began to speak The Constables soon forbad him and said he should not speak and he not stopping they began to be wroth But I gently laid my hand upon one of the Constables and wisht him to let him alone The Constable did so and was quiet and the Man did not speak long When he had done after a while I was moved to stand up and speak and in my Declaration I said They need not come against us with Swords and Staves for we were a peaceable People and had nothing in our Hearts but Good-will to the King and Magistrates and to all People upon the Earth And we did not Meet under pretence of Religion to plot and contrive against the Government or to raise Insurrections but to worship God in Spirit and in Truth And we had Christ to be our Bishop and Priest and Shepherd to feed us and oversee us and he ruled in our hearts so we could all sit in silence enjoying our Teacher So to Christ their Bishop and Shepherd I did recommend them all And after I had spoken what was upon me at that time I sate down and after a while I was moved to pray and the Power of the Lord was over all Friends and the People and the Constable and Soldiers put off their Hats And when the Meeting was done and Friends began to pass away the Constable put off his Hat and desired the Lord to bless us for the Power of the Lord was over him and the People and kept them under After this I went up and down visiting Friends at their houses who had had their Goods taken from them for worshipping God and we took an account of what had been taken from them and some Friends met together about it and drew up the Case of the Sufferings of our Friends in writing and gave it to the Justices at their Petty-Sessions Whereupon they made an Order That the Officers should not sell the Goods of Friends which they had in their hands but keep them until the next Sessions which gave some discouragement to the Informers and put a little stop to their proceedings The next First-day it was upon me to go to the Meeting at the Savoy and by that time the Meeting was gathered Savoy Meet the Beadle came in and after him came in the wild People like a Sea but the Lord's Power chained them all The Spirit of the Lord went through and over all and they were quiet and we had a glorious peaceable Meeting blessed be the Lord for his unspeakable goodness This was in the Twelfth Month 1682. In the
were born again that were translated into the Kingdom of Christ and were Fellow-workers unto the Kingdom of God Christ exhorts his Disciples to Love and to do Good that they might be the Children of their Father which is in Heaven Matth. 5.45 And he bids them be perfect even as their Father which is in Heaven is perfect ver 48. And the Apostle saith to the Church at Philippi That ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without Rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation amongst whom ye shine as Lights in the World holding forth the Word of Life c. Phil. 2.15 16. And writing to the Church of the Thessalonians he puts them in mind how he had exhorted them That they would Walk worthy of God who had called them into his Kingdom and Glory 1 Thess 2.12 The Lord had promised by the Prophet Joel that he would Pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh and that Sons and Daughters should Prophesie Old men should dream Dreams and Young-men see Visions Joel 2.28 Now the Cause that Sons and Daughters Hand-maids Servants Young-men and Old men have not these heavenly Visions Dreams and Prophecies is because they are Erred from the Spirit of God which he poureth upon them but as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God John saith Christ was the True Light which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World John 1.9 And that As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God ver 12. which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God ver 13. Now the Reason why People do not become the Sons of God is because they do not receive Christ The Jews the great Professors which had the Promises Prophecies Figures and Shadows of him they would not receive him when he came And now the Priests and high Professors of Christ they are so far from receiving the Light of Christ and believing in it that they have hated the Light and scoff at it calling it a Natural Conscience and some have called it Jack in the Lanthorn Such are not like to become the Sons of God nor to see the glorious Kingdom of Christ which stands in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost For the Light that shines in the heart gives the Light of the Knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And they that do not receive Christ Jesus but hate his Light which is the Life in him and yet profess him in words such neither know the Children of the Light nor true Fellowship in the Light nor the Kingdom of God that stands in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost but by the Light they are condemned And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light because their deeds are evil For every one that doth evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his deeds should be reproved John 3.19 20. But the Children of the Light that walk in the Light they come to heavenly Jerusalem and to the City of the living God and to the innumerable Company of Angels and to the general Assembly and Church of the First born that are written in Heaven and can sing Hallelujah Gooses the 2d of the 7th Month 1687. G. F Having now been somewhat more than a quarter of a Year in the Country London I returned to London somewhat better in health than formerly having received much benefit by the Country-Air And it being now a time of General Liberty and great Openness amongst the People I had much Service for the Lord in the City being almost daily at Publick Meetings and frequently taken up in Visiting Friends that were sick and in other Services of the Church I continued at London about Three Months and then finding my strength much spent with continual labouring in the Work of the Lord and my Body much stopped for want of fresh Air Kingston I went down to my Son Rouse's by Kingston where I abode some time and visited Friends at Kingston While I was there it came upon me to write a Paper concerning the Jews shewing How by their Disobedience and Rebellion they lost the holy City and Land By which Example the prosest Christians may see what they are to Expect if they continue to disobey and provoke the Lord. Of that Paper the Copy here followeth THE Lord gave the Jews in the Old Testament the Land of Canaan and they built the Temple at Jerusalem to worship in and it was called The Holy Temple and Jerusalem was called The Holy City and Canaan The Holy Land But when the Jews rebelled against the good Spirit which God gave them to instruct them and rebelled against his Law 1687. Kingston and set up Idols and Images and defiled the Land and the City the Lord sent his Prophets to Cry against them and to bring them back again to his Spirit and to his Law and so to God to serve and worship him that they might not worship Images and Idols the works of their own hands But instead of hearkening to God's Prophets they persecuted them and at last killed his Son Christ Jesus and persecuted his Apostles But Christ told the Jews that both their City and Temple should be laid Waste and they should be scattered over all Nations And it was so when Titus the Roman Emperour came and took Jerusalem and destroyed the City and Temple which was a Day of Vengeance upon the Jews for all their Idolatries and their Wickedness and for the Innocent blood they had shed both in City and Country And they were driven out of their own City and Land and scattered over all Nations And the Jews had never power to get the â—and since nor to build Jerusalem nor the Temple But the Turk hath both the Land of Canaan and that which is called The City Jerusalem Now the Turk neither makes Images nor Worships Images And so it is a just Hand of the Lord that he should be over the persecuting Idolatrous Jews so that they cannot defile the Land of Canaan now with Images and Idols for the Turk hath it who neither makes Images nor Idols nor worships them And the Jews must never hope believe nor expect that ever they shall go again into the Land of Canaan to set up an outward Worship at Jerusalem and there for their Priests to offer outward Sacrifices of Rams Sheep and Heifers c. for Burnt-Offerings for Christ the one Offering hath offered himself once for all and by this one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified And Christ hath changed the Priesthood of Aaron that offered Sacrifices which was made after the power of a Carnal Commandment but Christ was made after the power of an endless Life a Priest for ever who was holy and
the Eternal life in Jesus Christ Who is also a quickening Spirit for as in Adam all died even so in Christ shall all be made alive So Christ that Died and Rose again is Lord both of the Living and of the Dead for the Living live to the Lord and die in him and are blessed All Christendom say that they do believe in God and in Christ and that they do believe Moses and the Prophets and preach Christ Moses and the Prophets So their Words and Writings are preached and printed and ye say ye do believe them But now what Life do ye live Are ye through the Law dead to the Law that ye may live unto God And are ye Crucified with Christ and doth Christ live in you And is the Life that ye now live in the flesh by the faith of the Son of God and ye do not live but Christ liveth in you who gave himself for you Is this your present Life for the Just live by the faith which Christ is the Author and Finisher of by which holy divine and precious Faith they have Victory over that which is vile and unholy and is not divine and in this Faith they do please God and have Access to God and his Son who fulfilleth the Law and the Prophets For the Law and the Prophets were until John and since that the Kingdom of God hath been preached and Men do press into it And the Least in the Kingdom of God is Greater than John though he was the greatest Prophet born of a Woman So see whether ye are in the Kingdom that stands in Peace and Righteousness and Joy in the Holy Ghost or not Christ who is the Image of the Invisible God the First-born of every Creature was before any Creature for by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in the Earth visible or invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him and he was before all things and by him all things consist And he is the Head of the Body the Church and is the beginning the First-born from the dead So here ye may see that all things were made by Christ Jesus and all things were created for Christ Jesus and by him all things consist and have their being who is the First-born from the dead and dieth no more And it pleased the Father that in him all Fulness should dwell and by Christ to reconcile all things unto himself whether they be things in Heaven or things in the Earth And in him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge who is the Head of all Principality and Power for all Power in Heaven and in Earth is given to him the First-born of every Creature and the First-born from the dead who liveth for evermore in his power over all the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World and while the World's Spirit rules in mens hearts they do not know Christ nor the beginning nor ending of the Work of God Christ was outwardly crucified and slain without the Gates of Jerusalem by the disobedient Jews And they that hate the Light of Christ and disobey his Gospel and quench his Spirit and are erred from his Faith do crucifie to themselves Christ afresh So Adam and Eve and their Children that disobeyed God did slay the Lamb and the blind Jews that disobeyed God crucified Christ Jesus and the outward Christians that live and walk not in Christ but in Sin and Evil though they do make an outward Profession of Christ yet they do Crucifie to themselves Christ afresh But as to Christ himself he is Ascended far above all Principalities Thrones Powers and Dominions so that they cannot put him to death or Crucifie him any more as to himself But what the Killers and Crucifiers and Persecutors do now upon the Earth it is against Christ as in themselves and in his Members as Christ said to Saul Why Persecutest thou me Acts 9.4 For what is done to his Members Christ takes as done to himself Matth. 25.40 and 45. And they that did not visit Christ but persecuted him in his Members they persecuted Christ in themselves first The Serpent that Enemy to Man and Woman and Satan that Adversary to Man's prosperity and the Devil the destroyer the God of the World and Prince of the Air that ruleth in the hearts of the Disobedient he got in by disobedience But Christ bruises his head breaketh his power to pieces and destroys the Devil and his Works and through death destroys death and the Devil the power of death And so Christ the Light and Life hath all power in Heaven and Earth and openeth the Prison-doors and the Eyes of the blind and takes Captive him that hath led into Captivity and gives Gifts unto Men. And so Christ bindeth the strong man of sin and spoils his goods for Christ is stronger than the Devil and casts him out Hallelujah For the strong man of sin is the God of the World and his House is the whole World that lieth in Wickedness And the God of the World hath kept his house and his goods have been in peace until a stronger than he comes and binds the Devil and casts him out and then destroys him and his goods And so Christ the Son of God who is stronger than the Devil having destroyed the Devil and his Works setteth up his House and all the Believers in the Light are the Children of Light and are of the Son of God's spiritual House and the Son of God is over his House for evermore Glory to God in the Highest through Jesus Christ Amen God spake by the mouth of all his holy Prophets concerning Christ Jesus his Son the holy One so they were holy men and not unholy that God spake by And therefore all that name the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ are to depart from Iniquity Kingston upon Thames the 11th Month 1687. G. F. I returned to London towards the latter end of the Eleventh Month 1687. Chiswick Hammersmith visiting Friends in the way at Chiswick and at Hammersmith where I had Two Meetings one upon a first-First-day and the other upon the Occasion of a Marriage there at which were many of the World's People amongst whom I had a very seasonable Opportunity of opening the Way of Truth London Being come to London I visited Friends Meetings in and about the City as the Lord led me in whose Service I continued labouring in the City until the middle of the First Month 1687 8. Enfield Barnet Waltham-Abbey At which time I went down towards Enfield and visited Friends there and thereabouts and at Barnet and Waltham-Abbey and other places where I had many Meetings and very good Service amongst Friends in which I spent several Weeks And then returned to London London Yearly-Meeting where I continued labouring in the work of the Gospel of our Lord until after the
Yearly-Meeting was over which this Year was about the beginning of the Fourth Month. A precious Meeting it was and a very refreshing Season Friends had together the Lord vouchsafing to honour our Assemblies with his living and glorious Presence in a very plentiful manner At the Conclusion of the Meeting I felt a Concern upon my Spirit to give forth the following Paper to be dispersed abroad amongst Friends ALL you Believers in the Light that are become Children of the Light walk as Children of the Light and of the Day of Christ and as a City set on a Hill that cannot be hid and so let your Light shine that People may see your good Works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven For a good Tree bringeth forth good Fruit and therefore be ye Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord having Fruits unto Holiness and then your End will be Everlasting life And such are the Wells and Cisterns that hold the living Water of life which springs up in them to Eternal life so ye may all drink Water out of your own Cisterns and running Water out of your own Wells and eat every one of his own Fig-tree and of his own Vine having Salt every one in your selves to season every one's Sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ and like unto the Wise Virgins that have Oil in their Lamps and follow the Lamb and enter in with the Bridegroom 1688. London Yearly-Meeting And now is the time to Labour while it is day yea the Day of Christ and to stir up every one's pure Mind and the Gift of God that is in them and to improve your Talents that Christ hath given you that ye may profit And to walk every one according to the Measure that Christ hath given you for the Manifestation of the Spirit of God is given to every one to profit withal Now consider what you have profited in spiritual and heavenly things with the heavenly Spirit of God and be not like the wicked and slothful that hid his Talent from whom it was taken and he cast into Utter darkness And a Dwarf or one that had any blemish was not to come nigh to Offer upon God's Altar And therefore mind the Word of Wisdom to keep you out of that which will Corrupt you and Blemish you and that ye may grow in Grace and in Faith and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and feeding upon the Milk of the Word may grow by it that ye may not be Dwarfs and so to Offer your spiritual Sacrifice upon God's holy Altar For the Field or Vineyard of the slothful grows over with Thorns and Nettles and his Walls go down such are they that are not diligent in the Spirit of God and the Power which is the Wall a sure Fence and the Spirit of God will Weed out all both Thorns and Thistles and Nettles out of the Vineyard of the heart And you that are Keepers of others Vineyards see that you keep your own Vineyard clean with the Spirit and Power of Christ and sanctifie your selves and sanctifie the Lord in your hearts that ye may be a holy People to the Lord who saith Be ye holy for I am holy that ye may be the holy Members of the Church of Christ that is clothed with the Sun and hath the Moon under her feet the changeable World with all her changeable Worships Religions Churches and Teachers And be ye new and heavenly Jerusalem's Children for new and heavenly Jerusalem that is above is the Mother of all the Children of the Light and that are born of the Spirit and these be they that have been persecuted and have suffered by the false Church Mystery Babylon and Mother of Harlots And now all heavenly Jerusalem's and Sion's Children that are from above labour in the Gospel the Power of God and the Seed in which all Nations and all the Families of the Earth are blessed which Seed Christ bruises the Serpent's head and destroys the Devil and his Works and overcomes the Whore the false Church and the Beast and the false Prophet And takes away the Curse and the Vail that is spread over all Nations and over all the Families of the Earth and brings the Blessing upon all Nations and upon all the Families of the Earth if they will receive it saying In thy Seed shall all Nations and all the Families of the Earth be blessed And this is the Gospel of God preached to Abraham before Moses writ his Five Books and was preached in the Apostles days and is now preached again Which Gospel brings Life and Immortality to light and is the Gospel of Peace Life and Salvation to every one that believes it And so all Nations and all the Families of the Earth must be in Christ the Seed if they be blessed and be partakers of the Blessing in the Seed which Gospel God did preach and reveal to Abraham as in Gal. 3.8 And this Gospel was revealed and preached by Christ unto his Apostles who preached it which is not of Man nor from Man And now God and Christ hath Revealed the same Gospel unto me and many others in this Age I say the Gospel and the Seed in which all Nations and Families of the Earth are blessed in which Gospel I have laboured and do labour that all may come into this blessed Seed Christ who bruises the head of the Serpent that in it they might have peace with God And this Everlasting Gospel is preached again to them that dwell upon the Earth and they that believe it and receive it receive the Blessing and the Peace and Joy and Comfort of it and the stability in it and the life and immortality which it brings to light in them and to them And such can praise the Everlasting God in his Everlasting Gospel And Friends all seek the peace and good of all in Christ for Truth makes no Cains Corahs Balaams nor Judasses for they come to be such that go out of the peaceable Truth And therefore walk in the peaceable Truth and speak the Truth in the love of it as it is in Jesus G. F. Sometime after the Yearly-Meeting was over I went to my Son Mead's House Essex Gooses called Gooses in Essex and abode there some Weeks often visiting Friends Meeting near there and sometimes at Barking And after I had been a while there I went to visit Friends at Waltham-Abbey and at Hodsdon Waltham-Abbey Hodsdon Eâ—field South-street Ford-green Winchmore-hill and about Enfield South-street Ford-Green and Winchmore-Hill where I had several very serviceable Meetings amongst Friends the Lord opening many deep and weighty things through me both for the Informing the Understandings of Inquirers and building up those that were gathered into the Truth and establishing them therein It was in the Seventh Month that I returned to London having been near Three Months in the Country for my health's sake which now was very much Impaired so that
worship God in Spirit and in Truth which Christ set up above Sixteen hundred years since So all Men and Women must come to the Spirit and Truth in their hearts by which they must know the God of Truth who is a Spirit and then in the Spirit and Truth they will Worship him and know what and who they Worship And also the Lord is come to bring his People off all the World's Temples that with the Spirit they may know â—â—at their Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost And the Lord is come to bring his People off all the World's Crosses and Pictures and Images and Likenesses to know that the Power of God is the Cross of Christ which Crucifies them to the World and brings them up into the Likeness and Image of God as Man and Woman was in before they fell and so to Christ that never fell And this Work of Christ must all know in their hearts by the Light of Christ Jesus who is the true Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World It is called the Light in Man and Woman and the Life in Christ the Word and Christ saith Believe in the Light that ye may become Children of the Light And the Light lets you see all your Evil Actions that you have done and committed and your ungodly Ways you have walked in and your ungodly Words and Thoughts and now if you do hate this Light and love the Darkness and the Prince of it more than this Light which is the Life in Christ the Prince of Life and will not come to it because your Deeds be Evil and it will reprove you Christ tells you This Light is your Condemnation And then what is all your Profession good for when you remain under the Condemnation of the true Light in which you should believe and so become Children of Light and out of Condemnation And therefore every one must believe in the Light if they do receive Christ Jesus and as many as receives him he gives them Power to become the Sons of God So he that hath the Son of God hath Life and they that have not the Son of God have not Life and then if you have not Life what good doth all your Profession of the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelations do you any more than the Jews Scribes and Pharisees that would not receive Christ the Life upon whom God brought his overflowing Scourge And therefore do you take heed of that for your Strength will be no better than theirs if you have not God and Christ's supporting Power when God's Scourge comes upon you and you are filled with Horrours and Fears But my desires are that you may all Repent even from the Highest to the Lowest and not grieve nor quench nor vex nor rebel against God's good Spirit in you nor walk despitefully against the Spirit of Grace nor turn from it unto Wantonness which would teach you and bring your Salvation Which if you do how can you escape the over-flowing Scourge of the Almighty and the Wrath of the Lamb But my desires are that you may all obey God's good Spirit of Truth which will lead you out of all Evil into all Truth and reprove you for your Righteousness and for your own Judgment and Sin c. and it will bring you to cleave to that which is good and forsake that which is evil and to turn to the Lord who will receive you in his Mercy and Kindness By which Means you may escape the over-flowing Scourge in the Day of Vengeance which dreadful Day is coming upon all Evil-doers And this as a Warning to you both for your Temporal and Eternal Good and for you to Read it in your Assemblies and your Priests to Read it in their Churches so that all People may hear and fear as you will Answer it at the Terrible and Dreadful Day of Judgment Amsterdam the 19th of the 7th Month 1677. G. F. For the Embassadors that are Met to Treat for Peace at the City of Nimmeguen in the States Dominions To pag. 448 CHrist Jesus saith Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Matth. 5.9 so all Christian men are to forsake Evil and do Good and seek Peace and follow it if they will love Life and see good Days 1 Pet. 3.11 for God hath called all true Christians unto Peace 1 Cor. 7. and therefore all Christians ought to follow this Peace which God calls them to and they should let the Peace of God rule in all their Hearts which is above the Peace of this World that is so soon broken For the Apostle Commands the Christians to let the Peace of God rule in their Hearts to which all Christians should be subject Now the Practice of this should be among Christians that profess Christianity and this Peace is above that which Christ takes from the Earth Rev. 6. which is the Peace of the Wicked And the Apostle saith to the Christians Be at Peace among your selves 1 Thess 5. Now all Christians should obey this Command and be at Peace among themselves and not in Wars and Strife And further the Apostle exhorts the Christians to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace so this Vnity and this Bond of Peace should be kept and not be broken by all that bears that Noble Name Christian and they should keep the Unity of the Spirit of Christ in the Bond of the Prince of Princes and King of Kings and Lord of Lords Peace which is the Duty of all true Christians to keep In which they may honour Christ in bringing forth the Fruits of Peace which is Love and Charity For the Apostle tells you The fruits of the good Spirit is Love Joy and Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness c. Gal. 5. And the Apostle exhorts the Christians and saith If it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceable with all Men and this should be the Endeavour of all Christians For it is no honour to Christ that Christians should war and destroy one another that do profess the Name of Christ who saith He came to save Mens lives and not to destroy them For Christians have Enemies enough abroad without them and therefore they should Love one another as Christ commands who saith By this ye shall be known to be my Disciples if ye Love one another For Christians are commanded to love Enemies therefore much more one another And Christ saith As the Father hath loved me so I have loved you Continue ye in my Love John 15.8 and By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye Love one another John 13.35 But if Christians do war and destroy one another this will make both Jews Turks Tartars and Heathens to say That you are not Disciples of Christ. And therefore as you love God and Christ and Christianity and its Peace All make Peace as far as you have power among Christians that
you may have the Blessing For you read that Christians were called the Houshold of Faith the houshold of God a holy Nation a peculiar People and they are commanded to be Zealous for good Works not for bad and Christians are also commanded not to bite and devour one another lest they be consumed one of another And is it not a sad thing for Christians to be biting and consuming one another in the sight of the Turks Tartars Jews and Heathens when they should Love one another and do unto all Men as they would have them do unto them And such Work and Devouring as this will open the Mouths of Jews and Turks Tartars and Heathens to Blaspheme the Name of Christ who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and cause them to speak evil of Christianity for them to see how the Unity of the Spirit is broken among such as profess Christ and Christ's Peace And therefore all Christians are to mind God and Christ's Teaching who teacheth Christians to Love one another yea Enemies and perswade all Kings and Princes to give Liberty to all tender Consciences in Matters of Religion and Worship they living peaceable under every Government so that for the time to come there may be no more Imprisonment and Persecution among the Christians for Matters of tender Consciences about Matters of Faith Worship and Religion that the Jews Turks Tartars and Heathens may not see how Christians are Persecuting one another for Religion And seeing from Christ and the Apostles Christians have no such Command but on the contrary to Love one another and knowing that Christ said to such as would have been plucking up Tares Let the Tares and the Wheat grow together till the Harvest which is the End of the World lest they plucked up the Wheat and at the End of the World Christ would send forth his Angels and they should sever the Wheat from the Tares So Christ tells you that it is the Angels work at the End of the World and not Mens work before the Harvest at the End of the World Hath not all this Persecution Banishing and Imprisoning and putting to Death concerning Religion been the pretence of plucking up Tares and hath not all this been before the Harvest and before the End of the World And therefore have not all these been the Actors against the Express Command of Christ the King of Heaven which all Kings and Rulers especially they that call themselves Christians should obey their Lord and Saviour's Command which he expresly Commands Let the Tares and the Wheat grow together till the Harvest and the Harvest is the End of the World and then Christ will send his Angels and they shall sever the Wheat from the Tares c. And also Christ told some of his Disciples that would have had Fire to come down from Heaven to destroy such as would not receive him in their Zeal That they did not know what Spirit they were of and rebuked them and said He came not to destroy Mens Lives but to save them And therefore all such that have destroyed Mens Lives concerning Religion and Worship of God have they known what Spirit they have been of Have they not done that they should not do and done that which Christ forbad who saith Lest ye should pluck up the Wheat with the Tares and saith It is the Angels work at the End of the World And hath not God shewed unto Man what is Good and his Duty To Love Mercy and to do Justly and to walk Humbly with his God which Man is to mind And the Apostle exhorts the Christians to Follow Peace with all Men and Holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord Hebr. 12.14 And why should Christians War and Strive one with another seeing they all do own in words one King and Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus whose Command is That they should Love one another which is a Mark that they shall be known by to be Christ's Disciples as I said before And Christ who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords saith As I have Loved you so love one another John 15.12 and John 13. And the Apostle saith Christians ought to be patient towards all Men 1 Thess 5.14 From him who is a Lover of Truth and Righteousness and Peace and desires your Temporal and Eternal Good and desires that in the Wisdom of God that is pure and gentle and peaceable from above with that you may be Ordered and Order all things that God hath Committed to you to his Glory and stop those things among Christians so far as you have power which dishonour God Christ and Christianity Amsterdam the 21th of the 7th Month 1677. G. F. THE FIRST TABLE CONTAINING The Names of the Countries Cities Towns and Places mentioned in the Author's Journal of his Travels and Labours on Truth 's Account in England c. and beyond the Seas Note The Pages with a Star refer to the like Pages with a Star to begin p. 189* 190* 200* 201* c. these Pages being double A. ABbyholm 268* Aberdeen Scotl. 407 Acton 141 Adderbury 388. 457 Addingworth 430 Albans 171. 430. 457. 479 Alborough Castle 522 Aldenham 78 Alexandria in Egypt 248. 253 Alkmaer Holl. 438. 522 America 408 Amersham 455 Amoroca River Amer. 380 Ampthill 430 Amsterdam 433-438 446-451 452. 520-522 594. 617-619 627-632 Anamessy River Amer. 380 Anderigo Friezl 444 Antego 356 357. 458 Apledon 318 319 Appingdalen F. 439 Applebye 91 Apre Denmark 440 Arnside 103. 215 216. 269. 470 Armscot 388 389. 457 Arundel 171 Ashford 259 Ashwell 469 Atherston 30. 132 Aylesbury 388 B. BAdcow Scotl. 269* 271* 276* Badgesley 167. 170. 225* 213. 310. 325. 429 Baghurst 341 Bagworth 29 Balby 54. 67. 69. 129. 213 214. 326. 429 Baldock 170 171. 316. 469 Ballowfield 429 Banbury 316 Bandon Irel. 328 Bandon-Bridge Irel. ibid. Barbados 351-361 379. 382. 599 Barking 570 Barnet 3. 430. 457. 479. 584 Barnet-hills 254 255 Barnstaple 318 Barrow 28. 254 Barton 423 Barton-Abbey 215 Basingstoke 244* Battersea 480 Beavor Vale 16. 18-26 Becliff 79 Bedall 423 Bedfordshire 149. 166. 170. 282* 259. 310 311. 430. 457. 469. 479 Bednalgreen 536-538 550 Bentham 297 Berkshire 254. 335. 342. 456 Berry-street 568 569 Berwick 281* Beverley 54 Beumaris Wales 258* 259* Biddlesden 479 Birmingham 167. 325 Bishopsdale 423 Bishop-starford 156 Black-Rock Chesh 327 Bletchington 480 Block-Island Amer. 369 Bodmin 178 179 Bohemia-River Amer. 365. 372 Bonners-Creek Amer. 376 377 Boston Lincolnsh 225* Boston New Eng. 242. 379 Boulton 280 Bowden mag 469 Bowtell 104 105 Bradforth 71 Braintrie 457 Brecknock 246* 247* Bremen Germ. 440 443 Bremer-Haven Germ. 443 Bridge-Town Barb. 356 Bridport 244 Briell Holl. 433. 453. 520. 522 Brigflats 423 Bristol 221* 222* 245* 210. 212. 253 254. 266. 310. 315. 332. 334. 456 Bristol-Harbour 383-386 Buckinghamshire 3. 224* 196. 310. 316. 341. 387. 430. 455. 457. 479 488 489 Bugbrook 479 Bullocks-Hill 430 Burlington 307 Burnt-Island 276* Burroby 57.
came to a great Town and went to an Inn. And Edward Edwards went into the Market and declared the Truth amongst the People and the People followed him down to the Inn and filled the Inn-yard and were exceeding rude Yet a good Service he and we had for the Lord amongst them For the Life of Christianity and the Power of it tormented their chaffy Spirits and came over them so that some were reached and Convinced and the Lord's Power came over all and the Magistrates were bound they had no Power to meddle with us After this we passed away and came to another great Town on a Market day and John ap John declared the Everlasting Truth through the Streets and proclaimed the Day of the Lord amongst them In the Evening many People gathered about the Inn and some of them being drunk they would fain have had us forth into the Street again but we seeing their Design I told them If there were any that feared God and desired to hear Truth they might come into our Inn or else we might have a Meeting with them next Morning So some Service for the Lord we had amongst them both over Night and in the Morning And though the People was hard to receive the Truth yet the Seed was sown and thereabouts the Lord hath a People gathered to himself In that Inn also I turned but my Back to the Man that was giving Oats to my Horse and I looked back again and he was filling his Pockets with the Provender that was given to my Horse A wicked theevish People to rob the poor dumb Creature of his Food I had rather they had robbed me Leaving this Town and travelling on there was a Great Man overtook us on the Way and he purposed as he told us afterward to have taken us up at the next Town for High-way-men But before we came to the Town I was moved of the Lord to speak to him And what I spake reached to the Witness of God in the Man and he was so affected therewith that he had us to his House and entertained us very civilly And he and his Wife desired us to give them some Scriptures both for proof of our Principles and against the Priests We were glad of the Service and furnished him with Scriptures enough And he writ them down and was Convinced of the Truth both by the Spirit of God in his own Heart and by the Scriptures which were a Confirmation to him Afterwards he set us on in our Journey And as we travelled we came to an Hill which the People of the Country say is two or three Miles high from the Side of this Hill I could see a great Way And I was moved to set my Face several ways and to sound the Day of the Lord there And I told John ap John a faithful Welch Minister in what Places God would raise up a People to himself to sit under his own Teaching Those Places he took notice of and since there hath a great People arisen in those Places The like I have been moved to do in many other Places and Countries which have been rude Places and yet I have been moved to declare the Lord had a Seed in those Places and afterwards there hath been a brave People raised up in the Covenant of God and gathered in the Name of Jesus where they have Salvation and free Teaching Dalgelthly From this Hill we came down to a Place called Dalgelthly and we went to an Inn and John ap John declared through the Streets and the Town 's People rose and gathered about him And there being two Independent-Priests in the Town they both came out and discoursed with him both together I went up to them and finding them speaking in Welch I asked them What was the Subject they spake upon and why they were not more moderate and spake one by one For the things of God I told them were weighty and they should speak of them with Fear and Reverence Then I desired them to speak in English that I might discourse with them and they did so Now they affirmed That the Light which John came to bear witness of was a created natural made Light But I took the Bible and shewed them as I had done to others before That the Natural Lights which were made and created were the Sun Moon and Stars but this Light which John bare witness to and which he called the True Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World is the Life in Christ the Word by which all things were made and created The same that is called the Life in Christ is called the Light in Man and this is an heavenly divine Light which lets Men see their evil Words and Deeds and shews them all their Sins and if they would attend unto it would bring them to Christ from whom it comes that they might know him to save them from their Sin and to blot it out This Light I told them shined in the Darkness in their Hearts and the Darkness in them could not comprehend it but in those Hearts where God had commanded it to shine out of Darkness it gave unto such the Knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus their Saviour Then I opened the Scriptures largely to them and turned them to the Spirit of God in their Hearts which would reveal the Mysteries in the Scriptures to them and would lead them into all the Truth thereof as they became subject thereunto I directed them to that which would give every one of them the Knowledge of Christ who died for them that he might be their Way to God and might make Peace betwixt God and them The People were attentive and I spake to John ap John to stand up and speak it in Welch to them which he did and they generally received it and with Hands lifted up blessed and praised God The Priest's Mouths were stopt so that they were quiet all the while for I had brought them to be sober at the first by telling them That when they speak of the things of God and of Christ they should speak with Fear and Reverence Thus the Meeting brake up in peace in the Street and many of the People accompanied us to our Inn and rejoiced in the Truth that had been declared unto them that they were turned to the Light and Spirit in themselves by which they might see their Sin and know Salvation from it And when we went out of the Town the People were so affected that they lifted up their Hands and blest the Lord for our Coming A pretious Seed the Lord hath there-aways and a great People in those Parts is since gathered to the Lord Jesus Christ to sit down under his free Teaching and have suffered much for him From this place we passed to a City like a Castle Where when we had set up our Horses at an Inn and refreshed our selves John ap John went
forth and spake through the Streets which were so strait and short that one might stand in the Midst of the Town and see both the Gates I followed John ap John and a multitude of People were soon gathered about him amongst whom a very dark Priest began to babble but his Mouth was soon stopped So when John had cleared himself I declared the word of Life amongst the People directing them to the Light of Christ in their Hearts that by it they might see all their own Ways Religions and Teachers and might come off from them all to Christ the true and living Way and the Free Teacher Some of the People were rude but the greater part were civil and told us They had heard how we had been persecuted and abused in many places but they would not do so to us there I commended their Moderation and Sobriety and warned them of the Day of the Lord that was coming upon all Sin and Wickedness testifying unto them that Christ was now come to Teach his People himself by his Spirit and by his Power Beaumorris From hence we went to Beaumorris a Town wherein John ap John had formerly been Preacher to a Congregation After we had put up our Horses at an Inn John went forth and spake through the Street and there being a Garrison in the Town they took him and put him into Prison The Inn-keeper's Wife came and told me That the Governour and Magistrates were sending for me to send me to Prison also I told her They had done more than they could answer already and had acted contrary to Christianity in Imprisoning him for Reproving Sin in their Streets and Gates and for declaring the Truth Soon after came other friendly People and told me If I went out into the Street they would Imprison me also and therefore they desired me to keep within the Inn. Upon this I was moved to go and walk up and down in the Streets and told the People What an uncivil and un-Christian thing they had done in casting my Friend into Prison And they being high Professors I asked them If this was the Entertainment they had for Strangers And if they would willingly be so served themselves And whether they who looked upon the Scriptures to be their Rule had any Example in the Scriptures from Christ or his Apostles for what they had done So after a while they set John ap John at Liberty again Next Day being Market-day we were to cross over a great Water and not far from the place where we were to take Boat many of the Market-People drew to us amongst whom we had good Service for the Lord declaring the word of Life and Everlasting Truth unto them and proclaiming the Day of the Lord amongst them which was coming upon all wickedness and directing them to the Light of Christ which he the heavenly Man had enlightned them withal by which they might see all their sins and all their false Ways Religions Worships and Teachers and by the same Light might see Christ Jesus who was come to save them and lead them to God So after the Lord's Truth had been declared to them in the Power of God and Christ the free Teacher set over all the Hireling-Teachers I bid John ap John get his Horse into the Boat which was then ready But there being a Company of wild Gentlemen as they called them got into it whom we found very rude and far from gentleness they with others kept his Horse out of the Boat So I rode to the Boat's-side and spake to them shewing them What an unmanly and unchristian Carriage it was and told them they shewed an unworthy Spirit below Christianity or Humanity As I spake unto them I leapt my Horse into the Boat amongst them thinking John's Horse would have followed when he had seen mine go in before him but the Water being pretty deep John could not get his Horse into the Boat Wherefore I leapt out again on Horseback into the Water and staid with John on that side till the Boat returned There we tarried from the Eleventh Hour of the Fore-noon to the Second in the Afternoon before the Boat came to fetch us and then had we forty and two Miles to ride that Evening and by that time we had paid for our Passage we had but one groat left between us both in Money We rode about sixteen Miles and then got a little Hay for our Horses and setting forward again we came in the Night to a little Ale-house where we thought to have staid and baited But finding we could have neither Oats nor Hay there we travelled on all Night And about the fifth Hour in the Morning got to a place within six Miles of Rexam Near Rexam where that Day we met with many Friends and had a glorious Meeting and the Lord 's Everlasting Power and Truth was over all and a Meeting is continued there to this day Very weary we were with travelling so hard up and down in Wales and in many places we found it difficult to get meat either for our Horses or Our selves The next Day we passed from thence into Flintshire Flintshire Rexam sounding the Day of the Lord through the Towns and came into Rexam at Night Here many of Floyd's People came to us but very rude wild and airy they were and little Sense of Truth they had Yet some were Convinced in that Town Next Morning one called a Lady sent for me who kept a Preacher in her House I went to her House but found both her and her Preacher very light and airy too light to receive the weighty Things of God In her Lightness she came and asked me If she should cut my Hair But I was moved to reprove her and bid her Cut down the Corruptions in her self with the Sword of the Spirit of God So after I had admonished her to be more grave and sober we passed away and afterwards in her frothy mind she made her Boast That she came behind me and cut off the Curl of my Hair but she spake falsly From Rexam we came through the Country to West-chester West-Chester and it being the Fair-time we stay'd there a while and visited Friends For I had travelled through every County in Wales preaching the Everlasting Gospel of Christ and a brave People there is now which hath received it and sitteth under Christ's Teaching But before I left Wales I writ a Paper to the Magistrates of Beaumorris concerning their Imprisoning of John ap John letting them see their Conditions and the Fruits of their Christianity and of their Teachers And afterwards I met with some of them near London but oh how ashamed they were of their Action From West-chester we came through the Country to Leverpool Liverpool where was at that time a Fair also And as I rode through the Fair there stood a Friend upon the Cross declaring the Truth to the People Who seeing me ride
of the Lord came over them So I stayed there till William Osburn and Robert Widders came up and then we passed on together But it is likely that if we two had gone away before they would have robbed Robert Widders when he had come after alone there being three or four of them We went to William Osburn's House where we had a good Opportunity to declare the Truth to several People that came in there And then we went among the Highlanders Highlands who were so Devillish they had like to have spoiled us and our Horses for they run at us with Pitch-forks but through the Lord's Goodness we escaped them being preserved by his Power From thence we passed to Starling where the Soldiers took us up Starling and had us to the Main-guard and after a few Words with their Officers the Lord's Power coming over them we were set at Liberty But no Meeting could we get amongst them in the Town they were so closed up in Darkness Next Morning there came a Man with an Horse that was to run a Race and most of the Town 's People and the Officers went to see it As they came back from the Race I had a brave Opportunity to declare the Day of the Lord and his Word of Life amongst them Some Confessed to it and some Opposed but the Lord's Truth and Power came over them all Leaving Starling we travelled through the Country till we came to Burnt-Island Burnt-Island where I had two Meetings at one Captain Pool's House one in the Morning and the other in the Afternoon Whilst they went to Dinner I walked to the Sea-side not having freedom to eat with them Both he and his Wife were Convinced and became good Friends afterward and several Officers of the Army came in and received the Truth We passed from thence through several other Places in the Country till we came to Johnston's where were several Baptists Johnstons that were very bitter and came in a Rage to dispute with us Vain Janglers and Disputers indeed they were And when they could not prevail by disputing they went and informed the Governour against us and next Morning they raised a whole Company of foot and banished me and Alexander Parker and James Lancaster and Robert Widders out of the Town As they guarded us through the Town James Lancaster was moved to Sing with a Melodious Sound in the Power of God and I was moved to proclaim the Day of the Lord and preach the Everlasting Gospel to the People For the People generally came forth so that the Streets were filled with them and the Souldiers were so ashamed that they said They had rather have gone to Jamaica than have guarded us so But we were put into a Boat with our Horses and carried over the Water and there left And the Baptists who were the Cause of our being thus put out of this Town were themselves not long after turned out of the Army and he that was then Governour was turned out also when the King came in Being thus thrust out of Johnstons we went to another Market-Town where Edward Billing and many Souldiers quartered We went to an Inn and desired to have a Meeting in the Town that we might preach the Everlasting Gospel amongst them The Officers and Souldiers said We should have it in the Town-hall but the Scotch Magistrates in spight appointed a Meeting there that Day for the Business of the Town Which when the Officers of the Souldiery understood and perceived that it was done in Malice they would have had us to have gone into the Town-hall nevertheless But we told them No by no means for then the Magistrates might inform the Governour against them and say They took the Town-hall from them by force when they were to do their Town-business therein But we told them ' We would go to the Market-place They said It was Market-day We replied ' It was so much the better for we would have all People to hear the Truth and know our Principles So Alexander Parker went up and stood upon the Market-cross with a Bible in his Hand and declared the Truth amongst the Souldiers and Market-people but the Scots being a dark carnal People gave little heed nor hardly took notice what was said After a while I was moved of the Lord God to stand up at the Cross and to declare with a loud Voice the Everlasting Truth and the Day of the Lord that was coming upon all Sin and Wickedness Whereupon the People came running out of the Town-hall and they gathered so together that at last we had a large Meeting for they sate in the Court but only for a Colour to hinder us from having the Hall to Meet in When the People were come away the Magistrates followed them and some walked by but some staid and heard and the Lord's Power came over all and kept all quiet And the People were Turned to the Lord Jesus Christ who died for them and had enlightned them that with his Light they might all see their evil Deeds and be saved from their Sins by him and might come to know him to be their Teacher But if they would not receive Christ and own him it was told them that this Light which came from him would be their Condemnation Several of them were made loving to us especially of the English People and some came afterwards to be Convinced But there was a Souldier that was very envious against us and hated both us and the Truth and spake Evil of the Truth and very despitefully against the Light of Christ Jesus which we bore Testimony to and mighty Zealous he was for the Priests and their Hearers As this Man was hearing the Priest holding his Hat before his Face while the Priest prayed ☞ one of the Priest's Hearers stabbed him to Death So he who had rejected the Teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and cried down the Servants of the Lord was murdered amongst them whom he had so cried up and by one of them Leith We travelled from this Town through the Country to Leith warning and exhorting People as we went to turn to the Lord. At Leith the Inn-keeper told me that the Council had granted forth Warrants to apprehend me because I was not gone out of the Nation after the seven Days were expired that they had ordered me to depart the Nation in several friendly People also came and told me the same To whom I said What do ye tell me of their Warrants against me if there were a Cartload of them I do not heed them for the Lord's Power is over them all Edenborough So I went from Leith up to Edenborough again where they said the Warrants from the Council were out against me and I went to the Inn where I had lodged before and no Man offered to meddle with me After I had visited the Friends in the City I desired those Friends that travelled with me